Again & Again
A Legend of Zelda One-Shot.
The enemies faced each-other once more. One immortal, the other reincarnated countless times. They held each others gaze, unwavering, for several silent moments. It was the immortal who broke the silence first.
"So, Link. You have come, yet again." The evil king laughed. It was not a malicious laugh, but a laugh at the sheer familiarity of the situation. It was a laugh at the endless cycle that was their conflict.
The reincarnated hero stayed silent, watching carefully and waiting for the moment when they would fight again. Off to the side, a third, also endlessly reincarnated, watched from inside a prison built of magic. The two always clashed, and the third always watched. That was the way it was.
"How many times have we fought now, hero?" The dark sorcerer asked rhetorically. "You cannot even begin to guess. You are spared the harshness of our eternal battle by your goddess-blessed reincarnation, while I must suffer eternity locked away or locked in combat!"
"Ganondorf," The princess stated. "You have brought this on yourself."
"Perhaps." Ganondorf admitted before returning his attention back to the man before him. "Link! Hero of Time! Before we fight, this our final battle, I would tell you the truth of our torment."
Link's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. They would fight soon enough, delays would do no harm and Ganondorf would fall.
"The Triforce is indeed a wondrous tool of power, as a whole. But in fragments, it is a cursed object to be despised. The Triforce parts - Courage, Power, and Wisdom - seek the person who best represents their qualities. But it also traps them that way, enforcing those qualities. You, Link, have never been able to stand aside. Not once have you been a coward who would not risk his life. The Triforce of Courage would not let you. You have, countless times, been robbed of the ability to choose your own fate."
Link's eyes remained narrowed. Ganondorf was implying they didn't fight because they were enemies, but that they were enemies because the Triforce forced them to fight... And he refused to believe that.
"You doubt me? That is because you do not remember, you who has been spared the eternal passage of time." Ganondorf laughed again, this time bitterly. "All of us - Me, You, Zelda - Are forced to reenact our eternal conflict again and again by the Triforce. You cannot step aside. Zelda cannot ignore it. And I, I who feels the endless urges of the Triforce of Power, cannot resist it."
"Thats..." Zelda shook her head in dismay. "Ganondorf, are you claiming that it is not your will that causes all this destruction? That you are innocent, a slave?"
"No, Princess." Ganondorf shook his head. "I do in fact desire the destruction I bring, that is why I was given the Triforce of Power to begin with. But indeed, you were correct, I am a slave to the Triforce of Power. As you both are slaves to Courage and Wisdom."
"Ganondorf. You may be a slave to power, but I oppose you of my own will every time." Zelda proclaimed fiercely. "As does Link."
Link silently nodded his agreement. Even if the Triforce of Courage was forcing him to be a hero, he would oppose Ganondorf without it, of that he was sure.
"Perhaps you do." Ganondorf laughed, like one would laugh at the ignorance of a child. "But I know this to be true, I know this as I have spent countless eons contemplating it. You may be wise, Zelda, but Wisdom cannot match Knowledge granted by the sheer weight of time."
"Then if we are, as you say, slaves to a repeating cycle, what do you plan?"
"Simple." Ganondorf smiled. It was not a nice smile. "I shall kill the hero, and then you, and I shall reassemble the Triforce. Then, I will wish away this endless cycle. Time and your Goddesses are my true enemy, and I shall see them fall before my might. And then I will become a God, and the King of Time itself."
"Link will stop you." Zelda stated simply, as if it were basic fact. "Link has stopped you countless times, Evil King, and he will stop you again."
Ganondorf ignored the princess, gazing at the young man in front of him. "Hear me, hero! This time I shall not fall before you, this time I shall not be sealed away for yet another wretched eternity. This shall be our final battle! You will die, and I will wish it all to an end, or I shall finally embrace the eternal sleep called death. Either way, my goal of escaping this cycle will be achieved!"
They fought then, one hurling powerful magic at his despised foe, and the other deflecting it with ease. The hero would slash at the hated King of Evil, only to have him counter with blades of magic. Power versus Courage, Burning Rage versus Sheer Determination, the two eternal enemies clashed. In the end, they were evenly matched, but only one of them could win.
Notes
I thought this actually good enough to post, even though its nothing great. Basically, its a short one-shot based on an idea I had one day, that the Triforce enforces their respective qualities. Otherwise, wouldn't there be a cowardly Link eventually? Or a foolish Zelda? And wouldn't Ganondorf, trapped in an endless prison, eventually get sick of his quest for power? Also, don't ask me when this takes place. Pretend its at the end of an adventure thats completely made up.
On the ambiguous ending, I like to think Link manages to win, but the cycle keeps on going. Or you can think Link wins and kills Ganondorf for good and breaks the cycle. Or even that Link wins and wishes the Triforce to end the cycle. But Ganondorf fans can think Ganondorf wins and becomes a God and King of Time. But in any case, I hope it was at least mildly entertaining and not a complete waste of time. Even thought its short, it still took me awhile to put it together and I hope anyone who reads it at least isn't bored by it.