The Adventure of Ganondora

Chapter 1

The years had been many, each one longer than the last. It was difficult to grasp a concept of time while trapped among the monsters of the affectionately named Dark World. This world that Ganon became imprisoned to was not without its benefits, but the goddesses had tricked him. Instead of ruling the world, he ruled an abomination created by his evil heart. This Dark World was not enough, but how could it be? When Ganondorf wished to rule the world, he had meant all of it. While he was trapped within the Sacred Realm, the rest of Hyrule lie just beyond his reach, still thriving and prospering, but haunted by his evil. His power was increasing, the greedy men who sought the golden power bent their knee to him, and soon he would have a proper army with which to retaliate.

After months of swooning the King of Hyrule, the day of reckoning was upon them. The Gerudo had their specific orders. Dora had created their designated routes during her frequent trips to visit the king and the princess of Hyrule with Ganondorf. She envisioned her Gerudo thieves and warriors breaching the castle as a completely unified and invisible force. While the Gerudo king casually walked to greet the King of Hyrule as any other day, Dora was tasked with securing the Ocarina of Time, Princess Zelda, and her attendant, Impa, without alerting the guards.

Every minute detail ran smoothly, except Impa was a highly skilled Sheikah warrior, and she detected the Gerudo in Zelda's chambers just as they charged to take their victim. Instead of sticking around to fight fifty Gerudo warriors, Impa used her shadow tribe skills to rescue Princess Zelda, and narrowly escaped Dora's thirsty blade. Impa's state of alarm caused her stealth to falter, and Dora heard Impa's feet scamper across the roof outside the balcony. The Gerudo general barked orders to her units to remain in the castle and finish annihilating the Hylian knights, while she pursued the princess.

Dora could see the path Impa traveled, and determined her destination, so she used a more direct route. She leapt from the balcony railing, and darted along the spine of the roof top. Her swift speed and agility made dodging arrows the guards shot at her a simple task. At the edge of the roof, three stories high, she leapt into the air like a graceful bird ready to take flight. With one gentle spin to slow her descent, she landed on the ground, and bounded back into a sprint. As she closed the distance on Impa and the princess, they leapt into the saddle of a trimmed, white palace horse, and galloped away at full speed.

Dora relentlessly chased the horse as fast as she could manage. They raced toward Hyrule Village, but it was impossible to catch up without another horse. There were none in sight to commandeer, and by the time she located one, the princess would have escaped. She slowed to a stop and kicked the dirt in frustration.

"Dora!"

She spun wildly at hearing Ganondorf angrily shout her name. He charged toward her, on horseback, with his arm outstretched. She reached just in time to snatch his arm as he galloped by. He gripped her arm as she lifted from the ground, and with his guidance, she swung and landed behind Ganondorf in the saddle of his black stallion.

"How did she escape?" he growled, displeased. "How could you allow that to happen?"

Dora sneered. "Trust me, it won't happen again."

"If there is one thing I trust about you, it's your ruthlessness."

She struggled to fight a blush at his compliment, but there was a more dire matter on their hands. "Are these people suicidal?" she shouted. After speeding through the market square where most Hylians had screamed and lunged to avoid being trampled, they quickly approached a line of brave villagers. They locked their arms to create a blockade across the road that led to the fields, and gave their princess more time to flee.

Dora peered around Ganondorf at the human wall. She smirked when he kicked his horse to gallop faster. She was only left wandering for a moment if he would flatten them all, before they leapt over the Hylians standing stubbornly in their way. The stallion landed with a heavy thud and they bounded over the drawbridge. As they passed into the green, rich fields of rolling grass, Ganondorf yanked the reins and the horse came to an abrupt stop. Dora held on tight to his waist when the horse reared back in frustration. She looked around the King of Gerudo to see what made him stop, and realized the field was already empty. "I'll assemble a team and locate her immediately," Dora promised, angry at herself. "I will correct this failure, my lord."

Their gazes fell upon an adolescent donned in a green tunic, who stared fearfully at the pair on the giant black horse with a fiery red mane.

"Is that the kid from the courtyard?" she whispered. The boy unsheathed his sword and shield. "Isn't that cute? He thinks he can fight you," Dora teased.

" You have courage, boy," the Gerudo king mocked. "Do you know who I am?" He laughed and arrogantly added, "I am the great Ganondorf, and soon I will rule this world!" Dark energy gathered into an orb against the palm of his hand, which he aimed directly at the boy.

"Kill him," Dora whispered, thriving on the evil magic that exuded from her king. "He and that princess were obviously conspiring against you. If you don't kill him now, he might become a threat."

Ganondorf glared at the boy's blue eyes and found a familiar righteous gleam. The reverberation of the ever sounding call for Hylia's hero ached in his mind. Images of the hero of the past, a man he had never met, flashed before his eyes. The fire of rage and vengeance boiled through his veins. Was this the will of Demise?

The boy rushed forward to attack, his sword held high and ready to strike.

"Die, hero of Hyrule," Ganondorf yelled. The orb of powerful dark magic exploded from the Gerudo king's hand and impacted with the boy in mid-air.

The boy screamed and was thrown back to the ground, where he collided and his limp body rolled across the dirt.

Dora borrowed the stirrup from Ganondorf's foot to dismount the stallion. She approached the boy's body quickly to confirm he was not breathing, and had no pulse. "How unfortunate," she said sympathetically, and swept his blonde bangs away from his eyes. "He was pretty cute." Like any basic thief, she removed his bag of belongings from around his body and searched for anything valuable. Her breath caught in her lungs.

"What is it?" Ganondorf asked impatiently when she gasped.

From the bag she produced an emerald, a ruby, and a sapphire stone. Dora was so thrilled she grinned. "He had the Spiritual Stones. Ganondorf, this boy was going to open the Sacred Realm! But, what about the Ocarina?"

"That stupid girl," he exclaimed with wicked laughter. "She entrusted this weak kid with an important task and practically handed victory to me! We will return to the castle and force any remaining survivors to tell us where the Ocarina of Time is hidden," he ordered, and turned his horse to Hyrule Castle.

Dora closed the bag and hung it over her shoulder. She rushed to catch up to Ganondorf, but was distracted by an unusual, shiny object floating on top of the moat. She slowed upon reaching the drawbridge, and stood at the edge to investigate. The gentle waves guided the blue item toward her, and in a panic she dropped the bag on the bridge and laid on her stomach. The smell of the moat was nauseating. She choked and gagged, but slid herself as far off the edge as she could without falling. The ocarina was still out of reach.

Ganondorf's boots beat against the drawbridge and stopped beside her. "Have you gone mad?" he asked, worried for the sanity of his best warrior. He followed her arm to the object that lie beyond her fingertips, and scowled. "The Ocarina of Time. Zelda must have tried to throw it for her hero and missed. How unfortunate it landed in this filthy water."

"Help me," Dora growled.

"Why not take a swim?" he remarked arrogantly, and shoved her into the moat with his boot.

She closed her eyes and mouth, even pushed air out her nose, until her head came above the water. Ganondorf laughed cruelly all the while she screamed obscenities from the bottom of her lungs. "How could you do that to me? I will never forgive you for this!"

With the ocarina secured, he reached down and easily lifted her from the water. She fell on her hands and knees, gasping for fresh air. The stench stuck to her skin made her stomach lurch violently, and she vomited over the side of the drawbridge.

Ganondorf chuckled until she was able to contain her stomach, and he mounted the stallion. "Now, we are equipped to access the Sacred Realm. Meet me at the Temple of Time," he ordered, and galloped away.

Chapter 2

Dora was angry that he left her behind, but it was impossible to blame him. She stunk, and all she longed for was a warm bath made of the finest oils. Such a luxury was not in her near future, but her wish for rain was granted. She stood with her arms stretched at her sides. The rain quickly transitioned from a sprinkle to a heavy downpour. In no time she was soaked, and rinsed mostly clean of the moat's filth. She wiped the ocarina clean against her wet pants, and then shoved it inside the bag with the Spiritual Stones. "I've wasted too much time," she whispered, wrapped the bag's strap around her hand, and darted off toward the temple as she was instructed.

Ganondorf met with resistance galloping through the market, but his enemies were easily trampled or destroyed by his powers of sorcery. A unit of five Gerudo entered the square from the direction of Hyrule castle. They appeared to be searching for someone, or something, and were startled to see their king. "Allow none to pass through here to the Temple of Time," Ganondorf ordered, because directly behind them were Knights of Hyrule, protectors of the royal family.

He reached the temple at the corner of the village in little time, but was surprised Dora had not yet arrived. He expected her to be first, since she could have easily used her stealth and agility to traverse the rooftops to the temple. Impatiently, he waited within the shelter of the doorway to the temple, and watched for her through the wall of rain. Dora dropped in front of him from above and splashed in the puddle collecting on the temple's steps. Her hair and her clothes were drenched.

"You're clean," he commented gruffly, and then turned to lead her inside.

"Yes. I apologize for the delay," she said, and followed him, finally out of the pouring rain.

"Do you remember the melody?" he asked, moving straight to the point.

"Yes, my lord," she said, eyes narrowed on her destination. She marched briskly toward the great stone pedestal for the Spiritual Stones. With the stones in their respective slots, she placed the Ocarina of Time to her lips. The melody she played echoed to every corner of the tall temple. The song was foreboding and mysterious, and sent chills through her spine.

The haunting melody ended, and for a breath nothing happened. The three stones filled the temple with the glow of blue, green, and red. Dora and her king shielded their eyes until the light faded, and the temple rumbled.

The stone carving of the Triforce over the Door of Time was colored with a golden light, and accepted the stones. The large stone door behind the pedestal split straight down the center and slid open into the walls. Dora looked back at Ganondorf and expected to see excitement, or anticipation, but he seemed concerned. "What's wrong?" she asked, matching his expression.

He sneered. "We have one more obstacle," he explained sourly. "The Master Sword."

"Oh. The blade of evil's bane, right?" They walked around the pedestal, ascended three stairs to the next platform, and made their way toward the Master Sword. The blue hilt was clean, as if not a single hand had ever wielded it. The blade seemed to shine with a light all its own. It pierced a stone pedestal in the center of a diagram of the Triforce.

"Precisely. The blade rejects anyone but the hero, and is meant to slay any evil that would otherwise be invincible," he said. "Despite your evil heart, the blade may be less harmful to you since you lack any sorcery," he explained eyeing her expectantly.

Dora laughed nervously. "Me?" she asked, pointing at her chest.

He nodded. "I can corrupt the sword with my dark powers, just enough that the seal can be broken by anyone. It may retain the power to repel evil, and will still cause great harm. It is the last key to the Sacred Realm, and the Triforce."

Her stomach churned and cramped, wanting to vomit again but with no food left to expel. "It would be an honor to remove the final obstacle in your way to power," she managed to say humbly.

"I expect nothing less from you, Dora," he praised. Ganondorf stood a few strides from the Master Sword. He held up his arm with his open hand facing the pedestal. A black, fluid visible power flowed from his fingers, and seeped into the crack between the sword and the stone. Black veins crept up the length of the blade like vines, and pulsed with the rhythm of a beating heart. The golden gem at the center of the hand guard shined brightly in an attempt to purge the invading evil.

Ganondorf's power intensified, and became overwhelming. Dora's lungs struggled for air, her head throbbed, and her very soul withered. The light emanating from the blade flickered. Ganondorf buckled and dropped to one knee as his strength failed him, but continued his malicious attack on the Master Sword. "Now, Dora! Open the Sacred Realm for your king!"

Dora rushed forward to prevent her mind from thinking about what she was about to endure. She grasped the faded blue hilt with both hands and gave a valiant tug. Her eyes popped open in surprise when the blade shifted. She adjusted her feet for better leverage, gritted her teeth, and continued to pull with all her might. It was like lifting one hundred swords at once, because the Master Sword fought to repel her. The defilement of the sacred blade was incomplete, so the sword still caused immense agony. Pain seared her hands, like directly touching burnt wood from a fire, and jolted through her nerves. She screamed just as tears rolled down her cheeks. Once the tip emerged from the stone pedestal, Dora stumbled back to regain her balance. All she did was blink, but the world was drastically changed when her eyes opened again.

Chapter 3

Dora stared at the Master Sword resting in her grip, and was surprised that the pain from moments before faded away. The room was suddenly dark, but when she looked up, Ganondorf was not standing with her. She slowly revolved to investigate her new surroundings. The room was probably underground since the floor was damp dirt. Only one torch hung on the wall by a rickety wooden door, so making out the figure shackled to the far wall was difficult. "Where am I?" she questioned loudly.

"Hey, who's in there?" shouted a gruff voice, and then the dungeon door opened with a long creak. Two creatures appeared, armed with spears, and faces like dogs with short, stubby snouts, small floppy ears, and mean sneers.

"What the--?" she whispered, just before defending against one of the creatures when it charged at her. She pushed it back and slashed its chest with the Master Sword before he could swing again. When the beast fell, the corpse disappeared. "What are you?" she asked the second creature still standing in the light of the torch. "Where am I?" The creature flung his spear directly at her torso, but she smacked it out of the air with the sword. The dog beast fled the dungeon in a hurry.

A new voice stopped Dora from pursuing her enemy. "Those are moblins, and you are in my prison."

Dora turned back to the room, and carried the torch in her free hand to the person in chains against the wall. She gasped and fumbled the torch when the light illuminated the face of an elderly Zora woman. "Ruto?"

"You recognize me?" the Zora princess asked, bewildered.

Dora laughed. "Only by your voice. You're so old. What happened?" she wondered thoughtlessly.

Ruto's voice was not so kind when she said, "Let me see your face, and then I will tell you."

Dora brought the torch closer to her shoulder so the light shined on her face and the fire warmed her cheek. It was Ruto's turn to gasp at the eerie shadows cast across the woman's brown face, and the fire shining in her yellow eyes.

"You're a Gerudo," the Zora breathed in surprise.

"Of course I am," she retorted.

"All of the Gerudo were killed," Ruto explained.

Dora clenched her fist and tightened her jaw. "How is that possible?"

"It appears we have much to learn from each other. Free me, and we will talk," Ruto demanded.

Dora had but one goal, and more information would be helpful in clearing up some confusion so she could achieve that goal. As she unshackled the princess using the key left behind by the moblin guard, she asked, "Why are you here?"

"I was imprisoned here," she explained, stretching her arms and legs, and rubbing her wrists. "Ganon controls these moblins, and he has ordered them to take the sages prisoner to weaken the seal that keeps him locked in the Dark World."

"Ganon? As in Ganondorf?" Dora asked, attempting to remain only inquisitive.

"Yes, the very same. After he managed to unlock the Sacred Realm, all of his followers tried to reach the Triforce first and take it for their own. Of course, being the King of Evil, he killed them all, so he could take it for himself without being contended. But what no one knows, is how he was able to bypass the Master Sword."

Dora raised her right hand with the blue hilted sword in it and exclaimed, "This is how."

Ruto's exotic purple eyes popped open as wide as possible. "Everyone said the hero was killed."

She chose to ignore that statement, because a plan was forming in her mind on how she could accomplish her mission. "You said Ganon is locked in this new Dark World, but the Master Sword is a portal to that realm?"

"That's right, but we sages created a seal to prevent him from terrorizing Hyrule. Ganon has created new portals to lure in those of weak will who seek to take the Triforce from him. Instead, they are turned into beasts like the ones you fought. At first, he sent monsters back just to gather information and cause chaos in Hyrule, but recently their goal is to capture the sages, so that we can be eliminated to weaken the seal," Ruto explained, and casually walked through the dungeon's door. Dora picked up the fallen spear from the moblin, and followed the Zora to help her find the exit to the building they were trapped in. Ruto continued, "You see, even though Ganon cannot escape the Dark World, the monsters are not limited. This war against monsters, and to prevent more unsuspecting, foolish thieves from falling victim to the Dark World, has been waged ever since Ganon got hold of the Triforce over fifty years ago."

"Fifty years?" Dora shrieked. "I only just acquired the Master Sword fifteen minutes ago!"

"The sword must have been trying to repair itself, and it took you into some sort of realm where it hid, until it was ready to fight evil again. But it has chosen you as our new hero, the hero of Hyrule! You can defeat Ganon, even if it's just for revenge for what he did to the Gerudo."

"Right, yes, of course," Dora said, as if wrapping her head around the circumstances. "With that being said, how do I get to him?"

"You can use any portal to travel to the Dark World, but without the moon's pearl you'll just be turned into a monster like everyone else. You can get the pearl from the sage living in the mountain. However, he has also been taken captive. Rescuing him will be a quick way to earn his trust."

After a maze of corridors, they finally stepped into the light of day, in the middle of an abandoned field, that was ruined by repeated battles. Dora stared straight at Ruto with an odd expression as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. "You mean Death Mountain? I wouldn't be looking for a Goron, would I?"

"One of the last," Ruto informed sadly.

"I see. So, Ganon's monsters have really taken a toll on Hyrule," Dora realized, successfully sounding upset, rather than glad.

"Yes, but you can save us! You have the Master Sword," Ruto said with excitement. She absorbed Dora's red leather armor that clung to her like a corset, leather shoulder pads, belt with leg guards, and black boots that covered her knees. Where there was no armor, like her arms and thighs, there was only skin. "You are an unlikely hero, but you rescued me, so I will put my trust in you."

Dora grinned and said, "Thanks." She turned as if to walk toward Death Mountain, and shifted her hand around the spear. After marching two steps to pass Ruto, she twisted toward the Zora princess and thrust the spear through her chest. The woman was alive long enough to emit a short shriek that echoed in the vastness of the plain, but the head of the spear pierced her heart and killed her on the way to the ground.

The Master Sword sent a sharp pain through Dora's nerves for the evil deed that made her wince, so her first priority became to find an appropriate sheath for it, and a new sword that lacked a conscience.

Chapter 4

The devastation caused by the moblins and other monsters invading from the Dark World became obvious. Along the way to a town, probably old Kakariko Village, Dora encountered three groups of Ganon's minions. The Master Sword was satisfied with her display of righteous behavior and stopped torturing her. The streets of the town would have been entirely bare, if not for the dozens of roaming, and heavily armed, Hylian Knights. All she could do was hope that a smithy was still in business.

After avoiding multiple guards, she spotted the shop sign, dangling over the wooden door, with a hammer and anvil on it. She crept up to the door and walked in quietly. The bell on the inside barely jingled, and was not heard over the banging of a hammer on hot metal in the back. The walls on either side of the front were lined with every weapon known, and in all shapes and sizes. Firstly, Dora matched up a sheath to the Master Sword. The sheath was coated in blue, with gold wrapped around it for decoration, and insignia of the Triforce. She slid the Master Sword into its new home and strapped it around her torso so the hilt was over her left shoulder.

Secondly, Dora perused for a regular short sword to use in the times when the Master Sword was not the right tool for the job. This one had a hilt the color of silver, wrapped tightly with black leather. The hand guard was curved, and the pommel was the shape of a diamond. The sheath was wrapped in red cloth, her favorite color. She strapped this sword to her belt on her left hip when a voice yelled and startled her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" shouted the smithy.

"Just the hero of Hyrule, equipping myself to fight evil," she explained sarcastically.

"You are planning to pay for that, right?"

Dora glared at the smithy, at his pale skin, long brown hair, pointy ears, and dirty overalls. "Do I look like I have rupees?"

"Wait, you're a Gerudo, aren't you?"

"What gave it away?" she remarked, flicking her long pony tail of red hair.

"The fact that you're a thief! Guards," the smithy bellowed. He rushed over to the side door to throw it open, and once more yelled, "Guards! I'm being robbed!"

Dora stole a few seconds to weigh her options for her next move. She could allow herself to be captured, then wave the Master Sword around and convince them she was the hero so they would free her. Or, they might take her before Princess Zelda, and she would not be fooled. Zelda would recognize Dora from the failed attempt to capture the princess, and then she would never make it to the Dark World. "Hm. The chance to see Zelda and gather information, and risk execution, or take what I stole and escape, without leaving anyone behind to tattle?"

Dora hurried toward the counter and said with open, innocent hands, "Hey now, wait a minute. Don't you recognize this sword?" she asked and motioned to the weapon on her back.

The man acknowledged the blue hilt and said, "Yes, and I know you have also taken that from its proper owner, a real hero." He held up his hammer to swing it at her if she showed any sign of attacking, but also tried to grab her and prevent her from fleeing before the knights arrived.

Dora stepped out of reach, and at the same time she brandished her sword from her hip. His hammer swung down viciously, and she allowed it to miss before she embedded the regular sword in his chest, and cut his arteries. Dora sheathed her bloody weapon. She used the hooks in the wall to climb into the rafters, and escaped out a second story window to the roof, just as the knights entered the store.

Her escape across the rooftops was swift and silent, but her mind was in chaos. Even though she had not wielded the Master Sword to take the innocent man's life, she felt a dull pain in the base of her skull caused by the energy resonating from the sword. Hopefully, taking the lives of more of Ganon's minions would change the sword's mind about her.

Chapter 5

Dora escaped the town and made haste toward Death Mountain. She passed through a lightly wooded area at the edge of the forest where the lumberjacks lived in a log cabin. Just another mile north and she was at the entrance of the mountain trail.

The first cave was made up of multiple paths, which criss-crossed and had her lost a dozen times. After being chased by a swarm of bats to the entrance for the third time, she marched back to the lumberjacks house and crafted a torch that she lit using their fireplace. Before leaving, she ripped in half the loaf of bread keeping warm by the stove. Equipped with light, and with a full belly, she easily warded off the bats and found the path that led her farther up the mountain.

The natural corridor narrowed to a small opening that was sealed by spider webs. Before braving the next room, she searched for another way out, but none of them were passable as she was equipped. Dora gripped the hilt of the Master Sword and ignored the pain spiking through her arm. "Look, we are about to kill some evil monsters that belong to Ganon, so stop hurting me," she hissed.

She pressed the flames of her torch to the web blocking the way and was able to burn an opening to squeeze through. Then she tossed the torch into the room to illuminate her near future.

The light sparkled against a multitude of green eyes, and shined against the fangs that danced to bite her flesh. The creatures retreated from the light, with an ear splitting screech, by climbing an intricate web to the ceiling on slender legs. Dora stood in the center of the room and lifted her eyes to the top of the cave. Three sets of glistening eyes and fangs stared back at her, and she filled with disgust. "Before I kill you, I want you all to know that spiders are my least favorite beast," she yelled into the darkness.

One spider swung from the ceiling by a string of web, fangs poised to bite and devour. Dora spun to safety and followed through with her sword, but only cut off one leg. The second spider dropped down suddenly to land on top of her. Dora swung her sword in an arc over her head and sliced open the spider's belly. At the same time, she dashed away to avoid being covered by entrails.

The wounded spider attacked in unison with the final one. Dora jumped to avoid the first spider, and stomped on the eyes of the other, blinding it momentarily. She sliced through its neck, and immediately ran as the original spider swiped at her.

She paused to catch her breath while the only remaining spider prepared to strike again. It reared back on four hind legs and lunged at her with wide open fangs. She thrust the Master Sword into the fangs, but it slobbered green, sticky slime all over her.

"Ew!" She twisted and pulled the Master Sword, but the spider refused to release it. "Give me back that sword," she yelled and punched out one of its eyes. The spider shrieked, and Dora yanked the sword to slice off one of its fangs. It wailed and spun in circles as the blood sprayed from the fresh wound. Dora jumped back and waited with one palm pressed to the pummel of the hilt. The spider came around to face her, and she thrust the sword down, into its brain. The carcass collapsed on the dirt floor.

Dora dropped to her knees and panted. As she sheathed the Master Sword on her back again, the last spider's corpse disappeared. "I have to keep going," she told herself after a few minutes of rest. She climbed back to her feet with her sore legs and found the determination to continue her quest.

The remaining trek up Death Mountain brought only small, bouncing spiders in an array of colors. One slice down the middle of their one red eye defeated them. Finally, she emerged from the winding path of caves, and arrived on top of the mountain. Dora began to wonder how she would recognize the dungeon, when she came across another cave entrance. Two moblins marched opposite of each other, back and forth across the cave opening that went just below the surface of the mountain. One of the minions carried a bow, the other a spear. This was the opportunity she needed to complete her arsenal of weapons. Dora walked right into the open and waited only seconds for them to notice her.

Once she was spotted, they pointed their weapons at her. The arrow flew from the string, and the spear charged at her. She leaped back, clear of the arrow that hissed by, and deflected the spear. Her sword slashed through the torso of the minion closest to her, so she immediately turned her attention to the moblin with the bow. She sliced at him, but he avoided the reach of the Master Sword.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm the hero, obviously," she retorted. Dora closed the distance between them with a long stride, which continued into a spin, and she kicked him swiftly in the side. He took her heel in his gut and stumbled.

Doubled over, he said, "You don't look like the hero."

The only answer she gave him was a hard kick to the jaw that blinded him with pain. She thrust her sword up through his head. The body disappeared, and she whispered, "But Ganon doesn't know that, and I can't wait to see the surprise on his face."

Dora equipped the bow and quiver that remained from the moblin, and entered the dark dungeon bravely. Torches lined the walls every few yards, but the shadows had her seeing pretend monsters. At the end of the corridor was a round room, lit by one burning bowl of wood in the center. She gazed all to her left and right, but the room was empty, not a single monster or speck of life. There was another corridor to her left, and one to the right, but nothing straight in front of her. She slowly spun and took deliberate steps back to survey the rest of the room and make sure no detail was missed.

The eerie silence of the cave became filled with more than the crackling of fire. The squish sound of a goopy, thick substance surrounded her. The exits slammed shut, and an echoing click signified the doors locked. Dora twisted around again and brandished the Master Sword. "What is going on?" she angrily asked the emptiness.

Splat!

Dora swung wildly at the object that landed just in front of her. The blade cut clean through a green gelatin monster, and then it disappeared. She cautiously turned her eyes to the ceiling and groaned. One by one the creatures made of red, green, and blue slime dropped to the floor with a splat. In random groups, they shrank to the ground, and when they sprang up they lunged at her.

Despite the sporadic nature of their attack, they were clearly coordinated. Dora recognized their goal to overwhelm and confuse her. They surrounded her, and jumped so frequently it was impossible to defeat them while she was in the center. She took careful steps back to avoid them as she retreated to the wall, and then continued to walk in reverse along the wall for guidance. She moved more quickly to gain a safe distance, and realized they were mindlessly following her path. Instead of running from them, she slowed down and began to lead them. After completing one revolution of the room, all of the gelatin creations were in front of her, and none remained behind. All that was left was to slay them.

Dora swung the Master Sword left, right, and then left again, mowing down the monsters as they lunged at her. It was not a challenge if only two or three attacked at once, but four or more had her twisting to dodge. Three approached on her right, and one on her left. When they jumped, she slashed the three on her right with one wide swing. They disappeared, but she was not quick enough to block the red jelly on her other side. It slammed into her with such force she was knocked to her knees. The attack was not powerful enough to keep her down, so she retaliated and was right back at the chore of eliminating all the monsters.

When the last one fell and dispersed, the doors opened. Dora ran through the one to the left of the entrance, since it happened to be the one she was closest to. In the next tunnel, she took slow, cautionary steps, in case any more of those gelatin creatures lurked in the next room, or more spiders. It was nice to take a minute to catch her breath and calm her racing heart.

The air shifted suddenly, and a low whistle whispered in the air, pulling her attention to the ceiling. Dora rolled forward, and on instinct she brandished her sword when she turned around in preparation for an attack. What she saw made her pop back up to her feet and frantically step backward. A giant hand, from fingertips to wrist, scraped at the ground as if it tried to grasp her. Dora leaned forward, and found the hand had long nails, with bright blue skin, and thick veins that lacked blood. The hand zoomed straight into the air and disappeared in the darkness.

Just as Dora realized how lucky she was to avoid it, another hand, or maybe the same one, dropped onto her and squeezed her into a ball. "Let go of me," she yelled, kicking and swinging the Master Sword. The hand secured her so that her valiant movements were minimal, and lifted her from the ground. Dora fought back to save her life, even as the fear crept into her mind that it might be the end for her. When at last she was squeezed so tightly she could not move at all, the fear of death petrified her.

Except, instead of death, she found herself at the beginning again, all the way at the front of the dungeon where she fought the moblins. The hand dropped her from ten feet in the air, and was gone when Dora started shouting obscenities and curses. She raced back through the first hall and made a left at the room that housed the gelatin minions. In the following corridor, she stood like a statue in the hall to bait the hand into the open. She watched it appear into existence above her, and waited for it to fall half way before jumping to safety. Once it hit the ground and grabbed at air, she sliced the hand viciously three times, and screamed, "Take that, you bastard!" The monster emitted a screech with every slice until it finally collapsed and disappeared in a puff of magic, without giving her the chance to kick it while it was down and let out her frustration. She angrily shoved the Master Sword in its sheath and marched on.

The path to the left turned out to be a dead end, with only a few of the small bouncing spiders for entertainment in the last room. Dora back tracked to the main, circular room, collected a torch, and traveled down the path on the right of the entrance. Bats flooded the narrow passage, but the torch helped deflect them, and others she struck down. The path ascended slightly, and she thought she would exit on the surface of the mountain again.

The room was flat, and square, with two torches set a few yards apart in the center of the room. It was another dead end, until Dora's heels clacked against the stone floor with a different sound. She beat her boot against the floor, and it echoed as if nothing was on the other side. She tossed her torch to the floor out of the way and dropped to her knees to inspect the outline of the hidden door. There was no switch to step on, and no amount of knocking made it slide open. Dora rushed over and lifted her torch again to investigate the walls for a trick, a weakness, a lever, anything that would open the door that undoubtedly led to the prison of the sage she needed to give her the moon pearl.

The walls were bare and smooth, not a single hint of any secrets within them. She turned her eyes upward, forgetting that she should have been on the lookout for monsters as well. Instead, what she found on the ceiling and high up on the walls, were the tops of three unlit torches. Dora shifted her eyes back to the torches in the center of the room. "Could it be that simple?" she wondered. After another minute of pointless searching so that she could contemplate the idea, she walked back to one of the lit torches in the center of the room. She swept her bow from her shoulder and yanked an arrow back in the string. She dropped to one knee and lined up the arrow with the torch straight in the middle of the ceiling. The arrow flew, caught fire through the first torch, and upon impact with the second caught the wood on fire.

Dora laughed, and lined up the second unlit torch, on the top right of the wall in front of her. The torch came to life again, but as she moved to line up the last shot, the fire in the first torch was already burning out. "So, I have to be fast, and accurate enough, to light all the torches before the first one dies out," she confirmed to herself. Instead of returning to the first torch, Dora fired an arrow at the last torch on the far left wall and struck it perfectly. Quickly, she drew two more arrows from her quiver and aimed one at the torch in the center of the ceiling. Within seconds she fired, and was already lining up the torch on the wall high on her right. This arrow whistled through the air and smacked against its mark, lighting the final torch. The stone slab blocking a staircase slid back, and Dora descended the steps. She grinned with pride at her small victory.

The stairs led into a small chamber, well lit by a dozen torches, with a cell carved out of the stone in the back of the room. Two heavily armored knights guarded it, one with a flail, and one with a claymore.

"Hey," she yelled, ready to fight. The knights grunted and marched toward her. "How about letting the Goron go as a favor to me?"

The knights laughed at her, and the one with the flail spun it in circles menacingly.

"I just wanted to give you the chance to save yourselves," Dora mocked, unsheathing the Master Sword slowly. It sang sweetly as it exited the sheath.

"You're going to be the one begging for mercy when we capture and take you to Ganon, hero," the knight retorted.

"Oh, please. I can't wait to see you try!"

The flail wielding knight rushed at Dora, and she was forced to the side to avoid the attack. The second knight, wielding the claymore, was there to attack after the dodge. She parried, but her sword only met with heavy plate armor.

She juggled between the knight's attacks, avoiding a flail and blocking the sword as they came flying at her. She was also intuitive enough to avoid being backed into a corner. Two on one was a quick way to be worn out, so she decided to focus on the knight with the flail.

His movements were slower, but his armor was almost impenetrable. He swung in for a vicious attack, and Dora jumped clear away, and then lunged in with the Master Sword that just bounced off his chest plate. Dora only need three failed attempts to realize that strategy was a bad idea.

The knight became annoyed with the repetition, and pressed a button on the flail's handle. The next time he swung it, the spiked ball had twice the reach of before. The flail's wide arcs made it impossible for the other knight to move in close enough to attack. Dora already knew the right game to play.

The battle shifted from Dora taking advantage of the knight's sluggish moves to playing jump rope with the chain, or completely running for her life to be out of the flail's reach. Once the spiked ball reached the maximum distance, the chain had to be retracted. Dora took that opportunity to run in and chance a risky attack at weak points in his armor. Her swings were strong and swift, and the evil repelling power of the Master Sword took its toll on the knight. After each attack, she stepped to the left to keep the knight chasing her in a circle. Every successful strike she made, every attack he missed, made him angry and careless. Dora wanted to be exhausted, but she kept focused because her effort was about to be rewarded.

The knight with the sword was restless, and could see his comrade was failing. He stepped in to offer his aid, and Dora grasped the opportunity. She stepped to her left again, and the flail wielding knight she battled anticipated her move, so he swung the flail ahead of her. The knight with the claymore acted on his plan to intervene, and swung his blade at Dora. She blocked the powerful swing, and watched as the chain wrapped around his neck, and strangled him.

She turned toward the other knight, who, in seeing what had happened, dropped the flail. Unarmed, he was vulnerable. Dora rushed at him, jumped to land on his shoulders, and when he turned his head up to look at her she thrust the point of the Master Sword down through the neck opening in his chest armor. She rode the body to the floor as he collapsed, and then turned her attention to the suffocating knight. He worked at removing the tightly wound chain from around his throat. Firstly, she kicked his sword with the side of her boot, and it skid across the floor so that it was far out of reach. She snatched the chain near the spiked ball, and pulled with all her might, wearing a sadistic grin. The knight fell to his knees, and Dora shoved him completely to the ground by pressing her foot against his spine. He struggled, choked, and gasped until finally all movement ceased. Both bodies disappeared, leaving their weapons, and the cell key, behind.

Dora sheathed the Master Sword, and rested with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. She brushed her long pony tail behind her shoulders when she managed to straighten her back again. She strolled toward the cell, and collected the key along the way. The door was unlocked with a loud clang, and the Goron stepped forth and toward her. Dora backed away to give him room, and he stared at her skeptically. "You are the hero?"

She smiled, attempting to be warm and friendly, but it must have seemed tired. "I know, right? I never imagined, me, a Gerudo, ex follower of Ganondorf, would be chosen by the Master Sword to fight against him." To add to her disguise, she laughed gently.

He scratched his head. "It must be difficult for you, knowing what he did to your kin."

Dora forced a frown and sincerely said, "It's a terrible act he committed, and I will bring justice."

The Goron held out his hand for a formal greeting of respect. "My name is Link, after the original hero."

She accepted his formal greeting reluctantly, mostly because her arms were heavy and tired. "There was a hero before me?" she inquired innocently.

"Yes. My father, Darunia, told me he came from the forest, dressed in green," he explained proudly. "He is the hero of the Gorons for slaying the Dodongo King that Ganon set upon the cavern where our food was farmed from. Link was killed by Ganon before he could even reach the Master Sword."

"I see," Dora commented. She hid her mixture of expressions by hiding from the fire as much as possible. She felt clarity, and excitement, but kept an honest face. She moved on to the important subject. "Ruto told me you could give me a stone that would allow me to keep my human form in the Dark World. I will slay Ganon," she promised, "but I need that stone."

"Yes. It's clear you are courageous. The way you fearlessly battled those brutes proves that you can defeat Ganon," he acknowledged. There was a sack slung around his body, and from it he withdrew a red stone. The dancing fire reflected off the shiny surface, and the gems set in the center of the stone glittered like stars. The pearl was only as big as the palm of her hand, but she was becoming overburdened with quest items. The bag the Goron wore was big, but she could cut the strap and tie them again so they were not as long. She raised her eyes from the bag to the sage and asked, "What should my next step be?"

"You will need the Master Sword to execute Ganon, but the pedestal is a direct portal there. You should make haste for the portal before he becomes too powerful," Link advised.

Dora's gaze fell from him to the pearl, and then to the Master Sword in her other hand. She gave it an idle spin in her wrist and then slashed it diagonally at Link. He raised his arms to protect himself but he was cut wide open. She spun, and kicked his large gut, knocking him down. The Master Sword instantly retaliated for her evil deed. "You know, for hating him so much, that seems to be all you sages can talk about," Dora commented, while switching to her regular sword. She pressed the tip to his chest.

He scurried back, trying to evade the point of the blade. "What do you mean? What are you doing?" he questioned in fright.

The dull headache bought on by the Master Sword remained, but her body was free of any paralyzing effects. "If you're going to go around talking about the most incredible man in the world, you might as well know the truth. Let me educate you a little on the monster you call Ganon, the man named Ganondorf."

"You? You are loyal to him?" the Goron gasped. "Why would you be loyal to a man full of such hate?"

Dora raised her sword to strike again, but Link scrambled to his feet to run away. She was much faster, and so she darted in front of him and sliced him from his shoulder, through his chest, before he could dodge again. He collapsed and whined in pain, while she held him hostage at the point of her sword again. "That man you call a monster is a great king. He propelled my people to glory. Not only that, he helped me to become the merciless, fearless warrior I am today. I trained all the Gerudo. I helped design the plan to capture and kill Zelda, take and conquer Hyrule, break into the Sacred Realm, and if necessary I would have personally given the Triforce to him with my own hands. Instead, this cursed sword held me captive for fifty years! Now, all I want to do is return to my king."

"But," the Goron whispered, his life fading, "your people. He killed all of your students."

"If they were my people, Ganondorf's people, they would not have turned against him. They earned their fate. Oh, and one more thing, I suggested to kill that stupid boy in green, and now I am so very glad that I did." Dora thrust her blade down through the sage's heart before he could give another pathetic response.

She was sent reeling by the explosion of energy from the Master Sword. Her hands clung to her head to hold her brain together, and she crumbled to her knees. She rocked back and forth, seething, until the pain subsided. Still trembling, she unbuckled the sheath from the Master Sword and tossed it across the room.

Dora was hot with anger. It was fine that people hated Ganondorf, maybe it was better that way, but they knew nothing about him, nothing about the horrors they suffered in the desert, and no one remembered why they were forced to live there. Yet, the sages, the royal family, everyone was so quick to judge and tell her how horrible their king was, when all he tried to do was bring his people the happiness they deserved.

She removed the slightly blood stained bag from around the Goron, and shortened the strap. Finally, she sat against the wall, her body heavy and weak. She was tired, and as much as she wanted to keep moving, she needed to recharge. With the moon pearl secured in her satchel, and the Master Sword far away from her, she closed her eyes to sleep.

Chapter 6

Dora stood on the crest of a sand dune at the precipice of the valley. It once was her favorite spot to enjoy the grandeur of the Gerudo village, the vast desert, and how the sand danced in the wind. They had truly made the most of what the desert had to offer.

The Master Sword resonated an energy to repel her that gave her a dull, annoying headache. All of the pains and discomfort she felt was washed away by rage and loathing.

Her home was destroyed.

As much as she despised the desert, it was her home, where she was raised, where her sweetest and most nightmarish memories were made. Where she discovered her infatuation for Ganondorf, which quickly blossomed into love. Where she was proclaimed the general of the Gerudo army, and where she overcame a multitude of trials and hardships. It was all gone. The fortress was collapsed inward, as if one big bomb had been placed in the center and then ignited. The rubble was buried by the blistering sand. Chests, pottery, and crates were scattered everywhere, so it was clear scavengers had already taken anything of value.

Dora clenched her fists and shook with rage. How dare the Hylians try to erase the Gerudo's existence from history. It was true she had always hoped to leave behind the bitter cold nights, the scorching hot days, and the diseases only Hylian medicine could cure, all of which claimed countless lives. But, she never dreamed she would never have a home to return to. One day, she would make the Hylians suffer the same way she did. Make them watch the death of happy mothers after giving birth to their first child, or witness the sorrow of their tears while clutching their dead infant because they did not have the means to create the medicine needed to save their lives. All because of some old feud over the love of a woman.

She was forced from her memories by the sound of clanking armor. Two knights had come to the ruins to investigate. It was possible they were sent to ensure no Gerudo had returned home, after hearing about the death, and theft, in Kakariko Village. It would be just like that annoying princess to immediately blame the Gerudo, and fear the return of darkness. The Gerudo should have been feared, respected, and given the chance to prosper, but now that could never happen. Only two remained, and she yearned to be at his side again, to help him achieve total domination of Hyrule like he deserved and was entitled to.

Dora escaped the desert unnoticed and traveled to the edge of the forest. Every entrance to the woods was blocked by two Hylian knights. Without sticking to the path, she was certain to end up lost forever. Except, she never prided herself on being wise, only daring. She could sneak by them through the trees, assuming there were guards lining the way to the new resting place of the Master Sword. She grinned, and realized there was one more option, which carried its own risk, but included more excitement.

With such a high level of experience in stealth, climbing into the tree behind the guard, and stepping out onto the branch over his head without being noticed, was simple. Dora dropped from the bough and landed on his shoulders, her hands clasped around his helmet. She grunted when she gave a mighty jerk to twist his head entirely around, and snapped his neck with a satisfying crack. The other guard accompanying the late knight watched in horror as Dora rode the body to the ground, and then stepped off in his direction with a sadistic grin.

"A Gerudo," he breathed in shock.

"Yes, yes, quite a shock, isn't it? Let's make a deal, shall we? I need to hurry up and get to the Dark World."

"You have the Master Sword. Is this some kind of joke?" the knight wondered, and stepped toward the entrance of the Lost Woods.

"I wish it was. Anyway, you aren't listening to me and this is a matter of life or death for you. If you just take me to the pedestal I will return this stupid sword and be on my way," she said sincerely, adding a persuasive smile. "I'm kind of in a hurry."

"I would never help the likes of you. The Knights of Hyrule are sworn to give their life to protect this world and its princess," he said bravely, and then darted into the woods.

At first, his reaction confused her, but then she remembered she was the first Gerudo seen in over fifty years. With their record, he was going to warn his head officer, and then he would be ordered to alert the princess. "Why do you all have to make this so difficult?" she groaned. Dora chased after him, expecting to be led straight to the pedestal for the Master Sword.

The sun was blotted out by the thick ceiling of leaves created by the dozens of trees that formed the forest. The knight was significantly slower than Dora with all the armor bogging him down, so she never let him out of her sight, but stayed far enough behind to let him think he had a lead.

In just a short distance they came upon a cross roads and another knight, who pointed the guard in the correct direction. "Distract the woman following me so I can warn-." His directions were cut short when an arrow suddenly pierced his comrade's neck. The wounded knight thrust his hands around his throat, gagged, and gurgled to try and breathe. He fell to his knees, and the knight Dora chased turned and ran faster than before.

"This is actually quite fun," she whispered, and followed the fleeing knight, while the other stained the ground with his blood until he died.

Dora was still able to keep up, but with more effort than the last time. The next path was longer, but it eventually led to another set of roads where a knight stood to give the next direction.

"Hide! Protect yourself from the Gerudo," the running knight warned as he ran straight ahead. The knight at the corner unsheathed his sword and faced back the path his comrade came from. Dora was already concealed behind the leaves in a tree with her arrow trained on him. The knights were practically covered from head to toe in metal, except for a few small openings. She held her breath, and grinned with excitement as he started to walk toward her. He was brave enough to be foolish, and foolish enough to believe he was brave. The closer he walked, the more deadly her aim became. At about fifty feet away, she unleashed the arrow with as much tension she could manage. His head was tossed back as the momentum of the arrow collided with his eye socket, and he landed on his side. Dora dropped down from the branch, collected her arrow, and sprinted to catch up with the other knight.

Fortunately, his hurried footsteps were obvious in the dry dirt and grass, so she quickly caught up to him. Two knights later, one headless, another with an arrow in his throat, Dora reached her destination. She snapped behind a tree when she glanced the heavily guarded pedestal. While the knight caught his breath and explained the situation to his officer, she crept through the shadows, the brush, and behind trees, to move closer to the pedestal without being seen.

"There's a... Gerudo warrior... coming this way," the knight managed to warn them between heavy breaths.

"That's impossible! The Gerudo were wiped out decades ago," one of the other knights argued.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dora whispered quietly to mock him.

"No, I saw her. Red fiery hair, dark skin, yellow eyes, and she killed our brothers! She has the Master Sword and she is trying to bring it back to the pedestal."

"Go, now! You must warn the princess immediately to send for the sages. We must not underestimate her. The rest of you remain vigilant. Defend the portal to the Dark World. Don't let her enter there."

The guards shifted and created an impenetrable barrier around the entire pedestal. The knight sent to warn the princess ran back out of the grove. Dora knew there was one way she was going to make it to the pedestal with that many guards. She hugged a tree that acted as part of the entrance to the grove. When the knight tried to run passed her, she brandished her sword, and thrust the blade into his underarm. She released the hilt, and he fell to the ground with the sword imbedded in his side. The knight writhed with terrible pain. The screams he unleashed from the deepest section of his lungs caused half the knights to rush forward. "Here," he pointed with his good arm. "She's right here!"

By the time they ran to the edge of the grove, she was already in the tree tops again, hurriedly jumping from one limb to the next to reach the pedestal. Dora reached a section of the grove the knights had abandoned, and was as close as she could manage using the trees. The limb she crouched on was not sturdy enough to support her if she jumped, it would just break and she would fall. The last thing she needed was to look a fool in front of all those knights. She sat on the branch, and lowered herself slowly to the ground into the grass that cushioned her boots.

They had not only carved out the stone for the sword, but the entire platform with the Triforce insignia on it.

"Hey! There she is!"

The closest knight had somehow heard her silent movements, and pointed her out to the rest. Twenty men wearing heavy armor, and swinging swords, charged her. Dora sprinted for the pedestal, and when she was almost there, she lunged into the air. She landed on the stone slab and gripped the Master Sword to yank it from the sheath, but she was no longer surrounded by the thick forest of the Lost Woods.

Chapter 7

The sky was dark, like a cloudy, starless night. The floor was shiny, reflective like water, and seemed to give off its own light. Her boots clip clopped against the hard stone as she stumbled to catch her balance from the big jump she had just made. The pure energy infecting her veins reminded her of the Master Sword in her hand, so she sheathed it quickly. This room was not what she imagined the Dark World would look like, so where was she?

All of a sudden, from the bottomless pit of a sky, a huge monster tumbled down toward her. Dora scrambled out of the way in a panic and stood by the wall. The creature landed with such force that the stone beneath it shattered and the whole world shook.

The first detail she noticed were the two large, orange eyes protruding from what was hopefully the beast's head. The rest of the body was sectioned in dark yellow spheres that gave it the appearance of a caterpillar. The final sphere was red, and lacked the hard shell that protected the rest of the body.

But Dora did not analyze her opponent, she did not draw her sword to fight, she only stared in awe at the enormous monster. The head alone was as large as a two story house, and the tail still as big as a small cottage. Tears burned her eyes, and the weight of the odds forced her to her knees. All of her hope was lost, and she was ready to submit. Her heart weighed heavily in her chest. Was this even all worth it? She missed him with all of her soul, but did Ganondorf even care enough about her to remember she existed, or hope that she might still live? Would he even accept her back as a warrior, if she managed to defeat this beast? He obviously set it as a trap to destroy the hero, but all he did was prevent his most loyal follower from joining him. Should she just accept the fact that she may never see him again? How could she ever win against such a monster?

What if he waited for her? What if he used this monster to challenge her? He would never accept her if she just forfeit the fight. No, she would prove herself more powerful, more courageous, than the real hero could ever be. Ganondorf had expectations for her, and she could not fail to meet them. Dora convinced herself to keep going, even if the odds were stacked heavily against her.

She wiped away the tears on her cheeks and laughed. She imagined seeing Ganondorf again, and finally giving him a kiss like she always dreamed, but then slapping him to make him pay for how she suffered. As Dora lifted herself back to her feet, she shouted, "Nothing will stand in my way of reuniting with my king!"

The monster turned and rushed toward her. She darted away, and hoped to evade, but she was struck against her back. She landed on her side and rolled back to her feet, her hand resting on the Master Sword. It was disappointed with her, but wielding the sacred sword was the easiest way to defeat the dark beast.

The worm creature was at her heels. She had to think fast. How could she reach the tail without risking her life? Dora changed the direction of the chase to a gradual curve, so that the monster still chased her, but appeared to be chasing its tail. Eventually, the circle was so tight, she was running beside the tail. She held her breath, and the moment she gripped the blue hilt, she ripped it from the sheath and slashed the red, vulnerable tail. Her scream of the initial pain from the sword retaliating against her was drowned by the yelp emitted from the monster.

Dora sheathed the sword and stole a moment for the pain to pass. After a breath, the worm giant began moving again, but away from her. On the other end of the room, it spun around and dashed straight forward with Dora as its target.

She had to stay two steps ahead in this new tactic the caterpillar used. With as wide as the body was, if she was unable to move a great distance quickly, she would either be hit on first impact, or when it made a wide turn to race back and prepare for another shot at her. The abominable worm continued this vicious pattern, and was successful in striking his enemy multiple times.

More than once, Dora could not sprint to safety before the monster impacted with her. Each strike sent her flying a few feet before she landed on the floor. Without a breath to spare, she popped back up to her feet and continued running. On the fifth repetition, Dora had more than enough. She managed to avoid the worm as it rushed forward like a dart for a bull's eye, and immediately spun around. Two great strides in the direction she just came from put her in estimated striking distance of the tail when it passed in front of her. Brandishing the Master Sword for the pending attack caused far less agony than before. Her aim was dead on, and when the monster wailed in pain, it collapsed. Dora swiftly took advantage and sliced the tail twice more before it managed to slither away.

The large round eyes on the worm's humongous head glared at her, just before going unfocused. The iris of each eye moved individually from the other in opposite circles. The monster's movements became as crazed as its eyes. There was no purpose of direction to how it moved, just sporadic, violent twists and turns, darting left and then right, intended to overwhelm its opponent.

Dora was dumbfounded, with no immediate thoughts on how to retaliate against such wildly random attacks. For the moment, all she could do was run, but she was already near her limit, and pushing herself to new ones. Striking the beast anywhere but its tail resulted in a resounding clang, and her flying half way across the room. The worm exerted a blast of energy on impact, so trying to climb and ride the monster was no longer an option. Waiting for a lucky opportunity seemed like the only choice, but almost certainly guaranteed her death.

Dora dodged to the left, because the worm was making a shift to the right, but it jerked back and pummeled her with a direct hit. She screamed until she hit the stone floor, and struggled back to her feet. Before she could stand, the monster completed a tight circle and trampled her beneath its body.

She learned by experience that the underbelly of the worm beast was not smooth, but covered in tiny, sharp spikes. A hundred of them dragged across and ripped open her back side, even penetrating her leather armor. In seconds, her back was soaked with blood that stung her fresh wounds. Every shift of her muscles that worked to maneuver her from her knees to her feet shrieked with pain, while Dora groaned and moaned to fight back the screams. She was sick of being hurt, damaged, and wounded, and whining and crying about it.

The monster's radical movements had stopped, and its eyes focused on her like it was victorious. Dora winced, gripped the Master Sword with determination, and yelled, "I am going to teach you a lesson that you will never forget, that you never mess with a Gerudo warrior, especially me!"

The worm darted forward to accept her challenge, and spun its tail like a whip. Dora lunged back and landed on her feet, but grunted at the sharp pain from the sudden movement. The next time the tail whipped at her, she thrust the Master Sword hilt deep inside the fleshy tail, and she held on tight.

The beast flailed its body, bashing Dora off the floor and the wall. As the world spun, she twisted the Master Sword to rip it half way out, and shoved it straight back in. Her arms burned from the strain of holding on, but failure was not an option, and she was close to victory.

On the third strike, the monstrous caterpillar was finally stunned. The tail flopped to the floor where Dora landed on her feet. She raised the Master Sword above her head and sliced the tail in half.

Her whole body rose and fell with deep breaths of exhaustion. Her heart beat powerfully against her chest until the adrenaline faded, but then so did the entire room, along with the defeated creature.

Chapter 8

Dora prepared to return to the grove, with all those knights that would attack her on sight, and to finally return the Master Sword so she could go to the Dark World. Her sword grew heavy, her own arms were difficult to lift, and her knees wobbled. With the adrenaline no longer pumping through her muscles and veins, all the injuries she recently sustained were apparent.

Instead of a lush green forest, the world around her became a stone room, like the inside of a grand castle. The area closest to her was well lit by floating balls of fire, but all she saw were two moblins prepared to pierce her with spears.

"Wait!"

Her spinning eyes struggled to focus on who, or what, that gruff voice came from. The moblins appeared bewildered, but obeyed. The command came from a shadowed creature in a deep, royal purple robe. A ball of fire floated closer to his face, and illuminated a green pig snout with multiple tusks, red eyes that glinted with evil and hate, and on the top of his head covered with a purple cloth, were floppy pig ears.

Dora had no idea what to think with her failing senses. "Who are you?" she inquired impatiently.

The pig creature laughed, amused, and exclaimed, "I should have known it was you." With a snap of his fingers, the strain of holding up her own weight was gone, because this magical warthog immobilized her. He pointed a finger with a long nail at the Master Sword in her grasp, and when he flicked his hand to the side the sword flew across the room. Any other sword would have shattered. "I could not believe it before seeing you with my own eyes. My spies reported a beautiful woman with dark skin and red hair, wielding the Master Sword to fight against me. I wondered what noble Gerudo had survived, and would dare attempt to challenge me, but when they said you killed the Zora sage, I reassessed the situation."

Shock exploded through Dora's mind, but she was incapable of expressing it because of his sorcery. Her entire body was overwhelmed with the strongest sensation of happiness. She tried to say something, but even her tongue was frozen. He chuckled at her wickedly. "I can feel your heartbeat quickening, but you aren't afraid. Is that excitement I detect? Do you recognize me now?"

Dora wanted to scream it, and run to him, but he obviously had more to say because he kept her paralyzed.

He walked toward her with deliberately slow steps and told the rest of his story. "When you pulled that cursed sword from the pedestal, I was transported to the Sacred Realm, and you were gone. Then, the Gerudo attacked me, to take the Triforce for themselves, and I slaughtered them all. I captured the Triforce to make my wish to rule the world. The Sacred Realm became the Hyrule that I dreamed of, and I the king of it, but I am also cursed to take this form. Really, a small price to pay for all the power I now control." When his tale ended, he stood only inches away from her. "I sent dozens of my new soldiers, maybe hundreds now, to find that wretched sword so that I could prevent the hero from ever wielding it. I am surprised to find it is in your possession, with my general, and most loyal warrior."

Dora feared where his next words were going to take them, but what else could she have expected from a man, or beast, who had been betrayed by everyone he considered faithful?

"As you can see, I have not forgotten your inability to hold your tongue. I am going to release you, so that you may answer the question that will decide your fate. Would you stand against me, Ganondora? Do you wish to slay me with the Master Sword and take the Triforce for your own purpose?" he asked in a frightening, deep growl.

The unbearable weight and agony returned when his magic disappeared. Her vision blurred as she dropped to her hands and knees in a submissive bow. "My fealty belongs to only you, the great and evil Ganondorf, my one true king, no matter the form you take," she confessed. "My loyalty cannot be swayed by the promise of power which I cannot control. Only you are deserving of the Triforce."

Ganon instantly noticed the severe wounds on her back when she bowed, and felt a slight pang of guilt. He held his open hand over her back during her admission to heal her external and internal wounds. It brought him relief to hear her words, even if he already knew her desires, and exactly how she suffered to fulfill them. "Then rise, Dora, and rejoin my legion," he announced with a smirk.

She felt rejuvenated, and was able to return to her feet with brand new energy. Before he could ask any more questions, or turn from her and dismiss her, she thrust her arms around him. He was surprised, and unsure how to react. She held on for more seconds than was suitable, before stepping back to apologize. "I beg your forgiveness for being so bold, sire, but I... I need to tell you, in case I never get another chance. Ganondorf, I... I love you," she blurted out, and watched his eyes for a reaction.

He chuckled arrogantly, and said, "I know."

"You know?" she snapped.

"Of course I do," he said, as if his intelligence had just been insulted. "Your ability to resist the greedy call of the Triforce is proof of your true desire."

Dora felt a mix of confusion and enlightenment, and expressed her jumble of thoughts in words. "My true desire? I always thought my desire was to protect and serve you with my life, but this act, the whole adventure, was not only out of duty," she admitted. He had her gaze locked, and her tongue fumbled the words. "My desire has always been the hope that my actions would propel me to your side, and would grant me access to your heart, and to hear you call me wife."

Ganondorf guarded defiantly against feeling such weak emotions, but it was entertaining coming from Dora. "Until now, I never imagined it possible that anyone could harbor such feelings for a man like me. While everyone stands and screams vile names at me, you kneel and beg for my affection. I have rarely been kind to you, but we can discuss a change in our relationship."

She smiled warmly. Her yellow eyes filled with hope.

"Perhaps we should first discuss how you have maintained your human form," he wondered.

"With this," Dora answered, and carefully removed the moon pearl from her oversized bag. "The Goron sage gave it to me to fight you, and then I killed him."

Ganon laughed briefly, but he was amazed at the power emanating from the stone. He calmly placed his palm on top of the stone in Dora's hand. She held her breath and watched as his fingertips changed from green to brown, and the long talons shrank to normal nails. Once his hand was human, the magic traveled up his arm, bulking him back up to the muscle he had as a man. The transformation continued through his torso, widening his chest, broadening his shoulders, all through to his legs. He tilted his head back and laughed triumphantly, which deepened in tone. His snout shrank to his previous nose, his lips and high cheeks returned. The white of his eyes appeared and the iris became black with a yellow ring again. His ears shifted to the average Gerudo shape. Finally, his thick fiery red hair sprouted from his head.

Dora stared at him in awe, and then smiled brightly. "That is the powerful man I remember."

A black poisonous aura spread from his hand and surrounded the sphere. A loud crack echoed in the room as the orb began to split in half. Like the snapping of bone, Ganondorf broke off one half of the moon pearl to keep, and Dora retained the other half. "Now I may remain in the form everyone will recall from their nightmares, and still keep all of my power."

"All we need is Hyrule," she added.

Ganondorf cleared his throat and turned from her enchanting smile. "If returning to find me as a monster did not frighten you off, then is there anything in the world that would change how strongly you feel?"

"Nothing," she answered as if any other idea was absurd. "I would mock death itself, if it tried to tear me away."

He smirked at her response. Before he spoke again, he held an open hand toward his throne, and manipulated the element of stone to construct a smaller one beside his. "I trust you will accept my offer, a promotion, to rule this world, and all the worlds I conquer, as my queen," he stated, rather than asked.

Dora filled with joy, but she made every attempt to prevent it from spilling over. She rushed in front of him, and searched his gaze for sincerity. He stared back at her, anxious for her response. Her hands firmly held his arms, as if she never wanted to let go, and excitement blossomed in her eyes. "I can't believe this is happening. Does this mean we're getting married?"

"If you must call it that, then yes," he complained, but grinned at her eagerness.

"Then I accept, and I am proud to call you my husband, and to be your wife!" Without even thinking, she pressed her lips against his as she had always longed to do, but only briefly. She pulled back and the fire of a blush crept up her neck and into her cheeks. Her eyes filled with uncertainty. "May I kiss you again?" she wondered, staring at his lips.

Ganondorf wrapped an arm around her back to prevent her from escaping, and then placed a hand on the back of her head. He brought her into his body for more, to taste her sweet lips, and enjoy her strong, curvy body in his arms. The heat and passion boiling between them was intense. He paused his kiss and found the ferocity in her eyes that he secretly loved about her. It drove him mad with lust, anger, and deadly curiosity to know what lay behind those eyes, to know her more than ever before. "It's been a long time since I've been with a woman."

Dora tenderly caressed his cheek and smiled meekly. "I've never been with a man before, so it's like a first for both of us, right?"

He found himself pleasantly surprised, but he should have already known she would preserve herself for him. "Then I will take what is mine, and give you everything you have ever dreamed," he whispered seductively.

Chapter 9

Dora frantically clambered down the hillside to the portal under the bridge leading to the Dark World. No knights followed her, even if they were suspicious, but her heart raced as if they were directly behind her. The startling news she overheard while disguised as a beggar had her mind spinning. The portal opened into the Dark World, but the bridge was replaced by land, so Dora had to climb up the hill. On her rush to Ganon's castle, she removed the disguise she wore over her leather armor as not to alert the various minions on patrol. Her legs bolted her up the stone stairs to the main door, and then up the staircases inside. As she approached the wide open room where Ganondorf resided, she slowed and tried not to appear so alarmed. It was not the new information that had her entirely worried, it was what his reaction would be.

The room with the short, long rectangular table, decorated with maps of the dark and light versions of Hyrule, was his new favorite room, second still to the throne room. He had spent a week with Dora, after her return, to create a plan that would secure their victory over Hyrule, and spent the following three weeks scrutinizing the details to avoid any vulnerabilities. Her panting alerted him to her entrance, and he shifted his gaze to her from the maps. He remained calm and arrogant when he asked, "What matter is so important that you had to sprint all the way from Hyrule?"

Dora rushed down the left side of the table where he stood and gripped his hands. Her expression was void of her usual carefree excitement.

Concerned, he repeated, "What is going on?"

With his full attention gained, she explained, "I learned during my reconnaissance today that the princess is desperately searching for the last of seven wise men who are believed to know a ritual that will seal the Dark World off completely!"

He returned his gaze to the battle plans laid out on the table. "We must attack immediately."

"Our plans are not final, and we have not distributed the information to your minions yet. If we rush, we could fail," Dora said worriedly.

"I trust you will make it happen, regardless," he responded, challenging her.

"I have no doubt that I can," she confirmed, but was left wondering. "You aren't coming with me?"

"No. I must remain here," he answered firmly.

"But, I thought we discussed leading your army to victory together," she reminded, trying not to whine.

"My magic is stronger here, and the circumstances are dire now. I can keep an eye on you from here, send support if needed, and defend my castle if it becomes necessary," he explained seriously. "They will be after the Master Sword, and I must guarantee it will never be wielded by the hero, or we will fail."

Dora was not pleased. "I came back to conquer Hyrule by your side. We have only been reunited for a month, and already I have to risk losing you again," she admitted with tears brimming her eyes.

The fear in her eyes was far different from her usual confidence. He wanted to console her, but felt disappointed that she was even worried they could be defeated. "Your goal is to lead my army so they can focus on eliminating the knights of Hyrule, and your primary goal is to kill Zelda. That will prevent the creation of a new seal and weaken the current one enough that I can destroy it with my own sorcery. However, if the seven wise men convene, and the seal restored to full strength, you cannot return."

"What?" she shrieked. "How can you say that? I need to come back to you!"

He released her hands and slid his fingers up her arms, to rest them comfortingly around her shoulders. "If we are both trapped here, who will I entrust with the important task of releasing me?" he asked directly, and accepted her expression of clarity as her answer. "You will be responsible for opening the Dark World again if your worst fear should come to pass."

She smiled at his reassuring words. "That is only if we lose, and I know we won't."

He grinned at seeing a familiar ferocity return to her, which was the fierce confident warrior that excited him. "Take half of my army with you to Hyrule, and leave others behind to defend the Dark World entrances. Send large battalions through each portal to overwhelm the knights and kill the wise men," he commanded powerfully.

"I love the way you take control," Dora said with a playful smile. She kissed him passionately, and he pulled her close. It was in his arms, the way he tensed to never let go, that she learned he disguised his own fear of losing her. She pressed her head against his chest with her arms resting around his waist, and spent minutes being held lovingly by her husband. She memorized the rhythm of his heartbeat, and the pattern of his breathing, so that she would never forget.

Ganondorf reluctantly released her, and she stepped back. "And this time, do not fail to bring me Zelda's head," he threatened, secretly hoping this was not good bye.

"I won't, I promise. I will be back soon," she said, swallowed her emotions, and reluctantly forced herself to turn from him.

The End.