Compassion

Her fury was enough to cow even him, but on this matter he stood stalwart.

"How dare you," she snarled, lines of contempt stark against her pale skin. "How dare you. Do you have any idea what you've done, the fear you're going to inspire in my populace, you miserable-"

"Then you mean to continue on as you have?" he retorted, voice finally raised amidst her endless torrent of abuse, eyes finally meeting hers in defiance after months and months of quietly receiving her hatred.

She blinked, surprised.

"I know," he gritted his teeth. "That I do not have the best track record, and I know that you do not, perhaps will never, trust me. I deserve everything you've slung at me and more, but are you going to lose your head, needlessly sacrifice lives, because you cannot see past your scorn for me?"

"My 'scorn,'" she narrowed her eyes. "Has nothing to do with it. The very same golems that have terrorized us for so long, fighting alongside us? Only someone like you would think of something so sinister. This ancient magic you've evoked will bring us nothing but ruin."

"If you hadn't noticed by now, dear princess," Ganondorf lowered his head in defeat, the power in his dark eyes wilting. "We are already in ruin. Wars are not won by being picky. What strength we can find, we must imbibe."

"Spoken like a true tyrant," Zelda said coldly.

Ganondorf's countenance, always pristine, always a paragon of silent strength, shattered. "You," he mumbled. "Will never trust me? Never forgive me?"

She faltered, but brushed it off easily in the next moment.

"Don't hold your breath."

Great Fairies, giggling madly, eyes leering red, tossed their magic like bombs as they advanced. Lanayru's coils struck out at hapless soldiers, splitting their heads open against scorched stone. Its fangs of light darted forward, impaling golem and human alike.

At their fore, still hardly a child, was the Master Sword.

Zelda notched another arrow, gulping in what breath she could, dirt crusting her gloves, blood mingling with sweat, when something caught her eye.

"Marin," she whispered, twisting in place and helplessly sprinting towards the gate. "Marin!"

The little girl stared wide-eyed at the Master Sword surging towards her, its young eyes devoid of mercy, of intention, of will, of heart.

"No!" Zelda screamed, a hand outstretched as a rock snagged her dress and she fell to her knees. "Please, not her! Anyone but-"

The sheen of metal burned her eyes like the sun, and when the blinding flash dissipated, she saw the Master Sword's arm gleaming crimson.

But when she heard Marin's voice-

"Mister!" the girl cried. "Mister, you're bleeding!"

Ganondorf cracked a weary smile, his teeth softly clenched against the agony.

"It's alright. Just a scratch. Run along, now."

"But-"

"I'll be right after you, promise."

The girl nibbled her finger, but nodded, tearing grass in her haste to find sanctuary behind the gate.

Zelda drew closer, and as she saw the lump on the ground, she drew a sharp breath.

"Now," Ganondorf said even as beads of sweat streamed down his jaw. "Are you really going to continue, even after that?"

The Master Sword blinked, and looked down at its chest. It stared, as if noticing the large, gaping wound for the first time.

Ganondorf smirked, raising his remaining hand, soaked in the blade's blood.

"Don't know what mental faculties are left available to you," Ganondorf panted, the pain starting to seize at him. "But surely even you would want to recuperate after sustaining an injury of that magnitude."

The blade, as expected, said nothing, but jerked its head, and the Goddesses' forces bent to his will. True to Ganondorf's word, they retreated.

"Good…riddance," he uttered, his eyes rolling up to the back of his head. Before he fainted, he could have sworn he heard a concerned voice calling his name.

"Why," Zelda asked, perched at his bedside. "Did you do that?"

Ganondorf groaned, clutching lightly at his stump of a right arm.

"No faith wasted on me, I see," he chuckled without humor. "I need some sort of ulterior motive? Would that set your mind at ease, your world upright once again?"

"No, I," Zelda bit her lip. "That's not what I meant."

"Usually, it is," he muttered bitterly. "If you're done here, I'd like to rest in peace. You can go back to loathing my very existence tomorrow."

"Ganondorf," her mouth was dry, unexpectedly desperate. "I…"

"Just spit it out, Zelda," he told her wearily. "Please. Just leave me be."

Her eyes glistened, but she scooted closer.

"The girl you saved," she began. "Is my daughter. Not by blood or anything, but my daughter all the same. The war has left many children without homes or families, forced to fend for themselves, fearing that every moment might be their last. I happened upon Marin, and you could say it was love at first sight. I knew that if nothing else in this miserable world, I could be the mother she deserved."

Ganondorf was silent, but Zelda thought that it might have been his way to telling her to continue.

"She is…all I have left," Zelda nearly sobbed. "She's more precious to me than anything."

Silence, once again, reigned.

But she could not leave it like this, at the very least.

"Thank you, Ganondorf."

It wasn't a reconciliation, but it was a start.

"You know," Zelda mused. "You don't have to keep hiding it every time we meet with him."

Ganondorf glanced briefly beneath his cloak, to empty socket where his right arm should be.

"He has enough to feel guilty over."

Zelda smiled as she walked through the castle gates.

"You," she teased. "Are nothing but a big softie."

He scoffed, turning away to hide the slight tinge of red across the bridge of his nose.

"Let's just hurry so we can head back to Outset with the troops."

Before Zelda could reply, a bundle of blurry red careened into her arms.

"Mom! You're back!"

"Marin!" Zelda gently pried the teenager to arms' length. "You couldn't have waited another minute?"

Ganondorf bent down to brush aside wisps of scarlet, tucking them behind Marin's ear.

Marin grinned, widely, as he silently fussed over her.

"I heard you two flirting as you were coming in, by the way," she quipped cheekily. "Why don't you just marry mom already, Mr. Ganondorf? Not as if you don't already act the part."

Ganondorf spluttered, and Marin's grin stretched even further as she contemplated being one of only two people in existence who could bring the great warlord to his knees.

Author's Note: This is the longest one in a while! I figured it acts sort of as a parallel to Link and Midna's big turning point; let Gan and Zel show off their pivotal moments, y'know? You guys finally get a few details on just what they've been fighting all this time, as well. On another note, I never actually played Link's Awakening, so I almost feel like I don't deserve to use Marin as a character, but she sort of fit the role, so, there you go. Looot of happiness in recent chapters, huh? Is it already time to ruin it? *cackle*

Review? It would really make my day!