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Zelda Art Courage

Ganondork

goo
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Hey guys. So I decided to write a very short story today, and I managed to write it in a little over an hour. It's based off this comic. I really proud of it, and I hope you guys enjoy it.

***​

Clouds billowed overhead, enticing the fall of rain, which pounded against the hard earth. The moon was suppressed by the sheer quantity of clouds, hanging a dark shadow over the land. Within the shadows was a large castle. Its spires reached to the tips of the clouds, threatening to shed light onto the land.

A single balcony jutted out of the castle. A lone figure stood atop it. He was a tall man with a dark complexion. Red hair grew on his tanned head. Muscles threatened to tear apart the fabric of his clothing. He wore all black, hiding his body within the shadows.

A young girl stood in the threshold leading to the balcony, her golden locks of hair shimmering in the corrupted air. She wore a tattered dress which appeared to have been pink at one point, but years of wear and tear left it faded.

“My dear Princess Zelda,” the man said, still looking at the land before him. “Do you know why it is that men like me rise to power?” He crossed his arms, awaiting a response. When none came, he continued.

“It is not because I am strong, but because others are weak.”

***​

The forest was silent. The botany that hung overhead stayed in a suspended animation, devoid of any signs of animal life. The shadows danced around a single fire. It was a weak flame, but clearly not spontaneously created. A log sat alongside it, where a figure sat. He had blonde hair and was garbed in a green tunic. White pants were tucked into brown boots. A long, slender sword rested on the log, a bright blue shield next to it.

In the figure’s hands was a small instrument. It was a pale shade of blue with twelve holes. His fingers danced over the various openings as he blew into the mouthpiece.

“Men seek comfort and protection above all else, Princess.”

A green light surrounded the figure, rising high into the air. He grabbed his sword and shield as the beam hovered into the air. As the beam passed over the man, he disappeared into the forest.

“I do not take their freedom…”

The figure reappeared deeper in the forest. He put on a pair of brown gloves before equipping his shield. He took his sword out of its hilt, the sword making a hissing sound as it unsheathed, and held it in his hand. He looked onward at the temple that stood before him. Without a second thought, he heaved the long-forgotten temple’s door open and stepped inside.

“…Men are more than willing to give their freedom if that means the promise of one more cozy day in the prison of their own design.”

The figure was now but a silhouette within the dark temple. He fumbled around, searching for an unlit torch. All around him, he heard the sounds of laughter. It echoed in his ears, fear deep within his heart.

“Like insects, men scurry back into the darkness when a torch is lit.”

Finally, he found a single torch hanging on the wall. He took it out of its holster and lit it. He waved it high in the air. The laughter ceased, leaving only Keese to flutter away from the blinding light.

***​

The figure found himself trekking to a grand mountain. The tip of the mountain penetrated the thick barrier of clouds that hung over the land. Yet light still refused to shine upon the corrupted expanse.

“Men only seek to save themselves, Princess.”

The man reached a cave within the mountain. Inside, he heard the sound of quiet sobbing. He stepped into the darkness, unsure of what to expect. Yet, he pressed on. He followed the sounds of the crying, finally finding the end of the cave.

To the figure’s surprise, a small rock-like organism lay on the floor, sobbing. He kneeled down to the young Goron, sympathy in his blue eyes. The Goron looked into the man’s as well, stifling his crying for a moment. He looked into the tunic-clad figure’s eyes, unsure if to trust him or not.

The man put a hand on the Goron’s, worry etched on his face. The Goron looked at the figure again, and began to sob loudly. He put his arms around the man, crying into his shoulder. The silhouette picked up the Goron, holding him in his arms. The Goron just continued bawling as the figure led him out of the tunnel.

***​

“No, Ganondorf.”

Zelda’s hands were balled into fists. She looked at Ganondorf with newfound disdain. He still looked down at the land, listening to her response with great interest.

***​

The figure continued in his journey, now headed for the scorching desert. He was mounted on a beautiful horse. Its body was a shade of brown similar to his boots, but with a large white spot on its snout.

“Not all men are like that.”

He put his hand on the horse’s mane as he approached a broken bridge. A large chasm hung below the bridge, threatening to swallow anyone who approached. With a few words of encouragement to his horse, he let out a loud yell before the horse began to gallop at great speeds.

The bridge was quickly approaching. With a final yell of encouragement, the horse leaped into the air. Time seemed to slow down, but the man remained vigilant as he stared at the other side of the broken bridge. After what felt like an eternity, the man and his horse sailed across the chasm, landing on the other side with ease.

“Some care for others more than they care for their own wellbeing.”

The figure let his horse roam around the desert, patting her side with great affection. He looked at the obstacles ahead. Tanned women roamed around the area, armed with large swords. He snuck through the area, avoiding any conflict with the guards.

He snuck into the buildings, searching for the lost carpenters. He released all of them with ease, sparing every guard that wandered the hallways. They never found his work until he and his horse were riding to their next destination.

***​

The figure found himself deep within a temple full of tricks and traps. The walls were black, and he couldn’t help but feel fear as he continued to adventure into the bowels of the temple.

“You will never understand the minds of men, Ganondorf…”

The man found himself fighting a skeletal adversary. It swung at the figure with great skill, nearly hitting him with a sharp sword. He jumped back, returning with a hit in the skeleton’s face from his shield.

“…Because you don’t understand that courage isn’t the absence of fear…”

The figure looked into his enemy’s eye sockets and saw only darkness. It left him entranced for a moment, the bleakness reaching into his consciousness. He took a step back, fear taking over his entire body.

“…But rather the ability to overcome your fears.”

The man took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he felt the fear leave alongside the air he expelled.

***​

“You are a fool,” Ganondorf said, his entire body trembling with anger. “All men are the same, and that’s why I can crush them under my thumb. They are insects to be squashed, or to be ignored entirely. I am beyond the level of man – I am a god.”

Zelda shook her head. “You overestimate yourself, Ganondorf. Your words tell of the shortcomings of men, yet you are the delusional one. Your crimes will have consequences one day.”

Ganondorf turned to face Zelda. The sneer that had crept across his face as he spoke was now long gone. Now, a frown and furrowed brow replaced it. “There is no man that will ever face me, for I have broken their will.”

“No. You lie to reassure yourself that you have conquered Hyrule.”

Ganondorf’s hands were now balled into fists. “I will make sure that you die a slow, painful death,” he said, great disdain in his eyes.

“Your threats are hollow. Your work is done by those who you have manipulated, as you sit back and watch everything unfold. There will always be someone who will do what is right for Hyrule and put a stop to the evil that tries to plague it…”

The sound of footsteps came behind Zelda.

“…And that is why you will never win.”
 
Last edited:
Joined
Apr 16, 2010
I really liked it, Keith. It carried a great atmosphere throughout due to the wonderful description. The parts with Link and the parts with Zelda and Ganondorf had the same strong tone because of this. And having Ganondorf's dialogue intermittent in Link's portions worked out very well, so good call on that.

The figure found himself deep within a temple full of tricks and traps. The walls were black, and he couldn’t help but feel fear as he continued to adventure into the bowels of the temple.

“You will never understand the minds of men, Ganondorf…”

The man found himself fighting a skeletal adversary. It swung at the figure with great skill, nearly hitting him with a sharp sword. He jumped back, returning with a hit in the skeleton’s face from his shield.

This was the only problem I had with it. Using "found himself" twice this close together threw me off a bit. But that's a small error and the only one I saw. Great work, m8.
 

Shadsie

Sage of Tales
A great little fic for a great little comic (the comic you linked is one of my favorites - from seeing it on ZD).

A couple of nitpicks... Zelda's dress being worn into red... it's a little unusual. Is that from blood or from dark-colored dust? Most clothes that wear fade in color over time, even when dirtied.

The line about botany and "no life overhead" is weird for one who knows biology... botany (plantlife) is a form of life, so that's a little bit of odd wording. I know you probably meant *animal* life, such as birds or squirrels. Just mentioning "no signs of animal life" would fix it.

Still, a nice fic. I should read here more often, instead of just posting my own.
 

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