Remnants of Tears
Ch 5: Master of the Yiga Clan
Jaune came to where the Statues were leading him; a large-white building called the Abandoned Central Mine, where two researchers were looking at a deactivated Steward Construct. So the Zonai had even been to the Depths.
"Ah! I didn't think we'd see anybody else down here!" The researcher said as Jaune approached him. That...wasn't too surprising. The area WAS very dark, and monster-filled.
"Though I imaging you could say the same to us, huh? You're here to investigate to, right. Y'know, since you took the Yi-Er, I mean the survey-team interview." Okay, now THAT was suspicious. The Yiga had cast out the strange lady for trying to make herself a "goddess more powerful than the Great One"...yet they ALSO had stopped trying to "Avenge" Master Kohga-despite still being active.
"Take a look at this. Our latest discovery nearly knocked us off our feet!" The researcher said, focusing Jaune's attention back onto the strange green hologram screen that he touched to activate Steward Constructs and Shrines. "We found this weird device with these wavering green letters on it, and this strange statue. We thing it's one of those living stone constructs. Pretty sure it's supposed to move too."
Jaune pressed his hand against the hologram and activated a Teleportation point.
"Authorizer Verified." The steward construct said before moving to active form, "Conferring Autobuild to authorizer now. Please utilize it as you expore and excavate the Depths for zonaite."
Jaune held out his hand as green light swirled into his palm and a green symbol merged into it. Autobuild: The ability to instantly re-create your Ultrahand projects, using nearby items and zonaite. It also records his previous creations. That...would be useful.
"Did I...see what I thought I saw?!" The researcher exclaimed in shock, "Did that thing just...give you the power we've been researching?"
"That's incredible!" The female researcher near the first one said, "C-could you give us a demonstration?"
"I know what to use it on!" The first researcher interrupted, "As luck would have it, both of our vehicles just broke, and we've been struggling to put them back together again. The one on the round pedestal lost a wheel...and the one on the square pedestal has fallen to pieces...But I think, if you put the wheel back onto the first one...You should be able to use that power to repair the second in no time flat."
This would be an excellent test.
Spending time with Ruby and Yang had given him plenty of experience with machines, and he instantly used Ultrahand to repair the wheel before using Autobuild to repair the second.
"Whoa. It's like I'm seeing double! Built in less than no time flat too! This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you, ancient power!" The researcher said, making Jaune a bit irritated since HE was the one who used it.
"Oh, MAAAASTER!" THe first researcher called cheerfully before both disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Yiga tags.
"Well, look at that...The legends were true!" A voice called.
In a cloud of smoke, framed by both Yiga members was a very familiar figure. That ornate mask, large belly...
Master Kohga was back.
"Great work, both of you!" Kohga said, praising the underlings, "You, too, stranger. Credit where credit is due. Yes, Credit where credit is..." He trailed off, getting a good look at Jaune.
"If there's one foe I'll never forget, it's the man who cast me from my Gerudo Desert hideout into these very Depths! It was YOU!" Kohga said, pointing at Jaune. "Now I live for vengeance. Both upon those no-good Princesses, and upon my sworn enemy! That means you, JAUNE! We meet again at last! And don't try to tell me you've forgotten me-we are bound by fate, you and I! Hear my name and tremble in fear!"
He started doing that strange dance with his minions.
"I am the leader...of the Yiga Clan. The Strong. The Burly. The Depths-Defying! From the Ashes Rising! MASTER KOHGA!" With his final pose, his minions were kneeling on each side throwing out those tags.
"I saw it all." Kohga said, "I saw the moment you obtained the ancient power we've sought for so long! The highlight of all the musty old texts we've found in this land! It remembers objects you've assembled and can instantly reproduce them...A long-lost ability from the distant past!So you... You-YOU"RE CHEATING!" He started stomping his foot like he was having a tantrum.
"Here we are, working ourselves to the bone to build things by hand..." Both minions had joined in mimicking his tantrum, "And you can just whip them up in an instant! THAT'S NOT FAIR! You know who could've used that power? The one we worship and revere-the Magnificent One! If we offered it to him, he would have crushed you and the entire kingdom...but you just walked right up and snatched it away!" Kohga was well into a rant now.
This got Jaune thinking. Was that strange mummy connected to Calamity Gannon?
"Now I'm gonna snatch it back!" Kohga said, bringing Jaune's attention back to him.
Kohga vanished and appeared in a circular yard by the construct and in a group of tags, made a vehicle with two lights on the front and a spike-covered front appear as Kohga grabbed onto the steering stick.
"Prepare yourself!"
The first charge was painfully slow, and Jaune easily walked to the side as the minions made a force-field around the circular field, and hit Kohga with an arrow, making the Yiga master fall off and get his upper body stuck in the ground-giving Jaune the opportunity to deal some small Aura damage with the undecayed Traveler's Sword.
Once he got his upper body freed, Kohga and the vehicle vanished in those tags, reappearing a distance away. This repeated a bit, his Traveler's sword breaking-forcing Jaune to bring out the Soldier's Broadsword he replaced the blade of using a Soldier Construct horn. The third time Kohga placed the vehicle, it had another bar of metal above Koha so he couldn't be hit with an arrow from the front...not a lot of use since Jaune was hitting him from the side.
When Kohga had lost 3/4s of his Aura, he had the sides enclosed in metal and two bars with rockets that propelled the vehicle forward rapidly. Jaune dodged it, but the vehicle slammed into the force-field and stunned Kohga. This repeated a few times until Kohga's aura shattered-as did the sword Jaune was using.
Kohga was gripping his left shoulder. "Urgh! You pesky little...PEST! Why won't you stand still and let me squish you?" Jaune muttered about him not understanding how battles between foes worked. "Well fine! I supposed I can let you off easy for today. You think you're so smart... But I've already found a whole bunch of ruins down here! I saw your little trick there. You used your right hand to get that construct going. I'll grab that power you cheated me out of for MYSELF, off at the Southwestern Abandoned Mine! Then the Magnificent One and I will guide this world to its miserable end. And there's nothing you can do to stop us!"
In a red glyph, he summoned a wing attached to a cart with multiple fans and grabbed onto that steering stick. As he flew off, he yelled back "SO DON'T FOLLOW ME!"
Jaune smirked, knowing Kohga hadn't realized his right hand was a Zonai's hand-not a Hylian's...so he had a lot of time to explore and regain his strength if Kohga thought any right hand would work on those holograms as a chest appeared, containing a huge crystalized charge-worth 100 crystalized charges.
"Excuse me." The steward construct said, "Thank you for repelling the trespassers. I hope you will pardon me for listening in on your conversation. That man mentioned an abandoned mine to the Southwest. I suspect that he is referring to the former Gerudo Mine. That place flourished with activity long ago like this one. ORe was constantly unearthed and refined. There are statues that point the way to the Abandoned Gerudo Mine. Follow them to reach that destination. One more thing before you set out on your journey. There is something I would like you to have. Please speak with my associate when possible."
When he reached the other Steward Construct, it gave him something called a schema stone, which permanently put the details of a build into Autobuild's built in memory. This one was for a "Fanplane". The construct also brought out materials to test it.
"Schema stones can help you build things you have never before imagined. I hope that you will find this one useful." The steward said.
Thinking about the stone...Jaune theorized this was how Zonai miners saved vehicle designs they used. Talking to the Forge construct, he turned into zonaite to get a total of 240 crystalized charges, wanting to extend the energy well charges and knowing he needed 100 per one well part, before he tested the fanplane by gliding it to a lightroot ahead of him and activating it.
Teleporting back to Lookout Landing had him tackled by Ruby as she blurred in with her swirl of rose petals. Jaune eagerly showed Josha the picture he took of the statue. However, before he could explain anything about what he encountered, both she and Robbie were well into a discussion about the Depths.
"So...shrine hunting?" Ruby said, gently nudging him.
"You read my mind." Jaune said, "And maybe we can check out those treasure hints too!" He climbed onto a rock with a steward construct and a familiar device from the Great Sky Island, turning in 200 crystalized charges for it to make him two energy wells.
They mostly follwed the dirt trail, moving to kill some Bokoblins and pick up the parts they dropped.
To be honest, Ruby was really glad to travel with Jaune again...and not because he was her Fiancé. They had been studying hard for Beacon-making her brain hurt in all honestly as they also had to balance Princess duties and her job as a weaponsmith. In simple terms-adulting was hard. This is why she was glad he agreed to let her come. To travel the land and fight monsters like she dreamed of as a kid. Plus, they got a Hasty simmered fruit for saving the Gerudo Treasure hunter Calisa from a Bokoblin.
Plus, nearby was a Bokoblin camp...and there was a strange, giant creature. It looked like a giant, fat Bokoblin half the height of a Hinox, and had an axe-like horn on it's head.
"Right. Boss Bokoblin. They lead Bokoblin squads." Ruby said, ducking under a swing and decapitating a Bokoblin with her improved Traveler's spear as she swung it like a scythe. Jaune took a hit, but started swinging his Boko Claymore in a circle and tore all the other bokoblins to shreds while knocking away their shields. Once it had died, it left behind teeth and the horn...and Jaune-in a chest-found a Hinox Hammer; a weapon made from a sturdy stick and Hinox horn. Jaune then carried a Korok using Ultrahand to a friend across the river by crossing a bridge. Now, they were in an unmapped area where a treasure/clothing was. He got a green rupee, two blue rupees, and a red rupee from a Blupee as it led him into the cave where the "treasure" was.
Ruby's heart leaped into her throat as the cave contained a Luminous Stone Talus, and Jaune had to eat Aura restoring hasty foods as he took blows for her as she tripped on a protruding rock. Still, the talus went down dropping ores...and a Luminous Talus heart-a heart shaped stone with pieces of Luminous stones on it. After defeating the Bubbul frog and getting a Bubble Gem, Jaune noticed a flag near a Luminous Ore deposit and attached a bomb flower to an arrow and fired it, revealing a small opening stil partly covered. Another one destroyed the covering, and they climbed into it, revealing an ornate tent with a chest in it. Inside said chest was Barbarian Armor-which must have been what the "fairly wild" set was. Once outside, when he got to a tree stump he was forced to swallow stamina meals he made as hands of Gloom appeared and chased them up the tree stump.
Still, they eventually made it to the Ren-Iz shrine.
"Ren-Iz shrine. Ren Iz probably busy with Nora." Jaune joked.
"Jaune. I know you miss Yang, but please don't joke like she does." Ruby said, seeing through his bravado.
"...Sorry." He said quietly before entering the Shrine. It didn't take long for him to emerge with his second Light of Blessing.
There was circular puffs of smoke a distance away after they saved a chef named Savory...and Jaune cooked some more meals, and they paraglided across the river to see the smoke coming from a stable. In front of it was Beedle, which he sold Spicy sauteed peppers to, as well as his amber and opals to give him a total of 814 rupees.
Then, Jaune had to re-register at the stable and reminded the owner to check his books...There was his Abella, Ruby's Chestnut, Yang's Snowfire, his Epona, and Nora's Crusher. Those people hadn't made their own registry, so their horses were in his name. Then, he heard about a new system. Pony points. A person in the registry got a point for visiting a stable for the first time, paying to sleep, and registering a horse. After certain amounts of points-the user got rewards. Jaune went into the nearby shrine and soon emerged with another Light of Blessing.
After they teleported, they arrived at the Hyrule Field Skyview Tower and had to fight through a Bokoblin encampment, which also had a blue moblin. Ruby once again got to see Jaune Flurry Rush the Boss Bokoblin, picking up it's spiked-ball hammer, teeth, horn, and guts. Once the monsters were gone, he changed into his Gliding Armor, and got launched to make a map of Hyrule Field.
Ruby ran after him after she saw him diving to the Ancient Tree Stump...Yet she knew it was too far. Sure enough, he landed at the entryway to the bridge leading to the Colosseum ruins and he changed back into his Rubber Armor. She knew he was hoping there was a shrine in it. As they dove in and explored the maze of branches in the stump, he found a rare ore deposit with some flint, an amber, and a sapphire. Then, he came to a wall of vines with familiar flags on either side. Misko had hidden a treasure here too?!
Climbing up roots, they came to a chest in a tent behind another wall of vines. In the chest were the Fierce Deity Boots. These were a blue pair of trousers with a belt and brown boots. According to legends, these boots were once worn by a hero from a world in which the moon threatened to fall...and the wearer would gain "godlike power".
He highly douted the power is godlike, but the color reminded Jaune of the blue jeans he once wore. Once he put on the Fierce Deity Boots, he could feel his Aura sharpen and stimulate his muscles, providing more power to his attacks. Little did he know, was that he found a piece of clothing that would be his new signature look. He then grabbed Ruby and used Ascend to leave the cave. Jaune had found some more Sundelions on sky islands he had landed on, and the duo made their way back to New Serrene Stable as Ruby grabbed his left hand with her right with a smile.
Tension left Jaune's shoulders as he smiled back, but she could see worry in his eyes. Worry for Yang. Worry for Mipha. Worry for Pyrrha.
"Why don't we go to the Lost Woods? Maybe the Great Deku Tree would know something?" Ruby asked.
"I'd like to have the same amount of Aura I had when I first got there after the Calamity first, and more stamina." Jaune said, "Something tells me the evil behind the Upheaval wouldn't leave the Deku Tree unaffected...and I don't want to fight Gloom Hands so weak."
"Right...That WOULD be bad." Ruby said, "Still, after some more shrines why don't we pick up Ren and Nora from Hateno Village?" She asked.
"Ruby, you're a Genius!" Jaune said, pulling her into a hug and kissing her forehead.
She giggled with her eyes unfocused. All she could think of was his lips against her forehead...and wondered how his lips would feel against hers.
Still, they had shrines to find...and then Jaune dropped news she never wanted to hear.
"After all...Master Kohga is back." Jaune said.
The leader of the Yiga Clan. He had fallen into a large pit when fighting Jaune and had a large, metal spike ball seemingly fall on him! With him back instead of that strange woman, the Yiga would be back into regular focus...and hoarding mighty bananas again.
"That...is not good news." She said, swallowing some spit, "He may not be the best fighter, but he is good at organizing the Yiga Clan..."
Things would definitely get harder from now on.