Co-author's note: Hello, there. Falchion1984 here. This chapter contains a variety of, hopefully, challengingly obscure references to Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Kudos if you can sniff out the less obvious ones without using wiki. Also, this chapter is rated EP for Egregious Puns. Enjoy!
Chapter 23: Heroes Unite!
After leaving Skyview Village, the heroes and fairies made their way back to Kakariko, following the markers Link had placed earlier. As it turned out, the would-be Moon Guardian's move had proven wise, as the overgrown road was all but invisible and the long since abandoned region offered little else in the way of recognizable landmarks. The small group kept a brisk pace, quickly crossing the bridge over the stream and breaking into a run once the terrain flattened out. Despite the palpable temptation to keep a leisurely pace, especially since they were not faced with a life-or-death situation, for once, Link and Kelli agreed not to take that chance. Between the return of the knights and Link deducing that the Moon Sword and Shield were hidden on the grounds of Lon Lon Ranch, they knew they had a chance to turn the tables on the evil plaguing Hyrule. And they didn't want to risk it slipping away.
Their fairies agreed but had rather hotly claimed all this breakneck flying everywhere could cause premature arthritis in their wing joints.
Navi and Vira's grumbling aside, Link and Kelli were on the verge of reaching one of the most important milestones in their quest to save Hyrule. As soon as Link obtained those ancient relics and mastered their power, the full might of the Sky Guardians could finally be awoken. And with that, their ultimate victory would go from a distant hope to being within reach.
Of course, there was also the fact that Judo, Kelli's long absent childhood friend, had at last been found. Not just that, but he was returning, and at the head of the famed knights, no less. Though Kelli's head was still spinning at the idea, she did recall that Link had also mentioned Judo's assistance would possibly be required to reach the Moon Shrine. Kelli was not at all sure exactly what her partner had in mind, nor was she sure how Judo could help even if he could be spared from the defense of Kakariko. But she was more than happy that the long-awaited reunion between her and her best friend was mere minutes away. Judo was alive and well. And at last, their long separation would soon be over.
Yet, while Kelli's heart raced faster and faster with excitement at the prospect, she also felt a pang of nervousness, manifesting within her as tiny Volvagias in her stomach. After all, it had been seven years since she last had any contact with Judo whatsoever. And though she'd known him well when they were kids, anyone knew that over long periods of time, people could change over such a stretch of time. Had this happened with Judo as well?
It did seem likely, if he was now the commanding general of the knights. Kelli knew from the anecdotes of the knight who'd ridden ahead earlier that her friend had certainly not lost his sense of humor. And she was glad of that, because Judo's talent for being able to make nearly anyone laugh was something she'd treasured, and missed most, about him.
But as she had admitted to herself, he must've changed at least somewhat. How different was he since Kelli had known him during their childhood? Back then, Judo could be adventurous and impetuous one moment, and then nearly as lazy as Talon the next. More than once, he'd even gotten into mischief because of his habits. He never cared for doing a lot of work or chores either. If he were ever asked what he would've liked to do with his life when he grew up, he would say he wasn't sure. At all. Some of his harsher peers hadn't expected that to change. At all.
Judo had seemed to just be one of those who would do just enough to get by and no more than that. And yet, the knight who'd been sent by Judo described a man who worked tirelessly to get to where he was, and had become strong enough to crush many enemies beneath his weapon with ease. The knight had even described him as a beast…and yet, Judo's own troops didn't seem to know what really made him tick. There were those who might, sometimes rightly, find such a study of contrasts to be confusing, unpredictable, even a bit frightening.
The knight she'd spoken to, by contrast, seemed impressed by this, but that hardly guaranteed Kelli wouldn't approach the man who'd been her best friend and discover a stranger in his place.
Indeed, this sounded different, very different, from the mischievous and lackadaisical Judo that Kelli remembered. She did recall reading in the sole diary entry he'd written that he wanted to make her proud. But even that had assuredly been written years before. And while Kelli was indeed proud of Judo's accomplishments, surely her approval wasn't all he'd sought when he strove to become a knight. It couldn't have been…could it? She shook off the thought and recalled that, as she'd noted at the time she'd found the entry, Judo had even never written in it before then. He hadn't cared for that kind of thing at all.
…which, she belatedly realized, was a sign that he'd changed in and of itself.
Despite knowing that her friend wanted to make her proud, Kelli could not hide a sense of dread that despite his intentions, some of the seeming change in Judo might not have been for the better. Of course, she hoped this fear was very misplaced. If the Judo she was about to reunite with was anything like the one she met in her dreams, she would be thankful.
A part of her shuddered at the thought, though, and not entirely because of her apprehensions.
After all, the Judo in her dreams had been quite a bit more than "a friend."
By the time she came back to herself, the Kakariko windmill had appeared on the horizon. Kelli sped up, belatedly skidding to a halt on the cliff. So belatedly, in fact, that she nearly toppled over the brink. She flailed her arms to maintain her balance and managed to regain her footing just in time.
"Whoa! Kel, I know you're excited, but watch yourself!" Link said with a chuckle. "Trust me on this, having a bottled fairy in your pocket isn't going to protect you from everything."
"Heh, yeah," Kelli agreed. "I'm both excited and nervous, really. Judo was my best friend, but… It's been seven years since I've seen him. He may be a very different person now. Well, aside from his sense of humor, that is."
"True. But have a little faith. I didn't see Navi for that same amount of time, believe it or not," Link pointed out. "Has a lot of time passed? Yeah. Have we changed in the meantime? Yes. But for all that, we're still good friends."
"That's right," Navi added. "And Judo's been doing some pretty great things for Hyrule, it sounds like. I wouldn't worry too much."
"And he wouldn't hold the rank he does now if Daphnes didn't completely trust him with it, right?" Vira pointed out. "There's no way Judo has a bad bone in his body."
"Yeah, those are good points," Kelli said with a smile. "I guess I am worrying a little too much. Thanks, you guys."
"No problem! You see him yet?" Link said, beginning to scan the village. "I'm looking, but there's a lot of activity down there."
"No, not yet…" Kelli said, following suit. The fairies fluttered about while looking around too. Their eyes mainly darted back and forth between the area in front of Impa's house and the village entrance, as those were the most likely areas to look for the general. But as Link said, the battered village was still bustling with frantic activity and, if Judo was down there, he was hidden amidst the crowd.
"I wonder if we got back too soon…" Kelli spoke up again. "Or…"
"Goddesses, I hope nothing went wrong," Link opined. "We're still reeling from that last attack!"
"That knight did say that Judo had broken through the monsters bivouacked on the border," Navi remarked. "Could more monsters have been sent and pushed the knights back into Mayia?"
"I hope not. Given what that knight had said about him, we really need Judo's strength. Heck, if the monsters did drive him back, that could mean more will come here to finish us off!"
"Oh, I hear you, believe me. …Hey, wait!"
Kelli squinted as she saw two figures clamber their way over the debris that had been piled up at the entrance to the village. After a less-than-graceful landing, both rose and headed towards Impa's house at a run.
"Whoa, I see them too!" Link said a moment later. "I hope that's them! And that there's more where they came from."
Kelli didn't reply. She was fixated on the two figures. They were both wearing full suits of plate armor, with the one in front looking a little more elaborate and gleamed like bluish silver in the strong sunlight. This figure also had what looked like a white cape cascading from his shoulders.
And when that figure drew a little closer to Impa's house, Kelli's jaw dropped as she also saw Judo's familiar dusty brown hair. She felt herself freeze where she stood, full on staring dumbstruck at this man so she could be absolutely certain that she wasn't somehow mistaken. He and the other figure, who also was definitely a man, stopped not far from the staircase that led up to Impa's house. The caped man, Kelli saw, had been letting his gaze rove over the battered village and, as he came to the stairs, he turned to the left and right, as if he was…looking for something. Though he was standing quite far away, Kelli could see enough of him to where she had suddenly begun to feel her cheeks warm again. He…really is handsome…
"Uh, Kel, are you okay there?" Link inquired, though he sounded a little more amused than concerned.
Kelli didn't answer right away. She noticed, somewhat absently, Judo's unknown companion. This knight, who had short ebony hair, was trying to get his comrade's attention while pointing to Impa's house, no doubt wanting to reach Daphnes as quickly as possible. But it seemed Judo wasn't inclined to listen, since he thrust one irate palm in his comrade's face and continued scanning his surroundings.
And Kelli could not help but suspect that she knew exactly what…or rather, who, he was looking for. She quickly shook herself back to reality.
"Ah! Sorry, Link, I had to be absolutely sure," she began, her voice choked with emotion. "But that is Judo! He's looking for me!"
With that, Kelli took a sudden leap off the cliff that might have been very daring, and probably pretty stupid, for almost anyone else.
"Whoa, hey! Wait for me!" Link called, following suit. The fairies flew after him, but quietly agreed to make themselves scarce again soon.
Since they were seasoned adventurers, both Link and Kelli knew to land in a forward roll to soften the impact, and Kelli especially wasn't hesitant to spring to her feet and break into a run afterward.
As Kelli skidded to a halt, not a score of paces from Judo, she saw him give a downhearted sigh, seemingly giving up on his search and following his comrade to the stairs before him, disappointment writ large in his slumped posture and downcast expression. At this, Kelli let out a light gasp and quickened her pace.
"Wait!" she shouted at her old friend. "Judo!"
Judo suddenly jerked to a halt, drawing an annoyed glance from his comrade, as his eyes snapped in the direction of the sound. When he saw who had called out to him, his body froze in place and his brown eyes bulged in their sockets as he beheld the one person he'd been waiting years to see.
"…Kelli?!" he cried. "Kelli!"
"Judo! Judo!" Kelli continued, tears welling up her eyes.
Judo's own chocolate orbs grew glassy as well, and tears coursed down from them as he broke into a run towards his old friend himself. His armor made him slower than Kelli, but it didn't matter.
Within moments, the long-separated pair more or less collided, Kelli not even noticing the bruises she'd gotten from running headlong into a main suited in steel plate, and they threw their arms around one another. Judo, a large and inviting smile on his face, lifted Kelli off the ground and spun her about. Kelli was pressing herself against his plate armor, nearly as cold as it was hard, but she didn't care. Her arms wrapped tightly around Judo's neck, she was finally with her closest friend again and that was all that mattered to her.
"Judo…! Oh Judo…!" she sobbed, crying into his shoulder pauldron.
"Kelli…!" Judo replied, sniffling. "It really is you… At last!"
"Yes… I've missed you so much! I've been so worried…!"
"I know… And I'm sorry," Judo continued, a fresh tear running down his cheek.
"No, don't be. I should have come home sooner… I wanted to!" Kelli insisted. "But I was a child who'd blundered onto an ancient sword and shield I'd never heard of before, which had powers I could barely guess at. Figuring out what I'd found, studying and mastering my new power…before I knew it, years had flown by. I never wanted to leave Hyrule, or you. How I wish I could've finished training here, or come back sooner!"
"Don't worry about that," Judo replied. "I don't blame you one bit. If you had left sooner, you wouldn't have been there when Mayia needed you. And me, I shouldn't have let the knights lose contact with Hyrule and get trapped in those goddess-damn mountains. For all you and King Daphnes knew, I was a captive or even dead. I know I put you both through a lot of pain and all while you were probably fighting for your own lives here."
"Well, that is true," Kelli conceded. "And I demand that you never scare me like that again."
"Yeah, I'll definitely try not to."
For a long moment, the two friends fell silent, their grips on one another loosening as the tension of their long separation began to seep away. Link noted absently that the knight accompanying Judo was rolling his eyes, though it seemed to be more in playfulness than annoyance.
"But at the same time…I still feel guilty," Kelli continued. "Like there was something more we could have done. We could have visited one another or written to each other or… Wait, you did write to me! And it wasn't long ago!"
"What? Oh, that's right, I did. But I didn't have time to actually send the letter. That's another thing I feel bad about. I could've written sooner, but… I didn't. Hold on, how do you know about that letter then?"
"Well, that's a bit of a long story. But a while back, His Majesty had been captured and was locked in the castle dungeon. While Link and I were rescuing him, I found the letter. I don't know how it got down there, but that's where it was."
"Wow. That is weird. But then you found out I was away on this mission."
"Actually…I'm afraid not. Part of the letter had been torn up, so I was missing some of the message. I had some of the beginning, and where you'd signed your name, but the rest of it was gone."
"…Ugh. That figures. It would be the important part that got ripped out," Judo sighed. "But Kel…regardless of what's happened, we can't change that or the choices we made. All that matters now is that we're finally back together."
"Sniff… Yes! And I promise we'll never be apart again!" Kelli agreed.
"Never!"
The two old friends then tightly embraced once again, smiles gracing their features as more tears of joy ran down their cheeks.
Link had found the scene touching for a minute or so, but his impatience eventually got the better of him.
"So, uh…you two going to be done anytime soon?" Link spoke up moments later with a smile, a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "You know, we've got elemental jewels to find, a kingdom to save, pots to smash. That sort of thing?"
"Yeah, you think I came all the way back here to be your spare wheel?" the unknown ebony haired man jokingly inquired with a chuckle, his arms folded. "And if you're about to ask me to be your wingman, you can forget it. You're too sappy."
Judo and Kelli then suddenly sprang apart again, having completely forgotten about their companions and were now quite mortified…
…and in Kelli's case, trying very hard not to think about that "wingman" line.
"Ah, heh…sorry about that," she replied, unable to meet either of their gazes.
"Yeah, my bad, Conan," Judo added, chuckling as well. "Kel, this man is my partner."
"I'm Conan, tactician and second in command of the royal knights," the other man introduced himself, giving a perfunctory bow. "It's great to finally meet the girl Judo's been talking so much about."
"Aw," Kelli replied, her cheeks flushing pink. "It's nice to meet you too! Oh, and this is Link! You've probably heard of him."
"Ah, you're the hero His Majesty told me about!" Judo remembered, offering a hand to Link. "He said he was sending Kelli to search for you. I'm glad that worked out. It's great to meet such a storied warrior. I've heard tales about you that wouldn't have been out of place in the annals of Hero of the Skies."
That caught Link off-guard. Granted, he'd heard the knight who'd been sent back earlier remark on his exploits, but had assumed he'd been referring to the adventures he'd had after departing Termina, since word of those could've easily gotten around. But, while those had kept in fighting fit, none of them had been nearly as harrowing, or as important, as his fight against Majora's Mask, let alone against Ganondorf.
Could the tales have gotten taller in the telling, and Judo had heard an exaggerated account of Link's exploits after Termina? Maybe, but something had Link's instincts screaming that that wasn't the case.
And, the sly grin Judo was wearing, as though he was watching some private joke unfold, and the punchline get ever closer, didn't help either.
"Somebody must've been exaggerating," Link remarked after a long awkward pause. "I mean, I've had a number of adventures before coming back here. But, most of them weren't all that exciting."
Judo's sly grin broadened.
"Not even the one where you stopped the moon from crashing into Clock Town?" he asked coyly.
Had Link's jaw dropped any lower, he'd have been spitting out bits of Impa's lawn.
"Wha?!" he replied with great eloquence and articulation. "But…how…what…who…huh?"
"Well, I guess that just leaves "where", "why" and "when"," Judo remarked, chuckling. "Come now, did you think you were the only one who could fall down a rabbit hole and end up in Wonderland?"
"What this overpaid court jester is trying to say," Conan began "is that several portals between Hyrule and Termina were discovered over the past six years. Most of which were…less hazardous than that one you found way back when. I myself have visited Clock Town several times, though how the Stock Pot Inn is still in business with such awful customer service, I'll never know."
That, finally, caused Link's shock to give way to a guffaw as he recalled the kindly, but inept, Anju who kept the rather shabby inn and how he'd managed to steal a reservation from…well, himself.
Many of the people Link had met in Hyrule had counterparts in Termina, but his own counterpart being a Goron, who actually shared his name when that had never been the case with the others, and who kept ending every sentence with the phrase "Goro"? That made Link's head hurt just thinking about it.
"Anyhow, when we got there," Judo began, "there was this festival going on. The Carnival of Time, I believe it's called? Apparently, you and your exploits had been worked into it. And, we heard quite a lot about those. Talk about a hero who could change shape at will, who saved four lands and helped a fifth, long since dead, to find peace, and summoned four giants to stop the moon from crashing down on top of them."
The reminder of the Gorons and Zoras he'd saved, and who never realized he wasn't Darmani or Mikau, stabbed at Link's conscience but he shook it off and pasted on a proud grin. Though he did wonder how exactly the Terminians found out about his deeds in the first place. When Link first arrived there, his only goal had been to find a way to leave. He was still on his search for Navi and had blundered into Termina by mistake. And he discovered that only way he could leave was to save it from destruction. But he had come to care for the land and its people as well, having reminded him of his own home of Hyrule. However, Link knew he could not stay. He didn't want to give them a hero to admire and respect…only for that hero to immediately leave them. As a result, Link had chosen to save the land in quiet secret.
Yet, somehow, the Terminians had discovered this anyway, and much to Link's relief, it seemed that they did not mind too much that their hero had departed almost as soon as he'd arrived. This could only give him more reason for that proud grin.
"It's true," he replied. "All of it."
Judo's grin widened until it threatened to take in his ears, causing Link's instincts to cry out that he was in dire peril.
"Including the part where you used time travel to cheat at the Clock Town lottery?" he inquired.
Kelli and Conan's eyes bulged wide and snapped in Link's direction. Both stared at him for a long moment before bursting out laughing.
"Hey, stuff was expensive over there! And I had to reset the same three days over and over and over which caused my inventory to constantly reset too!" Link protested, but this only made them laugh harder and remark about how he should've smashed more pots then. "Ha, ha, very funny!"
Once Judo was done laughing at his own joke, and once everyone else was done doing likewise, he extended a hand.
"Seriously, though," he began, this time with clear sincerity. "If even half of what I heard about you in Termina is true, then I'd be honored to fight at your side."
"Heh, likewise!" Link replied, shaking Judo's proffered hand, which was unsurprisingly larger and a little brawnier than his own. Also, Link belatedly realized that the comely knight was taller than him by at least a few inches. "I've been waiting to meet the man Kelli's told me so much about. Your reputation is pretty impressive too! And pleasure meeting you as well, Conan. I didn't know much about the knights of Hyrule until recently, but it sounds like you're a fine bunch."
"Glad to hear it!" Conan said with a smile, also giving both Link and Kelli handshakes, but he paused and his brow furrowed when he turned back to the aspiring Guardian of the Moon. "Say, Link…are you sure you haven't had any run-ins with the knights before? Something about you is…oddly familiar. I'm not sure what, though. I know I've never met you until now, but there's something about you that I know I've seen before."
"Huh, really?" Link asked, befuddled and wondering why that odd vision of an older man pointing out dents and scars in a set of armor suddenly sprang to mind. "That is weird. And sorry, but I'm drawing a blank."
"Could be some kind of funny coincidence, maybe?" Judo suggested. "Oh, speaking of funny things…"
A punchy grin formed once again on the general's features. At the same time, Conan groaned and made an extravagant grimace.
"Kel, with this partner you have now, I'd say that makes you…Linked! Ha ha ha!"
Conan immediately let out a loud, overblown protest, gagging nosily and making several imprecations, all of which included the phrase "pun prison." It would've been a convincing display of distaste if he hadn't been chuckling under his breath.
"I should've known you wouldn't wait long to start again," Kelli said with a laugh.
"Heh heh! That is pretty accurate though," Link added with a chuckle.
"If you want more laughs, I got a million of 'em," Judo said with a wink and wide grin. "Kel's probably told you it's my specialty!"
"Yes, she did," Link confirmed with a smile.
"I'm glad that you haven't changed too much!" Kelli said, still chuckling. "Oh, but what has… Look at you now, Judo! The powerful leader of the royal knights? If I hadn't heard it from the king's lips, I never would've believed it! And you're so tall and strong… I only know bits and pieces about your exploits in Mayia, but I can't tell you how proud of you I am."
Here, she paused and, after a moment's contemplation, she continued.
"I'm assuming the knight you sent ahead to us earlier told you that he accidentally let me find out about that…?" she wondered hesitantly.
"Oh, yeah. That idiot," Judo remembered, bringing a hand to his forehead. "He should have known you might be near. But he's shoveling horse manure for a week now."
"Well, at least it wasn't a few years, like he'd feared," Link remarked.
"Don't tempt me. In fact, please don't tempt me. The only reason it isn't that long is because I know what he did was an honest mistake. Besides, I need every sword I can muster if we're to survive this crisis."
"Heh, I see!" Kelli said.
"But yes, that is me now! General Judo of the Hyrulean knights at your service, my lady!"
Judo then gave a comical bow, a goofy grin on his face.
Kelli nearly went sprawling with laughter, and then burst out with a great guffaw when she saw Conan cringe at his superior's display. Link playfully rolled eyes. Judo really was quite the comic, indeed.
"Oh! And that sword on your belt…" Kelli added, her eyes widening. "Is that…?"
Following her gaze, Link saw that the sword Judo carried was an ornate blade, its gold hilt fashioned a shape closely resembling part of the seal of the kingdom of Hyrule, depicting a bird holding the Triforce in its beak.
"Ah, the hidden treasure of the Hyrule knights?" Judo finished with a smile. "It is. This sword is called Orion. It was given to me when I received my promotion. I'm glad to see that my loose-lipped subordinate didn't end up spilling this surprise, at least."
"No way!" Link gasped. "It is real! I—"
He paused, uncertainly for a moment, unsure if he should continue. After all, his…relationship with Zelda was hardly common knowledge, especially since it was so closely tied to the Dark Future, which itself remained a closely held secret. But Kelli already knew about it, as did Daphnes. And sooner or later, either would likely tell Judo if they hadn't already.
"I knew Princess Zelda when I was a kid," he continued, noting that only Conan seemed surprised by this. "She once told me there was another unique sword that's sort of a sister blade to the Master Sword. She said it was displayed somewhere in the castle, but she never got to see it because it was always kept locked up tight for security, so I wondered if it was just some story she'd heard from Impa or one of the soldiers. This sword is supposed to be so powerful that if it wasn't for the Master Sword's being blessed by the gods, it would be the stronger of the two."
"That's right," Judo confirmed. "Orion doesn't have any special power, it's just a large, exceptionally powerful sword that is made of unbreakable material. Here, I'll show it to you in full!"
The general then unsheathed the great blade and held it up for his small audience to see. Orion's blade was a shining white, much like that of the Master Sword, only it looked to be longer, perhaps as long as half of Link's own height. It gleamed in the sunlight, though without the Master Sword's divine aura, but its peerless craftsmanship was plain to see nonetheless.
"It truly is a magnificent blade," Conan commented. "People rarely get to see it, let alone touch or wield it, because it's so old and valuable. The Royal Family only allows those they deem worthy to use it, which are only ever the commanding generals of the knights, and even then, only if they pass muster. Judo's actually the first to be granted the privilege in quite a long time. A couple centuries, I think."
"Amazing…" Link commented, now more certain than ever that they'd soon turn the tables on their foes.
Suddenly, another familiar voice spoke up, interrupting the discussion.
"Ahem, my apologies, but I feel I have waited here long enough," Daphnes said, though his tone sounded content rather than irritated.
Link, Kelli, Judo, and Conan all whirled to see the aged monarch coming down the stairs from Impa's house.
"Huh? Your Majesty!" Judo gasped, quickly sheathing Orion and taking a knee before his king. "Were you watching us this whole time?"
"I was," Daphnes replied with a smile. "But I did not have the heart to interrupt such a heartwarming reunion. Besides, Link and Sir Conan spared me the trouble of getting your attention anyway. It actually did my old heart some good to see you and Kelli back together at last, since I knew what a strong bond you both had with each other."
And I must say… I feel like those two are made for each other, the king opined in his mind.
"Ah… Heh," Judo replied, scratching the back of his head. "That is much appreciated, sire."
"Yeah, though I'm sorry we took so long," Kelli replied, also with an awkward smile.
"Yeah, anyway, I was on my way to see you like you'd ordered, sire, before that all happened," Judo continued. "Given that I returned to Hyrule to find the castle looking…like that and the state of things here in Kakariko, I'm assuming a lot has happened while my guys and I have been away. And…I couldn't help but notice that Kelli's sword looks different from when I last saw it?"
"That is all quite true," Daphnes replied. "We believe the same evil that was behind that faux invasion of Mayia has launched a very real assault on our fair Hyrule. It's an ancient evil, and one we still must learn more about if we hope to defeat it. Since Kelli and Link have newly returned from their latest mission, I'll let them explain."
"Oh… Then this is related to the training and studying Kel did in Mayia?"
"Yeah," Kelli confirmed. "And unfortunately…not a lot of it is good news."
She then explained all she and Link had discovered on the legend of the Sky Guardians up to that point, including their recent visit to Skyview Village and how she had unlocked the full powers of her sword and shield in the Sun Temple.
"It turned out, Judo, that the shrine we fell into when we were kids is hundreds of years old and was supposed to house my sword and shield in secrecy, perhaps forever," Kelli finished. "And we don't yet have their counterparts, the Moon Sword and Shield, and the enemy continues to grow stronger as we speak."
"Unbelievably so, in fact," Link added. "Both Kelli and I have almost been killed several times. And it's not just the common monster that have been enhanced either. There's one particular villainess out there that is so dangerous that she put me in a literal coma for a while. Got cut up so badly my heart nearly failed me. Heck, between that and all the blood I lost, I'm still not fully recovered."
At this, Judo blinked, trying to comprehend what he was hearing.
"Damn…" he muttered. "This is more serious than I thought. And believe me, I didn't think that was possible. This villainess though, who is she? And do you think she's behind everything?"
"You're not going to believe this, Judo, but…" Kelli began. "She's a dark clone of me. Her name is Dark Kelli."
"Wait, what?!" Judo gasped. "Please tell me you're joking!"
"She isn't," Link interjected. "I encountered a clone of myself as well back during…" here, he paused and glanced at Daphnes. Seeing the monarch subtly shake his head, he quickly amended "During another of my adventures. But Dark Link was quite different. He just came at me swinging and literally mirroring my every move. But Dark Kelli has intelligence and a personality. And much like the monsters we're dealing with now, she's far more clever and dangerous than anything we've seen before."
"Great Hylia…" Conan murmured, his eyes widening. "That's insane."
"Yeah," Link agreed. "I'm afraid it's no joke. And since Dark Kelli mentioned that her "master" created her, it stands to reason that she's actually not our main foe."
"But because she was created by this evil master, it has to be someone who's familiar with me and my fighting style," Kelli pointed out. "And I have one idea of who it could be, but…I need to be absolutely sure. Unfortunately, I still don't have any concrete proof."
"As for the state of Kakariko," Daphnes began somberly. "You're looking at the aftermath of a full-scale assault by the enemy. The only reason we're still alive now is because some of the villagers, Gorons, and a few…other allies joined the fight. Even then, it might've counted for nothing until Link, though against my orders, had made a risky decision to leave his sickbed to try taking down the enemy commander. And his arrow struck its mark."
"Well, several arrows found their mark, actually," Link added. "It seemed like the enemy wanted Kelli and I to show up, but I still feel that I had no choice but to go out there. Kelli had been knocked out cold, and the only reason the village hadn't been overrun was because the enemy was pulling their punches until they got what they wanted."
"I…see," Judo finished, his face taking on a serious expression for the first time since Link made his acquaintance. "Your Majesty, I am deeply sorry. I really should have returned sooner. My guys and I might've been able to prevent a lot of this damage."
"Indeed… But I still place blame upon myself as well, for not seeing through the enemy's ploy and sending all of you away when we may have needed you," Daphnes admitted.
"'Admittedly, I didn't like your decision myself… For more than one reason," Judo replied, sending a glance Kelli's way. "But it still doesn't excuse my own failure to sniff out the ploy, or causing you all to believe I might be in danger or even dead."
The small group fell into grim silence for a long moment, during which Link's gaze drifted towards the shooting gallery.
It was the same one that had relocated from Hyrule Castle Town in the Dark Future, and Link couldn't help but wonder if that had been some sort of bad omen.
He also recalled hearing how it'd been converted into a morgue following the attack, and how Saria had kept glancing at it with those wide, blank eyes of hers.
"Anyway…" Judo spoke up, rousing Link from his introspection. "Wait, I just realized. Where's Ryo? He's here, right? Don't tell me he…"
Judo suddenly grew tense, his eyes widening again, only this time with a hint of fear.
"Oh damn…" Conan realized with a grimace.
"Ryo?" Kelli wondered.
"Yeah, who's he?" Link seconded.
"He's the leader of the royal guard," Conan explained. "And another friend from Judo's childhood."
"Yeah, I've known him for ages," Judo explained. "Knew him even before I met you, Kel. I can tell you more about him another time. I just want to know if he's safe!"
Judo's eyes darted toward Daphnes and, when he saw the old monarch's eyes drift away from his, Judo went pale.
"I'm sorry, Judo," Daphnes echoed, but then his gaze drooped downward in a grimace. "But… I'm afraid Ryo is…no longer with us."
For a long moment, Judo was silent. After staring at his king in disbelieving silence for long moments, and seeing no hint Daphnes hadn't been serious, his eyes grew glassy once more.
"Wha…What…?!" he stammered. "You mean during the invasion of the castle…"
"I'm afraid so. Granted, we never could find his body, but we didn't have time to search. When the castle was under siege, and it became obvious the battle was lost, a portion of the royal guard was able to escape along with myself, but not all of them were so lucky. Sadly, Ryo was among those who were unaccounted for. And it doesn't seem likely that anyone trapped there could have survived. Ryo's second-in-command, Ramius, is now in charge of our remaining defenders for the time being."
"No… Gods, NO!" Judo cried out, falling to his knees. He then smashed his armored fist into the ground hard enough to crack it.
"Oh, Judo… I'm so sorry," Kelli said, kneeling alongside her distraught friend to try and comfort him.
"Me too," Conan added, following suit. "This is just…it's far worse than any of us believed."
Link kept his distance, not wanting to intrude on Judo's grief, but he could see that Judo didn't seem to hear either of his friends. It was as though, whatever was going through his mind had drowned out their words.
Not again… Not AGAIN! Judo screamed over and over again in his mind, tears coursing down his cheeks again. I can't go through it again…
"You have my condolences for the loss of your friend, Judo," Daphnes said, kneeling alongside his general despite his old knees aching under the abuse. "Ryo's loss pains me as well. He had so much potential, and likely so much to live for."
Link growled, clenching his fists.
"Damn it all… This seriously has gone far enough!" he seethed.
"I agree," Conan replied and then turned to his superior officer. "Judo, I know you want to grieve. But you know what? Ryo would want us to keep fighting and not let his death be in vain. We can get through this. For Ryo, and everyone else we've lost."
"Yeah…" Judo uttered. He then stood up again.
"Whoever's behind all this…" he began, and then his deep voice fairly smoldered with rage. "We have to take them down if it's the last thing we ever do!"
"Judo, calm down," Kelli countered. "We will fight as hard as we can. But don't try doing anything reckless, please! Link and I know what we have to do."
"Right… I'll keep that in mind."
"Good."
Something about Judo seems off now though… Kelli realized. She began to wonder if her fears about just how Judo might've changed were actually not unfounded after all. She had never known him to get this angry, let alone frighteningly so. In fact, she'd never really known her friend to get angry period. So, what was the reason for this seeming change in character then? Granted, he'd just lost a lifelong friend, but even considering that, his reaction seemed rather…extreme. Of course, Kelli would have to wait until later to find out. There wasn't time for catching up at the moment.
"Oh, but this reminds me!" Kelli remembered, shaking herself back to reality. "Judo, I wanted to ask you about your mother. Is she safe?"
"…Oh!" Judo realized. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. She really wanted to see you, but I had her stay in Mayia. I thought it would be too dangerous for her to come home right now. And it looks like I was right."
"Ah. Then you made the right call, it seems. And also," Kelli continued. "I remembered something else. I found something that belongs to you!"
She then removed the sword charm necklace from underneath her tunic and around her neck. Judo's somber look suddenly changed to wide-eyed shock.
"My…My necklace!" he gasped. "Where did you find it?! I thought I'd lost it forever."
"It was lying up near the fence behind the windmill. Do you know how it got there? And why there was blood caked all over it?"
"Really? That's…odd. I lost it when my group and I were suddenly attacked not far outside of Hyrule. The fastening's gotten worn and it fell off when I was forced to take a hit. I beat those monsters pretty good though, so the blood likely came from them. But we weren't near Kakariko at the time, so I have no idea how the necklace ended up there."
"Huh… I wonder if the wind or a wild animal could've dragged it the rest of the way. Who knows, I guess? I must admit though, it's helped me out. I used it to get into your house when I was…trying to find you. I'm sorry for breaking in… Oh, and it also can reflect light onto things, turns out."
"Really? That's pretty neat. I guess I'll let you hold onto it for now then. You might need it again. But please, keep it safe. It's…very important to me. And that fastening still eventually needs to be replaced."
"Oh! Alright then, I promise."
Kelli then realized there was still something else important that Judo didn't know, and knew that he ought to be told as soon as possible.
"…Ah. There's one more thing I should tell you about," she continued, however her words trailed away as she noticed something. "Wait, these scratches on the side of your face, near your eye. Where'd they come from?"
"Oh, yeah. I got slapped there with some claws during the ambush in the Mayian mountains," Judo explained. "They've been healing well though, doesn't look like there will be much scarring, if any. But what's important about that?"
"Heh, you will definitely want to see this, you and Conan both," Link assured.
"Ah, yes," Daphnes stepped in again. "This is some good news we have, actually, small though it may be."
"Yeah. It's better if I show you," Kelli seconded. She then wiped one of her eyes with one hand. They'd gotten watery over Ryo's death and Judo's reaction to the news. Afterward, she gently placed her hand upon the scratches on Judo's face. Within seconds, they vanished completely.
"Wait, what did you just—?" Judo wondered.
"WHOA!" Conan cried, gaping in astonishment. "Judo! The scratches! They're…they're gone!"
"Huh?!" Judo replied, and then quickly felt the area of his face where the scratches had been. To his amazement, it was true. Not only where the scratches gone, but the burnt and weathered skin beneath was now as clean and smooth as a baby's.
"Wha—?! How…?! When…?!" Judo stammered.
"Which leaves "who," "where," "why," and maybe "what,"" Kelli shot back playfully, earning a chuckle from Conan. "Not long ago, I discovered I have healing powers. In fact…they're what saved Link's life when he fell into a coma following the attack."
She then explained how mixing her tears into the potion and injecting it into Link's body had saved his life when all else failed.
"Whoa… Kelli, that…that's amazing," Judo commented, his eyes still wide.
"I believe I know where such powers might have originated," Daphnes spoke up. "And as I'd said to Kelli then, I promise to reveal this information when the time is right. But I still do not think it wise to do so at the moment. All of you will understand in due time. Right now, the information Link and Kelli have brought back from Skyview Village is important. Kelli, you said you and Link now suspect that the Moon Sword and Shield lie somewhere beneath Lon Lon Ranch?"
"Oh, yes!" Kelli replied. "And Link believes he knows precisely where to look. But he hasn't told me any details yet. He thinks we'll need Judo's help, though."
"Me? Well, if that's the case, just tell me what to do and I'll get it done!" Judo replied, clenching his right hand into a fist and smacking it into his left palm with a smile.
"Ah, right!" Link replied, enthused, but stopped when he realized something else. "I'd completely forgotten with all this going on! I have to let Malon and her father know too though. We can't just go digging around the ranch without their permission, even if it's not in the best state right now."
"Fair point," Daphnes agreed. "You do what you must then. Just please be sure you bring back the sword and shield. Our very survival depends on it."
"Yes, your Majesty," Link obliged. "Believe me, I intend to."
"Conan, you and some of the other knights stay here and patrol the village," Judo added. "And send the rest to do so in the field beyond. Confer with Ramius to determine where we're most needed. After what's happened, we definitely need the extra manpower here."
"Right! You can count on me," Conan agreed. "I'll create the best possible strategic defense in the event that we face another attack."
"A wise decision," Daphnes agreed. "And now that my health has somewhat returned, I will help by overseeing the defenses and tending to any who are still wounded or become so. I do not relish the idea of letting myself wither away while my kingdom still needs help. I know now more than ever that I must do my own part. Now let's get to work, everyone."
"That's the spirit, your Majesty!" Kelli said with a smile. "We won't let you down!"
With that, the trio bid farewell to their king to begin discussing Link's plan.
"Okay, is Malon still using the lookout tower with Ruto?" Link inquired.
"Yeah," Kelli replied, a sly grin tugging at her features. "With Ruto."
Link blanched, and Judo must've noticed because he raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, then," Link continued. So, how about you two go on ahead and I'll…ah…well…check on the horses?"
"Oh, don't be such a wuss!" Kelli chastised, though she was snicking under her breath. "We need to talk to Malon, and we're all going. Now, come on!"
With that, she yanked Link behind her by the collar of his tunic, forcing him to follow.
"Daah! Okay, okay!" Link stammered as he stumbled from the sudden momentum. "You don't have to pull me, I'm going. Sheesh."
"Ha, ha, ha!" Judo chuckled as he followed. "Good to see you two work so well together!"
"Oh can it," Link retorted with a glare after Kelli released him.
"Heh heh. Anyway, so Malon's the Lon Lon Ranch girl," Judo continued. "I've only heard bits about her, mainly regarding her work with the ranch's animals. I did hear that she set the record for that obstacle course at the ranch, but the person who told me claimed he'd heard it from a rock, so I'm a little skeptical. I think she's got more than a few guys after her too. Heh."
"So I've heard as well," Link added as they made their way to the lookout tower. "Though I don't think her father is going to let any of those men get to her that easily. Talon's…kinda lazy, but he cares a lot for his daughter. And Malon's a good friend. My horse, Epona, was raised by her. Technically, Ingo the ranch hand gave her to me first, but…that was an unusual situation and kind of a long story. Malon let me truly keep her after…well, helping the ranch with a serious problem."
And it's still hilarious how Ingo tried to trap me in the ranch by closing the gate when Epona could easily jump the wall… Hahaha! Link reminisced silently. I only wish I could've seen the look on his face. Then again, his reaction to losing that horse race to me twice was pretty damn golden anyway!
"Wow, she does sound like quite an impressive woman! Why is Malon serving as a lookout though?" Judo wondered. "A ranch girl can't fight. Or…can she?"
"I taught her to use a bow when we were kids, actually," Link revealed. "And turns out she's been practicing since then. She's nearly as good a shot as either me or Kelli."
"Really? Color me impressed! Same goes for Princess Ruto, actually. I've heard things about the Zora tribe, but I never would've pictured their king allowing his daughter to fight."
"Well…she didn't really give him a choice in the matter. Heh. Believe me, if you knew Ruto like I do, you would not be surprised at this."
"Ah. That figures. I suppose with all that's been going on, the village has needed every able person that can pick up a weapon anyway."
"That's for sure," Kelli seconded and then peered up the tower. "Hey, Malon is up there! Link, why don't you call her down? You're the one that has to ask her permission, after all."
"Right, yeah," Link agreed. With that, he called the ranch girl's name and gestured for her to meet him at the bottom of the tower. Malon wasn't hesitant to climb down the ladder as quickly as possible.
"Link! Kelli!" she greeted. "What's…up?"
Malon's words trailed away and her jaw creaked open as she noticed Judo behind them.
"Wait, you're…" she uttered, her eyes widening. "That new general for the knights!"
"Yep," Judo greeted with a smile. "Name's Judo. Nice to meet you!"
"…Wha-HUH?!" Malon gasped, suddenly dumbfounded. "Wait, you're also Judo? Kelli's friend?!"
Oh boy, here it comes… Link mused in his head.
"Oh, she mentioned me to you," Judo realized. "Yes, that would be right!"
"Ah…" Malon uttered, her face suddenly going red. "Could you give me a moment?"
Malon then snatched Kelli by the wrist, with far more force than was strictly necessary. She then pulled her aside and away from the pair of men.
Judo merely scratched his head at the two women's behavior.
"Wow, what's that all about?" he wondered.
"Oh, ah, it's nothing you need to worry about," Link replied, though slightly awkwardly. "Probably some female-related business."
"…Oookay," Judo said, raising an eyebrow. "Well, whatever it is, I hope they make it fast. We need to get a move on here soon."
"Well, unless they're going to the bathroom, we should be fine."
Link then noticed Judo giving him an odd, sidelong look.
"Do you have much experience with women?" he asked. "Besides saving them from monsters, I mean."
"Not really," Link admitted. "Why?"
Judo just rolled his eyes and did not reply. And, for some strange reason, Link could swear he heard the unseen Navi and Vira facepalming.
Meanwhile, after dragging Kelli near the entrance to Death Mountain, Malon stopped and whirled to face the Guardian of the Sun.
"Whoa!" Kelli gasped, caught off guard. "Malon, what's wrong?"
"Oh, sorry about that," Malon apologized in a low voice. "I have a confession to make. And I'm so embarrassed now! To start, I first saw Judo not long after he was promoted. I didn't know who he was then. But I found him…charming and handsome. So to speak… And when you told me how close you and Judo were, I was thinking you two might one day…well, you get the idea! But now it turns out that the guy I was kind of swooning over and the guy I thought should be with you are actually the same guy! I can't believe this… I honestly don't know what to feel right now. I'm really sorry."
"Ohhh," Kelli replied, knowing full well what the ranch girl was getting at. "I see now. Link actually told me about this earlier, out of…well, concern. But don't worry, neither Judo nor I ever thought much about that stuff, and I still haven't. I would imagine that the same holds true for him too."
Kelli was only too aware that as in the similar conversation she'd had with Link, she wasn't being entirely honest. She was telling most of the truth, but not all of it. The gallant and passionate dream version of Judo lingered in the back of Kelli's mind, an she recalled his kiss once again. And yet, even though she could still feel herself wanting to go red at the thought, it really did seem awkward to think of Judo as more than her close friend.
"Ah, that's good to hear. Thanks," Malon replied, sighing with relief. "We should probably get back to the others."
"Yeah, I agree," Kelli replied.
Link was still trying to riddle out why Judo seemed so annoyed when he heard Kelli call out to him. The two men turned to see her and Malon headed towards them.
"Sorry about all that," Malon added. "It's good to see you back on your feet, Link. I…I mean, we, were worried after that last scrape you had."
"I understand," Link said. "But I feel much better now. One thing, though…where's Ruto?"
Link gave an involuntary, nervous swallow as he asked. And Malon and Kelli must've noticed because wicked grins crossed both their features.
"She had to go to the well," Malon answered. "Her scales were drying out. But she should be back in a while if you want to wait. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to see you."
"Oh, I agree," Kelli added, barely managing to get the words out through a chuckled. "Maybe we should make the time? Or see if we can catch her at the well?"
"Might be quite a sight. Those shapely arms scooping water from the pail."
"It coursing down her scales."
"Rubbing it over her curves."
"Those breathy moans of contentment?"
Link blushed, hard, as much from terror as embarrassment. He assumed he was supposed to find the idea of Ruto in such a…position to be tantalizing.
And it was…sort of.
He was picturing…someone else in such a position, which led to his blush deepening and sweat to bespangle his brow.
Once he noticed he was breathing hard – too late, of course – it caused both women and Judo to lose it. They doubled over, laughing uncontrollably for long moments.
To make things worse, Judo regarded this private joke he'd been left out of with clear interest.
"Heh," Malon gasped as the hilarity subsided. "Well, that felt good. Say, Link, didn't you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Oh, yeah!" Link confirmed, eager to change the subject. "I need to ask you about something important."
He then explained how he and Kelli discovered the Moon Sword and Shield's likely location and the possibility of Malon and Talon having a Guardian of the Moon as an ancestor.
"Wow, no kidding!" Malon said, her eyes growing wide again. "My father is never going to believe this."
"I'll bet," Link commented. "But I also think I know exactly what part of the ranch the sword and shield are buried under. You know that tower…thing in the back behind the horse enclosure?"
"Oh, yeah. Dad said it's been there for a very long time and we were never quite sure what it's real purpose was," Malon explained. "We just use it for a little extra storage for things like hay and other feed for our livestock. Sometimes we let some cows stay in there too. You think that all this time, it might have been hiding these legendary weapons? I wonder why nobody found them before then."
"Yeah, that place!" Link confirmed. "And hear me out. Did you ever notice that it's the only building on the ranch that's made of stone? And it looks like a tower, but there are no upper floors or windows. Just that ground level. There's a crawlspace in there too, with another tiny room on the other side. Don't you find that rather strange?"
"Oh yeah… That is pretty odd," Malon agreed, then her brow furrowed in perplexity. "Hold on! How do you know all that? Were you snooping in there at some point?"
"Uh…" Link suddenly stammered. "Yeah. I was curious about it. But I didn't find anything interesting back then, I swear. Anyway, since it can't actually function as a tower, there's no clear reason for that building to be there at all. Unless it is only a façade and was actually built to hide something!"
"That does make sense!" Kelli commented. "The stone could be to keep people from breaking in. Well, most people. But I'm surprised it's remained virtually untouched after all this time. I'd think some past owners might've wanted to tear it down because it didn't appear to be very useful."
"Well, a building made out of stone might be difficult to take down. And the building serves as such a good façade for what it's hiding that it's likely nobody suspected a thing, I'm betting," Link continued. "But now comes the issue with this. The only way into that tiny room that I know of is that crawlspace, and it's too small for anyone bigger than a kid. I could fit when I was ten, but just barely. None of us would be able to use it now. And it's the only way into that secondary room. But this is where Judo comes in."
"I was beginning to wonder," Judo chimed in.
"Yeah, but I can explain all that later," Link replied. "Right now, Malon, I just need to ask you if we can go in there and do some searching. Since we have to find another way into that room and then go underground, there could be some…additional damage."
"Ah, I see," Malon said. "Of course you can do so. If it means you're going to find a weapon that can help defeat whoever's attacking Hyrule, I could never say no. And it's not like the ranch hasn't already suffered some damage anyway. But let my father know what you're doing. I wouldn't want him to step outside and see some ruckus going on back there. He might even mistake you guys for monsters."
"Right, yeah. Thanks! Oh, and I can also return some of the missing tools!" Link realized. "I just remembered that I'd managed to find some."
"Oh, that's great to hear! But what we really need is our stolen feed, otherwise we might lose our herd, or our grazing land if we let them out. Or both.
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. I'll keep my eyes open."
"Thanks. Good luck on your search. I hope you're right about those weapons being there, and that they can help us!"
"Me too, and thanks again!"
"One more thing though," Judo spoke up, an all too familiar punchy grin crossing his features.
"Oh, no!" Link blurted out, either in mock or genuine horror. He couldn't tell which.
"Malon, since you're from a ranch, I gotta ask you…"
"This really isn't the time!"
"What do you call a cow with no milk?"
"DON'T SAY IT!"
"Udderly ridiculous! HA HA!"
The knight then laughed for the next moment or two. After a moment's bemusement, an expression of amusement crossed Malon's face and she let out a hearty chuckle.
"Well, aren't you quite the comedian?" she said. "Thanks, I needed that."
"That's Judo for you," Kelli said with a smile and a snicker of her own.
"Heh, and there I was thinking you'd have taken it badly given…well, the times," Link added, smiling with relief. "Well, we have to get going now. See you later!"
Link had turned to depart, but then he remembered something else and whirled abruptly.
"One last thing, though," he said. "Who've you been training with in archery, Malon? You've gotten quite good since we were kids."
Malon grinned slyly and replied "Romani."
"Did everybody except me already know about Hyrule and Termina learning about each other?"
"Probably," Judo, Kelli, and Malon chorused, to Link's chagrin.
"Ha, freakin' ha."
"Creeped me out at first," Malon admitted. "Romani looking so much like me and Cremia looking like I probably will in a few years? And, that framed pictograph showing Romani looking just like I did as a kid and Cremia looking like I do now? Spooky. But, they were very nice and father is even considering a partnership with them. Of course, I really put my foot in it when I helped deliver a shipment of milk to the Milk Bar."
"Oh, so you met Mr. Barten," Link said, chuckling under his breath.
"Yeah, laugh it up. I mistook him for my father, and that man Gorman for Ingo. And, asking "father" what he was doing here? And forgetting I was in the middle of a packed bar? I can't the last time I was so embarrassed!"
"Of all the nights for the bar to actually have customers, eh? During my time there, it was practically empty since nearly everybody had fled."
"That reminds me. Most of the people in Hyrule have counterparts in Termina. Can you tell us about yours?"
Link's reply was quick and simple.
"No."
"Wait, what?" Malon asked, surprised. "But I told you about mine! Both of them!"
"No."
"Oh, come on!" Kelli whined. "Tell us!"
"No."
"C'mon, Link," Judo chimed in. "Friends share interesting stories, and this sounds incredible."
"No."
"Please?" all three of them asked at the same time.
"For the last time, NO!"
"Sheesh," Kelli fumed, muttering imprecations about the male ego.
After that, the trio said goodbye and left Malon to return to her post atop the tower. The heroes then made their way to the entrance to Kakariko. After reaching the bottom of the stairs and entering Hyrule Field again, Link and Kelli noticed a few unfamiliar horses alongside theirs, likely belonging to Conan and the other knights that were patrolling the village. Judo approached a large, silvery blue stallion with a silver mane and tail.
"Wow, Judo, is that your horse?" Kelli wondered. "He's a gorgeous stallion!"
"Ah, yep, this big boy is mine," Judo replied. "His name is Stormfrost, or Storm for short. Been my faithful partner since I first joined the knights. Isn't that right, buddy?"
Judo then gave Storm a friendly pat on the side of the neck as he climbed into the saddle. The horse gave a small snort as if in answer to his master.
"Stormfrost? You don't say…" Kelli replied, some awe in her tone. "That name is like that of my mare here. Sunfire."
"…Huh. So it is. That's an interesting coincidence."
"Yeah," Link agreed, somewhat wide-eyed, then his expression turned sly. "Could there could be a…connection there?"
Like some be some sort of nod to your close connection that you're both too dense to admit to?
"That could be possible," Kelli said with a shrug. "But we can think more about it another time. We still have business at the ranch."
"Right, yes! Let's get moving," Link agreed, muttering under his breath about "trying harder next time."
As soon as all three heroes finished climbing atop their mounts, they immediately made for Lon Lon Ranch. Since it wasn't a far ride from Kakariko, it wasn't long before they arrived and guided their horses up the sloped entrance. As the group entered the ranch, Judo couldn't help but look around in both amazement and shock, his gaze fixated on the battered walls and buildings.
"Man…" he uttered. "I definitely could have picked a better day to visit this place for the first time. I'd heard this ranch was a grand sight before this plague of evil, but it's in an awful state…"
"Yeah, before all this, it was peaceful. For the most part," Link replied. "Barring Ingo's need for an attitude adjustment sometimes, the ranch seems to always feel relaxing despite all the work that has to go into it."
"Indeed," Kelli agreed. "I learned Epona's Song from Malon here and she and I almost let the day slip away unnoticed because we were having so much fun singing it together. Heh. Coincidentally, Sunfire likes the song too. She came charging up to me not long after Malon and I started singing it!"
"Huh, interesting," Judo commented. "I wonder if Storm here would as well. Maybe the song has some special meaning or power to horses? Though I'm no singer. Nor can I play an instrument…"
"I could teach you to play an ocarina sometime," Link offered. "That's all I know when it comes to music, though."
"Oh? What happened to the Deku pipes, Goron drums, and Zora guitar you used way back when?"
"I don't think I can play them without transforming, and I'd…rather not do so if I don't need to. Besides, I actually don't have those masks anymore anyway. They were what allowed me to transform, and…I had to give them up. The reason is complicated. But it was for the sake of Termina, I'll say that much."
"I see… Well, I'll consider the ocarina idea. Though it would have to wait for another time, obviously," Judo replied, and then noticed the stone structure behind the large fenced-in enclosure. "I'm assuming that's the building you were talking about before?"
The knight then pointed to the structure.
"Oh, yes, that's it," Link confirmed. "We can leave the horses in the enclosure; they can at least run around a little while we're here."
Judo and Kelli agreed, so the three dismounted and walked their horses inside the enclosure. Link then rushed inside the nearby house to inform Talon of their plans and drop off the missing tools he had recovered. When the rancher approved and Link returned to his comrades, he led the two inside the building so he could explain his plan. Thankfully, the cows he once saw there were nowhere to be found. Link wouldn't like the idea of spooking them with the extra damage his plan was going to cause, especially since hunger likely had them in a volatile mood. He then pointed to an opening in one of the room's corners.
"There's that crawlspace," Link said. "I think the Moon Sword and Shield are buried underneath the small room on the other side. None of us can fit through there though."
"Right, and you said I might be able to fix this problem?" Judo said, raising his eyebrow. "Sorry, but I'm really confused here. I have no idea what I can possibly do."
"Yeah, can you elaborate more now?" Kelli added.
"Of course," Link obliged. "Now, Judo, that knight we met before you arrived was talking a lot about your strength. He basically said your power is unparalleled!"
"Yeah, I have trained a lot to get to where I am. And no one's defeated me in a duel. Where are you going with this?"
"Well, what I need you to do is…use that strength to knock the wall down!"
"Wait, that's your brilliant idea?!" Judo retorted, raising an eyebrow.
"I must admit, I rather expected more than that myself…" Kelli added, folding her arms.
"I know, but we have to get in there somehow, don't we?" Link pointed out. "And the best way is to tear down the wall. I don't think bombs can blow through this easily, and even if they could, it might attract the attention of roaming monsters or cause more extra damage than we need. Or that Talon and Malon can afford, for that matter."
"I suppose that's true, but I don't know if even I'm that strong," Judo replied. "I can punch and kick pretty hard, but doing that through literal stone?"
"And based on the length of the crawlspace, that wall must be at least ten feet thick!" Kelli added. "How would even the strongest person in the world knock that down without specialized tools? Or several powder kegs?"
"Who said anything about using your fists or feet?" Link chuckled. "Judo, I suggest you take my shield and ram your whole body into it!"
"…What?" Judo retorted again. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Yep! And as for the interior of the wall around the crawlspace, I actually have a hunch that it's not what we think. Trust me. Judo, with your strength and armor and my shield, you could become a human battering ram, I'm sure of it! I'm surprised you don't have a shield yourself though."
"…Well, I guess it could work. If this so-called hunch of yours is correct. And I'm still up for helping in any way I can. As for not having a shield, I do have one, but I don't use it much these days. It cramps my style. And my armor weighs me down enough as is, I don't want to be slowed even further by carrying a shield all the time."
"Yeah, fair. Okay, here."
Link then handed the knight his shield, which Judo studies with some perplexity.
"Huh," he uttered. "This isn't the one the folks in Termina depicted you as using.
"The one I found in Ikana?" Link asked. "Yeah, I didn't really like it. And it wasn't long before it was too small to be of use to me anyway."
"Is it true that it had a face on it? And that the face appeared to be screaming?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"...I have absolutely no idea. Got me quite a bit of money though, I'll say that much."
"…What. Who in the world would buy that thing?"
"Honestly, I've found that you can sell just about anything if you find the right buyer. I'm serious. But I can't complain when it puts food in my stomach. And no, that's not what I did with the transformation masks. That was…different. But let's move on."
"…I see. But yeah, enough about that. Time to do this."
With that out of the way, Link advised Judo to start from the wall opposite to the one he was going to knock down, so he could build up as much momentum as possible to carry him into his target.
"Don't overexert yourself, okay?" Kelli put in, looking worried and still skeptical.
"Right," Judo agreed. "Here goes something."
Kind of wish I had the Megaton Hammer or Golden Gauntlets though… Link opined in his head. Then I could just smash through this. Or lift the whole building up and toss it aside like it was just a rock. Or if I can't, Judo definitely could. Heck, if he wore those gauntlets, he might be able to lift a house! And besides that, Darunia and that hammer are needed in Death Mountain and Kakariko.
Judo then braced himself as he took an offensive stance with the shield.
With one indrawn breath, he sighted the wall with the crawlspace and charged as hard as his legs would allow.
"HAAA!" he cried.
Judo slammed into the wall with all the force his body and the shield would allow, and yet he more or less bounced off of it and was sent sprawling to the floor. Though the room seemed to tremble when he made impact, the wall showed little sign of damage.
"I don't think this is going well," Judo commented, wincing.
"Wait, did you feel that little vibration though? You might've loosened some stone! Try again!" Link insisted.
"Okay, fine. But if this still doesn't work, we're trying something else. And, I get the story about you and Ruto. And I don't care if you don't want to talk about it. This scheme of yours turns out to be a bust, then you'd best go with the flow and wave bye, bye to whatever secret's got you feeling blue and looking green around the gills."
After giving a, frankly menacing, smile to Link, who was too terrified to even get the joke, Judo then charged again. This time, to his and Kelli's surprise, some stone definitely shifted under the impact somehow. Was this apparent ten-foot-thick wall not all stone after all?
"Whoa! Something definitely happened that time!" he said. "I don't believe it."
"Yeah, wow…" Kelli added, stupefied.
"Yeah! One more hit might do it!" Link suggested.
"Third time's the charm, they say," Judo agreed. "I guess I'll just have to get that Ruto story another way."
"Oh, come on!"
Judo then braced himself a third time and charged as hard as he possibly could.
"YAAA!"
This impact caused several blocks of stone to crumble around him. Judo was thrilled at his success…until he realized his momentum was uncontrollably carrying him right into a heaping pile of wooden beams on the other side.
"Whoaaa—AAAH!" he cried as he crash-landed in all the mass of fallen wood and was promptly buried by more that was jarred loose from above. He instinctively raised the shield over his head.
"Ah!" Kelli cried. "Judo!"
"Ack!" Link yelped as both he and Kelli brought their hands up to shield their faces from the flurry of dust and sawdust filling the air. Once it subsided, Kelli frantically rummaged through the debris to find her friend.
"Link, I swear, if Judo injured himself in there—!" she threatened.
"Calm down, I'm sure he's fine since he has my shield. I think…" Link replied.
A moment later, they heard a few deep coughs coming from under the wood.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Judo's voice replied as Kelli followed the sound of his voice and then tossed aside the wood that was lying on top of him. "That shield and my armor did help. You're lucky I'm not currently concussed, or worse, have a crack in my skull!"
"…Yeah, I didn't think so much debris would come down on you," Link admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I'm sorry about that. But this still worked! I knew that wall couldn't be entirely stone. It would require a lot of it and a lot of work that wouldn't make sense if this was simply a small decoy structure."
"You're right about that, yeah," Kelli agreed and then turned to her old friend, who was rising to his feet and returning Link's shield. "I'm glad you're not hurt, Judo. I couldn't bear to see that. And we can't afford any injuries that might hinder us right now anyway. Especially since you just returned to Hyrule."
"Heh, yeah, I would be pretty upset to be taken out of commission so soon after coming back," Judo agreed, dusting himself off and picking some strands of hay out of his hair and armor.
"Hey, there's still hay piled in here too!" Link recalled. "That's pretty much all I found here before, but I didn't dig through it. Until now!"
Link then began grabbing and tossing aside clumps of hay. Suddenly, Judo turned slightly.
"Wait, you guys hear something outside?" he said.
"Huh?" Kelli replied and tried to listen. "No, I don't—"
Suddenly, a reptilian screech split the air, echoing so shrilly that the trio covered their ears and the fairies sprang from their hiding places in Link's hat and Kelli's hair. Link had been wondering where Vira was laying low since Kelli had nothing on her head except her headband. She must have been in Kelli's hair back in Skyview Village as well.
"AAH!" Link cried, having stumbled over just in time to see the fairies appear, squealing from the painful screeching.
"Damn it all!" Judo added and then his eyes popped open when he noticed the winged balls of light. "Hey, you guys have fairies?"
Before anyone could reply, the front wall of the building was suddenly blown inwards. Standing in the newly created gap were several Lizalfos, Stalfos, Dinolfos, Armosaurs, and Armozards, likely having been transported by a Dragolfos. Or even two of them. Though if that was the case, those particular monsters thankfully didn't stick around.
"Blast!" Judo cried, drawing Orion.
"They still figured out we were here!" Kelli realized angrily. "Lovely!"
"Nothing can ever be easy!" Link grumbled as he brushed away more hay while trying to get back up. Suddenly, however, as his face dipped closer to the floor beneath while he braced himself to rise, and his hand touched the surface, he felt a strange sensation come over him. A…dark sensation. Almost like he'd closed his eyes for a moment, except he could still see what was in front of him. And inexplicably, he felt like he had to follow this feeling to its source.
"Ah! Kelli! Judo! They're definitely here!" Link called out. "The Moon Sword and Moon Shield! I can feel them calling out to me!"
"Oh!" Kelli gasped. "We have to get in there quickly then and—!"
Suddenly, Judo stepped in front of his friend and brought up Orion to meet the attack of an Armosaur that had been targeting Kelli.
"Mind if I cut in?" he gloated, a devious grin on his face. "It's not nice to attack a lady like that, you know!"
He then shoved the Armosaur back so hard that it crashed into a few of its allies. Judo turned to Kelli afterward, who had been caught off guard by the incident, as well as Link.
"Both of you, go!" Judo ordered, deflecting a few more attacks. "I'll take care of this!"
"What? Judo, are you sure? That knight said you're strong, but…" Kelli protested.
"Link needs to get that sword and shield, and you're the only one who can give him any knowledge about their powers!" Judo pointed out as he drove a foot into one of the Lizalfos. "Trust me, I can keep these goons busy until you two get back! Just get down there, NOW!"
A moment later, an Armozard attempted to lunge at Judo from behind, only to be caught by its neck in midair and heaved into a pair of Stalfos as if it weighed no more than a rabbit. The three monsters crashed to the ground, leaving the Stalfos with a few snapped bones. Kelli blinked at this in surprise, though she also did recall that the knight mentioned that his general was capable of such feats. Perhaps Judo could handle himself here after all. Needless to say, however, she still worried as her friend rushed further into the fray while she joined Link in digging through the hay on the floor, looking for any sign of a way below. As strong as Judo was, he was not invulnerable.
Beneath the hay, however, Link and Kelli saw the outline of what looked to be a trap door of sorts.
"Yes!" Link gasped. "The previous Guardian of the Moon must've decided that his equipment could very well be needed again and left this here!"
"Yeah!" Kelli agreed. "But I wonder how we open it? I don't see a handle or anything that looks like a lock."
"Hmm…" Link puzzled. "We need to hurry though! Judo's still fighting that small army all by himself and if they get through, they could corner us down here!"
With that, the two carefully, but quickly examined the door. They noted a circular shape in the center, though there seemed to be nothing special about it. It was just a circular symbol in the middle of the door. Yet, for whatever reason, Link felt a strange compulsion to touch it. He gently laid his left hand upon it, and found that his intuition had not been wrong.
Suddenly, that dark sensation he felt moments ago returned. Kelli looked at Link and noted something was different about his face.
"Link! Your forehead! It has the emblem of the moon!" she cried. "Just like the sun that appears on mine! And your eyes…the irises have become nearly dark as night!"
"I wondered if something like that was happening," Link replied. "It must be what happened a little while ago when I sensed the Moon Sword and Shield's presence too! …And look at the door now!"
When Link removed his hand, the moon emblem also appeared on the carved circular symbol he'd noted earlier. Moments later, the door slowly slid open to reveal a staircase leading into the dark depths of what must've been the Moon Shrine. They had at last found it, and Link's entire seeming harebrained hunch had proven to be correct.
"Alright!" Link cheered and began rushing down. Kelli quickly followed. "That Guardian of the Moon must have secretly placed that seal so that only his successor could open it! Very smart!"
"Yeah!" Kelli agreed. "It would also explain why this shrine remained uncorrupted while the Sun Shrine was taken over. The enemy could not overpower the seal."
"That too! I feel the dark power right up ahead. It's…crazy."
"I bet. The power of light that I have is much different," Kelli continued. "Light itself is a phenomenon that is produced by a source. Darkness, on the other hand, is simply the absence of light. The dark power of the weapon you're about to obtain will prove to be a different beast all together. I won't be able to teach you much, only the abilities that both Sky Guardians gain."
"That's fine, I understand. I will find other ways to master this power of darkness. Kind of ironic though, given that I spent much of my life battling darkness before. Now I'm going to wield that power myself, so to speak."
"Yeah, quite an interesting change of pace, huh?"
"For sure."
The two continued deeper into the shrine, which perhaps unsurprisingly, grew very dim. Kelli had to use the Flame Staff to light the braziers lining the walls so they could see. Interestingly enough, when she did so, the flames burned a purplish blue, likely due to the magic of the seal Link had unlocked, to match the shrine's name and purpose.
Within the next few moments, the pair of heroes finally came upon the most important find they would uncover in this entire quest. The Moon Sword itself stood before them, thrust blade down into a pedestal of dark blue stone, and its accompanying shield was hung on the wall above it. The sword's hilt was shaped much like that of Kelli's Sun Sword before it was enhanced, with the exception of its dark blue-violet coloring and the moon emblem inscribed in the center. The shield also had the same coloring and emblem on its face. Unsurprisingly, some dust and cobwebs had gathered around them, but otherwise, the shrine remained in astonishingly good shape.
Link approached them and laid his left hand upon the Moon Sword's grip. As he did so, he suddenly felt a wave of dark energy fill him, and the moon emblem once again appeared on his forehead. His irises changed color again, though this time they seemed to be an even fiercer and fiery dark color, with the sclera turning pitch black.
"This power…it's incredible!" he commented. "It feels akin to the energy I felt from the Master Sword…except, well, darker and even rather terrifying."
"Dark power is not to be underestimated, that's for sure," Kelli replied.
Suddenly, the area around them shook from what seemed to be a crash above. The cobwebs trembled and much of the dust rose in billowing, choking clouds.
"Ah! Judo must still be fighting up there! We have to go help him!" Kelli said. "He could be in trouble!"
"Yeah, let's hurry!"
Link then quickly grabbed his new shield from the wall and began following Kelli back to the staircase.
"Okay, real quick," Kelli spoke again. "One of the powers that we both possess is something you've seen me do before. Sensing the presence of the monsters of light and darkness. Try to feel their energy and see how many are still up there."
"Ah, right," Link agreed. He then concentrated on his surroundings, his irises changing color and the moon emblem appearing on his forehead yet again, in much the same way Kelli's irises would turn golden and the sun emblem appear on her forehead when she invoked her powers. Within a moment, he was sensing the power and energy similar to that of his and Kelli's. He was amazed, not only that it worked but at how naturally it had come to him.
"I sense them!" Link announced. "Except… I can just barely sense them. There's not much of their energy left."
"Huh? Really?" Kelli replied, her eyebrows rising.
She then used her own power to check, and sure enough, Link was right. She could still sense the presence of the monsters that had surprised them, but it was faint. Very faint, in fact.
"Wow, it is true," Kelli said. "Still, we have to make sure Judo's alright."
Link agreed and the two raced up the stairs as quickly as they could, weaponry in hand.
When they returned to the surface and got past the remains of the knocked down wall, what they found astounded them.
Judo was standing, quite calmly, up against a remaining portion of the building with his feet crossed at the ankle and arms folded across his broad chest, his own weapon sheathed. His armor was splotched with dirt and monster blood and guts, but he appeared to be remarkably unharmed. And all around him lay the corpses of nearly a dozen monsters. Bones of the Stalfos were scattered on the ground, and a few broken ones were even impaling the remains of other monsters. Some of the others had been beheaded, lost limbs, or even cleaved right in half.
"Great Din, Nayru, and Farore…" Link uttered, his eyes growing wide with disbelief.
"Whoa…" Kelli added. "Judo! You are absolutely magnificent!"
"Heh, heh, I told you I could handle it," the knight said with a wink and a smile. "And have I ever let you down?"
"Except for those times I was piggybacking on your shoulders, no you have not," Kelli replied, giving her old friend a big hug again.
"Heh, fair point!" Judo said, returning the gesture.
"Oh, but we heard some kind of crash up here earlier," Kelli pointed out after she drew back from their embrace. "What was that?"
"Ah, that was probably my ace move," Judo explained. "I'm sure you two know the spin attack, right? I have my own unique spin on it. Heh heh! Too bad you couldn't see it though. I'll have to show you another time."
"Wow! That's really impressive!" Kelli commented again, and Link could swear her tone had a hint of swooning in it. "What strength!"
"…Damn. When that knight said you were powerful, he wasn't kidding," Link added, blinking.
"I should hope not!" Judo replied, still smiling. "Like I said before, I trained my arse off to get to where I am. I wanted to be able to best anything I went up against. Because…well, let's just say I…needed to."
"Well, okay," Kelli said. "I understand."
"Yeah, we all have our reasons, our motivations," Link agreed. "Let's get out of here though. We have what we came for, and we have to report back to King Daphnes."
"Right, yeah," Judo said.
As the two left the building, Navi and Vira made themselves known again.
"Wow, Link, I sure hope you can handle this dark power," Navi said. "It seems very different than anything I've sensed before. And it's kind of frightening."
"Yeah, I'd be careful when training with it," Vira added.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best," Link agreed.
"Oh, it's the fairies again. Heya!" Judo greeted. "I didn't get to introduce myself earlier."
"Oh, I know you, Judo!" Vira replied. "I'm Vira, and this is my sister, Navi. Kelli's told me all about you. She and I have been together for ages. I accompanied her on her quest in Mayia. I insisted that I help her."
"Well, that's good to know!" Judo replied. "That means Kelli never had to be alone after she left. I was always worried about that."
"Oh, Judo. You're sweet," Kelli commented with a smile. "I admit, I'm glad Vira forced me to let her come. I actually think I would have felt too lonely at times otherwise."
"Heh, nice to hear!"
"I'm Link's fairy companion, by the way," Navi replied. "The Great Deku Tree assigned me the task of helping him when he left the Kokiri Forest. Vira had already left to find Kelli at that time."
"I see," Judo said. "I've heard stories about the Kokiri Forest and the Great Deku Tree, but most people dismissed them as fairy tales. Heh. So, are you like those fairies I've heard about that can heal people? Or are those different? I'm curious."
"Those are different," Vira explained. "Navi and I are guardian fairies. The fairies you're referring to are magic healing fairies. Guardian fairies are what accompany the Kokiri children. Navi and I are a less common example that were not born alongside Kokiri companions. We also like to lay low a lot so we don't accidentally startle others."
"Ohhh, okay. Interesting."
"Speaking of fairies, may I join in?" a familiar voice cut in as the group were making for the horses.
Before them, the Fairy of Winds had appeared.
"Oh, hello again, Fairy of Winds," Link greeted and then brandished his new equipment. "I have the Moon Sword and Shield now!"
"Another fairy?" Judo said, his eyes widening. "And you're bigger with a more human-like form! The Fairy of Winds, you say? My mind is blown."
"That is excellent, Link! And yes, General Judo," the Fairy of Winds replied. "I am an ancient elemental fairy known as the Fairy of Winds. It's a pleasure to finally meet Hyrule's strongest warrior and the esteemed general of her knights, and despite that small irreverence, I'm pleased to see that you have returned to Hyrule safely."
"You know who I am?" Judo replied in surprise. "Then again, I guess a lot of folks do these days."
"Indeed, and I've also been watching over you since you were younger. Your role in this new generation of the Sky Guardians has been nothing short of invaluable. You are nearly as important to their cause as they themselves are. And you must remember that."
"Wha…?" Judo wondered confusedly. "I am?"
"Judo, she's right!" Kelli realized. "When we were kids, you were the one who wanted to explore the area where we discovered the Sun Shrine and my identity as a Sky Guardian. And now you've helped us awaken Link as the other one! You created both of the new Sky Guardians yourself!"
At this, Judo blinked in surprise and, after a moment to let the words sink in, his eyes widened at this revelation.
"Well I'll be damned… I really did," he said.
"Heh, way to go!" Link complimented with a smile.
"Indeed," the Fairy of Winds confirmed. "Also, Sir Judo, your role is not entirely fulfilled yet. You are still needed to ensure that we defeat our adversaries. I cannot say when that time will come, however, so always be prepared for anything."
"Oh? Alright, then I will do all I can," Judo assured.
"Excellent," the Fairy of Winds replied. "Now, since Link has awakened as the Guardian of the Moon, your quest will be far different from here on out. Link, you must train as much as you can with your new power. Mastering it is essential. And I'm sure Kelli has already told you, but dark power is not something to be taken lightly, even in the hands of good. It will be very different from what you are used to. There have even been wielders of magic in the past that believed dark magic was only a thing to be feared. More than once, they've been correct."
"Yeah, I am fully aware," Link replied. "Thank you for letting me know, though."
"Dark power can't be taken lightly, eh?" Judo chuckled. "Nice choice of words there. I like you!"
The Fairy of Winds blinked for a moment before realizing her unintended pun.
"Heh. Well, that is quite an amusing statement, isn't it?" she said with a small chuckle. "And I do say, laughter can offer much to those suffering during these harsh times. But make no mistake, your priority must always be to end this battle once and for all. You cannot forget the mission."
"Of course," Kelli agreed. "And you can rest assured that we won't."
"That is reassuring. And of course, I will continue to advise all of you when necessary. Farewell for now."
With that, the Fairy of Winds departed, leaving the heroes to pick up where they had left off. Link turned his attention to his two comrades.
"Well, we'd better hurry back to Kakariko now. We don't want to keep His Majesty waiting any longer than we have to," he pointed out.
"Right," Judo agreed. "I also should return so I can help Conan and Ramius bolster the defenses there. With the two of them and I in the mix, you can be sure nothing will threaten the village that easily!"
"Heh, after your display here, I can definitely believe it!" Kelli praised. "But indeed, with you back, Judo, and Link now fully awakened as the Guardian of the Moon, the tide of this fight will completely turn in no time!"
"As long as we work together, nothing can stop us! Hyrule will be saved!" Link proclaimed.
"Oh, definitely," Judo affirmed. "Just treat it like fighting an Iron Knuckle. Go in bold as brass, with steel -y determination, and prove your metal!"
"I take back every nice thing I've said about you and the next three nice things I might say later!"
The three shared a good laugh, which quickly grew all the more raucous when Link added in that the Stalfos had certainly been bone-headed and Kelli supposed that the Lizalfos thinking they could stop them clearly meant they had no sense of scale. One might've thought it unbecoming to find humor in much of anything during such a time of trial and tribulation, but others would argue that to laugh in the face of danger was bold and served to underline one's determination to prevail and strikethrough whatever sought to interfere.
With that, the three heroes turned their minds back to business, each raising their sword skyward and bringing the tips of their blades to meet one another. Then together, they all thundered one word toward the heavens.
"YEAH!"
Victory for the heroes, and salvation for Hyrule, was in sight at last.
