The Legend of Zelda: Forgotten Goddess

by N Felts

throws him several levels higher in the city, landing heavily near the exit. Vaulting up the tall walls lining the multistoried complex, Ganondorf claws into the earth before kicking off each level, sprinting on all fours like an animal. Deciding the fight should move outside, Link knows the city will be destroyed at this rate, rolling away from the closing beast of a man.

  The night is darker than he would prefer, the moon only offering a dim glow as the first clouds seen in months continue to climb through the sky. Unraveling from his rolling form a safe distance away, Link glares back at the entrance to the city, awaiting Ganondorf’s next move. The quiet night becomes steadily interrupted by the sounds of tumbling gravel from all directions. A pebble bounces off the Goron’s ankle, skipping up the hill and eventually through the city gates. A bad feeling creeping up his spine, Link rolls left just as a guttural shout of exertion sounds. The entire area shakes violently as a rolling wave of dark force splits the ground. The rumbling continues even after the attack has concluded, the aggravated mountain perpetuating the seismic activity. Rocketing forward with another ham-fisted attack, Ganondorf is taken by surprise when the Goron catches his wrist, landing a forward and immediate backward elbow strike to the Gerudo’s head. The combo continues with a lunging punch to the torso, sending the warlock back a step before Link rolls forward into a heavy uppercut.

  The blow rocks Ganondorf’s head backward, but he keeps his footing, slowly lowering his chin to show the crazed smile plastered across his augmented face. Not yet discouraged, Link throws a quick one-two punch, but the dark lord catches each of his fists in turn. Merely attempting to intimidate the Goron with his crushing strength, Ganondorf is left in a momentary stupor when Link’s rock-hard head bounces off of his own. The head-butt buys the Goron enough time to hop back a step, his rope-covered fists partially exposed as the makeshift gloves have begun to fray apart. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the king of thieves glares at Link, now unwrapping his hands ceremonially. Sharp rocks line his arm from his knuckles all the way to his elbow, the jagged stone obviously deadly if competently wielded. The ground beneath their feet rumbles again, still upset by Ganondorf’s earlier attack. Not at all afraid of the Goron’s deadly fists, the Gerudo begins to charge another attack, the triforce upon his hand glowing brilliantly as a vortex of black and purple swirls into his clenched fist. A level stare emanates from Link’s purple eyes, raising his arms in his foreign stance as the battle shifts toward the climax.

  A roar bellows from the dark lord’s lips as he lunges into a finishing blow. Dashing into an identical attack, the Goron hits Ganondorf’s fist dead on, though the ample energy he’s summoned works as a buffer between the two. Certain he will overtake the foolish warrior, the king of thieves continues to push forward as the cataclysmic power struggle radiates whips of black energy, slapping and slashing into the earth all around them. An eerie orange glow overtakes the battlefield, as each of the men continue to assert their strength. The death, torment, and destruction Ganondorf has brought upon the Goron people swells in Link’s mind. His very exile an eventual result of the warlock’s cruel actions. There will never be happiness. There will never be love or prosperity for his people if he cannot strike down the beacon of evil before him. Pieces of stone begin to chip off of his arm as the evil power seeps through his righteous fist. Death Mountain explodes high above them, more and more lava pouring down the mountainside and illuminating the dark night. The evil grin on the Gerudo’s face spreads like a plague of smug satisfaction as his power slowly overwhelms the Goron. Knowing it is only a matter of time, Link feels his fist ready to give way at any moment.

  Jolting forward as the Goron’s fist relents, Ganondorf awaits the instant gratification of obliterating the defiant commoner when an exceptional pain arcs up his arm. Twisting his fist upward, Link alters the path of the dark energy while stepping into a forward elbow, landing the hardened rock square upon the dark gauntlet of his opponent. Before the dark lord can dial back his forward momentum, Link throws an additional left cross, knocking Ganondorf’s fist aside as the Gerudo recoils in pain. The pig-like visage fades from the warlock’s face, the pain jolting him back to his senses as if he’s awoken from a dream. Wasting no time, the Goron pushes forward with two rapid uppercuts to the body, quickly winding up for a devastating elbow to the head. Within the dark lord’s mind, he attributes the unexpected pain to the figure within the orb of flame. Moving so close did not grant him the unstoppable power he expected, and this realization has pushed him away. Moments away from knocking him unconscious, Link’s arm suddenly stops just before impact.

  Abandoning his thirst for power, Ganondorf returns to his cunning roots, anchoring Link’s arm with a magic chain from behind. Confused by the drastic change in tactics, the Goron is quickly entombed in chains, earning the warlock a momentary reprieve. He’d surrendered himself to thoughtless rage, and nearly suffered defeat because of it. A mistake he does not intend to repeat. Crouching into a solid base, Link suddenly explodes with force, tearing through the chains and rolling toward his opponent to finish the fight. A furious jab, cross, and uppercut combination are dodged and batted aside with ease as Ganondorf returns to his original style of sudden, abrupt motions. The Goron does not relent, sweeping a low hook at the legs before rising with an uppercut. Leaping backward, the Gerudo is momentarily confused by the growing orange glow all around him. Realizing the employed tactic just in time, he summons a glyph between himself and the molten lava beneath his feet, pouring over the area as Death Mountain continues to erupt. Circling around the stationary Link, Ganondorf summons glyph after glyph, sprinting across the magical stepping stones until he is back on solid ground. Fed up with the state of the battle, he secretly begins condensing a healthy dose of darkness in his right hand for a final attack, a small orb of extraordinary power hovering in his palm behind his back.

  The comforting warmth of lava creeps over the Goron’s feet while he stares at the king of thieves with contempt. Had he managed to push him into the lava, the fight would be over, but the infamous pig proves far too observant. The occasional quiver shakes Ganondorf’s right arm, the dark lord appearing to be concealing the pain from Link’s earlier attack. The orange glow overtakes him completely and suddenly, he has a plan. His attack nearly ready for deployment, Ganondorf knows he cannot miss if he hopes to end this fight without taking further damage. The Goron begins to roll in a circle, gaining momentum and throwing lava in every direction. Realizing what he is aiming to accomplish, the Gerudo simply waits for the oncoming attack. Link barrels toward him like a fireball, lava coating his form and spewing everywhere in his wake. Closing in for the kill, the Goron unfurls with a scissoring strike, throwing lava both horizontally and vertically in a molten cross before attempting another combination. The lava passes through the warlock as if he weren’t even there, and when Link’s initial punch travels through the intangible image, he knows he’s been tricked. The phantom Gerudo becomes an embrace of chains, immobilizing the Goron once again. Quickly shaking and thrashing himself free, Link has inadvertently discarded the lava upon his form, throwing the pathetic attempt at restraint to the ground with disdain. Spinning around he spots the king of thieves standing a short distance away.

  “That all you’ve got?” Link asks with attitude, raising his guard once again.

  “Foolish,” Ganondorf mumbles under his breath, dashing forward. The Goron’s jab is slapped aside and instantly countered by an electrified back fist. It is only now Link realizes the tables have turned. The dark lord has sacrificed his power for a drastic speed advantage. Another strike, another counter. A feign into an uppercut, and the sting of electricity is becoming too much to bear. Scouring his mind for a weakness, he realizes Ganondorf has only been using his left hand. Purposely throwing a telegraphed attack, he takes the vicious back-hand to the temple, but grabs hold of the Gerudo’s wrist in the process. Winding up to cleave the warlock’s head
clean off, he is far from prepared when the king of thieves reveals his right hand. An explosion of energy hits Link in the chest like a ball of dynamite, sending him skipping along the lava-covered ground like a ragdoll. Ganondorf watches his defeated opponent collide with the mountainside some distance away, falling back into the lava lifelessly. Lying at the warlock’s feet, a ghostly form awaits its execution, making no futile attempt to flee. The sage of fire had long since chosen Link over Darbus, but even so, his fate is to be destroyed at the hands of the dark lord. Allowing him no final words, Ganondorf crushes the sage violently, snatching away the medallion of fire as the lava creeps closer than he’d prefer. With one final glance, he eyes the fallen combatant, lava pouring over him like a river in slow motion.

  “You fought well,” he admits, though the battle put him behind schedule. “Such strength wasted in suicidal acts of valor. Pathetic.” Medallion in hand he summons his horse, mounting and spurring the steed back down the mountain trail.

  Guiding Light:

  Darker Depths and Forgotten Phantoms

  Vivid images of Bulbin charging across Hyrule Field rush through Zelda’s mind as she commands her panicking people to move children into the castle and take cover themselves. Her breath leaves her completely when a volley of flaming projectiles soars over the tall walls surrounding the town. Burning arcs across the darkening skies over her kingdom, they trace a path to an explosive conclusion as several homes and shops are destroyed in fiery blasts. Nayru’s visions continue to override her conscious thoughts, a collection of Bulbin assembling planks of wood into a bridge across the moat surrounding the town. Behind them, another group prepares to charge with a battering ram as the next attack from the catapults is nearly prepared. With no time to lose, the only instructions she can offer her Sheikah disciples are, “split up and help them!” Closing her eyes to concentrate, she murmurs a spell, blinking her atop the castle walls instantly. The catapult ropes snap in rapid succession, and the next wave of destruction is airborne in the distance.

  Exploding long before clearing the walls, the projectiles hit strategically summoned barriers as the queen is determined to protect her town. Quickly realizing their long-range attacks are now failing to cause any damage, the Bulbin climb atop their hideous pig-like mounts, charging in from all directions. Archers far below fire volley after volley of arrows at the woman singlehandedly thwarting their attack, but the bolts twist and turn off course, missing Zelda by a wide margin every time. An inexplicable gust of wind swirls around the queen’s form at her command, throwing projectiles aside like paper in a breeze. The ram hits the vertical drawbridge with a heavy crunch, but the thick logs show no signs of giving way anytime soon. Above the entrance, the few available guards fire arrows into the goblins handling the battering ram. Every time one of the horde is successfully dispatched, another promptly takes its place, failing to slow the assault in any perceptible way. Scouring the ground for strategic weaknesses, the queen summons a small fireball in her hand, casting it outward as if she were dropping a coin into a fountain. Able to control the magic missile long after it has left her grasp, Zelda guides it beneath the decrepit tree smashing against the gate. The hardly noticeable projectile suddenly expands violently, blasting the tree to splinters and obliterating the makeshift bridge the Bulbin had constructed in a scorching explosion. Satisfied with her defense thus far, the queen searches the shadowy span of Hyrule Field for King Bulbin, only just noticing how dark the night has become.

  Without warning, a kunai screams past Zelda’s ear, her intuition tilting her ever so slightly just before the attack could claim her life. The razor-sharp dagger slices through her once meticulously maintained hair, cutting off a significant tuft and thoroughly fraying her mess of dark blond hair. Turning to discover the source of the stealthy attack, the queen could not have guessed she would find a woman wearing the fused shadow, skillfully twirling another kunai on her finger. Various throwing weapons line her tan thighs and arms, from knives to shuriken to steel needles. Though she is clearly of some mixture of Gerudo descent, Zelda cannot help but notice something strange beneath her stoic stare and compulsive technique.

  “You are one of the royals, correct?” She asks, standing casually but ready to launch another knife at a moment’s notice.

  “Who are you?” Zelda asks, careful not to lower her guard.

  “I am called Less. I only want the Sheikah. Tell me where she is hiding and I’ll call off the siege,” she offers, seemingly genuine.

  “Sheikah?” She asks, feigning ignorance. “You would assault my people chasing fairy tales?”

  “Do not think me a fool,” Less warns, her trigger finger becoming itchy. “The Sheikah have been connected to the royal family for centuries. You will tell me where she is, or you will die along with the rest of your people!” She commands, whipping her kunai into the stone at the queen’s feet. Her speed and skill are formidably deadly, the available reaction time on Zelda’s end intimidatingly minimal. Glaring expressionlessly despite the defiant attack, she considers her options, never flinching in the face of death.

  “This Sheikah you speak of,” she starts, trying to read her opponent. “She has wronged you in some way?”

  “She murdered my sister, and she will pay with her life. If you’re aim is to protect her, then you shall suffer the same fate,” she cautions, irritated by the slow-paced dialogue. “Last chance, your highness. Where is she?”

  “I am sorry for your loss, but,” she starts, cut off by a torrent of projectiles. A brief flurry of shuriken twists and weaves off course, stabbing randomly into the stone behind their target. The brief gust of wind throws Zelda’s tangled, uneven hair to the side, and a look of contempt overtakes her brow in the torchlight. Far below the siege continues, the Bulbin firing sporadic, flaming arrows as well as throwing bombs at the city gates, still holding for the time being. Sliding a hand behind her back, the queen summons a fireball as her blonde antagonist shows no signs of weakness or arrogance. Dashing forward for a more personal attack, Less is taken by surprise when her shoulder is grabbed roughly just before a ball of magic explodes against her chest, throwing her off the city walls like a ragdoll. The brief second of contact is like inhaling a toxic cloud of memories, Less’s life fluttering through Zelda’s mind like a blurry photo album flapping through its pages hurriedly. Protected by the fused shadow, Ganondorf’s minion quickly recovers, kicking off the stone rushing past her just as another conjured fireball explodes in her wake. Soaring toward the teeming sea of goblins, she leaps off of a ladder being erected, her natural agility amplified ten-fold by her dark accessory. Gliding higher than Zelda’s position, she uses the advantage to charge up a kunai with potent energy before throwing the deadly projectile downward. The piece of steel leaves her hand like a bolt of lightning, stabbing into the queen’s thigh long before she can even blink in response.

  Wincing in pain, Zelda grabs hold of the knife, instantly seeing her future if it remains where it is a moment longer. Gritting her teeth, she tears out the small kunai, throwing it away from herself as it explodes into a star of dark lightning and shrapnel. Several pieces rip her dress to shreds as her elemental defense is unable to push the absurdly fast projectiles off course. Dozens of ladders clank against the city walls as Less descends upon her with purpose. Whispering her incantation, the queen teleports to a nearby rooftop just as a pair of knives stab into her shadow, each of them exploding in turn before Less dashes through their wake and continues her pursuit. Inside the city gates, a sad collection of soldiers have gathered along with Zelda’s disciples, preparing themselves for the coming battle. Displaying impressive agility, Sanzu ascends atop the town’s perimeter after a series of wall-jumps, chopping down ladders with her chain-scythe before the Bulbin can finally breach the line of defense. Linu mows down scores of goblins via a rapid loading and firing technique with his slingshot alongside the guards firing arrows down into the s
ea of goblins. The bashing against the main gate begins to show signs of progress, but Boam stands ready to annihilate, his pair of intimidating axes dangling in each hand. Even Malune tensely clutches his blade, afraid to approach the psyched up warrior, preparing to enter a death trance. The ladders which remain intact spill dozens of the green-skinned thugs onto the town walls, the savages quickly descending into the streets of Castle Town. Leading a couple guards through the streets, Ashei continues to evacuate the houses nearest the violence, cutting down enemies rapidly with practiced swordplay as the goblin numbers multiply dramatically.

  Another flurry of shuriken spins and slashes past Zelda, her evasive maneuvers doing just enough to keep her alive. Half of her lavish dress has been torn to shreds, her body riddled with minor nicks and cuts from the endless onslaught of flying metal. Able to move much easier in what is becoming more of a skirt, the queen leaps from rooftop to rooftop as storms of blades coat her every footprint. Sending her fireball spells backward with every leap, Zelda finally manages to catch the relentless woman descending, blasting her out of sight with the burning explosion just before she can land. The fused shadow emanates a dark, purple glow, an orb of absorption rendering the attack futile and showing the queen she will need a better plan, and soon. Dashing to another rooftop, she scans the ground for her opponent, ducking to the side just as another charged dagger zaps past her, blasting into pieces like a grenade once it has passed. Sprinting through the paved streets, Less appears and disappears between buildings, closing the distance between them quickly, but carefully. Realizing she intends to make the fight much more up close and personal, Zelda abandons her current element for a different sort of magic. Nayru’s visions reveal to her Less’s position, and after vaulting across several rooftops, she has reached the Central Square. Sensing the attack approaching, the queen tears across the open area, dive-rolling through the fountain as Less appears.

  A flurry of spikes stream across the square, several stabbing into the fountain as Zelda flips back to her feet. A large shield of