Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Rebel's War - The Dragon Knight of Qin

-That Evening-

The day went by without incident. Link scrambled away from the tent with bruises, and Ganondorf left with a content smile. Zelda found somewhere guarded yet quiet where she could find some peace. A messenger brought back Sarah and Malon. It turned out that finding them was easy, as Sarah was putting up quite a fuss about returning to the princess. She was practically weeping in joy as she threw herself on Zelda. And without the threat of the Rebellious Hero anymore, and the monsters of Twilight reduced to ash, it was finally considered safe enough for the Majora and Mitagi nobles to return and see the layout of the city too.

The twin witches were found dead and barely recognizable. During the fight with the dragon, they had fallen a great distance to their deaths and exploded on impact, as that happens when you fall from a far enough height. Their remains were gathered in bags and presented to Ganondorf. He was stunned to say the least. Soldiers tried assuring him that it would have been a painless death, but he didn't hear them. He could only stare at the bags. Malon and Nabooru stepped up beside him to offer some comfort, but he barely noticed. It was like something big had been torn from him.

"They should be given proper funerals," He said, completely neutral.

"We will begin immediately," Nabooru agreed.

He nodded, and Nabooru left to gather help for the funeral arrangements. It would be a small, out-of-the-way, affair. Small logs were piled up with stones, and sweet-smelling oils and animal fat were thrown on top. What remained of the bodies were laid onto the pyre, and it was set aflame.

Through all of this, Ganondorf simply watched. He stood by the fire and watched as his mothers' corpses burned.

The Elder Fae stepped closer. He had seen and kept a respectful distance until the fire had just about gone out. Ganondorf could also see Zelda nearby, but she still kept her distance. Malon yawned from where she leaned next to him. It had been a long, silent night.

"How are you faring?" Nabooru asked.

"...I don't know..." Ganondorf answered. "I expected myself to be angry with them, to spit on them. A proper son would probably be mourning or sad. However, I feel... nothing. I am surprised more than anything else."

"From what I saw over the years, you three were distant." Nabooru tried to understand.

He nodded. "We were. They were more like teachers than parents as I have now seen. There is no love lost between us... but they did raise me to be strong. I will give them this much: I will stay here until the fire is out. Then we will continue on." He remembered himself and looked to her. "In a different way, at least, for I am no longer king."

Ganondorf didn't know how to feel about losing the leadership of his tribe. He had led the Majora because he was the strongest, fastest, and most stubborn. He was the alpha. He took care of his pack, and didn't think any more than that. However, his time among the Qin showed him that being alpha didn't always mean good things. There was a point where a nation reached such a scale that bullish leadership only hurt it. Being alpha of a pack was one thing, but to preside over multiple alphas with multiple packs required an entirely different touch.

He didn't mind being dethroned. Being alpha wasn't as freeing as he thought it would be. When it started, he had thought it would appease his angry spirit. Now he understood what he was fighting was not debts, responsibilities, mountains, or cages. He fought his own spirit.

Ganondorf did not mind being called the 'Demon of Majora,' either. It was a title based on his cruelty, angered nature, and appearance. But no one, not his former chief, not his parents, and certainly not Harken Dragmire, would ever tell him what he was. He would be judged for his choices now, not his birth.