Lights In The Dark (Midlink Fanfic)

The Escape

the next morning flew into fruition and John woke up exhausted for the first time since he was a small child. He had already passed his time to be with Ganondorf and was approaching the time he needed to be on his way to the penitentiary. when he got his armor on and exited from his office into the main area of the barracks he saw ten of his soldiers were also awake and ready to depart. These traitors he knew would surely try and prevent him from helping Ganon, though it was possible that some of them were just following orders and would still follow his orders over the king's. He would have to fly by the seat of his pants through the whole trip, and that was something he despised almost more than death itself.

They moved through the castle into the dungeon. When Ganon saw John entering his hall he let out a sarcastic "wow you are really late. What? Were you having too much fun with the ladies last night?"

"Silence scum." John shot back. Ganon shut up and waited patiently. John had made the word 'scum' a code word for them to know that something was happening. "Face the back of your cell!" he then commanded.

Ganon complied to everything John did as the other men watched from the hall, ready to jump in and help at a moments notice. After He had been bound and brought out of his cell two of John's men grabbed Ganondorf by the arms and started the procession out of the castle to the stables where their wagon and horses awaited.

The wagon was old and looked like it wouldn't make it down the road to the jail in a hundred years, but they put the child in it anyway and locked the doors. John gave a shrill whistle and his horse came up from its stall and stopped in front of him. She was a fine chocolate color with a black mane and a temper that would throw anyone but John off his back. The others clambered onto their own horses and departed out of the city for the jail.

John stayed close to the back of the wagon for the first part of their journey through the fields leading towards the desert road. He spoke softly at Ganon and explained everything as they went. After he had finished that John told him how to defend against sword blows and how to use the basic weapon techniques. Ganon sat there cross legged and nodded his head as they went.

When they made it to the road it was midday and the escorts went into two lines in front of and behind the carriage, keeping vigilant eyes on their surroundings for movement and possible ambushes. The desert road was not remotely straight, but bent and wound around steep mesas and deep crevasses dotting the land. After hours of travelling deeper into the scorched earth John finally saw the signal that he had been searching for the entire ride; a series of several flashes from a metallic object on a far off cliff. He took note of the sun's low appearance on the horizon, and turned to the rest of the men with him. "We will stop here for the night. The bandits and cutthroats come out in only a few hours we had best be prepared."

They disembarked from their horses and stretched for a few minutes. After that they went about parking the wagon and securing the horses to its railings. The sun was well below the horizon by the time they struck the fire and planted the torches on the perimeter of their camp.

The men sat around the campfire as two kept watch at a time. John knew that the prime opportunity for sneaking Ganon out was early in the morning just before the sun rose and the men were still in their stupor from drinking. He took stock and sharpened his sword and knife to a razor's edge.

John's instincts told him that the men would try and drug him so they could move him in the morning to the jail. He instead opted to pull out a small amount of rations from his bag and sat by the fire joking with the rest of his men until they splintered into watch shifts and sleep.

John laid on the sand, not bothered by its feeling after so many weeks lying on it during the excursion.

The moon slid its way through the night sky, illuminating the dunes of sand like mountains of rolling snow. Hours ticked by and the men switched watches twice and on that final one he got up from the sand and surveyed the darkened site and sleeping forms save the two that were on watch.

He walked up to them and stretched "beautiful night. When I was out here during our raids some nights we would get pinned in violent sandstorms that would hurt every part of your body and rip armor right off our bodies," he remarked to no one in particular,"Listen, I know what you will do when we arrive, and I'm telling you now that I'm not going any farther then this spot, neither is the child. I'm leaving with him now. I wish you well."

The men scrambled for their weapons, but john spun and smacked them on the back of their heads with the flat of his blade, leaving them unconscious in the sand. He moved to the carriage and unlocked it swiftly. He woke Ganondorf with a light tap on the leg and he moved just as quick. They made it to John's horse that he put Ganon on first and climbed on next, keeping the child in front of him.

They had almost made it out of the campsite when one of the men caught a glimpse of the pair and raised the alarm. John snapped the reigns leaving the campsite in a burst of speed sending the rest of the men into tired confused panic, reaching for weapons for and enemy that wasn't there.

John knew it was a matter of time before they were in pursuit so he rode hard the rest of the night trying to make it to the meeting place before dawn. The sky was lightening when he slowed his horse to a light trot allowing it to rest.

He arrived to the place just after the sun had peeked over the horizon and the heat was rising. A group of Gerudo waited for their arrival. John disembarked and bowed before their leader, then took Ganondorf from the saddle and set him on the ground.

"Listen Ganon. I want you to be the best person you can be. The future is is unknown to us, but run towards it unwavering and you will find your destiny. I'm proud of what you have accomplished and what you have come through. I wish I had more time with you. I... I love you kiddo,"his voice catching, "Now go on. Be free from the hell of Hyrule." John bent down and enveloped him in a hug.

There was a drum of hoof beats in the air, and John knew what it meant but held the onto the child just a few moments longer with a resigned sigh. "Be strong and when you are you will find true power within yourself. Goodbye Ganondorf."

When he let go he nudged Ganon towards his awaiting people, but the child watched glassy eyed as John mounted he horse one more time, doned his helmet and raced back towards the charging soldiers, his sword shining brilliantly against the dawning sun.

"Come child. He has bought you the time you need to escape. Quickly!" one of the women said, ushering him towards their horses that almost blended completely into the sand itself.

"But he'll be okay right? Right!?" Gaonondorf asked frantically searching behind them for his mentor's horse among the others in the fray.

One of the stallions departed from the pack and raced in a circle around the others, flaunting their abilities as two then three men fell from their mounts. Quickly following that John's luck seemed to be going sour, as if the goddesses had abandoned him.

The gerudo women continued to lead Ganon to their horses as he strained his neck to watch the battle. John had been taken to the ground, his horse standing some feet away. The remaining seven men rushed his position like hunters onto a trapped animal. John stood his ground stubbornly as they came at him. Six of them made it past him but one wasn't as lucky. the soldier had been thrown from his horse and john cleared the distance between them in an instant slaying the man where he stood.

The remainder of the enemies pulled back and formed a charging line. With most all of his armor wrent and useless on his body. John's only defense left was his blood stained sword in his hand. When they charged this time, Ganondorf snapped his eyes shut, his voice let out a wail that resounded throughout the desert.

The women held no restraint in pulling him onto one of the horses and taking off into the safety of the desert interior.