Not gonna lie, I almost forgot to post. At worst it might have waited until morning, but I love you guys, so here we are!

Love,
CM


PART 3: FIGHTING GRAVITY

CHAPTER 15: THE LOSING SIDE


5th of Hexember, Year 3378, Third Age
Hyrule, Hyrule Plains
Southern gate of Castleton

Saria looked up.

It was the first thing Zelda noticed. She stood, with Nabooru and Rauru, on one of the shields' towers, looking down at the raging battle from the protection of a standard anti-air shield. Saria, Vaati and Darunia were down in the streets, and from Zelda's relative vantage point, they were only visible by the blaze of Darunia's flames.

She glanced at Nabooru, who, as the partially dormant Sage of Spirit, was effectively useless without having awakened the Sage of Shadow, as she stood by Rauru's side, covering him with blankets as he expended what little energy he could to blind enemy airships overhead.

Nabooru had not noticed.

The weather was growing steadily colder as the night wore on. It occurred to Zelda that her breath was visible coming out of her mouth. It was unseasonably cold, really, for late spring, and something about that felt deeply unsettling.

But then, Saria's upward glance explained itself. How she had noticed when Zelda herself had not was a testament to the general exhaustion the princess felt.

It was snowing.

In that moment, Zelda felt tired. It was another blow to an admittedly desperate defence. The last thing they needed was for her men to grow weak in their posts, to shiver themselves into a slow reaction time. And she had bought them all the Time she could already.

As she shivered, the cold seeping in further with every burning sting of melting snowflakes, Nabooru put a blanket around her shoulders.

The gentle act was surprising because Nabooru had otherwise been busy doing her utmost to keep Rauru warm. His own skills were somewhat more powerful than either her own or Zelda's. He did not have the ease of Saria's long experience, or the strength of Darunia's youth, but he was wilful and the Light came to him easier than Time or Spirit wanted to.

As Zelda met Nabooru's darkly-circled eyes, she forced herself to smile. Together they looked down at Vaati, Darunia and Saria's fervent fighting. They fought to protect the gate barricade, and where Darunia was brunt and forceful, Saria was quick and lethal. Darunia was slowly learning to make burst-uses of Fire to strengthen his battle skills the way Saria was using vines to entangle and hold her targets. As for Vaati, he was simply swift and efficient, his artful sword strokes and occasional duplications saving him more than once.

Saria and her Kokiri left very little to come through. They were young and lithe and agile, more feline in their speed and skill than children were supposed to be. They moved with feral grace and struck without hesitation. They dealt death with an ease that deeply unsettled Zelda.

She hated war. Deep down what the Kokiri were doing so aptly was wrong, and she saw it on their tear-stained faces. These people were used to killing animals swiftly and painlessly to survive, not to fight in a political struggle. Zelda wondered how Saria and Vaati had convinced them to agree to a fight in the first place.

Part of her suspected it had to do with the Hyrulian cycles she did not yet fully grasp, but Saria had been tight-lipped so far.

As for Darunia, Zelda watched as a flame bloomed from his fist, crashing into the pavement of the street, knocking back an enemy wave of soldiers. Some Guardian soldiers were no older than teenagers, and their clothing burned as well as sweat-soaked fabric could: slowly. They were screaming in agony. It ached at Zelda's heart.

She watched as Gorons and Hylians and Kokiri, and even the odd Subrosian attacked the enemy, holding off its advance, the snow beginning to fall more steadily.

"We're going to have to retreat soon," Nabooru said, her concern for Rauru evident.

Zelda hated to agree, but it was probably for the best. She had requested that outlying civilians be evacuated to the Citadel's basements, in the hopes that it would prevent an outright massacre should they inevitably have to relent the outskirts of the city.

It was too much to hope that it would stay this easy.

The first thing they heard was a rumble. In the loud battle, it could have easily been ignored. But Zelda felt it in her gut, and it was ominous enough to merit a glance on the other side of the barricade.

"Oh, skies," she breathed, which was enough to draw Nabooru and Rauru's attentions. The Sage of Spirit came to look.

"Sands," she bit out, squinting against the increasing snowfall and winds. "I can't see a thing."

"It's some sort of battering ram," Zelda said, her throat tight.

But it was moving a lot faster than a battering ram rightly had to.

Enemy Flits zipped by overhead, and Nabooru forced her to duck. By the time they stood again, the battering ram was much closer to the gate, and Nabooru gasped.

"Goht," she said, softly, but the word was enough to instill dread.

"Move," Rauru grunted, pushing the two women aside, as he beamed Light at the charging golem, whose whole body was covered in runes and glowing circuits. It did not slow, though Zelda had no doubt that it was quite blinded.

"Saria!" She called out, leaning over the edge. "Saria! The barricade!"

The din of battle was too loud. The Sage of Forest was engrossed in her flurry of kills. Zelda looked over her shoulder at Rauru, who was weakening. The stream of Light he was casting was dimming. Nabooru shot her a wide-eyed stare that spelled growing panic. Zelda didn't have to ask why.

"Saria!" She shouted, her voice lost on the snowy winds.

Oh, blast it. Saria!

As though shocked into stillness, the young Sage of Forest stopped mid-leap and rolled into a guarding position, and her sharp animal eyes flew up to Zelda's overlook, confusion evident.

Zelda motioned wildly to the barricade. The golem is coming! She was mouthing the words, but shouting them with her mind. As Saria attempted to collect herself, Vaati crouched beside her. Zelda watched them exchange a few words. Then, his face shifting into a frown, Vaati stood and sounded the retreat. Saria, however, rushed to her feet and darted to the barricade. She was quick and nimble-footed, and Zelda watched the little girl climb to the top of the barricade, looking small and vulnerable as she moved against the stream of retreating soldiers.

Without hesitation, the Sage of Forest commanded trees and vines. They grew despite the cold, and flowered, and formed a steadier barricade now, trapping some soldiers with their roots. Zelda turned to look at Nabooru, who stared white-faced at the oncoming threat.

Saria called upon a wall of vines to ensnare the golem. As Goht charged, it tripped on a few snaking vines, but tore through them. More and more vines grew and attacked, and they were slowing the golem somewhat, but something was glowing under the metal plates.

"The Sol is stronger than this," Nabooru said softly.

As she spoke, the vines, which had slowed the golem almost to a stop, began to snap one by one. With difficulty, Goht began to regain momentum, the vines snapping more and more.

"Saria! Run!"

This time, Saria heard her. The Sage of Forest began to make her way down from the barricade, her progress slowed by the unsteady structure and the slippery stones. The snow was starting to pile on surfaces, making the descent treacherous.

Goht lurched forward, the last broken vines still trapped on its front plates, and barreled forward. Saria was still on the barricade.

"Saria!"

Zelda's agonized cry was lost on the wind, but it ripped at her lungs.

Goht broke through the barricade, splinters of wood and furniture and the weight of bags of sand exploding around it like water. Saria was flung through the air, limp as a doll, and landed brokenly some hundred feet further down the street. From Zelda's vantage point, there was no telling if she was dead, knocked out or simply stunned. Nabooru let out a choked sound.

"He's going to crush her!"

Goht showed no sign of stopping. Its hooves pounded the pavement as it moved past them towards Saria.

"No!" Zelda lunged forward, though she wasn't sure how it would help.

Nabooru grabbed her arm, eyes wide. The frigid winds whipped at their hair, making their lips blue.

Goht was slowing down. It was growing steadily slower, its hooves missing a few steps. The pavement seemed icy now, the snow and arctic wind pounding against the golem in a way that did not seem natural.

It was blowing Goht away from Saria.

As they watched, Goht slowed almost to a halt, and ice began to creep around its massive mechanical shell. The unnatural ice seemed to grow with a mind of its own, paralyzing the joints and motor.

Until, at last, Goht came to a complete stop.

Zelda leaped down from their observation post. Guardian Coalition soldiers were streaming through the breach in the barricade, but Hylian Alliance men and women were holding them back as well as they could. Behind the line, Goht was encased in a solid block of ice. Vaati, far ahead, was gathering Saria in his arms, picking her limp form up to carry it out of harm's way.

Zelda was vaguely aware that Nabooru was on her heels, but she didn't listen to her words of warning. Saria was hurt. One of her own. Whoever was driving the golem would pay―

She collided with a Zora head on.

As she fell to the icy ground, Zelda became aware that she had been so focused on Saria, she hadn't taken care to look where she was going.

So when Ruto Watters held out a hand to help her to her feet, the surprise was complete.

"Ruto?"

The Lady of Zora's Domain made a funny face. "Well, who else would have frozen that thing up like that?"

Zelda accepted her help, and was pulled to her feet. "That was you?"

The Sage of Water looked flushed, for a Zora. She had evidently expended a great deal of energy. "I've been preparing that one since I left Calatia. I'm sorry for the terrible weather. I had to encourage the storm to make the job easier. When I saw him arming Goht, I…" She shook her head and trailed off.

"I think you saved Saria's life," Zelda breathed.

"I hope." Ruto's expression was grim.

"We need to get you all out of the street," Nabooru firmly broke in. "This is a dangerous place for you. Come!"

She grabbed their hands, and began to pull them towards the Citadel.

"What about Rauru?" Zelda asked, breathless, as she looked over her shoulder.

"He's fine," Nabooru called over the wind. "The Subrosians―"

A resounding crack startled them all.

Goht had freed itself. It was shaking off the ice, which fell in sheets to the pavement, and stomping. Angrily.

"Oh, seas," Ruto exhaled, just as Nabooru bit out a mournful, "Sands," and Zelda blurted, "Skies!"

'Zelda Harkinian.'

It was the voice of anger. It came from Goht's throat. And Zelda found, to her horror, that she knew exactly who was mercilessly piloting the golem.

"Ganondorf," she cursed, releasing her arm from Nabooru's grasp. She stepped out to look at the Admiral's machine head on.

'I am pleased to see you are on the front lines,' the Admiral said, almost conversationally. In the tin tones of the golem, his voice sounded alien. 'It will make my task easier.'

"Zelda…" Nabooru started, reaching for her clothes, anxiety in her voice.

'Nabooru Spirit,' Ganondorf Dragmire continued, his voice cold and mechanical. 'I see you have betrayed our cause. I have rarely been so disappointed.'

Next to her, Nabooru groaned in pain and reached up to her forehead, eyes shut in agony. Her golden eyes, when they reopened, were unfocused, and it was plain Nabooru was elsewhere. That did not bode well.

"Leave her alone," Zelda cried out, stepping between the massive golem and Nabooru. "She did what she believed in."

'Did she?' The low tone of that question was evidently meant to unsettle Zelda, and she refused to let it.

"Give up, Ganondorf. No one will yield to you tonight!"

It was a puerile effort. They stood, unshielded, helpless, before an endlessly powerful golem piloted by a power-hungry man. When he laughed, the sound was raucous and unrestrained.

'You have one last chance before I kill you all,' Ganondorf warned, his laughter subsiding. 'Surrender, and I may let you live.'

"No… He's going to have us executed later," Nabooru said, venomously, clearly recovered from her episode, if shaky on her feet.

'Hey!'

That voice, though mechanical, had not been the rumbling, ominous tone of Ganondorf Dragmire. It came from above. Zelda looked up at one of the buildings lining the street.

'Time to pick on someone who can fight back,' the golem said. It was a massive spider, its bulbous eye revealing its pilot.

Zelda wasn't sure her eyes were seeing properly, because in that moment, she was certain that she was looking up at Midna Black of Twilight.

And that Midna Black, in her spider golem, had just lunged at Goht, tackling it to the ground.

And that the two golems were now engaged in melee combat.


Exciting!

Hm? What's that you ask? Where's Link?

Who knows, maybe he died offscreen. Maybe he's left the country. Maybe he's sleeping this one out.

Love,CM