Another day, another story. This one has been on my mind since I collected all of the Dragon's Tears in TOTK and I liked the idea of combing elements from that game into a redone ending of Ganon's awakening in BOTW. This will probably span six to eight chapters in total then an epilogue to wrap up the story up. For now please enjoy the first chapter.

-Malik Syv

CHAPTER 1: Cycle

Zelda, accompanied by Link, descended Mount Lanayru. Her champions stood by its stone gateway. The princess' head hung low as she met the four of them.

"Well? Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?" Daruk asked worriedly. Zelda shook her head.

"I… I did not feel any power." The four champions took in Zelda's words.

"Are you sure? Are you sure you felt nothing?" Revali spoke lightly, careful of the Princess' feelings.

"I'm sorry." Zelda responded.

"Then we'll move on. You can't stand around feeling sorry for yourself because it won't solve anything. Mount Lanayru was not your last shot by any means." Urbosa spoke as she looked up to Lanaryu's peak. Revali and Daruk agreed with a slight nod. "Anything could spark your power to seal Ganon. We just have to keep looking for that… thing."

"That's kind of you… thank you." Zelda's voice sounded drained of all hope. Mipha carefully stepped toward the princess, keeping her hands close to her chest.

"If I may… I thought you… Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words… I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it. But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind… It helps when I think about- when I think about a person I love or hold dear. It pushes me to ensure my healing is as effective as possible. Almost like if I were healing them. So, I think it may be best that when you are praying next… you think of someone dear. Someone who would need that power. Someone you would move the very earth itself for. Excuse me, that may have seemed quite…intense." Mipha quietly stepped back. Zelda looked at Mipha and managed to smile, even giggle a slight bit.

"Hm, I'm sorry I don't mean to be disrespectful towards your sentiment, it is just I think I'm still too young to have someone I'd want to move the world for just yet. However, I do understand what you mean. If I had to think of someone like that. It would not be one person. The world relies on my power to seal Ganon. So I'd move the world for the people all across Hyrule. No matter who they were… also I… I would like to think of all of you. You've dedicated yourselves to a cause I choose to bring you into. I'm sure my heart would break if I lost any one of you." Zelda looked around at the five champions around her then stepped forward to feel the sunset. "I thank you all. For you and all the people across Hyrule. I will move this world and awaken my power." The five champions felt Zelda sentiment and could not help but smile.

"Alright! I'm pumped up and you've got twice my support Princess!" Daruk exclaimed.

"My faith is yours Princess." Mipha said.

"When you speak like that how can I not believe that you'll pull through?" Revali spoke with an air of reluctance but his smile contradicted that. Urbosa walked up to Zelda's side, placing a hand on her shoulder with a smile on her face.

"Aren't you going to say something to inspire your Princess?" Urbosa's question drew all eyes to Link. He stepped forward and looked at Zelda.

"Your failures do not define you. I know that you will awaken your power when the time is right. I know that you will save Hyrule. My blade is yours for as long as you need it." Link declared with certain eyes. His confidence flowed into everyone present, making them feel even more powerful than ever before, especially Zelda.

"Yes, I believe so as well!" Zelda smiled as she spoke those words. The sun began to run low and the day would soon come to an end.

"I guess we should retire for the night. We'll reconvene tomorrow at dawn." Urbosa said. The group descended the mountain and reached its base. They took a few carriages back to Hyrule Castle which took long enough for the full moon to comfortably take its place in the sky. They soon arrived at Purah's lab and the scientist fired up four transportation pads for them. Link and Zelda said their goodbyes to the champions then made their way to the castle. Link accompanied Zelda to her room but she stopped at the door, turning to him.

"Link." Zelda gently called his attention. "I know that everyone has faith in me and I am true to my word, but I fear that I cannot stop Ganon when the time is right as you said. I fear my power will not awaken until it is far too late. What is the right time? It seems like wishful thinking to believe in such a thing. There must be something… something that will draw this power out of me in order to-"

"You never know… you're not supposed to."

"You never know when it's supposed to happen or what is supposed to work. It just happens and it always happens at the right time." Link drew his sword.

"King Rhoam sent many Hylian knights to try to claim the Master Sword. All of them failed and when everyone began to believe the sword's chosen wielder was not amongst the Hylians, I drew it. Since then I've been fated to defeat Ganon like the legend talked about." Link saw his reflection in the blade.

"We will meet our fates like the legend foretold. You will awaken your power and solidify Ganon's defeat. Although, it's not just the legend, your heart and determination are what truly make me believe everything will be fine. We will succeed. I know it because you still fight." Zelda stood stunned by her knight. She felt an intense comfort in the words he spoke. She stepped closer to Link, before she could utter a single word the Master Sword shined brightly. Link grabbed the Princess and jumped back as a dark pillar of Malice destroyed the bridge they stood on. The two looked around to see a flood of Malice erupt from the Earth beside the castle. Link sheathed his sword and took the Princess into his left arm. He ran to a ladder behind him that led down to a hallway where multiple panicked voices could be heard. Link and Zelda got to the floor to see what caused all of the commotion. Several Mobolins and Bokoblins of different colors fought against the Hylian knights. However, these monsters were covered in patches of Malice and with each attack of the knights' weapons they began to become stained by it as well.

"Link, you must help them!" Link narrowed his eyes and revealed the Master Sword once again. He turned to Zelda and grabbed her hand. He moved as fast he could, only slicing down the monsters in front of him. Zelda looked back in horror as the knights of her kingdom fought a losing battle.

"Link what are you doing!? They will die without aid!" Link gave the princess no response. He just kept running forward. His priority was her safety, although it pained him to leave those knights behind, he had no choice. The two made it down a stairwell into the castle's main chamber. They arrived to witness a horrific sight. King Rhoam's personal guard laid lifeless across the chamber. Splotches of black stained their armor and weaponry. Small globs of Malice covered the floor, leading to the disgusting centerpiece of this picture of carnage. King Rhoam sat in the grasp of a gigantic black hand. His body showed no signs of life.

"Father!" At the cry of the princess, Link moved at top speed and sliced through the hand, freeing Rhoam. Zelda rushed to her father, bringing his head up slightly.

"Father! Can you hear me please-speak to me!" Zelda's panicked cries filled the room but had no effect. She felt her father's chest, there was no movement or feeling of a heartbeat. The king had perished, his daughter came to that truth after a few moments. Her voice cracked in between her short, muffled, anguished cries. She could not mourn much longer as that sorrow became anger and hatred towards the Calamity. An anguished cry ran from Zelda's mouth echoing into the castle's very walls. Link wrapped his arms around her and leapt away from the Malice that sprouted from the ground. It swallowed the bodies of the royal guard and Rhoam in one gulp. The pile of sludge reformed into a hand and attacked Link. He stood at the ready but before he could attack the arm was set ablaze and cut down by a Sheikah.

"Are you two alright!? Where is King Rhoam!?" Impa's question was met by a saddened, hopeless gaze from Zelda and Link's slightly distraught expression. The woman let out a solemn sigh.

"I see… Link the King told me to retrieve this for you before he…" Impa trailed off while handing the Hylian shield to Link. He took it and returned his attention to the place the hand had been slain. It melted and began to combine together.

"Impa. Take the Princess away from here. I need you to protect her." Link ordered.

"Impa you will not take me anywhere! Do not be a fool, Link! I will not stand idly by while my kingdom is taken over by the Calamity, my sealing power is necessary to stop Ganondorf!" Link turned to Zelda with a stern look. His eyes were determined and unwavering as if he were scolding a child. Impa looked over at the black sludge building into a humanoid form, she could feel the air growing thicker. Without a word she followed Link's request. She swiftly knocked out the princess and ran for the exit.

Link ensured their escape, slicing multiple sprawling arms of Malice that chased the two. The Master Sword glowed brightly, Link could feel the blade growing stronger each passing second. It seemed to be yearning to fulfill its purpose. It wanted to destroy the darkness rotting the world around it, it hungered to end the Calamity. However, any movement toward the bundle of darkness at the center of the main chamber would be completely useless because something that had no proper shape did not have a discernible weak point to strike. Furthermore, its strength seemed to be condensing to truly identify itself. A humanoid body began to rise from the bubbling black and red accented chunks which coated its shape. Link dug his foot into the ground, dashing forward and swinging his blade down unto the figure who blocked his strike with a blade of its own. The hero tried to press his attack further but backed away as Malice began to ooze from the figure's body. He stood back as the figure began to stand. Its body grew, taking on different shapes through time. From the height and size of an angered boar to an averagely sized man in armor. The air was contaminated by a dark red mist, crawling out of the castle, walking down its exterior and sprinting across its land to conquer further territory. The figure straightened its posture and tilted its head toward the sky. A contaminated jewel appeared from his forehead.

It was cracked then shattered open to reveal a marvelous black glow that began to consume all nearby Malice. In one breath the darkness vanished from the surrounding area. The jewel maintained its original shape as the man looked upon himself. He was dressed in seemingly ancient green wear that covered his entire body except for his right pectoral, arm and two feet which touched the ground beneath them. In his right hand, the blade originally composed of Malice formed into a slender sheathed blade. Its black handle connected to a golden yellow guard. The man's skin was a dark grayish green color, his hair a slightly muted red with a ponytail going down his back and beard covering his chin. He spread his arms to embrace the moonlight. It tickles his skin, tempers his expectations and coats him in satisfaction. After a few moments he looked at his blade, examining it carefully.

"It's been ages since I've wielded this blade." The man's voice was deep and sounded like stepped on gravel. His amber eyes landed on Link after a few seconds of inspecting the blade. "The bearer of Courage. I'm glad you have come to me instead of me coming to you." Link stood at the ready, the Hylian Shield at his front. The man raised his hand to try and ease Link to no avail.

"You have no need to be so tense. I had only protected myself before so we could speak. You, myself and the Princess have been in this situation multiple times before. The hero wielding "the sword that seals the darkness" and the Princess with the "power of sealing". The two work to rid the world of darkness. To rid the world of Ganondorf." Link's mind screamed for him to attack but something inside of his soul cried louder. It cried for him to listen to the man in front of him. Ganondorf lowered his hand and sheathed his blade then sat down on the floor, offering Link to do the same. Once again the soul of the hero forced him to take his seat without fuss much to his own confusion.

"Allow me to show you everything." Ganondorf tapped the jewel upon his head. The two were engulfed in a dome on black. Link looked around to start seeing visions of distant pasts. Multiple heroes, princesses, and Ganons appeared all around the two. It took Link a few moments to take it all in only for one question to form.

"What is this?"

"These are our past lives. We've fought many times both you and I. Many you have won, some I have won. An eerie mask passed down from ancient times? A bow from a princess who fought Beasts of Twilight? Even the rock salt I'm sure Hyrule still consumes. Materials from different timelines long since past. Timelines which join into this timeline. This stone on my head holds the power of the first Queen who held dominion over time itself. It has shown me everything. Moreover, it has shown me that my enemy is not the first King Rauru nor you or the princess, it is the Golden Goddesses who created the world. They are the ones who condemned my first incarnation to be a fated evil. I've studied this history for quite some time so now I understand the full picture. I will conquer this world using the power of the Triforce and turn its godly power against its creators. The depths of my Malice have festered for over thousands of years and multiple timelines. Now only the Triforce can bring it forth into its final realized form." Ganondorf withdrew the dome back into his jewel. He stood to his feet then extended his right hand.

"Do you understand your destiny hero?" Link felt his left hand burn as if dipped in magma. He dropped his sword and clutched the affected hand tightly. The Triforce began to burn itself in the back of his hand, showing through his glove. At the same moment Zelda awoke with a similar searing pain in her left hand. Impa lowered Zelda to the ground, trying to see what ailed her so much. She bore witness to the Triforce forming on the back of Zelda's hand. The Princess glowed a golden light as she began to calm her pained breathing.

"Princess… your power!" Zelda looked at her hand then pushed herself to stand. In front of her stood a Hyrule torn apart by Malice. She felt a new reservoir of power coursing through her body.

"Link must first weaken Ganondorf before I can seal him. For the time we must aid the Champions." Zelda told Impa. "Where is Purah stationed?"

"Princess Zelda with all due respect we do not know how well your sealing power works! If it works at all-"

"I know it will work. I can feel his Malice snuffing out life all across Hyrule!" Zelda closed her eyes to focus. She heard the cries of thousands of suffering souls and decided where to go. "We must hurry to Zora's Domain quickly! Take me to Purah immediately!" Zelda's demand was met by Impa's slight hesitation. A hesitation long enough for a nearby flying guardian to take aim at the pair. With a glow of its eye, the guardian fired its beam. The beam moved as fast as light but stopped in an instant. A golden hue coated to the beam of energy for a short moment.

"Recall." Zelda uttered those words and the world lost all color as a yellow aura spread from the laser. The beam returned to its origin point as quick as it came. The guardian crashed to the ground with its bottom half missing and its wires exposed. Impa looked at the princess, her eyes were full of wonder.

"Take me to Purah immediately, Impa."

"Yes, your highness. Please get on my back, it will be much faster this way." Zelda did as she was told and the two took off. At this same moment Link stood to his feet. He too had lost the burning sensation in his hand along with a new found strength coursing through him. Ganondorf smiled at the small Hylian.

"Do you see now who the true enemy is? The Goddesses have made us this way! They have made us enemies!" The Gerudo's words did little to move the Hylian's determined expression. The hero simply stood gripping his blade and shield.

"None of that matters. Hyrule is being destroyed, King Rhoam is dead. My friends are risking their lives for their homes that are being destroyed. The Princess feels she's a failure. My father and so many others are putting their lives on the line and my mother… my mother is sitting at home praying her son and husband come home alive." Link's hands began to tremble. "All of this is because of you. I don't care about what you want. I'll destroy you." Link stood strong on his declaration that forced Ganondorf to look at him pitifully.

"I suppose it was worth an attempt." Ganondorf snapped his fingers, freezing Link in place with gold chains coming from his body. The hero was frozen in time, at the mercy of darkness' perfect vessel.

"I'll finish this quickly. I can only imagine how reluctant the Princess will be, especially after hearing of your end." Ganondorf walked forward, his sword drawn; he lifted his blade above his head but stopped as he noticed something. Link's body began to shake for a moment then the next his sword sliced through Ganondorf's right cheek. The Gerudo jumped back with his anger on full display.

"Impossible! How did you break free?!" Ganondorf took a moment to gather himself before he looked at Link's left hand and pieced it together.

"The courage to brave time itself. That cursed hero… no matter. You fall the same." Ganondorf raised his left hand into the air. Soon multiple pillars of Malice erupted from beneath his feet, lifting chunks of Hyrule castle's floor. Link planted his feet to remain balanced on the platform he was raised on. He looked above himself to see several platforms of varying size above him. Naturally, Ganondorf stood the highest in front of the full moon which casted his shadow upon Link. He opened his left hand directly in front of him this time. At the gentle glow of his jewel, a Gleeok, several Lynels and some smaller monsters took their place on the platforms they were summoned upon.

"Kill him but leave his left hand intact." The monsters followed their master's order, readying themselves to attack. The Lynels and Bokoblins drew back their bows. They all fired at the same time. Link studied the raining arrows as they fell swift as lightning; he watched closely for which single arrow head would pierce him first.

He saw it. The arrowhead that drew too close, too easily, too perfectly. Time moved slow for Link but he moved as if it flowed normally. His blessing, divine speed, an ability which triggered only when he reacted to an attack at the last possible moment. An ability he could not access normally but triggered almost instinctively to ensure his survival in combat. Its effect lasted for a handful of seconds yet this would be enough for him to launch the perfect assault. Link ran out of the way of the arrows, jumped to the nearest pillar, stabbed the Master Sword into it then propelled himself up to the platform where his speed slowed down once more. Link, wielding his sword, swiftly dispatched the Bokobolins. He took their arrows and a bow to clash against the arrows nearby Lynels fired at him. He waited for another arrow to use his blessing once more then he moved as fast he could, taking down three of the five Lynels summoned in three movements. Link took a Lynel bow then fired three arrows to stun the Gleeok's heads. Afterwards, he ascended to kill the final two Lynels using the final one's back as launch pad to get to the Gleeok.

He landed and focused his strength into the Master Sword. In one determined yell, a beam of light came from the blade decapitating the winged Hydra in one attack. Link made his way to the top platform, staring down the man in front of him. Ganondorf stared back at him. The wind of this dark night blew ever so gently.