Lethe

Chapter 4: cripple (continued)

It took Link several hours to do so, but the boy had recovered from his temper and seemed to have begrudgingly forgiven Ganondorf for the trouble.

"Get up Gerudo," a less-than-emphatic voice snapped. A foot met Ganon's side. "Goddesses, how long have you been lying in that same spot?"

"It's comfortable," Ganon responded dolefully.

Link made a skeptical look. "On the floor?"

"Yes."

Ganondorf often lost his ability to conjure believable lies when he was too miserable to think straight. After Link had left, Ganondorf's body had given up under the strain of terrible overwork. He had hit the floor with a thud, and when he found he did not have the strength to get up again, he used his time to refuse to believe this was happening to him. At intervals, he closed his eyes and attempted to correct the situation, for he was positive this must be some sort of crude, humiliating nightmare--all to no avail. This nightmare was surprisingly adhesive, and no method he used could revert it.

Of all the Hells he could have gone to, he ended up here, with his somewhat crazed mortal enemy as the headmaster. Ganondorf scowled. The gods must have a foul sense of humor.

"Is this always the method you use to pout?"

Ganondorf growled. "Shut the HELL up."

Link sighed. "That's a 'yes,' presumably?" He shook his head and moved to the door. "C'mon, get up..."

Ganondorf struggled to move his legs but was only greeted with a stabbing sensation of fire and soreness. He cringed and muffled, "Not right now."

"There's food," Link baited.

Ganondorf, feeling the rumbles in his stomach, tried again to get up. No luck. "Maybe later," he grumbled unhappily.

Link nearly grew flustered from Ganondorf's apparent stubborness, not realizing that it was pain ailing the man. His jaw fell open, and his face flushed, but his angry words died in his mouth. With a huff, he decided not to mind it. "Whatever you want to do," he surrendered, not without a hint of sarcasm. He took in a shaky breath, clearly recovering from some sort of breakdown. "When you're up to it, you can walk around."

Link paused.

"But do be careful next time not to be discovered."

Another pause. Ganondorf wished Link would just leave instead of standing about, speaking when words came to him.

"Who knows," Link mused with a smirk, "perhaps you cured Jamil of a drinking habit."

"Yes, yes, you're welcome," Ganondorf irritably pushed. "Do you mind? I'm trying to sleep."

**********

Ow.

Ow.

Ganondorf, after dozing for several hours, decided to get up, despite the protesting throbs of pain racking his body. He ackowledged that he would have to learn to tolerate the pain eventually, so he started there, shifting his weight and standing on his feet. Though he wasn't happy, things were apparently going to improve. Link was allowing him out, and in addition to this, there was no detached voice haunting his mind.

Ganondorf feebly wondered what the voice had originated from. There was such little evidence to work from that all he could conclusively decide was that the voice was not his own. The crow and the voice in his head, then, were both outside sources trying to contact him. But why? What on earth was so eager to follow him? And how did this thing manage to find him?

All he could do was wait for the thing to contact him again. He'd deal with it then. He didn't even entertain the idea of sharing these experiences with Link--he didn't have much to say other than something was talking to him and he had not the faintest idea what it was.

Besides, Link was being terribly inconsistent and bothersome. Ganondorf had never met someone so baffling--he was convinced that the boy must have several separate personalities. The boy apparently, too, only reserved these personalities for Ganondorf. Link acted quite calm and normal in the presence of comrades and friends, but the moment there was an attempted interaction between the two men, the boy's sanity fled.

Just like a woman, Ganondorf agonized in frustration. He didn't like this at all. Link was probably going to end up taking out every fit on him, and it did not help that Ganondorf had no protective measures. He thought through all of the magic he had learned, but all of his defense spells were also offensive--mostly for redirecting a spell back at the caster. This was no help. He needed a passive defense: one that would simply eradicate the spell's effects altogether. There was not much hope of this being learned.

Ganondorf swore absently. This wouldn't turn out well.


The strange foreign man was getting on Link's nerves, although the Hylian wasn't prepared to show it.

Not only was the nameless man following him and barraging him with endless questions, but the man was becoming increasingly vicious in attitude. Link had been doing his best to grin and bear it, as well as some efforts to avoid contact, but he and Zelda found that the man was not easily lost.

Link spent most of his time speaking with foreign leaders, particularly the dark man from earlier, with whom Link was apparently well acquainted with. Ganondorf, as he watched the exchanges between the men, did not drop his hatred. However, he was also getting the feeling that the energy was growing contagious. There was an undeniable mood surrounding the boy from every side--a sort of hypnotism--that led to an unquenchable curiosity and adoration. Every conversation carried this overtone: Link was unconsciously revered as holy and separate.

This worship was growing onto him and he didn't know why. For the time being, Ganondorf decided to ignore it.

Link and Zelda were seated in the presence of a roaring fire in an empty hall, drinking tea and doing their best to not be found. This proved futile.

Ganondorf, along with the strange man who entered the room without invitation, found the event humorous in a peculiar way. Link and Zelda heard the man approach, but to Ganondorf's surprise they did not move. It was evident that Zelda wished to, but Link could not identify who was coming forth until it was too late and the man's oily voice was unleashed.

"Well, there you are! You have no idea how long I've been looking for you."

Zelda concealed a scowl and Link nervously laughed as the man grabbed a nearby chair and positioned it across from the boy. "I do think I can imagine," Link responded in good nature, proving better at hiding his feelings than the Princess.

The man carried an obvious and hungry look to him, and Ganondorf did not expect the encounter to go well. The man looked like an interrogator, and the previous clash supported this notion.

"I have the most awful curiosity, Hero," the man began, his eyes immediately setting into the dead pair that Link unfortunately bore. The man noticed, however, that there was a drink being exchanged between the two. "--I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

Zelda was ready to lie and say they were immersed in important, private conversation. Link was not, and managed to answer first. "Oh no, sir. Not at all. Would you care for some?"

The Princess made a distinctly enraged noise.

The man smirked knowingly at the display but did not comment. "Indeed, I would. Thank you for your generosity."

"Indeed," Zelda shallowly echoed, tempted to rebelliously disregard the offer, but to his disdain, Link again ruined her attempts. Link placed his hand onto the table, precariously finding the china with his fingers, and set out to give the man some tea. The cycle was growing absurd. Every time Zelda nearly broke loose, Link would gracefully pull her back into control, submitting himself to the violent will of some deranged man. Zelda found herself defeated--she could not manage to uphold her temper when Link took everything so well. But she, and it so happened Ganondorf, too, did not like how simply Link was accepting this. Neither believed he should so readily prepare for verbal abuse.

He was too nice.

The man had the most wicked look as he took his cup of tea and began again. "Well, as I was saying. I do have some questions for you. Now," he spoke as he swirled his tea, "I don't mean to sound intrusive, but... You are the Hero of Time, yes."

He paused and the rest puzzled over the direction he was going. He sipped his tea fully and sighed with satisfaction.

"But, let us be honest, hmm? You are a soldier, and one with quite the disability. I guess what I am trying to inquire about is: what exactly is a cripple like you doing in the Royal Castle?"

The conversation came to a dead halt and Zelda's face began to mutate.

'Cripple'? 'Cripple'? Ganondorf was so enraged with the poison in the man's tone that he nearly gave himself away. A cripple! What a foul joke; the man must have never met anyone of true quality--if he had, he wouldn't have entertained such a blasphemous term. Ganondorf watched intently, holding his breath and waiting for Link's response. Ganondorf furiously thought that if it were he in Link's position, the man would be doomed to be a pile of ashes.

To his surprise, Link did not miss a beat, and shook the comment immediately from his shoulders. His tone was solemn and perfectly uninjured. "I assure you, sir, that nothing beyond my sight is impaired--therefore, the term cripple would be quite inaccurate."

There was another tense silence, and Ganondorf watched as the man sat in defeat. This man was deliberately trying to fluster the boy, and having to accept such a cold response only left the man more determined than ever. His face burned with a deep flush, shaking in a silent fury. The man's eyes lit with his utter hatred, but he remained composed. He took in a breath, and with a dry tone responded, "Very well. Then, I suppose, my question is this: How did you come to be a part of this gathering?"

The man obviously was keeping his vile questions hidden until they proved useful. Link answered politely, "I served in the army, sir, as I told you before."

"Surely so, but many a man has served Hyrule and has never laid eyes--" The man paused. "--If you'll excuse the figure of speech."

"That is fine, sir..."

Ganondorf knew that was a lie. Link was surprisingly sensitive when people tried to bring up his ailment as frequently as this.

"...And I understand. But you see, I'm a personal acquaintance of Her Royal Highness."

"Ah. And how long have you known--"

"Several years, sir."

"Isn't the war still on? Why are you away from the battlefield so early?"

This, quite purposely, was an attack on Link's military record, and although Ganondorf had never witnessed anything Link had done on that battlefield, he felt inclined to believe Link was honorable. After all, the boy had managed to defeat him in battle. Whatever that meant, Ganondorf found it hard to accept the attack as anything but ridiculous. Link would never desert.

"I became blind while on duty, sir. I was deported back because of it."

The man glowered, and took a sip of his tea, eyes probing Link and waiting for another question to come to mind. Zelda sat stone silent, unable to speak up and defend Link against this interrogation. "If, say, you got your sight back tomorrow..." the man tapped his finger on the table. "...Would you return to the battlefield?"

Ganondorf still didn't like the man's tone, but as Ganon continued to dwell on this, he realized that he was actually boiling over something that a stranger was saying to his mortal enemy. Shouldn't he be enjoying this? Ganon tried to toss the thought aside, but it nagged him as he tried to decide what the right response was. Either way, there was an obscure tug of guilt and shame. Reveling in these attacks didn't seem right, but neither did condemning them. But no matter how he thought he should respond, nothing could numb his disgust with this man.

"No sir--I was actually serving more than I had to already. The doctors have also recommended not to, as they believe it may trigger my blindness again."

"Do they know why it happened?"

"They have no idea, sir."

Quit calling the man 'sir!' Ganon mentally screamed.

The man took another drink, and a smirk crept at his lips and disappeared. Link sat with a blank look, of course not noticing the smirk and not knowing what to expect. "So, Link," the man began, his voice enough to make anyone's blood boil, "have you ever killed a man?"

The silence was that of sheer astonishment. The man had finally succeeded in his venture--Link's face drained of all color, jaw dropping and a loose syllable caught in his throat. "I--"

Had Ganondorf lost control, he would have burst from the shadows and ripped the man to pieces, sending both of them into abyss. Ganondorf was a cruel man, and had committed extraordinary crimes, but never had he prodded a warrior's conscience with so much disdain.

The stunned silence was only broken by a brisk transition from Zelda. "It's late. Say, Link, I should think that you want to meet Kanti..."

Link stuttered uneasily, "Wh-who?"

"Remember? I told you about her earlier. Ah--" Zelda glanced at the man sitting across from them. "Excuse us."

Link remained so startled, that he could only be moved with a firm tug at the shoulder. Zelda firmly wrenched him onto his feet, giving him only time enough to make an incoherent apology before they were both back in the corridors, moving towards nowhere in particular. Link, unable to recover, mumbled in surprise even while being pulled away from the disastrous confrontation.

"The nerve!" Zelda huffed immediately upon being freed from the room. "How dare he ask that! My father will hear of this, I assure you--"

"Zelda," Link softly chastised. "There is no need to be so offended. It was merely a question--"

"Merely a question?" Zelda sputtered in disgust. "You should have seen his face--he was trying to hurt you!"

Link would have replied, but after a moment's thought, concluded that ending the conversation was best. Uncomfortably, he sunk back into silence. Zelda continued to fume as she wrapped an arm around his and led him down the hall. Link meekly followed, doing his best to plaster a smile on his face. Ganondorf followed closely behind, steaming along with the Princess. Had the situation been different, the man would have been another victim of his.

Link happily changed the subject, requesting that they return to the ballroom where couples were beginning to dance. Zelda must have misinterpreted the gesture, because she immediately tried to kiss him.

Link, as he did before, pretended to look the other way and dodged the kiss. Zelda, defeated and embarrassed, looked the opposite way and down to the floor.

Upon arriving at the ballroom, Zelda made an excuse for herself and left, asking for him to remain where he stood. Ganondorf suspected that her upset was causing her early leave, and knew Link sensed this as well. And so, Link agreed to stay and wait for her.

Ganondorf stood at his side, still enshrouded in invisibility. He thought for quite a bit, pondering over what had occurred between the two. He had seen this action take place several times already; it could not be happening on accident. Link was purposely avoiding any romance with Zelda. This, Ganon thought, was curious. Link obviously had an eye for her, and she returned these feelings.

Why back away from such an offer?

"Well," Link spoke thoughtfully, "that was interesting, no?"

"Hmm."

"Any thoughts?"

"Do you love her?" Ganon asked, being careful to watch for any coming their way.

Link paused, considering his answer. He fretted slightly, seemingly displeased with this question. "Well... Yes, I guess I do."

"Then why dodge it so valiantly?"

Link laughed. "You noticed?"

"It's difficult not to."

Link accepted this dismally, and explained, "As honest as our intentions are, I'm not royalty. To burden her with my romance would only cripple everything in her life. No, it is best this way. She will find another."

"Hmm."

Link frowned, a little irritated with Ganondorf's unchattiness. "You ask questions and never talk. Are you not convinced?"

This time, Ganondorf made no sound. Link stood baffled for a moment, but jumped when Zelda flocked back to his side. "Talking to yourself again?"

"Yes," Link quickly replied, taking her hand.

Zelda giggled in good nature, swiftly pulling him into the dance floor. Beneath a chandelier's glow, couples waltzed on a marble floor and chatted nonchalantly. Wine was exchanged, and a rather annoying character was already drunk--a boisterous rich man, roaring with laughter and taking another excessive sip of alcohol. The couples tried their best to ignore him while some worked to distract him.

The two danced away in the night.

Ganondorf was feeling incurably ill and he felt a terrible certainty as to what it was.

Ganondorf did not write very often--he seldom had the opportunity or the inclination. But now he was not busy, and for once felt the need to write something down. He could stand this approaching confusion no longer and ached for explanation. He had before entertained limited adoration for the boy, but the voice's telltale words were starting to become true. The others still were held with fascination, longingly searching the boy out, but he was held back only by a weak reluctance bore by hatred.

He thought, bewildered by the rush that surrounded him, this is all very silly. Link, the blind warrior, was worshiped by all of those around him for his glory and strength. None could pass him without shuddering or crying out, and none could betray him…

Somehow, despite all of his violent malice, Ganondorf could not resist the urge to become swept up with this disease—Link was an idol, a jealous god that demanded servitude, and no one could deny him without feeling wasted. Ganondorf, try as he may, did not have the will power to withhold his adoration and worship. The aura around the boy struck him drunk, and all he could see this Link as the boy who defeated him.

This boy, this terrible and magnificent boy--

And there, in the mustiness of his room, Ganondorf wrote the first of his insanities, and unbeknownst to him at the time, he was soon to write hundreds more. It was the beginning of his legacy of madness, and before his very eyes he was tossed into a world that represented no sense or righteousness. He scribbled the first paradox in hopes of unfolding its nature, but instead he unleashed a countless number of them in a savage procession.

It was the paradox—the impossibility of his feelings in relation to what existed—that drove him to write so fervently:

I would kiss you for the stupidity of this situation—for the silly feelings that I have—and the ridiculous notion that I know to be true:

You are a god.


He slept for several hours, for the verse had exhausted him. When he awoke again, he looked again to the writing, examined it, and destroyed it out of fear. The crow came again, rattling its wings against the windowpane to attract his attention, but he bitterly slammed the window shut. He knew already, after all, what it was going to tell him. He had succumbed to Link's perfection and did not desire to be mocked for it.

Ganondorf slept heavily for an almost eerie amount of time. Link had once or twice knocked on the door throughout the passing evening, but the boy knew nothing of Ganon's suffering, and so he could only abandon all efforts to awaken him. Ganondorf felt so miserable and famished that he refused to move, fearing that any twitch could excite the encapsulated emotions. He remained sullen and destroyed, rolling about in bed, forcing himself to think this over. Sleep, he realized upon fingering the sheets, had become his estranged companion throughout this fiasco, giving him comfort even when nothing else held consistencies. Sleep would not ridicule him for his evolving emotions that he could not understand.

The emotions that emerged were not only frustrating because of his lack of understanding--Ganondorf was surprisingly aware of his own reluctance to approach them. He knew that even if his emotions were understood, he would probably deny them all the same. These feelings were threatening to him. They threatened to erase all of his efforts to hate Link. Every part of his mind and soul howled in its demand to wipe clean any thoughts that would contradict his hatred. He lived to despise Link. It was all that kept him from falling apart.

And yet...

Ganondorf, in an irritated disturbance of his sleep, twisted over. He snorted, eyes fluttering open to see dim firelight flickering in the darkness. He lay there for several minutes, choosing not to move. He gazed out in boredom. His complaining stomach desired food, and he wasn't sure if he could neglect this need much longer. He dwelled on this for quite a good while, but at last he heaved his body upward.

The movement was met with an extreme wave of pain. The excruciating pain arose like flame in his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. Ganondorf moaned, clutching for his heart, but soon realizing that the pain had faded and was now rising from someplace much more worrisome.

Ganondorf froze. A headache inflamed, and he could feel his stomach convulse. His head swam. Color drained from his face, and cold sweat formed on his brow. He could smell it and even feel it soak into the cloth. There was blood.

There was blood... All over...

Ganondorf, despite the pain that continued to swell, shot up onto his feet. He dizzily turned to the bed and gawked in horror. A pool of a dark crimson liquid stained the sheets, a trail of blood leaking down the bed's side and back to his feet. Blood still dripped from where he stood.

The first desperate thought he had was an accusation. He at first thought that Link had done this to him. The pain was strangely familiar, and he recalled that it was Link's first attempt at using the spell. Was this some unexpected side effect?

Goddesses, he's killed me.

The amount of blood he was spilling was massive. He quickly felt the consequences of such a blood spill, as his head began to spin with nausea. Out of every orifice in his body, blood began to ooze and swim, soon blocking his throat and nostrils and sending him gagging to the floor. He struggled, choking and desperately gasping for air.

Throughout his alarm, he managed to gain control of himself and spew enough blood to breathe. He pondered his next move, but knew he didn't have much time.

The only thing he could think of doing was unlocking the door. At least then, Link could perhaps find him.

Ganondorf twisted the key in the lock before collapsing painfully against the door. Ganondorf swore once more, seeing the blood begin to pool on the floor. He could feel himself lose consciousness fast...

After what seemed to be an eternity of agony, Link had returned, and found the door unlocked but barricaded with Ganondorf's unconscious body. He made one push and realized something was wrong. With a strong heave, Link shoved the door open and sent Ganon's body skidding back over the floorboards with a thud.

"Gerudo," he hissed as sharply as he could. Link could smell the copper, and cringed at the stench. There were splashes and drips, and as he listened and smelled, the color drained from Link's face.

He could hear no answer but a faint gurgle and moan.

Link dashed into the room, spiraling and searching for Ganon with his hands. "Ganon?" he again pleaded, falling to the floor and searching blindly.

Ganondorf gave a groan. Link lunged in the direction of the weak sound, toppling on top of the dying Gerudo man. Having no time for formalities, Link patted Ganondorf down with his fingers, feeling through Ganon's body to bear a mental image. Link sat on his knees, dead eyes staring into nowhere while his hands smoothed over the man's body.

He searched for the wounds, but to his despair he could find none. Instead, Ganondorf bled inexplicably from every opening in his body.

Link was not a doctor, but he knew he could not find a Hylian doctor willing to treat Ganondorf Dragmire. With no other place to turn, Link set to work at the only healing spell he knew--he didn't know if it would work at all, much less work well, but it was all he could do.

“Please, please let this work---“

As Link proceeded, a part of him mused at his sense of urgency. This was the enemy lying before him, spontaneously dying, and now he was fretting as though it were his friend. The irony of the situation escaped him in the haze of desperation, and so he decided to sort it out later.

His magic glared intensely, and although it felt resistant to healing this man, it submitted to Link’s control. The power grew, unfurled like a blooming flower, overflowing onto the floor. The shimmering spell crept along the Gerudo’s skin, and at first the sensation was alien and unwanted. Ganondorf’s body convulsed, but the magic took hold and to Link’s relief, the bleeding slowed.

“I think…”

Ganondorf’s eyes were shut.

“I think that will take care of it,” Link murmured conversationally, placing a hand to Ganon’s forehead, critically thinking over the instance. “For now, anyway,” he added carefully, only so that he may hear it come from his mouth. The body was chilled, shivering--

Link’s heart was still hammering from the abruptness of Ganondorf’s collapse. This wasn’t normal. It couldn’t be. No one breaks into such powerful seizures of bleeding without warning or reason. Link grappled briefly with his feelings, debating whether he ought to feel sorry about it or dismiss it.

It was just Ganondorf.

But then again, he was Link.

Ganondorf did not see much after his collapse. He did feel relieved from his pain and wounds, but his vision started to play tricks on him. He saw the strange, foreign man standing in the doorway, smiling leisurely, musing over the instance that he admired. He grew in his worry, however, once he heard Link's pleas for secrecy. The man was talking, grinning, and Link was desperately begging him not to give them away--

Ganondorf, dizzy from his fall, gave the man a disapproving look. It felt like a dream or a heavy hallucination, but to his horror, he knew it was not.

The headache came back with a vengeance.

The man faded, but not without spitting out that hideous voice that had infected him before--the voice implanted in his head was now on this person's lips.

"Don't be sorry, Ganondorf."

Things were simply not going as he thought they should, and he wanted this ordeal to stop.

Ganondorf did not have time to ponder whether he was going insane, but if he had committed to such an evaluation, he would be convinced his mind wasn't right.

When he had fainted, the room was painted with blood, he was lying on the floor, and Link was dithering above him in feigned worry. Now that he woke up, he was on top of his bed of all things, and immediately, the situation took a bizarre turn. The room was free from any sign of blood. And--

"You!" Ganondorf blurted. The crow was there again.

Without any inhibitions this time, he leaped for the opportunity to interrogate the animal, despite its apparently distracted mood. It was squawking in irritation, bounding across the floor, beating its body repeatedly against the surface of the door. Ganondorf got up, discovering Link blacked out on top of him (he swiftly removed the unconscious body without any thought).

"You--beast! How did you get in here?"

The door and window were shut and the crow only responded by hitting the door once more.

Ganondorf gritted his teeth. "What do you want with me? Is there some reason you find it amusing to harass me?"

The crow still acted as though it couldn't hear him. Ganondorf thought it was mocking him and fell to his knees in order to stare at it closely.

"I know you can hear me! Now tell me what you want! What price do you have? What act do you require of me so that you leave me at peace?"

The bird flapped its wings angrily and Ganondorf grabbed for its body in a rage. The critter according bit him and savagely sliced a wound across his hand. Ganondorf cursed loudly, and as he decided not to endure this nonsense any longer, he kicked it with all of his might. With a choked cry, the crow was shattered underfoot and died.

Ganondorf did not expect it to die so easily and paused to stare at the mangled creature. He suddenly doubted himself--was that the crow he had seen earlier? He almost fretted at the possibility that he had just killed an animal for no reason other than his own delusions, but he calmed himself and shoved the corpse aside with his foot. It was only a crow, regardless. He smiled at his private joke.

I kill hundreds and it doesn't shake my conscience; I kill a bird and I worry over its innocence.

He sighed and looked back at the room. The crow may have not been his regular visitor, but clearly something was wrong. The blood had all vanished without a trace. Had he really dreamed it all?

Ganondorf decided it wasn't worth the thought. Stranger things had happened to him before.

"Link, wake up!" he finally badgered, turning to the bed. The boy was still out, lying across the bed dumbly. "Lazy thing," Ganondorf spat venomously, and ventured towards the door. He was hearing something faint and clear, like the white noise of the ocean's waves, and he had a feeling he knew what it was.

He could even feel it, the rumble of activity trembling beneath his feet...

Ganondorf opened the door, cloaked himself from sight, and started to leave. But as he stepped out, he saw someone go down the stairs. It took a moment to register, but it was the strange man, and immediately upon recalling this, Ganondorf raced down the hallway. The man was still here? He hadn't dreamed it? He nearly yelled for the man to stop before remembering that it would give him away. His heart hammered. He found the stairway, looked down it, found no one, and without thought barreled down it as well. He had to catch the man if he was to confirm his fears.

The man wasn't at the bottom either, so Ganondorf made a final sprint for the door. He opened it, charged through desperately, but only found an empty alleyway.

The man had disappeared.

Ganondorf was so insistent on figuring out what was going on that he did not hear the awakened Link try to call him with hisses.

"Hey, get back here--!"

That recognizable thunder! Ganondorf rushed for the pounding earth, the pulsing street, and soon discerned the sound of a thousand voices. It was a crowd, screaming in ecstasy, raging with a terrible strength.

Several men ran past the alleyway, howling the news. "They're here!"

Who's here?

Ganondorf followed their footsteps, disregarding everything around him, barely able to see anything for the darkness. The moon was shrouded, the fires were roaring, and he strained to track the flickers of light. Every orange star sparkling on the roads gave away a villager's position, and as he found the crowd. There were torches blinking in every direction, cheers of men and women, fervent celebrations...

He carefully looked past the faces and tried to find the source of their joy. He saw riders on horses, a familiar style of parade, and to his mortification, he recognized the people.

There were women--countless women, bronze-skinned and hair as fiery red as rubies. The Hylians kept cheering.

He had to go back to find Link.

--

"My Lady!"

Nabooru was sitting atop a carriage, nearly drifting asleep in the deft roar of the crowds. The Gerudos had traveled quite the distance to get here, and she was more prepared to go to bed than to deal with attention. She sighed at the call, shaking herself awake, and looking to the warrior walking along the side. "Yes?"

"Link's here and wants to speak with you."

Nabooru blinked with surprise. "Really, now?" She smiled and looked to Malati, who was seated beside her. "So he did come."

"Of course I did!" Link spoke aloud, quickening his pace alongside the carriage, cheerfully staring into the distance. "What would the world do without me?"

Nabooru would have offered Link a seat if one were available, but the carriage was small enough as it was, and Malati took up the only other seat. Malati leaned over, her red curls rounding her mild face. "What a pleasant surprise, Hero. We heard you were late and assumed you weren't arriving at all."

Link made a vexed laugh. "How is it that everyone hears about my tardiness?"

"Never mind that," Nabooru insisted. "Do you need something? Is it urgent?"

"I do have need of you both," Link replied. "But here is not the place to discuss it. Could I speak with you tonight?"

"Of course, Hero," Malati granted.

Link, getting tired of trotting, leaped up onto the carriage, grabbing the wood and balancing his feet at the entryway's edge. He stood, teetering on the edge, and held out his hand. "Thank you--my Captain," he nodded to Nabooru, "--my Queen," he nodded to Malati. "I apologize for the habit," he said as Nabooru let him take her hand and kiss it.

"Very well," Malati resigned, offering her hand as well. "I am looking forward to speaking with you, Link."

After kissing her hand, he jumped back down from the carriage and nodded. "I am, too."

Nabooru started to nod off again once he left. Tonight, she thought as she stared out into the enthusiastic crowd of Hylians, promised to be interesting.

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