Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda and related characters belong to Nintendo, not to me. I am making no money from this, and only seek fleeting Internets-fame.

Notes: This story is meant to be AU or "Any given Zelda" universe. I am imagining the Hero and the Princess as teens here, but you can fit it into any game-set you wish to imagine. I know that the premise deviates from general canon, but I wanted to play with "Courage," "Wisdom" and "Power" as concepts, and I wondered what would really happen if the three were brought together into one wielder. Also, for the purposes of this story (and perhaps this story only), the Triforce pieces are physically manifest in the flesh/blood of their Bearer's hands. I know the natures of the Triforces are up for interpretation – this particular story hinges on that theory. Warning: The following story contains some graphic, gory violence; it may be wise not to proceed if you are sensitive regarding such.

BALANCE

Chapter 1: The Courage of Cowards

Courage is something that everyone has in some measure. Even known cowards occasionally perform brave acts. Life takes courage. In a world that does not care whether one lives or dies, least of all if one is happy, or has a purpose, it does, indeed, take at least a small measure of courage to live every day. Even those who are not brave have the potential for it. Courage, after all, is not an absence of fear, but facing what one is afraid of.

Ganondorf looked down upon the boy from the throne. As he rose from his seat, he briefly wondered if the Bearer affected the Triforce or if the Triforce affected the Bearer. The young man's face was determined, his eyes as hard as steel. In his left hand, he carried the great Master Sword. The princess called his name. Ganondorf had her imprisoned against the far wall, held in place by devastatingly powerful magic. Her formidable magical skills could not break the barrier. He would deal with her in due time.

"Link" – such a name. It wasn't that Ganondorf had not heard it before today, he just never thought that the boy would make it this far. It was an ageless name, implying connectivity, binding. A thought came to Ganondorf's mind, clear, simple and strange; "Sever the link and break the tie that binds you all."

Ganondorf stepped down from the throne and its dais, pulling his own sword from his belt. It was a long blade, more than serviceable, forged dark and strong. He'd considered taking up his trident, but he felt that he wanted to have fun, to enjoy the battle. He was no animal, at least not yet. He would not become a beast yet. For a victim that came to him with such a determined gaze, he owed him a fight with some finesse and class – for a little while, anyway. He'd crush the boy when he got bored.

Oh, but Link fought well! The sparks flew off the swords in such brilliant light! This did not bore the King of Evil at all! He even found himself dodging. He snarled as he felt the string of a cut on the upper part of his right arm. Quick thing, this kid was. He was obviously no match for Ganondorf's raw power, but he was agile, and a very intelligent fighter. The young Hero was magnificent, truly splendid! Ganondorf almost thought it a shame that he must die so young, but that boy had something he wanted.

Ganondorf found his gaze focusing on the young man's left hand. The Triforce was glowing so brightly, it shone through the leather of the gauntlet. Ganondorf did not know if this meant that Link was fearless, or if it meant that he was truly afraid. The princess called for him again, to Ganondorf's immense annoyance. He'd shut her up shortly.

Wait! The boy was looking toward her! Oh, to think that princess possessed the Triforce of Wisdom – but, just as cowards can have rare moments of courage, and the brave moments of cowardice, even the wise can make a poor judgment. Ganondorf took advantage of the distraction. His strike was swift and precise.

Link screamed in surprise and an agony that most people can scarcely imagine. He flew one way. His left arm flew another. Zelda was crying and screaming incoherently. What happened next impressed Ganondorf so much that he almost lost his grip on his blood-spackled blade.

Link got to his feet. He swayed, almost falling over, but he managed to catch himself. He clutched the area just above the stump with his right hand tightly. Dark blood ran down and coated nearly the whole of his left side and drip-dripped onto the marble floor. Ganondorf knew that the boy had to be in horrifying pain and had to be getting weaker by the second. The King of Evil smiled. He wouldn't finish him yet; he was going to watch him suffer. After all, he was being fascinating. He rather enjoyed Princess Zelda's screams now, too.

The young man wandered to the place where his left arm lay, still holding the Master Sword. Gently, and without fear, he stepped upon it, reached down with his right hand, and pried the sword from its fingers. Ganondorf watched him. He was pale and would likely collapse soon. Even with the Triforce of Courage in his left hand and no longer in his body, the boy was incredibly brave. He had more than the standard share of courage in his own heart - that much was clear.

Heedless of pain and rushing blood, Link held the Master Sword high and straight in his right hand and rushed straight for Ganondorf. Caught by surprise, Ganondorf shielded his middle with his own sword, played the Master Sword off the blade, and brought it around with a great surge of power.

Link fell, neatly halved in the middle. Ganondorf looked down. The cut was clean and precise - through the flesh, internal organs and spine, like a roast or ham sliced with a clean saw at a butcher's shop. Ganondorf was proud of his work, and of how cleanly his sword had worked. Link moved slightly, or his front half did anyway, shivering. The young man looked up at the trapped and sobbing princess before his breath finally ran out.

Ganondorf walked over to the young man's left hand. He picked up and stroked it fondly, as if it were a pet cat, perhaps. He had something in mind before he took off the gauntlet and ripped the Triforce of Courage out from beneath the cooling, pale skin.

He had severed the Link and broke the tie that bound them all.

Since then, Ganondorf was surprised at what he used to lack. Very often, while sitting on the throne, in idle moments, he would examine the backs of his hands. His right hand would often glow gently with the symbol of the three Triforce pieces, arranged in their complete triangle. Most of the time, all three fragments glowed with equal force, but now and again, one of the little fragments would migrate, glowing on the back of his left hand.

It had been years since he'd taken it, and since then, Ganondorf had learned that he used to be a coward. He was mainly concerned with gaining power then, physical strength, magical strength, and especially political power. He feared the slightest threat, and often perceived threats where there were none.

During the beginning of his rise, all he wanted was equity for his people. For as "close to the Goddesses" as the Hylians were claimed to be, the race could be just as flawed and vicious as they claimed their enemies to be. For generations, Hyrule had its on-and-off wars between the varied races. Hylians always had their stuck-up sense of superiority, and that was why the Gerudo scraped out a hard living in the desert. The flowing rivers, the lush valleys and the green forests were too special for them, and Ganondorf knew they had to be his.

And he would do anything to get them.

He was afraid of losing anything he'd gained, for his people, and especially for himself. It wasn't long before he started using his people simply to gain more power. "It is for their own good," he would tell himself, but after a while, he'd stopped kidding himself.

He was merely being selfish.

Now, he was not afraid to give up a little bit of power if it would serve the greater good of the people – of all the races. Peace served the Gerudo in the end. Oh, he would still send hordes of magic beings and monster allies to quell the small rebellions that would crop up, and to keep the rule of law. His armies were swift and brutal; however, it was only logic that the people of the land should trade together and live with a sense of relative safety. Logic told him that if he did not fear the loss of power to such a degree as not to give up a little, he would be less likely to be assassinated.

For the most part, the people were calm. Not all of them were happy, but they were calm. He learned that to be feared was not the greatest power. He could give a little freedom without losing his hold.

Every once in a while, Ganondorf would spare a thought for the boy who was brave enough to give up everything for what he'd believed in. For his part, Ganondorf didn't really believe in anything but himself, but now he had the courage to face his fears.

He had found the courage of cowards.

End Chapter 1. Turn to the Next!!