Standard explanation: #This notation# is for telepathic communication.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Parallel Destiny: A Parallel Legend of Zelda

Part III: Skyward

Chapter Two: Secrets of the Wind

Robin chuckled, hand pressed against his wound. "I should get knocked out more often. Oof," he added when Lucina punched his shoulder.

This is better, Zelda thought, looking around the war table. Her Ministers were all present, as were the leaders of the Shepherds, all three Heroes, the respective allied princesses, and the Sages. In spite of their recent losses, the previous day's victory seemed to have restored them all. Even Midona isn't sniping at Dorgan. She noted the cool gaze the Shadow Sage turned on Spirit. Yet. The princess tapped Castle City in the center of the map. "While I do not expect to retake the capitol again just yet, even after yesterday's rout, we must reach the Sealed Grounds."

"Why not retake it?" Aveil asked, thumbs stroking her sword hilts. "All reports indicate that we've dealt the Cult's army a massive blow. They overextended themselves and lost an arm." Her smile was as harsh as her native desert. "Let's punch them in the wound before they recover."

Eagus sighed, folding his arms and glaring at the map. "They're devoting most of the forces that remain in Central Hyrule to holding the city." He tapped the Ordon and Eldin Provinces. "Unless they are preparing another terrible summoning or its like, we should flank them, free those few who remain under the yoke, then hit the city from both north and south."

"It's not that simple," Zelda replied. "We now have all we need to reach the haven created in the sky, but the path leads from the Sacred Grounds." She cupped her chin and regarded the yellowed map, Henya's latest advance displaying Charm images for the disposition of known forces in place of the chess-like pieces they'd been using. Though dark disks hovered over Tantari and Kakariko, indicating their lack of intelligence from the two provinces, the rest of the Cult's forces were revealed. Two-thirds of the demon army west of Kakariko Province had clustered around the capitol and its environs.

Link took a step forward. "Stealth should be feasible," he said, and Zelda's heart skipped a beat. Gods, Link, that's risky even for you, she thought, but the Hero continued without apparent concern. "It's not ideal, but I remember enough to know that I navigated the Sky with only Fi and my Crimson Loftwing as companions in that ancient era. We should be able to manage again, especially with Proxi helping."

The token Zelda had given Link fluttered on his shoulders. "What a ringing endorsement," Proxi sniffed. "As much as I'd like him to have backup, though, Link's right." The fairy sighed. "It's what he does."

"When necessary," Zelda added, a bit more forcefully than she'd intended. "We have many brave adventurers who have accompanied the Hero in the past."

"Zel," Orielle cut in gently, "anyone who goes with him has to be stealthy, a master pilot, and up to fighting alongside him, without being needed elsewhere." The Zora princess' gaze swept the room. "I think you're the only one who meets the first three, and I'm sorry, but you crit-fail that fourth one. With Cia disqualified, I think Lana is the line of succession right now." Lana whimpered, eyes wider than Zelda had thought possible.

"I only need to use the bird statue there once," Link said, looking over his shoulder at the Master Sword hilt. "Fi says that once we clear it, I should be able to activate other ones with the Song of Soaring."

Fi manifested, bowing to Zelda. "Based on the statements made by the Sacred Realm's representatives, I calculate a 99% chance of success once the clearing process is complete, Your Grace" she reported. "However, I feel compelled to add that further efforts may be required after we successfully use the Sealed Grounds to reach the Sky."

"We could try distracting them," Dorgan suggested, shrugging. "I go in Gerudo-style, lots of swordplay and explosions, and Link sneaks in while they're trying to kill me." Link gaped at him. Dorgan grinned back. "Admit it, that's a cooler plan than the 'Groosenator.'"

"A pity it's not a better one," Link whispered. "Even you can't fight that entire army by yourself, Dorgan."

Zelda tapped the table, thinking, and the argument halted. "We can't afford a fake assault, and I agree with General Eagus on the practicalities of a real one." Aveil grunted and leaned against a tent pole. "However, a raid might be feasible. General, could a lightning strike on another portion of the city serve a military purpose?"

The Defense Minister's smile heartened Zelda immediately. "I could imagine a dozen in the time it takes to tell them. Bombing demon barracks. Destroying weapon stores. Striking at their siege monsters. With Cultists forming increasing numbers in their ranks, their army is concerned with logistics at last, making food and water viable targets."

"The Sheikah could use the opportunity to gather intelligence," Impa added, nodding to Eagus. "Further, given the Cult's fondness for perverting Shadow, it would not require great subterfuge to arrange for a Sheikah to be 'accidentally' spotted." She glared at the map. "Indeed, subterfuge might not even be necessary. I would accuse Dinrova of paranoia, were her concerns not justified."

Robin carefully straightened in his chair. "Marin's still recovering, but Minister Henya's designs have shown some real cunning." The State Minister smiled. "Minister, I don't suppose you've been working on counteragents for Decole's sabotage?"

"Pretty much straight through the war, son," Henya agreed. "I cleaned up a bunch of his dirty work while we held the city. Marin had some ideas for setting Charms to doing the rest of the scrubbing for us." She leaned on the table, eyes glinting eagerly. "I may have done some tinkering while the poor girl's gotten some food into her."

"Let it be done, then," Zelda ordered. And let none of the cold gripping my heart show to the others, she added within. "Robin, Impa, Eagus, Henya, Dorgan, coordinate this assault on Castle City. I would like to hear your initial plans on the morrow." She turned to Link. "Ready yourself as best you can, Hero. As ever, much rests on your shoulders."

Link sighed. "Why should it be any different now?" he muttered, then bowed. "Your Highness."

"Unless there are any other issues requiring this council's attention, you are dismissed," Zelda said, then folded her hands and smiled. "I trust you all to perform your duties. We have the advantage. Let us press it." With varying nods and sounds of assent, her impromptu court filed out. "Hero, a moment?" she added, tolerating the knowing smiles from those who'd heard her. Nayru, it's not as if any of them don't know.

With a flourish Zelda hadn't expected, Link turned, scarf flowing behind him, and dropped to one knee before her. "Your Highness," he said, head bowed.

"Goddess, get up," she pleaded, nudging his shoulder with her fingertips. He grinned and stood. Zelda wrapped her arms around him, leaning on Link's strength, her cheek against his chest. His heart was a Goron hammer, as fierce and unstoppable as the Hero it drove. "I won't trouble you with more regret. You have said, repeatedly, that I may rely on you."

Slowly, gently, Link returned her embrace. "Always," he whispered.

"It still hurts," she admitted, her arms tightening around him with a will of their own. "Losing so many, so recently, opened wounds that had begun to heal. I am caught between grief and duty, struggling to keep peace between bickering friends, holding together a people on the brink of despair. Worse, I begin to doubt, fearing another secret, another betrayal." Link's breath caught, and he swallowed a reply. Thank you. She trembled against him. "For all that you protect me from harm, walking through horror and fire to deliver me, this is what I need you for most. I have Sheikah champions and Gerudo Guards to fight beside me, Ministers and Sages to advise me. When I hold you, I feel a certainty more solid than the earth and as eternal as the wind."

"You'll make me blush," Link muttered. Haven't I already? Zelda wondered, and somehow she smiled. "You're that for me too, you know," he continued, a brief shudder rippling through the Hero. "It's not facing death that takes courage on my quest, but bearing the world's fate. Knowing you believe in me gives me more strength than you might suspect." He kissed the top of her head. "Knowing you chose me? I could face the whole Demon Realm with just that and the Master Sword."

Zelda chuckled. "Perhaps that is what makes me worthy of being Keeper of Wisdom. Whatever other failings I may have, you were the best choice in all of Time." Link swallowed, a few incoherent sounds escaping him. "I wish I had more words. Better ones. I love you so much."

A tear fell onto Zelda's shoulder. "There are no better ones than those," Link breathed, his own embrace tightening around her, "because I love you, too. Your strength amazes me. It humbles me. Most of the time, your burden is so much more than mine: leading, guiding, judging, weighing every life. It's when I don't have anyone else – in a temple, cursed wood, or Realm beyond – that I feel overwhelmed. I close my eyes and picture yours, and I see all the kindness and understanding in the world. That is my truth, more constant than the earth, more sacred than the Light."

They held each other for a few moments longer. Don't go! Zelda's mind railed, rebelling against their fate. Goddess, take this from him! For the first time since she learned of her past, remembering that she had been Hylia brought no pain. I am the Goddess, she resolved, hands clutching his tunic briefly, and I will free him from this burden. Somehow. It was still an effort to let him go, nearly equal to her duel against Ghirahim, but she managed. "Be careful, love," she half-pleaded, half-ordered, stroking his cheek. "Even in your quest, there are no certainties, and once more, you go very nearly alone."

"You gave me more than a sword with the Blade of Evil's Bane," he replied, his hand on hers. "Thanks to you, and her, I am never alone." He stepped back, and Zelda's touch slid away from the Hero. "Farore's Wind," he chanted, anchoring the spell. Once more, he looked about to say something, but gulped and turned, leaving without another word.

Dorgan, she thought. Link was probably going to ask me to forgive him when I spoke of secrets, and maybe once more just then. She pressed a hand to her stomach, swallowing grief and bitterness. He will hear no unkind word from me. Dorgan's proven himself time and again. I'm just not ready. Maybe later.

A chill shot up the princess' spine. She shook it off and turned to her work, once more drowning her loss and fears in duty.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Dorgan's fingers drummed on his steed's control ring, amber eyes fixed on the approaching Castle City. No action for a searing week. I almost hope we run into some resistance, the Gerudo thought irritably. The warnings and propaganda no longer glowed from Charm signs over the streets. Abandoned by all save the Cult and its demon corps, the capitol's magic had instead been subverted for different purposes. Almost. Approach lights had been replaced with Beamos. Traffic Charms had been transformed into spy beams. Captured patrol loftwings were mutated into artificial keese armed with Din's Fire enchantments. Nayru's Eye revealed them all, unwelcome signs of the battle to come. The eerie, intense glow of Power Charm conduits almost made magical insight unnecessary, the crimson radiance more fierce than ever. The full moon cast it all in eerie silver light, limiting the demon's nighttime cover. That cuts both ways. Well, you wanted to prove yourself, the Gerudo mused, shaking his head.

To his right, Cawlin gulped, looking in his direction. On Dorgan's left, Stritch sighed at his counterpart, nose pinched between finger and thumb. Someone's jumpy, the Gerudo mused, flashing a confident grin at his diminutive wingmate. On the subject of proving themselves, he thought, it's weirder than ever how natural this feels. Suppressing a sudden impulse to mash his hair down, Dorgan boosted towards General Eagus. "Sir," he called, "the Cult has added significant defenses to the capitol's systems."

Eagus grinned at him. "That's fine, son. We don't want it to be too easy, do we?" Dorgan bit back a laugh. Huh. I guess he's only cautious compared to Aunt Aveil. For all his bravado, the general listened carefully as the young wizard revealed what he'd sensed ahead. "Do we need to report any of this to the Sheikah?" he asked when Dorgan was finished.

"Couldn't hurt, General." He waited for Eagus to make contact, but the general looked back at the Spirit Sage evenly. After a few seconds, the general raised an eyebrow. Well. Crap. He dropped back, glancing at Orielle. The Zora princess grinned broadly and waved at him, her two wingmates all but glued to her Loftiwng's tail feathers. Sighing, he concentrated, mind reaching out for the leader of the Sheikah strike force. #Intelligence incoming, Sheikah commander,# he sent, bracing himself.

#Oh, for – yes, Dorgan, I'm still mad at you,# Midona retorted, #but we're busy saving Hyrule. Not to mention keeping the Hero in one piece.# She rippled through Shadow, four Sheikah flowing behind her, each of them carrying nine of Henya's intrusion Charms. #I can play nice if you can.#

#Good to hear,# Dorgan replied, exhaling in relief as he sent her the relevant information. #Watch out for those Phantom razor nets in particular,# he added, focusing on the approaching battlements. #Decole really likes them, and you can't shrink to the size of a dust mite now.#

#I might surprise you,# Midona sent with a laugh, #but I'll keep my eyes open.# Her good humor vanished like rain in Tantari. #Watch out yourself, Gerudo. Dinrova's supposed to be here, and she's already taken an interest.#

#Could be worse,# Dorgan quipped back. #Could be Cia.# To his surprise, they shared a laugh, then the Shadow Sage went silent. I can't decide whether I wish Lana was here, or I'm glad she's not. Search beams lanced out as the pilots drew close, Cultists scrambling along the walls. Concentrating, the wizard drew in tremendous raw power, focusing it as tightly as he could imagine in one palm.

"For Zelda and Hyrule!" Eagus cried, drawing his sword and raising it high.

"For Zelda and Hyrule!" they roared in reply, and all five flights stooped toward the wall, bolts and bombs flying. Cultists and Bokoblins went flying in kind, then each three bird team separated, looking for siege monsters to banish.

Dorgan didn't have to search for long. In less than a minute, he spotted a Gohma striding down a street, enormous legs barely fitting on the opposite sidewalks. Its single eye passed through Charm-created signs and traffic signals, occasionally kicking aside abandoned wagons. Well. There's something I'll never un-see. He waved his team down. Gulping, both Stritch and Cawlin drew their crossbows. Dorgan summoned his bow from fairy space, filling it with Gerudo magic. Navi's blessing left his quiver eternally filled. "Gentlemen, let's introduce ourselves. Fire!"

While his wingmates pelted the monstrosity from above, Dorgan landed and took aim. He waited for the Gohma's piercing eye to lock on, watching it follow Stritch. The moment its eye began to glow, he let fly with an Ice Arrow. That left it reeling, the monster collapsing on the street. Bolts from above made it twitch, while Dorgan raced in and slashed at the Gohma's eye from the ground, then leaped into the air and stabbed down at the monster. It convulsed and exploded in an enormous cloud of Phantom Flame.

He gave Stritch and Cawlin a moment to compose themselves as they panted in relief. Stritch held his head while Cawlin clutched at his crossbow. "Not bad for an appetizer!" Dorgan laughed, and the two looked at him as though he were mad. He mounted and launched into the air, waving for his wingmates to follow, then reached out for another Sheikah. #Link? How's your search going?#

#Link does not exist. I am Sheik,# Dorgan heard.

The Gerudo nearly fell off his loftwing. #Gah! Warn me before you do that! Better yet, don't do that at all! The Hero's not supposed to be creepy!#

If he hadn't nearly lost his balance, Dorgan really might have slipped out of his saddle when the Hero laughed through the bond. #Gods, I didn't think you'd fall for that!# Link sent. Dorgan took the urge to slap the Hero silly and locked it in a chest deep within his mind. #After all your pranks, I've been waiting to repay you a little.#

#And you chose now of all times to do it?!# Dorgan growled, shaking his fist in the air.

Link sent a nod. #Yep. After all,# he explained, smile turning gentle, #it's the sort of thing only best friends would do to each other.# Dorgan's fist collapsed, and he chuckled. #That's better. Hang in there, big guy.# All at once, the Hero was inhumanly still. #It was a little tricky at first, because the Sealed Grounds is absolutely crawling with monsters. Dorgan, I know why they're protecting it so fiercely. It's not just their last spawning point east of Tantari. The Sealed Grounds is where they convert humans into demons.#

Sacred into profane. Din, Nayru, and Farore, Dorgan swore, then drew a triangle over his heart in apology. #Okay. We'll deal with that later. What about your statue hunt?#

At that, Link's tension melted away. #Once we were clear, Fi reminded me that the first Bird Statue I found wasn't in the Sealed Ground itself. You know the meditation circle east of the temple?#

Dorgan blinked. #No.#

With a sigh, Link sent an image of a circular clearing with two paths leading from it, and a long stone jutting out of the wall. #It's so worn it was unrecognizable, but this is where I met Gorko for the first time back then, and that's where the statue was.# His smile returned. #Ten thousand years later, Gorko's tendency to lecture may save the world.# Emerging from Shadow and dropping into the grove, Link walked up to the statue and played the Song of Soaring.

Even through the psychic bond, Dorgan couldn't help being amazed at the image. A spark became a glow, which transformed briefly into a blaze of light. In a handful of seconds, what had once been a rock so worn away he would never have suspected it was artificial became a pristine loftwing carving. #Farore!# he gasped. Merged senses shouted a warning. #Link, incoming.#

It was no surprise that the Hero didn't fear them, but Dorgan certainly hadn't expected him to pull out his Sailcloth. #Link, outgoing,# his friend shot back, then touched the statue. A spiral of golden light rippled around both Hero and statue, the loftwing's crest firing a beam of Light to pierce the clouds above. Stritch and Cawlin gasped, and Dorgan realized that everyone near the city could see it. Then Link held up his Sailcloth, and a jet of wind with a tornado's power threw him beyond sight, the bond snapping as the Hero literally flew out of range. Good luck, pal.

"Incoming!" Cawlin screamed, and Dorgan's wingmates broke in separate directions. Dorgan's attention returned to his body – and gaped at the Argorok rearing up to breathe fire on him.

"Din!" Dorgan swore, diving away fast enough to avoid incineration, but not fast enough to keep his hair from smoldering. I think I need to watch my own luck, he groused, smothering the heat with one beefy hand.

The cackle that followed was all too familiar. "He plays with fire, then he's surprised he got burned. So sad," Dinrova laughed. Soaring through the air with no propulsion save her wands, she gave chase to all three pilots. The Argorok banked, following the Elemental Sorceress.

"Stritch, Cawlin, distract the dragon. I'll deal with Dinrova," Dorgan ordered, pulling a roll-off that spun him around and left the wizard diving at the sorceress. Now all I have to do is figure out how. Farore.

"Distract him? How?" Cawlin cried, but circled the Argorok all the same.

Stritch fired a burst of bolts into the monster's face. "Like that," the bug-collector snapped, darting away from the furious dragon's maw.

While Dorgan's wingmates lured Dinrova's pet away, the sorceress herself laughed once more. "Come now, 'Dorgan Bahdo,' surely you realize that fighting me is futile." She unleashed beams of fire and ice at him, the younger Gerudo barely evading. "Even with the Triforce echo, your might is no match for mine."

"Then I'll just have to be better than you!" Dorgan roared, returning fire with a beam of his own. Raw force exploded at the Cult leader, with power enough to obliterate an army. She deflected it with a wave of her ice scepter. When she raised her fire scepter to attack again, Dorgan was behind her, crossbow at the ready.

Before he could pull the trigger, she vanished, appearing above him to bring down a blizzard. Wind and snow hammered Dorgan towards the earth, and he just avoided planting his face in the pavement. "Better? Than me? Boy, I was ancient and mighty when your grandparents were children." Though she didn't laugh, Dorgan sensed that his foe held him in too much contempt to bother. "Your Hero will not escape. You truly believe banishing a few temple monsters and sending a handful of Sheikah will stop us now?"

Pride goeth, Dorgan thought, clenching his teeth to prevent a smile. The incredible cold helped. "Din's Fire!" he shouted, a sphere of flame exploding out around him. Link just got us into endgame. He raced back up, watching Dinrova with long-trained care as she pressed her wands together for some new form of debased magic. Let's buy the Hero some time. Circling around one of the larger towers, Dorgan managed to slingshot himself at Dinrova from behind.

She turned effortlessly, cruel smile forming, and a thousand needles of Phantom Flame shot out, lancing at him from all directions. "There remains one way for you to 'deal' with me, son of kings," Dinrova taunted.

"Nayru's Love," Dorgan retorted, feeling each needle as it struck the shield. After the first volley, the surviving darts circled him, waiting for the spell to end. Beneath the shield, the Gerudo hero began to sweat. "Right, because turning evil myself is a great way to save my friends."

"'Friends?'" Dinrova mocked, sliding closer. "Might you mean the Shadow Sage, your boon companion these last two months? How has the Hero taken your lies? The princess?" She called forth no more spells, no cruel demons or mind-twisting enchantments. The needles continued to circle him while the Spirit Sage circled her. "Remain with them, and you will be a servant at best. Even in victory, the heir to the Gerudo crown will fade away, becoming a footnote in the glory of Zelda's pathetic legend." Dorgan's spell flickered and collapsed, needles pounding him from all directions before he could cast it again. "Join us, and we will give you back your birthright! Rule this world forever as the Great King of Evil, while our god tears down the Sacred Realm forever!"

"Great – ow – sales pitch," Dorgan grunted, blocking the darts he could. Gods, those sting. In spite of the swarm, he stopped and blinked. Not much more than that, though. And she's not casting anything else. Is Dinrova out of juice? Bracing himself, the wizard gathered mana for a new trick. Let's find out.

Diving straight at her, Dorgan reached out, and when Dinrova moved to drive him back with her scepters, he grabbed them both by the ends. Fire seared one palm while ice froze the other, but the pure magical power he channeled kept both from destroying his hands. He pushed her back, ignoring the needles still stinging at him. "Better forgotten – hnn – a hero – ghh – than a king – rrr – of evil!"

"You've already lost," Dinrova snarled, recoiling. Letting go of one wand, she dangled from his grip, then drew a Spirit circle with one finger. Sorceress and both wands vanished. Suddenly free of her, Dorgan wheeled through the air, regaining control of his loftwing with a grip and a wince. I am getting really sick of that. He scanned the sky for her, but Dinrova did not return.

"Dorgan?" Stritch shouted, fleeing a screeching Argorok. "A little help?" He looked over his shoulder, then screamed. "Please!"

Farore, Dorgan sighed, charging to the rescue. The sudden distraction kept him from noticing the tiny sparks of Phantom Flame settle into his life force, injected by hundreds of needles.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Link burst through the enormous cloud cover at last, soaring on Epona through a great hollow realm of wind in the sky. All around him, the Hero found...more clouds. Small islands of white cloud floated through the great cloud shell around them, while an enormous thunderhead dominated the heart of the region. Well, great. Link coasted through the sky in a methodical pattern, searching for signs of life while occasionally patting his loftwing. Is that for her, or me? he wondered, quest continuing for several minutes without incident, or clue.

Rounding yet another oddly straight-edged cloud, the Hero pulled up on his control ring hard enough to earn a squawk of protest. "Sorry, girl," he muttered, stroking her feathers and steering them to bank in a wide, gentle circle. In the center of his rotation was a great golden tower, resting on the largest of the clouds below the thunderhead. Peering down, Link realized there was movement atop the tower, and the cloud on which it rested. Carefully spiraling closer, he noticed that there were both people and loftwings – original, living loftwings – inhabiting the area.

It didn't take long for the locals to notice the Hero, and after a few moments of panicked scrambling, they sent a pair of pilots flying up to meet him. Link maintained his flight pattern, and in less than a minute the two Hylians, a woman on a red loftwing and a man on a blue, were flying beside him. Both had red hair, the man's styled into a small peak over his forehead. The woman pulled in close, waving. "Hey there," she called, "I don't suppose you go by Hero of something or other?"

Said Hero blinked. "Hero Eternal or Hero of Legend in this incarnation, depending on who you ask, I suppose," he explained. "My real name is Link."

She grinned. "Perfect! My name is Hailey. Pompadour-lite over there is Groose." Hailey pointed at her partner, who waved and nodded. He combed his miniature hair spike while Hailey guided them in a slow dive. "Our seer foresaw your arrival." She shrugged. "Well, sort of. Skyloft was at peace for countless generations, since the death of the Wind Mage, until the Thunderhead appeared a few years ago." She pointed at the huge dark cloud looming over them. "We've managed since then, but it swallowed all of our real islands. We've had to manage with magic irrigation for most of our food."

"It's called hydroponics!" Groose shouted.

Hailey sighed. "Ignore him. Groose was hit with a dictionary as a child." The Hero blinked. I don't see the problem with a healthy vocabulary, he thought, following the pair to the clearly solid cloud. All three loftwings landed easily on the soft white surface. Hailey and Groose leaped off, stroking their birds' beaks before walking towards the tower. The loftwings cooed in response and flew off. Link shrugged, ruthlessly stomping on the nostalgic melancholy that tried to sap his spirit, and recalled his Loftwing Charm. That earned a handful of stares, but fewer than he expected. "Come on, the chief and her fortune teller are waiting."

The milling crowd parted, allowing the trio to enter the fortress. "Welcome to Siroc Tower," a calm voice called out. Link turned to find himself facing a crimson-robed woman who looked remarkably like Pipit's mother. Her poise and composure resonated through the mana itself. "I am Chief Mallara, leader of the Wind Tribe. Our seer Gregal," she explained, introducing the fortune teller with a wave of her hand, "predicted that you would aid us in our time of need, as you have in lives past." The old Hylian nodded from within a hooded white cloak. He leaned on a staff with a tiny crystal ball embedded in its top.

Distantly, Link realized that most of the Wind Tribe Hylians had red hair and tanned skin. A Gerudo offshoot? Maybe the Gerudo came from them.

Proxi sighed, their bond projecting a pointed stare from the fairy. #World-saving now, archaeology later. Goddess, it's like you really are Gorko's brother sometimes.#

#This is more akin to cultural anthropology,# Fi corrected.

#Point taken, Proxi,# Link cut in, bowing to Chief Mallara. "It seems that we can aid each other, ma'am," he said. "The key to ending the war below was sent to Skyloft. The evil plaguing your people most likely guards it now."

Mallara turned to Gregal, and the seer nodded. "Our great Sky Spirit, Narisha, has guarded this sacred place since before the recorded memory of our people," he explained. "Seven years ago, she was struck by some demonic power, like a dark fire, and vanished into the Thunderhead. Ever since, the evil cloud has been consuming Skyloft, from mighty Altarea City to the humblest pumpkin patch." Ancient memory lit in the Hero's mind. Pumpkins. Why are they important?

Gregal nodded, as though knowing the Hero's thoughts. "Great Narisha has always hungered for pumpkins, especially pumpkin soup. She says it runs in the family." He sighed, deflating, and looked into the crystal on his staff. "Alas, only one capable of wielding Light as a weapon can penetrate the Thunderhead."

Link rubbed the back of his neck. "Is there a mirror or beacon at the top of this tower, sir?" he asked.

Mallara and Gregal looked at each other, jaws slackening and eyes widening. The Chief turned back to the Hero, mouth a tight, grim line. "Narisha left the Thunderhead only once in the last year, nearly two months ago. There was a beacon with a mirror for direction atop Siroc Tower. She destroyed it with one smash of her mighty tailfin."

"Fear not!" Gregal insisted, clacking his staff on the floor. "For another sacred trust was left to us by Heroes and Sages of old." He held out one hand, Mallara mirroring him.

Between their palms, Chief and seer formed an arrow of golden Light. "Take this ancient magic, Hero," Mallara said, and the Light Arrow floated to Link. The Hero reverently grasped the golden icon, and it flowed into his very mana.

"When you fly to the Thunderhead," Gregal explained, "fire one of those into the cloud, and it will part for a brief time."

Groose stepped forward and smiled. "That just leaves the matter of luring out Narisha."

Hailey facepalmed. "Gods, Groose, not your giant soup-filled pumpkin plan again."

Memory ran headlong into Sheikah training, and Link just managed not to laugh as Groose deflated in a manner very similar to his long-past namesake. "It's a good plan," he mumbled.

"Except for the part where no loftwing in Skyloft can carry the blasted thing!" Hailey objected.

The urge to laugh disintegrated. Fi emerged from the Master Sword, eliciting a few more gasps of surprise from the Wind Tribe. Hero and spirit looked at each other. Oh, no. Fi floated before Link impassively. #You're going to make me ask, aren't you?# he sent, sighing.

#I am not certain what you are referring to, Master.# Fi blinked, making an audible click in the process. #Oh. Oh! Oh, no. Surely, between us we can think of something else.#

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"I am always happy, vrrt, to assist you, Mistress Fi!" Sarubo exulted. His propeller, larger than his entire body, whirred with enough power to haul a thousand pounds of hot pumpkin soup.

Fi's smile looked pained to the Hero. "We are grateful for your assistance, Sarubo," she replied, "especially given your inability to return until we clear the Thunderhead."

#At least we know the bird statues on the surface are working,# Link noted, sending Fi a virtual hug. She radiated wordless gratitude in reply.

"Oh, I'm not worried, bzzt, Mistress Fi," Sarubo asserted, merry humming accompanying his effort. "Master Shortpants may not be much to look at, vzzm, but he's certainly proven his ability to stab demons!"

The Thunderhead loomed over them, hints of lightning crackling beneath its surface. Link readied his Sacred Bow, the power of the Light Arrow tingling at his fingertips. "I appreciate your confidence in my ability, Sarubo," he said. #Easy, Fi. He's really helping out here.#

#I now understand the urge to throttle someone who isn't an overt force of evil,# Fi retorted, her new fingers flexing at her waist. #Though I believe it is fair to characterize Sarubo as an overt force of annoyance.#

Proxi giggled. #I calculate a 95% chance you'll regret that statement,# she quipped. Fi gasped, and Link could sense that, were she equipped for it, the sword spirit would be blushing.

#Hey, listen,# Fi retorted. Proxi's laughter stopped as though shut off by a switch.

#Everyone focus, please?# Link pleaded. #Demons? Monster bosses? Fate of the world?# His companions fumed a few moments more, then subsided. Thank you, Goddesses. He took aim, the powerful robot pulling up almost to Epona's tail feathers. "Okay, Sarubo, when I fire this arrow, we head into the opening full speed. Ready?" Sarubo nodded after a fashion, head bobbing up and down on his torso. "Go." He loosed the Light Arrow.

The reaction was immediate and spectacular, the Thunderhead recoiling explosively from the sacred Light energy. Air churned like a hundred waterfalls, lightning crackling all around the hole Link's arrow had carved open. The pair raced for the opening, which had already begun to seal up. They were inside it before the cloud had begun to reach for them, but the unnatural storm shell was thicker than Skyloft's. Link and Sarubo raced through the closing tunnel, thunder booming around them. Lightning flashed with an eerie light, bolts seeming to reach out for Hero and robot alike.

With a final burst of speed, they barely escaped the storm, one last bolt lashing out for them. Sarubo yelped, one of his arms stretching to its limit at the lightning's near-miss, but he managed to compose himself, and the duo slowed. Link caught his breath, while Sarubo rested his over-taxed mechanisms. After a few seconds with his head bowed, the Hero looked up.

A floating archipelago greeted them, spreading as far and wide as Castle City. An enormous island dominated the skyscape, towers stretching above and below it. They're at least as advanced as we are, Link realized, noting the network of enchantments glowing through the buildings and across rooftops. That's why they weren't more surprised by my Loftwing Charm. The style of magic science was more reminiscent of the Twilight Realm than the modern surface world, municipal spells worked into the city's very foundation. That must be the Altarea the seer mentioned. Outer islands, pulled relatively close to what Link guessed was the capitol, represented a tremendous diversity. Some were small towns, others were farms, a few were devoted to entertainment, several held production buildings of some sort, and a handful of the smallest were individual estates in their own right.

All were empty, even of monsters. Only skytails and floating octoroks, plus one furnix in the distance, remained to threaten intruders, but all resided in the air, not the islands. Spiral Charges cleared Sarubo's path of threats. "Land on that small island," Link called, pointing at a tiny field in the air. It's not so much an island as a hovering patch of grass.

"Uh, all right, Master Shortpants," Sarubo gulped, "if you say so." The robot came to a quick landing, Link vaulting from his saddle and using his Sailcloth to land beside his new companion. "Well, I suppose that wasn't too bad, as long as Mistress Fi is happy."

Ignoring the question of how a robot gulps, Link strode up to the pumpkin-shaped bowl. The scent of soup was overwhelming this close. "How large is this Sky Spirit, anyway?" the Hero wondered, foot tapping. "Unless it's a literal, intangible spirit entity – which would make eating soup a challenge – we should be able to see Narisha if she's close." He scanned the enormous cloud for signs of life beyond skytails. "Perhaps we have to get closer, or spread the smell out more."

"Master," Fi reported, appearing at his side, "that will not be necessary. LD-301S Sarubo, I strongly advise you to take cover." With a yelp of alarm, Link drew the Master Sword.

"Zrrpt! Your concern for my safety is pleasing, Mistress Fi, but without a burden to carry, I am more capable in combat than I appear." With an excited whirr, Sarubo shot above Link. "If necessary, I will even protect Master Shortpants for you–"

The storm cloud erupted like a tidal wave, and the largest whale Link had ever seen flew past them. A platform large enough to hold a house rested on its – her – head and back. Great barnacle-like protrusions dotted her enormous frame. Fur lined her sides and belly. Fins that could shatter towers waved through the air, tail beating gales in its wake. She circled, sniffing the air, then convulsed and retreated. Long tentacles shot from a dozen of the barnacles, each sporting a putrid eye on the end. They twitched in the air, peering in every direction. Then Narisha bellowed and surged through the sky, flying away from Link, the tiny island, and even her pumpkin soup.

Turning, the Hero checked on Sarubo, only to find what looked like a stone relief of the robot, half-buried and inert in the grass. Farore, Link thought, rushing to Sarubo. Fi burst into existence in front of him. "Do not be concerned, Master," she reported, "this is not a temporal effect or deactivation, but merely a form of camouflage. Sarubo was terrified into activating it subconsciously. One could compare it to an organic being losing control of waste functions as a result of terror."

#Short version: she went thataway!# Proxi added, psychically pointing in Narisha's direction. Wordlessly, Link nodded and leaped from the island, whistling. Epona appeared beneath him, and together they gave chase.

By the time they had destroyed all twelve eye stalks infesting Narisha, Link was singed in multiple places and had been bitten by three skytails. So sick of this, he thought, knuckles going pale on the control ring. "Nayru's Eye," he barked, and the magic directed him to the huge platform-crest on Narisha's back. As expected. Flying over and ahead, he leaped down, Sailcloth assuring a safe landing.

"Watch out!" Proxi cried. The sky whale's blowhole erupted with three heads, each with an eye and mouth. The heads on the sides had one fin each, protruding from the ends. The Hero blinked. Ocular Parasite Bilocyte, Link remembered, almost hearing the name in Fi's voice. Three of it. That's interesting. Is it better, or worse? All three mouths screeched at him, then fired tripled spheres of acid. Worse! Link recoiled, deflecting all three with a spin attack. Definitely worse!

After another triple volley, the Hero braced himself and considered his predicament. Okay. This is just the Bilocyte edition of Agahnim-times-three. The Master Sword can repel their evil, just like all the others. I just have to figure out how. Pulling back slightly, he held his blade at his side, ready to return the parasite's attack more precisely. The next shot left him burned by acid, but Bilocyte didn't know how to play Dead Man's Volley, and its rightmost fin drooped. Okay. Same basic principle. My timing just needs to be more exact.

The rest of the battle was unpleasant, but only somewhat trickier than the Hero's original battle with the monster. He had to destroy the heads one at a time, but Link was eventually able to finish off the final, finless head with a simple Skyward Strike. It thrashed about, then exploded in a cloud of Phantom Flame.

"AH!" Narisha convulsed, shaking herself free of the foul energy. Link dropped onto his stomach, holding onto the crest. "Oh. My apologies, Hero, and deepest thanks." She steadied herself, gently gliding towards the pumpkin soup island. "After seven years of that vile creature crawling beneath my skin, the sensation was starting to become an annoyance."

The Hero gaped, glad the Sky Spirit couldn't see him. Seven years? An annoyance? He sighed. Well, after several millennia, I suppose that might have been the Week Flu for her. Carefully regaining his footing, he walked up and checked the blowhole. It was clean. "I'm just glad to be of assistance, my lady. Do you think you can clear this Thunderhead and restore Skyloft?"

Narisha laughed, and the wind itself rang like temple bells. "With your help, it will be a simple matter indeed. A moment." She brushed against the tiny island, and Link heard a gulp. The Sky Spirit's body rippled, and the scarring from Bilocyte's infection vanished. "Ahhh! Nothing like a dose of pumpkin soup to cure what ails a soul. Now, do you have a musical instrument of magic, such as the Goddess Harp?"

"Will the Ocarina of Time do?" Link asked, careful not to sound sarcastic, as he summoned the titular instrument. Even in the Thunderhead, it gleamed with sapphire reflection. Another memory struck the Hero, and his heart sank. "Is this the first of four parts?" he sighed.

Narisha laughed, and relief surged through the Hero. "Oh, little Chosen One, not all things are as they were!" She whistled through her blowhole, the sound exploding through the Thunderhead, and the islands began to float apart. "I shall teach you the Storm Serenade, and together we will tame my poisoned thunder cloud." She trilled the sound through her enormous lips, Link's fingers practicing the corresponding notes on the Ocarina of Time. Are those first six notes the Song of Storms, backwards? He smiled when Narisha finished. Yes, they are! It borrows from the Serenade of Water later in, and has its own chorus, but it starts out reversing the tune that calls storms up. Zelda's going to love this. The Sky Spirit bobbed in the air. "Are you ready, Hero?"

Link let out a wordless blurt and nodded. Before he could think that she still couldn't see him, she replied, "Excellent. Then let us begin." Together, they played. The song resounded through Skyloft, the Thunderhead peeling back and receding. Instead of disappearing, however, it took form again around a small tower in the distance, leaving a large opening in their direction. Okay, Narisha can see me. Useful, but a bit creepy.

#Now you know my pain,# Proxi retorted. #The healing can begin.#

#That was a joke,# Fi added.

Proxi sighed, and Link sensed her rolling her eyes. #He knows.#

#Kids, play nice,# Link shot back. He looked towards Siroc Tower, where dozens of loftwings were already soaring towards Altarea City. "My lady, I am glad to have helped, and I wish I could stay to see things settled, but the surface remains under Ganon's heel."

Narisha nodded, leaving the Hero bobbing atop her head, and swam towards the new, smaller Thunderhead. "The Isle of Songs will open the way," she explained. "Summon your Ancient Tablet."

Oh, right! This, the Hero didn't have to remember. He pulled out the stone map, and the moment it emerged from fairy space, the three gems began to glow. Narisha flew through the opening in the Thunderhead, then banked into a lazy circling pattern around the Isle. "Now, play the Song of the Hero," she said. The Hero blinked. "I believe you call it the 'Hylian March.'"

"oh," Link whispered. Together, their music echoed through the Isle of Songs, the tower itself playing in time with them. The Tablet came apart in three pieces, each slab turning in a separate direction. The three gems fired beams of light, each in its own color. Skyloft itself spread out, the cloud transforming from a sphere into a great disc in the sky. The sun shone down on Altarea, and the Wind Tribe gasped in awe. Gods alone know how long it's been since they saw the sun, or moon, or stars, Link realized. From below, three rays of Light met the beams shining from the Tablet, piercing the ward of clouds. "And those are our way back."

"Each will take you to a different portion of Hyrule," Narisha told him. "The blue Light will take you to what is now Lake Hylia, the red will transport you to the Fire Sanctuary, and the green, to Deku Forest."

"Goddess," he breathed. "After all the Cult's appearing across Hyrule like they owned it, we can finally turn the tables on them." Link bowed to the Sky Spirit. "You have my gratitude, my lady, and that of all Hyrule."

"It is we who owe you gratitude, Hero," Narisha replied, chuckling, "for saving us from Bilocyte and the Demon King."

At that, Link couldn't help a laugh. "Let's call it even, then," he said. Narisha laughed in kind, and the Hero leaped off her, whistling for Epona. She appeared beneath him, and he banked towards the blue Light. In the distance, he saw the Goddess Statue parked beside a great bazaar on the edge of Altarea City, two great bridges already connecting the sacred place to the central island. It's finally happening, Zel, he thought, fingers clutching tightly at Epona's control ring. We get the Triforce, and we can end this at last.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Zelda looked up at the sapphire ray of Light shining down on the Water Temple, one of the few never poisoned by the Phantom Flame, and prayed, hands clasped. Eagus, Orielle, and Dorgan had returned, along with the rest of their strike team. They'd taken no losses, and Dorgan had regaled all who would listen of Dinrova's panicked flight from the battle. Even Midona seems to have reconsidered her anger at the Spirit Sage, she thought, but her fingers still clutched at one another. Her grip would have hurt, if she'd cared. Please. Link, please.

The princess wasn't alone in her vigil. Hundreds had gathered on the shores of Lake Hylia, watching the blue Light with nervous excitement. Though clouds had spread all across the sky of Hyrule, they seemed to shine with the sun's light. Many gaps allowed the day to gleam through as well, though the sun's rays seemed strangely filtered, as if through glass. Only around the blue ray was the sunlight truly familiar. Chatter rippled through the growing crowd, people of every tribe discussing what the ray and clouds might mean.

Zelda knew, of course. He's opened the path. After Fi descended to collect Sarubo, we knew that the bird statues had been activated. Now, those with physical form can return to the surface as well. She took in a ragged breath. Still no sign of him. Link, where are you?

As if in reply, an emerald mote appeared beside the beam, falling from the sky. The crowd hushed, allowing them all to hear the whistle. A streak of red light burst from the green dot, and Zelda immediately recognized the Crimson Loftwing. She felt the smile forming across her face, and stumbling, she jogged, then ran, towards the lake's edge. Crowds parted for her, but the loftwing banked towards the princess before she was halfway to the Water Temple.

Her Hero landed in the space that had suddenly opened for Epona, vaulting out of the saddle. His Loftwing Charm swirled back into a ball, darting to his belt of her own accord. That smile, the princess rejoiced. Heedless of the crowd, they ran to each other, and she kissed him with a ferocity that left her beloved reeling. Zelda's people cheered.

When she released him, Link coughed and cleared his throat. "Er. Route's clear, Zel. We can go up there and end this." His wounds were many, but light. He hardly seems to notice them.

Zelda's smile widened, somehow, and she stroked his cheek, pride filling her near to bursting. "One last quest," she whispered, "and this one, we take together."

Wait. The moment the words left her, Zelda felt something wrong with her confidence. The Goddess Statue. Their command of the sky. Link's wounds were not conjured from Shadow. She turned to look northwest. "Link, has Skyloft moved?"

"It spread out, but Sky Keep seems to be its stable center. Or maybe Altarea City is." The Hero straightened, rubbing his neck. "Huh. I think their capitol is right above ours. The Goddess Statue should still be directly over the Sealed Grounds."

Zelda nodded. "Then we have one last fight ahead of us as well," she declared. Link gasped and glanced away, then looked back at her and nodded. He sees it too. Thank Hyli – Nayru. She marched towards the tent, her Hero following. "Impa, gather the Ministers. This time, we retake Castle City once and for all."

Appearing at her side, Impa walked opposite the Hero, the two making an oddly mismatched set for mother and son. "By your command, Highness." She performed a complex kuji-in, one even Zelda didn't recognize. Multiple spheres of Shadow raced from the High Sheikah's fingers.

"How's Robin?" Link asked, hands twitching. "With all the scouting I've been doing, I haven't heard..."

"Fully recovered," Zelda assured him, and his hands stilled, "and eager to return to the field. Lucina's vigilance paid off." He sighed, and she took his hand. "Don't worry, Hero. Robin may have been unhappy to be out of action a second time, but he knew he had to rest and heal."

"That reminds me," the Hero continued, not noticing folk bowing to him as much as to the Princess of Destiny, "how's Marin? Pa's all right, isn't he?"

"Marin is still on light duty, with Fledge, Pipit, and Karane standing watch over her. They protect her and ensure she eats and sleeps enough." Zelda's smile slipped. "She still forgets, occasionally." The smile returned in force. "Captain Korin is back on his feet, terrorizing a new generation of would-be Phoenix Knights." She chuckled and shook her head. "He's almost at his wit's end with the number of volunteers they're dealing with. Our army doesn't lack for people or courage, that much is certain."

Link nodded, and they walked in silence the rest of the way to the royal tent. A lump formed in Zelda's throat at the sight of the royal Wingcrest flying atop the tent, then they entered, the trio gathering around the war table. One last time, please, Golden Goddesses, the princess prayed, examining the map. The black disks over Tantari and Kakariko were gone, and Zelda blinked at the numbers she saw. They're all but driven from Deku Forest, she realized, and they've sent half the Kakariko occupation to bolster the defense of Castle City. She glanced at Impa. "For all of Luda's self-torment," the High Sheikah explained calmly, "she is an extraordinary spy mistress. We now know the disposition of all the Cult's forces outside Death Mountain."

"It's still a spawn portal," Link replied, glaring at the Wasteland, "has to be." He glanced up at his mother. "How are the Gerudo doing?"

"Aveil is confident they can hold out for at least two more weeks." Impa cupped her chin, regarding the map with cool resolve. "Given the situation, if we have not reached Tantari by then, there is no way to gauge what we will be facing."

"I'd tell you to leave strategy to the generals," Aveil boasted, striding in like a force of nature, "but I like what I hear." Eagus, Robin, and Lucina followed her, taking their usual places around the war table. "So, do we have a plan yet?"

"I was starting on one," Robin explained, tapping Kakariko on the map, "but the battlefield's not at all what I expected. It looks like all they care about holding are the Tantari and Nohansen Provinces." He traced one of the main roads between the two territories. "Even between them, all they're defending are supply lines."

Aveil leaned in. "Can we cut them off? Lay siege to Castle City?"

Zelda shook her head. "That will take too long. I know we need time to gather our own forces, but every day they hold a spawn portal is a day they gain more reinforcements. We'd lose the Gerudo at the very least."

"Every one of my sisters is prepared to sacrifice herself for Hyrule," Aveil replied, folding her arms, "but your other points are unquestionably valid."

"What about Kakariko?" Eagus asked. "We're already in position from every other direction. Freeing the last major population centers from Cult control would let us hit the Sealed Grounds from all sides."

Robin shook his head, tapping a large cluster of forces on the western end of Nohansen. "They're ready for that," he pointed out. "Karuna has a reserve force set to defend Castle City or harry a flanking maneuver." He grinned at Eagus. "Besides, a three-pronged attack should be enough."

With a grunt, Eagus nodded to the Grandmaster. "Fair enough. As Her Highness pointed out, time is of the essence." He returned his attention to the map, the last Ministers arriving while he spoke. "My Loftwing Knights can cut off that reserve force, while the army moves in to take the Sealed Grounds. Once we hold it, everyone hits Castle City at once, while they're still regrouping."

Zelda nodded. "Begin gathering our forces. Spare nothing. Inform me when all are ready to retake our home." The others nodded or saluted, then filed out. "Link, a moment." The princess permitted herself a sigh at Impa's near-smirk as the Sheikah left.

Link turned to her and bowed. "Is there anything else, Your–"

Zelda cut him off with a kiss. "Yes," she said when their lips parted, smiling at him, "there is."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Impa watched Korin pace, indulging in the sight of him as he went over logistics. "We just don't have the people," he grumbled, shaking his head at a sheaf of reports.

"This again?" Impa sighed and stood. "We do not have the forces to properly assault Castle City and maintain a full defense of the encampment. What remains behind will manage a retreat if we lose." She placed two fingers on his arm, letting her mana sense flow through muscle and sinew. Very nice muscle, at that\, she mused "You're a fine leader, my love, but no one expects you to do the impossible. No one expects Robin to do the impossible. Trust Zelda."

"Everyone expects Link to do the impossible, daily," Korin retorted, dropping his reports. "We've had three days to prepare – and may have more, seeing how the war council hasn't reconvened yet – but every time a seer finds one of those nightmare pits, our boy is sent flying off with little more than a by-your-leave."

Ah. Impa circled behind her husband and hugged him. Korin wrapped his arms around hers. "You knew the job was dangerous," she quipped. Korin sighed. "I know, my heart. All the legends in the world could not prepare even a High Sheikah for the pain of watching her only child bear the fate of worlds."

"You weren't expecting to be High Sheikah yet, either," Korin whispered, gently squeezing her arms.

Impa snorted. "True enough. I imagined I might inherit the role, centuries from now, after Luda and Aveil had lived long, full lives." Sorrow slithered into her heart. Anju and Kafei, as well. With more ferocity than she'd intended, Impa shoved the grief away, bottling it in Shadow and training. "Luda remains with us, at least."

Korin chuckled. "Their wedding was just adorable," he said, leaning into her. "It's a pity they couldn't go all out, but who can blame them for not waiting? Though gods alone know where Luda got that exquisite white kimono."

"A Sheikah is always prepared," Impa replied, holding him closer. "Though sometimes I fear my own tenure as Intelligence Minister is a counterpoint at times."

"No you don't," Korin insisted, turning in Impa's arms to face her. "You've told off heroes, princesses, and sages for tormenting themselves. I won't have it from you."

Impa smiled and kissed his cheek. "I love you too. Don't worry, Korin," she insisted, and her husband relaxed, "I'm not going to indulge in self-condemnation until after the war." She shrugged. "A bit of self-pity is another matter. Luda always seemed so invincible. I was largely unprepared to be High Sheikah because I never imagined her being vulnerable, let alone showing it."

The feeling of Korin's fingers flowing through her hair left her with goose bumps. "You're doing a fantastic job, Impa. I know it's a burden, but you're the sort of person who can take satisfaction in leadership. It suits you," he insisted.

"It also helps distract me from what my children face," she added, letting her head rest against his. She closed her eyes, Sheikah senses extending in their place. "You seem to be having more trouble with that."

Impa felt her husband grimace. "It's not fair," Korin insisted, his arms tightening around her. "Gods know we've gotten a brutal lesson in evil's capacity for injustice, but he's still just a boy in so many ways." He exhaled, heart pounding. "Link is kind and generous. He never hesitates in his duty. Those, I saw in him from the beginning. I just didn't expect – I thought the Hero would be a warrior born." Sheikah senses let her feel Korin fight back a sob. "He's anything but. It's his love for us that drives his courage and skill. He can enjoy the puzzles and riddles, but Link hates the fighting. It kills me a little every time I watch him suffer for that."

"Because you are a warrior born," Impa replied, "and you wish with all you are that you could bear his burden."

"You feel the same way," Korin realized, head tilting to look at her.

Impa nodded. "You can appreciate battle's grim glory. Though battle is not a passion for me, neither is it a torment. It is merely a duty like any other." She sighed. "That may be Hylia's wisdom at work. Zelda's wisdom. Her champion never ceases to feel the import of each sword blow, every arrow's flight."

With a grunt, Impa pushed off of Korin, disentangling herself from him. "Impa?" he asked, blinking.

"Enough," she insisted, grasping his hands. "I love my son, but too many spend too long thinking on the Hero. When the opportunity comes, we will act to end his burden." She grinned at her husband. "For now, my beloved worries too much. I do not need to be Sheikah to have a solution for that."

"Impa – the reports – the war?" Korin gasped.

The High Sheikah tilted her head, one ear twitching in the air. "I hear no battle cries, no clashes of steel." She looked him over. "You are fully recovered long since, and duty has kept us far too busy." Impa sank toward their mat, her hands still locked on his.

Korin chuckled and followed her.

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Zelda glanced from tent flap to war table, then sat down and picked at her breakfast. Four days to ready our armies. Too long. She indulged in a deep, cleansing breath. No. Have faith. Everyone is in place. It is a minor miracle we managed so quickly, even with the Sky open to us.

Link and Aveil were the first to arrive, a line of Ministers, Sages, and allies trailing behind them. Luda emerged from Zelda's shadow, then Impa, while the others settled into their now-traditional places around the map. "No change," Link muttered, glaring at Castle City's icon. "Are they really just waiting for us?"

"Spawning monsters as quickly as their magic allows, no doubt," Aveil replied, "but otherwise, yes." She grinned. "They've reached for this camp enough times to know they'll lose a hand with every failure."

Eagus grunted. "They've been bolder with their aerial forces," he noted, pointing at Eldin Province, then Deku Forest. "It's all been hit-and-run, but the Cult has taken a few shots at our allies to the north. They know we're planning something. They don't seem to know what, thank Hylia."

While the remaining Sages filed in, Aveil and Robin looked at Eagus, then each other, and finally returned their attention to the map. "I wish I had some brilliant scheme, some clever stratagem to enhance your assault plans, but I fear that this is all we have," Robin admitted. "I might have some tactical suggestions once we're on the ground, but Castle City was already well defended, and they've covered the gaps I exploited last time."

"Your cleverness has already saved us more than once," Zelda reassured the Ylissean. "Now, we must rely on faith."

Robin blinked. Lucina folded her arms. "I do not deny the existence of gods, Zelda," the Beorc princess retorted, "but I see little use in prayer now."

Zelda shook her head and smiled. "My apologies, Lucina, I should have been clearer." She concentrated, forming orders in her mind to direct to the map spell. "I did not mean faith in the gods. I meant faith in one another." Lucina's mouth formed an "O" of realization, and Zelda sent her commands to the Charm.

On the map, nearly all the armies of Hyrule converged on Castle City. "Here is our place," she spoke, the others staring in awe, surprise, determination, even cheer. "This is our time. Victory in Castle City means we drive the Cult all the way back to Death Mountain. Whatever is left of the Hero's quest, Hyrule can stand that long against the evil that remains there. Defeat means watching from the edge of the world as their evil consumes our nation once more." She looked at her Hero, and the love shining from his eyes made her feel invincible. "In for a green, in for a red."

"We're going to hit them with everything," Aveil breathed, her wide smile making the Justice Minister look downright giddy. "Everything we have." Robin nodded, one set of knuckles pressed against his lips.

"Some battles call for nothing less," Impa agreed. "Have you any specific directions to give, Your Highness?"

Zelda nodded. "Five millennia ago, the Princess of Destiny overcame the King of Evil with all the peoples of Hyrule." She tapped the Hebra Mountains. "Elder Brother Guld and Fire Dragon Eldin bring the newly restored Gorons from the north." Next, she indicated Ordon Province. "Knox gathers the liberated Beorcs from the south." Zelda looked up at the Hero. "Will Faron lead those Dekiwi capable of fighting?"

Link nodded. "I think the Dekiwi would come, Faron or no, but the Wind Dragon seems nearly Gerudo in her love of a good fight," he reported. "They're on their way."

"Excellent. Then Lanayru and Orielle bring the Zoras in from the northeast, while our force approaches from southeast." She slammed a fist onto the Sealed Grounds. "With our forces combined, pouring all our Arts and courage into the battle, we crush the occupation for good and all!"

Everyone nodded, eyes set firmly on the map and Hyrule's liberation. Zelda wasn't sure whether she was relieved or frustrated. It will work, she insisted, but I certainly wouldn't have minded if Robin had pulled some mad brilliance from his robe, or the Hero conjured another miracle. Leaning on the table, her own eyes hardened. No. This is my duty. My cause, my quest, my reign, my burden.

Gently, Minister Henya cleared her throat. Zelda looked up and nodded to her. "It's wise and necessary, Your Highness, but you've left a token force here in camp, to lead the refugees if we lose, I reckon."

"I fear so, Minister," the princess admitted. "Just enough soldiers to protect a final, desperate flight from Hyrule, so that our people can survive and remember if we fall." She looked from Henya to Gaepora. "In some ways, I ask the most of you, to wait as we do battle. If we triumph, you will have the difficult burden of leading our people home. If the army can only hold the Sealed Grounds, preventing the Cult from sending forces to interfere in the final part of the Hero's quest, you must stand ready for their nightmares with but a handful." She forced herself not to flinch, grateful beyond measure for Sheikah training. "If we die, you will be the last of Hyrule. So I order to remain behind Ministers Henya and Gaepora..." she turned to Lana with a reluctance that was almost painful. "...and my heir."

"No. No!" Lana cried. "Please, Your Highness, you can't leave me here, not now, not like this!" She leaped to the table, hands clasped. "I know the woods around Castle City better than anyone, my wind magic could be important for your trip to the Sky, and – and – I'm the only one who might still talk Aunt Cia down," she pleaded. "I'm the only one who cares, any more," Lana muttered, looking away.

"You're also the only Sage we've kept secret from the Cult," Zelda pointed out. A handful of gasps told the princess that they'd kept the secret well. Perhaps too well. She reached out for Lana, but the Wind Sage flinched away. "I'm sorry, Lana. Lady Cia has sold the world for her own pleasure."

"To end her loneliness," Lana corrected, looking at the ground. "It's a false love, from a false Hero, but I understand what drove her." She turned back, gaze like steel, Dorgan holding her hand. "She surrendered rather than let the Hero give in to vice. There's still good in her."

"Cia means to murder Zelda," Link retorted, voice cold enough to shatter steel. "She's had her chance." Lana whirled on the Hero, eyes wide, iron vanishing into another pleading gaze. That, Link had no defense against, and he softened.

Midona's sigh was explosive. "I'll stay," she groused, and nearly everyone turned to stare at her in shock. "You need at least one combat-capable Sage to stay behind, right? Otherwise, Gaepora would be enough." She grinned. "Besides, I've done the princess thing before. It's been a while, but I remember how to give orders and look pretty." She laughed at Zelda's glare. "Get off it, Zel. Besides, I'm high enough up the succession chain that no one's going to argue with the army-smashing Shadow Sage, when the alternative is topping the Cult's hit list."

"She can have my spot in the line of succession," Lana jumped in. "There's a ritual thing for that, right?"

Gaepora chuckled ruefully, shaking his head. "Yes, dear, there is indeed a 'ritual thing' for that, if necessary." Lana blushed and looked at her toes. "And now, to prove that such impulsiveness runs in the family, I'm going to ask to join you as well."

Zelda's fingers held her forehead almost of their own accord. "Goddess, not you too."

"You need every able pilot and mage, and while my spellcraft is not the equal of my daughter's, I am still quite the Loftwing Knight myself." He put the Book of Mudora down on the war table. I haven't seen him without that book since the war began, Zelda realized. "Before Eagus, I commanded the Loftwing Knights, then ran the academy while the general himself was still a would-be Top Bow." His smile vanished, and he folded his hands. "Until now, Hyrule has needed its Welfare Minister far more than one extra wind rider. For this, more than anything else, you need to fill sky saddles, and I've been keeping my skills sharp." He glanced at Eagus.

The general snorted and folded his arms. "I wish I could argue, Princess Zelda, but he can still out-fly aces half his age, and whole squadrons of young turks a tenth of it."

"And you don't want to be left behind with Lana and I both on the field," Zelda added. Gaepora nodded without a hint of shame. "Unless Sir Korin has a spectacular argument, then, the Phoenix Knight commander will remain in your place." Impa chuckled, earning a surprised glance out of the corner of Zelda's eyes before the princess mastered herself. "Henya, have you any objections to add?"

"No, Your Highness," Minister Henya said, her chuckle almost like a cluck for a moment. "Rusta and I will keep these folk in hand while the rest of you do what must be done."

Thank Nayru. Zelda nodded. "Good. You all know what you need to do. I trust you to do it. Council adjourned." They filed out quickly, Aveil grabbing Eagus' shoulder and shaking him excitedly as they left. The Hero was last to the tent flap, pausing at the opening. "I'll be fine, Hero. This time, we fight together." He nodded back and left.

"Farore, child," Impa exclaimed, crossing her arms, "if ever a night called for dragging your man to a bed, this is the one."

Zelda whirled on the High Sheikah, eyes wide, face burning, jaw slack. "Impa! Goddess, he – I – this is hardly – Link's your son!"

"He's my entirely adult son who has never objected, I care for you just as much, and I'm Sheikah." Her snort echoed through the tent. "I thought you were Trained enough to know when the time comes to shed the tribe's reserve."

Oh, for Din's sake, Zelda railed, trying to smother her embarrassment in disapproval. When that failed, she facepalmed. "I can't. Gods, Impa, I just can't, not tonight. I'm all nerves and fear right now." She let two fingers slide apart, peering between them at the High Sheikah. "Besides, um, something to look forward to?"

Impa blinked, laughed, and hugged the princess. "That will suffice. It is good to have something to come home to." She released Zelda and headed for the tent flap. "Now if you will excuse me, mine is staying behind, so I'm going to go and shed my reserve." Zelda fell into her chair, staring blankly at the wall. Impa laughed again. "Don't worry. I'll be back by nightfall. Aveil should be through her burst of excitement, so it will be Luda's turn, then." With that, the High Sheikah was gone."

"Goddess," Zelda whispered. "Luda, has she always been like...?"

Impa's predecessor emerged Zelda's shadow, shaking her head. "Oh, no. She was much worse at your age," Luda replied. To Zelda's surprise, the Sheikah pulled a chair over and sat beside the princess. "Are you ready for this, my lady? It is the best of several poor options, but I doubt any of us has ever seen battle like this."

Zelda looked at the map, troop measurements glowing in numbers she'd never suspected clashing on a single field, imagining the casualties they would take. "Lady Luda, I don't believe Hyrule has ever seen a battle like this," she replied, bracing herself. "I only pray it is worth the price."

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

"I still don't understand why you haven't crowned Zelda as High Queen," Lucina groused, walking beside Midona as they headed for the Shepherds. "There's no stupid politics in her way, right?"

Midona shook her head. "It's an ancient tradition, dating back to the Imprisoning War," the Shadow Sage explained. "In times of war, the coronation of a Crown Princess or Prince is delayed until war's end. Zelda has been the Princess in question during three of the four such instances in Hyrule's history." She chuckled. "It was originally to prevent twisting grief's knife, according to the tales, but in the Hero's last quest three millennia past, his wish upon the Triforce resurrected her parents." Lucina's jaw dropped. Robin laughed. "The tradition prevented quite the succession crisis, I believe. It's Hyrule. You never know."

"Indeed," Robin said. "If you'll excuse me, Shadow Sage, I intend to rest before the battle. My wounds should be fully healed, but best to be safe."

"Agreed," Lucina added, gently leading Robin away.

The Shadow Sage sighed, swallowed large, prickly rations of pride, then sought out Dorgan. He wasn't hard to find. He never is, she realized, watching him practice alongside Lana. "Do you really think you can turn Cia?" he asked, carving into a dummy with twin slashes.

Lana raced into clusters of dummies, spear whirling like a robot propeller. "No," she admitted, "but I didn't really think I'd find a boyfriend during the war, either." She smiled at him, though it was less a mask that usual for the Wind Sage. Or Forest Sage? Both, I suppose, Midona mused. "I have to try, Dorgan. She's – she's us, if the others hadn't trusted us, saved us."

"You must admit, Lana," Midona said, and the Wind Sage leaped back, "it's a work in progress." She gathered her cloak and approached, grateful for her Sheikah serenity.

"And who's fault is that, Shadow Sage?" Lana shot back when she landed, crossing her arms.

Dorgan rushed in, one hand raised to each of them. "Mine," he insisted. "Easy, Lana." The sorceress huffed and turned away, arms still crossed, head jutting up. She can be such a child, Midona thought, but couldn't help a smile. "So, um, any last minute strategy stuff you want to talk about?"

"I confess I had a bit of an ulterior motive when I suggested that Lana go in my place," Midona said. Lana whirled, gaping. "No, I have no desire to become Princess of Hyrule, girl," she added, her amusement with the Wind Sage waning. "I was thinking instead that Lana cannot send an avatar, a proxy, if you'll forgive the pun." Lana chuckled in spite of herself.

The practice field was silent for a few seconds. Dorgan looked away, one hand on a sword hilt. Why do Gerudo do that when they're happy or uncomfortable? Midona wondered. One or the other, I would understand, but both? What is it about their tribe and swords? He grunted, then met the Sheikah's eyes. "I thought you were still mad at me," he said, eyes widening suddenly. "Wait, the whole imp-partner thing wasn't part of that, was it?"

"It shouldn't have been," Midona admitted, hands on her hips. "Yes, you lied about not knowing. In the end, it was a small lie. You've proven your loyalty. I heard Dinrova's effort to tempt you, how well that went for her." Lana gasped while Midona grimaced. Say it, Sage, she ordered herself. "I don't believe it was wrong to be upset with you, but not at all to the extent I let it rule me." At last, resolve weakened, and she looked away from the Gerudo. "When I awoke, I remembered all our battles together. In that same moment, I knew what you'd hidden, and that Kagerin was dead. I didn't realize it at the time, but some part of me felt like you were trying to replace him."

"Replace Kagerin?" Dorgan choked. "Midona, even before I had – someone in my life," he stumbled, licking his lips, "I would never have taken advantage of your state like that."

"I know, but Kagerin and I were friends long before we were lovers. It was our devotion to remaining friends no matter what else passed between us, that made our romance work so well." She let the grief come, have its way, willed it to pass. "The bond you and I formed felt like it healed one lost. As the imp, it felt like you replaced the Hero of Light, and that was acceptable." She met his eyes once more. "When I woke, especially with Naboru gone and you in her place, it felt – contrived, counterfeit, unfair."

Dorgan swallowed. "I'm sorry," he whispered, hand slipping from the hilt to dangle at his side.

"As am I," Midona murmured. "So I will make you one of those deals Gerudo are so fond of. I will forgive you, if you forgive me."

"You don't," Dorgan began, stopping when Midona crossed her arms. He sighed, then smiled and held out his hand. "Deal." She accepted it, and they shook.

Lana threw her arms around both of them and hugged them fiercely. "Oh, thank Hylia!" she sobbed. Dorgan and Midona looked at each other, uncomfortable gazes meeting for an instant. When she realized how they mirrored one another, Midona let a single giggle slip. Dorgan chuckled, Midona laughed, and a second later they were both whooping helplessly. "Stop that!" Lana blurted, letting them go and staring at them like they were both mad. That lasted all of three seconds, and then they were all sitting on the ground, laughing their flanks off.