Chapter Text
The air in the catacombs was stale and cold. Link’s hand tightened on the Master Sword as he and Zelda moved deeper beneath Hyrule Castle, their boots scraping against the ancient corridors. Torchlight slid over carved stone, and Zelda slowed her steps, her eyes bright despite the oppressive dark.
-Look! -she said excitedly, gesturing for Link to come closer. He leaned in, his boots echoing faintly. The first half-eroded mural showed two figures standing side by side: a radiant Zonai and a Hyrulean woman, their hands entwined, light spilling outward from them like roots. Beneath their feet, a kingdom took shape, with fields, rivers, and spires rising toward the sky.
-It is the myth about the founding of Hyrule, -Zelda explained. -Long ago, a descendant of the Zonai married a Hyrulean woman, and they became the first royal couple of Hyrule. You could say they were my very distant ancestors. -she added with a small smile. They moved on to the next mural, which lay in deeper shadow. A towering, broad-shouldered figure stood apart from the kingdom, darkness curling around him like smoke. Opposite him knelt a young Hylian warrior, head bowed, his sword laid at his feet.
-The arrival of the Demon King, -Zelda continued, her voice steady but reverent. -According to legend, he did not come at first with war… but with desire.
-Desire? -Link frowned slightly. Zelda nodded.
-The texts say Hyrule sought to avert invasion, so the royal couple offered him a young warrior as a fiancé. -Her gaze lingered on the smaller figure. Link’s stomach twisted, though he wasn’t sure why. The next mural showed the Demon King’s outstretched hand grasping at emptiness. The young warrior was gone. The Demon King’s face was carved in anguish, his mouth open in a silent roar. Flames swallowed the edges of the kingdom.
-Then the warrior disappeared, -Zelda said quietly. -No one knows how. Some say he fled. Others say he was taken by the gods themselves. She exhaled. -The Demon King was furious. He believed his fiancé had been stolen from him. -She gestured to the mural, which showed the Demon King attacking the Hyrulean queen.
-It looks like he took something from the queen, then invaded Hyrule, vowing to destroy it entirely unless his beloved was returned to him. The final carving, presenting a great battle, loomed larger than the rest. An army of monsters summoned by the Demon King clashed with Hyrule’s warriors. The last mural showed the Demon King bound in chains, sealed beneath the earth.
-He was sealed away by the King of Hyrule, -Zelda finished. -And according to legend… he waits to this day. For his fiancé to return. Silence settled between them.
-That’s… a really sad story, -Link swallowed, his gaze lingering on the imprisoned Demon King, whose eyes were still open and whose mouth curled in a scream. Zelda glanced at him thoughtfully.
-Historians argue, whether the Demon King loved the warrior… or simply coveted him. In the ancient dialect, there is no difference. They continued deeper into the catacombs. Behind them, carved into stone and half-forgotten by time, the Demon King’s eyes watched.
The gloom grew more oppressive with every step, making it hard to breathe. Link was about to suggest that the princess turn back, as the pollution could harm her, when they rounded a corner… only to find a body pinned upright by an arm of desiccated stone. Dry skin stretched thin and gray, ribs visible beneath the withered flesh. Long red hair spilled down its back like dried blood. Suddenly, the corpse’s eyes snapped open.
-MUMMY!!! -Link and Zelda screamed in unison. The thing inhaled and tried to move. Dust fell from its chest. Its jaw cracked as it opened its mouth.
-Babe... -croaked the mummy, reaching a clawed hand toward Link.
-Huh? -Link blinked. He supposed the mummy was speaking in an ancient dialect and was probably cursing him. Then the arm anchoring the corpse shattered, and a small, glowing, tear-shaped stone slipped free and hit the floor with a clear, ringing clink. Light exploded and swallowed everything.
Link landed face-first in the grass. In grass…
-"Come on, Link!" -he muttered, his voice muffled by the earth. -"Let’s investigate the gloom in the castle," she said. "It will be an adventure!" she said.
When he rolled over, he groaned. The sky was too blue, the air too clean, the day too perfect. He sat up slowly and saw a pristine castle in the distance, basking in sunlight. It was not the Hyrule he knew. Where were the ruins? Where was the gloom?
Where was Zelda?
-At least I wasn't in a coma this time, hehe.
Link stood, walked to the nearest tree, and began rhythmically banging his forehead against it.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
-Young warrior, please stop that. Link froze and turned. A tall goat man with regal posture and a beautiful woman with long, bright hair stood nearby, watching him with concern.
-I feel the remnants of time magic on you. It seems like… you traveled into the past, -she said softly.
Link stared at them, then turned back to the tree and resumed.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
It took some effort from Queen Sonia and King Rauru (the goat man) to convince Link to stop banging his forehead against the tree and come with them to the castle. Inside, once his forehead had been healed by Rauru and Sonia had given him tea, he began spilling everything. Link paced as he spoke frantically about fighting the Calamity, about the gloom and the mummy. But he broke down when he spoke about Princess Zelda.
-I have to go back, right now. She’s completely alone. -his panic rose with every word. -I can’t be here, I can’t—
Sonia took his face in her hands.
-Link, -she said softly. -Breathe.
He did, though with difficulty.
-I will go through every scroll about time magic in our archives, -she promised. -There will be a way.
-And Zelda? -Link asked, his voice small.
-She is our descendant, -Sonia smiled. -She carries the power of time and light. She will endure.
-She is stronger than you think. Believe in her, -Rauru said, crossing his arms.
Believe in her… Just as Zelda had always believed in me.
Link nodded with a weak smile.
-In the meantime, you will stay with us.
Link thought he was handling the fact that he was trapped in the past rather well... ten thousand years before his own time. Although Queen Sonia and King Rauru found him on multiple occasions banging his forehead against castle walls and local trees. The royal couple was very kind to him. To the court, Sonia announced that Link was her distant relative.
-He lost his immediate family, so from now on Rauru and I will act as his guardians. -She said it with such conviction that no one questioned it.
Link was given chambers in the royal wing. He ate every meal with the royal couple and their children. Rinuk, the eldest, was around Link’s age and immediately decided they were rivals. They dueled constantly, both grinning even as they knocked each other flat. The younger girls, Nora and Tuls, as half-Zonai, were uncontainable. They bounced constantly—over furniture, guards, and Link, who quickly learned to watch the ceiling.
Sometimes, wandering the castle halls and the nearby forest, sparring with Rinuk, laughing as the girls climbed him like a tree, Link forgot about the future and the fighting. Then Sonia would catch his eye across the room, and Link would remember that this was temporary.
That this family was borrowed.
He had go back someday.
Link stood beside Queen Sonia with respectful posture and folded hands, desperately trying to pay attention. Queen Sonia and King Rauru had decided that Link should learn something about the current political situation of Hyrule to better accommodate himself to this era. Especially since Rinuk and the girls were absent, having their magic lessons.
Then the doors opened. Conversation faded as if it had been pulled underwater. The Gerudo king and his warriors entered the throne room and Link felt it immediately. Every nerve in his body lit up at once.
Threat.
His hand twitched toward his sword before he could stop himself.
Danger.
Ganondorf bowed to the throne, smooth and practiced.
-Your Majesties, -he said, his voice low and carrying effortlessly across the hall. -I come to speak of peace.
Peace. Sure, Link narrowed his eyes. Suspicious Gerudo…
-King Ganondorf of the Gerudo. You are welcome in Hyrule. -Rauru stepped forward.
-Your hospitality honors me. -Ganondorf inclined his head. Link tracked every shift of man's weight, every subtle flex of muscle. He measured how long it would take to reach him if things went wrong.
If he lunges, I intercept. If magic flares, I roll left. If he goes for the king—
Then Ganondorf turned, and their eyes locked. Link’s breath stuttered. It was the same feeling he’d had standing before the monsters. Before the Calamity. The Gerudo king held his gaze.
I see you, Link thought grimly. I know you are lying.
He crossed his arms, scowling. Ganondorf’s mouth curved slightly.
Smile all you want. I’m watching you.
Then… Ganondorf winked. Link’s brain stalled for half a second.
What?
Sometimes brute strength was not enough. Sometimes matters required a subtler approach. Ganondorf arrived at the castle during sunset, cloaked in diplomacy. He bowed and offered words of peace and cooperation.
Just smoke and mirrors.
Once he obtained the secret stone, nothing would stand in his way. Gerudo did not see him at first; rather, he felt an intense stare. He followed the sensation, and there he was.
Standing at Queen Sonia’s side was a young Hylian man with blond hair and scarred hands. He was an incarnation of contradiction: a warrior with a sword, yet so beautiful and fragile. Small, yet lean; like a blade meant to slip between ribs.
Cute.
Ganondorf continued speaking with the King of Hyrule, but his attention never quite left the boy.
I will take him as a lover.
Then the boy looked up, and their eyes met. The Hylian’s gaze was intense, full of burning passion. Ganondorf’s heart skipped.
Ah, you feel it too.
He smiled knowingly and inclined his head. The boy stiffened like a cornered animal.
Be patient, little one, Ganondorf thought, winking.
The boy’s face did something fascinating; first white-hot shock, then rage.
Yes, Ganondorf decided. He wants me terribly.
Evening was approaching. Ganondorf’s guest chambers were softly lit by lamps. Ardi sat at the table, studying a spread of scrolls, maps, and taxation drafts with solemn focus. Ganondorf stood before a polished bronze mirror, flexing.
-So, -Ardi began, -we could approach the issue of Gerudo sovereignty during this first meeting. King Rauru emphasized his wish to absorb the Gerudo into Hyrule, but we want to remain an independent country. I suppose we should focus on mutual economic benefit…
Ganondorf adjusted his collar, then tilted his head.
-Are you listening? -Ardi’s eye twitched.
-Why are you so stubborn about these negotiations? -Ganondorf ran a hand through his hair and smirked at his reflection with satisfaction. -We both know it’s a farce. Once I obtain the secret stone, we will conquer Hyrule!
-Gan. We talked about this. We need trade concessions and tax reform, not an invasion…
-Hush, sister, -Ganondorf said fondly. -Invasion first, taxes later.
Ardi groaned. Ganondorf had been fixated on invasion since he was a little voe, and nothing could change his mind. She had always suspected their mother had dropped him as a baby.
Ganondorf studied his reflection critically.
-He wants me, -he said suddenly.
-…What?
-He stared at me through the entire audience, -Ganondorf explained, turning slightly to check the line of his shoulders.
-That nervous twink? -Ardi lowered her scroll very slowly. -He was rather glaring, -she said.
Ganondorf waved a dismissive hand.
-He had passion and desire in his eyes.
-I don’t think—
-And when I expanded my posture, -he continued, subtly flexing again, -his breathing changed.
-You adjusted your posture? -Ardi stared at him.
-To impress him even more.
Ganondorf picked up the bouquet of Hylian flowers he had ordered earlier and examined it. In Hyrule, it was a sign of romance, courtship, and seduction. He had done his research and was now ready to unleash every ounce of his legendary rizz on that cute Hylian.
-He could not look away. But I am not surprised. After all… I am a delight.
Ganondorf turned toward the door, bouquet in hand, radiating confidence.
-Do not wait up. -he said smoothly, and left.
Ardi went completely still. Now she knew for sure.
-Definitely dropped… -she muttered.
Link barged into royal couple chambers.
-He knows. -he announced darkly. Sonia looked up from her embroidery.
-Knows what, dear?
-That I know, -Link said, pacing now, -that he’s evil. And now he wants to eliminate me.
Link smoothed the parchment he got late afternoon and read it aloud:
I request your presence this evening on the western balcony. There are matters that cannot be spoken of in a hall full of witnesses.
If you are willing.
What passes between us there will remain between us.
Link looked up, scandalized.
-He wants to kill me!
Sonia rose gently as Link turned toward the nearest wall with unmistakable intent.
-Oh dear, please stop.
She caught his arm just before impact. Rauru stepped forward and placed a steady hand on Link’s other shoulder.
-Link, -Rauru said calmly, -we are aware that Ganondorf has questionable intentions.
-Questionable? -Link squeaked.
-That is why we permitted him to remain,- Rauru continued serenely. -It is easier to watch a storm when it is on the horizon.
-You do not need to go if you feel unsafe. -Sonia added. -As a matter of fact, we can ensure he never crosses your path again.
Link froze. No one had ever asked if he wanted to face danger. No one had ever offered to remove it for him. The room felt suddenly very quiet.
-…You’d do that? -he asked, softer.
-Of course. -Sonia smiled and Rauru squeezed his shoulder.
-You are not a weapon here.
Link swallowed, then looked down at the note again. If you are willing. That line stuck. Link exhaled slowly.
-I’m going. -he said at last.
Sonia and Rauru exchanged a glance. Link strapped on his sword.
-But… -he hesitated. For someone who had fought calamity, this part seemed harder.
-Could you, -he asked quietly, not meeting their eyes, -stay hidden nearby?
Link waited on the western balcony. The warmth of the day slipped away as night crept in. The wind picked up. Footsteps echoed behind him. Link didn’t turn immediately, but he saw the massive silhouette of the Gerudo King, half-swallowed by shadow in the corner of his eye.
Ganondorf stepped forward. And Link noticed long object wrapped in darkness in his right hand.
Weapon obviously!
Link did not hesitate, he spun and charged. Ganondorf dropped the object instinctively and drew his sword just in time to meet Link’s strike. Steel rang beneath the rising moon. Link fought like fury incarnate. Controlled aggression sharpened by a lifetime of fighting things much larger than himself. He moved fast. Ganondorf parried, then smiled, delight flickered in his eyes. Link saw the smile.
You will see who laughs last, he thought grimly.
They circled, clashed and separated. Repeated. Link slipped around Ganondorf like water around stone. Their blades met again and again, each strike closer than the last. And at some point it became a dance. Ganondorf must thought so too, as he smiled wider. Link caught that smile, and answered it with a wild smirk of his own.
Ganondorf relaxed slightly, confident now, letting the smaller warrior press forward while he lazily redirected blows. But in that laziness he made a mistake. Link memorized his pattern and steps. Time to change the pace.
Ganondorf’s eyes widened as Link abruptly threw his sword from right hand to left mid-spin. The entire sequence changed as Link hit faster from different angles. Link had been trained right-handed to fight in knight formations. But naturally he was left-handed. And he was devastating with it. Link rolled low, came up in a clean arc, and lunged for a finishing blow.
Ganondorf dark power reacted on instinct. A pulse of force exploded outward, throwing Link back. He rolled on impact to minimize impact, but the Master Sword skidded across the stone. Ganondorf sheathed his blade.
Rauru and Sonia burst onto the balcony.
-ENOUGH! -Sonia cried.
Ganondorf calmly approached Link and extended both hands. Link hesitated, but Ganondorf’s expression held admiration and respect. Link took his hands and Ganondorf hauled him upright gently.
Then, proudly declared with absolute confidence:
-Yes! I accept your bold proposal! I will marry you.
Link blinked.
-…Wait, what?
Ganondorf leaned down and kissed him. Link’s brain left his body. Queen Sonia screamed. Rauru made a strangled goat noise.
And the “secret weapon” Ganondorf had dropped earlier on the stone floor was bouquet of flowers.