Twilight

We ran up to the castle, the air grew lighter and less infested with Malice as we drew closer.

Since the last time we were at the castle, Ganon had redecorated.

Now, Malice pools were around every corner, meaning we had to watch our step.

Monster and Guardian sentries manned the watchtowers and gatehouses, hidden around every corner.

Destiny stopped short, looking up at a point in the sky.

"Is that–" She started, most likely referring to the flying prophet.

He looked horrible in comparison to what he was before. His purple robes were tattered and torn, battered with blood and dirt and Malice, just barely holding on by a thread.

His eyes were sullen and sunken in, gleaming with the joy of a madman. Malice swirled around him, like a ghostly cloak of darkness.

"So," he droned. "here you all are…All of you despicable pests!"

Needless to say, we didn't take very kindly to that insult, preparing ourselves for a fight.

The devastated man drifted aside unnaturally, almost like he wasn't moving of his own free will.

Behind him, floated a tiny machine that seemed almost made out of Malice. Its circuits glowed pink and its shell was pitch black. Malice dripped out of the cracks in the shell. Its red eye, not hypnotic like the others, was fixed upon us with a realistic hatred and need to have us dead that was equaled by one being alone.

Ganon.

And he took the shape of the Little Guardian.

"But that looks just like–" Desi trailed off, turning to look at the Little Guardian, who whistled back its innocence.

A whirring sound emitted from the Dark Guardian. Its head lifted and little arms stretched out, becoming pale blue Guardian weapons.

But that wasn't it.

The excess Malice from the barrier was sucked into it as it grew and grew and grew. Until finally, it was a creature twice the height of Astor, a being that was part Sheikah technology, part Malice and hatred, just as Wild always described him.

"I will crush you beneath my heel…" Astor said, a maniacal laughter reverberating throughout the path. "That is my fate." He thundered.

"Nothing's written in stone!" Time yelled defiantly. He should know, after all of his misadventures with time travel.

"But there are always things that you cannot avoid." Astor laughed, before he and the Ganon-possessed-Guardian vanished in a flurry of Malice, before the cloud splashed to the ground at our feet, causing the row of people in front to dance backward, watching their feet.

"The final battle is upon us!" Destiny said, flanked by Urbosa and Mipha. "We unite our power to a sharpened point and seal Calamity Ganon!"

A roar rose up from the collected.

"The ones from Fort Hateno seem to be lying in wait at the back of the castle…" Zelda mused. "We would be best suited to seek them out first." Urbosa advised, holding her scimitar, the remaining surface area of clean steel glowing in the moonlight, seemingly harmless and innocent after the Blood Moon.

The same moon that shined over her…

But now was no time to mourn lost friends.

"They disappeared in the direction of the first and second gatehouses!" A Gerudo warned, running up from the path. "Take caution, Lady Urbosa, I doubt these are any average prey."

"We must make sure they crawl back into whatever hole they climbed out from, sister." Urbosa said. "Will you aid us?"

"Of course, Milady."

We were funneled down the paths not covered in Malice, but still lined with rabid monsters, foaming at the mouth, flecked with blood that was theirs but was also unfamiliar to them, some crazed to biting and trying to rip us apart with their teeth.

Fighting with the crazed perseverance that only comes when you have everything to lose.

I should know.

We ran into a large chamber with fallen pillars that had once held up the ceiling, and statues bearing protective symbols who guarded the doorways but ours, which had been blown open in an attack.

Not necessarily the one we're in currently.

In the room, was an army of stals.

Bones rattled and eyes made of Malice and a Stalnox.

A Hyliadamned Stalnox.

The army seemed to be led by a pair of Stalmoblins, who roared and pointed at us just before the charge.

The Stalnox, like its living counterparts, had a one-track mind.

It didn't seem to mind when it sat on a Stalmobin instead of a Hyrulean warrior, anyway.

"A trap!" Destiny exclaimed as the way we came in was filled in, collapsing on a Zora soldier, who disappeared under the rock. "We'll defeat them and soldier on!"

I'll say I'm rather good with a bow. So I got out my bow and shot an arrow at the Stalnox. The arrow hit its target and the Stalnox roared, sitting back on more of its fellows.

Blinded, the Stalnox ran into walls and trampled anyone and anything in its path, howling in pain before it tripped and fell. The eye fell out of its socket, which was not only disgusting, but also a good chance for Four to sink his sword deep into the roving eye.

After that, the one remaining Stalmoblin was no trouble at all.

"A valiant effort!" Astor's voice echoed through the halls as we ran through the castle, somehow ending up at the docks. "But not enough, you'll find. This was over long before it began."

The Malice in the room gravitated towards one central point, rising and forming into a grotesque figure. One that greatly resembled…

"It's Waterblight!" Legend cried as a spear of ice was thrown, causing us to roll away.

It was Waterblight.

"Leave it to us." Mipha said, stepping forward. "I wish to repay Waterblight for all that he's caused."

Sidon towered over her, but it was clear that he would follow her to the ends of the earth.

"Time for a rematch." Wild stated tiredly. In a blue flash, she was holding a flameblade, which was very effective against the icy monster.

Legend stepped up behind him brandishing his fire rod like it was a claymore. "Just be sure to dodge this time."

Wild stuck her tongue out at Legend, but lifted a Hylian Shield nonetheless.

Hyrule stepped up beside her with his sword and sash of potions in case of emergency. (Not just for Wild, they're usually spend on her, Legend, and a few others)

"The other Blights must be back, also." Four said. "We'll have to split up again."

"Y'all go figure that out and we'll deal with Waterblight." Wild said, hitting the fiend in the eye with a well-timed fire arrow. Flames battled the ice that swirled along its body, licking at the already-rotting beams above. "Besides, I have an idea."

"That doesn't sound good. Just try not to burn the whole place down." I said.

"Who said anything about fire?"

We all ran out of there, refusing to take part in her plan. Even Legend and Hyrule looked worried and like they were questioning their decision to stay.

But they didn't come after us.

"We need to split up in three and then look for the others." Warriors said. "Look in the areas that can hold them. Like Fireblight is bulky, so he'll probably be outside, and Thunderblight is fast, so he'll need room to run."

"Got it." We affirmed.

We split up based on revenge/who we wanted to fight and split up.

Warriors, Sky, Time, and Daruk and Yunobo went on the hunt for Fireblight.

Flora, Urbosa, Four, Destiny, Cal, Impa, and Riju were looking for Thunderblight.

And Wind, Revali, Teba and I decided to fight Windblight.

"We need not fear." Destiny's parting goodbyes echoed through my mind. "We will not lose!" I couldn't help but pray to Ordona that she was right.

Because we couldn't afford to lose.