He remembered that first night, when he arrived at the gates of the castle town. It was cold and rainy, and quite frankly, the man had never seen so much rain in his life. The drawbridge was just about to close when he rumbled onto the strong planks atop his horse.

The deep black Gerudo steed was nearly heavy enough to hold the door down, even though it was barely past being two years old. Ganondorf called out to the guards who were raising the drawbridge, although it was a bit pointless considering he was already inside after a few seconds.

That night, he checked into an inn, his horse boarded for the night in a stable. He could have sworn that if he'd sneezed one more time he might just cease to function. Wet weather was not something a Gerudo often dealt with.

He probably should have felt more confident about walking out into broad daylight the next day; seven feet tall and the only male member of a race known to be great warriors. However, among the people of the kingdom of Hyrule, he couldn't feel more out of place. The tallest man he saw was a good head shorter than him, and probably scrawny enough for a toothpick, but he still had the one thing which would eventually cause him to betray one kingdom only to be betrayed by another, his own: The want to fit in.

At his former home, he was often worked up into a passionate storm over conquering a kingdom he had never seen so that its people might accept him. Now, he just wanted to fade into the crowd. He never planned on the daunting roadblock of social anxiety; after all, in the desert, everyone was either below him or dead. He had no worries.

Different. To be like the Hylians, you had to be different from everyone else. Separate from the earth beneath them and the fauna on it. Owners of it all instead. They were so isolated by their "godliness". Even the mysterious Zoras in the Northeast were rumoured to hold more warmth and courtesy; though in due time he would learn that the Gorons of Death Mountain were much more hospitable. And much easier to manipulate.

He almost didn't feel sorry at all when he ripped the kingdom of Hyrule from their fragile little hands.

Almost.

He could still taste his own blood. Not that that was a new thing through all his years, but the burning in his lungs and the humility that had flooded him at the moment of his fall made the metallic taste sting his throat that much more.

He knew he was still alive, and regrettably so. However, struggle as he might, he could not open his eyes. His hearing had just begun coming back, though, and he could hear voices around him. He could tell from their proximity and from his position that he was lying on a bed in a room. He didn't quite have the energy to question it, so he just listened.

One of the voices was rather deep, but soft and practiced, almost regal. The other was careful and weak, like it wasn't often used. Although he had never heard it speak more than a few words, and in a yell at that, he could recognize it.

"I know that you are able to see the good in most everyone. However, you must not linger on the subject any longer. We were told to lock him away!" The one with the stronger voice seemed almost frightened.

"I know..But— give me a chance.." There was a pause and a sigh from both. They seemed very synchronized. The quiet one spoke up again.

"If he acts up again...If I really have to...I-I'll finish what I started..." it was almost a whisper.

Ganon immediately tuned out the conversation after that. What fools! Surely they didn't think...Oh, who was he kidding? He couldn't even open his eyes right now. He was distracted from his internal raving when he heard a chair scoot close to where he was laying.

"Hey, I saw you open your eyes once, I know you're awake."

It hit him then. He had opened his eyes, but he couldn't see. That meant he was blind. Wonderful. His kingdom had only just fallen and he felt himself wanting to cease to exist.

"You look horrible. I'm really—"

He already disliked the idea of the brst sitting next to him. He didn't want to hear any whining. "Please, spare me the bitching!"

There was a moment of silence hanging in the air.

"No."

He groaned. Wasn't there anything else this sniveling brat could do with his life? Go out and look for seashells or take a nap or kill keese or something?

Link spoke up again, although 'spoke up' was a bit of an exaggeration.

"I know you won't say it, and no one else in the Kingdom will probably say it.." he had to pause, he obviously wasn't used to speaking this many words at once. Looked like he'd have to grow out of being a mute.

"But...I'm sorry."

Ganon opened his mouth to say something and almost flinched when he felt a small hand on his shoulder. The small Hylian continued talking, determined.

"I'm sorry that all of this happened. I never asked for all of this. Neither did my mother, or Sheik, or all the rest of the Kingdom."

He wanted desperately to shut the brat up. To rot away in peace and vanish for another hundred years. "And neither did I! Do you think I want to be alone, in pain and blind?"

Link was silent for a moment. Back to the way Ganon could tolerate it.

He was quieter this time. "I'll come back later. You need some time alone. I do too, sometimes."

He still spoke with the care of one who had only just learned the language, but behind that simplicity was a barely audible fierceness. The kind of fierceness that toppled towers. And that, for some reason, was unsettling.

After he heard the door close again, Ganon just kind of laid there, staring up into the blackness. He wondered if his vision would ever return. This was horrible. He felt pathetic. He brought a kingdom down in a day, and now the last nine years meant nothing because it had gone from him just as quickly.

He had no followers. The halls of his stronghold were empty. Even his former second-in-command, Nabooru, had left him. He couldn't blame her; after all, who would stay with the reject of her people when everyone else needed her back home?

He sighed again. Just nine years ago— yesterday for him, really— he had been full of ambition. He had thought that maybe, just maybe, his people would be impressed with him. No more rejection. He who had brought his people up and out of the sands. Now, nobody in the world would trust or accept him. Why should he go on anymore?

All this stress had exhausted him. Letting his head fall to one side, he closed his eyes. Sleep was, for once, silent. Not peaceful, but silent.

"Hey, come on, you have slept for two days now. This is completely ridiculous."

It wasn't the brat for once. A relief. Ganon opened his eyes and for the first time, he could see. The downside was that it was like looking through ice. Shapes and colours could be accounted for, but no depth or detail. Oh well. Good enough.

"Sit up." The voice was commanding. As he sat up, he could feel every stiff muscle trying hard to right itself. Ganon winced as his shoulders and back cracked loudly. Magic meant immortality, but not perfect health.

He looked at short thing next to him. He could see blond hair, covering half of a tanned face, set with a wide and bright crimson eye.

"A sheikah." he looked back at the blond hair. "...A half sheikah." Ganon was thinking his observations aloud. Harmless as it was, the young Sheikah stepped back. "Not to worry. What is your name?"

He looked up at Ganon warily, ready to bolt at any second. "Sheik."

Ganon nodded. He knew the name; after all, Sheik was the Sheikah spy who had betrayed him by providing information on his stronghold to the hero. "You are a brilliant young mind." He figured there was no use in fighting anyone, or trying to avenge himself. Sure, the kingdom was still vulnerable and a traitor stood before him, but what could he possibly accomplish in his current state? And alone?

"I only came here to bring you food, at the request of the young hero." Sheik's eyes narrowed. "He is occupied, but sends his regards." his voice was scathing and forced.

The sheikah gestured at a table in the corner, accompanied by two chairs. They were all vague brown shapes to Ganon. "Alright." the Gerudo nodded. He watched as the blue shape hurriedly departed, hearing the lock of the door click loudly.

Carefully, Ganondorf stoof from his bed and began to move toward the table. His knees and ankles felt weak and sore, and before he could stop himself, he slipped, landing hard on one knee on the hardwood floor. Of course, being a massive person, this didn't end very pleasantly. "Damn!" he cursed aloud. He couldn't stand this humiliatingly weak and vulnerable state.

It was on examining his knee that he realised the red blotch of blood from his fall had gone through white fabric. He actually took time to examine himself. It seemed he'd been redressed in clothing made from some kind of fine white linen. He had no shoes.

Finally, he made it to the table, sitting uneasily in one of the small wooden chairs. He couldn't tell much about what was in front of him, except that it was in a bowl. Deciding he probably shouldn't starve, Ganon picked up the little spoon next to the bowl and took a bite of the food. It was some kind of soup full of potatoes and Cucco meat. Good enough. He hadn't had decent food in awhile anyways.

Once he had eaten, and paced, and sat, and discovered the chamber pot in the corner, and looked out the window, and then paced some more, he decided that the room was sufficiently boring. All that was visible out the window was grey sky and yellow grass. If your vision was shit, it all kind of conglomerated into a shitty blur.

Finally, he laid in his bed again and slept. What fun.

Eventually, he woke to a knock on the door. Finally, one of these peasants was being polite. "Come in."

Of course the first person to come into his now-cleared vision had to be that damned brat.

"You're awake." ugh, why did the kid even care? "How are your eyes?"

Ganon shrugged, frowning. He shouldn't have to deal with scrutiny by a damn tiny child.

Link sat in one of the chairs. Goddamnit, that meant he would be staying awhile. Might as well try to be civil. Ganon sat up, still aching like hell all over.

"So, I know you don't want to hear any of this."

"That would be correct. But by all means, go on. "

The quieter of the two nodded, surprised that he was being appointed leave to speak this time.

"I know why you did it all."

Ganon was immediately irked. How could this insolent whelp possibly comprehend the driving force behind the conquest of a nation? Before he could speak, the Hylian continued.

"We all want to fit in." he cleared his throat.

Fortunately for him, Ganon was mildly intrigued for what he had to say. Boldness, after all, was one of the most captivating traits Ganon saw in Hylians. So he listened.
"When I was small..I still thought I was a Kokiri. I was raised as one, so I acted as one. Until Navi came along, I just had to accept that I was different." He met Ganon's amber gaze and knew that somewhere deep he had struck a chord.

"Then, I learned I wasn't. People said that because I had grown, I was obviously a Hylian instead." He leaned back in his chair, obviously not nervous or afraid. That ticked Ganon off, but he couldn't be assed to do anything about it. He didn't feel like being razed again.

Ganon did, however, decide he wanted to get a word in. "So? You're a Hylian. The matter is solved."

Link shook his head. "I wasn't. I had no sense of identity, well, that's how Navi explained it. My loyalty wasn't to a kingdom, and the forest that raised me forgot about me. So I was no one but Link. That's still who I am. Just me."

Ganondorf furrowed his brow. "So, you mean to say you belong to nobody, work for a kingdom because you were told to, and are comfortable with being a stranger? And you can go on?"

Link nodded. "Ganondorf, I know your people weren't kind to you. I've been told your childhood was cruel. Navi told me you wanted a kingdom because you were lonely."

Ganondorf felt the sting in the last sentence. It hit home. It made him feel vulnerable and he didn't like that. He stood and leaned over the table, pinning Link against the wall with one hand, though the Hylian showed no fear. He looked the blond in the eye, angry.

Ganon spoke through gritted teeth. "You don't know my past the way I do. I suggest that you leave now." He released his grip.

Link returned his glare, not flinching. "It was a past you didn't deserve." with that, he slipped away and out the door, leaving Ganon to himself. Maybe, the Gerudo thought, just maybe, he's right.