Gan pushed aside the blades of glass in front of him, raised his telescope, and searched the treeless area before his eyes. In the middle of the area was a calm lake, sparkling under the moonlight, surrounded by four free-standing trees.. Hidden were the crickets chirping, birds rustling in the trees, and the occasional screech of a Bokoblin guarding the lake. While he searched the area, Gan's partner Midna tiptoed to his side, and quietly commanded the four small beings behind them to join.

The two Hylians had searched the dangerous Lost Woods for the members of the Kikwi Tribe all day long, so far acquiring Oloo, Erla, and Lopsa. Searching the forest for the Kikwi elder Bucha has lead the group to the humans' destination: the lake surrounding the Demon. Given the dark sky around them, neither Gan nor Midna could see below the surface of the lake, but based on their map and guidance from the Kikwi, this had to be the same place the Hero of Hyrule conquered the seventh dungeon.

Gan felt Midna's left cheek press against the right side of his head. "How many do you see?"

"Six Bokoblins on the left side of the lake, six on the right, and three each. Four of the total are using the trees as vantage points."

"Hmph. What about Bucha?"

Gan hardened his face. "That's the thing. He's here, but I cannot see him. For a big guy, he can hide." He lowered his telescope, and set his chin in his palms. "There's too many of them, in varying spots. We can't take them."

Midna chuckled softly as she rested a hand on her blade. "The Hero could."

"He was lucky. The monsters of his day were simply roaming the land, not...organized. We're facing a small subunit of a military, not dawdling beasts. However, I guess we can count ourselves lucky that we are looking at Bokoblins. Mr. Hero had a horde of Moblins in his days." Gan turned to Midna, and pointed to her bow.

"Take out the lookouts. That'll confuse them. We'll use the chaos to surprise them."

"Whatever you say, boss." Midna took her bow in hand and moved in front of Gan to see her targets. Spotting the Bokoblin on the closest right tree first, the girl armed her bow with an arrow and took aim.

Wsssssh! "KWAH!" The pigish beast fell out the tree and burst into dust upon impacting the ground. The five Bokoblins nearby became alert, grunting in the language, mostly likely calling out orders to find the cause of their comrade's death. Another cry came from the left side of the lake, from the back tree. All Bokoblins were on high alert, and the cacophony of grunts and cries covered up the fall of the last two Bokoblins in the trees. Like a mindless hive, the little Bokoblins searched aimlessly for the hidden sniper, and came to a pause once a more human cry echoed across the lake.

"Here, piggies. Come for dinner!" All eyes focused on the redhead pair, the girl smirking cockily, waving a sword in one hand, her other hand glowing with magic. The boy eyed his prey with hungry eyes, his sword performing a threatening dance.

"Really Midna?"

"Yes." The pair watched as the Bokoblins surrounded them in a half-circle, grunting and screeching weapons hanging low instead of in an attack position. Cautious, Midna took a step forward, causing the beasts to make a threatening gesture. Gan, fearing for Midna's safety, leaped in front of her, his golden eyes fiercely looking at the beasts. Surprisingly, the Bokoblins moved back in fear, one dropping his weapon entirely and and rushing into the forest towards the mountain.

In his mind, Gan wanted to tell the Bokoblins to move out the way, but what came out was a deep, commanding "Bewegen!" The remaining monsters screeched in horror and fled into the forest. Sheathing his blades, Gan gestured to the hiding Kikwi, and walked towards the lake. Hot on his heels, Midna unarmed herself and placed her hands on her hips, confused as to what just took place. "You're just going to ignore what you did, right?"

"I know what just happened. I rather not ponder on it now." Gan pointed out to the center of the lake, where a large, dark matter was floating. "Don't you see that?"

"Yes, I do."

"It's floating our way, you see?"

Midna indeed noticed that, grabbing the hilt of her sword cautiously. "You think it is a monster?"

Gan began to step back. "You sense the darkness as well? That's from below the lake. That floating thing… That's who we came for. "As Gan said that, he and the others watched as the mass rolled up upon land, and slowly rose to tower over them. The humans were faced with the largest Kikwi they have seen, twice Gan's height, and with a long, thin mustache. The smaller Kikwi ran to the larger one's side, crying out his name, but he paid them no heed. Instead, the Kikwi focused his eyes on the Resistance agents.

"Humans… I am Bucha. I know why you have come. All have been revealed to me by the goddesses. "

Gan stepped forward. "Then you'll show us the way?" Gan more likely than not ignore it, but Midna saw a sad, regretful glint in the Kikwi's eyes.

"Yes. I will. I will not interfere in their plans for the three chosen."

Gan's interest was piqued. "The three chosen? You speak of me, as I was chosen by Din. The other two must be the Hero and Princess. Where are they?"

Bucha hesitated, and waved away the subject. "You need rest. Thank you for finding my Kikwi."

Gan nodded, and walked away. Midna looked at her retreating partner, and then back to Bucha. "You're welcome, Bucha."

"Watch your friend, my lady. Already has greed planted its roots within him."

"Whatever greed is within him has merit. He wants to win the war."

"The greed within his ancestor also had merit once, for the betterment of his people. Look how that turned out."

Midna folded her arms, confused and angry as to what Bucha was implying. "You think Gan, my Gan, is like the Prince of Darkness?"

"I merely present a warning. Courage can be corrupted into overconfidence, and look how that served the Hero of Time. Wisdom can fall to foolishness, and look how that served the Sage of Time. Now that Din has chosen him, he must be careful, or Hyrule will never see the light. You have witnessed just a taste of what he could become. Steer him the right way, and we'll never have to worry."

5 years ago...

The smell of burning wood and stone lingered in the air, putrid to the nostrils that dared breathed the air. The smoke, growing dangerously bigger than it was not a half hour ago, made its presence known in the skies and on the streets, indicating the rising of newly forming and rapidly growing fires in the town. Sparks blew like dust in the wind, pecking the inhabitants within the city like woodpeckers on an oak tree. The most saddening feature of the desolate town was the charred bodies, either burned completely or partly and for some, not at all. Their deaths resulted from the sword, and for some of the bodies, the sword came first, and then the fire. Those still alive strived to not suffer a similar fate. A battle for the city had to be fought, and the warriors of the city will defend it with their lives as long as the family that rules it has pumping blood within them.

It was this sight that greeted a frightened thirteen-year-old boy, running with the wounded body of a similarly aged girl, through the fires and the fighting. Her blood poured out from all over her body, turning her skin and his hands from sun-kissed brown to a dark cherry red, staining her puffy red pants and her decorative red wrap around her forming breasts. Her stuttering breath forced a lot of pep to the boy's step as he charged through the crowd of loyalists in a frenzy, shouting orders to clear some space, and set his friend upon the ground, holding her head up.

"Aveil, stay with me. You're going to make it." The boy looked around and saw a mage coming forward to the both of them. She fell to her knees and began to quickly use her magic to analyze the girl's injuries, while the boy stood to his feet, and walked to a nearby female, his sadness slowly being replaced by confusion.

"Where are my sisters? My mother"

The woman pointed to a section of the city not touched by the flames yet. "Your sisters are safe, liege. Other noncombatants are there as well. But I have no idea whether is Lady Nabooru. I am also sorry about Lord Malladus."

"...Thank you..."

"Your Majesty!" The mage from earlier called to the boy, and he jogged over to her and his friend's location. "Sir, I cannot fully heal her here. Do you have a potion or something?"

The boy sought his pouch, and began to roam his hands throughout it until he found a small bottle with a dark blue liquid inside. "I got a blue."

"This will do." Taking the bottle from the boy, the mage removed the cork. "Here you go, darling." She tilted the girl's head up, force feeding half the bottle of the blue substance to the wounded. Once she was done, the bottle was resealed and returned to the boy. Returning the item to his pouch, he turned back to the young girl, watching as her wounds closed themselves up and faded away as if they were never there. Her breathing began to slow to a normal rate, and all pain left her face as she opened her golden eyes to face her savior.

He smiled to the girl, and looked up to the mage. "I can take it from here."

"Yes sir, and don't worry, we'll deal with the monsters and that masked bastard who murder His Majesty."

He nodded. "I want him alive." The mage nodded, and sprinted off to the battleground the boy and girl had previously left. The young man stood back on his feet, and helped the girl to her own, and then passing to her a twin set of thick, curved blades. "You dropped these."

The girl snatched the blades, twirled them with her fingers, then sheathed them. "Thank you, asshole. Maybe this will make up for such a horrible performance on Monday."

The boy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "I told you that I was not feeling it, but no. You just had to have your way."

The girl yanked on the boy's arm, and pulled him aside to a safe alley, untouched by blood or flame. "So what? I told you I was feeling it, but no. You just wanted to have your way. Is that why you've been so distant the last few weeks? Because you wasn't feeling it? Then you have some nerve to boss me around. You think because you're my future king that I am subject to you?"

"...That's usually how it works."

The girl sighed, and slammed the boy's back to the walk of a building, then lodging a long-nailed finger into his chest. "No, my friend, we don't work like that. You might run everything, which, as we are seeing, you are pretty shitty at, but never forget that you don't order me around, and I don't order you around. We're betrothed, Gan, and while we won't tie that knot anytime soon, we should act as we have done so. So, tell me, before I go back out there and kick more ass, what's been troubling you?"

Gan sighed, and tried to walk away. "Ave, we're in the middle of a battle, can't this-Ahhh!" While laying pressure with her knee on Gan, Aveil leaned forward to Gan's ear, slowly licking the inner lobe. The actions caused by Aveil only caused Gan more pains of increasing discomfort, and he quickly ceded. "Alright, alright, I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Of course." Removing herself from Gan's personal space, Aveil leaned back against the opposite wall, arms crossed. "Get to it, buddy."

"You know, for a thirteen year old girl, you sure are-"

"Don't change the subject. Worry about your story, not my disregarded hormones."

"Right... Well, I had this dream, and in it, well, I was a hero, I guess. I was standing beside some boy in a green tunic and a girl with this dress on. There was also six other people behind us, kneeling and doing something while the three of us held these stones in the air. Then there would be a flash of golden light, and then complete darkness before a very deep voice would say, 'Awaken, Son of Din.' I would have many other dreams, but this one played on every single night for the last two weeks. I don't understand any of it, and my research has-"

BOOM! The building behind Gan exploded, causing the wall to collapse on the two children, burying their forms under burning rubble…

"Gan... Gan... Hello, anyone home?" The sound of his name snapped Gan from his sleep, and he opened his eyes to his caller, Midna. She had a frown etched upon her countenance, one brewed from annoyance and boredom. "Oh good, I thought I lost you there."

Chuckling, Gan raised up, turning to the lake shining in the early morning sun. "Sorry to keep you worried. I just had a dream about something that happened on that day..."

"Or someone?" Gan snapped back to looking at Midna, who now had a knowing grin. "Aww, you were. Who is she, and, totally asking this question for Ralph, how bad do you want to-"

"First off, she's dead, but if you must know, well, don't tell Ralph I lost mine's when I was thirteen. It'll demoralize him forever."

Midna was appalled. "Thirteen?"

"The Gerudo women haven't changed a bit. It was...custom, for a boy and girl that had a very close relationship to actually have intercourse at that age, kinda like a declaration of engagement or something. Princes were to be spelled to be infertile once we reached thirteen so that in the case we started to rock the boat by the oasis, nothing would come out of it... 9 months later, is what I mean by that."

"Ew."

Gan chuckled as he stood up, and extending his hand to his partner. "Sorry for filling your innocent mind, Twilight Princess."

Midna grinned as she took Gan's hand. "Oh, I'm far from innocent, Prince of Thieves."

"Do I even want to know?" Midna's smiled was Gan's answer, causing him to push Midna away. "I'm telling Auru."

"He'll kill you as he'll believe you're the culprit. I only hang around one guy."

"It'll be worth it… Speaking of Auru, have you been able to make contact?"

Midna shook her head. "No luck. Something is wrong with our Gossip Stone. No contact with Auru, Error, Bagu, not even Hilda and Ravio."

"That's a problem, but we'll be back later today." Gan looked up, and saw the Kikwi tribe standing along the edge of the lake. Bucha held in his hand a large reed, constructed into an instrument of sort. As they joined the forest beings, the leader looked towards them, acknowledging their presence.

"The path before you is filled with danger. The Imperials have inhabited the dungeon, and possibly others as well. You will have to stick together."

Gan looked to Midna, grabbing her shoulder. "We will, as we always have."

"Sure thing."

"Very well." Bucha lifted the reed to his mouth, faced the lake, and blew into it. Gan and Midna listened to the song, reminding them of a lullaby. As the Kikwi played his melodic tune, the waters responded, slowly sinking into the ground containing it. Gan knelt down, and touched the sand, confused as to why the sand was still dry even though the water had sunk under it. He gathered some and handed it to Midna, who shuffled the grains in her hand.

As the water drained out, the sand near the left side of the lake receded to reveal stairs leading down to the bottom of the lake, dry like the grains around them. The entrance to the dungeon was a simple dark hole in the bottom of the lake, the stairs venturing deep into the abyss below. Midna walked towards the hole, Gan right behind her. By the time they reached the stairs, the water had completely disappeared, leaving behind just a grave of what was a lake.

The pair looked down into the hole in the sand, and both internally battled whether it was worth going to what lied underneath. "Well," Midna said, place a foot on the steps, "it can't be too bad."

Gan shrugged. "Maybe not, but I can sense something dark is down here."

"As well as I. We should be cautious."Gan grunted, and moved past Midna, stepping down to the abyss. The girl sighed, and looked down at the moving male. "Of course, you're not afraid."

Gan turned back to Midna, his form still apparent, but to the girl, only his golden eyes could be seen as he stood in the dark. "Fear is for the weak, Midna."

"WHY."

Poof!

"ARE."

Poof poof poof!

"THERE SO MANY."

Poof!

"GORIYAS?!" Gan caught the boomerang thrown his way and violently returned it to sender, impaling the poor Goriya in its pigish head before Midna finished it with a blow to its stomach. Like its brethren, it vanished in a cloud of smoke. In response to the room being cleared of the monsters, a formerly sealed path revealed itself in the ground. Gan looked towards it, scowling. "This is ridiculous."

Midna smirked as she walked towards one of the blocks surrounding the path. "Come on now Ganny. We made it through half the dungeon, surely we can keep going. After all, you were the one who wanted to come here."

"I didn't expect a rat infestation in here."

"Oh, are you scared?" Midna leaned forward as she placed her hands on her hips, a large, toothy smile formed on her face. "I though fear was for the weak."

Gan looked away from Midna, biting his lips. "I'm not afraid. I'm being logical."

"Oh so now you're a princess? I wish to humble myself in thine's presence, Your Highness. Forgiveth me for thinking you possessed two pair of balls. I didn't think the Dragmire lineage would stoop to this level."

Gan ignored the shade thrown and walked towards a blasted hole in the wall, a recurring sight in the dungeon, evidence of the Hero of Hyrule's time within. "The path continues this way, not down there. Stop fooling around and come on."

Midna sighed as she followed behind Gan. "Like you much better when you don't have a stick up your ass." Gan said nothing more as he walked forward, only raising his sword another shot of the Goriya projectile. As her partner ran off into the room, Midna lollygagged behind, trying to make sense of the situation bothering her. Last night, when Gan faced the Bokoblins, they were mysteriously fearful of him, and he spoke a totally different language as well. However, the Goriyas didn't seem to fear Gan, and neither did the Keese nor the Stalfos horde from earlier. Gan either didn't care to notice, or noticed and didn't care. If the lack of fear from the monsters frustrated Gan, then he must know how to instate the feeling in the first place.

Maybe he didn't, and what happened last night was accidental. "Are you done musing to yourself?" Midna looked up from the tunnel to a monster-less room, Gan sheathing his sword. Snapping back to reality, she did the same and trotted over to her partner.

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"You, and what you did last night. You made those Bokoblins piss themselves and retreat. Here, in this dungeon, that hasn't happen. Do you know why?"

Gan shrugged. "I have my theories, but it looks like you haven't been paying attention between my battles and yours."

"What are you implying?"

"I'm having an easier time than you are, Midna. I just took on six or seven Goriyas, not a scratch on me. As a matter of fact, I haven't been hit all day. You, on the other hand…" Gan lifted his hand to Midna's cheek, brushing his fingers against a sealed cut on her face.

Fighting hard not to blush (even though Gan may not see it due to the near lack of lighting), Midna pushed down the boy's hand. "Yeah, so what? That doesn't mean anything. After all... you are...just a little...like 0.00000000000001% better than me."

Gan shrugged again and walked towards a door leading out the room. "Maybe, or it could be that I am the heir to the Gerudo throne, and have the very diluted blood of the most powerful man the world has ever known."

Midna followed behind. "Powerful...and evil. Doesn't that phase you just a bit?"

"No. It makes perfect sense. Even though it has been 2000 years since he was human, and the times have drastically changed, the need for power hasn't."

"Uh-huh, and look what came from that."

"Ganon and my ancestor are nothing alike, even if they are the same being." Gan touched the door, and immediately rescinded his hand from it. He stared at it for a moment, before looking up at Midna. "Something isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought it was just me, but… I can sense darkness here, as we both could outside the dungeon, but it is stronger now."

Midna closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on the dark Gan mentioned. "No… There's no change, that's for sure. How I felt it when we entered is how I feel it now."

"Impossible."

"Possible. Are you sure this is the right door? We can try the other one."

"No, this door is the correct one." Gan opened the door, and the pair continued forward. As Gan foretold, there wasn't anything right about the room. To both of the teenagers' surprise, the room was quite empty, and the door to the north that should be close was wide open. Not wanting to waste time, Gan ventured onwards, drawing his blade quietly. Midna mimicked him, silently questioning as to why the room was unnaturally vacant. Not even the four statues in the corner that would usually fire fireballs were activated.

The next two rooms were just the same. Empty, as the dungeon should have actually been.

After exiting the third empty room via stairs, Gan finally sheathed his blade. "We're being toyed with."

Midna nodded. "By whom is the question."

"I figure we'll know soon enough. We must be near the end at the moment. Stay focused."

"Hey, I can take care of myself."

As they began to walk up another set of stairs, Gan chuckled. "How would I know? After all, I am 0.00000000000001% better than you."

"Shut it." The pair hustled up the stairs, and came to another vacated room. Not wasting anymore brainpower on why it was in the state it is currently in, they made way to the hole in the wall. As they came closer to the room on the other side, Gan raised his hand to his forehead, grunting in pain. Midna stepped in front and held him in place. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah… I can feel it…"

Even with the vagueness, Midna knew Gan was talking about the dark they both have felt all along, but what he had felt increasing in strength. "You were right, but why is it that you can feel it, and I cannot?"

Gan lowered his hand, and shook his head. "Din sent me here to face my demon, so whatever is in there is for me to feel, not anyone else." Looking ahead, Gan ignored his pain and continued onwards. He was first to the large rectangular room, with large pillars on both sides of the door ahead of him. They were stacked in rows, with one more pillar in a row as Gan looked to the other door. However, it wasn't the scenery that attracted the boy's attention, but it was the recurring emptiness the room possessed that did.

"Gan." The boy turned to his companion, who was still in the hole.

"Midna, what are you doing?"

"I cannot enter."

Gan sighed, and turned around. "Thank you, Din."

At that moment, the silence in the room was disrupted by a low chuckle echoing off the walls. Gan's only motion was looking up to the pillars and folding his arms. Figuring that standing in place would cement his lack of fear, he waited for the hidden being to reveal itself. "I know you're here, and I'll let you know that I'm not afraid."

"Well look who it is… You know, I figured taking the monsters out of the last few rooms would make you uneasy and drop your guard, but seems I have underestimated the demon himself." Gan looked down towards the gap in the pillars, finding a male standing there, a hand on his hip, a cape fluttering behind. Although the dim room didn't reveal many features, Gan could make out short white hair, and a part of the cape that was red.

Finding out that the newcomer knew who he was didn't impress Gan in the slightest. "If you knew who I was, you would know how hard it is to make me lower my guard."

"True." The man shrugged and turned toward the door. "Not like your life or death has any consequence. You're just the distraction the gods set up while the real danger dawdles. What lies behind this door will impede their progress, wherever they are."

This piqued Gan's interest. "You speak of the Hero."

"Him and the Princess."

Gan snorted. "Her line is dead."

"If a goddess can become mortal, who is to say dead blood can't flow again? It won't matter anyway. All I need is the Pendant of Power behind this door, and Hyrule will never return to the light." The man chuckled once more, then cooed. "Oh, but listen to me. I'm being positively uncivil. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Demon Lord who...once...presided over this land you call Hyrule. You may call me Ghirahim. In truth, I very much prefer to be indulged with my full title: Lord Ghirahim. But I'm not fussy." The man called Ghirahim turned around, smiling to Gan. "Now how should I address you? Gan? Prince Gan? King Gan? How about Gan-"

"Gan will suffice."

"Oh, not so fond of our namesakes, aren't we? I'm not too fond of your ancestor either. I mean, the being that was my master reborn is now a mad animal. He had potential, yes… So do you. But the 'Prince of Darkness,' the 'Demon King,' the 'King of Thieves,' the 'Dark Lord,' the 'Great King of Evil,' whatever his moniker is, no longer applies. Already the one I serve has outdone you. Hyrule, Holodrum, Hytopia, Lorule, and very soon, Labrynna and Calatia, all will serve North Castle, and the one who sits on its throne."

Gan shifted on his footing. "Care to share who will rule the world in 'my' place?"

"Oh, you'll might live to see it. You might be the only one in your pitiful Resistance." In the blink of an eye, Ghirahim vanished from sight in a cascade of diamonds, and a shout from Midna forced Gan to turn around. There was Ghirahim, standing between Gan in Midna, staring at the young woman.

Gan finally drew his sword. "Get away from her, or else you'll be returning to North Castle as a ribbon."

Ghirahim sarcastically gasped. "Oh no, did the chosen one of Din draw his blade? I fear for my life!" Ghirahim chuckled as he faced Gan once more. "Foolish boy. I didn't expect that on your black heart, there is a speck red in it, and it is all for this girl. Once more, it doesn't matter. I'll soon have the Pendant of Power that you seek, by the end of tomorrow, my army will have Courage, by the end of the week, Wisdom. Who, my prince, will then stand against my master?"

" I will, as Din's champion."

"Ha ha ha ha, such arrogance. You are just like him, in every shape and form. But what will be your push to the dark side?" Ghirahim waved his hand, and a sleek, curved blade appeared in his hand. Snapping his fingers, his cape disappeared, revealing a white attire with cut-out diamonds showing Ghirahim's pasty skin. "If you live, maybe we'll find out." Ghirahim vanished again, and Gan searched in response.

"Gan!" Gan looked to Midna, who was pointing up at the ceiling. Gan followed, and gasped. Looking down from the ceiling was a huge brown eye, focused directly on the young man. It began to move around until it headed down the wall, revealing a enormous spider as the owner of the eye. Once it was set on the floor and got a good 'eye' on its target, the spider roared and thrashed its front limbs. Gan stood his ground, his features blank.

"The itsy bitsy kingling came hoping to succeed. Out came the Gohma to make the kingling bleed, ha ha ha ha!" Ghirahim wasn't in sight, but Gan could feel his lingering presence. The Demon Lord wasn't any of his concern yet. Gan kept his attention on Gohma, watching as the spider did to him. He watched as the eye of the spider slowly changed from brown to a light blue, heard the screams of the woman behind him, and felt himself leaping for dear life as a single blue beam shot from the spider's eye. Gan picked himself up, and looked to where he formerly was. The beam has struck the entrance of the room, but before Gan could fear the worst, he saw Midna look to him, shakened but well.

"The barrier… But was it the target, or me?" The boy turned back to Gohma, and picked up his sword. He could hear Ghirahim's laughter echoing across the room, which lead to Gan forming a plan. With the Gohma looking down on him, Gan walked and called out to it. "Verbeuge dich vor mir, spinne. Ich bin euer wahrer meister!" Gohma responded by swiping a leg towards Gan, who made a feeble attempt to block it. With his plan a failure, Gan decided Plan B was now in action: find a way to rid himself of Gohma.

"Oh, out came the claw and knocked the kingling out! This is entertaining, Your Majesty. More, please."

Gan growled as he got back to his feet, and looked at the Gohma, his eyes glowing in the darkness. Channeling his power down his right arm and sword, a yellow ball formed at the tip of the the sword. Once it was big enough, Gan swung his sword, sending the ball flying across the room. Gohma was struck by it, but largely unaffected; however, it had now exposed its weakness. Before the ball hit it, Gohma immediately shielded its eye, allowing the rest of its body to take the hit. All Gan needed to do now was find an opening.

Gohma's eye flashed blue again while Gan was processing his plan, but the boy saw it in time to subconsciously want his body to move. The beam fired, scorching the tiles Gan moved from, but the boy had moved up just in time. Move up as in Gan was flying. The boy took in his new ability, and sighed, "Thank you Din."

"You're welcome, my friend. Although I must ask-What is taking you so long?"

Gan turned to his right, greeted by the sight of the Goddess of Power. Gan turned to the battlefield below him, noticing that Gohma hadn't looked up, or even moved from his firing gesture. Turning to Midna, he could see that the girl had frozen as well, her hands on the barrier, mouth agape. To the far right, sitting on a pillar, there was Ghirahim, enjoying himself. Gan stepped away from Din, furious. "What do you want now? Can't you see I'm busy?"

Din smiled and arched an eyebrow. "Is that any way to treat the goddess who you just said 'thank you' to?"

"You're aren't the goddess, or at least I pray you aren't." Gan grunted and turned away, causing Din to giggle.

"How cute. Gan, we need to talk."

"Right now?"

"Yes sir. Right now. Don't worry. While I'm talking to you, time won't pass." Gan looked around once more, and with a sigh, faced the slightly shorter woman.

"Make it quick."

Din nodded, then faced the spider below. "You'll never defeat Gohma the way you truly should. On your current path, you are like the Hero, looking for those pitiful weaknesses that are more obvious than they should be. But us two, we're of power, and petty weaknesses mean nothing to us. They're the easy way out, especially for the courageous beings. They'll never know the true satisfaction of watching a boss fall, the true thrill of it squirming to its death as it fights to live. I told you once you came here, you'll fight your demons, and even now, you haven't thought about it." Din turned to Midna, not hiding the scowl she formed either. "Let go of all your inhibitions, break your chains, and decimate the beast. Let go of scaring the one close to you, and let her witness the power the Kings of the Gerudo truly have. Once you have done that, then you'll be worthy of what lies behind that door."

"The Pendant of Power."

"Yes. I blessed it upon this earth, just as my sisters did with Courage and Wisdom. Now it requires a master to wield what lies inside." Din stepped up to Gan, their body touching. She wrapped her arms around Gan's neck to bring their faces closer together. "Once you obtain the pendant, you will succeed my test. When the time comes, I will speak to you again, and the next one will begin."

Din let go, pushing Gan back, causing him to stumble in the air. Once he caught his balance, Gan looked forward, seeing that the flirtatious Goddess of Power was gone, and his battle had resumed. Everyone was looking up to him now. Focusing on Din's words, Gan summoned the ball again, and threw it towards Gohma. Once more, it blocked it. Frustrated, Gan repeated the attack, only to suffer the same result. Why couldn't he hit the blasted eye?

"You'll never defeat Gohma the way you truly should. On your current path, you are like the Hero, looking for those pitiful weaknesses that are more obvious than they should be." Oh, right. Gan scowled as he remembered those words, and realized he didn't need the cheap, Hero-way out of this. He was heir to a powerful lineage, the former leader of the Nabooruans, a KIng of the Gerudo, and, for better or worse, a descendant of Ganon. He glanced at Ghirahim, who still had that hideous smirk on his face. Gan planned to wipe it off.

Setting himself back on solid ground, Gan stood before Gohma once more, holding his sword before him. "Fire at me, you cursed arachnid." Gohma took the bait, charging its beam, and firing at its prey. Gan caught the beam with his sword, using his magic to prevent the weapon from shattering. Finding his footing, Gan slowly walked forward, using all his strength to move against the stronger force brought on by the beam. Noticing what was going on, Gohma made a slight movement, adding intensity to the beam. Gan didn't let up, but he was definitely getting pushed back. He was pushed against the stone wall, and struggled to hold forward his sword as it was pounded by the beam towards his body. Fear began to seep into Gan's mind as he contemplated what could be his inevitable doom. There was no way Gan was going to be able to pull his stunt again, if he even survived getting pulverized by a bug. In his thoughts, he glanced at Midna, who looked even more scared than he did, with tears running down her face. If he fell, Ghirahim would surely try to kill her next.

"Let go of all your inhibitions, break your chains, and decimate the beast. Let go of scaring the one close to you, and let her witness the power the Kings of the Gerudo truly have."

"Midna… No… No… I will not fall today!" His vigor renewed, Gan summoned whatever magical strength he had left, and began pushing back the beam once more. His steps became larger, then more expedite as he became stronger and stronger than the beam itself. Before long, Gan was no more than a yard and a half from the spider. Glaring at the spider, Gan chuckled and said, "You should have obeyed me. Now you will die." Gan pivoted on his feet, turned his sword horizontally, and with a loud cry, charged forward, splitting the beam and impaling the Gohma's eye. The power the sword had absorbed from being a conduit rippled throughout the body of the beast. Gohma squirmed and cried in pain, and before the three more intelligent beings' eyes, combusted in a mix of light and smoke. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, Gan picked up his sword and sheathed it. He instantly felt arms wrapped around his waist, weight on his back, and cries in his ears. Gan turned in the embrace and hugged his moping friend.

Midna looked up to Gan through her wet tears."You did it. You did it. I didn't think you would, but you did."

Gan smiled. "Disappointed that you thought I wouldn't be able to beat that pest. It was a hard battle, but I knew that I didn't beat it, it would come for you."

"Yeah, tell her what she wants to hear. We know the truth. Now claim the Pendant of Power."

Gan rolled his eyes at Din's comment, and released his hold on Midna. "Come, we have our prize to obtain."

"Not so fast, Your Majesty." Gan and Midna turned to Ghirahim, his sword drawn. The Imperial seemed not so happy the male rebel had defeated his monster. "You… You… Impossible."

Gan stepped forward, drawing his sword again. "It's not hard to imagine me beating your pet."

"No not that. That power… You are not simply his descendant. Your features, your mind, and now that I've seen your abilities… You are Ganon reborn!"

Gan frowned at the assumption. "I am my own being. Ganon is dead."

Ghirahim shook his head. "I would know the presence of the Demon King blind. I sense his darkness within you. Your Ganon is dead, but my Ganon lives within you. My old master…" Ghirahim twisted his head towards the opened door leading to the Pendant of Power. "When I sensed it earlier, when I entered the dungeon, I thought it was just a fluke, just you being the thief's child. But your legacy now goes farther back, and while it is truly a blast to a more glorious past… I cannot allow you to retrieve the Pendant, now so more than ever. If my old master is within you, then I shall carve him out of your cold, lifeless body!"

Gan, knowing that Ghirahim will fight him, spoke low enough that only Midna could hear. "Midna, you must retrieve the pendant, and get out of her. I'll distract Ghirahim." Before Midna could question, Gan had spoken a spell, and in a flash, Midna was in the final room behind Ghirahim. The Imperial turned around, shocked, and tried to run to Midna. However, Gan teleported in front of Ghirahim, kicking him aside. Gan turned back to Midna, yelling, "Hurry!" Midna turned around, seeing an orange stone resting on a pedestal. Heeding Gan's words, she raced up the short staircase and grabbed the pendant. Before she could hurry back down, she saw golden words etch themselves on the wall behind the pedestal. The text was ancient, in Ancient Hylian. Figuring it was important, Midna read it to herself and committed it to her memory.

"'Regina et regno, rex retinet. Indita tenebrae est, et non potest salvum facere. Tertia via est obscura, sed clara retineas. Virtutis imminente scit enim cupit ut unum elegit. Fuerit potestate, atque alis respirabit.' 'A Queen dethroned, a king retains. Love instilled darkness, but it can also save. The third's path is dark, but she can keep it bright. Power, the pendant knows, for the one it chooses desires it so. Power he shall be, and on the wings he shall find courage.'" Taking no time to think on it, Midna jumped down the staircase, and looked for a way out. Looking around the room, she witnessed a tile beginning to glow in front of her. Figuring that would be an exit, she turned to the room Gan was currently in, watching as her friend and his pasty-skinned foe were locked in battle. "Gan! I got it! Come on!"

This got Ghirahim's attention, as he pushed aside Gan and ran towards Midna. "No! The Pendant is MINE!" An orb zipped towards Ghirahim, knocking him down. MIdna looked up from Ghirahim to Gan, who looked at Midna desperately.

"Go! Get the pendant to the Resistance!"

"But what about-"

"Don't worry about me. Go!" Midna turned and stepped on the tile, feeling her being getting pulled away from the dungeon. With heavy eyes, she watched as Gan reengaged Ghirahim in battle, only to be disarmed and slapped out of the Demon Lord's way. His eyes now on Midna, Ghirahim casted a knife in front of him, and sent it flying.

It never hit its mark.