Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. The characters belong to Nintendo, as do parts of the locations within the story.

Hello dear reader(s),
I hope, you're going to like this story. It's meant to be entertaining, slightly erotic and exciting. My plan is to make this a real story, with plot, character development, new locations and all. I really hope I can fulfill my own expectations.

I gladly take any comments, but please be gentle and don't be rude. I also like to hear what hasn't been to your liking, but I won't consider flaming.
Now have a lot of fun!

Best regards,
Dwarfi

Link could barely lift his sword anymore, but he never let Ganondorf out of his sight. He was already pretty beaten up. The red-haired demon lord had taken several blows himself, but unlike Link he seemed almost in a good mood. His malicious smile was provoking and contained. Link hadn't been a fighter for long, after all, and even the countless battles against a variety of enemies hadn't been able to prepare him for the brutal force behind the Gerudo's attacks. His advantage was his swiftness, but the other man's experience always gave him a hint where Link wanted to strike next, wanted to move next, wanted to jump next. The hero stuck his mighty Master Sword into the ground – he knew how desperate and dangerous such a move was – pressing a hand against a gash at his lower left side. His shield had been blown away by the last strike.

Ganondorf just stood there, waiting. As if this wasn't the perfect opportunity to end this. Why wouldn't he? One last, final blow, and they were both done, darkness engulfing the land. Everything the demon lord had always ever wanted and aimed for. Or maybe he just enjoyed seeing him losing his balance while he tried to suppress the pain that shot through his sword arm during every movement. Did the Gerudo want to prolong this pleasure of crushing the Hero of Time? Probably. Now he even mimicked Link and stuck his heavy dark sword into the ground, too, leaning one elbow onto the end of the grip. He pretended to inspect his fingernails, pure arrogance drifting in waves from this gesture. Link gritted his teeth, his jaw muscles flexing. Ganondorf smiled. And finally, he spoke. "We both know I could finish you now. I broke your sword arm." He taunted in his dark, heavy voice that had a slight accent of the desert people.

"So, why don't you?" Link asked more calm than he should be.

"Because it bores me to death." The demon lord was serious now, and even a bit dry. "I've done this for centuries with you. And just because YOU don't remember that doesn't mean I don't. Yes, I remember well all of our little struggles. The battles that start anew every circle of fate.."

"But today you'll win. Isn't that worth anything?" The hero asked, clearly irritated.

"Oh, I've won countless times, believe me. This is not the first one. Yet, it has never been mentioned in history books, except for two times. The victory of light always was much more appealing to the historians." Ganondorf replied with a disapproving wave of his hand.

Brows over sky-blue eyes were lifted. Countless times? The former incarnations of the hero in green had lost countless times against Ganondorf? Regarding his own battered constitution, Link couldn't help but believe the man. The Gerudo WAS strong, and a formidable fighter. But it raised the question, how often exactly a fight like this one might have happened in the past. How many times did they cross blades, the King of Demons and the Hero clad in green? Link had no answer to that.

Now, the demon lord wound his fingers around the grip of the huge, black sword of his and lifted it seemingly without effort. The razor sharp tip pointed directly at Links heart. They had long stopped circling each other, and the wind tugged at their clothes down here in the castle gardens. The hero remembered how he had entered the place just about half an hour ago, facing his enemy. Ganondorf had sat in a wide, decadent chair with dark red clothing, reading some book. Zelda had been nowhere around, and even now Link wondered where the demon lord might have hidden her.

On the other hand, did it matter anymore? He was going to lose, which meant his certain death. From the gash in his lower left, the blood was soaking the green cloth, the blood loss making him feel dizzy. So he didn't even back down as the red-haired man drew closer and laid the point of his sword into the hollow beneath his throat. Link stood his ground solemnly. Why deny his fate? The other man looked at him earnestly. "She lies in her bedchambers, deep asleep." Ganondorf said as if he had read Link's mind just a few seconds ago.

The hero swallowed. His good hand came up fast, the iron back of his gloves colliding with the black blade and pushing it fiercely away while stepping back, as if the words of Ganondorf had created another spark of fighting spirit in him. He even gripped his sword again and took a more solid stance. "What about it?" He shot back, angrily. "As if I still could make it there. Or do you intend to yield? I don't suppose so." While he didn't want to lose nor give up, he was realistic enough to admit his defeat. It was not complete yet, but soon it would be. So why couldn't Ganondorf stop teasing him and be serious about all this? Instead, he saw the demon lord smile like a shark, showing white teeth. His eyes were glowing with evil amusement.

"Since I am clearly at an advantage here, I will tell you what to do. You are going to stick your sweet sword here into its scabbard, fetch your Hylian shield and go to the princess. You will take your time with that, and before you even think about coming back here, I will be gone for good. No more fighting, no more hate, suffering or darkness for Hyrule or any other land. You and your princess can rebuild everything and live happily ever after." Link's eyes widened. Ganondorf sounded dead serious, and as if he wanted to prove his intentions, he threw away his sword.

"You really want to yield." Was the perplexed statement of the hero, and Ganondorf chuckled darkly.

"Sometimes it's fun to be the villain. Trying to take over Hyrule and becoming the powerful tyrant. It's fun seeing you struggle, sending my minions on their way to stop or even kill you. But most of the time it has become a boring routine. So you live, you save the day, and get the princess. And I live, I can ride somewhere quiet and peaceful, not bothering you or anyone anymore. I thought about opening an inn. Or maybe farming potatoes and pumpkins."

"Don't mock me!" Link growled. "If you wanted to live a peaceful life, why did you even choose the path of evil?" He asked angry and confused at the same time. The answer was simple.

"It was fun to make you do your heroic thing. Roaming through caves, castles, hideouts of monsters, finding pretty fairies and sacred artifacts to be able to defeat me. That's always quite entertaining. If I weren't your enemy, I probably would be a great fan of yours." Ganondorf smiled viciously and seemed pretty content with the whole situation. "So, if you will excuse me? An actual life is waiting for me."

"Wait! Swear it. Let's both swear on our piece of the Triforce and by its power. So I can be assured you won't change your mind and come at us again." Link demanded. He still felt he was being kidded. He wasn't entirely sure if the demon lord wasn't just bluffing for his own fun. But if there was a way out of this where everyone was alive and quit fighting, he was willing to try. When he reflected on Ganondorf's deeds, he couldn't find anything that made the Gerudo deserve death. The man hadn't slaughtered or killed people needlessly. His minions had crushed a few houses and roofs, there had been a lot of darkness and fires and terror, prisoners, deaths even. But no slaughtering. Hadn't Ganondorf only harmed those who had dared to fight him openly? And as far as he knew, prisoners obviously hadn't been treated badly. The hero decided for himself that he could let the villain get away - as long as there was some secure promise nothing bad would emanate. As long as true peace followed.

He held out his Triforce hand, looking directly into Ganondorf's eyes. The demon lord had turned to him again and smiled, surprised. "Interesting. There is a tactician in you, after all."

Slowly, the huge man came back. "Fine, let's swear by the holy power of the Triforce." He felt Link's hand twitch as he clasped it with his own and that made him smile. "You speak. I repeat." He proposed generously, and Link's stare was hard. As he began to speak, the golden Triangle at the back of his hand began to glow. "I hereby swear to lay down my sword as long as my destined enemy lays down his. I swear to let him live in peace. I swear to not threaten him or his loved ones. Should I break this vow, my enemy shall have the right to pick up the sword against me once again." Ganondorf repeated every single word in a nearly bored matter, but the glow of his own Triangle was proof, that he meant it. And then, it was done. The golden glow of the Triforce faded.

"Finally." The demon lord sighed in relief. As Link retracted his fingers from their clasping hands, Ganondorf caught his wrist. Link moaned as a sharp pain shot through the broken arm. Freezing instantaneously, he was pulled harshly against the other man. He wanted to struggle, but the pain was too hard to bear. Yet, Ganondorf couldn't do anything, could he? He had sworn! Link shut his eyes, breathing through his teeth, trying to ignore the agony. But suddenly, the ache was gone, and so ceased the nausea that had begun to accumulate in his stomach. Confused, Link tried to lift his head and look up to Ganondorf. The Gerudo was smiling like a black cat that had finally caught its favorite prey. "I have more magic abilities than you know. Destroying is not everything I can do." The giant whispered.

"Let go. I am no longer willing to play your games, Ganondorf. Zelda awaits. If I recall, you have plans, haven't you?" The hero replied breathlessly, now bringing his free arm between them and trying to push the red-haired away.

"I'll be gone soon enough. Don't worry." The bigger man took Links chin and kissed him then. Just like that, as if it were something he was eager to try, out of plain curiosity. Link didn't feel a thing about it and gave up the struggling, letting the man have his way. Close up, Ganondorf was far to strong and it wasn't likely he could break free, even less so with a broken arm (it took him a moment to realize, his arm wasn't broken anymore). But it was frightening, how fast an enemy could become a mere annoyance, how fast the eager strife for justice and heroism could become meaningless, turning to.. normality.

Though he still felt a certain threat emanating from the huge demon lord, Link no longer believed him his enemy. And sure enough, Ganondorf let go of him, licking his lips. He didn't even comment on his actions. "Farewell, hero. Maybe you will come visit me in my inn?"

"I don't think we will ever meet again in this life." Link replied, tired.

"We will." Ganondorf sounded dead sure about that. "Our lives and destiny are far too intertwined. Sooner or later, something will lead you to me - or the other way round. Until then, stay alive." And that was it. The man turned and with no haste strolled through the garden that had been devastated during their fight. With a short, high whistle blow, he called his black horse, mounted and rode away. That was the moment when the light of the sun broke through the dim, yellow mist that had engulfed Hyrule. The people who couldn't even fathom what had happened, were now free of the shadows. Link turned to the castle entrance and started walking. What should he tell the people? That he had killed Ganondorf? No. That would be a lie. That he had let him go? That would probably cause panic. So he decided to pick the version that was closest to truth: He had defeated the demon lord. And while he was already forming the sentences to tell the story of the hero and the villain, he had a feeling Ganondorf was right. They would meet again.