Thanks to DarkKeybladePhantomofTime for their review. And from a bit of inspiration from Youtuber, LaGuardia Cross and his daughter, there will be a bit of a "New Father Chronicles" reference, for lightheartedness in this rather dreary chapter.
Update 1-5-2017: I've been updating and revising chapters one through seven of this fic and will make a total revamp of all the others. I really didn't like the direction the fic was going and it didn't feel like it flowed well. That and I put poor Link through way too much mentally...So, without further ado, here's the revised chapter seven that still focuses on Ganondorf and co.
Update 2-22-2023: Another update and more of Ganondorf's story and added events that'll connect him with the rest of the characters will be in updated chapters. Also, certain character names have been changed to reflect more of the sequel. And the sequel's chapters will also be updated very soon as well.
-miano53
"My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing... Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose."
"So, was that the reason for your family's ascension to the throne?"
"If that's what makes you comfortable, then yes."
-an interview with Ganondorf Dragmire II, the first Hyrulian Emperor
Chapter Seven: A Great Loss
"Why did you choose to stay, Aveil?" Ganondorf asked.
After declaring himself emperor, the Gerudo was surprised that he would have women that agreed to become suitors. A few weeks passed and his decision on a wife and mate was made. Out of the many women who agreed, mainly out of fear that he would hurt their families if they refused, the Demon King chose a woman that was found wandering the Gerudo Desert. He was a bit shocked to learn that she was a full-blooded Gerudo, due to the Hyrule Kingdom having what he considered "half-breeds", like the bar owner named Telma in the southern part of the city.
"To be honest, I was attracted to the fame, fortune, and power," Aveil told him.
Ganondorf was attracted to the malice he felt in the woman's heart. Her malice and hatred for many things could be useful in the future, he thought. And there was her beauty that was enhanced by her garnet-hued hair, piercing hazel eyes, and near chocolate-colored skin, which also attracted him.
"Hmm...You know that if you follow me, you won't be returning to the path of light. You will be a target for assassins, would-be Heroes, and the resistance. If we have offspring, they will target them as well, all just to get to me. Are you sure that you want this? All for power, fortune, and fame?" Ganondorf told her, testing her resolve.
Aveil nodded, saying, "I have nothing else to go back to. Not after what those would-be knights did to my family..."
"So, this is all for revenge then," Ganondorf said, smiling.
"Yes. I don't care what happens to me...as long as I can get vengeance on those Hylians..." Aveil told him.
Sixteen years ago, Hylia City, North Palace, kitchen...
"Okay, why do you refuse to sleep through the night," a younger Emperor Ganondorf VIII asked his toddler daughter.
The girl, named Din, after the goddess of power, stared at him and grinned. She began dancing in her wooden hi-chair and the man asked again, "Please, tell me why you don't like sleeping through the night. Why must you keep your mother, me, and the entire palace awake?"
Through his use of Spirit magic and the many grunts and giggles of the girl, Ganondorf sensed she was saying, "Why would I stop using my greatest weapon, Da? My crying and screaming control you and Ma. Would it be a form of bullying? I don't think so. It's a form of power! POWAH, I SAY!"
Ganondorf was disturbed and he muttered, "You didn't get that from me."
Din laughed and slammed her hands onto the tray in front of her. She, through babbles, declared that she wanted food. She kept slamming her hands onto the tray and the man sighed.
"Seriously, my wife gave birth to a dictator..." he mumbled.
He remembered when the toddler was introduced to snow. The family went into the palace's central courtyard as it was the safest place to take their only child. After placing Din on the ground, she grunted and was very excited to see it, toddling off into the snowy area. The only thing that Ganondorf could translate her grunts was, "a whole bunch of cold, white stuff". He had to stop the introductions as Din found a patch of yellow snow and he knew that it would be a bad idea to leave her to her own devices.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Din began grunting and growling, trying to speak.
Ganondorf looked at her and sensed she was trying to say, "I wanted to have all the 'white, cold stuff'! It was gonna be my 'kingdom of white'! I loved the texture! Why did you two wait so long to show me the 'white stuff'? When I get older, I won't share none of the 'white stuff' with you!"
"'Heika', why is the princess thinking that?"
The Gerudo nearly jumped as the Sheikah, Impa, appeared. She had the same disturbed expression on her face and Ganondorf told her, "She didn't get it from me."
"Are you sure?" Impa asked.
"Very. Just because I'm named after that crazed man doesn't mean that I'm the same as him," the man said, becoming sensitive as topics such as his daughter's odd behavior usually strayed to his ancestor, the first Hyrulian Emperor.
The first emperor was nicknamed the "Demon King" by many who held hatred for the empire due to his ruthless tactics in quelling rebellion and the overall evil aura he was said to have produced. Since he was unfortunately named after him, there were those who thought that he may have been the "Demon King" reborn. He didn't want to be compared to his crazed ancestor and vowed to do all that he could to restore the Dragmire family name back to good standing.
"I'm sorry, 'Heika'. I didn't mean..." Impa told him.
"It's alright. I shouldn't have...I'm just...used to people thinking that I am the same as my ancestors. I'm not evil, am I?" Ganondorf said.
"Well, you haven't exhibited any evil-like traits. In fact, you've been quite benevolent since inheriting the throne two years ago," Impa told him.
The man found a bit of solace in her words but knew that the solace wasn't going to last. Before he could wallow in melancholy, Din tossed her boot at him. He dodged and wondered how she took it off.
"Well, I can say for certain that the girl is very smart," Impa said to him.
Wondering why the Sheikah woman was there, Ganondorf asked her, "So, is that all you're here for?"
"No. I was here to tell you that the knights from the Nodor clan are here," Impa said.
The man grinned as he was very happy that his old friends had taken up his invitation. He grabbed Din, taking out of her chair, and told Impa, "Have them meet me in my guest room."
"Yes sir," Impa said, disappearing into the shadows.
Din stared at her father as if to say, "Who're they?"
"Ah, Lydia and Sigmund Nodor. They're old friends of mine from the last war. They fought alongside me during our final battles with the Labrynnans. Needless to say, they're old war buddies," Ganondorf said.
Din could only babble, "Huh?"
"You'll understand when you're older," her father said.
"Huh?" baby Din asked.
"You heard me," Ganondorf told her.
"Wha...?" the baby babbled, grinning.
Ganondorf grumbled and said, "Quiet you."
Year 1015, 7th month of Nabooru of the 6th Era of Water, North Palace, graveyard...
"Heika? Heika? Ganondorf-sama."
His Imperial Majesty, Ganondorf Dragmire VIII, kept his stare at two graves. One was of his deceased first wife, Lady Jamilah. The other was of his firstborn, Princess Din. As he stood motionless, the head of his bodyguards, Impa Kaji, appeared from the shadows. She turned to the two graves and said, "I still remember that day. I failed that day as a guardian..."
"It's not your fault. I don't think anyone would've known what was going to happen," Ganondorf told her.
"Yes, but I should've known that my mentor was planning that. I was raised by Yosuke-sama...Then he betrayed us...I should've caught it...Then Jamilah-hime..." Impa said.
The man shook his head and said, "We couldn't prevent what the traitor did. But...I believe there's a way to bring them back."
"What?" Impa asked.
Ganondorf turned to her and asked, "You know of the Triforce, yes?"
Impa nodded and replied with, "Everyone in my tribe knows about the fabled relic."
"Yes. Well, from what I remember from the legends, the trinity of Golden Relics, when brought together, can grant any wish. The first of the relics is the Triforce of Power. It used to run in my family until my grandfather did something with it and it's been lost for years."
"The second is the Triforce of Wisdom. The rulers of the previous dynasty had it and all contact with them has been lost. I wonder if they've been wiped out..."
"The last of the relics is the Triforce of Courage. It's said that the reincarnations of the 'Kingslayer' always carried it within him..." Ganondorf said.
Impa frowned and said, "I know all about the relics. How to find them, I do not know."
"Well, I want them found. We find the relics and just simply ask for the revival of the empress and my only child," Ganondorf said.
Impa nodded and told her ward, "I'll begin research into what happened with the Triforce of Power. I do not want to believe the rumors, but..."
"But what?" the man asked her.
"But I heard that your grandfather, not wanting to share the power of the relic, had it buried with him...in Death Valley," Impa replied.
Ganondorf remembered hearing tales of the burial place of his long-lived grandfather, Gandall IV. It was in the southern expanse of Gerudo Desert, near the border to Holodrum and its desert of Samasa. The valley, originally called the "Valley of Kings", turned into a very dangerous place after the former ruler was buried nearly 120 years ago.
Lava pits appeared in the chasm that served as the burial place for Gerudo rulers and powerful monsters began roaming the area. Even the grand palace that the 124-year-old was buried in turned into a nest of evil and no one dared enter the place. Well, people have tried before, but Ganondorf remembered that the group of Twili was never heard from again.
"Hmm...I wonder if it would be possible to enter the valley..." he muttered.
"Did you say something, Heika?" Impa asked him.
"It's nothing. Gather a small group of your Sheikah and investigate any possible means of entering the valley. Also, we need to find where the other two Triforces are. I want the group to be small as I do not want Lady Nadala to find out," Ganondorf said.
Impa looked confused and asked him, "You really don't want your sister to...?"
"No. If she does, she'll spew out her 'voodoo' and 'evil curses' rant to me. I would rather not risk that," Ganondorf said.
"Alright, I'll do as you ask, Heika," Impa said, disappearing into the shadows.
Ten years ago, North Palace, Hylia City...
"Your Majesty! Stay inside!" a guard captain yelled.
Ganondorf, in his private dining room, stood up and asked, "What is going on?"
He heard an explosion and his guards begged that he would stay in the room.
"What IS GOING ON?" the man yelled.
One of the soldiers bowed and said, "We are very sorry. Lord Yosuke's staging an insurrection. Lady Impa has taken the empress and princess to the safe zones in the palace. So please, stay in here."
Ganondorf was shocked that one of his most loyal retainers, Yosuke Sasanuma, would turn traitor. He knew how powerful the Sheikah was, as many had mentioned that the man was supposedly a sage. Remembering that and knowing that the troops guarding his wife and child would be in danger, Ganondorf grabbed his twin scimitars and headed for the door.
"Your Majesty! What are you doing?" one soldier asked.
"I will not let a traitor run wild through my palace. Step aside," Ganondorf told him.
The group of ten looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
"I said move," the emperor bellowed.
"We really can't...!" another said just as another explosion ripped through the place.
The door to the dining hall had been blown off and engulfed in purple flames. Ganondorf was sent flying into the table, breaking it in two. Dazed, the Gerudo looked up and saw the snow-white-haired Sheikah, Yosuke.
He was armed with a long, thin knife called a kodachi and he had madness in his eyes. Ganondorf, weakened and injured from the blast, started backing away as best as he could. The Gerudo, through panicked glances, saw that all of his guards had been wiped out from the explosion. He figured that help wouldn't come and started contemplating his life's direction. Or lack thereof.
The seemingly crazed Sheikah grabbed the emperor's neck and easily lifted him off the ground, despite the man being quite heavy from his great muscle mass. Lord Yosuke then told his former master, "I will not allow the Dark King to return! Never again!"
'What is he talking about?' the Gerudo emperor thought.
"Goodbye," Yosuke said, swinging his knife hand towards the emperor's jugular.
Ganondorf immediately accepted death and closed his eyes to the inevitable, not seeing any way out of the situation. Just before the knife could make contact, the man heard an odd grunt. He opened his hazel eyes, and saw Yosuke's lifeless ones and the Sheikah dropped him. Ganondorf stopped himself from gasping as he saw a sword black as night protruding from the traitor's chest.
"Heh-heh-heh...Gotcha, traitor."
Yosuke's head dropped and the man's lifeless body was tossed aside like a rag doll. Ganondorf's eyes widened as his savior was nothing but a child. The silver-haired boy turned to the man and said, "That was fun. I didn't think it would be this easy."
"What?" the Gerudo asked, disturbed by the child's rather happy demeanor.
"Ghirahim! Wait! Oh...you killed him already..." another child, this one a girl with azure hair, said as she barreled into the room.
The children wore clothing that would indicate their being Twili orphans. He had heard that Impa had found children recently that were trying to break into the palace. She had pity on them and refused to execute them for trespassing, allowing them to stay in the palace with the other orphans. The azure-haired one rushed to the emperor's side and asked, "Are you okay?"
"He's on the floor bloody, Fiona. I'm sure he's not," the boy, Ghirahim, said.
Fiona handed him a potion and the man drank the red contents. After downing it, another young child, this time a Sheikah, rushed in and said, "Heika! Please hurry!"
"What...?" Ganondorf tried to say.
The next thing he knew, the children helped him up and halfway dragged him to the other side of the palace. As they ran, he could see those among the casualties in the ruined halls, many of them being a part of the Hylian Knights. A few of them were Sheikah and some were children. The sight was disturbing and Ganondorf wondered what provoked Yosuke to turn traitor.
The Sheikah girl stopped in front of the damaged doors of Lady Jamilah's residence. Ganondorf trembled as he slowly entered the fire-damaged chambers...