A/n: Probably the last chapter in the story. Yay me for finally finishing this thing. Please don't hate me for this...

Disclaimer: If I owned Legend of Zelda, Link would get a break or two once in a while.

Slowly the Hylians made their way down from the sky. First to come down was a fat, bald man who looked like an owl. When he saw the girl, Zelda, he hugged her as if she was going to fall into the earth. The other two were tall men long brown and white hair; they kept ogling the plants and animals.

After those three went back, others quickly followed: a pair of siblings, a young couple clad in yellow, a tall bugobsessed teen, a short boy, and a family of three.

They obeyed the Goddess incarnate without question and quickly settled south of the Faron Woods, within walking distance of their statue to Hylia. They brought supplies and food from their archipelago, leaving it barren and empty.

However, the remnants of the demon army kept attacking in a frenzy; even after their master's death, they obeyed his final will.

Link was the only one who fought against the seemingly never ending demon hordes; the other so-called "knights" were too weak and cowardly to stand against the demons.

Only Link fought for their lives. Alone.

Day and night, he was on guard, never getting any rest. He was always occupied, either fighting monsters or helping the settlers fetch things from the demon- infested land.

He was worked to the bone, and everyone took him for granted.

A week in, the managed to build a small fortress, homes protected by a tall wooden wall with only a single gate. Link was on the outside of the gate as their only protective measure.

A few days afterward, the annoying one with the ridiculous hair built another "Groosenator" to protect them along with watchtowers and artillery.

The knights grew stronger and were soon able to defeat the demons by themselves. The knights also volunteered as escorts for scouting parties. The settlement began to flourish.

Link was no longer needed.

The settlers no longer went to Link for help with their issues for they could do so on their own now. Zelda handled any disputes between the local Kikwis and the Water Dragon so that both parties were happy. The settlers were now well-defended.

They told him to take a break, to let them handle the rest. They left him alone thinking it was for his own good. They didn't realize that Link needed someone to help; it was how the Goddess built him.

The settlers denied him of his purpose; he would offer his help, but each time he would be denied.

One day, Zelda went up to Link. They went to a private place, the Sealed Temple, to talk.

I followed them, my presence still unnoticed; I had trained in stealth for years in my younger days to steal without getting caught. I never thought I would use it this way, though.

They walked past The Gate of Time. I could finally appreciate the beauty of that glowing artifact of awesome power now that I wasn't in such a rush to find my way home; "slowing down to smell the roses," I think it's called.

They came to a halt in front of the Tree of Life. Zelda was still dressed in her white robes. Link was donned in his forest green uniform; patched, sewn up, scorched edges, and covered in subtle stains of both his blood and the blood of his enemies.

He still looked happy to see her, despite the bags under his eyes and the scars, both physical and mental, that no one else seems to see.

"Link, it's been a while since we last spoke. I'm sorry. ...You've been busy, haven't you?

"I called you here for a reason: the demon hordes. Back millennium, the hordes attacked like this as well. It proved to be too much for my people, and we retreated to Skyloft."

"You think it'll happen again?"

"I know it will. Which is why I've brought you here, Link."

She reached for something behind her back, a motion that went unnoticed by Link.

"The Goddesses told me how to stop the demons, back when I still had my godhood. You'll help me, right Link?"

"Of course, Zelda. Anything."

His eyes lit up with affection and graditude. He smiled; a rare expression nowadays.

His smile fell soon afterward.

She stabbed him in his stomach without warning. Link fell back, sitting against the tree. He looked back at her, a myriad of questions in his deep blue eyes.

"...Zelda?"

"Only a great sacrifice can ward off the demons. The blood will soak into the ground and provide sanctuary to our people.

"...This is the only way to prevent the past from repeating itself. I wish there was another way..."

She kissed him on his cheek, her once-pure robes tarnished forever by his blood, a small rapier drenched crimson in her hand.

"I'm sorry, Link. This is goodbye. ... I hope we meet in a next life..."

She left Link alone to slowly bleed out on the ground in this dusty temple.

... I still hadn't said farewell yet.

"Link."

"Ganondorf? What are you doing here?"

"Don't speak. Drink. Quickly. You're losing blood too fast." I offered him my red potion.

"No. You heard Zelda. This is the only way."

"You don't know that."

There can be other solutions. Just because some self-important whore said she couldn't think of any, doesn't mean there aren't any.

"This... is for the best. They'll be safe now."

"You'll die." Not you, anyone but you. Someone who wasn't a saint amongst dirt.

"That doesn't matter. As long as they're safe..."

"What about your friends?" About me?

"... They'll move on."

"...Is this really how it's going to end?"

"I just wanted to help... That's all I wanted...

"Goodbye, Ganondorf... I never did take you to Skyloft, did I?"

He tried to smile, but it ended as a grimace.

"...Goodbye, Link. You were a true hero until the end."

He closed his eyes for the last time. I took his equipment off and buried his still-warm body under the tree where he'd been slain. I left his shield in front of the tree as a grave marker. I took his sword, a dull substitute of his true blade, and sheathed it in the ground in front of the settlers' gate.

They didn't notice it; didn't they notice that Link was dead!?

They soon called their new settlement Hyrule in honor of their Goddess Hylia.

The beginnings of a large kingdom, a kingdom built on the corpse of their hero and sanctified in his blood.

How could such a horrid thing be allowed to exist!?

I'll tear it down, rip them apart piece by fucking piece. If the Goddesses think this just, I'll destroy everything- those soulless goddesses who think they can treat people like toys they can throw away and their precious kingdom!

A new order will be born from the ashes: a kingdom of true justice. Where heroes are honored instead of used.

I went to the Mirror of Twilight. It worked like the Gate of Time.

In the Twilight Realm, I had no bodily form; I was a black sun burning with my hatred of the goddesses and that loathsome Hyrule.

I quickly found a suitable vessel for my power: a Twili servant jealous of his masters who bowed to the goddesses that imprisoned them.

I bestowed upon him a piece of my power; little did he know that my conscious slept within him, waiting until he perished to emerge and wreck havoc on the world once more.

I know not how long I waited inside him. It could have been centuries, millenia, or even mere minutes.

My vessel was killed by the Twili ruler whom he overthrew. I was brought back in the Hyrule castle, and what a lavish castle it was.

A castle crafted from the bones of their savior.

The door opened behind me; those cowardly bastards sent a warrior to prevent my vengeance upon them.

I turned around to face my opponent, a final stepping stone before retribution rains down on this corrupt kingdom of corpses.

...Only to see the face of my one and only friend glaring back at me, Master Sword poised to attack.

The Goddesses are cruel.