Calamitous Overture
A Prequel in Four Acts
One hundred years.
One hundred years since the Great Calamity, a powerful storm of malice and despair, sent the once proud kingdom of Hyrule to the brink of annihilation. One hundred years since hundreds, possibly even thousands of innocents from every race were viciously slaughtered by the ironically-named Guardians, machines who had been meant to protect them from great evil. One hundred years since every symbol of hope the kingdom had, be it the heroic Champions, the Royal Guard, and even the king himself, were overthrown and killed, leaving Calamity Ganon the throne. One hundred years since the last remaining member of both the royal family and Champions, Princess Zelda, locked herself away to seal Ganon inside the ruins of the castle with her newly-awakened powers, leaving the survivors of the horrible Calamity at the mercy of vile monsters and corrupted Guardians.
One hundred years had passed, but there was hope to be found, even in the darkest of times. Hyrule champion Link, thought to have succumbed to wounds during Hateno’s Last Stand, woke from a deep stasis. Guided by Princess Zelda’s telepathic messages, Link set out on a journey across the slowly recovering Hyrule to regain his memories and grow strong enough to defeat Calamity Ganon once and for all. He began by activating ancient Sheikah technology, in both their towers and shrines, solving puzzles and facing monsters in order to save Zelda one final time, reclaiming the legendary sword that seals away darkness as he did so. Soon, he would free the Divine Beasts, powerful mechanisms once piloted by the Champions of Hyrule that had been taken over by Ganon’s phantom scourges, of the toxic blights that caused them to wreak havoc on Hyrule for a century. In no time at all, he would rise up and save Hyrule, and he and Zelda could finally reunite and begin restoring peace and prosperity to the kingdom once on the edge of apocalypse.
At least...that is what was supposed to happen. But what nobody in this tale knew, was that something outside of their kingdom-no, outside their dimension itself, was beginning to take form. Something sinister, something vile, something that would change the future of Hyrule, and everyone who lived in it.
And in no time at all, it made its first move.
---
Act One: "Power"
---
Hyrule Castle, in its prime, had been a shining beacon of progress and hope for thousands of years. The greatest scholars, inventors, poets, artists, and soldiers all were visitors who worked to improve the kingdom for everyone. Seated at the center of Hyrule, it stood tall, it stood proud, but even then, it was always inviting, and the castle town below was a hub for trade and community. It was a symbol of peace, of prosperity, and above all, a symbol of a bright future that every inhabitant could look forward to for generations to come.
And now, one hundred years after the Great Calamity, it sat in the same place, only far less inviting. Surrounded by the rubble of the once great castle town, a cloud of maliciousness swirled around the dark fortress, now populated by Guardians and grotesque monsters. The once evergreen hill it sat on had decayed, leaving only dead trees and dry grass. But the exterior was far better than the interior; the once decadent and breathtaking halls and rooms were ruined, mere shadows of their former selves. The areas where the debris from one hundred years ago failed to block off were covered in a disgusting toxic sludge known as Malice, and the gaseous form of the stuff had created its own atmosphere. One would have to be mad to enter such a horrid wasteland, even if in the hopes of collecting rare and valuable treasure. But enter it someone did: someone familiar with this world, but oddly enough not from it, who walked past the ruins of the sacred ceremonial grounds, past the demolished castle town, and towards the castle with such a sense of authority that it seemed as if he owned it himself. And honestly, in his mind, he did. Or at least, he would soon enough.
He had gone largely unnoticed until he got to the castle, where he didn’t bother to hide himself, and allowed those inhabiting the castle to notice him quite liberally. The first to spot him were two Bokoblins patrolling the gate. Upon seeing this intruder, they readied their weapons-but only for a moment. Upon realizing who he was, they bowed in deference and continued their patrols as if nothing happened. As for the intruder himself, he paid them no mind and continued up the path to the castle. He did the same for every Guardian that targeted him with their lasers, only to cease after a few moments and continue scanning elsewhere. Even the Lynels that appeared in the gatehouses he walked through would vanish when he passed them by. He couldn't care less for these creatures, no matter how they seemed to respect him. No; all he could care about was waiting in the Sanctum, and he continued his pilgrimage to this place at the highest point of the hill.
The sacred room once used for divination and worship of the goddesses had been hideously defiled, turned into the home for something wholly sacrilegious. From the ceiling hung what looked like a disgusting heart, veins holding it steady to the pool of Malice on the ceiling. Made of an oddly metallic substance, the heart itself was decorated with strange constellations, glowing a bloody red.
Though, the intruder knew better, that this was not a heart, but a cocoon, and inside was a being he knew all too well, better than he knew Hyrule. Inside the cocoon was not just the almighty Calamity Ganon, Scourge of Hyrule since the dawn of time. No, inside was something far worse than that.
Inside the cocoon...was himself.
---
He did not go by the name Ganon-at least, not just yet. For the time being, he was Ganondorf, able to maintain his humanity without the demon inside him taking over. He had been defeated by the Princess Zelda of his world, and by her green hero, but, just like Calamity Ganon, he returned and took his revenge, and there was no one to stop him. He now had possession of the Triforce, an item of immeasurable power that countless past incarnations of his had never succeeded in keeping for long. It was his, and he had tasted victory, ruling over Hyrule as he had always wanted. But now he wanted-no, needed more. The rumors that the Hylian forces had survived his attacks made him wary of how long he could stay in power, and he desperately searched for a way to keep control. In the end, however, the way came to find him. A man, whose name was unimportant to the demon king, offered him an opportunity for great power. It seemed that there were rituals in place throughout many worlds, rituals that could make him powerful beyond his wildest dreams. That man gave Ganondorf an additional boost of power, and from there, he began planning a ritual of his own.
There were quite a few things that he needed to address, however. This was far from the first time he had attempted to take control of Hyrule, but the first time using such a new and potent method. From his understanding, many of these rituals ended in failure for whoever instigated them, whether it be from a lack of proper planning, selection of the wrong subordinates, aid from the "heroes" of the world it was hosted in...many things could go wrong. So that was why Ganondorf came up with his own brilliant idea, a scheme that no one else to his knowledge had ever thought of before. He would run not one, but two rituals, at the same time. One would take place out in the open, where everyone would be aware of its existence, and the other would occur in the shadows, closed off from any outside interference. His two generals, Ghirahim and Zant, could run the public ritual, and what became of them, he could not care less about. Though loyal, he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to betray him someday, and this ritual of theirs could lead to their destruction, or build their loyalty to him if they did succeed. And if they still tried to revolt after? Well, with the power earned from his own ritual, he would have no problems stopping them.
With that all sorted out, now came the issue of location. At first, his own world seemed the perfect stage, but chances were that the surviving Hylians would aid those he brought in, and have more forces available to defeat him. He still very much desired to rule Hyrule, so where was not a problem; when was. At what point in Hyrule's timeline could he properly invade without a problem? He studied the timeline for quite some time before realizing something: outside of this world must be another Hyrule, one that did fall to darkness. And there was. In one Hyrule, their Zelda failed to use her powers in time, and the Ganon there, known as Calamity Ganon, took control and ushered in one hundred years of evil and destruction, even if sealed away for almost all of it. And it was teeming with a powerful toxin he knew as Malice, which powered him considerably. According to the man, Malice was also known as Malevolence, and it formed due to negative emotions manifesting into something tangible. And with these rituals creating more of it, he would be unstoppable.
Everything else was easy to deduce. How to bring in subjects for the ritual, how to select his subordinates, how to travel to this Hyrule and seal it off from everything else...it was all coming together. Ghirahim and Zant were already starting their ritual by combining may eras of the timeline and taking control of them all, and would have continue for some time until the Zeldas of those eras inevitably called upon aid from the outside. In regards to Ganondorf's own ritual, however, there was one final hitch, and that was none other than Calamity Ganon himself. Ganondorf couldn't take over this world if another incarnation still ruled it. No, he needed to eliminate him, while at the same time conserving his power levels, leaving fighting out of the question. Fortunately, his plan required no fighting whatsoever.
And that brought him to now, in the Sanctum, before Calamity Ganon himself, the one who had succeeded where all others had failed. Ganondorf's long red hair, a sign of his Gerudo heritage, trailed out behind him like a lion’s mane, and he observed the cocoon for a while, keeping silent at first.
“.........”
Squish. It writhed. Squish, squish. It sounded disgusting. A single ray of light shone through it, one Ganondorf knew was where poor little Princess Zelda resided. This particular princess he didn’t know much about, only that she failed to awaken her powers in time, and as a result failed her people. Now she was finally making up for her mistakes...but not for long.
Finally, he spoke. “How repulsive.” Ganondorf walked forward, and the cocoon writhed again, and again, until it couldn’t stop moving. Squish. Squish. Squish, squish. As if it knew he was here, knew who he was. Was Ganon reacting that way? Zelda? Or perhaps...both of them? Ganondorf smirked, putting his hand on the cocoon, and it stopped dead in its convulsions. “Such a disgusting affront on the eyes...a filthy necessity, but unfitting for a king like us.”
Under his hand, he could feel the cocoon begin to vibrate slightly, as if humming in agreement with what he said. “I can help you,” he continued as his words sank in, smiling as he felt the humming intensify. “I won in my world too, you see. Can you feel it, Ganon? The power of the Triforce...it finally belongs to us. And I can use it to finish your reincarnation for you.”
Squish, squish. It was overjoyed, or panicked if Zelda was the one reacting. Either way, Ganondorf couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course, there is a price. You should know better than anyone that I wouldn’t help even myself if I couldn’t get something out of it." The writhing slowed, as if wondering what he could possibly want.
"In exchange for helping you reincarnate...I want this world.”
The vibrations stopped. But he expected that. “Allow me to finish, won’t you? I’m not about to leave you with nothing but a reincarnation. I have an offer for you, one that you would be foolish to not accept. I can give you control of not just one Hyrule, but five.”
The vibrations began again. This was almost too easy. “Yes, five. Yours for the taking if you accept my offer. Otherwise, I will leave and claim it for myself. The choice is yours, but I think we both know what you will choose.”
The heavy vibrations gave him the answer he needed. “Good choice.” Taking a few steps back, Ganondorf raised his hands to the cocoon.
The gaseous Malice in the room, originally just flying in the open, flew towards Ganondorf’s hands like metal to a magnet. Swirling around them to create a vortex of darkness, it soon shot out into the cocoon, which began to glow a garish pink. The vortex grew larger, the glow grew brighter, and with a loud WHOOSH, the entire sanctum was enveloped in the light for a full ten seconds. As it vanished, standing in the center stood none other than the demon king himself. But you wouldn’t know it on first look; he had reclaimed his appearance of over ten thousand years before becoming Calamity Ganon. The spitting image of Ganondorf, though his hair was fashioned into intricate ringlets, as it was during the era of Twilight.
"That look was always a favorite of mine," Ganondorf mused, impressed by how quickly the Malice had transformed Calamity Ganon. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small figure in a white dress, laying unconscious on the ground. No matter. He would deal with her later. Right now, all of his focus was on the former Calamity.
“Thank you. I was growing tired of how slowly the reincarnation took,” the new Ganondorf said, as he took time to admire the return of a body. Flexing and clenching his fist, moving here and there in place. Once he was satisfied, he turned to Ganondorf with an evil grin. “Now then...about these five Hyrules.”
This had been too easy. Ganondorf returned the grin with an exact mirror of it. "But of course. Let us get down to business."
...
End of Act One
A Prequel in Four Acts
One hundred years.
One hundred years since the Great Calamity, a powerful storm of malice and despair, sent the once proud kingdom of Hyrule to the brink of annihilation. One hundred years since hundreds, possibly even thousands of innocents from every race were viciously slaughtered by the ironically-named Guardians, machines who had been meant to protect them from great evil. One hundred years since every symbol of hope the kingdom had, be it the heroic Champions, the Royal Guard, and even the king himself, were overthrown and killed, leaving Calamity Ganon the throne. One hundred years since the last remaining member of both the royal family and Champions, Princess Zelda, locked herself away to seal Ganon inside the ruins of the castle with her newly-awakened powers, leaving the survivors of the horrible Calamity at the mercy of vile monsters and corrupted Guardians.
One hundred years had passed, but there was hope to be found, even in the darkest of times. Hyrule champion Link, thought to have succumbed to wounds during Hateno’s Last Stand, woke from a deep stasis. Guided by Princess Zelda’s telepathic messages, Link set out on a journey across the slowly recovering Hyrule to regain his memories and grow strong enough to defeat Calamity Ganon once and for all. He began by activating ancient Sheikah technology, in both their towers and shrines, solving puzzles and facing monsters in order to save Zelda one final time, reclaiming the legendary sword that seals away darkness as he did so. Soon, he would free the Divine Beasts, powerful mechanisms once piloted by the Champions of Hyrule that had been taken over by Ganon’s phantom scourges, of the toxic blights that caused them to wreak havoc on Hyrule for a century. In no time at all, he would rise up and save Hyrule, and he and Zelda could finally reunite and begin restoring peace and prosperity to the kingdom once on the edge of apocalypse.
At least...that is what was supposed to happen. But what nobody in this tale knew, was that something outside of their kingdom-no, outside their dimension itself, was beginning to take form. Something sinister, something vile, something that would change the future of Hyrule, and everyone who lived in it.
And in no time at all, it made its first move.
---
Act One: "Power"
---
Hyrule Castle, in its prime, had been a shining beacon of progress and hope for thousands of years. The greatest scholars, inventors, poets, artists, and soldiers all were visitors who worked to improve the kingdom for everyone. Seated at the center of Hyrule, it stood tall, it stood proud, but even then, it was always inviting, and the castle town below was a hub for trade and community. It was a symbol of peace, of prosperity, and above all, a symbol of a bright future that every inhabitant could look forward to for generations to come.
And now, one hundred years after the Great Calamity, it sat in the same place, only far less inviting. Surrounded by the rubble of the once great castle town, a cloud of maliciousness swirled around the dark fortress, now populated by Guardians and grotesque monsters. The once evergreen hill it sat on had decayed, leaving only dead trees and dry grass. But the exterior was far better than the interior; the once decadent and breathtaking halls and rooms were ruined, mere shadows of their former selves. The areas where the debris from one hundred years ago failed to block off were covered in a disgusting toxic sludge known as Malice, and the gaseous form of the stuff had created its own atmosphere. One would have to be mad to enter such a horrid wasteland, even if in the hopes of collecting rare and valuable treasure. But enter it someone did: someone familiar with this world, but oddly enough not from it, who walked past the ruins of the sacred ceremonial grounds, past the demolished castle town, and towards the castle with such a sense of authority that it seemed as if he owned it himself. And honestly, in his mind, he did. Or at least, he would soon enough.
He had gone largely unnoticed until he got to the castle, where he didn’t bother to hide himself, and allowed those inhabiting the castle to notice him quite liberally. The first to spot him were two Bokoblins patrolling the gate. Upon seeing this intruder, they readied their weapons-but only for a moment. Upon realizing who he was, they bowed in deference and continued their patrols as if nothing happened. As for the intruder himself, he paid them no mind and continued up the path to the castle. He did the same for every Guardian that targeted him with their lasers, only to cease after a few moments and continue scanning elsewhere. Even the Lynels that appeared in the gatehouses he walked through would vanish when he passed them by. He couldn't care less for these creatures, no matter how they seemed to respect him. No; all he could care about was waiting in the Sanctum, and he continued his pilgrimage to this place at the highest point of the hill.
The sacred room once used for divination and worship of the goddesses had been hideously defiled, turned into the home for something wholly sacrilegious. From the ceiling hung what looked like a disgusting heart, veins holding it steady to the pool of Malice on the ceiling. Made of an oddly metallic substance, the heart itself was decorated with strange constellations, glowing a bloody red.
Though, the intruder knew better, that this was not a heart, but a cocoon, and inside was a being he knew all too well, better than he knew Hyrule. Inside the cocoon was not just the almighty Calamity Ganon, Scourge of Hyrule since the dawn of time. No, inside was something far worse than that.
Inside the cocoon...was himself.
---
He did not go by the name Ganon-at least, not just yet. For the time being, he was Ganondorf, able to maintain his humanity without the demon inside him taking over. He had been defeated by the Princess Zelda of his world, and by her green hero, but, just like Calamity Ganon, he returned and took his revenge, and there was no one to stop him. He now had possession of the Triforce, an item of immeasurable power that countless past incarnations of his had never succeeded in keeping for long. It was his, and he had tasted victory, ruling over Hyrule as he had always wanted. But now he wanted-no, needed more. The rumors that the Hylian forces had survived his attacks made him wary of how long he could stay in power, and he desperately searched for a way to keep control. In the end, however, the way came to find him. A man, whose name was unimportant to the demon king, offered him an opportunity for great power. It seemed that there were rituals in place throughout many worlds, rituals that could make him powerful beyond his wildest dreams. That man gave Ganondorf an additional boost of power, and from there, he began planning a ritual of his own.
There were quite a few things that he needed to address, however. This was far from the first time he had attempted to take control of Hyrule, but the first time using such a new and potent method. From his understanding, many of these rituals ended in failure for whoever instigated them, whether it be from a lack of proper planning, selection of the wrong subordinates, aid from the "heroes" of the world it was hosted in...many things could go wrong. So that was why Ganondorf came up with his own brilliant idea, a scheme that no one else to his knowledge had ever thought of before. He would run not one, but two rituals, at the same time. One would take place out in the open, where everyone would be aware of its existence, and the other would occur in the shadows, closed off from any outside interference. His two generals, Ghirahim and Zant, could run the public ritual, and what became of them, he could not care less about. Though loyal, he wouldn't be surprised if they attempted to betray him someday, and this ritual of theirs could lead to their destruction, or build their loyalty to him if they did succeed. And if they still tried to revolt after? Well, with the power earned from his own ritual, he would have no problems stopping them.
With that all sorted out, now came the issue of location. At first, his own world seemed the perfect stage, but chances were that the surviving Hylians would aid those he brought in, and have more forces available to defeat him. He still very much desired to rule Hyrule, so where was not a problem; when was. At what point in Hyrule's timeline could he properly invade without a problem? He studied the timeline for quite some time before realizing something: outside of this world must be another Hyrule, one that did fall to darkness. And there was. In one Hyrule, their Zelda failed to use her powers in time, and the Ganon there, known as Calamity Ganon, took control and ushered in one hundred years of evil and destruction, even if sealed away for almost all of it. And it was teeming with a powerful toxin he knew as Malice, which powered him considerably. According to the man, Malice was also known as Malevolence, and it formed due to negative emotions manifesting into something tangible. And with these rituals creating more of it, he would be unstoppable.
Everything else was easy to deduce. How to bring in subjects for the ritual, how to select his subordinates, how to travel to this Hyrule and seal it off from everything else...it was all coming together. Ghirahim and Zant were already starting their ritual by combining may eras of the timeline and taking control of them all, and would have continue for some time until the Zeldas of those eras inevitably called upon aid from the outside. In regards to Ganondorf's own ritual, however, there was one final hitch, and that was none other than Calamity Ganon himself. Ganondorf couldn't take over this world if another incarnation still ruled it. No, he needed to eliminate him, while at the same time conserving his power levels, leaving fighting out of the question. Fortunately, his plan required no fighting whatsoever.
And that brought him to now, in the Sanctum, before Calamity Ganon himself, the one who had succeeded where all others had failed. Ganondorf's long red hair, a sign of his Gerudo heritage, trailed out behind him like a lion’s mane, and he observed the cocoon for a while, keeping silent at first.
“.........”
Squish. It writhed. Squish, squish. It sounded disgusting. A single ray of light shone through it, one Ganondorf knew was where poor little Princess Zelda resided. This particular princess he didn’t know much about, only that she failed to awaken her powers in time, and as a result failed her people. Now she was finally making up for her mistakes...but not for long.
Finally, he spoke. “How repulsive.” Ganondorf walked forward, and the cocoon writhed again, and again, until it couldn’t stop moving. Squish. Squish. Squish, squish. As if it knew he was here, knew who he was. Was Ganon reacting that way? Zelda? Or perhaps...both of them? Ganondorf smirked, putting his hand on the cocoon, and it stopped dead in its convulsions. “Such a disgusting affront on the eyes...a filthy necessity, but unfitting for a king like us.”
Under his hand, he could feel the cocoon begin to vibrate slightly, as if humming in agreement with what he said. “I can help you,” he continued as his words sank in, smiling as he felt the humming intensify. “I won in my world too, you see. Can you feel it, Ganon? The power of the Triforce...it finally belongs to us. And I can use it to finish your reincarnation for you.”
Squish, squish. It was overjoyed, or panicked if Zelda was the one reacting. Either way, Ganondorf couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course, there is a price. You should know better than anyone that I wouldn’t help even myself if I couldn’t get something out of it." The writhing slowed, as if wondering what he could possibly want.
"In exchange for helping you reincarnate...I want this world.”
The vibrations stopped. But he expected that. “Allow me to finish, won’t you? I’m not about to leave you with nothing but a reincarnation. I have an offer for you, one that you would be foolish to not accept. I can give you control of not just one Hyrule, but five.”
The vibrations began again. This was almost too easy. “Yes, five. Yours for the taking if you accept my offer. Otherwise, I will leave and claim it for myself. The choice is yours, but I think we both know what you will choose.”
The heavy vibrations gave him the answer he needed. “Good choice.” Taking a few steps back, Ganondorf raised his hands to the cocoon.
The gaseous Malice in the room, originally just flying in the open, flew towards Ganondorf’s hands like metal to a magnet. Swirling around them to create a vortex of darkness, it soon shot out into the cocoon, which began to glow a garish pink. The vortex grew larger, the glow grew brighter, and with a loud WHOOSH, the entire sanctum was enveloped in the light for a full ten seconds. As it vanished, standing in the center stood none other than the demon king himself. But you wouldn’t know it on first look; he had reclaimed his appearance of over ten thousand years before becoming Calamity Ganon. The spitting image of Ganondorf, though his hair was fashioned into intricate ringlets, as it was during the era of Twilight.
"That look was always a favorite of mine," Ganondorf mused, impressed by how quickly the Malice had transformed Calamity Ganon. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small figure in a white dress, laying unconscious on the ground. No matter. He would deal with her later. Right now, all of his focus was on the former Calamity.
“Thank you. I was growing tired of how slowly the reincarnation took,” the new Ganondorf said, as he took time to admire the return of a body. Flexing and clenching his fist, moving here and there in place. Once he was satisfied, he turned to Ganondorf with an evil grin. “Now then...about these five Hyrules.”
This had been too easy. Ganondorf returned the grin with an exact mirror of it. "But of course. Let us get down to business."
...
End of Act One
