Shilara strode down the hall briskly, her ever-present air of superiority as apparent as ever.
"Are you sure about this?" Captain Tanyrik asked as they rounded yet another corner, the two Moblins standing guard barely paying them any mind.
Captain Tanyrik had been promoted to Captain of the Castle Town Guard after Viscen's death and showing his own seeming loyalty to Ganondorf's new regime, leaving the Lanayru Province itself in the hands of yet another Captain.
Shilara shot the man a glare before peering around a corner, quickly ducking back behind the wall as she noticed the pair of Black Knight's guarding the corridor, their spears crossed to block it completely. "It's the only way...unless your okay with being wiped out from existence along with the rest of us." she replied pointedly.
Captain Tanyrik gulped before stepping around the corner with the Gerudo woman, both Black Knights raising their heads in recognition.
"I'm here to tend to my brother." Shilara said, an almost sweet tone to her voice.
"And the man?" one Knight asked, raising a massive arm and pointing at Tanyrik.
"My personal bodyguard." Shilara answered.
Both Knights turned to the Captain, looking at him as if skeptical for a moment before pulling their weapons to the side, opening the way to the corridor.
Shilara and Tanyrik both started forward, their footfalls slowing dramatically as they saw it, the entire hall, all the way to the end was lined with Black Knights each standing completely still, holding there swords front and center with both hands.
"Keep still and make no sudden movements." Shilara hissed.
"Of...of course." the Captain answered nervously.
"Damn, if I do something to disturb them even I couldn't take them all." Shilara thought, gritting her teeth.
At the middle point of the hall a large doorway with ornate brickwork surrounding it stood, two crimson armored Knights standing in front of it.
"Blood Knights, they're even more powerful than the Black armored ones." Shilara informed Tanyrik.
"Great, just what I needed to hear." he replied quietly, a couple Black Knights nearby tilting their heads towards him.
"I've arrived with the blue potions my brother requested, please allow us entry." Shilara said.
"The Master is resting, he has ordered that no one be allowed in his chambers." one of the Blood Knight's said, it's voice causing both Shilara and Tanyrik to shiver.
"He'll need these soon." Shilara pressed.
"Then leave them with me." the Knight responded, extending a fist as large as her head before unfurling it's fingers.
"He needs it administered through injection while he sleeps, it aids in his healing process, I must enter now, it's crucial to my brother waking up in time to address the courtiers." Shilara said, her tone slowly becoming more aggressive. "Or...I can leave these with you, allow him to sleep for however long it takes him to rejuvenate his physical form and give the potions to him after he's done destroying all of you and creating new ones to take your place." the Gerudo woman said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Both Blood Knights stood in silence for a moment before withdrawing their weapons and standing off to the side. "You may enter." the one they had previously spoken to answered.
"Thank you." Shilara said sarcastically as she entered the room, Tanyrik closing the door behind them.
"Thank the Goddesses it worked." the Captain said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"It's not over yet." Shilara answered, withdrawing a jar full of a violet liquid from within the case of Blue Potions.
"I think that one's gone bad...or has a little too much Chu jelly in it." the Captain said.
"Actually, it's pure purple Chu jelly." Shilara replied.
"Wait, but won't that be even more detrimental to his health? Purple Chu jelly has been studied for centuries and no health benefits have ever come out of it. It...it's killed most of those who ingested it." Tanyrik responded.
Shilara tok a moment to furiously shush the man before taking a look around the large sitting room, keeping her eye on the door to her brothers bed chamber. "That's my intent." the Gerudo woman answered.
"You think it will kill him?" the Captain asked.
"No, not at all. You see Tanyrik." she began "My brother's mortal body can't take the power he's containing inside of it, he has to ingest massive amounts of blue potion and rest for days at a time just to gather enough strength to constantly heal his body so all of that energy doesn't tear him apart."
"But...I thought he was a God." the Captain answered.
"He likes to think that, but my brother has always been arrogant as the sky is currently black. He's powerful to the point of being able to hold his own against Din herself, but if he truly was a God, he'd have no need for these." Shilara answered, picking up and inspecting a blue potion.
"So what's your intent?" the Captain asked.
"Tanyrik...you are merely here to be lookout, you ask far too many questions." Shilara growled quietly as the two entered Ganondorf's bed chamber.
"I...I apologize." Tanyrik stammered as his attention turned from the annoyed Gerudo woman to the dormant form of the Demon King, lying face up on his bed, only wearing a pair of black trousers as his entire upper body was bare, multiple clear tubes stuck into his gray skin, two massive glass tanks full of blue potion on either side of him, advanced looking machines pumping the liquid from the tanks, through the tubes and out through the needles embedded in his flesh and into his bloodstream.
"What in Din's name is this?" Tanyrik asked.
"His rest was proving insufficient when it came to recuperating, so we had this system commissioned...I plan to add the purple Chu jelly to one of tanks...it will cause even more damage his body will need to heal from and he'll be forced to go into a deeper sleep...now what did I say about questions?" Shilara said.
"Oh...of course my Lady, I apologize." the Captain said quietly, taking to one knee.
"Get up, get up." Shilara said exasperatedly. "I can tell you have more questions, so go ahead and ask." she said, keeping her hand steady as she opened the metal hatch to one of the tanks.
"Where did you get the Chu jelly?" Tanyrik asked immediately.
"Went into a cave and killed a Chu-Chu myself." the Gerudo woman answered.
"Oh...alright then...and if you're not planning to kill him...why are we doing this?" the Captain asked.
"To force him into a deeper sleep." Shilara said as she stepped back, the purple Chu jelly contaminated blue potion entering Ganondorf's veins, the Demon King quietly grunting in pain and twitching before going still again. "So there's no chance he'll wake up when we steal that so we can give it to someone who can kill him." Shilara said.
Tanyrik turned, mouth falling agape as he saw it, the fabled Master Sword hanging upon the wall directly in front of Ganondorf's bed.
"Is that...the real thing?" the Captain asked.
"You can be damn sure it is, he took it off the Hero after defeating him." Shilara said as she extended a hand.
"What are you doing?" Tanyrik asked, looking at the woman confusedly.
"It burns the hand of all of those who would try to hold it that the Goddesses have deemed unworthy...in other words, anyone other than the Hero...I'm trying to telekinetically lift it to avoid getting my palm burnt." Shilara growled.
"I think you may have to try something else." Tanyrik suggested as the blade refused to move.
"You want to try? Go ahead, take it!" Shilara snapped, Tanyrik shaking his head from side to side while holding his hands up. "Fine then...should have known, my magical abilities aren't strong enough to overcome the warding the Goddesses placed on it." she growled.
"Here." Tanyrik said, opening a wardrobe and pulling a sheet from it. "Every room in the Castle has a wardrobe with extra bedding in it, the King's former bed chamber is no exception." the Captain said as he draped the sheet over the ground.
"Well, Tanyrik, I have to hand it to you, you're proving more useful than I imagined you'd be." Shilara stated.
The Captain looked up at her in an unamused way before turning his attention to the Master Sword. "Here it goes." he breathed before pulling his gauntlet over his hand and grabbing onto it. The man quickly bit down, stifling a scream as he felt the burn through the metal and fabric of his glove. Tanyrik set the Master Sword down in the center of the sheet quickly before bolting upright and ripping off the gauntlet, the spell on the blade having caused it's hilt to melt straight through his glove. "Goddesses dammit." he cursed, looking down at the still red hot, glowing metal of his glove, the fabric inside blackened with embers falling from the end of the burnt threads.
"Here." Shilara said, tossing the man a blue potion. "Take a sip, it'll heal that burn nicely and possibly give you some temporary magical ability...but only to the level of simple magicians...you round ears are out of luck in that area for the most part." She remarked.
"Won't he realize it's gone when he wakes up?" Tanyrik asked, nodding towards the Master Sword's former place on the wall before taking a sip of the potion, grimacing at the bitter taste.
"I've got it covered." Shilara answered as she withdrew a standard Knight's blade from the sheath on her back. The Gerudo woman held the blade in front of her, extending her right index finger, a thin beam of energy shooting from it and melting a small number of sigils into it. "There we go." she said, Tanyrik looking on curiously as she pressed her finger to the middle sigil, the runes beginning to glow as the form of the blade started to waver as if it were about to melt, the Captain's eyes widening as it collapsed into a liquid, suspended in mid-air before reconstituting itself into a form that perfectly resembled the Master Sword all the way down to the Triforce carving on the bottom of the blade.
"That's...that's amazing." the Captain said.
"It's no simple illusion or glamour spell either, I reconstructed it on even the smallest of levels...my brother wont' be able to tell the difference, he never picks it up." Shilara explained.
"What about the power it carries, won't he sense it missing?" Tanyrik questioned.
"The Goddesses warded it to hide it from him...so my brother couldn't find and destroy it, even in his current form he can't sense it...besides, he never spends enough time awake in here to notice that kind of thing." Shilara said as she wrapped the sheet in it's entirety around her hand as she slid the Master Sword into the sheath she carried, quickly casting a glamour spell over the hilt to make it appear as the Knight's Blade she brought in with her. "Now let's get the hell out of here." the Gerudo woman said, gesturing towards the door.
oOo
Termina-Zora Hall
"The final answer is no." Lulu announced, her voice echoing throughout the massive room.
Mikau balled his fists, Evan, Lulu, Japas and Tijo, the other Terminian Zora leaders and his bandmates crossing their arms and scowling at him.
"You can't give up just now, not when everything we know hangs in the balance!" the Zora man argued.
"Mikau! Lulu is our leader, what she says, goes." Evan replied.
The Terminian Zora watching from the other side of the pond in the middle of the room began to quietly speak amongst each other, all eyes set on the desperate Mikau.
"Any day now...any day Ganondorf's army could march on Termina and take it...we need to pledge our aid to the Hero and help the Hyrulean forces regroup before it's too late." he said.
"You need to chill out, Mikau, we're safe up here, he just wanted Hyrule and he got it." Japas responded.
"Japas is right, besides, we lost too many of our own in the last battle...fighting with the Hero hasn't gone too well for us so far." Tijo added.
"What about all of you!" Mikau yelled, turning and sweeping his arm across the room, the whispers in the crowd dying down as all the Terminian Zora's eyes settled on him. "Are you just going to lye down and hope evil doesn't coming knocking? Is that how you're going to live your lives?!" he shouted.
"My son went with the Hero, and he never came back!" a Zora man yelled.
"We're done listening to you!" another shouted.
Mikau grit his teeth, stumbling back as decorative seashell that had formerly adorned the wall struck him in the head.
"You think you can just tell us to go out and die for you and some Hylian?!" a woman yelled.
"You're all fools!" Mikau shouted as he stood up, his natural electrical charge arcing over his body.
"Mikau, our Hyrulean brother's and sister's home is now occupied by Ganondorf's forces, the Zola to be more exact, and unless you fancy this idea, than perhaps you should agree we avoid provoking this Ganondorf." Lulu said sternly.
"Just let me find the Hero! I can bring him here and he'll show you! We can fight and we can win! Just think, we can set our brothers and sisters in Hyrule free!" Mikau replied, his words sounding pained and desperate.
"Mikau! Enough!" Lulu yelled, a murmur breaking out among the crowd as she stood, you've become obsessed! You stand before your fellow leaders who are still rebuilding from the massive losses incurred from the battle in Hyrule and ask us to yet again lay down the lives of our people to save a land that isn't even ours! We still need to rebuild! We don't have the resources and support for this...I'm sorry Mikau, but I can't have you running around trying to spread dissent and unrest among our people...it pains me to do this, but for the time being you are banished from our domain."
Lulu's words stuck him like an icicle through the heart. "B...banished?" he stammered, his mouth hanging open.
"Not permanently...just until you agree to work with us in rebuilding instead of trying to force us into a fight." Lulu said, a sad tone to her voice.
"Fine." Mikau responded. "Banish me for wanting to fight evil and save the lives of many, I'll do this alone." he growled.
"Mikau, wait!" Evan shouted, his pleas falling on deaf ears as the Terminian Zora man exited the hall.
Termina-The Great Bay
Mikau climbed to his feet, torches burning on posts that had only recently been embedded in the sand on the beach, the skies being so dark that any seafarer wouldn't be able to find the shore without them.
"Find anything out there?" an exhausted Fisherman asked Mikau.
"What do you mean?" the Zora man asked.
The Great Bay had grown from a small village with two homes, one abandoned, to a sprawling port city that took up the entire bay, only a small strip of sand still remaining untouched on the beach.
"My boys and I were out there for hours, but no matter where we went, we couldn't find a damn thing, it's like the fish are running away." the man said.
Mikau nodded, even though the waters were pitch black, he had noticed it, the only movement he could feel in the water was his own...as if nothing else was around. "When something strange and unnatural happens, the wildlife tends to be the first to flee." Mikau commented.
"So...what are you here for if not fishing tips?" the man asked.
"I need to see the Owl Statue." Mikau replied.
"Good luck with that, we've got Guards from Clock Town here just to watch that thing, the Owl Statues are only for emergencies, you know that." the man laughed.
"Dammit, I am Mikau, one of the five Zora leaders! This is an emergency!" he hissed
The Fisherman squinted at Mikau, his eyes going wide. "I...I knew you looked familiar, I saw you and the other Indigo-go's at the Festival of Time this past year! Forgive me, my eyesight's not the best and it's dark out...like always, come on, I'll show you where the Owl Statue is." the man said.
Mikau muttered his thanks as he followed the man, he eyed other Zora enviously as he passed them, they could go back to Zora Hall whenever they wanted to, while being oblivious to the real danger that lurked on their borders.
"Alright, on your own from here." the Fisherman said, nodding his head at Mikau before making his way back to the shore.
The Zora ruler strode forward swiftly, stopping before the two guards at the entrance to a two-story wooden building.
"Halt! This is a restricted area." one guard shouted.
"I am Mikau, one of the five rulers of the Zora, I'm here on official business." he stated.
"Proof of your identity?" the other guard requested.
Mikau reached into the small pack he brought, withdrawing a bone attached to a string. "This is a rib from a Skullfish, creatures created by Majora nearly one thousand years ago, each of us carries one, and they are the only pieces left in all of the five lands." he explained.
The first guard nodded, locking eyes with Mikau. "So I've been told." he responded. "Follow me."
Mikau walked after him while the other Guard stayed behind.
"So, you know it's a one way trip, right?" the Guard asked.
"That I do, just checking in on the Hyrulean Zora kingdom." Mikau replied.
"You sure about about that?" the Guard spat. "You know Hyrule is..."
"Going through a time of political upheaval? Yes, yes I do. We must know the fates of our brothers and sisters, though."
"Very well." the Guard said as he withdrew a key and unlocked a thick iron door, it's hinges groaning as he pushed it open. "The sea salt in the air, it rusts all the metal around here real fast." he remarked.
"I'm not here to inspect your facilities, I'm just here for that." he said, gesturing towards the stone owl in the middle of the room.
"You know how it works?" the Guard asked.
"Indeed...wish me luck." Mikau said as he placed a hand on it's head.
"Best of luck." the guard responded.
"The Hyrulean Swamplands." he said. As soon as he uttered the words, two enormous white wings shot out from behind the statue, enveloping him and spinning around before disappearing.
Faron Province-Hyrule
Mikau inwardly groaned as he fell face first into the mud, the Zora man quickly pushed himself back to his feet, looking out across the dense mess of trees, vines, and steam from the marshes. He turned to his left, diving into the nearest pool of water and wading his way through until it became deep enough to swim. The waters were murky and full of plant refuse, but his people had evolved to see in even the worst conditions while swimming in the ocean. Mikau slowed as he came upon a large cave at the bottom of the basin, he tensed before dropping to his feet, making his way inside.
Mikau grabbed onto a dent in the rock face, pulling himself up onto the plateau above it, he darted his head over the side, looking down at the pool he crawled out of.
"Here I am, home of the Hyrulean Swamp Zola." he groaned.
He slowly rounded a corner, resisting the urge to hold a hand over his nose as the area was saturated with the smell of dead, decaying flesh. He walked over to the edge of the the overhang he found himself on, looking down to find a the Zola all gathered below, bones and carcasses, some alarmingly humanoid strewn about.
"Now or never." he thought. Mikau stepped forward, leaping down from the overhang and landing in the sand directly behind the crowd.
"Zora!" one of the massive creatures yelled.
The monstrous cousins of the Zora surrounded him growling and baring their pointed teeth, the claws on the hand of their webbed fingers flexing in anticipation.
"I'm here to negotiate!" Mikau called out.
"We don't negotiate with Zora." one of the creatures growled.
"Queen Zora tried to throw us out!" another shouted.
"I'm not one of the Hyrulean Zora, I'm from Termina!" Mikau argued. "See! I look different!" he continued as he pointed at his longer heed fin, a blue stripe running down it's length and then to the two golden fins that hung from the sides of his head.
The Zola relaxed slightly, the ones that had picked up harpoons and clubs lowering them.
"We, the Ocean Zora of the Great Bay seek your aid against Ganondorf's forces." Mikau announced.
The Zola looked at him blankly, a few turning to each other in confusion.
"The Zora from Termina want your help." he stated.
"We don't help Zora!" the Zola in front argued.
"Okay...you follow the strongest, correct...what if I challenged your leader and won...would you follow me?" Mikau asked.
"I'm afraid their leader is quite indisposed at the moment, maybe I can fill in." a confident voice with an upper class Hylian accent called out.
Mikau tensed as the Zola parted, none other than the Hylian noble Rickard Gavan walking through, sword drawn.
"He wasn't too cooperative, so we showed him the error of his ways." the man said, gesturing towards the badly decomposed and partially cannibalized corpse of a rather large Zola leaning against the side of the cavern.
"One of Ganondorf's henchmen?" Mikau shot.
"Henchmen? Oh no, not in the least." Rickard replied. "More of a...General if you will." he said with a grin.
"Makes no difference what you are, you're going to die here." Mikau replied.
"Bold claim from a fish out of water." the Noble replied. "Imagine my luck, coming for a visit to make sure they're following orders at the same time you showed up...looks like I'll have some fun in the Goddesses forsaken hole in the ground after all."
"You talk tough for man who was once seen being thrown out of a brothel by one of the Hero's friends." Mikau taunted.
"That 'friend of the Hero' was Thrakon Illyrios...a man of strength greater than even that of a Goron...a man who's head I'll relieve from his shoulders soon enough." Rickard growled.
"Enough of this!" Mikau yelled as he charged forward.
Rickard met him, fading back to dodge a punch before lunging back in with a stab, Mikau deflecting it with his armored forearm fins. Mikau flipped forward, bringing a kick down towards the Hylian, the man blocking the strike with his forearm and pushing the Zora back. Mikau attempted to recover, falling onto his back as he avoided a downward slash from Rickard.
"You see, my father was fat and weak...I made a point of never being like him!" Rickard yelled.
Mikau rolled backwards as the man stabbed at him, the point of his blade embedding in the sand below. The Zora man took the opportunity to deliver a kick the Noble's head.
Rickard stumbled back, a grin on his face. "I trained long hours with the sword, asking for no mercy from my instructors." he stated.
"I care not what training you've had." Mikau yelled as he ran at Gavan, dodging to the side from diagonal slash, fading out of the way of a vertical upwards slash and blocking a horizontal leftwards slash with his fin.
"And I learned how to counter an opponent's fighting style in a short amount of time." Rickard added.
Mikau ignored his remark, flipping over a slash from Rickard and landing directly in front of him. The Zora man made to slash with his blade like fin, Rickard spinning underneath and slashing the Zora man across the thigh before standing up and delivering a jab to his throat.
Mikau fell to one knee, holding hand to his throat as he examined the cut, it wasn't too deep, but it would slow him down. He shot to his feet, running at Rickard and delivering two diagonal slashes with his forearm fins before performing a flip and attempting to stab the man with both at the same time. Rickard blocked both with the armor on this forearm before knocking both of Mikau's arms aside and stabbing at his head, the Zora man dodging to the right, the blade severing the small fin that hung from his temple.
Mikau stumbled back, flinging both of his arms to the side, his fins releasing and flying at Rickard. The man performed a spin attack, deflecting both projectiles.
"I always wondered how your people threw those, is there a socket they disconnect from or is it like tissue that tears and regrows once they return to you?" he asked with a grin.
Mikau charged again, roaring as he threw two hooks at Rickard, the man fading back before bringing up his blade and countering three slashes from Mikau's fins. the Zora man spun around and performed a sidekick, Rickard darting to the side and sending a downwards vertical slash at the Zora, Mikau retracting his leg as the blade carved through his calf.
Mikau cried out in pain as he fell to the floor, slowly standing.
"Can't run forever, little fish." Rickard said.
Mikau stumbled back as blood dripped from his various injuries, Rickard slowly stalking towards him, slashing his blade across the rock that lined the ground of the cavern's outer edges.
"Thought you would just come here and recruit this bunch, didn't you? I have trouble believing you actually thought it would be so easy." Rickard said.
"I...I'll kill you." Mikau breathed as he stepped backwards, suddenly feeling his foot hit a rock. Mikau fell onto his back, raising both hands as Rickard immediately leapt over to him, flipping his blade upside down and driving it towards the Zora man.
Mikau grabbed the sword with both hands as his fins didn't react fast enough, he let out a pained groan as the edge slowly cut through his palms.
"Just let go, this will all be over soon." Rickard said with a manic grin.
Mikau kicked off the rocks, sliding back as much as he could before blade slid out of his grasp, he attempted to move the side, only for the sword to enter his chest, letting out a clang as it made it all the way through and hit the rock below.
"Damn, just missed your heart." Rickard said. The man pulled his blade free, Mikau screaming as the sword left his flesh. "Stay still, this will only hurt for second!" he continued.
Mikau get the blade again, grinding his teeth and doing his best to block the pain, he cried out as he called upon his magic, electricity traveling up Rickard's blade and stopping at the hilt.
"Using your electrokinetic abilities, eh? Luckily for me I wore my leather gloves today, not very conductive you see." he taunted.
Mikau darted his arm to the side, gripping the nearest rock he could find and flinging it into his opponent's face.
Rickard stumbled back as the rock hit him dead center on the nose, blood dripping from one nostril as he looked up at the Zora man.
Mikau was back on his feet, he ran at Rickard, shoving the man to the ground before sprinting to the pool of water in the middle of the room and diving into it, he was too injured to keep up the fight.
"What are you waiting for?! After him!" Rickard yelled, the Zola leaping into the pool.
Mikau felt himself being pulled along by a powerful current, he had finally solved the age old question of how the Zola entered the Zora's River so quickly, but couldn't quite manage to care as at least a dozen Zola came into view.
Mikau grimaced as he tried to swim, every wound he had sustained aching and stinging, the hole in his chest bleeding profusely from both sides, even if he managed to outrun the Zola, they'd find him through the trail of blood he left.
Suddenly the river grew cold, even though it was winter and snow coated the ground he knew this was something else, something unnatural, he looked back to find the river quickly freezing behind him, the Zola panicking and trying to swim away only to become encased by it. Mikau swam upwards, towards the riverbank, away from whatever was coming for him when a hand suddenly gripped his arm and pulled him out. The Zora man coughed, his chest heaving as he laid on the shore.
"I thought I sensed you, I can do that now, sense things." a familiar voice said.
Even though his wounds protested, Mikau bolted upright, finding to his disbelief, King Laorik.
"Laorik...I watched you die...how is this possible?" he asked.
"No thanks for my help?" the late King said.
"Of course...I...thank you for helping me escape...but...but how is this happening...am I...dead?" he asked.
"No, you are not, but I am." Laorik said.
Mikau glanced down, inhaling sharply as his eyes adjusted, finding a hole all the way through Laorik's chest.
"You're a..." he said, trailing off.
"A Ghost, a spirit, a Poe. Whatever you want to call it." Laorik answered.
"You didn't move on?" Mikau asked, a shiver traversing his spine.
"I can't, the gates to the other worlds, the ones you travel to after death...they are closed." Laorik answered. "That's fortunate for you, though, in this form, I can sense the presence of others and accomplish feats such as this." he said, looking down at the frozen river.
"Laorik...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, I should've saved you." Mikau began.
"You couldn't have, I died instantly." he responded. "But, you can save others...aside from the Sacred Realm and the Dark World...there is another place...you see, Demons can return from the Dark World, but not from this place...if you send Ganondorf and his brothers there, that will be the end of them." Laorik explained.
"How...how do we send them there?" Mikau asked.
"This place is a void, a space between worlds...only by the merging of the five original gods can it be opened...this is all I know." Laorik said.
"I'll find the Hero, I'll tell him." Mikau said with a nod.
Laorik cracked a small smile, nodding at Mikau. "When you see Kyra, say goodbye for me...tell her I love her and will see her again someday." Laorik said.
"I will, I promise." Mikau said, watching as the Zora King faded away.
oOo
The Zora Guards stood as still as possible, every move they made being scrutinized by the ever vigilant Zola that stood in front of them, Guards for the Guards they called themselves. Queen Mazu had been spending all of her time in her quarters, only rarely ever emerging and only speaking with her closest advisors, being forced to allow Ganondorf's forces, especially the Zola into her home was a hard blow to her pride but she couldn't afford to take any chances, especially after the Goron's tried to fight when an army of Dinolfos came to occupy their domain, eventually forcing the stone giants to flee.
The first Guard glanced skywards, a circling gull taking his attention, the Zola in front of him taking a step forward.
"Just...just looking at the bird." he stammered, pointing at the circling avian.
"Why?" the beast questioned.
"Because it's been circling for a while." the Guard answered, his fellow Guard and the other Zola watching him closely. He glanced up again, quickly stepping back as the bird swooped down, stopping between both Zola.
The Zora Guards fell onto their backs, looking on in shock when the Gull morphed into human form, an auburn haired Hylian woman appearing in it's place, clad in dark blue army with a silver Hylian crest on the chest plate. The Zola raised their weapons after the initial shock wore off, the woman withdrawing two crimson shards and tossing them at her would be assailants, both being fully encased by the red ice in seconds.
"Wha...who...what is going on? Who are you?!" the second guard spat as he stood up.
"None of that is important right now, I know you're sheltering the Prince, a Foreign Princess and two Sheikah, bring them to me." the woman demanded.
"Are you...are you one of Ganondorf's people?" the first guard asked.
"If I were would I have frozen them?" she shot.
Both Guards remained silent, gripping their weapons tighter.
The woman growled, tilting her head down and eyeing the two Zora. "I am most decidedly not under Ganondorf's employ! Now, the Prince, Princess and the Sheikah, bring them to me so I can get them out of Hyrule before Ganon finds them!" she urged.
"They're not here." a strong feminine voice called out.
"Queen Mazu!" both Guards uttered as they took a knee.
"Get up and point your weapons at her!" the Queen said incredulously. "Do you know how hard it was to convince the Zola not to come out with me?" she hissed.
"No I don't and neither do I care. What do you mean they are not here?" the woman demanded.
"I'll ask the questions, thank you." the Zora Queen growled. "What do you think you're doing freezing them like that? If they don't survive we are through."
"It's red ice, they're alive and perfectly fine, and if you thaw them fast enough they'll never even know." the woman replied. "Now, Prince Audrik, Princess Kayala and the Sheikah, where are they?"
"They made a run for the Terminian border, left about this time yesterday." the Queen answered begrudgingly.
"Thanks for the help." the woman said, turning her back. "Oh, before I forget, you can use this to thaw them out." she said, tossing a bottle of blue flame back to the Guards.
"Wait, you can't just waltz in here and interrogate...me..." the Queen said, trailing off as the woman transformed into a seagull, taking to the skies once more.
"Where do you think she keeps all of it when she's a bird?" one Guard asked, holding the bottle of blue flame.
A glare from the Queen silenced him quickly. "Get to work thawing out those damn Zola." she growled.
oOo
Audrik landed on his back, hitting the ground rolling until he finally came to a stop next to a rock.
Princess Kayala used her telekinesis to hurl stones at the massive Black Knight that pursued them, the attack having no effect.
"Just keep on running, you're not even denting it's armor!" Lemuria called.
Iren jumped onto the Knight's back, stabbing madly with his daggers, the Knight reaching up before he could pierce the plating around it's neck and tossing him off.
The Prince got to his feet, outstretching one arm.
"You're element is shadow, that won't help us much," Iren remarked, clutching his shoulder.
"Just because I have one strong point, doesn't mean I don't have other talents." the Prince said before blasting a bolt of electricity from his palm. The attack struck the Knight in the chest, sending it skidding back on it's heels while Audrik continued the assault. "Let's see how you like this! he shouted, raising his other arm and making a swirling motion, a torrent of flame rising around their attacker.
"Is it dead yet?" Kayala called.
"I wouldn't count on it." Lemuria answered.
Just then a shield flew out of the inferno, Audrik ceasing his assault so as to dive to the side, the shield just missing him and embedding itself in a tree behind him.
Iren helped the Prince to his feet as the Knight exited the blaze the Prince had started, embers falling from it's armor.
"I will take all of your heads back to Lord Ganondorf." the Knight said, trudging forward.
"Any ideas?" Lemuria asked.
As if on queue as seagull swooped from the sky, cutting the straps on the back of the chest plate with it's talons, the armor falling away.
"Does someone here have the ability to speak to animals?" Audrik asked.
The group paid no mind to his question as the Knight made to turn around, only for a thin blade to pierce it's chest and cut downwards through it's midsection, finally turning and exiting through it's side.
Audrik, Kayala, Lemuria and Iren watched in awe as the Black Knight fell to the side, revealing a woman standing behind it.
"I really hate these things." she said. "Their magical warding is so heavy that even the strongest of flames can't burn away the bindings on the back of their armor." she said, sending a glance at Audrik. "But, one of these can." she continued, gesturing to her blade, ancient sigils scrawled along it's entire length.
"Who are you?" Iren demanded, taking up a defensive posture.
"Just the Knight who saved you." the woman replied.
"Who sent you?" Audrik demanded.
The woman closed her eyes in agitation, opening them to look up at Audrik while gritting her teeth. "The leader of my organization, The Knights of Hytopia." she answered.
"Who might that be?" Lemuria shouted.
"Best to keep that under wraps until we make it to safety." the woman responded.
The group eyed her cautiously, not moving an inch.
"There are more like him on their way! Now come on!" she shouted, taking off towards the nearest hill.
"Should we trust her?" Kayala asked.
"We don't have a choice." Audrik answered, starting after her.
The four followed closely, the woman usually turning around only to make sure they were still there.
"So, you can shapeshift, ey?" Audrik called out. "That's some pretty complicated magic."
"Not when it's your only trick." the woman answered.
"Hold on!" Iren yelled.
"What is it?" the woman growled. "We can't afford to stop.
"If I'm not mistaken, that's a Zora man down by the river, he appears to be injured." the Sheikah man answered.
oOo
Link leapt from the balcony, Zelda levitating down close behind.
"Din is on her way, she's waking Farore right now." Elgon said as he joined them.
"We have two Goddesses on our side, why are we running?" Erris asked as he teleported down to them, Cia behind him.
"Because we're not at full power." an unfamiliar voice answered, they all turned to find Farore striding towards them, Din behind her. "These mortal forms take long to gather energy and tire quickly." she remarked.
"Nice to finally see you up and about, Sister." Zelda said with a grin.
"We must save the reunions for later." Volga said as he and Cerin joined them.
"Where are Impa and Oren?" Link shouted, looking around urgently.
"They've gone to scout for a way out." Aren answered.
"And the Gerudo?" Elgon added.
"Long gone if they're smart." Link replied, watching another explosion, now within the walls.
The group turned as a whistle sounded from atop a nearby building. "This way!" Impa shouted, waving them on.
"Can't you just teleport us out?" Erris pressed.
"Have you not tried to use your own abilities? We're blocked from leaving." Din answered.
"Just thought you two might be able to beat whatever spell is keeping us here." the Prince remarked.
"How have you managed to find such annoying mortals so quickly." Farore asked.
"They found me." Din responded.
"Are those really the Goddesses?" Cerin asked.
"Indeed they are. Ever since joining the Hero I've become accustomed to strange goings on such as this." Volga answered.
"That's one way of saying it." Cerin replied, watching the two woman ahead of him.
"Quick! This way!" a voice called, a Gerudo woman clad in dark blue armor waving them over.
"Friend of yours?" Link asked Impa as she joined them.
"I thought she was one of the Gerudo who spoke to you." the Sheikah woman answered.
"Well, she seems trustworthy." Zelda said with a smile.
"Even during times like this you manage to lift my spirits." Link said, returning the grin.
"Stop! Just for a moment!" the Gerudo woman said, holding up a hand.
"What is it?" Din asked, taking a step forward.
"Din, Farore...are you two truly..." the Gerudo woman stammered.
"Truly the Goddesses? That we are, but now is hardly the time for that." Farore answered.
"Something's blocking their power, we need to move." Elgon urged.
"Just wait a moment." the Gerudo woman said, sweeping her eyes across the walls, finding only empty pathways behind them. "The way ahead is safe, the enemy hasn't made it here yet."
"What's going on out there?" Link asked.
"Ganondorf's forces arrived to take the city, your forces refused to stand down...and they are being dealt with." the woman answered.
"That armor you wear and the crest it's adorned with, who gave it to you and what does it represent?" Zelda asked.
"It's the armor and crest of the Knights of Hytopia, I am Vashara, second in command." the woman said.
"The Knights of Hytopia...aren't they a myth?" Impa asked.
"They are a secret organization of people with exceptional abilities...I can see through walls, for example." Vashara answered.
"I assume that's how you know the way is safe?" Link pressed.
"Precisely." Vashara answered.
"Right here!" a voice called out.
Vashara held up a hand, the group stopping in front of an olive skinned Hylian man standing at the next archway.
"Princess Zelda, Hero of Legend, it is an honor. I am Ralo, of the Knights of Hytopia." the man stated.
"You can call me Link." the Hero answered.
"Very well, I'm here to transport you all out of the city."
"Teleportation isn't working too well if you haven't noticed." Cia replied.
"My teleportation doesn't work the same as yours, it's more science than magic." the man answered. "Quickly, I need everyone to clasp hands."
The group looked around uncomfortably as Vashara grabbed onto Ralo's hand, outstretching hers. "Come on! We must make haste!" she urged them.
Zelda and Link took each other's hands, Erris grabbing onto Link's other hand, the Goddesses clasping theirs, while the rest of the group followed suit.
"Prepare yourselves." Ralo said.
Within an instant every one present felt their bodies break down completely, every cell separating and traveling through the air, arriving outside the walls in an instant.
"That's going to take some getting used to." Cia said, falling to her knees as she materialized.
"Tell me about it." Erris answered, heaving into a bush shortly after.
"Are you alright?" Link asked, placing a hand on Zelda's shoulder.
"I've been through worse." she responded.
"Did you give this man that ability?" Farore asked.
"Definitely not." Din answered.
"How was your trip?" a voice called out.
The group turned, finding an older man wearing the same armor standing with a young Zora man, Ralo and Vashara at his side, none other than Trystane, Thrakon, and Ginthorne behind him.
"Trystane?!" Link called out.
"Father?!" Zelda cried, taking a step forward.
"Zelda...I have waited many years for this." Daltus said.
The Princess ran forward, stopping just short. "Is it...is it really you?" she answered.
"Yes...I...I am so sorry, I should have come to you and your brother sooner, but I was afraid, afraid of what may happen if my survival ceased to be a secret." he explained.
Zelda said nothing, opting to throw her arms around her father instead, a single tear trailing down her cheek.
"It's alright, I'm here now, and I'm not leaving." the King said.
"So, guess this means you're no longer going to be King quite as fast." Erris quipped.
"Shut your mouth or I'm putting that magic inhibiting cuff back on you." Link replied as he headed towards Trystane.
"It's good to see you, Link, my friend." the Knight said.
"By the Goddesses, I thought you were dead." Link said as he approached the man, clasping hands before embracing quickly.
"I thought I was too." Trystane answered.
"Imagine how shocked we were when we found him at the door." Thrakon added.
"Not to draw away from this reunion, but we must keep on moving, the Gerudo have already made their way to the Great Bay, we have a ship ready to leave at this very moment." Ralo called out.
"Can't you take us there?" Elgon asked.
"My abilities can't take this large a group that far." Ralo answered.
"I'll go ahead, get it ready." Aquos said, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"Zelda my dearest, I have so much to tell you, but it can wait until we are safe." the King said, Zelda smiling and giving a nod before starting after him.
"Nervous about meeting the King?" Ginthorne asked, bending over towards Link.
"I've met many Kings before, Daltus seems nicer than most." Link answered.
Cia hurried ahead, grabbing Trystane by the shoulder. "I...I'm glad to see you." she said.
"Cia..." Trystane answered. "What is it you've done to me?" he asked.
The Sorceress slowed, looking down at the break in the Knight's armor. "I...I don't know, when I brought your soul back to your body...I must have cast a much more powerful spell than I intended." she admitted.
"All of those souls, they came back with me." Trystanse muttered.
"I swear that was not my intent." Cia explained. "If I am correct, the spell I cast causes time to reverse around your body every time you sustain a fatal injury...effectively making it so the injury, well, never happened."
"So, what you're saying is I can't be killed?" the Knight asked.
"Killed? No. But you still may age and die from that." Cia answered.
Trystane cracked a smile. "I don't know if I should be relieved or disappointed." he said.
"You don't seem too disturbed by the fact you came back from the dead." Cia commented.
"King Daltus more or less talked me through it and got me used to the idea." the Knight answered. "You know, with all of those spirits inhabiting my body, I experienced many memories, but the ones that really got my attention involved you...I saw a side of you you probably would have preferred I did not." Trystane admitted.
"Lannis' memories..." Cia thought.
"And they made me realize, that night in the forest when I gave my life for yours...I did it for more than one reason." he said, cupping Cia's chin and locked eyes with her.
Cia felt something she hadn't experienced in years, something she often thought she'd never feel again. She leaned in quickly, her lips meeting Trystane's, the two looking into each other's eyes as they separated.
"Ahem." Elgon coughed.
Cia and Trystane looked up, the entire group staring at them, Erris looking on with a dumbfounded and somewhat disgusted look on his face. "That...is my mother." he said hoarsely, looking at Trystane.
"One might say that love strikes at the most inopportune of times." King Daltus said.
The atmosphere was suddenly pierced by a shriek, the group coming to halt as Farore fell to the ground, a red beam of energy piercing her midsection.
"What is this?" Din asked, looking around frantically, only to be struck from behind by the same attack.
Link ran forward, attempting to grip the energy construct that impaled Farore, only managing to singe his glove in the process.
"Those beams of energy...they're sapping their strength!" Zelda said, kneeling next to her sisters.
"What is this?" Link growled, withdrawing his sword and looking around.
"Sorry to interrupt your little reunion, but I really couldn't afford to let you make it any further." Kanthos said as he appeared above them, slowly levitating down to the ground, blocking their path.
"What have you done to them?!" Link roared.
"Simply removed them from play, I can't have them interfering, can I? I wanted our fight to be as equal as possible." Kanthos said with a smirk.
"Last time we fought, even in my weakened state I defeated you with ease." Link hissed.
"Things change, Hero, and they will change...in my favor." Kanthos said, raising his fist to reveal the glowing form of the completed Anteforce on the back of his hand.
oOo
And that concludes chapter 49, I hope you enjoyed it! Shilara's allegiance change is now a certainty, Mikau finds himself in dire straits, the Prince and company have a new ally and the Knights of Hytopia have finally encountered the Hero, the Princess and their group, leading to reunion between the King and Princess.
Gerudospirit: Shilara began to question Ganondorf the moment he threw Naora off the top of the Castle in Kanthos' native land, but due to her greater loyalty to her brother and her lust for power and violence, stuck by his side. Fortunately for our protagonists the threat of death/non-existence proved to be a strong motivator for her switching sides. I'm glad you like the way I write the character arcs, I never really plan it ahead, it's kind of a natural progression. I have to apologize for not including the Happy Mask Salesman in this chapter, I can assure you he will feature heavily in the next! Thank you for reviewing!
And a shout out to everyone who decided to favorite and follow my story and I, you all make writing this as fun as it is!
Please make sure to review and tell me what you thought, all feedback will aid in the writing of future installments!
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
-Prometheus17