Remnants of the Wild
Divine Beast Vah Rudania
Jaune returned from the Southern Goron Mines late that night with amber, rubies, and a diamond to sell. "So...what is so important about getting ore?" Yang asked after he returned. Jaune grimaced and replied, "We're running low on arrows."
Daruk was munching on what looked like a roast made out of rock with what looked like veins of magma; his signature weapon, the Boulder Breaker, strapped to his back. "Man it has been too long since I had this rock roast." With a nasty sounding crunching sound, he soon scarfed down that whole rock. "Boy was that good...that delicious flavor of the heated minerals and that gritty feeling as it went down my throat, it's been too long!"
Everyone else around him looked uncomfortable at that description. "Yeah...nice..." Pyrrha said, shifting away from him as Weiss gagged slightly and Yang looked like she was trying to come up with a pun.
"Still...I'm going on ahead!" Daruk said, hefting his Boulder Breaker onto his shoulder, "No monster stands a chance against the almighty Daruk! Meet you at Rudania Brother!" He finished knocking Jaune over with a pat on the back.
"My spine..." Jaune quietly said, picking himself up as Daruk stomped up the mountain.
Yet, a red glow rising in the sky made them all grit their teeth. They knew what was coming as wisps of darkness floated from the ground as the clouds moved faster and the sky turned red.
The blood moon had risen.
Yet, that power could not reach Ruta and Naboris, thankfully, as the darkness was driven away from the Divine Beasts as the group gave a collected sigh of relief. At least Mipha and Urbosa were safe. After midnight, Jaune entered the Goron City shop, surprised it was still open. He first sold 9 amber, his only opal, his three topaz, three rubies, and a diamond. Afterwards, he bought three fire arrows, 3 cane sugars, 3 bottles of Goron Spice, and three ice arrows. Still, with the gems he sold, he was left with 2,393 rupees.
They then approached an older, tough-looking hunched Goron with his white beard pulled into four sections with a metal eye-patch over his right eye.
"Drat! That blasted Rudania!" He growled out.
"What's wrong?" Pyrrha asked in sympathy.
"With Rudania runnin' wild recently, Death Mountain's eruptions have gotten real bad." The Goron explained, "Do ya see Rudania stompin' around up there on the mountain? They say that 100 years ago, it actually used to protect our people from harm...but that was then, and this is now! Now all it does is mess up our mining operations! We're all suffering because it's stoppin' us from doin' business! I can't tell ya how many times we've used the cannon to chase off that fiend. BUT IT ALWAYS COMES BACK!" Then there was a loud cracking sound as he gripped his back. "Arrrrgh... Youch...owwwwowow..."
"Are you...OK?" Jaune asked.
"Hmph, it's just some back pain..." The Goron said, "Wait. Who are you?"
"A traveler." Jaune said.
"I see...So, then, you came all this way to pay your respects to me? I like you already, brother!" The Goron said, flexing a bit, "Well, my name's Bludo. I'm the great Goron Boss who's fearsome enough to silence a crying child! Or to make a silenced child cry, either way. Yes, it is none other than I, Bludo! I was plannin' to drive off Rudania like I always do, but then this blasted pain in my back flared up outta nowhere...That blasted Yunobo...When will he return." Bludo whispered that last part.
"Who is Yunobo?" Weiss asked.
"Yunobo is a young Goron who helps me drive off Rudania. He went to grab some painkillers for my back from the Abandoned North Mine, but he hasn't come back yet...Slacker...I bet he's off somewhere wastin' time..." The last part was whispered by Bludo. "Hey, if you happen to see Yunobo, will ya let him know I'm lookin' for him?" Bludo asked, before groaning as another sickening crack was heard.
After taking a few steps away from Bludo, Jaune turned to the group. "Okay...so Yunobo is crucial to getting to Rudania with Daruk taking off without us...but they say he was last seen at the Abandoned North Mine." Pyrrha pulled up her scroll.
"It's close by, too." She added.
As they walked on the trail to the North Mine, Weiss had a question. "So...why are they miners?"
Jaune took the initiative to answer this question. "I learned a bit from a Goron miner in the South Mine. As you know, Gorons eat rocks. However, Death Mountain's volcanic rocks are also filled with gems. So, to make a living, they sell the gems across Hyrule to the other races, since they find the taste of the gems unpalatable."
After dealing with an Octorok that could only be killed when it sucked up a bomb, Jaune pulled out the Scope and spotted something in the distance. He lead them to an abandoned mine cart that used bomb propulsion to move, which brought them to the Shora Hah Shrine. After emerging with a Spirit Orb, Jaune's focus came back to the group. "So, where's Nora and Ren?"
"Nora and Ren got...together-together." Pyrrha said.
"Huh...Nora was the one who insisted they weren't together-together..." Jaune said, eyes lighting up as he remembered something from the past. His grin was infectious, and almost everyone had a slight smile. After they got back on the path, they found a Goron standing guard with a cobble crusher.
"Yeesh! What's goin' on today?! So many peeeople out and about!" He said, stretching out a few words, "You should know it gets much hotter past here, and there are also looots of monsters. It's reeeally dangerous!"
"Do you know Yunobo?" Jaune asked him.
"Why's a stranger like yoooou askin' about Yunobo?" The Goron asked.
"Boss wants to know." Jaune simply replied, and the Goron's face became terrified as he recoiled.
"Huuuuuh? Boss does?! Well...Then I guess I better tell you wheeeeeeere Yunobo is!" The Goron turned and pointed at a rocky outcropping. "Yunobo...went to the vault to fetch some painkillers. But now that ya mention it, I supooooooose he never came back. This place is daaaaangerous, so ya probably shouldn't go lookin' for him."
"Well, we know where to find him. This business is really hot stuff." Yang joked, as Jaune gave a slight grin as the others groaned. There was a massive Cannon as Yang hit the lever with her Stone Smasher while Jaune placed a bomb in it, detonating it with his Sheikah Scroll as it launched a molten rock and blew up a lizalfos lookout tower. They moved to a spot where two lookout towers stood with red lizalfos archers launching fire arrows at them. One grazed Yang's Flamebreaker Helm, making her thankful she had a helmet over her hair...not that she would enjoy the case of "helmet hair" later on. Still, it was better than her hair burning.
Jaune pulled out his Knight's Bow and fired two ice arrows, each one taking out the fiery lizard in one blow, since they weren't adapted to the cold. He paused to catch his breath, before leaping up and firing a third ice arrow to deal with another red lizalfos archer. Coming across another cannon farther up towards the vault, and Yang moved the lever as Jaune fired it, taking out another couple of lookout towers. Seeing a skull-like rocky formation gave Jaune another idea, and he reloaded the cannon, firing again to destroy the formation and all the monsters within it. Climbing up to the vault, they saw that the doorway had been blocked by a red crystalline formation. Within it, they heard someone calling for help, that he "can't get out."
The group used the paraglider to reach a rocky pillar with another cannon, and Jaune loaded it. As Yang pushed it, Jaune narrowed his eyes, and fired it at the formation while the cannon was still turning. Inside, was a tall Goron surrounded by a red glow matching Daruk's protective skill. Making their way back to the vault, they approached what had to be Yunobo. He was repeatedly saying "oh man."
"MONSTERS! THEY'RE HERE! THEY FOUND ME! HEEEELP!" He shouted, seeing them in their Flambebreaker armor while running in circles. Yunobo was wearing a blue scarf with the Goron Symbol, and a metal necklace with the same symbol in red. He had a curled Mohawk over a surprisingly young face on a very large, rotund body.
"Hmm...HMMM..." He hummed, leaning over to inspect the group, "Now that I've gotten a good look...Whoa! It's a Hylian and Humans! Were you the ones who broke through that crag to rescue me, goro? Thanks, brother! But what brought you all the way out here to begin with?"
"Lookin' for Yunobo!" Jaune said, mimicking Bludo's accent.
"Oh! So that's it! Boss told you to come find me! Phew, thank goodness. In any case, I am sure glad you saved me, goro! The name's Yunobo. Everyone calls me...Yunobo. Makes sense, goro. I came to get some painkillers for Boss, but a magma bomb caused a rock slide, sealing the entrance, goro. By the way...How did you all break those rocks at the entrance, goro?"
"With a cannon." Yang replied, flexing her arms.
"Huh? You used Boss's cannon?! That thing is so difficult to use. I thought only Boss could handle it! Oops...I nearly forgot! This isn't the time to chat...I need to deliver these painkillers as soon as possible! Sorry, I've gotta run! But do come by and see the Boss later, OK? He may be gruff, but he always replays a favor. I'm sure there's a reward in it for you. Ok then! Good-bye for now, goro!" With that, Yunobo waved at them before curling up into a ball and rolling off.
"It seems many Gorons we meet here have a verbal tick of some kind." Weiss noted, "One stretched out random words, Yunobo kept adding Goro to his sentences..."
"In any case, we need to meet with the Boss." Jaune said, eyes locked in the direction of Goron City as he picked up an abandoned Cobble Crusher. and strapping it to his back.
When they all met with Bludo, it was now early morning.
"Ah! It's the tiny travelers!" Bludo said, "Yunobo told me all about how you helped him, brothers! Here's a reward for ya. Hylians need this sorta thing, right?" He asked handing Weiss three Fireproof Elixirs, each lasting 6 hours and ten minutes. "Okay then. Well, I took my painkillers, so I guess it's time to meet up with Yunobo. I mean no disrespect to Daruk's legacy, but if I'm not there to give that Rudania a good walloping..."
"Daruk's legacy?" Jaune asked.
"The Goron Champion!" Bludo said, misinterpreting Jaune's question to mean that he didn't know about Daruk, "See that statue up there? That's Daruk!" Bludo said, pointing to a statue by the city carved into a mountain. The sight of it triggered something in Jaune's mind...and a memory returned.
Daruk was learning about controlling Rudania with Link and Jaune with him. He was having fun. He said the other champions better eat their gravel if they want to keep up with Daruk, looking at the delectable rocks on the mountains. He then congratulated Link on being Zelda's appointed knight, noting she had a strong personality, that she couldn't quite see the range for the peaks. Then a rock-slide occurred and Daruk sheltered both him and Link with his protective skill, noting how strange it was that a quiet mountain could shiver enough to cause rocks of that size to fall.
"What's gotten into you?" Bludo asked as Jaune came out of his flashback, "Hylians are sure strange. Anyway, Yunobo is actually a descendant of the Great Daruk. That's why that slacker can even use Daruk's Protection! He uses it to protect himself when we fire him at Rudania. That's the only way we can chase that blasted beast away. We have no choice because normal cannonballs are no good against him." Bludo then flexed a bit.
"Alright, that's enough outta me. Time to go drive off Rudania!" Bludo said, growling before a sickening crack was heard and he grabbed his back.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asked.
"Oh yeah. Just peachy. Dumb traveler OF COURSE I'm not OK!" Bludo whispered under his breath. "Oww...Arghhh...I'm afraid I won't be goin' anywhere today. I hate to put ya'll on the spot, but...can ya please go tell Yunobo that I'm gonna have to cancel for today? He should be at Eldin Bridge."
Jaune took a step forward, Yang and Pyrrha grabbing his shoulders. Jaune turned to look at them, and entire conversation seemed to pass between their eyes before he sighed and nodded. They would be going with him to Rudania.
"I'm going to see if I can find Ren and Nora...and make sure they aren't doing anything...uncouth..." Weiss said, downing a Fireproof Elixir despite her Flamebreaker armor. "Why is it so bloody hot?!" She whispered to herself as she wandered off and quickly took shelter under some shade. The trio passed the Goron Hot Springs, continuing on a trail parallel to Goron City. Smashing an ore deposit rewarded Jaune with a diamond, 2 topaz, and 3 amber. However, Jaune found the weapon a little heavy and hard to wield, unused to blunt weaponry. As they fought off monsters farther up the trail-three fire kesee and one red lizalfos to be exact, they were forced to cover under the cliff as fiery rocks fell from the sky as it did when they arrived at Goron City.
"Well, that must mean we're close. They're really going all off with this FIREworks display." Yang joked.
"Not the time Yang..." Pyrrha growled out, sweating under her armor.
Upon finally reaching the cannon, they found Yunobo using Daruk's protection while cowering when cornered by two black moblins.
"Yaah! Someone, please help me!" He called out. Yang pulled out her Stone Smasher as Pyrrha swiftly drew her Gerudo Spear. Jaune pulled the Master Sword free from it's sheath. The monsters were quickly dealt with with that three-pronged assault, and Pyrrha picked up a metal weapon a Moblin was using...a Goron Drillshaft; their closest equivalent to a spear.
"WOW! You're all crazy strong, goro! You all saved me again!" Yunobo said after Daruk's Protection faded, "Thanks for savin' me, brothers! I would've been in real trouble if you hadn't shown us when you did, goro. (sigh) Still no sign of Boss, eh?"
"He's not coming." Jaune said, "Back hurts."
"After we went through all that trouble to get them...the painkillers didn't even end up working, goro." Yunobo griped. "Well, if Boss can't help, there's nothin' else we can do. I suppose I'll just head back now..."
"Wait a minute!" Yang said. "We wanna board Rudania."
"WHAT?! You're gonna try to board the Divine Beast with Daruk?!" Yunobo said in shock, "It's dangerous in there, goro! Though I guess if you weakened it first, it might be possible...But...why risk it?!"
"I can appease it." Jaune said.
"Hmm...Well, I don't really get it, but I'm sure you have your reasons, goro..." Yunobo said, "The problem is...Good ol' Boss raised the Bridge of Eldin to make sure that mean Divine Beast couldn't get over here. In order to get where Rudania is, we'll have to find a way to get the Bridge of Eldin back down, goro. Boss would normally use the cannon to lower...Ugh, we can't get across unless we figure somethin' out! If Boss can't come down here, then he can't use the cannon to lower the bridge...That means we're out of luck, goro!"
Yang, Pyrrha, and Jaune each gave him a pointed stare.
"Oh!" Yunobo exclaimed, "It occurs to me that YOU all know how to use the cannons! Don't you goro?" They all nodded at that statement, "Maybe we CAN get across after all...So let's just do what I do to help Boss sometimes. That means I'm gonna be the cannonball! And you'll launch me, goro!"
"Are you sure?!" Pyrrha asked in disbelief. This took the phrase "Living Cannonball" to a whole new level.
"I've got Daruk's Protection, goro!" Yunobo said, coating himself in a boulder of red aura around him, "My ancestor's help can't possibly fail me! That means I can smash into anything and it won't hurt one bit, goro! My ancestor, Daruk, was a big deal, goro...though you must know since you arrived with him. Now, let's do this, goro!"
With that, he kept the red aura going and hopped into the cannon. After Yang got it into position, Jaune placed a bomb and fired Yunobo. He went smashing into the bridge, and knocked it down, landing on the ground by the cannon, slightly dizzy. "We did it...See that, goro...If we put our heads together...anything is possible! That power I got from my ancestor...Daruk's Protection...It really is somethin' else, isn't it? Anyhow, I guess my time as a cannonball isn't over just yet, goro. So let's get a move on and cross that bridge, brother!"
As they crossed the bridge, Rudania crawled across the side of the mountain as they saw Daruk rolling after it. Rudania let out a reverberating cry as sections of it's shoulders opened and round objects with propellers flew out and a red circular light lit up in areas below them across the path.
"Oh...Yikes!" Yunobo said as they all paused, "A Sentry is always a nuisance, no matter where it is or how many of them there are. If one of them finds you, Rudania will go nuts, which will cause Death Mountain to erupt, goro. I...always get spotted, and then magma bombs come raining down one after another."
That did not sound very good for their health at all, as they each bit their lips in thought.
"If Boss were here, he'd swat those magma bombs away like they were nothin' and force his way up! I don't think any of you'd be able to do that, goro. And I don't wanna cause you any trouble...Hmmmm.. Maybe the best idea is for you to give me a signal to let me know when I should stop and when I can move forward."
"A whistle." Jaune said.
"A whistle? Ah, that's a great idea, goro!" Yunobo replied, "When I hear your whistle, I'll either stop in my tracks or start moving forward! I like it! Make sure I'm not spotted by those awful sentries." They ran to a rocky grove, pausing as a sentry passed over head, it's view blocked. Reaching the second sentry, they saw it staying in one position. Then, Jaune noticed a flat cliff by it and started climbing after whistling for Yunobo to stop.
Jaune pushed a boulder onto the propellers, causing it to fall down and smash against the pathway. After whistling for Yunobo, the continued on the path until Jaune whistled again as two sentries flew on a path in front of them. Pyrrha felt metal and used her Semblance to fling a metal crate into one, knocking it into lava and destroying it. Jaune climbed up the cliff, picking another crate up with magnesis and bringing it to a nearby cliff he jumped to, repeating Pyrrha's actions with the second crate. He moved back and whistled for Yunobo, each moving up the trail as Rudania loomed over them, sentries and swinging tail keeping Daruk at bay.
Pyrrha used her Semblance to lift a metal structure onto the cliffs near each other to block the view of a third sentry and they moved under it unimpeded. Seeing a black moblin by the cannon, Yunobo activated Daruk's protection as Yang swung her Stone Smasher and sent it flying into the lava down below. They gazed back, and each groaned as they realized that they had missed the first cannon in their focus to remain undetected. Thus, they had to backtrack, taking out the last sentry on that path they had cleared out earlier.
Yang moved the first cannon as Yunobo jumped in and Jaune placed a bomb. Detonating it fired Yunobo into Rudania's back, with it letting out a loud cry and walked forward.
"We did it, goro!" Yunobo said dizzily, "If we can keep this up, we should be able to corner Rudania."
They quickly moved to the second cannon, Jaune and Yang prepping it as Yunobo climbed in. Firing the young Goron, Rudiania let out a louder cry as it crept up Death Mountain. Seeing two sentries in a position to prevent them from getting through, Yang climbed up a large cliff and dropped some bombs, the explosions destroying the propellers and sending them crashing to the ground as Jaune caught her as she jumped down. He collapsed under the momentum.
"Ugh...Nailed it..." Jaune said as Yang climbed off him. They continued on until they came across three moving so they couldn't get by without being spotted. Jaune whistled, making Yunobo stand still as he climbed up a nearby cliff, taking care to avoid being spotted. Jaune threw a bomb, destroying the first sentry before moving position farther forward. Soon, all three were taken care with as Jaune pulled out his paraglider as he approached the ground, landing gently and whistling so Yunobo would start moving again.
Jaune whistled again as they spotted a black moblin, as it approached Yunobo. Jaune jumped in front of Pyrrha as she pulled out her spear as the moblin kicked him into Yunobo using Daruk's protection, taking off a chunk of his Aura. Yang's eyes turned red as she knocked it off the cliff and into the lava below. Jaune ate some roasted bass to restore the lost Aura, another one came out from hiding behind the cannon, Jaune unleashing Urbosa's Fury twice as the lightning was drawn towards the Moblin and away from his allies. Yang moved the third cannon into position as Jaune fired Yunobo, smashing into Rudania's back. Steam coated it's feet as it jerked, before letting out repeated roars as it climbed into Death Mountain, with lava exploding from the volcano.
"That was so cool! You really put a licking on that thing!" Yunobo exclaimed. "Time to finish the job." Jaune, Yang, and Pyrrha sailed down as Daruk emerged at the mountain top and rolled down to the beast. Yunobo watched them nervously from the top of Death Mountain.
Jaune activated the Travel Gate as the others glanced around with Daruk stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I see you finally made it." A voice called out, making Pyrrha and Yang jump in surprise. "I am one of the Shiekah who helped Daruk escape with his life. I always knew the heroes would come back. I never stopped believing, even after death. You're here to take back control of Rudania from Ganon. I can't do much, but I can activate the guidance stone that shows the map of this place. The information will be there."
Just as Jaune was about to take a step, the Master Sword shivered.
"It's...excited." Jaune said, and both Pyrrha and Yang remembered that the sword's true splendor would show in an area corrupted by Ganon's Malice. Then, Jaune drew it from it's sheath. The Triforce engraving was still white, but the blade shone a light blue with the edges glowing white as white light pulsed around the sword like a heartbeat.
"The Sword that Seals the Darkness indeed!" Pyrrha breathed out, as Jaune inspected the sword. Jaune climbed onto Rudania's back, shooting two Malice Eyes with a fire arrow each to destroy them. They each took a step into the beast, and the stone door slid shut behind them, sending them into darkness. Fire arrows took care of three Malice Eyes gazing at them with unbridled fury. He lit an arrow on fire using the blue flame on a torch and shot through a hole in a door downstairs, causing that door to slide open. Using a blue flame to light a torch, he brought it to the second torch, lighting it on fire as it made that door slide open. After that, he handed a torch to Yang.
"Here sunshine." He said, making her blush slightly at the unintentional nickname. In fact, they doubted Jaune noticed, his eyes darting around as the Master Sword remained held at his side. Soon, he held the Master Sword in a throwing position before swinging it, a boomerang of light flying forward from the blade as it lit up the area the light flew in until it smashed against a wall of Rudania. Yang lit a third torch with the blue flame, another door sliding open before she tucked to torch into a pouch. Daruk placed his scroll into the Guidance Stone, after all it WAS his Divine Beast. The map downloaded to each of their scrolls, and Daruk collected the scroll, as sections of the top opened and let in light, making the room visible. Eerie noises echoed as a Malice Eye glared at them, which Jaune killed with a fire arrow, before launching one at a wooden bar over metal sliding doors. Once the bar was burned away, Pyrrha used her Semblance to move the doors open as Yang held her scroll up to a Terminal, activating it. One down; four to go.
Entering the room he unlocked by shooting a blue-flame tipped arrow into it, he used Magnesis to place a metal cube on a flame, looking at it thoughtfully as Yang, Daruk, and Pyrrha gazed at it, wondering how to get over. Daruk then pressed something on his Scroll, and the Divine Beast tilted sideways, letting out a loud call after doing so. He righted the beast to activate the terminal, which also put out the fire streams the metal cube was blocking. Tilting the beast again, Jaune jumped and paraglided to a terminal sideways in the belly of the Beast. After straightening it, they tilted it just long enough to climb onto a balcony, paragliding to a section that lead outside. On it's back, they spotted the Main Control Unit. They tilted it, seeing it crawl to the side of the inside of the volcano to shift it's body position, before flipping it back upwards when they were on it's spine, Pyrrha activating the terminal.
Only one terminal left.
They jumped back inside, Yang lighting a torch with a blue flame as they saw an orb track leading to a metal slab and a circular glowing bowl. Daruk turned it back sideways, and they moved to the balcony and slid onto the torch before Daruk righted it. With the torch lit, the gate holding the orb back slid up, and it rolled down the track. A cursed moblin skull floated up, opening it's jaws as it prepared to bite them, but the Master Sword cut it in two with a burst of light.
"So that's it's true power..." Yang said in shock. Jaune leaped down and took some damage as he landed in Malice, before destroying a Malice Eye. He teleported back to the entrance as Daruk shifted the Divine Beast to an upright position, all of them meeting inside its belly. Once inside, Daruk shifted it sideways so Pyrrha could climb onto the balcony and lift up the metal door holding the ball in the track, as Jaune picked it up and placed it in the pedestal, opening the door to the last terminal. Daruk placed his scroll on it, activating the terminal.
"That was the last terminal. Now go ahead and start up the Main Control Unit." The Sheikah's voice said, as Daruk slammed his fists together in excitement with Yang smirking beneath her helmet.
Going out the door they entered, Jaune drank a Fireproof Elixir, just to be safe. He then had Yang and Pyrrha do the same. "It isn't too late to go back to Goron Village." Jaune said.
"You're acting like we're about to fight something dangerous." Yang said, only for her smirk to disappear as Jaune flinched.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, seeing his reaction.
"If it's anything like the last two, then a...Grimm...I think it's called, attacks when we first try to activate the terminal." Jaune said, making Yang and Pyrrha grab his shoulders.
"A Grimm?!" Pyrrha asked, deathly serious.
"Black and red, white bone mask?" Jaune asked, as Yang clenched her fist.
"You're not alone in this." Yang replied, as Daruk clapped his hands together, knocking them into each other.
"If memory serves correctly, I think it will be the one that nearly killed me one hundred years ago." Daruk said, "It has a Guardian Axe and power over fire, but we're gonna make it crumble." He said, swinging and slamming his Boulder Breaker onto the Divine Beast. They climbed up the side, and Jaune put his scroll on the Main Control Unit, only for black and red smoke to pour from it, condensing into a blue Guardian Axe on it's right arm, it's clawed left hand holding flames above it's palm. It's white and red bone mask around a single blue eye was shield-like, with it's red mane looking wind-swept as it pointed in two sides behind it. It was...
FireGrimm Gannon
"Ugh. It is that ugly pain the the craig." Daruk said as it let out an ear-splitting shriek. Pyrrha held the Drillshaft while Yang held the Stone Smasher as Jaune pointed his Master Sword at it. Daruk rolled out of the way as Yang and Pyrrha ducked as Jaune back-flipped over it's strike, rushing forward as the others saw flashes of light against the Grimm's body as the Master Sword struck it repeatedly and it jerked back. When this happened again, it screeched and lit up fire around it's hand before coating it's blade in fire and surrounding itself in a shield of fire.
"Okay. Make that a flaming pain in the craig." Yang said, the heat making it hard to breathe even in the Flamebreaker Armor. It moved behind them, as flaming air started being pulled towards it with it's clawed hand raised upwards. Pyrrha, spotting an opening pulled a bomb from her scroll and threw it, detonating it against the beast, which fell onto Rudania. Yang and Jaune rushed forward, dealing massive damage as Jaune made ooze fly from it's body and Yang's blows cracked it's mask. It then teleported away from the onslaught.
A red beam went from it's eye onto Jaune as he held his silver shield up, and a Guardian Beam fired, shattering the shield. He quickly pulled a reinforced lizal shield onto his left arm. It swung it's flaming axe at Jaune, who back-flipped over it and rushed forward. Then it let out another ear-piercing shriek as it floated upwards while screaming, ooze gushing from it's body as purple light streamed out of it before it exploded in smoke, purple light, and ooze. Jaune knelt as he panted, a white glow surrounding him as his Aura increased by another chunk. Daruk slapped his back. "Nicely done, brother!" Jaune fell face first from the impact, with Yang and Pyrrha helped him up as Daruk activated the Main Control Unit.
To the girls' surprise, Jaune started glowing gold. "You did great work, little guy. I owe you big for this, can't thank you enough." Daruk said, "Sorry I caused trouble by nearly dying. Our plan can finally go into effect with Rudania under our control. With your Semblance activated, Daruk's Protection might be useful to you. Here it comes!" With that, Daruk clapped his hands together as a red orb of Aura flew into Jaune as the glow faded. He slammed his fists together and a red boulder of Aura surrounded him. "Good luck little ones!" With a glow of golden sparks, the three were teleported out of Rudania.
Rudania climbed out of Death mountain, glowing blue as it let out a loud cry. It crawled down the mountainside, letting out loud calls before it braced itself, looking around before it's head opened like a flower, revealing a long gun barrel and a red beam fired at Hyrule Castle. "Once Jaune is inside, we can fire at Ganon, who won't see it coming. Hyrule looks great from up here...the old rolling grounds are a right for sore eyes. I bet the Gorons will still be going...huh?" Daruk's eyes locked onto the eyes of his descendant, Yunobo. "Heh! Still going strong indeed!" He said, sensing his power within Yunobo. With a grunt, Daruk lifted a fist into the air as Yunobo cheered.
They reappeared in front of Goron Village as they saw Ren and Nora waving at the Divine Beast with Weiss gulping down another Fireproof Elixir. Jaune unsheathed the Master Sword, looking as only the Triforce Emblem was glowing. He had gotten a taste of the Master Sword's full power, and he knew what he had to train for before attempting the two more Trials of the Sword. Yet, if THAT was what the Master Sword could do...he could get used to that.
He re-sheathed the blade and they moved forward, coming across Yunobo.
"Hey! Brothers! Thanks so much for appeasing Rudania, goro! I don't exactly know what you all were doin' in Rudania, but...Well, it seems to have calmed down, goro! In fact, I saw Lord Daruk up there in action! I dunno how to explain it, but somehow I feel a lot braver now, goro! Oh! That's right! I talked to Boss about ya'll, and he said to bring you to him! An order from the Boss can't be refused. Move it, goro!" With that, Yunobo, curled up and rolled towards Bludo.
Once all of them came to the Goron Boss, he gave an intimidating grin. "Hm? Hey! It's ya'll! Yunobo told me everything. Ya'll are somethin' else, brothers. Ya know that? I can't believe ya'll conquered Rudania...Color me impressed... But good grief...did ya have to do it just when my back pain went away? I was all ready and rarin' to go at Rudania myself! Now you've gone and made it look like I was just fibbin' about my back pain this whole time! Imagine that! ME! GWA HA HA HA! I'm also happy to see Yunobo finally got his act together. I know that's ya'll doing as well. But enough back patting and other such nonsense. Take a look at this!" He finished looking at Rudania, "The Divine Beast Vah Rudania has calmed down and returned to his peaceful ways. Now we can get back to diggin' for ore around Death Mountain."
"We don't need thanks, just happy to help." Jaune said.
"I've got a Stone Smasher like your friend has prepared for ya. However...Well, as a Hylian, you probably already know this but...Apparently, 100 years ago, the Hylian Champion had a legendary blade-The Sword that Seals the Darkness. That said, you've got a rather fine blade already, don'tcha? Come to think of it...You look like the brother of the Hylian Champion who fought the Calamity alongside Daruk! GWA HA HA HA!"
Picking up the Stone Smasher to replace his Cobble Crusher, the group looked at each other before teleporting to the shrine in Hateno Village. Seeing the Windcleaver gone and Ruby fussing over something, Jaune placed the Stone Smasher on the Weapon Display.
"Huh? Jaune!" Ruby said, holding something, "I made my weapon! Meet Crescent Rose!" She said, holding a long handle like a metallic Serpentine Spear with a end with a section looking like a Phrenic Bow's arms on a notch above an end with an opening, with the other end having a large sickle with a form on the blade similar to the Windcleaver. "This is my baby. She has the zoom-in feature of the Phrenic Bow and fires shock arrows, with a scythe design with the wind slicing effect of the Windcleaver." Ruby said, slamming it blunt end first onto the floor.
"That's impressive." Jaune said, taking off the Flamebreaker Helmet.
"Pyrrha, can I see your Ceremonial Spear and Gerudo Spear?" Ruby asked, and Pyrrha gazed at them before handing them to the excitable, weapon-loving reaper. "I think I can make a new spear from it...what do you want it named?"
"Milo." Pyrrha said, remembering her old weapon.
Then, Jaune gasped as his eyes went unfocused as a memory hit him.
"Pathetic little knight." A Yiga Clan member said, holding a sheathed sword by Death Mountain with a large mace that held a Fire Dust gem in the weapon strapped to his back, "Siding with Hyrule who cost us so much."
"Stop this nonsense Winchestor." Jaune said, wearing the full garb of a Hylian Knight with a Knight's Shield and Broadsword, "It isn't too late to turn back."
"Your family was so easy to steal from...let's see the Arcs stop Ganon without their precious Crocea Mors!" Jaune rushed forward as the Yiga Clan member tossed the sword into the lava of Death Mountain, Jaune falling to his knees in despair and shock as he watched his family sword melting. A clanking sound behind him made him turn as he saw the large mace swinging at him. Aura or not, falling into that lava could kill him.
"I'm sorry everyone." Jaune said, hefting his shield up and preparing for the worst. Then, there was a loud boom similar to thunder and a war cry. Feeling nothing, Jaune opened his eyes to see Pyrrha holding a red and bronze rifle, the barrel smoking as the gem in the mace had shattered from Milo's projectile. In front of the Yiga Clan member, Master Sword embedded in the ground after a swinging position, was Link; as the Yiga Winchestor stumbled while holding a slash wound.
With a growl, the Yiga vanished, and Link sheathed his blade.
"Heh...looks like being annoying doesn't always come in handy, as it does when protecting yourself from seven sisters." Jaune said as Link helped Jaune back to his feet.
"Jaune? Did you remember something?" Ruby asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Yiga...Winchestor...he destroyed Crocea Mors by tossing it into Death Mountain's lava." Jaune said, and Ruby looked furious at the thought of a weapon being 'dishonored' in such a way.
"Well...you have a better sword now..." Pyrrha tried to say in order to cheer him up. Jaune glanced at the Master Sword sheathed on his belt as he held a Yiga's Windcleaver on his back. Jaune placed a Royal Bow he got from a shrine and a Golden Bow from Gerudo Town on empty bow displays, watching as Pyrrha and Yang both did a game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who used the bath first. With Pyrrha winning, Yang pouted as Pyrrha grabbed her outfit from the Great Plateau as her night outfit before going in.
Jaune had long ago learned to always let a lady use the bath first, lest he had faced the rage of seven sisters.
After a while, Pyrrha emerged as Yang went in, Jaune humming to himself as he silently took a brush and started combing out Pyrrha's hair as she sighed in content. Later, he soon found himself carefully combing Yang's "helmet hair" before taking a bath himself. In his Hylian trousers, he went to bed, exhausted from the ordeal of Death Mountain.
Early the next morning, Jaune changed into his armor as they headed to the Faron region after buying more arrows and bomb arrows, having remembered about a shrine he read would reveal itself after facing three "giants"...he only hoped that they meant hinox. As weird as it sounded, the Trial of the Sword showed him how...easy it could be to defeat one using your smaller and more maneuverable size to your advantage. On the way, they spotted a shrine on the distant Tenoko island, and traveled along the southern coast towards Hateno Bay trying to find a raft. They were quite disappointed when they did not find one, but the journey did reveal a Korok and a purple rupee. Still, the monsters had used up his third Urbosa's Fury, which made the skill go dormant to recharge.
Finally, they just teleported to the Yah Rin Shrine by Lurelin Village. After they started fighting their way to a spot a fisherman had said they were chased away from by monsters, the Master Sword's blade turned dark gray as it ran out of energy from fighting. Right then, Jaune felt a surge of Aura as Urbosa's Fury became usable again. Sheathing the Master Sword, Jaune pulled out a Knight's Broadsword to replace his recently broken Windcleaver. Nora grabbed a boat oar as Pyrrha held hefted a fishing harpoon onto her back, testing the sharpness of the blade. Once they reached the platforms, Jaune sheltering them from archers with a couple uses of Daruk's Protection, a couple uses of Urbosa's Fury took care of all the monsters as Jaune found a Knight's Halberd in a chest. Then, the Master Sword shivered as it's power recovered.
Making their way back to Lurelin Village, the fisherman told them that he noticed they took care of the monsters, handing Jaune a silver rupee with a promise to share any haul he got from those waters. Blake's mouth watered as the smell of various cooked seafood wafted through the air of the village. The others had no doubt that this would become Blake's favorite vacation spot after Ganon was defeated, with lots of shade for reading and a lot of seafood. There were a lot of Hearty Truffles and Hearty Radish around the village as well, both key ingredients in Aura-boosting food.
What got Yang and Pyrrha's attention was that the fabled "Lover's Pond" was actually near the village. If they could set things up properly, they could probably convince Jaune that they were "meant to be". Of course, they would have to include Mipha and Ruby in the plan; lest they make them upset...thus the plan would be put on hold until Ganon was defeated.
As they started to head up the mountain towards the location Jaune spotted earlier, it started to rain; making climbing impossible. Instead, they teleported to the Qukah Nata Shrine by Calora Lake. As they headed west on the trail, their shrine sensor started going off. Thunder roared overhead as they each made sure to not have metal exposed; as lightning was drawn to metal in Hyrule. Well, Nora kept her Iron Sledgehammer out, letting the lightning charge her Aura. Arriving at Lakeside Stable, their shrine sensor was going crazy, signaling that it was nearby. Nora, using her sledgehammer, smashed some rubble behind the stable, revealing the shrine. Ren was actually slightly afraid of a supercharged Nora now that they were together-together...afraid that she'd accidentally break some of his bones in her excitement. She had a hard time controlling her strength normally. After Jaune emerged with his second Spirit Orb, they sat around a campfire at the stable until morning. To everyone's surprise, they saw Farosh the next morning flying by the stable, a steady eye upon the group.
A stable hand by the name of Cima also had a dilemma, she was afraid of lightning, which seemed to be drawn to strike at the stable for some reason. Promising to figure out why, Jaune climbed a nearby ladder to a lookout post and spotted something strange in the head of the horse design of the building. Farosh flying by actually helped Jaune, as it created an updraft he caught with his paraglider to move onto the top of the stable. There, he saw a metal axe embedded in the building. Making sure no one was in that area, Jaune pulled out the axe and threw it to the side of the stable, before he knelt down and issued a silent thanks to Farosh for the dragon's help.
Returning to Cima, she turned as she heard Jaune's footsteps.
"What? You found out what was drawing the lightning here?" She asked.
"It was a metal axe." Jaune replied.
"Aha! Yeah, that's as good as a lightning rod, isn't it." Cima said, stroking her chin in thought, ""I wonder if someone put it up there on purpose. How strange...Thanks for looking into it for me! Here's something for your trouble." With that, she handed him a rubber helm, part of the "rubber armor" set. He was now only missing the rubber armor for his torso.
Now that the lightning was gone...it was time to face the three "Giants".
Jaune Arc current stats:
Aura: 17/30
Koroks found: 47
Shrines completed: 46
Skills learned: Mipha's Grace, Urbosa's Fury, Daruk's Protection.