Strum stared methodically out into the arid desert, wisps of sand swirling in the wind.
Why Kohga decided to put the hideout in this wasteland was beyond him. Nevertheless, quarrels in leadership led to Strum taking position as Master. "Quarrels" directly translating to Strum decapitating a hotshot "Prodigy" who thought he was better than everyone else.
"Master Strum!"
Oh, he loved those words.
"Rokke, do you have it?" Strum crossed his arms, looking down on the young Assassin.
He nodded, opening a satchel on his waist, and pulling out two arrows with red streaks along the shaft.
"We didn't know which one was the actual Link, Master." He said, holding the arrows up, blood streaked the tip. "They both wore green tunics, so we got blood from both of them, these syringe arrows did their job."
"The day is upon us then." Strum grinned.
"Bring me the ashes."
Link sat shirtless on a table in the new Castle Town Stable, carefully getting his wound cleaned and bandaged by the also shirtless Twilight. Zelda had shown up shortly after, greatly confused by their early arrival.
"Ow!" Link hissed, his entire right shoulder burning in pain.
"Sorry." Twilight murmured, carefully tending to the wound. His own wound had already been bandaged with help from Tarin, his entire torso covered in gauze. "Stop squirming and it'll be over quicker."
When they had arrived there moments ago, he had noticed that he and his descendant seemed...pale.
Much paler than normal blood loss could make you.
Zelda helped him work, holding Link's shoulder still and giving him her other hand to squeeze.
"He was hit in the exact place of an artery." She said, pointing to the wound. "That would perfectly explain it-"
"Princess, I was shot in the back." Twilight said, casting her a glare. "Away from any arteries, major or minor. Explain why I happen to be paler than a ghost."
She frowned. "Than maybe the arrows were enchanted. To drain your blood."
Twilight snorted. "Blood Draining arrows? That is such Bull-"
"Can you just bandage me up please!?" Link yelled in exasperation.
They both stared at him, before continuing on. Jennifer brought them some water to replenish their lost blood.
Gratefully chugging down the cold liquid, Link barely noticed that the room was shaking. Zelda began looking around in a panic.
"What is this!?" She yelled, bottles and plates falling to the ground around them.
"Are there Earthquakes here!?" Tarin held on tight to the counter, his other hand keeping his hat in place on his head.
"No." Twilight stated bluntly, looking outside.
The tremors soon subsided as quick as they came, leaving everyone shaken, litterally and figuratively.
"Must've been one of the Dragons." Link suggested. "I've seen Dinraal come out this far sometimes."
"Unlikely, they keep to themselves and their provinces." Twilight glanced about. "Whatever it is, I sense trouble."
"Heh, It'll probably come to us then." Link drank the last of his water. "For now, what was in that last cart, Zelda?"
The Princess seemed lost in her thoughts, staring outdoors. She snapped back to the present quickly though.
"I had Lilren and Vira check the carts that made it, there were resources, wood and stone. But no food for the builders and guards." She explained.
"Wait what!?" Link and Twilight's eyes shot wide open. "NO FOOD!? THAT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM!"
Zelda couldn't help but grin, they both mirrored the other's expression perfectly. "Like I said, for the builders and guards, not for you two." She put her hand on her hip. "Besides, I'm Link keeps a stash in his pack anyway."
Twilight perked up, grabbing Link's pack from off the table and ripping it open.
"How in Nayru's Love did you pack this many Meat Skewers!?" He yelled, pulling one of the skewers out for emphasis. "There are other foods in the world!"
"Elementary." Link said in a posh accent. He took a meat skewer and ate away at it, whittling it down to the steel rod in seconds. "I'll always have a weapon with me, even when I eat."
"How does a Meat Skew-"
Link tossed the Skewer like a kunai, embedding it into the wall.
"Like that." He said simply.
"Well...That still doesn't-"
"Could you two stop trying to one up one another?" Zelda sighed. "We need to focus on the current food problem."
Link shrugged. "It really shouldn't be that hard to gather more." He scratched his chin. "We need to establish a Farming or Hunting Guild. Could ask people from the different tribes if they want to join."
"What about that old Ranch nearby? Fix that up and we'll have Milk and Cattle." Twilight suggested, crossing his arms. "We could get some Goats or Horses and begin trading with outside kingdoms."
"That does sounds nice." Zelda smiled. "Well, we do have places to be. We might as well add that to our list while we travel."
Link nodded, looking at Twilight. "Can I have my tunic back please?"
Twilight huffed, waving his hand towards him. Link's bandaged torso was soon covered in darkness, shattering away to show the shining blue Champion's tunic.
"Alright." He sat up, strapping the Master Sword to his back. "Let's head out."
Zelda nodded, walking outside with Link and Twilight following closely behind.
The Urn was brought carefully into the room, it's content spilled into the center of the ring. Yiga assassins and blademasters had gathered around to watch.
Strum sat up straight in his throne-like chair. Overlooking the dojo-esque room. "Bring in the Trident of our lord!" He barked.
A female assassin stepped in, holding out a glossy black trident, the red jewel in it's center shone brightly in the dim light. She carefully swayed up onto the ring, laying it flat parallel to the ashes.
"Bring in the Sword of our Lord!" Strum barked again.
"We were unable to procure it." A blademaster boomed. "The Hero still possesses it now."
Strum glowered at his subordinate. "...Very Well. Begin the Ritual."
Two Assassins stepped out from behind his throne, both holding a single blood arrow. They stiffly marched down the stairs, past their fellow Yiga, and up onto the ring.
"When the Dark Lord is vanquished. He may be revived by spilling the blood of his killer onto his ashes." Strum recited. "This legend will aid in his revival. But, we need a stronger leader. One who not only has power, but a tactical mind."
The assassins held their arrows over the ashes, breaking off the arrowhead. The blood from both flowed out and onto the ashes, harsh sizzles and crackles coming from the remains.
Strum stood, arms above his head in a beckoning manner.
"Rise Now! Lord Ganondorf Dragmire!"
A wave of hot energy surged about the room, throwing the two unlucky assassins into the wall with a sickening crunch, both dead on impact.
Streaks of crimson and orange surged within the ashes, as something began rising up. From inside the couarse substance.
Another wave of heat tore banners off their poles, tossed tables and chairs, even knocking some of the viewing Yiga down.
The figure kept rising, up and up, the ashes it came from growing smaller and smaller, joining together with to form it's body.
But, it stopped. The heat died down, and in it's place, no taller than a teenager, was a young gerudo man. His red hair short and kempt, and his Amber eyes open and alert. He wore light armor, aesthetically similar to the armor worn by him during the Twilight Era. A scar glowed on his chest.
"Is...is that...Him?" An Assassin squeeked.
"No, it can't be. He's too short! Ganondorf was 7'6!" A blademaster said.
"Then who is he!? We don't just get someone else from Ganondorf's ashes!" Strum seethed.
"Um...Master? What's he doing with the Trident?"
Hatred. He felt it...No, he smelled it? Could he smell hatred? Was that thing? No...Who was he again? Ganon? No...Ganondorf Dragmire. That was his name.
Where was he? He felt warm, but he was inside? A cave? Or a Building? Why did his hands feel wet?
This was an odd situation. He scowled, trying to remember things. He remembered...green. Someone...in green.
Link. That was his name. A boy, maybe 8 or 12 years old. He couldn't tell. But then he was...executed? But how was he alive?
No, he remembered darkness and a figure with a odd shaped head. A castle, a princess...
Then there was the green again. Link, fighting him with such refined skill and feral anger.
He also remembered...something silver, piercing his chest. A sword obviously. The Master Sword?
Then a snap, like bone cracking...Did he die?
...What else?
Then he was...brought back as something...big and mindless. It was a bit foggy, but he remembered four warriors of Green, Blue, Red, and Purple. Then he...died again?
Then he was brought back once more...
He shuddered, all he felt was hatred and malice boiling up, desperate to be released at those who caused him grief. But then he died again...or was atleast near death.
Yet here he was...He felt like...much time hadn't passed since that last one. He knew that another Link might be around or another...Princess Zelda.
He remembered everything now.
His eyes wandered around, his right hand was wrapped around someone's throat, his strangled gasps emitted from behind the mask he wore. In his left hand was a trident, dripping with blood which streaked all the way up his arm.
The room was littered with corpses, stabbed repeatedly and without mercy. Some were broken with dark magic and tossed usessly to the side. A corpse hung from the chandiler, impaled on one of the sharp spikes.
They all wore the same masks.
Yiga. His followers.
His grip slackened, dropping the now unconscious Strum to the ground. He stood to his full height, which wasn't much. Eyes darting around to find any sign of life, he found none.
"Hmm..." He frowned, holding up his right hand. Three dark triangles were etched there, the top one glowing faintly, but slowly dying out.
His eyes casted upwards towards the exit.
"Damn Them...!"
SNAP!
Twilight shot up from his seated position, hand on his sword's hilt, eyes darting around on full alert.
"Huh?" Link looked up at him. "What's wrong?"
His breathing was low, eyes wide open. "I...felt something terrible." He said lowly. "I'll be right back."
He warped away, leaving Link and Zelda alone, sitting on the Hilltop. They quickly got back on topic, a sea of silent princesses dotted the hills around them, such a sight brought warmth to the Princess' heart.
"It's amazing that they survived these path 100 years." She said. "Perhaps it represent our struggles? Weak and Pitiful, yet we always triumph."
Link gave her a look. "Princess, calling my fight with an abomination of nature 'Weak and Pitiful' is just insulting."
She laughed. "I am sorry for speaking the truth, sometimes it just feels we are pawns in the goddesses' plan. That never truly have control over ourselves."
"Perhaps we don't." He sat up, scratching his head. "I do like to think we can change our destiny, if we just try hard enough."
"Hmm...Maybe You are correct." She smiled. "But, I guess we'll just have to find out in the long run."
She stood up, unhooking the Sheikah Slate from her belt and looking over some previous notes. Link stood up as well, looking over the rolling green hills around them.
"We'll make our way to Zora's Domain." She said, getting his attention. "It seems Divine Beast Vah Ruta...It looks like it's stopped working. Let's investigate the situation."
Link cocked his head, giving a slight nod.
Zelda's expression softened, lowering the Slate from her view. "Mipha's Father..." She began, her tone soft. "I believe he would like to hear more about her. The least we could do is visit him and offer him some closure."
She looked ahead, towards the looming figure of Hyrule Castle, the new stable and inn just barely visible.
"Althought Ganon is gone, there is still much for us to do." She gave him a knowing glance. "And so many painful memories that we must bear."
She took a single step forward, for emphasis or maybe longing for something. "I believe in all my heart, that if all of us work together...we can restore Hyrule to it's former glory. Perhaps, even beyond. But it all must start with us."
Link inwardly smiled. Aside from the bickering and his outbursts, Zelda never truly gave up on her dreams. Be they too big or too small. She was like a light in the darkness, fierce and determined, never giving in to the temptation to cease being herself.
It was something he liked about her.
"Let's be off." She said suddenly, walking past him. He simply watched her, before slowly following after.
But soon she slowed to a halt, and so did he. Her back was to him, her head low as she stared in contemplation at the ground.
"I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword." She said.
A memory flashed in Link's mind.
"How proficient are you? Wielding that Sword on your back?" Zelda asked him. "Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet...Hero?"
He had replied with the silence he was known for.
"I suppose it would make sense, if my power had dwindled over the last 100 years..." She turned towards, her shining emerald eyes meeting his sapphire ones.
She smiled, fully turning to face him. "I'm surprised to admit it," She put her hands behind her back. "But I can accept that."
She laughed, one of happiness and contentment, her golden hair blowing in the wind. Her laugh was nice to hear, Link admitted, it was one of the few things in the world that could make him happy.
It was one of the things he loved about her.
Aww, ain't that sweet.
All is well in the land...Not. :)
You gotta give it to Zelda, her tenacity is remarkable, even after 100 years of fighting an eldritch abomination from the friggin Chutulu mythos.
I don't think the Yiga understood the fact that Ganondorf's probably pissed off after three deaths in a row. So he's got some blood lust when he's revived.
As for his appearance, keep in mind you're supposed to put the blood of the one who killed him. But both Link and Twilight killed him, or a Version of him. So, them mixing the blood was probably a bad idea in the long run
And so concludes the Reconstruction Saga.
I'll announce the Saga later tonight or tomorrow! Stay tuned! :D