Chapter Three: It's A Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door
Darkness was all Ganondorf could see. Oppressive, silent, dominating blackness that pushed against his eyelids, threatening to swallow him whole. He blinked, though his eyes could not see the action, as if he had been struck blind.
You are mine.
The voice was his, and yet it wasn't.
"Who…?" Ganondorf spoke out loud in confusion.
I am you. I am your destiny.
"This is foolishness," Ganondorf growled.
Obey me. Obey your destiny. Crush. Kill. Destroy. Claim dominion over all.
A brief vision swept past Ganondorf's line of sight, that of a dark head with burning eyes and hair like flames, but it was gone before he could fully register it. Then the darkness faded, replaced with a muted white light. He could see himself, standing before the legendary Power of Gold, laying his hand on the sacred relic. He could see himself clad in royal armor, leading wave after wave of monsters against the people of Hyrule. Burning, pillaging, and enslaving all who crossed their path. All of it in his name. His.
The thought of that awoke a deep lust within him, and he could not suppress the wicked grin that creased his face.
But then…the vision changed. The change was subtle, but its effect was anything but. He touched the Triforce, only for it to split apart, two parts flying off to find appropriate bearers in an effort to protect itself from his misuse, leaving him to call only the Mark of Power his own. His monsters were cut down in droves by a boy in green wielding a blade of holy power. He saw himself fighting this boy, only to lose. He was sealed in darkness…
And yet he escaped.
He saw himself making deals with and pressganging other beings into his service, rising to power again and again and again.
He saw a shroud of Twilight envelop Hyrule.
He saw Hyrule drowned beneath the waves of the oceans by a mad king in hopes of drowning Ganondorf with it.
He saw himself as a slavering, demonic boar of immense size, bellowing fiercely in the throes of its madness.
Each time, that same boy came. The one in green. And yet it wasn't the same boy. They were different ages. Some were taller, some were shorter. Some with blond hair, some with brown. But they all wore that forest green. Always those piercing blue eyes bore into him with a fiery determination. And they all bore that same sword.
It cut into him again and again, age after age, taking a little more of his essence with it each time until he was little more than a raging, mindless beast bereft of intelligence, consumed by a goal it no longer had the capacity to understand.
"W-what is this?" Ganondorf uttered at the sight, for it evoked a sense of fear and wonder within him, and for a brief moment, a piercing clarity shook him, and he realized just what was wrong with him.
"What…am I?" he murmured. "Am I…merely a puppet? A shadow of Demise's former glory? Is it his will that drives me, not my own? Is this my destiny? To be smote again and again by this boy? To be cast down in ruin at the height of my power in an endless cycle for eternity, until I am a mindless animal that no longer even knows why it desires the Triforce?!"
Only if you let it be.
Ganondorf felt himself go still as a new voice made itself known, the voice of a female. Something about her was…familiar. But he was certain he'd never heard such a voice before.
"What is this?" he demanded once more. "Is my mind the plaything of more than one puppeteer?! Show yourself!"
What you have seen is the future that awaits you if you allow Demise's hatred to consume you, and become the villain he wants you to be. His evil rests deep in your soul, and your anger only feeds it. With each passing moment, he comes closer to molding you into his ultimate successor, a new Demon King. His very essence is a part of you.
Ganondorf balled his fists. "How…? If this is the case, how then could I change it? Can this destiny truly not be averted?"
There is still time. Though it grows stronger with each passing day, his dominion over you is still weak. You still yet have the potential to wrest control of your fate from him, to decide your own path.
Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "How do you know so much about this? About me? Why even seek to help me?"
You could say I have a vested interest in your future. You are destined for greatness, there is no doubt of that, but the magnitude of that greatness hangs upon the decision you must make when the time is right. Will you achieve greatness as Demise's puppet…or my champion?
"Your…champion?" Ganondorf repeated. "Who are you?"
In time, you shall come to know me better. But know this, my son. Beware the poisoned words of those you have long called mothers. They will tirelessly work to see that Demise prevails over you. Despite what you may think, they are, in the end, not your allies.
"…What, then, must I do to conquer this dark half of my being?" Ganondorf slowly asked, suspicion heavy in his tone.
You will know, my child, when the time comes. Fear not, Ganondorf, son of Din, for I shall be watching you carefully during these trying times…
"Child of…?" Ganondorf muttered, his eyes widening. "Are you…?"
But the voice of the lady had already gone, and his world went dark once more, surrounding him in its cold, unfeeling atmosphere. But as Ganondorf slept, the words of his visitor stayed with him, and he brooded on them throughout the remainder of his time within dreams.
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Nabooru rode hard for the deserts of her homeland, her Mirror Shield slung across her back and the Stone Mask firmly on her face. As she neared the boundaries of the desert, she dismounted her horse and spanked its rear, bidding it off to join its brethren in the Lost Woods. Thus she continued her journey on foot. Even though she was wearing the Stone Mask, she took care to remain quiet and out of sight as she neared the desert.
Soon she stilled as she heard the unmistakable tromping of thousands of marching soldiers approaching, and she quickly hid behind a boulder before peeking over it to observe the scene.
The first to come was a single horseman, clad in tattered black robes and tarnished silver armor. Over his head was an open-mouthed helmet made to look like a screaming face, and beneath that, a hood that hid the horseman's face…or perhaps he had no face at all, for looking into it was like looking into the Void itself. The horse he rode was as black as his robes. Its eyes burned with a fell glow, and bloody nails had been driven into its hooves for some unknown, sickening purpose. Yet despite the horror of its injuries, the infernal beast carried its owner with little trouble, snorting as the Witch-king spurred it on.
Behind him came marching a vast host of men and beasts, tossing up clouds of dust all around them. Orcs, Uruks, Goblins, Easterlings, Corsairs, Wargs, and numerous Trolls, some armored and carrying great hammers while others carried small trebuchets teeming with Goblin sappers on their backs or pushed along various siege engines and war machines, and even some pounding on large kettle drums in time with the marching beat, marched obliviously past the single hidden Gerudo, who watched them all with a look of horror.
Never have I seen such an army, Nabooru thought to herself in dread. There's no way Hyrule Castle can repel them!
She found herself whispering a silent prayer to Din that Zelda would make it out of it in one piece. Hylian though she was, Nabooru could see that the Princess was not like her father or many other Hylians, and could be a friend to the Gerudo if the situation played out in their favor.
She shook her mind of such thoughts as she continued to watch Sauron's army advance past her. Numerous flagbearers proudly held aloft great battle standards, many depicting a red eye, while others had white stylized markings depicting a horned skull of some kind. There were some depictions of snakes as well, and spiders, and a great white hand, along with numerous others whose meaning was totally lost on Nabooru. It was well over an hour before the immense host finally reached its end, and Nabooru silently watched as they all marched away in the direction of Hyrule Castle.
It wasn't until long after they were out of sight that she finally left her hiding place and stealthily made her way into the Gerudo Valley. And there she paused, for there were more in the valley and the desert beyond. Much more. Twice the number she had seen march away lay encamped within the valley all around the old fortress, from which now hung huge banners depicting the Eye of Sauron. Nabooru's hackles rose at the sight of this, and she silently vowed, Before this year is out, even if it comes at my final breath, we will retake our homes, and I'll cut down those damned banners myself!
Taking a deep breath and deciding to trust in the Stone Mask's power, Nabooru strode into the sea of tents belonging to Sauron's fell legions. She darted her way around the crude Orc-tents and the opulent Haradrim Palaces, past the pair of resting Mûmakil, and the Isengard Warg-pens, where the vicious hounds paced anxiously around the enclosures, panting from the desert heat.
Raucous cheers and jeers drew her attention to her left, where she saw a large number of men and Orcs gathered around a crude and hastily-constructed coliseum, shouting and cackling as they watched one of the giant wolves viciously fighting a man-sized spider, while a pair of Goblins weaved their way through the crowds, holding out boxes that several individuals dropped various coins into, placing bets.
Nabooru curled her lip in disgust. How barbaric.
Off to her right, she saw two Goblins vigorously engaged in a gruesome game of what they called knucklecrush, known also in some circles as "Bloody Knuckles", while all around them, hordes of Goblins, some sickly green with stringy black hair, others tan-skinned and bald, cheered them on.
"Gahaha! Show 'im who's the real Goblin King, Gorkil!" one of the white Goblins cried.
"Pah! You Ettenmoor Goblins 're pansies! King Durbûrz is gonna win!" cackled a green Goblin.
"You'll see, you sniveling Moria rats!" sneered another white Goblin. "Kaha, you'll see!"
And thus the two Goblin factions continued to cheer on their respective kings, who were eagerly smashing their fists against each other's, concentrating only on each other, heedless of the camouflaged Gerudo observing them with utter distaste. I should have guessed, she thought bitterly. Even their degenerate kings are nothing more than simple thugs.
She passed by a pair of Mountain Trolls in time to see one punch the other for the sheer hell of it, the second one reacting with a blow of its own before the two creatures stupidly returned to whatever idle thing they were doing. Nearby, some men in garb reminiscent of pirates were hauling boxes of what looked to be various liquors into the fortress, and it appeared several of the swarthy Corsairs had already dipped into their brandies as they laughed drunkenly.
Haradrim archers were tirelessly practicing their archery, while some others, instead of practicing with bows, were throwing bamboo javelins at their targets. Nearby, watching them, sat a grizzled old Orc with long, ugly scars trailing down half his face, as though something had raked its claws across his head. He used the body of his resting Warg as a backrest as he idly chewed a strip of jerky. "Y'know, boy," Sharkû chuckled grimly as he scratched his Warg behind the ears, "it's funny, workin' with Men. Far as I'm concerned, they only look good roastin' on a spit, and yet the Dark Lord holds 'em in such high regard. Things were so much easier back when we were just raidin' outlying Rohan settlements, eh boy?"
His Warg let out a low growl in response, more interested in the scratches and sleeping than actually paying attention to its partner's ranting.
All in all, it was a fairly-revealing look into the many cultures that mingled together in the name of Sauron, but Nabooru had little interest in it as she spent the better part of two hours trying to navigate through the enemy encampment, taking care to avoid bumping into any Orcs or Men that passed by. Eventually she slipped past the fringes of the enemy's camp and breathed a sigh of relief. The Stone Mask had come through for her.
Without further ado, she headed for the Spirit Temple to complete her mission.
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As Link ushered Epona across the vast fields of Hyrule, a sudden noise made him stop. Looking out over a hill towards the desert, he noticed a huge cloud of dust coming from that direction, and his heart sank all the way down his gut to settle behind his navel.
It's Sauron's army, he realized in dread as he saw the huge mass of troops emerge from the valley. Goddesses above…there's no way Hyrule Castle can stand up to an army like that! What should I do?
He wanted to turn back, to warn Zelda of the severity of their situation, but then he remembered something. Zelda had known that Sauron was going to attack very soon, and that she would evacuate through the catacombs if it appeared the city was lost.
He hated it, but Zelda was clear in that she had a contingency plan ready to put into effect should Hyrule Castle fall. With this in mind, he wheeled Epona around and continued his journey towards Death Mountain. Maybe if things worked out quickly enough, and if Hyrule Castle held out long enough, he could return with a Goron army at his back.
As he came closer to the looming volcano, the sound of marching soldiers gradually faded until it was gone. Eventually he reached the stairway that led into the village of Kakariko, where he left Epona to be taken care of by the stableman until he returned, and made the journey up the mountain by foot. A few red Tektites were present, foraging for food. Any that dared to approach him were swiftly dispatched with his sword, and his trek up the slopes of Death Mountain went relatively unimpeded.
Soon enough he reached the mouth of the large cave that led into the Goron City, where a single Goron sentry was curled up. His time among Gorons had allowed Link to be able to tell a rock apart from a resting Goron, and so he marched up to the sentry and rapped his knuckles smartly on his rocky back. The sentry immediately jolted awake with a startled "oh!"
Link stepped back as the Goron wordlessly got to his feet. "Uh, who goes there?" the sentry asked, scratching his head as though remembering why he was even there in the first place.
"My name is Link," the young hero introduced himself. "I'm here on behalf of the Royal Family. I need to speak with your leader, Darunia. Is he available?"
"Uh…yeah," the sentry answered slowly. "He's in the bottom-most chamber behind the stone door."
"I know, thanks!" Link cried as he rushed past the sentry.
Goron City was just the way he remembered it, only there was no sense of despair or hunger permeating the atmosphere, as Ganondorf had never gotten the chance to turn the Dodongo King that lived in the cavern that provided their food violent. The Spiritual Stone of Fire was sitting proudly in its display that hung over the huge chasm that the Goron City was built around.
And I hope it stays there, Link thought to himself as he began the long descent into where he knew Darunia's chamber to be, passing by numerous Gorons who spared him curious glances before returning to their own activities. After a while, Link reached the door to his destination, which slowly opened at his presence. He walked inside, and there stood the Goron leader, as towering and powerfully-muscled as ever.
Darunia flashed an inviting smile. "What can I do for you, kid? Does the Royal Family need our help with something?"
Link took a deep breath and began. "Brother Darunia, the land of Hyrule is in grave danger. A new enemy has entered our realm in pursuit of the Triforce. Even now their armies march on Hyrule Castle. I've seen them myself as I journeyed here. The only way we may have a chance at stopping them is if we reawaken the power of the ancient Sages. Princess Zelda has determined that you have the qualities necessary to become the new Sage of Fire. To gain your Sagehood, you must go to the Fire Temple and pray at the altar, and when you return, I implore you to send a Goron army to relieve the siege on Hyrule Castle."
Darunia's eyes narrowed at this. "This some kind of joke?"
Link's expression was stern and serious. "No, sir."
Darunia searched the young boy's face seriously, but Link's expression did not waver, nor did he break eye contact with the Goron leader.
"There's something about you…" Darunia finally said. "I don't know why, but…there's something about you that makes me know I can trust you. You're really saying I'm a Sage-to-be? I, the wild Darunia?"
Link nodded gravely.
Darunia scratched his chin in thought. "If what you're saying is true, kid, I'll spread the word to mobilize our forces while I go to the old temple and do what you said."
Link sighed with relief. "Thank you, sir."
"Just call me Darunia, kid," the Goron replied with a wink. "I'll be back soon. You just wait here, and we'll get this whole thing sorted out in no time!"
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Hyrule Castle, Throne Room…
"Please, father, you must listen to me!" Zelda begged.
Harkinian the First, King of Hyrule, huffed in tired annoyance. "Zelda, we have been at peace for years now! This tale about an army from another world coming for the Triforce is simply ludicrous! I heeded your advice to imprison the king of those desert rats, but there's only so much of your tall tales I can stand!"
"Indeed you did," Zelda angrily retorted. "So why aren't you listening to me now? This is just as much a challenge to the safety of our kingdom as Ganondorf would have been!"
Harkinian clicked his tongue off-handedly, rolling his eyes. "Zelda, my dear, the reason I did what you said then was because I realized that a thief, even a king of thieves, is only good for stealing. To keep him under lock and key will keep the rest of his filthy mongrels subdued."
Zelda paled as she slowly took a step back from her father.
"You…you weren't listening to me for the sake of our kingdom…it was for the sake of your own personal vendetta against them." She shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. "I no longer know you, father. I thought perhaps you had changed when you put your arrogance aside to imprison Ganondorf, but now I see that you were motivated by your racism, not your duty to our people."
Harkinian's eyes narrowed. "Mind your tongue, Zelda."
Zelda affixed him with a steely glare. "I will not, Father. I won't let your arrogance be the downfall of our kingdom a second time. Our enemy is coming. Send out riders towards the desert, Father. They will confirm it to you!"
Harkinian opened his mouth to shut her down, only to be interrupted as the throne room door burst open, a guard rushing in, panting heavily as though he had run the whole way there.
"Y-Your Majesty!" the man breathed. "The city…"
Harkinian stood from his throne. "What is going on here? Speak up, man!"
After he had taken a brief moment to catch his breath, the frightened soldier cried, "My King, Hyrule Castle is under attack!"
Harkinian's eyes widened, while Zelda felt her heart stop. "No," she uttered, shell-shocked. "T-they're here even sooner than I expected!"
Sparing his daughter a look, he strode purposefully towards the balcony that overlooked the city and observed the scene. Zelda followed him there, and together they watched the cloud of dust that partially concealed an immense army closing in on Castle Town from the south.
"We're too late, Father," Zelda spoke gravely. "The armies of Sauron the Dark Lord are already upon us."
Harkinian shuddered as his head whirled with thoughts. Din's Fire…she was right. The whole time, my daughter was right. What have I done?
Quickly putting his realization aside, he turned towards the soldier that had delivered the news. "Ready our defenses, and evacuate our civilians to the catacombs! Zelda, you will evacuate along with them."
Zelda started. "But father…!"
The King put a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "My daughter, I was remiss not to trust in your words. I have been a foolish king, allowing myself to grow complacent. I must stay. The people of Hyrule must know that they have their king."
"But what if something happens to you?!" Zelda cried.
"That is why you are going into the catacombs with the rest of the civilians, my child. So long as you live, the Kingdom of Hyrule has a future. Now go, Zelda! Time grows short!"
"Come, Princess," the soldier bade her.
As Zelda reluctantly turned to leave, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Father…despite what has come between us, and my words…I still love you."
Father and daughter tearfully embraced, as Harkinian whispered, "I love you too, sweetheart."
After a full minute, they finally broke apart, and Harkinian sternly commanded, "Now go. Go!"
Zelda finally followed the soldier out, looking over her shoulder at her father until she finally disappeared into the main part of the castle.
"May the Goddesses watch over you, my darling princess," Harkinian prayed to himself before heading off to prepare for what would be his finest hour…and his final stand.
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I know, it's a little shorter than the first two chapters, but worry not; next time, the battle for Hyrule Castle begins! Will Link and the Gorons make it in time to break the siege? Can Zelda escape before the hosts of Mordor penetrate the city? Will I stop asking such obvious and dumb questions? Find out next time in…War of the Golden Powers!