The royal wasn't much to look at. He had long brown hair tied in a pony-tail, with matching brown eyes. He wore a white shirt underneath a black tunic, a royal blue petticoat wrapped around his waist over his baggy black trousers and cloth-wrapped grey boots.

But Valon was a simple, yet powerful young man.

Powerful, not in strength, but diplomacy. He was raised among Ordon's aristocracy, taught that those below him require the utmost attention than his equals, his parents made sure to ingrain this into his mind so that he wouldn't become as snobbish as many foreign dignitaries were.

Trials awaited him, but He pushed onward, rising through the aristocracy and eventually becoming close friends with Prince Malo himself before being assigned to watch over the neighboring Kingdom of Hyrule by his lonesome.

Everyone had heard of Hyrule and the Calamity, and in the past century had prepared for Ganon's onslaught should he escape. Only recently had the news of his defeat reached them, in the form of a green-clad hylian hero.

That same Hero was the one who asked Valon to watch after the kingdom in a time of War, while the Princess herself was out leading the army.

Most frowned upon the selection and most thought he would decline such a stressful job.

He simply smiled and accepted.

The sun's rays bathed the mountains and valleys in a rich yellow glow as the wean hours of the morning came steadily along. The quieted hustle in Kakariko and rigorous bustle in Hateno paled to that of Castle Town. Whispers of the war and battle were exchanged constantly, Fear and Courage were a common emotion among the people.

But within the massive structure that was Hyrule Castle, many could only offer hushed glances to the new face among them.

It was not of fear, but of worry for the young Ordonian. His heart being fragile to those more eccentric than others.

Of course, there are the ignorant.

"Dignitary Valon!" Armor plates clanked loudly as the Hylian Soldier barged into the room, arms spread out to hold the double doors wide open, the fine wood slamming against the walls, the man's green eyes burning with hype and alertness.

The Ordonian looked up from his walnut desk in surprise, warm brown eyes alight with shock while his left hand came to rest over his heart, breathing hitched.

Two of his three retainers, Volc and Laila, fellow Ordonian Royal Guards who had been assigned to him since birth, were instantly by his side with their hands reaching for their weapons.

"It's fine..." He whispered, waving his hand to call them off. "Please, if you can, don't barge in like that." He chided, voice soft and barely above a whisper. "I can't take surprises well..."

"Oh, forgive me." The soldier bowed, somewhat perplexed at the Ordonian's tone. "But you must come with me, there is something you must see at once."

Valon blinked twice, then nodded, pushing the stack of parchment off to the side and standing up from his chair, brushing his hands down his tunic as he slowly stepped out from behind the desk. Volc and Laila carefully stepped away to give the Young man room, even offering a hand to him, which he declined.

His heart beat like a drum, steady yet fierce, as he crossed the room to the door, held open for him and his guards, who followed behind him.

The intricacies of the Hyrulean Castle amazed him, bringing a steadier lull to his heart as he saw happiness in the faces and smiles of the servants and guards, a far cry from the dull, solemn expressions of the Ordonian lower class.

As the Hylian soldier led them through the winding hallways, Valon's breathing became easier and his pace increased as his hand dropped away from his chest. Despite his disability, he was still youthful, at only Twenty-Five years of age.

It was his ailment that caused his family to not want him to come to this land, in fear that the stresses of war could cause him to fall, yet he simply took it in stride.

He took silent pride in this fact.

The Soldier led them up to the stairs outside of the sanctum, on the bottom of the steps that allowed for an excellent view of Hyrule's breath-taking landscape, a chilled wind and flakes of snow blowing over the small group as they observed the center fortress.

Valon wasn't too affected by it, having enjoyed his youth playing outside in Ordona's chilling winters. His royal guards, often sheltered in Prince Malo's Castle, were less than fortunate and shivered silently in their armor.

Of course, the winter put a dent in Valon's plans and increased the paperwork.

Not that he minded.

Valon watched with a soft gaze as a golden light dominated the top of the black fortress. Similar to what Princess Zelda's powers produced to keep the Calamity at bay. But this light was slightly dimmer, as if fighting off darkness.

A rumble shook the castle and ground below their feet, and ever so slowly, as the Sheikah tower rose through the center spire.

After several moments, a flag was placed onto and began to fly from the top spire of the tower, bearing not the markings of the Yiga or Ganon's forces, but of Hyrule's.

With a loud boom, a shockwave of gold divine magic expanded through the landscape, trees tilting and grass bending against the sheer wind speed. Valon held up his arm to shield himself as the shockwave passed over them, blinding winds nearly sweeping him off his feet. Luckily, those in Castle Town were mostly protected by a wall and only witnessed a golden flash and slight breeze if anything.

The black walls and buildings of the fortress morphed and reconstructed into smaller versions of themselves, loud cracks echoing through the fields and hills as the black mortar and stone that made up the walls of the Fortress were replaced by white and grey brick similar to Hyrule Castle, leaving an smaller, lightly colored fortress in place.

Slowly, a smile creased on Valon's face.

"It seems that Hyrule's army has the cunning to take a fortress without a drop of blood." He remarked flatly, looking back to his retainers. "And you two were worried."

"For your saftey only, my liege." They bowed. "We never doubted your word."

"Right." He chuckled, turning to the Hylian Soldier. "Thank you for notifying me. What is your name, my friend?"

"Um, Renodet, sir." He bowed his head, scratching underneath his helmet awkwardly. "I'm just a Scouting Recruit, nothing special. My superiors just rode in recently, told me to tell you. I ran all the way from the main gate while they dismounted"

"Well, you've done an excellent job making that journey." Valon smiled, patting him on the back. "I would've never made it. Come by my study later, We'll have some tea."

"I...Thank you, sir." Renodet blinked, confused.

"By the way, you said your superiors are back?"

"Aye."

"The Princess? Or one of the Heroes?"

"No, sir. Lieutenant Tennessee."

"Ah, right. Please, if you can, run back and tell him to meet with me soon."

"Yes, sir." He bowed.

Sending the Hylian on his way, Valon made his way back to his study to continue with his work, bowing to a group of passing handmaidens and guards.

"I wonder how the Princess managed to acquire this much staff is only a week." Laila wondered aloud. "It seems impossible."

"Nothing is Impossible." Valon said, sporting a wry grin. "From what I've read in the paperwork, it seems the army and castle staff was advertised, in the major settlements, to have many advantages when taking the job. Such as free food and shelter and whatnot."

Valon scratched his chin. "It's no stretch that many, from all races, jumped at the chance for any one of those benefits. Of course, I've also see orders for Troop aid from neighboring kingdoms, such as Hytopia and even Ordonia. That, is where the majority of the Army came from. Must've slowly poured in over the week, would take someone really lazy or sloppy to not notice."

Volc cast a glance at two guards who were chatting on the side of the hallway, spears raised up and helmets off. This allowed the Ordonian to see that, yes, one had rounded ears like himself, while the other had the pointed ears of the Hylians.

"It is said that their pointed ears allow them to hear the voice of the heavens." Laila remarked. "Although, I wonder which god or goddess speaks to them in that scenario."

"A riddle for the ages." Valon agreed. "Or perhaps a simple question for the Princess?"

"Well, sir. If I may say..." Volc began.

"Please do."

"This many soldiers aside, the Princess of this land seems to have misplaced her trust for once, don't you think?" He frowned. "You saw that Gerudo as they left the town yesterday, the man riding alongside the Princess."

"Ah, the one with Ganondorf's face?" Valon nodded to himself. "Indeed, he had a sinister air amongst him. A deceitful, yet tactical man, I'd pale to face him in battle. I certainly wouldn't trust him either, but I do trust the Princess. Or rather, her chosen Heroes."

Entering his vast office, located in a circular room underneath the Sanctum with dark oak walls, Valon sat at his desk and began to shift through the stacks of paper and parchment that littered his desk.

Despite his condition, he found paperwork soothing to his stresses, genuinely enjoying wracking his mind to find solutions.

The Pen is mightier than the Sword, after all.

As he looked about, he began to notice problems in this current time. Imports from neighboring kingdoms were high and exports were low. But overall, the biggest issue aside from the so-called war, Valon referred to it as an insurrection, was issues with Food and the fast-approaching Winter.

Hyrule's Hylian population was still scattered, confined to the Kakariko, Hateno, and Lulrelin villages, along with the newly-constructed Castle Town.

The Hunter's Guild stationed at the Lon-Lon Ranch Tower had reported that most big-game like bears had already begun to hibernate, moving to the northern provinces while Elk and others had migrated to similar Northern areas and locating either of their dens was proving quite tricky in the snowy terrain.

As for the Farmers at Lon-Lon Ranch, an unexpected Frostbite had done great damage to the crops overnight, and the final Harvest during the Festival was far below expectations. Leaving quite the gap in food storage.

Valon's steady brown eyes narrowed as he read the reports, before firmly nodding to himself.

"What do you plan on doing, my liege?" Laila inquired, standing at attention in the corner of the room, blue eyes alert, if slightly lowered to read the reports.

"This," He held up a parchment. "Is a Notice for Immediate aid, I'll need to send to all of the neighboring Kingdoms and Provinces so that they may send supplies, mainly food, for the populace. But for now, I need to divert some of the treasury funds to the trading businesses, mostly food as well."

"What about other necessities? Like weapons for the soldiers?" Volc said, watching Valon quickly write on another parchment.

"In this situation, they're rather irrelevant. If the snow is bad, the Yiga are going to have a bad time attempting an attack." Valon scratched his chin. "But the trading economy is lagging badly, so now'll be a good time to set up an internal trading network before the snow cuts off outside paths, especially to Ordona. If we can't call for food from outside kingdoms, or sustain ourselves through the winter, the outcome is obvious."

"Alright, what should we focus on then?"

"Gorons provide a great deal of resources and labor, making up about sixty-percent of the work force. But they eat rocks, so that drives their price for materials up a bit, especially when it comes to the broken sections of the Town Wall. Or even worse, the outer-outposts that haven't been repaired."

"Those weren't a priority?" Volc inquired, head tilited curiously.

"It seems that the Monsters there were nested in good, no matter how many times a Patrol, or a Hero, wiped them out. By the time someone tried to settle in and rebuild, the monsters had reappeared and drove them away. Rebuilding was then shuffled down low on the Priority list so they could focus on Castle Town and the closer, cleared outposts."

"You think the Blood Moon was responsible?" Laila frowned, the phenomenon didn't just occur in Hyrule, but Ordona and neighboring kingdoms as well.

"Has to be." Valon rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, back to business. I'll divert a medium distribution to the Gorons, so their work won't be disrupted too much."

"And the other races? Gerudo? Rito and Zora?"

"Zora are providing fish from their domain, along with some precious gems like Luminous stone, which sell well in circulation. The Rito are mostly involved with the Hunting Guild and supply us with meat, putting them on high priority. The Gerudo, however, provide mostly luxuries and gems, since not much grows in a desert."

"A hard choice." Laila frowned, hand resting on her Sword hilt.

"Not in the slightest." The Royal gave a grin. "It's obviously best if the Rito gets the majority, given they're the 'Poorest' among the choices and their supply of food is much needed."

"But aren't the Zora providing food and gems?" Laila pointed out.

"Indeed, but their selection of fish is somewhat narrow. Meanwhile, their stones are precious, but not much use outside the trading market." Valon bit his lip. "Besides, I've met the Prince of the Zora, Sidon. He's friendly, but he's warned me that the Zora are somewhat Xenophobic and are less likely to trade much or even supply workers. The Zora Soldiers among the Hyrulean Army's ranks are the second minority, after Gorons, even then they are young and naive teenagers trying to move up in the world."

"So they'll get...?"

"The Second Minority." Valon frowned, crossing his arms. "While they may argue, the fact remains that they do not supply much and are mostly a self-sustaining people. They have no need for aid unless the problem is serious."

He waved his hand. "The Gorons will get Second Majority, and the Gerudo the Minority, since their luxuries don't mean much in the winter, even then. We'll use it to buy enchanted jewelry that can stave off the cold."

As he finished signing the paper, the door came swinging open, causing Valon to jump once more, clutching his chest.

"Dignitary Valon!" Tennessee boomed, grinning and holding his helmet under his arm, strutting across the room with purpose. "You wanted to speak with me?"

Laila and Volc eased away from their weapons when Valon waved his hand, still clutching his chest.

"Do...any...of you people...knock?" He breathed, motioning his hand to his desk. "Hand...me..that potion."

Tennessee looked down at the finely crafted desk, genuinely surprised.

"Why don't I get a fancy desk?" He mentally pouted, slightly realizing his skewed priorities.

Shaking away his thoughts, he grabbed the glass bottle containing a sparkling green liquid. Discreetly checking the label, he realized it was a stamina potion.

"Odd..." He murmured, handing it to the desperate Ordonian, who uncorked it and drank it all in one gulp, visibly slumping in his chair.

Valon sighed with relief, already noticeably better, if still holding a tender hand over his heart, as if stopping it from bursting out.

"You alright?" Tennesse frowned, bewildered. "That doesn't seem...well...right."

"It's fine..." Valon waved a hand, nonplussed. "Please, sit."

Tennessee did so, setting his helmet in his lap as he held his hands together, staring at the Ordonian over his crossed fingers, looking methodic.

"Like I said, not right." He said, glancing to the two guards as they glared at him.

Valon smiled lightly. "Don't worry, I'll explain."

The door was slammed loudly, but luckily Valon had seen the man enter before he had done so, negating another surprise.

"You'd better! You Ordonian bastard!" Cryoss roared, a vein swelled on his forehead in anger.

"Hold."

Time roughly shoved both Link and Twilight's shoulders, sending the exhausted warriors to the ground, sword and shield arms flailing as they fumbled to hold onto them.

Link's breaths came in gasps, muscles aching as he glared at his ancestor across from him, then up at his more distant ancestor.

Time held a strange air among himself, stranger than his Shade persona. It was ancient, yet masterful, like being in the presence of a wise guru. A guru who could hack your head from your shoulders in one swing.

His golden hair, a slightly lighter shade than his, gleamed in the sunlight, tucked underneath a fair-green cap. His tunic, the same as Twilight's if a bit ancient, bore the same shade of green. His white trousers, from what he knew, had been swapped out for something more practical once he'd reverted to Hylian form, baggy beige breeches similar to Twilight's.

His face was softer than Twilight's, something that Link suspected he had inherited from his ancestor, although the jury was out on that.

Time's eyes, the same sapphires that Twilight and he bore, scanned everything in his vision, leveling out things almost immediately for him to counter.

Fighting this man would be a nightmare in and out of itself.

But here he was, sparring with Twilight as Time watched on. Studying their styles closely and methodically, coaching them through the motions so that they may both improve. While Link looked up to Twilight as a Big brother in a way, it was amusing to see him berated by Time.

Although, Link swore he saw Time often fidgeting with his Tunic's collar.

The role of Master seemed almost...boring to him.

Time raised his hand, non-verbally telling them to stand. They complied and dusted themselves off, readying their sword and shield.

They had moved to a lesser courtyard in the fortress, away from the Soldiers and Bokoblins. The lighter shade of the fortress was Agahnim's doing and was honestly better on the eyes than the pitch-black scenery Ganon's magic had conjured up. Unfortunately, he had to take a breather after the sheer exertion.

Time looked between the two, than swiped his hand down, signaling them to start. Both of them went for a jump attack, their swords clashing together spectacularly, sparking shimmering off the Twin blades they carried.

From an outside perspective, you could hear them both growling lowly as they both pushed against one another. Unfortunately, Link found himself on the defensive, since when it came to brute strength, Twilight beat him in that category.

The man stopped charging goats with his bare hands, and that was before his adventure.

Feeling the weight of his Ancestor's blade pushing him back, he shifted his grip so their swords would slide together and fall to the side, using this opportunity to duck and roll around Twilight, moving onto his knee for a Back Slice.

The result was a given, but failed when Twilight promptly dove forward to avoid his blade, acrobatically rolling back onto his feet and already charging a Jump Strike by the time Link's feet touched the ground.

The man was nimble and very quick, Link had to give him that.

He had barely any time to dodge when Twilight came barreling at him, his sword clashing onto the ground, forming a small crater in the dirt, the shockwave passing under Link's feet as he lept away.

"Stop." Time commanded, so they did so, albeit with confused glances. He had stopped them earlier than usual. "Twilight, you're still making good progress, don't worry. It's you-" He turned to Link. "That seems to be lacking."

"Pardon?" Link frowned, feeling insulted.

"While you're fighting spirit is admirable, you do not take to the Hidden Skills well." Time narrowed his eyes. "You are clumsy and slow, unnatural to their style."

Link shrugged. "Admittedly, skills aren't really my forte."

"Then use your natural fighting style." Time said in a commanding tone, looking at Twilight. "Twilight, continue with your style."

Twilight nodded, readying himself. Link rolled his shoulders, attempting to forgo using the skills Twilight taunt him. Shaking away muscle memory, he instead focused on his dodging and swiftly going in for the kill.

A simple, yet effective tactic

"Begin." Time called, sitting down on a barrel.

Twilight once again did a jump attack, but instead of meeting it head-on, Link swiftly dodged to the side. Letting his ancestor clash his blade into the ground, dust blowing past him as he felt a familiar power activate, his Triforce piece glowing brightly.

"Wha-" Twilight began, looking to the side.

Before he could finish the word, the flow of time itself seemed to slow to a crawl as Link watched his ancestor gape in shock. Deciding to not wound him too much, he simply lightly smacked him in the face with the flat of his blade.

When everything sped up again, Twilight fumbled to his side, struggling to catch himself, before he dug his fist into the ground.

The force of what seemed to be a light smack to Link, was in fact a full-force blow to the face that left a burning red mark across Twilight's cheek.

"Gah!" Twilight held the side of his face tenderly, glaring up. "How..?"

"Stop!" Time called again, hopping off his barrel, causing them both to look confused.

"We just started." Link pointed out.

"I know." Time crossed his arms. "What did you do?"

"Huh?"

"Don't 'Huh?' me. I know time manipulation, and you just used an similar ability."

"My Flurry Rush?" Link questioned. "...I've been using that forever, it's really not that special."

"Of course it is!" Twilight exclaimed, standing up. "Why didn't you tell me you could manipulate time!?"

"I didn't know that's what I was doing, besides, I thought you knew!" Link protested. "I've used it against you several times!"

"Really? Fuck! I thought I was just imagining things." Twilight rubbed his cheek. "Wild, if you can slow down the time flow like that, that's something you must exploit."

"Indeed." Time nodded. "How do you initate it? At will?"

"No, well...I either dodge an attack, or I get enough air-time to draw my bow, which helps my aim. Honestly, that skill helped me defeat Calamity Ganon's True form."

"Would've been handy in my era." Time mused, glancing at Twilight, who gave a nod of agreement. "How close must you be so you can initate it on a normal attack?"

"I can cross whole rooms." Link shrugged. "Is this really a big deal?"

"Yes, it is." Time nodded. "If you can refine that skill, so you can activate it at will, you could be faster than anyone in a battle. Take out multiple foes at once."

"Really?" Link blinked, he hadn't really thought of that.

"We'll practice some more." Time waved his hand. "Back to it. Twilight, try attacking from a distance. I want to see Link's skill in that situation."

Twilight nodded, albiet reluctantly.

Getting smacked again was low on his priority list...

Before he moved back to position, Time stopped him again.

"Try to get him mad." He whispered. "Y'know, just get him pissed about something."

"Oh, no problem." Twilight complied, already knowing the perfect way.

They both got back into position, swords at the ready.

"So Link, how're you and Zel getting along?" Twilight began, yelping when Link dove past him at lightning speed, eyes narrowed in fury.

"I've been getting teased by Everyone ever since I beat Ganon, even people who shouldn't have any interest, and you're not starting it up again!"

"C'mon, you two are-" Twilight dodged a swipe.

"SHUT UP!"

Fenrir dragged his fingers along the wall, gathering a thin white dust under his nails. He held his hand up and casually cleaned it out with his thumb, giving a small hum of indifference.

"While I prefer the darker colors, it is still as fine a structure as the previous one." He mused, looking down at the Princess beside him. "Agahnim should be quite proud of it."

"Yes, but it'll be more a shame than anything." Zelda remarked quietly. "This area is an outpost, an extension of the nearby Garrison. So after this, it'll need to be torn down or rebuilt."

"I don't see why, seems like a waste." The lynel snorted. "But I suppose you Hylians have your reasons."

Zelda smiled a bit at the Lynel's snarky tone. It reminded her of Link before the Calamity, when he was first assigned as her guard. He barely talked, but when he did, his voice was always sarcastic and full of snarky cynicism.

"I feel the need to inform you of something, princess." Fenrir gazed forwards, staring right at the Fortress atop the Great Plateau. "About Ganon's plan."

"Hmm?" She looked up at him. "Go on."

Fenrir waved his hand through the air. "Not all of the Sheikah Towers were used as Bases for Fortresses. As a matter of fact, I believe all this is a ruse by Ganon. This 'War' of his is simply a diversion of his true plan."

"What?" Zelda frowned heavily. "What plan? How can he treat something this large as a diversion?"

"You're thinking too big, Princess." Fenrir said. "From what I've gathered about his attack on Hyrule Castle, you and your allies singlehandedly took out a good majority of his Yiga forces."

"But-"

"And the Monster forces? The majority of them follow me, with only a select few groups following Moblin leaders with no real skill. He's at his wits end, he can't possibly hold all these fortresses with such a small pool of allies."

"Then...what is he planning?" Zelda inquired, bewildered.

"...I don't know." Fenrir huffed. "He didn't trust me with it, but these fortresses mean nothing to his bigger plan. But here's what you need to do, you need to take that-" He pointed to the Great Plateau. "Fortress, and reactivate the Sheikah Towers from there. Without their dark lord around to fix the mess, whoever runs the Fortresses with have to deal with a giant spire ripping a whole clean through it."

He tapped his fingers along the stone wall. "However...There is one person who may be involved in Ganon's plan. Someone from among your ranks, Princess."

Zelda cocked her head slightly, staring at the ground while she wracked her brain for any suspicious among the Army's ranks.

While she thought long and hard, she soon came to rest on an extremely obvious answer.

"Agahnim? No, impossible." She protested immedietly. "He would never-"

"Princess, he helped you take one fortress, and you trust him? We're talking about Ganondorf here." Fenrir chided.

"I-It's not just me, Link trusts him, so I do as well."

"The man is grim by nature and simply 'loosing his hatred' will not automatically make him a good guy. Even without his anger, he still has his many grudges against, for example, the king of Hyrule who attempted to exterminate the Gerudo in the war preceding The Era of the Hero of Time. In no way can any incarnation of Ganondorf be innocent, and even using the word in reference to him is disconcerting. He despises the Hero and the Princess and his only motivation even remotely beneficial to them, were he to find himself apathetic, would be to ensure they leave him and his people the hell alone. You need to face the facts before your poor choices come back to haunt you."

Zelda's mouth hung open, speechless to the Lynel's rant. The gears clicked and pieces came together as she realized that she and everyone else had been fooled. Her hands clenched into fists, face flushed in anger as two needles slid into place between her fingers.

"He's gone to the south-eastern tower, hasn't he?" She said calmly. "The one facing the Great Plateau?"

Fenrir nodded, taking a few steps back as the Sheikah-trained Princess strode past her in tranquil fury, slamming the wooden door shut behind her.

"That girl is too naive..." He placed a hand under his chin, frowning. "The False King threatens my underlings and comes back later preaching about peace, backed by an army no less? He'd never get away with it, not while I still breathe."

Zelda strode through the fortress, barely casting a glance to the mingling Bokoblins and Soldiers. While the Bokoblins were primitive, they still understood basic concepts like cooking and understood the Hylian language as well.

It'd be interesting to study their interactions, if she wasn't angry at the moment. Normally, she'd get Link, maybe Twilight and Time, to help her.

But she wanted to see this man's face when she called him out on his lies, right before she drove these needles into his flesh.

She wouldn't be this bloodthirsty if she wasn't so pissed.

She wouldn't be alot of things if she wasn't this pissed, to be honest.

The fortress was smaller now, so getting to the tower in which Agahnim resided was no problem. She slowed her pace until her footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, slowly pushing the door open and shutting it back. Ascending the stairs with nary a sound until she was in the top room.

All that occupied the space was a bed, a chair, a desk, and a window.

No sign of the Gerudo at all.

Her green eyes glanced to the corner of the room, where a ladder leading up to a trap door on the ceiling sat. The hatch was slightly creaked open, having been opened very recently, probably just before she entered as she didn't recall seeing him from atop the Fortress with Fenrir.

Still ever-so silent, she moved towards and up the ladder, opening the trapdoor and peering around the roof of the tower.

At the edge, sat Agahnim, his shoulders slumped and legs hanging off the tower, his hands clasped together in front of his face. Zelda was about to yell out, before noticing something.

He was speaking, to himself as there apparently nobody around. The Princess was wary, knowing that despite everything he was still a powerful mage and could be using an incantation. Her furious expression shifted into a confused one, slowly climbing the rest of the way up before walking up behind him, listening intently.

"...Mother, Father...It's me...again." His voice was soft, with a tinge of remorse dwelling in his throat. "I...I'm trying my best now, to do good things for once. Despite the voice urging me on, I continue on the righteous path. I'm...sure you'd be proud of me. I'd love to speak with you again father, to hear your wisdom, and to hear mother's kind words again. I guess that's a false hope...since that was lifetimes ago...I'm sure you scarcely recognize me anyway...Please, rest well...and tell everyone that I may join them soon."

His hands dropped, fingernails dragging along the leather of his armor, before reaching back up to cup his face.

Zelda's eyes widened when he started shaking and sniffling.

He was...crying?

"I can't...not anymore...not now." He quietly sobbed to himself. "I...I don't want to..."

Zelda frowned, head tilted in curiosity.

"They...they trust me...I can't just...betray them." His hands clamped to the sides of his head, bringing his knees up to his chest as he quivered. "If I hurt them...I'll never...come back from...that path."

The sight was pitiful, to say the least. It really hit Zelda when she remembered that despite what Agahnim had stated, he was still quite young.

Ganondorf had been in his mid-twenties to mid-thirties, but if Agahnim had been revived with a mixture of both Link and Twilight's blood, with Link's being the one to influence him the most, the youngest he could be was twenty or nineteen, if not younger, possibly Her and Link's age.

Kneeling down, she placed her hand on his shoulder. He jumped as if he'd been shocked by a lizalfos, amber eyes wide with shock upon seeing her, and more specifically, the needles in her hand that she'd yet to recall.

"P-princess...?" He gulped, visibly backing away. "What...are you..?"

"Agahnim, what were-"

"AH! Please don't kill me!" He yelped, shielding himself with his arms, backing up nearly off the ledge "I'm sorry for everything! It wasn't my fault!"

Zelda gasped and reached out, grabbing him by the brown tunic he wore just before he fell completely. His weight wasn't a factor thanks to her training, although the surprise of the situation gave her a loose grip. Agahnim gasped when he realized that he'd just been saved from the long fall to the ground below, staring at the Princess in surprise.

Reaching out, he pulled himself back onto the roof and forced the Princess' hand away, settling down against a stone railing. His gaze remained on her for a long time, before shifting down into his lap.

He was still quivering and shaking.

Zelda sat back in honest surprise...and confusion.

This fearful young man was Ganondorf reincarnate? Either Fenrir was wrong about his motivations, was right and Agahnim was a great actor, or something was terribly wrong.

Needless to say, his mannerisms reminded her of Link's outburst several months ago, so a gentle hand would be vital in this situation. Last thing she needed was another person screaming in agony from their own mind.

Months of fighting and loosing all your allies, friends, and family. Even that paled in comparison to the millennia of torment and death that Agahnim had endured.

"Agahnim, are you alright?" She asked, scooting closer to him, tilting her head to get a look at his face, noticing tear trails down his cheeks.

"...No." He murmured bluntly, gazing at her palm. "And those needles don't reassure me."

Zelda looked at her palm, giving a quiet "Oh", before the needles disappeared up her sleeve.

"You don't have to hide it..." He sighed, looking off the tower. "I know that...I know that you don't really trust me, you have no right to, I guess. I'm just a fool lying to myself. So if you wish to kill me...so be it."

Zelda was even more confused, had he not just pleaded for his life? Now he was resigned to death? What was going through this man's head?

"Agahnim, can I ask you something?" She said.

He was still for a moment, then nodded.

"Are you, truly, devoid of hatred? Of malice and anger?" She asked, letting the question hang.

Agahnim's lip quivered for a moment, his eyes shutting tightly and his hands clenched into fists. He let out several shaky breaths before turning back to her.

"Princess...Imagine, if you can, two voices in your head, and one of your own." He said, voice cracking. "One is righteous and means well, telling you to help others...to have friends. While the other...it tells you to manipulate and murder, to betray those who've come to trust you, all for the sake of power."

He sucked in a breath. "And you have no choice but to follow one, while the other grows in ferocity. And Princess, I've been doing my damnedest to do good...but the other voice keeps telling me to betray you all...And I don't want to. You know who those voices belong to? The good one...is Ganondorf Dragmire...and the other...is fate."

He began shaking harder. "All because of some damned divine prank, I will always try to hurt those I don't want to. I...I don't want to lose anyone else...not now. Now that many eras after watching my Father and Mother die, my friends and tutors killed in the war against your people, I finally can call them my allies. Now that I am a friend of the Hero who once killed me in retribution. Now that I have a new chance to make things right, to help my people and bring them peace for once in my lifetimes. I can't just throw it all away."

Zelda nodded wordlessly, somewhat understanding. It was a similar situation with Link and Her, while they loved one another dearly, they both were conflicted on account of old protocol and habits, and their newfound freedom in the ruined Hyrule.

But in Agahnim's case, he was truly split between good and evil, being in all technicality, both good and bad.

"...You know Princess." He began after a long silence. "After I was resurrected, I found myself in the blazing heat of Gerudo Desert, weighed down by dark armor and a trident too long to use effectively with my new body. I ventured out and into a sandstorm, not to find anyone, but to die. With the memories flooding in at every moment, yet I still never truly hated anything, I was so torn between conflicts. So, I went into that sandstorm to die from starvation, dehydration, or whatever got me first."

Zelda listened intently as he continued.

"Yet...in the eye of the storm, sand weighing my heavy cape down, I found an oasis with several people trapped there, three hylian men and two women, surrounded by the vortex-like winds, unable to escape. They had water, but no food left. They were going to die, trapped to rot away in the unforgiving land. I initially wanted to leave them be, but I simply couldn't bring myself to watch them suffer. I didn't want my first act as a man free of destiny to be indirectly murdering these poor people. So, with what little magic I could conjure at that point. I blew away that storm like it was nothing."

"You saved them." Zelda said, impressed.

"Yes. I escorted them back to Gerudo Town, making sure to keep my face hidden, I stayed outside with men overnight as the women came out with food. When the day came, I told them goodbye and walked back into the desert and back to the Oasis, the sandstorm just starting back up. While I waited for death to take me, something happened that I never expected, those people came back, just before that Storm got to me. They had realized my intentions and begged me to not go through with my slow suicide. In hopes of distilling their presence, I explained exactly who I was...and you know what? They didn't care. They said that if I was capable of good, than I wasn't the Ganondorf that the legends spoke of. I was something better."

"And you can be." Zelda smiled. "Who says you have to follow in your previous incarnations footsteps? You can make your own destiny."

Agahnim frowned. "...Just the way they didn't fear me, asking me for stories of the past, about my perspective in the whole Hero vs Villian conflict...It made me...happy. It felt good to be...Good, for once."

"It truly does..." Zelda smiled. "Where are your friends now?"

"In Gerudo Desert still, at the Oasis where we met. We built a house out there and they tend to it while I'm away." He explained, tone becoming lighthearted. "The sandstorm doesn't touch it at all, but gives good cover for it if we don't want any visitors."

"Really? Well, can you escort of there sometime? It sounds very peaceful to hear the swirling of the sands."

"If the choice was mine, I'd have stayed there permanently, but decision changed when I went to Arbiter's Grounds to scavenge anything from my past."

"Arbiter's Grounds?" Zelda repeated, sitting up. "I think Link and Twilight went there a few months ago, to attain the so-called 'Four Sword', for the Minish."

"The Minish still exist?" Agahnim inquired, surprised. "Impressive for creatures the size of a thumb. I did witness both Heroes appear at the Grounds, they had to fight off a Molduga infected by the Fused Shadow in Twilight's possession, thankfully I was far enough to not get detected by either Hero or Beast."

His hand fell to his belt, where the Fused Shadow Ganon had dropped lay, his hands shifting over the rough surface of the artifact.

"I had gone back to the house and gathered up some gear when I found that Ganon had been revived as well, residing in a cave near the Gerudo Sheikah Tower. I had originally wanted to set out to find you, and ask for forgiveness. But with the new problem, first I needed to speak with the current Chief of my People. I needed support, or else I would've never convinced you. And thanks to your Link, I'm still here and able to help."

"A lucky turn of events from your perspective, I'm sure." Zelda remarked.

"It sure is, believe me...But, Princess, I have something to ask of you as well."

She nodded and his softened expression became serious.

"If...at any moment, It looks like I will betray you. It may not be the first chance, or the second, but the chance I could get away with it...You stop me. No matter the cost." His gaze burned like fire. "If I look like I'm going off the deep end...You kill me right then and there. Promise me."

Zelda shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"Princess..." He sighed. "Frankly, I don't think you'll have a choice."

He looked out in the distance.

"After all...I'm still the King of Evil."

Respect, mate.

Hey, guys! I'm finally back!

Alot of things had come up recently. For one, Spanish has been destroying me, then my Internet goes out. Then my Grandfather passed away, that was just the icing on the cake.

I guess you can say I used some grief as fuel for Agahnim and Zelda's talk.

I'm fine now, just really tired though... (I think I called Prince Malo "Prince MALON" at some point in this chapter thanks to my hazy mind...Welp...)

Alot of moments in this chapter are little jabs at myself and the Story. Thanks to User, Draconic, who gave me a bunch of constructive criticisms. So, I used some of his suggestions and even had some fun at my expense adding little tid-bits.

Thanks for those btw, Draconic.

Anyway, here's the rundown:

Valon, who is Talo's descendant, has a character quirk I've been experimenting with. He has a heart condition, passed through his family, that severely limits what he can do. He can hardly run for a minute before his heart nearly fails and he requires a Stamina potion. He's got Talo's rebellious spirit though, and that'll be apparent in a future chapter.

I wanted to have Wild!Link use his natural BOTW fighting style, and when I noticed in the final battle that he can cross the ENTIRE ROOM with Flurry Rush, I realized that he has his own Champion power, he can control time to an extent. So I want him to use that, and we'll have fun with it.

Time, probably gonna change the name, and Twilight have a Brother-Brother or Father-Son relationship as they did in Canon. I have some funny little moments planned for them, so I can't wait to get to that.

I've made some hints that while Zelda is still a scholar and loves research, she is still the leader of a Kingdom and, thanks to Impa, is more than willing to get her hands dirty now.

And finally, Agahnim...is not Ganondorf.

In a physical sense, yes he is. He's the failed resurrection of Ganon and, while he still harbors hatred and is fighting his inner demons, he still seeks to do good and right the wrongs he's done. Destiny tries to drag him down the path to darkness again, but he fights against the pull, and keeps walking forward.

Never looking back.