-Impa/Zelda-

-Kanyou, Capital of Qin-

The black wall disappeared. What was revealed behind the black curtain was nothing short of a battlefield. Walls were gone or collapsing, fire was rising, the stone stairs leading down to a dungeon had collapsed, and more of the palace was on the verge of collapsing.

Zelda was midst the rubble trying to lift a beam.

"Princess!" Impa rushed in to pull her away from the fire.

"No! Get her out!" Zelda pointed at a girl who had fallen in the rubble.

The soldiers rushed in to help while Impa lifted her princess in her arms and carried her away, despite Zelda's protests. The soldiers lifted the beam up and pulled a girl out. They laid the girl out on the floor where it was safe. Immediately Zelda removed herself from Impa and checked the girl. Impa did not resist her... she was too stunned. She had never seen Zelda like this.

"Who is she to you?" Impa wondered.

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. The girl was bruised and most likely had a broken arm, but was otherwise fine. She was young. She would heal given decent care.

Zelda stood and hardened herself. "Captain, there are men down in that tunnel. Allies, Zant's followers, and Kei Ki. Have men dig out the stones, capture Kei Ki the Beheader, and flush out what remains of Zant's men. How is the situation around the palace?"

The captain said. "The losses due to the bandits are few."

Impa explained. "They had killed the guards at the gates to allow entry for the distraction, while they took the Sheikah entrances to go after you themselves."

"I want all Sheikah entrances destroyed and redone in a layout that the commander of my Royal Guard would know!" Zelda ordered.

"I understand... in my time, they were put to good use, but these repeated usurping of the throne has shown problems in the palace security. I intend to change that..." Impa hesitated. "If you will allow me."

Zelda looked to her curiously. "Why would I not? You are Shadowmaster of the Sheikah. You know more of the passageways than anyone."

"Seems the messenger did not make it. Your highness... I have stepped down as Shadowmaster."

"What?" Zelda gasped. "Why would you do that!?"

"There were fears my loyalties were divided." Impa replied heavily. "And... their fears were justified. I could not be Shadowmaster of the Sheikah and minister of Qin, both. By trying to be Shadowmaster I abandoned you... A mistake that has left me many sleepless nights."

Zelda could barely dare to breath. She stared wide-eyed at the older woman. "What are you saying?"

Impa knelt to be at Zelda's height. "Your highness. If you will accept me back, it would be my honor to be your minister once more. Not in part this time, but in whole."

Zelda fidgeted, and for a moment she looked like a child, uncertain and afraid. Not that she did not understand formality, but the implications of what Impa was saying had an impact on her. She was not prepared for a moment of feeling. She was exhausted, hurting, covered in blood, was shaking from adrenaline, had nearly died multiple times for different reasons, the world was spinning from her head injury until Zelda could barely stand, she was worried about Sarah and Link and Ganon, and suddenly her first friend was back... Back and swearing loyalty. Back after Zelda had been alone carrying the weight of a kingdom on her inexperienced shoulders for months, scrambling to survive each day as if she was back in Zhao again.

Zelda whispered, "Then for this night I grant you the rank of Chancellor for this night, and I will do arrange to make it permanent. As my first command: take over for the night. I am so tired."

With that simple declaration, her body seemed to catch up with her mind and Zelda felt herself overcome with weariness. Impa caught her as she collapsed, and scooping Zelda in her arms, comforted her and promised to take care of everything.

Zelda remembered no more.

Impa took Zelda to her room. She frowned to see the room had been trashed, but none of the less straighten the bed from where it had been tossed aside. The female servants had fled the battle, so Impa gave the captains their tasks to carry out while she briefly bathed Zelda. (She certainly wasn't going to let some male guard or servant see the monarch naked.) Impa's heart clenched at the sight of how much blood Zelda had on her. It was on her from feet to upper torso, on her hands and arms, on her face, in her hair... No amount of scrubbing would be enough. The tub quickly became red from all the blood Impa scrubbed off of the young girl. Impa had to pour out the water and refresh it twice before she was done.

Impa knew blood did not trouble Zelda, but that very thing is what troubled Impa. Zelda had improved by leaps and bounds since her escape from Zhao, but Impa knew that deep down Zelda was still the broken girl off the street.

Girls in this day and age were objects, little more than porcelain dolls whose only hope were to be married to a man who could take care of her. Scars, loss of virginity, mental or physical illness, or any other sign of imperfection or being unclean meant being undesirable... and Zelda had many scars.

The entire time, Zelda unconsciously held on to her, as if afraid of letting go. Impa laid the girl down on her bed.

Impa set to work plugging every security hole in the palace. The prisoners were taken to the courtyard while the workers tasked themselves with clearing the rubble from the primary set of stairs. The fires were put out, the bodies of the defenders were set aside respectfully until such time as proper burial could be made while the bodies of the attackers had lots cast for their belongings and the bodies set aflame. The servants returned from the safe house and word was sent to the nobles of the events, with emphasis on overwhelming victory. Impa felt it would be counter-productive to describe how close Zant had come to killing Zelda.

Because in the end that was the truth. The victory was overwhelming. Zant had thrown underwhelming forces at them for the singular purpose of killing Zelda himself. Impa saw how obvious his selfish plan was easily. He never intended for a single person to live in his attack. His only thought was reaching Zelda.

When the dungeon was finally opened, the prisoners were taken and placed in cells. An unconscious boy was found, who the Palace Guard claimed was an acquaintance of the Princess. Impa thought she recognized him, but could not place him. He was sent to the doctors. The body of Zant was hung from the outer walls of the capital city with a declaration of his treason, with most of the details lightened to not show how much he had done, so that all travelers could see him as birds feasted from his corpse.

Within the dungeon was found the criminal Kei Ki the Beheader, and-

"A Dragmire!" Impa hissed. She drew her daggers.

Around her the Royal Guard did nothing, but looked at her like she was mad. Kei Ki snickered from the side while in chains. The red-haired Dragmire merely sighed. "My name is Ganondorf Dragmire. I am an ally of your High Princess. I am the king of the Majora."

"He is speaking the truth, Chancellor." The captain said to Ganon's defense. "This man is an ally. He helped in our defense."

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Impa glanced at him before narrowed her eyes at the Dragmire, judging whether to trust him and their words. She knew that the Majora had returned and were instrumental in Zelda's ascension to the throne, but she had not bothered pressing for a name at the time. It seemed a lesser detail with so much going on.

But to trust a Dragmire...

Except she was no longer a Shadowmaster. She was a Chancellor. It did not matter. She was choosing the life of a politician, so her first-instinct as a spy wouldn't work.

Impa sheathed her blade, and bowed slightly at the hip. "My apologies, Lord Dragmire. May I offer my thanks on behalf of Qin for your assistance in quelling this rebellion."

Ganon nodded.

Impa continued, "If you are indeed an ally of Qin, then return to your room while we secure the premises."

"Your men told me that before. As you can see," Ganon smiled widely. "I don't care. I don't let my own mothers tell me what to do. I don't let your princess tell me what to do. I certainly won't let you tell me what to do."

"... Then may I offer it as a suggestion?"

"You are free to. I shall take it under advisement... and promptly dismiss it." Ganon walked by her.

Impa sighed and rubbed her head. She had a feeling the Dragmire was going to be difficult.

"Just what is she thinking, allying herself with a Dragmire..." She wondered.

Elder introduced himself, and Impa couldn't have been happier to see him again. Were the occasion less serious, she might have excused herself to catch up with him and tell him more about her life, as the Fae and Sheikah had been keeping contact, albeit scarce, up to this day. Instead Elder offered the aid of his people, and Impa set the Fae to work repairing, strengthening, and securing the palace. They could not repair all of it, as fire and ashes were beyond their ability, but with the Fae's help months of work was cut short in hours. Passage ways of the Sheikah that Impa wanted sealed explosively were sealed with subtly, and more firmly than ever, allowing the creation of new Sheikah passage ways the Royal Family and Royal Guard would know of. The structure of the palace, inside and out, was strengthened.

-Ganondorf Dragmire-

While Impa kept the palace in a flurry of motion, Ganon wandered aimlessly. He had vented his anger and frustration on his enemy, and was left suitably tired and at a brief moment of peace. The angry wolf within was sated by exhaustion and blood.

He observed the Fae and Qin work, he observed Impa openly as she directed them through the night, he gazed at the capital from a balcony, and he let his mind ponder. He did not so much think so much as feel. He didn't know the specifics, and he didn't know why his heart felt so, but he felt something was missing. Something important... about his past, about his endangered clan, about what happened. Perhaps all of these things, yet perhaps none of them.

All he knew was that he was left devoid of the anger and fury that festered in his veins for a brief time. It was a calmness he knew well. Growing up he would always unleash his power and hate, and be left calm as he finished, but the calmness was never whole. Like a burning coal the heat never left him. It merely... lost its fuel briefly. It was a moment of exhaustion, of tiredness, and of weakness, and he hated that had to come to that, but it was also the only time he could think and feel without his mind being clouded. It was the only time he considered himself truly rational.

Ganon remembered Link's words. The boy had been making a compliment, and had said something foolish. Yet Ganon could not help but feel there was something truthful in it that the boy had perceived unknowingly. Ganon was often portrayed as a demon for his Dragmire features, and demons were born of the chaos and conflict between Twilight and Divinity on the border of reality. Between what was and between what is. And Ganon was taught to use the fire of Din and the shadow of Twilight both...

Every other Majora who tried such a union failed and were horribly wounded by it. His own parents could not. One used fire while the other used shadow. Ganon was the only one in Majora's history who could wield both... and not only use them well, but be made stronger by it.

As if he really did have a demon-worshiping bloodline.

Such a thought only reminded him of Zelda's words about the value of bloodlines. Much as he despised it he could not refute it had some truth to it. Ganon respected her. In truth he found he respected her far more than he thought he would, and more than he did any other leader he had known besides the Fae Elder. She was as irrational and unwise as any her young age, weak, and floundering around in court desperately trying to stay above water... but had a determination and resolve and strength of purpose he had never seen before. He had been impressed when she declared her purpose and vision, and how firmly she said it. He was drawn to that fire.

As he thought of her, his feet directed him to her door. The door had been smashed open, and the guards nervously watched him as he stood outside. Briefly he looked at her sleep and considered her. She was as scarred as she was delicate. Her room was as much armed as it was comfortable. Her study was as much cold as it was orderly. Having been around mostly woman most of his life, he knew this to be unusual.

Was she dangerous? Were her scars too much? Was she going to break at some point? Ganon hoped not. He... needed her. Without her the brief peace between Qin and Majora would end, and he would return to the cage of the mountains. Without her he would never be able to explore and expand his wings freely and escape. Without her the resolve, vision, and ambition he was renewed with would be reduced to ashes.

Suddenly starting to feel a bit like a stalker for standing there so long, Ganon shook his thoughts away and continued to wander. Seeking something new, his feet took him to the doctor's wing. Most of the wounded were enemies, and they gazed at him fearfully. The doctors saw him and asked him to leave, saying his appearance was frightening. Ganon growled, but ultimately accepted. They were doctors. At least one thing he could agree with Qin about was respect for priests and doctors. Their authority was perhaps the only ones he would ever accept.

As he left he caught sight of Link, and something bothered him. Ganon hid himself behind a shelf so as to not be seen by the doctors. Link had bandages around his head and was covered in scratches and his clothes were full of holes. It was as if he had been cut dozens of times.

"You know its creepy how you stare at people with those red eyes..." Link murmured quietly. He gazed back at the big man with the one eye not covered. Something about his gaze troubled Ganon. It was dull and empty.

"Hm." Ganon hummed noncommittally. He changed the subject. "Your clothes are cut all over, yet your wounds are small and you do not have a single scar."

"..."

Seeing the boy wasn't going to elaborate, Ganon probed, "Why is this?"

Link avoided his gaze and turned over to put his back to him. Ganon furrowed his brows, the boy had never ignored him before. If anything the boy went out of his way to be the center of attention, be involved, and engage with as many as possible.

"Hypocrite," Ganon scoffed.

"What does that mean?"

"Means you demand attention, but the moment it doesn't suit your purpose you ignore them. You have a double standard."

"Shove it." Link growled. "You do the same."

"I'm a leader, it is necessary. You are not. Not yet."

"Good! Don't want to be." Link said shortly.

Ganon raised an eyebrow. "Was it not your dream to be a great general...? Just what happened down there?"

Link stubbornly said nothing. Ganon guessed, "Are beating yourself over not saving everyone? Over not being here soon enough. How important do you take yourself?"

"Enough to let them die!" Link finally whispered.

"You are a mere boy."

"I figured out my power..." Ganon straightened. Now he was intrigued. "When I fought Zant, whenever I was nearly struck, time flowed back to the beginning."

"Time?!" Ganon questioned. He had never imagined such a power.

Link continued, "Each time I should have died I returned to the beginning, and the fight would continue on as before... except for me. Knowing where a snake would spring let me stop it. Knowing Zant's powers let me be prepared." He breathed. "But my wounds stayed."

"And his did not." Ganon guessed. Link said nothing, and Ganon sensed he was right.

"I was so tired... just as much as I learned and tried new ways, and I could start to predict him, I couldn't... I couldn't keep up even knowing what to do. So many times Zelda died... so many times." Link shuddered. He stuttered and was sorrowful. "I... I had to sacrifice them to buy time. They were scum and bandits and I could have saved them but I chose the princess over a dozen men. They became nothing more than fodder to me! Their lives were worth seconds to keep him at bay until you arrived! Why did you take so long! Why did you force me to choose who lives and who dies?!"

"And what do you want from me" Ganon frowned. "An apology? Sympathy? Pity? You want me to say 'I'm sorry'? Fine, I'm sorry."

"Wha-"

"I'm sorry I chose to distract an army of assassins to let a coward through." Ganon said. "And anyone who ends up under your command has both my sympathy and my pity. Grow up, boy. You have been given a taste of power, purpose, authority, and consequence and you weep for it? If you find it evil, then turn back from your path and return to either an existence of slave meaningless or find a suitable life... as perhaps a shepherd. There is no dishonor in a fair trade; but do not cry for receiving a portion of the gift you have always wanted!"

Angry, Ganon left. As he departed he met the Fae Elder at the door. The Elder took him aside to speak him. Ganon said, "Do not lecture me on my words to him!"

"I shall not. It was necessary for him to hear... but surely you remember your first times. The power. The unnatural difference between you and others... when you first wore the mask."

"I remember, but I was far younger than him than."

"In my experience humans never reach an age where their first taste of such things is not traumatic and shattering of their perspective on all things."

Ganon considered him and relented. "I could have done so without anger, but I will not return and comfort him. He will endure far greater things. Better he hardens himself or steps aside."

"Or learns to bend." Elder added.