Okay, my last story kinda got left behind in the tattered trail my life was leaving, but I might return to it someday. However, in the meantime, I always thought it would be fun to write a story like this. I dunno how far I'm gonna take it, but I've had fun writing this far.
The Temple of Time was quiet. It always was. It had an air of solemnity that no other temple in Hyrule had. It had been chosen by the Goddesses. Link already knew this, but the others that prayed there didn't. But they felt their holy presence there.
Now it was late, and Link alone was in the temple. He knelt with his sword lain before his knees, praying fervently for his own redemption for the deeds he had inadvertently committed. He only hoped that redemption wasn't beyond him.
He heard the familiar thump of heavy boots behind him and his heart was filled with rage. His eyes shot open.
"Link… I had hoped I would find thee here."
Link rose and took his sword in his hand. Quickly and with anger, he brought it to Ganondorf's throat.
"I have no need for thy presence, Ganon, and neither does this place. Leave both in peace."
"Please, Link, do not call me that. I despise the word. I wish only to talk to thee. Wouldst thou hear me?"
"I will not." Link raised his sword, but then lowered it again. He put it into its sheath. "But I will not spill blood here, not even thine. Although Goddesses know thee deserves it."
Ganondorf offered a weak smile. Link did not return it.
"Link, I come to implore thee for thy pardon. I was deceived. The things that I have done were not of my own hand. I would… take them back, if I could."
"I was deceived as well, Ganon," Link persisted, "By thee, no less. Yet it is not me who redeems evil souls like thine own, but the gods. Pray to them if it is pardon you seek. I will not give thee mine."
"I am beyond the redemption of the gods. If I am beyond thine as well, then I will take my leave from this place." In all of the years Link had known Ganondorf, he had never seen him so miserable or so close to tears.
"I am truly sorry, Link. For what has passed, and for what will come. I am sorry."
Ganondorf walked back through the heavy double doors of the Temple. He shut them behind him, and it was quiet again. Link fell to his knees and wept.
The sun was just beginning to rise, and already the day was hot. It was the first coordinated attack of monsters in a thousand years; they had no leader, and they didn't have the knowledge to appoint one unless one was forced upon them. Primitive tribes of Moblins lived in caves in the Gerudo desert, and sometimes killed passersby. What few were left of the Lizalfos dug burrows for shelter and kept to themselves; only one was spotted every few months. Stalfos were hunted by paladins and priests put to rest. Evil had been all but demolished, and Hyrule was at peace.
Until now.
Now they began attacking with strength again. Many people in Kakariko Village, which had nearly no defense (or need of it, the people thought) had been murdered by Moblin raiding parties. Lizalfos had taken to robbing and killing travelers on the road, although they had no need for the things they stole. It was clear that they had found a leader.
But this was not petty theft that they were attempting now, or a simple raiding party with only murder in mind. Evil creatures of all kinds were moving across Hyrule Field, preparing to besiege the city of Hyrule.
There hasn't been a great conflict in Hyrule for a millennium, and as such, there is very little military; nothing but the city guard and the King's personal knights, which amount to twenty-two horsemen. Among these knights are two young warriors: Link, and his companion, Ganondorf. They are no older than seventeen, the minimal age to become a city guard, much less a knight, but they have shown their valiance time and again from the time they were children. Of course, they had never fought in a battle – no war had been waged in ages. But if there were any people that were always prepared for one, it was the King's knights.
"Art thou yet becoming afraid?" Ganondorf said with a grin. His horse was certainly ready. Ganondorf could hardly keep him still.
"No," said Link. "My lifetime has seen no war, nor have the lifetimes of my fathers for many ages. I know war not, and so I am without fear."
Link and Ganondorf were like images of night and day; Link was fair of hair and skin. His hair hung in his eyes, which were sky-blue in color. Ganondorf called them "Bombardier's eyes" although neither knew what that meant -- Hyrule hadn't built a siege craft since the last great war.
Ganondorf, on the other hand, had hair the color of fire, shoulder-length and shaggy. His face was gaunt and deeply tanned, his eyes a dark, intimidating green. A goatee adorned his chin and gave his almost frightening looks a pleasant feel. Of all the king's knights, only the two of them wore no helmet; but across Ganondorf's head was an orange silken scarf with a bright jewel in the middle, high on his forehead.
"Good," said Ganondorf. "Should we find victory today, I will find thee in the city of Hyrule."
"And should we die?"
"I will find thee in Hell." Ganondorf drew his sword. Link followed suit.
The general did not speak; the men had no need for it. Like Link, they had not seen war, and were not afraid of it. Instead, he kicked his horse, and his army followed him. As he rode, he screamed: "Attack, Hylians! Ride them down! No quarter!"
No monster had mastered a bow for many hundreds of years, so it was a surprise to the Hylians that arrows rained down on them as they rode. A single wave of arrows killed over thirty men, and the soldiers instantly became afraid. Many routed, and many died trying. Not one of the king's knights fled.
More arrows came, and more. Link and Ganondorf dodged them like raindrops, somehow barely managing to slide between them as they poured from the sky. Ganondorf, unable to dodge one, cut it from the sky with his sword. Link laughed even as he rode towards the enemy.
"My pursuit of life is funny, is it?" Ganondorf said, still smiling.
"When one who pursues life keeps hold of it so precariously, he must bless the goddesses for his fortune."
"And the goddesses love laughter?"
"Of course!"
The line of monsters and Hylians met suddenly and with a deafening crash. For the first time in a thousand years, Hylian blood had been spilled on Hyrule fields. Nothing that came between Link and Ganondorf lived. Both knew that men were dying around them, but neither really saw it; they saw their enemy, and their blood-soaked swords that slew them.
Very suddenly, Ganondorf was flung from his horse. He fell on his back and watched the spear of a Moblin pass through the breast of his horse and snap at the shaft.
"Fenrir!" He called to his horse, but the light had already left his eyes. It was dead before it fell.
With an earth-trembling shout, Ganondorf smote the Moblin to the ground and cut its head from its already lifeless body.
Link saw this happen and reared to a stop. He dismounted gracefully and whispered in his horse's ear, "Epona, I thank thee for the aid you have been this day. Go, and grieve for Fenrir." She showed the way she grieved by stamping out the life of a Lizalfos with a kick from her hind legs. Link left her; she would find her way home or slay her lot. Epona was no weakling.
It didn't take Link long to find Ganondorf. He watched in grim amusement as the young man swept the head off of a Moblin in a single clean stroke.
"Hast thou yet become afraid, Link?" He said, without taking his eyes from his enemies.
"Courage thrives yet within me." Link said as his sword pierced the throat of a Moblin. Link's sword was not as broad or as heavy as Ganondorf's, but it was sharper and quicker. "And I have yet to find a worthy foe amongst these vermin." He slashed the breast of a Lizalfos and watched it writhe its last in a pool of inky blood.
The city guard was still whole and not all had routed, but they were losing their fight. They wouldn't last much longer.
"If thou hast dealt thy revenge for Fenrir, Ganondorf, I suggest we find victory for the city guard."
"The two are the same, for my revenge will not be dealt until I have pierced the heart of every monster on this field."
To the great surprise of the monsters, Link and Ganondorf emerged from between the ranks of the city guard and dealt death with grim efficiency. At last, as their attack came nearly to a halt, they caught sight of the leader they sought; His armor and sword were black, and his face was hidden in a heavy helm. At his side was a tower shield, painted with the red image of a great boar. Even his horse was armored in black. Alongside him was a Moblin mounted on a wolf, carrying a banner with the same image of a great boar.
As Ganondorf saw the warrior in black, he immediately sprinted towards him. Link sliced the arm from a Moblin, then whistled high into the air. Epona came seemingly from nowhere, hooves nearly coated in thick blood, and with a thin cut along her left side. Link jumped onto her back and watched as Ganondorf ducked the sword of the great black warrior. Link's vision was good, and he saw strands of Ganondorf's hair float lazily from the warrior's sword into the breeze.
When the warrior caught sight of Link and the great horse he rode, he turned his attention from Ganondorf. As with all horsemen whose eyes meet in a battlefield, time seemed to slow between the two of them; there was link and the great black horseman, and the rest of the battle had ceased to exist. Link leaned down and whispered into Epona's ear, "Ride him down, Epona." Epona reared and neighed in rage, and galloped full-speed toward the black horseman. The horseman gave his armored horse a powerful kicked and it shot into the air like a black lightning bolt.
As they passed, their swords ground against each other, great red sparks igniting the air. Again they passed, and again their swords met. The third time they passed, the black horseman gave a great sweep of his sword. It snapped Link's sword in half. The great horseman laughed with confidence; he thought he had won the battle. But link passed him again, this time leaning far under the horseman's sword. The horseman tried to steer around him, but his attempt came too late; Link pierced the breast of the great armored horse with the broken blade of his sword. The great horsemen tumbled from his horse, and Link, leaning far out of his saddle, fell from Epona. She turned and came to Link, nudging him with her nose.
"I am alright, Epona." He stroked the great muzzle of the horse. "I thank thee for thy concern."
Epona shook a stirrup in front of Link's face, and he pulled himself up on it.
"Again thou hast saved my life. Return home; this battle is nearly over." Link looked around. The battle was indeed in its final moments, and still neither side was winning. The monsters were a vast army, but they were stupid and nearly untrained. Hyrule had had a thousand peaceful years to train their small army to perfection.
As Epona left, Link saw a great sight; Ganondorf, who was nearly exhausted but rage-stricken by the death of his horse, attacked the great horseman with speed and efficiency that not even Link could have matched with his swifter sword. He had the warlord on defense, taking several steps back and unable to attack. When the warlord saw his opening, he swung at Ganondorf's feet – but Ganondorf leapt on top of the blade, driving it quickly into the ground. He swung at the warlord with such force that his great shield dented inwards upon his hand, and he let a great, terrible scream. With a flick of Ganondorf's sword, he sent the warlord's sword flying into the air.
"Ganondorf," the warlord laughed.
"Thou… thou knows my-"
"I am glad it is thee that will slay me."
"Why?" Ganondorf's voice was full of confused anger.
"Thou art an orphan, art thou not? Thy father is dead?"
"Yes… but I-"
"Then slay me, and be quick with it."
On this matter, Ganondorf was confident. "I would see thy face before I slay thee, that I will know my enemy's eyes as I claim victory over him." This was a speech taught to all Hylian knights, in the event that they slay a general of an army. The warlord laughed.
"Thou wilt have thy wish, child." He threw his helmet from his head. Ganondorf uttered a scream.
For just the smallest of moments, he thought he was looking into his own face.
But it was not his; just very like his. The warlord's hair was the same color of fire, but it hung down to his waist. Upon his head was a great orange jewel, quite like the one on Ganondorf's headband. The greatest difference was the color of the Warlord's eyes: they were not the deep, dark green of Ganondorf's eyes, but burned with an intense yellow light – they were the color of the eyes of a hawk. Ganondorf, disgusted, raised his sword to sweep off the warlord's head. In the last moment of his life, the warlord raised his left hand. The warlord laughed as Ganondorf lowered his sword, just a little; for something was tracing across the warlord's hand, fading slowly into existence.
The Triforce. An image that adorned every Temple of the Goddesses in Hyrule, but had no meaning – at least not to the general public.
On this Triforce, however, the top triangle burned blinding white.
Ganondorf released one last scream and cleaved the warlord's head from his shoulders. He turned from the body in horror.
"Thou wilt not take his head?" Link said, with a degree of reluctance.
"Behold, Link, only we two survive. There is no need to take any sign of his death. And I… would not, if there was."
Ganondorf was right. Every single man that had fought on this field had been killed, save for the two of them. Fenrir had fallen, and Link would not ride while Ganondorf walked. It was past nightfall when they returned to the city of Hyrule.
A great crowd had gathered inside the drawbridge to meet their army. It was apparent that the news had reached them that there had been only two survivors – they did not cheer as Link and Ganondorf entered the city. It was deadly silent, frighteningly silent – not a single word was spoken in the entire city as their "great army" returned. They came to the castle gates in this utter silence, and finally as they climbed the stair and opened the great gate in the center of the city, a single, short-lived cheer was loosed from the crowd.
Hyrule's "heroes" were given no warm welcome.
Atop the final staircase, leading to the double-doors leading into Hyrule's palace, Her Highness, the Princess, awaited their return. Of course, she had already been told that there were only two survivors. As soon as she saw that it was Link and Ganondorf, her face lit up. She glided gracefully towards them and Link gathered her in a great hug. It was only after this that he remembered how bloodstained his armor was, and how white Her Highnesses dress was. He quickly took a step back. Ganondorf did not greet her; he seemed preoccupied with his thoughts.
The Princess glanced towards Ganondorf for a moment, and then turned to Link. "The watchers along the parapets came to us and told us that we had victory, but that only two Hylians had lived. I-"
"Thee feared for our lives?" Link and Ganondorf were the only two in the kingdom of Hyrule that would dare interrupt the Princess.
"No, of course not. When I heard that but two had lived I knew it was the two of you. Hast thou no faith in me?" She said good-humoredly.
"To not have faith in one's Princess would be a grievous sin, Your Highness. I have the utmost faith in thee."
"As it should be."
Her Highness had very few friends; she was nearly locked in the castle, especially in this time of war. Anything she wanted or needed was given to her immediately and without question, but she rarely felt she needed anything, save to leave the castle, and to speak to her people, and act and feel like a human being. That, of course, was out of the question.
The barracks for the Hylian Knights was in the Castle, and so she knew the knights well. However, most of them were rich brats whose fathers had demanded that they be more than the city guard. But Link and Ganondorf were orphans, and had no fathers to fund them. When they told this to Her Highness the first time she visited them, she was overcome with care for them; besides becoming steadfast in friendship with them, she had a nearly maternal care for them. After that first meeting, the comforts of the Knights' barracks very suddenly improved.
That night, Link and Ganondorf were not to be housed in the barracks, and were instead given a guest room with two beds and a fire for light in the palace. They were glad for this change; they entered the barracks only once, to gather their things, after the battle, and it was eerily quiet. Link took the opportunity to pick a new sword from the armory – he was hoping he would never have to set foot in that barracks again.
Dinner had been finished when they had arrived at the castle, but leftovers had been delivered to their room. Not much better than barracks food: ham (sliced neatly, a change from the bone they ate off of in the barracks); fish, nearly fresh from the water, tribute from the Zoras; roasted apples, grown from the orchard behind the castle; a loaf of bread that was more like cake than bread. Link ate his share, but Ganondorf didn't take even a small bite, even though he had not eaten since breakfast at sunrise.
It was late when Link put out the fire and they lay in bed to sleep. Neither found sleep easily, and both were still wide awake when Ganondorf's left handed started stinging fiercely.
"Link," he whispered, hoping Link would still be awake.
"Yes?"
"There is… something wrong with my hand."
"Did thou wound it today?"
"No, I was not harmed. Hast thou a candle?"
Link lit a candle and held it up to Ganondorf's hand. Indeed, the back of his hand looked wounded, but not by battle; it had been badly burned.
"Thou knowest not how this occurred?"
"No. I would have noticed earlier had I been burned so badly."
Link thought for a moment. "I will find thee a medic. Wilt thou stay here for a moment?"
"Where would I go?"
Link left the room, walking quickly. Very rarely was Ganondorf afraid; he was afraid now.