*takes one of the smuttiest ships in the fandom and makes it asexual* Oops...

I can't remember if this chapter or the last was partially written during NaNoWriMo, but we are at the end of that saga after a whopping 3+ months. It's also the end of contents page 1.

The Light Invasion

Chapter 29

Crushed

In a beige corner, a dozen empty shelves lead the way to a rather precarious fort made from books and a stolen curtain.

"She's in there," the librarian said.

Link blinked at her. "You let her build it?"

The librarian flushed. "Of course! I don't want to be smote."

"Smote?"

"By Her Grace!" she exclaimed, gesturing at the fort. "She's dealt with enough blasphemy today. You ought to treat Her with more respect."

Link rolled his eyes and stepped forward. A bony hand latched onto his wrist. "Do not disturb Her! You may only sit in reverence and pray."

"You're not serious." Those scathing eyes and pouted lips answered for her. "You do know I'm her brother, right?"

"Then you should know better."

Well, if that was how she was going to be, then Link would prove that he neither knew nor cared what "better" even was. A smirk crept across his face. "Sometimes, I drink milk from the carton just to make her mad."

She clutched her chest. "My word."

"And I steal the bobby pins she leaves around the house."

"You animal."

"I've made fun of her haircuts."

The librarian gasped with melodramatic gusto.

"Once, she told me to take out the bins, and I said no."

Her stance swayed, so Link grabbed a nearby chair, set it behind her, and stayed until she sank into it. Her eyes still bulged at nothing as if she was face-to-face with the Demon King himself.

Though he twinged with guilt, Link left her behind. He crouched and lifted the curtain. Zelda was huddled with her back to him, sniffling. "Can I come in?" he asked.

She wiped her nose and nodded. There wasn't enough space for Link to go in all the way, so he had to sit with his knees tucked under his chin and the curtain draped over the back of his head. Zelda awkwardly shimmied around. Each time the fort shook, it glowed. Her magic guided it back to sturdiness before a single stack had the chance to tip. She too held her knees to her chest, and the tights covering them were damp with tears. "I have some news," she said. "I'm the vice-president now."

Link smiled. "Congrats."

She did not share his joy. "It was the first call Rauru made when he woke up in hospital. Apparently, he couldn't stand the stress of Groose on the council a moment longer."

"Can't blame the old guy," Link said. "Did they ban Groose from the dance?"

"They tried. His dad threatened to withdraw catering."

Link groaned. "I'd rather starve than have him around." Zelda giggled at that. A good sign.

"I didn't think giving into Hilda's pestering would end up like this." Link nodded along solemnly. "Do you mind, though?"

He shook his head. "Didn't think Ganon was your type."

"Neither did I." A fond smile spread across her face like parting rain clouds. "But he's smart, charismatic, and strong-willed, just like me. I don't think anyone has challenged me like he has, and even though he's been persistent, it's not threatening.

"Thing is, I don't know what to do now. I really wanted to wait until our quest was over before I even thought about making a move."

"You can date and quest, you know," Link said.

"This is different. Midna isn't part of the Triforce Trio. And frankly," her voice trailed into a mumble, "I don't know if being asexual is a deal-breaker." A few tears fell. "Groose reminded me of that."

Link would have hugged her if the fort's size and stability weren't an issue, so instead he wriggled a hand over his knees and held it out to her. She took it and he squeezed. "It won't mean as much coming from me," he said, "but there's no shame in being who you are. No one is entitled to your body. Not Groose. Not Ganon."

"I know," said Zelda. "If it weren't for that grand romantic jester, I could worry about it later. But now Ganon knows. We have to confront it before I'm ready, and with a school dance on the horizon."

As Link thought on the situation, he began to wonder about how Ganondorf never seemed too interested in discussing his own sexuality. It was always about clowning on Link's. Whatever. It was his business.

"You know, since I can't go with Midna, you and I could go together."

Zelda snorted. "Are you sure that's a cucco's nest you want to pillage?" She traced a finger down one of the stacks of books until her nails curled around one spine in particular. The Harkinian Lineage. The books above the thick volume levitated just enough for Zelda to shimmy it out. In the cramped space, it was difficult for her to page through, but she found the right passage.

"At the age of 16, Princess Zelda XLII married Link Smith, with whom she bore three children."

Link gagged as she read that aloud. "Were we related?"

"Of course not! But it seems as though we've had a few predecessors who were… romantically involved." She shuddered. "Honestly, it makes this whole 'unlocking the memories of my past lives' thing even worse."

"But no one would actually expect us to be a thing."

Zelda relived the horrors she had seen. "You don't know because you've been avoiding social media. People draw ship art of us, Link. And they tag me in it!"

"Seriously?!" She nodded. Link buried his face in his knees with a groan. "I regret trying to save this stupid country."

She giggled. "You know, I really think you should ask Midna to the dance."

"She'll say no." And Link wasn't ready to deal with the shitshow if she said yes.

"True, but I think she'd appreciate the gesture all the same."

Bowser's kart hurtled towards Luigi like a cannonball. Just before impact, a well-timed mushroom shot Luigi over the finish line. Link raised his hands and whooped. Ganondorf slumped back with a groan.

"Chin up, loser," Link said. "Next match decides who wins the cup."

"Yeah, okay." Ganondorf hunched over the controller again. On the screen, Luigi pumped his fists, drinking the hype of an invisible crowd, while Bowser shamefully cradled his head. It was like a G-Rated toy ad of the visions Ganondorf was burdened with. A menacing villain defeated by a beloved hero in green.

He recognised the thought for what it was; another product of his still-undefined mental illness. At least it was manageable now, as if the worm in his head got tired of thrashing around.

"Before I destroy you again," Link said, "I wanna know how you're doing."

"Better," Ganondorf grunted.

"Better from what, though?" Link set his joy-con on the coffee table. The conversation Ganondorf had been dreading loomed above them like a storm cloud. "You blow me off every time I ask. You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Yes, Ganondorf could tell Link anything, aside from the fact that he had been reliving vision after vision in which Link destroyed him, in the most literal sense of the word. But today was a good day, compared to where Ganondorf was two weeks ago, but it was an awful day compared to where he was two months ago. "It's nothing the Mighty Ganondorf can't handle." When was the last time he felt mighty?

"What is?"

Ganondorf scooped up the joy con and tossed it at Link. "Stop worrying. Start racing."

Link sighed. "Fine, but when I beat you again, we're gonna keep talking."

"If you beat me," Ganondorf said.

With a challenging glare, Link prompted the next race. Through Peach's castle, Bowser and Luigi bumped and bashed and blocked in their most ferocious race yet. Ganondorf was determined to win this time, so he wouldn't have to face the truth: his "mental illness" was slowly destroying the nine-year friendship he had with his best mate. As long as these visions continued, he would never feel safe or comfortable around Link. They wouldn't be able to rely on each other the same way during their quest, which could cause a fatal error.

The finish line was in sight and Bowser was hot on Luigi's tail. With Link's focus on the race, he did not register the shadow rising from behind the couch.

Hands slapped onto his shoulders. Link jolted. Luigi spun into a wall just as Bowser crossed the line. Ganondorf pumped his fists.

Link leaned back to glare at his girlfriend. "That was a very high stakes race, Midna."

"Thanks," said Ganondorf. "I owe you."

"You're welcome," Midna chirped.

"Don't 'You're welcome' him!" Link snipped. "What are you even doing here?"

Midna frowned. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Link placed his hands over hers. "Of course I am. Just worried about your parents."

"Don't be," she said. "They think I'm fixing Groose's catering blunder with his dad."

He relaxed a little. "Great cover."

"I really did have to fix it, but it didn't take long. Papa Bardoe is surprisingly reasonable as long as I don't rag on his son."

Link ran his hands up and down her forearms. "That's great, but I can't hang out right now."

Midna scoffed and withdrew. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for Zel." She circled around the side of the couch, hand trailing around his shoulders. "But since I am here, I was hoping to steal you away for a bit."

The offer was tempting, but Link shook his head. "Not a good time."

Ganondorf shrugged. "I don't mind."

"C'mon, mate. You're important too." With a soft whine, Midna half-straddled Link. Hands ran down his back as her lips brushed his warm neck. He snagged a groan before it could escape. "Right here? Really?" He felt Midna smirk against his skin.

Ganondorf snickered. "Go on, Link. Your girl needs attention." Link shot him a glare that said Don't encourage her.

"It'll only be ten minutes," Midna said. "And if you really don't want me here, you could start by removing your hands."

The hands in question, which rested on her waist and thigh, twitched but did not retreat. "Fine. Ten minutes." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I should warn you. The walls here are pretty thin."

She drew away and pulled Link with her. "I can warp us somewhere private." As she dragged him away from the couch and pushed him towards the door to their backyard, Link thought about how much he was going to miss magic.

Link's departure quelled the survivor inside Ganondorf, but the fact that he felt unsafe around his best friend was always a distressing notion to have. The banter didn't help. I'm going to slaughter you. Before I destroy you again. This was never something Ganondorf had a problem with for the past nine years, and now that he did, it was too humiliating to admit to. But it was far more terrifying to admit that something inside of him wanted to do Link harm.

Whatever. This will pass. This will pass. Given time to heal, Ganondorf's brain will get back on track and everything will go back to how it was before. This will pass.

But what if it didn't?

For the rest of his inner life, was he doomed to be cast as some serial killer with a bloodlust for those he held dear? Ganondorf was losing focus of where he ended and the supposed alter began. He might as well be a liar. An imposter. No longer the person known and appreciated by Link and-

Someone pattered down the stairs. Zelda waited by the stairway as if she needed to be invited into her own living room. A modestly executed up-do of braids sat upon her head, and though it was half-finished, there was an understated beauty to the mess. At first, Ganondorf didn't understand why she was looking at him in that way, with cheeks dusted in pink and eyes twinkling in apprehension.

Oh. Midna had stolen Link away for a motive other than horniness. Though Ganondorf was woefully unprepared for the following conversation, he patted the spot beside him. Zelda shuffled over and sank into it. She said nothing. He said nothing. They were two awkward teens existing on the same couch. In the silence, the visions and voices grew louder and more vivid in Ganondorf's mind. Internally and externally, he was trapped, so he said the first thing he thought of.

"Who's the lucky vai?"

"Don't try me, Ganon. I know you're not that dense."

He leaned back, settling his head into his laced fingers. "Harder to mess with you now that you know my full potential."

She laughed, and it lifted the tension just enough for the conversation to take another step. "I'm terribly sorry about what happened yesterday." Zelda immediately scolded herself. Quitting unnecessary guilt was so difficult.

Ganondorf waved it off. "Don't be. What Groose did was real shitty."

"Yes, but…" But what? She came here with no plan. Not even an end goal. Did she want to ask him to the dance, straight up confess, or request that they press pause on this conversation entirely? "I don't know what to do about us."

Well, that was certainly a relatable fear Ganondorf was feeling in that moment. He cared for her. Truly. Deeply. Romantically. He had wanted her for so long, and now that she reciprocated, he should be rejoicing. Yet the voice in his head said there was only one thing he wanted from her.

"And I don't know what I want right now," she admitted, "and I don't know what you want when you're still recovering."

The Triforce, said the voice. You want the Triforce. Maybe on some deep level, he did want it. Maybe he was so drawn to her because that was all he ever wanted. Perhaps his years-long crush was an orchestration by the Demon King to seize it. Yeah, that made sense. Too much sense. What a tragedy that she felt the same.

"Truth is, when Hilda pestered me for details, I did respond by describing you, because I do have a crush on you, but I'm not ready to explore that yet." Her eyes were the same as Link's aesthetically, but they were ripe with a wisdom so entirely her. The Triforce of Wisdom. No. Her wisdom. The wisdom to say 'I'm not ready' in the most articulate way. That was powerful. That was alluring. That was why he had waited for her even in the years when it seemed she would never come.

Aren't you tired of waiting?

No.

I am.

The hand with the Triforce twitched. It was just a twitch. One twitch. Remember what the psychiatrist said. She was safe around him. She was safe. Around him.

"So, I hope you understand," said Zelda, "and I really don't want these feelings to get in the way of the quest."

"I get it," said Ganondorf. "When we address it, it'll be on your terms, okay?" Look at you, giving into some foolish girl.

"Okay," she beamed. "But if you don't mind me asking, how do you feel about all this?"

How did he feel? He felt… faint. And woozy. The whispers thundered in his ears. It made it so hard to focus on such trivial matters like the heart. Everything was trivial compared to the Triforce.

He was creeping in. Alter? Demon? Ganondorf did not know. By the time his eyes snapped open, he was already tied to lead weights and drowning in a powerful bloodlust that was not his. Zelda was not safe. Zelda was not safe. With the last shred of free will he had, he uttered a single word.

"Run."

Desert ruins.

That wasn't what Link had been expecting, and he was questioning Midna's judgement on this. His idea of a fun, spontaneous adventure might involve sweltering heat and coarse sand, but his idea of a "fun, spontaneous adventure" did not. Even with Midna's warp powers, there were few dignified places they could have gone, but the desert? And what about those six pillars that surrounded them? They almost looked like they were watching.

"You sure this is the place?" he asked.

Midna wove between remnants of a coliseum towards a particularly high mound of rubble and sand. "Yeah, I wanna show you something." She glanced back just as Link's shoulders drooped. Her face morphed into one of mock surprise. "Oh, were you expecting something different?" Link shifted uncomfortably. She smacked her hands against her cheeks with a gasp. "I am so sorry, Link. I have absolutely no idea how I made you think that!"

"Yeah, okay." He clambered over the rubble towards her.

"I feel horrible. If only I had more self-awareness, like Groose."

"Stop." He was laughing.

"Gods, however will I live up to your expectations now?"

He looped an arm around her waist. "Are you gonna keep wasting our time?"

"Gee, I dunno. I still feel super guilty about what just happened. I guess you'll have to shut me up yourself lest I go on and on and…" She trailed off as Link threaded a hand through her hair and guided her down. His other snaked towards her backside. Midna's eyes fluttered closed as she licked her lips, but just as they brushed against Link's, he pulled away, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"So, what did you wanna show me?" Midna gawked at him, and now he wore the look of mock surprise. "Sorry, were you expecting something different?"

She scoffed and continued towards the pile. "You'll wanna stand back for this." Link retreated and sat down on a somewhat sturdy chunk of column. Further ahead, Midna's back faced him. Her glowing hair fluttered on the desert wind and she raised her arms as veins of cyan snaked down.

The coliseum rumbled. The pile shifted. Sand and rubble fell away from a jet-black stone adorned with otherworldly carvings. Midna's arms shook as she fought for the orange lightning to maintain its hold on the massive slab. As it drifted back down, she lost her grip. The base buried itself in the pile, sending a wave of sand over them. Link shielded his eyes and held his breath until it passed.

Midna stood, panting, against the backdrop of… "Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"Yep." Midna spun around and flung her arms up. "This was the gateway to the Twilight Realm!" The setting echoed her unapologetic wonder.

Link leapt over debris until he was at her side. She was entranced by the relic before her, and he empathised, or so he thought until Midna spoke. "There's a legend about how the Twili came to be in this realm, even after the mirror was shattered." Midna took his hand and led him to a raised platform. She sat on it and he nestled beside her. "When the magic was sealed away, the Twilight Realm crumbled. All the Twili perished that day, but as a reward for becoming a gentle race, the Goddesses allowed them to be reborn into this world. The light that once seared them became a comforting warmth once more."

He hadn't ever thought about the fate of other realms when the magic was sealed away. Did the princess and previous hero know of the apocalypse that befell the Twilight Realm? If the only connection between them was truly severed, then they must have been blissfully ignorant. Would a similar catastrophe occur if Link, Ganondorf, and Zelda sealed the magic away again? Link doubted other realms had the chance to manifest, but he had to wonder…

"Gods. Just- Wow." Midna was almost tearing up. "I wanted to show it to you because this was where the wolf and the imp parted ways, but I didn't expect it to mean as much to me as it does." She took his hands. "I don't want you to take this as me saying that magic needs to stay, but my people have always felt a sense of loss. We were cut off in one era and born into the next without our history or culture. We had to reconstruct it from Hylian texts or dreams that seemed to bless us with memories of past lives. Either we scrounged together what we could, or we assimilated. My parents chose to assimilate."

her features glowed again as she withdrew to admire her veins. "This is the closest I've ever felt to my ancestors. I know magic has to go, and it's gonna hurt like hell when it does, but I'm really trying not to be bitter about it. I should be grateful that I get to experience their magic at all." She sighed. "Still bitter, though."

Link had nothing to offer aside from a sombre nod. Almost every day, he had thought about how he would miss being able to carry his belongings in some pocket void, or Zelda's delight at being able to reach every shelf. This was the first time that sealing away the magic felt like it could be an act of cruelty.

But that wasn't his fault. It was a necessity born of people like Ghirahim, the Yiga, and the Demon King that loomed just beyond the horizon. If the magic was sealed away, none of the villains they encountered would prosper.

Aside from one.

"How are you gonna deal with your family once it's gone?" Link asked.

Midna's shoulders sank. "Dunno yet, but I'm looking into my options." With only two medallions left to collect, the deadline for Midna was drawing near. "I'll at least have a plan by the time it's sealed away. You don't have to worry about that."

Link breathed a little easier. They leaned into each other as they gazed upon the former gateway. "Do you get dreams about the Twilight Realm?" he asked.

"Sometimes," she said. "Mostly a sky the colour of sunset, with wispy black clouds. Wish I got to see more, though."

"I had one lately." She perked up. "In daytime, I was servant to an imp who lived my shadow. At night, I was a wolf who carried her through the Twilight." Midna laughed. She knew what he was doing, or so she thought. "We fought through trial after trial, until at long last, the imp's true form was restored, and the craziest thing was, she looked just like you."

There was a deep purple blush on Midna's cheeks. Link had such a way of digging through the cynicism she projected until he closed around the hopeless romantic beneath. Words forsook her even as his hands slipped into hers.

"Midna, I hope you'll forgive me for asking this, but it's worth a shot. Will you-"

His slate jingled. Zelda's ringtone. Link was tempted to decline and call back a minute later, but his intuition, or paranoia, commanded him to answer.

"Link!" She gasped his name. Every word fought through wet, ragged sobs. "Come home. Right now. Please."

The door had been ripped off its hinges. It lay on the lawn, just beside the narrow brick path. From the park across the road, parents hushed and cradled their crying children. It was drowned out by the pounding of blood in Link's ears as he stared beyond the doorframe. Midna hovered over his shoulder, and as they found it in themselves to step closer, and closer, their eyes traced the dark red splatter that ran from the wall beside the staircase, to someone behind the couch.

Time rushed at a glacial pace. All Link could picture was Zelda. Cleaved apart. If it was her, he'd shatter into glass specks and be carried off by the wind. Hyrule would burn, and Link wouldn't give a damn. If the Goddesses allowed such a heinous fate to befall his sister, then they deserved to see everything they created reduced to ashes.

A messy bun of silver was slumped over a dark blue pyjama top. Dark, wet fluid snaked from a fleshy tear across the chest. Blood pooled around a tanned hand limply holding a knife. The blade itself was untainted.

Impa, Link's guardian and the head of the household, had been cut down. The home that had provided him a reluctant comfort within city life, and safety after many daring adventures, was stripped away. Beyond every corner, every door, and every hidden crevasse could be his oblivion.

No. Don't dwell on fear. Focus on Zelda. Where was Zelda?

He wanted to scream, but that could alert the enemy. He wanted to search, but that could invite an ambush. He was trapped. Safety was a shattered illusion. All sounds, all sights, and all senses became a blur. He was drowning. And he was stumbling. And he stumbled past the laundry closet. And the doors burst open. And someone crashed into him. Arms constricted him. He wrestled the attacker away and summoned the Master Sword. Steel flew at their throat.

The edge stopped just shy of tangled blonde hair cascading past a throat smudged with bruises. Swollen red eyes stared back at him. It took every shred of control Link had to not toss the sword aside and embrace her, but her shadow wasn't visible. "What did you use when you ran out of cinnamon?" he asked.

Zelda gulped. Her lips moved, but her gasps only supported the first syllable. "Pa… Pa…" She burst into tears again, and Link no longer cared about vigilance. The sword vanished as he pulled her in. If she was an imposter, so be it. Let her stab his gut with a hidden knife if she had to. As if anything could be more painful than what he felt right now.

Zelda gripped fistfuls of his shirt and she hardly acknowledged that it was dusted with sand. For nine years, they thought that the worst day of their lives was behind them. What fools they were.

"She's alive!" Midna exclaimed it like the miracle it was. Two fingers were pressed to Impa's neck. Link reached for the slate in his pocket, but Midna shook her head. "We don't have time." Orange lighting circled Impa's form and lifted her. "I'll warp her to hospital. You find Ganon."

That's right. Ganon. He had to be around. Hiding. Midna and Impa left via the backyard as Link slunk around. It made no sense that Ganondorf was suddenly so good at this. His large frame always made hide and seek such a challenge for him growing up. He wasn't in the broom closet, or the pantry, or the laundry, or behind the TV, or under the sink, or behind the curtains. Link stumbled towards the stairs, but when his boot creaked on the first step, Zelda found her voice.

"He's not here."

Link drew his head out of the stairway. Zelda pried a trembling hand away from her skirt. And pointed. To the doorless entrance.

The question dried his throat. "Why?"

She gathered herself, like a precarious pile of books, to deliver the answer. "Because he was the one who hurt Impa."

This had to be another vision. The blood splattered on his front had to be another vision, yet the longer Ganondorf sat in the scenario, the less likely it seemed.

In visions, he wore the blood of his enemies like they were the finest of silks. But he felt dirty. Stained.

In visions, he stood proudly in a sea of slaughter and submission. But he was huddled in some rickety old shack in the woods, shunned by rays of twilight.

In visions, he relished in the violence and the exhilaration of battle, untouchable and unmatched. But he was repulsed. And vulnerable. He was the bearer of the Triforce of Power, and never before had he felt so powerless.

It's just some fucked up brain chemistry, he thought -no- begged. It could be a hallucination, or maybe he had narcolepsy and was lucid dreaming. Whatever it was, Zelda must surely be worried about him. He just needed to escape this stupid mental prison and he'd realise that everything was fine.

These feeble excuses fell apart in seconds. Denial was harder to embrace, especially when the entity inside him stirred with some twisted sense of accomplishment. This was not some fucked up brain chemistry, and it never was. This was real, and it was dangerous.

As he wondered what happened, his slate chimed. Riju.

hey. r u ok? i heard link's house got attacked. pls respond. everyone is rly worried.

Oh goddesses, the blood. It couldn't be…

"It's not your precious little princess," the entity answered. "Her power isn't ripe for harvest just yet."

"What did you do?"

"You were far too comfortable around your enemies, so I took some initiative."

"They're not my enemies."

The entity laughed. "They are now, after what you did."

The memories flashed in. A hand. Closed around Zelda's throat. Shoving her high against the wall. She pounded and screamed for her guardian, who flew down the stairs. A knife materialised. Zelda was tossed aside. Impa crouched. And charged. Lighting speed. The scimitar was faster.

These atrocities were committed by Ganondorf's hands. Whoever had control did not matter. He had a responsibility to do whatever he could to prevent this demonic entity from harming anyone else.

"What's your name?" he demanded.

"Ganondorf."

In the torrential downpour of fear and grief, a candle of rage burned. "No," he growled. "That name is sacred to my people. You don't get to claim it. Give me a name, or I'll pick one, and it won't be flattering at all."

The entity was silent. It had not gone by any other name in countless centuries.

"Should I call you Freeloader?" Ganondorf suggested. "Or Bodiless Bogeyman? Or Ghirabitch's Wet Dream?" Deliberate pain hit his mind like white hot sparks. He gritted his teeth and continued. "Intrudey Judy? Culty Karena? Asshole Ameera?"

The pain vanished. Replaced by something more ominous. Silence.

It offered a name long left behind. One that did not carry fear with it as it once did, but at its divulgement, Ganondorf knew the smouldering terror the entity had long been starving for.

"Demise."