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Chapter Text

The sound of footsteps and guards shuffling to correct their uniforms alerted me to Impa's arrival. I was pulling back my hair when she came in, wearing her usual poker face.

"Nice to see you up already, usually when I come you're still in bed."

"Today's the day, isn't it? Thought I should be awake," I replied, working as quickly as I could to put the signature wrappings in my sidelocks.

"Yes, today the delegation from the desert arrives. Though if I had my way, the princess wouldn't be attending the meeting. It's far too risky." Impa walked over to the closet, selecting the best looking of my three gowns. "But it would be considered an insult for the princess to miss such a meeting. So I'm afraid we'll have to utilize your services."

I put my brush down and looked in the mirror. "You think this desert king will fall for it? I may have similar features but I'm a good half decade older than Zelda."

"Oh, Marin, you say that every time." Impa simply smiled. She was the one who recruited me for this job in the first place, when she found me in the forest. I was an orphan and she was escorting the King of Hyrule on his annual prayer expedition to the Sacred Forest temple. As soon as she saw me shoot down a Stalfos with an improvised bomb arrow, she knew I had potential. My similarity to the Royal Family's features was uncanny, and so she convinced the king to let me act as the baby princess's doppelganger. The princess was kept out of the public eye until she was six, and though I was twelve at the time, people believed that I was her.

"Fine. But you'll need to cast that eye enchantment again. This desert king may be uninformed enough to see me as Zelda, but he'll know that there are no green eyed children born from two blues." Impa came over to me and waved her hand over my eyes, using her Sheikah magic to change the color. Once I donned the dress and hair ornaments I looked the part of Zelda- pointy ears, thin nose, and an inquisitive demeanor.

"You look very much like Zelda, a pity your complexions are so different else you would be sisters," Impa said as she put the finishing touches on my attire. The only ones that knew of our ruse were the Royal Family and Impa, and since I always wore a disguise when elsewhere, it was a solid defense.

Impa and I arrived at the throne room, and I took my place beside Queen Liara's throne. I knew little about this desert tribe, only that they were warriors to the core. Their king was supposedly young and arrogant, and I heard that they killed anyone who looked at them the wrong way. So I kept my head bowed when the desert king waltzed in to greet "my father".

"Father" rattled on with the standard treaty language, so when I thought the two kings were paying attention to each other, I stole a glance at the desert man. He was quite the sight to behold, dressed in fine armor that gave off a peaceful look but would protect if need arose. In place of a crown he wore a large gem in the center of his forehead, and I swear I saw tiny little braids woven into his short red hair. His skin was a rich brown, and his eyes were as gold as the land that bore him.

I watched him, mesmerized, until he finally met my gaze. Too startled to look away, we stared at each other for but a second. But it was enough for him to catch something from me, some inkling of my anxiety, perhaps. He smirked, before excusing himself and his entourage.

That night I had trouble sleeping. Something about the man seemed off, but eventually I fell to exhaustion. It was always tough playing the part of the princess, especially since I didn't have the divine gift for learning that she had and had to fumble my way through conversation with the elders.

A hundred screams ripped me from slumber, and I rushed to the window- we were under attack. Part of the castle was smoldering, so I wasted no time grabbing my sword and running for the throne room. The plan always was that in times of peril I would stay in character, hopefully to throw captors off and ensure the princess's survival. But this was no time to sit around cowering, especially when I could be of some use to the castle inhabitants.

"Look! There she is!"

I stopped when I heard someone behind me shouting, and turned to see several women charging me, women I recognized from the desert entourage. They think I'm the princess, fine, but they won't expect me to fight back. It was a struggle but I threw them off, making it further towards the throne room until a large hand reached out and grabbed my shoulder.

I was suddenly pushed into the wall, with enough force that I dropped my sword. A man resembling a Sheikah stood over me, his maroon eyes nearly draining my soul. Seconds later my strength went out, and I slumped to the floor.

"Ungh..."

My head felt like a bomb went off when I woke, and my stomach felt even worse. I realized that I wasn't in my own bed when I saw the large comforter atop my body, and though I didn't have the energy to move, I could see enough to recognize I was in the solar, the royal bedchamber. But why?

"Let it not be said that my people do not know kindness."

A voice from the corner startled me, and I watched as its owner came out from the shadows. It was the desert king, this time wearing armor fit for battle.

"Where were you running to?" he asked with a smirk, holding up the sword that I dropped. "This is an impressive instrument, but it's a tad too heavy for someone of your stature. I would recommend a short sword or a scimitar over this longsword."

I mumbled under my breath, but was too hazy for a coherent reply. He didn't seem to mind, and continued his speech. "You're very noble, leaving the safety of your room and running off to help the others. A royal trait."

I see. He really does think I'm Zelda. I closed my eyes and retreated into the pillow, hoping he didn't notice that Impa's enchantment had worn off. But my withdrawal was short lived, as my nausea suddenly returned and I heaved over the edge of the bed.

"Ah, it would seem my servant's spell took quite a toll on you. Sheikah magic can be ferocious when used on an unwilling target." The desert king clapped his hands, and a pair of servant women rushed in to clean my mess off the floor. I recognized them, and I think they recognized me, but they rushed out as quickly as they entered. I was shocked; if the desert people took over the castle, why would they spare the workers?

"I'm really impressed with your courage. Were our situations reversed and I the maiden, I doubt I would have charged ahead blind. But you should know, it is the highest compliment to be in your position."

"You mean as a princess about to be used for who knows what?" I mumbled out loud before I realized it, and braced myself for retaliation. But he merely laughed, unsettling me even more.

"No. Where I come from, it is the highest honor to be appointed as a royal guardian."

My eyes widened, and I forced myself to sit up. I should have known better, he was too smart to fall for such a ruse.

"Surprise is written on your face, are you really so shocked that I recognized your tactic? We use it as well, although as the only male of our tribe, I am not so easily imitated."

"Only male? How is that possible?" I must not have heard right.

Ganondorf scoffed. "As expected, you Hylians know nothing of your neighboring countrymen. My kin mate with the other races, of course. Our blood is so strong that it overwhelms their inferior makeup. But every so often it will choose a worthy soul, and a male Gerudo can be born from the union."

I found the subject fascinating. "So what happens if you conceive?"

"Is that an invitation?" He laughed as I grunted in horror. "I can see the hunger for knowledge in your eyes. Fear not, I will tell you what you want to know, should you tell me the things I want to know."

I get it. He kept me alive for information. "If you think I'll tell you anything, you're sorely mistaken."

"You will find it in your best interest to cooperate with me, girl," he barked, walking over and clamping his massive hand over my throat. "Because the alternatives, while not lethal, will leave you wishing for your death."

I woke in what could only be described as a filthy pit, surrounded by dirt and the bones of small animals. I rubbed my neck, and could only imagine the pattern of bruises covering it. I tried standing, but my legs would not hold my weight. It was too dark to see anyway, so I laid there and waited.

Some time later, a kick brought me out of slumber, and I looked up to see the Sheikah again. From his torchlight I could see how horrible my prison really was; bones of long dead prisoners lined the walls.

"Tch, what a waste of time it is for me to come down here. But you heard the Master, death is not your luxury." He tossed a plate on the ground in front of me, then swiftly exited the cell. He placed the torch in a sconce on the wall opposite. "I give that maybe an hour at most, before it burns out. Memorize your cell in that time, 'Princess', because I won't be giving you any more light."

The Sheikah stormed off, leaving me to stare at the rotten plate of slop serving as my sustenance. I couldn't eat it, not once I discovered the bugs crawling through it. I looked around the cell and sighed in relief once I spotted the plank sticking out from the wall. One of the "previous occupants" laid atop it, and I said a prayer to the Goddesses on his behalf as I moved his bones to the floor. I was sick at the thought of laying where this man had died, but it was less sickening than continuing to lay in the pile of shit and bones that was the floor.

The Sheikah (or possibly someone else, I couldn't tell) came once a day to drop off the same plate of scraps. And just like before, I ignored it. I began to waste away, losing my mind in that infernal darkness. Even my dreams had left me, and all I saw was dark. I tried to comfort myself with the thought that I was doing this for Zelda, but even that failed to ease my pain. Slowly, I stopped caring for anything but death...

"I don't know what I can tell you, this one is too far gone for my skills. As it is, I'd say she'll be dead within the hour."

"You call yourself a healer, so heal."

"But I'm telling you, my abilities can't rebuild brittle and spongy bones, nor can they regrow the organs that have most certainly broken themselves down. You'd be doing this girl a favor by simply letting her die."

"She has no right to death. And if you ever talk back to me again, you'll meet the same fate. Now heal her!"

Voices? When did people come into my cell?

"As you wish, My Lord Ganondorf."

Ganondorf... is that the desert king's name? The one voice sounded like his, at least I think so...

I felt a hand around my face, and a few seconds later something wet touching my lips. I started opening my eyes, but was immediately blinded by bright light.

"Oh! Master, did you see?"

A third voice... was that the Sheikah?

"Yes Agahnim, I saw, an involuntary response from being in blackness so long. Shut all the curtains and light only as many candles as necessary for the healer to work with."

The hand around my face shifted, parting my lips. Cool glass was then placed in my mouth, while the other hand massaged my throat to get a sweet liquid into my belly. After a few moments the glass disappeared, and the desert king spoke to me.

"Girl, I know you are awake. Open your eyes and look at me."

I very slowly opened them, afraid of being blinded again. My vision was blurry at first, but I managed to focus on the man in front of me. The desert king, lit by a small candle on the table next to him.

"Ga...non..."

"I prefer Ganondorf over Ganon, but if that's all your tired voice can muster, it will do. You truly are dedicated to your princess, aren't you? But it's a shame, you sacrificed yourself to waste away in that dungeon, and she'll never even know what you've done for her. Such is the fate of royal guardians, never to be acknowledged simply because they don't exist..."

A thought came back to me from the day I was found in the forest, something I had heard the king say. I was an orphan and wouldn't be missed, therefore they could toss Marin's life away in favor of Zelda's. Only now did the meaning hit home. I was literally a ghost.

"Precious little Marin, tell me. Where is Zelda?"

When did I tell him my name? My head hurt, my stomach growled from the tease of sugar water he had given me, and I could feel the healer picking at my dilapidated skin. I wanted relief, and my mind betrayed me.

"...Im...pa..."

Chapter Text

The curtains of the bed in the solar greeted me when I regained consciousness. Unable to move, I studied the patterns in the canopy until I heard footsteps. The curtains were drawn back, and Ganondorf greeted me with a tray in his hands.

"Have you regained your voice yet? It is my turn to answer your questions, now that you've answered mine."

"...nnh?" I didn't recall telling him anything that he wanted to hear.

"It was three days ago, you had just woken up after spending a month in the dungeon. Impressive, since you hadn't taken any of the food offered." He pulled a cup from the tray and helped me drink it. "I asked where Zelda was, and you told me she was with Impa. My manservant Agahnim is familiar with the woman, so he is leading the search."

My eyes grew wide when I realized what I had done. Impa was known as a member of the royal guard, but it was not public knowledge that she took care of the princess. Impa had probably taken precautions after escaping, but I doubt she expected me to leak this information.

"You look disappointed with yourself. You needn't be; after all they are the ones who condemned you to this fate. They stole you from your home and drafted you into military service. They even made you change your appearance..." He pulled the filthy sidelock decorations from my now brittle hair, and removed an old enchantment that grew my eyelashes longer. Lastly he waved a hand over my head, turning my hair color back from golden to the strawberry blonde color of my birth.

"Much better. Now, I believe you wanted to know about Gerudo genetics, correct? How a race can spawn only women? The answer is quite simple, really. The Gerudo womb is quite hostile to male embryos. Remember how I said Gerudo blood overpowers others? Even if by some stroke of luck a male is conceived, the womb won't accept it. There are a few races stronger, Gorons for instance, but they are not compatible mates."

He rambled on about the workings of Gerudo births, ignorant that my focus had drifted away. I heard something about Gerudo males being the genetically weakest, but as useful as this information could be, I couldn't resist falling back asleep.

Days came and went, and slowly my body regained strength. He had weaned me off the sugar water and on to meaty liquids, and finally soft foods. I couldn't stand for longer than a minute at a time, but I could at least sit in a chair.

"You seem to be healing rather slowly," the Sheikah, who I now know is named Agahnim, remarked as he brought my breakfast. "I've starved Hylians before and they bounce right back...."

"Forgive me for not meeting your expectations, then," I grumbled. I hated Agahnim- between his hypnotism at our first meeting and his gruffness in the dungeon, all he brought was pain.

"Which leads me to believe you're hiding something," he continued, ignoring my rebuttal. "I'm thinking you're not Hylian at all, maybe you're a Forest Sprite."

"Forest Sprite? You mean a Kokiri? I wish, they never have to grow up, and have faeries as companions. The only companions I have are my jailers." I swirled my spoon in the porridge he brought, expecting another sharp comment.

"Well, there's one way to tell..." The hint in Agahnim's voice alarmed me, and before I knew, he had grabbed my hand and drawn a blade against it.

"Angh!" A small amount of blood pooled in my palm, and he brought it to his face to inspect.

"Well what do you know, an explanation for why you're so pale! Your blood is weak," he taunted, before Ganondorf stormed into the room.

"What are you doing? I thought I told you to bring her food and then leave." His eyes wandered to my cut palm, and he raised an eyebrow. "And what is this for?"

"Forgive me, Master, I was curious. I had a suspicion that she wasn't Hylian, and it looks like I was correct. See the weakness in her blood? Almost as if it's diluted with-"

"Go do what I ordered you to do, Agahnim," Ganondorf snarled. Once the Sheikah was gone, he bent down and inspected my hand. "I see, your blood does look different..."

"What are you talking about, it's as red as everyone else's! Leave me alone!"

"Oh no, I can't leave you be, now that I've seen this. It looks like the blood of a Kokiri, and yet you're obviously no child."

I was getting annoyed. "You're as foolish as your manservant. Kokiri blood is green. And besides, what difference does it make?" It was a mistake to insult him, because he squeezed my hand so tightly it crunched.

"You are becoming too accustomed to my hospitality, perhaps another trip to the dungeon is in order?"

I shook my head vehemently, tears sliding down my cheeks at the thought of spending another night in that gulag.

"Then do not raise your voice at me again. I would hate to kill one of the endangered forest girls." He murmured a spell over my hand, healing the broken bones in an instant. "Yes, I believe that is your heritage. It would explain why someone unrelated to the royal family has such long and pointed ears..." he said as he rubbed the top of my ear. "Though I'm mystified as to how you got those red tinges in your hair. A relic of your father, perhaps? Forest Sprites are all women, and their traits are too weak to show through when mated with Hylian blood. Yet you show them as if they were dominant."

"...You have an interest in genetics, don't you?" I asked as I rubbed my eyes, finally through crying. It seemed like he brought this subject up all the time.

"But of course. I was fascinated as a child with my status as the sole male, so I made it my hobby to study the science of reproduction. And I'm rather fascinated with you at the moment. How a mixed girl could show traits of a recessive race when all other races are dominant is a wonderful riddle. Tell me, do you remember your parents?"

I had to think hard. I remembered little of my childhood before coming to the castle. "I don't remember a mother, but I do remember a little of a man taking care of me."

"Must have been your father. His appearance?"

"I don't remember, I was just a few years old. I do remember his voice, though. He used to sing to me. But something must have happened, I am an orphan after all."

"Men never fare well in the Lost Woods," he chuckled. "Curse of the Stalfos..."

When I had finally recovered enough to walk around, I took on a role I hadn't been prepared for. "I intend to make you my consort," Ganondorf said one day during a meal, after I asked why he cared so much about my health. I dropped the bowl I was holding at the time in shock, and it shattered on the floor.

"Are you really that surprised? After all, I was rather lenient in punishing you and I've kept you for far longer than needed after you betrayed your royal family."

"I-I... thought it was because of my blood."

He cocked his brow and laughed. "That's what made me decide," he answered, downing a healthy swig of ale. "You are an unexpected trophy, more appealing than the one you impersonated. I will have the girl for her power, but I will have you for my bed."

I knew there was always a chance this would happen, but for some reason I had put it out of my mind, perhaps due to the months of recovery. "A-And if I don't want to?"

"Then you will become a concubine instead. I'm sure some of the monsters enjoy womanflesh from time to time."

I lowered my head and sighed. "So I'm to be raped either way..."

"Consort to the King is a title above that of a simple harem girl. You have one responsibility in return for a life of rest, and that is to warm my bed. You may be hesitant now, but you will come to enjoy what I give you. You may even anticipate it." He stood from the table and headed to the door. As he left, he added, "you've already felt worse pain by my hand, now it will simply be pleasure."

Chapter Text

I celebrated my eighteenth birthday by laying in bed, recovering from the previous night's rather painful activities. Ganondorf was a rough partner, always wanting to bite and scratch, and since becoming his toy, I rarely came away without purple marks peppering my neck and shoulders.

As usual, he was gone when I woke. The solar became my own room, though he knew the feel of the bed as much as I did. His own chambers were somewhere else in the castle. I knew it was near his organ room, and on one of the many occasions I was called to sit beside him as he played, I caught a glimpse of the antechamber. But he guarded them like a treasure room, and I had never stepped foot inside. I was always taken here.

A knock at the door caught my attention, and I watched as Madty, one of the servant women, entered and bowed. I was thankful that he never eliminated the castle staff, they had families after all.

"Forgive, m'lady, but you are requested in the great hall. The master wishes you to bring your instrument as well..."

I got up and dressed with her assistance. It was shameful, showing my heavily marked skin to another person, but Madty never judged me. She was older and her own children were grown, so she had seen a lot of circumstances. Even after I explained to her that I was not Princess Zelda as previously thought, she never stopped showing me kindness.

My legs still felt rather weak, even after six months of recovery, so Madty helped me to the great hall. I dismissed her when we reached the door; Ganondorf did not like weakness and I hated the thought of him punishing her for helping me along.

As I entered, I saw him sitting atop his throne listening to one of his desert women report. When I approached he simply pointed to the cushion at his feet, my cue to sit and start playing. I complied and took out my instrument, a simple lyre I had built myself from forest wood. Sure, as Zelda's shadow I could have gotten better material and even once played her sacred golden lyre, but I still enjoyed my handcrafted one.

"That song you favor, I want to hear it again," he ordered after the woman excused herself. I rose the lyre to start, when he pushed it down. "Not with the harp."

I looked back at him in curiosity. The lyre was the only instrument I knew...

"Sing it."

"Uh-of course, but the words..."

"Just make something up, or hum it. Quit stalling."

"Yes, my lord..." I thought for a second, trying to remember. It was the song I heard as a child, and I could clearly remember my father's voice as he sang, but the words escaped me. Instead I hummed the melody. He seemed pleased, and had me continue until dinner was ready.

Whenever I was called to dine with him, I always left hungry. He would have the grandest of meals prepared for himself, while I was given bread, soup, and a piece of fish if I was lucky. The meager meal was to "keep me appealing" as he put it, but I really didn't mind it so long as I wasn't surrounded by what I couldn't have. Unfortunately today was one of those evenings.

"You are quiet today."

I looked up from my rations, as he was swirling his wine glass around.

"I know you had that maid help you here. What's the matter, sore from yesterday? It's been months since I first took you, why are you still so delicate? What happened to the forest warrior who faced down my entourage?"

"...She starved to death in your dungeon." I pushed my untouched plate away, and stood from the table. "Forgive me, Master, I must retire."

I knew he would be angry, so I wasn't too surprised when he grabbed my arm and slammed me back down against the table. "You are ungrateful, you know that? I knew you weren't Zelda and could have killed you the second they brought you before me. But no, I was merciful. I could have put you out of your misery after pulling you from that cell, but again, I chose to let you live. I've even given you the freedom of your own chambers and the luxury of moving about the castle. The only thing I want in return is for you to be a good little girl and give yourself to me without question. What part of that is so hard to comprehend?"

"Let go."

He growled, and slammed his fist on the table beside my head. "Maybe I should toss you out into the hell that Castle Town has become. Let the ReDeads show you their hospitality."

"Please do, maybe they'll let me get away like they did with Impa and Princess Zelda."

At that moment Ganondorf's face filled with rage, becoming nearly as red as his hair. "SHUT. UP!" he roared, shaking his fist in the air, and a split second later he brought it down on my chest. A sickening crack filled the room, and I expelled a bit of blood onto his armor. Overwhelmed by pain, my vision started fading, but not before I saw the look on his face. He was... stunned.

"Shit... AGAHNIM!"

Chapter Text

It hurts... Even more than the starvation or the broken hand. I kept telling myself not to wake up, because that would only bring more pain. I heard shouting, chanting, rustling, and clinking before I finally gave in and opened my eyes.

"Ah, those rotten Goddesses are good for something after all." Agahnim stood beside my bed, smiling. "Awake, are we?" It was strange to see him without his mask and hood. The only Sheikah I had seen uncovered like that was Impa, because of her high status.

"...I thought Sheikah were bound to serve the royal family," I mumbled, my mind wandering as if under a spell.

"Heh, to be technical, I do serve the royalty of Hyrule," Agahnim laughed as he wiped my forehead. "You might not know this, but there was a schism quite some time ago that split my people into two tribes. That's where Impa's fealty comes from. The Sheikah were involved in a war against the crown. My ancestors refused to acknowledge that we did anything wrong. Impa's cried their eyes out and begged for forgiveness."

"Tear..."

"Yes, smart girl. Their emblem weeps." Agahnim tapped the pendant hanging from his neck. It looked just like the symbol on Impa's gear, except that there were also lashes on the bottom. "Our eyes open wide with pride, while theirs are bogged down with lamentation. But enough about me, you need to quiet down. That anesthesia spell you're under is quite inebriating. Wouldn't want you to say something you'll regret."

Madty came up behind Agahnim, handing him fresh towels. She looked quite concerned. "Is m'lady still in pain? Lord Agahnim has been working all night, he'll fix you up for sure."

The Sheikah was rubbing his hands all over my chest and stomach, coating my skin with an unfamiliar potion and muttering spells. "Thankfully we were able to intervene so swiftly. Master was quite worried about what he'd done, I thought he'd tear his hair out. But I think we'll have you back to normal in a few months with minimal complications."

Ganondorf was... worried? About me? I thought about Agahnim's words, until his hand covered my eyes. Within seconds I was back in slumber.

A few days later I was coherent enough to ask questions, and Agahnim was all too happy to answer them.

"What did you mean when you said your master was worried?" I asked, flexing my toes as Agahnim had instructed.

"He never had any intention of harming you, at least not this badly," Agahnim explained as he poked the underside of my feet. I had been complaining of stiffness, and since I couldn't walk around, this was his solution. "Contrary to what you may think, Master really does have an interest in you."

"Then why force me? Don't Gerudo know how to court women?"

"I assure you, Master is quite the expert in courting women. How do you think he got an audience with Hyrule's king in the first place? Charming Liara was nothing, even older women fall for his desert eyes." Satisfied with my feet, Agahnim began massaging my calves.

"...Well I don't know what anyone sees in them, even cats have gold eyes. The hair and skin would be a more obvious attraction."

"Well then, I'll have to let him know you are attracted to redheads," Agahnim said, grinning as I scoffed in protest. "You know, if you only opened up to him as you have with me, things could work out. You make an excellent consort."

That's the last thing I want. I tried to come up with a response, but at that moment Ganondorf walked in. "Agahnim, leave."

The Sheikah bowed and hurried out, and I turned my head to avoid eye contact. He strode up to the bed and turned my head back.

"...I've discovered some things."

"Good for you."

He scowled and gripped my chin. "Watch your tongue, lest it cause you more injury. ...Your mother was indeed a Forest Sprite. I have proof."

I shook off a few tears of pain once he released my jaw. "How could you know who my parents were? I was an orphan. I had nobody."

"You had a nanny." He handed me a worn journal, very simple but absolutely filled with writing. "I found that in an abandoned cottage near the edge of the forest. Your name is mentioned several times. Your nanny even called you 'the little princess'."

I looked over the book. I tried my hardest but I didn't remember any nanny. As I was staring at it, Ganondorf took it back and read from the first section.

"'The little princess is resembling her mother more and more every day. Forest girls have such beautiful and fine hair, and while little Marin has her father's color, the texture is a match to her mother's.

"'It's a shame, but she has been asking where her father went. I don't yet have the heart to tell her he succumbed; to lose her mother in childbirth and now her father to foolish soldiers' ignorance... Praise Din that he was strong enough to fetch me before the injuries took him. The little princess should not be left to fend for herself...' It sounds as though you were loved. What happened to this nanny? Were they who taught you how to fight?"

"I... I can remember bits and pieces about a man. My father, I suppose. But no nannies or my mother. If this person didn't want me left alone, then why did my life end up the way it did?" I hung my head in despair, and surprisingly, he did not retort. He just sat the book in my lap and left the room.

I read the book as I recovered in bed. It covered about three years, from my father's death at age three to an abrupt end around age six. I still could not remember this nanny, though I gathered that she was an older female. I started to think it was a forgery (why else wouldn't I remember my childhood) until I read the final entry.

Marin got lost in the woods today. It must be because her father's blood shines through her features. The woods are hostile to those not born of the forest. She eventually came back to me at nightfall, crying and saying that a cruel Skull Kid attacked her and stole her necklace. I will have to try and get it back for her; it was her father's and I know how much she treasured it.

I remembered being attacked by a skull kid and having my necklace stolen. It was a memory I kept to myself, not even Impa knew. If this nanny did go looking for it, it would explain why the journal ended so abruptly. If she became a stalfos, she would have lost all memory of me. But I would not have lost memory of her...

"You look pensive."

I looked up and found Ganondorf leaning against the doorframe. He was in casual wear, and must have retired from his 'kingly duties'.

"If someone becomes a stalfos, do they fade from the memories of others?"

He looked intrigued for a moment before responding. "I don't believe so. They lose all memory of who they are, but that would not wipe them from history. Why, do you believe that is what happened to your nanny? I doubt she became a stalfos. She raised you a whole three years after your father died, that is long enough to know how to survive in the wood."

"I guess you're right. But none of it makes sense. I was born to a forest girl and a man with reddish hair, who loved me very much but was killed by soldiers. This woman raised me after he died, but disappeared when I was six. I then forget everything about her and my childhood for ten years? Goddesses, WHY?" I hung my head and pounded my fist on the bed.

To my surprise, Ganondorf sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around me. "Perhaps, my Little Princess, the ones responsible for your troubles are the ones who pulled you from your home..." He nuzzled his head into my neck as he ran his fingers through my hair, sending a chill up my spine.

"Please... not tonight."

He ignored me and started running a hand down my waist. "You're still so thin..."

I looked up to protest, but he took my lips with his own. After a heated kiss, he took the book from me and set it to the side. I cringed when he laid me down, expecting the worst. Instead he laid atop the covers next to me, studying my face.

"I see now why the king took you away. So much more regal than his own kin... Dare I say it, you match the beauty of the Goddess of the Sand."

I couldn't help myself. "Then why starve me? Why hit me? Why rape me?"

He answered in the Gerudo language, and though I didn't understand what he said, I had a feeling I'd heard those words before. From my father. My eyes must have gone wide at the realization, because Ganondorf suddenly sat up. "Did, did you understand what I just said? How?"

"I don't know what you said exactly, but I remember hearing a part of that before. 'Ai-shi-te' something. I think my father may have-"

"There is no way your father said those words," he interrupted, his face turning into a scowl. "We do not teach our language to outsiders, especially men... You must have heard them from your nanny. Yes, that makes more sense. Your nanny was probably a Gerudo who left the tribe."

I was thoroughly confused. He stared at the journal, then clicked his teeth and stood from the bed. Mumbling under his breath, he headed for the door. "I don't understand, there's no way that..."

"Ganondorf...?" I don't know why I called out to him, but he turned and looked my way.

"...You truly are a mystery, Little Princess," he replied as he left the room.

Chapter Text

I didn't see Ganondorf for a while, so it was quite a surprise when I woke up under his arm. His skin looked a tad darker than usual, making me think he was out in the sun. I wonder then, if he went on some kind of campaign or battle...

"How old were you when they took you away?"

He startled me, I didn't even realize he was awake. "Uhh... maybe seven? I was young..."

"Too young to be living alone." He sat up and turned my way, the look on his face pensive. "Does the name Nana mean anything to you?"

Nana? Nana... I thought for a minute, trying to recall whether I knew anyone with that name. "It sounds familiar, but I'm not getting any miraculous flashbacks. It might have been the nanny's name, but I probably didn't call her that. Did you find someone?"

"Nana is the name of a somewhat prominent Gerudo woman who became a recluse after the death of the previous king," Ganondorf explained. "She made sporadic appearances in the Valley until twelve years ago, which coincides with the last entry in that journal."

"So you think she's the one who raised me?" I asked, sitting up in intrigue. I noticed that his gaze shifted lower down my body and his eyebrow raised, but wrote it off as his normal lust. "But couldn't there be other Gerudo that have gone missing over the years?"

"You are correct, though few others would be addressing you as a princess." He then dropped something on the bed, and moved to the door. "...How long has it been since I've harmed you?"

I looked to the item, then up to him in confusion. "Um, maybe six months? The doctor said I had recovered at three but you all advised I remain at rest for-"

Ganondorf abruptly pulled on the servant bell and shouted out the door. "AGAHNIM!" He then ignored my bewilderment as he began barking orders to the servants who answered.

"Agahnim, I want a full breakfast for two prepared and brought up here at once. Make sure everything is made with care, I do not wish to be poisoned."

"Yes, Master Ganondorf," Agahnim answered, sneaking a glance at me before departing.

While Ganondorf was distracted, I picked up the item he dropped on the bed and looked inside. I gasped and teared up as I withdrew the necklace I never thought I'd see again. In a fervor I tumbled out of bed and tried to embrace Ganondorf in gratitude, but only managed to collapse at his feet. Thankfully he caught me before I further harmed myself.

"You remain in bed," he ordered, though with an unusually soft undertone to his voice. "I will not have any damage done to the future princess. She's already in such a fragile vessel."

I shook my head at his cryptic words, then tightened my arms around his neck. "Where did you find this? Oh thank you, you have no idea how much this necklace means to me!"

"I have a very good idea how much it means to you," he said as he slid me back under the sheets. "It was hidden very thoroughly inside the cabin. And now that I've seen it, I don't think I'm mistaken about who your nanny was, your highness."

Huh? Ganondorf smirked at me, and I was about to question him, but the door opened and in came Agahnim and the servants with a cart full of two heaping trays of breakfast items. Even on Ganondorf's hungriest of days there was no way he could finish all of that... Was this another one of his plans to shame me about my appearance?

"Ah, good. Agahnim, you may wait outside until I call for you." Ganondorf dismissed the servants, then picked up a plate and started gathering items from the cart. Healthy servings of eggs, porridge, fruit, bread, and juice... Suddenly the tray was sat down on my lap.

"Eat."

I stared at it in disbelief. This was more food than I had been allotted the entire time I'd known him. "...This is for me?"

He rolled his eyes at my hesitation, and speared an apple slice. "Of course it is. Now eat."

"You'll understand my skepticism, when all I've been offered in the past was crumbs." I saw his eyes narrow in the slightest, so I quickly took a bite of something so as not to seem ungrateful. The whole reason I was in this bed was because of a disagreement over food as I'm sure he will recall, something he himself brought up just this morning.

"...Perhaps if you had told me earlier, you would have received proper nutrition sooner."

There he goes again. "You have been speaking in riddles all morning," I mumbled once my mouth was clear. "First you say that my nanny is addressing me as princess for a reason. Then you say something about a future princess and a vessel. Then you call me 'your highness', and now you're saying I have to tell you something. What's going on?!"

Ganondorf let out a short laugh, and sat on the edge of the bed. "You are such a child. Do you not know what this necklace is?"

"It was my father's..." I looked at it to see if I missed something. It's a simple metal emblem, a curve with two wisps that almost resembles a claw or talon.

"Yes, it was your father's. And how did your father happen to get an emblem of the lost Gerudo king?"

I snapped my attention back to Ganondorf. "Lost Gerudo king?"

"Yes, the king who was supposedly born shortly after the previous king died and about twenty four years before I was born," he replied. "It's a strange phenomenon, three kings born in the span of two hundred years. That's why few people believe the lost king exists. Nana worked for the previous king. In fact, it was rumored she had something to do with his death, and that's why she became a recluse."

"...You're not suggesting my father might be this 'lost king', are you?"

Ganondorf's grin grew from ear to ear. "Well, you're the one who originally suggested that your father spoke to you in the Gerudo language, and you do have red hair. Your necklace resembles the symbol said to be the lost king's emblem. But the lost king is a rumor I have yet to substantiate without Nana's presence. I need to speak to Nana to confirm my suspicions, otherwise you're just a forest child with a Gerudo nanny."

I huffed. "Alright, then if I'm not royalty, what's with the breakfast and the princess bit?"

"You already know the answer to that," he said with a sigh as he stood and assembled his own tray. "I was going to find out sooner or later, there was no use keeping it from me."

"I'm not keeping anything from you!" I nearly shouted. I could not believe the words that started coming out of my mouth, but I began to rant. "Near death experiences aside, you've been fairly decent to me for someone who is supposed to be my enemy! You gave me a reprieve from pretending to be Zelda, you let me lay around and rest, and you've given me my treasured memories back. What cause do I have to hide things from you?"

Ganondorf stood and stared at me until I was finished, then took the breakfast tray from my lap and hauled me over to the mirror hanging on the bathroom door. "How long has it been since you last took a good look at yourself? Answer me honestly."

"...I don't know, a month?" Usually Madty comes in and washes my hair in bed, and I clean myself off with cloths. If I use a mirror, it is a hand mirror from the dresser to straighten my hair. I'm not too fond of looking at myself.

After an annoyed sigh, Ganondorf snatched off my shift and turned me to the side. "Well?"

"Well what?" I ask him, hurrying to cover my breasts before glancing into the mirror. At first I don't understand what I'm supposed to be looking at, until I realize that my stomach is protruding. Except my stomach is up here, and the bump is down by my...

Oh.

Oh no.

Am I...?

I scurried forward into the bathroom and shut the door, locking it before Ganondorf even realized what happened. Yes, I know he could break it down in a second if he wished to, but I wasn't thinking very clearly. I collapsed against the door and started crying, scared out of my mind. I'm not ready to be a mother, and I'm not sure I can protect my child from whatever horrible things Ganondorf might do or want to involve her in.

"Marin, come out."

I wanted to hide, so I crawled into the bathtub and buried myself in one of the towels. I heard a growl and the sound of the lock breaking, then I was suddenly hoisted up and carried back into the bedroom. I cried and screamed the whole way, enough that he had to restrain me with his magic.

"You were so calm you were actually calling me decent a moment ago," Ganondorf said as he leaned over me on the bed. "Has pregnancy frightened you that much? Every woman I have ever known has been thrilled upon such wonderful news. Whatever scares you is inconsequential, no harm will come to you or the child here."

I glared at him through my tears. "So you say, but you are here! How do I know you won't harm her?! You've driven me to death twice...!"

"Yes, I've harmed you. But I do not intend to harm you again, so long as you don't do anything stupid," he grumbled. Turning to the now cold breakfast, he picked up my tray and turned back to me. "This discussion has gone on long enough. You are malnourished and are harming our daughter more than I am at this point. I am going to release you and you are going to eat."

Ganondorf waved his hand over the meal, warming it, then released the bond holding me down to the bed. I reluctantly sat up, but first pulled a shift from the dresser next to the bed and covered my chest. I stared at the slight swell above my hips with tears in my eyes, hoping and praying that I found some way to keep the child safe once it was born.

How could I be so foolish to not realize I was pregnant? I was truly bedridden for only the first three of the last six months, shortly after that I was allowed to walk again but Agahnim and the doctor did not like me doing so. After the first three months Ganondorf shared my bed many times, though he only took my body a handful of those times. I don't remember getting sick, perhaps because of my meager diet. And I suppose I didn't notice my weight gain because I haven't been out of bed.

"Marin..."

I stirred from my thoughts to find a spoon of porridge in front of my face, so I leaned forth and licked it clean. I took the spoon and tray and fed myself, rather than having him feed me like a spoiled child. I saw him out of the corner of my eye beckon Agahnim into the room, and judging from Agahnim's shocked expression, he now knows I'm expecting.

Unable to eat anymore, I collapsed over onto the bed. Even though I don't remember her, I really wish I had my nanny right now, because I could use the guidance of a strong older woman at this moment. I feel so conflicted... I want to weep over the fact that I am forced to bear such a horrible man's child, but at the same time this child is innocent and I don't want her to be labeled for his crimes.

I don't know what to do...

Chapter Text

Sigh... I feel like a plump feasting fowl. In the four months since finding out I was pregnant, I haven't done anything more than lie in bed or meander around the castle. What's worse is that Ganondorf has made a habit of hovering around me every opportunity he gets, even going so far as to have me sit at his feet or in his lap while he's holding meetings in the throne room.

I know why he's doing this, he wants to "show me off". It goes back to his obsession with genetics, and with the theory that my father is this lost Gerudo king. He hasn't proven it yet because he can't find this Nana lady, but I think he really believes my father was a Gerudo.

According to what he's said before, male and female Gerudo are technically two different types. Female Gerudo blood is the strongest in Hyrule, while male Gerudo was long thought to be the weakest until the discovery of the Forest Sprites. Any species who mated with a Gerudo female would produce a Gerudo, but Gerudo males could not pass on their race.

Except of course in the very rare circumstance where a Gerudo male coupled with a Forest Sprite, which would produce a child that was legitimately half Gerudo. Which he thinks is me. And now I'm pregnant with a little baby that supposedly inherited two equal Gerudo parts. He's all excited that she'll be "purely Gerudo", because as he informed me hybrids always pass on their Gerudo gene.

I think this is a load of rubbish, and it has only increased my desire for escape. I don't want my baby involved in some kind of scheme to further the interests of the Gerudo king. I would love for her to be a strong woman, and the Gerudo are certainly strong female role models, but I don't want her to be a dirty thief. Ganondorf has led his people away from where their Goddess of the Sand would approve...

"Marin..."

Speak of the devil. Ganondorf strolled in and immediately sat on the bed beside me, then started rubbing his hand all over my stomach. "My little one, you're growing so fast. It won't be long before we welcome you into the world."

I snorted in contempt, causing him to roll his eyes. "You act so displeased whenever I see you. Are there things you want that you're not being provided? Or could it be that you are still resentful over becoming pregnant?"

"I harbor no resentment towards an innocent child," I answered, smacking his hands away. "What I do resent is you parading me around like some kind of pathetic trophy. I'm sure you've had plenty of chances to procreate before this, so stop acting like it's some sort of miraculous achievement! If you want a girl to hang on your arm, take one of your warrior women or one of those whores who throw themselves at the soldiers' feet. Leave me and my baby in peace!"

Ganondorf leered at me as I sat with my head down and pouted. "...You have quite the sharp tongue today. Apparently you have forgotten what happens when you let that mouth of yours run wild."

Uh oh. Panic filled me as Ganondorf pushed me over onto my back, then used a spell to hold me in place as he rose and began removing his armor. "I see now that you have become too accustomed to the reprieve that maternity has granted you. I shall have to remind you of the other duties expected from the king's consort."

When Ganondorf was down to his undershirt and trousers, he moved to one of the dressers and withdrew two long strips of velvet. I had no idea what he was planning until my arms were suddenly drawn back, and before I knew it, I was restrained to the headboard with my nightgown removed.

"You have my apologies in advance, Marin," he said, settling between my knees and slowly removing his shirt. "But I'm afraid this is the only way to teach you a lesson without harming you or the child."

I struggled against the ties binding me to the headboard, but knowing him, he transferred the earlier spell holding me down into the cords so they wouldn't come loose. Terrified, I made one last plea to his humanity. "Please, don't do this..."

For a brief moment I thought I saw him pause, but I couldn't be that lucky. "You brought this upon yourself."

Tears came to my eyes then, and they didn't stop until my body gave in to unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

I stopped talking to everyone but my baby after that.

At least he had the decency to let me wake up alone after what he did, but private time became a luxury from then on. Usually Madty or one of the other maids came in to help me bathe before breakfast, but this time it was Agahnim and the doctor.

"Master is otherwise engaged at the moment, but he has requested that the doctor give you and the child an exam," the Sheikah explained in his flat tenor. "He expects you will cooperate with us."

My silence frustrated Agahnim at first, but the doctor didn't seem to mind. He did his exam, feeling me all over and spending most of the time on my lower abdomen and pelvis. "It feels as though the child is positioned correctly. You can expect mother and child both to grow quite a bit more, though it will at most be only two more months before delivery."

"Two more months?" Agahnim crossed his arms and scoffed. "I thought you determined that we had at least three to go, based on your little timeline."

"No, this child is definitely coming within those two months," the doctor reiterated. "Make sure his majesty knows that the last two months of a pregnancy always lead to more hysteria for the mother. You will need someone to help her in and out of bed to use the washroom, especially as it gets more frequent in the last couple weeks. Otherwise, a midwife should be sufficient for the birth."

The doctor gathered his things and left, while a few maids scurried in and shuttled me off to the bathroom. When they were finished I was returned to the bed, and of course Agahnim was still there. I ignored him and picked at the breakfast they left for me, trying my best to eat for the child's sake.

"...Was whatever he did to you really that bad? Not a peep in a fortnight, from a mouth that previously ran like a leaky faucet."

I didn't even spare him a glance, but rather shoved the breakfast tray off the side of the bed. He reached out with a spell and stopped it before the contents splattered to the floor, muttering curses in Sheikah as he moved to intervene.

"Hysteria, indeed. You're lucky I have the temper to handle your outbursts, the Gerudo women in the Valley will not put up with this or your very probable postpartum issues."

At the mention of the Gerudo Valley I gave him my attention, and he looked as though he said something he shouldn't have. That was when the person I wanted to see the least entered the room, and scowled at the scene before him. Agahnim quickly took the tray and left, anxious to avoid reprimand.

"The doctor sent word that the original timeline was off, and that you are due within the next eight weeks," Ganondorf said, studying his reflection in the mirror. "I suppose this is pleasing news for you?"

He paused as though he expected me to answer. He got the same treatment as Agahnim.

"...You are acting like a child. Is this how you plan to get back at me, the silent treatment?"

"..."

"For fuck's sake..."

I actually looked up at that, because I don't think I've ever heard him use such strong language. He was running a hand through his hair, and sighing. When he turned my way, he had a scowl on his face, but it lessened somewhat when he realized I was paying attention.

"...Things have come up, leading to a change of plan. And as much as you're not going to like it, it is necessary for the safety of both you and the child."

What?

"As soon as I can finish preparations, you and Agahnim will be leaving the castle for the Gerudo Valley."

I sat up as straight as I could, disapproval written all over my face. So that's what the Sheikah meant. Ganondorf rolled his eyes at my scowl, and continued his speech.

"Travel in your condition is not wise, especially so close to delivery. But the castle has been under increasing attack lately, and as much as I hate to admit it, it worries me to have you here. I can withstand any number of attacks; you however are carrying a child and have weakened defenses, plus when the child is born you will be incapacitated. I will not be able to protect three people at once."

I was stunned. Ganondorf was actually concerned about me. Well, maybe he was more concerned about the baby, but still. I rubbed my stomach, then nervously glanced toward the window. Was there really a threat so powerful as to frighten Ganondorf? Didn't he take the Golden Power from the Goddesses? What could defeat him, then?

A dip in the mattress caught my attention, and I looked back from the window to find him sitting beside me, studying my belly. "She'll benefit from a childhood in the Valley. The scholars there will teach her of the Goddess of the Sand, Gerudo and Sheikah myth without any foolish Hylian censorship, and of course when she's old enough, she will learn how to become a strong Gerudo warrior."

...I suppose that might be nice, but what if she doesn't want to be a warrior? What if she wants nothing to do with battle? Ganondorf must have realized I what I was thinking about, because he snorted and shook his head. "You can't expect a Gerudo child to not know how to defend herself. If she wants to choose the path of the Priestess, fine, but she must at least learn the basic skills. Even you know how to handle a sword."

Ganondorf marched out of the room, leaving me alone for the first time in a while. I felt an agitated kick from the little one, so I cooed and assured her it would be okay. No matter what happened, I would make sure no harm came to her. That was a promise.

Chapter Text

It was a month before Ganondorf was ready to send me to Gerudo Valley, and of course I was snappier than ever. Everyone who came close to me got glared at and sometimes even growled at depending on how crabby I was, at times even causing the maids to ask Agahnim for help getting me into the bathroom when I wouldn't cooperate.

I was constantly irritated over the mess my body was making, what with my breasts swollen and leaking onto my shift, the occasional bladder accident when I coughed or sneezed, and the massive amount of sweating from hot flashes causing my bedsheets to turn into a soggy heap.

As much as I complained, I was ready to meet my little baby. I was terrified for the journey through Hyrule Field, but once it was over, it was only a short month of suffering through the desert heat before I would be able to hold her in my arms. I wrapped my hands around my stomach and cooed to her, letting her know how eager I was for her arrival.

The flurry of maids bursting through the door let me know what was coming, and sure enough, Ganondorf was the next person into the room. He looked at the women loading clothing into a trunk, and scoffed. "No, not the outerwear. Pack the shifts and underclothes. She'll be staying in bed."

The maids finished their packing and took the trunk out of the room, and as they did so, I gave him a very serious pout. So I was to be on house arrest?

"Heh, what do you think you'll be doing, running around the desert with a newborn? The Valley women will give you more appropriate clothing once you've healed after the birth. Now come on, you need to get cleaned up."

Ganondorf hoisted me up, to my chagrin, and carried me off to the bathroom. After fighting with him as he scrubbed me (and I don't see why he had to do it), he brought me back out and threw a set of clean traveling clothes over my head.

"Put your slippers on and let's go, you're not incapable of walking." I just stood there as he glared at me, and in a little move of defiance, I sat back down on the bed. His eyes narrowed and I swear his breathing picked up. "Stand up."

I shook my head no.

His aura flared. "Girl, don't. I said I would not harm you again, but you do not want to make me angrier than I already am. There are all sorts of things I could do that would make you upset, and I would prefer not to resort to them. I assume you want to be the one who nurses that child?"

When I figured out the meaning of his threat, I forced myself to my feet. He was not taking my baby away from me, and I let him know so by waddling right over to him and jabbing him in the stomach.

He flinched from surprise, then grimaced. "You have got to be the most irrational, hysterical, hormonal pregnant woman I have ever known. Talk to me if you disagree with my plan!"

Wrapping my hands around my stomach, I decided to break my silence. "...My baby."

"Then you'll do as I say," he sneered, kicking the slippers my way. Reluctantly, I put them on and followed him out the door. He took me out front to a carriage, where Agahnim, two of the maids, and one of his iron soldiers stood waiting.

"I've already sent that older maid you fancy on ahead, to get the Valley nursemaids used to your temper tantrums," Ganondorf explained, as the rest of them boarded the carriage. "It will be a day at most on the road, and I expect you to stay in the carriage. If for any reason you must leave it before you arrive, and I would encourage you not to, you will not leave Agahnim's side."

I started to nod that I got the drift, but at the same time the little one acted up and I had to grab my back and grimace in pain.

"I see the child understands the gravity of the situation better than you do," he answered with a smirk, guiding me toward the door. "There is ample room inside for you to remain lying, it's better that way if she's kicking hard enough to cramp. I will do my best to be there for the birth, once I have contained the threats against me."

Ganondorf handed me my small traveling bag, containing my lyre, the journal, and a notebook I had been doodling baby ideas in. Then, just before helping me up into the carriage, he surprised me by kissing me goodbye. I barely had time to react, since the maids grabbed me to lay me down and he walked off to give Agahnim and the soldier instructions. Soon we were on the road, and I was lying there staring at the carriage roof wondering if there was some deeper meaning behind it.

Chapter Text

I had fallen asleep while contemplating the meaning behind Ganondorf's kiss, but was jerked awake as the carriage suddenly lurched to the side. I heard the maids screaming before I realized what was going on, then I was suddenly thrown onto the roof. A shard of broken glass from one of the windows had carved a large gash in my forehead, and I struggled to see past the blood stinging in my eye. The carriage had been completely upturned, and as the door was thrown open, I saw a claw of some sort grab the two huddled maids and rip them out of the cabin. Their screaming was cut off by a sinewy growl, and then a horrendous sound which I can only describe as snapping filled the air.

I panicked. Some kind of dragon or monster must have attacked us, and the carriage was shaking as the monster swiped back and forth. I could hear thunder strikes and smell the odor of magic spells, so Agahnim must be fighting it. I needed help, but I didn't want to scream for anyone, lest that thing hear me and hurt the baby...

Could I crawl away? Peeking out the broken carriage window, I first saw the shattered armor and corpse of the iron soldier. As I craned my neck to see how Agahnim was faring, the back end of the carriage suddenly compressed on top of my legs.

The scream that came out of me had to be the most horrible sound I've ever made. I couldn't feel sensation in my legs, I couldn't move, and the worst part, I felt wet. Like something was leaking.

...Oh no.

"AGAHNIM! SOMEONE! HELP!"

I tried pushing on the debris, to see if I could lever myself out. I had no strength to even wiggle from underneath it. If only I knew magic...

Just then, the carriage above me was slashed away, and the monster peered in at me. It's nostrils flared, probably on account of all the blood and fluid I was leaking. I screamed from fright, and tried to throw a piece of nearby debris at it out of desperation. Instead, I only managed to anger it. In retaliation, it swiped at me, knocking my head back against the ground. It's cries became a distant whine as I faded into darkness.

Agahnim woke in the realm of Shadow, his robes torn and his face bloodied beyond belief. He'd never lost concentration on a spell so badly that the blowback knocked him here. He stumbled to his feet, not an easy task as one of his legs was clearly broken. Blinking back into the realm of Light, he cursed at what he saw. The creature was nowhere in sight, and the carriage was completely destroyed. The Iron Knuckle had fallen alongside him, this he knew. But he did not know that the dragon killed the two handmaids, as evidenced by the bloody dress scraps and caps laying along the rubble.

Bracing for the worst, Agahnim limped over and inspected the remains of the carriage. There was a large stain inside what was once the cabin, composed of a mixture of fluids he couldn't readily identify. Leading out from the debris was a wide and obvious blood trail, most likely human. A few nightgown scraps and red hairs were caught in the carriage debris, and laying just beyond the blood trail was Marin's little travel bag.

Agahnim picked up the bag, and let out a deep sigh. "This is going to break Master's heart."

Pain... It hurts... so cold...

Is that... humming...? It was a struggle but I finally opened my eyes, and was greeted by the ceiling of a wooden cottage. I could smell soup cooking nearby, and whoever was humming was getting closer.

The pain suddenly returned with a vengeance, and it was centered in my abdomen. I could barely move, but I forced my hands to reach out and make sure the baby was okay. Don't let that pain be anything serious... But when I touched my stomach, I stopped breathing. The baby was gone.

As soon as I started shaking and crying, the person who was humming stopped and hurried over. "Oh no, my dear, what's wrong? Is it the pain? Your medicine isn't quite ready yet..."

An older Gerudo woman...? She glanced at my chest, before looking back at me. "My baby," I mumbled, and patted my stomach. I couldn't bear to say she was gone, so I hoped the woman understood. After a second of confusion, she smiled and rubbed my tears away.

"My Little Princess... there's nothing to worry about. Look." She helped me look down at my chest, and when I did, I was stunned. Laying there, fast asleep, was the cutest little newborn baby in all of Hyrule. My little baby was sleeping on my chest, and I didn't even realize it. The tears of pain became tears of joy, and I flailed around trying to hold her.

The woman very carefully rearranged me so that I was cradling the baby closer to my cheek. "You'll need to be very gentle with her," she warned. "From what I can tell, she's born about a month earlier than she should be. I've started putting together some medicines that should help boost her systems a bit, but for now we need to keep her warm and make sure she gets fed on time. I just hope being pure Gerudo doesn't mean she'll more susceptible to sickness..."

Pure Gerudo? Wait a minute, how could this woman know about Ganondorf's suspicions? Unless... "Are, are you Nana?"

The woman stopped fiddling with the blankets, and looked up at me with surprise on her face. "What?! Oh, child, don't tell me those Hylian fools have forced you to forget your own childhood... I am indeed Nana, though you've never called me anything but Nanny."

Nanny...? So both Ganondorf and I had the right idea, I was raised by Gerudo because I was a Gerudo. My father was killed by Hylian soldiers not as an accident but on purpose, and my convenient orphaning coincided with enough time to harden me for battle and then a visit to the forest by the king. We were used. "...What happened to you when I was six?"

"I went looking for your necklace," Nana explained, picking up the charm around my neck. "It belonged to Nikolai, your father. He left it to you, and I'd be damned if I let some enchanted pile of leaves steal it. Well... those Skull Kids tricked me into entering the Lost Woods." Shaking her head, she continued, "I have protection from the Forest Sprites against becoming a Stalfos. They granted it to me because I took care of your mother. But the Skull Kids can still manipulate what you see, and so they caused me to fall into the underground Forest Temple. I defeated them and found the necklace, but it took me a year in your time to get back out of the labyrinth. That's how I found out that Harkinian had taken you away from me."

"I see..."

"Don't fret, it's all in the past, now," she said with a smile, wiping my forehead. "I'm going to have a look at your stomach now, how about you try feeding the little dear?"

"Feeding?" I looked down at my baby, she was squirming a little almost like she was going to start crying. Does that mean she's hungry? "How do I...?"

Nana chuckled. "Start by opening your shift, of course. The baby will do the rest." She positioned me and showed me how to express a bit of milk, and sure enough, the baby started drinking on her own. "Let her have what she wants."

The focus then switched to my stomach. Nana moved the blankets aside, and pulled up my shift. "I do not wish to alarm you, but I must tell you that I had to cut you open to save the baby." My eyes immediately snapped to her direction, and she had a grim look on her face. "You were unconscious and bleeding in several places, not to mention the fluid leaking from your womb. My flash grenade scared that dragon off, but who knows if it would return. I had to act quickly, so I made a decision." She held up a mirror, and I could see a long, red line leaking through several layers of gauze bandages wrapped around my stomach and lower abdomen. I looked away while she applied medicine and changed the bandages, as my imagination would suffice.

"...How did you know?"

"That you were attacked? I've been following the activities of our great Lord Ganondorf for quite some time now," Nana admitted with a snort, "ever since he started poking around my home. Since he was an adolescent, he has been fascinated with the legends surrounding your father. I was able to remain off his radar until this past year, when he began asking about me in the village. He had discovered this cottage, and immediately deduced it belonged to me. That's how I figured out he breeched Hyrule Castle, and had captured you. I learned from some contacts in the village that he had taken a girl who resembled Zelda as his consort, who I knew had to be you. So I left some things out for you when I heard him sneaking around the house, and I planned to come see you when you arrived in the Valley."

But that dragon messed with everyone's plans, didn't it? I shuddered as I watched the baby stop suckling and start nodding off. To think I almost lost her... Nana showed me how to burp a baby after feeding, taking care of it since I was injured. While she was doing so, a thought occurred to me. "Nana, what was my mother's name?"

"Hmm? Oh, Filimena."

I like it. "I think I'll call her that. It's pretty."

Nana smiled. "I remember when you were born, it was almost a month before Nikolai remembered that he needed to name you. He was very shaken up over your mother's death, of course, but he loved you very much and was asking me all kinds of questions about what would make a good name... Eventually I told him the story of the forbidden king."

"Forbidden king?"

"Do you know how the Gerudo choose their leaders?" I nodded, having listened to Ganondorf's ramblings about genetics multiple times. "Many years ago, there was a young king named Kafei Marin," Nana continued. "King Kafei was a very popular king, having brought wealth to the people and even come close to making peace with the Hylians. However, during his reign, another young male Gerudo appeared and accused Kafei of improperly taking the throne. Back in those days, it was common practice to sequester male Gerudo until they turned sixteen years of age. Rather than face a war for the crown, Kafei Marin admitted to the people that he was really a woman, and abdicated."

"You mean the Gerudo were led to prosperity by a girl?" I shook my head. "Don't women always lead in the absence of men?"

"King Icarus was supposedly ashamed that his family were unable to achieve the level of prosperity in several decades that a young commoner found in only a few years," Nana explained. "It is rumored that he was responsible for hiring the Hylian soldiers that eventually assassinated her in her adult years." She paused to shake her head. "Anyway, after I told your father this story, he immediately decided to name you after her. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Ganondorf didn't connect the dots. From what I've heard, he adores the Forbidden King story more than the legend of your father."

"Maybe he did," I mumbled, cuddling Filimena tighter. "He knew I wasn't Zelda the second he laid eyes on me, and kept asking questions to find out what race I was. As soon as he found out I had Forest Sprite blood and resembled one, he made me his plaything. Then when I remembered my father speaking to me in Gerudo, he flipped out. Immediately afterward, he started calling me 'your highness'. He had to have known."

Nana scowled, before laying a warm rag atop my forehead. "Then terrible things are going to happen when he discovers the wreck from that carriage."

Chapter Text

Agahnim struggled, but finally managed to teleport himself to Hyrule Castle. He collapsed inside the throne room as he reappeared, letting out a miserable whine that drew Ganondorf from his study.

When Ganondorf saw the collapsed form of his second in command, he immediately let control over his dark magic slip, and the wave of energy emanating from him made the room fixtures shake. Agahnim felt it and turned his Master's way, letting Ganondorf see the extent of the Sheikah's condition.

"Agahnim..."

"Forgive me, Master... I've-"

"Quiet!" Ganondorf knelt down and covered his forehead, attempting to read Agahnim's thoughts. He was oddly silent as he stood, and used a spell to heal Agahnim's broken leg. But when Agahnim rose to his feet, Ganondorf suddenly lashed out and sent a blast of magic straight into the suits of armor lining the wall.

"Master..."

"HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN? YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING HER!"

Agahnim knelt and offered his sincerest apologies. "I had cast a preservation spell on her shortly after we left the castle, my lord. It was one of the strongest defensive spells I knew, that must have been why I didn't sense the creature approaching. The thing knocked me into the Shadow realm, I..."

"Enough about your failure," Ganondorf snapped. Before he realized what he was doing, he had marched off to Marin's room and found himself staring at her empty bed. He could have other children, but her? She had a unique spirit that fascinated him, and despite all the ways he wronged her, she continued to stand up to him. Her mixed Gerudo heritage was a bonus, and it made her very attractive next to the traditional Gerudo women of the Valley. Despite all the terrible things he did to her, though, he really did care about her.

Someone had to pay for this.

Agahnim remained on the floor of the throne room, taking the quiet time to rest and recharge his magic. About an hour later, he felt his Master's presence approaching and stood to greet him. "Master..."

Ganondorf strode into the hall, his face an expressionless mask yet his body radiating malicious energy. "You once told me that the Gorons defeated an ancient terror and sealed it into Death Mountain, is this correct?"

The Sheikah's eyes grew wide at the recollection. "The ancient fire demon Volvagia? You can't possibly be thinking of..."

"Is it truth or legend?" he barked, now bearing a scowl. "I can unheal your leg in an instant."

"Truth, truth!"

"Good." Ganondorf cracked his knuckles, and summoned his dark armor. "I think it's time Hyrule learned just what happens when you cross the Dark Lord Ganondorf."

I had recovered enough to lay on my side, and was watching Filimena as she wiggled and rolled on the blanket next to me. It had been three weeks since the carriage accident, and while I was still in no shape to move around, I could at least take care of my baby.

Filimena had beautiful red hair, a deeper shade than my own that was nearly ruby red in brilliance. It was a little brighter than Ganondorf's bloodfire red, fitting for a girl. She inherited his golden eyes and tan skin of course, and yet there were noticeable differences. Ganondorf had the male version of Gerudo skin, a warm bronze that took on dark greenish hues with age. Filimena had a golden copper skin tone, rosier than the regular Gerudo. Her eyes were just about the same as his, but they had a bit of a green ring around the pupil.

Just as I was laying there, Nana returned from her trip to get supplies. "Hey Nana, have you ever seen a Gerudo with green in her eyes?"

"There has never been a Gerudo like Filimena before," she said, before sitting down beside me and handing the baby a pacifier she brought from the Valley. "...I have some news."

"News?" I swaddled Filimena and gave Nana my full attention. "What's happened?"

"The High Priestess is concerned that the king may have gone off the deep end," Nana relayed. "I heard from one of the temple girls that he revived the fire dragon of Death Mountain, and that is why the skies above are always red with rage."

A fire dragon? "What happened to the Gorons who live in the mountain? Are they okay?"

She shook her head in doubt. "I can not say. But I have also heard that the ranch has been taken over, the lakefront settlement has been raided by moblins, and Castle Town has burned to the ground."

"Burned to the ground?!" My shout startled Filimena into a wail, but I managed to calm her down. "There were monsters roaming it before I left, but... burned?"

"It would seem that in the weeks since your assumed death, Ganondorf has lost all remaining compassion." Nana paused, and traced her finger along the baby's chin. "High Priestess Nabooru is loyal to him, but she is very put off by the way his wanton violence is affecting women and children. Gerudo are proud thieves, but we do not hurt the innocent."

"His divine gift must be corrupting him," I suggested, even though I had been on the receiving end of his usual temper. He didn't seem interested in ruling a wasteland when I was around him, so maybe he really was upset. Is... is all this violence really my fault?

"I know that look," Nana said, standing to fetch a changing rag for the baby. "You must put such thoughts out of your head, my child. You are absolutely correct that he has given in to his demons and let power corrupt his soul. He would have eventually crossed this line whether you were in his life or not, and you being there would have only delayed the inevitable. What horrors would Filimena been exposed to had she grown up by his side?"

...Nana is right. I would have only cursed myself and my baby had I remained in his grip. "Still, I can't believe he would do these things. What good is a kingdom gone to ruin?"

Chapter Text

Things have gotten worse.

It's been almost three years since the carriage accident, and Ganondorf's rage has only increased. It started with the river, first we noticed a drop in flow and a sudden chill to the water. Then before we knew it, the whole thing just disappeared! Even Lake Hylia dried up, leaving nothing but a puddle at the very center. I had to fetch water for Filimena's baths from the faerie fountain in the forest, and there was very little to spare for crops.

The really scary thing is that Nana tells me High Priestess Nabooru hasn't been seen in the Gerudo Valley. She used to make an effort to visit everyone and keep morale high, but her absence has raised serious questions. Did Ganondorf punish her for not supporting his regime? Or was it that wicked pair of witches that he kept in his entourage? Nabooru is a beacon of hope for the Gerudo, without her he loses his own people.

It hit home when I was out in the forest gathering berries with Filimena. She was in a sling on my back, happily babbling along as I picked them and even enjoying the occasional sample. We were just on our way home, when a moblin jumped out and attacked us. I was just barely able to shield my baby as it slashed at us, earning a nasty gash on my arm. I used the meager magic I had learned to stun it, then grabbed its spear and ran it through. Taking no chances, I ran the rest of the way home.

Nana saw me running toward the cottage with a bloody dress and a wailing toddler in my arms, and dropped the laundry to come help. "Great Goddesses, what happened?!"

"We were attacked," I relayed as she took Filimena to get the pressure off my injured arm. The poor baby was scared to death, so we hurried inside to get her near her comforts. "A moblin jumped out at us. A moblin." My arm stung something terrible, and I was a little lightheaded from bleeding, so I quickly wrapped it and laid down. "This is too far. He knew I cared about the forest, and he would never attack it under the right state of mind."

Nana shook her head as she inspected my arm. "I told you, my dear, that man has lost his sense of morality. He is no longer the Ganondorf you knew, he is a monster who has let power corrupt his soul. I can't even call him a Gerudo anymore."

"I know, Nanny, but..." I rolled over and looked at Filimena in her bed, hugging her bear and shivering. What kind of future is she going to have with fiery skies, no water, and a forest full of moblins?

Nana must have seen me frowning, because she stopped her ministrations and put her hands on her hips. "What are you planning, Marin? Think of your daughter!"

"I am thinking of her," I answered as I sat up. "Ganondorf lost his senses because no one was there to keep him pacified. Maybe that was my role, maybe it wasn't. But regardless, all this happened after I left. If I go back, there's a chance I could get him to reverse all this."

"And what about Filimena?"

"...He doesn't need to know about her," I decided, removing my necklace and placing it around Filimena's neck. "If he ever reforms enough to see the error of his ways, maybe he'll be worthy of meeting her. But until that day comes, he won't even know her name."

Castle Town was a disaster. The surrounding rampart was crumbled in some spots, completely blown away in others. There was no drawbridge anymore, admitting all kinds of hell straight into the remains of the central square. Every building had been burnt to the ground, with the strange exception of the Temple of Time. Divine intervention must have spared it, there was no other explanation.

I was horrified once I made my way past the remains of the town. The area that had once been the green castle orchard and lawn was now a blackened battlefield, without a tree in sight. Carcasses of indeterminate species were strewn about, rubble was smoldering... it was so repugnant that I collapsed and heaved along the side of the road.

The castle was still standing, though it was so foreboding it really didn't look like the same building. There was something happening in front of the entrance, a spark and flash that almost resembled a... battle? A thunderclap above startled me, so I hurried closer to investigate. I climbed atop a fallen barrier wall for a closer look, and found that it was indeed a battle between a cloaked figure and a man in black armor.

It only took me a second to identify the man in black armor as Ganondorf. He had grown his hair long, and his eyes had this sunken in look that made him even more terrifying, but there was no mistaking that proud warrior aura. The expression on his face was pure rage, and I soon discovered why when I spotted Agahnim badly wounded on the ground nearby. I was grateful the mage survived the same peril I did, but I did not know Ganondorf valued him as more than just a manservant. I felt pity for him as I watched the fight, and was glad that Ganondorf got a good hit in on the cloaked figure.

As the opponent stumbled back, their hood fell away to reveal that it was Impa in disguise. Impa suddenly used her magic to summon a dragon for aid, and as it swooped down from the sky, its talons slammed into the barrier wall and threw me into the fray. I screamed as I was thrown through the air, then when I stumbled to my feet, I was slashed at and smacked full force into the castle wall.

Ganondorf seethed with rage as Impa stood before him, reeling from his latest blow. Agahnim was his only friend in the world, and she dared to lay a hand on him... At least she was now in similar straits, and knew what it was like to feel his wrath.

The demon king raised an eyebrow as the Sheikah woman used her meager magic to summon a creature to help her. As if there was anything that could stop the man who held the Triforce of Power. Ganondorf was about to laugh at the pitiful gesture, but then the dragon creature appeared over the horizon and struck a fallen rampart, launching the debris into the air. Among that debris was an eavesdropper, one who screamed as she fell to the ground.

Ganondorf could not believe his eyes. The eavesdropper was a girl, with pale luminescent skin and long and flowing strawberry blonde hair. Only one woman fit such a description, and that was Marin, alive and in person. He watched, mortified yet frozen in place, as she fell to the ground and was slammed into the castle wall by the summoned creature.

"MARIN!"

Completely disregarding the battle at hand, Ganondorf ran to Marin and pulled her broken body into his arms. "Marin! No no no, come on, wake up!" He threw off his gauntlet and cradled her face with his bare hand, while attempting to heal the damage to her midsection. Unfortunately, all he managed to do was return her to consciousness.

Marin grimaced in pain, but fluttered her eyes open as Ganondorf continued to caress her cheek. "Ngh... Ga...non?"

"Yes, that's it, stay with me..." He turned to his right and saw Agahnim struggling to come help, and discovered that Impa had fled. "That accursed..." As Marin began haggardly coughing, he once again tried to heal her wounds to no avail.

"Ga... b-baby..."

"Shh, I'm going to get you through this, just hang on Marin!" Ganondorf's voice began to crack, and his hands began shaking as he ran out of options. His magic wasn't working, Agahnim was too injured to help, and there was no one around who could do anything. The only option left was to hold Marin close as her body failed on her.

Marin's breathing was labored, and she struggled to grab Ganondorf's hand. He took hers and laced their fingers together, and listened as she eked out what she tried to say earlier.

"Baby... F-Fili...mena..."

"Filimena?"

With a slight nod, Marin smiled and closed her eyes. Ganondorf let out an agonizing roar as her breathing stilled, and cradled her to his chest while tears came to his eyes for the first time in his life. Agahnim had managed to get to his feet, but when he saw his master grieving, he stumbled and collapsed by his side.

"Agahnim..."

"Yes, M-Master?"

Ganondorf continued staring into the distance, quite obviously a broken man. "Is the little copse of trees still standing to the rear of the castle wall?"

"I think so... Nothing outside the ramparts was touched."

"That will be perfect, then," he replied, stroking the edge of Marin's cheek.

Chapter Text

I woke with a horrible gasp, and would have screamed if my throat wasn't so dry. When I tried to move, it was like fire racing through every vessel in my body. I was stiff, and everything around me was pitch black so I couldn't see a thing. There was nothing I could do, so I closed my eyes and drifted back under.

When next I woke, there was a faint glow coming from somewhere nearby. It was enough to tell me I was laying in some kind of box, so I tried to get up. Everything still hurt, but not as badly as before, so I was able to sit up and look around. I was in some kind of cave, and there was a funny little octopus man sitting nearby.

"Oh, you're awake!" When the octopus saw me, it shimmied over, and stared straight up at my face. "You know, when I found this box, I was expecting to find some BIG treasure inside. After all, who would go to the trouble of burying such a huge box, right? Well, it's just my luck that there's nothing but a girl inside. Although, some might consider you a treasure."

I shook my head in confusion. Why would I be buried in a box? Unless... "Am... am I dead?"

"Don't look it to me," it snorted. "What's your name?"

...My name? I... Hmm. What was my name?

The octopus saw me struggling in thought, and put one of its tentacles on my shoulder. "Ah, can't remember, huh? Amnesia is terrible. It's especially terrible to be stuck in this awful place without your memory."

"What is this place?" I looked around, and only saw a cave. "What's so bad about a cave?"

"OH! You don't know about the Dark World, do you?" The octopus shuddered, before wiggling its tentacles. "See these things? I'm not supposed to be an octopus, dearie. You're not in Hyrule anymore, you're in the Dark World. And the Dark World is the land where the Golden Power rests."

"...I've heard of that," I interrupted. "I can't explain how, but I know the Golden Power. It's the relic the Goddesses left behind when they created the land, and can grant any wish to the first person who touches it. They also call it the Triforce."

"Bingo. Well anyway, everyone wants that power for themselves," it explained, "so we all tried to find a way here. Thing is, the Dark World used to be called the Golden Land because of the Golden Power, and was a pure place. This land is, or was, sacred. Only the truly pure hearted could keep their shape here. Everyone else becomes what their heart reflects, what they really are on the inside. That's why I've changed into an octopus instead of a Hylian."

Oh my. "Does that mean I'm pure hearted since I kept my shape? I'm still Hylian. At least I think that's what I am... I have pointed ears and fair skin, I know Hylians have those."

The octopus started laughing. "Not quite, sweetie. Go look in the reflection of that water over there."

Startled, I stood up and walked over to the puddle. When I leaned in to glance at my reflection, I almost stumbled and fell over. I looked primarily Hylian, with long pale blonde hair and bright green eyes. The big difference, however, was the set of glittering wings sticking out of my back. I had a large and small pair, though I didn't know how to use them.

"You know, you must be one incredibly sweet girl to end up with the form of a faerie," the octopus snorted. "Makes me wonder what the heck you're doing in this crapsack world."

"I, I can't remember what happened," I admitted. I looked over my body, nothing felt different apart from the wings. I was exhausted and sore, but I didn't see any open wounds. The indigo dress I wore was a little tattered in spots, suggesting a fight or scuffle. The only clue was a small Triforce on the bustline. "Maybe I was kidnapped and locked in that box?"

"It wasn't locked, just covered up with a little dirt." The octopus looked me over some more, before shrugging. "You're too old to be Princess Zelda, wrong eye color anyway. She's the only one I'd think someone would kidnap. Besides, the people searching for the Golden Power know one man's already seized it, and I don't think he has any interest in trading it for a girl. Face it, kid, you're just gonna have to remember."

Remember? How can I remember what happened when I don't even know who I am? Maybe if I found someone who recognized me in my normal shape... "How do I get home?"

"...What was that?"

"I want to go home," I repeated. "I don't know who I am, I have no idea how I got here, and from what you've said, it sounds like this is an incredibly dangerous place to be. Tell me how to get back to Hyrule."

"There is no way back to Hyrule," it growled. "Only the bearers of the Golden Power or the Seven Sages can travel between the realms. Everyone else is stuck here."

"Nonsense!" I was so angry I yanked the octopus up by its tentacles. "If travel was impossible, then how else would people from Hyrule just end up here? There must be some way to pass through the realms, and I'm going to find it so I can go home."

As I tossed the octopus back onto the ground and started to leave, I could hear it yelling a warning after me. "You go out there, and you'll be risking your life! If those thieves and monsters catch wind of you, they'll never stop chasing you until you're caught. Purity in this realm is always stamped out. You'll see!"

Chapter Text

The Dark World is a rather strange place. I expected it to be gray and overcast, which the thick cloud cover and off-in-the-distance thunder bouts immediately affirmed, but the land itself wasn't overly miserable. There were plenty of trees and even grass, though the trees had trunks shaped like creatures and the grass was yellowed and dry. Odd purple bushes dotted the landscape, and instead of rocks, skulls littered the ground. A few even came alive and chased me as I passed by.

I quickly realized that the geography of this forsaken land was familiar to me. That meant I had either been here before, or the Dark World was a twisted copy of Hyrule. Choosing to believe the latter, I headed in the direction that my gut said was the forest. I can't explain why, but it called to me. Perhaps that was my homeland.

When I found the forest, I was in for a horrible shock. There were trees, but they were a sickly olive green color, muddy and decaying. The ribcages of massive, unknown creatures lined the pathways into deeper sections of the forest, and the skulls of smaller yet equally frightening monsters jutted up from the ground. Whatever comfort I found in the forest of Hyrule would not be found here.

Leaving the way I came, I decided to risk entering the little house I spotted tucked up against the side of the mountain. It was a cute house, didn't seem decayed or run down, so I thought perhaps whoever lived there might have some information. When I got closer I could see a weatherworn sign hanging above the doorway, I think it said "shop". Feeling courageous, I took a deep breath and ducked inside.

"Welcome, welcome! Eh?" The strange little shopkeeper saw me poke my head in the door, and beckoned me forward. "You... you haven't been changed!"

"Um, yes I have," I mumbled, turning just enough for him to see the wings folded along my back. "...Can you help me?"

The shopkeeper gaped in astonishment for a few moments, before rushing over to a cupboard and pulling out a long, black cloak. "No no no, you can't go walking around out there like that! Here, put this on. I can't wear it anymore, so you take it."

He handed me the cloak, which once donned was long enough to completely hide my hair and wings. The hood even fell over enough of my face that no one could tell I was a woman. "Oh my, thank you!"

"You're welcome," he replied. "Now, what is a creature like you doing in a place like this?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I just woke up here. I was hoping you might have some advice, do you know of any way to get back to Hyrule?"

The shopkeeper sighed and shook his head. "Afraid not, that's why I resigned to my fate and took up business here. I wandered into this realm by accident myself, several years ago. I'm sure you've figured out by now, this is a strange place where you are changed into what you are inside. I guess I'm a whatever, since I'm a neutral kind of person. There are many people here that came from Hyrule, some good but most of them are treasure hunters and thieves. At least it's easy to tell which are the bad ones by how ugly they are."

...That speech was rather confusing. "So stay away from ugly people?"

"Good advice," he joked. "I'm guessing since you woke up here all alone, you haven't had any food? Or a rest? Plus you aren't even wearing any shoes..."

I shook my head.

"Well, I can't help with the shoes," he joked, pointing to his tiny feet, "but I can give you these." He handed me a bag full of heart berries, enough for a week's worth of rations. "You can sleep here in the shop tonight if you want, I was just about to close up."

"Oh, really? Thank you!" It was relieving, finding such kindness in this barren place. "I won't burden you past tonight, I promise."

"Think nothing of it," he smiled as he locked the door. "They say the Goddesses look favorably on kind acts in this place, so I always figured it helped my chances to be nice." He handed me a seat cushion to use as a pillow, and the cloak was long enough to serve as a blanket. In return, I helped him put his stock away and clean up shop.

When the chores were finished, I curled up in the corner and tried to get some rest. I wasn't afraid of the shopkeeper harming me, because as much of a waif as I was, he only came up to my knees and I could easily knock him silly. Instead, it was the howls and crashes coming from outside that bothered me. The perpetual thunderstorms seemed to intensify at nighttime, in turn driving whatever creatures slinked around in the darkness to their breaking points. It didn't help that the Dark World's forest was something out of a nightmare, and I started worrying that the howls were coming from whatever left those giant skulls and ribcages.

Unfortunately, I knew I couldn't stay and sleep in this store forever. In the morning I said goodbye to the nice man...thing and headed south to see what else I could find. I needed some clues to find out who I was, and the only way I was going to get those clues was to get back to Hyrule.

Interestingly enough, I came across another house. And wouldn't you know it, it just so happened to be home to a fortune teller. Luckily I had found some rupees in the grass, so I quickly made my way inside. If anyone could be of assistance in such a place, a fortune teller was surely my best bet.

"Ho ho ho, what have we here? Mystery surrounds you," the fortune teller shouted out as I entered the room. "You've come with many questions, but I'm afraid I can't answer all of them for you..."

"Can you help me out at all?"

"Come," she beckoned, "let us look into the crystal, and see what the fates have in store for you!" She waved me forward, and we both looked into the crystal ball on the table. I couldn't see anything, but the fortune teller kept nodding as though she could.

"Two men... One monstrous and vile, the other of silver and blood. Inseparable and loyal. They are the keys to what you seek."

That made me shiver down to my bones. "Any idea where to find them?"

The fortune teller shook her head. "That is all I can see. Now, what have you brought me in exchange for this information? Something nice...?"

Her tone of voice became creepy, so I fished out a red rupee and placed it on the table. "Oh, yes, that's very nice. Be sure to watch yourself out there, dearie, creatures abound. Now have a nice day! He he he..."

Nodding, I made myself scarce and hurried out into the field. Not the kind of advice I was expecting, but it was a start. I wasn't looking forward to searching for these mystery men, but they were the only leads I had. If it was even reliable advice, that is, but then again something told me fortune telling was a legitimate art. Plus I swear I saw that eye emblem woven into the tablecloth somewhere before...

Chapter Text

As I sat on the remains of a fence thinking, I looked up and noticed a signboard in the distance. The kind of signboard that usually denotes a village... I hopped up and ran over to inspect it, and sure enough I was correct- it read 'Village of Outcasts'. A little attachment hung off by a lopsided chain, and I was just able to make out the script.

"'Persons... without rupees... are not... welcome here...?'"

Startled, I checked my surroundings. There was a long segmented structure nearby that was only as tall as I was, a large gargoyle statue in what appeared to be the center of town, and the ruins of several buildings with ghosts flying overhead. No one seemed to be around that would accost me for my nonexistent rupees, but then again I was an outcast just as much as anyone else in this forsaken realm. I pulled the hood over my head and followed the path leading into the center of town.

The village was very dilapidated, and I can't imagine many people living here. Apart from the strange structure near the entrance, only three houses stood intact. At least there was some greenery, even if a few trees were pink, so it was enough of a homey space for villagers to settle. I found a few benches near the gargoyle statue, so I sat down and started contemplating my next move.

"Oi oi oi! Who're you and what're you doing in our territory?!"

I jumped to my feet as three creatures approached me, what I assume were men of the village. They were ugly and distorted looking, with gnarled noses and nasty discolored skin. "I'm just passing through, I mean no harm." I kept my cloak pulled tight, hoping they didn't get a look at me. Who knows what they really wanted.

"This village is under the control of Blind the Thief," one of them sneered, "and the rule is 'no newcomers without tribute'. You got a tribute for our boss?"

"Yeah, persons without rupees ain't welcome here!" another yelled.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, I don't have any rupees and I didn't know. I'll leave at once."

"Oh no you won't," the first thug barked, and moved to grab my arm. When I slapped him away, one of the others gasped.

"Hey Chugg, I think this might be a girly girl. Look at her feet."

"Yeah! Lugg's right, did you see her hand as she swatted Mugg's hand away? I think she's got some purdy nails!"

"Chugg, Lugg, grab her!"

I didn't wait for the three buffoons to grab me, instead I ducked under them and ran as fast as I could towards the south end of town. My feet hurt from running on the hard stones, but I knew it was better than the alternative of meeting this Blind the Thief.

As I approached some dilapidated houses in the corner of town, I heard them yelling not to let me escape into the trees for fear of losing me in a "haunted grove". Well, since I know trees more than anything, I took my chances and ran into the grove. I could hear the men cursing and what sounded like arguing over whether or not to follow me, but I didn't stick around to listen and instead pressed on.

After what seemed like an hour of wandering around in the thicket, I emerged in an oddly serene clearing. It was strange, there were white flowers growing in the grass among a circle of six trees, with a stump in the middle. If such a place existed in Hyrule it would be very beautiful, yet here it had the dead yellow grass and those strange creature trees as detractors. But I suppose with this world the way it was, you could still call it lovely.

With my feet blistered and sore, and out of energy from running on an empty stomach, I wandered over to a flowerbed by the corner and collapsed. I hoped that the seclusion of the grove would be enough to protect me from predators, because I was in no shape to fight any more off. Within minutes I had fallen fast asleep.

Stretching a week's worth of hearts into three had left me worn thin, and my search of the foliage for edible plants had turned up empty handed. I needed to eat, so I decided I had to chance leaving the protection of the grove. Since I entered from the north, I figured the south was the best bet for avoiding those creeps.

Since I still hadn't figured out how to fly, only that the wings stretched when I yawned, I had to climb over a clump of purple bushes blocking the exit to the grove. My feet were all cut up and sore by the time I made it out, and one foot was in such bad shape that I had to limp. If only I could make it home...

"There she is!"

Oh no. I only had to glance over my shoulder to see it was one of the brutes from the village, so I tried to run away as fast as I could. My injured foot burned with every step, but I couldn't stop. I couldn't let them catch me.

I ran as far as I could go until I came to a fork in the path, and was forced to take the left route back up toward this sinister looking pyramid. The right path was blocked by a boulder, and no way was I able to climb in my condition. I could hear them shouting behind me as I ran through the trees, and thought I might be able to lose them as I saw the drop off to a river up ahead. If only I could reach it...

A sudden burst of fire erupted in my back and shoulder area, and I screamed in agonizing pain as I collapsed to the ground. Dazed and lightheaded from what had happened, I tried to stand up when one of the men came up behind me and stomped down on my leg, snapping it like a toothpick.

"Let's see you run away now, fillie."

The shriek that poured out of me was so intense, it could have stunned the wildlife. One of them yanked off my cloak and ripped an arrow out of my back, and just out of the corner of my eye, I could see that it had torn a hole in one of the wings. Is that why it hurt so much? My consciousness leaving me, I tried to think happy thoughts so that my mind wouldn't wander to what horrible things might be awaiting me...

Chapter Text

Blind the Thief controlled the area known as the Village of Outcasts, and though it was the only physical town in the Dark World, those who had wandered into this land of horrors by accident tried to avoid it. The monster ran the place like the seediest ghetto imaginable, using a network of underground cells and passageways to manage his trafficking business. He specialized in rarities such as clothing, weapons, and potions, all items of substantial value in the Dark World.

The only one more powerful than Blind was the rightful king of the Dark World, the monstrous beast living in the Golden Pyramid at the very center of the realm. The vicious and evil King Ganondorf... Blind had never met him in person, as the king supposedly never left his pyramid except when the denizens of the realm did something to invoke his wrath.

Instead, everyone dealt with the king's valet, a mysterious man with blood red eyes who always covered himself from head to toe in priestly robes. No one knew his name, just as no one knew what he really was. This valet didn't seem to be transformed, so he was likely covering up to hide the fact he was using a Moon Pearl. Anyone lucky enough to have one of these rare gems was able to counter the Dark World's magic and keep their original shape.

Blind was growing so powerful, that he had aspirations of taking over Ganondorf's throne. Unfortunately for Blind, he was not able to keep these aspirations from reaching Ganondorf's ears. Part of the reason Blind had become so successful was that Ganondorf had allowed him to do business, on the condition that Blind hand over a portion of the profits and that his operation receive a monthly inspection from Ganondorf's valet. What Blind didn't realize was that the valet didn't cover up because of his Moon Pearl. He covered up because he was a Sheikah, and it's easier for a Sheikah to eavesdrop when no one can see their shadow magic clinging to their skin.

Blind paced back and forth as the valet inspected his cages. "What's wrong with the merchandise this time? I told you last month, I have trouble getting quality specimens, so some might be snappy!" he bellowed, as the snapdragons within snarled and moaned.

The valet raised his eyebrow at the excuse, then stood and remarked in his calm tenor, "You know what I am here for, Blind. Master Ganondorf allows you to continue your little business, on the condition that you submit to a thorough inspection whenever he wishes. I have been lenient with you for the last year or so, but today he wishes me to be thorough. And so thorough I shall be."

Snorting, Blind backed up against the wall as the valet practically glided past him. "Well the least you could have done is alerted me that you were coming. I don't have all my records pulled yet."

"Don't let me stop you."

"ARGH!" Blind tossed his arms into the air in frustration, then stomped toward the door. "Keep an eye on him," he barked to an underling, before disappearing into the hallway. One look from the valet scared the underling to pieces, and so the inspection continued without further supervision.

Not terribly surprised by the commodities Blind had managed to acquire, the valet was about to leave when he thought he heard a whimper coming from the back of the room. Moving to inspect, he discovered a covered over animal cage shoved back behind several storage crates. When he lifted the cover, he was horrified at what was inside.

A girl lay covered in filth, starved thin near to the point of death. As he looked closer he could tell she was a faerie, and that one of her wings was split. She also appeared to have a leg injury that hadn't healed right, as her right leg was bent strange below the knee. Her hair was so dirty and brittle that it was hard to tell what the original color was, though he suspected blonde. The poor thing wasn't even wearing any clothing.

"Golden Goddesses..." He quickly reached into his vest, and pulled out a turquoise stone. Pulling his mask away, he dropped the valet act and called out to his master. "Master Ganondorf, can you hear me?"

The stone began to glow, and soon an irritated voice could be heard. "...What is it, Agahnim? Can't you handle them on your own?"

"You... You have to come down here at once," Agahnim urged, locating the lock on the cage and breaking it with a magic spell. "I've found something that can't be ignored."

There was a pause, before the stone lit up again. "You sound quite bothered, and honestly I didn't think anyone else but me could do that to you. I'm on my way."

Agahnim shoved the stone back into his vest, then pulled the cage open and knelt next to the girl. "Hey, hey can you hear me? Hello?" She did not respond, but still he removed his outer robe and wrapped her for warmth. By the time he had finished checking her breathing and pulse, he could hear Blind scrambling around to find him.

"I told you to watch him, you little creep!"

"I'm right here, Blind," Agahnim hissed, stepping out from behind the crates with a scowl on his face. "And I'm not pleased."

Blind narrowed his eyes, irritated that the valet was a Sheikah. "...And why is that?"

"Master Ganondorf told you that innocents were off limits," he growled, pointing to the cage behind him. "You've been keeping this poor girl as a slave, haven't you?!"

"What do you care?" Blind snorted, as he drew a dagger from his belt and used it to pick at his fangs. "Your boss is supposedly this grotesque swine of a creature, and you don't get that way from raising doe and bunnies in the meadow like some pretty princess. What would he care if I had myself a little hoochy on the side?"

Agahnim's eyes went wide at the admission, and as he stepped forward apprehensively, Blind lashed out with the dagger and attempted to slice into the Sheikah. However, Blind received a surprise as he was lit up with a jolt of electricity on contact.

"You're going to need more than a dagger to harm me," Agahnim sneered as he shoved Blind away, and followed up with a magical blast that sent the thief crashing into the opposite wall.

Blind stumbled to his feet and readied to charge Agahnim, when a large hand suddenly grabbed him and slammed him to the ground. A huge, blue humanoid with the features of a boar stood over him, grinding his clawed foot right into his torso. When Blind tried to speak, the foot moved to his throat.

"Master Ganondorf." Agahnim bowed to the new arrival, and motioned to the cage behind him. "You really must see for yourself..."

Ganondorf took his foot off the irritating thief, but cast an immobility spell just in case the fool got any bright ideas. He then moved to Agahnim's side, as the mage knelt inside the cage and lifted the robe.

As soon as Ganondorf took in the sight of a young girl wasted away near to death inside a squalid cell, a horrible flashback to his own actions in Hyrule Castle made him wince in disgust. He immediately stomped back to Blind and wrenched him up by the ear.

"Where did she come from?"

"Pfft, why do you care?"

Not pleased that he was ignored, Ganondorf used his razor sharp claws and slashed Blind's leg off at the knee. "Answer my question."

"AAHH! O-out in the woods some... where..."

"When?"

Blind was silent, so off came the other leg.

"Fu... ugh... a year or t-two ag-ago?"

Ganondorf was beyond angry, and as a final punishment lopped Blind's head off. Throwing the pieces into a pile behind him and using a spell to clean himself off, he quickly moved to Agahnim's side. "Her condition, how is she?"

"I'll be able to tell for sure back at the pyramid," he admitted, "but I think we can bring her back. She's in bad shape, but it's probably nothing irreversible. You'll have to help, though."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

"Her leg." Agahnim rolled up the robe, revealing the gnarled state of the girl's lower leg. "I heard what was said, and if it was broken two years ago, we'll have to rebreak it and get rid of all that mess in order to straighten it out. Only your magic is strong enough to do all that without pain. Especially if we're already causing her pain from fixing that wing."

Ganondorf hadn't even noticed she was a faerie. "...Well, alright. I did promise to reform, didn't I? Come on, let's get her out of here."

"...Master? One more thing." Agahnim paused as he lifted the feather light girl into his arms, and looked to his king.

"What is it?"

He shook his head, and looked down at the girl. "Something isn't right. I don't think she's a natural faerie. They can usually snap back from injuries like this with their own magic."

Ganondorf stopped in his tracks, and came closer to inspect her. Her face was sunken in and she was filthy from laying in the cage, but he could see that her skin was clear and thin. "As I live and breathe..."

"What, what's wrong?"

"A Forest Sprite." Ganondorf stood tall and sighed. "Of all the creatures to have trapped themselves in this living hell, we've stumbled across a poor lost Forest Sprite."

Agahnim bowed his head, and hurried with his master out of Blind's dungeon. He knew as he carried the girl back to their lair that he wasn't the only one thinking of the similarities between the events of this night and those of the time Ganondorf took over Hyrule Castle. He just hoped that they were able to help this girl, as a way of making it up to the one they had ultimately failed.

Chapter Text

I don't want to wake up. I just want to die. Please, just let me die...

"Are you awake? I'm going to heal your wing now. My manservant will hold your hand to try and draw the pain away. I know faerie's wings are very sensitive, so we will be gentle."

No, don't cure me... I drew in breath to protest and beg for death, when a sweet fragrance caught my attention. As my eyes peeked open I realized it was my hair, which had been shampooed and dried. A strand was dangling in front of my eyes, which bobbed back and forth from the motion of my exhale. Once I was able to focus past it, I saw two long pinkish things, which I eventually figured out were sleeves when I saw my hand sticking out from one. Clothing, I had clothing again!

Something touched my hand, so I forced myself to lift my head up and take a look. The first thing I saw was a young man with pale skin and silver hair, staring at me with blood red eyes. Standing behind him, though, was a frightening and monstrous blue boar, with sinister looking tusks and flaming red hair. I pinched my eyes shut immediately.

"We won't harm you," the voice said again. "I may appear vile, but I assure you I'm not interested in causing you pain. I don't do that anymore."

Oh no, I've been sold to a pig monster and his blood eyed manservant...!

Wait a minute.

I slowly opened my eyes again, and looked out to see the pale man murmuring something up to the pig monster. With his head tilted to the side, I got a good view of his short silver ponytail. Silver hair and red eyes, working for a vile monstrous boar...

The silver haired man saw me looking at him, so he turned to speak to me. "My name is Agahnim. We've rescued you from that horrible place, there's no need to worry. My Master is going to start on your wing now, so just stay focused on me. If he frightens you, just keep your head this way."

The pig man stepped out of sight, making me realize I was laying on my side. I glanced around and saw I was on a decent bed, with a blanket up to my waist and pillows supporting my head. I'd been washed up, clothed in the pink dress, and my now clean hair was draped over my neck and shoulder to get it out of the way of my back.

"If you feel pain," the pig man stated from behind, "squeeze Agahnim's hand and he'll draw it away." I winced as he then spread my wings out on the bed, and ran a finger along the broken one. "Hn, this damage is more severe than I thought."

"You can't just stitch it back together?" Agahnim asked as he leaned over to get a look.

"No, there's a piece missing. It must have been deliberately removed to prevent her from flying away." I heard a sound that might have been knuckles cracking. "But that's not going to stop me. Give her an anesthesia spell."

Agahnim mumbled some funny words that made me feel strange, then the pig man began tugging at the wing. I didn't feel pain, just a weird pressure. After a few moments, I started to drift back to sleep, but not before muttering to myself. "Silver and blood..."

"Hm?" Agahnim brushed the hair out of my eyes, and lowered his head closer so he could hear me. "What do you mean by that?"

"Fortune teller... two men, inseparable and loyal..."

"Heh. Well I am silver haired, and Sheikah have eyes of blood, but what does my loyalty to my Master have to do with a fortune teller?"

I fell asleep before I could respond.

"Good morning, are you feeling up to having breakfast?"

I blinked away the grogginess fogging my mind, and looked down at the pillow I had managed to capture as Agahnim entered the room carrying a tray of food. "Nn?"

"I'll help you up to eat in a moment, right now I want to check your wing." Agahnim sat the tray down on a table off to the side, then walked around to my back and looked over the previous day's ministrations. "Ah, the tissue Master regrew seems to have solidified rather well. It should knit itself back together without any trouble."

"Huh?" Knit itself together?

"Faerie wings are extremely fragile," he explained, coming back around so I could see him. "Surgery on the material is possible, but since it's so thin, it's always better to try and let it heal on its own. Master used a spell to change the age of the wing back to adolescence, when faeries can still grow their wings, and then rapidly accelerated the healing process. That's why I had to anesthetize you, since it would be too painful to bear such a quick healing method."

"I see..."

"Do you feel any pain today? Can you move the wing?"

"...I don't know how to," I mumbled, hiding my face in the pillow. He just chuckled and sat down in a chair, waiting for me to come out.

"If you can't move them, that's fine," he accepted. "It's the pain I'm more concerned about, anyway, since Master needs you to be completely healthy for the next step in your rehabilitation. If you're ready to eat, I'll help you sit up now."

Next step? What? I lowered the pillow to stare at him, but he just slid his hands under my arms and hoisted me up from my position. Now instead of lying on the bed, I was leaning with my shoulder against the headboard, since my wings were still healing and I wasn't strong enough to sit up straight on my own. "Ow..."

"Don't worry, I'll lay you back down once you eat." Agahnim picked up the tray, and brought it over to sit in my lap. "I hope you like it, we don't really have a lot of things a girl like you might be willing to eat..."

My eyes widened at that remark, and I slowly glanced down to see what exactly he had placed in my lap. I was relieved to see it was just plain porridge with a few chopped up heart berries as a garnish. I grabbed the spoon to eat some because I was starving, but as I raised it to my mouth, my hand shook so badly, I spilled it all over the place.

"Uh oh. Here, let me take care of that." Agahnim quickly took the tray and cleaned up the mess, then pulled the chair over and held the spoon for me. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have thought of how weak you still were."

"...Why did it do that?"

Agahnim looked uncomfortable, like he didn't want to discuss it, but finally said, "Your body took a lot of punishment. You didn't give in, but you also didn't escape unscathed. Master and I will help you recover, but it's going to be a slow process."

We were both quiet for a few moments, until Agahnim held up the spoon for me to start eating. It was a simple meal, but I hadn't had anything but scraps for the longest time, so I gratefully took every bite. When I was finished he took away the tray, then picked me up and carried me to a washroom so I could use the bathroom. A real bathroom!

"Uh, I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but at the same time I know there's no way you can walk yet," Agahnim mumbled as he sat me down on the toilet. "And even if you knew how to use them, that wing's not healed yet and can't bear your weight..."

I looked around, confused at first as to why Agahnim was so embarrassed. Then I figured it out. Agahnim must have been the one who clothed me, and in doing so he realized what all they did to me. He knew I might get uncomfortable if a man was hovering around me while I was in a state of undress.

I noticed that the toilet was close to the wall, and that I could probably hold myself up. "Maybe... I can do this part myself and call you when I'm done?" I demonstrated by holding my hand out against the wall, and though it was a little shaky, I didn't fall over. Agahnim sighed like he was going to protest, but nodded in agreement. Before he left, he tied my hair up so it wouldn't get in the way.

Going to the bathroom was hard, since I had to pile my dress up with one hand, then the shift, and then get my tights out of the way. When I was done and redressed, a much harder chore, I sat there and looked myself over before calling Agahnim. My right leg was ruined. Even if I had the strength to stand, there was no way I could walk on it. Worse than that, looking at my legs and knees reminded me of the horrible things they made me do, and I started weeping.

Agahnim must have heard me, because he started calling through the door. "Hey, are you okay? I'm coming in!" He pushed the door open, and caught me as my hand slipped off the wall. "What's wrong?! Did you hurt yourself?"

I just kept crying into his shoulder, as he carried me back into the bedroom. His piggy master was waiting there with a growl on his face, and once Agahnim put me back on the bed, the pig man quickly tucked me in and untied my hair.

"What did you do?!" he screamed at Agahnim, putting himself between us and almost knocking the man over with his rage.

"Nothing that I know of, Master," Agahnim answered with a deep bow. "I fed her and took her to the washroom, then while waiting outside for her to finish, I heard her crying..."

The pig man turned and held his hand above my head, and after a few moments cursed under his breath. Kneeling down in front of me, he then said in a much gentler voice, "You don't have to worry about those bastards coming after you anymore, I've taken care of them. What they did to you was wrong, and I know it causes you great pain. I can't erase all of the physical scars, but I may be able to erase the mental ones."

After I had calmed down enough to respond, I mumbled, "You mean... make me forget?"

He nodded. "I already know that you've forgotten who you are and where you've come from. This would make you forget that you were ever captured by Blind in the first place."

"So she would only know that we've rescued her from something horrible?" Agahnim asked.

"Yes. It's not the best way to cope with one's troubles, but for right now, I think it's what you need. And maybe when the time is right, you'll remember. So what do you say?"

I rubbed my eyes and thought about the proposal. I really did want to forget about what happened, and this seemed like a good way to do so. Agahnim seemed trustworthy. But what about...

"What's your name?" I meekly asked.

"...Ganon," the pig man replied.

Can I trust Ganon? The shopkeeper and the octopus both told me to stay away from ugly people. Ganon was kind of ugly, but then again he saved me. And the two of them fit the fortune teller's description. What should I do...?

"...Why are you being kind to me?" I asked, deciding to base my decision on his answer.

Ganon glanced toward Agahnim, who flashed him a knowing smile. With a sigh, he answered, "Because I made a promise after I was banished here that I would reform myself. And it just so happens that you... rather strongly resemble the person I made that promise to. Right down to the bright green eyes."

"O-oh." I guess that's a noble answer. "...Then, I guess I'll go through with it."

Ganon nodded, and with a wave of his hand I was asleep again.

Chapter Text

"Why haven't you changed, Agahnim?"

Agahnim looked up from washing off my legs, and tapped the eye insignia hanging from his neck. "The Sheikah emblem pendant I wear is actually made from a Moon Pearl, which counteracts the effects of the Dark World's transformation. If I were to take it off I would change, but I never remove it."

"What do you suppose you'd change into?" Now I was curious.

"Probably a nightmare or an imp poe," he rattled off, not even looking up from his work. I take it he doesn't want to find out. It's possible changing would keep him from being able to use his magic, who knows. This Dark World is a strange and scary place.

Ganon strode in just as Agahnim finished, and knelt down to look at my busted leg. "I believe I have a suitable plan of action for fixing your leg, but it's going to come at a heavy cost," he sighed.

That scared me. "What do you mean?"

"The short of it is that you'll be wearing a cast for at least six months," he admitted. "You can't walk right now as it is, and I doubt you'll be able to walk while its healing due to the spells I'll have to use. Unless you learn how to use those wings, you'll be staying in bed."

I was about to say something, when Ganon chuckled under his breath. "What's so funny?"

"Deja vu," he mumbled. "Anyway, you need to be healthy for the procedure, so we'll begin after you've had a few more days' meals and rest. But for right now, since you're stuck in bed, we might as well do something productive."

Ganon slid his hand between me and the wall, pushing me away from my lean against the headboard and sliding me to the middle of the bed. I wobbled and started to fall over once he let go, so he quickly shoved a bunch of pillows in my lap and had me hunch over them.

"What are we doing this for?" I asked, noticing that Agahnim had started doing chores in the washroom, ignoring us completely.

"How much can you move those wings?" Ganon asked, carefully turning my chin to look his way instead of towards the washroom. "You've said you don't know how to use them, but surely you must have gotten them to move at some point..."

"Um, they stretch out when I yawn..." I tried to think of any other times I could move them. "Oh yeah, I could hide them under my cloak."

"So you could close them?" Ganon scratched his chin. "Like a damselfly... When you first realized you had wings, were they open or closed?"

I chewed my lip as I tried to remember. "I was lying in a box, so they had to be closed. When the octopus who found me told me to get up and look, they were open like they are now, maybe because I probably stretched when I stood up."

Ganon raised an eyebrow when I said I was in a box, but then shook it off and sat down on the floor in front of me so he was closer to eye level. "Fine. Close them for me now."

"How?"

"Just do it."

I grunted in annoyance, then hugged the pillows as I thought about how I was going to do this. A few seconds later Ganon nodded, and I realized the wings had closed themselves.

"How did I do that?!"

"Were you thinking about closing them?" he asked, and I nodded in response. "Then that's how you did it. It's just like how you move your other limbs by thinking about them, except the brain simplifies the process and you do it automatically. Try opening them."

Opening took a little longer, but I managed to get them back to the X spread they were in when we started. The top right wing was a little slower and I got confused, but then I remembered that it was broken when they found me and was still healing.

"Well done, Meika."

"Huh?" I looked around, puzzled. "Who's Meika?"

"You," Ganon answered with a smirk. "It means 'beautiful flower' in my people's language, and since you can't remember your name, we'll just have to give you a new one."

That's... actually rather cute for a big piggy man. He thinks I'm a beautiful flower. I was pondering the significance of a horrible creature having a soft side, when out of the corner of my eye I saw Agahnim entering the room with an armful of colorful dresses. "What's that all about?!"

"Hm?" Ganon turned, and saw his manservant stop in his tracks. "Ah. Well, you don't expect us to make you keep wearing the same soiled dress, now do you? You're not a prisoner."

Oh wow... First I'm rescued and patched up, then I'm given a cute name, and now I have actual clothes to wear. This is a lot of care to put into the simple charity of looking after an amnesiac. Agahnim laid the dresses on the bed, and I could see that while they were a little old and faded, they were clean and soft.

Agahnim left to prepare my dinner, so Ganon helped me change out of the pink dress. It still had the breakfast that I had spilled splattered all over it. Luckily I had a shift on underneath, so Ganon didn't see everything... The dresses all laced up the back, since they needed somewhere for the wings to poke out. Ganon was nice and didn't string me up too tightly, though he did trace his finger along my healing wing enough to make me giggle.

"You felt that?"

"Yeah, it tickles," I mumbled between laughter, catching him off guard.

"...Well, that's a good sign," he snorted, trying to hide a smile. "It means feeling has returned to the damaged area. You're healing on schedule."

"It kinda felt good..."

Ganon heard me, and smirked. "Of course it did. You probably don't know this, but the base of the wing just happens to be one of the faerie's more sensitive erogenous zones."

"E-ero...?" I turned red as a beet, and quickly hid under my blanket. I could hear him guffaw as he left the room, but I remained in my little cocoon. Is he teasing me? He gave me a cute name, buttered me up with lovely clothes, and now he's embarrassing me by flirting! This isn't right! Bad piggy!

"I'll explain what I'm going to do," Ganon said, as Agahnim propped me up with my back against the headboard. I was dressed lightly, just in my shift and a pair of panties so that they could access my leg. Ganon wiped my leg off, then traced lines above and below the damaged area.

"The lower leg has two bones," he explained, "and when yours was broken, instead of the two healing in line with their mates, it turned into a calcified mess."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means I have to get rid of all that," he answered with a sigh. "I have to open your leg, take the rotten parts out, put a guide in place for the bones to heal straight, and close it."

The face I made must have been frightening, because Ganon and Agahnim both stopped their preparations and came over to calm me down. "Don't worry about the procedure," Agahnim urged. "You won't feel any of it, since it will be performed through magic."

"The only reason I'm keeping you awake is so I can make sure I'm not overstressing your body too much," Ganon said while setting his hand on my thigh as a calming gesture. "This is going to take a lot of magic to accomplish and while I believe your true form is one that can handle a great deal of magical energy, it is still very risky."

"True form?" I looked up from the hand on my leg into Ganon's snout, taking note of his sharp golden eyes. There was something familiar about-

"I believe I know what your true shape is, back in the Light World," he interrupted, making me lose my train of thought. "The girls of the forest are somewhat fragile physically, but they are known to have strong magical auras. If I can control things right, you should be able to take just enough of my magic to reconstruct the bones. After that, we can let them heal on their own."

"Okay. As long as it doesn't hurt..."

"You won't even feel it," Ganon said, then waived his hand over my face. I suddenly felt everything go limp, and I leaned back in a daze as I watched Ganon begin hovering his hands over my leg. A few minutes after that, I felt my eyes drift closed.

"Is something the matter, Master?" Agahnim had been holding their patient's leg open as Ganondorf worked, but now the Gerudo king had paused and turned toward the head of the bed looking rather pensive.

"...You see it, don't you?"

Agahnim tilted his head as Ganondorf continued.

"It's not just the eyes. She's a match in almost every way." He picked up her hand, and for a second thought he saw a familiar scar across her palm. "Pale, thin, the same pointed ears, an unfortunate set of injuries..." Ganondorf raised the girl's shift, revealing a rather large scar across her lower abdomen. "Blind did not do that, it's too old."

Now Agahnim realized what his master was thinking. "My Lord, I was there with you. Marin wasn't breathing. You were even holding her as she..."

A sharp glare cut the priest's sentence short. "Bite your tongue, Agahnim. I know what happened, I think about it every day I look in the mirror and see this hideous pig staring back at me. But remember how she said she woke in a box?"

"I don't remember her saying that, but go on."

"We were banished here through an artificial gate created by the sages," Ganondorf recollected, "but we've all heard the rumors about entrances to the Sacred Realm that are scattered throughout Hyrule. What if we buried Marin atop a hidden portal?"

Agahnim closed up the girl's leg after Ganondorf finished setting his magical splints. "I see what you mean, Master, but wouldn't that have just transported her body here? How could she have come back to life, and without any memories?"

"I don't know," Ganondorf answered with a sigh. "Maybe it was the magic of the Golden Power. Our Meika doesn't have Marin's memories, at least not that I could see."

"...There's always a Moon Pearl," Agahnim suggested, causing his master to chew his lip.

"Yeah, but there are also mimics and redeads who like to steal bodies." Plus, Ganondorf couldn't admit that it was painful enough seeing the result of Blind's torture on Meika. If he saw it on Marin, it would ruin him. "Let's just wrap her up and forget I said anything."

Chapter Text

I'm glad I started to come around, because I was right on the edge of an unsettling nightmare about a dragon that was attacking me. I couldn't get away from it, and I was frightened beyond belief. I don't think I've ever been so scared...

"Are you alright?"

That's a familiar voice. I opened my eyes, and saw Ganon wrapping my leg with some kind of stiff cloth. "...Bad dream."

He looked slightly concerned for a moment, but shook it off. "You'll be happy to know I've successfully repaired the damage to your leg. You'll be able to walk on it again once it heals, though I can't promise that you won't have a slight limp."

"That's okay." I can handle a limp. "What are you doing now?"

"This is your cast," he said, securing the cloth up at my hip before standing back and waving his hand over my leg. The cloth that was wrapped from my hip to my toes then stiffened, locking the limb straight as it was.

"Hey!"

"Don't 'hey' me," Ganon snorted. "This cloth is under a very strong spell, making it as tough as any other plaster cast yet as light as a pair of your tights. Can you imagine hauling around a big heavy cast like that for six months?"

...That would probably hurt.

"Your silence tells me you have a pretty good understanding why this is better." Ganon moved to the end of the bed and brushed the toes that were sticking out of the cast. "You felt that? Good, the cast isn't too tight then. You'll need to stay in bed most of the time, since it's not a good idea to put weight on that leg and you aren't used to flying yet. I'll get you a little bell in case you need something."

Sneaking out on me already? Oh no he doesn't. I reached over and grabbed Ganon's cape as he was on his way out the door. "Wait, don't just leave me here!"

"...I'm not going to abandon you," Ganon sighed as he shook me off his cape. "I know what you went through, believe me, out of all the people here I'm familiar with the situation."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Uh, I mean that I saw what you went through and know how to take care of someone in your condition," he mumbled somewhat flustered. "I'm going to get a few things and am coming right back. This room isn't a jail cell."

"Then prove it," I grumbled, holding tight onto his cape. "Stay here for a little bit. Tell me a story or something, just don't leave me alone."

"You must still be loopy from the anesthesia," Ganon mumbled as he sat on the floor next to the bed. "What do you mean, tell you a story?"

"I dunno..." I looked around, trying to think of something. "Like, how you got here, or why you have that tattoo of the Triforce on your hand?"

Ganon raised an eyebrow. "That's the same story," he said as he moved his hand out of my sight. "And it's not a tattoo, not really. Besides, it's not exactly a story you'd be interested in. Too grim."

I pouted, and it worked because he sighed and started talking.

"You know how I said I promised someone I would reform myself?" Ganon began, "Well, that person had died, and Agahnim and I were giving her a makeshift funeral behind my castle in the Light World. I was king there, a very powerful and tyrannical king. She had been accidentally killed in a battle by those I deposed, when she came to try and get me to calm down."

"That's awful."

Ganon nodded. "Indeed. We called off the battle and had just finished laying her to rest, when that impudent Zelda and her forces surprised us in the cemetery. Agahnim was already heavily injured from the previous fight, and I couldn't defeat both Link and Impa on my own. My mind was admittedly elsewhere."

Wait a minute... "You mean they purposely waited until you were most vulnerable to launch an attack? How cowardly!"

"Well, Impa was the coward for killing Marin and running in the first place," Ganon mumbled under his breath. "Yes, Zelda and her Six Sages jumped us at our weakest, and we could not escape. That is how the two of us were banished to the Sacred Realm, or the Golden Land as it is most well known."

Ganon's expression then turned from a frown to a sly grin. "Ganon... why are you smiling?"

"Because while Zelda had been gifted with Wisdom in Hyrule, she was still a child and did not know how to access her powers." He then held up his hand. "Sheikah legends say that when an impure hand touches the Triforce for the first time, it will split. This happened when I seized the Golden Power in the Temple of Time as a young man. However, those legends also say that when one piece of the Golden Power is returned to the Sacred Realm, so too are the others. I was banished to the Golden Realm and cursed with this form, but so too was the rest of the Triforce. And this time, it did not split when I seized it."

I looked at Ganon's hand, and sure enough, all three triangles were glowing equally. "So, what can you do with the entire Triforce? Can you use it to go home?"

"...Unfortunately, no." Ganon grumbled. "It allows me to rule over this land, but portals can only be created from the Light World unless you have a magic mirror. Agahnim has been trying to devise one, but as smart as he is, he hasn't been successful."

Drat. "...I wanna go home."

"I know you do, and if anyone can get you there, it would be us," Ganon said as he stood and mussed my hair. "The magic of the Triforce does let me spy on Hyrule, somewhat, and I have learned that Nabooru regrets what she did."

"Nabooru?" That name is very familiar, but I can't place it...

"The High Priestess of the Spirit Temple," Agahnim chimed in, as he entered the room with a meal tray. "Sorry Master, you never came to fetch me so I assumed you got side tracked."

Ganon rolled his eyes. "Hm. Anyway, Nabooru was once my subordinate, and leads the Gerudo in my absence. She assisted Zelda in sealing me away due to her role as the Sage of Spirit, but from what I've been able to gather, she now regrets taking part in their plot."

"If we can somehow contact her and convince her of our plight, she may be able to open a portal to this realm," Agahnim continued. "I can then use it to get to Hyrule, and finish creating a portal strong enough for Master to escape. Zelda's magic as the Seventh Sage is backed by the Goddesses, so while I can slip through any ordinary portal, Master would have to use a stronger portal than Nabooru's in order to escape the spell holding him here."

Ganon helped me into a position to eat, and this time I was able to hold the spoon a little steadier and feed myself. Halfway through though I stopped, and a thought popped into my head. "...Nabooru doesn't like how you hurt women and children. Are you sure she'll help?"

Ganon and Agahnim both took aback, and turned to stare at each other. "How does she know that?" Agahnim whispered under his breath, before being shushed.

"Do you know Nabooru?" Ganon looked me over as I tried to remember.

"...Are you mad at me?"

"No, just surprised."

That's a relief. "...I don't know, her name sounds familiar, and then I just had that thought pop into my head. Maybe I know her, or maybe someone told me about her."

Ganon sighed, and nodded his head. "It's possible. Nabooru is probably the most well known of the Gerudo outside of myself, although I can think of one other that would be known amongst the Forest Sprites. Do you know of a man named Nikolai?"

...Nikolai. Hmm, doesn't seem familiar. "Nope, I don't think so."

"What about a woman named Nana?"

"Nana doesn't ring any bells either."

Looking slightly disappointed, Ganon shrugged and motioned to the rest of the meal. When I was done, he left and Agahnim helped me get dressed. "...Did I make him mad?"

Agahnim shook his head. "No, Master just gets that way sometimes. He likes to think of the past and how he could have done things differently. In your case, you remind him so much of someone else that I'll bet he keeps expecting you to become that person."

I snorted. "But why? I'm me, not her."

"We found you in the same exact condition that he had imposed on her," Agahnim explained. "The only difference is that you had a broken leg, and that she had her body wasted away from starvation. You are both bedridden because of your injuries. In her case, she stayed in bed after she healed because Master treated her as a unwilling consort. He truly loved her, he just didn't know how to express it properly."

That's kind of lame. "Did she love him back?"

"That's hard to answer," Agahnim admitted. "For the most part I would say no. She fought him every step of the way, even when she got pregnant."

"Pregnant? They had a baby?"

Agahnim looked saddened. "They were going to, but there was an accident. I blame myself, we were attacked on the way to Gerudo Valley. We were going there so she could give birth somewhere safer than the castle. But on the way, the carriage was attacked by a dragon."

Dragon...?

"I survived with heavy injury, but Marin's body was nowhere to be found. We assumed she was killed, and Master was devastated. That's when he started really terrorizing Hyrule. But a few years later, she came back to the castle. You know the story from here." Agahnim shrugged. "Her return makes me think she did love him to a degree. After all, if she hated him, why would she return once she had escaped?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Agahnim cleaned up the tray, then sat out a little bell for me to call if I needed anything. Once he had left, I sat there thinking about the stories I had just heard.

Ganon's lover was attacked by a dragon. I resemble his lover, and I had a horrible dream where I was attacked by a dragon. No, that's just coincidence. But what about how I was found in this world, buried in a box? They buried his lover in a box, probably in a nice dress. I wonder what happened to my... No, no, just more coincidence.

Hold on a second, I have a big faded scar on my belly. I had to have got it before I came here. If I had been attacked by a dragon, and I had a baby in my belly...

Uh uh, no, I'm just jumping to conclusions. I want my memory back so badly, I'm making up stories that I'm the wife of a pig man! I mean, Agahnim just said he raped that poor girl, come on! Why would you want to love him? All he's done is give you clothes and fix your leg, anyone could have done that...

"Let's see you run away now, fillie."

Huh?

"Ooh, what have we here? Boys, you brought Blind a nice little snackie, haven't you?"

No...

"Quit that damn whining and get on yer knees like I told you, or you'll lose another wing!"

A shrill scream and the crash of a glass of water off the nightstand brought Ganon and Agahnim running into the room, where they found Meika in a flood of tears and trying her best to curl into a ball.

"Meika? What's wrong, what happened?" Ganon tried to calm her down, but whenever he got close, she shrieked and pulled away.

Agahnim received a similar reaction. "Did she remember what happened?"

"I think so." Ganon stepped back, and sighed. "You still have that other Moon Pearl?"

"Yes..." Agahnim looked skeptical. "How will that help?"

"Just go get it!"

The Sheikah darted out of the room, and quickly returned with the small pink orb dangling from a silver chain. Ganon took it, and with a reluctant grumble slipped it over his head. Once the ensuing puff of smoke cleared, Ganon was back to his former though slightly older looking Gerudo self.

"Master, you look dignified with that beard," Agahnim praised, though he was quickly shoved off.

Moving to the side of the bed, Ganon once again tried to calm Meika down, hoping that his regular appearance would be less frightening. "Shh, you're safe now, there are no monsters here, see? ...Meika?"

They're back, they've come back for me...

"Meika."

That voice... I peeked my eye open, and the man in front of me was very handsome. His flame red hair went to his shoulders, and he had a short beard lining his rich brown face. I know this mesmerizing man from somewhere. Ga... "Ganond..."

"Yes, it's me, Ganon!" He quickly pulled me into a hug and let me finish crying into his shoulder. "Forgive me, I thought those mental blocks would last longer. Don't worry, this time I won't leave until you tell me to."

Ganon sat on the bed as I held on to him, and it did help somewhat. "They... they're gone?"

"Killed Blind with my bare hands."

"You won't l-leave me alone?"

Brushing the hair out of my face, Ganon pressed a light kiss to my forehead. "I wouldn't think of it. You're exhausted, lie down and get some sleep. I'll be right here. Good night, little princess."

I drifted off next to Ganon, and for the first time in a while sleep came rather easily.

"...You truly are a mystery, little princess."

Mmn...

Chapter Text

When I woke the next day, Ganon was sitting on the bed next to me. He kept his promise. I was so happy, I reached over and squeezed him like a teddy bear.

"...I guess we're all awake now."

"You kept your promise and stayed with me. Thank you." I nuzzled my head in his chest, but as I did I noticed his clothing was now very loose and open. It took me a second to realize why- before he put that Moon Pearl on, he was a big piggy. Now he's just a man. A tall, handsome man with a nicely defined abdomen...

"You keep your hands out of there," Ganon smirked, taking my wandering hands out of his shirt as he stood from the bed. "Too soon to venture down that road."

I gave him a pout as I sat myself up in bed. "Well, how come you spent all this time as a nasty looking piggy if you're so handsome? Look at you, your bronze skin is flawless and your red hair is almost intoxicating! You're being unfair."

"And you're being loopy." Ganon stuck his head out the door and called for Agahnim, then turned back to me. "I stayed in that form as penance for my actions, and only put this thing on for your sake. I'm well past the days when I dwell on my appearance."

When Agahnim arrived, Ganon ordered him to fetch breakfast and to try and find something closer to his size than the stretched out clothes he was currently wearing. I then watched him stand at the washroom mirror and pick at his beard for several minutes.

"Don't dwell on your appearance, huh?"

"When last I saw myself, I did not have a beard," he grumbled in retort. "I don't know if I like it or not."

Hm... "Come here so I can see. I'll give you my opinion."

Ganon obliged, and bent down in front of the bed. When he was close enough, I leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

"Hey!"

"Mm, you can keep it," I decided. "I don't like scratchy, and it's not scratchy."

"That was a dirty trick," Ganon said, leaning over me on the bed.

"Well I'm pretty much stuck in bed for the next however many months," I admitted with a shrug. "Have to take the opportunities whenever I see them."

"I see. Want to try again?"

"Yes." This time Ganon kissed me, and it wasn't scratchy at all.

Agahnim sat in his chambers, studying a number of ancient scrolls and spellbooks. He was trying to find a way back to Hyrule, but most of his leads were coming up short. There was one that looked promising, an inkling from the temple where that twerp fought the Master's shadow, but every time he felt like he was on the cusp of discovery it evaded him.

Looking up at the clock, Agahnim decided to let it go for today and begin the morning chores. Once breakfast was assembled, he made his way to the bedroom where Meika was recovering. After his light knock was answered, he headed in. "Good morning, I hope I'm not too early..."

"I know you Sheikah never sleep, but that doesn't mean you have to wake the rest of us up whenever you feel like it," Ganondorf grumbled, before yawning and glancing at the girl fast asleep on his chest. "She's still out so just put it over there."

Agahnim nodded before practically gliding over to the dresser and silently depositing the tray on top. In the three months since Meika's leg had been repaired, she had healed to enough to trade the long cast for a more comfortable knee length version. More importantly, though, Ganondorf had been keeping his promise to stay by her side.

Whatever business Ganondorf had to do, he did it in Meika's room. They'd eat together, talk, read... When it came time to sleep, Ganondorf originally slept in a chair beside the bed for modesty's sake. Meika swiftly put an end to that, and Agahnim soon found the two cuddled together in the morning whenever he delivered breakfast.

"I'll take my leave now, Master."

"Yeah, yeah." Ganondorf waved his manservant out the door, then turned at looked at Meika as she continued snoozing away. Three months of getting close to this girl all but convinced him she was Marin. She looked like her, pouted like her, he even thought he heard her humming that song Marin loved. Only, Meika loved to cuddle up to him at night.

Marin never did that, hell she rolled away in disgust every chance she got. Ganondorf was not intimate with Meika out of respect for her ordeal, though they would embrace whenever Meika initiated it. Marin only ever tried to embrace him once, when he returned her necklace. She might have been warming up to him, but he ruined that when he 'punished' her for talking back to him. He should have known that was just her hormones talking, she didn't mean anything by it. Maybe Meika wasn't Marin...

I heard a little chit chat as I woke up, but I ignored it and tried to go back to sleep. It was kinda futile, though, because I could tell Ganon was staring at me. "...Is there a bug on me?"

I could hear him chuckle as I rolled over. "No, just admiring you. You've got a face as pretty as the Goddess of the Sand."

"Dare I say it, you match the beauty of the Goddess of the Sand."

I sat straight up and looked him in the eye. "You've said that to me before."

Ganon tilted his head and scratched his chin. "I did?"

"Yeah, you said I matched the beauty of the Goddess of the Sand. Who is she?"

"She looks over and protects the Gerudo," he said, getting up to grab the breakfast tray. As he did so, I saw him furrow his brow for a second before his eyes opened wide.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, Agahnim just forgot something," he mumbled, an obvious lie. "You don't know any other languages, do you?"

I shook my head no as I chomped down bites of oatmeal. I'm pretty sure I don't know any other languages. I've heard Ganon mumble some strange words before in his language, but I don't know what they mean. "Why do you ask?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," he chided with a smile. "I just thought I remembered you telling me your father taught you our language, that's all."

Now it was my turn to furrow my brow. I don't even know who my father was, how could I tell him something like that? And better yet, he said I was a Forest Sprite, why would my father know how to speak the Gerudo language? "You're silly, I never said that. Why would my father know your language? I don't even know who my father is."

"I guess you're right, maybe it was someone else," he sighed. "Though I could have sworn you were the one who said your father loved you very much, that he sang to you and gave you your favorite necklace... You were devastated when he was taken away from you..."

"No..." I shook my head and absentmindedly clutched at my chest, reaching for a necklace that wasn't there. "I-I didn't say that..."

"It must not have been you, then." Ganon sat down on the bed, and after a few quiet moments pulled an object from shadowspace. It was a worn out traveling bag, ripped in spots and dotted with a dark brown substance that might have been blood. I could see a handmade lyre sticking through one of the holes, as well as two books. He pulled one out and sat the bag to the side.

"What's that bag for?"

"Memories," Ganon responded. "I don't have much left, after all. And in this case," he said holding up the book he withdrew, "this is all I have of Filimena."

Filimena?!

"Nanny, what was my mother's name? Filimena? I think I'll call her that. It's pretty."

"Hey Nanny, have you ever seen a Gerudo with green in her eyes?"

"Here baby, come here Filimena. Good girl! You're such a fast crawler, I'll bet you'll be running around the forest before we even know it."

"'Mama'?! Nanny, she just called me Mama!"

"Oh, I know it hurts, baby, but everyone has to grow their teeth in eventually..."

"Shh, it's okay, it's okay! I got that moblin, it won't hurt you... Damn him, why here?"

"Mommy's going away for a while, baby. I'm going to try and see if I can fix what's gone wrong with Hyrule. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but know that I'll always be thinking of you. You're my precious little pumpkin. I love you very much, Filimena."

"Meika? MEIKA!"

My tear filled eyes sprung open as I was shaken back to my senses, and I saw the two rather concerned men hovering over me. "G-Ganondorf...?"

Agahnim curiously turned to his master, as the Gerudo checked my forehead for a fever. "Are you okay? Did you remember that dungeon again?"

Nn... I-I don't... His expression changed. Is he angry?

"What happened?" he asked, wiping off my cheeks and holding me steady. "From here, it looked like you were having another panic attack," he explained. "But just now, you called me Ganondorf. I don't recall ever telling you my full name, only Ganon."

"I... I did remember something," I admitted, as Agahnim rubbed my back to calm me down.

"What did you remember?" they asked in unison.

Looking down at my lap, I shivered. After a long moment, I finally spoke. "...Filimena, my baby. She's home in the Light World without me."

There was silence for a few heavy moments, and I could tell what conclusions they were forming. Then Ganondorf closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

"...Marin?"

Chapter Text

I looked up without hesitation, and that's when they knew for certain that Meika and Marin were the same person.

"How much do you remember?" Agahnim asked, knowing his master was still too on edge to speak.

I had to think for a moment. "I remember waking up in the box, wandering around for a while and getting caught, some things I'd like to forget, and then you two rescuing me."

"What about..." I could tell Ganondorf was struggling. "Before...?"

He's tense. "Agahnim, could you give us a moment?" The Sheikah understood what I was hinting at and respectfully departed, leaving the two of us staring at each other.

Ganondorf immediately crumpled at the side of the bed, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry. I know I can't say it enough but I'm sorry."

"Ganondorf..."

"Forgive me." He grabbed my hands and looked straight at me. "I never should have tied you down like that and I never should have forced myself on you. I should have realized that you were only speaking your mind and that pregnancy will cause emotions to flare."

...That's what he's been agonizing over? Not the way he starved me on our first meeting or how he just about killed me after the dinner incident? Not even the carriage attack?

He continued, slightly quivering. "What I did to you is no different than what those bastards did to you in the Village of Outcasts, and I must stop pretending that I am better than them. The look of pain and sadness on your face has never left my mind in all these years, and dare I say remembering it hurts worse than the pain of having you die in my arms."

The sadness he's projecting is genuine... He really is remorseful for what he's done. "I, I'm glad to know you're aware of how much you hurt me that day. I really did lose my voice for a while, even cooing to the baby was hard."

"I thought it would be better to send you away for a while, both to keep you safe and to give you time away from me," he admitted, averting his eyes. "That backfired tremendously."

Maybe for you it did. "That dragon frightened me beyond belief, and almost killed me." I then pulled up my nightgown, showing him the scar on my abdomen. "But luckily there was a spy following the carriage who had a few handy flashbombs to scare the monster away, and we were able to save the baby before it was too late."

Ganondorf stared at the scar for a few moments, before realization flashed on his face. "You... you mean to tell me you were in the forest this whole time? That crafty old spinster has been leading me on?!"

"Nanny is not a spinster, she's my grandmother," I pouted, releasing my gown and whapping him with a pillow. "You're the genealogist who theorized all this in the first place, now you're doubting it? She knew you were sneaking around her cabin, so she left out some things for you to give to me. The journal? My father's necklace?"

A big smile covered Ganondorf's face, even after I hit him with the pillow. "So she's your grandmother, now, too?"

Him and his obsession. "That grin says you know this story," I said in annoyance.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted. "Remember how I said Nana was a recluse because she had something to do with the death of the previous king? Her partner, Isolde, was rumored to be carrying a boy because she had gotten very large during her pregnancy. When King Leonidas found out, he wanted to kill Isolde before she could give birth so that there would be no threats to his rule. Nana wouldn't stand for such a horrific act, and killed him first. Leonidas was a terrible king, anyway."

"What does all this matter?" I shook my head. "Forgiven or not, you are not using my baby for any of your schemes. She's a normal little girl who just so happens to have a little green in her eyes. Other than that, there's no difference between her and the next Gerudo."

"Forgiven?" Ganondorf perked up, and the next thing I knew, I was hoisted up and rolled around on the bed so that I was laying on top of his stomach. "Did you say I was forgiven?"

"Ganon..." Despite the sigh that escaped my lips, I couldn't help smiling at this big oaf. "I've remembered my life as Marin but I'm still Meika too... You did save me from a horrible confinement and you repaired a lot of damage that otherwise would never have been fixed." I motioned to my leg. "I'm very thankful for that. You've also made an effort to redeem yourself and I think you've done a good job so far. If we ever find a way out of here, I'd be willing to let you spend some time with Filimena."

Ganondorf grinned, and then excitedly pulled me into a kiss. I was surprised at first, but melted into it because it really did feel good. And honestly, I did have feelings for him. Suddenly remembering all the horrible things he did to me in the Light World didn't magically negate all the nice things he's done for me here.

I mean, I still cringe when I think of the time Agahnim hypnotized me and I woke up the next day vomiting my lungs out. But we were at war then, so I guess that's okay? And then of course we already talked about what he did when I was pregnant... Maybe it is wrong for me to love him back. But I started liking him when he was a piggy, and then when he promised to stay with me I really did fall in love with him as a person.

"You're adorable when you're deep in thought like that, Miss Faerie, but I think I'd like to see the beauty underneath."

Looking up from my wandering thoughts, I saw Ganondorf twirling something on his finger. He quickly leaned over my shoulder, and after a wave of dizziness came over me, I realized he had fastened a Moon Pearl around my neck.

Chapter Text

Ganondorf had stepped away from the bed and was staring, so I took a look at myself. My hair had fallen down in the way, so with a sigh I grabbed it and threw it back over my shoulder. That's when I realized it was back to its strawberry color. The wings were gone, of course, so my nightshift had fallen loose in the back. But that slack was taken up toward the front, because unlike Meika, Marin had the figure of a young mother.

"...What, are you trying to catch flies with that mouth?" Ganondorf was still speechless even after my little jab, so I attempted to get out of bed and look through the dresser for better fitting clothing. I didn't make it past the bedsheet before I had a big Gerudo dive atop me.

He was saying something, but I have no idea what it was. A bunch of mumbling in between kisses and pawing and I think "I missed you so much" was thrown in. Hard to tell, really, his mouth was everywhere. I guess my regular appearance had finally clicked in his brain.

"GET... OFF!"

Once he sat up and I was able to breathe again, I scolded him. "Looks aren't everything, you know. So I have my reddish hair back, and I'm not as skinny anymore. I warmed up to you when you looked like a pig..."

"I can't help it," he said, shaking his head as he pulled me into a bear hug. "I've had one image of you in my head for so long, and now I see you in such a far more beautiful light... Your hair in beautiful wavy curls down to your slim waist, your chest filled out from giving birth and yet so perfectly proportioned, your skin the perfect shade of rose..."

"This skin has a new scar thanks to the moblin who attacked me in the forest," I grumbled, interrupting his highness as he planted kisses up and down said arm.

"...Hhn?" Ganondorf opened his eyes slowly as though he hadn't heard right, then wider upon seeing the awful scar right in front of his nose.

"Yeah. It happened while I was out picking berries. I had Filimena on my back so I could work, good thing too since I usually wore her in front of me. The moblin just jumped out at us and slashed at me. It took all I had to keep the baby safe. Thankfully I had learned a little magic and was able to stun the moblin, and use its spear to stab it."

Ganondorf was unusually quiet as he stared at my arm, though I could tell from the way he was struggling not to crush it that he was, shall we say, irritated. "...I told them to stay out."

His struggle was failing, so I coaxed myself out of his grip by leaning against his shoulder. "Would you like to explain what happened to Hyrule after I left the castle?"

"...I got somewhat violent after I was informed of the attack on the carriage. The first thing I did was reanimate the dragon atop Death Mountain."

"Yes, that was apparent from the red fireball swirling in the sky," I muttered, shivering at the memory. "What about the forest?"

He shook his head. "As I got more and more separated from reality, my underlings got more ambitious. They must have assumed the boy was affiliated with the Kokiri from those garments of his, so they probably started infiltrating the forest in an attempt to sniff him out. Agahnim was supposed to keep an eye on things if I got too distracted."

What a wonderful job he did. "The moblins roaming the forest need to go. I can chase one off fairly easily when I'm alone, but what about Nana? If she's watching the baby..."

Ganondorf suddenly sprung up from the bed, growling and clenching his hair. "SHIT! You're right... Ngh... I told them, all of them, never to attack a Gerudo. But this, dammit!"

Half of what he said was incomprehensible. "...You're mumbling."

"Ugh..."

This is almost cute, The Great Ganondorf pacing around the room with worry. He crossed in front of the bed a few more times, before dropping down in a chair looking rather frustrated. "With me here and Zelda's allies calling the war in their favor, all of my forces in Hyrule have pretty much done whatever they wanted," he explained, going on to break them down by faction. "My Gerudo kin, of course, are nothing to worry about."

"I would expect not," I countered, finally making it out of bed. I realized when I attempted to walk and nearly fall flat on my face that I must have been unconsciously using the faerie's wings to carry some of my weight. Good thing Ganondorf caught me. "What about those lizards?"

Setting me back on the bed, he sighed. "They do what they want whenever they have no authority figure present. Much like the bulblins."

"Bulblin?"

From the look on my face, he could tell I had no idea what he was talking about. "Resembles a moblin, but smaller and a bit less porcine. They come from beyond the Gerudo Desert, and are very good at making mischief."

And I'll bet he let them loose on Hyrule. Well that's perfect, except that he's no longer there to control them. "Moblins, lizards, bulblins, whatever... How do we keep your monsters in Hyrule from causing panic without you there to lead them? That's what I'm getting at. Maybe Zelda and her hero took them out, maybe she didn't. There are still some threats left you need to take responsibility for."

"I know I need to 'clean up', so to speak," he said with a surprisingly calm demeanor. Honestly I expected more resistance. "I've been working on making this world a bit less of a mess for quite some time. I suppose I just never thought of how desolated I left Hyrule..."

"Because you were mourning me..." This seems to be a pattern. "Can you at least contact your minions and get them to knock it off up there?"

Ganondorf frowned, and walked over to the mirror above the dresser. "...Contact with the Light World is all but impossible. We can spy on the Sages, and Agahnim can send what he calls 'premonitions' or simple drawn messages to other Sheikah if they will listen. But outright communication is something we have been unable to accomplish."

"I thought you said you were trying to get a message to Nabooru." Ganondorf turned and looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you were lying, just to get me to calm down and give me false hope!"

"Now why would I ever do that?!" he snapped, before he realized how harsh he sounded. "...Look, everything I've said has been the truth. Yes, we've been trying to contact her, but no, all other contact with the Light World has proven impossible. I can't even curse Zelda and tell her how much I hate her at this point!"

...Now I felt like dying. I just called him a liar over nothing. I rolled back over on the bed and muttered an apology, and curled up into as much of a ball as I could. Admittedly, this body wasn't as good at doing that as the faerie's body was, but that didn't matter. I really felt like crying for how I reacted.

I felt a blanket cover me, and when I opened my eyes I saw Ganondorf brushing the hair from my forehead. "There is nothing to apologize for. You've had quite the morning, and I've done nothing but stress you out. You rest, I'll clear this food away and return."

Abruptly springing up from the bed, I grabbed his arm as he turned toward the tray on the dresser. I will not be abandoned, not again. "Don't you dare."

"Don't worry, I'm not going away. I'm just going out into the hall to call Agahnim," he said, taking my hand and kissing it. "I'll leave the door open, and you can watch me." I watched him cross the room for the tray, then step out into the hall. He stayed in sight as he promised, and I saw him motion for Agahnim, though I couldn't hear anything he was saying. Worn out, I rested my eyes for a moment...

Ganondorf took the tray and went into the hall, yelling for Agahnim. He watched as Marin nodded off to sleep, and shoved the tray into the Sheikah's hands as soon as he arrived. "Speak using the old tongue." Noticing the wizard's eagerness, he added, "...You look quite pleased with yourself."

"Yes, I believe I have some good news," Agahnim nodded, using the Gerudo language as requested. "What do you wish of me?"

"...I wish that you had not let Hyrule get so overrun in my despair," Ganondorf sighed. "But what is it that you have to report?"

Agahnim winced. "My apologies, Master. But yes, I believe I've found a way to open a portal back to Hyrule. It's not perfect, but..."

Ganondorf's eyes widened. "What have you discovered?"

"You remember how the boy had to awaken the Six Sages," Agahnim began, referring to how Link had sealed them in the Dark World. "Well, during the battle in the Forest Temple, you banished a spectre to..."

"The gap between dimensions," he finished.

"Yes. Well as it turns out, that portal you created is a weakness in their seal. With our combined magic, we can use that point to create a portal back to Hyrule," Agahnim explained. "It will be small and short lived, at most only one person will be able to go through. But once you're through, you can-"

"Marin will go."

Startled, Agahnim lost his grip on the tray and spilt it all over the floor. "Master?"

"You heard me." Ganondorf glanced toward the bedroom, noting that Marin was fast asleep. "This world drains her. I can't keep her here any longer than necessary, especially now that she's recovered her memories. It's best that she be returned home to her daughter."

Agahnim studied his master's face, noting the rare hint of regret in his words. "...I understand, Master. However, given recent developments, something tells me that you will have some difficulty convincing her to go." Ganondorf's silence merited an explanation. "She's gotten quite attached to you, even with your prior ...indiscretions."

"I'm aware of that," Ganondorf snorted. "We're not going to tell her that she's the only one going. Otherwise she'll stubbornly refuse. Start making preparations."

Chapter Text

Forgive me...

I opened my eyes to almost absolute blackness. The only light to be found came from directly in front of me, where my fingertips were resting against a dusty mirror. I guess some kind of residual magic was clinging to me, I don't know. I couldn't think.

He broke his promise.

I curled into a ball and started crying. 'You're going first. Don't worry, I'll be right behind you.' Liar. LIAR! He knew how much I was afraid of being abandoned, and then he went and did it anyway. Doesn't he realize that if he'd sent Agahnim through instead, he could have used his magic to find some way to come back for us? I wouldn't have minded living in the Dark World...

I don't know how long I laid there or where it even was. It was so dark anyway. A loud crash, however, startled me enough to sit up. A bright light burst in through the rubble of a wall, and a lively figure soon followed.

"What? Someone's already here for the treasure?!"

As soon as my eyes started working and I could see, I nearly fell back over. The newcomer was a solidly built Gerudo girl, armed with a torch and a scimitar. She quickly located and ignited a few sconces on the wall, allowing me to see that I was on a raised central platform inside an ornately decorated chamber. After thinking for a second, I realized this had to be the Forest Temple. The room was filled with dust covered paintings, which the Gerudo started inspecting.

"Hng, so the treasure is just a bunch of weird art... Tsk." After poking through a few piles, she turned back to me and sighed. "Unless you are a part of it? ...OH!"

I was about to say something, when the Gerudo girl zipped up and knelt down beside me. I soon realized why; now that there was some light in the room, I could see what the mirror beside me looked like. It was kind of pretty, it had a jeweled frame with a golden Triforce at the top and an obsidian one matching it at the bottom. If it was cleaned up, I guess it would be valuable. "...You want it."

"So you can talk," the Gerudo mumbled. "How the hell'd you get in here? I had to blow up quite a few doors, this temple hasn't been used in..."

"I know how long, and I'd rather not talk about it." Just rub some salt in the wound while you're at it. "The bigger question is, what is a Gerudo doing treasure hunting in the forest?"

"Weeeell..." She started to explain, when this deep hiss reverberated through the room.

"What was that?" I asked.

"You don't want to know," she yelped, grabbing the mirror and pulling my arm. "We have to go, now. Hurry it up."

"I can't run," pointing to my leg. "Can't you fight it? The skill of the Gerudo is renown."

Her facial expression was ridiculous. "Fight it?! You clearly have never met one of these giant Gohma queens. ...Guess I have no choice, then." She shoved the mirror and her torch into my hands, then hoisted me up like a little kid. "I don't even know why I'm doing this."

"Whatever you're doing, you better hurry..." Shadows on the walls began to move, and a long appendage emerged from a crack in the ceiling. The Gerudo didn't stick around to see what it belonged to, instead racing through the blown out door and into a dark hallway. After riding a creaky lift we emerged in an open room surrounded by colorful torches, and I could hear what sounded like even more spiders rushing in for the kill.

"Get us out of here, there are more coming!"

"I'm working on it," she yelled, running up a crumbled set of stairs and just barely dodging a Skulltula aiming for her head. "There's the exit!"

The girl kicked open the foyer doors and sprinted for the exit, but apparently forgot that there was no longer any staircase leading from the temple entryway to the ground outside. Realizing her mistake too late, we both went sailing over the edge toward the ground.

Of course I lost my grip on the mirror. "No!" A shame, because I kind of liked it. I reached out towards it as it sailed through the air, even as I crashed onto the ground myself. Then the funniest thing happened. Both the Gerudo and myself had smacked hard onto the ground in the Sacred Forest Meadow, earning myself a nosebleed in the process. But when I looked up to see how many pieces the poor thing had crumbled into, it was just floating midair. Did I make do that? I carefully retrieved it, astonished that it wasn't broken.

"...Goddess forgive me, that was rough," the Gerudo mumbled, a few feet behind me as she picked herself up. "I guess that was my punishment for sneaking out of housesitting duty."

...What. Looking up from wiping off the mirror, I turned around and glared at her. "Did you just say you were on housesitting duty?"

Silent, she raised an eyebrow.

Well, there is only one house around here that a Gerudo would be watching. "You abandoned my house to go treasure hunting?!"

Her face suddenly flashed in recognition. "Oh shit, I thought you looked familiar. I'm really gonna get it now..."

"You bet!" I stumbled to my feet, tucking the mirror under my arm. Limping over to her, something that was much harder than it should have been I realized, I demanded an explanation. "Who are you? Why were you watching my house? Where is my family?!"

"My name is Sierra," she explained, rubbing her head. "I was instructed by the Elder to watch the house while they were gone. Her and the Princess are in the Valley. They went there because the doctor said it's a good idea to get used to living in the desert."

Doctor? "Why was there a doctor here?" I panicked, grabbing Sierra by her shoulders and shaking her. "The moblins didn't come back, did they? Is my baby okay?!"

Sierra vehemently shook her head. "There aren't any moblins around here anymore, I killed most of them. See, the doctor who looks after the Princess is also one of the senior combat trainers, and she put a protection amulet on the house to ward off evil creatures.. After that, I went around and hunted the moblins that were stalking this area of the woods. The rest just kind of went away."

"So why was the doctor here?"

"I guess the Princess was anemic or something," Sierra answered. "She's different than most of us, we don't really know a lot about her. That's why Ceriste is her doctor, she's studied the most kinds of people."

"My daughter is a Gerudo," I snapped.

Sierra shivered. "Yes, majesty, I meant nothing by it."

"...What's with the majesty nonsense?"

"You are the queen of the Gerudo," she replied. "I wouldn't have been rude earlier had I realized who you were."

"I am no queen without the king," I mumbled, backing off. And really, it's true.

"The Elder has made everyone aware that Princess Filimena is descended from two male Gerudo," Sierra pointed out. "You are the daughter of a king. That makes you our queen."

"What kind of queen would I be? Seriously?" I sat back down and looked in the mirror. "Do I look like a Gerudo? You were just mocking my daughter for being different. Well, look at me- Filimena at least blends in with the rest of you. I'm as pale as a poe. Your people are going to accept me as their ruler?"

"There will probably be a few hold outs," Sierra admitted, "but the majority won't object. You've already provided an heir, you've proven your contempt for the Hylians, and you come from a strong bloodline. I see no problem with your leadership. Here, let's get going, it will be dark soon."

Chapter Text

My house. This is my house.

"Are, are you okay?"

"...Yeah, I, I just haven't seen it in so long," I mumbled, rubbing tears from my face. I guess it has been what, three years? I ran up, well, hobbled up onto the porch and threw open the door. It smelled exactly like I remembered it.

"Well, I don't know exactly how long you've been away," Sierra mused, following me in. "I only know that we're not supposed to say that you are dead. The Elder doesn't like people saying that kind of thing to the Princess."

I looked up from the group of picture frames on the fireplace that had caught my eye. "What did Nanny tell her?" Most of them were pictures of me.

Sierra shrugged. "I don't know to be sure. Maybe that you were gone away? Ceriste might know, she spends more time with them than I do."

"Hm." I noticed more picture frames by the bookshelf, and nearly squealed when I saw them. They were all Filimena. She got so big, and her hair was so long, it was adorable! There was one that caught my eye, she was leaning over some ruins and her hair was blowing in the wind. "Where was this taken?"

"Oh that, those are the ruins of the old Temple of Time, out in the Sacred Grove," Sierra explained as she leaned against the wall. "High Priestess Nabooru was with us for that one. She came to visit to see if it was true that the Princess might be carrying in her footsteps. The Elder thinks so, that's why they went to visit that place. I had to go, along with the Priestess' Guard. The way there is a little dangerous, but it's a great place to see."

I don't doubt it. Nana told me stories about the Sacred Grove, and it's quite the holy place. "What do they think? Could she follow in Nabooru's footsteps?"

She nodded. "Yeah, apparently the Princess did something to the ruins she wasn't supposed to. She got some door open that was sealed shut, and they all made a big fuss about it."

"What?!" She actually got into the ruins?

"Yeah, I didn't see the big deal," Sierra shrugged. "But Nabooru said afterward that only the Goddess's chosen ones can enter that temple, so the Princess must be destined for the job."

Wow, Ganondorf would be beaming. "I can't wait to get to the Valley. When can we leave?"

Sierra looked around the cabin. "Tomorrow, or maybe the day after. There's a lot of stuff here that I have to secure, since no one will be around. Plus you need to calm down a bit. Take a bath, rest up, then we can go. If we left today, you'd be out of energy before we even left the forest."

Scoffing, I turned back to the pictures. "I suppose you're right, we can leave tomorrow."

As we trotted up the path toward the gate to the Gerudo Valley, I took note of an extremely unusual sight- a Goron dressed in Gerudo clothing. "What the...?"

"The exchange student," Sierra mumbled. "An attempt to build camaraderie and repent for that whole mountain incident. Wait here, I'll get the gate open." She jumped down from the horse, and approached.

"HOLD, NO ONE ALLOWED INTO GERUDO VALLEY WITHOUT-"

"Easy, Gorka," another woman interrupted, "see, she's a Gerudo too. Now Sierra, you know you're supposed to stay at the house until the Elder or General Kona comes to relieve you..."

"Yeah, well, see Jolene, I found someone who wanted to come visit," she motioned to me. "I think that gives me a break from babysitting duty."

Jolene opened the gate enough to come out and look, and behind her I could see people milling about. Not just people, children. That was all the conviction I needed. I slid down from the horse and pushed past them, stumbling through the gate and into the town.

"Hey!"

"It's okay, Jolene, let her go."

"Sierra, who was that?"

"I'll explain on the way, let's just go find Ceriste and the Elder."

Gerudo Valley was enormous. Here I thought it was just a tiny little single settlement town, with a fortress and a stable and that's it. Well, there was a central avenue, but the large fortress in the background could barely be seen due to all the stalls set up and all the people swarming around.

It's entirely possible that my sense of scale was out of whack, and this really was small compared to Hyrule Castle town. I don't know. What I did know is that I was being stared at, just as much as I stared at every little girl I came across. I don't know very much of the Gerudo language, but I did catch the word "stranger" a few times. Fine, I don't care.

Where's my baby?!

Trying to ignore the delicious smells teasing at my growling stomach, I pressed on. I made it all the way to a statue in what looked like their central square before my leg absolutely refused to keep going, so I slumped alongside it to catch my breath. This is pointless. "I wish I remembered your word for 'princess,'" I mumbled aloud.

Just then I heard a small crash, and I turned to see that an older woman had dropped her groceries. I tried getting up to help her when I paused. She was staring at me in shock, with tears running down her face. She looked just like...

"N-Nanny?"

"By the grace of the Goddess of the Sand, it is you, Marin!" Nana ran over and enveloped me in a bear hug, squeezing and kissing me until couldn't breathe. Soon there was even a small crowd gathered. "My child, you have been gone for so long! What happened to you? Why is your leg bound? Oh, there is no need for this, you are back, that is all that matters!"

"Yes, Nanny..." I hugged her back, grateful to see her again. "I missed you too..." We stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until a slight commotion from the crowd stirred us. I heard some faint giggling, and I looked up to see that there were a few people approaching from the path leading out of the village. It was a guard commander, a tall woman in finery, and a little girl in a dress with flowing sleeves.

"Ah, yes, it is about time for lessons to be over," Nana said with a grin.

I got chills, and very slowly rose to my feet. The woman down the path saw me and smiled, and knowingly knelt to the little girl. "You did very well in the temple, today, Princess."

"Thank you, High Priestess!"

"Why don't you go tell Nana what you studied? Go on, I'm going to talk with General Aveil."

I watched her curtsy and continue her skipping, but suddenly stop upon getting a good look at me. There was a mumble, then a sudden flash of recognition. "MOMMY!"

Filimena stumbled on the hem of her dress as she ran forward, and admittedly I did just the same thing. We crashed into each other as an unintelligible mess, just in time for Nana and the High Priestess to arrive and observe.

"Mommy Mommy Mommy! AHH! You're back! You're back! Are you back for evers?"

"Of course I am, pumpkin," I choked out, barely able to string a thought together. I just couldn't believe how adorable Filimena was, the pictures of her were nothing compared to the real thing. She was here, in my arms, and she was the cutest little thing I had ever seen.

"This really is an incredible turn of events," Nabooru chimed in as she arrived. "I trust you will regale us with the full details later, but how did you come to return?"

"Let's retire, High Priestess" Nana suggested. "Once everyone has calmed down and the two have gotten some time to reconnect, we can tackle that subject. I'm sure Marin would like to spend some time with her daughter."

I looked down at the adorable little munchkin, who had her arms locked around my waist. "Yes... I think for the moment, I'm completely monopolized."

"Does that mean you're all mine?"

I nodded as I scooped her up into the air. "That means I'm all yours."