16 hours ago
Despite the looming and unchanging darkness, life went on around Hyrule, people at first hid in their homes, locking their doors, shuttering their windows and praying to every deity known to them as they were sure these were the end times, but as the days went by nothing changed, no further ominous events followed, and each village and town that had ground to a halt in response to the everlasting night emerged into the open air once again, for if the world wasn't going to end, they might as well keep on trying to go on.
One of these people was Graysha, a middle aged woman well known among her village, the town of Oak Hollow, she was the local baker, her husband a soldier that died in the first Labrynnian Incursion, and her two children very much alive, but one thing differed about her, that thing setting her apart from the rest, her son was Link, the Hero of Legend. In addition to the fear brought about by the oncoming darkness, word had finally reached the small village that a full scale battle had been waged over Castle Town, the Hyrulean forces losing, the Royal Family being forced to flee, but what she never did find out was the fate of her son.
"Mrs. Arrethron, do you want these over there?" Marin asked, looking down at a basket full of black bread loaves she had just retrieved from the oven.
"Oh, yes, just set them right down on that counter until they cool down, until then we can start on the pastries the mayor ordered, they're going to take quite a bit of preparation." Graysha said with a smile, just because her son and Marin didn't end up courting like she had thought didn't mean she couldn't give the girl a job.
"Oh, yes, of course...what are they for again?" Marin asked.
"Mayor Johan wants to throw a kind of summer festival, to get people's minds off of...off of this." Graysha responded, looking up at the pitch black sky.
"Mrs. Arrethron?" Marin uttered carefully.
"Yes, Marin?" the older woman responded.
"Is Link ever coming back?" the girl asked.
Graysha had been trying to avoid thinking about that, Nika had been asking her day after day when her older brother was going to return, as they hadn't seen him in months, his last letter arriving over a month ago. "I...I don't know." Graysha responded.
"I...I just...with the battle that occurred...what's going to happen?" Marin asked, on the verge of tears. "And what of Oreck and my cousin Kallil? We all played together as children...I'm just afraid that..." Marin said, apologizing as she leaned against the nearest wall, covering her eyes as her tears came.
Graysha couldn't help sympathizing with her, they had heard nothing from the new regime and news was scarce, everyone had been treating her and the parents of the other guardsman transferred to Castle Town as if their sons were already dead, a fact they couldn't be sure about. "Marin...it's okay." the older woman began, going silent as a horn blared in the village square.
"That's the Lanayru province guard." Marin said, looking out the window as she wiped away her tears.
Both women hurried out into the square, Graysha eventually finding the Village's educator ushering the children into the crowd, Nika among them, Graysha locking eyes with her daughter before looking forward.
Twelve members of the Guard strode forward, the tallest of their number, Captain Tanyrik Vaughn stepped up, he stood a head above the average man and wore armor slightly heavier than most, his wide shouldered frame holding it up nicely. He removed his helm, his scarred, black-bearded face coming into view, he had short black hair to match and a cloudy gray eye on his right, having been blinded in a fight with Lizalfos decades prior.
"Everyone listen up! We just rode out to Fern Ridge, as you know it's close to Castle Town, they received some news that their mayor shared with us." Captain Tanyrik announced, the crowd beginning to murmur.
"What happened to the Royal Family?!" one man called out.
"The Prince and Princess fled, the new ruler wants our aid in finding them and insists they're in no danger." Captain Tanyrik responded.
The crowd erupted in yells and sounds of anger, not a single one of the townspeople believing this decree.
"I say they want to kill the Prince and Princess!" the carpenter yelled.
Captain Tanyrik nodded in agreement, eventually looking back up at the crowd. "As long as they don't come to hide here, we're safe." he replied.
"What of our children, the guards that were transferred to Castle Town?" a woman cried out.
"I...I don't know, there has not been a detailed report of casualties during the war released as of yet...but I can tell you for certain that I will tell you when I receive word." he said.
"Casualties?! Those are our boys out there, and you call them casualties?!" another man cried out.
"It's just the term I'm forced to use, it doesn't mean I take their possible deaths lightly." Captain Tanyrik growled.
"We should get Captain Elgon back, he'd know!" a woman cried out.
"Who's this new ruler, anyway?" the carpenter called.
Graysha and Marin exchanged nervous glances as the Captain cleared his throat.
"I don't know much about that, from what the Mayor or Fern Ridge told me, he's already occupying Holodrum and Labrynna, both nation's soldiers being loyal to him." the Captain responded.
The crowd was silent, staring at he man expectantly, but no more information came.
As the villagers began to murmur once more, the sound of the village gates opening was heard in the distance, all citizens craning their heads as a large carriage pulled by enormous black horses pulled up behind the guard members present, two wagons following the carriage, soldiers in dark gray armor with a red upside down Triforce insignia backed by two crossed swords emblazoned on their chest plates.
The villagers watched as the soldiers climbed out of their wagons, walking up to the carriage and opening the doors on both sides.
The Townspeople looked at the Lanayru Province Guard members nervously as a Gerudo woman, wearing the same armor, but in black with silver fringes on the different plates, more pronounced shoulder plates, and a long cape with the same insignia on the back exited the carriage followed by two massive Knights in Black Armor who easily stood at three and a half meters tall. The woman, obviously a much higher rank than the other soldiers strode forward, her long red hair falling around her shoulders and resting on her chest plate.
"What a nervous bunch you have here, Tanyrik." she said, eyeing the crowd.
All eyes turned to the Captain as he bowed, looks of betrayal on the face of some, and pained understanding on other's.
"Forgive them, my lady, they not yet know of our new King's greatness." Tanyrik responded, an agonized inflection in his voice.
"Allow me to introduce myself." the woman called out, striding passed the Guardsmen as they hesitantly took a knee. "I am Admiral Shilara, Queen of Labrynna and commander of your new Emperor's army." she said, putting added inflection on the word "Emperor" and shooting a glance at Tanyrik.
"Emperor? And since when was the Queen of Labrynna a Gerudo?" a man called out.
Under normal circumstances Shilara would have killed him outright, but she was under orders to restrain herself. "Yes, our new ruler is going to turn all five lands into a grand new empire, finally removing the corrupt name of the Hyrule family, I have helped him along this path and was installed as the Queen of Labrynna after the cruel Prince Erris was deposed." Shilara said, a seldom heard pleasant and stable tone to her voice.
"What happened to them, the men that were sent to Castle Town?" Graysha asked as she stepped forward, locking eyes with the Gerudo woman.
"Some may have survived, you see, the army withdrew north to Termina after the cowardly Royals fled the battle. Most likely though, is that many of your sons died defending a family who did not deserve their lives! You see the black sky above, do you not? This is the doing of the spiteful and arrogant Princess and her younger brother, so angry were they that their throne was taken away they attempted to doom us and all of their people to eternal night...our Emperor will have this taken care of soon, though." Shilara lied.
"And what of the Hero?" a guardsmen asked. "I saw him at the Battle of Kakariko with my own eyes!"
"The Hero? I'm afraid I don't understand...unless you mean that young blonde boy with the golden hair...oh my." Shilara said, a tone of mock concern to her voice. "Every time the former Royal Family has wanted to reign in control of the populace through the centuries they cast a multitude of spells on a young soldier to increase his abilities and create that mark on his hand...it's all fiction...the Hero is a myth, the boy you saw was merely a prop set up to make you believe in some sacred will from the Goddesses for the Hyrule family to rule this land, a corrupt system it truly was."
"That's not true!" a young girl's voice called.
Graysha's breath hitched, Marin and the rest of the Village looking on.
"My brother is the Hero and he's real!" Nika exclaimed, pointing at the Gerudo woman.
Shilara balled her fists, her teeth clenching in anger, who was this child to call her a liar?
"Please excuse my daughter, she knows not of what she speaks!" Graysha said as she ran to Nika, picking her up and running her back to the crowd amid protests from the young girl.
Shilara took three deep breaths before locking her golden eyes with the green of Graysha's. "It's quite alright, children come up with such fanciful tales, do they not?" she asked, a sweet tone to her voice and a devious smile upon her lips.
Graysha gave an uneasy smile before backing away into the crowd, Marin following.
"A lot of you probably see this Hero as some sort of family member, referring to him as a brother, son, nephew...maybe some of you even think you are descended from him, but I assure you, he is not real and the Hyrule family does not rule by divine decree. Soon our new Emperor will bring the five lands together into one large, peaceful society, a war such as the recent Labrynnian Invasion or old battles such as the War of the Bound Chest will no longer be among our worries." Shilara announced.
There was a quiet murmur from the crowd before the Mayor himself marched out, stumbling after being shoved forward.
"Hm? Who might you be?" Shilara asked.
I...I am Mayor Johan Tishan, I...I am Mayor of Oak Hollow." he stammered.
"Clearly, now what is it you want?" Shilara asked, her soft demeanor beginning to slip.
"The concerned families of the Guardsmen that were sent away earlier would look to know if they will be granted clemency under this new regime and be allowed to return to Hyrule." he said.
"Return to Hyrule?" there would be no need, when all of the lands are united, they will be welcome anywhere as they are citizens of our grand empire, we understand they were just following orders handed out by corrupt politicians...and while we're at it, let's do away with these names, Labrynna, Holodrum, Gamelon, Termina, and especially Hyrule, names and borders will be no more once our new empire is established.
"Wh...who is our new ruler...and...what are we to call this land if not Hyrule?" Mayor Tishan asked.
"I'm glad you asked." Shilara said with a broad smile. "You are now citizens of the 'Dragmire Imperium' ruled by the Great Emperor Agahnim."
oOo
Audrik, Kayala, Lemuria and Iren sat silently around a large stone table in the throne room of Zora's Domain, the new Zora Queen, Mazu cutting a piece off of the fish on her plate, pausing before lifting it to her mouth. "Is there something wrong? I hope we cooked the fish to your liking. Don't be afraid to let us know if we did not, though. You see, while you Hylians like to burn your fish, we Zora eat it in it's natural state." she said, semi-sincerely.
"I apologize, your grace." Audrik said. "We just, have travelled long and far to get here, we have gone many nights without sleep, and our worries are...hard to suppress." he said.
Queen Mazu looked upon her visitors, readying herself to speak before Princess Kayala dropped her fork and knife, pounding a fist on the table. "You want us to eat? How am I supposed to eat when I'm in some land where everyone wants to kill me?! Aside from that, now I may never go home to rule Gamelon in comfort like I am supposed to be doing right now...and look at my dress!" she exclaimed, standing up and motioning at the garment, the green and white fabrics ripped and stained, the bottom fringe of the gown completely torn off.
"Well...even though we Zora do not wear clothing I am sure we can find something for you to wear." Queen Mazu said, narrowing her eyes.
Lemuria looked around the room, sweeping her eyes over the table's occupants, a grim expression on Audrik's face, Kayala quietly looking down, tears in her eyes, and Iren, the Sheikah man remaining stoic and strong looking as always. "Allow me to be the first to thank you for taking us in, I know it was a sizable risk on your part and-" Lemuria began, going silent as Mazu lifted her hand.
"A sizable risk? That's what you're going to call it?" she asked. "This is a tremendous risk we are taking for you, if the new regime that took Hyrule finds out we're sheltering you, there will be grave consequences...so I ask you to be a little more grateful, and to stop acting so spoiled." the woman said, shooting a glare at Kayala, the Gamelonian Princess looking away in fear.
"Oh...of course, we did not mean to come off as ungrateful." Audrik said, locking eyes with the Zora Queen.
"When my former mate Laorik died, the Terminian Zora tried to take control, but as the current heir's mother, leadership fell to me when she went absent. Do you think you are the only ones who are worried? Everyday I am reminded that I was almost reunited with my daughter after that bastard Laorik kept her away from me...and now she's no where to be found." the Queen growled. "Now, you should eat your food, you'll need to keep your strength up just in case you have to run while we're being slaughtered."
"We Sheikah will protect we, two of us are worth ten of theirs." Iren said quietly.
"Don't be arrogant, Sheikah." the Queen said without looking up from her food.
Outside
Two Zora guards, large metal helmets in the shape of the Zora Deity Jabu-Jabu adorning their heads stared out across the frozen land from the entrance to the Zora's Domain, the large stone arch sitting atop a massive waterfall.
"Looks the same." one said.
"I don't know what time it's supposed to be anymore, this is the way the sky looks all the time." the other said.
"It's throwing off my biological clock...do you think the new King of Hyrule did this?" the first Guard asked.
"How?" the other replied.
"I mean, if the legends are true that would mean Ganondorf is real...what if he's doing this?" the second Guard asked.
"Well if that's how it is, hopefully it's just an intimidation thing...and he'll lift the spell soon...you know?" the first guard said.
"And hopefully he'll stay away from us." the second Guard responded.
As if on queue an enormous Argorok swooped down out of the black sky, carrying what looked to be a wheel-less carriage in it's talons.
"Sound the alarm!" the first guard yelled. He watched the dragon slowly ascend, the loud beating of it's wings filling the air as gusts blew across the entrance to Zora's domain.
The second guard looked back, still pulling a rope connected to a system of bells located throughout Zora's domain.
Both men watched, other Zora citizens gathering at the entranceway as the Argorok set the carriage it carried down, folding it's wings and looking over the crowd ominously.
The Guards drew their harpoons, the crowd taking a step back as both the carriage doors opened, a man they knew all too well from events the Royal Family used to host stepping out.
"Hello, my Zora friends, is the Queen available?" Rickard Gavan asked with a grin.
"You can't just drop by unannounced and demand to see the Queen." the first guard growled, backing away nervously as the Argorok glared down at him.
"You know, I'd think you all would respect all the effort I went through to get to your historically difficult to reach home." the Noble hissed.
"There's a reason we have the entrance in a place that's so hard to reach." the other guard said.
"Yes, yes, yes. To keep anyone who's not a Zora from just waltzing on in, eh?" Rickard asked mockingly. "Well, I didn't exactly have time to send word ahead, let alone schedule a meeting with your dear ruler, so I thought I'd just go ahead and invite myself to your lovely cliffside abode...as well as I shall invite myself in." the man continued.
The Zora crowd stepped back as the two guards raised their harpoons.
"I don't think so!" Rickard Gavan yelled as a small group of men followed by two towering black armored figures exited the carriage. "You may be able to fight off my men, but these two gents in the back are a bit more of a challenge than that...now may I come inside?" he asked, a wide grin on his face.
Inside
Queen Mazu froze on the spot as the bells rang, dropping her cutlery. "All of you, follow me immediately!" she yelled.
"But we just started eating..." Audrik replied.
"Now!" Mazu repeated.
The group got up, swiftly following the Zora Queen out of the room as she dashed down the corridor.
"My dress, it's getting sand on it!" Kayala complained.
"Now is not the time!" Lemuria growled, the foreign Princess going silent with a slight whimper.
"It's Ganon's men, it has to be." Iren said, a grave tone to his voice.
Mazu tossed open a door, four guards running over to her.
"I have to go to the entrance, see to it that these four are hidden in the place we discussed." she said before walking off towards the entryway in a brisk manner.
"Come on!" one guard yelled to the other three. The Zora men made their way to the far wall of what looked to be an armory, every wall covered in racks that contained mostly harpoons alongside short swords, crossbows and the like.
"You think they won't check in here?" Audrik asked.
"They definitely will, but hopefully they won't get too in depth." one of the guards said as he rushed ahead, pulling each harpoon away the far wall in a complex order before replacing them.
"It's unlocked, come on!" he yelled, the other men running to him and pulling the rack from the wall, the creaking of hinges rusted by the humidity piercing the air.
"It's a door." Lemuria observed.
"And the harpoons are attached to some kind of combination locking system, it would seem." Audrik replied.
"No time to lose, go!" one of the guards demanded.
"When I get back to Gamelon, I'll let the Royal Guard know all about how rudely you spoke to-" Princess Kayala said, getting cut off as Lemuria placed a hand over her mouth and pulled her into the small room behind the weapon rack.
"Will you shut your mouth and just be grateful they even took us in?!" Lemuria hissed.
"I hate this dreadful place." the Princess said, folding her arms and looking away.
"Best of luck to you." Iren said to the Guards.
"And to you." one replied before they closed the door, only a small sliver of light piercing through the small gap between the door and wall.
The Queen strode through the archway, a scowl crossing her features as she was greeted by the smug face of the infamous Rickard Gavan.
"Queen Mazu! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you! The Zola told me all about you as a ruler and how you kicked them out of the Zora's Domain." he said. "Oh dear, where are my manners?" he asked, giving an exaggerated bow before standing back up straight.
"The Zola? What do they have to do with this?" Mazu shot, narrowing her eyes.
"Ever since Laorik got a whole bunch of them killed and you turned them out of your home they've...well...been itching to see you all get humbled...so they joined us." Rickard replied.
"Those rotten creatures." Mazu growled. "I only threw them out because they had no manners, ate all of our food and threatened to eat my people, I do believe I was QUITE justified in my actions."
"Very well, very well!" Rickard said. "Still...our new Emperor feels he can't trust you just yet and well...I feel the same." he admitted.
"So what?" Mazu asked, feeling dread growing inside of her.
"So what? So this!" Rickard said, whistling loudly.
Mazu's mouth fell agape as she stumbled back, the other Zora doing the same as about two dozen Zola swam up the waterfall and climbed onto the cliff.
"It's very hard for us humans to reach this area...and let me tell you, seeing as your domain here is full of water, human soldiers would be at quite a disadvantage if you all decided stage a little rebellion! Soooo, I assigned these fellows to keep watch up here as they have the same capabilities in water as you do as well as far greater strength and durability." the Noble said with a smile.
"I don't want them here, I won't allow it!" Queen Mazu said defiantly.
"YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!" Rickard Gavan roared, withdrawing his sword and taking a step forward, his men and both Black Knights doing the same. "Emperor Agahnim has promised leadership of the territory formerly known as Hyrule to ME! I make the decisions and I make the rules! SO DO NOT TELL ME WHAT YOU WILL AND WILL NOT ALLOW BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO SAY!" he shouted, breathing heavily as the Zora crowd began shouting at him picking up rocks and advancing forward as more guards rushed to the gate, raising their weapons alongside the other two already present.
"Oh...oh no...oh no DON'T you try that." Rickard shot. "You don't want to start a fight with us, my men are the greatest fighters Labrynna and Holodrum had to offer! I mean hell, these two Knights could take care of all of you by themselves! And me? Well you know me! My father was a fat, lazy and lethargic man and I desired to be the opposite, I bought the best sword instructors in all of Hyrule and have been training from a young age in the art of swordsmanship, and if I do say so myself, have become quite the formidable opponent, so you'd do well to drop your weapons and allow us entry." Rickard said.
"It must be easy to be brave with your pet behind you." Mazu snarled.
"Hm?" Rickard questioned as he turned. "Oh, you mean Blackflame? You see, that's what I named her because she's completely black and breathes fire and...well you don't care about that, but she's a sweetheart, truly."
"You expect me to believe you won't let her loose on my people?" Mazu asked aggressively.
"Of course not, because I will...if you get me an angrier than I am right now...you see, she's nice for now but all this yelling is getting her riled up." he taunted.
"F...fine! You can come in...but I want you to acknowledge one thing beforehand." the Queen said.
"Oh really...what might that be?" he asked, an amused tone to his voice.
"Do away with this Agahnim nonsense, we all know you serve Ganondorf." the Queen said pointedly.
"Okay, okay...believe what you will, I'm fine with that as long as we can get on with this." Rickard responded.
"Why are you here?" Mazu asked, a tone of nervous anger in her voice.
"Well, our new Emperor, whatever your silly little self wants to call him, wanted his higher ups to go meet and greet every community, working our way from the largest to the smallest...but aside from that, we're also in search of a certain Prince and foreign Princess who were absent when we sacked the Castle...anything to announce before we come in?" Rickard asked.
Mazu ground her teeth, trying her hardest to calm down. "No, now get it over with." she said.
"Very well! I'll have you know, if you are hiding anyone, I will find them, because I have a certain someone with me who knows all about each and every corner of your home." Rickard said with a smirk.
Queen Mazu felt her heart quicken as he said this, a his self-assured smile growing.
"Hawkwood! Get out here!" Rickard shouted.
Queen Mazu raised a hand to her chest as the other Zora gasped behind her, they had seen him many times during his trips to their domain to check in on them, yet they barely recognized the pale and emaciated man who stumbled out of the carriage dressed in an old robe.
"Minister Hawkood." Queen Mazu breathed.
"We only feed him when he cooperates...as you can see he's been quite resistant up to this point." Rickard said, smirk still on his face. "Well, let's get started!" the Noble announced, walking in behind the limping Minister.
"Bastard." Mazu breathed.
Inside
"It's been long enough, maybe they're gone." Lemuria said.
"Now's not the time to get claustrophobic." Iren cautioned.
"I can't stand another minute in here." Kayala said, a tear running down her cheek.
"I'm afraid I'd have to agree, it's quite unpleasant back here." Audrik said as he looked around the space, it's dirt floor filled with fungus, a moist, moldy smell in the air while the humidity seemed to rise by the minute.
"Just wait a little longer." Lemuria stated.
"There's someone coming." Iren said urgently, drawing a large dagger.
"Who is it?" Lemuria asked, pulling twin knives from her belt.
"By the Goddesses." Iren said. "That's..."
"Minister Hawkwood." Audrik finished as he joined the two Sheikah in looking through the crack.
"There." the Minister said feebly, pointing at the rack.
"They must've broken him." Audrik said mournfully.
"I can't believe he'd just turn on us like this, any chance we can fight our way out?" Lemuria asked.
"No, not even a slim one." Iren answered, eyeing the Black Knights.
Audrik looked up, watching closely as Minister Hawkwood walked towards the door, stopping briefly and looking through the crack, making eye contact with Audrik and blinking once.
"He's going to give us some time." Audrik said.
"How do you know?" Iren pressed.
"I just do, no time to explain! Kayala, are you well versed in glamour spells?" the Prince asked.
"No...no...are we going to die?" she said between sobs.
"No, we won't if you just lend me your aid." Audrik said, the Princess wiping away tears as she got up and stood next to him.
"What of us?" Lemuria asked.
"Get behind us." Audrik said.
"But we're your guards." Iren protested.
"Now." Audrik demanded, Lemuria dragging the Sheikah man by the arm behind the two Royals.
"Now, look around you, think of what this space looked like empty." Audrik said as he raised his arms, the room staring to blur around him.
"I...I can't focus." Kayala said.
"Yes you can, just help me, think about when the door to this room was opened, what it looked like." the Prince said.
Kayala furrowed her brow, extending her shaking arms, the two Sheikah watching as the room began to further distort around them.
"Princess, you can do it, I need your help." Audrik said.
I...I can't." she said quietly.
"Open it!" they heard a guard yell from outside.
"Hurry up, Hawkwood!" the unmistakable voice of Rickard Gavan called out.
All four inhaled sharply as the door was flung open, a dark armored figure standing before them.
"There you are!" Rickard said gleefully, a manic smile on his face.
Queen Mazu covered her eyes, a single tear falling down her cheek.
"There who is?" one of Rickard's men asked.
The Queen whipped her hand away from her eyes, finding to her astonishment, an empty room.
"I...I was so sure...They have to be here somewhere!" Rickard yelled. "Show me where!" he yelled, grabbing Minister Hawkood by the collar.
"I've shown you every dark corner and hidden space in Zora's Domain, there is no where else." Hawkwood replied.
"Fine! Onto the next town! But just know this! If you get out of line, the Zola will see to it you know you're place." Rickard growled. "Hawkwood, come on! We need a familiar face with us to get the Hylian village down the road on our side." the Noble said as he walked out the door.
Minister Hawkwood gave one last look back, nodding at the Prince as he rematerialized, the glamour spell dropping.
"Hurry up, old man!" the heard from down the hall, Minister Hawkwood leaving the room quickly, a dejected expression on his face.
"But...but how?" Queen Mazu asked.
"Just a quick glamour spell cast by yours truly." Audrik said, placing a hand on Kayala's shoulder.
For the first time since they escaped from the Castle Kayala smiled, splaying her fingers and looking into her palm. "I...I did it." she said proudly.
"And you saved us all in the process." the Queen said with a relieved sigh.
The celebration was cut short as the Earth shook, a massive tremor shooting through the ground, sloshing water all over the walkways of Zora's Domain.
"What the hell is this?" Audrik called out.
oOo
Even through the shock that came over him, Trystane never lost his grip on his sword, he had seen portraits and pictographs of the man before but had never seen him in person and could easily say he heavily resembled the former King. "Could it be?" he thought.
"I can see you're not quite sure whether or not to believe me, I mean, I must look different from my Royal Portrait...I have lost some significant weight since then, rather fit for an old man, am I not?" he said with a laugh.
"King Daltus is dead, he has been for years, who are you?" Trystane asked.
"Sir Trystane I ask you to suspend your disbelief for a moment." the man said.
"Many different manners of Sorcerers and Demon can change their shape, who's to say you're not one of them? Ganondorf has blotted out the sun...it's hard to say what other horrors he's unleashed upon our land." Trystane growled.
"Fine then, you want proof, you shall have it." the older man said.
Trystane watched curiously, holding his sword aloft as the snow and ice swirled around his feet, the Knight keeping on guard just in case. The man removed all armor from his upper body before quickly slipping his chain mail and pulling the shirt he had on underneath up to his shoulders, a large tattoo of the Royal Crest adorning his upper body.
"I've never revealed this to anyone but my late wife, and as you know, only Knights of the highest order, such as yourself, would know I had it in the first place." the man stated.
Trystane didn't reply, but even though he didn't show it, he was starting to believe the older gentleman.
"Still unsure?" the man asked.
Trystane stepped back as a number of sigils lit up around the crest.
"This one wards off spirits, this one prevents possession, and this one just gives my magical abilities a small bump in strength." he explained.
"But...you can't be! The King died long ago!" Trystane argued.
"I have kept myself hidden all of these years because I could not afford to be caught, I have worked in secret with my followers to stifle Ganondorf's plans, only revealing myself now because I need a man of your talent." The King explained.
Trystane dropped to one knee, sheathing his word and placing a fist on his chest. "Please forgive me my King, I had to be sure." he said.
"You're already forgiven, I would have done the same." King Daltus said with a small smile.
"What is it you need me for?" the Knight asked.
"Aside from being an honorable man and a skilled swordsman your ice sorcery is perhaps the greatest ever witnessed, I can't remember ever being told of a man with abilities beyond yours...and there's also the fact you seem to be immortal." the King explained.
Trystane looked down at the hole in his armor and the skin behind it, not even a scar left in the place the Black Knight had impaled him. "It would seem so...but I don't know how I came to be this way...I was revived by a Sorceress once, but beyond that I don't know how I continue coming back."
"A Sorceress you say? How intriguing...I'd like to meet her." the King replied.
"I have no idea where she in particular is at the moment." Trystane answered.
"Well, no matter, you will be all we need for this mission." the King responded.
"What are you planning?" the Knight asked.
"It's one of my more...daring missions, but it must be carried out if Hyrule is to be liberated...we must take back the Master Sword, Ganondorf took it from the Hero during their confrontation." the King explained.
"That's...that's insane! Have you seen what that man has become, he'd know we were there immediately and obliterate us with a simple thought." Trystane responded.
"I know this, but, there are moments in the day he rests, going dormant so that he can reroute all of his power to contain the two other entities he shares his body with. That's when we will strike." the King explained.
"And if he wakes up?" Trystane asked.
"Sir Trystane, do you have children?" King Daltus asked.
The Knight's expression changed to confusion as he eased his posture, the sudden change of topic catching him off guard. "No, I do not." he answered.
"Well, as you know, I do." the King replied. "Strong magical ability is a trait present in every member of the Hyrule bloodline, my own power being control over floral life." the King said, waving out the ground, a small leafy plant sprouting from the frozen earth, growing quickly to the point it reached his hand in a matter of seconds. "I was always proud of it, the ability to give life, I saw it as...but I was never as proud of my ability as I was of Zelda's, when my daughter first revealed her element was light, I nearly burst with pride. You see, light is seen as the power all magic comes from, it's highly valued among all with natural magical ability...I just remember her running around excitedly, small flashes going off in her palms until she wore her reserves down...and look where she is now! Did you see her battle Ganondorf, that was really something, was it not?"
"It was highly impressive, yes, but I fail to see what this has to do with the subject at hand." Trystane replied.
The King eyed the Knight, taking on a solemn expression before speaking again. "But with Audrik, I remember he was a boy of three, I intended to put him to bed, but when I took the small wooden soldier he played with from him the shadows lunged at me, black tendrils swirling around me, consuming all light in the room...just when I thought they were going to strike, one of those tendrils took the toy out of my grasp, and I watched in horror as it handed it back to my son...I never quite accepted his element was shadow...you see, the darkness is thought of as such an evil thing, and I failed to see it could be used for good, even though the it's the element of every Sheikah, themselves being the guardians of my own family." the King said, a sad tone to his voice. "I forced Audrik to hide his abilities...I failed him...I withdrew myself after that, keeping away from my family, Zelda and Audrik grew up in the care of others as I pondered how this could have happened, failing to see the error in my own thoughts. I ended up failing my entire family, disappointing them up until the day I went missing...and if we don't get the Master Sword back...well...then I will be failing my children and my people, and I refuse to let that happen, someday I will reveal I survived, and I can only hope Zelda and Audrik forgive me." the King said, locking eyes with Trystane.
The Knight, closed his eyes, tilting his head down. "I will follow you in retrieving the Master Sword, but you must answer one question for me beforehand." the Knight said.
"Go ahead." the King replied.
"What happened to you and the Queen...and how did you survive?"
The King adopted a somber expression, turning his head away from Trystane before resuming eye contact. "As you may know, the Queen and I were on a journey through Gerudo Desert, as it leads straight to Ikana Canyon and from there a road would bring us straight to Clock town to meet with the Mayor at the time. As you also know, we never made it. Right before we made it to the Terminian border we were ambushed by a large group of Bulblins and Moblins, our guards were quickly dispatched due to the sheer number of our attackers. We could only watch in horror as our driver took us away from them...I tried my best to use my magic to save them, but I couldn't stop that many of them." the King said, running a hand over his gray beard.
"Sent by Ganondorf?" Trystane asked.
"I am sure of it." King Daltus responded. "We were about to make it the road that led down the cliffside, but faster than I could react, a massive boar like beast with white hair pulled himself over the cliff's edge and picked up the carriage like it was nothing, tearing the reigns from it and sending the horses scattering in all directions...next thing I knew we were falling, he had thrown us over the cliff, I cast a levitation spell over myself without even thinking, but my wife...I couldn't get to her in time...she and our driver were killed immediately when our carriage fell into the river below, I cradled her body as we were swept downstream, forced to leave her as I heard voices coming near us."
"More of Ganondorf's men?" Trystane asked.
"No, they were just a traveling merchant and his boy...they found my wife's body and that of our driver." Daltus responded.
"I don't understand, why didn't you ask them for help getting you to Clock Town?" Trystane pressed.
"I couldn't risk it, if Ganondorf found out I hadn't been killed, he'd try again, or worse yet, speed up his plans to sack Castle Town and take Hyrule before my daughter was old enough to fight back and the Hero had yet to be revealed. After my body wasn't found they just assumed it had been devoured by the Octoroks or something along those lines...with the Demon King thinking me dead I could easily work against him without his knowledge, he'd never suspect a thing. It was I who swayed the Bokoblins into joining the fight against Ganondorf, I sent one of my best, a talented Wind Mage to help defend Gamelon, and we broke the suppression spell under Hyrule Field, the Knights of Hytopia have been fighting alongside side you ever since your first fight with Ganondorf's forces, even if you didn't see us." the King said with a small smile.
"I have some good news for you, that thing that tossed you over the cliff, killed the Queen and your driver..." Trystane began.
"The Blin Emperor?" King Daltus asked.
"My friend Thrakon killed him." Trystane replied.
"That's a man who's hand I wouldn't mind shaking, I've had my eye on him too, you know. A man of rare talent he is." the King answered.
"Then come with me, you can tell your Knights where we're going and they can meet us in Clock Town, last I heard, that's where we were regrouping, most of the Sages, the Princess and even two Goddesses are there...it would be easier to retrieve the Master Sword with them on our side." Trystane responded.
"Two of the Goddesses?" Daltus asked.
"Ganondorf's ritual, didn't you see it?" Trystane replied.
"I was aware of it, I did not believe it would work...it's unthinkable that he succeeded." the King responded.
"Ganondorf managed to kill Nayru, it was the last thing I saw before I...well...died." Trystane answered.
"Sir Trystane, take pride in the fact you've swayed me, I rarely ever let people change my mind...but if the Goddesses are indeed where you say they are, I must go to them...and it's about time I let my daughter know I am alive...I must ask, do you know the whereabouts of my son?" Daltus asked.
"I'm afraid not." Trystane answered.
"Well, Audrik's always been resourceful and clever, we shall find him in due time, for now, you must meet the Knights of Hytopia, and then we shall be on our way." the King answered.
Trystane made to answer, only to fall into a tree as the world seemingly turned sideways for a moment, all the snow upon the tree branches falling to the ground with a massive thud that resounded around the woods. "What the hell is going on?" the Knight asked.
"Something massive." the King replied.
oOo
Link dug his blade into the ground, closing his eyes tightly and grinding his teeth as he growled with effort, Oren doing the same next to him to keep from flying away.
Up ahead of them, Din continued her onslaught, unleashing a barrage of kicks and punches charged with vast amounts of divine energy faster than the eye could see, Ganondorf managing to block each strike.
"I will have my vengeance! For my sister Nayru and for what you stole from me!" Din yelled as she performed a back flip, launching a crimson ball of energy at Ganondorf.
"The Triforce of Power is rightfully mine, it chose me!" the Demon King roared as he deflected the blast into the sky.
Din shot forward, catching Ganon across the face with a hook, the Demon King grabbing her by the neck and smashing her into the ground, the Goddess teleporting behind him and shooting a bolt of electricity into his back, Ganon's muscles seizing as Din summoned two blasts of energy, tossing them at him simultaneously, teleporting away as they exploded. Ganondorf flew from the smoke, delivering a kick to Din's chest that knocked her back to the ground. The Goddess skidded back on her heels, dodging to the left as Ganon crashed to the ground, delivering an earth shattering punch to the spot on which she formerly stood. Din brought both hands up, charging a ball of energy between them as Ganon teleported a short distance away, doing the same.
"Oren!" Link called out, noticing the Sheikah man's arms had fallen from the hilt of his blade.
"Link, leave me, I fear I have become to exhausted to keep on going." Oren answered
Link closed his eyes, reaching deep inside of himself, the Triforce of Courage coming into his grasp.
Ahead of him Din and Ganon both let loose torrents of energy, the opposing blasts crashing into each other, shaking the earth and letting loose multiple shockwaves with every movement.
Link cried out, raising his hand into the air, the Triforce of Courage expanding a golden dome of energy around he and Oren, the shockwave and resulting blast of heat sweeping over them, a bead of sweat trickling down Link's brow as his entire body shook, keeping the forcefield in place.
Din grit her teeth, narrowing her eyes as Ganondorf's crimson irises bore into her, the silhouettes of Mahlik and Majora behind him.
"You are but one Goddess, I am the shadow in it's entirety, the Great Darkness incarnate!" Ganondorf roared, the voices of Majora and Mahlik underneath his own.
"You..can't..win." Din replied, her arms beginning to shake as Ganondorf pushed her back, before she could react, Ganondorf's blast split into three separate streams, winding their way through the air like serpents. The Goddess braced herself as they crashed into her, the resulting explosion sending her flying onto her back, cinders falling away from her tattered garments.
"You are just as pathetic as your sisters Hylia and Nayru." Ganondorf said as he teleported over to her.
"Don't you speak their names!" Din shouted, as she raised a fist, Ganon gasping as a stone spire erupted from the ground, impaling his chest.
"How...foolish." he said calmly as he tapped the spike, the stone retracting back into the ground, the hole in the Demon King's chest healing instantly. He quickly gestured towards Din, the crimson haired Goddess flying into his grasp, Ganon's fingers closing tightly around her neck. "I won't need to the Elder Blade to kill you." he stated, charging a ball of dark energy in his hand, raising it to her chest. "Time to join your sister wherever it is dead celestial beings go. Without you, the Triforce of Power will select me as it's source." Ganondorf hissed.
"Drop her!" Link called out, leveling his blade at Ganondorf.
The Demon King let loose a harsh cackle, looking over at the Hero. "I just defeated a Goddess and you expect to stand a chance against me?!" he asked in disbelief.
Link cried out in rage, his body tensing as energy built inside of him, he felt something awaken, something he hadn't felt in a very long time. In the moment he no longer felt the pain of his hunger or the ache of his muscles.
Ganon's eyes opened wide as he sensed it, his grip relaxing enough for Din to break free. "What is this..this...power?" he stammered.
"Finally." Din said.
Link's eyes glowed a brilliant gold, the Triforce's familiar golden aura surrounding him, but beyond that a white aura had built around it. Glowing on Link's pectorals were depictions of the sun and moon that appeared on his skin, piercing through his clothing.
Link charged the stunned Ganondorf, his fist catching him in the chest, the Demon King skidding back on his heels.
Ganon raised his arm, crimson lightning blasting from his palm, Link deflecting it with his sword before coming within arm's length of Ganon. The Demon King charged a sphere of energy around his fist before lunging in to strike Link, the Hero managed to catch the punch, releasing his grip as a blast of energy from the recovered down knocked him off of his feet.
"Link, we need to finish this quickly, in your current state, your energy won't last." she stated.
"I know, I can feel it slipping away, but we have to keep going." Link replied.
Din nodded as she lunged forward, Ganon caught her halfway, blocking a kick before hitting her in the chest with a ball of flame, turning in time to catch a slash from Link, delivering a knee to the Hero's abdomen, forcing him away. Din telekinetically grasped Ganon, tossing him towards Link, who in turn summoned a ball of blue energy into his hand. Ganondorf skidded to a halt, pulling back his arm and throwing a hook at Link. The Hero caught him by the elbow, smashing the blast of energy into the Demon King's chest, sending him into the sky. Din raised her hands, the cloud swirling above Ganondorf.
"Take this." she growled.
"No!" Ganon shouted as he turned his attention skyward in time to see a massive blast of lightning surge from the center of the clouds, striking him.
Link smirked, both his auras dissipating as he fell to the side, Din running to catch him.
"The battle may not be over yet." she cautioned.
Ganondorf fell from the sky, smoke trailing from him as he plummeted, crashing into the ground, the rock shattering around him "You! How dare YOU?!" he roared as he stood up, red energy coursing along his silver horns, crimson eyes fixed on the Goddess and Hero. "You both die today." he continued.
"He's too focused on us, he won't be able to brace himself in time." Link said with a grin.
Din looked up just in time to see Ganon's face go blank, Oren cleaving him in two from behind.
The Demon King let out a short shout of pain before his upper body fell from his legs.
"Oren! Quickly!" Link yelled.
The Sheikah man ran faster than he thought possible in his current state, managing to sheath his sword at the same time.
"Link..." Din said, a tone of deep concern to her voice.
The Hero looked up just as Oren made it to the Goddess and he, the Sheikah man too turning around as Ganon, his upper body still laying separate on the ground began laughing madly, the Majora's eye reappearing between his horns.
"I'm low on energy, but I'll get us as close as I can, we're leaving now." Din breathed.
An image of the Master Sword flashed through Link's mind as Din gripped his hand while placing her other palm on Oren's shoulder. "Let's go then." Link said.
The last thing the three saw as they dematerialized was Ganon's upper body reconnecting with his lower, the Demon King standing up and looking at the three, the color of his eyes being replaced with a bright yellow, black pupils in the center while a massive grin spread across his face, the third eye between his horns glowing as it watched them retreat.
oOo
Elgon, Erris, Aren and Naora stood at the ready, the tense atmosphere seemingly holding them in place.
"What kind of trick is this?" Sandrine growled, holding her sword to the neck of a completely unconcerned Cia.
"Zelda has been feeling weak since her battle with Ganondorf, she gave you what you wanted, now let her be." the Sorceress replied.
"I won't allow her to send the Chief of the Gerudo away with such disrespect!" the woman snapped.
"Sister, this is enough!" Naora said, the other Gerudo women standing off to the side.
"Chief Sandrine, with all due respect, I have to agree." Khali said, nodding her head at the younger woman.
All eyes turned to the nearest corner as a man wearing Hylian armor turned, stumbling to a halt as he locked eyes with the nearest Gerudo warrior.
"Don't mean to interrupt..." the man said.
"Leave." Sandrine growled.
The man looked around uneasily before taking a step back and raising his hands. "Just take it easy for a moment." he said before turning his head slightly to the left. "Elgon! Over here!" he called out.
The Light Sage turned his attention away from the cobblestones he stood upon to find none other than Cerin, Captain of the Faron Province Guard ahead of him.
"Cerin, I see you ended up in this mess too." he replied.
"No! You don't talk unless I allow it!" Sandrine yelled, everyone going quiet, looking to her cautiously. The Younger Gerudo woman glanced around before setting her eyes on Cerin. "Fine, I'll allow it...why are you here?" she asked.
"Just making sure the way is cleared for some friends here." the man said as he ushered a group around the corner.
Every Gerudo woman with the addition of Orvik dropped to one knee, looks of disbelief on their face as none other than the Goddess of Sand rounded the bend, Hero of Legend, a white haired man in Hylian armor and a worn out looking Sheikah man in tow.
"All of you stand up, I'd rather like to get inside and lay down for a moment." Din said, exasperated.
The Sheikah women...and Orvik stood up quickly, Sandrine rushing over to the Goddess, bowing as she did so.
"Goddess of Sand, I am Sandrine, Chieftain of the Hyrulean desert tribe." she said.
"Well met, young Chieftain, you are an honor to the Gerudo race and such, but I really must get some rest." Din said, patting a slightly annoyed looking Sandrine on the shoulder.
"What kind of Goddess needs rest?" a skeptical Gerudo woman called out.
Din turned her head towards the woman, her eyes flashing a bright red as wind whipped through the street, fire lighting over her body and thunder booming over head. "The kind that just fought all three original demons fused into one and lived." she said, the Gerudo woman taking in the display before falling to her knees and begging forgiveness, to which Din, unamused, obliged.
"Was that really necessary?" Link asked.
"No, but sometimes you need to remind people to mind their manners." she replied.
"Did you really fight him...Ganondorf?" an older woman asked.
"My sisters and I gave you..you and him a chance to raise him right, steer him away from the evil that inhabits his body." Din said, keeping her eyes ahead.
"You know?" Orvik replied.
Din snapped her head to her right, crimson irises set on the two elders. "My sisters and I thought that if we gave him the right set of values to be raised with he may use his power for good, but we were wrong." Din answered.
"Please, we want to right the wrong we have done, we know our son has to die." Orvik responded.
"It was Farore who lifted the curse, speak with her for forgiveness." Din replied.
"The curse?" Khali asked.
"Before his first rebirth as a Gerudo, Demise's dark energies cursed any woman who carried his physical embodiment to term with death upon his birth. We gave you the strength to survive." Din explained.
"I...I thank you for giving me the chance...but please, please help us make this right." Khali said.
"Maybe in time, but as for now, I must rest...your son has become quite the monster." Din said, Khali bowing her head as the Goddess moved on.
Link watched her enter, stopping as a hand gripped his arm firmly.
"Link, my boy, it is great to see you again." Elgon said as he embraced the younger man.
"Elgon, I feared the worst when I was captured, I thought you all had been executed." Link said.
The white haired man in Hylian armor smiled as Erris approached him, returning the grin.
"It's good to see you again, Sir Volga." the Prince said.
"The Hylian armor suits you." Cia said as she joined her son.
"My Queen, I have not had time to express how pleasing it is to see you again." Volga said, bowing to Cia.
"And I have not had time to thank you for keeping my son safe all of these years." Cia responded.
"Don't go thinking I still need your help." Erris said with a smirk. "Wizzro's glad you're back with us." Erris said, holding up his right hand, the purple gem stone on his ring glowing brightly.
"Sandrine." Naora said as she walked up.
"Yes, Sister?" the girl responded pointedly.
"I need to see mother." Naora replied.
"Then I'll need a favor." Sandrine answered.
"A favor?" Naora growled before closing her eyes tightly, calming herself before opening them. "Fine, what is it?" she asked.
"I seek an alliance with the Ocean Tribe in the Great Bay, I think it would helpful if both daughters of Aveil appear before Captain Shekila to ask for her help."
"They're pirates." Naora remarked.
"And we're thieves." Sandrine replied.
Naora sighed, looking down at her little sister. "Fine, I'll go with you."
"What is this now?" Sandrine asked as she turned to find Hero of Legend approaching her.
"Sage of Spirit." Link remarked, nodding towards Naora.
"You can call me by my name, the fact I was betrothed to your nemesis needn't mean you have to be so awkward." the Gerudo woman responded.
"When you state it like that." Sandrine began, stopping as she noticed Link looking at her.
"I thought I might as well introduce myself, I'm-" Link began, Sandrine raising a finger and cutting him off.
"Link, the great Hylian Hero of Legend who has felled the man that repeatedly brings dishonor and hate upon my people multiple times but can never seem to kill him permanently." Sandrine said.
"There's a bit more to it than that." Link said crossing his arms.
"Well? What brings you to me, Hero?" Sandrine asked, Naora looking on, concerned.
"I just wanted to thank you for coming here to lend your aid...our last battle caused the deaths of many and forced us to retreat, we need all the help we can get." Link answered.
"No need to thank me, thank your old friend Nabooru." Sandrine said. "During the Era of the...you of time, Nabooru returned to our people and challenged the Cheiftan loyal to Ganondorf for leadership, killing her before decreeing from that moment onwards the Gerudo would always be friends to the Princess and Hero." Sandrine explained.
"I was aware of that, but you could've have stayed and avoided all of this, but you sided with us, so I thank you." the Hero said.
"I accept your thanks, it was nice meeting you Hero, but my sister and I really must be on our way, I hope you don't mind if I leave Khali and the others here to talk over our alliance once Zelda wakes." Sandrine said as she turned and walked away, Naora at her side.
"He called you the Spirit Sage...we have much to talk about." Sandrine said.
oOo
Link walked up the stairs gently, Aren helping Oren up behind him.
"No need to be ashamed of your fatigue, you've brought great honor to the Sheikah." Aren said, Oren clenching his teeth.
"A great Sheikah warrior must never show weakness, especially in front of his wife." Oren answered.
A small smile formed on Link's face, a serious expression taking over as he reached the door to the room Mayor Met had provided them.
Impa leaned against the frame, she was providing Zelda much needed alone time with her sisters after Din had returned and Farore had begun to stir, the Triforce of Courage's power no longer blocked from reaching her.
"Impa!" a Link called.
"Link?" the Sheikah woman asked, her jaw falling open and eyes going wide as the Hero stepped aside, none other than Oren standing behind him. "Oren...OREN!" she yelled, running down the hall and jumping onto her husband, embracing him tightly, Aren slipping away after helping the older man stay upright. "I thought you were dead." Impa said through tears, Oren silently holding her.
Link looked on with a smile, this was the first time in any one of his lives he had seen Impa cry...it somewhat unnerved him.
"Zelda's in this room...I'll be outside." Aren said, gesturing towards the door.
Link took a deep breath before entering, he hadn't properly seen Zelda in so long he feared she may not recognize him, his blonde hair now reaching his shoulders, a long scar across the left side of his face from battles passed. Last they saw of each other they were desperately trying to fight off Ganondorf.
The Hero gripped the doorknob tightly, turning it and pushing the door open softly, before him Din lay on the bed, asleep, Zelda tending to her.
"Zelda." Link said quietly.
The Princess whirled around, her blue eyes meeting those of Link, a look of disbelief on her face. "Link...you're finally here." she replied, her mouth breaking into a wide grin as one tear trailed down her cheek.
oOo
Once again, sorry for the wait...this was a long one, I hope you enjoyed it!
Gerudospirit: I hope things have calmed down after we talked last, it's always good hearing from you! I'm glad you enjoyed the creation story, Nintendo didn't really give us anything beyond the creation of the world upon which Hyrule is set, so I had a lot of room to move, so to speak. I feel like I've really neglected to mention how young this incarnation of Ganondorf actually is, if I've done my math correctly according to my own continuity he should be around thirty-one, besides, I just couldn't help but wonder how the main characters, namely Link and Zelda would react to Ganon's parents. I hope this chapter kind of expanded on their feelings towards their son! Thank you for reviewing!
Guest: Thank you! It's good to see you so excited about my chapters! I'm hoping you enjoyed this one! Thanks for the review!
A huge thank you to all of you kind individuals who clicked favorite and follow on my profile and story! Please make sure to review and tell me what you think of the story so far! Feedback is always appreciated!
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!
-Prometheus17