Authoress: Anyone want to volunteer to do the disclaimer?

Erik: NebThauDragmire does not own The Legend of Zelda.

Sly: She does own Maria and Zelra Dragmire

Seto: And various Gerudo

Sly: Have you seen Ganondorf? He's gonna miss the story!

Erik You are stupid, Cooper. He lived the story once before. Do you think he needs to do so again?

Sly: . . . guess not.

"Papa! Papa! Wake up!"

I shot bolt upright, eyes wide. I found myself drenched in sweat. Images of my family covered in blood dashed through my mind, vivid as if they were real. I ran a shaking hand through my shoulder length red hair.

"Papa Ok?"

I glanced to the foot of my bed. My six - soon to be seven - year old daughter gazed at me with worried blue eyes. I smiled.

"I'm fine," I said. She smiled, satisfied with my answer. She jumped up on the bed, tackling me. I gave her a hug and sat her in my lap.

"Now, Zelra, where's your Mama?"

Zelra put her hand on her chin, staring at the wall. It was a sure sign that she knew, but she was going to make a show of thinking.

"She's with Cook, I think," she said after a minute or two.

"Shall we go get breakfast, then?"

"Yes!"

I chuckled and put her on the floor. While she waited outside, I dressed in my customary reddish-brownish-blackish shirt and slacks. I tried to comb my hair, but I knew it was useless. Satisfied with my appearance (minus the hair), I stepped outside my room, took Zelra's hand, and walked up to breakfast.

The Gerudo fortress is a big place. About 300 or so of us live here. Even after thirty years of wandering here, I still tend to get lost. New underground passages were constantly being built to accommodate for the growing population. So it took . . . a little more time than usual to get up to the Banquet Hall.

"Bit late this morning, aren't we, Your Majesty?"

I winced. It was bad enough I had gotten lost, but having Cook announce it for everyone to here was much worse. My face burned as I walked up to the high table, Cook grinning behind me.

Then I saw my beautiful wife, Maria, sitting at her place beside mine. I tuned everyone else out as I walked up to the table. I gave Maria a good morning kiss, and sat in my chair to the left, Zelra on my other side.

As I ate, I listened to the chatter of the other Gerudo. Maria was unusually silent. I touched her arm in concern. She smiled at me, assuring all was well.

I shrugged and went back to my food, trying to finish quickly. We were to leave before the sun rose for a visit to Maria's brother, King Hyrule, and his daughter, Zelda.

I did not like Aldolphus Hyrule. He was much to happy, and had a horrible fashion sense. The only time I ever saw him in something other than blue and green was when Zelra was four.

"Papa! I'm done eating! Can we go now?"

I chuckled and helped her off the chair. Telling Zelra to get ready, I went to saddle the horses.

My steed was a black Gerudo stallion named Shadowlancer. I had raised him myself from a young colt, and he was just as much my family as Maria or Zelra. As I was tightening the saddle, Shadowlancer decided to eat my hair.

"Lance! My hair is not for grazing!"

He snorted and turned away. Thank the Goddesses Cook wasn't here, or I'd never hear the end of it. Grumbling, I tied my supplies to Lance's saddle while other Gerudo prepared Maria's horse, as well as those of the guards.

I eyed Maria's horse, Whiteriver, who was a stallion of Hyrule's royal stables. He also hated me. I walked cautiously past his stall, keeping an eye on him. Thinking I was safe, I breathed a sigh of relief. Until Whiteriver's head collided with my back, sending me sprawling on the stable floor.

I sat up, turned, and glared at him. He whinnied, eyes dancing, and obviously laughing at me. Sputtering curses, I got off the ground, dusting myself off. After ten minutes of final preparations, we set off through the valley toward Hyrule Castle.

The week-long journey through Hyrule Field was boring at best. An endless trot through small rolling hills. Our only entertainment was the telling of tales and the singing of songs, activities I heartily participated in. I even played my Ocarina, which I save for occasions such as this.

Hyrule Castle Town is a big place. All of the Gerudo in the Fortress could go there and almost never see each other. It was a sea of people talking, shopping, and gambling. And staring. At me. Again. Their constant staring unnerved me. I sped up my horse slightly.

We reached the castle by nightfall. The guards looked at us warily as they took our horses. After half an hour of removing hidden weapons (we were allowed to have swords, but not knives?), Maria, Zelra and I were admitted to the throne room. As usual, Maria's brother Aldolphus was wearing blue robes.

Ha! Lenare owes me 20 rupees! I thought.

I bowed to him, while Maria curtsied. Zelra did neither, as she was to busy looking around for her cousin, Zelda.

"How many times have I told you that as family, you can skip the formalities?" said Aldolphus.

"It is only polite to show proper respect to a great king such as yourself," I said with strained happiness. He positively glowed with pride. He hugged Maria and swooped Zelra into his arms. I felt a jealous pang, even if he does do that every time we visit.

"So, Ganon, how do things in the Gerudo Valley fare?"

I wanted to scream at him,

"What do you think? Your parents forced into exile, to that damn desert, and you refuse to rewrite that law! We are forced to steal for a living, as we can't grow anything in sand!"

But instead I said, "Just fine, Your Majesty."

"Good! Good! Glad to hear it!" He said, thumping me on the back. I stiffened at the contact.

And so a week passed, after that, I had to return to the Gerudo Valley. I had a nation to run after all. Maria wished to stay, so Zelra and I returned to the Gerudo Fortress.

Between different tasks, from repairing a fence to practicing swordplay, I was worried. It had been two weeks since I had seen Maria. She should have been back three days ago. I had to find her. Leaving Zelra with a young Gerudo named Nabooru, I took a force of twenty and set off across Hyrule field.

We had been looking for four days. I had sent a runner two days ago to inform Aldolphus that Maria was missing.

We were riding north of Lake Hylia when a scout approached me.

"Follow me, Your Majesty,"

A sense of dread overcame me as I followed the scout over a hill. A slaughter lay before me. The bodies of Gerudo, bloody and dead, scattered the plain. On the very edges, there were Gerudo I did not recognize. There was a mark, a tattoo, on their arm. Northern Gerudo rebels. They make trouble, and we get blamed.

Sighing, I looked across the plain. A flash of bright yellow caught my eye, It was hair connected to a face. . . Maria!

"Maria! Maria!" I screamed, running toward her. I collapsed by her side. "Maria! Please wake!"

But it was not to be. I saw that her throat was cut. Her pale skin shone in the late afternoon light. Her once shining eyes were now cold and dim. I closed them. I hugged her close, not caring if she was bloody. I ran my fingers through her hair, singing a song I composed for her when we first met:

"The sun sets over desert land

Rays dance over land

Though it's dying, soon the moon

Will be there to comfort you

as will I."

I rocked her as I sang. My Maria, my beautiful desert flower, was gone.