Strength. That's all I was ever given, all I ever was. But I grew to be more than just that.

When the dark god Demise first molded my soul, I was but a mere monster. My speech was only bellows of rage, my desires were just destruction and death. I was only given two goals: steal the Triforce, and kill the Hero. I was given great power and even greater weapons. My mind was simple, and I thought this would be enough to kill the puny Hero.

It wasn't enough. The Hero won.

And when I woke up again as a beast, angrier than I had ever felt, the Hero still managed to somehow reach me, to run me through with that cursed sword of his.

This repeated itself for a few incarnations. Same strategies, same results.

Then, I was born into something entirely different. I became a man. With this form, I was far wiser than I had ever been before. I even had a whole nation at my command. I felt that the time had finally come for things to go my way.

And come my way they did.

When I had grown strong enough, I stormed Hyrule Caste. I laid waste to its town, took the crown for my own, and killed any who dared stand in my way. Even though the Princess and the Hero had slipped through my fingers, I couldn't have cared less. I dared to dream that they would be found and dealt with soon, and the kingdom of Hyrule would finally be mine!

For seven long years, I dared to dream that I had won.

Goddess be damned, I was wrong.

Even after I had taken the Princess for my own, the Hero still managed to make his way into my castle. Even after I had broken all entryways, the Goddess managed to cheat him into my front door. And even with all the powers of magic and Strength by my side, even with my monstrous form that could make the earth shake, the Hero managed to slay me.

In my next life, I decided to go whole hog. When I was exiled into the Twilight Realm, I convinced one of those filthy creatures to aid my cause. I made him fuse his world with Hyrule, I convinced him to conquer the land. I made him do my dirty work, and it truly looked like it had worked. The Hero wouldn't be able to enter it without becoming another lost spirit, the Princess was as powerless and useless as ever, and the entire Kingdom was lost in the Twilight.

Once more, I felt hope grow in me.

Once more, I raged against the Goddess and her cheating ways.

For not only had the Hero found a way to retain his form while in the Twilight, he managed to restore the Light to the land.

HOW?! JUST HOW?!

THIS TIME HE WAS JUST A RANCHER! A RANCHER MANAGED TO KILL AN ARMY!

Once I had had enough, and the Hero had dispatched my puppet, I returned to my human form and entered Hyrule once more. If the Twilight couldn't kill him, maybe pure Darkness would do it!

But NO! The Goddess had to pull one more trick up her sleeve, and just decided to give the Princess the Bow of Light. Not only that, but the Hero had apparently become a master swordsman while traveling, so he was flipping and slashing and cutting all over the place. I'm not even sure if I landed a single hit on him.

As I gazed upon the two, as the Hero's sword bled my life away, I had a revelation. I realized that, no matter what form I took, no matter what my plans were, no matter how strong I was, I would never win.

There was no hope for me.

The Goddess would always find some way to aid the two. The Hero would always find his sword, the Princess would always have her magic and Light.

And I would always die.

So, I gave up.

I gave up on ever getting my kingdom. I gave up on ever being smarter than Zelda. I gave up on ever having the courage and wit of Link. I gave up on being more than a monster.

After all, I am just Strength, right?

If nothing else, let me be what I truly am. A monster of Strength.

A Calamity.

If I can't win, I will make them suffer.

That's all the hope I have left.