Within a couple of minutes, Link and Haruo had Ganondorf restrained. His hands were bound behind his back, and he was forced down onto his knees in a corner of the shack. Ena and Arata were keeping a firm watch over the general's broadsword, apparently the only thing he had on him. Everyone else surrounded Ganondorf, glowering down at him as he looked back with an irritatedly begrudging expression.

   Link, more than anything, was pissed off. He couldn't have even a day to spend with his friends again before something else went wrong. It made him want to spit, preferably in Ganondorf's face. It would be a nice callback to old times, when Ganondorf had beaten Link to a pulp. He didn't care about having ire for this man. The Gerudo traders were one thing, the Royal Guards were another, Ganondorf was... something else.

   Before anybody could hope to speak, Ganondorf started up. "Whatever you want to ask me, get it over with," he said quickly, though there was hardly any contempt in his voice. "I know, I'm the villain in your eyes, you have no need to remind me of that fact."

   Link gritted his teeth, taking a sharp breath. "Just shut the hell up, we'll ask ya whenever we damn well please," he said before looking to Resa. He knew she would be the one to truly ask the questions. 

   Courage... I a-ask that you talk... I-I wish to not speak, she said. I trust y-you and Wisdom. Link pursed his lips grimly, fully understanding why she wouldn't want to say anything. Even with what he had said to her, she still felt lingering guilt about her past—a fact he was still reeling from in some ways—and that would especially apply to Ganondorf. But Link was more than happy to do the talking. He glanced at Fira, waiting until the fox noticed him before asking telepathically that Fira read Ganondorf's mind. If Link's senses wouldn't be enough, hopefully Fira could find out if Ganondorf would be telling the truth.

   Link then finally turned his stare back to Ganondorf. Already his senses were being thrown off by the general's aura. There was some expected anger and annoyance, but more than anything, there was a feeling of desperation of all things. This was certainly going to be a strange interrogation. "First off, are ya actually alone?" Link started. "'Cause I don't believe that for a damn second."

   "I didn't come with anybody besides a Corviknight," Ganondorf replied promptly. "If you're wondering about his whereabouts, I left him to his own devices in the highlands to hunt if I didn't return right away. If I need him, I can return to where we agreed to meet at a certain time of day and whistle for him. He along with every other Corvinight are taught to obey directions like what I just described."

   Such a straightforward answer was the last thing Link expected to hear. Ganondorf had to have rehearsed it, it was stated so plainly. There was nothing from Fira, so Link continued. "Does anyone know you're out here?"

   Ganondorf shook his head. "No, I made sure nobody saw me leave. Hopefully they hadn't, or else we will all be in trouble soon."

   Link's eyes narrowed. Now if that wasn't suspicious. "Now why are ya here?"

   "I..." He trailed off, glancing from Link to Zelda before sighing. "I need your help, Holders."

   Silence, then a scoff from Link. "You! You need help from us?" he repeated incredulously. "You've been huntin' us for months, runnin' your guards ragged to chase us 'cross Hyrule, and ya think we're gonna help you?"

   "I know, and keep on berating me if you'd like. It's more than obvious that you wouldn't believe me, but for the sake of His Majesty and this kingdom, just try to," Ganondorf said.

   I can't believe I'm saying this, but there's hardly any thoughts besides begging for us to hear him out and thoughts of Daemos, Fira said. Scraps of worry about himself, the Corvinight, the... Fira paused, then continued on, shocked, the guards possibly pursuing him..!

   Link's jaw dropped at that. "There's guards comin' after ya?" he gawked with widening eyes. "The hell did ya do?"

   Ganondorf oddly looked just as surprised then. "How would you—?" He looked at Fira, then rolled his eyes, sighing. "Of course, I should have expected mind-reading. But hopefully that convinced you that I am telling the truth. There are guards coming after me, and unlike you, they want me dead.

   "Two nights ago, I was declared a traitor of Hyrule. I wasn't there to officially hear it, but I can guess that was what occurred after I escaped. I-I don't understand, I thought His Majesty was... well, to put it crudely I thought he was finally beginning to grow a spine and initiate a more direct method of achieving respect. But then he tried to kill me after I told him you had escaped the fortress, even with all I've been doing." Ganondorf's gaze fell to the dirt. "Now I'm sure I have a bounty on my head, the man who had supposedly tried to kill the king of Hyrule."

   "Then maybe we should just toss ya back outside, leave the guards to find ya an' deal with ya," Link said. "Get the guards off our backs for a bit."

   Ganondorf chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he said. "I'm impressed that you were able to recall that night since it was so long ago, but grudges can prevail through the oddest of circumstances. I suppose out of the two of us, you'll win this battle."

   Confusion filled Link's mind. His eyes narrowed as he tried to think. "The hell're ya talkin' about?" he asked faintly.

   Ganondorf arched a brow. "Was I mistaken? Do you not actually remember that night?"

   Those words made it all click in Link's thoughts. That night, that night... twelve years ago, when he had seen his own mother bleeding to death, and he had fled the house. His eyes met Ganondorf's again, and the look the general gave him was all the proof he needed he was right. What Ganondorf said next was merely more affirmation.

   "Link Renier, son of Hugh and Millia Renier. I couldn't forget those names if I tried," he said. "Nearly thirteen years ago, my older sister and I along with a few other Royal Guards tried to speak to your parents about coming with us to the castle. We wanted to affirm if you truly were the Holder of Courage. But everything went... wrong, for all of us, not just your parents."

   Link could see it in his mind's eye then, a flame going out. There was nothing he could say, he was rendered speechless by what he'd just learned. Finally, after so long, he was able to put a face to the one who had killed his parents. No wonder he had recognized Ganondorf's voice when he had met him so back in that tavern, it was the one who had first addressed his father all those years ago. But he didn't feel angry. That emotion was nonexistent. Shock, sadness, horror, fear. They all welled up inside him instead and threatened to spill out.

   Luce was at Link's side in seconds, a paw on his shoulder while she summoned an Aura Sphere in the other, aiming it at Ganondorf. Her anger was easy to sense, rippling off her in waves that made Link ill.

   No, Luce, don't! Fira objected, but she ignored him, snarling at the bound Gerudo. Ganondorf pressed himself into the corner of the shack, fighting the fear that slowly but surely crept onto his face as his eyes were locked onto the glowing sphere. Link's mouth twitched between a scowl and a grimace, his mind fighting to choose which one was more appropriate as he wanted to laugh at the irony.

   Zelda put a hand on Link's shoulder, squeezing it gently until he looked at her. "Please don't do anything rash," she said pleadingly.

   Link turned to look at Zelda, gazing blank-faced at her. He managed to speak then. "Don't tell me you're defendin' 'im..." he said dully, trying and failing to force anger into his voice.

   "He wasn't finished speaking," Zelda said. "Let him finish, and then you can do what you want after you hear him out."

   Link's hands weakly curled into fists. It was like he was going through the motions of one of his usual responses. "The only thing I'm gonna let 'im do is... beg for mercy."

   "And you will never get it from me," Ganondorf said. "It doesn't even seem like you feel up to 'making me pay,' so it would be a waste of time for all of us."

   Zelda's eyes lit up with anger, and she whirled to face Ganondorf. "Shut up! You're not helping your situation," she snapped, getting in his face. "I'm only advocating for you because you looked like you had more to say. He won't even attempt to listen if you keep acting that way, so just explain or I'll punch you!"

   "I didn't think you had any fire in you, but it's good to see you're living up to the pedigree the Holders of Wisdom have upheld," Ganondorf said. "At least, that is what His Majesty has told me."

   "Just explain," Zelda said.

   "I will, but before I do, may I ask that we be alone?" Ganondorf asked. "It's not like I can attack you, it's just I would rather not relive that night again with so many listening." He looked pointedly at everyone besides the two Holders. The Sheikah glanced at Resa, who crossed her sashes.

   If it will help, w-we will give... a few minutes, she said.

   Link shook his head, managing to glare at Ganondorf. "No, she's staying. She... needs to hear this," he said.

   Ganondorf gave Resa a cursory look, noticing the Triforce marking on her blade. "She's one of those Overseers, yes?" he asked, and Zelda nodded. "His Majesty found some book that told him about the Overseers and the temples. I thought it was some insane ramblings driven by his need to capture you all, but with how you kept appearing at the temples, it seems he was correct. She may listen if she wishes."

   If you insist, Resa said. It took a moment for the Sheikah and Murkrow to leave, slipping out one by one and vanishing into the night. Zelda asked Fira to leave as well, and while he was more than reluctant, a sharp nod from Luce reassured him that no harm would come to Zelda. Now it was just Link, Zelda, Resa, Ganondorf, and Luce in the shack.

   Once Ganondorf was sure the others were gone, he heaved a sigh. "This all started with a... proposition. See, I was once the Holder of Power. I discovered my powers early in life, though I could never utilize them fully. So I tried to use them as best I could to locate you and Harkinian. A servant like me didn't deserve to have such divine power when His Majesty could benefit from it more, so I gave it to him."

   Courage, do you recall... wh-what Queen Mipha and Impa had said? Resa asked. Link responded with nothing but a nod. Zelda was correct again, it seemed like they had found the source of Daemos' powers. Link could bring himself to believe this inkling, as it made sense, especially with what Impa had said. But it was the last thing Link cared about then.

   "After I gave him my power, I told him I knew of where the Holder of Courage could possibly be," Ganondorf continued. "My position as a general gave me opportunities to go where I wanted, I could simply say I was going to observe the guards in other towns and cities despite them being below me. After all, every guard needs a kick from a higher-ranking official to make them stop slacking off. I narrowed things down to Marin Town, and we made the trip out there and began searching.

   "That night, we tried to explain ourselves to your parents," he said, looking at Link. "We admittedly had timed things badly, coming at such a late hour and keeping our words so vague. We didn't want to risk any rumors starting, so all I said was that what we were inquiring about was for the sake of the kingdom and His Majesty. Your mother wouldn't let us get in a word, however. She began accusing us, saying we were looking for an excuse to arrest them or take you from them."

   Link felt himself begin to tense up. That... did sound like something his mother would have said.

   "Before we knew what she was doing, she was coming at me with a knife." Ganondorf's expression grew pained, his aura reflecting the shift. "I wasn't wearing my full armor so I could appear less intimidating, so she could have easily stabbed me in the stomach. Then Rija stepped in, taking the attack for me. She stabbed back in self-defense, but by then the blade was buried up to the hilt in her. Sh-she bled out in my arms soon after, and your mother soon followed."

   Link tried to process this. He didn't know why, but he was attempting to compare and contrast Ganondorf's side with his own recollection. "What 'bout my pops? Did Rija stab 'im too, or was it a different guard?"

   Ganondorf looked appalled but still answered. "He wasn't injured in the slightest, at least physically. Of course he was devastated. We tried to offer help, to at least bury your mother so he wouldn't have to, but he refused to take it. All he did was apologize... to us. So we left him alone. After all, we had already done enough."

   Link's heart skipped a beat, and his breath hitched. Right then, he dared to hope Ganondorf was telling the truth. "So he's a-alive..?

   Ganondorf nodded. "As far as I know, he is still alive and resides in Marin Village."

   His father was still alive. Link was reeling, struggling to breathe, or even think properly as his breaths left him in short wheezes. But was he really still alive? Although Fira wasn't there, Link didn't need to hear whether Ganondorf was telling the truth or not. The feelings emanating from Ganondorf were horribly real—and familiar. Link couldn't dismiss it, and yet... "I need to go out." Luce tried to follow, but he gently held out a hand to stop her. "I-I wanna be alone. Please."

   Zelda tried to stop him. "Wait, Link, what about—"

   Link responded before she could finish. "Whatever ya and Resa wanna do with 'im, I'll go along with it." Without another word, he pushed his way out the doorway. He passed by Fira and the others, though he didn't speak to them. All he needed was to get out of the outskirts.

   The narrow streets of the outskirts were almost as busy as they were during the day, so Link had no issue slipping past any curious gazes. He kept his hood up enough so his hair was covered, but his face wasn't shadowed; a hidden face was more suspicious. He also kept his eyes half-lidded to hide how large they were when they were fully open. This seemed to work, as he was left alone.

   Emerging out from the town of shacks onto the dead, dry plains leading out to the desert, Link breathed a sigh of relief. Alone again, but at least it was by his choice. He looked out at the distant sand dunes, remembering. Watching Seeán take off and leave was still fresh in his mind, he could still hear his own goodbye as he'd called it out. Hopefully she had made it back safely.

   You're stalling, he told himself, and he was right. He didn't want to confront even more conflicting emotions. There was still no anger, not even a hint, and... he frankly didn't care. More than anything, he just felt tired. He was tired of feeling angry. Whether it was because of everything he had gone through in the past two weeks or a burnout of what he had kept smoldering over the past twelve years, he didn't know.

   Even thinking that didn't seem real. He didn't believe it was possible to reach that point. Now here it was, so suddenly, and right when he thought it would reach its peak. He had learned the truth of that night, he should have been absolutely furious that it was Ganondorf. Not only that, he should have been furious that Ganondorf had the audacity to lie to him about this. But all he could do was simply stand here and stare out into the night.

   "Usurper," "desert scum," "damn liars," his mother's words stabbed into him like knives, each driving deeper than the previous. His father had hardly spoken against his mother, but Link could recall times where he had told Link to not listen to his mother about the Gerudo. By all means, what Ganondorf had said was accurate to his parents.

   A lump formed in Link's throat, and he struggled to swallow it. He didn't want to accept that his mother had been in the wrong. It was his mother, for Hylia's sake! But the pain in Ganondorf's voice, the emotions coming from him that resonated in Link's very core... They were unmistakable, he himself had felt them. There was no faking that.

   Link mustered up the will to think how he had with Najam, even if it was painful to do so. Ganondorf was still grieving, and he had been taking it out on Link because of that. Link had wanted to do the same to Ganondorf, so he couldn't be justified in those thoughts, but neither could Ganondorf.

   Stifling a groan, Link fought the urge to collapse to the dirt. Empathy was both a great and disgusting emotion, that much he had learned. Stil, he couldn't stand the idea of treating Ganondorf any differently, not until that Gerudo made the same effort.

   A presence shifted behind Link then, and he looked behind him. Luce was approaching him, obviously looking concerned. Link expected either her or Zelda to come after him, and at that moment, he was glad it was her.

   "Lu?" she yipped quietly, concerned.

   Link tried to reassure her. "I was just thinkin'. I'm sorry for makin' ya worry," he muttered.

   Luce scoffed, squinting angrily. Her lip pulled back into a snarl as she pounded a fist into her other, open paw. Link couldn't help but smile, even if it was weak and wavering.

   "Thanks for bein' angry for me," he said. "I-I... just can't do it anymore." Her expression fell slack with confusion, her paws dropping to her sides. He tried to explain his new thoughts to her, and while a small spark of anger kindled in him, it never grew. It was left there to smolder along with his thoughts and other feelings.

   When Link was finished, Luce smiled at him. "Lu car," she barked.

   "I know, weird after I've been like this for so long, Link said. "But I dunno... there's just a lotta shit I never knew 'sides all the words I don't know." He pursed his lips. "Ya don't need to say that to the others, they can figure it out themselves." Luce nodded before wrapping her arms around Link. He hugged her back, shoulders starting to shake as tears stung his eyes. And with nobody besides her around, he happily let them fall, along with everything else he'd believed for his whole life.

   Time was irrelevant as the pair stood in the night air. Only when a chilly wind began to pick up did Link's tears finally dry, and he released Luce. She stepped away, looking up at Link. She pointed at corners of her mouth and traced curving lines, smiling as she did so.

   "Yeah, I do feel better," Link said, and Luce's aura brightened. "But what the hell am I gonna do now? If I'm not gonna be pissed at the Gerudo, what can I get angry for?" Luce seemed to consider something, but Link stopped her. "Ya don't need to think of somethin' for me, I can do it," he said. "We should head back. Bet the others are wonderin'." And Luce agreed.

   Link and Luce found themselves walking in on the middle of a conversation when they returned to the shack. Ganondorf was still bound, but he was now sitting more comfortably instead of kneeling. The others were gathered around him, talking. Resa was the first to notice Link and Resa, and she offered a small wave.

   W-welcome back, she said, signaling Fira to look, then the others.

   "What's goin' on?" Link asked.

   Zelda answered. "We talked with Ganondorf a little while longer, and we decided to trust him. We're trying to formulate a plan."

   It only made sense that they would. "Okay," Link said simply. Perhaps sensing his resignation, Resa added something peculiar.

   Dragmire is trustworthy, b-believe me, she said. I've known him since the day he was born, he and Daemos grew up together. Her voice was stern, yet warm. Of course she would say that, and Link had to respect that.

   "Then what's this plan?" Link asked. He briefly locked gazes with Ganondorf, a flash of coldness bouncing between them. Then Ganondorf sighed and replied.

   "It's how we will infiltrate Hyrule Castle."