Chapter 20: Enter the Dragolfos

After a long moment spent gazing at the newly restored Sun Temple, contemplating all that had befallen her since she'd entered those hallowed halls but a few hours before, Kelli finally turned back towards the pastoral expanse of Lost Hyrule. Now that the Sky Jewel had been cleansed and rested safely in her hand, the enigmatic province's fickle weather had settled, giving way to the gentle warmth of what felt like early summer. Between having spent what felt like weeks traversing a monster-filled temple and the combined despair and amazement of her battle with Soleil and her, finally, becoming a true Guardian of the Sun, Kelli found the light of day a sight that filled her with relief. But it also reminded her of just how exhausted she was after her harrowing ordeal.

I still want to curl up and sleep for about a week, but now might be a bad time, she reflected and, despite a persistent limb she'd acquired in her bout with the Sun Dragon, she straightened her slender frame and made her way back towards Kakariko, eager to report her progress to Link and Daphnes. Perhaps Kelli had been wearier than she supposed, or maybe the warm day was having a sedate effect upon the Guardian of the Sun, or it might've been the sense that, with her nearly awakened powers, she felt that the shadow of evil was, at long last, lifting from Hyrule. Whatever the reason, the Guardian of the Sun kept a leisurely pace, a smile tugging at her lips as she glanced over her shoulder to behold the Sun Temple one last time before it was lost from view.

"For someone who just spent the last few minutes getting thrown around the room, literally, you seem in quite a mood," Vira chimed in, fluttering up to hover at Kelli's shoulder.

"Well, I am glad to be out of there," Kelli admitted, arching her back until something popped. "I've been to some rough places since I first found the Sun Sword and Shield, but that temple tops them all. Still, I do feel better."

Her words trailing off, Kelli drew the Sun Sword and examined it. After she had made her vow and became a true Guardian of the Sun, the blade she'd carried all through her girlhood had grown by at least a foot and widened. What's more, it had grown lighter and its edge keener, allowing her to deliver stronger blows and to launch consecutive attacks with greater ease. Whomever next challenged the heiress to the legacy of the Guardians of the Sun, she decided with grim delight, would never know what hit them.

"You know, when I first found this sword and the shield, I had no idea what I'd gotten myself into," she admitted, a sigh parting her lips as she recalled how much a role Judo had played in that fateful day. "There were times, back in Mayia and here, that I thought I'd blown it, that I wasn't meant to be a Guardian of the Sun and I'd just found this sword and shield by pure chance. I think it's no secret that I've made a lot of mistakes since then, and that I haven't exactly done a bang-up job protecting Hyrule while Link was off searching for Navi."

Vira, who'd been at Kelli's side for nearly her entire adventuring career, had been about to protest these words, but Kelli silenced her with an upturned palm.

"But now…" she went on, trailing off as she sheathed her newly remade sword. "Now, I feel as though I made the right decision when I chose to keep the Sun Sword and Shield. More than that, I feel as if things are finally turning around."

"Well, we've got six of the Elemental Jewels," Vira pointed out. "I'll bet the bad guys are running scared by now."

"I think you're right, but it's more than that. With having to guard Hyrule alone, Judo's disappearance, and everything Hyrule has been through since this whole mess started, it's like I never realized how much all of it was gnawing at me."

Vira was silent for a moment, almost as though taken aback by this confession, then she fluttered over to land on Kelli's shoulder.

"I figured you were stressed by all that, but I guess I didn't know how much," the fairy admitted, a hint of self-recrimination seeping into her tone. "I guess I figured you could handle it, but I should've realized that it was getting to you. I'm sorry."

"Well, it's not as if I admitted how bad it had gotten," Kelli countered, offering a smile to soothe Vira's guilty conscience. "It's almost as though that weight had been on my shoulders for so long that I became inured to it, like I forgot it was there even as it just kept pressing down on me. Maybe it's been there since I first set out from the Kokiri Forest."

"I really wish I'd gone with you when you left. I mean, I would've been scared too, but at least you wouldn't have been alone."

"I wasn't alone. Not for long, anyway. I had Judo. Besides, I was the one who insisted you stay in the forest, remember?"

Indeed, Vira did. She remembered how, upon hearing that Kelli was to leave the forest, she'd nearly fallen out of the air. Just as no one from beyond the forest's sylvan folds could enter without being slowly turned into the walking dead, none of the forest children could leave their hidden paradise without leaving their very spark of life behind as they crossed the threshold. For a Kokiri to leave their forest was, for all intents and purposes, a death sentence. She remembered frantically wondering how and why the child to whom she'd been guardian had come to deserve such a fate and, later, the slack jawed astonishment she'd felt upon realizing that her charge stood outside the forest and was very much alive.

But though Link hadn't realized the significance of his ability to come and go from the forest as he pleased until much later in his life, Kelli quickly gleaned that she was not a Kokiri. So, she'd asked Vira to return home. Ultimately, Vira had found thoughts of her former charge, and the lure of the unknown, simply too great to resist and tracked down Kelli just as the would-be Guardian of the Sun set out for her adventure in Mayia.

"It wasn't so bad a time," Kelli admitted, a nostalgic smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Judo was a good friend, and I might've left the Sun Sword and Shield where I found them if it hadn't been for him."

Vira sidled closer to Kelli's face and laid one tiny hand on the Guardian of the Sun's cheek.

"He means a lot to you, doesn't he?" she asked, though she already suspected the answer.

"Yes, he does," Kelli answered. "I miss him so much, but I swore an oath to protect Hyrule. Maybe he'll come back when this is over, maybe I'll have to track him down. But, either way, I know he'd want me to finish what I started, and that's what I'm going to do."

She did not mention the question of whether Judo was alive or dead, and she likely didn't need to. She felt that, above all, what she needed was closure regarding her missing friend. Maybe he would return, or maybe he had fallen to whatever evil had besieged Mayia. Either way, she felt that knowing the truth, whatever it might be, would help to ease the last of the dread that still weighed upon her heart.

But, until she was free to seek her answers, her duty to Hyrule came first.

Judo would've approved, she knew, just as she would wish the same if their places had been reversed.

"Well," Vira spoke up after a pause, hopping back into the air, "I'm not Judo, but I'll do what I can in his stead. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. And, however this turns out, I'm glad I decided to find you and come along on your adventures. I probably can't say this often enough, but I'm really proud of the way you handled yourself in Mayia, and even here. Sure, you made mistakes, but you've saved more lives than either of us can count. I think the newest Guardian of the Sun might be the best, and I'm really happy I got to see it up close."

"Thanks," Kelli gushed, her cheeks reddening from the praise. "And, I couldn't have asked for a better fairy."

Caught up in the moment, the pair offered one another a hand in a gesture of friendship, only belatedly realizing that, as a fairy, Vira would need both hands just to grasp Kelli's forefinger. After a moment's pause, the sheer absurdity of it sent both into gales of laughter. And, that chortling grew all the more raucous when Vira grabbed Kelli's forefinger and, using both arms and wings, pumped it up and down.

"Link and Navi probably would've gotten a kick out of that," Kelli rasped once she could get her breath, though her own words quickly sobered her. "Do you think he's doing any better?"

Vira, her own elation sinking as well, gave only a helpless shrug in reply.

"That's actually something else that had been bothering me," the Guardian of the Sun went on. "Link is a seasoned adventurer, probably more so than even I am. And, Dark Kelli didn't just beat him, she frightened him. An opponent who could rattle someone like Link…"

She didn't finish the sentence. But, then again, she hardly needed to. Both Kelli and Vira knew that anyone who could soundly beat Link was not to be underestimated. Still, Dark Kelli had fought only a potential Guardian of the Moon who had yet to discover his true power.

Perhaps Kelli, now a true Guardian of the Sun with the full power of that ancient calling, would fare better.

In any case, perhaps learning that yet another Elemental Jewel had been recovered would help the bedridden hero's spirits, and that of King Daphnes, whose heart was sorely burdened by his kingdom's misfortunes. Regardless, both would surely be interested to know of the Sun Sword and Shield's newfound powers, and Kelli also wanted to know how Link's recovery was going in any case.

This train of thought was lost, however, when a new and sinister aroma stole into her otherwise idyllic surroundings. The moment it reached her nostrils, Kelli felt her heart skip a beat.

It was the smell of smoke, and it carried the sickly sweet scent of cooking pork…

…or, burning Hylian flesh.

Breaking into a run, the Guardian of the Sun retraced her earlier path back to Kakariko Village and, when she neared the almost forgotten frontier between Lost Hyrule and the kingdom she sought to save, she saw a twisting column of smoke billowing into the air.

Fearfully tracing its path earthwards, she saw that the source of the conflagration was the very village where Hyule's king and the bedridden hero had taken refuge.

"…No," she uttered. "NO! Vira, come on!"

The fairy offered no argument as she sped after the Guardian of the Sun. Kelli let her long legs pump beneath her, chewing up the distance and vaulting over obstacles as her thoughts churned at what she beheld. What had happened in her absence? The last time she had left the village, following the blizzard wrought by the corruption of the Jewel of Ice and Link's hobbling to the gates after his disastrous confrontation with Dark Kelli, the former hamlet had become a small fortress. Still under constant threat and with their backs against the wall, but with the tide subtly shifting with the cleansing of the Elemental Jewels, the remaining Hylians had been galvanized into action. Though the Royal Knights were still missing after contact with Mayia had been lost, the king still had the remnants of his army and many villagers willing to take up sword and pike in defense of their homes and families. Even better, Darunia and Ruto had each brought a host of Goron and Zora warriors to further strengthen the village's defenses.

What could have breached Hyrule's final redoubt? Kelli doubted that even an army of monsters would have been able to accomplish such a feat…

…yet, as she drew nearer, it seemed that the enemy that yet held Hyrule in its grip had managed to do precisely that.

Even from a distance, above the crackle of the flames and the groaning of structures threatening to crumble under the intense heat, she could hear the sounds of clashing steel, the roars of fury from defenders and attackers alike, the cries of the dying.

Soon, she was close enough to discern the scene for herself, and it was even worse than she'd feared. The village gate, which had been stoutly reinforced by Goron stonemasons, had been reduced to cinders by flames hot enough to roast a Dodongo, and much of the village was rapidly going up in smoke. The Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras protecting the village were frantically trying to douse the fires, the Zoras using their innate ability to control water to draw globules of liquid from the village's well and hurl them at the flames. The Hylians and Gorons, forced to resort to more mundane means of taming the blaze, were frantically trying to beat out the flames with shovels and smother them with pulverized gravel, all the while dodging falling debris, pulling villagers away from the conflagration, and tending to the wounded. And, this pandemonium was made all the more dire since whatever had caused this destruction had also allowed a force of Stalchildren, Stalfos, Lizalfos, Lizalfos Knights, Dinolfos, Wolfos, Armosaurs, and Armozards to charge through the ruined gates.

Besieged on all sides by fire and foes alike, there was only one way this battle could end for the embattled defenders…and, if it did, then the war would be lost, Elemental Jewels or not.

Not willing to let everything she'd fought and bled for crumble before her very eyes, Kelli charged on. As she drew nearer, she could make out more of the battle. Hylian soldiers armed with swords, pikes, longbows, and crossbows, along with villagers carrying little more than shovels, pitchforks, and even frying pans, made up most of the village defenders. And, though they were constantly racing back and forth between battling the fire and battling the invaders, desperation had lent them a strength she'd never have expected of them. At their head was an unhelmed Hylian with close cropped dark hair, wearing the armor of the Royal Army. And, Kelli could feel her jaw drop as she saw him cleave his way through swaths of foes with a huge, double bladed poleaxe. Darunia was easy to spot amongst the combatants, the wild patriarch of the Gorons hefting what looked like the legendary Megaton Hammer with skill and fury enough to impress all of his ancestors. Those Gorons who could be spared from taming the blaze fought at his shoulders, some shattering Stalfos Knights with their mighty fists or launching themselves into rolls which flattened foes by the dozen. Other Gorons, armed with Dodongo leather slings, hurled small boulders and bombs into the mass of enemies. The Zora warriors, using their command of the moisture in the air to literally swim through the sky, seemed to glide around and behind their foes and then unleash furious barrages of punches, chops, kicks, and blasts of some sort of electrical barrier. Others seemed to detach their arm fins and send them hurtling at their enemies like boomerangs. Leading this charge was Ruto, who seemed to use every other breath to shout something to the effect of "For my beloved Link!" Despite some unkind thoughts regarding the Zora Princess's obsession, Kelli had to admire the zeal and skill with which Ruto fought.

Link, she reflected, would not have an easy time getting out of his "engagement".

Behind the defenders, hemmed in on all sides by the battle, those wounded who had been dragged to comparative safety lay sprawled on the turf as the village's few healers, most of them elders and small children, dashed from one to another, doling out precious red and blue potions. Amongst them was a tiny form, little more than a blur of green, who occasionally paused in her ministrations to fire arrows at the monsters.

A fairy fluttered in the green figure's wake, sometimes darting to hover about the enemy to provide line of sight for the arrows.

Is that…Saria?! Kelli wondered, horrified.

Kelli had seen battle and death many a time in her young life, and she'd been forced to take the lives of foes so often that she'd long since lost count. She remembered, in particular, how those brief moments when she'd believed she'd killed Soleil had nearly broken her. But, the notion of one of the gentle Kokiri being caught up in such carnage…

The notion stoked a fire of rage in the Guardian of the Sun that made her already pumping legs blur with speed.

Still, Kelli's mind burned with confusion at what could have breached Kakariko's defenses and put much of the village to the torch. The creatures she currently saw clashing with the defenders could never have managed such a feat on their own, even in such numbers.

She had her answer, however, when a loud, somewhat screechy roar echoed through the sky.

"Oh goddesses, if that's what I think it is…" Kelli uttered as she continued, pumping her legs as fast as she could.

Not daring to stop, the Guardian of the Sun warily turned her gaze upward and beheld a sight which gave grim confirmation to her fears.

Soaring over the burning village on leathery wings was a massive, bipedal dragon, easily more than twice Link's size. The flying saurian was clad in silvery armor with spiked pauldrons and carried a large sword from whose keen blade sprang wickedly sharp serrations. Kelli immediately knew this creature, and that knowledge cause her stomach to tie itself in knots.

"Oh, NO!" she gasped. "The Dragolfos… They've returned too!"

"And one of them must have breached the village! Kelli, we have to do something!" Vira rasped out, her delicate wings trembling from the strain of keeping up with her friend's mad dash.

"I know. Let's get in there!"

As Kelli drew closer and closer to the village, she felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she realized something else. This assault must've been going on for a while, and yet no one had contacted her through her song. Not Malon, nor Link, nor even Daphnes. Which meant that they could've been injured, or worse. And what about Link? In his injured state, he was practically helpless. She tried to see if she could spy Link amongst the wounded being guarded at the rear line, or if the house where she'd left him to rest was still standing. But, if either were down there, then the seething mass of combatants and the stinging clouds of smoke hid both. She did, however, spy Malon atop the village's tall watch tower, raining arrows upon the besiegers. Drawing out her newfound Grappleshot, Kelli took aim and sent the device's claw soaring towards the ladder leading up the tower. She heard the claw find purchase and, a heartbeat later, felt herself being pulled right off her feet and carried upward to the ranch girl's side. Malon, harried and breathing hard, whirled in Kelli's direction and, only by mustering her reserve, managed to avoid losing an arrow into the Guardian of the Sun's face.

"Malon!" Kelli cried, holding up both hands to calm the harried ranch girl. "Are you alright?! What happened?! Why didn't anyone contact me about this attack?!"

"Kelli! Thank goodness!" Malon wheezed, visibly sagging with exhaustion. "That monstrous dragon just came out of nowhere! He burned down the gate in one pass and, the next thing we knew, all those monsters were swarming over us! I tried to use your song, but—"

Even over the din of the battle, the Sun Guardian was too experienced a combatant to miss the sound of a projectile whistling through the air towards the two of them.

"GET DOWN!" she bellowed, tackling Malon as a sharp arrow flew over the ranch girl's head, passing close enough to rustle her red tresses.

"Thanks," Malon gasped out, firing an arrow in reply. "Like I was saying, I've been a little busy! Darunia, Ruto, and the others have their hands full fighting these monsters while trying to put out the fires. But, every time we put one out, that flying lizard just swoops in and starts another!"

Is that all it's been doing this whole time? Kelli found herself wondering, turning her gaze back to the circling Dragolfos. But, it doesn't make sense for it to be holding back like that.

She knew the Dragolfos was a powerful foe, probably mighty enough to have successfully taken the village unaided. Failing that, she had expected the flying saurian to be fighting on the ground, leading the charge and smashing aside the defenders. At the very least, Kelli knew the creature could set two, three, or even four fires for every one the defenders put out.

Could it be toying with us? she mused. The way it's circling the village like that, it almost looks like it's waiting, or watching, for something.

She shook off the train of thought, however. Whatever reason the Dragolfos had for drawing out this attack, the people Kelli had sworn to defend were being hemmed in by monsters and fire alike, and there was no second-guessing about what was left of their homes and livelihoods going up in flames.

"Ugh…" she snarled, angered but still suspicious of these strange events. "Well, if I can take down that beast, maybe we''ll be able to turn this thing around. I'll get the beast's attention and defeat it. I'd tell you to run into the nearest building, but…"

Her words trailed off as both women assessed the chaos and carnage below them. Even if Malon could have made her way through the furious melee and the flames, and found a shelter that was not likely to go up in smoke at any moment, she would first need to clamber down the tower. That meant descending a structure that rose nearly forty feet into the air, completely exposed to fire from monsters the entire time.

Needless to say, whether this was Hyrule's final hour or not, Malon's only real chance of seeing out the day was to remain atop her perch and lend her arrows to the defense.

And, it seemed the ranch girl realized this as well, for she tore an arrow from her quiver and, in one smooth motion, planted it between a Wolfos' eyes.

"Nice shot," Kelli opined, impressed.

"Heh, thanks! Ever since the ranch was attacked and looted, I've been practicing a lot of archery," Malon explained. "I actually already had some skill beforehand since Link showed me the basics before he left years ago, so plenty of practice was all I needed at this point. I had him teach me in case something happened while he was gone and he couldn't be there to help. And it looked like a neat skill to have! I'm glad it wasn't for nothing."

"I see! That's pretty cool! Anyway, I think I can take that creature, if I can lure it in. But before I go, is Link alright?"

"Yeah, he's holed up inside Lady Impa's house, along with some guards and His Majesty. I don't know why, but that flying lizard hasn't even tried to burn the place down yet."

Still more evidence that the Dragolfos has got something up its sleeve, Kelli contemplated. If it had sleeves, that is. I know they like to toy with their opponents before obliterating them, but to do it like this is strange even for them.

"Alright, let's hope it stays that way," Kelli replied.

With that, Kelli dove from the platform, flying headlong into the roiling combat. Seeing a Dinolfos laying stunned beneath her, she drew her sword and shrugged on her shield in midair, reversed her blade, and drove it into the saurian's chest in a perfect Ending Blow. She sprang upright with a smooth backflip, turning her gaze skywards towards the Dragolfos which continued to circle above.

"HEY! LIZARD BREATH!" she taunted, bellowing as loudly as she could over the din. "GET DOWN HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN!"

The Dragolfos, it seemed, would not be baited so easily. The flying saurian instead swooped towards a knot of defenders and belched out a gout of flame, scattering some and leaving others shrieking in agony. Seething, Kelli charged towards a pair of Lizalfos Knights. Bringing up the Sun Shield, now broader and sturdier, but much lighter after her foray in the Sun Temple, she swung it into the first of the skeletal swordsman. Her small frame and slight build could put only so much force behind a Shield Attack, but, even so, she was amazed when the Stalfos Knight was sent reeling for half a heartbeat…

…which was more than she'd managed before, and which was more than enough.

Launching herself to one side and then tucking into a roll which carried her behind her foe, she sprang to her feet and brought her blade across the Lizalfos Knight's spine in a well-practiced back slice. Her newly empowered blade sent her foe crumbling to the blackened grass, the scattered bones promptly vanishing in a cloud of vapor. Without even pausing for breath, Kelli turned on the second Lizalfos Knight, using her swifter and stronger blade to overwhelm its defenses and cut the undead swordsman to pieces.

"WHAT'S WRONG, TOO AFRAID TO FIGHT A GIRL?!" Kelli bellowed at the still circling Dragolfos. "I'LL BET YOUR LACKEYS WILL NEVER LET YOU HEAR THE END OF IT…UNLESS YOU LET ME KILL THEM ALL!"

To her chagrin, the flying saurian still wasn't taking the bait. But she realized that the beast had turned its attention to her, which hopefully meant that Kelli was getting under its skin.

Scales, whatever, she mused.

Even better, despite the distance between them, she could tell that the Dragolofos, thankfully, had navy blue eyes, meaning it was a monster of the moon. The Dragolfos would be a very powerful foe, but at least she knew she could stop it.

Against such a deadly enemy, even a small weakness might be enough for her to prevail.

If I could just get that goddess-damned thing down here!

Racing towards a knot of Stalchildren led by an Armosaur, she drew her blade over her shoulder and angled it skyward, gathering force for a Charged Jump Attack. Once she felt her blade hum with power, she leapt into the mass and swung. The Stalchildren literally crumbled in the air and the Armosaur, sprawled and dazed, promptly met its end as Kelli followed up with an Ending Blow.

"I'M GETTING REALLY SICK OF YOU HIDING BEHIND YOUR LITTLE MINIONS!" she bellowed, and this time she could tell she'd gotten the Dragolfos riled. "COME DOWN HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU GLORIFIED LADY'S PURSE!"

Letting out another screechy roar, the Dragolfos swooped towards the Guardian of the Sun, passing so close to Kelli that she had to leap out of the way. Rather than soar back into the air, however, the Dragolfos landed, turned to face her, and leveled its blade in challenge. Kelli tightened her grip on her own blade. Her intent to lure in the flying saurian notwithstanding, the significance that it had answered her challenge with its own was not lost on her. The Dragolfos likely knew who Kelli was given the past implications that whatever force was behind this plague of evil was aware of her.

Though, that still left open the question of why the flying saurian had put on this dog and pony show. Perhaps it knew of Kelli, but did not know her by sight. Or, maybe the Dragolfos's master had lost track of her. In either case, it likely sensed that this attack on Kakariko would lure her out into the open, and the flying saurian had been watching for her arrival from the sky. Or, perhaps Link had been the intended target. Whatever evil had besieged Hyrule might not have been aware of Link's condition, or more likely, they were perfectly aware and wanted to goad him into a suicidal battle, and the Dragolfos had been sent to lure him out. At the least, the latter would explain why Lady Impa''s home was conspicuously untouched by the battle. Whoever was behind this plague of evil was cunning, ruthless, and dangerous. Regardless, Kelli leveled her own sword in answer and assumed a battle stance.

"If it's me you want, I'm right here!" Kelli barked. And if Dark Kelli is behind this, she'll have my blade down her throat.

The Dragolfos chuckled in answer to Kelli, which caused one of the heroine's eyebrows to arch in perplexity. It was true that the Dragolfos were one of the most powerful creatures she had ever battled, the death and destruction all about her also driving that point home, but none which were moon aligned could even come close to stopping her once she figured out effective ways to exploit their only weakness. A few good strikes against their vulnerable tails would be enough to fell the flying saurians. And, this one seemed to take no pains to rectify that. Though, how that would be done, Kelli wasn't sure. So why was this particular Dragolfos seemingly so confident in itself when faced with a seasoned foe with such an advantage? Kelli could only guess that, just as the other monsters had become stronger under their new master, the already formidable Dragolfos had grown even mightier as well. Even so, it wouldn't stop her. Not when she now had finally become a true Guardian of the Sun and possessed incredible new power herself.

Using its well-muscled legs and wings to launch itself at its opponent, the Dragolfos hurtled at her. Locking her knees and bringing up both sword and shield, Kelli stole the beast's momentum, forcing the Dragolfos's wicked blade to a halt. The flying saurian, however, would not relent so easily and bore down on the Sun Guardian with all its might, sending the sounds of grinding blades echoing through the entire village. Over the din, however, the Sun Guardian could hear that the crackle of flames was diminishing. Hopefully, now that she had the Dragolfos's attention, the defenders would be able to douse enough of the flames that they could regroup and strike back at the flying saurian's remaining minions.

Even if Kelli couldn't kill the Dragolfos, the flying saurian might reconsider pressing the attack if it found itself alone against several dozen Hylian, Goron, and Zora warriors…unless, of course, it simply took to the air and started the fires up again.

Unfortunately, as Kelli soon found out, the Dragolfos's flames were every bit as dangerous to her as they were to the village. After seeing that its raw strength could not prevail, it dislodged itself by delivering a swift kick to Kelli's solar plexus. The heroine managed to drop her shield into the path of the heavily muscled leg and, to her amazement, it withstood the blow, but the sheer force was sufficient to knock her backwards. She rolled and sprang to her feet just in time to see a crackling tongue of flame streaking towards her. Instinctively, Kelli brought up her shield to block the flaming breath, already fearing that her shield work, which had never been impressive, would see her turned to ashes. Yet, to her surprise, the newly empowered Sun Shield turned away the flames without so much as growing warm against her skin. The heroine was amazed at this turn, but she had no time to enjoy it. Despite her advantage in the power of her weapon and shield, she still had the creature's sheer strength and deadly tail to worry about, and the creature easily demonstrated both to her by whirling on its scaly toes and sending its tail, which was strong enough to crush a boulder, whistling at her legs. Kelli was forced to jump to avoid the massive tail, evading the blow by but a hairsbreadth.

Yet, at the same time, using such tail strikes was risky for the Dragolfos. Kelli managed to turn this to her advantage and, after leaping over another tail strike, she tucked into a roll, letting her get behind the beast and strike. Her sword dug deep, nearly shearing the tail off, and causing the Dragolfos to shriek in agony. Of course, the creature hadn't risen to such prominence in its master's eyes by being slow witted, and it wasn't going to let this occur again so easily. The Dragolfos began using tail strikes less frequently, instead favoring its blade and flame breath. And, whenever it did bring its powerful tail to bear, its swings were much faster and had less follow-through, the moment of vulnerability vanishing before Kelli could close in to strike.

The Guardian of the Sun snarled under her breath, but, seeing the saurian jaws curve into a grin at the sight, she mastered her anger and cleared her thoughts. Even though the creature was obviously stronger and smarter than the other Dragolfos which Kelli had fought before, its combat tactics were roughly the same. If it didn't use its tail, flame breath, or sword, it attempted to slash at her with its claws. This allowed Kelli to reuse some of the same strategies that were effective the last time she battled Dragolfos. The back slice was the most effective since it allowed Kelli to roll behind the creature right to its vulnerable backside. She also supposed that her shield attacks, delivered as it reached forward and down with its claws, might be able to knock it off guard as well, but Kelli doubted it. Though her subpar skills with a shield had been bolstered, and even though she had managed to successfully use it against the monstrous creature from the Fortress of Ice, she still had a ways to go before she would be as good with a shield as Link was.

Besides, if a Shield Attack with her new shield only got her a split-second to act when used against a Lizalfos Knight, she suspected she'd get even less against this much more powerful foe.

And, that was discounting the possibility that the Dragolfos might catch her shield in midair and tear it right off…possibly taking her shield arm along with it.

The Dragolfos's cold grin seemed to broaden, each of its sharp fangs glinting in the firelight, but Kelli stood her ground. She rose to her full height, leveled her blade and beckoned.

"You wanted to fight me?" she said, her lips curving into a vicious grin of her own. "You should be careful what you wish for."

As Kelli had supposed, the assault on Kakariko had been going on for quite a while…

…or, maybe it just felt that way to Link.

Despite the forced inactivity of his recovery, his adventurer's senses were no less keen, and he'd sensed something was wrong even before he, Navi, and Daphnes had heard the frightening commotion outside. There had been the shriek of the Dragolfos when it first arrived in the village, followed by the roar of the flames as it destroyed the gate with a concerted blast of its fiery breath, followed by the rapid tramping of a horde of monsters pouring through the smoldering ruins. Link had managed to rise from his bed, every joint aching in protest, and had hobbled over to a window to look outside.

He beheld pandemonium.

On those rare occasions where his aches and pains had lessened from excruciating to merely dreadful, he'd managed to drag himself to the window to watch the ongoing work of fortifying the village, including the Goron stonemasons' recent completion of a towering stone gate nearly as stout as the one which had defended Hyrule Castle Town. Festooned with arrow slits and crenulations from which archers and crossbowmen could fire from cover, cauldrons of boiling oil that could be poured onto anyone attempting to scale the wall or batter down the gate, and a portcullis and two sets of barred doors made from solid iron, Link doubted any minion of this new evil could breach it. Indeed, it seemed like everyone had thought that…

…but, they'd been wrong.

With the gate breached, and with horrifying ease, battle had spilled into the village, Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras near to drowning in a sea of walking dead, reptilian warriors, and the goddesses knew what else.

From his vantage point, he could see Darunia leading the counterattack, Ruto not far behind, and high in the watchtower, Malon raining down arrows from above. His friends were out there, and they were in dire peril.

And he was stuck in here, every bone in his body aching as much from helplessness as from his wounds.

Memories assailed him in a tide no less dreadful than that of the clashing steel and screams that resounded in what was, essentially, his cell.

He remembered meeting Malon when they were both still children, how she'd seemed the least foreign being he'd seen amongst the "giants" in Hyrule Castle Town, how her sonorous singing voice had helped to soften the harsh world the newly deceased Great Deku Tree had bade him enter, and how she'd allowed Ingo to give him Epona after he'd freed Lon Lon Ranch in the dark future.

She was out there, effectively trapped in the high watch tower, and one lucky shot from a monster's bow would be enough to send her plummeting to her death.

He remembered Darunia, surly and forlorn as his people were starving all around him after the Dodongo's Cavern had been sealed, how the Goron's melancholy had dissolved into wild, and somewhat terrifying dancing at hearing Saria's Song, and the respect and fear he'd felt when Darunia had vowed to confront Volvagia, even though doing so without the Megaton Hammer likely meant he was going to his death.

He now carried the hammer, but the swarm of monsters might yet engulf Darunia and tear him to pieces.

He feared for them. He even feared for Ruto, though he'd deny that to his dying breath. And yet, barely able to keep his feet, all he could do was watch in helpless agony.

The minutes dragged by with tortuous slowness until a commotion from downstairs drew Link's attention. For a moment, he feared that Impa's home, suspiciously untouched by the attackers thus far, had finally been breached. Instead, he heard a distinctly Hylian voice, his words barely audible amidst ragged gasping. Refusing to be idle any longer, Link snatched up his gear and, ignoring the needles of pain that shot up and down his spine, arms, legs, and, well, everywhere, staggered down the stairs. Every step was a battle against his lingering wounds which throbbed with every motion, but he soon spied a Hylian soldier collapsed in a chair, some of his clothing burned off and several gashes marring his arms and legs. Daphnes stood over the man, though the aged monarch clearly kept his feet only with an effort, while the doctor tended the soldier. Link, though he couldn't advance further without having to gnash his teeth against his body's continued aches, managed to get within earshot without being noticed and, as their words reached his ears, his spark of hope grew at long last.

"Sire! Good news at last! Lady Kelli has returned!" the reported between rasping breaths.

"She has? Then she's battling that creature?" Daphnes replied, his sunken chest heaving as well.

"Yes! Even better, in fact! I don't know how, but she's become more powerful. Her sword and her shield have…changed.""

"Changed? How so?"

"Her sword is longer, but she swings it so fast that it blurs into golden fire. And, it's grown stronger too! I saw her defeat two Lizalfos Knights in the twinkling of an eye! And, her shield has grown larger and thicker. But, it's also become lighter, because I saw her use it to knock those Lizalfos Knights off balance."

Link's eyebrows, which had begun to creep upwards at the news that Kelli had discovered some new and formidable powers during her journey, shot clear up into his hairline at this last sentence. He remembered how Kelli had admitted that shield work had been her weakness, but whatever she had discovered seemed to have made the already formidable Guardian of the Sun more powerful than ever.

Perhaps, he dared to hope, her arrival would tip the scales of this battle.

"How does she fare?" Daphnes went on, propping himself up against a table with a trembling hand. "Is Kelli prevailing over the creature that breached the gate? And what of the host of monsters that the creature was leading?"

"Difficult to say, sire," the soldier admitted, and that spark of hope promptly sputtered. "I don't know if she can defeat it on her own. And, though the creature stopped setting the village afire, it still did plenty of damage. Most of our troops have their hands full with battling the fires and saving the townsfolk."

"But she has the advantage, right?" Link interrupted, startling all three men as he reached the bottom of the stairs, wincing as his legs seemed to crack beneath him.

"Link, I said to stay in that room!" Daphnes snapped, though the outburst left him breathing hard.

Link could sense that the burdened monarch's health was fragile enough without getting into a heated argument, but the memory of the friends who yet fought outside could not be held in abeyance any longer.

"I don't care!" he shot back, ignoring the three pairs of jaws which parted at his words. "I can't just sit in here while what's left of this kingdom goes up in flames! I've got friends out there who might not live to see sundown! And Kelli is my partner! If we lose her, then it's all over. And if we're all about to die anyway, I'd rather die fighting!"

He was briefly struck by his own words. He'd faced down danger so often that he barely even remembered one brush with death from another, but even watching the moon hurtle at Termina hadn't left him feeling so…fatalistic.

Perhaps his first real defeat at Dark Kelli's hands had roused him to the truth that even the mightiest of warriors could be beaten, or maybe his string of close calls since returning to Hyrule had slowly but surely allowed him to come to grips with the possibility that, this time, his skills and courage might not be enough to win the day.

Or, quite possibly, he found losing his own life more palatable than watching a friend lose theirs, as a hero would.

Whatever the reason, he would join the battle, even if it proved to be his last.

"So does she have the advantage, at least?" he demanded of the stunned soldier. "If the beast has dark blue eyes, then she does."

"I couldn't get a good look at the monster's eye color, I'm afraid," the soldier reported once he'd rediscovered his voice. "And to my eye, it seems that Lady Kelli and the beast are evenly matched. They've traded wounds, but I cannot say who has the upper hand."

Link could only snarl at this news, but the fire of rage had crackled in his breast and was burning bright and clear. Practically everything from his toes to his forehead still felt festooned with pins and needles, but the same will that had led him through haunted forests, fiery volcanoes, and pirate infested waters overpowered the pain. And even if it cost him his life, he would take up sword and shield again to defend Hyrule.

"Link, I very much hope that you're not thinking what I think you're thinking," Daphnes spoke up, sounding no less commanding for his stooped posture and gasping.

"I'm sorry, your Majesty, but I don't feel I have a choice," Link insisted. "Kelli's fighting that huge dragon all by herself and we're up to our armpits in Stalfos, Lizalfos, and who knows what else. We need every sword we can muster, or we're done for. Besides, I won't get in close, I'll fire at the beast with my bow. If Kelli was able to do enough damage, I should be able to finish it off before it can reach me."

"And what if she wasn't?" Daphnes countered. "I may be lacking my castle at the moment, but I'm still your king. You will stay here and that's an order. You're not nearly recovered yet and I won't have you both getting killed!"

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen! And I'm fine! Aggh…"

"Fine?! You're still in agony! And you could barely hobble down the stairs! If you go out there like that, the Dragolfos won't need to kill you, his minions will do that for him!"

"Yeah, Link, what he said!" Navi jumped in.

"Hey, I rode all the way here from Lake Hylia with blood pouring out of my stomach and lived to tell of it. I think I can handle a little target practice," Link said, gritting his teeth as much in defiance as from the pain.

Daphnes had been about to say more but, before he could utter a word, his already pallid features paled even further and he collapsed into a chair, his already ragged breathing going short and harsh. The doctor, his eyes round with fear, rushed to the king's side and ungallant though it was, Link bolted for the door. In midstride, he quickly took stock of what he'd managed to arm himself with. Despite the haze of urgency, he was relieved to see that he'd grabbed his bow and arrows, Grappleshot, and his sword and shield. Daphnes, barely aware of the hero's departure through the pulsing red haze that assailed his vision and the blood pounding in his ears, could only focus on drawing air into his shuddering chest, agonizing over what was probably going to happen next. Link, cringing at what he'd done, and shuddering to contemplate what Zelda would've made of such an act, forced the image of the ailing monarch from his mind. Willing his aching body to compliance, he kicked the door shut behind him and quickly drew the Grappleshot, a reluctant Navi fluttering at his shoulder. But, before he could even take aim, he suddenly became aware that the once overwhelming din of the battlefield had suddenly fallen silent. Both attackers and defenders were still on the field, but the fighting had stopped as both sides gazed at something near the village well. That the attackers were waving their weapons and pumping their fists in what looked like delight caused Link's blood to run cold and, when he followed their gaze, the sight nearly caused his eyes to burst from their sockets. The dragon, roaring in triumph, was holding a limp, seemingly lifeless Kelli in one of its arms.

"No…" he gasped. "NO!"

"Oh boy…" Navi uttered, nervously eyeing the exuberant horde of monsters.

Sure enough, the monsters let out a ragged cheer and began to reform their lines, no doubt eager for one last charge to finish off the now shaken defenders. Link frantically looked around, and saw another soldier on the nearby staircase leading down from Impa's house. The man, a very young man by the look of him, simply gaped in horror at the scene, frozen in disbelief at what he saw.

Link couldn't blame him.

"Hey, what happened over there?!" Link inquired angrily. "Did that thing kill her?!"

The soldier didn't seem to hear him, instead continuing to stare at the triumphant Dragolfos as though watching the end of the world…which, Link reflected, might not be far wrong.

"HEY!" Link shouted, grabbing the man by the shoulders and shaking him.

"OH!" the soldier gasped, leveling his pike in trembling hands before recognizing the glad clad hero.

"Oh, Link, I'm surprised to see you out here!" the soldier replied. "But to answer your question, I…I'm actually not sure."

"What? What do you mean you're not sure?"

"I mean, it looked to me like the creature…breathed on her."

"Seriously? Is that your idea of a joke?!"

"No! No, I swear! It just grabbed her, dragged her in close, and blew out some sort of fume. Then, she just went limp and collapsed. She might be unconscious, or maybe dead. I can't tell from here!"

Link could see there was little point in interrogating the man further. He found it hard to believe that Kelli had been beaten by the Dragolfos's breath, but clearly the flying saurian had some additional weapon which the heroine hadn't expected. And, it reinforced Link's earlier decision not to confront the monster blade to blade. From this distance, he couldn't tell if Kelli was alive or dead, but the jeering from the enemy lines, and the underlying promise of a renewed assault, was perfectly clear. Forcing his legs into motion, Link rushed back up the stairs, tugged out the Grappleshot, and aimed it at the roof. Back during the dark future, he had used a hookshot to carry himself atop the buildings and from there, soar from roof to roof. The Grappleshot, thankfully, allowed him to do the same and, no less fortunate, the Dragolfos seemed in no hurry to stop exulting in its victory over Kelli. This allowed Link to grapple from roof to roof, unnoticed, as he sought the best vantage point from which to take his shot. Using the Grappleshot in his injured state was truly a feat of endurance, as the device seemed ready to tear itself free of his grip half the time and the other half, the arm that held it felt ready to come free of its socket. Still, Link gnashed his teeth and pressed on, all too aware that time was against him and that one cry of pain would expose him.

By some miracle, he'd managed to reach the roof of a tall, partially ruined structure, which gave him a clear shot at the Dragolfos's back, as well as the front line of the monster's horde of minions. Once he was up there, Link positioned himself at the roof's highest point and carefully lowered himself into a sitting position as if he were mounting Epona. Still unnoticed by his foe, he watched the creature continue to its grandstanding, still clutching Kelli in its claws and belching flames skyward. However, despite the flying saurian's swagger, it was also clear that its victory had been a near thing. There were wounds on its body which stood out starkly, even when seen at such a distance, as well as its armor being so dented that Link half expected it to come apart before his eyes. Kelli had put up quite a fight, and it must've taken a great deal of skill and courage to have dealt such damage to so mighty a foe.

Link hoped he'd have the chance to tell Kelli that.

His torso aching with every motion, Link nocked a Sun Arrow onto his bowstring. The simple motion, so practiced over the years, sent such tremors of pain up and down his spine that he could barely draw back the string and his tenuous grip on his arrow, and his perch, threatened to give way at any moment. His eyes blurring with tears, the once-Hero of Time feared that, perhaps, Daphnes was right.

How could he protect this kingdom when he was so battered that he could barely protect himself?

Still, bloodied and cleaved or not, he was the only thing standing between that dragon and the destruction of the entire village, perhaps all of Hyrule. Mustering every drop of resolve from every fiber of his being, he drew back the bowstring, his back muscles seemed to strain and tear under the effort. Blinking his eyes clear, Link carefully aimed the arrow right at the creature's head, silently praying that if it landed, the blow would prove fatal. A moment later, after quickly calculating the height, distance, wind, and weight of the arrow as the Guardian's Bow imbued it with the power to fly through stone, he nodded in satisfaction and let the arrow fly.

The arrow tore through the air for a stretching second, and then embedded itself into the dragon's head. But it didn't stop there. Link had allowed his Guardian's Bow to empower the arrow and, easily tearing through the defenses of a monster of the moon, the arrow burst out the other side of the monster's head. The creature shrieked and roared loudly as it thrashed about wildly in its death throes. After a long moment, the creature went limp and collapsed atop the well. Kelli, who still showed no signs of life, dropped from the creature's claws onto the grass beside it. It was pure luck that she didn't end up falling down the well and possibly to her death…if she wasn't already dead, that is. The dragon soon disintegrated into nothingness.

All around him, the battlefield once more fell silent.

Raising his head on a neck that suddenly felt too flimsy for the task, Link spied the horde of monsters who'd been cheering the Dragolfos but moments before.

Now, seeing their champion bested with one blow, all were gaping at Link in slack-jawed astonishment…and no small amount of fear.

Hardly needing the encouragement, Link began to draw more arrows and, smashing aside the pain that still prodded at him like the claws of so many Redeads, fired off one empowered arrow after another into the stunned horde. Each arrow arced through the air and then plummeted into the ranks of Lizalfos Knights, Dinolfos, Armosaurs, and other minions of evil.

Each one literally plowed through the lines of monsters, shattering many and sending others flying, while gouging deep furrows into the earth. In moments, half the ranks of monsters had been decimated and those still standing, faced with both Link and the defenders who'd been reinvigorated by his display, promptly decided that they'd rather be somewhere else.

Anywhere else.

As the defenders charged in pursuit of the fleeing monsters, Link, suddenly aware of just how hard he'd been pushing his battered body, sagged in relief, allowing himself a few moments to simply savor having once again turned back the darkness.

Long before he was truly ready to get up and face the aftermath of the assault, Link heaved himself to his feet and attempted to carefully make his way down from the roof. Some of the defenders were still harrying a number of monsters who'd been too slow to flee the village, more were dousing the last of the flames and others still were tending to the wounded. From his vantage point, Link could see the doctor and a soldier with close cropped dark hair and a double bladed poleaxe rushing to Kelli's aid, concerned as he was for her wellbeing. The village was still battered and smoldering, and its defenders were exhausted and badly shaken by the near miss. But, otherwise, the chaos had begun to die down following the dragon's defeat and the retreat of its minions. Still, Link knew better than to think that the worst was behind them. Whether out of overconfidence in eventual victory or fear of the two heroes and their allies, their unknown enemy had just mounted an assault which had nearly ended in total defeat for Hyrule, and Link didn't doubt for a moment that their foe wouldn't stop there.

No rest for the weary, he mused, feeling very weary indeed as he tried to jump back towards the ground.

Link's landing, unfortunately, wasn't a smooth one. He managed to tuck into a forward somersault a heartbeat before he hit the ground, but weary to his very bones and with every sinew ready to snap, his efforts were thwarted and rather than springing to his feet, he ended up sprawled in the dirt.

"Brother, are you alright?!" Darunia called out, rushing over to him.

"Argh… Yeah, I'm okay," Link assured as he slowly clambered to his feet. "I just messed up that roll is all. What about you? What about the battle?"

In hindsight, Link supposed he should've realized that asking such questions of an excited Darunia was most unwise. A grin of almost feral delight split the Goron patriarch's features and images of being hugged to death flashed through Link's mind.

"What a row! What a row!" Darunia cheered, looking for all the world like a very, very large child on Yuletide morning. "I must've smashed my way through enough Lizalfos Knights to fill the graveyard twice over! That Hylian with the dark hair? Commander Ramius, I think his name is. He gave me some competition! Nearly matched me in how many skeletons he shattered and how many wolves he skinned! And, that red-haired friend of yours can do amazing things with her bow and arrows."

Here, Darunia paused and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

"Even your "fiancée" impressed me with how she gave those ugly lizards what-for! You might be in for a rough day when you try to tell her you'd rather be "just friends.""

"Don't remind me," Link whispered back, somewhat harshly. "Please don't remind me! So, Ruto is safe? And, Malon too?"

"That they are. Ruto is about somewhere, and Malon is likely on her way down from the watch tower. I imagine both were…impressed with how you handled that flying lizard. Barely able to walk, but you practically decapitated the thing with one shot! Not to mention you blowing apart half that army with just a few arrows! And to think, I was impressed when you bashed Volvagia's skull in! That was amazing, brother, truly amazing!"

"Thanks. I'm just glad it was enough. Things were looking grim. But, we'll have to talk later. I need to see if Kelli's alright!"

"Go to it, brother. Any other unwanted guests show up, my kin and I will smash 'em right back out."

Darunia had been about to clap one brawny hand on Link's back but thankfully, thought better of it. Link, belatedly discovering that he'd done something to his leg during his mishandled landing, limped in the direction he'd seen Kelli thrown by the Dragolfos. That he'd seen no sign that she was on her feet again caused his already pounding heart to lurch with worry…which promptly turned to dread when he saw an all too familiar Zora racing towards him.

"Liiiiiiink!"

Blanching, Link could only brace himself as a pair of scaly arms coiled about him and pulled him into an unpleasantly moist hug.

"You're alive!" Ruto gushed, nearly rectifying that with her rib cracking squeezing. "Oh, my fearless warrior! Even half dead, you slew a dragon! And, in one blow, no less! Oh, Father will be delighted to know that his little girl is in such good, strong hands."

"Heh, all in a day's work, I suppose," Link rasped out, attempting a proud grin through the pain. "But right, Kelli."

Thankfully, Ruto, who took his concern as further cause to gush over her "beloved's" gallantry, let him go without argument and, though slowed by his injuries, he rushed as quickly as he could to Kelli's side. The same doctor who'd tended to him and Daphnes knelt alongside the heroine, frantically compressing her chest. When this didn't seem to help, he turned to the soldier, Commander Ramius, Link supposed, who'd accompanied him and gave an order which Link couldn't hear over the blood pounding in his ears.

"Hey, let me see her!" Link insisted, clutching his painful gut.

"Link! You should go rest!" Ruto cried, but Link waved her off.

"Is she alright?" Link asked, his legs buckling as he reached the doctor...who looked none-too-pleased to see him.

"It's not bad enough you nearly kill His Majesty, but you nearly kill yourself while you're at it?" the doctor said, his glare hardening.

Link could feel what little blood remained in his cheeks after Ruto's appearance promptly drain away.

"Is he...?" he began, unable to force the rest of the words past the lump in his throat.

"No, I was able to stabilize him...barely," the doctor replied, though his words still galled. "All these troubles and his daughter being lost, it's hardly surprising that it's taken its toll on his heart. I fear that, if an assault like this were to happen again, he will not live through it."

The doctor's words, and the hint of accusation behind them, struck Link nearly as hard as Dark Kelli had. Hyrule's king, it seemed, was suffering his land's hardship as deeply as the land itself was and, even though the alternative had been watching those lands be engulfed by darkness, Link was wise enough to know that his actions had had a hand in further damaging the king's already fragile health.

Daphnes had lived, and might even live through this crisis, but that near miss added still more weight to Link's already weighty conscience.

"How is she?" he asked, eager to change the subject.

"I'm not sure," the doctor admitted. "Her wounds are far from mortal, but I've been unable to revive her. Worse, her pulse is weak and thready, and she's barely breathing."

"How can I help?"

Before the doctor could answer, which given his incredulity towards Link, might've been fortunate, Ramius returned with an all too familiar figure at his side.

"Saria?!" Link gasped out, his lower jaw falling open.

The Kokiri girl didn't seem to hear him. In fact, she barely seemed aware of him at all. Where once she'd been so vivacious and outgoing, she now seemed to have drawn in upon herself. More unnerving, her bright eyes seemed frozen open, round with some terror she alone could see.

Glancing in the direction she must've come from, however, Link discovered that those terrors were, indeed, quite visible. Barely twenty feet away, he spied several still bodies shrouded in linen…some of which were being carried in the direction of the graveyard.

Realization struck, hard and merciless, and Link felt his aching hands clench into fists.

Whoever's behind this, he intoned silently. I'll find them and kill them. Twice!

"Alright," the doctor spoke up, shaking Link from his reverie. "Ramius, you elevate her feet to help with circulation. Saria, use those potions on your belt to heal her wounds. I'll continue the chest compressions. Link, I need you to resuscitate her. Pinch her nose shut, draw in long breaths, put your mouth over hers, and exhale. Keep it up until she's breathing normally."

Feeling his own breath going short at the notion, Link reluctantly complied, pinching shut Kelli's nose and drawing in a deep breath. Then, feeling his cheeks redden all the while, he pressed his lips against hers and blew out as hard as he could.

C'mon, Kelli! he silently begged the still Sun Guardian. I can't do this without you. I need you! Judo needs you too! For the love of the goddesses, please wake up!