In a time before the Legends...
Before the Epic we know began...

Before a Man became a Monster...
Before a Hero would be born...
Before a Princess would be burdened...

The War had yet to begin...

Chapter 7
In The End

The tides of the battles slowly began to turn. Drow, born and raised in the faith of Dragmire, upon hearing the words of their fellows, the message that Hyrule's Heir was willing to accept them back into the kingdom, began to realize that all the years of hate had been meaningless. The beastmen as well came to the realization that they were not bound to the TryForce even if their home realm was. The entire field began to change as the forces of Kazah'dur abandoned their God and fought alongside Hylian and Gerudo, the beastmen of the Dark World ravaging the armies of undead.

Agahnim, staring in horror, realized now that his people had abandoned him. Even as he screamed orders to those few still loyal, he knew that it was hopeless. And it only grew worse; the Drow of the surface world had come, joining the battle from behind and tearing into the armies of Dragmire that still remained so. The battle was lost, far worse than before. He and his master had been betrayed by the Drow and the beastmen of the Dark World. The single eyed Hindoxes still fought for them, but they were far outnumbered, falling to blades wielded by Hylian and Drow.

And then he felt it. Something burning at him, heating his skin as if the sun were shining down, but it was hours before Hyrule's star was to rise over the horizon. He turned and saw the source of his pain standing before him, clad in ruby and orihalcom, the Master Sword in his left hand and his hair blowing in the winds that now blew.

"You," he hissed, then drew his scimitar from within his cloaks. This was the child that had caused so much trouble, the one who had turned away Dragmire's armies before, the one who even now bore the blade that could slay any evil. "Just who are you, boy? Why is it that Alahyde chose you?!"

He stepped forward, still not raising the Sword. "You killed my parents," Harkin replied, his eyes not wavering from the Drow. "You slaughtered everyone I knew that day five years ago, Drow. I ran into the Kokiri, and it was there that I found my fate."

And Agahnim then realized that he was the one who had caused this. The Magnus was the boy who had escaped his massacre, who had fled into the woods and been left there to be killed by the creatures inhabiting the Kokiri Forests. Agahnim now realized that he had brought upon the instrument of their downfall, all because he had killed those Tridelans. It was all his fault, he had spawned this drive of vengeance.

"I shall finished what I started five years ago," the Drow snapped, raising his weapon. He charged and swung, Harkin deflecting with the Master Sword and spinning to back away the direction Agahnim had been standing in. The Drow snarled as he turned around and attacked, Harkin moving as fast as possible to parry every strike. Agahnim could feel the power with in the Master Sword reaching to him, reaching to end his darkness, but the one holding it would not strike him down, despite many chances he had.

Why? Why would the boy who owed him death not take revenge? Everything Agahnim had grown up knowing demanded that vengeance be taken, that his life be hunted by the one who had survived, so why was the boy not finishing it?

Clash after clash, Harkin refused to cut down the Drow, instead only waiting. It made no sense for the child to spare his enemy, and when Agahnim finally was disarmed of his weapon, he fell to his knees, awaiting the fell swing that would send him into oblivion.

It never came.

"What are you waiting for?!" he bellowed. "Finish it, you have me!"

Harkin held the Sword to Agahnim's face. "You expect me to take what life remains in you to pay for what you did to me. Just because I desire justice does not mean I want blood on my hands." The blade was taken back, lessening the pain Agahnim felt. "I will not kill you, there is still some hope left for you to redeem what you've done."

And he turned away, raising the Master Sword and unleashing its light. The Drow that still fought for Ganondorf screamed as they were burned, but those who had turned sides were untouched save for the warm peaceful feeling that swept through their bodies. Agahnim raised his hand, but the light did not burn him. He realized that he had begun to doubt who he served. Even in his half-dead state, something still stirred in him, some spark that tried to overcome the evil that had filled him.

He stood, for once in his existence, for the first time ever, realizing that he had been a fool, that his entire life, he had been deceived. For over a hundred years, he had served Dragmire, and thus his son, but now, after seeing the compassion and forgiveness of this child, of being rejected by revenge, he was starting to see everything.

And then, the pain shot through his chest. Agahnim looked down to see a tri-pronged blade sticking out of his chest, blue blood staining his now pierced armor. He turned, expecting Hylian or Gerudo, or those that had turned, but instead found the face of one of his own. "Alag?" he croaked, feeling the last semblance of life in him fading. "Why?"

"You're more valuable to the Emperor as this, than you are alive," the Drow stated, a grin on his face. "Plus, with you dead, I'm Ganondorf's second now."

Agahnim fell to his knees again, then looked back to see the unmoving form of the Sword Magnus. He had been betrayed by someone he trusted, and now, that traitor would moved to kill Hyrule's savior...

No, the traitor wouldn't do such a thing. As the Drow Alag walked past his former prince with sword in hand, Agahnim pulled the knife from his back, yelling at the pain, but staring at the betrayer. "No," he whispered, then threw the triblade dagger into the back of the Drow's head.

Harkin turned to see Alag collapse, scimitar falling to the ground, then saw Agahnim holding his wound, smiling faintly before he fell forward. The boy ran over to the fallen Drow and turned him over to find Agahnim barely still alive.

"Why did you save me?" he asked. "Why would the servant of Ganondorf save me from another Drow?"

"Because you showed me mercy." Agahnim smiled as he felt his life fade at last. "No one has ever done that before, and no one has ever made me see the truth. It's all I can do, but at least as I burn, I will know that my people will be spared, and that Ganondorf will join me."

Harkin nodded as the Drow finally died, closing his eyes as he whispered his thanks, then gently set Agahnim to rest and raised the Master Sword again. Light blazed out from the blade, splitting the sky as if it was the sun. Masses of undead fell in the light, Drow of Dragmire's army blinded and burned by the radiant shine. As the light of the Master Sword finally faded, Harkin looked out on the ended battle, seeing the dead and those who lay dying, but also finding those that still stood.

"Drow of Kazah'dur!" he shouted, all turning to face him. "Your prince is dead, by the hands of his own, and he saved me from his own before he died! He has seen the deception of Dragmire and his son, and even if he must burn in the fires of the Inferno, he does so knowing that you have a chance to be spared, and that the one he served will be cast there as well!" Harkin raised the Sword again, this time not shining its light. "This blade, the Master Sword, was given to me so that I would bring you all hope again, so that you could rejoin the surface and cast off the fires of darkness! I am the Sword Magnus, Harkin Tridelan, and I say, do not fight us, but help us!

"Help us free all of Hyrule from the Emperor, help us reunited your people with ours! Hyrule can never be truly one realm unless all races can come together in unity and peace!"

As he stood there, breathing deeply, Harkin saw the Drow that had fought for Ganondorf consider his words, and then throw down their weapons. Some still moved to continue their battle, but they were far outmatched, forced to surrender to those who fought against Dragmire's power. He sighed with relief, then raced down to find Regalas and Celestia, both standing over Impa's lifeless form. The princess could only, at last, release her tears while Regalas tried to comfort her.

"This war is near its end," Harkin stated, both Sage and Sheikah turning to him. He smiled and placed the Master Sword on his back, then held out his hand to his companions. "It's time to go back to Hyrule Castle, and take back what he took from us. Will you lead these people against the Dark King?"

Regalas and Celestia looked at each other, then saw the masses of beings that surrounded them, all looking to Celestia for a leader. She realized that her words before had reached far more than she could have hoped, and that indeed, the Drow at last looked to her family for their leader. "I can't truly speak for all those here," she at last said," but you have me at least to follow you."

"And me as well," Regalas added, gripping his bow tightly. "I'm going to see this to the end."

Harkin smiled and began running through the mass of troops, making his way past Gerudo, Goron, Sheikah, Hylian and Drow alike. None stood in his way, and he leapt onto a night black horse that seemed at once to accept him somehow. The crest on the saddle was enough to tell Harkin that this had been Agahnim's own steed; ironic that it would allow a Hylian to mount.

"Harkin!" Regalas called as he and Celestia saddled on Epona. "If we are to stop Ganondorf now, we must hurry to his tower now. The Lost Woods will lead us there."

He nodded, Harkin leading his two companions out of the Gerudo Valley and into Rivedale's plains. They soon came upon the Lost Woods, racing through the forest and following it to come bursting out before the ruins that had once been the city in Hyrule Castle. Ganondorf's tower reached high through the thick clouds, its peak not even visible as it was so far up. Harkin dismounted the Drow horse and whispered his thanks in the horse's ear, then ran into the ruins, Sword falling from his back and neatly into his left hand just as the undead forces in the city moved towards him.

An arrow shot by over head and burst out into a brilliant flare, causing the corpses to halt and attempt blocking the light. Harkin looked back to see Regalas and Celestia following him, and all three ran through the ruins of the castle and to the tower. They looked upwards, noting just how high it was before even being shrouded from view by the clouds. It would take hours to scale it, but they had to hurry as fast as they could.

The three raced to the doors of the tower and flung them open before stepping into the long corridor. The doors swung shut behind them, blanketing the hall in darkness before torches flared to light the way forward. Regalas narrowed his eyes and kept his bow ready while Celestia held onto her daggers. Harkin, however, continued to walk down the hallway, rows of torches flashing into burn with each stride.

"He knows we're coming," the boy said, his voice causing an echo in the otherwise empty halls. The Master Sword flashed as they reached a door, Regalas and Celestia ready for anything while Harkin opened it. What met their eyes was a massive network of stairways, all leading upwards. Harkin took a step, then held out the Master Sword, letting its light shine out and burn away an unseen barrier of purple energy. "He knows that I'm here," came the words, telling Regalas and the princess that it was indeed him that Ganondorf wanted. Harkin suddenly ran forward up the stairs, his companions racing to keep up. Chamber after chamber came and went, but it seemed as if there was nothing in the tower to stand in their way.

And then they heard it. A faint song, coming from the far upper levels. The instrument sounded like a pipe organ, and judging from the fact that the music reached even down so far, it had to be a large one. They continued running up the staircase, stopping to rest only so briefly before running on to reach the top. The closer that came, the louder and more distinct the music became, almost drawing them in.

At last, after hours of scaling the passages of the tower, they reached the top. Huge glass windows were in place of walls, open to show the darkened sky outside, the clouds far below. At the far end of the chamber stood a massive pipe organ, indeed the source of the ominous music that had been playing the entire time. The man seated at the organ had his back to the three, but they could clearly see his long red hair and the Drow cloak he wore.

"Ganondorf!"

He stopped, chuckling faintly as he slightly craned his head. "You've at last arrived," he stated, slowly rising from his seat. "As I had expected, Harkin Tridelan. Magnus of the Master Sword."

Turning, Ganondorf flung back his cloak and laughed, then took a step towards his enemies. "Did you really think you could defy My power?!" he roared, his laugh echoing through the chamber. Raising his right hand, the Emperor revealed a mark of three triangles blazon on the back, all three shining golden. "I hold the TryForce!" Ganondorf continued. "I hold the power of the Gods, a God now Myself!"

The Master Sword was raised, blade aiming towards the Gerudo. "You are not a God," Harkin stated firmly as he walked towards the dark king. "Nor are you worthy of their power. You stole the TryForce from its place where it waited, and now, it's time for you to relinquish it."

He laughed loudly, the Gerudo's booming voice nearly shaking the room. "I will do no such thing, mortal!" he replied. Ganondorf cast back his cloak and began to rise off the ground, hovering there as if to prove his power. "I am the God of Darkness, ruler of Hyrule and all Creation!"

Again, Harkin fixed his eyes on the Gerudo. "You have been rejected by Creation," the boy announced, taking another step forward. "And I'm here to send you were you belong."

Ganondorf laughed and narrowed his eyes. "Then let it end!"

The glass walls and ceiling shattered as he roared, causing shards to rained down. Regalas and Celestia took cover in the stair case, but Harkin stood there where he was, the fragments crashing around him, but not one touching. The winds blew hard in the now open expanse of the rooftop, Harkin's hair billowing in the air. Ganondorf let out one final laugh, then flung a bolt of energy at Harkin. The boy positioned the Sword and swung up, sending the ball of darkness flying away into the sky.

He dropped down, flying towards Harkin and drawing his own sword from his belt. The massive blade clashed against the Master Sword, pushing Harkin back, but not enough as he let the light of the Sword shine forth once more, blinding Ganondorf and forcing him away. He took the chance and thrust forward, catching his foe barely in the side, but it was enough to send a flare of pain through the Emperor.

Ganondorf roared as he swung at the boy, only to miss and receive another slash that sent burning pain shooting through his body. He narrowed his eyes, knowing that with each touch, the Master Sword was cutting the TryForce away from him. If Harkin actually managed to strike a killing blow...it was over, he would be destroyed and the TryForce taken back.

"I will not," he began, voice deepening to demonic tones. "I will not be denied!" He slammed his sword down hard, causing the ground to crack while Harkin leapt back and resumed his stance. Ganondorf snarled in anger as he pulled the blade of his weapon from the ground and rushed forward. As the blade swung, Harkin jumped up, landed on the wide flat of the blade, then pushed off again to fly up and flip. As he came down with a spin, Harkin brought the Master Sword down hard and cut into Ganondorf's back, causing him to scream out from the burning pain.

He turned, seeing Harkin behind him with the Master Sword shining. He could feel his power slipping away now, but he would not be denied his reign, not now. With a bellowing roar, Ganondorf charged power into his sword and unleashed it as a blistering pulse of purple light. Harkin lifted the Sword, then swung and struck the pulse, sending it flying back and slamming into Ganondorf. The man was frozen stiff, the power he himself commanded struck by the Master Sword and cast back at him only to nullify his strength completely.

"Give up the TryForce!" Harkin again demanded, Master Sword raised. "Surrender it now, and I will spare your life! Refuse, and be cast into the Inferno, where you belong!"

No," the man growled, fighting to free himself. "It is you, child, who shall burn!" A yell of fury, and the energy shattered away, leaving Ganondorf to rush at Harkin and swat him back across the great expanse of the tower roof.

He landed just only feet from the edge, then rolled forward to avoid a blast and brought the Master Sword to bear as light burst forth once more, this time streaming forward in a beam. It struck the Gerudo Emperor of Darkness, forcing him back towards the edge of the roof, then stopping. Harkin came to his feet, giving Ganondorf one final chance to accept surrender.

And he refused.

Again, he cast a bolt of darkness at the Sword Magnus, Harkin dodging and racing forward. Ganondorf smiled, then, just before the boy struck, fired a wide wall of energy that slammed into him, causing Harkin to fly back and crash into one of four protrusions that reached high up from the roof as spikes. The Master Sword clattered to the ground, allowing Ganondorf to walk forward and pick up the boy. He walked to the edge and held his enemy over, the look in his eyes one of utter joy at last.

"Now," he hissed with a smile. "At last, I win. And you...you will give my regards to death."

He laughed and let go, Harkin falling down and towards the earth below while Regalas and Celestia yelled out in horror. Ganondorf turned to face them, his eyes holding a regard for them that was pure venom. He stepped forward, hand reached out and flaring with energy. "And now, for you two." He grinned, ready to blast the two Hylians into death, then heard a sharp cry and turned, only to see something he never thought to be.

A huge eagle, feathers blazing red and eyes like gold, rose up with Harkin on its back, while a large blue furred wolf with the same eyes leapt from the eagle's back and to the rooftop. Harkin jumped down to the flooring and picked up the Master Sword, standing ready to face Ganondorf and at last end everything that the man had done.

"No!" he screamed, unable to comprehend how this had happened. "No! No bird is that large, none could carry that burden! How?!"

"You killed Their bodies," Harkin stated, holding the sword tightly in both hands. "But you can't kill Their spirits. Latyra and Harkanian will never die so long as the virtues of Power and Courage exist!"

Ganondorf bared his teeth and bellowed as he ran at Harkin. This time, he would tear him apart with his bare hands, make sure that he was dead. If these reincarnate Gods wanted to aid Harkin, then the child would be rend in such away that he could not be saved again.

And then, a flash, and pain enveloped him. The blade of the Master Sword had been thrust forward into his chest at the last moment, sinking deep and drawing dark red Gerudo blood from his veins. The holy powers of the Sword ripped through him, tearing the TryForce from his grip and forcing the object out into the air. Golden light burst out from the TryForce, filling the sky and burning away the eternal darkness.

And the two animals stood there, waiting for any sign, but Ganondorf could not move. All he could do was scream, the pain like nothing else ever before. Harkin pushed the blade in further for a moment, then pulled it out, allowing the Gerudo to fall down to his hands and knees. Blood hit the ground, red pooling as Ganondorf heaved his chest. He looked up at Harkin, then felt his body healing slowly. A grin formed as he realized that he was still bound to the TryForce.

"Fool," came the rasped taunt. "I can't be killed, even by your Sword!"

"I never said I would kill you," Harkin replied, then shoved the Master Sword into Ganondorf's gut just as the man rose to his feet. Light burst around them both, then fire tore open a rift behind the Gerudo man, screams coming out from the gate as the smell of sulphur escaped. Both Ganondorf and Harkin knew where the hole in reality led, where it would take whoever was sent in; it was a gate to the Inferno, and the man realized now what Harkin intended.

He reached to grab the boy and take him in as well, but then the wolf slammed into him, sending Ganondorf sliding off the Master Sword and tumbling into the Inferno, screaming as he fell.

"Curse you, child!" he cried. "Curse you and your blood! One day, I will return, and on that day, I will hunt down your offspring and slaughter them all! I promise this!"

And he was gone, cast into the lake of fire. The gate though did not yet close. Harkin stood near it, then thrust the Sword in and unleashed the light of the blade. It shined down into the depths of the Inferno, piercing the beast that was Mephistopheles and breaking the chains of those unjustly condemned to the fires by the blades of Ba'al and Azreal. Hundreds of souls were freed, causing those rightfully imprisoned to cry out, but even the Lord of Flames could not take them back, nor could Ganondorf as he continued to plummet. The freed spirits rose out of the rift and transformed into light, one by one passing into the TryForce.

One spirit stopped and hovered to Celestia, smiling softly to her and nodding. It was the soul of Impa, saying one last good-bye before passing on. The young woman broke into tears as the spirit held her cheek, longing to hold her mother again, but forced to watch as Impa floated back and merged with the other souls to travel into the TryForce's light.

At last, Harkin pulled the Sword out of the tear and allowed it to slam shut. He fell to his knees, exhausted, but victorious. Regalas, after coaxing the princess, ran to the boy and dropped down to help him up. Both saw the stress and pain the boy had gone through, but then he raised his head and turned to look at the TryForce as it floated there, shining like a new sun to light the skies.

"What now?" Celestia asked, gazing at the sacred power that hovered before them. "Now that Ganondorf is gone, who does the TryForce go to?"

Regalas looked to the Sword Magnus. "If anyone," he replied with a smile. "Harkin should carry it."

They helped him up, Harkin looking at Regalas, then to the TryForce. He slowly walked towards it, reaching out his hand, and hearing the faint voice that echoed.

"If thou hast a deepest dream or desire, wish for it, and all will be yours."

His fingers almost touched, but then he pulled away, shaking his head. "No," he stated, backing away from the TryForce. "No, I won't take it." Harkin looked back to his companions. "No one in this world has the balance to hold the TryForce, no one yet born is of all four Virtues. Even I'm not in balance, even if I was chosen by Alahyde as the Sword Magnus." Again, he turned to the TryForce. "If I took it, Hyrule would gain peace, yes, but it'd be forced, it wouldn't have come on its own. I would be no better than Ganondorf doing that. It has to be broken."

He took the Sword and raised it as he stepped near, then slammed it down on the TryForce, causing it to blaze with white light before shattering into four pieces. Harkin breathed heavily, then saw the green light appear as Alahyde came into being. "I did what you said," the boy stated, then gestured to the four fragments of the TryForce. "But I won't take it, if that's what you meant for me to do. I'm not worthy of it, no one in all Hyrule is yet."

The God smiled softly and caused the pieces to rise from where they lay. "I had hoped that you would indeed test yourself. You know that even with your good intentions, if you forced peace upon Hyrule, you would be no better than the one you had taken it from. Such wisdom is beyond your time, Harkin. Thus, I have reached a decision."

The red fragment rose high into the sky, flared brightly, then shot off into the distance towards the Gerudo Valley. "Power shall go to the Gerudo, where they will guard it so long as they shall exist."

The blue piece rose, then floated to Celestia and landed in her hands. "Courage," Alahyde continued, "shall go to My chosen Clan, for their own courage will protect it through the ages, just as it stood against the blades of the Inferno."

The green fragment floated to Harkin, then vanished and melded into his body. "You, Harkin, shall pass Wisdom on through your bloodline. One day, it shall become a power for the one it will manifest in, and that shall mark the time when the Chosen One has Awakened."

"What about the fourth piece?" Regalas asked, then lowered his head as if in shame. "Forgive me, my Lord..."

"No need for forgiveness," Alahyde replied with a smile. "The binding Virtue, Love, shall await the day that the Clans are all united as one line. It is only then that the TryForce, when all four Virtues are united again, shall be whole. When that day comes, a Golden age will come to be, when peace is brought upon the world willingly."

Light shined again as Alahyde and the fourth piece began to fade. He smiled to Harkin, and the boy's eyes began to turn green instead of their natural blue, as if to mark him as the bearer of Wisdom. "When the Destine Child is born," the God said before he departed. "That shall begin the final battle for Creation. Care well for this world."

The God of Wisdom gone, the Hylians looked to the large wolf and eagle. The two animals bowed to the three, then departed, wolf riding upon the eagle's back as the bird soared high into the sky. Regalas smiled as he knew now that his Clan's patron God lived on as the very animal he had favored. Harkanian as well would live on as his own favored beast. The Gods would never be gone, they would always be watching over Hyrule, and even death could not end their lives.

In the months to come, Celestia was at last crowned as the Queen of all Hyrule. The first act she did was send emissaries to the Drow in Kazah'dur to extend a lasting alliance between them. It would take years before the two races were truly reunited, but relations had finally been formed. The Drow in Durin had been aided in restoring their city, allowing them to expand it to house the Drow that had begun to leave Kazah'dur to live on the surface.

Regalas was made captain of the Knights of Hyrule, and what pockets of Ganondorf's armies remained were searched out and brought to surrender with him leading the Knights personally. As the Sage of Light, he managed to convince many of those remaining troops to surrender, ending the last threads of the war with almost no bloodshed.

The remaining Sages went back to their Temples and their people, but gathered again along with the Knights of Hyrule and Queen Celestia in the Temple of Light. It was at last time for the Master Sword to be laid to rest by Harkin, to await when it would be needed again.

The boy slowly stepped up to the monolith, the Sword in hand while those who had fought to bring about this moment stood in watch. He looked back to see Celestia standing next to Regalas, and smiled to the two. As he looked over the faces of those he had fought alongside, Harkin knew that once the Master Sword was placed back to rest here, he would be alone. He family was dead, he had no home. The Master Sword was the only thing he had to hold onto.

But it had to go back.

He turned to Raura, Nell, Froru and Darunia, knowing that his time as the Magnus was over, and that he would probably never see these people again once they left the Temple of Light. All these people he had come to know in the time since he had returned, they would all vanish from his life. But he accepted it, resign to follow his fate from this point on as his own.

He turned back to the monolith and continued up the steps. As he reached the pedestal, Harkin raised the Master Sword and positioned it above the hole when he had draw it from five years ago. It was all over now, and it was time now to begin a new life, his own life.

The Sword was thrust down, sliding back into the stone and standing as it had once before. Light began to pour fourth, engulfing Harkin as everyone gasped in shock and confusion, everyone save Raura, who could only smile.

As the light faded, Harkin stood before them, yet, he was different. His armor was gone, his hair shorter than it had been, and he himself was shorter as well. As he turned, everyone saw that he had been reverted back to his twelve year old self by the Master Sword. His eyes still shined green, but save for that, he looked like none of it all had ever happened.

"By the Gods," someone whispered. "Why?"

"You have been given back your lost years," Raura replied, walking over to Harkin. "You can age now as you were meant."

Harkin lowered his head. He had been changed back to even younger than everyone else, again not of age. It seemed as if he would never be able to have his time. And he still was alone, with no where to go.

"It seems then," Regalas spoke up, "that our young Sword Magnus needs a home. I think we can provide such, can't we, Highness?"

A smile crept on Celestia's lips as she nodded, holding her hand out to Harkin. "If he will accept, the new castle is more than large enough for a growing boy." She then held her stomach and winked at Harkin. "Especially one who will make a good big brother."

The boy looked at Regalas who suddenly blushed, and the boy smiled. Maybe he had a place in the world still after all. His time to be on his own could wait for a while longer. And maybe, he wouldn't have to leave the people he knew. Maybe, this was his new beginning.

After all, every legend had a beginning...and an end.

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