AN: Sorry it's been so long, but you know how it goes, school, work…anyway, I apologize. This was a very difficult chapter to write with a lot of things to cover in it. I think I'll just let you read and draw your own conclusions; it's easier that way. But, like always, if you have a question, please ask me.
Chapter Twenty-four: Shadow to Light
"Ganondorf's body has been prepared for burial, Zelda. What are your wishes with him?" Impa said calmly after all of the Sages and Link had been assembled in the king's study, which Zelda guessed had become her study.
"Burn his rotting carcass and throw it into a bog," sneered Nabooru. "It's all that he deserves. I doubt the earth would even take him. Certainly the sand will not."
"Nor the mountains," Darunia was loath to add.
"And the forest."
"Not even the water could wash away his sins."
"The people know that he's here, they'll be expecting action. Besides, any place in Hyrule is unsafe. You know as soon as he is laid somewhere, others will be there to defile and disturb it." Link put in.
"So? Let them do as they like! The People will want satisfaction, and that's tearing apart Ganondorf limb by limb. Perhaps we should give it to them," Nabooru's suggestion was met with the shaking of heads.
"It cannot be that way, the People are not a part of this." Zelda said firmly and conversation ceased momentarily.
The issue of where to lay Ganondorf's remains was sensitive, and Zelda had thought long and hard on it. If only she could scatter his ashes into the wind and be rid of him! She thought, but it could not be that simple, not when the man who was dead was Ganondorf himself. Zelda toyed with a small band on her finger, a simple trinket of her mother's that had been left for her long ago. The thin gold band, unadorned of any precious stone but wrought with an intricate pattern, glittered in the sunlight and worked quite well in distracting her from the debates of her companions. Turning it slowly, Zelda watched the gleam run along the top rim, the light pure and flawless. It was a perfect circle and she twisted it on her finger until it had made one more full rotation.
A full circle.
'Then believe in thyself child for thou wilt lead them to victory. All things will come full circle'…Zelda sat in trance watching the little band of gold, remembering Nayru's voice as she had spoken in the vision.
There was an old woman kneeling at the foot of an unlit funeral pyre, crying bitterly. A figure was covered with a shroud and lay on top of the platform silent with death.
"We weep for the lost. We mourn the departed." Nayru said. The cloth fell and the face of Ganondorf came into clear view. "Will thou not weep for the innocent?"
Ganondorf's body was engulfed by the flames that had appeared in an instant and the old woman still wept bitterly at his side, face buried in her hands. The woman looked up and let out such a scream of agony that the stars above seemed to shake at her call.
What is this woman's purpose, Nayru? Zelda wanted to ask. She is so wretched, and cries as if she has lost a son…
Zelda found herself lost in the vision again, but it was changed slightly and this time she took notice of the details not given before.
She was standing on top of a high cliff overlooking a small village. The lights of the homes glittered on the dark waters of the lake below and black stretches of trees crawled all around the rim of the valley. Zelda had never seen this place in Hyrule before, and yet something told her that it was a place of great importance. But how could this rustic town be of any significance to them in this great hour of need?
"Everything has already been set in motion, the circle only has to be completed," Nayru said. Zelda spun around to see the Great Goddess robed in blue. She came toward Zelda and stood beside her, watching the twinkling lights of the buildings below.
"How do I complete the circle, Lady?" Zelda asked in earnest. Nayru looked down upon her with Her deep, saddened eyes, and reached out to cup one side of Zelda's pale face. Zelda felt new strength flow into her as the Goddess's hand lay on her cheek, and her eyelids fluttered closed.
"Bring him home, Child. Bring him home." Nayru spoke softly as the vision faded away and Zelda came back to the waking world. She snapped back to attention, unaware of how long she had been absent, and now each of the others watched her curiously.
"Zelda?" asked Link, leaning over his knees in interest and looking at her inquisitively with Navi (who had since returned, much to his heart's relief) perched on the top of his chair. The bandage for the wound on Link's face had come off by now, and everyone could see for the first time in a week the way the jagged little scar snaked up from his lip, and then a second extending from chin to cheek. Nabooru liked the look on him, made him look dangerous too, rather than just being dangerous. Thoughts were still flying to and fro in Zelda's mind and Link watched as she sought to assemble them.
"What about Eidua?" Zelda said cautiously, hoping she understood what the Goddess had shown her. In that moment of time when Nayru had touched her face, a flood of images came upon her, all of that same valley with its lake and cliffs and trees; Zelda knew that this would be the place where the body of Ganondorf could be laid to rest.
"That valley where the small band of Gerudo were discovered?" Ruto inquired curiously, cocking her head to one side at Zelda who appeared to be a bit lost.
"You mean those half-breeds?" Nabooru stepped in defensively. "What have they got to do with it?"
Gerudos live in that valley. Ganondorf was Gerudo. Nayru, where are You leading us? I think that I am guessing, but I am afraid of the answer…Zelda's mind was reeling.
"It is secluded, is it not?" Zelda continued. "The people have nothing to do with it." Or do they, Lady?
"Secluded, aye, that it is, but I don't think those people want to be brought into this, nor do I feel we should bring them," said Darunia slowly.
"Has anyone been to Eidua before we even consider this?" Saria pointed out logically. "Link, surely you must have gone?"
"No, there was never any reason for me to go and I was busy here," Link replied shortly and wrung his calloused hands together, taking care of his still tender right palm. The mention of the valley unsettled him for some reason. There was a faint feeling in the back of his mind that he knew something of that place, but he did not understand how or why.
"If none of us have been there, what makes you think that we should take Ganondorf there?" Ruto said.
"He will be safe there," Zelda returned as she sat rigidly in her chair. Link watched her closely and could see that she was not telling all. The others must have seen this too, but knew they should say nothing.
The day was waning already and they had been in this room since morning without a break. Zelda watched Link slump in his seat trying to hide the fact that his wounds still hurt him. Navi still perched near his head and Saria sat by his side with her small child's hand resting on his forearm. Ruto was gazing absentmindedly out the window, her body curled up on the window seat and her chin propped up on her hands. Even Darunia looked anxious, no longer sitting but standing near his chair with arms crossed and eyes watching the floor. Nabooru was active in her habitual pacing around the room and Impa sat beside Zelda, vacant eyes half hidden behind drooping lids though Zelda could see that the Shadow Sage was still very much alert. Hours of talk had produced little and Zelda felt that it was time to end this.
"What I see," Impa began slowly, rousing out of her long silence suddenly, "is that a place is needed where we have both secrecy and indifference. Eidua has both."
"I do not see a reason to involve the half-breeds," Nabooru spoke up again. "I agree with Darunia, don't bring them into this, it will only create problems…for everybody."
"We have been here since morn and still we have no answer, I am getting tired, Nabooru, we are tired, and time is not our own and a decision must be made tonight!" the strain in Zelda's voice was becoming all too familiar lately.
"Then why waste time any longer?! Just burn the bastard and get it over with!"
Slamming her fist down on the table, Nabooru shocked the stillness in the room. She spun around to Link, who was leaning over his knees and had his face buried in his hand.
"Link, you agree with me Kid, don't you? He doesn't deserve any of this! Nobody cares how he's done away with, just so long as it's done!"
Link raised his head slowly, cautious almost. He had said so little this entire time, only sat and listened and watched. His blue eyes were stormy, not clear as usual, and at first he did not seem to see any of them standing there, waiting for his answer. Link quickly focused on Nabooru, and then angled his head to look at Zelda, then Saria.
"I think you're right," he forced out finally and there was a darkness in his voice that made Nabooru pleased. "He's not worth this, not worth our time. Look!" Link upset and his chair, Navi, and nearly Saria's chair as he bolted up and went to the window where the last of the afternoon light was fading away. "We've already wasted a day on all of this nonsense! Think what we could have accomplished today? Kakariko still needs aid; the town is just beginning to recover. Our energy should be spent elsewhere, not on him."
"Link! How can you be saying this?" Ruto gasped. "This isn't like you at all!"
"Damn right it's not like me, how can any of us stay the same when that monster tore our lives apart!" Link snapped.
"Link, enough!" The Shadow Sage barked and the Hero fell silent. Nabooru went over to him and clasped him with one hand on the shoulder, then looked solemnly to Zelda who still sat in her father's high backed chair.
"You know how we feel on this, we've said our piece. I think we'll bid you good night for today. Come on Link." And with that she strode out of the room with her Gerudo head high and her flaming hair swaying behind her. Link slowly followed but turned to look back at Zelda and the rest before disappearing behind the doorway.
***
Plans were made to ride out the next day with secrecy and speed. A false body would be burned in a public display to distract the citizens while Zelda, Link, and Nabooru rode out with a small company of men-at-arms bearing Ganondorf's prepared body, now slung across the strongest work horse in the castle stables. Impa and the others were to stay behind and rule in Zelda's absence. No one knew that the castle was to be left without its queen, and Zelda planned to keep it so. This excursion must not be found out.
Nabooru had sent word to Tiamra and she was to meet them at the valley entrance in three days hence and would travel into Eidua with them.
Ganondorf was first, and will end, as a Gerudo problem…Nabooru told herself.
The ride across the Field was uneventful and the weather stayed temperate. At night they rested the horses, set a meager camp (though a queen, Zelda did not allow any extras to be taken for her), and slept. On the third day as planned, Tiamra, who had taken some risk to herself and traveled alone, met them at the entrance of Eidua Valley. The greetings were brief and formal, and Tiamra and Nabooru conversed softly to themselves in their own tongue. Whatever was said between was never known or asked.
As they made their way up through the rising rock face to the tunnel entrance, two more men were met and they bolted up in salute. Link looked in surprise to find that they were Royal Messengers; in fact they were Haro and Toron, two men Link had traveled with before.
"Greetings, Queen. We are pleased to see that you have arrived unharmed. Without a proper escort, we were both a bit unsettled waiting for your coming," bowed Toron respectfully.
"Out party is well, Sir Toron," Zelda replied politely as she could while trying to hide her physical and mental fatigue. "It has gone well then? I know that it was brash to come without knowing word from you, but our task is urgent, as you know." Anticipating an ill answer, Zelda continued with renewed concern. "You let them know that we have brought compensation in exchange for this favor? Or will give them almost anything to persuade them?"
"Aye, aye, my Lady," Haro cracked into a pleasing smile, "all is well. I believe once they understood that this could benefit them, they were more willing."
"I hope that we did not come across as desperate, however," no matter though, Zelda still felt pleased and relieved. "You told them exactly what I said to you, right?"
"Aye, Lady," both men nodded. "They do not rightly know who they are taking in, only that agreeing to our request is in their favor."
"Good, we shall rest here for a short time, before continuing then."
After the horses were given a respite from their burden of baggage (and the body of a great fallen king, who's deeds and malice would forever scar the history of Hyrule) Link went to speak with Zelda, whom at the time was stroking her horse's neck and speaking kind, soft words to her.
"How could you have planned all this so quickly? Haro, Toron…they couldn't have ridden so fast as to have been to the valley already and were then waiting for us." Link, though in wonder of how quickly Zelda was adapting to her new role as Queen, was somewhat offended that he was not included in this information.
"I sent out two messengers as soon as you left the council," Zelda replied calmly and turned to look him straight in the face. "They left before the sun sank that day." She watched his expression change as he thought over this decision.
"Hm, well then, at least we seem lucky so far," Link said somewhat curtly and walked away to talk with Haro. Zelda could see his irritation in the stiffness of his stride, but that was his own burden and for the moment she had too many of her own to deal with his. If he wanted to be difficult in this, so be it. If anyone, she admitted, he deserved to be.
***
The light broke at the end of the tunnel and the blue sky again opened above them. Link squinted in the sunlight and raised an arm to shield his eyes as the party rode down through the winding path of rocks and natural stonewalls. A strange feeling came over him as he saw the valley of Eidua lying before him, almost like he had seen it once before in a dream long ago. He shook it off. As they reached the valley floor, members of the village were already there to meet them. Link looked around at the faces and noticed that they watched him with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. He did not know much about these people, beyond that they were of Gerudo decent, a broken fraction of the Gerudo Nation that had taken up in this valley some forty odd years ago. Yet somehow…somehow their faces seemed familiar to him…
The Party was shown a place in which they could rest and stay the night, a solidly built, clean building on the outskirts of the settlement. Ganondorf was to be dealt with the next evening and in the meantime they were brought food and drink and Men from the village met with Zelda to finalize the burial plans. Not once was it asked why such care must be taken on behalf of one man, and it was better that they did not ask. They seemed to have an understanding that some things had a right to remain hidden.
Link soon became restless while waiting for Zelda to finish, so he slipped outside to take in some air. A peculiar breeze came up and encircled him as soon as he stepped out the door and he closed his eyes in welcome to it. He felt his skin prickle and he noticed the wind had a distinctive scent to it, one that was painfully familiar to him and yet he could not place it. Of all the odd things he had thought of before, Link was almost certain that it smelt female. The wind seemed to push him away from the building and before Link realized it he found himself walking toward the village.
"Hey, Kid, where are you going?" Link turned to find Nabooru walking toward him. The wind had blown itself out and Link suddenly felt very alone. When he did not respond and just stared at her, Nabooru raised an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't go wandering about in town if I were you," she said. "No good comes from complicating things, we're just here to get rid of some bad baggage, that's all. Now come on, Zelda is finished and wants to talk with you."
***
Night came slowly on the second day; the sun dragged lazily across the sky as if it were determined to prolong Zelda's discomfort. But darkness did come and soon their small party and a dozen or so of the half-breeds were winding their way up from the valley floor to the top of the cliff where a pyre had already been constructed. As Zelda's sight cleared the top of the precipice her breath caught in her throat. It was exactly how it had appeared in her vision. The night sky loomed above them dotted with pale white stars and the cold, solitary moon floated in its dark sea. Zelda shivered under Its hard, white glow.
Ganondorf's body was laid down atop the platform and Zelda directed the two Men-at-Arms to light the base. The fire crackled and hissed as it ate over the dry wood and soon it became a roaring blaze. Ganondorf's dark silhouette flickered in and out of view as the fire rose higher and higher into the night sky. Everyone looked on silently, most of them unaware of the terrible deeds the man burning before them had committed, and Zelda felt a single tear slid down her cheek.
It is over…after everything, every loss, it is finally over…
She reached up to brush the stray tear away, but as she did she thought she caught a glimpse of a woman in blue out of the corner of her eye, and she turned. Zelda knew her eyes must have played a trick on her for there was no one there save her own company and the people of the village, and yet something, rather, someone now caught her eye.
She was an aged woman, no less than five and fifty years, with strong Gerudo features and faded hair that had at once been a beautiful red. As Zelda stared at her, images began to appear in her mind that she did not recognize. She could not stop them however, and her mind was forced by some power to open and the stream of memories came trickling in.
A young Gerudo woman lay writhing on a bed in labor. Her screams ring out through the little room and a young Hylian man kneels at her side, clutching her hand tightly. Sweat soaks the sheets and her hair, turning the brilliant red color of it dark and slick. The young man's face was drawn and worried, each scream made him cringe, but he spoke softly to her and stroked her head until the last cry rung out and the babe was born.
"A son, we have a son…" The young man holds his child, staring at him in disbelief.
"Let me see him, let me see him," the woman reaches for him weakly and the young father places the child in her arms.
The memory begins to fade, and as it leaves to be replaced by another, Zelda hears the new mother sob joyously.
"A son, a son, Great Goddesses, it is a son…"Painfully, Zelda began to understand the meaning of Nayru's words.
The woman of Your vision…the plan that You sought out for me to fulfill…Complete the circle, bring him home…
A new memory invaded Zelda's thoughts, this one filled with anguish. The Gerudo Fortress loomed before her and many Gerudo were gathered outside. The young woman was there, holding tightly onto her child, and many people were shouting.
"Traitor! Liar! How dare you come back to us with this after you turn your back on your sisters!" It was Koume and Kotake who were speaking, inciting the others into a riot.
"I speak the truth! See my son and know it! How can you deny that he is not our future king?" The young mother shouts passionately.
"Traitor! Traitor! You have already chosen your fate; go back to your Hylian lover! You shall be banished, traitor!"
The memory shifts and Zelda sees an empty cradle overturned, tiny blankets askew. The young mother lay weeping next to it and her husband stood with sword in hand in the doorway.
"They've taken him…they've taken our son…"
The final memory came of a small band of Gerudo leaving the Fortress. The young Gerudo mother is at its head and she is childless. They depart from their old home, never to return.
And now Zelda returned to herself, and she looked upon the old woman in a new light. More tears fell from Zelda's eyes as she watched the woman look on the burning pyre indifferently. She did not know…and never should she know…the child that she bore and lost…
Ganondorf's past…I had never thought before…
A man came to stand beside the woman, and Zelda saw that he took her hand.
The father as well…oh Nayru!
Pamiea now noticed the young queen staring at her and met her gaze eye to eye. The firelight cast shadows on her face in such a way that for a moment her age seemed to melt away and she looked youthful once more, like the young mother of long ago. Zelda had to turn away for her heart was breaking with pity.
I have paid my enemy this final kindness, Nayru, Farore, Din; I have brought him home to a mother and a family who never knew him. I've done as you've asked. I have completed the circle. I did not realize until now how far reaching Your plot was, or how easily you play chess with all of our fates…
Zelda could not remain any longer; the heat from the flames suddenly was too much for her to bear. She retired back to the village, but did not sleep. This ordeal had left her shaken to the very core, confused, and she was unsure what to feel. They rodeo out early the next morning and the pyre at the top of the cliff was stiff smoking in the growing light. Zelda came to a decision then and there that this information would die with her. No good would come out of others knowing that the mother and father of Ganondorf still lived. She would forget this place and this night.
AN: The next section of this story may seem like it's going in an different direction that you would expect, but trust me, it WILL come back to a place (*cough*person*cough*) you're familiar with. Hm, whoa, spas there, sorry :) But hopefully it'll be just as interesting. I've been home sick for the last four days and have been watching my Gargoyle videos for last two hours. They make me very happy and I have every episode (all 60 episodes and then most of the Goliath Chronicles) recorded. It's such a great cartoon, one of my silly indulgences. I was laughing really hard when one of the characters made a reference to Kafka and roaches because I actually know what they're talking about now and never paid attention to that line before. I'm telling you, Disney made one pretty sophisticated show :)