Bagu's House, North Hyrule
"So we got five of them."
"Yep. One from us girls, two from Ravio, one from you, one that Impa sent Hilda a few minutes ago, and this one that came from nowhere… We have five."
"Princess Oren has hers. That makes six."
"So what do we do now? Do we know what to do with them?"
"I know." Zelda pointed to a northern location on a nearby map. "We go to Midna's hometown, Rauru. The "timeless temple" should be there."
Midna frowned. "You mean the Temple of Time? Impossible." Midna floated to the nearby window, turning her back to the group. "There's nothing there. It all burned to the ground."
"Midna."
"There's no reason for us to go alone...If what Impa said is true, we're walking into the same trap the Sages did years ago. Zelda, you say Vaati wants you to get the Triforce, but what if this is a scheme of his? It is… I cannot go with you."
"Midna," Hilda said, standing to her feet, "We understand you might not want to go because of what happened, but we need to get there. You are the only one who knows what the Temple of Time looks like, so maybe just come with us, but you don't have to enter the city." Hilda waited for Midna to protest, but after a minute, the imp sighed and turned back to the ground. Knowing her friend was in, Hilda turned to the rest of the group. "Midna is right about one thing. It is dangerous to go alone."
Link nodded. "Has Shade and Bagu landed in North Hyrule yet?"
Ravio shrugged. "I hope… What about the Sheikah?"
"Nah, Impa is trying to rally them now. I doubt it'll happen unless Zelda addresses them herself."
"Ralph?"
"We don't know his situation in Labrynna, but we can try. We do need Oren here." Zelda sat back down in her chair, looking at the five medallions in front of her. "There are six pedestals in the city. Each corresponds to a medallion, right? But which is which?"
"Light," Midna said, deciding her knowledge will save her friends, "is to the north, Forest to the south. Shadow and Fire to the northeast and southeast, Water and Spirit to the western intermediates. But not just anyone can access them. The Sages themselves only can, and we officially have two." Midna turned to Zelda. "Both were selected by the previous Sage, so their power is her power. But the other four must be chosen by you, Princess, as you are their leader."
"So how do I do that?"
Hilda picked up the Medallion of Shadow, watching it glow soft purple in her hands. "My power was woken the minute I said the Nocturne of Shadow. Basing off of the pendants you and Link wear, when it glows, it recognizes you as its bearer. So the same should happen to everyone else you choose."
"Ok… So…" Zelda looked at Ravio and Midna, then pointed to them both. "I choose you two as Sages."
Ravio pointed to himself "M-m-m-me? I think you're mistaken. I am not Sage material. Hilda?"
"Ravio, you are Sage material. You have your ways, but that doesn't make the best parts of you any lesser. Whenever I needed something to brighten my day, you would do it, and even if my day was okay, you brought life to it. You would risk your life, even if it scared you to the very marrow of the bone. That makes you worthy, in my heart."
"Life," Zelda repeated, "like a bunny in a forest. I hope you represent it well." The Princess of Hyrule picked up the green medallion Ravio had taken from Jalhalla, handing it back to him. "Become the Sage of Forest."
Ravio looked down at the medal in his hands, sighing in regret. "Okay, I'll do it."
Zelda smiled. "Good. As for you, Midna… You are the first rebel in this group. For five years, you've been apart of the light this dark country desires. You've been the light in Hilda's, Ravio's, Ralph's, and most importantly, in Ganondorf's life. Today, I give you a new light, to be the Sage of Light. In our hour of twilight, you shall illuminate the world."
Midna frowned. "Did you just…"
"Yes, I did." Zelda smirked as Midna mumbled something incoherent before the imp rolled her eyes.
"Alrighty, Princess, I'll be your loyal, humble Sage. I guess you want me to be Light, huh?"
"Ditto."
"Kinda wrong, based on my family history… But I accept. I'll be the Sage of Light."
Zelda handed Midna the Light Medallion and looked at the other two left. "Ralph… He'll be Fire and Spirit… That belongs to the Gerudo, right Midna?"
"The Sage Gerudo. The lineage of the original Sage of Spirit's bloodline. I believe she's already been chosen, so we don't have to worry too much."
"Mido should still be on our path," Ravio interjected. "I saw a picture of the princess there with a younger Ganondorf. She knows him. Her name was Riju or something like that, but all we ever heard of was Aveil, who was in a family photo with him and his family."
Link leaned forward. "Ganondorf is still secondary. We have his pendant, we don't need him now. In the meantime…" Link could feel Midna's eyes bear down on his soul. He ignored it as much as possible. "...we will need to make contact with Ralph, Oren, Bagu, and Auru. get the latter's positions, and move to Rauru Town. If Farore wills it, we can have the Triforce by nightfall. We can get there by the fifteenth hour if we pace ourselves. Sounds good?"
Spryte saluted. "Sir yes sir." The others mocked saluted, at which Link rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. Zelda, Ravio, Midna, finish your Sage stuff. Hilda, Spryte, let's find the rebels." Hilda stood up, following Link to a back room while the others stayed seat. Eyes went to Zelda, who let her eyes linger on Link and Hilda too long before she reached out her hands to Ravio.
"I don't know what to do, so we'll do what Oren did with Hilda. It worked, so… Ravio, repeat after me. The flow of time is always cruel."
"The flow of time is always cruel."
"Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it."
"Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it."
"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days."
"A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days."
"In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." Zelda hummed the tune of the song, then waited for Ravio to repeat.
"In order to come back here again, play the Minuet of Forest." Ravio hummed the tune and felt something within him change. Not only did the pendant in his hand glow, but...he could feel life itself. He could hear the chirping of insects outside the cottage, the texture of bark of the trees of Midoro, the smell of the murky swamp… Around him was a green aura, signifying the presence of the new Sage of Forest. "Holy shit. It worked."
Zelda smiled, then turned to Midna. "There's no speech to lead up to the song, so we'll skip to the tune. Repeat after me, the Prelude of LIght." Zelda hummed the song, and Midna followed. Like Ravio, the girl felt a surge of power within her. She couldn't describe the feeling, but she could tell she was different. "Wow… Ok."
"Wait!" Ravio dung into his pockets hurriedly. "Zelda, you're the Sage of Time, right?"
"Umm, yeah, I guess I am."
"Here!" Ravio pulled out a small, bean-shaped blue instrument, pushing it towards Zelda. "I was supposed to give it to you a month ago, but… It's been stressful. That's the ocarina. The Ocarina of Time."
Labrynna
"Everyone we invited awaits you in that room, sire."
Ralph nodded, adjusting his robe around him nervously. "Thank you, Mayor Plen. You are excused to your doings."
Plen bowed at the waist. "Your Majesties. Oracles." Ralph nodded, then took a deep breath.
"Mmmhh, the king is nervous, and over a meeting? Labrynna is doomed."
Nayru slapped her sister's wrist. "Din, stop it. We are all under a lot of pressure once we enter. We not asking Holodrum to aid us, we're asking the world. We're asking kingdoms to send their sons and daughters to Hyrule to free it, and there's vengeance for Lorule."
"Thank you, Nayru," Ralph said, turning to the council chamber doors, "but your sister is right. I am nervous. This decides the fate of the world. Labrynna won, but it wasn't convincingly. Hyrule won, but we nearly lost the rebellion. If I want to convince these leaders to send their armies… I need to be like one...for once in my life, I have to be royalty. Go in, all of you. Just give me a moment alone." Din and Oren went inside without argument, but the Oracle of Ages didn't lift a toe. Once the door shut, Ralph looked to Nayru, disapproving of her disobedience. "I said-"
"I am staying." The Oracle lowered her arms, softening her gaze. "I won't go in until you do. You are my king, but we are both Labrynna."
Sighing, Ralph rocked on his feet, looking at the floor. "...Thank you."
"You're welcome." Taking the king's hands in hers, Nayru circled her thumbs in his palms, humming a tune she created herself. Ralph stopped jumping around, closing his eyes as he listened to her song. He remembered the first time he heard it five years ago, in the grove of the Maku Tree. That was the first time they met under romantic circumstances… Ralph opened his eyes, flipping his hands to take hers in his. He looked up at her, meeting her beautiful smile with one of his own.
"Alright… Let's go." Ralph pushed opened the door, allowing the Oracle of Ages to enter first before he entered. They were met with a standing welcome from the Oracle of Seasons and the Sage of Water along with the disembodied forms of the leaders of other countries of the world. Mayor Ruul of Holodrum, King Tuft and Princess Styla of Hytopia, Oshus the Ocean King of the Phantom Isles, Anjean of the Lokomos, and King Komali and Queen Medli of the Great Sea Alliance, and, remarkably, the Prince of Calatia, who survived the attack on his homeland. Looking to his left he spotted Oren standing by a councilor's chair, but before he could question as to why she wasn't at the late Queen Ambi's seat, she gestured towards it. He turned to his right, where, instead of being at his seat as Oracle, Nayru stood in front of his mother's chair. Din took the pleasure of standing before the seat of the Oracle on the other side of Ralph. Walking to his father's chair, Ralph let his hand grip the velvet lining if the chair before closing his eyes, whispering a silent plea to his parents to watch over him. Facing the gathering again, he nodded to them. "You may sit." Everyone took their seats, and Ralph took a quick moment to talk to Nayru. "I thought you weren't going to sit here."
"Your Zora friend is very convincing. Plus… You know Din."
"Heh. Yeah. Thank you." Ralph then leaned forward, placing his arms on the table as he began to address his audience.
"Your Highnesses, Your Majesties, mayors, elders, leaders of this world, I come to you at this hour but not as the king of this land. I do not come to you as a witness to war. I come to you as a citizen of this world. A free citizen of a free world. 18 years ago, the land of Hyrule fell to darkness. An unforeseen darkness crept into the land of light and swallowed it completely. We have a name for this darkness, and it is called Vaati."
King Tuft spoke up. "What about Ganon?"
Ralph looked to Oren, who silently told him not to tell the truth. "Ganon is M.I.A. Matter of fact, he's not even a factor. Point of the matter is, Vaati, King Vaati if we want to be respectful, is a threat to our world. Within Hyrule, he has already killed hundreds. Outside of Hyrule… King Tuft and his kingdom were threatened at one point. Labrynna and Holodrum, before the war truly began, was asked to submit. Calatia, the closest kingdom to Hyrule, was attacked to demonstrate the power of what we call the "Divine Beasts," but before then, a kingdom in another dimension called Lorule was attacked. Two friends of mine, the princess of Lorule and her knight, are the only remnants of the land. Before the war began, we had lost too much. For 18 years, we stood by, wondering what to do if we were attacked by the Imperials. A few days ago, my worst nightmare was realized: Labrynna was under attack. However, ever since the war began, the Imperials have been pushed back. The Resistance of Hyrule won at the first battle in Clock Town and would avenge Calatia at Spectacle Rock. I led Labrynna to victory here against the dark throne, and outside these windows is a testament to that." Ralph stood up, his posture strong and confident, hands held behind him, "As of today, Labrynna declares war on the Imperials. As of today, I declare war on tyranny, on slavery, on darkness. As of today, I will honor my father and my mother, and fight for justice, for liberty, for light. I fight to free Hyrule. I will send aid not just to the Resistance, but to Princess Zelda herself. Yes, my friends, the daughter of Her Majesty is alive. So is her Hero."
A cacophony filled the room as the other leaders began talking, surprised to hear that the royal bloodline of Hyrule continues to exist. Ralph let it continue for a moment longer before holding up his hand. The others silenced themselves as Ralph continued. "Yes, the legend lives, but they cannot do it alone. If the legend of Zelda...of Link, of Hyrule is to continue, I will aid them. But I cannot do it alone. All of us must pitch in. We are not just royals, mayors, elders. We are not just citizens of our respective lands. We are all free citizens of a free world, and if we are to retain that, we must fight back together. So I come to you with a plea, to give me your sons and your daughters, and let me lead them to glory, to honor, but most of all, to the fall of those Imperial bastards who threaten us. Let make them pay with an afterlife in hell." Ralph sat back down, holding up his arms and resting his chin on his hands.
"What do you say?"
