Ganondorf and his minions appeared within an odd field. Zant tested one of the trees, and found it far too springy and rubbery to be real.
"This is weird…" Zant remarked, contemplating poking at the tree again.
"Very fitting for the Doctor, though… how do we find him?" Ghirahim added. Ganondorf looked around, and spotted a wandering man.
"Hey, you! You will assist us!" Ganondorf commanded. The man looked up, and noticed the several large and ominous-looking figures before him.
"Can't even say please, can you?" the man asked. Ganondorf curled his lip in disgust.
"…Please, can you tell us where we might find the Doctor?" Ganondorf asked, his hand on his sword.
"There, see, was that so hard? Hm… the Doctor… you know, it's very insulting to refer to him as 'the' Doctor. There are other doctors," the man told them condescendingly.
"Don't tell me about such things. 'The Doctor' is the only term I know this man by. Unless his name is Link?" Ganondorf stated, his face lined with impatience.
"Link? What an odd name… but if you had heard of him simply as 'the Doctor', then you're likely looking for χ8&WӔ. He's a doctor of some skill and a fairly kind personality who operates down that road. You're only about a ten-minute walk away. Be warned: he's not exactly going to live up to the hype," the man helpfully stated.
"Thank you. You will live. The Doctor will not," Ganondorf told him. He began his march, followed by the rest of his small force. The man watched them walk for quite some time.
"Didn't even say thank you. Ruddy kids," the man muttered, walking off, unaware of who exactly he had just talked down.
Ganondorf entered the Doctor's office, followed by the group. The Helmaroc King remained outside the town- it would not do to cause a ruckus until they had ascertained the location of the Doctor and Lana, as well as any relevant escape routes. He walked up to the office's counter, and looked at the desk uncertainly. Agahnim reached over, and pushed a button. A bell sound chimed, and a rather matronly woman approached the desk.
"Welcome to χ8&WӔ's office. The Doctor is currently engaged in treating a particularly stubborn bit of cancer, so he cannot see you now. He will be able to see you shortly, so if you would kindly wait in the waiting room provided, and supply your purpose of visit…" the woman said in a business-like manner. Ganondorf looked back at his minions, stumped. Vaati approached the front, and jumped on top of the desk.
"We're here to get something from the Doctor. And a friend of his, while we're here!" Vaati boasted.
"I see. Well, the Doctor is unable to come to you at the moment, so if you'll please wait in the waiting room, I'm sure you will be able to collect your lost item in no more than an hour. Stubborn or not, it's just cancer, and he's already been at it for half an hour…" the woman remarked, taking a note. "And what's your name?"
"Ganondorf," Ganondorf stated coolly. The woman added to her note, nodding to herself, before returning to the back room. Ganondorf and Vaati looked between each other, shrugged, and went to sit in the waiting room provided.
Ganondorf would willingly accept any challenge the Doctor could throw at him. At least, he thought he could. He had not reckoned on being kept cooling his heels in a rather sterile looking environment. There were other sections, some brighter and more colourful than others, but Ganondorf found this one preferable. Zant, Twinrova, Agahnim and Veran were seated on chairs close by, coming up with strategies for battle based on surroundings. Onox was trying to find a way to sit comfortably- unable to sit on one of the chairs without breaking it, as five had learned the hard way. Vaati, too short for the chairs, was in the children's area, lecturing the kids about joining the dark side. And Ghirahim had taken himself to looking in one of the book-like stacks of paper provided. Ganondorf found this almost as annoying as the waiting.
"Ganondorf, the Doctor will see you now," the woman stated, looking into the room. Everyone stood to follow Ganondorf.
"No, no! No need to crowd the poor fellow! He did just have a tougher than usual surgery, and you're only here to collect something…" the woman commented. Ganondorf growled, but so long as it would put an end to the waiting, he would be fine to accept the Doctor's terms. He might even be able to turn the situation to his advantage.
Ganondorf followed the woman into another room, this one a small study. The Doctor was furiously pushing away on buttons at his desk, watching a bright surface change colours. He looked much different to the day that he defeated Ganondorf. The Doctor looked up, nodded, and gestured for Ganondorf to take a seat.
"So, Mr… Ganondorf. What are you here for? My wife here tells me you brought seven friends just to collect something. Surely this must be more important than just a lost and found," the Doctor stated, showing no signs of recognition.
"Of course it is, Doctor. Don't play dumb with me a second longer. I'm here for the Triforce of Courage. And the Triforce of Power your friend possesses, too, while I'm here," Ganondorf directed. He had found the limit to the quirkiness he could accept from the Doctor.
"Triforce? Hm… sounds kind of familiar… Rhoelle?" the Doctor asked. Ganondorf turned to the woman. He slowly realised, by connecting the dots, that her new hair colour and lined face were the only differences between this Lana and the Lana who emerged when he had corrupted Cia…
"That's the thingy that Ganon wanted every time he attacked Hyrule in the legends. So many times I would read about how the Triforce impacted each and every one of those Links… now I think of it, I think we did take two of them when we fought Cia ten years ago…" Lana suggested thoughtfully.
"We have been truly awful to the timestream. So you want those Triforces, Ganon…" the Doctor said, his eyes changing as he trailed off.
"Finally pieced it together, have you?" Ganondorf asked, grinning. The ball was in his court now.
"…No. Cancer is not so annoying a disease that it would take me an hour and a half to treat. Did you think that Rhoelle would not recognise you, the man who literally shattered her body? Did you think that ten years was enough for us to forget the power of the goddesses dwelling within us? No. We used that hour to summon Pi- completely RUINING her class, thank you very much- and a small army of Skaromia and Automatons. They've been dealing with your bird, too. And I'd imagine having Courage and Power does wonders against your Wisdom, if you even have that. We might not be able to stop you this time, but we will do our BEST to make sure we take as many of you creeps with us as we can. And be warned: your victory might not come as easily as you might think. Ganondorf… you've always been told the future will spell your doom. Time for you to learn that!" the Doctor explained. Ganondorf became aware of an odd sound, as a trio of Automatons appeared behind Ganondorf. Their steps had a terrifying tone to them. Ganondorf turned back to the Doctor, who had vanished.
"Step aside, creatures. It's the Doctor I want," Ganondorf ordered.
*YOU are ATtemptING to BRING harm TO the Χ8&wӔ. this IS unACceptAble. YOU will BE assIMilATed. YOU will BE elIMinATed. THE χ8&Wӕ WILL not SUFfer YOUR hand!* the head Automaton stated, raising his arm. Ganondorf hurriedly summoned a wall of darkness, blocking the worst of the explosion the Automaton caused. Ganondorf chuckled at the thought of destroying the Doctor's office, before creating the massive form of Ganon from shadow, using it to slap away the Automatons. He left the Doctor's office, to find his minions having finished clearing away Automatons and odd pillars that must've been the Skaromia the Doctor mentioned.
"The Doctor knew it was us. He was preparing," Ganondorf explained.
"Well, duh," Koume responded.
"How much stupider can you get?" Kotake asked.
"Regardless of the cause, the outcome remains the same. We must located the Doctor and Lana and claim their pieces of the Tri Force!" Vaati exclaimed.
"Correct. I will face the Doctor. Vaati, capture the girl, and bring her to me. She might make a half-decent bargaining chip- I'm fairly sure she's his wife. Veran, Onox, you two look for and disable the leaders of these robots. Veran, if you could impersonate the leader, that would be great," Ganondorf commanded. Vaati, Onox and Veran nodded.
"What about us?" Zant asked.
"The Helmaroc King is under attack- I'll need two of you to go to his aid. The rest of you can cause chaos and spread the opposition thinly. The less of them you face at once, the less likely you are to be exploded," Ganondorf elaborated.
"But you would revive us, right?" Agahnim asked.
"…Don't push it," Ganondorf growled.
Veran and Onox approached the leaders of the forces, Keiko and two extravagantly designed variants of the other robots, with relative ease. Keiko turned to the pair, her bell at her hip, and a pointer in her hands. She was holding her pointer like a cane, and not in the defenceless way. The robot commanders peered at the pair, too.
"So you think you can put the hurt on my big brother, do you?" Keiko asked.
"Of course we do, foolish girl. And it's time we showed you why," Veran boasted.
"Yeah… no. It's time I taught you a lesson," Keiko replied, brandishing her pointer. The Skaromia fired a massive blast at Onox, and the Automaton at Veran. As the pair brushed rubble and dust from their eyes, Keiko switched from her pointer to her bell.
"Let the class begin!" Keiko stated, splashing Veran and Onox with a massive bubble of water summoned with a swipe of her bell. Keiko giggled, and stepped back. Onox jumped back to his feet, and turned into his dragon form. Keiko tried another blast of water, only for Onox's weight to hold him firm. Keiko looked up Onox's form, searching for a target.
*RETREAT, Πψ%/3. WE WILL DEFEAT THIS!* the Skaromia commander stated.
*YOUR teachING is MOST valUaBLE. please CONtinUE to DO it,* the Automaton chief added.
"For the sake of future generations… I agree. I'll bring you up to code after the battle," Keiko replied, giving a sad smile, turning to vanish. She crashed into somebody, and fell to the ground. Keiko got to her feet, and noticed Keiko opposite her.
"How incredible… you're me!" Keiko exclaimed.
"Quite. A compliment that cannot be extended to yourself," Keiko replied. Onox lifted the pair up, and pushed them to one side. He knew only that one of them was Veran, and it would only be a matter of time before Veran claimed the upper hand. However, he really did not have the patience to listen to the two Keikos discuss the matter when he had to defeat the robot commanders.
Vaati giggled, as he created little holes of darkness around Lana. Lana gasped, looking around in fear. This stage was always the best part of capturing a damsel- seeing their fear as the situation sunk in.
"So sorry, miss, but we'll be needing your assistance in getting the Tri Force," Vaati stated.
"Never…" Lana told him, though Vaati was pleased to see that she had no confidence in her claim. Vaati focused, and spun a tornado, sending Lana reeling. Lana focused, and shot an orb of lightning at Vaati. Vaati easily dispelled it.
"Playtime is over," Vaati stated. He held his hands above his head, forming an orb of darkness. He flung it at Lana, and the ball enveloped her. When the darkness faded, all that remained was a stone statue.
"Perfect," Vaati remarked. He knew exactly what to do with this.
Zant and Ghirahim approached the Helmaroc King cautiously. The bird was fighting at the Skaromia and Automatons at its feet with an unparalleled ferocity. Zant summoned a hand, and slammed down on one at the King's rear. The Automatons turned to the fallen Skaromia. The Skaromia turned to Zant and Ghirahim.
*YOU ARE ENEMIES OF THE χ8&WӔ! THIS CANNOT BE PERMITTED TO STAND! YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!* the Skaromia explained.
"Oh, do you have any idea how this makes me feel, to be told to die? I'll tell you how! I am incredibly, irreversibly…" Zant started, before Ghirahim's hand reached his shoulder.
"Leave the dramatics to me, you crackpot," Ghirahim told him, before turning to the Skaromia.
"I am furious! Outraged!" Ghirahim started.
"SICK WITH ANGER!" both Ghirahim and Zant said in union. Ghirahim turned to Zant.
"What did I tell you? The thing doesn't work when it sounds practiced!" Ghirahim scolded.
"That's not what you told me!" Zant scolded right back. The pair shot into a bunch of rapid, colourful insults for about five minutes, before they realised just what they had been doing.
"…Are we dead yet?" Ghirahim asked, remembering the Skaromia before them. The pair turned back to the Skaromia and Automatons, who were standing at attention.
*ORDERS, MASTER GHIRAHIM?* a Skaromia asked.
"…No, but I think our luck just turned brilliant," Zant said in response to Ghirahim's comment. A bell chimed in the distance, and the two held their blades aloft.
"We will take the Triforce as our own. March on the Doctor," Ghirahim stated.
*MARCH COMMENCING!* the Skaromia replied in unison.
Ganondorf stood before the Doctor. The Doctor was spinning his Luminal over his hands, smiling a little before the confrontation. Ganondorf was staring him down.
"…ALL RIGHT! What are you so happy about?" Ganondorf asked, tired, again, of waiting on the Doctor's games.
"Well, I think you'll find me a tough nut to crack. You're not getting your Triforce of Courage as easily as you might expect," the Doctor replied. Ganondorf swung his sword down, but the Doctor soared away. He landed on one of four pedestals located behind him in a row. He waved his Luminal, and it started shining orange. The ground shook- it was an earthquake. Ganondorf jumped off the ground, hovering. The Doctor leaped across to another pedestal, and waved a light blue Luminal. Strong gusts of wind carrying jagged pieces of metal began blowing from a variety of directions, with the Doctor completely safe. Ganondorf landed on the ground, and the Doctor jumped to a third pedestal. With a red Luminal, flames appeared at the ground, dooming Ganondorf's cape and licking away at his heels. A bell chimed in the distance, and the Doctor faltered.
"Recognise that sound, Doctor? Do you know what that sound means?" Vaati asked, stepping forward. The Doctor gasped, noticing the statue of Lana beside him. The fear that was coursing through Lana at the time was still evident.
"It's what I did to that pesky boy to try and get the Light Force out of Daltus's Zelda brat. When the bell chimes three times, bye bye goes Lana, doesn't it, Doctor? And that was, I believe, the second chime?" Vaati asked. The Doctor held a hand on his Luminal, furious. He looked up, and saw Keiko. Keiko was beaming, and he realised that she had a plan.
"Pi! Thank goodness you're here," the Doctor exclaimed. Keiko looked up at the Doctor, her brow scrunched in confusion. The Doctor stepped back, realising quickly that this Keiko was not his.
"Oh, that's right! Pi is what you call your sister, isn't it? Onox!" Keiko stated. Onox stepped forward, carrying a crystal under his arms. He slammed it into the ground, revealing Keiko trapped within.
"You're going to hand over the Triforce of Courage, Doctor. And if you don't…" Ganondorf stated. The Doctor bowed his head in shame, and held out his hand. The Triforce of Courage appeared from his hand. Ganondorf and Vaati held out theirs, and Power and Courage shot towards Ganondorf's Wisdom. Ganondorf had amassed all three pieces of the Triforce. He pulled them into his being.
"I'm going to go back to my home time, Doctor. I have already defeated that Zelda. And I am going to bring darkness to then. From what Veran has told me about time travel, I'd imagine that won't be pleasant for you. So, I think I'm going to put you out of your misery," Ganondorf explained. He grabbed the Doctor's hair, and lifted him into a standing position. With his free hand, he thrust with one of his massive swords. The blade pierced through the Doctor's stomach, with several inches protruding from his back.
"You're correct, Doctor. It's time I learned a lesson. And that lesson is to stop letting Links run around, ruining my plans. In your final breaths, ponder the fact that I owe it all to you… kid," Ganondorf taunted, before disappearing. His minions followed suit, as did both the Skaromia and the Automatons.