"Hehehe! Look at them burn; Koume!"
"Hehehe! Look at them freeze; Kotake!"
The two witches circled around in the sky on their brooms-the Hylian army scattered before them.
"These Hylians are nothing compared to Gerudo magic!" Kotake cackled. "Forward minions! Serve your King, Ganondorf!"
Hearing these words the assembled Bokublin caught a new wind and changed the disorganized Hylian lines.
Hehehe! This battle is won!" Koume declared-only to be hit by a fire arrow a moment later.
"Sister!" Kotake screamed—only to narrowly avoid an ice arrow aimed at her.
"Missed!"Link cursed as he notched another arrow. Jumping into the air he avoided fire blast while firing his bow.
"OOOhhhhh!" this time the arrow hit true, sending Kotake careening into the ground.
Link notched another arrow. A single arrow wouldn't take either of them down for long.
Sure enough Koume rose from the ground followed by her sister in short order.
"Impudent brat! Think yourself a match for us?!"
"Yes!" Link yelled up at them.
"Why you!-ack!" Koume barely dodged another fire arrow.
The two witches flew up and away from Link in an attempt to escape his arrows.
"We should do it Kotake."
"Yes, let's do it, Koume."
The two witches flew in an ever narrowing circle until they spun into each other surrounded by frost and flame. As the flames and mist cleared Link saw the familiar form of Twinrova. Though it had been years Link remembered her well. In terms of power she was probably equal to Ganondorf without the Triforce, but in terms of witchcraft she might even surpass him.
Link fired an ice arrow but Twinrova batted it aside. "And now little man, you will learn the price of defiance!"
Link put his bow up and took up his sword and shield. He no longer had the master sword or the mirror shield, but he was confident he could defeat Twinrova as he was now.
Twinrova let loose a flurry of ice and fire blasts. Link made no effort to dodge, knowing that would allow the effects to spread out. Instead he took the blows dead center with his shield, protecting him from the magical effects. Currently Twinrova was flying high to avoid the arrow Hylian archers who were occasionally firing at her. But Link knew she would eventually get frustrated trying to hit him from a distance. When she came in close he would have his chance.
All around Link the battle was raging, but it appeared the Bokublin were outnumbered. Link was confident the Hylians would win if he kept Twinrova out of the fight. If he took her down the Bokublin would probably flee
But Twinrova wasn't stupid. Seeing Link wasn't falling she started directing blasts and the Hylian army—killing many and forcing the army back.
"Damn it." Link cursed. Twinrova was wise to his game. She darted around the sky firing on the army from a distance. Even if he could defeat her it wouldn't matter of the army was destroyed.
Link didn't consider himself a great thinker but he could always improvise a battle plan. He looked around the battlefield for anything that could help him. His eyes settled on a stone pillar in the middle of the battle and suddenly he was stuck with inspiration.
Activating Naryu's love he bolted though the fighting, pushing aside Hylian and Bokublin alike. Link knew that Twinrova was keeping an eye on him so he made sure to weave his way towards his goal. Circling around the pillars back be climbed up as fast has he could, relatively ignored by the fighters around him. Climbing to the top Link saw Twinrova looking around for him on the ground. Quickly he took out his bow and notched an arrow. As the arrow flew the witch turned towards him, but could only see an impossibly bright beam of light.
Link's light arrow hit its mark and with a scream Twinrova came crashing down to the ground. Putting away his bow and taking up his sword and shield he leaped off the pillar. Landing in a crouch he bolted though the fighting towards the downed witch.
Coming upon Twinrova she attempted by blast him with her ice magic but link jumped over the blast, spinning around and cut open the witch's belly.
The Witch screamed as the blade passed through her abdomen, but that did not stop her. Either through healing magic or some other method the wound closed up with little blood spilt.
"You brat!" Twinrova screamed while rising back up into the air. "I'll destroy you! I'll-" The witch was cut off when she was seemingly caught up in a beam of light.
Link turned to see Impa using a far weaker version of the same spell Zelda had used to pin Gannon years ago.
"Link! Now!"
Wasting no time Link leapt into the air reaching Twinrova and sliced her open from head to pelvis. Together they fell back to the ground where Link landed in a crouch and Twinrova landed with a thump.
Twinrova—or the carcass that was Twinrova—dissolved into two swirls of magic energy which rose up from the ground.
"You think you've won, but you'll never defeat the great Ganondorf!" The red spirit—presumably Kotake-said.
"This holy place will become your tomb!" the blue one—presumably Koume—added.
The two spirits disappeared only to be replaced with the ground shaking.
Link ran over to Impa who was recovering from exertion—cutting down a few Bokublin on his way.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Impa reassured him. "More importantly what's that shaking?
"I don't know, but the witches said this would be our grave. We might want to withdraw."
Impa looked towards the temple. "It might be too late for that."
From all the openings of the temple monsters seemed to flow out in endless numbers.
Impa turned to the younger man. "Link, do your best to hold the front together. I need to get to the rear and take command of the artillery. Make sure our lines are away from the temple."
Link nodded and they both bolted in opposite directions. As he approached the front lines Link saw the Bokublin had fled into the desert, however they had been replaced by a random assortment of monsters. Unused to fighting these kinds of enemies the army's front lines had grown disorganized and panicked.
Link charged in, cutting down numerous monsters. "Stay focused! These things are no match for us! Stay together and move away from the temple!"
Seeing Link's small frame effortlessly cut down so many monsters the army rallied.
"Back everyone! Move back slowly!" Link called out. The officers responded by trying to keep order as the men backed up—not an easy task for a large army.
Meanwhile on the back lines Impa had reached the cannons." Fire on the temple!"
"But m'lady," the artillery officer protested. "If we destroy the temple we might offend the gods."
"If we don't then those monsters will overwhelm us. Start shooting and keep it up until the monsters stop!" Impa ordered.
The officer—clearly a religious man—swallowed a lump. "Yes m'lady!"
The cannons roared to life, firing on the temple. Most of the artillery the brought with them was light, but the temple was old, the sandstone it was made of worn by centuries of sandstorms and wind. As the army slowly retreated before it the entrances to the temple began to collapse.
"Those monsters can burrow! Keep firing!" Impa commanded.
Impa's command was unnecessary however. Soon the temple began to collapse on itself, burying many of the monsters alive and nearly taking out the first few ranks of the Hylian army—Link had moved them back just in time.
As the last of the monsters were slaughtered by the Hylian army a cheer went through the army. Though the casualties had been heavy the enemy commander was dead and their headquarters was in ruin before the might of the Hylian cannons.
Darkness fell soon after and the Hylians made camp at the large oasis near the remains of the temple.
Link, Impa and several knights sat around a low fire.
"3700 men unaccounted for." Impa said; summarizing their losses.
"The last battle might be harsh with our numbers so low." Sr. Gomez said.
Impa nodded. "on the other hand it might be easier to traverse the desert with less numbers."
"This is the farthest into the desert I've ever ventured." Link said. "I don't know where Ganondorf's forces are."
"Reports say he has made a tower called the "Arbiters Ground" his headquarters. "Impa explained. "I've heard of the place before but I have no idea where it is."
"It's surprising for the shadow tribe not to know of their own torture ground." A voice called form the darkness.
Everyone rose and drew their weapons. "Who goes there?!" Impa called out.
A slender cloaked figured emerged from the darkness. "Relax, I mean you no harm." The figure lowered her hood.
"A Gerudo!" one of the nights called in alarm.
"Relax". Link said. "I know this one."
The sage Nabooru looked at Link in recognition. "Looks like you've grown up kid…almost."
Years ago Link had warn Nabooru about the dangers of the spirit temple and the twin witches who inhabited it. By doing so he had saved her from becoming an ironknuckle.
Link decided it would be best not to have Nabooru flirt with him in front of Impa. "You know where this Arbiter's Ground is?"
Nabooru smiled at him. "If you go to the far north from here you'll find the Arbiters Ground. Long ago the Gerudo built the fortress at the behest of the Hylian royal family. The sheikah used to torture and execute those who opposed the royal family."
"Since when were the Gerudo allied with the royal family?" Link questioned.
"Long ago, a race called the interloopers threatened the land. After they left Hyrule entered a dark age and the royal family eventually lost control of these distant lands, but for a time all the land was united. That was when the temples and other great structures were built, save those few sites built by the gods themselves."
"The far north…will you accompany us?" Link asked.
"It must be hard on a boy your age out here in the desert." Nabooru smirked at him. "But I'm afraid I have to catch up with my people. Once Ganondorf is destroyed they will need new leadership."
Link looked away, still feeling guilty over what happened to the Gerudo tribes.
"Your army doesn't seem to like Gerudo very much. It's a pity there was a time when Hylian men braved the waists to be with us…" Nabooru sighed. "No there is nothing left for us here. I'll bid you adue before the rest of your camp notices me."
"I would be very interested to know how you got in." Impa inquired."
"The guard in the eastern post is half asleep." Nobooru smirked
"Where will you go?" Link asked
"Far to the west there are more of us. We will start new lives there." Nobooru said with a sad look. "When you finish growing in a few years feel free to stop by." She winked.
Link blushed
"Until we meet again, boy. May the way of the hero open the way to the Triforce." With those words Nobooru leaped back into the darkness; disappearing.
"How exactly do you know that women Link?" Impa asked with a raised eyebrow.
"It's a long story…" Link began.
…..
So please don't get mad at me if I departed slightly from cannon or your preferred theories. I try to keep within cannon but I might have made a mistake. As for the fan favored theories I can't be held to them if I am to write the story I want. This work was inspired by a fan theory but I have my own thoughts on how it should go.
I found it hard to write Nabooru because she does not have a lot of dialog. She comes across to be as an honorable thief and warrior. That said she does not have the polish of someone like Impa who lived at court. Unlike the other Gerudo she recognizes Ganondorf as an evil who must be destroyed so she overlooks what the Hylian army did to render aid to Link.
Only a few more chapters to this arc, then the stories pace will start picking up rapidly.
Finally I want to thank anyone who left a review. They're very motivating.
-Gedaemon