-Mitagi Fortress, Great Hall-
Ganondorf raised his head as the door to the main hall opened. Behind it, the Majora stood on one side, and the Mitagi stood on the other. Both groups pointedly avoided looking at each other. There was a deep rift set between them, a rift created by a history of kings, demons, and betrayals. It was a rift that manifested itself in Ganondorf's being both literally and figuratively, in so far as how well he knew of his birth. Were the Great Bird of Qin there, he may have been able to keep the peace between them, but as it was, there was no other among the Mitagi who was ever respected by the Majora. And as if by the ironic hand of fate, it was because of his death that set them on this divided path, and it would have been his life that kept them appeased. Now, the only one among the Qin, the Majora, and Fae respected was the High Heir Apparent Zelda.
Ganondorf felt for the Zelda. She was a young one who had to determine who she would alienate. It was a pity, he thought. She was ambitious and with potential. He would have liked to see what she would become, but now he wondered if he would live to see the next day. And even if he did, he wondered if he would accept it. He didn't know. Living as a broken example of an adoptive father for Malon didn't appeal to him. Being a dishonored exile left him with no hope, and being a leader to a clan sat worse and worse in him. Leading a clan would only bring them down with him.
Through the door behind him entered the Heir Apparent of Qin. Her escort included a number of Mitagi guards plus Link. The doors closed, and out of the corner of Ganondorf's eye, he saw the Guardian Assassin watching from against a wall.
Zelda settled herself at the table in front of Ganondorf. She shared a brief whisper with Lord Geoffrey, and he nodded. She passed along a paper, and upon reading it, his eyebrows lifted in surprise. He looked back at Zelda, and she nodded.
Following this silent exchange, Zelda rose to her feet and said, "I thank the Mitagi for their hospitality, and the Majora for trusting in me. You have both given me much to think about, and so I have deeply pondered the nature of justice and mercy this night. Justice requires not equal payment for a crime, but increased payment to set an example for others. This can even mean a punishment many times greater than the crime. In this way, fear of the law is created so the people may not trespass. In reverse, mercy is the same. It will spare all debt from a crime, even in an extreme case, so as to show understanding, gentleness, and offer hope or a second chance. I have also considered the ones to whom punishment truly belongs. I have considered how some are punished for no fault while those who should be are ignored."
Zelda took a deep breath while the scrolls were handed out to the people. "For the heresy of creating a demon, the punishment from the divine is not one I can ignore. The punishment can only be death."
Ganondorf closed his eyes. So this was it for him, he thought. Death. He couldn't argue. She was right. Monsters were hunted by the Majora, and he was now chief among them.
"So my decision is of multiple things. First, the Dragmire clan shall not be faulted for the actions of their elders any longer. Death, humiliation, and slavery has been their punishment for these past twenty years. I would say that not only have they suffered enough for a crime only a few conspired to, but there are now those who are being born into this punishment… including Lord Ganondorf Dragmire.
"I say that all Dragmire slaves across Qin shall be gathered to the Majora and freed. Naturally, if a Dragmire committed a crime outside of the summoning of a demon, they will still be held accountable. But I judge all Dragmire, save for the elders, innocent."
Ganondorf slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head towards Zelda. He could barely express his shock. All around him, the Mitagi and Majora also grew amazed, but with wide eyes and gaping jaws.
She was sparing the Dragmire? Ganondorf wanted to ask. For twenty years they were scorned as demon worshippers, slaves, and the most sinful of people. Ganondorf was utterly speechless. Never had he expected Zelda to come to such a decision. Never in his life had he considered a source of salvation to come from the enemies he was raised to remember and despise.
However, Zelda was not done stating her decision. "Ganondorf Dragmire's intentions were for Qin, but he was transformed against his will. In the same way, he was born with a power that was not his nor his decision to bear. We do not allow demons into this world, and so someone must die."
All were silent as she uttered these words. Some Majora hung their heads. Ganondorf realized this was it now. His people would be offered hope, but he would die.
"The ones to conduct the demonic ritual, the elders of Dragmire, Harken Dragmire, and the twin-witches of Majora, shall be executed," Zelda concluded.
"What?!" Ganondorf barked. His eyes snapped to his twin mothers. The Majora and Mitagi looked equally surprised, but unlike him, they did not immediately react. "You can't!"
"Enough out of you, boy!" The twins exclaimed. "If you are ever going to listen to us for a single time in your life, make it now!"
Ganondorf growled at them. "You think I'm just going to accept this?"
"You can," The first twin said.
"And you will," The second concluded.
"Mitagi," Zelda said, "will you accept their execution as recompense?"
The Mitagi spent a minute whispering among themselves. The high priest glared at Ganondorf Dragmire, but he held his tongue. Finally, the Mitagi representative said, "We accept the lives of the Majora witches as the conclusion to this trial, but the freedom of the Dragmire slaves is-"
"Not up for debate," Zelda declared coolly. "This is the decision I have come to. You can either accept it or not, but know I am not done yet. My third decision is that to help keep this alliance intact, Lord Ganondorf Dragmire will step down as king of the Majora until he overcomes the demon within."
"You cannot be serious!" The Majora representative demanded. "Who shall we have as king? And what shall he do?"
Zelda narrowed her eyes and spoke softly, "I am serious. Much as I trust Lord Dragmire's intentions, there is still the problem of control. Would you trust a drunkard or addict to lead you? Both may be good people, but they lack control. This would then go for the people under him as well. Select who you wish as his replacement and discuss with Lord Dragmire what his responsibilities will be going forward. And remember: this is only temporary. I will accept Lord Dragmire as an equal again when he can control himself even at his lowest state."
Zelda took a breath. "Of course, as I have no true authority over you, this is not so much an order as it is an agreement. I will not demand compliance, but I need you to understand that if Lord Dragmire continues to lead you in his questionable state, I will have to take that into consideration in our future dealings."
Several Majora stood up to argue, but Nabooru put her hand out to calm them. She looked heavily onto Ganondorf, who was still stunned silent from Zelda's decision. Nabooru stood and said, "The Majora accept your terms. We will continue to accept Lord Ganondorf Dragmire into our community, but not as our king. Is that acceptable to all?"
The Mitagi grumbled. They clearly looked displeased by this turn. They could present an argument if they wanted to, but with the Majora giving them some alleviation and the executions of the witches, they felt continuing to push would not gain them anything.
"We accept as well," The Mitagi representative decided.
Ganondorf was speechless. Once more, he felt his whole world crash around him because all his expectations just proved themselves false. Just like when he met Malon and her mother, and just like how he was dropped from the height of power into desperation, he was witnessing another event he never would have expected in this age. This was an age of war, of death, and he kept seeing mercy.
Link leaned forward and whispered to Zelda, "Well done." Geoffrey shushed him.
Ganondorf found his voice and stared dazedly at Zelda. "Why?"
"Because," Zelda answered, "Lord Dragmire, you spared and helped me when I was before you. You defied the cycle of hatred our forefathers set in motion so many years ago. I think it right to continue to seek to reverse that cycle. Perhaps it is foolishness, but if I fail for my foolishness, I would rather fail while hoping and acting than while doubting."
As she spoke, she glanced at Link, considering her thoughts toward him as well. Link curiously met her gaze, but Zelda hastily returned her attention forward.
Upon hearing Zelda's reply, Ganondorf fell to his knees and put his hands on the stone floor. He tried to respond, but only vague sounds escaped him. Hope was a new and scary concept for a man who only knew hate and despair. His house who was facing extinction, the family he had grown to hate as much as himself, the Dragmire, was being offered freedom from persecution. It was a dream he never thought possible in their world. Ganondorf wanted to say something, but the sound of him struggling to speak was suddenly interrupted by clapping.
Everyone's head swiveled to the corner of the room where the Rebellious Hero was clapping. He said, "Well done. Well... done. You have done what I never would have imagined possible. You have fooled both sides and brought the demon low with words alone. Well done."
"Know your place, Guardian," A Mitagi elder snarled. Others added their agreement and stood, balking at his disrespectful tone.
"This is not justice," The Guardian argued. "You say it is just that the ones who summoned the demon shall die, but what of the demon itself? If it is evil to give birth to evil, is not which is born evil as well? Just as a midwife cries for joy as a good and innocent child is born, so must a parent cast a child to the rocks if it is monstrous and deformed. You have a talent for twisting words, Princess. Something I would expect from 'Wisdom.'"
The Guardian stepped forward, but as he did so, a portal opened behind him and translucent green chains lashed around him. The chains tightly bound his arms, chest, and waist. They pulled him away, and his boots skidded along the floor before he resisted enough to halt them. He lifted his hand, and in a bright flash, the oval egg from the Twilight appeared in it.
The Fae Elder gasped and looked in horror at the creature within the egg.
In another flash, the egg was gone. The Guardian had used his Gift to send it into the dungeon that was his domain, aiming for it to land atop one of the three colored torches. The egg landed on the green torch, and it exploded, allowing its contents to spill over the flame. The creature within curled up and cried aloud as the embers burned it alive. The wine-colored fluid seeped into the embers, but instead of dousing them, the fire continued to burn. It slowly brought the red liquid to a boil.
The chains holding the Guardian shattered, their portal disappeared, and the Guardian stumbled forward.
"You are not my king," The Guardian declared. "You, who make your bed with the devil, are not fit to rule in the Goddesses' stead."
He extended his hand and chains shot out from hundreds of places from the ground. They latched onto everyone in the great hall and forced them down. Chains grabbed Ganondorf by the hands and legs, forcing him to lean on all fours. A single, gigantic chain looped around Zelda so she was pinned to where she sat.
"What is the meaning of this!?" The Elder exclaimed. The chains covered him so thoroughly that there was no room to escape from his wooden construct.
"This was supposed to be an execution; a moment of hope. A moment in which evil is given its due. However, my fears have been realized. She is no better than her predecessor." The Guardian faced Elder. "And you, old friend, have become complacent in this. It appears I am the only one with the courage to do what must be done."
The Guardian snapped his fingers, and many more shapes flashed into the room. Ganondorf's eyes widened as much as anyone else, but he recognized what just appeared. Creatures of Twilight were now everywhere. More continued to crawl their way in from the windows, and they could hear a clash erupting in the halls of the castle.
A number of the larger Twilight creatures tackled Ganondorf, pressing him down further than the chains did. They did not bite him, but rather shielded him from the people.
"You will not take him from us! He is ours... OURS!" They screamed in guttural tongues.
Zelda struggled against her giant chain. She barked at the Guardian, "So you would chastise me while making your bed with these monsters?! Hypocrite!"
"Perhaps, perhaps not." The Guardian stepped forward, walking past Ganondorf. In his hand, a short sword flashed into existence. Ganondorf roared and struggled to his feet, but the combined weight of monsters and chains kept him firmly down.
The Guardian said, "We have a similar agenda, the Twilight and me. We both wish to be free. They will free me of the chains your predecessor placed on me. In return, these creatures will be given a place in the world they were cast out from. Besides, we both want the Dragmire gone. They merely... benefit more from it."
"Oh no..." The Elder whispered.
Seeing Zelda's confusion, the Guardian explained, "Oh, didn't you know? Twilight eat their parents to gain their strength, just as they feast on everything else."
All around, men and women desperately struggled to break free, but the chains held tight. Ganondorf managed to plant his feet under him again, but his hands were still held down. Link stayed pinned against the wall. Link's gift flared in an attempt to act. The Guardian stepped forward and pointed his sword at Zelda's chest.
"Zelda! Arrow!" Link barked.
"What?! I have no bow and-" Zelda exclaimed.
"Do you have any better ideas?!"
Zelda frowned, but did her best. Her hands were held down against the chair, but she could at least clench her fist and fling a weak light arrow from her hand.
The Guardian side-stepped the attack. He looked past her to Link. "Nice try, but I have seen the nature of her Gift befo-" Solid stone shattered into his side and slammed him against a wall.
Ganondorf stood with one hand free and the other chained. His free hand still had the chain on it, but the stone it connected to was broken free from the floor. Fire erupted from his fist and traveled along the chain and stone. He spun the new weapon around and crashed it against the Elder's chains. There was a brief explosion as the ignited stone shattered the Elder's chains. Elder threw the shards off and allowed the floor's stone to climb up his body and become armor.
The twin-witches used their magic to break through the chains and jumped onto the table with dexterity beyond their age. The rest of the Majora could not break free, but they could move enough to don their masks. Once a mask was on their faces, the chains groaned against the newfound resistance.
"Don the mask, Majora!" Ganondorf roared. "Show them your fury!"
Finally, the chains snapped, and the Majora besieged the Twilight around Ganondorf with as much ferocity as their opponents.
The Guardian shook his head and stood to his feet. Fae, Majora, and Twilight fought all around the room, and it was not made any better by Ganondorf. Having freed one hand, he was in the process of freeing the other while setting any adversary who approached on fire.
The Elder pushed past the Twilight horde and freed Link, Zelda, and Geoffrey. He stood before them protectively. More and more Twilight crawled through the windows, and several with wings began flying in too.
"How long before your big brother arrives?" The Guardian Assassin inquired to a Twilight nearby.
"Within the hour," It hissed.
"Not good enough," The Guardian said. In a flash, he disappeared.
A moment later, a gigantic, dragon-like monster appeared at the top of the room and dropped into the fight. Under this new weight, the tables crumbled, people were flattened, and stone shattered. This new foe had claws like spears, legs like tree trunks, black scales like armor, a spiked tail like a whip, and wings that filled the room. A long neck ended in a broad head from which steam and blue fire sizzled out. In traditional Twilight style, it bore an open rib cage that exposed its organs.
The Guardian stood confidently at the base of its neck. Chains shot out from his hands and moved all around the creature, binding around its legs, head, and wings. The Guardian then brought the chains together in his hand to effectively act as a rein. Steering the great beast, he turned it to Elder, who was defending Zelda.
Ganondorf fell under its body and coughed as the wind was knocked out of him. Noticing him, the beast put a foot down on his torso. It was not pressed so hard it would crush and kill the man, but it successfully trapped him beneath its claws.
Elder shuddered, Zelda stepped back, and Geoffrey's jaw dropped as the creature disinterestedly gazed at them.
Lord Geoffrey exclaimed, "A dragon?!"
"One of Twilight, it would appear," The Elder said. He saw a Twilight die under the dragon's footfall, and in seeing its death, he understood. The truth horrified him more than the dragon. "They... they were once Fae."
Zelda gasped. "They were once WHAT!?"
The dragon reared its head back and took a deep breath. Once ready, it lunged its head forwards and vomited blue fire.
Geoffrey lowered himself and raised his shield. Elder stepped forward and shifted his construct's shape to cover Zelda and Link.
The fire abated quickly enough. When it did, Elder cried, "Lord Mitagi, protect her!" His construct crumbled to the ground, unable to defend against another wave of flames. Elder fled the construct's remains and disappeared into the castle's walls.
Other Fae fled their wooden constructs at seeing the fire and formed their own smaller, stone constructs.
The dragon vomited fire again. This time, the fire had substance to it, like lava. The lava-like fire hit the wall behind them, and Link pulled Zelda away from it. Lava fell down the wall to where Zelda stood a moment earlier. By stepping forward, though, they had stepped within reach of the dragon. It raised a claw and brought it down on them.
Geoffrey dashed forward and shielded Zelda with his body. The dragon's claw slammed across his back. It should have crushed him, broken every bone in his body, and spilled his blood across the floor, but he felt barely anything.
Geoffrey blinked in surprise at the lack of pain. Confused, and slightly aggravated, the dragon brought its claw down on him again and again and again. But each time, Geoffrey felt barely anything. If anything, he felt a slowly growing vibration on his back. The shield! Geoffrey realized. He had already forgotten about the invincible shield on his back! It had absorbed every impact!
The Guardian looked down and sighed. "Of course. My mistake. Move on, you're not going to do anything about that."
The dragon growled, but it consented. It looked down at Ganondorf struggling under its other foot, forced itself to cough, and let black liquid drizzle out onto Ganondorf's face. Were it a normal occasion, Ganondorf might be horrified by how disgusting it was. But as things were, he had a far greater problem. His Twilight mark flared and forced itself into his blood, and the Triangle mark did the same. He roared in pain. The transformation had started.
The Guardian saw movement out of the corner of his eye and stepped back enough to avoid a blast of fire. He snarled. The twin witches giggled and hovered around the room.
"Annoying," He muttered. His Gift flared, and chains shot out of the walls. Like snakes, they twisted through the air and reached for the witches, but the twins avoided every attempt to catch them.
At the same time, Elder finished forming a new construct, one much larger than the other Faes'. He fell from the ceiling and collided with the dragon's head as a giant boulder. The attack's force had the beast crumple onto its belly. Its collapse destroyed several Twilight underneath it and narrowly avoided flattening Ganondorf. Luckily, Geoffrey took Zelda in his arms and rolled away before it fell.
Link wasn't so lucky.
"Link!" Zelda screamed.
The dragon growled from its place on the floor. Elder rose as a giant rock warrior and punched it in the face. All the blow did was bring another deep growl from the dragon, but then it suddenly squealed in pain and partially picked itself up. Zelda looked to where Link had been to see he was lodged under the creature's exposed gut, having stabbed Nayru's spear into one of the exposed organs. Blood loosened Link's grip, and he fell on his back. Geoffrey rushed forward, grabbed Link's feet, and pulled him out so he wouldn't be crushed again.
Zelda worried over him. "Are you okay?!"
"Bah!" Link cried. He wiped black blood from his face and looked down at himself. He was completely covered in the dragon's blood and juices. "That was disgusting! The bastard has no ribs or nothing!"
"Boy, you never cease to amaze," Geoffrey laughed, despite the situation. He patted the teenager on the shoulder. "You have the devil's luck. How were you not crushed?"
"I nearly was! Got squeezed between its stomach and guts! Gah!" Link continued to wipe his face with blood covered hands and spit. "I think I'm going to be sick."
Fire erupted through the room, reminding them of the still very alive and very upset dragon. Geoffrey instinctively encircled Zelda in his arms to protect her, but the fire never reached them. He let her go and turned around.
The flames weren't from the dragon. Ganondorf's transformation was complete. He was still under the dragon's foot, but his size had grown by several feet. The dragon roared in pain and stepped back, having burned itself on the new source of fire. Now free, Ganon stood to his feet.
Seeing Ganon as he was in the light of day, Link paled in horror. Zelda wasn't much better. Amongst the survivors thus far, perhaps only Geoffrey and the witches were not terrified.
"I-i-i-is that..." Link whispered.
Geoffrey adjusted his shield and his grip on his sword. "That is what he became after Harken Dragmire was through with him. That is what Lord Ouki defeated. Though... it has no swords. And it is much smaller."
"Smaller?!"
"About half."
"Oh, Nayru," Zelda whispered.
The room seemed to freeze. No one moved after Ganon rose. Elder's giant construct, Ganondorf's half-sized demon form, and the dragon all looked between each other.
The dragon almost seemed to smile. "At last..."
"Link," Geoffrey gulped. He had a very bad feeling about what was going to occur. He moved his attention away from the three giant monsters to the man on the dragon's back. The Guardian was searching through the smoke and fire for them. "Take her and run."
"But-" Zelda started to argue.
Link tightened his grip on Nayru's spear in one hand and grabbed Zelda in the other. "On it!" His Gift flashed, and he and Zelda disappeared in a blur.
After they left, the door leading out of the room burst open into the night, and Geoffrey spun around in time to see a fleeting blur. It appeared the Guardian had disappeared as well.
-Geoffrey-
The former knight did not know who swung the first punch, but one thing led to another, and soon enough, the three giants rushed at each other in a colossal brawl that shook the entire castle. With the monsters duking it out and trampling everything underfoot, the Mitagi and Majora were in need of a new place to regroup.
Geoffrey slew another smaller Twilight and made his way to the now open door. "Everyone, out!" He announced.
The Mitagi hiding behind their guards and the Majora attacking anything that moved didn't need to be told twice. The group rushed into the courtyard of the castle. Geoffrey quickly circled around the courtyard to understand the situation. A full out war had erupted all around him. Everywhere he looked, Twilight creatures were crawling out of crevices and over walls like they were nothing. The surviving defenders looked relieved to see the great hall's doors had finally, albeit briefly, opened.
"General!" A commander rushed to him and saluted. His eyes scanned the crowd. "Where is the princess?"
"Safe, that is all you need to know," Geoffrey replied. "What is the situation?"
"The city is under siege. We have evacuated everyone from the castle, but the main hall has been sealed off until now and-" His eyes grew wide as he looked past Geoffrey. There was a thunderous crash that shook the ground, a great roar, and if Geoffrey had to guess right, one of the major walls of the inner castle just collapsed.
Geoffrey winced. "Yes, I know. They are big. We need to regroup! What is the situation around the city? Where is the chain of command?"
"Until now, it has been only myself."
"Good." Geoffrey patted him on the shoulder. "I have no doubt you have done well. I am taking over. I need you to have the Mitagi elders escorted to safety. Is there a safe place? You said the entire city is under siege."
"General, this IS the safe place. Look here." The commander ran up the wall stairs and pointed over the top. Geoffrey followed him and saw there was chaos and fire everywhere, lighting up the night sky. Nabooru and other Majora climbed up to join them. Soldiers and civilians alike rushed through the gates and passageways into the inner city. The courtyard was flooding with people and confusion. For the moment, the soldiers were succeeding in keeping the Twilight at bay.
Geoffrey looked further out and saw the Twilight creatures clambered up walls and across rooftops like spiders. The Mitagi's defenders were elite and specialized, but it occurred to him that the city was built against them. The many walls isolated the city into pocket regions and sectors that limited the guards' strategies. Their disadvantage could spell disaster as nothing short of a flood of demons continued to pour into the city.
"My lord, what are they?!" The commander asked.
"I don't know," Geoffrey answered. "Whatever they are, though, they were able to hide and elude us for a very long time. They are stealthy and smart, that is for certain. I think we found our serial killers and assassins."
"Sewers," Nabooru said.
Geoffrey and the Mitagi commander faced Nabooru in surprise. She sneered back. "What? It's where we would hide. And these things don't seem to discriminate on what they eat. Heck, they eat each other. They will no doubt find a feast in the sewers where you dump your filth."
"She… she's right," The commander murmured. "Most of the creatures have been sighted crawling out of sewer grates."
Geoffrey closed his eyes a moment and saw the battlefield as a general. As Ouki taught him, he needed to use a bird's eye view. The sewers were under the city as well as the Sheikah tunnels. There was no safe place. No matter what location they chose, they were surrounded.
"We need to evacuate the city," Geoffrey decided.
The commander balked. "What?! Evacuate the Mitagi fortress!? Sir, this place has endured siege after siege! We are even equipped to endure a siege that has penetrated the city by the design of the walls!"
"Yes, but these things are not affected by walls. We have done well in collecting the people into pockets where they can defend themselves, but no matter where we go, we are surrounded. It occurs to me that we are only safe outside."
"But… our reputation as the pillar of Qin!"
"Is tarnished whether we evacuate or not," Geoffrey gravely stated. "I understand your reasoning, but that is my decision. My order is this: reach out to the isolated defenses, grab every civilian we can, and rush out the nearest exit. We shall regroup at that hill and its opposite." Geoffrey pointed at the targets beyond the city. "Give the order, Commander."
The commander gulped. For a moment, Geoffrey felt like an outsider. He had never given orders to any Mitagi without Ouki standing beside him. He was not one of them. He was always known simply as the blond Englishman to these people. He was taller than most by a full head, and he had non-pointed eyes and non-pointed ears. His God was not theirs. His childhood memories were of a different place and a different culture.
For a fleeting moment, Geoffrey wondered if he would be defied.
To his relief, the Mitagi saluted, turned, and yelled for his officers so that they may coordinate and begin the plan. Geoffrey sighed.
"What shall we do, General?" Nabooru asked.
Geoffrey raised an eyebrow. Nabooru's posture was respectful, attentive, and expecting. "My lady, you are our guest. I would prefer that you all rest and stay with the civilians so that we may protect you." Her eyes were fierce, and her two blades were coated in dark blood. "But… if you find your blade reaching one of these abominations, I certainly will not object." She smiled. Her smile scared him.
The shadows around the two deepened for a moment, and then a number of Sheikah appeared. They had their faces covered, but Geoffrey recognized the attire.
"General," One Sheikah said, "the Shadowmaster sends his greetings."
"I welcome him as well," Geoffrey replied. "I need you to assist the commander however you can. We are evacuating the city. How are the Sheikah fairing?"
"Not much better than the Mitagi, I'm afraid. We have prevented the Twilight from overrunning us by destroying many tunnels, but by the time we knew about their invasion, it was too late. The creatures have been inhabiting the untraveled, uninhabited tunnels for far too long. We have evacuated into the city and are engaging the creatures where we find them."
"Well, go out and tell your clan to assist in our evacuation. Notify the isolated defenders as well. We need to get everyone out."
The Sheikah saluted. The shadows deepened again, and they were gone.
"Apologies, my lady, if they spooked you," Geoffrey said to Nabooru.
"Not at all," She replied. "I knew they were coming. If they think hiding in shadows will keep us from smelling them, then they will have another thing coming. Don't they ever bath?"
Geoffrey chuckled, but moved on. The soldiers were ready, and the people were eager to move. Geoffrey marveled at the Mitagi. Even the civilians had a military resolve and unquestioning morale to them. It was no doubt born from exposure to the elite military force of Qin for generations. Every man and woman was armed with something. There was no discontent, there was no chaos, and there were no rebels to the plan. There was only military order. This was not necessarily a trait he would want civilians to have, but in times like today, it could very well save them.
The commander spoke loudly, spreading to all what would be happening. Nabooru rushed to her kin. The Majora were collapsed and exhausted. Most had their masks off to rest. A few had died, but they had slain many times their own number. The only one missing among them were the twin witches.
"Where are the two priestesses?" Geoffrey asked. As if in response to his question, there was a series of explosions inside the castle and the witches flew out. "They're flying on chairs?"
Nabooru shrugged. "Why not? Probably comfier than brooms."
Immediately following them, the three monsters crashed into the courtyard while entangled in a ball. Elder took Ganondorf's face that bellowed fire, and smashed it into the ground. The Twilight dragon quickly uncurled itself from the three's entwinement. Once free, it vomited flames onto both of them. Elder reached behind him, grabbed the dragon by the neck, and flipped it over them and onto its back. However, this freed Ganon from Elder's stone construct. Ganon rose, grabbed Elder by the shoulder, and crushed him against the walls of the castle. The dragon twisted back onto onto its claws, looked up, and saw the mass of people before it. It prepared to breath fire again, but the witches used some unknown spell to cause Twilight tentacles to rise from the ground, grab it by the snout, and slam its jaws shut.
Suffice to say, the people were terrified.
"Go! Open the gate!" Geoffrey barked.
The officers and soldiers pushed the mob forward and slowly began to trickle them through the castle's main gate. He ran against the mob and towards the dragon. With Ganon and Elder intent on one another, the dragon was free to bring its attention to the people.
"Bring it down!" Geoffrey yelled at the witches.
They yelled something back in a language he couldn't grasp. It sounded like an insult. Regardless, they strengthened the spell, and the tentacles pulled the entire dragon to the ground.
"Hope this works…" Geoffrey muttered. He stabbed the dragon in the eye with his sword. It screamed in pain and broke free of the tentacles, but not before he struck its jaw with his shield.
The shield stopped its humming and released an intense shockwave. The sudden blow struck the dragon with enough force to knock it into the air and collide with the monsters behind it. Ganon yelled and started to choke the dragon's neck in revenge. He might have succeeded too, had the Elder not punched him square in the head.
The shield's shockwave knocked Geoffrey back as well, but only enough to push him onto his back. He quickly stood up and marveled at the weapon. He whispered, "I like this shield."
After recovering, the dragon stretched its head over to Ganon's side and tore off a piece to swallow. Ganon bellowed, but did not hold his side like he was in pain. Instead, his overall size shrank a little, and the deep wound healed itself.
The dragon swallowed the bite of Ganon, and the results became evident immediately. Its scales ejected fire and shadow as a fine mist. Many eyes and glowing orbs appeared on its hide. Its body grew several feet. Its wing span expanded, and unless Geoffrey was seeing things, the fire coming from its mouth became much more intense and otherworldly.
The dragon fully extended its wings and took to the sky in a gust of wind. Enraged, Ganon did the same. Elder took a bit longer to follow, first having to change his shape into what amounted to a massive stone chimera. The twin witches followed last.
Geoffrey gave a sigh of relief. The battle was not over, but the combatants were now somewhere else. He had enough to deal with before their eventual return.
-Zelda-
One moment, Zelda was telling Geoffrey that she did not want to leave, and the next, she was being held over Link's shoulder and in the middle of an abandoned road in the open night. She had the overwhelming need to vomit.
Zelda struggled against Link and fell on her side. She rolled onto her hands and threw up.
"Wha- you!" Zelda struggled to breath with her burning throat. "What was that?! Is that what it's like when you use your Gift?"
"We have bigger problems," Link replied. His attention was upward, and he was panting slightly.
Zelda unceremoniously wiped her mouth on her sleeve and followed his gaze. The moon shined ominously upon the Rebellious Hero, who stood on a nearby rooftop and looked down at them. In the far distance, Zelda could see the castle. Numbers of the Twilight creatures passed along the road towards it. She heard scratching and turned to find Twilight crawled out of a hole in a fountain. She instinctively stepped behind Link.
"You- you couldn't outrun him?" Zelda asked.
Link shook his head. "We could leave the city, but he will just give chase. I would only tire myself and leave you vulnerable." Link turned his head just enough to see at her. "Be careful. If he disappears from your sight for even a moment, throw yourself to the ground to dodge him."
"You're not going to fight him!" Zelda protested. "You're skilled, but he-"
"I know. I don't know of another way out of this, but he doesn't seem willing to offer another choice."
Link swallowed, readied his grip on the Spear of Nayru, and stepped forward. He took a short sword he had borrowed off his belt and handed it to Zelda. Then, he motioned for Zelda to stand near the wall. He hoped she wouldn't draw the attention of the Twilight. He would have enough of his attention full with just the Rebel.
"Done running?" The Rebel asked. He dropped from the roof and landed on a knee. He stood once more and stepped towards them. A longsword flashed into his hand."It is bold of you to confront me with my own weapon and with a power that was originally mine."
"You should feel honored," Link said.
"Honor has nothing to do with this. There is no honor in war or death. You serve her. She needs to die. I will defeat you, reclaim my power, and then kill her. That's all there is to it."
The Rebel disappeared. Link's eyes widened. He had no way of telling where the Rebel would reappear, but he had to do something. He lowered his stance and spun around. He felt metal brush the top of his head, and he struck the Rebel with the blunt end of his spear. The Rebel rammed Link with his shoulder in retaliation. The force pushed Link back and hindered the strike's power. Before Link could settle his feet again, the Rebel kicked him in the knee, sweeping his leg out from under him. As Link fell forward onto one foot, the Rebel brought his sword up and swiped Link across the collar.
Link grit his teeth against the pain. That cut was deep. He tightened his grip as best he could, and struck at the Rebel with the speared end. The Rebel spun around him, deftly avoiding the blow, and brought his longsword down Link's back.
Link fell forward onto one hand. He gasped in pain and disbelief. He knew the Hero was skilled, but Link was nothing more than a child to him! So considering that, Link wondered why his Gift didn't pull him back to the moments before the Rebel struck him. It was like the Rebel purposefully avoided dealing lethal blows so it didn't activate. Every opponent Link had fought up to this point were trying to outright kill him when he used his Gift. This man wasn't. He was skilled enough to strike deep blows without being lethal.
Link snarled and tried again and again to strike at him, but at no point could he reach him. The Rebellious Hero was too skilled a duelist. Their duel became a routine of strike, avoid, and counter, followed by strike, avoid, and counter time and time again.
Finally, the Hero slashed Link across the chest, forehead, so blood obscured his vision, and forearm. Rather than avoid Link's next jab, the Hero then caught the spear of Nayru in his hand. Link could hardly grip the heavy spear after the narrow cut in his arm, so the strike was weak enough to hold, just like the Hero wanted.
Link panted and glared even as blood flowed into his eyes. From the number of people who had given him concussions and headwounds, he was a little experience when blood got in his eyes.
"Let this be a lesson to you," The Hero said while holding Link back. "You shouldn't exhaust yourself as you did. Now you can barely use your Gift to shift time. You should learn to better measure your opponent. And lastly, you should always choose your Lord more carefully. It's a simple mistake, I understand, but simply no matter how much you wish, sometimes... your Lord is not who you thought he was. Sometimes... you fail."
The spear disappeared from Link's hand. He wondered where it had gone, but he heard a gasp before anything could be done. Link's blood ran cold, and he turned his head to see his spear penetrating Zelda's side deep enough to pierce the wall behind her.
Zelda fell to the side and scrambled away from the weapon. Part of her dress had torn away with the spear, and blood stained it. Thankfully, the wound wasn't as severe as it could have been. She gripped her side but found the strength to stand again.
"Damn, girl. You're entirely too skinny for such a large dress," The Rebel commented.
He didn't have long to keep his attention on the princess, though, for Link's Gift flared dangerously. Link glared murderously for the Hero's assault on Zelda. His blood boiled, and he threw caution to the wind. Even if it killed him, Link was going to push his Gift further than ever before. He was pissed.
Link disappeared in a blur only to return and smash something heavy into the Rebel's back. The Rebel grunted on impact, but he didn't have a moment to react as Link seamlessly pulled the spear out of the wall and clubbed him in the head. The Rebel's helmet flew off, but Link was too furious to notice. Again and again, Link sped in and beat the Rebel with heavy blows. The man's armor succeeded in keeping him from being decapitated, but the attacks painfully crushed against it.
The Rebel tried to cut Link, stop him, or use his chains, but Link was too fast. Growling in frustration, the Rebel disappeared and reappeared with his back against the wall of a nearby building.
Link blindly rushed him at the new location. The Rebel tapped his hand against the wall. In a flash, the whole building disappeared.
The building reappeared around Link.
There was a series of crashes from inside. The Rebel sighed. Link was proving more difficult to handle than he expected. He opened the door and entered the building. Link was tangled in a pile of furniture.
Link groaned and struggled to his feet. He wobbled heavily, but stood all the same. "Bastard... you threw... a building. Who does that?!"
Again, Link brought his Gift to life, but his control of time was much weaker. He had barely taken two steps before the Rebel caught his face in his palm. He swept Link's feet out from under him and slammed his head into the ground. The wood cracked under the impact. The Hero did so again, picking Link up and smashing his head into the ground.
Link gurgled. His head spun. He was wounded everywhere, covered in cuts, and was certain he had some broken bones. He was exhausted and couldn't move. All he could do was watch his assailant win. His eyes finally focused on the man over him, but they widened at what they saw.
"You..." Link whispered.
This was no man. The Hero was no man. Once, he may have been, but now he was a shadow of his former self. Casted in the shadows of night, Link saw he had no face, no skin, and no muscle. He was a skeleton inside armor. Glowing red orbs looked down on Link from where his eyes should be.
Link looked up at the monster in horror. It cocked its head to the side in a very human gesture. Its jaws moved to say, "My apologies. I'm taking this back."
The Hero grabbed Link's hand in a tight grip. Link felt something pull at him, pulling at his very soul. It was like his arm was being torn off, but the Rebel was not pulling. Link's confusion grew when suddenly something changed.
Link cried out as something was forced from him, and he leaned away. His limp hand fell to the ground in front of him, and his body quaked. Link felt a burning on his skin as old wounds opened, and fresh wounds stopped healing. All energy left him, and Link was left with nothing to look forward to but death.
His Mark was gone, and the hollow triangle on the Hero's hand had become full.
The Hero sighed. "Finally."
He stood, grabbed Link's limp body, and turned around. Zelda stood ahead of them, her own Mark flaring brightly. Her palm faced them while her other hand held her bleeding side. Her expression was ten steps past livid. She had half a mind to shoot the Hero with her power, but she didn't dare. He was holding Link's body up.
"Go ahead," The Hero dared her.
"Let him go!" Zelda yelled.
"Or... what?" He taunted. He waved Link in front of her.
Zelda's eye twitched. Aiming carefully, she sent a light arrow into the ground in front of him. The shockwave shattered the stone beneath his feet, and the Rebel stumbled. He barely had a moment to catch himself before Zelda was in front of him, hand in his face.
She sent a light arrow into his skull from point blank range. The Rebel fell back, and his skeletal body shattered. However, his newfound Gift flared to life. His body quickly reformed, and he fell forwards.
Another light arrow formed in Zelda's hand, but the Rebel grabbed her wrist and pulled it to the side before it struck him. The second shockwave destroyed the building behind them and flew debris into the air.
That was a close one, the Rebel knew. Fortunately for him, she didn't know how to defeat Link's Gift properly. She ignorantly went for the kill right from the start.
Zelda pulled against him, but the Rebel continued to hold her wrist tightly. He dropped Link to free his other arm.
"For what it's worth," He said, "you have my respect. Your predecessor wasn't so bold, cunning, nor lucky. He was a far easier target."
Just as he did with Link, the Rebel grabbed Zelda by her Marked hand.
At this time, beneath the castle of Mitagi, the torch completely burned through the Twilight egg. The boiling black liquid finally evaporated into steam. The dead creature burned to ash. The embers burned through everything, and the green torch's flame burst into full force and life.
A watery portal opened behind them, and chains shot out all around the Rebel's body, pulling at and burning him. He dropped his grip on Zelda. The Rebel skidded back a step, but planted his feet. He growled and pulled against the bindings. His Gift flared to life, and the chains strained against him. He took a step forward, then a second. Suddenly, another triangle on his hand flared to life, and the chains shattered.
The Rebel fell to his hands and knees. The portal disappeared. He gasped for breath, chuckled, then laughed. He lifted his head and yelled loudly. At last, he thought, he was free! Free from that bastard's curse! And to make things better, he had both the Mark of Courage and the Mark of Wisdom! Now all he needed was the Mark of Power, and he could gain any wish he wanted. But first, he remembered, there was a princess to remove.
"Now for…" He looked to where Zelda was to find she was gone. For that matter, so was Link. In their place was a trail of blood leading away.
-Demon Ganondorf Dragmire-
Roaring, Ganon swerved around the dragon for another pass to claw at it, only to receive its tail in his face. The demon was thrown aside and fell a fair distance. He had to take a moment to recover and take to the air again. He growled as he looked up. Both opponents refused to relent, but it was no matter. Ganon knew he was all powerful! He knew no creation of the Triple Goddesses nor of the Twilight Pantheon could best him!
He quickly lifted himself higher to better chase after his foes, but a crackling sound reached him first. Ganon stopped to look down, and he immediately had to swerve away. A great beam of light nearly struck him as it shot into the sky. The light cut through the clouds and disappeared just as fast as it rose. Growling, Ganon searched downwards for the source of the attack. How dare they strike at him! He mentally screamed. He'll kill them!
His attention and anger shifted, the demon fell from the clouds and over the city. He stopped and perched himself atop a destroying building. He sniffed the air. Blood. He smelled a great deal of blood and sweat in the air, but he could tell there was something else. Something that spoke to him. He kept sniffing until it came to him.
He smelled Power.
Ganon's triangle stirred, and he growled deeply. He recognized two other smells: Courage and Wisdom. Ganon howled in fury. He hated it! He hated Courage and Wisdom! He was cast out of this realm once by them, and he'd happily damn himself again if he took them with him! A trail of blood led in a particular direction, and he sensed Courage and Wisdom were also that way.
The demon leaped into the air, extended his wings, and flew to another roof. The blood continued on, as did the familiar scent of his kin. Again, he flew a short distance. It wasn't until the third time he came across the end of the trail. He saw a couple Twilight dead in the street and a man walking below. He crawled along a roof, sniffing. The blood was close. He smashed the roof and fell into the space below. It was a small space, but his prey was close. A stifled squeal drew his attention. He turned sharply toward the sound, his nose and eyes flaring and expelling smoke.
Slowly, the demon crawled forward. His claws touched the sticky blood on the floor, and he licked at it as he crawled. The blood trail led to a crevice under the stairs where a couple sat, crammed and hiding. Both were heavily wounded, but the male was much more so. The male was unconscious, but the female was awake. She pointed a blade at his face. It wavered greatly. She openly bled and was in clear fear of him. He liked that.
Ganon snarled and crawled closer. He smelled her fear, her hesitation. He loved it. Yet she was also familiar. The scent of Wisdom and Courage came from them, but it was odd. Despite being so close, it smelled faint. The female whispered something, but it mattered little to him. He crawled right up to her. The blade fell from her hand, and she leaned back as far as she could while still holding the male. She seemed to have dragged him from somewhere.
Following the scent, Ganon looked at their hands. It was faint, too faint. He sniffed further and realized they had nothing. He growled. He could have sworn they had the pieces.
The front door opened, and a man in armor- or rather, a skeleton in armor- entered. It stopped as soon as it saw the demon.
"Oh. You," The skeleton man said.
"You're looking for it… aren't you?" The girl whispered to Ganon. Her fear went away after she saw the man. If anything, she turned defiant. "You're looking for my Mark?" He did not answer. He didn't plan to. Despite this, the girl pointed at the intruder. "He has it."
The demon looked closer at the intruder, and his eyes narrowed on its hand. He realized this man was both Courage and Wisdom! He had both! This was the scent! But it wasn't just Courage and Wisdom he smelled. Ganon sniffed deeper until it came to him. It was him! The one who damned him! He snarled at his fiercest yet and rose to his feet. His final prey had been chosen. Never had he hated any man as much as him. Never had he wanted to kill so much.
"Get him," The girl commanded.
"Really?!" The Rebellious Hero stepped back. The demon, the manifestation of Power, stepped forward, ready to pounce. His fire and shadow grew around him as he prepared to kill. The Rebel stepped back out the door, and the demon roared before charging at him. The walls of wood and stone crumbled as he broke through to tackle the man. Or at least he thought he did. The Rebel was no longer immediately outside the building. Confused, the demon looked around and saw his prey nearby.
"I banished you before, and I can do it again!" The Rebel snarled.
A broadsword flashed into his hands. Ganon snickered as best he could. He thought the pocket knife was cute. Fire and shadow exploded from his hands and solidified as jagged blades as long as spears.
He charged and swept his massive blades at the Rebel. The Rebel disappeared, reappeared over his head, and struck him in the back of the neck. The Rebel might have smirked if he had lips. The demon was as bullish as he was before.
The demon growled and spun to face him. The Rebel lost his inner smirk, realizing he hadn't actually wounded him. Without the cornerstone of his weapons, his main treasure, the Rebel couldn't deliver any deep wounds. Sadly, that sword had long since rejected him.
Ganon swiped downwards with a speed belying his size, bringing his swords crashing down on the Rebel. The Rebel's borrowed power lit up, time slowed, and he leaped backwards. But even with his new power, the blades narrowly missed his face before shaking the earth in an explosion of rocks and fire.
The Rebel only managed to take a single step back before Ganon charged upon him with all the power of a bull from Hell. The Rebel disappeared barely in time, and the demon crashed through the solid stone wall of the Mitagi's inner high walls.
The Rebel stood, or rather hid, atop the wall the demon had just crashed through. He peered down at him. Deep down, he started to worry. He had only just reclaimed his power. Remastering something so complex again would take years, and that didn't include mastering the power he had stripped from the girl. To make matters worse, he only had a limited number of weapons that could wound a monster made of fire and shadow. He could see there was hardened flesh deep inside Ganon, but getting through the elemental armor to it would be an ordeal of itself.
If he had the spear of Nayru, he could do it, but he didn't know where that was. For that matter, he had many treasures from his past he couldn't locate since the fall, trapped as he was.
This would be difficult.
The Rebel ignited his gift to grab Ganon with chains, but the moment his hand glowed, the demon's attention snapped up to his hiding place.
"Ah, shit."
Ganon leaped onto the wall and clambered up as chains launched around him. A moment later, he jumped past the wall's top and spewed fire before landing. The Rebel rolled right off the edge of the wall, grabbed a chain attached to the top, and swung himself onto a lower building's roof. He had to disappear as soon as he landed, though, because Ganon crashed through said roof into the lower floor. He snarled angrily, annoyed at the chase, and ran after the Rebel who fled down the street.
Left with few options, the Rebel used his Gift to make various spears appear in his hand. He threw them back as they continuously appeared. Some missed, but a number impaled themselves into the demon's hide as it charged ahead. Each spear melted on contact, doing little damage. Ganon brought his blades upon where the Rebel ran, and the Rebel again avoided his blow by activating his Gift. This time, chains shot out of the ground to not grab, but pierce his foe like a number of spears would. The demon flinched in pain and roared, momentarily pinned back.
Now with chains piercing Ganon, the Rebel could easily wind them around him. It was slow going. Ganon fought against the chains and broke them constantly. The Rebel had to create countless thick chains, call blades to strike the beast with, and steadily avoid the demon's swift, sweeping counters.
It was a struggle, but at last, the Rebel was able to tie his target down enough to hold it still for a few seconds. It was by no means permanent, even with tens of chains piercing and wrapping around every limb. Ganon was really pushing the limits of what his chains could handle with strength alone. The fire and shadow burning away at them didn't help either.
The Rebel exhaled. He only had one shot at this. He couldn't fight Power as long as Ganon had the Mark of Power. If he was to win this, he had to fix that.
The Rebel pointed his palm at the demon and willed for a light arrow to fly from his hand. At first, nothing happened. The seconds ticked by, and the demon became closer and closer to being free. The Rebel might have started to sweat if he was capable. He had never used Wisdom before. He had seen the princess use arrows of light, at least. It was not the same power as Wisdom used in his day, but Wisdom in his day hadn't practiced it at all.
It took far more strain and effort than he would have liked. There were moments where the Rebel had to force himself to calm down and try again while the raging demon a few feet away tried to reach him. Chain after chain broke, but a light arrow eventually shot from his hand and exploded in the demon's face.
Ganon was thrown backwards and fell limp. Light resembling electricity rippled through his body. Growling sounds told the Rebel that he was still alive, but he was definitely weakened.
Without a moment to lose, the Rebel disappeared and reappeared where Ganon's hand was marked by Din. He grabbed him by the flaming hand and ignored the pain as he pulled on the creature's very soul, using the power of his Marks to rip the other away.
The Mark of Power flickered wildly, and the marks on the Rebel also flickered. The air swirled around them. The sky darkened, and lightning crashed wildly. The moon turned solid black, and stars faded as the darkness of space turned grey. The marks on their hands lit up fully and brightly. Then, in a snap, the mark on Ganon's hand fell faint, and all three triangles glowed on the Rebel.
The Rebel felt something on his face. He released Ganon, who appeared to have passed out, and looked up curiously. In the reflective surface of a window, he saw his skeletal visage giving way to flesh, and his red orbs becoming eyes. It was a slow process, but it was beautiful.
"I... I did it," The Rebel sighed in relief. "I-"
Ganon's eyes snapped open, and he lunged for the Rebel's hand, holding it firmly in a fiery grip.
"What?! No! Let go!" The Rebel demanded.
He pulled against Ganon, but the demon would not let go. He then held the Rebel with both hands. The Rebel felt something tear from him, and he saw the three triangles on his hand flickering wildly. He tried to resist, but the demon's grip was tight. Suddenly, the blackness of the moon fell like water, and it became reflective again. The greyness of space faded, and stars reappeared. In a flash, the Rebel disappeared from Ganon's grasp and reappeared elsewhere. He fell to his knees, holding his burned hand tightly.
He slowly turned his hand over and gasped. The demon had torn two marks from him. All the Rebel still held was Power and his hollowed mark.
"No!" The Rebel whimpered. He put a hand to his face and felt bone again. "NO!"
He raged. The mark of Power lit up, and rage unlike anything he ever felt in his life filled him. Damn them! The Rebel lamented. Damn them all! How much would he sacrifice to appease them?! How long would he be judged for standing up?! The world never apologized for ripping away his life and beating him down, so why in the realms should he apologize for fighting back!
Movement in the distance drew his attention, and he looked to see an immense exodus had formed outside the city. The Mitagi... at once both his children, and his jailors, were leaving the city and were preparing to siege their own home to take it back.
High in the sky, the Twilight dragon still fought with the Fae. Before it was just against Elder, but now several other Fae had joined in, flying as wooden constructs.
The Rebel would show them what it was like to lose their home. He'd show them all.
The Rebel disappeared and reappeared atop the Twilight dragon in the sky. His sudden presence went unnoticed, so he grabbed the chains roped around it, formed new ones wreathed in flame, and took hold. To bring insult to injury, the Rebel formed a mighty sword of fire and pierced the chains where they joined into the beast's skull.
"You are mine," The Rebel hissed.
He took hold of the blade and pushed. The dragon roared in agony. Its hide erratically emitted fire and shadow, but it no longer did anything. They descended towards the city, both wreathed in flames
-Ganondorf-
Ganondorf groaned painfully. His chest ached. He blinked, and flashes of memory came to him in a confusing mess. All that he could piece together was that he had been in a fight with someone. He stood to his feet and saw the castle in the distance. He also saw the ruins of a freshly ravaged town surrounding him.
"This doesn't bode well," He muttered.
A scratching sound nearby drew his attention, and Ganondorf stepped into a hidden place. A pack of Twilight passed him by while searching for prey. He held his breath, but he feared the constant red glow of his hair would give him away. His worry merited nothing, fortunately or not, as a loud roar filled the sky, and a burst of flame enveloped the street, vaporizing the Twilight. Ganondorf covered himself with his hands as fire swept over him. It faintly burned, but not near as badly as he feared. The explosion soon faded around him, and the sound of flapping grew distant. Ganondorf poked his head out and saw the street. Everything in it was on fire, dead, or soon to be dead.
Ganondorf felt something crunch under his feet, and he looked down at some smashed glass. He instantly recoiled upon seeing his reflection. He was on fire and covered in shadow! Ganondorf stepped back and looked closer in another reflection. He was still in his demon form. It was smaller than he thought it would be, but unknown to him, it was only a hint of what he could be. Still, having never seen himself like this, it surprised him deeply.
"How?" He wondered aloud. How was he in control? He reached up to touch himself, wanting to be certain the reflection was him.
A flickering of light drew his attention, and he turned his hand over to see two marks on his hand. They were in the places where Zelda and Link's marks usually were. His own mark, at the top, was absent.
"The hell happened?" Ganondorf said while putting a hand on a broken windowsill. He then jumped back, remembering he was on fire, but the windowsill was not burned. He patted the wood again, but nothing happened. "Heh."
He stepped out into the street, took a fallen spear, and felt it in his hand. A Twilight was crawling away with only half of its body. He followed to finish the monster off, but stopped short as he saw a trail of blood. A very familiar trail of blood.
Ganondorf struggled to remember why that blood bothered him so much. He put a hand to his head in frustration when, suddenly, it snapped back to him.
Zelda and Link!
Ganondorf sprinted down the street, flashes of memory rushing to him, and he couldn't help but notice how much destruction remained in the aftermath of his battle. The outer walls with a hole in them was at least two feet thick! He remembered fighting a pesky, flighty man with strange powers. The man had used several different attacks on him.
Ganondorf hid against said wall as an airborne monstrosity flew by again. His eyes landed on the man atop its neck. His hand pulsed in response where his own Mark should have been. Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. That man had the mark of Din.
He found an abode with a broken front that looked incredibly familiar. He took hold of the door's ruins and threw them aside before stepping in. As before, he found Link and Zelda hiding beneath a staircase. Zelda was frightfully pale. She looked sick and had a fair bit of blood soaked into a pillow shoved against her side. Link was even worse and didn't seem to be breathing.
Ganondorf stooped before them. Alert to his presence, Zelda dimly opened her eyes, but she was too weak to react.
"You're in a sorry state," Ganondorf said.
"Did you get him?" Zelda whispered.
"Don't think so. But at the very least, I got these." He held up his fist. "If I were to guess, he took them off you two, and I returned the favor."
"But you lost yours... in the process."
"I'm not done with him," Ganondorf said firmly. "Here. You two need it more than me." He reached out to take her hand, but she recoiled away. "Relax, it shouldn't hurt you. The fire hasn't burned anything. Maybe because it uses other sources of power than my usual one. I... I'm actually not angry for once."
To prove his point, Ganondorf tightly grabbed some wood next to them. He removed his hand, and there was no burn mark. Having proven his point, he reached for Zelda's hand again, but still she recoiled.
"No," She whispered.
"Zelda..." He growled. "Now you're being difficult, and are going to aggravate me. I like not being aggravated. Its new to me. Don't do that."
"No, I mean... give it to him. He's dying."
Ganondorf looked at Link. She was right; he was dying. But then, so was she, only much slower.
"Yes, but so are you. You're the heir. He isn't."
Zelda gulped. Something passed through her eyes that he couldn't distinguish. "Please."
He sighed. "Fine, then let's compromise."
He took Link's hand and closed his eyes. He remembered how it felt when the enemy ripped the mark from him. It wasn't much to go on, but he knew if he, as a dumb demon, had pulled back two marks, then he should be able to give one now.
A mark flared onto Link's hand, and the boy suddenly gasped for breath. The other two let out a breath. Seeing Link was okay, Ganondorf took Zelda's hand. A third time she recoiled, but he grabbed her hand anyways.
"No! You'll lose control!" Zelda cried.
She tried to resist and pull away, but Ganondorf ignored her and pushed her mark back in. She gasped as it was restored. The mark revived her color and returned her strength, but it left Ganondorf feeling empty.
He violently recoiled and fell on his face. His arms and legs seemed to disappear and reappear, and he looked to see black smoke falling from where his hands should be.
"Shut up," Ganondorf hissed.
He struggled to gain control of himself. He could feel it: a hunger. He felt a deep hunger to become whole, become true, and become solid and great. Yet this need was denied to him. He felt the need's source in his opposite hand and saw the Pentagon glow.
It was as expected. He knew giving Zelda back Wisdom would leave him with this, and he knew he would have to wrestle it for control. But still, the fierce need was a surprise. No one could prepare themselves for becoming a creature of shadow and no longer being truly solid. They would always face this crippling hunger for substance that the world around them rejected to give.
Ganondorf wondered if he was dying. It was possible; it wasn't beyond his expectations. But if he was going to die, this need would die with him, fighting tooth and nail for control before then.
Ganondorf managed to solidify enough of his body to stand. He was much thinner, with skin more akin to smoke stretched over a bony frame. He bore skeletal wings that spread wide, long arms that ended in claws, and feet that jointed unnaturally. He felt incredibly sharp teeth in his mouth and a gullet that could easily stretch several times its size. His hair was as black as the night around them, and his eyes were completely hollow.
He glanced at himself in a reflection before abruptly flying out the door. There were no words he knew that could describe the horror he had become.
Ganondorf found flying as a creature of the Twilight to be remarkably easy and swift. The world around him looked remarkably different, too. What was once black was now grey, and there was a mist over everything. That which wasn't black was remarkably bright to him. The brightest thing he could see was the man who stood atop the Twilight dragon. The Fae who flew around in battle also glowed, but looking at the one who was marked was like looking into the sun. It was a sun that drew him in with hunger, promising something shiny to eat.
Ganondorf shook his head. No! He thought. He must focus! There was something he needed to do!
Invisible against the darkness of night, Ganondorf circled the aerial battlefield. The Fae were swift, and the dragon was mighty. The mob was in constant movement as fire kept arcing around and the Fae's constructs kept tearing at the dragon's hide. Ganondorf's mothers, the twin witches, were astride comfy chairs they had stolen and flew with the Fae, directing their magics on the beast. Their attention was more on the rider.
Two Fae with wooden constructs latched onto the dragon's wings and held tight. Vines shot out of their wooden frames and tightly encircled the wings. Balls of fire shot out from the rider, setting the vines aflame and sending the wooden Fae crumbling and crashing down. The Fae escaped their constructs and fled the battle.
Ganondorf moved closer and boarded it, planting his claws into the dragon's back. He climbed towards the rider like it was a cliff face. It might as well have been, as the fight was between the city and the clouds with wind blowing to match. Slowly, he made his way towards the top half.
The Rebel flinched and looked twice to be sure of what he stared at. "You! You are relentless!"
"You have something of mine!" Ganondorf yelled over the wind. "I want it back."
"No! I need them. I... I can save you! I can save us all! There has been cycle after cycle, birth after rebirth of the three of us in this conflict! It is time for it to end! If I have all three marks, I can wish for us to be returned to what we were. To be free... to be beside the Goddess' side once more as the champion spirits! Despite the constant conflict, there has been an endless cycle. Why? Because that which is separate only wants to be made whole again! Our spirits yearn to return and will not accept death until we have!"
His speech gave Ganondorf pause. For a moment, and only a moment, he pitied the man.
"What you say is a good thing," Ganondorf replied in his hollow voice. "To be by the Goddesses' side and to have the recognition of a deity. These are good things. Perhaps you are right in your reasoning. I don't know much about 'cycles,' but if we have met before, perhaps it is as you say. Perhaps our spirits do yearn and continue to search for the way home.
"But this..." Ganondorf spread his arms wide. "This is not the way. You have fallen to madness! Your way to salvation is the damnation of me and everyone you touch! So excuse me, 'Hero,' if I don't go along with your madness!"
The Rebellious Hero seethed angrily. His skull burst into flame and a spear appeared in his hand. The spear ignited in flames too. Ganondorf hissed back and lunged forward. It was the start of a difficult battle for him. As a Twilight, he no longer had the strength he did as a man or demon, but he did find that he was incredibly agile. It was something he was not accustomed to. What's more, the floor they used constantly moved, spun, turned, dived, or ascended. Ganondorf had to keep at least one claw planted on the dragon's hide at all times. The Rebel used chains to hold himself in place.
Ganondorf ducked under the spear's first jab, knocked it aside, and swiped with his new claws. The claws did little as they scraped armor. The Rebel threw a fireball. Unlike other times thus far, this fire burned and spread quickly across Ganondorf's body. He yelled in pain and let go of the dragon. The moment he let go, the wind took him, and Ganondorf found himself thrown off and falling through the air into a cloud. The cloud did little to quench the fire spreading across his body.
Without a better source of water in sight, Ganondorf spread his wings and flew into the air, straight into the exposed organs of the Twilight dragon. He squished himself into its guts, bathing in the fluids. The fire went out, and the monster roared in agony. The instinct of hearing a wounded Twilight drove Ganondorf to open his jaws and clamp down on one of the dragon's glowing orbs. It squished in his mouth, and blood poured down his throat. He swallowed. Immediately, he felt the dragon's power spread through him, rejuvenating him, and strengthening him. Ganondorf groaned, for it was an almost disturbing feeling driven by his Twilight instincts. His body of shadow solidified more, and it grew larger and stronger. His claws sharpened.
Feeling strengthened, Ganondorf fell and allowed the wind to take him. He then flew onto the dragon's back again. The twin witches were much closer now, firing their magics directly at the Rebel and providing a suitable backdrop for the ensuing brawl. The Rebel cursed profusely upon Ganondorf's return, seeing his larger size. Ganondorf lunged first, avoiding the Rebel's counters, and tried to tackle him. They wrestled over the flaming spear. With both hands full, the witches succeeded in scorching the Rebel's back. He yelled in pain, and then he growled in fury.
The Rebel released the spear, making Ganondorf fall forwards from the sudden lack of a counterbalance. He formed a second spear and drove it into Ganondorf's exposed back. He drove it so far it pinned the Twilight-man into the dragon's hide. A pair of knives appeared in his hands next, and he threw them at both witches. The knives hit. Neither throw killed, but they wounded the witches enough to give the Rebel the moment he needed. He created chains from the dragon's hide to shoot out, grab their chairs, and rip them away. He turned away before seeing what would happen to them.
Ganondorf completely turned himself into shadowy mist to free himself from the spear pinning him down. He solidified next to it and tackled the Rebel. They wrestled amongst the chains on the dragon. The Rebel formed weapons to drive into Ganondorf' side, but Ganondorf was becoming solid and mist along random parts of his body, making most attacks miss. He managed to drive a knife into flesh at least once, but it was difficult to find flesh when wrestling a living shadow. Ganondorf kept tearing into him and the chains around them. They wrestled until they were entangled by every chain that flew by.
At last, the fighting stopped. Both men were too tightly entangled to move easily. Were the Rebel thinking clearly, he might have used his control of the chains to take an advantage. However, it was rage, it was Power, that filled his thoughts. As such, he raised his hand to set Ganondorf on fire.
Ganondorf reached up as well and extended his shadow hand unnaturally far, grabbing the Rebel's. The Rebel tried to pull back, but Ganondorf held firm. The Rebel ignited their joined hands in flame, but Ganondorf held firm. Finally, the Rebel's mark of Power flashed brightly, flickered, and disappeared. It reappeared on Ganondorf's hand.
As the Mark changed owner, Ganondorf felt his body transform and solidify back to what he was accustomed to. He lost his claws and wings, and the shadow disappeared like dew from the skin. His hair ignited in glowing red flame, and his eyes shined in the dark night.
The Rebel's eyes widened in fear. Whether it was Ganondorf's Dragmire persona that drew his fear, or what happened next, neither could say.
A portal opened behind the Rebel, and hundreds of chains reached out and coiled themselves around him. The man that was pulling against Ganondorf a moment ago was now holding on for dear life, lest he be dragged in.
For a moment, Ganondorf felt pity. Without the power of the Goddesses, it seemed the Rebel was cursed to a prison, a cage. The Rebel lived in the very kind of place Ganondorf feared for in his life. The man only desired to be free, not just of his prison, but perhaps life itself. The Rebel was a shadow of his former self, who believed himself to be little more than a broken spirit that wanted to return home.
The Rebel was defeated. Ganondorf thought that perhaps this was a chance for the Rebel to be healed and restored. Perhaps there was hope for him if he was given another chance. Maybe, just maybe he wouldn't squander it if he was given a bit of mercy.
"Nah."
Ganondorf kicked the Rebellious Hero in the face, and the Rebel's grip broke. The swathe of chains instantly yanked him through the dark portal.
"Like he hasn't already shown what he's willing to do with second chances," Ganondorf decided. "He can get another in a few generations."
Ganondorf hissed in pain and looked at his hands. Because of the return of the mark of Power, he was slowly becoming a demon again. His mark of Twilight was still active. He didn't have much time before he lost control again.
Ganondorf, still entangled in chains, grabbed hold of the flaming sword lodged into the dragon's skull and pushed as hard as he could. The dragon squealed painfully and had little choice but to obey the direction its head was forced towards. It spun upside down. At the same time, the Fae were able to entangle themselves into its wings since the Rebel no longer kept destroying them. Elder saw Ganondorf entangled in the chains, flew in, grabbed ahold of him, and flew off as the dragon fell.
The dragon roared defiantly during all of its descent. It roared up until it crashed onto the castle's towers whose spires impaled it like spears.
The dragon died.
Elder Fae fell hard to the ground, Ganondorf held tightly within its hold. He released the Dragmire, who then stood, groaned, and ran off. Elder reshaped himself as a normal sized man made of stone.
"You're welcome?" The Fae asked.
Ganondorf ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Power flowed into his veins and started to conflict with the Twilight. He didn't know how many seconds he had, but he would use every one he had. Pain filled him, and he felt like he was being torn in two as he stumbled down the streets. As if by luck or divine providence, he recognized the abode where Zelda and Link hid and ran inside.
He burst in, fire and shadow exploding from veins all over his body. "High Princess! I need you to-"
Zelda screamed in surprise and shot him in the head with a light arrow. Ganondorf fell flat on his back, unconscious. The transformation taking hold stopped and settled. Link stared from where he was perched by the window with a makeshift club. He looked out of the corner of his eye to Zelda, noted her wild eyes, and shifted away a bit.
"Are we twitchy, princess?" Link whispered.
"Is it... is it over? Is the assassin gone?" Zelda wondered.
Link had no answer. They had seen the dragon fall out of the sky, but they knew nothing more. The only one who could provide the answer was knocked out. At the very least, the mark of Din was visible on Ganondorf's hand, and they felt his heartbeat in their hands.
"Should we move him?" Zelda asked.
"Nah, leave him," Link shrugged. He adjusted himself. His body was healing, but it would take days of rest to recover from the number of cuts and broken bones he had. It still wasn't as bad as when Ouki kicked him off a cliff, though.
Link smirked. "Out cold is the most at peace I've ever seen him."
(edited by RealCoolDude u/10495976/)
