Prelude

I wear this crown of shit

Upon my liar's chair

Full of broken thoughts

I cannot repair

Beneath the stains of time

The feelings disappear

You are someone else

I am still right here

What have I become

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know

Goes away in the end

You could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find away

Lyric excerpt from "Hurt" by Trent Reznor (Ganondorf's theme song for this story)

Chapter 17 Spiritual Awakening

Find a handhold. Find a foothold. Climb. Run out of holes. Attempt to scratch a new one. Fall. I had been repeating this pattern in endless cycles. I was tired. I was dirty. I was hungry. My fingernails were broken and packed with dirt. My fingers were raw and bleeding. The changing shadows from my goal, the one small window far above me, and the temperature fluctuation said that I had been in this pit for three days. It smelled of moldy earth, sweat and blood left by other unlucky occupants. The pit wasn't somewhere you went for a minor transgression. You went here to await a heavy punishment. Or death. No one would look for me here, the room was rarely used. To earn a stay you had to be a traitor, an intruder, or worse. We had even housed a few Sheikah here for interrogation during the war. I doubted Ganondorf would come back for me after throwing me in here. So I climbed. And fell. And climbed again. My delirious thoughts often wandered to lost companions, missed opportunities, years wasted and the one person I hated above all. Ganondorf. And I fell. I stood again, not bothering to brush the dirt off my already stained clothes. I rested my head against the cool wall dug into the heart of the cliffs and rested for a moment. I deeply inhaled, breathing the musty stench of fear and death. I wasn't dead yet. So I climbed.

It was a shock to me to finally reach the small ledge. I straddled the edge and caught my breath. The view was beautiful. I could far into the desert where the moon was just beginning to appear in the horizon. I could see the entire fortress. I could see how incredibly far the fortress was below me. Gerudo were patrolling far below me, unaware of the feat I had just accomplished. And I fell.

I rolled when I hit the packed dirt ground of the fortress, bruising my side in the impact. I rolled to my feet and took off running. I ran into the fortress, ignoring the alarm cry as the patrol spotted me. I must have looked like a monster or a demon as I ran though the fortress muddy and disheveled. It was a demon that I was on a mission to stop. I fled towards my quarters but dashed into the room opposite instead. My second-in-command was looking over papers at her small desk with a frown. She bolted out of the chair when I burst in and took a fighting stance.

"Goddess, Nabooru, what happened?" she asked when she recognized me.

"Ganondorf," I growled.

"He said that you were dispatched and wouldn't be back for a while," she told me, looking at me in worried confusion.

"He threw me in the pit!" I screamed.

"You left four days ago," she countered. I could visibly see the puzzle pieces falling into place. "Dear Goddess!" she scrambled out of her chair and thrust a water skin at me. The water was stale but I greedily emptied the contents. The guards that had been pursuing me followed my dirt trail and burst into the room and I was immediately surrounded by weapons.

"Stand down!" the commander ordered, squeezing herself between me and the blades. "It is Exalted Nabooru." The guards immediately lowered their weapons.

"We apologize," stated a guard. "We could not identify you. King Ganondorf said you were gone." I clenched my teeth in ire.

"She is back now and everything is fine," the commander interrupted. "You are dismissed." The guards bowed and left the room.

"He isn't at the fortress, is he?" I inquired cautiously.

"No," she replied. "He left just after you did, err… or, didn't. He didn't say when we would expect him back." I breathed a small sigh of relief and collapsed onto the floor.

I awoke two days later, having been cleaned and placed in my bed. I sat up with a start and looked around wildly. Frewoo was standing watch in the corner and smirked grimly at me.

"Domestic troubles with the king?" she teased darkly. I tossed a pillow at her in reply to her tasteless joke. From her manner I could tell she didn't know the entirety of the situation. She was extremely loyal to Ganondorf and would not hesitate to dispatch me if she thought he wanted me dead. I eased off the bed, my bruised side protesting. Frewoo stared at me as I tried out my limbs. "I suppose you are hungry after sleeping for two days," she commented and whistled down the hall. The mention of food set my stomach to cramping. I nodded dumbly and sat down on the edge of my bed. My friend hurried in with a tray.

"That will be all, Frewoo," she waived absently as she approached me. Frewoo stood hesitantly as if she wished to be privy to what our exchanges would be. "You are dismissed," the commander said more firmly. Frewoo gave a slight pout and exited the room. My friend handed me a small mug. "Just a sip," she commanded. "Your body isn't used to food so we have to go slow." I obediently took a sip of warm broth. My stomach knotted with the unaccustomed nourishment but begged for more. It was a painful hour, slowly introducing more broth and eventually bread. I was full sooner than I had anticipated.

"What did Ganondorf say he was going to do?" I asked once my head cleared of the food deprived fog.

"He didn't," my friend replied. I stood up quickly. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm stopping this foolishness," I growled. "He keeps obsessing over Hyrule and their myths. He means to destroy them. All this time he has chummed with the Hyrulian king and now he means to overthrow him. He will ruin Gerudo if he continues down that path. We won't be Gerudo if we leave the desert as he wishes."

"Nabooru," she said gently. "You can't stop the king, ordained by the Goddess. None of the Gerudo wishes to leave the desert, but if our king orders us to move we will go."

"Then I will stop him from taking Hyrule," I spat, storming about my small room.

"How, Nabooru?" was her soft question. I stopped for a moment.

"The temple," I answered decisively. "That is where he has always gone to prepare his army."

"He hasn't taken any Gerudo with him," my friend explained in confusion.

"No," I shook my head. "He has built himself an army of monsters. What are his own people compared to the horrors he has created?" My friend turned pale.

"To help you now is to go against my king," she whispered ever so slightly. "The others know enough to know you and Ganondorf had a falling out." I snorted at the understatement. "The best thing you can do now is to declare yourself a lone wolf, working independently of the fortress for the time being. You have Gerudo's respect and they will understand the need for solitude. Move your residence to the temple then no one will question your motives. If anyone learns what you are planning you will be labeled traitor. If I help you further I run the risk of being labeled traitor and I have Naboria to think of. The best I can offer is my silence." I looked at my friend gravely.

"I accept it," I answered solemnly. "I need you to be in charge of the fortress." She nodded her head. I called a brief fortress wide meeting where I declared myself a lone wolf and handed over fortress duties to my second-in-command. I could see that the Gerudo were confused but accepting. Frewoo glared suspiciously in the crowd and disappeared as soon as I dismissed the crowd. The fortress had resumed normal activity by the time I packed a small bag of supplies. I hurried out into the desert without a parting glance.

The desert was harder to navigate and more hostile than ever. I was exhausted and frustrated when the colossus came into view. I refreshed myself at the oasis before entering. I shot a contemptuous glance at the platform bearing the Hyrulian crest Ganondorf had allowed to be installed several years beck. I had thought it was a desecration at the time, but Ganondorf insisted it was a symbol of our solidarity with Hyrule. I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on my mission at hand. I entered the silent temple, trying not to alert the witches who might be within. I was already thwarted at the antechamber. Ganondorf had blocked off the entrance with a large stone block. It was much too heavy for me to push. The silver gauntlets which would enable me to open the passage were inside the temple. I could not fit through the tiny passage that led deeper inside. I tried to squeeze through but my shoulders were too wide. I huffed in frustration.

I was staring at the small hole when a noise startled me. It was just a little kid, and a Kokiri from the look of him. I was too surprised to demand how he had gotten here. Instead I asked him what he wanted. He evaded my question but I convinced him to crawl into the temple and fetch the gauntlets for me. I didn't know what Ganondorf had been doing but apparently he had been gaining opposition throughout Hyrule.

I sat and waited. The kid had seemed strong, and I prayed that I hadn't sent him to his doom. Other than the occasional clang echoing through the stone temple the air was silent. I meditated until a familiar cackle echoed through the antechamber. I had a fleeting hope they hadn't found the kid before I feared for my own safety. I knew I didn't have the ability to defeat them. They were too powerful, so I fled.

I bolted into the glaring sun of the desert. I didn't get far when the sand sank from under me. I felt like a weight was pulling me under a river current. I turned and stared at the Goddess, as if she could prevent the witches hovering about me from taking me. I saw the kid in her hand. He was at least safe. I shouted out a warning before sinking into blackness.

I wish I could say the blackness lasted the next seven years. Every other time I saw nothing and only heard glimpses of the outside world during a spell. This time I was fully aware of my surroundings. I moved like I was in a dream. My conscious rebelled against the orders I gave. I came into the fortress rarely. I gave orders and saw them carried out. They were always in line with Ganondorf's wishes. When my task was complete I returned to the fortress and waited, unmoving, for my next assignment. The Gerudo did not question my practices. I had declared myself a lone wolf and had retreated to the desert. My alibi became my curse. Only my dearest friend seemed to know something was amiss, but she said nothing. She had promised me her silence and she kept it. She kept the fortress running smoothly despite the chaos surrounding Gerudo Valley. Monsters were everywhere. Ganondorf had succeeded overthrowing Hyrule. He had exiled the king in a rare act of mercy but continued to hunt the princess. I only saw Ganondorf a few times in the seven years, but it was not Ganondorf. His transformation had been complete. When I looked at him I saw the beast, the demon that had been lurking inside for so long. I was surprised that no one else cowered at his visage, until I realized that I was having a vision they were not privy to. I hated him, but I obeyed him.

The orders I commanded at his behest were unpalatable to my sensibilities. I terrorized the Hyrulians and even the Kokiri for tribute. I ordered raids if the tribute was not large enough to satisfy Ganondorf's lust. I took part in removing Talon from the ranch he built with the help of Taboor. I was key in imprisoning the Gorons in their own temple. I channeled my magic with Kotake as she froze Zora's Domain in punishment of their insurrection. They had destroyed the bride to Gerudo Valley to alleviate the sufferings of Hyrule at the hands of the merciless Gerudo. Even the Gerudo came to fear the monsters that overtook the land. Only the fortress was spared an infestation. Ganondorf tried to convince the Gerudo to move into the fields of Hyrule, and I insisted. They refused though, until the monsters could be cleared away.

Seven years gone. Seven years wasted. Seven years stolen. After seven years my use expired. I had punished Hyrule as cruelly as they could be punished. I displayed no mercy, no remorse. I felt fleeting emotions, but they were gone before I could even recognize what they were. The only thing I felt purely was hate. I knew who did this to me, and I despised him for it. He had once claimed to love me but in the end I was no more than a pawn in his game. When my part had been played I became another monster, another dark creation of his. I guarded the temple like a dog. Yet after seven years, my resolve had only hardened. I was barely aware of my rebellion. I fought against the magic containing me, against the constant brainwashing. I could not break myself free but I became a nuisance to the witches, which was my consolation.

I collapsed onto the ground, acutely aware of myself and in control of my own thoughts and motions. I breathed heavy, feeling bruised from a battle, the memory of which was already vanishing. I looked up. It was that kid. It was that kid, but he had grown. What was he doing here? He couldn't have possibly hidden in the temple for seven years. The witches appeared, and I bolted. My movements felt awkward under my own control. I only made it a few steps and I was once again under their spell. This time it was blackness. The blackness broke in a sudden burst of clarity. Light blinded me momentarily. In front of me stood an impossibly old man, though the magic that flowed around him was a different flavor than I had ever experienced. He looked deep into my eyes and it was as if the secrets of the ages were revealed to me in an instant. The story of Hyrule flooded my conscious. The Goddesses and artifacts I had denied for so long were burned into my memory. The man placed a small metal token in my hand.

"You are being called," he stated, and I was pulled through the light. I stood in an odd place. It was like being atop a giant fountain, with more fountains surrounding me. I decided quickly this must be a good place with so much pure water around. In front of me stood the kid. I complemented his swordsmanship and apologized for my behavior for the past seven years. I was remarking to myself what a fine looking man he had become as he faded out of this realm and into Hyrule. I heard a snicker behind me. My eyebrows arched I realized I was far from alone. I turned around to face the eavesdroppers.

I recognized some. Darunia and Impa I knew, and I had seen the little Kokiri girl, Saria, before. There weren't many Kokiri and they were easy to distinguish as long as they weren't twins. The old man, who I knew to be Rauru though he had never told me his name, sat praying in a corner while the others stared expectantly at me. Dreamily to one side was Princess Fish-girl. I could not remember her name. Impa and Darunia both stared impassively while the Kokiri girl grinned wildly atop her perch on Darunia's head.

"I see you like my friend, Link," The girl grinned, giggling again. Fish-girl perked up at his name.

"Of course she likes Link," she said absently. "Everyone does. He is charming and good looking. He is chivalrous and the most respectful person I know." She began to go off a tirade of Link's many attributes.

"Does she always go on like this," I whispered as she gestured wildly as she extolling the virtues of the swordsman.

"Always," Impa replied with the slightest hint of annoyance. Darunia gave me a sympathetic nod while Fish-girl continued her rant.

"I apologize for rambling," Fish-girl said with a sugary-sweet smile after she had allowed herself to pause to take a breath. "You must already know who I am but allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Ruto, Princess of the Zoras." She added an exaggerated flourish of her fins, "I can tell from looking at you that you have suffered great loss through this difficult time. I suspect you have had a great love taken from you. I can sympathize. Apart from having my home and all my people frozen, I had to call off my engagement. I can't marry him being a sage now. Duty before desire. Who was this man you loved? My fiancé was none other than Link, the Hero of Time." She let out an exaggerated sigh. I stared emotionlessly back at Ruto.

"Ganondorf, Great King of Evil," I replied flatly. No emotion played across my face but Ruto's changed violently. Her expression switched from alarm, to disgust, to curiosity, to horror and back again as she was left speechless. Then I did something I hadn't done in seven years.

It came out as a hiss at first, as if my vocal chords didn't remember how. Then finally a chuckle before the laughter flowed freely. I laughed deeply at Ruto's reaction, and the sheepish grin she now gave me. Saria was giggling brightly and even Impa allowed herself a grin. Darunia was not one to exclude himself from merriment and joined, his deep laugh reverberating through the chamber. Eventually Ruto even began to see the humor in our exchange and had a polite, lady-like laugh. My laughter soon became near hysterics and I had to sit on the floor lest I fall. The other's laughter had already subsided and I fought to control my amusement.

"I'm sorry," I giggled once I had more or less calmed down. "You should have seen the look on your face."

"I'm not sure I fully understand," Ruto replied. "You said you were in a relationship with the king of evil. I thought you were fighting with us now."

"I am," I affirmed, finally regaining my feet. "Our relationship was once-upon-a-time. I have felt nothing but hate for him in the last seven years. He needs to die."

"If his death is your goal, Nabooru," Rauru spoke from his quiet corner of the realm, "you will be gravely disappointed."

"I though that was our goal!" I shouted at the serene old man. "Isn't that why I was brought here?" He gave me a sympathetic glance.

"We seek to defeat him, yes," he replied in his even tone. "Though I doubt death will be his ultimate punishment." I growled in frustration.

"He deserves to die after what he did to me," I spat. "He took away my free will. He used me as a puppet to do what he knew I opposed." I glared at the old man, contemptuous of his serene demeanor.

"He deserves whatever punishment we can bestow," Rauru replied. "He will be held accountable for his atrocities, your imprisonment being but a drop in the pond of his sins. However, he holds the Triforce of Power. He has power over Hyrule, magic, and even death. The best we can hope for is to seal his spirit in the dark realm, and pray he doesn't escape."

"That is the best?" I demanded. "That is hardly a punishment at all. What is the use of sealing him if he can just escape again? Was I brought here that I may see him escape his just punishment with a light sentence?"

"We seek to seal his spirit," Impa interrupted. "You are the only one who knows what it is truly like. You are the only being ever to care enough to look into his soul. You have seen it in all its forms. Even with all our power, we do not have the insight you do to complete our task."

"So you brought a Gerudo here to do your dirty work?" I grumbled bitterly.

"The Goddess calls those chosen by fate," Rauru insisted. "You were destined to help save Hyrule."

"But why a Gerudo?" I demanded.

"Why do you insist that being Gerudo excludes you from Hyrule's destiny?" Rauru countered. "The Gerudo's destiny has been intermingled with Hyrule's since they crossed the river into our territory and made contact. Who has supplied men for your bloodlines for the past centuries?" I bit my lip and refused to answer. All my past prejudices were being challenged and it was bitter. I stood silently mulling over the arguments I had with Ganondorf many years back. I had been the one who was wrong. How could that be if he was the evil one and I on the "good" side? Saria crawled down from her perch and hugged my leg affectionately. I merely stared down at the little Kokiri.

"It seems like the more answers I get the more questions I have," I commented. "How did this ever happen? When I first met Ganondorf he was completely different. What transformed him?"

"He was always like this," Rauru explained with infinite patience. "He has always been part man, part beast. At some point he chose to let his lust for power release his darker nature and overcome the descent person within. Was he ever perfect? No. No more perfect than you or I." He smiled at the incredulous look Saria shot him. "I have been a sage for a long time. I witnessed Gerudo entering the destiny of Hyrule. I witnessed the Zora leaving the hostile seas for the peace of the river. I was present when the Goron were birthed from the labor pains of Death Mountain. I even watched as the Kokiri took on their present form, but before all that I was a simple Hylian. My sins were many and there was none more surprised than I when I was called to be a sage. Back then we were all Hylian, but Hyrule has embraced many races since then. Here we are, all of Hyrule, united against our greatest threat. This does not set us above our fellow beings. We all still harbor this duality of nature. Even us, who are called for the good of Hyrule. Do you really believe, Nabooru, that Ganondorf could have forced you to carry out such foul deeds if it was not already within your nature to do so?" I averted my gaze from his probing depths. He looked at me expectantly, yet nonjudgmental.

"I know I have the ability to do I did. I have done them before," I responded mournfully. "I have killed, and stolen. I have been responsible for the destruction of entire races before Ganondorf forced me to tasks I would have opposed otherwise." I shot an apologetic glace at Impa, who had been watching me closely through my conversation with Rauru. She nodded her head slightly as she maintained her usual frown. "Am I to be punished for my crimes after we take care of Ganondorf?"

"The answer to that is not so simple," Rauru replied, his eyes crinkling. "The events of the past seven years are not your burden. It was in your nature, but not in your will. It is the willful act of evil that is the sin. You are as blameless for that which you did not will as a child whose wayward stone throw kills a cuckoo. That is to say others may resent you for your deeds, but your soul will not carry the burden. However, you are responsible for that which you did of your own free will, whether you were following orders or not."

"So I'm doomed either way, huh?" I added drearily. Rauru stood up stiffly from his prayerful position.

"Are you withdrawing your help then?" Rauru asked with interest.

"No," I answered solemnly. "I know what I have done is wrong. I cannot use Ganondorf's wrongdoing as an excuse for my own. He must pay for what he did for me."

"Ah, my dear," the old man exclaimed. "Acknowledging your part in evil is the first step to reconciling yourself. No one is beyond redemption."

"Except Ganondorf," I added.

"Even Ganondorf," Rauru corrected. I gave a cry of protest as he continued. "Even Ganondorf could be spared if he willed to recant his ways."

"How?" I demanded. "Everything he has done! You said he needed to be punished for his crimes. When you really look at everything that has happened what is the difference between Ganondorf and me?" I pushed the tears back that threatened to form.

"You have enough insight to see people for what they are," Rauru continued. "You do not simply think about your own wants. You feel remorse and pity for those you have wronged. In his arrogance and selfishness, Ganondorf cannot see past his own goals. He has no empathy. He has blinded himself to the sufferings of others. He has shut himself away rather than admit that he has wrecked havoc on the land he wished to hold. He could be saved if he was to repent, but he will not."

"Still, how can I expect to be forgiven my crimes, when he is beyond hope?" I asked. Rauru smiled warmly at me.

"There are others in this room who can better answer this than I," he replied calmly. He sat down to meditate again. I looked around at my companions. I had wronged each of them in turn. I stared at them blankly, unable to form words to convey my thoughts.

"The Great Deku Sprout knows you are not responsible for what happened," Saria offered with an impish smile. "You were always lots of fun before that. Not all big people take the time to learn our names." I stared impassively at the little girl. It suddenly occurred to me that she was much older than I. I looked around the room once more.

"I don't know what to say," I admitted sincerely. "I know I have harmed each of you and your people, and I regret my actions, willful or not. I do not have a way to make amends."

"You are freely forgiven," Ruto was the first to pipe in her commentary. "After all you are hardly responsible for the current state of things…."

"I told you once before that the Gorons have forgotten the ill done during the war," Darunia interrupted before Ruto could start another monologue. "We recognize Ganondorf as the culprit. Do you swear to honor the Goron as your own people, and defend the Goron as brothers?"

"I am more accustomed to sisters," I replied with amusement. "But, yes, I swear it."

"Well then, little sister," Darunia replied, his eyes dancing. "There is nothing to forgive." He opened his arms and approached me but I quickly evaded lest I be subject to a bone crushing hug. We exchanged smiles. I turned around and was face to face with Impa, who held the most animosity towards me. Who could blame her? I recovered my stony face and we held each others gaze for a silent moment.

"To you I owe a special apology," I whispered. "I was responsible for exterminating the Sheikahs." She glared back at me silently, piercing me with her crimson eyes.

"You are a fool to believe the Sheikah were exterminated," Impa replied, but I detected the slightest bit of humor underlying her sternness. "We are better at disappearing and blending in than you might think. With the right headgear, such as a Hylian royal guard helm for example, one might never know the difference between Sheikah and Hylian. Besides, there are at least two women with Sheikah blood in Hyrule." We gave each other crooked half smiles. "To answer you directly, you are forgiven. The Sheikah accept my judgment as the Gerudo do yours. I now want to know what kind of forgiveness you plan to bestow."

"I don't understand," I replied. "Am I not the one who is in the wrong?"

"Is there no one who has wronged you?" She shot back firmly.

"We are all here to punish him!" I shouted. "We are doing this because of what he has done to me and to others!" Impa opened her mouth to reply but quickly faded out of the realm in a glowing orb.

"The shadow barrier is broken," Rauru commented serenely from his seat.

"What Impa is trying to convey, little sister," Darunia explained, "is that Ganondorf will be held accountable for his crimes. You have to let go of the hurt and the anger and attempt to be impartial."

"How can I?" I demanded. "How can I just pretend like everything didn't happen and let the course of events continue?"

"There is a difference in forgiving someone for past mistakes, and allowing them to continue making mistakes," Darunia replied. Impa popped back into the realm and looked at me expectantly, as if she had just stepped out of the room for the moment but had not lost her focus on the conversation.

"The act of forgiving someone who has wronged you is not just for the person being forgiven," Saria added with the air of a schoolgirl reciting her lessons. "The person who forgives is the person who is able to heal and move on. You harm no one more than yourself by holding onto your anger." Saria then faded out of the realm.

"You may be outraged now but do not let it fester," Ruto added. "Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.* Now when I was little I would go into Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly but one time there were poisoned rays…" I didn't hear the rest of the story as she was pulled away before hand. I was already learning to ignore her random tangents, anyway.

Impa looked at me expectantly. "I will work on it," I promised. "I cannot ignore my personal hurts at the moment, but I will learn."

"It is enough," Impa replied and we all fell into quiet waiting as the hero charged towards his goal.

One by one the rest of us briefly faded to aid the hero. We waited in an uneasy silence while we felt, rather than saw the final battle between Ganondorf and the hero. We waited, and prayed, and hoped that the little kid had the courage and strength to outwit Ganondorf's unnatural power. I figured this would end one of two ways. At best Link would weaken and distract Ganondorf long enough for us to seal his spirit in the dark realm. At worst Ganondorf would destroy the boy and force his way into this small chamber of the sacred realm and eliminate us all, and completely demolish Hyrule in the process. The wait became agonizing when we could no longer detect Ganondorf or the hero.

A defense buckled somewhere, and we felt the princess call all of us. It was time for action. We did not go to Hyrule; Ganondorf had already been defeated there. The six of us, plus princess Zelda arrived in the shadow realm, a place between life and death where Ganondorf's spirit had retreated to escape death. Impa's lips smiled wryly as she entered her element. Saria sidled closer to Darunia as the spirits of monsters, demons and the wayward dead surrounded us. An awful howling filled our ears.

"Quickly, Nabooru," Rauru urged, "you must find him." Navigating the shadow world was an odd experience I neither walked nor moved but the spirits shifted before me as I tried to seek my goal. I disregarded beasts that bore resemblance to the monster he had become. Ruto looked at several demons as if to ask if I was sure this wasn't the one. I was sure. I finally found him drifting casually, looking much like he did many years ago. He was young, healthy and robust, though tired and worn. None of the others would ever guess that this was the true spirit of the conqueror of Hyrule. Here stood the Ganondorf who laughed, rejoiced, feared and hoped. Here was the Ganondorf I once loved. I hesitated a moment, reviving an old feeling of loyalty and attachment. For a moment I contemplated skimming by, and condemning a random being. Ganondorf looked at me and I saw into his defiant and remorseless eyes. There inside lay the darkness that the others were searching for.

"Here," I called, pointing without lifting my arm. We converged at once. It took but a few seconds to bind him and send him to the dark realm. A seal was placed as strong as we could manage. We all looked at each other, disbelieving our task was actually over.

"Thank you," Princess Zelda whispered. She bowed to us and left to confront Link. The rest of us, minus Rauru appeared in the middle of Hyrule Field, just outside the gates of Lon Lon Ranch.

"Is it over?" Saria asked, glancing around quizzically. The dark cloud over the castle was gone, leaving clear skies visible over the ruined castle. The air was unbelievably still. There wasn't a hint of crows, keese or poes at all.

"He is gone," Impa replied stoically, "but there is much to do to restore Hyrule. I say we split up, and tend to our own people now." We agreed and said our good byes before parting ways. I trotted off towards the valley, knowing it would take me several hours to reach the familiar grounds. I could have warped myself directly there, but I was still relishing the feeling of moving on my own. I finally reached the wooden bridge and crossed without a challenge. I immediately sought out my second-in-command and wrapped her in an affectionate embrace.

"You're back," she murmured in surprise. "You are really back. What happened?" We spoke many hours about the events that had transpired including Ganondorf's defeat.

"So it is just you and me now?" My friend smiled when I finished my story.

"I suppose so," I replied. "You have been basically running things alone for the past seven years."

"Your sisters will be overjoyed for you to take your place among us again," she assured me. "You never did renounce your lone wolf status." We immediately called a fortress wide meeting where I explained that Ganondorf had been defeated and reclaimed my place among the Gerudo. With mixed feelings I commenced mourning customs for the king. After all, these Gerudo were loyal to him, even if I despised who he had become. They had a right to their own opinions of him. I detached myself from my people and wandered down to the gorge to look out over Hyrule field. A splashing in the river caught my attention. I looked over the rim to see Ruto climbing in the physics defying way of the Zora. He reached level ground, frowning the whole way.

"I don't understand," she began as soon as she found her feet. "With Ganondorf's magic gone Zora's domain should be unfrozen, but it is not. I went to seek Impa but she is beyond busy in Kakariko village. You were the next easiest person to track down. I thought that the witch who initially cast the spell was gone, so why is it still frozen?"

"I will go with you to check it out," I replied. "I might be able to help."

"Great!" she smiled and jumped back into the river. "Are you coming?"

"Gerudo don't swim so well," I called down. "I'll meet you there." I explained to my friend my need for another absence. She nodded in her infinite understanding and patience.

I warped directly to the head of Zora's River, glad I didn't have to navigate the labyrinthine river. Ruto met me outside the waterfall.

"I was wondering when you were going to come," she teased as she easily hopped through the veil of water. I took a deep breath and swallowed my fear. I closed my eyes as I flung myself off solid ground and into the watery downpour. I landed on my feet and stumbled to my knees. I stood up and looked at the expectant Zora. She led me to the icy cavern and took me onto the solid sheet of frozen water. The forms of Zora were visible beneath the translucent surface. I knelt down to investigate the cold floor. "I thought the spell would have been broken by now," she pouted. I looked up and for the first time saw not the annoying, spoiled princess, but the regal woman who truly cared about her people.

"I should be able to finish lifting the curse," I assured her. Ruto's face lit up in a genuine smile.

"Good," she replied happily. "My magic is completely useless against this. Ice is but solid water, though I can't touch this spell. Are you sure you can break it?"

"I should be able to," I answered wryly. "I am the one who put it there." Ruto's face once again flickered through a myriad of emotions. I smiled despite myself and pressed both palms of the frozen pool. I concentrated, trying to remember what exactly I had done in the first place. I felt my palms glow with energy and the ice slowly melt into water. It dawned on me that I was standing on a twenty foot block of ice just before the spell shattered and I sank through the surface. I flailed wildly about me as I hit the bottom. Ruto appeared before me, laughing as she grasped me and drug me to the surface. She hauled me towards the ground where I coughed and spit up water.

"Gerudo really don't handle water well," she mused as I regained my composure. I reminded her acidly I lived in a desert, but we both smiled at each other. The Zora began to emerge, disoriented from their years of frozen captivity. One finally demanded who I was and remarked he thought he had seen me before. "This is Nabooru," Ruto proclaimed regally. "She is sage of spirit and has saved all Zora's domain from the curse put in place by Ganondorf's minions." The Zoras looked at me skeptically but softened as they raptly listened to Ruto's much embellished tale of the defeat of Ganondorf and my "heroic" effort to save Zora's Domain and all Hyrule. Impa stepped out of the shadows as Ruto was finishing her story.

"I was told I would find you here when you weren't at the fortress," she commented. She told Ruto quickly about a celebration being planned at Lon Lon Ranch, which Ruto joyfully relayed to her people. "We have a sage meeting," Impa told us after the Zoras had left for the ranch. I was about to protest when Impa assured me she had already informed my commander.

We warped to the chamber where the others were waiting. Rauru had called us only to explain our duties as sages now that Hyrule was once again at peace. Life would continue, mostly as normal. We would gather periodically to discuss the safety of Hyrule and the royal family. Princess Zelda had sent Link back in time to live his lost years and had already embarked to bring her father back from exile. The meeting was adjourned and we left Rauru to observe the celebration down at the ranch. It was heartwarming to see all the races, long divided, joining together to celebrate peace. Even the Gerudo, who were mourning the loss of a king were able to celebrate true unification share the joy of Hyrule. The Great Deku Sprout had given the Kokiri permission to join the revelry. I looked around at my companions as we mutely observed the bonfire with satisfaction. All was well. The past was behind me and the future was uncertain but hopeful. Deep within my spirit I felt peace.

FIN

Author's Note:

* quote from Malachy McCourt

Well, my dearest readers, we have come to the end of this story. What started as a simple idea and a way to cope with my divorce morphed into this. I spent many hours on countless Zelda wikis and fan pages, and YouTube reviewing cut scenes to try and get all the details right. I'm still not entirely pleased with everything, but I feel satisfied. After all this is the very first fictional piece I have ever done. There was so much I learned during the process. If you are wanting more, I am planning on writing an alternate ending based on the split time line theory, which is something that I discovered during my research. Basically when Link is sent back in time another time line is formed that leads to the events of Twilight Princess. I plan on calling it "When Time Splits," so keep a lookout if you are interested. I will give no promises to when it will be published. I am deeply humbled and grateful for everyone who has read or reviewed my story. Thank you. Please feel free to message me or leave a review with any questions or comments you may have. With this I bid you farewell.

~Trixie Falsae

Update: I know I said no promises on the alternate ending, but I decided to go ahead and write it while I have time and it is finished already. You can look in my profile for it or add the following after fanfiction . net . Thank you.

/s/6631287/1/When_Time_Splits