Unforgiven
The mystical heavenly bodies emitted a mysterious beauty.
They gave a calming peace.
"To whom?"
Something else existed: Me.
I realized my own existence.
"Who am I?"
There came no answer.
I felt the gentle breeze across my face.
"Where am I?"
I moved my gaze from the night sky to my surroundings.
I was in a field.
I wandered the field, wondering who I was and what this place was.
I walked through the moonlight.
"Who am I? ... What is my purpose?"
I stumbled through the field, not knowing where I was going, or why I was going there.
A light appeared on the horizon.
A bright light began to rise as the stars disappeared.
The stars, the only things I knew, were leaving.
I traveled the field, now alone.
Yet I was not alone.
A boy was in front of me.
He was watching me.
He spoke.
"Who are you?"
The words came out of my mouth: "Who am I?"
"I don't know." Said the boy.
"…Where did you come from?" he asked.
I recalled the first thing of which I had ever been aware.
"The stars." I said.
"Are you an angel?" asked the boy.
"Is that what I am, an angel?"
You don't look like an angel." the boy said.
"Then who am I?"
"Maybe Mother will know; I think she knows everything." said the boy
He led me beyond the field into a village.
The people looked at me with wary eyes.
"Why do the people look at me so?" I asked.
"Because you are a tall, scary man." the boy answered.
"I am a tall, scary man."
"Why are you not afraid?" I asked.
"You are nice to me." said the boy.
He brought me to a house with a woman standing outside.
"Mother, I found a man and he wants to know who he is! Can you tell him?"
"Who are you?" asked the woman.
"I am a tall, scary man." I said.
"I can see that!" she said "Who are you and what are your intentions?"
"I don't know," I said "I only know that I am a tall, scary man because the boy told me so.
"You seem honest." She said.
There was silence.
"What will you do now?" asked the woman.
"I don't know" I said.
"You seem to be homeless; perhaps you can stay in the village if you earn your stay through work."
And so it was that I learned to work and help the village and received a home in exchange.
The boy's mother also taught me right from wrong.
That one must always fight for righteousness, no matter the cost.
When the day ended, night fell, and I grew tired and fell asleep.
I awoke in the morning.
The people were upset.
Part of the village had been ravaged by a beast during the night.
Later that day, a story-teller spoke to the people to give them hope.
He told of the great hero Link, who rescued the princess, Zelda and saved the land.
Link saved everyone by defeating the evil Ganondorf, the man who turned into the ruthless monster, Ganon.
"I want to be like Link."
When the day ended, I slept.
The next morning, I learned that the beast had destroyed much of the village during the night.
"I will be like Link and save the people from the evil beast."
Night fell, but I did not sleep.
I stayed awake, but the beast did not come that night.
The sun rose and people began to rise and start working.
I began my work.
As time passed I became tired from not sleeping.
I had to rest.
I laid down under a tree.
I fell asleep as the boy played nearby.
I awoke to find that the beast had attacked again while I slept.
My house had been destroyed.
"Why does this beast evade me?" I shouted.
The villagers could not take it any longer.
They were desperate.
They began to blame me.
"Ever since you came this beast has been appearing!" they said
"Where ever you came from, you were followed by this beast."
The villagers hated me now.
They banished me.
The sun set as I wandered out of the village.
I walked until I was far from village.
I was in the field where I had begun, with the stars above me.
"Why did this happen to me? What is my purpose? Who am I?!"
I looked up to the stars for some kind of answer.
This time, there came an answer…
"I know who you are."
I looked down to see who had spoken.
It was the boy.
"I know who you are…you're Ganondorf."
Suddenly, memories came rushing back to me.
I was Ganondorf, the tyrannical King of the Gerudo, wielder of the Triforce of Power.
"No, this can't be!"
I fell to my knees.
I felt my old self reawakening.
I felt hatred, vengeance, and greed flowing into me.
"Run." I warned the boy.
My old self conflicted with the new.
"No! I am not Ganondorf, Ganondorf is my enemy!"
"I am Ganondorf!"
"Not anymore!"
My former self was strong.
"If I am not Ganondorf, then who am I?"
"I am the boy's friend, the tall, scary man!"
"But I am good. I will be a hero. I will be a hero like Link!"
And with that I defeated Ganondorf.
"What will I do with my life now?"
For so long I had lived for my own vengeance, for my own power, driven by selfishness, hatred, and bitterness.
I was free of all that now.
Free to be… a hero… like Link.
"How will I start my new life?"
I decided I would go to Zelda and beg forgiveness.
It was time I began to trust in the goodness of others.
I then journeyed to Hyrule Castle.
I knew I couldn't get past the guards no matter what I said.
So I took a "shortcut" to the balcony.
And there was Princess Zelda.
She looked at me in alarm.
"Wait." I said.
"I won't hurt you. I'm a changed man."
"I came to ask for your forgiveness."
"I know you don't believe me, but you have psychic, mind powers."
"You may look into my mind and heart.
And cautiously, she did.
"It is true!" she said in surprise "you're no longer evil!"
We talked for hours by a river in a courtyard that only she and whomever she pleased could enter.
She—having looked into my memories—and I became fast friends.
"So this is what friendship feels like."
We spoke as the sun was setting.
"I want to fight for truth and justice and be a hero!" I said.
"You had a good mother." Zelda said.
"But I never knew my mother-and I was raised by the evil, Twinrova." I responded
Then I realized: "Oh, the boy's mother in the village."
She nodded.
There was a pause.
"I think you'll make a great hero." She said smiling with a warm, beautiful smile.
"This isn't what friendship feels like; this is what love feels like."
"Zelda," I said aloud "I love you."
Another pause, this time awkward and uncomfortable.
"I-um-I-" She seemed to be at a loss for words.
Suddenly, the only man allowed in Zelda's courtyard without permission appeared.
For a moment he just stood paralyzed with shock.
"Father! I didn't expect-" Zelda began.
"Guards!!!" the King shouted.
"No, wait Father, I can-"
"HOW DARE YOU MANIPULATE MY DAUGHTER!" he yelled with fear and anger.
The guards arrived.
"Seize him!"
The guards fearfully hesitated.
"SEIZE HIM, NOW!!!" the King roared.
"No." I said.
They were going to take Zelda away from me.
"No!"
I was filled with anger; he wouldn't even let Zelda explain!
I felt such a strong love for Zelda I couldn't control myself.
I felt myself transforming.
I then grabbed Zelda and ran off with her.
I was now Ganon.
Just when I thought I had escaped the guards, a young man stood in my way.
"I won't let him take her!"
With a swoop of my claws, I threw him to the ground and continued running.
I felt an arrow strike my back.
I roared in pain and turned around.
There stood the young man I had knocked down.
It was Link.
Link, the one who had inspired me to be a hero.
I came to my senses.
I put Zelda down.
But Link took this opportunity to attack.
His sword ripped through my flesh several times.
"Link, no!" Zelda screamed.
But it was too late.
I fell, dying, to the ground.
"Ganondorf!" Zelda came running up to me.
She knelt down beside me.
"Zelda, I'm dying!" I thought, unable to speak.
She bent down, and, despite my hideous form, gave me a kiss.
I was happy now.
As I breathed my last, I saw the stars above me.
The mystical heavenly bodies emitted a mysterious beauty.
They gave a calming peace.