Here's the next chapter, and the sort-of 'next part' of the name of the song I'm calling to. It's from a German short film from 2014, called 'Schee in Rio'. Again, the song is damn good. Anyways, warning! This chapter is quite violent, so be weary if this gets to be too much. I won't keep you reading this for long, I'm sure you wanna see what happens. Enjoy!
-Joost
Shattering the Stars
Chapter 28: You Want To Die
The lack of life around what was left of Hyrule Castle Town's drawbridge was unsettling. No chirps of insects, no signs of wild deer, rabbits, mice, absolutely nothing. Unnatural stillness exuded from the normally bustling area, reminding Link of the era of darkness brought about by the King of Evil, Ganondorf, back during his first adventure in his realm. The buildings around town, at least from where Link was able to see, looked in better shape than when they were under the reign of the Gerudo king, but that wasn't much to be happy about.
Link, Tael, Kirby, Mario, Luigi, Amy, Crystal, Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven stood just a few meters from the moat, their Passion burning with brazen determination. Their guides, Empyrea and Landia, were just behind them, waiting for the leader to make his decision.
"To think… we're finally here. This horrible nightmare can end," Link said, unsheathing his sword and arming himself with it and his shield. Mario, Amy, and Erdrick all took one step, but were stopped by Link. "Wait," he asked, "I just want you all to know, before we do this… I-I have no regrets. I'm proud to call you- To call all of you, my friends. It's truly been an honor, even in the short time we've spent together compared to our lives, I just hope the rest of you feel the same."
"Hey, Link, don't talk like that," Tael sat down on Link's shoulder, "None of us would be here if we didn't feel the same, right?" The number of nods from the rest of the group proved Tael's point.
"I'd say we found something very precious here, right?" Eleven put his arm around Solo, smiling wide as he alluded to the latter's feelings towards the other three swordsmen that he could safely call brothers.
"Yeah… Things are feeling pretty good," Solo said with a smile to match Eleven's, causing Eight and Erdrick to wear one as well. The amount of pride flowing through their vines shined brighter than polished platinum, and they all unsheathed their own swords, just as Link did.
Link was steadfast, believing it to be his purpose to counter the worst things imaginable. From Ganon, Majora, and the other foes he contended it, it was his duty to bring justice and tear the weed of evil from its very roots! He needed to flush it out where it thrived, and this was his moment to make good on what he believed he was meant to do.
Amy and Crystal were the only ones not to speak, even when Kirby shouted his trademark word. They simply held each other's hands, gazing into the other's eyes with admiration. The Inkling held her Dualies, the Octoling gripped her Octobrush, their Passion wrapping around the weapons and empowering them with the mystic Wave Energy. Some excess ink spurted out from their tools, showing just how powerful they were becoming with the help of The Passion.
Mario felt in his heart that he was up to this. He felt it necessary to bring retribution upon Shatterhand for what he did to his home, the Mushroom Kingdom. The memories of the Toads fleeing returned to him and Luigi, their business's destroyed, the entire town in shambles as was the one they were entering.
"You ready, bro?" Luigi asked Mario.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Mario said, a smirk beneath his moustache.
With that, the crusaders entered the town, taking each step carefully. They were eager to fight, but cautious of any traps. Except for Link and Tael, this world was foreign to the others, and even then, the two Terminians were taken aback by the destruction laid about by Shatterhand and his forces. Empyrea and Landia didn't fly, keeping with the heroes to provide the best assistance and strengthen the group.
"My cod… This is just… awful," Crystal muttered, unable to look away from the viscous chaos scattered about the ruined town. The presumed number of people displaced, likely dead, because of all this was too much to think about.
The trek through town towards the market area was uneventful, but as Link stepped into view of an unseen spy, a beam rocketed down and struck the stone road, startling everyone. Then more beams were fired, hitting the ground, nearby buildings, even just grazing Landia.
"Get down!" Mario barked, diving away. The others followed suit, except for Erdrick, Solo, Eight, and Eleven. Without much problem, they turned their arms inward and each cast Bounce, the reflecting spell. Now, they stood confidently, the beams that managed to hit them being sent in every which way off from the mystic shields.
The crusaders without the magical protection of the Bounce spell backed off, letting the enemy fire focus on the heroes. None of the four minded, as they kept their power fully charged with the help of some special water. It replenished their magic easily, allowing them to ensure the others could regroup.
"That dreadnaught is a big problem," Luigi said, holding his hat tightly, trying to drown out the intense sounds of explosions all around him.
"We need to have someone distract that thing, or else we'll just be stuck here," Link suggested, looking at Empyrea and Landia. "I hate to ask this of you two, but… do you mind?"
"With pleasure," Empyrea held her wings up high, casting her own magic around herself and her dragon friend. Landia just huffed, thinking nothing of the problem, and was the first to take off into the sky. "The rest of you, find Jones! Finish this!" Empyrea soared into the air, following Landia in pursuit of Shatterhand's dreadnaught.
The beams hitting the ground stopped, letting the four heroes defending to release their spells. Fortunately, they didn't use too much water, as they knew they'd need it for spells meant for Shatterhand. As if on cue, somehow, the laughter that they attributed to him rang through the town. The deafening cackle shook them to their core.
"So! You finally made it!" Shatterhand's forces had set up hidden speakers that were just now activating. They made it so his voice came from every direction, disorienting the opposition as they tried to find the source. "You're already trembling, you little fools! If you want to end this, come and find me at the castle! There, we'll have a battle fit for a king!"
The sadistic message ended with another, ear-grating cackle, the sound echoing beyond the town and reaching half of Hyrule by the time it died out. Fear was written along the walls as the group recollected their senses, hoping to formulate a plan. With Empyrea and Landia handling the dreadnaught that was hovering above the land, the others had to take things on without their help.
"Poyo!" Kirby was ready to go against the dreadnaught himself, his Warp Star blazing with excited energy.
"No, Kirby, we're going to need everything we've got to fight Shatterhand!" Luigi spoke up before the pink puffball could ride off and send his Warp Star into overdrive. "C'mon, they've got things handled up there," he pointed to the sky, then to the castle, "Let's-a do this!"
"Alright, if anything else tries to shoot at us from up there, we've got you all covered," Eight snapped his fingers, letting Bounce surround Amy and Crystal as a demonstration. It'd take a lot of concentration to focus on casting the spell around two other people, but he'd make it work.
"Booyah!" Amy cheered, admiring the purple magic encasing her body.
Mario quickly sprang into action, Luigi beside him. They summoned their Passion and used it to hoist them into the air. The vines wrapped around the planks of wood jutting out from the ruined buildings of the township, taking the lead. With a light chuckle, Link took out his hookshot and used it to swing above the ground, Tael helping him to target the best places to fire the tool. Right before Kirby could join the three in the air, Mario was suddenly tackled out of the sky, the attacker moving too fast for the others to see until they halted.
The captain, with a wicked smile on his face, had come out of the shadows to play. He and Mario collided with the outer wall of what was once the Bombchu Bowling Alley, crashing through the rickety, wooden planks and landing in the lobby.
"Bro!" Luigi cried out, returning to the ground. A few punches and grunts could be heard from the impact point in the bowling alley, until it went quiet, and then suddenly, Mario flew out and careened across the town, smashing into a pile of wooden crates.
"You're finally here!" bellowed the captain, leaping out of the ruins and standing proudly. Along both of his arms were strange, white, curved blades, reaching from his wrist to his elbow. They glimmered, even without the presence of light to reflect off the blades, looking like pirate scimitars severed from the hilt.
"Who in the- GAH!" Mario tried to get up but punctured his hand on a scrap of splintered wood. Pulling it out, he got into a fighting position, the rest of the crusaders closing in.
"Don't remember me, plumbers?! Of course…" the captain cursed under his breath, taking a gander at Amy and Crystal who were approaching fast. "Tch, teenagers," he raised his arm, letting an unknown light shine off his weapons, "Behold, the blades of brilliance! They'll cleave your bones and grant me the greatest of trophies to present to my master!"
"Trophies?" Amy wondered, skidding to a stop and grabbing Crystal's arm so that she wouldn't be in range. After a blinding flash, the captain jumped forward, his right arm leading as a nearby wall was sliced apart at amazing speed.
Eleven slid by and extended his hand, summoning the Passion. His vines shot over and wrapped around the captain's body just as he stopped moving, ensnaring him and keeping his blades at bay. "Take this!" Eleven shouted, channeling Kazap and sending it surging through the Passion, electrocuting the enemy.
The captain roared in agony, smoke rising from his body after Eleven's Passion slithered off. Link, going in for the kill, was about to swing his sword and finish off the crazed opponent, when his shoulder was blasted by something behind him.
"Hah, you really think I'd be alone?!" the captain grinned madly as he saw the quintet of his master's most skilled warriors appear right next to the remains of the Happy Mask Shop. The lead held a gun, similar to the ones that the other guards used back in that desert realm, and the rest had swords. "Boys, why don't we show these crusaders how we love to fight!"
The group shouted and charged at Link, Eleven, and Luigi, a terrible aura radiating off them. Thinking fast, Mario jumped into the air and moved his hands in a pattern, clapping them together and then reeling them back behind his head. Sparks burst from his fingers, igniting the air around him and enveloping his palms. Finally, after a quick smirk, the red plumber launched two massive fireballs towards the five and the captain, sending them flying.
"M-Mario!" Luigi ran over and caught his brother from the air, setting him down carefully. "Why- Why'd you use that already?"
"I had to make sure they got off our backs…" Mario wheezed; a good amount of his energy spent. His gloves were singed slightly, and he silently hated himself for using what was normally a last-ditch move.
Putting away his sword, Link glanced back at the castle, knowing Shatterhand was waiting for them. Fighting an internal battle, the blonde hero reluctantly made a choice. "Alright, we need to split up!" he said as the rest of the team were in earshot.
"What?! Are you crazy?" Erdrick criticized, "We can't do that, we all need to stay together!"
"I know, but we can't handle these guys and Shatterhand all at once! Some of us need to face that bastard at the castle!" Link pointed out to the distance, then towards the group of fiends just starting to recover from Mario's grand attack.
"Ugh…" Erdrick thought about the circumstances, grimacing as he came to the same conclusion Link did. "Fine! But how? Who should stay back?" He looked between himself and the others.
"Okay, you, me, Kirby, Solo, and Crystal, we go to the castle," Link gestured to the people he spoke of, "Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven, you take care of these guys. I'd say getting rid of that lunatic's swords would be a good way to start!"
"Wait, wait, why do we need to split up?!" Amy took hold of Crystal's hand. "We do things together, right?"
"Right!" Crystal repeated.
"I know, but your guys' ink is something that's extremely helpful for us! Mario," Link turned to the red plumber, "You told me about how you managed to use their ink, and how it made you stronger, right?"
"Yeah, I covered my glove with it and dunked that Sketchy guy. It sent him packing," Mario clenched his fist, swinging it downwards to compliment his claim.
"Exactly. Amy, Crystal, I know you two are… quite close, but what you give is too valuable to not have against Shatterhand," Link put his head down, ashamed that he had to ask the couple to be apart, especially during a harrowing time like this.
The Inkling and Octoling shared a look, their ears drowning out the sounds of lasers flying through the air above and grunts of men coming to their senses. Squeezing each other's hands lovingly, they embraced, Amy cupping Crystal's cheek before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"I love you," they both said. They realized they had jinxed and giggled heartily before parting from their passionate moment, Crystal stepping over to stand with Link and Erdrick.
"Alright, good luck, everyone. I… I guess we'll only meet again after this is over, or in heaven…" Link's bangs hid his eyes again as he bid the other half of the crusaders farewell, unsure if they would be victorious. "Tael, follow me, I'm going to need your help."
Tael flew over and tingled, his purple light brightening up at the prospect of finishing this adventure by Link's side. He finally felt like his sister, Tatl, and his sister-in-law, Navi, both girls having been helping Link for years. With his Passion wrapped around his arms and empowering his wings, he followed Link as he sprinted off, Kirby, Erdrick, Solo, and Crystal behind him.
"Heh, I never thought Link as one to abandon his allies…" the captain remarked, catching the attention of Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven. He raised his arm again, letting the blades glisten before going into a cat stance, prepared for any attack the heroes might have.
It was a strange combination of sights for Link, seeing the town in ruins, yet Hyrule Castle mostly intact. Unlike his first quest throughout his home realm, the castle hadn't been replaced by Ganon's unruly fortress, twisting and terraforming the land around it just by its sinister presence alone.
"Poyo?" Kirby asked, bringing Link out of his inner thoughts.
"Hm? Yes, I'm fine, Kirby, I promise," Link assured the pink puffball with a hollow lie.
"Now I know a lie when I hear one," Solo commented between breaths as he ran down the long, dirt path stringing to the castle drawbridge. "Link, you've been through a lot, but I'm sure Kirby can even tell."
"Well- I-" Link wasn't able to counter.
"It's alright if you're afraid, I kinda am too…" Crystal interjected, giving Link the benefit of the doubt. Everything here, all the chaos erupting around her, was unlike anything she nor Amy had experienced before, with one exception that she refused to think about.
Link slowed down, the distance from the castle too minimal to waste the energy of running. Along his arms, the Passion surged with Wave Energy, fizzing as his emotions conflicted with one another. Erdrick became worried that the hero of Termina might not be up to the task of facing Shatterhand now, the weight of everything at stake being too much. Although, he couldn't deny that he too felt the responsibility piling on top of his already burdened shoulders.
"I am… I am afraid…" Link admitted, hiding his face from the others. "Afraid that this demon we're about to fight might just be too strong, and that everything we've done so far would've been futile."
"Hey, you know what, look at me," Erdrick came from behind and placed his hand on Link's shoulder. He pulled, letting him see the tired man's eyes. For Link, he saw a shocking amount of sympathy. "We've gotten this far, all of us were able to come together and do this. Even if we don't win, we'll give this fool something to fear."
"Poy poy!" Kirby added.
"…" Link was silent for a moment, Erdrick's gaze fermented in his psyche. Even as explosions rumbled and the faintest of grunts came from the rest of the crusaders battling the captain back in town, a smile appeared on Link's face. "Th-Thank you, truly."
"Let's not keep him waiting up there," Solo nodded, his eyes darting over to the castle just up ahead. The five turned and made it to the gate, standing valiantly, prepared to fight against the danger awaiting them just inside.
There was almost a tangible mist of terror oozing from the castle as Erdrick and Solo readied themselves to cast a spell in tandem to blast away the gate and begin what might be their last battle. They stood side by side, one raising his right hand, the other his left, their arms touching. A yellow light came from their palms, glowing furiously as they mustered up the magic to send out Kaboom. But before they were about to fire, the gate shuddered, clanking loudly and opening slowly.
"There will be no need for that," Shatterhand's voice came from somewhere as the gate creaked, sliding across the ground to make way for the group. "I've been waiting patiently for you, though I'm surprised only five of you are here… I'm sure the rest will be dealt with swiftly. Please, come in…"
"Poyo!" Kirby shouted; his paws balled up like little fists.
"Kirby, language…" Link said. It humored him that Kirby spoke so boldly, but now wasn't the time to admire or admonish the Star Warrior's tendencies. With a deep breath, he walked past the front line of the gate and towards the moat, the castle's drawbridge already lowered.
A soft laugh came from Shatterhand's disembodied voice as the team of five entered the castle, the gates closing behind them. The bridge remained open, the dim light from the outside being the only thing illuminating the room beyond. Just over yonder were three pairs of candles, marking three doors that the group had to choose to eventually find Shatterhand. Crystal scoffed, thinking they made the mood of the area weird instead of menacing.
"How big is this place, Link?" Tael asked.
"Hm… I remember just a bit. When I was younger, I used to sneak in the back. The only time I was ever let in through the entrance was…" Link trailed off, thinking about Zelda for the first time in a while. His Zelda ought to be worried if Anju or Romani sent her a letter detailing where he was, but thoughts about what might've become of this realms Zelda overpowered the others. "I do know the way to the throne room. Come on," Link took the second door, placed at the opposite end of the room.
Blood stains, torn clothes, and damaged pieces of armor were scattered about the halls, showing just how far Shatterhand was willing to go for a proper battle against his incoming foes. There was no trace of the bodies that any of the remains belonged to, the group guessing they must've been taken care of before they even arrived.
Kirby held back from using his Warp Star to plow through the castle and find Shatterhand, thinking that his newfound speed would be of better use later. His ride was secured in his pocket, though his Passion seemed to want to act on its own, the vines rummaging around trying to find it. They often sought the Warp Star out, Kirby assuming that it was their connection to Wave Energy.
Crystal was a little green by the gills, doing her best to keep from being sick. The mess of carnage splattered across the corridors never relented, thoughts of fellow Octolings being blended by Sycther plaguing her. To cope, she gripped the handle of her Octobrush tightly, her pink ink dripping off the bristles and leaving a deliberate path along the dark red carpet in case the team needed it for a possible escape later on.
Suddenly, the group needed to blink, all thinking their eyes were deceiving them. It was, in fact, not. The following hallway happened to twist around impossibly. Link groaned, knowing what kind of trick this was. His past experiences in the Forest Temple as a displaced adult, that same magic was being employed here. He didn't know how Shatterhand managed to do it, but it didn't matter.
"Look around for something on the wall, a diamond-shaped switch with an eye on it…" Link backed away and scanned his surroundings, taking out his bow and a single arrow.
"A what?" Solo asked, bewildered.
"Just do it," Link said, deciding not to elaborate.
For a minute, the group eyed the walls, searching for anything out of place. Link wondered if Shatterhand even set up a switch for them to find, figuring that he planned to mess with them and perhaps ensure they couldn't reach him. No matter, it was worth a shot to search for one.
"Oh! Link, over here!" Crystal called over, pointing up above her. Sure enough, there was a silver, diamond-shaped contraption mounted high on the wall.
"Got it," Link said, aiming his bow. His shot was perfect, the arrow striking the eye and making it close on command. Then, the walls creaked, the twisted hallway reforming into one that properly followed the laws of physics.
Once they group continued to make it through the fun house that Shatterhand had set up, they found yet another roadblock. This one was exponentially easier to figure out, proving that while Shatterhand was a tactician, he was no good at setting up perplexing problems for his foes. All the crusaders had to do was light up five torches, Kirby doing so effortlessly with the Fire Ability granted to him by one of Link's fire arrows.
"Nice way to save arrows, huh?" Erdrick said, noting that Link would've needed to use four more arrows, wasting resources.
"All thanks to Kirby," Link smiled down at his puffy, pink companion. They pushed forward, finding only a few problems on their way to Shatterhand.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of solving foolish puzzles, the group wandered upon the doors to the throne room. More splashes of blood, now dried, marked where a viscous fight must've ensued. Sadly, the victor was proven to be the orange-haired monster waiting on the other side, as before anyone could open the doors themselves, they unlocked, slowly parting to reveal Shatterhand.
"Ah, there you all are. I hope my games were not too much for you. It seems like you've wasted a bit of daylight already," Shatterhand was relaxed on the throne, one leg in his lap, his good hand propping up his head, hinting towards his boredom.
"Hardly! You aren't the greatest puzzlemaster," Crystal said defiantly, holding up her Octobrush.
"Hmph, very well. Now, I guess it's time for us to do battle," Shatterhand was unnervingly casual about the battle that was about to go down. He fixed his posture and stood from the throne, his cape rustling while it draped down to his heels.
Right as Link, Erdrick, and Solo unsheathed their swords, a blast of darkness came from Shatterhand's Dark Matter gauntlet, aimed right at Kirby. Unfortunately, only his Warp Star could move fast enough to dodge it, as Kirby was struck and sent flying back across the hall that he and the others entered from, crashing into a painting.
"Kirby!" Link called out, turning back, his eyes trying to find where Kirby had gone.
"I anticipated Kirby would be joining you, you utter buffoons! The energy coursing through this gauntlet is the exact thing Kirby is weak to!" Shatterhand jumped from the stairs that the throne sat on and down right in front of the opposing forces. "Dark Matter against Light, such a combination didn't bode well for your variant, Kirby!"
"P-Poy…" Kirby's sharp grunt was just barely audible, and the gauntlet charged up again in preparation to fire.
"Hiya!" Link dived in front of the blast, his Mirror Shield protecting him. The surge of darkness ricocheted off the shield and hit the leftmost wall next to the throne, bits of stone raining onto the floor.
"Gah!" Shatterhand dodged a concentrated attack of magic from Solo, making sure to avoid Crystal's ink that now covered the floor. She was certainly fast with her brush, he had to give her that.
Erdrick was about to join up with Link to fight together, knowing their sword skills would be on par, but he became confused when he was alone. "Link? Hey! What're you doing?"
Link was breathing heavily, a terrible realization coming to him. He panted, his heart beating fast. "K-Kirby… Your variant…" The meaning of Shatterhand's words hit him like a punch to the gut, his mind recalling the remains of a Star Warrior that Meta Knight had come across while they were exploring the parallel Cappy Town.
"The gauntlet is what can kill Kirby…" Link whispered worriedly, almost too distracted to notice Shatterhand coming towards him.
"Oh no you don't!" Crystal shouted, summoning her Passion. The vines stretched out towards Shatterhand, coiling around him. She wasn't strong enough to pull him away, but she was able to stop him momentarily.
"What the hell-?!" Shatterhand screeched, fighting to figure out what was wrapped around him. It dawned on the others that the Archfiend still didn't know about the Passion or its nature. Such a thing was good to keep a secret. Erdrick acted fast and cast his vines out to aid Crystal, their combined effort keeping Shatterhand in place.
"KIRBY! Get out of here! Y-You can't handle that gauntlet!" Link practically screamed, pleading for the pink hero to escape.
"Poyo?" Kirby had freed himself from the wall he was embedded in when he crashed but tilted his head with confusion at Link's new orders.
"Remember what happened to you back at the Mushroom Kingdom! He shot you out of the sky!" Link yelled, regaining his senses and running at Shatterhand, kicking him as hard as he could so that Crystal and Erdrick weren't left trying to keep him under wraps for too long.
Kirby instantly knew what Link was talking about now. It was difficult at first to remember such a specific detail, but the fact that Shatterhand was able to shoot him down while he was riding the Warp Star at what was then his top speed was something he always kept with him. That was the primary reason he was so excited to test out the limits of his Warp Star once he obtained The Passion. Without a second to lose, Kirby hopped on his air ride and flew it through the closest window. He didn't want to leave, but he was well aware of the risks the powers of Dark Matter posed against him.
A small chuckle came from Shatterhand as Kirby fled, finally breaking free of the Passion. For Crystal and Erdrick, the sensation of their vines literally being torn through was terrible, both their arms becoming numb for a moment as the liana retracted. Staggering towards the Octoling, Shatterhand revealed his sword, Galaxia, smiling wide, murderous intent in his strong, piercing gaze.
"Come on!" Solo kept Shatterhand and Galaxia distracted by engaging him with his own sword. They connected once, pulled away, and then again, almost mirroring the battle between the Hylian guard. A strong blow was parried by Solo, and he tried to cast Kaboom to send him away.
"You're open!" Shatterhand growled, bringing Galaxia up away from Solo's shield and swinging it towards his face.
Solo dodged just enough so that the sword missed taking off his nose but wasn't able to move further to save his left eye. The tip of the weapon sliced Solo's face, tearing out his eye and sending blood to the floor.
"AH! D-aaauugh!" Solo groaned, collapsing. His left arm dropped his sword and quickly went to cover the side of his head, hoping to stop the bleeding.
"Solo!" Erdrick yelled, caring not for the numbness in his arms and running over to help.
"Heh… Now it's only four of you! This shall be easy!" Shatterhand gloated, standing above Solo, about to blast him with the Dark Matter gauntlet.
"Hey! Don't count me out!" Tael flew up and used everything he had to attack with his own Passion. The vines, though vastly smaller than Crystals' or Erdricks', were able to wrap around Shatterhand's head.
"Oh, but I shall!" Shatterhand, still able to see through a break in Tael's vines, swung both hands forward. Tael, hovering in front of Shatterhand, tried to fly out of the way, but was too slow.
Both hands surrounded Tael in an instant and slapped together, taking the fairy with them. The act was followed by an echoing clap. A small crunch was heard at the same time, Shatterhand grinning with deep, unfathomable malice as he felt Tael's wings fold beneath his one good hand. The Passion wrapping around his head went limp, letting go and fading away into nothingness.
All the color drained from Link's face, his eyes going wide in desperate fear.
"They seem to be splitting up!" Empyrea noticed her crusaders going off into two teams, a group of what she assumed were guards from Shatterhand in the town.
It was just after the group made up of Mario, Luigi, Amy, Eight, and Eleven decided to take on the captain themselves, and the others went on towards the castle to find Shatterhand. The Godbird thought it unwise for them to divide into teams, but there was no arguing now, both her and Landia busy dealing with the dreadnaught. The ship shot its beams endlessly, the bolts screaming through the air and past the divine beings.
"Link probably has a plan, don't worry- AH!" Landia for once showed fear, a shot from the dreadnaught hitting his lowest head right in the cheek.
"Landia!" Empyrea too expressed worry as Landia's trajectory faltered, his wings at first going to wrap around him protectively. He knew better and kept them straight, though his flight became a little wobbly until he steadied himself.
"I-I'm fine," Landia said, shaking the blast off.
"A-Alright…" Empyrea said, keeping her cool. She turned and dive-bombed the dreadnaught, the feathers along her wings solidifying into razor-sharp blades. They slashed the hull, a defined cut forming along its side. "That's it! Landia, cover me, I'm going in for another run at it!"
"You got it!" Landia said, flying up and spewing fire from three of his four mouths to keep the shots concentrated on him. A few cannons along the ship's starboard side caught on to the tactic and kept their sights on Empyrea, waiting for the right moment.
"Here we go!" the excitement from Empyrea's thoughts made Landia smile, just slightly. He hadn't seen her in battle before, but now that he was witnessing it firsthand, he was awestruck.
Like she did before, Empyrea turned and dived towards the dreadnaught, her wings once again going solid. Their sharpness was seen through the windows, various crewmembers running down to tend to technical emergencies. However, the gunners manning the cannons were given clean shots, and when they fired, the horrible sound of ripping flesh filled Empyrea's ears. While her outer feathers lining the edge of her wing were solid, the inner ones were not.
"GAAAUUUGH!" Empyrea hollered in pain, the lasers from the closest cannons being strong enough to pierce her wing, complicating her flight movements. Her speed was stunted as she pulled away from the ship, another, albeit smaller cut now lining the hull beside the first one.
Landia growled with rage. "Oh, you're going to pay for that!" He grew strangely protective of Empyrea, and all four of his heads fired in tandem, thick balls of plasma striking the cannons that shot the Godbird. They instantly melted, sparks raining down onto the Temple of Time.
The two flew out of range of the dreadnaught for a second, Landia going close to inspect Empyrea's wing.
"Now are you alright, this time?" Landia asked.
"Y-Yes, I'm alright. It's only a flesh wound," Empyrea calmed her four-headed companion, easing his thoughts.
"Good. I'm counting on you, you hear. I can't take this thing down alone," Landia replied, not even realizing he was admitting to his inability to go it alone as he often did.
"I understand. Come on, we need to finish this thing off and help the others as soon as possible!" Empyrea soared back, breaking off from Landia to pursue to dreadnaught again. All Landia did was sigh before joining her, his heart truly smitten.
After another run against the dreadnaught, a third gash now across its hull, Landia noticed something out of the corner of his eyes. It was a sparkling star flying out and away from the castle, Kirby riding atop it. He scowled, but not at the Star Warrior. If something happened in there, something bad enough to cause Kirby to flee, it mustn't be good. As Empyrea was readying up for a forth dive, Landia considered suggesting to her that they could handle the dreadnaught last. He never ended up giving just a query, another blast hitting his head angering him further.
"TAAAEL!" Link cried out in agony.
Shatterhand parted his arms and looked at his hands, expecting to see the remains of a purple fairy squashed between his fingers. Instead, something fell to the group, hitting the rug with a light thud. Tael, his body bruised and wings in tatters, coughed, struggling to breathe. He was still clinging onto life.
"Insect," Shatterhand said dismissively, a hint of disgust lining his lips. Then, with a smirk, he lifted his boot up to stomp Tael. Before he could, Link tackled him, rolling onto the floor and away from his fairy.
"I'LL KILL YOU!" Link roared, using his bare fists to pummel Shatterhand. He wanted every single bone in his enemy's wicked body to break by his own doing, darkness clouding his eyes.
Link never got to see his desires through, Shatterhand blasting him in the chest with a weak, but still point-blank shot from his gauntlet. The hero flew into the throne, joints in his back popping at the force of the impact. Meanwhile, Shatterhand panted, wiping his now bloody lip and smiling.
"It seems you're unfit to cope with loss… How about some direct exposure, then?!" Shatterhand cackled, aiming his gauntlet at Crystal, who was still struggling to get feeling back into her arms.
"HEEYYA!" A sword slashed the gauntlet, but the swing wasn't strong enough to break it. Regardless, Solo, holding the blade firmly, stared down Shatterhand with the only eye he had left. A dark determination swelled throughout his iris, taking on the appearance of the Passion itself. He heaved, the blood trickling down his face. "You're going to regret that, asshole."
Solo's sword and Galaxia met once again, clashing against each other brutally. Crystal had finally gotten overcome the numbness surrounding her arms and grabbed her Octobrush, inking the ground and giving her room to gain some speed. Swimming through and refilling her ink tank, she appeared right in front of Solo and Shatterhand's duel and swatted him to the ground with her brush. He fell forward face-first on the floor, his pants drenched.
"Stupid child!" Shatterhand looked up and performed a tactical get-up move, swinging his legs around and knocking both Crystal and Solo down in the process. Once they fell, he kicked them both in the sides for good measure, relishing the sound of his steel-toed boots breaking bone. He flicked away a few spots of ink from his clothes, insulted that it was even touching him.
Moments after Solo and Crystal were downed, Link and Erdrick came together with their swords in hand, going for a pincer attack. Erdrick was in front of Shatterhand, Link was behind, closing in on their enemy in hopes of getting him down.
Instead of simply dodging, like how the two swordsmen expected, Shatterhand crouched down and held Galaxia above him, letting Link and Erdrick's swords collide with it. The three blades sent sparks flying, a smirk along Shatterhand's face. Then, jumping up, he successfully pushed them away and cleared the arena for him to step back and collect himself.
"Dammit!" Erdrick cursed again, standing upright and looking at Shatterhand.
"Fools!" Shatterhand seemed to love that word, and he quickly fired at Erdrick with his gauntlet. The first shot was blocked by a shield, but when the second one hit the floor, it left the caped hero confused. Then, he was sent across the room with a third shot, leaving Link as the last one standing. Staring at the Terminian, the manic ginger laughed. "I feel as if I'm really going to enjoy this, Link!"
Link's lungs fought for air. His vision around the edges was blurry, eyes darting around the room. First he saw Tael, crumpled in a heap on the floor, then he saw Crystal clutching her torso where Shatterhand had kicked her. Then finally, his sights rested on the man coming towards him, panic invading his heart and leaving him as stiff as a statue. Shatterhand. He had discarded Galaxia, holding up his left arm, his good hand in a pristine attacking position.
"I've wanted to say this ever since we met in the Mushroom Kingdom, Link…" Shatterhand treaded closer with unspeakable evil seething from his teeth. There was such a clear difference between his composure then compared to now. Then, curling his arm back, he screamed with joy. "DIE!"
Just as quick as it happened, the horrendous sound of tearing flesh rang in all of the crusaders ears, blood spurting across the floor and staining the wall of the throne room.