A/N: So I've been in a little bit of a slump lately, and haven't been able to update much of anything more than a sentence or two at a time. :( When that happens, I usually fall back on Identities, as it's the only thing I can reliably just write stuff for without having to think anything. Know what that's like?
Anyway, this is a special treat! Another edition of Ganondorf's Diary, picking up just after chapter "The Big Day", which is currently chapter 30 (but may not stay that number), and carrying through to the END OF THE STORY. No, I didn't write his deathbed, I just like the last paragraph in the diary and I think that serves as a nice bookend to the series.
There's also new characters introduced here! If you've read anything else I've written for the Zelda fandom, and this story so far, you may have noticed that out of all the Zelda characters I've included in Identities, I seemed to have left out my most favorite one. Well, not anymore!
Entries in italics are comments added by Link.
Dragmire Era Year 20, June 6th
Zelda has informed me of a critical matter which threatens Hyrule's security- there is currently a lack of authority in the nation of Lorule. Lorule has never been on my radar as far as concerns go; after all, ever since their ancestors squandered and destroyed their own Triforce, the nation has been in ruin. However, recently the Lorulian king has allowed his advisors to dabble in black magic, and the kingdom is currently teeming with dark energy. There have been casualties- when the king's son tried to stop them, he was infected with some strange illness alongside his wife. Zelda was barely able to rescue their infant daughter (her cousin, incidentally), before she too succumbed.
I feel it would be in the best interests of both Hyrule and Lorule for me to go depose this king and his advisors. Zelda is going to keep the child as her own here in Hyrule, as that would be for the best. There is really nothing for the girl in her homeland. I know of a lord in Lorule that is good and trustworthy; if I succeed, I will install him as their new king.
Link is not pleased with my plan. She wants me here with my infant son, my newly married daughter and fishy son-in-law, and my precious light sensitive angel and her clingy 'not boyfriend' bodyguard. I don't really wish to leave either, because I could potentially be gone for six months to a year. Link can't help but remind me that I would miss the formative period of the only son I'll ever have. However, I fear that if I don't do this, I'll miss much more than his childhood in the long run. I must put an end to this now.
Dragmire Era Year 20, July 10th
Lorule is the type of kingdom Hyrule could have been, had evil gotten the upper hand. The territory is overrun with heinous creatures, flora is deteriorating, and it is almost as if the Twilight has covered it. Even stranger is that I feel a pull at the Triforce of Power, as if something is calling to me. This should not be. The Lorulian Triforce has long disappeared; Zelda's adoptee Hilda is the only known living descendant of the bearers and she is safely in Hyrule. I must continue to investigate this phenomenon.
I have made contact with Lord Osfala, and we have begun strategizing the best way to depose the Lorulian king. Osfala was grateful when I told him Zelda had rescued Hilda, and agreed that she should stay in Hyrule. He is a level headed man, and should serve the people of Lorule well.
Dragmire Era Year 21, January 19th
Our efforts have been slow to start, but I believe we are getting somewhere. I have identified the source of the king's demented advisors' magic, and am slowly wearing it down. Osfala has magical skill which I am grateful for, but the lack of physical might means I am leading the offensive charges.
Even worse, is that the pull on my Triforce piece continues to call to me. It has grown in intensity, yet I have been unable to find any evidence of the Lorulian Triforce. Courage in this world died out around the same time as the holy relic, and the only Power I can feel here is not of the Goddesses.
I only hope nothing is wrong at home.
Dragmire Era Year 21, March 9th
We have succeeded in removing the king. The people have taken the action well, and there was little backlash. Osfala will act as a regent for the time being, until the people are no longer sour over the idea of having a king. I feel it will not take them long to accept him, once they see that he is different than the corrupt louse we deposed.
However, the resonating of my Triforce has not ceased. I am now convinced that it has nothing to do with Lorule proper, and instead stems from Hyrule. I am leaving on the month long return journey as soon as Osfala is comfortable taking over; I can't spare any more time as I have been here for eight months. I pray Link is not in trouble, for that is the only thing I can think of that would cause my piece to resonate like this. Last time it did, was when Zelda and I stood over her broken body...
Dragmire Era Year 21, April 14th, before dawn
I knew something was wrong the second I arrived in Hyrule. The Triforce was throbbing in my hand, so Kona and I rushed back to the castle ahead of the soldiers' convoy.
Strangely, when we reached town, Kona noticed banners all over the place decorated in a celebratory fashion. I didn't see any signs of distress, and the night guardsmen only bowed to us and bid us to return to the castle as quickly as possible. When I entered I noticed the presence of Zelda and Midna's auras right away, while Link's felt faint. I didn't waste any more time running to the bedroom. I owe several girls apologies for plowing them over along the way, my own daughter Fi included. Why she was awake at two in the morning and without Ghirahim, I would discover later was because she cared about her mother's well being and got up to check on her. How grown-up of my baby...
Link was in bed as I expected, but with the room already partially lit, she looked as though she had been through a great illness. I collapsed at the side of the bed and felt her pulse, at least she still had a strong lifeline flowing through her system. Her hair was sweat soaked, her eyes were heavy, and she was much paler than normal...
At this point my concern got the best of me, and I reluctantly shook her awake. I just had to see those cerulean eyes again to know she was okay. She slowly came around, but once she saw it was me, she smiled and worked her hand out of the blanket to lace with mine.
She chided me for being late, but knew I would come as quickly as I could. When I said I didn't understand, she gave me one of her pouts and poked my nose. I repeated my lack of understanding and asked what happened to her, and whether she caught an illness while I was away. She chuckled, calling it a 'temporary affliction' that had recently come to pass, and that she loved me but it was all my fault.
Link then sat up and forced herself out of bed, shoving me aside when I urged her to stop. She looked so weak, and the gown she was wearing was soaked with sweat and what appeared to be dried blood. The bed even appeared to have blood splattered all over the sheets, sending me into a fit. Link headed into Agahnim's attached room, terrifying me for a second that he too was injured, when I heard crying. Not the kind of crying I should be hearing coming from a two year old, but a mewling wail. When she emerged with a shrill lump of blankets in her hand and I noticed her distended abdomen, my confusion escalated. Then she said something that floored me.
"This is your daughter, Tetra Marin."
It took me a little bit to come back to my senses after that. Link explained that she and Zelda had tried calling to me over the bond of the Triforce, ever since Link discovered the pregnancy a month after I left for Lorule. That was the strange pull I kept feeling, but the magic in Lorule interfered. Link was terrified because of her age once again, and because each of the previous children had at least seven years between them. This was only two, and she was still taking care of Agahnim so her energies were worn thin. Midna once again served as a wet nurse, as she was still breastfeeding her one year old daughter Veran.
Speaking of the Twili Queen, I hadn't spent five minutes getting to know my day old daughter, before I was suddenly assaulted by said fiery matriarch. She burst into the room and smacked me several times, called me names no respectable lady should know, and informed me that if I don't start taking a contraceptive tonic, she will personally sterilize me. Thankfully Aveil arrived and escorted her out, sparing my reproductive system.
After seeing Link and the child to bed, and thoroughly apologizing to Fi, I retreated to my office to process everything. Link said that she chose Tetra for symbolic reasons (fourth child and all), but she'll really be called Marin. The name is appropriate, as it is an old Gerudo name with historical significance. It is believed that the fairy who lived in the dried up Gerudo Spring once held this name, so I am honored Link chose it for our daughter. She has Link's skin tone, soft orange hair, and the pale amber eyes that signal a shift to Gerudo gold as she ages. With her pointy elven ears and her mother's baby face, she's going to be adorable. It's a wonder how I created such amazing girls. It's like Link said, they're a gift from the Goddesses, just like Agahnim.
Dragmire Era Year 24, December 8th, 7pm
Marin is such an adorable little girl. When Link took her outside to play in the snow, she rolled around and made little 'snow bunnies' and 'snow kitties' for everyone to play with. Agahnim made a snowman, and the three together made a small igloo that the kids were able to crawl inside of. I don't think Link suspected that their snow house had a little magical assistance keeping it from collapsing.
Dragmire Era Year 25, June 7th, evening
Poor Agahnim fell off the courtyard wall today, injuring his arm while trying to retrieve a kite. Funny, the injury almost mirrors one I had when I was his age. The boy is worried that he does not take after me. I assured him that he will grow to resemble me in time.
Meanwhile little Marin is the exact replica of Link, were she to be born a Gerudo. She runs around the greenery barefoot, talks to the stable cats, plays with the goats... And those are just her behaviors. She's got her mother's looks even more than Agahnim, and I can tell she'll look just like her when she grows up. Kira has assisted her mother with caring for the tot, visiting as often as is practical. All the better, I prefer having my children nearby. Ralis doesn't need to monopolize my first born.
Dragmire Era Year 27, February 15th
I AM GOING TO KILL RALIS
no you are not. kira is 25, i was younger than that when you knocked me up, remember?
Dragmire Era Year 27, September 27th, 11pm
Link and I are now grandparents. I can't say I'm pleased, though Link is ecstatic. Kira gave birth this morning to a little girl (zoraling?) named Laruto. We weren't exactly sure how this was going to turn out. Fi and Nana had some theories, which differed from the Zora doctor's theories. My baby girl turned out to be correct. Kira gave birth to a live child, not an egg. What the blasted hell was that fish doctor thinking, anyway!?
Laruto looks like a Zora. Strange, because as far as I know, women hold the ova and the man only fertilizes it. She has blue skin, a big fin coming out of her head, and small fins on her arms and ears. What's funny though is that she has Link's blonde hair, and ten wiggly toes. That freaked the color right off the Zora doctor's face. Heh heh.
Dragmire Era Year 31, May 11th, afternoon
Marin is going to be adored, I can see it. She has a talent for singing and musical instruments, and I don't know how, but she's developed the ability to communicate with animals. I remember how she used to talk to the cats and such as a small child, but it seems there was more to it than playing pretend. It's almost as if she was a Kokiri or part fairy. I think Link mentioned her mother Kirala was descended from the Kokiri, but this is a little stronger... Maybe my baby is just talented.
Dragmire Era Year 33, March 7th, 5pm
Agahnim has finally made a friend on his own, and coincidentally it is Zelda's charge, Hilda. The two are getting along quite well, dare I say it too well. She would be a good match, so I will not complain... too much.
(Note to self: investigate efficacy of contraceptive tonic on Zora males)
Dragmire Era Year 38, April 10th, noon
I haven't had time for this journal for several reasons. First, in year 36 I nearly had a heart attack when Kira informed me that not only was she pregnant AGAIN, (KILL RALIS) but that she was pregnant with TRIPLETS. (KILL RALIS) Mikau was enough of a handful, that little bokoblin, but triplets? Triplets that completely and utterly take after their mama and great aunt Kona? To top it off, she had to go and name them Farore, Nayru, and Din. And they barely resemble their father, only having arm and shin fins. These girls are Gerudo nightmares waiting to happen. And now they're two years old.
What made me pick the journal back up again, though, is an occasion of note. After twenty two years together, my baby Fi and her guardian Ghirahim are being officially bonded in the Twili partnership ceremony. Why now? Fi is expecting a child. Through some Twili mysticism they already know it will be a boy, and have picked out the name Yuga.
Fi told me they only plan to have one or at the most two children, as they have enjoyed the time they've had together and don't need a large family to validate that. I tend to believe that this pregnancy was accidental, but of course I'll never suggest that. I may have joked to Ghirahim when he was younger that if he ever impregnated Fi, I would rip his spine out, but he had to know I was teasing. I trusted the boy with my daughter's life, that was one of the highest compliments I could give. Besides, I've long considered him a son, even without this Twili marriage ceremony. Quite frankly they needn't proceed with it, but if he will one day take Midna's place as ruler with Fi as his Queen, then whatever they need to do.
Dragmire Era Year 39, February 16th, after midnight
Agahnim's twentieth birthday celebration was held tonight, and we combined it into a debut party for Fi and Ghirahim's son Yuga. Their Twili magic was right, it's a boy and he looks just like me! Well, me and his father, and perhaps Midna. We'll have to wait until he grows to be sure, but I'm holding out hope. Agahnim hit his growth spurt and looks like a golden toned copy of me, so there's still hope that Fi's boy will take after his grampa. (Especially since Kira's boy won't. I can't see any Gerudo or Ordonian in that child. The triplets must have gotten it all.)
Agahnim asked me what I thought about his plan to ask Hilda to marry him. Augh. I told him she was perfect but to please wait a little bit. I'm getting exhausted as far as grandchildren go, even though Link is acting like a child in a pet store. She loves Laruto, she loves the triplets, she loves Yuga, she even loves that little brat Mikau! Why can't his father teach him some discipline? Kira has her hands full with the triplets, and Laruto helps her, so that leaves Ralis to man up and control the little eel! Maybe I'll take him for a few days. I love him, but he's too energetic for his own good. He needs a hobby.
The other event of the night nearly gave me a coronary. Marin, usually shy at these types of events, came down to see Yuga. I don't know where she got it, but she wore an exact copy of her mother's Festival of Spirit dress from the day I brought back Midna. She looked stunning, but that wasn't the problem. It didn't attract a lot of attention, but it got eyes from one group of boys in particular.
I didn't realize that Marin had never met Zelda's son Vaati before tonight. I saw him and Vio muttering in the corner when she came in, and Vaati watched her hold the baby for a little while before moving to greet the triplets and Laruto. My attention was stolen at by The Munchkin at this point, but after I answered his questions ("Ganpa, what's a scabbard for?", "Ganpa, why do you like pigs so much?", "Ganpa, why do you wear PJs all the time?" They are NOT pajamas!) I noticed that the two had moved to the balcony for discussion.
Vaati chatting up my daughter is one thing, but Vaati dating my daughter is a totally different matter! My precious baby is too young and too innocent for his sort of behavior! There are babies popping up left and right around here, and Agahnim's talking about marrying and possibly adding more! NO!
oh ganny, stop it. you are 68 years old, stop acting like a child. so marin talked to vaati, it's not like she took him up to her room afterwards like your sisters in the valley used to do on their baby raids. besides, she told me he was a gentleman and that she politely turned him down.
Thank the Merciful Goddess... Have I mentioned lately that I love my wife? Because I love my wife.
Dragmire Era Year 39, August 21st, 5pm
An unexpected but pleasant development- for a time, I was conflicted about how to approach the matter of succession. Normally the first born inherits the throne, but Kira is quite content with her position as matriarch of the Zora. Next would be Fi. However, Fi's recent marriage and new motherhood sets her up rather nicely as the new Princess of Twilight. And given her condition, I rather prefer her spending time in the darker climate of the Twilight Realm. That leaves my son Agahnim and my daughter Marin. As the older of the two, Agahnim would naturally be entitled to the throne of Hyrule. However, as a male, he is by law expected to lead the Gerudo. That would seemingly leave my poor baby Marin with nothing, unless I strip Agahnim of one of his birthrights.
When discussing this with the children, they both agree that it makes more sense to leave Hyrule to Agahnim. Aside from the fact that his wife-to-be is related to the Nohansens, Agahnim is trained in governmental arts and warfare. Marin knows history all the way back to the days of Hylia, but she is not a bureaucrat. She can hold her own with a polearm, though, and can speak the languages of the desert. Qualities like that would make her a suitable leader of the Gerudo. The only problem is that it might offend the Gerudo for the Hylians to monopolize their king. Even though the Valley is part of the Kingdom of Hyrule, Gerudo are still somewhat isolated and prefer their own present ruler.
Well, as it turns out, we've come to a fitting solution and it's actually thanks to my little pumpkin. She enjoys playing around in the Sacred Forest Meadow and the Lost Woods, which are near the border of the Gerudo Desert, and actually came across the area that used to be the Gerudo Spring. While there, she happened to meet the new Priestess of the Gerudo Spirit Temple, Nabooru.
Whenever a new Priestess is chosen by the Goddess of the Sand, after her childhood training is complete she must make a pilgrimage across the desert to the old Gerudo Spring. As it turns out, the two of them hit it off really well after they first met. So well that they've become friends. Very good friends... So good that when Marin brought Nabooru to the castle to meet everyone, I caught the two of them kissing in the courtyard.
Marin panicked, and immediately began weeping on the assumption that I was going to get angry at her. Nonsense. I am a Gerudo first and foremost, and thankfully Nabooru helped me convey that message. I grew up surrounded by this kind of love, as I explained to her. Just because the Hylians feel intimidated by love expressed between two of the same gender, and it is seldom seen around her, does not mean my baby needs to hide her feelings. Nabooru even spoke up about her two mothers, and that seemed to calm Marin down. She was also worried how Link would react, but I assured her everything would be fine. After all, if I'm okay with who my child chooses, then she'll be okay. (And I realize now that she is old enough for love; February's meltdown is behind me.)
To go back to my original point, succession has solved itself- Marin and Nabooru are obviously in love. And in the king's absence (me), the Priestess of the Spirit Temple is the leader of the Gerudo. Now that the Goddess of the Sand has appointed a new Priestess and she has made her pilgrimage, Nabooru will start learning how to take on the role of Tribal Leader as well. And I have no doubt that the Gerudo will accept my arrangement if I make the Priestess's partner their Queen, even if it means that the Hylians monopolize the Gerudo male. Marin and Nabooru's love is young, but as it grows, Marin can be a strong pillar of support for both her people and her Priestess.
I realize I will not be around forever. Through my children, I hope to leave a lasting legacy among the people of Hyrule. Kira with the Zora, Fi with the Twili, Agahnim with the Hylians, and Marin with the Gerudo - all of them have grown so much, and have made their mother and I so proud. And to think, it all started because I spared a weak little girl in boys clothing.
hey, i wasn't weak! i was just malnourished and exhausted. and bound too tight. you got lucky.
Yes I did. I'm a very lucky man.
A/N: Aww, poor Ganpa. Kira's making babies, Fi and Ghira made a baby, Agahnim wants to get married so he and his wife can make babies, and before all that, he went to war and came back to find out he put a baby in Link and left her. Babies everywhere! XD
I realized that out of all the characters and games I managed to link together in my proud baby fic, I left out my most favorite character of all. That's how I became determined to get Marin in here somewhere. Then I was thinking about the old "soldier goes off to war, comes back to a baby" trope and wanted to apply it to Ganondorf, but didn't have a story where it really fit (the other story I was thinking of was Divorced, but that Gan's been away too long). So I applied it here, and figured it would work since this Gan needed a little conflict. He's totally dense enough to mistake the girls' calls for interference from the Lorule Triforce, so he deserves that beating from Midna. XD
Marin's first name is a joke I couldn't resist. Fourth baby, girl baby, Tetra! Of course no one uses her first name, and everyone just calls her Marin. She can talk to animals just like the other Marin can. I really imagined her as the LA Marin crossed with the carefree nature of a Kokiri or fairy.
Kira's children... :) Ganpa may grumble about the munchkin Mikau but he really does love his grandson. I don't really have a visual of Mikau, maybe a crazy Zora boy with reddish blonde hair? The triplets look mostly Gerudo, just with a few axillary fins. Fi's son Yuga will look like regular Yuga. He already looks kind of Twili-ish, and since Fi is a white Gerudo, he should come out the same.
Marin falling in love with Nabooru was an idea that came to me, and I just found it too adorable to ignore. I was originally going to leave the door open for Marin and Vaati, but then thought no way, this is better. Marin and Nabs is just too cute.
I might write more to fill in the gaps, but this gives me a pretty solid timeline of the Identities story. Link's final line in the ending paragraph references a short adult oneshot called "My Companion" I wrote, basically what would happen if Link ended up with Midna instead of Ganondorf. I posted it on AO3 because it would get taken down here.
Thank you for reading! :)