Chapter 20: Nightmare Scenario

POV: Soren

Lake Hylia

Sixteen Days to Invasion

I stared down at what few notes and maps I had of Hyrule…cursing just how awful our situation looked. Yes, we had the Stones…and a crack team…but I could see no way out of this situation without all of us getting killed.

You may be wondering how I got into this mess – and if you want the quick explanation of the situation, I was being stupid. Yes, Soren, tactician of the Greil Mercenaries, the very same man who helped Ike win the Mad King's War last year…has a capacity for stupidity. Here's what happened.

It all started one night in Melior, Crimea's capital. I met up with Ike, now a member of the political scene, and we decided to go to a local watering hole to get away from Crimean politics for an hour or so – have a drink, shoot the breeze, nothing too crazy. We both knew this bar, and we were on a first-name basis with the bartender, so we believed nothing would go wrong. Yeah, we'd wake up with headaches…but Crimean politics were the exact same thing, so no harm done.

Or so we thought. I'd had a couple drinks by the time we were ready to leave…and that's when I decided to use the facilities…which would come to be mistake number one. As I was leaving…I came face-to-face with a tall, red-haired man with incredibly dark skin. I tried to walk away, as he was a stranger and I didn't want to get in his business. However, he didn't budge.

"Sir," I said slowly, trying not to let the fact I'd tied one on show. "I…want no trouble, I'm just leaving."

"King of Daein, I know," he said. "But…why not come along with me, and free your people from their slavery?"

I stared. Yes, I was intoxicated…but I had sense enough to know that this guy was either a nutjob or dangerous. "No," I said. "Leave me alone."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Your Highness." he said. Then, before I could react, darkness surrounded me…and I found myself trapped inside a dark space of horror, pain, and sadness. For what seemed like a day, I was frozen in the darkness, unaware of where I was…but as I lingered there, my mind concocted a plan. It was stupid…borderline a death wish…but it might just work.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Ganondorf, descendant and vessel of the god Demise, Your Highness," he said. "It's nice to see you actually coming around."

"Call me Soren," I said, "What is it that you REALLY want of me, that you would interrupt a night out with one of my friends? What could possibly be so important?"

"Your friend…Ike…he cares nothing for you," Ganondorf said. "If he cared for you…he would have installed you as the proper king, and given you what you deserve."

I wanted to shoot off my mouth, but I knew better. "I offer you your rightful throne…and a chance to be my right hand in the destruction of the Land of Hyrule. Ike could never, and will never, give that to you. Come, Soren…take what is yours. Show your father, Ashnard…that you are far better than that fool could ever dream of being!"

I bowed down in the darkness, determined to play Ganondorf, knowing he probably knew my every move. "Yes…I shall serve you, and you only, my new master."

And so it was…I became Ganondorf's possessed servant for a month. Though my body was trapped in a dark crystal…I was an unseen shadow at his side, lending my tactical abilities and mind to his battle plans. I watched as Kirby and Talim, a woman who made my heart skip a beat…for some reason…were imprisoned. I watched as he cursed the Great Deku Tree…starved the Gorons…and cursed the deity of the Zoras. Despite the fact I was a mercenary, working out of self-interest, my heart felt sick. In the back of my mind, I could hear Ike speaking to me.

"Soren…what are you doing?" his shadow of a voice asked, prodding at my will. "You know this is wrong! You know he's lying to you!"

I wanted to listen…wanted to stop. But…I had to get every piece of intelligence I could on Ganondorf's troops, his magical prowess, his skills in everything. If I broke away too soon…I wouldn't be able to help whatever hero planned to stand up and stop him…even if that hero had to be me.

Then…the swordsmen, Danika and Sephiroth appeared, and the situation quickly changed. Ganondorf dismissed them at first as a "shinobi with a messed-up eye and a man with way too much hair." However…he watched in horror as Danika destroyed his curses and Sephiroth made mincemeat of his forces with his behemoth of a sword. At one point, Ganondorf grew to covet the massive Masamune, and desired to challenge him to a duel to obtain it.

"There are things in life that are fine stolen, like the Triforce," he had said. "But that sword…Masamune…that is earned. It deserves a master fitting of her raw power…and I want to challenge him to a duel for it!"

I didn't care…I wanted numbers, troop positions, battle plans…and he blindly handed them to me. It was a slow process…piecemeal details, bits here and there…but I slowly gathered them together, bit by bit.

Finally…the battle at Lake Hylia came…and I had everything I wanted when Sephiroth slid the Zora Sapphire into the "keyhole." The pure light freed my body…now, it was time for the dirty work of freeing my mind from Ganondorf's clutches.

I don't remember much of what I said to Sephiroth…but I have a feeling I insulted his mother or made him try to hand over Danika, because when I heard Danika's scream…I knew I had gone too far. What I remembered, though…was Sephiroth's trembling. He was a man, a powerful man…but I felt like I was looking at a little boy who'd never been hugged, or loved…or even regarded as more than anything but a tool before Danika came into his life. When I finally flipped sides…it was then I saw some of the armor around him come down.

But…all the conversation and the great meal I shared with the team didn't put a dent in the cloud of suspicion around me…not even for Talim, whose eyes cut into me just like her tonfas must have cut into Ganondorf's monsters. Finally, possibly exhausted, Danika got up.

"Okay, Soren…let me just cut straight to the chase and say what it is that's going through my mind – I don't really trust you. You look and sound like a master at plans…but I have just as much desire to strangle you as anything else."

"Danika…this could have happened to you, or anyone here!" Talim protested. "Ganondorf…he tried to control both me and Kirby! Yes, I don't trust Soren very much either…there's no good reason to...but he has information that could mean life or death for us against Ganondorf and his Gerudo army."

"Talim, Danika, stay calm," Sephiroth replied, smiling. "Soren…we've all had a rough time of late. I understand you did well as a double agent, and never planned to side with this guy in the first place…but we need more time from you before any of us can really trust you completely. You say a lot…but can you back your talk?"

I smiled. "Well…what if I told you that Ganondorf is planning to move in fifteen days, at the setting of the sun? Already, he has spies buried deep within the castle…the king is already compromised. He will not burn the city…he plans to build his citadel…and march five thousand of his forces into the city, to steal, kill, and plunder anything he finds. If we're not ready to stop him…Hyrule will be piling up the dead like cordwood…if he doesn't reanimate them first."

"Can you plan some sort of infiltration, or counterattack?"

"With this tiny force – just four people and a pink ball that eats for an army?" I said, throwing up my hands. Kirby – the ball – looked at me like he wanted to use my head for a melon. "I can try…but you guys are headed for a suicide mission, Sephiroth - all of us may end up dead within a week as a result."

"Okay, then – I'll cut you a deal," the soldier replied. "Danika here…she likes to plan things, too. I'm gonna give the both of you two days to come up with plans. The rest of us will take a vote…and the "winner" will see their plan enacted. If you, Soren, fail…you go with whatever plan Danika enacts, and the same if Danika fails. Is that good?"

"Done." Danika replied, immediately disappearing. As she left, I could see the wheels turning in her mind…I needed to get to work.

However, as I now sat in my room, time running out…I was flustered beyond belief. How could I make a solid plan…when anything close to a solid plan would put us in a mass grave? Just when I thought I would give in to despair…a knock came at my door.

"Come in," I groaned. Oddly enough, Danika came in, a semi-confident look on her face. "Danika? Did you come up with a plan already?"

"A skeleton of one…but I'm gonna need everyone on board if it even has a chance in hell of working."

"Well, you're doing better than me…I don't have one I can even get behind, so you win by default," I said. "What is it?"

"I'm gonna call a meeting…I want everyone on the same page with this. I am trying to plan with everyone's strengths in mind, including Kirby's Copy Abilities and the Jenova cells. Even with that though…there's still a strong possibility at least one of us is going to die."

"And who would that be? Talim?"

"No," she replied, pointing at her chest. "I'm the captain of a plan full of holes…and if this plan goes down…I ought to go down with it."

"Danika, that's suicide!" Talim protested. "You…against Ganondorf?"

"It's just the way I want it," she replied. "Talim…it's simple. Ganondorf wants to kill the king, so he'll be in the throne room to do the deed…it's an ego trip, a means to make Zelda fold and fork over one of the keys to the Triforce. He's a cunning, calculating bastard…but we know his Achilles heel, his true weakness. We know exactly where he will be…and I can easily remove him from the equation long enough for you guys to take on his armies. His minions aren't all that tough, and I can teach you guys the Sun Song to freeze the ReDeads…you guys can defeat the army, maybe rally the troops, and help the citizens escape."

"What about Mother?" Sephiroth said. "You know he wants to get to Jenova."

"Exactly. I don't know if she's behind this as I am…but I don't see your mother rolling over and caving to that arrogant prick. We're going to trap him between two of his desires…the Triforce and Jenova…and he only gets to pick one. The catch-22 is…we've already picked for him. The Triforce can't really be defended…but Jenova can."

"And what if you die in all this?" Sephiroth asked. "No one's going to help you but my mother…it'll be only you and him. I'll be held up with the Gerudo."

"Sephiroth…Ganondorf's minions are nothing but balsa wood to your sword and Materia…and those crazy summons you showed me. You're the true anchor in this plan…if you butcher the armies like I think you will, Hyrule's soldiers should be able to stop the bleeding relatively quickly. Talim, Soren, Kirby…you'll need to give your all to help him. If you guys can keep stocked in healing Materia and supplies…train with Cure, Cura, Revive, and Regen…and not try anything dumb…Ganondorf's army should collapse relatively quickly."

"Poyo, poyo!" Kirby cried, jumping up and down as he spit out a big, dead, sword wielding creature before swallowing it again. Unlike our expectations, however, he did not transform

"Translation, please?"

"He says he has what are called "Super Abilities…" and that the Gerudo don't stand a chance, not against him," Sephiroth replied. "But…you still haven't answered the real question."

"Me dying?" she asked. "Sephiroth…you know I've faked being dead once already. You, of all people, should know that I, out of all of us, deserve the penalty of death…and I would gladly die to see this man humiliated, even if only for a short while. I'm ready for this…and if it means you guys get a good chance to walk away unscathed…then I can handle that."

I sighed. "I still don't like it that someone has to die…and I don't know what all you're talking about…but it's the best plan I've heard in a while."

Danika smiled. "Thank you, Soren. This does mean, however…that all of us need to be training. Sephiroth…you're on better terms with the soldiers…perhaps you can talk to Zelda?"

"She's a wild card…but if we can infiltrate where Ganondorf will focus his strike without causing suspicions…somebody pose as a servant, maybe a soldier in the guard…"

I smiled…now, we were talking real strategy! "Ike…if only you were here…" I sighed.

POV: Ike

"Ike…you would leave this nation…possibly this world…over someone who is probably dead?" Queen Elincia protested as Mist and I loaded up our things to head back to my father's old fort, tears in her eyes.

"Your Highness…Soren is a part of my family…and because of my failure to pay attention while we were drinking…someone attacked and kidnapped him, possibly killed him. I take personal responsibility for that oversight…and I will do whatever it takes to bring Soren home, be he alive or dead. I will gather my family…and I will bring him home…even if I have to haul him back to the fort in a mule cart."

"We've looked everywhere, my lord…even Gallia and Goldoa initiated a search. He's…he's completely vanished. There is one way we haven't tried…but it's dangerous."

"Well, what is it?" I asked, suddenly quite upset that all options hadn't actually been exhausted. "Spill the beans!"

"It…it's actually a piece of magic that connects our world to a sister world of ours…a world called Hyrule."

"That land of fairy boys in green tights?"

"The very one…it appears that the man who kidnapped Soren used something again it to take off with him. Whether he got there or not…"

I was now embroiled in a war with my temper. "Your Majesty…I want every damned scrap of that piece of magic in my hot hands before Mist and I leave this palace tonight. Even if I never talk to you again…I will rescue Soren!"

Elincia stared in sorrow and horror. "My lord Ike…I would beg of you to reconsider your choice…but such pleadings would be futile. It is hidden among my father's things…he wanted to use it, but never did. Come with me."

POV: Danika

Kakariko Village

Fifteen Days Before Invasion

In the same inn, in the room I once shared with Sephiroth, I stared at the wall across the room, cursing under my breath and biting my nails as Talim slept peacefully in the bed where the man I loved once slept. I wanted to be with him…to bathe him in the music of my heart, as I had for the last three nights.

"You don't know how much I enjoy being enraptured in your musical joy,"he had told me the night before as we lay under the stars, his body curled against mine as Talim and Soren took the early watch, Kirby sleeping in the corner. "I…I feel like a baby, wrapped in the arms of a mother…loved, safe, protected. I don't feel like I have to do anything…save suckle at your breast or sleep," He then laid a kiss upon my mouth…filling me with heat. "Soon…very soon…I intend to make you feel as I do…I intend to show you the endless depths of my love."

As much as I hated playing the role of a thirsty, obsessive schoolgirl chasing a heartthrob…I weirdly enjoyed it. If I was to die in just two weeks…then I figured now was the time to enjoy at least this completely normal human behavior. I wouldn't have much time to do much more enjoying before Ganondorf rightfully snuffed out my life.

But then…I was being stupid. I needed to sleep, to train…if I wanted to give them a chance…I needed to devote myself to the plan…or more people would die.

I let out a strangled cry…why? Why did I always have to lose, to be bound so forcefully to whatever everyone else wanted? Talim stirred…and I knew I had to get out of there before I woke up everyone.