Ganondorf was bound by the chains of light to a slab of rock covered with dark, dry blood. When they were removed from his torso he found relief, but he was still incapable of movement. The sages surrounded him and spoke about him amongst themselves, while Ganondorf enjoyed the view of the Spirit Temple in the distance. The temple was built behind the face of the statue of the Goddess of the Sand, and through the great distance he was level with her face. She was a beautiful distraction from his current situation.
"There is darkness in him that we have not seen in eons, since before Hyrule was even born," the one said.
Ganondorf could not stop from smirking, but it certainly did not help his case.
Another sage spoke up. "We know he has killed the innocent and plotted against the royal family. We must bring justice now."
The third sage who spoke directed his question toward Ganondorf. "You are charged with intent to murder the royal family. Why?"
He laughed. "You have barely scraped the surface of my intentions," he said sinisterly.
"Before we pass judgment we are required to hear the side of the defendant. Will you take this opportunity to plead your case?"
Ganondorf debated making a statement on his behalf. He was silent for a few minutes, mostly to bide his time for Dora to arrive. He began to doubt her success, but would believe in her as she did him. He looked at all the sages individually with loathing in his eyes and said, "I am guilty of what I am accused and so much more. Whether you kill me here and now, or in a thousand years, you will not stop me."
The sages reacted with shock, but once they regained their composure, nodded to each other. "Then it is settled, your punishment will be death." A white sword of pure magic appeared and hovered in front of Ganondorf. He did not turn away, but glared at the sage controlling it until he heard a loud clang from the right. He turned his head. Though he knew Dora could not save him, he was relieved to see her.
"No!" she shouted, and ran toward the circle of the sages at full speed. Judging by the sword pointed directly at Ganondorf's chest, she knew she arrived just in time. She slid to a stop in between him and the sword, and looked around at the sages. "You will release him."
"You are not a prisoner. You must not interfere," a sage said.
"I love him," Dora insisted. Silence followed for a minute.
"This man is evil and must not be allowed to survive."
"Then you will have to kill me too," she said, standing straight and fearless.
"Dora," Ganondorf called in a hushed voice. She turned to the side to face him, but did not turn her back on the enemy. "You will stay and lead the Gerudo in my stead."
"You would allow them to kill you? We can stop them, together," she pleaded.
He shook his head. "You are wiser than that and know that now is not the time to strike."
The fleeting look of honesty in his eye made her shiver. It truly was farewell. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and finally felt his body in a way she only dreamed.
Ganondorf closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. Such an odd feeling was the warmth that her embrace generated in him. At the same time, there was an ache in his core to hold her slender form in his arms, and take her for his own. Why was he plagued by these feelings? All he was supposed to care about was power. He despised that she could make him feel such weakness, but was too intrigued to stop it.
He was startled when suddenly she was ripped away from him by an invisible force. Dora screamed as her body flew across the roof and slammed on the floor with a thud. Her body lay still and Ganondorf roared with rage. The sword of light thrust forward and impaled his chest, knocking him back against the rock and unconscious for a minute.
The pain was incredible. It surged through his veins and pulsed violently in his head. He tried to reject the light that infected him, but it was powerful. The anger that boiled inside fueled his strength. He squeezed his hands into tight fists and pulled against his chains. His muscles strained and he grimaced as the chain cut deeper into his wrists, but he was rewarded by the creaking and snapping of metal. The sages gasped. The power of the Triforce granted him strength to survive and fight back.
Dora blinked her eyes rapidly when she returned to consciousness. The world spun, but she could make out the image of Ganondorf as he tore himself from his chains. She sat up right as quickly as she dared. Seeing him still resisting filled her with pride.
Ganondorf tore the sword of light from his very chest and pushed away the blinding pain. The sword left behind a wound, a white mark of purity in his dark form. With narrowed and determined eyes, he rushed forward with the sword pointed at the sage who had stabbed him. Before they could react, the sage was obliterated by the power Ganondorf put behind his massive strike.
Dora was amazed. She stood up and walked forward with renewed hope.
Suddenly, Ganondorf was petrified. His body levitated, and by the distorted expression of pain on his face it was clear he was not in control. A mirror, larger than any person, on a pedestal behind the sages, lit up with a yellow glow. It was the Mirror of Twilight, said to be a relic it was so old and unused. Clearly it was active, and Dora knew exactly what was about to happen. She moved to run to him, but was stopped when her arms were grabbed. When she looked to see who was stopping her, it was a team of Gerudo. Dora thrashed to break free, causing three more women to jump forward and hold her back. "You will let me go immediately! I must save our King!" A reverberating crack sound brought her attention to the mirror.
Ganondorf was gone, banished to the forgotten Realm of Twilight.
Dora stood there in shock, feeling everything and nothing all at once. She was overwhelmed but empty.
"Dora, we need to go before the sages take us next," one of the Gerudo urged her. It was not what she said, but the echoing words of Ganondorf that made her move. She had a big responsibility to fulfill. She turned her back on the mirror and led her people home.
They had brought two spare horses, but only one was returning home with a passenger. Dora forced her way to the front. Her bruised muscles ached from the hard landing she took before, but nothing hurt more than her heart. For a time she was filled with nothing but anger, for accepting defeat and failing to save Ganondorf. When she thought of him and how she would never see him again, she felt sorrow.
It was after midday when they arrived home at the fortress. They drove their horses right up to the stables and made sure they were situated before going inside. Once they filed into the main hall outside the common room, Dora lost her composure. The commander approached her, a stern gaze in her eyes. "You disobeyed a direct order."
That was when she lost all control. The animal inside broke through, and Ganondorf was not there to tame her. Tears burned at the edges of her eyes. "And if you had listened to me in the first place Ganondorf might still be here!"
Tatiana stared at her, trying to find a reason why Dora was wrong. "What did you accomplish by going after him in the night?"
"We would have been fine if not for the sages," she countered. "Now he is gone, no thanks to any of you, but we will wait faithfully for his return. Until that time he has appointed me as your leader."
"Bah!" the commander laughed. "You? What makes you think he would leave you in charge?"
"He spoke the words to me before he was banished! If you had been there you would know. You understand nothing about Ganondorf!" Dora shouted and then leapt at her commander, putting her hands around her throat. She shoved Tatiana against the wall. It took five Gerudo to free her from Dora's grasp. She was seething, with tears streaking her cheeks. She was ashamed of the tears that escaped her, but they were proof of her honesty. "I am in charge, and if any of you would challenge me do so right now!" Not one of them said anything or stepped forward. They feared her and the fire in her eyes.
The commander spoke up, but not about her leadership. "What did you know about him, Dora? Did you know anything? You clearly care about him, which is also against the rules, so what secrets did he tell you? He obviously didn't care about you if he told you nothing."
Dora slapped her. "Commander, I am stripping you of your title. Any further insubordination will result in severe punishment."
She looked at Dora, aghast. "You can't do that."
Dora ignored her. "You do not need to call me Queen but you will respect me as your leader until Ganondorf returns," she said with finality.