===== December 9, 2022 - Floor 3: Inside the Deku Tree =====

Link, Zelda and Paya found themselves in a round room with several pillars that ran from floor to ceiling. Around the perimeter were piles of webbing that looked to be moving.

"Could those be... people?" Zelda wondered.

"If so, we must free them immediately!" Paya exclaimed.

"That sounds great and all," Link said, pointing his sword to the ceiling, "but I dare say we have a decidedly bigger problem than that at the moment."

That 'decidedly bigger problem' was the single giant eye skittering along the ceiling. Eventually it caught notice of Link and the rest of the party, and the amalgam of legs and claws carrying it dropped down to the floor. Four health bars appeared above its head, along with its name:

Gohma.

"Zelda, you and Paya start slicing those webs open, but be careful. Who knows what they are or what's inside. I'll do my best to keep this thing's attention."

"You got it!" The two ladies did as they were ordered, finding NPCs trapped in the first three cocoons. The fourth, however, held a player! She fell to the ground coughing and wheezing, and Zelda quickly healed her using one of her crystals.

"Thank you, whoever you are," the freed player sputtered. "My name is Griselda. My guild and I heard of this area and tried to clear it, but we were captured by monsters and brought here. There were five of us altogether."

So four more of these webs are definitely players... "Can you fight?"

Griselda picked up her sword and shield. "Yes."

"Good. Paya, you two keep clearing those webs, and send any other players you find over to help us."

"Where are you going?"

"To help my partner." With that, she dashed back to the fight with Gohma, leaving Paya and Griselda to complete her task.

"I thought I told you and Paya to clear those webs?" Link said upon seeing her back at his side.

"They're players. Some of them, anyway. We freed one, and she's helping Paya clear the rest."

"Why?"

"Because you need me. Here. With you. There isn't another soul you trust to watch your back like I do."

"Well, I'm not saying you're right..."

"But?"

"There is no 'but.' I'm not saying it."

"Fine. What do we do about creepy-crawly here?"

"Still trying to figure that out. There's nothing about its attack patterns that jumps out at me, and every time I try to hit it my sword just clangs off it... here it comes again!" The monster had now reared its head back and its eye was a terrifying shade of red, and it lunged at Link with its massive claws. Both players managed to deflect the blows, Link with his shield and Zelda with her sword. The creature's eye returned to yellow as it slowly circled the room.

The eye... I wonder if... "Link, I have an idea."

"Okay, let's hope it works!"

Zelda drew her bow and trained an arrow above Gohma. The next time it reared back for an attack, its red eye was directly in her line of fire. She let fly and the creature crumpled to the ground, its eye now green and spinning madly.

"Attack the eye!" she shouted, drawing her sword once again.

"Have I told you lately that you're a fucking genius?!" Link exclaimed through sword slashes. Once they had worked to reduce Gohma's health by a quarter bar, it recovered and resumed skulking about the room. By now, four other players had joined them: Yolko, Grimlock, Kainz, and Schmitt. Zelda explained that they were Griselda's party who had been caught in the forest, and Link brought them up to speed on the attack plan. "Its eye is vulnerable, but only after an arrow shot. Get ready... Zelda, you got it?"

"I got it!" Again, Gohma's eye turned red in preparation for an attack. Again, Zelda put an arrow in it, leaving it stunned on the ground and at the mercy of no longer two blades, but six. As a result, they were able to completely deplete the boss's first health bar. At that moment, the boss recovered completely and retreated to the ceiling.

Paya and Griselda, meanwhile, had finally reached the last cocoon. Paya ripped it open with a single swing of her spear, and a terrified Sheikah girl fell to the floor, gasping for air.

"Kiwi! Thank the gods, you're all right!"

"Paya! I'm fine, but where am I?"

While Paya got Kiwi sorted out, adds were starting to spawn: Gohma Larvae beyond counting. "They die easily," Link asserted, "but it's their numbers that will get you, so be careful. Paya, we could really use your help over here!"

"As much as I wish to be of assistance, I am not leaving my sister alone in here!"

"Paya, let go!" Kiwi demanded. "I want to fight too, but I need a weapon!"

I need a weapon... Something about those words struck Zelda like a hammer.

I need a weapon... Sheikah relic... potential ally... "Link, cover me for a few seconds!"

"You got another idea?" he asked as he, Schmitt and Griselda put their backs to her.

"Yes, let's hope it works," she said apprehensively as she scrolled through her inventory. Damn it, where is it... there! "Kiwi?"

"Huh?"

"Catch!" She threw the Magic Rod across the room and Kiwi almost effortlessly plucked it out of the air.

In that moment, Kiwi morphed from a scared little girl into a brave and valiant warrior. Jumping, firing and slashing, she defeated Gohma Larvae seemingly by the dozen as she fought her way to join the raid group with Paya hot on her heels. They eventually cleared the floor and Gohma rejoined the battle, only to be rinsed and repeated for its final three health bars before exploding in a shower of blue crystal shards.

The entire raid party received significant spoils in terms of XP and Col, Link and Zelda each hit Lv. 21, and Link also received an item called the 'Kokiri Emerald.' He stashed it away for the time being, hoping to do some more research on it later. He didn't have long to contemplate it, as all of the players suddenly found themselves teleported out of the dungeon, landing in front of the Deku Tree.

Griselda and her squad were finally catching their breath, and they were all extremely grateful at having been rescued. "Thank you, all of you. Without your help, who knows how long we'd have been stuck down here," Griselda said.

"Yeah, about that..." Link wondered. "How'd you even find your way in here to begin with?"

"We were scouting the nearby forest, but then we were captured by monsters. Yet, for whatever reason they didn't kill us, they just brought us here. Even in the webs, we were still fully aware and functional. We just couldn't actually do anything."

{Even more strange mechanics from this death game,} Link nodded to his partner.

{Players being captured, but not killed, and dragged into dungeons? Makes absolutely no sense to me,} Zelda replied.

{Guess it's just another something to be on the lookout for.}

Link turned his attention back to Griselda. "In any event, having you guys in here sure made things go that much smoother. I'm just glad you're all okay."

"We are. And we are all in your debt. Thank you." With that, the five rescued players used crystals to teleport off somewhere. Paya and Kiwi were also no longer in sight, and Paya's status bar was no longer on Link and Zelda's HUD. They had probably gone back to Kakariko Village, and Zelda suggested the two of them do the same as it was close to midnight. They used the Sheikah Slate to teleport to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab and spent the night at the inn.

When Link woke up, Zelda was oddly enough at his back. Not that he remembered in exactly what positions they had fallen asleep, but she was still sleeping comfortably and that was all that really mattered to him. He could see that it was light out, which would have normally meant it was time to get up and get moving, but he was in absolutely no rush. Besides, clearing dungeons was tiring work, and he felt that both he and Zelda deserved all the rest they could get. With that in mind, he clutched her hand in his own and took in the rhythmic feel and sounds of her breath, and the expansion and contraction of her chest against his back.

It was in these moments that Chris Farron truly felt at peace.

A peace put in perilous jeopardy by the sudden feeling of hands roaming his body, in a decidedly southern direction.

She cannot be serious...

He turned onto his back and looked into the purest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen.

"Good morning, my Hero," Zelda purred as she climbed on top of Link.

"How are you not completely wrecked from last night?"

"I am. But I'm - ohhh! - never too wrecked for this."

"Is that so?"

She leaned down and locked her lips on to his, silencing him for the moment. "Your love does more for me than any healing items we could find in this damn game. I love you because you heal my body, my mind, my spirit, my soul... my only regret is that it took this long to finally come to terms with that."

"Me too... we spent so much time in the real world fighting what we knew to be true all along, and why?"

"Because we were kids, and kids have other things on their minds."

"Yeah, you're right... but..." He began to run his fingers through her hair.

"But what?"

"What if we had lost each other?"

"You think I followed you halfway across the world just to see the sights? To familiarize myself with my ancestral homeland?"

"I know, but still... you were seeing other people, I was seeing other people."

"And look at how well that all ended." She kissed him again, this time not coming up for several minutes. His insipid questions were reminding her of a time before this moment, and she had absolutely no desire to focus on anything except right here and right now.

"Listen to me, Christopher Lance Farron: you are mine, and I am yours. From now until eternity, from this day until my last day."

"And you are mine, Lanay Ruzanaki, and I am yours. From now until eternity, from this day until my last day."

The pair made love to their hearts' desires, then got dressed and teleported to the Monument of Heroes in Kakariko Village. They thought it might be prudent to check in with Impa and the others before moving on to the fourth floor. Unfortunately, they found a rather discordant scene when they arrived. Kiwi was nowhere to be found, and Paya was arguing with her grandmother, who silenced her as the two heroes entered, leading to Paya storming out of the house.

"Link, Zelda, I cannot express enough gratitude to you for rescuing my granddaughter last night," Impa said in greeting. "However, it seems she and her older sister had a row about something, and she ran off in a huff."

"So you're asking us to find her again?" Link asked with more than a slight hint of impatience. How much trouble could a single NPC be?!

"Well, that's the thing... I know where she is, or should I say, where she isn't. According to Paya, none of the local merchants have seen her, and the guards say she hasn't left the village. I don't know where else she could be."

"Hmm..." Zelda was deep in thought. She was starting to catch on to the nature of Aincrad as a VRMMO universe. This wasn't just a woman looking for her lost grandchild; she was a quest-giver, and Zelda needed to sift through what she was saying for clues. Suddenly, it hit her. "Lady Impa, we'll be right back. Link, follow me." He did as she instructed, following her out of the house and along the winding roads of the village. "Okay... what have you got?"

"Kiwi hasn't been seen in the village. But she also hasn't left the village. Which means she's still in the village, just somewhere nobody would be able to find her. Well..."

They were once again standing in front of the Monument of Heroes.

"Nobody but us..." Link skipped the forehead and kissed Zelda full on the mouth. "You're a fucking genius," he reiterated as they descended beneath the earth once again.

They emerged once again in the splendor of the Monument of Heroes, and true to Zelda's instinct they found Kiwi curled up into a ball, asleep on the floor. Zelda gently prodded her awake with her foot, and as she blinked herself awake, she looked up at the two heroes and smiled gently. "Hey... it's you."

"Your grandmother was worried about you, so she sent us to find you," Link said. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to get away from her," Kiwi pouted.

"Your grandmother?"

"My sister. She's the greatest warrior in our tribe, and I've looked up to her my entire life. I've been trying to convince her to teach me how to fight for the longest time, but she refuses to. Well, one day I found a metal pole out in the fields. I don't know where it came from, or what it was. Maybe it was a wagon part or something, but I started to practice with it. I visualized my sister and the moves she would make, and tried to copy them. I trained by myself two hours a day for almost a year. And I was getting good... or, at least I think I was getting good."

Kiwi sighed in resignation. "Then a few weeks ago, Paya caught me and threw my pole in the river. She told me to stick to my chores and stop worrying about fighting. When we got home last night, she lectured me again about how I shouldn't be fighting. I had enough, and I ran away here."

"Speaking of which, how did you even get in here?"

"Uh-uh, I'm not telling you anything else," Kiwi huffed. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you promise to take me with you!"

Link and Zelda looked at each other. Each seemed to know what the other was thinking.

For some twisted reason, unbeknownst to all logic and reason, the girl belonged with them.

"All right, we'll try to talk them into letting you go with us."

"Really? You mean it?" Her dark brown eyes lit up at the suggestion.

"Yeah. You seem like you can handle yourself in a scrap, what with that weapon we found..."

"What weapon?"

"The one we found in the Deku Tree," Zelda said. "The one I tossed you when we were fighting the Gohma monster?"

"Oh, that..." Kiwi's smile turned to a devious smirk. "I said I wasn't telling you anything else until you promised to take me with you."

"But, we did-"

"No, you said you'd try to talk my sister and grandmother into letting me go with you."

Zelda was stunned. Did she... really just outsmart me like that?!

Kiwi was still smirking, and it was obvious to Link they weren't going to get any further information out of the girl, so he suggested that the best course of action for now would be to return her home.

"Kiwi! Thank the gods you're safe!" Paya embraced her sister in a bear hug the moment they walked in the door. "Thank you so much for finding her... this was all because I took her scouting with me, which I am never doing again."

"Actually," Impa chimed in, "before they arrived, you and I were discussing-"

"No!"

"-if it might be prudent-"

"No!"

"-for her to accompany the heroes on their journey."

"Grandmother, I will not allow it! If something happens to me, she's all you've got left!"

Link, Zelda, and Kiwi were taken aback. "Sis, what do you mean?"

"I am a ranking commander in the Sheikah army," Paya said as she knelt down to Kiwi's height. "If I were to fall in battle, who would look after our grandmother?"

Kiwi started to tear up. "That's why you never wanted me to learn how to fight?"

"Yes. That's why I always tried to push you in your studies. You could be a great researcher and historian like Aunt Purah, a botanist, a chemist... anything but a warrior. I never wanted that for you."

"Oh sis..." The tears were flowing freely as the two sisters embraced. "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"Because sometimes, fear triumphs over love when it comes to those we care about," Impa said from beneath the lowered brim of her hat. "Something I believe the two of you understand all too well."

{Do you feel attacked all of a sudden?} Link said with a small chuckle.

{Yeah, she pretty much just at'ed us.}

Paya stood back up to her full height. "Very well," she said, with a tone that denoted acceptance of the decision that had been made. "My sister will accompany you on your travels. I have no doubt that she will be an invaluable asset to you in your journeys. Kiwi, remember that no matter what happens, this is your home. You and your friends will always be welcome here."

Kiwi gave her sister one last hug, and then embraced her grandmother. "I hope you find the fulfillment you seek, my child," the Sheikah elder said. "You have the spirit of the ancients within you. Always follow your heart, and be true to yourself."

"Mistress Zelda, would you be kind enough to help Kiwi pack?" Paya asked. "Your knowledge of your mission will help her discern what she should take with her."

"Absolutely. Kiwi, lead the way." Kiwi looked back to her sister with a puzzled expression, but nonetheless led Zelda up a small set of stairs to her room. Paya took advantage of the occasion. "Master Link, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"When we were inside the Deku Tree, and Zelda was trying to get us through the room with the torches and the pressure switch, she became frustrated to the point of giving up."

Link thought back to the dungeon crawl and recalled the moment Paya spoke of. "Okay..."

"You then whispered something to her, and she got right back on her feet solving the puzzle. But the way you moved... it was like you had already figured it out."

Link grinned and cocked an eyebrow, as if he anticipated where she was going with this. "Go on..."

"If you had already figured the room out, why didn't you just say so?"

Link let out a slight chuckle. "If I thought I could survive this world with my sword and wits alone, that would be one thing. Fortunately, I don't have to, as I have Zelda by my side."

He looked in the direction of the stairs before continuing. "When we're out there, she and I need each other at our absolute best. She lost focus for a minute, so all I did was say something I knew would bring her back."

"What did you say?"

"I told her I needed another one of her genius ideas."

"But why, if you had already-"

"Because she knows how much I rely on her intelligence. That's what motivates her."

Paya was clearly confused, but rather than explain any further, Link just put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll learn, one day. Trust me."

"Learn what?"

Kiwi had now come back down the stairs, with Zelda close behind.

Link looked back up at Paya. "Lessons to be learned," he answered cryptically. "Don't worry... in time, you will too."

"Me?"

"Yeah. You are committed to traveling with us, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then let me give you your first lesson. If you're going to do something, do it. No half-assed wishy-washiness allowed. Now, let me ask you again: you are committed to traveling with us, right?"

This time, Kiwi stood up straight and looked Link dead in the eye as she delivered her response. "Yes!"

As she watched him interact with the two Sheikah women, Zelda's heart began to quiver. By all metrics, Link was the weaker of the two when it came to sheer combat power. So why should she follow him, instead of the other way around?

The reason why was now becoming apparent, as if she didn't know already.

Link was decisive, courageous, and he inspired those around him. He was a true leader by nature, not just because he had a sword in his hand. Yet he understood that being a leader wasn't just a matter of shouting orders at people. It was about saying what needed to be said or doing what needed to be done at the right time to get the right results.

She thought back to the room with the twin torches inside the dungeon...

"Hey, princess, you still with us?" Link's voice crashed its way to the forefront of her consciousness.

"Huh? Oh, yeah... I was just thinking."

"Good. You're a lot better at that than I am," he said with a laugh. "Ready to go?"

"Yes. Lady Impa, Paya, we cannot thank you enough for all of your help."

"Why thank us? You are the ones doing all the work," Impa said. "Remember, the hospitality of Necluda is yours. Now and always."

With that, the newly-formed trio made their way to Hateno on foot, Kiwi insisting on their destination and Link and Zelda deciding traveling on foot would give them time to observe and integrate Kiwi's combat capabilities into their routine.

The party arrived in Hateno Town shortly before nightfall. Link and Zelda roomed at the inn while Kiwi went to the Ancient Tech Lab, directing Link and Zelda to meet her there in the morning.

Once they were showered and in bed, Zelda said, "Okay, level with me, Hero. Back in the dungeon, you remember when I was trying to light those torches?"

"Naturally."

"You told me you needed another one of my genius ideas, but the way you were moving..."

Link held a finger to her lips to silence her. "Why ask questions to which you already know the answer?"

Zelda grinned. "Well, I have to admit it was effective."

"As I knew it would be. I know you. I know what it takes to get you back on track."

"And you knew just telling me what to do wouldn't have been nearly as effective."

"Precisely. You're at your best when you're thinking of ways to get us through things. That doesn't mean you don't expect me to figure things out on my own, or you somehow think you're smarter than me. For whatever reason, you take pride in relying on your mind in dangerous situations. It's a talent that I appreciate in a world revolving around brute force and violence."

"When you say things like that, how could anyone be surprised that I fell in love with you?"

"If it makes you feel any better," he replied around kisses, "I was surprised most of all."

Author's Note: TwistedViper20XX here!

As you can probably understand, I did a little shuffling of names to avoid having two Impas in the same universe. Elder Impa from BotW kept the name, while General Impa from 'Hyrule Warriors' became 'Paya.' Originally that was because I had no long-term plans for the BotW character Paya (she was supposed to make her brief appearance when Link Zelda first arrived at Kakariko Village and then disappear), but the more I thought about it, the more I realized: we know virtually nothing about Paya's canon character, giving me essentially a blank slate to work with from a character development perspective. Why not take advantage of that? She would just need a new name.

So we have our first full-time new party member added. She uses Link's Magic Rod weapon from the game 'Hyrule Warriors,' which happens to be one of my favorites in that entire game. She also has some support abilities, which are *at least intended* to keep in line with her being a Sheikah. Most of the next chapter or two will be devoted to fleshing those out before the Floor 4 dungeon, which if you're paying attention you can probably guess what it is. It's gonna be another slog to write, but it's a slog that I enjoy, and I hope you are as well.

I also decided to introduce the Golden Apple guild from SAO canon at this point. I have plans for them, but *way* down the road.

Until then, this is TwistedViper20XX, signing off.

A huge shoutout to the 53 followers and 38 favorites on this story; I love each and every one of you!