Master Kohga, Sooga, and the Harbinger were waiting as Astor emerged from the Lost Woods, taking the prophet by surprise.
"Well? Don't keep us in suspense, three-eyes. Did you manage to kill the princess?"
Astor ignored Kohga, staying silent, still shaken by the events that took place in Korok Forest. Astor's attention was drawn to the Harbinger. It was emitting malice like a smokestack. The little black Guardian gave an ear-piercing shriek that made all three men cover their ears. It scuttled over to Astor, giving him a swift and stinging slap to the knee with its mechanical leg.
"Oh!" The prophet recoiled more in surprise than in pain.
"Ha! Now I HAVE to hear what happened!" The Yiga leader crowed.
"Fate intervened and saved the girl," Astor stated, in a matter-of-fact way. He wasn't even disappointed he had failed to end her life. Not even a little… And that's what really scared him.
The Harbinger gave a series of enraged distorted beeps at the prophet.
Sooga gave a small laugh. "Ah, yes… Fate is fickle…"
"Well...there will be more opportunities... As long as the deed is done before she can unlock her power," said the prophet, trying to sound as convincing as possible, although he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince.
"We're never going to let you live this down. Not after the way you spoke to us before. And it looks like your little Guardian sees likewise. Lord Ganon's chosen or not, you are not one of us. The Yiga Clan is not to be trifled with or strung along with your delusions of grandeur. Do I make myself clear, seer?"
"You tell him, Sooga!" Kohga chimed in.
Astor was growing exasperated. He couldn't believe he was going to have to beg and manipulate these two degenerates to continue to ally with him. The prophet bit his tongue. "We are bound in the name of Calamity Ganon and by fate. We will need each other's help if we are to achieve Lord Ganon's grand purpose."
The Yiga Leaders seemed uninspired by the prophet's words.
"Alright. Let's call it even then! You sure are terrible at prophesying your failures, little lord malice." Kohga chuckled.
The three began to walk, and the Harbinger continued to smack at the backs of Astor's knees with its mechanical clawed legs. Astor tried to stay a few steps ahead of its reach. As they walked, he explained at length what happened, embellishing the fight, and leaving out the part where the princess had asked her knight to spare his life. It didn't make any sense. He never would have foreseen such an outcome. He had nearly killed her after all. Young and full of sweetness and Hylia's light she may be, no one was that forgiving. And then he thought about what he'd do if she and the knight had succeeded in capturing him.
So she thinks she can stop me from carrying out my destiny and convince me to turn against Calamity Ganon? I won't let her! There is nothing that foolish girl can do to stop the Calamity, apart from finding her power...
His chest tightened as doubts started to plague him.
Why did my harbinger give me that vision of the princess? A vision of her prevailing in a future in which the harbinger originally did not exist... It expects me to intervene?
It was clear the Calamity would still happen with or without him. But if the princess awakening her power was fate's intended design, wasn't it destined to happen despite his best efforts? It was such a crippling thought.
No, Lord Ganon selected me for a reason. I was the most favored of his disciples. Lord Ganon has faith in me. Hyrule and its Princess must fall. THIS is fate as it will and must be...
"Good job, three-eyes! You may not have killed the princess, but at least you broke her widdle toy." Kohga clapped his hands in a slow sarcastic manner. "I bet that took the wind out of her sails."
"It did actually... Although I barely got to savor the look on her face. That Guardian was capable of a great deal. And now, thanks to my efforts it won't cause further interference."
"Like what? Playing a tune when she's feeling sad?" Sooga challenged.
Kohga laughed. "A banana peel could do a better job of killing her than prophecy man here! I could throw it at her feet and she'd fall and crack her skull! Boom! Done! Game Over!"
Astor gave a sardonic scoff. "And yet, you already had your chance and you didn't. Nice try… Trust me when I say that now that the original Guardian is no more, the future will proceed as it must, according to the will of Calamity Ganon."
oOo
Impa and Princess Zelda closed in on the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, an imposing stone structure with an oversized Sheikah telescope on the roof. The Royal Ancient Tech Lab had only come to be in the recent past, having been built specifically for research of Guardians and other ancient Sheikah technology to oppose the resurrection of Calamity Ganon.
Impa looked down at the box she carried with a somber expression. "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I miss the little one already."
Zelda acknowledged this with a nod of her head. "All isn't lost yet."
The two entered the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, transitioning from being in brilliant sunlight into the more subdued dimness of the laboratory.
Purah and Robbie surveyed the wreckage that was the mysterious Guardian, it's parts grimly but neatly arranged on the table to make sure it was all there.
Robbie shook his head. "Oh, the one-of-a-kind Guardian model…" He said with a dramatic flair.
Zelda hesitated. "A-are you saying it can't be repaired?"
"Oh, no," Purah corrected. "I think it can be done. But it's going to take some time."
"I see…" Zelda gave a relieved sigh. "Then I have an additional favor to ask.."
"What's that, Princess?" Purah blinked. The older sister of Impa was more worldly than other more traditional Sheikah women, having painted fingernails and a red streak through her naturally snow-white hair.
"If you find any additional data within the Guardian, please let me know right away, no matter how insignificant it may seem."
"Will do, Your Highness. Not a problem," Purah reassured. "I'll just need the Sheikah Slate so I can transfer any potential remaining data."
"Oh..." Zelda hesitated. "Alright. Um..." Zelda pushed back a lock of hair behind her ear. "The images that you initially extracted from the Guardian's memory…" Zelda reached into her pouch for the Sheikah Slate. It was a longshot of an inquiry, but Robbie and Purah were researchers. Maybe they might know something after all. "Do you…know anything about this man? Perhaps, any accompanying data about him from the Guardian?" Zelda handed Purah the Sheikah Slate.
Robbie and Purah took a long hard look at the man Zelda had come to know as Astor. Even Impa was craning her neck over Purah to try to see. Zelda stood by anxiously as they scrutinized the image.
Purah grinned slyly, studying Zelda's expression.
"What….?" Zelda asked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Can't say I know anything, but it seems to me like you know more about this mystery man than you're letting on. Am I correct?" Purah asked playfully.
"Well…"
"Your Highness…?" Impa took on a serious expression upon hearing her elder sister's tone. "Why is this the first I'm hearing about this? This sounds like most crucial information." Impa half-joked, although she sounded slightly cross.
"Well…his image was on the Sheikah Slate and I had a run-in with him yesterday… His name is Astor. And well, he is our enemy… He said he was chosen by Calamity Ganon and from what I can tell, he can harness the Calamity's power with an orb he carries."
Impa rubbed her chin, seemingly confused by Zelda's tone and demeanor. "I can't help but worry for your safety, Your Highness… I'm just relieved you lived to tell. But you seem...excited to learn more about him…. Which is…bizarre, but I guess that's the scholar in you."
Zelda blushed. It wasn't a completely inaccurate assessment. "Well… If I can manage to stop Astor, maybe the Calamity can be averted," she said, knowing it was perhaps a flimsy excuse.
"Hmm, I could easily believe he is some sort of fanatical follower of Calamity Ganon... He certainly gives off that vibe," Robbie observed. "So, was it this...Astor who broke the Guardian?" Robbie enunciated the name oddly. Making a sort of double entendre.
"Yes…" Zelda confirmed.
Robbie shook his head and grabbed a nearby box, beginning to scrape the pieces of the Guardian into it. "ALL HAIL CALAMITY GANON! HE SHALL PROVIDE!" Robbie said, doing his best Astor impersonation given what little information he had.
Zelda couldn't help but giggle. It wasn't that far off the mark.
"And I'm sure we can provide a repaired Guardian and perhaps even the information you seek… Just give us some time." Robbie said, in a normal tone of voice.
"Thank you, Robbie. I appreciate it. There's also a strong possibility that this Guardian is…not one of a kind. There have been at least a few incidents of a Guardian like this one leading an attack on Rito Village."
"Interesting…" Robbie remarked.
Purah was still watching Zelda's reactions and smiling at her incredulously.
"Wipe that smirk off your face, Purah, or I'll do it for you." Impa hissed. "Her Highness could have been killed!"
"Woah, calm down, sis. I was just trying to humor the princess."
"It's alright, Impa, really..." Zelda offered nervously.
"But, Your Highness…"
"I guess we should head back now. The Champion's garments aren't going to sew themselves." Zelda sighed and headed for the door.
"Take care, Your Highness. Hope you get your man!" Purah called in a sing-song intonation, giving a brief wave goodbye, before being cut off by Impa's stern voice.
"Okay, that's it!" Impa charged at Purah. Soon Impa was chasing Purah around the lab, using the main work table to keep distance between them.
"You WILL show respect to Her Highness!"
"I only meant it as 'hope she can bring him to justice.'" Purah placated, innocently.
Robbie and Zelda shared a disconcerted look between them.
"Sisters..." Robbie crossed his arms, leaning back slightly against a wall to spectate. "Do you think they'll still be fighting like this when they're old and grey?"
Prometheus17: I can't wait to hear what you think when you play/watch BotW and/or Age of Calamity. I hope I'm not spoiling too much for you here! The only parts I can really take credit for are Astor and Zelda's thoughts towards each other, and some revised and/or completely unique scenes here and there.
Faylian: Your review really made me smile. I do feel bad about how much Zelda suffers here. And thanks for the dialogue idea for some of Kohga and Sooga's lines. I know you were really eager to see their full reaction, so here it is! You're a genius! I think we're the ones that actually had a field day here. lol Always makes me wonder how Kohga and Sooga responded to Astor's failure to kill Zelda in canon, since we never got to see it.