Day Two
“Rescue”
It’s freezing, up here, just like it always is. She hugs her clothes tighter around her, only feeling the cold on her face. Rito feathers are a godsend in these snowy mountains, no wonder they make so much on the Hylian armor they sell to locals. Her heart feels warm just thinking about the last time she stayed there. Everyone was so kind and welcoming...she loves Rito Village so much. She loves every village here in Hyrule, really. She’s in love with the world around her, a world she’s lived in for only a year, but feels like home now. It’s certainly better than the home she came from: weak, used, abused over and over again, here she’s loved and welcomed with open arms. She’s something of a hero in this place, that reputation building up for herself all this year.
Too bad she’s anything but a hero.
The harsh winds don’t give her a chill, but the memories of her past failures do. She’s only good at one thing, and that was being alluring. But you don’t get remembered for that. Instead, she’s remembered for her failures, something that goes against what she’s always wanted, but will never have. Even here, she knows she will never have a happy ending. Hyrule is so beautiful, but she has a job to do. Once it’s done, she’ll disappear like always. Maybe this time will be a success? She hopes so. She fails all the time. She failed them last time, too, which is why she wants desperately to make things right.
That’s why she stayed away while Dell went off to fetch them all. Everything has to go right, or else all she worked for would be lost. Just another failure on an ever-growing list. Last night, a dream came to her. She called it a dream, but really, it’s a vision. Hylia, the Goddess of Hyrule, told her what she needed to do.
Find Naydra. Free her. Pray to me, so that I may save my people. So, she set off to do just that. Anything she could do to save everyone, to defeat Ganondorf, she would do without a moment’s hesitation. She owed them all that much.
It’s night time, now. Hopefully they’re all able to sleep, but she isn’t sure they will. If Impa told them all tonight, it might be hard. She prays Impa listened to her advice and let them enjoy the evening. She’s sure it will make all the difference in this fight. Just like what she’s about to do now will. She’s almost there, she can see the crystal pillars, hear the weak breathing, she’s close, so close-
“Surprise!!”
No. That’s the only thing she has time to think as his hand takes hold of her arm, yanking her sideways. No. No! How did he find out? She tried so hard to be secretive. How could he know she’d be here?!
“Ehehe...ahahaha! Such a weak little Servant, always so weak. But I love your surprised face every time! This will be the last, though. Sad, but also thrilling! Farewell...Assassin! Ahahahaha!”
“No-wait!!” But he doesn’t. He rips her Sheikah Slate off her hip and tosses her aside...right off the nearest cliff. She screams, desperately trying to take hold of a ledge, a rock, anything to break her fall. But there is no help anywhere at all. Once again, she has failed. She can see him watching, hear him laughing all the way down.
I’m sorry, everyone. I failed again. I tried, but-
There’s a sickening thud when her body hits the ground. And then, save for his laughter and the roaring wind, dead silence.
---
"Others before us? I dunno, man. It's possible." Kaito shrugged.
"I have an idea about what might be going on, but...it's been so peaceful. Well, save for that Superman dude. What the Hell was his problem?"
Any efforts to find any information on Brook or Efi turned up nothing.
As nine o'clock came around, Dell looked around at anyone still out and about. The shops had now closed up, their owners preparing them for the group members staying for the night.
“It’s about that time, everyone. Now’s your chance to get some shuteye. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow, so this’ll be your only chance for some rest until evening. If you really want to go out and explore, I wouldn’t-Stal monsters like to roam around late at night. Uh...that’s about it. See you in the morning.” His little speech over with, Dell headed into Impa’s house, where he would take a seat in the corner and power himself down.
Night time would pass relatively peacefully, everyone able to get some good sleep. In the morning, everyone would feel rested and ready to take on the day. The crowing of Cuccos wakes everyone in the village up at 5 in the morning. Everyone is treated to Kakariko specialty Pumpkin Stew for breakfast, and is then herded into Impa’s House for their meeting. Well, they would be, had Impa not decided to change their meeting place.
“Grandmother would like you all to meet her somewhere else.” Paya stood in front of the stairs, clearly nervous about facing such a big group.
“I-If you’d all please follow me…” Paya would lead everyone up the hill, past the rubble of Ta’Loh Naeg Shrine, into a secret path by the Fairy Fountain, taking them all to a small clearing where Impa and Dell waited beside a glowing orange platform.
Beside Dell was the orange orb from inside Impa’s House.
“Good morning, everyone." She nodded towards them.
"I hope you all got some rest.”
“Sure looks like they did,” Dell commented, back to smoking his pipe. Though he kept his usual scowl, he sounded relieved to discover that.
“Feel free to take a seat, if you want. We have a lot of ground to cover.”
“Indeed. I’m sure you’ve all been wondering why you’re all here. As I told some of you last night, there is a great evil in our kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, a demon king known as Demise attempted to take over Hyrule, but was defeated by the reincarnation of the Goddess Hylia, and a courageous young hero. Demise himself cursed them with a reincarnation of his own, who would continue to attack Hyrule and their descendants for all eternity, no matter how long they sealed him away. This reincarnation is often known as Ganon or Ganondorf, and he is the one who has brought you all here using his dark powers.”
“The only problem is, he’s not from this world, either,” Dell added.
“What the Hell do you mean he’s not?!” Kaito asked.
“Well, Ganon’s big scheme is always to nab the Triforce, an object that basically gives you godlike powers, if you have all three parts. Usually, he only has the Triforce of Power, and tries to get the other two so he can take over Hyrule. Sometimes he succeeds, but he always get sealed away, every time. This time, though, before he could be sealed away again in his world, he got some outside help.”
“Woah, woah, woah. Hold on! How do you know all of this? Aren't you from outside this world, too?”
“A friend of mine, Margreet, found his journal in Hyrule Castle that explains everything." Dell thought for a moment.
"Say, Kaito, you know a guy named Fiamma of the Right?”
Kaito paused a moment, trying to think.
“Uhhhh...kind of?”
“Yeah. He’s the one who helped Ganondorf out. Gave him a power boost, told him about a ritual that would make him even stronger, and Ganondorf came here to Hyrule in order to take it over.”
Impa closed her eyes.
“I am afraid to say that our world is perfect for an outside invasion,” she said.
“One hundred years ago, Hyrule fell to the powers of Calamity Ganon, a dark beast bent on destroying our kingdom. He turned our own machinery-our Guardians and Divine Beasts-against us, and fought us all to the brink of apocalypse. If not for Princess Zelda waking her powers and sealing him away, Hyrule would have been destroyed.”
“Last year, the Hylian Champion and Zelda’s personal bodyguard woke up from 100 years in stasis. He’d sustained fatal injuries that we’re lucky he was able to heal. He set out on a mission to regain his strength and free the four Divine Beasts of Ganondorf’s control. He had done the former, but as he set out to do the latter, Ganondorf arrived, reincarnating Calamity Ganon and sending him off to another ritual. Apparently, Ganondorf was running two: one led by his own generals, and one here, hidden from everyone else when he sealed off this kingdom. We were all abducted from our homes and brought here to be used in his ritual."
“Ritual...hey, wait a minute! Are some of us chosen by Ganondorf to kill each other?”
Dell nodded.
“Yup. Some of the people here today were picked out by him to kill us.”
Kaito smacked his knee.
“Ha! I was right! This is a Murder Game! Perfect!”
Dell didn’t seem too shocked by the name Kaito gave this ritual.
“So that’s what you call it, huh? To think I called it the Great Phenomenon...not quite as attention-grabbing, eh?”
Kaito was suddenly energized, jumping to his feet.
“All right, we gotta weed out his,Traitors from our ranks, then we can all go home! I was trained to deal with situations like this! Don't worry everyone. I, Kaito Momota, Luminary of the Coalition, will make sure we get you home!"
Dell snorted, and Impa gave Kaito a rather sad look.
“...I am sorry, Kaito. But I am afraid things are not that simple.” She looked to Dell and nodded. As he began to fiddle with his Sheikah Slate, Impa turned to the rest of the group, looking at Asher in particular.
“I did not want to give you all this bit of information last night. I thought it best you all form bonds with each other and enjoy the evening. Waking up in an unknown world is already enough to deal with in one day. This revelation...I doubt any of you would have been able to sleep with it.”
“...okay, here it is.” He held up the Sheikah Slate, showing everyone a picture. It was in this very clearing, in front of a shrine that shone blue, on a morning like this, and the picture was of... all of them?
Just then, in everyone’s minds, a memory came to them all.
---
“Morning, everyone! You guys sleep well?”
He smiles at you all, the hero of this foreign kingdom called Link. He’s so small, it’s hard to believe that he is a great Champion to these people...but then again, looks can be deceiving.
“I doubt anyone could sleep well, considering our situation.” The older gentleman, a man known as Lee, grouches, which you’ve all come to expect from him after just one day of meeting each other. “But, yes, I did get sleep.”
“I already miss the darkness...” A pale woman with long dark hair speaks as she"s flanked by two shadowy arms that push her up from bed. “The sweet gentle dreams I dreamt...”
Link has no idea how to respond for a moment. “Well, uh...good! Glad to hear it.” Link looks around the group as he leans on the Lakna Rokee Shrine. “So, as you all know, we’re headed off to Zora’s Domain today. Just like yesterday, you can all teleport there with your Sheikah Slate, just like how you got to Ta’Loh Naeg Shrine. Once we get there, King Dorephan can tell us how to conquer Vah Ruta. This mission shouldn’t take us more than one day, I don’t think. Any questions?”
The skeleton known as Brook raises his hand. “Yes, I do! When is lunch time slated to begin?”
The android, Dell, rolls his eyes. “We literally just had breakfast.”
“Well, yes, but we can’t defeat Ganon on an empty stomach! And that’s coming from me, who doesn’t even have a stomach! Yohohohoho!”
“...yeah.”
Another one raises their hand. A green skinned woman called Mantis. “This one still has concerns about the well being of some of the group.” She particularly gives Oichi a look when she says this. “Or for their tenacity to ask inane things.” This time Brook gets a sharp look aimed his way.
“I wonder, where does the food all go if there isn’t a stomach to take it in?” Caster ponders with a cheerful (or unnerving) smile, almost as if it was timed to match Mantis’ comments.. “Is it in the body? Out? Where can it be?”
“Well, yesterday, he told me he can poop, so there’s that.” Kaito replies.
“You...you actually asked the skeleton if it can poop.” Lee is stunned. “We’re all going to die here…”
“Death and decay are natural parts of life,” Oichi responds in a monotonous tone. “Entropy consumes everything...leaving a darkened mass where there once was laughter and pretty flowers...”
“Um, hey! Everyone!” The young dancer, Margreet, takes a step forward, smiling at them all. “I’m sure we’ll all have plenty to eat when we get there. The map looks like it holds plenty of water, so that means lots of fish!”
“W-Water? But I can’t swim!!”
Link immediately cuts in before Lee can murder Brook, which he seems ready to do. “Yes! Fish! We’ll also find Divine Beast Vah Ruta, which will help us defeat Ganondorf and get you all home. If we’re all set, we can get going…”
“Wait! PLease wait, Link.” One of the smallest members of the group, a child named Efi, steps forward, Sheikah Slate in hand.
“I would like to take a group picture, if you don’t mind.”
“What a lovely idea, Efi!” Margreet claps her hands together, eager to keep everyone from fighting.
Link grins. “Yeah! The Slate has a timer feature, so let me set it up…” Link sets Efi’s Slate up on a rock as the rest of you squeeze in front of the shrine to take the picture. You’re still a bit concerned about what’s going to happen to you-if getting home in one week is even possible. But with all these allies here, nothing could possibly go wrong!
...right?
---
"What...the Hell..."
Impa looks around at you all.
"I believe this is as good a time as any to stop to answer questions."
Cast List:
@Alex Azure as
Akane Owari (Danganronpa 3)
@Archmage Jeremiah as
Rex and Nia (Xenoblade Chronicles)
@Atomic Knight as
Asher Forrester (Game of Thrones) and
Teruteru Hanamura (Danganronpa 3)
@Crow as
Yuuki and Kokkoro (Princess Connect! Re: Dive)
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as
Shovel Knight (Shovel Knight) and
The Drifter (Hyper Light Drifter)
@Donder172 as
Agent 47 (Hitman) and
General Grievous (Star Wars Clone Wars 2003)
@Glostechk as
Bitch Pudding (Robot Chicken)
@Gummi Bunnies as
Nadeshiko Kagamihara (Yuru Camp) and
Ellie Phimister (Deadpool)
@Hida Tomonatsu as
Jin (Samurai Champloo)
@Jeremi as
Linkle (Hyrule Warriors) and
Fred Flintstone (The Flintstones comics)
@Josh as
Superboy (Prime Earth DCU)
@Kaykay as
Wakaba Nogi (Nogi Wakaba is a Hero)
@Krieg as
Diana of Themyscira (Wonder Woman)
@Lucky as
Peter Parker (MCU) and
Peter Parker (The Amazing Spiderman)
@MelodyMeister as
Reimu Hakurei (Touhou Project)
@Minerva as
Selesia Upitira (Re:Creators) and
Celica (Fire Emblem)
@Neko Shogun as
Mantis (Guardians of the Galaxy)
@Otto as
Darius (League of Legends)
@Raynar Saassin as
Lyndis (Fire Emblem)
@Siege as
Shallot (Dragon Ball) and
Akuma (Street Fighter)
@Space_Candy as
Thor Odinson (MCU)
@Takumi as
Silque (Fire Emblem) and
Azel Halgal (Otoyomegatari)
@ThatAverageGuy as
Futaba Sakura (Persona 5)
@Ver as
Guy Cecil (Tales of the Abyss)
@York as
Enu (RiME)
@Yun Lee as
Kaito Momota (Danganronpa V3)
