Chapter Text
It had been five years since the destruction of the reincarnation of evil itself, Calamity Ganon, had been defeated. 100 years ago, the entirety of Hyrule Kingdom was brought to its knees because of this ancient hatred. Known as Malice, the hatred made manifest the power of anger and wrath itself. It cloaked itself in anger, becoming the demon monster. The kingdom thought they were prepared for such a horrid evil, but in a sick twist of fate, the monster turned their own weapons, the Divine Beasts, against them. The monster used the weapons to decimate the kingdom, killing almost everyone. However, the Princess of Hyrule, Princess Zelda, used her ancient powers of light to seal away the monster temporarily. She bided her time, hoping that her knight, Link, would soon one day come to her aid. 100 years later, wielding the ‘sword that seals the darkness’, was able to destroy Calamity Ganon, freeing the land of Hyrule and its people from the monster king.
Now, five years since then, the kingdom is still in celebration!
Within the recently rebuilt Castle Town at the foot of the grand Hyrule Castle, banners of bright blue flew from the roofs and the flag poles throughout the city. The city buildings were all built to connect with one another, making as much room as could physically be built within the borders of the city. Walkways of stone carved the directions the people of the city could walk, all leading up to a massive waterfall in the center-back of town, at the foot of the drawbridge that connected Hyrule Castle proper with Castle Town itself. The Castle itself sat in a moat, filled with running water that if you fell in, you would be swept away into the tide pools below and be drowned. The kingdom had stables built for people coming into town, looking to stow their horses for the celebration…and already the barns were overflowed with guest horses from around the entirety of Hyrule. Inns were built for guests that were simply coming to visit the castle, as the castle itself was a wonderful place to visit already. Just as the festival was beginning, the inns were already overflowing with guests, with many having to be turned away at the door because they were out of room in a matter of hours. In fact, many of the Rito had noticed this, and decided to speak with Zelda on the matter before hand. With every hand they could, a smaller settlement was made on the outside of town, known as Lookout Landing. It was crude, but the idea was to make sure that they could provide temporary housing for people to be safe from the elements. A combination of tents littered the grounds, as well as whole buildings made just to be sure that they could fit as many people together as they could.
The town had been guided in its rebuilding thanks to the assistance of its new ruler and dark monster sealer, Princess Zelda. Monsters had seemed to fade away as the malice of Calamity Ganon was defeated, meaning that the kingdom was safe to rebuild itself and slowly develop over time. The city was designed in a circle, sitting at the foot of the rebuilt Hyrule Castle. The castle sat on a massive stone ledge, allowing the castle more altitude than the rest of the plains that were encircling Hyrule Castle Town. The Massive walls surrounding the city were slowly repaired over the last five years, with every race of creature using their expertise to help in the repairs of the town. The Goron’s, a race of people made of stone, helped in bringing metals and strong stones from Death Mountain to assist in repairing the walls. The Rito, a race of bird people from the northern mountain regions, helped in delivering supplies through the air to the people of Hyrule Castle, as well as delivered messages to and frow from the castle to villages everywhere about the repairs. The Zora acted as gatherers and farmers, helping with the growing of food and helping with construction where they could. The Gerudo, while in few numbers, assisted in helping train a new legion of Hyrule warriors. They taught the new soldiers proper weapon management and strategy of war, making sure they also knew their duty to the realm and ensuring they meant to keep it.
Everyone within the kingdom worked to establish peace and prosperity, wanting to be sure that the newly revived kingdom had everything it would need to re-forge itself in greatness. Each of the different races were led by their own great leader. From the Goron’s, leading the stone collection and ore distribution, was ‘Grand Pebble’ Yonobo. Of the Rito, the master bow smith and mayor of Rito Village, Teba. Leading the Zora with the farming and collection of goods, was the handsome Prince Sidon. Finally, of the Gerudo but unfortunately absent during the festival of the five years of peace, was the young Princess of the Gerudo, Riju.
The four leaders of their people had made the effort of pushing their people as far as they could before the celebration, then releasing them all to celebrate the festival that was now taking place within the center of Castle Town. The great, warm sun casted down onto the city, the weather perfect for a day of celebration! Vendors were all up and down the street, selling wares and costumes, with even a strange man with a purple vest sitting at the far end of the festival that was selling weird looking masks to people should they be interested. Everyone was in jubilation of the Hero that saved the world, as well as celebrated the newly established Queen Zelda. There were even talks amongst some of the gossipers of the town that potentially Zelda and Link were to wed with one another, making Link the King. However, this was mainly speculation, spoken through the words of the town women who had a liking to the Hero of the Wild themselves.
Children ran through the festival, clearly leaving behind their parents as they ran through the fairgrounds. They admired the murals of the fight between Link and the demon monster Ganon, made of paper Mache that the artists of the kingdom had been crafting together for the last few months in preparation for the celebration. Food, smelling just as good as it was delicious, wafted through the air of the city, enticing people to come and eat. Surely, this was the time to be alive within the re-blossoming of the kingdom of Hyrule.
Outside of all the festivities, high above in Hyrule Castle, on a small outcropping of land, was the Queen of Hyrule, Queen Zelda. Unlike the festival, this place was quiet, serene. The sun was hidden in this spot of the castle, with the space being out of the way as to ensure that if you were in this spot, you wouldn’t be disturbed. The outcropping was a small gravesite, made specifically for the passed away kings and queens of Hyrule through the years. During The Calamity, it thankfully wasn’t destroyed. Many of the names were already washed away throughout the centuries of Hyrule Kingdom’s existence, but to even have the monuments destroyed would mean losing those memories altogether. Zelda was transfixed on one particular grave. Made in honor of not just the late King of Hyrule, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, but of the four Champions who gave their lives 100 years ago to defend this kingdom from darkness. The spirits of the warriors went on to pilot the Divine Beasts, great machines of power that represented different animals from a by gone era of Hyrule of almost 10,000 years ago. Zelda had personally known these Champions, the memory of her friends from 100 years ago still fresh in her mind. When she sealed Ganon temporarily, those 100 years seemed to float by like in a dream. She felt still tied to the past, still unsure of how she felt about losing those she cared about. As the celebration of the half decade of peace came into preparations, she thought about it even more than she did before.
Even in mourning, Zelda was beautiful. She had long, golden strands of hair she tied up into a braid that sat over her forehead like a wreath. She had bright, aquamarine eyes like the ocean. She was dressed in the expected appearance of a Queen, dressed in a royal blue with golden patterns going down the dress that flowed to the ground. She wore a crown on her head that was made by order of the kingdom, a small collection of sapphires sparkled within the folds of the small symbol of royalty. Zelda hated the thing, feeling like it snared on her hair at every turn, but understood the importance of such a symbol. In a moment, she would grace the people of Hyrule and speak to them…but something about the way she presented felt wrong. She came, as always, to her father and mother for advice. While he was alive, her and her father never saw eye to eye, but he was a wise man just the same. She knew that he would see the importance of such decorum, but she wondered if it was the right choice.
“Or, it’s possible I just miss you…I suppose that’s always a possibility.” Zelda muttered to herself softly, keeping her hands together in front of her as she looked towards her father’s grave. He was killed during The Calamity 100 years ago, with his ghost supposedly residing within The Temple of Time on the Great Plateau, or so said Link. “Link isn’t one to speak often, so you must have been there…I wish I could have seen you before you left, Father.” Zelda sighed, feeling the absence of such an important person in her life. So many of her friends, her family, were gone…and it was a hard feeling to wrap her head around. Still, Hyrule needed a queen, and it was her duty to ensure that she would be the queen this kingdom needed. She pulled from her pocket a small, handheld device. It was a tablet, made from a technologically advanced civilization, that functioned like a map, communications, camera, and information collection device. It was called the Sheikah Slate. The thing was incredibly out of place for the medieval style of the kingdom of Hyrule, made by the same people who made the grand Divine Beasts that stood within the highest points of the kingdom, watching over the kingdom diligently. The symbol of an eye with a single tear on the back was printed on the back of the device, with the center of the eye being where the camera was located on the high-tech device. Zelda scrolled through the various pictures on the device, seeing the faces of the people she cared about from the distant past.
The face of Urbosa, the mother she never had, was one of the first pictures on her tablet. She was strong, capable warrior queen of the Gerudo, something Zelda wished to inspire within herself. She always was by the hip of the woman if she was around, asking question after question, wanting to know Urbosa’s secret to queenship. The red-headed, deep tanned Gerudo Vai was beautiful and tall, standing almost double of Link’s height in one of the photographs that Zelda took of the trio inside of the Divine Beast Naboris. The Divine Beast was in the image of a four-legged, two humped creature, with a long neck that fitted a head of two horns. Whatever creature the Divine beast was calling on, was a beast long gone in time.
Another picture, this time of a beautiful yet arrogant blue Rito named Revali, was the next collection in Zelda’s catalogue. The blue and white bird always seemed jealous of Link being the chosen knight, with the two at odds with one another frequently like in this picture of him and Link standing before Devine Beast Vah Medow. The colossal bird that symbolized the Rito stood proud on the perch of Rito Village.
The follow set of pictures were of Daruk, the mayor of Goron City. He was a big, rotund Goron with burley white hair that seemed uncontrollable at best. He was compassionate, always giving help where he could, and always standing by for Zelda’s or Roham’s commands. Him and Link seemed to have a close kinship, the duo partaking in several hot spring baths whenever they were together. They also seemed to cook with one another, teaching each other new cooking methods they had discovered in their time apart. Their final picture was of Daruk trying to learn how to pilot the Divine Beast Vah Rudania. The lizard-like machine seemed to confuse the Goron, but Daruk eventually figured it out with the help of Zelda and Link to guide him.
Finally, the pictures of the Zora Princess Mipha scrolled through Zelda’s device, the soft spoken and caring voice of the young princess flooding the Queen’s mind. Mipha was a beautiful shade of red gills, her bright blue eyes like that of a full moon as she looked into the camera. She always tended to Link’s wounds, healing them of every bruise or cut he always seemed to get. Zelda could admit, she was jealous of Mipha’s interest in Link…but I think even Zelda knew that Link wasn’t interested in Mipha either. Of the various pictures Zelda had taken, the last one was of Mipha standing on the Dam of the East reservoir Lake. The Zora smiled in the picture, standing with her beautiful yet powerful trident by her side that was adorned with gemstones from all throughout the region of Lanaryu, the home region of the Zoras.
As Zelda scrolled through the various pictures, the same question was on her mind. They had been preparing for Calamity Ganon all their lives. All of them had trained and worked to specifically ward off the ancient evil that seemed to reincarnate every generation of Hyrule Leaders. Now, the question on Zelda’s mind repeated over and over: “What now? After all this time? What do we do now?”. Zelda, mulling it over in her mind, wasn’t sure of the kingdom’s next steps. As Queen, she had more duties to her people, more than ever, and she couldn’t simply abandon her post and go sought out an answer…She needed help, but even then, she didn’t know of what kind. As she thought, the hems of the dress were beginning to drive her crazy. The fabric was just a bit itchy in the wrong spots, frazzling her thinking in between thoughts.
Almost as if he could sense her worrying, the Hero of the Wilds stepped into the small Garden of Remembrance. The Swordsman was dressed in a suit of fine, silver armor with a bright blue cloak. The polish was just recently done, ready for the ceremony that Zelda was to initiate in just a moments time. The knight had his helmet upon his head, the ‘Sword that sealed the Darkness’ strapped to his back with his emblazoned royal blue Hylian Shield. The knight stood to attention, speaking not a word and going through the motions of greeting an important leader. Zelda, turning towards her new audience, sighed as she looked towards the handsome face of her forged-through-battle right hand knight. “Oh Link, I know it’s you. You needn’t be so formal with me…I think you coming back to save me after 100 years allows for some laxness in formality.” The Queen smiled, once again impressed by the dedication of her right-hand knight. The Hero was silent still, a man of very few words and speaking only when he felt it necessary to. “Now then, let’s see the charming man underneath that helm?” Zelda asked of her knight, slowly walking up towards her valiant hero.
Stood silent for a moment, he then nodded his head in command. He took his hands to the sides of the metal helmet that covered his entire face, slowly pulling it off of his head and revealing his long, flowing locks of slightly dirty blonde that hid within his head. His cheeks were flush, clearly warm within the armor he wore as he looked towards his Queen with unblinking and focused eyes. His pale blue eyes looked towards his Queen with a strong focus, the man speaking not a word. “There he is! My my link! You look so wonderful! I wish I was that put together myself…” She sighed, feeling the immense pressure of her duties crushing her. Link smiled as he looked towards Zelda, looking up and down the Queen with an analytical expression as he nodded in disagreement. “Do you think this is too much? I feel like a sack of potatoes being thrown about in an expensive bag…” Zelda moaned, still unsure of the crown she had on her head. Link expelled a gust of air through his nostrils as he smiled warmly towards the Queen. Link then noticed something with Zelda’s hair, and placed down his helm to the ground carefully. He then pointed with his fingers towards Zelda’s head, asking permission to touch. “Did something fall? It’s the crown, isn’t it? I knew it! This thing was a blight of its own!” Zelda growled, wishing she could chuck the darn thing over the side of the Castle Moat.
Link, being careful not to stab his queen’s eyes out with the end of the crown, adjusted it slightly as he corrected the braid of her hair. Zelda, realizing that the crown seemed to fit better on her head all of a sudden, sighed in relief as she realized the crown was perfected on her head. “How are you always so put together Link? I swear, you’d run this place better than I could…” Zelda groaned, stressed out of her mind. Link shook his head with a smile, always so amused by how in her own head Zelda could get when she was worried. Link, taking to a satchel that was tied to his waist, then revealed a small mirror that he was given as a gift and showed Zelda’s reflection in the mirror. On the mirror, the words written in a washable ink were ‘My beautiful Queen Zelda’. A couple arrows pointed to a particular spot on the mirror, right where Zelda’s face lined up in the mirror. Zelda, blushing, playfully pushed Link’s chest. “Oh, stop it! I’m already red as a Tomato! Don’t make it worse!” She laughed, annoyed by the thoughtful yet silent hero.
Zelda, taking up the mirror, sighed as she looked into the reflection of the mirror. She looked over the makeup, jewelry, and face that Zelda was in possession of, worried of the small details that may or may not even be noticeable from the distance she’ll have from her subjects of Castle Town and of Hyrule at large. “I just…I’m worried Link. We’ve been preparing for Calamity Ganon all this time…I’m worried I won’t do well as a Queen! Father isn’t here, there is still so much left to fix, the Yiga may still be out there…” Zelda listed off, worrying herself into a spiral. Link, taking up Zelda’s hands, looked into her eyes. He didn’t have to speak for Zelda to understand her hero. She gave a breath as she looked into the eyes of her knight.
“You’re right. I’m overthinking it. I just…Oh, I don’t know…” She moaned, handing back the mirror to Link as she walked towards edge of the Royal Graveyard. She looked over the distant fields beyond, trying to think of the words to explain her exhaustion. She looked into Link’s eyes with a worried focus. “Do you ever feel like you don’t know what to do? You have the tools in front of you, but something just feels missing? Like you’re worried if after all that time, you still know what your doing?” Zelda asked the hero. Link made a thinking expression, his eyes looking around his environment before nodding in agreement. He then held the mirror up so Zelda could see her reflection. He then pointed to his sword, and then towards the mirror of Zelda, then pointed to the Queen herself. Then, balling his hand into a fist, he pressed it against his chest and nodded.
Zelda understood perfectly what her mute hero spoke, smiling as she sighed. “Even without speaking, you somehow charm me. You’ll be here no matter what, will you? Then I suppose there is very little I can have go wrong with you here. I trust in your pledge, Sir Knight.” She smiled, having just that little more confidence. Zelda then thought of something. Reaching for her crown, she then pulled it from her head and decided to place it by the gravestone of her father. Link was confused at first, but Zelda reassured him it was perfectly fine. “We are the ones making the choices, yes? Well, my first choice is to ditch that annoying crown. I believe I have a speech to give, yes? Lead the way, dear Link!” Zelda commanded with a sweet but authoritative tone. She then took to the arm of her Knight, the duo walking back into Hyrule Castle and leaving for the festival in Castle Town.
Chapter 2: Ambassadors of Hyrule
Notes:
Been playing through Tears of the Kingdom again just for fun along with writing this. Can I just say...damn...I forgot how memey Tears' story is. "Secret Stone? Demon King?" Has been stimming in my brains ever since I did the first Dungeon...
Anyway! Kisses! :3
Chapter Text
At the Castle Town Square, the festival was in full swing. People were excitedly running all throughout the festival, taking in the scenery of the event. At one corner, one of the remaining Guardians that were deconstructed by Hyrule’s tech workers, was disabled in a corner. It was given a small shrine made of leaves, gold, and thoughtful decoration. While the Guardians, mechanical weapons of mass destruction, were supposed to be helpful in defending the kingdom from Ganon, they were possessed and turned against the people of Hyrule. It wasn’t their fault they were possessed, and as a token of remembrance, Zelda asked for the construction of Guardian Shrines throughout Hyrule as reverence for the Champions that were slain, but also a remembrance of the things that happened so many years ago.
Three of the four Ambassadors of the different races around Hyrule were together, talking amongst themselves in joy as they discussed their different regions and how things were going for each other. While Teba and Yunobo were talking between each other, the Zora Prince, Prince Sidon, was currently ordering food from the stand the three leaders were talking by. The fish man’s red scales shimmered in the sunlight as he rubbed his clawed hands together, eagerly awaiting the grilled food that was being prepared in front of him. He, like his sister Mipha, had a massive headpiece like a hammerhead shark on his head, with a long fin tail that ran from the back of his head down to his shoulders. The chef smiled as the Zora passionately watched him cook, the tall Zora prince drooling at the mouth as he watched the skewer of steak being finished. Sidon was dressed in his own royal armor, made of a gold and red metal that allowed him more maneuverability in the water. As Sidon’s mouth watered over the steak that was almost ready for him, Teba and Yunobo continued talking of their businesses.
Teba, a white Rito with dark grey feathers on the ends of his wings, had just finished explaining the shifts in colder wind that had occurred in the last few days. He wore a set of light armor that had small blue finishes of leather on the bottom corners of the tunic, a set made specifically for this celebration. A collection of feathers and beads were wrapped around his feet, each of the different colors and beads meaning very important things back home. They were like badges of honor, proving Teba’s excellence not just as a Rito, but as a fighter and as a leader. Teba had just explained how the cold winds of the mountains near the Rito village were growing stronger, with a few winter clouds already beginning to form close by.
Another of the leaders, Yunobo, a strong Goron with a Mohawk curl of white hair, had also been talking on Death Mountain and its seasonal changes. The bright orange Goron was wearing a thick plate of steel over his chest, with a golden seal of his mining company he operated for the purposes of supplying metals to the entire of Hyrule was proudly on display. He also wore a pair of pants of thick cloth, made of a deep royal blue color. “I agree on those weather changes, Goro! The heat of the mountain is growing weaker. I’m not worried for us, though. It means the mountain is less sensitive to eruption. More ore for us!” He remarked. He expressed wanting to be sure he kept his workers ready for the work that was ahead of them, asking Teba for leadership advice. “That’s a better question for Riju, if she ever shows up.” Teba remarked coldly, noticing that the Gerudo Vai Queen was certainly taking her time to show herself.
Making both Yunobo and Teba jump, Sidon thanked the merchant for cooking the meal, paid for the job well done, and ate the meal. “Mmmm…Delicious! Hylians truly are the most wonderous of cooks!” Sidon declared, overjoyed at the meal in his claws. “You’ve got to try this, Yunobo!” Sidon said, more than willing to share the massive skewer of meat. Snapping off half, he shared the other with Yunobo, who took a bite of the seasoned meat. Yunobo had to agree, this was definitely something special. “Needs more magma stones…” He pondered, thinking of how to further the recipe if he could even recreate Hylian food in the first place. Unlike his grandpa, Daruk, he was not quite the chef himself. Teba rolled his eyes as the two creatures talked of the food.
As they were talking, A small creature was running up to the group after having just bought something with their hard-earned rupees, the currency of the realm. The creature had bright white feathers, a grey beak, and talons as sharp as daggers. He looked like the spitting image of Teba, if Teba was many years younger. Teba noticed the form approach with high speed, preparing for the creature to fly straight into him. The creature jumped into the air, landing in the feathers of his father. “Tulin! Watch where you fly, young fledgling!” Teba squawked, but the smaller version of himself didn’t seem to listen. “Dad! Look what I found!” The bird son chirped with excitement, showing his father a hyrulean craft made of wood. The little creation was a small, mechanical Rito. The bird man flapped the wings if you cranked the golden spinner on the back, giving the toy a little more of that special flair. “I wanna show everyone back home this if they aren’t here already! This town is so cool!” Tulin spoke with excitement.
Teba brought Tulin along specifically because of the importance of such a festival, but between Tulin’s insistence on seeing the sights, the lack of Riju’s appearance, and the general clutter of the event, Teba had all but given up on trying to teach the fledgling anything. Teba was now more worried for Talon to enjoy the sights of the village, but even still the child was more careless than he should be. “Always stay vigilant in crowded places, Tulin. We never know who we could meet in new places.” Teba warned Tulin, but Sidon undermined the lesson in less than a few seconds. “Tulin’s a smart, young man! Besides, I’m sure here in Castle Town is as safe as he could be!” Sidon explained to Teba, with the bird dad rolling his eyes. “You are far too trusting of people, Mister Sidon.” Teba spoke.
Tulin, looking up towards Sidon and Yunobo, then had an extra sparkle come to his eyes. “Mister Sidon! Mister Yunobo! Look! I got my first bead!” The excited fledgling said, showing off his right talon and revealing his own beginnings of a ‘Rito band’. A single feather of bright green and a single red bead were attached to the bird child’s ankle. “The green feather I got for completing my ‘Early Bird’s Bow Training’, but anyone can do that. The red bead though is even cooler! Out of everyone in my group, I scored the highest for long-lasting flight! I flew for almost 4 hours straight! I was up there for so long; it started getting really cold!” Tulin said, proud of his achievement in becoming a Rito warrior. Sidon and Yunobo smiled as they saw the excitement in the young fledgling, the other two races having their own versions of ‘badges of honor’. “I was much the same way as a young guppie! I was the fastest swimmer by a long shot! I’m proud of you, Young Tulin!” Sidon complimented, patting the head of the small bird child.
Yunobo then revealed a weapon he had sheathed on his back, pointing towards different markings on the weapon. The tool was a giant, stone club. The stone had been refined to the point it looked like a thick longsword, with a flat surface on the ‘tip’ of the weapon that was given a golden shimmer. Written in the language of the ancient Goron’s was ‘Boulder Breaker’. Along the spine of the weapon were individual lines of colors that were spaced out across the weapon, giving the weapon a striped back. Yunobo pointed to the markings, explaining their meaning. “When a Goron Chief grows up, we each put a mark of our own color on the edge of the weapon. It’s a way of us to show how long a weapon has been around! This one has been in our family for a super long time, Goro!” Yunobo explained, with Tulin looking on with astonishment. “Woah! Is Daruk’s on there too? Which color is he?” Tulin asked, with Yunobo smiling in joy that people still remembered his grandpa Daruk. He pointed towards a bright red color that was towards the tip of the weapon, smiling as he showed off the weapon to the young fledgling. “This one right here!” Yunobo explained. “My color is towards the end. The bright blue one!” he explained, pointing a little further up the weapon.
Tulin was fascinated by the stone weapon, asking his father: “Hey dad, do you think we could have something like that? It’d be cool if we did marks on Vah Medow’s perch! We could make one for Mister Revali!” Tulin chirped with excitement. “At least he’s learning something today.” Teba said in his mind, smiling towards His son. Speaking to his boy with softness, he answered: “Perhaps…I’ll talk with the mayor.”
Suddenly, the three ambassadors each heard a ping come from each of their pockets. Each of them pulled out a tool that was inside of their pockets. They each had their own version of Zelda’s Sheikah Slate, complete with many of the same functions. However, unlike the Sheikah Slate, each were customized to the wielders of the slate. For Sidon’s, his was a deep blue, with silver metal buttons on the side. Rather than having the Sheikah eye on the back, a fancy design of a spiral was on the back, the center of the spiral being the location of the camera lens. For Yunobo, his was bright red, with gold buttons instead of the silver of Sidon’s. Yunobo’s symbol was of death mountain from a top-down perspective, the middle of the tablet being the camera. For Teba, his was a deep green, complete with silver buttons like Sidon’s but on the back of Teba’s device was a grown tree. In the middle of the tree was a knot like in a real one, the location of the camera.
Each of the Ambassadors were inside of a ‘group chat’ of sorts that allowed Zelda and the other ambassadors to message and call one another. It was a technology unlike anything else that existed, but there were a few conditions to using the device. For one, you needed to be near a communications tower that was built nearby. If there was no tower, or something was wrong with it, then the devices would cease operations. In the chat, Zelda sent out a simple message: “It’s time! Meet behind the stage! Is Riju here yet?” Zelda asked. Teba was the first to answer, “No. I haven’t.” He answered simply, adding no elaboration on his thoughts. Sidon used a whole bunch of ‘Sheikmojis’ of Him looking sad, giving his answer of not seeing Riju. Yunobo, giving up with using his fat fingers to message his response. “know sign off Riju. Will keep I out.” The message read. Yunobo sighed as he read the message. “Darn fat fingers.” He moaned quietly.
The devices that the ambassadors had were made by one particular creator, a Miss Purah. Purah was part of the Sheikah Research Department, studying ancient Sheikah technology and refining it to make better use of the old-world technology. The Sheikah tech was the same tech that the Divine Beasts and Guardians were made from, and the moment Purah cracked the code on replicating it, it was only a matter of time before the mad scientist lady put her own mark on the technology. Purah was the last to message in the chat. “I think Riju is outside the range of a tower! She was calling me earlier but then her service died…I’ll pull up her geolocation on my back up system and see if I can find her before the ceremony!” Purah said.
The Ambassadors and Tulin then began to walk down towards the castle town Stage, which was sat just before the drawbridge into Hyrule Castle. The Stage was made of a thick, dark brown wood, made only for the purposes of the event. Decorating the stage, blue flags that symbolized the re-birth of Hyrule Castle flowed in the breeze. All across town, guards announced the beginnings of the Queen’s speech. They rang bells and gongs, getting people’s attention and slowly moving people to make their way to the Stage just before the drawbridge. The Ambassadors had to squeeze through the crowds of Hylians, Gorons, Rito, and even a few Gerudo, to make their way to the stage so they were ready for the ceremony. Each of them, besides Tulin, were to give a small bundle of words to thank everyone for being here and to celebrate the revival of Hyrule’s Castle Town. Behind the Stage, the ambassadors found a well-dressed, busy Purah hard at work to figure out where Riju had disappeared too. She had a dozen devices around her she called ‘Pura-pads’ that were floating around her using a sort of ‘magnetized’ stone. She frantically looked through the different pads, trying to find Riju.
Sidon was the first to see the frazzled and anxious Purah. If she wasn’t so stressed, he’d compliment on her beautiful pale white and red dress, gold necklace, and done up hair like a strand of buns wrapped around the back of her cranium. Her big, red, circular glasses would occasionally fall from the bridge of her nose. She’d push them back up, then readjusted the small little mask of gold that was placed on her forehead. The two eyes of the mask were like chameleon eyes, looking rather silly and derp looking. She wore shiny red heels, giving her almost 3 inches of height on everyone around her. Teba asked the questions first, “have you located Riju yet? The time is becoming dangerous close.” Teba spoke, looking towards the gathering crowds of people. Purah jumped in surprise at the voice, not expecting the Ambassadors quite yet to come behind stage. “Purah was desperately clicking through programs, trying to find Riju but with no success. “Yep! Still looking! On it right now!” She explained, a few beads of sweat falling from her head. Yunobo noticed how tense the woman was and point it out. “All well, Purah?” Yunobo asked. “Yes! Sorry! Fantastic! Just great! One moment!” She said, anxiously looking through. She groaned as her most recent attempt to find the girl went belly up, the screen stuck on a loading screen.
“I’m not going to find her in time at this rate! We’ll have to beg she shows up soon!” Purah explained, trying to regain her composer. Sidon then took to the hands of Purah, making her face go bright red as she looked up to the handsome fish man. “Is there anything we can do to help, miss Purah?” Sidon asked, worried for the inventor. Purah kept Sidon’s hands in hers for a moment, before shaking her mind free from his handsome gaze and retracting her hands. “Nope! Absolutely nothing! We’ll just have to improvise!” Purah explained. “But…thank you, mister Sidon.” She added, being sure to keep her manners.
At the same time as the Ambassadors arrival, Link and Zelda had arrived as well. Link had reapplied the helmet he wore when he first met Zelda, with Zelda still taking up her knight’s arm. The duo looked towards the anxious Purah, who was trying to her best to locate the missing Gerudo queen. “Come on…come on…” Purah moaned, trying to find the girl. Zelda noticed Purah’s anxiousness, worried for her friend. “Purah, everything okay? You are still finding Riju, correct?” Zelda asked, still walking with Link. The two of them finally made it with the others, with Purah sighing as she admitted defeat. “Her tracker has been acting strange all day…I think it’s something in the Pura-pad itself I messed up when I was printing them back at the lab. I knew I should have stress tested the geo-system…and for Riju of anybody, I mean come on Purah!” The girl chastised herself, feeling stupid.
Link then poked his shoulder into Zelda’s, making Zelda notice the mannerisms of Purah matched similarly her own worries. Zelda, smiling towards Purah, then released from Link and walked over to her friend. Zelda took in Purah’s hands, telling Purah to follow her lead in slowing her breathing. The duo breathed in, then out, slowly calming one another. “You’ll find her, Purah. You are the smartest girl a princess or queen could ask for. How far back can you track her movement. Is she following the main paths?” Zelda asked the girl. Purah readjusted her glasses, looking to a particular screen and seeing if anything changed. “The last time I tracked her, it was here within this section of Tangar Canyon, nearby the north of Gerudo proper…ever since she’s been gone…there isn’t a temple out there the last I checked.” Purah explained.
Zelda, seeing that people were still getting corralled for the main speech, then had an idea come to her. Zelda then took her own tablet, scrolled through a few menus, and suddenly the Queen was wrapped up in blue light. The clothing she wore began to transfigure within the blue hue, slowly morphing into something completely different. As the blue light over her body faded, it revealed Zelda wearing a blue tunic with a white undershirt, a pair of beige pants, a good pair of deep brown boots that had two gold buckles, and a cloth that functioned like a makeshift hood that was tied around her neck. “Commander Gaulve?” Zelda yelled out, looking for her lead commander of arms. A tall, somewhat lanky man then came to Zelda’s side, having stood by his post on the stage until orders were given. “Yes Ma’am!” He announced, ready for the order. “Stall the speech! Have some of the other events queued for today be put ahead. We have to find Riju before we can begin everything proper. Ambassadors, I know this is bad timing, but I would like for all of us to be here. There is no sense in Riju missing something as important as this! We teleport to Shrine ‘Tena Ko’sah’ by Tabantha Tower and work our way down!” Zelda instructed, with the Ambassadors agreeing.
Teba then turned to Tulin, and against the excitement of the young fledgling, commanded him to stay. “Aww…alright, just don’t take too long!” Tulin obeyed, with Purah also staying behind. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. I’ll see about getting my internal logs up for updates to Riju’s tablet and see if I can’t get that hotfix ready for when she gets back!” Purah explained, happy that hopefully they’ll find the missing princess.
Zelda looked back towards link, who already did the same thing in removing his own ceremonial garb. Underneath the armor he quickly disassembled and placed onto a table to the side, was the champion’s tunic he had worn when he was first taking on Calamity Ganon. It was a bright blue tunic like Zelda’s, with this one having a fancy hem along the waist of the tunic. He wore a set of well fit trousers of the same beige coloring, with metal boots that protected his feet from things that could potentially crush his toes by accident. No longer was a helmet covering his face, as he now wore a pair of aquamarine earrings on his ears that protected him from heat by giving his head an invisible layer of cooling using magic. “There’s my hero!” She smiled, happy to see Link’s face again.
The group looked around each other, each ready for the teleport. “Everyone ready?” Zelda asked, as everyone moved to the map screen and readied to head towards the marked location on their maps.
Chapter 3: Kohga Capturing
Chapter Text
Patience.
It was a trait Riju had developed control over as she came into her role as a leader for the Gerudo after her mother’s death a little under a decade ago. As a war general, and as a princess, it was her duty to ensure she was effective in her commands and how she led her people. There were not many Gerudo left, and to ensure the survival of their people, it was most important to know when to fight battles and how to fight. The Gerudo were a very secluded but proud people, staying clear of most of Hyrule’s important events. The only reason the Gerudo that were training Hylians in Castle Town was simply because some of the Gerudo Vai found joy in making fun of the men of Hyrule. It was an issue Riju was beginning to see issues with that behavior, making Riju have to make many changes to the way the civilization behaved. Back in Gerudo Town, most Gerudo were horrified to learn that the rules of no men inside of Gerudo Town was about to be torn down. The reason wasn’t just because of the Gerudo behaving rudely to others outside of their people, but also because of their shrinking population numbers. Riju hoped that if more people were willing to visit the town, that more people would be willing to repopulate the numbers of its people. Riju didn’t want to make the conversation any more awkward than it already could be discussing ‘repopulating’, but it was a necessary thing to do. Now, Riju would need Patience for her own people.
The Princess was perched up onto a small cliffside, watching from the cliffside with intensity as the sandy wind whipped around the south end of Tangar Canyon. The ground was slick with sand, testing Riju’s ability to hold still on the shifty landscape. The view from the canyon was great, allowing her a good vision of the desert that opened up on the south of the canyon. She watched vigilantly, ensuring that the convoy she was waiting on were on its way.
Riju was dressed in a battle-ready armor, light enough to move but thick enough for protection against many forms of attack. It comprised of a tight chest piece of blue and grey, shoulder armor of the same patterns, and a grey chainmail skirt that had small gold sequins at the hem that blew with the wind. She had a gold cache on her hip that had a dozen blow darts for her dart gun that would allow her to numb her opponents’ limbs, trying not to kill her future prisoners. She wanted Kohga alive and to be sure he told them where the rest of his lackeys were hiding throughout Gerudo and Hyrule at large. However, if a fight did break out, two golden blades were tucked away behind her that she could bring out when she was ready. She had her bright red hair that came down to her shoulders, with gold cuffs decorating the hair as well as serving the dual purpose of keeping it bound and out of her face. She wore a headdress of six massive, golden pins that was crowned with a golden headdress that made her look like she was radiating gold light. Her favorite accessory, however, were the duo of earrings that belonged to her late mother, made of the shiniest Amber stones. The Earrings had been passed down from generation to generation of queens, eventually landing into Riju’s hands after her mother passed away.
Before Riju found herself on this ridge side, Riju was speaking with Purah over the messaging system that was between the different Purah Pads, ready to join the others at the five-year celebration of Hyrule’s rebirth. A message then came from her general, General Buliara, before the queen was about to deport from the keep. She had said that the Yiga Clan and its leader, Master Kohga, had just snuck into the main temple and left with something valuable, the Thunder Helm. Passed down from generation to generation, the Thunder Helm was another heirloom of great significance to the Gerudo. It was one of the few Gerudo artifacts left, with many of the other artifacts having been destroyed or lost to time. Riju was not about to see another one get lost under her rule as the Princess of the Gerudo.
Her General explained that she believes for them to head towards the opening of the Tangar Canyon’s, as Yiga activity had been more active there for the better part of month. Travelers headed through that way had been jumped by Yiga Clan members more frequently, making the General believe that they may have found a new base somewhere else after Link discovered their original hideout a while ago to hunt down the Thunder Helm the first time. While the main body of guards and Buliara herself went directly after the Yiga members, Riju went straight for the Canyon using the teleporting ability of her Purah Pad, ensuring to cut off the Clan members from escaping with the precious heirloom.
In her hands was a collection of leads, wrapped around her stronger of the two hands that were connected to the reigns of a sand seal, a creature native to the Gerudo region. The Sand Seal had a deep royal blue hide that Riju personally groomed and made sure was as beautiful as it could look. The Sand Seal had big flippers to its side that flopped around with anticipation to move. “Not now, Patricia. We must be patient.” Riju cooed to her beloved pet and unfailing steed of the sands.
Riju then saw it. In the distance, wind whipped across the desert, with a vison of movement off in the distance that was slowly getting closer and closer. The form was small at first, looking no bigger than a grain of sand, but as the form came closer to the entrance to the ravine it was clear what the form was. Three big red sand seals, the biggest Riju had ever seen, were quickly making their way towards her location. Behind them, a trio of people in red garb and white masks were slowly making to Riju’s location. Riju, readying herself to give chase, watched from a distance the group closing in on the horizon.
Master Kohga, a slightly obese, masked man with a single black eye on the center of his white ornate mask was clutching the golden Thunder Helm in one hand and the reign of his red sand seal in the other. By his side, two other Yiga clan members were to his side, following his direct orders. One of them looked like he was built like a giant, the other slim and petite in shape. All three of them were masked, hiding their identities and using a short hand nickname when they were with one another so as to keep their identities secret even from each other. “Are they still behind us?” Kohga called to his allies, to which the lanky one replied first. “No boss! They seemed to have been loosed! We’re getting home free!” The lanky spoke. “Wonderful! Smart maneuvering with that Molduga pit, Nagi!” Kohga praised, genuinely surprised one of his henchmen had a plan better than his own. “Sooga! Ready your weapon. We still haven’t seen Riju yet, and she’ll be on the way too!” Kohga commanded. “On your order, Sir.” Sooga spoke with a gruff voice, the monster of a man ready at the helm with his Katana-like weapon.
As soon as the trio passed into the canyon entrance, Riju dropped from above and began chase with the trio of evil doers, trying to keep up with the evil treasure thieves. “Speak of the devil!” Kohga remarked, “Nice of you to drop in, Princess Riju! Looking for this?” Kohga mocked, holding up the Thunder Helm in his hand as the Yiga Clan raced through the canyon. “You’ll pay for this, Kohga! Stop at once!” Riju demanded, riding up to be just behind the Clan boss. “Or what? What’s a little girl like you going to do?” Kohga remarked, with Nagi attaching the reigns to her Sand seal to her waist. The bow master then readied a bow shot, trying to get a pop shot on the princess. Dodging it with ease, Riju and Patricia dodged to the side of the bow’s arrow. Nagi continued to fire at the duo, flurries of arrows flinging from the string of the archer’s bow as Riju ducked and weaved past every shot. “Hey Nagi! You should watch where you’re going!” Riju mocked. Confused, Nagi turned to look down the canyon she was blazing through with her Sand Seal. Before she could even realize what was happening, the Sand Seal crashed head first into an exposed Stalagmite from the ground. Nagi got a face full of Sand Seal, crashing out and falling to the ground of the sands. As Riju was about to pass the Yiga, she took a blow dart from her stache on her hip and her blow gun, shooting a dart at the Yiga member to ensure she wasn’t running anywhere anytime soon.
Next was Sooga, who tried to slow down to get to her side and attack from the side. Seeing what the blade master was doing, she pocketed her blow gun quickly and swapped to one of her blades, just barely being able to block the massive sword that almost took her head. Sooga landed blow after blow, trying to push the warrior princess off of her feet and into the sand. Seeing that only having one hand wasn’t particularly helpful, She then ducked to the opposite side of the canyon wall to try and make Sooga follow her. Sheathing her blade, she concocted a plan to get rid of the swords master. If she could get him to lose balance, maybe she could overtake him and get him to fall over instead. She slowed down, letting Sooga think he was doing something by cornering her into the wall. “By order of Master Kohga, you will fall!” Sooga commanded, trying to attack the princess by dashing into the side of her. “Patricia! Now!” She commanded her seal, dashing way ahead as Sooga ran into the wall and collapsing into the sand. Before She was too far, Riju shot a numbing dart into Sooga’s rear end with a blow dart, numbing his feet. “He’s a big guy, hopefully that did it…” Riju said to herself, trying to catch up with the Yiga Clan Master.
Up ahead, The Yiga Clan master was still dashing in the sands, trying to get away with the Thunder Helm in his hands. Upon realizing his comrades were captured, Kohga growled furiously towards the girl. “How dare you!? I’ll make you pay for this transgression of hurting my army you foul girl!” He screamed, trying to get away. They were coming to the end of the canyon, a grand building laid up ahead that was built into the chasm of the canyon. Whatever the purpose of this structure was for was long gone. The building had gone into full disrepair and its architecture beginning to crumble as time had claimed the structure. The Ruins looked like the perfect spot for Kohga to lose the princess! Ditching the sand seal he had kidnapped for his nefarious deeds; He dashed into the ruins of the temple before him. “KOHGA! Get back here!” Riju yelled, slowing her seal to a stop next to the red sand seal that Kohga abandoned. She kissed Patricia on the cheek before she ran into the temple. “Wish me luck with this old fart, Patricia!” She whispered, dashing into the ruins after Kohga.
Dusty was the air of the temple, making Riju have to focus as she peered into the temple’s dark opening. She had run in without a plan, making her susceptible to traps if she continued forwards. Pulling Her version of the Sheikah Slate from her side, she activated the flashlight tool of the device, facing the light down the massive grand hall before her. There were few times Riju stepped into this temple, as nothing was ever here. She remembered having to come here with Zelda on one occasion to be sure that the Guardians that were posted here by King Roham almost 100 years ago were still active. Riju and Zelda never did figure out the significance of this temple, only that it was kept secret of the royal family and that the secret supposedly died with them due to The Calamity over 100 years before this moment.
The building’s design was simple, as the carvings in the walls had long since crumbled, leaving only broken pillars behind. The place was so decrepit, Riju was sure the entire roof would collapse on her if she so much as looked at the massive ceiling wrong. As she wandered the ruins, keeping an eye on the entrance of the giant ruin to be sure Kohga didn’t escape when she wasn’t looking, she listened intently for the thief to see if he’d reveal himself. A loud crash came from the back end of the temple, making Riju dash towards the sound. She ran into the darkness as far as she could, letting the light from her Pura-pad guide the way. Before Riju, the dust of the fallen object was still scattered in the air, slowly falling back to the ground in puffs of smoke. The remains of a broken Goddess Hylia statuette laid on the ground, showing that Kohga had been here at some point.
Suddenly, the voice of master Kohga pierced the silence as he began to chide the warrior princess. “It’s such a shame, really. You come from such a wonderful line of warriors…to think you’d rather serve their goals of peace…when really, you have to power to take over them all, Lady Riju.” The invisible manipulator chuckled. Riju listened closely to the voice, seeing if she could pinpoint where the old man was hiding. “Why do you think us Yiga want so badly The Great Calamity to return? Us true followers of Ganon truly see the power the master yields.” Kohga explained. “And yet, we beat him…kind of pathetic if you ask me, Kohga!” Riju chimed, looking into the far corners of the temple to see if she could see the clan master. As she spun towards the entrance, the white mask man suddenly appeared before her, kicking her in the face and making her fall to the ground.
Riju coughed as she began to stand up, facing the Yiga Clan master. Just as she unleashed one of her blades, the master was gone. “Oh, but for now…I sense that there is more to brew…there is something out there…!” The Yiga Clan master warned. “Tell me…every generation…a new Ganon appears…seems to be a bit of a pain, yes?” he cooed. Riju listened intently, seeing if maybe the old man would let slip incredibly useful information. “Oh yeah? You know so much, don’t you?” Riju asked. The two continued talking, with Riju staring into the dark corner of the temple as she flashed her light from her device towards the corners along with her, hoping to get a visual on Kohga.
“Oh, I know a lot of things…like how you come from the same family line as Ganon too! How wonderful it’d be if you just fell in line…followed your bloodline’s true purpose.” Kohga laughed. “Do you think the other races truly trust you? Do they see you as an ally? I really wonder…if the might of the Gerudo Empire will die with you? Because you refuse to see the greatness of our Lord and King, Ganondorf.” Kohga mocked. Suddenly, Riju sheathed her blade, reached for her blow gun, pulled a blow dart, and shot it into a corner of the room. The blow dart hit its target, right where Riju thought Kohga was hiding. The Clan Master yelped as the sharp pin hit into his butt, making him fall from his elevated platform and onto the ground. His legs were like pasta, unable to move as he moaned on the ground, trying to get up. “Unlike you, I have mercy. I care about my family and my friends and my neighbors. I’ll never be like Ganon, because we are completely different kinds of people. I’m not driven by hunger or greed, I’m driven by purpose…and my purpose is to ensure Hyrule and my people are protected, no matter what!” Riju spoke with honor, putting a foot on Kohga’s face. “Now, once I have you imprisoned, you’ll eventually talk on what you’ve been up to, and I’ll find the rest of your members. Once I do, that’ll be one less thing to worry about.” She explained. Looking to the ground in the distance, she spotted the Golden Thunder Helm, sighing in relief that it was back in her possession once more.
As she walked over to pick it up, Kohga began to laugh as she reached for the helm. “I’m curious…how much do you really know of Ganondorf? The trials he endured…the pain he felt. He deserves to rule…not that filthy princess.” Kohga moaned, unable to move his legs after Riju’s numbing agent worked through his veins. Riju picked up the Thunder Helm, inspecting it to be sure nothing was damaged on the helm itself. It’s strange, it looked odd when it held up into light. Rather than glisten to prove it was made of the purest gold of the Gerudo Mountains, it looked more like the thing was made of paper Mache. The gemstones that made up the face of the mask-like helmet looked like they were made of some kind of glow lichen dyed red, with the back straps of the yellow painted helm were cheap and leathery. Kohga then began to laugh as Riju inspected the helm, giving a grave warning as he laughed. “And how are you supposed to be the next greatest Queen of the Gerudo, when you’re dead?!” He laughed maniacally.
A sound of quickly falling stones then grab her attention as she looked up. A massive pile of stones that were tied to a thin rope that was connected to the fake helm made a specific section of the building unstable. It was a trap set up before hand, with the Thunder Helm in her hands a fake that disappeared into red dust. The Kohga on the ground then disappeared into red dust himself, meaning the real one may have already snuck away. Riju wasn’t able to react in time, only noticing the stones at the very last moment before they were about to crush her. Just before the rocks collapsed, a fast-moving creature grabbed Riju by the waist and saved her just in the nick of time. Riju and her savior fell to the ground, the wing of the creature injured as they slid across the ground in pain.
Teba cawed in pain, clutching his injured wing as Riju was paralyzed in shock at what just happened. “Teba! You saved me!” She remarked, feeling a sense of calm as she recognized the friend as a fellow warrior. Her relief then turned to horror as she realized her friend was hurt. “Oh no! I’m so sorry! Where does it hurt? I have medical herbs here in my satchel but we’ll need to take you to a medical clinic if anything feels broken!” She said, trying to help the white feather Rito off the ground. “No worries, Riju. I’m more thankful you’re alright. I’m surprised, usually you’re more careful than to fall for traps like that.” The Rito observed. Riju sighed as she then remembered that Kohga still got away. “I…I got into my own head. My ego got the better of me when I thought I had the upper hand. I won’t make that mistake again…” She grumbled, beating herself up over falling for one of Master Kohga, of all people’s, traps. Following behind Teba was Yunobo, Sidon, Zelda, and of course Link.
“Well! Nice having company! I hate to say I didn’t have time for treats, but I hazard a guess you wouldn’t like any tricks neither…” She joked, pointing towards the rubble pile that almost claimed her. Zelda was the first to ask, dashing to her side. “Are you alright Riju? What happened!? Why didn’t you call us for backup?” Zelda asked, worried of what was going on. “We saw you chasing that Sheikah-gone-bad Kohga! What was going on?” Sidon asked, confused on what the Master of the Yiga were up to now.
Riju explained the situation with the Thunder Helm, how she was chasing after him, and how she lost track of him and that Teba saved her at the last moment. Sidon began tending to Teba’s wound, using some of his own healing methods to make sure the bird man was alright. “Nothing broken? I’d figure you’d be more verbal if it was.” Sidon asked. “No, nothing broken. I think it’s just sprained. The join feels off.” Teba explained, trying to flex his wing arm but definitely with some strain. Zelda, sighing in relief, then was angry at the queen for running off without a word to the group. “You could have told us the situation! We would of more than happily assisted in Kohga’s capture, Riju.” Zelda explained. “Kohga was mine. I had a score to settle. I usually don’t need help.” Riju said, her pride still intact after her close encounter with death.
“That doesn’t matter! The moment Kohga was seen, we all should have been alerted! You almost died, Riju!” Zelda explained. “Well, I didn’t! So, I think I’m fine!” Riju argued. Zelda sighed as she saw that she wasn’t getting anywhere with the Gerudo Queen. “Just, please be more careful next time…the next time you hear of or see Kohga, all of us need to know.” Zelda explained. “As the queen of Hyrule, I must look over all of my subjects…that includes you.” Riju suddenly spun towards Zelda, a look of shock on her face. “I’m sorry, I think I misheard you…who said I listen to you? I may recognize you as Hyrule’s Queen, but you most certainly aren’t My Queen! This is My land! I may follow your suggestion or I may not, that entirely depends on what I need. Know your own role, Zelda…” Riju growled, not happy that Zelda dared control the Gerudo.
As the two women continued to bicker, Link made a curious observation, of which he pointed out to Yunobo who stood next to him. “Uh, Zelda…has that door always been open before?” Yunobo asked, pointing to the space that was hidden behind the goddess statue. Behind where the goddess statue would be, was a doorway of two doors. It seemed to have been broken open, caused by whatever Master Kohga had done to topple the Angel-like statue of the Goddess Hylia in the first place. The doorway beyond looked to go into somewhere that Zelda and Link had never seen, Riju neither. As the group approached the open doorway, an object seemed to be visible in the distance down the long hallway that laid before the group of Ambassadors.
At the very end of the hall, within a central chamber, were two Hylian-sized statues of shimmering green stone holding their hands on the glass of a giant, almost empty, lime green hourglass.
Chapter 4: The Forgotten Grounds
Notes:
Sorry I disappeared! School, work, and other life stuff has made doing writing really hard. This one has got a lot of moving bits I didn't even realize I had to figure out before I could post these and feel good about it. Who knew that completely re-writing from the ground up a story that not only has time travel involved, but also as open ended as the franchise is, is difficult to do and feel good about :)
Chapter Text
The Ambassadors slowly entered into the chambers, keeping an eye out for any new dangers as they slowly entered into the ancient structure’s hidden room. Link stood in front of Zelda, slowly leading the charge as the Ambassadors stood by Link’s side. The room was smaller in scale than the entrance of the temple, with another room just beyond the hourglass on the opposite side of the room. The walls were made of a stone that looked more refined than anything Zelda had seen before, with markings that most certainly looked like they were from a time long past current day Hyrule. The room had massive, green pillars with shapes carved into the stone that looked like they could be removed from the walls, the purpose of that kind of architecture unclear. Before Zelda could run in to investigate, Link made sure this room was clear first. all of the Ambassadors turned their lights on and illuminating the room as they walked inside, various hues of color filling the room that matched with their respective devices. Time did nothing to this place. It looked like time itself and nature refused to touch this room, with the only thing that showed time passed here was the fact that the hourglass clearly was fuller in the past with whatever these gold flakes were, as well as a layer of dust covered the ground. The rainbow hues shimmered off of the glass of the massive Hourglass before the group, with Zelda’s attention being more on the two strange statues that had their hands on the hourglass’s surface. A small pool of sparkly, shimmering green flakes of sand were sitting inside of the hourglass, slowly disappearing into small puffs of green light.
Whatever this place was for, it seemed like its purpose had long since been lost. Yunobo was the one who noticed the stone that built this chamber first, remarking on its marble and gemstone mixture. “This is some strong stuff, Goro! I bet if I slammed into this it wouldn’t make a crack!” he remarked, hammering his massive fists lightly onto the rock wall to prove his point. Whatever this stuff was, it was clearly here to protect this strange hourglass in the center of the room. Riju then felt like her stomach reached a lower pit. “Should…we be in here? This feels like somewhere we shouldn’t be.” She remarked, a hand already on one of her blades as she walked into the room. Teba was beginning to feel the same way. “This place…it’s old…older than I would even say Hyrule itself…” He remarked, still clutching onto his strained wing as he looked around the space.
Sidon, taking note of the hourglass in the middle of the room, then observed the strange duo of statues that were made of the same strange stone as the pillars of bluish green. They seemed like they didn’t belong, like they were once creatures that were alive. One of the creatures looked like a long haired Hylian, with two pointy ears with little earrings on the tips of the ears. The other creature, however, was unlike anything Sidon had ever seen. Reaching a clawed hand out towards the doorway they just came through, the second creature was some kind of Goat-rabbit creature, with pawed feet like a wolf. Its arms were reaching out towards the entrance of the door, like it lost something just before it was turned into stone. The creature looked to be covered in fur, a feature that wasn’t in line with any other creature in Hyrule besides the cows and wolves of Hyrule. Whatever this thing was, it clearly wasn’t around in the present day of Hyrule.
“Zelda…you know the different races of Hyrule…what is this thing?” Sidon asked, pointing to the more animal-like statue of the room. Zelda looked closer towards the statue, scanning the creature with her eyes. Its hands were this mixture between claws and paw, its feet were like that of a goat. The head had no face, masking its identity, but it most certainly had two long ears like a rabbit. It had long hair like a Hylian, but it clearly was something else that she had never seen before. In fact, as Zelda looked around the room, she noticed that depictions of a similar looking creature were all over the walls as well in formulated, designed ways that seemed to tell a story themselves.
Between each of the several pillars of green stone that Yunobo also couldn’t recognize the material of, were depictions of different monsters that Zelda did and didn’t recognize. Some were easy, like the bokoblins or moblins that existed during the Calamity…but some were creatures she had no way of identifying. Some monsters looked like plants, with giant buds for a head that split open to reveal dozens of rows of slimy, razor-sharp teeth. One depiction was of these strange arachnid monsters that were bleach white, with a massive tail that coiled over its head with a sharp point at the end. Creatures like the Skeletal bokoblins and Moblins that used to appear at midnight were also painted on the walls, but they looked veiner and more zombie-like, with mortifying faces that had sharp lines that seemed to erupt from its face. Strange flying creatures that were definitely way bigger than Keese bats were flying at the top-most part of the art pieces. The creature’ were bright red, with massive tails that looked like giant fans at the end of the tail.
However, amongst all of those depictions, there was one of a creature that looked to be the most terrible of them all. Zelda gasped as she looked towards it, driving everyone else’s attention towards it. On one of the walls, the drawing looking more abstract than the rest but still just as eye-catching, was a tall, dark, scale covered man of glowing red hair. His eyes were like pools of fire, matching the flaming head of hair that grew along the back of the body of this monster. A bleach-white figure was painted on the front of the mural, with the designs of four-sided diamonds of red dotted along the body in strange, blotted patterns. The white man’s outline looked sinister and proud, looking like he was glad that this man was here.
Zelda noticed the hair first, the rest of the details of the mural confirming her suspicions. “Is this…truly it?” Zelda gasped, looking over the murals and then noticed another doorway was just beyond the hourglass to a set of stone doors. Stepping close, the door’s inner ring of green stone glowed as Zelda stepped next to it. Everyone was on edge, watching the doorway slide sideways into the wall it sat flush with as it slowly opened with a rumble. She then looked to the room that was just beyond the doorway, a desire to run inside overwhelming her as she sprinted into the hall when she saw the temple up ahead. The rest of the group noticed the queen run, following along as they yelled for the queen to wait up. Link was right behind, following Zelda inside of the catacomb’s deeper depths. Zelda was completely enamored by the room they were now in, with the group believing this to be the upmost deepest part of the room. The inside of this room was a little more open than that of the room before, with 6 massive pillars holding up the center of the room. Time definitely had taken this room, the walls looking crumbly like the forgotten temple that was just before this new section of temple the group discovered. Vines were growing from the walls, with small bioluminescent flowers growing in the corners of the room. Before the group, a giant Stage of ancient stone stood before them, with a strange looking device standing before them. It was completely broken beyond repair, the pieces shattered into dust a long time ago and the magic truly lost. The ceiling had holes that looked like they were once glass windows that would allow natural light inside of the space…of which would theoretically be impossible now as they were at least a half mile under the ground right now.
All around the room, depictions of a similar creature to that of the thing that was touching the hourglass in the other room were all over the temple. Zelda was positively beaming as she dashed from room to room, even stopping at this strange statue that looked like it was depicting some kind of weird flamingo-looking bird. The stone of the statue was made of a glossy pale blue rock, the age of this place weathering the color of the stone over time. Zelda eventually made it to the back of the room, where up upon a 6-step landing, was a giant set of metal doors that were blocking entry into the room beyond. “Yunobo! Do you think you can break through this? Wait! Don’t! This door could be important! Oh! This is here too! I can’t believe this! Underneath my nose this whole time and I didn’t even realize it! Of course, father put the guardians here! But why never tell me this place was here!? I suppose dying got in the way of that…Oh! This too! I can’t believe it!” She rambled, her excitement making her dash all across the room as she snapped picture after picture. “Purah needs to see this! All of Hyrule even! This is incredible!” She remarked. She then dashed up to Link, hugging him so tight he swore a bone broke in his ribs. “OH LINK! This is wonderful! Isn’t it? Aren’t you excited?!” She asked, as if the royal knight had any idea of what the hell Zelda was going on about.
Link shrugged, as he wasn’t sure what this place meant in the slightest. “I’m with Link on this…what are we exactly looking at, your highness?” Teba asked, the rest of the group just as confused. Zelda, clearing her throat, then gave a small explanation on what this place was. “This place, it’s long before even Hyrule’s founding…it was a place that existed long, long, long into the past. So long ago that most textbooks don’t even mention its existence as it’s been entire generations of eons ago. The name has been lost to time…but its clear that this place is most certainly something from the foundations of Hyrule’s by gone beginnings! Before the cycles of Calamity Ganon!” Zelda explained. “Unfortunately…not much else is known. This was a time back before even the Sheikah and their futuristic technology. We know almost nothing of this era of Hyrule.” Zelda explained, keeping the pictures catalogued within her device as the group continued to investigate this strange ruin.
Everyone was silent as they looked around the old ruins, with Zelda still looking over the different hieroglyphs on the walls. The six pillars that were holding up the building in the other room were also here, the same strange carvings in the walls that looked removable. The other Ambassadors were all thinking the same thing: This place was creepy. Something about the air of the old catacomb felt heavy and ominous, like they were looking into something they weren’t meant to find. It wasn’t until a sudden thought came to Riju that the silence of the group was broken. “Zelda, the festival! We must return at once!” She explained. Zelda, a red blush to her face as she realized she had completely forgotten, then rushed to leave the catacomb. “Of course! I was completely enraptured! Let us depart!” She announced, the other Ambassadors and Link sighing in relief that they could finally get out of this place and come back with some more reinforcements. Zelda placed Her Sheikah slate in Link’s hands, asking the warrior to protect the pictures for the mean while.
Zelda turned to look towards the giant duo of doors that sat in the furthest spot of the Forgotten Temple. She sighed as she looked towards the giant doors, feeling this strange emotion as she looked towards them. This place felt important, but for what that purpose was, was unclear. The strange hourglass at the entrance, the markings on the wall, the statues…all of this clearly predated the Sheikah, but what was it? Why would her father never speak of this place?
Just as they were leaving, a glint captured in Zelda’s eyes, making her turn to the source of light. In the corner, was the remains of some strange creature. It looked to be made of the same blue and green material as the sparce pillars, with the creature having a bull-like head but cone-like body. It looked like it was left there on purpose, as if to give a gift to someone once they had opened the doors of the temple. Zelda, curious, stepped forwards towards the creature. In the mitts of the deceased creature, was something Zelda looked towards with confusion. She gasped as she then called for her royal guard. “Link…Please come here a moment.” Zelda called out, with Link immediately dashing towards Zelda’s side like a guard dog. “Link, you have the Sheikah Slate…correct?” She asked Link, to which the hero then revealed it and showed it to the Queen. “So then…why is it right here?” She asked, taking up an exact copy from the hands of the deceased creature.
Zelda observed the Slate in her hands delicately. Trying to power it on, Zelda pressed a sequence of buttons that should have awoken the pad, but it seemed like something was done to it to ensure it wouldn’t be unlocked with ease. The device looked in as good condition as the one in Link’s hands, confusing the duo. “Somethings not adding up here. I’m going to get this to Purah as soon as possible.” Zelda explained. Zelda looked spun around the pad, trying to see what she could glean from the device to figure out how it got here. “Link…this Pad cannot be here. That is physically impossible. This is the only Sheikah tech we’ve seen here and as far as our research on old Sheikah Tech goes, there was only one Slate. It is literally impossible this is here. I’m going to get this to Purah immediately.” Zelda explained.
Almost as if the temple had an alarm for the duplicate Sheikah, the lime green pillars began glowing like bright beacons of light, stunning everyone in the room temporarily. “What in Hylia’s grace!?” Sidon cursed, shielding his eyes. “That…can’t be good, Goro!” Yunobo called out, ready for whatever was coming. Riju and Teba drew their weapons as well, with Riju looking towards Link and Zelda, who were just as confused about what just happened. From the cracks of the cut sections of the pillars, blue and green light glowed brighter from the gaps as stones of the pillars slid out smoothly from the pillar, floating free from their places in the pillars. Clay disks and circular shapes, with written language on the inner parts of the clay, fell to the ground with hollow clanking. The dark green pieces fell to the ground, spilling across the ground as a lime green energy then began glowing within a small circle of stone that was with each pile of metal. The glow then made wavy beams of light that connected the parts of each construct together, slowly building themselves together to form full bodies with exposed areas that showed the glowing stone in the center of the form.
Zelda gasped as the forms finished their construction, excited as she pulled out her camera to take photos of the strange creatures. They were like guardians, but unlike those technological pieces of machinery, these things were far more magical than their screw and metal cousins. Link, however, immediately unsheathed the Master Sword, treating them as a threat rather than a discovery. The other Ambassadors also revealed their own weapons, ready if these creatures were to begin an onslaught. “Queen Zelda! I don’t trust these creatures…” Teba spoke, unable to quite flex his wings to look bigger as his one wing was still injured from saving Riju. The constructs each had one soul eye made of a red stone, of which glowed bright red when the constructs then looked towards the group of intruders. Each of the machines then made a small chiming alarm, recognizing the foreign threats. Each construct had what looked to be a handle in each glowing form, with a glowing tip on the end where the sword should have been for each guard. “They appear to have no weapons…we should be somewhat safe from any damage they deal!” Sidon announced, making a smile as he held his silver, three prong trident with pride.
Each of the constructs looked towards the stones on the ground, as well as to various other metals of green and orange that had spilled out of the walls. Each of the constructs floated over towards the parts, lowering their handles towards the different objects. Blue and green light enveloped both the end of the handle and the objects they were near, combining the two together and forming conjoined tools with odd shapes and cuts. The blades were all different, as if the two materials were haphazardly strewn together using some kind of strange, goopy green energy. Every time the constructs fused, the little stones glowed a bit dimmer, as if using up a small amount of their remaining energy within themselves. The constructs then began to float forward, attacking the group just as the Guardians used to. The war machines raised their blades ready to attack without warning.
All at once, the ambassadors jumped into action, attacking the forms with their own passionate attack forms. Sidon leapt across the room with grace, flipping and diving with the trident as he attacked like a flowing snake. Riju pocketed her light source, pulling both blades free from their sheaths and swinging her blades around in a formation that looked similar to dance. Yunobo spun into a ball, rolling his rocky body together and running straight ahead into the forms like they were giant bowling pins. Teba, able to use his bow with slight delay due to the sprained wing, acted as cover fire against the machines. With perfect ease, the Ambassadors were able to do quick work of the machines, ending the conflict almost as quickly as it had begun.
The group of six looked around the room, watching the now destroyed forms with focus. They worried that they could come back to life somehow, but it seemed like doing enough damage to either the core or the components of the creatures were enough for these small foot soldiers to break down. “Well, that was exciting…” Riju commented, sliding her blades back away. “What do you suppose those things were? They certainly weren’t any Sheikah tech I’ve seen…” Sidon analyzed, putting a claw to his chin as he looked towards the now weirdly shaped pillars that were devoid of any back up units. Zelda, picking up the different shattered pieces of the machines, realized something as she looked them over. “This isn’t technology…at least, not in the way we view it. There are no wires, and this isn’t metal or electricity that holds it together…” She explained. Looking over the parts, they were almost like hardened pottery, with strange letters she had never seen before etched all over the clay-like metal of the construct parts.
“Wait, so what were these things? They weren’t guardians?” Yunobo asked, puzzled. “Far from it, Yunobo. This…this is far older than the Sheikah…I’ve never seen letters like these before!” Zelda said with passionate fascination. She immediately began taking up the pieces and taking pictures of the various shattered phrases that were written in the alien language. It was similar to Hyrulean letters, but to say it was a different form of the language would be a misnomer. It seemed like they were the inspiration for the written language of Hyrule, rather than a similarity or copycat. “Purah will be most excited to see this! I’m going to put a research team together so we can look over these runes more in depth…” Zelda planned, excited for the new project that was ahead of her. Link rolled his eyes and folded his arms as he looked towards Zelda with a knowing look. Zelda happened to look over to him and rolled her eyes, “Yes, after the festival! I know! Let me have this!” She laughed, realizing her slightly narrow-minded focus being on display.
The ambassadors, along with Link and Zelda standing next to one another and holding each other’s arms tight, then click through their menus to find their fast travel tools. Yunobo, fat fingering his device, is the last to ready himself. “Right, everyone! On the count of three!” Zelda leads. Counting down from three, the group time their teleport to happen at the same time. “Three, two, one…activate!” Zelda commands. All at once, blue light absorbs the whole group, forming over them like bright neon water as their forms disappear into blue light. Small balls of light replace the ambassadors, as the balls of light then travel out of the forgotten catacombs, past the strange green hourglass and duo of green marble statues, and out of the entrance of the Forgotten Temple.
Watching this happen, Master Kohga watched the orbs disappear into the sky from the entrance of the temple. He was cowering behind a collapse of ruins that were at the entrance of the Forgotten Temple, hoping the backup fighters that Riju had on her side were gone so that he could make a cleaner escape. The plan didn’t exactly go according to plan, but it still worked out for the Yiga Clan leader in the end. When they first broke into the Gerudo Temple, the plan was to slink in, grab the helm, replace it with a phony, then get out without being spotted. Unfortunately, as Kohga was about to escape, a beautiful sight had enraptured his vision. A glorious, magnificent collection of Gerudo Bananas. The master had a sweet tooth for the fruits, and he simply couldn’t help himself but to take a few bananas off the pile. What he didn’t account for, however, was that a Gerudo accountant that was keeping stock of the supply was standing in a doorway he didn’t see within the temple. The alarms had begun and Kohga had to immediately bolt out of the temple after alerting his fellow Clans men what had happened…leaving out the distraction of the bananas of course. Thankfully, his reliable swordsman and bow master had back up plans in case they were spotted. It was only a shame that they then had to sacrifice themselves so Kohga could get a bit more distance between him and that shameful Princess Riju.
Waiting out the Ambassadors and that infuriating hero, Link, were not the only reason he was also still hiding in the temple. He was also waiting out the rest of the Gerudo guards, who just happened to arrive at the entrance of the temple to take back Patricia, Riju’s sand seal, and the other two of his Yiga Clan members that were helping him steal the Thunder Helm in the first place. Seeing that the ambassadors and especially that annoying princess Riju was gone, the master then pulled out his own devilish tricks onto the few numbers of Gerudo soldiers that were looking for the master. The guards had seen the blue orbs leave the temple, assuming that Lady Riju was with them for something else important and deciding to at least take back the two Yiga members.
Sooga and Nagi had been fetched by Riju’s guards, who followed after the trio of Yiga after dealing with a Molduga, a massive monster that swims inside of sand, that they were led into by that same group as a trick. Bularia, a tall, deep tanned Gerudo who acted as the chief Captain of the limited army of Gerudo, began to get her troops in order to be sure they transported the two Yiga they were able to capture back safely and without issue. “Tie those knots tighter! A Yiga Clan member is dangerous when given opportunity. Just as their backs were turned, Kohga revealed a barrage of mushrooms, emitting a sleeping powder that puffed up the noses of the guards with a cacophony of fume. “Stand…your ground…” The captain of the group moaned, feeling the effects of the spores knock her unconscious and fall to the ground. “You were right! We are dangerous when given opportunity! Thank you for the compliment!” Kohga mocked, giggling as he helped free his comrades from their binds.
“Wonderful timing as ever, Master Kohga. Do you still have it?” Sooga, the burlier Yiga Clan member asked, standing tall and then bowing down to his master. “Of course, I still have it! Did you doubt your great leader?” Kohga growled, “This here helm will now most certainly protect us! Plus…it’s valuable…she’d do anything to have it back…it’s leverage…” He moaned, patting the top of the golden helmet with care. Nagi, now loose from her bonds, then made an important observation. “But it does do…something? Correct?” She asked, hoping her master didn’t just endanger their lives for some frivolous heirloom that meant nothing but cultural significance. “Of course it does something, you twit!” Kohga growled, furious his captain didn’t have faith in him. Regaining his composure, he then elaborated further why it was important. “First, there’s something in Hyrule Castle we must fetch first. You see, the Thunder Helm is the oldest Gerudo treasures…and its also incomplete.” He elaborated, pointing to the crest of the headpiece. “There’s a head garment that goes over this section of the helm. A very important crest that harbors the supposed power of…Him…” Kohga explained.
Both Yiga Clan members were now focused, knowing exactly who their master spoke of. “You don’t mean…of King Ganon, do you?” Sooga asked, genuinely surprised by his master’s knowledge of something so important. “Oh yes…it was believed that Ganon’s source of power was through the completed helm. If we can put the last of the helm together, along with the Secret Stone that belongs to it…we may just uncover the source of his power…bringing him back stronger than ever! Stronger than the last Calamity!” Kohga maniacally proposed, so delighted at bringing the world of chaos he so desperately dreamed of. Sooga and Nagi, both just as excited, then realized a flaw with their master’s plan. “How…exactly…do you plan on getting in the castle? It will most certainly be guarded to the teeth…especially with that ridiculous ceremony going on inside Hyrule New Castle Town…” Nagi growled, detesting that such a joyful place of light could even exist in their modern era of darkness.
Kohga, holding the helm close, giggled in delight as he explained, “Oh…we aren’t going inside the castle, silly!” Kohga chuckled, clutching the Thunder Helm in his hands like he was codling a newborn baby “…we’re going underneath the castle.”
Chapter 5: A Word to the Past
Summary:
Finally getting an update on this! I was going back and forth on whether I'd wait to see the new 'Hyrule Warriors' before continuing onto this. I'm a re-writer, so I'm making a committed effort to seeing the new game before I steam roll with this. I do have an idea in mind, but also I want my story to feel as close to original cannon while still doing its own thing. Anyway, enough rambling! Have a Day :) *kisses*
Chapter Text
Just in the nick of time, The Ambassadors returned back to the backstage of the temporary stage set up at the end of the drawbridge connecting Hyrule Castle to New Castle Town. Upon their arrival, a distraught Purah sighed in relief, happy to see the group returned with Riju as planned. “thank Hylia! I was worried when all of you disappeared from the tracker!” Purah sighed, immediately scooping up Riju’s Purah Pad and tinkering with the system. “Whatever went wrong I’ll fix it immediately! Can’t have you disappearing on us because my tech broke!” She scrambled out, disassembling the tool and combing over the entire system as she tried to figure out what went wrong with her tools. “It wasn’t your Pad that was the issue, I just wasn’t near a Sheikah Tower.” Riju explained to the tech tinkerer. Confused, she looked over to the others, who also confirmed the story. “She was near Tangar Canyon, near where that blind spot you were talking about the other day was.” Zelda explained, as she then explained where they had been and what had taken the group so long.
Purah, putting back together Riju’s device, looked flabbergasted as Zelda explained what she had found. Zelda then brought up the pictures and showed them to Purah, allowing her to scroll the images on the original Sheikah Slate. Purah gasped as she looked through the pictures, eyes wide as she looked to the pictures. Zelda then explained how these strange creatures made of gemstones and pottery began appearing from these pillars in the walls, then showing the glyphs that were transcribed onto the pottery sherds that made up the creatures that Zelda had put back together so she could snap a picture of them to present to Purah.
On the other side of the stage, the sounds of the crowd enjoying some enrapturing entertainment on the stage was echoing from the center of town. A large wall of deep brown wood was between the back of the stage and the front, allowing Purah and her anxiety to be masked so as not to look unbecoming of the nervous inventor. It wasn’t until one of Zelda’s guards had stepped forward did Zelda silence for a moment. The young guard spoke with a small stutter, slightly nervous as it was one of his first days on duty before the famous Queen Zelda. “My apologies Ma’am, but we are pressed for time. Beetle is running out of gags to entertain the crowds and we have gone through the whole rest of the registry of entertainment…” The guard explained. Zelda, nodding in understanding, then took back up the tablet and selected back the dress she had chosen specifically for the event and speech she was to give on the Stage. The bright blue light glowed over the body of the Queen. Slowly, the outfit changed once more to the one of before, with the long flowing dress of royal blue. Link, unfortunately not having such a customization, had to reapply the armor he was wearing using the assistance of some squires that had been summoned for him specifically. Sidon, taking notice of Link not having a Purah Pad of his own to swap his armor, then asked Purah: “Why doesn’t Link have one? I’m surprised he doesn’t by now.” Purah looked towards the fish man and explained, “Link explicitly didn’t want one. Actually, one of the few times he spoke to me directly…said it ‘reminded him of everything’ and that he ‘didn’t like it’.” Purah explained, her magnetism ability built into the flying panels of reclaimed Sheikah devices slowly floating together and slotting into their protective cases that were saddled onto Purah’s back hip. Sidon looked towards Link, who was staring into the void, not paying attention to anything around him as the squires refitted his armor back onto his body.
Sidon had always known the Guardians to be a danger to his life. There wasn’t a point in time where they weren’t. For Link, his entire military training was around guardians and the tools of the Sheikah long past. He was a child, growing up using those creatures for their intended purpose…and they also were the cause of the downfall of everything he ever knew 100 years ago. Link had mixed feelings in using Sheikah tech, but how could he not when it was the very thing that took the lives of the Great Champions that piloted the Divine Beasts? Link tried not thinking about it as much as he could, focused clearly on his goal of protecting the realm and protecting Zelda, just as he vowed, he always would do. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her…never again.
“Once the festivities are over, I’m going to put a research team together so we can go get a closer look at those markings and the temple! This is so exciting!” Zelda smiled, exploding with excitement as Purah began to think to herself. “Interesting…if this stuff really is there in the temple…we may have more knowledge on the old world than we’ve ever had with the Sheikah Tech…” Purah spoke to herself, thinking deeply as the rest of the ambassadors were getting ready to go on stage. Zelda then revealed to Purah the duplicate Sheikah Slate she had found in the temple, quietly offloading it to Purah. “Purah, would you do me a favor and see if you can’t unlock this Sheikah Slate for me?” Zelda asked, handing off the device to the inventor. “Unlock it? How did you do that in the first place? I’m surprised you messed up your own Sheikah Slate, Zels.” She laughed, taking the device. Zelda, looking towards Purah with a neutral expression, simply said, “That’s not my Slate. We found it in the temple.” Zelda explained. Purah looked towards Zelda with a shocked expression. “Oh. That’s…that’s impossible…” Purah spoke aloud. “There was only one Sheikah Slate…how is…maybe an early model?” Purah tried to reason with herself. As Purah investigated the device, however, it was exactly the same as Zelda and Link’s Sheikah device. Purah, nodding to Zelda, undertaking the challenge of figuring out what was up with this device.
A medical professional was summoned to look over Teba, to make sure his wing wasn’t injured too badly. After a few minutes of stretching, the soreness was all that was left to the Rito, making the bird sigh in relief that nothing was damaged or broken. “Papa!” Tulin chirped, flying into his father with high speed. He was so happy that his father had returned that he squeezed the older bird with much enthusiasm. Teba grunted as he felt the weight of his kid throttle the air of his lungs. “It’s good to see you too, Tulin.” He coughed, trying to get air into his lungs. “You behaved for Purah?” Teba asked of his son, to which Tulin nodded. “Yep! I stayed right here! Honestly, I think I was more watching her…she looked really worried for you guys when all of your trackers went offline.” Tulin explained, to which Teba shook his head with a smile. “Wonderful, son. Thank you.” He said softly, nuzzling his son’s beak with his own.
Riju watched the duo of Rito shared in embrace, the Gerudo lost in thought as she looked towards the father and son. She looked suddenly glum, touching upon the earrings that used to belong to her mother as she looked up towards the sky. Today felt like a disaster to the leader. Not only had the Yiga Clan master gotten away, but he had taken one of the last few Gerudo Heirlooms that were still within Gerudo hands. She felt like a failure, grimacing as she tried to push the troubles out of her mind. “What are you thinking of me, mother?” She asked the air under her breath, looking towards the clouds as if an answer would come down from the heavens to respond.
Yunobo and Sidon must have noticed Riju’s frustration, as the duo Goron and Zora then came up to the princess and offered their words of care. “We’ll more than happily assist in finding the helm, Riju. As soon as the speech is over, we can go looking!” Sidon spoke, giving a smile and a thumbs up. Yunobo then explained that the Tangar Canyon opened up a little further down, where Death Mountain’s feet lie. “I can get a group of Gorons to investigate the area! He can’t have gone that far!” the Goron encouraged. The words of the duo were charming, but Riju sighed as she sourly looked on towards the sky. “It’s gone…just like the others…These Earrings are the last of the Gerudo treasures left. As a war strategist; once something is lost, unless you have the troops to take it on, then its best to pull back and protect the assets you still possess. Maybe we’ll find it, but it’d be like looking for a needle in a haystack…It will be perfectly alright, boys.” Riju explained, rubbing her fingers between the beads of the dangling earrings of her generational family. Sidon and Yunobo looked towards each other, worried for their fellow ambassador. “If there is anything you need, we’re always here, Goro.” Yunobo spoke softly, trying to reassure the princess. Riju turned towards the duo, a fake smile that was betrayed by her slightly watery eyes was towards the two creatures as she muttered, “thank you.”
As Zelda walked on stage, an eruption of cheers came over the crowd as Zelda presented herself before the masses. Faces of all different kinds over Hyrule cheered as the Queen came forward. The Queen, smiling with true joy, had a small tear form on his face as she looked over every one of these people’s faces. She recognized the new botanists that moved into the kingdom on one side of the crowd, the new Hyrulean News Press that were flooding the front of the stage, the few Gerudo who lived in New Castle Town for the job of training the new Hyrule guard, the owners of the various inns around town…everyone. Not just Hylians were here either; A mixture of Gorons, Zoras, and Rito were throughout the crowd that Zelda recognized just as fondly, happy that so many of the races of Hyrule made it for this special occasion. Zelda had personally spoken with all of these people at one point or another, with the Sheikah Slate helping Zelda keep track of everyone by Zelda typing out the information of each person and the girl committing time out of her day to memorize all of the faces and people that lived in her town. It was a lot, more than one person could handle alone, but she did it. It was 100 years ago this city was completely destroyed, yet now here it stood, against all odds…and all thanks to the Champion’s spirits, the Sheikah Tech, and of course, her knight in shining armor, Link.
Slowly, each of the Ambassadors came on stage, with Link coming to stand directly next to Zelda with his reapplied armor that was given a polishing before he was on stage for the third time today. His helm had been put back on, shielding his face. Zelda rolled her eyes as she looked towards her knight. “They came to see you too! Let them see you, Link.” She whispered into his ear. Link, hesitating for a moment, then slowly raised his hands and removed the helm, letting his head free and his long hair to flow. The crowd erupted into more cheers, louder than before as everyone let out joyous applause for the Hero, the Ambassadors, and of course, Queen Zelda.
Before Zelda, a small podium was set up, with a repurposed Sheikah device used to amplify sound was set up so the Queen could talk towards the entire crowd without straining her voice. Purah manned a soundboard that was off the side of the stage, used in coordinating the sound of the Sheikah microphone to the appropriate sound levels. Zelda cleared her throat as she began to speak. “People of Hyrule! It is so wonderful to see all of you!” Zelda called out, the crowds repaying the greeting with cheers of their own. “Before me, are five people that I think you all know very well. They have been the lead ambassadors in rebuilding this wonderful town that over a century ago, had been completely destroyed by the Calamity Ganon. If only King Roham could see what we’ve done, working together to put this place back together!” Zelda called over, the crowds listening intently to the words of their new Queen.
“However, I didn’t come just to recap our history…I’ve come before you to give award to these five, fine people, who have not just served the kingdom, but paved the way for the future of the kingdom to continue for generations to come! Commander Halvault, bring the badges on stage!” Zelda commanded. An older guard had stepped onto the stage, carrying a bright blue pillow with five badges that represented the different races of Hyrule and what the group were bringing to the castle and its people. Zelda personally came and attached the badges onto each one of the Ambassadors, giving her thanks to each of them as she attached the badges.
“To Yunobo Co. and the Gorons of Death Mountain, I present this award for your swift, punctual, and resourceful gathering of stones and construction work for the people of Hyrule.” Zelda spoke to the Goron, a wide smile coming over the Goron’s face as Zelda spoke. “To the Zora’s and their Prince, Sidon, for helping with the fields and for hunting the wildlife, to make sure there was always enough food to go around, I award you this token of honor.” Zelda announced as she applied the badge of honor to the Zora’s jewelry in a way that Zelda had to be incredibly particular with so as to not clip Sidon’s scales. Sidon raised his hand to a salute, thankful for such an honor, before lowering it back down to his side. “To Teba of the Rito. Your knowledge of the wind and your valiance as a diligent soldier transferred wonderfully as delivery personnel, with your people ensuring communication throughout the land was steady and punctual. I award this badge to you and your fellow Rito.” Zelda thanked, bowing her head towards the Rito as a sign of curtesy. Teba bowed back the same after Zelda applied the badge to his ceremonial garb, returning the gesture. Tulin watched his father from the same side of the stage as Purah, smiling with joy as his father was given the badge of recognition. “And I do believe there is someone else who joined with you on your journey here? May I?” Zelda asked, bringing forth a secret award for the small fledgling. Tulin gasped as he was then ushered on stage to stand beside his father, with the two Rito just as surprised. Zelda brought forth the feather of rainbow color, a symbol of good faith. “May you grow to be just as wonderful as your father, young Tulin.” Zelda thanked, kneeling before the Rito and applying the feather. Ever grateful of the gesture, both Tulin and Teba bowed their heads towards the Queen.
Zelda then made Her way to Riju, smiling towards the Gerudo Princess as she then brought forwards the badge of honor. “To Princess Riju, Lady of the Sands of Gerudo. You have raised us soldiers for protection that will serve not just the castle of Hyrule, but the people of this land. Because of you and your fellow swordswoman, this kingdom will be protected for many moons to come.” Zelda thanked, bestowing the golden badge to the Princess. Riju, accepting this symbol of gratitude from the Queen of Hyrule, bowed her head. The thought of the Thunder Helm fresh in Riju’s mind, slightly souring the moment for the Princess. What kind of a leader was she if one of the last treasures of the Gerudo were snatched while under her rule?
Zelda then moved on to the last of the group, the handsome soldier and hero that had not only saved the realm, put to rest the Divine Beasts, defeated Calamity Ganon, and continued to serve the kingdom these last five years diligently. Link, the Hero of Legend. “And finally, to the soldier of 100 years ago, who bravely stormed the possessed castle of Hyrule, defeated the dark beast Calamity Ganon, and saved the kingdom of Hyrule from complete ruin. To you, Link of Hateno Village, I gift something incredibly important.” Zelda explained. From the light blue pillow, the remaining badge was made of a platinum metal that was shining with embroidered diamonds and sapphires. The badge was of the Sheikah eye, shimmering with added luminous stones. “I not only give thanks to you for all that you’ve done, but give you position as Top Commander of Hyrule Military. Wherever you go, the spirit of Hyrule and its soldiers will follow behind you.” Zelda promised, as Link took a knee, accepting this great position of power. The crowds cheered as Zelda knighted once more this great leader. Link then stood from his spot, and Zelda gifted upon his chest the crest of the Sheikah.
From a spot of the crowd, watching the festivities as if she was a normal onlooker, was the elder of the Sheikah, Lady Impa. Impa was old, her years showing themselves in her weathered face and withered features. The lady of the invisible people that protected the royal family smiled as she lifted the massive sun hat she wore to obscure her face. Protective sigils made of metal dangled off the brim of the hat, with the symbol of the Sheikah’s tearful eye sewn with perfection onto the top of the pale white sunhat, dyed a deep crimson red. The robed mistress smiled even wider as she sighed. “I believe it’s almost time.” She muttered under her breath, before looking to the fellow Sheikah that was to her side. The older Sheikah, a man with wild white hair and the same short stature looked towards the stage with studious gaze. The fellow Sheikah Elder, a Mister Robbie, then asked his fellow elder, “You think so? All the pieces are in place?” Impa nodded as she turned towards her fellow Sheikah. “We shall be needed soon. They have visited the Sealed Temple. I had a few scouts looking over the situation.” The old woman warned, but no worry appeared over her face. “If that’s true…this will be the last time we see the Queen…and Link will be forever changed if what was prophesized comes true.” Robbie spoke grimly, worried of the future they were seeing come forth before them. Impa, however, smiled towards Robbie as she explained further. “And The Calamity will be no more. The Kingdom will truly be free of Demise’s Poe. This must happen, Robbie.” Impa explained, as she looked back towards the stage where Zelda and the Ambassador’s stood. “This must come to pass…”
Back on the stage, Zelda smiled as she looked into Link’s eyes. The eyes of the hero were always so captivating. Pools of bright blue so wonderful, looking like the infinite sky. They had a strength to them, a reminder that Link always served with purpose. He was diligent, strong, capable. Every situation he handled without worry or fear, always seemingly in control. She and Link, they were tied in this destiny of making the future possible. Without Link’s unwavering courage to face against the odds, and Zelda’s power of the ancient goddess Hylia, bestowed to her through the lineage of her mother’s side, the kingdom of Hyrule wouldn’t have stood a chance. Zelda, however, was confident that as long as the two of them continued to work together, that there was nothing they couldn’t do. Zelda smiled wider as she spoke the ‘Soldier Oath’ to Link. “Champion, Savior, and Hero of Hyrule, do you swear to loyally defend the kingdom of Hyrule, from threats foreign and within, until the day you cannot any longer?” Zelda asked of her hero, knowing full well the answer. Link bowed his head, accepting non-verbally his role in protecting the realm. “Then by the powers vested in me, as Queen of the people of Hyrule, I knight you as our Top Commander for Hyrule. Link of Hateno, and reveal your ‘Sacred Blade’.” Zelda commanded.
Link, in his knelt position on the stage, then slowly slid forth the iridescent silver blade with a deep blue hilt and handle, handing the blade to his queen with the handle towards her. Zelda looked up and down the Sacred Blade, the Master Sword, and took note of the delicate care that Link seemed to always put into maintaining such a legendary blade. A small blue light blinked from the bright blue stone in the core of the blade, Zelda almost taken aback by the shimmer. She laughed as she spoke towards Link. “I think they are excited for you too, Link!” Zelda smiled, with Link making a smile himself. Taking up the blade, Zelda then knighted her prince, her hero. “I hereby Knight you, as Top Commander of Hyrule’s army. Stand before me, Commander Link.” Zelda commanded.
Standing slowly, taking back the blade from his Queen, the crowd cheered with applause. Zelda and Link looked towards the crowds, with both Link and Zelda smiling ear to ear at the joy and excitement that screamed from the crowds before them. “100 years in the making…it’s beautiful, isn’t it, Link?” Zelda asked her silent prince, who nodded in agreement. Zelda then cleared her voice, as she then spoke for the ambassadors to step forward and give a small word to the crowds. Sidon was first to step up, speaking to the Zora and to the farmers of Hyrule. He spoke of how diligent they toiled, how everyone played a role in giving the necessary meals and harvest to the people of Hyrule. He gave his thanks to the hours the people gave of their time, working so hard to provide for not just themselves, but for their neighbors. Yunobo, a bit nervous to speak, was a bit stumbly in his opening. After finding his ground, he gave thanks to all of the Gorons who mined through the hot rock of Death Mountain. He then praised his coalition, the Yunobo Co, for working throughout the harsh lands to help deliver the stones needed to build the foundations and the buildings that now stood tall here in Hyrule Castle Town reborn. Teba, as well as small quips from Tulin, were next. Teba spoke of the Rito’s determination to give open communication throughout the realm, and how important it was for everyone to do their part for the good of the realm. He spoke of his roughest stories, the difficult tribulations during the years of the Calamity, and how he hoped that the future was brighter for all those throughout the lands. Finally, it was Riju’s moment.
Riju, giving a breath, then took to the stage and gave a breath. The crowd had been listening with joy to the words of the other races, but when Riju took to the podium, there was a noticeable change in the expressions of the people there. Some Hylians looked uncertain, now more focused on what the next ambassador was about to say. There was an immense pressure that Riju felt as she looked towards the massive collection before her. Zelda could tell Riju was worried, the Queen and Link both looking towards their fellow ally with anxiety. Riju felt her heart pounding in her chest, the anxiety rising as Riju made clear her understanding of the tension that was showing itself.
“There was a time, a long time ago, when the people of Gerudo and Hyrule were against one another. The dark beast, Calamity Ganon, was once a Gerudo King…the last one to ever exist. His hatred for the light and for peace was a stain on the land before you. It threw Hyrule into a never-ending cycle of hatred. That hatred, thanks to Link and Zelda, has once again been satiated once more. The Gerudo know our history in allowing such a dark presence to exist. Now, we will do everything we can to ensure that forever more, you will have an ally with the people of the desert. Thank you for trusting us with your soldiers, with your homes…and I assure you, as Princess of the Gerudo, that I will de everything within my power to ensure you safety. If I may, there is also a long-standing rule we have had at Gerudo that here on this stage I would like to amend, if you would allow me so, Queen Zelda.” Riju asked, looking towards Zelda. The Queen nodded her head in acceptance, smiling towards her friend. Link, also smiling, then gave a thumbs up in approval himself.
Riju looked back towards the crowds, taking in a deep breath and then slowly pushing out the air in her lungs. “The walls of Gerudo have only let in those we deem worthy of entry. Voe, or men, have not been allowed within the walls of Gerudo for almost as long as the existence of Calamity Ganon. Today, I want to break that law. Starting today, on the eve of the 5th year of peace, all are welcome within Gerudo Sanctum! Zelda has taken many steps in helping begin army training camps within the vast desert, and I’m happy to speak that we will be soon beginning the workings of a training grounds within the Gerudo desert! Those who wish to serve the kingdom of Hyrule, you can find guides within a pop-up tent that is not far from this stand here. Further details of what you need and what is offered will be explained within the contents of the guides as well!” Riju explained. She smiled as she looked towards a small collection of tall, tanned, Gerudo women, who knew this news was coming but still looked mildly uncomfortable with the idea that their most recent leader was putting forward. “This is a time where Hyrule must work together, more than ever before. It’s time the Gerudo did their part! Thank you, not just for trusting us, but accepting us.” She finished, before bowing her head and stepping from the podium.
The crowds, just as excited as with the other speeches, then clapped and cheered for the Princess of the Gerudo. A wave of relief came over Riju, the Princess so glad to be on the other side of the stressful speech. The other Ambassadors gave their praises, celebrating the words Riju had spoken. “Oh please! Don’t flatter me…I’m just glad to be through…I could feel the stares…” She muttered, anxious as she still worried if the people of Hyrule still saw the Gerudo as a stain on the history of Hyrule. Zelda, however, reassured her fellow royalty. “Nonsense! While you and I may disagree on some things, you are a wonderful leader, Riju! Your ability to lead has impressed me the moment I learned of it. I could scarcely even begin to understand how you could do so young!” Zelda complimented. Riju blushed in her sun-stoked face, small circles of deep red showing in her brown cheeks. “Thank you, Zelda. I needed to hear that.” She replied.
As Zelda then went to go up to the podium, Link then put a hand to his chest, signaling to Zelda that he was asking something. Zelda looked towards Link with confusion, “Link…while I understand your hand motions, I doubt Hyrule at large will.” Zelda humored. Link, holding his chin a bit but still smiling, somehow convinced Zelda to allow him onto the stand. “Very well?” She questioned, watching her prince then turn towards the stage and get to the steps. Sidon, Riju, Teba, and Yunobo realized what was happening and also looked confused. They knew Link was a man of almost no words, explaining things vocally when absolutely necessary. He was an isolating sort, seldom speaking for reasons that was unclear to them. Yet, sure enough, as Link then got to the stand, they watched in interest what the newly knighted commander was to say. The crowds watched on, with many of the crowd also knowing the truths that Link wasn’t much of a talker either.
With a deep breath, Link then did the unthinkable: He spoke. His voice was neither masculine nor feminine. He spoke with such emotion that it genuinely startled Zelda. She almost never heard Link finish a sentence, let alone utter a word in so long. He spoke like a crest fallen old man, yet had the energy of a young bachelorette. “123 years ago, I was born into this world. My Mother sick, my father lost to war. I lived within the town of Hateno, off the southeast of Hyrule. I remember as a child, that I was gifted unlike the other children. I was faster, smarter…I was meant for something more than farmwork or cattle. When it came time for Hyrule Army to foster new soldiers, my mother made sure I made myself first in line. I had no siblings, no uncles or aunts, nor grandparents. By the first year of my training as a man of Hyrule, I had received word my mother had passed away. I devoted everything I had to my training, my purpose. I took a vow of silence, speaking only when I absolutely had to. I served Hyrule, and that was all I was. Then…I became a champion, the hero who would then wield the ‘Sacred Blade’…” Link explained. He then began to look crestfallen, slowly pulling the blade from his sheath once more.
Link looked over the blade, a sadness slowly etching onto his face. “Then…105 years ago…I failed. I lost the friends that I called fellow champions, I failed Hyrule…and even worse, I couldn’t remember any of it. Not a moment…until someone even smarter than me helped put the pieces back together for me.” Link said, turning to look towards Zelda, who already had oceans of salty tears in her eyes, her hands covering her mouth. Zelda, along with everyone else, looked more than shocked at the hero. Link smiled as he looked back towards the people of Hyrule. “Now, in this moment, I feel as if I have redeemed where I fell. I pulled it back together, slaying the dark beast. Now, I will lead the future heroes. Today isn’t just a moment for me, I think of it as a moment for the Champions, my friends, and my parents. This moment is for them too. I hope, that in finishing what was started, I’ve quelled my feelings for them. They can pass on, now. I can finally let them go…” Link spoke softly, before taking a breath and making his last statement. “I know I speak little, and believe me, that won’t change. But, know this, that I’m thankful for all of you. The Ambassadors, the people of Hyrule, Queen Zelda…without you, I’m just a soul and a warrior. It’s you that put the town together. Forever, I am grateful to you. I will serve you until my skin is gone, my bones brittle as sand, and my spirit passes on. Thank you.”
Deku99 on Chapter 1 Sun 07 Sep 2025 01:50PM UTC
Comment Actions
ClemOya on Chapter 2 Fri 28 Mar 2025 08:53AM UTC
Comment Actions
KamiRoxyWrites on Chapter 2 Fri 28 Mar 2025 02:20PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rulia on Chapter 5 Wed 11 Jun 2025 02:42AM UTC
Last Edited Wed 11 Jun 2025 02:43AM UTC
Comment Actions
KamiRoxyWrites on Chapter 5 Wed 11 Jun 2025 06:23PM UTC
Comment Actions
Rulia on Chapter 5 Fri 13 Jun 2025 07:54PM UTC
Comment Actions