Author's Note: Hey everybody! Yes, I know…updating twice in one week? No way! But yes, 'tis true.

We are coming to an end here. And a lot of the dialogue in this was taken from Buried In The Desert Sands, but just from Nalissa's point of view and her personal thoughts about everything.

Also, I have had quite a few people say they'd like to see an alternate ending to BITDS, such as Ganondorf realizing his mistakes and becoming a nurturing father to Nalissa and a loving husband to Nabooru. The reason I did not put that in the original story was because it wouldn't follow the timeline of The Legend Of Zelda, and I wanted to remain true to the series. However, this IS a fanfiction site, and people change things around all the time…it's perfectly okay. So since I have gotten a few requests from readers to do this type of thing, I just MIGHT do a one-shot about it, if more people are interested. But I have a few ideas on how to go about doing that.

Either A: Ganondorf realizes his mistakes himself and goes about making things right.

B: Nabooru decides NOT to help the sages put him away and the family runs away together.

Or C: Nalissa-now an adult-immediately following the ending of BITDS (if you remember-she chose NOT to remember her dad but Nabooru ended up telling her about him anyway) decides she wants to find a way to break her father's curse just to be able to speak to him face-to-face just to ask why he did the things he did, and after he's freed he finds Nabooru to make peace.

I think that any of these would work, but I'm leaning more towards Choice A-in my opinion, Ganondorf should realize his own mistakes. Choice B seems unlikely to happen seeing as Nabooru-as any woman would- probably HATED Ganondorf beyond belief at that point for what he did to her and Nalissa. Option C was another one that captured my interest as I pondered it-it seems like something a curious child would do, but I don't think it'll fit into that one-shot alternate ending. Because at that point Ganondorf already missed out completely on Nali's childhood PLUS Nabooru had already remarried at that point. However, this thought has captured my attention quite a bit, so in the future I might write something pertaining to that to where Nalissa searches for ways to break his curse just to speak with him…however realizes he only cares about power and has to make a tough decision to seal him away again (plus Nalissa deserves a real adventure-who wants to see her all grown up and fighting like an Elite? :P).

Anyway, I don't want to make a sure decision until I have the reader's opinions on this. So which option do you guys like, if any? As I said, it will most likely just be a one-shot so it doesn't break the flow of BITDS-just a treat for those of you who want to see something like this happen-and for those of you who don't, you won't even have to read it seeing as it will be separate from the storyline. =) That way everyone's happy.

So again, thank you everyone who supported this. It makes me happy when I read reviews with requests like this as well because it shows me that you guys can't get enough of my writing and characters, which of course would make any writer feel great. So thank you. =)

Sorry for the long Author's Note, and if you're still reading at this point, THANK YOU AGAIN! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own the Gerudos, Gerudo Fortress, Ganondorf, or anything from The Legend Of Zelda…I do however own any OC's that appear, mainly Nalissa/Nali, Kali, and Katara/Kat.

Enjoy! =]

Chapter 8

"Nali, wake up, Sweetie." Is what I wake up to. Groaning, I turn around to see who it is. Standing there is Katara.

"Kat?" I whisper confusedly, rubbing my eyes.

"Yes, it's me, Sweetie. Listen, I need to tell you something very important. They're grownup matters, and I cannot tell you here. We must leave." I shoot up immediately.

"Where's my mom and my daddy?" I ask, having a sinking feeling in my gut.

"Shh! They're fine. I need to tell you something serious, but we need to leave. Put on your coat and shoes quickly. It's a cold night." I hop out of bed quickly to scramble for my shoes and coat.

I'm extremely anxious. I mean…what's going on for Kat to randomly come into my room in the middle of my night to try and get me to leave with her in a rush? That's not normal. But I know she won't tell me until later, so despite the fact I want to burst with questions, I decide to hold off until later.

"Where did you get this, Sweetie?" I hear Kat whisper as I slip into my shoes.

Hmmm?

Oh, she sees the note I'd had in my hand when I was sleeping.

"I was cleaning my room today and found it under my bed. I kept it in my hand when I fell asleep so I'd remember to bring it up to my mom in the morning. I didn't know until now that the great Nabooru knew me when I was only one." Kat sighs as I slip on my coat.

"That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. Come Sweetie, and put your hood over your head and your bandana around your nose and mouth." I stare in confusion. "I'll explain in a minute." She says.

I do as she says and put my hood and bandana on just as she leads me away briskly.

So now she's disguising me.

Who is she trying to hide me from?

Trying to put two and two together-like how earlier Mom told me Nabooru wanted to kidnap me-and now how when I talked about Nabooru to Kat, she said "That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about" makes me wonder if she's hiding me from this Nabooru?

"So Kat, who are you trying to hide me from?" I finally ask, unable to keep quiet anymore.

Things are getting weird, and they're really starting to creep me out.

"You're a very clever girl." Kat sighs. "Just like your mother. She would have been so proud of you, too."

"Wait a minute, what do you mean by 'she would have been proud'?" I ask, getting a weird feeling.

We make it out of the fortress and cross the bridge.

"Nali, no…Nalissa, I want to tell you something. You might be very upset at first, but you must promise me that you'll take it like a mature young Gerudo. Can you promise me that?"

"Yeah. What is it?" I ask immediately, unable to continue not knowing.

"I used to be best friends with Nabooru. She was probably the most skilled fighter among the whole fortress. At sixteen, she was a Green, and she fought Kali for the position of an Elite. Kali barely won, but the Elites were so impressed with Nabooru that they moved her up to a Blue. Well, with a strange event, she met your father, and he was so interested in her, he gave her a highly dangerous task that no other woman would do…not even his Elites."

"Cowards." I mumble. Kat smirks and continues.

"Nabooru completed the task, moved up to an Elite, and became your father's second-in-command."

"At sixteen…" I breathe in admiration.

"Yes. Well she and your dad became involved in a relationship, and soon they got married. At eighteen she gave birth to a baby girl, and Ganondorf was the father."

"I have a big sister I don't know of?" I ask confusedly.

"Not exactly."

"The baby didn't die, did she?" I ask again.

"Clever ideas, but allow me to finish. Anyway, Nabooru really didn't like Kali much. Kali was always jealous of the attention the king gave to Nabooru and not her."

"But he had to have given her attention at some point, though, because they're together now." Kat nods.

"Yes, clever girl. Exactly. He began liking Kali while he was still with poor Nabooru. So Nabooru and Kali got in a huge fight over him. They both almost killed each other. They each got gravely injured. Your father wasn't happy with Nabooru, and he took Kali's side. He said he was going to dump Nabooru off in the middle of the desert and he was going to marry Kali and have Kali raise his daughter and pretend to be her mother."

"That's mean. I can't believe Daddy would…" My voice trails off and my eyes widen in realization. "Kat, did Nabooru have light skin?"

"Well, she wasn't exactly what you'd call 'light skinned', but she was noticeably lighter than the majority of us."

"So wait, this baby…what was her name?" by now we're at the moat surrounding Hyrule Castle Town.

"Nalissa, the baby was you." I stare in shock.

Me…the daughter of the exalted Nabooru? Am I dreaming?

"You're not related to Kali at all. Nabooru is your real mother, and she loved you very much. Your father dumped her in the desert and then brainwashed her. Now she operates from the Spirit Temple. Ganondorf rarely lets her come to the hideout for fear that she might snap out of her brainwashing. I know you love your dad, and that's all natural. But he is not a nice man to anyone who opposes him. He hurts and kills a lot of people."

"I know." I whisper. "I know he's not a nice man because I've seen him punish people. He made me watch him kill a Hylian boy when I was seven. He tried to make me do it, but I refused. So he made me watch him do it. I was crying and when he saw me crying, he told me to calm down and get used to it because I would be following in his footsteps one day." I start shaking as I piece together all the horrible things I've witnessed my dad do. "He and Mom…I mean Kali, got in a fight the other day, and I watched from my room. He was hitting her a lot. He does it all the time. I try not to say anything because I don't want to anger him. I don't want him to hit me again like last time…" I start to cry, and Kat puts her hand on my shoulder. "I just want him to be proud of me…without having to kill anybody. I always feel like he doesn't like me, and when he tells me I did a good job on my tests and fighting practices, it makes me feel really happy. But he keeps telling me he'll truly be proud of me if I kill someone, but I don't want to kill…it's not right. And he'll never be proud of me if I can't do that, but I don't care. I don't want to kill. I don't…I don't want to be like him." I don't mention the time I've already killed…that was self-defense, plus even thinking about it still gives me nightmares. Kat nods her head in understanding. "And he brings different women home a lot. Kali doesn't know, and he thinks I don't know either. But I see lots of women coming in. He kisses them and holds them and tells each of them that she's his favorite. Then they go in the bedroom. I may be only eight, but I know and also don't like to think about what they do in there." Tears pour down my face, feeling somewhat relieved I can finally get this off of my chest to somebody…I've never told a soul about any of this before. "Kat." I whisper.

"Yes Sweetie?"

"Why are you telling me all of this now? About Nabooru and my dad and all of this?"

"Well your dad brainwashed not only Nabooru but every Gerudo who opposed him, including me, seven years ago. I just escaped my brainwashed state today. I helped as many Gerudos as I could out of theirs as well. I made a promise to Nabooru – your mother – to bust you out of Gerudo's Fortress. For one, I don't trust the king because he's become way too dangerous and now that you told me all of this, I'm positive he's just using you to become a merciless killer, and two, I think he knows I'm not brainwashed anymore, so I wanted to do this soon before I get brainwashed again."

I nod in understanding.

So that must be why Kat appeared different today. And also why she was researching brainwashing.

We hold hands and cross the broken drawbridge. Me, well I can't stop thinking about how horrible of a person my dad has been. I think it's safe to say I need to just let go of the idea he'll ever be truly good.

Looking up, I notice that not only is every house here abandoned and destroyed, but there are also these odd zombie-like creatures everywhere. They're moaning and apparently have taken notice of us. We scream immediately upon notice.

"Let's leave!" Kat shouts, running. I try to follow until this shrill scream sends chills down my spine. All of the sudden I'm frozen in place…literally. I can't move a muscle at all! A zombie creature jumps on my back and starts trying to strangle me. Finally I can move again, but I can't get this creepy thing off of me!

"Help, Kat!" I manage to croak. Kat slices the creature across the back with her scimitar, causing it to moan in pain and fall off of me.

"Run!" Kat shouts. I need no further convincing.

"What were those things?" I shriek as we bound over the moat.

"ReDeads." She answers.

"They're scary! One screeched at me and suddenly I couldn't move!"

"That's a defense mechanism of theirs. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little bit shaken up." Kat looks off in the distance, as if thinking about something.

"I'm going to drop you off at that ranch, then I'm going to try to go to the Spirit Temple and free Nabooru of her brainwashing. If I achieve that I'll send her to the ranch and you two can be reunited." She tells me. I look down at my feet, knowing all too well who was behind the sinister events at the marketplace.

"Daddy caused that, didn't he?" I whisper.

"What?"

"The ReDeads and all those destroyed houses. He did that, didn't he?" Kat sighs.

"Yes, he is responsible."

"How many families has he hurt and killed?" I murmur.

"I couldn't tell you. Now come on, we'd better hurry before Ganondorf realizes you're missing."

"I don't want to follow in his footsteps." I whisper.

"You won't have to. Just stay in the ranch for a little while. Nabooru will find you and you will be reunited." We break into a run for the ranch.

XXX

Kat briefly explains the situation to the rancher's daughter Malon-a friendly red-haired girl.

"So would it be too much trouble to take her in for the night?" Kat asks. Malon shakes her head.

"Of course not! You do what you need to do, and I guarantee you we'll take great care of this little girl." Malon says, putting her arms around me. I give her a light-hearted smile, still depressed about my dad.

"Thank you so much." Kat breathes, getting down on one knee to look me in the eyes. "Listen Nali, no matter what happens, STAY HERE." She says firmly. "Don't leave, definitely DON'T come back to the fortress. Stay put. I will come back for you, hopefully with your mom. I love you."

"I love you too Kat!" I whisper, fighting back tears. Kat hugs me tightly, pulls away, and stands up.

"See you in a bit." She whispers, waving as she takes off.

I want to follow after her, but I promised her I would stay here. I have a bad feeling about her returning to the fortress.

What if Kali and Ganondorf found out I've been missing? What if she gets caught?

"Come on Sweetheart, come inside where it's nice and warm." Malon tells me, leading me inside the house.

I can't shake this foreboding feeling.

Kat, please come back safe. You're like a second mom to me…

A/N: So we're finishing up!

Remember to state in either a review or PM if you want to see that one-shot I mentioned earlier. Or if you don't want to see it, either way! I just need to hear some feedback from the opinions that matter most!

~Green Eyed Gerudo