A/N: This one is rather short, but don't worry, I'm already working on the next one, and it will be quite long.

CHAPTER 9: THE ZORA ALLIANCE

As the ship soared through space, Link was sitting in the cockpit, learning a whole mess about how the ship operated.

"Those are the forward stabilizers." The pilot said to them.

"And those two control the pitch?" Link asked.

"You catch on pretty quick." The pilot said, confirming that Link was right. However, more serious matters were going on, as Princess Zelda contemplated what she would do once she landed.

"As soon as we land, the Federation will arrest you and force you to sign the treaty." Impa warned.

"I agree." Roy said. "I'm not sure what you wish to accomplish by this."

"I will take back what is ours." Zelda stated, knowing she was about to go postal on the Trade Federation. The only question was how.

"There are too few of us, Your Highness." Impa reminded her. "We have no army."

"And I can only protect you." Roy added. "I can't fight a war for you." Zelda looked around the room, and her eyes rested on the Zora standing behind Roy with Marth, remembering what he had told her in her room on Mute City.

"Mikau." Zelda said, getting his attention.

"Me, Your Highness?" Mikau asked.

"Yes." She replied. "I need your help."

Hyrule was now in full view, and the crew couldn't wait to land. But at the same time, some feared to land there, for they knew what was about to come.

"I have one battleship on my scope." The pilot said to Impa and Marth, who had joined him in the cockpit.

"It's a droid control ship." Marth said.

"They've probably spotted us." Impa warned.

"We haven't much time." Marth answered. Minutes later, Zelda's ship had landed in the woods near Zora's Domain. After a few minutes of getting ready, Marth approached his master.

"Mikau is on his way to Zora's Domain, Master." Marth said.

"Good." The Jedi master replied.

"Do you think the princess' idea will work?" The Padawan asked.

"The Zora's will not be easily swayed." Roy admitted. "And we cannot use our power to help her."

"I'm-" Marth began. "I'm sorry for my behavior, Master. It's not my place to disagree with you about the boy. And I am grateful you think I'm ready to take the trials." The trials he was referring to were the final tests of a Jedi Padawan. If passed, a Padawan would be promoted to a full-fledged Jedi Knight. A Jedi Knight needed no master, but still could not take an apprentice of their own. Only a Jedi Master could do that.

"You've been a good apprentice, Marth." Roy said to him. "And you're a much wiser man than I am. I foresee you will become a great Jedi Knight." At this moment, Mikau emerged from the water, yet he was alone. He approached the others with some startling news he found in his home.

"There's nobody there." Mikau said. "Zora's Domain is deserted. Some kind of fight, I think."

"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Marth asked.

"More likely they were wiped out." Impa answered.

"I don't think so." Mikau argued.

"Do you know where they are. Mikau?" Roy asked.

"When in trouble, The Zora's go to a sacred place." Mikau said. "I'll show you. Come on, I'll show you!"

After about twenty minutes, Mikau ran into a familiar face, Princess Ruto. Though Ruto was a prime factor in getting Mikau banished, he demanded to see King Zora right away. Ruto saw that she wouldn't win this easily, and took them to the Zora's hiding spot. King Zora was standing up in a tree, watching them approach.

"Your honor," Ruto called, getting the king's attention. "Princess Zelda of Hyrule." Sure enough, Princess Zelda was leading the whole crew, and she had to speak to King Zora about a very important matter.

"Uh, hello there, King Zora, your honor." Mikau stammered.

"Mikau." King Zora grumbled. "Who are those others?"

"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule." The royal teenager said. "I come before you in peace."

"Ah, Hyrule." King Zora scoffed. "You brought the mechanics. You have all gone bad." Zelda ignored King Zora's allegations, and continued.

"We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance." She said.

"Your Honor." Sheik said as she approached.

"Who's this?" Kink Zora asked, noticing the new girl who had stepped forward. What she did next was mind-boggling, as she struck a pose, smoke rose from her immediate surrounding area, and she stood there looking just like royalty!

"I am Princess Zelda." She said, making everyone there gasp. "This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard." The first Zelda nodded, and confirmed that 'Sheik' was indeed the real Princess Zelda. "I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, out two great societies have always lived in peace." King Zora listened intently as she continued. "The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us." Zelda soon withdrew her statement, and dropped to her knees. "No, I beg you to help us. We are your humble servants." The Zora ruler watched as everyone dropped to their knees in the same fashion as Zelda had done. Her decoy, Impa, Mikau, Link, even the two Jedi with them.

"Our fate is in your hands." Zelda said. King Zora sighed, and then began laughing.

"You don't think you're greater than the Zora's?" The King said, realizing that he had been mistaken about the Hylians all along. "I like this! Maybe, we could be friends." The other Zora's began to shout and cheer. The rivalry between the two races was over.

Back at the palace, Darth Ganon had once again contacted Wolf. Also present was the just arrived Darth Bowser.

"We've sent our patrols." Wolf reported. "We already located their starship in the swamp. It won't be long, my lord."

"This is an unexpected move for her." Ganon sighed. "It's too aggressive. Lord Bowser, be mindful. Let them make the first move."

"Yes, my master." Bowser responded.

"They're coming!" A Zora said while staring through a pair of binoculars. On the ground, Link was ready to relay the message.

"All right!" Link shouted back as he ran over to Roy, Marth, Zelda, and Impa. "They're here!"

"Good, they made it." Zelda said when a group pulled up with a bunch of supplies for the Zora's to use in their mission. At that moment, King Zora was talking to Mikau, but not on a topic of one of their more familiar conversations.

"You've done grand." King Zora said as he put his arm around Mikau's shoulders, as Mikau could only laugh, flattered. "Mikau has brought us and the Hylians together."

"Ah, no, no, no." Mikau said, getting more embarrassed with each compliment.

"So, we're making you Combat General." King Zora finished.

"General?!" Mikau said, shocked with fear. At that moment, he moaned, and passed out. King Zora could only laugh at this. A few feet away from them, battle plans were being discussed.

"What is the situation?" Zelda asked.

"Almost everyone's in camps." Impa responded. "A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger." Impa sighed as she looked at the Princess again. "Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win."

"The battle is a diversion." Zelda reminded her. "The Zoras must draw the droid army away from the cities. Mr. Game and Watch?" At the sound of his name, the paper-flat black droid responded. And showed a hologram map of Hyrule Market.

"We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side." Zelda told them, knowing every nook and cranny of her hometown and castle. "Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Impa will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the viceroy. Without the viceroy, they will be lost and confused." Zelda then turned to Roy. "What do you think, Master Jedi?"

"The viceroy will be well-guarded." Roy said.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room." Impa added. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

"There is a possibility with this diversion, many Zoras will be killed." Roy warned.

"We're ready to do our part." King Zora assured them.

"We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army." Zelda told them. "We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."

"A well-conceived plan." Roy said. "However, there's great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."

"And there's an even bigger danger." Marth added. "If the viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"Well that is why we must not fail to get the viceroy." Zelda said. "Everything depends on it."

Back at Hyrule Castle, once again, Wolf, Leon, and Darth Bowser were in communications with Darth Ganon.

"She is more foolish than I thought." The Sith master said, referring to Princess Zelda.

"We are sending all troops to meet this army assembling near the swamp." Wolf said, aware of what was happening. "It appears to be made up of primitives."

"This will work to our advantage." Darth Ganon said, getting an idea.

"I have your approval to proceed, then, my lord?" Wolf asked.

"Wipe them out." Ganon said. "All of them."

The troops were now moving out, many Zoras came from out of the mists of the swamp ready to do battle with the Trade Federation Droid Army. Blowing battle horns, the Zora's moved into place with their two commanding officers. Ruto and Mikau. Two giant beasts also walked with them with shield generators on their backs.

"Halt." Ruto ordered as they got into position. "Start up the shield!" At her command, the shield generators activated, surrounding the Zora Battalion in a protective blue bubble shield. Just in time too, as the droid army forces were just coming over the hill. A droid looked at them, and gave the order.

"Open fire." The droid commanded. Loud bangs were heard as their tanks shot many blasts towards the Zora's, but they just impacted on the shield bubble, doing absolutely no damage. At this point, the battle was on!