Parapa Desert
Riju could smell the blood of the traitorous Sheikah in her nostrils, could hear their cries for mercy, could feel her scimitars slice through their flesh like butter on bread, could see their pathetic remains litter the palace, and could see sweet, savory revenge taken by her and Ganondorf. Soon, her people could be here to savor in the fall of the Yiga Clan, and each Gerudo would honor those alive and dead with each kill she brings upon the assassins. The Yiga stole the home, the honor, and the prize of the Gerudo people. However, Riju would remind the masked warriors who the real thieves were.
The anticipation increased each time the stone in her hand smoothed out her blade, creating small sparks that hit the hot sand. She looked up to her partner, standing a few feet away, tall and silent as he gazed at the distant temple. He hadn't said a word since she fell asleep last night, and she knew that at one point he left and the reason why. She desperately wanted to know what was on his mind, but while she might have no right to know, this could be the final moment they have together, and that will be permanent this time. Raising her blade, pleased with her work, Riju sheathed the scimitar, then hopped to her feet. "Last night was amazing."
She could see Ganondorf hesitated to respond, his shoulders slouching a bit. Maybe he was remembering just as she was, putting her "education" to great use. He dropped his arms as Riju began her approach, but didn't take his eyes off Parapa. "It was."
"Gives you something to remember me by."
"You're speaking as if today you'll die. If amazing sex if how you want me to remember you, that'll make Aveil happier in the afterlife… Maybe jealous." Ganondorf shrugged, then refolded his arms. "Today is the day we avenge those before us. There will be no retreat and no surrender. That is Daemon Gerudo law. That is Sage Gerudo law. And by Gerudo law, we will stand and fight... win or die A new age has begun: Let's make it ours."
"Sa'oten. You can make a speech."
Ganondorf smiled, then gestured to the dunes underneath them. "I believe they think the same." Riju looked over and could see and hear the cheers of a green sea of goblins. She looked to Ganondorf, appalled by the masses.
"Is this...your army? How?"
"The Bulblins were once recruited by the Imperials, but after the attack of Rauru, they dropped out. To escape punishment, they exiled themselves. I met the Bulblin King during my imprisonment on Death Mountain. They caught him, and the rest of his people went into hiding. They have no love for the Imperials. But despite that, he follows one side, and the others follow without question." Ganondorf stepped forward, crossing his arms again. "King Bulblin! Which side do you serve?"
The biggest of the Bulblins, an ax-carrying brute, held his weapon skyward. "The strongest side!"
"Who leads that side?"
"Ganondorf leads that side!" The rest of the Bulblins cheered in their own language while Ganondorf chuckled. He turned back to Riju, who was still skeptical of the whole thing.
"If they follow me, then they follow you."
Riju almost choked in her disgust. Lead those brutes? "You can lead these monsters. I'll lead the Gerudo. Where are they?"
"I will not lose another Gerudo life while I can help it. Besides, it is safer for them to be in Mido, out of the eyes of the Imperials, and at no blame for what happens here. Believe me, I wish I could lead our sisters to glory… But this will do. Days ago, we left them as a prince and a princess, but when we return, the King and Queen of the Gerudo we will be." Ganondorf raised his hand towards Riju, who eyed it warily. "I can sense your caution."
Riju stepped away, anger and confusion swarming her. "You chose these beasts to attain your glory? How… Why? Why aren't our people coming?"
"I told Buliara not to join us, that we had it under control. I said it was your order."
"What? You told me we were just scouting ahead, but they were never coming? Liar! Traitor! Deceiver!" Riju, fury overcoming her, unsheathed her dual scimitars.
Ganondorf stood calmly, though obviously surprised. "Riju?"
"I saw you last night, speaking with the bastard. You lied to me. You said you wouldn't go down the same path he did, yet here you are, choosing what you believe is right for us, yet all it will benefit is you! So you want to retake Parapa? Do it yourself." Riju turned, creating a rift in her path.
"Riju!"
"I thought you would know who you are, that I was right about you Ganondorf, but it seems Buliara was right. From this moment on, you are not welcomed in Mido Town, as ancient law decrees no male shall enter."
Ganondorf, enraged, began to chase the woman. "Riju, you get back here."
Riju stopped one step away from the portal, turning back to Ganondorf with tearing eyes. "You are not the person I knew five years ago, the person I mourned five years ago. I thought you knew who your father was, but it seems the son of Ganon is alive, while the son of Malladus is long dead."
Before Ganondorf could reach her, Riju stepped into the portal. It consumed her and vanished just as he reached the spot, causing him to stumble on his feet.
"She abandoned you, as your father and your beloved had."
"No she did not. She just don't understand that I didn't want my own to suffer anymore."
"She wants you to be weak, human, mortal, but you are destined for godhood, immortality. The Gerudo have served their purpose to us both. But you need them no longer."
"Then what is it I need, Ganon?"
"Riju. Forget her. The Gerudo, forget them. Your mother and father, honor them no longer. The Resistance, serve their purpose no longer. Your friends are now your enemies. The one you loved, Midna, hate her. There is only you and your goals. Forget being the Gerudo Prince forever, and rise as the Demon King Ganondorf."
Ganondorf closed his eyes, taking a deep inhale and thinking on the devil's words, mentally pushing back everything he had ever strived for.
The raze of Nabooru, the reason he wants vengeance upon the Imperials. The death of his family, the slavery of his queen, and the remaining people of his race in Mido... He forgot them all, but his anger at the Imperials for it stayed in place.
The meeting with the Resistance, the bonds he forged with Error, Bagu, Auru, Ralph, Ravio, and Hilda... Forgotten.
The events on Death Mountain, his torture at the hands of Ghirahim and Zant, he pushed them forward in his mind.
The one thing that fought to stay was his love for Midna, and it fought hard to stay. But eventually the fight had to be won...and love wasn't strong enough.
Breathing out, Ganondorf let Ganon's words fuel him, and instead of tears (as the old him felt like crying), Ganondorf bore a full on smirk as he walked back to the Bulblins.
King Bulblin, now at the same level as Ganondorf, cocked his head the weird attitude his master was displaying. "Master?"
"Heh heh heh heh… Ha heh heh heh… Wa heh ha ha… Ha ha heh ha..." The grin turned into a smile, and then, like the sands around him, Ganondorf's sanity was totally swept away. "WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HEH HEH HEH HA HA HA HA! YEHA HA HA HA HA HA HA HEH HA HA HA!"
King Bulblin looked down to his troops as Ganondorf began to quiet down, uncomfortable with the situation. "Umm… Master?"
"This is foolishness… Glory for her… For them? Very well, then… Allow me to show you, Riju…Your hope… Yes… Allow me to show you… Just what faith you have…And revel in the true power of the Demon King..."
"...Master?"
Ganondorf finally looked to his subordinate, and the Bulblin saw a new light in Ganondorf's eye. It wasn't the one that greeted him or spoke to the woman before their argument. No, these eyes… He remembered those eyes. They were the same one that freed him on Death Mountain. "King Bulblin, we attack as planned. The Yiga...man, woman, child… Leave no one alive."
"The Gerudo have not forgotten."
Alone, Ganondorf marched up to the entrance of Parapa Palace. He didn't gaze up at the statue of the soldier standing guard of the palace, nor bat an eye at the four pairs of pillars that lined each side of the pathway. Alone, Ganondorf marched up, not heeding the watching eyes from above. He only stopped when he heard a pop in front of him, followed by four more pops to encircle him.
Covered by a black cloak and hood, Ganondorf barely raised his head to scan the people around him. Most were small, Hylian-sized masked warriors with either a sickle or bow in hand but the one in front were much larger, with a sword to match him. That was undoubtedly the leader of this group, who kept his sword sheathed but slightly drawn in warning. "You are in the wrong place, Hylian. Go now, and you may leave."
"For 500 years, we've waited. We grew stronger while you thought we were afraid, believing that we submitted to our fate and were weakened."
Ganondorf answered the warning, striking out with his trident quickly and impaling the large swordsman. Not giving the others time to react, Ganondorf slashed the two on the direct sides of the swordsman while using a telekinetic push on the one to his back right. Ganondorf dodged a swipe from the last Yiga's sickle before grabbing his masked face, channeling power and crushing the skull, savoring the cries of the man before tossing the dead weight aside. He twirled his trident, then continued to walk down to the elevator that'll take him deeper into the palace.
Once he was inside, he was immediately surrounded, but he didn't let it fazed him. Numerous as they may be, they were just rats in a borrowed house. He would be their exterminator. So as he kept his identity hidden, the Yiga surrounded him, while a chuckle from somewhere echoed across the chamber.
"You were trusted to root out the true enemies of the Imperial King, but you have failed. The Resistance thrives, and the youths chosen by the goddesses fight."
Ganondorf listens to the voice knowingly welcoming him, addressing him as "Malladus' prince." As for the voice, it was named "Master Kohga." The voice continued, offering the Gerudo the same warning the other Yiga did, but Ganondorf did not move. On orders, the men and women of the clan unsheathed their weapons, but Ganondorf didn't need that to trust that Kohga's threat was real. He was counting on it. Kohga gave him a second warning, and like before, Ganondorf did not move. Finally, Kohga decided to sentence the Prince of Thieves to death but would give him the honor of his last words. So Ganondorf spoke, but at the same time, began to draw his card.
"The Hero of Legend unbreakable spirit rides, the Princess of Hyrule's godly blood runs warm, and the King of Thieves' undying hatred…"
The light from the outside world that shone around Ganondorf was replaced by darkness, enshrouding the entire room. Moments later, the ground began to quake, and one could hear the booming grinding of the earth as something came down to the interior of the palace. Ganondorf paused mid-sentence, smirking as the object in question burst into view in the room behind him, completely wrecking it and any unfortunate souls within. The object came to a halt right behind Ganondorf, revealing a disturbing, grimacing face with dark orange eyes and stone-grey teeth. The face cracked and shattered, revealing the interior of the moon-like object filled with green monsters. Ganondorf's smirk turned into a booming chuckle as he raised his head, his yellow eyes shining like pure topaz in the dark. "...It stands before you."
Mido Town
"They're coming!"
"Who is coming?"
"Why are they coming here?"
"They had a beast?"
Buliara slammed her sword down, silencing the throne room in one fell swoop. Pleased, she placed the blade on her shoulder, walking to face the Gerudo who entered with the news. With the city in her charge in Chief Riju's absence, Buliara needed to know what the hell was exactly happening. "No more discourse in this room. Now, Ajincia, what did you see exactly?"
"It's the Imperials, milady. The Imperials are coming here."
"What is this 'beast' you speak of?"
"It is of similar design to the one that Ganondorf described on Death Mountain, except...it looks like a camel of some sorts. Electricity surrounds it too. I couldn't see their numbers but from experience...I don't think we need to."
Buliara nodded, then turned to the single, large Daemon Gerudo in the room. "Telma, what would you advise?"
"Hmm… Diplomacy. If what we heard from the prince is true, those things have range. But they also need time to aim and charge up before firing. They're coming for a reason, and let's be frank, they know he was here."
To Telma's left, the blue and orange-haired Rova groaned. "I knew bringing him here was bad."
"As that may have been, it was bound to happen anyway. But we do know how to stop it, thank the prince for that. Buliara, that has to count for something."
"You're right, Telma, it does count for something. But if we assemble the warriors, we are going to be attacked, and if we don't, we could be hit with a surprise. So what do we do?"
"Prepare everyone, and this time, that order comes from my mouth." The crowd of women in the room turned to the entrance, bowing as an enraged Mareeha Riju marched into the room.
"Chief?"
Riju ignored Riju, turning to the scout. "Ajincia, how far away is the beast?"
"Last I saw, it was making its way unto the beach at the pass in the mountains."
"Good. Everyone, get yourselves ready for war. Buliara, I want calvary and infantry ready in thirty minutes. That starts now. Go!" Everyone began to rush out the room except for Buliara, who stayed behind as Riju stepped up to her throne, taking a seat. She spotted her guard and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Did you not hear me?"
"Where's the prince?"
"...He's no longer with us. Now go!"
"Protect this path. Do not let anyone pass, do you understand?"
"Yes, Master Kohga!" Ten clansmen saluted their leader before the door leading to his chambers slammed shut. They all turned to the staircase that led up to this hallway, hopefully expecting their visitor to show up. Word had it that he was heading their way.
A moment later, they could hear footsteps climbing up the stairs, slow but powerful. They could barely see anything, but they were trained to see in the shadows. In the shadows, their sight was perfect. They could see a form rising into view from the bottom floor, and that form came to a stop once both feet were on the level with the Yiga in the room. All they could see was a black mass, and though they were trained not to show emotion in a fight, the one their brothers, sisters, friends, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and children were cut down by had appeared before them, and it angered them all.
"Heh heh heh…" As the low chuckle rumbled in the dark hallway, a pair bright yellow orbs of destruction appeared, followed by the brandishing of a gold trident.
"Kill him!" Arrows flew towards Ganondorf, but the Gerudo Prince held his hand forward, creating a thin barrier, deflecting the projectiles in their path as he moved along. The first Yiga tried to fight Ganondorf, swinging his long blade, but the Gerudo ducked, placing his free hand on the swordsman's back, incinerating him with a concentrated blast of fire. Before the second closest could make a move, Ganondorf thrust his trident into him. Removing it, he twirled and threw it against the wall, letting it ricochet down the hallway, killing two Yiga whereas the others either blocked, ducked, or took minor damage.
Thinking the invader was weaponless, the remaining six Yiga rushed Ganondorf. Standing still, Ganondorf brought his elbow up and back, thrusting it forward and knocking the attacked Yiga through a wall. He jumped forward, grabbing two assassins by the neck, rising into the air to the ceiling, then slamming them into the floor. Pushing himself back into the air, Ganondorf looked at the cowering three Yiga who stood to protect Kohga's door, raising his arm skyward, summoning an energy ball and throwing it at them. All except one were hit, the survivor barely rolling out the way and getting to his knees. As he looked up, the Yiga was slammed by Ganondorf's foot, the Gerudo riding him like a miniature raft, breaking into the door of Kohga.
The leader of the Yiga Clan yelped in surprise, falling to his back as Ganondorf rode forward, leaping off and marching towards the backing Kohga. Feeling his back against a wall, Khoga raised his hands up. "No no! Stop! Please stop!"
Ganondorf stopped a foot away from Kohga, looking down upon the pathetic clansman. Ganondorf didn't know if Kohga was tricking him into a trap or actually feared for his life, but he was expecting a fight. All the other Yiga were fearless or were willing to fight at least, but their leader backed down without a strike. He hid when Ganondorf arrived, hid when Ganondorf stormed the palace and allowed his people to fall while he protected himself. Now he dares asks Ganondorf to stop? "You coward."
"Wh-What?"
"You coward! You want me to stop, yet you won't fight me. You are letting your own people died, those who've sworn loyalty to you, and you hide in your chambers while they die?! And at what cost?"
"That one!" Kohga pointed to Ganondorf's left. "That is the reason I stay here. To protect my own, to protect those I love the most. You can kill me, if you must, but not them."
Two kids, a young boy, and a younger girl hid behind a huge mirror that towered the room. Ganondorf gazed at their frightened faces, and for a moment, it began to tug a different set of emotions. He turned away, pushing them back for as long as he could. "What gives you the right to plead for your kids? What about my mother? What about my sisters? What about my queen? If the definition of 'precious life' is different for the Gerudo because we're mostly women, then what about my father? Did my father's life not matter? Forget about 500 years ago, I want to know why I should spare your kids when you didn't spare ours?"
"You think I am responsible for what happened?" Kohga finally stood up, taking off his mask and throwing it aside. "You think I want to wage war with Hyrule? You think I wanted to go against Malladus? Do you not know your father? He was my friend!"
Ganondorf raised his hand, trident filling it and pointed it towards Kohga's neck. "Don't you dare speak lies against him! He would never, ever make friends with your kind!"
"Then if that is true, why didn't I kill you once you entered the desert? You had to think I knew you and the Chief were in my domain. I gave your four chances to escape with your life. I honored the son of a great friend, someone who wanted to amend all bad blood spilled over the centuries. Now what my ancestors did, right or wrong, shouldn't decide today. I didn't sell out anyone to the Imperials. "
Ganondorf glared into Kohga's eyes, searching for the truth. There was conviction in his voice, pride in his stance, and though Ganondorf was ready to kill the man, for some reason he couldn't.
"Yes, you can. What can he say that makes him unguilty?"
"King Bulblin," Ganondorf telepathically called out to the leader of his army, "call off your minions." He lowered his trident, having it out in case Kohga tried anything. But he didn't lower his eyes. "One chance, Kohga, or I'll kill you quickly."
"Don't play the cold-hearted killer, Ganondorf. If you can kill me now, in front of my kids, you would have killed Miss Twilight on Death Mountain. I know why you're here, and while you mask it under vengeance, it is for the Spirit Medallion. I know you desire the Triforce. But, as much as I would love to give it to you, it is not here. I sent it to where the others gather. They're with the Resistance." Kohga gestured to the large mirror in the room, where an image of seven beings took shape. All except one Ganondorf recognized. In one half of the image was Prince Ralph, within a well-decorated room of some sorts, getting dressed for the day. Beside him was a Zora female… Ganondorf almost snorted, remembering the last time he caught Ralph with a woman. What made her interesting was the stone on her head, which had a design inscribed on it. Turning to the image with the most people, he could see Princess Hilda, Ravio, Link, Midna, and whom he guessed as Princess Zelda sitting in a circle, with five other pendants inside the circle. However, his attention was taken by Midna, who, after a month, was still relegated to the form he last saw her in. If Zant was still alive, he will make the devil pay for his crimes.
"Where are they?"
"I wouldn't be so hasty, Dragmire. You have another problem." The image switched to the desert south of here, of Mido Town, wherein the distance, Ganondorf could make out the sight of another one of those beasts the Imperials possessed. His fists tightened. Why would the Imperials...Oh. They knew. Of course, they knew. Ganondorf didn't turn his head, but directed words towards the leader of the Yiga.
"Did you tell the king where I was?"
"I did only as I was asked-AAAUUUGGGGHHH!" Kohga looked down, seeing Ganondorf's trident impale him in three different spots. Raising his eyes back at Ganondorf, the Gerudo calmly issued a command.
"Look at your kids, and apologize."
Kohga shakily turned to the two children in the room, drawing as much breath as he could to speak. "My children… Your father… He is sorry."
"Good." Ganondorf rose his free hand, summoning an orb and firing it towards the kids. The impact knocked down the tall mirror, sending it crashing upon the kids.
"NOOOOOO! YOU MONSTER! YOU DEVIL! YOU...YOU DEMON KING!" Ganondorf only smirked at that, enjoying hearing his ancestor's title thrown at him, then thrust his weapon deeper into Kohga.
"You have failed, Master Kogha. The desert belongs once more to the Gerudo, and now you and your Yiga shall fall." He ripped the trident out of Kohga, watching his lifeless body crumpled against the ground. Looking back to the mirror, somehow surviving the fall, he wished for the image of the six rebels again. All six medallions, assembled between two groups. They would head to one place, to open the doors to the most powerful item in Hyrule.
As much as he didn't want to get in the way of the Resistance, there was no way Ganondorf will allow the Triforce to slip into their hands. Vengeance was still to be had.
He chuckled lightly, then spoke to the only other person watching in the room. "Excellent."
"Excellent indeed."
