CHAPTER NINE

Standoff at Kakariko Village

While neither Rusl nor his son could say Zelda's story made any sense, they certainly weren't going to turn down an offer of kindness to them. They got their things together and set out for the Eldin province the following morning, Colin hugging his mother and kissing his baby sister goodbye. Zelda herself was marvelled at how brave he was despite his age, and she didn't have any need to fear for him after he'd demonstrated perfectly serviceable skill in battle.

The small party could make out Death Mountain towering above the quiet dusty town. Despite being so close to a volcano and being nearly completely dry save for the Eldin Spring near one of the entrances, it was a rather quaint place. Mako certainly wouldn't want to live there, especially considering there wasn't even a quick passage to Zora's Domain what with it being a fair way north from their current location. In fact, he already wanted to get out of there as he started to feel a cool sweat form on his brow. Agitha, however, found it fascinating when she managed to pick up a praying mantis, a prize she quickly showed off to an equally fascinated Skull Kid.

At this display of childish joy, Zelda couldn't help but smile. While she still knew very little about Skull Kid as he hadn't told her or the rest of their comrades anything about himself or this friend of his in Termina (or how this friend or Veran's forces had access to Termina in the first place), she couldn't say he meant anyone any harm despite his childishness.

Among their small company, Mako was the one that intrigued her the most. They had come across a mask salesman on the way to the village, who Mako stated was unnervingly familiar but bought a mask from him nonetheless, this one bearing the face of a fox-like creature called a Keaton. It seemed that Mako just wouldn't cease to catch her interest.

"I'm a little curious about something, Mako." she suddenly asked.

The Zora youth snapped to attention and turned to the princess with a surprised look on his face.

"Huh? ….uh, okay. What about, exactly?"

"I'm interested in why you joined the Hyrulean Army in the first place. Don't get me wrong, you're a great soldier, but it just kind of seems like you'd want to do other things."

Mako shrugged and scratched at the back of his head. He wasn't expecting someone like Princess Zelda herself to be this interested in him. Not in that way, of course, but it was a way get good at all three of his main interests.

For more on that, see Chapter Four. Shameless plug HO!

"Well, I like fighting. That much you could probably figure out on your own, right?"

Zelda laughed.

"Of course. That can't be all, though."

"Nah, not even close. You've probably heard something about my dad. He's probably one of the greatest Zora heroes that ever lived aside from Princess Ruto…or does that sound like I'm just desperately trying to stick him on a pedestal?"

"No, no. It's interesting. I saw my father the same way. Go on."

"I guess my enlisting was so I could carry on his legacy. I thought about everything he had done for Hyrule. Killing giant monsters, taking on enemy armies…I kinda just listened to him tell me about the stuff he did and look at my people celebrating him and thought his legacy was something impossible to live up to."

Zelda nodded, a light bit of sadness working its way to her face. She remembered that Mako's father, Nokau, had been among the soldiers that joined her father in an ill-fated battle many years ago. Word got around concerning Mako's heritage the moment he'd shown up at Hyrule Castle to enlist, and even his enlistment was problematic since Zoras were not typically born for high-scale warfare, and that was if one ignored his recklessness and him barely being of age.

"I didn't want to give up. I kept getting stronger despite everyone around me saying that it was better if I strived to be something else. Otherwise I might risk getting myself killed. But then…well, that whole thing with that witch's army happened. Cia, I think her name was. They were on their way to Zora's Domain when Link, Impa, and this woman named Sheik ripped through Faron Woods and cut them off."

"For full disclosure," Zelda said with a smirk. "Sheik was actually me in disguise as a Sheikah."

"…okay, I thought this whole time-travelling thing was weird, but that? Jeez, lady, you're never gonna stop surprising me."

He almost bit his lip when he finished speaking as he remembered who he was speaking to. He thanked the goddesses a thousand times over when he remembered Zelda also had a good sense of humour, demonstrated as she laughed.

"You'll find I have a tendency to surprise everyone. Go on."

"Well, yeah. I heard about all the brave things that you and Impa and all them did, but Link was the one that really convinced me that I had a shot. He's only a few years older than me and he just showed up out of nowhere, and here he is now. A true legend of Hyrule."

"And so you set out on your own quest for glory. I remember seeing you when I bade the newcomers good luck a few months ago. I must admit you being the only Zora amongst hordes of Hylian men and Gorons kind of made you stick out a little."

"That, and I was the best-looking…okay, now I'm just acting dumb, but anyway. None of the other trainees really though I had it in me to become a full-fledged knight. Hell, even my family and friends back home thought I was crazy, but I kept pushing myself. Then when Shanya took an interest in me and we started sparring, I really felt my skills start to improve. I kept thinking of my responsibilities as a knight, most importantly helping others whenever I could."

"Mm-hm. And I seem to remember when the drafts came along and Shanya was selected as a lieutenant but you weren't…"

Mako grimaced. He didn't like thinking about how angry he had been then, but he couldn't say it hadn't helped him.

"Yeah. I got really pissed and challenged the first commander off the top of my head, which happened to be Link. You probably know how that went."

"I do. He beat you."

"I pretty much expected him to, but I hadn't counted on him putting me down so easily. Then he told me that he loved my passion for battle. Then he asked me why I came, and I told him, and I felt so defeated from the fight that when he decided to take me and Shanya under his wing, it was just the greatest thing ever."

"Oh, that's right. You and Shanya are a rather close pair, aren't you?"

"Yep. She may not talk much…okay, at all, but she's a great friend. A lot of the other trainees said she creeped them out, but I really like her."

"That's good. She seems to like you, too…and out of curiosity again, are you two by chance…you know."

"Eh? Oh, no, no…I mean, I wouldn't mind that, but not being able to talk wouldn't be healthy for that kind of relationship."

This time they both laughed. It comforted them both to know that they had forged a rather decent friendship in the span of a few minutes, but Mako took one more moment to become serious. He clenched his fist and gave Zelda a determined smile. Exactly the kind of thing she wanted to see from a semi-hardened warrior like him.

"But in any case, no matter how long it takes, I'm gonna keep getting stronger. Someday, I'm gonna prove myself to be a true hero and become a legend in my own right…just like Link and my father."

Zelda smiled and laid her hand on Mako's shoulder, looking into his bright eyes and seeing the calm determination she loved to see in young warriors. As reckless as he was, she knew she could depend on him. Link was right to take this young fishman on as his pupil.

"And I look forward to the day when you lead your own army to glory. Until then, can I count on you to help me wherever you can?"

Mako smiled and nodded.

"Definitely! I won't let you down! …wait, why are we here again?"

Their conversation had been so engaging that even Zelda had forgotten their purpose in the village. That is, until Colin pointed ahead.

"There's something going on over there! I think it might be Midna!" he called.

"Damn." Zelda cursed. "She's not seriously thinking of starting a fight in the village, is she?!"

The group dashed ahead toward the town's alternate exit, discovering Midna's small armada of Darknuts doing battle with mysterious dark beasts with shield-like faces and red glowing markings licking all across their bodies, which in turn were large enough for the creatures to act as mounts. Speaking of mounts, a particularly large one of these beasts was carrying a very ominous figure on its back. One that Zelda recognized almost immediately and happened to be engaged in a weapons clash with Midna.

"So Zant walks the earth again." the princess muttered before she drew her blade. "Everyone! We must help Midna and force the usurper king back! To arms!"

Climbing on top of Epona and snapping the reins, Zelda led the charge toward the mob of Shadow Beasts. Though she'd never encountered creatures like this, she could at least be grateful there weren't many of them given how ill-suited her brigade to a large-scale skirmish with their current numbers.

As she magically blocked another blow from Zant's scimitars, Midna heard the distinct sound of a horse's hooves slamming against the ground and vaulted herself away from her nemesis before she looked over her shoulder. Why she was admittedly happy to have reinforcements, she didn't like the idea of a simple request meaning nothing to Zelda.

"Sheesh, you guys can't do one little thing I ask, can you?" she scoffed.

"We have more of a purpose here than you might think." said Zelda.

"Alright, fair enough. But as long as you're here, wanna make yourselves useful and help me drag this bastard by his feet?"

The Shadow Beasts snarled at these new foes, but the most furious was none other than Zant himself. He paid no attention to any of his new opponents until Zelda fired a light arrow in his direction. Sensing its trajectory the moment it was fired, he bent backward and let it pass harmlessly over him before he dismounted his steed and shifted his attention to the arrow's firer.

With a series of metallic sounds, his strange mask contracted and revealed his face, unusual for any being of Hyrule but completely normal for one of the Twilight Realm. He knit his brow and gritted his teeth as he laid eyes on Zelda, gripping his scimitars tighter the longer he looked.

"This was the time…this was the time I was finally going to rid the world of this wretch forever." the Twili warlord growled to himself.

Then the air of calculated tension around him vanished when he began to slowly contort his torso, keeping his face fixed on Zelda though he was now looking at her upside-down. Then he suddenly reverted back to his standing position before his face showed further signs of anger. Then he began to furiously squeal and hop up and down like a child being told he couldn't have something.

"And YOU!" he shouted between each hop. "You had…to come…and HELP HER!"

To say the least, Mako wasn't impressed.

"THIS is Zant?! You're kidding me! All the stories I heard about him built him up like he was this big threatening overlord that could wipe out a whole village in five minutes!"

"What's wrong with that?" Midna asked.

"What's wrong with that?! Look at him! He's acting like a six-year old!"

It was common knowledge in their time that Zant was an imposing figure capable of the greatest evils. What wasn't common knowledge was that behind the intimidating and imposing air about him was a façade, and underneath was a complete psychopath. A well-spoken and intelligent psychopath, but a psychopath nonetheless, and that madness transcended into his fighting style as he surged toward Epona in a whirlwind of slashes. Zelda pulled Epona back just in time to avoid the strikes before she leapt off the horse's back.

"Recklessness as its consequences, usurper king!" she shouted as she loaded a Light Arrow into her bow.

Alas, Zant was ready for this attack, charging a sphere of twilight and using it to deflect the gleaming projectile. As he landed, Mako was the next to attack him. The two locked their twin weapons in a clash and dared each other to try and gain the upper hand. When Mako made that attempt, he regretted it almost instantly. He had the feeling that Zant's madness served to make him even stronger, proven when the Zora youth was pushed back and seized by the neck with a grip of steel.

"Fool…" Zant hissed. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yep." Mako growled. "Can't say I have a whole lotta respect for ya, though…"

Zant roared and slammed Mako hard against the ground, ready to impale him if not for Rusl rushing in and kicking the mad king in the face as hard as he could. The Shadow Beasts closed in on him, only to lurch backward as he took powerful swings at them. He struck one hard, surprised when it remained on its feet. It growled at him before it reared back its head, and the shrill roar that it unleashed was enough to make anyone within a mile freeze. Such a horrible sound that even the powerful Midna cringed and covered her ears.

"Where did that nutcase come up with the idea for these things?"

The Shadow Beasts lunged again, grabbing at whoever was in their reach. As soon as they recovered from the shock of the roars, Mako and Colin slashed away. Colin in particular made his way over to Midna just when Zant was about to deliver a slash to her neck. The usurper king's attack was nearly enough to throw Colin off of his feet as he blocked it, but he held strong. Zant was nearly as impressed.

"This must be some kind of joke." he growled. "Hyrule sends a child to defend it?"

Colin gritted his teeth and clenched his grip on his sword, adopting a defiant and offensive stance as Midna finally regained her composure.

"Fight me as you'd fight a grown man." the young Ordon boy spat. "I don't want your mercy."

Zant lunged at Colin, who rolled forward just in time to stand up in the usurper king's blind spot. He performed a mighty jumping slash, but didn't close the distance fast enough to strike Zant before he spun around and blocked. As the usurper king prepared to dispatch the young boy, Zelda rushed in from nowhere and parried him. She stabbed, Zant bending so far backward that it almost looked like his spine was going to snap in half.

He sprung back up and slashed, Zelda slashing at the same time and initiating a clash. Mako had only been repulsed so easily since he had no prior experience with someone like Zant, but Zelda held strong. That wasn't to say he wasn't putting a fair bit of strain on her, but she was able to resist far better than her Zora companion had.

"My business here is not with you!" Zant hissed. "Stand aside!"

"And let you harm innocent people?" Zelda shot back, thinking she might have a chance to push her opponent back but losing it in a nanosecond. "You must truly be as mad as you look."

In a sudden move, Zant vaulted backward, a twilight pillar rising from the ground for him to perch upon. With a loud shriek, he began firing spheres of darkness at lightning speed. Zelda prepared to leap out of the way when Midna rushed forward, a mirror conjured in her hands to reflect each and every projectile back at their firer.

"Don't you dare leave me out of killing him!" the Twilight Princess hollered as she cast her own magic at Zant.

"I had no such intention!" Zelda called with a smirk as she drew her bow.

"Good! Let's show him the true meaning of pain!"

Zant strafed about as quickly as he could, dodging every twilight bolt and light arrow he could until his frustration reach its peak. He let out a shrill cry and slammed his fists against the ground, generating a portal in front of the two princesses. Before they could leap away, a helmet bearing the guise of Zant's mask erupted from the gate and unleashed a shockwave in its wake. The two women were forced back just enough to give Zant some proper breathing room.

As much as he hated to admit it, Midna hadn't aged a day when it came to her combat prowess, and with Zelda and her cohorts alongside her, him and a small army of Shadow Beasts weren't nearly enough to take them down.

"Enough of this folly!" he finally yelled, mounting his steed once again. "You are all just a distraction and I demand that you leave me be!"

"If that's what you're hoping, then prepare to be sorely disappointed." Mako shouted.

"Oh, but I wasn't requesting you to stand aside.

Zant's Shadow Beast unleashed its ear-splitting roar, this time joined by several of its kin to produce a sound truly horrible and paralyzing, almost to the point of deafening all of the heroes. The noise wracked them, forcing them to stumble about as it began to feel like their brains were trying to crawl out of their skulls.

With his opponents incapacitated for the time being, Zant raised his hand and cast it forward. The Shadow Beasts charged, their goal being the exit on the other side of the town but not being afraid of mowing down the now defenseless heroes in their wake. The heroes themselves saw their plight and felt tinges of panic flare up when they couldn't bring their weakened selves to prepare a defense.

"Can't keep fighting like this…" Mako growled to himself. "Ah, damn, that was loud!"

"It can't be helped…" Zelda groaned before she raised her voice to the best of her ability. "EVERYONE TAKE COVER!"

The heroes split off, making their way to whatever they could use as cover as Zant and his armada charged through the town at full force. Alas, the roar had taken too much of a toll on one particular member of Zelda's company, and as she tripped and fell on her face in her attempt to flee, Agitha's hopes of escaping unharmed were dashed. Even as she got to her feet and began running away as fast as she could, she looked at the approaching Shadow Beasts with complete fear, particularly when Zant seemed to smile evilly at her and raise one of his scimitars to attack.

Colin meanwhile saw this display and immediately had a flashback to a similar event from a while back. The same thing had happened to a girl he knew, and back then, he had wasted no time in dashing out to save her at his own expense. Back then, though, he hadn't been armed or even nearly as confident as he was now. The only problem was that he wasn't nearly close enough to reach Agitha in time.

Luckily, there was someone much closer.

In Skull Kid's mind, everything seemed to slow down. He saw Agitha's terror as Zant charged toward her atop his monstrous steed, and in that moment, he felt a stirring of emotion. Fear, sadness, and determination. In spite of the danger he knew he'd be putting himself in, he let the determination wash over him and furrowed his brow.

He had to do something. He had to save her. He ran forward.

"SKULL KID!" Mako shouted.

The imp child didn't listen. He kept running until he closed the distance. Agitha screamed as Skull Kid slammed into her, sending her shooting to the side far enough that she was safe from the Shadow Beasts' charge. She rolled over as she hit the ground, staring in shock at the situation Skull Kid had left himself in. Skull Kid himself knew exactly what was coming and braced himself for impact, and even then, it didn't help matters much when Zant struck him across the head as hard as he could.

The strike sent Skull Kid's mask flying off and into Zant's left hand, and as Skull Kid fell limp, the usurper king wrenched him into his right hand. Skull Kid's comrades looked on at the sight in horror while Zant shifted his gaze from Skull Kid to the mask and then back again.

"This mask…" he pondered. "Where did you get this?"

He received no response as the imp child drifted into unconsciousness, but it hardly mattered now. Him possessing such a relic could not be a coincidence.

"You should be enough of a reward for such a worthless skirmish." the usurper king muttered before he raised his hand and signalled his armada to continue moving.

Enraged, Midna and Zelda jumped back into battle positions and fired everything they had at Zant.

"Get back here, you filthy coward!" Midna hollered.

It was no use. Zant and his troops disappeared past the mountains at top speed and left them all in the dust. Zelda clenched her teeth, cursing herself at failing to protect one of her own troops, but someone thankfully had the same idea she did as he rode up to her atop Epona's back.

"Hop on!" Mako called as he offered his hand.

Without a second thought, Zelda seized the Zora youth's hand and let him haul her onto the horse's back seated just behind him, and with a snap of Epona's reins, they took off after Zant going as fast as they could.

"Mako, I know this is a very inappropriate time to bring this up," Zelda started. "But have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Nope!" Mako called back. "Hell, it's taking everything I got to not start freaking out right now, but we ain't got time to worry about that! Zant's getting away with Skull Kid over my dead body!"

Another opportunity for Zelda to admire Mako's determination, but she hadn't time to dwell on it as they spotted Zant on the horizon, the unconscious Skull Kid and his mask still kept firm in his grasp. The Hyrulean princess loaded up her bow and readying a Light Arrow, aiming to pierce the fiend's heart if she had to.

"Bring us in closer!" she called. "I'll try to cut him off!"

Mako steered Epona closer toward Zant, who turned and scowled. Without a word, he raised his hand and directed the remaining Shadow Beasts toward his pursuers. The monsters jumped at Epona from all sides, only for her two riders to leap into action. Mako flipped upward, embedding one dagger into the chest of one Beast and the other into the head of a second. As Zelda drifted upward with her monstrous pursuers reaching for her, the Triforce of Wisdom glowed prominently on her hand as she clenched it.

"NAYRU'S LOVE!"

She spun, a barrier of blue energy conjuring around her and repulsing the Shadow Beasts as they made fruitless attempts to strike her. She and Mako returned to Epona's back, though not before the former drew back her bowstring and let fly with a single Light Arrow, this time successfully striking Zant's arm. He shrieked and looked back at his pursuers. As if they needed to irritate him any further.

"Desist, the both of you!" he shouted. "I don't have time for this!"

"Then make time, 'cause we ain't leavin' here without Skull Kid, jackass!" Mako hollered back.

"Damned stupid child..."

Mako now saw that he and Zelda had chased Zant all the way to the gigantic Bridge of Eldin, a brilliant structure that sadly no longer existed in their time what with the canyon it was built over filled up with water over the course of a couple of centuries. There were debates about whether or not the canyon led all the way to the core of the very earth they strode upon, which would by default make a duel atop the great bridge (especially one on horseback) very dangerous if not outright suicidal.

Yet this would come to pass. Seeing that Mako and Zelda would chase him all the way back to the Palace of Twilight if it meant getting Skull Kid back, Zant concluded he would simply have to finish them then and there. As he reached the far end of the bridge with Epona on the opposite end, he snapped his fingers. Barriers erected on both ends of the bridge, leaving the adversaries facing each other without any manner of escape.

It was inevitable. One would ride away with the prize, and the other would fall to their death.

"Alright." Mako growled. "That's how you want it? That's how you're gonna get it. Ready, Zelda?"

"As I'll ever be." the princess said with her furrowed brow.

Zant gritted his teeth, his helm folding back over his face. His mount snarled, ready to taste another victory. He tucked his unconscious hostage onto the Shadow Beast's back and raised his scimitar.

"You will taste no victory, boy! This is your last chance to leave me be!" he shouted.

Mako cracked his neck and spat into the abyss. No threat would keep him from beating this monster into oblivion (figuratively and literally). Without another word, he snapped the reins. Epona reared back and unleashed a mighty call before she charged forward. She'd had her fair share of jousts like this and had come out of all of them unscathed so far. Though she was with a new rider this time, she had no fear. She trusted him. Not as much as she trusted Link, but she could tell that seated atop her was another brave lad ready to deliver justice wherever possible.

Zant growled, again calling Mako a damned fool under his breath before he cast his arm forward. His mount let out its shrill roar and lunged. Mako gritted his teeth and felt a thin bead of sweat running down his forehead. He'd never fought someone this mighty before, and here he was doing it in a certain life-or-death scenario. One wrong move and he'd be sent tumbling to his grave, likely dragging Zelda along with him.

But he had to fight. He had to save Skull Kid no matter what it took. He pledged himself to the preservation of justice, and he'd be damned if he didn't die still pledged to it. As the two mounts closed the distance, Mako and Zant reared their weapons back while Zelda ducked in cover, the opening for her Light Arrows not available at that moment.

At last, the Zora and Twili clashed their weapons, sending a great deal of force shooting through both of them. Enough to force Epona and the Shadow Beast to each other's sides and galloping past each other. Recovering from the blows, Mako and Zant turned their mounts around and charged again. They clashed, sending another round of force through both of them both Mako managing to run his second dagger cleanly across Zant's wrist for a fraction of a second. The usurper king cried out in pain as he charged past Epona yet again, staring at the thin yet smarting wound with shock and anger.

"I've underestimated him, just as I underestimated Midna." he muttered. "But he can't best me…I won't allow it!"

The mounts charged again, and as they drew closer to each other, Zelda stood up and fired true. The Light Arrows surged toward Zant's heart, barely missing as he contorted his body backward and flung himself into the air. His mount leapt up after him, but remained low enough that Mako could try to take a swing at it. A big mistake, as he soon found out when the Beast curled its fist and struck Epona hard atop her head. She cried out and inadvertently bent to the side, sending Mako toppling off her back and nearly off the bridge if Zelda hadn't been quick about seizing the young Zora's wrist and hauling him back up.

"This sucker's really not giving in." Mako panted as he turned Epona around yet again.

"Clash him." said Zelda. "We aren't going to get anywhere just charging past him like this."

And so Epona and the Shadow Beast charged again, this time straight at each other with collision as their shared objective. Zelda drew her rapier, ready to thrust it headlong into Zant once Mako took the brunt of the initial blow, but it seemed Zant had predicted this.

"Good goddesses, what is he doing now?!" she said as the usurper king glowed an ethereal green.

As if on cue, the glow separated into a near perfect copy of Zant, floating with its blades poised to strike. It was too late to swerve to the side and attempt another approach; Epona and the Shadow Beast were right on top of each other now. Seeing no other choice, Mako reared Epona upward. The great mare flailed her front legs as she stood in place, forcing the Shadow Beast to retreat a few inches while the phantom of Zant lunged straight at Mako.

"Get down!" Zelda yelled, shoving the young Zora's head down long enough for her to leap over him.

Her rapier blocked the ghostly scimitars and she safely landed on the dirtied bricks of the bridge, Epona and the Shadow Beast trading blow for blow and practically daring each other to try to pull back. As Zelda did battle with the false Zant, Mako leapt back toward the real one, who readied his blade the instant he saw his opponent. They clashed, Mako's cocky attitude having completely faded and replaced with a warrior's resolve. Zant pushed as hard as he could, finding a fair bit of difficulty pushing Mako back until he brought his knee up into the young Zora's groin.

"Dammit, cheap shot, you bastard!" Mako spat.

Mako regained his composure and took more swings, missing but getting the chance to show off his athletic prowess as he vaulted around each and every one of Zant's swings.

"Blasted child, hold still!"

Mako most certainly didn't hold still, but Zant didn't need him to. The Shadow Beast finally struck Epona hard across the face, causing the mare to stumble backward and collapse in a daze. Mako leapt toward Zant just in time. He managed another thin slash across Zant's one arm while taking a punch to the chest from the other. Zant shrieked again, but that hardly mattered to Mako as he could swear he felt his ribs crack with the force of the blow.

The next thing Mako knew, he was flat on his back, a strange falling shape blocking out the sun. As it got closer, he could see that it was Skull Kid's strange mask having been flung out of Zant's hand with the previous blow. As he continued to stare mesmerized at it, it fully descended onto his face. He expected to simply see through its eyes like any other of the creative masks he owned (perhaps Skull Kid would let him keep it long enough to try and recreate it) but instead…

"Good goddesses, what's happening?!" he screamed in his head.

So many horrible things in his ears, in his vision, in his mind. He saw fire burning everything in its path as a meteor struck the ground…no, not a meteor. The very moon itself, but bearing a nightmarish frown. He heard screams. Men shouting fruitlessly for everyone to seek shelter, children begging for their parents. All calls that would go unanswered by anyone.

Anyone but the shadow stalking the now dark skyline. Smirking. Laughing at the destruction it had reaped.

Then it saw Mako…and smiled.

Before the images could get any worse, Mako forced the mask off. It skittered a few feet away, and he let it sit there as he did his best to compose himself. He tried to say something that would have any impact, but all he could muster was a simple "What the hell is this thing?!" Not a bad question all things considered. A better question was how Skull Kid could wear such a thing without experiencing the same horrors.

Speaking of horrors, Zant and the Shadow Beast charged the now dismounted Mako. Epona lay tired from both the constant charges and the blows to her head, and though Zelda finally managed to dispatch Zant's phantom, she stood winded and unsure of the outcome.

That is, until she looked at Mako and saw the grin on his face.

"Ready to try something a little fancy?" he asked.

The princess had no clue exactly what was going in that zany Zora mind, but she could probably guess, and as unladylike as it was, she liked every bit of it. Then again, she wasn't exactly completely ladylike dressing up as a Sheikah or even just being out on the battlefield with her troops.

Or with her response.

"Ah, what the hell, right?"

They faced their Twili adversary and charged, their blades at the ready. Thinking all their options were exhausted, Zant looked at the two and shook his head. He could admire their bravery, but what he couldn't admire was stupidity, and they were showing it in spades.

At least, that was what he thought until they put their assault into action. Zelda dashed ahead and slid along the ground as she came close enough to the Shadow Beast. As she slid underneath it, she readied her bow and fired hard. The Light Arrow pierced the Beast's heart and sent it soaring skyward. As Zant rocketed off of his mount and drifted helplessly in midair, Mako leapt upward with his blades at the ready.

"Next time, you might wanna think twice about kidnapping a kid with me around, you no-good piece a' shit!"

Zant raised his scimitars, but wasn't fast enough to stop Mako's daggers running hard across his arms and then his chest. That alone would have been enough for put Zant down for the count, but Mako wasn't quite finished. As Zant descended far enough, Mako brought his heel slamming onto the usurper king's head, heavily cracking his helm and sending him shooting downward where the bridge caused even more trauma.

The sweet taste of victory on Mako's tongue, however. He failed to notice that as the now dead Shadow Beast went upward, the still unconscious Skull Kid toppled off of its back and was now hurtling toward the abyss.

"NO!" Mako shouted.

He hit the ground and made a run toward his falling comrade, knowing deep down that he'd never make it but still finding it in himself to try. It turned out he didn't have to. A twilight portal generated right next to the limp Skull Kid, and who should leap out and catch him but the Twilight Princess herself.

"Ladies and gentlemen, always keep a close eye on your belongings." she said with a smirk as she skidded to a halt.

Zelda and Mako breathed a conjoined sigh of relief, but they and Midna turned to glare at Zant as he somehow pushed himself to his feet. The crack across his helm had become even larger, almost to the point of the entire thing breaking in two. Even with his face obscured, nothing could hide the rage within him.

Especially not his wild contortions and childish hopping.

"Damn damn damn damn DAMN!" he shrieked. "This can't be happening! I can't lose to this wench again!"

Midna handed Skull Kid off to Zelda and began stepping toward Zant, ready to finish him off as a blade of twilight conjured in her hand. To her expectation and yet disappointment, Zant slammed his hands against the bricks he crouched upon one last time and generated a barrier. Finally, he pointed a gray and quivering finger at his enemies.

"Hear me, Midna! And you as well, boy! This isn't over! Not by a damned sight!"

"Sheesh, you really like saying 'damn' a lot, don't you?" said Mako.

Zant screamed and lifted his hands skyward, a twilight portal conjuring above him and dragging him inside. The three heroes watched in frustration for not being able to stop him from retreating, but didn't let that frustration get the better of them.

After all, there was only one place he could go.


"He's coming to. Skull Kid, can you hear me?"

"Ungh-uh…hm?"

Skull Kid at last regained consciousness, unable to sit up just yet but managing to keep his eyes open. His head rested on Zelda's lap while Mako kept a firm yet gentle grip on his hand.

Now that they could all see the imp child's face, they could say it was much unlike what they had expected. The skin of his face matched the wooden look of his arms, and his small beady eyes added onto the strangeness of it all. In place of lips, he had a wide but stubby beak, almost like that of a duck.

"What happened?" he asked, grunting in pain when he tried to sit up. "Where did…"

"Don't worry, honey." said Midna with a smile. "Zant's gone. We chased him off."

Skull Kid looked upward again as Zelda stroked his forehead and gradually helped him up to a sit.

"What you did was very brave, Skull Kid." she said. "Agitha probably would have been dead if you hadn't have done something."

"Agitha?" Skull Kid asked. "She's…okay?

His vision drifted off to one side and settled on the smiling Agitha, who edged closer toward him before taking his hand. He hadn't expected her grasp to be so soft, but he was happier just knowing that she was unharmed.

"You have my utmost gratitude." she said with a light giggle in her tone. "Here. Let me reward you."

Before Skull Kid had any time to think about what she meant by rewarding him, she leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his cheek. Despite his skin's wooden texture, it seemed Skull Kid was still capable of flushing bright red. Thanks to this, however, he became aware that his face was bared.

"Wait…my mask! Where's my mask?!"

"Calm down, Skull Kid." said Colin. "It's right here."

Skull Kid snatched the mask back the second he saw it and put it back on his face. Mako remained puzzled that Skull Kid didn't experience the same nightmarish images that he had when he put the mask on, but let it pass for now as the imp finally managed to push himself to his feet. He looked around the village, seeing that despite the fierce battle that had gone on not long ago, it remained perfectly intact. Everyone was starting to come out of their homes and breathing sighs of relief that the twilight monsters were gone.

Skull Kid turned back to his companions, now remembering what had happened. He had been sure that Zant was going to kill him, but here he was standing with barely a scratch on him.

"You guys saved me from him?" he asked.

"Indeed." said Rusl. "Mako and Zelda rushed out after you the moment Zant took off with you.

Midna chuckled to herself.

"Yeah, someone probably should have told Zant that the last guy who kidnapped a kid in this village got beat to hell and thrown off of the bridge. Unstoppable rage, indeed."

"Umm…that kid was me, by the way." said Colin.

Speaking of Mako, Midna turned to him with a smile. Once again, Mako was thrown off by her beauty and even her sharp tongue despite being royalty. Either way, he was grateful for her words.

"The kid's right, though." she said. "Mako, right? Great job back there. You're a fine warrior for a kid."

Mako flushed and shrugged. Hearing praise from Zelda was one thing, but hearing it from a historical (and gorgeous) figure like the Twilight Princess herself was quite another.

"Well, I…figured I had to get at it is all. Get 'er done, y'know?"

"You don't talk to girls much, do you?"

"Nope."

Midna smirked. Quite an interesting fellow. She turned to Zelda, now with a look of determination.

"The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking I could take Zant on myself, and here I went and made it again." she sighed with a hint of disgust in her tone. "Feel free to call me the Queen of Buffoons if you like, and I know I don't really have any right to ask this of you, but would you all mind helping me take him down? You can have whatever you like from me once we're done."

They didn't need to even think about it. Zelda nodded.

"Gladly. There is something within the Palace of Twilight we need, anyway."

"Perfect. You can tell me on the way. Let's get moving, people!"

Their numbers having grown ever larger, the small band set out. Mako looked out amongst their troops and saw each of them doing different things from Rusl again checking over Colin to see if he was alright and Midna conversing with her Darknut minions to formulate their next offensive. Even Skull Kid and Agitha standing a little bit closer together, likely at the latter's insistence after the former's bravery though he didn't seem to have any objection to it. Epona was thankfully back on her feet like the faithful steed she was even after the abuse she'd taken from Zant's Shadow Beast.

Then he turned to Zelda, smiling confidently as she strode along. Something lingered in his mind. Something he thought only she could make any sense of. He didn't know why he thought that. Perhaps it was a certain kind of trust he had built up after what they had accomplished on that day.

Nevertheless, he needed to make her aware of his fears.

"Zelda…there's something wrong."

"About Skull Kid? Yes, I do have some suspicions about him."

"No, not about Skull Kid. I don't think he'd hurt a fly if he didn't have to. It's that mask I'm worried about."

Zelda looked at Mako in total curiosity. She could admit the mask was strange, but she didn't think for a second that it could be the source of the air of unease lurking about.

"How do you mean?"
"When we were fighting Zant, it fell on my face and…the things I saw were just…"

He couldn't even tell her, but it didn't seem to matter. She laid a hand on his shoulder and gave her that smile that seemed to soothe just about everyone.

"It doesn't matter right now. Midna was right. Your saving Skull Kid was one of the bravest things I've ever seen anyone do."

"Well, sure, but you helped."

"I did, but who did the majority of damage to Zant, now?"

Mako smiled. He clearly wasn't going to talk Zelda out of praising him, but then again, why would he want to?

"Thanks. That means a lot."

"It should. I get the feeling that you're going to be just as great a knight as Link one day."

"Perfect. That's what I'm goin' for."

And they marched on, Mako's fears quelled though not extinguished entirely. He didn't expect them to, but at least he could be proud of what he had done. He couldn't let one small victory go to his head, however. Zant still stood in their way, and he wasn't going to go down easy.

Then again, that would be half the fun of fighting him.


"Really, bro? Shipping Agitha and Skull Kid? Would that work?" I dunno. That's for you to decide, but I could be doing worse things like...I don't know, making erotic fanart of the animatronics from Five Nights at Freddy's.

I'm not doing a good job hiding my fanboyism for Twilight Princess, am I?

SOUNDTRACK SO FAR

Musou test in the Faron Woods- "In the Greenwood" from Hyrule Warriors

Link, Mako, and Shanya versus Phantom Ganon- Phantom Ganon's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

Ambush on Hyrule Castle- "Under Siege" from Hyrule Warriors

Reinforcements- Legend of Zelda main theme (Hyrule Warriors version)

The Omega Fairy- "Kumite" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

Saria, Sage of the Forest- "Saria's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (look for a version by TheOnlyDeerAlive.)

Invasion of Ordon Village- "Hyrule Field" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Hyrule Warriors version)

Liberation of Skyloft- "Skyloft" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Hyrule Warriors version)

Fi, Benevolent Sword Spirit- "Ballad of the Goddess" from The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Rescue on Death Mountain- "Hammer of Stones" from Hyrule Warriors (which actually has a bit of the Link to the Past Death Mountain theme at the start)

Nabooru, Sage of Spirit- "Gerudo Valley" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U version)

Joust on the Bridge of Eldin- King Bulblin's battle theme from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Skull Kid's bravery- "Courage" from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess