A/N: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAACHUNGAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZTY! And today I'm going to be bringing you a new chapter in my Spirit of the Wolf Series. However, I must confess something that I didn't think I'd be doing, but I am going to be accelerating things just a little bit. The main reason for this is that, while I have taken the time to write down a majority of my notes, all of the ones I did take for Book one are a bit… Let's just say a bit choppy and sped up… So if I'm moving through this book at a bit of a breakneck pace, it is mainly because of my bad note-taking for Book 1, I promise Books 2 and 3 will be slower in comparison, as I am going to be using my own playthrough to help me write out those two books. The other reason is because I've pretty much planned out the conversations and other events going into Books 2 and 3 far more carefully than I have than the events of Book 1, which, as mentioned before, will be a bit rushed in comparison. So I want to apologize to you all now for how rushed this first book is going to be, but I promise you, it will be worth it later on once I get to Book 2. So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Legend of Zelda Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! ZODIA!
Chapter 2:
"As you can see this "Shrine of Resurrection has a lot of bugs that I have been trying to fix… It seems that every time I try to fix something, it ends up causing more problems" Mineru says, showing her. "Not only do I never have enough Zonaite to power it for prolonged periods, but it seems that whenever I test it out on anyone, it erases their memories…"
"Hmmm, if the primary issue is power, there is a mineral I know of that might work… Though I don't know if it exists here." Zelda says, "It is a mineral that, when not exposed to sunlight, can generate infinite energy." Zelda says, "As for the memory problem, I think I might have an idea as to the problem." She then opens the machine at a hatch and looks inside. "Aha! I knew it!"
"What is wrong?" Mineru asks.
"Just like the Shrine of Resurrection of my time, there seem to be certain safety devices missing. Unlike the one I know, ours were heavily damaged without our knowledge, yours just aren't there!" Zelda says.
"Oh I see!" Mineru says, "How did I miss that?"
"I did the same thing when I studied Ancient Sheikah's Technology, I would often get so absorbed into my studies that I would often miss crucial information. Information that Link was always kind enough to point out to me!" She then smiles as she examines the technology. "You know, it stood out as odd to me when I studied the insides of the Guardians… They looked like they had some crucial upgrades added to them, but for some reason they were removed… I later came to theorize that those upgrades may have been added to the Guardians to Protect them from Calamity Ganon, only for the precursors to the Yiga Clan to remove them."
"That would make sense if you think about it!" Mineru says as she gets started on crafting the safety upgrades. "Zelda, I have a question…" The Princess pokes her head up with an adorably curious tilt to her head. "This Link you mentioned, you claimed he was a descendant of the Last Ancient Zonai, correct?"
"Yes, I do! Link's mother was a scholar and archeologist who specialized in studying the Zonai, due to her being a descendant of the Dragon Tribe. She found the tomb of her husband's ancestors, and the Tomb of the Ancient Hero and his Immediate Family, including his parents." Zelda explains, "As a little girl, before my mother passed away, I was brought to the Tomb and, though it was scary, I got to see the astonishingly preserved bodies of the Ancient Hero, his wife and children, his siblings, and, most importantly of all, his parents, perfectly preserved and in a final tender embrace in death… It was both morbid and romantic." This causes Mineru to blush as she imagines herself and a possible husband in such a tender embrace in death.
"It does sound romantic indeed, you and your beloved, entwined in each other's embrace for all eternity…" Mineru says, putting a hand on her cheek with a smile, a faint blush poking on her cheeks. "I hope that I can have that one day…"
"Question, how long do Zonai live?" Zelda asks, her ears burning a bit with a blush.
"The longest any of my people have ever lived naturally was about 200 years, though most of us barely reach 125 before old age takes it's toll." Mineru explains, "The fact that you're older than me really speaks volumes to the level of power you have in Light Magic despite it being your weaker affinity."
"Oh well thank you!" Zelda says, smiling. "Oh weren't we going to go visit the other tribes today?"
"That's right, I almost forgot!" Mineru says, gently getting up from her workbench, "Although I don't know which order we should go in. Which Tribe would you like to visit first?" Zelda thinks on this for a moment but remembers how Mineru mentioned the Boar Tribe, and she feels a pause in her, knowing she must investigate this to put her mind at ease.
"I believe I would like to visit the Boar Tribe first…" Zelda says with hesitation.
"Zelda? What is wrong?" Mineru asks.
"It's Just that… Calamity Ganon, it took the form of a giant demonic boar, and… Ever since, whenever I saw a Boar in the Wild, bad memories would ruhs back to me about my imprisonment trying to keep the Calamity at bay." Zelda says, "My head tells me that they could be linked to the Calamity in some way, even though my heart tells me that they couldn't be, and it is just a coincidence."
"I can understand that, and the fact you are choosing to face them despite the bad memories you have is admirable… Tell you what, before we go to them, how about you tell me of the Zonai Ruins in your time, and I will show you how they are thriving in this time?" Mineru asks.
"I would like that!" Zelda says, and she shows Mineru, with the Purah Pad the locations that are Ruins in her time: The Lomei Labyrinths, the Ruined Fortress of Thundra Plateau, the Thyphlo Ruins, and finally, the Great Zonai City of Faron. Handing the Purah Pad to Mineru so she can plan their route, Zelda takes a closer look at Mineru, noticing certain traits about her, and by extension Rauru, that remind her of Link… All in all, they remind her of the Dragons Dinraal, Farosh, and Naydra, with Zelda learning that Naydra is Rauru and Mineru's mother turned into a dragon. Aside from that, she sees that, unlike the dragons who have goat-like faces, Mineru and Rauru both have dog-like faces, almost akin to wolves, while their hands are like that of a mix of human hands with some minor features akin to that of owls, while she had seen their bodies are covered in what can only considered the fur of a boar, coarse and bristly, but also extremely soft and warm. Mineru's ears were like that of a dog as well, though one could argue that Rauru's were more dog-like where Mineru's could be described as those of a rabbit. However, the most striking, and slightly off putting, feature is that of the third eye in the middle of her forehead. Mineru has shown her what it is like when it's open, causing Zelda to notice that the Sheikah Clan's symbol looks just like it, especially if there was a teardrop or a similar tattoo just underneath the eye. The final detail she notices was that of Mineru's hair, unlike the coarse fur that ran along her body, the hair on her head, when Rauru allowed Zelda to touch his, was as soft as cotton, and, according to Rauru, when they open their Third Eye for the first time, their hair takes on the coloration of their Inner Power, allowing them to display it to the World.
"Alright… I think our course is set!" Mineru says, smiling at Zelda, who smiles as she turns to Mineru. "Now first, let's go to Thundra Plateau, Home of the Boar Tribe…" She says, activating the Travel Function, the two of them being turned into strips of blue light as their energies travel across the skies… Zelda remembers this feeling as she sees the world pass underneath them, Mineru's eyes widening with shock. "This is amazing!"
"I know!" Zelda says, laughing, in which, within a few minutes, they arrive at one of Rauru's Shrines, Runakit, where they stand upon a great hill, looking over the Thundra Plateau… However, what Zelda sees is beyond her expectations, the entire plateau within the great hollow of the area is instead covered in what appears to be a great fortress city. "By the Goddesses, this is amazing!" The entire structure has Boar Architecture, with Dragons and Owls also being prominent, but the Boar being the most. More than that, she sees below there are what sound like hammers, chisels, and anvils sounding below. "What is going on down there?"
"The Boar Tribe are the Zonai's Greatest Artisans, having built almost all of our machinery, and though we Owl Tribe once took pride in creating the initial concepts, the Boars took them to the next level, designing weapons, the Constructs, and even vehicles from our initial designs." Mineru says, "Sometimes I believed I was born into the wrong tribe, to be perfectly honest, but it was the Boar Tribe who told me I was right where I needed to be, and gave me confidence in myself and my pursuits."
"Amazing…!" That is when Zelda turns to see several Zonai men and women approaching.
"Lady Mineru, you honor us with your presence. As do you, Princess Zelda!"
"You know who I am?" Zelda asks, shocked, and a bit terrified.
"Of course we do, your highness…!" They kneel to her, "Who better than the woman who aided in our future absolution?"
"Absolution? What do you mean?" Zelda asks.
"Come with us to the fortress, we will explain everything there!" Using Zonai Wing devices, the Boar Tribe leads Zelda and Mineru into the city, where Zelda, much to her shock, actually looks with complete shock as she sees the structures that had long since either decayed away or had sunk into the ground, a great city that expanded the entirety of the Hollow with Zonai wandering the streets openly with Hylians and the other races of the region. The Zonai land atop the tallest tower of the Great Fortress at the center of the city, which Zelda Remembers was where the Trial of Thunder Shrine had been located at the center of it all. As Zelda disembarks, she looks around with surprise as the Zonai Leaders lead her down from the top of the tower and into the fortress itself. As they slowly descend, Zelda notices what appear to be intricate carvings of boars, some reminding her of the forms of Calamity Ganon, but others of boars she had only seen in stories, but more than that, there are depictions of the Boar Tribe not originally being from this region… There were depictions that she couldn't wrap her head around, those that depicts boars and dragons kneeling to a Great Owl spreading it's wings widely above them, with many other owls perched beside it. This Great Owl had decided from amongst the Owl, Dragon and Boars what roles they would play.
The Boars, hearty, powerful, and skilled artisans, were decided to be the great labor force who would build the Zonai's Empire, and were the first to descend from the skies above, teaching the people of the world how to build, granting them weapons to hunt and defend themselves, and even crafting the majority of the technologies that the Zonai would use. These Zonai, thanks to their penchant for crafting, would utilize the powers to Recall, the same ability Sonia had taught her about Time Magic, to return things to a previous state, but to a far greater degree, to the point of actually making whole that which was broken, and a special power that allowed them to recreate constructs they had previously mastered creating.
The Dragons, courageous, just, and able, were the Great Warriors of the Zonai, thus were almost always on the frontlines, fighting off monsters. However, unlike the rest of the Zonai, they respected nature, and used any resource they could get their hands on, be they parts from monsters, natural resources like sticks and stones, or even just anything that was lying around. They had learned a powerful form of Spirit Magic that allowed them to pick up things from the ground and combine them, in a similar manner to that of the Boar Builders, but they preferred to use this to combine that which was already present to combine them into something they could use. They also created a power which allowed them to combine natural resources with their weapons, shields, and even arrows, creating ingenious combinations with whatever they had on hand, making them extremely versatile warriors.
Finally, there was the Owls, who were the last to descend, wise and gifted in the magical arts, they were the Rulers of the Zonai, and leading them with wisdom and kindness. The Zonai of this tribe, in times long past, had the ability to "fly" through solid surfaces, allowing them to ascend from the depths of the earth at great speeds. However, one of their greatest talents, albeit a very rare one, was to summon aid from the Spirit World, sometimes in the form of temporarily resurrecting the dead through ephagies they carried with them, or by obtaining resources from these long dead souls, possibly even possessions the spirit had in life that they loan to the one requesting their aid.
However, what shocks Zelda the most is that the Boar Tribe, according to these depictions, seem to have a specialization in Time Magic, which she can't quite understand. However, as they continue down the stairs, they eventually come out to what appears to be a great hall. All around her are great statues of what appear to be Zonai Leaders of the Past, all of them seemingly having slight variations of each other, but, within the great hall, there appears to be a throne, with the carved image of Dinraal acting as decoration around it. "Please, make yourself at home, Princess."
"Thank you, sir, but how do you know my name?"
"Well, I am sure you have seen through our depictions, we Zonai of the Boar Tribe actually have the power to Control Time… This extends into a special power we have that allows us to see through time itself. You see, we have seen the Great Calamity, and thus the future of the Kingdom thousands upon thousands of years into the future. We know of what is to transpire, and the form the Great Calamity will take…" That is when many of the Zonai in the area are shivering with fear and some even wretching from disgust. "Thus we know that our Tribe will likely share an unintended association with the Great Calamity… And so, now, as we draw closer towards a War that will take place within the year, we Boars have begun moving to protect King Rauru and Queen Sonia in any way we can without disrupting the flow of time so significantly that we end up altering the future too drastically."
"I… I see…" Zelda says.
"Oh how rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Gaepora! I am Mineru and Rauru's Uncle on their mother's side!" The Boar Zonai Leader says, giving a very wide grin with a smile on his face. Zelda looks in shock as she turns to Mineru.
"Does that mean you're part of the Boar Father?" Zelda asks.
"By blood, yes, by birth, no." Mineru says, "When two Zonai seek to be married, the eldest immediate family members, ideally the parents, meet and discuss who is being transferred to which tribe as part of the marriage arrangements, then the tribe receiving the bride or groom makes a dowry payment to pay for the ceremony, feast, and everything else. Then the children that are born are born into the tribe that received a new member through the marriage."
"So while Mineru's interest in construction and tinkering are all Boar Traits, she is, like it or not, an Owl." Gaepora says, a bit of sorrow in his voice. "In any case, I wouldn't change it for the world. Now Princess Zelda… It is good to meet a member of my kin from the far future. I pray that you stay for as long as you are comfortable before you move on to the other locations you wish to visit!"
"Thank you, Grand Uncle Gaepora! I appreciate it!" Zelda says, bowing slightly, the man smiling as he seems to snort almost adorably, almost sounding like a pig when he does so. Zelda is then guided to the city below, where she finds there are many shops with artisans crafting things that are truly magnificent, a great many things she recognizes from her time, the Zonai Statues of Boars, Dragons, and Owls, Weapons and armor from the parts of monsters, along with those crafting elixirs, much to Zelda's shock. She smirks as she realizes that this would be heaven for a scholar like her, to see the Zonai at their height, and, more than that, the people of the city seem to get along so well. However, that is when she hears something familiar.
"Okay let's try this recipe then!" A familiar voice says, Zelda recognizing it as her own as she sees a woman who looks similar to a Hylian Zonai Hybrid, with a Sonia's pale golden hair, her tattoos, but with Zonai ears, fur, a tail, and a face she recognizes as partially that of Rauru, and Zelda guesses this might be Rauru's eldest child, Princess Hylia, by what she has learned. Last she was told by Rauru is that Hylia often goes to the Boar Tribe because it's the only way she can perfect her experiments with as little collateral damage as possible.
"The Last Time Hylia tried making something in the kitchens…" Rauru had said yesterday, "Let's just say the amount of damage she made took Sonia hours to repair with her Time Magic…"
"Okay so let's try this… Meat…" Princess Hylia says, tossing a rather large steak into a cooking pot, "Hearty Radish…" That is when Zelda begins to recognize that recipe, "Bokoblin Guts, Lizalfos Tail… And… Red Chu-Chu…"
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Zelda shouts at the top of her lungs, and, over the bustle of the city everyone wisely takes cover.
"Jelly-!" Hylia only just gets to finish her sentence before an explosion takes place, and the Crown Princess of Ancient Hyrule is caught by Zelda as she is sent flying backwards, the two of them slamming into what can a huge Boar Tribe Member who manages to stop them with his Time Magic and then gently set them down. "Ow…" She then turns to Zelda and sees her Descendant looking rather dazed. "Oh hey there Princess Zelda!"
"Hello… Princess Hylia…" Zelda says, groaning as she feels like she caught a flying sack of potatoes. "Word of advice, never use monster parts in combination with Meat and Hearty Radishes… Use Hearty Lizards and Hearty Blueshell Snails instead…"
"Duly noted!" Princess Hylia says, smiling at her descendant. "In any case, I'm so happy to finally meet you!" She smiles at her, "There is so much I want to ask you!"
"The same goes for me!" Zelda says, smiling, "However, I believe that after that Fiasco, I think I might see you back at the castle…"
"That sounds good, I need to clean up my mess anyway… Anyway Hearty Lizards and Hearty Blueshell Snails, I'll keep that in mind!" Hylia says, making her way to clean up the mess she made with her time powers for the broken items, then cleaning up the literal mess she left behind. However, what Zelda sees is a version of her, ironically, has a father who supports her endeavors, but hold her responsible for the failures that she does make, but not harshly. Unlike her father who, not only didn't do such a thing as Rauru has, but also belittled her and tried to force her down a path that ultimately cost her everything… She can't help but feel envious of Hylia, but, despite this, she feels like Rauru and Sonia are more parents to her than her actual parents. Her mother was a shining example for her to follow that she would've loved to become, but one that was used against her time and time again, ruining whatever good memories she had of her before her death, and her father made sure to ruin those good memories with his neglect and his favorite forms of tyranny, verbal and emotional abuse. She clenches her fists, only to feel a soft hand covered in fur with bird-like talons touch her hand as Mineru walks over to her.
"Something the matter, Zelda?" Mineru asks.
"No… I… I think I'm just jealous of Hylia, that's all…" Zelda says.
"Being Jealous is not something to be ashamed of, as long as you admit it to yourself and to those you care about, and work to overcome that jealousy. How I overcame my jealousy of my brother finding someone who would love him, despite being from another race entirely." Mineru says, "I still hope to find that special someone before I die, and…" She rubs her belly with a smile, "And bear at least one child…"
"I am sure you will, Mineru!" Zelda says, smiling at the Owl Zonai.
"Thank you for your confidence… Oh there was actually two more things that we needed to discuss with Uncle Gaepora before we move on to the Labyrinth Castles and finally to the Dragon Tribe's Territory." Mineru says, leading Zelda back to the Keep as she finds Boar Tribe Leader Gaepora sitting around a crimson colored flame as several elderly Zonai sit around him. The group seems to be chanting as the are playing musical instruments, the flames creating colors within it's crimson surface as they chant and play, with darker colors dancing in the flames as if something is trying to take form in it. However, as soon as they feel her presence they all stop.
"Ah Princess Zelda, how was the town?"
"Honestly? It is a dream come true for me! I always dreamed about becoming a Scholar back in my time, studying the Ancient Sheikah Technology, and learning all I could about it. But all of what I've seen in just a short distance from this citadel, it was something even I couldn't comprehend, and I loved it all!" Zelda says, like an excited child getting sweets from castle town.
"I am glad you enjoyed it! Maybe when you go back to your time, you can restore our town to the way it was before!" Gaepora says, laughing, with the other Elders smiling heartily at this, already loving the Princess from the Future. However, his face then turns serious. "Princess, we need a favor of you before you leave us today… We need you to show us what you can about the Calamity… It will allow us to prepare ways we could aid you after we have long gone extinct."
"What can I offer you?"
"We need you to channel your time power into your blood, and then drip a few drops into the fire. It will allow us to have greater clarity of what is to come, after that, we will need to discuss two more things with you before you leave us today." Gaepora says, looking at them, in which Zelda looks at them, and she sees these elderly men are desperate, almost as if something is preventing them from properly preparing.
"Alright…" Zelda says, in which Gaepora gives her a knife and tells her they only need a few drops of blood, and that if she sticks her hands into the Spirit Flames, they will not harm her so long as she has no ill intentions. Following her distant relative's advice, Zelda does the best she can to gather her memories, as painful as they are, and she follows through just as the chanting and music begins again… The moment Zelda's blood touches the flames, they explode to life, rapidly becoming much larger and more malevolent in appearance as the Elders, seem to enter a trance, and Mineru looks in horror as she sees Zelda's memories of the Second Great Calamity…
'Is this what she meant by the Calamity? And This is the Second One? Great Ancestors…' Mineru thinks, horrified, watching as the machines she had described as Hyrule's Guardians and Divine Beasts are infected by the monster's malice… However that is when the memories show to them all a Sword that a young man uses, holding it in his hand, damaged but they can all feel it's power… And they see Zelda holding the young man as he collapses. The younger Zelda in the flames runs to the young hylian man.
"No, no…" Zelda says, desperate, "Link! Get up!
"I'm trying… But… I can't move…" Link says, coughing up blood. "Zelda…" He looks at her, a determined look still in his eyes.
"You're going to be just fine…" Zelda says, trying to reassure herself more than him.
"Excuuuuuse me… Princess…" He says with a smile on his face, "For falling… In love…" His eyes start to lose their light as they close… "With you…" Zelda, in the memory, looks both in shock, then in horror, only for him to go limp in her arms, the princess burying her face in his chest.
"Idiot… I love you too…!" Zelda says, crying… For those witnessing, the few moments they hear her crying would feel like hours before a voice comes out of nowhere in the memory as the Master Sword glows, releasing a voice.
"Princess Zelda…" The Voice says, drawing Zelda out of her sorrow.
"The Sword…?" Zelda asks…
"The Shrine of Resurrection, upon the Great Plateau…" The Voice says, "A Hundred years he shall sleep, and Memories Here he shall not Keep, yet wake he shall from his long rest, and end the Calamity at his best…"
"So he can… He can still be saved?" Zelda asks, hopeful, though not liking the choice of words.
"PRINCESS!" A voice calls out in the distance, revealing two men with long white hair and burning red eyes rushing towards her, holding a very familiar eye painted on their faces and their garments. "Princess, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, but Link is fading fast! Do you know the location of the Shrine of Resurrection?" Zelda asks.
"We do your majesty!" the second of the men says, "Our ancestors had personally aided in relocating the Shrine to a more secure underground location on the Great Plateau!"
"Then take him there! If you don't get him there immediately, we will lose him forever!" Zelda commands, "Is that clear?!"
"Yes, your majesty!" The two men say, with Zelda handing them the Sheikah Slate.
"So make haste and go, and be sure the Sheikah Slate is there for his usage upon his waking!" Zelda says, "The life of my beloved is now in your hands!"
Mineru releases a breath she didn't realize she had been holding this entire time, and the Elders all start talking with one another. "I am sorry we forced you to relive those memories, Princess…" Gaepora says, looking sadly at Zelda.
"No… To be honest, ever since I found out the Zonai had a Boar Tribe… I admit that I was suspicious of you all ever since I had arrived, seeing how the Calamity looks like your sacred animal totems… I had a terrible feeling as to how and why you would be connected to Calamity Ganon. However, seeing the shock and horror on your faces has eased my fears and shown me how you all truly wish nothing more than the best for Hyrule, and how your connection is only skin deep." Zelda admits to the Boar Tribe, "I have never been so happy to admit how wrong I was in assuming the worst in you all, and I hope you can forgive m-" That is when Gaepora hugs Zelda, smiling.
"There is nothing to forgive, Distant Grandniece… You had every right to assume the worst, and yet you are open-minded enough to wait to be proven wrong before making a judgment call…" The Zonai rubs his chin on the top of her head comfortingly. "You make us all proud in how you make your Boar Ancestors Proud in both your honesty and your ability to give the benefit of the doubt… And you make me just as proud to call you my distant relative…" Zelda smiles, but can't help but feel the tears well up in her face as she feels so loved by a distant relative.
'I'm so happy I could cry…' Zelda thinks, smiling as she fights to keep herself from crying… That is when she hears a familiar tune, her mother's lullaby, and then everyone turns to the flames, seeing something more.
"Terrako… I can't believe I found you…!" Zelda says, smiling at the little guardian, one she found in a box buried in rubble, playing this tune to her. "Terrako, I need a favor…" The Little Guardian makes a curious beeping sound. "I know I built you with Unique Ancient Sheikah Parts… I need you to go to the Shrine of Resurrection on the Great Plateau and watch over Link, make sure his rest isn't disturbed. Can you do that for me?" There is a single beep, "Thank you… There is one more thing I need you to do in the meantime… Link has powerful Spirit Songs that I need you to help him remember, they will aid him when he wakes up… One of them you already know by heart… But there is one I wish you to teach him that will be vital to him…" She then begins humming a tune that Terrako manages to copy perfectly. "Once you have finished these tasks… I don't know what to do, but if you could continue to aid him in some way until we are reunited again, I would appreciate all of it!"
Terrako looks at her and then beeps happily, in which Zelda hugs the little guardian, "Thank you, Terrako!" She smiles at him, "Then go now… I promise, once Link defeats the Calamity, we will see each other again!" Terrako nods as she sets him down and the guardian rushes off as fast as it can. She then turns towards the Castle, her eyes determined. "We will see each other again, Terrako, I promise!"
"Oh that little machine was so cute!" Mineru says, smiling. "Terrako was his name? Funny, that's what I gave the name of my first construct!" Zelda smiles at Mineru, then looks down, wondering if Terrako was alright, after the Calamity, he was the only piece of Sheikah Technology that hadn't suddenly self-destructed after the Calamity was sealed. Not only that, unlike the other Guardians, when Terrako was damaged for any reason, despite his age, his exposed internal components didn't explode like the other Guardians. That always bothered her, and she could never figure out why… As if in response to her question, the flames generate another image of her, from when she was a little girl, a memory she had all but forgotten.
"Ugh…. Why isn't it activating?" A 6 Year Old Zelda says, looking around as she looks at the parts, her face in the mirror with adorable puffy cheeks from her pushing air into them, before suddenly her mother appears, smiling.
"Zelda, why don't you try adding these?" The Queen suggests, hanging her some glowing parts that, strangely, had a more aqua colored glow than those of the other Sheikah Parts, they appear to be a screw, a spring, and a gear. "Maybe they would help?"
"Okay mother!" Zelda says, smiling, and she carefully inserts the gear and the spring, "Now if I put this one here…" She then inserts the screw with a smile, "Ee-hee! It's done!" That is when the little guardian comes to life, looking at Zelda, "Mother! Look, look!" She says, holding up the little guardian as the memory fades.
The Flames then die down to nothing as Zelda looks to Mineru, whose eyes are wide with shock. "Those parts… They look like they were made of Zonaite!"
"Zonaite? That's the mineral you use to power your technology, right?" Zelda asks.
"Yes, it is! Could it be some Zonaite that was crafted into those pieces of technology?" Mineru asks, thinking carefully. However, she then holds her face as a headache sets in, "My head…"
"Maybe you should head out and go visit the Dragon Tribe, I know being among nature will give you a clearer head!" Gaepora says, smiling at his niece, then he looks at Zelda and releases her from the hug. "If this Link is indeed a descendant of the Dragons, then maybe visiting his ancestors might grant you a unique perspective about him!"
"Yes… I would like to see the Dragon Tribe at the height of their prosperity!" Zelda says, smiling as her eyes seem to sparkle with excitement. With this, Mineru and Zelda bid their farewells, but then Zelda remembers something. "Oh Great Granduncle, there was one more thing I wanted to ask you! The Lomei Labyrinths, what were they constructed for?"
"Lomei Labyrinths? You mean the Labyrinth Castes? They were originally designed to act as the first home for our people, and later, during an ancient war, as shelters for Civilians. Each Tribe had their own Labyrinth Castle that was impenetrable and difficult to travel through as there were plenty of places for soldiers to fight from." Gaepora says, "Not even the smartest of monsters can navigate the maze without being riddled with volleys of arrows or being ambushed by assassin's blades."
"Well my people call them the Lomei Labyrinths, and…" she looks at him, "I think they should be used as shelters once more, I have a feeling that sometime this year, they will be needed now more than ever!" Gaepora hears Zelda's voice, and nods at her.
"We will set about ensuring the Labyrinths are reinforced and renovated to do so." Gaepora says, to which Zelda smiles before they are transported away by the Travel Function of the Purah Pad. The two once again fly over the land, soaring through the air as they make their way towards Faron, the great jungles passing underneath them as they fly near the Shrine of Courage, where they appear at a Jiukoum Shrine, where, awaiting them, are several Zonai dressed in garments akin to that of the Barbarian Armor Set that Link had obtained in his previous adventures, an armor set that, admittedly, had sent Zelda into one her bouts of lust way back when. However, with these Zonai, she feels nothing but amazement.
The do look like a tribe of warrior barbarians, but the conduct they present themselves, and the air of nobility around them just shocks her. "Princess Zelda, Lady Mineru, you have arrived!" The Chief of these Zonai says, smiling at her, "I am Arn!" Zelda recognizes that name as another Dragon Zonai steps forward, "This is my wife Medilia…!" Now she knows these two names… Those are the names of Link's Parents before the Second Calamity, Sir Arn of House Lorule and Head of the Zonai Research Commission, Doctor Medilia! "From what the spirits tell me, you are the intended of our descendant, Link?"
"I am… Link of House Lorule…!" Zelda says, smiling with a slight blush. "You would be proud of him, he represents the best of the Dragon's Prowess as Warriors!"
"Oh but you have yet to see us actually fight!" Arn says, smiling as he leads them from the mountain down to the Great City on the Eastern Side of the Jungle, where, along the road, they are shocked to see a Silver Lynel approach. "A Silver Lynel, this far into the Borders!?" However, that is when Zelda, trying to think of a plan, notices some movement and someone small jumps down and lands on it's back, the Lynel roaring as it tries to shake it off. That is when suddenly the little thing moves with a blinding flurry of movement, and within a shocking few moments, the Lynel lies dead, and a little Zonai Boy smiles as he smiles at the group.
"Link!" Arn says, "Stupid boy!" Arn then hits his boy over the top of his head, "What were you thinking!?"
"Well Excuuuuuse me, Commander, but I was on patro-" the little Zonai says, only to get hit again. Zelda can't help but find that word choice quite familiar, if a bit more rude.
"You're still too young to join the Patrol! Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on your sisters!?" Arn says.
"She's fine on her own, I left her with Groose to look after her!" this young Link says.
"Link…" Medilia says, "I may not express it as much as your father, but you're always in a hurry to prove yourself a warrior to be proud of in our tribe, but what is it that you wish to prove? You're already able to beat any challenge you are set with, but when it comes to looking after those you wish to protect, it seems that-"
"Might controls everything in this world, and without strength, I can't protect anyone, let alone myself!" Link says, looking at his mother, glaring at her. Medilia looking at her son, hurt, not for herself, but for him. Zelda can see in the boy's eyes there is a substantial amount of shame and regret… Taking a chance, she walks over to the little boy, who looks at her.
"What happened?" Zelda asks.
"Why do you care?" This child zonai asks.
"Your descendant is soon to be my husband… And I can't stand to see my future family in pain…" Arn looks at her, confused, to which Medilia smiles. "So what happened?" The Little Link couldn't look her in the eyes, but something about her voice reached his heart, and something about her calmed him for some reason.
"My sister… Aryll… When I turned 12… She was abducted by a giant bird monster called a Helmaroc… I… tried to rescue her, but the big bird defeated me easily, and… It took my father and our armies to drive it off and rescue us… That thing is still alive… And I won't rest until I make sure it can't kidnap her again!" Little Link says, to which Zelda realizes what is going on.
"And how was it your fault that she was taken?" Zelda asks, realizing there is more to this.
"I… lost my grip when she tripped and fell… and the monster got her when I tried to get to her…" He starts crying, only for Zelda to hug him. "I have to be strong… Stronger than anyone else, otherwise I can't protect anyone!"
"Strength isn't everything…" Zelda says, "Sure it helps in the long run, but if you lose sight of what you're fighting for, then strength means nothing…"
"But…" Link says, only for Zelda to smile at him reassuringly, and the boy openly cries in her arms… A few hours later, after the Little Link calms down, they make their way into the City of the Dragon Zonai, where all the Zonai are going about their day, running shops, crafting works from stone… But what shocks her more is how the these Zonai combine the natural materials together with some sort of magic, as well as move things with just gestures.
"Big brotheeeeer!" A voice calls out as a little Zonai girl walks over, smiling at Little Link. "Big Brotheeeer!" She then rushes over as she sees Link. "Big brother, you're so mean! How could you just g-" That is when Link hugs his little sister, "H-Hey! Whats gotten into you?" She asks, sounding like she is resisting, but is smiling.
"I'm sorry, Aryll…" Link says, "I haven't been a good brother to you for the past two years… But…"
"There is nothing to apologize for!" She says, hugging her brother back, "I understand!" she smiles at him, "Also…" She reaches behind her with a smile, "Happy Birthday!" Zelda looks at the Link as he is given a tunic in a very familiar shade of blue, but instead of the Master Sword on it, there is actually what appears to be a crayfish, or possibly a lobster, sown in white. "I hope you like it!"
"It looks great, Aryll!" Link says, smiling as he smiles at his sister, in which Zelda can't help but smile at the two of them, before something catches her eyes, what appears to be a painted mural one that depicts the ancient tapestries of the Sheikah, but with one major difference if her memory serves her correctly, it appears that, in this mural, the image of the Ancient Hero is much more clear, and it appears he is more Mid-Transformation instead of the Sheikah Tapestries revealing him being surrounded in an armor that makes him look beastly. There also appears to be a white bird on his shoulder that looks eerily similar to a Cucco. As the day continues to wear on until the sun starts to set, and as it does, she gets to see the Dragon Zonai perform to music that is being played, and, she smiles as the children are dancing as well. However, Mineru suddenly senses something as the festivities continue.
"Zelda, we need to go, Rauru is summoning us!"
"What? What's wrong?" Zelda asks, but then Mineru, apologizing for their sudden departure, vanishes using the Purah Pad and the duo appear on a gate leading into the Gerudo Desert.
"It's more than we thought! It's a Swarm!" A Hylian Man says, terrified.
"Rauru!" Mineru says, rushing over with Zelda, the King and Queen just arriving as well. Zelda looks to see the huge swarm of Molduga approaching the gate, and her eyes widen at just the sheer numbers of them all.
"There's so many of them! But… Why would they?" Zelda thinks, but then an unpleasant suggestion creeps up in the back of her mind.
"Regardless…" Rauru says, holding his hands up as his Secret Stone begins to shine. "We need to deal with them now… Sonia, Zelda, with me!"
"Yes!" The two women say, approaching behind Rauru as he concentrates his Light Magic between his hands. Sonia, looking to her distant granddaughter, holds up her hand, Zelda imitating her. Sonia, channeling her Time Magic, grants her beloved her power, using it to not only give him more strength, but to reduce the amount of time he needs to prepare his attack. Zelda, imitating Sonia's example, is surprised when her Light Magic actually erupts from her body as her secret stone shines, forcing it's raw power into Rauru. The King, feeling the massive surge of energy coming from Zelda, looks to her with a smirk, and then opens his Third Eye, unleashing a powerful blasts that, once unleashed, cleaves all of the Molduga into several massive pieces, and Zelda looks in shock as she sees this. However as she stops channeling her power, her eyes happen to gaze out at the cliffs nearby, and she notices a group of Gerudo standing there in the distance. However, from among those Gerudo, a very familiar and terrifying presence is amongst them, only physical and, though weaker, it is more concentrated… She only hopes she is wrong about this….