Chapter Text
Link fell in battle.
And he had no one to blame but himself.
He should have trusted his friends. Trusted the sages, he should have asked for their help and yet, he did not. Not when he needed to prove himself. Not when control was ripped out of his hands over, and, and over again. He was tired, frustrated, felt as though he had to prove it to if not everyone else but himself that HE was a hero, a champion, a powerful warrior.
Yet here he was, beaten, bruised, injured as the Demon King reigned supreme, the Gerudo man's foot comfortably laid on top of Link's chest, immobilizing him, the very same hero who ventured the skies, the land of Hyrule as well as the Depths was finally pinned down like a bug by the very man he was destined to defeat.
"To think THIS was the Hero Rauru had graciously warned me... I am disappointed."
There he goes again, monologing regarding how powerful he is and how weak and pathetic Link is. Ears burning from both anger and shame. He hated feeling weak, was the constant fight and training he thrown himself into every Lynel fight meant nothing?! The Hylian struggled to push back only to be met with a powerful Earth-shattering stomp, forced into a coughing fit as fighting back only meant endless suffering.
"Accept your defeat with dignity, Hylian. To think I'd have a true battle by your blade... now I am left with a wriggling worm, unable to comprehend the reality that you... are a failure."
Shut up.
Shut up.
SHUT THE FUCK UP!!
Link snarled in anger, his frustration giving him momentary energy boost in successfully pushing off the Demon King's foot off his chest, lunging at the man, no sword in hand but instead, trying to choke the life out of the Gerudo. But the moment his skin made contact with Ganondorf's, the gloom within the Demon King simply sucked out any remaining energy out of Link, his attempt tharted.
And yet.
Link did not stopped. His eyes bore hatred, anger and vengeance agaisnt the Demon King, for everything he had done.
For ruining Zelda's life, forcing her to be turned to the Light Dragon for the Master's Sword restoration only for it all to be for naught.
For ruining Hyrule when it was already within the process of restoration from the Calamity.
For forcing Link to come face-to-face with the weakness of his own heart.
Weak... he felt weak... and it was not just the gloom sucking his very life essence, he could not save Zelda. He could not defeat Ganondorf when he was but a corpse so what hope he had in defeating Ganondorf at his fullest strength?
Power... he needed power.
With power, he could do it all, save everyone, not fail, he would never allow Ganondord to win ever again... he needed...
"... I could see that hunger in your eyes, you wish for strength. For power, no?"
Link simply grunted in response, uncaring of the gloom's effects, irritated by Ganondorf's deduction, was he that desperate that the Lord of Darkness himself figured him out THAT easily?!
" You're frustrated. Frustrated of how weak and helpless you are. How amusing."
Ganondorf laughed out loud, mocking Link's weakness as the Hylian growled in response, pushing both thumbs harder down upon the bigger man's throat all for naught.
" Go on, feel free to ATTEMPT to choke me, know that within minutes you would drop dead, you are wasting your time. However..."
Suddenly, Ganondorf's hands grabbed ahold of Link's wrist, stopping him in his track as the Hylian struggled in pulling away, trying escape the Demon King's iron tight grips, he felt as though his wrist had been chained in place, or perhaps he truly has lost all remaining physical strength, slowly going limp.
" To kill you now would be all too easy. And frankly, regretful. No, I'd like to show my retribution to your 'Goddess' instead. I'd hope she'd find it... charming. "
Suddenly, Link felt a dizzying sensation. Was it the gloom? No, it was... something else. The Hylian tried to keep his eyes open but somehow, he felt content washed over him. He was so angry, disgusted and frustrated. He felt his blood boiled so hot as the lava within Eldin's Depths, threatened to burst. Yet somehow, all of these countless thoughts and emotions that once swirled within his mind like a melting pot... seized.
Anger.
Hatred.
Fear.
Sadness.
Jealousy.
It felt... incredible, when Link looked down he realized it why exactly... Ganondorf's hand was on his chest, where he had stomped him. His ... heart, had stopped beating. Yet instead of dying he... felt nothing. Nothing but the quench to only become stronger... and stronger.
Was this ... how Ganondorf felt?
Seeing Link's surprised expression elicited a dark chuckle out of the Demon King, he could tell how content the Hylian felt.
Then, as if he had shown too much grace, the Gerudo pulled his hand away, forcing all of the negative emotions and thoughts to come flooding back in, overstimulating the Hylian.
"GAAAAHHHH!!"
Link shouted in pain, he wanted that peace. He wanted it so back. To stop feeling weak. To stop feeling his own mind constantly berating him for feeling weak.
He would do anything to obtain such peace, such tranquility within his mind EVEN if it meant he'd-
No.
No, no, no.
What was Link thinking? Immediately the Hylian shook his head, realizing just how close he was to striking a deal with the Gerudo just for something so foolish?! What would everyone think of such shameful thoughts?! The Goddess, Zelda, the Sages?!
He did not know what the man did, but he should NOT had allowed it to happen in the first place. Why, why did the Gerudo did such a thing to begin with?!
When Link demanded an explanation, the Gerudo man simply stared cruelly, almost mocking the Hylian. Why did he... what is his plan. Why was he no longer attacking him? Was it... because Link lost? That Ganondorf sees no reason to hurt him any longer now that the fight was over? Then if that is the case, when will he just finish him off and kill him already-
"Mmphf?!"
Ganondorf forced himself onto Link, kissing the Hylian out of nowhere, why?! What the Hell was going on, before Link could even push him away, a strange black liquid was pushed into Link's throat by the Gerudo man's thick and wide tongue, forcing it down.
?!
Link attempted to push the man off but he was simply too weak, he could feel it, the liquid had the same effect as the gloom but in small doses. If this was the villain's plan to kill Link in the most filthy and most shameful way... then so be it. He had lost... he could feel his consciousness slipping, was it Death finally embracing him after suffering countlessly as Hyrule's hero? Ah, a fitting punishment for a selfish man who prioritized his own pride over the very land he was born to protect. Serves him right.
Would Zelda be upset he had failed in defeating the Demon King?
Would his friends even be capable of defeating the monster without him?
Would Sidon... feel sad if he were to die?
.
.
.
"Sleep well, oh Hero of Hyrule. For I have 'other plans' for you."