I apologize for the ridiculously long time in between updates. Due to life and being busy and raising a child, I almost gave up on this story, but thanks to the encouraging review from Tiff, I got my passion & drive for the story back! This chapter kind of scares me a little bit and I feel like I'm taking a risk with certain aspects...but I hope that you guys enjoy. R & R and Happy Reading


The air was clearer.

Somehow, the stench of Twilight seemed less pungent. Zelda breathed deeply and sensed the freshness of the air drifting in through her open window. She leaned her head against the hard stone of the window frame and drank in the strange yet familiar clearness. In her mind's eye, she imagined that it was evening time past the reaches of Twilight. The air was gentle and cool, feeling like true dusk, if that was something that could even be sensed. Regardless of what time of day it was beyond the wall of Twilight, it could not be denied that there was a tangible difference in the atmosphere of the captive Hyrule.

Still reeling from her latest encounter with the Gerudo King, Zelda had stubbornly positioned herself in front of the window, trying desperately to sort out the wild tempest of emotions in her heart. She had the wool shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders as if the soft fabric would shelter her from her internal storm.

The admission of her bitter past still burned on her lips and she wished to wash herself clean of her words. She nearly regretted telling Ganondorf of the truth of her parents' death and her own dark mourning, for it had ripped open old wounds in her already vulnerable state. Since her last visit in the field, she had been trying to patch up her torn soul. This raging pain of her past was something that was unfortunately familiar, but it was something that she could handle. Eventually Zelda would be able to push the memories and the pain aside and move on, for the time being, until the time would come and her wounds would be opened again. It was the endless cycle that would haunt her until her dying day. She had accepted this fate already.

It was another secret revealed that turned her stomach and flushed her cheeks at the mere thought. Zelda groaned and turned away from the dim sky. A cold and gray room greeted her as she turned around.

"I am afraid of myself when I am with you," she whispered to the emptiness, repeating what she had admitted to Ganondorf. How he had taken that, she could only guess. What other way could he have understood? It only had one possible meaning. The time she had spent with the Gerudo king was turbulent and confusing, but one thought was perfectly clear.

His hands holding her own, the way he gravitated to her, always needing to stand near, Zelda pushing herself away only because it was wrong to want him near…

Zelda closed her eyes and shoved that wretched thought down into the depths of denial. How could she even entertain that fantasy? Internally, Zelda shuddered at the word "fantasy."

No, it was not a fantasy. It was just…it was just forbidden thoughts escaping their rightful prison. Yet even as she tried to imprison her fantasy, her willful mind wandered back to that first vision, of him standing in the field looking like a Gerudo man and less like the enemy. That was her first time realizing that her feelings toward him were not as hostile as she wanted them to be.

"Stop this, you silly fool," Zelda reprimanded herself as she shook her head crazily. She stormed over to the bed and threw herself on the hard mattress. As she glared at the ceiling and cursed herself, part of Zelda wondered what would happen if she just let herself fall into whatever feelings had struck her heart?

Without wasting a breath, Zelda answered her own musing.

"It would be nothing short of a disaster," she muttered under her breath, faintly echoing in the Twilight. She answered with another question; how could anything get worse?

Zelda's voice of reason fiercely countered. She could almost hear herself in a sharp reprimanding tone, "how can you say that as if there is no hope? The Hero is out there fighting this evil. As long as there is hope, then you must continue to fight your own battle as well."

Sleep must have taken her sometime soon after that for Zelda found herself in a strange place that was not her tower. She was in an empty room with tall windows surrounding her, letting in the light from a dreary red sky. Music, haunting and somber, filled her ears and Zelda turned around to find the source. Her eyes quickly spotted an ornately decorated, massive organ that was pouring out the gloomy song. Her heart skipped several beats as Zelda recognized the figure that was skillfully dancing his fingers over the ivory keys.

It was him.

Ganondorf.

As if sensing her presence in the room, the Gerudo turned around to face her. Zelda's heart twisted but she found that she could not look away.

Ganondorf was the same but…different somehow. His appearance was gaunt, yet more hateful than the Ganondorf that she saw in her waking life. This Ganondorf did not have the graveness, the slowly burning anger and sorrow that her Ganondorf of the Twilight did. There was a fierceness that had not yet been diminished by the passage of time and bitterness.

Though as she stood there studying this Ganondorf, Zelda felt an undeniable draw to him. Her very soul demanded that she go to him, to connect with him in some wildly unexplainable way. It was not so much in a romantic sense, but the potency of this feeling was just as strong. She was just compelled to him, intensely drawn to the Gerudo, as if her very life depended on giving in to her impulse. What was this sensation?

Zelda's feet shifted, hardly able to stay put. Why did she want to go to him and why did it seem that she had felt this way before.

Just as Zelda was piecing together an explanation for the compelling draw to Ganondorf, the dream changed.

The scene was changing. Ganondorf and his imposing organ were melting away. This new world swimming into view was colorful and water seemed to be everywhere. Zelda looked down at herself and found that she was not a grown woman, but rather a child. Without skipping a beat, she looked around, instinctively knowing that she was not alone.

Zelda, or rather the dream Zelda, found him quickly.

Ganondorf was there once again. He was a huge, hulking figure in the eyes of her child self. She craned her neck to get a good look at him. This form of Ganondorf was not as familiar to her, but she knew him still.

The memory of this past life was hazy and dim, but that feeling from before was just as strong. Zelda felt the need to connect with him. It was less potent, with her being a child, but the compelling draw was there.

Her heart was sad for this Ganondorf and she did not see him so much as an enemy, but rather a soul to be pitied.

Once again the dream shifted and Zelda found herself facing Ganondorf again and again. The forms that she took were different, but the same. In some way, shape, or form, she was Zelda and he was always Ganondorf. Every dream held the same powerful force drawing her to Ganondorf. It was a nearly insatiable need, an inexplicable pull that wanted her to connect with him.

The last images flashed before her eyes. A terrible dark figure with flaming hair stood before her in a stormy world. Lightning flashed and the rain pelted her skin, but she stood in the shadow of this being, unafraid.

Just as before, just as in every dream before this one, Zelda was drawn to this entity. Though, she was not Zelda as she knew all the other forms of Zelda's to be. This terrible man was not Ganondorf as she knew the other forms of Ganondorf's to be. This vision revealed something far deeper and more ancient than anything else she had seen. The endless battle between the forces of good and evil went far beyond just "Zelda and Ganondorf."

As Zelda stood there, she realized that she was seeing the beginning of that struggle. The battle started here with these two ancient beings, their names long forgotten to the ravages of time.

That compelling draw to her ancient adversary started here as well. Zelda, or whoever she was in this moment, hated this evil being before her but she could still feel a draw to him. Through her hatred, she could sense in him…Power, and in herself she could sense Wisdom.

Wisdom and Power, battling since the beginning of time…

Wisdom and Power…

"Wisdom and Power…" she whispered hazily. The image of the terrible man faded from view. Zelda felt her body waking, her mind coming to consciousness.

With a jolt, Zelda snapped up and threw her covers off. She placed her feet on the cold stone floor. Her heart was racing and she realized that she was holding her breath. She sucked in a deep breath as if she had just emerged from underwater.

Already the images of her dreams were dim and she had trouble grasping each different encounter with all the Ganondorfs, but that unrelenting feeling was not fading in the slightest.

Now that she was awake, it had increased tenfold.

Zelda continued to take in steadying breaths, trying to calm herself down. She was not even sure why she was so flustered. Now that she was becoming more awake by the second, she registered a burning sensation in her left hand: the hand that bore her Triforce.

For what seemed like an eternity, Zelda was still. She had not ever been so still before, drinking in the silence as if the nothingness held the answers to what she had just experienced. That dream was more than just random images. These dreams, these visions held a trove of truth that she had yet to grasp.

So she contemplated, her mind lost to any solid thoughts but rather swimming in all directions. All the while staring at her left hand, the golden Triforce exposed and faintly stinging.

What she had felt while encountering Ganondorf in her dreams, that draw, that pull, that compelling need…it was not going away. The more she sat on her bed and tried to convince herself that it was just part of her dream, the stronger it grew.

In her mind, in a place where dreams could not touch, Zelda knew that those Ganondorfs were from her own past life. Her ancestor, the Zelda and all the Zelda's before her had interacted with Ganondorf, and those feelings had once been very much real. The scenes from her dreams, the feelings, were no dream to her past lives. The Zelda of old had wrestled with this strange compulsion towards her mortal enemy.

No, what she had felt in her dream was just a reflection of what her heart was wrestling with in her waking life. For whatever reason, that struggle was coming clearly into the light.

Maybe…maybe she was just now for the first time realizing that this draw to him had always been there. Maybe this strange impulse had been there all along, but the Twilight fogged her senses and she could not clearly see exactly why she allowed herself to go to the field, to meet with Ganondorf, to share the secrets of her soul with him.

In fact, it took all of her willpower to keep her feet grounded to the floor. Every muscle in her body begged to flee to the field.

To the place where she had vowed to never return.

To the place where she knew he would be waiting.

The image of him in the field, standing in the golden barley and waiting for her to come to him was more than she could bear. It was not that she feared this thought.

It thrilled her. An overwhelming desperation to meet him again filled her. She sprang to her feet and marched out of the room, not caring whatever Twilight creature might meet her outside of her doors.

"What is happening to me?" Zelda asked herself, hearing the anticipation in her words. It was like she was in a powerful trance, unable to fight against the draw.

And she did not care to resist. It now seemed the most important task in the world to discover why she felt this way. After all she had gone through in this Twilight Occupation and in her life before that…Zelda felt as though she deserved some answers. Even in the wake of this confusing new development, things had never before been clearer. Her mind did not seem muddled by Twilight any longer. She was not conflicted about her feelings, but rather wanted to know what this pull to her enemy was.

Zelda had not ever felt this fearless before.

As she wandered briskly through her castle, making her way down to the courtyard, she recalled when she met with the Hero, the bearer of Courage.

It was true that there had been a connection with the Bearer of Courage. It could not be denied that the Bearers of the Triforces were uniquely tied together, but as for the compelling draw to Power…

Courage did not call to her so fiercely as Power.

Zelda stepped into the silent entryway, not bothered by the Twilight beasts lurking in the shadows. Ignoring the creatures, she continued to ponder on the relationship between the three pieces of the Triforce. After her dreams and revelation about her connection to Power, Zelda saw the Triforce in a whole new light.

Power, Courage, and Wisdom obviously balanced out one another. All three needed the other in some way, that much she had always believed, but they did not need each other equally. There were times when Courage did not need Wisdom or Power, just the raw bravery of one's heart. Yes, sometimes it did require Courage to be wise, but Wisdom could be meek and humble. Power was not always for the courageous. Sometimes Power was a brutish façade for the truly cowardly.

Power and Wisdom though, Zelda rationalized, were a completely different story. Their relationship together was far more complicated than that with Courage.

Separately they were vastly different. Power was a boiling, raging, nearly destructive force, especially in the hands of someone like Ganondorf.

Wisdom was the opposite. Like a gently flowing river, Wisdom was a mighty power in of itself, but in a temperate way, tranquil and neutral. Wisdom was a calming force, speaking to reason and rationality.

How did that relate to Power, Zelda wondered. Was Wisdom the calm to Power's storm?

Without Wisdom, Power was dangerous and volatile. Could it be that Power and Wisdom were drawn to each other because they were so different and in order to be successful, Power needed Wisdom?

Throughout her musings, Zelda had wandered aimlessly to the courtyard and through the town. Her mind still buzzed with Power and Wisdom, still trying to connect the pieces of their relationship. The Twilight was cool and dreary as always, but she did not feel bothered by it. That oppressive dusk still seemed lighter.

It was not long until she found herself standing in front of the looming black wall of Twilight. Without even a breath of hesitation, Zelda stepped beyond the blackness and into the field where she had promised to never come again.

Drawn there by some force beyond her own understanding, Zelda now stood in the golden field. The sky was gray and filled with soft rain, as if a thunderstorm had just passed through.

Zelda gazed at the horizon and noticed that something was different. She furrowed her brow and studied the sky. The black Twilight stain surrounding the field had ended! Zelda whipped around, making sure that the Twilight she had just come through was still there.

The dark wall was still right behind her, but Zelda saw that it only went to the left and right, just behind her. Darkness did not surround the field as it once had. The horizon was full of billowing storm clouds and golden barley.

Her heart soared, briefly forgetting all of her troubles. Hope shone like a beacon as she realized that Twilight was fading! Had the Hero and Midna done this?

Zelda strode deeper into the field, trying to reach that wonderful new horizon. Was this defeat of Twilight the reason for the clearness of the air that she had sensed? Did her dreams come because the Twilight was diminishing and the divine forces that controlled the Triforce were reaching through to her?

Her questions would have to wait to be answered.

Power had entered into the field, his presence overwhelming her as it never had before. Zelda stayed put, her back stiff and her heart racing. She did not know what to do. Part of her wanted to run to him and…and what exactly, she didn't care to discover. Instead she ground her feet in and let him come to her.

Wisdom was drawn to Power, the pull more intoxicating than it had been in her dreams now that she faced him in real life.

His heavy footfalls crunched over the delicate golden stalks, coming ever closer to her. Zelda closed her eyes and steadied herself for the inevitable encounter. She was afraid now to face him, but not for the reasons she had before. This new, or rather ancient, connection was as frightening as it was enlightening.

The Gerudo King was right behind her now, close enough to reach out and touch. Zelda half wished that he would.

Silence hung between them for a few moments. Zelda could not find the words to say. What could she say to him now after their last meeting? It was going to be up to him to break that silence.

And so he did.

"The Hero and his Twilight companion are wreaking havoc on my plans." His voice, deep and strong, rang out over the golden field. Shivers, not from cold or disgust, went down Zelda's spine. Her eyes opened, taking in the gathering storm in the newly liberated sky and she dared herself to reply.

"I had wondered if this breach in Twilight was the cause of all this clarity for me…" her voice in turn sounded timid, but for the first time in her encounters with Ganondorf, she kept the harsh bite out of her tones. She almost sounded kind.

"Clarity?" Ganondorf inquired, the curiosity evident in his voice.

She could not stand it a second longer. Zelda turned slowly as she answered him. "Yes, everything is—"

The second her eyes clamped onto him, Zelda's voice stuck uncomfortably in her throat. Images of her first daydream of him came violently rushing back to her. It was as if her fantasy had come to life. Ganondorf was dressed like she had never seen before, except in her damning daydream. He had been stripped of his heavy armor, in nothing more than a peasant shirt and breeches.

Zelda felt like her stomach was going to drop out of her body. Out of pure shock, she could not take her eyes off of him. This was EXACTLY how she imagined him. Was her daydream some sort of premonition?

She blinked her eyes several times, trying to shove back the wicked delight at seeing him this way. Now they were on even footing, the both of them coming to this field in disguises, as if pretending that they were not who they were and that their histories were peaceful.

After a few moments of tense silence, Zelda thought that she had better finish what she had started saying.

"…Remarkably clear now." Her voice sounded thick and awkward in her ears. Zelda's gaze flickered to Ganondorf's face and his smile held amusement at her reaction.

"What is clear to you now, Princess?" Ganondorf's smirk did not fade and he took a step closer to her. Zelda watched him warily as he did, but her heart could not muster any hostile feelings. She was far past that now. Instead she felt eager to take a step nearer to him.

"I could not help it. I was compelled to return," Zelda admitted finally, allowing herself just one small step towards the Gerudo.

The smirk on Ganondorf's face faded and his features fell into a soft expression. "I said that you would return," he murmured, his voice stern but gentle. "You cannot help it, just as I cannot help it…"

It dawned on her, but did not surprise her, that Ganondorf had known of this strange compelling draw to each other. Perhaps he had known for eons, his past lives living with the struggle just as hers had.

Zelda recalled how he once said that if there were not such a bad history between them, that things would be different. Did Power fight so hard against Wisdom because it knew that Wisdom could tame it? She remembered back to her dream and wondered if this draw to Ganondorf was as strong with the other Zelda's as it was with her. Was this Ganondorf's draw to her just that? Power's draw to Wisdom or was it something far deeper? Had it always been this potent, this…intense?

The Triforce did not split into three until the Gerudo King touched it, but Zelda wondered if in a way, Power had always been in the heart of Ganon, fighting relentlessly against Wisdom and goodness since the beginning of time. Her dreams revealed as much. Zelda remembered that terrible figure with the flaming hair, powerful and raging…

What role did Wisdom play in return? Did Wisdom seek to calm the raging storm of Power? Was this why she was so intensely drawn to her age-old adversary? Was she to be the soothing voice to this ferocious beast, fulfilling an ancient need? Zelda looked into the golden eyes gazing down at her and she felt that perhaps for the first time, Power and Wisdom were perfectly aligned and seeking the same destiny.

"You did say that. You were right. This is hard for me to admit but also—"

Why was she going to say this? It would be the final nail in her coffin. When she admitted this, everything would change.

The draw to Power tugged at her heartstrings and Wisdom was a slave to answer. Her words tumbled out of her lips, Zelda suddenly not caring about the repercussions.

"I've realized that I no longer fear you." Ganondorf raised his eyebrow in mild surprise, but Zelda could see the corners of his lips raise ever so slightly.

He was pleased.

"Let me ask you this, Princess." He looked down at her and Zelda met his gaze. "Do you still fear yourself when you are with me?"

Zelda abruptly turned away from him to face the continually gathering thunderstorm, not wanting to answer because she did not know herself. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. A few drops of rain fell from the sky. For the life of her, Zelda could not describe her feelings toward Ganondorf. Fascination, a desire to know him, the powerful force drawing Wisdom to Power, and her fantasy in the flesh…

Her feelings being fully realized made her think that she should fear herself with him, but she wanted to badly to deny it. She was desperate to hate him for everything that he was.

But this compulsion to him would not allow it. Their history, despite it being bloody and violent and hateful, could not allow her to despise him. Wisdom could not hate Power, not matter how desperately the Bearer tried to.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and Zelda melted at the touch. She could not hate him because she was too consumed with hating herself for craving the touch of Power.

The rain thickened ever so slightly as they stood there in comfortable silence. Zelda had one question of her own, hoping that Ganondorf would not press his own unanswered question.

Zelda turned to face him, his hand sliding off her should and she felt oddly empty without his hand there.

"Has there always been this draw to one another?" Zelda questioned. "Even when our ancestors were in the thick of battle? Did Power and Wisdom always pull to each other? I think that the answer is yes but, I want to hear it from you. I want to know this from Power's side."

To her satisfaction, Ganondorf brought his hand back to her shoulder. He tenderly stroked the blue fabric of her simple dress. The thoughts behind his eyes were swarming, searching for an answer to her question.

"Yes," he started off slowly, seemingly distracted by his hand touching her shoulder. Zelda knew that she was distracted…

"There has always been this maddening pull that drew me to her, to the other Zeldas. Power has no use for courage...Courage would only fan the flames of Power. Wisdom however...wisdom tames power. Power needs wisdom, the compliment each other. I never understood what the pull to your soul meant...not until I saw you, despondent and weak, in the throne room. When I saw you, I knew what the pull meant. You were different than the others. In you, I saw the meaning of our eternal struggle. For the first time, I saw you as an ally, as well as an enemy. Wisdom is my anchor, my rock. Power is your freedom, your passion. You need me as much as I need you. So yes...there always has been this draw to you, to Zelda. There have been times where the Bearer of Wisdom and I have had mutual respect…there has been times of hatred…there has been times of deep bitterness…but now, with who you are now and with who I am now…"

His other hand reached up to grasp her other shoulder. Zelda felt him pull her close, closer than she had been to him. Some rational place in the back of her mind feebly commanded her to resist, but Zelda could not. She would not.

Ganondorf's face formed into an expression that would have once sent her into a panic. Now she reveled in his gaze.

"There has never been anything like this…" he whispered with the tenderness of a man to his lover.

"Like what?" Zelda whispered back, wanting to hear him say it, to admit at what was happening to them.

His answer was to draw his face to hers.

"No," she whispered, pushing back against him. It was a pathetic attempt at saving face. She knew exactly what she was going to do and she had every intention of doing it. Ganondorf paused for the briefest of seconds, giving her the chance to resist. Zelda stayed still, allowing him to draw as close as he wanted.

His finger gently grazed the skin of her chin as he tilted her face to meet his. Zelda was so close to him. She could see the flecks of brown in his golden eyes. He leaned in closer, his fingers still beneath her chin. He slowly drew her in until his nose was pressed against hers. His breath warmed her face.

What had happened to the space that was just between them? Zelda had arched her neck, her face to his face, willingly drawing herself closer to him.

When had she let this happen? Zelda found that she didn't much care at the moment. Her mind would only focus on the man right before her.

Ganondorf's mouth was set into the faintest of smiles. He lowered his lids and was looking down at her eyes with a smoldering intensity. She could feel his mouth lingering over hers, so close to touching, only a breath away.

Zelda's entire body was quivering, not with fear, but with something new, something she had never felt before. It was like a hot, slow burning ember had been dropped into her stomach and it was ever so agonizingly consuming her, clouding her thoughts and judgment. All she wanted to do was let herself be ignited by the burn.

This was her first taste of desire. She knew it.

A flush spread across her cheeks as she realized what she was feeling. Somewhere at the back of her mind, that rational voice once again commanded her to push away from Ganondorf and run for her life.

The command was faint and weak.

Desire spoke stronger.

Zelda pushed the voice away and let her instinct guide her. Zelda lifted her hand, her mind hardly believing what she was doing. She gingerly placed her palm against his exposed chest, right over his heart.

His skin was warm to the touch and damp from the rain. She could feel the steady thudding of his heart beneath her palm. Her fingertips wandered curiously over his broad chest, stopping over his breastbone.

At her touch, Ganondorf let out a heavy sigh, one laced with yearning. His body collapsed against her as he sighed. He wrapped an arm around her waist and squeezed tighter until her whole form was melded warmly with his.

Her hand still rested on his chest. He closed his eyes and cupped his hand against her cheek. Out of instinct, Zelda leaned into his palm.

His lips were barely grazing over hers now. The faint touch of his mouth against hers was tantalizing. Zelda's heart leapt wildly. It felt so deliciously forbidden to be so near to this man in such a way.

She could not get enough of it.

"Zelda," he murmured. His words were hardly more than a whisper. She felt his words more than heard them. His chest beneath her fingers reverberated with the sonorous tones of his voice.

It was the first time he had called her by just her name. No royal titles or anything; just her name.

A hot tingling spread over Zelda. She lifted her other hand and placed it on his stomach. She could feel his tight abdominal muscles through the thin, rain soaked shirt.

Suddenly, she wanted more.

All that she wanted in that moment was him.

Ganondorf had reached his limit as well. His fingers wove into her hair as he closed the gap between their lips. Zelda saw him smile before she closed her eyes.

His mouth crashed into hers. He did not ease into it slowly. Zelda did not want him to. She was far too consumed by the burn to deal with polite, chaste kisses. Their kiss was deep and passionate.

Their lips moved perfectly in sync, pressed up against one another without any thought of pulling away. Yet he held her ever so gently and his lips were soft. She felt completely and utterly at ease in his strong embrace.

His hand tangled further into her hair. Zelda clutched at him, trying to pull her as close to him as possible. She felt the rhythm of his heart begin to beat faster underneath her hand.

She was fairly sure that her own heart had completely stopped.

Nothing had ever felt more right, more desirable in all her life. No one had ever kissed her like this. No one had ever really kissed her at all. As Ganondorf deepened the kiss, she dimly recalled the young boys who had tried to court her and even managed to place a few small kisses on her cheek. They all seemed so weak and silly when compared with the powerful man she was kissing now.

She did not know what she wanted until it took her in this field. How could anything else ever amount to this, she did not know. Soon, Ganondorf's persistent lips urged her thoughts back to him.

After what seemed an eternity, they pulled apart and Zelda inhaled a great gasp of air. She did not realize that she had been holding her breath.

Ganondorf wasted no time. His mouth traveled along the line of her jaw. He muttered something unintelligible before he began to kiss her neck with a burning hunger. Her body shuddered at the warmth of his mouth on her skin. A soft sigh escaped her. He sighed heavily in response.

His red hair tickled her cheek as his mouth wandered to the hollow of her throat. His hand moved down, down, down. He brushed her shoulders before he settled on her waist. Both arms were now tightly holding her. Zelda's own arms had somehow wrapped around his broad body. Ganondorf brought his lips roughly to hers in another breathtaking kiss. She hastily accepted and returned his fervor with her own.

They stood there as one, the world around them washed away and forgotten.

After a second eternity, they pulled away, breathless and flushed. Ganondorf's hands tugged at her waist and she fell against him once more. He let out a contented sigh and cradled her head in his huge hand. Zelda could not help but feel comforted by his touch. They said nothing to each other. What could be said after a moment like the one they had just shared? Words were not needed in that field.

Zelda opened her eyes, almost embarrassed to face Ganondorf after what they had just done. Zelda could not force herself to look up, so she settled for staring at his chest.

She felt a finger underneath her chin as he softly turned her face upwards. Her eyes looked up from his bare chest and found his face.

Ganondorf gazed down at her. The fire in his golden eyes had cooled and he looked at her with tenderness. Zelda wondered what she looked like in his eyes. Did her face flush with passion still? Shock at herself for what she had done with him was now creeping over her. Could he read that shock in her expression?

Zelda peeked over his shoulder and saw that the setting sun was breaking through the clouds. A red and gold glow shone behind the mountainous clouds, casting the field in a crimson light. The contrast of the thick, puffy rainclouds and the red sunset was hauntingly beautiful. Zelda looked back at her companion. His face was solemn, but Zelda could read in his eyes a world of unspoken emotion.

Zelda leaned her head against his chest. His heart was still racing, thudding soundly in her ears. She closed her eyes and drowned in the beating of his heart. There, in that small golden field with the red skies pouring out the last drops of soft rain, it was the most precious sound in the world to her.

The Gerudo King had beckoned. She finally gave into the pull of his call. In this field, things were different. The outside world could not touch them here. She had made her choice.

Zelda had stepped over the precipice. There was no turning back now.


OHH MY GOSH, I was seriously nervous to post that KISS! I was worried that it might be a little too much and I even cut some stuff back and dialed it down a bit. I guess in my mind I'm thinking that she's entering into a relationship of sorts with Ganondorf and he's one evil chump. I don't think that a sweet, chaste, polite relationship is what would actually happen. I think that Ganondorf would draw some rebellion out of Zelda and their relationship would be rather...intense. I wrote that kiss scene almost two and a half years ago (before 98% of this story was written) and I've been kinda eager to get to this point.

I also wanted there to be something that drew her to Ganondorf because really, he is her mortal enemy. What could possibly bring them together like that other than some crazy powerful force that she can't quite understand? I guess I wanted it to be an attraction to the enemy that made sense and actually had some reason other than "he's tortured and actually nice kind of."

So...let me know what you think. Is the kiss too much? Was Zelda coming to this point of surrender believable or lame? Does the connection between Power & Wisdom make sense?

Thanks for taking the time to read my story!
~ Ginger