An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/UNTIL I FINISH IT
Fandom: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply (Yet, lmao)
Relationships: I Will Not Spoil Anything.
Characters: Dark Cacao Cookie (Cookie Run), Caramel Arrow Cookie (Cookie Run), Dark Choco Cookie (Cookie Run)
Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Sad and Sweet, Bittersweet, Sleepy Cuddles, Morning Cuddles, Protection Squad, Cute, Childhood Sweethearts, Dorkiness, Protective Dark Cacao Cookie, Adopted Children, Extended Families, Dark Cacao Needs A Hug, Dark Choco is Cuddly
Summary:
Dark Cacao Cookie's resilience has waned in the face of all of the hardships, and in the face of missing having a hand to hold, having someone to call his own. As his walls begin to crumble and the facade of the good, strong King of the Black Citadel fades, it reveals a deeply hurt Cookie, but most of all...
A lonely, grieving, father, one too quiet and too used to having his emotions stifled to beg for someone to love and be loved by.
Until one Cookie who stood by decides to stop standing idly by.
Until one Cookie decides to try and patch the void left by the monarch's estranged family.
She blows open and promptly reveals a good Cookie, full of love for those around him, but far too busy, and far too tired to express a single iota of that love.
She finds a way to give him strength, to give him time...
And so the walls fall down, and with it, the king who never wanted to be atop them.
This has been a labour of love in the making since 2019. Created for charity, this is my story around Ganondorf for the Ganzine. Now the Zine has been released for digital for a while now, I am releasing the story here in full. Hopefully you can read the hard cover soon if you ordered it! May do chapter by chapter at a later date if you find that easier. Despite being a couple years old I am still very proud of this story. I hope all of you enjoy this story as much as I did creating it.
30596 Words. The King of Evil believes that the world is his for the taking. But when a true evil rises up to confront his belief and surpass his power, Ganondrof must face the threat or die with the rest of the world.
Chapter 1: Change in the Wind
Lightning snapped against the blackened sky, illuminating the landscape in bursts of flashes. Fire crackled and spat wildly, shuddering with each step the mighty figure took. A roar thundered out, and clash of metal echoed far. Amidst this battlefield stood a man in green, battered and bloody. His courage was faltering. A princess stood not too far. Her wisdom unable to help her. And towering above the man, a monster with a red mane snarled down at him. His power burned and he felt victory beat like a drum. With one last swing, the beast threw his sword at the man in green. A sickening slice grated against the ground, the man falling to his hands and knees. A mighty roar filled the air, overtaking the scream of the princess. This day, Ganon, King of Gerudo, of Evil, and of Darkness, had won.
His hand glowed with the Triforce of Power as he reached down to the boy known as Link. He could feel the boy’s life drain as he pulled the light from him. It was like a toggle being brought down when Ganon took the Triforce of Courage from Link. The Hylian’s heart stopped as soon as the Triforce transferred to the mighty King. Ganon felt a surge of strength flow through him. It appeared as if fate favoured him this day, as a beam of light struck him from behind. It burned his flesh, but due to the mighty magic of the Triforce of Courage, Ganon persevered against the magical attack. Raising an open hand, the King of Darkness opened fire a beam of malice at his attacker, entrapping Princess Zelda in a wave of pain.
The Princess’ body bled from the attack, as the darkness attacked her physically and mentally. She fought with all her will, but it was too late. Her body succumbed, and she felt the Triforce of Wisdom leave her. The King of Evil merely had to will the last of his treasure to him in her weakened state. Clenching his fist, Ganon felt the last piece of the Triforce enter his being. Waves of energy rippled through his body, and the King of Darkness felt a state of nirvana. After all his sacrifices, he finally felt true, unlimited power.
Zelda screamed in fury, using every fiber in her being to stand. Both hers and Link’s efforts couldn’t end like this. She’d drain her own lifeforce if it meant killing Ganon. Channeling all her spirit, she unleashed all the holy magic of the gods she could.
To Ganon, her effort was useless. He countered with his blast of darkness. His own newly acquired power was overwhelming, a surprise to even him, and his attack devastated Zelda, overcoming her final assault and erasing her from the world.
All that remained was the broken body of the boy in green, the seared scar lines in the earth of where the princess had once stood and standing in the middle of the battle field was Ganon, Master of the World.
The sages looked onward, but knew they could do nothing. They would need to evacuate before Ganon sent his minions into the sacred realm. Nabooru looked to what was once the man known as Ganondorf. Even if he took human form again, and took the title of Ganondorf, she knew that the darkness that was in Ganondorf’s soul had forever changed him. Gathering with the others, she and the rest of the sages decided to formulate a plan of resistance in order to give the world sanctuary from Ganon’s evil. With Zelda gone, they had lost their leader and the power needed to seal Ganon away.
Looking around, the mighty Ganon felt the air change. The only bloodlust he felt came from within him, but it was slowly dying down.
In his mind, the man and the beast conversed. The Beast promised unlimited power, so long as it remained in control. It’s malice and terrifying might could bring the world to its knees faster, in the name of Ganon. The man, still in control, gave it a thought, yet ultimately, decided against it. He would be the face of the world, and not this beast.
Squeezing his fist, the dark beast used the power of the Triforce and his body glowed with a powerful light. The silhouette of his form shrunk and, out from the blinding light, Ganondorf emerged anew.
He was surprised to still have his scars from previous battles, despite acquiring his complete power. With a clenched fist, Ganondorf took a deep breath and, following an exhale, his body relaxed. The King of the Gerudo looked to where Zelda stood her final ground. “A shame Zelda. You could have been my queen for this world had you shared my vision. You were formidable, but not wise enough in your scheming to defeat me.”
The man turned to the body of Link and judged his formidable adversary. “And you… well boy, you did well. I can relinquish a little pride to admit that you almost had me. But in the end, you fell. You were nothing but a kid after all, playing with toys too much for you. It was inevitable that you would die at my hands. My struggles far surpassed yours after all. And you lacked the vision to ever kill me.”
Ganondorf glanced back and forth between Link and where Zelda once was. “You had strength, and the princess held vision. But I was the one to have both. I was the one to be perfectly balanced… No.” The King looked down at his hand, watching the glow of the Triforce with a twinkle of pride in his eyes. “I wasn’t before. My mind was clouded with power. Now that I hold the last two pieces, I know what I must do. This world will find peace and prosperity under my singular rule.”
Ganondorf walked by the ruins of his destroyed tower. Perhaps a palace could be constructed to replace it. “First, I bring a final order to Hyrule. Then, I will march onto the world. They might call me King of Evil, but I am the King they will deserve.”
The King of Darkness lifted his hand and commanded the Triforce to enhance his magical might. With this new power he could raise entire armies of monsters to follow his command. From the shadows, Ganondorf willed into creation artificial Moblins and undead Stalfos. In time, he’d train legions of Darknuts and Iron Knuckles as his vanguard. Monsters and dragons would spread fear to his enemies. However, for now, these simple monsters would do.
“All of you, get to work on raising my palace anew. A king such as I will need a throne.” For now, Ganondorf lifted a stone slab from the earth to sit down upon. As his minions immediately set out to collect and carve away stone slabs, Ganondorf thought about what he wanted and why he had set out to acquire his power in the first place.
His people, the Gerudo, toiled in the desert. They had to steal just to survive the heat of the land in the day, and the blistering cold of the night. So why did a land like Hyrule, full of ungrateful slobs, have such comfort? It maddened Ganondorf, filling him with greed and envy. His enemies called him the King of Thieves, but he justified his actions well enough. He needed power, the kind of power that would raise him and his people to prosperity. And as he began his quest, he came to the most logical conclusion. The world needed a singular will, a being who would be willing to make others sacrifice to bring everyone together. By becoming King, he could make a world united under his protection. As King, he’d bring peace and security to people like the Gerudo. If any resisted, then they’d be wiped away, making room for only those who would accept his utopia.
The Goron, the Zora, and the Great Deku Tree had resisted seven years ago, with them being blinded by their loyalty to the royal family. Had they simply given the spiritual stones to him, he’d have spared them. But instead they spat in the face of the Great Ganondorf. That was the last mistake they’d ever made. Feeding the Goron to a dragon had amused Ganondorf, similar to how he had fed crickets to the desert scorpions as a child. The Zora would remain frozen now that he had defeated the Princess and her little ‘hero’. As for the Kokiri, Ganondorf considered sending a horde of monsters to wipe them out. He carefully thought over the option, finally deciding the wiser course of action might be to give them one more chance as citizens of his new empire. The surviving Goron tribe, if they hadn’t grown a back bone, would become slaves. Every empire needs strong labour after all.
But his own people … Ganondorf winced just thinking about what to do with them. Nabooru, his second in command, was supposed to lead the Gerudo in his absence. Yet, she had stabbed him behind his back. He had caught her treachery over seven years ago, but her freedom at the hands of the hero had set her loose in the world and free to plot against him. How many of the other Gerudo could be wishing to see him fall? The king squeezed his hands on the cloth above his knees. Taking a deep breath, he shook his paranoia away. Even neglected, his people still adored him. Any negative feelings they’d have toward him would be erased once he moved them out of the desert. Nabooru was simply a virus, an isolated incident. A mistake of putting too much trust in one person, one that he’d never fall for again.
“I’m so tired…” Ganondorf gave a light chuckle. In the seven years looking for the Triforce, he had barely slept. Now, he felt like he could take a moment to breathe. Pulling himself slowly upright, Ganondorf decided his first course of action would be to raid the lost woods to secure wood for building supplies. He could at least build himself a new bed. For the time being, he’d settle his eyes on Kakariko Village. His minions would clear out the inhabitants so he could have a safe night’s sleep.
As Ganondorf slowly walked out of the ruins of his crumbled tower, he took note of the environment around him. The winds of Hyrule that he coveted were still. Why did the wind not blow in his direction this day, on the finality of his victory? Was fate not satisfied with him just yet?
~
The Sacred Grove was devastated. A group of Hylians made their last stand in defending the Kokiri and evacuating the defenseless. From all sides, monsters and spirits of evil intent swept through the undergrowth, overtaking all who fought against the enemies of the Great Ganondorf. They killed everyone from soldiers to civilians who came to aid the evacuation and bring comfort to the forest children.
One of those who escaped the carnage was a single Imp. The Skull Kid, the last of the Skull Children, rose from a pile of shrubbery. His head was aching like nothing he felt before. His feet shook as he tried to pick himself up. Why did everything hurt? How had he gotten here? What had happened to him? How could he -
Slowly, Skull Kid started to recall the events of the previous two weeks. He remembered finding Link’s body floating down a moat towards Zora river; the fairy boy who showed him kindness when only one other would. The Hylian kid had even given him a new face to wear in the form of that cool skull mask. When Ganondorf first appeared and declared himself as King of Hyrule, no more fairies came from the Great Deku Tree. Skull Kid hadn’t seen any fairies nor Link for seven years. Link said he was going to put a stop to Ganondorf, that he was going to make up for the loss of those seven years. But now Link was dead.
With Link gone, Skull Kid remembered Saria telling him to keep an eye out for monsters. He didn’t want to, as a happy looking man was giving out masks to the Kokiri. It looked like fun and he wanted to join in. It was then that Skull Kid had been suddenly attacked by a Poe, which smashed its lantern against his head. If it wasn’t for the mask he wore taking the brunt of the force, his head would have cracked open instead. The Skull Kid heard the sounds of screaming in the distance before he lost his vision.
Skull Kid didn’t know what to do. His head wouldn’t stop hurting, and every time he reached with his hand to touch it, he felt a stickiness on his forehead. Why did his head feel wet and sticky? The imp stumbled past the hacked-up pieces of other Skull Children when he stopped in his tracks. Among the bodies was the still image of a girl with green hair. “S-saria? Saria, are you-!”
She only had one wound, a small red circle that stained her green sweater. A single spear thrust was what fate had dealt her for her ending on this earth. Her eyes were like a glass doll’s, looking longingly into the distance. Immediate guilt hit Skull Kid. He couldn’t protect the last good thing in this world that mattered to him. His friends were dead.
“Oh……… I guess you’re gone now.” Skull Kid reached out to feel her face. Cold. Someone as kind as her shouldn’t be so cold. His body started to shake as he felt emotion leak from his shattered heart. What was the point of living in a world like this? Ganondorf was going to take everything for himself. Make a world of cruelty. The world had shown him cruelty before Ganondorf had come along, so Skull Kid assumed it was only fitting.
A gust of wind from the north caught Skull Kid’s fragile attention, feeling the cool air hurt his open head wound. He needed a new ‘face’ now that the one Link had given him was gone. Stumbling away from Saria, he came across another body. The Happy Man who was giving away masks to the children laid dead on the forest floor. He had his giant backpack still on him, with masks thrown about everywhere around him. One of Skull Kid’s eyes grew dark as the liquid from his forehead dripped down over it.
Skull Kid wanted the perfect face. He wanted to put all his worries behind him. Going through the bag, he felt a pull towards something. Discarding the faces useless to him one after the other, the Skull Kid eventually found the perfect mask. Wiping away tears from his eyes to see, he looked into the eyes of a heart shaped mask. This was it. This was what he wanted. What’s more, he felt he needed it.
He carefully turned it around, and placed it on his head. The mask was a perfect fit. As soon as he put it on, Skull Kid giggled to himself. This giggle turned into a laugh. His mind was clear, and he knew exactly what he wanted. This cruel world took the things that mattered to him, and it wanted to give a monster like Ganondorf everything in return. Such a world didn’t deserve to exist, and Ganondorf deserved the suffering tenfold that Skull Kid had faced. The Mask’s eyes gave an eerie glow, and with the last of Skull Kid’s laughter, it vowed to give the King of Evil a new taste of terror.
Chapter 2: Demon King in the Court of the Mad Jester
Ganondorf growled, squeezing the head of a Hylian merchant. This peasant had seen the traitors he sought. “Tell your King where they are.”
“G-go, ACK- to h-hell.”
Ganondorf growled and, with a simple toss, threw the man to the ground. “The sages, and all those who follow them, are traitors to the kingdom of Hyrule.”
“You’re a monster! May the holy goddesses strike you dead!”
Ganondorf smirked, a little chuckle escaping him. “Now that’s peculiar. The Gods you say? Fool, who do you think sided with MY destiny!”
The Triforce glowed brightly and, using his power, Ganondorf blasted the man with waves of darkness. A terrible curse overtook him, as boils burst on his body.
“I am your King. I alone defeated the menaces Link and Zelda. All of my citizens should be grateful. I’ve allowed you to live and prosper independently while I focused on finding those two. But times are changing. My rule as King will expand and, as I do, you will all bow in my presence! Now tell me what I want to know!”
The man screamed from his torture, and a confession escaped his lips. “Snowpeak! Snowpeak Mountain!”
“Good. Was that so hard?”
Ganondorf looked towards the rest of the merchants he had captured. They should be celebrating his might. What would it take to have them bow willingly? Didn’t they see he brought order?
After giving the command for them to be imprisoned and processed, he got on his horse, galloping away. Now that he was able to lead his army without any further distractions, Ganondorf would finally be able to end this rebellion that dared stand against him.
~
The inside of Death Mountain was as hot as ever as Gorons worried about monsters rising up. They sealed off the Fire Temple, but knew that any monsters could find alternative ways out, besides the main entrance. With Ganondorf victorious over their brother, Link, he’d be free to resurrect his minions over and over.
Two Gorons were getting ready to evacuate when they heard something odd. One of them looked up to see a figure dropping rocks into the lava centre of Death Mountain. They were black glowing rocks, and every time one hit the lava, it made it pop violently.
“Hey! What are you doing?!”
The little figure looked over to them, and a small laugh echoed in the mountain. “These tiny charged pebbles won’t do. I need a bigger rock. One of you two will do the trick.”
The Gorons didn’t understand. Suddenly, one of them yelled out in pain. Keeling over in a ball, the Goron sizzled and steamed, his body growing larger and larger. The second Goron ran away in terror as his companion fell into the lava. The mountain started to churn into an active volcano, and events were set in motion that would bring doom. The figure giggled some more as he ran away. He had a party he needed to crash.
~
The beat of war drums echoed up the slopes of the snowy mountain. Moblins beat their shields with their clubs and spears. Any that were paralyzed by the cold were pushed forward to continue walking. The area had winding paths with the room for lines of ten to walk side by side. As a back up line to this army of monsters, were half a dozen Iron Knuckle warriors, selected specifically by Ganondorf himself. Traveling up Snowpeak Mountain was a bitter experience for them. The cold of the desert was completely different from the snowy mountain. Their armoured joints would freeze together if they didn’t keep moving. When a Moblin tripped in front of one of the armoured warriors, the Iron Knuckle merely swatted him to the left, sending the pathetic creature falling down the mountain to freeze in a hole.
Ganondorf rode on a war horse, slowly trotting through the snow. He barely felt the cold, his attention entirely focused on his destination. The traitorous sages that remained had decided to hold out in a mansion deep within the mountains. To make matters more complicated, the Goron tribe decided they wouldn’t simply surrender as they did before. Darunia and the rest of his people were inspired by the actions of Zelda’s hero. The Gerudo King gripped the harness of his mount, squeezing his fingers into his palm. Even in death that damned kid was causing him more grief. A false and deluded sense of hope was dangerous. It clouded the judgement of his subjects, turning them into renegades.
His army was growing tired, but Ganondorf knew that their adrenaline and strength would be the perfect match to combat the Gorons. As they rounded a corner on the mountain, Ganondorf heard a Moblin scream out. “My Lord! Incoming fire!”
The King cracked a smile as he saw a massive boulder send four Moblins off the mountain top. With a yell of dominance he drew his weapon, a Gerudo Battle sword, and charged forward from the front line. His army followed suit, charging towards the mountain. They would need to get away from the mountain’s ledges to combat the enemy. From above the stone mansion’s walls, Goron warriors continued to throw boulders down at the invaders, burying Moblins into the deep snow.
The beasts threw spears at the Gorons, bringing a few down. The Iron Knuckles’ armour kept them safe from most of the rocks thrown at them. From the mountain cliffs on their right, Goron rolled down, smashing into as many of Ganondorf’s forces as they could. The Iron Knuckles took hold of the Gorons, throwing those who rolled too closely towards their lord into the abyss down below, or into striking range of a Moblin’s spear. The vanguard reached the mansion’s doors and started to break them open. Ganondorf laughed as a Goron tried to punch him off his horse. With the Triforce of Power, each swing of his sword sent every fool that he hit flying into or off the mountain side.
Inside the mansion, Goron warriors and Sheikah, under the command of Impa, were getting to their stations. The Sheikah chief walked to the dining room, in a hurry, as she heard the main door shutter with every pounding from Ganondorf’s forces. Standing about was Nabooru, carefully overlooking the floor plans to the mansion. The ceiling rumbled and dust fell below. “Where’s Rauru?”
Nabooru coughed as the dust fell in front of her. “He’s gone to assist Darunia in the fight outside.”
“They’re almost through the front door. Once they get inside, it will be a close quarters bloodbath.”
“I know that Impa.”
“We aren’t going to last long.”
“I know that too…” Nabooru checked her scimitar for inspection. In hindsight, she hadn’t thought that her death would be so imminent. “If we do die, perhaps we can make Ganondorf bleed for it.”
Impa nodded as she walked to grab her own weapon for the final stand. “For Princess Zelda.”
“For Freedom and-”
Explosions were heard outside and at the main door. Darunia decided that there was no stopping the forces of Ganondorf from making their way inside, so perhaps he could make it easier for them by giving them the ‘key’. Unfortunately for the King of Evil, the only skeleton key available was 200 pounds of gunpowder in the form of a powder keg.
Ganondorf growled as splinters of wood grazed him. Feeling his cheek, he wiped away the cut of green blood. A good portion of his men were blown to pieces in the surprise attack. In the midst of the confusion, the King of the Gerudo looked up to spot an owl flying above. From his talons, Rauru dropped bombs onto the Moblin forces. They squealed in terrified union, completely losing morale as they were torn apart by the ambush. One of the Iron Knuckles even lost her footing, and the snow collapsed from under her feet as the bombs shifted the landscape. The snowy mountain’s earth was already unstable and windy. Once she was on her back, the slope of the mountain took her down and off the ledge to her death.
Raising his hand, Ganondorf was growing tired of this little game that the sages were putting him through. With dark magic flowing through him, he steadied his breath and took a shot at Rauru with a bolt of magic. The bolt crackled through the air and found its mark, striking its target and sending the light sage tumbling down onto the mansion roof. The king saw the bird’s left wing was damaged beyond repair, and feathers scattered, slowly floating downwards. With a smirk of triumph, Ganondorf raised his sword and pointed it forward. This display of force inspired his Moblins to find their morale once more. They would not falter when Ganondorf commanded such power and courage in the face of his enemies.
Darunia was combating the invaders with a smelting hammer, furious at the stench of evil advancing on him. “Come on you hooligans! Come get some, you pigs!”
An Iron Knuckle swung her axe at the Goron Chieftan’s head. Darunia held off his opponent's assault with his hammer and, swinging a fist, he clocked the armoured warrior in the head, sending her backwards. “You can’t beat THIS brother!”
Ganondorf slowly trotted through the devastated front door. Feeling cheeky, he chuckled at the disarray of his enemies.“Knock, knock.”
Raising his hand, he didn’t even bother to fight Darunia face to face. The Goron Chief took a blast of magic, sending him flying through a wall and out into the courtyard. Darunia had the wind knocked clean out of him. Trying to stand, he saw Ganondorf finally get off his horse. The King of Evil laughed in his face at his efforts. “Get up. I’m not done with you yet.”
“You killed my brothers. My sisters, Saria and Ruto! You killed my sworn brother Link!”
“I killed the boy, Darunia. And had you and the rest of the sages bowed to me after I did so, the forest sage and Princess Ruto would still be alive.”
Darunia got his breathing together, and rose to strike Ganondorf in the face with a right hook. Ganondorf pushed the strike to the side with the smack of a wrist, and with dark energies filling his other fist, struck the Goron Chief with a warlock punch. With a roar of dominance, Ganondorf slammed his fist into the Goron’s chest. Darunia’s eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head. Raising his foot up high, Ganondorf kicked the Goron in the chin. The strike lowered Darunia into killing range, as he fell to his knees. Ganondorf’s foot glowed with a red energy, ready to detonate a blast of fire as he brought his leg down to split the Goron’s skull in half.
From above, Impa intervened, striking Ganondorf with a deku nut, blinding him just enough so his strike merely hit left to Darunia, sending the Goron flying away, but alive for now. Two of his Iron Knuckles faced Impa as she tried to cut down the King of Evil with a Biggaron Sword. Nabooru finished slaying a dozen Moblins that were intent on finishing off the wounded Rauru. With the sage of light’s safety secured, she jumped down to assist Impa. “Ganondorf! Face me!”
The King of the Gerudo recovered his vision, and his new found sight on Nabooru gave him a sense of satisfaction and rage. “Nabooru. At last. I end your treachery here.”
An Iron Knuckle took a swing at Nabooru. After being in that suit of armour herself and brainwashed for seven years, she knew all its weaknesses. Kicking up snow, she filled the eye holes of the helmet, blinding her attacker. As the Iron Knuckle swung wildly, Nabooru took a thin dagger and jabbed it through the helmet's eye, puncturing the forehead of the occupant inside. “That’s the second to last Gerudo I’m killing today. I’m ending your final insane quest to rule the world here and now!”
“The only thing that’s insane here is your lack of vision, Nabooru. Why can’t you see that I’m what the world needs?” Ganondorf took his great sword, and his eyes contorted into murderous intent as he slammed the girth of his blade against Nabooru’s scimitar. “You deserve a traitor’s death!”
Impa fought against the horde of Moblins that stood between her and Ganondorf, wondering how they’d ever win. “Darunia. Get up! I need you here and now!”
Ganondorf reeled his left arm back and struck forward with a palm strike, blasting Nabooru with a wave of energy. She was an incredibly talented sword duelist, but Ganondorf was something far above her. His magical strength couldn’t be topped, even before he acquired the power of the gods. This was easier than his battle with the boy. “Don’t you understand Nabooru? You can’t beat my power. This is my reward for all the struggles that we both endured growing up in that wasteland we called home. My desire to end suffering like I endured is what brought me this power. The greed of the Hylians could never have controlled this might I wield.”
“You’re the one full of greed Ganondorf.”
“Fate is on my side Nabooru. I’ll bring peace to all people by bringing them under a singular utopia.”
“And you’ll just kill everyone who disagrees with you!?”
“If that is what it comes to, yes. Can’t you feel the winds in my favour?” Ganondorf lifted his hand one more time, dark energy formulating to blast Nabooru from her resting place and send her off to hell. “My will is unrivaled.”
“Wow, it doesn't seem like you’re being fair to everyone else.”
Ganondorf turned his direction to a new voice. Sitting on a roof was a child. What caught Ganondorf’s attention was the odd mask it wore. A purple shaped heart with spikes and piercing orange eyes. “What are you little Imp?”
“Hehehe, I’m Skull Kid. And I came looking for fun.”
“Fun?” Ganondorf wasn’t amused. He was here on the peak of ending all resistance in Hyrule, and a mere child was making his presence known in the middle of it all. “Such nonsense. Be gone.”
Ganondorf turned his fire from Nabooru to this kid, firing his bolt at him. To his, and everyone’s surprise, the Skull Kid caught the blast with his feet like a ball. He kicked it up and bounced it between his knees. “Wow, anyone else and that might have killed them.”
As Darunia got to his feet, Skull Kid glanced at the Goron standing up. With a spin, the Imp kicked the energy bolt towards the chieftain. A sizzle in the air, Darunia’s expression changed into pure shock as he felt his chest. The bolt found its bullseye and went straight through his heart. Impa and Nabooru felt their spirits being crushed with despair as the Goron slumped over lifelessly. With a giggle, Skull Kid looked back to Ganondorf. “You have a really strong attack there. Like I said, anyone but me might have been killed. Where’s the fun or challenge in that?”
Ganondorf’s attention was fully captured by the Imp now. This creature was floating in midair. “What are you, some sort of sorcerer?”
“I don’t like to repeat myself. I’m Skull Kid. And I came looking for fun. How about we play a game that will challenge you?”
Ganondorf’s Triforce glowed from his hand as he channeled his energies. “If you’re going to attack, how about I let you have the first hit. That way, a brat such as yourself can see how outclassed you truly are.”
Skull Kid floated down to Ganondorf, the King of Evil’s army clashing with the sage's forces to keep them from interfering. The Skull Kid shook his head, and waves of chaotic magic spun around Ganondorf. The king simply stood still, his ego and his word allowing Skull Kid to get one free blow in.
The King of the Gerudo believed that nothing could overcome the sacred power of the gods that he was destined to wield. What he didn’t know was that the Imp’s power was nothing like the goddesses of Hyrule. And he was a fool to let his guard down in a show of pride. Ganondorf felt a splintering headache, and his Triforce radiated light in response. “W-what magic is this?”
Darkness exploded around him like a tornado. In his mind, a dormant spirit of malice and hatred twisted around inside him. Ganondorf, in this mindscape, looked about like a lost child. As he turned, he saw his inner demon take on the shape of a beast. With a snarl, it clawed at Ganondorf’s arm, trying to steal him away. Ganondorf planted his feet and raised his arms up, resisting with every fibre of his being. The Gerudo’s arm was slit open by the claws of the beast, and Ganondorf tumbled back into the darkness. He felt as if he had lost a part of himself.
When he came to from the mindscape, Ganondorf found himself lying on the snowy floor of the courtyard. Looking up, Ganondorf could have sworn his reality was unreal. In the shadow of the beast, Ganondorf looked up at… himself. Snarling, with two swords, Ganon had been formed from shadow energy taken out of Ganondorf. On its hand was the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf looked to his own hand, and saw that his most trusted and comfortable piece of the Triforce was gone. “Impossible.”
Skull Kid landed on top of Ganon’s head, and giggled insidiously. Sheikah warriors that got too close to his waves of chaos were transformed into grisly redeads. “Let’s play tag. My beasts are it. Go get them boy!”
Ganon roared as Skull Kid jumped towards the mansion. Reeling back its arms, Ganon spun about, cleaving the surrounding Moblins, Gorons, and Sheikah that were still alive. One of the Iron Knuckles screamed in terror as the incarnation of malice took a step and crushed them underneath its hoof. Ganondorf scrambled to his feet, adrenaline taking over. He tried to get the beast’s attention by firing a bolt of magic at it. “You are a part of me! Return to me! I am your master!”
Ganon shook his head in annoyance at its snout being crisped by Ganondorf’s magic. It responded to this weak attempt of control by slashing Ganondorf away. The Gerudo took the attack without dying due to lifting his own blade in time to defend against the strike. The man was thrown through more of the mansion, landing in one of the halls.
Nabooru didn’t know what to do. She watched as Ganon tore apart all life around it. “Impa, Rauru, what in the holy spirits do we do?!”
Rauru, transforming back into his humanoid form, wheezed from his injuries. “We flee. This is a new evil. If we survive, we can look into it. But it will do us no good as protectors of this realm if we die here.”
“Alright, we can-” Nabooru stopped mid sentence as she saw the Skull Kid’s mask light up, firing a laser at Rauru. She pushed the sage to safety as two thin lasers fired through her lungs. The wounds burned from the inside, and she looked back to Impa. The light in her eyes went out as she fell over, slumping into the snow. The Skull Kid gave a light laugh.
“I was aiming for the annoying owl, but I suppose one more Gerudo doesn’t hurt. Still got my shot.”
Ganondorf’s fury grew as he got up. Could destiny be so cruel that he’d die at the hands of his alter-ego? Looking to the left, he took note of Nabooru’s body. He felt confused. She was dead? How could she be dead? She couldn’t die from anything that wasn’t by his hand. She was too good for that. Suddenly, the Skull Kid landed on a box next to him. “You’re quite the sturdy one. You know, it's hard for me to tell if you got any head wounds with all that red hair. And that mullet is just ugly. You should get a haircut.”
“Insolent child!” Ganondorf dashed towards Skull Kid, yelling with rage as he swung down on the box. Looking up, he saw the Imp standing on the wall. His fury only grew as the upstart moonwalked along the wall away from him. “Face me you brat!”
Skull Kid giggled and his eyes glowed, blasting Ganondorf with a flash of light. The King of Darkness wasn’t prepared for his unorthodox methods. Skull Kid flipped behind Ganondorf, landing on his back like a monkey. With another giggle, Skull Kid thrust his palm forward, gripping Ganondorf’s mullet and some skin behind it. With the power that Skull Kid held now, he simply had to give his hand a twist and pulled back. Ganondorf screamed in agony as the Imp scalped him, ripping the hair behind his head, a small portion of flesh with it.
He turned around to see Skull Kid dancing about and wearing his mullet like a wig. The blood of the Gerudo King was red now, as it dripped down the mask the Imp wore. With a moon walk around Ganondorf, Skull Kid gleefully mocked his pain. “Wow! I’ve never had hair before! This is rather fun! But why the long face on your part? I did you a favour!”
Ganondorf’s rage turned cold and focused, which fueled the Triforce of Wisdom within him. Using his magic, he teleported close to Skull Kid, giving him a kick across the head. The scalp fell off Skull Kid as the Imp crashed into another box.
“Owey. That really stung.”
“Not as much as the pain you put me through you little bast-”
Skull Kid cut him off with a whistle, and from above, his personal attack dog crashed through the ceiling. Ganon found itself between Skull Kid and Ganondorf. The beast’s eyes were like a predator, and it sniffed Ganondorf as it clenched its fist. The Gerudo saw the movement, but was too slow to stop it. All he could do was endure.
“Oh no.”
With a roar, it gave Ganondorf an uppercut with its fist, sending the Gerudo flying through the hole in the ceiling and up the mountain top.
Ganondorf screamed in pain as he flew through the air, until he finally landed in the snow. With a crash, he felt ice scrape up against his body. Getting up, he had a spat of blood and felt a deep laceration on his cheek. How was he supposed to win this battle? He was bleeding all over, his enemy was overwhelming and, in this environment, the cold would get to him with time. He tried to stand up, when an orange laser pierced his kneecap. Turning around, he looked at Skull Kid, floating just above the mountain top, with Hyrule behind in the distance. “You lose the game.”
“Cease this hostility! Give me back what is mine and I will grant you anything you desire.”
“Well, I’m already getting what I desire by winning this game. And I like taking things, especially from you.” Skull Kid leaned down a little closer, and his voice grew a tad more intense. “You lost, your royal highness. Soon, there will be nothing left for you.”
Leaning back up, Skull Kid looked to Death Mountain in the far distance. “Look Ganondorf. Look at what MY power can do.” With the snap of his fingers, Skull Kid and Ganondorf watched as Death Mountain erupted. From the eruption came a massive rock, flying into the air. It was as black as a meteorite, pulsing a crimson glow within its cracks. The rock flew right toward Ganondorf’s palace and, after a moment of silence upon reaching its target, detonated. A shockwave of tremendous, unnatural fire rippled through Hyrule, devastating the land as it uprooted earth.
Lon Lon Ranch was swept away first. Malon was tending poor Epona after Link’s death. Ingo and Talon were gathering milk bottles from the tower when the three of them saw the fire. They were the first casualties. The next marker of death was Kakariko village. Many Hylians didn’t see the wave of fire come, due to the village being hidden in the mountain side. The tune of the windmill man was silenced, and the family of the cursed house barely had time to revel in their freedom. The Zora, frozen underneath the ice, were freed from their prison, only to be executed in the same second by the intense heat of the fire. All the forest creatures of the Lost Woods, from the Deku that rested peacefully, to the fairies that fluttered about, were incinerated into charcoal. Death Mountain crumbled into itself in an avalanche of lava and stone, taking what was left of the Goron tribe with it. The shockwave reached towards the territory of the Gerudo Desert. All the Gerudo women, from warriors to children, screamed as they were terminated from existence. The fire consumed all, and rocks launched from the blast to pummel lands beyond Hyrule. The ancient land of the gods had met a terrible fate.
Skull Kid looked back to Ganondorf. The Gerudo felt insanity bleed off the Imp as Skull Kid was shadowed by the fire in the mainland. The mask's orange eyes stared deep into Ganondorf’s soul, and the Gerudo felt fear when it spoke. “Beautiful fireworks, don’t you think?”
Ganondorf turned to the growing destruction and couldn’t take his eyes off it. In a moment of clarity, his pride was blown away with Hyrule. All those people dead. What was the purpose in this scale of death? What choice were they given? For a moment, he didn’t care about ruling, for how could he? As King, he had failed to protect his land from this threat. He wanted this land that he coveted turned back to its former beauty. He saw the fire creep up the icy mountain, but faster than that, Ganon charged towards Ganondorf’s resting spot. Ganondorf was shocked as he saw it change form to scale the mountain. Dark magic molded Ganon to give it multiple appendages. While it still held the face of a boar with horns, Ganondorf recognized the form of a spider when he saw one. Its legs had armoured joints with hooked claws to scale easier.
Skull Kid gave a chuckle as he watched the beast move in for the kill, looking back and forth between it and Ganondorf. “I’d tell you to run, but there’s no point. Have fun accepting your death.”
As Skull Kid backflipped away from view, Ganon eclipsed the destruction of Hyrule from Ganondorf’s vision. Backing away, Ganondorf grasped his great sword from the red patch of snow. When Spider Ganon snapped its jaws to rip apart Ganondorf, the man slashed his blade across the beast’s face. It roared in pain and spun about, smacking Ganondorf further into the mountain range with its legs. Each appendage was like a massive club, delivering a bone shattering force.
Ganondorf tumbled through the snow, leaving patches of blood with every full roll and bounce he made. The Triforce and his willforce were keeping him alive for now, but how much time would fate allow him at the rate he was going? As he picked himself up, he ran through the snow storm that had started deep in the mountains. Snow blew through the valley, turning into a torrent quickly. The demonic spider chased him through the mountain peaks, roaring with fury and hungry to consume Ganondorf.
It tried to crush Ganondorf beneath the bulge of its body as it ran over the man, but the King wasn’t ready to fall at death’s knees quite yet. Rolling out of the crushing weight of the demon, the Gerudo threw his great sword at the back sac on the rear of the creature. The monstrous spider grunted at the attack, but Ganondorf wasn’t finished with his assault. Charging an energy ball above his head with both hands, he threw it at the sword lodged in the sac. The blade acted as a lightning rod and the magic raced through the body of Ganon. The energy exploding from various places inside the creature made a sickening popping sound that echoed even through the snow storm. One of its legs blew off from the energy as it thrashed about in pain.
With his inner beast distracted, the Gerudo continued to flee, when he heard energy charge from behind him. It sounded like the generation of fire similar to a King Dodongo. The Triforce of Wisdom wouldn’t stop piercing his mind with warnings. Following his instincts, he dodged to the left. A beam of dark plasma tore beside him at his right. The mountain rumbled and loose snow gave way. Using his magic to float, Ganondorf tumbled his way through the air as an avalanche took Ganon. The Spider tried to get out of the sliding snow, but its body was too weak and it found itself swept away.
Ganondorf collapsed nearby on a crevice, losing all the energy he had left to fly. Looking down, it was a deep, deep drop into an unforgiving darkness. He needed to get away from it. His lungs burned from the blood loss and icy winds, but he found the strength to crawl away from the crevice, eventually picking himself up to hobble closer to the mountain and its snow banks.
Before he could take a breath of fresh air, Ganondorf heard rumbling from under the snow beside him. Emerging from underneath were the jaws of the beast, its eyes wild and tormenting. Ganondorf’s inner demon rose up, growing taller and taller. He looked at this new transformation, difficult to see as the side of his face was drenched in snow, sticking to his patches of blood. Ganon now had the form of a leathery snake, its tongue flicking out towards its target. It had a long red mane running down its back, and its tail shook with a golden rattler.
The Snake hissed at Ganondorf, wishing to tear him apart for the pain and rejection the man had caused. It would be his demise. Darting its head back and forth, it lunged at the Gerudo. Ganondorf no longer had the Triforce of Power and, in his injured state, he wasn’t sure how much he could rely on his natural strength. His only hope now was perhaps with the other two pieces of the gods in his possession, he could push his magical reserves to their final limits. He gripped the mouth of the beast open when it snapped at him, straining his muscles to keep the jaws of teeth from closing tight. The tongue of the monster jabbed forward, driving itself through Ganondorf’s shoulder. He didn’t even have the strength to let one arm go and fire a bolt into its mouth.
All the Gerudo could manage to do was to redirect the Snake. By pushing with all his might, he threw himself left, leaving the monster to spring past him with its own momentum. Snake Ganon slithered about on the snowy cliff side, sticking to the mountain’s surface as it hissed in boiling wrath. Ganondorf, while dazed, saw a slight pattern in its movement. As the Snake suddenly darted forward to attack again, Ganondorf darted to his right and fired another bolt of magic. It sizzled weakly, but found its mark, hitting the rattler at the end of its tail. Ganon smashed about against the mountain sides, causing icicles to drop from above. Grabbing one that fell next to him, Ganondorf threw it like a javelin, and the sharp tip plunged into the snout of the beast.
His inner demon thrashed about harder, its head acting like a battering ram against the icy surface, and Ganondorf heard a distinct crack. Blind rage ended this contest of survival. Ice shattered beneath Ganon as it slithered too close to the crevice, and the monster gave a roar of desperation as it fell down into the darkness below. The mountain had swallowed the snake whole as snow and rubble came down after it.
Without looking to see if he had succeeded, Ganondorf could only hobble away as the ice beneath him began to break apart too. He kept moving, until finally he could run no more. The King of the Gerudo fell with a yell, falling through a dark and long tunnel in the ice.
Ganondorf felt he must have been hallucinating from all his injuries. For as he fell into the darkness, the Gerudo saw faces in the pitch black. Odd colours entrapped his mind. So many different faces. The King of Evil was going to die here, like this? He was to die alone in failure? Then blackness took over his mind and he thought no more.
On the mountain top, streams of darkness rose from where Ganon was crushed. These shadows slunk over the area of the mountain like pollution, and flew into Skull Kid’s mask. With glee, he looked at the golden triangle in his hand. It gave him even more power to twist for his own games and goals. Or perhaps it would make a nice ornament.
The Skull Kid looked back to the orange and red fires that overtook all of Hyrule. The flames of the devastation had now reached the old mansion below him. From the top of Snowpeak, he was safe from the destruction.
Emptiness. That was what he felt looking at what he had caused. And that was what was left of Hyrule. A land empty of life. The mask was illuminated by the flames of death that continued to burn the earth. Skull Kid and his mask would have a little more fun before the grand climax. This was just a test, the beginning of the end. Now that the king had been knocked off his throne, the jester would move on. Squeezing his fist, he felt focused. This entire world would be consumed in fire. Everything would be consumed.
Chapter 3: The Countdown Begins
Ganondorf was dreaming. In his dream he was a child, playing in the desert with his band of sisters. He enjoyed playing with swords, even at such a young age. As the rightful heir to be King, it was lucky he enjoyed combat. Nabooru gave him a teasing punch in the shoulder as they ran around the village, clashing with wooden swords. They pretended they were grand heroes, and that they alone had the power to bring their people out of starvation and the ravaging conditions of their home.
As they played, the wind suddenly shifted. It brought death with a heat beyond the norm of the desert. Looking to the sun, Ganondorf saw a wave of fire overcome the land. It tore through the mountains, the clouds and the sand. It burned away all the insects, the lizards, horses, food and, finally, the people. His people were screaming and ceased all sound in a second alone. Nabooru burned inches from Ganondorf, then the boy burned himself. He was overtaken by flames, and his grasp on reality collapsed as he was tossed into the air by the inferno. All that remained around him was darkness and fire and death. Ganondorf screamed as he was stripped of his flesh, muscles, and bone. Pain and agony. So much pain. He saw the image of a heart shaped masked stare into his eyes from within the flames of destruction, an imp’s laughter echoing through his ears.
Suddenly the dream shifted from flames to a blizzard of ice and Ganondorf was a man again. He felt broken and bloody and beaten. The snow made Ganondorf feel so cold, so numb. The Triforce was his only source of heat, but even it started to fade. Ganondorf stumbled down the mountain, when his failing mind saw a vision of a ghostly Nabooru watching him. He couldn’t make out her expression. Was it mockery? Disgust? Or disappointment? How could she just stare at him?
“You… Nabooru. You…”
Ganondorf couldn’t finish his sentence, as he walked towards her, he suddenly fell over a frozen waterfall. Crashing into icy water, his body quickly floated to the surface and floated about the current, until he was dragged out to the shore by his tattered cape. He couldn’t make out what took him from the water. The Gerudo couldn’t feel anything. He couldn’t see or hear well either. Was this his end?
Voices spoke about him, but he couldn’t understand the words that were spoken. His vision came in and out of focus at times. He saw a giant man with a stone face. He was talking with some smaller man. It was hard making sense of them. His mind would slip in and out. Time was an illusion. One moment he was on a bed. The next he was traveling on a cart… Then blackness overtook his mind, wishing to stay for a longer time.
~
“…Le-…he poor ma-…underst-….me Romani?”
“…Yes Sist-”
Ganondorf was walking up, yet the world was still hazy. His hands slowly reached to feel his side. No pants, let alone a weapon could be felt. Trailing upwards he felt the back of his head. There were bandages there. In fact, he had bandages covering all sorts of areas on his body, from his knee to his chest. Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he caught the attention of his caregivers.
“Excuse me? Are you finally awake mister?”
“Romani, I told you to let him rest. Go make yourself useful and get him a glass of milk.”
“Sure thing, sis!”
Ganondorf opened his eyes to stare into the figure of a woman. She looked Hylian. The moment she presented herself as a threat, he’d tear a figure like her in two. “Do I… do I know you?”
“I don’t see why you would sir. We’ve just met.”
Ganondorf could have sworn he did. She was a pretty thing, with long clothing and bright orange hair. She had a brooch with a yellow scarf. Overall, she stood out. Ganondorf took a few moments of silence to just breathe. “Where am I?”
“You’re at Romani Ranch sir.”
“Where is Romani Ranch? How did I get here? And who are you?”
The woman slowly nodded her head. This man probably had so many questions on his mind. “Well sir, my name is Cremia. I’m responsible for the care of this Ranch. Romani Ranch is part of the country of Termina. As for how you got here, that’s complicated.”
Ganondorf slowly rose himself up by his elbows. The ache vibrated throughout his body, but he’d overcome it. His change in stature immediately made Cremia feel he was a man who commanded authority. “Tell me.”
“You were found dying floating in the icy waters of Snowhead mountain. Some of the folk up there pulled you out. They decided that you would most likely die if you didn’t seek help from the mainland. I want to ask, are you some kind of warrior?”
“I’m a King…. Or was a King. Why do you ask?”
“The folks who brought you down the mountain were detoured away from Clock Town by monsters. So instead they brought you here to my ranch for help. Can I ask what your name is sir?”
Ganondorf looked her dead in the eye. As he spoke, his words carried weight. “I am Ganondorf. King of the Gerudo.”
“G-gerudo? You mean like those pirates?”
That took Ganondorf by surprise. When were any of his people seaworthy? “Pirates? I am unfamiliar with any pirates.”
“There is a band of Gerudo that pillage the Great Bay. I’ve never been out there myself, but I heard it’s beautiful.”
Romani came through the door, holding a tray of milk. The little girl held a ray of energy that was a little much to stomach. “Is he fully awake Cremia?”
“Yes Romani, he is. You can set the tray down on the counter. Thank you for being a dear.” Cremia looked towards Ganondorf with a light smile on her face.
“It’s the best milk in the country.”
Ganondorf took a glass offered from the older sister and drank it down. It reminded him of the imports from Lon Lon Ranch. Quenching his parched throat, the man was glad it was going down smoothly. Given what his body went through, this treatment was exactly what he needed. “Thank you for your hospitality.”
“You're quite welcome, Ganondorf.”
Ganondorf simply enjoyed his milk for a minute or two in silence as the sisters studied him. His recollection returned to him as he pondered his thoughts. Hyrule. It was all gone. All thanks to his own weakness in not being able to stop that Imp. His kingdom, his subjects, and his right to rule as king was toppled by a mere jester. The failure rocked him to his core.
Cremia watched Ganondorf slowly rub his brow and listened to his heavy sigh. This was a man who had gone through great strife. “Are you alright?”
“No. My destiny was stripped from me. I failed in protecting my kingdom.” Ganondorf paused, thinking about how he got here. The Imp had his Triforce of Power. What kind of damage could he be scheming with it? “You said that monsters attacked my caravan. Are monsters common in this land?”
It was Ganondorf’s turn to study Cremia, as she and her sister instantly took on expressions of fear. “No. It all started with a mask child showed up and-”
“A masked child?! Tell me more!” Ganondorf bellowed. His heart was pumping with revenge at just the mere mention of Skull Kid.
Cremia almost flinched in surprise. This man had such sudden intense and passionate anger. Did the Masked Child bring him strife as well? “Yes. A masked child of wicked intentions showed up around Termina around a month ago. Ever since he showed up, monsters have shown up all across the country, and tales of curses against people were spread around. It should be a hot summer, but Snowhead is encased in an icy winter. In the South, the entire Deku Kingdom has been covered in poison. It’s been nothing but random cruelty and malice. But then three days ago, the moon changed.”
“I was out of consciousness for a month? And pre tell what exactly do you mean by the moon having changed?”
Cremia looked to her sister with concern. “Ganondorf, can you walk?”
Ganondorf threw his feet over the bed. Planting his feet, there was a moment of concern as he couldn’t feel his legs. Channeling his magic through his body, he gave a silent command for his body to obey. Through his own will, he found the strength to stand tall. Cremia couldn’t help but look him up and down as he was up on his feet for the first time in front of her. He was beautiful and quite large. Ganondorf put a hand on his chest to feel his heart beating once more for reassurance he was still living. “A simple matter.”
“Then follow me please.”
Ganondorf crouched under the door frame, turning left to go down the stairs. All the windows had heavy curtains over the windows. Stepping on a horse toy, he raised a brow as it squeaked. He never had such things growing up as a child. With each step Ganondorf took towards the door, the Gerudo felt a sense of dread creep up beat by beat. Something in the air simply felt off. Opening the door to outside, Ganondorf looked at the purple skies of a twilight sunset. Looking up to the sky, he understood what the ranchers meant now.
In the sky was a massive celestial object simply hovering over the middle of the country. It was the moon, yet an abomination at the same time. It had a face with unblinking eyes. Ganondorf couldn’t read what expression it had, only that he knew it felt wrong. “What insanity is this?”
Cremia sighed, making sure Romani stayed inside first. The moon was already giving them the odd nightmare “The townsfolk say it's going to fall in two more days, right on the eve of the carnival. Right into the earth. Most people can’t even evacuate due to all the monsters outside the town.”
“This is madness…” The Imp must have been responsible for this. Did he do this with the power of his Triforce? Or was it that mask? Such destruction could only bring the end of the world. What was the point in that? Why have such an end goal?
Ganondorf quickly turned away from the sight of the celestial nightmare in the sky. He needed to leave. He needed to put an end to this darkness. That thought alone made him pause in his tracks. Him, of all people, stopping an evil. He was the self-proclaimed King of Evil. This was a job suited for an errand boy such as… Link. If he hadn’t killed him in a quest for power, Ganondorf would have had a powerful ally against this newest threat.
Feeling his chest, he patted the bandages strapped around him. “Cremia, was it? Where are my clothes?”
Cremia couldn’t help but once again eye Ganondorf when he mentioned his lack of clothing. He was such a big man, that it was a rare sight for her. “Well, you were incredibly damaged. Most of your clothing was shredded. I put it in a box, but I don’t know how well it would work for you.”
“Get me this box. I wish to examine myself in a mirror.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Please follow me.” As Cremia led him back into the house, she shouted to her sister. “Romani, please gather Mr. Ganondorf’s box of clothing!”
“Ok! I think we put them in the crawl space!”
“Just be careful!”
Ganondorf elected to ignore the sister’s banter as he entered the bathroom. The first thing he noticed was that he had grown a beard. His hand trailed the red rim of his chin. It seemed that the ranchers had kept it clean, yet allowed it to grow. With a smirk, he decided that he liked it. It was rather kingly in origin.
His mood was quickly cut short when he checked the back of his head. The mad jester had done major damage in pulling skin from the back of his skull as it ripped his mullet off. His hair had grown back in so he wasn’t bare in the back, but he felt a large circular scar around the tearing point. Had the Triforce helped him recover, or did other medical work help his skin? He also had a scar against the left cheek from the laceration he suffered at the hands of Ganon. Who knows what could be done about that?
Examining the rest of his body, Ganondorf carefully removed the patches of bandages around his body. To his luck, his wounds had healed finely. He noted it down as his magical reserves being boosted by the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage. Link had been studied by the King as he went against him. It seemed the Triforce of Courage enabled him to survive otherwise lethal blows that would have killed others. Duly noted that the Triforce was unbiased in assisting its user. Perhaps with time, he could fully explore the abilities of Courage and Wisdom.
Sitting on the toilet, Ganondorf put his hands on his head and breathed a sigh of shame. Here he was, a fallen King, humbled and nearly naked. He needed the help of peasants just to be nursed back to health. It made Ganondorf absolutely furious the more he kept dwelling on it. He tried to draw upon his darkness to calm his thoughts, but all he felt was a void. How was he supposed to stop the Skull Kid without the Triforce of Power? Without the ability to become the Beast. Maybe he should have permanently stayed in that form after all…
Hell to that.
Ganondorf shook those thoughts from his head. No. He was a man first. And even without some of his tools, he was still the most capable and powerful man on the planet. He only needed courage to push himself forward. He swore to himself that he’d take his throne again.
When he heard the knock, he saw Romani smiling up at him as he opened the door. “I got your clothes, mister! I even put your cool knife back in!”
“My knife?”
“Yeah! It’s got super cool etchings on it! Are you a warrior of some kind?”
Ganondorf ignored her, taking the box and shutting the door in her face.
Romani’s excitement couldn’t be fazed, even if the sound of her voice was muffled by the door. “I think it's cool!”
Ganondorf opened the box and took his clothing out. His clothes received a large amount of tearing from his previous battle against his expelled darkness. His cape was useless, with so many holes they could be mistaken for swiss cheese. The rest of his clothing was a total disaster. One of his sleeves was torn off from his shirt, and his armour had battle damage that would need various examination and repair.
Grabbing his knife, he unsheathed it. It was still sharp, but without his great sword, he’d need to rely on his fists or magic for combat. He quickly got to work cleaning patches of longer hair to keep it even, short, and elegant. After all, he wouldn’t look anything other than flawless. Looking at the messy pile of ripped fabric, Ganondorf grunted in annoyance. To ask for help was beneath him, but he needed clothing. Opening the door, he found Romani swaying back and forth, with the biggest grin on her face. “Anything I can do mister?”
“Yes child. Gather me a sewing needle and cloth. I need to make myself a few adjustments.”
“You got it!”
Ganondorf returned to the bathroom. The least he could do was put on his boots and pants. Stepping outside and making his way to the table, he got to work immediately assembling a new outfit once Romani brought him what he required. The little girl couldn’t stop asking him questions.
“How’s the back of your head feeling? If you’re a King, where’s your kingdom? Are you really a warrior? Can you help me fight ‘them’ off? Are you going to stay here longer? Can you show me how to use your knife?”
Ganondorf’s face scowled towards his work, and Cremia huffed as she guided her sister up stairs. “Cremia, stop berating the man with questions. Now it’s time for you to go to bed.”
“But sis! I need to stay up for-”
“Now Romani!”
“Ugh- fine.”
Cremia watched Ganondorf as he worked without his shirt on, offering him milk as he carefully sewed his new robes together. The King of the Gerudo silently drank as he sought completion. Whenever Cremia asked him a question, he’d indulge, but only in brief answers. He wasn’t a fool; the Gerudo knew that most likely the woman had an attraction to him. However, he had far too much on his mind to have his thoughts wander to such pleasures. It was an hour and a few after midnight when he finished his clothes.
Placing them on, they were black robes that acted as a coat with golden trims along the edges of his sleeves and collars. He held the red Gerudo symbol for ‘Voe’ on his back, and had flowing golden designs down his arms and up to his shoulders. He took his old tattered Gerudo neck collar and repaired it to go around his chest as a belt. His shirt was crimson red, complementing his hair and giving him a striking neck. He felt his Gerudo gemstone on the crown of his head, and he felt saddened that it was cracked during his fight at Snowpeak. In time he’d replace it, but he supposed it was appropriate to wear for now. The fallen king indeed.
Cremia watched as Ganondorf gave his arms a wave to test his clothing in awe. They were tight and close to him, giving him an air of elegance and superiority. “You look very refined, Mr. Ganondorf!”
“Thank you for your praise.” Ganondorf allowed this moment of pride to uplift his spirits. The praise of one woman wouldn’t have him falter after all. Once he got a feeling for his clothing, he made his way to the door.
Cremia was shocked that he was leaving. “Wait? You’re going so soon?”
“Of course. Someone needs to put an end to that masked imp.”
“But, it's so late outside!”
“I don’t need sleep. Especially after being in a coma for a month.”
“But it’s reckless to just go and leave in the middle of the night.”
“I am more than capable of journeying out on my own.”
They’re argument was cut off by a scream coming from outside. Both Ganondorf and Cremia rushed outside, the former more out of curiosity. Littering the field of the ranch, spot lights landed on the grass, and bizarre creatures flew menacingly towards the barn. Romani was standing on a crate, shooting arrows best she could at the creatures. “Cremia! It’s them! They’re here for our cows!”
Cremia felt incredibly frightened that her sister was so recklessly endangering herself by being outside with these creatures. “Romani! Get back in the house!”
Ganondorf felt an unexpected anger rise up in him. These creatures dared to attack the household that he rested at? Did the Imp send these things as assassins to finish him off? These ranchers did him a great service by nursing him as his body healed itself. He could just leave and take a horse, but he felt a sense of honour in repaying a debt of gratitude. Ganondorf never showed any kindness to Hylians before, never saw them as anything but lesser people, or rats at worst. Afterall, they treated him as a lesser being. But they were dead now, and these weren’t the Hylians. As King of Hyrule, he neglected the people. Perhaps this was fate giving him a chance to rise from his failures. If he were to be a proper king, he needed to care for all his subjects.
Ganondorf darted toward Romani as one of the ‘ghosts’ got close to her. With a punch, he blew the thing away with a single blow. Simply opening a hand to the girl, he gave his command. “Give me the bow.”
Romani quickly did so, and she ran to her sister, looking back as Ganondorf gracefully fired a volley of arrows into the invaders as they neared the barn. The Gerudo saw that the creatures renewed their fallen numbers in the distance. If these were Poes, perhaps they would hate the light of magic. Standing atop a crate, Ganondorf boomed over the field, giving his one and only warning. “Leave these lands now, or perish at my hands.”
The ‘ghosts’ continued, caring little for his warning. Was he ready? Did he still hold the right to use his magical might after his failure? The only way he’d find out is if he stopped pitying himself and accepted his place as the balancer of the world. With that thought, Ganondorf chose to believe in himself.
Ganondorf’s hand had two triangles glow, and pulling his arm backwards, he charged his magic silently. As the invaders drew close, Ganondorf gave a yell as he showed off his fist with a twist of his arm. Waves of light pulsed from his being, and the invaders screamed as they were atomized, turning to dust from their fatal weakness to the light. The Gerudo felt overjoyed at the might that radiated from him. After they all disappeared from this earth, Ganondorf witnessed the faint light in the sky scatter over the mountain, vanishing from view. In his heart, he felt victory was his.
Cremia and Romani watched in awe as Ganondorf stepped down and walked towards them. He was their hero, but he carried himself in such a way that particular title was beneath him. The Gerudo looked down on them both, feeling that his debt had been paid. “I need a horse. Do you have any in your possession?”
Cremia cleared her throat and nodded, slowly pointing her finger to the horse barn. “We do. Are you leaving now?”
“Show me.”
Cremia nodded, quickly not wanting to waste any more of his time. Having been led to the stables, Ganondorf walked by his selection of horses, until he made his choice. He couldn’t help but laugh lightly to himself. A black tall horse with orange hair and blue eyes stamped its hooves in his presence. It wasn’t too different from his old steed. “Him. I’ll take him.”
“Do you have to go?”
Ganondorf looked down at Romani as Cremia set out to saddle Ganondorf’s choice of horse. “Yes child. There is a great chaos plaguing this world that only I can purge. I have to bring balance.”
The Gerudo quickly got atop his steed, patting its side to calm its nerves. Romani frowned as her sister rushed to the house to grab something. “Will you come back?”
“Perhaps child. I won’t forget your service that you did for me. Rewards come to the most loyal.”
As Ganondorf started to gallop off, Cremia ran out holding a bottle of milk. “Wait! Take this with you!”
“More milk?”
“Yes and no. This is a special brand called Chateau Romani. It’s a magical brew of milk that will heighten your senses to their maximum potential for a short while. And it tastes very good to boot.”
“Hmmm. I will put it to use. Be well, Cremia.” With no other words, Ganondorf galloped out of the ranch, leaving Cremia to watch in more awe. Looking up at the moon, she really wondered if even a man like him could do something about that.
~
The Gerudo patted his horse as he found himself entering a large open field. Ganondorf noticed a large town in the distance, surrounded by a large circular wall. He didn’t need to get close to sense hidden malice radiating from just outside the wall. That must be where the Masked Imp would be. As he was now, Ganondorf didn’t feel confident in attacking the town alone. He tried to summon an army of monsters, but he felt a force in the land block his attempts. It was like a negative wall blocking the man’s attempts. Ganondorf summed it up to the brat using his own magic on the land to prevent him from doing so.
He’d need to form an army on his own. Those Pirates in this Great Bay Cremia told him about sounded like a good call to investigate. If they were anything like the Gerudo of Hyrule, Ganondorf could use them for his forces. Following the direction of the various signs he came across, Ganondorf found himself traveling down a sandy road. Eventually, at the first break of dawn, the King arrived at Great Bay.
With the sun's glow warming his face, Ganondorf found himself staring in awe at the sight in front of him. It occurred to him he had never been to the ocean before. He had heard stories, but this was different. The trees had leaves that were thick and blew gently in the wind. And the wind itself carried a fresh salty air he never felt before. The wind blew by him, and it carried a smoothing warmth in its wake. Getting off his horse, Ganondorf immediately noticed a difference in the sand compared to his home in the valley. His hands went through its grains, his fingers rubbing together. The sand was soft and un-irritating. It carried a warmth that didn’t burn.
Walking closer to the beach, Ganondorf felt the waves that slowly rocked back and forth like a crib. The water was so smooth, light, and it carried a comfortable temperature. He looked out across the ocean, and took in a breath of content. There was such beauty here.
Investigating the area, Ganondorf walked along the beach line. His stomach grumbled when his ears picked up the sound of splashing fish. Even with a near immortal body, he still needed sustenance once in a while. Lifting his hand, he fired an electric burst to kill the fish. Satisfied with the results, he was leaning down to pick his food up, when from the water burst forth a small island from under the waves. The shock knocked Ganondorf backwards, and he was ready to fight, when he saw what materialized from the water. “A turtle?”
Indeed, a massive turtle carrying an island on its back partly beached itself on the sand. “Who are you to disrupt the sea? You rudely awakened me from my nap.”
Ganondorf didn’t flinch in the face of this sea turtle. “I am Ganondorf. King of Hyrule.”
“Hyrule? I’ve never heard of Hyrule before. And what is a King doing here, electrocuting my home?”
“I simply willed food to be brought to me. And I am here in Termina to put a stop to a masked Imp.”
“Ah, the masked one. Ever since he first arrived, the seas have become chaotic, teeming with unnatural predators. I’m so lucky I’m so big. Others are not.”
“Tell me Turtle. Where can I find the band of Gerudo Pirates?”
“The pirates? Along the rocky shores closer to the twin pillars. I’d be careful when approaching them.”
“I will be diligent.” Ganondorf grabbed a single fish, leaving the rest for the turtle. “Consider that payment for me awakening you. I’m glad that you are the first talking creature to be civil and cooperative with me.” Certainly better than an old tree and overgrown fish.
Within the hour, Ganondorf made his way to the rocky reef. Looking up at the moon over the town, he felt a shutter in his bones. Even from more of the backside, he could feel the celestial’s stare. What twisted motivation could there possibly be for wanting to drop that onto the planet? Ganondorf averted his gaze, looking down at the coral in the reef. Such pretty scenery was rare to him. Sitting down on a rock, he enjoyed watching the fish play about in the water. However, his silence was disrupted by a rumbling sound and the water churning. Looking up, Ganondorf saw an odd-looking boat with a crew of three on it.
These Gerudo pirates wore clothing similar to his own tribe. He assumed it must have been the humid air that was picking up. Not exactly like Gerudo Valley, but still hot enough to wear baggier pants and a crop top. As they pulled closer, two of them hopped out, one immediately pulling out some small device from their pocket and simply pointing it at Ganondorf. “Halt! Who are you?!”
Ganondorf raised his eyebrow at the girl trying to command him. “I am Ganondorf Dragmire. King of the Gerudo tribes of Hyrule.”
The three Gerudo studied Ganondorf, and it dawned on them that he had all the features of a Gerudo male. “Well damn. Would you look at that.”
“Is he really Gerudo?”
“He got dark skin and red hair, don’t he?”
“Well, he’s a nice-looking man that’s for sure.”
“Let’s take him to Aveil!”
Ganondorf tilted his head, getting a read on the Gerudo Pirates body language. They were all armed, but didn’t appear to be overly blood thirsty just yet. And it sounded as if they were willing to take him to their leader. Good. Would save him more time. “I’m willing to travel with you.”
The Gerudo holding the object in her hand looked to her companions and they nodded in agreement. “Well, get on before I accidently slip and pull this trigger.”
Ganondorf figured that the object in her hand must have been some kind of weapon the way her arm aggressively held it at him. Not wasting any time, he stood on the boat, the Gerudo Pirates getting behind him. As they took off on the boat, Ganondorf was astonished by the sudden rush of air flying by him as the boat quickly zoomed through the water. It felt good against the scar of his laceration on his face.
The boat sped around the rocky shoreline of the bay and, in the distance, Ganondorf noticed a large, concentrated storm out at sea. Peering closer, he noticed a building deep within. “What is that?”
The pirate platoon leader looked out at the sea to see what he was talking about. “That? That’s some kind of temple. It, and a huge hurricane just recently showed up in the last month. Our boss has reason to believe there might be treasure inside.”
“Really now. Seems dangerous out there.”
“Eh, doesn’t look all bad.”
As they kept driving the boat, the crew pulled into a tight cave. The boat had to slow down in order to make key turns, but once it finished its maneuvers and pulled out, Ganondorf found himself in a lagoon with a giant metal fortress stationed.
On metal walkways over the water, Gerudo Pirates were on patrol. One looked down at the boat pulling up and whistled for another guard to open the gate to the docks. The pirates on the boat snickered to Ganondorf as they led him off upon reaching the docks. “You’re going to love it here.”
Ganondorf walked up metal steps, finding himself in a large artificial courtyard. They’re appeared to be many exits all around to go from one room to another, but here was the bustle and center point of the fortress. There were more Gerudo than he expected here. It seemed like a large tribe of their own rather than a single crew.
There were a few children, but most were adults. Some had odd clothing. One of them had a hat and leather boots the likes of which Ganondorf had never seen on a Gerudo woman. And was that corset? He couldn’t think more on it as he was led through a door and down some dark steps. “I didn’t expect your exalted leader to be downwards.”
“Don’t worry about it.” The pirate snickered as she extended an arm for Ganondorf to take the lead. “It’s exactly where you need to go.”
Ganondorf stayed cautious and on guard towards that statement. His growing suspicions were confirmed when he saw a dimly lit prison storage with various captive men either thrown in cells, or even chained up. The Gerudo pointed her weapon at Ganondorf and pointed at the cell. “Get in, new meat.”
Ganondorf looked at the men in the cell, then back at the Gerudo. Back in his village, he heard of kidnapping men for boyfriends, but the Gerudo usually met the men first and got to know them before bringing them over. The pirate cocked the ignition on her weapon, then a shot ran out beside Ganondorf’s head. He looked at the hole it made in the wall, then trailed his gaze back to the user.
“What, never seen a pistol before? Get in, before I put a round in your head.”
Ruthless, demanding, and taking charge. Ganondorf couldn’t help but laugh internally at this. Why not play along? Getting in the cell, he shrugged his shoulders. “Now what?”
“Now you wait here nicely until our leader decides what she wants to do with you. You’re cute, so I’m sure you’ll have your use. Especially if you really are a Gerudo man.”
The pirate left and Ganondorf looked at the other men in the cells. “Tell me. Are you fighters?”
One man nodded, glad he finally had company. “I was a soldier of Clock Town.”
“Well ‘soldier’. What brought you here?”
“A month ago, an imp in a mask suddenly appeared and liked to cause chaos. I left to get help from the Zora in Great Bay, when I was ambushed and overwhelmed by those Gerudo Pirates.”
“Can you fight? Or was your time as a soldier merely an act to find yourself in a better position in life?”
“I can fight. Not that it matters now.”
“Nonsense. I will have need of an army soon if I am to put an end to that devilish imp. Wait here for my return.”
“Wait here? Where the heck do you think you’re going?”
Ganondorf put his hand over the lock of the cell, and his Triforce of Wisdom activated. A pink glow beamed over the lock and the door flew open. The other prisoners were confused, excited, and shocked by this man simply stepping out. The king turned to them with the slight turn of his head. “I’ll be back.”
Without turning back, Ganondorf walked up the steps of the prison cell and into the courtyard. The odd Gerudo with the odd fashion sense in wearing a corset nearly dropped the cigar she was about to light up. Putting it away, she walked up to Ganondorf, a hand on her holster. The other pirates were making their rounds, leaving her alone. She didn’t feel confident in facing a man this big alone. “Hey, aren’t you supposed to be locked up?”
“I gave myself parole.” Ganondorf curled a light smile. “You’re very conservative looking for a Gerudo, besides the jewelry and earrings.”
“And you’re very manly for a Gerudo. You are a Gerudo correct?”
“I am King of the Gerudo. So yes, I suppose I should be.”
“Ok, Mr. King. You got a name?”
“Ganondorf Dragmire.” Ganondorf put his hands on his hips, liking this woman more and more. “What’s your name?”
“Lin. Why are you here?”
“To take control of your band of pirates.”
Lin paused, looking Ganondorf deep into his eyes, until she finally laughed. He had a pause for only a moment, but Ganondorf laughed right back, and there they were, two Gerudo laughing aloud. At one moment they were laughing, in jolly release, and in the flip of a switch both grew deadly serious.
“Wow. What a jackass thing to state Mr. King. Give me a reason to not shoot you.”
“Because I’ll have my hand around your neck before you draw your weapon. I only speak the truth. And I like to show my actions are louder than my words.”
“Ha-ha, alright than King Ganondorf Dragmire-”
“I love it when my title is spoken fully.”
Lin smirked at his interruption. Ganondorf let his cockiness bleed onto this face. “Like I was saying my ‘lordship’, why don’t we find out what Aveil would think of you?”
The pirate waved a finger for him to follow him as she adjusted her hat. Ganondorf did so, walking up a large watch tower. Gerudo guards were surprised that a man was walking about, even reaching for their weapons. Lin waved them off, letting them know it was ok to relax. Walking across a bridge, she led Ganondorf through a rather tacky golden door.
To Ganondorf’s delight was an Iron Knuckle standing on guard. The shoulder pads were a different colour, but the overall design and purpose seemed intact. The armoured Gerudo whispered to her companion. “Lin, what the hell are you doing letting that man in here?”
“Relax, Redd. You’ll never believe what he has to say to the Captain.”
Ganondorf saw a colourful room with treasure decorated among the walls. A large fish tank on the left had a piranha swimming about, and weapons and war masks were on a display case. The Gerudo who tried to imprison him was talking with a Gerudo lounging on a throne. He motioned Lin to stay at his side as he eased dropped on the conversation. “So that’s about it, Aveil. I don’t know if he’s the real deal or not.”
“Well, he can wait. Gerudo or not, he’s just a man. What I want is for us to send the first battalion into that temple. The masked one said that we’d find a great treasure inside.”
“Jewels, diamonds, and gold?”
“And so much more! All we need is to sacrifice a few scouts to find a weakness in the storm, then we can plow right through.”
Ganondorf was amused. A leader who would sacrifice her people. Unfortunately, she was too greedy to see the obvious trap. Stepping forward, Ganondorf boomed his voice over everyone else in the room. “I am Ganondorf. Consider your role revoked.”
Aveil stood from her seat, more insulted than surprised that this man had found his way inside. “Who the hell are you?! Smoke him!”
The pirate that aimed her gun at Ganondorf before tried to fire on him again, but Ganondorf was too fast, his enhanced speed getting the drop on her as she fumbled to get her gun out of her holster. With three punches he broke her neck with the force of his blows, sending her flying away with a crack in the wall.
The other Gerudo were completely shocked by this unfolding. Ganondorf considered this as necessary to prove his dominance. “Let me reiterate. I am Ganondorf, King of Hyrule, King of the Gerudo! By the right of power and the force I command I declare myself monarch of your tribe. You will assist me by serving as my vanguard against the masked one’s forces. Join me, and I will make you the most feared and respected tribe in the world.” Ganondorf flew his hand out in a dramatic fashion, before pulling it back into a fist. “Or else you will die.”
As Aveil grabbed her blade, other Gerudo Pirates were grabbing their swords, but unsure if they’d attack unless given a command. “No! The masked one promised us riches and power. He-…!”
The pirate leader stopped talking, a fearful lump in her throat growing. Ganondorf followed her gaze slowly up to the sky window in the ceiling. Floating there, was the masked imp himself. Skull Kid looked down at Ganondorf, surprised at his survival. “You’re a hard nut to crack, aren’t you? Hehehe.”
Ganondorf clenched his fists, cautious rage filling him. The Skull Kid was too far up for him to get into striking range. “You. Give me the power you stole from me back, as well as the mask you wear. Those toys are too much for you!”
“No, I like my little golden triangle. It makes a nice keepsake.” Skull Kid snickered as he stretched out midair as if he were sitting on a couch. “I haven’t seen you in forever? Did you have to drag yourself back from hell to get here? Sure looks like it.”
“That moon. It’s your responsibility, isn’t it? What purpose can you possibly have in the destruction of this whole country.”
“Nononononono. Think bigger.”
“…the world.”
“Bingo.”
The other Gerudo shook in their boots. They saw the moon outside get closer and closer, but they had no idea what its purpose was until now. Ganondorf snapped at the Skull Kid, losing his composure and snarling like a dog. “What you’re suggesting is madness! You’d die too!”
The Skull Kid snapped himself back into an upright position, the eyes of his mask trained solely on Ganondorf. “So, what? This world is nothing. It is meaningless. But why not have a little fun with the garbage before casting it aside?”
“I’ll put an end to you, you evil creature.”
“Me? Evil? Hehehe. That’s rich.” Skull Kid looked at the contents around the room, before looking back at Ganondorf. “You’re no hero Ganondorf. I know exactly what you are. Your other half is here with us. Such a sweet hatred. Do what you think you can. But we know you don’t have much time left. You have your puppets. And I have mine.”
Skull Kid let out a scream, and two rays of chaotic magic shot from his hands. One hit the piranha in the fish tank, and the other the mask in the display case. The water churned, exploding wildly as the wall next to it crumbled. Something fell into the lagoon before Ganondorf could get an eye on it. But the mask quickly formed a body, swarms of insects coming together. A green titan of a man rose up, wielding a massive machete and shield.
The Skull Kid laughed, spanking his ass towards Ganondorf. “Have fun with my new toys. Be sure to play nice! Hehehe.” Floating away, the Imp scampered from the site. Ganondorf turned his attention to the monster in front of him that swung wildly at him.
The Masked Jungle Warrior, Odolwa, missed its first strike as Ganondorf dodged to his right. The Gerudo King needed weapons if he were to fight this threat. Viewing the various weapons racks, Ganondorf settled his eyes on two decorated swords. The giant leaped high into the air just as Ganondorf reached the two blades. Gripping the handles, Ganondorf crossed the blades and turned around, defending himself from having a machete cleave through his head. The Gerudo and the Masked Warrior were now officially locked in combat.
Aveil stammered her orders, pointing to Lin to intervene. “Lin! Shoot the monster!”
The Gerudo Pirate cocked her pistol, and took aim at Odolwa. Firing a shot, it went straight through his fat belly. To the disgust of all those around it, swarms of flesh-eating moths poured out as the Jungle Warrior made a chant. Ganondorf growled as Odolwa jumped back, letting the insects try to eat every Gerudo in the room. Raising one sword, the King charged a bolt of electric energy at its tip. Finishing his spell, Ganondorf fired it forward, launching through the moths, killing them in a chain reaction and sending Odolwa out the hole in the wall.
“Get everyone to their battle stations. I’ll finish it off.”
Aveil grabbed her sword, a vein nearly bursting in her forehead. “Hey! You aren’t the boss of me! Ladies! Get to your battle stations!”
Jumping down onto a metal catwalk, Ganondorf took note of the water below. There were ships flipped over with blood in the water. Flipping from underneath the catwalk, Odolwa bashed Ganondorf in the face with its shield as he turned too late. Gripping both his swords, Ganondorf felt his ear ringing from the surprise attack. This creature was nothing to him, and it was only lucky in striking him. As Odolwa tried to strike him with the massive blade, Ganondorf parried, blocking with one blade and striking with his other. Every slice against the Masked Warrior’s belly caused it to spill out bugs. This time they were spiders that tried to leap at Ganondorf. He simply swatted them into the water.
As Ganondorf jumped over Odolwa after the warrior missed a vertical slice, he kneed his opponent in the head, stunning it as Ganondorf flipped over it. With a twirl of his swords, Ganondorf didn’t even look behind him as he walked backwards and stabbed Odolwa in the back.
The Jungle Warrior screamed a death rattle, but to Ganondorf’s surprise, he didn’t expect the warrior to reach forward to take hold of his shoulders. With a leap, Ganondorf was taken by Odolwa, plunging into the water of the lagoon below.
Ganondorf didn’t know why this desperation took place until he saw the jaws of a massive fish swim towards him. The blood was red with the blood of unlucky Gerudo patrolling the lagoon. This was the Gargantuan Masked Fish, Gyorg, and it was hungry for more Gerudo. Ganondorf was pissed at the prospect of being attacked by the jaws of yet another monster. Maneuvering the body of Odolwa, he kicked it into the fish’s mouth. Gyorg tore into his fellow monster as Ganondorf swam up to catch his breath.
His swords had dislodged and fallen on the catwalk far above, unfortunately leaving him weaponless. Ganondorf thought fast about what he would need to do to survive. Swimming to one of the boats floating on the water, he quickly climbed aboard. The water churned with limbs of Odolwa floating to the surface. It seemed he wasn’t a good meal for the fish.
Gyorg rocketed into the metal boat from below, easily sending it flying off. As Ganondorf and the fish launched into the air, he had taken hold of a spear lying on the deck. Throwing it, he pierced the monster, blinding it in its right eye.
Falling into the water, Ganondorf sank down. He saw the predator swimming back and forth, the massive fish quickly shaking off its pain. He needed to charge a magical blast that could defeat this creature, but he lacked the time. Ganondorf waited in sick anticipation as Gyorg swam up from the bottom of the lagoon to snap its jaws around him.
Suddenly, from the deep blue, the mouth of a giant sea turtle snapped on the fin of the masked fish. The monster thrashed around, giving Ganondorf enough time to focus his shot. ‘Smile you son of a-’
With a sizzle through the water, a yellow bolt swirled like a torpedo. The turtle let go in time and the magic traveled down the mouth of Gyorg. It swam closer to snatch Ganondorf whole, only to suddenly explode. Chum launched out of the water, scattering across the lagoon.
Gerudo Pirates got onto their boats to look for survivors on the lagoon. Standing on a catwalk, Aveil growled with annoyance. “Damn that masked kid. He said that we could find salvation in the temple’s treasure. Little punk tried to have us killed. At least that Ganondorf fellow did the dirty work for us in dispatching those monsters.”
To her surprise, Ganondorf had made his way out of the water and back onto the catwalk, sneaking past all her guards. The man was soaked from head to toe right in front of her, yet he didn’t lose any sense of power in his presence. In front of all the Gerudo Pirates watching, he squeezed her by the neck and held her over the lagoon, placing her in a one-handed choke hold. Below in the water, sharks gathered to feed on the chum of the Gyorg.
Aveil gasped as she felt his fingers squeeze tight around her neck. How the hell did he sneak up on her? She wasn’t allowed to die like this!
“Listen to my command, little girl. I, Ganondorf, announce myself as your King. Look above me and you will see that rock coming closer and closer to the earth. Vile magic is the cause of this, vile magic controlled by the masked imp. His goal is complete annihilation. Complete annihilation is not good for your business, and it is not good for my rule. You will become my vanguard for an army to storm the capital city that he resides over. You will release all your prisoners and arm them. You will take what weapons you can, you will gather your fighters, and we will march onto a decisive victory over the jester that mocks life itself.”
Aveil was choking, her face turning purple from Ganondorf squeezing her neck. Her feet kicked wildly, one of her shoes falling into the water below. “W-w-ck!’
Ganondorf looked at Aveil unimpressed. He released her just enough to grab her by her hair so she dangled over the water. The pirate leader could barely get her breath back as she choked back air. “Y-you freaking psychopath. D-don’t kill m-me!”
“What can you possibly offer me? I’m sure I can command these pirates without you.”
“M-more troops. An undead army.”
Ganondorf tilted his head, a tiny flex of his lip pondering this information. “Continue.”
“Farther East. There’s a land called Ikana Valley. It’s rumoured to have a King that rules over the dead. One of my caravans tried to plunder some treasure there, only to come back with one survivor who said there was a whole army of freaks she’s never seen before.”
Ganondorf slowly lifted Aveil up by the hair. On his side, her most trusted advisors had gathered, shocked by the man’s power and bravado in taking charge. A man had never ruled over the Gerudo Pirates before. Ganondorf smiled an evil, yet simple grin. “Who do you work for?”
“I work for you! We all do!”
“That’s right. And if you ever forget it, I’ll erase you. But please, I’d rather you think of this alliance as nothing but a benefit.” Ganondorf threw her to the side of the catwalk. Ganondorf pointed at his swords and snapped at Lin to pick them up. The Pirate quickly did so, and returning to Ganondorf, took a bow, presenting his weapons to him.
“For you, my l-lord.” Lin had the fear of god put into by this man. He was so dominating. It was terrifying, but somewhere in her soul, she felt a little bit of thrill.
Ganondorf took his weapons from her, and he felt a warmth fill him. He had an army of the living once more. And they were Gerudo women as well. While not entirely the same, he felt more like his older self. To be truthful, the mercy he provided Aveil surprised him a little, but it felt good to simply threaten her, rather than kill a valuable asset right away.
His eyes turned east, and he felt a fire stir within his gaze. Skull Kid said he had little time left. In his heart, Ganondorf knew that was true. Having a large army would be most beneficial in his final assault. Not wasting time, Ganondorf decided to see if a King of the Dead was what he needed for his board in this game of life and death.
Chapter 4: What is King
Ganondorf’s horse slowly trotted along the beginning of the valley. When he and his army first entered, they had to clear it out of explosive vermin. His armoured Darknut that he liberated from the Pirate Prison informed him that they were known as Bombchu, disgusting little creatures, but suicidal and dangerous monsters that would detonate against travelers if they were allowed the chance.
Luckily, none of his escort crew had been harmed, but it annoyed Ganondorf every time one scuttled out from behind a rock. He had his horse stop when he looked up at a hooded man with one eye sitting on the cliffside. “You. I know you.”
“Yes. The Great King Ganondorf. You were gracious enough to allow me to set up my business in Hyrule, collecting souls of the dead. Now though, there’s not much of Hyrule left. Nothing in fact. Not even spirits roam the charred land. Ha-ha-ha.”
Ganondorf tightened his left fist. It made him furious that such failure was weighted on his shoulders, but he kept his composure intact. “Indeed… Hooded man, does Ikana Valley lie ahead?”
“Yes. I should give fair warning. The land is full of danger. Spirits of the damned roam every corner, as well as other forces.”
Ganondorf turned to his platoon that joined him. “I want all of you to secure this entrance we traveled through. It will be our staging operation from the East, while the rest of the Gerudo attack from the West.”
The Iron Knuckles and the Darknut Soldier nodded, giving a bow to their lord. “Yes, Lord Ganondorf.”
Ganondorf got off his horse, and with a leap, flew himself up to the upper cliff. Landing, he found that the mysterious hooded man had disappeared. Not giving it any thought, Ganondorf walked by himself through the valley. It would be dark soon, so he could only imagine that creatures of death would rise up more regularly.
The Valley had a dry heat, and Ganondorf had a long way to walk. Reaching into his pocket, the Gerudo swallowed down the milk Cremia had given him the night before. The special cocktail was marvelous, smoothing Ganondorf’s parched throat. He felt absolutely incredible and alert. Taking a few breaths, Ganondorf thought about how he could reward her once his quest was over. People like her, that were loyal to the end, would be taken care of in his new era.
Coming across a river, Ganondorf smelled the air. It was thick with iron, and a stink flew down from a waterfall leading into the river. He noticed bits of Gibdo bodies being tossed around in the water. Turning a little more to the upper right, Ganondorf noticed massive stone walls built into the mountain. That must have been the castle he needed to raid.
The man took a few more steps, when he sensed a rush of bloodshed in the air. Drawing his swords, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was covered in thick robes, and had two glowing eyes. “You’re not from these lands.”
Ganondorf saw the figure pull out two cutlass swords, and a ring of fire shot up around them both. The figure jumped back and forth on the spot, before bounding at Ganondorf. Having no patience for a duel, Ganondorf smashed the weapons out the figure's hand with one swipe of his left arm, then brought down his right blade against his opponent. The figure let out a rattle from his wound.
The magic fire died down and the figure gasped between his breaths. “R-regrettable. Although my rival, you were spectacular. Such power.”
“What are you?”
“I am Garo.”
“Tell me Garo, how do I get into that castle?”
“Ah, a question that even we seek. There is a house above the hill outside the castle. Inside, a man and a little girl live there. The man knows the secrets of this valley that we do not. We wait for him to leave his house, but he has not exited his home for quite some time.”
“And why should I believe your word?”
“Belief or disbelief rests with you. To die without leaving a corpse… that is the way of us Garo.”
Ganondorf saw him pull out a bomb from his pocket, raising his hands, he raised a magic barrier to shield him from the blast. The Garo’s body scattered, burning away in a green fire.
Lowering his protection spell and sheathing his swords, Ganondorf looked above to where the water fell. It took him a while to scale the cliff side to the top, when he started to hear odd music. Twilight was in the air, and Ganondorf saw a house with large musical instruments playing a happy tune, something out of a Hylian carnival.
He was about to approach the house, when he saw a little girl come out of the front door. She was walking out with a bucket and heading to the pond stream that led to the waterfall into the river. Slowly approaching from behind like a shadow, Ganondorf scared the living daylights out of her when she turned around.
“Hello child.”
“W-who are you?!”
“Where is your father? I’m here to call upon his services.”
A look of fear filled her. “No! You can’t see him! He’s very sick!”
Ganondorf decided to go with a softer composure in his voice to sooth the child’s fears. “Why?”
“An awful masked person came and made him sick!” The little girl started to cry, the memory of an evil imp suddenly appearing, only for him to curse her father being too awful to recall.
Ganondorf felt sympathy for the child. If he were to get what he needed, compassion over force would suit him better. Kneeling on one knee, Ganondorf got lower to look the girl in the eye and establish himself as less of a threat. “What is your name, child?”
“P-pamela.”
“Pamela. I can help your father. I need you to let me see him.”
Pamela dried her tears, looking at Ganondorf with hope. “Ok.”
Taking the little girl’s hand, Ganondorf looked at the castle as he was led to the house. The moon was looming down on a new night sky. How much did he have left? He needed to get into the castle without as much time wasted as he could.
Inside the house, Pamela put away a mess she made while she had dinner. She used the pond water to clean the dishes. “My father is downstairs. Can you wait for me? I need to prepare his dinner.”
Ganondorf ignored her as soon as he found out where her father was. With Pamela distracted, Ganondorf went down the staircase, rounding the corner to enter the basement. It was a tight place with plenty of lab notes strung around the area. As he got close to a closet, a monstrosity burst forth.
It was covered in bandages, with half his head wrapped up. A disturbed yellow eye filled with hunger and pain darted around, unable to get a lock on Ganondorf, but even so, it knew he was there. With a moan, it started to walk towards the Gerudo. Ganondorf was ready to end the monster’s pathetic existence when Pamela ran down. “No! Papa! Stop!”
Ganondorf looked at this thing hobbling towards him. This abomination was Pamela’s father? His thoughts went to memories of curses he once laid on demi-god-like beings, such as the Deku Tree or Jabu-Jabu. Ganondorf had no regrets about unleashing such darkness on others before. He was a man with a deep hatred inside him that blotted out any sense of mercy. Now, such slow pain seemed pointless. At least, a curse on a simple man such as this being was pointless. Raising an open palm, the Triforce of Wisdom glowed with a piercing light, and Ganondorf willed his cure upon the creature.
When the light finished its glow, Pamela’s father looked at himself in shock. “What happened?”
“…Father?”
Before Ganondorf could approach and get his answers, Pamela ran forward into the arms of her father.
“Father!”
“Pamela!” Pamela’s father patted her head softly, looking at who this strange tall man was. “What have I been doing this whole time?”
“You… haven’t been doing anything…” The little girl started to cry as she held her father as tightly as she could. “You had a bad dream. You were just having a little nightmare.”
“…Pamela.”
Ganondorf's thoughts went back to his own biological mother. He never knew who his father was, but his mother was a gentle woman. Someone who watched out for him and his every need. It was the neglect of trade with Hyrule that ultimately led to her death. Ganondorf had to look away from the father and daughter to dispel his own thoughts on family.
Pamela quickly fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from the relief of her father’s return to normality. Her father gently set her into a bed, turning his attention to the tall figure in his laboratory.
“Did you save me?”
“I did.”
“Then you’re my daughter’s saviour.”
A saviour. A title Ganondorf considered in his larger vision of himself, but no one had vocally and openly called him before. “I have need of your services.”
“Of course. Let me just grab something to drink. I’m famished. What’s your name?”
“Ganondorf.”
“Call me Iwata.”
As Iwata went upstairs, Ganondorf looked down at a sleeping Pamela. Sitting beside her, he wondered what she was thinking.
When Iwata returned downstairs with two drinks, he saw Ganondorf holding his hand over her head. “What are you doing?”
Ganondorf was still as a statue, looking down on the girl. “I’m peering into her dreams. I see a wave of fear, one after the other crashing into one another. I see monsters in her dreams. She holds onto the love she has for you for safety. It gives her strength, even when you were turned into a monster. She tries to hold on during the nightmares, but she’s losing strength. If you don’t leave this place, she’ll plunge into the abyss, and you’ll lose her. Just as… just as you lost your wife. She’s afraid of losing you as she lost her mother.”
Ganondorf stood tall away from Pamela and faced Iwata. “I need the secret to entering the castle. You will produce the knowledge I need.”
“Yes. Of course. It’s the least I can do.” Iwata walked over to a desk and pulled open a draw. Taking a map out, he laid it out for Ganondorf. “The main gate is impenetrable. It won’t open for any man, monster, or even an army.”
“Everything has a weakness.”
“Indeed. There’s a single hole in the wall of the castle.”
“That’s a serious oversight.”
“Yes. I’ve even investigated it myself. But once inside, I only found myself in a small storage room. The door to the room was a massive square block keeping me from investigating the castle. It had an image of the sun on it, and an ancient text that read, ``Only heaven’s light may pierce my shield of night.”
Ganondorf felt he had all the information he needed. “I believe that I have a key.”
“You’ll be going then?”
“I will. My words of wisdom. Stay here for a few days, then pack your things and leave this valley of death.” Ganondorf went up the steps and looked back at the father and his daughter. “Stay away from Clock Town until the day after tomorrow.”
Leaving the house, Ganondorf heard the lock click behind him. The happy music was annoying, but gradually died off the farther he walked away. Walking along the outside of the castle walls, Ganondorf finally discovered his mystery hole. Crawling in to not hit his head, he turned to his right to find his ‘door’. Placing his hand on the face of the sun, Ganondorf put no emotion in activating his Triforce. His holy light burned away the door into dust, and Ganondorf was able to walk into the castle’s courtyard.
As he stepped forward, Ganondorf felt the air fill with bloodlust once more. Quickly turning around, he was greeted to nothingness. On guard, he turned back to head to the castle’s entrance, when he saw clumps of dirt and pebbles fall down. Looking up at the top of one of the courtyard's many impressive stone pillars, he saw a figure above. This figure let out a deep laugh that echoed throughout the castle’s courtyard, and with a light floosh, he glided down to the ground.
Ganondorf drew his blades from his sheathes. This looked like the Garo he encountered before, only this one was more ceremonial. He had colourful robes, and a golden mask covering his face. When he spoke, his voice was piercing and low. “You have done well in opening the path. My spies have told me about you. I am the Garo Master. But only one of us will enter the castle.”
Ganondorf stayed his ground when the Garo Master drew his cutlasses, only his blades burned with a fire encasing his blades. The Garo danced about, and leapt at Ganondorf. The Gerudo was ready to counter as before with the last of his kind, when the Garo suddenly bounded up at sonic speed. It caught Ganondorf off guard, and this confusion allowed the Garo to come down from behind and slice Ganondorf’s backside open. Two deep lacerations cut apart his back and the King of the Gerudo roared in fury.
Spinning about, Ganondorf clashed with the Garo Master. Each duel bladed duelist was skilled in their technique. Metal clanged and echoed in the castle courtyard. Both jumped off the pillars as the speed of their duel magnified, jousting in midair as they connected swords. When Ganondorf slammed both his blades against the Garo, he towered over him, his face contorted with anger at his opponent. He told himself that he needed to stop dropping his guard around smaller opponents. The Gerudo would not make the same mistakes again.
The Garo Master jumped back, then disappeared with another bound into the air. Ganondorf took a chapter out of Link’s book, and made a spinning motion with his blades. He managed to catch the Garo by surprise, clipping him across the hip when the warrior was sneaking from behind Ganondorf. The Garo made a sound of pain, but suddenly counter-attacked by spinning like a tornado. Ganondorf leapt over the warrior, following this movement by throwing himself at the Garo as soon as his feet touched the ground.
The master reflected one blade, but found himself unable to stop the second from stabbing into his left side of his stomach. Ganondorf kicked the Garo backwards, and swiped his sword of blood off with a quick flick. When the Garo Master took hold of his footing, Ganondorf threw himself at him once more. With both his fists, he beat into the Garo. Ganondorf yelled out a warrior’s cry, launching one final punch with explosive darkness that launched the Garo Master into a stone pillar.
The dust settled, and Ganondorf walked over to the Garo, pointing a blade towards his neck.
“Yield.”
“I concede.”
Ganondorf felt the sting of his wounds burn, the flaming sword having cartelized his flesh. “You were a mighty opponent Garo. Why did you feel the need to attack?”
“The Ikana Kingdom, when their people were still among the living, were at war. I was sent here to gather information on this nation. But alas, time wasted by, and us Garo too found ourselves drawn to this land, trapped.
“Garo Master. I have an ultimatum for you. You can die here with no purpose in your death. Or you and your spies can serve me. I need an army to combat the masked one’s forces in the centre of Termina. He seeks the destruction of all life. I will stop this from happening at any cost.”
“This is a noble endeavour… very well. My life will push off death’s embrace for a little longer now.”
“Meet with the camp at the entrance to the valley. Once I converse with the King of this castle, I will join the rest of you.”
The Garo Master picked himself up, and drew a deku nut. “I look forward to seeing how you will take command.”
The Garo threw the blinding deku nut, disappearing with another echoing laugh. Ganondorf grumbled, wondering if such theatrics was truly necessary. Looking towards the castle, he journeyed into its darkness.
As soon as he entered, undead Redeads stumbled toward him. They gave their trademark paralysing screams, but Ganondorf was in no mood. When one tried to lunge at him, the King backhanded the undead, decapitating it with the force of his arm. He continued walking forward and, with a smirk, launched a wave of fire from his hand, burning away the zombies.
Ganondorf witnessed a group of stalchildren rise up and try to gather weapons. The skeleton warriors were no match for his magic as he shot a volley of magic bursts at them. He couldn’t be bothered to draw his weapons to deal with such soldiers. Reaching the doors to the throne room, Ganondorf pushed the set to enter.
It was a large, empty room, with only two open windows that allowed the moonlight to pour in. Sitting on a throne, a skeleton with a heavy crown sat still. Ganondorf could barely make out his piercing sapphire eyes being dimmed by the glow of the moon. He swore this would be his last introduction in this land. “I am Ganondorf. King of the Gerudo.”
“Welcome to my castle, King Ganondorf. I am King Igos Du Ikana. I heard you had a different title in Hyrule.”
Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms slowly. “What title would that be? King of Hyrule?”
“The King of Evil. King of a dead and a wasted land.”
“We both happen to rule a kingdom filled with only the dead and memories. The only difference is that I’m still alive.”
“What difference does it make? Your people are dead, and you are completely separated from them. You lacked the power to stop the destruction of your land. And you lack the power now.”
Ganondorf started to pace the room back and forth. “I am power. I was blinded by my pride. That is what led to my fall. I didn’t use my wisdom properly.”
Ikana chortled at that retort. “And do you think that admitting your faults in your character will give you forgiveness from all the dead? They speak to me, Ganondorf.”
“Forgiveness? Why should I seek that?”
“You can’t defeat the power of Majora’s Mask. You should make peace with your sins before you meet the gods.”
“Majora?”
“Yes. Majora. The name of the artifact that tore the darkness and malice from your heart. It was used in ancient times older than both of us for the purpose of dark rituals. It is a terrifying weapon of evil.”
Ganondorf finally had a name for that mask on the imp’s head. It would make a fine addition to his collection of treasures when he put his head on his mantle above a fire. “King Ikana. Give me your forces. With an army, I can lay siege to Clock Town and put an end to this threat.”
“Why, so that you might bring your own brand of evil to the world once you put this chaos to rest?”
“My rule as King does not matter if there is nothing left.”
“But you WILL rule, won’t you? Over all men and women.”
Ganondorf squeezed his fist, illuminating the room with his Triforce. “It was my birthright to be simply king. But as a man I rose up and learned to control power. True power. With that control I gained the right to play god. To become a god.”
King Ikana slammed his fist on his throne. “You?! A god? Such nonsense. That pride is what brought you shame and failure in the first place. The spirits of all those that have fallen because of you curse your name Ganondorf. You held a truly evil malice in your heart that gave you power. But it is gone now. What can a man who isn’t even whole possibly accomplish?! You cannot change fate! You cannot stop death!”
“The power of the gods flows through me Ikana! I am their avatar. When I only held a single piece of the Triforce, I destroyed the two other beings chosen by the gods. I am their champion.” Ganondorf put his glowing hand close to his heart. “If fate was truly out of my control, then why would the gods let me ravage their lands? Lay dominance to their people? Bring control to the chaos that they set loose? If not my own will, it is there’s. They recognize my vision is correct. The spirits of the dead be damned to hell. The living is my concern. Time without the Triforce of Power and that voice in the back of my head, I will admit, has given me clarity. I was brash, demeaning all that stood under me. If I truly want to bring balance to this world as its king, I must give back to the people by giving peace to the world. Only I and I alone have the kind of true, absolute power that has a chance of defeating that masked fiend’s power. In the end, you don’t matter. My soldiers don’t matter. But if I can’t stop him, then nothing will matter. Not even me. You don’t have to like me, but I AM the king that you deserve. I am Ganondorf Dragmire, and only I can save this world!”
Ikana felt the willpower radiate off Ganondorf, and the undead king took a deep sigh. “You certainly have the determination to lead. I might even call you mad with power. But I can see it in your eyes. There is no greed present. You have the eyes of a cornered animal. You’re truly ready to fight for this world, but you don’t know if you can succeed.”
“I tire of this conversation, Ikana. Give me your answer.” Ganondorf settled himself, ready to take what he needed if necessary. Fortune smiled on him, however.
“Very well, Ganondorf. You will have access to my forces until the time that you defeat the Masked Child. Go. Your presence is no longer required. I’m curious to see whose darkness consumes the other…”
Ganondorf, satisfied with acquiring his army, set out from the castle. Walking out the castle, he felt the sting of his wounds on his back now that his adrenaline was dying down. The old wounds stung throughout his body, including the laceration on his cheek, acting like a reopened phantom wound. As he walked into the moonlit courtyard, he felt a soft breeze next to him, and a soft voice he thought he’d never hear spoken to him ever again.
“Hello Ganondorf.”
“N-nabooru? How are you here?”
“How? Ikana Valley is a pot for the dead to gather. I have the strength here to gather myself to speak to you.” She was very faint, with light embers surrounding her. A spectre that appeared could be blown away with a strong gust of wind. “Is it true?”
“What is?”
“That you truly want to save this world?”
Ganondorf scoffed at that question, insulted by her words. “Of course it is. If you didn’t betray me, you could have been at my side in defeating that masked child.”
“That masked child is in a way a creation of your own desire for domination over the world.”
“…Why are you here?”
“I’m here because I’ve been watching over you. It honestly confuses me that someone like you has a heart. The ranch? Sparring that pirate? Or helping the little girl.”
“Bah. Your words are like scratching one’s nails against steel.”
“Ganondorf. Despite the need to preserve your own skin, you’re going about acquiring your army far more diplomatically than I anticipated.”
“I’m doing what I must.”
“For the King of Evil, I thought for sure you’d have snapped Aveil’s neck. You’ve changed.”
Ganondorf turned his head to look her in the eye, his gaze filled with conflicted anger. “You prattle about false beliefs. I’m who I’ve always been. You are just seeing the side of me that rewards those who are loyal. Not that you’d know what loyalty is.”
Nabooru scowled hard at that last statement. “I was there, Ganondorf. I saw the Skull Kid tear the manifestation of your hatred from your body. You’re acting as you were when we were children. Before suffering and power rooted itself into your heart. You’re expressing mercy.”
“I would have given you mercy Nabooru. You only needed to serve.”
“You never gave me a choice in serving you Ganondorf. All you did was take.”
“What, and that scared you?”
“Yes. You’d prattle about ruling the world Ganondorf. You had me and others that wouldn’t kneel willingly brainwashed.” Nabooru’s expression grew soft, sad, but most vibrantly, tired. “I looked up to you once, Ganondorf. You were once a man who inspired hope. Our king. Now you are a mere tyrant.”
Ganondorf walked towards her, and Nabooru’s ghost reached up to trail her hand down the laceration of his cheek. Ganondorf had a sad look, but he didn’t return the gesture. “If I am really just a tool of the gods to shape this world, then I’m sorry that they set you against me.”
“Ganondorf… I became a sage, and you the wielder of power, and even though destiny may have played its hand in that, you were the one who gave into hatred and lashed out against the world. People like Link and Zelda, you could have acted like them.”
“A spoiled princess growing in prosperity and a boy raised by a tree in a sacred forest? No. I wasn’t going to be cast aside by the cruelty of the world. Now look, Nabooru. Look to the sky. Where has your kindness gotten you? An evil even greater than you claim I am is going to erase everything. You’re dead when I need you by my side the most. You were the most tactical woman I knew. And now you’re nothing but dust in the wind.”
“Ganondorf. Answer me one question… and I will leave you.”
“Yes?”
“If you defeat the Skull Kid and take your power back, will you accept darkness back into your entire being once more?”
“I will do whatever is necessary, Nabooru. I think it's time that you leave and find whatever peace your soul can find. I need to prepare myself for the upcoming struggle.”
“You have until tomorrow night. Despite my deep dislike of you Ganondorf… I hope you succeed. The world needs to live.”
Ganondorf watched as Nabooru’s spirit disappeared, sand blowing into the air. The Gerudo King took a pinch of the sand and brought it close for examination. They were grains from the Gerudo desert, hot and coarse. And although he could even consider them irritating and rough against his skin, it filled Ganondorf with a great sense of nostalgia. It was a nostalgic reminder of what he was fighting for.
After Ganondorf took time to heal his wounds, he slowly made his way back to the valley’s entrance. Looking back at the music house, he saw the lights go out in the window, but the happy music kept playing.
Reaching the bottom, he took his steps more carefully. As he finally reached the entrance of the valley, Ganondorf saw the rising sun. It bloomed, rising higher and higher. But once it reached a set point, its light was eclipsed by the moon. Ganondorf felt the need to catch his breath. It had grown considerably closer to the earth, sitting above Clock Town.
Ganondorf needed to hurry his forces. Time was not in his control. And soon, he’d have none left to spare. With a silent promise, Ganondorf told himself he’d see another sunrise, unblotted by evil.
Chapter 5: The Curtain Falls
Ganondorf’s armies were positioned in two key areas. The west and the east. They knew their orders, what they planned to do. Were their doubts? Any private thoughts of deserting? Perhaps. But none acted on them. The brave would not falter, the cowards knew they had nowhere else to go if things fell apart, and the undead either way had no regrets in dying all over again. Ganondorf had his recon scout ahead as he prepared his personal armoury.
It was the middle of the afternoon. Earthquakes had started shaking the earth at random times, causing disturbances in Ganondorf’s men and women setting their siege operations up correctly. The Garo Master returned to Ganondorf, standing dramatically above him on some rocks. “My Lord. The town's walls are littered with monsters around it. Lizards, undead, Deku Baba and creatures I do not recognize.”
“Lin.”
The Gerudo pirate was getting her cutlass checked over when she looked up at the Gerudo king. “Yes, my lord?”
“Take a horse and go to Aveil. Tell her to begin her attack immediately. I’ll be leading the first strike shortly before you should get to her position.” Ganondorf reached a hand out to her. “Your telescope.”
“Oh, sure. I want it back, so don’t break it.” Lin got on the horse they stole from a smaller ranch outside Cremia’s and raced off.
Ganondorf finished suiting up into a lighter armour surrounding his robes in a tight fit. He had a long cape on the back with art trailing down the sides to the bottom in a symbol. Putting on two onyx coloured gauntlets, Ganondorf felt the broken gem on his forehead, reminding himself what being blinded by pride got him in his last battle against the mask. Getting on his horse, he gave it a smack to run into battle. Behind him, in the Ikana Valley, was a legion of Stalfos all ready for war. Leading the undead was a massive skeleton of a giant named Captain Keeta. Ganondorf was confident the giant could tear open the doors to the town.
Taking the telescope, Ganondorf examined the area around the town. There were Deku Baba’s simply snapping at each other, and Redead walking aimlessly around. Scanning around, Ganondorf assumed the Dinoflos would be the worst of the enemies to deal with, but that was when he scanned the tallest structure in Clock Town.
On top of the rounded building was the Skull Kid. He was looking up at the moon and twitching about. He suddenly snapped his bed back and looked straight at Ganondorf. The Gerudo felt a drop of sweat drip down as he looked through the telescope at the imp. The Skull Kid, while still twitching, pointed up at the moon with one finger. Ganondorf turned his view to the moon and, from its eye, he saw various objects fall.
These ‘tears’ fell onto the outside of Clock Town and water scattered over the Redead, Deku Babu, and Dinaflos. All the monsters started to scream. The Deku Baba and Redead hissed and dug themselves underground, as if being pulled under. As Ganondorf galloped closer, he saw the lizards suddenly foam from their mouths, their forms expanding to monstrous proportions.
It was similar to the Dodongo’s in Hyrule, but they were abominations, their muscles and bones stretched out from their original forms unnaturally. A swarm of giant dinosaurs bounded towards Ganondorf. He commanded his forces to attack, when from the ground, white, red spotted hands shot out, knocking Ganondorf off his horse. The Ikana Stalfos were suddenly attacked by Dead Hand’s that sprouted their terrifying forms from the ground to bite at the other undead.
As Ganondorf sliced apart other hands that clawed at him, the earth violently exploded from underneath him. The moon’s tears had turned the simple Deku Baba into horrifying Manhandla. These gigantic plants that sprouted all around the area of the battlefield started spitting seeds at the speed of bullets, spraying acid, or simply devouring Ganondorf’s forces. The green fields of Termina were turned brown as the carnivorous plants stole the nutrients to fuel their rampage.
On the west side, Aveil and her Gerudo forces used cannon fire to obliterate the monsters that attacked them. Iron Knuckles with heavy axes split the skulls of any Dead Hand that slithered in range, but the larger enemies were more difficult. The Garo danced about, throwing bombs onto the lizards and plants, encasing them with fire to slow them down.
Ganondorf leapt into the air, and, forming a large energy ball into his hands, fired at the gathered swarm of Manhandla. His electric blast tore many of the heads from their bodies. This gave him room to get onto his horse and rally his troops. “Push forward! I want that imp dragged through the city streets!”
Captain Keeta picked up one of the lizards, and swung it by its tail, throwing it into a group of the Dead Hand like bowling pins. “At your order, SIR!”
As Ganondorf reached closer to the city, he noticed a flock of crows fly overhead. Out of the blue, a beam zapped them out of the sky and landed into the city. Skull Kid blew smoke off his finger as he admired what would come next. As Ganondorf tried to get closer, he noticed figures pour from the city wall far above. Feathered knights in armour called Fokka leapt with swords and shields. Screaming in anger, they engaged Ganondorf’s forces.
These bird knights were more skilled, fighting one on one with various Gerudo warriors and Garo. They ran at the speed of raptors, catching up with Ganondorf. The Gerudo readied his swords and parried their attacks away from him. These vultures were keeping him from getting to the centre of the town. Ganondorf raised one of his swords, and called upon his magic for some creativity. Launching a bolt ahead of him, phantoms on horseback swinging tridents galloped at the Fokka chasing Ganondorf. When the avian warriors hit the phantoms, they were engulfed in electricity.
Ganondorf found that in his time of galloping, he had reached the southern side of the battlefield. Steering back towards the town, he looked briefly up to have the perfect view of the moon again. On cue, another quake shook the land as he looked up at its insidious grin. Looking down at the wall, Ganondorf didn’t know why the wall was shifting like a mirage. As he got closer, he noticed little critters made of single eyes and tentacles clung to the wall. With a charge in the eye, they fired lasers at Ganondorf to keep him away.
Such monsters only made Ganondorf annoyed with his time wasted. Thrusting a hand forward, Ganondorf cast a bolt of fire. When it burned one of the Digdoggers, it quickly spread to the others. The King looked around, and saw the battle raging on in the west and east. Heading toward the gates of the south entrance, he was prepared to attack, when suddenly two mechanical golems leap down from the wall.
These Eyegore fired thick beams of plasma towards Ganondorf. The Gerudo diverted his horse left in turn. Their eyes turned yellow as they recharged and Ganondorf calculated a plan. Leaping away from his horse, he knew it would be put in danger if he got closer to these golems. He slowly walked towards them, with both swords drawn. When the Eyegore fired another laser stream, Ganondorf suddenly dashed forward.
Maneuvering around the fire, Ganondorf was like a leaf in the wind. The Eyegore tried to trip Ganondorf by crossing their streams, but the Gerudo simply flipped into the air. His determination made him think more efficiently, and be more deadly. When their eyes turned yellow, Ganondorf landed on one of his victims, and plunged his blades into its eye socket. Leaping towards the second Eyegore, Ganondorf danced around the golem as it tried to crush him with the weight of its mechanical arms. The first Eyegore’s eye turned red and, after falling to its knees, exploded, sending shrapnel everywhere.
This shrapnel stabbed into the second Eyegore, distracting it. Ganondorf blocked a strike from behind, assaulted by more Fokka that attempted to end his life. With quick sword play, the King of Hyrule cut down the monsters. With a kick to the head, he sent one Fokka in the path of the angered Eyegore, having it get crushed underfoot. A Manhandla stalk spurted forth from the ground, spraying acid towards Ganondorf.
Another shake of the earth, and Ganondorf cut down more Fokka stumbled by the tremor. As the acid spat towards him, Ganondorf ran towards the Eyegore. The golem became encased in acid, and it shot out all of its energy toward Ganondorf. The King merely had to take a side step to have the beam detonate the Manhandla. In motion with his head turning, he cut down one last Fokka. What else did that Imp have guarding the town?
His worries were answered when the door blocking the south entrance was blown apart. A massive Masked Mechanical Monster known as Goht trotted its hooves. It looked like a metal bull with the face of a man. It gave a terrible roar filled with blood lust and lowering its head, did what bulls do best. It charged head first towards Ganondorf.
Ganondorf steadied himself for the first strike as Goht stampeded in his direction. The bull’s horns acted as long hooks, catching Ganondorf and throwing him into the air. Ganondorf poured his magic into protecting his body, encasing his body in a crystal, but the force of the masked bull shattered it. He saved himself from a devastating blow, but he did not know if he had the concentration to lift such another life saver.
Whistling for his horse, Ganondorf leapt on and chased Goht from behind. As he wondered how he would stop this beast as they ran eastward, a small hatch opened up in Goht’s back. Bombs suddenly fired out, firebombing both foe and friend. Ganondorf growled as he maneuvered his horse around the gunpowder. “Everything has a gimmick.”
Getting closer, Ganondorf raised a hand into the air, giving a green magical glow. This unique light got the attention of Aveil. Seeing the mechanical bull, she commanded her pirates to redirect their cannons at the fiend. Aveil secretly hoped Ganondorf might get caught in the crossfire. Cannonballs fired through the air, smashing into Goht’s exoskeleton. The bull fell head first, ruining the earth as it skidded forward. Ganondorf raised a hand and as he rode by, fired an electric ball into the monster’s head.
The masked mechanical monster wouldn’t be put down so easily. Raising itself up, it reared it head back, and thrusting it forward, a powerful line of electricity zoomed outwards, blasting the cannons that pelted into it apart. Ganondorf was making his way back around when he saw the monster fire a beam of lightning at him. It struck his horse, killing his mount and causing Ganondorf to take a heavy fall into the sand below him.
Coughing out the sand that fell into his mouth, Ganondorf picked himself up from the fall. Turning, he saw Goht rampaging about, throwing Gerudo Pirates into the air. The bull finished smashing one of the Iron Knuckles against a hill, when it turned its attention to Ganondorf. The Gerudo King scowled, putting his hands close together to charge one more magic sphere. He’d only get one shot at this.
Goht roared, and charged at Ganondorf, lowering its head and picking up speed with every second. If Ganondorf had the Triforce of Power, he’d feel a lot more confident in taking on a rampaging monster speeding at 200km per hour. He dug deep into his courage and kept his ground. Goht was ready to trample Ganondorf to death or pierce him with his horns, when Ganondorf thrust his palms forward with his energy sphere. With all his force he pushed it deep into Goht. The bull started to push Ganondorf back as his hands touched its head.
In a flash of light, Goht’s entire body lit up. A millisecond of tension occurred, then the monster exploded in a ball of fire and electricity. Ganondorf was sent flying high by the force of the blast. Shrapnel from the monster’s mechanical body flew across the fields of Termina, singling the beast’s defeat. Ganondorf found himself falling and falling through the air, his nerves numb. The last thing he saw before total blackness was a tree he was crashing towards.
~
Everything was a haze. Ganondorf felt someone shaking his arm. By reaction, he seized their arm and squeezed. His eyes started to open, and his mind thought it was Nabooru he had in his grasp. Now she made herself useful to him? As his mind became clearer, he noticed it was only the pirate Lin. “What happened…”
Lin held her arm, comforting it as Ganondorf let go his tight squeeze. “Lord Ganondorf. It’s almost midnight. You were sent flying away from the battlefield. It took our scouts that weren’t fighting all evening to find you.”
“No. How much time is-” Ganondorf stopped mid speech as he looked to the sky. Instead of a dark sky filled with stars, it was blood red. The clouds were black and hazy, and the moon had grown even closer. It was the earth turning to hell. The sight of it gave Ganondorf a wave of nausea. “…is a path open for me?”
Lin nodded, pointing to the southern entrance. “Monsters have poured from the north from Snowpeak, but your army is keeping them away. The south entrance is wide open for you. I suggest you take it before more monsters spread this way.”
Ganondorf did everything in his power to not grimace in front of a subordinate as he stood up. “Go. Assist the rest of your clan. I have a duty to finish.”
“As you wish… good luck.”
Ganondorf and the Gerudo Pirate parted, with Ganondorf picking up his pace as he got closer to Clock Town. He wondered what monsters laid in the town waiting for him. The walls of the city were so large, he had no clue what lay inside. Finally, the moment he had been waiting for revealed itself to his eyes.
Inside the town, were posters and stands for a festival. In fact, to his shock, there were people celebrating. All the townsfolk had masks on. They played music, danced in the streets, played games of catch and chanted. Ganondorf’s eyes widened as he got a closer look. All the townsfolk had their masks sewed in by what looked like vines stitched to their heads. Some had their feet and hands bleeding with blisters, appearing to have danced and played music with no rest.
The horror of this façade of joy made Ganondorf disgusted, bile in his stomach wanting to escape him. “This is sick.”
Looking around, he noticed a child with a pig mask oinking and crawling on all fours. On a lily pad held a tree that had an expression of shock and fear, but also gave off a feeling of sadness. Chickens chased a dog around, not letting it rest. Despite the insanity around him, there was a quiet malice behind all the noise. Ganondorf looked up to the structure in the middle of town, when the bells started to go off.
“Ganondorf?”
The Gerudo turned around to see a group of small boys wearing odd masks. They gave a little dance. “Skull Kid wanted us to welcome you! We’re going to kick off the last of the festival with a bang! We’re the bomber gang, ya get it?”
Ganondorf heard a ticking and he realized the twisted meaning. Leaping away, he avoided the suicide bombers from taking his life. Children? The little devil was using children against him now?! No screams from the blast were heard, all the surviving townsfolk still carrying on their celebrations.
The rings of the bells rang and singled a clock to go off. Twelve gongs went off in the town, and fireworks shot out into the air. The structure in the middle of the town shifted its position, and a circular platform was made visible for the public. A series of doors unlocked, sliding down and making a stairway to reach the top. The earthquakes got heavier, and Ganondorf knew this was it. His world would be saved, or it would die.
Finally making his way to the top, Ganondorf stood tall on the platform. Simply floating in the air, still and with little care was the Skull Kid. When he spoke, he wasn’t even amused. “Did you like the welcoming party? All the villagers put on their masks and got to dancing. And that gang of punk’s surprise sure was a blast. I wanted the world’s last celebration to end with no signs of stopping. Well, except for the one above us. Hehehe.”
Ganondorf reached out a hand, like a parent demanding a child of something. “Give me Majora’s Mask. That toy is too much for you. This is my only warning. Refuse, and I will end your life. You have nowhere to go.”
“You think you stop me? Fool. Your collection of puppets fails in comparison to mine. Look above you. As if you can stop this. As if you can stop me! Have my final parting gift!”
Skull Kid screamed aloud, and waves of energy spiraled outwards from his mask. Ganondorf was ready to attack, when he heard a massive shockwave echo all the way from the east. Turning his head, he witnessed lightning crackle above what was the Stone Tower Temple. From the sky, two Giant Masked Insects flew through the air. These Twinmold were titans of such size that Ganondorf physically took a step back from shock.
The Twinmolds took their time descending to the armies in Termina field. Their massive bodies tore up the land as they flew in and out of the earth and through the sky, devouring everything in their paths. Aveil screamed as she was lifted up into the air, and swallowed whole in a matter of seconds. Many of the Gerudo tried to flee in terror, but many were torn up by the pincers of the titanic insects. The Dinoflos and Stalfos alike were each devoured with ease and equality. Even the giant Captain Keeta, was a mere toy in the wake of the Twinmold, and his bones were scattered across the land.
Ganondorf saw one of the Twinmold discriminately fly towards Romani’s Ranch. He tore his sights away from the monsters and focused on the real demon at hand. He knew what needed to be done. Bracing himself, he leapt into the air with all the speed he could muster. Getting in Skull Kid’s face, he charged darkness into his fist and threw a mighty warlock punch at the imp. The trickster took the hit, being flung into the platform.
Lightning crackled in the sky; the earth continued to shake. Ganondorf landed with a hard landing, scowling at the Imp. Skull Kid merely laughed at him, sucking in the pain he was feeling.
“Hohohehehaha. It matters not how hard you fight. You have no hope.”
“Hope? I fight with determination. And my will IS stronger than yours!”
The Skull Kid stood up, firing a finger beam at Ganondorf. The king opened his palm, taking the hit as he slowly marched forward towards the Skull Kid. His hand started to burn, but using his second one, he fired a bolt of magic at the jester. His magic directly found its mark against the Skull Kid’s chest. Skull Kid was sent flying against the edge of the platform, his orange tunic having a hole from the burn radius, exposing his wooden chest. Ganondorf noticed how sickly it looked.
Getting up, Skull Kid stamped his feet in frustration. Grabbing his head, he screamed out to the moon. The celestial answered by dropping more tears. They came down like meteors, trying to smash Ganondorf to pieces. The Gerudo dodged and weaved around, one rock managing to burn a hole in his cape.
Using one sword, Ganondorf cleaved other meteors that came close to hitting him. Turning his attention back to the Skull Kid, he saw the Imp jump to the left and, in a fit of rage, he threw balls of explosive darkness at Ganondorf. The king ran around the spheres, the darkness searing the wooden platform with acidic destruction. As Skull Kid reached his hand back to throw another shot, Ganondorf took the dagger on his side hip and lobbed it at the Imp, the blade finding its mark by going right through the mad child’s palm.
The Skull Kid screamed and whimpered at the knife in his palm. An unnatural black goop even to him leaked from the wound. “Y-you big jerk! Look at what you did!”
“What I did? What I DID?!” Ganondorf sped forward, and while Skull Kid was able to get the knife out and barely defend himself from a slash of Ganondorf’s blade, he couldn’t stop the boot to the head the Gerudo delivered to the side of his skull. “Look around you! What purpose was all this for?”
Skull Kid adjusted his hat as he stood, his knees shaking. Ganondorf gut kicked Skull Kid up into the air before he could fully recover, and thrust a hand forward, blasting the imp to the centre of the platform with a wave of magic.
As Skull Kid tried to find the strength to summon another curse, or fire a laser through Ganondorf’s heart, the king slowly walked up to him and grabbed his neck with a choke hold. Ganondorf used his other hand to stab his knife into the Skull Kid’s chest. It was a slow twist of the knife. Ganondorf wanted to make sure that this would kill, and that it would hurt. He could only hope it would come close to the pain this Imp put his victims through. With a look of anger, he pulled the knife away and grabbed the mask off his face, tearing it from him and casting it aside. Ganondorf wanted to look into the dying eyes of this mad Imp and see what kind gaze a sickening mind like him had.
The Skull Kid choked hard, Ganondorf’s grip tight on his neck, and the wound in his chest working its way to end his life. Ganondorf was disappointed to see fear and sadness in the gleam of this creatures’ eyes. “Tell me why you did all this before you die.”
“Y-you took everything from me. You killed the only two people that cared about me. They were my friends. You made the world a place of cruelty that couldn’t be changed. You dashed away my hopes, so I wanted to take away yours. The mask was going to give me the power to put an end to this cruel world.”
Ganondorf scowled. All of this death over revenge? A tantrum? His Triforce glowed, and he could feel the Triforce of Power pull back to him from the Imp’s weakening lifeforce. “Mere child. If you want to have your suffering end, all you need to do is ask.”
Ganondorf squeezed hard on the wooden neck, and Skull Kid flailed his little feet in the air, gasping his death rattle. “S-saria. L-li-” His eyes quickly rolled back, and a small whisper escaped him. “You lost this-”
With a snap like lumber being cut, Ganondorf broke his neck, and released a small blast of darkness to ensure death, shooting the body of the Skull Kid away from Ganondorf’s hand. His body landed back on the mask and, from it, Ganondorf saw his Triforce of Power levitate in the air. Too long had he felt incomplete. “My Triforce, return to me!”
Ganondorf squeezed his fist, the Triforce of Wisdom and Courage glowing on the back of his hand. The Triforce of Power flew forward, and Ganondorf felt a surge of godly might flow through him. The king could feel the holy unlimited power of the Triforce’s light fill him, yet the power of his inner darkness had not returned. As he let the feeling of completion die down, he noticed the Giant Twinmold alter their course of devouring the land and fly around the town. Suddenly, a massive quake shook the land, and gravity started to alter, with pieces of the earth and town itself flying up towards the moon. “What is-!!!!!”
Ganondorf saw the body of Skull Kid float up in the air, just dangling about. He was at a loss of words, and fear rooted in his heart. What was this thing?! “A puppet who can no longer be used is more garbage.” The Mask dropped the body of the dead Skull Kid and floated in the air. Its eyes glowed an insidious orange. “This puppet's role has just ended.”
Ganondorf braced himself, drawing both his swords. He had no idea what insanity could happen next. The Moon opened its mouth slightly, and a sphere of air sucked the mask into its mouth. Majora was gone. Looking up to the moon, he saw its eyes glow with hunger, and a voice rattled out to the world below.
“I…I shall consume. Consume… Consume everything.”
The Moon started to have a sphere of fire burn around it as it prepared to detonate against the planet. The Twinmolds roared, unconcerned by the Armageddon, and flew towards Ganondorf to devour him.
Ganondorf held his Triforce against his heart. His life had led him to this. All the suffering he had endured. His quest for power. His battle against the gods' chosen ones. Giving into his inner darkness just to survive. His failure as a king in defending his kingdom. His battles to get to this exact point. With no hesitation, he called the Triforce to materialize into a physical form and laid his hand on the Golden Triangle.
“GODS! ANSWER ME! HEAR MY WISH!” The Triforce glowed on and off at the command. “Erase everything that Majora has done! Cast aside its creations! Bring an end to its curses! Restore the lands it has destroyed and the lives it has taken! Restore all those affected by its evil! This is my command to you! Restore my world to its proper state and bring it peace!”
The Triforce beamed brightly, and the holy Triangle expanded in the sky. Waves of holy light boomed out to all four directions of the earth. The Twinmold that tore through the town to reach Ganondorf were obliterated piece by piece. The insects atomized bit by bit with each wave of light. Their bodies exploded from the inside, raining what wasn’t immediately turned into atoms onto the earth.
Ganondorf looked up to the moon, and to his utter disbelief, the moon was pushing against the Triforce. A low-pitched roar echoed, and the earth continued to shake. Majora was not going to fall to the power of the Hylian Goddesses. Ganondorf looked at the vortex that led to the inside the moon. With a tired sigh he couldn’t believe this is what it would take. If he died here, he knew the spirits of Zelda and that kid would laugh down upon him. Taking a running start, Ganondorf leapt in the vortex, and flew headlong into the darkness of the moon.
~
Ganondorf felt very weightless. Everything around him was so… bright. Not understanding why he was lying on his back, Ganondorf stood up. Looking around, he was shocked to find himself in a bright green field. The field went on forever in all directions, with only the sight of the odd collection of butterflies, and a tree directly in the middle of a small hill.
“Are you lost?”
“Who said that?”
Was that his voice? He sounded like a mere child. Looking at his hands, he discovered he was a child! His mind was still an adult, but his thoughts were lighter. “What is the meaning of this?”
“Are you lost?”
The same voice called from behind him, and Ganondorf turned. A simple boy in white clothing wearing Majora’s Mask stood still. “You’re new here.”
“Who are you?”
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing does. So that’s why I’m not going to ask your name.”
Ganondorf watched this moon child walk slowly through the field to the tree. There were other children in masks running around, but they paid no mind to Ganondorf. “Are you Majora?”
“You ask a lot of questions.” The moon child wearing Majora’s Mask sat down, holding himself close while leaning against the tree. “Do you think you're special?”
“I have to stop Majora! I’m the only one who can!” Ganondorf’s voice was high pitched, more so than he intended to be.
The moon child didn’t even budge. “You think that makes you important?”
“Of course it makes me important! I’m stopping a bad guy!”
“Hmmm, how interesting. You think you’re a hero? You’re not much of a good person yourself.”
Ganondorf bit his lip, angered by the words that were thrown at him. “I’m king! I have the power to change the world! And I’m deciding to save it! Majora wants to destroy it!”
“Any who need to say they are king aren’t truly a king at heart. But then again, you are just a child.” The moon child stood up. “Then you think you can win?”
“Yes! Monsters need to be crushed!”
“Then I guess we’ll play a game. The monster vs. the king. Good guys vs. the bad guys. Let’s do that.”
Ganondorf tightened his fists, pumped and ready to go. His adult mind clued in that this must have been some manifestation of Majora speaking to him. He was growing tired of all these tricks. “Alright, I’ll play one last game with you.”
“Are you ready? You’re the bad guy.”
“What?” Ganondorf, the child within him, was startled by this title.
“And when you’re bad, you just run. That’s fine, right? Well… shall we play?”
~
Ganondorf, in the blink of an eye, found himself in a single room. The walls surrounding the room were eerie, glowing and changing all sorts of colours. He felt his chest to confirm he was back in the body of his adult self. He tried to call upon the Triforce, but he didn’t feel a trace of its presence. Everything was a dream like haze until he laid eyes on Majora’s Mask.
The haze dissipated when the Mask’s eyes came to life, glowing wildly. The wall it was on shook, and the Mask levitated off. Tendrils expanded off its back, and the thing flew around Ganondorf. The King drew both his gilded swords and awaited combat. This was the final battle. This was his personal ultimate showdown.
Majora’s Mask carefully observed Ganondorf, floating around the arena until, suddenly, it turned horizontally, and flew at Ganondorf like a spinning blade. The Gerudo dodged to the side and the Mask whizzed by. Ganondorf could feel the air be sliced by the force of the Mask. It kept spinning, coming around for another pass, when it suddenly went through a small portal, disappearing from sight.
Ganondorf took a stance, thinking back to previous battles. Whenever his enemy disappeared, they always wanted to come… from behind! He was rewarded for trust in his instincts, as the mask appeared to cut him in half from the back. Ganondorf clashed his swords against the spikes of the Mask, and as it flew up to avoid Ganondorf, he stabbed one of his swords into its vulnerable backside. To his disgust, it looked like pure muscle.
Majora gave out a shrill cry as it fell to the floor. Rising slowly up again, tendrils that dropped from its body lashed out and attempted to ensnare Ganondorf. They managed to take hold of one of his arms and, as Ganondorf set to work cutting them off, the other tendrils went around Majora like the shape of the sun, with the Mask’s eyes beginning to heat up. With ferocity, Majora fired two beams of plasma from its eyes, burning up the floor and quickly picking up to slice apart Ganondorf.
Unable to cut himself free, Ganondorf used the metal of his sword to reflect the laser. Sweating madly, Ganondorf had to be quick and precise or he’d be dead. Twisting the sword just enough, he cut the tendrils that ensnared his arm. Following this, he redirected the beam to fire back at Majora. The Mask flew back, burning up in flames and giving a devilish shriek once more.
Once it was done shrieking, its eyes dimmed out, and it flew up in the air. Ganondorf could only describe it as a blood red fire that burned out its tendrils and surrounded its body. Once the flames ended, Ganondorf heard a pop, and a leg sprouted out. Another pop, and the second leg joined it. With two more pops, it grew arms. Like fish poking its head out of water, a single eyeball with horns sprung out, echoing the chamber with its birth.
This Incarnation of Majora started to stretch out, and Ganondorf raised his eyebrow at its shrill, childish voice. It gave a little dance and, with a giggle, slapped its hands together. In a flash, the arena changed. Ganondorf knew this was an illusion, because he found himself in a twisted version of Clock Town. There was carnival music blaring, and fireworks constantly going off. The buildings crumbled apart, and as rubble hit the ground, they turned into bubbles. Some pieces of stone merely floating in mid air. The sky was a whirlwind of multi-colours. Reality was descending into madness.
Majora’s Incarnation ran around Ganondorf, trailing after images behind it. The Gerudo tried firing bolts of magic, but he merely missed. The fiend suddenly stopped to do a cossack dance, laughing and kicking about. Ganondorf grew tired of its immaturity, and struck the ground with his fist. The tremor caused Majora to fall over, crying and screaming like a mere toddler. Ganondorf fired another bolt of magic, finding its mark in its rear end. The demon stood up, holding itself in pain, but just as soon as Ganondorf was in reach for a sword strike, it ran off again.
Ganondorf did his best to track its after images. At one moment, he saw it doing a ballerina dance, spinning around while singing to itself. Next, it was moon-walking up the wall of one of the buildings. Ganondorf was charging another energy sphere, growing tired of its games, when out of the blue, Majora stopped running and fired a volley of electric blasts at Ganondorf.
The man had grown so accustomed to its childish insanity, that he had dropped his guard. He screamed as his body was overcome with pain, being blasted onto his belly. The demon laughed as it jumped up and down in joy, then zoomed over to Ganondorf while he was down. With the same speed as his running, it kicked into him over and over. Ganondorf’s stomach took a beating, until Majora switched it up to curbing his foot into the back of Ganondorf’s skull over and over again.
Every kick to the skull brought about visions of failure. How many times had he been beaten? How many times had his enemies cut him down? The imp and his mask was going to have the last laugh. It was unbearable.
Throughout all the pain a memory to a solemn, but calm voice rang in his mind. “I hope you succeed. The world needs to live.”
The Triforce burned on his hand, and his eyes exploded awake with righteous anger. He would not die at the hands of a childish demon! Blasting the earth around him, he launched himself into the air. Landing, he quickly drew his swords and dashed towards Majora. The demon danced around his sword slices, its thin body allowing it incredible speed. Raising his hand, Ganondorf activated a spell to keep himself and Majora’s Incarnation in a ring of fire. With it confined, Ganondorf fired two shots to his left and right. The demon skidded as it found itself with nowhere to go. With one more dash, Ganondorf smirked as he stabbed both blades into the eyes on Majora’s body.
The illusion of the arena fizzled and cracked, its reality breaking apart. Majora’s Incarnation screamed and held itself in pain. Ganondorf pulled his swords out and backed away, feeling a terrible feeling of death rising up. “Why won’t you die?”
“Because we are the end of all things. Your own hatred has fueled my existence. Everything in this world, including you, will be consumed in fire and wrath.”
The voice finished echoing, and Ganondorf saw Majora’s body swelling its muscle mass. In fact, he heard it. It was like the sound of flowing water churning. The demon’s muscles grew, and from its neck a demonic, eldritch head came forth. Its head was grotesque with muscles fibres visible. It had its eye with the horns from its previous form atop its head. Its eye sockets had a never-ending spiral to them, that sucked in the attention of all who would dare stare into them. A deep, ominous growl echoed from deep within it, and as it threw its arms out, thick, whip-like tendrils made from its muscles sprouted. Majora gave a high-pitched screech, and the eyes on the middle of its stomach glowed bright orange. This was the sound of a predator on the hunt. This was pure Wrath ready to kill.
The arena collapsed, with the flames Ganondorf saw in his dreams sprouting from below, devouring the reality around them like a typhoon. Clock Town, Castle Town, his old desert home, and every place his mind knew was falling into the flames. Darkness surrounded them, and soon that’s all that would remain. Fire, followed by complete darkness.
Somehow, Ganondorf found his footing in this insane collapsing landscape. His senses couldn’t tell the difference from truth to fiction. Majora leapt next to him, and with its whips, lashed out at him. They were as sharp as the blade of evil’s bane, cutting Ganondorf’s chest plate apart, and giving him light cuts to deep lacerations on his body.
Ganondorf got in close for some retaliation, slicing at Majora’s torso. It gave a high-pitched scream, and leapt over the Gerudo. As it did, a tentacle wrapped around Ganondorf’s leg and picked him up. With psychotic laughter, Majora threw Ganondorf around, having him smash into stone towers of Clock Town and Castle Town. For illusions, they felt incredibly real. Ganondorf spat out blood on the fourth collision. With great satisfaction, Majora’s Wrath threw Ganondorf against a wall, and he tumbled down, falling from a piece of debris downwards one at a time, until he landed in a floating courtyard.
Ganondorf felt fear. He felt anger. But he wasn’t using them. Majora’s Wrath hissed as it slunk down closer and closer to Ganondorf. The Gerudo stood up, and by the time he was on his feet, the Demon was down at his level. With a screech, it spun like a top, whipping its sharp tentacles about. Ganondorf parried every lash with his swords, but his muscles burned. They were begging him for a release. His arms were sore, and his injuries were grave. As Majora stopped spinning, it gave another shriek as it whipped forward to ensnare Ganondorf again.
Ganondorf let his fear of death keep him alive. With all the force he could muster, he swatted the tentacle away. Majora whipped its other tentacle to trip Ganondorf. Ganondorf called upon his anger to fuel his rage. Scowling, he let Majora grab his sword, then twisted his positioning to stab the blade and the tentacle into the ground. Majora screamed as it tore the tentacle off its arm, and in its place quickly grew another one. The Gerudo became desperate to attack Majora before it could regenerate its appendage fully. As Ganondorf picked up his pace to catch the demon with one sword, Majora’s Wrath gave a shrill scream as it whipped both tentacles back and forth at Ganondorf.
The King of Darkness blasted a bolt of energy forward, stunning Majora in its place. The demon cried and even moaned as it held its chest in pain. Did it hate the pain or get off on it? The sounds it made were utterly insulting to Ganondorf’s ears. Taking his blade, he made wide, deep swings, giving it his all to tear Majora apart. The demon screamed loudly as Ganondorf cut its body apart slash by slash. With a hiss, it jumped, flipping over Ganondorf. As it landed, right behind Ganondorf, the demon kicked him in the head, stumbling the Gerudo back. With a hiss, it whipped Ganondorf again, cutting his pinkie and index finger off on his left hand as Ganondorf was in mid recovery from the kick.
Ganondorf screamed in agony and rage. His hatred was brimming to its boiling point. Yet he couldn’t step off the edge. When he wailed on Majora, he felt a connection to it. No. He felt what that fiend had taken from him inside it. His malice. If he wanted to win, he needed it back.
Majora Wrath’s eyes in the centre of its body of what was once the mask glowed, and a laser shot out, attempting to scorch Ganondorf. The King ran as fast as he could through the nightmarish landscape, evading the beam of death hungry for his life. Scooping up his second sword, he turned to face the demon once more. It was scaling the wall next to him, and with a thrust, one of its tendrils pierced through Ganondorf’s shoulder. Using both his blades he sliced the tentacle off, but the damage was done. Ganondorf felt a sickness course through him. A glance at his shoulder and he saw the festering green and purple pulse at his gaping wound. The king had been poisoned with darkness.
Screaming a battle cry, Ganondorf leapt towards Majora, and the demon leapt to him. Mid air, they crashed into one another, with Ganondorf piercing both blades into the stomach of the Mask. Majora’s Wrath leaned down and took a bite into Ganondorf’s shoulder. Ganondorf dropped his blades as soon as he pulled them out due to the jaws of the demon, but before they hit the ground, he reached up and tore the horns off the smaller eye’s sides, and stabbed them into the spiral eyes of the head.
Both the Gerudo and Majora landed with a heavy crash on a platform close to the inferno of flames. Majora leaked darkness from his body, and Ganondorf felt his essence with it. Reaching out, Ganondorf could only whisper his command. “I willingly ask you to rejoin me. Join me.”
As unseen shadows crept towards Ganondorf, Majora’s Wrath regenerated its wounds slowly, screaming as it grabbed the horns from its eyes and tore them out. Now healed and recovered, the demon gave a scream that echoed eternal darkness and destruction. With a whip of its tendrils, it took hold of Ganondorf. With the other, it stabbed into his lungs and out his back. His cape was the farthest thing from being the most damaged.
Ganondorf gasped, blood leaking out of his mouth and down his lips. “I accept the darkness in my heart. I accept the hatred that I used to fuel my survival. I ask it again to help me survive...”
Ganondorf’s heart started pumping fast, and magic around him made him flicker. A black fire started to rise around him. He gripped the tentacle in his body with one hand. “I am Ganondorf. King of the Gerudo. King of Darkness. You are merely an ugly shadow. The basic thing. I cast you out of existence Majora.”
Ganondorf reared a hand back, and an avatar of darkness appeared behind him. Giving a swipe of his arm, the avatar of Ganon smashed Majora’s Wrath away. Ganondorf clenched his fists, shadows levitating his swords into grabbing reach. The Mask was confused. Where did this come from? The malice was supposed to kill him, not empower him. How was a mortal being able to fight back? With a screech, it plunged its tentacles into the ground, having them emerge right under Ganondorf’s nose. With precision, Ganondorf cut them away.
Despite his wounds, despite all his injuries and pain, Ganondorf used hatred to fuel his resolve and keep him alive. Dashing forward, Ganondorf charged a massive energy sphere and threw it at Majora. The Demon was overcome with shocking energy and moaned in agony once more. Ganondorf bared his fangs as he took both his blades and cut Majora apart. His own wrath had become stronger than this mere mask. The demon kept screaming over and over as Ganondorf sliced and diced over and over.
Finally, Ganondorf stabbed both his gilded swords into the eyes of the body. Reaching back, Ganondorf opened his right palm to summon forth a trident made of pure energy. Taking it, the Gerudo screamed and thrust forward with every fibre of his being. He could feel his animalistic, demonic side push forward with him in his soul. The trident stabbed into Majora’s Wrath’s centre. Tentacles raced around to pierce Ganondorf’s body, but they stopped mid-motion.
Majora stumbled back and it held its head as it wailed in suffering. The painful end it wished upon others; it was now receiving itself. An echo of a scream left Majora’s body, and it floated into the air. A piercing light started to overcome its form, and its body began to disintegrate. The whole area quaked, the reality of Majora breaking. With its soul defeated, the Triforce began its work to erase the last of its physical trace.
As Majora glowed bright in defeat, Ganondorf stumbled and closed his eyes, welcoming the darkness with a sigh that swarmed him in victory. He slowly looked up to face the eyes of the shadowy demon with tusks. It had no corporeal form. What Ganondorf heard was the sound of a thousand voices he couldn’t understand distorted and whispering. He felt a draw to it, that it wanted him to give in control. Had he gone too far in defeating Majora?
The darkness reached closer, but with one command, Ganondorf shook his head. “No. You are a part of me. But you will not control me. This world is ours, but I am the one who leads it. Begone beast.”
A thousand angry growls echoed in protest, but Ganondorf felt a light in the darkness. His Triforce had returned to him, giving him a sense of warmth. With only a look from Ganondorf, the malice disappeared. Reality started to come together properly once again…
~
Ganondorf came too on top of the carnival tower in the middle of Clock Town. He heard cries of concern from people below. Looking out to his right, he saw the sun was rising peacefully onto the world. He had done it. His power and will saved this realm.
Ganondorf felt… so tired. Resting against the edge of the platform, Ganondorf took a few breaths. He flexed his limbs, discovering his injuries against Majora had healed, including his fingers. It must have been a by-product of his wish. Feeling his face, he held a slight grimace when he felt the scar of his laceration still there. That was due to his fight with his inner beast after all. He supposed that there were consequences to his failures that even the gods couldn’t fix.
His rest was interrupted by cheers in the streets. Walking to the edge of the platform, he looked down to see Gerudo pirates explaining to the townsfolk what happened. They all came to the realization that Ganondorf was their hero. All the townsfolk, including the little bomber gang, had been restored properly. Cheers shouting his name echoed throughout the town.
“HAIL KING GANONDORF! LORD GANONDORF! OUR SAVIOUR GANONDORF!”
Ganondorf, even as tired as he was, felt a wave of pride and joy fill him. Finally, subjects who were grateful for the sacrifices he made. He would return to Hyrule, but he felt that Termina would have no need to be conquered.
As Ganondorf turned around, he noticed two things. The body of the Skull Kid was gone. A small concern, but nothing that worried Ganondorf, because the second thing he noticed was the physical artifact of Majora’s Mask itself. Picking it up, Ganondorf gave it a hard, long look. This little piece of wood carving caused him so much grief. He couldn’t sense a trace of evil from it now. All it had become was a mere decoration. Putting it into his pocket, Ganondorf decided to keep it, lest someone try anything with it in the future.
Detaching his cape and armour, Ganondorf felt relieved to walk in mere robes once more. Walking down to the village, he was greeted to an eruption of cheers and celebration. Ganondorf smiled, giving waves back to the crowd. Lin ran forward, with Aveil standing nearby, grateful to be alive, but not wanting anything to do with Ganondorf. Lin, on the other hand, was ecstatic. “Ganondorf! You did it!”
“Was there any doubt?” Ganondorf was too tired to mask his sarcasm well, but he still held pride in his words.
“It was touch and go. So… what now?”
“Now?” Ganondorf took a breath of fresh air. “A little celebration for your King. Then I will return to Hyrule. I wish to see my home nation. If it has truly been restored. But afterwards I think I’ll return here. Termina is a nation I think I’ve inspired loyalty into. It, as well as all its citizens that continue to view me as King, will be protected and taken care of for generations to come.”
“What of us?”
“You, my dear, will lead the Gerudo Pirates with Aveil. You will be my agent in Termina. Aveil will be in command, and you will be my mediator of information.”
Aveil scoffed under her breath, upset that her chain would never be loosened. She was thankful, however, deep down, that he saved her world. She couldn’t loot and live a life of luxury if there was no world to do so. “Of course, Lord Ganondorf.”
“Good. Now both of you, disperse. This victory was well deserved. Today, on the dawn of a new day, I stand victorious.”
Ganondorf walked down the steps to be worshiped by the people of Clock Town. The Mayor made him an honourary president of the city. The word of Ganondorf’s power throughout the day spread to the other tribes of Termina from his Garo spies, and they were given a choice. Submit, or fall as the demon of the mask had. They bowed to the will of their new Lord and Master. How could they refuse his might? They suffered the effects of Majora and were powerless against it. This mighty King saved their people.
After a day of celebration in Clock Town, Ganondorf traveled to Romani Ranch. As a token of gratitude, he bought the entire ranch as its benefactor using Aveil’s riches. Cremia and Romani were grateful for his help in saving the world. They even offered him a night’s rest. Tired, Ganondorf accepted this token of appreciation as well as others. With a supply of milk to take home with him, the King wished them well the following morning as he began his journey for Hyrule. The last gift he bestowed on them was a group of Garo spies that made bandits and monsters that got too close to the ranch disappear.
With his black horse, and the rest of the Garo following on horseback, Ganondorf made his way back to Hyrule.
~
The Skull Kid slunk away deeper and deeper into the Lost Woods. His shame was great indeed. Not only had he failed in his revenge, but he believed his spirit met Saria. She was so disappointed with his actions. She had the saddest look in her eyes when she looked at him. He wasn’t sure if it was a dream or not, but the guilt ate him up regardless. He heard that the sages he killed had returned to life. Instead of preparing to fight Ganondorf, they took all the tribes who were against him, anyone who hated him, and they fled Hyrule before his return. It didn’t matter to Skull Kid. Nothing did.
Now so deep into the Lost Woods, Skull Kid sat on a tree trunk, and started to play a melody to himself. He felt so alone. So very alone. Why was something like him even still alive? He had no friends, no companions, nothing.
As he played his tune, the flutter of pixie wings soared by. Skull Kid, with tears running down his eyes, looked up to the sound. “Hello?”
~
Ganondorf came out of the Gerudo Valley, satisfied with his answer on if his people were alive. Many of Hyrule’s citizens had fled. Mostly the Goron and Zora. But even a few of the Gerudo. He wasn’t angry, however. In time, he’d catch them. And nothing had the power he had to challenge him. On his horse, he trotted back towards his castle. His purpose was clear. He would create a Utopia for the world. Every source of chaos to his world vision would be eradicated, and everyone under his rule would have peace.
The Gerudo King knew in his heart that he wouldn’t age thanks to the power of the Triforce. He’d have all the time he needed to shape the destiny of the entire world. With a sigh of relief, Ganondorf smiled. At last, he felt the wind was blowing in his favour.
Summary: After most of the gang head out on a large, over-night group heist, you're left in charge, with few members behind. The camp is quiet, the members sound asleep, and you're left to enjoy a drink, all until a friend of yours keeps you company, in more ways than one.
Pairing: f!Reader x Micah Bell
Word Count: 4960
Rating: NSFW
Tags: Smut, Gun kink, Dry humping/grinding, Public, Oral, Hickeys, Making out, First time, Friends to lovers.
Notes: This started off as a lil fic request, but it’s Micah, and I’m the author, so what else did y’all expect?
Everything happens for a reason, right? There surely must be a good reason as to why you were asked to guard the camp rather than come along on this heist. Does this mean Dutch trusts you? Putting you in charge despite not being a member of the gang for too long? You thought he would have asked Susan, but you soon found out that she'd been asked to come along instead.
It was some elaborate robbery that was easily going to take a day or two. Dutch had taken a handful of his strongest members, strong in various kinds of ways, and you were somewhat offended that he didn't take you. But you let out a sigh after taking another sip of your drink, reassuring yourself that this meant he trusted you enough to keep watch of the camp and its members, as well as valuable items like the lockbox, guns, wagons, etc.
You still can't help feeling a little insulted, and Dutch definitely noticed that in the way you looked at him when he went through everything with you. Oh well, you'll just continue to remind yourself that everything really does happen for a reason.
But to be sat here by the campfire, drinking your sorrows away, subconsciously picking at the label on the bottle as you run through the past few weeks in your mind, trying to figure out why you weren't considered strong enough to be taken on the heist. Was that happening for a reason? You sigh again, whatever. If Dutch, your boss, wants you to guard the camp then you'll do exactly that.
At least the camp is quiet, almost silent, but that's also because it's late. You'd given yourself guard duty tonight, only you'd sat your ass down straight away and began drinking instead. The last time a stranger had rolled up at camp was back in Blackwater, a sorrowful man who only asked for a bit of help and thankfully received it rather than a bullet in his head. Clemens Point was far away from any main roads, and it's hard not to notice a figure moving amongst the trees if anyone does decide to approach camp. Plus the horses would begin kicking up a fuss, well, the ones that were left.
Your bottle is empty yet again, so you force yourself to your feet, taking extra care not to stumble over the log as you begin walking over to Pearson's wagon. A full bottle replaces the one in your hand, and you decide to wander back to the campfire, only to be stopped in your tracks as a familiar camp member calls out your voice.
"Hm?" you question as your head turns to meet Micah's gaze. He's sat by himself at the table near Dutch's tent, his knife dug into the wood, forearms resting atop it. He's clearly been having a few rounds of five finger fillet to himself, training, so he can challenge Arthur yet again whenever the broody cowboy returns.
"You alright, doll?" Micah asks you, his head raising up, his eyes meeting yours from under the brim of his off-white hat.
"Yeah, sure," you tell him as you make your way over, leaning against the table as you take a swig from your beer.
"You don't look it," Micah sighs, shaking his head a little. "C'mon, what's a matter?" he questions.
You, along with Dutch, are the only two people who actually tolerate Micah. It's no surprise that the camp rejects him, especially from the way he interacts with them, but you quickly picked up on how high his walls are, and those walls must be high for a reason. For many reasons, you've been kind to him; is it because you see some of yourself in him? Is it because you believe that everyone deserves a chance? Or is it because there is just something about that man that... interests you...?
Either way, Micah would spend a lot of his time in your company. You found peace in the way Micah will often simply sit beside you, sharpening his knives as you get on with whatever task you're doing. Words aren't often exchanged but that's how both of you like it, no need for unnecessary chatter or gossip. Micah respects you more than you'll ever know; he has quite the soft spot for the strong woman type.
"Just that heist," you say with a huff. "I'm a little... upset that Dutch didn't consider me for it."
"You know what Dutch is like, he's picky when it comes to things like that, but can you blame him? Gotta play your cards right. Besides, he didn't take me neither," Micah shrugs.
Your head turns to look at him as you cross one ankle over the other, still leaning against the table. "I wonder why," you say in a playful tone, making Micah grumble and shake his head.
"Here I am bein' kind to you, and you're pickin' at me. Ain't very nice, hm?" Micah tuts, though you can tell he's not really annoyed as he returns your playful tone.
You let out a soft laugh before taking another sip of your drink, definitely beginning to feel its effects. You're about to respond with another witty reply but Micah's already opened his mouth.
"Why don'tcha sit with me?" he offers, picking up on the sway to your body that you weren't fully aware of.
"Huh?" you question, unsure if you head that right.
Micah gives you a funny look as he turns his body, moving his legs to the side of the crate, his feet firm on the floor. "Yeah... sit... like this," he babies you, pointing to his legs as if you've forgotten how to sit down.
"Oh, sure," you reply, your cheeks a little rosy as the liquor continues to run through your veins.
Micah almost jumps out of his skin as you place your hand on his shoulder, the cool leather of his coat pressed on your palm, holding yourself steady as you move. He sits upright, biting his tongue to prevent a yelp from escaping his lips as you take a seat on his lap, your rear on his thighs, your legs swung over the crate that he's sat on.
Once comfortable, you look across at Micah, your eyes going wide once you see his expression. He's still sat upright, his back the straightest you've ever seen it, whilst his hands are hovering mid-air, unsure on where to place them. It's not hard to notice the blush on his cheeks, his soft freckles becoming bolder as heat rises from his skin. He's a spitting image of a spooked owl, eyes wide but his pupils are blown, both from the darkness and from your... bold move...
"What?" you question. You debate moving your hand from his shoulder and standing back up, but Micah would have pushed you off if he didn't want you on his lap.
"What did you think I said?" Micah asks you, his eyes slowly softening out as he rests one elbow on the table, the other gripping onto the crate he's sat on, nails digging into the wood as he tells himself to hold it together.
"You... you told me to sit on you?" you nervously reply.
Micah loses it, cracking up and letting out a giggle, his eyes squinting in the corners. He moves his hand off the crate, placing it on your knees, his thumb subconsciously rubbing across the fabric of your skirt.
"You really are funny, you know that?" Micah tells you as he continues to giggle. "I said sit with me, not on me," he informs you, making your cheeks turn salmon red as you realize the mistake you've just made.
You're about to stand up and begin apologizing, but Micah moves his hand up to your thighs, giving one a little squeeze as he finishes off his laughter. "S'alright," he tells you. "I see this as an upgrade, don't you?" Micah comments.
A tone that you've heard before returns to Micah's voice, a soft purr, his pitch dropping even deeper. He's used this tone on you before, specifically when both of you are in each other's company, and each other's company only. Flirting with Micah Bell is no foreign scenario to you, though not much has happened apart from shared words in settings that are eager to get heated.
You were planning on finally coming onto Mister Bell when the moment is right, hopefully during a future heist that you and Micah will privately go on, or during the dark of night when the camp is quiet. Oh, that's happening right now, isn't it?
"It is an upgrade," you tell him with a small nod, your eyes moving away from his for a brief moment, so you can take another drink.
"You must be quite gone if that liquor is affecting your hearing," Micah replies.
"No, no. I ain't. I know when I've had enough, Micah."
"That so?"
"It is so," you reply, almost in a mocking tone, making Micah softly laugh. "Trust me, Micah. I'll let you know when I've had enough," you blatantly flirt, shuffling a little closer on his lap.
The noise Micah lets out can only be described as a mix between a growl and a sigh, his grip on your thigh tightening after he slides his hand up it a little more. The rosiness returns to his cheeks, his eyes becoming hazy and lustful, and it's obvious that he's holding himself back as the hand he has rested on the table bunches up to make a fist.
"Now I really wanna know what you're drinkin'," Micah comments. "That was a bold line for you, sweetheart."
"It's just beer," you say with a shrug. You move your hand from his shoulder, your index finger softly cupping his chin as you lean in a little closer to ask him an important question. "Do you wanna taste it?"
"Course I do, doll," Micah replies, visibly biting his tongue. His thighs rub together beneath you, clearly trying to get himself comfortable as the tent in his pants continues to grow.
Micah's expecting you to simply hand him the bottle, though his mind prays for another scenario, one that you end up doing. You take a quick swig, eyes on Micah's as you gulp down the beer. You barely tug on Micah's chin, your touch so soft but Micah moves with it, his lips meeting yours in the middle. The bitter taste of barley is heavy on your lips and Micah gulps the flavour down, instantly deepening the kiss, not holding back on something that he's been patiently waiting for.
You manage to place the almost empty bottle on the table behind you, your hand then wrapping around Micah's neck, joining the other one that has now moved from his chin. The brim of his hat continues to brush against the top of your head, the item of clothing falling back onto the crown of Micah's head, scruffing up Micah's hair a little as it moves. It's enough to irritate him, so he takes it off, placing it on the table, then resting his hand down behind you.
The hand on your thigh is hungry, kneading at you through the layers of your skirt, massaging you, although you can sense the spark in every touch. There's already dampness growing between your legs and Micah lets out a soft chuckle against your lips as he feels you adjusting yourself on his lap.
"C'mere, let's get you comfortable," Micah tells you as he tugs at your thigh. He urges you up, only momentarily, so he can spin his body on the crate, his back leaning against the brim of the wooden table. You sit back down on his lap, this time straddling him, your knees resting on the sides of the crate, your crotch pressed against his.
Micah's hands snake around your waist, gripping onto the fabric of your shirt as he pulls your bodies closer. His lips meet yours again, playfully nipping at your bottom lip, enticing you to part your lips so his tongue can slip between them and finally meet yours. You don't even realize you've begun rutting your crotch against yours until Micah takes a hold of your hips, pushing your body down, urging you to rut against him even harder.
You break the kiss to let out a whimper, making Micah chuckle. He takes the opportunity to dip his head down, kissing along your neck until he reaches your collarbone. He licks a playful stripe up your neck, settling just below your jawline and nipping at that soft spot below your ear.
"Always knew you'd make such beautiful sounds," Micah whispers against your ear before nipping at your skin again, drawing another whimper from your lips. "Keep grindin' those hips, girl, and I'll be sure to reward you after."
You didn't even realize your hips had come to a halt, too distracted with how Micah's lips feel against your skin. He continues to kiss at your neck, leaving the occasional mark, claiming you as his own, but the grip on your hips tightens as he begins to physically roll them for you, rutting your crotch against his.
There's not enough friction, especially when the fabric of your skirt continues to get in the way; you lift your body up, adjusting yourself, bunching your skirt up to your thighs and settling back down on Micah's lap. Micah lets out an "ooh," as he watches you get comfortable, biting his lip with a soft grin, watching you hungrily.
"Much better," you sigh as you straddle his thigh, tilting your hips forward, so you can begin grinding your clit down against the rough denim of his pants. Your undergarments are soft enough to prevent Micah's pants from being too rough on you, just the right amount of friction to begin getting yourself off.
Micah leans back against the table; he moves his hands from your hips, propping his elbows on the wood behind him, letting his hands fall loosely as he watches you get to work. "Guess I'll just enjoy the show," he tells you as he reaches out to his side, picking up your beer from earlier and taking a swig. Micah's got a smug expression on his face as he watches you rut yourself against his thigh, your hands gripping onto the thick leather of his coat, holding you steady.
"Good girl," Micah praises just before taking another swig, looking perfectly relaxed for a man that has his love interest getting herself off on his leg. You feel a little bad for not rutting against the obvious bulge in his pants, so you decide to shift your hips again, shuffling up his legs in an attempt to help him get some satisfaction, despite knowing he's loving the sight of you getting yourself off on him.
As you move your hips back down, the grip of one of his holstered guns brushes against your inner thigh, almost hitting your pussy. It's not as cold as you thought it'd be against the thick fabric of your undergarments, but definitely firm enough to draw an idea in your mind. You settle back down on Micah's lap, only you're off-centre; Micah raises an eyebrow but quickly clicks on to what you're doing as you begin to rut yourself against the grip of his gun, the wooden handle providing more than enough satisfaction to begin building your orgasm.
"Oh," Micah comments, watching you fuck yourself on one of his guns. "Now, you are a naughty thing, ain'tcha? Usin' every single part of me to get yourself off," he chuckles, tutting you at the end of his sentence.
"You want me to stop?" you question, a stern tone to your voice, almost as if you're threatening to.
"What? No, no!" Micah shakes his head. He moves his elbow off the table, taking a firm hold of your hip and encouraging you to grind against his firearm. "Do carry on," he coos before taking a final sip, chucking the empty bottle to the floor.
So, you do as you're told, continuing to grind yourself against the smooth wood of his grip, your clit rolling perfectly against it, and your undergarments providing an extra layer of friction. Micah's eyes are on you, enjoying the show with a smug smile across his face; he's more than happy to tilt his head for you as you lean forward, pressing your lips against his neck, feeling his beard brush against your temple as you begin to leave marks on his pale skin.
Within minutes his neck is as red as his shirt, an array of warm blotches dotted over him, trailing down to his collar bone. You kiss over them, finding a sensitive spot below his ear; Micah lets out ah "ooh" and a shiver when you finally discover it, licking and nipping at it as your orgasm creeps closer. You soon have to pause your hard work, burying your head into the curve of Micah's neck as your orgasm takes you, trembling on Micah's lap and panting heavily.
"Atta girl," Micah coos. "That's it, cum on that precious revolver of mine," he softly tells you, almost whispering it against your ear.
You sit upright, only to press your lips against Micah's as your hips move away from his revolver, settling down on his lap. You let out a tremble as your overly-sensitive clit presses against his cock, your tremble going unnoticed as Micah chuckles during the kiss, biting at your bottom lip before breaking away.
"Doll," Micah sighs against you, "you got any idea how long I've been waiting for this?" he questions.
"No," you reply, shaking your head as you speak. "How long?"
"Mhm, I'd say since I first laid eyes on you," Micah tells you as he slowly lifts you up, holding your legs tight around his waist. He sits you down on the table, his crotch pressed against yours as he stands between your legs.
"I wasn't expecting you to be so patient," you playfully prod at him, making Micah roll his eyes sarcastically.
"Neither was I," he replies. "But, here we are, so we might as well make the most of it, hm, darlin'?" Micah asks as he begins to bunch up your skirt, settling it around your hips.
His eyes dart down, fingers trailing against your thighs, fiddling with the hem of your undergarments. One hand moves from your thigh, so he can trail his thumb over your wet patch, brushing against your sensitive clit; he chuckles at the way your body jolts from his light touches, flicking over the bud a few more times until his patience finally runs out.
Micah removes your undergarments a lot swifter than you expected, and you notice the grin on his face as he sits back down on the crate, his head lining up almost perfectly with your crotch as you lay back on the table. His thumb returns to your clit, softly rubbing over it, barely enough to pleasure you but of course, he wants to tease you. Micah begins to kiss along your thigh, his eyes falling shut as he plants soft kisses along your skin, trailing up to your cunt and just as he's about to reach your pussy, he moves over to the other one.
"Micah," you whimper, but he ignores you, until you repeat his name a second time.
"Mhm?" he replies, his eyes still shut as he switches between your thighs again.
"Stop bein' a tease," you protest.
Micah lightly chuckles as he moves his head away, his eyes opening to meet yours. "Why? I ain't had supper, but that doesn't mean I should rush to eat my food."
You whine and pout, and Micah seems to take pleasure in your little tantrum. "Ain't you hungry?" you ask, joining in on his game.
Micah dips his head down to lick a firm stripe up your cunt, his head moving back up and his eyes meeting yours as he replies "starving." He then returns to kissing your thighs, his thumb softly playing with your clit again. Of course, Micah Bell was going to be like this. What did you expect?
You grumble again as you lie back on the table, pushing Micah's hat to the edge, and enjoying the way his facial hair moves against your skin with every kiss. Finally, just as you were about to start protesting again, Micah settles perfectly between your thighs and begins lapping at your pussy. He's not as messy as you thought he'd be, switching between lapping at your bud, and tongue-fucking your entrance, his tongue just the right firmness to pleasure you.
Micah has a tight yet comfortably grip on your waist, his arms wrapping around your thighs, the cold leather of his coat pressing against your skin as large hands cling on tightly and keep your legs spread. "Quit tryna close those legs," Micah mutters against you, and you weren't even aware of the way your body is shaking until he comments on it.
You quietly apologize, your words being cut short as Micah grinds his tongue firmer against your clit. He moves his hands from you briefly, so he can unfasten his pants after unfastening his gun belt, letting it fall to the floor, then begins jerking himself with one hand whilst the other returns to your thigh. He's lapping at your clit, flicking his tongue over the bud and softly sucking on it every so often, making you whimper and moan, your eyes falling shut.
By now, Micah's began to groan, jerking his cock whilst enjoying the taste of you. He's growing impatient, his cock throbbing in his hand, smearing precum over his length as it dribbles down from the tip. He finally gives in, moving his mouth off your pussy.
Micah stands, beckoning you to sit up. You sit upright, already looking debauched, and Micah smiles at the sight of you before lowering his head to steal a kiss from you, your taste strong on his lips.
"You need to be quiet, girl," Micah says in between kisses, one hand firmly on your chin whilst the other holds the base of his cock, so he can slide it over your folds, slicking himself up and yet again, teasing you. "You think you can keep it down for me?"
"I can," you reply with a small nod, speaking directly against Micah's lips.
Micah hums as he continues to kiss you, the tip of his cock threatening to enter you, but he ruts it over your folds instead. "I ain't so sure about that, sweetheart," Micah replies, moving his head away from yours.
He looks over you quickly, clearly running through the ideas in his head. Micah then moves his hands up to remove his green neckerchief, biting at his bottom lip to stop himself from grinning at what he has planned. "Open up for me," Micah sweetly asks, smiling as you open your mouth to allow him to gag you, tightening his neckerchief at the back of your head.
"It suits you," he smugly comments, kissing your cheekbone and then leaving a peck on your lips. His hand trails back down south, and before you can tilt your head to watch where he's moving it to, Micah's already lined up his cock and began sliding into you.
The sound Micah makes once he's fully sheathed inside you has made it worth the wait, a whimper so soft that you'd never expect it to come from this man's lips. He sighs deeply, eyes fixated at the sight of his length sunk deep inside you, until he looks up and flashes you a grin. "You got any idea just how good you feel?" he questions.
All you can do is shake your head. Micah smirks again and comments "too damn good."
Suddenly, he's thrusting into you, quick and deep, wasting no time with slow, 'warm-up' thrusts. He needs you now, and he's going to take it. You lie back on the table, your head rolling back on the wood, moans muffled by the thick fabric of his neckerchief, the taste of his skin faint on your tongue and lips. His cock is perfect, the right length, the right thickness, and with an upward curve that brushes against your g-spot with every thrust, making your thighs tremble and your core feel warm.
Your hands can't find anywhere comfortable to rest, roaming over your shirt, fiddling with the buttons before attempting to grip onto the wood. Micah chuckles to himself, enjoying the sight of you mewling beneath him. "That's it, keep squirmin' for me," he pleasantly hums, his hands trailing across your thighs before getting comfortable around your hips.
You're almost certain that at least a single, poor camp member has overheard this mess, probably even seen it, as you two are fucking literally in the middle of camp, right in front of Dutch's tent. You're thankful you put yourself on guard duty tonight, even if you have bailed on your chore, else some unfortunate soul would have to stand on the outskirts of the camp, overhearing you two going at it.
Micah slams his cock into you, holding it deep inside for a moment, so he can shrug off his thick, leather coat, leaving him in his barely-buttoned-up shirt, his chest on show as his shirt hangs almost open. The hickeys you left on his neck earlier are starting to grow in colour, and his neck is going to be covered by the time morning comes. You look forward to seeing the art show of purple bruises along his pale skin, though you'll have a matching pallet on your own neck.
Micah starts up his thrusts again, gripping onto your hips once more. You're surprised his thrusts are so perfect, quick and deep, yet a slight roll to his hips, and that hungry and lustful look across his face makes your pussy tighten every time he makes eye contact with you. He's grinning at the sight of you, licking his lips, admiring your vibrant, rosy cheeks, highlighted by the lantern somehow still on the table.
"Fuck!" You whimper as Micah lands a particularly perfect thrust, and your hand finds its way down to your clit, touching yourself whilst Micah continues to do the rest of the work.
"Good girl," he praises. "So good for me, ain'tcha? Lettin' me fuck you right in the middle of camp. I knew you were a little bit dirty, but I never thought you'd be such a whore."
Is it bad that those words coming from this man's mouth is music to your ears? You sigh at his comment, rubbing your pussy faster, your walls tightening around his length. Micah notices the way you're reacting to his comment, and let's out a pleasing chuckle.
"Tell me who's whore you are, sugarpie," Micah orders.
"Yours," you attempt to reply through the muffle of Micah's neckerchief gag.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch that, doll."
"Yours," you reply again.
Micah chuckles once more, catching you off guard as he bucks his hips into you. "C'mon, doll, cum for me," he comments, and you're uncertain if that was an order or a beg, but either way, you're not going to deny him.
A few more quick thrusts, combined with the way you're touching yourself, and you're cumming, clenching around Micah's length as you moan and sigh, your volume levels thankfully muffled by Micah's gag, else you'd definitely wake the few members of the camp up.
"Ah, hell!" Micah swears as he hits peak, filling you up with his load as he slams his cock deep inside you, shuffling his weight against the table and propping himself up with one arm, his knees threatening to buck beneath him. He grunts deeply, sighing and panting, tightly gripping onto your thigh as he rides his high. Micah's eyes falls shut, and there's the definition of debauched on his face; vibrant red cheeks, and a sweaty forehead, and blown pupils once he finally opens his eyes again.
He's still panting as he pulls his length out, tucking himself away and fastening his pants up before offering you a hand. He helps pull you up off the table, your back clicking as you move; you stand, and you feel your knees go weak and buck beneath you, but Micah clings onto you before you can fall.
"Careful," he comments with a laugh, his hands lingering on you before letting go, and you notice that glisten to his eye as his lock onto yours.
You unfasten your gag, stretching your mouth muscles now you're finally free, and attempt to hand Micah his neckerchief back. He rejects it, "You might wanna wear it for a while, you've got an awful lot of marks on that pretty neck of yours."
You tilt your head in confusion, but you know what Micah's implying, especially after the comment he makes next. "Bet you're tired, how's about we go to bed, hm?"
"Sure, Micah," you smile at his reply, and begin picking up the clothes thrown about on the floor around the both of you.
"What was that smile for?" Micah questions with a raised brow as he picks up his hat off the table, placing it onto his head.
"Oh, nothing. Come on," you send him that same smile, and he follows closely behind, letting you lead the way to your tent. Is it still just your tent? Or is a certain someone going to start slowly moving in, especially after he told you earlier how long he's been waiting for this.
Well, there's no getting rid of him now.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary: Your relationship with Micah is going well, until he begins lacking in the bedroom. After complaining to Arthur about said problem yet again, him and Dutch offer to help straighten Micah out with a demonstration, and of course, they're going to need you for it.
Pairing: f!Reader x Micah Bell x Arthur Morgan x Dutch Van Der Linde
Word Count: 7208
Rating: NSFW
Tags: Cuckolding, Foursome, FMMM, Multiple orgasms/loads, Degrading, Humiliation, Sub/Dom, Creampie eating, Established relationship, Porn without a plot, Low honor Arthur.
Notes: *rubs my little rat hands together mischievously* hehehe
