Ganondorf approached the gates of Castle Town. Only two other Gerudo had come along with him. One was the current second in command, Saskia. It had been decided that an adult should come along. The other was Nabooru, his twin and best friend. She claimed that he needed someone to "watch his back" but Ganondorf had a sneaking suspicion she was just curious about what Castle Town looked like.

Ganondorf heard the loading of a crossbow but Saskia motioned for the two of them not to attack, a moment later a command rung out.

"HALT IN THE NAME OF THE KING!"

The three complied, all of them looking slightly amused as a pompous looking guard sauntered down from his post at the wall top.

"Well well well! It looks like I caught myself three thieves."

Saskia smiled at him the way a cat might smile at a mouse "Are you really so simple as to think we would walk through the front gate if we didn't have a legitimate excuse?"

The guard turned red "Oh really, and what is that!?"

Ganondorf stepped forward, eyeing the man with the crossbow that was still on the wall incase he decided to get trigger happy "A man named Sir Giffard asked me to come."

The look on the guard's face was priceless, his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and his mouth dropped open in shock "But that's- why would he- impossible!"

A voice sounded from behind the stunned guard "Not impossible at all, I assure you."

The man spun around to face Sir Giffard, noticeably surprised.

The knight smiled at Ganondorf while speaking to the guards "I would like you to meet my new apprentice."

Midna materialized seconds later in front of Link her expression infinitely confused "How did you do this?"

Link stared at her, disbelieving that it had actually worked. He looked pointedly at the triforce mark on his paw.

Midna's whole face lit up in a smile "I should have known you wouldn't give up Link." She ran down the steps and gave him a crushing bear hug. Link licked her on the face and she laughed.

Ganondorf spoke up from behind him "As touching as this scene is, a certain mutt has made a miscalculation."

Midna looked up and froze "Link, what-"

Ganondorf was hunched over in pain and clutching the wound on his chest in an effort to stop the blood that now seeped from it. When his triforce had added to the mirror, it drained it dearly. "Ah yes, there hasn't been time for explanations yet. Well since we don't have time for the long version right now: an evil creature called Muerte is going to destroy the world and you need me too defeat it. Now if you don't mind."

Midna looked too Link (who she was still clutching like a teddy bear) for confirmation and then cast a spell to warp them away. The three dissolved into black fragments and were sucked into the dark portal that still hovered over the desert.

Ganondorf woke slowly, the last thing he could remember was being in the Mirror Chamber. He glanced at the wound in his chest. It was gone. If it wasn't for the tell-tale gap and bloodstains on his armor and shirt, he might have thought it had never been there at all.

He looked at his surroundings slowly, eyes darting around in a habitual effort to take in as much of the situation as he could. He was lying on a cot in a stone room; the only features he could see were a door and two windows. He got up slowly, testing each muscle before he put his weight on it.

He walked over to the windows first, and to his surprise found himself looking on the courtyard of Hyrule Castle. It was strange to be looking on it as neither a ruler nor an invader. He hadn't seen it this way since he been Giffard's apprentice.

The door opened and Ganondorf whirled around, scolding himself for not hearing the approaching footsteps. It was Princess Zelda. She had obviously not expected him to be awake.

"You heal quickly."

Ganondorf eyed her warily as she held out a plate containing breakfast. He might have ignored it completely except that he was ravenously hungry, and knew he was needed. He walked over to her grudgingly and took the plate, noticing with delight (not that he showed it) that it contained leever meat.

"So why is the princess serving me breakfast?"

"The servants don't know you're here, they swore to burn you at the stake if you ever came back."

"Charming." He sat down on the cot and started eating "why haven't you sworn the same?"

Zelda smiled "I do not hold the triforce of wisdom for nothing."

Ganondorf stopped eating "Link said that you had given it to Midna."

"So that's how he got you to agree to get her! Well I did give it to Midna at one time but she returned it, you were there actually. It was right after you had possessed me I believe. I suppose you were too busy changing into Ganon."

There was no bitterness in her voice when she mentioned him using her as a puppet, encouraging him to forgive Link as she did him.

Ganondorf laughed "I guess the hero has finally learned to lie!"

"Only when he needs to."

"Only fools lie when they don't need to."

Zelda looked at him curiously "And you Ganondorf? Why did you lie about your loyalty all those years ago?"

His look snapped over to her, anger in his eyes "You know nothing of those matters princess. I am your ally for now, but never your friend."

Zelda was quiet, then she picked up the now empty plate and headed toward the door. She put her hand onto the doorknob and stopped.

"It's amazing how little time 'never' can turn out to be Ganondorf."

Then she left.