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Endgame	By : RyuaAlba Category: Zelda > General Views: 26666 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda, or any of the characters or regions or names associated with it. I make no money from this fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
“Alright, ready?” Zelda asked, sitting on the floor wrapped in a quilt, with Link’s letter in her hands. Link was curled around her, trying to focus on the parchment, but somehow wolfish eyes didn’t seem to read as easily. They were both currently feeling in fairly good spirits, Link was surprised at how quickly things seemed better on a full stomach. He whimpered excitedly and nuzzled at her arm.
She chuckled and pushed playfully at his nose, cold on her bare skin. While it was nice to have something to wear again, she’d stripped it off the moment Ganondorf had left, scrubbing clean all evidence of his enjoyment. Hence the quilt and picnic on the floor while the dress dried.
“Dear Link,” she began. “We were so glad to hear that Renado saw you at the castle! He told us when he came back from Castletown after Princess Zelda’s speech. After your big fight with the Twilight creatures when the castle was destroyed, I said we had to go look for you. The others were afraid, but Ilia said we should go too, so me and Ilia and Beth went out to see what we could find, one of the Gorons came too to protect us. You weren’t there, but Epona was, and so was your sword and your shield. The Goron said he’d fix the shield but he didn’t want to touch the sword so I took it.
“Boy, was Ilia mad. She said this was worse than anything you’d ever done to her and that you shouldn’t ever get to see Epona again. She used lots of potions so Epona could get up and walk really slow, but she says you should have taken better care of her. Epona’s doing okay now, Ilia takes her to the spring every day to get better, but she still can’t run yet.
Ilia says we should take her home to Ordon, so we’re gonna pack up and go home. I think Malo is going to stay here in Kakariko with his shop, but me and Ilia and Beth and Talo are going to go back home. I hope you have fun living with the Princess, everybody says she’s really nice and really pretty. You should visit someday, but maybe don’t talk to Ilia.
Your friend, Colin.”
Link was completely overcome with both joy and homesickness, a strange mixture of bitter and sweet. There had been no time to check on his friends after banishing the darkness from Kakiriko and Death Mountain, he’d just had to hope they stayed there and were safe. He wriggled happily, nosing playfully at Zelda’s side, not even noticing that she was trying to push him away until she actually grabbed his nose. “Hold still, you silly beast. There’s more.”
Zelda had been thrilled for Link’s sake as she read the letter. She knew how much that horse had meant to him, and it was wonderful to hear that his friends from his hometown were still alive and well. She was less pleased, however, to see the clear, careful child’s printing end and a much bolder script begin, in fresher ink. “I am pleased to see that your horse survived, Link. She was a valiant opponent, worthy of being your steed. To ensure that she, and her escort of children, return safely to Ordon, I will personally send one of my own warrior cousins to protect them.”
This time, Link just looked up at her with a horrified expression on his face. The idea that Ganondorf knew about his friends from Ordon was bad enough. That he was sending a handpicked, probably fanatically loyal soldier to watch them was a terrifying notion.
“I’m sure they’ll be fine, Link,” Zelda said as firmly as she could. “If he’s sending a cousin, that means one of the Gerudo bandits. And while they might be vicious, powerful warriors, they don’t hurt children.” Kidnap them and raise them in their own tribe on occasion, but never kill them outright.
Hyrule had always had a rocky relationship with the Gerudo nation. They’d had peaceful spells over the centuries, but the Gerudo were proud women, set in their ways and fiercely independent. Between their own stubbornness and the resistance of the closer residents of Hyrule, they kept mainly to the desert and wastelands west of the country. Mostly, they made minor incursions and raids, subjugating the Bulbins who lived in the desert, kidnapping human men whenever they needed to increase their numbers. No one was sure why so few Gerudo babies were born male, but it certainly made them a unique culture.
Zelda thought she’d seen a couple of Gerudo warriors moving around in the rapidly rebuilding castle, helping with the construction. They were a full head above the average Hylian male, but her subjects seemed to be happy for their help rather than worried. Still, she’d like to be out there with them, making sure the new alliance was being well accepted, doing her job. And if Ganondorf had sent one of the Gerudo warriors off to Ordon with Link’s group of friends, there was no telling where else he’d dispatched them, or with what orders.
“Don’t worry about that,” Zelda said. “There’s nothing we can do from in here anyway. Just remember that they’re alive, and heading home.” She reached down, stroking his head lightly. Link closed his eyes and sighed, trying to just concentrate on his full belly and Zelda’s fingers in his fur, and ignore all of these things he could do nothing about.
The worst part about being a wolf, Link decided, was being unable to talk to Zelda. Although, being chained to the floor ran a very close second. He badly wanted to talk to her, about his friends, his horse, the country, these mysterious Gerudo warriors he knew almost nothing about… and he just wanted to reassure her, to tell her he was here for her… and by all the gods, he wanted to hold her in his arms.
He pressed his head against her side, trying to be as close to her as possible. It wasn’t enough for her, he could feel the tension in her body, holding herself rigid so she wouldn’t feel as vulnerable. But wolf bodies weren’t made to offer comfort the same way a human could. Wolves could mate, of course, but love and kindness weren’t part of it at all. It was all business to a wolf, like it was for most animals, and Link didn’t want to think about what his claws and teeth would do to Zelda’s skin, no matter how careful he tried to be. And the last thing Zelda needed was more pain, even with the best of intentions.
So he cuddled as hard as he could, wishing there was something more to do to pass the time or make her feel better. Or both, both would be good.
There was nothing to do. No conversations to be had, no gazing out at Castletown’s industry, no books to read or clothes to mend or sword to practice with… nothing. With such a drastic amount of nothing, Link settled down to doze again, an uneasy rest interrupted by worries about his Ordon friends and Zelda.
The day passed achingly slowly. Zelda got up a few times to stretch and stare out the window, and Link would pace restlessly for a while. He hated the way the chain dragged on the ground though, so he never moved around for long. She’d always come back to him eventually, kneeling down beside the cold fireplace, and Link would curl about her, his head on her lap or her feet. They’d nap for a while, until something drove them to pacing again, but the real restlessness didn’t come about until after sunset.
It was worse in the dark.
It wasn’t bad at first, while Zelda was able to sleep, but the nightmares started in pretty quickly. Link licked her cheek, nosing her to wake her up. She woke up with a gasp, flailing and shoving him away reflexively before realizing where she was. He whimpered softly, and she reached out for him apologetically, burying her face in his fur. The desire to talk to her, reassure her, ask about the dream was an actual pain in his throat. A strained whimper escaped as he yearned to say something, anything.
He’d thought having a wolf’s senses would make the night less intimidating. And when he was free, out in the wilds, it did. But here, trapped in a room he was unable to escape, with a traumatized princess he was helpless to aid, the dark seemed as scary as it ever had when he was a child. It wasn’t that he was afraid of something sneaking up on them, he knew the room was empty and secure as only a jail cell could be. It was more that the mind could wander, and imagination seemed to have no bounds. Everything seemed possible, and the darker the thought, the clearer it was.
Ganondorf would keep them as pets. Keep him like this, so he could offer just enough comfort to keep Zelda trying to be strong, so he could keep breaking her over and over. Trot her out to perform for the masses, then back into his bed again, until she was too tired, too fragile and brittle and she couldn’t pull herself back together again, no matter how soft his fur was or how eagerly he licked her cheek.
And when he wasn’t worried about her, it was about this mysterious Gerudo warrior tracking the Ordon children south. He knew Talo would be pretending to protect everyone, knew gentle Colin would actually be trying to keep them safe. And poor Ilia… she’d only just started to remember again, and it made him sick to realize how furious she must be with him, and for good reason. There had to be something he could do to improve the situation.
Well, there was.
He just wasn’t sure if he was strong enough.
-
By the next morning, Link was determined it had to be done, no matter how much the idea troubled him. Zelda pulled herself upright at first light, shuffling to the window and staring out at the growing light, trying to lose herself in the simple beauty of a sunrise. He looked at her slender body, her tension visible even through the gown she’d pulled on the previous evening, at the way her eyes were blank, reflecting the sun’s rise. It had taken half the night to talk himself into it, but seeing her look so tired, so vulnerable, his resolve hardened.
Maybe Ganondorf was just eager to come taunt them some more, or maybe the sunrise woke him and he just felt like checking in. Whatever the reason, Link’s ears pricked as soon as he heard the heavy tread on the stairs, and he moved to sit between the door and the bed. Zelda didn’t notice his approach until several moments later, and just stayed at the window, her fingers tightening in her skirts.
The door was unbarred and swung in slowly. Ganondorf was there, a slow smile on his face as he looked at Zelda, silhouetted in the sunrise by the window. He didn’t even notice Link at first until the wolf gave a soft whine. Looking down with a curious frown, Ganondorf took in the unusual behavior of the dog.
Link’s ears were laid just enough back to be submissive, not flat to his skill in fear. He crawled forwards, belly brushing the floor, his tail low and wagging softly. He stopped at Ganondorf’s feet, whining again as he stood most of the way up, ears pricking forward in a friendly greeting.
When Ganondorf reached out his hand curiously, Link flinched ever so slightly, repressing the urge to run, duck, or bite. Instead he leaned forward, nosing lightly at his fingertips, licking softly at his palm before he talked himself out of it. “Well… it appears you’ve learned some manners after all,” he said in a pleased tone. “I thought your natural pride would keep you a snarling beast for far longer.”
Zelda was watching with astonishment, her mouth slightly open as she turned half away from the window. There had been no way for Link to tell her what he was planning, of course, which meant these preceedings had taken her totally by surprise. She could tell Link wasn’t entirely happy, the way his ears flattened and his tail tucked down around his legs as Ganondorf stroked him from nose to tail. But he held still anyway, determined to see it through.
Ganondorf wondered if it disturbed the wolf to be petted by him as much as it would disturb the boy. There was plenty of time to experiment with that though, for now… “Bad dogs get punished, as you’re well aware,” he said, still stroking the thick ruff of fur around Link’s neck. “But you… you’re being quite good today, aren’t you?”
He smiled as Link licked his fingers again, less hesitation in his manner this time. Ganondorf knew what he was begging for. Nothing else would make the hero bend quite as quickly as fear for someone else and an inability to help them. “If I release that spell… you’re going to have to keep behaving. Keep doing as I say. You understand that? Otherwise it’ll be right back to a dog for you, and I’ll chain you to my bed this time.”
It was easier as long as he was thinking as a wolf. It was perfectly natural for his wolf self to whine and lick and try to please an alpha, as long as he could keep his human feelings out of it. He did wish Ganondorf would stop petting him, though, the caress was uncomfortably familiar. He whined appealingly at Ganondorf’s threat, licking his hand again and nodding awkwardly. Wolf necks weren’t meant for a human nod, although it was close enough.
“Very well,” he said, drawing out the twilight gem from a pouch on his belt. “Princess, a little touch of magic, if you please.” Link sneezed as he felt the twilight curse leave him, then glanced over his shoulder at Zelda. She seemed to be a little bit in shock, but a moment later, Link felt the now-familiar touch of her magic on him. As long as he’d been wielding the Master Sword, transforming back into a human had been something he could do himself once Midna withdrew the gem. Now, though, he needed another source of light.
Link sighed in delight as he felt his body shift forms, although he was compelled to remain kneeling due to Ganondorf’s heavy hand on the back of his neck. He was faintly surprised to see gauntlets on his hands replacing the manacle, feel the weight of his chainmail and warmth of the tunic on his body, although it wasn’t that big of a shock. He’d gained the clothing the first time after changing back from a wolf, after all. Pity he’d been disarmed before being cursed, though, none of his weaponry reappeared with his clothing.
The moment Ganondorf’s hand eased up on his head, Link scrambled on unsteady feet towards Zelda, pulling her against his chest, burying his face in her hair. “I’m so sorry,” he murmured. “I haven’t been here for you…”
“Not your fault,” she whispered, leaning against him, her body trembling again. It was such a relief to have his hands on her body again, so gentle and careful, his arms sheltering her. She couldn’t think of a more comfortable place to be, chainmail digging into her ribs and all. “You did your best.”
“This is touching,” Ganondorf interjected dryly. “However… it is also quite dull. Link, time to do some obedience training.”
It took a lot of effort for Link to keep his voice and expression neutral, almost as much for him to stay polite. “Please… not until we’ve had something to eat. It’s been a… a long night.”
“Very well,” Ganondorf said with a smile. “I’ll send something up directly. Talk all you want, feel free to weep and complain… but the clothes stay on.” He reached out, his hand running softly down Zelda’s back, brushing caressingly light over Link’s arms around her. “At least until I come back.”
- 11
- 12
- 13
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Endgame