Chapter 22 – World of Stone

Song used in this Chapter: World of Stone by Blackthorne's Night

POV: Princess Zelda

Hyrule Castle

Day of Hylian Invasion

Five warriors.

Five different worlds.

And a fight to unite them all…was set to begin this very evening.

As I passed through the halls, determined to keep the secrets of my five new guardians safe, I had to wonder…were the three golden goddesses really protecting Hyrule…or was this "Jenova," the half-goddess, half-human sister of Din, Fayore, and Naryu…ready to take up the mantle of protector of Hyrule…and perhaps, the entirety of the cosmos?

"Your Highness…are you all right?" Talim, posing as a maid, wondered.

"Yes." I said, taking care not to expose the five as they took up various posts throughout the castle to slip under Ganondorf's radar over the last two weeks, hiding their training and plans to stop the evil sorcerer. Talim was a maid, Sephiroth was hiding as a guard someplace, Kirby was posing as a ball in my room, and Soren was acting as one of the King's advisors.

The least envied position of all went to the hapless Danika…who was unceremoniously posing as a small gargoyle on the king's throne. I didn't understand why she, a powerful "shinobi," the first of her kind in Hyrule, would do something like that…but she gave an odd explanation that "she wanted to see Ganondorf before His Majesty does."

Whatever her explanation was, I hoped her clever plan would be enough to save my father, Hyrule…and the Triforce.

Those five warriors were Hyrule's last defense…without them, our world was doomed.

Suddenly, Impa, my nurse, appeared, bowing before Talim. "Young maid…Your Highness…should I evacuate Zelda?"

"No, Impa…such a move would let slip to Ganondorf that his plans are foiled," Talim explained. "We must let him think that the situation is his…at least for now."

"Have you used any of those Sacred Arts you spoke of?"

"Yes. Last night, to rally ourselves. But…to tell you the truth…there's no cavalry coming. It's us with our backs to the sea. If we fall, Zelda…you must do everything in your power to protect the Triforce…and keep hope alive."

POV: Danika

Trapped inside the tiny gargoyle on the throne…I bathed in a maelstrom of my own hatred, determined to master the one weapon I hated most of all in my arsenal.

I didn't hate the Sharingan because of what it was, or the family it belonged to. I didn't even hate its Mangekyo form, or the awful price paid to attain it.

What I hated…were the memories it conjured.

The image of my own father…the man I had once loved more than anyone else in my world…narrowly trying to stab my left eye out. I remember rolling into a ball on the floor, too scared and hurt to try to attack him as my sister pinned him down to the kitchen table, desperately trying to keep my newly-discovered stepmother from smashing his head into the stove like a rotted watermelon.

"YOU BASTARD!" she screamed, her family's Rage Factor turning her eyes red as she struggled to peel my now-half-frozen sister off of him - and our kitchen table. If she had completed her ninja training…Tahana never would have had a chance of keeping the situation from escalating. I remember the ice cracking and breaking…my sister using her icy powers as she never had before that point, desperately trying to keep the both of them from being sent to jail. "IF YOU EVER – I MEAN EVER – TRY THAT SHIT AGAIN…I WILL GLADLY DRAG YOUR ASS TO HELL!"

"Mom, NO!" I screamed.

"She'll never be you're mother again, you slimy bastardess!" my dad snarled through the ice, trying to gather fire into his hands…just as Kakashi-sensei leapt into the room, gathering me into his arms. I felt like he wanted to accuse me of something…but his lone visible eye seemed to understand.

"Ismero…what in the name of hell have you done to that child?" Kakashi snarled, tearing my sister off of the now-ruined kitchen table. Tahana crashed to the floor, tears in her eyes as her icy coffin smashed into a million little pieces. My half-sister, however, was barely phased – she ran and grabbed my hand.

"Come on, Danika-chan," she said. "We ain't staying there."

The next few minutes were a blur, the sound of breaking furniture and screaming voices fading as my sister and I raced through the village to where Sasuke was staying. The next thing I remember was a door slamming…and Sasuke staring at us.

"What's up?" he asked. "Kakashi…"

"Shit's gone to hell," Tahana said, forcing a box of tissues into my hand. "Trust me, buddy…you might wanna keep it here tonight. My dad just tried to take my sister's Sharingan eye out."

He looked at me…but then, he grabbed me. "Danika…," he said, hugging me – a move very much out of character for the emo edgelord. Before he could say anything else, however, Kakashi flew through the door. "Everyone, get out of here! Protect Danika-chan!"

"No!" I said, finally pushed to the point I was ready to kill my own father. If he wanted a death wish…I'd give it. I activated my lone Sharingan, tears still sliding down my cheek. "If that SOB wants to die…"

Suddenly, two Anbu agents and the Hokage appeared, standing between the four of us and my father. "Our apologies, Kakashi…slight hiccup."

Now, however, I bathed in those memories…determined to unlock the Sharingan, and all the power it possessed. I hated Ganondorf…not because he wanted to control Hyrule, or seize the Triforce, or even destroy the world.

I hated him – because he was just like my father. A thief. A hypocrite. A liar. He thought he deserved the entire world on a plate with no consequences. Nothing was ever enough for the evil snake…and he was even willing to kill an innocent kid to get his way. It didn't matter that his soul was bound to a god of destruction…or that I was probably going to be dead in the next twenty-four hours.

I didn't care if they picked the broken pieces of my body out of a rockpile…or left me buried in a pile of human filth like my grandpa.

So long as Ganondorf died…nothing else really mattered. My death would not only save Hyrule…but Talim. Soren. Kirby. Zelda. Her father.

And Sephiroth…my sweet, sweet Sephiroth. I had only known him for a month…and I knew I had an unhealthy obsession with him…but I knew I had what I wanted with him. His long silver hair…those lovely eyes that reminded me of cats. His tender embraces. His kisses.

No one…not even Sasuke…could match him…and I was still pissed I hadn't had sex with him. I laughed at myself…how had I become so silly? Sex at thirteen was a dangerous game…so why did carrying his baby seem like the only logical thing to do?

Suddenly…the thought of Ganondorf came back…and the hatred burned with a brand-new flame. Ganondorf…he was going to steal me from Sephiroth.

"No…" I growled, a fierce feeling burning me from the inside out. "Ganondorf…you won't win so easily!"

Some of the words of the song from last night suddenly filled my ears – a war song, one far different from the Sacred Arts Talim and I previously used. For this one, all five of us had gathered, hoping to hold on to a flame of hope.

"Bring to me all of my arrows

Bring to me my crossbow too

I fear we might need them both

Before the night is through

Once a world of glittering hope

This world is not the world we knew

The only light left to shine

Is between me and you."

POV: Ganondorf

I had everything right where I wanted it. Standing, concealed in a hood, in a tiny barracks at the edge of the castle, I smiled, anxiously awaiting the chance to burst into the castle's throne room…and kill the king, taking my place as King of Hyrule.

There'd been hiccups, yes…but I felt my path to the throne was uncontested. The Hero of Time was dead…and the only thing standing in my path were five little rats. Two weird priestesses, a traitor, a pink ball…and the one man I feared.

I hungered for the chance to earn Masamune…it was the one thing I wanted to earn in this. It's vicious blade had cut through my pawns like butter…and sent a wave of careless hope through Hyrule as people rallied round the silver-haired Sephiroth and his tiny ninja priestess companion. I would crush that hope tonight…of that there was no doubt…

Suddenly, before I could finish my thought, a loud shout went out – the time was upon us! I teleported to the throne room…but as I appeared, my hand was clasped by a much smaller, paler one.

"What?" I thought. The hand pulled me forward…I was unable to stop it…and I fell flat on my face in the throne room. Before I could get up, however, the room around me disappeared…and I was lying on my stomach in Hyrule Field, a single soul staring down at me.

I struggled to pull myself up…but the woman jammed her sandal-clad heel into my back, shoving me down.

"Don't strain yourself…Ganondorf…" the woman said.

"You," I growled, calling on my dark energy to throw her off me…but the woman leapt back, letting me get up. "What did you think you would achieve?"

"Not much," the red-head admitted, drawing her sword – a simple katana – and readying herself. "I know this is suicide…but that's just how I seem to like it these days. The real question is…how bad do you want what you seek?"

"You know…you crazed ninja," I said, preparing a spell to escape back to the throne room. However…a green barrier surrounded me…and the spell stopped! "What…what are you doing?"

"Magic Neutralization Jutsu…in other words, hardening my personal chakra so you have nowhere to run," the ninja replied. "If you wanted what you sought, you should never have killed Link…or captured Talim, Soren, or Kirby. We know what you want…and we're not just going to let you have it, as you no doubt planned on. You have to fight for it this time…same as the rest of us."

"Fight for it?" I sneered, gathering myself up and drawing my sword. This child…she was nothing but a rag! "You stand no chance against me…I'll kill you with one blow! All you have is your crazy eye and your karate gimmicks…you don't stand a chance because you needed that silver-haired swordsman to help you."

"No…you hope you kill me with one sword swing," she said. "What you have are swords, magic…and the hope you kill me in five minutes or less, because if you don't…Sephiroth will kill so many of your women you won't be able to hold the-"

Before she could finish, a bright red light surrounded the castle…and an ugly roar was followed by a loud collective shriek, then a second roar. "Or that." she said.

"It doesn't matter how many Gerudo you and your so-called friends kill, you ninja freak!" I screamed. "You…and those scum rats will never be able to stop me! I will get the Stones…and the Song of-"

Suddenly, the ninja's pink katana slammed through my armor, and then she pulled it back out, flipping through the air. "Not like that, you won't," she said, both of her eyes suddenly blazing red with three comma shapes. "Now…you either shut the hell up and try to fight me…or I just kill you now."

The wound…it ran deep…but it wasn't serious enough for my trump card. "Very well…as you wish."

POV: Soren

"I was a fool," the King of Hyrule said, staring at Talim, Kirby, and me as we watched Sephiroth and his mighty Ifrit through the window as he made hash of the last the Gerudo horde. "Ganondorf…I trusted him! How could I not have seen it was a lie?"

With Ganondorf removed from the throne room by Danika – a clever move if I ever saw one – the rest of the Gerudo were stunned and confused…a clear window for the superpowered Sword Kirby to slash the elites among the Gerudo to pieces as Sephiroth went on a crazed one-man assault outside the walls, freeing up the Hylian soldiers to form up behind him and clean up the rest.

"You trusted the wrong man, Your Highness," I replied. "Now's the time to fix that mistake."

"I will, young mage."

"Soren, what are we doing here?" Talim suddenly protested. "Danika, she's still out there!"

"Talim…no," I replied. "Danika…that battle is for her, and her alone. When two great warriors – Ike and the Black Knight, Danika and Ganondorf…collide like that – you have to let them duke it out themselves. Those battles…those are the ones in which destinies unfold. Despite our desires…we have to let them play out."

"What about Sephiroth?"

"Yes, Soren…you three should go help the new Commander-in-Chief." the King said.

"Commander-in-Chief?"

"Yes. I am not letting that brave soldier walk away without his reward…and as of today, he will be Commander-in-Chief of all Hylian forces. You…Soren…I want you to serve as his chief advisor until he has ability to choose for himself."

I was stunned. "You…you don't care that I'm…Branded? A half-breed?"

Talim smiled. "Soren…do you forget what we told you in the meeting? It doesn't matter that you are a half-breed of beorc and laguz…or that Danika's illegitimate…or that Sephiroth is a former science experiment. We…in this moment, are family…and nothing, nothing can change that…just like nothing can change that I love you."

Before I could respond to the wind priestess…she laid a hot kiss on my lips, deep and strong. Tears filled my eyes…and I wrapped my arms around her, letting go of my cold exterior.

I wanted her…goddess, I wanted Talim. My whole world had been taken…but she had given it all back and more. No woman…not even the lovely Elincia…could match this dark-skinned priestess of hope. I felt the same way Danika and Sephiroth must have felt…hopelessly in love, and prepared to die for the woman I loved.

But then…she let go. "Sephiroth needs us."

"R-Right," I said. "Zelda…"

"Impa has taken her into hiding."

"Good!"