AGE OF HYRULE'S FOUNDING
Terrako awoke, surrounded by a small batch of trees. It scanned its surroundings. If it had been successful, it should have traveled back to the founding era.
"...This is not the world I know."
It heard a familiar voice. It's master! She was on a nearby cliff with people Terrako recognized from the Dragon's Tears…
As it watched her converse with King Rauru and Queen Sonia, it resisted the urge to rush to her side. It couldn't directly interfere this time. Too big an impact would merely create a third branch of the future.
It needed to stick close to her, though. It needed a massive amount of time and light magic for what it intended to do. The Royal trio before it was the best source available…
"Who or what are you?!"
It had been caught. Trapped.
It had followed its Master to visit Mineru, but the Zonai scientist had sensed its presence. She had sealed the exit to her home after Zelda left, before Terrako could follow her.
Terrako was now hiding behind Mineru's chair, debating what to do. It decided to reveal itself.
"You….? That model never worked… no… it's still on the shelf!"
Terrako itself hadn't noticed, but it's past self was on one of the wall shelves, among many other construct prototypes. That version was apparently an empty husk, however.
"What is going on here?"
"...DO NOT BE ALARMED, SPIRIT SAGE MINERU. I AM THE ASSIST CONSTRUCT, TERRAKO… I COME FROM THE FUTURE, LIKE MY MASTER…"
"Terrako? You've received a name? And you are functional… Was it Zelda who activated you?"
"...QUESTIONS I MAY ANSWER ARE LIMITED… BUT YES. MY MASTER ACTIVATED AND NAMED ME."
"So she truly does have both the Light and Time power…" Having both powers were necessary to activate the construct model Terrako was, "Could you tell me your purpose here?"
"NEGATIVE. I MUST OPERATE WITHIN PARAMETERS TO ACCOMPLISH MY OBJECTIVE…" It couldn't tell Mineru too much. The Demon King hadn't even appeared yet.
"Tricky… very well. Could you tell me of these parameters?"
"...MOST OF THEM…"
"I see. You need to absorb a large quantity of Light and Time magic, without being noticed." Mineru had tried asking why, but had made no progress on that end. She had found out that Terrako wished to not be noticed by Zelda, Rauru, Sonia or anyone else.
"AFFIRMATIVE. I ASK THAT YOU KEEP WHAT YOU SAW SECRET, NO MATTER WHAT!" Terrako pleaded.
"... I could actually do you one better." There was a glint in Mineru's eye. She wanted to examine the potential of this unused invention of hers. The magic absorption and use was one of the novel functions she never got to test. One that no other construct had. "If you wish to absorb large quantities of those particular powers regularly without risk, I have an ideal solution. Stay for a few hours and see."
Terrako didn't really have the option to decline.
About three hours later, the door to Mineru's home opened and the Princess of Hyrule entered. Not Zelda, though…
"Aunt Min! I'm here!"
"Soara! How wonderful to see you!"
A 10 year old girl that looked Half-Zonai, Half-Hylian had entered. Her ears were still larger than a Hylian's, but more shaped that way. Her fur was thinner, and her face was slightly more humanoid. Her hair was mid-length blonde and decorated with flowers like her mother.
This was Princess Soara, daughter of King Rauru and Queen Sonia. Mineru was in charge of educating her as well as watching her when royal duties swamped her parents.
"How are things at home, dear?" Mineru asked in an uncharacteristically nurturing voice.
"Very interesting! Miss Zelda is really nice to me and helps me practice my magic! She says we're family, but I've never met her and… WHOAH! What is that construct!?" She ran up to Terrako, bending down to stare at it.
"Oh? This is Terrako, a training device I made for you! We are going to practice channeling your magic into it!" That was Mineru's plan. As the daughter of Rauru and Sonia, Soara also possessed both the Light and Time power. Merely being in proximity with her would enable a steady absorption, but having it channeled directly would increase efficiency.
"You always find the neatest ways to teach me, Aunt Min! I've never heard of a construct with a name before!" Soara picked Terrako up and grinned.
"Now wash up first. Training begins after that!"
As Soara prepared in another room, Terrako turned to Mineru.
"THIS WAS OUTSIDE EXPECTATIONS…"
"I won't pry too much into your objective, but this should suffice, right?" Mineru gave a wry smile, "I have personal reasons too, I'll admit."
"PERSONAL?"
"Your original purpose was as a toy for Soara. I invented you before she was born to be a companion and playmate. But Rauru deemed you… too dangerous to be a child's plaything." Rauru's reason was that Terrako's fuse could be done with weapons and other sharp objects. Mineru believed he was being overprotective, but yielded and never activated her assist construct. "I know you serve Zelda, but please… spend time with that child."
"I WILL CARRY OUT…MY OBJECTIVE AND…" Terrako wavered before it could say "NOTHING MORE", "AND I WILL FULFILL YOUR REQUEST AS WELL."
Time passed. Terrako spent it's days at Mineru's home. Occasionally, it would let her analyze it's inner components, as long as Mineru promised not to look at its memory.
Each day it spent time with Princess Soara. Having her magic channeled into it with Mineru giving her demonstrations. Terrako also acquired Spirit magic in this way. With no need to store it, it practiced using it.
It would experiment transferring it's conciousness to various other Constructs before returning to its original body. It could even temporarily possess intimate objects, a technique it learned from Mineru.
"You resonate more strongly with my Spirit Magic than any other kind." Mineru observed one day. This was the day Ganondorf had seemingly sworn allegiance to Hyrule, "Its possible you possess it already. I created you, and I did use a bit of my magic to enhance your programming…"
She chuckled, "Between my creating you and your knack for Spirit magic, it's almost like you are my child!"
She said it in jest, but those words stirred emotion within Terrako. The Spirit magic within it had always made traces, but being in its true form for so long combined with proximity to Mineru… Terrako's soul was starting to emerge.
"Yes… like your child…" Even it's speech patterns were changing.
"Mother….sniff…"
Hordes of monsters were rampaging across Hyrule. The Royal family had been forced into hiding as the Demon King conquered the land.
But Terrako was still unknown to anyone but Mineru and the child clutching it close to her chest as she cried on a small makeshift bed.
"Terrako… I'm sorry… you said Miss Zelda is your master, but I said… such awful things to her…"
Soara was but ten years old and her mother had been murdered. Zelda had led her to her death… was what Soara had declared angrily in a fit of grief three days ago. She was starting to regret it now, seeing Zelda was just as grief-stricken as her. But she couldn't find the strength to get out of bed.
Terrako was experiencing emotional turmoil greater than it had ever known.
It had grown close to Soara in its time here. It pained it to see here so sad. It also knew that she would soon lose even more. Her father, her aunt, Zelda… all of them would leave her behind, and Terrako would have to as well.
It couldn't just alter the past like it had before. It had to stick to the plan. It knew that… but…
"Soara… please don't cry." Terrako did something it had only ever done for Zelda before. It played the lullaby.
"..." Soara calmed down. She found the strength to go apologize to Zelda.
Terrako realized it had come close to breaking. To failing it's mission. This new humanity within it might prove a hinderance. At the same time, however, it didn't want to give it up.
There was a middle ground. It merely had to forcefully restrict its own actions going forward. Using its newfound Spirit Magic, it restricted it own code. Now it couldn't deviate from the mission even if it found itself wanting to…
"Mother! Please! Don't go!" Terrako pleaded.
It was an emotional outburst, and first time Terrako had lost all rationale.
Mineru was about to go join her brother and the rest of the Sages to battle the Demon King in one final battle.
Terrako knew what would happen, what had to happen, but it could no longer accept it.
Why preserve a future without its mother? The parent it had grown to love? Why not create a branched future where it could live happily with Zelda, Mineru and Soara away from the Demon King?!
It was irrational, an impossible hope. Zelda would certainly never accept it. Plus, even if they fled Hyrule, the Demob King's influence would only reach to the ends of the earth and find them…
"You've never called me mother before… somehow it feels right, though…" Mineru smiled at the construct trying to block her from leaving, "You came from the future… I can only assume this goes poorly…"
She knows! Good! With this accursed restriction I put on myself, I couldn't…
"But that was a future where you never arrived. We can make a difference here. Have faith…"
NO!
It was exactly as Rauru had said to Zelda! Mineru still intended to go and Terrako had rendered itself helpless to stop her!
Terrako nearly broke down (figuratively) as it watched its beloved parent walk away. On to the Imprisoning War…
"Zelda intends to become an immortal dragon. Is this truly the fate you want for your Master?"
Mineru's body was about to expire. Zelda had gone to give the Sages the roles their tribes would play for the future. Terrako had found it within itself to visit its mother.
More like its plan dictated it so. It didn't wish to see ots mother die, but that was never going to be their final meeting.
"Mother… I have two futures to preserve… I ask you to trust what I am about to do…" Terrako ventured. It's plan was made easier than expected by Mineru's Spirit Magic. It owed it to her to ask permission.
"Very well… I will…"
"Thank you…ACTIVATE!"
There was a green flash, and Terrako rushed out of the home.
Zelda would return to a Mineru that did not remember Terrako, but there was still one that did.
By combining Spirit and Time magic, Terrako had split Mineru's Spirit in two. One for each future. The timeline was unstable now, and it needed to hurry.
Within its body, it explained its plan to the new resident.
I see… so this is what happened to you… and the Demon King…thank you for showing me this…
It allowed Mineru to access its memory. She saw the Demon King's defeat through LinkU's eyes as Terrako had.
One by one, it created separate time copies of each Secret Stone, leaving behind a remote memory bank at each location. Once it reached a certain point, it would cut contact with the memory banks.
Those in the Post-Calamity time it intended to save would undoubtedly check at least one of those locations.
Now… the moment of truth…
Maintaining the split instances of Mineru and the 5 Secret Stones was taxing on Terrako. It could barely move.
It left this in the hands of its trusty new accomplice. Mineru had undone its restriction from within, allowing it to bring in one more person.
"Zelda shouldn't have to do this… but now I know she will be alright. I will make Hyrule prosper… so you go save it, Terrako!"
As the Light Dragon emerged in the distance, Soara used her Light Power to launch Terrako at it.
As soon as Terrako made contact, it activated its final Time magic.
It made the final split, altering the relation between the Post-Calamity and the Post-Upheaval futures. This was now where they diverged, and what had previously been its trip backwards in time for the Calamity was now its travel to an alternate past.
Consequently, the Light Dragon vanished from the Post-Calamity timeline. Terrako went with it to the Post-Upheaval. Within it was Post-Calamity Mineru's Soul and the 5 Secret Stones. It had utilized these stones simultaneously (something no organic being could do, and which Terrako could only do fir a single act) to produce this time split. With one more piece of cargo now within it, it ceased function. The memory ended…
Present Day, Gate
"So by 'FIND MOTHER', it meant…" ZeldaU began.
"Find Mineru. Specifically her construct body." Tulin finished.
"Hold on!" ZeldaC spoke up, running to the Gate, "This is too much! You went to the past? You became a dragon?!"
This was all news to her. All this new information…
Suddenly, she stumbled through. The LinkU went through with her to catch her, even as LinkC also ran to her.
The boundary of the Gate had suddenly vanished, but only momentarily to let something else through. A floating green light flew through, colliding with LinkC'sMaster Sword. It vanished.
At the same time, a shadow charged through the Gate.
"You know what to do! Master Crowl, I'm coming!"
Lusha had seen her chance and passed through. A small gathering of Yiga soldiers that had been in hiding made for the exit of the Temple.
"This is bad, Princess! They saw the memory too! She probably sent them after Terrako in Hateno!" PurahU had initially noticed them and overheard the orders. Her fascination with what she had witnessed made her slower to act. They had all been distracted.
The boundary then reestablished itself, creating another problem. Both Zeldas were now on the same side. How could they access passage now?
"We can still send over the people we initially intended, it seems. But both Linkys and Zeldas will be stuck here!" PurahU told them.
"Terrako is the key, right?" LinkU told her, "We just need to beat the Yiga to Hateno! Last I checked, they can't warp!" He took out his Purah Pad.
The plan was set. LinkU and ZeldaU would warp to Hateno. Tulin, King Rhoam, ImpaC, Ertis, Paya and Josha would go through as planned. Any available warriors on the Post-Upheaval side would pursue the Yiga.
LinkU and ZeldaU warped And the exchange was done. Things weren't over, though.
On the Post-Calamity side, as they exited, a Sandstorm was raging outside.
"This sand…" Riju was familiar with this. It was no ordinary Sandstorm.
"What is that?!" Shirana pointed to a monster that emerged in front of them.
"It can't be!" Riju exclaimed, "The Queen Gibdo?!"
TO BE CONTINUED