Chapter Fifteen
He didn't know what to think of the cloaked figure who stood before his cell.
Link rubbed at his eyes, making sure he was not dreaming. Yet, when the image clearly processed in his mind, he raised himself from the icy cold ground quickly, embracing the bars in interest, staring at the mysterious form.
The being was short, appeared rather petite, despite being draped in a cloak. The character's face was concealed with a baggy hood, and slowly this figure approached him, standing dangerously close to the bars, to the point where Link could hear the stranger's breathing. It was light and soft, eerily delicate. The mortal's head was tilted slightly, at level just underneath Link's shoulders. Carefully, an arm was lifted towards the bars to clutch one, exposing a dainty, manicured hand.
This person, this woman, continued to remain rather secretive, despite her close proximity to him. Her uncanny presence enveloped him, causing his body to pulsate, a sweat to form on his forehead. Guardedly, she lifted her head, her face concealed by the shadow of her hood, only the shape of her swollen lips revealed.
Then, one vibrant, golden lock of hair fell out.
Immediately, Link felt his heart stop beating for a moment, as the cloaked individual reached for her hood now, and slowly brought it down from her head. The dungeon seemed to light up instantly at the unveiling, the bright blonde of her hair illuminating the dreary darkness, as did the ample blue of her eyes, the beautiful pale hue of her flesh.
The sudden burst of color blinded Link for a moment, as he had to take a step away from the bars, blinking feverishly. Then, carefully, he observed the young woman, his eyes wide, mouth agape, body tense.
"Z-Zelda!"
At his rather loud whisper, the girl frowned. "Hush!" she demanded. "It is princess to you."
Nodding silently, he bit his lip.
Her fingers trailed his barricade now, as she glared at him through the vertical slits, her pupils gleaming with the depth of her emotions. With her mouth parted, the young princess sighed, pressing her forehead against the cold rods.
"It is late, as you probably do not know, and the middle of the night," she began punctiliously, using the same proper tone he was not fond of. "Yet, I have come to address you concerning my decision for your fate."
Desperately, Link grabbed the poles blocking him from the princess, his fingers aching from the tightness of his grip. Feeling her breath hit his neck as she gazed up at him, he could feel his heart beat impetuously, banging violently at his chest. With a tender, yet anxious, expression, he stared down at her as calmly as he could, the loud thumping of his heart plaguing him.
"What...what is it?"
Oddly, she flinched at the sound of his gentle voice, her nose wrinkling in an uncomfortable manner, a quaver to her lip. It had taken her a moment to recompose herself, as Zelda sighed deeply, clenching her jaw.
"I have decided that I shall have, that I shall have mercy towards you and allow you to, to..." She had to spit the words out from her mouth, scoffing at her own inability to candidly present herself to him. She paused for a moment, her gaze shifted sideways, and away from his face.
"I grant you permission to...ally with me."
Again, she momentarily halted. "For, for us to wed. And for you to be a, a Prince. Consort."
Link had been anticipating her answer for hours, quietly dreading what fate she would decide for him. He had not been sure of the idea of marriage, but knew it was the only way he would be granted without grand punishment for his actions. For his infidelity, he would become a prince.
And as appealing as that sounded, the idea haunted him.
Languidly, he observed her intent stare, the uncertainty written across her expression. It truly seemed to him, that the princess did not want to marry him. But yet, her feelings for him were still too vast to allow him to undergo a humiliating trial. As much as she wanted to hate him -had dedicated her soul on destroying the young man's life- she could not find it inside of herself to continue tormenting him. And because of that, he knew she was giving in, as if defeated. She believed that he did not love her, and that this would only be a marriage of convenience and guilt for him.
He did not want to reunite with her this way, if he were to ever. It was too political, too bereft. It was also unfair, to the both of them. Zelda would gain nothing, and Link would become a prince of Hyrule, after how he had treated her.
This was his only way out, and he knew that. And as much as he wanted his freedom from the mess he had gotten himself into, Link knew that he needed to let go of his selfishness, the entity that was destroying not only him, but the two women he had ever cared for.
He looked at her intensely now, a gentle confidence building within him as their gazes locked.
"I...I refuse."
At his reply, horror struck the beautiful features of her visage, causing her brows to arch, dimples forming on her forehead, a fierce wrinkle to her nose.
"What?"
Again, he repeated his answer. "I refuse."
However, Zelda shook her head at him, disbelieving of his response. A look of disgust claimed her face, as she took several backwards steps away from his cell. "How can you refuse? How can you refuse this? After all that you've done, you heartless bastard!"
Sucking in her cheeks, the princess embraced her stomach, looking down at her abdomen with fierce, squinted eyes before returning her attention back to the confined young man.
"What about this? Don't you care about this?"
"I do care," replied the boy firmly, an expression of anguish and despair now haunting his face. He seemed to crumble before her now, his posture slouching, the bars his only means of balance.
"Goddesses, Zelda, you don't know how much I care."
Swiftly, she approached him again, pressing herself against the rods of his barricade, breathing viciously through her nostrils. "Then why are you refusing? Why! Why are you afraid to marry me when I am pregnant with your damn bastard child!"
"I can't marry you, I can't," he confessed, lowering to his knees, now glaring up at her from the ground, as hopeful as he could.
"I can't marry you, because you would hate yourself if we did."
"You are such a fool! A mad, dense fool!" she scorned, rage filling up inside her belly. "I give you a chance to redeem yourself, to be a man and-"
"This is not a chance of redemption, but of cowardice!"
"How is being there for your child an act of cowardice?"
Zelda was fuming now, a shrill redness consuming her face, her eyes gleaming with deep, dreadful anger. Her boldness frightened him, as he had never witnessed her this passionate before, this dedicated.
"I will not marry you, Zelda," he stated again, more gently. "Not like this. I can't."
She kept shaking her head, however, refusing to believe it. A tortured moan stayed stifled with her throat, tears welling up in her eyes, her tiny palms squeezing at the bars so forcefully that they began to turn red.
"You bastard! You dirty, rotten bastard!"
Several tears trickled down her cheek, and that was all she would allow. Quickly regaining herself, the princess took a moment to breath carefully, dabbing at her face with her black cloak.
"I gave you a chance, Link. And as Princess of Hyrule, and the one in charge of your fate now, I have decided what I plan to do with you. You refused, and by my gracious father's words, I may do to you as I please."
Nervously he awaited the severity of her punishment towards him, watching her tremble violently while she attempted to retain her composure.
"I, I want to be a good, fair ruler. Thus, I will allow this matter to be settled between us personally."
Suspiciously, Link raised a dark blonde brow at her suggestion.
"A duel."
He opened his mouth to protest, utterly shocked at the princess's proposal. How could she even think of such an idea? The young girl was pregnant, and a duel would be too hazardous for the unborn child's life.
"Here are the terms."
Zelda had quickly resumed, leaving Link breathless as he kneeled before her, her glare towards him icy and menacing. She kept her position now, firm and proper, her voice resuming to her political, proper tone.
"We shall combat using traditional Hylian swords. The first one to drop their blade loses."
There, she paused, her palms curled into fists, trembling maddeningly.
"If I lose, I will release you, and you will be free to do as you please, to go live on the ranch with your Malon and live happily as a cow farmer."
Link rose from the ground so quickly that he instantaneously became dizzy, while he clutched at his forehead, yet still found the strength in him to address her regarding the matter.
"Zelda, there is something you do not know-"
"And if YOU lose!" yelled the princess over his voice, her discord loud, and trembling. Glaring up at the young man, Zelda's face crunched into a fierce scowl, while her eyes continued to glitter helplessly, wet with uncried tears.
"If you are the one to drop your sword," she began again, more discreetly and solemnly this time. Taking a quavering breath before finishing, her gaze abruptly fixated downwards.
"Then you shall be executed."
She lifted her stare to meet his. "By me."
Tentatively, Link's eyes widened, his jaw dropping slowly as trepidation began to fill his complete, entire body. Every ounce of color had cleared from his face, as he became paler than the princess now, even his eyes dulling to a gray hue.
He had not had a chance to speak, to reply to her demand, for he could not find the words to, his throat suddenly becoming sore and dry, his tongue stiff. And even if he could, she would not have allowed it, as Zelda briskly reapplied her hood, and without another sound, left the dungeon.
In the darkness he was left again, his main source of light gone, as he was once more plagued by the dimness of the discreet lamps throughout the area. She was gone, and for a while, he continued to stay standing, holding onto the rods of his cell, the look of horror remaining plastered on his face.
Link could not believe her solution to his refusal to wed her. It was so vast, so extreme, that he had never thought that princess to act so fiercely. Had he broken her heart that horribly, that she believed the only means to end her misery was to kill him with her own hands?
But, it seemed to him as if she knew he was the likely one to win, as a part of her still cared so deeply for him, that she desperately prayed for his freedom, had wanted him to marry her, and yet at the same time the other, heartbroken part of her wanted to see him suffer, to feel her own dreadful pain.
Hylian swords...Zelda had been trained with the traditional Gerudo weaponry. She had given him the advantage. And, his main fault for losing to her was because of his distraction towards her beauty.
Slowly, Link found himself sliding down towards the cold grounds once more, his back slouched as he sat there messily. Many, many thoughts ran through his mind, plaguing him as his eyes began to get heavy, his lids closing, lips parting, and ultimately the gentle rise and fall of his chest.
Hero of Time. Hero of Time...
Slowly, Link opened his eyes to the distant sound, blinking several times to rid of the black spots he witnessed.
Hero of Time. Come, Hero of Time.
His body was weak, a soft grunt emerging from his throat as he forced himself to a wobbly stand. Moaning gently, the young man stretched his body, breathing carefully as he beheld his surroundings.
And at the vibrant luminosity, he gasped.
He was no longer in the dungeon of the castle, but inside the Temple of Time.
How had he arrived here? Repeatedly, Link asked himself this question, beginning to walk leisurely towards the altar, his fingers curling slightly in apprehension.
Hero of Time. Hero of Time.
He flinched at the distant voice, unable to tell to whom the discord belonged or where exactly it was coming from. Yet, almost too quickly, Link stopped abruptly, stumbling a bit as he then stood there silently with wobbly knees, a bewildered tilt to his head.
The Door of Time was opened.
Immediately, his eyes went from the bizarre entrance back to the altar, noticing that the three ancient stones were nowhere in sight. Link dove before the altar hastily, sliding his palms across the surface in dismay, a sudden panic taking over him.
Ganondorf was concealed within the sacred realm. If the Door of Time was opened-
But how could it be opened without the ancient stones? What was going on?
Hero of Time. Advance towards your destiny.
Again, he heard the whispers, pounding maddeningly at his ear drums. Gingerly, he raised his gaze back to the opened door, the shine of the legendary blade within gleaming in the distance. At that moment, something had compelled the young man to daintily rise, without though or reason, as he walked forward now, stepping into the now forbidden area.
The echo of his footsteps was the only sound that was emitted, and strangely, a blankness had overcome Link's eyes, beholding the sword that lied trapped in the stone before him, the reflection of the mighty blade apparent in his eyes.
With a small hesitance, he climbed the few steps that led to the sword, the ancient weapon now appearing intimidating as he approached it. Sturdily now, he stood before it, feeling the power of the blade radiate throughout his entire being, as he clutched at the hilt, trembling from both fear and excitement.
Drawing a deep breath, Link closed his eyes, pulling at the Master Sword.
An complete perturbation consumed him when he saw that despite his efforts, the blade remained within the stone.
A panic came over him now, as Link tightened his hold on the grip, pulling at it more fiercely, grunting relentlessly as he tried to retrieve the sword once more, but failing. Several times, he attempted this, his body beginning to sweat from his anxiety and despair, his muscles aching from the overexertion.
Hero of Time...
"Hero of Time."
Nonchalantly, with a fierce chill traveling down his spine, Link ceased.
That voice, that horrendously deep, thick voice. And that menacing chuckle that went along with it. It was all too familiar to him, too hauntingly mundane. It had been years since he heard that voice, been plagued by its tone, tortured by its owner.
Slowly, Link turned his neck, the rest of his body motionless, and his eyes widened when he stared at the source of the sound.
"Hero of Time, what is the matter?"
He couldn't think, could not speak, for all he could do was stare, aghast, towards the male subject, a sudden numbness to her body, fear boiling in his blood.
There was a smirk to those taunting dark lips, a flare to that bloody, crimson hair. The burly stature of his body, the red gleam of his eyes, the large jewel on his forehead.
Link could barely breathe, but he was able to let one word spill from his lips, almost inaudibly.
"Ganondorf..."
There the rogue stood, at the entrance of where the Door of Time should have been. There was a smugness to his appearance, as he gazed at Link cleverly, his arms folded over his waist in amusement. Steadily, as if to taunt the boy further, he tapped his heel in a steady, haunting rhythm.
"What can be wrong? Is it that the sword is stuck?"
Link collapsed at his words, almost involuntarily, embracing the blade as if his life depended on it. His looks towards the scoundrel was fierce, yet he could not find it in him to rise and face him directly, as his attachment was focused towards the stubborn sword.
"You do not intimidate me, you sinister bastard!" cried the young boy, his voice shaking as he spoke. "I have defeated you! You are locked away, never to return to Hyrule!"
Ganondorf chuckled, however, the room seeming to rumble at the lowness of his tone. Shaking his head leisurely, he seemed rather amused by the boy's despair.
"You are right, I am not the source of your intimidation, but that sword seems to be."
Sharply, Link turned his neck away from him, clenching his teeth.
"Only the Hero of Time can pull that sword out. Why can't you take it? Why won't it adhere to you?"
The boy was breathing heavily now, gnashing his teeth, his arm muscles quivering.
"Could it be, perhaps, that you are no longer Hyrule's hero?" Sarcastically, the dark-skinned man gasped, placing his fingertips by his mouth. "Goddesses, boy! Whatever could you have done to make the sages doubt you?"
At last, Link stood, releasing his grasp on the Master Sword, glaring towards Ganondorf.
"I have done nothing!" hollered the young man angrily, his legs shaking violently. "I am the Hero of Time, the savior of Hyrule! I defeated you, Ganondorf! You are gone! You can no longer taunt me!"
However, at his boldness, the rogue continued to laugh.
"The savior of Hyrule?" repeated he, chuckling as he spoke the words. With a smirk, the Gerudo man looked down at the glistening floors, an amused nod to his head.
"I would like to tell you a story, Link," he began calmly, lifting his gaze to glare at the boy by the sword, "and I want you to tell me who this story is about."
And as Ganondorf stayed at his exact same area, the room suddenly turned very dark, and Link jumped back the instant he felt a sudden blast of light appear from behind him.
Hastily, he had taken several steps backwards, his jaw dropping as he beheld the vision occurring before him. There was a tremendous gush of a gold luminosity, and once it vanished, two figures stood motionlessly before him.
Again, Link could not speak, move, breathe.
And yet, Ganondorf chuckled. Side by side, appearing lifeless if it was not for the bleak opening and closing of their eyes, Malon and Zelda stood together, like two haunting apparitions.
Though he could not see it, Link felt Ganondorf grin.
And all of a sudden, the scoundrel was standing beside him.
Link stumbled the instant he noticed the man's close presence, as he was only a foot away from him now, staring at the two lovely, still ladies before them, the girls' figures traced by a bold, white light. He looked at Link now, smiling devilishly, his fingers tapping at his elbows.
"There was a man who had one piece of the Triforce, and he passionately desired to retrieve the remaining two pieces."
A sudden jolt at his hand caused Link to look down, quickly looking at the back of his left hand, his lips parting lightly as the Triforce peace glowed a vivid gold. Looking up quickly, he then observed something that made his stomach churn, eyes sting.
The image of the Triforce was on each of the girls' foreheads.
Smugly, Ganondorf walked leisurely towards the two ladies, standing behind them now, resting a hand at each of their shoulders. A dirty smile curved his lips.
"He wanted both of them. He couldn't settle for the one he had."
Tears burned Link's eyes as he watched helplessly, shaking his head gently at the man's imply towards him.
"He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted, spreading lies, breaking promises. He convinced others of his loyalty -such as the throne of Hyrule."
It was then when Ganondorf grasped both of Zelda's shoulders firmly, as he hunched himself down towards the short girl, nuzzling his cheek against her hair. He maintained his focus on Link, his smirk taunting him.
"And once he received what he had desired, he betrayed those who trusted him."
Rather harshly he pushed both girls away as he walked through them to return to Link, standing in front of him now, looking down at the young man cleverly.
"Tell me, boy, whose account is this? Who is this greedy, selfish man?"
Link stared up at him with a fierce scowl, his hands tightening into firm fists. "That man is you, Ganondorf," he said firmly.
At this, the scoundrel laughed heartily, clutching at his heart as he did so, finding Link's answer to be especially amusing.
"Silly boy, that man is you."
And before Link could respond, Ganondorf suddenly vanished, reappearing behind him.
The muscles of his whole body tightened when he felt the man's large hands squeeze at his shoulders, lowering his face so that his mouth brushed his ear, his breathing burning his flesh.
"You are...Just. Like. Me."
The words were poison to him, as Link shook his head violently, closing his eyes shut.
"No...No!"
At his last holler, he tugged at his hair, prying opening his eyes.
And he was no longer at the Temple of Time.
Steadily, Link began to regain his breath, clutching at his chest exasperatedly, sweat dripping down his cheeks. Yet, his relief only lasted a moment when he noticed that he had not returned to the haven of his dungeon cell.
He was inside Zelda's bedroom.
Frantically, Link hastily looked over his environment, his eyes ample and bulging as he scrambled across the large room, trying to make sense of the situation. As he searched for a means to exit, however, something very distracting had caught his attention.
Instantly, the boy froze when he saw Princess Zelda standing next to her bed, absolutely naked.
A blush had succumbed to his cheeks, as he stood there lifelessly for a moment, absorbing her beauty. He could not deny how beautiful she was, the voluptuous curves of her body, the milkiness of her skin, the dramatic length of her golden locks, and even the daintiness of her tiny feet and hands. He was in complete awe of her, spellbound. And yet, he was afraid, very tense, as she seemed utterly emotionless, staring directly at him with blank eyes. And he knew that her eyes were always so full of expression.
"Oh, Link, when will you learn?"
Swiftly, the young man turned his gaze, moving strands of blonde hair away from his face, scowling when he saw the figure of Ganondorf yet again. He appeared from behind the curtains of the princess's bed, standing behind her now, running his fingers through her silky, thick locks.
"Do you see what you have done to the sweet, innocent princess?"
Link groaned harshly at Ganondorf's taunt, wanting to approach him, but his body unable to move. He watched in horror as his palms ventured away from her hair, towards her flesh now, his fingers crawling along her waists, until he cupped the swells of her breasts with ease. Continuing to stand utterly still, Zelda did not object.
But Link certainly did.
"Don't touch her!"
However, at his shriek, Ganondorf simply chuckled, now embracing her waist.
"The princess has become immune to the tasteless touch of a man."
And moving her hair to one side, he sunk his lips into her neck, sucking on her flesh feverishly.
Link felt his whole body ached as he witnessed her violation, seeing Ganondorf touch her, defile her body. There was a mad tremble to his muscles, a pain in his heart. As hard as he tried, he could not move forward, could not stop what he was doing to her. Tears had built up in his eyes, and languidly, one by one, they trickled down his cheeks, burning his skin.
"Do not fret, boy. She doesn't mind. Sex has become nothing to her. Since you betrayed her, she will never believe in love again, will not trust another man."
Link refused to believe it, sobbing fiercely.
"Your selfishness will destroy the kingdom, Link, just as mine had. You are just as vile and corrupt as I am. There is nothing different between the both of us. We are each the same. We want the same thing, we crave it. You think you are righteous because you charge at your enemy and never look back; you think that makes you different from me. Yet, I do the same Link. I charge as well. I did whatever it took to gain the power I once had, and you had stooped to my levels to get what you wanted, to satisfy your lust."
Lifting the princess, he carried her in his arms, taking her behind the curtains, and placing her on the bed. There, Link observed their silhouettes, seeing Ganondorf hover over her, and ultimately begin to ravish her.
The beating of his heart was excruciating, fervent. He could not stand there and watch this. Something had come over him, a fierce passion consumed his entity, and at last he was able to move his body. Hurriedly, he sprinted towards Zelda's bed, disgusted at the despicable movements of the silhouettes. With a thick breath, he grasped the sheer fabric of the curtains, prying them open. And then, at the sight, his whole body froze.
He knew Ganondorf had gotten into bed with Zelda, he had personally witnessed it. Yet, as he stared blankly at the sight before him, he saw no trace of Ganondorf violating the princess.
The man on top of her was himself.
Link wanted to turn away, horrified at the bewildering, maddening sight. Though, his eyes were locked, unable to look away, gazing at the horrendous act being performed. It was he who was furiously thrusting himself into the princess, as Zelda lied there almost lifeless, her eyes blank as she occasionally blinked.
He was witnessing himself debauch her.
You are just like me.
Grasping at his ears, Link closed his eyes compactly, taking several stumbling steps backwards, shaking his head as Ganondorf's words haunted his thoughts.
Your selfishness will destroy the kingdom, as mine had.
The child, the illegitimate child. The princess's reputation. The Lon Lon Ranch's business.
He was him. He was just like him.
...Just. Like. Me.
Yet, Link continued to shake his head, his neck aching from the intensity of his denial, as he fell to his knees now, a cry of anguish fleeing his mouth.
"No!" he wailed. "No! I am not! I am not you!"
Tears drenched his cheeks, his veins at his wrists boiling, his face beginning to turn dangerously red. His body was shaking fiercely, perilously.
"I am not you! I am not you!"
With those final words, Link released an intense, ear-splitting scream, and almost too quickly his body began to transform. A bright, gleaming red light had engulfed him, and when he opened his eyes, they glistened a menacing, vile crimson.
He roared now, like a beast, his body growing monstrously- changing, deforming. His arms and legs lengthened, growing bulkier, harder. His face transitioned into an atrocious, gruesome form. His flesh darkened into an almost black hue, while spears appeared in his hands, which had transformed into hoofs.
Link bellowed, like an animal, grunting and wailing, a piece of the Triforce glowing at his left hand. He had become a pig -turned into a heinous, grotesque animal.
We are the same.
He had become Ganon.
A tremendous gasp had evaded his throat as he sat up suddenly, a tremor to his heart, which caused him to clutch as his chest while he breathed heavily.
It had taken a while for Link to recompose himself, to catch his breath. His body trembled feverishly, as sweat poured down all along his face, his eyes wide and alert. Though, it was a long moment before he was able to process the fact that he was alone in his cell, where the princess had left him, and he realized that hallucinating exploit he had just experienced was only a dream.
As he grasped at his forehead, an intense breath of relief fled from his mouth. His thoughts were a chaotic mess in his mind, as the events of the dream continued to haunt him, every detail unforgotten.
Ganondorf...He had seen Ganondorf.
He was Ganondorf.
You are just like me.
Groaning, Link's face winced in despair, laying down on the cold ground delicately, his breathing altering. It was such a terrible, frightening nightmare. And yet, it was so true. It scared him how accurate it was, how revealing.
He was just as vile as Ganondorf.
Though he did not use magic or corruption to hurt others, he was still being led by his selfishness, just like the sinister rogue before him. How could he call himself wielder of the Master Sword, when he possessed no traits of a hero any longer?
His desire for love at such a young age drove him to hurt others, and he had tried to justify his actions, yet none were justifiable. Just like the scoundrel, he was destroying the kingdom. His naivete and foolishness was costing him now, and more was at stake than broken hearts.
He could no longer be a man for his own satisfaction. He had been a coward all this time, and now he needed to step up to his actions, and face every consequence for them. Link refused now to be given a freedom he did not deserve, to make alliances solely to save himself.
The duel was approaching, and he knew what to do.
He was going to drop his sword.
A/N: OMG this chapter took me FOREVER! It was very difficult to write, so I hope you all like it =) I would like to thank my reviewers Woodlandbeed and Kirbilius Clausius for presenting the idea of the "Ganondorf Dream." You guys freaking rock, and this story is a lot better because of it. =)