"Is that...?" Erris breathed.
"The entire Anteforce." Link replied, a low tone to his voice.
"Lord Ganondorf was kind enough to grant it to me for the time being." Kanthos said with a smirk as he dropped to the ground.
"Release them!" Zelda shouted, gritting her teeth as her eyes locked onto the Sorcerer.
Kanthos grinned as he turned to Farore and Din, both Goddesses getting weaker by the second as the strange beams of crimson energy that impaled them slowly drained their life force. "Afraid I can't do that, the Master already has Nayru's essence, all he needs is theirs and everything will fall into place." Kanthos said.
"Coming here ahead of your forces to confront us alone? Not the sharpest blade in the armory are you?" Ralo asked as he took a step forward.
Kanthos grimaced as he turned towards the dark blue-armored soldier. "And just who might you be?" he growled.
"Doesn't matter." Ralo said.
"Right you are, because in a few seconds, you'll be nothing!" Kanthos shouted as he pointed his palm at the man, launching a blast of energy.
Ralo dematerialized immediately, the blast striking the ground on which he stood.
"What the-?!" the Sorcerer began before he was knocked to the ground.
"Afraid you're warding doesn't work on my brand of teleportation." Ralo said as he drew his blade and lunged at Kanthos.
Kanthos made to move, only for tree roots to erupt from the ground, snaring him in place.
"I won't let a man like you threaten my daughter like that." King Daltus growled as he tightened the root's grip on the foreign sorcerer.
Kanthos turned, his orange eyes locking onto the King. Time seemed to slow to a crawl for a moment as it dawned on him. "If the Princess is your daughter..." he thought.
Ralo's blade was mere centimeters from Kanthos' forehead before the man let out a roar, a shockwave of red energy shredding the roots and sending Ralo flying away.
Cia outstretched her arm, telekinetically catching the man and setting him down. "Don't underestimate him!" the Sorceress called out.
Ralo merely rolled his eyes and scowled as the King helped him up.
"It can't be." the King said as Ralo got to his feet.
"What? What's wrong?" Ralo asked.
"I remember her...she was present during the war with Labrynna." he replied, Ralo turning and eyeing Cia suspiciously.
Kanthos deflected a slash from Link, dodged a bolt of lightning from Zelda before taking to the air to avoid an icicle from Trystane. "Good attempts all around, but it's all for not, unfortunately for you." Kanthos said before jerking a hand upward.
"Watch out!" Link called as the ground beneath them shattered.
Zelda cast a shield around herself and Link as Trystane created a thick ball of ice around himself.
Kanthos turned towards Trystane, snapping his fingers and shattering the ice. "Stay dead this time!" he roared as he fired hundreds of energy bolts of Trystane, the Knight bringing up sheets of ice as fast as he could to stop them, each one shattering almost immediately.
"Can't hide from m-" Kanthos began, suddenly plummeting from the air and crashing to the ground as Cia appeared behind him. "Attack a man from behind, would you?" Kanthos growled.
"I'll do more than that!" Cia called as she landed opposite the man. The Sorceress tapped the end of her staff on the ground, three duplicates of her appearing around Kanthos. "Take this!" Cia shouted as she and her duplicates fired blasts of flame at the Sorcerer, a massive explosion going up as soon as the streams of fire met.
"Did she get him?" Impa asked.
"Far from it." Vashara answered, her eyes seeing through the blaze.
Kanthos walked out of the flames unscathed, a grin on his face.
Cia made to fire another blast, Kanthos extending his arm and splaying his finger. The Sorceress cried out in pain as her staff went up in flames, burning to ash. She slowly backed away as he duplicates faded out, Kanthos stalking towards her.
"I'm going to rip off all of that unnaturally youthful flesh of yours." he growled.
"Forget about me?" Erris roared, as he flew in atop Volga's dragon form. The Prince fired a ball of flame, striking the Foreign Sorcerer in the chest and knocking him to the ground. Volga circled back around, swooping down and gripping the man with claw, picking him up and smashing him into the ground repeatedly.
Kanthos cried out in rage as he grabbed ahold of Volga's claw, pulling him down to the ground and tossing him into one of Clock Town's walls.
Erris dismounted and drew his crimson blade, charging at the Sorcerer.
"Let's see how you handle the flames!" Kanthos roared as he fired a blast at Erris.
The Labrynnian Prince smirked as he caught the blast, using his abilities as a Sage to redirect it back at Kanthos.
The Sorcerer faded out of the way, drawing back his hand to fire a bolt of energy, only for a chain to wrap around his wrist and jerk him backwards.
Zelda, in her Sheik outfit, channeled a jolt of electricity through the metal line, Kanthos falling to one knee as it struck him.
The Sorcerer thrashed about as King Daltus wrapped him in roots, Impa and Oren casting shadow immersion over him as Trystane moved in, freezing the man in place.
Link turned back to the Goddesses, seeing that the red bolts of energy were still draining their essences. He briskly walked to the bound and frozen Kanthos, raising his sword and pointing it at his chest. "Instead of Trystane, I'd rather you stay dead." he growled. Link made to plunge the blade into the man's heart, a chill traveling through him as Kanthos smirked from within the ice.
Link raised an arm as the Sorcerer ripped free of his prison, tearing through the roots and shattering the ice.
"Now, now." Kanthos said, waving a finger at Impa and Oren. "Can't have you two depriving me of my senses like that." Kanthos extended his hand, crimson beams of electricity shooting from his fingers and striking the two Sheikah.
"No!" Zelda screamed as both fell to the ground motionless. She charged Kanthos, Link at her side.
The Princess whipped her chain at the Sorcerer, Kanthos fading out of the way as he summoned his blade, catching a vertical downwards slash from Link. Zelda summoned a ball of energy, throwing it at Kanthos, the man catching the bolt and absorbing it before teleporting behind Link. The Hero whirled around, dodging a stab before diving in. Kanthos deflecting his blow before flying back and slashing his sword across the air, sending an energy blade at Link, the Hero catching it with his sword. Zelda took to the air, raining down bolts of light energy onto Kanthos, the man raising an energy shield to catch them. Zelda dropped down in front of him, telekinetically shattering the ground underneath him. The Sorcerer smirked before teleporting a ways away, aiming an energy bolt at Zelda.
"Huh?" Kanthos said as a small tree sprang up in front of him, blocking his view. Suddenly the plant lunged forward, it's thin trunk striking him dead center in the face. "Ah! Damn!" Kanthos growled as he took a step back. He turned to the side, fading back to avoid a slash, none other than King Daltus stepped forward. Kanthos growled as the King extended an arm, vine and roots bursting from the ground towards him.
The Sorcerer effortlessly burned all of them away before the King darted in, sending a series of slashes at him, Kanthos expertly deflecting each before catching a diagonal downwards slash. "I'm so pleased you're alive, Lord Ganondorf will be overjoyed to have your head." the Sorcerer hissed before telekinetically grasping the King. "I'll be back for you, don't go anywhere." he said as he planted his fist in the man's stomach sending him flying backwards, hitting the ground and rolling head over heels until he came to rest on his stomach.
"My King!" Ralo said as he teleported to him.
"I'm fine, truly! Now go help my daughter and the Hero." he responded.
Link performed a spin attack, Kanthos leaping over the attack and landing behind the Hero, Link performing a backflip to avoid a slash from the man.
"Time's almost up." Kanthos said, nodding towards the Goddesses.
Link growled as he charged, the Triforce of Courage glowing brightly on his hand as he performed a jump attack.
Kanthos grit his teeth, bracing himself before the catching the strike in his hand.
An expression of shock overtook Link's face as Kanthos gripped the blade.
"You won't win this time, Hero." he growled as he extended an arm, sending Link flying back onto the ground.
Vashara helped Impa to her feet, Oren standing nearby.
"They're almost upon us." the Gerudo woman said, watching through the walls as Kanthos' army tore through the streets of Clock Town.
"We might have something." Admiral Ginthorne said as he ran over.
"Where have you and Thrakon and Ceryn been this whole time?" Impa growled.
"Watching their backs." Ginthorne said, motioning towards Elgon and Thrakon with Ceryn keeping warch.
"What are they up to?" Vashara asked cautiously.
"If they're right, something that will get us out of this." the Admiral said, looking on at the battle in the distance.
Erris cried out in pain as Kanthos gripped his neck, tossing him away before Volga landed behind the Sorcerer, stabbing a flame-engulfed spear at him, Kanthos grabbing the tip and sending a bolt of energy into the Dragon Knights chest, the man falling the ground.
"Don't get over-confident!" Cia called out as she summoned a massive ball of energy above her head, the Sorceress swiped her arm through the air, the blast flying at Kanthos.
The Sorcerer grinned as the Anteforce glowed on the back of his hand. He extended his arm, catching the blast in his palm and laughing as he extinguished it.
"Is that all the great Heroes of Hyrule have?" he asked mockingly.
Zelda grit her teeth as she looked on, anger coursing through her, she hated to admit it, but she had used most of her energy making the Triforce of Wisdom accept her as it's new source, leaving her temporarily without the divine powers she wielded before.
Kanthos spied the Princess, grinning as he walked towards her. "Let's finish this, shall we?" he taunted.
Zelda called upon her Triforce of Wisdom, a gold glow coming over her body.
Kanthos flew at her, Zelda drawing her rapier and catching his blade. The Sorcerer threw a horizontal leftwards slash, Zelda hopping out of the way and throwing a bolt of light energy, Kanthos deflecting it before extending and arm and launching a barrage of red blasts at her, the Princess, catching all on her palm and throwing them back at Kanthos. The Foreign Sorcerer scowled as he dodged it, diving back in and performing a downwards vertical slash, Zelda catching it with her blade, tilting it to the side so his sword slid from her's, the Princess spinning around him and landing on one knee as she aimed her sword. She quickly shot two bolts of light energy, both catching the Sorcerer in the side.
"Grah!" Kanthos yelled as he placed a hand one his wound, scowling at Zelda.
Ralo suddenly appeared behind him, raising his blade.
Without looking, Kanthos threw a fist back, catching Ralo in the face and knocking him a short distance away. "You're friend's skills leave something to be desired." he said dryly.
Suddenly an impact caught him in the chin, knocking him off of his feet.
Zelda watched as the blur passed him again, this time hitting him in the stomach.
Kanthos stumbled backwards before feeling and elbow connect with his chest. He looked around frantically before being struck across the chin again. The Sorcerer quickly raised a small ridge of stone, smiling as he saw the blur go straight over it, revealing itself to be a Zora man traveling at extremely high speed.
Aquos landed on his stomach after tripping over the ridge, slowly turning to look at the man standing above him.
"You've chosen the wrong day to-" was all time Kanthos had to say as a loud bang pierced the air, a hole appearing him his armor.
"What the..." he said hoarsely as he looked up.
Edward shook as the man's eyes landed on him. "Usually a shot from one of my rifles has more of an effect than that." he said shakily.
"You have to be joking." Kanthos growled as he looked up to find the Sheikah Ara and Trokon standing off to either side of the Hylian engineer, weapons drawn.
Kanthos viciously kicked Aquos out of the way, the Zora man crying out in pain as he felt one of his ribs crack.
"That's my friend you kicked!" a large, blue-armored Goron said as he made it over the hill.
Kanthos wasted no time charging the new arrivals.
The Goron raised both arms, throwing them to the side.
Kanthos' eyes widened as a large chunk of earth below him separated from the ground and turned over onto him.
"Hmph, well that takes care of that guy." Traegen said with a triumphant grin.
"Ara! Trokon!" Aren called as he ran to them. "You're alive!" the young Sheikah man said.
"Ah yes, this gentleman...er...gentlegoron here was sent to escort us across the border through the desert.
"Pleased to meet you, brother" Traegen began before lifting his head, the sounds of roars and battle cries sounding through the air as Kanthos' men poured from the nearest Clock Town gate.
"Goddesses." Zelda said as she turned her attention away from the newcomers.
"We can't take on all of them." Link said.
A loud crack filled the air as the rock Traegen had dropped on Kanthos shattered, the Sorcerer stepping out, his chest heaving as he shook with rage.
"I hope this pathetic fight was fun for all of you, because it shall be the last you ever have!" he roared as he took to the air. "Kill them all!" he yelled.
Link and Zelda brought up their weapons, Trystane, Vashara, King Daltus, Ralo, Oren, Erris, Volga, Cia, Ginthorne and Aren joining them.
"Ey, where have you two been?" Link called to the Admiral and Aren.
"Watching over Elgon and Thrakon, they're working on something!" Aren called.
"Better be worth it." Erris retorted.
"Zelda my dearest, I want you to know that seeing you again has been the greatest joy I've had in recent years." the King said as Kanthos' army charged at them.
"I can say the same, I love you, father." Zelda said, giving the man a small smile.
"And Hero, I hope to get to know you better, it's an honor fighting with you." the King called out.
"Don't worry, you'll get the chance." Link said with a self-assured smile.
Behind them Erris eyed the King aggressively drawing his sword and moving towards him.
"No, not now." Volga cautioned.
Erris, growled before turning forward again.
"Charge!" Link called out.
The Hero ran into the center of the enemy force, scattering them with a spin attack before slashing a Lizalfos across the throat and deflecting a club from a Bulblin, subsequently stabbing it through the chest.
Zelda stabbed a Bulblin between the eyes with her rapier before turning towards an advancing Moblin, the Princess throwing her chain around it's neck and levitating upwards, the beast clawing at the chain as it was lifted from the ground. Zelda channeled a fatal jolt of electricity down the chain, the beast going limp.
Aren darted through the crowd, slitting the throat of a Holodrum soldier before ducking the blade from a Dinolfos, leaping in the air and tossing a knife through on of it's eyes, killing it.
Vashara kicked an advancing Labrynnian soldier in the stomach before impaling him through the chest with her scimitar, leaping over a Bulblin's spear before performing a jump attack and bisecting the creature's head.
Erris side-stepped a slash from a white-armored soldier before lunging in and piercing the man's heart, tossing the body into a nearby Bulblin. Behind him, Volga tossed his spear through a Moblin's head, summoning it back to him before extending a finger, a small ember drifting through the crowd before detonating in a large blast of flame, taking out a few enemy combatants.
Cia telekinetically tossed a Lizalfos into a crowd of Holodrum soldiers, turning to a unit of Moblins and blowing them away with a wave of energy.
Trystane deflected a stab, fading out of the way of another slash, catching a spear a Moblin thrust at him, The Knight tapped the beasts leg, flash freezing it. "Come get me." he taunted, climbing onto it's shoulders. The beasts and men below came after him, Trystane raising a hand and shooting hundreds of ice shards at the crowd below, clenching his fist and shattering the Moblin he stood on after dispatching them
The King summoned multiple tree roots, manipulating them to stab through any enemy that drew near.
"King Daltus!" Admiral Ginthorne called.
"Ah, Admiral, good to see you." the King said as he swiped to the right, a large root whipping his opponents away.
Ginthorne raised his blade, swiping it threw a squad of white-armored soldiers and Bulblins.
"I'm came here to warn you." the Admiral said.
"About?" the King replied, answering his question as he turned to find a large Black Knight coming straight for him.
Admiral Ginthorne charged the Knight, locking blades with it.
The Black Knight easily overpowered the man, knocking him to the ground with a swipe of it's blade.
Ralo teleported in, tossing a spear he had taken from a Moblin at the Knight, the attack not even slowing the behemoth.
Suddenly a large tree burst from the ground, falling directly on top of the Black Knight and other soldiers around it.
"Well done, Sir." Ralo said.
Admiral Ginthorne grabbed a Bulblin that charged at him, tossing it halfway across the field before kicking away a Labrynnian soldier and planting his fist in the face of a Moblin before stabbing it through the chest. The Admiral pulled himself over the fallen tree, looking at the King. "You almost hit me with that." he said.
Daltus looked on, puzzled. "T'wasn't me." he answered.
On the hill above them Saria smiled, raising another tree and dropping it as Kyra raised her staff. "Ready for this?" the Kokiri girl asked.
"I am." Kyra said aggressively as she pointed the staff forward.
Link smirked as he watched the trees scattering the enemies around him, he knew Saria's handiwork when he saw it.
"Quickly, everyone draw in!" Link called out
The Hero, Princess, Cia, Daltus, Trystane, Erris, Volga, Aren, Vashara, Ginthorne and Ralo formed a circle.
"Go!" Link called as he, Ginthorne, Vashara and Ralo darted forward, performing spin attacks as Zelda and Cia fired multiples blasts of energy into the crowd, Erris and Volga shooting torrents of flame around their allies and into the opposing force, Daltus summoning a large tangle of vines that easily crushed a group in front of him while Aren drew multiple knives from his belt, tossing each one between the eyes of their assailants.
The group back into a circle again as the enemy force surrounded them, seemingly hesitant to move in.
"Any sign of Kanthos?" Link asked.
"Doesn't look like he's joined the battle yet." Zelda replied.
Unfortunately for Traegen, the Sorcerer was occupied with him, the Goron's rock hide cracking as Kanthos held him aloft, landing another punch, Ara, Trokon and Edward lying incapacitated off to the side, the latter with the barrel of his rifle wrapped around him.
"You're other Sheikah friend was right to run off, probably more pleasant to be killed by my men than me." the Sorcerer hissed.
Traegen smiled, managing a short laugh.
"You find that amusing?" Kanthos growled.
"No, I think that is amusing." the Goron man said, nodding forward.
Kanthos' eyes widened as hundreds of Gorons rolled out of the forest and into his army below. The Sorcerer roared in fury as he tossed the Goron man away, taking off towards his forces.
"Chief Darbrakus said he knew right where you'd be, I myself think it was just a coincidence." Saria said as she examined the sigil Elgon had scrawled on the ground.
"Call it what you will, I got you here safe." the Goron chieftain said as he held the two Goddesses.
"They don't have long, we have to something quick." Elgon said. "You seriously don't know what's missing?" he asked.
Thrakon looked over the sigil, nothing sticking out to him. "My mother wasn't around long enough to teach me her people's script." he replied.
"Wait!" Saria said, kneeling on the ground. "I saw this in the Lost Woods Fairy Fountain." she said, pressing her finger into the dirt and adding another symbol.
"That's it." Thrakon said as the etching of a fairy in the middle of the sigil began to glow.
"Watch out, it's here!" Kyra called as massive wave came crashing through the swamplands and around the South facing wall of Clock Town.
"Everyone get out of the way!" Link called out.
The group grabbed onto each other as Ralo focused, taking them up the hill overlooking the battle.
The Gorons finished barreling through the front lines of Kanthos' army, staying curled and holding themselves in place.
The massive wall of water blew through the opposing army, sweeping them from their feet.
Link took a deep breath as he rematerialized, quickly becoming used to Ralo's type of trans-location.
"Link?" a voice called.
"Saria!" Link called. "What are you doing here?"
"We just happened to show up at the right time, ey brother?" Darbrakus called out.
"I'll say." Ginthorne said, watching as the wave deposited the motionless bodies of man and beast alike, the Gorons below uncurling and cheering as the water subsided.
Trystane swept his eyes over the group, finding Elgon and Thrakon kneeling next to a symbol.
"What is it you two have gotten up to?" he asked.
"Calling for help." Thrakon said.
"From who?" Erris asked.
"My mother." Thrakon responded.
"Enough!" Kanthos' voice boomed as he levitated above the group. "I have suffered too many indignities at your hands! I...I was going to win! I was supposed to win!...And I will, as long as I have this!" he roared, raising his hand in the air, the Anteforce projecting itself into the sky above.
Everyone looked on in horror as Kanthos' army rose from the dead, most began awkwardly stumbling uphill towards them as a small detachment went after the Gorons below.
"And I...I'm going to break you all so you can't fight back once they start to feast on your flesh!" Kanthos shouted.
"You can't take all of us!" Link said as he took a step forward.
"THE HELL I CAN'T!" Kanthos screamed as he started forward, coming to a dead stop as the ground began to shake. "What is this? What have you done?!" he asked as the image of the Anteforce in the sky broke apart, dispersing like steam.
With a bright flash, the crest of the royal family appeared, raining down a golden light that stopped the undead forces in their tracks, breaking the curse over them, their bodies falling once more.
"No...no this can't be." Kanthos said as one of the Great Fairies of Termina descended from the image of the Triforce, her long green locks flowing in the wind.
"Is it you who have brought suffering, death and evil into my land?" the Great Fairy boomed.
Link took a step back, this was the first time he'd heard a Great Fairy angry, and judging by the look on Zelda's face, the same was true for her.
"I defy you!" Kanthos said, raising his fist, the Anteforce glowing brightly.
"You're demonic trinket has no power over me." the Great Fairy said.
Kanthos let out a roar, a red aura surging around him, shaking the ground as it grew. "I will not lose to you!" he screamed as he flew towards the Great Fairy, swords drawn.
"Begone." the Great Fairy bellowed, raising a hand and striking Kanthos, the man flying into the distance.
"It was that easy for her?" Erris asked.
"The Anteforce is a construct of Demise's blood magic, blood magic has no effect on Fairies." Cia replied.
"Besides, she's at full strength, we aren't." Zelda said.
The whole group went quiet as the Great Fairy turned to them, smiling as she shrank down to their size, approaching Link.
"Hero, it is good to see you, even if you did fail to unite me into one after Majora scattered my essence" the Great Fairy said.
"You just abandoned her?" Zelda said in disbelief.
The Great Fairy whirled around, her smile greeting the Princess. "Ah, Hylia. I knew I sensed you." she said.
"Din and Farore need your help." Zelda said, forgoing a greeting.
"Your sisters are here? I couldn't sense them!" The Great Fairy said, seeing the weakened state of the two. "You should have called me sooner." the Fairy said as she walked over to Din and Farore, kneeling beside them as Darbrakus and Saria took a step back. The Great Fairy closed her eyes, grimacing as she took a hold of the crimson energy bolts that impaled the two, slowly, she withdrew them, the two constructs dispersing as soon as they left their bodies.
"It was some kind of energy transfer spell engineered by Ganondorf to gain their power, he sent Kanthos to take care of it." Link explained.
"I could tell, parts of Demise's essence were in those conduits." the Great Fairy replied.
"Do you know, about Mahlik and Majora?" Zelda asked.
"I sensed their rise, but I couldn't involve myself until I was called...speaking of, summoning me outside of my fountain is some pretty complicated magic...who was it that summoned me?" she asked.
Everyone turned and looked at Thrakon as the man took a step forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.
"Hello, mother."
oOo
No one paid them any mind as they passed through the gate into the small village, their once regal and elegant clothing having been torn, dirtied and damaged beyond recognition. Audrik had long given up trying to dust himself off, the stains were set so deep into the stitching that he was sure it was just the color of his clothing now, Princess Kayala's garments had taken a similar turn, the light green that her dress once was now more resembled a faded gray, with many rips and tears along with it, only Lemuria and Iren's clothing still looking the way it did when they fled Castle Town, but this was only because their clothing was thick and black, like most Sheikah garb.
Their new guardian walked briskly through the streets, an irritated manner to her every move.
"Stay close, talk to no one." the woman commanded.
"No one here even seems to know who we are." Audrik replied.
"Probably because they know I wouldn't be caught dead looking like...like this." Princess Kayala said, running a hand over her chest.
"When I said talk to no one, I was including myself." the woman said, sending a glare at the two.
"I dare say she's even harder to read than your father." Iren commented.
"I think that's pretty safe to say." Lemuria responded.
"Will you at least tell us how he's doing?" Audrik asked.
The woman let out an irritated sigh, lifting a bottle from a pouch secured to her waist. "Just fine." she said, lifting it up to Audrik, the form of Mikau laying inside of it.
"I heard the stories of the Hero keeping a Deku Princess in a glass bottle, but I never believed it until now." Audrik muttered.
"It's complicated magic, now be quiet, you never know who's listening." the woman answered.
"My Lady! Excuse me! My lady!" and older man called as he approached them, the woman who lead the group sending him an agitated glare.
"What do you want?" she asked,
"I can't help but notice you're wearing Knight's armor with a royal crest...I was wondering if you could tell me what's going on, we haven't heard anything, but it's obvious something bad has happened." the man said, looking up at the black sky.
"Someone's going to recognize us." Audrik whispered.
"Nothing, nothing has happened, it's a rare solar event, it'll pass in time. Now, I'm very busy, so I must be on my way." the woman said, eyeing the growing crowd. "Well, out of my way!" she demanded, the villagers quickly parting.
The group quickly made their way down a narrow alley, the woman knocking on a door at the end in a complicated sequence.
"Yes, yes. Come in!" a voice called out.
The woman thrust open the door, the group entering a modest dwelling that seemed to be full of test tubes and other equipment.
"Which one is it, I'll have you know I'm low on supplies right now, so I may not be able to treat them all." an older man said as he exited the nearest room, he was bald, but sported a thin graying beard, giving him a stern and knowledgable look.
"This is Doctor Garrickson, whenever there's been something a red potion can't fix, we've come to him." the woman explained.
"Yes, the official Doctor of the Knights of Hytopia, quite an honor." the man said wryly.
"It's not any of them, all they need is a decent meal, a bath and some new clothes." the woman explained.
"That's easy enough, why is it I feel like that's not all?" the Doctor asked.
"Because I wouldn't have come to you if that's all I needed." the woman said as she walked to a nearby room, four beds lying within. She quickly walked to the nearest one, pulling the bottle out of he pouch and opening it, a small breeze flowing through the room accompanied by a whooshing sound as Mikau exited the bottle and resumed his normal size.
"I can't say I know too much about Zora, but I can try my best." Doctor Garrickson said. "What's happened to him?"
"He was attacked, his lower leg was nearly cut in two and he has a stab wound that has gone all the way through his chest." Iren said.
"You're a Sheikah, not many of you left." the Doctor observed.
"We both are." Lemuria said as she stepped forward.
"Goddesses, two young Hylian's being accompanied by Sheikah and a Knight of Hytopia after the fall of Hyrule...that can only mean one thing...Prince Audrik and Princess Zelda, it is an honor!" the Doctor said enthusiastically.
"You're half right, that is Prince Audrik, but this is Princess Kayala, she and her dignitaries came here from Gamelon for annual Summer Festival, but were trapped when Gamelon was taken by Ganondorf's forces." the woman said.
"Well, as long as you're a friend of the royal family, you're welcome here, especially if Marin here vouches for you." the Doctor said as he inspected Mikau's wounds, the unconscious Zora man breathing shallowly.
"Marin...the Hero once mentioned someone by that name, a friend from his village. Are you this friend?" Audrik asked.
"Marin has become a common name, I've met the Hero once, but that was a long long time ago, I am not the same as his friend in this life." Marin said.
"What do you mean you've met him once?" Audrik asked.
"Hey!" the Doctor interrupted. "I've disinfected the wounds, but I'm going to have to stitch him up...haven't really got anything to numb the pain so who's going to volunteer to hold him down if he wakes up?"
The group looked at the man uncomfortably as he gazed at them expectantly.
"We'll do it." Lemuria volunteered, giving Iren a soft punch to the shoulder.
Audrik looked on as the two Sheikah passed by, Marin crossing her arms and turning to watch as the Doctor treated Mikau, as much as he wanted to shake the feeling, he couldn't help but suspect Marin had other motives.
oOo
Shilara breathed in the cold night air, trying her best to relax before Tanyrik's coughing got the best of her. She turned to the man, lying on his back, blood trailing down his chin as he looked at her fearfully.
"What? You said you'd rather leave a body behind rather than be incinerated?" the Gerudo woman remarked. "...You probably thought I was speaking hypothetically."
Tanyrik looked at the woman, his breath shaky and labored. "You...betrayed...me."
"No, I just needed two things; to tie up a loose end and to find a scapegoat." Shilara said as she stood, looking down at the hole she left in the man's chest. "Goodbye, Captain." she said, kicking the man into the gorge next to her.
She sighed deeply, turning back towards Eldin Bridge, it was remarkable that it still stretched across the chasm, she thought her army pounding over it would have brought it down for sure. "Not going to last long anyway, with my brother in charge." she mused.
oOo
Rickard Gavan watched from a balcony, the first two were the only ones that Courtiers were allowed access too, which is why he stood on the third. He was once one of them, one of the many Lords who vied for the Royal Family's favor...but no longer, he was above them now. He smirked slightly as he glanced at the back lefthand corner of the room, former-Minister Hawkwood sitting in his cage, a completely emotionless look on his face.
"We found the man hiding in a broom closet in a puddle of his own making and now look at him, it's almost like he's broken." Rickard said.
"That's because he is, he hasn't much left to lose." Shilara said as she joined him.
"I can't tell you how many times that man talked down to me and my father, it was almost as if he enjoyed it." Rickard said, planting his fist on the railing. "We came to ask the Princess to expand our lands slightly so we could add another servant's quarters...he stopped us at the gate and told us we had too many servants and enough land as it is."
"How many servants did you even need?" Shilara sneered.
"That's not the point, it wasn't his place then and now he has no place at all except for that of a caged animal we keep around for amusement." he answered.
"Say, weren't you looking to become King of Hyrule? What happened to that?" the Gerudo woman taunted.
"The deal was that he would give me rule over this land once he had taken all five...as far as I know Termina is still fighting and we have yet to retake Gamelon." he groaned.
"Don't act as if you do not bite your tongue around my brother, you fear what he'd do to you if you reminded him ever so gently that you wanted that glorified chair." Shilara said, leaning up against the railing and nodding towards the throne.
"It's not like I don't deserve it, I travel all around this country checking in on Villages along with Goron and Zora settlements constantly, making sure no one gets any ideas." Rickard answered.
"Because that went so well, if I recall correctly, the Goron's fought back and you had to run away and return with an army of Dinolfos." the Gerudo woman mocked.
"I'll have you know that I visited the Zola in their dark little hole in the ground they call home and stopped an attempt to recruit them by the Terminian Zora single-handedly." the man retorted.
"It was just one Zora...wasn't it?" Shilara laughed.
"You make me want to retract my offer." Rickard growled.
"What? Oh, you mean the offer to marry you to consolidate our power? I took that as a joke." Shilara said with a smirk.
Rickard made to answer when the doors were suddenly thrust open, a contingent of Black Knights walking in and fanning out as Ganondorf made his way out from the middle and over to his Throne.
"Is that...is that him?" Rickard asked.
Shilara looked on in astonishment, he almost looked Hylian, his skin was a dark tan, his eyes green and his hair red once again. Gone were his horns, black sclera and red irises, he looked...human.
"Did he...did he get rid of the Mahlik and Majora?" Rickard asked.
"No, I can still sense their power...he has the ability to change his appearance, if only for a short amount of time." Shilara answered.
"Why though? He has the power of a God." Rickard asked.
Shilara inhaled deeply, she was getting quite sick of people saying that. "He's always been over-confident in his abilities, which has lead to his defeat many times before...he has a new strategy." the Gerudo woman answered.
Rickard smirked, letting out a quiet laugh.
"What are you giggling about?" Shilara snapped.
"He wants to turn their own people against them, so the Royal Family and the Hero can't come back." he said.
Shilara closed her eyes and gripped the rail tightly, he almost looked like her brother again, but deep down she knew it wasn't him, she knew he still had the same goals, but this would only slow things down.
oOo
The crowd of Nobles quieted, watching while the man took his seat, sweeping his eyes over them.
"It's been long since I faced a crowd of this many." Ganondorf began. "I was once a powerful man, but that was taken from me by the Royal Family that forced you all to take a knee to them. I wish the bloodshed my campaign had incurred didn't have to happen, but on the path to change there must be pain, the Royal Family and their fraud of a Hero have been carefully watching not just you, but the other lands around them, they sabotage crops, poison livestock and covertly murder those who would speak against them only to maintain power. The Hero is just a boy, plucked from his family from birth and magically conditioned and warded from then on, scarring his body with sigils and saturating his bones with magic to make him seem like he is more than human, but I assure you, he is only an attack dog the Royal Family creates every couple hundred of years in order to reign you in, I saw this happening and couldn't allow it to go on, I am Agahnim of house Dragmire and I am here to restore order."
"You say you were powerful man, but who were you?" a Noble called out as he made his way to the front.
Shilara looked towards Rickard, if her brother didn't lose his composure here and now, that would be a first.
"I ruled a small Principality in the desert on the border of Termina, it was hard to make crops grow and livestock survive the summers, so when we came up short on taxes, it wasn't long before the threats came. We tried to get together as many Rupees as we could, but the King decided that we were were purposely avoiding his tax and he sent a small force to wipe out my Village and bury it under the sand."
"He shouldn't lie, that can easily be disproven." Rickard muttered.
"He's not lying." Shilara said.
"What do you mean? Of course he is, my father would have told me of such an event." Rickard responded.
"He's off by a few centuries, but that did happen. In your history books you must have read that during the Age of Twilight, there were no Gerudo in Hyrule, that's because a few decades prior, the King had committed a genocide against the Gerudo race, the few that were left fleeing to Termina. The forces that drove them out proceeded to do just what he said, just they didn't bury it exactly, they had their Sorcerers sink the Gerudo Fortress under the sand like it was never even there." Shilara said.
"They erased that from the history books." Rickard said
Shilara nodded, her eyes darting to the middle of the room as another man started shouting.
"Let me through! Move aside!" the man yelled as he shouldered his way through the crowd of Nobles." I saw your army! My son died in the battle for Castle Town! You employed an army of beasts and mercenaries...I don't know how but you even got the Labrynnians and Holodrumites on your side! I don't know how you did that, but I do know what you are! You are a liar!" the man shouted.
Ganondorf stood, his body tensing as he looked at the man, his brow twitching.
"Lose it now, go ahead, show them who you really are." the apparition of Kai said.
He took a deep breath, a small smile coming to his face. "I am here to help, this black sky above you...it was the Princess' doing. One last petty act of revenge before running away and abandoning her people." Ganondorf said. He raised his hands and splayed his fingers wide.
"What's he up to?" Rickard asked.
"If I had to guess, I'd say a benign act that doubles as a display of power."
Everyone in the room, Shilara and Rickard included braced themselves, raising their arms above their heads before gazing up, each and every piece of masonry that the roof composed of separated, moving aside into a giant swirl of brick and stone.
The Courtiers looked up in wonder as the sky was exposed, a cold wind falling into the Great Hall.
"Begone, darkness!" Ganondorf called out.
"Damn..." Rickard said, staring up at the sky.
The Courtiers were awestruck as the dark veil around the sun disintegrated, golden light falling upon the land once more.
"Was this his strategy from the beginning?" Rickard asked, turning to find Shilara gone.
The Gerudo woman leapt from a nearby window, levitating herself down to the ground, she watched as the roof of the Castle reassembled itself, if the people weren't under Ganondorf's thrall then, they surely were by now. She had to get the Master Sword to the Hero, and she had to do it fast.
oOo
Link, Zelda and the others landed on the very edge of the Great Bay in a green flash of light, the Great Fairy smiling as she watched the group check their surroundings.
"Thank you so much for your help, I don't know how we could ever repay you." Zelda said.
"You needn't do so, helping three of the Goddesses and the Hero is a pleasure on it's own." she said with pleasantly.
"Do you think you could help them?" Link asked, motioning towards the Farore and Din.
"Unfortunately restoring Celestial energy is a fair bit beyond my abilities." the Fairy replied. "I can, on the other hand, restore yours."
"I can't see any harm coming from that." King Daltus replied.
The Great Fairy spread her arms, a glowing emerald energy completely enveloping the group. Link felt his strength returning to him, feeling perfectly healthy for the first time since he left to retake Gamelon from Ganon's forces, and by the look of the other members of their company, they felt the same way.
"I was afraid I was going to have those cracks forever." Traegen said as he patted his damaged armor.
Zelda smiled as she saw Impa, Oren, Aren, Ara and Trokon standing together, she was one step closer to reuniting all of the Sheikah.
"You all must be on your way now, that attack was only the first wave, there will be more." the Great Fairy answered.
"Right...thank you." Link said, each member of the group offering their thanks as they passed by, all but Thrakon.
The Sell-Sword only stood there, locking eyes with the Great Fairy.
"You truly are my son." she said, the divine and benevolent tone to her voice faltering.
"Sometimes I wondered if the memories I had of you were just something I made up." Thrakon said.
"I knew I'd find you again, with your abilities, you'd always be at the forefront conflicts." the Great Fairy answered.
"That's why you left, isn't it?" Thrakon asked.
"What do you mean by this?" the Great Fairy replied,
"You knew I'd be at the forefront of many conflicts but you didn't know which side I'd take. You thought the power I had would corrupt me." Thrakon said.
"This is true, but you must understand." the Great Fairy began.
"The union of a Fairy and a mortal is against the natural order...I know."
"That is never what this was about...I was afraid." the Great Fairy admitted.
"Afraid of what?" Thrakon pressed.
"Getting too close." the Great Fairy admitted.
Thrakon raised an eyebrow. "Too close to us?"
"You have to understand, I'm only slight younger than the Goddesses themselves, death remains a stranger to us permanently. I would have to watch as you and your father aged and died while I would have to remain here long afterward." she explained.
"Then why? Why be with my father? Why conceive me?" Thrakon pressed.
"I was fractured into pieces for hundreds of years, when your father restored me to my complete form I was shown a compassion I hadn't felt...ever." the Great Fairy said, "I took on a mortal form and lived like that with him for years. I truly believed myself to be human sometimes...I intended to stay."
"Then why didn't you?" Thrakon pressed.
"Because I was fading away." she answered.
"What is this? What do you mean 'fading away'?" he snapped.
"I had been gone from my fountain for too long, each and every fountain is a gateway to our home, the place we fairies reside in when not on the mortal plain. You see, we can't be gone for too long, or else we will cease to be...not death...but nonexistence" The Fairy explained. "I loved your father and I love you, my son, I never wanted to leave you and I always entertained the notion of returning to you, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find you...as I was afraid I would not be welcome in you life."
Thrakon gritted his teeth, looking up at the Great Fairy. "You were always welcome, you were welcome when I was child who missed his mother, you were welcome when my father had to leave me alone so he could take a job to get money to feed us and you were welcome when he was dying from illness...you were welcome the entire time I searched for you." Thrakon replied.
"I'm sorry I left, I never meant to stay away." The Great Fairy said.
Thrakon took a step back as she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly. The Sell-sword hesitated at first before returning the embrace.
"This will not be the last time we meet." the Great Fairy said before fading away.
oOo
"Reminds me of when I first reunited with Erris." Cia remarked as she watched the scene from below.
"As far as I know my parents are still alive somewhere in Faron Province." Trystane said. "Haven't seen them in years, though."
Cia made to reply before hearing a commotion behind her.
Erris threw another punch, knocking King Daltus to the ground.
"What are you doing?!" Zelda cried, racing forward.
"You put Mahlik inside my body! You brought ruin to my land and now you think you can just come back and I'll forget about it?!" Erris shouted.
Link placed a hand on Zelda's shoulder. "I think we need to allow them time to talk this one out."
"Link, he struck my father." Zelda growled.
"By the Goddesses...Prince Erris?" King Daltus asked.
"You've finally recognized me...about time." Erris said.
"What are you doing here?" the King asked.
"Ganondorf stole my Kingdom, I'm here to help them kill him so I can get it back." Erris said.
The King turned his head, seeing Volga and Cia watching the spectacle.
"I...I remember her...she took part in some of the battles..and you, I saw you die outside of the King Lannis' chambers." The King said, awestruck.
"Just say the word and I'll take care of him." Ralo said as Vashara, Aquos and Traegen drew their weapons.
"No, no, no! This is all getting so far out of hand! Prince! I beg your forgiveness." King Daltus said before turning to Volga and Cia. "And I must ask for yours too, I only did what I had to...I was a different man back then, but I can see now there were more reasonable solutions to some of the problems we faced." Daltus said.
"An example being; banishing a demon instead of sealing it in a child's body." Cia responded.
The King looked down, balling his fist. "I've made mistakes...but I am here to rectify them any way I can...if you give me the chance." the King said.
"I will, but only because we need everyone we can get." Erris said before walking away.
"Come on, we need to keep going." Link called out, heading for the the town.
As soon as they came within Great Bay Village's borders, soldiers could be seen searching the streets, multiple fires burning while splintered wood fell from holes in the sides of buildings.
"What the hell happened here?" Ara asked as she took in her surroundings.
"Those holes, only cannons could do that." Edward observed.
As the group emerged onto the beach, three sunken ships, their exposed hulls burning, were there to greet them.
"It was an attack." Ceryn said.
"No question about that." Ginthorne added.
"You there!" Link called to a nearby soldier.
"Sorry, we don't have much in the way of lodging for travelers right now." the man answered dismissively.
"What happened here?" Link asked, walking after the man.
"Ey, what's it look like? We were attacked by someone." the Soldier said.
"I was at the Battle of Gamelon." another Soldier called out. "Same men, it looked like!"
"What the Great Fairy said is true, Ganondorf is making his move." Zelda said.
"You fight them off by yourselves?" Elgon asked.
"We had some help from the Pirates." the Soldier answered, gesturing towards a couple ships off the coast.
"And that guy!" the other Soldier called.
Link turned to find a colorfully dressed man with a large pack sitting with his back to them.
"You helped in this battle, Sir?" Link asked.
"Whenever there is a meeting, a parting is sure to follow...but that's not to say paths will never cross again." The Happy Mask Salesman said as he turned to greet the Hero.
oOo
Kanthos stumbled from one tree to the next before collapsing to the ground and dragging himself to the nearest tree and leaning against it's trunk. The Great Fairy hadn't killed him, but she had come close. the Foreign Sorcerer could feel the broken bones shifting inside of him as he moved, his left femur definitely not being in one piece.
He summoned a vial of red potion into his hand, gulping it down and gritting his teeth as he felt his bones set.
"You were supposed to help me win." Kanthos said, looking at the inert form of the Anteforce on the back of his hand.
"And you would have, if you used it correctly." Ganondorf's voice boomed.
Kanthos breathed in sharply, looking on as a massive ball of flame roared to life in front of him, the shape of Ganondorf's face emerging from it.
"I'm sorry my Master, I have failed you again." Kanthos said.
"You have. I thought the Anteforce would take to you, but apparently not. You could have used it to instill fear in them or cause rage between them but you decided to use it merely for the power it contains." Ganon's voice boomed.
"My Lord, I ask for forgiveness." Kanthos pleaded.
"You have one more chance, Shilara has taken the Master Sword with the intent to return it to the Hero." Ganondorf began.
"Your own sister?" Kanthos asked.
"Yes, find her, kill her and bring the Master Sword back to me." Ganondorf commanded.
"I will not fail. Kanthos breathed.
oOo
Finally into the fifties, it's been a long time coming. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Gerudospirit: I'm glad you found some nostalgia in this, that's one of the things I go for when including characters from games that came out a good while ago! It's good to hear the reunion scene was satisfying, I was concerned it was a bit short! I'm really hoping you like the fight/battle scene and the rest of the chapter! Thank you for reviewing!
Thank you to all of those who clicked favorite and follow on my story and I!
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
-Prometheus17