It wasn't the first time he had asked for mercy. He had understood - a couple of lifetimes ago -, that he had a greater chance of being listened to if instead of rage he acted with pain and vulnerability.

Zelda hated they way her heart softened at the sight of him kneeling and asking for forgiveness.

Link hated the way his sword hesitated when he grumbled and scorned his fate.

Always the loser, always the enemy, always the one who had to die for others to live.

They couldn't know if he was true to his words, they never did. He had betrayed them before, acted pained and sorrowful only to try to stab Link before dawn, or smother Zelda in her room.

And then other times he did stay as peaceful as he claimed to want to be. He would retire and live away from everything, from everyone. But never away from them. He had shared a secret once, We are united, Link had given him a look, because of course they were, they didn't need the 'evil' part to say it to make it true. But Ganondorf had shook his head, as if Link didn't yet understand, I mean, the three of us, we are one, we are not complete unless we are together.

Link had doubted that statement. Whenever he had the chance to remember everything, to remember his past lives, to remember what Zelda meant to him, and whenever he had the chance to be with her, he felt as complete as he could be. He wanted nothing more, he died happy, he died content, he died glad to have lived. Whenever he killed Ganonodorf he never felt something was dying with him.

Zelda had trouble believing it, too. She always looked for Link. For her courage, for her forest boy, for her childhood friend, for her classmate, for her knight, for her champion, for her hero, for him. Even when she couldn't remember, she always felt she lacked something. She always made him go through grueling tests just to prove to the Goddesses how deserving he was. And she always knew, she always knew he was. She never looked for Ganondorf, if anything she wished he didn't exist.

So Ganondorf's words stayed there, at the back of their minds, wondering what he meant, wondering what it entailed.

And then he came to their doors. First Link, before he could even begin his journey - because, really, without a threat there was no call for the Hero, and Ganondorf had found him surrounded by family and friends, laughing and enjoying life -, Ganondorf had half a thought to let him be, to let him live in oblivious bliss. But he needed Link. Especially this lifetime. Particularly this one.

Ganondorf made up a story about struggle and pain and Link was following immediatly, trying to ease his worry. Ganondorf had to still himself before he hugged the adorable hylian.

To find Link, Ganondorf had to spend years. He used every resource he had, peeled his ears to every rumour he could find, went to the farthest corners of Hyrule. The Goddesses always put great care in hiding their Chosen Hero. Always put great care to give the Courageous one a place he could call home that gave him strenght to fight evil.

In contrast, Zelda was easier to find. Way easier.

She was Princess again. Soon to be Queen. How many years had passed?

Link was in awe of the city, he wanted to try every game the city had to offer, and Ganondorf didn't have the heart to tell him no.

They were thrown away when Link won every game three times in a row.

Ganondorf had to hold his belly to stop the roaring laughter that left him. Link was on the ground, looking shocked at being accused of cheating, but Ganondorf's laugh made him snicker. He had had to leave every prize he had won, but the sword Ganondorf had given him a while back was intact, and that was all that mattered.

Ganondorf remembered, he had started to remember back when he had become 10 years old. Nightmares, all of them. He was being killed time and time again, the same blue eyed demon striked him again and again and again and again and again and...

He had hated them, he didn't know anyhing else, but he hated them. He wanted them dead.

Link asked to go eat and Ganondorf followed.

He had wanted them dead. The dreams where he could kill the demon, or destroy the witch, make them tremble under his power. Those were the best.

As long as they were dead, he could live, and that was all that mattered.

Until he realized their deaths meant he was alone. And all he could see after their deaths was more death and destruction, and pain, and shame, and not what he had wanted.

The next time he dreamt Link's blood filled his mouth and Zelda's body laid lifeless next to him, Ganondorf awoke with a desperate cry and a punch in the gut. NO. NO. Don't leave me.

Link didn't remember, he was sure. There was no way he could smile to him like that if he knew.

Had he gone to find Link first because of that? Zelda surely remembered. Ganondorf was sure of that. She had started to ask already for him to the Gerudo. Ganondorf was sure it wasn't to invite him to have tea.

Link's laughter reverberated throughout the inn, and Ganondorf understood how Zelda fell in love with him every time they met. It was easy.

So when Link asked him personal questions, even though Ganondorf knew he should lie and make up stories not to trigger Link's memories, he told the truth. There was certain power in those blue eyes, as if you needed for him to accept you, as if he was a mother who would forgive everything as long as you told the truth.

Link nodded at the right moments, hummed agreement at others, and when Ganondorf finished, Link looked pensive and thanked him.

He went to sleep without saying another word.

And though Ganondorf worried that maybe that morning he would never wake, or he would find Link atop of him, sword in hand pointing at his heart. He felt relieved. When he woke the next day and went down to have breakfast, Link was there, talking with a hunter, and as he heard Ganondorf arrive he motioned for Ganondorf to sit next to him. And Ganondorf let out a breath he had been holding.

Ganondorf tried to leave Link behind. Zelda had accepted to see him, but Ganondorf didn't know whether it was to kill him there or to throw him in a cell to rot.

She had already done so before.

Link wouldn't hear any of it, though. And Ganondorf had the urge to shake him and scream at him that he was probably going to his death. But Link's eyes gleamed and Ganondorf was too scared to keep on talking.

If he was to die at Link's hand today, Ganondorf would die in peace. At least he had tried to change things.

Dying without hate would be a blessing.

Link followed him like a shadow, his face serious. He had asked Ganondorf if he was sure of this, Ganondorf had nodded, Link had asked why he was going to see her, Ganondorf had shrugged.

Ganondorf was just...

Zelda was as beautiful as ever. She had grown to be a battle hardened woman, a commander, a politician, a soldier. She saw Link first, even though he walked behind Ganondorf's enormous body. Her eyes went from Link to Ganondorf, and then from Ganondorf to Link. Ganondorf could feel the pain as she came to the conclusion that he had robbed her of him.

"Your Highness," Ganondorf's voice held promises Zelda didn't dare to hope. This was the voice he used to ask for mercy, for help, for a chance to be something else.

Like the time he had cried to the skies before being struck down, because he was just so, so, so...

She had looked for him, as she always did whenever she remembered before them. Always, always, she tried to kill him, to imprison him, to seal him, before he started to wreck havoc. Anything, anything, for Link to be freed of the sword that seals the darkness, of the trials that would be tasked to temper his soul, to harden his spirit, to harness his strenght. Zelda knew he needed none of those. And her love for Link was only surpassed by her hate to whatever entity made him suffer.

The time she had shared that part of her with Ganondorf, he had looked at her, trying to hold back tears, and he had whimpered, "Me too."

His head had been warm against her chest, and though she knew nothing would ever hurt more than to see Link die in front of her, the way this Gerudo warrior trembled and asked for forgiveness made her cry too. She was crying as she sealed Ganondorf, he stayed kneeled, shaking his head as he repeated time and time again, "Never again."

But next time he did the same. He had been a ball of fury and death, and Link and Zelda had killed him with swiftness that was only the result of years together. Ganondorf had died snarling and spitting at them, repeating how much he hated them, how much they haunted him, how much pain he had endured, and how it wasn't fair.

And Zelda could only agree.

"Ganondorf," she greeted, because they changed, and Hyrule was never the same, but she and Ganondorf, they were a constant. Always a Princess, always a Gerudo male. Always at war. Always the same names.

A blessing, they would tell her, it was such a blessing to receive the name, to be the Princess to the greatest Kingdom ever, and as long as she didn't remember, she would agree. Sometimes more than others.

As long as she didn't remember, she would face her challenges with her head held high, she could find happines in her work. As long as she didn't remember, and whenever she had the luck of being with him she thought she was the happiest woman alive.

As long as she didn't remember.

Because as soon as she did, she realized how much of a curse this was.

Ganondorf gave tentative steps towards her, a child asking for solace, "Your Highness, I'm here to ask for- to ask for-" Ganondorf couldn't say it, he never had the Courage to do it, "a chance," he said. But it was a lie, he wanted nothing more than to fall at her feet and cry, for her to gather him into her arms and shush him to sleep. A chance meant he was going away, from her, from him, what did life matter then?

Zelda looked at him, he had his head bowed, his eyes were hidden, and she wondered whether it was to hide his shame, or to hide plots of her dying with his hands around her throat, with a sword through her gut, a horn through her chest.

"Why?"

Ganondorf felt his shoulders sag, the weight of his crimes, the weight of his shame, and his anger, and his rage, but most importantly, yes, most importantly the hollow space that grew whenever he left them with nothing but hate. What weighed the most was the pain of being unloved.

"Your Highness, I'm so very tired."

And Zelda had trouble doubting him. Because she felt every lifetime now in her bones, specially when she didn't have him.

Link walked to Ganondorf, his hand on the hilt of his sword, "Your Majesty," he greeted, and Zelda knew he, too, remembered. His eyes were still filled with joy and hunger for life, but his body talked about ruthlessness, about sacrifices, and about the numb understanding that he was a pawn in this game.

Ganondorf heard Link's greeting, heard his steps. He was next to Ganondorf, and Ganondorf knew he was going to be executed. Link had the same presence that had killed him time and time again, serene, calm, decided. The sword that vanquished evil in one hand, and the heart to live on on the other. Ganondor felt a shiver ran down his spine.

Next time, then, he assured himself. Ganondorf exhaled, fell to his knees to help Link, and tried to remember Link's laughs, and the way Link had once taught him to swim; the way Zelda would smile at Ganondorf when she was proud, and the time she had held him close to her, soothing him with warm words.

And how once, just once, they had all decided to live away from everybody, surrounded by mountains and green, and when it had been his turn to die - because it seemed that he had to die first for things to work - Link and Zelda had cried for him. They had cried for him. He had been loved. Once, at least.

"...so very tired," breathed Ganondorf, as he heard the sword being taken out from its sheath.

And neither Zelda nor Link really believed him.