The Desert Colossus, deep within the Gerudo Desert, served as bastion of spirituality and reflection in a land that was harsh and unforgiving. The denizens of the desert lands braved the journey through the searing heat of the sun and the monotony of sand upon sand, seeking its ancient walls and silent solitude in order to reflect upon the most delicate of life's decisions. It was not unusual to enter and find a figure kneeling before the great Desert Goddess, clothes battered by the desert winds with bronze, calloused hands raised in humility as they beseeched the divine beings for their blessings in a recent childbirth, or perhaps a newly forged relationship, or even deliverance from unfortunate circumstances.

Deep within the bowels of the Colossus, in a chamber sealed off for all except a select few, the Gerudo King and Lord of the Desert found himself kneeling, head bowed as his hands rested upon his knees. He was dressed in a simple black robe, having forgone all his jewels and ornate armor in a show of humbleness before the Goddess he revered. His crown had also been discarded, his lengthy hair falling onto his face as his eyes remained firmly shut, his mind clearly deep in thought.

He had a crucial decision to make, one that left quite a burden on his shoulders, one that would not only affect his life, but that of the entirety of Hyrule.

Even with his eyes closed, he could already envision the pedestal that stood before him. Sheathed within was a large sword, jagged and of a deep obsidian hue such that seemed to suck all the light from within its surroundings. An inverted version of the Triforce was embedded upon its hilt denoting its use in opposing the light and all those that represented it. It was the blade of the ancient Demon King, one that belonged to him by birthright as it had been for all of his previous lives.

"Master…why do you hesitate….wield me and we shall bring our wrath upon Hyrule as our destiny dictates!"

The Gerudo King sighed softly as he heard his blade call out to him. It seemed simple to walk upon the path he had trodden numerous times already. Darkness, while frightening to others, was a power that was familiar and almost comforting to him. Even in his pensive state, he could already feel the ease of summoning dark power to his fingertips, able to wield it with brutal power and efficacy. At the end of each lifetime, whether he met his end at the tip of the hero's blade or by other means, his blade returned to the desert awaiting its master's rebirth once more. All he had to do was retake what was his, summon his legions of beasts and creatures of darkness, and march upon Hyrule once more. With all the experience and knowledge he had farmed from his previous lives, he would be more powerful than ever before. He certainly had the upper hand.

However, on the other hand, the Gerudo had been granted a boon of fortune that they had previously never experienced before. The Queen, wielding Wisdom as was her birthright, had been the ruling monarch before he had been born into this cycle, and had successfully secured a treaty of peace and communication between Hyrule and the Gerudo lands. Their textile, clay, and glass products were selling quite well in Hyrule as the Hylians had developed a taste for exotic items. In exchange, their stores of food and wine were brimming with stock, so much so that the Gerudo begun to develop bodies that were full and healthy, a look that the King had never seen before amongst his people in any of his lives. Their profits were well enough that construction and repairs had begun throughout his kingdom. His lands teemed with a spirit that had never been present before, one that did not spell out death and suffering for his kind. With the free exchange occurring between the Gerudo and Hylians, cultural and racist barriers were slowly but surely being worn down. It was becoming more of a common sight each passing day to see a Gerudo woman bring her Hylian boyfriend to live within their desert home, or for a Gerudo to move into Hyrule proper and begin their own business with their profits. It was a slow process, but one that was steadily progressing.

While the Desert King was uncertain of whether he could ever rid himself of his desire for Hyrule, he knew that he also had a duty towards his people. He had seen past lives of his where he had been a lone Gerudo and the anguish that he felt upon being the only one of his kind. If his attempt to take Hyrule failed, his people would certainly suffer the consequences. He was certain the Goddesses would spite him by vanquishing the Gerudo permanently if he attempted to endanger his people in such a precarious manner. Thus, this was one reason why doubt clouded his mind.

The true reason for his uncertainty, however important the fate of his people were, rested on a pedestal next to the blade that he had wielded many times over.

"Master…" a soft, feminine voice echoed throughout his thoughts.

"Master…forge a new path this time…one that will assure you peace and prosperity…"

The Gerudo King's eyes opened slowly, revealing their clear blue hue, as deep in depth as the sky itself. His head turned slowly as his gaze fell upon the blade that stood by the side of its dark counterpart, gleaming in the low light that permeated the chamber. This was the weapon that had brought about his downfall many times, the blade of evil's bane: the Master Sword.

The blade which, by some twisted farce of the Gods, was also his birthright.

The Gerudo King found his head bowed once more, hands clenching fistfuls of his robes at his knees as his eyes trained on the ground before him. Yes indeed, the Gods had intended to force him into a corner, had wanted to fool around with his fate and cast doubt on every decision he had to make regarding his path. Every time he looked into a mirror, or saw his reflection staring back at him, those intense blue eyes would stare right back at him, eyes that he was all too familiar with. It was quite often that he had to remind himself that those eyes belonged to him, and that he was merely seeing himself.

They were the eyes of the Hero, the man that also happened to be his father.

It would have been simple, in all reality, if his father had been hateful towards him. Both the Queen and the Hero had been aware of who he was upon birth, and could have easily had him killed, imprisoned, or shunned from society. Yet, his father had done nothing of the sort. Despite his duties towards Hyrule, he had remained in the desert and had helped raise him. Where the Gerudo trained him to become King, showing him the way of the blade and the knowledge of the ancient kings, his father showed him the simplicities and joys of life. The Gerudo King fondly remembered how his father had shown him how to catch a fish, had taught him how to swim, and had lain with him atop the fortress as they watched the stars for hours on end. Even with the eventual return of his memories and history with the Hero, the Desert King could never shake off the intense bond of love and trust he had built with the man who had fathered him.

The most baffling moment was when he had been crowned King. His father, being the Hero, had decided that now that his son was a man, it was his time to leave and travel beyond the lands of Hyrule as the Hero was wont to do. The Desert King could clearly recall the day as his father grasped his hands, the Gerudo being much too tall for him to grasp his shoulders, and telling him that he had left the Master Sword in the same place where his ancient blade rested. The Gerudo could not comprehend why his father would leave with him, the man destined to be Demon King, the only sword that could put an end to him. His father had merely smiled at the Gerudo's protests.

Perhaps he was the Demon King, but now the blood of the Hero also flowed through his veins. Ironically, once the Hero left Hyrule's borders, he would be the only one capable of wielding it.

"Do not fret, my son…follows what feels right for you…I will not be angry with you, whatever you decide to do."

He remembered watching his father leave, his figure shrinking in the distance as he disappeared, never to be seen again in this lifetime.

"Hyrule's destiny is now in your hands, my son."

The Gerudo King had taken a number of years as he thought upon what he would do. Having both the power to save Hyrule and destroy it was a situation that he never thought he would face. As he delved deeper into his thoughts, many nights of research came to the forefront of his mind. It seemed that neither darkness nor light had ever gained a distinctive advantage in the wars that constantly plagued Hyrule. When one ruled, it was always in danger of being overtaken by the other. Whether he chose to walk the path of the Demon King or that of the Hero, he knew that there was always the chance of him meeting his downfall because neither path guaranteed absolute victory.

The Desert King found his thoughts returning to that of his people. For so many years, so many lifetimes, they had been shunned and cast aside. It had always been "them" and "us", two different people with different values that would always be at odds with each other. Yet, with the efforts of the Hylian queen and his Gerudo council, both people were slowly becoming "we" as they begun to realize that, at the end, differences aside, they were just all people trying to survive through the journey that was life. They were reaching a middle ground, a balance that had never existed before.

Balance.

Resolute, the Desert King unfolded himself from his position as he rose to his full height. His eyes gleamed in the low firelight the torches gave off, the determination within them all too similar to those that had existed within the man from who he had inherited them. He could sense the spirits within both blades shiver in anticipation, each one certain that he would chose them. A serene smile appeared upon his lips as he strode towards the blades.

Today, no one would be left disappointed.

The Gerudo gritted his teeth as he grasped the handle of both blades within his hands. Light and darkness fought within his very core, one trying to overtake the other as they were meant to do. The Gerudo focused his energy, pouring all his concentration and power into both the blood of the Demon King and the Hero that ran hot through his veins. The only way for everyone to find peace, for everyone to find some sort of happiness was with balance and compromise.

Light and darkness were both a part of him, and he could not bring himself to shun one for the other. They would learn to coexist, just like his people and the Hylians were slowly working towards.

"Be at peace."

The Gerudo King suddenly felt the warring power within him come to a standstill, darkness and light both going silent within his very being. He blinked, almost in awe as he could almost perceive darkness and light like two calm pools of pure energy sitting together side by side. He became aware of his labored breath, the sweat steadily trickling down the side of his forehead from the mental and magical exertion it had taken to hold both blades in his hands. He grinned, almost mischievously, as he felt the spirits within the blades bristle with annoyance at having to coexist as their Master desired.

He held up both blades, his smile widening. It would certainly take a lot of effort on his part to continue keeping peace between both the darkness and light within him. However, for the sake of his people, his father, and most importantly, himself, he would have to try.

If the Gerudo and the Hylians could do it, then so could the light and darkness.