#jfoebfb thank you for this ask!

[risingsouls]

🦎 do you think ganondorf obtaining the triforce would've altered how nabs' recruited verse goes?

A 🦎 For My Work Thoughts || Always Accepting!

[Oooooo now that's an interesting question! I'll have to think about this one. Aka ramble and make no sense until I settle on something.

Overall, yes, I think it would absolutely change things. I'll start with the easy idea of Ganondorf getting his wish to take over Hyrule for the Gerudo (or some version of this) instead of it breaking as it actually does in canon. Just for funsies. Basically, this would mean that Frieza would lose negotiation leverage in some respects because the Gerudo don't NEED his help at this point. Or, at least, they wouldn't be as desperate for an "alliance." So I can see this going one of two ways (maybe a bonus four but I'll get to that).

First, they would still make an agreement with Frieza, the Gerudo would learn to use ki and gain the force's "protection" in return for an alliance and sharing the resources of the planet with the Empire, including soldiers. So basically what they agree to in the AU as it currently stands, only on SLIGHTLY more equal footing and less in desperation. In this case, Nabooru would still likely be recruited, either for the same reasons for punishment for treason as, by that point, she would have openly opposed Ganondorf and given him her ultimatum. So, if she wasn't executed for that (which even in my LoZ verses I HC that the Elite decide to give her a chance to live at least with taking the Cave of Ordeals challenge), this would act basically as a quasi exile and punishment. This arrangement has maybe SLIGHTLY less chance of the planet and the Gerudo being destroyed, but Ganondorf is Ganondorf. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to rebel down the road and shirk off the Empire's hold. For better or worse. Which would be an interesting narrative to play with tbh.

HOWEVER. Since the Triforce would definitely break as it does in canon, it's harder to say how things would go down if he had the Triforce of Power at his disposal because it's very apparent it makes him extremely powerful and next to immortal, but stacking that up to the likes of Frieza is hard to do. There could still be potential for negotiations to learn ki for their benefit and to give Ganondorf EVEN MORE power in that regard and then trying to use that to try and betray the Empire down the road, if he wouldnt outright fight a takeover. But success on that front is up in the air because it's so hard to say just how powerful the Triforce of Power is. It would definitely be easy for Ganondorf to keep secret since I imagine the power it gives him is divine and couldn't be picked up by a scouter. So it definitely throws some interesting what ifs into the equation that could be super fun to explore.

For Nabs in that situation, she would probably be in a similar situation of some kind of punishment (if she hasn't potentially been brainwashed at this point which is also true of the other scenario tbh 😬😬). That's said, it could either mean she could he up for recruitment again, serving out some kind of punishment, OR she's a brainwashed, loyal servant of Ganondorf. So not great for her.

The bonus I talked about that could effect all of these is how Link and Zelda play in. If there is any alliance or ki training involved, they wouldn't fare well for obvious reasons. However, things would likely play out similarly to OoT canon if Ganondorf refused Frieza's aid (if not worse for him since he would be fighting two forces at that point). This is again dependent on how powerful the Triforce of Power makes him, but even if it was enough to stave off the Empire, Destiny says a princess and a hero with a magic sword can still seal him away. But there are also variables in THAT to explore, too.

Idk if I made a lick of sense in any of that. But in a nutshell, I think that the Triforce getting got before Frieza's invasion would change at the very least the power play dynamic of how the terms get negotiated as there would be less desperation because, in either scenario, Ganondorf is able to take what he wants himself, so the extra soldiers and ki training would be more of a bonus than a necessity. Where it goes from there, whether there's an agreement or he spurns Frieza, is really where things get dicey to figure out but VERY interesting to consider. I do enjoy a good what if game so yeah.

The sad thing is no option seems to give Nabs anything good. 🥲 She's just kind of screwed.]