Chapter 18: Memories and Regrets
"Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart." –Haruki Murakami
"Regenerated?" Samus, in her zero suit, asks from her bed at the Inn.
"Yes. That's what the file said." Zelda answers. "That he was regenerated by Dark Samus, whatever that implies. Also, that the captured Space Pirate was in Vah Rudania. Speaking of which, was it ever found?"
"No, it wasn't." Link, walking in while polishing Zelda's rapier. "I talked to Yunobo before we left Death Mountain; Bludo sent several other Gorons to the divine beast and they searched every nook and cranny. They didn't find a thing." Putting the rapier on top of the drawer next to his suit badge, Link sits down on a sofa with a tired sigh.
"They must have moved it without anyone noticing, maybe before we even got there." Samus adds. "No matter, we'll have to put the search on hold for now."
The three take their few minutes to relax in silence before being called by Riju for their meeting. Zelda, however, looks to her rapier and decides to ask about it. "Hey, there's something I want to know."
"Hmm?" Link, with his head stretched backwards, answers.
"What is my rapier made out of?"
Before answering, Link sits up, grabs the rapier and unsheaths it. "Well, I had gold dust to give it a sharper and reinforced edge, but the steel is from Samus's personal belongings."
"Chozodium." Samus adds. "It's a, now rare, metal from Zebes. Stronger than your average steel, I hoped the Gorons were able to make a weapon out of it. Looks like I was right."
"Yes. It has an exquisitely sharp edge. But, another thing is on my mind; why didn't Dark Samus's phazite blade destroy it? Phazite shatters other weapons."
"Really?" Samus ponders before answering. "Well, my guess is that chozodium is capable of repelling phazon; it was the primary component in the Impact Crater which sealed the corruption on Tallon IV. I didn't expect it to be resistant to the phazite weaponry."
Zelda, surprised as to what this metal was originally used for, looks at her rapiers blade with astonishment. "Still, thank you for this Samus; I promise to always keep it close." Zelda says with a smile. "And thank you too, Link, for having this forged for me."
The two nod in acknowledgment at Zelda's gratefulness, though Link wishes that they had even more for the soldiers and other armed forces across the land. Roughly five minutes later, a guard walks in and tells the group that they're now ready to be heard. Taking a collective deep breath, the three stand up and head out to the center.
Gerudo Town center
The once busy town vendors kept their stalls closed due to a lack of business, but thanks to the appearance of Link, Zelda and Samus, they hurried to show off their wares. Even though he had been here in disguise originally, it still felt odd for Link to walk among the Gerudo without the need for one. The Gerudo, for their part, were ecstatic to have a voe walk among them and a lot of them had their eyes fixed on Link, a fact that did not go unnoticed by him as he tried to not make eye contact. Zelda softly giggled at the attention that Link was receiving while looking nostalgically at the town which Urbosa once called home. Samus casually walks towards the center as the Gerudo look at her with intrigue, still surprised that underneath that bulky suit is such a slender figure with a height rivaling their own. Finally settling down, Riju sits down at her spot with Link and Zelda to her right and left respectively, Samus seated next to Zelda and several other Gerudo sitting around the center as well to hear everything. The first to speak is Samus, who explains what the barrier is and what it's made of, what exactly is causing the spread of phazon, why the Yiga have this new power and how they can stop it all. Finishing up with the fact that they've already purified two of the four divine beasts, they want to know exactly where Vah Naboris resides now.
"Vah Naboris lies at the ruins of the Arbiters Grounds to the southwest of here. At least the last time my guards checked." Buliara comments.
"Ah. How many forces guard it?" Link asks.
"There are none."
"Nothing is guarding the divine beast?" Zelda asks in surprise.
"Do they think we won't get inside Vah Naboris and purify it? That's pretty ballsy of them." Samus adds.
"No, there has to be a reason that our hijacked divine beast is unprotected." Riju confirms. "The question is; what?"
"I'll go figure it out." Samus activates her command visor, directing her ship towards the Arbiter's Grounds to investigate. Seven minutes later, the ship reaches the energy beaming upwards into the barrier at the Arbiter's Grounds and makes a startling discovery; the energy beam is coming from beneath the sand, revealing that the divine beast is completely buried.
"So, that's why there are no guards; they've left nothing to protect." Riju states after seeing the image that Samus brought up with her helmet.
"So, what now?" Link asks with uncertainty.
"I don't suppose your ship has a giant shovel?" Zelda half heartedly asks, to which Samus gives a disappointed chuckle.
"I may have a suggestion." Buliara speaks up and all eyes fall on her. "Chief Riju, recall that Link informed us that there was a massive chasm in the Yiga Clan's old hideout. Would it be possible that they used that to enter Vah Naboris after it was buried? I base this on the idea that we have no idea what's down there."
"Hmm, that may be a possibility. Link, what do you think of this?" Riju asks as she turns her sight to Link.
"Well, I don't have an actual idea as to what's down there. But, I also can't think of any other way to get to the divine beast." Link answers with his arms crossed and with a pensive expression. "If the princess has no objections, then I say we at least make to inspect it."
"I see no other alternative as well, I agree with my knight; we must inspect the chasm." Zelda concludes.
"Very well. Tomorrow at the earliest, you will go to the abandoned Yiga hideout and inspect the chasm." Riju declares.
"Apologies, Chief Riju, but why can't we go now?" Zelda retorts "Any time wasted means more preparation to our enemies."
"Under normal circumstances, I would agree with you, Highness. However, there has been a large increase in Stal monsters at dusk. I would not feel right to send you out to the cliffs with those things breathing down your necks."
"An increase in Stal monsters? Why?" Link questions.
"I wouldn't know, but they started appearing a few days after the rise of this barrier. Thankfully, being what they are, the sunlight wipes them out instantly. That's why I recommend you leave in the morning."
Conceding, Zelda takes Riju's advice and decides to spend the night in Gerudo Town. After another hour of discussion over the recent events, Riju calls the meeting over and everyone moves on to their own businesses. Riju, meanwhile, takes the time to talk to Zelda on a stone bench near the center, as Link had gone off to Samus's ship to retrieve something for the young chief and Samus had heard about a drink called the "Noble Pursuit" and jumped at the chance to try it out at the local bar.
"So, we at long last meet, your highness." Riju says to Zelda with a smile.
"It's truly a pleasure to meet you, Chief Riju." Zelda responds while facing Riju.
"Oh it's fine, just call me Riju." Riju responds in a less formal way, making Zelda feel surprisingly comfortable, almost as if she were talking to…. "Hey, can you tell me about Lady Urbosa?"
"About Urbosa?"
"Yes. I've only read stories about her, I think an account from you would be much better. Please?"
Not bothered in the slightest by Riju's request and happy to be able to talk about her dearest friend, Zelda starts off with the fact that Urbosa and her mother had been friends since they were children. That friendship lasted even after she ascended the throne as queen and Urbosa as chief. Roughly 7 years after, the queen brought the then child Zelda to meet Urbosa. She wasted no time in holding Zelda in her arms and even though she was fearful of this "stranger" at first, it took very little effort to warm up to Urbosa's embrace. They spent many happy days together, that was of course, until Zelda's mother passed away. Even though the loss of her friend weighed heavily on Urbosa, she knew she had to be strong for the little princess. It was then that during all of her visits, Urbosa would accompany Zelda even if it wasn't required, the princess was more than happy about this arrangement; they usually talked about the goings on at the town or the castle, Urbosa lead Zelda to Sheikah ruins she would find here and there for her to inspect and she would also tell the princess stories of her mother when she was her age. One of her strongest memories was that of when Urbosa fought off a pair of Yiga footsoldiers disguised as ordinary travelers with little to no effort; her fighting style looking almost like a dance as she swung her scimitar. It was with Urbosa that Zelda found what was akin to a mother figure, holding so many precious memories of her.
"Wow, I always knew that Lady Urbosa was a fierce warrior, but I had no idea that the two of you were so close."
"Yes. She always called me 'little bird', saying it meant that I 'spread my wings and became the beacon of light for Hyrule'. Zelda comments with a smile, which soon disappears after remembering the calamity 100 years ago, leaving the land in turmoil. "I wonder if I actually did…"
"What was that?" Riju asks, not hearing Zelda's last comment.
"Oh, nothing. My mind just wandered a little. Anyway, that's all I can remember at the moment. I hope it was enough to ease your curiosity."
"Yes, it was. Thank you, Zelda." Riju answers and Zelda smiles at being called by her name. However, Riju's cheerful expression briefly fades as she sees Teake giving Link a look of contempt as he passes by with an unknown object in a red tarp under his left arm. This change in mood does not go unnoticed by Zelda, however.
"Riju, what's wrong?"
"Ah, you'll have to forgive Teake for her coldness towards Link. She's a bit of a stone faced traditionalist, which is why she hates the fact that Link, a voe, is within the town."
"I understand, I just hope that she'll have a change of heart eventually." Zelda responds as she pats Riju's right hand to ease her displeasure over Teake's disapproval. Looking at each other, they both laugh at this newfound familiarity. They both stop as Link approaches them and sets the object near the bench and Riju looks at it in surprise. "Link, these are…"
"Urbosa's weapons, yes." Link says as he unfurls the tarp, revealing the Scimitar of the Seven (silvery blade with a serpentine like pattern running along the blunt side, a golden guard with red and green designs and a red jewel on the pommel) and the Daybreaker (a round shield with a red interior that contains a large symbol representing the sun, with a red jewel in the center and two blue jewels and four smaller ones surrounding it and a green outer edge with 8 gold studs circling it). "I thought that I should return them now, because there's something you should know."
"Link, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Zelda asks in concern.
"I'm aware of your worries, but she has to know."
"Know what?" Riju asks, genuinely curious. Not wanting to continue at this public area, Zelda asks that they continue this conversation at Riju's quarters, which they head towards.
The chiefs chambers
Sitting at her usual spot, Riju listens intently at what Link wanted to tell her; each of the previous divine beasts that were purified needed a new champion, bearing that in mind, Lonk wanted to discuss that topic when they manage to bring Vah Naboris back under control.
"What exactly are you asking of me, Link?"
"I know that Gerudo are trained from a young age to fight, this was no different from Urbosa." Link pauses briefly before asking what he needs to. "With you as the chief, I want to know if you'd be willing to take up the mantle as Gerudo champion."
"Link!" Zelda, aghast at Link's request, speaks up. "We haven't even reached the divine beast yet and you're already asking that of the Gerudo chief?!"
"I know it's asking a lot, but I don't want her to make the decision right away. I simply want to know if she'd be willing to do so."
Riju, hearing Link's request, closes her eyes and thinks slowly. On the one hand, she'd be honored to take up that title just like Urbosa; not only being the protector of Gerudo Desert, but also of Hyrule. On the other hand, she's much younger than Urbosa when she became a champion. Yes, she was personally trained by Buliara when she was younger and was shown to be a fast learner and knew many of the combat techniques, but can she hold a candle to the legendary chief? This made Riju's decision all the more difficult to make.
"Riju, please do not feel pressured to do this massive task. First, let us find Vah Naboris first and then we can discuss everything calmly." Zelda comments, trying to calm Riju before she can succumb to the stress.
"I'm sorry if I put you on the spot like that, it wasn't my intention. Please, just calmly think it over." Link says with an apologetic expression and Riju calmly exhales before smiling.
"Is that why you came here?" A voice calls out from the entrance, making everyone face that direction to see Teake standing there with a livid expression before she storms in. "You wish to take away another chief from us?!"
"Teake, you know better than to eavesdrop on your chief." Riju declares, annoyed at Teake's unannounced arrival.
"Teake please, let me explain." Link walks over to Teake in an attempt to calm her down. However, she responds by shoving him to the ground and Zelda rushes over to stand between them.
"Teake! Cease this at once!" Riju, now angered, shouts as she sits upright.
"Please, don't do this!" Zelda shouts in panic. "We don't need to fight!"
"How dare you request such a thing from our chief?! You may have been a comrade of Lady Urbosa, but what you ask of is ludicrous!"
"I'm just trying to make things right!" Link shouts as he gets back up, ignoring Zelda's attempt to stop him from getting closer. "The Goddess told us to find new champions for the divine beasts and I feel that Riju could be the new Gerudo champion. Can you at least give her that opportunity?"
"No, absolutely not! This is not the time to pick champions, but to stop this madness!"
"I feel in my heart that there is a good reason that the Goddess wants us to find new champions at this particular point; we already have two new champions, we need to find two more." Link argues as Zelda and Riju listen intently, Teake however only grows angrier.
"You don't care about chief Riju! You only got close to her so that you could have another sacrificial lamb, didn't you?!" Teake harshly accuses, much to Link's growing frustration. "Just like Lady Urbosa."
"How dare you?" Link angrily points at Teake over this accusation.
"Please Link; calm down." Zelda quietly tries to keep Link from doing something he might regret later.
"Teake, I think you've said enough; remove yourself from my chambers immediately." Riju demands, only barely holding her composure.
"But chief-"
"Teake!" Everyone turns around to see Buliara walking in. "Your chief just gave you an order. I suggest you follow it swiftly and silently."
Still upset, Teake moves to leave until she stops to spite Link again. "You will never be one of us, champion."
"Get some distance. NOW." Buliara strictly orders after moving face to face with Teake, who finally leaves in a huff. Finally alone, Buliara asks what all the commotion was about and Link harshly tells her that nothing happened before leaving the chamber as well. Zelda chases after Link, telling him to come back. "Chief, what happened?"
"Oh Buliara, you don't know the half of what was said." Riju answers while rubbing her forehead in exhaustion. "Listen, there's something I have to tell you.
Later that night, Link spent the remainder of the day at the inn so as to let his mind clear out the earlier events. Zelda decided to give him space and went back to the center to establish good relations with the others and Samus continued chatting with several Gerudo at the bar, having truly enjoyed the Noble Pursuit and had no idea what was happening at Riju's quarters. Soon however, everyone turns in for the night as Zelda and Samus return to the inn.
"Link, are you awake?" Zelda quietly asks Link on his bed, to which he doesn't answer and has his back turned. "I guess not…"
"You'd think he'd be out there enjoying the food, instead he stayed holed up in here." Samus comments in concern. "Zelda, did something happen?"
"Ah, just a little falling out with Teake."
"You mean that captain that gave us a hard time at the entrance?"
"Yes. Some...things were said and Link took it personally."
"Hmph, well forget her. Once we head to the old hideout, we'll be out of her hair." Samus scoffs as she gets ready for bed. "Besides, why all this hate towards him? Very few men I've met compare to him; he's strong, willful, brave and a fierce fighter, but with a kind enough heart to help those in need."
"Yes. Link really is the whole package, isn't he?" Zelda confirms as she sits on her bed and removes her boots, looking at Link with a soft smile. "Losing the champions hit him hard. He tries to keep a brave face, but I know; it's tearing him up inside that he couldn't do anything 100 years ago. I just wish he would come out and tell me this."
"They were very close, weren't they?"
"Very. Mipha loved him deeply, Daruk saw him as a younger brother that he could guide, Revali usually gave him a hard time, but deep down he did accept Link as a champion and Urbosa had unshakable faith in him." Zelda happily comments before she frowns once again. "Being the last champion of the previous generation has to be affecting him somehow."
"Well, just give him time. He'll tell you when he's good and ready. Now, we should get some rest, we leave as soon as the sun rises. Good night Zelda."
"Good night Samus."
The two ladies lie down on their respective beds and slowly drift off to sleep. Unbeknownst to either of them, Link had been awake and heard everything they said. Shedding a single tear, Link falls asleep as well. From the shadows, an unseen individual observes them from an open window before walking off.
It was early morning and everyone, save for the three explorers, were still sleeping soundly. Two of the guards opened the gates to let them out and they are greeted by none other than Buliara.
"Buliara?" Link asks in surprise. "What are you doing out here?"
"Good morning everyone. I talked it over with the chief last night and agreed that I should accompany you to the hideout." Buliara declares.
"Oh! We'd be delighted to have you aboard!" Zelda gleefully comments.
"Well, we could always use the extra pair of eyes so that no one sneaks up on us." Samus says while looking at the map on her HUD. "There are a lot of cliffs surrounding the hideout, someone could easily blindside us."
"Are you sure you should leave Riju like this?" Link asks, hiding a certain feeling from view. "It could be very dangerous where we're going."
"I know, but chief Riju can take care of herself. I trust her." Buliara retorts and Link stares at her for about 3 seconds before moving on from the subject.
"Hmm. Well, I think I'd feel better with a familiar face from the region. Alright, let's not waste any more time." The group plus Buliara run off towards the canyons in the distance, not knowing what awaits them.
Half an hour had passed since the group left, one of the guards made her rounds outside of the town. Everything was fine, no problems; until a hand came out of the sand and grabbed her leg. Startled, she jumped away and notices that the hand is that of a Gerudo. Pulling this person out of , the guard becomes horrified and calls out to the others. "Captain Buliara is injured!"
Gerudo Town Inn
After having brought in Buliara to recover from her injuries, Riju frantically runs into the inn to check on her personal guard. "Buliara, can you hear me?"
"Chief Riju? Are you unharmed?" Buliara, weakened by her ordeal, looks at her chief.
"Am I unharmed? Look at you; who did this to you? Where's the champion and the princess?"
"I don't know, they attacked me from behind when the sandstorm hit, then they threw me out from one of the town walls." Buliara explains, until she realizes what else Riju asked. "Wait, why would I know where they are?"
Confused, the Gerudo chatter among themselves until Barta speaks up. "But captain, you volunteered to take them to the old Yiga hideout."
"Nonsense! Ow…" Buliara exclaims before reeling from her bruises. "I would never leave chief Riju's side, I would've sent one of you instead."
"Then...who is that with Link and Zelda?" Riju asks, now concerned with her friends safety. The other Gerudo race to find anything suspicious in town, while Teake exits and looks to the canyons, feeling a sense of fear over the fact that Zelda and her group are in the presence of an impostor.
Yiga hideout, chasm chamber
Having made it to the canyon and the eerily quiet hideout, the group reaches the chamber with the large chasm in the center.
"So, this is it?" Samus, kneeling at the edge of the chasm, asks before dropping a rock down to see just how deep it is. "Well, how will you get down? I can use my morph ball to descend it, but what about you?"
"I thought of that; I can use my paraglider with Zelda to float down." Link answers, pointing to his back with his thumb; there's a compartment on his suit that folds the paraglider and extends it when he needs it.
"Ah, that works. But, what about Buliara?" Zelda asks.
"She's not coming." Link directly says, earning confusion from Zelda and Samus.
"Why not?" Buliara, confused and somewhat offended, asks. "You need my help."
Sighing, Link turns around and faces Buliara. "You know, my time relaxing at Gerudo Town must've dug up some memories; Urbosa always taught me to look out for ANYTHING out of place. Why did you volunteer to bring us here?"
"Because it's what the chief would've wanted, of course."
"I agree, but you would not have left Riju's side, you'd have assigned someone else. And even if you do trust Riju, you would fight beside her instead of leaving her alone." Link finishes his argument as Zelda and Samus stare at Buliara to hear what she has to say. "So, what do you have to say, Buliara?"
Cornered, Buliara tries to figure out an excuse, but she decides that the jig is up. "Hah, too bad. I wanted to kill you quickly…" Buliara's eyes glow purple and she smiles wickedly. "I guess I'll just have to make it hurt." Buliara laughs as her body becomes a humanoid shape with translucent, purple skin, a rudimentary skeletal like structure with a PED vest on her chest, much to everyone's shock.
"Gandrayda!" Samus shouts in realization as she aims her cannon at her once compatriot.
"Heheheh, take a note from the boy, Sammy; he saw through my charade." Gandrayda mockingly announces as she flicks her wrist and covers the entrance, ceiling and chasm with barriers. Staring at everyone, Gandrayda producess two electric disks from her palms. "Let's see how long you three last."
Dispersing, the three gain their vantages; Zelda and Samus aim their bow and cannon respectively and Link charges with his icy sword. Gandrayda launches both disks at Zelda and Samus (who jump out of the way as those disks fly incredibly fast) and she grabs Link by the head to drain his suits energy. Soon however, she takes a look at his eyes and notices something peculiar. "Well, this is interesting…"
Reomposing himself, Link takes advantage of Gandrayda's lax in focus and headbutts her, knocking her down. Lifting his sword upright, Link brings it down on Gandrayda, only to unexpectedly hit a pile of stones.
"Link, get away!" Samus shouts and before Link can question it, the rocks nearly hit him after jumping up. The rocks unfurl in the air and, to everyone's shock, Daruk drops down.
"Daruk?!" Zelda shouts in disbelief.
"Come on, little guy; let's spar like the old days." Daruk-G says with an arrogant smirk before swinging his boulder breaker down, crushing the ground where Link was standing before he moved away.
"Link! Zelda! Gandrayda is a polymorph; don't let her disguises fool you!" Samus announces before firing off several plasma shots at Daruk-G, who blocks it by curling up. Before he can retaliate, Link hits him with Daruk's Protection activated, propelling him towards the barrier blocking the door. The dust clears and Gandrayda is nowhere to be found. Link looks around, but can't locate her at all.
"Nobody move." Samus orders as she activates her x-ray visor to locate their foe, until… "Zelda, behind you!"
"What? Ahh!" Zelda is too late to react as Gandrayda reappears and holds her aloft by the head and turns into a massive swarm of keese, pulling Zelda inside of it as it flies around. "Link!"
"Let go of her!" Link shouts as he takes aim, but finds that he can't shoot any of the keese without potentially hitting Zelda. Gandrayda laughs as she sends some of the keese she's composed of to dive bomb Link and Samus.
"What's the matter? Afraid the princess will get hurt?" Gandrayda mockingly comments, her voice heard through all the keese. "Unwilling to make sacrifices; that's why you lost a century ago, champion!"
"Shut up!" Link angrily swings his sword, destroying one of the keese and earning a shout of pain from Gandrayda. Link now has an idea to get Zelda down. "Samus, aim for the stray keese!"
"Got it!" Samus complies and shoots the keese that try to dive bomb her. Gandrayda continues screaming in pain as she loses components. Finally, she can take no more and releases Zelda as Link runs to catch her. Frustrated, the keese swarm transforms yet again into another familiar face.
"Just like you, Link; always thinking you're better than me!" Revali-G shouts in contempt as he shoots several electrical arrows from his copied great eagle bow, which Zelda uses Nayru's Love to defend both her and Link. Samus takes this chance to jump up and ram Revali-G, pinning him to the ground. "Huh, not my best moment, I'll admit."
"Gandrayda, how do you know about these people?" Samus demands, knowing full well that Gandrayda has never heard of anyone in this world.
"Ha ha, aren't you curious?" Revali-G quips as he shoots bolts of electricity from his eyes, throwing Samus off of him. Taking back her original form, Gandrayda floats in the air. "If you must know, I can now see into a person's memory just by touching them. Therefore, I *turns into Sidon with his usual grin* can *turns into Purah with her snappity pose* become *turns into Paya with her shy disposition* anyone *turns into Zelda in her royal dress* I want!"
"Unbelievable, she even sounds like them. Not even the Yiga have disguises that effective." Zelda comments in pure disbelief.
"You've got that right, little miss me." Zelda-G responds with her hands on her hips and a snide smirk. "But, I think I have a new favorite; sorry Sammy, you've been replaced." Zelda-G drops down and changes once again, this time as a copy of Urbosa. "Did you miss me, Little Bird?"
"No! You're not Urbosa!" Zelda angrily shouts as she moves Link aside and shoots three shock arrows at Urbosa-G, who effortlessly cartwheels to the side, dodging all the shots.
"Little Bird, you wound me; I'm not one who entertains traitors…" Urbosa-G snaps hrr fingers and sends several bolts of purple lightning all over the area, making everyone scatter. "Heheh, dance little children dance."
Samus, while dodging the bolts, charges her nova beam and fires it, only for Urbosa-G to perform a perfect guard with her shield, sending the shot back to a stunned Samus, hitting her square in the chest and slamming her against the wall.
"Please, I can easily throw those back. Do better." Urbosa-G says, not noticing Link snapping his own fingers, conjuring Urbosa's Fury and negating Urbosa-G's electric barrage. "Well, ask and you shall receive."
Seeing Samus unconscious, Link and Zelda decide to fsce their opponent head on. Taking into account that Urbosa-G knows all of the originals fighting style, Link makes the first move by propelling himself towards her with Revali's Gale, locking swords with her.
"Not bad, champion." Urbosa-G comments with an arrogant smirk. "I'm kind of proud of your ingenuity."
"Then you're gonna love this." Link says before hooking his left arm around hers and flips her over his left shoulder, right into the path of Zelda's fireball. Link follows up with an icy upward strike on Urbosa-G's back, sending her flying towards some rubble nearby. Regrouping, the duo wait for her to strike, only for a long purple tentacle to wrap around Link's neck and torso which retracts all the way back to Urbosa-G.
"You're good." She says while holding Link by the neck. "But not good enough." Urbosa-G extends her tentacle arm and swings Link around, hitting various torches on the walls before Zelda shoots an arrow at her arm, causing her to release an injured Link on the ground. Turnjng around, Urbosa-G blocks Zeldas rapier just as she swings it horizontally.
"I won't let you hurt my friends any longer!" Zelda shouts in fury, trying to pierce through Urbosa-G's shield.
"Oh, you're not letting me?" She says in mock surprise. "The real Urbosa would've loved to see how strong you've gotten." Urbosa-G circulates electricity through her shield and towards Zelda's sword, electrocuting her. Urbosa-G takes the chance to seize Zelda by the nape of her neck as she drops her rapier.
"Let me go!" Zelda struggles to remove Urbosa-G's hand, ultimately unable to do so.
"Hmm, what made you this strong of mind? Let me take a peek." Urbosa-G's fingers extends and reach from the back of Zelda's head to her forehead. "Thank you for letting me in."
"Aaahhh!" Zelda shouts in desperation as her mind wanders back to several events of 100 years ago; her turmoil in being unable to access her sealing power, the king reprimanding her for her failure, the return of the Calamity as well as all the death and destruction caused by it, Link effectively dying in her arms and her 100 years keeping that monster at bay, all alone." "STOP!"
"My my, so your strength is just compensation for letting all of this happen? I must say, I thought you were a tough princess as Urbosa imagined." Gandrayda, in Zelda's mind, insults with a condescendingly playful tone. "But beneath all this power, the sword and conviction; you're just a helpless little girl, longing for approval. Heh, it's pretty pathetic."
Zelda processes everything that Gandrayda says and begins to despair; is she right? Am I not strong after all? Is it all just a facade? Am I a failure?!
"Zelda, fight this!" Link shouts as he staggers to get up off the ground, catching Zelda's attention. "You're not a failure! You kept Calamity Ganon from wreaking havoc for all that time. You unlocked that power through your sheer determination, you saved my life as I lay dying that night, you guided me when I was lost and alone and you helped me destroy that monster that took everything from us." Link pauses to hold his chest where Dark Samus stabbed him. "You didn't give up on me...when I tried to kill you."
"Link?" Zelda's eyes refocus and she looks at Link in sadness. "...I'm not strong."
"Nonsense; you're tougher than me. But damned if I let you fight alone." Link shakily walks towards the two, dragging the sword. "Now, let go of my princess."
"Touching." Urbosa-G comments as she dematerializes her sword and prepares another disc in her right hand. "But, I think I should put you out of your misery."
"Do your worst." Link defiantly says as he holds his sword with both hands. Zelda begins to panic, watching Urbosa-G ready the disc to hit Link. However, she can't do anything while being restrained and only wants to get away to help Link. Those words begin to ring in her head; Get away...get away...get away…
"All too easy." Urbosa-G adds more energy to the disc, turning it into more of a saw blade. Link remains in his spot, ready to face the attack as she readies to throw it. Once again, the same words pass through Zelda's mind: get away. Finally, something triggers within Zelda as the mark of Farore appears on her right hand and the air around her begins to swirl, catching Urbosa-G's attention. "What are you- aah!" The air takes the form of a green whirlwind, teleporting Zelda away and slicing off Urbosa-G's hand. Kneeling in pain, she holds on to the stump where her hand used to be as she looks around for Zelda. Link, just as surprised, also looks for Zelda.
"Over here." Zelda announces, finally appearing behind Urbosa-G who turns around just in time for Zelda to slash across her face. Angered, Urbosa-G rematerializes her sword, imbues it with electricity and tries to slash Zelda, only for her to teleport again. "You may have Urbosa's appearance, but you don't have her spirit. This conflict ends now. Link, go!"
Link, having been telepathically told what Zelda needs him to do, rushes Urbosa-G with an AKEB charged blade and slams it down on her while she's distracted, sending her flying and in a great deal of pain. Zelda reappears in front of her and lays down a flurry of slashes on her hapless foe.
"I'm getting tired of this!" Urbosa-G backs away from the attack and moves to hit Zelda with her sword, only for the latter to teleport away again, this time to allow Samus to aim her cannon.
"Boo." Samus fires a super missile at the surprised Urbosa-G, damaging her significantly. "You didn't forget about me, did you?"
"Sammy!" Pushed to blind anger, Urbosa-G wildly swings her electrified sword in an attempt to hit anyone. But, everyone manages to get hits in through her swings; Link leaves an open vertical wound on her back, Zelda stabs her multiple times in the abdomen and Samus finishes up with a point blank nova beam to to her chest, flooring her. Regrouping, the three inspect their downed foe to see if they're in the clear. "ARGH!" Urbosa-G's eyes shoot open and she releases electricity in anger, taking back her original form. "I'm done playing games with you three…I'm just going to kill you now!" Gandrayda radiates phazon energy, indicating hypermode, and fills the area with surges in an attempt to hit them.
Dodging the surges, the group tries to hit Gandrayda with arrows and beam shots making only minimal damage to the enraged foe. Finally, Link throws his shield at Gandrayda's head, disorienting her and allowing Samus to restrain her with the grapple voltage and overload her energy.
"Go! Now!" Samus, in a tug of war with Gandrayda, shouts to her partners to give them the chance to retaliate. Taking the opportunity, Link and Zelda rush in and alternate between hits to weaken Gandrayda with Zelda attacking particularly more aggressively. Seeing that Gandrayda is lapsing, Samus empties her four reserve tanks and overloads her foe. Gandrayda, screaming from the surplus of energy, screams as it leakes from her body and Link pulls Zelda away from the impending explosion. Samus does the same and ducks behind a boulder as the energy explosion covers the whole room. Getting out of cover, Samus finds Link and Zelda within Daruk's Protection, saving them from the explosion. However, a severely weakened Gandrayda launches one bolt at Samus to distract her and lunges at the two. Link, seeing that Gandrayda is aiming for Zelda, pushes her aside and takes the hit as she grabs his head and tries to see deep in his mind. Not even five seconds pass and Zelda stabs Gandrayda through her abdomen, making her release Link, who slashes across Gandrayda's chest in anger.
"I'm done with this!" Link declares as he slashes at Gandrayda, releasing sparks with each successful hit. As another spiteful act, Gandrayda shifts into several forms with each heavy hit, having briefly seen inside Link's mind.
"You call yourself the princesses knight? You are not worthy!" Rhoam-G scolds Link (from behind Zelda gasps at seeing the form of her father), who hits him with a right hook, transforming again. "All that training amounted to nothing, you failed!" Urbosa-G angrily shouts and Link, even more enraged, hits her with the pommel of the master sword and she transforms yet again. "I lost everyone because of you!" Link-G, bloodied and tattered like that night, shouts in anguish.
"SHUT UP!" Link, now hopelessly enraged, grabs Gandrayda by the neck and prepares to impale her. But, he suddenly stops as Gandrayda has taken the form of Mipha, who sobs in fear and sadness. Link's anger subsides and he begins to loosen his grip as Mipha-G caresses his cheek, indicating that she forgives him. Finally, Link refocuses and tightens his grip once again. Mipha-G, seeing that the ruse is up, smirks and takes the spectral form of Calamity Ganon (smaller).
"Don't forget, you fell before me!" Calamity Ganon-G shouts in defiance and Link, infuriated, runs the master sword through his heart, reverting back to Gandrayda. Callously pulling out the sword, Link watches Gandrayda fall to the ground with a final exhale and he moves to stab her repeatedly.
"No Link!" Zelda, having run up to Link, stops him from doing so. "It's over, we've won. Don't stoop to her level."
Link, breathing deeply from his rage, slowly calms down, drops the master sword, looks at Zelda and embraces her, much to her surprise.
"I'm sorry, Zelda; I don't want you to ever see me like that again." Link remorsefully comments.
"Calm yourself, everything is fine." Zelda quietly answers, returning the embrace. Samus walks up and aims her cannon at Gandrayda.
"Everyone, look." Samus points out that Gandrayda is floating in the air, with a wraith of Dark Samus floats out of her to retrieve her essence. Seeing this, Zelda (despite all she feels for the polymorph) uses her power to banish the wraith like she did before. With the wraith destroyed, Gandrayda floats down on the ground (with the PED vest crumbling) and becomes surrounded by green ethereal lights. "Welcome back, Gandrayda."
"Sammy?" Gandrayda, now with a much gentler expression, looks at her old compatriot in surprise. "Huh, I didn't think I'd ever see you again. But, I think it's only for a while now…" Gandrayda says with regret, knowing full well that she's no longer living. Her attention is then brought to Link and Zelda, who are looking away from her. "Ah, I do remember what I said and did to you; I apologize for that."
Sighing, Zelda musters up the courage to face her former adversary. "Let's look past that now; what I want to know now is if you know anything about this barrier."
"Ah. You mean that giant machine? Unfortunately, all I know is that the Yiga used molduga's to bury it beneath the Arbiter's Grounds. I was only assigned to keep an eye out for anyone that looked like you and to lure you away. If I could tell you anything, however, I was told that this chasm does lead to the divine beast."
"Really?" Samus asks in surprise. "So, this is our answer."
"Maybe the Yiga needed a way to get to the divine beast, this must be it." Zelda adds. "Anything else."
"No, that's about it. They decided not to give me anymore information." Gandrayda says after thinking slowly.
"I see. Thank you for your information." Zelda bows her head briefly in gratitude.
"No problem. Once again, I'm sorry for what I did to you both. I wasn't in my best state of mind." Gandrayda apologizes once again and Zelda nods after a few seconds, wanting to put her memories behind her. Gandrayda then floats over to Link with his arms crossed and she extends her hand to him. "Can you possibly forgive me?"
After 10 seconds of intense staring, Link sighs and takes her hand, not wanting to have any hate in his heart. Just as he takes it, Gandrayda speaks directly to his mind.
"One more thing you should know, the Yiga have an informant and he or she is among your collaborators. This person has been giving them information about the land and how to exploit it. Keep your guard up." Gandrayda declares to Link, who stares in surprise over this revelation, not finding a reason for her to lie anymore.
"And I guess that's about it, I have to be going now Sammy. This Goddess lady is calling out to me; huh, that's an odd thing for me to say. Ha ha." Gandrayda announces as she begins to fade away.
"Goodbye Gandrayda, say hi to Ghor for me." Samus says with a hint of sadness. "At least this time we could help you."
"Water under the bridge, Sammy. Also, since you three met Ghor and me again, you should keep an eye out for Rundas; he's gotten much stronger too."
"Another bounty hunter?" Zelda asks.
"Yeah, he has a liking for the cold. Stay warm." Gandrayda quips before finally fading away. Now alone, the three look down at the dark chasm and, wanting to shake off the still fresh memory of their fight, decide to descend it immediately. Link and Zelda hold on to each other as the former equips his paraglider and they both descend the chasm (both holding on to a handle on it). While Zelda becomes somewhat frightened by this, Link's mind wanders to what Gandrayda told him; an informant? Who could it be? Also, what did Gandrayda see in him that was interesting? Samus, meanwhile, activates her morph ball and jumps into the dark chasm after seeing her partners taking caution as they descend. Unbeknownst to anyone, a Yiga footsoldier was observing them from the top of the open ceiling and telepathically communicates to an unknown contact.
"The targets have entered the chasm. No, they don't seem to know anything. Understood, returning to base." The footsoldier teleports away.
The Leviathan Seed
Dark Samus, within another genesis chamber, absorbs phazon to heal her wounds once again, frustrated at having lost most of her ability to do so on her own. She then feels that Gandrayda has disappeared from her grasp as well, upsetting her but feeling that it was a necessary sacrifice to get her enemies to enter the chasm. Her negativity then turns into surprise; the orb on her left hand turns into, shockingly, the triforce symbol, of which the two lower triangles glow blue.
"Interesting…"
To be continued
Author's note: And into the darkness they go. This had to be the most interesting chapter I've ever written, I wanted to get as much character development as I could, as well as show how much Urbosa meant to Zelda and hints as to how much everything that happened during the Calamity affected Link as indicated by the end of the fight with Gandrayda. Also, does anyone have any idea as to why a triforce symbol appeared on Dark Samus's hand? Let me see how right or wrong you are. Alright then guys, take care. :)
Scorpiuswolf: While that is an interesting idea in and of itself, Dark Samus has already been confirmed to be Metroid Prime reborn. So, that's going to have to be a pass from me.
Shadowband8: I'm unfortunately not much of an illustrator, but if you know of someone who'd be willing to draw the suit, I'd be more than happy to tell you the designs for it.
