The Brightside of Darkness Chapter X
Thanks for everyone's patience and reviews! This story now has over 100 reviews XD! That's the most I've ever had, and I really am grateful for all of the input that everyone has offered up. Many thanks to all of you who have stuck by this story, which originally started out as a one-shot. Well, enough of my gushing, let's get on with the story.
Note: A somewhat "adult" situation up ahead, so you might want to keep on the look out for that if you're uncomfortable with that stuff. Don't worry, it's not that bad, but don't say I didn't warn you.
A stunned silence enveloped the room for a long while before either of us dared to speak. I occupied myself by trying to comprehend the amount of time that had passed since my capture. Had weeks really just flown by like that? It had only seemed like a few days, mostly a few terrifying days, but only days nonetheless. My fingers twisted my hair into nervous curls as I bit my bottom lip in uneasiness. My own mind was racing with irrational thoughts, half of them I couldn't even decipher.
Finally, the clattering of a goblet falling to the floor broke my mad line of thinking. I cut my eyes over where to Ganondorf sat. The wine sack lay empty at his feet. He was just staring into the fire, the flames reflected feverishly in his eyes. I sighed upon seeing his disheveled state. We both needed rest and time to think.
His chin dipped forward onto his chest, but he stopped himself suddenly. His copper eyes flashed wide for a moment before he settled deeper into the chair. Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair and decided that he needed to get back to his own room and bed. I stood up and smoothed out the silk of the dress. From the expression on his face, I could tell that I would have to help him make it to his room. My lips thinned into a narrow line at the prospect. Goddesses only knew how much he weighed with all that armor on.
Padding over to him, I offered him my hand.
He blinked at it dumbly before he looked up and met my eyes. "What?" he asked in a dry tone.
"Take my hand. You're going to bed," I said, letting the exhaustion seep into my voice. I wasn't in the mood to argue with him. The last few revelations had left me drained.
He laughed at the idea, "You think you can carry me to bed? I admit, the offer is tempting, but implausible."
I huffed and took hold of his arm by the elbow, "I know I can't carry you, you fool, but I can help you stumble your way back to your own bed."
"I think I'll just sleep here for the night," he said without budging an inch. It surprised that even in this state, his speech was not slurred. He wasn't obliviously drunk, but I could tell that once he got on his feet he'd be unsteady. Somehow even after all of that wine, he kept his composure. It was infuriating and admirable all at the same time.
"You can't be serious," I said crossing my arms over my chest.
"Very."
I sighed and rolled my eyes. "That's insane. There is no way you'll be comfortable in that chair. It's too small, and you're too big. Now c'mon. I don't have all night to drag your lazy carcass to bed."
A grin crossed his smug features. He rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling in thought, "Well, since you put it so nicely, I guess I can oblige you." He heaved himself upwards and managed to get to his feet. He swayed for a second until I threw his left arm across my shoulders and wrapped my right arm around his waist. Slowly, we stumbled across the room to his bedchamber. I cursed the whole way as his feet fumbled for purchase on the ground and consequently crushed my toes. He simply laughed.
"For someone who's a surprisingly graceful fighter, you're a horribly awkward drunk," I complained as I gingerly set my injured down to take another step.
"Unless my hearing is shot, I think that was a compliment," he said breathlessly.
"It was a compliment and an insult all in one."
"Aren't you talented?" he quipped.
"So, I've been told," I retorted as we at last came to the doorway of his chambers.
"I wonder if those talents extend to other areas?" he mused to himself, his eyes wandering to the bed.
"Those areas happen to be none of your business," I replied coldly as I helped him settle down on the edge of the bed.
He shrugged, "It was just a thought."
"Let's keep it that way," I said as I stood back from him. I could tell the change that the drink had wrought in him. Ganondorf was often flirtatious, but never outwardly crude.
"No need to be such a prude," he commented off-handedly as he reclined back against the pillows.
I ignored the comment. I was a prude when it came to things like that. I could take on a Moblin twice my size without batting an eyelash, but talking about sex made me uncomfortable. I never said I was a wholly reasonable person.
"You're going to sleep in your armor?" I questioned.
He nodded.
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"Because it can't be comfortable."
"Why do you care about my comfort all of a sudden?" he asked with a sly shine in his eyes. "You're going to try and kill me?"
I shook my head irritably, "No, no, though now would be a good opportunity come to think of it, but no. I just . . .I just honestly don't know why." I threw my hands in the air and let out a sigh of exasperation. I had no idea why I was treating him this way. Something in me had softened towards him. Now that we stood at the end of our journey, I found myself reluctantly wanting it to continue. I was not ready to let go of this unexplored part of myself.
"Here, just let me," I commanded as I pulled him upright into a sitting position again and knelt down in front of him. My fingers worked quickly to undo the buckles that secured the greaves below his knees. Then I swiftly removed his vambraces from his forearms and set them down beside myself on the floor. The whole time he stared at me with an expression of surprise mixed in with his usual smugness. It seemed that my actions had lightened his black mood.
"How did you get to be so good at undoing men's armor? Or do I want to know?" he asked.
I granted him an agitated glance but went about my work. "As a child, I was fascinated by my father's armor. So eventually, he made it my job to help put it on and take it off. You know people always think of my father as this old, fat, white-haired man, but he wasn't. But I guess you know that already don't you?"
"Yes," he answered carefully, perfectly aware of how volatile the subject matter was with me, "he was nothing like that. I remember he had black hair, and he seemed fairly young, only in his thirties if I remember correctly."
I nodded as I got up to sit on the bed beside him. I made a gesture for him to lift his arms out to his sides so I could work on the breastplate. He did as I ordered. "That's right," I mumbled as my fingers unlooped the brass buckles. When I was done, I lifted it off his upper body and staggered under its surprising weight. The thing must have weighed thirty-five pounds at least.
"Now go put it on the stand over there in the corner," he pointed to where a stuffed mannequin stood on a chest. I hefted it in one hand and lumbered over to the stand. I grunted as I finally managed to set it properly on the model and let out a sigh of relief.
Ganondorf was laughing the whole time of course. It seemed that with the additional wine, he'd become more jovial. "Do you have any idea how many knights and lords wish they were in my position right now? I have the Princess of Hyrule removing my armor for me and setting it away."
"Don't get too cocky. You can take care of your boots yourself. No telling what your feet smell like."
With my work done, I headed for the door. As I passed by his bed, I felt large fingers wrap around my wrist and halt my progression. I turned around.
"Stay with me, Zelda," he whispered. His lids were heavy over his eyes, and I could smell the wine coming off of his breath.
"Now just because I did something nice for you, don't you dare think I'll-"
His eyelids lifted at my response as he seemed to process what his request must have sounded like. "I didn't mean it that way, though I wouldn't object to it. I simply meant sleep here tonight, nothing intimate. Just resting."
I looked at him for a moment, my thoughts warring with each other. Part of me wanted to agree to his request. The other part was appalled that I would even consider it.
"We have much to think about," I said gently as I started to pry his fingers off of my wrist. "I think it would only tangle things more if we did as you suggest."
"I think it would help us. I don't think either one of us wants to be alone tonight, even you. Come, I won't touch if you don't want me to. I swear it upon whatever honor I have left," he pleaded, his voice soft in the darkness that surrounded us. The only light came from a low-burning fireplace. I hadn't noticed until then just how little illumination there was the room.
I bit my lip before nodding. It couldn't do anymore damage than what had already been done. He scooted over to the other side of the bed to make room for me. I laid down on the sheets, my body stiff with tension and anxiety.
"Relax," he sighed in the dark as the last of the light died away.
I let out a deep breath as I curled on my side to face him. I stretched my arm out to get comfortable when I felt my fingers brush the back of his hand. Instinctively, I withdrew my hand, but he caught it in his own before I could pull it all the way back to myself. My breath caught in my throat at the close contact. His hand swallowed mine. The touch of it was rough, calloused, and not entirely unpleasant. After a few moments, I let my fingers uncurl in his grip. His hold slackened until only his fingers laid on top of the back of my hand.
We laid like that for a while, our breathing the only noise in the room. I couldn't see him in the pitch black of the room, but I could sense his presence on the other side of the bed. Suddenly that distance seemed too far. He had been right. I did not want to be alone.
As quietly as possible, I slid across the bed closer to him. I didn't want him to know that I was trying to get nearer to him. My pride was still there, stubborn and unrelenting as always. I stopped when I was no more than half an arm's length away. His breathing was deep and steady, and I was certain he was asleep.
Then an arm came out of nowhere and wrapped itself around my waist. Ganondorf drew me to him until the front half of my body was pressed against his. I gasped at the new turn of events, and I wondered how I could have been stupid enough to believe that he wouldn't notice. He was the King of Thieves, he noticed everything.
He must have felt me tense up because his hold on my waist loosened. "Do you want me to let you go?" he murmured against the top of my head as he tried to lower his mouth down to my ear.
I shook my head and eased my body against his. His arm looped itself tighter against me. I returned the action, though mine had a harder time of reaching all the way around. I heard him chuckle, the deep sound causing vibrations to ring through his chest and against my own. He lowered his head again and pressed his lips to the crown of my skull. The action surprised me a bit. I'd never taken him as the kind of man who bestowed affection like that. I didn't object to it and simply pressed my face against his chest where his heart lay underneath thumping like a great drum.
Something disturbed my sleep in the middle of the night. My ears were suddenly flooded with a loud noise. The breath in my lungs became trapped as I momentarily panicked. I didn't have the slightest clue as to what the noise might be. Then slowly as my mind started to clear, I realized that the sound was coming from above me. I groaned as I realized that Ganondorf's snoring had interrupted my dreams. Sweet Din, he was loud. I guessed it was to be expected with someone of his size, and with a nose that big. I untangled myself from his arms and shoved a pillow over his face. The snoring abruptly stopped as he realized he couldn't breathe. His arms flailed for a moment before his hands gripped the pillow and tossed it off.
"Dammit, what was that for?" he cursed.
"You were snoring, and it woke me up. Turn on your back or something," I answered.
He cursed me once more, groaned, and did as I said. The snoring stopped, and I rested my head against his chest, since my pillow had been thrown half way across the room. He didn't object, and we slipped back into the shades of sleep.
Bright firelight pried my tired eyes open at last. Even though there were no windows in the room, my internal clock told me that it was a few hours past dawn. I sat up on one elbow and looked down the bed to see Ganondorf perched at the end. He was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped between his legs. I could tell by the set of his shoulders and the scowl of his profile that he was deep in thought. The second thing I noticed was that his shirt was off. Immediately, my mind jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I checked to make sure my own clothing was still secure. I let out a sigh of relief when I found the silk dress still clasped around my neck, if a bit wrinkled.
He didn't stir at my movements. I took a moment to study him. Ganondorf is not handsome by the traditional Hylian definition of the term. His features are too jagged, too aggressive. His eyes are too sharp and his nose is too long for many women to find him comely. Link's face swam through my mind for a second. The Hero of Time was what many would consider the epitome of the word. He had those fine, chiseled features and luminous blue eyes that seemed to swallow up the world. I was not immune to his charms. I admitted that when I looked him upon my heart quickened just a little.
Even though, Ganondorf's face might not have met the standards of good looking for many, his body was another matter. I shyly took in his shoulders, arms, and back. The firelight illuminated the swell of muscles on his frame. Years of training and fighting had shaped and molded him into something women would like to look upon, something I liked to look upon. My cheeks reddened at the thought, and I all but broke into a fit of laughter at myself. Only weeks ago, I had been spitting venom at him and cursing him at every turn. Now, here I was appreciating his physique. Irony is a funny thing.
I roused myself from daydreaming and sat up fully. Stretching out my hand, my fingers gently touched the bare skin of his shoulder. His head swiveled around at the unexpected contact. He quirked an eyebrow at me in confusion.
"Why is your tunic off?" I asked, keeping my eyes on his face.
A grin twisted his features. "You drooled on it."
"What? I did not. I don't drool."
He bent over and picked up the piece of clothing on the floor. He handed it to me, making sure that I saw the wet spot on the front where my face had been. "Are you so sure?"
"Well, you snore," I replied tartly.
"At least, snoring doesn't ruin your clothing," he teased.
"Oh don't exaggerate, that tunic is not ruined, and besides my drooling didn't wake you up in the middle of the night. You sounded like a pack of stampeding Moblins in heat."
He laughed. His temperament seemed to have improved greatly since the night before. "I've never had anyone else complain of it."
"That's probably because they were too afraid to," I stated.
"And you're not afraid of me?" His voice dropped to lower tone, and he turned on the bed to face me.
"No," I breathed, leaning forward until my face was inches from his to prove my point. My brain was screaming at me to stop this idiocy, but something else held the reins. The blood in my veins was heated with something that I couldn't quite name. It felt like anger, but it wasn't. It gave off the same power and restlessness that rage did but without the need for violence.
His eyes searched my face for a moment as he tried to assess the situation. I'd never voluntarily come this close to him unless it was to try inflict some kind of injury. "Zelda, have you been drinking?" he asked seriously.
"No," I whispered. My lips closed the distance between us. Hot air brushed against my cheek as he exhaled in surprise at my actions. He just sat there for a moment with his arms sitting uselessly at his sides with my lips pressed against his. I thought he was checking to be sure that I wouldn't pull away suddenly. When I didn't, arms wrapped around my waist and crushed me against his chest.
Tongue and lips and teeth clashed together. We fought for control of the situation, our mouths at war with each other. Both of us were at our core stubborn and prideful people. Nothing was ever gentle between us, even last night had held an ounce of aggression. In the end, he won out due to sheer size and strength. Somehow, I ended up on my back. His body hovered over mine, supporting himself on his elbows. Our lips were still locked together as he held himself above me. My heart was pounding inside my chest. My blood was boiling through my veins. My brain was virtually nonexistent in this whole thing. It had gotten lost somewhere along the way.
His lips strayed from my lips to my cheek and slowly down my neck. I exhaled a long sigh. He planted a kiss along my collarbone as one hand drifted to my thigh. My fingers went to the clasp around my neck when suddenly my brain kicked in again. What in the hell am I doing? I screamed internally. My hands dropped away from my neck to his fingers wrapped around the upper part of my leg. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it away. The action stopped him cold. He lifted his mouth from my shoulder and gave me a questioning glance. I could tell that he was a bit disappointed by the turn of events, and even, I had to admit that I was a bit frustrated by my own choice.
"Get off," I ordered.
He rolled away and to the edge of the bed, his eyes skeptical as I sat up and smoothed my wrinkled dress. "I'm sorry," I said hoarsely, my own words stunning me.
"For what?" he asked, his voice thick with things that I dared not name.
"F-f-for this. This is mad. I had no idea I would do that." I let out a sharp breath through my clenched teeth and ran my hands through my tangled hair at my own confusion. What was going on with me? Why did I do that? Was I stupid? I wanted him, but I didn't want to want him.
He gave me a knowing smile. "I knew you'd do this."
"Then why didn't you stop me?" I asked, my voice growing louder.
"Because you are an adult, and you should learn to act like one," he scolded.
"I am acting like one, that's why I stopped this whole thing. I just-I just can't feel like this." My hands fisted in my hair as I fought the urge to lash out at something.
"And why not? What's wrong with it? Where does it state that we cannot feel these things for each other?"
I let out an anguished sigh. "I'm the Princess of Hyrule, you're the King of Thieves. We are enemies, the greatest there could ever be. I should hate. I did hate you."
"There is nothing wrong with being human, Zelda," he whispered as he drew closer to me. "There is nothing wrong with being vulnerable and flawed. You can feel how you want."
His hands gripped my wrists and pulled them down from my hair. I struggled for a moment as I tried to tear myself from his grasp.
"Look at me, you idiot," he hissed.
I reluctantly turned my face to his.
"You are so violent, always so violent. You don't have to be. There are other ways to get what you want. Why are you this way?"
I gulped as I struggled to keep myself under control. "It's all I was taught," I murmured. "Those seven years while I lived in exile, I did not learn etiquette or courtly manners. Impa taught me that if you detect a threat attack it before it has the opportunity to attack you. I was the most wanted person in Hyrule, as you well know." I shot him a withering glance.
His grip on my wrists tightened momentarily.
"We couldn't afford to run the risk of me being captured. No one had anyone idea that the Hero of Time was sleeping in the Temple of Time. So for seven years, I lived as a little savage. I roamed the country disguised as a young boy, allowed to act as I pleased as long as I didn't draw too much attention to us. My senses were constantly searching for some kind of danger. I learned that it was better to live as a violent barbarian than die as a refined lady. All the manners in the world do you no good if you're rotting in the ground," I finished.
"You know if you ever become queen, you will not be able to act like you do now. That will have to change," he said.
I nodded. "I know that. It is just hard for me to break old habits. It's hard to express myself when I'm angry without . . ." my voice trailed off as I looked for the right words.
"There are other ways to be intimidating without resorting to physical force. Sometimes simply expressions or tones of voice can have the desired effect," he suggested.
"I suppose you've had plenty of practice," I snapped. Like I said, old habits were hard for me to break.
He ignored the insult. "I've noticed that sometimes when you look at me you get this light in your eyes that almost freezes the marrow in my bones. You don't even realize you're doing it, but if you could just learn to control it, that would be a useful skill."
"So I scare you?" I joked, trying to lighten the situation. Things had gotten far too dark for my liking.
He shook his head. "It isn't really frightening just shocking. I don't think you realize how much untapped potential there is in you."
I blushed at his words. Things just kept getting stranger and stranger. I shrugged my shoulders to ease some of the tension, "If you say so."
"Do you ever make use of the Triforce of Wisdom?" he asked.
My eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Not really, why do you ask?"
"You might want to. I think it could be useful in helping you learn to control some of that anger of yours," he recommended.
I nodded, not entirely convinced of his motive. I could spend years with him in the castle, but a part of me would always harbor a suspicion towards him. "It just never seemed to be that essential in my day-to-day life."
"You don't even really know how to use it do you?" he probed.
The accuracy of his statement shocked me. I had come in contact with the power a few times in my life, but it had only been at random moments. Impa had known little of the Triforce, though she later proved to be a sage. In fact, she had sealed it off for most of my teenage years, fearing that Ganondorf might somehow be able to track me through it. Those times when it had broken through the magical barrier of my mind had been when I was in extreme distress and had no way to take action. As I grew older, instead of bottling the rage up until the Triforce exploded within me, I learned channel it through fighting. It wasn't really the smarter choice, just the more convenient. I would often feel sick afterwards, my head throbbing and my stomach heaving up its contents.
"I don't have much experience with it," I replied vaguely.
"I could . . . teach you," he held out his left hand to me.
I eyed it for a moment. Then I set my left hand in his. The Triforce symbol on the back of my hand flared to life at the contact. His did the same; our pieces glowed in resonance with each other. I lifted my eyes to his gaze. The effect was immediate. Something inside of me opened up. I could feel a silent wind rushing through me, setting every fiber of my body on fire. My knuckles turned white as my fingers wound around his hand. The world around me washed away only to be replaced with a blinding white. Blood roared in my ears as my brain struggled to process everything that was happening. I think a scream escaped my lips as I tried to ride the wave of energy, tried to bring it under my control.
Through the howling of the power in my ears, I could hear a small pulsing. Slowly, the rhythm overwhelmed the roaring of my blood. Something was whispering to me. I couldn't quite make out the words, but as I concentrated they became more distinct. It sounded like my mother's voice when she used to bid me goodnight before blowing out the last candle in my room. It was soft, and loving.
There is nothing to fear, it sighed. I am here. I have always been here. You can surrender now. There is no more fighting or fleeing. There is simply the tide of fate that we are all apart of. The resistance in my heart uncoiled itself, and the power flooded into the newly open space. It settled over my spirit, like a cooling salve over a burn. My shoulders relaxed and my hand unclenched. It was over. I had opened myself up to the Triforce of Wisdom.
I opened my eyes and saw Ganondorf staring at me with something close to lust but not quite. It was longing but not for the touch of a human body. It was the craving of power. I could see it slithering in the depths of his copper eyes. He wanted so badly to take it from me. The Gerudo had been so close to it that his own power had brushed by it. The Triforce of Wisdom had beckoned to him like any lover. His brows furrowed as he fought to overcome his own innate greed for control. At last, he swallowed and removed his hand from mine.
I was a bit surprised at his reaction. I had not been expecting to confront his hunger for the Triforce head on. I should have seen it coming. He was what he was.
I wasn't angry at him though. It was in his nature. I could understand what it was like to have to fight with yourself. I hadn't wanted to have the emotions that I had for him, but they were still there.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"You're welcome," he answered hoarsely. He got off the bed then and pulled on another tunic that was laying carelessly on the back of a chair. "It's been some day, hasn't it?" he chuckled, the strain evident in his voice.
I grunted in agreement. "How long do we have?" I finally asked.
His shoulders stiffened at the question. "I'm not sure. Perhaps two or three more days if luck is with us," he said.
Those days passed too quickly for me. I will not speak of what happened between us then, for they are dear and sacred memories. Suffice it to say that we bonded and learned many things from each other on many levels. The Goddesses were kind and granted us three days.
On the third morning, I woke up to find myself alone in the bed. A breakfast platter was set beside me. It consisted of nothing more than a wedge of cheese, a hunk of bread, and a withered apple. I wrinkled my nose at the meal. Ganondorf was standing in front the fire clasping the red cape that he so loved to the shoulder plates of his armor. I hadn't seen him wear it in a while. My heart stopped suddenly.
"The cook couldn't find anything better?" I hazarded, afraid of the answer.
"The cook is gone. That's all I could find in the kitchens. Eat up, you'll need the strength," he ordered as he checked the buckles on his vambraces.
"Why? What's going on?" I asked, panic rising in my voice.
"Every human is gone. They've all evacuated. Only the monsters are left. They've been trickling out slowly for days. Now there isn't anyone left but us," his voice was detached as he spoke.
"He's here, isn't he? He's finally arrived." My heart was hammering in my chest.
"Yes, he is. I'm fairly sure he is ascending the stairs as we speak. Do me a favor and wear that today," he pointed to a dress laid out on a chest to my left.
It resembled the one I'd worn often as a child. The stiff linen skirt was bleached to an immaculate white. The tunic was dyed a soft rose pink. Down the front of the skirt trailed a banner with the emblem of Hyrule on it attached by a chain belt that hung around the waist. Heavy, golden shoulder pads adorned the top of the blouse and a pair of white gloves finished off the ensemble. I was offended by it at first. It was far too feminine for my taste, too much pink, and too many cumbersome accessories. As I continued to stare it, I found that I rather liked it, despite its drawbacks.
"Alright," I murmured as I rolled out of bed. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to put it on, but I managed in the end. I shifted the heavy, golden shoulder pads until they sat perfectly, and smoothed out the banner along the front. A finger tapped me on the shoulder. Ganondorf stood and offered up a pair of Triforce shaped earrings in one hand and a tiara in the other. I gave a disgusted sigh but put on the jewelry as he requested.
I pulled the gloves up to my elbows and took up a silver brush to get out the rest of the snags in my hair. I cursed and groaned as I always did until my hair flowed smoothly down my back.
"You look wonderful," he murmured as he took in my appearance. He turned away and started to walk out of the room.
"Wait," I called out desperately. "We don't have to do this. You don't have to fight him."
His expression fell for a moment before he plastered the calm mask back on.
"I could tell him that you've changed. Just step down, and it will end. Surrender, and we won't have to go through this," I pleaded as I took a step towards him.
"You know it cannot be that way. I cannot just step down, and everything will be fine. He won't accept that. He'll think I've warped your mind," he said.
"I'll convince him. Link trusts me. He will believe me if you'll just give me the chance to stop this. . ."
He shook his head sadly at my ideas. "This is the way things are. This is the way it was all meant to play out from the very beginning. From the moment that we all took our first breaths we were destined for this."
"Don't be an idiot," I said. "We can stop this if you'll just help me. I can stop this. Destiny doesn't control everything." Even as I said the words, a whisper rose in the back of my mind. Intuition was telling me that what he said was the truth, but he honestly couldn't expect me to do nothing, could he?
He turned away from me making his way towards his room again.
"Ugh," I growled. My hands curled into fists at my side, and I stamped one heeled foot. "Well, if you won't try to avert this disaster, then I'll do it myself." I let out a huff and started to march forward past him. I slammed straight into a wall of pink crystal. I turned on my heel to head the other way. It was blocked too. All of the exits were blocked with the horrible material.
He came around in front of me, his fists on his hips and a sad expression on his face. "Don't do this, you fool!" I yelled through the rigid barrier as my fists pounded against it. "You moron! You'll ruin everything, everything! How could you?" Tears were starting to stream down my face as I battered my knuckles against my unforgiving cage.
"I'll get out of here!" I screamed.
He shook his head. "No, you won't," he said quietly.
I opened my mouth to yell something else and raised my fists, but suddenly found myself stuck in the position. No sound came from my throat and my arm wouldn't budge an inch no matter how much I willed it to. I tried to draw on the Triforce of Wisdom, but it only pulsed in response for a moment before going silent. It seemed Destiny had finally shown her ugly face. I really hated that bitch.
This is probably the longest chapter for this story so far. I know everyone thought that Link would be showing up this chapter, but I decided to delay it to allow more time for Zelda and Ganondorf's relationship to develop. A lot of stuff happened in this chapter, most of it I felt was necessary. I wanted to give some background information on why I chose to make her as aggressive as I did. I always figured she had a pretty rough life living in exile and disguising herself as Sheik. I also imagined that Impa probably would teach her to defend herself at all costs and not hold back. So that's how the idea for Zelda's personality came about. I realize that she is rather unorthodox compared to the game version, but the great thing about characterization and the LoZ games is that they don't give you much to build on. You probably only encounter her three or four times as Princess Zelda in the game. Anyways, that was my reasoning for it if any of you were curious. Sorry if there are any mistakes, I wanted to get this posted as quickly as possible. Also, forgive me for the quality of this chapter. I rewrote this sucker about three times before I figured that it wouldn't get much better than this and gave up. Don't worry, Link will make his appearance next chapter, and I'll be sure to give him his due.
P.S.-Sorry for the incredibly long author's note.