Hiya, everyone! I don't think I need to go into too much detail on what this chapter's going to center on since the last one set things up. The Hero of the Wilds heads into the underground where the living aren't meant to dwell and as usual, prepare for something to go wrong!

I do not own anything.

Chapter 6-Descending into Darkness

Link remembered what they said about departure, it truly was perhaps the most nerve-wrecking aspect of any military deployment. Amongst the few memories he'd regained one that stood out was seeing his father prepare to leave their home and his mother doing her best to remain strong for them all. He recalled his father pulling her into a tight hug, kissing her and whispering into her ear how he would retain before doing the same to him. Sadly, Link couldn't recall what words he'd said, all he knew was that he pleaded for his father to return as well. He promised him that too with a smile that filled Link with joy and hope.

Almost two weeks later and that hope was validated.

Though bruised and battered, his father had returned to him and his mother. It was one of those days he'd slept in their room, safe in the arms of both his parents and content with the world. Those had been the days, but as with all things, there had to come an end to them. What always ate away at Link was the fact that they'd ended in perhaps the most unexpected, most twisted way imaginable. They'd ended because he'd failed. Instead of his father never coming home he was the one who never came home. He fell in battle, but to death but merely a dreamless sleep from which he eventually awoke.

The problem was, while he slept everything he loved burned, everyone he'd ever loved perished: his parents, his comrades, his first love, all of it was gone.

A part of Link knew he'd spend the rest of his life cursing the way things had played out, rather he was able to mostly move on with his life or not. It was simply a dark fact he'd come to accept for better or worse.

However, at the very least he could do his best to make sure those that had loved ones were able to return to them. That was his mission this day, one he'd do his best to complete even if it meant having to forfeit a limb or two. If it came to that, Riju wouldn't be happy with him, but at the very least he'd be returning to her. Hopefully.

Overhead, the desert sun continued to beat down as if it were just another ordinary day in the Gerudo Desert. If one looked at Gerudo Town from the outskirts then it certainly appeared so. Merchants and travelers of both genders were walking the streets. Most people tried to focus on that as being the sole thing borne from the Yiga's surprise attack. Only a select handful knew the actual truth. A portion of that handful were behind him, loading up survival and digging tools onto a massive caravan that would be carried through the desert by a pair of specially breed sand seals. Link paused in his sky-gazing to look back at the two of them.

Avel and Castor were their names, both seasoned seals who'd rode through the desert on countless errands. Their instincts were so good that they could detect brewing storms a good while before most humans could; on top of that, they could be fierce fighters when pressed into a corner. Almost a month ago, Link had heard Riju rode Avel through the desert and the scar-bodied seal had seen her through the trip earning him her affection. For the act alone, Link was willing to place his faith in the seal.

The seasoned seal responded to Link's coming, turning his head to face him. He eased into the Hylian's palm, affectionately purring at his touch.

"He seems to like you, Master Link." Noted the Gerudo who'd finished fastening the straps onto Avel and Castor. "Have you rode him before?"

"No, I just have a bit of a way with animals. That, or if I need to ride something or someone, I learn fast." Answered the Hylian. "To be honest, I'm actually hoping we'll be able to keep them out of harm's way when the fighting starts."

An eyebrow was raised at his statement, a second later and flicker of acknowledgement flashed in her eyes. "At best, they might just have a few traitors trying to steal them away. That won't be a problem, these two are pretty tough and know how to bite back. What do you think we're going to be fighting down there?"

"Honestly, I can think of a whole list of things, probably giant insects, worms, and maybe a couple of rock monsters or two." Listed off the Champion. "By the way, I didn't catch your name, what is it, if you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, it's Obelia." Laughed the Gerudo archer pushing a strand of crimson hair behind her ear. From what he could gather, she perhaps a bit on the young side, just an inch or two taller than him. From what he could see from her hands, she'd seen a little bit of some action as the worn lines and scars on her palms indicated. "To be honest, I'm…I'm kind of happy you're coming with us. A mission this big, I'll admit I'm…I'm pretty scared. Actually, I'm pretty much scared shitless. Pretty shameful, huh?"

"Nope, it's perfectly natural. In fact, to be honest with you, I'm a little scared myself." His gaze was directed upward. He was going to miss the blue skies of the Gerudo desert, but hopeful he and his traveling party would be able to see it again when all of this was over with. "We're heading into underground tunnels with who knows what crawling around us and a couple of murderous ninja and war criminals on our backs. Who we're also racing against to find a stash of magical stones that could probably blow the entire underground and bury us all. That'd be a pretty piss poor ending to this adventure, wouldn't it?"

Obelia laughed; in turn, Link cracked a smirk. "A minute ago you were doing your best to lift my spirits and now it feels like you're bringing me down. Guess that's experience talking, isn't it?"

"Yeah, just keep your head above the mayhem, it's okay to cry a little, but there's going to come a time when you need to wipe away the tears and get up. Nothing comes from sulking and crying in a corner."

Avel seemingly supported his statement with a loud cry. The Hylian and Gerudo looked to the sand seal in surprise, then gave a joint laugh at his actions. Content in his peep talk, Link left Obelia to finish double-checking their supplies. As he stood up, he spotted a familiar face watching him. Swallowing a small lump in his throat, he made his way over to Hanifa.

"So, how bad is this going to be? I take it you've been underground before?" Inquired the Hylian male.

A dark look came over Hanifa's normally bright eyes. The blond knew the look all too well and immediately regretted voicing his question. In a flash, her gaze was upon him, a light smile tugging on her lips. "There was an…expedition almost three years ago. I lost some friends, never found their bodies so we weren't able to give them a proper burial, only a funerary send-off. It wasn't like it was the first time something like this happened. Sadly, we Gerudo have grown…accustomed to not having bodies to bury. What matters is we're able to give their spirits proper sendoff. Speaking of sendoff, ours will begin as soon as the last members of our group show up."

Link looked around the two of them. It wasn't like their group was small by any means. Bordering on some twenty people already, a joint force of Gerudo and Cornulians, it was a sizable enough group that could hand out into the desert and handle almost anything thrown at them. It was also the kind of group that would likely come back with a few members missing, at best. He bit his lip in thinking about that. Instead, he tried to think about what, or who, they were missing. From what he could gather, they had about twelve Gerudo warriors and about ten Cornulian knights going on this little venture, including Gremio. He was arguably the Cornulian knights' chief officer, by skill more so than rank.

The swordsman caught Link's wondering eye and returned his gaze. As expected, he was all business. He too had little idea what they were going to be facing, but whatever they encountered he was going to face it as bravely as possible. Link remembered that was the attitude that the army and royal guard's combat instructors had attempted to drill into new recruits. Evidently, it had been successful in Cornulia.

"Hey! H-Hey! L-Link! You guys haven't left yet, have you?" Boomed a young and nervous-laced voice. Within seconds, Link's ears perked up and a joyful smile bloomed across his face as he turned his head in the voice's direction.

Immediately, he recognized the white-tuff of hair that stood out atop a bright orange head. Joy cackled in the small blue eyes of the approaching Goron; Link mirrored his expression as he raised his hand and laughed in recognition.

Though the memories were literally a hundred years old, he could still remember getting bear-hugged by Daruk. A century may have passed, but the sensation remained. His grandson was beginning to develop the same kind of strength as Link quickly discovered, not that that was a bad thing. He was quite resilient himself.

Hanifa definitely took notice of this. "Hm, old friend of yours? Oh, and how is it you're so tough despite being so scrawny?" Quipped the Gerudo archer with a cool smirk.

"Hey, looks aren't everything!" The minute he was free he sprung into action, wrapping his left arm around the startled Yunobo. "Take this guy here! He may look like your typical go-lucky Goron, and he can be, but he's the grandson of the great Daruk, Champion of the Gorons! This guy here helped scale Death Mountain with me to stop the rampaging Vah Rudania! You should have seen it, busting through hordes of monsters like it was nothing in an effort to regain his tribe's lost honor, with my help of course! Isn't that right, Yunobo?"

Just as planned, his words threw the young Goron for an absolute loop. Thankfully, he recovered quickly. "I-I-I, u-um, w-w-well, s-s-s-sorta. B-B-B-But i-it was really a team effort! I-I never would have gotten through it if it weren't for you, Link!"

Rather or not Hanifa bought their story was a matter for another day. Whatever the case, she found the display amusing enough to give a heartfelt laugh. "Another Champion-descendent like Riju? Well, that certainly puts more of my worries to ease! Yunobo, I look forward to seeing what the future Champion of the Gorons is capable of on this mission!" Declared the Gerudo archer turning her back to the two of them.

"What was that? Come on, you know I'm still trying to build up my confidence!" Shouted the pendent-wearing Goron once he felt all eyes and ears had moved away from them. He had absolutely no idea why he'd played along with Link's little lie; a lie that was quite visible and ease to pick apart. Hanifa said that it'd pet her worries had ease, it'd done the exact opposite for Yunobo. "Link, I'm serious! I-I-I'm…this was a mistake, I never should have volunteered for a mission like this! I-I'll find some way to screw it up!" Cried the cream-haired Goro.

"No, you won't." Affirmed the Hylian with steely determination in his eyes. "You pulled through when we had to stop Vah Rudania and you're gonna pull through this time, I'm sure of it. Besides," Placing a hand against the boulder-bodied youngling, Link winked at him. "You'll have me watching your back and I'll be watching yours just like last time, so we've got nothing to worry about. Oh, and we'll be having the rest of them as backup." Gesturing with his chin, the pointed Yunobo's attention to the rest of the group, hard at work in preparing for the perilous journey that no doubt lay ahead of them. There wasn't a frown of worry or uneasy on any of their faces, only grim determination in doing what needed to be done.

Seeing it all made Yunobo realize that all his negative attitude would do would bring the mood down, not to mention make him the odd one out. He looked to Link, who'd seemingly read his thoughts in an instant. At last, he was able to find it in him to give his Hylian friend a confident smile.

The Goron envoy consisted of six Gorons counting Yunobo himself bringing their group to a total of twenty-eight, almost thirty souls. Every person possessed some degree of fighting ability, and others were particularly one-men and women-fighting machines themselves, himself included.

"Yunobo," Link called as the blue-eyed Goron turned to leave. "Since you're here, I think it's high-time I gave this to you." Holding out his hand, he quitted his mind called out to his "armory'. Link held no illusions about ever one day becoming a sorcerer or magician, it simply wasn't in him. That said, he'd been practicing a few spells, specifically those that he felt would be useful. Among them were the "arms spells", a line of magic that naturally dealt with weaponry. For a person like him, it was right up his alley. A mass of flames appeared in his hands before exploding outwards, an emerald-light glittering at the center of his palm.

"W-W-Woah! W-W-When d-did you learn how to do that?!" Cried the young Goron as he stumbled a few steps backward. He seemed more put-off by the magical display than he did by the massive hulking weapon that Link held upright, its blunt end sticking downward into the sand. As the shock began to wear off, Yunobo fully examined the item in question; his mouth promptly dropped. "L-Link…I…I can't take that."

"Of course you can." Affirmed the Hylian. "The Boulder Breaker belonged to your grandfather, and now I'm passing it down to you just as he would have intended. Where we're going, you're going to need it."

Yunobo was quiet as he alternated between looking at the sandy ground and at Link. When he finally met Link's eyes, his were filled with a somewhat uncharacteristic determination. "I…I've already got a good weapon, these." Holding up his fists, Yunobo took a moment to concentration. A minute later and his hands glowed a bright orange-red; the surrounding air cackled with so much heat Link smirked, cracking his lips in the process. "S-S-Sorry, sorry!" Cried the bigger male immediately shutting off his power.

"Hey, no need to apologize! That's actually pretty good! I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who's been practicing his magic." Commented the blond. "Suppose your fists will come in more handy than this thing in a tight place like the underground, huh?"

"S-Sorta," Stated the bare-chested Goron. "It's just…I, Link, one day…I do want to wield the Boulder Breaker, but I want to really earn it. I…I haven't earned it yet."

It was like looking into a mirror. Daruk, you have no idea how much I wish you were here. Having his blood relative at his side would have done Yunobo a world of good, more so than Link could ever hope to do. Unfortunately, he was all the young Goron had. He understood all too well where Yunobo was coming from; he'd been in his place before. In some ways, Link felt like he'd remained there even a century later.

Dismissing the weapon in a shower of flames and light, Link looked at his Goron friend with a somewhat somber expression. "Alright. I take it you want me to decide when you're worthy to wield it?"

Nervousness laced his voice and body. "Y-Yeah, pretty much. I mean…we both know you can probably get better use out of all of the Champions' weapons. You're the most skilled fighter in all of Hyrule so…I…can you like…be my coach?"

"Um, you know that sort of thing isn't my…strong suit." Mumbled the blond.

Yunobo laughed. "You were pretty good at it when we were facing Vah Rudania. If you ask me, Link, you're a pretty well-rounded guy, and a pretty wise person. It's one reason why even though I'm pretty scared…seeing you gives me the confidence to go down there."

Link's mouth dropped at hearing the words. How many times had he heard some variant of them?

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Link. You're more than just a warrior or knight…you're…you're inspirational. It's why Hyrule's been able to start the long climb to becoming a real kingdom again. It's why…I've been able to hold my head up a little higher since meeting you. And one day…I'm hoping you-"

"Hey! Link, if you and your friend are done catching-up, we've still got some last details to sort out!" Shouted Gremio drawing the Hylian out of his personal recollections.

Both lads looked across their shoulders back to the convoy. They could see that preparations were almost complete.

"Yeah, we'll be right over!" Shouted back the Hylian before turning to face Yunobo. "Just keep that confidence, alright?"

Vigorously, the young Goron nodded in understanding. His large hands clapped tight around Link's normal-sized palms.

"Right then, let's do our best, brother! For Grandpa Daruk!"

"Aye!"

Old memories sometimes came back at the most unexpected of times, and the most embarrassing of times. At times, the memories were wanted and unwanted. This was one of the times where they were wanted, and perhaps even needed. In this case, he recalled memories of his time serving with his assigned unit, and his fellow Champions. Without a doubt they were fond memories he took an extra moment to dwell on. Afterwards, he promised himself that the future would not be a repeat of the past, no matter what it took.

Western Barrens, Late Afternoon…

They'd arrived at the spot little more than an hour ago and immediately began digging. Just about thirty-minutes in and they'd hit solid rock. The Gorons took over after that, using their own custom mining equipment to punch through while the rest held up their Sheikah-designed scanners. Link could have sworn a collective hush ran through the entire group when the scanners began to beep.

There was definitely something beneath them, maybe a quarter mile or perhaps a full mile, but there was something down there. It seemed that their prisoner's intelligence had been on the money. Link wasn't so sure that was a good thing as the Yiga and the Cornulian rebels no doubt must have known the same thing. While the Gorons dug, he continued to glance around at the surrounding wasteland. He saw absolutely nothing but rock and sand…which was the problem. A big problem.

Either they're waiting for us to open up a path for them…or they're already down there. His thoughts were unsettlingly clear over the sound of the drill roaring in the background. Link's body could feel the vibrations born from the energized drill tearing through earth and stand like paper. In spite of it, his senses were turned up to such a degree it might as well have been like a slight breeze of wind. He was watching that too, the wind. The second he heard the slightest disturbance in it he was ready to spring into action. In some ways, Link realized he was actually hoping for such a disturbance. At least it would have been something he was familiar and could deal with.

The unknown was arguably the most dangerous thing imaginable.

"I believe whatever threat we're going to face, it's going to be underground." Link looked to his right and saw Gremio approaching him. His hand was fastened tightly on the hilt of his longsword. "We have no deserts like this in Cornulia, perhaps a few rocky expanses, but nothing like this great desert. It's as impressive as it is…unnerving."

"We're just lucky there wasn't a sandstorm brewing today." The blond-haired adventurer directed his gaze upward for a splint second. "You think I'm being paranoid or a pessimist since it's not raining or there's not so much as a cloud in the sky?"

Gremio grunted. "Some of the worst tragedies have played out beneath a gleaming sun. I don't believe the sky pays much heed to those of us on the ground. We are but playthings to the deities above, no offense."

"None taken." Shrugged back the Hylian. "Truth is I…" Briefly, he turned his head back to the dig site. A massive wall of sand and rock were continuously being blasted into the air. It was almost completely drowned out by the roar of the drill. Even the voices of the operators were little more than soft mumbles compared to the roar of the engines. Their conversation would more than likely go unnoticed. "A part of me lost faith in the goddess after…after…I don't think I need to spell it out for you."

"You don't." Softly shutting his eyes, Gremio placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "To be frank, I never believed in the gods, or goddesses, or any other higher power. This is a world of men, thus however it turns out falls on our shoulders. I'd rather spend time and sweat attempting to fox a mistake with my own hands than praying before an altar hoping the problem magically fixes itself. I…I despise people like that."

"Gremio, not to be rude, but you're sounding like you would have made a terrible priest."

The scar-faced swordsman laughed. "Oh, I hope so. I'd rather turn to banditry than become a man of the cloth."

Link whistled. "Pretty extreme, but I can't say you're the first I've met with a disdain for the church. I take it you're able to get away with it since Cornulia is a theocracy, is it?"

"Neither is Hyrule, a least not on paper." Quipped back the swordsman. "What about you? Any career choice you couldn't stomach taking?"

His mouth opened to respond, but his voice was cut-off by a near thunderous-cracking sound which made his hair stand on end. Gremio felt a similar feeling as he saw his hand instinctively tighten on his sword. Momentarily, Link mused how both of them were more edge than either realized. Looking back, they watched a massive cloud of sand and dust arise, catching even the Gorons off-guard with its thickness. How none of them managed to avoid falling inward was a shock onto itself. Straight-mouthed, Link walked forward, Gremio by his side. Together, they stood alongside Hanifa and stared down into the darkness.

"So, what sort of nightmarish beasts are we looking at?" Questioned the Conrulian knight.

"Anything you can imagine." Huffed Hanifa. "Plus all the other terrors psychotic traitors and criminals can visit upon us."

"Alright, Yunobo! Get me some rope! I'm heading down!"

"You are?" Questioned the Gerudo.

Link looked at her with a blank stare. "Better me than the rest of you, I've got a whole life's worth of diving into dangerous, life-threatening situations. Plus," He reached behind his back and unsheathed an inch of the Blade of Evil's Bane. "I'm the one with the evil-repelling sword. Whatever we face down there, I've got a gut feeling it's going to havee some evil taint to it, so better me than the rest of you."

Hanifa and Gremio looked to him then to each other. Link could have sworn he saw something resembling worry flash through their eyes. If his girlfriend could hear him, he'd imagine she'd have broke out into a cold sweat.

Yunobo came back with the rope and climbing gear less than a minute later. He picked up on the mood of things in seconds.

"U-Um, L-Link…you're…"

"I'm going down, Yunobo." Answered the blond as plainly as if he were stating the weather. "As soon as I give the signal, the rest of you can come down."

"And if you don't give any signal?" Hanifa asked somewhat worryingly.

"Then…avenge me, and try to bring something back to be buried."

Underground…

Link had heard the saying that sometimes, the more one wants something the more elusive it becomes. He was willing to take that mantra whenever it came to things like death and danger, if for the sake of his companions more than his own. For better or for worse, he'd grown uncomfortably used to his life being in mortal danger and the end being no more than a stone's throw away. He remembered his instructors, and even Urbosa herself telling him it meant that he'd become accustomed to a warrior's life-style. As he glanced back behind him, he wondered if the warriors behind him had felt the same.

They'd left six of their own topside and three at the entry hole for safety reasons. The remaining nineteen had pressed onward into the tunnels, a network of small tunnels, some of which opened up into massive chambers. Link could safely say that he wasn't alone in gaping in awe at what they found-gigantic dug-outs that looked like they could have been hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. From what little history he remembered and his time with Riju, he knew that some of these tunnels were indeed that old.

Progression was silent and tedious, which all things considered were exactly how things were supposed to be. Having to traverse nothing but treacherous terrain was much more preferable to fighting in such enclosed spaces against enemies that truly wanted nothing but their blood.

Then again, the fact they hadn't encountered said enemies did nothing to put his mind at ease. Quite the opposite.

Almost a whole hour had passed since they'd descended down into the tunnels and so far, they hadn't found much of anything. Besides the occasional subterranean creature that was no bigger than their hands or arms; to his credit, Yunobo hadn't reacted to any of those like one would have expected them to. If anything, their presence seemed to keep him on guard. Link thought that was good, he needed it.

Moving from wide open expanses to narrow passageways had not exactly been easy. Yunobo and his two fellow Gorons, Grosh and Tolith knew what they were getting into thus did their best to remain resolute when the group had to stop at a deep chasm or narrow passage way. Of the three, Tolish knew a bit of magic made for moving the earth. He stepped forward and placed his hands against the old stone, ancient incantations leaving his lips and the magic passing from his giant hands into the rock. Control was key as if he went too fast, moved the earth too quickly or too much the entire underground could cave in on them.

Link continuously looked upward at the stalagmite-ridden ceiling. He'd practiced with his Daruk's Protection, as had Yunobo. Together, they probably could have protected the group, but for how long? It wouldn't do much good since they'd practically be buried with probably a limited supply of air and little hope for escape.

This time, it was the physical feel of something bumping into him that brought him out of his thoughts, or rather, it was him bumping into that person.

"Lost in thoughts again? Worry not, we've come upon a suitable place for such things." Hanifa's amused voice.

Glancing behind her, Link saw what she meant. An underground reservoir that branched off into a rushing waterfall. Taking in the spacious space, Link noted that it was indeed a good place to stop and rest and take stock of their location. According to the last read out on his slate, they were getting closer and closer to the lost caravan's remains. Something told him that past this point things would begin to get harder for them. It made the urge to sit down and rest all the greater.

"We're taking a break here! Put something in your stomach so you'll be ready to go in four minutes tops!" Called the Gerudo archer leaping from the ledge onto the ground almost ten feet beneath them. Link followed after her.

All they really did was set up a loose parameter around the area, nothing more. The break was intended to be short so everyone wasted no time in breaking out the rations, eagerly consuming them.

Gremio found him merely four feet from the water's edge. "Is it just me, or does it feel like this has been too easy so far?"

Giving him a sideways glance, Link stated, "I'm actually starting to think they're simply tailing us. Don't ask me why or how, but I just have this feeling that the Yiga are simply waiting for us to get to the caravan so they can sweep in and take it for themselves."

"You mean letting us do the heavy lifting? Smart ploy, one that I would likely do."

Neither of them were entertaining the possibility that they weren't being followed. As warriors, they'd been trained to trust their instincts. Those honed instincts were telling them that dangerous was just around the corner, all it was doing was waiting for the right moment to pounce.

"Hey, you asked me if there was any job occupation I'd never want to take. I have one, it's-"

They both felt it at the same time-the electrical jolt that woke up every sense in their bodies. Eyes wide as saucers, Link scrambled backward, his hand manifesting a bow with an arrow notched while Gremio surged forward, his sword leaving his scabbard on the way. The tip was freed then ruthlessly plunged into the water. The icy-blue gem at the base of the sword lit up like a candle; blue lines traced down the blade through the tip and into the water. It quickly began to turn into ice. Link kept his bow and arrow notched, behind him, the rest of the group was responding accordingly.

Before the ice could completely cover the lake, their enemies revealed themselves.

THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

It was a swift but somewhat haunting sound-arrows flying through the air then piercing flesh. Skin broke in seconds and organs were punctured not soon after. Depending on where the arrows hit, death was instantaneous, in other cases, it took a few extra seconds. The Yiga coughed and sucked in final breaths before their bodies began to descend downward back toward the freezing lake. Only a handful hit the water before the surface froze, the rest hit the ice sheet, their blood turning the white frost red. Not all of the archer's arrows hit though, a few managed to deflect them just in time to avoid being shot.

One Yiga clansman, more heavily armored than the others, glared at Link through his mask. In his hands were a pair of hook blades that gleamed in the dim lighting of the cavern. Wind gathered around his feet, then exploded pushing him forward like an arrow shot from a bow.

CLANG!

The sound of their blades colliding was like thunder, resounding through the watery chamber as if it were the open skies. Link could feel a wave of aggression from behind his enemy's mask. He responded by quickly swinging his sword in a diagonal arc, hoping to cleave the attacker in two. Instead of flesh and armor, all the Master Sword cut was air. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted the Yiga clansman moved toward the rest of the group, most of whom were still focused on the frozen lake.

Link commanded his body to move, his blood pumping in his ears and his hands gripping his sword handle like a vice. From his left came a blue ball of energy, his whole body literally shivered as it passed him, which was normal since it was condensed sub-zero energy. It impacted the Yiga warrior via his backside, freezing him solid. His frozen stature came as a complete surprise to the Gerudo warrior he was seconds away from killing; the woman recovered her senses quickly and swung her sword with all the might she could, cleaving the frozen man in two.

Spinning on his heel, Link saw Gremio staring at him. No words were spoken between the two men, there wasn't any need. Hanifa shouted out a battle cry, ordering everyone into battle. The next thing everyone did was charge out onto the frozen lake to engage the remaining Yiga.

It wasn't exactly a good idea as Link knew that Gremio hadn't frozen the entire lake, only the surface. As their side and the enemy clashed, cracks formed in the ice sheet, from the other side. Moments later and more Yiga ninja burst from the icy cover, water dripping off of their bodies. Arrows and fireballs flew from the search party, some of them hitting their mark while the others were deflected. The Yiga were far from unarmed, in fact, they seemed to have come prepared. In retaliation for their attack, they launched kunai and shurikens and other projectiles, all enhanced by the elements of fire and lightning. Seeing them, the group scattered, explosions lighting up the temporary camp they'd set up.

Seeing the incoming wave, Link set a grim face and hunched his shoulders forward. Behind him appeared the spectral form of Daruk, Champion of the Gorons. With a mighty cry, the Goron slammed his fists together creating a sharp-angled red and orange-tinted barrier around him. Against it, the Yiga's projectiles might as well have been tree seeds. Teeth pulled back in a silent snarl, Link rushed forward, not a shield in his right hand but a boomerang. He threw it with all the force he could. The weapon cleaved a yellow path through the air, impacting anything in its way. While it didn't cut, it sure did break the skin and bones of whoever was caught in its path.

As broken bodies hit the ground, magically circles formed beneath them. A few had enough time to shout in shock before a bluish-white flash covered them from head to toe. When it faded, nothing but an icy statue remained. For those Yiga who wielded the power of fire, that wasn't the case. One of them caught sight of Gremio and made a beeline for him, a flaming short blade held tightly in his hand.

There was a momentary flash, then the flames of the blade were extinguished. Link looked back and saw that Gremio had swung his sword in a wide-arc firing off not a blast if ice but of water. It extinguished the flames of his attacker, and gave him a window of time to attack. In just a few short stride Gremio was on the Yiga clansman, his blade cutting a clear path through his stomach. He dropped dead to the ground, blood coloring the ice.

Just barely narrowly did Link avoid the razor-sharp edge of a Blademaster. Link's face broke into a sneer as he parried the next attack, then the next, and then the next. Holding out his hand as the boomerang came back, he used it to stop the next attack while thrusting his sword straight for the man's chest. He felt next to nothing as the sacred sword plunged through him, then was torn out via a sideways swing that sliced open another clansman. All thoughts pertaining to anything like mercy or control went out the window, the old warrior that he used to be had come out and was now in complete control.

Bluish-white ice was quickly becoming painted red with blood, the blood of both Gerudo, Hylians, humans, and Yiga. Yunobo and his fellow Gorons were handling themselves well, having taken up a defensive position by the shore. They knew better than to go out onto the ice and risk falling through. Falling into the water was practically a death sentence.

While his heart was racing a mile a minute, Yunobo felt an odd sense of calmness. There was no doubt he was terrified, but compared to the slow and near torturous journey up Death Mountain this was…different, he felt a tad more in control. Part of that he attributed to his allies, all of whom were giving more than what he had. Something within spurred him to do as much as they were doing. His flames roared brighter, the fireballs leaving his fists larger than they had been during all of his training sessions.

Even though the fight had finally found them, Link still felt a ping of unease. As he cut and slashed his way through clansman after clansman, he began to realize that what they were doing was too easy. The Yiga knew they didn't have a chance of overpowering them, not without putting their own lives at risk and that of the prize they were all after. There had to be a separate group, perhaps further on ahead while these bastards kept them occupied. If that was the case then they had to end this scuffle as quickly as possible.

A sudden and familiar jolt raced up his spine. Immediately, his eyes began to scour the surrounding area searching for anything out of the ordinary. Besides people dying, wait, for him, that was ordinary, there wasn't anything dangerous enough to tick off his senses.

To his left, a body fell to the icy floor, three arrows sticking out of his chance. He in the direction they'd likely come from-Hanifa. She shot him a flirty smirk that might have left a pink tint on his cheeks. Only when he glanced past her did he see what the instinctive jolt he'd felt seconds ago had been pertaining to.

At Hanifa's six o'clock, emerged a Yiga clansman. His mask had a cut off hole for the lips, lips that twisted into a malicious smile that told Link trouble was coming. A whistle-like object was brought to his lips, his breath moving through the instrument just as Link's mind put the pieces together.

"Hanifa! Behind you!" Screamed the Hylian.

Her smile dropped, the Gerudo archer heard the shrill sound and twisted her body around while notching another arrow. She never got the chance to fire it as the ice beneath her feet completely and utterly gave out. No, something broke through it, a pair of hands that grabbed her by the ankles and pulled down hard. Hanifa vanished in a splash of water and ice leaving a seething Link running towards a still cackling Yiga clansman.

"I wouldn't worry about me. You've got bigger things to worry about, like staying alive!" Cackled the clansman before vanishing back down into the water.

His boots slid to a stop and his body tensed up. Link knew the feeling all too well. Something was coming. Sweeping his gaze around the battlefield he noticed the Yiga gradually beginning to withdraw, even as the convoy pressed on, striking them down at first opportunity. He caught Gremio's gaze as he finished cutting down a Yiga Blademaster. His wide-eyes met Link's, they were both on the same page.

All around them, the chamber shook like massive bell being rung. Nervousness and fear began to take hold as the earth cracked and groaned under immense pressure. Hairs stood up on end and weapons were held tightly in hand.

"Hylians, Gerudo, Cornulians, know this!" Shouted a lone Yiga clansman who stood at the opposite end of the frozen lake. He appeared to look like a Blademaster, albeit his outfit was a bit more decorative perhaps indicating a higher rank. "Know this, burial here in the depths of the earth is preferable to what shall be unleashed upon the surface. Consider it a mercy that you will not live to see the return of the Great Calamity Ganon. No…our Lord Ganondorf!"

"S-Shut up!" Shouted Yunobo throwing both his arms out in a mad fire. A singular massive sphere of flames manifested then shot from his arms like a cannonball. Link was half-hoping the attack hit home and roasted the clansman alive.

SWOOSH!

The two halves of the attack lit up the darkness behind the traitorous warrior. Illuminated by the flames Link couldn't help but note how the upside down Sheikah eye on the man's mask seemed to glow. Looking closer, he realized certain portions of the man's entire body were glowing. It was like some sort of specialized suit of armor. Seeing it, he recalled Zaltan's statement about his country's rebels and the Yiga forming an alliance. It seemed such an alliance had borne more fruit than they'd originally thought.

All around them, the tremors grew worse; they were becoming concentrated. Darting his eyes to his left side, Link realized the cracks forming along the walls and ceiling were because something was moving through the rock. Wide-eyed and teeth-gnashed, he held his hands out and summoned an Ancient Bow, his go-to-weapon when the situation called for absolute power with an equally powerful arrow notched. Link counted down the seconds until the creature burst through the rock and revealed itself to them. In stark contrast to his earlier behavior, the Yiga were now no more than an afterthought.

At last, the rock gave way, an ear-shattering roar shook the chamber. It was so great that some members of the party nearly dropped their weapons in an attempt to cover their ears. Those like Link, they remained resolute, merely readying themselves for the new threat. From the cloud of dust and rock emerged a Molduga, or at least part of one.

Wait a second, that's not a Molduga! It's Molgera! Not a second after he'd made the distinction, he let the arrow fly, a blue trail being left in its wake. His aim was true as the split-lipped monster reared back as the projectile hit home right in the eye. The Molgera reared back, its vertical jawspewing out sand and rock all over the place. Without missing a beat, Link launched three more arrows directly at the head.

The Molgera's wounded eye along with its other eye flashed red with murderous hatred. Red light spread up and down the creature's body, specifically from those portions that had metal inserts. Seeing them, Link's eyes lit up with absolute horror at the realization of what they were facing.

"Everyone, to the exits! Now! Move it!" In spite of his own words, Link himself was still trying to aim with his bow. What he was doing was near suicidal, but he was the only one with a chance of slowing down the modified Molgera. His fears were confirmed as he watched arcs of bright yellow electricity light up the beast's jaws, its metal-lined jaws. First his ancient arrows hit the right-side jaws, luckily just in-between the teeth. Seeing the creature scream in pain, Link bolted to his right. Sparing a glance to the side, he saw the others were doing as he'd instructed, thankfully. Gremio was directing them as best he could after having seen what they were up against. They needed to get out of this chamber before it came down on them.

After the high-tech arrows he switched out to the bomb arrows. Explosives in such a tightly compacted place normally weren't a good idea, but the situation had drastically changed. The Molgera crashed into the frozen lake, its massive body breaking the ice and plunging half of its head into the cold water. Seeing it, the Hylian changed courses and notched a shock arrow alongside a bomb arrow. Both flew from the string of his bow toward the flailing monster. Link looked away at the resulting explosion of fire and electricity, but he kept his ears open to the sound of the creature screaming in agony.

It didn't last for long as the Molgera brought its head up, looking quite enraged as it did so. Ice shattered and water rose in all directions. Falling back into a kneeling position, Link focused his mind. Around him, the world slowed to a crawl giving him the time and precision needed to launch his next volley of arrows. They too hit the upper portion of the sand monster's jaw line, shards of metal and flesh exploded outward crashing into the lake and the walls.

Briefly, he looked back to see that a majority of his allies had made it to the other side. The scar-faced Conrulian swordsman held up his arm. "Link, hurry up!"

He turned ready to run, only to stop as he realized that the icy lake surface he'd been fighting off was now no more than a series of rapidly diminishing islands. For all intents and purposes, he seemed stranded. Pausing to look back, he saw the giant sand worm still thrashing about; it was going to bring down the whole chamber.

As with before, a spectral figure appeared behind Link, this one a Rito with navy-colored feathers. Underground, what a lovely place for you to wonder into! Try not to die down here, it'd be a terribly poor end to our legacy!

Link couldn't help but grin at his old comrade's words. Revali actually had a bit of a point, it would have been a tad undignified if he, the last of Hyrule's Champions died in some underground cavern system. With the help of the Rito, he rose upward on a sudden yet mighty whirlwind. His bow was dismissed and, in its place, came a Great Flameblade. I'm really hoping I'm able to get this trick to work! Holding the weapon int a reverse grip, Link hit the metaphorical throttle causing the sword to become little more than a bellowing burst of fire that propelled him forward. He could see the other end of the shore and his allies coming into sight. Sweet relief flooded his system.

But then down came the ceiling.

Feeling the familiar jolt, he twisted his body so that the portal jet-engine was a sword once more. It completely and utterly incinerated the Molgera Larvae that had dropped from the rocky ceiling. Had he been a second later and one of them would have likely wrapped themselves around his body and brought him down.

The Hylian began to descend towards the water, but a lingering current kept his suspended. A mental note was made to thank Revali for the extra help and offer up an extra prayer for him next time he visited the memorial.

He could see the shoreline, just a few more seconds and he was there.

POOP!

"Gotcha, you filthy Hylian bastard!" Cackled a maniacal voice that made Link's heart skip a single beat. Right in front of him stood a Yiga Blademaster, a Windcleaver held tightly in his hands and pulled back. One swing of it and Link knew he was going to be in pain, and in this situation that was all death needed to punch out his ticket. His mind raced with calculations and counterattacks in the span of seconds.

Yunobo came out of nowhere, at least from Link's perspective. His massive stony body slammed hard into the Blademaster just as he was ready to attack. Beneath his heavy weapon, the swordsman was rendered near completely immobile. When his flaming fists came down, the clansman could only give muffled screams as his bones were broken and his flesh burnt. Three quick punches and Yunobo turned his attention to Link. Without a moment's hesitation, he waded into the water, arms outstretched. Link never thought the big and often sweaty palm of his Goron friend could feel so good.

Yanking him out of the water, Yunobo turned back to Gremio and the others, only to find that things had changed in the short seconds he'd mounted an emergency rescue. "N-No! No! We're trapped in here!"

Behind them, the Molgera was thrashing about while charging up its jaws. Link knew they didn't stand a chance of surviving if they stood and fought. His eyes searched the rocky surface until he spied a small hole to his right. "There! Smash through the debris over there!" With the same drive as he'd used to save his life, Yunobo surged forward, his fists alight with fire and smashing apart the rumble obstructing the cave entry. As soon as it was clear he rushed through with Link following shortly after him. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck beginning to stand up curtsy of the monster behind him; it was gaining on them.

The two of them kept on running even as the tremors continued, it was because the tremors were continuing that they kept on running. Yunobo let out a startled cry that raised the alarm bells in Link's head, and brought him back to a level of rational thinking. It saved him from falling off the same ledge that his Goron friend had toppled off of.

Thankfully, it wasn't a massive drop, only some ten feet or so. "Yunobo? Yunobo?" Called the Hylian. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

There was a brief groan before his voice came back. "Uh, I've got a few bruises and I'm pretty sure I'm out of magical power…but I think I'm okay! I-I mean I'm not dead or anything! That's a good thing, right?"

Link's left knee hit the ground. "Yeah…yeah…it is." At that moment, his heartbeat began to return to a normal rhythm. The entire time it'd been beating at a mile at minute to the point where it seemed ready to explode. Been a while since I've had excitement like that. Almost a whole month. At the very least he could put one piece of his anxiety to rest. They'd finally gotten heat, but he had no idea of the cost. Hanifa's face and voice flashed across his mind. Dammit all! Not again! His fist slammed against the dirt, there was little to no pain at all. Either she'd bene crushed to death instantly or she was still back there, trapped under tons of rumble with nothing but a rampaging Melgera and its offspring. All because he'd been too slow.

"Uh…Link, are you…you're not hurt, are you? I-I mean y-you pushed yourself awfully hard back there so…"

Hearing the worried voice of Daruk's grandson reminded Link that while he may have failed one person, he still had others counting on him. "I'm…I'm good. A little banged up, but I'm good." Peering over the ledge, he jumped down; his landing was naturally far more graceful than Yunobo's. "I'm going to try to get in contact with Gremio and his group. Find out where they are and where we are."

"Good idea. I have-huh?" Reaching to his waist, he pulled out a circular devise that seemed to be peeping. "Wh-What the…we're…we're close?"

"Uh? What do you mean close?"

Yunobo pointed to his Sheikah Slate, which had remained fasten to his waist. The first thing that came up was the radar that had been installed. It had been attuned to pick up the energies given off by the magical stones native to Cornulia. They'd been following those signals up until the fight. Now, that signal was beeping strong. Link looked ahead of them. Rather than complete darkness, a number of shimmering crystals dimly lit up their path. He looked to Yunobo.

"I-I'm ready! I-I mean I can still complete the mission. That…is the plan, right?" Questioned the Goron.

"It…is." Admitted the Hylian. "You lead, I'll try to contact Gremio and the others."

He hoped that wherever the other half of their party were, they were safe. Provided he was awake, Gremio was most likely doing a hand count. Link shuddered to think about how many besides Hanifa they'd lost back there. Biting his lip, he brought up the com-line that they'd established at the beginning of the mission. So far, all he was getting was static, not even scattered chatter from the other end.

BING! BING! BING! BING!

"Um, Link? We have a…um…I think we're on the right track."

Looking up from his Sheikah Slate, the first thing that caught Link's attention was the ruby-red gemstone that Yunobo was holding in his hands. It glowed with a flame-like radiance; it took him a full second to realize it wasn't just his eyes, the stone really was glowing like fire. Stepping closer, he examining the gemstone that was seemingly plucked from the ground. Yunobo pointed ahead, Link followed his gaze.

Directly ahead of them lay more gemstones, all of differing colors, but each one glistening with mystical light. Looking to the radar in Yunobo's other hand, Link whistled.

"You're right. We are on the right track, now let's hope the Yiga haven't gotten to that mine before us."

It was amazing how little faith he had in his own words.

Gerudo Town, afternoon…

"Hey, you think somewhere out there the Dark Mirror still exists?"

Zelda looked up from her history book with a surprised expression. "Dark Mirror? Pardon me, Riju, but I thought it was the Mirror of Twilight. I believe it was broken eons ago by a princess from another realm."

"But not before the Hero of Twilight jumped through to join her on the other side." Riju countered.

The blonde titled her head. "I…don't think that's how the story ended. Though I think they might have found each other in the end. If you don't mind me asking, what brought about this line of thought?"

Riju slammed shut the history book in front of her then leaned forward with her chin on her head. "Well, the lost caravan got me thinking about what other mysteries are out there waiting to be unearthed. I can't help but be a little curious, even if they do lie outside of my domain. But not yours."

Zelda could actually understand where her red-headed counterpart was coming from, quite well actually. Growing up, she too had possessed a longing to see the world behind the walls of Hyrule Castle. Not even a hundred years had been enough to stifle the dream. What was doing a good job of it was being cooped up in the Gerudo royal library with "homework". For her, it was verging on annoying.

For Riju, it was slightly more serious. Link and his party had left at the end of the morning, going on over three hours ago with absolutely no word back. It would have been a bold-faced lie to say that she wasn't worrying. Whenever Link went out a part of her tended to worry; now the feeling was worse given the details of his latest assignment. Sure, he possessed the skills and willpower to face down any threat, but that still didn't put her heart at complete ease. She'd done her best to mask it, but cracks had begun to show as the day dragged on.

Zelda had begun to notice those cracks. Her heart immensely ached for her fellow monarch. "Riju, would you like to continue our studying…perhaps, outside?"

"You mean in a nice afternoon sun instead of this boring old library? Zelda, why didn't you say something earlier!"

Laughing in delight, the two queens jumped up from their seats, their arms stretching upward. While silent and neutral on the subject, even the guards assigned to the pair couldn't help but chuckle. The Gerudo knew their queen well, and were beginning to take a liking to their high queen as well. This included Buliara, who herself was looking forward to getting some nice fresh air before night fell.

The Gerudo Royal library had been built well over two centuries ago; even Lady Urbosa had noted it to be "old" by the time she ascended the throne. In spite of that, the massive four-story building still possessed a sort of majestic air to it. Perhaps age played a part in that majesty, Riju certainly thought so. She'd heard growing up that a number of men had been caught attempting to sneak in to study some of the ancient texts they had stashed away. Most of the stories had been comedic, told to her as bedtime stories for her to laugh about in her sleep. The other portion…hadn't been, possessing ends that were more on the ominous and outright nightmarish side.

In the time since its construction, a number of renovations had been made to the building. One of them was an outside patio reserved solely for the use of Gerudo Town's upper ranks. In other words, the likes of Riju and Zelda. Stretched out before them lay the expanse of Gerudo Town, its reconstruction well under way and nearing completion. It was actually quite a stunning sight.

"So…how do you think the expedition is going?"

It was only a matter of time before one of them broached the topic. Given her slight assertiveness it figured that Riju was the one to do it.

Looking at her, Zelda could sense more than just a passing anxiety emitting from her fellow monarch. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it seemed as if she were taking the mission…personally.

"Right about now…I'm sure they're at least underground, and I'm hoping that they're all safe."

Riju sighed, hanging her head low with her hands on her hips. She marched up to the railing. "Do you think it'd be…strange or un-queenly of me to try contacting them? As in trying to make a personal call?"

"To Link?"

Faster than she thought, the green-eyed girl snapped her head in Zelda's direction. A mixture of awe and slight fear swirled inside of her as she became the target of a gaze she could only describe as analytical. It was far from a comfortable feeling.

"L-Let me try rephrasing that. A-Amongst them is a woman named, Hanifa, one of your best archers, yes? I was referring to her."

Realizing what she'd done, Riju's shoulders slackened. "Sorry about that. I…I…" Her mind scrambled to form a believable lie not just for Zelda but fore the guards stationed within earshot. "I just don't want to be known as the queen who got Hyrule's last Champion killed. It'd be quite embarrassing, wouldn't it?"

Placing a hand on the redhead's shoulder, Zelda laughed in good humor. "I actually think the blame for such a thing would fall on me and not you. After all, I am the high queen of Hyrule. Whatever evils befall the kingdom, they will and must be meant by me first and foremost. That's the kind of ruler my father and grandfather were, and it's the kind that I want to become as well."

"Ah, so you wish to become a failure as well. I am pleased to see the apple has not fallen far from the tree."

Both queens went wide-eyed at the unfamiliar voice. In unison, they turned their heads in a single direction, toward the table where their books lay. Setting there, spear shafted into the ground stood a figure unlike any either girls had ever seen, in their lifetimes. They had seen it in history books and old drawings.

The dark brown bodysuit with black shoulder guards and boots with golden piercing stood out in sharp contrast to the bone-white mask that adorned the face. Or lack of a face, it possessed no bottom jaw yet a distinctive male chuckle could be heard coming from the entity. It looked to the two of them, a pair of glowing yellow eyes cackling with naked malice. Though it possessed no mouth, the two queens could tell it was smiling.

"What, Riju? No words for your former king come back from the dead?" Jested the skull-faced creature now standing up. Displayed upon his chest as proud as any other native was the blood-red crest of the Gerudo.

"N…N…No…no…no…no…no…no…no!" Screamed Zelda, infectious fear enveloping her heart nearly driving her to her knees.

Riju held a different reaction. It's…it's…it's…his…his…his…

Buliara and the guards were upon the intruder in a splint second, their weapons cleaving through the air in a single direction. They hit nothing but wood creating a mess of the table.

As pieces of wood and paper flew into the air, Riju and Zelda stood near the railing, dumbfounded on what they'd just seen. Their brains were struggling to comprehend it, accept it, their hearts working to do the opposite.

In the midst of their fear-ridden state, the phantom reappeared behind them, nimbly balancing himself atop the railing. The bandages around his three-pronged spear had fallen away revealing the gleaming steel blade.

"The true king of the Gerudo…has returned."

Mercilessly, the blade was swung, its sharp edge slicing through the air toward Zelda's neck.

CLIFFHANGER!

I'm sure that ending came as a surprise to you all, didn't it? Now, I don't think I need to explain who the "surprise guest" at the end of this chapter was, or why his appearance is causing everyone to (rather rightly) start pissing themselves. What's Phantom Ganon doing in a story post Ocarina of Time? How'd he sneak past all of Gerudo Town's defenses? Have the Yiga already begun the resurrection of their master? Will Link arrive to save the day? Those are the questions you're probably asking…and they'll have to wait until next chapter!

To be honest, next chapter is going to be a bit of a "boss fight" chapter since Link will have a very big battle of his own in the depths of the underground while Riju has to deal with a blast from the unwanted past in her own backyard. I chose to go with the Melgera from WW since it fit in the arc's underground tone a bit more than its sand-swimming cousin a tad more. Albeit, as you could guess from the description, the Melgera Link fought has been modified. Given Breath of the Wild's loose take on the timeline I'm going to be drawing from a few different games for certain details of this story. The first of many "new creations" he and the heroes will have to contend with. The next chapter should be out within the next week or so! In the meantime, leave your thoughts in the comments!