Death Mountain, Midna
"Ganondorf."
Midna stopped moving at the base of Spectacle Rock, just several meters away from the lair of Ganon. The area of the mountain was different from the last time she remembered, having been unconscious when the battle between the Imperials and the Resistance concluded and the travels with her friends to the north went a different route. But seeing what she had heard about, the charred destruction around her, the remnants of the mechanical troops the Imperials occasionally deploy, and Ganondorf's own hesitation told a story.
For the war of Hyrule, this was the second victory and last of the Resistance, but for the war between good and evil, this was the first in history Spirit and Hatred teamed up. Ganondorf's pride was destroyed his too. The man she knew as 'Gan' died her, and gave birth to Ganondorf, corrupted by Ganon. Midna would confront and battle him, losing as Zant's magic transformed her into the imp form she possessed for a month. Ganondorf was also swiftly defeated by Vaati, literally thrown off the mountain into North Hyrule.
Outside of the battle, it bore more painful memories for them. Midna was reunited, in more ways than she would like to think, with her brother. Ganondorf was captured days before by Ghirahim, tortured by him and Zant, and from the latter learned of his family's downfall. Yet Zant was revealed to have partially lied, as the prince's sisters were alive and sided with the Imperials. This was also the place Vah Rudania, as Ganondorf called the lizard beast, fired upon the Calatian capital, and that reminded Midna of the two remaining "Divine Beasts" looming over Darunia and Mido.
Amidst all those thoughts, it was Ganondorf's well-being that worried her. He was quiet, which wasn't unusual, but not only in tongue was he silent. His body unreadable, his mind empty, and his spirit hidden, it was unlike him to literally recede himself from her. Then again, nothing from two months ago was the same. So much has changed between them as well. They had fought to kill each other. He denounced her just weeks ago. She held him as he died. They pronounced their love. In such a short time, a lot of change happened, so Midna didn't blame him for hiding. This place here was the last time they were their old selves.
But ignoring her wasn't going to cut it for her. He had been silent since they left Saria, and she needed him focused on the task at hand. "Ganondorf." He stopped this time, but not turning to her. Instead, he looked to the dark entrance to Death Mountain's interior. She stepped up to him, taking his face in her hands, bringing their foreheads together. Despite his void of noise, it wasn't required to know he was hurt. "You got to let it go."
"...I am trying. But…there are so many things I can't take my mind off of. They're alive...and I am going to have to kill them if I cannot turn them. But to even fight them…The woman spoke of a hidden power within me, and the goddess herself said the same. If that power is in me, is it what I used with Ganon? How do I tap into it again? And when I do...I don't want to snap again."
"I won't allow it."
Ganondorf blinked, moving his eyes back to the dungeon's entrance. "But what plagues me most is Ganon himself. I can feel his darkness. The seal Zelda's parents placed on him is broken completely, but he's still too weak. It'll be a very long time before he returns…but I won't allow him. I must confront him, and make sure he can never return." Ganondorf detached himself from Midna, looking up to the darkening sky. "You go find your piece, and I'll go make my peace."
Midna nodded, turning to the lair of Ganon. "Good thing is the dungeon is devoid of monsters. I should find the fragment easily. And you know where he is." Midna faced Ganondorf, the Gerudo Prince smiling slightly, but it was there. Vulnerable to the disease, Midna smiled back. "Unlike my bastard brother, you can save your sisters. You'll have to beat them first, but you can save them from their darkness. If you of all people can come back, then anyone can, except my brother. He dies, either by my hand, yours, or both of ours. But if it comes to it, that Koume and Kotake must die..."
"As of now, my sisters died in Nabooru with my mother and father. Those two are imposters taking their name and likeness. That's how I'll think about it. Now we're wasting time, let's enter the dungeon once more, on our own accord." Ganondorf took one step, and that was before the world began to move.
The mountain quaked, knocking the rebels to the ground. Midna protected the pair with a shielding spell from the raining rocks while the two bulleted to the opening within one of the two mesas' making up Spectacle Rock. Once safe inside, Midna dropped the spell, and the two watched the mountain become encased in a purple, swirling haze. "What the hell?"
Ganondorf growled, his eyes trained on a different matter. "You." Midna leaned her head out, then caught sight of what Ganondorf was seeing. Leading the trail of smoke was a more corporeal form of a beast swirling around the mountain, though it was not hard to deduce who it could be. Midna had never met him, but the yellow of his eyes matched Ganondorf's.
"Ganon."
"This is his form without a body, a pure incarnation of hatred and malice of Demise's hatred for Hyrule… He still can be beaten." As the beast vanished, Ganondorf turned and walked deeper into the darkness of Death Mountain. "The Prince of Darkness shall fall today."
Ganondorf
The interior of the Lair was unchanged. The remnants of the battle between him storming the place after he was freed to the moment he fought Midna were scarred forever into the dungeon. The obvious difference between then and now was the lack of monsters, besides a few Keese in a room, but nothing to speak off in the easy walk through the dungeon.
Midna and Ganondorf had split in the second room of the dungeon, where a river of lava ran through the upper part of the chamber. She went across it, venturing to the same part of the dungeon she was once held; as for Ganondorf, he walked through the pathway of a broken wall either he or the Imperials carved in their residence. He was sure it was the Imperials, since his cell was deeper in the dungeon (as he found out, he and Bulblin King were imprisoned in a room in the right center of the dungeon, two rooms right, one room up of where Ganon was imprisoned. Midna was tortured in one of the adjacent rooms, but imprisoned elsewhere) and his path of destruction probably would have met him with the rebels who entered the dungeon much earlier than he did. But the shortcut the ruling faction created made traveling easier than it could be if he had to go through the whole dungeon.
He found himself standing just outside of the room he vanquished the Wizzrobes and began his fight with Midna. Memories began to bubble up to the surface as he stood there, and he relived each and every one of them as he closed his eyes.
And for the first time since Parapa, he could hear the deceitful voice of Ganon in his head. "Why have you come, child?"
"To end you."
"Many a hero and a princess have tried but never had the thief. But remember what you have done, and tell me, what makes me the monster and you the man?"
The door was wide open, allowing a lone figure to slip inside. His footsteps clacked against the cold stone floor, but the Wizzrobes did not show their hooded bird faces. The figure counted seven of them, six in blue robes with a single one in red. Obviously, the latter was the leader and had his back turned to the intruder. The red-robed one rose his head, not turning it. "Lord Ghirahim, we are almost prepared to unleash the mountain's power. However, there is the high chance that there will be Imperial casualties. Is it fine we take such a risk?"
The figure chuckled. "Certainly...starting with you."
The lead Wizzrobes turned and jumped as he gazed at the hulking figure. All he could see besides dark clothing was glowing yellow eyes under a hood. Then the sounds of a low chuckle and the thunder of the two doors in the room closing with the wave of the man's hands. The Wizzrobe stepped back while the others looked up looked up, drawing their wands. Drawing its wand, the lead Wizzrobes challenged the intruder. "Who are you?"
The figure smiled as he drew his blade, imbuing it with magic. "You can call me...Ganondorf." He instantly vanished before the Wizzrobes' eyes, confusing and intimidating the seven bird-wizards. It was all quiet until one of the wizards cried out, a sword sticking out its chest. It collapsed as the sword was removed, but the others did not hesitate to attack the killer. As he deflected their blasts, Ganondorf smiled, and flipped to the central platform in the room, ducking and weaving as he cut the three Wizzrobes there. A fifth Wizzrobe floated into the air, hoping to use higher ground against the warrior, but Ganondorf wasn't daunted. A fireball was thrown his way, but instead of blocking it, he caught it with the tip of his sword and threw it towards a stunned sixth Wizzrobe, causing it to fall. For the one in flight, Ganondorf leaped into the air, vanished, and reappeared behind the Wizzrobe, crushing its neck under his feet after bringing it back to the ground.
All that was left was the red-robed Wizzrobe. It shuddered in fear as Ganondorf turned its way, yellow eyes glowing with bloodlust. The warrior slowly began to walk towards the Wizzrobe as it tried to escape.
"Help! Help! Open the door! No... No… Nooooooooo!" It didn't feel Ganondorf's sword finish it, but its body began to hover. The Wizzrobe looked to Ganondorf, whose smile was far from reassuring as the warrior held the wizard above the pool of lava.
"For Calatia. Rauru. Nabooru." With one swift jerk of the hand, Gan eviscerated the Wizzrobe leader.
"And that was all you, wasn't it, my child? The cold murder of those Wizzrobes...and you relished in it. You had only begun to tap into the power that I brought forth unto you...and then the girl…"
"Your kingdom? Midna put a hand on her blade, ready to give Gan the beatdown of his life. She didn't know what Gan truly meant, but she was going to go against him. "I'll surrender if I was you, Ganon. As of today, you and the Imperials have lost to the light!"
Gan chuckled as he turned around. "To the light? Midna my friend, I have only just begun. The dark… It shall prevail."
Midna frowned. It was the hard truth, but now she wasn't blind. Gan had totally converted to whatever state the Prince of Darkness had him.. "I am not your friend anymore. You are as dead to me as Zant is. But the man I love is in there, and that man I will save, whether it is by killing you first or by other means, I will save you Gan.."
Gan glowered and growled. "Only a fool would stand against me, one chosen by the gods and wields the power of Din."
Midna drew her blade and got into battle position "Such conceit. But if you are one of the chosen, as you claim...Then I'll risk everything, even the life of my best friend, to deny you!"
Gan smirked as he took out his sword. "Shadow has been moved by light, it seems… How amusing." Gan flipped in the air, and brought his sword down, collided it with Midna's. She went on the defensive as Gan aggressively swung his blade, almost driving her into a wall before she ducked and amazing leaped over Gan. He quickly turned around, swinging at her before her defenses were truly up, stunning the girl and kicking her through the doorway.
She landed on her free hand, a knee and a foot, her sword twisted behind her back, and she looked up to Gan, walking emotionlessly through the doorway. "Is that all you got, Mr. All Mighty and Powerful?" She stood up, and taunted her opponent with her blade. "I must have gone easy on you all these years."
"Hmph, I doubt that. You've always been the lesser between the two of us."
Midna shrugged. "We'll see."
"You were ready to kill her, your best friend and your lover, all for power. Even when she confessed, you didn't relent."
"Gan, I don't want to kill you. I love you. Let's end this, and go home."
Gan frowned. "If you love me, why won't you accept my power? The one we need to defeat the Imperials?"
"We don't need Ganon's power! But I need you! Let go of that evil!"
"From my point of view, it is not evil, and we need it."
Her will to let Gan live was immediately cast aside. Her face darkened, her tone lowered. "Then you are dead to me."
"So tell me, descendant, after all you have done since that day, what makes you so worthy to come and try to vanquish me? You have killed defenseless men, women, and children without a second thought, against the code your father and mother lived by as Gerudo. You sought the Triforce and would have jeopardized the entire kingdom had you succeeded. What makes you right?"
Ganondorf, eyes open, now found himself in a new room, outside a sealed door with a skull on it. Only Ganon could have brought him here, for Ganondorf never even arrived here when he scoured the dungeon the last time. He could feel the immense weight of darkness just behind the door. It reeked of hatred and malice, and in its center, desire. A desire to rule the world with the ultimate power, a desire to destroy all wisdom and courage, and if all else fails, a desire to destroy everything altogether.
And at that moment, Ganondorf had his answer. "The difference between you and me, man and monster, it is quite simple. I have hated. I had malice. But while I cast them aside, I have never forgotten love, happiness, care." Ganondorf raised his hand, facing it towards the door as a violet blast charged in his palm. "The difference between a man and a monster is that a man saw his sisters today, and he couldn't fight them. A monster wouldn't have hesitated to kill them." Ganondorf released the blast, decimating the door and the wall around it. As debris and smoke filled the room, Ganondorf began to think of Midna. She should have found the mirror fragment by now.
"Ganondorf, did you hear that explosion?"
Speak of the devil. "Yeah, that was me. I found my ancestor." As he walked into Ganon's chamber, he noticed the subtle purple lighting in the room. As he looked around, he could find tendrils of some sort of technology across the wall and a gooey dark substance intertwined with it. They all converged to a pod on the ceiling, hanging above the skull pattern on the floor. In that pod...Ganondorf gasped as he realized what he had walked into.
"Oh okay. Anyway, I found the fragment. I was right about where it was. In the room I was imprisoned, there was a message that-"
"Midna, get out of here. Get off the mountain. Go anywhere but make sure you are not on Death Mountain."
"...What's wrong?"
"Ganon...we were right to think he would begin regaining his power after Shade's death. The seal on him requires the permanent loss of consciousness, such as a never-ending sleep that Zelda's mother went through. But what we never accounted for was that the seal has been half broken for nearly two decades."
"What are you saying?'
"I assumed that, when he was a part of me, that was the extent he could do. We never thought that with just the Queen's death he could do anything else. But for eighteen years, he has been preparing. And now with Shade dead and the technology incorporated from what I guess Vah Rudania...if I must compare, it feels like Vaati in this room."
"If he's that strong you cannot fight him alone. You need to leave to!"
Ganondorf knew she was right, but he also knew that he had come too far now. He looked to the pod again, sighing as he resigned to his fate. "You know I got to."
"...Then promise me you won't die."
Ganondorf chuckled. "Not a third time. Now Midna...Go to the Kikwis. I'll meet you there." He severed their connection but indeed felt his friend's presence leave the mountain. Now he could concentrate on his ancestor's demise fully.
"Smart decision, boy, to get the girl away, and to figure out my plans for the last eighteen years. Vaati sought to keep me here, yet ironically he has done everything to free me. Killed the Hero, frozen the Queen in stone, and I am free. My power has been nearly restored, but with this technology, I sought to rejuvenate my form as quickly as possible. I expected we'll meet as foes, Ganondorf...but you came too soon. But not soon enough." The pod began to squirm, then a blue laser fired from the pod, traveling around the room erratically. Ganondorf fired up his shield as a protective measure, but the laser didn't graze him in the slightest. As it died out, blue light surrounded the pod before smoke billowed from several large dots around the cocoon. Then with a few more movements, the pod exploded, its contents falling to the ground.
It landed on the ground, directly on the skull, and the floor began to break and crumble. First went the creature that fell from the pod, then Ganondorf and the debris followed afterward. Ganondorf's powers allowed him to freefall as he watched the monster land on solid ground within a chamber underneath the Lair. Through the cloud of smoke, the prince could make out a large orange blade being waved around, and the beast had several legs. As he came closer to the ground, the beast's form became apparent. Ganon was not a boar anymore; he had attained some spider form mixed with the Yiga technology and the purple goo. Several arms extended from the thorax of the abomination; one arm dedicated to the flaming sword, one for a large blue spear, three with various blue weapons attached, and the last contained a blaster of sorts.
Ganondorf landed gracefully on his feet, eyeing the monstrosity as it turned around in search of its prey. After a last turn of the head, the bearded face of Ganon found Ganondorf. It rose up on its hind legs, bellowing an ear-ringing roar that the Gerudo Prince had to cover his ears to protect them. As Ganon came back down, staring down his descendant, Ganondorf couldn't help but bear a grin.
This was the monster that ruined his people thousands of years ago, the monster that has laid siege to his country many times over, and the monster he almost became. Ignoring the blade strapped to his side, Ganondorf reached in his pouch, unveiling a dark sheath with the hilt of longsword made of pure topaz sticking out. Five years ago, he had taken this blade from his mother in the fall of Nabooru and had reserved to use it only against those Imperials responsible for the attack. Of course, being under Ganon's influence derailed that, but with the Trident of Power destroyed and the weapon found on his body when he woke on the funeral pyre, he had remembered his aim for it.
Throwing the sheath aside, Ganondorf held the sword out, the ornate blade illuminating part of the low lit chamber. Ganon looked at the blade, though the prince couldn't determine what emotion the monster was eliciting, so Ganondorf chose fear. "This is the blade of my mother and her predecessors. A sword once created by the six sages to eliminate evil on their own. I plan to use it on you...and you shall fall."
In response, Ganon raised his flaming sword in the air, beginning the battle between the King of Evil and the Prince of Thieves.
North Castle Dungeons
"And so it begins."
In the dark chamber of the castle's dungeon, only two items brought light in the room. One of those things was the machine that the Yiga created, used on the princesses to augment their powers as well as the warriors who had previously died in the war. The second was a crystal ball, illuminating the events within Death Mountain for the lone red-robed onlooker. Beneath his covered face, the wizard smiled in jubilee. The king's worries were indeed valid, for before his eyes the true King had risen. But as the wizard watched the form of the King reveal itself, the smile dropped, disgusted by what it saw.
The power of the King was there, but the form that was feared was not complete. Mind and spirit were repaired, but the body was ill-prepared. However, the wizard's plan was proceeding perfectly. Ganon's condition was much different than he expected, but the formula to bring him back was the same. Hero, dead. Queen, alive but like stone, unconscious. The last ingredient required a great source of power, something that a few lucky children would possess. And Yuga had rounded up half of those lucky children in a day's time.
Agahnim chuckled at that thought as the image of the crystal ball changed to a young woman standing on a sand-brick balcony, overlooking the town in which she ruled. She portrayed herself as tired yet cautious, ready to spring to action despite her weariness. Her eyes were due south, the wizard knowing all too well she was gazing towards the mountains that unknowingly her friend was fighting the presence she sensed. Next, the image shifted to a young, dark-haired boy standing outside a home in the streets of Darunia, while inside, the village chief and the light of Hyrule engaged in conversation. Last, the ball showed him the ginger-headed Twili gazing up to Death Mountain, worried for her beloved fighting inside it.
The Labrynnian king, the fire that sparked the Resistance, captured. The Lorulean princess, a girl whose foolishness overshadowed better judgment, detained. The Zora princess, calm as the water before the storm, seized. Agahnim only needed two more to complete the recipe, but all six was desirable. In two more days, Hyrule will be at its darkest hour and no matter who wins at Death Mountain, at Mido, and at Darunia...
Agahnim will return to Ganon's side. But for now, he will play the minion of Vaati. "Master, Ganon has returned."
"So it seems..."
