Chapter Six: The Nature of Destiny

It was reaching late afternoon the day after he had left when Link, still nursing an ugly bruise on his forehead courtesy of Darunia's inability to rein in his own incredible strength, reached the Zora's River and began the trek along the trail that led along the river over to Zora's Domain. The sound of the crystal-clear water had a sort of calming effect that made Link almost forget that an enemy more dangerous than even Ganon had been now lurked in the Gerudo Desert, plotting and planning Hyrule's downfall.

But even so, Link was smart enough to know that there was no use clinging to this last vestige of tranquility. Sauron was waging war on their entire world, and a part of him hated the fact that he was approaching the Zoras with the express intention of drawing them into the conflict. He remembered well how much King Zora doted on Ruto, to the point that he often smothered her, much to her distress. He was overprotective, and would no doubt react to the news of his daughter's Sagehood less than enthusiastically.

And with the knowledge that Ganondorf was loose too…

No, Link didn't even want to think about that right now as he crossed a shallow point in the river to reach the other side of the bank, where the trail continued. Sauron was, for the time being, the much bigger threat, as Ganondorf did not have the Triforce of Power or an army at his back. Yet.

Link had come to know the way to Zora's Domain by heart, leaping over stepping-stones and across shallow water almost without any conscious thought, and soon enough, he was at the main entrance to their lair. The way in was blocked by a huge waterfall, as the Zoras were not as outgoing as the Gorons when it came to foreigners, but their relations with the Royal Family had always been friendly.

The proof in that came from the way for those of the Royal Family to enter the Domain. Link stood on the stone engraving of the Triforce and brought out the Ocarina of Time, playing Zelda's Lullaby. Immediately the waters of the Zora Falls parted, opening the way in.

Inside, Link took a moment to appreciate the familiarity of his surroundings. Zora's Domain hadn't changed much in the three years since he had last seen it. The various fish-people were going about their business as they always did, and Link strode purposefully past them as he made his way over to where he knew King Zora's throne room to be. Sure enough, once he traversed the flight of stairs, he found himself in Zora De Bon's royal chambers, where the huge Zora ruler was sitting in his usual place.

Does this guy ever move? Link found himself wondering for a moment before remembering why he had come.

Standing at his side was, of course, Princess Ruto, who looked him up and down with a critical eye.

"Hm?" King Zora spoke as he noticed Link's entry. "A visitor? It's rare for a non-Zora to come here these days. Does the Royal Family have need of me?"

"Who are you?" Ruto abruptly demanded. "Something about you seems oddly…familiar, even though I know I've never seen you before. And why on earth do you look like you just head-butted a Goron?"

Link subconsciously rubbed the bruise still throbbing slightly in his forehead. Well, it's not that far from the truth…

Clearing his throat, Link announced, "King Zora De Bon the Sixteenth, my name is Link. I've come on behalf of Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Recently, a new enemy invaded Hyrule with a vast and powerful army, seeking to lay claim to the Triforce in our guardianship. Already they have tried to seize it, but we were able to drive them off, but with heavy loss. King Harkinian is dead."

King Zora and Ruto both gasped in surprise. "Dead?" King Zora exclaimed. "How can this be?"

"Hyrule has been at peace ever since the Fierce War ended!" Ruto cried. "Who has broken it?"

"He calls himself the Dark Lord Sauron," Link explained gravely. "He does not hail from our world, but he has somehow managed to open a portal in the Gerudo Desert that has allowed legions of his soldiers and monsters to cross over into Hyrule. Though I don't believe Sauron has come here himself, the fact that he vanquished the forces of good in his realm leads me to believe that we are facing a power the likes of which Hyrule hasn't seen since the Demon Wars long ago."

King Zora leaned back solemnly in his seat. "Speak, royal messenger. What is it you are asking of us?"

Link's eyes locked onto Ruto's for a moment before he finally replied, "In order for us to stand against the power of Sauron and his mightiest servants, the power of the ancient Sages must be reawakened. Already we have found the other Sages-to-be, who have already awakened their powers or are in the process of doing so, but there is one yet that remains unaccounted for, the one who will inherit the mantle of the Sage of Water, and that, King Zora, is your daughter, Ruto."

Ruto's eyes widened in surprise as King Zora spluttered, "Wh-what madness is this? You are saying my daughter, my sweet, innocent, beautiful Princess Ruto is a Sage? Absolute nonsense!"

Link did not fail to notice Ruto glare indignantly at her father, but he remained calm as he continued. "I assure you, King Zora, that I am not deceiving you, and I come on behalf of Princess Zelda herself, who now rules over the Kingdom of Hyrule in her father's place. She is not lying; Ruto is the Sage-to-be of Water, and the Kingdom of Hyrule needs her and the help of the Zora army to overcome this evil, for Sauron's hordes are vast, and the army we repelled at Hyrule Castle not two days ago was only a small part of a much larger force."

"Our relations with the Kingdom of Hyrule have always been friendly," King Zora slowly answered. "But they asked us for similar aid during the Fierce War, and my answer then was no. So shall it be now. I will not ask my people to fight and die in the wars of foreigners."

"Your Majesty, whether you like it or not, this is your war too," Link sternly pressed on. "Sauron will not stop with the Kingdom of Hyrule. If he conquers us and gains the Triforce, he will come for you next. And the Gorons, the Kokiri…everyone in Hyrule will be subject to his rule! Is that what you really want?"

"Now listen here, boy," King Zora warned.

"Father, he's right."

Both of them paused in surprise at the interruption and looked over at Ruto, whose arms were folded. "Princess Zelda wouldn't lie about something this serious. If I'm supposed to be a Sage, then I believe her."

"B-but Ruto! You cannot be serious!"

"Yes, I am serious! And I know that you don't want to believe it because you can't bear the thought of 'poor, beautiful, innocent Princess Ruto' becoming anything other than some Zora noble's trophy wife! Well, I won't stand for it! Not anymore! I'm not your doll!"

Link's eyes widened at Ruto's audacity. Heedless of this, she continued, "Now I have the chance to do something important, for the good of all of Hyrule! If my destiny is to become a Sage, then I happily accept it! I'd rather be a Sage than a trophy wife!"

"Ruto…how can you say such things?"

"Father, stop being so ignorant! I'm not a tadpole anymore! The Kingdom of Hyrule needs our help, especially mine, and I'm going to help them! If you truly care about me, you'll send our best warriors with me to help Hyrule against this Sauron guy! If they're right, he's a threat to the Zora Kingdom as well!"

King Zora looked conflicted. "My dear Ruto…are you sure about this?"

Ruto nodded resolutely. "I am, Father." She then turned towards Link. "What do I need to do?"

"You need to go to the Water Temple in Lake Hylia and pray at the altar. After that, we need you to come to Hyrule Castle, where the other Sages and their armies have gathered. Once all of the Sages are together, you'll go to the Temple of Time to receive training from the Sage of Light in how to use your powers."

Ruto nodded. "Then I'm off to Lake Hylia."

King Zora sighed. "I will…assemble the army. We will arrive at Hyrule Castle in three days' time."

Link bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"And boy?"

"Yes?"

"…take care of my daughter. She is all I have left."

XXXXXX

Spirit Temple…

Nabooru grimly brooded as she sat alone in her cell, bound in chains. Had they been right? This whole time, had the Hylians been right about Ganondorf? The thought made her ill, because a part of her had refused to accept the possibility. But now she had been given what seemed to be undeniable proof of Ganondorf's cruelty, to treat his most loyal follower like a traitor.

As she thought this, her mind wandered back to better days in their youth, before Twinrova, before the Fierce War. She and Ganondorf had known each other since they were little kids. She could recall the days of laughter and mischief as they raised all sorts of hell for the adults.

But those days were gone now. Ganondorf had changed. She had changed. Everything had changed.

"Oh ho ho ho ho, look at this, Koume! The little traitor is crying!"

Nabooru's head shot up at the hated voice.

"Heh heh heh heh, how utterly pathetic, isn't she, Kotake?"

With a burst of fire and ice magic, the Twinrova Sisters appeared in her cell, evil grins on their wrinkled old faces.

"You," Nabooru growled with as much hate she could muster.

Koume and Kotake cackled as Nabooru struggled against her chains, to no avail. "It must be so heartbreaking to see how he has changed," Koume laughed.

"Surely the Hylians must have told you his destiny," Kotake said.

"Yes, yes!" Koume cackled. "The Great King of Darkness!"

"The Demon King!" Kotake cried joyously.

"And this time, you and your fellow Sages won't be able to stop him!" Koume hissed, her eyes narrowing.

Nabooru's eyes widened as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "You knew…the whole time, you knew I was a Sage-to-be. That's why you always wanted me dead…why you've worked so hard to convince Lord Ganondorf that I'm a traitor!"

"Oh ho ho ho!" Kotake laughed. "You may not be a traitor now, but when Lord Ganondorf takes up his destiny as the King of Evil, you will most assuredly try to stop him with your fellow Sages and that wretched boy!"

"But this time, we won't let it happen again!" Koume declared. "This time, the great Ganondorf will prevail…"

"He will take the Triforce for his own…"

"And the legacy of Demise shall rule over this world forever!"

"And of course," Kotake hissed, getting right in Nabooru's face, "in order for him to truly become the master of all evil, his ties must all be severed. As long as he cares for you and the rest of the Gerudo, he is holding himself back."

"But now that he thinks all of you are traitors," Koume added, "it won't be long before he will seek to rule only for himself, as he should!"

Their horrible screeching laughter rang in Nabooru's ears as they gloated, seeping into her soul and withering any sense of hope within her. Ganondorf's very soul was doomed, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"So the truth is finally revealed."

And just like that, the witches' laughter stopped cold. They and Nabooru all looked to see Ganondorf standing there with his arms folded, a deadly glare boring holes in his surrogate mothers.

"L-Lord Ganondorf!" Koume cried. "What are you doing here?"

"Seeking answers," Ganondorf replied. "And it seems I have found them, just as I suspected I would. I knew you old hags couldn't resist gloating to her about your plans, and I simply waited for you to make your move and decided to eavesdrop on your little conversation."

"Now Lord Ganondorf, listen…" Kotake began.

"You lied to me," Ganondorf growled, cutting her off. "About a great many things."

"My Lord, don't you understand?" Koume pleaded. "It is your destiny to become the King of Darkness, and she is a threat to that destiny!"

"I didn't ask for this destiny!" Ganondorf roared, taking a threatening step forward. "Long did I spend under your tutelage, thinking I was doing it for the benefit of the Gerudo, but I now see that your interest was never in them, or me, but in Demise's ill-fated conquest! I have seen the future that awaits me should I give in to his whispered promises, and I will not resign myself to such a fate! It ends here! I will not be his puppet! I will not be your pawn!"

A deadly silence permeated the dungeon as the witches gawked at Ganondorf, until finally Koume broke the silence, her bulbous eyes narrowing to slits. "How dare you, boy," she growled, power beginning to grow behind her words.

"After everything we've done for you, molding you into the ultimate warrior," Kotake hissed as magic gathered around her as well, "this is how you repay us?! With treachery?!"

The two witches clasped arms as they were surrounded by fire and ice energy, glaring daggers at Ganondorf. "That we will not forgive!" they both cried.

There was a bright flash of light, and Nabooru had to close her eyes in order to not be blinded. Ganondorf, however, did not flinch, watching as the magic faded, revealing the combined form of his mothers, Twinrova. "You will take up your destiny if we have to beat it back into you!"

Ganondorf's entire body was engulfed in powerful dark energy as he yelled back his challenge. "Fools! I am Ganondorf, and from this day forth, I make my own destiny!"

Twinrova screeched as she flung a ball of fire magic at Ganondorf, who struck the attack with the back of his hand, sending it careening back towards Twinrova. With her ice wand, she dissipated the attack and countered with an ice beam attack. Ganondorf dodged, the ground freezing solid where he had stood a second before as he sent a counterattack energy bolt at the sorceress, which Twinrova blocked with an ice shield. However, Ganondorf took advantage of this and leapt high into the air, raising his fist and charging it full of energy. Before Twinrova even had time to dissipate the shield, Ganondorf's Warlock Punch smashed right through it and connected with Twinrova's shocked face.

Her head snapped sideways from the blow as she was knocked to the ground. Ganondorf wasted no time as he sent another energy blast hurtling towards her. Twinrova screamed as her body blew apart, transforming her back into two groaning, weakened witch sisters. As Ganondorf approached, dark magic billowing out of his fists, Koume feebly raised an arm. "Ha-have mercy, M-My Lord!"

Ganondorf loomed over the Twinrova Sisters, his yellow eyes burning with anger. "Was it not you who taught me not to show mercy to my enemies?"

Koume shrieked in fear as Kotake whimpered, "You…y-you would not hurt your own mothers, would you?"

Ganondorf said nothing as he towered over their pathetic forms, and then, without warning, his magic faded away with a hiss. "No…I wouldn't."

Koume and Kotake regarded him with shock, but Ganondorf was not finished. "But I will never again put any faith in your words or powers. As King of the Gerudo, I henceforth banish you from all Gerudo lands, including our revered temple, for the remainder of your unnatural lifetimes. Know this, you old hags…" At this, Ganondorf leaned threateningly over the frightened old crones. "If I ever hear that you are in our lands again, I will not show mercy a second time. Is that clear?"

The sisters shakily nodded, their eyes wide with terror. "Now get out," Ganondorf growled.

With a shriek of despair and powerless rage, the Twinrova Sisters vanished, leaving Ganondorf and Nabooru alone in the chamber. Nabooru regarded Ganondorf with awe as he turned his attention towards her and ripped open the cell door. "I'm sorry I put you through this," he said "But I needed to get the truth somehow, so I set a trap with you as the bait."

Nabooru said nothing as Ganondorf magicked the manacles off her arms and stood there, looking surprisingly sheepish. "I…I was foolish for believing you to be a traitor, even if only for a moment. Long has my mind been clouded by their manipulations."

Nabooru was silent for several moments before she finally rushed forward and wrapped the Gerudo King up in a fierce hug. Ganondorf spluttered indignantly for a moment before Nabooru whimpered, "I missed you, Ganon."

Ganondorf found himself smiling as he awkwardly returned the hug of his second-in-command and childhood friend.

XXXXXX

Twenty minutes later…

"Fill me in. What's been going on lately with this 'new enemy' everyone keeps talking about?" Ganondorf asked as he accompanied Nabooru back towards the Altar of Spirit.

"He calls himself the Dark Lord Sauron," Nabooru explained. "He comes from another world and somehow found out about the Triforce. In order to seize it, he sent an army through a portal into our world through the Gerudo Desert. We were driven out by their forces and are currently taking shelter in the Lost Woods."

"And the guardian spirit there has let you stay?" Ganondorf asked, surprised.

"For the time being, yes," Nabooru answered. "Anyways, our fortress has been turned into their base of operations. Their flags now fly from our walls." A note of bitterness entered her tone at this.

"How many?"

"At least a hundred thousand. Their camps fill up the entire valley from one end to the other. I was able to sneak by them with help from a gift from a friend, but there's no way you could get past them without being seen."

"I'll figure out a way. Is this it?"

They had arrived back at the altar, where her Stone Mask and Mirror Shield had been left behind. Retrieving them, Nabooru knelt at the altar as she had done before while Ganondorf waited in the background, his arms folded as he leaned against the wall. Countless minutes passed as Nabooru prayed under her breath, pleading with the Goddess of Power for the strength she and her people needed to overcome the evil that shadowed the land.

And then it happened.

The room grew dark as unimaginable power manifested within the room, centered squarely upon the altar. Ganondorf took a step back in utter shock as a stunningly-beautiful woman with flaming red hair tied in a bun, as well as a billowing dress red as the fiercest flame, took shape before Nabooru, placing her toned arms on both of Nabooru's shoulders as the power of the Spirit Sage poured into its newest bearer.

Ganondorf could not believe his eyes. There was no other being this could possibly be.

"Din…" he breathed. "The Goddess of Power…"

And then Din's warm gaze fell upon the other occupant, who bowed out of reverence, pointedly ignoring the part of him that screamed in defiance at such a gesture.

Rise, my champion, Din spoke.

Ganondorf started as he realized that he definitely recognized that voice now. "You…you were the one that spoke to me in my dreams," he marveled.

Din nodded, that smile still on her face. While it is true that the slumbering soul of one of our greatest enemies rests within you, I sense that you have the potential for greatness apart from what Demise desires of you. We of the Golden Three need our champions in order to combat the growing darkness of the Dark Lord Sauron, for alone, none of you are a match for his power. And I have chosen you, Ganondorf of the Gerudo, to be my champion, my Bearer of Power. However, there is one problem. As long as the essence of Demise dwells within you, I cannot safely trust you with my power. In order to realize your true potential as my champion, he must be well and truly purged from your soul and destroyed once and for all. Then, all his curses will be lifted, and my children that he cursed long ago will be free and will serve you in my name.

Ganondorf remained kneeling, though he lifted his head to gaze upon Din's divine form. "What must I do to rid myself of this infernal parasite that seeks to control my destiny?"

The new Sages of this era are gathering together in Hyrule Castle to combine their powers against this foe. But I fear that the power of the Sages alone will not be enough. The Hero of Courage, the Princess of Wisdom, and the King of Power are needed as well. To free yourself and our world of Demise's influence, you must go to the Sages and ask for their help. They will not trust you, but you must convince them that you need their help. Allow them to use their combined Sage powers on you, and at the same time, use your own willpower to force Demise out of your body. Once he has been purged from your soul, use the power of the Triforce to destroy him completely. When that is done, the many monster tribes imprisoned and enslaved by him will be freed. My children will answer to you, as their savior and my champion, and with their help, Hyrule will have a force mighty enough to stand against the armies of Sauron.

"My Lady, how will I convince them of my sincerity?" Ganondorf asked incredulously. "The Hylians believe me to be their enemy! They would surely lock me up once more!"

Perhaps they might, Din acknowledged. But the Champion of Nayru has the ability to see into the hearts of all who look her in the eyes. Plead to her, reason with her, and Wisdom will win out. Make them understand that the Champions of the Three must work together to win this War of the Golden Powers.

Ganondorf bowed his head once more as he vowed, "In your name, oh Goddess of Power. If you ask it of me, I will be your champion. I will purge myself of Demise's influence, and I will prevent the name of Power from being tainted by his legacy."

Din leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the Gerudo King's forehead. Now go, my son. Go with my blessing, and save Hyrule from the evil that threatens it.

XXXXXX

Gerudo Fortress…

The Witch-king sat in his chambers, drumming his gauntleted fingers against the wooden table as he waited for his scouts to return. Finally the Nazgûl Lord was jolted from his thoughts as a Haradrim scout entered the room, bowing hurriedly.

"Speak!" the Witch-king declared impatiently. "What do you have?"

"I have this, My Lord," the Haradrim scout answered in a thick accent as he brought out a roll of parchment. "It is a map of this land, and our linguists have successfully deciphered it."

The Witch-king stood as the scout unrolled the map and placed it on the table, stepping back as the Witch-king smoothed out the edges. The locations were all described in an unfamiliar script, which had been crossed out and replaced with the more familiar Westron.

"This is Hyrule Castle," the scout explained, pointing on the map. "And over here…" His finger trailed over to the symbol of a mountain. "…is Death Mountain, homeland of a race of creatures called the Gorons. They are the ones who broke our siege the other day."

The Witch-king hissed bitterly at the foul memory. The scout gulped before he continued, "This over here is the Zora's Domain. The Zoras are apparently a race of aquatic creatures who are not as eager to join in foreign conflicts as the Gorons. This is the Lost Woods, where the Warg-scouts pursued the natives that once lived in this desert, the Gerudo apparently, into. And this here is us, in the Gerudo Desert."

The Witch-king pored over the map carefully for several minutes, various strategies forming in his head, before he remembered that the scout was still there, nervously awaiting instructions. "You have done well to bring me this," he spoke. "Now off with you. I have plans to make."

The scout bowed, all too eager to flee the fearsome presence of the Lord of the Nazgûl. The Witch-king hissed as he memorized every detail, every village, every landmark of this foreign land. Finally he allowed himself a hissing laugh. "The fools will likely attempt a counterattack against us, thinking their victory before will lend them an advantage. But we will prove them wrong."

At that moment, a thunderous roar from outside shook the foundations, from an immense beast of shadow and flame, and the Witch-king's unseen smile widened.

"Yes…we will prove them dead wrong."

XXXXXX000XXXXXX

This is the premise that got the whole idea of this story started long, long ago. Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf working together against a common foe. Unheard of in Nintendo, but I've always loved the idea. And now I've figured out how to make it reasonably work.

Next time, Ganondorf sucks up his pride (for real this time) and appeals to the Hylians once more for help, only this time, it's to save his soul.