The Dark Lord – The inevitable Destiny

The moon had climbed up into the sky, drowning the environment in a gruesome light, when he crossed them again. Those fields full of bloodshed, covered by the fallen ones. Reflecting the misery of the survivors. Though it was a territory of corruption before, scarred with death and destruction, this time the atmosphere was even more lugubrious like it wanted to portray the further despair that he brought over the kingdom.

Ever since he walked on the fields again, he could not shake off the feeling that he was persecute. But there was no possible hiding for a hunter. He smiled mischievous when he realized how unnecessary these worries were. Even if there was one, lusting for his life, he would feel the steel and meet the same fate like all the other foolish ones that crossed his path.

"I see. You've returned to the place of your disgraceful deeds," someone addressed him from behind.

For a second, his blood froze. This voice. He recognized it, he could not be mistaken.
He turned around and it was indeed him, appearing out of nowhere. The Hylian, the only one that brought indeed the fate he offered others to himself. The only one that ever defeated him. The one that had hurt his pride.

"You again," he grinded with his teeth while he tried to calm down his temper. "I have to admit; the last time you got me. But I was careless. You can't rely on your luck again."

The hand slipped to his sword. He would pay him back the humiliation he caused to him at their first encounter. There was no possibility he would lose again because the last time, he was unprepared and underestimated him due to his slimly built in contrast to his own. He made this mistake once and paid a high price for it. A very high and painful one. He would never commit this fault a second time.

"You disappoint me. You haven't learnt one single thing," the stranger answered straight.

"Hold your tongue, big mouth. This time you're done for good," he responded while he started to attack.

Again the swords were clashing against each other, echoing over the fields, but he was different this time. His determination, it had grown, along with his skill, speed and overall swordsmanship. This was not the one he met before. He was stronger, a lot stronger.

"This is impossible! How can you improve in this degree in such a short period of time?" he yelled when they stood again eye to eye while their swords were clenching into each other.

"I have told you," the Hylian responded behaved. "Every sin you cause will only make me, and my willpower to stop you, stronger. If you don't understand its meaning than this is due to your lack of wisdom."

The arrogance of the man was obnoxious. This one had to go down, paying for his insults against him, by all means. However, no matter how powerful or remorseless he attacked him, he was unable to send him to an eternal rest. It was unbelievable that he, out of all living beings, lacked the power to destroy him.

The fight lasted on, until one point when the man was dangerously nearby him. His speed was incredible and he had a hard time to follow his movements. When he lost track of him for a short time, he barely heard his words, "Remember, Ganondorf. Your downfall is inevitable for it is written within your destiny. You cannot, despite all your might, escape it. Never."

When he saw him again, it was too late. It was too late to avoid what was coming to him. His eyes, they faced the point of the blade directly between them.

"Not the head!" he screamed, pressing his hands against his forehead, before he crashed on the ground in his castle. This pain, it was again this pain, even lasting after his awakening that affected every single part of him. He grasped for air but it felt like he get none as his entire body felt paralyzed, denying its work. It was gruesome, just gruesome like it was trying to kill him.

He rested longer on the floor, covered in sweat with a heavy breath, only slowly recovering from the nightmare. Whatever this was, he definitely had never experienced anything near this before.

A day passed, a week, half a month, than a full one. In every night, in every single night in the past month, he met him again on the fields, which had become more and more an abomination of themselves. However, not only the fields changed their shape, the Hylian did as well. Not his outer appearance but his skills, his strength and his determination.

He had to witness that, on their last encounters, he could not offer him a threat anymore. Every fight resulted in the same fate of utter defeat that came sooner to him every time. Pierced through the chest, the forehead, even the heart and throat by the sword that repelled his evil and caused a pain far beyond bearableness, burning through his entire body.

Every time he woke up with the phantom pain, which felt like it would kill him, and more than once he had lost his consciousness for a few minutes due to it. It was impossible to ignore the nightmares anymore and wait that they might vanish themselves. He already noticed how they affected his general mood. He was far more irritated than normal and reached the limits of his patience a lot sooner. If it would go on like this, it was only a matter of time before this Hylian would drive him into insanity. There was no denying he had to find the source or even better, a solution for his 'inevitable destiny'.

At first he thought that one of the generals skilled in sorcery had laid a curse upon him, to be haunted by one of their kind. Such incantations existed though the extreme powerful ones needed sacrifice of a high price, but if they knew they would die, it would make sense they offered their life for it nonetheless.

However, there was one single fact which contradicted this assumption as a whole. He himself was a powerful warlock, who mastered the black arts almost to perfection. Even though he might not be able to prevent the curse immediately, he would have noticed it in every case. The reason must be something else. Something beyond his reach, something he could not control.

The further he thought about it, the more he came to the conclusion that everything indicated that it was not only a returning nightmare, but a reflection of reality. Maybe a similar event occurred in the past; however, it was more likely a prophecy about the future. His future.

He felt the fury arising inside him as it meant his reign would not end due to his finite life span, but an individual that opposed him. One whose courage was greater than his power.

It needed one more night which got him out of his helplessness. Though he was engulfed in the sword's might, tortured with pain which made his body to fail him again, he finally understood them. He got the meaning of the hero's words, together with the source of his strength, and how he foolishly caused to increase it himself.

He smiled sinister as the only thing left now in order to get rid of this hero was a plan. The most obvious one would have been to order his minions to search and destroy him. However, he could be everyone, as he neither knew if he shared the same appearance nor who or where he was. Just killing anyone could easily fail because if he missed him, he would play directly into the hands of destiny and create an obstacle he could not overcome. Meaning he would lose his kingdom.

He had to go for another plan, one that was unorthodox. Extremely unorthodox. He even considered this plan disgusting because it did not fit his normal behavior at all. However, if his assumptions were right, this scheme could very well change his 'inevitable' fate and to avoid this had the highest priority. No matter the price.
He would not allow the rise of a hero and that he got defeated by this one to lose the kingdom. Not in this life.


He gathered his followers at the same day in a conference to involve them into his scheme. The atmosphere was cheerful and all were excited for his orders how to plague the kingdom further. However, he remained silent until one of his beasts could not wait anymore and asked impatiently, "Tell us, Lord Ganondorf, which part of this country we will raid now? The eastern? The North?"

"We don't raid anything anymore," he responded cold and when some looked questioning at him he explained, "I've thought about it and I've come to the conclusion it only causes revolts and rebellion. If not yet, than in a few years if we continue to reign through evil and fear. And even if we would eliminate all those who despise us, no one would remain and there is no meaning to rule over no one. Instead of spreading destruction and despair any further, we should see that we get this kingdom back to its former glory that the Hyrulians don't see us as usurpers anymore."

The first reaction he got from them was evil laughter. They believed that he had one of his rare moments where he joked, but his expression did not change and they stopped as they noticed he was still straight-faced and realized he was serious. The reaction he earned afterwards was pure silence. Never had he seen that many jaws dropping down in an instant, leaving only speechless beasts and people behind.

A good amount of time passed by before one of the Gerudo recovered his tongue again and had additionally the courage to ask him, "My Lord Ganondorf, do you really said we should stop raiding the country and come up for the damage we've caused?"

"You've heard it. I do not intend to repeat myself," he answered bald.

An outcry of outrage filled the hall once the monsters realized what he actually demanded from them. A few were furious enough to put their indignation into words with a threatening gesture.
"Lost your mind, dude? Did you become a coward?" rebelled a Stalfos.

"Are you an imposter or somethin'? This is big bullshit!" continued a Boblin before their screams of pain even surpassed the noise level of the rest of the revolting beasts. He did not hesitate a second to let them vanish inside a purple vortex and their only remains were a pile of dust.

"Neither do I appreciate it if my person gets questioned," he added menacing once the silence returned and the rest of the mob looked frightened at their former comrades.

He let some time pass to see if someone else had any other inappropriate comments or actions for him. However, it was no surprise that nobody dared to say a single word. They knew it before and he made it very clear again that no one, definitely no one, approached him in the wrong way, no matter what he said, and get away with it unpunished.

"Now that I've made my position clear, has any other one a problem with it? If so, I recommend speaking it out now," menacing he looked around but everyone tried to avoid his gaze. "Otherwise I'll assume you all agree."

Everybody nodded wordless.
"That's a lot better. If it's settled now, we start with it today. I'll tell you later my precious orders."

He stood up in order to leave the hall. The disbelief in the faces of his followers, like he had become a retarded man, was still more than visible. It was foreseeable they needed their time to realize it though he expected far more resistance to get his will. But it seemed like they understood very soon that complaints would only be painful or deadly for them as he was still by far the most powerful amongst them. They would not stand even a slight chance if he utilized his entire power. And he was reserved in using them even against his own if necessary.

While he walked through the dark corridors, his thoughts were still at the conference. If he was honest, it was even hard for him to believe that he demanded such a procedure. In regard that he was born into a tribe of bandits and he spent his whole life taking everything he wanted from others through robbery, manipulation and murder, it did not fit his nature. Furthermore, to compensate for the damage he caused or even to help others was never a theme that bothered him at all at any given time.

He was interrupted in his thinking when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned his head sideward and looked into the face of Nabooru.
"Ganondorf. I'm absolutely earnest with you now. For the first time in my life, you left me just speechless. I've never spend that much effort into figuring out the ulterior motive in your scheme and I'm still unable to see it at all. What new evilness is going on in your mind that you act out of character in this degree?"

He looked at her in a way of incomprehension when he responded, "What's your problem now? First you complained that I treat everyone like a doormat, as you said, and now you complain that I changed my mind to do better. I would appreciate it if you could finally decide what you actually want or even better, just stop complaining at all."

He witnessed her suspicion. He saw it immediately in her eyes that she would never believe it. He could never fool her, everyone but her.
"I won't deny it, Ganondorf. People can change their mind for good. However, every rule has its exception. One of these is an old acquaintance who's standing directly in front of me. You've never even thought about doing anything that could not be used for your own benefit. I know your nature long enough and this doesn't allow for such a sincere change of heart. Tell me, what's the meaning of your façade?"

The only thing he gave her was a mischievous smile. Her assumption was downright true but it was predictable she would see through it in an instant.

However, there was no need that she became aware of his true reasons. It was a matter between him and this hero. His determination to destroy him increased because he caused misery upon the inhabitants of Hyrule. It was a logical consequence that they all would aid one that was destined to end their suffering. However, if they do not have a strong reason anymore to support their hero and settled to their daily life without great fear, than, one day, Power would indeed surpass Courage.

The day the hero succumbed in his nightmares and vanished in reality, changing the destiny, would be the day he turned back to his old nature. Hyrule might be safe from his reckless domination now, but it would not be safe forever.