Chapter 7- Versus the Phantom Army

Power can get to one's head. Link is no exception, as the allies learned back before Cia was defeated. Ever since, Link hasn't let his strength make him prideful. He has been defeated a few times since the official war ended, which has really helped. Nobody but Link has touched the Master Sword, but the Master Sword's power isn't what they have to worry about corrupting their minds. It's their own power each of them have to worry about. Ganondorf is able to defeat entire armies of Bokoblins as a single warrior. Agitha's skills have improved so much that she can defeat King Dodongo just in time for tea. Darunia scoffs at Volga when he single-handedly defeats the dragon knight, and vice versa. Lana uses her Deku Spear to create trees just for fun, just to see Impa bash into them when she's running and not looking.

For the warriors, the mastery of their skills has made them unstoppable. For the weaker soldiers, defeat is inevitable. A Bulblin put on the front lines is sure to be crushed by Midna's hair. A Hylian Captain leading troops into the enemy base is sure to be cursed by Wizzro's magic. Ruto's waves are sure to drown the nearest Aeralfos, and no Goron soldier is safe from the fury of Zant's blades. When facing Ganondorf, if you aren't as skilled as Link, then kiss your backside goodbye, because you're toast.

A particular Ghost Hylian watches the carnage every day. Before he was defeated in the battle at the Sacred Grounds, he had a name. His name was Lucas. Lucas was a trained Hylian Captain, before his death defending a keep. He was one of the lucky captains, as he managed to stay loyal to Princess Zelda and Hyrule. His fellow soldiers died that day, and all because of the demon lord's grasp on their minds. Today, Lucas walks the ground unseen. He's had a few close calls, fighting as a ghost, but he has survived in his afterlife. He has studied the techniques of each of the great warriors, heroes and villains, and he has noticed a very important fact. None of the warriors have stepped into each other's shoes. Zelda has never sat down to think of Link's struggles he faces in battle. Cia tosses her minions into battle before her, never worrying to herself if they would come back. Lucas realizes that this is a form of pride. Each of the warriors is bursting with confidence, putting themselves in front of their peers.

This makes Lucas angry. Did he die because of the arrogance of his commanders? Lucas communicates with the other ghosts, monsters and all, and each of them agree. Action must be taken.

…

Impa dashes through Hyrule Fields. On the others side, Zelda is being surrounded by Ganondorf and his two commanders. Impa is halfway there. Upon entering a keep, a familiar tree blocks Impa's path. Impa makes full impact with the plant. In the corner of the keep, Lana laughs hysterically. This is the seventh time this week that Impa has bashed full force into something; five of those seven things were trees that Lana created using her Deku Spear. Lana does have much time to laugh, though. Impa warned her last time that next time she did that, that she'd be in a world of hurt. Lana forgets this heed until Impa uses her Giant Knife to chop down the tree and charges after her. Lana flees.

"So, Ghirahim, how was your weekend?"

"Oh, my weekend was fabulous. Thank you for asking." As a distraction, Zelda has started a conversation with Ganondorf's "helpers". Zelda has learned in the past that Ghirahim is more than happy to talk about himself. Fi once sat for an hour listening to Ghirahim talk about how he does his hair in the morning.

Zelda turns to Zant. She says, "And how was your weekend?"

Zant rolls his eyes under his helmet. "Well, if you must know, it was great other than when I slipped on a mustard spill and fell down the stairs." Ghirahim laughs.

Like a toddler at the zoo points to the monkeys, Ganondorf points forward and says, "Look." His voice cracked right then since he hasn't had a drink of water, and Ghirahim laughs even more. Zelda looks over her shoulder. Lana flails her arms as she swerves in her run from infuriated Impa. At the sight of Zelda, she screams, "HEEEELLLLPPPP!"

Zelda sighs with an amused smile. She orders Impa to stop chasing Lana. Impa reluctantly ceases the chase and focuses on saving Zelda from Ganondorf.

Impa says, "Zelda, I will hold Ganondorf and his men off while you seek refuge."

"Actually," Zelda explains. "I just started a lovely conversation with Ghirahim and Zant. Would you like to join?" Impa is utterly confused.

As if on cue, Midna riding her Twilight wolf glides over the rock cliff. Everything seems okay, until Zelda notices that Agitha is holding on for dear life on the back of the wolf. When the wolf lands, Agitha flies back and has to grab the wolf's tail. She is dragged behind the wolf as it speeds down the battlefield.

"What's her hurry?" Zant asks aloud.

Zelda and Impa turn their attentions to the direction Midna come from. A familiar sound becomes very loud, very quick. In unison, all five warriors gasp in horror. Lana has already started running, leaving the other five in the dust.

"RUN!" bellows the Gerudo king. Like that, all five warriors sprint in the opposite direction the noise is coming from. Like a flood, Cuccos spill over the rock cliff. It's no wonder Midna was in a hurry to get away. Impa leads the runners, followed by Ghirahim, Zelda, Ganondorf, and Zant in that order.

Zelda notices that the sun's heat is no longer present, so she looks up. A shadow is cast over her, and she quickly sees that the reason is quickly falling from the sky. With a stylish spin, she dodges the falling Goron Chief. Ganondorf and Zant run around. Darunia uncurls himself and stands up, facing the direction Zelda and the others are fleeing. He asks, "What's the rush?" Turning around, he quickly finds out for himself and joins the runners. Ironically enough, Ruto had the same idea, but she appears in Hyrule Field from a puddle instead of the sky. Little did she know that she would be bowled over by rolling Darunia.

One by one, the remaining warriors gradually make their grand entrances, only to see the flood of Cuccos and start fleeing for their lives. Volga thought that watching Cia run was really entertaining. Then she started using magic to make her feet levitate, which killed the fun. With the little compassion he has, Volga also held his spear back to let Wizzro grab onto it. Using his strength, he flings the twisted wizard over his shoulder and far out of reach of the Cuccos. Cia mumbles "Show off" as Fi gracefully dances her way away from the Cucco flood.

Like they all feared, the warriors reach a dead end, trapping themselves between angry Cuccos and a hard place. The warriors who can teleport have learned the hard way that unless you defeat the Cucco, they will relentlessly pursue you, no matter where you go. They always find you. Desperately, Darunia searches for the culprit of the Cucco's anger. Zant gladly rats out Midna, so Darunia tosses her out in front. Using her hair, Midna is able to shield herself from the bird fury. However, then the warriors realize that the Cuccos are pursuing all of them. Dread drains the color out of all of them. Heroically, Link is the first to try to hold off the Cuccos. Gradually, all of the warriors start to use their weapons to hold off the Cuccos. Their combined efforts give Lana enough time to collect enough power to create a force field around them. The hard-working warriors rest, each on edge as they witness the Cuccos flood over the force field. Naturally, they all shift to the middle, huddling close together. Agitha has to bury her face into Link's tunic. Midna finds herself hiding behind Wizzro, giving Wizzro a protector feeling, as if he should protect her. Then he questions himself. Impa gathers the other princesses and pushes them into the middle of the huddle. Fi, unable to identify the emotion of fear, questions the actions of her fellow warriors. Ganondorf watches his "helpers", thinking that if a Cucco was to break through the barrier, the two might hug each other and exclaim "I love you, man!"

Eventually, the Cucco mob disperses. Lana lets her force field down. Some of the warriors flinch, expecting the Cuccos to return. A minute passes, and the warriors are perfectly safe. Zelda starts to chuckle in relief. Impa starts to chuckle, too. Gradually, the rest of them smile with relief and start chuckling. Like a whip whipping a wall, they all instantaneously stop laughing and ready their weapons.

"Who was it that endangered us all?" Ganondorf asks, stern like a principle asking a naughty class who broke the window.

Zant explains that the Cuccos were following Midna. Midna defends herself, stating that Agitha was already fleeing from a Cucco when they met up at Twilight Palace. As they ran, Cuccos started to build. Then Midna yells at Darunia for throwing her out to the Cuccos less than five minutes ago. Darunia defends himself, stating that if the Cuccos were only going for her, that his actions would have saved them all. Agitha then mentions that Midna would have been mauled by the Cuccos. After that, the entire group explodes with argument. Lucas, who has observed the entire thing from afar, thinks to himself "of course. Why didn't I guess this would happen?"

…

As Lucas walks towards the warriors, all who see him cease arguing and give him their full attention. The last two arguing are Midna and Wizzro, who argue about who knows what. When they notice Lucas, they look away, guilty as charged.

"Hello everyone. I'm pleased to see that you survived the Cuccos."

"Who are you?" Ganondorf rudely interrupts.

Lucas turns to Ganondorf. "Funny you should ask. I am Captain Lucas R. Licksby."

Impa immediately drops her jaw in surprise. The name makes something in her brain click. Lucas then greets his former general with a smile. Impa can only wave, dazed with the fact that her former raid captain has visited from the next world.

Agitha asks, "Excuse me, but what does the R stand for?"

"Reginald. My middle name is Reginald." Lucas's response gives Volga the giggles.

Ruto clears her throat and asks, "So, you saw the embarrassing display of us fleeing from the birds?"

Lucas gives Ruto a sympathetic smile and replies, "Yes, I witnessed what happened, but I do not blame any of your for fleeing. My grandmother was a tough Cucco farmer, but not even she could tame a flock of angry Cuccos. She tamed my little sister and I when we were naughty children, but Cuccos were a different story."

Lana then proceeds to ask why Lucas has come from the next world to visit. It takes her a while to word the sentence sensitively, just in case the subject of death was still touchy. Lucas really didn't care how Lana worded her question. He has more important things in mind.

"Listen carefully, all of you," Lucas warns. "I am here to help you regulate your pride."

A chorus of "huh"s and "what"s come from the warriors.

"In other words, you all are foolish, prideful, and ignorant to what is happening to your fellow warriors."

The battlefield is silent. Finally, Ruto exclaims, "How rude!" She pretty much summed up all their thoughts in a short, two-word exclamation.

Lucas smirks. He smugly retorts, "I know you are, but what am I?"

"Shut up!" Ganondorf exclaims. He materializes his swords from thin air and points them at Lucas.

Impa adds, "Soldier, that is no way to speak to your princess."

Lucas chuckles to himself. "Oh, but Princess Zelda with her current state of ignorance is no princess of mine. In fact, none of you even give the slightest thought to those who have fallen, and therefore do not deserve the respect of us whom have passed."

"I told you to SHUT UP!" Ganondorf exclaims. He swings his sword at the phantom man, only to be disappointed. Lucas, being a ghost, simply strides over Ganondorf using a faint breeze of his own creation. Ghirahim's cape gently sways in Lucas's breeze. Lucas lands just in front of Zelda. Those around Zelda back up, giving Lucas space.

Zelda slowly shakes her head, wondering what she did to make a once-gentle soul so angry and hateful. "Have we not mourned for those who have fallen? Has Hyrule forgotten to thank those who gave their lives to protect it?"

Lucas sighs, mumbling with a heavy tone, "Though most of us are humble, we feel as if the living are mourning for no particular life, but all of us in general. Are we all just… the same? Expendable?" This makes Zelda feel as if the ground has opened up underneath her.

Volga starts to walk off.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asks, immediately switching targets of concentration.

Volga grumbles and says, "This is a waste of my time."

"You arrogant fool!" With that, Lucas summons less than one twentieth of his army. Exactly one hundred ghost soldiers of every kind appear in Volga's way. Volga stops walking and turns pale. Agitha yelps in shock. That is when Link prepares himself for a brawl.

"That is the final straw," Lucas states. "Everyone, you can thank Volga for this little war. But remember, all of your actions accumulated, and Volga was the unlucky soul whose action was the last drop that caused the dam to collapse."

"This war starts here; the fallen versus all of you. If you're smart, then right now you'll spread yourselves out. I suggest one of you in each keep. Don't let us take all your keeps," Lucas instructs. Considering that Lucas just declared war on all of them, and unsure of what to do, they all scatter, heading for a keep. There is just enough keeps for all of them, Link getting the final keep. His is the one Lucas decides will signal the win.

And oh, this is too good. Despite losing his brain along with the rest of his body, Lucas can conceive some dreadful things. What is worse that the warriors' disrespect for the fallen is their disregard for each other. Maybe this little trick will make them consider how hard each other work.

…

Only seconds before the battle starts, the warriors' weapons shuffle. The first warriors the ghost army will battle are Zant and Ghirahim; the perfect starting challenge. Ghirahim finds himself holding Midna's hair tie, the Cursed Shackle. Zant finds himself with a different problem; his weapon has magically transformed into silver bracelets, otherwise known as Ruto's Silver Scale.

Utterly confused, the two look across their keeps at each other. Ghirahim mouths "what did you do?" Zant shrugs. Noticing incoming ghost soldiers, Ghirahim desperately attempts to figure out how to use Midna's weapon. Nothing happens when he puts it around his wrist and attempts to shoot dark magic from his fist. The shackle just ends up flying off his wrist. Zant has a tad more success getting his replacement weapon to work. As ghost soldiers charge into his keep, Zant throws both of his hands out in front of him. Instead of the intended effect of creating a wave of sea water, he creates a giant bubble of water around himself. He helplessly floats around in the water. Ghost soldiers now surround Ghirahim. Ghirahim finally realizes that the shackle is used in Midna's hair. Using that knowledge, he puts the shackle on his head. Nothing happens. The phantom armed forces laugh at the hapless demon lord. Ghirahim becomes aggravated. Under him, a Twilight portal open up, and Midna's Twilight wolf comes up under Ghirahim, carrying the demon with it.

Fi and Agitha are next. Fi only stares at Zant's scimitars, which lie on the ground in front of her. Her fatal flaw; she has no hands. Agitha can barely even lift Volga's Dragonbone Pike. Fi is forced to rely on her impeccable dancing skills, which seem to work somewhat, at least. This would be more effective if she could turn into her true form, but since that is considered her weapon, that ability has been taken from her. The ghost soldiers have a heck of a time just pushing Agitha around, using the weight of the Dragonbone Pike against her.

Cia, unwilling to throw her weight around, is practically spat at when trying to use Impa's Giant Knife. Volga has no control of when he turns into a sword, which is normally Fi's special ability. He can sure punch the ghosts, but when he turns into a flying sword, he helplessly flies around. Wizzro has no hand-to-hand combat training, relying on ranged magic attacks. Wielding Ghirahim's Demon Sword and having to use it is mortally shaking for the twisted wizard.

Ruto has no understanding of magic spells and how they work, so Lana's Spirit's Tome is only useful for smacking ghosts in the face with and blocking attacks. Darunia can hold Sheik's Harp in the palm of his hand. His fingers are so rough that when he tries to gently strum the strings, they snap. Darunia has to rely on his fists and rolling ability. Since the ghosts can just hide under the ground and return when they please, rolling isn't much help.

Watching Midna is the funniest part, according to Lucas. Midna was given Link's Sword and Shield. Confident in herself, she places the shield on her face and recklessly swings the sword around. The confusion wipes out a few soldiers, but an aerial attack is able to bring Midna down to size. Impa understands wearing jewelry, but she has never understood how wearing this ring gives Wizzro power. The magic works, but practically none of Impa's intended attacks work. Impa feels utterly defeated and ashamed. Lana can barely hold one of the Great Swords with one hand, but one sword in each hand is too heavy. Lana trips over her own weapon… or, Ganondorf's weapon.

The last three keeps are protected by Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link. Watching their fellow warriors be destroyed, some by their own attacks, has severely damaged their morale. Ganondorf doesn't even want to try to fight with Agitha's Butterfly Parasol. He just goes for his using his hands and feet. None of his magic is working, which seems to make him stumble. Lucas is pretty proud of himself for that one. Like most would suspect, Darunia's Hammer weighs more than Zelda does. Zelda is helpless. She just uses the hammer as a place to hide behind, not knowing what else to do.

Link summons all the courage he can to stand firm. He isn't the chosen wielder of the Triforce of Courage for nothing. Holding Cia's Scepter high, Link stares with determination at the army entering his keep. Lucas boldly steps to the front of his army.

"Go ahead, hero. Defeat me," Lucas's words are just mocking Link. Mimicking Cia's movements to the best of his ability, Link thrusts the scepter forward, hoping to have the spiked end poke the smug phantom captain in the eye. Instead, the string on the spiked end of the scepter rebounds, tying around Link's neck. Link pulls himself down.

Lucas is slightly disappointed. He was expecting more from these people.

The warriors run to gather at the base keep. Zelda helps Link untangle himself.

Ruto glares at Lucas. "You did this to us. You cheated!"

"Did I?" Lucas challenges. Considering there were no rules to how they could fight, Lucas has Ruto beat.

Zelda turns to Lucas once Link is no longer choking. She pleas, "Captain Licksby, please, give us another chance. We weren't ready."

Lucas thinks about the situation, and realizes that as of now, these warriors haven't learned anything. They've only made fools of themselves. Crushing their pride was only half of Lucas's mission. Right now, if he were to leave, the warriors would build their confidence back, and all of this would have been for nothing. Perhaps a second chance is what they need.

"Princess Zelda, I have decided amongst myself to give you all one last chance," Lucas confirms it. Zelda and some of the other warriors sigh in relief.

"Great," Volga dismisses it and moves on. "Now whoever has my Dragonbone Pike, give it back."

Lucas shakes his head. "No, Volga. None of you will be able to use your own weapons." In return, Lucas receives aghast expressions. He explains, "If I explained to you why I am doing this, your lesson would not be learned."

"What stupid lesson?" Ganondorf asks.

Lucas says, "That is for you to decide." His voice is full of wisdom. Instead of anger, he is communicating patience and understanding. Impa calms her mind, hoping that by listening, she will learn what fate has to teach her.

Lucas's smirk returns. "You have an hour before my army returns. Do what you must. Trust me, you don't want to lose." With that mysterious tone, he disappears.

…

The warriors have dragged the heavy weapons to the base. Darunia learned the hard way that Lucas wasn't kidding; the warriors are unable to use or even touch their personal weapons. Link, Lana, Zelda, and Impa bring their alternate weapons as well.

A moment of eerie silence fills the air, as nobody knows what to say. Finally, Cia asks, "Now what?"

Zelda shrugs in response. "I suppose we take the weapons and learn how to use them."

"Are you kidding?" Wizzro interjects. "It has taken some of us years to master our weaponry. We have less than an hour before the ghosts return."

Ruto states, "But learning a new weapon might be our only hope. We have to try."

Then, Darunia notices Link's Gauntlets. "Hey, Link, is that yours?" Link nods in response. Darunia picks up the chain connected to the heavy metal, spiked ball. Effortlessly, Darunia swings it. Ganondorf and Zant have to duck to avoid being whacked by it. He laughs as he slows to a stop.

Impa looks down at Volga's Dragonbone Pike. She remembers seeing her Naginata for the first time and how it vaguely resembles the pike. She slowly picks it up. Volga shifts uncomfortably, watching Impa take his weapon. She notices. Then, she demonstrates a few techniques with it. Steadily, other warriors start taking weapons similar to their own.

Zelda smiles. She says, "Ladies and gentlemen, there is hope for us yet."

…

Lucas and his army return to Hyrule Field after an hour. Personally, Lucas is excited to see what the warriors have done. He decided not to watch them the past hour, just so it was a fair fight. Plus, he likes surprises. One of the Bokoblin captains asks Lucas when to go. Lucas says that he will go to Zelda and ask if they are ready. When he returns, he tells his men to charge.

In the first keep, Zant stands. As the first ghost forces enter the keep, he starts spinning, using his own weight as a way to continue his motion. The weight of Ganondorf's Great Swords isn't too heavy to lift, but heavy enough to throw Zant's weight around. To Lucas's surprise, a good number of his men fall to Zant. Meanwhile, Ghirahim is causing an equal amount of carnage. Behind a sword himself, Fi's ability to change into a sword during battle is not a problem. Ghirahim quickly learns how to swing himself around. Lucas happens to overhear Zant complain about how much strain all this extra weight is putting on him. For Lucas, that seems like a step in the right direction.

Unlike before, Agitha is actually doing some brawling. Interestingly, she seems to enjoy using the Wind Waker to blow enemies around. She even used it to save a ladybug from getting squashed. Mission success! Fi is also doing some actually fighting. Being a spirit, Fi doesn't need to breath, giving her a distinct advantage when she creates a bubble of water around herself. Who knew that you could wear Ruto's Silver Scale around your ankles?

Volga is fighting is his comfort zone this time. Impa's Naginata might not be as long as he would like, but it certainly works just like his Dragonbone Pike. His confidence could carry him through a hurricane. In the closest keep, Wizzro is as equally happy. Lana's Spirit Tome uses magic which pushes enemies away. Perfect. And Cia, well, Cia is having one heck of a time. Ghirahim's Demon Sword is working quite nicely for her.

Lucas helplessly watches as Darunia swings the Gauntlets into his forces. Just the force of Darunia's swing with the Gauntlets would be enough to kill Gohma. Darunia might be having a little bit too much fun. Ruto is more graceful over at her keep. After an attack, she gently floats down to the ground with Agitha's Butterfly Parasol. Ruto has never been a fan of creepy crawlies, but these giant beetles aren't so bad.

Midna can actually see who she's hitting this time around. She may not be able to crush her enemies with her hair, but she is able to use dark magic. However, Wizzro's Ring is just a tad big for Midna's finger. Lana is actually the one smashing people with her hair. Wearing Midna's Cursed Shackle has given her sky blue hair almost a life of its own. Also, Lana loves that Twilight wolf. Impa is a machine with that Dragonbone Pike. It's heavy like her Giant Knife, but longer. Longer reach equals more destruction. Score!

By this time, Lucas is wondering if any of his men have made it to the last three keeps. Disappointingly, none of his men have made it to the last keeps. Ganondorf, Zelda, and Link are just relaxing. Ganondorf is actually doing pushups, but since he's got Darunia's Hammer, that extra muscle will come in handy. To Lucas's surprise, Zelda has Cia's Scepter. Right now, she is using it as a way to prop herself up. Finally, Link practices his swings in slow motion. Both hands are full with Zant's Scimitars. Lucas thinks this is an odd choice for Link, but whatever.

It takes a while, but finally, Lucas's men give out. They've never worked so hard in all their afterlife. Lucas is left on the battlefield with the victorious Hyrule warriors. For once, he is at peace.

The warriors and Lucas gather in the warriors' base. Lucas clears his throat, signifying that he is preparing to say something. "Well, it appears that my mission is complete."

There is a moment of silence. Finally, Agitha asks, "What exactly was your mission?"

"I have faith that you all have learned the intended lesson. By resorting to using each other's weapons, you have learned the hardships each other face, as well as have learned your similarities. Maybe from now on, you'll consider the lives of those who might be lugging a heavier weapon than you." Most of the warriors understand the figurative language. Fi is one of the warriors who has no idea what Lucas really meant by that.

As Lucas starts to fade away, Zelda holds out her hand and says, "Captain Licksby, are you leaving?"

Lucas nods.

Ruto asks, "Will we see you again?"

"Maybe," Lucas replies.

When Lucas is gone from sight, the warriors consider that the end of their adventure.

"Now," Ganondorf kills the moment. "What was I doing? Oh yeah! Zelda!" He turns. Looking at Zant, he yanks his swords out of the Twilight King's hands.

To everyone's surprise, Ganondorf cries in agony and drops the swords. What has just happened hits everyone like a rolled newspaper to the face. Ganondorf mutters, "The spell. We still can't wield our own weapons."

For a moment, time seems to stop.

"Lucas!"

"Come back!"

And so the search for Lucas R. Licksby the Hylian Captain Ghost begins.

Author's Notes- If I'm not mistaken, this is my longest one yet. I had so much to write with this one. I supposed Lucas is partially my OC; he's basically just a Hylian ghost with a name, personality, and a backstory. I didn't create the Hylian Ghost, but I did invent Lucas Licksby. This chapter took a lot of planning and sorting out, but I'd say it was worth it.