Chapter two

The blackness of unconsciousness was receding and Ganondorf could feel the burning pain from the deep gouges on his face. As he groaned and moved his face, The dull burn flared to intense white hot pain as his wounds rubbed the ground. He forced his eyes open as he pushed himself up and saw that he lay on a carpet of rich green grass. There were traces of dried blood on the vibrant grass from where he'd bled on it, 'Where am I? Shouldn't I be floating in an ocean?'

His pointed ears soon picked up the gentle sound of lapping water and he realized that he must be on one of the numerous islands in the Hyrulian sea. The sound of lapping water caused him to realize that his mouth and throat felt raw from the raging thirst that inflicted him. The rawness of his throat also led him to realize that his skin felt too warm as though a fire burned inside of his body. The water meant he would be able to cool his hot skin and he turned toward the sound only to discover it was a mere pond. Beyond the pond was a flat plain of green grass that was occasionally dotted by brush and rocks.

The pain of his thirst made him not care about the landscape and only the cool looking waters. He tried to climb to his feet but found himself too weak and he was forced to crawl over to the pool. Even though it was only a short distance, His weakness and thirst made it seem like hundreds of miles. At last he knelt next to the pool, He gazed down at the mirror like surface and recoiled back from the stranger he saw in his reflection.

Gone was his olive colored skin that proclaimed him Gerudo and in it's place was the pale white skin of the inferior Hylians. Gone were his blazing golden eyes and in their place was a set of brown eyes that only held a tinge of gold in them. Also gone was his vibrant orange hair that all Gerudo had, It seemed to have darkened to a reddish brown color that made him scowl. Across his face were four deep gouges that were clotted with blood and the pale skin around them was an angry red color. He stared at the reflection that told him that the king of the Gerudos was gone.

His fist struck the surface of the pond sending ripples across the vile reflection, "He cannot have done this to the great – Dorf!" He froze as the name Ganon refused to precede his name, "– Dorf! – Dorf!"

He shook his head with a growl of disgust. Ganon couldn't have taken his name! It had been his before the creature had come to him and given him power. He stared at the waters in disbelief and tried to say his name again, "I am – Dorf! I am – Dorf!"

It didn't matter how many time he tried to say his name, all that emerged was the foul name Dorf. His eyes flashed as anger welled up in his veins and competed with the warmth he'd felt before he'd seen his reflection. The waters had calmed back down so that he could see his disgusting reflection once more and he glared at it in defiance, "I will take back what that creature has taken!"

As he looked at the waters, he felt the dryness in his throat return to the forefront and cupped his hands together to dip them into the water. A delightful coolness spread over his hands as he submerged them and he was tempted to plunge himself into the pond. He fought back the feeling and brought the water that had gathered in his cupped hands up to his parched lips. The icy coolness filled his mouth and trickled down his throat as he drained the water from his hands.

He dipped out several more handfuls until he'd quenched his thirst and then tried once more to climb to his feet. The anger that was filling his body gave him the strength to stand and he looked around at his surroundings. The sea of grass stretched out before him while behind him lay gently rolling hills. The nakedness of the plains made him turn toward the low hills and headed toward them, 'I'll find a way to regain what was lost!'

It had been hours since he'd left the pond and the fire of his anger had died away while the other flame began to consume him. The heat had sucked away whatever moisture that he'd drunk back at the pond. His lips had become cracked and now bled as he felt his muscles begin to tremble from exhaustion.

He crested a hillock and lost his balance so that he tumbled down the slope on the other side. Ganondorf rolled to a stop near the bottom of the hillock and lay there too tired to even try to get up. His mind was filled with the haze of pain and ghosts from his memories that tormented him. He closed his eyes as he felt his stomach churn and nausea bubble up inside of him, 'So this is how the great Ganondorf will die...Alone... and with an inferior name...'

Before the blackness of unconsciousness consumed him once more, he thought he heard someone shout at him, but could not be certain. He allowed himself to be swept away by the nightmares out of his past and delusions created by his fevered mind...