The days went by, the training was getting very intense, Akko and Hellene improved every day and managed to endure more intensity as they trained, getting closer every day to the day to go to the dungeon of Rastavan, when the end of that month of training arrived, they were already making preparations for the great mission of the one that would be the last pendant of courage, which also ignited Diana's concern about the mission that was getting closer and closer every day, especially since the path was within Appleton's dominions and could be a complication during this journey, because they had no idea that Atsuko was also at great risk of being captured as well.
They are arranging the perfect disguise to leave there without being noticed, they were putting on more common clothes to pass themselves off as just normal merchants or travellers, without appearing to be precisely connected to the kingdom of Wedinburgh, so much so that they were hiding any trace that has the symbols 0of the kingdom.
With everything ready it was time to say goodbye that morning on a journey of almost 5 days to Rastavan.
"Take care girls and be careful, even if you are safer in these garments it is to be known that the lord of Appleton must have informed about you to the soldiers scattered throughout his lands" said Queen Laura.
"Akko... Please come back well... For all your sakes, protect yourselves, don't take too many risks, don't get involved in any trouble with Appleton's soldiers, it might be a bigger risk than you think" Princess Diana said.
"Above all stay in the most trying to appear peaceful or else the soldiers will capture you easily if you get into a mess, I'm sure that way you will pass for ordinary citizens especiallyAkko, she doesn't even need a disguise, keep your weapons hidden before entering Appleton's dominions and do your best not to use it, only in the dungeon" Said Queen Bernadette.
The two girls nod their heads and climb into the wagon, already taking a deep breath, since they will need to go alone in an unknown and hostile land, they start to leave the castle, passing through the city, where until then they go unnoticed, finally arriving outside the walls of the city of Wedinburgh, looking at the map they were holding.
"Well now it's on the way to Rastavan, I hope they don't notice us, I really struggled to try to look like an ordinary girl, I even had to use a magic to dye my hair and make it black for that, I hope I can soon return to my red hair" Hellene said.
"Well, Mari thought you were beautiful with your black hair like that, I thought it looked good on you, but go with what you think is best for you" said Atsuko.
"I can't wait to get to Rastavan and put all that training into action, my body even feels refreshed after all that" McLaren said.
"Me too, I hope we don't have to use force when we get in there," Kagari said.
The two were talking to each other about how the path will be in the most with a huge tranquility until then, talking about how the dungeon would be and the challenges that will come with it since they will not be easy at all, spending the time getting along with each other.
[...]
Five days of travel have passed, there is very little left to reach rastavan, the two girls have so far managed to slip into the lands of Appleton without being noticed, amid the forests a little darkened and with some trees without leaves even created a slightly frightening environment, even more so that it was at the height of autumn at that time.
The Duo comes across some soldiers walking around holding spears, they were escorting the place, they can identify just the one with crimson eyes and point the spears at the girl.
"Stand down, surrender to Lord Hanbridge of Appleton" Said one of the soldiers.
"You are Atsuko Kagari wanted by all lands if you surrender to us for good or bad, we do not want to hurt you" Said another soldier.
"Hellene, it seems that on this side they know me well, what are we going to do? Hellene..." When the brownish girl least realised it, the ruin had already left the wagon and started punching the soldiers with her gauntlets.
Akko also decides to go on the attack, she is launching arrows at each of the various soldiers who are present there, it was a group of eight soldiers and they were having difficulties fighting against McLaren who punched very hard, soon she has the presence of Kagari to help, what the soldiers did not expect that both were going to be so strong, they already had only four of them standing what they were even trying, but the pair could hit hard.
"Attack them, don't leave the black-haired one alive!" Said the desperate soldier who soon took a strong punch being thrown into a tree and falling unconscious.
"Let's see who ends up alive out of the two of us then" said the princess after punching him with her gauntlet.
They were soon taking care of the rest of those soldiers, but without killing them, just immobilising them until there was only one left with the strong impacts of the purple-eyed punches and the crimson-eyed arrows left only one of them that the two left against a tree pointing a sword at him who was even a little scared.
"You two are not normal warriors, I was warned that you were dangerous Atsuko Kagari" Said the remaining soldier.
"How do you know about me? How did you come to put me as a wanted person? How do you know that I am Atsuko Kagari?" asks the brownish girl.
"The rumours that you defeated a group of slave traders in our lands have been going around everywhere, the lord got wind of it and sent for more information, look at this" said the soldier showing a wanted flyer with a reward with just her portrait on it.
"Wait a minute, that line, that drawing was done by someone, I remember that... That blond bloke who turned up at that fair we went to in town, he asked to draw me... That bastard was an Appleton spy all along... Bastard!" Said the frustrated girl from Luna Nova.
"Exactly girl, it seems that you are wanted by the whole kingdom, the lord wants you very much for a fat reward like that hahahaha!" Said the soldier laughing and then taking a punch from Hellene which makes him faint.
"What a nasty little face, let's tie everyone up and get out of here, before we attract the attention of more soldiers, you better also put on a hood Akko, it seems that everyone is wanting you for a fat reward" Hellene said.
(Wow I'm in awe, the damn blond who approached me that day I had no idea he was a spy from Appleton, this is exactly his trait, I remember the drawings, I swear if he appears again I will capture him, we need to go back to the city to try to find him, a pity we are too far to return and we will have to turn around to still move forward).
"Akko?" Asks the worried McLaren while Kagari was still looking at her portrait.
"Ah, I'm just here... Strange, let's get it over with" Said Akko who was helping to gather the soldiers by tying them up.
They were even faster, managing to leave them even more trapped and in a hidden place, in this case in the middle of some bushes and that way with that pamphlet in hand and also in the cart they follow the path to the mountain where the Rastavan dungeon is, only they were faced with a path full of soldiers ahead when observing more ahead, which had to stop hidden with things in the middle of the woods.
Going to the bushes to try to look for an entrance to the mountain without being noticed, since the soldiers were too many for them and they could not just walk and leave in hand with everyone.
"Damn, we can't just go out on a limb with so many of them, what do we do?" Hellene said.
"We have to go stealthily, just like Marianne does to go to the castle, she must have taught you something like that" Akko said.
"Worse than not, I've always been one to kick ass" McLaren said.
"This time I'm going to put my stealth of years into practice, leave it to me to observe well ahead, lucky for Mrs Meridies to give us these glasses that increase vision to see from afar" Said Atsuko
Kagari observes from afar noticing that the entrance to the mountain is very closed with several soldiers walking from one side to the other, much because it is close to the entrance of one of the cities of Appleton, but there was just a more interesting entrance, which led into a cave, along a path where soldiers did not pass by, but there were still some around who walked there, which was already creating a plan in the head of Hyllian de Luna Nova.
"I already know what we do, there is the entrance to that cave, I can use my gloves to throw you up, you use a rope and we climb to the entrance of the cave, we just have to put these three soldiers nearby to sleep" Said the one with crimson eyes.
"I was thinking of taking two soldiers and climbing the mountain in disguise, but your plan sounds interesting Akko" Said the purple-eyed one as she went looking precisely along the path that was traced by her friend.
"We would be easily noticed, my face is very exotic and different from you, I am a Hyllian with drawn eyes, I have never seen one of these around here besides my friend Sucy, you are simply very noticeable to be a girl even in armour, apart from that we are very short, they will realize that we are just teenagers posing as soldiers" Explains the brownish one.
"It makes sense, let's follow your plan then, I'll get the things here and already take the opportunity to leave everything hidden, I think we'll have to be careful, since at the top of this mountain that is the so special dungeon" Said the red head.
The two are starting the preparations, Hellene takes a rope and hides the wagon along with the horse in the middle of the woods, releasing the horse from the wagon and taking him near where there was a stream and pasture for him to eat, so no one would steal their cargo, the two go with their things ready, for the mission, they arrive closer to where the soldiers were escorting the place already standing by.
Akko prepares the bow and already shoots at the first of the soldiers, where then Hellene with the rope bows the man and takes him to some bushes in that both signal with their thumbs and walk further forward, following where the other two soldiers did not notice anything.
(Wow who would have thought that with Hellene I would have to be stealthy, while with Diana it had been the opposite, it is just the opposite of the styles of each of the princesses, it is quite ironic, well come on, there are only two left, I have to shoot at the right time).
Atsuko takes a deep breath and fires the second arrow, without the last soldier on the way realising, which McLaren also bows him with the rope pulling him into the bushes, he goes on ahead to the path, missing only one of the soldiers who was soon knocked down and in this Kagari already runs close to where the entrance is, eventually tripping over a stone falling face down on the ground, but then gets up following where it is close to that half-high entrance to the cave.
Positioned the Hyllian of Luna Nova only waits for the princess of Wedinburgh who runs towards her friend's hand, getting close thanks to the power gloves, simply the ruin manages to jump very high just 5 metres high where the entrance to the cave that was a little suspended, which with a rope after who climbs is the brownish, the two are doing it very quickly so much so that the purple-eyed pushes the rope with a huge force enough to pull her friend inside and so they are even relieved.
"We made it, whew... We're safe here, but we still have to go into the cave" said Hellene.
"Well your mum told us that on her way she did the same thing walking in these caves, it looks like it's going to be our challenge around here, since you're sure of the presence of Appleton's soldiers" Akko said.
"Have you brought the lamp?" The McLaren asks and soon the Kagari lights up to clear the way.
They were walking through the dark cave and there really wasn't a soldier around, worst of all they didn't even have a map of the place since Laura never got to map the place out of fear, but also because of the danger it was, as they walk they come across bats and rats walking around, which until then didn't scare either of them.
In addition to some precipices that were ahead of them, which they were already being very attentive to where they would fall so as not to be injured or even die, they followed to a door where it gives just in a light climb, in it they notice that there are some sounds, they were rolling things, which they hear the beats and tremors of the cave.
"Even here there are traps, but what the hell" said Hyllian from Luna Nova.
Carefully they arrive where the stones are rolling, passing through a hole and breaking in a place down there where they point the lamp and it seemed to be very deep, which they even notice the pattern of the stones
going down, the ruin even looks at her friend and is thinking of something she could do to help since she has the power gloves.
"Try to push one of those stones back Akko" said the Princess of Wedinburgh.
"I can't, they're big and heavy even for me, well let's go the normal way, wait for the stones and you can see that there is a place to support us without being hit" Said the warrior.
Both are following the rhythm of the stones and are following one by one passing through some frestras that they found to support themselves without being hit by the rolling stones, going up little by little along the way what they felt only the tremors coming, which was evident how it could be able to stop anyone from getting close.
After a while they manage to reach the top of that climb, which Akko takes what looked like a heart but it was just a piece of it, Kagari is a little strange but moves on, walking towards the passage ahead that was still very dark.
"Wow, those stones really could almost kill us" said Hellene.
"Well at least we got through those things and survived, we still have a few more levels to climb, but at least that's not the soldiers" Atsuko said.
Following more along the way they are already faced with what seemed to be a cliff upwards, thanks to the ropes of McLaren who manages to throw a lasso that catches up there with the help of a stone she manages to hold on to what was nine metres high, in that who is the first to climb first is the lightest, being the crimson-eyed one who with the power glove then carries the purple-eyed one up the cave and in this way they even manage to climb a little more and are even amazed at the height they had climbed.
"Wow, from up here you can barely see the top, lucky you found it here Hellene" said the brownish one.
"I've got good eyes, now come on, it looks like there's light to the left" said the rugrat.
And there really is sunlight, but as they leave both girls notice that it was just one of the entrances to the caves that leads to Rastavan, only there was a huge stone in front of it, hindering the entrance of someone passing by, which they quickly go back inside.
"That's where we'll just go to get the soldiers' attention" said the frustrated warrior from Luna Nova.
"Let's keep going up, it looks like there's more way inside" said the Princess of Wedinburgh.
They continue on the inside where they come across a spiral climb, where there was nothing, just a very tiring climb that they were walking and walking, for many metres, they were already climbing higher than it seemed and the air inside the place was very difficult to breathe, having only a few bats and rats that were walking around, nothing that would hinder the pair themselves.
The long walk took 45 minutes of climbing, which they will reach a passage already relieved, when passing through it they come across more cave only that has a torch light on the other side, but in front of them there was another cliff.
"Damn, this thing is always full of cliffs, can you see the other side Hellene?" Akko asks.
"It's quite easy really, throw me the rope I think I can get to the other side" Hellene said.
And it even almost worked, but with all the strength Atsuko had it wasn't enough for the McLaren to reach the other side even falling a little on the cliff, but luckily the rope saved her from a fall what she took what looked like a piece of heart and was then returning to where the crimson-eyed one was giving her a piece of the heart that felt a little more invigorated, it was just what she needed.
"I think we need to move on another way ah and thanks for the piece of heart Hellene" Said the brownish one to her friend.
"I know you need them, a warrior heroine uses them wisely to take more of a beating" said the redhead.
"With this one I think I've already managed to get about 5 full hearts, when I defeat some dungeon monster I always get a full one, I've already picked up eight smaller pieces around the explorations I find with Marianne, only in Wedinburgh there were four of them, in Dublin there were 2 and with these two from the
cave I complete five, they kind of make me more resistant to getting beaten up, it's strange, but come on" said the warrior of Luna Nova.
The two follow another path, having a bit of a labyrinth full of bats and rats passing around, what they could come across is a light that they had seen at the entrance when they passed it they entered a place lit by torches which already hit a relief where they could finally see what they had ahead.
"I was already becoming a rat from being in the dark" Akko said.
"Well now at least we have a little light here, we'll be able to see what's up close here in the cave" said Hellene.
Following the cave this time illuminated, the two saw that they had fewer bats and rats, the path was very quiet until they saw the surroundings and saw that there was an exit, when they went there they noticed a totally different place full of monsters, which they returned, to the inside since there was another path ahead, which they followed to an entrance that when they passed they noticed that there is a table and it looks a little like a house, which at the time the strange duo.
"What is this? Are we in someone's house?" asks the confusedAtsuko.
"Well anyway we already have a safe place, look around it seems that there are more exits, well then let's go" Said the red head.
"Hold it right there girls, where do you think you're going?" Said a blond haired boy pointing a sword at the two coming out of one of the curtains.
"Looks like we're not going to escape a good fight, huh?" said the McLaren. More soldiers from Appleton to fill our ranks" said the McLaren, preparing to move up.
"Appleton's soldiers? I don't care about those rotten men, let them try to get here, but you are still invaders of my cave and my grandfather's" said the boy.
"We are just here without wanting to go to Rastavan's dungeon and get out of here" Said Kagari who also went holding the sword.
"Wait a minute... I know that face..." said the blond man.
"Frank, what is this mess, boy? Are you really going to do such a cowardly thing of pointing a sword at two beautiful girls" Said his grandfather appearing an old man with white hair and long beard wearing a tunic and glasses who looks at the two.
"Grandpa they are criminals, she is the girl from the flyer, the one with the reward of a thousand Rupees, that the soldiers are hunting so much" said Frank.
"That sword... Miss, are you from Luna Nova? I recognise these ornaments, it's been years since we've seen any girls from Luna Nova around here, I remember well a ruined girl who was with her girlfriend 30 years ago, she looks like the black haired girl, she became the kind queen of Wedinburgh, I also remember the red haired girl who came here also 10 years ago, when Frank was just a child, it seems that this time another new hope appeared among us boy, they are safe, this girl is the great warrior of Luna Nova, she is the hero of the legend" Said the old man what the blond even ends up lowering the sword.
"Do you know the legend?" Both girls said in surprise.
"Every 10 years a chosen hero emerges from the forest who will save Hyrule from the hands of Ganondorf and protect the Triforce from the various great warriors Link and the various Zelda princesses, it seems lately girls have come along, in all my life I have seen the great warrior Laura queen of Wedinburgh when I was still young, she and her wife protected me from attacking monsters with great ease, and brought me here, which I offered them a place to rest before they returned home, they were about to conquer the last pendant of courage, I assume you too girl, peculiar that someone from such distant lands has a sword from Luna Nova, you Hyllians from Edo usually live much further than Luna Nova" Said the old man.
"Edo? What is this place? I was born in Luna Nova, my parents died when I was still a baby, my friend Sucy from there who came from the distant Pinoy islands that I don't even know if they exist, but I remember her arriving and being welcomed, she looks like me, I even thought I had Pinoy origin, but she said that the
Pinoy have darker skin than mine, I remember her saying about a place called Edo... I don't know... I'm from Luna Nova" said the confused Kagari.
"Oh yes, I must imagine that you have Edo origins, but we will talk more in depth later, introduce yourselves beautiful ladies and you can make yourselves at home in our cave" Said the elderly man adjusting his glasses.
"My name is Atsuko Kagari, I am a warrior of Luna Nova, I was chosen by Woodward and given the great Claiomh Solais to save Hyrule from the evil of Ganondorf" Said the crimson-eyed girl.
"I... I am Hellene McLaren, I am the Princess of Wedinburgh, I dyed my hair so that no Appleton soldier would recognise me, but it didn't work very well, since they recognise Akko" Hellene said and the two men are surprised and even bow to McLaren.
"Oh you are Queen Laura's daughter! I didn't expect your illustrious presence here princess, by the way make yourself at home here, all friends of the kingdom of Wedinburgh are welcome, even more a figure like the princess, pleasure my name is Alan" Said the gentleman.
"Sorry for the inconvenience princess, I didn't mean to act like that, I didn't realise they were so important" Frank said.
"No problem kid, now we have to take a rest, in a little while we will go to the dungeon of Rastavan, we will defeat the monsters there and bring the last pendant of courage, as well as we will also have the master sword in hand and thus save Hyrule" Said the motivated Akko.
The girls are soon feeling more comfortable in that house in the cave, talking to Frank and Alan about the mission they did which was surprising them for the great heroism, which the gentleman then goes preparing something for the visitors to eat since they must have been exhausted and hungry.
Meanwhile, far from there in Wedinburgh, looking precisely at one of the castle towers in the direction where Rastavan's dungeon is located, Princess Diana looked worriedly at her, who soon noticed that her friend Marianne was also nearby.
"You can't stop thinking about them, can you?" Leclerc said.
"Will they come back all right? Will she agree to go with me to her village?" Cavendish said.
"I'm sure that Hellene will be a thick skin, she won't let herself be beaten that easily, she will punch the monster in the dungeon in the face and defeat him, Akko too, they have improved so much in training that they will certainly be nothing" Said the dark-haired one with red locks.
"These monsters they are able to defeat easily and that I do not doubt, my concern is with the monster in the form of Hyllian that are the soldiers of Appleton and Lord Hanbridge, I am sure that those monsters who are aware of what they do can cause the worst, my fear is their cleverness in capturing the girls" Said the platinum blonde hair.
"Trust them Diana, they'll get away with it, I know it" said the motivated brown-eyed girl.
"I wanted this motivation, I'm still a little bad to be out of it, even though I hate the idea of dyeing my hair I would do this for Akko, just to have a little fun, I even wanted to escape, but my mothers are reinforcing the castle guard exactly to prevent this, a complete waste, imagine if an enemy invasion happens and all the guards are focused only on preventing the little princess from leaving home" Said the blue-eyed one.
(Akko, please be well... I miss you around here, I never thought that these five days away from you would make me this way, but the real thing is that I still miss you a little bit... I think it's feelings coming up on my part, should I give them a chance? I could try... But I don't know, I'll see where it goes, when Akko comes back I'll know more about her, I'll go to Luna Nova to get to know her better, to know her friends, her origins... Ahhh Akko).
"You like her very much, don't you?" Marianne asks and that makes the princess blush on the spot.
"Me? What kind of question is that Marianne? "Yes, I like it very much, my sister is someone I like very much, my friend Akko too, they amuse me a lot, my sister is literally my family, I can't help but love her" Diana said, shuffling her words and soon she noticed a hand resting on her shoulder.
"You don't have to feel ashamed about it, I like your sister... Unfortunately I know that my reality is different, I can't... Diana, she's my best friend, we grew up together, but I've always had a feeling of love for her too... But look at me... I'm a great poor plebeian" Leclerc says and even Cavendish is surprised by the revelation.
"I've been right all along it seems, I knew the feeling between you two was something stronger, but what about being a commoner? My mother was a commoner, she married my other mother and she is now one of the queens of Wedinburgh, it's not because you're a commoner that it prevents you from marrying my sister, my mothers always told us that we should only marry for love" Said the one with platinum blonde hair who hugs the dark-haired one with a red lock.
"But still Diana... A commoner marrying a noblewoman will always be seen as a profiteer, I will never stop having that reputation..." Said the brown-eyed girl a little sheepishly.
"I know this very well, even after 30 years there are noble people who still say that about my mother behind her back, as if she were a profiteer, do you know what she does? Nothing! She doesn't care about these class things, she just wants to bring the best to the people of Hyrule and that's the thing she cares about, you should care more about yourself and if your heart says Hellene, then I don't see why not give chances" Said the blue-eyed one even wiping her friend's tears.
"You know, you could do the same with Akko, even in a short time, I can see how you two would be a great couple" said Marianne, making Diana blush.
The two of them then relax to get away from that subject since one has feelings for the girls who went out to venture into the dungeon of Rastavan, face the danger there, then went to play in the castle garden where the beautiful rare afternoon of autumn sun was showing in the skies of the kingdom of Wedinburgh.
Akko and Hellene arrive at a cave near Rastavan already having the discovery that simply the Kagari was a wanted by the kingdom ofAppleton with a fat reward, even being a trophy of the lord of those lands, which they were already taking care of, having the luck of meeting a gentleman who lived in those caves for years having already seen some previous generations of warriors of Luna Nova who passed through there.
See you, cave witches...