Tales of a lost era.
Chapter 1: A time to wait.
Long ago, in the desert, far west from Hyrule, a young boy was traveling with his vabas along several gerudo caravans. Their journey was a testament to resilience, resourcefulness, and a deep connection with the rhythm of the desert. His people were used to a nomadic lifestyle, and he didn't know any other way of life.
He was pretty big for his age, with brown skin, long, red hair and golden eyes. He was a very nice boy, easy-going, and happy. The boy didn't know he was destined to be king. He didn't cared much since he was 6. Duty could wait, all he wanted was to play with the others vehvis, his best friend, Nabooru, and the sand seals.
Throughout his childhood, he had been told about the band nearly everybody had around their wrist. A destiny jewel crafted by the goddess to help you discover your one true love.
His vaba, Koume, told him about the legend. A living stone statue, imprisoned in a golden cage, was claimed to have fallen in love with a dying spirit. The old soul, who loved it back, attempted to reach it and touch its icy skin at least once before its own demise.
The wall between them was broken by Hylia, who was moved by the despair of the dwindling shade. They exchanged a single embrace and a desperate kiss before the statue witnessed its lover vanish forever between its arms.
The spirit's golden bracelet was all that was left.
For the first time, the statue shed a single, bloody tear. An impossible tear, from a being incapable of crying. The goddess of light, witnessing to such deep, indescribable grief, took pity, and granted it a single wish. She couldn't bring the spirit back, so while the statue contemplated its lover's golden bracelet, it wished for the invention of the jewels of destiny so that couples could meet and avoid experiencing the same tragic fate as them.
Since then, those bracelets have been a blessing to the world.
It appears at birth, and its color tells you what you need to know. Koume then explained his bronze colored bracelet. It means that his soulmate does not exist yet. She showed him her black wristband and smiled sadly.
- Black means mine is no longer...
The young boy nodded, not fully understanding what she meant, and so she continued.
- The day your fated lover will be born, your bracelet will become a silver one. From that moment on, my little voe, you'll want to find them. Once you touch them, even once, the jewel will become golden, sometimes it will change form to match your partner's, and a phantom chain will appear between you two. You'll see, my dearest boy, everything will be just right. If you have a bracelet, you're made to love and be loved. That is the will of Hylia, our goddess.
-What about Nabooru, though? Why doesn't she have a wristband?
The old woman let out a laugh.
-That's because she won't desire a relationship when she gets older. We refer to them as the Arrow-maidens, like your vaba Kotake. She might never want love, but she will become a mighty warrior.
He didn't fully understand, but he looked at his wrist. The jewel was simple, yet beautiful. A ring around his tiny arm with some strange symbols on it. He was so eager to meet his future mate. He believed the golden goddess would choose the perfect lover for him.
Oh, how he yearned to be loved.
King's duties weren't easy to perform for the young man. He took up residence in Crossroad town, a city at the heart of the far west desert where only Arrow maidens and the King were allowed. Here, he had to learn a lot in a short period of time after being installed on the throne at the age of fifteen.
He was eighteen when he went back to traveling with his caravan and was constructing Gerudo city near a brand-new kingdom.
He was a sweet boy turning into a bitter man. Even as he entered manhood, his bracelet was still bronze.
What was the goddess thinking? Why was his mate not born yet? Was he expected to marry a child? He wasn't the only one who shuddered at the idea. His old vabas were dumbfounded by what was happening. The age gap was already considerable at eighteen years, but his soulmate hadn't even been born. It might be more...
Some of Crossroad town's women, and even some from Gerudo town began referring to him as "Ganondorf the Loveless King." He felt less and less at home among his own people. Even the faces he knew and loved no longer seemed so familiar in his eyes. He couldn't figure out what he'd done wrong. But he persisted in his belief. Hylia was a great goddess, she must have a plan.
Oh, how he yearned to be loved so desperately.
The secret stone of the Zonaï was all he needed to become stronger. He wanted justice for his people, and he craved revenge.
He wished to fight that foreign king, menacing his people. Rauru was pushing and pushing to control one of his tribe with his dangerous powers. It was a barely concealed threat over Gerudo town. He wouldn't let his people fall under this stranger.
After his certain triumph over Rauru, he intended to challenge the goddess and make her suffer as much as he did. He was forty now, and his wristband was still bronze. She had mocked him for too long, letting him crave for a love that never came.
He didn't do anything wrong, he was a decent king, a hero of his people. He deserved the mate he was promised.
At first, he wanted to steal Zelda's stone. She was new here and looked like the goddess Hylia but something in him told him that her powers were too dangerous for him to fight. He chose another, darker path.
And now he had the hylian queen's blood on his hands, her stone on his forehead and the hand of her husband stopping his heart and promising him death at the hands of a knight.
Link was his name, he tasted it on his tongue. It felt strange, but it didn't scare him. He was a great warrior, he could wait a few millennia for a good fight.
It doesn't matter anymore.
He was the Loveless King after all.
He had stopped yearning many years ago.
He woke up without any muscles and without skin, but he was still so powerful. He felt great, like waking up after a very long nap. He turned his head and saw Zelda with a young man holding a shiny sword.
He felt something drawing him towards the boy, and considered that it was only his thirst for combat. He unleashed his gloom powers and shattered the sword with ease. His gloom gnawed at his skin, and destroyed the boy's arm.
That was it? The hero he was supposed to fight was so weak. What was Rauru thinking?
It was a very disappointing fight... If a fight at all. He was so disappointed, he was waiting for so long for that? The boy was as brittle as glass and couldn't handle his first and weakest attack.
What a waste of time. He decided he didn't need to pay them any attention anymore.
He sighed in disappointment, unleashed his power again, raised the castle into the air and let himself dive into the darkest abyss.
He needed more power to defy the golden goddess.
He hadn't even noticed a silver sparkle from his wrist.
The boy wasn't weak after all. He stood defiantly before the king with his friends. While the sages faced his phantoms, the gerudo fought against the hero.
He was faster than him, but Ganondorf was stronger. The blades collided hard against each other and Link gave back every blow he received. The hero charged forward, swift and agile, showcasing his impeccable swordsmanship.
That was the fight the gerudo wanted from the start. For the first time, Ganondorf took him seriously. His brute force and dark magic were very powerful, allowing him to deliver blows capable of shattering stones and bones.
The very ground trembled under the force of their clashes. None of the sages dared to interfere.
Link became faster, finding cracks in his enemy's defense, but Ganondorf parried Link's strikes effortlessly, his red hair flowing as he countered with powerful, calculated blows.
It was so satisfying. He couldn't wait to take the boy's life with his own hands.
When he parried his next attack, the gerudo dropped his sword suddenly and punched him hard.
Stunned by his foe, the hero fell to the ground because of the violent blow. Link coughed up some blood and wiped his mouth with his arm before his eyes widened. He let go of his sword and suddenly curled up, head between his legs.
The king laughed before he took back his sword. It was a great fight, the boy was the best swordsman he ever met but he was no match for the demon king.
He raised his sword and spoke in his deep voice.
-Any last words, Link?
-Why... why you?
Ganondorf tilted his head, not sure if he'd heard right. The young man lifted a distressed gaze at the king. He gasped while showing him the golden bracelet on his wrist. The king stepped back and glanced at the thin golden chain leaving the boy and coming toward him. He swallowed and looked at his own arm in disbelief. The moment he saw gold, he returned to his original Gerudo shape.
- Oh for Din's sake...
He finally found his soulmate. He just couldn't believe it. His sword dropped to the ground and, for the first time, he didn't know what to do. He glanced at the golden jewel for a long time, still unable to believe what just happened. By reflex, Riju clapped once and mumbled.
-A... Asana Randa ?
The stunned golden gaze turned to the little Gerudo. He couldn't help but whisper.
- ... Sarqso... I suppose...
He then looked at the Hero as if seeing him for the first time. His emotions mixed up inside him, and he didn't know what to say. Link spoked with an annoyed voice, his head between his legs.
-Why did you have to be the one! Fuck! It's not fair!
He stared at the young man for a moment. He should just kill him and take his revenge on Hylia... But something clicked into him, like a piece he was missing and he knew he couldn't. How could he raise his sword against his better half? Inside of him, he felt the fire born from his anger extinguishing.
He knelt, his breathing was sharp as if he was in pain. His voice rose, deep and serious.
-I've waited so long for a chance to meet my mate. I've waited years, to no avail. You weren't even supposed to be born during my lifespan... What a cruel joke.
What was he supposed to do now? He wanted to fight the goddess but by doing so, he found his soulmate... Did she knew? Did she wanted him to be Link's foe to meet him? Nothing made sense anymore. He stopped spreading his gloom, and the phantoms disappeared. He raised his hands and lowered his head bitterly.
-I give up. I don't want to kill you.
These were words the sages had never expected to hear from the king of evil. It was supposed to be a fight to the death. They expected to be wounded or killed when they confronted the lord of darkness. Seeing this man on his knees, like a wounded animal, surrendering, it felt like they're hallucinating.
Link didn't move as the sages came for him and chained the gerudo king.
He was soon imprisoned in the castle jail.