Hello all. This is by far the longest chapter I've ever written, so to celebrate I decided to grace you all with my voice. I haven't actually put an author's note up here for a while, and I don't really know why. Just had nothing to say, really. I also haven't been updating as frequently and that's cause between my job and school I've been a tad overwhelmed. But I'm graduating high school on Friday so I should have more time to write. I like posting weekly and not doing so has been throwing me off. But school's out so yay. I'm actually working on Chapter 18 right now. I like having a couple chapters ahead written before I post a new one. And to those who thought I was done on Chapter 12 ha! I have a lot more planned, going in Botw sequel territory. I can't wait for what they show on E3. Well that's all for now, folks. Feel free to comment and say hi, or critique something, or gimme some cool Zelda lore I didn't know.
Chapter Fourteen:
Zelda looked around the inside of the Divine Beast. Ruta was one of the more complex Divine Beasts, much of it powered by water through unknown techniques. Series of gears and chains were fixated above her, some immobile, others pushed gently by a stream of water. The Beast itself was divided into several chambers on various floors. Sheikah emblems were evident all across the titanic machine, on the floor, walls, and even on the gears.
Zelda! A surprised voice said. What-how are you here?
"Mipha? Is that you?" Zelda wondered aloud.
Yes, it's me. When the Calamity attacked the Divine Beasts, my spirit was trapped inside after I died. I've been here, looking after my people ever since. Until the Malice in Ruta woke up again.
"I'm so sorry Mipha. I'll free you, I promise. It's my fault you're trapped here," Zelda muttered.
Don't be absurd. No one could have guessed what would have happened. Ganon fooled us all.
Zelda sighed, not wanting to argue further. "I suppose. What should I do? How can I purge the Malice from Ruta?"
If you can activate all the terminals then restart the main control unit, you might be able to draw Ganon out and destroy it.
"What do you mean, Ganon? I destroyed Ganon," Zelda told Mipha.
Not all of him. You destroyed Ganon's main form, but so long as Malice infects the land, Ganon will have a way into the world. When Ganon attacked the Divine Beasts, he couldn't just control them like he did with the Guardians. The Divine Beasts only answer to one master, so he had to create a puppet that could function like one. He created demons designed to kill each of us and sent them here. Some fraction of Ganon's essence escaped here when you almost destroyed him. Only by destroying his puppets can we reclaim our Divine Beasts.
"I see," Zelda said thoughtfully. "Then how should I purge Ganon from Ruta?"
There are five terminals-
"The terminals!" Zelda exclaimed. "Of course! I'm so foolish. If I put the Sheikah Slate in the Guidance Stone, it should allow me minimal control over Ruta, enough to activate the terminals which will spread Sheikah energy throughout the Divine Beast's systems, repelling Ganon's Malice. You're a genius, Mipha."
It is my pleasure.
With newfound determination, Zelda rose from the ground and glided towards the Guidance Stone. A gate covered in Malice obstructed her path. Summoning her magic, Zelda swept her hand over the liquified Malice, erasing it completely. The Sheikah bars rose, and Zelda put the Sheikah Slate in its place.
Instantly, the Sheikah technology took over. The pedestal connected to the Sheikah Slate, spinning it on its back and pressing into the pedestal. Glowing runes appeared on the stone above the pedestal. They fell down the side of the stone, mixing together under the Sheikah eye to form a droplet of the strange blue water. After a moment, it dropped, splashing onto the Sheikah Slate.
The Sheikah Slate unhinged from the pedestal, spinning once more as it rose. Zelda plucked it from its spot and looked at the screen. A map of Ruta appeared, with five orange points, and a yellow arrow to indicate her position.
This was fascinating! How did all this information transfer just by dropping water on it? How did it know what to give her? How was it that it was still functioning even though the other parts of the Divine Beast had been corrupted?
So many questions, too little time. Perhaps if the threat of Ganon didn't loom so near, she would have stayed and tried to answer these questions.
The first orange speck was right next to the Guidance Stone. Zelda turned and spied the terminal under the water. Zelda raised a fist, light bursting forth. The chains connected to the platforms clanked as the slab of Sheikah material rose from the water. Zelda glided over to it and waved the Sheikah Slate over the terminal. The Sheikah lines turned blue and a robotic voice spoke "Sheikah Slate authenticated."
"Incredible," Zelda whispered. Just by waving a piece of metal and glass, she was able to activate a complex system of ancient technology. There had to be some kind of invisible signal that the Sheikah Slate sent out. How did the ancient Sheikah build all this? This was far beyond the technology the people of Hyrule had today, almost like magic. How were they able to discover all of this? And more importantly, why was it buried away?
Impa had told her the legends. The people of Hyrule were afraid of the power the Sheikah possessed. But they had shared it with Hyrule, had they not? Why were the people of ancient Hyrule afraid of the Sheikah technology?
It was an impossible question to answer. And besides, it was not the goal for today. Today, she had a different mission. She had to free Mipha and the Zora from Ganon's hand.
Zelda glided out into the larger chamber. There were two orange specks in this room, quite close to each other. Zelda floated up to the higher compartment of the Divine Beast. Two large gears turned in unison, pushed by water that fell from a blocky tube. One held a terminal that spun around the inside of the gear. The other sat in a cage in the middle of the gear, with a Sheikah orb and chest orbiting around it.
Zelda levitated up to the caged terminal. She turned her palm towards the orb that circled the gear. The terminal was only accessible when the ball was in contact with the cage, but the cage would be upside down whenever this occurred. In theory.
Light enveloped the Sheikah orb. Zelda pulled her fist towards herself, and the ball followed suit, rising up the pole until it clanged against the Sheikah cage, opening it up. Zelda walked inside and activated the terminal.
The next terminal was fairly simple as well. The only issue was that Zelda would have to get wet in order to activate it. She didn't necessarily want to get wet, so she levitated the Sheikah Slate over to the terminal and activated it from solid ground.
Purple splotches of Malice coated the gears and floors, and even a bit of the walls of Ruta. Mipha had said that as long as Malice existed in the world, Ganon could worm its way back in. How it could perform such a feat with this pile of gelatinous goo was beyond her, but she didn't doubt it could.
With a frown, Zelda eradicated the substance with her magic. So much of this was beyond her. Ganon, the Sheikah technology, even her own powers. How could they possibly hope to win when they didn't know their enemies or their allies?
Sufficiently depressed, Zelda continued on to the next terminal. The Sheikah Slate had the nearest speck in the head of Ruta. The other was at the tip Ruta's trunk. An odd word for the strange appendage, but Zelda couldn't doubt Purah's translation.
Zelda decided to activate the terminal on the trunk first. She flew up and out of the Divine Beast, seeing the tip of the trunk over its head. Zelda spotted the terminal, and activated it quickly. In a flash, Zelda was headed towards the last terminal.
The terminal was surrounded by torrents of flame. Strange, since the Divine Beast lived in, created, and used water to power itself.
Zelda touched a few buttons on the screen of the Sheikah Slate, and the trunk of the Divine Beast moved over to extinguish the flames. Of course, she could have done the same with her magic, but she had the Sheikah Slate. What was the point of these weapons if not to use them?
With the final terminal activated, Mipha spoke again.
Excellent work! You were most swift. I had not realized you had become so proficient with your power.
Zelda blushed. "When you fight a demon for a year, you tend to learn a lot."
I am sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.
"It's alright. I just want this nightmare to end. What else must I do?"
To purge Ganon completely, you have to activate the main control unit, which will draw out the beast that killed me. It is called Waterblight Ganon. It is a formidable foe. You must remain vigilant when doing battle with the monster. I believe in you, Zelda.
Zelda nodded and headed towards the new dot that appeared on the Sheikah Slate. It was on the other side of the Divine Beast, near the Guidance stone. It stood alone in a large chamber with a shallow layer of water on the floor. Thin veins of Malice lined the floor as well. Zelda took great care to avoid those as much as possible.
Zelda approached the main control unit. It was an enormous, orange machine, with Sheikah carvings and designs etched into it. A Sheikah pedestal stood in front of the mechanism, waiting for her. Zelda approached the pedestal and placed the Sheikah Slate on the pedestal.
Instead of the blue ding signalling the machine's activation, purple Malice erupted from the contraption. Zelda stumbled back in shock, watching as the purple substance grew in size and volume.
Blue lines of Sheikah energy swirled around her, intertwined with purple streaks of Malice. The combined power converged behind her. Zelda turned to see a massive, flying humanoid figure appear out of the light. It's body was comprised mostly of Malice, with bits of Sheikah technology added in. It's face was a mechanical slab of metal, with a single eye that locked on to her. It had horn-like pieces of metal that jutted out of it's face. Red hair fell down the creature's back. It's left arm was made entirely of Sheikah components, connected complexly to create a long spear made entirely from blue Sheikah energy. Sheikah components connected to the creature's torso, allowing it to fly.
Be careful Zelda! This monster is unlike any I have faced before. It's speed and power are unrivaled by all but the mightiest warriors, and it's spear has a long reach. But even still, I have faith in you. Please Zelda, defeat this monster!
The monster roared in challenge, swinging its monstrous spear. Zelda stepped back, gathering her Divine power. Golden light shone around Zelda, hardening into a sphere. Zelda levitated off the ground, light brimming from her fingers.
Waterblight Ganon lunged at her with its spear. It bounced off her shield with a clang! The force of the blow knocked Zelda back, despite not doing any damage. Zelda grunted in surprise, recovering quickly. She gasped, seeing the monstrous titan bearing down on her again. Zelda flew to the side just in time to dodge the spear that slammed into the water where she had just been levitating.
Perhaps it was a good thing that the Calamity had kept its ethereal form during their year long imprisonment together. Zelda couldn't fathom defeating the monster in a similar battle.
The monster swiped its spear at Zelda once more, and Zelda flew above it. With a cry, Zelda pointed her hands at the blight, unleashing a blinding beam of light at the demon. Her power slammed into its form, knocking it down to the ground. It roared at her, but the sound quickly turned into a cry of pain when five spheres of light crashed into it, each one burning a hole through it.
The demon pulled itself back into the air, levitating just above the surface of the water, like Zelda. They circled one another, a princess shrouded in light, and a puppet made of darkness. The beast's singular eye stared at her unblinkingly, the blue hue pulsing in beat to the slow thrum of the Malice that coated its body. Zelda's fingers twitched, readying her Divine power to throw at the monster. A single droplet of sweat rolled down the side of Zelda's face.
The monster struck, lunging forward with its spear. Zelda raised her hand, a wave of light rising to follow her motion. It knocked the monster's spear aside and smashed into Waterblight Ganon, pushing it back. Zelda didn't give it time to recover, thrusting out her other hand and unleashing a powerful golden beam. Waterblight was knocked into the shallow water, raising its Malice hand to block the onslaught. It did little good, since Zelda simply shredded through it. Waterblight shrieked in pain and shock as it watched its arm disintegrate before its eye.
Zelda lowered her arm, panting slightly. Waterblight did not waste its opportunity, floating up and swinging its spear-arm around and throwing the enormous navy spear at her. Zelda dodged away, surprised and elated that the monster gave up its only weapon. That elation disappeared when a new spear appeared in place of the old one. Zelda frowned in disappointment. Why couldn't this thing simply die?
Waterblight roared again, swinging his spear at Zelda. Fed up with the monsters antics, Zelda rose into the air, summoning her power. The light around her increased tenfold, shining so brightly that it would have blinded most hylians. Waterblight shrieked in rage and pain, falling back under her power. Zelda's sphere of light only grew, slowly but surely disintegrating into nothingness. After a minute, the demon's cries ended, and Zelda let her own powers sputter out. Waterblight was nowhere to be found.
"That was incredible, Zelda. I am so happy you were able to master your power, all on your own," a femine voice spoke. Zelda smiled, turning to face her friend. "Hello Mipha. I have missed you dearly."
The Zora Princess smiled. "And I have missed you as well. It is a delight to see you again, even if the circumstances are not ideal."
"I trust that the evil of the Calamity's Malice has been utterly eradicated. If there are any remnants of its infestation, I would be glad to rid it for you," Zelda offered.
"No, you have done a wondrous job of cleansing Ruta," Mipha answered. Mipha then blushed, facing the ground. "I would ask you a favor, though. When you see Link…tell him…that I will still be here for him…if he needs me."
"I will," Zelda promised, staring sadly at the Zora. "You really love him, don't you?"
It wasn't so much a question. Both already knew the answer.
"Link and I…we were very close our whole lives. I loved him as a brother…and perhaps a bit more. I would have given everything I had for him," Mipha told her.
"You already have," Zelda chuckled grimly, trying to alleviate the heaviness that suddenly fell on her heart.
Mipha smiled. "Yes, I suppose I have. I only wish I could have done more. I love Link more than anyone besides my father and little brother. I hope the little guy grows up to be just like Link. But the kind of love you two share…that's something special. I have watched him when he's with you, and I've never seen him so…happy. The same goes for you as well, Princess. You two love each other deeply."
Zelda stared at the Zora in disbelief. Zelda never stopped to consider her feelings for Link. But it was true, wasn't it? She loved him, the brave courageous, silent knight who had saved her from herself. He was her rock, who steadied her and shielded her from the storm. He was her fire, who had brought warmth and happiness back into her life. And he was her light, who gave her hope in her darkest hour. Zelda had been blind to not see it before, and she cursed herself. How could she have been so blind? She had been so wrapped up in the Calamity that she hadn't even noticed she had fallen for her Appointed Knight.
And even more thrilling, he loved her.
"And that's why I want to give you something," Mipha continued, breaking Zelda out of her reprieve.
"Oh?" Zelda asked, still dazed from the revelation.
Mipha smiled. "Yes. I would like to teach you to heal."
Link wasted no time after retrieving the Master Sword. Zelda was counting on him to fix this. He'd be damned if he didn't finish his mission.
Link plunged into the Lost Woods, allowing the fog to surround him. He knew the curse of this place, and it should spit him out at the entrance of the forest. After a minute of walking aimlessly around the woods for a minute, the fog overtook him. He was blinded from all directions. When the fog cleared, Link was no longer in the woods.
From there, he raced towards Death Mountain. Luckily, it wasn't far from where he started off. Unluckily, he wouldn't last long in the climate. So instead of heading directly up the mountain, Link rushed towards the closest town he could remember being there, occasionally pausing to grab valuable mushrooms or trinkets he found on the ground.
Link came across a dirt road heading up towards Death Mountain. Following it, Link came across a horse stable. It looked different than the stables he was used to, but the horse face shaped cloth structure on top of the octagonal tent. Several people resided outside it, staring up at Death Mountain in fear.
Link approached one of them and bartered for a few fire resistance potions. After a bit of haggling, Link gave up everything he had collected in exchange for three fire resistance potions. Then he was off to the mountain again.
Climbing the mountain was difficult. Not because of the scorching climate or the treacherous terrain. Vah Rudania moved in no distinct pattern, crawling up and down Death Mountain and to the left or right. It was hard to predict when he would actually reach the machine, which led into his next issue. Boarding the Divine Beast.
Link was about halfway up the mountain now. He passed another river of lava and raced up a large rock sticking out of the ground. He leaped off the end and took out his paraglider. An updraft lifted him into the air and he glided to another surface, landing in a sprint.
Just then, Link spotted a landslide of rocks rolling down the mountain. Link was inclined to ignore it, until he noticed that they weren't normal rocks. They were Gorons!
Link jumped to the side of their path, making himself visible by climbing a small rock. Most passed him by, ignoring him completely. But one rolled to a stop.
"Hey! Whatcha doing, little Hylian? Don'tcha see the big clanking machine up there? Get outta here!"
Link shook his head and pointed at the Divine Beast. The Goron scratched his head. "You wanna fight that thing?"
Link nodded fervently.
"I like your spirit, little Hylian, but don't say I didn't warn you. I've got a bow shop in Goron City. I've got some ice arrows and a few bows that you can use if you like. Not like I could sell em if that thing destroys the city. The feet are usually in the lava, but if you could freeze them, it might do some damage. I recall Daruk sayin' somethin bout it retreating to the center of Death Mountain if it gets spooked. Well, good luck little Hylian. You'll sure as hell need it."
The Goron rolled away, and Link started running towards Goron City. It took him less than an hour to make it there, but even at the rate he was going, the machine would destroy the city before he could defeat it. Link grabbed as many ice arrows as he could find, 17 to be exact, and a knight's bow. Then he took off again, towards the Divine Beast that was slowly and awkwardly making its way towards the city.
Link perched on a large rock that was about shoulder height with the Divine Beast. Links fingers twitched on the bowstring, waiting for the Divine Beast to raise it's leg into position. Said beast was crawling through a lava flow, feet never coming up from the molten earth. But it would have to climb up a cliff to proceed, giving Link access to its feet.
The machine reached the edge of the cliff and raised its head. It let out a deafening roar and began to rise out of the lava. Link stood and lifted his bow, pulling the arrow back. The first leg lifted itself out of the lava. But it was the wrong leg, on the opposite side of the mechanical beast. Link frowned, waiting for the other leg to appear. Rudania stamped its leg up on the cliff and pulled itself, uncovering its other leg.
Link let his arrow fly, quickly shooting for more arrows in rapid succession. All five arrows slammed into the Divine Beast's foot, caking it in ice. Rudania roared, whipping its head around to search for its attackers. Link ducked down, laying flat against the rock's surface. Link lifted himself up to see Rudania stomp its frozen foot on the hot earth. The ice shattered, and Rudania roared again, before turning and heading straight up the mountain. Link rose and leapt off the rock, catching himself on his paraglider and gliding down to the earth below. Link chased the mechanical titan up the mountain. It reached the top well before he did, and dived down into the volcano's core. Link didn't hesitate, jumping off the side of the volcano, diving down to land on the corrupted Divine Beast.
The moment Link landed on Rudania's surface, a familiar voice echoed in his head.
Hey there Little Guy! Long time no see, eh? I appreciate you stopping Ganon from stomping on Goron City. It woulda killed me to see any of my brothers hurt. But down to business, you're here to take back Rudania from Ganon, right? Well, that'll be no small feat, considering you don't have the Princess' Sheikah Slate with you. Well why don't you head inside and see what you can do.
Link nodded, somehow knowing that Daruk could see him. Link walked down the steps into the Divine Beast's interior. He had been here before, with Zelda, but he had remained up top with Daruk while Zelda inspected the Beast alone. The Divine Beast had been an imposing sight, a mechanical marvel that was bigger than most towns. But now, in the heart of Death Mountain, with purple Malice staining every wall, it was terrifying. It was pitch black too, the only light coming from a few torches by the entrance, the odd glow of the Malice, and the light from the Master Sword.
Several orange eyes locked onto him as soon as he entered the room. They were grotesque things, oozing purple goo. They stuck up from the ground on slim sticks of hardened Malice. Link could feel the hate emanating from the things as they glared at him.
Link stabbed them all quickly.
As the Malice dissipated into smoke, leaving the room in near perfect darkness. Before moving on to the next room, he inspected the huge metal doors off to the right. Slashing his sword through the wooden beam, Link pried the doors open. Inside was a Sheikah pedestal.
Well that's one of the terminals you could use to take back Rudania, but you don't have the Sheikah Slate. What are you thinking now, Little Guy?
Link stared at the terminal for a moment, then back to the doorway, where two blue flames burned. Then he looked down at the blade in his hands. Could it work? There was only one way to find out.
Link walked up to the stone torch and placed the Master Sword in the blue flame. After a moment, he raised it up. The blue flames still flickered on the sides of the blade.
Woah! You sword can do that? That's pretty cool!
Returning to the terminal, Link swung his sword in an arc towards the pedestal. A portion of flame dislodged from the tip and hit the orange circle in the center of the pedestal. The terminal turned blue.
Damn. I can't believe that worked. Nice going Little Guy. There are four other terminals and the main control unit up top. If you can get all of those, I can take back control of Rudania!
Link nodded, and taking notice of the odd platform on the other wall of Rudania, lit the torch that opened the gate to the next room. A small Guardian aimed it's laser at him, but before it could fire, Link dashed forward at inhuman speeds and cut the machine in half. It sputtered and died, blue flames flickering on the halves of the robot.
Yeesh. Remind me not to get on your bad side.
Link just shrugged. The other Champions had their abilities and he had his. He was able to slow down time to the point where most couldn't even see him move. It was invaluable in a fight or sprinting short distances, but due to the fact he could only maintain it for a few 'seconds' at a time, it wasn't good for traveling over long distances. He discovered it when he was ten, and watching some Sheikah work on a Guardian. It had gone off and fired a laser that was about to strike a mechanic. Suddenly, Link was moving, a pot lid in his hands from a cooking pot nearby and he deflected it back at the Guardian, destroying it. He had tried to extend the amount of time he could bend time for, but he only seemed to gain a few extra 'seconds' in the years he'd tried.
More purple eyes glared at him in the darkness. Link dispatched them by throwing balls of flame from the Master Sword at them. When they died, the Malice disappeared along with them.
Hey Link, if you activate the Guidance Stone behind those bars over there, it should open the place up a bit.
Glaring into the blackness as if to say, Why didn't you mention this earlier?, Link walked to the stone torch and waved his flaming sword over it, activating the torch. The bars opened up and Link moved to the Guidance Stone, dropping a lick of flame into the pedestal. Blue Sheikah runes traveled down the stone above the pedestal, forming a droplet that fell into the spot the Sheikah Slate was supposed to be in.
Immediately metal plates on the roof pulled back to reveal the open sky, brightening the interior of Rudania. Link shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness. Above him, Link could see the rim of the volcano, smoke pluming into the afternoon sky. With a jolt, Link realized that only Rudania stood between him and the fiery pits of lava below him. Despite knowing firsthand how durable the Divine Beasts could be, it was still an unnerving thought.
Link looked up and saw another terminal next to him, on a wall above his head. Link threw a ball of Sheikah flame at it and it turned blue.
Nice going Little Guy! There are three more terminals. You got this.
Link went over to where a large beam ran across the roof of Rudania. Next to it, there was a doorway leading outside. Problem was, the door was on the roof.
Sheathing the Master Sword, Link backed up a few steps. When he had gained enough distance, Link sprinted towards the wall. He jumped up and kicked off it, grabbing the ridges of the metal beam. He shimmied his way towards the door and pulled himself up.
Once outside, the heat increased tenfold. Link thought about taking another fire resistance potion, but decided to hold off for a little while. He would know when the effects wore off.
Link pulled himself up a set of metal poles that were situated near the doorway. At the top was a ball inscribed with Sheikah runes. It was trapped by rods that prevented it from moving. Next to the cage was an unlit Sheikah torch. Unsheathing the Master Sword, Link twirled it and Sheikah flames danced on the edge of the blade. He ignited the torch and the inner bars dropped, and the ball dropped to the door Link had come out of.
Before going back and putting the ball where it belonged, Link scaled the spines of Rudania. Another terminal was at the topmost part of the Divine Beast. Link activated it before jumping down into the stomach of Rudania.
The ball was trapped by a metal block this time. Of course it was. And, since it needed to go into the platform, which was on the wall, he couldn't just move the block and let it fall. He'd never get it back up if it fell down. Well, what now?
Link took a look at the bars on the side of the strut that separated him and the ball. Then he inspected the distance between the block and the indent where the ball needed to go. The beam was above it.
He was only going to have one shot at this. But it was the only way it would work. Link unsheathed the Master Sword and swung down so he was hanging on to the bars on the side of the beam. Link slashed the bars with his sword and swung himself inside the strut. He walked up to the metal block that was preventing the ball from moving. Kicking the ball behind him, Link grabbed the block and pushed it out of the way. It was heavy, but it was also on a sliding rail, so after a few seconds, Link was able to move it all the way.
Next came the difficult part. Link grabbed the Sheikah orb and walked up to the exit. He looked down at the indent and sighed. This was a long shot, and would take every bit of strength and precision he could muster.
Link walked back a ways and crouched awkwardly in a running stance while holding the Sheikah orb. Link offered a prayer to Hylia before sprinting towards the exit. Link ran and leaped off the edge, falling towards the ground. But the instance he had left the surface, Link had bent time to a crawl, giving him time to line up the ball. With a mighty heave, Link launched the ball at the pedestal. It slammed into the indent, locking into place with a ding. The pedestal glowed blue. Link grinned and landed on the floor as iron rods above him slid open. Link grabbed his sword and spit a ball of Sheikah flame at it. The terminal turned blue.
Just one terminal remaining. Just one more!
Link smiled at Daruk's encouragement. His upbeat attitude never failed to amuse Link.
A strange Sheikah door with a hole in it was next to where Link had landed. Strange how he didn't notice it earlier. On the other side was a stone torch, which Link lit quickly and opened the door. Inside was a wall of fire. On the other side was the final Sheikah terminal. Link threw a Sheikah flame at it, but the orange fire dispelled his attempt.
Frowning, Link looked around the room. On the ceiling, wooden beams held a metal block. Tossing some fire at it, the metal block fell to the ground. Nice. But what could he do with it? It was too large to move.
Upon further inspection, the flames didn't form one solid wall. A spout of flames roared from individual holes. Well then. That could work.
Link walked up to the huge metal block and grabbed his sword. With a few quick slashes, Link sheared off a couple pieces of the metal. Link gathered them up and walked back over to the wall of fire. He put one hand near the flame. It was extremely hot, but his skin wasn't burning.
Grabbing one of the chunks in his hand and hoping his potion of fire resistance would live up to its name, Link jammed the shard of metal into the hole. Link hissed as smoke rose from his hands. He stuck his hands in his mouth to cool them off and immediately regretted it. Now it felt like his mouth was on fire.
After a few moments of frantically waving his hands in the air, Link looked back at the hole the flame had been coming out of. The shard of metal was there, blocking any flames from rising out of the spout. Link grinned. This would actually work.
Link repeated the action several times, nearly burning his hands each time. It took a while, but eventually Link was able to cork up enough holes for him to walk through. Link stepped over the red hot pieces of metal and approached the final terminal. Link waved his sword over it, dropping licks of flame onto it. It glowed blue.
Nice going Little Guy! That's all the terminals! Head up top and activate the main control unit. But be careful. The bastard that killed me is still lurking around here somewhere. I call him Fireblight Ganon. He's a tough bitch, but you can take him. Now getting going, you've got a brother to avenge!
Link nodded, fiery determination coursing through his veins. Daruk was right. Ganon had killed his friend then attacked his people. It had trapped Zelda in the castle for a year. It had killed countless others. He had failed to stop him. Zelda didn't say that explicitly, but it was obvious if he had been on the brink of death for a full year. He was the one that was supposed to oppose the Calamity. It was his destiny, his burden. And he had failed, in not just stopping the Calamity, but he had failed Zelda. He couldn't protect her. She was left to clean up his mistakes. And the worst part was, he couldn't even remember. All he could do was wonder how badly he failed.
Link shook his head and put that out of his mind. He had a mission. Zelda and Ganondorf were probably already at Medoh, waiting for him to catch up with them. Or they had already freed the Rito's Divine Beast. But either way, he couldn't fail her. He had done that enough already.
Link clambered up to the surface of the Divine Beast. The large main control unit was directly in front of him. It was a strange device, glowing orange. Odd parts that he couldn't describe were mangled together to form one cohesive unit. It didn't look like it should work, but it must somehow.
Link unsheathed the Master Sword and twirled it in his hand, blue flames flickering to life. Link swung the blade towards the device, sending a surge of flame at it. It collided with the main control unit in a flash of light.
The reaction was instantaneous. Purple and black Malice surged up from the machine. The mass of goo merged together above the orange device. The entity that emerged from the goop was monstrous. A huge, hulking beast wielding a massive blue blade attached to one arm and holding fire its other hand. It had swaths of red hair jutting out from either side of its head. It levitated due to Sheikah technology beneath it and attached to other parts of its body. The monster roared, ashes rising from its mouth.
Then its eye focused on Link. It waved its blade menacing, orange flames erupting from it. It roared again, stabbing its sword at Link. Link jumped to the side, dashing forward and dragging his sword through the side of the demon. It turned to swing at him again, but Link kicked off the control unit, gliding over Fireblight's head. Link slashed the sword downward, slicing his blade through the monster's back. It screeched and tore up into the sky, away from Link.
After a moment to recover, Fireblight descended towards Link again. It came in fast, swinging its massive blade in a wide arc. Link jumped over the sword, dashing in to stab it in the eye. Link pulled his blade out of the beast as it reeled back, and Link cut it several more times across the chest, leaving huge gouges in his wake.
The monster retreated again, flying back into the sky. Link didn't let it go easily this time, however. Link moved his sword in a blur, launching blue beams of energy at Fireblight. Each time one struck, the monster writhed in pain, slowly falling back to the surface of the Divine Beast. Once it was within striking distance, Link advanced on it, circling around it while slashing the monster. It tried swinging at him, but Link gracefully evaded each attack.
After returning to the front of the creature, Link stabbed Fireblight once more and leaped upwards, slicing his sword through the front of the demon. It roared in pain and flew back out of Link's reach. It cradled its arms close to its body, fire brimming its form. With a roar, the fire expanded, coating the monster in a shield of flames.
Link blasted a beam of energy from his sword, but it bounced off the shield. The creature let out a hoarse laugh and raised its hand, a ball of fire growing. It threw the fireball at Link, laughing as it soared towards him. Link slashed his sword, connecting with the flames and deflecting it back at the demon. Fireblight stopped laughing and stared at the fireball now directed at it.
The fireball exploded in Fireblight's face, destroying the shield and knocking the monster to the ground. Link charged at it, but Fireblight recovered and swung his enormous sword at Link. Instead of dodging it, Link caught the massive sword on his own blade, skidding back a few feet under the power of the blow. Fireblight stared at Link in surprise, but couldn't do much else as Link thrust the demon back, sending it staggering. Link wasted no time, dashing forward and opening huge cuts within the Malice creature.
Fireblight roared, summoning its fire shield once more. Link dodged a series of strikes from the beast's massive sword, dancing around the flaming blade. For a moment during each blow, the shield came down. It wasn't for more than half a second, but it was all the time Link needed.
After another swing, Link slowed down time, racing in just as the shield dropped. Link stabbed the monster in the eye, then spun around and stabbed the demon in the chest, firing a blast of the Master Sword's energy into it as he did so.
It roared in pain and fell to the floor, stabbing its massive blade into the surface of Rudania to hold itself up. Link jumped over the beast's back, slashing the Master Sword through Fireblight's back, cutting the demon in half. With a thud, the beast collapsed lifeless, before erupting into ash and spiralling into the sky.
"Well done, Little Guy!" Daruk's voice shouted. Link turned to see Daruk standing behind him. "That was some battle. I always knew you had the strength of a Goron warrior, but that was something else. I'm proud to call you my brother."
Link smiled, sheathing the Master Sword and approaching the towering Goron. Daruk grinned widely at him. "I want you to have this. My own little power. It's not doing much good here with me, so you mine as well have it."
Pounding both fists together, white streams of energy merged into a ball and flung itself at Link. Upon touching him, it exploded into white streams and absorbed into Link.
"There you are. Use it well. And hey, say hello to the Princess for me, why don't you? I've got control of Rudania now so I'll give you a lift outta here."
Link shook his head and guided Daruk towards the rear of the Divine Beast. When he reached the tip of the tail, Link knelt down and motioned to Daruk.
The hulking Goron's eyes widened. "You want me to launch you out of here?"
Link nodded. Daruk shook his head. "You're insane. There's no way you'll survive the fall."
Link stood up and grabbed his paraglider. Jumping off a small spine, he demonstrated to Daruk what he would do. The Goron just shook his head. "I still think you're insane, Little Guy, but if you say so. Good luck. And hey, if you don't make it, just remember that this was your idea."
With those encouraging words, Divine Beast Vah Rudania rose its tail at immense speed, launching Link straight out of Death Mountain and into the sky beyond.
Ganondorf kneeled on the rough surface of the Divine Beast as it rose once again. Once the quaking ceased, Ganondorf rose and continued into the machine. A Sheikah pedestal similar to the one in the Shrine of Resurrection stuck out of the floor. Orange lines surrounding a Sheikah eye decorated the topmost circle. Ganondorf placed his hand on the structure, but as expected, nothing happened.
I should have known you'd come eventually, a voice echoed.
Ganondorf instinctively whipped around with his trident, before recognizing the voice.
"Mother?" Ganondorf asked.
Hello, my son. It is wonderful to see you again, despite our circumstances.
"Where are you? What happened?"
When the Calamity rose, the Champions and I returned to our Divine Beasts to aid the Princess against the Calamity. But the monster was cunning. It could not corrupt the Divine Beasts while we Champions retained a connection to them. It sent powerful demons, combined with Sheikah technology to kill us. It succeeded, and trapped my spirit within my Divine Beast. It is now in control of Naboris.
"Then I shall avenge you," Ganondorf vowed, fury lacing his veins. "Where is the monstrosity?"
It is hiding. You must draw it out somehow. There are five terminals similar to the one you are next to that control parts of the machine. But without the Sheikah Slate or Light magic, I fail to see how you could free it of Malice.
"Would destroying these terminals suffice?"
Unlikely. The Malice corrupts deeper than just the terminals. It is etched into the bones of Naboris. Destroying the terminals would only make it harder to reclaim Naboris.
"Is there any other way to lure out this being?"
There is none that I can think of. I am sorry, my son.
Ganondorf remained silent, thinking for a moment. "If I did have the Sheikah Slate, what would I do?"
If you had the Sheikah Slate, I would tell you to visit the Guidance Stone and collect the map of Naboris. But since you don't have the slate, it won't do you any good.
"But there are remnants of pure Sheikah technology here?"
Yes.
"Where is this guidance stone?"
One the floor above, there is an incline on the opposite wall from where you enter. It is there. What are you planning?
"Something that probably won't work."
Ganondorf headed down the wall-less corridor, killing the mini-Guardian and avoiding splashes of Malice. He turned and entered the belly of Naboris. The circular walls connected to various platforms and structures. Green veins of electricity lined the floor, cackling ominously. Ganondorf weaved in and out of the platforms and reached the other wall. Climbing the ramp, Ganondorf found the guidance stone his mother spoke of. It had a space that was obviously meant for the Sheikah Slate, and another stone hanging above it with Sheikah runes on it.
Without the Sheikah Slate, it's useless. This is meant to transfer information to it.
Ganondorf just frowned, allowing the trident to absorb back into himself and placed his hand in the spot where the Sheikah Slate was meant for. Channeling electricity from the Thunder Helm, he pushed it through his fingers and into the guidance stone. Immediately, the pedestal awoke, flaring to life in a flash of blue light. The stone hanging above it glowed blue, and the runes began dripping down it, coalescing into a single droplet at the base of the stone.
Oni! Quickly, let me borrow your magic! Ganondorf pleaded.
With a displeasured growl, Oni lent him a miniscule amount of his dark power. Ganondorf shaped it into ice magic and formed a bowl. This bowl was unusually dark, with black veins coursing through the ice. Unlike the natural, clear white ice he normally created. The liquid runes dropped into his bowl with a splash.
You've been busy while I've been gone, his mother mused. Ganondorf offered no reply.
Ganondorf looked around the Divine Beast. "Where are the terminals?"
You can't reach them. If I had control of Naboris, I could turn the center cylinders. Perhaps if you were to channel the information from the Sheikah juice into your lightning magic, it could have the same effect on the terminals.
Ganondorf nodded, making his way down the ramp then up towards the main control unit. He sat down in front of it, placing one hand in the bowl and raised the other one. Concentrating on the distinct energy the Sheikah juice was giving off, he channeled it to the lightning collected by the Thunder Helm. Dark blue lightning formed in his upturned hand. Ganondorf smirked. Summoning all the power the Thunder Helm held, Ganondorf unleashed a torrent of navy lightning. It arced around the stomach of Naboris, bouncing off the walls before storming out into the other areas of Naboris.
The Divine Beast shuddered, dark blue lightning coating the great machine. Sheikah information poured into every pore of Naboris, burning away the Malice. Naboris roared, coming to a stop and dissipating the dust storm.
Excellent work Ganondorf! All the terminals were activated! Naboris is almost free of Malice! Only the beast remains, cowering within the main control unit. It is called Thunderblight Ganon. It is a dangerous foe, possessing immense speed and skill. Be on your guard. I know you can do this.
Ganondorf rose to his feet, resolve burning in his heart. He snatched the bowl off the ground and approached the glowing orange machine. He dumped the blue liquid on the pedestal.
The reaction was instantaneous. A purple substance exploded from within the unit. Ganondorf stepped back, summoning his trident to his hand. The Malice rose into the air, merging into a hideous form. It had long red hair, one Guardian eye, and a glowing blue sword and shield. The rest of its body was made of thick Malice and various parts of Sheikah technology. It let out a screech as it glared at Ganondorf.
"Well come on then, you bastard. Taste the might of a Gerudo Prince!" Ganondorf cried, racing towards it.
Ganondorf jumped up, kicking off the main control unit. He swung his trident at the beast in midair. It blocked his strike with its shield and countered with its sword. Ganondorf pulled his trident back and deflected the strike. Ganondorf fell back to the floor and rolled, back on his feet in an instance.
Thunderblight raced towards him, zigzagging in a blur of motion. Ganondorf dodged to the side of its blade and slashed it in the ribs, if it had ribs. Thunderblight tried to shield bash him, but Ganondorf slammed into the shield with his shoulder, knocking the thing back. Ganondorf took advantage of its shock, stabbing it through the chest with his trident. It screamed as Ganondorf lifted it up into the air and slammed it into the side of a ramp. Then he slammed it into the ground and threw it across the belly of Naboris. It tumbled across the room, only regaining its bearing as it saw Ganondorf charge towards it.
Thunderblight roared a battle cry, zooming towards Ganondorf. Ganondorf blocked its first strike and slashed at it. They exchanged blows for a while, Ganondorf on the offensive, forcing the blight to block each of his blows with its Sheikah sword or shield. But Ganondorf started chipping away at both, breaking down the blue weapons. Ganondorf swung his trident furiously, navy energy sparking through the air as Ganondorf ripped through the demon's defenses.
In one final, brutal stroke, Ganondorf destroyed Thunderblight's shield and kicked it in the chest, sending it flying. As it started to rise, Ganondorf pulled his arm back and threw his trident. The three pronged spear slammed into Thunderblight's sword arm, pinning it against the wall. It cried in anguish, and tried to pull itself free.
Ganondorf walked up to it slowly, barely containing his fury. It screamed at him, roaring its hot breath into his face. Ganondorf grabbed its face and slammed it into the wall. "Listen well, monster. You stole my property. You threatened my people. And you killed my mother. Anything you know of pain is but the tip of the iceberg compared to what I'm about to do to you."
Pulling his fist back, Ganondorf punched Thunderblight in the face. It screeched, so Ganondorf shut it up by punching it three more times. He jabbed his thumb into the creature's eye, blinding it. It swung at him with its empty shield arm, but Ganondorf ducked under it. He grabbed his trident and twisted it, shearing its sword arm off. It screamed again, and Ganondorf grabbed its face and slammed it into the ground, then kicked it away.
Plunging his trident into the floor of Naboris, Ganondorf raced towards Thunderblight. It was floating again, but still reeling after the loss of its limb. Ganondorf grabbed its hair in each hand and pulled himself up, kneeing the creature in the face, then kicking it down while in midair, tearing its hair out. It sputtered back, and Ganondorf was on it again, slamming his fists into the beast. Over and over he pounded his fists into the hideous face of the monster that took his mother from him. He didn't relent, never allowing the monster a second to recover. Purple blood splattered across the ground and across his knuckles as he beat Thunderblight again and again. Finally, the creature collapsed, utterly defeated. But Ganondorf wasn't done with it yet. Seething with rage, Ganondorf reached down, and digging his fingers into the slimy body, began ripping chunks of Sheikah technology off Thunderblight. Soon it was nothing more than a purple blob of goo with a few shards of metal lodged inside of it.
Ganondorf summoned his trident to him. He caught it in his outstretched hand, the familiar smack of metal against his palm reverberating around the empty room. He twirled his trident over his head and stabbed it into the oozing goo, roaring his fury at the insidious creature one last time as he unleashed a burst of energy into it.
The blob screamed, loudly at first but quickly growing fainter until it died completely. Then the purple substance dissipated, turning into a smoky form and rising out of Naboris until it disappeared.
"Well done Ganondorf," a familiar voice said. "You make me and all other Gerudo proud."
Ganondorf turned to face his mother. She stood in the center of her Divine Beast, every bit tall and proud as he remembered her. She was translucent, outlined in greenish blue light. Urbosa smiled at him, sharp eyes relaxing as she gazed on her son.
"Mother," Ganondorf whispered.
"Look at you, my beautiful boy," Urbosa said. "You've grown."
Ganondorf let out a broken laugh. "It's only been a year. I couldn't have grown that much."
His mother came and placed her ethereal hands on his shoulders. Ganondorf felt the slightest pressure on his skin and the tingle of electricity. "Not just in size. You've grown up. You became the Chief I've always known you could be."
"Not entirely. Melcia and a few others won't allow it."
Urbosa rolled her eyes. "There are always a few. You are Chief in all but name. You protect and serve your people honorably. Your warriors admire you and your people look to you for support. Since I died, you have done more for them than any other Chief in living history."
"You can see that?"
"Sometimes. When the Princess was containing the Calamity, Thunderblight went dormant and I could gaze out of Naboris. There were times when it awoke and blinded me, but for the most I was able to watch you."
"I am glad, mother. When this is over, I will find a way to free you completely," Ganondorf vowed.
"No," Urbosa barked sharply. Ganondorf blinked in surprise. "Sorry, I did mean for it to come out so harshly. I don't want to come between you and your responsibilities. You have an entire people to watch over. You cannot become hung up on one person."
Urbosa smiled at him. "I am fine here. I am not in pain, and I can still communicate with you, and I can still be of service to you. Go live your life and lead our people."
His mother wiped something wet off Ganondorf's face. "And right now, our people need you. This world needs you. Go protect it."
Ganondorf smiled and embraced his mother. "I love you, mother."
"I love you too, Ganondorf. Allow me to give you this as a gift, to help you in your battles."
Pulling back, Urbosa raised her arm, white streaks of energy forming at the tips of her fingers. They formed into a spherical shape and she flicked her fingers, sending the ball into Ganondorf's chest. It hit him like lightning, sending bits of lightning coursing through his body.
Tapping into his magic well, he found it completely filled, and another, electric body of power resided beside his own. It was more familiar than Oni's, and more human than the black crystal the horned statue had given him.
"Thank you mother. I will cherish this gift and use it in many glorious battles," Ganondorf said, pulling back and turning to go.
"Wait. Before you go, there is something you should know," his mother said. "It's about your father."
"My father?" Ganondorf echoed. Gerudo mothers didn't talk about the voe they procreated with. Fathers had no place in a community of all women. Some Gerudo didn't even know the names of the voe they slept with.
"Yes," Urbosa said. "When I was younger, I was great friends with the Queen, although at the time she was the Princess. As we both grew, we were pursued by many men. Almost all were turned away, but one man was persistent and charming enough to gain my friend's eye. She beseeched her father to marry him, and after a time, he relented, and permitted the man to marry my friend. When I learned of this, I had to make sure he was fit to be my friend's husband. So I invited him on a hunting trip, just the two of us to see what he was truly like. And I found a deeply compassionate, charming, cunning voe who loved my friend dearly and would make a good king. On the last night of our trip, we were both dirty, tired and stuck in the middle of a storm. His tent had been destroyed by a boar, so we were forced to share mine. And before I knew it, he was on top of me, his breath in my ear, fingers gliding over my-"
"Mother! I don't need to hear how you were impregnated," Ganondorf interrupted.
"Ahem. Of course not. Sorry. Anyways, after that night, we returned to the Castle and they were wed in a few months. I didn't realize I was pregnant until after their marriage. I returned to Gerudo Town, and had you. A year later, the Queen had Zelda. She absolutely adored you, my little boy. I don't think she ever realized that the same man who put a child in her belly had done the same to me."
"Wait a second," Ganondorf exclaimed. "You don't mean…"
"Yes Ganondorf," Urbosa said. "Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, the late King of Hyrule, is your father."
