64th Entry: Compliments

As Zelda shot arrows into the eye-like jewel on the fiery creature's forehead, its flames died down allowing Link to take swings at its feet with the Master Sword. Once this was done two more times, the creature dissipated into black fragments that flew off. In the creature's place was the Goron Rosso, who was lying next to a metal fragment that looked like a neck brace.

"It's another Fused Shadow Fragment," Zelda realized.

Midna emerged from Link's shadow as a transparent version of herself, where she held out her hand and the neck brace-like metal fragment flew right into her palm. Nearby, Daruk was stirring along with the other Gorons. Link immediately tended to Daruk while Zelda examined the others.

"Are you okay, Chief Daruk?" Zelda asked while Daruk was rubbing his head.

"I think so," Daruk grumbled and gave Zelda a confused look. "Have we met before?"

"No, I don't think so," Zelda responded in her masculine voice. "I'm Sheik, one of the Sheikah that was sent to look for the Yiga Clan's hideout."

"Oh, right," Daruk remembered. "Did you find it?"

"Yes, but my squadron was incapacitated when Hyrule was covered in the Twilight."

"The Twilight? I guess that explains the dark clouds that have been over the land since yesterday. But now it's cleared up."

"It's because your son Yunobo freed a Light Spirit that was resting in the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The same thing happened with Riju and Revali in their Divine Beasts."

Daruk's brow furrowed. "How do you know all of this?"

"They've been sharing their statuses on my Sheikah Slate." Zelda quickly turned Paya's Sheikah Slate on and showed Daruk the pictures. "See for yourself."

While Daruk examined the pictures, Rosso was being helped to his feet by the other Gorons looking both angry and tired.

"I can't believe that Arbiter's Grounds was a trap," Rosso grumbled.

"A trap?" Zelda heard, and looked at Rosso. "What do you mean?"

Rosso explained that when him and the other Sages arrived in the Gerudo Desert, the Arbiter's Grounds rose up from the ground all around them. Then after they got to where the Mirror of Twilight was, the purple-robed guy appeared and claimed he summoned the Arbiter's Grounds to trap the Sages before Zant appeared. Zelda in turn explained her and Link's encounter with the cursed Gulley in Korok Forest.

"So, this purple-robed guy must have known the Sages would attempt to seal away the Mirror of Twilight to keep it out of the Yiga Clan's hands," Zelda exposited. "Thus, he made the Arbiter's Grounds appear in order to trap you inside for the purpose of cursing you all with Fused Shadow fragments and Twilight Mirror Shards before scattering you across Hyrule."

"That makes sense, based on what happened to Gulley," Rosso said. "But why would this purple-robed guy do all this?"

"He didn't want you guys to interfere with Zant's invasion, and placing the Fused Shadow fragments and Mirror Shards on you was a convenient way of keeping them out of enemy hands," Zelda guessed, glancing at Link. "It would also explain why the Yiga Clan cursed Link into a permanent wolf form and imprisoned him, because the Triforce of Courage prevented him from being completely affected by the Twilight. Therefore, he could have found a way to obtain the Fused Shadow fragments and Mirror Shards."

"If the Twilight affected your fellow Sheikahs, why aren't you affected?" Daruk asked Zelda.

Zelda held up her right hand, which glowed as a golden triangle appeared. "Because I bear the Triforce of Wisdom, which prevented me from turning into a Spirit or Beast."

"That's odd," Rosso remarked. "So far, the Triforce of Wisdom has manifested in Zelda."

"You're right," Daruk realized and sighed. "I hope she's doing okay in Hyrule Castle, which I now realize was also covered in Twilight. Her father shouldn't have locked her up."

"Premier Rhoam was only trying to protect her," Zelda claimed. "I wouldn't blame him for Zelda's present situation."

"Even so, he should have more faith in his daughter," Daruk responded. "That girl has already done so much to protect this land, and worked so hard to obtain that Sealing Power. Yet her father treats her accomplishments like nothing, and belittles her dream of being a scholar — which is a perfectly fine profession for a smart young lady like her!"

Hearing Daruk complementing her made Zelda almost cry. But then she remembered who she was pretending to be, and silently nodded in agreement while Link did the same.

###

Standing on a plateau near Zora's Domain, the elephant-shaped Divine Beast Vah Ruta faced Hyrule Castle while Mipha stood on the beast's head. The previous day, she watched in horror as Hyrule's sky changed from blue to orange. Worried about her people, Mipha went down to Zora's Domain and found nothing but blue flames that moved around. Quickly, she realized what happened and tried to contact the other Champions on her Sheikah Slate.

Initially, it didn't work. Then she saw pictures posted by Riju and Revali, who said they freed Light Spirits from their Divine Beasts which they were now able to control. Mipha couldn't believe it, until she looked at the surrounding areas beyond Zora's Domain from Vah Ruta that morning and saw that parts of Hyrule had normal blue skies overhead. Even the Eldin Province was now free of orange skies, followed by Yunobo reluctantly posting a picture of himself with Riju and Revali in front of Vah Rudania.

"Why am I hesitating now, of all times?" Mipha mumbled as she gripped the shaft of her Lightscale Trident tightly. "After all that private combat training with Daruk, and aiding Zelda in stopping Yuga…. Is it because I'm worried about disappointing everyone, or too envious of what the others have achieved?"

Reluctantly, Mipha followed the instructions that Yunobo sent her and made her way to the Guidance Stone terminal. She placed her Sheikah Slate on the stone, and her vision became negative. Around Vah Ruta were glowing bugs, and standing next to her was a Zora female that had blue skin and a fish-like head but no tail coming out of it.

To be continued…