Chapter 16: Ganondorf, King of Thieves

Ganondorf's presence was as cold as the stare of the mysterious witch to his right.

Nabooru's heart burned with rage at him. Her anger was as fiery as the wild gaze of the witch to Ganondorf's left.

The fortress basked in silence. An army of cloaked men amassed behind Ganondorf and the witches, brandishing steel swords. Their hoods covered all their faces, save for their lifeless, blank eyes. It was difficult to know whether or not Ganondorf came to the Gerudos in peace, or to declare war against them.

The King of Thieves stepped forward. He scanned the Gerudos with his stony expression. Every Gerudo sister stood stiffly in organized rows.

"It's good to know that my women are ready to serve their king," Ganondorf said, his voice a deep and low growl. Ganondorf kept walking through the fortress' main hall, glancing about at his subjects. The Gerudo women stood unified, much like the army their king brought.

When Ganondorf made a pass at Nabooru, he paused. She was the only thief who stood alone, separating herself from the others.

"Nabooru," Ganondorf purred. "Did you lose your place?"

Nabooru felt every eye on her, staring. She refused to look Ganondorf in the eyes.

"I think I'm exactly where I need to be," Nabooru said.

She heard Ganondorf scoff. "I'm always so disappointed when I speak with you, Nabooru. Must you always defy me? You're incapable of knowing who your superior is."

"I'm second-in-command to you. You personally made it so. As far as I'm concerned, we have equal standing."

"I only permitted you to command the Gerudos in my absence. You are in charge when I am gone, but I am still the Gerudo king. You must always see me as such."

The fire overcame the cold feeling in Nabooru's bones. She darted her glare in Ganondorf's direction, unyielding in her energy.

"You've been failing us," said Nabooru. "Abandoning us for days, treating us as if we were nothing. I will never consider you as anything other than wrong for us."

The minimal smile Ganondorf possessed was gone. His lips were strict parallel lines sealed together like twin gates. He flared his nostrils while leaning closely to Nabooru, his aura like sulfur. Everything about him was furious and grim.

"Are you attempting a mutiny?" asked Ganondorf. "No one seems to be on your side." He looked out to the rest of the Gerudos, his arms widespread. "My thieves. If you are loyal to me, now would be the time to kneel."

Nabooru hoped against hope. To her dismay, she heard many Gerudo outfits ruffling as the mher sisters lowered themselves to the fortress' cold floor. They gazed at the sandstones, placing their palms on the gritty tiles. Their staffs and spears were laid by their sides, leaving every thief unarmed and helpless to the one who ruled them all. Nabooru's heart was wrenched. Ganondorf grinned.

"You have one chance," Ganondorf asked. "If you bow, I'll forget everything you've done and all you've just said. Then, we can move forward with our grand plan."

Before Nabooru could respond, she heard Mira hiss at her.

"Please bow." Mira's whisper quivered. "Nabooru, for Din's sake, set these hostilities aside. Dammit, we don't need it. Swallow your pride. Kneel."

"Did you find what you were looking for outside of our land?" Nabooru asked Ganondorf, as if she didn't hear her closest friend.

Ganondorf nodded with a victorious swagger in the gesture. "I successfully appeased King Arkanian's sensibilities. He considers us his allies now. I pressed the loftwing quill to the treaty yesterday. The ink is barely dry."

Nabooru looked at the eerie men behind Ganondorf. "Why do you bring an army?"

"I've set the stage for war with Hyrule."

Nabooru's jaw dropped. "War with Hyrule? You just signed a treaty."

"We were always going to get our revenge on the Hylians, Nabooru. They will always be our enemies." Ganondorf looked down at his skull helm, thumbing the soil off its surface. "The door has been opened for us to return to our former glory, the glory we had ages ago. We'll advance upon the city while the capital celebrates the newfound 'peace.' By the time they become aware of us, it will be too late. Hyrule Castle can be conquered in one fell swoop."

Nabooru stamped the ground. "You'll be the end of us all!"

Ganondorf's voice remained steady. "We will have the upper hand."

"Everyone will turn against us. Everything we worked for, that you were supposed to complete, will be ruined! We've tried to defeat the Hylians and we saw how that went. Arkanian defeated our armies after rallying everyone together."

"But we're not just going for Castletown, Nabooru. There's a great power out there, one I will obtain for myself."

"And what could that 'power' be?"

"The Triforce."

Silence returned to the room. Nabooru wasn't sure if she heard Ganondorf correctly. The Gerudo king seemed to wait for Nabooru's response, for the way her face suddenly changed at the declaration. When he seemed to find something he liked about Nabooru's confusion, he smirked.

"The golden power isn't around," said Nabooru. "It...it hasn't been seen by mortal eyes for centuries."

"I know where the Triforce is," said Ganondorf. "I need your assistance. If you bow to me, submitting to my will, I will make you my general. You will not just be my second-in-command, Nabooru. You will become my greatest asset, the one who will help me lead all these women to prosperity. Besides...don't you want to avenge our dear, beloved Deedra?"

The cold feeling overwhelmed Nabooru. Yes, she was scared of the man before her. His power was greater than anything she could have imagined. If Ganondorf was capable of finding the golden power, nothing could stop him. Fear took over almost every part of Nabooru's being. It was in control of all of her except for the heart.

In her heart, the fire kept ablaze. The sound of Deedra's name coming from his lips sickened her. It made her rage rise more than she could have expected from herself.

"Don't worry. It will pass."

Ishtar extinguished the healing room's torches after the voices called out. Once she closed the door, darkness filled the space, cloaking the three who hid in it.

Rebecca saw Ishtar's silhouette and even a hint of her golden eyes. She saw Trevor in his bed as well. He laid still, swaddled in his blanket.

"What's happening?" Rebecca whispered to Ishtar.

Ishtar seemed to gaze at the healing room's door, as if she were waiting for something.

"I sense conflict," Ishtar answered. "No one is physically fighting. There's just words. Pray for Nabooru, child..."

Rebecca already wanted Nabooru to come back, even if she was mad at her. Her hard feelings faded as soon as the strange voices came.

They were accompanied by a mass of auras that just felt...wrong. Bad. Evil.

The fortress became filled with evil somethings Rebecca couldn't name on the spot. Regardless, she wanted them to go away.

Rebecca quietly crept to the foot of Trevor's bed. She wanted him to wake up so she knew he was OK.

Trevor shifted every once in a while when everything was light. He groaned in his coma, from time to time. Ishtar said his soul was hurting and that was why he was like this. In the dark, he didn't move at all.

When Rebecca touched Trevor's foot, she shivered. He was cold—and not just physically. She began to understand what Ishtar meant. Like the bad somethings, this was awful as well. Trevor seemed distant and not all the way there.

Ishtar had a warm gentle aura about her. The mean guard Mira was a mixture of warm and cold, like didn't really know what she wanted.

Nabooru's aura was best. Kindness and strength surrounded her. Whenever Nabooru left Rebecca's side, sadness overcame her. When Nabooru returned, so did Rebecca's smile.

She knew her smile to be as warm as the good auras she sensed around her. She also knew that the Gerudos were good deep down, even if they strongly disliked her. None of them were evil at all.

Once Rebecca felt Nabooru's aura surging around her, she thought she returned. Good, she thought, I can say sorry now. For being mad. For being an 'omen.' For everything.

Then, she felt Nabooru's kind soul turn angry. She wasn't nearby. She was scared yet brave all at the same time. Many fearful souls stood around her. Nabooru faced a different type of aura all together. To call that aura evil was a lie...it was even worse than evil. It felt worse than anything Rebecca had ever known in her entire life.

Rebecca rushed toward the door. Ishtar tried to call her back into hiding.

"It's too dangerous!" she said in a hushed tone. "What are you doing?"

Rebecca didn't know...but she felt like something had to be done soon.

If not, Nabooru would be lost forever. Rebecca was sure of it.

The witches in black shuddered.

Their bony figures rattled, as if a cold breeze blew into the fortress and held them in place. Nabooru heard of the pair before. They were supposed to be mythical, but many legends turned out true over time.

Ganondorf had aligned himself with the black mages of the desert. Centuries ago, twins were born in the wasteland. Prophecies predicted their wickedness before they even came into this world. Horror stories followed for five hundred years.

Nabooru's heart leapt as the black mages looked up at the second floor. The witches acted as one, doing everything together.

"WHO COULD THAT BE?" they asked simultaneously.

Dammit, Nabooru thought to herself as Ganondorf took interest in what the witches said.

The Gerudo King raised an eyebrow as he directed his own sights on where Rebecca, Ishtar and the voe were. "Are you hiding something Nabooru? How deceitful of you."

"You will not speak to me of any deceit."

"I'm sure whatever is up there is against what we stand for. Koume...Kotake. What's up there, please?"

"It's more about who," said the witch with the shrill, icy voice. "Who is up there?"

"Two powerful souls," said the witch with the red jewel. "Souls that are not from here."

"I don't like your hags," said Nabooru.

"HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" the witches exclaimed. "WE ARE POWERFUL BEINGS!"

Nabooru drew out a dagger and made a stance. She kept her eyes on the foes before her, knowing full well what this meant. As Ganondorf took a step back and grimaced, the truth dawned on Nabooru; she just stood against the ruler of all her people...an act of treason.

Nabooru never felt more free.

"You're protecting two outsiders," said Ganondorf. "And you're also willing to kill me for their sake? Nabooru...I am truly dismayed. You're officially a traitor. There will be no more amnesty…" Ganondorf put down his skull helm and drew out a dagger of his own, one that matched his obsidian and gold armor. "Death awaits you, 'Lone Wolf.'"

"To hell with you," Nabooru snarled.

"You first."

The Gerudos all stood up. Their shock was visible, exposed, and out in the open. Some guards snatched their spears from the ground, pointing them toward the battle that was about to happen. Nabooru wasn't sure if they agreed with her treachery or felt a need to follow her into battle. Regardless, she knew she was alone in this. All she could do was keep her eyes on the monster before her.

"What are you waiting for?" Ganondorf flitted his knife without releasing it. The smile on his face mocked Nabooru; he took pleasure at making her angry, in causing her bad emotions. "Come after me. Let's see if you're as good as the mentor you always looked up to."

Those last words were enough. Nabooru couldn't remember the steps between her starting position and the place she stopped at when she lunged for Ganondorf's throat. His blade turned sideways, blocking the precise attack toward his neck. Nabooru strained against his firm defense, her eyes brimming with fury.

"A fine warrior," said Ganondorf, his voice unchanged. "Just like all the rest. Better than anyone here, honestly. That's what makes it a shame."

Ganondorf pushed Nabooru back. The thief stumbled but kept her footing. She wouldn't allow that again. With a different strategy, Nabooru went after Ganondorf again. This time, the desert king dodged the attack, stepping aside so Nabooru only sliced at mere air and nothing else.

The back-and-forth continued. Nabooru would try to end the fiend before her, only to be denied the pleasure. Ganondorf would make retorts and Nabooru would be toyed with. It wounded her pride, honestly. Nabooru wanted to be valiant, to live up to Deedra's memory, but here she was battling a man she ended not being a match for.

Soon, Ganondorf struck back. He made small cuts on Nabooru's skin to start off with, countering her attacks with a speedy slice. The pain seared, but Nabooru persisted in battle. However, Ganondorf made one too many slices for her to bear and drove the dagger into her shoulder. When the blade drove through the muscle, Nabooru started to feel numb. She barely heard the scream she let out.

As Ganondorf pulled away, Nabooru nearly fell to her knees. Her vision was overwhelmed with uneasy swirls of color; they spun in front of her eyes like erratic ribbons, aimlessly darting about until darkness started to take over. Before pure blackness consumed her, Nabooru stood up straight, refusing to fall. She faced Ganondorf, even with her dagger fallen to the ground.

The desert king looked at the blood on his knife. The black steel was tinted with crimson droplets. Some of the blood dribbled onto the floor, joining the dagger at his feet. Ganondorf's piercing stare seemed sharper than his weapon. It tore through Nabooru in different ways, invading her mind, tearing away at her thoughts to find the doubts hidden within them.

"You can at least surrender. Then, I can execute you with dignity. Your sisters don't want to see you die like this."

"Don't make your stupid speech with me," Nabooru said, pressing her hand against her wound. Blood pooled, clotting against her palm.

Ganondorf shook his head. "Every once in a while...after many suns and moons, someone feels the need to come after me. They envy my power, or question my methods. They get too ideological. You, Nabooru...you're one of them. You get too ideological. You're just like the last traitor."

Nabooru couldn't sense the world anymore. Her heart sounded more audible than ever before. Ganondorf's words were leading to the truth and though it meant her suspicions could finally subside, she lamented that it might be too late to get revenge.

"You're just like Deedra," said Ganondorf. "She rebelled against me during the war, right on the battlefield without hesitation. I commended her courage, as I do yours. She deserved a reward, and I'm giving you the same. Today, Nabooru, you will join your dear mentor in hell."

Nabooru balled both fists together. "You will never say that name again," she said. "If you know what's good for you. Did you kill her child as well?"

Ganondorf scoffed. "Her whelp was nowhere in sight, quite honestly. It didn't matter to me. The war was not something you could survive. Many men, women and children died by my hand, even more than you could have ever known. Why do you think I amassed this army?" He gestured toward the mysterious soldiers behind him. "They worked in the shadows, taking the lives of those who threatened me. For ten years, I planned to regain influence. Soon, the whole world will be in my clutches. A pity you will not see the day. Your sisters seem to have a better sense of things."

Nabooru didn't have to look around. The Gerudos were backing down. Mira was already looking away from the sight. This was fine. Nabooru would rather die than bow to tyranny.

"If they follow you," said Nabooru. "They're lost. I love them, but they're lost...I will never bow to you, Ganondorf. You are not fit to be king."

"Brave words to say," said Ganondorf. "At the end." He stepped toward Nabooru, his blade pointed at her. More of her blood spilled and Nabooru wanted to make sure her death was worth it. Hopefully the children upstairs would survive. Nabooru closed her eyes.

"Leave her alone."

All eyes in the hall looked at the fiery-haired girl on the stone steps. She seemed to tremble as she stood above the fray. Rebecca still had her chains on, but she gathered them well enough to hide her movement as she made her way into the main hall. She halted herself in the middle of the climb, glaring at Ganondorf. Her eyes knew no visible fear because her trembling came from anger.

"Rebecca, no!" Nabooru turned to the girl and tried retrieving her. Ganondorf's grip stopped her as he held her back. He grabbed her by the side of her neck and pressed the blade's tip against her throat.

"Mothers," said Ganondorf. "Is that...one of the powerful souls you spoke of?"

The black clad witches nodded fervently, as if they had found the Triforce already. They twiddled their fingers together with sick glee.

"Yes," said the witch with the red jewel.

"I sensed our failure in our spell on the other dimension," said the witch with the blue jewel. "We must not have been precise, my lord. Forgive us. We'll redeem ourselves."

"I'm unsure of what you speak of…" Ganondorf glared at the girl. "But my...you look like a Gerudo. Mixed race. A few whelps of your type run around the village. It sickens me."

"Stay away from Nabooru." Rebecca's voice sounded as sharp as the blades held by all the room's warriors.

"Little whelp." Ganondorf slowly pricked Nabooru's skin, drawing more blood. "This one's fate is sealed. And soon, you and the other 'soul' will follow. No one will stop me. Not a single person."

"Stop it…" Rebecca's body convulsed. All the Gerudos felt uneasy. Nabooru started to sense what could happen next...and realized this might be good.

"You're an amusing whelp indeed." Ganondorf raised his blade above his head. He was going to aim for Nabooru's heart, just like he did to Deedra ten years ago. On that day, Nabooru wept over her mentor's body, wondering what blade could have ended her. She recognized Ganondorf's signature kill and kept the secret to herself for a decade, needing proof of his evil.

"Nabooru, you teach rebellion well...for that child at least. Now, gain the reward you earned."

"I SAID STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

It was the ground that moved first. Tremors rattled the fortress, causing rubble to rain down on the room. The stronghold didn't collapse, but the power resonating through it continued with a great surge. Light grew from Rebecca's body, rising like smoke out of fire, only for the vapors to become flames as well. The Gerudo warriors suddenly picked up their spears, alarmed by what they had feared; the demonic spirit that appeared in the wasteland. They kept their eyes on the aberration, afraid of what it would do to them all.

Then, they saw the face; it was fierce and determined. It resembled a Gerudo woman with long, unbound hair that flailed freely in a liberating wind. She gripped a pair of blades unlike any other. They were crossed over her heart and Nabooru recognized the stance before. The look was undeniable.

For the Gerudos…

The voice was perfect in its imitation. It was more than just a replica of what was real. What everyone witnessed in the Gerudo fortress was the return of a great spirit. This wasn't a demon. It was a good soul acting on a child's behalf. On Rebecca's behalf.

It was the soul of Deedra, the Gerudo General who never betrayed.

"Great Din," Nabooru heard Mira whisper. "Nabooru, you were right…"

Even the black clad witches were shocked. They didn't just look at the spirit surrounding Rebecca. They were looking at the girl the soul rose from.

"The elementals," they said at the same time, their voices a unison humbled whisper. "They've returned…"