Kingdom Hearts II: Sonic Chronicles
OC's © original creators
Chapter Thirty-Four: Treasure Hunt, Part 1
The scenery returns to the starry Corridors of Space between worlds several hours following the Sonic Team's arrival on Hollow Bastion. Speaking of whom, the group of five was currently flying in the eastern direction, passing the open wormhole that led to Destiny Islands and Babylon Garden. Sonic lingered for a few minutes when they were passing the Emptiness, but Silver's intensified stare told him to keep moving – he would have to find a way back.
"So, any idea where we're off to next, mate?" Marine asked cheerfully; she was much peppier without Sally around.
"We've been to new worlds like Amegakure, the Digital World, and the Emptiness." Angel counted with her fingers. "And we visited familiar worlds like Budokai and Destiny Islands."
"Even though it was a different universe." Storm added helpfully.
"So we should be due for a familiar world some time soon." Angel finished thoughtfully.
"And you've hit the nail on that one." Silver grinned amazingly. "The closest world available is in Hyrule."
"Hyrule, are you serious?" Sonic shouted excitedly, jumping closer to his teacher. "Man, I haven't been there since Ganondorf controlled Zant and tried to take over Hyrule. I wonder if Zelda and Link found each other again."
"Uh, what's Hyrule, mates?" Marine blinked confused.
"Oh, that's right; you didn't join us until after Hyrule." Storm said, laughing at the oversight. "It was just after Angel first joined our team that we stopped in a medieval world called Hyrule and fought one of Black Doom's men named Zant. Only Zant wasn't the real enemy – he was just a puppet being forced to work for Ganondorf, the big bad guy. We met a guy called Link and he helped Sonic take out the guy."
"Actually, it was Link that did all the work." Sonic said humbly. "I was just the distraction."
"Wow, I never thought I'd see you act so noble." Dark Sonic commented surprisingly.
"Link's a great guy." Sonic said honestly. "He deserves the credit. After all, my attack did nothing against Ganondorf."
"Hey, Sonic…" Silver grinned deviously. "Isn't that where you're girlfriend lives?"
"Girlfriend/Girlfriend?" Marine and Dark Sonic repeated simultaneously.
"Ugh, why did you have to bring that up?" Sonic moaned exaggeratedly. "He's talking about Midna – the Twilight Princess. She was in trouble when Ganondorf showed up and I helped save her. Ever since then, she's been totally obsessed and has been trying to ask me to marry her all the time. I think I lost her after we fought Mephiles at Kingdom Hearts."
"You certainly get into a lot of trouble with women." Dark Sonic noted.
"It's a gift and a curse." Sonic sighed heavily.
"Well, we're about to land." Angel smirked mischievously. "Be sure to by some flowers for your lady."
The cobalt hedgehog groaned inwardly and refused to speak another word until they landed. Sonic really hoped that Midna went back to the Twilight Realm or the Heartless and Order XIII will be the least of his concerns.
/\ (Hyrule) /\
Not much can be said about the changes in Castle Town during the Sonic Team's year of absence. The confusing labyrinth of streets was overflowing with business and commerce in every direction. People of every race would often gather in the capital city of Hyrule from the rocky Gorons to the slippery Zoras to forest folk of Ordona Province. The only significant difference in the city was the massive construction sight in the northern quarter of Castle Town beyond the gilded doorway. Hyrule would never forget the day that Ganondorf – The King of Evil – brought down the castle built by the royal family in his attempt to destroy Link and Sonic. But the dark days have passed and Ganondorf's body was sent back to his original home to be buried. But that didn't mean all of the demon's darkness had left this world.
By some dark miracle or curse, one of Ganondorf's highest minions had returned from the grave and was currently trudging through the slums of Castle Town's lesser kept areas. The grave and hopeless creature was relatively human in a sense of physical structure, but his skin was chalk-white and a pair of creepy, yellow eyes. His attire was formed from a long-sleeved robe that was covered in neon-green symbols, a single pair of black, form-fitting pants, and two sword holsters strapped to his back – he was walking barefoot. Once carrying himself with a regal appearance when under Ganondorf's command, Zant of the Twili was now reduced to wear the clothing of a common soldier. The former Twilight Usurper sighed and decided to rest of a stairway close to the back alley tavern.
"Another day, another wasted opportunity." Zant muttered disheartened. "I swear that I've changed, but no one is willing to hire a psychotic madman that tried to take over the kingdom and swallow everyone in eternal twilight. I mean, it wasn't that bad, right?" He took a moment to think and hung his head sadly. "I'm doomed."
"Castle Town! Just the way I remember!"
Zant snapped his head attentively – he knew that voice. The former usurper sharply ducked behind the stairway, cautiously looking looked around the edge as the first of the group appeared through the gateway. Angel was sitting on Storm's shoulder with a happy grin on her face followed by Silver then Sonic and Marine. Since this was Marine's first time visiting Hyrule, it took a while for her to take in all the extravagant sights and sounds of the medieval world. But most unfortunate for Zant, the rascally raccoon spotted the former usurper before he had a chance to drop out of sight. Marine, easily drawn by curiosity, stepped lightly to Zant's hiding place without the others noticing.
"I wonder how Link and Zelda are doin'." Storm questioned thoughtfully. "We never did find what happened to them after Kingdom Hearts."
"I bet those two are doing just fine." Sonic smiled happily, resting his hands behind his head. "Hey, why don't we go visit them? I bet they'll be surprised to see us again."
"And maybe Espio and the king are with them." Silver said optimistically. "You never know – King Jet has stopped at some unusual places before."
"Then what are we waitin' for?" Sonic said impatiently. "The faster we get to the castle, the sooner we can check up on them." He looked over in Marine's direction. "Marine, get ready to – what are you doing over there?"
The rascally raccoon was leaning over the stairway, staring Zant directly in the eye. For a good portion of two minutes, neither Marine nor the former Usurper moved either because of fear or curiosity. The cobalt hedgehog cocked his head in a confused manner. What could be so important? The Keyblade Master moved around his surrogate sister and looked past the edge of the stairs, finally catching the sight of his former enemy. Naturally, Sonic quickly snatched Marine away from the Twilight Usurper and summoned the Kiryu Keyblade to his freehand while jumping away. The sudden reaction from their leader caused the remainder of the Sonic Team to withdraw their weapons – the exception being Marine, who was once again confused. By this time, Zant knew there was no point trying to hide and solemnly walked into the open with his hands raised in surrender. The heroes' reactions were obvious.
"Zant?" The Sonic Team screamed simultaneously.
"A friend of yours?" Dark Sonic asked cluelessly.
"Hardly." Sonic sneered. "Zant is a backstabbing, two-timing, lowlife that cursed Midna and helped Ganondorf capture Zelda over a year ago. Midna said he was good, but anyone that works for Black Doom is far from good."
"Uh…hello everyone." Zant said, chuckling weakly. "Nice to see you all in good health."
"Cut the act, Jack!" Angel glared.
"What are you doing showing your face around here?" Storm grunted, lifting his shield to fight. "I think this is the last place anyone would want to have you around."
"Listen, you've got to hear me out!" Zant exclaimed pleadingly. "I know what I did was wrong, but Ganondorf was controlling me."
"I find that hard to believe." Silver scoffed. "Though it is possible to control someone, I doubt Ganondorf could have taken over someone with a powerful mind like yours. The only way he could have done it is if you let him control you."
"Ok…I admit it." Zant said sheepishly, stretching the back of his head. "I was a little…frustrated that Midna was chosen as the next Twilight Ruler instead of me, but that doesn't excuse the crimes I committed. You have to believe me, I would never have done anything to hurt Midna – I love her. And after I was resurrected following Ganondorf's defeat, I thought this was the perfect chance to redeem myself and start over….but…."
"But no one wants to help psychotic dictator." Angel finished, folding her arms. "Gotta say, I can't blame them."
"Please, you have to help me." Zant practically begged. "I want to apologize to Link and Zelda for my actions, but the guards won't let me in to tell them. I'll bet if I'm seen with you, they'll have to give me a chance."
"Why should we?" Storm questioned sternly.
"Aw, he looks so sad." Marine said sympathetically. "Maybe we should help him."
"You weren't around when he kidnapped Midna and Zelda, Marine." Sonic said unconvinced. "Give us one good reason why we should help you?"
"You might wanna try looking behind you." Zant suggested.
The Keyblade Master would have thought for the distraction to be a trap, but something about Sonic's instincts commanded to heed the former usurper's wishes. A good thing, too. The moment Sonic looked over his shoulder; the cobalt hedgehog immediately turned on his heels and raised his Keyblade sideways before the opposing blade could piece his skull. Taking a long moment to force his opponent away, Sonic looked over the attacker. It resembled much like the Neoshadows, but was swarmed with neon-red outlines, a collection of tentacles in the back of its head, and carried a scimitar blade in each hand. It wasn't long before the Sonic Team was surrounded by ten of these Twilight Heartless.
"Sending Heartless to kill us." Silver said sarcastically. "Yeah, that'll definitely change their minds."
"If I was controlling them." Zant said irritably. "Why would they be attacking me?"
True to his point, the former usurper had withdrawn the cleave blade on his back and slashed through one of the approaching Twilight before kicking away a second. The action itself changed the opinions of the Sonic Team, but not by much. With three Twilight Heartless approaching from different directions, Storm pulled back his arm and spun around with his shield held outwards. Two of the glowing Heartless were launched into the air….and never came down. Storm grinned sheepishly while ruffling his feathers – he didn't even know his own strength. But if he had taken the moment to count, he would have realized that he failed to dispose of the third shadow crawling against the cobblestone street. Silent and deadly, the Twilight raised itself from the ground and stood at full height with its swords crossed for the perfect strike at the Albatross's blind spot. But thankfully enough, the Sonic Team covers each other's weaknesses. Before the Twilight knew what happened, a blur of pink landed on its swords and a pair of silver daggers was stabbed in its wrists. The glowing-neon Heartless hissed furiously with its piercing-yellow eyes glaring dangerously close at Angel, who only smiled playfully. In retaliation, the Twilight attempted to use the tentacles on its head to strangle the pink experiment. But Angel had already beaten it there. The siren experiment kicked off the crossed swords and flipped overhead, grabbing a handful of the hair-like extensions on its head. At the moment Angel touched back on the ground, she pulled the Heartless over her shoulder and slammed it face first into the ground, sending it back to the Realm of Darkness.
"You really should watch you're back." Angel commented. "I know you're big, but you can't let these runts get to you."
"Are you calling me fat?" Storm questioned seriously; his eye twitched dangerously.
"No, I'm saying you're big-boned." Angel giggled.
Storm laughed heartily – someone finally got it. In the meantime, Sonic was swinging the Kiryu blade in order to blade the twin scimitars from the Twilight in front of him before he noticed the second one coming up from behind. Forcing the first sword-wielding Heartless into a stalemate, the cobalt hedgehog the shadow away and turned to cross blades with the second attacker. Unfortunately, the first Twilight didn't need long to recover and made a daring run at the Keyblade Master while his back was turned. Possibility due to the natural sense he gained from his parent's, Sonic could feel his hair standing on end as if detecting the approaching Heartless. Following his instincts, Sonic used his Keyblade to force both of the Twilight's scimitars to the ground and used the blades as support before jumping over his opponent. At that same moment, the first Twilight swipe both of his blade diagonally to where the hedgehog was formally standing and instead severed its partner into three pieces. Through the smoke of shadows that formed from the Heartless' defeat, Sonic followed gravity's whim back to the ground and brought his elbow down over the Twilight's head. The initial contact forced the sword-wielding shadow to flop to the ground and drop both its weapons with a ringing clatter. The Twilight growled dangerously as it regained its footing, only to whimper in fear when finding the Keyblade Master wielding both its scimitars in place of the Kiryu. Sonic grinned playfully. He started twirling both of the curved blades in his hands both to show off his skills and to be a show off in general. The Twilight was forced back until it was up against the wall with both scimitars falling close to its tentacle head. Then Sonic stopped – he had a better idea.
"Hey, can you hold these?" Sonic asked politely, handing both the scimitars back upside-down. The Twilight blinked and took them back. "Thanks you." And then Sonic punched it in the face, effectively knocking it out. "Man, I thought that only working in movies."
"He…really fell for that?" Dark Sonic said in disbelief. "He didn't even think to defend himself with them? I am so ashamed to call them my brethren."
"You know what they say: there's one born every minute." Sonic laughed.
"Yeah, I – hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Dark Sonic roared; Sonic snickered.
Silver was probably the only one having difficulties handling this new breed of Heartless. Three of the Twilights converged on the Babylonian mystic, attacking in a synchronized pattern that commanded one Heartless to strike following the previous one. It was a well-known fact that Silver was a long-range fighter that needed time to perform magic, but the Heartless weren't going to give him that chance. When the first Twilight flipped sideways over its partner, Silver used the rod of this dragon staff to absorb the blow and throw the shadow back. But two seconds following the contact, a second Twilight crawled against the ground and sprang upwards with its scimitars clasped together in a stabbing motion. The Babylon mystic barely sidestepped away with only a few hairs clipped, but his entire defense was blown away. That fact was made clear as the third Twilight appeared directly to his right side and raised a single blade against the hedgehog, who instinctively threw up his staff in defense. When the weapons made contact, Silver was thrown against a stockpile of barrels in the corner and his staff was thrown wayward down the street. The Babylon mystic attempted to sooth the throbbing pain in his forehead, but was kinda distracted by the three sets of swords pointed over his heart.
"To be honest, I never thought I'd go out this way." Silver commented. "I always thought Sonic would inadvertently cause me to have some kind of heart attack."
"Stand back, mates!" Marine shouted randomly. "Capt. Marine to the rescue!"
All of a sudden, a powerful tremor vibrated throughout the street - heroes and Heartless alike turned and stared. Thanks to his wide imagination, Marine had created a stampede of emerald-green horses from her power orb and was riding the leading mare shouting for a charge. The stupefied Twilights were rendered powerless in shock as the army of stallions pummeled the sword-wielding Heartless into the gravel with their powerful hooves. Sonic helped his teacher to his feet while Angel and Storm brought the sorcerer his staff – the stallion stampede had finally vanished after six minutes.
"Don't you think that was a bit….much?" Sonic asked, laughter lightly as his surrogate sister joined them.
"You're one to talk." Dark Sonic smirked defiantly. "Remind me who it was that launched an entire planet against Eggman."
"Good times." Sonic sighed pleasantly.
Unfortunately, the Sonic Team seems to be having a streak of overconfidence lately. If they had taken a moment to think it over, they would have realized that there were ten Twilights in the beginning and only nine of them have been destroyed. The remaining sword-wielding Twilight was crawling along the ground like a shadow – silent and cunning. The sword-wielder cautiously made its way around the edges of the street and climbed the tavern wall until it was directly behind the Keyblade Master. This was the perfect time. Without alerting the Sonic Team, the remaining Twilight ripped away from the wall with its scimitar blades pointed down to stab the hedgehog's back. Too bad it didn't work. Not even a second after the Twilight left the safety of the shadows; Zant landed above the glowing Heartless and stabbed both cleaver blades crisscrossed through the shadow's chest. The cloud of darkness finally triggered a reaction from the heroes as Zant flipped forward and landed on his feet to the side of the group.
"You can thank me later." Zant said politely.
"Or…I guess I can thank you now." Sonic said uncertainly, scratching his quills. "I mean, you did save us a few times today. I guess that earns some respect." Zant smiled pleasantly. "But that doesn't mean we can still trust you."
"I can live with that." Zant nodded. "All I ask is that you give me a chance to speak with Link and Zelda."
"That's not up to me." Sonic stated, looking to his friend. "Whaddya you guys think?"
"Trusting a psychotic maniac has got to be one of the stupidest things you've ever done." Silver scolded; he sighed. "But I guess we have to give him a little credit."
"He saved Sonic twice already." Storm proclaimed proudly. "I say we give him a chance."
"I don't like it." Angel mumbled. "But I'll go with it."
"Full speed ahead, mate!" Marine cheered.
"Looks like you're in, Zant." Sonic announced.
There was no word to describe the happiness the former Twili usurper felt. If Sonic and his team, who initially loathed the treacherous pile of waste, could show him generosity, then maybe there was a chance to make up with Link and Zelda. Maybe he could have another chance with Midna. With the exception of Marine, everyone felt a little strange to be walking down the street into the main market square with Zant. How often do you team up with a psychotic murderer that tried to kill you over a year ago – Dark Sonic was oddly silent. When they first walked into the bright roads of the town center, the Keyblade Master had some clue as to how Zant has been living in the past year. While the town's folk greeted and smiled to the Sonic Team, hisses and glares were directed to the pale-white Twili following behind them. And judging by how he wasn't reacting to them, Zant must have heard it every day.
"I can't believe I'm saying this…" Sonic thought sadly. "But I actually feel kinda bad for him."
"He was a power hungry dictator that ruler through fear and murder." Dark Sonic replied; he seemed to find the concept somewhat humorous. "In all honesty, I think you're making a big mistake."
"Hey, even bad guys deserve second chances." Sonic retorted.
"Yes, I'm sure Black Doom would love to join your little picnic." Dark Sonic scoffed.
The cobalt hedgehog muttered a few choice words under his breathe, which was kind of pointless since his Heartless persona could read his thoughts. As they pushed through the gilded doorway to the construction site, Zant hung back for a bit and waited for the right moment to show himself. If the guards were going to kill him, he didn't want to make it easy for them. But imagine their surprise when the Sonic Team met not the imperial guards, but the princess of Hyrule itself. Princess Zelda was just as radiant as they remembered her – it was no surprise why she was one of the Princesses of Heart. She was tall and slender with golden-blonde hair that trailed down her back, but with two strands draped across her shoulders. She wore an eloquent white gown with the symbol of the royal family and a violet-purple brassiere, lavishing white gloves, a pair of golden shoulder plates, and a golden crown with a blue opal. For some reason – most likely for protection – she carried a scabbard at her at her side with a thin sword holstered in the folds. The princess of Hyrule was watching the castle construction when see spotted something unfamiliar out of the corner of her eyes. Zelda turned fully with her hand flying to the hilt of her blade when she realized hat the Sonic Team had returned to Hyrule.
"Sonic!" Zelda exclaimed happily. "Silver! Storm! Angel! Marine!"
"Now you I remember, mate." Marin giggled. "How's it going, princess?"
"It's coming along." Zelda answered, waving to the castle construction. "It took thirty years for my ancestors to build this tower, but I always felt that we needed a few changes around here. In a way, I guess we should be thanking Ganondorf. But still, Hyrule owes you many thanks for eliminating such a terrible evil."
"All in a days work." Sonic said smugly; Zant was edging closer to the group. "So…it looks like the Heartless are acting up again. Ya think there's any way we can help out?"
"The royal guards have already been trained to fight the Heartless." Zelda explained. "Link had a hand in teaching all of them how to ward them off and we've been successful so far. But…."
"But what?" Angel asked, noting the princess's hesitation.
"Link...he just…" Zelda said worriedly. "He hasn't been the same recently."
"Is it because of the Heartless?" Silver asked quickly.
"I don't know." Zelda replied honestly. "I mean, he comes and visits from time to time and he acts all cheerful. But sometime, he just acts sort of…depressed." The heroes looked between each other in confusion; Zant crouched low behind Storm. "He sometimes leaves without a word and doesn't come back for several days. I'm worried he might be in trouble and he's not telling me. He keeps telling me that nothing is wrong, but it gets harder to believe him every time."
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."
That one didn't come from any of the heroes. Zelda stepped back slightly with her hand already gripped around her blade as the Sonic Team parted down the middle. Zant was kneeling on the ground where the large albatross was once standing, offering a sheepish wave and an uneasy smile to the princess. Pretty stupid move. Quick as a flash, the princess unsheathed her sword and slashed across the air, skillfully missing the heroes, but placing careful aim on the Twili. Yelping in fright, Zant jumped back out of Zelda's range and skidded to a halt a few feet away from the vengeful woman.
"Wait, my princess!" Zant shouted hurried. "It's not what it…"
"Sonic, hold him off!" Zelda commanded, holstering her blade. "I'll go and warn the guards!"
"Wait, Zelda, you don't understand!" Sonic shouted desperately. "Zant's not…"
But by that time, the princess had already rushed through the gateway to warn the imperial guards.
"Well, she took that better than I thought." Storm commented.
"He really hates ya, mate." Marine pointed obviously.
"Somehow, this doesn't surprise me." Zant said depressingly.
Not wanting to get on the wrong side with the royal guards, Zant and the Sonic Team led the scene before they could get the chance. There really wasn't much point in trying to convince Zelda to talk to them if she was only going to impale the former twilight usurper. Maybe they would have better luck with Link. Then again, the green hero was acting rather strange according to Zelda. Sonic couldn't help wondering why Link would run off without telling Zelda, the person he cherished above all others. The Keyblade Master was suddenly ripped from his thoughts as Zant quickly snatched his quills and pulled him pack roughly on the street. And just in time, too. Not a moment sooner, a chestnut mare with a leather crafted saddle trotted past with something glittering in its teeth. Shopkeepers and travelers screamed and jumped out of the way as the frantic horse rushed past them.
"Hey, does anyone else think that horse looks familiar?" Angel asked.
"Hey, Sonic."
The cobalt hedgehog raised his head as another familiar character from their past ran by. He was a strong and fit man with golden-blond hair and pointed ears with a single silver ring in the left lobe. His particular attire consisted of a leafy-green tunic and matching cap, ivory-white pants and undershirt, and leather-brown boots and belt, and a pair of copper-plated bracers. His appearance was only completed by the navy-blue shield baring the royal symbol strapped to his back and the broad sword carried by it. The Hero of Time waved hello and goodbye to his old friends before chasing after the renegade horse. However, he wasn't the only one in pursuit of the mare.
Another man was following in the hero's footsteps, but at a much slower pace. He was a tall and lanky man with matted red hair and pointed ears that were longer than the average Hylian. His attire was mostly consisting of extravagant suit, coat and shoes, each with a different shade of purple. But the most unusual part of this man was the overstuffed bag he was carrying that was cluttered with masks. The group of six watched him pass by in a peculiar manner before they had enough sense to follow them and see what was going on. Thankfully, they didn't have a long run as they found Link having managed to catch up with the wild mare in a deserted alley that led to a dead end. The Hero of Time pulled the reins of the uncontrollable mare, finding it very difficult since she was putting up a nasty fight.
"Calm down, Epona." Link grunted, finally succeeding in securing her. "I swear, you've been acting weird lately."
"If you can't keep that filthy mongrel in the stables," The mask man growled dangerously. "I will report you to the authorities."
"There's no need for that." Link said coolly. Though with some difficulty, he managed to retrieve the item Epona was carrying in her teeth: a golden necklace with a single triangle. "Look, just take it back and forget this ever happened."
The mask man huffed loudly as he snatched the necklace away – he was clearly not so forgiving. But the moment he turned around to walk away, Sonic noticed that his face was stretched with a creepy smile that could give the joker a run for his money. Make a note to avoid him. With his hands closed firmly over the Epona's reins, the Hero of Time walked back diligently with his horse at his side, waving nonchalantly to the returning group.
"Hey guys, sorry about that." Link grinned sheepishly. "I was kinda in a hurry."
"What happened?" Angel asked.
"You know Epona." Link said, patting the mare's side. "When she sees something shiny, she can't resist." Looking over the group, he noticed one unfamiliar character in the pack. "Hey, looks like you picked up another straggler."
"Link, this is our new teammate, Marine." Sonic introduced. "Marine, this is Link, the guy that took down Ganondorf."
"Nice to meet ya, mate." Marine said excitedly, shaking the man's hand. "Sonic's told me a whole lot about you."
"Well, I will admit that I was the one that delivered the final blow." Link said earnestly. "But if Sonic and his friends didn't help, I would have been killed."
"Humble, too." Dark Sonic nodded impressively. "I'm starting to like this guy."
"I suppose you're not too down in the dumps then." Storm stated. "Since you're chasing wild horses in the middle of busy streets."
"Who said I was?" Link questioned cluelessly.
"Princess Zelda." Silver responded. "She's worried 'cause you're always wandering off without telling her. Is there anything wrong going on between you two."
"No way!" Link snapped seriously; his expression softened. "Still…I guess there's no way of deceiving Zelda – she doesn't have the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing. You see, after Ganondorf passed away, I thought it was safe to assume that everything would be peaceful from now on."
"But there's something wrong, mate?" Marine asked.
"No, and that's the problem." Link shook his head. "I never thought I'd say this, but I miss not having enemies trying to kill me every hour of the day. I've been fighting evil monsters and warlords like Ganondorf for so long that I can't see myself not being a hero anymore. I know it sounds selfish, but I miss the adventure and the action."
"I kinda get what you mean." Sonic nodded. "I've been the Keyblade Master for a while, but i can't picture spending a day without destroying a couple of Heartless everywhere I go."
"Exactly." Link said appreciatively. "I just can't believe it's all over."
"Maybe its not."
For the first time during the conversation, the Hero of Time finally noticed Zant standing a few feet away from the group. He wasn't paying any attention to what the others were doing and instead stared with wide eyes down the street.
"Zant?" Link growled, reaching for his sword.
"Whoa, Link, it's not what you think?" Sonic shouted quickly; Link stopped surprisingly. "Zant doesn't want to fight or anything. In fact, he wants to apologize to you and Zelda for all the bad things he's done."
"Is that right?" Link questioned suspiciously.
"Aw, look at him." Marine said sympathetically. "He's so sorry, he's shaking."
"I'm not trembling because I'm sorry." Zant stammered fearfully. "Do you realize what you just handed that man?"
"A necklace, of course." Link said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "There's hundreds of jewelry like that one."
"No, there isn't!" Zant screamed, causing the heroes to jump. "That was the Triforce of Power!"
"What?" The heroes exclaimed and Link followed with. "But that can't be right! I thought the Triforce of Power was destroyed when Ganondorf died!"
"You can't destroy the Triforce – it's an eternal essence." Zant explained. "Each of the Triforces were separated a long time ago and were given by the Goddesses to three who were most worthy of possessing them. Courage was gifted to you, Zelda received Wisdom, and Ganondorf took Power. When Ganondorf was killed, the Triforce of Power was free to choose another that was worthy to receive its gifts."
"But because no one else was worthy, it took on a physical form." Silver concluded.
"Exactly." Zant nodded. "Ganondorf is the only one able to wield the Triforce of Power. If it were to ever find its way back to his corpse, Ganondorf would be raised from the dead and spread his darkness once more!"
"But how can you be sure that's the same one?" Link asked worriedly. "I mean, there's probably hundreds of necklaces like that one."
"Ganondorf used the Triforce of Power to give me my strength!" Zant shouted urgently. "It will be centuries before I forget how it felt!"
"I don't think he's lying, Link." Sonic said pointedly.
"Anyone that frantic and desperate couldn't lie." Dark Sonic added. "If there's even the slightest chance that Ganondorf can come back..."
"We'll stop him before that happens." Sonic interjected with a serious stare.
All right, I believe you." Link nodded gratefully. "I'm not sure if we can trust you now, but if the Happy Mask Salesman really has the Triforce of Power, we don't have much of a choice. We better head back to the market and talk to him before he sells the Triforce."
"Right behind you." Angel said.
The band of seven – possibly the largest number they've ever had – wasted no time rushing back to the main market center in the city square. There were endless streets filled with all assortments of shops and restaurants that one who was not accustomed to the area would easily get lost. That's why they had Link at their side. The Hero of Time led the Sonic Team up and down the streets, following the shortcuts that he familiarized during his many trips through the market until they reached the dirtiest and dankest road in the entire town. There was only a single shop in sight: The Happy Mask Shop. The walls of the building were grey and grubby with cobwebs littering the window – no one with a sane mind would come down here. Link was the first to enter as he opened the door, revealing that the small shop only had a wooden desk and two selves of masks. The shop owner himself was cleaning a particular odd mask with a single red eye.
"Ah, customer! Welcome to…" The Happy Mask Salesman turned to them with a smile, which instantly faltered when spying the man in green. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much." Link said politely, most likely trying to get on his good side. "We were just wondering how much it would be to buy that necklace I gave back to you earlier."
"Oh yes, I've heard about you, Link of Ordona." The Happy Mask Salesman smiled with an oily accent. "Word from through the grapevine is that you and the fair Princess Zelda are very intimate with one another." Sonic elbowed the green hero playfully, who was blushing furiously. "It would be a great gift for the princess."
"So you'll give it to us?" Storm said hopefully.
"Of course I will." The Happy Mask Salesman said cunningly. "Provided you can give something priceless and rare in return such as…the Master Sword."
"Excuse me?" Link glared.
"No sword, no deal." The Happy Mask Salesman said finally.
"Well, that was a bust." Marine commented sadly as they walked out of the shop. "What do we do now, mate?"
"We don't really have much of a choice." Zant said calculative. "We must collect the Master Sword and return it in exchange for the Triforce of Power."
"Why don't we just take it?" Angel questioned defiantly.
"You want to stay in a room alone with him for two minutes?" Link replied threateningly. Just the mere image of being alone with that creepy grin was enough to send shivers down the experiment's spine. "Exactly. As much as I hate to do this, we don't have much of a choice. The Master Sword may be a sacred and powerful artifact, but I'm sure the Ancient Sages wouldn't argue if it was done to get back the Triforce of Power. We'll have to head back to the Temple of Time in the Faron Woods."
"And since Midna isn't here, how long will it take to walk there?" Silver asked curiously.
"About two days." Link shrugged.
"WHAT?"
In the meantime, a dark and malevolent shadow was crossing the skyline from the rooftops, jumping from shop to shop in pursuit of his goal. Drago stopped and kneeled over the ledge as he stared down at the open market street filled with beasts from each race in Hyrule. He would fit in perfectly. The mini-demon took in a big breathe, catching all types of scents in the air. But there was one in particular that seemed to attract his attention.
"I smell…" Drago began, breathing in again. "Power."
A fresh new start away both good and evil. Will Zant be able to redeem himself to Link and Zelda? Will the heroes be able to recover the Triforce of Power? Or will Black Doom's newest minion succeed where others have failed? Find out on the next Sonic Chronicles!
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