"We did it!" he cried triumphantly to Navi! The hero was covered head-to-toe in filth and blood but it was over, they had defeated Ganondorf! Or close enough anyway. Zelda was in the process of imprisoning the king of evil this very moment.

"Damn you Link! Damn you sages!" the man bellowed. He was being dragged by an invisible arm towards the black portal. The darkness within it would serve as his prison for the next century. "I cannot be defeated by mere children!"

"Children?" Link asked taking a step forward. "I sacrificed eight years of my life to meet you as a man."

Ganondorf let out a mocking laugh, even as he dug his fingers into the earth in a vain attempt to resist the magic of the sages. "You are just a babe, tied to strings by which the sages pull you around!"

"Then you, the 'Great' King of Evil, were beaten not once, but twice! By a mere infant" Link arrogantly strode closer to Ganondorf and the portal. He was standing almost directly over the defeated "king". "Maybe a hundred years of imprisonment will improve your mood."

Ganondorf began clawing the ground frantically as his legs were now enveloped in the portal. "No no no no no no no!" He cried.

"Link! Lookout!" Navi screamed.

"I WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!"

It happened too fast for anyone to react. Ganondorf grabbed Link by the ankle, then pushed off the ground with his free arm yanking both himself and the Hero of Time into the portal.

Zelda cried out and shut the portal, but she was too late. Both her hero and Ganondorf were gone.

"Open it back up!" Navi demanded, bobbing up and down in front of Zelda.

The princess brought her hand to her mouth, shocked by the turn of events. "I. . .I can't. The portal can only be opened once every century." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sorry Navi."

At first there had been a vacuum sensation, as though the air were being pulled from his lungs forcibly. Wind rushed past his ears threatening to rupture his eardrums. Blinding lights pulsed in front of his eyes, hurting his orbs even underneath his clenched eyelids. Oh goddesses make it stop! He begged in his mind. As though they could hear him, it all stopped. There was only darkness. Pure, impenetrable darkness. But it was more than that, Link realized feeling the panic well up inside him. He couldn't feel anything either.

He flailed his arms and kicked his legs, but nothing. He couldn't even feel the limbs themselves.

"Am I dead? Somebody help me! Zelda! Navi!"

"Gods, I didn't think you could possibly be more annoying."

Link turned his head, if he still had one. He couldn't tell. But he DID hear someone.

"Who is there? Where am I?"

Deep laughter. "You are in Betsohahr. The abyssal prison of the Goddesses."

"Ganondorf! You did this to me!" Link again tried to reach out, to move, to feel. Nothing, no sensation. The only things that seemed to be working were his ears and his mouth.

"I did. Like a childish fool you lowered your guard when you thought your victory was complete. Now you will be cursed as I am cursed."

"Oh gods. You don't mean. . ."

"That's right. You will be imprisoned here for a century, until the seal breaks and I am unleashed on Hyrule again."

"That can't be true! The sages would never leave me in here with you! Zelda will get me out!"

"Ha! You mean the fragile princess who needed a ten year old boy to save her? No you're right. I'm sure she will dirty her hands and find a way to defeat the Goddesses' seal."

Link tried to growl but it would seem he now lacked the organs to do it effectively. "When I find my way out this darkness I swear. . ."

"There is no way out of this darkness fool! THIS is the prison I have been damned to. This is the prison I must rot in every time your damned sages defeat me. But this time, for the first time, it will also be yours."

"You are wrong Ganon. I WILL escape! Mark my words!"

Despite all his bravado, Link did not manage to escape. Nothing worked. Without any sensation in his body or limbs, assuming everything was still connected and he wasn't just a floating head now, there was no real way to struggle. The boy tried everything. He tried envisioning his hands and imagining that they could tear through some veil over his eyes. He tried meditating, focusing his will power to pierce the magic darkness around him. He even tried chanting some of the incantations he had heard Zelda use in the past. Nothing. Not the slightest change to his current predicament.

Every now and then he heard a chuckle from Ganondorf, who was no doubt mocking the boy's efforts. Link managed to dedicate his attention and focus on escaping for some time, but that – time - was now a fickle thing. There was no change in Link's body or conscious that told him minutes had passed. Or hours, or days or even weeks. He did not tire, was not hungry, nothing. The total magnitude of the nothingness was beginning to drive him crazy.

Finally after some unknown amount of time - days, years, minutes, he didn't know – Link decided to open dialogue with his sworn enemy again.

"How do you deal with the nothingness?"

"Oh? Given up on escaping have you?" Link said nothing. "I think about you, or the manifestations that include you, rather. I think about murdering each and every one of you. I've played it out millions of times in my mind. I snap your neck, sever your spine, drive my sword through your chest. I met a version of you that was a wolf once. Disgusting creature. For that one I imagine skinning you and wearing you as a cape."

Much of this sounded like nonsense to Link. "Yikes. You DO have problems. If you have supposedly battled me so many times before, why didn't you kill me as a child eight years ago? You know, when Zelda and Impa were escaping on horseback?"

"There lies the worst part of this damned prison. When the seal breaks and I manage to escape, I can barely remember anything. I start anew each time I am reborn. It is only when I return here that all my failures can be recollected."

"Ha! That must be rough! Learning what you could have done different to win but forgetting it when it really matters. Sucks to be you."

"Laugh all you like boy! One day I will succeed. One of your descendants will slip up, will make the slightest mistake, and I will be victorious. To crush Hyrule in my hands. To rise high enough to challenge the Goddesses themselves!"

"A lofty dream my villainous friend."

There was silence for some time after that. Link thought about Zelda, Navi, Saria, Malon, Epona and all his friends. He wondered what they were doing without him.

"How did you first start out?" Link asked breaking the silence again.

"Oh same as every evil king, I'm sure. I was born from the devil, twirling my moustache in one hand, and plotting the destruction of the realm with the other."

"No really. Gods know how much longer we have until this century ends. Unless you prefer this silence?"

For a moment it was silent, and Link feared he would be trapped with just his thoughts and this crushing darkness for the rest of the century.

"I started out a simple cobbler, long long ago in the first world. Back when the Goddesses still walked the Earth. I had a wife then. A beautiful woman named Ajlal. She died of some mysterious illness that had no cause other than the Goddesses cruelty. I went and found all three of them; Farore, Din and Nayru, demanding they return my wife's spirit back to her body. Do you want to know what your precious deities said to me? They said they had the power to revive her, but that they would not. That only in witnessing death could creatures like us appreciate life. Do you believe that?"

Link truly could not.

"Standing before them I solemnly swore to show them the flaw in their haughty logic by ending EVERY. SINGLE. LIFE."

"Wow. . ."

"When Demise, a god that your predecessor knew, heard about my oath, he gave me the means to fulfill my wish. He granted me immortal life, then did me an even greater favor, and chased the Goddesses away from our realm. After the very first hero defeated him, he came to me with his dying spirit and told me the secret of the triforce, the power the Goddesses left behind. Since then I have devoted every ounce of my being to making good on my promise."

"To end EVERY life on the planet?"

"That's right."

"Are you really so hateful that there is not one soul worth keeping alive?"

"Hmmm. Nabooru was pleasant. In this most recent venture she and I were close for some time. Had she not betrayed me I may have let her live."

"Oh. Just so you know, she came off as a little pedophilic." Link wasn't sure if the noise he just heard was a snort. It would be a hard noise to make without a nose to breathe through.

"It would not surprise me. But besides her there really was nobody else. I have had plenty of servants and followers. Everything from moblins to demon lords."

"And?"

"Morons. Every single one of them."

Link laughed. "I suppose that happens. Did you ever notice that fairy that was always around me?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it I did. That was new. Usually a naked imp girl or a talking sword keeps you company. The floating ball of light was different."

"I doubt the imp or the talking sword could have been half as annoying as Navi. 'HEY, LISTEN!' Imagine hearing that every twelve minutes when you are trying to solve some puzzle while some giant hand is falling from the ceiling to snatch you up!"

"Ha! You think that is bad? A servant of mine, Ghirahim, would spend literally hours doing his hair and makeup before he would face you. He would not unleash his full power because he thought his skin color clashed with the image he was trying to present. Idiot."

"Ha ha ha! Speaking of hair and makeup, how did you not realize Sheik was Zelda?"

"To be honest, I am a little embarrassed about that one."

"Good! You should be! I would have figured it out but she kept throwing Deku nuts at me before I could ever get a good look at her face. Even then I suspected. But you had your magical eye in the sky or whatever."

"I was too busy to look closely. I just assumed Sheik was a stalker who had a crush on you."

"Busy doing what!? It's not like you actually did your job as a king! You just sat in your castle the whole time."

"My FLOATING castle! Do you know how long it took to design that? To redirect the flow of lava from Death Mountain? And excuse me Link, for having the class to learn how to play an instrument with more than five notes! Do you think that organ solo just happened? Do you know how hard it is to learn an instrument when all the music teachers in the city have turned into re-deads? Of course you don't!"

Link laughed. "I DID appreciate you setting the mood as I climbed those steps to kick your ass"

"Bah! If you hadn't been in such a rush you would have heard the good part."

"Well forgive me for rushing to the princesses' aid."

"You know, your princess may have been the least impressive 'Zelda' I've seen. Lots of crying and whining, not to mention the cross-dressing. The girls chosen before her were warrior queens, and pirates."

"Easy there. That's my future wife you are talking about."

This time Ganondorf laughed, but not a sinister laugh like usual.

"Oh you poor creature." He said when his laughter finally died down. "Not once do you ever, I mean EVER, end up with the princess. Besides, weren't you engaged to that damned water sage?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. The only upside to being trapped here with you is avoiding that procession."

"Ha ha ha! Well fret not little one. She has likely already died of old age by now. And you won't remember her when you leave this place."

"Already died of old age? We've been here that long already?"

"Yes, I'd wager so. It is no use trying to keep track of time in this place so I treat it as though 99 years has already passed and I am waiting for the one-hundredth to end. Truthfully it makes no difference."

"That's. . . that is depressing."

"It is. But I suppose I should be thankful. I would wait here a thousand years if it meant the chance to finally avenge Ajlal."

"She must have been some woman, your wife."

"She was. In all the times I have been reborn I have yet to lay eyes on a single woman with even a single cell beautiful enough to equal Ajlal. She was my world."

Link said nothing this time. Was it out of reverence he held his tongue? He was not sure, but he felt he owed his only company that much respect. He only spoke again when his own thoughts ran dry of substance, and the darkness began to crush him again.

"All these cycles you have been through, they must have been lonely. I can't believe I'm saying this but I would probably go insane if you weren't here. That being said I also wouldn't BE here if it weren't for you. . ."

"Hmmm the company does make it more bearable I suppose."

"Oh come on! You dragged me here because some part of you remembered that you were lonely."

Silence. Silence for another unknown period of time.

"You might be right." He finally said.

"It's alright. I don't blame you. For dragging me into this hell, or even your quest, to be honest."

"Oh?"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think destroying ALL life is necessary, but I can sympathize with your grief. I can't believe the Goddesses would refuse to help you."

"Thank you."

Suddenly the quiet and darkness that surrounded the two began to tremble. A sound, similar to metal cutting through metal began to ring in Link's ears.

"What is this?"

"The seal. Our time is up, the century has passed."

"Truly?"

"Truly."

The trembling grew louder and louder. Link was now experiencing the strangest sensation. It was feeling. He was feeling again!

"You are sure we won't remember ANY of this?"

"I am sure. Not a single sentence uttered or even a thought."

"That is too bad." Link was sad, and a little anxious about losing this experience. A gray light was now visible, and it seemed as though Link were flying towards it.

"Here it is, once we reach that light we are free. Free to cross blades in combat once more."

"Yeah." The gray light was fast approaching. "Ganondorf!" Link called over the howling wind.

"What?" the man shouted back, straining to be heard.

"Good luck to you this time!"

"And to you Hero."

That same vacuum sensation assaulted Link. Please, please let me hold on to these memories! Link begged the Goddesses. Suddenly he hit the ground hard. He laid there a moment focusing as hard as he could on all that had transpired.

Ganondorf. . . Ajlal. . . Demise. . . Navi. . . Zelda. . . Zelda!

"Zelda!" he shouted aloud.

"Yes?" Link jerked his head to the side to see the princess standing a few feet away from him looking concerned. "Are you alright Link?"

Link rubbed his head which was aching. Was he supposed to tell her something? He couldn't shrug the feeling that he was forgetting something.

"Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

Zelda cocked her head to the side "Were you having a nightmare?"

"I must have been." He looked around and realized he was in his room. "Did you need something?"

"I came by because I needed your help. I feel that something is wrong with the Four Sword Shrine. I want someone I trust to investigate it with me."

Link pushed himself up and got to his feet. "Of course I'll go with you Princess. You don't think Ganondorf has returned with his wind magic do you?"

"Ganondorf?" She asked perplexed. "You mean Vaati?" A look of real concern crossed her face. "Who is Ganondorf?"

Link scratched his head. He had no idea where the name had come from. "Doesn't matter." He said when he could recall nothing in particular about the name. "Let's go check the shrine."

Author's note: Well, this was my very first short story, fanfiction or otherwise. I hope you guys liked it. I plan to write more, specifically side-stories branching off of "Discouraged" my full-length fanfic novel. Check it out if you like, though this story is not related to that one in any way. Regardless leave a review, let me know what you think!

About this story: Betsohahr is the Hebrew word for "prison". Ajlal is also Hebrew, meaning "beautiful maiden" or "beautiful princess". I know my story doesn't observe the accepted timeline for the LoZ world but I hope that didn't steal any of the experience from you. For those who don't recognize Vaati or the Four Sword Shrine, Link is waking up to the beginning of Four Swords (I'm sure it was obvious).

The story about the goddesses and Ganondorf's background is different, I know, but I thought it would be interesting. I may go back later and edit this, we'll see. Anyway like I said earlier, leave a review or PM me and let me know what you think! I'd love to hear from you. Thank you!