Ganondorf's Choice and Enel's Compromise (MATURE)

[Ganondorf]

So… this is what death is like?

Afloat in a sea of darkness, Ganondorf felt both free and bound. Blacker than black, and more silent than silence itself, it was a void, without sight, sound, or form. And so was the Dark King. It felt oddly familiar to the Gerudo, and as he contemplated why, he stumbled upon the reason. This was much as it was when he had first come to this Omniverse. The only thing missing was that smiling, glowing fool Omni.

With nothing to divert his attention, Ganondorf was left to stew in his thoughts. His mind immediately turn to his folly in underestimating Enel; in provoking the man in the first place. The great Lord of Demons had allowed his arrogance to get the better of him. He’d seen Enel as a fool and was proven a fool himself. The man had fought like a veteran, countering and attacking with a ferocity Ganondorf hadn’t seen since his confrontation with Link back in Hyrule.

But, even worse, Ganondorf had held back until the end. He’d fought more against himself than against his foe, resisting the need to draw upon his magic and choosing to fight Enel as a Gerudo would.

“But you’re not just any Gerudo, are you?” a voice boomed from the void, made louder by the silence beforehand. Without eyes to see, Ganondorf was helpless to find the source. Yet even as he lamented his predicament, the Gerudo King found a body forming around his consciousness. Clad in his regal garb, it felt nice to be back in his own skin, even if this body seemed… ethereal. It was like a morning mist that would be swept away at the first breeze or the dim rays of the rising sun. Around him, a world slowly filled in. One of hot sand and harsh sun, much like the Verse he had come from. Yet Ganon knew this desert even better than that one. A wind came into being and howled around him, whipping his ghostly cloak about and kicking up a screen of sand. And, in the distance, someone approached through the scouring grit. And Ganondorf felt a small tinge of fear well up within him.

[Ganondorf]

Ganondorf fought against that fear as the figure moved towards him through the sandstorm. The wind picked up, so as the being came closer, Ganondorf found it harder and harder to focus on it as airborne grit stung his eyes. As such, that nameless fear grew rather than shrunk. Even so, the great Gerudo King stood his ground, his pride preventing him from turning away or fleeing.

The storm continued to grow in intensity, eventually forcing Ganondorf to close his eyes and shield his face from the ferocity of it all. Then, just as the storm seemed ready to grind the mighty Gerudo from existence, it abruptly died down. And for a moment, fear kept Ganondorf from opening his eyes. Deep down, he knew that the creature in the sand was just before him. Yet, that fear wouldn’t hold for long. It turned to anger as Ganondorf thought about just who he was. He was the great King of the Gerudo, the rightful ruler of Hyrule, and holder of the Triforce of Power. That anything would be able to strike terror into his heart was infuriating.

Fists clenching tightly, Ganondorf willed his body to obey. His back straightened and his eyes opened slowly, the emerald iris flashing in rage. Only then was he able to see just what had approached him in that storm. The being before him was red-haired, tall and dark skinned. No… not red-haired… the creature’s hair fire! Its dark skin was scaled, and its fingers clawed. And despite Ganondorf’s own impressive height, this… thing was even larger; both in height and in musculature. It was a creature Ganondorf had seen before, in his dreams… and in his times of duress. The voice he had heard when it had questioned him he had likewise heard before; during the fight with Enel, urging him to kill them man.

The creature grinned wickedly down at the Gerudo King and despite his resolve, that fear returned.

[Ganondorf]

The creature’s mirth turned to a dark glower, flame red eyes boring down at the Gerudo King. The scene around them darkened to match the beast’s mood, and its massive arms crossed over its gargantuan chest as it spoke.

“To think,” it said with a voice like death itself, “that one possessed of the Triforce of Power would have such fear of strength. Pathetic.”

A red anger arose in Ganondorf at his words, and a dark fear as well. The two fought each other, leaving the Dark Lord speechless in the face of such an insult.

“For a man with such potential, you continue to disappoint, Ganondorf. First the boy defeats you. Now that worthless excuse for a God. It seems that despite your bluster, you’re no better than any other fool out there. You’re a worm, Ganondorf. A waste of flesh and potential. Better you stay dead, than return to the mediocrity you call a life.”

The creature’s lecture continued, each insult burrowing into Ganondorf’s psyche and eating away at his ego. His anger continued to build, until finally the Gerudo could take no more. Such was his fury that, in spite of the enormity of the threat before him, he actually advanced on the being.

“Silence, beast!” Ganondorf shouted, eyes flashing in rage. “I am the great King of the Gerudo and the rightful King of all Hyrule! I’ve torn down civilizations and razed worlds. The mountains tremble at the very mention of my name and even the Goddesses fear what I may do! What right have you to question me? What right have you to insult the great Lord of the Dark?”

Without moving, the mountain of a thing allowed Ganondorf to stand chest to chest with it and listened stoically to Ganondorf’s tirade. At the end, a smirk tugged at its lips and it spoke again.

“There. That’s the passion that you’ve been missing, Ganondorf. Even before arriving in this world, you had lost your drive, and in that lost you grew weak. You conquered Hyrule, and there was nothing left to you. You were complacent, and that allowed your enemies to grow in strength. As for my right…”

The creature chuckled, a gravelly sound.

“My right is that I am the true Lord of the Dark. Everything that you are is because of me. You are the scion of my strength, and the weapon of my vengeance. For, I am Demise, the Demon King. Long before you flexed your muscles in Hyrule, I had fought against the Goddesses and the Hero.”

The Gerudo man scoffed at Demise’s words. The idea that Ganondorf owed anything to this thing was ridiculous. The King had fought for everything he had, including his power. For years he had honed his abilities and poured over dark tomes. He had engaged in countless sparring matches against other Gerudo to master his combat abilities. And yet, when Ganondorf looked into Demise’s eyes, he could see that there was some truth in his words.

“You speak as though you know me, Demise. Yet, you obviously know nothing. You spoke of me fearing power, yet I fear no man, woman, or beast. You claim to be the progenitor of my strength, yet you fail to realize the effort I put into becoming what I am now. Whether I am the scion of your power and revenge or not is a moot point. What I am now, and what I will become is in MY hands, not yours.”

Demise’s glower returns, his flame-filled eyes glowing in intensity as he spoke.

“I know more than you think, boy. It’s not the power of others that you fear. It is your own. Against the boy, you held back and fell to his blade. You thought to out think him and in the end you were out fought. This Enel should have been no more than a trifling matter for you to dispose of, yet you held back again. You refused to use your strength and you lost. Even your victories were close matters, as shown by your infantile move against the wench and the sacrificial ploy against the boy. The only time you were truly in command of the battle was when you let go and became the beast. IT knows how to use your gifts, and because it does you were able to go toe to toe with that dragon.”

As much as Ganondorf wanted to rebuke Demise’s words, to call him a fool and to dismiss him as such, the Gerudo King knew he spoke the truth. And it galled him to the core.

[Ganondorf]

As the realization that Demise may be correct washed over Ganondorf, his anger faded. And, as it did, that dark fear began to resurface. The Gerudo King quickly shoved it down; he knew that to show, and even to feel, that terror in the face of this creature would give Demise the upper hand.

“Hmph!” Demise snorted, a sinister grin spreading across his lips and showing his fangs. “No rebuttal? You can’t deny that what I say is the truth, can you?”

“Perhaps,” Ganondorf replied, meeting the demon’s gaze. “You may be right, Demise. It might be that I’m afraid of what I could be capable of.”

“Then again,” he continued, spreading his arms and looking around at the surreal scene surrounding the two giants. “This could just be some hallucination. With the power that Enel sent through my body, it wouldn’t be surprising.”

“Of course… this isn’t the first time I’ve seen you since arriving in this Omniverse. Nor does any of that make you wrong. I HAVE been beaten by lesser foes. Which leads me to ask: How might I embrace this hidden power within me? Why has it not surfaced when I needed it to most?”

Demise laughed at this, a booming sound that shook the very air with its dark mirth.

“But it has, Ganondorf. Against those dragons, you took the form of the Dark Beast and matched it in combat, whereas the others had to join forces to merely hold the other at bay. When you fought with the boy in Hyrule, again the beast arose to assist you. If not for you standing in its way, it would have slaughtered the young hero.”

“As for how to attain this power for yourself… you need only let go of your inhibitions. Let go of your past and embrace your future. Embrace what you can become. Give into the darkness, and the power of the Gods will truly be yours to wield.”

Enticing words, Ganondorf thought. He need only take hold of the darkness within him and the world would be his. A grin to match that of Demise’s began to spread across his face before a shrill shout broke him from the self-induced trance he was in.

“Wait!”

A young boy appeared from the storm, rushing through the sand and wind towards the two beings. No. Not a young boy. THE young boy. Like Demise, this lad had appeared before Ganondorf before. Red-haired and copper-skinned, the Gerudo King finally realized that this young man was Gerudo himself and he cursed himself for being so blind to that before. Not just to the boy’s origin, but to another fact which suddenly came to him. This boy… was him. There was no denying it, the similarities were too great. It made him wonder just what sort of realm this Omniverse was that such wonders were possible.

“There’s another way, Ganondorf,” the boy said, looking up at him. Unlike his older self, this child seemed to hold no fear for the demon in their midst.

“Oh?” Demise said with a derisive snort. “Please, go on.”

Sparing a hate-filled look for Demise, Young Ganondorf continued, “Just turn away from him. Turn away from his dark power, and the dark path he set you on. The Gerudo aren’t evil, and you don’t have to be either. There’s so much good you could do with your power, wisdom, and courage. You could be a King to these people, not in title, but in deed.”

As the boy finished, a silence descended upon the landscape, even the wind and sand seemed to stand still for a moment. Both the child and the demon lord waited and watched Ganondorf. Soon enough, the Gerudo King spoke and time resumed again.

“No,” he said, eliciting a pained expression from his younger self. “I can’t go back to being just another Gerudo.”

“I’m sorry,” he continued, and was surprised to find that he meant it. “But I’m not the innocent lad I was. I’ve held true power in my hand. I’ve ruled and I’ve conquered. My hands are stained red and my soul has been blackened. There’s no going back for me, kid.”

“And, even if there was… I wouldn’t want to. Whether because of this demon’s influence, or some other reason, I feel a great destiny before me. And I know it’s not a path I can walk in peace. It’s a path paved with the skulls of the weak.”

Ganondorf’s voice grew in intensity as he spoke, and his eyes shifted to Demise.

“This is the way I choose. Not because I have to. But because it is my will to do so.”

The demon lord’s lips parted in a grin as Ganondorf finished, and a clawed hand reached out towards the Gerudo. As it clasped him on the shoulder, Ganondorf spoke again.

“Don’t allow this to lend you the belief that you control me, Demise. I may wield this power, and it may be of your origin, but it is MINE to do with as I see fit.”

The hulking creature nodded and replied with a chuckle, “You’d not be worthy of my power if you could be controlled.”

With the last word, the world suddenly shook. The wind and sand vanished just as abruptly, and darkness began to descend on the landscape, closing in from the sides. Demise growled and looked around before speaking.

“It seems your time here is near its end, Ganondorf. I’ll have to make this quick.”

The lord of demons looked back to the Gerudo King before closing his eyes. Seconds passed as the darkness continued to close in around them. Finally, Demise’s eyes reopened and he said, “It’s done.”

Yet, Ganondorf felt no different than before. And, unfortunately, before he could give the demon a piece of his mind for this ruse, the darkness washed over him.

[Enel]

Enel stretched out his muscles. It had taken only a day to recover completely, a natural aspect of his divine physicality. Even here, there were some things that the pretender god had no power to diminish.

Rising from the bed, he did not make a sound as he otherwise might have – calling for food or wine. Seeing him rise, the red-headed handmaiden he’d summoned what might have been only two days ago, or might have been much longer, spoke: “Master! You-”

Enel’s backhand dashed the servant’s face before she could exhale even one more syllable. He crossed to a gold rimmed mirror, hanging above an expensive-looking sink, and inspected himself. A frown crossed his face.

He turned to the red-headed handmaiden, sat on the floor blankly touching her cheek. “Get up,” he said. “Shave me.”

The handmaiden rose from her trance like a machine being switched on and nodded. As she lathered up his face with foam and began to remove the unseemly brown stubble, Enel inspected himself in the mirror. While his body would soon be pristine, his clothes remained tattered and torn, and his bandanna was nowhere in sight. A pile of kingly-looking clothes were neatly folded by the bed, but Enel was no king.

A few minutes and a trickle of omnilium later, he was able to inspect himself to satisfaction.

He turned to the red-headed maiden. “What time is it?” he asked.

“It is night-time, Master. Some time in the early morning. I cannot ascertain exactly when.”

Good enough.

Enel left the room to wander the halls of his castle. It had been pretty easy to take it. Why he had been so hesitant before, he did not know. The fool Ganondorf had neglected to use his full strength in that fight for some reason. Perhaps … perhaps what he’d seen before, that horrendous red-haired beast, had merely been another smaller illusion. Tch … he had to be careful of these tricksy Omniversians. He was still coming to understand the limits and boundaries of this strange, devil fruit-created world. As hasty as he was to put the pretender god in a coffin, he was grudgingly beginning to accept that it might not be as easy as he had first thought it was going to be. Not quite as easy, at least.

But what motivated him now was not long-term goals, but instant gratification. After walking the halls for a while, ruminating, he crossed into one of the maidens he’d summoned – a girl with short, blue hair and matching eyes. He whispered into her ear.

“Where does the one known as Firani sleep?”

* * * * *

The Gerudo did not sleep. She could not, she had not ever since her master Ganondorf had died. She remained awake, stewing over his defeat and the humiliation of the castle having now being taken over by that ignoble cur. It boiled her blood.

She slumped at the balcony, careless of the freezing desert wind.

“Cold night, isn’t it?”

Before she could take a breath, a strangling hand had closed around her throat. She kicked out, taking Enel in the gut, but the man was able to resist and keep his grip tight. He raised her off the ground and then slammed her into it. Still suffocating, she whipped a hand into her belt and withdrew a knife. With one swift motion, she plunged it into Enel’s side, causing the man to stagger back with a scream of pain.

She stumbled to her feet, gasping in air, and lunged for the sword at her bedside.

Enel wreathed her in lightning.

A thousand volts of pain coursed through the Gerudo’s body. Her fingers loosened around the sword’s hilt and a sickening blackness swallowed her.

* * * * *

Firani awoke. She recognised these cells. The dungeons of Ganondorf’s Castle had been designed by the master to hold criminals, dogs, and the undeserving. She knew this as surely as she knew the Master’s mind. Why wasn’t he here now?

Why wasn’t Enel the one hanging by chains?

The man’s filthy grin was all Firani could see in the dim candlelight. Her eyes burned into his as he stepped forward.

“You thought you could get away with your impudence. Do you see now how wrong you were?”

Enel slugged her in the face. Firani spat blood at his feet.

Enel punched her some more.

The man cracked his bloodied knuckles as he surveyed the damage he’d done. His face was one of the vindicated pleasure. This is his true face, thought Firani.

“I am your true god,” he spoke, “The only god. If you repent and confess your sins to me … I may grant you forgiveness.” His sneer held not a hint of compassion nor remorse.

Firani mustered the energy to raise her head and stare him in the eyes. “You’re just a man,” she said.

Enel’s face twisted as though this had not been what he was expecting. It settled on disappointment. “Whatever.”

He raised his hand and the dungeon lit up with sparks.

[Ganondorf]

The passage through the gate was as jarring as ever. That strange sensation of tumbling endlessly through space was one which Ganondorf couldn’t seem to get used to. It was made worse by the abrupt finish when he finally set foot in the Dunes; a feeling like hitting the ground after a long fall and a sharp sinking of the stomach. Still, Ganondorf thought as he took in a breath of desert air, it was good to be back. Though it would never compare to the Gerudo Desert, his birthplace, the longer he spent in this Omniverse, the more the Endless Dunes began to feel like home.

Of course, thinking of home reminded Ganondorf of his Keep… and of Enel. These thoughts pricked at his ego, spurring the Gerudo into motion, and he began to long trek to the Town with No Name. Each step along the path seemed another insult to the great King, and his anger steadily grew along the way. By the time he arrived in Town, his anger had grown to a roaring blaze, a red-hot flame burning in his chest. A flame which immediately burned down as Ganondorf strode into the town square. He looked around in wonder at the strange commotion going on around him. Here and there, the townspeople bustled back and forth. The air practically hummed with the sounds of conversation, laughter, and shouting. Pavilions lined the street, in which peddlers plied their wares. It was a far cry from the atmosphere of depression, apathy, and debauchery Ganondorf had encountered when he’d first come here.

For a moment, the Demon King simply moved with the crowd, the general mass heading towards the Sheriff’s Office, outside of which the largest pavilion stood. As Ganondorf neared, he was shocked to hear a voice at his side speak to him.

“Lookin’ to join up in the game?”

Turning, Ganondorf saw that it was the same blonde fellow who had ‘welcomed’ him to town all that time ago. “Game?” he asked, an eyebrow raised in quizzically. The guy nodded and continued, “Something called ‘Dante’s Abyss’. A gameshow, or something… I dunno. Seems like something only a crazy person would get themselves into, if you ask me.”

He paused for a brief moment before continuing, “Ya know, I almost didn’t recognize you, Ganondorf. Trying out a new look?”

Ganondorf’s mind was still reeling over this ‘gameshow’ talk, so he was caught completely unprepared for that comment. The giant man nearly staggered back at his words and asked, “What are you talking about?”

The blonde man gave him a coy grin and shrugged, “I guess you ain’t looked in a mirror lately, huh? Well, just take a look at your hands. And check your hair while you’re at it.”

Curious as to what he meant, Ganondorf complied, and was shocked again to find that he did, indeed, look differently than he did before he died. Well, at least the parts of him he could see. His hands were covered in golden gauntlets, his hair was FAR longer than it had been, and even his clothing seemed to have changed, gaining a look more akin to armor. In fact, if Ganondorf had to guess, he’d say that he looked awfully similar to Demise himself. The Gerudo scowled at the memory of the demon and sincerely hoped that Demise didn’t think that simply changing that way Ganondorf looked was a fulfillment of his promise of power.

“Kinda weird you didn’t know, Ganondorf… you don’t seem the type to let things happen without your knowledge. Or maybe you’re some kind of Shapeshifter? Don’t seem the type for that either, but I’ve been fooled before.”

Finally having gotten over the shock of his surroundings, and of his changes, Ganondorf merely shrugged absently and looked back to the pavilion. Still, the Sheriff had given him something to consider. If his appearance had changed before, who’s to say it couldn’t change again? Perhaps that was the gift Demise had given him. Seemed a poor excuse for ‘hidden power’, but it was certainly better than nothing. As the Gerudo gazed at the line of people moving towards the tented area, he spoke again, “Tell me more of this game.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later on, Ganondorf found himself sitting in the Sheriff’s Office proper. Having gotten the information he’d desired from the blonde fellow, the Gerudo had requested a meeting with Deschain to discuss their arrangement. Before entering, he had toyed with the possibility that he would be able to change form, and was pleasantly surprised that he could in fact do so. After experimenting with a few different looks, even going so far as to emulate Link, he had decided to meet with Deschain in his previous form. Across from him, seated behind a mahogany desk, the gruff Sheriff looked at Ganondorf and said, “Continue.”

With a nod, the Gerudo said, “It’s fortunate that the supply train was able to arrive without my assistance, of course, but I do apologize for being unable to fulfill my part of the agreement. Unfortunately, Enel has gone out of control. He’s ousted me from my own Keep, and killed me as well. And while it’s fortunate that death isn’t permanent in this Omniverse, I’m still left with the predicament of regaining my home. This leaves me little recourse but to say that I won’t be able to provide further assistance to your town until the man has been dealt with.”

Roland waited a moment, composing his thoughts, before speaking, “This Town will make do without you, as it had before your arrival. While I can’t say I’m happy about our supply situation, I work hard to keep this town free and you’re also free to do what you want. I wish you luck in dealing with Enel and hope we can work together in the future.”

Nodding in agreement, Ganondorf stood, shook the man’s hand, and left. With that formality out of the way, it was finally time to return home. As he exited the building, the Gerudo noticed that the crowds hadn’t diminished in the slightest. In fact, if anything, they had grown. It seemed this Dante’s Abyss business was popular. Perhaps popular enough that if he were to win it, he’d gain enough of a hold over these peon’s hearts to bring them to him. The promise of Omnilium was enticing too; if the man he’d spoken to earlier were to be believed there was to be a substantial prize of it waiting for the victor. Still, these were thoughts for later. For now, he had to remain focused on his Keep, and Enel. Who knew what the man was up to in his absence?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Ganondorf looked upon the grandeur of his Keep, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride in what he created. And a deep pain that the man who had killed him had taken possession of it. The Gerudo King stood outside the gates of the castle and stared at the polished wood of them. His hands were shaking, his heart pounding, and the sweat beading on his forehead had nothing to do with the heat. Ganondorf cursed himself for a coward and even though his rage had burned bright on the way here, now that he stood mere feet from confronting Enel, a tinge of worry had worked itself into his emotions. The man inside had bested him once before, and if Ganondorf couldn’t maintain his calm, it was likely that the two would be in conflict again. The Gerudo was not eager to find out if another fight between to two of them would result in the same conclusion. At least, not until he felt secure in his own victory. That meant gaining more power, and some allies wouldn’t hurt either.

So, he thought, I must keep Enel calm, and most importantly off-balance. I can’t allow him to stay here. The insult is too great. But neither can I force him to leave… not with any guarantee of success. Tact. That’s the key. I must be cautious, but neither can I be subservient. After our battle, he’ll see right through that. Hrmm… An idea suddenly came to the Gerudo and a sly grin crossed his lips. Yes… I think that might work.

His mood much improved, and a plan in mind, Ganondorf’s confidence returned and he pushed open the grand doors. Once his eyes adjusted to the dim interior, it was clear that things were even worse than he had imagined. Upon the high dais, and in his throne no less, sat Enel, peering his way and squinting in the harsh outdoor light. At his feet, his servants sat, gazing up at the ‘God’ in blank-eyed adoration. Worse still was the fourth person at his feet, a bruised woman with her eyes fixed firmly on a place somehow beyond the stone at her knees. Her red hair, like one of the others, has obviously groomed to the point of pain, her hair done in a tight ponytail at the back of her neck. And though she was stripped nude, it was hard not to imagine her in her Gerudo garb… as Firani was when last Ganondorf had seen her. He stepped fully inside and as they were designed to do, the doors closed behind him. Upon the throne, Enel scoffed slightly and said, “Pet, go see who’s here for daddy.”

To Ganondorf’s irritation, Firani immediately leapt to her feet and hurried down the dais to him. The entire time her eyes remained on the floor, yet when she came close, they rose to take in his face. Despite his new appearance, those eyes of hers shone in immediate recognition and a relieved smile spread her recently bloodied lips.

“L-lord! You’ve come back!”

Firani embrace Ganondorf as a person holds onto their last bastion of hope, sinewy arms tight around his mid-section and her face buried in his chest. With a soft sigh, her master held her in his arms as well, gently stroking her hair and whispering soft calming noises to her. Enel, having been distracted by his mindless wenches feeding him small fruits and other delicacies called out without looking, “You’re taking too long, Pet. Who is it?”

Firani immediately pulled herself free of her embrace, her gaze returning to the floor for a moment. Slowly, she seemed to fight against this conditioning and looked up at Enel. “Lord Ganondorf has returned,” she said in reply, he voice stammering with fear. Enel laughed, as he sat upright to look down at them.

“You can’t be serious. I killed that fool. Boiled his little brain out of his skull. I doubt very much he could come back after that.”

The God upon the Throne gazed down at the two of them for a moment, tilting his head a bit, before speaking again, “That guy does look a bit like him though. Another pretender, no doubt, and no less easily dispatched if I have the mind to.” Enel scoffed, waving his hand dismissingly.

“Easily dispatched wasn’t what I remember, Enel,” Ganondorf replied, his voice firm despite the worry that remained with him. “I recall that you had quite a time of it.”

The baldy sputter in surprise, and anger, at those words and glared down at Ganondorf, “So, it is you… you might look different, but you sure don’t sound different.”

Just as suddenly as the anger had come upon him it left, and Enel chuckled softly, kicking a leg up over the arm of the throne.

“So the red-headed step-child comes back home, like a dog with his tail between his legs. I have to say, you might be a loser, Ganondorf, but you have good taste. This place is fantastic. Needs a little redecoration, of course, but overall it’s ALMOST good enough to be my toilet. Still, it’s the best this dump of a place has to offer, so I think I’ll stay. If you’d like, I might be convinced to give you a place to sleep at the foot of my bed. Well, after some time outside. Bad dogs do need to be punished, after all.”

Anger rose in Ganondorf at Enel’s insolence, an anger he quickly shoved down before he replied, “Actually, I was just coming to check in on things, Enel. And I’m honestly a bit surprised to find you here.”

“Why would that be surprising,” Enel asked, picking his nose with a pinky, “It’s my home now, after all.”

“Of course, of course…” Ganondorf said, hands raised at his sides, “You beat me, so that’s only fair. Still, I thought you had some agenda with our host Omni. Don’t tell me this opulence has you complacent?”

Enel snorted in derision, rising back to an upright position and staring daggers down at Ganondorf. “I’ll deal with that fool when I’m good and ready, Ganondorf. It’s not your place to question a God.”

In reply, Ganondorf nodded his head, “Of course. You’re right. I’m sure you’ll get to it as soon as you want to.”

“You’re damn right I will!” Enel shouted, standing from the throne with staff in hand. Ganondorf sighed and returned his attention to Firani. She stood before him, her back pressed against his chest. Her eyes fluctuated from looking up at Enel in triumph and staring at the floor in defeat. Her legs were shaking and even from behind her Ganondorf could tell tears were falling from her cheeks. Taking hold of her shoulders, the Gerudo King turned her to face him and smiled down at her.

“It’s ok, Firani,” he said. “It will all be over soon. He’ll never hurt you again. I promise.”

As those words left his lips, his hands slid from her shoulders to her throat. Her eyes, so full of hope and happiness, grew suddenly frantic and fearful. She beat at him with her fists, and her legs kicked as the muscular man lifted her from the floor. Tears slid down her cheeks, wetting Ganondorf’s arms, yet no sound could escape her lips. For a long moment, she struggled against him, yet her motions grew sluggish and eventually she fell limp. Her large green eyes stared blankly at Ganondorf, and her Master gently took her into his arms.

A clanging from above drew Ganondorf’s attention back to Enel. The man was staring at him in shock, his staff having slipped from his grasp at the moment of Firani’s death. Ganondorf spared Enel a slight smirk and a shrug, before turning for the doors. “If you’ll excuse me, Enel. I have matters to attend to. Have a good day.”

And with that, Ganondorf pulled open the gates and left. But it wasn’t just the Keep he left behind, as he strode across the desert. He left in that place the last vestige of the Gerudo he once was. The only consolation he had was that Enel had been too far away to see the wetness on his cheeks. Some distance away, the great Lord of the Darkness set to burying the one person whom had cared for him unconditionally in this world.