Ganon's Fate

Shall the hag Evil die with the child of Good,
Or propagate again her loathèd kind,
Thronging the cells of the diseased mind,
Hateful with hanging cheeks, a withered brood,
Though hourly pastured on the salient blood?
"Gerudo. We meet again." I heard the darkness say.
"I do not recognize your voice."
The darkness laughed, "Even your own death does not faze you. Admirable."
"Who are you?" I shouted into the void, "I am no fool. You will not deceive me!"
The darkness laughed again. "Your pride was your downfall. Do not let your afterlife be tainted by it."
"The goddess Farore manipulated me. Her Triforce of Emotion trapped me, and Zelda took advantage of my lapse in judgment. Hyrule is destroyed and lost forever, and she is to blame."
"You are wise, Gerudo, but foolish. Do you not feel the hatred you harbor for the very thing you desire? Let the past die. Your future is here. There is much for you to do."
"I demand to know your identity!" I said, "If you wish to join me, you must reveal yourself to me!"
The darkness gave way to blood red hues. I looked around me and saw a sea of lava far below, with black islands and continents scorching within it. I realized that I was being carried by an enormous red hand.
"Your arrogance is tiresome. I am not joining you, Gerudo. This is now your world. I rule this plane of Oblivion. You will serve me."
An arm, shoulder, and head materialized to connect with the hand. The face of the giant was terrible; horned and ragged with hatred and malice. His teeth were long and sharp, and two tusks jutted from his jaw.''
"I am Mehrunes Dagon, lord of Destruction and Ambition. I became your god after you forgot the goddess of Power. You are fortunate to be here."
"I do not know you, demon."
"We have spoken many times, Gerudo. When the World-Eater was released from his prison and you began to pursue a path of destruction, change, and revolution, you began to pray to me. Not consciously, but with the fibers of your being. You were an avatar of Power, but you lost your connection with Din and became an agent of destruction. Your feud with Hylia is over. The circle has been broken."
I stared in silence at the face of my new master.
"Then I am finally free?" I asked.
"Free? No, your soul belongs to me. You should be grateful. When Hylia destroyed the Triforces, every uncorrupted soul was released from their mortal prison. I rescued yours."
"What of Zelda? Was her soul claimed?"
"That does not matter anymore, Gerudo. Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to."
"Is this my punishment for living countless lives of hatred and revenge? For being the darkness that balanced the light of Zelda and the Hero?"
"Punishment?" Dagon laughed, "No, this is your reward. The land below me is your new kingdom. Forget your Triforce. Forget your Goddess. There has always been more power in Oblivion than Din's trinket ever had. You will become a new lord of darkness with my help. This is your reward. I have many plans that you may assist with. I will give you power beyond your reckoning."
Dagon began to fade away and turned his hand to drop me to the blackened island below. I tried to hold fast, but failed and fell through the burning air to the scorched island below.
== Original Version ==
This version of the text was replaced in version 6.5.14 by the text above.
"For my part, I have long perceived the nature of good and its nobility; the nature of evil and its meanness; and also the nature of the culprit himself, who is my brother, not in the physical sense, but as a fellow creature similarly endowed with reason and a share of the divine. Therefore, none of those things can injure me, for nobody can implicate me in what is degrading. Neither can I be angry with my brother, or fall foul of him, for he and I were born to work together, like a man's two hands, feet, or eyelids, or like the upper and lower rows of his teeth. To obstruct each other is against Nature's law, and what is irritation or aversion but a from of obstruction?"
 - Marcus Aurelius
Zelda's last act in this world was to destroy the Triforce, and me with it. Our physical forms were annihilated, and our souls frayed. Hers was doubtlessly rescued by one of the fairer divines.
Mine was claimed by the Prince of Destruction.
"Gerudo. We meet again." 
I could only see blackness, and could only plea to it.
"Return me to the world! I have unfinished business with the queen!"
"Yours is an empty hope," The Prince said, "Your soul is mine, for your life was one of hate and an endless wheel of death. Your destiny was one of hate. Your very existence was born of hate."
"I know this. I have always known this. But my destiny was also one of power. My destiny was one of villainy. I was the darker shade to balance the brightness of Zelda and the Hero. My purpose was revenge. My purpose is still revenge. My hate never perishes. Return me to the world. The Triforce should be mine!"
"You are wise. I am impressed. Your Triforce is dead, but there has always been more power in Oblivion than Din's trinket ever had."
"Is this my punishment? For leading a life of hate? For failing to defeat my eternal foe?"
"Punishment? This is your reward. I have many plans that you may assist with. I will give you power beyond your reckoning."
== Notes ==
Prior to version 6.5.14, Ganon's Fate was originally distinctly shorter than most of the lore books written by Ganon, and the conversation contained within it was more disjointed than others, with a long opening quote that was arguably unrelated to the content of the book. It is possible that Ganon wrote the book shortly after arriving in Oblivion to quickly jot down his experiences. Unlike Queen of Twilight, Ganon's Fate did not contain a description of what he saw upon entering Oblivion, nor his transition into the plans of Mehrunes Dagon. Mehrunes Dagon indicates that he knows of Din and Ganon's origins. Strangely, he also mentions that he has met Ganon before. All of this was changed with the updated text.
The current version of the text has more concise implications. Mehrunes Dagon indicates that he had been hearing Ganon's prayers instead of Din, as Ganon's faith in the Goddess of Power faded and ceased, unbeknownst to Ganon himself. Ganon blames the Triforce of Emotion, directly referencing the events of Wisdom, Power, and Emotion. His blame also extends to Farore, indicating that Farore presides over two holy virtues: Courage and Emotion and implying that she is a goddess of Lorule as well as Hyrule.
Ganon begins the book in an arrogant, angry tone, suggesting Dagon join him, but once Dagon manifests and states that Ganon's eternal feud with Zelda is over, Ganon's tone shifts to one of fear and hope for redemption. His shift in tone and inquiry about Zelda's soul imply that he desires a peaceful afterlife and feels remorse for his actions. Another implication is that he wishes to be free of his role as a villain and that he believes he had no control over his myriad evil deeds, as his role was darkness to balance light.
== Background and Inspiration ==
Ganon's Fate was included in version 6.2 of Relics of Hyrule with Ganon's Tomb. It was included to provide an explanation for Ganon's Deadlands and to establish the context of Ganon's afterlife. The book was originally kept relatively vague to incite curiosity, but was later reworked into a story of Ganon's transition into Oblivion. The title refers to Ganon's demise after the fall of Hyrule, but also to the release of Ganon from his destiny as a villain. 
The opening quote comes from a sonnet by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It was included to explore the idea of Ganon being redeemed by Din or being forever subservient to Mehrunes Dagon. 
"Let the past die. Kill it, if you have to." is a quote from Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. 
The image of Mehrunes Dagon's hand holding Ganon, and Ganon being dropped onto an island references the opening of Ultima VIII: Pagan
 The references to the eighth installments of two franchises is unintentional, but is fitting for a story set after the fall of Hyrule, as the Hylian and Lolian Triforces contain eight triangles, counting the empty spaces in the sigils' centers. 
(6.2 version) The phrase "Yours is an Empty Hope" comes from the Nightwish song of the same name.
(6.2 version) The quote "my hate never perishes" comes from Demise in Skyward Sword.
JKalenad did not view Ganon's Fate as one of the better lore books and rewrote it for version 6.5.14. It is the only lore book to have been drastically rewritten after its inception. The original opening quote (originally unique in that it was credited in the same book as its inclusion) was included to explore Ganon's eternal feud with Zelda and Link.
== See Also ==
Ganon's Vexation
The Dark Lord and the World-Eater
Wisdom, Power, and Emotion
Ganon's Epitaph
Category:Lore
Category:Books