In the remaining hours of the night, Link's group formulated their plan. While a majority of it depended on uncertainties, it was the best they could do considering their current positions. It would first start with Haruo, Ena, and Arata taking Ganondorf's Corviknight back to Kakariko Village, where the first major step of their plan would unfold.

The Sheikah stationed in the castle would be informed of things as well as any other castle-workers who could be swayed to the Holders' side. They would work to keep as many guards diverted from the archives and the general northern section of the castle. If it turned out that Daemos wasn't in the archives, then they would have a small buffer to search for him.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the group would hide out in Central Hyrule, taking shelter in the forest around the north-eastern section. A Sheikah would be sent to tell them if and when the castle-stationed Sheikah were informed of the plan, and then everyone would start to close in.

This would all be done within a week, with the infiltration of the castle taking place three days after the Sheikah informant told Link's group that things were ready to be carried out. It would be up to the Holders to assure that they would infiltrate the castle without getting caught, since forcing their way in wasn't an option.

"There are tunnels throughout Hyrule Castle," Ganondorf had said. "They exist in case the castle needs to be evacuated in an emergency. We can use them to make our way to the archives, and as someplace to take shelter if things go wrong. I know them like the back of my hand, so navigation won't be an issue." Link was reminded of his escape from the fortress, and while it made him shudder in discomfort, he held his tongue.

Once Daemos was found, the Swords of Justice would then be summoned, and the fight against Daemos would begin. Zelda reassured everyone that she knew how to call the other Overseers, so that wouldn't be an issue. The main issue was Daemos himself, since it was difficult to tell what exactly he would do. From Ganondorf's description of what Daemos had supposedly done before he fled, he had developed his powers quite a bit.

"When you said he created an orb of light, do you mean something like this?" Zelda summoned an orb of Wisdom and showed it to Ganondorf.

When he saw it, Ganondorf's jaw clenched, as if he was remembering something unpleasant. "Exactly that. They cracked the ground and exploded on impact," he said. "He could also create these... waves. They reminded me of that Electric move Shock Wave, except they were made of energy that wasn't electricity. They almost brought bookshelves down onto me when I was escaping and shook the very walls."

Both Link and Zelda were startled by this. Zelda's pulses were already powerful as they were, but Daemos' sounded more on the level of when Link first unleashed his power against the Tangrowth. Even more worrying was how Daemos was still fully conscious afterwards. What exactly would they be walking into, and would they be able to handle it?

As the sun rose everyone left the shack for the last time, leaving one by one as to not arouse more suspicion. By the time the sky was fully flooded with pink, they had gathered out in the flatlands.

"I'll lead you to where I would meet Corviknight," Ganondorf said, gesturing for the others to follow. He had been untied by now, yet he made no attempt to run. Link kept his senses heightened, hoping they wouldn't be walking into a trap. Even Zelda seemed to be on the lookout as well, which brought Link some additional comfort.

Where the rocks dotting the landscape began to stretch up into crags was where Ganondorf stopped. Without a word, he raised his thumb and index fingers to his mouth. He let out three short, sharp whistles followed by two longer ones, then three short again. He waited a moment before repeating the whistles.

While he did this, Link was tense. All he could sense were Pokémon auras, and only a couple expressed interest in the new arrivals. As the last of Ganondorf's whistle echoed out, from a spot atop the crags, the whistle returned in a higher, metallic tone. A spot of black became visible before spreading its wings and taking off. For a moment, the sun was eclipsed in Link's vision as the Pokémon blotted it out. It then made its descent.

Sunlight reflected off the black armor covering the bird, and dust rose up in a small cloud as it landed beside Ganondorf. Link hid his awe of the Corviknight. It was massive, even taller than Ganondorf, and it stared at the rest of the group with beady red eyes. A silver Gerudo sigil was branded onto the armor of its forehead, the only thing differing it from a wild Corviknight.

"More proof that I wasn't lying," Ganondorf said as he scratched the bird's neck. It chirped and leaned its head into Ganondorf's hand, content.

W-we were already willing to believe... but we do appreciate th-this, Resa said, and Fira reiterated it to Ganondorf.

Ganondorf nodded, relief clear to sense. "Sarqso." He gave Corviknight a pat on the wing, catching its attention. "Listen to these three Sheikah, okay? Until you see me again, you take orders from them, and them only." Corviknight nodded, and Ganondorf handed the reins to Ena. "Take care of him. He isn't from the Royal Guard fleet, but he deserves as much care."

"Of course," Ena said. The sheikah trio mounted Coviknight, Murkrow tucked away snugly in Haruo's bag so he wouldn't be blown away. "Take care, Holders and Overseer, it was an honor working with you. We will have someone out at the forest as soon as possible." Corviknight lifted his wings and began to flap, dust plumes forming and stinging Link's eyes. With another beat, they were taking to the air, and not long after that, they were a shrinking speck on the horizon.

Now that the Sheikah were gone, it was time for the remainder of the group to make tracks to Central Hyrule. "We'd better get outta the open as soon as possible," Link said. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at Ganondorf. "With 'im with us, we'll automatically stick out more."

Ganondorf's eyes narrowed, though he didn't respond snidely. "You're unfortunately correct about that," he said. "I'm not looking forwards to this journey back, but if it's for His Majesty, I'll happily walk a thousand miles."

—~*~—

Travel, for the most part, was uneventful. If it weren't for Ganondorf's presence, it would almost be like old times. Link still couldn't believe that the general was not only with them, but willing to take orders from them. Link had been wondering why Ganondorf had wanted their help, and the answer became apparent rather quickly.

Daemos.

Ganondorf didn't speak much, but when he did, it was about Daemos. The king mostly polluted his thoughts. Ganondorf's aura swam with worry and concern, all for the king of Hyrule. It was almost maddening to experience Ganondorf's overwhelming feelings towards Daemos. It reminded him of his thoughts and worries for Luce. But whenever he and Link met gazes, those feelings shifted. Bitterness, anger, sorrow. Link preferred the obsessive emotions to these.

Two days in, the group crossed the province line into Central Hyrule. Relief fell over everyone the moment they shrouded themselves in the forests, like it gave them the slightest advantage. And it honestly did.

For the first time in years, Link found himself admiring the scenery around him a little. He wasn't in awe or anything, but he could appreciate the lushness of the greenery despite this not being Faron or Akkala, or how the leaves overhead created shifting patterns of shadow on the ground. It was almost refreshing in a sense.

Link knew why this was the case, and it was a sobering feeling. No longer did his anger consume him to the point that he paid no mind to anything else. With the distracting burn reduced to damp coals, it let everything else come seeping in. Now was likely the worst time for this to happen, but his friends kept his mind on track, brought back that sharp clarity he'd treasured previously.

As they made camp for the evening, Link and Zelda set out to gather some firewood together along with any edible plants. Their supplies were almost nonexistent thanks to the stay at the Arbiter City Outskirts, and thankfully the forest was happy to offer an abundance of resources to replenish them.

Most of all, Link was happy to have some time alone with Zelda. Everyone stuck closer together than usual now for safety, and Link almost had to pry Luce from him if he wanted to leave the group for a few minutes. He'd been internally begging for a moment like this, and even better, Zelda seemed to have the same thoughts.

"So how're ya feelin' 'bout all of this?" Link asked. "Mainly just Ganondorf. It's still weird as hell he's with us."

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I know. I can't help but feel hesitant about trusting him, but I still will," she said. "It just goes to show how dire things have become, if he's willing to join us like this."

"At least ya can deal with 'im," Link said. "Every time he looks at me, I can tell he wants to say or do somethin'. It's the situation that's stoppin' 'im."

Zelda tilted her head, curious but hesitant to respond. "And how do you feel about that?"

Link sighed. "Nothin'. He doesn't make me angry anymore, just... numb." That would have been infuriating to him if he couldn't muster any frustration for himself.

"Then... why don't you try to speak to him about that night?" Zelda asked cautiously. "His sister was lost as well, you both suffered from those events."

Link was a little more than dubious about that proposition, though what else should he have expected to hear. "I dunno if I can do it."

"He might be afraid to admit things himself," she said, then smiled. "I know you can do it." She slowly took his hand, squeezing it comfortingly. Her touch sent a warm shiver through Link, and he basked in her tranquil aura. "You've come so far, and I know you're capable of that kind of empathy."

Link still couldn't help but frown. "And if he doesn't listen to me?"

Zelda leaned in close, enough that their faces were mere inches apart, and she smirked. "Then I'll punch him hard enough that he will listen."

That was enough to make Link smile nervously. Ganondorf would be in serious trouble if Zelda got her hands on him. "Okay, then I guess I'll try," he agreed.

Truthfully, speaking to Ganondorf was a task much, much easier said than done. Despite Link saying he would, his first instinct was to again ignore the Gerudo once they returned to camp. To fill the silence that mostly permeated the group over the past few days, Zelda tried talking to Ganondorf. Eventually, she managed to get him to tell some information about himself.

"I was born and raised in Castle City," he said. "My father left before I was born, so I've never known him. It was just me, my mother, vaba, and... Rija."

"Then how did you manage to become so close to the king?" Zelda asked.

"My mother was the previous general of the Royal Guard, and my sister was a captain by the time I was ten," he answered. "Because of this, I grew up alongside His Majesty, and I was even his personal guard for a time until Incineroar came into the picture and took my place. I can admit I was envious of losing my position, but succeeding my mother was a greater honor. I could still serve His Majesty, so that was all I wanted." He glanced at Zelda out of the corner of his eye. "Is that what you wished to know?"

Looking satisfied with herself, Zelda nodded. "Yes. I wanted to get a better picture of you, that's all. We shouldn't expect to carry out the remainder of this plan without at least knowing the slightest bit about each other. Besides, even before all of this started, everyone in Hateno only knew you as 'the general of the Royal Guard,' nothing else."

"And there is not much else to me," Ganondorf said. "I live to serve His Majesty, and that is all the public should know."

That much was clear about him from the start, but Ganondorf hadn't given a full reason, at least one Link had heard him say. "But why are you so dedicated to him?" Zelda asked.

There was a long, pensive silence from Ganondorf. Hesitation swirled about him like a whirlwind, and it made Link wonder if he knew whether Link and Luce could sense his emotions or not. If that was the case, he clearly wasn't bothering to hide it.

"I cannot imagine life without His Majesty," he then said simply. "Nothing more, nothing less. And I will not answer any further questions, though... I know this cannot continue to be ignored, so I can partially offer some apologies for what I and my women did to you," he said begrudgingly. "If I knew what was overtaking His Majesty's motives, I might have resisted him more."

Link had to say something then. "'Might've'?"

Ganondorf's smoldering amber gaze bore into Link as he spoke. "There's no changing my thoughts on Hylians. For the most part, they want to fight against His Majesty's kindness and harm us to get to him, no matter what we do."

Link exhaled a short laugh. "And we'd just fight back if ya show more force, sayin' we were right all along," he retorted. "The way it is now... it's all fucked, plain an' simple."

"That... is certainly a word for it," Ganondorf muttered, turning back to the fire. And that was all that was said for the rest of the night. Link was the last one asleep besides Resa who, like usual, stood guard over the camp. He could bring himself to relax now that they were back in the forest, the one upside to this situation.

The next day, the group broke camp and moved on. They wouldn't move much farther in, just enough so they were a ways away from their last camp. After all, they couldn't leave this section of the province for now.

In this down time, Link began his training again with Luce and Zelda. Even Fira joined in. They had all grown rusty to some degree, with Zelda suffering the least because of the small bursts of archery she got in at the outskirts. Link was able to replicate the sickle-shaped lash of energy he'd used against the Cacturne, this time with the Master Sword. He managed to carve a deep gash into a distant tree trunk, impressing everyone present.

What made you want to try doing that? Fira asked. It's usually my lady who prefers ranged attacks.

If only Link could say it was his own ingenuity and thought that led him to try doing. "It sorta happened by accident, but I'm glad it did," he admitted.

"It's better to give yourself options," Zelda said. "But I suppose I'm not the only one who has been improving." Curious, Link watched as she pulled an arrow and began to channel some energy into it. He instantly honed his senses and kept an eye on it as Zelda let it fly into a tree about fifteen feet away. To his shock, hardly any energy escaped, and a wave of blue light burst out from the arrowhead when it stuck into the tree. "I-I was practicing like you suggested," she said with a small sigh.

"Nice job, Zel!" he said happily, earning one of Zelda's adorable smiles. The remainder of that day was a pleasant one.

When Link and his companions arrived back at camp, he was confused about why only Resa was there. He asked where Ganondorf had gone, and Resa sounded confused herself.

H-he said he needed... air, and he left a wh-while ago, she replied. I-I don't want to assume anything, but...

Link didn't want to believe it himself, but it seemed like his misgives were being dredged up. "Dammit, I knew it," he growled. "Let's split up, we can cover more ground that way. He'd better not have gone far." The others agreed, and with Resa remaining at the camp again, Link, Zelda, and their partners headed into the forest.

Once in the thick of the trees, Link and Luce quickly separated, fanning out to search. Link had to focus his senses, letting them spread out gradually so he wouldn't overwhelm himself. The forest was alive with Pokémon, chirping in the trees and scuttering through the bushes around him.

After a few minutes, Link picked up on Ganondorf's aura. He pursued it, leading him to the bank of a shallow river. The general sat by himself on the bank, staring out at the water, as motionless as a statue.

"Hey," Link said, just loud enough that his voice could be heard over the flowing water. Ganondorf straightened up and turned to face him, frowning when he saw it was Link.

"Out of everyone..." he started, only to stop himself and grumble something under his breath. "What is it you want from me, Renier?"

"Resa told me ya left a while ago. We thought ya abandoned us an' ran off," Link replied.

Ganondorf pursed his lips. "Really? I must have lost track of time." He looked back at the river. "I wasn't talking with anybody, as I'm sure you're suspecting. I wanted some time to myself, since I'm not used to keeping company nowadays. I've spent most of my time alone in my quarters, planning."

It was some kind of explanation, and that was enough for Link. "Well, just come back to camp, alright?"

With a sigh, Ganondorf stood, brushing the dirt from his clothes. "If you insist, oh great Holder of Courage. Lead the way."

Link didn't move, clenching his fists as a dull ache filled his chest and stomach. "Wait a sec," he muttered, and Ganondorf arched a brow. "I might as well say this since nobody's around. I don't remember a lot of what happened that night twelve years ago, but... I-I'm willin' to believe ya."

"Are you, now? After I've deceived you before?" Ganondorf said, and Link nodded.

"Yeah. My ma didn't have the nicest view of the Gerudo, an' since she's gone, 'course you'd take it out on me since I was nothin' but shitty to ya."

A bitter smile tugged at the corners of Ganondorf's mouth. "You certainly were, and just looking at you now makes me want to spit. If you were wearing that smirk of yours, I'd want to wipe it right off your face."

"So what's stoppin' ya?" Link said with a shrug. "Ya got me here alone. Even if I'm a Holder, ya outmatch me in size and raw strength."

"Because His Majesty would be lost forever if something happened to you," Ganondorf said. "But aside from that, it's because," hesitance dragged out the last word, silence providing additional weight until an exhale released it, "there was nobody to blame for Rija's death but myself," he admitted. And there it was. "I asked Rija to accompany me that night, and it was because of me that she died. I've carried that with me for years, but I always blamed you instead. I'm sure that was what you wanted to hear, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, 'cause I wanna put this to rest," Link said, again taking Ganondorf by surprise. "Ya say ya want shit to change? Nothin' will if ya don't try to make that change yourself. It feels like Tauros-shit, but at least you'll know ya tried. One step closer."

Ganondorf's brows slightly rose, the expression looking bizarre on him. "I never would have thought I would hear something like that come from you, Renier," he said.

Link smiled grimly. "I've had a while to think 'bout all this," he said. "I'm not expectin' to get ya to change your thoughts, I just wanted to hear ya admit that ya takin' your grief out on me is wrong, like how it was wrong that I assumed ya were somebody bad the moment I met ya in that tavern. Whatever kinda closure ya need is somethin' I can't give ya."

"I'm not even sure anymore, myself," Ganondorf said, gritting his teeth.

"Then maybe try to figure it out, 'cause it'll do nothin' but hurt ya 'till ya do." Link's tone bore no smarm, nor did he smirk with self-satisfaction as he spoke. As well as he could, he was giving advice to Ganondorf, and it rendered the man silent. "If ya wanna stay out 'ere a bit longer, I'll tell the others. Just be back before dark." Ganondorf didn't move, so Link took that as a sign that he needed to leave. He did so and headed back into the forest. As he was swallowed by the foliage, a wave of sorrow washed through Ganondorf's aura. Link didn't turn back to look.

Link felt drained by the time he returned to the camp. He collapsed by the now-crackling fire, his shoulders slouching as he wanted to do nothing more than fall back into the grass. The only thing that stopped him was Luce handing him his dinner ration for that night, which had been roasted flavorfully by Fira.

"I'm guessing you found Ganondorf?" Zelda asked.

"He was by the river we crossed yesterday, said he wanted some time to himself," Link replied. "An' I talked with 'im," he added, looking at Zelda. "He said what I hoped he would, but he didn't 'pologize. Ya don't gotta punch 'im, though. I'm fine with just hearin' 'im say it."

"As long as you're happy with that, then I'll leave him be," Zelda said, sharing dubious looks with Luce.

Wh-what you meant by that, was it about... your past? Resa asked. I-I feel bad for asking, since you clearly haven't told anybody else.

Link waved a hand dismissively. "Resa, it's fine. What happened with my family was somethin' I kept to myself for way too long, and I should've told ya when I told Zel." He felt the urge to take that back, but he dismissed it, wanting to keep those words known. "However long we'll be together after this, I'll try to be more open with everyone. It's the least I can do."

Th-thank you, Courage, but you've... done more than enough, Resa said. I've been thinking about this, actually... Now, I-I believe it's time.

Link's heart jolted when she said that, the obvious instantly coming to mind. While the others were confused, he knew. What he had pestered her over this whole journey, what she had stubbornly kept from him, was it finally going to come to pass?

Resa extended a sash to Link as the rest of the group gawked at them. You need the rest of your power. I-it's better that you're fully prepared than us having... additional avenue to speak through. I'll no longer be able t-to speak to you... Fira can still translate my words. B-before I do this, may I ask a favor of you?

Link answered instantly. "'Course. What is it?"

I-I'm not sure what will happen to me once my role as Overseer is fulfilled, Resa said with uncertainty. If I do h-have to remain on this plane in this body... m-may I ask that I be able to travel with you and Luce? Not as an Overseer, b-but as your Pokémon?

Link's chest tightened as he tried to process that. In his peripheries, he could see Luce nodding, and he shared her feelings. He wanted to agree without a doubt, but to him, it didn't feel right. Just because Resa didn't have her role as queen anymore didn't mean she wasn't one. "Don't call yourself that," he said. "Ya won't be my Pokémon, you'll be my partner."

Never had he felt Resa's aura swim with such happiness and warmth. Th-then I will be, partner. She wrapped her sash around Link's hand as if she was holding it, laying the end of her sash atop his Triforce marking. No longer w-will you be... a fractured Holder, she said warmly. Y-you'll be complete, just like a hero should be. You are worthy. The same sensation as when Resa first transferred power to Link arose again, this time much stronger. It continued for a few moments before it began to taper off, then fading altogether. It was done.

Link clenched his fist, tensing as he summoned Farore's essence. The heat that coursed through him was red-hot, burning him from the inside. But it wasn't painful, hardly so. It invigorated him in a way his anger never had, and it was amazing. His Triforce marking no longer flickered, the golden light it radiated was steady and strong.

He looked back to Resa, who unwrapped her sash from his hand. Her Triforce marking remained, but it no longer shone. It was just an etching in her metal. The warmth still hadn't left her aura, and Link smiled at her. "Thanks, Resa," he said. And he truly meant it.