"Can you feel its power?"
Dora and Ganondorf stood on the moist sand at the water's edge of the Hylian Sea. Perhaps rain, earthquakes, or man made changes were the cause, but the once quaint lake spanned farther than the eye could see.
Water always fascinated Dora. It was on rare occasions that she had the pleasure of wading in the lake to clean loads of laundry for her Gerudo sisters, and even less often that she snuck off to take a swim. She squatted near the water's edge, just out of reach of the waves lapping against the shore, and drew a thin line in the dense, wet sand. While the desert was filled with dry sand that could feel as sharp as glass, this was soft, made from sediment washed up by the waves. This sand was rich and smelled fresh. It reminded her of another splendor she rarely had the opportunity to enjoy, the forest after a heavy rain. Nothing made her feel more alive.
Ganondorf's voice permeated her thoughts, and she returned to the present. Dora stood tall again and closed her eyes. He talked about the power of the Triforce. This power of the three goddesses did not call one's name, did not sing out to you in the welcoming voice of a maiden, and it did not call to everyone. Only those with selfish greed felt the irresistible urge to heed its promise to grant your deepest desires. Except, the royal family, maybe the sages, had buried the portal to the Sacred Realm at the bottom of the sea in an attempt to deter anyone with a dark heart from trying to claim the Triforce. It also prevented them from accidentally falling victim to Ganondorf's dark power that still corrupted the Sacred Realm.
Dora closed her eyes to escape into her mind and discovered the world around with her other senses. She smelled the salty sea water, felt the cool mist in the wind, heard the sound of birds singing in the distance as they searched the water for food. All of this was insignificant, so she blocked it out, until she found what she searched for. "The Triforce has never called to me as it has to my fellow Gerudo, or others with weak minds. However, I can feel the faintest bit of your power seeping out through the seal of the Sacred Realm. This is the only call that I answer," Dora explained, and opened her eyes at last to face him.
Ganondorf smirked arrogantly, his yellow eyes full of pride. "You have never been enticed by its power, or ability to grant you anything you desire. You truly are intriguing to desire me alone, one who craves power, yet ignore the desire for power itself."
His queen smiled warmly at him. "Power is not my desire, but to fulfill yours, and satisfy your lust in every way, is my only reason for living."
He remained silent. Her honest words made the solid stone barrier surrounding his heart split down the center. This deep dedication she carried for him made him remember the last time he experienced a sane thought, when he battled the hero in the Dark World, and was slain. Leading up to that point he had endured panic, worry, and feared for her life as she fought for him. His last thought, as she battled to defend the Triforce, was that he would never see her again. He knew he was revived years later as a mere monster, and saw her then, but never once recalled how deeply he felt for her, or even why. Once more human, those emotions resurfaced. Before he continued with his task of entering the Sacred Realm to claim the Triforce, he turned to her, and she jumped into his arms when he opened them. He embraced her and pressed his face against her neck. She squeezed him with all her might. "The Triforce, and then Hyrule, will be indisputably mine. We will rule the world as king and queen forever, as you desire," he declared. His reward was a rare, and beautiful, content smile that lit Dora's face. Once he had power, and the world, that smile was all he would ever need to care about.
"Then what are we waiting for?" She laughed to avoid her tears of happiness, and turned her enchanting eyes to the sea again.
Ganondorf released her to stand on the ground again, and she took a few steps back to give him room for whatever she imagined he was about to do.
He concentrated his eyes on the lake, and focused only on the power trickling unnoticed from the Sacred Realm. Overhead, the white puffy clouds began to darken and spin in the same direction as the hands on a clock. The gentle breeze increased to strong winds that blew the clouds even faster. Lightning streaked from the sky to the ground and danced between the clouds sporadically. In seconds, a severe thunderstorm developed over the entire sea. The waves, moved by the fierce winds, began to crash against each other, and became violent enough to overturn the boats of people fishing on the sea.
Wind lifted the water from the surface of the sea and focused it into a vortex that spiraled into the sky. Dora watched in awe as the water that once reached her feet began to retreat. Several cyclones swirled over the sea's surface until the seabed was bare. A lightning bolt cracked across the sky and rain poured from the overfilled clouds. The fierce winds continued on strong, and blew the terrible storm toward the forest.
The temple stood at the center of the sea. Its tallest spire once touched the surface of the water. Three other towers projected from the top of the building to all different heights. Over the steps to the entrance was a roof, and on the front was a carving of the Hylian Crest. The King and Queen of Evil, with fingers interlocked, approached the stone doors calmly to claim their prize.
The tall room was practically unchanged. The same statues of the goddesses Din, Nayru, Farore, and Hylia covered the entire wall on the left. On their right was a new monument depicting the hero who had slain Ganon in a forgotten time. The statues, tables, seats, stone scriptures and decrees, and portraits of the old kings and queens of Hyrule were not immune to the damages caused by time. The pressure of the water crumbled stone, algae and grime coated the statues and seats, and seaweed and shelled creatures stuck to the walls and portraits.
Ganondorf marched toward the sealed doors that imprisoned the Triforce. "If five hundred years have passed, it is possible the Sacred Realm has purged the majority of my corruption."
"Will that make it more difficult to enter?" Dora asked, worried.
"Yes, but not impossible," he said with a confident grin.
Dora waited while Ganondorf approached the doors at the top of a short staircase. He rested his hands on the door and concentrated. She watched with extreme anticipation, until the clopping of boot heels on stone distracted her. Her hand instantly snatched the hilt of her sword. His footsteps echoed in her head as he drew closer. The click of his sword exiting its sheath made her muscles tense in preparation to retaliate. She focused on the air moving toward her with him, the increase in his speed from a run to a sprint. He grunted just before releasing his sword through the air, which was the exact time Dora spun around with her sword drawn and deflected the Master Sword. She stepped back instinctively at seeing the blue hilt.
Link was shocked that Dora managed to block at the last second, and made him stumble. He caught the glimpse of fear in her eyes when she noticed the Master Sword. He never imagined how his enemies would react to the blade of evil's bane. She appeared to be familiar with the sword's power.
Ganondorf heard the clang of metal behind him, and turned to peer over his shoulder. "Distract him while I break into the Sacred Realm," he ordered. He felt panicked suddenly, as if he needed to rush. What if he did not complete his task in time, and Dora became overwhelmed by the Master Sword's power?
Dora was not afraid. She was determined to either kill Link, or at least make it impossible for him to continue interfering with her husband's plan. "I won't fail you, my king!" she yelled back to him, and then lunged at Link.
He battled the Queen of Evil defensively because she attacked so fiercely. It was obvious a fire burned in her soul to defend this despicable man, but Link found it impossible to fathom why she would be so loyal. He played defense for a time, constantly blocking or dodging her sword that moved so swiftly it disappeared. He caught on to her fluid style quickly, and found opportunities to take an offensive stance.
Dora realized that such ferocious attacks over a period of time would quickly wear her down, and she made little progress. She made use of the entire open floor, gracefully backing over benches, working him into a corner without him realizing the situation. She thrust the tip of her sword where his head should have been, but only made contact with stone because he dodged at the last second. He kicked her in the stomach to force her back so he could stand.
With an arm held over her abdomen, she growled, "Just give up, kid. You don't come close to the experience of your ancestors. You barely escaped that on good fortune," she mocked.
"I won't. I won't listen to you. I must persevere, or else the loss of my family, of Zelda, will all be for nothing," he responded, surprisingly calm, but out of breath.
"You have no stamina. You are weak. Go home and cry, little boy. You don't deserve to wield a blade as legendary as the Master Sword," she yelled, and brought her sword crashing down from above.
Link was back on the defensive. Even his shield did not seem to hinder Dora's energetic spirit. Had she always been so wild, so untamed, he wondered, and could that be the key to their relationship? He wanted to ignore such thoughts, but he was plagued by these questions ever since Zelda asked him to make that strange promise. Perhaps, if he could understand it, maybe it would be easier to accept.
What was worse, was the door to the Sacred Realm was already cracked.
Ganondorf laughed. Dora was successful so far in toying with the hero, which boosted his confidence. He felt foolish for worrying. The seal on the door began to weaken, and finally the stone shifted. "Do not fear the Master Sword, Dora. A blade is only as mighty as the one who wields it."
Link realized he was so focused on his battle that he forgot his purpose for being there. Dora kept him so occupied with her fierce fight and demoralizing words that he forgot to fight the real threat. However, he recognized if he did not dispatch her quickly enough, or wait for the Triforce to be accessible, he might face a fight he would surely lose. There was a delicate balance he needed to maintain. Once the seal was broken, and the door open, he needed to strike and take the Triforce. If Dora's devotion was mutual, Link had to hope Ganondorf would be concerned if she was wounded.