Chapter Text
“The sword that seals the darkness… ” Ganondorf said in wonder, looking down at the blade held in Link’s outstretched hands. “It’s beautiful. May I?” he asked.
Link nodded and Ganondorf carefully took it from him. Being sat on the throne, Ganondorf couldn’t exactly give it a swing, but he gave it a good look over, examining the little engravings.
“A magnificent blade,” he observed, tracing his fingertips along the underside of the cool metal. “But frankly, I don’t think I would get on very well with this sword. It’s a bit small for my liking.”
Link shrugged. [Well, you are a Gerudo. It’s not really meant for someone your size.]
“It’s just right for you, though, isn’t it?” Ganondorf said with a knowing smile. The Master Sword’s design was simple, almost unassuming, yet also refined, and practically radiating power. Not terribly unlike its small, Hylian wielder, he mused.
[It took me a while to be able to pull it out from the pedestal, but I got there eventually. Zelda was the one who put it there, so it would be waiting for me when I woke up.] Link took the sword back from Ganondorf and then paused, gazing down at it. “...I miss her,” he said softly.
“I’m certain that you will be reunited soon,” Ganondorf assured him. “To think that she’s been alive all this time, fighting the Calamity from inside Hyrule Castle, and that the past century of peace has been solely her doing… After everything you’ve told me about her, I would quite like to meet the princess as well.”
After Naboris was calmed and Link left, Ganondorf wasn’t sure when or even if he’d ever see Link again. Venturing into Gerudo Town was a risky endeavour for a Hylian voe in disguise, after all. There was always a chance that someone would see through it and realise the truth, and then Ganondorf would be left with two options: admit that he abused his power as the king to bypass the law and allow avoe into the town not once but several times, or lie to protect himself and punish Link for his transgressions. Ganondorf didn’t want to do either of those, if he could avoid it, and he didn’t imagine that Link would want his secret revealed like that either. It would be quite understandable if Link chose not to return for that reason, as disappointing as that would be. There was no way to know, though, so Ganondorf had little choice but to carry on with his life - with his duties as the leader of the Gerudo.
It had taken a few days for the news of Naboris’ calming to spread widely outside the desert. People began to trickle back in very slowly at first, but the message soon reached the right ears, and it wasn’t much longer before trade was back in full swing. It was always a point of immense pride for the Gerudo that their town was considered Hyrule’s main trading hub, and the eagerness of travellers and merchants from all around the kingdom to get themselves back to Gerudo Town only proved how much it was missed.
Ganondorf’s time had largely been occupied by dealing with the numerous administrative issues that required his authority and overseeing the reinstatement of trade agreements that were thought lost in the midst of the recent crisis. In between everything, Ganondorf was swamped with visitors to the palace yet again, and he hardly got a moment to himself nor a moment to breathe. If the reason for the previous lack of visitors wasn’t something so terrible, then perhaps he would miss it. But the buzz of activity at all hours of the day and the endless stream of work to do and people to greet were a sign that things were going back to normal, and for that, everyone in Gerudo Town was grateful. All of the merchants had had their lives return to some sense of normalcy as the market flourished again, and, perhaps above all, so had Ganondorf’s family.
Tonelle had gone back to her normal duties as a soldier with no more lightning-wielding Divine Beasts to patrol nor a town to worry about evacuating, Omela was back to playing with her friends all day without a worry in any of their little heads, and Rinsui was back to her regular routine as well. Her job as a professional dancer had been on the line for a while as there was little need for performers in public spaces when there was no one to watch. Ganondorf had tried to convince Rinsui otherwise on multiple occasions, but she always maintained that while she does enjoy dancing for the dancing itself, the real pleasure comes from the audience and their reaction to and enjoyment of her work. The others had largely concurred, so Ganondorf relented, and Rinsui spent much of the time during the Naboris ‘crisis’ at home. She still practised often so that she’d be ready for when she was needed again, but her only audience was Tonelle, when she was off-duty, and sometimes Omela. Or even Ganondorf, on the occasion that he dropped by. But now, Rinsui was back to her passion, and she and her fellow dancers were proudly performing in regular shows that always drew quite a crowd. Ganondorf didn’t often have time to watch her performances in full, but when he managed to catch a few minutes, it pleased him immensely to see her smiling like that again.
Given how common sand seals were in the desert and their frequent use as transport, it was perhaps inevitable that racing them would become a sport; a tradition beloved by the Gerudo and outsiders alike. For centuries, casual competitions and more serious contests had been held regularly, always drawing a huge crowd of onlookers to watch the next champion claim their prize, particularly since non-Gerudo—including the voe—were permitted to join in.
A particularly big yearly tournament had been scheduled to take place not too long ago, but it was delayed indefinitely as a result of Naboris’ presence. Some had begun to wonder if it would happen at all, or if Ganondorf would be forced to cancel it for the first time in many, many years. But, thanks to the bravery of a certain little Hylian, the threat of the Divine Beast was quelled, leaving the desert open to sand seal racing once again. As soon as Ganondorf was able, he got the tournament back on again; his people deserved something fun to bring them all together for a good time after the trouble Naboris caused them. Ganondorf quite enjoyed spectating these events as well, though he wasn’t much of a racer himself. His primary concern was the size of the race’s turnout, and he was glad to see that it helped coax many more people back to the area.
Part of Ganondorf had hoped to see Link, either in the audience or in the competition itself. Alas, amongst the many foreign visitors who showed up, the little Hylian voe that he had grown so unexpectedly fond of was nowhere to be seen.
Link would return when and if it suited him, and until then, Ganondorf simply had to be patient. He accepted it, although it didn’t stop him from hoping that each new visitor to the palace might turn out to be Link. He tried to put it out of his mind and continue on with his life as normal; his people and the town were far more important than any personal desires he might have.
But then, to Ganondorf’s very pleasant surprise, Link walked into the palace again a few weeks after he first left, and he found himself breaking out into a smile the instant Link entered the room.
“Link,” Ganondorf began, sitting up a bit straighter in his seat and forcibly restraining his delight at Link’s presence. “I am most pleased to see you return.”
[I promised you that I would. So when I heard the market was up and running again, I thought I’d come see if there was anything useful for sale, and visit you while I was here,] Link explained.
“And I presume you found something to your taste? Our market is vast, after all, and flourishing once again thanks to you.”
Link nodded. [I can restock a lot of my supplies here. It’s perfect.]
“Excellent. I’m glad to hear it,” Ganondorf said. That meant Link would surely come back again, probably many times. “I must confess that I’d begun to wonder whether you would return or not.”
[Sorry. I’ve been busy. But I knew how much you wanted me to come back, so when the market gave me an excuse, I came as soon as I could,] Link signed.
Well, Ganondorf certainly couldn’t deny that particular longing of his, and to have Link fulfil his promise was most satisfying. Link couldn’t stay for long on that particular occasion, but even that short time together was the highlight of Ganondorf’s day, and in the following months, Link stopped by Gerudo Town again and again. He and Ganondorf began to form something of a routine: Link’s first priority was always to go and resupply what he needed, and then, if they both had time to spare, the two of them would spend some time together. Link must have gone through a hundred arrows a day, with how often he returned to buy more. It was fortunate that Danda and her supplier were able to keep up with the sudden increase in demand. Ganondorf sometimes wondered where in Hylia’s name Link got that kind of money, but he supposed it wasn’t his business. Link’s patronage was good for the market, and his presence was always most welcomed by Ganondorf, so far be it for him to complain.
Link often didn’t have a lot of time on his hands, and neither did Ganondorf. He could push things back in his schedule or delegate smaller tasks to members of his staff, but some obligations were just unavoidable, as much as it pained him to shoo Link away so he could get back to work.
But, when they were both able to, Link and Ganondorf often took the opportunity to just, well, talk , and catch up on how things had been since they last saw each other. Given how rarely he left the palace, let alone the town or even the desert, Ganondorf found it rather fascinating to hear about little snippets of life out there in the rest of Hyrule. Link led a life so completely different to his own. It sounded exhausting, being always on the move, hunting or scavenging all of your own food, having to find shelter every night, and fending off monsters all on your own… Lonely, perhaps. Isolated. But, Link seemed quite content to spend his days out there in the wild. It was his element, and it suited him well, from what Ganondorf could glean from their conversations.
In such a relatively small town, it was inevitable that Link eventually encountered Ganondorf’s sisters, though he couldn’t have known who either of them was at the time. It was only when the three of them were in the throne room at the same time that Link got to meet Tonelle properly.
“I apologise for interrupting while you have a guest, but I must speak to you about a potential security issue,” Tonelle said as she walked in from the barracks to join them.
“Not at all. How serious is it?” Ganondorf asked.
Tonelle opened her mouth to speak but then glanced at Link, unsure.
“It’s alright. Go on,” Ganondorf said, and Tonelle gave a nod before explaining.
“Concerns have been raised about some of the merchants who’ve set up shop at the bazaar,” she began. “Hylian voe, mostly. The guards have recently caught a number of them operating there without permission from us. But they’re very persistent, and there’s suddenly a lot of talk of them having plans to start smuggling goods in or out of the town, possibly with help from someone on the inside. It’s not an emergency , as such, and there could be nothing to these rumours, but this warrants investigation, and soon.”
“I see. I have a meeting scheduled with Captain Teake later today anyway; I will raise the issue with her, and Buliara, you will join us,” Ganondorf instructed, turning to look briefly at her.
“Of course, My Lord,” Buliara said curtly.
Ganondorf met Tonelle’s eyes again. “Sarqso. But, while you’re here, I would like to introduce you to someone. Link, meet my sister, Tonelle. Tonelle, this is… our saviour,” Ganondorf said, hoping that his reverence for the little Hylian came through in his voice.
Tonelle looked down at Link. “You? You’re the one that calmed Naboris?” she asked in genuine surprise.
Link shyly signed hello, and Ganondorf mused that it was fortunate that Tonelle was also fairly well-versed in sign language, as she had often helped Ganondorf practice when he was younger.
“Well, I understand how you managed to fool Ganon into thinking you were a vai,” Tonelle remarked. “I’ve seen you around the town a few times, but I never suspected a thing. To be honest, I didn’t think our hero would turn out to be someone so unassuming, given how Ganon talks about you. Regardless, as a soldier of the Gerudo, I must thank you for your service, Link. You’ve done more for all of us—Ganon, in particular—than you could ever know,” she said, with the utmost sincerity.
[You needed help. It just was the right thing to do,] Link signed, as though his incredible feat was nothing noteworthy.
Always so humble, Ganondorf thought, as he watched them talk with a smile. “Tell me, Link, have you ever seen the dancers performing in the market?” he asked.
[A couple of times,] Link signed, with a questioning look.
“There are actually three of us,” Ganondorf said, gesturing to himself and Tonelle. “I am the youngest, Tonelle is the eldest, and the middle sibling - Rinsui - is one of those dancers. In fact, she’s the leader of the group; the star of the show, you might say. Perhaps if you’re ever in town at a time when Rinsui is also free, then I could introduce you to her as well.”
[But… isn’t it risky to let other people know who I really am?]
“Don’t worry,” Tonelle said. “Your secret is safe with us. You have my word.”
Ganondorf was pleased to see them get along. He’d initially had some reservations about introducing Link to anyone else, given just how dangerous it was for a voe to be secretly entering the town in the first place, let alone speaking with one of the soldiers meant to be preventing him from doing just that. It was a huge violation of both the law and of Tonelle’s duty as a soldier. But thankfully, Tonelle appeared to see reason regarding Link and his continued presence in the town, and Ganondorf’s faith in her to do the right thing wasn’t misplaced.
On another notable occasion, Link arrived in town just before Ganondorf was about to leave. He had paused by the entrance to the barracks to adjust the light armour he was wearing when he saw Link enter the palace from the corner of his eye. Ganondorf watched as Link noticed the current emptiness of the throne, but before Link could turn around to go back outside, Ganondorf broke the silence.
“Excellent timing,” he said, drawing Link’s attention. “I’m going hunting. You should join me.”
[What are you hunting?] Link asked as he walked over.
“There are reports of a new, truly enormous molduga in the East Barrens. Our theory is that it took advantage of Naboris’ presence keeping people away from that region of the desert to hunt prey completely unchecked and grow to such a size without us noticing. I don’t normally target molduga, but it needs to be eliminated anyway now that we know of its existence. It’s far too dangerous to leave such a beast alive.” Ganondorf picked up his spear from where he’d leaned it against the wall and turned to face Link. “I think the two of us together would be well-matched to a giant molduga, don’t you?” he asked, with little doubt in his mind about the answer.
Minutes later, the two of them were riding out on sand seals to the East Barrens, and they stopped at a safe distance for their seals before edging closer on foot. The reports were right; Hylia, Ganondorf had never seen a molduga so huge. They watched for a moment as the molduga vanished under the sand and glid through it effortlessly before bursting out to lunge at a rogue lizalfos that had wandered too close. In an instant, it captured the lizalfos in its massive jaws and swallowed it whole. The molduga then resumed patrolling its territory, searching for more creatures to feast upon, to grow even more monstrous. Any unsuspecting traveller, Gerudo or otherwise, would be done for if they found themselves in the creature’s grasp. Time to put a swift end to it.
Ganondorf had brought his usual handful of soldiers with him—strictly instructed not to question the presence of a certain little Hylian accompanying them, of course. But, per Ganondorf’s orders, they stood back and watched as he charged forth with only Link at his side and no hesitation. They took on the molduga alone, and together, they brought it down easily, not a scratch on either of them.
Link quickly began scavenging everything he could from the body. Many molduga parts could be used in making powerful elixirs, Link had explained, or sold for very high prices. Ganondorf left him to it and didn’t take anything for himself, as he had little interest in such trophies. Link could have what he wanted from their kill; Ganondorf was only in it for the exhilaration of the fight, and was content to simply bask in their shared victory while he waited. Normally, Ganondorf would be out hunting for much longer than this. It took time to let out all his anger; to achieve the level of bloodshed that would sate him. But, Ganondorf found himself quite satisfied after fighting side-by-side with Link against such a formidable monster. On that occasion, he was willing to end things there. Link gathered everything he wanted and stashed it all away in his Sheikah Slate before they all returned to the town, and Ganondorf bade Link farewell once more after thanking him for a most enjoyable excursion into the desert.
Until the following morning, when Link came by the palace again.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon,” Ganondorf remarked as Link approached the throne. “You don’t normally stay the night, or is our town so irresistible that you had to come right back not even a day after leaving?” he asked with an amused smile.
Link shook his head. [I stayed at Hotel Oasis,] he signed. [I have something for you, actually.]
“Oh?”
Ganondorf sat up straight, intrigued as Link came closer and produced a small wooden box.
“A gift? For… me?” Ganondorf asked hesitantly as he took it.
Link nodded. [Open it.]
Ganondorf looked at it curiously. The box was completely plain, with no obvious indication of its contents. If it had been anyone else giving it to him, Ganondorf might have suspected a trap. He untied the string holding the box closed and removed the lid, revealing a set of beautiful red gemstones set in fine gold; a pair of earrings, masterfully crafted, and… exactly to Ganondorf’s taste. How on earth..?
[I know you didn’t want to keep anything from the molduga, but I also know how much you love jewellery. It’s pretty obvious just from looking at you. So I took some scales from the molduga to Cara and Isha at the jewellery store, and they made them into those earrings for you. That way, you got to keep something that you would actually like, and… I don’t know. I just thought it would be something nice to do.] Link shrugged.
Ganondorf was rather taken aback by the gesture. It wasn’t terribly uncommon for foreign visitors to make some kind of offering to him, attempt to gain his favour through gifts, or even try to bribe him, but this was something very different, something much more personal. He carefully removed one earring to examine it more closely and held it up to the light for a few seconds. That gem was no ruby; it truly was made from a molduga scale, beautifully cut and polished. There were no finer designers nor crafters of jewellery in all of Hyrule than Cara and Isha, hence why they were responsible for producing almost all of Ganondorf’s other accessories and thus knew exactly what he liked. No wonder these earrings were so perfect.
But… Link had nothing to gain from this, and that was perhaps the most surprising part. It was an act of pure kindness - something exceedingly rare in the life of a king - and likely a very expensive one. Link’s nonchalance was frankly bewildering.
“A most thoughtful gift,” Ganondorf eventually said. He set the earring back in the box and replaced the lid before offering Link a genuine smile—something he seemed to be giving the little Hylian very frequently these days. “Sarqso, Link. I will treasure these.”
Ganondorf happened to be wearing those earrings right now as he and Link had their most recent catch-up. He hoped that Link had noticed them. They swiftly moved the conversation on from Princess Zelda and the Master Sword, and Link went on to tell Ganondorf all about a vicious monster camp that he recently cleared, somewhere near Death Mountain.
“What is this ‘Mipha’s Grace’?” Ganondorf asked. “You’ve mentioned it twice now. I don't recall hearing of it before.”
[It’s a special power I got from the Zora champion, Mipha, after I freed her spirit from Ruta,] Link explained. [We were close before the Calamity appeared… She healed me lots of times. Now, I have her power with me always, and it helps bring me back from the brink when…] he suddenly trailed off.
“...Yes?” Ganondorf asked, raising an eyebrow.
[When I get close to… dying. In battle,] Link sheepishly continued.
“ Dying?! ” Ganondorf exclaimed in horror. “By the Goddesses, Link, Hyrule needs you! The princess needs you! I—How could you be so reckless?” he angrily scolded.
[I always keep a couple of fairies on me as well!] Link quickly signed in his defence. [Their healing effect just isn’t the same. A fairy would keep me alive with just enough strength left to get to safety, but Mipha’s Grace has me fully restored and ready to fight again in just a couple of seconds. Obviously, I can’t rely on it all the time, but it’s come in handy a bunch of times since I calmed Ruta.]
“Yes, I suppose it must have…” Ganondorf conceded. “Regardless, it’s quite a unique ability. I presume that calming the other Divine Beasts also granted you new power?”
Link nodded. [They’re all things the champions could do when they were alive. I could… show you the other ones, if you wanted to see?]
“Certainly,” Ganondorf said, admittedly quite intrigued.
Link glanced around briefly. [Probably better to go outside,] he signed. [We’ll need more space.]
Ganondorf stood up from the throne and Buliara immediately moved to follow them.
“Wait here. I don’t imagine this will take long,” Ganondorf ordered, but he was hardly able to take a step before Buliara began to protest.
“My Lord, it is my duty to guard you at all times during the day. I must accompany you,” she insisted.
Ganondorf whipped around, frustrated by her in an instant. “Link will be with me. Wait. Here, ” he hissed.
Buliara eyed him and then Link for a few seconds before letting out a sigh and reluctantly yielding. “...Very well. But only on the condition that you stay close to the town and return as soon as possible. Don’t get sidetracked. And Link,” Buliara said, glaring at him. “Do not leave his side. If anything happens, his blood will be on your hands.”
[I won't,] Link promised, and Ganondorf looked expectantly at Buliara, arms crossed.
“Go on,” she said with a sharp nod towards the front of the palace. “Before I change my mind.”
“Sarqso,” Ganondorf replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
He swiftly turned his back to Buliara and followed Link out of the palace towards the southeastern gate. Buliara had relaxed a little ever since Master Kohga was killed and the Yiga Clan became somewhat less of a threat, but she was still very protective over Ganondorf and no less irritating. And ever since he snuck out of the palace to help Link in calming Naboris, she’d grown bolder in her demands of him—for his own safety, supposedly—and increasingly inflexible. Granted, Buliara was extremely good at her job, but Ganondorf still took every opportunity he could to get a break from her. He certainly didn’t appreciate her threatening Link like that either. But that was a conversation - or rather, a scolding - for when Link wasn’t around to witness Ganondorf let his anger loose on someone.
The two of them ventured out into the open desert, heading southwest away from the prying eyes of Lashley at the gate. They made a point not to go too far from the town’s walls, though; neither of them particularly wanted to face Buliara’s fury later on.
Link eventually came to a stop and turned around to face Ganondorf. [This is a good spot,] he signed. [So, this first one is ‘Revali’s Gale’. It creates a strong updraft that I can ride with my paraglider.] Link crouched down on the ground, but then looked up at Ganondorf to add, [You should stand back a bit.]
Ganondorf did so and watched as Link stayed crouched and held his hands out at his sides, just above the sand. Link focused for a moment as a gust of wind began to pick up around him, strong enough for Ganondorf to feel, and swirling some loose sand around. Link stood up and quickly whipped out his paraglider as the wind suddenly shot upwards in a powerful updraft that he rode high into the air, a ghostly image of the Rito champion soaring alongside him. The updraft dissipated as quickly as it had appeared, and Link allowed himself to drift most of the way down before dropping to the ground. Goddesses, the practical applications of a power like that must have been vast. Escaping danger, traversing difficult terrain—certainly useful for an adventurer.
Link stashed his paraglider away and quickly adjusted his veil to keep himself covered as soon as he was back on the ground. He then continued, [This one is ‘Daruk’s Protection’. It creates a shield around me that deflects attacks and can take a few hits before it breaks.]
Link demonstrated by balling his hands into fists and slamming them together in front of himself, creating a spherical shield of shimmering orange energy around him. But he let it go after only a few seconds, the shield disappearing, and glanced around.
[No monsters,] he signed before taking out the Master Sword and handing it to Ganondorf. [Take a swing at me when I have the shield up.]
“And have it deflected right back at me?” Ganondorf questioned, with mild concern.
Link nodded. [But if you’re gentle, it should just knock you off balance rather than hurting you.]
Ganondorf would have been lying if he said he didn’t hesitate, but Link had been using these powers for months now; he knew what they were capable of. “Alright. Go on,” Ganondorf said.
He waited for Link to activate the shield again before doing as was asked of him. An image of the Goron champion appeared as soon as the sword hit the orange glow, and the force of the swing was deflected right back at Ganondorf, almost knocking him over. He steadied himself and looked at the shield, seeing that it had cracked a little bit but was still very much intact. Link had previously recounted many tales of the wide array of vicious monsters he encountered out in the wild; an excellent extra layer of protection must be most useful, Ganondorf thought. Link released the shield again before reclaiming the Master Sword and putting it away.
[I think you’ll like this last one,] Link began. [It’s called ‘Urbosa’s Fury’. It has a big area of effect—that’s why we need to be out here. And you’ll need this first,] Link added before taking out his Sheikah Slate. Streaks of blue light appeared in front of Link and Ganondorf quickly held out his hands just in time for a familiar golden relic to materialise and drop into them.
The Thunder Helm… Ganondorf hadn’t seen it since he agreed to lend the helm to Link to help him on his quest. He was glad to see it still in good condition, considering the monumental risk he was taking by entrusting such a thing to an outsider.
[Urbosa gifted me her power over lightning. I don’t want you to get hurt,] Link explained before stepping back again, and Ganondorf promptly put the helm on, more than ready for this final demonstration.
Link focused again for a moment before a greenish light, not unlike that produced by the Thunder Helm when they were pursuing Naboris, encircled his position on the ground and expanded to cover quite a large range around him, including Ganondorf. He then did a little spin and snapped his fingers, perhaps not with as much grace as Lady Urbosa surely would have, but in a clear imitation of her signature move. In an instant, a faint image of Lady Urbosa appeared above Link and cried out, summoning an abrupt flurry of lightning that struck the area within the circle of light, as if it was the champion herself that stood in front of Ganondorf.
An extra, hidden weapon that a typical monster would never suspect, and such a wide area of effect as well—perfect for taking on large camps. But in truth, something else about the display had captured Ganondorf’s attention. A moment passed before he spoke, “Do that again.”
Link gave a nod before using Lady Urbosa’s power twice more. Each time, Ganondorf was… utterly transfixed by the sight.
[I can only do it three times before I have to stop and wait a while,] Link explained, looking a bit out of breath.
“Incredible…” Ganondorf remarked, his voice a whisper. He quickly collected himself, offering Link some further praise. “Your effortless wielding of these new abilities is most impressive, especially of that which Lady Urbosa was so renowned for. You should consider yourself blessed to have received her legendary power,” he said.
Link tilted his head slightly. [Did the lightning hurt you?]
“No, no, the Thunder Helm did its job,” Ganondorf said as he took the helm off. He paused a moment, considering how to put this into words. “Lady Urbosa… no longer exists in living memory; all that remains are stories of her passed down from mother to vehvi. I, like many others, have always looked to her for guidance and protection. I prayed to her for your safety inside Naboris. To see even a mere spectre of her… My apologies, Link. I didn’t expect to be so moved by it.”
[I only got to meet her spirit in Naboris, but it was more than just an image of her like you saw just now. It’s a shame you weren’t there with me. I think you would have liked her,] Link signed.
Ganondorf gave a soft smile at Link’s words, gazing down at him fondly. “I can’t see myself ever not being envious of you. I still deeply regret not having accompanied you into Naboris, but I would have been no help to you at all. The Divine Beast was your challenge to overcome.”
[We could go to Naboris, if you want,] Link suggested. [We can’t go inside it, but we can at least get close.]
By the Goddesses, did Link mean..?
“You think Lady Urbosa’s spirit will still be there?” Ganondorf asked, almost in disbelief at the prospect.
[I don’t know. I haven’t been back there since I first left. But her duty is still incomplete until the Calamity is gone, so I think there’s a chance.]
It only took a moment for Ganondorf to make up his mind. “...Take me there,” he said firmly.
Buliara’s orders be damned.