Unknown Legends

by KTWizard

In a land he doesn't know, he is surrounded by things he can't understand. Rules, Government, Weapons, Schooling, even their Goals. They are all unknowns, but so is he to them. Link, and the memories of his friends. But there is one common rule between their world and his. The Unknown has the Advantage. So he will remain just that as long as he can. [Pre-Season 3, Min-Canon Change]

80. Victoria

Three times. That was the number that Ruby had in her head. It was something Grandpa Link was thinking of. Three times before something like this had happened.

Once before in a history she struggled to understand no longer existed. Again when he went back to the past, before Zelda became Salem. And then once more in a Nightmare created by a monster.

Three times before had Grandpa Link fought Ganondorf. And this time was probably the deadliest of all. Ruby, despite having her Grandpa's arms and his thoughts in her head, didn't find that a comforting thought.

But that didn't mean she was afraid.

It just meant she couldn't falter. A knight shouldn't hesitate. A Hero couldn't hesitate. Ganondorf was not.

Not after the Master Sword cut through the stadium, which was awesome, and not after the stadium started to fall from the sky, less awesome. Ganondorf just lifted those two huge weapons of his, stared down her Grandpa and here, and roared.

"RAAAGH!" He rushed at them, and Ruby was following her grandfather's actions now. Just along for the ride.

Her Grandpa rolled as Ganondorf swung down, the trident he had spearing the ground. Metal was torn up and lightning was sent screaming through the air, and it would have made Ruby jump, but her Grandpa was already on it. He came out of the roll twisting the Master Sword in the air. He sliced through Ganondorf, still spinning on his heel as he put them feet away. She said sliced through, but even Ruby felt that wasn't the case.

The twing of metal scrapping metal echoed, and their silver eyes saw the jaded blade of Ghirahim up at Ganondorf's side. Ruby wanted to curse, but her Grandpa was already moving again. That, she realized, was because Ganondorf was moving to. He swung back up with the same blade he had attacked with, channeling darkness at the tip of the blade. The same twisted power that he had been throwing at her for hours before.

Grandpa didn't attack it, he jumped back. Ruby didn't know why. Especially because she felt the danger now.

'Grandpa?' He didn't answer. 'That's a really powerful attack!' He didn't answer.

'Trust the hero, Ruby Rose.' Fi did. However.

'I-I do! I just… think we should dodge!' She yelled in in the mind, the danger becoming stronger than before. Especially as the ball swept at them. Grandpa still wasn't moving. 'Grandpa?' He still didn't respond. Not with words at least.

Instead, as the ball of darkness came screaming at them, melting and tearing up the metal floor around them, Grandpa twisted on his heel, swung the Master Sword, and made contact with the attack.

To Ruby, who was holding the same blade with her Grandpa's hand, it felt like she was holding an insulated thermoconductor, coming out of the furnace after shaping some metal. She knew it was hot, she knew it was dangerous, and she could feel the DANGER. But she was still smiling. So was Grandpa.

Because the attack was shot back in the next moment, batted away as Grandpa finished his swing. The ball of darkness flew up over Ganondorf's head, hitting the stands, and exploding on contact. The arena was nearly disintegrated at the effort, taking out what could have been hundreds of people. No one now though, and not them.

'Home run!' Yang would have been proud of her. For a moment at least. 'That just… um… why can I see Vale?' It wasn't an odd question, until she remembered that they were technically supposed to be floating above the city.

Now, she could see the edge of the city line. And it was growing.

Oh yeah, they were falling. She'd forgotten about that.

'Master, I suggest focusing on Ganondorf.' Fi's voice interrupted Ruby. She didn't know if her Grandpa was also distracted. 'He appears unaffected by your deflection of his attack.' Ruby wondered why that was for a moment.

And with wonder came thought. Thoughts and memories of fighting Ganondorf before with the Master Sword. She saw her Grandpa beating back Ganondorf's attacks at him, attacking the man who lingered in the sky and bringing him to his knees, before tearing into him with the might and strength of the Hero of Time, and all the years of rage that brought.

'That… that's a plan, right?' It felt like a plan. 'Let's do that!' She spoke in their mind, but they were already moving. Her Grandpa ran forward with shield raised, looking over its edge at the Demon King.

"HRAAGH!" Ganondorf wasn't attacking with the ball of darkness though. Instead, he was lifting the trident into the air. Ruby felt the danger, so she knew her Grandpa did too. And it wasn't an attack at them. That was what made her Grandpa stop.

BOOM! Because Ganondorf slammed the end of the trident into the stadium floor. Lightning erupted from the floor beneath them.

Thoughts flooded from her Grandpa thinking of a plan, debating between attacking, moving back, or waiting out the strike. But Ruby felt danger. So she reacted for them.

She danced through the lightning as it rose and struck out at her, crackling upwards so much like Blake attacking with Gambol Shroud, she thought at first that was what it was. The tingling in the air that followed, however, the lightning sweeping past their ears and making their body shiver, was reminder enough that wasn't true. Plus the danger was intense. Intense enough that Grandpa let her lead.

Ruby did what felt ride, jumping back as lightning cracked up and destroyed a portion of the stadiums floor, before kicking at a sheet of metal that came undone. It hit a trail of lightning coming at them, looking to insulate or at least hold off the approaching mass. She jumped again with her grandpa's legs, his boots hitting feet away and avoiding a roar of an explosion behind them. She ducked and lunged forward as another sweep of lightning came at them, and the steel around her beginning to melt. It was then the danger began to eeb, away from Ganondorf at least.

Now the danger she felt came with a twist in her gut… and the shifting of the floor beyond its destruction.

Ruby didn't just see the top of Vale now. She saw the ground.

'Amity Colosseum integrity no longer feasible to maintain. Impact with the ground to occur in estimated 26 seconds.'

'Th-that's bad!' Ruby let out. She let out another noise as she felt her Grandpa's boots slip. The danger was increasing again. 'What do we do?' Her Grandpa had an idea. That mean throwing the Hylian Shield down, kicking it before jumping on it, and riding the increasing incline. Ruby felt exhilaration with the sudden shock.

Her Grandpa was skating down the hill with the Hylian Shield. And he was using her sense of danger to avoid the lightning. This was awesome! It was awesome even if this was a really important battle!

That didn't mean it was a time to appreciate how awesome her Grandpa was!

Especially as he zipped through the net of lightning like a rose petal in the wind, stretching out the Master Sword, and kicking the pack of the shield to force it to jump into the air. He was spinning as he did it. So Ruby felt as his arm slashed into Ganondorf again. This time she heard a scream, and it made her focus on the rest of the way down.

All the way down, because the Colosseum was still falling.

'Master, I recommend preparing to reach the ground before further engaging Ganondorf.' Ruby liked that idea. She could feel her Grandpa did, too. So they

DANGER!

Ruby's senses flared and Grandpa fell down until his fingers grasped the shield gliding across metal.

The electric trident flew over their head, sending sparks and ruin in its path. Their silver eyes followed it, Ruby opening her Grandpa's mouth in awe and terror. Watching as it tore through the metal of the arena, melting it with the lightning alone. Slammed into the stands, sending enough debris upward to create a cloud of stone and dust, and then, presumably, hit the ground. Ruby didn't understand, but her Grandpa did.

He understood from memories of watching stones fall into river beds, watching as the dirt under the surface of the water billowed when a small pebble hit it. She liked the idea. This wasn't much like that idea, not to her.

She didn't quite understand how the smoke and ruin that literally stretched through the buildings of Vale, was much like dirt. It only terrified her how hard that thing must have been thrown. No wonder she only felt danger. Her Grandpa must have thought something else, but she didnt' know what.

It was a thought that had him turning on his shield again. CLANG! And then catching Ganondorf as the giant of a man barreled down towards him. Ruby would have yelped in her mind, but her Grandpa let out a cry as he pushed back against the Ghirahim sword. The Master Sword was wedged somewhere in one of the spikes, and it hit them so hard they went flying.

Not even a metaphor.

"HERO!" The visage of Ganondorf never looked more like a King of Evil than it did now. A dark sky stretching above him, lightning crackling around him, even a red cape that violently whipped in the wind, all of it capped off with golden eyes staring into her Grandpa's silver ones. "Face me! Do not flee from me! Never again!"

Ruby narrowed their gaze. She spoke with her Grandpa's voice.

I'm not running.

He smiled. So did he.

"GRAAAGH!" Before a pulse of dark energy blew up in front of them, and the descent down the suddenly sideways Colosseum became even faster. Ruby realized they were free-falling for a second, and Fi was the next to chime in.

'Ganondorf will pursue. He has the ability to fly. I recommend retrievin the Hylian Shield to further defenses.'

'Defenses?!' Ruby screamed in her head. They were free-falling!

'Yes, Ruby Rose, as I have a 84% probability that Ganondorf will strike with another ball of darkness. A 100% of some manner of attack at all.'

'I-I don't need my Semblance for that!' Her Grandpa had already twisted his arms, turning how he fell down the arena floor, shattered and molten. For a brief moment, Ruby realized that if the building wasn't actually sideways, this could have been like flying! That thought was done away as silver eyes saw the shield tumbling down the metal incline. Grandpa reached into his tunic, and brought out a famliar weapon.

KR-CHIIIIIII Ruby felt the weight of the Longshot as it shot forward, the metal hook grasping to the handle of the shield with a speed more akin to an arrow than a bullet, but with the weight of a frigate to match. CHIIIIINK! Her arm swung back when it returned, and her Grandpa lassoed the shield off of the end quickly. On his arm, Ruby felt safe, until-

DANGER!

-she reacted with a swing of the Master Sword. Fi in her hand, strong, in charge.

And beating off the ball of darkness that barreled at them. Just as before, the weight, the heat, the tension, all there, before a hard flex of her Grandpa's hand sent it flying away. Just like before, it blew up against some stands, decimating them. She felt a swell of joy, and it took Ruby a moment to realize it was her that felt it.

'Master, I am pleased with the progress of Ruby Rose as well,' Fi spoke... thought, on. 'However, I determine we have only four seconds until impact.' Ruby had no time to think after that.

The stadium hit the ground first, and it was a deafening boom. For the first time, she was rather upset her Grandpa had such big ears.

---

Amity Colosseum was the pride of not only the Atlesian Technology that held it up, but of the world's unity. It was a sign of strength against the darkness ever encroaching, and a place of celebration wherever it went. No military officer ever stepped foot on it without a sense of experience, pride, and dedication to its protection.

And Winter Schnee, on a bended knee beside Volga, watched it fall.

Adam, bearing a twisted name of Zant, danced with blades and petals of darkness as it crashed into the ground with an almighty roar.

"AHAHAHAHAHA! The grace of that goddess is truly beyond compare! She said this would happen no matter the obstacles that came!" He literally spun about with his overly long sleeves, hiding the deadly scimitars beneath. "The joy of the Vale, the determination of Vacou, the grace of Mistral, the pride of Atlas! All those humans coming down down down down DOWN DOWN DOWN!"

And then he was jumping, for joy.

"Silence, you wretched mad man." Volga stood at his tallest, panting as he did so. "Your flirting with death cools the embers of this war."

"This is the result of war! This is all the Faunus needed, and now the Twili shall made monuments to these corrupted sins!" Winter growled through blood and sweat. "How could you not lay your eyes upon this and believe your victory? How can you see this and think that I may lose!? It can only mean that we have won!"

"A building's fall does not make for a battle's end." His lance was hot, hot enough for Winter to feel it even as the Magic Rod hummed in her hand. "Your cheers do not ensure your continued life."

"But it does! It does! What else can it mean but that I am going to be known forever for these deeds!" She swallowed on nothing, forcing herself to rise again, her new weapon a crutch.

"He's delusional. All sense and reason are gone." One of the few unblemished portions of her sleeve wiped at her eye. Blood came back from it. "He's nothing like the famed commander of the White Fang from before."

"The insanity of the monsters or the terror of his extremes has swallowed him whole." Volga concurred next to her. "However, like a flame with kindling and no walls, it burns all that touches it." He neck cracked as he adjusted himself. "Giving sanity for strength, and mind for madness. Nothing more can be done for this lost wretch."

"Truthfully? I didn't have any plans to help him at all." A gruff sound from the Dragon Knight, coming across almost as a humorless chuckle. "That just means I'm not sure what else to try." And she was out of ideas.

Zant, or Adam, or whatever twisted name this thing preferred to be called now, had done an unfortunately very good job at dancing between her and Volga.

If she struck out with pillars of fire, he spun through them. If Volga swung out with lance or claw, he dove between them. If Winter boxed him in with gouts of fire, he teleported out. If Volga blew him away with beats of his wings, he jumped off of the walls to return. Teleportation, strength, and madness. It made the man a terror. And the madness he was exuding a mockery of strength.

"Do you have any ideas? I am your junior when it comes to confronting powerful foes."

"We make a sacrifice." The words came from the knight beside her as easily she imagined he breathed. Winter was quick to scream.

Be it fate or luck, it coincided with a roaring bang.

"Out of the question!" BOOOOM! Amity hit the city of Vale.

The ground trembled as if dealt a heavy blow, and the proud Atlesian woman glared into the glowing eyes of the famed Hunter. He stared back as the buildings around them rocked with the wave of force, many falling apart at their supports. All the while the dust kicked up, and the mad man who once was the most wanted man in all of Atlas cheered. His mask gleaming with the stokes of lightning.

"You misunderstand me, Winter Schnee. I speak not of sacrifice of life." He was quick to correct himself.

"Then what?"

"I speak of changing my form for another." His large draconic limb flexed. Winter watched it. "But to do so would sacrifice this body I have now."

"You mean you can only transform in one direction?" His helm nodded. "You become a dragon, and that's it?"

"I am not speaking of my dragon form. I am not speaking of the serpentine ruler of Death Mountain." His gaze was fierce, even if it was riddled with blood and wounds. "I talk of this body that I have. It is the form I'll give up."

"I don't understand." Her gaze shifted towards Zant. Adam... he was dancing again, spinning on his heel. It wouldn't last forever. "What do you mean?"

"Do you recall the masks of the Hero? The forms Link wore?" Winter nodded her head once. It was enough to force the pieces to connect. A helm was like a mask. No one could see beyond it. A mask that was seen for many years, decades even, and yet the knight before her fought with a ferocity only the young had.

"You're not Volga."

"I am, but the body beneath is not." One of his draconic arms reached for the gnarled horn of his helm. "It is also short of life left to give." A thousand and one questions ran through Winter's mind. They did so as the world fell down around her and one of the men responsible cheered.

Her training taught her to focus on what was important. That began with facts.

"You want me to wear the helm."

"Yes."

"I'll be stronger than your current host."

"Current holder, who chose freely to work with me."

"And he's no longer there?"

"He took his life and let the helm fall upon him." The idea of that happening was absurd. "His father was the man who wore me before."

"Now it is my turn?"

"Only if you allow it." Winter gazed into the helm of the Dragon Knight. "I cannot say to how the Hero interacted with the masks he wore, but there was never a devouring of soul or thought. No burning away the soul for kindling. It is the sharing of the brush, and a joining of the rising smoke. A taller mountain to cradle under the shadows. Nothing to be destroyed."

"But if I wear it, then you can't go back on him." She tried to fathom why. "Because he'll be too dead?"

"Because I cannot see a prone body devoid of life escaping the fires of battle." And to that, Winter could understand. "Be quick not, Winter Schnee. I am willing to let you wear me, so we may burn a horrendous evil." Burn... a day ago she'd think that an inappropriate metaphor.

Right now, it felt perfect.

"I accept." Winter held out her hand, almost afraid of what was going to happen to it. "So long as you treat me well."

"I will care more for the fates of those who seek evil's ways." Volga brought both of his hands to his horns. "And you, Specialist of the Military, will be more sure than dragon's fire." He smiled. For one brief moment, Winter saw it, like a flash in a pan.

Then he lifted his helm up. A flash of white took up her gaze. A quick blink of it at that. Then she saw the man beneath the helm.

She saw his body fall like a puppet with cut strings. Blank eyes, empty face, slack jaw, and crumbled body. He hit the ground so much like a corpse she had to resist the urge to jump to his aid and scream for assistance. She was taught to avoid pointless acts. Helping a dead man was the definition of fruitless. Her concerns should be, and where, more for the object the man had worn throughout his unnatural death. The dragon's helm in his loose grip.

It felt as if it were staring up at her, and Winter reached for it on bended knee. Her hand settled on the body's feeling the heat leave the corpse. She realized for a moment then, even as the world was caving in around them, and monuments fell with the cheers of evil, that she did not know the man's name. He was the one who wore the helm of a Dragon Knight for years, possible decades, and she could not wish him well on his journey beyond.

All she could do instead was continue the legacy he linked himself to.

The irony was not lost on her. She just didn't have the time to comment on it. Not when a once cool yet rabid terrorist was dancing mad behind her.

"And it falls! And it falls!" Winter ignored the cheering of the mad man. "Another fallen to despair! I dance for joy and you cry in shame! How can you possibly think me a loser in this fight? Do you not see the glory that is to come!?" She still had no words. Nothing at all.

She stood, facing Zant, watching the man's head tilt as he twirled his blades.

"Is that another treasure to carry? So many of the White Fang used to do that. Useless things, holding onto the past. Can't you see how mad it is to cling that which is burning!?" He spun again. Winter had seen him dance through fire with that speed. "Dragon's fire can't stop this and neither can you! Carry his helm and see how far it takes you!"

"I imagine it will take me no further than this, Adam." The man stilled at her words. No, shaking. "Though I will admit, it is wrong to call you that." Then he began to shake for a whole new reason.

"AHAHAHA! See! See! You change your mind with fear! You fall to fear!"

"No. I'm not changing your title for that reason." She shifted the helm in her hands.

"Then why? Because you have lost and admit defeat? Oh such honor! Accepting your death gracefully!"

"A simpler reason, actually." She spun the helm and held it above her alabaster hair. "Because in a moment I believe I will call myself another name. And even you know how much I despise hypocrisy." She brought the helm down.

Winter experienced a rebirth. A rebirth, a death, a life, and end, and everything that came before those moments.

Dancing through fire, swimming through magma, climbing mountains, falling from the sky, tearing through dragons, ripping through wolves, screaming as she dove through Goliaths, roaring as she charged at Nevermores, flipping over wyverns, and so much more. All of it rushing into her mind like a movie forced upon her eyes. Her senses burning, the smell of sulfur suffocating, the taste of soot choking, and the feel of fire charring her skin.

It consumed her. She screamed into the void. A high shrill sound that would have sent her men into a fury.

And then, it grew into a roar, one that broke with the blinding light around her.

Her lungs were empty and dry as she fell forward, catching herself in a crunch. Winter stared down, staring at Volga's boots. Running up red greaves to his red plated armor, spikes coming out, showing the crimson painted gauntlets. Winter flexed Volga's fingers, feeling them wrap around the Magic Rod, clinching against the metal and steel. She let out a sigh, Volga's throat making it a rumble. It was all so much like him.

But then… thinner, lighter… and different. It was clear quickly why.

It was his armor, but it was her chest. It was his greaves, but it was her legs. It was his helm, but it was her face. Volga and her. Winter Schnee and him.

Winter hadn't become Volga, she was just wearing his armor over her gown. That included his memories, burning into her mind with the history of the Atlas Military. That included his weapon, looking through the holes in his helm, seeing his fiery lance overlaying the Magic Rod, turning the bluish orbed sphere into a near mace like design, dripping with embers.

And that included his rage, forefront in her mind, as she stared towards Zant.

The sky was filled with darkness. The buildings were fallen in decay. Winter Schnee was covered by Volga, and overcome with rage.

"Zaaaaaant." The name came out as a guttery growl, vibrating beneath the heavy armor. "Monster of the deep caverns, wretch of the unholiest of desires." The words flowed through her mouth, obvious as the digits she flexed. "Slayer of innocents, what more have you to say for your treachery?"

"More of me? I want to know more about you!" His blades extended like palms. "I've never seen a human, let alone a Schnee, be so desperate to become a Faunus! You must have realized how incapable you were alone! So become something greater, something better, like me!" He was dancing once more. "That is the only way to defeat the obstacles before you, and even the great 'Schnee Dust Family' must know the truth of it!"

"You cannot see beyond what you were, obsessed with what you become." Winter summarized. A flame was growing in her head. "Careless of death and destruction. Wanton for it." She coughed embers. "You'll pay. You'll pay!"

"I've already paid so many debts. I believe you are the one who owes me. So let me collect my price, half-breed."

The air cried as Zant struck out, the rippling of his blades tearing through the soot and ash. Winter saw it coming. More than that, she wanted it to come. Her mind screamed for it! So she screamed in turn.

"RAAGH!" Her hand reached up and caught the blade. Zant's body lurched as it was stopped. Much like before, he recovered quickly, kicking his feet mid-air and twisting other sword at her. BANG! It slammed its way onto the staff she held. Fires bloomed from it. Embers blew out of her nose as she let out a cough of air. Red eyes stared through Volga's helm and into the serpentine mask of Zant.

That mask, that danced and laughed as he killed and slaughtered and tortured and danced and laughed and laughed and laughed! It had to be gone. It had to burn!

"AAAAGH!" She howled at the mad man. FWOOOOSH! And fire erupted from her maw.

"GAAAAGH! Ow! Hot! HOT! HOT!" The mad man jumped back with writhing limbs, his blades swinging about pointlessly as the fire consumed his head. Winter shut her jaw with a click, growling as the fires rumbled beneath her. She swallowed, feeling no quench of thirst or quelling of the flames. She didn't care. "That hurts! That hurts!"

She watched as Zant's blades scratched at his helm, a glowing red to match the fires that she had thrown upon him. They dug into the edges, grasping at tips, before hitting a latch of some kind. She didn't see it or nor cared to think about it. She only cared that it twisted his head, and forced the hot steel to fly off of him. It clattered against some stone too far away. Winter never glanced towards it.

Her red gaze was focused on the terrorist, the man who had grown from simple annoyance to mass-murderer. To him, with skin a sickly blue, etched with black marks like the clouds above, red hair bright as Volga's armor, and eyes glowing like the edge of her tongue. He glared at her, growling himself.

"How dare you!" He cried like a child. "You made yourself a half-breed to be more like me, and you strike out without thought to who I am. Do you not know who I am!?"

A demon. A monster. A freak. A traitor. A wraith. A lost soul.

"My enemy." Winter's hand thrummed as her semblance strung out.

"NO! I was given authority so much higher than anything you can call an equal to yourself! An enemy?! HA! You may strike out against me, but I am so far above anything as paltry as the enemy of a half-breed conqueror such as yourself!" His thin blue lips snarled as something vicious was spat out. "I am the ruler of my people, I am their king!"

"Let the Twili bear their burns. I will allow you to be their king." A fire in Winter's head curled around her senses. She felt her heart thrum with power. It felt filling. "The… military will recognize it. And it will make your surrender, your giving up, your… death a fine display of your greatest talent." She snarled. She wasn't sure if her teeth were longer or not. "A mad king's head on the tip of a spear."

"On a spear? Killed? By you!? AHAHAHAH!" The man's blue face twisted with his unruly red hair. Glowing eyes squinted out of relation to one another. "NO! I will be the one to sever your head! You sacrificed the life of your friend, and it will be a joyful day in the pits when a traitorous Faunus and the tyrant Schnee are put to a bed of coals together!"

His blades scratched together, and in the darkness of the clouds and soot, a crackling energy flew between them. Then he was flying again. Winter watched as the blades spun like a tornado at him. She raised her rod up to meet it. One blade crashed against it, then the other. Zant didn't let his momentum stop. He pushed off of her hold with a cheer, flipping up and making her swing wide. His boots came down after that, pushing off of something unseen in the air.

Winter swung up her other hand, letting him kick at her gauntlet. He was heavy, and the boots shoved her into the concrete beneath, but it made her red eyes glow and flickering flames roll out of her snarling lips. She stared up at the mad man, and he jumped away with another cheer of his own. Away, but not done. As he spun, he swung out his blades and let them tear through the air. More fo those odd black diamonds forming and careening for her.

Training and fire roared in her, and she whipped her weapon out, beating the 'beams' away. They clattered against the underpass, severing them as they had before. She was running at him now, the offense hers. The fires wanting some kindling! Her weapon was raised as Lance landed, striking down, only to hit concrete.

He was gone in another flash, leaving Winter with her mace-like weapon head in the ground and staring about for him. She threw an arm out and ripped her weapon from the ground, taking chunks of the concrete and stone with her.

"Bow to your king!" A blow to her back came a moment later, sending her down to her knees. Her hand braced her, keeping her upright, and she ripped her weapon up, trying to slap at the fallen man she knew was going to make a mockery of her. She hit hair.

Zant landed in front of her, and without wasting a moment, swung his blade again. The diamond like forms flew at her. Winter pushed her Semblance up, ready to stop them… but they didn't come. They didn't come because her Semblance was being dragged into her weapon. Winter was pushing her Aura into the Magic Rod… the Lance… the Magic Lance!

That was her weapon! The Magic Lance! And it needed her strength!

Fire ripped through her mind, burning her lungs, and made her skin peel beneath the red armor of Volga. It was a molten thing, it burned in the lance she held. She could use that! It was screaming at her!

Strike! Strike! STRIKE!

"RAAAAAGH!" She swung the lance like a bludgeoning tool.

A gout of flame more akin to magma erupted from it. A Creeper formed from its head. It swallowed the pair of blades Zant had thrown at her, like a boar to flies. The beast towered over her for a moment, before it swam back into the Magic Lance, curling around the ground as it did so. A scorched bad remained behind, with Winter's rising form at the center of it.

Steam billowed around her, the smell of charred concrete filling her flame dipped nostrils, and it helped her to growl at Zant. The mad man, the foolish 'king', twisting around in front of her.

"More tricks then? More skills and more tools for you to waste upon me?" Nothing was wasted. "It didn't help you to heal the Dragon Knight and it didn't help you to start throwing out fire before. This won't change. Nothing can change what she has set forth!"

"Why are you laying your fate at the foot of another's rules?" Winter pushed forth. Fire surrounded her words. "I thought you were a king?"

The beast howled as he jumped at her, his eyes screaming through the dark. Winter was not slow to follow. Her Semblance poured her Aura into the Magic Lance again, and she felt it heat like the ends of a jet's stream.

She swung out with it, beating at the blades that Zant tried to throw at her. There was no contest when they met, her own striking through and following with a speed so great, the man was forced to push back and slide. She did not let him rest. She jumped forth, looking to spear him. He spun again, dancing around the weapon's tip with manic desperation. His blades came for her head, but she bore it, letting the steel hit the horns of Vola's helm. It forced her head to bend, but it also made the fires in her gut grow. She screamed at the man's closeness.

He was forced to retreat as another flume of flames came for him. This time with no mask. Winter once more did not hesitate. Aura through her Magic Lance, she took the lunges necessary to approach Zant. He was off-footed and clearly ready to teleport. Fire in her mind quelled, and she stopped.

It did not stop the madman from vanishing in another explosion. But she was able to twist now.

Twist, push another glyph of her Semblance into the Lance, and let the fire roll out of the tip of her lance. She thought another fiery Grimm would form, hoping for it, but instead, it was so much more. Instead of a Grimm comparable to her size, something grander flew out.

A dragon. A dragon like the tales she had heard when she was a child in her mother's lap.

A dragon, erupting from the sharp end of her mace-like lance, and floating over her with a heat so outrageous, it glowed like the sun behind her. The soot and ash of the fighting was beaten away by its wings, and the roar it made had the armor against her skin rattling. Winter wanted to scream, but the fire bade her to laugh. This was hers.

She was the Dragon Knight, and she was facing a mad king. Her kin would come to her aid.

The same kin that twisted its elongated head and stared ahead. The fires wreathed in Winter's mind told her to act. She followed the lick of the flames, jumping where the dragon's head directed. Her lance rose and fell on an unassuming portion of concrete.

The building behind it was not merely blown away, but melted in the same moment. Fire crawling up it and dripping down into magma. Screaming could be heard, and she didn't know if it was herself or the Grimm around her. They were more akin to roars of battle. She only stopped, drawing back her glowing Lance, when she saw a spark of black magic. She twisted, letting her lance fall to the end of its staff before grasping it, and swung out with the farthest reach she could manage.

TWACK! "GRAAH!" IT hit the madman before he had time to twist his blade, letting gher lance tear into his robes and crunching against his shoulder. She enjoyed the brief and beautiful sight of his face contorting in registered pain before he skidded across the ground. "NAH! NO NO! My cloak! My Arm!" His cries were childish and just as frantic. Winter had no sympathy for the man.

She jumped, intending to spear him, her lance falling between her legs. Zant ripped off his robe, looked up, and had enough time to enact another manic action of his own. He swung out his arms, and shadows enveloped him.

Winter hit the ground he was standing on a moment ago, pinning a mirky darkness beneath her. Zant rose up in front of her. Two of him. Illusions, just like before, but there was a difference. She could smell something on them. Something they couldn't fake before. She wouldn't even imagine a good reason why they would fake it.

"You reek of fear and cowardice." Winter pulled the lance from the now molten ground. It dragged behind her, drawing a deep line in the concrete. Both of the shadows pushed away from her. "You would be prey to the monsters were you not at rest with them."

"They would never attack me! Not because I am not afraid, and not because I am a coward! They wouldn't attack me for I'm none of those things!" Both of the copies cried out, voice echoing around the ruins. "I am a king! The common spots that she wishes to rid the world of would never lay hand on me! I am needed!" Both of the shadows through out their arms.

Winter pushed her Semblance into the Lance again. Images formed, the fires danced, and the power coursed back through her body and the heavy red armor. A sensation erupted from her back, and she bore it with hunched shoulders. After that, her vision was blocked by leathery limbs. Limbs that lay heavy on her back.

The attack of Zant beat against them, like winds to a sail. With a beat of her shoulders, Winter flexed them upwards, standing her tallest with the wings of a dragon at her back. The glowing eyes of the Twili trembled, like a child holding a candle amidst the dark.

"No! You cannot stare at me like that! You can not!" Now he charged at her. The shadow to her right swiping with both blades high. The other dove under, almost scratching the ground with the swords. Just before her, they both opened their arms up, letting out the blades like a thorn bush. Four of the limbs swung at her.

Winter beat her wings to fend off two of the blades. Her Magic Lance caught the third in the prongs of the mace-like top, and the last scratched at her armor. It made the flames in her tremble, it forced a snarl from her throat. She roared, sending forth fire and flames. The Zant she was screaming at turned to dust.

The one she had not struck sliced at her helm. He beat it twice before she thrust the butt of her spear up. Zant, the quick duelist that he had been, had a foot up to block the strike. That, and then to jump away from it. He skittered over a ruined building when he landed, like a bug.

"I am the king of the Twili! I am the ruler of those who will seed the land she is about to create! Not the worthless humans or traitorous Faunus! Me! Me and my new kind!" He threw his swords down at his feet, cracking through the building he was on. Dust flew up like a slumbering volcano, only to consume the unmasked Zant. For a moment, then he rose above the soot and smoke of his creation.

Literally rose. Growing in height until he overtook the pillars of smoke with the greatest of ease. His body rising like a giant over the ruins, casting a harsh shadow over Winter. A colossus standing with twilight skin and glowing eyes of madness. His yelling showed him to be the nightmare he was.

"Crushed like an insect before your king!" He raised a boot into the air, hovering ominously over her. "Perish and show your conviction to your ruler!"

Wings beat and pushed her back as the foot came down. Her lance swung, directing the dragon of flames to consume the man's leg. The beast that embodied the flames of her mind rose with the crackle of fire, jumping towards the descending limb. It slammed into its heel, about to turn the rest of it to kindling.

BOOM! But the giant limb slamming into the concrete, turning over the ruins like stones to the rumble of a mountain, destroyed the projection of fire. Winter let out a hiss as the pressure pushed her back, sliding across armor and broken stones. Her lance burned through the ground as she stared up at the mad man. His grin towered over her.

"You send beasts to act in your place?! You think any monster can destroy the king of the Twili!?" He raised his arms into the air. He looked as if he was trying to grab at the sky. "Only I will permit who is worthy to face me! A half-breed worthless fool such as yourself as no place to raise a sword to my throat! You are fit only to burn away!" Darkness collected in his hands.

Robe sleeves falling down, the darkness, like it was pulled from the clouds above, coated his digits. He bent forward, almost as if to be falling. Winter understood quickly what was happening. Her lance beat at the ground, rocketing her forward with a jump, and sending her careening towards Zant. Her Semblance poured into her lance again, and a wreath of flames trailed behind her. She was not foolish enough to aim for the falling limbs.

Instead, her wings beat and sent her for the man's gut. The heavy robes resisted her only slightly, but the coursing fire ripped through it so much like magma through stone. Her reward as she barreled past him, catching herself onto a fallen building with the sharp gauntlets of Volga, was the howl of pain from the giant man. His hands fell to his wound, but his body was still falling. It left the giant Twili to collapse in pain on the street, smoke spewing from the already cauterized laceration.

"GAH! Worthless leech! WORM!" The insults spat out blood on the concrete, like a river across the ruined streets. His thrashing body tearing up more of the pavement. "You dare disgrace your king! You dare make mockery of him!"

"You are no king to me," Winter replied, voice cool and armor hot. "You are a twisted man with a corrupted heart, too far gone to be offered any cool bed or gentle warmth." Her lance spun between her digits, whipping effortlessly between the sharp notches of Volga's gauntlets. It trailed fire in the air. "And no one will see you as their king."

"All will!" Zant howled, his body shifting as he writhed on the ground.

It shrunk for a moment, thrashing limbs breaking up less of the ruined streets, his body returning to its normal mass and volume, letting out shards of darkness and trails of shadows as he did so. In little time, he was the same height as before, stomping his feet on the ground and scratching at the wound she'd left along his now exposed chest. It was too small for her liking.

The fires demanded she fix that. Winter was more than happy to oblige.

"All will bow to me! All will look upon me, see the power I've been gifted, and know! Know that only someone as great as I can be king! No one can rule without the gift of strength! Those who dare to rise against me will be thrashed under my shadows, stomped under my boot, or left writhing in my anger! All those who are worthless and meek will be the first to fall!" He howled into the air like a banshee, careless of the Grimm high above or the lightning that cracked the sky.

Winter roared in return.

"We all begin worthless and meek!" She threw herself down, grabbing the Magic Lance almost by its spear point as she thrust it forward. Damned as Zant was, he was easy to dodge her. The panic was still there. Winter glared at him with red eyes. "All start crying in the arms of their mother! All begin unable to scratch at dirt! All are fearful of fire!"

Her lance ripped up at him, a bolt of fire roaring at him. Zant answered with another swing of his blades, sending forth more darkness. The two collided like clouds of smoke, billowing about one another before turning to nothing. Winter hadn't waited. She was already running towards the mad man while the attacks lit up against one another. She couldn't lose track of his glowing eyes, screaming at him as she approached.

"But it is that fire that surrounds them that hardens them! The fires of war, of battle, of strife, of existence! They are made stronger in FIRE AND FLAMES!" She screamed as embers poured from her mouth, launching herself up with a kick of Volga's armored legs. Something ripped at behind her, and it wasn't until she felt it push against the ground that she knew what it was.

The tail of the dragon had helped her jump, and now she was rocketing towards Zant with a speed he couldn't retaliate against. She saw him try, raising his blades and close to flickering out of position. But she wouldn't let him.

TWANG! Her Lance came down on his swords, the prongs of the metal head locking his criss-crossed weapons together. He howled beneath her, crushed by her strength above and the stone beneath him. Embers fell from her mouth, dripping on him like water. It scalded him like acid.

"GRAAAGH! STOP! STOP! STOAAAA-AGAGH!" Zant thrashed under winter, kicking at her legs with all the force he could muster. It made her Aura flicker, but the metal greaves of Volga head strong. Her arms were stronger, refusing to offer the murder even an inch of relief.

"I will not." Winter growled past the fire spewing from her lips. Red eyes narrowed behind an equal red helm. "You are a killer, a tyrant, and mad man, who was given power by a force beyond evil. Your existence was twisted before your accepted her might, and it is warped beyond repair now." She lifted her gauntlet into the air, holding it above the Magic Lance.

Zant's red eyes bugged like the insect he was. The hissing that followed with charred skin flacking off, fit all the better.

"And what cannot be made right-" She swung down. "Should be returned to dust."

TW-RANG! Her Magic Lance ripped through the blades protecting Zant.

BOOM! He didn't even let out a gargle as her mace slammed into his head. Gore didn't even spread out around him.

Only fire ridden flesh and ash.

Winter stood to her tallest, dragging the Magic Lance down the dead man's body. It ripped through what was let of his cloak and flesh, setting them ablaze. Red fires hued lavender with the heat, letting the flickering remains of Zant rise into the air and breath out of sight. Her red eyes watched as he disappeared into nothingness.

He was gone, and the fires in her mind roared with satisfaction. A terror of the land was gone.

But there was more around her, so much more.

A distant part of her burning mind realized the ground had stopped shaking. The fallen Colosseum had finally settled. Be it good or bad, she didn't know. There were more important matters to attend than a fallen monument now. She had to find others.

She had to find the General.

She had to be a Specialist. The fires within her warred for a better term. She found it easily. As Winter jumped up to the overpass, as wings stretched out behind her, burning into existence, as she leapt into the air with a speed that would have Cannons envious, Winter growled the word.

Winter Schnee had to be a knight.

She roared it into the dark clouds above, and flew through the Grimm that challenged her.

---

'Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!' Ruby was screaming as she used her Semblance to see the danger to avoid the crashing stadium around her. Avoid was all she could do, and even then it wasn't enough.

Tons and tons of steel, concrete, and probably some other complicated building materials were literally being ripped apart as they hit the ground, and she and her Grandpa were like a fly caught in the web! She didn't want to be squashed like this! She and her Grandpa had to finish the fight first… but she still didn't want to be squashed.

So thank… her other Grandpa that this Grandpa knew how to use her Semblance for more than just dodging. As in, beating and blocking away the debris.

When Ruby felt the danger approach, and she and her Grandpa couldn't bend or twist out of the way, he was the one to raise his shield and smack away tons of rubble. When there wasn't enough room to shove it away, the Master Sword swung up or down, severing the stone and steel with that same bright light. His boots were the ones that ran over the falling materials, and she was the one who helped to direct where to go.

It was working out great, even if Ruby had the constant feeling of her stomach lifting up into her Grandpa's chest.

'Master, we need to move approximately another fifty meters ahead to escape the larger portions of the Colosseum's debris.' Fi spoke in their head. 'You have three seconds to do so.'

'No time like now then!' Ruby jumped ahead, and Grandpa recalled a memory as they both continued their acrobatic escape.

It was him, running through a falling castle, avoiding other debris and flaming rocks that came down on him. She watched him roll through fire, lifting up his shield to let the falling chunks of stone turn to dust against it. She watched him battle monsters that only wanted him to die, not caring if their own life was in jeopardy. She watched all of it, amazed and giddy, but then terrified, because he wasn't alone. And who was with him almost made Ruby pause.

He was running with Princess Zelda… her grandma… Salem.

'You saved her.' The thought echoed in her head as her Grandpa spun in mid-air and cut through a column of steel rebar. He jumped off the stone pillar that fell behind it. 'You saved her… and she is responsible for all of this.'

'Ruby Rose, I can confirm that the Princess Zelda that you are likely remembering through the connection with Master is from the time before he returned, a Zelda that no longer exists.'

'It was still her though, wasn't it?' A confirmation echoed in her head. 'Do you… regret it?' Another memory came to her mind, thinking on it. At least she thought it was a memory, until she realized it literally couldn't be.

Because Grandpa was remembering her, but she'd never dressed up in a dress that long or that pink before. She had never worn a tiara before, or stood over a castle before, and even if she loved her Grandpa, she'd never was picked up by him and held in the air like she was flying. She had never gone through any of that.

Let alone that she had never sat next to him in front of some huge hall absolutely filled with people. With everyone looking at her and her silver eyes, smiling as she talked to them like that wouldn't be the hardest thing in the world to do. Then she was giving orders, and being cheered, and… and…

And she was a princess. Her Grandpa was imagining her as a literal Princess of Hyrule. Her, someone wo was here just because Zelda, Salem, was still alive. If she wasn't, if he hadn't saved her… then that couldn't have been thought of.

Ruby smiled, and her Grandpa's lips pulled up as he gave a dramatic leap forward, through dust, smoke, and debris. Her grandpa was the best.

That was all Ruby could care to think about as they exploded free of the Colosseum's ruin.

Her Grandpa hit the ground running, debris pooling behind him and tearing up the street as he ran. Ruby shouted in their mind, hearing the ripping of steel almost deafen them from behind. He didn't stop, not even when he jumped, took aim with the Long shot, and fired. Quick as before, it latched onto a high-rise, ripping them up and into the air. Ruby thought that was the end of it.

Until her Grandpa unlatched the shot mid-flight, making them soar through the air. It felt amazing!

What was better was hitting the ground hundreds of meters away, twisting around with shield brought up and raised towards the Colosseum. Her Grandpa stared over the shield again, watching the destruction topple over further, hanging far above their gaze. But that was all it did.

The dust settled with the Amity Colosseum, one of the hallmarks of Remnant, a toppled over pile of scrap. Awesome as Ruby felt, she knew that she and her Grandpa were like ants to it. Mini-ants at that. Ash and dust settled around it, and lightning crackled above, and that wasn't even talking about how they were being flanked by sky-scrapers, either laying on the ground or torn up until they were about to fall.

Totally awesome, except for the destruction itself.

BOOOOM! Less awesome was that sound. And the DANGER!

Grandpa spun on his heel and slammed his shield forward with Ruby's feeling. The bang of impact sent them sliding back across the ground. His boots tore into the cement, and Ruby felt the air leave his lungs. But her Grandpa was strong! Strong enough to push away whatever had hit them!

No surprise when he glanced at it. Ruby knew it was Ganondorf's lance. And, walking out of the rubble with darkness following, was Ganondorf himself.

'I didn't think he was dead.' Ruby thought, more affirming, to herself. Her Grandpa remembered him rising from the fallen castle, floating with ominous Aura as the sky above them crackled with lightning. 'That looks… familiar.'

'Given comparison of location, circumstance, and combatants, I detect a 43% comparative familiarity with the current engagement. That is not significantly similar.'

'Okay, sure, but how often do those similar things happen?'

'Estimation of individual events report a 0.00005% likelihood of occurring simultaneously'

'Then I'm right!' Ruby cheered, even as her sense of DANGER flared! Her Grandpa was on it.

TWANG! He twisted and struck at the jagged Ghirahim blade Ganondorf held. The ground ripped out from them, and darkness flooded down on them. But the Master Sword shined in response, and her Grandpa let out a ripping cry, pushing back. With a few inches of gained ground, he slipped under the strike, twisting again in his spin attack and striking at Ganondorf's legs. The strike swept across the man's greaves.

Ganondorf struck back, bringing back his arm and slamming against them with his elbow. Darkness and lightning flew out of the blow, but it only hit Grandpa's shield. The blow pushed Ganondorf out of reach though, and gave him room to twist forward. A cry came out of him as he swung the giant blade again, but Ruby sensed the danger. Grandpa ducked low, jumping high after the blade sailed over his head.

High enough to strike at Ganondorf's skull with the Master Sword. TWANG! If the man hadn't circled his own blade up to catch the strike. Grandpa landed behind Ganondorf again, continuing his spin, and trying to strike at his gut. His blade hit a thick golden Gauntlet on Ganondorf's hand, sparking with power.

"That is not enough, Hero." The fried voice let out as his hand flexed. Ruby didn't sense any danger.

FWOOM! Not until the sound of a high-speed object hit their sensitive ears. Then Ruby saw Ganondorf's lance. It landed in his grip with a crackle. Now she felt DANGER! Her Grandpa reacted by raising his shield. Not towards the Lance. BOOM! But to block the knee that Ganondorf sent up at them. She felt their arm shake, holding back the blow. It lifted them off the ground.

And that left neither Ruby nor her Grandpa anything to respond to the next sense of danger.

The blade of Ghirahim, raised above Ganondorf's head, and swinging down at them.

'Prepare for impact.' Ruby didn't have time to respond to Fi.

The blow came heavier than almost anything Ruby had felt before. It slammed into her Grandpa's shoulder, all but plowing him into the ground. His grip on the Master Sword nearly slipped and his back caved into the pavement. The shock of it deafened her, but the sensation of being lifted was agonizing. Being hit so hard her Grandpa bounced.

It still gave her nothing to react to the DANGER she felt again. Grandpa tried to raise his shield.

"RAAGH!" But Ganondorf kicked up with his other boot, darkness billowing around it. Pain raced through Ruby's head as they sailed through the air. Her lungs cried for air as her Grandpa struggled to breath, and her grip on the shield and sword near fell as her Grandpa struggled to keep them close.

It took seconds to land, and they did so sliding across pavement. Ruby felt her Aura shiver, bones aching, but Grandpa forced them to stand. Silver eyes narrowed across the street, struggling to catch their breath, watching as Ganondorf lifted his blade up again. Darkness and lightning trailed around it.

'W-Wow... that hurt.' Ruby shivered out. Her mind was jumbled. Her Grandpa remembered other painful events, comparing them.

There was worse, like falling from the inside of a mountain or being crushed in the grip of a giant monster. But knowing that a good swing and single kick was comparable to that made Ruby all the more aware of how strong Ganondorf was.

'He's... he's really strong, isn't he?'

'Ganondorf Dragmire is the most capable recipient of the Triforce of Power.' That was one way to say he was strong. 'He currently does not possess it.' What?

'What?'

'I can detect no sense of the Goddesses about him. I can conclude with 95% certainty that Ganondorf does not have the Triforce on his person. This is comparable to you Master, lacking the Triforce of Courage.' Ruby wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

Good, he wasn't in possession of something that everyone said would make him stupidly strong, like back when he walked out of Beacon. That meant he was... beatable. Bad... it meant that he could be stronger. If he got- wait.

'Then where is the Triforce?'

'If the assumption of him not having it is correct, there is then a 99.9% likelihood it is in the hands of Salem.' Ruby growled in her Grandpa's mind. His grip tightened on Fi.

'Okay, that's bad. But I guess... I guess that means we can handle Ganondorf then.' The memories of her Grandpa beating him before rushed into her mind. 'I know we can do it.' She flexed her Grandpa's legs, raising the Master Sword at the behemoth across the road. 'I know we can, because we have to!' Then she began to run.

Ganondorf, across the way, obliged. She watched as he rocketed forth himself, the ruins behind him blowing away with the force he struck the ground with. Ruby felt the danger, and her Grandpa and her knew how to react.

The continued to sprint forward, but jumped into a roll, following Ruby's Semblance and avoiding the crackling trident. They hit the ground in a crouch, spinning upwards with the Master Sword out and looking to cut up Ganondorf's back. The dark edge of Ghirahim's blade protected him, before the man roared as he twisted, trying to pierce them with the lance once again. The danger was clear an evident.

Ruby's Grandpa struck with the same continuous swing of the Master Sword, catching the lance's edge and riding the momentum. It slammed into the ground with a gong, lightning crackling out, but he pivoted on his heel, reeling the sword up and over his head. It glowed like before, and Ruby knew what was coming. So did Ganondorf, by how he released his hold on the golden trident and moved. Her grandpa swung to the left of the weapon, Ganondorf ducking right.

A pillar of white flew out from the blade, bifurcating a nearby sky-scraper. Ruby didn't have time to listen to it crack through. Not when Ganondorf was screaming and swinging out with Ghirahim's blade again. It trailed darkness and reeked of danger.

TWANG! It hit Grandpa's shield with another colossal force, sending them sliding back. There wasn't time to plan for another assault, as the danger was back. Her Grandpa felt it, lowering his shield and raising the Master Sword in time to see Ganondorf lunging at them again. He thought better than to strike now. Instead, he crouched and jumped backwards. Ruby felt the flip in her gut as he rotated back, watching the same dark blade sail under them.

Now he lashed out with a swing of the Master Sword, and was rewarded with a blow against Ganondor'fs head. The man lurched, but did not cry. Her Grandpa was not done.

He landed, jumping backwards once more, but now sheathing the Master Sword with a deft move. Ruby saw memories again, fighting giants, fighting powerful foes, and knowing that no matter how strong the sword was, it wasn't the surest way to victory. It was fast, but there were faster weapons. She saw him draw a bowstring and take aim at a floating phantom in the air.

Now Ruby watched as her Grandpa pulled out the bow again, and took aim at the green-skinned man as he growled at them. The arrows loosened and struck Ganondorf's joints.

"RAAAAAGH!" That was a roar of pain.

'Good! Yes! We got him!' Ruby cheered, even as her Grandpa pulled another arrow. She felt nothing again as the Evil King ripped jerked his arms, cracking the arrows in his body, and reached backwards. The air rippled as his lance flew back to him, slamming into his palms. 'Still scary, but we still got this!' Her Grandpa nodded.

'I am pleased to sense an increase in your confidence, Ruby Rose. I had fears you would be traumatized by the occurring events.'

'H-Huh?'

The words were so out of place, Ruby almost missed them. Her Grandpa wasn't so distracted, jumping over a piece of rubble and letting Ganondorf's trident plow through it. He missed wide, and it let her Grandpa take aim with an arrow. It loosened, flinging through the air. The explosion that followed was muted by the roar of the Grimm and settling of rubble around them.

Bomb arrows? She forgot about those! Grandpa was too awesome to forget something as awesome as that!

'I am referring to your current mental state. I had estimated, due to a combination of the death of the Forest Sage, destruction of your home, and the revelations of your family that you would suffer a mental break. The chances were nearing 65%.' That sounded bad. 'But I am pleased to report your current self-assurance, as well as steady thoughts have reduced such chance to only 12%.'

'That… still seems high.' The thought was delayed by what her Grandpa was seeing. Ruby looked with him.

Watching as Ganondorf summoned back his trident, barreling through steel beams that had likely held up a sky-scraper before, only to miss her Grandpa. He must have felt the same danger as Ruby, because he was out of the way easily. Then the Master Sword was out and swinging again. Ganondorf was shouting as the two collided, blade to blade. And her Grandpa, awesome as he was, shoved Ganondorf down the street.

And down didn't mean vertically down. That meant down the road, over the ruin, past or through a couple of cars, and then into a stone wall. Her grandpa was just awesome!

'I mean with how this is going, it should be zero!' Ruby cheered her Grandfather on, feeling the shove Ganondorf delivered back to them. His boots slid, but Ruby narrowed their shared gaze. She was sure it was her smiling as the giant in front of her swung his blade out. It scrapped over the Hylian Shield, feeling like tank shells were being block, and then ignoring the wait it hit wall he did. Her Grandpa shoving the man against the wall cracked it.

Ganondorf hitting it made it blow up. Literally. Darkness shooting out of it like fire with steel, concrete, and whatever else was used in sky-scrapers falling down like rain. Ruby felt the danger, so her Grandpa did, too.

That was why she helped him with slicing through the debris that fell, pushing themselves away from Ganondorf. She knew right where to swing, just how to hold the Hylian Shield, or more importantly, where to step to avoid having the ruins fall on them. Link obeyed and his body gave strength as they all but danced their way out.

She was panting when they were in the street again, half of the ruined building laying crumbled around them, and portions of Grimm bodies buried in the rubble. Ruby didn't even feel them nearby. They weren't a danger, not compared to a building or the man they were still fighting.

BOOM! The same evil man that blew his way out of the rubble, shooting out of it so much like a volcano that Ruby thought it was a mini-one for a second, but with lightning instead of fire and magma. She didn't know which was cooler.

Danger. Dangerous, but still awesome!

'That is the primary reason why I am taking note of your decreased chance of mental imbalance. The reasoning for it is based off of what is presumably a false conclusion.'

'What do you mean? Isn't this going exactly the way we need it to?' She felt her Grandpa nod with her. Ganondorf was strong, because of course he was, but that didn't mean they were in trouble.

'Our victory has an increased likelihood, around 77% and increasing due to variables including your precognition of danger.' Ruby preened as Ganondorf floated like a giant ball of dark lightning. 'However, victory is still set upon the death of Ganondorf Dragmire. That is currently the only stipulation for victory.'

Oh, that was what she was talking about.

Grandpa didn't move as Ganondorf settled himself back on the ground, towering even a distance away. He looked like he was breathing lightning from his nose, and darkness was swimming around him. If she looked up evil men in the dictionary, then that would be it, maybe with a horned helm or something, too. Ruby had her Grandpa's memories, so she knew he even had a tower to go with it. A tower!

And yet… despite all of that…

'I-I think we can still win, without killing him.' Her Grandpa's lips fell. Ruby felt his ears droop. 'He wants to fight a-and he wants to… to die. I know but… he's not completely evil.'

'The morality of Ganondorf Dragmire, separated from the curse of Demise, displayed appropriate amounts of remorse to validate a peaceful response.' How had she known that? 'Observation of CCTV records have provided me sufficient information.' Right, of course.

'Then you know we just… we just have to beat the evil out of him! I remember that you're called the Blade of Evil's Bane, right? I know I'm right.'

'You are correct. But there lacks an ability for Ganondorf to separate himself from the evil.'

'But he was before!'

'Ganondorf Dragmire before expressed a desire to repay a debt to the Hero, Master Link. At this moment, he is expressing a desire to die.' Ruby choked in her mind. Her Grandpa rocked his head, comforting her. 'Further comparing, the anger that Ganondorf has expressed is not is own has further corrupted his morality. If not seeking death, he will provide death as immediate action as consequence.'

'Th-That's not-'

'I have also found a 88% probability that he is exuding his own individual malice. Evidence for this is provided by CCTV following his initial appearance. No data or records existed of him in Remnant's database.'

'Y-Yeah?' Ruby didn't like where this was going.

'However, observation of reactions but all present parties show an extreme level of animosity directed towards him, despite actions including rescuing of lost individuals and engaging in a parley with Beacon Headmaster.' Ruby didn't understand. 'Ruby Rose, Ganondorf Dragmire is no longer a being to be seen as tainted by the evil of Demise.' Ruby didn't understand.

Her Grandpa did. Or at least she thought he did, as he recalled a memories of Ganondorf. Recent memories.

Being hated as he brought Saria back to life. Being hated as he endured every student in Beacon attacking him. Being hated as he spoke kindly to her being a hero. Being hated as he fought back against Majora. Being hated and being burned as he lifted the Master Sword from her mom's grave.

He didn't have any hatred for others… but he was giving nothing but hatred.

'H-He's… what is he?'

More than just the man who stood in front of her now with a snarl. Shadows rippling around him as the lightning cracked above. Ruby stared at him, her Grandpa's eyes firm, and her tightening his hand on the Master Sword and Shield. He wasn't doing anything now, just standing there. Btu she could still feel it.

She wanted to attack him, even as she knew it wasn't his fault.

'He is Malice.' Fi's answer was absolute. And Ruby could see it. 'There is nothing left to free. There is a 0% likelihood of beneficial actions coming from attempting to rescue him now.'

Her Grandpa thought on it, and Ruby saw it. Time spent wasted, power transferring to another of malicious intent, Ghirahim attacking them out of spite, Salem… All of it… all of it led back to her.

And Ruby didn't have a choice.

'I mean… I know but… but I still don't want to, right?'

'We do, and I apologize as it appears my inquiry has raised your likelihood for disassociation by 23%.' That was a lot. 'I recommend inaction on your part. Master is capable of facing Ganondorf Dragmire alone.' She shook her Grandpa's head.

'No. That would be worse.' Ruby shifted her Grandpa's feet, aiming the Master Sword ag Ganondorf.

'I don't want to kill him… but I'm not going to do nothing. I can't.' Her Grandpa smiled. Ruby felt a wave of warmth. 'I'll fight. I have to. I'll be… I'll be the hero.'

That warmth that her Grandpa was feeling became brighter, and Ruby's mind felt clearer. The only thing that was bad now was staring down at them, towering from feet above them. It wasn't just the power that came off of the man that Ruby knew they had to… had to kill. Now it was how he looked, once she got past the lightning, darkness, and Grimm screaming through the sky above.

Ganondorf was smiling. Did he know? Could he read minds?

"There are the eyes." He spoke. "I was waiting for you to focus your gaze."

'What?' Her Grandpa didn't speak.

"I could see conflict in your gaze. The same as when you fought in the floating arena." Her, not her Grandpa. Okay. "You fought, you attacked, but you refused to strike. You did not aim to take my life. You aimed to save me."

Her Grandpa swallowed, but Ruby said nothing. The twist her in gut was bad, and her Grandpa had to deal with that.

"It is a foolish gesture. My life ended years ago, in a future that you will never see come to pass. My life was tormented by anger and now, after so little time free of it, it spins in my mind again." Golden eyes glared at her, and the smile upon his lips made it malicious. "I cannot be separated from it. No matter what power of destruction you hold in your hand. All you may do is free me, and for that, there is but one way."

Ruby spoke a response. Her Grandpa's voice carried it like the boom of thunder.

I don't want to kill you.

His voice was thunder, and Ganondorf's laugh was like a rumbling earthquake.

"And as I told you before, Child of the Hero, you are the only one who does not." He raised Ghirahim's blade, dripping with darkness and heavier than she thought her Grandpa was. "Even I wish for my own death. Freedom from this hate. Freedom of it all. You may not wish to take my life, but know that if you do not, others will be lost."

The trident rose above his head. It crackled, and lightning scorched the sky as it slammed into him. The concrete beneath cracked and shivered, the buildings loosing the little supports they had left. Ruby heard it all, but her Grandpa's eyes were focused on the man who continued to smile at her, even as he controlled the powers of the world before them.

"You wish to be a hero like the man whose lineage you follow. You possess all that you need to do so. The strength of character, the morality in a bleak world, and even your abilities in combat. I knew you to be capable when I laid eyes upon you. But to follow in the footsteps of the Hero, the man I face now, you must learn a harsh lesson. A lesson shared between rulers and heroes, and ignored by the populace and criminals. Do you know of what I speak?"

Ruby didn't ask what it was. Her Grandpa knew, but he wouldn't say. Fi hummed in their hand.

"You cannot act as you want. You must act as you need."

She took in a long breath at that. She watched through her Grandpa's eyes as Ganondorf cross his weapons. Lightning bled into darkness, and the Master Sword shone in front of it.

"You may not wish to kill me, but you need to kill me." His grin did not fall. "Be the hero to follow your progenitor." His eyes did not shirk. Ruby's did not wane.

She stared at him, trying to think of any other option. A way to save him. A way to not have him die! He didn't deserve it, he was just… he was just cursed! He wasn't like Salem, he didn't chose to do this!

But Fi spoke no answers. Her Grandpa had no thoughts. And Ganondorf himself issued his wish like a demand.

"Kill me."

The shuddering breath left her Grandpa's chest. Ruby Rose focused.

'O… Okay.' Her Grandpa's throat rumbled.

Alright!

Ganondorf roared with joy.

"Then prepare heroes! Prepare for all the wrath, all the hate, that I am!" Ruby didn't know what it meant when he dropped his sword and lance. Normally, that would be giving up. But giving up didn't' mean having his arms light on fire, dark fire, or whatever it was. It was obviously not the same.

Especially as he floated in the air, lightning crackling around him again. Whatever he was doing, it was bad.

But she was ready. She felt the danger.

---

Grimm flew through the air as fast as they barreled down the street. They roared with power as loud as they screeched with fury. Claws ripped into concrete, talons dug into steel, and teeth ripped into the rubble around them. The city was already a ruin of steel, fire, and smoke, and the Grimm were bugs running over the remains.

That was enough to make anyone see red. But Yang Xiao-Long was 'blessed' to have a bunch of survivors from a crashed Bullhead housed in a nearly fallen over skyscraper. A bunch of civilians without a wisp of Aura about them, screaming in panic as the world crumbled around them, and only a handful of teenagers and a retired Huntress to protect them.

It was enough to make anyone lose hope.

For a new christened blonde maiden, it just pissed her off.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!" Yang threw her fists into the air with every curse she let fly. Gouts of fire lifted them. The one time she could say she was literally spitting fire, and she was too pissed to enjoy it. "What's it take to get you freaks to back off!?" She howled her question as the veritable wall of dark monsters.

They roared in return. One particular Goliath raising its trunk and bellowing into the air. Hornets flew by it, buzzing as they flew over Yang's head and for the upper floors. She pulled her lips into a snarl, red eyes following them.

"Now ain't the time to ignore ME!" She stomped on the ground, ripping into the new power she'd gotten. Tree roots blew into the air, jutting up like water crashing on stone. They speared most of the Hornets, and let the rest slam into the thick wood. Good, not great, but good. "You got my attention and you're keepin' me from seeing my dad! You had better believe that makes you a target in my book!" Twisting on her heel, she punched back at the other Grimm.

The ground groaned as the wall of tree limbs behind her tipped forwards, before the roots she had 'somehow' grown gave out from the earth. A dozen or so trees, stories tall each, all fell over towards the charging Grimm. There was some satisfaction in watching the monsters literally being crushed into dust. Some, but not nearly enough.

"Ms. Xiao-Long! Your desire to draw their attention is appreciated, but please refrain from endangering others!" The blonde whipped her head towards the Headmaster's Secretary.

"HEY! Right now, I'm a daddy's girl! The only attention I want is my old man's! The rest of these freaks can just... fuck OFF!" She kicked her foot up, a Creeper that had been ripping through the fallen trees climbing for her. Her kicks had made a pillar of limbs gut into the creature, spearing it like a gory horror story. It vanished into dust moments later.

"Please watch your language!"

"It's the end of the world! I'm gonna cut a lot of things loose!" Yang ran down the tree lines, watching Ms. Goodwitch use her riding crop to catch some Nevermore from swinging into the upper stories. "You're damn lucky my words are first on the list!"

"Dare I ask what is next?"

"Not unless you want to see a pissed-off, rebellious, Maiden!" She put her foot on a knot on one tree trunk and jumped.

Flying through the air, boxum blonde reached out and grabbed a Nevermore's talon. It squawked in her grip, but a shot from her Ember Cecilia silenced it. Falling, already dead, Yang flipped it and kicked off the corpse, flying higher into the air. She got a good look at the sea of Grimm charging in the streets. Oh yeah, they had taken it all.

There was were more Grimm on the streets now than she'd ever seen people. All of it taken over.

And somewhere in all of that, her dad and mom were in danger. In danger... or...

"RAAAAGH!" Yang came down like a meteor.

Her Aura, flaring through the new Maiden powers, sent shockwaves through where she hit. The tree she had dug her fist into was reduced beyond mulch by the time she hit the concrete underneath, and the rest of the lumbar wasn't far behind. That, of course, meant that the hundred or so Grimm scurrying though the path ways and coasting through the air weren't faring much better. If the shockwave wasn't enough, than the friendly fire she helped.

Her fire that is.

Wisps of flame, empowered by her Semblance and new powers taking out anything that wasn't already smoking on the way down. They tumbled against one another, falling so much like flies. And Yang found them just as annoying.

Because just like a swarm of flies, swinging your fist and killing a few only seemed to invite another dozen to take its place. The rest of that swarm were digging their way up the street, out of buildings, and gunning for them.

"Ugh! Times like these I almost wish Grimm had some kind of brain in them. Maybe then they'd realize this is just useless!"

"It's a battle of attrition." Ms. Goodwitch stepped to her side, flicking her riding crop. "Once you become a capable Huntress, it almost always is against the Grimm. Sufficient numbers tend to make up for lacking quality." Her green eyes were sharp on Yang. "I hope you see now why we need you here."

Yang didn't answer immediately, clenching her fist and letting the steel of her wrist-mounted guns strain. Ruby would have called her out for damaging her weapons like that. She would, if she knew where her Rubes was.

BANG! BANG! A pair of shots echoed out, taking down a set of Nevermore high above them. Yang glanced up to see the smoking bodies, then twisting her head to see Neptune waving from one of the windows. He gave a thumbs up before cocking the rifle gain. Yang had to hold back her applause.

"Yeah, thumbs up. Two dead and another twenty thousand to go." To be fair, Yang was sure she was low-balling it.

"You aggravation is understandable, Ms. Xiao-Long, but I must ask you to calm down." She turned a snarl at the woman.

"Why do I have to do that? Performance Review?"

"Grimm attraction," she countered with ease. "You may be superior at handling the Grimm, but for all the anger you have, it will only be the bait to draw out the Grimm, and they will feel the despair in the survivors up there. I don't need to remind you that as capable as team SSSN has shown themselves to be, they are woefully outmatched against all this."

"Yeah, well..." Yang growled out as she turned. She stomped her boot when she saw a King Tajitu slithering down the road. Another limbless tree sprouted up, piercing the giant snake Grimm through and through its jaw. Its head rose up with a hiss, and body stilled. It's other head writhed. And that didn't stop the other hundred or so Grimm to start charging once more.

"Who wouldn't be pissed at seeing all of this?"

"A man I have no care to meet." At least they had that in common. "Ms... Yang," her name drew her attention. She was greeted with serious green eyes. The kind of serious her dad wore even when there was a Grimm howling outside their house. The kind she'd seen way too much of these past few months. "How are you?"

"Did I not cover that earlier?"

"Yang."

"Seriously, I'm pissed-off." She growled at Ms. Goodwitch. The teacher had the graces to not back away. "My mom might be dead, my dad could be with her, my sister is the literal God-Of-Light descendant of divinity, and the co-creator in that hot mess is raising hell down on us! And wouldn't you know it, the Grimm literally charging at us for a full-course meal aren't even in the top three worries!"

"They are far from mine as well." Well... that got her. "The concern for your family and others is paramount to me. But I notice you did not include your own well-being in that colorful list of yours."

"No offense, but I'm a little past wondering how I'm going to come out of this fight." She heard concrete crack behind her. Her hari flared as her legs spun. Yang punched out, ripping up the ground beneath her as roots jutted out once again, spearing like Atlesian barrier defenses. The set of Creepers ripping through the street were pulled right out, by their jaws and claws. "Tell me when a monster rolls up on us, and then I'll start to worry about myself."

Ms. Goodwitch stared at her for a moment, passively flicking her riding crop and sending chunks of rebar out into the growing field of Grimm. Bullets were less effective than that. But her lidded eyes turned, and the scowl grew.

"Ms. Xiao-Long, were we in a more appropriate setting, I may ask you to fashion a tree by yourself."

"Why's that?"

"Because I would like for you to knock on wood." The woman started to walk past her.

Yang turned, and saw something split the horizon. She had to rub her eyes, because she wasn't even exaggerating.

That something being a horned shadow of a Grimm towering above the city line. A Grimm, she had to note, that had no white plates about it, but instead jutting dark horns, fur that looked like it was swimming, and eyes that glowed like the spotlights on planes. It towered over the ruins, and rivaled the few standing skyscrapers left around the city line. It had to be at least a mile away, but Yang was sure she could call out every feature on it.

It was a giant Grimm, a giant vicious Grimm, and its horns twisted as it rose even higher. Higher as it reeled back, blew out its chest and opened its maw.

GRAAAAAAAAAAA

Yang's hands slammed against her head, suddenly deaf at the cry that ripped into the city. It pained her, and forced tree limbs and roots to gnarl their way around the broken street. Squinting eyes saw the ground shake, rubble bouncing with the effort, and pushign over the few buildings that were still standing. Smoke and ash flew up around like it was summoned.

Yang swallowed on nothing.

Raising her fist, she punched the mulch next to her.

"I believe that was insufficient."

"I'm used to you saying I'm wrong."

"HEY! The hell was... is... oh shit!" Sun yelled from one of the upper stories, tail whipped around a few bullet ridden walls to let himself lean out. "That... the hell is that another Leviathan? Another one of those things is here!?"

"No, it isn't. I almost wished it were."

Yang stared at Ms. Goodwitch. The woman a solid head taller than her. It gave her a perfect view of the way she bit her lip, even as she lowered her head. The riding crop in her hand was twisted into a rope.

"For I fear that is so much worse."

"So how do we take it down?" She looked at her teacher. "We are going to take it down." The woman opened her mouth.

SHIINK! But the sound of a blade ripping the air in two silenced her. Yang almost missed it. The flash of light, the crackling of energy. It was up so fast that she had to blink. And that almost made her miss it.

That same giant beam of light rising into the air. The same one from the Colosseum.

That beam cutting down and slicing into the beast. It howled again, gurgling on nothing. It fell, and the ground rumbled beneath her feet.

"No, I don't think we do..." Ms. Goodwitch brought Yang back from the reverie of the sight.

"Of course..." Yang breathed out. "Of fucking course!" She turned away, facing the Grimm horde again. "Is that what you're gonna do now! Bring in the giants cause you got nothing good left to throw at me! FINE! Do it! Give me all ya got! I'm Yang Xiao-Long! I'm not just a girl on fire."

She slammed her fists together.

The mulch blew away in the wind her Maidenhood commanded. It flew like razors, cutting into the Grimm flesh and drawing a cry of annoyance from Ms. Goodwitch. Yang kept her grin up and did not look behind her.

"You can call me the Maiden of Xiao's end!"

She slammed her foot and ran into the beasts coming at her. Ms. Goodwitch was far behind her, breathing deeply through her nose and looking pointedly at the new christened Spring Maiden.

"Yo Teach. That was bad, right?"

"It was, Mr. Wukong. It truly was."

"Just making sure the Grimm haven't made me crazy yet." BANG! BANG!

"Do not fear," Ms. Goodwitch spoke as she watched Yang tear into the monsters. Watching as trees grew around her, splitting the Grimm apart before falling and crushing them. Whipping about like heavy vines and then lighting themselves aflame. The beasts had no chance against her. But their numbers were many, and did not seem to fall.

The daughter of Tai Yang just screamed in the center of them.

And off to the side, a Grimm towering as the Leviathan beat against the city.

"You are not the one I fear is losing their mind."

---

Ruby was right, it was bad. She knew Ganondorf was going to attack in some way, but she just thought it was going to be something less extreme. More building destroying, sure, but that was about it. Maybe a few more lightning attacks, because the lance seemed to give those off like candy from that nice store that used to be in Patch.

Instead, however, he just ripped his hands up into the air, and basically summoned something Grimm.

No, not a Grimm, something grim.

Something that was half darkness and half wind, shifting as it rose above them, with golden glowing eyes, horns that pushed out of its head, and arms that could comfortable sit bullheads inside of them. It rose out… through… behind Ganondorf? Ruby didn't know. Her Grandpa didn't either. He just remembered what it was. Ruby ran the name through her head.

'Ganon… that's Ganon?'

'Accurate to assume this is a magical copy of Ganon. The true Ganon is a form lying within Ganondorf's body that only the Triforce of Power has the capabilities of bringing out. The infused hatred alone would not be sufficient to summon him.' As Uncle Qrow might have said, that was a small comfort. 'Denoting current figure as Shadow Ganon, I detect a 98% probability it is sufficiently weaker than proper Ganon.'

'Okay, that's good.' Ruby rolled with it. 'But how much stronger than Ganondorf?'

'Assuming increase of volume but constant density, predictions increase strength by a factor of 8.332 times normal power.' Ruby almost groaned.

'Because he didn't hit hard enough before.' The Master Sword spun in her Grandpa's hand. 'So then… we just have to hit harder back?'

Her Grandpa didn't seem to agree. Instead, he thought up a memory that Ruby witnessed. Fighting the actual Ganon. The differences were apparent, but she wasn't silly enough to not see the similarities. Size, hands, power, size. All there. Even including how her Grandpa fought it. Never holding still, absolutely not letting it hit her, and aiming for a specific point of the monster. It's tail.

Ruby glanced with silver eyes.

'No tail.' She knew Yang would snicker if she was here. 'Then… can we attack something else?'

'I estimate a 50% likelihood that the form of Ganondorf Dragmire is a sufficient target to defeat Shadow Ganon. Assumption based upon lack of mobility, source of power, and unchanging stance.' All good reasons for Ruby.

'Then we aim for Ganondorf!'

'Counter-Claim. Ganondorf may have utilized instilled powers from Salem to unleash anger into a summoning of Ganondorf. 50% likelihood killing Ganondorf will unshackle Shadow Ganon.'

'Then we... don't aim for Ganondorf?'

Her Grandpa's grip on the Master Sword shifted, moving back and forth. Thoughts flashed through Ruby's mind. Remembering unlocking doors that unleashed monsters, or scarred villagers, and then destroying walls to stop the flow of water, or lava. There was a lot actually, maybe fifty-fifty.

'Oh. Um... what should do Grandpa?" He didn't answer her.

Instead, the giant beast that was Shadow Ganond stood taller, leaned back, and sucked in the air.

It screamed, and Ruby grit her Grandpa's teeth.

The ground beneath them rattled hard enough to have them jumping into the air. Buildings nearby finally gave out under the force of the cry, toppling story after story until they joined the rest of the ruins along the city street. Craters opened up, swallowing the boulders into the sewers systems below. All of that, with a bellowing cry.

'That hurt. That hurt a lot.' Her Grandpa nodded, before he stood taller. 'Grandpa?' He didn't respond. Instead, he held his arms together, pushed the Master Sword into the air, and shut his eyes. Ruby wasn't afraid of the dark, but that gave her a start. 'G-Grandpa?!'

He let out a long breath of air, and then peace returned. Maybe not peace around them, oh no. But inside, Ruby felt it. And what was more, she felt it before. Power flowing from his mind, through Fi, into their chest, in their heart, and then... back to the blade.

Dark as it was with eyes shut, Ruby suddenly saw light. A moment after that, her Grandpa opened his eyes. Silver eyes stared at the Shadow Ganon, the beast's writhing form twisting above them.

And above them directly sat the Master Sword. Rising into the air with a blade of Light. Ruby grinned.

Her Grandpa swung.

GRAAAAA-

The cry of the monster was cut off as the blade slammed down. The cry of Shadow Ganon rocked the city, but the blow of her Granpda slammed into the monster like... a blade! It cut into the monsters arm and sent it toppling back. It hit the city streets with a boom and her Grandpa kept pushing. Ruby did what she did best.

'Yeah! Yeah! We got this! Keep going!' And he did, with gusto! He roared in return, planted his feet, and pushed. The monster roared in return, one of its arms rising to grab the blade. It did little good, hissing like a bomb in her ear as it did so. Her Grandpa didn't stop.

Booom! Not until his hands hit the street on bended knee, knuckles digging into the pavement, and the blade of light projecting off of it like a cannon now. The cry of the beat was gutteral and music to her ears.

Shadow Ganon falling to the ground, ripping up what was left to be called ruins into dust was something else! Just as awesome to Ruby as watching its arm fall away from the strike. She had to cheer at that.

'Whoohoo! Yup! Go Granpda!' He stood up as she hollered in her head, the smile wide across his face, but he wasn't relaxing. Of course not, her Grandpa was too awesomet calm down after doing something like that! Thinking about it for a moment, she got why, too. 'Now we have to rush Ganondof and-'

The ground rumbled once more, and Ruby watched with her Grandpa was Shadow Ganon began to stand. She'd never seen a giant try to stand up before, but she had to admit it was a whole lot scarier than watching Zweit turn himself over. She watched the street shake as its leg kicked the ground, she saw the sky shift as its good arm reached up, and she felt blasts of wind as it finally curled towards her.

Her Grandpa raised his shield to protect them when it raised its stump of an arm. And then she dropped their jaw when that same stump grew like she pushed a light closer to a tree in the forest. She watched as the shadows grew out of it. She watched the arm regrow!

Then she watched Shadow Ganon rise again. It growled, and it might as well have been like a dragon roaring.

That was bad.

'Master's plan of eliminating the limbs of Shadow Ganon to open Ganondorf for attack appears to be illadvised.' Was that what he ws trying to do. Ruby guessed that was one way to skin a cat, Grimm... giant eldritch monster. 'I calculate a necessary amount of 5.44 strikes to be able to seemably reach Ganondorf, but Shadow Ganon has shown to be able to regenerate its limbs at a rate equivalent to 0.94x Master's attacking rate.' Ruby wasn't the greatest at Math, but she had to know some to make her babies.

She knew that the math was working against them then.

'That's like.. a hundred of those attacks then.' Shadow Ganon was already standing.

'Yes, performed consequentially, Ruby Rose.' That was really bad the. 'I recommend an alternative method of attack.'

'Oooookay, um... Plan B?' Her Grandpa rocked on his feet, thinking. Ruby thought with him. 'Maybe... oh! Oh! I got it! I got it!'

'Do you have a method of attack, Ruby Rose?'

' I do! Instead of doing that super blade attack you were doing on the shadow, maybe we can break into it and hit Ganondorf himself! I mean, you didn't use that awesome blade beam before when he was standing on Patch, right?'

'The Master Sword has an increased 500% effectiveness in divine powers if attacked directly with the blade, in comparison to projection of its internal power.'

'Like that then! We just gotta hit him directly!' She cheered the words, and stared up from what had to be ankle height of Shadow Ganon. 'It's a good thing Grandpa is so good at fighting giant monsters. You fought way bigger than this back in the Badlands.'

She saw his memories flash through her mind again. Running about the land while being watched by the Council. Where were they anyways? Not important. His thought that was discarded as well. She remembered the feeling of flying through the air with the Longshot, then using the Magic Sword to tear through the Monster as well. And bombs. Bombs were helpful. Maybe less helpful here though.

'We can still win though, I know it.' Her Grandpa nodded in agreement. Then he hopped into the air.

Ruby experienced her kind of speeds the moment after. It took her a second to realize why. And at the end of that second, not only where they sliding across soot and rubble a good few hundred yards behind Ganondorf, but they were also wearing new boots.

'Whoa... that felt awesome!' Memories of her Grandfather watching her shown through their mind, her turning into rose petals and blowing away. She blushed with his cheeks. 'I-I'm used to starting it! This was different! Because... because we're way further away than we need to be.'

That wasn't her trying to be rude, not that Ruby would ever try to be rude. It was just that she'd need her Crescent Rose to get a shot in now. No one else form her team would be able to hit Ganon inside Shadow Ganon. Maybe her Grandpa, but now with the Master Sword directly.

'Did we run this far on purpose?' The quick shack of her head said otherwise.

'The Pegasus Boots are a good method for surprise confrontations. However, Master is unable to accommodate appropriately for the increase in speed.' Ruby thought on that. Then she nearly jumped for joy. Almost.

'But I can! My Semblance, my first Semblance, I guess, is all about speed. Iknow how to think and move at that rate. I can control it!' She spun the Master Sword with her Grandpa's grip. 'Remind me where we need to go, and I can get there!' A memory she didn't expect came back then.

Tatl and Navi. She knew them. One more than the other. Flying about enemies, marking them, glowing in the dark, circling where they were vulnerable, helping him. Ruby got it.

She was doing that for him now.

Ruby couldn't help but smile.

'I will be unable to relay communication fast enough to assist.' Fi interrupted. 'Ruby Rose, Master, I ask you are capable and call upon me when you are in need of aid.'

'Won't be long Fi!' Ruby cried jubilantly. Shadow Ganon was turning anyways. He was facing them with glowing eyes that looked ready to shoot lasers out of them. Ruby didn't think he could, but she was pretty sure betting against it would be bad. 'Just let me know when you're ready to rip Grandpa!'

In response he bent his knees, and pulled the Master Sword back. He stood there for a moment as Shadow Ganon began to move. Moving slowly, but blowing apart the last actually standing building away with a brush of its arm. Slow, but her Grandpa was waiting, and she knew better than to rush in ahead of him now.

Shadow Ganon raised its arm into the air, digits flexed into a fist. Ruby grit their teeth and stared ahead. She saw where to go in her mind. She didn't hesitate.

She ran with the Pegasus Boots, and she felt the air slip around her. Just like her Semblance, it was fast, the world slowing down a bit around her as she focused. Not so much on step by step, but just on where she wanted to end up. She made sure to track how to get there. Jump up onto the monster's leg, stare for a quick second at the hunched form of Ganon in side of its chest, kick off that chest to its other arm, then kick off its wrist to land on the beasts shoulder. She stopped with the Master Sword raised.

Her Grandpa was the one to swing down. Ruby wasn't going to swear to it, but she was sure she could hear Fi hum as they struck. At least she could swear the Master Sword was glowing.

That, and Ganon was howling again. This close, it rattled her head. Given how they had just chopped a good quarter of the way through its arm, and blowing out the shadows like a flash grenade had gone off inside its head, the screaming made sense. Still hurt them as much as him. Maybe, possibly, actually probably not. Limb removal just sounded worse.

Her Grandpa grit their teeth this time, and looked where to go next. Ruby didn't hesitate. She took a few steps forward with the Pegasus boots, running down hill on what was left of the giant monster's shoulder, and kicked off. She hit the ground with the ash and soot scrapping beneath them. The Pegasus Boots kept on and Ruby twisted, seeing one of Shadow Ganon's legs raise. She kicked off the ground and ran until she was half was under it. She took the Master Sword back and let her Grandpa work.

Again, he put the sword to the beast's ankle, letting out a grunt of his own, as he followed through. He spun this time, and Ruby kept up the orientation. When he hit the ground, she kept running, just in case, stopping maybe another hundred meters away. The monster still towered over them, but with one arm ready to come off and its foot ready to do the same.

For a moment, her Grandpa didn't move or focus on anything, watching as the monster put its foot down and wobbled. Shadows or not, it was starting to give way under its weight. It shifted, hunching over, putting a fist to the ground to steady itself. Her Grandpa saw it then, and Ruby knew where she had to go. No special moves needed this time!

She just ran straight for that supporting limb, dashing as fast as she could. She stopped only when she was just next to it, putting the Master Sword out again, and letting momentum carry them. Her Grandpa was on it in a second, kicking off of the leg next to them, making them spin faster, which was awesome, and then slicing through the shadowy wrist like it was a butter. A six foot solid column of butter.

And the Master Sword was the hot knife that slipped right through it.

Ruby didn't even get her feet back on the ground before she heard the call of pain from Shadow Ganon again, and she turned around only another fifty meters away to see it slump forward. No arm to support it, and its beady eyes and head hit the pavement like a lump of rock. Actually probably a bit heavier, but who was she to judge? Maybe someone, sure, given who her Grandpa was, but not as important as she where she had to attack next. That was super important.

That was why she was kicking off the ground again and letting the Pegasus Boots all but make her fly. This time she didn't aim for Shadow Ganon. Not yet. Instead, she aimed for a large column of rubble, the wall and pillar of what was left of a building taken down by the monster's screaming, rampaging, and maybe Amity coming down. Maybe, she didn't know.

What Ruby did know was that she jumped at it until she was parallel with the ground, and looked down the mosnter. Its head was to her left, and the rest of its body to her right. She launched off of that rock with all the strength her Grandpa had. He was strong, so it didn't surprise her that the rock exploded behind her. Just like she wasn't surprised when she put the Master Sword out and he took over again.

Spinning like he always did, he cut through the back of the neck of Shadow Ganon, cutting off the pained cries of the monster. Ruby didn't want to start cheering until they landed. That didn't come softly, unfortunately.

Because she kind of forgot that she was supposed to be in charge of the super speed. Her Grandpa didn't remind her. Thankfully they did stop.

WHAM! Against a brick wall that is.

'Ow!' ruby let out as they hit the ground. 'I-I thought you were gonna stop for us!' A dozen memories flashed through her head, of her Grandpa sliding on ice and off cliffs, caught in wind turbines and thrown against walls, pushed by invisible forces into pits, and, maybe most humiliating of all, spat on by giant fish monsters until dunked into a pool of hopefully saliva. 'Okay... maybe I'll do it next time.'

It wasn't until she finished speaking that Ruby realized how tired she felt. Well, her Grandpa must have felt then. He wasn't focusing on something else to attack, just staring at the monster as it rippled in front of them, but it was more than that. Legs burning, lungs the same, and shaking arms. It was how she felt when she pushed her Semblance to far.

Should she be happy that her Semblance was technically better than the Pegasus Boots, or should she be worried that they were getting too tired? Probably both, but that didn't matter as much as what her Grandpa was focusing on.

That being looking down at Shadow Ganon, seeing its head roll off and dissipate into the ground. Literally. It reminded Ruby of rolling a water balloon for a moment, popping and going everywhere. Her Grandpa trained their gaze towards its chest, watching as Ganondorf started to become clearer out of the mess. He didn't need Ruby now as he pulled the Master Sword back and righted his posture. He was in mid-sprint, sword glowing again, when Ganondorf's golden eyes focused on them.

"No... NO!" Until he shouted, slamming his fists into the ground. Her Grandpa skid to a stop, jumping back with shield raised. Something hit it hard enough to force them back, but that wasn't what Ruby was focusing on. "NO! I will not have the power waned! This hatred will not perish! I will not die so easily!"

'I thought he wanted to die!?' Ruby wasn't whining. Really, she wasn't. Her Grandpa didn't argue.

Instead, they both watched as Ganondorf lifted his hands, humming as they dripped with the same shadows as Shadow Ganon. His cry was nothing compared to the beast, but it still made Ruby sense the danger! What was dangerous was kind of obvious.

WHAM! The fact that Ganondorf slamming his fists on the ground literally made shadows rise up and spew like fire embers kind of did it. She didn't need her Semblance to know touching those was a bad idea. Being surrounded was also bad. What was worse was the sense of danger still growing.

Then watching through silver eyes as the shadows began to grow around him again wasn't exactly the best feeling.

'He's... He's not really...' Memories of the same man making the same tactic three times over appeared in her mind. Ruby paled through her Grandpa's cheeks. 'But that's not fair! We just beat that thing down!' The shadows climbed above them, and her Grandpa hummed as he took a step back.

'It appears that Ganondorf is working off of the assumption that both you, Ruby Rose, and Master will be unable to maintain the energy necessary to perform the feat observed again.' Ruby swallowed on nothing. 'With consideration to the rate of respiration as well as reaction to outside stimuli, I calculate a 33% likelihood of his assumptions being correct.'

'One third? No way. Won't take that as no!'

'What are you responding no to?' Ruby didn't want to answer that.

'Grandpa, we can do that again.' Ruby affirmed. 'Legs are a bit tired, and I know my Semblance isn't the same as this, but we can do it. It's just... going to take a bit more focus.' Okay, maybe a lot more, but he didn't need to know that. Except now he did. Dang it. 'Okay, but... we can do this, right?'

Memories again. This time of his victories. Above a falling castle, abover the remains of a desert kingdom, in the center of the falling moon, and among the remnants of a hundred fallen demons. That was kind of intense. But Ruby got the message. Though really, not because of that.

Her Grandpa was just smiling, and she felt like smiling, too.

Even as Shadow Ganon rose out of the ground again, and they both saw Ganondorf curled up inside of its billowing dark chest again. Ruby saw the arms, the legs, the head, and all of it grow to the same size as before. Except there was... more. More was the right word for it.

'Sorry, I lied.' Maybe miss-spoke, but she could be corrected later. 'I'm gonna need a lot more focus.'

Watching a pair of giant literal cut-the-sky blades appear in its hand, hanging from it to cast their own shadow over her and her Grandpa, kind of meant more. If that wasn't enough more, than watching as the shadows around its legs and arms seemed to thicken. Thicken was a good word for it, even if it sounded messed up to use it on a monster.

But what else could be said when the normally semi-transparent shadows of Shadow Ganon suddenly became so thick that they were impossible to seek through. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that Ganondorf was making it armor! And that wasn't good, it was super bad!

If not more reach, then more weight, and that meant more protection. Wonderful.

'Next time will be fast approaching, Ruby Rose.' Fi hummed again. 'It appears that Shadow Ganon is not looking to allow the same course of action to result in its demise.'

'Pretty sure anyone would be working to stop that.' Fi didn't respond. But Ruby wasn't listening for her anyways. Not fully at least. She was watching the memories and actions of her Grandpa, as he stood at Ganondorf's feet. He was looking at its limbs, looking for a place to strike. She let him think. He was the cool smart one with a plan.

And while he thought, Ruby felt danger!

She pushed to the side and felt the ground erupt as Shadow Ganon slammed on of its giant blades down towards her. Erupt was a good word for it, because it felt like an air cannon had fired next to her. Her Grandpa was heavy though, because of his tools, of course, and kept them ground. Still hurt. But the danger was still there! She pushed back and ran before he took control.

It helped them to avoid the blade of Shadow Ganon from slicing through them. Instead, ripping through the entire block next to them. If it wasn't ruins before, it was now. She slid to a stop.

'Okay, so those are new and he's... faster?' A hum in her mind and a feeling of confirmation followed. 'Faster. Great. Not great for us, actually kind of bad. But hey, that means... I can do more?' She felt a positive outlook. 'Yup, more it is! Just need to know where more starts.' Her Grandpa focused on Shadow Ganon's arm again.

More specifically, the fingers holding the blade that just swung at them.

'A lot more it is!' Ruby reacted.

She ran towards the rubble again, easily getting out of the way of the falling blade. It crashed behind her when she was already five lunges ahead, jumping up the rubble and making sure to aim for the most stable pieces of concrete and pavement. She vaulted off of them to crumbled pillars, their tops sheered off. Silver eyes looked towards the side of Shadow Ganon, seeing its arm set out, but glowing eyes following her.

Faster than she thought, fast enough to make her feel the danger, the arm swung at her again. That just meant she couldn't attack yet. Her Grandpa agreed.

She let herself 'fall' down the pillar, jumping off of it when she was perpendicular to its stop and launching towards Shadow Ganon's feet. Its shadow sword sailed over head, and she heard the building being swept away by the blow. Air pressure or direct contact, she didnt' know which. She only knew she was standing underneath Shadow Ganon, looking up for a moment at Ganondorf hung in its torso.

He was staring at her. That was creepy. He wasn't moving, also creepy. But Shadow Ganon was moving. That danger! So she kept running, her Grandpa's Pegasus Boots carrying her. Her legs were starting to feel like gelatin running in them, and she couldn't evne enjoy a piece of jello right now. Or cookies! She had to focus, focus!

She was was on the other side of the street when a foot fell down where she was standing, blowing up dust like throwing a rock into a lake. Her Grandpa's eyes fell on its other hand, raised and holdign another dark sword of its own. Ruby followed it, running up an angled piece of wall and doing some guess-work in her head. She was no amazing acrobat like Weiss, but she knew how her body moved. It was why she jumped off at the height of it, spinning with her Grandpa's own athleticism towards the shoulder of the giant.

Ruby touched down, feeling the swarming darkness under her, and the mere rumble of a growl from Shadow Ganon making her legs shake. Her Grandpa was surer in footing, and he took off down the wide back of the beast. The monster reached up to swat them off, but Ruby felt the danger. She also saw an opportunity.

Blade raised, swinging at Shadow Ganon's back, slower arc, and a prime launching paltform. Her Grandpa must have known what she was thinking. Of course he did. That was why he took out his Longshot and took aim.

It fired up, wrapping around the width of the dark blade. It was in mid-swing towards them when he pulled and shot them up towards it. It was the weirdest feeling Ruby had yet, being pulled towards something that was swinging towards her, and neither of them at a particularly slow pace. It was almost like she was the flail end of a mace. That was actually awesome.

Especially how she got to see them flinging around Shadow Ganon, way up above the ruins, and avoiding its sword as it blew past its own back. Her Grandpa loosened the chain at its arc, sending them back towards a set of mid-height ruins. The Pegasus Boots touched down sparking, and Ruby felt her Grandpa train his eyes on the arm that didn't swing at them. That was exposed now, and much lower than the hand still at its back.

She ran forward, taking aim as she jumped from one crumbled pillar, to a collapsed wall, until she took a leap with the speed she was known for. She raised the Master Sword over head as they sailed past, her Grandpa swinging it down to slicing into the beast's digits. It roared, and almost loud enough to knock them out of the air. If nothing else, it had Ruby holding still when the hit ruins.

Of course, the sight of watching a giant dark blade hit the ground and burst like a balloon was almost enough to make the rattling of her Grandpa's head worth it. Almost. But still not quiet. He focused on the monster as it lurched forwards, one hand almost grabbing at the other to hold its ruins digits. Her Grandpa focused on the beast's back. Pulled back and exposed. Ruby got it.

She ran down the ruins, shooting so fast down the street that ash billowed behind her. There was enough of it to make her slide behind Shadow Ganon, and she counted on it. She came out of the dash faster so her Grandpa had time to raise his sword, channeling it up with Fi's help. It was already glowing and splitting the air again by the time they stopped, and her Grandpa screamed before the glowing eyes of the monster could turn.

The reward for the fast paced attack was tearing into the monster, but just not where they were aiming for.

Ruby knew he wanted to cut it straight in half. Shadow Ganon, or maybe Ganondorf instead, bent left, turning it into a vicious disarmament. Specifically the hand they had already cut the fingers off of.

'Shoot! We were so close!' Ruby let out as her Grandpa pulled the blade back. 'But we can keep going! I know we can take advantage of that kind of opening!' A hundred and five memories of her Grandpa doing just that, to wolves, moblins, lizalfos, and a dozen other enemies that she only vaguely knew the names of jumped into her head. 'You could have just said yes.'

Her Grandpa just smiled. Even as she let out a long heated breath. Man it was getting harder to breath.

Shadow Ganon roared as he turned, but it was more than that. Ruby felt the danger! It was the blade slicing at them again. Over the ruined buildings and looking to gut the street. Her Grandpa was on it. He leapt back, shield raised, and let the dark blade cut at nothing. It spewed stones and soot at them, blinding them, and that was annoying, but that was okay.

'Master, Ruby Rose, I recommend attacking now. There is a 88% likelihood Shadow Ganon is attacking in such a way to allow itself time to recover its arm.' Now it was bad. Her Grandpa reacted first.

That was being by dashing through the ruins with his shield raised.

Ruby felt the debris hit it like bullets, clanging against the shield and making her completely depending upon the feeling of danger. It was there, constantly, but not for what was before them. That was sort of good. Only sort of.

Because when her Grandpa burst forth on the other side, the dust blowing out around him, and in a sprint. The Pegasus Boots sent them barreling towards Shadow Ganon, and Ruby knew it was her turn. She took control, running at the monster's legs, flexed from its swing. That was a good place to jump off of!

Then she noticed how it was bending forward.

'I have a plan!' It was all the warning she gave before she altered their trajectory, running at an unassuming set of rubble. She kicked off of it, jumping from it and barreling towards another on the opposite side of the street. All of this was happening behind Shadow Ganon, and in the course of a second or two. Because a moment after that, she was running at the monster again. He'd only just taken his sword arm back.

By that time, Ruby was already running up his leg, and then up his back. She saw memories of her Grandpa doing the same to some kind of dragon, which was awesome! But she was doing it now to some super evil force, that made it more awesome! Her Grandpa thought in agreement to that, especially as she pushed the Master Sword back and let him take control.

He dragged it up the back of Shadow Ganon, the Pegasus Boots carrying them up, and eventually jumping off from the 'shoulder blades' of the monster. Ruby was sure that was as close to it as possible. And jumping just boot them around eye-height with the monster.

This time she was sure. His roar did knock them from the sky!

'Oph!' Ruby let out the cry as they hit the pavement behind them, her Grandpa falling into a roll she couldn't even count the number of memories of. She just knew he got up quickly, twisted with the Master Sword up and Hylian Shield out, and stared at Ganondorf. Stared, watched, and waited.

Watched as Shadow Ganon shifted again, the body of Ganondorf inside doing something, but just what Ruby wasn't sure. She just knew that whatever it was wasn't good, because the monster was moving again, and her Grandpa wasn't focusing on anything. Not that she could blame him.

It was hard to figure out what part of a monster to attack when half of it was regrowing and the other half was becoming opaque. Shifting as the sword that was left over from Shadow Ganon was all but absorbed back into it, and the guttural cries it let out continued to shake the ground. He held up his shield, waiting, and shifting for balance.

He did that, Ruby did something else.

Namely catch their breath!

'W-Wow... wow...' She let out between heavy pants. Her Grandpa's breath lit up the back of the shield, shoulders rocking with the effort. 'That was a lot of jumping, and kicking, and hitting, and being hit.'

'There was no physical contact between yourself and Shadow Ganon. You were able to avoid 66% of its attacks.'

'And the other 33%?' Ruby inquired. 'Well, 34%, but I thought you meant one third.'

'You are correct I did, and my assumptions accounted for the change in pressure that resulted in other damage to your cochlear sensors or physical comfort.'

'Well that last one isn't too bad. I mean... who's comfortable in a fight? My dad just threw me into the woods for a week before I joined Signal, so I know comfort isn't important.'

'Apologies, I must have used the wrong word. A better descriptor would be impairment of balance and motor skills.'

'That's a lot worse!' Her Grandpa thought of something, a hum actually, and it made Ruby focus.

Namely on how Shadow Ganon was starting to stand again. As much as she could say he had fallen.

He was standing ot his tallest was why. As in towering over them even more. Before it was just like looking up at someone who was just naturally taller, or bigger, but him being way bigger. But now it was different. Now it was the monster standing to its fullest height, and all but showing off what he was. Ruby couldn't mistake the shadow patterns running across its body still, the shifting shadows that made up hits body and somehow being more and more gruesome the longer she stared at it. That or the eyes that were brighter than any set of headlights she'd seen, and staring down with a hatred that made her grimace.

No, no, no, she was used to all of that. Sort of. What was getting her attention now was how much definition it had! That sounded bad, but she didn't know a better word. Detail maybe?

That was what she thought when she saw teeth growing out of its jaw, when its horns began to twist and gnarl, when abstract legs became what could reasonably be seen as goat hooves, and perhaps freakiest of all to her, when Shadow Ganon started to drip shadows to the ground. That was what got Ruby.

'W-What is that!? What's he doing!?'

'I do not believe this is an intentional act of Ganondorf, Ruby Rose. There is a 56% likelihood that this is the consequence of abusing the powers that he has without the Trifoce of Power to further the growth of the demonic form of Ganondorf. A pale shadow that must be given more of his life and hate to exist.'

'And... the other 44%. A-And I know that's the right number this time.'

'You are correct, and the other possibility is culminates in an increasing exertion of energy with the desired effect of destroying us. Ganondorf has yet to make full use of his power for one of three possibilities. Pride, patience, or desire.'

'D-Desire?' Even her Grandpa hummed at that one, especially as Shadow Ganon started to move gain.

That being he lowered himself, that much more detailed body hunching over and growling towards them. Growling was bad, especially if it was enough to make the stones on the ground jump. What was worse were its fingers, or claws she guessed, tearing into the ground and preparing something. Nothing good!

'Desire as in desire for death, be it his own or ours. Together, the probability is 75%, with the remaining chance left to previously mentioned motivators.' Ruby sucked in a long breath.

'Okay, okay, um... then what's the plan? Grandpa?'

She didn't receive any immediate ideas from her Grandpa. He just stared ahead as the Shadow beast lowered its head to the ground, all but scratching the concrete with its horns. All but, because those gnarled instruments were much more likely to tear up the street than just scratch at it!

She tightened the grip on the Master Sword while he thought, and she held up the Hylian Shield a bit higher while he stared. He had to come up with an idea. He had to, because Ruby was feeling it. It was the constant sensation that was becoming more and more pronounced.

Danger. Danger Danger. Danger.

Just over and over again, like a pit in her stomach that was forcing her to attack, but she didn't know what to do.

'Master, I concur with Ruby Rose that immediate action must be taken. I have several proposed actions to take.' He didn't respond to her, which was also bad. A lot of bad things were happening, and Ruby didn't just think over all.

Bad things like this being the third time Ganondorf had remade Shadow Ganon, and now that it was the third time, it looked like something out of an old horror film. No, worse. It looked like a Grimm that could rule the Badlands. And what was worse than that? It was that it was focused right on them. Not even a bit off.

Ruby stared down glowing golden eyes across the long stretch of ruined street.

It hit her for a moment that she didn't even know what street this was. Just another street in Vale that she was sure a lot of other people walked down, shopped around, maybe even lived in for all she knew. The buildings that were knocked down could have been apartment complexes or high-rise stores. She didn't know. She had no idea.

Ruby didn't know a lot... and that was becoming more and more apparent as Shadow Ganon growled again. Zwei was quieter when he was smothered against Ruby's face. Shadow Ganon was at least two hundred Ruby's away, and it made her bones shake. Her Grandpa gripped the Hylian Shield tighter.

'You've beat him before like this, right?' She didn't wait for a response. 'So that means you have to have an idea on how to beat him now, right? I mean, Weiss is the smart on on the team, but that makes sense, doesn't it?' She finally got her Grandpa to think.

About him using his bow and arrows against the man, after destroying the barreirs protecting him and battering his own attacks back at him, finally going through and using the arrows to strike him down. But not his arrows. Glowing golden arrows. Arrows that literally lit up the room. The kind of arrows she had never seen him use before.

'Light Arrows,' Ruby listed 'You... don't have light arrows. Light arrows were how you beat him before.' Or her real Grandpa, like up on the tower. But he was watching everyone else. She couldn't ask him to stop that! 'So... where are they?'

Her Grandpa thought of them falling away back to the powers of Zelda, vanishing as he traversed worlds, or merely falling from existence and Salem did the deed herself. Always being taken from him. That was a telling thing.

'The Light Arrows are, by assumption of 99.3%, a gift of the Fierce Deity to Princess Zelda. I have no record of an appropriate time, but observation of the Light Arrows suggest the immediate ability to destroy, akin to the powers of the Fierce Deity.' That was... good? 'It is highly likely that Salem possess them at this time.' Nope! All bad!

'Then we just... have to do something ourselves!' Ruby screamed in her mind. Her muscles and her Grandpa's screamed back at her. 'Yeah, sure we're tired, but we've been tired for the last ten minutes and this... this is gonna be a last charge thing, isn't it? Feels like it.'

Shadow Ganon humming against the ground, claws torn into the streets, legs braced to kick, and a brand new shadowy tail whipping behind it. If he wasn't a hundred and fifty times the size and ready to kill everything he ran across, he'd almost look like Zwie. Almost, as in not at all.

'You are correct, Ruby Rose. I have a 84% chance, and increasing at a rate of 0.03% per second, that Shadow Ganon is going to initiate a charge against us.' A charge, like a ram, like Yang when she took her hair products. That was really bad. 'Master, I have parameters to follow to ensure survival. I may recommend them unless you have an alternative preferred course of action.' Nothing was coming to Ruby's mind, and her Grandpa and here were linked in the mind.

Not until she called up a memory of him facing down someone other than Majora. Someone that Ruby almost didn't believe when the idea popped into her head. It was what she thought wasn't possible, even after what she'd seen and what she was seeing. It was a little to crazy, because most laws of reality said it couldn't be done.

Because how else was she supposed to say her Grandpa had fought himself?

'Grandpa? What are you... thinking of?' She asked the question even as she scoured his own mind. Watching as he fought his phantom.

Move for move, and strike for strike. She watched her Grandpa fight against the monster and nearly lost his life. Wherever he was able to take a moment of health from the shadowy copy of himself, it reappeared more vicious than before. The few moments he was able to thrust forward and deliver a fatal strike, it leapt to the edge of his blade and stood tall. Just like he had done with Pyrrha...

No wait, how did he win?!

The unexpected.

The question was answered as her Grandpa sheathed the Master Sword, pulling his hands out and striking a pose in front of Shadow Ganon. Ruby felt his mind looking for an answer, and he was deciding on a couple. She didn't know how to help.

ROOOOOOOOAAAGH! She didn't know how to shut Shadow Ganon up!

And she really didn't know how to stop him from charging!

Too late now.

The monster was barreling down the road towards them, ripping up what little was left of the street in its wake. Its body ripped at the ground to shoot itself ahead, the roars it made nearly as destructive as the ground it trampled. Ruby felt the ground quake with every foot fall and shudder with every roar.

And yet her Grandpa did nothing. He just waited.

The Danger was approaching, and it was getting bigger! Bigger and bigger until it was danger, DANGER, DANGER! It was there!

'Grandpa! Grandpa!' There wasn't any time left. And that's when he decided to shut his eyes! 'Grandpa!'

'Master!'

Grandpa Link opened his eyes. Then the world was swallowed by light.

Everything. The monster, the buildings, the ruins, the cries, the sound, the feeling, all of it. Ruby just felt what her Grandpa felt, and that was nothing at all. It was hard to just make a thought. Staring ahead into a stream of light and nothing to make sense of it.

Slowly, like her cape falling down once unlatched, the light began to fade. The sensation of the world returned after that, and it was almost painful. Going from dead silence to the-literal-end-of-the-world did jar the mind. That, and going from the brightest thing she'd ever seen to suddenly doom and gloom grays almost had her blinking spots out of her eyes! Her Grandpa was wiping them, but quickly.

He was focusing on the spot the monster was charging from, and Ruby could see anything coming. See, feel or any of that. Just nothing. That was… good? Better than sensing danger.

'Those were… silver eyes?' He nodded. 'Why'd that… I used them today and it didn't… that was painful!'

'Ruby Rose, you carry the blood of the Fierce Deity in your body. You are his descendant, inheriting 25% of his power.' Fi reminded, and that was still awesome to hear. 'However, Master has silver eyes gifted by wielding the Master Sword rapt with courage. He was not born with silver eyes. He was not embued with their powers. As such, there is pain involved.'

'And how!' Ruby let out. 'B-But you did it! I mean it was painful and I'd want to do it first next time, because I have natural silver eyes, but you still did it! My awesome Grandpa still beat him!' Ruby was jumping in her Grandpa's mind. 'He was there and screaming and all graaah, and you just went 'blink and you miss it!''

'What was about to be missed?' Ruby ignored Fi.

'But that… wow…' she let her voice drop off. Namely as her Grandpa all but fell to a knee. 'Yeah that takes a lot of you. Now we're both tired and in pain, huh?' She tried to laugh. 'At least we won for it, even if I'd wanna call and see if someone can give us a lift.'

'I am having difficulty reaching any of the CCTV connections, Ruby Rose. Contacting any allies at this time will be difficult. I do not have sufficient information to determine how difficult.'

'Just hard, got it. And I really wanted a ride this time.' She also wanted to fall back and laugh, maybe make a rubble angel. That was a thing, and her Grandpa was definitely strong enough for it. But he didn't let them fall. He was keeping his body upright.

And his hand gripped the Master Sword. That got Ruby.

'Grandpa?' He didn't answer. 'What's wrong? Do you feel something, or see something, or… some other something?' His silver eyes looked around, tired feet taking slow steps forward. 'Granpa?' He still didn't answer.

Ruby was forced to watch as he walked through the quiet ruins of the city corner, the rumble of lightning above and the sounds of maybe a few other people fighting way far off. Least with how sensitive her Grandpa's ears were, that's what she thought it was. Either way, it was all she could focus on. He wasn't talking.

He was moving slowly, around the ruins and the charred remains of Shadow Ganon. And… Ganondorf?

'Wait… where is Ganondorf? Silver Eyes wouldn't have killed him like that, right? Would they?'

'I lack sufficient information to be able to comment. There is a non-zero chance a corpse would be present.' That wasn't affirming. Fi didn't notice.

Ruby listened instead to the crack of rocks under her Grandpa's boots, the Master Sword out and shield pulled tight. He scanned where he could, looking for monsters to roam free. They would come eventually, given how many there were even in the skies, but not yet. And the one they wanted to find wasn't a small guy either. It was… something she was sure they'd see by now.

She was about to say that, on the tip of her tongue even, ready to say that they had won, and give a story about how her dad taught her to accept when things were over, even if it was just to help her Grandpa. Ruby was about to say that.

Before he walked past a large pile of rubble, and came across a blur of shadows on the ground. Grandpa reacted.

He jumped forward, stabbing the mass of shadows with the Master Sword. It writhed at the contact and fled back, picking itself up. Ruby didn't know how to describe what it was doing, not without being as sick as possible, like watching someone unmelt themselves. Okay, maybe that could work, but it was still making her queasy!

And when Ganondorf took shape again, standing above them, that feeling hardened. His smile brokered no piece.

"Always another tool to strike me down with. There always will be." He sounded… happy? Yeah, happy. "A pity the edge of that blade cuts you as well as me." Oh crap he could see they were tired.

'Master Link! Attack!' 'Do it Grandpa!' He lunged.

Pegasus Boots flaring and putting him underneath the man. Golden eyes stared down at him, but Grandpa didn't hesitate. Ruby wouldn't stop him. Master Sword pulled back, glowing with Fi's power, he let out a scream. The sword ripped into Ganondorf like the beat of a drum. Ruby's ears even pulsed.

The explosion of power that ripped out the back was just for show.

Her Grandpa looked up, staring at the man who had been the cause of so much horror. Ruby couldn't forget it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault like it wasn't his fault what happened to mom, but it was still what happened. Ganondorf was just forced to do it, and it was... it was said.

So why didn't he stop smiling.

"That... does hurt." He spoke with the Master Sword in his chest. "I should never fear you giving me a less than full fight, Hero." The dark man chuckled with the words, bowing his head. "Just as you had the last time we fought." His hand rose and grasped at the blade, slipping down it. Ruby wanted to pull back, but just because she wanted to.

There wasn't any danger. She didn't feel any at least.

"I'm dying now. I'm dying, again." He kept laughing. "How odd it is to say that. Dying twice. Would anyone consider that a blessing? Do you, Hero of Time?" Grandpa didn't think of anything. Ruby knew that meant he didn't have an answer. That was just as said. "If not... I only wonder what it is you plan to do when you do die. Not by my hand, of course not. But hers." They knew who he meant.

The idea of Salem killing Grandpa wasn't just a bad idea, it was a bad joke. Her Grandpa twisted the blade just to prove it. Maybe... a bit much, but... but...

'Why isnt' Ganondorf bleeding?' The honest question made her Grandpa look down.

Sword through his chest, past the armor, light out the back, but no blood. He had blood, he was human, he had to bleed, but there was no blood. And he was still smiling. Why was he smiling? Why was he smiling after being stabbed and not even choking in pain? No, wait...

'He mentioned Salem, but he's still smiling.'

'I do not understand the query.'

'Ganondorf hates Salem. He has never smiled while speaking of her. She forced her hate into him. Why is he happy about her now?' Grandpa had the same question, and he took a step back, ready to rip the Master Sword from the chest.

The grip of Ganondorf strengthened like iron, and he was held in place. Ruby still felt no danger, and she had no idea why. She had Aura, she could feel it!

"Oh, are you confused~?" Ganondorf... hummed!? "So sorry, I didn't have time to make myself clear. Here, let me... freshen up~." He twisted his head to the left and snapped it.

Like glass being blown out, the visage of Ganondorf was ripped from existence. The grip the monster had on her Grandpa's arm kept them in place, but Ruby was trying to shut their eyes. Her Grandpa did not. He stared straight at the thing holding them now.

It was a thing, too. There was no other proper description for Ghirahim.

"That was a close call, wasn't it~?" The demon cooed down to them, still pierced through and holding her Grandpa's arm close. "Almost slipped away from me. And here I thought that once you had this kind of contact, it only made sense to grow a bit... closer~."

Then he started to pull. Ruby wanted to scream.

The Master Sword sunk soundlessly deeper into the man's pale chest, blood still refusing to dribble from the wounds and stopping only when the lavender hilt of the blade pushed against the monster's chest. He laughed, pierced through with a doubtlessly deadly blow, and he laughed.

She looked up, her Grandpa's eyes widening as his blade skewered the reformed weapon of Ganondorf. No blood fell from his wound. He only stared down at her, hand gripping her own, and holding the Master Sword in place, jutting through his body and out the back.

Ruby still felt no danger.

"Such a firm grip~." Ghirahim cooed to her. Ruby's stomach flipped. "That's good! Can't have you too loose~. Be sure to grit your teeth."

Then, and only then, did her sense of DANGER flared. Her Grandpa tried to move.

"A tool shouldn't question their master's will."

But the grip on his arm kept them planted. Ruby tried to let go, but Ghirahim held he Grandpa still. Her Grandpa raised his shield, all but slamming it into the man's face. He didn't make contact.

Instead, Ruby watched as Ganondorf's lance tore out the man's head. Skewering it and screaming towards them. It was danger! DANGER! DANGER!

TWAAANG! It hit her Grandpa's shield, and sent them flipping into the ground. Her sense of balance was ripped out of her as the concrete blew up like a bomb was in it. Stars danced in their eyes and Ruby tried desperately to take a breath of air. None was coming. Her Grandpa tried to twist his arm up, but it wouldn't move.

Too tired. Too heavy a hit. Too bad.

"Not a move I will ever pride myself in, but a necessary one for as capable as you." Ganondorf spoke above them, and Ruby felt her Grandpa's neck twinge as he forced himself to look up. The man was towering over them, and his lance was crackling in his hand. The jewel on his head still splintering. "No other way to harm you but to entrap you."

DANGER!

Ruby pulled in her Grandpa's legs, avoiding Ganondorf's boots from stomping on them. The ground cracked like dynamite was in it.

DANGER!

She managed to roll to the side, dragging his body up a hill, to avoid the dull end of the lance from slamming into her shoulder. Her grandpa's blonde hair flickered as the electricity swam off of the rod.

DANGER! DANGER!

Ruby forced her Grandpa's shield up with all her strength. It only made it easier for Ganondorf to grab, pulling her up like a limb doll. Her Grandpa's limbs screamed, but she was only able to force out a pained groan, feet dangling as the Evil King easily held her up. Her Grandpa wasn't focusing on that. He was moving his hand out, squeezing it.

'Master! Ruby Rose!' The cry from Fi reached her, but she couldn't feel the Master Sword. Silver eyes, dull and pained, looked to see the blade still sticking out of Ghirahim's headless corpse. That shouldn't have stopped her.

But the gloved hands holding her, as if forcing her into his body, did.

"The wicked blade of Demise holds back the Sacred Blade of Evil's Bane." Ganondorf listed. "They were always meant to destroy one another. A sacrifice on one part, so that I may destroy you."

Ruby swallowed on blood that trickled in her Grandpa's throat. He wasn't thinking of anything, focusing on Ganondorf's golden eyes. All Ruby could feel was DANGER!

"You should be the one to destroy me, but it appears you are not strong enough." The danger became stronger. Her Grandpa's head fell, and Ruby watched as Ganondorf's trident fell forward and rested against his chest. She could feel the lightning crackling in the rod, running through their body like static. "The consequence of time, the divine, or fate, I do not know. It does not matter."

DANGER! DANGER! Ruby couldn't act on the sensation.

KRRHHCHCCHCH! She was too overcome with the sensation of lightning running through her.

If she screamed or her Grandpa did, she didn't know. Her vision saw white for a while, ears ringing like a bell had gone off in her head. The world came back to them both like a blanket was being pulled off, and every little more showed a more painful experience. Her voice was hoarse from screaming, her Grandpa's limbs still writhing in Ganondorf's grip, and the smell of ash heavy in the air.

"Your strength has lost to my hate, and I don't have a care for someone who no longer can free me from this torment." The trident crawled up her Grandpa's chest, stabbing into his throat. It rested there like a knife, Ruby trying not to cry.

Her Grandpa was brave, he wasn't crying. He was brave, so he wasn't screaming. He was glaring at Ganondorf, and… and she had to do the same.

"You gave me peace once, and offered it to me again. You swore to give me an end now, but only the strength cursed to me has kept you from that." The trident pulled back, letting Ruby watch the prongs glide away from her. Sharp, crackling, and still aimed right at her. The ground was filled with the scorch marks of that weapon. "I will offer you all that I can now. For gratitude in offering me that freedom before."

His arm was fully extended and his weapon aimed at her Grandpa's head. Ruby tried to kick, but it only sent a jolt of pain through her Grandpa's leg. He tried to let go of the shield to slide free. That almost worked! Almost… before Ganondorf twisted the shield and locked it in place. Ruby held back the cry of pain in her head.

"Be at peace, Heroes of Time. It is all I can offer you now." Ruby felt it. The danger DANGER DANGER!

But she couldn't do anything about it. It was death, and… and she was scared. She didn't want to die. She couldn't. She promised her dad and Grandpa she wouldn't. She had to live! Lightning crackled up the lance, but she refused to look away.

That was why she was able to see it.

Watch the flash of light rip into existence behind Ganondorf.

Watch the figure taller than even the King of Evil rip his arms forwards.

Watch as his blade tore into the him and sundered the man fast as the lightning he was commanding.

The air didn't pop so much as it had been severed. Ruby fell like the puppet she felt like, her Grandpa forcing them to at least kneel. Everything hurt, but they were alive. Silver eyes forced themselves to look up, seeing her other Grandpa's boots standing there. Large and in charge. Ruby felt the elation lift her up. Her Grandpa helped her to force their neck back, staring up at the man who had saved them.

Her smile froze as she stared at him. It was him.

Same tall figure, same white tunic, same metal armor, same twisted blade, same silver eyes, all of it. All of it was the same. Except this was the first time she had seen him swing that blade. It was the first time she realized that she couldn't even see where Ganondorf was. Wiped form existence maybe. She saw that.

That, and the arrow thick as her arm, darker than the clouds above, sticking out of his chest.

Ripping through the steel of his armor, dripping with something that was not natural, and then mouthfuls of blood.

Ruby shook her head, her Grandpa unwilling to look away, and watched as the dark arrow in the Fierce Deity's chest kept moving, crawling even. Reaching over his armor, dripping down his chest… filling him with darkness.

The God of Light nearly dropped his blade at her feet.

'N-No...'

---

It was a mistake, and he knew it before he made it.

It was a mistake to leave his post, turn his back, and raise his blade. It was a mistake because it meant he was not keeping watching, he was not guarding, and he was not holding back the tide that hung above the city. A gaze that could rend existence, and he was staring at it as a threat. There was little that could tear his eyes away, but the goddess he once loved made it so.

It was not a mistake to strike down Ganondorf. It was not a mistake to take him from existence. Not even the dead man would argue that. But it was a mistake to strike. To look away. To blink.

Because it was all the time Salem needed.

He was behind Ganondorf in an instant. He was swinging his blade before his feet had settled. He ripped through the power that the Evil King once held. He severed the man's torso and his trident all in one continuous swing. He cut existence to make it so. But it was an attack that took his focus away.

Focus away from the portal that opened behind him, away from the goddess standing beyond it, and the dark arrow she had notched. He had only cut half-way through Ganondorf when she loosened the arrow, and he was stuck in the follow-through when it made contact with his armor.

He was strong. He was nigh-immortal. He was destruction itself.

Salem was creation. She had the means to create a tool to pierce his armor.

It ripped through his chest by the time he had stopped his swing. It punched out of the metal plating when he had reached up to grasp his chest. It gored him and stuck out of him, darkness and blood dripping from it. Silver eyes stared down at it.

The width of his wrist, the length of his arm, and only just duller than the blade he held. Were that hall, he would have ripped it out. But the arrow was a tool of the Goddess of Creation.

And creation began in darkness. Darkness that dripped from the blood, sprouting thorns within his chest. It shuddered inside of him, ripping through his insides. Blood fell from his lips, teeth grit in pain.

Ruby Rose, his grand daughter, stared up at him in silent horror. He looked back down, dread writing across his face.

It was a mistake, and now the price had to be paid.

His body twisted, looking back and away from Ruby and the Hero. He stared into the maelstrom of darkness, seeing the woman behind it. Her gown of darkness, eyes malicious red, and long dark bow held in her hand. It was the first he had seen of her in uncountable centuries.

She said nothing as she lowered her bow. She said as much as she raised her hand. The Fierce Deity grabbed the bolt that had punctured his chest, feeling it grow further inside of him. Blood was pushed past his lips further. His former host's hands grabbed at his armor uselessly, screams dulled by a pounding in his ears.

Then, by a crack that filled the sky. He did not look away from her.

The Fierce Deity did not turn his eyes away from Salem, not until he felt the sky above them harden.

Silver eyes looked up, watching as the rippling clouds ceased their motion. From thick waves hovering above an ocean to a sleek dark canvas. His gauntlet continued to rip at the bolt in his chest, tearing it inch by inch through him. He still did not blink.

Not even as the sky twisted once more, from a blank canvas to a million small points, littering the knight like stars. A curtain hung about the Wind Fish, twinkling as darkness fell from them. Dripping from the wrought tips.

Arrows. A million arrows like the one piercing his chest, hanging above the city.

Above everyone who had survive thus far. His eyes fell to Salem. Silver reflected red as she licked her lips. She spoke not a word as her hand fell. The portal closed as the air rumbled.

"N-No…" His voice shuddered.

The sky shook, and then… the sky fell.

---

Author's Note:

I suddenly realized while writing this chapter how much my dialogue sucks, and my tendency to try and fill a word quota per day, rather than a scene, has left me with a story that only the die-hards are left to read. Don't get me wrong, still love all of you, but I got to figure out how to expand the horizon of my writing capabilities. It's easy to imagine a scene, but make it work? Oh that's the fun part.

And without dialogue, like trying to paddle a boat with an oar.