A/N: I own nothing except a copy of this great game. Second note: A single singer is demarked in italics "like this", while a crowd singing is demarked "like this."
Author's second note: This chapter shall feature one hell of an emotional whiplash. You have been warned.
He staggered back to his feet, letting out a hoarse and wet cough as he did so. He spit out a globule of saliva and blood, and felt something solid go out with it. It was definitely a tooth, maybe more. Snarling and ignoring the fact that one of his eyes was swelling shut thanks to that last punch, he stared at his enemy before him, and shakily held up his knives.
"Impressive resilience for someone so outclassed." His enemy said, smirking with a high air of condescension. "And yet, I must admit, you did so much better the last time…Or is it simply that I'm so much better this time?"
Snarling like a wounded wolf, Ishaka gripped his knives so tightly that his knuckles were white as snow, and charged Ganondorf with suicidal abandon.
Two Days Earlier…
He returned to his tent, and let out a deep and heavy sigh of exhaustion. Though Lord de Gaulle had insisted that he stay as long as he wished at his home, the Ravager leader knew that he was only going to seem like he was taking up space. So he and the small contingent of Ravagers had temporarily retreated to the far edges of the property, setting up tents on the banks of the River Hylia. They had made plans to ride out to the Southern Vale and then to the Outlands out west in order to spread the news of the peace talks and its relative success.
He leaned in his chair, and groaned as it creaked slightly. He'd built the thing out of scraps of wood, and though it was slightly off-kilter he had grown fond of its imperfections. A good carpenter might have gone into conniptions to see such a pathetic piece of furniture, but Ishaka was proud of it nonetheless. He reached into his coat pocket, and frowned when all he was able to draw out was a small and stumpy little cigarette. He'd have to roll some more when he got back to the main camp in the Outlands. For now, he lit a match by striking the sole of his boot, and started puffing away by his lonesome. Darkness was starting to fall, and it seemed that the hard work was finally over. He glanced over towards the side of the tent, where another chair was, and was about to open his mouth.
But Itami was gone. He had already left with the small force of Hyrulian soldiers and the Lord Spymaster Shiftlett to…deal with Lana. The Ravager leader frowned at the thought. He knew that Cia and Lana were technically the same person, but he didn't think that that meant that Lana was worth treating like that. She'd proved, at least in his eyes, that she was worthy of getting the benefit of the doubt. But then again, that was just an opinion, and his opinion didn't matter that much in the long run.
After all, it was Itami that had done all the talking and actual leading in the peace talks.
Ishaka was at least happy that he had said that stuff to that stupid Lord Fawlty, but in the end that was the only contribution that he had made so far in the entire conference. That, and sitting and looking scary. He knew that he was good at that, but seeing power and what it meant when the swords were put away…that was something that he wasn't sure that he liked. He just liked working together with people. And he wasn't sure why it had to be bound by the strings of…whatever the hell it was that called itself "politics."
He heard the tent flap open, and glanced up. Ryu had peeked her head into his tent, and had a Jack-O-Lantern grin on her face. Ishaka resisted the urge to roll his eyes. She was clearly drunk.
"Heyyy boss." She said with that grin on her face. "Whassup?" She asked. Ishaka shrugged.
"Nothin' really, Ryu." She said. "Jes'…jes' sittin' 'ere. Thinkin'." He said. Ryu looked at him blearily, and raised an eyebrow.
"You don't wanna drink wit' me and th' boys?" She asked. "That Lord de Gaulle makes a mean ol' brew, and-and it's really good. You'd like it." Ishaka tried not to smile.
"Tha's 'ite, Ryu. I be fine in 'ere."
"You sure?" Ryu asked. "Because, because Lord de Gaulle…he makes a good brew. It's really good." She said. At this, Ishaka smiled, but placed his hand over his mouth to keep from smiling. He shook his head.
"Tha' 'ite, Ryu. You jus'…you jus' 'ave fun, yeh 'ear me?" He asked. Ryu nodded, with a Cheshire grin on her face.
"Okay boss. I'll have fun." She ducked her head out of the tent, but then popped it back in. "Say…I was thinkin'…I was thinkin' boss. That, uh, that Spymaster lady wit' the freckles and the red hair. What's her name? Lady Shiftry…nah, that ain't it…Shiftlett? Yeah, Shiftlett…you think that Lady Shiftlett…you think she's a good kisser?" Ryu asked. Ishaka snorted.
"I, uh, I dunno. Ryu, I dunno. She left wit' Itami already, by th' way." He said. Ryu looked disappointed.
"Oh." She said. "Oh well. Guess I'll go for one of th' boys. Or someone. I dunno. I'm just fucked up, I guess. Well, I mean I am fucked up, but not…like, fucked up, y'know what I mean?" She looked quizzical. Ishaka smiled.
"Yeah, yeah I know wha' yeh mean." He said. Ryu grinned, and disappeared again.
It got quiet again. He could hear, slightly muffled through the tent, the sounds of the other Ravagers drinking and dancing around a campfire. They were happy. They were going to be part of a legitimate nation now. Or something like that. They didn't know the details, and they didn't know the sacrifices and parley that had been made in order to create this agreement. Neither should they. They didn't have to care about things like that. And Ishaka would rather they have the chance to celebrate in peace, instead of thinking about the next steps. The next steps were coming. And they were going to be massive, far-encompassing in nature. And truthfully, that scared him.
At least whenever things had gotten bad, he could turn to his closest friend. But he was currently on his way to the Valley of the Seers. And Ishaka was alone. Sighing, he reached into his pocket and unfolded a crumpled piece of paper. He stared at it, through the weak candlelight, and squinted as he looked at it in frustrated concentration.
He was barely aware of the tent flap opening again, and when he heard a gentle cough to get his attention, he scowled.
"Damn, Ryu, d'ya need my 'elp in pickin' some'un ta fuck?" He growled, looking up at the entrance to his tent. His expression changed to one of silent horror when he realized that it wasn't Ryu inside of his tent.
"Ishaka, is there something about your relationship with Ryu that you aren't telling me?" Impa asked, raising an eyebrow mischievously. Ishaka tried valiantly to play it off.
"Er, as a matter o' fact there is! Yeh jus' wouldn' 'nderstan' it, Sheikah." He finished lamely. Impa looked rather amused.
"Well, if you say so." She said with a smile. She looked around the tent and its spartan setting. "This reminds me of one of the Sheikah tents that I used to live in when I was growing up, actually." She said. Ishaka looked interested, so she kept going. "My father figured that it was best not to have too many frills when you were younger, because otherwise you might not appreciate them when you were older. I mean, he wasn't a villain about it, but he was stern. And the rest of the tribe sort of gravitated towards his leadership. And we never wanted for anything, because we knew that a short-term sacrifice like that paid dividends for us as a whole in the long run." She sighed. "It'll be his birthday tomorrow." She turned to Ishaka, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "…Sorry. I didn't mean to wax poetic in front of you about something that you don't really care about."
"Who says I don' care 'bout that?" Ishaka asked. He gestured for Impa to take a seat. She pulled up a small crate, and sat down on it. She shrugged.
"It's just…even though you know the story of my father and all…I still don't feel entirely comfortable about sharing it. It's just, it's just odd to talk about, you know? You don't go around randomly having conversations about those that you love that have been taken from you." She said. "Do you understand?"
"Yeah, I do." He replied. Impa smiled softly.
"Y'know, I…I visit him still. Sort of."
"How so?" Ishaka asked. Impa shrugged, and looked off to the side. The light wasn't that good, but Ishaka thought that she was slightly embarrassed to admit it.
"He died in the outlands, somewhere to the south of Hyrule…but he has a grave in the royal cemetery in Castle Town. I, uh…I go to his grave every year on his birthday and…I just do." She finished. "I say a couple of things to him, and tell him how things are. Even though he isn't here…it's like he isn't gone. You know what I mean?" She asked. Ishaka nodded.
"I can dig it, Sheikah." He said.
"What about you, Ishaka?" Impa asked. "Do you…remember your parents at all?"
"I don't." Ishaka admitted. "Truthf'lly, I don't remember much a' anythin'. I was raised by a mage an' he was a nice guy, but whene'er I ask'd 'im abou' me fam'ly an' who I really was, he'd change th' subject." He said. "It's weird. I barely 'member m'childhood. An' I 'ave no mem'ry of my family."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Ishaka." Impa said. "Do you ever…"
"…Want to find out?" Ishaka asked. He smirked. "Yeah. Yeah, Sheikah, I do. But most o' th' time I don't, cuz I have a good fam'ly o' sorts around me. Itami…Ryu, the Ravagers…and tha's good an' all. But there are times…" He trailed off, and Impa could see a sorrowful look on his face. "There are times tha' I wish I knew fer sure who I was." Impa smiled warmly.
"I'm sure that you will, some day." Impa said. "And when you do, I'd…well, I'd like to hear about it. I bet it'd be a good story." She said. She stared at the cigarette in his mouth, and raised an eyebrow. "Is that nearly as good as smoking from a pipe, Ishaka?"
"Not even fuckin' close." Ishaka complained. "It's jus'…I don't know how ta make one o' my own. Haven't had th' time ta go shoppin' fer a new one."
"Don't waste your time." Impa said with a smile, tossing something towards the Ravager captain. He deftly caught it in his hands, and then stared down in his lap at what it was.
It was a hand-carved pipe, almost identical to the one that he'd been smoking before. It felt smooth to the touch, and was made out of two different types of wood. He stared at it in a mix of disbelief and amusement, and then saw something carved in on the side. It was lettering of some kind, and he looked up quizzically at Impa. Impa shrugged.
"It's…uh, it's in Sheikah. It means 'Honored Friend' in our written language. It's only a title that can be given out by the chief of a tribe. In this case, technically that's me so…" She trailed off, and looked at him poignantly. "Do you like it?" She asked.
Ishaka stared at her, and wordlessly placed the pipe in his mouth, stuffed some snuff in it, and after lighting a match began to puff in bliss. He looked at her, and grinned widely.
"Whaddaya think, Sheikah?" He asked. He removed the pipe from his mouth, and blew a string of smoke towards her face. With both a combination of laughter and coughing, Impa waved the smoke out of her face.
"That's wonderful, but *blech*-you don't have to share it with me!" She said. She sighed. "I remember how broken up you were when you lost your original knives, and I remember how wistful you were when you had to lose your pipe…so I made you a replacement."
"Well, I love it." Ishaka said. "Thank yeh, Impa." He said. He looked at her. "If'n yeh don' mind, wha' are yeh doin' out so late? Ain't yeh s'pposed ta be protectin' th' princess?" He asked. Impa smiled.
"Normally, yes. But she's with Link in Gustav's library right now, and I don't want to interrupt them." She said with a smirk. Ishaka let out a little "hee hee hee!" and Impa kept talking. "Tomorrow we have to go back to Castle Town and get ready for two things: the signing of the peace treaty, and…preparations for Zelda's coronation."
"Coronation?" Ishaka asked.
"She's going to become the Queen of Hyrule soon." Impa explained. "Being princess is pretty and all, but at the end of the day her mother was a queen and her father was a king when they ruled Hyrule, and she intends to carry on the tradition." She sighed. "It's going to be a hell of a process. About a week long, truthfully. There are ceremonies, religious processes, and the goddess-damned Regent's Ball* that will be the death of me. I don't even have a date for the damned thing."
"Take me." Ishaka said. "I'd love ta see some o' this high society stuff yeh nobles all talk 'bout." He said. Impa looked at him, horrified.
"Goddess, Ishaka. Do you have any tact? This is going to feature statesmen and dignitaries and royalty from all sorts of countries and territories. They have a certain expectation of behavior, and I doubt that they'd take kindly to the kinds of things that you do and how you carry yourself." There was a pause. "It's such a terrible idea, we have to do it." She said with a devilish grin. Ishaka grinned as well.
"Then it be settl'd then, eh Sheikah?" He asked. "I guess I gotta go wit' y'all ta Castle Town fer th' signin', and then aft'r Itami comes back wit' Lana…we prepare ta make them nobles squirm." He said. Impa laughed. It was a melodious sound.
"Goddesses, Ishaka. You are truly the most devious man I have ever met. I love it!" She extended her hand. "Let's shake on it, like the shit-stirring conspirators that we are." She said. Ishaka smiled, and took her hand and shook it firmly.
"Deal."
…
The following morning, before the sun had even risen over the horizon, the noble delegation had returned to Hyrule's Castle Town. Ishaka had sent the majority of his soldiers home, with the exception of his best-trained and Ryu by his side. He rode in the middle of the procession, next to Zelda, in a showing of unity and peace. Neither ruler rode ahead of the other, though Ishaka had told Zelda multiple times that she would have been more than welcome to go ahead of him.
Zelda, as befitting her nature, had refused the gesture.
There were throngs of people in the streets to watch the returning procession of royalty et al. Zelda had sent some runners a few days ahead of their return, so the entire town (and most likely the majority of the kingdom by this point) was aware of the imminent signing of the treaty. Zelda had told Ishaka that there might be some sections of the kingdom that might not like the idea of Hyrule entering a treaty with such a rough-and-tumble confederacy, but to the Ravager's relief there didn't seem to be any of that sort out in the streets right now. Most of them were cheering the return of their imminent queen, and didn't seem to care that the man riding next to her was nowhere near as well-dressed as she was.
Ishaka flitted his eyes off to the side, and saw a family of what had to be middle-class merchants in the throngs of people. Unlike the rest of the masses, it was beyond clear that they were staring in awe at him. Especially the youngest son, a dirty-faced little kind on his father's shoulders staring at Ishaka with wide eyes and a slightly slack jaw. He probably had never seen a man of that size before.
Making sure that the kid could tell that he was looking at him, Ishaka smirked, and nodded slightly to the boy. The kid's reaction was priceless.
"Making friends, Ishaka?" Zelda asked, moving her lips discreetly so that people couldn't quite tell that she was talking. The Ravager looked over at her, and kept his smirk.
"Jus' pand'rin' ta my constitu'ncy, Zelda." He said. That line was enough to get Zelda to snort, and she swallowed her laugh quickly in order to avoid making a fool of herself in public. She shot him a look.
"You should warn someone before you take out that rapier of a wit that you have." She said. Ishaka shrugged.
"Wha' can I say? I be good at thinkin' on me feet."
In the two horses directly behind them, Impa and Link rode side by side. Link was decked out in ceremonial pauldrons and a cape in addition to the Hero's tunic, and felt mighty uncomfortable in his get-up.
"A little itchy, Link?" He heard Proxi ask mischievously in his ear. He sighed, letting the air out through his lips in a rush. He rolled his eyes.
A little. He admitted internally.
"It's not so bad! You look really handsome dressed like this!" The fairy said. "I bet Zelda loves it!"
He fought off the urge to blush somehow, and frowned.
She better. She's the one who picked the outfit out. He thought bitterly. Next to him, Impa raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"Is your internal friend giving you a hard time?" She asked. Link looked over at her and smiled thinly.
"No more than usual." He said. Impa chuckled.
"You should consider yourself lucky, Link. Not everyone gets to have a fairy in the first place. Even fewer get a fairy that wants to stay with them." She said.
Link responded to this by slapping himself upside the head.
"What was that for?" Impa asked. Link smiled.
"Proxi took that a little too well." Link said. "Had to remind her not to get too big of an ego, you know."
"That's not very nice!" Impa said with a smile.
"I know." Link said. "I might give myself a headache like this."
"Oh Goddess, I think you're hanging around Zelda too much." Impa said with a mock air of desperation. "You're turning into her, with that biting wit."
"Am I? Or is it because I learned from a good teacher?" Link asked. He looked at her and winked. Impa threw up her hands in exasperation and defeat.
"Well played, Hero." She said.
…
Later that day, long after the throngs of people had left the streets and had returned to their homes or places of business, it seemed strangely quiet throughout the city. Zelda was sitting in her study, poring over the last pages of the exhaustively written treaty. The main copy was going to be kept in the Hyrulian archives, and she did not envy the poor soul that had to write out an entire second copy for transportation back to the Ravager camps and wherever it was that was their capital. This document was several hundred pages of manuscript, all loosely connected together to form a cohesive agreement between…well, it might as well be two nations.
She felt a strange weight being lifted off of her shoulders as she applied her signature at the very end of the treaty, joining the signatures of the other Hyrulian lords and ladies that had signed their name in approval. Despite the fact that this was not the first alliance that Hyrule had entered…it was the first one that she had negotiated herself as the sole ruler of the land. Her father had brokered deals with the other faraway kingdoms, and the Goron and Zora Kingdoms were the ancient friends of the Hyrulian people for generations now. That was essentially a gimme.
She felt a sort of pride. This piece of work? This was hers, and hers alone. She wondered what her father would think of it.
There was a knocking on her door.
"Come in." She said. The door creaked open.
"Nice place ya got 'ere, Zelda." Ishaka muttered, as he poked his head through the doorway. Beside him, Lord Grantham chuckled.
"Yes, her father tended to read a lot of stories and books out loud to her in here when she was younger." He said.
"Elijah, stop doing that!" Zelda said, resisting the urge to blush. "Are you just going to tell my personal life stories to everyone that you meet?"
"Hardly my dear. I just enjoy getting a rise out of you." He said in reply. "The Queen of Hyrule needs to be able to be a little bit thick-skinned, especially when dealing with her old fool of an advisor." He gestured over to Ishaka. "Ishaka here has an excellent way of shutting me down."
"I jus' told 'im I'd cut 'is tongue out if'n he kept wit' th' terrible jokes." Ishaka said. "At leas' be creative in yer teasin'!" Grantham pointed to him, looking pleased that his point had apparently been proven.
"See? Initiative! And a nice and empty threat for good measure." He said, giving a cheeky wink towards the Ravager commander. Zelda, despite herself, smiled. "Now then. Back to business. I assume that you're ready?" He said to Ishaka, who looked at him with confusion.
"Eh?" He asked. Zelda smiled.
"It's the last bit of the process. Lord Grantham is going to notarize the signings of the treaty. I've already signed y signature right here." She said, pointing to her signature right at the bottom middle third of the last page. "You just need to put yours right next to mine."
"Yeah…o'course." Ishaka said. He walked forward stiffly, and held the quill in his hand. He took a moment to look over the page, and held his hand right above the space where he was supposed to sign. He hesitated for a moment.
"Is everything alright, Ishaka?" Lord Grantham asked. He smiled thinly, but there was a slight element of nervousness in his expression. "You aren't getting cold feet on us are you?"
"Nah, it ain't that. It's jus'…" The Ravager captain trailed off. He felt a lump in his throat, and a bit of cold sweat on his back. "It's jus'…it's a big deal, ya know?" He said, as if that was the real reason that he was suddenly so uncomfortable.
He felt a gentle hand on his.
"Ishaka, it's ok." Zelda said. She turned to Lord Grantham. "Shut the doors, please." She said quietly. Elijah looked confused for a moment, but did not disobey. He went behind them, and then closed the wooden door to the study, and then placed the wooden latch down for good measure. As soon as the door was closed, Zelda looked up at Ishaka and smiled. The way her eyes twinkled, the Ravager captain could see why she was regarded so warmly by those she ruled and worked with.
"I'm…don' mind me, yer highness." Ishaka said. "Jus'…I'm jus'-"
"Ishaka, I understand." Zelda said gently. "I know what it's like to not know how to proceed, especially when no one has shown you before." She turned to Lord Grantham. "Get some loose-leaf paper from the shelves, and some spare quills and ink." Elijah looked at her in confusion.
"Certainly, Zelda. But…what on earth do you need them for?" He asked. Zelda made sure to look the Ravager commander in the eyes when she spoke next. Her voice was both calm and gentle.
"Because Ishaka cannot read or write." She said.
Both mens' eyes widened at this statement.
"Bu-bu-how?" Ishaka managed to stammer out. Zelda giggled softly, her smile mysterious.
"I suspected for a while. Especially how, whenever we gave you reports and troop counts and the like during our efforts against Cia, I noticed that you would go over them in detail with Itami in hushed tones. Others might think that the two of you were deep in conversation, but in reality he was discreetly letting you know what it said, wasn't he? The fact that you were so dead-set on maintaining stoicism during the peace talks, especially given the fact that I knew it was so far from your real personality, only confirmed it." She said. "I just knew better than to bring it up. I did not want all of the hard work you and especially Itami put into hiding that fact from my nobles to go to waste."
"You…you mean you knew this?" Lord Grantham asked. He looked at Ishaka, and shrugged apologetically. "I mean, I'm sorry my friend, I never would have guessed that anything was amiss during the meeting." He turned to Zelda and smiled. "That is why you are a soon-to-be queen, and I am just a lord beneath you." He looked at Ishaka, and smiled. "You and Itami make masterful politicians and leaders, Ishaka. You had me completely fooled."
"More Itami than me." Ishaka admitted. "He put it all t'gether." He said. Zelda smiled.
"Don't sell yourself short, Ishaka. You still had to play the cards you were dealt. And you did a marvelous job." She said. She looked him in the eye, and her expression was a mixure of sadness and serenity. "Ishaka, there is nothing to be ashamed about the fact that you cannot read or write. The life you've had to live, always on the run…I have to imagine that you didn't have much time to devour classical literature, do you?" She asked. Ishaka managed to smile, and shook his head. Zelda felt her heart breaking at the sight of the man. He was trying so desperately not to cry in shame. "Ishaka, there's nothing wrong with you."
"I jus'…I jus' feel like a boy, is all." Ishaka managed to murmur. ""ere I am, s'pposed ta be this big an' mighty lead'r…and yet 'ere I am an' I can't even read th' damn treaty fer m'people. What kinda leader is tha' dumb?"
"You're not dumb." Zelda retorted. "You just got your intelligence through unconventional ways. But you want to know the nice thing?" She asked. When Ishaka looked at her, her smile widened. "The nice thing is that there are people that can help you. And it can be kept quiet. No one that you don't want to know has to know about this. I can promise you that. Would you like that?" She asked. Ishaka looked at her, and smiled.
"Yeah…if'n yeh don' mind." He said. Zelda smiled.
"Good. Then, if you don't mind, I'm going to show you how to write your name." She said. She smiled lightly. "I'd ask you how to spell it, but…"
"Don't worry." Ishaka said. "Jus' tell me 'ow you do it, an' I'll remember." He said.
…
He was pacing quietly back and forth down the hallways of the castle. He knew that he was more than allowed to go as he pleased in this place, and yet he still didn't feel entirely comfortable being in the castle. There were times where he would quietly ask someone like Lord Grantham if he should return to the small farmhouse that he shared with the old man who had raised him, only to get a chuckle from the Minister of the Interior and a cryptic response of 'Oh, I think you're more than wanted here.' There were times when he wasn't sure if that was true, considering some of the looks he got from some of the (more ungrateful!) nobility that treated him as though he was a peasant. It kind of hurt to be thought of as less than someone else. It made him wonder why he stared here in the first place.
He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't hear the silent footsteps behind him, and only just barely managed to hear the small giggle before a pair of soft and warm hands were covering his eyes from behind. Someone was hugging him from behind.
"Guess who…" the voice whispered in his ear. He smiled.
Oh yeah. This was why he stayed.
He slowly turned around, and even though the hallways were barely lit by a few candles and lamps hanging from the ceiling he could still make out the face of the princess. He grinned, and leaned in close so that his forehead was resting against hers.
"Where have you been?" He asked quietly. Zelda smiled.
"Finishing the last of the work that kept me away from you for such a long time." Zelda said. "Sorry, by the way." She said apologetically. Link smirked.
"Don't be." He said. "You're the queen. It's what you have to do." He said. Zelda looked up at him and pouted.
"Hey, I'm not a queen yet. I'm still a little princess." She said. Link tried not to laugh. "What's so funny?"
"You really do sound like the little girl that liked being read The Grouchy Goron right now, you know that?" He asked. Zelda frowned, blushing furiously.
"Knock it off. I could have you imprisoned for being insubordinate, you know!" She said in a harsh whisper. Link chuckled.
"You're cute when you get embarrassed." He said. Zelda smiled.
"And you're just…cute." She said. Link raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at me like that for? I said that you were cute! What do you want me to do, prove I mean it?"
A pause.
"Ugh. You are such a boy." Zelda said with mock revulsion.
"Why yes. Yes I am." Link replied. Zelda suddenly had a thought.
"Um…Link, as much as I like this and where this is going…um, isn't it a little weird for Proxi to be listening in?" She asked. Link smirked.
"She's busy with Lord Grantham for the night. He wanted to show his son the fairy friend he'd made." He said. Zelda looked somewhat relieved.
"Oh! That's good." Zelda said. She smiled slyly. "So there's no one to send for help if I do…this?"
"Ach-stoppit-Zel-da-I'm-tick-lish-get-away!" Link managed to sputter out in between restraining himself from laughing. He ran down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him, with the giggling princess chasing him every step of the way.
…
He woke the next morning to find himself lying in a bed that was most definitely not his. For starters, his bed did not have a canopy. And was not nearly as comfortable as this one.
"Sleep well?" He heard a tired voice ask from behind.
He turned around to see her smiling at him. It was a good thing that he was good at keeping a poker face, because the sight of her hair right now was perhaps the most horrifying thing he had ever seen. She smiled sweetly.
"If you say anything about my hair I swear that I'll have you thrown in a stockade." Zelda said. Link blushed a little bit as the memories of last night came back, and managed to nod.
"Uh, of course." He said. "Your hair looks, uh, lovely."
"And you are a terrible liar." Zelda said, sitting upright. She was wearing a pure white nightgown, which was very much at odds with the unkempt nature of her hair and face. "I probably look like a Bokoblin in drag."
Link paled, and silently prayed to the Goddesses to have that mental image scrubbed from his brain. Zelda giggled.
"You are too easy, hero." She said. She sighed, and looked towards the wall. "Ugh, today is going to be a drag."
"How so?" Link asked. "Don't you have the signing of the peace talks to announce?"
"Not yet." Zelda said. "Elijah convinced me that it would seem rather grand and noble to announce the signing of the treaty as my first official act as Queen."
"That seems rather unnecessary." Link replied.
"That's what I told him, and to his cedit he didn't deny it." Zelda said. "However, he knows a little bit better than you or I that politics does have a theatrical element to it, if not always a tactful way to do things." She rubbed her forehead in annoyance. "No, today I have to have that oaf Fawlty brought before the high court on charges of censureship, and have him plead his case. It's going to be awful, Link. I'm not on the deciding committee, because I'm the one that censured him, but last I checked it's probably going to be split 3-2 in favor of censureship."
"How is it not unanimous?" Link asked.
"Money buys you a lot of things in this world," Zelda said with a degree of resignation. "It might even buy him a reprieve of the charges levied against him."
"How?" Link asked with complete incredulity. "You censured him!"
"What kind of a government is this where I am allowed to make decisions with impunity, Link, and not care for the thoughts of those beneath me?" Zelda asked, turning to look at the hero beside her. "I despise Cassius Fawlty, Link. I've felt my skin crawl around his insincerity and his flattering since I was a little girl. But just because I hate someone does not mean that I have the right to end him or her for that reason alone. If that was how government was structured, we'd be better off with tyranny." She sighed. "And if there is one thing that I promise myself, it is that I will not be a queen-tyrant."
"You won't." Link assured her, massaging her shoulder as he spoke. "You're better than that. You're a good person."
"Thanks Link." Zelda said with a smile. She got up from the bed, and started to walk back and forth through the room. Link was thankful that she didn't start stripping right in front of him at that exact moment. He wasn't sure he was ready for that level of forwardness.
"But wouldn't it be lovely?" Zelda asked, turning to Link and facing him with a gleeful smile. "If I could just take control of it all and spend the next hour or so just cursing him out and his very family?" Link smiled.
"Lord Fawlty, you are a blight on my kingdom, and the sight of you is enough to burn my eyes!" Link said, adopting a regal-sounding tone. "And thou art smelly!" Zelda held a hand to her mouth, eyes widening in mock shock. Then she squinted as if to pretend she couldn't see.
"Why, your dearest and most gracious highness!" She squeaked in a manner similar to the disgraced Lord. "Whatever do you mean? You cannot do this to me! My family built this kingdom with the help of the Goddesses! I have money! I'm Cassius Fawlty, dammit!"
Soon their imitations gave way to helpless peals of laughter. Zelda had to sit in one of the side chairs in order to catch her breath. Link, who'd stood up and was leaning against the wall, smiled.
"So it should be a good day, hmm?" He asked. Zelda sighed, and smiled a little bit. She brushed her unkempt hair out of her face.
"Yeah. I guess so. Thanks for taking my mind off of things." She walked up to him, and hugged him close. She looked at him and smiled. "Have I ever mentioned how happy I am that you walked into my life?"
"Have I ever told you that?" Link asked back. Zelda smiled.
"Several times."
They leaned in to kiss, only to be interrupted.
…
Like a gunshot in the mind, the sounds of a horn pierced through the air. Zelda went rigid, and pulled herself back from the (slightly disappointed) Link. He stared at her and raised an eyebrow.
"You okay Zelda?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
The horn blew again.
"Um, what's that?" He asked. But then his years of training as a Knight trainee kicked in, and the two of them looked at each other in horrified understanding.
There was an enemy on the horizon.
Without a word, Zelda and Link frantically sprang to action. Zelda dashed into her closet, while Link grabbed his outfit from the day before and dashed into the nearby broom closet just down the hall. Within a minute or so of hasty and fumbled dressing, the two of thme burst out of the doors of their rooms and raced towards the entryway to the castle.
…
They reached the overlook on the walls resting on the outer edge of Castle Town as the war horn mounted high up on the ramparts. Impa, Gawain, and Ishaka were already there, with Lord Gawain staring grimly through a telescope.
"What on earth is going on?" Zelda demanded. "Why was I not informed immediately?"
Shakily, Gawain handed her the telescope. She saw how pale he was, and reached for the instrument to peer in the direction that he'd been looking. She wished that she hadn't.
It was like her recurring nightmare finally had come to life. An army was advancing like a slow-moving tidal wave towards her castle and her people. It was even larger than that of the one that Cia had sent on her birthday. All were dressed in shades of dark, creating the illusion of a black plague descending on the land. And right in the center of it all, riding on a pale horse, was the fell man that haunted her nightmares. He seemed to be staring directly back at her, and he smiled.
"Evacuate the city." Zelda managed to say after a horrified moment of silence. Gawain and the others looked at her incredulously.
"Evacuate?" Gawain asked. "Without even putting up a fight?" He asked. Zelda turned to face him.
"We don't have time! By the time we've sent out our entire force, they will be upon us. We must get all of the women and children and the sick and the old out of the city, and out of the castle. Those that can stay and fight…we have to hold them off as long as we can." She said with a sense of finality. Ishaka growled, and bared his teeth like a wolf.
"They ain't takin' this city, yer highness. I'll die 'fore we lose it ta them." He said.
"Ishaka, this is no time for foolish bravery." Zelda said. "It must be a tactical retreat." She turned to Link. "He's going to come for us. If we can, we must be separate at all times. He cannot get the Triforce. He mustn't."
"But, but what if-?" Link trailed off, unable to form a word. He knew what was coming. He had faced it, and had barely come out of it alive. And now the darkness was coming for another round, and he was not sure that he was going to be standing when this was all done. "Zelda, I can't lose-"
"Link, there's no time!" She said. She turned to Lord Gawain. "Raise the drawbridge, and prepare catapults and archers. Organize the best of siege soldiers to defend the city. We must give those that cannot stay as much time as we can to get them out."
"But where will they go?" Impa asked.
"Th' Outlan's." Ishaka said quietly. "To th' west, where we start'd it all." He said. He turned to the rest of the group. "Have 'em run to th' land o' th' Ravagers. They'll be safe out there." He said.
"That's impossibly far away!" Gawain said.
The horn blew again. The blanket of darkness was getting closer.
"Do we have a better option?" Zelda asked. "It's all we've got. We don't have the time or the manpower to hold them off and beat them back…" She stared forlornly towards the castle. "We have to abandon the castle." She said. It looked like she was about to cry. "You have your orders, soldiers." She finally said.
As fast as they could, the leaders scattered. Lord Gawain began clanging the bell that hung above the bridge, ordering the drawbridge to be lowered. Ishaka and Impa raced through the streets, banging on doors and shops and yelling for people to get out and start falling back towards the castle, and to the back gateways that lay beyond.
"Zelda, wait!" Link managed to catch up to her. She looked thoroughly annoyed at him for stopping her.
"Link, let me go! We have work to do!"
"But, but-but what if I never see you again?" He managed to blurt out. "I can't lose you!" He seemed to wither in front of her, hanging his shoulders. "I…can't." He said quietly. Zelda stared at him, and cocked her head to the side in solemn understanding. Then she cupped his head in her hands and pulled him in for the warmest and deepest kiss they'd ever shared. When they broke, she stared at him with gentle eyes.
"Link, I will be alright. And you will be alright. And we will see each other again." She said. "Just…have faith, and know that all shall come to pass as it is fated to come to pass." She said. "And know this, I lo-"
"Princess!" Ishaka roared, interrupting them. "We hafta talk yeh to th' castle! Gotta git ya outta here!"
"Ishaka, I may retreat to the castle, but I will not abandon those that I am leaving behind." She said. "Come with me then, oh mighty Ravager warrior." She shot a mournful glance towards Link, and held it as long as she could before she smiled softly and ran to join Ishaka in their retreat. Sighing, Link drew his sword and ran to the front of the line to join the desperate defense.
"We can do this, Link!" Proxi glimmered in his ear. "The princess is right!"
Trying his best to match the fearlessness of his small friend, Link stood in the center of the defensive line, and watched as the growing darkness approached ever closer.
…
They reached the interior of the castle faster than normal, even by a running pace. Some of the guards bolted the door shut, and stood defensively towards the door with their pikes drawn. Zelda turned towards her handmaidens that were gathered there, and frowned.
"Why are you still here?" She asked. "I gave the order to evacuate! That includes you, too!"
"My lady, we are not leaving you!" Marin said. "I am absolutely terrified of whatever it is that is coming, but I will not leave you to whatever it is. I promise you that. You have been too good to me." She said, her voice wavering and yet firm all the same. Zelda smiled despite herself.
"Marin, your loyalty knows no bounds. But I cannot ask that you stay." She said. "It would not be the mark of a good ruler."
"Fuck that!" Marin squeaked, stunning everyone with her outburst. "You're my friend more than my ruler, and I will gladly stay with you!"
"I understand." Zelda said. "If you insist." She turned to the rest of the handmaidens. "The door is right there. There will be soldiers that can escort you out of the city. Good luck, and know this: I love each and every one of you as if you were my family."
There was a roar outside, and the sound of a seeming explosion. The darkness must have breached the gate, and were advancing ever closer. The other handmaidens wiped the tears from their eyes, and yet could not bring themselves to move. Zelda sighed, and turned to one of her guards.
"Uhaa?" She asked. The former Ravager turned towards her.
"Yes, my lady?" He asked.
"Escort them out of here and to their safety, please." She said. Uhaa nodded.
"Understood. And, my lady?" He said.
"Yes, Uhaa?" She asked.
"It was an honor to have died by your side." He said. Zelda smiled.
"It is an honor to live by yours. Now go!"
He nodded, and led those that would go out the side entrance to the throne room. Zelda sighed heavily, and slowly took a seat on the stone throne that her father had ruled from for so many years.
"What about me?" Lord Fawlty, who was held under close guard by two soldiers, wailed.
"Be quiet." Zelda said. "If I am to die, you of all people do not have the luxury of survival either."
…
It went from bad to worse in mere moments. As soon as the enemy reached the gate, they overwhelmed the small garrison holding the drawbridge in what seemed to be seconds, and within even fewer were throwing grappling hooks over the walls and climbing up and over into the breach. To add to the mayhem, there was a massive explosion, and he watched in horror as a large portion of the wall exploded in a shower of rock and concrete and fire and smoke. He did not know what sorcery it was that had caused such a calamity, but now there was a surge of troops coming through the breach.
"Cover the opening!" He shouted, racing to lead by example. The Master Sword was dripping red with the blood of the countless enemies he'd put down, and yet it felt like he'd barely made a dent in this nightmarish horde. He let out a roar, and slammed into the Bulblin that was leading the advance. He thought it might have been the rage and insanity of battle taking its toll on him, but he could have sworn he heard the creature plead mercy as he stabbed it. He wasn't sure what was what anymore. Impa was nowhere to be found. Gawain had to be carried back to the castle after being seriously injured from the initial blast that ruined the wall. And Ishaka was probably still at the castle.
He was alone to lead them all.
"Stay with me!" He barked. "Form the line! Unity! Survival!" He pointed the Master Sword defiantly towards the slowly advancing horde. "Brotherhood to the end!"
Slowly but surely, as if witnessing a waking nightmare, Link saw the line of Bokoblins and Bulblins and Lizalfos and Aeralfos and even Darknuts part. It was as the sea itself was splitting in two. They made an aisle down the center, and before long he could see why.
His footsteps were like thunder, as if the ground was shaking beneath his feet. As he drew nearer, Link could see that the ground itself was indeed hissing and cracking from the exposure of being so close to his fiery power.
"We meet again, hero." The Fell Man said, drawing his two Dark Swords. "I do hope that you have been looking forward to this fight as much as I have…"
…
They listened to the roar of war outside them, as it drew ever nearer. Zelda found herself thinking back to the days of her youth. Her father would walk her through the secret garden, barefoot like they were both children. The air would smell of sweet flora and the winds of summer would both cool and warm her at the same time. It was during this time, above all else, that she was at her happiest. Long before war and strife and the pain of loss, there were those moments in the garden. How she longed for them now, as she felt herself waiting for whatever it was that would come.
She looked to her side, and saw one of her handmaidens shivering in fright. She stared at her, and smiled softly.
"Be at peace, Marin. They will not hurt you. I will not allow it, through life or death, I will see to it that you will all be safe."
"H-how do you know?" Marin managed to ask.
"Because." Zelda said. "You must have faith. That is all that I ask of you. And it is all that I can ask of myself and the Goddesses. I know that all shall be well, because I believe that all shall be well."
"You…you really think so?" Marin asked hesitantly. Zelda nodded.
"Absolutely, Marin. I do."
At that moment, the darkness reached their door.
…
There was an explosion of black magic and splinters, as the door was effortlessly blown into shards of splinter and clay and rock. The Royal Guardsmen that had been guarding it were thrown back hard, where they hit the wall in awkward angles, to finally end by hitting the ground hard. They were still.
The first thing she saw was Link. The Fell Man held him up high in the air by the back of his collar, dangling him off of the ground as if he was some sort of trophy. Link's tunic was ripped and torn, and his hat had been lost at some point, revealing that his blonde hair was streaked with blood. Bruises and cuts coated his face. There were scrapes on his knees. He was completely beaten. There was barely a scratch on the Fell Man.
Ganondorf saw the horrified look on the face of the princess on the throne, and smirked.
"I will say this, your majesty. He fought bravely." He said with complete sincerity. "But in the end, I would not be denied what is rightfully mine." With his free hand, he held up his palm. There was a soft golden flash, and they saw the Triforce of Power and the Triforce of Courage floating lazily above his hand.
"Link…" The princess managed to gasp, before covering her mouth in horror. Ganondorf stared at her, and cocked his head to the side slightly. He smiled slyly.
"I have encountered the two of you in one way or another many, many times, princess. But here I must say with sincerity: this is the most open I have ever witnessed your affection for the young boy." He said. "Perhaps then I shall appeal to that emotion now as I make my sole demand." He said. "The Triforce of Wisdom. Give it to me now."
"Or?" The princess managed to ask. Ganondorf smirked.
"I'll kill him." Ganondorf said. The look on his face implied that this was a very obvious response. There was a moment of hesitation from the rest of the people in the throne room, as though they could not comprehend or refused to do so. Ganondorf smirked. "It will be easy. Like breaking a toothpick." That did it. The handmaidens in the corner of the room looked as though they were going to faint in fear.
"Please!" The princess said. "I will give you what you ask of. Only give me your word that you will spare him."
"You would trust me on my word?" Ganondorf asked, raising his eyebrow and smirking devilishly. He seemed to consider these words for a moment. But then he nodded. "Agreed. I shall spare this boy, if you give me the Triforce of Wisdom."
"How do I know I can trust you?" The princess asked.
"You don't! But you can." Ganondorf said sincerely. "I am nothing if not a man of honor and my word. I promise you this: if you give me the Triforce of Wisdom…this boy in my hand? He will be spared."
There was a painfully long silence. Ganondorf waited patiently.
"…Very well." The princess said. "I will give you what you want." She stood upright and stepped down to the front of her throne.
"She's lying!"
The voice was old and shrill. It was so sudden that Ganondorf was momentarily shaken from his thoughts, and he unceremoniously dropped Link to the cold marble floor. He hit the ground and moaned in pain, his face a mask of suffering: eyes sqeezed shut, mouth open in a grimace of agony, breathing swift and shallow. All eyes turned towards the one that had dared to speak.
"She is not the princess!" Cassius Fawlty squawked. "The princess is amongst the handmaidens beside her! THAT ONE!" He pointed an old and bony finger towards one of the few handmaidens whose face was covered by a veil.
Ganondorf glanced over. They were all veiled, and they were all staring in horror at this moment of high treason. But only one of them held a thin veneer of uncontrolled fury in addition to fear. He raised an eyebrow in confusion towards the plump man that had spoken.
"And who are you to speak in such accusatory tones?" Ganondorf asked. "What you claim is not something to be taken lightly."
"I am Lord Cassius Iscarius Fawlty!" The old man squawked. His face was red with indignation. "A right and just man, accused of trumped up charges and unwarranted crimes that I am innocent of! I have been betrayed by this sham of a princess, and I am a fellow crusader of justice such as yourself!"
"And what can you offer me, for such high and mighty words? You would not begin to comprehend the number of men who have claimed to me they were much greater than they actually were."
"Wealth!" Fawlty screeched. "I am the richest man in Hyrule! I have amassed a great horde of gold the likes of which have never been seen before! I am the man that holds a high number of nobility in my pocket, as they flock to my power! I am seen as a threat to the power of the illegitimate tyrant, which is why I cannot stand for her to continue to sully this great nation of Hyrule, and to dishonor her father's name."
All he could feel was pain, but from his prone position Link could feel his growing rage anesthetizing his suffering. He longed to wrap his fingers around that flabby, aging and wrinkled man's throat…
Ganondorf had walked up to Cassius Fawlty, and stood over him. He seemed deep in thought. He finally stared down at Cassius Fawlty, and had the look of a man that was on the cusp of understanding a long-confusing conundrum.
"You are all that you say that you are, and you have the strength of character to betray your princess?" He asked.
"Yes!" Cassius Fawlty said desperately. "And I pledge my services to you!"
Ganondorf closed his eyes serenely, and nodded slowly.
"I see." He finally said. "Thank you, Cassius Fawlty."
Cassius Fawlty was still smiling when Ganondorf's right arm moved quick as a flash, drawing a small knife from his hip and then slashing across the Hyrulian's throat. The blood sprayed, and Cassius Fawlty made a sound like someone screaming underwater as he crumpled in a heap to the ground. Ganondorf stared with contempt at the rapidly expiring man at his feet.
"Money is of no use or interest to me." He said coldly. His eyes narrowed. "And above all, I despise a traitor."
He lifted his foot up, and stomped down hard.
Link was glad he closed his eyes, but he would never forget the sound.
Someone screamed. It might have been Marin.
…
Wiping the heel of his boot on the robes of the corpse beneath him, Ganondorf turned to face the horrified group in front of him. He awkwardly cleared his throat into his hand.
"I am terribly sorry about the mess." He said. "I will see to it that the trash is removed in an expeditious manner. It does not do to sully such a hallowed place as this with bloodshed." He looked at the handmaiden that the late Cassius Fawlty had fingered as the true princess, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, please. You cannot tell me that you did not secretly wish him gone."
"I wanted him gone." Zelda said, removing her disguising veil. She stared at Ganondorf with steely eyes. "I did not want him dead."
"Your morality is merely semantics." Ganondorf retorted. "When dealing with vermin, the only option is eradication." He gestured somewhat grandly to himself. "It is the law of the jungle, princess." His eyes narrowed. "Now then, our deal." He walked over, and rested his boot somewhat roughly on Link's head. The hero coughed and whimpered in pain. It was the same boot Ganondorf had just used. "Give me the Triforce, or I will kill someone that you do care about."
"You will honor our deal?" Zelda asked with a sense of resignation. Gnaondorf smirked.
"I am a man of my word." Ganondorf said. He gestured to the still-twitching corpse in the room. "He wasn't."
"Very well." Zelda said. She raised her arm, and closed her eyes with regret as she called forth the Triforce of Wisdom. The glow illuminated the room, and reflected in Ganondorf's eyes like that of an animal. He grinned wolfishly, and in a flash stepped and closed the gap between them. Someone screamed as Ganondorf hastily absorbed the Triforce of Wisdom into his power, before hoisting Zelda by the neck and up high so that her feet were dangling in the air.
"I am a man of my word." Ganondorf said. "I gave my word that, upon relinquishing the Triforce of Wisdom, you would have the boy spared." His subsequent grin was positively frightening. "But I never said anything about sparing you."
He started to squeeze down.
"Do me a favor and say hello to the many princesses that have come before you." Ganondorf said, as she choked and clawed at his hand to loosen the grip. "You're the first one in such a long time that I've had the pleasure of killing by my own hand." He smirked. "And your little hero gets to watch."
"NOOOOO!"
…
One moment Zelda was in Ganondorf's grasp, the next she was lying on the ground. She coughed desperately as she regained the air in her lungs. Link had managed to crawl over to her through some amount of heroic willpower, and was helping her to her feet. They looked in the direction of the Gerudo King that had had them in his mercy. He'd been knocked back to the other side of the room. Standing in between them and Ganondorf was Ishaka.
He turned back to look at them.
"Run." He said. "RUN!"
They didn't hesitate.
…
Ganondorf growled, and drew his Dark Swords.
"Your continued interference in my affairs is growing tiresome, boy." He said. "Surely by now you should know better."
Ishaka roared, and charged him with knives drawn. Ganondorf blocked his attacks effortlessly, and then with his leg swept Ishaka's feet out from under him. As the Ravager went crashing to the ground, Ganondorf stabbed down. Ishaka was able to roll out of the way, and leapt back up to his feet. He threw another flurry of moves at Ganondorf, who blocked all of them with ease, and then countered Ishaka with a backhand right across the bridge of the nose.
"Familiar!" Ganondorf chided. "Don't you have anything new?"
"How 'bout this?" Ishaka snarled, throwing a low kick to the side of Ganondorf's knee, before thrusting forward his knives in a scissors motion. Ganondorf ducked underneath them with frightening agility, and used his rising momentum to throw a hell of an uppercut. Somehow Ishaka wasn't knocked out cold, but the explosion of pain right below his left eye and on the left side of his lips was excruciating.
He staggered back to his feet, letting out a hoarse and wet cough as he did so. He spit out a globule of saliva and blood, and felt something solid go out with it. It was definitely a tooth, maybe more. Snarling and ignoring the fact that one of his eyes was swelling shut thanks to that last punch, he stared at his enemy before him, and shakily held up his knives.
"Impressive resilience for someone so outclassed." His enemy said, smirking with a high air of condescension. "And yet, I must admit, you did so much better the last time…Or is it simply that I'm so much better this time?"
Snarling like a wounded wolf, Ishaka gripped his knives so tightly that his knuckles were white as snow, and charged Ganondorf with suicidal abandon.
Once again, Ganondorf blocked his moves, and then decided to just grab Ishaka by the scruff of the neck and throw him across the room.
"This is pathetic." Ganondorf said with an air of annoyance. "At least the last time that we fought there was some degree of exertion on my part. I will like I'm sparring with a toddler now. Why don't you just give up and die?" He asked. Ishaka bared his teeth with an feral dog.
"Why don' you?" He hissed. "Cuz I ain't…goin' anywhere." He said. Ganondorf laughed.
"Oh, but it does warm my heart that your pride refuses to let you abandon your goals. In a way, it reminds me of…me."
Ishaka reacted as though he'd been stung, and highly offended.
"I am…nothin' like you." He snarled. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. He smiled.
"Is that so?" He replied. "Do you really think that?" He asked. He lowered his weapons for a moment. "Let me ask you something, Ishaka. Have you ever truly wondered what your origins are? Or is it nothing but a cloud of confusion and blank memories?" He seemed to delight in the Ravager's confused expression. "Did those that were in the best position to know and tell you…choose otherwise? Did they tell you that you'd understand when you were older? Did they often change the subject? Something like that?"
Despite the raging anger in him, Ishaka could not help but flash back to those nights in that little convent, as the aging and blinding monk would skittishly dodge the question he would ask as a curious little boy…
"And yet, as you grew older the signs kept showing up, didn't they? The fact that, despite your lack of a formal education…that didn't stop you from achieving great things, did it? You were able to survive in harsh conditions. You could command masses of people beneath you like they were your closest friends, despite being their age at best or young enough to be their grandson at worst. They all were willing to go to war and die for you. And in battle? Oh, in battle…" Ganondorf seemed especially smug. "…you truly had no equal, did you? None could top you in your brute force. And all flocked to you, like a grand sort of savior."
"What're yeh sayin'?" Ishaka barked out through a mouthful of blood. Ganondorf laughed. He laughed long and hard.
"By the Triforce, do I need to spell it out for you, you pathetic yokel? Clearly you were never raised on the most infamous of all legends." Ganondorf said. His eyes narrowed, making his smile appear positively wolf-like. "For all of my life, and through my many lifetimes, I was raised on a legend. A legend that both gave me purpose in life and a legend that gave me the inspiration to become what I have become over the ages." He paused, seemingly for dramatic effect.
"All through my existence, I was raised on the legend that I was the sole male Gerudo* in the tribe's history…yet as the Goddesses are my witness, I stare with my own two eyes at physical proof that that statement is no longer true."
There was an incredulous pause.
"Wh-wha'…what?" Ishaka managed to stammer out. A knot of horrible ice was forming in his stomach. Ganondorf smirked.
"Is it not obvious? You. Are. A. Gerudo! In fact, if I may be so bold, I would go so far as to say that you are a shadow. MY shadow!" Ganondorf smirked. "It might not be the same concept, but you and I have a lot more in common with Lana and Cia than you could have ever imagined. You and I have a lot more in common than you ever could have imagined."
It was like something deep within Ishaka broke. He started to shake uncontrollably, his eyes wide and glazed in a silent horror. His knives clattered uselessly to the floor, and he crumpled to the ground as if all of his muscles chose that moment to give out. He huddled close to himself, rocking back and forth. Ganondorf rolled his eyes.
"You are a disgrace to our tribe, boy. A real Gerudo would take such a revelation with pride, not cowardice like this." He said. He drew one of his Dark Swords. "In a way, I suppose this makes it easier for me. As I am sure that you can understand, I cannot allow the existence of someone like yourself while I too am alive. I can make for no rivals, known or unknown, while I finally have the full Triforce in my grasp." He walked forward, and rested the serrated edge of his blade on Ishaka's shoulder. The Ravager seemed not to notice. "I'd tell you to stop sniveling, but you're clearly too wrapped within your own horror to hear me. If it's any condolence, don't feel like your reaction is an indication of insanity. If anything, the way you're taking this information might be the strongest indication of your sanity that you could ever muster. You are finally free from the lie that has enshrouded your entire, pathetic life. Congratulations, Ishaka. Your reward is to carry this new reality with you…to oblivion." He swung the sword downward.
Only to strike nothing but the hard marble floor.
Annoyed, he turned around to face the newest entrant into the room.
"Again?" He growled. "You all do not know when to quit." He faced his enemy, who was holding up the catatonic Ravager leader by standing underneath his shoulder. "Get out of my way, Sheikah. Or I will destroy you…"
The Sheikah woman stared at him with a murderous glance, and instead threw something at his feet. He looked down, and saw that they were small, silver paper-wrapped balls. He barely had time to comprehend what they were before they exploded in a cloud of hazy smoke and exploding rocks. He snarled in annoyance, and wiped the smoke from his eyes.
By the time he'd recovered, they were gone.
…
He stood there for a moment, and sighed in frustration. Perhaps he had delighted a little too much in breaking that boy's psyche. Gloating was good and all, but even he was not immune to indulging every once and a while. He made a mental note to correct that in the future.
He weighed his options. The Sheikah could not have gotten far. If he wanted to, he could catch her and her dead weight friend and murder them with ease. He rested his hand on one of his Dark Swords, and contemplated the thought. It was tempting.
But then he called forth the three glowing gold pieces, and smiled at the sight of them floating in front of his eyes. Why should he waste his time? Why bother going after the insects?
He had all he had ever wanted, right in his grasp.
The Triforce was finally his.
A/N: Thank goodness that this story and HW is non-canon, because I kind of dropped a bomb on you good readers. Hope you are all alright. And do not worry, this is still and always shall be the Legend of Zelda, and not the "Legend of Ishaka and why he's awesome". That's poor Gary Stu-ism writing, and I've tried my damnedest to avoid that. (And have taken into account all reviews that have noticed when he veers close to that hateable ground) I…I kind of enjoyed having Ganondorf kick the everloving shit out of him. Of course, I imagine that the long-overdue death of that cancerous whelp Cassius Fawlty was more cathartic, truthfully.
Where do we go from here? You'll see…
HYRULIAN CODEX
Regent's Ball – The traditional gala that is hosted by the incoming king or queen of a nation that can afford such an event. It is attended by travelling dignitaries, regents of faraway lands, and ambassadors and anyone rich enough to make the time and effort to be involved. Thankfully, the influx of affluent tourists does allow for the host country to make a lot of money in the two weeks that the "Ball" is held over. The only kingdoms that can put on one worthy of the capital letters in Regent's Ball, according to snide planners, are the Zora, Goron, and Hyrule kingdoms. As both Her Grace Lady Hydre and High King Petra have no plans on stepping down any time soon (nor do their people want them to), the most likely candidate to host the next one is the Princess of Hyrule: Zelda.
The Legend of the Male Gerudo – It is well-known that the Gerudo tribe is an all-women tribe that is legendarily private and skeptical of interacting with the outside world, but what isn't as well known is the legend of the male Gerudo: there is a legend that once every eon, there will be a male Gerudo born to the Gerudo tribe (of a Gerudo and an outsider male), and yet the child will be 100% Gerudo (instead of the obvious and expected 50-50 split). This rare male is then alleged to be the future leader of the tribe.
Two reasons why this legend has fallen by the wayside (with some even challenging its existence: the first is the fact that the Gerudo tribe has splintered badly over the centuries, to the point where there are so many pockets of Gerudos living in so many reclusive areas of the world that one has to wonder if "The Gerudo Tribe" as a singular entity even exists anymore. Also, the "sole male Gerudo" may have been influenced and placed as high as it is in infamous tales simply because the King of Darkness, Ganondorf himself, is alleged to be a Gerudo man himself. Historians are still split on what the answer is.