Dream Depot

From Dreams of the Kingdom, Chapter 1. Written and narrated by DreamDepot

Music

Romance in the Air (Romance Theme); The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Hyrule at Peace; The Legend of Zelda: Link Between Worlds

The Silent Princess; The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Demon King Ganondorf Final Battle; The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

============================== Dear [Y/n] or Navi if you prefer,

This is the first time I’ve really felt like adding an epilogue like this, but I think this story needs it. There’s a lot I want to cover since there was a lot more going on in the background. If you just jumped to the newest chapter, you might wanna go back to Chapter 31 for the wrap up after the battle with Null. This little chat can wait. Additionally, this isn’t anything plot related, more just talking about my notes and things I couldn’t get into the story, so no worries if you want to skip this entirely.

The Idea

The original idea for this story was actually something from back during the first iteration of Dream Depot. I had actually started jotting down ideas pretty early after writing Prince of the Wild, and I was probably going to make it the next major story I wrote after Monochrome (ironic since the rewrite of that story is being written after this one!)

The idea is a bit funny to look back at. Originally, the story was set in high school. Zelda was still the queen bee who turned into the villain at the end, and Link was still the seemingly unattainable jock. Link was less of a himbo and a bit more standoffish. He was actually more of a perfectionist, putting overly stressful goals on himself. The Reader was also the son of Gaepora, the curator for a museum (this time inside the Temple of Time), and monsters from Hyrule’s past return… but that’s where the similarities end. Corbus, Avil, Aryll, Ralon, and Komadoh did not exist. Gaepora was part of an order to maintain peace in Hyrule, along the lines of Twilight Princess’ Resistance, with others like Maple.

The Reader would not become Navi, but rather don a high-tech suit and helmet and become Sheik. This version of Sheik was basically a superhero along the lines of Batman, and would go out and fight monsters at night or retrieve artifacts that had been stolen on behalf of the order. Eventually, Sheik would save Link several times (who out of genuine kind-heartedness would go and fight monsters to protect his friends), leading to a Superman/Lois Lane type relationship.

Sheik and Link would eventually find the Gates of Time, allowing them to travel to the past so that Link could be trained by the prior heroes to be ready to fight the supposed villain “Ganondorf”. It would also involve reforging the Master Sword. The two would cross paths with the Hero of Time multiple times, and would also go back to the Ancient Sheikah (Keep in mind this was in 2019, so well before we knew anything about Tears of the Kingdom). At one point, they would also meet with the Champion and his royal boyfriend shortly after stopping the Calamity. In the end, it would’ve been revealed that the supposed Ganondorf was actually dead, merely a scapegoat, and Zelda was the ultimate villain, aiming to become the reincarnated Goddess Hylia and rule the land with an iron fist. Some of this probably sounds pretty familiar, if you’ve been reading my Zelda fics for a while.

When Sonic-speedsune-626 mentioned a “Dragon Reader” fic, that started to get my creative juices going. It was around the same time I saw the Linktober calendar and thought “Hey I can do that.” So, I combined the Dragon Reader idea, the original rejected idea, and an original story idea I was looking at writing. All three came together to create Shadows of Hyrule.

The Challenge

The challenge was originally to write this story in a month. Of course, that didn’t happen due to health concerns and I likely won’t attempt a “story in a month” again unless it’s the only thing I’m working on. In fact, not sure if I’ll be doing two concurrent major stories again for a while; it was pretty exhausting! All that said, I did try to preserve the challenge aspect after the fact by limiting the amount of time I could work on a chapter and the amount of words per chapter. For that, I think I was successful.

Obligatory “I learned a lot from writing this!” which if you’re unaware, is artist/writer speak for “Damn, this project was a pain in the ass to do.” Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved writing it, but I’d be lying if there weren’t a few moments with me screaming into a pillow.

Typically when I write a story, before you even see a word, the entire story has been 95% plotted out and I usually have a third of the chapters written. All characters are set, all plotlines formed and tied up. For the Linktober challenge, this dropped to about 75% plotted at launch. My health prevented me from continuing daily uploads after Chapter 11 and really fell downhill for a while, but that was a blessing in disguise as I was able to clean up the rest of the outline to the 95% by Chapter 13. I will say, as a silver lining, that it allowed me to take in feedback a bit more quickly.

Overall, I am fairly happy with the result, though I do have some issues with it. Someday, I may have to revisit this story and do a rewrite, or maybe just do a followup. I can certainly say that this is not the last time I’ll be writing about these characters, I’ve really enjoyed them. In fact, speaking about the characters...

Character Notes

The Reader and Navi

I kept the Reader mostly the same from the original story, but I wanted to have a Beauty and the Beast situation. When trying to determine the Reader’s cursed form, I had this image of a glowing blue eye with strands of white hair sticking out of the bandages, which felt a bit like the fairy Navi. Since the Reader starts out as Link’s guide, the comparison fit, and thus Navi was born.

I think one of the fun things with creating Navi is something I’ve tried to do a bit more with each story, giving the reader character more of a background while still having flexibility. We started with the Prince/Dragon King, then came the Assistant/Blue, and now we have Navi. I picked Argarok as the initial template for Navi since Argarok has such a memorable boss battle in Twilight Princess, and they’re pretty far from the dragons we’ve seen in the more recent Zelda games.

Thanks go once again to FlipFlopArtist for the suggestion to keep the Navi name with the Reader’s dragon form. I had intended for Navi to completely merge with the character, but keeping them slightly separate felt right. Navi is a part of the Reader and their combined strength comes from accepting each other. Speaking of strength, the idea of Navi’s powers were to compliment Link’s arsenal. Link only gets his usual stuff here: sword, shield, bow, bombs. Navi’s powers are meant to be the rest – which is the reason why the hero being both of them gets repeated so much in the story, it’s not just for romance. Navi’s wings replace the paraglider/sailcloth, scales replace the armor upgrades, tail replaces the ball and chain, fire breath replaces the Fire Rod. Navi’s ability to heal was also meant to be both Master Sword-lite and to foreshadow the Tri Rod twist.

Link

Link, ah Link… this version of Link was meant to be very different from my other versions, including BotW/TotK Link, OoT Link, and the various incarnations that appeared in Dreams of the Kingdom. I wanted him to be a jock, and I wanted him to be a complete himbo. That led me to an… interesting decision. Confession time, this Link is basically my take on a modern version of the two most controversial depictions of Link – that being the CD-i Link and the DIC cartoon Link. If you’ve read my other Zelda stuff, you know I like throwing in jokes based off of those versions, but this time I wanted to create a version that treated them a bit more seriously. Link’s more full of himself like the DIC cartoon; he’s cocky and still is a pretty good fighter all things considered. He’s not the smartest and kinda an airhead but really likes praise and affection, more like CD-i Link. Over time, he grew into his own character, and very much a golden retriever type boyfriend.

I really like when Link has a defined family. I know some were hoping to have Link and Linkle, but that felt strange to me name-wise. I’ll be honest, I can’t see a parent naming their kids almost the same thing and Linkle’s always felt to me like either an alternative timeline Link or Link post-transition or both. So, for Link’s family, I changed things up by taking inspiration from a couple places. Here we have Aryll and Grandma from Wind Waker and Uncle Raven – who’s actually a combination of the Uncle from Link to the Past and Sir Raven from the Akira Himekawa Oracle of Ages manga. Link’s family being farmers comes from Twilight Princess as many of you pointed out with the bull scene (couldn’t resist), from the Akira Himekawa Link to the Past manga, where Link’s greatest wish is to be an apple farmer. There’s also a pinch from Echoes of Wisdom, as Link is from the very agrarian Suthorn Village. Suthorn gets a shout out in the story too, mostly as a hidden clue that the story is based heavily on Echoes of Wisdom.

Corbus

One of the big things with the sages was trying to mess with some of the tropes in Zelda. The Gorons typically are overly masculine and macho, so I chose to try a nerd Goron. Zoras are always tied to the arts, so why not modernize that and have a pop idol? Power always has connotations of Ganondorf and evil, so let’s tie them directly to the hero’s family (and a certain other character of mine, but we’re not talking about him).

Corbus was one of the first characters I made with the intent of being a sage. As I mentioned, I wanted a nerdy Goron who flipped some of the tropes. Unfortunately, the pace of the story didn’t let me get into some of his interests as much as I would’ve liked. He’s a great student all around with a near photographic memory, but his major is in engineering which didn’t quite get as much attention. He loves TriFighters which I envision as a Smash clone, and Kaito Keaton, an anime similar to Lupin the 3rd. One thing that did make it in is his love of INDIGO. And speaking of INDIGO...

Ralon

Ralon ended up being sort-of a breakout character. I’ll be honest, the original idea was just, “I want a Zora twink, someone who’s the opposite of Sidon but still as lovable.” Doing a modern boy band version of the Indigo-gos from Majora’s Mask was an easy choice, and having Ralon lean into the prince aesthetic common in K-Pop and J-Pop groups felt like the best fit. His name, of course, is a combination of Ralis and Sidon, though he probably shares more personality-wise with Ralis and Mipha.

I think I gave Ralon too much and too little to do at the same time. Too much, in that he became the white mage and the ranged attacker, but too little in that he’s kinda useless in most fight scenes. It fits his character, but I did try to fix that a bit towards the end – also because there was definitely some support to seeing him more often. He got a lot of love from the readers (even fan art!), so I can see him coming back in future stories.

Aryll

The guiding principle behind Aryll was “I love a woman who can kick my ass.” I wanted a heavy brawler character since we really didn’t have that in my previous Zelda fics. Aryll was directly influenced by the Twilight Princess Linkle mod by Ditrey and SimplySnaps.

She was a ton of fun to write, having zero impulse control and jumping into life with no restraint. I had to give her the Golden Gauntlets since it matched her personality but also if I gave her anything else, Null would’ve been defeated by Chapter 18 and the rest of the fic would be attempting to stop Aryll from taking over Hyrule. The other alternative and the one I was going to give her for a long time was the Pegasus Boots, but the image of her flinging Navi around was way too much fun.

Avil

Avil was one of my favorite characters. Avil’s name comes from the pirate captain Aviela from Majora’s Mask. I chose to make Avil trans because I wanted a positive male Gerudo character who wasn’t Ganondorf. Additionally, I wanted to make a trans character because I know some of my readers are trans (and my sibling had recently come out to me). At one point I considered making Avil a version of Phantom Hourglass’ Zauz, but… let’s just say I have a different plan for Zauz. Avil was originally the Sage of the Sword, a trace of which is still in the story. The original idea was that his family had guarded the Master Sword for generations, but I ended up pivoting away from that, due to Avil being more of the type to forge his own destiny. I emphasized Avil’s found family instead and wrote that he’s distanced himself from his blood relatives for more of a connection to the Reader. Besides, the “guarding for generations” idea was something that was already going to Tulin’s descendant for Snowpeak Manor. Something I would like to perhaps explore in the future is Avil’s found family, not only Corbus, Navi, and now the Sages, but perhaps finding some other supportive faces. Let’s put a pin in that for now, but if you know, you know.

Komadoh

At one point, Groose was going to be the transformed version of Death Sword in the Vale of Kokiri, but in the end it was more fun to have Death Sword and the Skull Kid be puppets the Koroks use to scare away intruders. Groose also was almost Tulin’s descendant and a sage, but I ended up going with Komadoh instead, since she added more to the cast. Having three jock guys on the team seemed a bit much and having him also as a monster took away from the impact of Corbus and Avil. As consolation, Groose got his moment of trying to propose to Ralon on stage (which based on reader reaction is comparable to high treason).

So, let’s move on to Komadoh! Her name comes from Komali. As mentioned in the notes, Komadoh is the descendant of both Kass and Tulin. She takes more after Kass, though there’s a bit of a chaotic side that follows Tulin. She used to be a bit wild in her younger days, but prefers the quiet order of her books and artifacts these days. As she’s the Sage of Order, I figured the Dominion Rod would be the perfect weapon for her. One thing that didn’t make it in as much as I planned was that she’s been a part of the Reader/Navi’s life for quite a while. With their mother gone, Komadoh’s helped to raise them. I will stress though, there’s no romantic feelings between her and Gaepora, especially since she used to be Gaepora’s boss back at the Archives.

Purah and the Guardian

I stand completely by this headcanon: Purah would absolutely see Mineru’s work as a challenge. Never mind the fact that Mineru had a secret stone (don’t say it), but I think Purah would want to see if she could last just as long through technology. Does that mean this is the real Purah or simply a digital copy? Who knows? Either way, she’s busy playing with new technology, getting visits through time from her friends, and absolutely destroying some ten-year-old in modern day Kakariko in online games.

I figured if Purah was still around then, she’d probably attempt making her own version of a Guardian just in case the next hero wasn’t ready. Programming it to match her time’s hero also seemed to make sense since he is the best swordsman she knows. As for me, the Guardian was my attempt at bringing the Knight Construct from Age of Imprisonment to the modern day. I wanted to combine it with different past Guardians, especially Skyward Sword’s, and the Phantoms of Phantom Hourglass in order to create a unique design.

The Corrupted Guardian comes from the wish for a Gloom-corrupted Guardian in Tears of the Kingdom. The sacrifice of the Guardian jumping to protect his “grandson” felt in character for someone with the Champion King/Link’s personality. I have a feeling he’d do it again in a second.

Zelda and Null

I was worried making Zelda the villain would be controversial, and it sort-of was but not in the way I expected. I had trouble balancing her being horrible but not absolutely detestable until the end. That said, I think the angry mob that built in the comments calling for her head on a pike was a bit entertaining for me, especially because Null was fun. Null, and some of the other Echo Villains for that matter, didn’t have to be quite as complex as other villains I’ve written before. I wanted characters that reveled in being evil. Believe me, writing more complex characters and sympathetic villains is fun, but sometimes you just want to write someone that you can’t help but hate! Post-reveal Zelda going full ham was cathartic for me.

One of the big benefits to picking a newer, and more niche, title in the series meant a lot of people weren’t expecting an eldritch being to be behind it all. Null is fascinating to me (as is Echoes of Wisdom as a whole) because it felt like an attempt at another break from the rest of the Zelda series – or at least from the semi-cohesive lore that exists so far. Having a god that is directly opposed to the Goddesses is fun, and Null is a fresh take. There’s… a lot that is kinda left unanswered and it’s handled a bit clunky in the game, but potholes are the bread and butter of fan fiction, right?

Previously, I’ve written about the reincarnation cycle of the old games and that led to a story with a villain playing the long game to manipulate it against the heroes. I wanted to try that again but with the villain basically succeeding. Null is successful in corrupting a jaded and entitled Zelda and technically they do destroy Hyrule.

Lightning Round

Gaepora, as I mentioned, was always a part of the idea. I love his depiction in Skyward Sword and he’s certainly an iconic wise figure. I really haven’t included much of the Reader’s family in my previous stories (minus where forced by the plot with Zelda, Rhoam, and Rauru), so adding a supportive father was nice.

Maple is a character I’ve wanted to include in stories for a bit now, though turning her into an old witch was not the original plan. I wanted to have her as the young, spunky and mischievous girl she is in the Oracle games at first, but then I realized it’d be much more fun to set her up as the old mentor and having two typically old characters show up as young girls, Koume and Kotake. They didn’t get quite as much to do as I wanted originally, but that’s the nature of the challenge. Perhaps another time? Also I don’t think you have to worry about them growing up to be evil when they have Granny Maple watching them.

I’ve mentioned before but I’ll say again, Venus was a ton of fun to write. The goal was essentially combining Jinkx Monsoon and Lucy Darling, though I think as time went on, she leaned more and more into Lucy. Venus herself is directly taken from Link to the Past, and I’m kinda surprised she never showed up in a similar capacity again.

Ganondorf in this version was directly inspired by fan art made by THEANNIHILATO, depicting him as a modern day detective. That led me to taking Ganondorf from a one-shot fic (yes that one) where he has a redemption largely as a joke, and pushing it further. I figured in his time, basically all of the Legend of Zelda canon would no longer happen. As a result, he or his partner would find the key to the Gates of Time instead of a certain someone else. It’s something I’d like to explore sometime, but for now, as I hinted in the final chapter, he likely sees the damage his other self caused and saw it as a debt he needs to repay. I really like the idea of an older, mellowed out Ganondorf building a family and really taking a shine to these heroes.

Veran, Zant, Yuga, and Malladus were chosen as they were four villains I really hadn’t written about before, and they weren’t planned to show up in future Zelda ideas I had at the time. The first three were very fun to write, Malladus less so since… well there wasn’t a whole lot of Malladus in the source material to go off of and if I pushed it any farther I think I would’ve defaulted to jokes based on The Railway Series/Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (though a couple still made it in). My version of Phantom Ganon was directly taken from Ocarina of Time of course, mostly because I had originally planned to include him in Dreams of the Kingdom and just never got it to work. Merging him with a Lynel was fun to write!

What’s next?

Thank you everyone for your support and input over the years but especially on this story. As I’ve said before, Sonic-speedsune-626 was responsible for the initial prompt that got me to dust off this story. FlipFlopArtist is the one who first suggested treating Navi as an individual character, which certainly smoothed out these last few chapters. And THEANNIHILATO is the one who’s altered version of Ganondorf became “canon”, but also christened my Zelda AU as the Dreamer AU. That’s not to mention all of you who have been around for the whole ride and have been supporting this story as well as the all of my Zelda fics for so long. I apologize if I don’t forget to mention someone, but a special thank you goes to folks like Lunatico, Pinkie, NymphQuartz, Daeyumi, Mercya, Kakaninin, Lupin, OnionCakedUP, Kcmono, and more for your support.

The Dreamer AU definitely has a lot more in store. There’s a few things I did a dry run of in this story that I’d like to explore in future ones – which many of you caught on to. Aside from the possibility of a sequel or rewrite to this story and the requested Ralon one-shot, there’s a lot more planned. There’s actually a potential spin-off story idea I have focusing more on Avil, but that’s very much in the early stages. There’s the Sidon story of course, which ought to be interesting since I have to make sure to have something in there that properly accounts for Ralon. The Dragon King series is likely to become a trilogy (tentatively calling the idea Age of Darkness). I’ve also received more than a few Twilight Princess requests. The Hero of Twilight is often at war with the Champion for being my personal favorite, so I’m sure that will happen eventually. I’m going to be busy for quite a while! The only thing is that with these and my other stories, I ask for your patience as it will take a long time for me to get through them, but I am looking forward to writing them.

On a tangent from that, I do want to say that if you would like to write your own stories based off of my characters or in this AU, please feel free. I just ask you leave a short credit note somewhere and then send it to me, because I’d love to read it!

So with that,Shadows of Hyrule is complete. Thank you again everyone for sticking with me through this experimental and fun journey.

See you next time, and may the Goddesses watch over you,

==============================

Day 31 – (Free Topic)

==============================

“Begin!”

The long-haired warrior charged in with his sword and claw-like gauntlet, straight for Link. Link sidestepped, finally drawing his sword and hitting his opponent with a Mortal Draw, knocking him back. The warrior buckled but recovered, flinging his sword at Link’s face, but he deflected the blow easily. Their swords clashed, sending a cheer up from the audience and the sidelines. The other members of the University’s team roared in support, but none of them could match you.

“Get him Link!” You shouted, wearing Link’s cozy varsity jacket. “Finish him!”

Avil shot Corbus a look from the bench. “Don’t think I’ve seen him this invested before.”

“Gee wonder why,” Corbus rolled his eyes with a laugh, careful to move your drink out of the way before you knocked it over when you leaped to your feet. “What do you think, Aryll?”

Aryll was side by side with you, as you both shouted, “SPIN ATTACK! SPIN ATTACK!”

It was impossible to know if Link actually heard you, but he quickly charged his opponent and struck him with a spin attack, knocking the other reeling back. He parried Link’s strikes, trying to gain room, before Link drove his sword home, knocking the opponent on his back. Link leaped up and thrust his sword down, tapping the tip against the opponent’s armor. A buzzer filled the arena.

“Byrne is down! The winner is Link from the University of Hyrule!” The crowd went wild as Link thrust his sword into the air. He sheathed it and then ran to the sidelines where you and your friends were. The team grabbed him in a hug, but Link’s eyes were on you. He slipped through his team members – who now shifted to whistles – as he made his way to your side. He gave you that cocky grin, eyes sparkling.

“Hey.”

“Hey,” you whispered back, leaning over the railing.

“I think you promised me something.”

“Did I?”

“If I remember our tutoring session last night, you mentioned knights fought for the favor of their royal sponsor.”

“Is that so?” You leaned farther. Aryll grabbed the back of the jacket to keep you from falling over. “Sounds like you’re getting me confused with some kind of princess.”

“Oh,” Link’s smile grew wider, “you are no princess.”

“Goddesses kill me,” Avil groaned. “This might be worse than before. Kiss him before he starts whining.”

“Which one?” Corbus asked.

“Either or,” Aryll snickered. “But probably my brother.” You guided Link’s lips to yours as the team cheered and whistled. Link lifted you down from the stands and into his arms.

A little more than a month had passed since the battle with Null. The brisk air of fall had given way to the chill of winter. It felt strange to return to studying after everything, but you and the others had mostly returned to a normal life. Most of your days had been spent helping Link get caught up on his studies in time for finals. After all that hard work, winter break had finally arrived with the holidays fast approaching.

“Excellently done,” Professor Horwell said, patting Link’s back. With Zant and Owlan erased from history, a different coach had magically taken his place. While he shared physical similarities with Owlan, his personality couldn’t be more different. “Good work on improving your accuracy; our targeting practice clearly helped. I think we need to tighten up your defenses on your left side, you were getting a bit sluggish near the end.”

“Don’t worry Coach, I’ll drill as much as you need, just gotta study with my tutor first.”

“With your tutor, eh?” Professor Horwell said with a wry grin. “Just make sure you’re actually studying, okay?” He then crossed his arms. “By the way, is your tutor the one training you on those new moves you’ve been pulling off?”

“Oh, no sir,” you said. “Though I suppose you could say it’s a part of our history studies.”

Professor Horwell shook his head. “It may not be conventional, but if it works, who am I to complain? Perhaps I should have you tutor the whole team?” It was clearly a joke, but Link pulled you closer all the same. You had to wonder if some of Zant’s curse on him lingered as you could have sworn you heard a growl.

“Well you better enjoy being on top for now, big bro,” Aryll said, leaning on the railing. “Because next year, I’m takin’ you down.”

“Next year?” Link asked.

“You got accepted?” You asked excitedly. “Congrats Aryll! That’s awesome!”

“Yeah, so I’m comin’ for your crown, Link!”

“Oh bring it on. You might be good with your fists, but you’re all thumbs when it comes to a sword.”

“What I lack in skill, I make up for in passion,” Aryll said simply.

Professor Horwell, who had been watching on with interest, now laughed. “Well I do love working with someone with passion. Consider yourself on my team when you come in next year.” Link’s jaw dropped as Aryll preened.

==============================

With the last tournament of the year complete, the team packed up their things, ready to head home for the holidays. You waited outside the locker room for Link, who was taking quite a while to get ready. Other team members had already finished up and were heading out the door, Avil being one of them.

It came as a surprise when a handsome man with long white hair stopped Avil to chat. He wore a strange pendant that seemed to change color in the light. You realized you had seen him before, during the attack on Castle City with that hulking Gerudo man. As you got closer you could overhear a bit of the conversation. “...we needed a change of scenery. We used to live in Gerudo Desert and sort of… ended up here by accident after taking a wrong turn.”

“Can see why you wanted to move,” Avil said with a laugh. “So, your partner… I haven’t met too many other Gerudo guys for… y’know, obvious reasons.”

The man smiled warmly. “It’s a bit complicated, but I can imagine navigating that must be difficult. You’re welcome to come speak with us any time. My husband may not be what you expect, but he admires anyone who carves their own path.” He then looked up and saw you, eyes flickering with the briefest glint of recognition.

“Sorry,” you said, “didn’t mean to eavesdrop.”

“No problem,” Avil said, pulling you over. “Sheik, this is my buddy, [Y/n], the one I was telling you about! [Y/n], Sheik and his partner are private investigators. I’ve been helping them set up their computers and records software as a side hustle, and they wanted to hire me to do some work with them part time.”

“I admit, my husband and I really don’t get modern technology. Avil’s been a lifesaver,” Sheik said. “You know… I heard from Avil that you’re quite handy with history. Having an expert on research would be really helpful as we get established here in Castle City.”

“Really?” You asked. “You’re offering me a job?”

“As my husband says, you need to know your weaknesses so you can build a strong force to cover them. Besides, you could say I find a bit of myself in you. From what Avil has told me, we’re both the brains behind our partners.” He couldn’t quite hide his laugh. He then produced a business card. “The offer is open to Link as well. If you’re ever bored, perhaps you could come and visit us. I think you and I have a lot to talk about.”

You accepted the card, just as confused as ever. “I’m not sure why you’d want guys like us if you’re some kind of private investigator.”

“Let’s just say, not all of Hyrule’s mysteries are solved. My husband feels he has a debt to repay to society, a large one at that, and it might be handy to have a warrior and a dragon around. Especially if that warrior and dragon killed a false god.”

Both you and Avil tensed. “...how do you know about that?”

“Those of us who are familiar with the hidden treasure in the Temple of Time were also spared from losing our memories of this altered reality.” Sheik absently touched his pendant. “Please think about it. Our door is always open if you want to talk. I hope you will; you could say I’ve always been fond of dragons.” He bowed his head slightly. “Happy holidays, I hope to see you again sometime.”

Before you or Avil could stop him, he turned and walked away, seeming to disappear in the crowd. “What the hell?” Avil muttered.

“You can say that again.”

==============================

After deciding to put that strange conversation off for later, you reunited with Link and walked with him across the snowy campus, the two of you bundled up – despite Navi’s heat keeping you more than warm enough. Your breath came in steamy puffs that almost wreathed around you, hinting at your other side as you held Link’s hand.

“Don’t forget Grandma and Uncle Raven still want to have dinner with you during the break. Actually, they want to have dinner with your dad too,” Link said as you mounted the steps to the Archives.

A shiver shot down your back. “Isn’t there another adventure we have to go on first? Another evil spirit to slay?”

“Ah ah, no,” Link laughed, pulling you into a headlock hug. “If I have to have dinner with your dad and Komadoh, you have to go see Uncle Raven again.”

“But you’re the courageous hero, I’m just a little sage…” You pouted.

“Babe, the hero is both of us, remember?” Link smirked, releasing you. “And you’re also a dragon bigger than Epona. You’re not getting out of this one.”

“Finnnne,” you sulked, Navi sulking along with you if your stomach ache was anything to go by.

The two of you walked through the Archives, where everything was where it should be. The Magic Mirror was never shattered and remained on its pedestal in one of the display rooms. Walking by, you could see a dragon staring back at you. Link’s tunic was back on the mannequin looking as it did before he used the Magic Powder from Venus. For a moment, the two of you lingered by the Tri Rod, mounted on the wall, this time in a protective glass case. “I don’t think that’s gonna stop anyone who wants to steal it,” Link muttered.

“Baby steps. Professor Komadoh and I have been pushing Dad to install more security. Better than nothing, and I don’t think it’ll work for just anyone.”

“It better not,” Link sighed, putting his arm around you as your father approached.

“There you are! How did the match go?”

“Victory, of course,” you said, though Link flushed a bit.

Your father laughed. “I suppose that tracks when it’s the hero himself. Still waiting for that explanation by the way,” he added with a raise of a bushy eyebrow.

“Trust me Dad, everything will make more sense at the party. Just meet us there and… well, we’ll tell you all about it.” You hadn’t explained everything to him just yet, but enough that he knew something big had happened.

“Yes… a party at a historic site that’s been locked to the public for ages. I’m curious how you managed to swing that…” He simply shook his head. “What time do you want to leave? I can pick you up.”

“Oh, about that… I’m going with Link.”

“I see,” your father said, appraising your boyfriend. He then smiled. “Well, then I’m sure my boy will be in good hands. No side trips and I expect him there at least twenty minutes early.”

Link nodded. “You can count on me, sir. I’ll protect him with my life.”

==============================

Hyrule Central Station was as busy as ever as you walked off the subway with Link in hand. Strolling through the endless hallways, you passed several screens with the latest entertainment news. One story of note was blasting through the speakers:

INDIGO’s new surprise EP has shot to the top of the charts. “Knight in Scales” is the hit of the season. B side track “Demon Slayer” also shows off a new darker sound that has fans swooning over this new style for the band. The EP also marks the band’s first official collaboration, pulling in the punk legend Zephyr. Both songs were written by Prince Ralon himself, citing a recent interest in history serving as his inspiration. INDIGO has already hinted a follow-up EP is to come, with the A Side titled “Holy Sword”. However, fans are focused on some of the more suggestive lyrics leaving everyone wondering one thing: Has Prince Ralon found a special someone?

You couldn’t help but laugh as Link rolled his eyes. “Leave the poor guy alone, he just wants to rest,” he snorted.

“Eh, he’ll get plenty of rest with everyone this weekend. Think we all need the break.” As you walked through the station, Link squeezed your hand. You looked up and he nodded towards the ticket machine where an elderly woman was trying to keep two girls in line while trying to figure out why the machine wasn’t giving her change.

You walked over and pressed a button on the machine for her. “Here you go, it’s a bit stubborn sometimes.”

“Ah thank you,” she said, looking up at you and stopping. She frowned as you smiled. “Do you… know me?”

“Yup, and I know you know me,” you said with a grin.

“How do you know Granny?” The twins asked.

“Long story, I’d be happy to tell you some time. A story of curses, a dragon, a knight… and two guys kissing like in your manga.”

The twins blushed as Maple turned on them. “Are you two reading inappropriate things again?” As she chastised the two, you snuck away back with Link and continued on your walk through the station – that is until you saw a convenience store.

“Oh hold on Link, let’s get some snacks!”

“Only if you’re getting more than jelly packs again,” Link chided, following you inside the station’s Malo Mart and snagging a basket.

“Promise, actually starving right now,” you said, making a beeline for the snack aisle. “Wonder if that has to do with Navi…”

“Hey, if Navi makes you eat, that’s a good thing.” Link tossed a bag of chips and a couple protein bars in the basket. “I’ll grab you a drink.”

“Thanks!” You looked over the delicious selection of fresh riceballs and sandwiches, grabbing your favorite. You scooted a little farther down to grab a jelly pack – habits are hard to break after all – when you bumped into someone. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

The man you bumped into was wearing a hoodie. He brushed it back slightly with a hand that had a black and amber ring. His eyes widened – as did yours considering you recognized him from the paintings you had grown up around in the Archives and the ones in Snowpeak Manor. He was a good bit older than you, but had a jawline that could cut glass and a build like a pro athlete. He slowly lowered his hood, revealing hair like wheat tied in a loose ponytail. “Not… a problem…”

It took a moment to find your voice. “Are… are you…? ...Grandpa?”

The man, or rather the Champion King, thawed, a soft smile growing on his face. “Might need to add a few more ‘Greats’ in there, kiddo, but… yeah. Didn’t think we’d run into you, but… heh. Goddesses love to play jokes on us. I’m glad I finally get to meet you.”

“But how?”

You heard a new voice as someone walked up the adjoining aisle. “Okay, you want the strawberry cake or the chocolate cake? Figure we deserve something to celebrate everything went alright.” Another man walked up, and you couldn’t help but gawk. He wore a pendant that seemed to change from sapphire to stone in the light, oddly like the pendant you saw Sheik wearing. More importantly, he looked scarily like you, just about ten years older. “Ugh, it’s killer to not intervene. Seriously, a rouge god...”

The Champion King winked at you. “I told you everything was gonna be fine. You were worried about nothing.”

The Dragon King sighed, waffling between the cakes and still not realizing you were standing on the other side of his husband. “I know, I know, but you weren’t the one literally seeing everything go wrong!”

“You can always pass that pendant off to your sister and let her deal with it.”

“Oh, hell no, I’d only worry more.”

“C’mon babe, we made sure they had everything ready just in case. We can’t keep doing it ourselves, otherwise we’ll get as burnt out as Time did. It’s time to pass the torch and I’d say the kids did a good job.” The Champion King took the strawberry cake from the Dragon King’s hand and then tapped his arm.

“I know, but still…” The Dragon King’s voice died in his throat as he looked up and locked eyes with you. For a split second, he flinched, but then laughed to himself. “Of course, guess it was bound to happen.” He nudged his partner. “He’s right, you clearly did a good job. Hyrule’s in good hands.”

“I-uh-thanks but, I-” you flustered, much to their amusement. “How are you here? Why are you here?”

“Gates of Time,” The Dragon King said. “As for why, just checking in to make sure you’re okay, and that everything is in one piece. Purah also needed to speak to us about some updated data, and Link wanted to take a small painting vacation.”

“It’s relaxing,” The Champion King added. “Also, you guys have waaay better snacks than we do in the past.”

“The Gates of Time...” you muttered. “So that’s how Sheik remembered.”

The Dragon King stopped cold. “I’m sorry, who?”

“And that’s our cue,” The Champion King said, grabbing his husband and dragging him to the register. “Things are bound to get weird if we stick around for too long, especially if others are here.”

“But wait, there’s so much I wanna ask!” Both you and the Dragon King shouted.

The Champion King laughed. “Guess that part gets handed down too. We’ll come and visit again soon, okay? Just promise to stay out of trouble.”

“He’s related to us,” The Dragon King said wryly. “Staying out of trouble’s impossible.”

Just then, Link came up behind you. “Hey, got you your… favorite…” Link gawked at the other two. “Okay I know I still need to study more but… the paintings... are they?”

“Yup.”

“Holy shit.”

“Take care of him, Link,” The Dragon King winked, as the two walked away, arm in arm.

It turned out the two had payed for your treats as well as their own. From there, you and Link made a quick walk to your train. As you settled into your seat, you handed Link a soda. Instead of opening yours the normal way, you pierced the can with a claw. “Getting a bit more comfortable with that, huh?” Link asked.

“A bit. Comes in handy, y’know. Especially if any more of those Echoes show up to hurt my boyfriend.” Link sucked down his soda, trying to hide his blush. Navi nearly purred inside you as the two of you cuddled together, and the train departed for Hebra.

==============================

One train ride and bus connection later, you found yourself wading through the snow to the front doors of the Manor. Since the two of you were alone, you shrugged off your jacket and released your wings. “Mmm, I think I’m still a bit cold…” Link muttered from under one toasty wing.

“You can snuggle me as much as you want tonight, party first. Everyone’s waiting.” A disappointed mutter came from under your wing. “Purah said she gave us adjoining rooms for tonight.”

Link pretended to sigh, but Navi’s dragon senses could easily hear his excited gasp. “Fine, but I’m holding you to it.”

The doors swung open and a blast of warm air pushed past you. You looked up to see familiar eyes glowing back down at you. “Hey grandpa!”

The Guardian nodded to you and Link. It’s about time you arrived. I was worried your train would be late. Come inside before you catch a cold.

“You’re looking great! Did Purah finish the tests?”

Despite not having a mouth, you could sense the smirk as he flexed an arm. Never better. I am operating at peak efficiency and I am ready to train Link without having to worry about reaction time. The Guardian turned to Link. Hope you’re planning on a lot of extra practice. It’s a long winter break, we’ll need to make sure you’re in top form for the next season. And, should another monster attack, you need to be able to take on any challenge to protect my grandson.

Link looked back with a challenge in his eyes. “Bring it on. I’ve got a lot of new ideas for moves.”

Inside, Snowpeak Manor was warm and inviting. The Manor had been completely fixed up, looking as grand as it did in its heyday. “Oh,” you added, “Grandpa, we… uh, met you earlier at the station?”

The Guardian played an amused series of chirps and beeps. Purah wondered if that might happen sometime. They stopped by so that Purah could correct some of my core data. I’m glad you got to meet the original me. I hope I’m a decent substitute.

The brief flash of color in his eyes didn’t go unnoticed. “You’re not a substitute, you’re awesome Grandpa.”

A burst of steam shot from his back as you and Link laughed. As you walked through the mansion, Link asked, “So, where are the others?”

Only Ralon and Professor Komadoh have arrived so far. They’re both in the Music Ro-

“[Y/n]! Link!” Ralon shouted, cutting off the Guardian. The Zora pop star pounced into your arms, knocking you and Link both over. “I’m so happy to see you!” He chirped, head-tail wagging. Much like the others, he had switched over to a cozy sweater that looked far too large for him. “It’s so boring without you guys nearby!”

“If it’s all the same with you all, I think I prefer not worrying about monsters, thank you.” Professor Komadoh said, stepping out from another room. She had a guitar slung over her shoulder.

“I didn’t know you played guitar,” Link said.

“You used to play for me when I was little, I haven’t seen you with a guitar for a long time though,” you said as the Guardian picked you, Link, and Ralon up at once and set you back upright. “Jam session with Ralon?”

“You could say that,” Professor Komadoh laughed as she led you into the Music Room. Everything had been set up with recording equipment and a mess of sheet music was spread across the floor.

“Professor Komadoh was a huge help in writing ‘Demon Slayer’,” Ralon said excitedly. “I can’t wait to do more songs like that! We’re working on a bunch of new ideas!”

“Wait, you’re Zephyr?!” You said.

Professor Komadoh laughed. “I used to be pretty big in the punk rock scene back in the day. Gave it up though to work in a museum. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my books and artifacts, but sometimes, you need to…” She strummed a power chord. “Cut loose.”

“So, what kind of song are you writing?” Link asked, reaching for one of the pages of sheet music. Ralon immediately started to splutter as Link read aloud, “I wanna be your courage; why can’t two be three? … Ralon…”

“It’s just a rough draft, you don’t need to worry about that,” Ralon blurted out as he tried to grab the sheet, but Link held him back. “Link, give it back! I’ll bite you!”

“Oh is he your favorite now?” You teased.

“Am I in danger from the big bad shark?” Link added. “Oh look, something about being kidnapped by a dragon...”

“I DIDN’T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!” Ralon whined.

As the two continued to fight, you caught some movement in the corner. A Blupee dashed out of the room. You followed as it hopped out a window. You stuck your head out to see the Great Fairy Queen Venus sitting astride a massive blossom filled with sacred water that steamed like a hot spring. Her usual dress was swapped for a luscious furry coat that, upon closer inspection, was made up of living rabbits and deer snuggled against her body. “I hope you’ll forgive me for not coming in,” she said sweetly, “but I did want to say hello before I take all these darlings with me to rest for the winter. And my, oh my, aren’t you adorable?”

“Venus, you remember?” You asked.

She shook her head. “No. It’s so sad I can’t remember the details, but when the Goddesses come whispering in my ear, I’ve learned to take what they say seriously.” She leaned in and tapped your forehead with her finger, sending a pleasant ripple of magic through you. “So, be safe, and promise to come and speak to me sometime, little one.”

As Venus departed, the rest of the guests arrived. You returned to the hall to find Purah and Corbus chatting. “Hey, we were thinking of doing a TriFighters tournament after dinner,” Corbus said. “You in?”

“Corbus is going to teach me how to play,” Purah said innocently. “I’ve always wanted to try one of these modern video games I keep hearing about…”

“Purah, don’t you have like over a thousand hours in TriFighters?” you asked.

Corbus turned on her in shock. “Dammit,” Purah muttered. “C’mon, I was trying to sandbag! Ugh! And right before I’m going to pass on.”

Your heart stopped. “Pass… on?”

“Well yeah, we’ve defeated the evil, so it’s time I move on right? Head on to the afterlife?”

“No, wait! Purah, don’t go!”

“I’ve done everything I set out to do. I helped to save this place again and I stuck around for long enough. I’m ready… I’m finally ready to let go…” Purah said, closing her eyes and spreading her arms, soft smile on her face.

Nothing happened. Suddenly she began to twitch as Corbus snickered. You frowned. “Okay guys…”

She opened an eye. “Just kidding! There’s a game coming out next week that I really wanna play. Besides, there’s so many new experiments to try and I could learn so much from someone who’s part dragon!”

“And do you think I’m gonna let her go when there’s so much I can learn about engineering from her?” Corbus asked, crossing his arms.

“Too soon,” you muttered. “I mean, yeah it’s been a month, but I don’t wanna even joke about people disappearing.”

“Right, that’s fair,” Purah sighed. “Still thinking about your cousin, huh?”

“I know she did horrible things and I’m not sure there was much of Zelda left to save… and I really don’t know how to feel about that.”

Purah nodded wistfully. “That sort of toxicity can eat you away, literally in this case. And to think, she had a happy life all around her.”

“I guess it still wasn’t enough for her,” you sighed. “Can’t help but wonder what it’d have been like if we could have stopped Null earlier.”

“You can’t do that. If I kept dwelling on everything I could’ve done before the Calamity or before Ganondorf, I’d be miserable. Don’t give up on the happy life you have worrying about saving someone who couldn’t see what they had,” she said. She then snapped her fingers. “For example, you’ve still got us. Grandpa Robo-Linky and your Auntie Purah. Which, by the way, we will hunt you down if you don’t visit.”

“He also has his father.” Your father walked up with a glass of wine in his hand. “Thank you for looking out for him.”

“Of course, keepin’ an eye on the royals who like getting into trouble is my specialty.”

“Not sure if I’d call it getting into trouble. To think… my son, saving all of Hyrule.” Your father beamed. “I couldn’t be prouder.”

“Well, it wasn’t just me, Dad,” you said with a blush.

“Of course! But my boy’s another hero just like in the legends.” He then leaned in conspiratorially. “You think the Tri Rod will still work for you?”

“Not sure, but kinda want to try…”

“Nope!” Corbus interrupted. “No, no, no! No experimenting with the ancient magic right after we got everything fixed!”

“Aww come on Corbus, don’t you wanna see what else it could do?” You said with a grin. “Think of all the ancient machines I could try to make...”

“I… well, it would be interesting…” Corbus slapped his face. “Wait, no. Absolutely not. At least give us a few months to take a break first.”

Professor Komadoh then called out, “Dinner’s ready!”

“Oh, I wanna sit with [Y/n] and Link!” Ralon called out.

Aryll snickered. “That’s no surprise…”

You stifled a laugh as you took your seat. You couldn’t help but smile as your friends, or rather your new larger family, all laughed and chatted around you. Link sat beside you, intertwining his fingers with yours under the table. Outside, the snow fell silently across the Hebra peaks. Hyrule was at peace once again.

Notes:

Zelda - Zelda went through several revisions and this is likely not the final. Originally was thinking of having her stick closer to a BotW/TotK appearance given the setting of the story, but I ended up going more with her GBA LttP appearance. She's wearing Link's jacket, which I'm sure will end up with Navi later. The smudge on her eye was unintentional thanks to a bad eraser but ended up being pretty fitting given Chapter 26.

Corbus - Corbus was fun to draw, though I really do think his design needs a little more. He's more of a casual guy, so his clothing is probably the simplest, though I wasn't sure how I wanted to design his T-Shirt. I'll probably come back to this drawing later.

Komadoh - Super fun to draw, even if getting the head right took a bit. Komadoh is based more on one of Kass' beta designs, though I added some elements of Tulin, given her ancestry.

==============================

Day 30 – Wild

==============================

Null’s writhing mass flailed, tentacles lashing everywhere. Their voice seemed to struggle to restabilize, instead releasing a terrible wail that shook the temple hall, almost to the point of shattering the windows. There was however a silver – or rather golden – lining as you saw something glittering on the floor. With Null transformed, you noticed they had dropped the Tri Rod.

Your eyes darted around, and you inched towards it. Link reached out to stop you, but soon saw your plan. The two of you started to move but Null snapped his clawed tentacles at you. “Get the Tri Rod!” you shouted to the others, diving for it, but Null snagged your foot. Corbus and Ralon made a move, only to get struck back and knocked into dark portals. The Tri Rod also got knocked away, rolling farther into the temple.

Aryll smashed the tentacle holding you before hoisting you over her shoulder. The tentacle reared back and snatched her. “Go, go, go!” She shouted, flinging you as hard as she could. She was dragged back into another portal. You landed hard and skidded across the marble floor, narrowly dodging another tentacle. Link caught it and slashed it off.

Professor Komadoh swung down her statue’s hammer directly towards Null. The statue was thrown back, knocking Purah’s drones and Professor Komadoh into another portal. You reached the Tri Rod, only to have it smacked away again. You ran once more, with the tentacles on your heels. “You better get it!” Avil shouted as he batted the tentacles away from you. “Link, let’s go, protect your boyfriend!”

The two swordsmen blocked the tentacles, only for both to be pulled into darkness as well, just as you reached the Tri Rod. The pulsing energy inside it was almost comforting. You cleared your mind… and suddenly realized you had no idea what to summon. Your mind raced as light streamed from the tip of the Tri Rod. All you could say was the same thing you asked the Goddesses before. “Help! Please!”

It wasn’t enough. Null knocked you across the room and sent the rod clattering away from you. You scrambled on the marble floor to grab it, but his claws emerged and drug it back into the shadows. The anti-god’s voice burbled, slowly stabilizing into something coherent. “You want it, go find it!” Another claw emerged, pulling you into another dark space.

At first you expected to find monsters, but instead you were alone. You closed your eyes, taking a deep breath to steady yourself. When you opened it, you found yourself standing once more in the Temple of Time, though instead of the golden light of the Goddesses, it was silver moonlight. Luckily, you weren’t alone. “Link!”

Your boyfriend turned, breaking out in a wide smile as he ran towards you, arms spread. “Oh man, I thought you were gone for good this time,” he said, pulling you in tight. You squeezed back, but something felt off. The color of his restored tunic seemed a bit faded. In addition, he smelled sickeningly sweet like rotting fruit. You tried to gently break the embrace, but he only held you tighter, his nails digging into your back.

“Link… let me go.”

“Why would I do that? You’re finally mine after all…” The false Link smiled down at you too wide as his eyes flashed, turning the same purple and orange of Null.

Suddenly, their arm went limp and you broke away. “Stay away from my boyfriend!” The real Link shouted. You quickly jumped back to get some room. “Oh come on,” Link groaned as he stared at his doppelganger. The Echo Link looked like a page through a bad printer, with all of his color washed out, the only real color being his demonic eyes. “You fell for that?”

“I was worried, okay?” You protested.

Link laughed and flashed you a cocky grin that reminded you of when you started your journey. “C’mon [Y/n], there’s only one Link around here good enough to be your man.” Link swung the Master Sword, sending a beam of light towards the fake. The Echo dodged, only to be bashed in the face with Link’s shield as he knocked him back and slashed at him with the Master Sword. The Echo parried as best he could but Link’s strikes were lightning-quick. With one final strike, the Echo dissipated.

You ran to Link’s side, just as the Temple of Time faded around you, replaced by a copy of the Great Zora Cistern. You and Link barely had time to get your bearings before a blast of magic whizzed by you. “Round three, prince!” Another Echo of Veran called.

You dodged behind cover with Link, transforming into Navi again. “And it’s gonna end the same way with you crushed between my jaws!”

“Or another way,” came a voice. A beam of light blasted Veran in the face, and suddenly the Echo was destroyed. Purah strolled up with her improved drone recharging. “So that is the bitch who cursed you?”

“Yeah,” you said, “Though she didn’t go down so easy before. I think Null’s getting desperate.”

“No kidding,” Link agreed. “Throwing everything they can at us, by the looks of it.”

Purah nodded, pulling up a holographic screen with the wavelengths. One was getting more erratic with each passing minute. “Let’s keep them busy. Between the Echoes and trying to destroy Hyrule, they’re starting to destabilize. Even gods get tired by the looks of it.”

The Great Zora Cistern was starting to destabilize as well, and Purah started to disappear. “Purah!”

“Don’t worry about me, find the others and keep Null busy!”

Purah’s voice faded as the Cistern was replaced by Link’s farm. Instinctively, Link raised his Mirror Shield in front of the two of you. A spell bounced off and back to the sender, flattening Yuga into a painting. The sorcerer snorted and reemerged. “You two are aggravating as ever.”

“Back at you,” you snorted before shooting a jet of fire at him.

“Bet you’re so much of a coward you didn’t bring Aryll here either,” Link said.

Professor Komadoh landed beside you and Link. “No, just little ol’ me.” She swung her Dominion Rod towards the truck parked in the driveway. As Yuga drifted closer, she floored it, sending the truck roaring towards the wizard and smashing him through the side of the barn. His body ragdolled into an empty stable. “Link if you would?”

“Don’t need to ask.” Link whipped out a bomb arrow and blasted the wizard, sending his Echo back to the ether.

“Never liked clowns,” Professor Komadoh muttered. The world began to melt and fade again, her along with it. “Keep going you two! Give ‘em hell!”

The illusory world shifted again, this time to the familiar catwalks of the abandoned factory. You shifted back quickly. Upon seeing Link’s inquisitive look, you said, “Black scales and lava heat… not a fun combo.”

“Gotcha,” Link replied as he drew his sword. “Think I can guess who we’re meeting here.” Both of you turned as you heard the clatter of running footsteps on the metal catwalks, ready to fight. Instead, you were pleasantly surprised to see Avil.

“You two are a sight for sore eyes. Been boiling in here the whole time. Where’s everyone else?” A deep laugh echoed through the room, followed by approaching hoofbeats.

“Need to put a pin in that for now,” you said.

Phantom Ganon appeared from the darkness. As his horse cantered around you, he laughed again, the flames on his skull growing larger as his body merged into his horse, becoming the Lynel hybrid once more. “Oh, this is… weird,” Avil muttered, drawing his swords.

Link snorted. “Join the club. Want help in kicking your ass?”

“Only if you can keep up, pretty boy. Just remember to keep your boyfriend safe this time.” Avil sidestepped Ganon-lynel as he charged, only to strike his flank with both swords.

Link wasted no time in firing a bomb arrow at the beast, but his next move almost stopped your heart. He jumped onto the railing and off, landing on the monster’s back. He squeezed tight with his legs as Ganon-lynel tried to buck him off, striking him with the Master Sword. The two grappled over the drop into the lava pits, slowly moving back towards the catwalk.

“Now Link!” Avil shouted. Link leaped off his back as Avil jammed his swords into the beast’s belly. Link took aim and fired a bomb arrow midair, sending the Echo falling to the lava below. Link landed back on the catwalk with a thump. “Now that’s some fancy riding,” Avil laughed. He elbowed you and rolled his hips with a wink.

“Stooooop,” you moaned. “I don’t need you also encouraging him to do stupid stunts!”

Link meanwhile was all smiles. “Is it wrong if I wanna show off for my boyfriend?”

“It is when you’re exhausted and it’s that dangerous!” You managed to squeak out. Both Avil and Link just grinned. “Fine, okay. Yes, it was hot.”

Avil just laughed and shook his head as the illusion changed again, fading away as the Breach of Demise now appeared. The cold wind and rattling of a train car made it very clear where you were. “’Bout time you showed up!” Aryll shouted over chattering teeth. “Of course I end up where it’s freezing!” You transformed, taking her under your wing to warm up.

Malladus charged alongside your runaway train car. “Gonna be harder to stop him when we don’t have Corbus’ ice,” Link said.

“We might not need it,” you replied. “Link, hammer the piston and connecting rods with your bomb arrows. After that, a good smash should derail him.” Link wasted no time, and began to fire a barrage at the locomotive.

“So a good smash, huh? I think I can deliver what you’ve got in mind. Ready?” Aryll asked.

“Surprised you have to ask,” you laughed, spreading your wings and taking flight. “But this time, I think let’s switch it up.”

“Oh hell yeah! Do it!” You flew around to the front of the train as the piston exploded and the connecting rods snapped away. You took aim and swung Aryll around and launched her towards the charging demon train. “WOOOOHOOOO!” Aryll smashed into the side of the train, fist first, sending Malladus toppling to the side and careening into the side of the canyon wall. You dashed in to catch her midair, returning her to Link.

“The two of you are gonna kill me, I swear,” Link sighed.

“Not so funny when it’s the other way around, huh?” You said.

“Aww c’mon, you love us!” Aryll grinned, grabbing him in a headlock. “And that goes double for [Y/n]. I’m sure he’d throw you around if you ask.”

The illusion faded and this time you were happily on stable ground back at the University, in the training field. Suddenly, Link shoved you aside and rose his sword just in time to block Zant from striking at your neck. “Miss me?” Zant sneered.

“Just die already!” Link shouted, going on the offensive and driving Zant back. You gathered yourself and snarled, ready to strike when several more copies of Zant appeared, though you noticed their robes seemed simplified.

“Ah, ah, ah,” they chanted in unison. “Don’t get involved or else your popstar prince is going to have a hard time singing.” Across the field, Ralon was pinned to a wall, with another Zant holding a sword dangerously close to his throat. Worse still, you realized that Zant wore the proper robes, likely the real one.

You grit your teeth, trying to figure out what to do. Link struck down one of the fake Zant’s only to get swarmed by three more. Your eyes flicked between him and Ralon as you wracked your brain for a way to help both. Lucky for you, Ralon had his own plan as you saw him open his mouth wide. Was he going to sing to distract them?”

“YEOWTCH! LET GOOOO!!” The real Zant screamed, as Ralon bit down onto his arm. The arm fell limp, broken, as Ralon ran from him back towards you and Link.

“I thought he was the scared one?” One of the clones muttered. “He should’ve been easy to capture!”

Ralon giggled. “Oh no, you messed up big time. If you took me out before I met [Y/n] and Link, then you would’ve had me. But now, you’re threatening my friends and family. Time for you to learn this shark’s got teeth!” Ralon flashed Zant a smile worthy of his ancestor. You shot into the air to snatch him out of their way and flipped him up onto your back as you shot to Link’s side, with Ralon firing his crossbow at the other clones.

Link’s blade became a dancing flash of light as he mowed down the clones before reaching the original with a smug grin. “Sorry coach, think I’ve outgrown you.” Link slashed the Master Sword across the Echo, dispatching him with ease. Link’s smug look faded and he let out a tense breath.

“You okay?” you asked.

“Yeah, leaving all that behind. Don’t need him to be the best.”

You smiled. “Maybe after this is over, you could train with Gran-” Your smile faded. “Oh right.”

Ralon suddenly took your hand and Link’s, filling you both with his healing magic. “Don’t think about that right now. You two have a job to do, okay?” The magic faded as Ralon did too. “I’m rooting for you, my heroes!”

For a final time, the illusion shifted. Finally, you were back in the ballroom, and thankfully you appeared beside Corbus. “There you guys are! I was worried I’d have to face him alone!”

“Him?” You asked, though you already knew the answer.

“I told you, I have no interest in you alone, Sage of Wisdom,” the rumbling voice of the King of Evil said. Ganondorf turned to face you from the balcony, walking down the stairs, cape flowing behind him. A chill shot down your spine as you saw in his hands, instead of his usual sword, was the Tri Rod. “The reluctant Prince and his knight-errant are who I’ve been waiting for.”

“What did you call me?” Link growled.

You held up your hand to hold him off, watching Ganondorf closely. Ganondorf merely laughed at Link’s frustration. “Had we more time, I’d wish your Prince would make you to read a book or two. I typically prefer to match wits as well as blades, and there’s no fun in fighting an unarmed opponent. As for you, Prince…” Ganondorf leered at you, but with some interest, as if studying your face. Finally, he swung the Tri Rod forward, only to floor you with two words. “Take it.”

“What?”

“Take the Tri Rod and destroy Null. I am no one’s pawn, even if I am merely a memory. If I can’t have the Triforce and crush what remains of the royal family, then no one can. So, [Y/n] or Navi or whatever name it is you choose... take the Tri Rod and destroy him with the full force of your lineage. Do something worthy of the mantle you carry.” He shoved the Tri Rod at you and then looked down at Link. “Keep an eye on him.”

With that, Ganondorf’s form faded away like the others. The last illusion faded and you returned to the Temple of Time where Null was more than a little aggravated. The abominable form seemed less stable than ever, pieces dripping off and melting like ice cream in a Gerudo Desert summer.

“How… how can you be so resilient? You’ve lost! Give up!”

“Really? Is that why you’re so desperate in your attacks?” You shot back. “You call yourself a god but you’re nothing more than a kid throwing a tantrum!”

Null charged at you, only to slam into Link’s shield. Link struck with rapid strikes, slicing away tentacles. Yet, no matter how quickly he sliced them away, they would grow back again. “[Y/n], hurry and use it!”

You grasped the Tri Rod, but one of the tentacles made it past Link. In a desperate move, Null screeched and smacked you in the side hard. You slammed against one of the suits of armor lining the walls, your back cracking as it bent in a direction it shouldn’t. Null reared the tentacle back again, but it was stopped by a beam of light. You looked back to see Corbus raising his hand. “You didn’t forget about us, did you?” One by one, the other sages emerged from the portals, once again tethering Null.

“You’ll never be able to stop me!” Null screeched. “You can’t even use your own Light Force to destroy me, just give up and give it to me!”

You gripped the Tri Rod harder, wracking your brain. Ganondorf’s words echoed in your head. Destroy him with the full force of your lineage.

“I might not be able too,” you groaned, fighting to sit up. Then, you shifted your arm, holding the Tri Rod high with a smirk. “But I know who can. Link, now!”

Link fired the final Silver Arrow straight into Null’s core, piercing the outer layers of their writhing form. A small pulsing core, a shriveled heart was exposed. “NOOO!” Null cried as you rolled back and held the Tri Rod tight in your hands. Golden light filled the rod. You felt a presence appear beside you, and then another, and another. You opened your eyes to see your ancestors standing beside you.

“I knew you’d figure it out,” Zelda the Luminary said. “Against all odds, I knew you’d make it. You may not be able to call on the light now, but neither could I when I first tried. Some of us were never able to and we found our own ways to fight instead.” She placed her hand on yours. “You don’t have to fight alone.”

“So this is the one who’s been dragging our name through the mud,” Twilight said, drawing her sword.

Tetra spun her pistol, “So what are we waiting for? Another hero?”

“Everyone, now!” Zelda the Luminary shouted. The Zeldas lifted their hands, each glowing with the power of the Goddess Hylia.

You joined them in raising the Tri Rod. “Null… I condemn you to oblivion!” Blasts of light filled the room, shredding the entity before you and rendering it to atoms. The entire Temple of Time filled with divine light, consuming you as well.

==============================

You found yourself standing above the clouds, surrounded by your ancestors. “Wh-what? Where are we? I thought we did it?”

“You most certainly did,” Sonia said, gently brushing your hair back. “We just wanted one final moment to say goodbye.”

“It’s time to send you home,” Sheik said. “Though it might be more appropriate to say we’re sending you back.”

“Back?”

Zelda the Luminary laughed. “Brother finally did confide the location of the Gates of Time to me in order to properly get rid of Null.”

“Shh,” Sky said. “They’re coming.” Little creatures that looked like bubbles of light appeared around you with little cries and coos and giggles. They then streamed down to the land below, slowly repairing the damage and sewing the world back together. “There we are, things will be back to normal soon.”

“Just like that? Everything is back to normal?” You asked.

“Perhaps not normal,” Sheik said. “The flow of time has been forever altered due to your actions.”

“We leave Hyrule in your hands, even if you aren’t ruling it,” Tetra said. “Honestly, that’s preferable option to me.”

“She’s right,” Twilight said. “What happens now is up to you. With Null gone, you’re free to live how you want.”

“And if you find trouble again,” Sonia added, “know we will be there for you.”

Zelda the Luminary pulled you into a hug. “Good luck, my successor. Live a full and happy life, free from our past.” You tried to respond, but your voice was swallowed by the roar of a dragon as the light swallowed you once more. As the light grew blinding, you could hear the ticking of a clock and the deep bong of the Temple of Time’s bells. The ringing grew louder and louder and louder, until suddenly everything fell silent.

You felt a gentle breeze on your face. You cracked an eye open, and your jaw fell open.

Link stirred beside you, speaking first. “What the hell…”

“You could say that again,” you muttered. Everything was back to normal, almost unnervingly so. It was a beautiful sunny day. The skyscrapers of Castle City glittered in the afternoon light. The University of Hyrule looked to be completely in one piece. Not a single sign of Null’s magic could be found. You turned to your friends, but they were just as confused as Link.

Then there was a growl.

You jumped, deploying your claws. Your friends immediately drew their weapons too… except for Link who had turned a bright shade of red. “...Link?”

“Sorry,” he laughed awkwardly, “but… anyone else starving?”

Your own stomach rumbled too. After everything that had happened, it only hit you now how tired and hungry you were. “Food sounds great,” you sighed.

==============================

A fast food joint was probably the last place you expected to go after a battle like that, but given the exhaustion, you weren’t feeling picky. You sunk into the booth with your friends as you all watched the world pass by outside in shock. The news played on a TV mounted to the wall. A grill sizzled in the background. Everything seemed just as it always was.

“Did we travel back in time?” Link finally asked.

“I’m not sure,” Professor Komadoh said, “but it seems that whatever has happened has purged Null’s influence. For example… that.” She motioned to the news broadcast which showed Prime Minister Makeela was alive and speaking to the news about new economic policy.

“After the fight, my ancestors spoke to me,” you added. “They said it would return things but not necessarily to normal. They said that the Gates of Time were necessary to get rid of Null in the end, and that it might have effects.”

“Hylia damn it, asshole hid it in plain sight,” Purah muttered. She looked up from her data to a group of confused faces. Suddenly you remembered the massive gears high in the Temple’s rafters. “The entrance to the Sacred Realm and the Gates of Time were hidden in the Temple of Time’s inner sanctum. Defeating Null must have sent ripples out across time, erasing his influence… except for with us since we were inside the temple at the time.”

“This is… very weird,” Ralon murmured, looking at fan forums about the concert in Zora’s Domain on his phone. “It’s like we still had the concert but things went differently. Some guy named Groose threw himself on the stage and tried to profess his love for me?” You shared a wince with Link, Avil, and Corbus.

“So that’s it then? We save everyone, kill a god, and no one knows?” Avil asked.

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Professor Komadoh said. “If that means Hyrule is at peace and the damage done has been reversed, then I, for one, can’t complain…. Well, I can’t complain about the time, but I’ll still complain about these bruises…” There were a few groans of agreement.

“Hey, hold on a sec,” Aryll said. “If Null’s influence was erased… what does that mean for our friends?”

Just then, your phone rang. Seeing the number, your heart skipped a beat. You quickly answered. “D-Dad?”

“Hey, where have you been? I thought you were coming by to pick up those books and introduce me to your boyfriend!”

You blinked. “Uh… dad, you’ve met Link, remember?”

“Well not properly, come on now son. I certainly approve of him, but there’s still a right way to do things. Just maybe do it after I figure out where some of the missing things from the Archives went… you didn’t see me misplace the Tri Rod, did you?”

“N-no.” You looked at the others, mind racing. “Hey dad… what’s my cousin’s name?”

“Cousin?” He paused. “Is that some kind of trick question? You don’t have a cousin, you know your Auntie Styla didn’t have any kids.”

“...gotcha. Thanks dad. I’ll…” you swallowed hard. “I’ll be by to pick up the books this evening, uh, something came up, and I’m helping Professor Komadoh with something.” You said your goodbyes and hung up, staring at the table. “Zelda… never existed. So that’s what they meant that things wouldn’t be normal… what else changed?”

You then felt a warm hand take yours, rubbing your knuckles gently. You looked up into Link’s eyes. “Hey, we saved everyone. It might not be the same place we knew, but anything’s gotta be better than what Zelda and Null almost got away with.”

“But…”

“Even if things are different, we’ve all got each other, right?” Link said, motioning to the other Sages. “Because of all of us, Hyrule’s got a bright future. So… after we eat… wanna go see it with me?”

You dipped your head against his with a soft smile despite your exhaustion. “Of course.”

==============================

A/n: If you’re unfamiliar with the term “knight-errant”, it’s the technical term for the trope of a knight character who wanders the land and proves his chivalry through completing quests and in some cases, in search of romance (traditionally “courtly love”). As for Ganondorf using that for Link… interpret as you’d like.

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Day 29 – Link and Epona

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Null gave you no chance to prepare, flinging bolts of dark magic across the room. You dodged, knowing this time those bolts were going to do worse than transform you into a dragon. Link raised his Mirror Shield, bouncing some of the magic back. “Okay, any idea how you beat them?” He shouted to you.

“History’s a bit shaky with that!” You replied, sidestepping another bolt of magic.

Null laughed. “Do you think I’d allow people to remember me? I have no need for pride or fear when I’m pursuing greater things. Who do you think I am, Ganondorf?” Null then snapped their fingers. “Ah yes… that reminds me. It was smart to try and separate him from the battle, but no more of that.”

A portal opened before you. Null spread their arms with a laugh, falling in. You ran and dove in after them, Link hot on your heels. You dropped down, landing in an isolated fighting coliseum, seemingly untouched for years. You and Link tumbled on the ground, barreling through a familiar hologram. “Ugh,” Purah said, her image flickering with a shiver. “That felt gross… oh, boys!” She turned, taking notice of Null. “Oh…ew. Well, this is why I usually prefer to stay away from the final battles.”

The Guardian meanwhile clashed against Ganondorf, with the King of Evil looking less confident than he did with you. The Guardian almost preened as Ganondorf stumbled. At least, the real one was a challenge. Truly, you are the inferior copy.

“Funny,” Ganondorf snorted, striking back hard enough to make the Guardian’s kneels buckle. “I was about to say the same to you.”

As their fight continued, Link charged Null, striking at the being’s weakened shield. You found your way around the collateral wreckage to find a weak point with Purah. “What are we dealing with?” She asked, calibrating her drones as they fired small bolts at Ganondorf.

“Ancient god long thought destroyed that has a vendetta against the Goddesses,” you replied. “Where are we?”

“Under the castle,” Purah said. “Several of the ancient catacombs were kept sealed after the Upheaval and the defeat of Ganondorf. This is one of them. Worst case scenario, we keep his damage contained and the ruins of the Castle – or well, the University – fall on top of us.”

“…oh. Not sure if that’s going to be enough to kill Null.” You then saw Link get knocked into the air by Null’s magic. Without thinking, you took flight and caught him.

“Thanks,” he coughed, holding onto you almost as tightly as you were onto him. “Nothing’s working and I’m not sure if we should use the Silver Arrows yet… Ideas?”

“Getting the Tri Rod away from Null for a start,” you said, landing beside Purah. “Null can still create Echoes without it, but not with the same finesse or details. Maybe we can dispel any other Echoes.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Purah agreed. “I’ll send my drones to… what are they doing?”

Your head snapped towards Null as he lassoed Ganondorf with a tether of red light, pulling the King of Evil away from his fight. “That body… far better. I think I’ll take it.”

Ganondorf growled and swiped his sword at Null. Null slipped to the side, as dark tentacles oozed from the floor, pulling him closer towards them. “Let me go, you-” His voice was drowned out as Null’s, and Zelda’s, form melted and mixed with his. The amorphous blob twisted and writhed, slowly reshaping and forming.

An androgynous figure appeared before you with Zelda’s and Ganondorf’s features melded together. Long hair descended to their waist, red and blonde. Their face was still cracked, seeping darkness with glowing eyes. “This will do,” Null said in a distorted voice, synthesizing both tones. Their magic shield repaired itself. “But perhaps I should add another. Three always does seem to be the preferred order of things. I’ll just have to absorb you as well, [Y/n], and take that delicious Light Force.” Null thrust a hand forward, sending waves of writhing tentacles of darkness towards you. A disgusting miasma, much like the goop you saw in Castle City rose from the ground, but this seemed to sear the very air around you. You weren’t sure if it was a trick of the light, but you swore you could see fear in the Guardian’s eyes.

Suddenly, the magic was batted back by a beam of light. “Darling, I think it’s time to cut off toxic family members.” Venus appeared before you, magic twisting between her fingertips. “Thank goodness my Blupees got me.”

“Teleportation magic doesn’t hurt either,” Koume added with a pout.

Kotake giggled. “Not hard to find you with all that bad energy coming out of them.”

“Less talking girls,” Maple scolded, firing her magic towards Null.

With Link out of the way, you dodged through the blitz of magic to fly the Guardian to safety. Transforming between yourself and Navi was only getting easier, as you snatched your robotic ancestor up with your claws and dove back to Purah. Link was already tired from the marathon of battles, and the Guardian was definitely in need of some maintenance. “You two need to recover,” you said. “Stay here, we’ll keep you safe while you get some rest.”

“Not while you’re in danger!” Link and the Guardian snapped back in unison – much to the other’s surprise.

“Neither of you are going to be much use if you’re dead,” you growled back, louder than both combined with your dragon voice.

You don’t understand. The Guardian said. That darkness he summoned, that’s Gloom. A toxin so deadly it can kill in seconds, and its effects can linger for a lifetime. You need to stay away from it!

“Then you understand how important it is that I don’t lose either of you to it!” You glowered at both of them.

The Guardian looked away. Just as stubborn as him...

“If you’re done arguing, I’d appreciate some help!” Maple shouted back. You quickly flipped around and spat flames towards Null. Yet, neither your fire nor Purah’s drones nor the barrage of magic was enough to get through their revitalized shield. Suddenly, you felt someone beside you. In the flash of an eye, an arrow whizzed through the air, piercing the shield. The Silver Arrow lodged itself deep in Null’s chest.

“Link?!”

“I’m not resting until you do,” he said, huffing as he lowered his bow. Four Silver Arrows remained in his quiver.

Null hissed in pain as their skin bubbled, seeming to melt just enough for the arrow to fall out of their body. Their chest reformed, covering any sign of the wound, but their expression made it clear they were still feeling it. “Fine… if you’re done with playtime, then so am I. I was growing bored anyway.” Null thrust their arms upward. “Now, to consume Hyrule!”

Wave after wave of the corrosive magic rose around them, laced with bursts of dark magic. Instinctively, you wrapped a wing around Link. The air seemed to burn with the destructive power. “Stay close to me!” Venus shouted, casting a powerful spell that made your scales tingle. You brought the others in close, huddling under the Great Fairy Queen as the bubble of light rose over all of you. You pinned your wings down as the darkness washed over the bubble. The light grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding.

The world slowly came back into focus. Everything was silent, and there was no sign of Null. “A-are we dead?” Kotake asked quietly, from somewhere on your right side.

“My heart’s racing, so that’s a good sign we’re not,” Link whispered back.

You blinked, and you were thankfully in one piece. Everyone slowly broke away, seemingly none the worse for wear. “Oh, thank you Venus. It looks like we’re safe.”

There was no response.

“Venus?” You asked again, looking up. “Oh Hylia no…” Above you, Venus was frozen in place. Her entire body had turned a pale blue, fear locked on her face, despite her arms remaining up to protect you.

Link pulled you in close. “Hey, we can save her, right? Defeating Null will reverse it… right?”

Maple pursed her lips. “I… I believe so.” The uncertainty was like a knife in your chest. “The most important thing is that she gave everything to protect us. We can’t waste that chance.”

“Yes but…” Purah said. “If that’s what Null’s magic did to her, what did it do to Hyrule?” Everyone looked to each other silently. Purah pulled up a holographic screen and tapped it. Nothing happened. She frowned. “The teleportation network is offline.”

“Just a bad signal?” You asked hopefully.

“Considering it lasted over eleven thousand years and multiple Ganon attacks including the literal burning of entire kingdom without so much as a hiccup?” Purah sighed. “It’s not great.”

“Then it’s our turn!” The twins said. “We’ll use our magic to teleport you up to the surface.” They placed their hands together, whispering words of power as a blue light formed the symbol of a large bird at your feet. Suddenly, the light burst, shooting skyward. You didn’t hesitate. You stepped into the light and felt your body go weightless, as you floated upward before disappearing.

==============================

You emerged back in the Archives, near what used to be the Dining Hall. Link appeared by your side, followed by Purah and the Guardian. Link set his jaw and walked towards the window. You hesitated, then followed him. The only sound was your footsteps, tapping against the stone. What awaited you was horrifying.

Where the sprawling metropolis of Castle City should have been was a twisted reality, most of it erased and replaced with the same empty void. People from across Hyrule were frozen in place, turned into pale statues just like Venus. That included your father, who stood on the balcony. Chunks of the country floated around you, along with tons of debris, almost making it’s own asteroid belt in orbit around the remains of the University. With a terrible groan, a distant chunk of what used to be the Lookout Quarter broke away.

“And here I expected it would take you a little longer to climb out of that pit.” Everyone spun to the door where Null stood waiting. Their body seemed to only be growing stronger. “All of Hyrule now in my grasp. It won’t take long to destroy the rest. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. I’ll take that Light Force now.” With a wave of the Tri Rod, a red tether of light latched onto you. It was like being stabbed in the chest, and you couldn’t help but cry out as you tried to fight. It pulled harder until it felt like it was going to crack your ribs from the inside. Then, suddenly, there was a flash of light. Link severed the connection with the Master Sword… but the tether returned to Null with a small glowing ball.

You fell to your knees, suddenly exhausted. “Hmm, not all of it,” Null muttered, “but perhaps enough to break in. Now where…” Their eyes fell on the Great Plateau in the distance, one of the few pieces of Hyrule that seemed mostly untouched by the destruction. “Ah… the Temple of Time, of course.” Null took a step to leave, only to see Link and the Guardian approach. “Ah yes, the heroes. Do you know what your problem is? You can’t resist saving someone, especially one you love.” Null whipped the Tri Rod around, as a menacing darkness swirled at their feet. They blasted Link with a bolt of dark energy, knocking him off his feet and skidding across the room to you. Then, before the Guardian could strike, more of the terrible Gloom appeared. It moved on its own as if alive, writhing as Null swung the rod towards you.

LOOK OUT!

The Guardian leaped in front of you and Link, taking full force of the corrupted blast. Dark flames engulfed him. “Grandpa!” You shouted, stumbling to your feet. Null disappeared with a demented laugh as you tried to make your way to the Guardian’s side.

STAY BACK! He growled back. Purah, eject core!

Purah shouted, “Admin override, password Wildberry Crepe!”

The Guardian’s eyes turned red, and something tried to shoot out of his back, but the corruption caught it. System lockdown initiated. 10%… 20%… 30%… 37%… Error.

“Oh, that’s not good,” Purah muttered.

“What do you mean that’s not good?” You said. “Purah?!”

Suddenly, six dark twisted arms burst out of the Guardian’s back, pushing the robotic body off the ground. The rest of his limbs dangled limply. His head snapped around, targeting reticle locked on your chest. Target acquired.

“Move!” Link shouted.

You dodged just in time, scrambling behind cover. The beams kept firing as the monster now scrambled across the ground, moving far faster after you than you expected. “Purah?!” You shouted again, running as fast as you could.

Purah’s drones flitted around, doing their best to keep up. Her image flickered. “Don’t stop running! He was trying to shut down the weapons before that corruption took over.”

“So, he’s still got them?!”

“Eh well… 63% of them. Looks like the cannon is still one.” Suddenly, the Corrupted Guardian’s hand transformed into a bow, firing arrow after arrow while the cannon recharged. “Hmm that too.”

“Can you shut it off? What do we do?!”

“Give me a moment, working on it!”

You slipped behind a stone column just in time. “What about Grandpa… is he?”

“He’ll be okay. I was hoping to eject his core with his source code but…” Purah said, voice trailing off. “He’ll be okay. He always is. Focus on staying alive.”

“R-right,” you replied, trying not to think about how now Venus and your robotic ancestor were gone. You scrambled around another pillar and slid under a collapsed arch. The spaces were too tight for you to transform back into Navi as you ran through the ruins of the Archives. You bolted around a corner, finally seeing a window. You ran as fast you could, ready to burst through and transform mid-air if you had to. Yet, just before you could jump through, the Corrupted Guardian scrambled towards you. You skidded on the ground, falling backwards, as the monster crept closer. The reticle flashed on your chest as it reached with it’s terrible hands towards you. One hand wrapped around your ankle, burning it as if it was made of acid.

Suddenly, you were caught off guard by a roar. The Corrupted Guardian was knocked aside as a motorcycle roared over it’s arms. You couldn’t help but smile as you recognized the rider and the cycle. Epona II drifted and slid by you, slowing just enough as Link grabbed your arm and pulled you on. He gunned the engine and bolted off. You held on tight to his waist. “Thanks,” you managed, just before Link drifted around a tight corner.

“You didn’t think I’d leave you alone, did you?” Link replied. “Your turn to hang on!” He revved the engine again, bursting out of a window and landing in the courtyard. The wheels spun before catching and launching you forward. Link drove down the road towards the city, as the Corrupted Guardian scrambled to chase you. Bit by bit, it gained on you.

Just as it was inches from grabbing you, you saw a glint of something on the former castle guardhouse. As you shot under the gates the portcullis dropped, pinning the Corrupted Guardian. Link tilted Epona II just enough as an arrow whizzed past you, striking the Corrupted Guardian in the pulsing core. Link drifted the cycle to a stop as the Corrupted Guardian fell, writhing on the ground. It was then you noticed it was a Silver Arrow. Link drew his Master Sword and plunged it down into the Guardian. “I’m sorry,” he said. As the hands dissipated and Gloom receded, the robotic body fell lifeless.

Purah’s drones caught up to you just as Link pulled you into his arms. “I’m sorry,” he said again. Words failed you at the moment, and all you could do was nod as you held onto him.

“It’s all going to be okay,” Purah said softly. “I’m sorry to rush you, but…”

“No, I… I know, Null now, grieve later,” you took a deep breath. You took one last look at the Guardian and the oddly shortened broken arrow in his chest.

Purah seemed to read your mind. “Had to resize it for a crossbow. Not the best fix but it worked. Plus had some help.”

Ralon clambered down from their hidden perch. “Are you okay, [Y/n]?”

“I’ll be okay, but how did you get here?”

“It was when Null spread the void to all of Hyrule,” Link explained. “We were pulled back in, and they were able to get to us. Ran into Ralon and the others when I found Epona II.”

“Where are the others?”

“Already on the way to the Temple of Time,” Ralon said. “Can you get us there on your motorcycle, Link?”

Link crossed his arms. “Normally yeah but…” He nodded towards the highway, where it had long been destroyed by Null. All that remained was an overpass leading to an endless void below.

“Then, I’ll do it,” you said. “Stand back.” You transformed back into Navi, spreading your wings. “I’ll try to be as fast as Epona.”

“Definitely the coolest ride, beats anything those other heroes had I bet,” Link laughed, as he helped Ralon up.

“I’m not complaining either,” Ralon said in a small voice.

Purah shook her head as she pulled something off of the Guardian and landed her drones on your back. “Just don’t knock any off us off, okay?”

You were too focused on the task ahead, launching into the air and shooting across what remained of Hyrule. Your vision tunneled, locked in on the glowing light of the Temple of Time.

==============================

The exterior of the Temple of Time had been torn away by Null’s magic, leaving only the rear rotunda and its glowing stained glass. You landed and transformed back, barely giving your riders enough time to jump off. The four of you hurried to the secret inner temple. Inside, a fight was already raging, yet despite the chaos, the temple looked as pristine as ever inside. The golden light flowed through the windows, the gears turned high above your head.

“We’re here everyone!” Ralon shouted.

“Great!” Professor Komadoh shouted back. She whipped the Dominion Rod forward, possessing one of the warhammer wielding statues to smash through Null’s Echoes.

Null simply laughed as the attacks glanced off of them. “You fools, you’ve already lost. I’ll have the Triforce in mere moments! You’re delaying the inevitable; you cannot fight a god!”

“Honey, I’ve already fought one guy who called himself a god,” Purah said, attaching the piece from the Guardian to one of her drones. “Open a history book, it didn’t end well for him.” The drone transformed, firing the same terrifying beams.

“Everyone!” Corbus shouted, “We’ve got all seven sages! It’s time to stop Null once and for all!” He raised his hand and a beam of light shot forth, snaring the rogue god. One by one each of your friends joined.

With the six sages holding Null still, there was one final force missing: yours. You raised your hand, but nothing happened. “C’mon Light Force, please!” You said, trying to keep your breath steady. And yet, there was nothing; no light, no magic, nothing.

Null laughed, breaking free and sending the remaining sages falling to their feet. “Living up to your ancestor’s legacy… failing at the crucial moment.”

“No,” you said, trying to focus the power again, but inside you could tell there wasn’t anything you could do.

I’m… I’m not a princess. I can’t do this and seal Null away, especially not with only part of the Light Force…

Who said you need to? You froze as you could feel Navi’s voice echo back to you inside your head. We’re not like the other Zeldas. We’re not Link. So let’s do it our own way.

“Our own way,” you echoed.

You felt Link’s hand on your shoulder. “What’s the plan?” The look in his eyes said more, that he was with you no matter what.

“How many arrows left?”

“Three.”

You thought for a moment. “Fire two.”

Link’s eyes widened, but he nodded. He knelt, bow ready. “What are you gonna do?”

“Navi and I are doing things our own way,” you said with a grin. “Now!” You shouted as you ran across the Temple, transforming mid-air as the arrows zipped past you.

The Silver Arrows pierced Null’s defenses as you charged in. Your claws dug into their shoulders, as you blasted their face with fire. As their body tried to recover and reject the arrows, you slammed your claw into his chest. Their weakened body couldn’t stop you as you shoved your claw past the arrows, until you felt something small. You closed your claw around it, as Null thrashed, trying to buck you off. Finally, you tore free, your fragmented Light Force returned to you.

You backed away to Link and transformed, raising your hand to try again. Once again, nothing happened. You were about to scream in frustration, but then you saw what happened to Null. Their body was completely messed up, the external form slipping and dripping off to reveal a twisted core. All that remained was a pulsing mass with five claw-like tentacles dangling from the central body. It beat like a heart. “Null’s core,” you said, still gasping for air. “Almost there.”

“Just a little more,” Link said, just as exhausted.

Null shrieked, nearly shattering your eardrums. Regardless, you raised your claws as Link brandished the Master Sword, ready to charge in again.

==============================

A/n: Originally, this was going to be the chapter in which Link and Navi defeat Malladus. This would’ve focused mostly on a motorcycle chase after the demon train. However, it diminished the Sages and the pacing worked better by having Malladus fought earlier. It made sense to take him out before the final confrontation. Instead, I wanted to do the Corrupted Guardian, which I swapped in sometime around Chapter 15.

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Day 28 – Mask

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Your father flew slightly ahead, leading you down familiar pathways back to where this all began in the Archives. It was heartbreaking to see most of the display cases destroyed, and the priceless historical artifacts piled up and hoarded haphazardly. Several statues were destroyed, mannequins knocked down, and even your father’s office had been ransacked. The dragon exhibit had the worst of it – and judging by the still sizzling blast marks, someone had recently worked out some frustration here. Your feet slowed only for a moment as you passed a toppled statue of Queen Zelda XIV, the same one you hid behind to hide from Veran before. Just beyond, several artifacts were tossed away, likely deemed unusable in Zelda’s campaign for power.

At least one person shared your pain. “At least organize them,” Professor Komadoh muttered. “These are priceless artifacts!”

“I’d hate to see what the storage rooms and the stacks look like,” you sighed.

“Is there anything here we could use?” Link asked.

“Mole Mitts?” Avil suggested, looking over the discard pile. “Weird stone thing?”

“Stone of Agony,” Corbus corrected. “And no, probably not much help here. Not unless you could fix up the Fire Rod so I can dual-wield.” He held up the once powerful stave, the gem on the end shattered.

“How could they break the Fire Rod?!” Professor Komadoh spat out, aghast.

“That’s actually my fault,” you admitted. “Hasty retreat when Zant surprised us.”

“I’m sure we can worry about repairing it later,” came a voice. “We’ve got bigger problems first.”

“Maple!” You shouted. “You’re okay!”

“And you’re back to your own body,” Maple replied with the scarcest hint of a smile. “That’s good. I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I will do my best to assist.”

“So will we!” The twins said together.

“Venus kindly recharged my energy; she’s using what magic she can to contain the monsters in the University. So far that seems to be helping.” Maple then took notice of the others. “Ah, I believe introductions are in order.”

“You’re the one who helped [Y/n] after he was transformed, right?” Link asked. Maple scarcely nodded when Link grabbed her in a hug. “Thank you, thank you!” Maple went rigid and Link backed away. “Oh, heh, sorry. Not a hugger, huh?”

“Quite,” Maple muttered. “You’re welcome though.”

You introduced Maple to the others one by one. “Oh, and I can’t forget my dad.” You motioned to your paternal owl who seemed to be staying far away from Maple.

“I suppose he’s not too keen on magic,” Maple said with a dry amount of sarcasm. “I can’t say I blame him after what he’s been through… what all of you have been through. Though, I must ask, why didn’t you cure him?”

You blinked. “Oh… that’s right. Dad!” Immediately, he dashed off.

Professor Komadoh took to the air and blocked his retreat. “Really now? Grow up and take your medicine, will you?” He squirmed and doubled back.

“Dad, can’t you come here?” You huffed, finally catching him. You steadied your breath, gently pressing your fingers into your back. “C’mon work…” Bit by bit, the darkness swirled up your arm, not burning this time or bringing forth any other transformations. Your father started to transform back… and you quickly realized you shouldn’t have held him.

“Oomph!”

The two of you landed in a heap on the floor, your arm trapped under your father. “Oh my, finally no more flapping,” your father sighed. He wiggled to let you get free, but quickly pulled you into his arms. “Oh, my boy! You’re safe!”

“Dad!” You said, squeezing him back. “I’m so glad you’re back! And really, that afraid of magic?”

“Well, I…” he said clearing his throat, “I wasn’t keen to transform into a toad next. Not that I don’t trust your magic!”

“Oh please,” Professor Komadoh sighed. “You used to even treat the defunct magic items like they’d explode.”

“And clearly for good reason if the Tri Rod is being used!” He pointed out. He then rose, keeping an arm around you as he turned to Maple. “I apologize for the discomfort, but thank you for looking after my boy.”

“It was my pleasure,” Maple said with a slight bow.

“As for you,” he said, turning on your boyfriend with a stern look. Link flinched for a moment before staring back with equal tenacity. “I expect after this is done, you will join us for dinner. It’s time I get to know you a little more if you’re going to be dating my son.” Link seemed to lose his voice, though a blush started to spread on his cheeks.

“Oh come on, you can’t back off now after [Y/n] had to endure Uncle Raven,” Aryll chided.

“I-I’m not!” Link spluttered. “I’d love to j-join you for dinner.”

“Wonderful,” your father laughed. “After this, we could all use a good home-cooked meal.”

“If we live that long,” Professor Komadoh muttered. “Kaebora, is there anything that we could use that hasn’t been trashed? Maybe hidden away? You’ve moved a lot around since I was here.”

“Reorganized your mess, you mean?” Your father laughed. “I may have something hidden away for just such an occasion.” He led the way back to his office and to a bookcase where the shelves had been pulled out, the priceless volumes scattered on the floor. The bookcase itself was built into the wall. He only paused to sigh for a moment, before running his hand along the back of the bookcase. With a click, he pushed in, and a panel slid to the side. In the dark space behind it, you could catch a glint of something metallic. “Never thought these would ever see use, but I’m glad I kept them hidden.”

“Wow, is that pure silver?” Corbus asked, leaning forward.

“Yes, which is why I don’t have many.” Your father held out five silver arrows. “Silver arrows, able to pierce evil and dispel darkness – used to great effect against many who challenged Hyrule in the past. These date back at least a thousand years, perhaps the last time such a tactic was used.”

You nodded. “Good thing too, with Navi I don’t think I’m going to summon a new Bow of Light to help us anytime soon.”

Your father turned to Link. “It might be the only thing that will deliver the killing blow. Make every shot count.”

“I will.”

As Link took the arrows, you heard Ralon just outside the door. “Um, guys? I think I found where Zelda went!”

Everyone hurried outside the office to find a steadily approaching wall of darkness. “Stay back everyone,” your father shouted.

“Twilight again?” Link asked.

“No, this feels different,” you said.

“You can say that again,” Ralon whispered. “Whatever it is, it’s making my scales itch.”

“Maple?” you asked.

The elderly witch looked sick. “I’m sorry, just being near it is sapping my strength. It’s as if the magic inside is the complete opposite of my own.” She took a deep breath and stood tall. She ran her hand over herself then flicked to the side, as if wiping away the ill effects. “This is ancient magic, far older than I or even your friend Purah. It may even be older than Hyrule itself. If Zelda is hiding somewhere, this is absolutely it. I wouldn’t touch it directly if I were you, I’m not sure what it would do.”

“Can you get us inside safely?” Link asked.

Maple was silent for several moments. “I can make a safe entrance past the barrier, but I can’t guarantee a safe return. This could be a one-way trip until you stop Zelda.”

The group looked to one another. “Well… what are we waiting for?” Aryll said. “I know I owe her a few good punches for what Yuga did to Grandma and Uncle Raven.”

“Aryll’s right,” Ralon added, placing a hand over his heart. “I can’t stand by anymore. Not after how she almost poisoned my home and hurt my friends.”

“Little more personal for me,” Corbus said, straightening his glasses. “I’ve got a bone to pick with her after those curses she likes so much.”

“You can say that again,” Avil snorted. “For us, and for [Y/n].”

“I’m not about to let you kids leave unsupervised either,” Professor Komadoh added. “Consider this taking care of some family matters.”

Your father gave a firm nod in support, though you took his hand. “No, Dad, you should stay here. You’re still recovering from that. If it’s anything like the curse that Corbus and Avil had, you’ll need time to rest.”

Koume and Kotake linked their arms with your father. “It’s okay, Mr. Dragon, we’ll look after him!”

“We’ll keep him safe and sound, you just beat up that meanie!”

“Thanks, you two. I just wish Purah and Grandpa were here too,” you said. You then turned to Link. “Well, ready?”

“Do you have to ask?” he replied. “After what she did to us? To our friends? I’m not stopping until she’s either dead or has every ounce of power drained out of her. And I’m not letting you out of my sight, so no running off or getting cursed or anything, okay? You and I are going side by side.” He punctuated that with a poke on your chest.

You nodded, grinning as you took his hand and squeezed it. “Of course, the hero is both of us.”

Maple nodded. “I am sorry I can’t join you, but the girls and I will do what we can to contain this strange magic out here, and of course keep your father safe.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll do our best!” Koume and Kotake said together. “Just come home safe, okay?

You and Link shared a look. “We’ll do our best,” was all you could offer.

Maple sighed. “I suppose I’ll have to be happy with that. I need something strong after this.” She raised her hand and pointed a finger at the barrier. Whispering something in a long forgotten language, she circled her finger around the barrier, opening a glowing hole and temporarily halting its advance. “Best of luck, and safe returns.”

Your father gave you another hug. “Come back home, I need to hear all about your adventures with your boyfriend and your new friends. ”

You nodded and turned to the rest. “Ready everyone?” Link squeezed your hand. You took a deep breath, then stepped through.

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There were many things you expected on the other side. It could have been a Dark World version of the Archives. It could have been a time warp to Hyrule of the past. It could have even just be the normal Archives storage room with a purple light cast over it.

Instead, you found a void.

You stood on a slab of cobblestone floating in an endless void. A trail of debris and random bits of the Archives seemed to make a path forward. It was completely silent and your footsteps may as well have been explosions. In the distance, you could see a strange mass, though it was difficult to tell what it was from your current vantage point. “Is everyone okay?” you asked.

Everyone seemed to make it through in one piece, though they was just as surprised as you. “What is this place?” Avil asked.

Professor Komadoh looked around. “I’m not sure… but if I had to guess, this is one of the Silent Realms I’ve read about, a space made of magic that almost acts like a frozen moment in time or a pocket dimension.”

“If it’s a frozen moment in time, I don’t think I want to know what moment,” Aryll muttered.

“I’ll fly ahead and see what I can find.” Professor Komadoh soared into the air and shot off towards the strange mass in the distance.

“Hey Ralon,” Link said. “Can you hear anything?”

Ralon shivered. “No, nothing at all. I… I’ve never been somewhere so quiet. It’s unnerving.”

“You can say that again,” Corbus said, doing his own examination and carefully peeking over the edge. “Silent Realm or not, we’re gonna have to keep moving eventually. I imagine the laws of physics don’t act the same here, but I’d rather get somewhere a little more stable just in case.”

“Yeah,” you muttered noncommittally.

Link whispered in your ear, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you said again. “Just thinking.” Silent Realm… that didn’t seem quite right. And, if you were right, this was the final clue to Zelda’s friend. “Corbus is right, let’s get moving. Professor Komadoh will find us. Not many places we can go, and we’re sitting ducks here.”

Link leaped from the platform to a broken statue first, helping the rest of you cross. From there it was slow going as you walked across seemingly random objects. Statues, half-destroyed train cars, pieces of random metal catwalks, and even whole sections of hallways from the University. About halfway along your trail of odds and ends, you could see something approaching in the sky.

Several somethings.

Professor Komadoh was returning, but much faster than when she left. She was nearly in a full dive back, shouting at the top of her lungs. “Monsters! Get ready!”

Avil groaned. “No rest for the wicked.”

“Oh come on, you’re not tired already, are ya?” Aryll laughed, pumping her fist.

“No way,” Avil laughed as he drew his swords. “Just wanted to give you a chance to catch up.”

Aryll rolled her eyes. “Oh please, you still gotta catch up to me. Took out two bosses before I even fought you, if you remember.”

“One of those bosses was fake though,” Link added. “And I think I’m way ahead of both of you.”

“Shut up bro!” Aryll shot back, before slugging the first of the approaching monsters, a dive-bombing Guay.

You looked at the approaching monsters, all of which had the air advantage. There were more guarding your approach to your destination, but they weren’t making an effort to pursue. “Keep moving towards that building!” You said. “They’re gonna try and pin us down here!”

As the group tried to keep moving, you soon realized Ralon and Corbus weren’t going to be enough for monster control. Professor Komadoh was almost powerless without something to use her Dominion Rod on, and Aryll and Avil had limited options against aerial attacks. Link must have realized it too. “Hey [Y/n]! Think Navi can help us out?”

“Can do!” You shouted back. You took a deep breath, focusing inward. Once again, you were surrounded in a cloak of flames. Your body stretched and your scales spread over you as naturally as breathing. Your tail and wings spread, and you rolled your neck as the rest of the draconic change finished. Link leaped onto your back as you spread your wings. “Hang on, Link!” you growled out in Navi’s deeper voice before shooting skyward.

“Keep your head down, don’t want to hit you in the back of your head!” Link said over the wind as he drew his bow – careful not to use the Silver Arrows just yet.

You lowered your head, turning sharply after the monsters. “Link, Peahats approaching from 3 o’clock!”

“On it!” Link loaded up his bomb arrows and fired. As you shot past the dying Peahats, you flew low and scorched the monsters on the far platform as your friends hurried along the treacherous path.

Professor Komadoh flew in behind you, thankfully finding a broken statue of a fairy that she could control. She made the statue hop around, smooshing any monster that got too close, as you turned around for another bombing run. Link meanwhile sniped a few more approaching Aerocuda. Your friends were getting closer to this new safe foothold. “The monsters are just going to keep coming unless we can distract Zelda,” you growled.

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to keep going!” Link shouted back, knocking another monster out of the sky.

“Go on! We’ll get these under control and join you soon!” Professor Komadoh shouted. You nodded and took aim, diving for the entrance. As you passed through, transforming back into your original form, the doors shut behind you. You weren’t worried about the doors, you figured you could bash them open if necessary with Navi. This perverse temple was another matter.

The strange temple within was disgusting, almost fleshy. It looked completely alien to anything you’d seen before, outside of a sci-fi movie. The walls were purple and gave way just enough if you pressed them. The floor seemed to squish under you, thankfully not enough for you to lose your footing. It reminded you of the foam padding used at playgrounds. Strangest of all were the snaking tubes that ran over the walls and ceiling with little rhyme or reason. They were partly transparent and you could see some magenta liquid pumping through it. As much as you hated to think it, the first thing that came to mind was...

“Blood,” Link said.

“What?” Link pointed at the ground. There were dark red splatters across the floor, leading deeper within. In the weird light of this realm, it almost looked black. You winced as you examined it. “I’m no detective, but this doesn’t look like it came from a wound. It all just… piles up here and then…” Your voice trailed off as you looked up at the bloody footprints that shuffled away from the source.

When you remained silent, Link set a hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you said. “Just… processing. When you see Zelda, don’t hold back.”

“Way ahead of you.”

“No, Link. I think I know what she… what she’s become. Zelda’s friend is hitchhiking inside her.”

Link blinked. “Zelda’s pregnant?”

Under normal circumstances, you’d laugh. Instead, you stood. “We need to go now, there might still be time, maybe not for her, but for us.” You grabbed his hand and ran. “Whatever you do, start beating her and don’t stop until she’s dead!”

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“Looks like the last of them,” Avil said, flicking some of the dark ooze from his swords.

“For now at least,” Aryll huffed, wiping her fists on the ground.

Ralon checked over the others. “Is anyone hurt?”

Professor Komadoh suddenly gasped and swore under her breath. “Of course, I should have known!”

“Professor?” Corbus asked. “What’s wrong?”

She turned to him with a grave expression. “I’ve made a terrible mistake. I thought this was some kind of Silent Realm, building off of perhaps some form of Zelda’s latent magic or her partner’s. But the Silent Realms are the work of the Goddesses, and this is anything but their magic. In fact, I fear it’s quite the opposite. We need to get to [Y/n] and Link immediately!”

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The two of you ran through the unnerving dungeon, ending a small room with a seemingly bottomless pit. Link gave you a firm nod. You wrapped your arms under his arms and the two of you fell into the pit. Your wings emerged from your back in a burst of flame, fanning out and slowing your descent. You angled your wings to drift in a slow spiral to the bottom like a glider. Descending, the bottom came into view: an equally eerie room with a pulsing core in the floor like a heart.

You touched down, releasing Link. Zelda stood across the room, her back turned to you. Link wasted no time, firing arrows as you fully transformed and swung your tail towards her. Both of your attacks bounced off a bubble-like magic shield around her. That said, you noticed the magic flickering, its power growing weak.

“Not even allowing me a word?” Zelda asked, turning her head partway. You could see a line of blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. “That’s rude, I thought Uncle taught you better, cousin.”

“Don’t even start with me,” you growled, Navi’s deeper draconic voice coming out.

“And you, Link?”

Link glared at her. “I’d tell you to die, but looks like you’re already halfway there.”

Zelda let out a weak laugh, cut off by a cough. A little more blood trickled down her chin. “I figured I’d at least get some sort of final plea for me to give up and come back to you, to give this all up. But even now you have to spoil my fun.” She turned and you couldn’t hide your gasp. The front of her clothes were bloodstained. Dark purple veins pulsed on the other side of her face just below her bloodshot eye. Yet, despite the obvious pain and terrible condition of her body, she was unfazed. “Oh this?” She asked. “Living in this place takes a toll on you, but it’s totally worth it for the perks. Besides, I can always create a new body for myself. Thinking of making my hair short this time, what do you think?”

“What do I…” You shifted back to your human form. “Zelda, how many times have you done this?”

Zelda looked confused. “I… I, uh… hmm. To be honest, I think I lost count after you went to the Zora Cistern.” Suddenly she pitched forward, clutching her bloodshot eye. “Right… right… they’re trying to distract me. I can just create a new body and keep going.”

“No way,” Link said, firing another arrow that pierced the bubble and knocked the Tri Rod from her hand. Suddenly, Zelda began to laugh. “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

“Just… you’re so dumb,” she laughed, only stopping to cough. “Even if you killed me, stopped me right now, I’d just create another body. You’ll be stuck doing this over and over. No matter what, I’ve already won. Because I’ve waited too long for this, the time has come to return Hyrule to the way it should be.”

“Yeah, yeah I know. To some monarchy trapped in time, doomed to face the same cycle in the legends so you can be a pretty princess.” Link spat. “Because screw everyone else, huh?”

“No,” you said, your voice low. Everything fell into place. “To oblivion. That was what the Echoes wanted. Unmitigated destruction and to ascend to godhood.”

“Like to just… nature? Yeah, Veran said they’d wipe out the kingdom so they can find the Light Force and Zelda can...” Link stopped, realizing the contradiction. “Wait… how is she going to rule without a kingdom?”

“Exactly, it’s not to nature or reset to the past. It’s nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. Zelda might’ve wanted to go for a corrupted version of Hyrule’s past to live out her fantasies, getting the Light Force and the Triforce to grant every greedy wish in her heart. But that’s not what you want, is it?” You said, pointing at her. “I only have one question. How long have you been hiding inside Zelda?”

“You are as perceptive as she warned me, though it’s too bad you only put it together now. I’ve always lived in her heart.” “Zelda” laughed, a twisted sound of a thousand voices at once. She waved her hand and the Tri Rod returned to her. “To return everything to the state of chaos as it should be, nothing could be rushed. I have bided my time for millennia, waiting for Hyrule to grow weak enough to strike again and finally claim my revenge against the Royal Family. At first, I had hoped Zelda held the Light Force, it would’ve made things so easy, but she did not. So, I slowly ate away at her heart, piece by piece, stewing that jealousy she had of you, that toxic side of her until it ate away her to nothing. To be honest, there’s barely anything left in here that you could call Zelda. She was my perfect little puppet, and she played her part exactly as I planned. Too bad for her that she didn’t have someone to stop my curse like you and Link.” She laughed as her eyes turned into violet voids with orange irises.

“What the hell?!” Link said, raising the Master Sword again.

“Zelda never realized my full plan. First, I would take the name of the one who sealed me,” she said, skin starting to crack, revealing leaking darkness and corruption. “Second, I would convince the hero of this time that he was better than everyone else, and that he didn’t need to endlessly prepare. I made the mistake of letting both the Priestess and the Hero grow too strong last time; I wouldn’t make that mistake again. Third, I would transform the real royal heir into a monster to take the blame until I was ready to consume all. I even made sure to whisper false stories over the centuries and even form false artifacts to create the story of a dragon that would doom Hyrule. How lucky for me the people of this land forgot when the dragons were worshiped as protectors and gods. When all was said and done, I would consume the royal heir, and gain the Light Force for myself, then break into the Sacred Realm and claiming the Prime Energy of the Goddesses for myself. Then, finally, after these eons, I will finally destroy Din, Nayru, Farore, and the spawn of Hylia!”

Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword. “What are you?”

“Bringer of Chaos, anti-matter incarnate,” You took a shuddering breath. “Null, the anti-god.”

The false Zelda bowed, her face now a fractured mask. “I knew I would catch the Goddesses’ attention too quickly again if I tried to use Voids. What better way to execute my plan than to use the very magic once used to defeat me?” They swung the Tri Rod, movements rough and limp. “Zelda has outlived her usefulness, and so have the two of you. It’s time to bring this to an end.”

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A/n: Since the character from Ocarina is Kaepora Gaebora and the character from Skyward Sword (the main inspiration for your father) is Gaepora, I thought flipping and making his name Kaebora Gaepora would be fun. Did your grandparents hate him to name him that? Who knows, school might’ve been rough with a name like that. I imagine he finds it fun now though, and probably no shortage of dad-brand embarrassment for you. Thankfully he was clearly not the one who chose your name in this reality… unless your name somehow rhymes with Gaepora… hmmm…

Also, correcting a mistake from last chapter. Credit goes to amazing FlipFlopArtist for naming the dragon side Navi. Thank you for that great idea!

I’ll be honest, I’m a bit surprised. Out of all the guesses I saw, no one mentioned Null. Maybe because they’re the new villain on the block?

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Day 27 - Species/Race

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It was eerily silent.

You opened your eyes to find yourself once again trapped inside the purple crystal in the cathedral dreamscape. You ran your hands against the cool crystal, somewhat unsurprised to see you had reverted again to a fully human form. Your clothes had also changed to the formal regalia from before. Looking down, you were alone this time. There was no dark dragoon playing the organ, and something told you that Link wouldn’t save you this time.

Your head pounded. “Ugh… last thing I remember was… Zelda.” Your heart dropped as you remembered. With Echoes at her command, her power was only growing stronger the longer you waited. Yet, here you were trapped while Link had to deal with her alone. “Then there’s the curse, which means… ” you mused. There was a very good chance you had gone full dragon, but what did that mean for you here? “I need to get back, or at least get control over myself again.”

The crystal was solid and no amount of pounding with your hands was going to break it. You patted your pockets and new clothes, looking for anything that would help. Your hands settled on a golden necklace with a charm of the Triforce. “That’ll do,” you said, holding it between your fingers as you balled your hand into a fist. You punched the crystal, cracking it on the tip of the charm, before it shattered. You fell and rolled across the ground. “Oomf… ouch.” Having dragon scales for so long led you to forget just how much those helped.

You brushed yourself off and tossed aside the now bent and ruined necklace. “Hello?” You called, your voice echoing back from the rafters. “Anybody?” With a frown, you grabbed a heavy candlestick from the altar, holding it like a club, and marched through the doors at the end of the hall.

The heavy wooden doors creaked open, light blinding you as you seemingly stepped outside, but instead, you stood back in Snowpeak Manor. The halls were exactly the same as you remembered, as you strode through the chilly air. “Brr… Aryll was right, too damn cold. Never thought I’d miss having a dragon’s flames inside me.” You shivered as you hugged yourself. Then, there was a slight movement at the end of the hall. There was the clank of armor, and you barely caught sight of a dark boot. “Wait!” You shouted, brandishing the candlestick. You ran after the clanking, only to end at another door. You pushed it open and tumbled from the freezer into the furnace.

Your vision swam as your blood vessels dilated all at once, leaving your legs weak as you stumbled to the ground. After a few deep breaths, the black spots in your vision receded, and you could make out the detailed wall carvings of the Subrosian’s dance hall. What was once the Darknut’s throne sat empty, though your target lingered beside it. The dragoon stood in his impressive black and gold armor, watching you as you wobbled and rose. “Don’t rush it. Human bodies are not meant for such temperatures.” His deep voice shook you to your core, but you weren’t intimidated.

“You’re not getting… away…” you huffed, slowly standing despite the black spots returning. “I want answers.”

“I’m sure you already have them.”

You grumbled; this guy was worse than your father when he was trying to teach you something. “Well, I want to hear it from you.”

The dragoon simply shook his head and turned, walking towards another set of doors. “I don’t think I need to tell you what to do.” He pushed open the doors and walked through the blinding light.

You wiped your brow and hobbled after him. Stepping through the light again, a soothing cool reached you as you shuffled into the Vale of Kokiri. You couldn’t resist a sigh as the cool misty air brought your body back to a decent temperature. You wiped your eyes and stood. The dragoon walked among the trees ahead. You pushed your way through the tall grass, not caring about the proper way through the woods. “Wait!”

The dragoon simply laughed, crossing the bridge towards the Korok Village. You tried to follow, but the bridge gave way under you. You plummeted into the fog, expecting to hit the clover below again, but instead you landed in a deep warm lake. You sunk deeper and deeper past the Zora mosaics, deeper and deeper into the Great Zora Cistern. Your lungs felt like they were being crushed. You couldn’t hold back any longer and gasped, expecting water but instead you could breathe as easily as you could with the Bubble Tonic. After a moment to catch your breath you started to swim. You made your way to the entrance to the waterworks, but as you emerged from the water, you met a different door. This door was made of heavy rusted iron instead.

You carefully pushed on the door, only to find it oddly warm. You wrapped your wet sleeve over your hand and pushed it open. “Great… just great,” you muttered. On the other side was the catwalks over the old warehouse on Death Mountain. The pools of lava far below were just as sweltering as you remembered. If there was any consolation, at least you knew you wouldn’t be cornered by Phantom Ganon again. “Where are you now?” you called out. “Where are we going?”

“Almost there,” the response came, though you couldn’t tell where. “Just a little further.”

“And then you’ll talk?”

There was no answer. Instead, you found a set of ornate double doors at the end of the catwalk. You pushed the doors open, and walked into a bright, golden light.

Finally, you found yourself in the Temple of Time once again. Here the dragoon waited for you, seated where the Master Sword’s altar was before. He hummed the Song of Healing as he waited for you. “Are you done with this wild goose chase?”

The dragoon merely shrugged. “It’s your mind.” You sighed and let the candlestick slip from your fingers, letting it clunk against the floor. “Is that a wise choice?”

You closed your hand and nodded. “Yes, because I know you’re not going to hurt me. I’m no fighter, at least, not without the claws and teeth. If you wanted to attack me, you would’ve done it by now.”

“And what if I’m just toying with you?”

“You took a chance on me back in Snowpeak,” you said, taking a breath. “You trusted me, so I’m going to trust you.”

The dragoon, or rather dragon, seemed amused by the answer. “You already figured it out, didn’t you?” He asked. He held up his hand and the Magic Mirror appeared in it, before it had cracked from Veran’s spell. “You said so yourself, the Magic Mirror was used to keep the hero’s form as he walked through the Dark World. A reflection of his true self. After all, mirrors can reflect what’s in our souls, as they say.”

The mirror spun slowly, and you caught your own face in the reflection, but you could see your scales spread over your face in it, instead of your real face. “Of course,” you said quietly. “It’s you, because you… you are me.”

You looked up as the dragon removed his helmet, revealing your scarred face slowly transforming into a full draconic head. “Veran’s curse reversed the process. By hitting and cracking the Magic Mirror, your other form was brought forward… as was your inner self.” His eyes drifted away. “I’m sorry it’s been so painful for you… us. I only wanted to protect us.”

You nodded. “I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to hurt me… to hurt everyone.”

“No. I was scared! I thought everyone would hate us. Would kill us.”

You took his, or rather your, hands in yours. “That’s why you kept trying to squirm out every time we fought. And why you kept trying to attack Ralon and Link after we fought Veran.” You swallowed. “It’s also why you were so hurt by Link, wasn’t it?”

“I wanted to protect us,” he said again. “I didn’t… want to get our hopes up that he’d actually love us at first. I tried to get him to confess during his dreams, and he did eventually… but it still hurt.”

“I know. It hurt a lot, but he’s been by our side every step of the way since. And I know, even in spite of Zelda, he’s out there trying to bring us back. He’s also been willing to stay with us, even when we first transformed.” You pulled him closer into a hug. “That’s… more than I can say about how I acted. All this time, I thought it was going to be my fault if I let you in. I’m so sorry.”

He returned the hug. “I know. And I’m sorry I struck out in fear.”

“It’s okay. I forgive you if you forgive me?”

He laughed weakly. “I think you know the answer to that.”

As you held yourself, you could feel your hearts beat as one. The two of you began to glow as you could feel your bodies begin to merge together. At the same time, you could hear a voice echo around you.

Please… [Y/n], come back to me.

You opened your eyes, now seemingly alone.“Come on,” you said. “We need to go back. There’s going to be a lot more people hurting if Zelda isn’t stopped.”

==============================

Back in the Grand Ballroom, Link and Zelda stood in a standoff with King Argarok between them. “Move you stupid dragon! Do something!”

“He’s not yours to command,” Link growled. “[Y/n]… I know you’re in there.”

“Link!” Aryll called, running in from outside with the others. “We beat Zant and… oh no.” Aryll’s voice grew uncharacteristically quiet. “Is… is that Navi?”

“Dear Hylia,” Professor Komadoh whispered.

“Stay back sis,” Link said.

“But Navi…”

“He’s not gonna hurt you, but she will.”

Corbus aimed his Ice Rod at Zelda. “I knew there had to be a reason I never liked you.”

“Oh, I’m so scared of some ice cubes,” Zelda scoffed. She raised the Tri Rod, Veran mimicking her movements with a ball of dark magic forming in her hand. “Any of you attack me and I’ll blast your friend’s head off. If he isn’t going to listen to me, then there’s no reason to keep him around.”

“You’re bluffing,” Link said. “[Y/n]’s your weapon, you’re not gonna sacrifice him now.”

“I’m sorry, who?” Ralon asked.

Zelda smirked. “Are you sure about that? Enough to wager his life against my resolve?”

Link grit his teeth, but could only glare. Avil set his hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “We’ll save him.” He turned to Zelda. “So what’s your plan exactly? We stand here until he moves?”

“I’ve got all the time in the world,” Zelda said. “Infinite Echoes and let’s be honest, my Ganondorf is gonna wipe the floor with what you call a Guardian.”

Corbus shook his head. “You really thing the guy with a database of the past heroes and the personality of the Champion King is going to lose to him?”

“That depends,” Zelda replied with a cold smile. “I may not be my cousin, but even I know the story of how the Calamity possessed the Guardians built by the Sheikah. I wonder if Purah fixed that issue…”

“Anyone can memorize stories and bend history to sound menacing,” Professor Komadoh said. “But your skewed knowledge of the past will be your undoing.”

“Is it?” Zelda asked. “Or am I the one with the actual truth?”

Suddenly, a claw twitched. All eyes turned to King Argarok. His jaw slowly cracked open, acidic spit dripping and burning into the floor. “Finally,” Zelda said. “Kill them all.”

King Argarok’s jaw opened farther, smoke and cinders starting to rise out. Then, like a viper, his head snapped to the side, blasting an inferno… at Zelda.

“Yes! I knew it!” Link shouted.

You snapped your jaws at a retreating Zelda, stomping forward on all fours. Veran was less lucky, her Echo immediately getting crushed in your maw. “Of course,” Zelda said, “I should’ve known you’d figure a way around that as well… you’re infuriating.”

You snarled and roared back, flaring your wings to shield your friends. Zelda glared back, raising her Tri Rod, but stopped halfway with a strange expression. She winced, reaching up to cover her eye with her other hand. You could barely see it through her fingers; it looked terribly bloodshot, the red so dark it was almost purple. “Not now…” You roared again, snapping at her and narrowly missing. “Fine,” she said, “running a bit thin anyway. You won’t get far.”

She waved the Tri Rod over herself, disappearing as if wiping herself out of existence. You blasted a wall of flames at her, but no luck. You growled at the empty space where she once stood. Link came to your side and wrapped his arm around your neck. “It’s okay, she’s gone for now.” He gently rubbed circles on the back of your head. “I’m here…” He began to hum the Song of Healing.

You purred, but it slowly grew into a grumble as you felt a growing heat in your stomach. You gently pushed Link away, stepping back. A cloak of flames surrounded your dragon form. Your scales smoothly retracted, and your wings and tails folded back into your body. You stretched, rising to your feet. You rolled your shoulders as the flames fizzled out across your skin. You brushed some stray hair out of your face and turned to your friends with a small smile, finally looking at them with your own eyes again. Your old clothes had burned away, leaving you in the regal clothes from your dream instead. Last but not least, the symbol of three triangles pointing inward with a firework-like burst around them glowed softly on the back of your left hand. Link grabbed you in a tight hug. “I knew it, I knew you’d be back.”

“Always by your side,” you coughed, along with a few stray ashes. “Wasn’t gonna make you face this alone. I’m sorry to make you worry.”

“For a smart guy, you’re pretty dumb. You should know I’m gonna worry anyway,” he laughed through his tears, pressing his forehead to yours. “Welcome home, [Y/n].”

“[Y/n]!” Avil shouted, tackling you in a hug, only to be picked up and squeezed harder by Corbus. “You’re back!”

“Still trying to breathe guys!” You wheezed.

“Oh come on, we were worried sick and Link probably already had a chance to make out with you so give us at least time to hug!” Corbus said, as Link turned red.

Your best friends finally let you free, only for you to be smooshed into Professor Komadoh’s soft feathers. “Oh it’s so good to see you back, safe and sound!”

“Wait, did everyone know except me?” Link asked.

“No, I’m a bit lost…” Ralon said. “You were Navi the entire time?”

“I didn’t know either. So, you’ve been my bro’s crush this entire time,” Aryll said. “Heh, well at least he has good taste when it comes to guys. But I swear, if Link screws up, I’m beating his ass for you.”

“Appreciate it, Aryll,” you laughed, pulling her in for a hug.

“Oh, this isn’t fair!” Ralon whined, as you pulled him in too. “You’re even cuter as a Hylian!” His eyes then landed on your cheek and his pupils grew wide, mouth opening in a toothy smile. You couldn’t help but feel like you were being hunted. “So… since you changed back it looks like it disappeared… Can I maybe give you a little bite? Just a little one, I promise it won’t hurt!”

“Back off, shark boy,” Link said.

You looked around and frowned. “Where’s Venus?”

“Couldn’t fit inside well,” Professor Komadoh said. “She said she’d keep an eye out for Zelda outside. That said… I wonder if Zelda’s even been here at all.”

“Already stabbed one Echo before you got here,” Link said. “Doubt that one was real.”

“Her eye though, something was up with that,” you muttered.

“Didn’t she also say she was ‘running thin’ too?” Ralon asked.

You nodded. “I’m thinking her friend is closer than I thought. We need to find her first though. She’s too dangerous to keep out of our sight for long.”

Professor Komadoh nodded. “Agreed, with the power of the Tri Rod at her fingertips, and seeming infinite Echoes at that, we’re in deep danger. I fear we may have provoked her to speed things up.”

“And we can’t just keep killing Echoes over and over,” Avil added. “Hope Purah and [Y/n]’s Robo-Gramps are doing okay.”

“They’ve fought worse before,” Professor Komadoh added. “We’ll regroup with them when we can.”

“Well, Sage of Light?” Link asked with a grin. “What’s the plan?”

You thought for a moment. “Where did Purah and the Guardian take Ganondorf?”

“Not sure,” Corbus said. “But Purah said before the fight started she’d take him somewhere that he’d be out of the way.”

“Good,” you replied. “We still need to find Zelda, but keeping the two of them apart for now is best. As for her… she’s absolutely obsessed with getting her hands on the Triforce and she sees the Light Force as the way in. Even if I have the Light Force, it’s not like I know anything about using it… if I even can.”

“What do you mean?”

“Turns out King Argarok was actually Veran messing up and bringing a subconscious form to life.”

“Oh, there’s a lot to unpack there,” Avil laughed.

“Later,” you said. “Main thing is, my dragon form is still part of me. I’m not sure what using the Light Force would do to me, and I really don’t want a repeat of touching the Master Sword. I’m honestly more comfortable with my dragon powers anyway.” You then laughed. “Feels like it might be more appropriate to call me the Sage of Darkness.”

“I prefer boyfriend,” Link said.

“Or cute dragon prince?” Ralon suggested.

Aryll sighed. “Get a room.”

“Aryll’s right, focus guys,” Corbus said. “Besides, if Navi was really the King Argarok dragon we were led to believe, why didn’t it actually tear everything apart like the stories say?”

“Navi?” you asked.

Corbus shrugged. “Gotta call dragon you something other than ‘dragon you’, right?”

You shrugged. “That works, I guess. But yeah, why would there be stories about a world ending dragon?”

Professor Komadoh thought for a moment. “Well, it could be that the legend is simply a story that Zelda used… or somehow it’s a false legend. Either way, she was determined to pin it on you. Another reason I think we should find her, quickly.”

“Agreed,” you said. “If Zelda’s truly sending out Echoes of herself, she’s got to be holed up somewhere safe. Somewhere that she can keep an eye on everything but also where she can send Echoes out. It can’t be impenetrable, but it’s probably secure, somewhere we wouldn’t normally see.”

“That narrows it down,” Avil muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Could really use a lead.”

“I think you’ve got it,” Link said, pointing behind you.

“Hoo!”

You looked up to see a large owl sitting on the balustrade. “Dad?”

“Hoo!” The owl flapped its wings, then took flight, beckoning you to follow. As you ran after him, you and the others failed to notice the dark wisps and glittering purple sparks seeming to rise from the floor with each step.

==============================

A/n: I finally met my match. There was no way I could think of to incorporate the prompt into the title without it sounding like a weird Darwin reference at best or an alt-right talking point at worst. So, The Final Sage it is!

==============================

“Good afternoon everyone, this is the Lakitu Bros from Lakitu News Network reporting live from New Donk City. It’s a beautiful day here at the historic Howard and Nester Theater as we await for the arrival of Mayor Pauline for the opening of the New Donk City Pride Festival!”

Bowser walked with you and the kids towards the theater, entering far from the ravenous press through the rear. The kids were bubbling with excitement – even if some were still a little young to fully grasp what was going on. It wasn’t hard to notice your husband was a little tense. You gently took his hand. He smiled down at you. “Thanks nerd. Guess I’m a little on edge.”

You squeezed his hand. “It’s not your first Pride, and I’m sure this one will go better than the last one. And hey, if you happen to turn into another raging beast made of black paint, I’ll just kiss it better again.” Bowser did already have some paint on him, but this was of the non-magical, non-toxic variety. His shell and cheek had the colors of the bisexual pride flag painted on. You had your cheek painted with your preferred flags as well, Junior’s handiwork of course.

Bowser snorted. “I know, just it’s my first one since comin’ out.”

“Says the guy who proclaimed I was yours on the most watched sporting event in the world?”

“Heh, I’d do it again. Just don’t want to make a fool of myself or ruin things for the kids.”

“You won’t. And besides, only Roy and Wendy are sticking around. Peach is going to take the others back home, and the four of us can enjoy the rest of the event.” Most of the kids were only sticking around for the family-friendly part of the day, though since Roy and Wendy were older, they were allowed to stay for a little longer… though Bowser did not want them out of his sight. “And we’re not gonna back out when this is Kammy’s big moment.”

You and Bowser reached the front of the check-in. There was a massive poster with Pauline, poised and dressed to kill. You had to laugh considering Kamek had consulted you and Peach for hours to figure out just the right wardrobe for the show. After all, as Kamek had put it, “I need to look my best! I’m going to be up there with the most important divas in the world! I mean, do I even have to mention how big Pauline is?” You were then reminded of how important she and the other secret guest stars were several more times through the past week.

Once you had all the tickets set, and popcorn and drinks for all the kids, it as time to head in and grab your seats. “[Y/n]! Bowser!” Peach called, waving you over to the row you had reserved. She was dressed much more casually than usual, but had three flowers in her hair matching the same purple, magenta, and blue that was currently on your husband’s shell. “Oh I was worried you were going to be late!”

“C’mon Peach,” Mario said, holding her hand. “We know they wouldn’t miss Kammy’s big day for the world.”

“Of course, and Pauline did invite us all directly,” Luigi said. He and Daisy were decked out for the festival, with Daisy snuggled up beside him.

Just then, the lights began to dim. Everyone quickly scrambled for their seats in the packed theater. A spotlight snapped on as a familiar face strode across the stage. “Hello there, New Donk City!” Kammy greeted. The crowd went ballistic with cheers. “You know, the last time I was in New Donk City, it was just called Donk City, but that was back when Fossil Falls was the hottest place to go. By the way, we’ve got some royalty in the house today, and I don’t just mean all you fabulous queens and kings and nonbinary emperors out there. Princess Peach is here, and I’m happy to say at a reduced risk of kidnapping for once! That’s because the King of Mean himself’s got a new man on his arm, say hello boys!” Cheers and whistles filled the hall as the three of you waved. “Of course, none of them are as big a queen as me. But enough of Mama talkin’ your ear off. Let’s welcome our first act today, the one and only Birdo!”

The crowd cheered again as a team of Koopa dancers twirled on stage in top hats and canes, throwing roses as the lights dimmed. The curtains parted to reveal Birdo on a swing. As the spotlight hit her, she began to sing.

Heart of a woman, heart of a man…

Both can know of love’s grace…

Just try not to get egg on your face.

Two hearts in doki doki panic,

My heart Flutter Jumps,

Kiss me, my darling!

Oops, there’s egg on your face.

“Now isn’t she darling, folks?” Kammy shouted over the cheers. “And she’s not our only guest.”

“Do you mean little ol’ me?” Madame Flurrie called as she floated out on stage. “Oh Kammy, dear, it’s been such a dream to perform with you!”

“Oh believe me, you have no idea what this means to me,” Kammy said, voice breaking a bit.

Flurrie laughed as she looked out over the audience. “My, oh my, it’s been a while since I’ve seen an audience this full and this colorful! I love performing during Pride, nothing beats an audience that gives you the same energy you give them!”

“I hear you,” Kammy said, “just barely, given these ears of mine. But you know what would be even better than three divas sharing the stage?”

“Why not four!” Flurrie laughed, blowing a kiss to the audience. “After all, it’s so much more fun when we come together, and a rainbow isn’t made with just one color. So my lovely friends… please put your hands together and give a warm New Donk City welcome for the one, the only, Mayor Pauline!”

There were loud cheers and the spotlight snapped on, but no one appeared. The applause died and murmurs passed through the crowd. Suddenly, another spotlight flashed on, but this one was purple with a mask silhouette. “Oh no…” you muttered.

A new announcer spoke up. “Put your hands together for the incomparable baddest of the bunch, the villain of the vine, the berry of whom you should be wary… MADAME GRAPE!” Purple mist filled the stage as the sorceress appeared, taking a bow and twirling her scepter as a slow jazz number started to play.

“Dammit! Really Grape?” Peach swore, standing up, but suddenly she was snapped back to her seat. In fact, the entire audience was stuck to their seats. Dark magic had wrapped around all of you, snapping you back to your seat like rubber bands. The same magic snagged Kammy, Flurrie, and Birdo on stage. Mario took Peach’s hand as you all watched Grape carefully.

“That’s Madame Grape to you, Peachy.” The prima donna hovered out over the audience. “After you ruined my plans for the Sparkla Theater, I vowed I’d get my revenge. And what luck! I also have a chance to get revenge on you!” She said, pointing at you.

“Me? What did I do?!”

“How dare you forget… when I’m done with you, I’ll put you in a nice little painting that I can hang in my mansion. Oh that’s sure to get King Boo’s attention!”

“Oh for fuuuuu-,” Bowser muttered, catching himself just in time. “You better leave our family alone or you’re gonna hear from me!” Bowser roared flames that narrowly missed Grape.

“Can’t help but feel like this is a little homophobic,” came a shout from the crowd.

“Yeah, like,” another voice started, “you’re holding a pride event hostage because you wanted to make it about yourself and your het relationship?”

“I mean, the dress is slaying honey,” said a third, “and we love a diva tantrum, but you’re sooooo out of line.”

Grape huffed. “Okay, I’m trying to create the ultimate tragedy here people. Sure it might be dedicated to my future husband…” Bowser snorted with laughter. “FUTURE HUSBAND! BUT, I am also creating a living art, and you can’t fault a theater girly right?”

“I mean, claiming it’s because you’re a girl thus somehow exempt from the rules is a bit regressive to feminism, isn’t it?” Peach said.

“I didn’t ask you Peach!” Grape rubbed her mask in what appeared to be a growing migraine. “Okay, I’m making tragic yaoi. Is that good for everyone?”

“Okay werk!”

“DAISY!” Your entire row shouted.

“Ugh, everyone’s a critic,” Grape muttered, snapping her fingers. A large TV rolled out onto the stage, pushed by a few of her minions. “Last time, I thought the pure art of the theater would turn your comedic life into a tragedy, Princess Peach! This time, I’m not taking any more chances. I’m sending you straight to where the worst dregs of entertainment for the simpering masses end up!”

“Social media?” Daisy asked.

“TELEVISION!”

“Ohhh…”

“Now, you are all about to be my captive entertainment!” She swung her scepter and a vortex of magic surrounded your row.

Bowser shouted through the growing miasma. “Hang on nerd, we’ll get out of this!”

“No worries, my king,” you replied. “I think I’m used to kidnapping by now. However, I’m going to rip Grape apart if she dares HURT MY CHILDREN!”

You could hear Grape smack her scepter frantically. “C’mon faster, get rid of them!”

===============================

You awoke with your head ringing. “I thought I was done with all this,” you grumbled, rubbing your head as you looked around. You seemed to be in a dressing room of sorts, but you were completely alone. “Bowser? Kids?!” You asked, trying to keep the panic out of your voice. You bolted to your feet but froze as you saw yourself in the mirror. “I… beg your pardon?”

Your reflection revealed the comfy clothing you’d worn for Pride was replaced with the hottest threads this side of Inkopolis. Not only that, your hair had been perfectly stylized. You also wore a mic that wrapped down from your ear. If it was any silver lining, you were allowed to keep your spiked armbands, and even a matching choker was added. All together, you looked like the model of a punk pop star.

Just then, a light flicked on and a buzzer sounded. “Might as well play along for now,” you muttered, exiting your dressing room. The hall guided you naturally to the stage, where a bunch of familiar masked minions were dressed as a dance crew. A massive unseen crowd cheered. Behind them, held above the stage you could see a disgruntled Kammy. For a moment, stage fright dripped down your bones. “Wait, what am I thinking? I’ve dealt with King Koopa and Dimentio. What’s a crowd gonna do?” You stood straighter. “These guys I can handle,” you muttered to yourself.

You strode out onto the stage, a thumping baseline starting to play. As you took center stage, a terrible realization hit you. “I didn’t think of a song!” Grape’s Sour Bunch surrounded you, slowly closing in. “Oh c’mon, c’mon, think of something? What would Bowser do? What would… that’s it!”

You planted your feet, letting your Blue persona’s confidence take over, as an electric guitar magically appeared in your hands. You shredded the guitar and launched into a pounding melody. The crowd went ballistic as the Sour Bunch clutched their ears.

“That’s it!” You heard Kammy shout from up above. “You got them shakin’ what their Mama gave ‘em!” You laughed as you built to a grand finale that had the invisible crowd singing along.

Nobody believes in me and you

Just look at the way they stare.

So what if we live in a walled garden?

As long as I’ve got you then I don’t care!

Kick up the wall and take the plunge

Trippin’ through two dimensions.

Up on the moon, we’ll swirl and swoon

Just lead the way!

I’ll throw my hat in the ring ‘cause you’re the one!

A miracle in three dimensions.

Follow the brick path straight to my heart

And we’ll grab the flag together;

The fireworks are gonna start!

As you hit the final chord, sparklers shot off, and the Sour Bunch exploded into confetti. There was another buzzer and then the lights dimmed. In a swirl of magic you found yourself in what appeared to be the Peach’s Castle Mezzanine. The murals were replaced with large oil paintings of Grape and there were nine doors all seemingly angled to face you. Your clothes had also returned to normal.

“Well done!” Kammy cheered. “I wish I had my camera!”

“Thanks, but are you okay? They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Kammy laughed. “No, of course not. The Sour Bunch look tough, but they’re more a nuisance than anything. I’m embarassed to say that Grape caught me off guard. I must’ve been too preoccupied with the show.”

“Don’t worry about it,” you said. “Guess I can’t blame Dimentio for all of the bad luck after all.” You looked around the mezzanine again, this time taking notice of a strange window. As you approached you could see the mezzanine seemingly mirrored on the other side, but you could also see something, or someone, much more important. “Peach!”

Peach ran to the window on her side. “[Y/n]! Are you okay?”

“Fine here, you?”

“Doing okay, just mad that Grape decided to show up.”

Kammy shuffled up to the window as well. “Well now, glad to know we’ve got company.”

“Oh Kammy!” Peach said. “Thank goodness you’re okay too. Do you happen to know where we are?”

Kammy tapped her wand. “It’s a reality warping spell, that much is obvious. We’re trapped on stage – or rather screen – giving Grape the performance she desires. She’s watching us right now.”

You looked around. “I don’t see how? Magic spies? I can’t feel anything weird, and even Dimentio wasn’t that good at hiding it.”

“Part of her reality warping. She’s watching there.” Kammy motioned with her wand towards the wall. For the briefest moment, it turned to static before returning to normal. “Quite literally on the other side of the fourth wall.”

“Great, so what do we do?” Peach asked. “How do we get out and help everyone?”

“I imagine our loved ones are trapped in here too. I’ll work on breaking the spell while you two free the others. Seems like Grape really has a vendetta for both of you, if she chose the two of you to play this little game.”

Peach shrugged. “To be honest, I thought she was dead after last time.”

“And I didn’t even do anything to her! All I did was…” Your voice dropped as you remembered. “Oh, she might be a little upset about the King Boo bit.”

Kammy winced. “Yeah, I’d say just a tad.”

Peach tied up her hair. “Well, [Y/n], how about we put on one hell of a show for Grape so we can get out and get back to the festival?”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Be careful!”

“You too!”

With that, you turned back to the mezzanine. The doors surrounding you all had circular plates, though that didn’t tell you anything about who was where. You approached the first, and in a swirl of purple magic, a mask and top hat appeared. “That… doesn’t tell me much.” You steadied yourself and pushed open the door, ready for anything.

==============================

You tumbled down into a school, specifically a teacher’s lounge. As you stood and examined yourself, you saw that you were dressed as a normal teacher at the end of a long school day. The sun hung low outside. More importantly, you appeared to be hand-drawn and digitally colored, like… “I’m in an anime?”

You then turned to what appeared to be your desk, where a ransom note had been left.

wE hAVe YOuR sOn. COMe aLOne.

A picture of Larry was paperclipped to the note, where he was locked in a cage. “Oh… when I get my hands on them…”

You then noticed you had a strange watch on your wrist. It looked normal at a glance, but there was a faint emblem of a Columbina-style mask in the background. You reached down, pressing a red button on the rim. Suddenly, you were transported into a sparkling void as your clothes were replaced piece by piece with a perfectly tailored three-piece suit. You ran your hand over your face, placing a black and white mask over your eyes. A black circle appeared in your now gloved hands. With a firm tap, it popped out into a top hat, which fit snugly on your head. “Look out evildoers,” you said, the words coming out of your mouth automatically as you struck a pose. “No one can hide from Phantom Thief Y!”

One transformation sequence later, you were running across the rooftops of Neon Heights, leaping between buildings with your grappling hook. You soon found the villain’s base and rappelled down behind cover. You made your way down the steps, taking care to avoid the roving robots and guards around every corner.

Soon, you made it to the bottom where you found Larry, locked behind a cage. “Lemme out!” he cried. “When my dads get here, you’re gonna be sorry!” The guards merely laughed, and walked away. You took that as your chance to sneak in. “Dad!”

“Don’t worry Larry, gonna get you out of here.” You placed a gadget over the lock, the machine picking it in almost an instant. Larry dove into your arms, and you gave him a tight squeeze. “There we are, I’m here. We’re gonna get you home now.”

“Over here!” You heard the gruff voice of a minion as the Sour Bunch came running around the corner.

“I don’t think so,” you said, using your star magic as a flash bomb. You held Larry tight as you shot your grappling hook and zipped back up the building. Up top, there were more masked guards. You were surrounded. “Well… if it works for Daisy…” You set down Larry, filling your fists with magic as you jabbed at the minions. Your magic punches sent them flying, and their bodies burst with light, disappearing into ether.

“No one catches the Phantom Thieves!” Larry giggled.

“That’s right,” you said, high-fiving your son. As you did, a new door appeared before you. “Looks like the show’s over.”

“Aww, can’t we do a heist?”

“Maybe another time, my little thief.” You pushed open the door and stepped through, holding Larry’s hand. On the other side, your clothes once again returned to normal. The door shut behind you and faded away, leaving only eight more.

You handed Larry off to Kammy. “You should’ve seen it!” Larry gushed. “Dad was so cool!”

“I’m sure he was,” Kammy said, squeezing Larry’s hand. “More reality warping magic?”

“Yeah,” you replied. “Same as it was with you. You two stay here, I’ll be back soon.” You ran over to the next door. This time, a simple duo of musical eighth notes appeared on the next door. “Gotta be Ludwig.” You pushed open the door.

===============================

You landed this time on your feet. “Getting the hang of this,” you muttered. You were back in a suit, but this time you were wearing a full tuxedo with tailcoats. You took a step forward, only to slide down a slope made of marimba keys, a crowd of music notes popping up over each key as you tumbled down them. At the bottom, you bounced off a taut timpani and landed on a massive piano keyboard.

Above you, there was a deep laugh as two giant gloved hands appeared. “Well, at least they’re purple gloves and not the white gloves,” you muttered with a shiver. The two hands cracked their knuckles and twiddled their fingers before slamming down on the keys in a powerful chord. The vibration made you stumble, almost falling off the ivories. You noticed that more notes appeared as they played their chords. You jumped on your key, creating a small note, which you grabbed onto as it started to rise.

The hands seemed not to notice, instead hammering away at the keys. Rising higher up the piano, you swung off from the note to the music desk. “Father? Is that you?” Ludwig was trapped in his cage, used to prop open a sheet music book.

You quickly ran over. “It’s okay Ludwig, gonna have you out in no time!” You looked around for something to pop open the lock. You didn’t want to chance using too much of your magic and possibly hurting Ludwig. Then, you had an idea. You whistled and another note appeared. This time, you pulled it down and used the staff to pick open the lock.

“Father, thank goodness you’re here,” Ludwig said, jumping out. “I can’t bear to hear someone absolutely mutilate the classics of Grant Kirkhope like this! Can we leave, please?”

“As soon as that door appears…” you said, yet the door stubbornly did not. “Hmm, maybe it’ll show up if we give this guy some piano lessons. Help me with his sheet music, would you?”

The two of you shoved the music book over, tumbling onto the hands and sending him into a flurry of wrong notes. The hands twitched with anger, before flying forward. You grabbed your son and ran out of the way, just missing the hands as they got wedged in the space between the key cover and the music desk.

You jumped down with Ludwig back onto the keys, sending a few stray accidentals upward, where they smacked into the hands. “Hmm… maybe we can play something to beat them.”

“Great idea! I’m sure it doesn’t have to be complicated. Do you know how to play Arthur de Lulli’s ‘The Celebrated Chop Waltz’?” You stared blankly at Ludwig. He cleared his throat, blushing slightly. “Better known as ‘Chopsticks’?”

“Oh! Of course!” You jumped down on the keys with Ludwig. The two of you hopped in time, sending note after note smacking into the two hands. While the hands twitched, it didn’t seem to be doing much. “Hmm, maybe we need something a little more musical… how about Kondo’s ‘Underwater Theme’?”

Ludwig beamed. “Of course!” You took the bass line, jumping and striding almost effortlessly from key to key. Meanwhile Ludwig relished in playing the melody. This time, the hands twisted as the voice groaned. “How about something fancy? Shimomura’s ‘Beware the Forest’s Mushrooms’?”

“Grand finale!” you agreed. Once again, you took the bass while Ludwig took the treble. At this point the two of you were nearly skipping and sprinting along the keyboard, yet you couldn’t help but love every moment from the joy in Ludwig’s eyes. The notes you played glowed brighter and brighter, filling the hands with light. Once the two of you hit the final chord, the hands burst into confetti, and the door appeared over “Middle C”.

You and Ludwig bowed to each other, before bursting into laughter and heading through the door.

===============================

You landed in the next scene wearing a familiar jumpsuit. “Alright! Racing suit, I can do this!” Your smile faded when you looked around to find you stood in a children’s block fort, surrounded by toys. “Oh… Okay then.”

“Hi there!” Came a bombastic voice, coming out of a toy Koopa. “I’m Tricky Koopa! Are you here to race and learn about friendship?”

“Yes…” you said hesitantly, suddenly realizing you were in the middle of a kids show. Then, you realized you could use this to your advantage. You put on a big smile. “It’s really nice to meet you Tricky! I’m [Y/n], and I’m here because some bad guys took my kids from me. I bet they just need a good lesson in friendship. Can you help me find them?”

“Boy, oh boy! That sounds like a real pickle!” Tricky said. “What d’ya say, kids?”

There was nothing but silence.

“Great! Let’s race around the track and see if we can find ‘em together! Today’s race is gonna be on our favorite Ribbon Road!” Tricky patted your shoulder with his permanently curved plastic hand – which was in no way associated with any trademarked plastic toy brick company. “C’mon, [Y/n], you’re our new buddy so you get to ride in the Biddybuggy!”

In a puff of sparkles, a bright royal blue kart appeared next to Tricky’s green one. It was a bit smaller than you expected, being a kid-sized Biddybuggy, but you made do, squeezing into the driver’s seat. “Alright, hang onto your hat, new friend! Let’s gooooo!” Your engines revved. The flag dropped. “WOOO HOOO!” Tricky shouted as you both slammed on the accelerators… only to move forward at a much slower pace than you were used to.

“Oh stars, it’s 50cc,” you groaned realizing how slow you were going. “Kill me.”

“What was that, new buddy?”

“Nothing! Just… excited!” You said, trying to keep the facade going. As you made the first hill at what felt like a mind-numbing pace, passing through an item box only to get a Green Shell, you realized the track wasn’t as empty as you thought. Grape’s Sour Bunch was here too, and they were racing along on their own purple Biddybuggy’s. Immediately, you found yourself surrounded as they tried to push your kart off the track.

“Oh wow, more racers! I hope they’re friendly,” Tricky said. “Hey, I just remembered, we didn’t talk about today’s special letter!”

You flung a Shell at the minions, knocking a few away. “I think today’s special letter is ‘S,’” you said, “for Shell!”

Tricky clapped before quickly grabbing a hold of the wheel again. “You gotta write the new letter for everyone if it’s the special letter today!”

“Don’t worry, I got this,” you said, as you snaked back and forth on the course, knocking the minions off the ribbon. “There, ‘S’!”

“And there’s two new friends!” Tricky shouted. “Oh no, they’re all locked up, we gotta help them kids!” Sure enough, near the end of the track was a batlike member of the Sour Bunch holding a cage with Iggy and Lemmy inside.

“How did we not see them back at the start?” you muttered to yourself, looking behind you. “Anyway, Tricky, I have an idea. Can you give me a bump?”

Tricky gasped. “I can’t bump you! You might get hurt!”

You bit back your frustration. “How about a friendship bump so I can help my kids?”

Tricky’s eyes widened. “O-kay!” He revved up his (small) engine and rammed the back of your kart right as you bounced the springs. It was just enough to get the small kart airborne. You leaped from the seat and snagged the bottom of the cage, pulling it down. The bat tried to keep it, but soon, you wrested it free. You crashed into the ground, and the cage broke, freeing your sons. Soon, the two had you in a crushing hug.

“Dad, you found us!” Lemmy shouted.

“Can we go racing too?” Iggy asked.

“Awww, isn’t that sweet kids?” Tricky said, pulling alongside. “Now we just gotta finish the race!” You could see the door already forming on the other side of the finish line.

“Well guys, you heard what Tricky said,” you said with a grin. “Race ya?”

“Yeah!”

“You’re on, Dad!”

===============================

This time, you felt much more at home, dressed as you normally would be for your job with Peach. What you weren’t expecting was to see a courtroom around you, with Wendy handcuffed to the table next to you. “Dad? How’d you get here?”

“Grape’s magic, seems like she trapped us all in different TV shows, but I’m getting you out of here,” you explained. “And I’m guessing I’m supposed to be your defense attorney?”

“Yeah but,” she said with a wince, “do you know anything about the law?”

“Not a lawyer,” you said, which went doubly so for the author, “but these legal shows are never perfectly accurate, right? Besides, I wouldn’t be your dad if I wasn’t good at winging it when life throws curveballs.”

“Oye! Oye! All rise for the honorable Dark Judge!” The masked bailiff called. The court rose as the judge, an identical masked minion, arrived in a comically unnecessary powdered wig. As he got settled, you took a closer look around. There was a twelve person jury, also all Grape’s minions to the side. Several envelopes of pictures were scattered across your desk, along with a briefcase filled with documents. Behind the judge was the seal of the Mushroom Kingdom judicial courts.

“Please be seated,” the Dark Judge said. “In this case, we are hearing the People v. Wendy O. Koopa for the crime of being too cute…”

“Aww, Dad maybe we can let them go with this one!”

“...and for extorting King Boo and coercing him into entering a contract under duress.”

“Never mind.”

“Grape is so petty…” You rose. “Your honor, I’m afraid this case cannot proceed.”

The Dark Judge cocked his head, wig tilting askew. “And why is that?”

“Well quite frankly, the whole case is a nonstarter,” you said smoothly. “After all, that jury is not a jury of Wendy’s peers. In fact, not a single member is even a citizen of the Mushroom or Koopa Kingdom’s. Not only that, as her legal counsel, the prosecution failed to consult with me regarding jury selection. Therefore, this case should immediately be declared a mistrial.”

“I… well… well, this is allowed because we’re not using Mushroom Kingdom or Koopa Kingdom laws.”

“Oh really?” you asked, pointing to the seal behind the judge. “That seal is only to be used in official Mushroom Kingdom courts, therefore, if you are an actual judge, then we should be following Mushroom Kingdom law, correct?”

“I… uh…” The Dark Judge looked to the prosecutor and the prosecutor shrugged. The Dark Judge sighed and motioned to you to approach the bench. Once you got close, he whispered, “Listen, it’s a damn show. Grape gave us like ten minutes to make sure the sets looked good.”

“That’s cruel. Aren’t you guys unionized?”

“No? Are Bowser’s minions?”

You sighed and shook your head and looked at Wendy, stage-whispering, “They’re not even unionized.” Wendy gasped. You turned back. “Listen, you guys should get on that. Both Bowser and Peach have unions now.”

“Hmm, thanks…” The Dark Judge then looked left, then right, then pressed something under his desk. Suddenly the room grew darker. “Oh no! A broadcast outage!” He shouted, motioning at you and Wendy to go out the door he came in. Wendy’s handcuffs suddenly fell off her wrist. You took her hand and the two of you hurried out the door as the Dark Judge and the others all waved.

As you ran through the door, suddenly, you shouted, “Aw damn!”

“What’s wrong Dad?”

“All that time, and I never got the chance to shout ‘Objection!’”

===============================

Based off of all the other doors so far, you figured you had the pattern figured out. However, you were in for a surprise as you dropped into the next “show” in a spandex leotard. Peppy pop music began to blast all around you as you landed on a stage with another group of the Sour Bunch.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!” The crowd chanted in rhythm to the song, as you and the Sour Bunch began to jog in place with the beat. You quickly realized you couldn’t stop moving, the music was forcing you to dance.

“Dad help!” Your eyes shot over to the other side of the stage where Roy was forced into the same routine. “I hate cardio!”

“Hang on Roy!” You shouted, but another of the Sour Bunch appeared, this one being a very peppy woman in headbands and leg warmers.

“Hey there everyone!” She shouted in an obnoxiously enthusiastic voice. “Let’s get off that couch and get ready for a real workout! Let’s start with those arm circles!”

“Shouldn’t we warm up first?” You protested.

“No pain, no gain!” She shouted back. “After all, we all gotta get ready for summer!”

Even the minions seemed tired as they jogged beside you. You couldn’t help but notice that they were starting to whisper to one another, though you couldn’t hear what it was about. Besides, you were too busy edging across the stage closer to Roy.

“What’s the plan?” Roy panted.

“Working on it,” you replied.

“If you’ve got time to talk, you’ve got time to move! Let’s get those knees higher!” She said, sickly sweet. “Why would you want muscles when you could be nice and slim?”

“Oh screw you,” Roy panted. “I don’t wanna be a twink, I wanna be beefy! And who cares if someone wants to be muscular or thin or fat? Everyone looks good!”

Her head whipped around, almost to where you could hear her neck crack. “That’s it, you just earned yourself an extra session!”

“Over my dead body,” you shot back. “He’s right, who cares? If you wanna look a certain way, sure go for it, but everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin!”

“Cut to commercial,” she hissed. The music trailed off as she stomped towards you, the lights dimming. You noticed the minions had seemingly left the stage, leaving you with the very pissed off instructor. “I won’t let either of you ruin what I’ve got going, got it?”

“Congrats, you were almost scary,” you said, pointing at her and blasting her with your magic. “Too bad you turned off your music. Roy?”

He popped his knuckles. “Way ahead of you.”

“Wait, you can’t hit me!”

“These hands are gender neutral!” Roy shouted, winding up a punch just like his father. With that, the instructor went flying off screen, crashing somewhere in the darkness offstage.

“Nice one,” you said. “You should compete in the Olympics next time.”

“Nah, you know I’m more a bodybuilder.”

“I know,” you smiled as the door appeared. “C’mon.”

“Wait a sec! We gotta do one more thing while we’ve got this stage!” Roy said with a smirk.

“What’s that?”

“Posedown brah!” Roy shouted, flexing for the camera.

“Hey, save some for the festival,” you laughed, pulling him along towards the door.

===============================

You’d barely entered the next door when you found yourself on another stage, dressed as a chef. You stood facing another of the Sour Bunch, this one a shadowy chef that towered over you. An announcer’s voice echoed through the stage as the lights snapped on. “Weeeeelcome to Kitchen Royale! Today’s contestant is [Y/n], who will face off against our resident master, the Dark Chef!”

Audience applause played as you looked around the massive kitchen. The Dark Chef simply scoffed at you. “Look at him, I bet he’s hardly stepped foot in a kitchen. This is an embarrassment!” Meanwhile, you couldn’t help but wonder where the other minions were.

“And now, introducing our guest judge…” the announcer continued, “he’s royalty from outer space, and oh so cute! It’s Prince Luma!”

A partition fell revealing Prince Luma in a cage. “Papa!”

“It’s okay, I’m gonna save you!” You shouted back.

“Only if you can win,” the Dark Chef said. “Do you actually think you can keep up with me?”

“Contestants, you have thirty minutes to make the most mouthwatering dish that will astound our guest judge! Begin!”

Immediately, the Dark Chef got to work, moving like a blur throughout the kitchen. He had several pans already preheating as he diced vegetables and prepared a sauce. You meanwhile stared at your kitchen, unsure of where to begin. “Now’s not the time to freeze up, he needs you,” you whispered to yourself. “Think! What can you make? Ugh, the only time I really spent a lot of time in the kitchen was with Peach… wait.” You immediately threw open the pantry, grabbing eggs, flour, and sugar...

Thirty minutes passed in the blink of an eye, and soon you were standing beside the Dark Chef at a table near the front of the stage. Thankfully they had let Prince Luma out of the cage in order to eat the food. You could feel the eyes of the invisible audience on you as you stood with your silver platter. Yet, all things considered, you didn’t feel nervous anymore. After all, you knew you had already won.

“With thirty minutes up and the dishes plated, let’s see what our guest judge has to say,” The announcer said. “As per usual, we will begin with our master chef’s dish!”

The Dark Chef lifted the lid, revealing an absolutely scrumptious looking mushroom, marinated to perfection. “I have prepared for you a gourmet Shroom Steak, marinated in a Chuckola reduction.”

Prince Luma stared at it then frowned. “No.”

The masked chef blinked. “Uh… but don’t you want to try it?”

“No.”

“But it’s a gourmet dinner! Just try it!”

“No!”

You stifled a chuckle. “Nice try, but definitely not what he wants.” You approached with your own covered platter. “Besides, what he wants, is this.”

You lifted the cover and Prince Luma’s eyes lit up. “CAKE!” Under the cover, you had a beautiful strawberry cake with perfectly ripened strawberries and fluffy whipped cream. He twirled, a fork and knife appearing in his hands along with a little bib. “Thank you Papa!”

“Of course, little one. Go ahead and eat up, you’re a growing star.” You had to laugh a little; making all those failed cakes with Peach sure paid off. You had Tayce T.’s recipe memorized by now.

The chef however was incensed. “What do you mean?! You feed him cake all the time?!”

“Of course,” you said. “He’s a Luma. They need much more glucose in their diet than most do.”

“That… you cheated!”

You crossed your arms. “You’re the one who chose to challenge me with him as the judge.” Prince Luma giggled and a little burb snuck out. The cake was gone. “What do we say, little one?”

“Excuse me!”

“Good job,” you said, giving him a quick headpat. “If it’s any consolation, I’ll have to try that Shroom Steak recipe sometime.”

“Consolation?! No one wins against the Dark Chef!” Your opponent lumbered towards you, only to be smashed in the face by an empty platter. You simply laughed and picked up Prince Luma, as the return door reappeared.

===============================

You found yourself on a construction site wearing overalls, a bright yellow shirt, and a yellow hardhat. “Heh, Toadette would be proud,” you laughed to yourself.

“Dad!” Morton shouted, running and grabbing your leg. You were happy to see he wasn’t caged, but before you could ask anything, a fanfare played.

“Welcome back to Build It or Break It! Today’s episode is brought to you by the Happy Home Academy!” The unseen announcer said. “Now, let’s meet our contestants. We have [Y/n] and Morton on Team Koopa!” Morton waved awkwardly. “And, our champions, the Dark Builders!” Recorded applause played as two of the Sour Bunch appeared, in rather campy construction gear.

“Yeah, you think you can take us? We’re the champs around here!” One said.

“We’re the whole reason people watch!” said the other. “What do you think of that?”

“I think the producers of Sniff-It or Whiff-It are gonna sue the pants off you,” you muttered.

The announcer continued. “Today, we’re going to see if Team Koopa can make a better remodel than the Dark Builders! Let’s take a look at the current hot listing! Can Team Koopa remodel the great room of this house into a personal paradise? Or do our Dark Builders get to break their remodel and their dreams?”

A house seemed to rise up from out of nowhere behind you. It was surprisingly boring, one of the many identical cookie-cutter houses that one would see in an HOA. Walking inside, it didn’t fare much better, with everything painted in an assortment of shades of gray. “Why flip a house?” Morton asked. “Hard to live in upside down...”

“Not literally,” you explained. “They mean they’d want to sell it. Flippers usually buy a house and remodel it to sell it.”

“Oh…” Morton said, thinking as he looked at the example house. “Then why it look like crap?”

You did your best to stifle your laugh as the two Dark Builders grew steamed. “Then how about we show them how it’s done?” You spun your little hammer in your hand. Morton grinned and picked up a mallet. “So what do we do first?”

“I can pick?”

“Of course, you’re the expert. I’ve seen all your models, remember? Let’s make this the house of your dreams, okay?” Morton nodded excitedly, and then turned and immediately punched through some drywall with his mallet. “Stars, I hope that wasn’t load bearing.”

“Nope,” Morton said, quickly smashing through the rest of the wall. “Make stone blocks?”

You tapped your hammer against your hand, and suddenly a very heavy stone block appeared in it. “Got it!” With that, the two of you got to work.

“How’re you two gonna do it all by yourself?” One of the Dark Builders sneered. “Even we can’t do that without a full team.”

“Yeah and they’re off on strike,” muttered the other.

You frowned, they had a point, doing this all quickly would be tough. Your eyes then landed on the fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, which luckily for you was filled with cherries, Double Cherries to be precise. “Hey Morton, quick snack before we start!”

Morton walked over, a bit confused, but his eyes grew wide when he saw what was inside. The two of you chowed down, copy after copy appearing behind you, each with their own tools. “Alright, ready?” You asked, your voice magnified by ten.

“Yup!” The Mortons echoed back.

The room became a whirlwind, as the walls were stripped bare in the blink of an eye, with new wood and stone accents quickly being put up. A pair of you were holding up a Morton as he worked on the crown moulding, while another pair of Mortons carried a new kitchen countertop. Soon, you were all working to clean up any leftover mess, leaving the cozy new great room looking more like a cozy mountain chalet. Morton left the final touch, hanging a painting as you carried him on your shoulders.

“And that’s all for time! Hammers down everyone!” The announcer said. Your cherry clones popped out of existence as you set Morton down. “So, tell us about your vision for this remodel!”

Morton trembled, shyly starting with, “Picked… open concept.” You gently patted his back and he grew a little more confident. “And added ethically harvested Whomp stone for highlights. The wood adds character.” He said, smile growing. “It makes the house feel nice. Natural, not sterile. Good for family.”

“We want a place that would be where someone can relax,” you added. “Some places are overstimulating and some are understimulating. Gotta make a house a home you can feel comfortable in, not a place you’re trying to constantly keep nice to resell.”

The disembodied announcer seemed pleased. “Well said, now let’s see what our judges have to say about it!” Three dice blocks appeared in a puff of smoke, all of which spun to land on a perfect 10. “Wow! A first! Congratulations to Team Koopa!”

“You did it Morton!” You cheered, high-fiving him.

“Yes!” He beamed.

The Dark Builders were much less enthused. “How’s a kid beat us? This is rigged.”

You leveled a glare at them. “My son is talented at construction and design. I’d imagine the two adults would be mature about this and take the loss with some grace.”

“Well too bad, we’re breakin’ it anyway!”

“Yeah no,” you said, smacking the first with your hammer. Morton followed suit, flattening the other with his mallet. With that, another door appeared.

===============================

Of the two remaining doors, it was immediately obvious who was in the one marked by a paintbrush. You were equally not surprised when you fell into a cool dark studio with a canvas on an easel, a palette and a brush. Your clothes this time were a stained smock and a beret. Lucky for you too, Junior was in a cage not far away, and seemingly fine as he doodled with a pack of crayons. “Junior?”

“Dad!” Junior hopped up, bouncing with excitement. “I knew you’d find me!”

“Of course buddy,” you said. “They didn’t try to hurt you, did they?”

“Nah, they said I was too much trouble. So they just gave me some crayons and left me here.”

You weren’t sure whether to be infuriated that they would do that to him or to be thankful he was completely safe and wasn’t bothered. “I see… well let’s get you out of there first. Did you see a key?” Again, the cage was too small to where you were worried about using your magic to blast away the lock. You started to look around the dark studio, but it was hard to concentrate with a fly buzzing in your ear.

“No, but you know all sorts of cool criminal stuff, right? You can lockpick it!”

You had to wonder if Larry was starting to rub off on his younger brother. “I don’t know a ton of cool criminal stuff… but I could probably figure out a lock. Would be better to break it if I had something strong enough.” You looked through some spare drawers, finding all manner of brushes, pencils, charcoal, and all sorts of other high end art supplies, but nothing that would break the lock. And worse, the damn fly wouldn’t leave you alone!

Finally, you growled and smacked the fly against the table. With a sigh of relief, the buzzing was gone. You kept looking, settling on a sturdy paperweight for pressing leaves and binding books, when the buzzing returned. This time, there were two flies. You could only roll your eyes, grabbing your paintbrush and using it as a makeshift swatter. With each swing, your brush seemed to grow a little bigger.

You fought your way back to Junior, ignoring his giggles as you tried to shoo the flies. By now, your brush was as big as Junior’s Shadow Mario paintbrush. With a wet slap of paint, the flies were smashed to the floor. “Okay, stupid flies…” You brought the paperweight down on the lock, breaking it open.

Junior leaped into your arms. “Yay, Dad! You saved me!”

“I’ll always be there for you, buddy,” you said. You barely had time to hug him before…

BZZZZZZZ…

The buzzing was almost droning. You turned to see a massive mechanical fly buzzing in front of you. “You… you squashed my minions!”

You and Junior looked at each other and back at him. You bit back a comment, but Junior had no such filter. “Your minions are flies? That’s lame. Like really, really lame.”

“How dare you!” The giant fly buzzed as you set Junior down. “I will not be insulted; my minions are elite troops! After all, the great Madame Grape personally requested them after her troops apparently left to unionize…”

“They’re not even Fighter Flies,” Junior sighed. You had to agree, and you imagined that Grape asked for him, because no other villain was really available and willing to go against the Koopa Kingdom.

“No matter,” the fly buzzed. “If you dare to destroy my minions, I, King Watinga, shall stop you!”

You looked to Junior, who gave you a smirk and pulled out his own brush. “Time for a little creative exercise, don’t you think Junior?”

Junior cackled with glee. “Let’s do it, Dad!” The two of you slathered the robotic fly with paint until he sunk into the icky goop. Junior tagged the paint puddle, and you signed with a star. “Dad, you should get your own giant brush like me when we get home. Then we can go painting things together!”

“Okay, but remember Junior, I told you, no more graffiti until you’re older.”

“And I’m only allowed to tag things that belong to corporations unless I get permission, I know, I know.”

You ruffled his hair. “Good boy. Maybe when we get home I’ll see if we can paint the wall in your room together.”

Junior hopped with excitement “Can we, can we?”

“We’ll see, c’mon buddy, gotta go find your Papa next.” The door appeared, and you stepped back through to the mezzanine where the others waited. Finally, that left only one last door before you. A massive crown appeared on the door plate. There was only one person it could be.

===============================

“Huh, well it’s been a while since this has happened,” you muttered. Instead of finding Bowser, you found yourself in a cage this time, with no way of escape. The cage was placed atop an altar at the center of a crumbling stone church you’d expect to find in Crumbleden. To make matters worse, you were also tied to a chair as a giant serpent slithered outside, blocking your cage. At least it wasn’t a dragon.

“Awww, did you think I’d actually play fair?” Grape’s voice echoed around this new set. “You can’t save your husband if you’re trapped too!”

“Yeah, something you should know about that, Grape. Never underestimate my husband.”

Outside your cage, the doors to the church flew open. Bowser stormed in, wearing a knight’s helm. Flames danced between his teeth as he approached, his eyes nearly glowing with fury. “GRAPE! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE HURT MY STAR!” Bowser immediately charged in… only to get knocked against the wall by the serpent’s tail. He hit the wall so hard, a few stray bits of rubble fell and clinked against your cage, almost musically. Even the serpent seemed to wince.

Bowser was far from done. He charged in again, roaring and spitting flames, only to get knocked back again. More rubble clinked against your cage with a few tinny notes and again the serpent winced. “Hmm…” you muttered. You narrowed your eyes and cleared your throat, singing a few lines,

Look at us, so big and small.

Two together through it all.

Heart of Gold, a wish come true.

You and me... unbreakable…

Once again, the serpent froze as you sang. “It stops with music! You can distract it!” You shouted. The serpent turned on you with a hiss, grabbing a rock and shoving it in your mouth.

Bowser looked at the monster, then back to you. “I… I was hoping to show you this later, but… now’s as good a time as any.”

I once wished upon a lonely star

For a love to heal my heart’s scar

My nerd, my king, my star, be true

Don’t need a crown, when I’ve got you.

You’re the one I’m dreamin’ of

The one my heart will always love!

Smithy, Fawful, and Dimentio too

A thousand troops couldn’t keep me from you

Even at the end of the line

I know you’ll always be mine

I’ll never stray far

from My Blue Star

With the final note, Bowser snatched the serpent’s tail, swinging around and around, smashing it’s head against the stone columns. Finally, he whipped the beast against the wall, knocking it out cold. He tore open the cage, lifting you out. You couldn’t help yourself. “Sorry Bowser, your husband’s in a different castle.”

“Don’t you start, nerd,” Bowser snorted. “There’s only one of you and I’d know any day.”

“One of a kind,” you grinned. “The song was beautiful, by the way.”

“Had a feeling you’d like it.”

You gave him a quick kiss. “C’mon, let’s get back to the kids and Kammy. I bet Grape’s gonna flip.”

“Good, someone needs to tell her that her show’s cancelled.”

===============================

The television spat out you and your family, as well as Peach with your other kidnapped friends. You breathed a sigh of relief seeing Pauline, Birdo, and Flurrie as well. The audience was still largely trapped in their seats. Grape sat above the theater, merely shaking her head. “Ridiculous… you can’t find good help these days…” She dramatically spun above you. “No matter, I’ll still steal the show and make this an absolutely dreadful festival!”

“You really think that you’re going to come here and upstage our show? Our special event?” Pauline said. She started to tap her foot and snap her fingers with a growing smile. “Then it’s nothing a little music can’t fix. Gals, let’s show her how it’s really done. Ludwig, be a dear?”

“Yes ma’am!” Your son shouted as he ran to the conductor’s podium. “One... two... a-one, two, three, four!” The pit orchestra erupted in a bombastic big band swing number, building to Pauline’s cue as she took center stage, tipping her hat to the audience.

Here we go, off the rails

Don’t you know it’s time to raise our sails?

It’s freedom like you never knew!

Birdo jumped in next.

Don’t need bags, or a pass,

Say the word, I’ll be there in a flash

You can say my hat is off to you!

Madame Flurrie and Kammy sang together, with the latter looking like she was about to burst from joy.

Oh, we can zoom

All the way to the moon

From this great, wide wacky world!

Jump with me, grab coins with me

Oh yeah!

All four gathered around the microphone, which was starting to glow.

It’s time to jump up in the air,

Jump up, don’t be scared!

Jump up and your cares will soar away!

And if the dark clouds start to swirl,

Don’t fear, don’t shed a tear, ‘cause

We’ll be your 1-Up Girls!

“What is this?” Grape scowled as the theater was starting to fill with a sparkling light. The divas began to dance as they sang, the audience clapping to the beat.

So let’s all jump up super high!

High up in the sky

There’s no power-up like dancing!

You know that you’re my superstar

No one else can take me this far

I’m flipping the switch

Get ready for this,

Oh, let’s do the odyssey!

“Stop this! Stop it at once!” Grape shouted, as the light was starting to eat away at her magic. She tried to blast the microphone, but her magic merely fizzled as it approached the stage.

“Peach!” Pauline shouted as the others took over the bridge. “We’ll keep her busy. How do you get rid of her?”

“Don’t worry, we’ve got that part,” Peach said.

“We?” you asked.

Peach grabbing your hand, “Like this!” Your star magic crackled with hers as a beam of light shot forth, smashing into Grape and knocking her back.

However, it wasn’t enough. Grape fought back, blasting back with her dark magic. “Oho, not this time you wannabe! I’m ready for your little radiant tricks.”

“Then maybe we need a 1-Up boy,” you smiled. Peach nodded and let go. You jumped on Bowser’s back, filling him with your star energy again. “Ready big guy?”

“Of course, my star,” he grinned. “Don’t even have to ask if you want me to smash something.”

Peach whipped her magic at Bowser, lifting him and flinging him towards Grape as you pushed your magic into him. “Consider this your final bow, you hack!” His fist plunged through her mask, shattering it. Grape’s body lit up with the star magic, and she burst into confetti, which rained down on the audience to thunderous applause.

Peach caught you both with her magic and brought you back to the stage. “Now that’s how you start a festival!” Your husband guffawed.

“I don’t think anyone will be forgetting it anytime soon,” Peach replied.

“That’s for sure,” Mario said beside her. “Now, let’s dance, shall we Princess?”

Peach blushed. “Of course, Mario!”

“How about you, nerd?” Bowser asked, but before you could answer, the two of you were tackled by the kids, all cheering and crushing you in a group hug. Luigi and Daisy snapped a picture as you couldn’t help but laugh.

You know that we’re all superstars

We’re the ones who made it this far

Put a smile on that face

There’s no time to waste

So, let’s do the odyssey!

You rested your head against your husband. “I love you, Bowser.”

“I love you too, nerd.”

===============================

A/n: Happy Pride everyone!

This sort of became the “musical” chapter unintentionally, and it was fun to do one more full length chapter before the end.

Thank you again everyone for taking this ride with me. I have to say this is the most fun I’ve ever had writing a story. I’m so thankful for your support and all of the fun notes and comments I’ve gotten along the way from all of you.

Onto the subject of Story 4… upon tallying the votes across the three places I post, we have a winner! Interestingly, we actually had an upset close to the end. Congratulations to Chat Noir/Adrien Agreste! We are finishing Monochrome everyone! Second place goes to Sidon, getting very close. Third place to Adaman, better luck next time. Thank you to everyone who voted! Hope you’re all excited as I am to dive into this story in the fall. If your preferred story didn’t get picked, please don’t worry. Every story idea that makes it to the poll is one I believe in and would like to try writing someday. So, it might not be next, but you may see it in the future.

Speaking of the future, after significant consideration… I may have some ideas already on the slow cooker for a potential sequel. Can’t promise when it will happen, but it’s definitely something I’d like to write someday.

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Day 26 - Zelda

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You ran with Link through the University, higher and higher. “Yeah, we found Zant,” Link said into his phone, “he’s headed up to the Royal Ballroom! Meet up and we’ll take care of him.”

You smashed another monster with your tail before it could form. “Who knew he’d be so fast with those stupid shoes and helmet?”

Link cleaved through another monster. “He’s trying to trap us, isn’t he?”

“Most likely. I bet Ganondorf is up there too. We’ll have to change the plan.” A tall monster with a giant eye rose from the shadows. “Beamos!” You shielded Link from the monster’s laser with your wing as he shot a bomb arrow over your shoulder. You started to run again, but a Wallmaster appeared, grabbing your tail. Link quickly stabbed it with his sword.

“Thanks,” the two of you said in unison.

You ran through an undercroft as you climbed higher along the corkscrew path up the University grounds. As you burst out beside a pond, hulking Geozards leapt from the pond, snarling as their fins flared. The ambush had you off guard and before you could move, you were surrounded. You fought to push away, but you and Link were overwhelmed. Your mask was torn away in the struggle, as you tried to sink your own claws into the monsters. As claws clashed, little by little, your bandages were being torn away. Finally, you got enough room to blast the fish warriors in the face with flames. You stumbled away as your attackers screeched, trying to get back to the water. Link broke away from his and quickly dispatched the rest with his sword.

While the monsters were gone, the pain lingered. You sunk to your knees, wincing. Your scales were sore and aching. They had spread over your entire body, covering all of your burned skin, but that didn’t stop the sunburn-like ache under it all. “Navi? Are you okay?”

“Need to keep going, he’s getting away…”

“As if! Sit down and catch your breath. You’re not gonna beat him like this.”

“I’ll be fine, just… forgot how much those bandages were helping.” Your wings and tail twitched as you took deep breaths, pushing past the pain.

Link knelt beside you. “You said Maple helped you when you first transformed, let’s go find her, maybe she can fix it? Or maybe Venus?”

“Link, if we wait we’ll give them a chance to regroup. We need to keep going. I’ll be okay.”

“But… what if you transform?”

You looked down. Transforming fully seemed all but a certainty at this point. “If I do… I know you’ll bring me back. You always have before.” The dragon must have agreed, as your tail began to wag uncontrollably as Link got closer.

Link rummaged in his pocket, pulling out a small bottle filled with red liquid. “It’s… not much, and definitely not like Venus’ magic, but I thought I’d get it for you, just in case. Good thing, huh?”

“Thanks,” you said softly, accepting the red potion and taking a sip. The potion was concentrated, so the taste was a bit intense, but it at least helped to ease some of the pain. Once you had finished, you found Link shoving a protein bar at you. “Really?”

Link frowned. “You didn’t have enough last night. You’re gonna need your energy if we’re gonna fight Zant, Ganondorf, and their boss.”

You took the protein bar, noting that Link had given you his favorite flavor. “Thanks Link.”

“Just glad I can take care of you for once,” he said with a lopsided smile. “Though… gotta say, three big fights back to back is gonna be dangerous for any of us. Sure, we’ve got Venus and Ralon to heal us up, but it’d be great if we could break it up a bit more.”

You chewed the bar thoughtfully. “Actually… we might be able to. I think I know a way we can get Ganondorf off the board. Gimme your phone?”

Link tossed it to you and you quickly shot off a text. You tossed him his phone back. “Okay, let’s go!”

==============================

You caught up to Zant just outside the ballroom in the beautiful gardens at the highest level of the University. “No more running Zant!” Link shouted. “Stand and fight.”

“Did it occur to you I might be bringing you here to trap you?” Zant sneered, only to get shot knocked over by a bomb arrow. Pillars of ice rose around him.

“Did it occur to you we were a step ahead?” Ralon said with a smirk as he and Corbus stepped out from a gazebo in the garden.

Before Zant could find his footing again, he was clobbered to the ground. “Comin’ through!” Aryll laughed, grabbing him by his long dragging sleeve and whipping him around into the ice pillars.

Zant broke free, backing away with a handspring. “You… you brats! I will not have you make a mockery of me!”

“Aww, but it’s so fun,” Aryll pretended to pout. “Is the big bad general sad that he’s outclassed?”

“I’ll show you!” Zant charged forward straight at Aryll, twin swords appearing from his sleeves. He was stopped short by two other swords, as Avil stood in his way. Zant bounced back, only to slam into a large stone arm.

Professor Komadoh laughed from the stone Zelda’s shoulder. “I suppose we should’ve expected this. After all, the stories say you had to hide behind your other monsters when you fought the Hero of Twilight. I just didn’t expect someone to be so pathetic.”

“You… you…” Zant stomped his feet and screeched in anguish. “You won’t be laughing once I get more reinforcements!” He started to run, but smacked into a wall of golden light.

“Oh you’re not going anywhere.” Venus rose over the edge of the dropoff. “Boys, leave him to us!”

“Thanks everyone!” You shouted. You took Link’s hand and ran through the doors.

The University’s Royal Ballroom was formerly known as the Sanctum, the once throne room of Hyrule’s Royal Family. The University had since turned it into an event space for galas or for graduation; though tonight, the space was left open and empty. Despite improvements for modern conveniences, it had largely remained preserved. The thrones still looked down upon the ballroom, and there were large verandahs and balconies that gave one a beautiful view of all corners of Hyrule. One such balcony was occupied; a man with fiery hair stood on the south end, looking out over Castle City and Hyrule Field towards Gerudo Desert.

“And so the hero and the prince arrive…” His rumbling voice shook you. Ganondorf turned from the overlook towards you. He shed his robe, revealing a dark set of armor beneath. “I’ve been waiting for you to arrive.” He descended the steps toward you, regal yet something about him seemed almost wistful.

“How about we skip all of this and just jump to the part where you tell us who your boss is?” you said.

Ganondorf watched you with amusement. “Funny how even after all this time, you sound much like your ancestors.”

“Not that you would know, you’re just a reflection of the past, diluted with time and details lost to history.”

“That’s the funny thing,” Ganondorf said. “I may not be the same Ganondorf, and sure, some of the details may be wrong thanks to stories being twisted… but sometimes stories exaggerate. Heroic deeds become more impressive and villains become more heinous. So, little dragon, can you imagine what years of being Hyrule’s greatest nightmare does?” He laughed, low and menacing as a swirling vortex of darkness engulfed the ballroom. “Ganondorf, the Demon King. Ganondorf, the Undead God. Ganondorf, the King of Thieves. The title matters not. I can be all of it at once.”

He rose into the air spreading his arms. Almost carelessly, he flung a spell towards you. Link raised his shield just in time to stop a blast of magic from hitting you, reflecting it with the Mirror Shield. Ganondorf batted the magic away, singeing a stone column. A double-ended trident appeared in his hand and he swung it down, sending a horde of Fire Keese towards the two of you. You quickly smashed through them with your tail.

Ganondorf flung his spear at Link, who dodged in time. He shot another blast of magic at Link, and this time Link batted it back with his sword. Ganondorf now drew a large claymore, knocking the magic back. The ball of energy bounced between the two, giving you just enough time to slink back and spread your wings. As Ganondorf knocked the magic back, you flung yourself towards him, knocking him out of the air. You pinned him to the ground, fangs bared. Just as you were about to strike, he disappeared. He reappeared above you, knocking the magic burst down and into your back.

“Argh!” You winced as the magic crackled around you, legs going numb. Ganondorf slammed down in front of you, striking you with the flat of his claymore into a column and pinning you with it against the stone. His other hand forced your head away from him to prevent you from breathing fire on him.

“Underestimate me at your peril,” Ganondorf sneered. Yet, despite being pinned, you started to laugh. Ganondorf frowned. “I admit dragon, this is new…”

You looked at him through his fingers, a faint chime playing across the room. “You’re not the only one who’s back from the dead.”

Ganondorf looked confused, only to be blasted across the room and into a wall. The Guardian ran after him, with Purah in tow. Ganondorf brushed off some stone rubble as he stood, breaking into a demented grin. “The pathetic knight… Is a replica really enough to defeat me?”

King. The Guardian said, drawing his sword. And nothing better to kill a copy than another copy.

“So be it… I’ve longed to have another battle with an opponent who could truly test me,” Ganondorf growled, leveling his sword at the mechanical knight.

And so we shall… after this. The Guardian shot forward in the blink of an eye, dodging Ganondorf’s sword. He grappled Ganondorf, locking him in a bear hug. Purah now!

“Right!” Purah snapped her fingers, and the three began to glow.

Good luck, grandson. Link. The three turned into ribbons of blue light, spirited away somewhere to have their duel far from the University by Sheikah teleportation. With that you and Link were left alone.

“How long do you think we’ll have to wait for the boss to show up?” Link asked, holding the Master Sword tightly.

You couldn’t help but growl, your back starting to arch. “They’ve been here the whole time… I can feel it, but I can’t tell where.”

“Very good,” came a disembodied voice. It sounded layered and distorted, as if speaking with the voice of every villain they had brought forth with the Tri Rod. “At least becoming a dragon has taught you to pay attention.”

“Show yourself!” Link shouted.

The voice ignored him. “Where did you take Ganondorf? I figured you’d want to fight him.”

“There is no Ganondorf!” you shouted. “He’s a fake, just like the others.”

“Actually,” a voice said, stabilizing as one voice, “I prefer the term, Echoes. That was what our dear ancestor called them after all.” Zelda stepped out from behind the thrones, holding the Tri Rod.

“Z-Zelda?” Link asked. “What… what is this?”

“So, you did have the Tri Rod.” You glared at her across the throne room. “Veran, Zant, Yuga, Malladus, all of them Echoes too. I should have known the Tri Rod would work best in the hands of someone descended from its original wielder.”

“I suppose if anyone would’ve figured it out, it would be you.” Zelda’s voice dripped with contempt.

“I… I don’t understand,” Link said.

“Of course, you don’t,” Zelda said. “You’re an idiot. You’re lucky your precious Navi was here to keep an eye on you since you ran off. You were supposed to stay with me!” Link glared at her. “It was going to be such a perfect fairy tale. A monster, a princess, and a hero and the return of a glorious kingdom… and the power to make things perfect forever. It would have been so much easier if our stupid ancestor didn’t banish the Triforce from this realm in the first place, but a girl learns to make do.”

You felt like you were going to be sick. “You want the Triforce just to live out your princess fantasy?!”

“Oh please, it’s more than a fantasy. You and I both know our family was meant to rule this land. Look around you! It’s not like anyone could stop me. Imagine if someone else attacked, these idiots wouldn’t know what to do. It’s just a mercy to save these people from themselves. We’ll reset the clock and bring Hyrule back to a better time. My plan was perfect… if it wasn’t for you two. Link, you’re a hero, you’re supposed to slay the monsters.”

You’d never seen Link look so disgusted, even when under Yuga’s spell. “You turned Navi into a dragon so I would kill him?”

Zelda shrugged. “I needed just the right person to play the part. Someone who’s heart was filled with enough jealousy and envy, but also the innate power of the royal family would create a terrible monster. Then, I could make sure everyone turned their attention to that monster, blame it for everything. Strange things happening? Legends coming true? Of course, the idiots out there would pick the monster. Instant angry mob and a perfect distraction while I continued my work,” she said but her smile turned sour. “But Veran had to miss, and you got lucky getting help to slow the curse.”

“Jealousy and envy… of what?” Link asked, turning towards you.

You tightened up, but you didn’t want any more secrets. “Of you,” you said quietly. “I thought you and Zelda were dating… and I wanted you to be my boyfriend instead.” Any doubt instantly washed away and Link’s eyes sparkled.

Zelda rolled her eyes. “You two are disgusting. But I figured I should be flexible and even if you were working with Link, I could use you to find the Light Force. So I waited. I knew you’d gather the three sanctions from the Goddesses. Unlocking the Temple of Time was supposed to open the way to the Sacred Realm and the Triforce or at least the Light Force! Yet, all it unlocked was a stupid sword!” She kicked over a pot. “So I figured the real entrance must be hidden under Snowpeak, so I sent an Echo to invade it. But it wasn’t there either. So where is it?!” She roared. “Where is the Light Force that I rightfully deserve?!”

“You want the power of Hylia…” you muttered, thinking all the way back to what Maple had told you when you first transformed. “But you didn’t get it. The Royal Bloodline doesn’t go through you, it goes through me. That’s why you made sure I got transformed, isn’t it? Because I wasn’t just a threat to you and Link, but to your plan to get power.”

“Like I said,” Zelda smirked, “I needed just the right person to play the part.”

“Every bit of opposition out of the way, huh?” You said, as another realization hit. “Is that why you also made sure Link’s skills were slipping? Sabotaging his studies and his training? You didn’t want him to be anything more than a toy, and someone you could toss aside if they got too dangerous.”

“What?” Link gasped. He looked up at Zelda in shock; your cousin merely glared.

“There’s one more thing,” you said, as everything was coming together for you. “What I don’t understand is how you were able to make so many Echoes at once. All of the stories mention how that Zelda could only summon a few at a time.”

“Maybe I’m just more gifted,” Zelda preened.

“Or you’re getting help.” Zelda flinched, if for a second. You allowed yourself a moment of smug pride before focusing. “Zelda… you don’t have to do this. You can give this up. You can still break free.”

She looked at you with venom. “No! I’m not stopping now. Not after you got your hands all over my boyfriend.”

“I am not your boyfriend, and I never have been,” Link said in a low warning voice.

“No, because you were too busy making googly eyes at him. Why Link? What does my stupid cousin have that I don’t? I’m far prettier, more popular, richer. You could’ve had everything!”

“But you don’t love me and – wait.” Link froze as the final piece of the puzzle slid into place. “C-cousin…? Zelda only has…” Link paled. He spun towards you, frantic. His hand shook as he reached out to you. “…[Y/n]?”

You took his hand, gently running your thumb over his knuckles. You gave him a weak smile. “Hey.”

“N-Navi… you’re… you’re [Y/n]!”

“Always have been. I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you.”

“All this time…?” Link murmured, hands shaking.

“It hardly matters,” Zelda said. Her words were like a bucket of ice, and the two of you glared at her. “All of this is going to be gone soon. So what if the Light Force wasn’t in the temples or the mansion or even here at the castle? I’ll just have my monsters tear through every last bit of the country until I find it. I’m going to wipe Hyrule clean and then when the world is still, I know I’ll find it.”

“You’re crazy if you think we’ll let that happen,” you said, as Link slowly slipped from your hands.

“As if I need to ask permission. I’m the one with the Tri Rod. I don’t care how many Sages you know or what little toys you have to fight my soldiers with. I can always make more, I can always curse more people. And each one pushes you closer to losing yourself, so all I have to do is wait. I have nothing but time, and when you finally crack, I – urgk?!” Zelda looked down in horror to see the Master Sword through her chest.

“How dare you,” Link said in a low growl, slowly growing louder. “You… you’re responsible for all of this… all because you were jealous?! All because you wanted a kingdom that’s been long dead?! How dare you do this to him!” With a roar, Link ripped the Master Sword free and slashed it across her throat.

Zelda’s body fell limp to the ground, only to disappear a moment later. “An Echo?” You said. “No, no, no, we have to find the real one! If we don’t stop her, she’s going to basically nuke Hyrule! She’s got to be around here somewhere...”

Link just stared at the spot where Zelda’s Echo once stood. “I… I can’t believe she did all of that to you.”

You stopped and turned to Link. “To me? What about to you? She was horrible to you.”

“She was, but you’re her family. And what about your dad? Sure, she didn’t do it directly, but she caused him to be transformed too.”

You sighed. “I know, and I’m sure it’s gonna take me a long time to truly understand why, but we’ve got bigger problems right now. We need to stop her, and I know someone’s helping her that’s way more powerful than I originally thought. If we don’t stop them now, Hyrule might be just… gone. And with a rogue Goddess running around, the rest of the world won’t stand much of a chance.”

“You’re right, we’ll find her,” Link said, but you could tell something was still on his mind. “Um… first though. Navi, I mean, [Y/n], you were in love me?”

You blinked and after a beat, nearly shouted, “Link, there’s no ‘were’ about it. I love you! I’ve been in love with you for a long time. Why would you ask?”

Suddenly, you found yourself trapped against the wall between Link’s arms. There was a rather unique fire in his eyes, one that looked less like Link’s flirting but soft puppy eyes and more like being stalked by a wolf. “You’re telling me I could’ve asked you out before all this, and I could’ve been dating you this whole time?!”

“I… maybe,” you said softly. “Though I don’t think we would’ve been ready for it until now. I… I didn’t think you really noticed me back then. And I’ll be honest… I kinda just worshipped you blindly before.”

“Fuck that,” Link said, “We would’ve figured it out.” He kissed you, almost bruising your lips with the forcefulness of his passion. Yet, as he kissed you over and over, deepening it each time, you started to feel teardrops on your cheek.

You gently broke the kiss. “Link, what’s wrong?” you asked as you stroked his hair.

“You’re here,” His voice cracked. “You’ve been here the whole time. You’re… you’re here…”

You pulled him closer, holding him against you. “I’m sorry Link, I wanted to tell you so badly.”

“I… I’m gonna fix this. I promise, I’ll get you back to normal.”

“I know, you’ve said that since the beginning,” you said with a toothy smile. “Just wish I could have told you when this was done.”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Link said. “I told you I love you no matter who you are.”

“I love you too, Link,” you said. You wanted to stay there just a little longer, but a glint over Link’s shoulder caught your eye. You quickly wrapped your wings around him and dodged as a blast of magic nearly hit you both. “Really? Not even a moment?”

“Why would I?” Zelda said with a glare. “Oh well, I’ll just make myself a new Link, an Echo who isn’t going to go running off with my cousin. As for you two…” she said, creating a new Echo of Veran. “Can’t have you running off and getting in my way. So I’d appreciate it if you two kill each other now, okay?” You prepared to run, when suddenly you were hit in the back with a blast of magic. The Zelda and Veran before you disappeared, with two more, the real ones, behind you. Suddenly, your vision began to swim, releasing Link moments before you fell to your knees.

“[Y/n]!!” Link cried.

Acid and flames burned in your throat. Your bandages fried under the onslaught of magic. Your horns grew and grew, growing barbs like thorns and wrapping around your head, some curling back and some curling forward in a terrible demonic bramble. Your body cracked and shifted as you were forced to change. You could feel the dragon inside you screaming as well as it was forced out. Soon, there was nothing left, your clothes shredded and your body replaced by a dragon with black and gold scales. King Argarok had arrived.

And yet…

“Why isn’t he moving?” Zelda asked. “He should be a bloodthirsty monster!”

“[Y/n]?” Link asked, tentatively walking forward. “C’mon, you know it’s me, right?”

King Argarok remained completely still and silent.

==============================

A/n: So, Zelda’s been behind it all the whole time… but is she alone? Congrats to everyone who called it, I figured everyone was going to lock in their answers after Chapter 23 when I tipped my hand on the Echoes, but a lot of you were thinking it long in advance. I didn’t want Zelda to be too sympathetic because I didn’t want the twist to come out of nowhere, though if I were to rewrite this from the start, I might make it a little less clear.

Onto the subject of Story 4… upon tallying the votes across the three places I post, we have a winner! Interestingly, we actually had an upset close to the end. Congratulations to Chat Noir/Adrien Agreste! We are finishing Monochrome everyone! Second place goes to Sidon, getting very, very close. Third place to Adaman, better luck next time. Thank you to everyone who voted! Hope you’re all excited as I am to dive into this story in the fall. If your preferred story didn’t get picked, please don’t worry. Every story idea that makes it to the poll is one I believe in and would like to try writing someday. So, it might not be next, but you may see it in the future.

Next time… something’s not quite right…

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Day 25 - Twilight

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“This is not what I had in mind when you said we need to catch a train, Purah!” You shouted over the noise. The single car commuter train Purah acquired clattered downhill, careening towards the Breach of Demise, much too fast.

“That makes two of us!” Professor Komadoh shouted from the front. “Now quiet so I can concentrate! The Dominion Rod wasn’t made for this!” She focused, trying to wrest back some control as the green glow from the rod flickered over the train’s control stand.

Purah simply laughed from her seat beside a resolute Guardian. “Oh come on, you guys are making a big deal out of nothing! And we can’t catch a Demon Train without a little bait, right?”

“I’m pretty sure this isn’t little!” Ralon said as he braced himself between the wall and Aryll.

Aryll was surprisingly in agreement. “Hey any other day I’d love this, but how about not on the sharpest cliffs and turns in the country?!”

The train suddenly rode up on one side as it took a sharp turn, before slamming back down. “Thank Hylia, we’re the only ones out here,” Link muttered as he did his best to lock you safely into the seat with his arm. You had your tail wrapped around him too.

“Linky and Ralon, you have your upgrades right?” Purah asked. She had worked tirelessly through the night before – though perhaps sleep wasn’t as important when you were part computer.

“Oh yeah,” Link said with a grin. “These new bomb arrows were perfect!”

Ralon was less enthusiastic. “A-are you sure these are safe?”

“You won’t be able to break through a metal engine with just normal arrows,” you said. “You’ll do fine, Ralon.”

Ralon blushed. “Um, okay. I’ll do my best!”

Meanwhile, you pulled down your mask to give Corbus and Avil as cheerful a smile as you could with your sharpened teeth. Corbus was absolutely doing his best not to lose it. “Hey Corbus, you’re gonna do great too! Just think of it like a game.”

“Yeah this isn’t TriFighters when it’s a giant train!” Corbus yelped.

“Aww c’mon,” Avil said. “Think of it like that time you pulled an all-nighter gaming marathon right before that test and you still aced it. You remember too, righ…” Avil’s voice trailed off as he caught himself and clenched his jaw. He cleared his throat. “I mean, it was pretty crazy. Don’t stress, you’ve got this.”

As Corbus spluttered a response, your smile turned wry, remembering how you finished your conversation with them the previous night.

==============================

“Do you want us to tell the others?” Avil asked.

“Not yet,” you said. “I… I’m still worried about if there’s a traitor around. I don’t want people to know that you know.” You sighed. “That means Link too.”

“I’m fairly sure Link is in danger by the nature of being Link,” Corbus said dryly.

“I know, but I don’t want him or you two to be in the crosshairs more than you already are.” You paused, picking at your bandages. Your eyes lingered on one of the many historic artifacts decorating Professor Komadoh’s house, this one with the emblem of the Royal Family: the winged Triforce. “I have a guess as to who the mastermind really is, and I have a feeling I’m right. I just don’t want to believe it. And if it is… they won’t hesitate to kill you to stay in the shadows until the time is right.” You squeezed your arm. “If my guess is right, they need me alive for now. I don’t know if that extends to the rest of you. They have to think that we’re clueless for now, if for anything to keep everyone alive. Please… let’s keep it secret just a little longer.”

==============================

As the train screeched downhill, you heard the bellow of a deep whistle. “Incoming!” Avil shouted. Out the rear cab, you could see a plume of smoke approaching fast.

“Hang on!” Purah shouted. She typed on her laptop, opening a track diagram. Suddenly the train screamed over a switch. The whistle behind you bellowed again, this time louder. The terrifying face of Malladus was approaching fast. Purah typed again and the Demon Train began to overtake you on a parallel track. The cannons along the boiler turned, slowly taking aim. “Okay, places everyone!”

Avil and Aryll pried open the doors on the right side, and cold air blasted everyone inside. Link and the Guardian took arms at one door while Corbus and Ralon stood by the other. You meanwhile unfurled your wings and jumped out the door, rising on the blast of air upwards over Malladus. You darted over the locomotive, spitting fire. Of course, fire did not do much to a machine, but it did draw his attention.

“Fire!” Purah shouted and a hail of explosions appeared below you. Corbus’s ice magic coated the hot metal, almost instantly snapping crank pins and splitting some of the metal casing. Malladus cried out as you darted in, blowing flames back at the cracked pieces. The locomotive hissed, immediately braking and putting distance between it and your friends.

“Coward!” Purah shouted after it. Malladus’ whistle roared again as the train suddenly levitated off of the tracks and onto the same track as their train. Purah blanched as your train sped up. “Well that’s not fair… Okay team, onto part two. Ready to be a hero, Corbus?” Corbus swallowed hard.

The battered train finally came to a brief stop in a canyon near a set of switches. “A-are you sure about this?!” Corbus stammered, standing in the middle of tracks.

“Trust me,” Purah said. “You’re gonna do great! The rest of us will get set up. Just remember, wait until he’s speeding towards you so he springs the trap instead of running away.”

You landed beside Link, but one look at Corbus was all you needed. “Link, go on ahead, I’m gonna help Corbus.” When Link started to protest, you added, “I can fly him to safety if things go wrong.”

“Promise to be safe?”

“Of course,” you said, giving him a quick hug. You then ran to Corbus’ side. “Alright big guy, you’ve got this.”

“Navi?!” Corbus yelped. He then dropped his voice low. “[Y/n], what are you doing?!”

“Not leaving you alone.”

“Me neither,” Avil said, taking his other side. Just then the rails began to vibrate, a low ringing starting to fill the air. You could hear the powerful bellow of a smokestack and pistons approaching.

“Avil,” you gasped, “you… I can’t carry both of you.”

“You won’t need to, Corbus is gonna get him.”

“I-I am?”

“YES!” You and Avil shouted. The rails were now screaming and a demonic whistle echoed around the corner. “NOW!”

“AAAHHH!” Corbus swung his Ice Rod, freezing the rails and building a growing ice block, locking the points. Malladus thundered forward and slammed into the ice block at the same time he hit the switch. The Demon Train lurched into the air with a screech of metal, before falling to the side like a breaching whale. Corbus flipped the Ice Rod around and blasted the locomotive’s underside, freezing the wheels but also icing over the infernal firebox. Metal creaked and hissed as it rapidly cooled. Steam poured out of the rupturing metal sheets.

“MOVE!” You shouted, shoving your friends to the side as the Demon Train began to creak, steam shooting everywhere. With a terrible groan, the metal screeched and tore. You and Corbus covered Avil as the boiler exploded.

Everything fell perfectly silent. Then, the creaking metal remains began to move. Bit by bit they melded together rising and transfiguring into flesh. Where the hulk of a locomotive once lay, was now replaced by a towering demon. “Oh… forgot about that detail,” you muttered.

“Stand back and let me show you how its done!” Aryll shouted, running up from her cover down the canyon. She charged in, baiting Malladus’ to slam his fist into the canyon wall.

“Aryll, wait!” Link shouted, but there was no stopping her.

As Malladus tried to pull his fist free, Aryll wound up a punch, her Golden Gauntlets shining in the sun. She landed an uppercut straight into the demon’s gut, sending it upwards. He landed with a small tremor. Aryll grabbed his arm, bending it back and sending the demon into howls of pain. “Hey Link, you gonna make me do all the work here?”

“Crazy sister,” Link muttered, jumping in with the Master Sword and piercing the demon’s chest. Cracks of light erupted across Malladus’ body, as the demon Echo was sent back to the void.

“No darkness…” You muttered looking around. “The Master Sword just… obliterated it.”

“See, that’s how it’s done!” Aryll cheered, throwing an arm around her brother.

“You’re insane,” Link muttered. “At least you didn’t throw my boyfriend this time.”

“Thought about it,” Aryll snickered.

Corbus sighed. “Never again…”

“Aww, you did great!” You said.

“Yeah! That’s one more general down, getting back to Castle City’s a piece of cake!” Avil laughed.

==============================

Avil may have been partly right. Getting to Castle City wasn’t so bad, but the University was not possible. A terrible sludge seemed to drip down the streets from the University. Monsters rose from the goop, at first, lumbering and formless. Yet, as they roamed the streets they formed into terrible beasts from ancient nightmares.

The Guardian immediately put up an arm to keep anyone from getting too close. That ooze looks like it might be Malice or Gloom. Whatever you do, don’t touch it. It will slowly drain your life.

“How do we get rid of it?” Corbus asked.

The Guardian’s eyes flashed as he scanned the area. I’m afraid there’s no eyes for us to shoot… that’s what usually works. Might be Gloom in that case, stay as far as you can.

“And the monsters?” Link said, drawing the Master Sword.

You have to ask? The Guardian seemed to laugh, producing his own sword. Contain what we can to help the people. Let’s see if you can keep up, new hero.

“You’re on!”

As Link and The Guardian darted off to fight, Purah just shook her head. “Some things never change. Need to learn to work smarter, not harder.” She snapped her fingers and her drones formed six holograms of Sheikah warriors. She strapped on her goggles and sent her warriors out, slashing through the weaker monsters and clearing a path forward.

The battle soon had your team separated around you. You and Avil were driven towards the main square, surrounded on all sides, but managing well. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a towering Gerudo man and his partner helping to guide others to safety in the station underground. A Gleeok lumbered towards them. “Avil!”

“Gotcha, give me a boost!” You grabbed him under his arms and took flight, dropping him beside the dragon while you shot up and blasted fire at one of the heads. “I’ve got it Navi, you stop the others!”

“Right!” You said, shooting off to fight some of the other encroaching monsters, but you couldn’t help but look back at Avil. He made the fight look effortless, slashing his blades with precise, powerful strikes.

You torched a Manhandla as Avil struck at the beast’s necks. As a head descended, the Gerudo man hurled a concrete chunk towards it, stunning it just long enough for Avil to strike the Gleeok down.

“Not bad kid,” the Gerudo man said with a smirk. “You lookin’ for a job? Can bring your dragon friend too.”

His partner rolled his eyes. “Not now! We need to cover the other exits!”

The Gerudo man nodded. He patted Avil’s shoulder. “Right, go. A warrior’s destiny awaits you!” His eyes then fell on you. He just shook his head with a laugh, before running off with his partner to fight back the monsters.

“Warrior’s destiny, huh?” Avil grinned. “Sounds cool.” He then ran back into the fray with you, slowly fighting your way closer.

You and Avil eventually separated to take down twin Aquamentus – which were certainly easier than a Gleeok. You had just finished showing one who was the superior dragon when a giant eye floated towards you, tentacles trailing behind it.

“Navi, look out!” Link ran up and fired his bomb arrows at it but to no luck. “I don’t get it, these should tear through it?”

You were about to explain when Ralon ran up, holstering his crossbow. “Don’t worry Navi, I know this one! Digdogger right?” Ralon put a hand to his chest as he began to sing a scale, slowly working higher and higher and higher. The Digdogger trembled before bursting into two smaller monsters and falling to the ground. Ralon then whipped out his crossbow and fired two bomb arrows, dispatching the weakened monsters. “How was that? I did my research on monsters while you were at Snowpeak!”

“That was perfect,” you replied, making Ralon beam.

“Pretty good,” Link admitted, but he shot an approaching Dodongo with a bomb arrow, right down its mouth. “Just don’t let down your guard, okay?”

Ralon watched Link with big eyes. “Um… yeah, thanks.” He then hurried to fight more monsters, though you thought you heard him mention something about having two hands.

As the battle raged on, you and Link were separated again, this time with you forced up against the sludge. The monsters were seemingly endless. In frustration, you spat fire at the sludge, which had no effect. “As long as that goop stays here, we’re stuck,” you grumbled. “Fire doesn’t work, and no one can touch it… how do we get rid of it?”

There was a whoosh and then a giggle beside you. “Need some help, Mr. Dragon?”

There was another giggle on your other side. “Silly Mr. Dragon, no fair leaving us out!”

“Koume! Kotake!” You exclaimed. The twins floated beside you on brooms. Maple wasn’t far behind, once again wearing her long black dress, complete with pointy hat.

“That miasma needs to be cleared with magic. Stand back,” Maple said. She raised her hand and the air grew stale. The twins ducked under your wings as a terrible burnt smell filled your nose. “ETHER!” Bolts of lightning shot down from the heavens, frying the rest of the monsters. The sludge receded, clearing your path forward.

“Holy…” you whispered.

“In a manner of speaking,” she wheezed before starting to wobble. Koume and Kotake dashed out to help her. Maple leaned heavily on the twins. “It’s… been a while since I’ve needed to use a big spell like that…”

“Granny…” Koume and Kotake whispered.

“Are you alright? Do you need a potion?”

“Don’t worry about me,” she said through huffs. “Get to the University and strike now before they rally their forces again! We’ll join you once I catch my breath.”

==============================

You ran with Link and the Sages up the path to the University. Yet, before you could cross the main gates, the University was suddenly sealed in a topaz crystal etched with strange symbols you had only seen a few times in the Archives before. The crystal swirled with shadows and light, the silhouette of the castle being the only thing you could see. “I think it’s safe to say we’re expected. What even is this?” you muttered. You reached forward and a sharp shock hit your fingers, forcing your claws to emerge. “Ouch!”

Link placed a steadying hand on your shoulder. “Okay, we can’t go this way. We’ll find another way around.”

“It’s a crystal, I doubt there’s another way around.” Professor Komadoh examined the symbols. “As I suspected, this is Ancient Twilit writing. Zant’s doing, no doubt. It’s a magic barrier, but we should be able to cross… in theory.”

“What do you mean?” Link asked.

Professor Komadoh shook her head. “Even if we get inside, most likely we’ll run into Twilight on the other side. Even as Sages, I think we would end up fading into shades. You might be able to resist it, Link, but I’m not sure what it would do to Navi.”

You weren’t to thrilled with the idea either. Then, the Guardian spoke up. What if someone who isn’t living enters?

Everyone turned to Professor Komadoh. “I… I’m not sure. I imagine they would be fine. But if your technology uses light magic, it could be corrupted.”

The Guardian crossed his arms. “Give me a sec. Let’s not send you in until we know what we’re looking for, just in case,” Purah said, as she launched a spare drone with a gold eye emblem. It buzzed, slowly passing through the barrier. A holographic screen appeared before her, showing the live video feed. “Looking pretty normal for now.”

Aryll leaned in. “Hey wait a sec, what’s that?” The drone hovered, zooming in. “Is that a rabbit?”

“It’s a Blupee!” You and Link shouted together.

“Huh, been a while since I’ve seen those,” Purah said. The drone lowered and followed the Blupee around the courtyards and deeper into the University. Soon, it came to a spot where the barrier ended, just before the entrance to the cafeteria. “The barrier doesn’t extend all the way… interesting.”

“No, something’s pushing it back,” Aryll said. “Look!”

“A… bulb?” Avil asked.

“A Great Fairy!” Purah exclaimed.

“It’s Venus!” You said.

“Great Fairy Queen,” Link explained to the others. “How’d she get down there?”

“No idea, but her magic ought to be enough to shatter this crystal, but we need to get her out.”

Professor Komadoh stepped forward. “Leave that to me.” She twirled the Dominion Rod in her hand, flinging an orb at the statue of Zelda the Luminary. Suddenly the statue’s eyes glowed green as the former Princess came to life, her lantern lighting her way through the Twilight. Small monsters like Octoroks and Bokoblins started to emerge from the darkness, only to be stomped by the roaming statue. Professor Komadoh carefully guided the stone Zelda back towards the bulb, before carrying it back to you, setting it down just outside the barrier.

You and Link ran to the bulb, pressing your hands against the cool leaves. “Venus? Are you okay? Can you hear us?” you asked.

Suddenly, the bulb trembled, shooting fireworks of magic high into the sky. The sparkling ashes turned into multicolored fairies flitting here and there. With a burst, the bulb bloomed outwards, unfolding and refolding back into a familiar tight green cocktail dress. The Fairy Queen had returned, towering over all of you. “Hellooooo darlings!” The fairies applauded around her. “Oh, thank you, thank you, you’re too kind.”

“E-excuse me, your majesty?” Link began. “We, uh…”

“Well if it isn’t my favorite boys! And you’ve brought so many cute little friends!” Venus crooned, bending down with a dazzling smile. “Thank you for rescuing me, I suppose I got a little too excited when Maple said the time was coming to strike. Snuck in and got squished in place by that stupid barrier. Can’t use my magic like that… so rude to do that to a lady.”

“So, you can shatter this?” Link asked.

Venus looked back at the barrier as her Blupee crawled up onto her shoulder. “Now that I’m out of my bulb, absolutely. And for you, hero boy, I’d do it for free.” She smoothed her dress and cracked her knuckles. Then, with all the grace of a prized boxer, she punched, shattering the crystal.

“I like her,” Aryll said.

“Oh, I love me too darling,” Venus laughed. “Onward!”

“Wait, you’re coming with us?” You asked.

“Of course?” She asked as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It gets sooo boring out in Akkala. Let a girl have some fun!”

“In that case, let’s split up and see if we can find Zant,” you said. “Corbus, Ralon and Aryll, check the science wing. Avil, Professor Komadoh, Purah, and Grandpa, check the cafeteria and humanities wing. And-”

“Link and Navi will check the grounds with me,” Venus said with a wink towards you. “I’ll take the north and Link and Navi will check the south.”

“Uh… yeah! That!” You said. “Be safe everyone! We don’t know what other tricks they might have for us.”

==============================

Under the watchful gaze of the Hero of Time’s statue, you found your target. Zant stood solemnly in the middle of the Knight Games field. As you and Link approached, he tilted his head back. “Ahhh… so you finally arrive. I was looking forward to seeing you both again.”

“So, are you just like Impa and Veran?” Link asked. “There never was an Owlan at our school?”

Zant turned to face the two of you, seemingly watching you through the lifeless eyes on his helm. “Never. Our Master Ganondorf created us because we would be the perfect agents of chaos within his plan. He picked us to be the perfect copies and even crafted fake identities off of the best candidates in the Archives. Who better to pull at the swordsman’s strings than his supposed coach?”

“Good, I’m looking forward to kicking your ass then,” Link growled, his hand resting on the Master Sword’s hilt.

You glared at Zant. “Cut the crap. The real Zant hated Ganondorf in the end. You might be a copy, but if you’re telling the truth, you’re a pretty poor copy.”

Zant suddenly screeched, bending in a full back bridge before springing in a backwards somersault. “FINE! Ruin my fun! I don’t know why I even pretend. But it doesn’t matter because soon you’ll all be dead, dead, dead, dead, DEAD!” Zant suddenly launched forward, cackling gleefully, straight towards you.

Link pushed you back, hitting Zant with a mortal draw and knocking the Twilight Usurper back. “Oh, lucky shot! You think you can take me down? I’ve been training you! I know exactly what you’re going to- wait, what’s that?”

Zant was knocked back by an explosion as Link fired a bomb arrow at him. Link didn’t give him a chance before charging in furiously, striking him with a spin attack. As Zant tried to hop away and escape, Link swung the Master Sword, sending a beam of energy after him. Link charged in again, striking Zant and trapping him against the bleachers. “You… I get it now,” Link said. “I shouldn’t have listened to you. All that hype you kept trying to mess with my head. And now, you’ve been doing all of this, all to destroy everyone around us? No more!”

Zant tried to jump back but was sniped out of the air by Link’s bomb arrow. Link charged in as Zant darted here and there across the field, slowly getting farther from you. Link sent another beam of energy at the general, knocking him down. “Change Navi back!” Link growled. He leapt up for a killing blow, but Zant teleported away just in time.

“Back? Oh no, not when we’re so close,” Zant huffed, looking worse for wear. “In fact, why wait?”

Warning bells were going off in your head. Zant was trying to separate you two. “Link, get back!”

“I’m sure we could speed things up if I simply enhance Navi’s curse. Let us bring about the end!” Zant cackled as he raised his arms, a large shadowy ball forming above him, crackling with magic. He flung the curse towards you.

“No!” Link shouted. He hurled his Mirror Shield across the field, knocking the curse away from you… but towards him. Link’s body skidded on the grass, crackling with dark energy.

“Link!”

“Hehehe… well it may not have been my target, but I’ll take it!” Zant cackled as he disappeared.

You wanted to pursue him, but you were cut off by an anguished shout. Link screamed as his face contorted, slowly pushing out into a muzzle. He snarled as his teeth grew into fangs, and fur began to coat his body. You wrapped a wing over him. “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay, just focus on breathing, count your breaths.”

Link snarled as his bones snapped and shifted. His eyes were wild as he suddenly lunged forward, biting your arm. Your scales were luckily stronger than his new fangs, but his jaw was locked around you. Instead, you simply scratched behind his new fluffy ears. As you did, you took a deep breath, pressing your claws against his head as gently as you could. Little by little, the wisps of darkness crawled up your arm.

“Link, stay with me here, it’s okay…” You embraced him, his snarls slowly dropping into whimpers. The dark fur was slowly replaced by blond hair as the curse reversed. “It’s okay, I’ve got you.” Soon, Link’s body rested against you, as he took a few shuddering breaths.

“Dammit… I… I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I’m pretty sure you saved my life.”

“But I hurt you! … I bit you.”

You stifled a laugh. “Link, your teeth were like a puppy with my scales.”

“Still,” Link muttered.

“Link,” you soothed, tilting his head up towards yours. “Plenty of heroes have been affected by curses and darkness like you, nothing to be ashamed about. I mean, there was one hero who even became a pink bunny when he went to the Dark World.”

“I guess it’s better than a pink bunny,” Link muttered as he sat up. Meanwhile, something had jogged your memory. The hero in question needed the Magic Mirror to maintain his form, the same one you once had. If it had helped him to maintain his form, could the Mirror have affected your curse?

You wanted to stroke his hair a little longer, but suddenly you were struck with a terrible migraine. Crying out in pain, you clutched your head as two long black horns emerged, curling from the front around the side of your head and then up, like a terrible crown.

“Navi!” Link shouted. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah… just the usual from absorbing another curse.”

“Zant got what he wanted. The curse is speeding up.” Link’s shoulders slumped. “I’m not sure how much more you can take…”

Neither were you, as you leaned against him. “Then we can’t wait. We need to finish this.” You stood, fingers interlacing naturally with Link’s… but he didn’t walk with you. “Link?”

“Navi, I don’t want you to get hurt any more… I…” He wiped his eyes. “Navi, I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

You took his hands. “Link, we said we were the hero together right? That comes with everything, the good and the bad. Like it or not, I’m the Sage of Light and you’re the Master Sword’s chosen one. It’s too late to back out now.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But… you shouldn’t have to fight. It’s not fair. You should be safe somewhere, far away, never having to worry about this.”

You sighed softly with a wry grin. “Is this because of the prince thing again?”

Link looked into your eyes with absolute sincerity. “I don’t care about if you’re a prince or not. I’d be your knight regardless. You don’t need a fancy title or magic powers to be special to me.”

==============================

A/n: The fact my notes for this chapter literally say “Link dogwalks Zant”.

A bit of a funny side note… for some reason, this story has been a magnet for AI bots leaving a variety of comments from stupid to troubling. They all have the same structure, same passive cadence, it’s very obvious. However, it’s hilarious because of what some suggest. For instance, one called me a bad writer because I had clearly never been to the locations I wrote about in real life. Which, yeah, I haven’t been to places like Hyrule in real life; it’s a little hard to actually. Thank goodness for comment moderation.