Remnants of Tears

Ch 3: Return to Hyrule

The fall was, honestly scary. He was passing by clouds to a rapidly approaching lake, spread eagle, WITHOUT a paraglider. Just before impact, he tucked in his limbs and dove headfirst, making a huge splash as he vanished below the surface. Soon, he resurfaced to a familiar grassy plain of central Hyrule-now without all the Guardians. Still, things looked somewhat different with rocky pieces of Sky Islands embedded into the land.

And there he was, weakened and seeking one of his fiancés who had gone missing. He knew where the others were; Ruby was at "Lookout Landing", a little base they had made around the ceremonial stone where Link had been "Knighted" as the Hero of the Master Sword. Ren and Nora were at Hateno Village. Mipha was an ocean away at Vale.

Things between Pollux and Blake hadn't worked out in the end, and neither had things between Weiss and Poseidon...and the two Princesses had ended up in each others' arms...and not platonically. The two had been settling at Lurelin Village to look over things (and to satisfy Blake's seafood tooth) when the Gloom started emerging from the castle.

Pyrrha had gone to Gerudo Town...something about competing for the title of "best wife". Either way, she had wanted to learn how to make traditional Gerudo dishes-something Jaune had little experience with besides "Creamy Heart Soup".

Part of him wanted to rush right to Lookout Landing-to immediately start the search for Yang...but he knew better. Something sinister was involved-and it had weakened him. He needed to regain some of his lost strength first. As he gathered some Fire Fruit, he noticed a tree with some strange fruit. Picking one up, this "Dazzlefruit" looked like Light made into a fruit. If not food, maybe it could make for a decent...what was it Ruby called it...a "Flash bang?".

He killed a red bokoblin (kinda thankful the weaker monsters were returning) and collected a tooth and horn before cutting down a tree and collecting an acorn, korok frond, and wood. Nearby, he could see a platform with wood and wheels-and other building supplies placed there by Hudson Construction...but for now he had a minecart fused to his old shield-making a makeshift skateboard. Yet, he couldn't help but notice a strange, tall swirling cloud in the sky in the direction of Rito Village.

As he fought some Bokoblins (losing a bit of Aura as one tossed something explosive near him), he picked up a strange, golden flower. A sundelion. Still,as he traveled the field, he frowned seeing the rebuilding Lon Lon Ranch back in ruins. He only hoped Malon and Talon escaped.

As night started to fall, a Blupee led Jaune into a cave. In said cave, Jaune encountered another new monster. It slightly resembled a moblin, except with a hammer-shaped horn and thick, bulbous nose and it made almost "giggling" like sounds while crawling on the ceiling. An arrow to the head stunned it and made it fall to the ground before his stone axe made short work of it.

That, was a Horriblin.

Crawling through a little opening revealed glowing brightcap mushrooms and brightbloom seeds in a hidden room. Also in the room was a new aanimal Jaune caught as it scurried across the walls. A Sticky Lizard. Some experiments showed using one in elixers made one that helped a person grip wet surfaces better. The only other new animal that did so was a Sticky Frog.

Sadly...no one could find any Hearty Durians left.

Apparently, as Jaune used Ascend onto a wooden platform, Horriblins also had a habit of storing things. On the platform were Brightcaps mushrooms, brightbloom and giant brightbloom seeds, a raw meat, and a chest with a decayed Traveler's sword-which he fused a Construct Horn to in order to replace the falling-apart blade.

In the cave as well...was a Bubblfrog-which dropped a Bubbul Gem when defeated...and a Blupee.

Did...did the other Blupee lead him in here to defeat the frog and release it's friend?

Jaune left the empty cave and headed straight for a Shrine of Light he saw in the distance...and paused momentarily at something completely new near it.

A giant hole in the ground, with a ton of Goom around it, going so deep he could only see utter blackness in it.

He soon entered the Jiosin Shrine and exited with a Light of Blessing. He knew he had to restore his Aura...but something told him to restore a good chunk of his Stamina too before focusing mostly on his Aura.

Near the chasm was a man in the tent who looked rather...ill.

"Hey traveler. I'd stay away from that stuff if you care about your health!" The man called out, getting Jaune's attention. "Folks are caling it Gloom. If you get any on you, you'll start losing your strength, like it's sapping your life away. I touched some gloom while poking around in the Depths, and now look at me. The worst of it will recover on its own, little by little, so long as you're on the surface...but while you're in the Depths, you won't recover at all. I thought I was going to die down there...(sigh) Some investigation leader I turned out to be. This is just pitiful. I'm completely reliant on Daval, so I really want to recover by morning..."

That...was pretty good information to have...so why wasn't he recovering in the light? Was the Gloom HE was assaulted by STRONGER than what was there?!

He soon arrived at another shrine, having defeated small groups of Red Bokoblins and collected a good couple handfuls of apples...and a Hylian Shroom.

After a couple of shrines, he came across a man trying to hold up a sign and used a stake and a flat rock to hold up the sign while he secured the base...apparently he wouldn't let go until he was sure something was supporting the sign of Hudson...and wouldn't let another person hold the sign. Still, that help earned him a red rupee, a meaty rice balls dish, AND a strange plant called a puffshroom.

As he explored for more shrines, within a cave he stumbled upon one of Misko's treasures after defeating a Like Like variant known as an Electric Like without taking a single hit...the treasure? Rubber Armor.

Once he left the cave and was heading to a shrine, as he entered a small wooded area he came upon a horrifying sight. The sky turned red as a blob of Gloom suddenly appeared on the ground and five hands made entirely of Gloom with an eye in their palms emerged. They screached and he leaped into a tree, narrowly dodging the grabbing hands as the mists of Gloom streamed from their bodies. He had too little Aura to take on a thing that could temporarily seal it, and with the sky red and his Stamina lost he couldn't outrun it to heal. Not only that but the wide pool of Gloom around them on the ground would prove trouble as well.

After a half hour of failing to grab him, the arms vanished, leaving behind a little "Dark Clump."

As he hunted a boar, he got ANOTHER nasty surprise. Collecting the meat, one of the TREES popped out of the ground and started walking on it's "roots", while bending and trying to crush him. Then another joined in. Once a bladed weapon finally sliced them apart, they dropped logs, seeds, a hightail lizard that lived in one, and one dropped a monster extract.

"Great. Now TREES are also monsters." Jaune groaned.

He had five Lights of Blessings. If things like THOSE were around, he might as well as check into Lookout Landing. He used up the three Dazzlefruit after accidentally dropping one and learning that the flash of one impacting the ground instantly killed Stal enemies.

Wooden Walls, sharpened stakes, and drawbridges surrounded that site as a tower that looked different from the now taken down after they stopped working Skyview Towers stood proudly.

"JAUNE?! SIR? IS THAT YOU?!" A gaurd said in shock as Jaune approached him, "(It is, isn't it?! W-Where have you been?! After you and Princess Yang went into the castle to investigate it, it rose into the sky. We've all been so worried! Purah has been working day and night to find any sign of you!"

Okay, now he felt guilty.

"She's probably in that building with the telescope right now." The guard said, "Please go talk to her. She'll be relieved to know you're all right."

Halfway into the walk, he heard a familiar voice.

"JAUNE!"

Right before he was tackled to the ground by a black and red blur.

There, sitting on his lap, was Ruby, dropping a decaying sword she was trying to chisel away the strange black gloom from the blade.

"Hey, Ruby." He said, ruffling her hair with his right arm...right before she grabbed it and stared with wide silver eyes.

"J-Jaune...what did you do to your arm!?" She said in whispered horror.

"That...wasn't my fault. Come on, I'll explain to you and Purah!" He said.

Right on the deck was a young Shiekah girl with glasses with her hair pulled into three parts.

"That hair! Those eyes! Duh...DUH...DOC!DOCTOR PUUURAAAH! The swordsman! The swordsman has returned!" She yelled, even late at night, at the sight of him.

There was a commotion inside before the door slid open and a young adult Sheikah Woman with golden-colored goggles over her eyes slammed the door open. Purah...certainly did not look like a child anymore.

"Okay...it has been SIX MONTHS! Now where have you been?!" Purah said, before pointing her flute at him, "Jauney...you're not a ghost are you?"

Then she caught sight of his Zonai arm. "Okay...now that looks interesting...One step at a time." She said, pushing her goggles into her hair-revealing red framed glasses and half-closed red eyes.

"Okay...now what exactly happened?"


"So when you and Princess Yang go beneath Hyrule Castle...you discover a mysterious mummy...which suddenly reanimates. Then Yang falls into a fissure and vanishes. That must have been when the Castle rose and the ruins fell...Then later you wake up on a Sky Island, saved by the arm that was stuck to the mummy. You get the Purah Pad from an unusual creature...and learned that your new arm belonged to someone named Rauru. The Master Sword disappears. You hear the Princess's voice...and find your way here." Purah summarized as Ruby poked Jaune's new arm; watching as it reacted like it had always been part of him.

"THAT MEANS HE CAME FROM UP THERE!" Ruby realized, pointing at islands floating in the sky.

"This Rauru you met..." Purah was thinking out loud, "I think that's what the first king of Hyrule was named. Are they one and the same? So much of this doesn't make sense-yet...But I'm certain that mummy you found under the castle must be related to the Upheaval. The castle rising up...the ruins falling down from the sky...The mummy must be connected to it somehow. Then there's the most important detail of all. You're sure you heard Yang speak to you?"

Jaune nodded, silently full of frustration and anger at himself.

"If that's truly the princess, than that means she's alive!" Purah said, "I know you just returned, but I need you to meet with the search party up by Hyrule Castle. They've been searching tirelessly for you two. The captain in charge of the search is a man named Hoz."

Jaune remembered Hoz as the man who patrolled Akkala who wanted a picture of Kilton.

"Work with him to find Princess Yang as quickly as you can." Purah said. At a little stand, Jaune sold four rubies, three opal, and thirteen amber to increase his wallet from 20 rupees to 680 rupees...before buying a Hylian Hood for 70 rupees and Hylian Trousers for 120 and wearing them with his found Rubber armor for some more defense.

In the ruins of Castle Town, he found that Hudson Construction employee holding up another sign and helped him support it, earning a red rupee, Veggie Rice Balls serving, and a sleepover ticket for a free night at a stable. There, by an empty camp site, was another shrine, getting him his sixth Light of Blessing.

Smoke-like Gloom hung in the air around the pathway that once led into the Castle as searchers guided him into the First climbed his way up and shocked Hoz- who had been more focused on looking into the castle itself.

"CAPTAIN! It's Princess Yang!" A searcher wearing tattered armor yelled. On a tower opposite them-still in that dress, was Yang...but she seemed...subdued. She just looked into the rainy sky, floated up, and vanished into a golden light.

"You saw that, too, Jaune?" Hoz asked.

"Yes..." Jaune said. He was utterly confused. That was NOT Yang behavior.

In the gatehouse, was a searcher looking over decayed weapons.

"During the Upheaval, all of the weapons-swords, spears, claymores, you name it-suddenly decayed." He said, "There's not an intact weapon in Main Hyrule."

This...was also confusing. Ruby PRIDED herself upon weapon making. There was NO WAY she would let ANY of them Decay.

Once Jaune reported what happened to Purah, he watched as what Purah called the Skyview Towers were being fussed over. Something about the Teleportation point. She instructed him to get some rest, and OPENED the stone slab that ceremony took place in. Apparently it once was an emergency escape tunnel for the Royal Family...but it was enclosed now-so they made it an underground shelter. The guard looking over the enterance was named Scorpis...he was a Scorpion faunus-his tail revealing his heritage.

In the shelter, he prayed at a Goddess Statue, unlocking a chunk of his Aura.

A man repairing a Soldier's Helmet offered more insight into the Weapons Decaying event. Right before the Upheaval, Gloom began pouring out of the ground, and clung to weapons-pulsing as if it was alive. The Gloom rotted the weapons it clung to. Giving some apples to a chef earned him a plate of Fruit and Mushroom Mix. While at the cooking pot, humming Epona's song, Jaune made two Energizing Mushroom Skewers, a Hearty Salt-Grilled Meat (having found a hearty Truffle), Sticky Elixir, Meat Skewer, Energizing Steamed Meat, Hasty Mushroom Skewer, and Bright Mushroom Skewer.

He just jumped into a bed afterwards and slept until the next morning.

He arrived at the Skyview Tower in time for Josha-the kid-to be pull a switch and make the Towers across Hyrule launch some kind of flare.

"All of the Skyview Towers have now been activated!" Josha said. Then, Link had to hold the Purah Pad over the terminal-readying it and activating it on his map. Purah then informed him the pad worked with the towers to scan the area and make a map...but he would need a paraglider when scanning. Then she handed him a paraglider. The fabric was purple and had a symbol like their old one, and the frame and grips were made from strong, yet hollow and lightweight bones to keep them from burning.

He stepped into the circle in the tower, and Guardian Arms rose around him. Two grabbed his hands and lifted them. Two held his legs in a certain spot. One attached a spool with clear wiring that had orange data. The last arm grabbed his pad and put it in his hand before connecting a wire from the spool into the bottom of the pad before they all retracted under the base he was standing on.

Under the base he was on, a large sack was inflating, making the base shake as he struggled to keep his footing. Then the sack suddenly contracted, blowing air upwards and launching the base Jaune was standing on up before it launched him high into the sky from the top of the tower, tethered by the cord. As he started coming down, he held the screen of the Purah Pad towards the ground as blue light scanned the area, data formed of orange light trailing from the cord down into the tower. Then a trail of blue data flowed into the Purah Pad as he turned it around. A map of the area and the Sky Islands in said area appeared on everyone's Purah Pads as the tower updated all the pads connected to it.

Jaune dove straight down, pulling out the paraglider to float down once he re-entered the Skyview Tower.

Once he returned to Lookout Landing, Purah informed him of some other bad news.

"Reports of other strange phenomena have been coming in from all over Main Hyrule. Let's take a look at your map." She said, as a yellow dot lit up an empty spot of the map he was familiar with.

"The first report comes from Hebra to the northwest. Next is Eldin to the northeast. The Gerudo are reporting trouble in the southwest...and finally, there's Lanayru to the east." She said.

Jaune realized they were the same areas the Divine Beasts once resided in, before they were taken to the Districts of Remnant with their Champions...he was also somewhat saddened to hear that Kass also went to Vale to work with Doctor Oobleck about recording the ancient songs covering the history of Hyrule...at least he was safe.

"We've also asked the Lucky Clover Gazette to help us in the search for Princess Yang. There's nobody who knows more about the goings-on in Hyrule than them. You can find them near the entrance to Rito Village." Purah said, "If you do go there, you should speak with the editor. I'm sure she could help out in some way too. I'll be here, directing a variety of investigations into the Upheaval's many chasms and new ruins."

At the entrance to the Skyview tower was a white-feathered Rito with a pelican-like beak.

"Well, look at this. You're the one I saw flying around the sky. It's great to meet the first one to ever be launched from a Skyview Tower. A real historic moment." The rito said, "Hey, what's your name?"

"I'm Jaune." He answered, somewhat bashful.

"Jaune, you say? Hold on there...Really, your name is Jaune?" The rito said, "Hey, buddy...You've got the same name as that famous swordsman. Ha, good for you! Pretty big name to live up to though. I'm Penn, by the way. I work for the Lucky Clover Gazette. I'm writing an article about this event, so folks everywhere will know about the Skyview Towers being activated. Hey...we could use another reporter! You should join us. Seem like a brave type and all-that's what it takes. Stop by if you're up for the adventure of a lifetime...in the newspaper biz!"

The rito gave a short salute, "Until then... Soar long!" With that, Penn launched himself into the air.

Jaune turned to the main gates...until...

"Forgetting something?" Ruby stood behind him in her black Hylian tunic and trousers, red hood down revealing her face and Shiekah marking, "We're going as a team, just like old times."

Jaune let out a smile, "Even if it's mostly hunting shrines so I can recover?"

"Just like old times." Ruby chuckles. She then almost growls as her Traveler's Spear kept having pieces of the blade fall off.

Jaune smiles and decides to show off a new ability, dropping a Soldier construct horn...before grabbing the spear. He then used Fuse to replace the decaying blade with the Soldier Construct Horn before handing it back.

"Jaune...That normally takes HOURS to do!" She said in shock, seeing the horn PERFECTLY in line where the blade was, "That...is...AWESOME!"


Hyrule was still rather beautiful, even with the changes. Yet, if Ruby was honest, she was somewhat glad for the Upheaval. Not the Gloom or her sister going missing, mind you, but the chance to travel the land once again. To explore the land and fight monsters like the Hunters of Remnant. She had spent DAYS remaking an unbreakable Traveler's Spear for herself, only for the smoky Gloom to wrap around her blade, bind to it and decay it.

Then Jaune gave her a new form of "blade" from part of a monster.

When her Sister and Fiancé had gone missing, she was heartbroken. She couldn't help but fear the worst. Yet...her Jaune returned...focused on finding her sister...to reunite her with everyone! Plus now she got to talk to him about some current events.

"So when you went back into the castle with sis, some woman named Cece returned to Hateno Village. Apparently she went to the Districts to study fashion, and she has been bringing a lot of people to Hateno for her fashion." Ruby said, making Jaune raise an eyebrow. Hateno was a quiet farming village. To hear it was now a fashion destination...was a little jarring.

"Oh! Malon and Talon have been helping the local farm at Hateno, too." Jaune let out a sigh of relief. If the Upheval had re-destroyed Lon Lon...at least they were safe and had a source of income until it could be rebuilt...again.

"Those large lizard-bat monsters are called Aerocuda...they like to corkscrew into enemies...but they are rather...weak." Ruby said, seeing a yellow one flying by a bridge after Jaune completed a shrine, "They...a single thrown rock can kill one."

"And Dazzlefruit instantly kills the skeletal Stal enemies. Learned that by mistake." Jaune added, "Don't know if it works on Stalnox, though."

He was kind of glad he could attach monster parts to arrow. Ice Chuchu jelly made an instant ice arrow...which meant in instant kill on a fire wizrobe as he picked up a "Ruby Sword"...basically a traveler's sword with a ruby attached. It was interesting, how the Upheaval revealed the hidden magic in the gem, as an experimental swing launched a bouncing fireball from the gem.

The one thing that Ruby was sure of as she watched her man enter another shrine...Jaune would not give up. Not until they found the truth about what happened to her sister.