Ravio and Hilda

Hilda's powers worked perfectly; as the southern side of the city was receding under the cloak of darkness, the Sage of Shadow used the change of light to mask her and Ravio's movement. To the Darknuts that guarded the southern gate and beyond within the city, the pair was invisible, a shadow in the night. Hilda was careful not to step into any lingering light from the mostly set sun, or else her power would be broken.

While Hilda concentrated on her powers, Ravio's thoughts rocked his mind. Hilda's plan was a double-edged sword; on one side, they would have their homeland back, while on the other, they would be betraying Zelda and the others. But letting Zelda have the Triforce, or anyone at all, was a double-edged sword; Link and Zelda would definitely bring peace to the land, but the Princess didn't have the guts to eliminate the Imperials with a few words. Vaati having it was certain doom for all, but there was one option Ravio still believed in, and that was forgetting the Triforce altogether. Of course, that plan was considerable until Riju lit the sky orange.

He was loyal to Lorule and its royalty, but the friends he made in this world gained his as well. It was a dilemma, one that would come down to whoever got to the Triforce if, and only if, Zelda failed. The prospect of seeing his homeland, his countrymen, his little bird… He couldn't shake off the feeling it was wrong.

"Ravio." Snapping to attention, Ravio looked to Hilda, then to his surroundings. They were in a plaza dedicated to the Forest Pedestal, guarded by three Darknuts and five Lizalfos. They were still under Hilda's cloak, but if a similar event to the Spirit Pedestal happens, it wouldn't last much longer.

"I'll make this quick. Will the cloak hold until I get there?"

"Yeah. Now go. We don't have much time… I sense a great power here in the city...and greater in the outskirts."

Ravio nodded. That meant the Imperial King was here, along with a slightly lesser threat. He walked quickly to the Pedestal of Forest, taking out the medallion from under his robe and around his neck. He held it face-down above the hole the medallion went, "Well, here goes nothing."

"Are you sure what you are planning to do is best for two worlds?" Ravio jumped back, thinking that the voice of a young child had invaded his mind. No, that was crazy. There was nobody else here. "Oh, is that what you think?" This time, Ravio looked up the statue of the tree, where at the top, there was indeed a young girl (or a small lady) sitting on top of it. Everything besides her fair skin and brown boots was green; her hair, her eyes, her tunic. Ravio began to freak out, hoping that he wasn't the only one who saw this, and to confirm, he looked to Hilda.

Hilda saw but did not engage the pair at the pedestal, for good reason. It didn't take much longer for Ravio to figure out who he was talking to.

"You're… You are Saria, the Sage of Forest."

The little person laughed, pushing herself off the tree, landing beside Ravio with the grace only a ghost could. "Yes, that's me. But before you ask, no, I'm not a Kokiri, nor a preteen child. I was around before this mess, and died trying to fix it." She scoffed at that, turning back to the tree in front of them. "To be able to fix our mistakes… Nature doesn't do that. That's a human thing. We are human, but as the Sages of Forest, we are more attuned to nature than the other sages. We maintain the natural order of the world. In essence, we are Farore, if Fire and Water represent Din and Nayru. From the forests, I have learned one thing."

Ravio was impressed that a woman who barely came halfway up his rib was so knowledgeable. "What… What is that?"

"That when a mistake happens, no matter how severe, nature doesn't try to correct it. No, what it does is move forward. A fire razes a forest, it doesn't try to rebuild the forest but creates a new one instead on the ashes of the old. A drought plaques a field, the plants don't try to steal water from each other, but eventually, adapt to use less water than usual until the drought ends. We call it many things. Evolution. Selection. Adaptation. They all mean the same thing, to keep going to the future while not letting the past hinder us. In retrospect, us Sages didn't adapt. We...were too ready to take back Hyrule. We went in, without our Link and Zelda, thinking we could do it without them but we should have adapted. We should have waited a while longer. The time was wrong, and we paid for it one by one."

Ravio crossed his arms. There was a lesson in this, and he knew exactly what the old sage was saying. He had to let the past go if he was to move to the future. The past was Lorule. The future was Hyrule. "You want me to forget my homeland?"

Saria thinned her lips. "In the way you want to remember it, yes. Lorule is part of who you are, and it will always shape you, but you are now in Hyrule. You fought for Lorule, but now you must fight for Hyrule. You swore loyalty to Lorule, now swear it to Hyrule. You bowed and protected Lorule, but here you shall bow to and protect Hyrule. Don't let the past die, but never let it blind you to the present and the future. Nature doesn't, so why should you?" Saria turned to the stand on top the pedestal, pushing Ravio to it. "Now I believe we've held up Her Highness long enough. Shadow Sages have a short patience for some reason… You know what to do."

"Right…" Ravio held the medallion as he had previously, then began reciting the Minuet of Forest. "The flow of time is always cruel... 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." Ravio paused a moment, thinking just how much this quote reflected on his current situation. He whistled the song as he set the medallion in, and a green light ejected to the sky, coloring it green with the activation of the Pedestal of Forest. Remembering Hilda, he rushed to the princess, but it was too late. The Darknuts and Lizalfos had finally taken notice of the pair, charging towards the Loruleans fiercely.

Hilda tugged on Ravio, breaking into a sprint. "Ravio, we got to go."

Ravio followed, but turned back, knowing that a fight here will waste time, but there was no way they could avoid one from the Lizalfos (the speedier bunch. Darknuts were inhibited by their armor). Thinking fast, Ravio held his hand out, reaching out for the Lizalfos' predatory instinct, and shutting it down. To his amazement, it worked. The lizards ceased there pursuit, almost forgetting the retreating humans entirely. It was enough for Hilda to slip them back under her cloak. Catching their breaths, Hilda nodded to Ravio, appreciating his efforts. "Don't know what you did, but it worked."

"I suppressed their natural instinct to hunt, making them more docile. It's a temporary fix, and it will only work on animals." Ravio shrugged, then turned back to the monsters. Back under the cloak, the Loruleans were safe from the Darknuts, while the Lizalfos were still under the effects of Ravio's meddling. He turned back to Hilda, noting the road ahead. "I think we should get to your pedestal. We got a long ways to go."

Hilda smirked. "Yeah, we do."


Midna

Her home was still standing. All the rubble, all the ruins, all the debris, and it is the Twilight residence that, for some reason, stands unscathed. Midna almost thanked Zant for most likely being responsible for their home to be in such condition, then it made sense that he kept it this way. He had been here, she could tell.

Midna closed the front door, observing the house with curiosity. Yes, she knew she had a mission just a few blocks away, but Ravio had just activated Forest. She had time until Hilda, Oren, and Ralph did so. Of course, she could waste her time here afterward but she didn't know what would happen once she made it to the pedestal. Best take her chances now.

Thankfully, Zant was not smart enough to tidy the place up or hide an open bookcase in the living room that Midna never remembered being open like that in the first place. She floated over that way over to the open bookcase, noting a black book drawn out like a lever. Of course, it was fake, but Midna could remember a time when she would desire a book from the bookcase, her mother would always give her one warning.

"Remember Midna, do not touch the black book. You aren't old enough for it yet."

"Why not, Mother?"

"You are not ready for what lies behind the front cover."

Turning away from the book, the bookcase functioned like a door, a stairway leading down deeper into the house. "I'm ready now, Mother." Midna floated down the dark staircase, glad that her new form allowed sight in the darkness. She came upon a small room, decorated with similar highlights that Midoro Palace had. Zant must have got his inspiration from here. Inside the room, books and papers were scattered across a lone, large, circular table. Pictures hung on the walls, showing the same four people in varying numbers. Midna easily recognized her mother, as many had said they both looked alike, and now being an adult, Midna could say the same. They both had long hair, though Midna's mother's was more red than orange. They had the same red eyes, the same nose structure, and if Midna could remember, her mother was around her current height and physique, though probably not as toned as Midna. But one difference between mother in memory and the photos was her skin color. Her mother was admittedly paler than the fairest skinned of Hylians, but in the photos, she was royal blue and black.

The people in the paintings were much like her. If the people in the paintings were indeed her mother's parents, then it was so that Zant wasn't crazy to call himself a king. The eldest man and the other woman in the pictures were old enough and loving to her mother that them being her parents was a no-brainer, and their attires and jewelry said king and queen.

"Mother, what were my grandparents like?"

"My child, your grandparents are great people. Your grandfather is a kind and wise man, your grandmother a beautiful and loving woman."

"How come we can never visit them."

"Because...where they are...I cannot bring myself to go back."

"Why not?"

"I lost a...friend there. I don't want the pain to return."

There was the fourth person picture, a second male. Her mother hesitated when she called him 'friend,' so was it the truth, or was he more than a friend? None of the other pictures, even the one with them alone, brought the truth out, but Midna was sure he was special to her mother. If he was… Midna never really gave much thought to him, but now seeing this man, could he be her and Zant's father? It made perfect sense to Midna.

He was quite handsome, and in a weird sense, Zant looked somewhat like him, if she must say so.

Midna turned to the table, ignoring the books laid across it. Instead, her eyes went for a more interesting prize, that of a black glass fragment with white symbols that faintly glowed in the darkness. She reached out for it, holding it in her hands. She looked down to the writing in front of where the fragment was placed. It had a drawing of a completed mirror that the fragment belonged to, along with some writing underneath. "There is a dimension beyond that known to man. It isn't a parallel world or a realm that molds itself after one's heart. It is a realm where the greatest darkness in this world's history lies. It is a history of when the gods themselves had to come from almighty high themselves to save their creation. This world sees it twice, when night merges with the day at sunrise, and when day merges with the night at sunset. They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs… The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight… That place is called the Twilight Realm." The rest of the writing was in a different language from Hylian, but it was familiar. Ah, Midna remembered her mother teaching her native tongue exclusively to Midna, and it seemed the rest of the passage was written in a way that no one who didn't know the tongue could read it. Midna looked at the mirror fragment, knowing just why Zant didn't take the piece for himself. He couldn't read his mother's tongue. "Whatever Mother wants me to do with this, she knew Zant couldn't. She must have known Zant was not right all along." Midna set the fragment down, replacing it with the sheet of paper. "Okay, let's see what it says. This...mirror fragment is...just one of three. Its sisters...lie in the land of Hyrule,..one in the hands of its darkness,..the other in the hands of its light. Find them, join all three, and home, my daughter, you shall see."

"Midna! Where are you?" Riju. Oh, gods, she had nearly forgotten the mission. Picking up the mirror, she 'pocketed' it for later, taking her Gossip Stone out.

"Hey, Riju, what's up?"

"You should have been here at Light by now. I had to fight my way here, so I know you had it easy. What's the holdup? Did you go home for real?"

Midna rolled her eyes, departing the cellar. "I am on my way to the Pedestal. See you there"


Link

Link let his bow linger in position for a moment as smoke billowed around the bombed General Onox. He dropped it, hoping that, if the armor didn't give it, it had some damage to it at least. It was impenetrable by a sword, and though Link was faster, Onox's strength was far superior. He had only a taste of it when the battle ax grazed his side. It hurt enough that Link secretly wanted to tag in someone else, but it was just him and Onox in this square.

Said man walked out the smoke, unharmed. Link scoffed at the absurdity of his situation. How did his predecessor thousands of years ago fight this man? What was the weakness the general was hiding, and how did Link exploit it? He had little time to ponder that as Onox leaped into the air, landing a few feet away from Link with a huge shockwave that could have destroyed the entire plaza. Link managed to catch himself from completely falling, kneeling as he waited for the ground to stop shaking before charging forward. He went in shield first, holding the Master Sword out and, for the first time, charged the sword beam. Onox detached his ax from the chain and threw it at Link. Expecting a projectile attack (though from the spiked ball, not the ax), Link got on his knees, barely evading the weapon as it passed over his body. As he got within range of Onox, the general swung the ball, but Link evaded with a sidestep right and spun, performing a full-powered spin attack under Onox's right arm. Blade met armor, and Link ended up behind Onox. Lowering his sword and shield, he turned his head to see the results of his work.

Purple smoke escaped from under Onox's right arm, the general himself tending to the impossible wound. Link allowed himself to smile. Onox's armor was strong, but it couldn't beat the Master Sword at full power. Unfortunately, Onox now knew this too. He turned to face Link, growling as he reclaimed his ax. "You might have scratched me, but you are far from winning."

Link chuckled as he readied himself again. "Then I'll get closer." Link swung the Master Sword against Onox's ax, trading and exchanging meetings of steel. Link had to remember to thank Farore for enhancing his abilities whenever the Pendant of Courage glowed, or else this fight would have ended before it began or Link would have to scramble for strategies.

He was focused on the General of Darkness until the sky illuminated once more, glowing a heavenly yellow. Link looked to the north, where the Pedestal of Light was located. Midna! That's three down, three to go. Where's Ralph and Oren?

"ARRRGH!" Link's lack of focus allowed Onox to take advantage, knocking Link with a strong armored fist. The Hero of the Resistance cried out, flying a few meters back, crashing into some carts. Link tried to move, but a sharp pain in his abdomen prevent such a thing. He looked down to see a piece of wood protruding into his left oblique, and he lowered his head back to calm himself. Onox's armor clanked against each other as he came forth, standing a few feet away from Link but not out of the reach of his ax. To Onox, this was it. He had the Hero right where he wanted him. He looked across the plaza where the Princess of Hyrule and their annoying bug continued to try to enter and help, but they were too late. "The legend will end, and with it, darkness shall reign. Redemption is mine, and mine alone. It has been an honor, Hero, to fight you once more." Onox raised his ax, intending to bring it down vertically on Link.

It was intended, but a surprise distracted Onox from his plans. A small ball bounced between Onox and Link, exploding seconds later and clouding the area with thick smoke. Onox growled as he tried to wave away the smoke, then felt a sharp blade puncture his left side. Onox fell on his knees, roaring as loudly as his lungs could muster. The smoke parted from around him, Onox looking up to his target. Link was gone, and whoever attacked him wasn't around either. That pissed off the knight to no end. "Hero!"

"I believe you're looking for us, Onox." That voice, Onox recognized immediately. Standing to his feet, Onox turned around to meet the speaker. One of the pair was Link, tossing aside an empty bottle and looking healed. The other was another man, dressed in the jumpsuit of the Sheikah Clan and wearing a white scarf around his neck and mandible. Onox bared his teeth in anger.

"Sheik. You bastard."

"Hello, old friend. It has been a while." Sheik folded his arms, turning to the Temple of Time to the right. "Last time we met, this city was burning, and my friends failed to get here. Now, eight years later, we're here again, and a new group of heroes is attempting to do the same." He drew a curved blade, similar to Zelda's own sword, and got into his battle position. "I won't fail this time." Sheik charged, leaping and flipping in the air for a huge helm splitter. Onox blocked the strike, pushing the Sheikah leader away, but the scarfed warrior was not deterred. Once he landed, he threw another small device at the knight. Thinking it was another smoke bomb, Onox brought his arm up, but a small yet forceful explosion sent the golden Imperial flying off his feet.

While the Imperial was down, Sheik turned to Link, still recovering from his own fight. "The Master Sword is the only thing that'll fully penetrate his armor with a spell. I'll create an opening. Concentrate as much charge as you can on that sword, and when I call, fire it."

Link nodded and watched as Sheik rejoined the battle. Turning away from the battle, Link looked towards Zelda and Spryte, still blocked from the plaza by the tornadoes. "Zel, can you not teleport to the other side?"

"No. I have tried to do so. The tornadoes are interfering with the connection from here to there. You and Sheik are on your own."

Link sighed, then began to charge the Master Sword, pointing it at the fighting Onox and Sheik. "Do you know him?"
"Yeah. Impa is his wife. Before coming to Ordon, I stayed with the Sheikah in New Kasuto. I barely remember my time there, but I will always remember the warrior who dressed as a woman who dressed as a man to disguise herself."

"Oh." Link watched as the glow of the Master Sword increased from its normal state to a bright light in the darkening sky, but felt it needed more, even with the aid of the Pendant of Courage. To get more, he'll need Spryte and Zelda's help. To get them here, the tornadoes would need to be eliminated...or disrupted long enough for the princess and fairy to make the jump. He aimed the beam towards the tornado in front of them. "Spryte, get close to Zelda. Zelda, once you feel the link, make the jump." Link swiped his sword to create a slice beam, watching it fly towards the tornado and cut through. His plan worked; as soon as the beam made initial contact, Zelda felt the connection between her and Link and used it to make her and Spryte "jump through" the tornado. They landed a second later at Link's side, who was already preparing another beam, this one for Onox. "We need to charge this beam up more. Lend the Master Sword your power!"

"Right!" Zelda gripped Link's hand, Spryte landing on top of Zelda's. The beam began to grow immensely, so much that the Hylians had to squint their eyes and they had to readjust the sword to get a steady grip.

Luckily for them, Sheik noticed the size of the beam, grinning under his scarf as a result. That wouldn't just break Onox's armor; it might do actual physical damage. That smile shifted to Sheik's eyes. "Onox, I am enjoying this fight, but I'm afraid it must end."

"With your demise, Sheikah."

"No, demon, with your own." Sheik jumped high enough to avoid Onox's ax, shouting to the teenagers "Now!" He landed on all fours just as the beam flew over him, knocking into Onox with force. Onox screamed in agony, smoke exiting his armor in intense amounts. He fell first on both legs, then his body fell flat on the ground with a thundering thud.

His cry died not much longer afterwards.

Sheik got to his feet, sheathing his blade and saying a short prayer for Onox. Turning around, Sheik made his way to the heroes, lowering his scarf as he approached. "Good work, Hero."

Link nodded, sheathing the Master Sword. "You too."

"And you, Princess." Sheik placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder, smiling proudly. "It has been a long time, but I see Impa's training turned out well."

"A long time it has been, Sheik. How is the clan?"

"Hidden amongst the shadows, but ready to strike. I gave the elders a lecture they'll never forget." Sheik turned to the body of Onox, raising his eyebrow. "Luckily we got here in time."

"Where's Impa?"

"She's assisting the Shadow Sage. I should go find her, tell her that you are okay."

While the humans chatted, Spryte concentrated on the body of Onox. For some reason, she could feel his presence linger, instead of fade away like a dead person. As a matter of fact, it did the complete opposite, and it was doing that fast. "Umm, Link."

"Yeah?"

Spryte pointed to Onox, her arm wavering in fear. "Onox...he's...not dead."

"What?" Before anyone else could question Spryte, the ground began to quake. The smoke exiting Onox began to float up to the sky, merging high above the square. The only thing that was left as the last of Onox move up was his armor.

Sheik, Link, and Zelda drew their weapons, shocked by this turn of events. "What the hell is this?"

"That should have killed him. That was the plan!"

"Gah, hah, hah!" The voice of Onox thundered across the plaza, proof that the General of Darkness was not done yet. "Not bad at all! But I'm done toying with you! I will show you my true might!" The smoke in the air began to expand, and a bright light shined across the square. The rebels covered their eyes until the light ceased, then faced the sky to get a glimpse of Onox's "true might." It was a large, dark-colored dragon, with a rocky, white head and arms. A large jewel was encrusted on Onox's forehead, just above the fiery-orange eyes that saw the doom of the rebels. "Gwah hah hah! I was summoned from the Evil Realm by Vaati! See my true form! Feel the might of a dark dragon!" Onox reared his head back, taking in air as a blue fireball began to form in the dragon's mouth, then it was exhaled forcefully towards Link and company.

Zelda stepped forward, channeling her power and the Pendant of Wisdom, threw her hand up and yelled "Nayru's Love!" The blue diamond shield enveloped over her and her allies, holding as the fireball made contact against it. Zelda held her ground as the fireball tried to crush the shield, but the Princess was a little stronger as the fireball dispersed. However, the shield fell as well due to Zelda's exhaustion, the Princess falling on her feet. "I… I won't be able to do it again."

Unfortunately for them, Onox was not waiting for Zelda to recharge. He began to charge another fireball, one stronger than the last, to end the rebellion once and for all...