-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.

"I am sorry," Nabooru eventually said.

"Don't be," He answered. "Be truthful with me. Was I a good leader?"

"Yes."

Surprised by her answer, Ganondorf fully turned to give her his attention.

Nabooru continued. "You have no willingness to manage anything. You hate meetings. You hate giving orders as much as you hate receiving them. You have always pressed forward. You never liked to manage anything you possess because that requires looking back. You are the worst at these things."

Ganondorf's eye twitched in annoyance. She smiled. "But you always press forward. When things get tough, you press through. You find challenges, find ambitions, and seek to climb never ending heights. And you took us with you. We were all content with the mountains, but you were caged and seek to free yourself. In so doing, you freed us as well. Now we can extend to the plains. Yet you still press forward... it's like you live to seek a dream, a dream we all have begun to share. You carved a path forward for us. That is to be a good leader and king to us."

Stunned by Nabooru's words, Ganondorf said nothing.

"I only hope to be as inspiring as you," She added.

Ganondorf knew there was more to be said. He was no longer king. He could fight the decision, but he didn't want to. He accepted it for the benefit of everyone involved, including himself. It felt freeing to no longer be chained to a throne. Nabooru could, and probably should have, taken this time to discuss what his new position would be, but she did not. In a way, he knew she didn't have to. They both knew what capacity he would serve best in. It was most likely to be as a general or champion. He could even be an ambassador, as Ganondorf had the best relations with Qin among the Majora.

Although 'serve' wasn't the way he would put it. Ganondorf disliked being subservient to anyone. He didn't care for spending his time on the betterment of others, at least, he didn't before. As Ganondorf continued to think, the Dragmire name sprung to mind. The Majora did not need him, but the Dragmire did. Ganondorf needed them as well. If he could save his family, he thought that there may be a way to save himself along the way.

"Let me know when the Dragmire are safely in Majora lands..." Ganondorf murmured.

Nabooru did not respond verbally, but patted his shoulder before walking off.

Ganondorf watched her leave. Despite himself, he started laughing. He had thought himself the worst of all leaders, yet apparently, he was inspiring. He was cruel and did not believe in mercy. He had been lazy with his people and would use any excuse to chase the sun. Perhaps it was that chase that inspired them, he thought, as they wished to chase the sun like him.

"If you are not king... what are you now?" Malon asked.

"Myself," Ganondorf answered. "I now know what my enemy is. I am at war with myself. In my childhood, I was possessed, but thanks to the Fae water, I was awakened. Even so, I have a spirit in me that I cannot control. A spirit that would use me, control me, and set me as a slave. I refuse to submit."

"So, to the Fae, then?" She asked. "More of that water might help."

"To the Fae. However, I should give them the respect of requesting permission first."

Ganondorf and Malon stayed a bit longer, while the pyre continued to weakly burn. When the fire fully let out, Ganondorf said his final goodbyes. His relationship with his mothers had always been a bond of hate, anger, and cold teaching, but he would still acknowledge what they had done and sacrificed.

They departed in search for the Fae Elder. Soon enough, they found him standing near the center of the camp. As the Dragmire approached, they could see Mitagi elders arguing with both the Qin heir and General Geoffrey. Seeing the conflict, Malon thought it best to leave.

"Lord Dragmire," Elder saluted him. "you look as though you have thoughts on your mind."

"I have many," Ganondorf allowed. "Today is... surprising. I find myself humbled and in the debt of the Qin princess, with a glimpse of hope for myself and what remains of my clan. I hope you will not spread it if I admit to uncertainty in what to do with such feelings."

"I will not."

"The trials yesterday brought a thought to my mind; I wish to share them and follow with a request. As you know, I was trapped within myself for much of my youth. It was not until you thrust me into the Fae Grove that I was able to know myself. While it was against my will, I bathed in the waters of your people, and it cleansed me. However, despite this cleansing, recent occasions have proven I still possess a demonic spirit I cannot control. Would you say this is true?"

"It is true what you say. The corruption was pulled out, yet your spirit still tastes foul. Your control has become fragile ever since Harken awakened the Twilight in you. You risk awakening both sides of you every time you use your power. If you do, I do not think you could control it, and the results would be disastrous for those nearby."

"Then it is good we agree. My request is... may I use the waters of your Grove again?"

The Elder went silent. Faint head movements were the only indication that he was thinking. "What you ask is understandable and good. I sense you wish to gain control of this hostile spirit or purge it entirely." He grew back legs like a chair, leaned on them, and tapped his own knee. "However, before you bring your hopes up too far, I do caution you. There is no way of knowing if a second, third, or even fourth baptism will be any better than the first."

"Are you suggesting the first was a fluke?"

"No, rather that it brought as much good as this method can. Further attempts may offer no more benefit."

This did not bode well with Ganondorf. He growled in frustration and ran his hands through his hair.

Elder continued. "Do not be angry, Lord Dragmire. I caution you, but I do not withhold you. It is something that has never been done before. So as much as I want to say it will help, I only wish to caution you that it may not. If you wish to try, I will accept it. I will even go further and guide you to it so you may not get lost."

"Can I not use the Grove you have built in the Qin capital palace? Or the hollow volcano?"

"You can, but I would beg you to not. In pulling the corruption out of you, it would destroy the Grove. What you ask is comparable to setting all of Majora on fire to bathe in its flames. I say it would be best to go to the same one as before. My people have not returned to it, so doing this will not endanger us."

Ganondorf's eyes widened in surprise. "I-I did not know this. If I did this to you, why have you not held me accountable for destroying your Grove?"

"Of course not, we kept quiet about it. Your king agreed to keep it quiet, partially out of fear and partially out of your best intentions." Elder smiled. "We rebuilt. Not one of us would hold a child accountable for an accident like that."

Ganondorf gulped. He looked away, feeling ashamed. He disliked the feeling. "It seems I continue to pile up debts."

The Fae waved it aside. "A debt we have no need to collect. We want for nothing, after all. But to answer your proposal again, I say it is a good one. I will go with you so you may not be lost. Then, if the Goddess is with us, it will be of great help to you. I was planning on returning to that Grove anyway."

"You were?" Ganondorf eyed him curiously.

"Yes..." Elder's composure saddened. "The Twilight we fought... they were once Fae. I do not know how, but they have become twisted and monstrous."

"Fae?! How is that possible?"

"Fae have, over the ages, gone separate ways. Some have become close to Nayru, some to Din, and some have stayed as children of Farore. We are all siblings, no matter what, but this occasion leaves me to wonder if some have gone after Twilight. It is a matter I wish to discuss with the forest. I fear a Grove has appeared that we must be wary of. Perhaps it is in league with a rival of Qin, or it is far off. Either way, it is no small thing that they showed themselves on the day you were to be executed. The Twilight Fae are drawn to you."

Ganondorf scoffed. "Most likely to eat me."

The Fae laughed, making Ganondorf scowl. "I do not find it amusing." Annoyed by his amusement, Ganondorf turned his attention elsewhere. "What are they arguing about?"

Elder followed his gaze. The Mitagi argument was heated and seemed to be going nowhere. "Troubling thoughts," he said. "Though I am not close enough to know every word, when they raise their voices high enough, I can catch something." Elder paused to listen. "...The Mitagi are not as loyal to the princess as it would seem to be."

Ganondorf frowned. He agreed that it was a troubling thought. If the Mitagi's loyalty was in question, so was the security of the entire nation-state. Inevitably, Majora would be in danger if Qin fell.

"How so?" Ganondorf pressed.

"The elders demand your head for the attack on the fortress. The price of Ouki Mitagi's head had been bought with compromise, though no one here was ever at fault for it. Now they demand compensation for the fortress."

"No one here is at fault for that one either. The Twilight and their so called 'hero' attacked it. The Mitagi elders can take it up with those two."

"It is a curious thing about mortals and their pride. They are rarely satisfied with the death of the ones who actually cause incidents. They see it as an excuse to gain something, as if they are a lowly victim that must be pitied beyond cause. If it were truly a just world, they would be satisfied with the Twilight's defeat. Yet here they are, and as much as I wish to reason with them, they are correct in saying you and I played a part in this."

Elder's words angered the Dragmire. He hissed and stomped a few feet away. It was moments like this that reminded him of how much he hated people.

"They would call for payment from the very ones who defended them?!" Ganondorf snarled.

"They would. This is the way of politicians. Now they are putting the princess in the position of choosing between you and them, yet again. All the same, calm yourself. Control yourself. They may be fools, but that is no reason to take it personally. The fortress is being retaken, their armies are secure, and their people are safe. It is their pride that is hurt most, as well as their indomitable reputation. It is not as though you or I can do anything for it. They are as children who throw a tantrum until they are given a toy."

"A toy," Ganondorf repeated. A thought suddenly struck him. "The Mitagi and Majora have never been on good terms, have they?"

Elder tilted his head. "I cannot say they have. Their rivalry has been from the beginning. Few have been able to cross it, Ouki, chief among them. Why do you ask?"

"I have an idea. A formal gesture, if you will, that may shut them up. I do not know if this will work, but follow me on this, if you will."

With that said, Ganondorf approached the tent from where the yelling came. The Fae followed, watching curiously. Guards tried to withhold them, but Ganondorf shoved every one aside to enter.

"Get that mountain demon out!" A Mitagi elder exclaimed as soon as he entered. He pointed furiously at the Dragmire.

The rest of the tent's occupants turned to see who entered. Zelda looked infuriated. Ganondorf had no doubt she was red-faced from yelling so much, but his interruption did not seem to help her mind calm. She seemed to silently demand that they leave. Even the ever-calm Geoffrey was angry, but it wasn't because of the new presence. Unlike the two Qin, though, the Mitagi loudly voiced that they would have none of Ganondorf and yelled for guards to remove him. Elder blocked anyone who approached and set a level glare, warning them to stay back.

Ganondorf sighed. "That is rude. I could not help but overhear parts of this discussion, as loud as you are." He leveled his attention on the elders. "It sounded like a hoard of pigs squealing or being poked with a hot iron. I asked my Fae friend if we were being overrun by swine now, and I came to be sure we were not in danger."

"... You did not." The Elder replied flatly.

"I was being sarcastic!" Ganondorf hissed through his teeth. He returned his attention to the Mitagi. "Now, regardless of whatever-what's-it problem you have with me, it occurs to me that we can come to a nice little compromise."

"Compromise!? You attacked us!" One elder screeched.

"He was defending-" Zelda barked.

Ganondorf put his up his hand. "Regardless of whether I attacked you or not, you really think it's smart to piss off a demon? I brought that dragon down upon your castle. I defeated your hidden little 'hero.' You really think four wet-behind-the-ears fools with more straw between their ears than what's fed to their horses are anything to me?"

The elders stepped back fearfully. "A-Are you going to let him speak to us like this?!" They blabbered to Geoffrey.

"I do have to ask you speak with more respect, Lord Dragmire." Geoffrey sighed.

Ganondorf laughed loudly. "I am not a king anymore. I don't care! You think I speak on behalf of anyone!? I was fine with dying earlier. I don't see why I shouldn't die now, taking four irritants with me!" Ganondorf set his hands to be aflame.

"Princess!" The men squealed.

Zelda and Ganondorf shared a glance. An unspoken exchange occurred that bordered on animal instinct. Her anger left her, and in its place was ice-cold defiance.

"Your words border on treason," She whispered to the elders. "I may be better off without you and leaving peasants in charge who would not question my authority and risk the security of Qin over mere pride. Besides, unlike you, I know better than to piss off a demon that can do that." She pointed in the direction of the castle. Though they could not see it through the tent, everyone knew she was referring to the giant dragon corpse.

The men fell back to the edges of their seats in fear. "Compromise?! What do you propose?"

"I have something of yours I would see returned," Ganondorf said. "I typically don't mind a good steal or a good kill, but if it means shutting up your insistent pig squealing, I guess I can go without." Ganondorf held up his fist and lit up his triangles. Their eyes fell on the hollow one and widened. It clearly meant a great deal to them. "I took this hollow triangle off your hero. It belongs to Mitagi. So how about I return it to you, and we never meet again?"

"You would do that?" Zelda asked, surprised. "You took it from the assassin. You earned it."

"Earned it!?" The nobles exclaimed. "It is ours!"

"Oh, just shut up," Geoffrey snipped.

"I would give it," Ganondorf said. He pointed to General Geoffrey. "But only if you receive it." The room stood stunned. Ganondorf smirked, "Consider it a gift. A gesture of good will. If, of course, the princess of Qin agrees."

Zelda smiled brightly. "I agree wholeheartedly. I can think of no greater honor, and no better man worthy of it."

"Will this satisfy you?" Ganondorf looked to the nobles. "It would bring much fear from your enemies to allow a champion of the Triple Goddesses on the front lines for the Mitagi's honor, "

The nobles gulped and then whispered amongst themselves. They despised the prospect that an outsider would be made champion of the Triple Goddesses and receive the Mitagi birthright. But their thoughts were tempered by the fear they had for Dragmires. His words of them regaining some honor were sweet too. For many years, the Rebellious Hero had guarded the hollow mark zealously. It was a powerful tool, both in military and religious honor. If it was in the hands of one who championed them, their influence could skyrocket.

"We accept," The men agreed.

Ganondorf extended his hand. "Then will you accept the honor of becoming marked as a champion of the Goddesses, Lord Geoffrey?"

Geoffrey looked between them. Zelda nodded, and suddenly the nobles were in support as if they had never disagreed. He looked to Ganondorf. What they requested was more than just being a champion of the Mitagi, or of their Triple Goddesses. Geoffrey was being offered to be equal to a legend, to wield power literally ripped from the hand of an ancient hero.

Geoffrey reached out and took Ganondorf's hand to shake it. It took a moment for Ganondorf to let go, holding it a bit longer than Geoffrey expected from a handshake. Upon release, though, Geoffrey found he had a hollow triangle on the back of his hand. He felt gentle heart pulses, distant, yet near, on his hand. In that moment, he knew that he had bridged a gap between their peoples in a way only Ouki could have done. In his heart, Geoffrey still mourned, but this gift, this honor, was one he knew his lord would be proud of. He could almost imagine Ouki smiling on him.

Zelda stepped in. "With this, I think it only appropriate to be given the honor of a great title."

"You honor me, princess." Geoffrey saluted her. "What name do you propose?"

Zelda left the tent and looked at the fortress. She saw the dragon's corpse and said, "You smited the dragon with your shield, did you not? Stood against it for a long time, both in my defense and the defense of the people? Already, I have heard whispers that the people and soldiers want you to be named 'The Dragon' in honor of this. But I think it isn't quite fitting. You are a man of the west, and I think some respect to that should be acknowledged. If you do not object, you will be known as Lord Geoffrey Mitagi, the Dragon Knight of Qin."