A/N: In which a lot of angst lol xD
"Old Gerudo Town?" Bazz asked. "Does that mean you knew the Gerudo?"
Dune nodded with a smile. "Yes. Our chief Sandstorm was excellent friends with the late chief Granajh and her daughters. We do trade with them."
"Wait," Mipha said. "You said 'do', as in present tense."
"I thought the Gerudo were all massacred?" Sidon murmured, staring at Dune in question.
Dune appeared nervous before he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, you see…"
Zelda sighed as they continued to trek their way through the shifting ankle-deep sand.
The sun was beating down on them and even though she held Ganondorf's jacket above her head with Link taking shelter beneath it with her she could still feel the sun's rays piercing through it.
Ganondorf on the other hand looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, a spring in his step as he took the lead.
Zelda understood his enthusiasm.
He was a desert creature by nature and being amongst the heat and sand felt like a welcome home to him.
Link made a disgruntled noise as he trudged along, miserable in the heat of the desert.
Zelda was sympathetic. She was getting sweaty in her clothes and hoped to find some shade soon.
"Look, a Voltfruit cactus!" Ganondorf called, pointing to a three-armed cactus that bore two spiked, red fruits.
"That's…great…"
Ganondorf plucked one of the fruits, peeling off the husk to reveal a pale, sticky flesh beneath it. He held it out to Zelda. "Try it."
Reluctantly, Zelda handed the jacket to Link so she could grab the fruit. She took a bite and was surprised the fruit was juicy and mildly sweet.
Ganondorf grinned. "Good, huh?"
Zelda nodded, shaking the juice off her hands then taking shelter under the jacket once more.
"You can also eat the flesh of the cactus and drink the water in it. You have to be careful though since there are copycat Voltfruit cacti."
How do you tell the difference? Link asked as Ganondorf peeled the second fruit.
"The fruit. The copycat is green." Ganondorf handed the fruit to Link. "But when you're dying of dehydration, you don't really double-check colors."
As Link devoured the Voltfruit, they continued on their way towards the ruins.
Along the way, Ganondorf would pause to point something out, explaining about it in detail before they continued walking.
What would have taken a half hour took an hour longer because Zelda didn't have the heart to ruin Ganondorf's good mood.
"You know a lot about the desert," Zelda said as the ruins began to loom in the distance. "How come? The desert surely isn't that similar to the past ones."
"When I was younger, I would join Draco in the market. I bought several books on the desert." Ganondorf shrugged. "Now I know why I was fascinated with it."
The ruins were tall walls made of what appeared to sandstone. Sections of the walls were broken, crumbled to the ground. Barely visible tapestries hung on either side of the entrance, flapping miserably in the wind.
As they passed through the entrance, Zelda realized the ruins were a town. She gazed around in awe.
What were once canals of water had dried up with the years. Palm trees withered. What appeared to be shops lining either side of the streets were destroyed and burned, the black markings smearing with golden stone. To the left was what seemed to be a pen filled with sand and Zelda wondered what sort of animal it had held. Crumbled in the middle of the roadway was an enormous boulder with a stem at the end.
As Zelda moved around it to see the rest of the town, she saw that it had once been connected to the building at the far end of the town center and must have fallen over from some sort of force.
Zelda shot a glance at Ganondorf to see his reaction. She could tell by the way it was built that it had to be Gerudo.
They were standing in the husk of the home Ganondorf had been stolen from.
Ganondorf was staring at the building in front of them impassively before he began to walk towards it.
Zelda quietly let him.
"I'll check out this side," she whispered to Link, gesturing to the left.
Link nodded.
The inside of the town was inexplicably cooler than the surrounding desert, but Zelda kept Ganondorf's jacket wrapped around herself.
Ganondorf slowly climbed the crumbling steps leading into the building at the back of the city, the hairs on his arms standing up as he took in a deep breath.
Two statues guarded the building's entrance but were broken off at the legs.
Looking off to the side of the stairs, Ganondorf saw the shattered mess of the remaining statues. He could make out what appeared to be a broad sword and facial features that reminded him of a Gerudo warrior.
Gerudo warrior statues watching the entrance made Ganondorf think that the person beyond was important.
As he passed through the threshold, he saw four more statues in similar states of disarray. A broken chair sat at the back, near openings that offered a view of the desert.
Ganondorf moved closer, his footsteps shifting into something soft.
He felt like he was disturbing a grave and it made him uneasy.
Faded, swirling Gerudo script was carved into the back of the chair.
Ganondorf ran his fingers down the broken piece as he tried to read what it said.
The written Gerudo language rarely changed as the people themselves were just as stubborn.
Gerudo. A resilient desert flower, facing the sun's gaze. Gerudo grows brilliant while others fade.
Ganondorf patted the stone gently as he stood up. "May the flames of Din light your way to peace."
To the left was what appear to be the barracks. Ganondorf could see smashed spears and shattered weapon racks. To the right was a sand pit with a chair. It appeared to be a pen but Ganondorf couldn't tell what it held. Stairs went up to the left so Ganondorf climbed them, entering a bedroom.
The bed was decimated, the posters broken. Everything was covered in dust. As Ganondorf came in further, he saw a smashed crib and burnt toys scattered around.
The dust coating the floor crackled under his feet as Ganondorf approached the crib, picking up one of the toys.
It was small and round and as Ganondorf brushed off the dust and soot he saw that it appeared to be brown in color with tusks and shiny obsidian gem eyes.
Rubbing it with his thumbs, Ganondorf gazed around the room.
He spotted something against the bed and set the toy gently on the floor before approaching the bed.
Even with dust covering it, the skeleton stuck out like a sore thumb.
Ganondorf took a step back in surprise, grabbing the handle of one of his swords as he waited for the Stalfos to leap at him.
When it remained still, Ganondorf relaxed and shifted a bit closer to the skeleton.
Faded jewlery decorated its arms and neck. What appeared to be a sword wound to the forehead was the obvious cause of death. The ribs were broken, but they were too clean to be an injury and Ganondorf realized that the person had been stabbed as well.
As Ganondorf leaned closer, he saw that there appeared to be something in the skeleton's hand. He knew it was wrong to disturb a body, but he was curious.
Gently prying open the skeleton's hand, Ganondorf pulled out the small piece of paper. It was faded but he could see it was a picture with a young woman holding an infant.
The woman had long red hair tied in a high ponytail and jewlery decorated her body. The ornate golden crown threaded into her hair indicated she was high stature.
Flipping the picture over, Ganondorf could see faded Gerudo written on the back.
Chief Naboris and her newborn son….
Ganondorf squinted but he could make out the rest of the letters.
As Ganondorf went to place the picture back with the skeleton where it belonged, the sockets of the skull lit up gold.
They locked gaze with Ganondorf then grabbed his wrist, bones digging into his skin.
My son…
Ganondorf tried to jerk away from the skeleton's grasp but fell still when a memory was shoved into his mind.
He was running up the stairs into the bedroom.
Outside, the crackling of fires and crashing of demolished stone could barely be heard above the fighting.
The infant was crying his crib and he had to make sure the child was safe.
"It's all right, my little desert sun. Mom is going to protect you."
As he reached down to pick the child up, he could feel the steel piecing though his back and out though the front of his chest when it pulled out, he grabbed the bleeding wound and stumbled away from the crib, facing the assailant.
At the threshold stood Rhoam, wielding a polished saber.
He cursed at the king in Gerudo as Rhoam lunged forward.
Zelda sighed as she wandered through what appeared to be a bar, being careful of the shattered glass that practically coated the floor. So far, she hadn't found anything that indicated someone lived there.
If there was any information on a temple, she was sure it had long since been destroyed.
With a sigh, Zelda left the bar and she paused as she passed through the doorway, realizing that the sun above had disappeared.
Looking up, she saw what appeared to be a storm swirling above the town, the epicenter above the building that Ganondorf had gone into.
The taste of ozone was palpable and as Zelda made a beeline for the building, a bolt of lightning struck the ground several feet away.
Link had seen the storm as well and was already near the building, staring up at the storm as more lighting crackled, charging the air with electricity.
"What's going on?" Zelda asked, shielding her eyes as the wind picked up, sand swirling around.
Link shook his head with a shrug. Don't know. It just appeared.
"Gan's in there. We need to check it out."
Link nodded.
Together, they headed into the building and began to search for Ganondorf. The wind was stronger inside the building, lightning striking more often.
Zelda pointed to the stairs leading to another floor and they headed up them, coming into a room where Ganondorf was kneeling.
Zelda was surprised that the strange electrical sandstorm appeared to be originating from him, wind spinning around his feet as electricity crackled around his body.
Zelda held up a hand at Link to keep him back then moved around Ganondorf to see what he was kneeling by.
It didn't take a genius to realize the skeleton was his mother, the picture Ganondorf gripped in his hands of a woman with a baby.
Ganondorf's eyes were charged with a bright gold light, but it wasn't a Malice light.
Still, Zelda was cautious so as not to startle him.
"Gan?" Zelda set a hand on his arm, ignoring the tingling sensation from the sparks. "Gan."
"He killed her," Ganondorf mumbled, not looking at Zelda or anything. "Stabbed her in the back."
Zelda knew Ganondorf was talking about Rhoam. She hadn't even thought about the possibility that he had personally had a role in the killings. Rarely did a king bloody their own hands.
"He killed all of them."
"I-I know," Zelda whispered. "It was an awful thing to do. It was brought about by fear and hatred and misunderstanding. It should never have happened."
"I should kill him."
"Gan, no. You're better than revenge. You know that and I know that. Revenge would only beget more hatred then more revenge. It would start a cycle that wouldn't end."
Ganondorf slowly looked at her and Zelda knew she was getting through to him.
"You can't change the past. All you can do is make a better future. Do you really think your mother would want you to take revenge for her and her people?"
Ganondorf glanced down at the picture in his hands.
He should have felt anger and the thirst for revenge that he could take against Rhoam, rightfully, for everything that the man had done. But revenge lead down a dark path and Ganondorf was too far into the light to step into those shadows.
All Ganondorf felt now was exhaustion and sorrow.
The wind slowly died down until it stopped completely and the electricity disappeared.
Ganondorf gripped the photo tighter as he began to shake. "She didn't deserve to be left here…she deserved a warrior's burial."
"I know." Zelda set a hand against the back of his neck to pull him closer.
Ganondorf did exactly as she expected, wrapping his arms around her and gripping her tightly, beginning to sob.
Link came up to them, kneeling down and placing a hand on Ganondorf's back.
Astrid appeared between Ganondorf and Zelda with a miserable rattle, snuggling against him to offer her own comfort.
After a while, once Ganondorf had calmed down, they figured out what they were going to do.
Ganondorf didn't want to move his mother's body yet. He wasn't sure where the tombs were and didn't want to be disrespectful to her spirit.
He did however take the picture and the small seal toy, setting them in the pocket of his jacket which Zelda had returned to him.
Astrid left a Korok flower in Naboris's hand to offer comfort for her.
Then they left the room quietly.
Zelda glanced up at Ganondorf as they walked silently.
He looked more tired than anything and she didn't blame him.
That had been a lot to absorb in such a short amount of time.
"What do you think we should do now?" She asked. "I don't think this place had any information on the temple."
"I don't either," Ganondorf muttered. "But perhaps there is something of use."
Link nodded. Maybe. Where would we go after this?
Ganondorf hummed, taking out his map to look at it. He pointed to a spot. "The Arbiter's Grounds. That was a temple during the Twilight Era. It may be a temple still."
"Are you sure it's the temple we have to go to?" Zelda asked.
Ganondorf shook his head. "No. But it's all we have to go on."
Zelda glanced at Link who shrugged.
He couldn't complain with Ganondorf's logic. It was at least worth checking out.
With little more to do, the three decided to explore the decimated town a bit more to see if they found anything of interest.
Everything was in poor shape and there appeared to be nothing of interest. If there had once been anything it was quite possible that it had been burned in the raid.
Ganondorf sighed as he looked up at the slowly setting sun. "I believe we should rest. It will be too cold and dangerous to travel the sands at night."
Zelda nodded.
They had wasted a day in the town that once held the Gerudo, but she supposed it wasn't truly a waste. It was Ganondorf's home after all.
As they sat down, Link pointed to something he had seen in a corner. I spotted something shiny.
"What is it with you and shiny stuff?" Ganondorf mumbled, standing reluctantly with Zelda.
They followed Link to what he had seen and the blond pointed it out.
Sitting in the corner harmlessly was a gold bangle inlaid with ruby and sapphire gems. It was polished to an impeccable sheen.
"A bracelet?" Zelda asked, reaching for the bangle.
Ganondorf grabbed her wrist. "Whoa, wait. Doesn't this scream suspicious? Look at how shiny it is compared to everything else. It's obviously a trap used to lure idiots and thieves."
"Then Link is a certified idiot," Zelda said, pointing to Link with her free hand.
Ganondorf whiled to see that Link had grabbed the bangle. "Link!"
Link gave a shrug, appearing confused at the response to an obviously easy way to make money.
As the bangle was removed from its resting place, Ganondorf could see the razor thin wire attached to it.
Before he could tell them that he was right, there was a thud from beneath them before the floor slid out from underneath their feet, dropping them into a tube.
The inside of the tube was made from sandstone and slicked with oil to prevent any way to stop their descent.
Ganondorf didn't even know how deep they were going before they were dropped into a net. He grunted when Zelda and Link landed on top of him and they became a mess of limbs as he tried to grab a sword to cut them free.
"Can you not be money hungry for ten seconds, Link?!"
Link gave a whine as he was elbowed in the face.
"Tajamad!"
At the sharp voice, the three stopped shoving and looked to see two females standing nearby, spears pointed at them.
The two were dressed identically in lightweight clothes, their red hair tied up in ponytails. One of the women had a deep brown tan while the other was lighter in color.
"Wasalna thlatht hadhih almara," the woman on the left muttered.
The second one nodded. "Athnan voe we vai."
Ganondorf understood the women's language.
Gerudo was a hard language to forget with its lilting, gritty tongue like the rasping desert sand.
These two women couldn't possibly be…they had all been murdered…right?
"Hal'ant Gerudo?"
The two women appeared surprised at Ganondorf speaking in their tongue, glancing at each other before looking back at him.
"Kayf tatakalam lughatina?" one asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Translations in order:
-Halt/Freeze
-We have three idiots
-two voe and a vai
-are you Gerudo?
-How do you speak our language?
