Saria
"You've grown a beard. Nasty."
Ganondorf caressed his stubble of a beard, smiling at Midna's disgusted face. He turned to the lone window of the room, the morning sun illuminating the world. Ten days he's been dead to the world, with only one person to know that isn't true, and she speaks of him growing a beard. How…pleasing that was. He turned back to Midna, the woman sitting cross-legged by the footboard of the bed while he sat with his back to the headboard. "You know you like it."
"No. It makes you look like an old man. Cut it off." Midna was doing everything she could to keep her mind off the dire news she received earlier in the morning from Riju. Last night, Darunia was invaded, Link and the Sheikah escaped, Hilda and Ralph captured, and the remaining three were going to fight. This "Yuga" was after the Sages, and Riju warned Midna to be careful. Midna almost told the Gerudo Chief about Ganondorf but decided that he will meet his people again soon enough.
She hadn't spoken to Ganondorf about it either, wondering if he would care. Something was different about him. He was…happy, or at least content. Maybe it was because Midna had come around, but she had to leave and cross the mountain. She wouldn't mind him coming, but by his attitude, the war was the last thing on his mind. He hadn't asked about what happened since Rauru Town so far.
'I do not look like an old man." Ganondorf watched Midna, noticing her face fall dramatically. There was something wrong, and she wasn't spilling it. Eager to know, he got up from his position, walking around the bed to be closer to Midna. He placed a hand on her knee, raising her head up with the other. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Liar. Tell me."
"…Darunia. The Imperials have attacked."
"Oh. That's bad to hear. They must think Zelda is there."
"She is. Zelda, Ralph, Hilda, the others, our friends were there. Link is still unconscious, so Impa and Sheik took him away. Ralph and Hilda were captured by a general. Zelda, Oren, and Ravio are going to try to defend the city."
Ganondorf frowned, the news shocking him as much as it did Midna. So, the hero still lives…lucky bastard. Zelda decided to fight back, good of her, but that endangered the Triforce of Wisdom. Well, nothing was going to change that… But if the Imperials were bold enough to attack a neutral town, what about the Resistance-sided town of Mido? Midna had said why she left the city, but if it was for the worst-case scenario, she would have told Ganondorf, right? Sighing, he stood up, walking over to the window. "Midna, why are you out here? You know it isn't safe for you, so you must have a good reason."
"I am going back to South Hyrule. I have to find fragments of a mirror in order to reforge the bridge between this world…and my homeworld."
Ganondorf nodded, turning back to Midna. "So, you have found your people, I guess. More…blue people."
Midna smiled. "Yeah. My mother was a princess of another world and brought me and Zant here for some reason. My brother found out and tried to find a way back. But he couldn't." Midna held the shard she took from Rauru, and the note her mother made that came with the shard. "My mother taught me an unknown language when I was young, though its purpose I didn't know at the time. But I I now know that it is the language of the Twili, my people, and I am their lost princess."
Ganondorf turned back to the window. "That makes Zant a prince? Huh…all the lunatics are royalty in some way."
"Yeah. But with him dead, I am free to find the others. I can accomplish what my mother wanted of me and what Zant couldn't. I can get answers to so many questions that I have. I can meet my grandparents, my father, my true people and maybe I can convince them to aid in our fight. Hopefully, the journey is quick, now that Zelda and the others are in danger. Hey, why don't you come—"
"Do you not sense it?" Ganondorf's direct speech and the sharp, dark tone took Midna back a bit, but she had no clue as to what Ganondorf was talking about.
"What do you mean?" Ganondorf raised the window up, allowing the cries and shouts of the Sarians to flood the room. Midna jumped to her feet, leaning out the wind. She could feel it now, the darkness that walked through the city. The road she looked upon was the same road she entered the town on, so whatever was coming made the same path. There was only one explanation. "Imperials."
"Right." Ganondorf headed for the door with haste while Midna closed the window. "You got to go."
"No, I'm fighting. I cannot run from this. Besides, it doesn't seem like an invasion." After checking to make sure she had her belongings, she walked to the door, where Ganondorf stood still. "Besides, I have a feeling I am the reason for this."
"Hm… Then it is just like old times, me and you taking it to them. I like this." They rushed out of the room, down the stairs and out the inn, coming to the road where Sarians where doing their best to get out the way. Down the street, they could hear a mechanized laughter, sounding familiar to both of them yet. They pushed passed the scared townsfolk, coming closer to the clearer side of the street before a loud cry to duck echoed across the area. A volley of dark purple orbs soared across the sky, hitting various buildings along the street.
Midna, her heart pacing in shock, recognized those orbs as she rose back to her feet. "No. There's no way…"
"Where there is a god, there is a way." Standing many yards down the street, a masked individual with oversized dark robes stood. He stood with his arms folded, glaring down in the direction of Midna and Ganondorf, chuckling to himself. Meanwhile, the heroes stood in shock and confusion. Zant was very much alive in front of them.
Midna tightened her fists, not wanting to believe what she was seeing. "How…just how…"
"Don't be surprised, sister. Ganondorf lives, and he had a hand through his heart. Why should I be any different?"
"This time I'll make sure you're gone for good!" Midna flashed her hand forward, firing an orb of light towards Zant, but the Imperial ducked.
He rose back up, laughing some more. "I see I was horribly missed. Hello there, King of Thieves."
"Zant," Ganondorf angrily growled.
"How was death? Was it the satisfying end you wanted, or did you leave this world unaccomplished? Is literally the only thing keeping you alive is hatred, that unperishing hate that has bloodied Hyrule again and again? Must be a good thing, to have something to live for, even if it is your enemy. But, I wonder, is it possible to hate what you used to love?" Zant shrugged. "Food. Money. Life. You can love them, and as easily hate it. What about family? Maybe your cousins and your aunts and uncles, possibly your parents, but how about siblings? The closest thing in genetic material to a person is their sibling with the same parents. My dear Midna hates me, but that is because she doesn't understand the sacrifices I made as her older brother."
"You sick, traitorous bastard. What have you ever done for me?"
"Hush, sister, the men are talking. Now, Ganondorf, as I was saying, you have done many things in vengeance for your family, specifically your betrothed and your sisters. You swore to destroy the Imperials to avenge them. But what if that is the wrong path? What if…you were wrong all this time. What if, back on the mountain, I had told a little lie, just to rile you up?"
Ganondorf stood straighter, wondering just what Zant was talking about. There was no way he was saying what he was, that…that Aveil and his sisters could be alive. There was no way. "Ganondorf," Midna said, cutting her eyes back to her older brother, "don't listen to him. Aveil is dead, her body rotting in the depths of Midoro. You didn't have the audacity to bury those women."
"Right." Zant faked rubbing his forehead in forgetfulness. "Should have fed them to my pet. Oh well. But the poor girl is dead, that is true. I didn't lie about that. However, the other thing, I did." Zant raised his hand, snapping his fingers. Immediately, fire and ice came towards Ganondorf and Midna from each side of Zant. They jumped back, barely missed by the joining of the elements before gazing ahead. To Zant's right, where the fire came, a girl dressed in a red robe walked, her hands to her side as fire poured from her palms. To the left, the source of the ice, another young woman in a blue robe, matched the other in posture and step.
To Midna, the newcomers looked like Gerudo, except where there should be orange hair there was flaming red and icy blue hair, gold eyes were just as so. The gems on their heads matched their colors as well. But young Gerudo…with such remarkable power…siding with the Imperials… Who were they, and where have they been? She turned to Ganondorf, who stood frozen in shock like his whole world was utterly demolished in this one moment. It was something more than two traitorous Gerudo standing before him. It went deeper than that. "Ganondorf?"
"No…no."
Zant laughed darkly. "Welcome to your hell, Ganondorf. The family reunion of all family reunions. Families split between the dark and the light. I have my dear sister…and you have yours. Say hello girls."
The one in red smiled, placing her hands on her waist. "Hello, big brother."
The one in blue folded her arms across her heart. "We have missed you a lot."
Ganondorf closed his eyes, hoping what he was seeing was just a bad dream. "No."
"But to you, Midna, we will introduce ourselves. I'm Koume, the Firebringer."
"And I'm Kotake, the Icebringer."
"And as the true Princesses of Hyrule, we have sentenced both of you to death. You may choose to fall by my embers."
"Or die by my frost."
"Choose wisely."
"And we shall gladly serve."
Midna glanced up to Ganondorf, her blade raised in her hand. "Ganondorf…what do you want to do?"
The King of Thieves' looked back between both princess, then closed his eyes as he, for the first time since Parapa Palace, sought the advice of Ganon. The beast had been awfully silent since Ganondorf revived, and while he was grateful for it, it was time for his ancestor to speak. "Ganon…Ganon…Where are you?" Ganondorf searched in the deepest recesses of his mind, searching for the dark lord that dwelled in him, but…his power signature had vanished. He checked once, twice, thrice, and opened his eyes to the reality of his situation.
Koume and Kotake Dragmire, the Princesses of Nabooru, were very much alive and present. The Prince of Darkness, the Scourge of Hyrule, the Demon King, Ganon…he was gone. He had no other choice but to draw his blades. "We fight."
