"Damn it!" Ganon roared. In one swift movement he levitated everything in the room around him, desks, chairs, candles, glass, luxurious food...and in another he slammed it all to the ground. It wasn't enough. He crunched his massive boot upon some broken glass, grinding it down to dust into the deep blue carpeting. Beautiful, sensual dark wood covered the walls and ceiling. A crystal chandelier swayed gently, unperturbed by the violent rage that simmered underneath it.

"How do you know?" he demanded. The taciturn Twili remained silent for a second too long, and he added, "Maintain silence at your peril."

Zant let out a soft noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh. "I saw it. And it is written."

"It's written that the boy refuses to die?" Ganon's face contorted into a scowl. He paced the length of his destroyed study, fury in his bones.

"That he is stronger than a mere mortal. Chosen by the Goddesses."

Ganondorf stopped and whirled around with surprising speed to stare at Zant. "Is it in your nature to be cryptic, or are you purposefully trying my very limited amount of patience?"

"The Princess, too, is, as are you. You know this. You have not been haunted by your power. Instead, it guides you to glory. You have read the legends. It is a mystery to the other two. Exploit it."

"What is it that you think I've been doing, you fool? If this—this thing has been resurrecting that boy and tipping off the woman, what do you expect me to do further? I cannot destroy her, not with that so-called Advisor wreaking havoc in her Goddess-damned kingdom!"

"I cannot advise you, my King," Zant replied.

"Then who-" Ganon began to erupt in anger again, but felt another unfortunately familiar presence appear in the shadows behind the thick velvet curtains that guarded the room from prying eyes. "Nevermind. Get out, you useless twit."

As soon as Zant disappeared from the room, Ghirahim stepped out of the shadows. "He is useless, Ghirahim, but you are beyond that. You cost me something very valuable."

"What would that be?" Ghirahim asked, stepping lightly along the fringe of the room. His cloak remained drawn up over his head, casting his face in the darkness that seemed to emanate from the huge man in the black and red armor.

"Victory. Now, if someone had cost you that, what would you do to them?"

Ghirahim, unfazed, sighed. "It would depend on their usefulness to me."

"Your impudence is not appreciated. As you know, your usefulness is dependent on your obedience. It would be a shame, to waste all that power...but if you continue to interfere with me, that's what will happen. And without you and your power, what will save your dearest Twilight Princess?" Ganon's voice turned to a low snarl as he finished his threats.

"She would have died had I not-"

"Now, now, Ghirahim," Ganon interrupted. "I would be doing you a great favor to kill her myself."

"That wasn't our deal," Ghirahim snapped. His voice turned deep, threatening.

"Then perhaps it is time you stay out of my way and follow my orders," Ganon snapped back. "If it were not for you I would have killed her the second you stupidly brought her here. Do not make me choose."

Ghirahim clenched his jaw and murmured, "Yes."

/\\\

"What-" Zelda gasped, stretching her hand out in front of her, other arm shielding her eyes from the incredible light that poured from it. Her entire body seemed to vibrate from the sheer force of it.

"It's true," Vaati murmured, gazing in awe at the Princess. He started to stand, staring in amazement between his healed body and Zelda's glowing hand.

In one quick movement, Zelda lunged for him and toppled him back onto the floor. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what this—this—this thing is!" Her eyes, right above his, were wild, face solemnly panicked. She sat back and clenched her hands into fists, feeling the bones and muscles cooperate. The light remained, to her dismay.

"The Goddesses' Given Power...the Triforce," he said, propping himself back up on his elbows. "Probably why you can't sleep at night."

"You're not helping!" she cried, taking another look at the radiant gold that was starting to fade into three dim triangles, one still brighter than the rest. "I can...heal?"

"Supposedly you can do a bunch of other stuff too, but I don't think I really need to stick around-"

"Yes, you do," she snapped. "Why did you come here? How did you know? How did I not?"

Vaati sighed. "This is going to be a long conversation."

"Then talk quickly," the Princess ordered. Cautiously, she stood, keeping her body facing Vaati, who was beginning to stand again as well. She worried he would try to run—the balcony doors beckoned, wide open. If he disappeared into the winds again, she could do nothing.

As though he could read her mind, he took off for the balcony. Before she could register what to do, a huge, echoing boom rocked through her chamber. She realized she had outstretched her hand towards his sprinting figure. Vaati lay sprawled out on the floor.

"Are you okay?" she called, panicked again, concerned that she didn't seem to have control over this newfound ability. He moaned a curse and she stared yet again at the mysterious power on her hand.

Reluctantly, she extended her non-glowing hand, helping him to his feet. "It's okay," he said, "I'm fine, really. No worries about blasting me with some damn mysterious light power, probably toxic..."

"I didn't do it on purpose," Zelda admitted. She wondered why it mattered. "Why did you betray us? Shattered the mirror? Killed a Sage? Where is Ghirahim?"

"I didn't betray anyone—didn't shatter the mirror or kill a damn Sage. Ghirahim set me up. He must have figured it was only a matter of time before everyone started looking at him, so he vanished."

"I don't think I believe you, but let's move on. Who injured you? What happened?"

"Ghirahim. Because I saved Link."

"What?" Zelda gasped. "What happened to Link?"

"They got ambushed by a Rosulyla mage at the mines. I wasn't there for the whole thing—the mage was using Midna's magic against both of them and she dropped. Ghirahim came out of nowhere when that happened. Killed the mage and tried to wake Midna up. When he saw Link was alive, he was furious and tried to kill him. I showed up, blocked the blow, got impaled. Midna decided to come through after all, so Ghirahim went and healed her and then disappeared. I came here."

Zelda inhaled deeply, leaning against the frame of her bed. The crimson eyed man stared back at her with an expression that looked like trust. "Why did you save him?"

"I'm not a traitor."

"I suppose I can see that," Zelda murmured. "Are they okay?"

"Midna should be fine. Back from the dead and such with a healthy dose of Ghirahim's weird healing magic. Link shouldn't have lasted half as long as he did, but when I got there his hand was glowing like yours. That's what made me think of coming here, actually."

"He's...Chosen? Like me?"

"For someone who does so much research on the topic, you seem to be horribly out of the loop," Vaati joked, smirking. The Princess, unguarded, even cracked a smile.

"How long did you know? About the Triforce?"

"To be honest, I thought it was all crap until I saw Mr. Short Stuff glowing. Zant had been obsessing about it, blackmailed me into explaining all the lore I knew...I just figured a long shot was better than nothing."

The Princess didn't say anything for a moment. She rubbed her face with her hands and ran her fingers through her hair, eyes shut. When she opened them again, she said, "It's important."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Ganon has the other piece. He's the other Chosen One. Dark One...oh, shit, I should have known this years ago!"

Vaati raised his eyebrows. "Did you just curse?"

"Is that really relevant right now?" Zelda replied, shooting him a scathing look. "I don't understand. How does this connect to anything? Why? None of this has seemed like anything more than...well, anything more than what I had already known. This was a supposed to be a fight for my throne, my power. Not for some legendary blessing..."

Vaati sighed. "I don't know much more than you do. Besides the fact that Zant isn't crazy. I just needed to see if it was true-"

"Isn't?" Zelda questioned, brows falling critically. "Zant is dead."

"Is he?" Vaati replied impishly, cracking a fanged smile.

"That isn't funny," Zelda gasped, outrage seeping into her voice. "If he knew—and he disappeared...with the Rosulyla...where is he?"

Vaati shrugged. "Damned if I know. I just know a few of his things disappeared from his quarters after his death. Not very smooth, if you ask me..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was trying to figure out what he was up to. Then I got distracted when I had to run from everyone."

Zelda took another deep breath. "Are you going to run now?"

Vaati cocked his head and grinned. "Do you believe me?"

The Princess grimaced. "I suppose I do."

"In that case, what do you have to drink around here?"

/\\\

"Fuck," Link groaned, drawing his clenched hands against his chest tightly. Midna, for once, looked concerned. She hovered above him silently.

The Goron healer had come and gone. Treating Hylians alone was challenging enough, he had said, but magic was far beyond his capabilities. Midna, as gently as she could, had warped herself and the Advisor back to the inn. He lay in bed, writhing.

Quietly, she joked, "I know this isn't much comfort right now, but you should be dead."

Link tried a pained smile. "Not bad, huh?"

Midna nodded, biting her lip. She had no idea how to heal. Ghirahim had called it his little secret, ever so long ago.

Ghirahim. The name made her blood boil. She could only assume that he had been watching—maybe to help the Rosulyla, maybe to manipulate her into joining his scheme. Regardless, she had heard what little Link could say about what happened and she knew he wouldn't be back. She had completely lost control over her group. Vaati...she didn't know what to think about him. Link insisted that he had saved him, but he had disappeared. There was no way he could survive getting impaled on one of Ghirahim's blades. She wondered where he had gone to die. Her scars pulsated with each beat of her heart, too fast.

"Relax," Link rasped. "I'll be okay."

"I'm not worried about you, Short Stuff," Midna lied. "Just confused as hell on what's going on."

"Me, too," he said. "Wonder if I'll get any of those cool scars." He coughed, then looked up at Midna expectantly. She cracked a small smile.

"Nah," Midna dismissed. "Fire can't do that."

"Too bad," he yawned. "I'm tired. That doesn't mean I'm going to die, right?"

"No, it means you got kicked around pretty bad today. Get some rest. I'll be here," Midna said, the last part falling out of her normal casual tone. Link nodded and shut his eyes.

/\\\

He remembered her neck in his hands-frail, sweet, innocent flesh bending and bruising with the force of his grip. Her eyes rolled back into her head, lips parted, gasping for air she could not find. Defeat had been written all over her beautiful face. It was in the way she struggled, feebly, the way she clawed at his hands with useless resistance. All it would have taken was a twist—and yet, he had hesitated, enjoying the moment too much, wasting his chance at victory. The boy's sword wasn't strong enough to pierce his armor, but the blow was just strong enough to loosen his grip, and suddenly the Princess was gone.

There would be no sweeter feeling than to have killed her and the boy that night. Knowing all he knew now, it would have been the end of this petty war. Divinity was far superior to politics. He had always known he was destined for more, but never that he was Chosen. Now, knowing, he sought the full power of the Goddesses, where all in Hyrule and beyond would bow to him, serve him on bended knee. All of those who rose against him would fall, pathetic, futile. The very Goddesses themselves could not rise against him, he who would possess the power of the Three.

He almost wished he could keep them alive, the Princess and the boy, just to show them his Kingdom, his rule. Oh, but there would be one who could stay.

The Twilight Princess, eyes like fire, would remain. And not for Ghirahim—his offering of peace sat bitterly with Ganon, ripe with naivety and childish hope. No, she would remain to see the destruction of Light and Twilight, her people and the ones she loved. She would be powerless to stop any of it, and that is what made Ganon gleeful.

All would fall beneath him, and his victory would be delicious.