Zelink Week 2025

Can Link defeat Ganondorf?

They spent the rest of the morning discussing the queen's plan. Afterward, they found food and new clothes for Link and his parents. Finally, he was out of his pajamas, now so tattered they had to be thrown away. He would have preferred to burn them.

That afternoon, they rallied everyone in the village and told them the plan. The village had a few weapons, but not enough to go around. Everyone pitched in, working through the night, to make spears out of sticks. It wasn't much, but every little bit would help in the long run.

Link tried to get some sleep, but anxiety kept him awake. He was the crux of the plan. If he failed, everything failed. There was no backup. King Ganondorf had bested him so easily before, and there was that nightmare… What if he had another one? Zelda couldn't be there to comfort him this time.

He finally fell asleep late in the night. No nightmares or even dreams woke him. He wasn't rested in the morning, but at least he wasn't exhausted.

Impa led the march through the tunnel back to the castle. The villagers went next. When it was Link's turn, Zelda held him back.

"I can't come with you," she said sadly. "My parents won't allow it. They said the battlefield isn't a safe place for princesses, even ones as skilled as I am." She looked at their intertwined hands. "You… you better come back to me. You hear me?" she added, looking pleadingly into his eyes.

Oh, those eyes. They were like sapphires, brilliant and sparkling. Link could stare into her eyes forever. But… he didn't have time. He squeezed her hand and worked up the nerve to speak.

"I–I love you," he said.

Zelda smiled, though tears clung to her eyelashes. "I love you, too."

"I–I'll be back," Link said and let go of her hand. He hurried to catch up with the last villager, leaving Zelda behind. Hopefully not forever.

Impa waited for Link at the castle, having already sent the villagers to attack the Gerudo guards. Link looked at her questioningly.

"Follow me," was all she said.

Link did as she asked. They returned to the dungeon. No one was there, so they made it through easily.

"I think your sword will be here," Impa said as they exited the dungeon. They reached a room that had several chests and cabinets. "This is the storage for prisoner effects." She began digging through a chest, adding daggers to her arsenal.

Link picked another chest and started looking. Immediately, he knew it was the wrong chest. Something tugged at him to look in a certain cabinet. He opened it and found the Master Sword.

"That was fast," Impa remarked.

Link belted the Master Sword around his waist, then looked around the room. He picked up a shield experimentally and decided it was good enough. The shield belonged to the Royal Guard.

"Let's hurry," Impa said. Link nodded and followed her to the throne room.

The throne room and halls around it were in chaos. Hylians fought with Gerudo women everywhere. Link and Impa dodged and weaved through the battle, making their way to King Ganondorf, who sat on his throne watching with a bored expression. Six people fought Nabooru and Volga each. It looked like the path was clear to the king. At the sight of Link, King Ganondorf growled.

"So, you dare face me again?" King Ganondorf boomed. Several fighters turned to see what he was talking about.

In answer, Link hit the Master Sword against his new shield. Fight me!

King Ganondorf held out his hand, and his black sword materialized. "Prepare to be crushed!"

𝆘∴𝆗

Zelda hated waiting. It was the worst thing in the world. She would much rather be in the middle of the fight, but realized that would worry Link and make him vulnerable. But what was she supposed to do in the meantime? Sit on her hands? What an unproductive waste of time.

Her parents tried to comfort her, saying it would all work out in the end. Link was the Chosen Hero. He was destined to win.

Just as she was destined to love him.

Still, no matter what they said, she worried. What if destiny didn't mean anything? What if it was just a made-up concept? What if Link… No, she didn't want to go there. But with each passing hour, her thoughts went darker and darker. No amount of crochet could keep her mind from fearing the worst.

"Try reading something," Father suggested. "That'll occupy your mind better."

So she did. But she couldn't concentrate on what she was reading. She read the same page five times before giving up.

Around sundown, Zelda went for a walk. The village was eerily quiet. No children played in the street. No one chatted with their neighbor. Everyone who was left behind was holed up in their homes.

On a whim, she went to the healing spring. A handful of soldiers were there. Zelda hurried to reach them.

"How goes it at the castle?" she questioned. The soldiers looked at her in surprise.

"I don't know, princess," one man said. "We barely escaped with our lives."

Zelda bit her lip. That wasn't the news she wanted to hear. "I'm glad you escaped, at least."

Another man stood up and saluted her. "We'll go back to the castle, now, princess!"

Zelda held out her hand to stop him. "No, don't risk yourselves. Go back to your families."

"Yes, princess," they all said. Their relief was painted plainly on their faces.

She looked up the path leading to the tunnel. Maybe she should check… No. That wouldn't be safe. Besides, perhaps they were already on their way back.

"Excuse me, princess," said a soldier. Zelda turned to him. "Don't worry. I'm sure that evil king will get what's coming to him."

Zelda smiled at him. "Thank you for your kind words."

The man nodded and walked off with the others.

Zelda watched the path again. When would Link come through, triumphant? He would succeed, right? After a while, she sighed and returned to her cabin. Her parents had dinner ready, and she ate despondently. No one spoke that evening.

Zelda was sleeping when the cheers woke her. She bolted upright in bed and looked out the window. Nothing. She kicked on her slippers and hurried downstairs and out the door. Lights lit the center of the village. Without a second thought, she rushed toward the lights. Halfway there, she worried the cheers and lights were from Gerudo, come to destroy the village. Well, if that were the case, she still wanted to know.

To her delight, she was wrong. Soldiers and villagers carried Link and Impa on their shoulders toward the healing spring. Link looked like he wanted to escape. Then he spotted Zelda. He struggled to get down, but the celebrants wouldn't let him. Zelda pushed her way through the crowd.

"Let me see him, let me see him!" she murmured. He was alive! Nothing else mattered in that moment. People figured out who she was and made a path for her. She reached Link and took his hand. That's when she noticed how hurt he was. He looked even worse than when he was tortured. No wonder they were going to the healing spring.

"Oh, Link!" Zelda cried. "You're alive!"

"And he defeated Ganondorf!" a villager rejoiced.

Zelda didn't care about that. All she cared about was Link.

They made it to the spring, and the crowd let Link down. He wavered on unsteady feet. Zelda hugged him tightly, making him groan in pain.

"Oh, sorry!" she said, pulling back. "Into the water with you!"

He nodded gratefully and removed his shoes. Zelda had to help. He and several others waded into the healing spring. It took a long time for all of Link's injuries to heal. At one point, he flexed the fingers in his right hand as though he had lost use of them before. He probably had.

"Link is the hero!" someone shouted. "Three cheers for Link!"

As the crowd cheered, Link left the water. He walked straight up to Zelda, took her in his arms, and kissed her.

The End