The Legend of Zelda series do not belong to me, they belong to Shigeru Miyamoto. And the gods in the story, the Sanchez, and Chakal belong to Jorge Gutierrez. What does belong to me are Cleo, Finn, Syrilla, Joseph, and the kids in the prologue.

Chapter 24

"Wait, so you were at the graveyard too? Wouldn't you and Syrilla have run into each other?" Finn asked.

"I only saw him enter the cave where his mother's grave is, but I wasn't at the graveyard afterwards."

"Still, there's only one path in and out of the graveyard, you two still could've-"

"I exited the graveyard another way that no one else knew but Dampe... Look, it's complicated!" Cleo added at Finn's confused look.

"Wow, we were practically in the same neighborhood and we just missed each other!" Syrilla said in amused disbelief.

"That doesn't matter now. All that matters is-"

"You're visiting time is over!" barked a voice making Finn and Cleo jump. A Zora guard came. "You've lingered with the accused long enough! Now off with you!"

They had no choice but to leave, Cleo heard her brother mutter "A-hole" under his breath.

"Finn, listen. I'm heading straight back to Kakariko to where the grave is, if we're going to save both Syrilla and Prince Ralis."

"But what will you be trying to find there? People have already searched the place for clues."

"Even if they did, they can't find everything there is to find there."

"What are you suggesting? That there's something hidden there that no one else knows about, like the secret exit you mentioned?"

"Yes. And I'm the only one who knows how to find it."

"Let me come with you."

"No Finn, I don't want to drag you into... certain things I'm about to do. You literally can't follow me."

"Cleo, you're not making any sense! If you could just explain clearly-"

"I don't have time to explain! You have to trust me!"

"Alright, alright!" Finn sighed in exasperation. "We're in a hurry, I get it! Just... be careful, okay, at... whatever it is you're going to do."

"Thanks, Finn..." After Cleo walked out of earshot of Finn, she held the red skull. "I'm surprised you haven't spoken up this whole time."

"What makes you think I'd do that?" asked Xibalba.

"Well, I'm about to do a side quest. I'd thought you'd complain, like usual."

"Well, normally I would. But..." he trailed off.

"You know, I have noticed you've been getting quieter and quieter throughout this whole quest..."

"So?"

"So, what's plaguing you?"

He gave a wan laugh. "I'm just getting anxious... We're getting close to the end."

"You mean about saving your wife?"

"...Yeah."

"I understand." And Cleo decided to end the discussion.

She warped back to Kakariko and took to her hiding spot underground before entering the Land of the Dead. She had just walked out the door of the Sanctuary and already the person she hoped to meet was standing before her. Even as a Zora stalfos, Queen Rutela was still as beautiful as she'd been in life. "I have hoped you would return. You didn't notice me last you were here, but I have seen you as you flit between the living world and spiritual world."

"Then you know why I came back?"

"Indeed." The Queen looked grief stricken. "My son is gone... As a ghost, I could do nothing but watch as my dear Prince Ralis was dragged away."

"Please, show me! Show me where he and the kidnappers went!"

"Follow me..." Rutela and Cleo hurried to the cave at the very back of the graveyard. They were standing on a cliff over a large, deep pond where they could see her grave on the cliff on the other side. "Look down into the water... There is a tunnel. I watched the Gerudos emerge from it and grab Prince Ralis, then drag him back down into it."

"They came from there?! But... can Gerudos swim?" Cleo had already known that the tunnel existed and that it led all the way to Lake Hylia, but it never occured to her that it would be used to kidnap someone.

"I do not know how they managed to get all that way, it's a long way through the tunnel from the lake."

"Which is another problem. I'll need to follow them to whatever hiding place they're in if I'm going to save Ralis, but it'll take forever to swim on my own. I need a faster way."

"There is a way. Normally, the Scales of Faron would help humans swim faster by ten times. To gain one would require the permission of Faron herself. But..." Here, the queen took out an envelope. "I can persuade her to entrust one of her scales to you. I've already written a letter to her ahead of time, for when you would hopefully come back to find my son. You're my only chance of saving him. Please, won't you help?"

"Of course I will." Cleo took the letter. "I'll be back in a jiff!" Cleo swam to the queen's grave to pick up the aura of Ralis still lingering in the area for future dowsing, then used the antidote to wake back up and warp back to the Faron Province.

She arrived in the Sacred Grove. Within a minute, SK dropped down from the trees. "Cleo! You came back!" he squeaked in excitement.

"Always glad to see me, huh? You're like a little puppy waiting for his master to return from school."

SK giggled.

"An overly hyperactive puppy if you ask me..." said Xibalba.

As usual, Cleo ignored him. "Sorry, I can't play right now. I actually need your help, again."

"What's the problem?" SK asked, cocking his head.

"I need to find Lake Floria, which is somewhere in this forest."

"Wha... Faron's Lair? Why to you need to go there?"

"Long story short: Prince Ralis was taken by Gerudos, Syrilla's getting the blame, Finn's trying to clear her name, and I need Faron's scale to reach the Zora prince."

"Is that all?" He scratched his head. "Faron normally doesn't like visitors... but I get that it's an emergency. Hopefully she'll be in a good mood."

"Hopefully..." Cleo repeated.

"I'll take you there... but..."

"Okay, maybe one quick run through the grove. Just one."

SK smiled. "Yippee!" He blew his horn and the recurring puppets appeared to slow down her chase of the skull kid. Cleo raced through the various paths, trying to follow the lantern light and the music, slashing down the wooden barricades. After searching around carefully for him, she found SK in the area with the pond and waterfall. She swam through the waterfall and climbed up the cliffs to where he was hiding. Before he could get away, she dived and grabbed him. "Okay! Okay, you win!" he laughed.

"So, can I enter Lake Floria?"

"Yep, fair's fair!" SK hopped off of the cliff onto the ground by the pond. He turned to the water and blew his flute. Cleo heard a magic hum but couldn't see anything. She climbed her way back down to him. "The entrance is down there," he said pointing to the pond.

She could now see a new opening under the water. Cleo grinned at SK. "Great! Let's go then." She took a step when SK said "um..." She glanced back at him, confused. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry..." SK said meekly. "I can't come with you, I'm not allowed in. Faron would gobble me up if I set foot there."

She gave an understanding smile. "That's alright, SK. Thanks for opening the path."

SK waved at her. "Good luck." Cleo walked into the pond and dived down into the tunnel.

She swam through the tunnel which was covered in beautiful coral, squeezing past tight spots. The path was a bit long and she had to reach pockets of air dotted here and there before continuing her dive. She soon found her way into a huge cave that had an enormous pocket of air and she climbed up onto solid cave floor. She looked around at her coral and lilypad adorned surroundings. Other than a steady drip-drip, it was awfully quiet... actually, it was way too quiet. It felt... deserted.

"Faron?" she called out. There was nothing but the same empty silence to answer her. "Faron?... Can I talk to you?... I need your help!" She kept looking around, but could see no sign of the water dragon.

"Why do I get the feeling that we came all this way for nothing!"

Cleo started grousing in frustration. "Sometimes, I hate it when you're right! So what now? Should I just wait or...?" She stopped dead in her back and forth pacing, standing totally frozen in shock, her breath stopping just as abruptly. Turned out she wasn't alone after all and, even as she looked at him, she was totally unable to sense his presence because she knew in an instant he was not part of this plane of existence.

A wolfos was sitting a few feet from where she was standing stock still, his red eyes looking right into hers. He stood up and gave a soft but firm growl. Cleo didn't make a move, didn't even pull out her sword to defend herself and it sprung at her... clawed paws out... fanged mouth open... She watched at the blur of gleaming gold pouncing upon her... and all became white.

Cleo found herself on a mist covered ground and picked herself up. Her eyes traveled over a mystically foggy world with the view of familiar Hylian landscapes in the distant backgrounds, Hyrule Castle standing out the most. She turned around and saw a stalfos in old crumbling armor, only one socket had a pinprick light for a pupil.

"I know you came to seek Faron's help. But I'm sorry to say you came at a bad time..." he said in a distant, tired voice. "Faron has gone in a terrible rage."

"What happened?"

"Ghirahim has happened." Cleo opened her mouth, about to exclaim in surprise and anger, but the shade held up his hand to keep her silent. "He had snuck his way into this fortress and plucked scales from her hide while she slept. When she awoke and realized some of her scales were missing, she became blinded by anger and set off to hunt down her offender. There is no telling when she will return."

Cleo crossed her arms. "How does he even know what I was going to do? I'm not even focusing on the next page piece at the moment," she huffed. "That's just great, without the scales, I'll most likely not be able to reach Prince Ralis in time to save both him and Syrilla!"

The Hero's Shade walked up to her. "All is not lost yet. In my youth, I won my own scale from Faron herself."

She gaped at him. "You have one?!"

Cleo could see the ghost of a smile on his skeletal face. From underneath his armor he pulled out a shining blue scale, with a string strung around it. "I know you are in great need of it. I bequeath it to you, the current chosen hero." He gently took her hand and placed the scale into her palm. She couldn't believe the lucky break she'd just got, she smiled hugely. "There is one more thing you should know, before you go to Lake Hylia, you should receive another lesson from Captain Keeta for the Scattalton technique. It should prove useful in the near future."

"Thank you so much!"

The Hero's Shade nodded to Cleo and everything went white again.