Hyrule under Fire
By Shadow and Sickle
The lead knight's steed finished rearing, front hoofs thudding against the floor. The knight crossed his arms over his warhorse's lowered neck. "A token I was bidding to show you...and yours is next."
Impa and Arn scowled, gripping their weapons tightly.
However, shame crept upon Impa's face. "I failed the Royal Family."
Devastated, the King picked up his wife's crown. "I have proven worthless…" Eyes moist, he pocketed the regal item. "Sir Tanneguy du Châtel...beyond fearsome. But I will not waver."
Tanneguy nodded. "Good man."
"Where...where is my daughter?"
"She is safe, for now," Sir Châtel answered, His Majesty unsure whether to trust him or not. The knight locked eye contact with Arn. "Your child, though…I'm not so sure."
The captain glared.
Tanneguy du Châtel pointed his battleaxe at him. "I thought you drowned in the moat. Oh, well. I'll just make sure you fall with the Royal Family, finally ending your accursed bloodline. Too bad your son will have no parents to weep for him."
The King gripped his glowing greatsword. "I defy your future of cruel bloodshed, Tanneguy. Such is my duty to the kingdom."
"And I defy your temple of Shadow. Such is my duty to the people," Sir Châtel remarked.
Glaring, Impa stepped forth. "That was reserved for the likes of you! We saw this coming."
Tanneguy grinned, cocking his head. "The purpose of your temple should be reserved for its builders."
Impa grunted. "Think about all the people dead because of you!"
Sir Châtel dismissively chuckled. "A young girl has no place in war."
Impa whirled her naginata around then pointed it at him. "I hope you won't regret those words, false knight."
Tanneguy's grin widened. "I will make you regret even being a Sheikah, child." The rebel knights readied their weapons.
Impa's eyes narrowed. "I'm not letting you get away with this until you're dead."
The King grunted, raising his Royal Claymore. "Will the hatred ever wane!?"
Tanneguy seemed briefly offended, his comrades sensing that and hesitating.
"When will all this wane, asks the King!? Allow me to enlighten you, Your Majesty... When the Sheikah and the Royal Family are sent into the lowest pits of their temple! I want you to rot while watching your daughter bleed out. I want you lying atop your queen's bones, holding your dead daughter as you starve to death. I want all the Sheikah to watch." The rebel glared at the Shadow Folk, gesturing his ax at them. "Then, we will kill them, slowly. Very, very...slowly."
A punishing silence filled the room. Impa and all the Sheikah almost did not believe what they just heard, not even the Yiga's masks able to conceal their hesitation...or perhaps fear.
The King's eyes moistened. Tears streamed down his cheeks as Tanneguy's morbid wording grinded his heart.
The rebels knights stared like ravenous wolves, armored killers both ghostly and disciplined, fully committed to slaughter. There was no turning back. Everyone knew.
"You have gone mad, Sir Châtel!" Arn yelled. "You are exactly your own hate!"
Tanneguy leaned over the front of his saddle, crossing his arms. "As for what I'll do to you, to all the Sheikah, and to those hook-nosed sand harlots... I will deliver unto them the fervor of endless killers."
"Hey, hey, HEY!" Master Kohga cartwheeled into the scene. "You're evil, we get it." Two burly assassins poofed into existence, presenting a tiny trampoline for their leader to jump from, flipping to his feet and posing as his helpers vanished.
Impa rolled her eyes. "What a way to ruin a serious moment, Kohga…"
With his hands together, the Top Banana slithered them at Sir Châtel. "See what you are?" He spun on his heels then acutely leaned backwards. "A bunch of sorry bucket-heads with tin can horsies... You're all about to get really, really rrrusty!" He poofed, reappearing cross-legged nearby. "Would you like to know why," he turned his head, "hmm?"
The master poofed, reappearing backwards before the unamused knights. Cards fluttering, he slowly grooved like water. "Because I'm the whirlpool...that'll WASH you away! SWOOSH, SWOOSH!"
Master Kohga posed, some redness emanating upwards. "YIGA! REASSEMBLE!" His minions leapt, landing around him. Additional assassins poofed into existence, the Sheikah rebels' poofing into Yiga, some with bows, others hugely musclebound men with Windcleavers. Swords and arrowheads of the Yiga glimmered dangerously.
"Me excluded, of course..." Master Kohga vanished.
"Ohwohuh!?"
"Whatever," Sir Châtel grumbled. His horse leapt; upon landing, hoofs and his battleaxe slammed with great force, hurling some Yiga away.
Several assassins floated mid-air, shooting arrows while the Blademasters launched their swords' magic, blasting some knights off their horses. Inevitably, the knights trampled the Yiga, some hooking their sickles around horses' hocks and tripping them. The airborne Yiga poofed, reappearing elsewhere to shower arrows upon their mounted foes…
"Slow the knights down!" Impa barked; the Sheikah barraged them with explosive kunais, slowing their charge, damaging shields and armor. Impa threw an explosive kunai into a knight's visor; upon exploding, the visor flew off, knight rolling off his mount.
Guards knelt, stepping upon the bottoms of their spears and presenting spearheads as obstacles, stifling a portion of mounted knights, the knights behind ramming into those in front and inevitably overwhelming the guards.
Sir Châtel, being at the front, was unhindered. He swung his ax underhand, aiming for the King. His Majesty pushed his free hand against the flat of his claymore, parrying with greater strength. He dodged another knight's sword then, using the length and weight of his claymore, knocking the next chevalier off his horse. With a hefty Spin Attack, he disarrayed nearby knights and engaged as the remaining insurgents and fewer guards rejoined the melee…
Impa jumped to action. "I am ready!" Her lengthy, hafted blade reached mounted knights easily. As they rode past her, she wriggled betwixt their weapons, whirling her naginata behind herself, in front, and anywhere possible. Her continuous movement parried blows; she singlehandedly unhorsed a score of knights and hamstrung destriers.
"Hoh!" Impa threw her naginata, which spun like an oversized, fiery boomerang. Flames erupted, causing hesitation amid the knights. Her polearm spun back to her hands as she charged through the opening, becoming a bladed whirlwind, though the knights' heavy protection would take time getting through. The other Sheikah and additional Yiga reentered the fray around Impa...
Arn went forth and leapt alongside a warhorse's head, pinning his shoulder into the back of his shield which smashed into a knight's sword then helmet, unhorsing him. Arn landed then ducked, avoiding a passing knight's mace then dropkicking the next horse's front leg, tripping it, rider slammed down and concussed.
The first unhorsed knight got up, he and Arn tackling into each other. Upon grappling, Arn pommeled the knight's helmet and headbutted him, helmet cracking against helmet. Dazing his foe with such strikes, Arn slid his sword into the knight's exposed armpit, piercing lungs and heart.
Arn pushed the knight down and raised his shield, blocking several arrows shot by Yiga. He shield-bashed an insurgent then slashed a charging Yiga down.
The Yiga dropped his sickle. "AGHHH—" He poofed into cards and smoke.
A Blademaster swung low, tripping a charging warhorse then unhorsing the next knight. He saw Arn and zoomed forth as if wind, passing several chevaliers and swinging his Windcleaver—Arn ducked, pushing his shield into the Blademaster's abdomen, flipping the Blademaster over and cutting his neck mid-air, reduced to smoky cards.
Spinning around, Arn blocked the battleaxe of Sir Châtel, his warhorse then biting Arn's shield and trying to pull it away. He held on, thrown aside by the horse's maw, Sir Châtel leaning over and chopping Arn's helmet.
Dazed, Arn nevertheless landed on his feet, albeit his helmet had a big dent. He sidestepped around, avoiding Tanneguy's ax then lifting Tanneguy's leg from its stirrup, overturning him off his horse!
Arn rushed over as his nemesis got up. "Now we are level!" The next warhorse rammed into Arn's back—he faceplanted, then rolled as horses' hoofs slammed around him. The area drastically mixed with rebel knights, Yiga and Sheikah, such confusion giving the guard captain a chance to rise.
Yiga shot arrows to and fro while Blademasters assailed the mounted knights; Sheikah swung their odachi also at knights and Blademasters; knights and insurgents fought Yiga and guards and Sheikah; the melee became so chaotic that the rebel knights had no room to ride their beasts.
Some Sheikah jumped high, expanding their fin-like sleeves and gliding after the airborne Yiga, grappling them mid-air and slamming them headfirst to the ground or upon knights. Impa simply boomeranged her naginata at Yiga archers, though the knights swarmed the King! The King flourished his claymore, mighty blade deflecting hefty blows going for his head…
"Hrrmmf—HWAAAGHHH!" Impa waved her polearm upright; an immense glyph glowed around the cluster of rebel knights attacking the King. A huge Sheikah symbol arose, followed by four gigantic blades. Sir Châtel looked around, wondering how they appeared. They slammed with such force most rebel knights and their mounts were hurled into the walls and furniture, landing in ironclad piles.
The King of Hyrule took a moment's break. "Thank you, Impa."
She nodded.
Nevertheless, the rest of the rebel knights found their opening, restarting the chaos anew!
Amid the melee, the King flourished his greatsword, parrying multiple attacks. A warhorse reared, swiping its hoofs at him while the rider lanced. The King and a few Royal Guards jumped in low, thrusting their Magic-glowing weapons into the unprotected underside of the steed, causing it to fall backwards, crashing upon its rider.
While the rebels remained disarrayed, Yiga archers and Blademasters engaged the Sheikah, Impa hit by several air blasts from Windcleavers and hurled against a wall.
"An opening!" the Top Banana's voice nearly cheered from somewhere—a giant, spiky ball crashed upon Impa and exploded.
"IMPA!" Arn yelled. He and a few guards charged the newly appearing Yiga while the King engaged with rebel knights and Tanneguy.
A Blademaster slammed his hand into the floor, a powerful force snaking along the ground, erupting the Royal Guards off their feet. Arn threw his shield down upon the magical undulation, jumping upon his shield just as the Blademaster's magic exploded. Shield underfoot, Arn was hurled into the air, several Yiga archers shooting at him though he batted aside their arrows.
Arn grabbed his shield mid-air and plunged, sword colliding with the Blademaster's Windcleaver. Keeping his sword pressed against the Windcleaver, Arn stomped the Blademaster's knee back then punched his shield across the brute's masked face. Staggered, the Blademaster was felled by slashes.
The captain trudged through the dwindling melee, most combatants fighting near the walls. He gasped, jumping sideways as a giant spiky ball crashed, explosion hurling nearby combatants into the walls.
Groaning, Arn got up, some red thing flopping at him—Kohga's big belly, which slammed upon Arn's shield, both men flying off their feet away from each other. They got up. Master Kohga jumped, arms and legs crossed, conveniently floating forth. Arn leapt, swinging his blade up high—Kohga swung his demonic sickle, parrying Arn's sword then flipping over, smashing the guard captain down.
The Top Banana re-levitated—Impa whirled outta nowhere, dropkicking him. His head and shoulders crashed through the floor, the rotund fellow kicking and squirming.
"Look out!" Arn yelled as several Yiga Blademasters charged, a dozen arrows whizzing...
While Arm and Impa fought the Yiga, Sir Châtel regained himself and barreled through Royal Guards. The King's raised his claymore, Tanneguy gripping his ax two-handed. On the last moment, The King spun sideways, pulling his great sword over, changing the direction of his swing and denting Tanneguy's helm. He push-kicked the dazed knight and chopped his helm again.
Sir Châtel growled as he fell. The King pulled his claymore back, blue Power emanating as his blade crashed with such force the castle shook. Tanneguy was hurled through a pillar, which crumbled upon him. The King stroked his beard.
"AH HAHH! An opening!" Kohga grabbed William's crown and floated away.
"What the—" The King felt his head and looked around, wondering what just happened.
Impa tripped a charging Blademaster then threw her naginata like a javelin. It stabbed Kohga's butt.
"YEEOUCH!" The Top Banana splatted against the floor, The King catching his crown.
Kohga squirmed as he plucked his backside free. "Ohh! I ought of..."
Impa leapt, feet crashing into the Yiga chief's head, his face slamming into the floor. Now a snowboard, Kohga's head sizzled while Impa picked up her naginata. Yiga archers reappeared, shooting arrows at Impa, who caught the first with her free hand and used it to parry the others.
Kohga suddenly stood, hurling Impa off, his head jolting with redness. "Why, I oughtta..."
While Arn and The King fought nearby Blademasters and rebel knights, Impa landed.
The Top Banana leaned forwards. "Big Glowy Beam!"
Indeed, a big glowy beam erupted from Kohga's mask. Impa defended with her naginata, though the beam destroyed her weapon, blasting her through a wall. The beam continuing to break apart more architecture, forcing everyone to disperse as some roofing fell.
Master Kohga's beam ended. He wiggled his head. "Ughh...what? Oh! I did it! I did it! Ah hah! AHH HAH HAH HAH!"
A battleaxe whirled through the air, bouncing off Kohga's face. Surprisingly, his mask remained intact, though the impact threw him off his feet.
Sir Châtel picked up his ax, armor very dusty. Panting heavily, each exhale fluttering dust out his visor, the rebel knight lurched towards his goofy opponent. "What are you but a child in an adult body!?" He wrathfully swung...
"Yikes!" Kohga rolled sideways as the ax crashed through the floor.
Sir Châtel chopped away, though the Top Banana was quite agile contrary to his bulbous proportions.
Several rebel knights and insurgents charged around their leader, engaging against Sheikah and Yiga.
Kohga burst from smoke, cards fluttering as his sickle collided against Tanneguy's battleaxe, sparks hurling violently. "Oh! Ah! oof—whoa! Ai!" Face-to-face, Kohga was steadily losing ground. He kicked a blue wall forth, the energy staggering his foe back, though as soon as the large blue square faded, Sir Châtel viciously attacked anew.
Zaps of frustration and sparks of frustration danced wildly as the Top Banana staggered, his hairdo flailing to and fro like some demented snake.
Tanneguy growled, charging. "Just die, manchild!"
Master Kohga suddenly ended up walking atop a giant bomb. It rolled over Tanneguy and several other rebel knights. Kohga lost balance and fell, but got caught by the bomb spikes and was promptly run over. Yiga archers vanished right as the bomb exploded, causing mayhem.
As smoke and debris rushed, Kohga scrambled to his feet. The smoke parted. Tanneguy leapt, his armor quite damaged though his wrathful spirit filled with bloodlust. Whirling his ax recklessly, Tanneguy approached his foe...
Kohga gripped his sickle while grooving on the spat, calculating the incoming danger. "Around, and around, arrround..." His hooked Sir Châtel's arm, pulling it down as Kohga's bulbous belly thumped into its armored target.
Tanneguy went flying, though got up and rushed wildly, screaming like a madman as he hacked his way through Yiga. He and nearby rebel knights overwhelmed the Blademasters and archers, charging their chief while Sheikah engaged other insurgents...
Kohga stretched his arm, moved it around. "I'm serving up..." He rammed his arm into the floor, summoning a few pink magical spheres, "a whole lot of hurt!" The Top Banana swung his weapon, casting a vast horizontal line of magic and the spheres erupted. Most rebel knights flew back, dropping their swords and shields, falling limply as Sir Châtel slid backwards, hooking his ax into the floor to stay afoot.
Kohga moved his hair back, enjoying a banana. "Hm? Oh, you're still alive?"
Tanneguy roared.
Armed with sickle and half-eaten banana, Kohga parried the furious blows, his sickle gradually chipping away. "Gahhh! He is pretty tough!"
A spark bounced off Kohga's sickle, then ricocheted off his mask, then flew into Tanneguy's visor, burning up all the oxygen inside. Sir Châtel couldn't breathe. He panicked, dropping his ax and slapping at his helm, wondering what the hell was going on.
"AH-HAH! AN OPENING!" His weapon hungrily glimmered...
Sir Châtel raised his visor, gasping for air—Kohga smooshed his banana into the rebel's visor, peel blocking visibility.
Several Blademasters charged, weaponless, frenzied at the sight of even half a smooshed banana. Their combined mass smashed Tanneguy through a wall and they did not stop running.
Meanwhile, Impa, Arn, The King, Sheikah and various guards charged through the remaining Yiga, heading straight to their master.
Kohga jumped before them, smoke fluttering as a second Master Kohga appeared, the two not co-operating and soon swatting at each other. Their smoke settled, only Kohga standing, entwined in bonds. He looked at himself. "What!? No!" Head jolting with frustration, Kohga broke free, as did his temper tantrum, and then a big glowy beam.
With the force of a divine engine, Kohga blasted away his attackers, the beam destroying the King's throne and breaking through a section of wall. As the pink dwindled, only The King remained standing, having shielded himself with his Royal Claymore, his beard and hair singed.
The Top Banana jumped, levitating forth. The King pulled his hair back then Jump Attacked, Kohga flipping mid-air and diving—both pairs of big bellies collided with such elephantine force they bounced off each other. King William smashed through a wall, whereas Kohga's head rammed through the floor.
Master Kohga pulled his head out, stamping his feet and flailing his arms. Suddenly, he got into a groovy pose; his foes recovered, led by the guard captain. Smoke poofed as big, spiky bombs slammed upon the group.
"Oh-woh?" Kohga summoned a giant spiky bomb, and another, a third... "Ha-yee!" And another. And another, and another...
Like twenty giant, Sheikah-eyed bombs poofed into existence and flurried forth, Master Kohga's bombardment disrupting everyone and everything. His last bomb was like steel; he had to jump high and kick it hard, and it blasted away the rebels, guards, Arn, Impa, the Sheikah, The King, a few pillars...
Kohga landed hard. "YEE-OUCH!"
As the dust settled, only Kohga remained standing—that is, he hopped in circles until the pain in his foot subsided.
Once he regained himself, the Top Banana flinched. "Oh, I did it?" He looked around, some debris falling, a pillar leaning acutely, a wall looking like it would collapse any moment. "I mean...of course I did it! How could I couldn't?"
He strolled along the burning hall, a banana appearing in his hand. "And to think I even doubted myself..." He peeled the banana, leaning on the last standing pillar. "Oh-whoa!" The pillar creaked then fell. Kohga took a bite out of his banana. The pillar crashed heavily.
The entire castle shook.
Kohga looked up. Debris avalanched overhead, flames falling. "Uh-oh."