Well, I decided to finish this before starting another story, so here's the next chapter. Onward!
-Palace of Twilight-
"So, you're telling me that the Fused Shadow, apart from the piece I have and the one that imp wears, are lost."
"Yes. The Fused Shadow has a will of its own. It doesn't want to be found by those it deems unworthy."
"So you mean to say that they have an advantage over us."
"Midna..." Zant spat the name out. "Was to be elected queen over me. I had a right to that throne."
"Save your petty power play. I sit on this throne for now, but as soon as I have the Fused Shadow, I'll be out of your hair. How can we find it?"
"You would need the power of rule to locate either of the pieces. While she is an imp, Midna cannot access those powers, but her fragment can still guide her."
"Is there any way to transfer power?"
"You usurp."
"I did that. I did that days ago."
"The first step is actually being alive. The second is being a Twili."
A notification drew Trazyn's attention.
"Ah, we've finished analysing your unique energy signature. We can trace the other two pieces of your Triforce now."
Trazyn showed Zant a digital map of Hyrule, three specks of light visible on it. He pointed to the one in the desert.
"That's me."
"Correct."
"That one." Zant pointed to Hyrule Castle. "That one will be Zelda."
"Leave her to me."
"The last one will be ripe for taking, if it hasn't found a new host."
The third light was in the Death Mountain area. Zant gathered dark energy, and slammed his palms together. He vanished in a burst of darkness. Trazyn stood, walking to the device sustaining the portal and stepped into the desert. The Arbiter's Grounds had been completely repurposed, and the foundries were fully operational.
"A Night Scythe, as soon as possible."
-Death Mountain-
Midna was floating up the Death Mountain trail, grateful for the Fused Shadow granting her the ability to do so. She would've had to walk otherwise, and on her accursedly short legs she knew how long that would take.
She cleared the next cliff, landing for a few seconds to rest. Unfortunately for her, while she was much smaller, she still weighed the same as her normal form. It took more energy than anyone watching thought to lift herself. She set off again, navigating the cliff face with ease, avoiding the occasional fumarole. She could have warped, but she felt that it would be disrespectful to the Gorons if she just dropped in. Besides, Kakariko was nearby, serving as a good place to stock up on water. Renado was still maintaining his barrier, the scorching light keeping the undead soldiers at bay. He had tried to dissuade her from leaving again, but she ignored him, walking into the Death Mountain passage.
She soon came upon the hot springs, several of the gentle yellow beings staring at her with neutral expressions, seemingly preoccupied with bathing in order to do much. Midna settled into the water, taking care to keep her head above the steaming pool. One of the Gorons spoke up.
"Ah... A traveller. I haven't seen your kind before... There is so much I could see, but this pool is so comfortable..."
Midna smiled back at him, before questioning him.
"Where can I find Darbus?"
"Darbus? He should be in the hall, up top."
The Goron languidly raised an arm, pointing towards the opening in the rock. Lifting herself out of the water, Midna thanked the Goron before flying straight to the opening, startling Gor Coron, who was sat outside.
"And who have we here? A traveller?"
"Something like that. Hey, is Darbus in? This is important."
"Our patriarch has departed on a journey. I'm not at liberty to say where, traveller."
"Elder, please. I need his help."
"I can't say, traveller. What are you, anyway? You look like something that crawled out of the shadows."
He regarded her with cold eyes.
"Are to here to sabotage out leader's mind again?"
"No! I swear, I'm not."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
Sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose, Midna held up her hand, allowing the Crest of Courage to show. The Elder's eyes widened.
"The last time I saw this mark, it was carried by a boy, Link."
"He's dead. Trazyn killed him."
"Who?"
"That's not important. What is important is that I find Darbus."
"He went down, deep into the mines and into the caves below."
"Thank you."
Midna floated into the hall, over the top of the fight ring in the centre of the room, and through the large door leading to the mines. In her haste, she had forgotten about the nearly intolerable heat, so she drifted in and out of the shadows whenever she got the chance. Picking her way around the burning iron and molten pools, she soon found herself in front of the room where Fyrus had been imprisoned, the terrible entity that Darbus had become when he touched the Fused Shadow. Shivering slightly, she pushed open the door. As the Elder had said, there was a cave entrance in the ground, a faint glow illuminating the dust in the air. Midna could hear the faint crash of boulders being broken. She flew into the pit, navigating the crystal caverns by ear. There were glowing crystals were everywhere, giving the caves an ethereal illumination. As she went deeper, she felt the tremors rather than hear them. The winding caves soon opened into a large cavern, and Midna could see Darbus' vast form hammering at the opposite wall. There was a circular spring in the centre of the cavern, a dark glow emanating from it. She called out.
"Darbus!"
The Goron stopped, turning towards the imp. His eyes immediately narrowed.
"Small person! Who gave you the right to come down here?"
"One of the Elders."
"I told them not to interrupt!"
"They deemed this too important."
She held up her hand, the Crest burning on it. Darbus quickly closed the space between them, taking her arm in between his massive fingers.
"This belonged to the little green one that helped us. Link."
"Yes. But... He was killed by some machine invader. I came here because I need your help, Darbus."
"With what?"
"Finding the Fused Shadow. I thought you may be able to help me, since you were... Influenced by it recently."
Darbus' face settled into a frown. He looked at the dark water.
"I can hear voices. They... Call me. Tell me to come here. I know they come from here, but I do not dare enter that water. It looks nasty, like dark creatures."
"If you want, I could... Take a look."
"Hmph! Little one could not swim deep enough with such tiny lungs. But... I will not go in there."
Midna walked to the water's surface, placing a hand on it. She could feel dark power in it. Taking a deep breath, she put her head under, almost losing her breath when she felt how cold it was. She could see the black light radiating from an object at the bottom of the spring, which was deeper than she originally thought. Extending her hair, the appendage closed around the object, pulling it free of the silt. She returned to the surface, taking a deep breath the moment her head broke water. Darbus dragged her onto the dry rocks, for which she was grateful. She retracted her hair, inspecting the object she held. It was a piece of the Fused Shadow, the second part of the helmet.
"That thing is evil, small one. I would destroy it."
"I wish we could. The Triforce of Power only broke it."
Removing her own piece, she slotted the two pieces together before returning it to her head. A rush of power filled her, the lines on her body glowing brightly for a few seconds before she restrained herself, containing her increased strength. She smiled, looking at Darbus.
"It's fine. I can handle it. My people do own this thing, after all."
Midna registered a burst of energy before she threw up her arms, her hair forming into a hand to protect her from the scimitar that was aimed at her head. The blade disintegrated, and Midna saw the thrower as she moved her hair.
"Zant."
He placed a hand to his chest, feigning hurt.
"Zant? But I am Rusl."
"Save it. Your eyes don't lie."
The burning orbs narrowed.
"I guess they don't. Now, you will tell me where the Triforce of Courage is, or I will end you. Simple." He pointed at Midna. "Ant..." He pointed to his blades. "Boot."
Zant was forced to dodge as a rocky fist flew through the air towards him, shattering the rocks where he was previously stood.
"Little man is like ant himself."
"Stay away, you overgrown troll."
Zant waved his arms, a pulse of energy driving Darbus back and locking him behind a barrier trap. He roared, slamming his fists against the energy. Midna goaded Zant.
"You want the Triforce?" She showed him the Crest. "Come and get it."
Zant blinked, appearing behind Midna and swiping at her neck. She floated forward, commanding her hair to entrap him. It lunged for him, but the possessed man teleported out of the way, throwing his scimitars. Midna blocked one and caught the other, only to have it disappear from her grasp and reappear in Zant's.
"That's a new trick."
She dashed forward, shadows curling into a ball in her hands, which she tore in half. An indistinct blade cut through the air between them, cutting into Zant's left arm. Black Twili blood leaked out, and he quickly cauterised the wound with a bust of dark energy. In an instant, Midna closed the distance, grabbing him and slamming him into a wall with her hair, ensuring that the locks were out of reach of his blades.
"Talk. What's he planning?"
"Hah! I can't say, even if I wanted to."
"I'll kill you right here."
"You wish you could, you foolish girl."
He pressed against her hold, and Midna faltered. Something wasn't right. She struggled to keep him pinned as he pressed against her, a laugh building in volume as he effortlessly freed himself. He dropped to the ground, slamming his palm into it. A wave of sheer power ripped the ground apart, sending Midna flying backwards in a spray of debris.
"I am unstoppable!"
He slowly approached, red flames gathering on his arms and flowing down his scimitars.
"You will bow before me as I once did before Ganondorf, or perish." He held the tip millimetres from her throat. "What will it be?"
She growled, willing space to bend around her. She flashed him a smile, before space distorted and she split into particles, disappearing into the caves. Zant howled with anger, disappearing with a burst of energy, taking the barrier trap with him, leaving Darbus alone and confused in the cavern.
-Hyrule Castle-
It was twilight, and Zelda was again visiting the enormous pile of rubble that once was Hyrule Castle. She carried with her a leather tube reinforced with steel. The Twili had helped massively, and most of the rubble had been condensed into the Brákstol, as they called it. It lay in cubes by the walls, and while it looked like there was relatively little from such a huge castle, Zelda knew that it was incredibly dense. One of the constructors had fashioned a short blade out of it and challenged her to pick it up. She had politely refused, stating how she knew about the material's property.
Gideox was still working, the sigils on his arms burning bright orange as he manipulated a particularly large chunk of rubble. One gesture later, it became particles, joining the rest of the Shadow Steel gathered by the walls. He saw her coming.
"Princess. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Just a visit. I get bored easily."
"It is good that you are here. As you can see, we have nearly finished deconstructing the rubble, Andes are almost ready to begin with construction. That is where we need your help." He pointed to the amassed Shadow Steel. "Clearly, there is not nearly enough Brákstol to make an entire castle from it. We could always transmute it back into your stone bricks, but the end result would be one unbroken wall for the entire castle. We, the Twili, have a suggestion. We could turn the Brákstol into Bur'strak, Blackstone, a versatile material that can file many roles."
To demonstrate, he took another chunk of rubble and transmuted it, the pale rock becoming a larger slab of Blackstone. He then threw a sphere of energy at it, the orb barely leaving a mark.
"That's impressive."
"It looks less appealing than your building materials, which is why we chose to consult first. Your opinion?"
Zelda considered the situation. Gideox was right, the Blackstone was useful, but looked intimidating. She had an idea.
"Make the walls with a core of Blackstone and wad them with marble."
"An excellent idea, Princess. Nayru's wisdom shows. All we need now are the blueprints."
She handed over the tube.
"As it was before."
"It shall be done."
A high-pitched whine filled the air, and a burst of green ghosted over the field. In its wake, several tall figures stood, one wielding a strange staff, and the other, many spears. Three shield bearing figured stood behind the hooded leader. It set its glowing green eyes on Zelda and strode over to her. She heard mechanical hisses as it approached and stood before her. All eyes settled on the scene. Zelda winced as the Crest of Wisdom began to flare, whispering to her.
Danger... He... The thief...
"You are Princess Zelda, are you not?"
"Correct."
"Good. Now, as a collector, you have something I dearly desire. Now, I'm open to offers, but what would be your starting price for the Triforce of Courage?"
Zelda placed her hand over the Crest protectively.
"The Triforce is not a thing to be batters for." Trazyn. "Trazyn."
"I don't recall telling you my name."
He lifted an arm, and a spear was thrown through the air, aimed for her heart. Zelda threw up her arms, a barrier of crystal forming, blocking the projectile. She hurled Din's Fire, and immediately the metal men came under fire from any Twili able to use offensive magic. Shadowy bolts flew through the air, bouncing off the shields of the Lychguard. One caught Spear directly in the head, knocking him back momentarily. The living metal repaired itself in seconds.
Tilting his head as if to roll his eyes, Trazyn stepped towards one of the Twili and belted them around the head, knocking them out cold. In that instant, the rest of the Twili either clutched their head in pain or passed out themselves.
"That's better. Now then Princess, as of this moment, every single one of you inside these walls are hostages. Fail to comply and Spear here will execute a Twili in one of the more creative ways he knows how to. The Triforce, please."
"No, I would rather die."
"A noble gesture. However, yours is not the life at stake here. Rather, the twenty Twili here are. Spear."
The Honour Guard picked up one of the still-conscious Twili and hurled them at the wall, throwing a lance immediately after. The Twili screamed as he hit the wall, and again when the lance pinned him to it by the arm. Three more lances followed, crucifying the Twili. One of the Lychguard stepped forward, and Zelda flinched as the screams suddenly cut off with a wet sound.
"I'm hoping I don't have to witness another nineteen brutal kills like that. The Triforce."
Zelda remained silent, refusing to answer.
"I will take your silence as a 'no'."
At the word "no", Spear forced his lances retrieved his lances and forced them into the ground, leaving the tips showing. He then took another Twili, a female this time, and stood them in front of the spikes.
"A press-up."
He pushed her forward, watching her land with her hands clear of the spikes, and placed a foot on her back. She leant down, performing one press-up, but when she tried to stand, Spear bore down on her, ignoring her cries as her arms began to shake, soon giving way under the strain. She fell face-first onto the spikes, twitching horrifically.
"Eighteen. Do I have to ask again?"
A strange sound filled the air, a portal opening above the field. A stream of particles emerged, coalescing into the form of Midna. The imp looked to Trazyn and to the two dead Twili before surging forwards, bursts of magic melting the three Lychguard down beyond repair. Spear dodged out of the way, blocking a sphere of energy with one of his lances and disappearing in a green spotlight as the Night Scythe flew overhead. Midna attacked Trazyn next, crushing his body with her hair.
"Die, you metal filth."
"Hah, well, this is just adorable."
Trazyn faded, the Necron becoming a different one, and most definitely not Trazyn. Midna threw the body away and melted it with a snap of her fingers.
"I see someone found a second piece of the Fused Shadow."
"Yeah, I did. We have bigger problems, though. Zant has the Triforce of Power."
-Palace of Twilight-
"You said you could take her."
"She escaped."
"You monologued, didn't you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've seen it before, in petty Space Marine or Eldar struggles. One will be at gunpoint, about to lose, but instead of shooting, the gunner monologues, allowing for a reversal. You did the exact same thing, didn't you?"
"...yes."
"Next time, just kill her. She has an advantage now. If she finds the final piece of the Fused Shadow, the right shoulder, she will overrule my piece. I cannot let that happen. I will not lose my prize."
"Being close to it reminded me of its... Aura. I can feel it. It's faint, but it is near... Jóka! Carí?"
Zant held his head in his hands, concentrating on the Fused Shadow. Trazyn took his piece out of storage, allowing Zant to touch it. One second later, and Zant was grinning.
"It's in the place they call Faron."
"And that is...?"
"A forest just north of Ordon Village. You should be able to burn it to the ground to find the Fused Shadow."