Chapter took longer than it should. Got a new computer recently. I've been caught up with that and all the new things that have opened with having an up to date comp (like new games), so my free time went there.

If it wasn't clear from the beginning, this story features Twilight Princess Hyrule.

Chapter 5 – Hyrule, Land of Adventure

"So...how do we get to Hyrule?" Link looked around the field and suddenly found his vision slightly obscured by a blue barrier. Lucario had encapsulated them with his power, and what started as a gradual lift into the air turned into a catapult into the skies. Link's stomach lurched from the force; his knees bent as he fought to stand. He felt a little resentment when he noticed that Lucario was completely unaffected by the trip.

Link looked to the land below. His friends had already disappeared when the Lucent Gardens shrank with the rest of Centropolis. They were far above the forests, mountains and skyscrapers. It reminded him of the school trip to the Centro district, capped off by a trip to the triple stacker government complex building. The trip itself was incredibly boring, but the view from the top was breathtaking. At the time, he quivered at the thought of getting too close to the windows. Now his fear of heights had subsided.

I've been higher than this before, he thought in reference to the City in the Sky. Their flight slowed to a drift; from there, Link could see that they were level with clouds in the distance, and the ocean expanded below in every direction beyond Centropolis.

Link felt it safe to stand tall once again, though he left the discontent clear on his face. "You want to warn somebody next time?"

"I'm warning you now," Lucario said briskly. "Steel your mind. The Void is ravenous not only to the body, but the mind."

"We're at the barrier? All I see is more sky."

"That's what you're supposed to see."

The aura bubble crept forward and a nearly invisible substance enveloped Lucario; to Link, it appeared as if Lucario submerged into crystal clear water. He felt a sudden iciness as he passed through as well, but what alarmed him was the sudden change of their surroundings.

A murky darkness outstretched endlessly. He blinked as he attempted to make out what he was looking at. It was dark and shapeless enough to baffle him, yet bright and actively shifting and swirling. The vacuum eluded his understanding; he could not decide if the shadowy world resided in the distance that he could see but never reach, or if it was suffocating the aura bubble around them. At least he understood why it was called The Void – there was nothing of note here but itself, whatever that darkness truly was.

Behind them was a gleaming sphere of life, large enough to contain Centropolis. An oblivious existence protected by a glass-like shield. If only the people knew how close they were to being swallowed up by an infinite black hole. The flimsy protection scared Link, though he rationalized that it had to be pretty durable for the world to exist for so long.

Link found that the only sign he could pick up of their movement was from Centropolis shrinking in the distance, appearing as nothing but a ball of light in the churning darkness. Soon, he found his conviction disappearing along with it. Like Hyrule, he had left Centropolis behind in flash…and he wasn't entirely sure why. He had lost his life to the demon Kneph once before, and even if the people he loved were still around, he had died on them. They had moved on without him, and reappearing would complicate matters. Freddy and Derwin would similarly continue on with their lives if he never returned. And though his parents would mourn his disappearance, they weren't too old to restart a family.

And suddenly, even that didn't matter. If the sphere protecting Hyrule was as puny as Centropolis's, it would only be a matter of time before it collapsed under the pressure of the void. If the barriers held up by some miracle, there was still Azazel out there. A being that reveled in this depressing vacuum…

"Why am I even here..."

"Don't let it influence you," Lucario growled. "The Void will deteriorate your mental stability."

Link sighed. "How did I let you drag me into this?"

"Stop whining and remember why you left."

"Kneph won once before. Who would even want me back after failing to get rid of him?"

"So you would let the demon have his way with your home and the people in it? This pathetic mass, this excuse for a fallen hero is not the soul that I awakened in the Gardens."

That stung.

Link's pride would not allow himself to remain quiet. "Pathetic? Excuse? I brought peace to Hyrule AND the Twilight Realm. You went through a lot of trouble to help me remember, so what's with the attitude? Who are you to even deny what I've done in the past?"

"Exactly. So why let a faceless void or even a cowardly demon rip that determination away from you? What command do they have over your actions?"

"I...what was that?" Link questioned, rubbing his temples. He felt shame in his behavior. "What came over me?"

"You do not belong in this space. No one does."

Any dread from the idea of being trapped in The Void any longer peeled away as the bright light of another sphere filled Link's eyes. He did not have to see inside to know where they were, and Lucario wasted no time hurtling the aura bubble towards their destination. They pierced the barrier in an instant and lowered through the blue skies towards rolling green hills that Link longed for without being truly aware.

The bubble disappeared when they touched down, allowing a strong gust of wind to whip against their backs.

"That was fast," Link said, still taking in the reality of Hyrule.

"If you believe so."

Link allowed his lungs to expand with the crisp air of the field. Centropolis was no slouch when it came to keeping the city air clean, but there was something unfiltered, something pure about Hyrule's air. But unfinished business didn't allow him to fully enjoy the moment.

"So Kneph is still somewhere in the land…"

"When he becomes aware of your return, he will show himself." Lucario's voice was monotone and devoid of any real concern.

"I'm defenseless at the moment. I don't even know where the Master Sword is."

"…I have arranged a meeting for us with the princess."

Link turned to face him. "Really? You're in touch with Zelda?"

"Yes. Someone had to do something in your absence." Lucario's feet left the ground. He was levitating, and Link realized that he was about to dart away like he had several times before.

"Wait, where are you going!" Link cried out. He couldn't believe that he was about to be ditched under such circumstances.

"I must check on some comrades. I will meet you at the castle."

Link sighed as Lucario was gone in a blur, heading in the direction of Death Mountain. He surmised that the 'comrades' were part of the Brotherhood, and he had a fleeting thought about how long these people could have been stationed in Hyrule.

The castle stood in the distance. From what Link could tell, it was in better condition than he remembered, which made him want to reach its gates all the more.

A path carved into the earth itself presented itself to Link, a literal straight and narrow path from the Faron Province to the Castle Town. He began his trek between the rocky walls with memories drifting into his mind; he was quite familiar with this road and had traversed it multiple times with Epona. He yearned for his steed, but he would have to face facts eventually on her fate.

Lucario had never bothered to mention her. Were animals also part of the reincarnation cycle? Maybe she survived the battle with Kneph…after all, Link had managed to severely wound the demon and prompt his retreat. Perhaps Lucario simply did not care about Epona, as he saw no use for her in his war against Azazel.

Link was allowed to dwell on his hopes and troubles even as he emerged from the path, a fact he slowly began to realize. The journey was uneventful. Even the Bulblins, ever mischievous, were nowhere to be found. The foreboding nature of his sudden awareness increased tenfold when he approached the entrance to the town.

Twin staircases lead up to a fortified door, and between the staircases was a fountain. It was just as he remembered, though now there was a graveyard off to the side by a rocky wall. Link knew upon sight that it could only be there for the victims of Kneph from the first attack, and he wondered how many more were buried here over the years. The graveyard was a constant and stark reminder set outside of a relatively lavish entrance.

Looking over the gravestones, Link could only wonder aloud, "Where is my grave?" He shuddered at the thought – maybe he didn't want to know. At least it wasn't here.

As he made his way through the gates, the two guards let him pass. The first held a stony expression, but the second could not hide his shock and confusion at the sight of Link. That quickly turned into scorn, his eyes bearing into the hero as he entered the town.

They hate me, he thought. They hate me because I failed.

That inner turmoil subdued any nostalgia mustered by walking the streets of the Castle Town again. Link did notice that the bustling crowds had slightly thinned out, and a few of the buildings were abandoned, but there was still life in this town. He was glad to see it.

He turned down one of the smaller roads in hopes of not bringing much attention to himself before reaching the castle. It was plan that worked…for a moment, at least. His first clue to his discovery was the sensation of something pelting him in the back. He saw the stone clatter on the road; if it wasn't for the chainmail under his tunic, he really would have felt that one.

An indignant mob had formed behind him, and they were arming themselves with more than just stones. His heart sank into his stomach has his fears were realized.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" came a scream in the crowd. There was a demanding chorus in response.

He held up his hands and pleaded, "Wait! Just…wait!" How could he explain himself to them? To die on them and just come back years later…were there any words to alleviate their pain?

Link leaned to dodge another stone hurled at him. They didn't want to hear whatever he could say. That was clear from the fury and torment in their eyes and voices. But he returned to Hyrule with a mission to complete, and he had no intention of losing his life again, especially to the people he vowed to protect in some cruel twist of fate.

With no other option, Link ran. The mob of fifteen gave chase, and as Link periodically checked behind him, it seemed to grow by a person or two. If he kept running through the streets, the mob would continue to grow and eventually he'd slip up and they would catch him.

As he made a sharp turn around a house, he saw a moment of opportunity: there was a small space between two homes with thick, unkempt grass. He dove in and laid low, hoping his green tunic would help in camouflaging his body. The mob passed by and down what they assumed was the path Link had used to escape.

It was several minutes before Link dared to leave his hiding spot. He knew it was risky moving at all as long as remnants of the mob were in the town, waiting for him to show himself again. Telma's Bar was a possible safe haven, but he couldn't predict any of his old friends' reactions, and more importantly, he didn't want to attract the mob and draw innocents into their incensed attacks for helping him. He decided he was better off making his way to the castle, though that would be quite a task as the entrance still required him to pass by the town square.

As he crept through town, he kept to the shadows and moved behind homes. The town square was more of a circle, and he stayed close to the walls where the businesses were housed, including a restaurant with outdoor seating that, thankfully, wasn't too busy. He had no choice but to hurdle over a table where a few nobles were eating. They didn't recognize him, though if they had, they seemed offended merely by the fact that someone leapt over their meal.

At last, he made a dash and arrived at the corridor leading to the gates of the castle grounds. Lucario said that they were expected, so he was hoping that the guards didn't give him much trouble. He felt a slight resentment toward the pokemon once again. The trip would have been a lot less eventful had Lucario simply flown them to the castle when they first arrived.

"Halt," a guard commanded, approaching. His weary eyes examined Link's form twice over. "I don't know why she agreed to this, but you may pass," he growled. He didn't move, forcing Link to step around him. A second guard tightly gripped a spear as his eyes bore into Link, but allowed him to push the large door open.

Stepping onto the castle grounds, he found it bustling with guard activity. It came as no surprise as these were troubling times. The surrealism of Link's journey since he stepped foot in Hyrule was, strangely, dispelled by the towering castle before him. Its sturdy structure marked the final point of his greatest adventure, and the memories of the past pushed him forward. The excitement of an adventurer bubbled within him. A visit to the royal family was nothing to scoff at; it always meant something was around the corner, for better or for worse.

What Link knew for certain was that his next adventure had just begun.

From this point, more SSB characters should start entering the picture. Also, we haven't seen the last of Centropolis or its characters. Don't want to say more than that.