It's that time again, Chapter 77 is here! With our heroes split up and running into their own separate incidents, how will they get out of this mess?
Aviel and Nemisa were sitting at a table in one of the rooms of the Ebony Sisterhood laboratory hideout, as someone placed cups of tea before them. It was a very fragrant tea that filled the room they were in with a relaxing scent.
"Here you go. Sorry, but the ladies in this sisterhood couldn't get me any lemon to go with this." a polite man said before sitting down with them.
"It's fine Mr. Brawnstein! It's just great to see you again!" Aviel said, taking a sip of her tea.
"Uh, the name is Bradson." the older gentleman said sweatdropping, "But it's great seeing you again as well. I'm glad to see you haven't changed since we last met, Ms. Aviel."
"You too, Brad!" Aviel nodded cheerfully.
"Brad then, huh? Okay, I'll go with it." Bradson chuckled.
The man the two of them were talking to was Professor Bradson, a researcher and teacher from Hyrule Market Town. Last year he had been captured by the slaver group known as the Wyvern Keepers to be sold into slavery, but was saved by Link, Nabooru and the Gerudo during the raid on the Dank Salamander tavern. He had come to meet Aviel afterwards and the two became good friends.
"Is the tea fine, Ms. Nemisa?" Bradson politely asked the martial artist.
"It's splendid, thank you." nodded Nemisa, then said a bit awkwardly, "I, uh... I'm sorry for throwing you earlier."
"Haha, no worries. I suppose I shouldn't have snuck up on you two like that, but I was surprised to see you girls in here. At first I thought you were some of those rebel ladies attempting to have their way with me again." Bradson chuckled.
"So what're you doing here anyway Brad?" Aviel asked tilting her head.
"Well some months ago I was abducted from my home by the Ebony Sisterhood. It seems these women became aware of my research into various mystical artifacts around Hyrule and wanted to use the information I've gathered. I'm not the only one either, they even abducted the doctor of the Kakariko Potion Shop, Granny Truttlo." he spoke, taking a sip of his tea.
"So Lady Sheeva was right about Dr. Sarami's mentor..." Nemisa said.
"Honestly I hope being captured and enslaved doesn't become a bad habit for me." Bradson half-joked.
"Hey Brad, I was just wonderin'..." Aviel said, taking a sheet of paper she found earlier and showing it to him. The paper had drawings of a human girl with bird wings, a door with a person on it along with a lined box, and one more picture of a bird holding a circle with a symbol on it, "I found this paper when we came in, just what is this?"
"Ah yes, you have quite an eye." Bradson said, taking the paper, "This is what I told you about back at the slaver hideout, it's from my notes when I was traveling. It took me a while to track down this specific paper, and I was prepared to mail it to you before I was captured."
"But what is it exactly?" Nemisa asked.
"You see, there's said to be a civilization high on the mountains of Snowpeak, far north west of Zora's Domain, where a rare species lives," Bradson said adjusting his glasses, "There is supposedly a race of bird people there thought to have been descendants of an ancient race dating back to before the birth of Hyrule."
"Bird people?" Aviel exclaimed.
"Never heard of anything like that, are they anything like this girl here?" Nemsia asked pointing to the girl with wings in the picture.
"I'm not entirely sure to be honest." Bradson said, "From what my sources tell me they've been living in isolation for centuries, apparently because they're guarding the door you see in this picture."
"Aviel, does any of this sound familiar to you at all?" Nemisa asked.
"Um... I don't know..." Aviel said rubbing her head, then pointing to the bird holding the circle with the symbol on it, "Brad, just what is this here?"
"Oh, that's what I wanted to tell you about." Bradson said, "You might be happy to know that the text written here translates to 'Roc'."
"Roc? You mean like the Roc's Wing?" Nemisa exclaimed, referring to the sleeves Aviel was wearing that allowed her to turn her arms into wings, "Do you think Aviel's wings might have came from this thing?"
"That would be a safe assumption." nodded Bradson, "Aviel, if you want to learn the truth about your treasure, I think the bird civilization guarding this door in Snowpeak would be your place to go."
"Snowpeak... okay, thank you so much Brad!" Aviel said, giving the gentleman a hug with her wings.
"Haha, don't worry about it, we're friends right?" Bradson chuckled.
"Yeah, in fact because we're friends we're gonna get you outta here and back home!" Aviel nodded.
"That's right, we came here for Granny Truttlo, but we're going to save you as well." smirked Nemisa, "Gather up your things and we'll leave immediately!"
"Sounds good to me," Bradson nodded, he started going through the books and papers to decide what to bring with him, "I've honestly had just about enough of these rebels, they keep trying to get me to provide them information on some of these artifacts, but I keep telling them they're inaccessible to those unworthy of them."
"Believe me, we know the feeling." Aviel sighed.
That was when they heard a loud noise, as the doors opened and in came two Beamos Walkers. The clamps on their arms snapped and the eyes on their heads spun around and locked onto Aviel and Nemisa.
"Woah-oh." Aviel said sweatdropping, "Brad, get down!"
Aviel grabbed Bradson and pulled him to the ground along with Nemisa as the Beamos Walkers fired off lasers that blasted into the books and papers scattered around the room, setting them ablaze.
"Hmph, how rude. Well so much for the research they were having me do." Bradson said adjusting his glasses.
"Stay low Brad, we'll deal with these two!" Aviel said, as she and Nemisa went into battle against the Walkers.
Nemisa ran forward and swung out her leg into one of the Walkers, before spinning around and punching the other. They both focused on her and fired lasers at the same time, but Nemisa jumped away and the two ended up blasting each other, stunning them long enough for Aviel to fire bomb arrows into the eyes of both of them, blowing the Walkers to pieces.
"Nice work there, ladies." Bradson said, walking up to one of the walkers and looking at it's remains.
"Alright, let's find Link and the others and escape!" Nemisa said, as the three ran out, Bradson doing his best to hold what notes he was able to salvage as he followed them out.
As that was going on, Nabooru and Togau were in the animal kennel room where numerous monsters and creatures were all imprisoned and were being used as testing subjects for the rebel's power tonic. There was even a Wolfos suffering from exposure to the power tonic, as well as a Moblin locked in one cage named Mobbles who lost a brother to the tonic's effects. Nabooru and Togau were attempting to free as many of the captives as they could, but that was when they saw the doorway into the kennel was opening up.
Nabooru silently gestured to Togau to have her hide over at the side of the doorway with her. Mobbles watched the two as Nabooru put her finger to her lips and made a 'shush' motion with a wink of her eye at him. Mobbles caught on quickly and nodded.
It was then the door opened and in came two Gerudo rebels. Their black colored outfits with gold symbols lining the sleeves and pants were a dead giveaway of their alignment with the Ebony Sisterhood.
"So we have to get that one to Engineer Meokuro? Ugh, gross." one of the rebels said sticking out her tongue.
"Yeah, she wants it ready for testing as soon as she's done dealing with that lady." said the other.
"Hey there girls, need a hand?" spoke up a voice behind the two rebels. They looked behind themselves only to see two fists swing out and knock them both out cold. Nabooru and Togau both stood over them as they laid there with their eyes spiraling.
"Na ha ha! They're both knocked out!" Togau grinned, "Now it's time fer a jailbreak!"
"Yes, we'll free the animals and see how their boss likes a little chaos in her lab." Nabooru snickered, taking the keys off one of the rebels and undoing the locks on the cages.
Each cage opened up one by one. The animals and monsters were quick to escape and run out the door, until all that was left was the lone Wolfos who was suffering from the effects of the power tonic, as well as Mobbles the Moblin.
"Thanks so much-blin!" the Moblin said as Nabooru unlocked the cage, "Now let's get out of here-blin!"
"Hm, whatdaya suppose we should do about this one though?" Togau asked, looking at the Wolfos, "Lady Sheeva would appreciate us freein' it, but it might be too dangerous what with it all loaded up on that power tonic."
"That's a good question..." Nabooru said, "I hate to say it, but we may have to keep it here for safety. For all we know it might attack us as soon as we open the cage."
"Yeah, I don't wanna go fightin' another monster all jacked up on that tonic." Togau said, recalling their fight with the Hinox.
"Mahahaha-blin..." then laughed a low voice, as Nabooru and Togau turned to see Mobbles was slouching over, his featured darkened, as he clenched his fists.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Nabooru asked, but then caught on quickly as she saw some familiar looking faint yellow mist rise up from the Moblin's mouth.
"Uh oh." Togau said taking a step back.
"I guess... those rebels must have gotten the tonic in me after all-blin..." Mobbles muttered, "Just like my brother-blin..."
"Hey hang on a sec, we'll help you out!" Togau said desperately.
"S-Sorry girls... but I don't think that's gonna happen-blin..." Mobbles said darkly, "Cause right now I feel like I just wanna crush anything I see-blin...!"
It was then Mobbles jerked his head and grinned widely, his eyes now a blood red.
"MAHAHA-BLIN! CRUSH AND SMASH-BLIN!" Mobbles shouted, raising up his fists and smashing them into the ground, causing a powerful shockwave that repelled Nabooru and Togau backwards.
"What in tarnation, how'd he get that tonic in him?!" Togau exclaimed jumping back onto her feet, "He said before he wasn't experimented on!"
Nabooru paused and looked down at a plate in Mobbles' cage, it had remains of food on it, and she narrowed her eyes as she saw some familiar red liquid seeping out from it.
"They must have snuck some of the power tonic into his meal just before we arrived!" Nabooru said, "I thought the rebels were coming to get the Wolfos but it must have been this guy instead!"
Speaking of the the rebels, Mobbles then turned to the unconscious women laying on the floor and he licked his lips with drool seeping out from them.
"Ooooh.. yummy nummy-blin!" Mobbles said, he was about to bite down on one of the rebels, but Nabooru smacked him back with her scimitars, "Graaaarrr! Stupid lady hurt Mobbles-blin!"
"Back off of them!" shouted Nabooru.
"Hey Lady Nabooru..." Togau said stepping up, "You go and guard the rebels, I'll deal with this poor piggy-boy."
"You sure?" Nabooru asked.
"Yup." nodded Togau, "You already did enough fightin' Lady Sheeva and the mushrooms earlier, I can handle him."
"Alright, I'll provide backup if you need it." Nabooru nodded, dragging off the two rebels to give Togau some room.
Togau stared down Mobbles, who was clenching his fists. He looked over at a cage and grabbed at one of the iron bars. He pulled on it until it broke off along with some stone from the floor, and he held it up, wielding it in his hands like a large hammer.
"Sorry ta do this ta ya piggy-boy, but bring it!" Togau said, bringing up her arms and thrusting them out, and in a wave of wind she had taken on her Lynel form.
Mobbles growled out and ran at Togau with his makeshift hammer, as Togau ran in with her hand ax. The Moblin swung down his hammer at Togau, but she darted to the side to avoid it before bashing him in the side with her horns. He managed to smack her backwards with the back of his hand then swung the hammer at her. She blocked it with her hand ax but was stunned for a second by the power of his impact. He then lunged out and bashed her in the chest.
"Gack!" Togau exclaimed, "That dang tonic makes em way too tough!"
Mobbles came at her with a downward swing, but Togau quickly turned about-face and swung her back legs up, bashing the Moblin in the chin with her hooves and sending him stumbling backwards, giving Togau the chance to run in and slash at him a few times with her hand ax.
The Moblin growled from the pain of the blows and grabbed Togau's arm, trying to twist it in an attempt to break it. Togau growled and headbutted Mobbles down with her horns, then jumped into the air and stomped down on him with all four of her legs.
"Ha, take that!" Togau said standing on top of him.
But then Mobbles' eyes gleamed and he thrust his back up, sending Togau flying off him, and he rampaged in swinging around his hammer. She tried to block, but he got in a few bashes. Togau then snarled and did a shoulder charge into Mobbles, knocking him backwards into some cages, knocking them over, including the cage the Wolfos was caged in.
"Ugh... what happened...?" groaned one of the rebels regaining consciousness, having been woken up by the cages crashing down. She looked up in confusion to see she was stuck on the ground on top of her sister rebel, and then realized she and her companion were being sat on by someone, "L-Lady Nabooru?"
"Hey there." Nabooru smirked down at the rebel, "Have a nice nap?"
"What are you doing on top of us?! Get off!" shouted the rebel in annoyance.
"Just wanted to make sure you were both subdued so you could see this." Nabooru spoke, then sported a serious expression and gestured to Togau and Mobbles battling, "Take a look at the pain your bosses are causing."
The two rebels saw Togau battling the Moblin they were supposed to transport. The pig monster growled and forced himself up, looking at Togau with absolute rage in his blood-red eyes. He roared out, foaming at the mouth, as he lunged at the rancher, who brought up her hands and gripped onto his, and the two started pushing at each other to force the other back.
"T-That's the Moblin we were supposed to bring to the boss?!" exclaimed the rebel with wide eyes.
"It's reacting like the ones that had the power tonic fed to them... but we never gave that one any of it!" said the other rebel.
"It was laced in his last food portion." Nabooru explained, "You weren't aware of that?"
"No, not at all!" one of the rebels said with growing concern.
Nabooru just narrowed her eyes and continued to look at the fight, "Togau, are you sure you don't need my assistance?"
"Not yet!" Togau shouted, then muttered to herself, "Least I hope not..."
Mobbles was starting to overpower Togau, he licked his lips looking as if he was sizing her up to eat. She struggled to fight him off, but the tonic made him too strong. That was when something came up behind the Moblin and bit down on his shoulder, it was the wolfos who had been in the cage, now freed during the fighting from earlier. Mobbles shouted out in pain from the bite before bashing the wolfos and knocking it to the ground.
Togau, along with Nabooru and the rebels looked to the Wolfos and saw it struggle to get up before it collapsed. It let out one last whimper as it vaporized into purple and yellow mist. As she struggled to fight off Mobbles, Togau just stared at where the wolfos had been. She then narrowed her eyes, snarled, and went back to fighting against the Moblin with all her power.
Togau brought back one fist and punched Mobbles backwards once again, and the Moblin gasped out and roared in anger and pain. He then charged at Togau swinging his hammer left and right. Togau paused, took a deep breath, then let out a mighty Lynel's Roar, the wave of sound blasting directly into Mobbles, making him drop his hammer and shake violently. Togau then charged up and gave him another headbutt with her horns, before delivering one more final slash with her ax, sending him to the ground.
Everyone waited and watched as he laid there, breathing heavily, until they were convinced he was subdued.
"Guess that outta do it." Togau sighed out, changing herself back to a Gerudo. She knelled down to Mobbles as Nabooru and the two rebels came over to see his condition.
"Gruh..." groaned Mobbles, his red eyes changing back to the normal color he had before and looked up at Togau, as a great amount of yellow mist started to come from his mouth.
"Piggy-boy hang on, we got a doctor who can help ya!" Togau said desperately.
But the Moblin just smiled weakly, "T-Thank you for saving me-blin, I'm gonna go meet up... with my brother-blin..."
With that, Mobbles the Moblin evaporated into purple and yellow mist and was gone.
"Ugh... poor guy..." Togau muttered, wiping away small tears in her eyes.
"...it's fine Togau, you fought bravely and showed him true mercy." Nabooru said to comfort her.
"I guess, but I feel bad for the piggy-boy..." Togau said sadly.
The two rebels meanwhile looked to each other hesitantly. There was a part of them that wanted to attack the two in that moment, but found themselves unable to work up the courage to after what they had just witnessed. It was then that Nabooru spoke up to them.
"We're going now, and if you value your lives, you'll come with us." Nabooru commanded to the rebels, "Or else your boss might want to use you instead of the Moblin or Wolfos as test subjects."
The two rebels looked alarmed at Nabooru's words, but were unable to work up the effort to disagree with her.
"Okay..." the rebels agreed, as the four of them went out the door.
"G-Granny...?" Sarami stammered, standing alongside Link as she was seeing her mentor from Kakariko Village, now in the secret laboratory of the Ebony Sisterhood rebellion.
From the waist up, Granny Truttlo looked just as Sarami remembered, albeit with some extra winkles, and a little more balding on her scalp then before. There was one significant change though, she was now in a strange metal wheelchair, and had what was clearly two broken legs. She shifted a small lever on the chair to move herself towards Link and Sarami.
With Granny were some Gerudo women in black nurse outfits who were assisting her with her work. Link couldn't help but notice they wore small skirts that did a good job showing off their legs which were in skin tight thigh-high boots, but did his best not to gawk directly at them.
"Hey, who's that hottie?!" exclaimed one of the younger Gerudo nurses with her eyes lit up at the sight of Link.
"I don't know, but I wanna strap him to the table!" said another with her eyes gleaming mischievously.
However the two of them both got bonked upside the head by a slightly older nurse, "You numskulls, that's the false king!"
"Wha- really?!" said another nurse, grabbing some bandage gauze and stretching it out, "Capture him quick and we'll wrap him up like a Gibdo!"
"Hold it all of you!" shouted Granny, making all the girls stop in their tracks, "Let me speak to them."
Link and Sarami just watched the Gerudo rebels cautiously as Granny slowly moved her wheelchair up to the two, and she looked up at Sarami, before sporting a small smile.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Sarami, what has it been, just a little over eight years now?" Granny asked.
"Y-Yes, I'm glad to see you as well Granny..." Sarami spoke, still baffled by what was going on.
Granny then looked to Link and smirked a little, "And this young man, by chance is he your husband?"
The Hylian and Gerudo faulted a bit before Link corrected her, "N-No, I'm Link... uh, I don't know if you remember me, but I used to be a regular customer of yours years ago."
"Link? Hmm..." Granny leaned forward a bit staring at his face, "Oh yes, now I know you. You're that nice young lad in the green clothes who came by to purchase my potions frequently... My, my you've grown so much. I never would had thought of you to be the 'false king' these rebels keep droning on about."
"Hey!" shouted the older nurse, "Dr. Granny, that man needs to be captured and-"
"I'm still speaking to them, shut your tongue." Granny snapped at the Gerudo, making her shut up.
"Granny... um... just what happened to you?" Sarami asked, "What are you doing here at the Ebony Sisterhood's laboratory, and what happened to your legs? The rebels didn't do this to you did they?"
"Ah, no." Granny said looking down at her legs, "This was an accident I had a few years ago. I tripped going down the stairs at the potion shop one day. I'm paralyzed from the waist down as a result."
"Oh Granny, I'm so sorry..." Sarami gasped, giving her legs a look over, only to see despite being broken they were well taken care of.
"Don't concern yourself with it Sarami-dear, I think I was just pushing myself too hard that day." Granny shook her head, "About a year after my accident was when these rebel people came. They heard about my work as a so-called 'miracle doctor' that people call me. They wanted me to work with them, and offered me some incentives to do so, like this wheelchair for instance."
"So it is true..." gasped Sarami, "Granny, why would you do this? Are you aware of what the rebels are trying to do? They want to kill King Link and Lady Nabooru and free Ganondorf from his imprisonment!"
"..." Granny didn't say anything, but turned her wheelchair away and rode up to one of the Gerudo, who handed her a cup of water to drink down without even needing to be asked to.
"Granny?" Sarami asked, tilting her head in confusion at the awkward silence.
"Let tell you something Sarami-dear..." Granny muttered, looking down at her broken legs, "That little accident I had three years ago woke me up to just how little time I really have left in this world." she then rose up her slightly shaky hands, "These hands are what I use to fix and heal people, but how much longer until I can't use them as well, and then what worth would I possibly be...?"
Sarami frowned, "Granny, please don't say something like that about yourself. You've done so many great things in your life..."
"Is it truly ever enough though?" Granny asked, "No matter how many I heal, more and more get sick or injured by the day. The true curse of a doctor is their own duty to heal, because no doctor can never truly outlive that duty."
Link just paused, he had always known Granny to be a very kind woman and a genius in medicine. Once in the dark future he had tried to save a dying man and she was quick to create a possible cure for him. It was bizarre to see Granny again under this situation, but he was saddened to see what she had been going through, and how she was taking it. He also recalled meeting an old woman in the land of Termina that greatly resembled Granny, and by an absurd coincidence she too was in a wheelchair, though despite that her spirits had been much higher, even with everything going on there at the time.
"But that's why I choose to come here." Granny continued to speak, "I've been using the resources the Sisterhood have been providing me to surpass the limits of medical science, the ability to cure people who some would deem incurable. Even those in a condition like myself could be made even better then before, does that sounds impossible to you Sarami-dear?"
"You taught me that nothing is impossible Granny." Sarami said shaking her head, "In fact, it's why I wanted to speak to you about a patient of mine back in Gerudo Town."
Sarami then explained to Granny about Gonaeti and her unborn child, and the condition she was faced with. She also mentioned the difficult choice the mother would have to make within a month; about whether to have surgery to treat her condition which would take the life of her child in the process, or give birth which would put her own life at severe risk. Granny didn't say a word, but had her eyes closed in thought as Sarami spoke about the details.
"A lung tumor... in that very spot...?" Granny finally whispered, then sighed out, "Oh dear..."
"Oh my goddess Aifet...!" gasped one of the rebel nurses.
"That's terrible... the poor woman..." muttered another one of them sadly.
"If there's anything you can recommend for her, anything..." Sarami said pleadingly, her emotions starting to swell, "I vowed to save them both, but I've run short of ideas. I thought if anyone could give me an answer it would be you."
"...I'm sorry Sarami." whispered Granny, "But if it's as you describe it, there's not much that can be done for her..."
"...n-no.." gasped Sarami, putting a hand to her chest, "If not even you can think of anything then..."
Link frowned and put his arms around Sarami, and she started sobbing softly into his shoulder. Granny stared at Link and Sarami embraced like that, and a very faint smile formed on her lips.
"...that's not to say it's completely impossible, like I taught you before, nothing is." Granny spoke up.
"Huh?" Sarami exclaimed looking to Granny.
Granny then moved her wheelchair towards another area of the lab, seeing to the work of one of her nurses, it was some kind familiar looking metal limb, "Take a look at this you two."
"Looks like one of the limbs those metal creatures we saw had, only with fingers." Link observed.
Granny nodded and explained, "When the rebels came to me with their offer, their lead scientist Engineer Meokuro, showed me her work in taking apart ancient technology from the temples and ruins around Gerudo Valley, and developing them into artificial creatures called automations. One of her greatest feats was making those creatures, the Beamos Walkers."
"So they were based on the Beamos..." Link said, affirming his guess from earlier.
"Meokuro then told me her next project, using this very technology to strengthen the forces of her leader Mother Eclipsis' army." Granny spoke.
"You mean the Gerudo themselves?!" Sarami spoke.
"She showed me the plans she had constructed, but she lacked the medical knowledge to make her ideas work, so she came to me with it." Granny said.
"And you took the offer?" Link asked. "So could what we've heard be true then... you're the one who developed the power tonic the rebels have been using?"
"I assume you're talking about FZ-501, my energy enhancement formula?" Granny asked, then nodded, "I was given a book of advanced medical techniques called 'Gerudo Blood Alchemy Arts', and using it I was able to develop FZ-501. It's one of the projects that the leader of this rebellion had me create; a tonic capable of tapping into one's emotional anger and speeding up their bloodflow, and enhancing their physical might to levels beyond their natural limits."
"I can't believe it... it really was you all along..." Sarami gasped.
"Gerudo Blood Alchemy Arts, the book that was stolen from Halei..." Link recalled, "So the tonic is triggered by anger after all. So if that's the case, did you make the hypnosis candy too?"
"Hm, the rebel leader also had me work with some hypnosis expert in creating a flavorful confectionery treats capable of producing hypnotic suggestions in the brain... I suppose that's as what you put it, the 'hypnosis candy'." Granny nodded.
'She must be talking about Nilonu.' Link thought to himself, recalling the former rebel who worked as an aide at the Gerudo schoolhouse and used the hypno candy to try and influence the schoolchildren.
"But Granny, why would you help them? You didn't just do this for a mobile wheelchair did you?" Sarrami asked.
"No Sarami... this goes far beyond just my own mere convenience." Granny said, looking back at the metal arm being worked on, "This is about the future of Hyrule."
"What...?" Sarami asked.
"When Meokuro showed me her work, I was fascinated at the idea of crafting artificial limbs and organs to replace people's body parts. I realized the potential it could do for medical purposes, namely fixing otherwise unrepairable damage to one's body caused by injury or disease. Over the past two years I've done heavy research and practice in making these parts work. I've even gotten the chance to see our work come to fruition with one particular client... albeit with some problems that I aim to fix..."
'A client... wonder who she's talking about...?' Link thought to himself.
"Now tell me something Sarami," Granny continued, "Imagine a knight losing his sword arm in battle, then to be able to properly wield their weapon again within a few day's time? Imagine one's failing heart being replaced to allow them to live for longer then they could have possibly thought? Or even someone in a position like myself having new legs that would allow them to run and jump like when they were young?"
"Well, ideally that would be wonderful, but..." Sarami said, but couldn't help but feel an uncertainty about this. She then asked Granny, "Just what problems are you facing exactly?"
"We've gotten to a point in our project where the limbs react to human thoughts, so that they behave no different then an actual organic limb." Granny explained, watching as the nurse squeezed the metal limb on the table, making it slightly clench it's fist.
"That's incredible." Link said in surprise.
Granny continued, "But we've also found that doing this can have an effect on the patient's mental facilities, sometimes losing memories, or even emotions. It's why I haven't yet replaced my own legs with metal ones. I can't do it without risking my own mind from being affected."
"..." Sarami just said nothing as Granny talked.
"But that's where FZ-501's side effect could potentially provide a solution, since the tonic affects one's inner anger, it might be enough to draw out the emotions of the individual." Granny spoke, examining a beaker, "But we need more help on the FZ formula. These nurses Meokuro provided have been dears to me, though they aren't as well trained as say... someone like you Sarami."
"Wait a minute!" Link stepped in, "You're not seriously asking Sarami to join the rebellion?"
"That's exactly what shes saying, false king!" a rebel nurse stated.
Sarami was at a loss for words of what Granny was doing, as she recalled what the old doctor used to tell her back when she was working for her, about how she valued a patient's health and smile more then anything.
'Did your accident really cause you to change this much Granny...?' Sarami thought to herself sadly.
Granny then turned back to Sarami and rode her wheelchair up to her.
"With your help, we may be able to fix this problem. We can use this prosthetic technology to heal people beyond what typical medical procedures can do." Granny said. "We can work together to save so many lives. In fact, we may even be able to cure your pregnant friend of her tumor, so that she and her child can both live."
Sarami gasped out. With Granny's help and utilizing the resources of the rebellion, she could potentially find a cure for Gonaeti's lung tumor, and then she could safely birth her child Rimel, but...
"How about it Sarami? Do you want to help me make this world a truly great place?" Granny asked.
Sarami put a hand to her heart, then looked to Link and into his gentle blue eyes.
"Sarami..." Link whispered, "Just say whatever your heart tells you to."
The Gerudo doctor nodded, then closed her eyes, took a breath, then opened them to look right back at her mentor.
"No... I can't join you Granny." Sarami said shaking her head.
Granny said nothing, but closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"Huh? But don't you want your friend to survive?!" a rebel nurse asked, "If the tumor's as you say she doesn't have much time left. If you join us we can help her!"
"Yeah, we'd love to help you cure her!" said another nurse
"Of course I want to help her," nodded Sarami, "But I can't allow myself to work with the rebels who want to free Ganondorf and kill my closest friends. I became a doctor to not just heal people, but make them happy as well, and how would it make Gonaeti happy to know she only lived because I became a traitor to my people?"
"That's a load of bull, if anyone's a traitor, it's that damn Lady Nabooru and the ones who sided with her!" shouted one of the nurses, "She turned her back on King Ganondorf!"
Link was about to speak up in Nabooru defense, when Sarami brought her hand up to him to make him stop. She turned to the rebel and stared them down, her glasses were giving off an unreadable gleam.
"...do not even suggest that about Nabooru..." Sarami muttered, "Not after what happened... NOT AFTER WHAT SHE WENT THROUGH, YOU BITCH!" she then shouted out.
The rebel's eyes widened in shock at Sarami's anger, Link was shocked as well, he had never seen her like that before.
Sarami stomped up to the rebel making them back up, the normally good doctor was just completely enraged at her, "She suffered something worse then any of our people have, and it's a pain she can never let go of! She's worked hard to get our people to where we are now, and you damn bitches are trying to ruin everything she's done!"
"Sarami...!" Granny spoke up, only for Sarami to turn and glare at her as well.
"And you! You may have my gratitude for saving me all that time ago and making me into the doctor I am today, but what you're doing here is madness! Your tonic is killing people, and the poor children who were subjected to that hypnotic drug were almost lost! I don't even recognize you anymore the way you are now! If doing this is the only way you can keep being a doctor, then I'd rather not see you help another person for the rest of your life!" Sarami shouted to Granny.
Everything was quiet aside from Sarami gasping out from her outburst, until Link came up and put his hands on her shoulders. Sarami then turned and embraced Link, burying her face into his shoulder as he comforted her.
Granny was sitting at her chair in stunned silence at Sarami's outburst, she hadn't acted like that with her since the day she woke up from her injuries all that time ago. Granny stared down at the chair she was in, then over to the metal limb on the table.
Even the rebel nurses were at a loss of what to say or do. They had devoted themselves to their work in strengthening the rebellion, but what Link and Sarami said made them more aware of just what pain they were bringing to their sisters...
Link then spoke to Granny, "She's right. Believe me, I know what it feels like to want to help people as much as possible. But you have to know your own limits, and what you're doing with these rebels isn't the answer. You're not going to stop people's pain with what you're doing, you're just going to cause them more pain."
Sarami took a breath and looked to Link, seeing him look to Granny with stern but still compassionate eyes. Her anger was starting to melt away, and she smiled ever so lightly.
Granny had her head lowered, taking in the words of both her apprentice, and the young man she used to take care of years ago. She looked down at her aging hands, and saw how they were trembling.
"...Sarami... I..." Granny started, but that was when they heard a loud banging sound on the door.
"Hey Granny, open up!" shouted a woman's voice from the other side.
"It's Engineer Meokuro!" Granny exclaimed to Link and Sarami, "You two need to hide immediately!"
"Hooboy..." Link gulped.
And now Link and Sarami finally get to meet the mastermind behind this whole mad science operation, just what will happen, and what surprises could Meokuro have for our heroes? Find out next week!
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