True War

True War is the 17th chapter of Interloper War Season Two.
== The Story of Ken ==
Day 4/Throne Room/Phoenix
"So 7 times, though I suppose it could be 8 or 9 since I don't know how far he can jump or if he used that skill before he entered this room." Phoenix thought aloud as he removed his shoulder armor to nurse his wound.
"I just hope that's a rare skill since I doubt our common soldiers won't be able to hold up against it. Well at least the fact that he took off when means he didn't have any other trump cards.
He sat back down in the kings throne and started wrapping up his gashed arm with some torn pieces of cloth. He needed to get the bleeding to stop before turning back into an old man, and he needed to turn back into an old man before he could leave the throne room. It was a rather infuriating situation considering he had work to do. "It's to bad he took that Shiekah with them, though I suppose that will reinforce my claim that the kings in Termina when he tells them the same thing. Now here's hoping the Twili piss off Kokage."
Senshi/Mid-Day 4/Desert
The trio had been trekking thought the ever increasing desert heat for hours in almost complete silence. Of course it wasn't as if they had much to say. Mikhal barely understood what was going on and he figured Senshi wasn't in the mood to give answers. Chamder remain quit for some reason or another, probably because he knew saying anything would only anger provoke Senshi, or maybe just because he didn't have anything to say. Senshi on the other hand, his mind was was preoccupied.
"That's not good." Senshi said breaking the long silence with was seemed to be random nonsense.
"Um... what isn't good, I still only see sand?" Mikhal asked rather cautiously.
"I've been trying to reach out to Bryseis psychically but I'm not very good at reaching out to people I don't know where over long distances so I wasn't getting anywhere. Instead I reached out to Hothnight, discreetly, and it took some effort but I finally figured out he was alone."
"Ok, who was Hothnight again?" Mikhal said struggling to follow along.
"The one that froze the church. Either was I think she dumped Bryseis, or Bryseis wised up and got away. That's not the problem though, the probable is I just realized where Tsukiakari is.
4 years after the Imprisoning War/Kokariko School House/Senshi
"You all have five minutes to solve your equations starting... now." A middle aged women standing at the front of her room said as see turned over an hour glass on her desk. Behind her were a number of math questions on a chalk board made up for different age groups.
"This is such crap," Senshi complained just above a whisper as he slid his writing slate over the the boy next to him. The boy, Jimmy, was a share cropper's son and when he graduated in a year he'd be a share cropper as well with no need for pre-algebra. Still thanks the Queens brilliant new law that made formal schooling mandatory for all children 5 to 14 he was stuck here instead of helping he father put food on the table. Of course Senshi felt his situation was just a unreasonable. He'd started his schooling when he was three years old thanks to his then pregnant mother deciding to turn the Kokiri Forest into a school. Thanks to having a mother like that he'd already learned long division by the time he was 6. Needless to say he had the assigned equation solved before the headmaster started the clock. Granted it took her three minutes to write up the problems for the other ages so he did have a bit of a head start.
"I know what you mean. Man I'm counting the days until I'm 14. Just another 10 months." Jimmy sighed as he started to copy Senshi's work. "I'm the oldest in my family you know, I spent my whole life and that whole damn war working in a field and I've had to spend every day the past two years in this place with a bunch of little kids with one more to go. It just isn't right."
"Tell my about it, I should be training to right now not learning math I already know."
"Oh come on we both know you're still learning all kinds of cool sword moves every night. The screams and explosions from your house echo through the whole village." Jimmy said with a small hit of irritation in his voice. His family was the early to bed early the rise type and the Ma families nightly antics made that difficult some times.
"Yeah but that's not the same," Senshi rebuked while noticing his little sister giggling slightly in the front row. She must had heard Jimmy's last comment. "I'm not learning from the right person."
"The right person!" Jimmy shouted out, "What the hell you're learning from three Light Warriors." It was true, he's spent his whole life learning how to fight from his father and Nahc, and know that Phoenix had returned from Termina he'd been occasionally joining into the nightly matches as well. The fact of the matter was there was only one person Senshi wanted to learn from, Syzan. He'd looked up to the man ever since he saved him during that first of many assassination attempts against him and Ayala. He wanted nothing more in his life then to learn how to fight from him especially since he was the only Light Warrior to fight with pure skill instead of magic or ungodly powers. Of course this desire only multiplied after he learned his uncle rarely used magic is his adventures, so if he was ever going to become a hero himself he felt he'd need to follow suit. "You're probably still just mad because Ryuna's dad turned you down, again."
Senshi didn't respond, he couldn't. Thanks to Jimmy's outbuster the Headmaster had work over to the two, pointer in hand. "Delinquents!" She yelled as she smacked the boys in the back of the head with her wooden stick. Senshi dodged but ended up being caught in the face by the back swing. "You to are the oldest, you said be setting the example for the younger children, but instead your back here talking up a yelling up a storm and distracting the other students. I have half a mind to beat you to until your heads crack open, but your skulls are probably so think I'd break my pointer first.
Younger children... Senshi couldn't help but thing that was a joke. True at 12 and 13 they were the oldest, but of the ten children in the school only two were under the age of 10, Ayala at 8 and Ryuna at 6. In the entity of Kokariko village the only children betwen 10 and 4 were the daughters of Light Warriors. And in the whole of the Village there were only 10 children that survived that war. No one ever wants to talk about it but it said something about what most of gone on. Sure some were just last to the standard horrors of war. Raiders, miss aimed artillery, village sackings, famine, disease. Those were the lucky ones. No one really knows to the kids that were dragged off in the middle of the night, but stories got out. Stories that lead to more stories of mothers smothering there newborns to spare them that fate. Of course he didn't know how true that part was, but he did know something Nahc once told him. A day when he was on a convert mission to destroy Ganon's new weapon. The new weapon ended up being ended up being expendable imp like solders called Bokoblins. After killing the two dozen prototypes he saw one of the solders with him kneed over one of the corpses in tears as he hugged a charm he had pulled of the deformed body. He was a teenage solder who joined in after his 10 year old brother was taken. The thing was, Nahc has pretty good eyes, and he couldn't help but notice the necklace taken from the Bokoblin was identical the one the solder had on his own neck.
"Oh I know what to do know," She headed back to the black board and begin writing a long paragraph. "May collect the slab and put them on my desk please." She called out the oldest girl in the class. Both boys knew what was coming. "Since you do like to talk so much during math class, I must be just dieing to move onto language class," they were screwed. "Senshi you're going to translate this whole paragraph into the new language. Jimmy once he's done you're going to come up here and right it all down." It was exactly what they thought, translating Hylian into the Queen brilliant plan for a common language for all the races and she hoped one day all our neighboring countries. At the moment all the other races we're forced to learn Hylian as well as there own language since the Hylian's one the Great War. Natually Queen Zelda took issue with this. Senshi blamed the sages. Either way it wasn't something he had a good grasp of since the writing and grammar structure were completely different. At least the Headmaster had some pity on Jimmy, he'd only have to write what Senshi said, not that writing that nonsense was any much easier. Both boys feared what would happen when they screwed this up.
"Now," she said turning to to face the children with an ominous grin. "Lets hear i- WHAT TH-!" Her words were cut off twice. First by a man kicking open the door next to her desk, second by a spear piercing her neck and taking off her head. The children all frozen in shock but only for a moment. Eight of those children survived the worst war in history. Eight of those children were use to this kind of pointless death and were able to act as they been instructed so any of Ganon remaining supporters attack the school. They all jumped up from there seats and ran to the back of the room, making sure the throw their chairs in the aisle to trip up any mindless attackers.
Senshi and Jimmy tipped over there tabled and dragged it back to the small escape hatch in the back of the room. Both were trying to hind a smirk as the other children piled in behind them. They we're thinking the same, they we're just saved from a fate worse then death. After all, in the war life was cheap, but that damned assignment was torture.
Jimmy's younger brother opened the hatch and started to crawl out but stopped half way. The other children tried to get him to move but he seemed to be frozen in shock. That's when Senshi finally heard it, a little girl screaming. He looked up to see it was Ryuna, he had almost forgotten she was only 2 whent he war ended. This kind of thing was knew to her. Ayala was with her, hugging her, it looked like she was shielding her. He was confused as first, sure his sister was to young for most the horrible scenes of the war but she had still seen more then enough death to keep her wits about her and run to the back of the room. That's when he finally noticed him, the tall round eared man looming over the girls with sadistic grin. The man lifted his sword over his head ready to strike down. This didn't make any sense, sure every last one of Ganon's remaining knew who him and Ayala were but they only tried this crap on the anniversary of there masters defeat, that was two months ago. "I don't know why the the boss is scared of a little girl, but I can't really complain about getting such and easy job right." The man said in the new language.
Senshi only made out part of it but it didn't matter. He thrust out his palm and launched of ball of magic at the attackers face. It was suppose to be a type 2 Din's Fire and explode killing the assassin, but Senshi's lack of skill caused it to come out as a merely a small ball of fire. Still it was enough of a distraction for Senshi to charge forward and tackled the man, to thanks to being off balance was easily knocked down. "GO!" he yelled to his sister to snap hoping to snap her to her senses. Ayala nodded and picked up Ryuan who was still screaming and ran to the back of the room were the other kids were still being held up by the blocked passage.
"You little ****! The man yelled as he pulled Senshi off him and slammed him into the wall. "I'm only hear to kill the little girl, you just stay put and you get to live"
He didn't understand much but he got enough, that man was here to kill a girl. As far as he was concerned that meant his sister. "That was the wrong thing to say." Senshi said as he got to his feet. The man turn back to face the preteen to see his palm covered in a strange glow. Though glow would be the wrong word, it looked more like an aura of lightlessness.
"Is this suppose to scare m--" before the man finish his sentence Senshi smacked his palms together sending a beam of energy into the man chest. The room turned became black as night keeping the attacker from dodging but he could damn well feel what was happening. The beam was curving upwords, it slammed him into the ceiling then dissipated. The man crashed back into the ground just as a dull light returned to the room.
"I am 12 years old," he said will firing a blast of dark magic at the grounded man. "From the time I was 4 until I was 8 my and my sister were the targets of twenty-three assassination attempts." He fired another blast then continued, "In addition there have been another four since the end of the War." He paused the fire another blast. "That's twenty seven failed attempts at my life, not including any time I was caught in the middle of a battle and some some twisted enemy solder wanted to make a quick kill by taking out a little kid." He fire another two shots. "What make you think you'll have a better chance." He spat then continue the to fire shot after shot, each one causing light to momentary vanish from the room.
The man finally managed to lift himself up on all fours. He looked at the kid with a demonic grin that would only be worn my a serial killer that enjoyed it when his prey put up a fight, "thick skin."
"Wha-" He wasn't able to translate the phrase, but the man wasn't about to give him a chance to anyway. He lunged forward and grabbed Senshi by his face and lifted him off the ground.
"See not a scratch on me" He mocked then slammed the boy head into the hard wood floor, knocking him out. "See when the boss hired me for such an easy job I knew there had to be a reason. At first I figure he was scared of the any of those old Light Warriors living here, but those guys should be distracted by whats going on outside right. Then I got to thinking, it's gotta be your teacher. See I don't put much stock in Hylian women but I heard some did some fighting in that crazy ass little war you guys just head. So I got the thinking, why would there be women mixed in with solders, they'd have to be whores right? See then I realized the the most important things I've ever learned in my life have been from whores. So if I figure if I was gonna make someone an teacher it would be a whore. So you figure in the math, 1 and 1 is 3 if she works the wrong day, your teacher can fight. So I kill her, but then you start fighting and suddenly I'm forced to realize I just killed a perfectly good whore for no reason."
"Our teacher was not a whore," May shouted out having enough of a grasp on the new language to understand the mans rambling. "nd neither were all those soldiers. Not only that but there were women Light Warriors too anyone of them could kick your ass." She knew she was nuts for yelling out like that but she wanted to stall the guy before he killed the boy she had a crush on and the only person who could save them. Besides she figure the guy was an idiot.
"Ok bull**** who would let a women in the army is it wasn't so the men could get some R&R with out having to risk mix breeding with what ever farm girl they'd be raping as the sacked her village."
"What kind of messed up country to do come from?"
I'm from that island, it's to the left. Now shut up before I cut out your tongue and make you eat it.
"Hey what's 'whore' mean, they said that a lot." One of the other boys asked Jimmy as he struggled to get his brother to move.
"It means prostitute." He answered in a matter of fact tone.
May couldn't let that one go, "Jimmy you can't get through a single language quiz without cheating off me or Senshi."
"So?"
"So? Why is that the one word you know."
"Priorities."
<Well that was fun but I've got work to do, granted, I have to kill you first now.> The second the man lifted his blade to cut off the boys head he founding himself plowing though the wall of the house next store. <What the hell!> He yelled as he climbed out of the wreckage. 
"Holy crap..." He said in amazement as he realized that the reason he never felt being thrown though the school house wall was missing. In its place was that same preteen hovering a few feet off the ground with a blank expression on his face and one hand raised in the air. <Oh what you gotta question for the, you need to go piss yourself or something.> The lunatic finally shut up long enough to look up to see why Senshi hand was in the air. Floating just above the man head was the village watch tower, currently on fire. "Oh FU" The rest of his words were muffled by the loud slam of of the burning tower hitting the ground.
"That hurt a little" The man said as he rose out from under the flaming timber. "But that still not enough to" The man words were once again cut off, but this time it was because he was just hit by a flying house.
Senshi clasped, his powers having been exhausted after lifting something as large as a house. The other children were about to run out to grab him but stopped in shock. Now that a whole wall of the school was missing they could finally see why Jimmy's brother froze up. The Village was on fire, the streets were fills with soldiers clashing swords and dead bodies. It was another war.
Senshi woke up crammed into a small wooded shack with his classmates. His head was still spinning but the smell of dirt and death had him convinced it was the grave diggers hut. He could here people talking right outside, the problem was they were using the new language which was only making his head ache worse. Fortunately May had her ear to wall and could fill him in on the finer details later. Nevertheless he tried his best to translate, but what he heard didn't make sense. Something about a "<Lord Avarikh,>" the girl that guy was suppose to kill again, but then something an ungraded threat and a flying fly house. That last part was a bid odd but the rest made it sound like they were after Ayala but didn't expect him to cause so muck trouble, but why would they only go after his sister and not him?
That's when it finally hit him, that assassin wasn't standing over Ayala when he first attack, he was standing over Ryuna. Ayala was just trying to shield her. But why, it couldn't be because her parents were light warriors or they'd be after him and Ayala as well. It had to be because of there aunt, but how could they no. Almost no one knew who she was related to, and Ganon sure as hell didn't otherwise his loyalist would be after her every year just like they came after him and Ayala.
May's face filled with terror but she wouldn't say why. The men outside had started shouting but that just made it harder to understand. The last thing he could make out was one man yelling "<Now Shut Up and light it up!>"
He the phrase didn't make sense, but Senshi figured it was slang for something. The best he could figure it was they were talking about light magic but May knew his powers so why would she be scared.
"Is it getting hot in here..." Jimmy the turn towards May after a short pause. "May, what did they say." May starting shaking in fear and breaking down into tears. "MAY!" Jimmy shouted once more but by they time had noticed to smoke filling up the shed. "Oh ****," the young teen started frantically pounding his shoulder against the door trying to smash it open. Senshi struggled to get up, hoping it was he could blast open the door but he couldn't seem to move.
The children all panicked, Jimmy passed out from breathing in to much smoke, some the smaller kids did as well. Senshi struggled to speak with the last of his breathe but the only words that came out were, "Damn it..."
His contentiousness began to fade, the flames inside as well now. He knew they were done for but he still kept trying to push himself to stay awake, push himself to get up and blast open a wall. It was useless, he drifted away from the lack of air, the last thing he saw was a brilliant flash of light.
"Ah I see you're finally awake." a women spoke soft as light returned to the boys eyes.
Senshi's vision was still a little blurry but it didn't take him long to realize who it was, "Katsumi? Where what happened?"
"You tell me, we found you kids in the field passed out from smoke inhalation. Ryuna and Ayala were explained some of it but they cause recall anything past fire you kids were apparently trapped in." 
"I'm, I don't, what." Senshi stumbled over his words trying to collect his thoughts.
"Hey Nahc, you're brain damaged side kick is awake, I think his 'condition' got worse though." She yelled over the her fiance who was preoccupied casting healing spells on the other kids.
"I AM NOT HIS SIDE KICK!" Senshi yelled out in protest. Katsumi had been taunting him with that jab since they day they first met.
"Oh, so you can use complete sentences. Now, what happened."
"Some guy ran into the class and killed the Headmaster. I though he was going after Ayala next so I tried to stop him, but I failed to protect her again. Next thing I know I'm in a burning shed, that I see a teleport flash and I'm here."
"Um... that's not true," May finally spot out, before now Senshi had still been to out of hit to notice her sitting next to him. "You did save us, that guy would have probably killed us all if you didn't hit him with that house. It was just you passed out after that so some other soldiers rounded us up."
"I did wha- a house!?"
"By the way, I don't think they were after Ayala, I think they wanted Ryuna."
"Yeah I figured that out eventually."
"But why would they go after Ryuna?"
"Well her parents are both Light Warriors so," Katsumi was quick to answer.
"Right but the were going to leave Senshi and Ayala alone. When we were in the shed I heard them say, 'Lord Avarikh wanted to leave the other two alone but he had to change his mind after one managed to drop a house on that mercenary 'Body of Steel.'' Though that last part might have been a proper noun. Either way why target the kid of one one Light Warrior and spare another especially considering Senshi can already put up a fight and Ryuna's still only six."
"Wow you're pretty smart for your age." Katsumi noted
"...Cute too..." Senshi mumbled just clear enough to her. He needed to get her off the subject, and besides he kinda like her too.
"Really!" She started up with a girlish squeal but managed to stop herself. "Hey don't try and change the subject."
"Really smart for her age." Katsumi said sacking her head in amazement.
"Be honest, Ryuna's the Hero of Times niece right." The others looked looked at her in. "I'm right aren't I, I can tell from the look on your faces. I hear the Hero of Time had a family member in the Light Warriors, it must have been one of her parents right."
"You're way off, and we'll figure out the enemies motives later," Nahc yelled out to put an end to the conversation. "In the mean time I think you should all be more considered about the village and your families."
The conscious children all looked towards the village, even from where they were they could see the smoke and flames rising into the sky. Worse yet was Death Mountain was violently erupting with enough force that all the kids knew it wasn't natural. 
"Another war," one of the kids spoke out as her hands started to shake, "Not another war."
Katsumi walked over and hugged the young girl to try and calm her. At first she was at a lose for word but until she saw Ayala and Ryuna. The two girls and been dancing in playing ever since the her and Nahc arrived. She figured it was Ayala wanted to keep Ryuna's mind off things, but she was probably doing it took keep her own head strait as well. Aswatching those two kids running around in the falling ash that would appear as a gentile snow if in the mind of a child let her know deep down inside the truth she'd whisper into the young girl's ears... "Everything will be alright."
Senshi/Arbiters Ground/Noon 4
 Senshi threw off his cloak and fell back against the wall, slowing sliding the the ground. "Finally, it was starting to get way to hot out there," he said with exasperation on relief as he was exhausted from the heat but could finally enjoy the cool inside the temple prison. 
"Well you're the one covering yourself in a black cloak in the middle of a desert." Mikhal mocked as he handed Senshi a flask of water.
"Because it's better then being exposed to to elements." He said as he grabbed the flask and took a sip.
"A lighter color cloak works, you know like the brown one I used."
Senshi stared at the kid as if he wanted to reach up and smack him but was two tried to and didn't feel like hitting a girl. He pored the rest of the flask contents on his head then got back on his feet. He picked up his cloak, tossed it over his shoulder and turned to Chamder, "Well, now what?"
Day 4
"Hey Senshi are you awake." Mihkal called out noting the necromancer had been staring into space for sometime.
"Huh, yeah sorry, the heat exhaustion had me day dreaming."
"As a medic I can tell you that doesn't sense. Either way, we searched as much as we can of this place, I don't think this is the Spirit Temple."
"Yeah you're right, lets get out of here. Besides something about this place is bothering."
"Could it be all the dead people?"
"No dead people don't bother me."
"Then what does?"
"I don't know and we're not staying to find out, let go."
Senshi/15 Years after the Imprisoning War
"It was about two weeks ago. Phoenix came by the visit as he often does despite the length of the journey. It seemed like a normal visit after first, we all sparred which my mother complained about as usual, though some how I could tell she was more irritated then normal this time. Phoenix told my father about the current events of Hyrule, which oddly annoyed my mother even more. Then we ate. Its what he said when he was leaving that caused my the realize why the mind reading women who birthed my had been more irritable then normal. It seemed Saber wanted to retired to the desk job that's been vacant since his father was killed in the first day of the Imprisoning War, but since none of his own kids were old enough to fill his job so he decided the make Phoenix commander of the whole Hylian. Phoenix in turn wanted my father as his second in command saying, 'He was needed right now.' We all understood exactly what that meant, there was trouble again and no one knew where my uncle was. That meant they needed the Light Warriors again. What surprised my is he said no."
"I don't know why my father would turn that down, maybe he was scared of my mother, maybe he wanted to retired for that kind of life, or maybe because he realized it was a chance for to step up and take care of things for once. Though my money is one him being scared of my mother. Either way this was a chance I couldn't pass up. My whole life I've lived through wars fought by gods, heroes and monsters. What short times of peace I've experienced have been spent preparing for the next lunatic mage to show up and start another conflict. Nevertheless I've always been in the shadow of others. I was always to young to fight or what little I could do was a mere token gesture when compared the deeds of my father and uncle. This time would be different, my father wouldn't be there, the Hero of Time wouldn't be there, hell half the old Light Warriors would be over 40. Even if a new group formed they'd be young and I'd be the most experienced. Me, a decedent of the Knights of Hyrule, no more then that, the Leader of those knights who first wielded the Master Sword eons ago in the Ancient War, the one who sealed the sacrament realm. Me, the descendant of the last Guardian Clan that has guarded Hyrule for countless eons from unspeakable evils. Me, son of a Light Warrior, nephew of the Hero of Time, host of Death Angel. This was my chance to be a hero by my own rights."
"When night fell I snuck out with my gear and enough supplies to last my the trip to Hyrule the set out on my families boat praying I did so unnoticed. Of course I'm sure my father expected it and as I mentioned my mothers a psychic so I have doubts on how successful my attempts at stealth were, but I wasn't stopped either way. The winds were in my favor and I was making good time, the trip that normally takes over a week would be over in just a few days. That's when I found her, my little sister asleep under a tarp. Now I will never understand how she pulled this off, we've been at sea for two days and I just now find her. Keep in mind we're telepaths, she could be at the other side of the damn planet and I'd know. I blame Nahc and his damned ninja lessons. As a lift up the tarp the sun hits her face causing her to wake up. She rubs her eyes and just says, 'Oh, hi Sen,' like there was absolutely nothing wrong with this situation. A few choice words later and I'm ready to turn the damn boat around but she convinces me otherwise because little sisters are naturally manipulative and I didn't want to waist the time."
"Now don't get me wrong, it's not like I think she's weak or she'll get in the way, hell the opposite is true. I'm convinced the only people who can beat her in a fight are the battled hardened warriors who trained, keep in mind she's a 14 year only girl. Hell she can even beat me on a sunny day. Granted that wouldn't be an issue if I could ever figure out how I through a house with my mind once. At least my ex-girl friend said that's what I did, but things were crazy at the time. (On a side note, long distance relationships don't work if one person is in a different frame of time.) No the real problem is I don't want anyone to know who I am. I want to prove myself without it being attached to my father or uncle, but with her around I wont have a chance in hell in hiding it. Ok, that and I'm occasionally a little over protective."
"Luck would have it I found a way to ditch her once me got the Hyrule. We stumbled upon some guys trying to mug a women in a alley, I killed them to save her then convince Ayala to make sure she got to a doctor then left. Ayala was so disgusted with me that the last thing she wanted was to follow me anywhere. I didn't tell her because if she was still to young to realize it then she didn't need to know, but they way those guys were tearing at that woman's cloths the struggle, the way they were beating on her, I'm positive they intended to gang rape and kill her. I'm convinced I did the right thing."
"I soon find my suspicions about the Light Warriors were correct after finding a flyer instruction all Warrior, Mages, Mercenaries and Healers of significant skill to report the Castle in order to aid in the defense of Hyrule against some undisclosed evil. I make my why to the castle and manage to get passed the guards with a fake name a my face obscured my hood. Honestly I was shocked, Shinigami was obviously a fake name and my appearance didn't exactly illicit trust, I guess the were desperate. Still I was happy with that image, because as I walked into the meeting room with all the other perspective Light Warriors and leaned up against the far wall I got nothing but meniscus gazes. Gazes that said 'who is this guy, can we really trust him.' Most those present were new, but the was Ryuna who I went to school with as a child giving my the same glances. Not to mentioned Chamder and Dajronon who've known me since I was a child gave my no more notice then a quick reviewing glace. Maybe it was the cloak, or maybe it was because I was five years younger then I was suppose to be, but I these three fooled then I was in the clear. Phoenix would be the only person who'd know the truth and I know he'd keep it a secret."
"That's when Ayala walks in even more pissed off then when I left her. At first I figure she's still just pissed off at me but then some sword wielding teenager speaks up and ask, 'Now walk could possibly get a cute girl like you so mad. Just let me know and I'll fix it for you.' Did that up start son of ***** just hit on my little sister!?! I'll kill him! No seriously I can render the whole rooms pitch black and cut off his head. If I use my scythe no one could pin it on me, they don't know I have it and my sword would cauterize the wound, it's plausible dependability."
"Some guard was giving my hell when I tried to get in here since I was, in his words, 'just a little girl,' so I hospitalized him. Of course you could fix him up if you're a healer but I rather him wallow in his own pain right now."
"The B****rd Casanova wannabe backs off and Chamder starts laughing and makes a comment about the apple not falling far from the tree. Everyone who knew her started to figured who she was and her and Ryuna start to catch up. I become lost in though, I part because I felt the need to channel out the girls conversations after I heard s vague comment about 'growth' and well with one girl being my sister and the other having a father that can put the fear of death in me there was really nothing I wanted to risk having a mental picture of. Also, I couldn't help but think Ayala left something out of her little story. Truth she inherited our fathers temper but it took more then what she claimed to push her to that point. I bet that jerk made a comment about another way he though she could serve the army. I'LL KILL HIM IN HIS SLEEP! Er... assuming he survives what ever Ayala did to him."
"That's when I snap back to reality and notice Chamder staring at me with a subtle smirk. Damn it, he know who I am now. Now there's a good chance Dajronon will as well, this couldn't be worse."
"Now I know his is a cliche, but never say or for that matter even think 'this can't get worse,' because the second you do Phoenix will walk in the room with Ithan '****ing' Charia right behind him. Great the most power psychic to ever live, I don't think keeping secrets will be possible. But I'm wrong..."
"No one says a damn thing about me, hell I was at the point where I don't think they even cared (so much for my pride). They just talked about the issue at hand and what to do about it. In the end, at Charia's and the old man's insistence they all decided to stick together as a single unit. Something about splitting up into smaller task forces being there down fall in the past though I was to young to remember the finer details of that. Of course I refuse, this was my chance to be a hero like my uncle, my uncle who worked alone. Of course I only tell the other that 'I have my reasons,' but its enough. Half don't trust me already from my appearance, and most of the others rather just let my do as I please then have a conflict. Great I just became the asshole of the Light Warriors, whatever, like I said I have my reasons."
"The everyone favorite psychic demi-god takes charge and tells the main group to deal with a large force of Dark Warrior forming up in the old Castle Ruins. I get sent to take care of Dracon Livarius, while wonder boy decides he needs to settle to score with Fulmen himself. Before we leave Charia grants us each with an item that he thinks will best make up for our weaknesses. Of course he just has to give Ayala the damned Mirror Shield, and worse he me the Ocarina of Time. Needless to say that raised a few eyebrows, honestly who'd just that to some shady asshole. Ithan claimed it needed to be kept in the secure location and since the castle wasn't safe and keeping it with the Light Warrior would be to obvious. Part of me thinks he telling the truth, but mostly I think he's just screwing with me. Oh well at least now I can open a few doors and make it rain when ever the hell I wanted to. I just wish I would have had my uncle teach my the time warping and teleports songs when I had the chance. I just never though I'd have the one instrument that you need to make them work."
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Desert
"Can anyone see more more then 5 inches in front of there face?" Mikhal yelled out hoping his voice wasn't completely muffled by the violent winds.
"We're in the middle of a sand storm, be glad you can see that far. Hell be glad its a light one or we'd be buried under the sand and suffocating to death right now." Senshi calmly responded as he struggled to walk through the torrent of sand.
"What?!" The teenage soldier yelled out unable to hear over the storm.
Senshi just sigh and pulled out the Ocarina, "Enough of this..." The irate warrior began to play one of the odd songs his uncle once taught him. The air around them suddenly cooled as the winds changed direction and the sky became overcast with thick black clouds. With a sudden ground shaking roar of thunder a rain shower unlike one would ever expect to see in such a harsh desert began to pour down over a distance as great as the holy instruments notes were able to carry.
The powerful storm forced the airborne sand to resettle on the earth but with the unfortunate side effect of covering the three travels in wet sand. Though the discomfort would only be temporary as the as raid would eventually was away the muck leaving them only soaking wet, which in a hit desert wasn't exactly a bad thing. 
"D-did you do this?" the supposed medic asked in complete surprise. 
"Yes."
"You made it rain, you could have made it raid this whole time..."
"Yes."
So this whole time we've been walking through the hot ass desert, dieing of thirst while rationing water, you've been able to summon a thunderstorm. What the hell!"
"It's not suppose to rain like this in the desert, who knows what ever using it would do to everything that lives here. Besides in all my life I've known two kinds of people the screw with the weather, hero's great enough to be called legends, and villains twisted enough to have adjectives like hated and feared attached to them. Since I'm sure as hell not the former I rather not end up acting latter." Senshi responded in a melancholy tone.
"Right... Screw that, you need to keep playing that song so we don't die out here."
"I doubt I'll need to."
"Oh and why's that?"
"We're here," he said pointing at the colossal image of the nameless sand goddess in the distance. Nameless to most anyway as Senshi had come to learn parts of history that go farther back then Hyrule creation. From everything he'd learned we was convinced that it would suppose to represent the fallen Goddess Mudora. Once Goddess of Love and oldest of the four, but she would fall from grace and become a demon of vanity, scorn and lust. Her twisted offspring with the first demon Ma'Aku would cause so much chaos with through to universe that Din, in a fit of rage slaughtered them all necessitating the creation of Hyrule to contain there's immortal spirits. Seeing the massive temple statue severed only as a reminder of this and a personal warning, so just as the blood of those who have protected this world course through his veins so to did the essence of Mudora's brood. It reminded him of the fine line he constantly walks.
The Light Warriors day dreaming was quickly cut off by a large geyser sand erupting behind them. The sand eventually settled relieving a massive dragon-mole like created.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!" Mikhal yelled out in a panic.
"Some kind of subterranean desert dragon thingy. It probably lives really deep under the sand where its cooler and there's more moister. Of course I just made more rain so it probably go drowned out and surfaced." 
"So we should run right?"
"I doubt it eats people, hell it probably feeds off leevers and plant roots. Otherwise it would half to surface to hunt and people would know about it." As Senshi spoke the beast opened what they all now realized was a massive spike-tooth filled mouth that would make even a giant dodongo envious. The beast launched out its enormous tongue at into the sky with blinding speed. The "tongue" managed to grabbed two circling kargarocs in its flytrap like tip thanks to good timing on the beasts part. The large birds were pulled back into the creatures mouth and after two alligator like chomps they were swallowed whole. "Then again maybe it eats anything." Senshi said now noticeably nervous as he drew his sword. "Do you have any bombs?"
"Why would a field medic carry bombs? Wait what could a bomb to that?"
"Well if I could get it to swallow it, never mind, just run to Temple. The old man and me will deal with this thing." He paused briefly then continued, "I can't believe you carry all that **** with you and no bombs. Oh and by the way!" he said shouting back to him as he ran off, "this is why you don't screw with the weather."
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Desert Colossus 
"Wow he's pretty damn big, I'm gonna enjoy watching you get out of this one alive. By the way I doubt you fast enough to dodge the tongue, of course I could, you know if you ask nicely." 
"Shut up..." Senshi said aloud. He didn't care if Chamder heard him talking to himself since he figured the old man would realize there was another half to the conversation. 
"Something that big and living that close to the Temple of Sprite is probably more susceptible to Shadow Magic the most."
"The blade wouldn't pierce that things hide and fire off shockwaves of shadow still wouldn't kill it in one shot. If it gets me or the old man with that tongue we're dead."
"You could use the scythe power to life drain, or death touch it you know."
"Except I don't know how to do that. You know what screw this, old man back away." Senshi pulled off his necklace are shot a large blast of flame from his sword across where he figured the beasts eyes were, assuming it had eyes. The creature turned towards the sword and opened its massive jaws. Senshi raised his blade over his head, "Flame." The Creature shot out its tongue with blinding speed. "BURST!" Waves of flames fired out from Senshi's enchanting sword smashing into the beast tongue and just about anything to was to close to him.
The creatures tongue lite a blase. The immense flames melting the caked on sand into liquid hot glass. As the created writhed in agony Senshi leaped forward and slashed of the fly-trap like tip. The beast quickly retreated back under the earth kicking up tons of sand in the process. Senshi was about to jump into quickly filling hole and fire another Flame Burst into the earth. It would have turned a good chunk of the earth into glass and with luck trapping that beast for a while. However, Flame Burst to a lot of energy to fire off and there was no point in wasting more time on an animal that had been de-fanged.
After entering the temple the two Light Warriors found Mikhal sitting in the first chamber looking rather annoyed, "It's a dead end." 
"What?" Senshi responded rather confused, he'd never been to the this temple before but he knew damn well it wasn't a dead end.
"That way there's a huge slab of granite in way, and that way there's a hole no adult could fit through."
"Oh this was that temple," he Senshi said think back to the stories he'd heard of Link exploits. "Well then why can't you fit through it."
"I might be able two but I'd have to leave my stuff behind, and I'd be by myself."
"You'll be fine, you carry to much crap anyway. Just bring a sword, some bandages and maybe a potion or two and you'll be fine."
"Be fine, I'll get killed if I go by myself!"
"No you wont, just don't touch any statues, avoid the spinning pillars since they have laser beams, and remember the green flying skulls things can only be killed when there flame vanishes. Have fun and make sure you check every inch that ore. Oh and if you can, pick up the Temple Treasure, it should be the Silver Gauntlets and I'm sure one of the Light Warrior can put those to go use."
"And what the hell are you two going to be doing."
"We're going the other way, that block won't be an issue for me." Senshi while showing off the Golden Gauntlets he ripped off from the Castle vault. Now don't worry about us, get moving."
"Right, right..." Misha placed her bags down on the ground after the door closed behind her. She removed the heavy parts of her uniform, a think studded leather breast plate and needlessly fancy over coat, heavy plate boats and chainmail leggings and sleeves that always made to much noise for her liking. She also removed that overly bulky and in her case poorly fitting pants that came standard with Hyrules infantry uniform and hit it all down next to her bag. He deep into the pack and pulled a more practical set of light cloth clothing that she had made sure matched the desert hues of the region before they set off early in the day. She tied down all the loss fitting areas with straps and belts to make sure nothing would get caught at the wrong time and cost her her life in battle. Lastly she pulled out the equipment she figured she might need in a place like this. A bag of deku nuts, two daggers and a few of her throwing knives which she strapped to let thigh. Lastly she grabbed the potions and bandages Senshi had suggested as well as the small bomb bag she lied about earlier. "I guess I'll have to leave everything else."
-
"Are you sure it's wise to send that boy by himself?" The ungodly old sage spoke out in subtle protest to Senshi's actions.
"He'll be fine," Senshi struggled to speak as he pushed back the giant slab that blocked there path. "Besides I'm at least a good enough a psychic to know when someone lying to me and he was lying to me about those bombs. I'm pretty certain there's nothing at that side of the Temple that can't be killed by either a sword or a bomb so he should be fine."
"Iron Knuckles,""Iron Knuckles,""Iron Knuckles," the wizard, the demon and the angel all said to him in unison. 
"F***!" Senshi yelled as he punched the block sending it the last few feet need to open to path. "I forgot about those. Oh well I'll figure something out, lets just keep going."
IC: Syzan Xiphias - Spirit Temple - Day 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66vdmqwpwfE
A loud rumble shook the room as a large granite block slid back finally coming to a rest. A pair of adventures entered the chambering bickering about letting their young companion go off alone. 
"Hmph..." Syzan sighed as he leaned against a pillar and met gazes with the duo, who were clearly shocked to see him. 
"It looks like things are going pretty bad if the fate of the world rests in your hands kid." Syzan spoke as he glanced at Senshi. He was a little older than when they had last met, but not by much. "The powers that be have decided that I'm going to be your backup for the time being."
Senshi/Sprite Temple/Day 4
"In our line of work when is the fate of the world not in the hands of a ten year old?" Senshi was just a little surprised to say they least. It's not every day he gets to see someone from his past they should have died centuries ago. Immortal old farts not withstanding.
How Xiphias was suddenly alive and conveniently at there destination didn't really concern Senshi at all. In truth he'd seen stranger things so he's just chalk it up to the powers that be like Syzan said. Still it would be irresponsible of him to not make sure this wasn't a trick, "Are you real?"
"You know what scratch that, if you're really Xiphias then what was the name of that fish boy your daughter accidentally married for a few days?"
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Of all the things to bring up, Senshi had chosen the idiot fishboy Purin as the way he was going to test of Syzan was real or not. The annoying Zora prince was just as forward as his mother had been, and it was something Syzan didn't wish to even acknowledge.
Turning his head away with a glimmer of annoyance, Syzan's response was simple, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Senshi/Spirit Temple/Afternoon 4
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Syzan shot down the question be was viably annoyed, that alone was enough.
"Yeah you're real. Well good we could use someone who knows what they hell they're doing. As it stands most if the 'Light Warriors' we've recruited are hell bent on repeating histories greatest mistakes." Senshi said as he walked into the next chamber. "...And it looked like I'm sent on helping them do it too," he said whispering under his breathe. 
"By the way, did the 'Powers that be' that sent you hear bother to tell you whats going on or was it another one of there vague 'Things are bad, go un**** it' explanations?"
Elsewhere...
"Why the hell are all the traps and puzzles still in place!" Misha yelled in protest as she removed her throwing knives from a number of skulltulla that were blocking the wall she needed to climb. "Didn't the damn Hero of Time disarm this whole place almost a thousand years ago. I know they probably put the treasures back because 'it was the right thing to do' but did they have to turn make this place a death trap again." She continued to complain as he scaled the rigged wall. Of course screaming why climbing strait up a wall being some what draining, she was somewhat winded after reaching the top.
"Stupid... temple, stupid Senshi making me... go through by my... self," she said struggling to catch her breathe. "How'd a ten year old breeze through this mess anyway."
Misha looked around the room to figure out what she'd need to do to get the door open this time. The was a switch up on the wall but it looked like it was already flipped. There was also a strange sun shaped ornament on the floor with a few small streams of light beaming down on it. She looked to the wall and noticed an area of cracked rock though could be easily blown away with an bomb. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she needed to do. Great now how the hell am I gonna get up there and blow open a hole the wall?" 
Another quick glace around the room reviled two old rotted out chests that had long since been emptied of there contents. "Great, they put all the traps back but not the crap you need to get through them, real great. Guess I'll have to climb up there and try to jam a bomb in there. You know what, who booby traps a Temple anyway. I mean seriously what kind of whacked out cult fills a place of worship with things to kill off its worshipers."
Just as she was able to start scaling the wall she found her self distracted by and ear piercing shrill. "Really, come on I've been fighting Lizaflos since I was 11," she boosted as he threw a knife at where she estimated the creatures eye to be without turning around. Sadly instead of the screeches of pain she expected to hear and the beast tried to claw the piece of metal out of its eye she only herd a faint "tink" followed by a rather ominous growl. The girl finally spawn around to see the two armored Dinoflos that had dropped down behind her.
"...I hate this place..."
Nahc/Imprisoning War Year 4 month 5
“You know if I’d lived the normal life I was suppose to I would have never found myself in a situation like this. You see when I was five years old my just about everyone I knew was killed in the Great War. The only person left to take care of my was my older brothers best friend, Seishi, who’s idea of raising my was making sure I was feed at least once a day and knew how to fight. Granted that was better care then he took care of himself in those days so by the time I was 8 I was looking after him. Then again, I was traumatized and rendered virtually mute and Seishi, while you wouldn’t be able to tell unless you really knew him, was struggling with survivor’s guild from that hell he lived through. All I all I guess that means we were looking after each other.
“Like I said I was a rough time for both of us so Seishi, in part to help us morn and in part (and don’t you dare tell him I said this) because he’s kind of a sentimental sap, tried to teach my brothers fighting style. Now this was kind of a trick for him since my brother was mostly self taught. He didn’t have to same raw power or endurance as his friends when they would spar as kids so he had to learn a way to keep it. He learned to take advantage of his agility, speed and his ambidexterity, the result was a high speed twin short sword style. He’d weave through columns of enemies cutting them down with a well placed single strike and moving onto the next enemy without ever stopping long enough for someone to strike back. Seishi, on the other hand, was a dueler. Sure he’d charge head first into a fight with speed of an arrow and strike with force of a bull, but that as just a single strike, but that was just the initial attack. Any against any skilled opponent would survive that and get drawn into a one of one match. Seishi would go on the defensive and wear the enemy down until he could finish them with another powerful strike.” 
“Since the styles were so different and because Seishi was basically going of memories of being on the receiving end of my brothers attacks as he developed the style to begin with there were quite a few gaps in the training. Seishi would try his best to fill them in with his own style but I doubt there’s another person alive who can fight that way efficiently. Still the end result was me learning the basics of duel sword and sword and shield styles as well as a few minor white magic spells. Of course just some broad learning wouldn’t be all it took to get my in this situation. That’s when we met Darrim.”
“Darrim was skilled in just about everything, swordsmanship, wizardry, healing, alchemy, summoning, crafting, hell he was even a damn powerful psychic. The old man and his daughter Laynnei we the last what was once a number of powerful bloodlines and the guy decided he wanted Seishi as a son in law. I know that sound really odd, especially if you’ve ever met Seishi and Laynnei, but there was logic behind it. Logic the average Hylian is better off not knowing the greater details of, but never the less those are married with two kids. This was more or less was Darrim wanted, though they kinds screwed up the order those kinds of things were supposed to happen in.”
“Darrim saw a problem is this plan of his though, Seishi was a knight who’s capacity for magic was limited at best and Laynnei would only use white magic in honor of her late mother. As such Darrim was concerned the large plethora of skills at his kinds disposable would be lost to his potential future grandchildren. To rectify this he decided to teach a that basics of everything he knew so I could teach his grand kids when they came of age and then simply hope they’d be able to use his massive library to progress further on their own. Now I couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t teach then kid himself (which I now was because he knew he’d be killed in a few short years), or why he honestly believe two would stop fighting long enough to fall in love. Hell had to swear me to secrecy because he knew those two hated each other enough that the tough would cause Seishi to actively reject her and cause Laynnei to beat the hell out of all of us. Honestly I still don’t understand how Senshi came to be, those two really are like vinegar and baking soda… actually when I put it that way it sort of makes sense. Curiosities aside I agreed to become his pupil simply because I wanted to be stronger. After all my only role model the past few years was insanely powerful and I needed help if was going to catch up to him.”
“Skip ahead a few years and I’m not the Jack of All trades of the Light Warriors. The guy who’s nowhere near as powerful and the mages, dragons, and super warriors we fights with, but can hold his own simply because he can adapt to anything. This little fact hasn’t gone unnoticed by some, notably Phoenix who’s now stuck running the entire Hylian army. Though I’m not sure it’s all of my skills that caught his eyes so much as those involving stealth, teleportation and my brothers style that I was able to complete thanks to Darrim, combined they’d make me a damn good assassin. So when Phoenix decided he wanted to form a secret special forces within the Hylian army I was on his list of recruits.”
“Like I said, had I grown up the way I was supposed to this would have never happened. My families we’re nobles, lesser nobles yes, military ones at that, but no one would ever ask someone of high standing to be on a death squad. Of course I didn’t grow up like that, I grew up in an age of chaos struggling to live and learning how to fight, so when Phoenix asked me I couldn’t have been happier. Sure I’m the jack of all trades, but in the light warriors I was always third string. Chamder is a better wizard, Laynnei’s a better healer and teleporter, Dajronon is a better high speed fighters, I was just there as a gab filler or a substitute. I never felt like I was really helping in the war. But now I’ll be turning the tide and making a difference, I’m on a team taking out high profile targets and making surgical strikes on strategic targets, and of this whole team I was the only wizard, that only healer, the only teleporter. Hell I am the entire damn support unity warped in to one person who rather conveniently could hold his own with a blade as well. I feel bad for thinking this but it’s actually making me glad no one knows where Sabre is otherwise this unit would never have been made.”
“So far the only trick has been keeping it a secret from Seishi since he’d throw a fit if he knew what Phoenix was planning to have us do. He's not the type of person who's willing to let anyone in his family become an assassin. For a while Phoenix tried denying everything flat out but that proved difficult since it was hard from him to lie to Seishi face. That's the funny thing about Phoenix, he'll do what ever it takes to win this war, even become the devil himself if he had to (literally sometimes). He'll do it all and still sleep well at night knowing the ends justified the means, but lying to a close friend that was a moral conflict. "
"Fortunately Seishi's aunt Viola covered for us by convincing Seishi that it was just Impa training a few people who she figured could master her skilled set but had to keep it secret because of some Shiekah law that I swear Viola just make up on the spot. Either way it was enough to convince Seishi, probably because there was some truth to it. After all Impa was leading this unit and there was some training involved as we refined out skills and learned to work as a team. Still I'm not sure how Viola was able to come up with that since she's not part of the unit and there's no way Phoenix would trust her enough to tell her about it. No really trusted Viola come to think of it, even Seishi struggled to give her to benefit of the doubt some times. I can't really blame any of them though, not when you consider who the father of her child is. Trusting her isn't an issue for me though, I'm just scared to death of her. When I was little I was never worried about the boogieman at night because I figured if he ever was real Viola would have killed him in its sleep before she would have been old enough to walk."
"Enough reminiscing for now, it's time for our first mission. It's so far only Myself, Dajronon, Impa and two common solders we trained that a ready for this but we but Impa figures we need some field experience before we bother training anyone else. Though I still think Syzan would make a good addition and I'm not sure why he's not on the team other then the likely possibility that Phoenix asked him to join and was told to 'go **** himself' as a reply. Its to bad though, a guy that managed to break into Hyrule Castle and nearly kill the Princess would be a lot of help on this mission. You see once night falls we plan on sneaking into Gerudo fortress and killing Nabooru, Ganondorf's second in command. If we can do that we'll go after Ganon himself in a weak. Here's hoping."
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Senshi seemed to be pleased at having backup, but unfortantely the bubble had to be popped. "Sorry to say, I'm only going to be able to lend you a hand here in this temple. What with its being the temple of spirits and all." Syzan spoke as the group began to pick up its pace and get moving.
"As for what's going on... I'm really not sure. The trio seemed to be pretty worked up about this, and that typically only means one thing. About all I got though was something about invaders trying to do the usual nasty stuff, and something about you guys trying to make some new magic sword, I kind of got lost when they started talking in metaphors about the twilight having to be stopped by daybreak. I might have gotten more info from them, but Din kind of came unhinged when I told Nayru where to shove it. Needless to say though, they want to make sure things don't get any uglier." Syzan explained. 
He really wasn't any more well informed than the rest of them, infact he probably knew less about what was going on than Senshi did.
Senshi/Day 4/Spirit Temple
Senshi couldn't help but laugh at Xiphias description of how his conversation with the goddesses went. He could just picture that scene in his mind. "Right, well I'll take any help be it just in this temple or other wise. Either way I figure you still deserve to know whats going on. Short version, some Shiekah managed to get herself possessed by Hothnight. Someone decided we should make a second Master Sword to exorcise the bastard and we need to find some magic metal to make the damn thing. We'd try the real one but I'd pretty sure that wouldn't work and there's no way I'm letting the one person we know can pull the damn thing out get involved in this."
He paused briefly to open the door the the next room. It was a large chamber with another statue in the middle and what looked like a way into the west half of the Temple they sent Mikhal into. "As for that Twili crap the three were rambling on about to you, well I could give half a **** about that. Though the fact that they're even giving you an ear full explains why they've been on my case as well lately."
Elsewhere...
Misha finished jamming the arms she had cut off the dinolfos into the cracks in wall and carefully set the shield she'd taking on both of then. She struggled to place a bomb on the makeshift platform trying not to drop it or slip and fall below there were the two dinolfos were still waiting for her. It was just fortunate the pain they felt from each losing an arm gave her enough time to climb up the wall out of there reach.
With the bombs set she quickly jumped over the the near by ledge and hid behind the crystal switch just in case something came flying. Of course something did go flying, those arms weren't exactly secure and that shield wasn't tied down the it goes with out saying that they'd go flying. It seemed she had divine luck though, as the shield went flying high speed into one of the dinolfos knocking it on its ass. 
As if on instinct he jumped down from the ledge an ran her blades through the fallen beasts heart. The other dinolfos, which still possessed its sword arm, noticed its prey was now at ground level again and charged forward. She ran forward hoping strike first but the beast swing was to quick. She blocked with her short sword but the dinolfos was powerful and has the common solders loved to frequently remind her she weight less then a sack of ****. It was though a combination of luck and skill that she managed to ram her dagger into the monsters wrist before she went flying into the nearest wall. She struggled to her feet just glad she could still move, for now at least. The adrenaline was taking care of the pain but breathing was still difficult. Figuring out if that was because she had just been winded or because she broke something would have to wait as the last second stab had given her an opening she couldn't miss.
She charged forward unnoticed by the dinolfos as it tried to reach its arm with its mouth to pull out the blade, something that wasn't easy for due to its lack of flexibility. Misha ducked below its head and thrust her sword into the beasts unguarded chest. She pulled her dagger from its wrist and slashed the creature across the neck finally killing it. 
"I'm going to kill Senshi!" Misha struggled to yell as she collapsed to the ground.
After finally managing to pick herself up, wrapping up her cuts and scrapes and making sure her ribs were still in one piece she made he way into the next room. The room was massive, with a large statue in the middle with an altar in font of it and at least three other doors she'd have to check. That wasn't even including what looked like a hidden tunnel where the statues face was. "Crap this is going to take a while."
Just as she spoke she heard a familiar voice in the distance. "Son of a *****, both passages connect." Her first instinct was to run out and give the other two a piece of her mind for the hell she had to go through especially now that she knew there was only a small area they couldn't check themselves. Unfortunately she wasn't disguised as a boy and she didn't want the old guy to know the truth. Even worse as she was now Senshi would figure out she was really black ops and that much had to kept from him at all costs. She quickly hid behind a statue, counting her blessing that it wasn't an armos, and watch from a distance just hoping they didn't come over towards her.
Senshi walked over to the altar at the statues base and lit the two torches with his sword. Sparkles of light began to spin around in the center of the floor until a chest. "And here I though he was just going senile when he told me that thing about torches," He laughed to himself as he opened the large chest and pulled out a map. He he spreed the rotted old parchment out on the floor and motioned for the other two to come over and look.
"Who the hell is that?" Misha wondered to herself as Syzan came into view.
"Ok looking at this I think the Sage Chamber is up in that Statues head." Senshi said pointing at the map. So I'll fly up there check that out myself after I look at this small passage on this floor that looks like a dead end. Either one has a good shot at having what we're looking for. Xiphias you and the old man go up this other path on east side. I think the Mirror Shield is that way so the ore could be there as well. Granted I'm going off of stories I've been told so who knows. It looks like this other side is where we sent Mikhal so first one done goes and saves the kid before he gets himself killed."
"He didn't know..? No, screw it, I'm still going to kill him for this."
"If we don't find anything at that point we can check this upper area, and if its not there either I'm out of ideas. Any questions or can we get to work?"
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - day 4
Just like that, with so much ground to cover the group splintered off again. With Senshi going off to scope out the sages chamber, and the kid off playing with Iron Knuckles, that left Syzan with the old man to scour the rest of the area of treasure.
The old man seemed lost in thought and conversation was probably a waste, so the two simply began to scope out the winding mess of chambers and corridors.
[/color]
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Spirit Temple'
The ground level path turned out to be a dead end. It looked like there was something on the floor that could be knocked out of place with enough force but it from the map it seemed like it would just go back to the first chambers so Senshi decided not to bother. Besides he had more important things on his agenda, the biggest of which was hopefully in that Sage Chamber
Getting up to the hole in the statue was easy enough thanks to his scythe, though he couldn't help but wonder how anyone pulled that off without flying. It was after entering the next room Senshi would quickly learn reaching a high ledge was the least of his problems. The second the door closed behind him Senshi found himself faced against a rather unusual and extremely ill tempered Iron Knuckle. The strange thing about this Knuckle wasn't that it awoke so easily, or its uncharacteristic so of emotion for a being of its type. Even its metallic blue color, the similarly colored gem in its forehead and its slightly misshapen form didn't bring cause for alarm. Instead Senshi was more concerned at ducking under the massive blue smoking sword the suit of armor just through at him.
The sword smashed though all the pillars in the room, replacing them with a pillar of ice each time. Doing so gave Senshi more then enough time to react and he was able to duck below the over sized zweihander and draw his sword. The massive projectiles path curved just before a reaching the end of the room and returned to the throwers while turning to pillars on the other side of the room into a matching set.
"Since when can Knuckles have an element base." Senshi yelled as he charged the metal behemoth seeing that recovering it sword had left an opening. He lose a quick flurry slashes aimed at the armors joints only to find his flame enchanted sword did little the even scratch the armor despite its icy alignment.
"In theory, if the person or disembodied soul sealed in the armor was a powerful enough the effect could bleed through to the armor its self. It would take a powerful magic user to convert such a soul into an Iron Knuckle though. Though we are dealing with what I can only assume is a sages body guard as such it is understandable."
"Ok but where did," his words were briefly cut off as he dodge a downward slash from the Knuckles sword to nearly froze him to the ground as an after effect. "...Nabooru find someone like that?"
"Really!? And here I though you were good a history. You'll excuse me if I start laughing at you historically in about 3 seconds."
"What the hell are you..." Senshi question as he maneuvered behind the Iron Knuckle hoping for easy opening. Instead he found out why the Iron Knuckle looked oddly shaped, it had no back. Instead of a back side there was a second front, this one red with a matching forehead crystal and a massive flaming mace currently being held above its head ready to strike down. "Oh... DAMN IT!"
ELSEWHERE...
"Just how many more rooms are there?" Misha yelled out as he sat down to rest after finishing some puzzle involving torches, blade traps and some blocks one of which having another sun symbol. "Room after room and not a single piece of 'magic metal' or what ever. Of course Senshi gets a whole team for his half of the temple, speaking of which who the hell was that other guy?"
After a short rest he climb up another fleet of stairs and entered a large decorated hall with a suit of armor sitting on a throne at the far side. Not one to take in the scenery and far to annoyed to to bother searching ever knock and cranny for a sigh of the ore they were after she just pressed through only to find the door at the other side sealed shut.
"Well this is just great, how am I suppose to open this."She briefly searched the room for any sign of a switch or button but to no avail. "I wonder if it'd under the armor, but I really don't want to have to move this damn thing," she said as she gently kicked the metal suits foot.
The kick was more then enough and the Iron Knuckle rose for its centuries slumber waving its battle ax over its head while letting out a intimidating roar. The Knuckle swung across with its ax hoping to make short work of the intruder but Misha was able to back flip out of the way with second to spear. He ran to the other side of the room hoping the walking pile of steel was as slow as it looked giving her some time to think. "...Balls!"
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - day 4
The sounds of fighting could be heard echoing down the halls of the temple. It would seem Senshi and the other kid were locked in fierce battles.
"Blast it!" Syzan grumbled as he turned to dash back and help, outpacing the old man Chamdar. As he rounded a corner the doors slammed shut behind and in front of him and a stone slid open on the ceiling, allowing a large red Iron Knuckle to drop in from above.
"Great... I guess I'll have to deal with you first." Syzan grumbled, realizing he had seperated himself from Chamdar. 
As if on cue the Iron Knuckle raised its weapon, which was oddly just a simple chain with a small jeweled weight on the end, however after it started twirling the chain it ignited into flames. 
"Hmph, fire vs fire, this will be interesting" Syzan spoke as he unsheathed his sword. The iron knuckle responding with a wide swing, exploiting the chains long reach.
Diving out of the way Syzan quickly realized that he was at the disadvantage due to that weapons length, and his own ranged weapons were almost useless against armor that size. "Guess there is no choice but to fight dirty..." Syzan whispered as he sheathed his sword and pulled out several of his razor discs. 
Enchanting them with fire magic he ignited them with a low smoldering flame that began to produce thick clouds of dark smoke. Tossing them around the Iron Knuckle the creature was quickly engulfed in the blinding smoke.
Senshi/Spirit Temple/Afternoon 4
Quick reflexes and the Iron Knuckles slow movements is all that kept Senshi from being turned into a shapeless mass of flaming goo. The floor where the mace struck briefly turning liquid hot only reinforced how lucky he was to have moved in time.
"She turned Twinrova into an Iron Knuckle, I swear that women is twisted."
"If I remember correctly, Twinrova could be beat by each other's power, presumably you could beat this Twin Knuckle the same way."
"Ironrova"
"I'm not sure that's going to work this time." Senshi said as he ducked under the giant mace the Knuckle had just thrown at his head. The massive weapon plowed into the far wall only to return to the behemoth at an impossible speed. Despite its size the Monster still stumbled when it caught its weapon giving Senshi an opening. He fired his hookshot catching to Knuckle in the space that would be its neck if it had one. The contraption pulled Senshi towards the Knuckle with what seemed like enough force to rip his arm our of his socket but still he manage yank the spear-head tip out mid flight and used the motion the strike the two gems with a modified high speed helm splinter. He followed through with a quick spin to the ice side as he landed and quickly jumped away before being turned into a split in half ice statue.
"Well I can hurt one side at least."
"Yes, unfortunately you hit the Twin Knuckles fire gem as well."
"Ironrova!"
"So?"
"It's flashing."
The Fire half suddenly burst into flames as it raised its mace above its head. It swung down with an ungodly fury sending a shock wave of fire and magma at the person how had the nerve to strike its gem. Senshi barely survived by rolling away and removing his necklace to negate the out edge of the wave that he wasn't able to avoid. His cloak wasn't so lucky having caught a blaze a split second before he was able to remove the charm.
"Son of a *****!" he yelled as he threw off his charred cloak. "I like that cloak, hell I've fought Dracon and Kinslayer with that cloak. The fact that this damned Ironrova managed to trash it just pisses me off more."
"HA!"
"I know this sounds childish, but you side with him?"
"Ironrova sounds better."
"I win again, suck it yah tight wad angel."
"Must everything be a competition with you?"
"Yeah pretty much."
Despite the distraction Senshi was still able to make out the Knuckles weakness. It hadn't moved since its last assault and the ice side seem to be steaming. It wouldn't be hard to exploit that but first he needed to focus on resealing his powers. He couldn't afford to keep taking off his charm at the last second and he sure as hell couldn't sustain the negative power long enough to win this fight.
Elsewhere...
The Iron Knuckle didn't seem the be as difficult as Misha initial thought. Run in, get two or the hits in then fall back before the oversize suit of armor could attack. She'd do this over and over until she ran out of breathe then merely dart to the back off the room and rest up as the goliath walked to her at a snails pace.
"Wont this thing die already!" She yelled running in for another assault only to her a metallic klaick after the first strike follow by another roar from the Iron Knuckle. "crap..."
She jumped away just avoiding the beast counter but now it was moving faster and caught yup to her before she was able to poise herself. The Iron Knuckle raise is ax, Misha struggled to jump out of the way despite being off balance .
Meanwhile... at the Hall of Justice
The plan was working better then expected. Each time Ironrova recovered it attack with its ice side first letting Senshi get another quick shot at the Ice gem. As if to add icing to the cake it was looking like hurting one side damaged the other was well meaning he didn't have to worry about being unable to hurt the fire side.
The beast once again paused to the backlash of its own attack. Senshi charge in for another assault but this time noticed Knuckles skirt armor was coming loss and focused his attack to knock it off and hopefully give him a better opening in the Ironrove thick platemail. The large sheet of metal fell to the ground but this merely woke the Knuckle up sooner then normal. 
Senshi jumped back expecting a quick strike but Ironrova didn't move, instead it just started to glow. The glow grew brighter and brighter until Senshi was forced to luck away. The the light dimmed Senshi face the sight to two Iron Knuckles running at him at an uncharacteristic speed.
"THATS a Twinknuckle."
"Not helping!"
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Using a hit and run strategy Syzan would slip in and land a few quick strikes and then back off into the smokescreen he had created. As the creature stumbled Syzan saw his opening.
Using the signature technique of his fighting style he engulfed himself in an aura of spirit energy, boosting his speed and strenght. "Howling Blade Triple Strike!" he shouted as he unleashed a trio of slashes of such speed that to the naked eye appeared to only be a single motion. The technique slammed into the Iron Knuckles side smashing away its armor and slamming it to the ground with a massive thud.
Backing off Syzan released the technique and inspected the Iron Knuckle to see if it was still active. He had heard rumors in the past about the increased speed Iron Knuckles possessed without their armor and he didn't want to get caught off guard by being to aggressive.
The Iron Knuckle slowly rose up, the entire midsection of its armor falling away, as it did an extra set of arms slid out with a second chain. 
"Four arms? Thats a new one..." Syzan muttered as the Iron Knuckle jumped up and then slammed back down unleashed a shockwave. As it expanded the shockwave caused segments of the floor to cave in and collapse. Now only a few pillars remained standing as the rest of the room caved into a large dark pit. 
Quickly manuevering to one of the platforms Syzan tossed out a couple razor discs at the Iron Knuckles exposed midsection. However before they could hit the foe slung a chain up, snagging one of many large hooks that were on the ceiling. Pulling on the chain the Iron Knuckle swung away to safety. Using this method of transportion the Iron Knuckle began quickly swinging around, lashing down with the other chain to attack.
"That is so not fair!" Syzan shouted at the Iron Knuckle as he dived off the platform and began jumping from platform to platform to evade the attacks. Syzan was confounded as to how he would be able to get close enough to land a decent hit with the Iron Knuckle swinging around like a monkey.
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Spirit Temple
Senshi quickly jumped out of the way before he was hit by both the Iron Knuckle at the same time. Though despite their near miss the mix of ice and fire created wave of super heated steam that caught their target head on. In one of those rare moments where he sees he curse as a blessing, the initial wave of heat and panic over his inability to avoid the skin melting steam caused him concentration to drop and his powers to leak out nullifying the heat and water vapor before any real damage could be done.
Dumb luck aside Senshi still knew he was screwed. That steam attack just told him he couldn't afford to reseal his powers, and already being tired made that a bigger problem usual. To make matters worse that steam messed up his vision a little and the last thing he wanted to do was melee with two of those things when he couldn't see strait. The best strategy he could muster is to just out run the damn things until he could come up with a better plan.
"You know Senshi as a note, while you can outrun these thing they don't get tried. On the other hand you'll be passing in about a minute of two if you keep this up."
"Well if you have a plan I'd love to hear it."
"You separate them the best you can, and attack them one at a time. When they get to close you back off and repeat the process."
"And how long do you think that will take"
"Hm... point taken."
"You know I figure the best way to fight to fight a Twin Knuckle is to only wake them up one at a time. Unless you're trying to impress a girl, in that case by all means..."
"You know I'm glad you're here. Really I have no idea what I'd do without your insight."
The demons heckling provided enough of a distraction for the Twin Knuckles to catch up to Senshi and swing down with another strike. Senshi rolled towards the metal goliaths no longer having to fear their respective elements. He spun around slashing blow Knuckles from behind with his fire sword. The Ice Knuckle buckled slightly, the fire one just turn towards him and readied for another attack. "You know it just dawned one me..." 
He darted to the far end of the room avoiding the Knuckles attack and giving its partner time to recover. "I've been going about this all wrong." He pulled out his hookshot a tried desperately to aim it. His vision was still blurred, his arm was sore from striking metal armor and repetitively use of the hookshot which would dislocate a normal persons shoulder. All of this piled on top of him tried to hit a target them was moving... at him... with a big sword.
"I've been trying to fight powered up Iron Knuckle..." He grabbed his wrist with his free hand hoping to steady his arm enough to hit his target and pulled the hookshot's trigger. Like before the spear-tipped caught the Fire Knuckles face plate and pulled Senshi towards it at a speed that would make one question the wisdom of the person who designed the thing. Though this time, instead of following through with an attack he just grabbed on to it head with all of his strength. 
"...the truth of it is though..." The Ice Knuckle seeing its target, not caring or not understanding its other half was in the way, attacks with another earth shattering blow. Senshi quickly jumped away avoiding the blow and ensuring his powers wouldn't block the Twin Knuckles. The Ice Knuckles massive sword slammed into the Fire Knuckles crystal turning the dullahan into a pile a metal on the floor. "...I'm really fighting a dollar store version of Twinrova."
"And if there's one thing I'm good at killing..." Senshi casually adjusted his golden gauntlets as the remaining Knuckle approached him from behind. The Knuckle swung down but Senshi spun around and caught the giant by its arms. He grabbed hold and through the Iron Knuckle down on its back taking care to avoid the sword as it whipped around wildly. The Iron Knuckle trashed around unable to get back to it feet give more then enough time for Senshi to savor the moment. 
He placed he charm back on before his power killed him then slowly drew his sword. He slammed his blade down down into the Ice Knuckles gem then twisted it, shattering the stone into hundreds of pieces. "...it's mages."
"So what you're saying is, you should have gotten the mirror shield first."
"You know one day I'll figure out a way to mute you."
"Yeah but you'd realize the world is far to quiet and start to miss me."
"Yeah I doubt that." Senshi was about to move on to the sage chamber when one important fact crossed him mind. When Iron Knuckles are defeated the armor disappears freeing either the person or soul sealed inside, but this time they were scraps of metal all over the floor. He'd seen stranger things happen, much much stranger things, but considering the "official" reason he went to the temple in the first place it couldn't hurt to search through the remains.
Sure enough after a few minutes of searching Senshi found two small chucks of the ore they were after, one in each Knuckles primary hand. "We'll this wouldn't enough. Well screw it, it better then nothing and I didn't like this plan to begin with." He stored the pieces of ore in his belt pouch and headed into the Sage Chamber to deal with his own agenda.
ELSEWHERE...
Misha tried to avoid the Iron Knuckles axe. She tried desperately to avoid it as if her life depended on it since it damn well did. She was fatigued though and in her carelessness she had let the thing get to close to her. Still be it either because of luck, adrenaline or divine intervention she got away with only being nicked by the up tip of the insanity large ax, but even a brush from an Iron Knuckle blade was nothing to laugh about. The behemoth swung too hard and too fast and a such want would have been a scrap from most enemy cut somewhat deeply across her right shoulder and into the outer edge of her chests more sensitive area.
Despite all of her training, despite all the pain and conditioning she'd been through since she was eight years old, the pure brutal furry of that blow through that all wind and she fell to the ground and let out a ear wrenching scream that would have sent the others running towards her from the other side of the Temple had they not been sealed in other rooms with troubles of there own.
Its was survival instinct alone that allowed her to roll away from the Iron Knuckles finishing blow and hobble away to the far side of the room. Still pain, fear and blood loss was clouding her mind and her special forces training was quickly losing ground to the panic, turning her into the child she should been had since even had a chance at a normal life. She was staring to act as any normal sain person her age would, running frantically, trying to find an exit she should know does exist be can't think strait enough to realize that, and most of all preying someone would save her.
Of course a normal 14 year old wouldn't be in this situation. A normal 14 year old wouldn't have spend nearly half there lives going through the same training given to only the most elite hand picked solders. Training that have evolved greatly in the centuries since the imprisioning war when it was created by a Shiekah and a few light warriors that knew how kill with out being seen. Training that evolved to be harder, more rigorous, more strenuous, more dangerous. It evolved that way because over and over its graduates found themselves in this very situation. Situations where fear, injury, and fatigue cause that natural survival instinct to such down the soldier and turn him a fleeing animal. Generation after generation of the few who survived that learned there were only two ways to over come that and made sure damn sure they beat them into new recruit. The first, make new instincts, but Misha was to young and two inexperience for that to work yet. The second though, the second was to make sure all there training, all their tactics was muscle memory so it their brain shut down they'd still kill by reflex. This she had, but she also had three other things. A uncommon trait known to most as being left handed, an damn good throwing arm, and a habit of lashing out when ever literally back into a corner which happened to be her current position.
She didn't think, hell even with everything slowing down around her she couldn't. On pure reflect she threw her short sword at the Iron Knuckle lodging blade into a space between its remaining chest and hip armor. She charge to knuckle, jumped up onto her sword and shoved a bomb into the Iron Knuckles face plat then kicked away. She felt the ground on her bad side but by now endorphins had kicked in dulling the pain. The bomb exploded shattering the Iron Knuckle a few dozen sheets of metal on the ground. Misha rolled on to her back, finally out of harms why and able to breathe but slowly slipping unconscious.
It was only the sharp pain surging through her body as her natural pain killers wore off that snapped her to reality before she passed out and bled to death. She forced herself upright and leaned back against the only remaining pillar in the room. She pulled out her red potion but only took a small sip so she'd have enough energy to nurse her wound with out passing out. She knew the red potion wasn't strong enough to heal her completely and its effects would be equally spread out restoring her stamina and healing minor cuts and scraps, she needed a more directed treatment. 
She haphazardly pored some of her remaining water over the cut in a token attempt clean out the wound then dipped two fingers into the potion bottle and spread the think gooey elixir over the gash. She repeated this over and over using half the bottle until the wound was completely sealed. She bandaged up her shoulder and chest once she was done knowing full well the liquid gel potion wouldn't be enough to keep the wound from reopening in this death trap of a temple. 
"Stupid potion stings more then I though. I know this is all Senshi's fault too." She tired to get back on her feet only to fall back on her ass before getting half way up. "Ok maybe I'll just rest here until my legs work again."
Meanwhile...
"You know, she might not be here."
"Oh she's here. They're always at the temple, even when there not. She's either busy with the others or trying to annoy me."
"How the hell can they, 'be here when they're not.' Don't start that cryptic bull**** with, I get enough of that from the Angel."
"The true sages are ascended beings with powers the allow them to exceed the limits of a moral body or even powerful spiritual entities like you or me. To compare the one individuals in existence that can out match those 6 are the Hero of Time, the Leader of the Sages, the Triforce Bearers, and the Goddesses."
"Granted some of those tend to be the same person."
"Got it, sages have cheat codes to the universe. Say that first next time."
"I prefer to avoid giving explanations that are long winded or dull witted. So you're **** out of luck."
"Oh come now Little Sen, don't lie to the poor demon. We all know its because your a stick in the mud who takes himself way to seriously."
"Nabooru, glad to see you finally showed up. And don't call me that."
"See that's what I mean. Honestly it's such a waist, you're as handsome as you're uncle with the added bonus of having your fathers stamina hidden some where in those genes of yours but you're just to up tight to do any good with it. Though at least you got rid of that cloak, that whole depressing mysterious grim dark act was just annoy. Oh and by the way, I was busy and trying to annoy you."
"That was you're pet Iron Knuckles fault. I liked that cloak too."
"Oh you didn't kill it did you. Do you have any idea how hard it was to trap those to in that thing. I had to get Impa's help to do it, and I'm sure you can understand why I take issue with that."
"So that really was Twinrova, you're twisted you know that."
"Pay back is b**** you know. Still now I'm going to owe that Shiekah another favor if I want to retrap them. You know she tried to kill me once, her and her little group of assassins." <ooc>-See previous Nahc flash back</ooc>
"Oh let it go, it was a war and it was hundreds of years ago. Hell you tired kill my sister and some time after."
"I was brainwashed, so technically it was those hags making me try to kill you."
"Yeah, you'd think someone destined to be a sage would be able to resist something like that if it meant killing a 7 and 3 year old."
"Oh come on Little Sen, you know I never would have hurt you kids if I had a say in the matter. You were both just too cute back then." Senshi couldn't help but cringe in irritation at the sages jabs.
"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh man I like this chick."
"Well at least one of the voices head knows how to lighten up."
"No **** you can here me?"
"I'm the Sage of Spirit hun, the title comes with a few more perks then the orange glow effect and eternally sexy body."
"You know lady, you're good people. Hey Little Sen, we need to come hang out with her more often."
"Right... As for why I'm here. I need a favor."
"Right, you are the type that wouldn't run an errand for the light warriors unless you had your own reasons. I guess we're a little alike that way. So business or pleasure, oh wait this is you we're talking about so business right. Well lets here it."
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Leaping from pillar to pillar Syzan struggled to keep ahead of the Asura Iron Knuckle's attacks. Spinning around as he lept to the next pillar he threw several razor discs at the Iron Knuckle, only to see them bounce back with no effect. They just didn't have enough attack strength against the Iron Knuckle's armor.
"Blast it, I need to get in close and strike its exposed midsection, a single good barrage should be enough to finish it." Syzan thought to himself. However it was easier said than done. The Iron Knuckles newfound mobility and the limited floor space made it impossible to get close enough for melee combat.
As he continued to dodge the attacks Syzan looked around the room for anything he could use against the Iron Knuckle. Unfortunatly there really wasn't anything within reach of either them expect the pillars and the hooks on the ceiling. A sudden shrill scream echoed faintly from the distance. One of the others in the group was having their own difficulties.
"I guess I'll just have to take a gamble..." Syzan thought as he stopped moving and charged up some razor discs with fire magic. He had a pretty good lead on the Iron Knuckle, which meant he had a few seconds to ready his attack. Waiting for the Iron Knuckle to throw its line to the next hook, Syzan threw out his discs. Hitting the hook just before the Iron Knuckles chain could latch on, the discs exploded knocking the chain off target. 
Crashing down onto one of the pillars the Iron Knuckle scrambled to cling to the pillar to keep from falling off, in doing so it dropped both its weapons. Now as the moment Syzan had waited for. Using the howling blade technique again, Syzan quickly cleared the distance between them and readied another powerful strike.
At the last moment though the Iron Knuckle shifted its body and blocked the strike by sacrificing one of its arms. Using the remaining 3 arms the Iron Knuckle quickly grabbed Syzan and wrestled him to the ground. Pinning down his sword arm with one arm and clutching his throat with the remaining two the Iron Knuckle began to slowly suffocate Syzan.
With his free arm Syzan tried desperatly to break free, but it was no use, he couldn't out muscle the otherwordly strength that the Iron Knuckle had. As his vision began to fade out Syzan began to flash back to his past exploits.
He had always been able to deal with his foes with his sword in the past, it was really the only skill he had. Unlike most of the other light warrior he wasn't overly skilled with magic, a few of them had chided him for it when they factored in who his other relatives. His sister was the powerful Sage of Time, his mother had been a potent mage in her day, and his daughter was considered to be a closer match to Nydesti than him. Yet all he could muster was a basic flame enchantment using a focusing gem, and a generic flame based barrier that was limited in its strength and duration. He had never been good at magic, he had tried to learn a few basic spells when he had been training but he always seemed to need more magic to cast it than normally required by mages. The best anyone could come up with was that it was the result of the psychological trauma of his youth when he lost his parents. However that was ages ago in the past, now was the present. A present with an Iron Knuckle choking the life out of him. 
"Ga... heh... Sorry... but I don't carry those scars anymore.... I've come to terms... with my emotional baggage." Syzan gasped out as he raised his free hand to the Iron Knuckles chest.
"Nova Flare..." he muttered as his vision began to go dark. In a flash a massive intense pillar a fire shot out sending the Iron Knuckle crashing into the ceiling. The force of the blast creating a massive boom that shook the room, there was no way anybody wouldn't notice this.
Rolling out of the way of the now molten armor Syzan layed there for a moment catching his breath. As he did new pillars began to rise up from below to restore the room to its previous condition.
Getting back to his feet Syzan noticed some strange fragments in the molten mess. Carefully fishing them out Syzan realized it was what they were looking for, although it wasn't enough on its own to make a sword out of.
As the chamber doors opened Syzan saw Chamdar standing their casually with his own ore fragments. The old man had a smirk on his face. "You should have seen it, an Iron Knuckle with the most magnificent wings, truely a sight to behold." the man joked as he entered the room.
It annoyed Syzan to see that the old man had beat his opponent without incident. "Don't get so smug, it sounded like one of the others was having problems I think it was probably the kid that was with you guys." Syzan spoke as he began to quickly leave the room to try and help the others.
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Working their way over to the other side of the temple Syzan and Chamdar finally reached the chamber leading to the Silver Gauntlets. Syzan was a bit surprised to see a young kid sitting in a pool of his own blood with a smashed Iron Knuckle sprawled on the floor.
"Crap... looks like you got pretty messed up by this thing." Syzan spoke as he rushed over to check on Mikahl. Although the wounds had been treated with some basic first aid, the kid didn't seem to be able to move on his own though, and seemed to be pretty weak.
"Hold still, these wounds are going to need better treatment than that. Drink this first, it will help with the pain and clear your head." Syzan spoke as he pulled out a small bottle filled with a golden potion. Thankfully the Goddesses had decided to provide him with some basic tools to help with the mission, its divine origin likely also meant it was more potent than normal potions would be.
"Hey, old man. When you're done rummaging through that armor check out the next room for the gauntlets." Syzan yelled at Chamdar as he noticed the old man fishing out a couple more ore fragments from the smashed armor.
As Chamdar left the chamber to the balconey outside Syzan began taking a closer look at kids injuries. Although the kid seemed to be taking issue with the up close inspection. Despite what had happened Mikahl seemed to have done a decent job patching up the wounds, although something else had caught Syzan's eye. 
Syzan simply sighed to himself, another girl dressed up as a guy. It was something that was becoming all to familiar. His first run in with somebody like this was his own sister, who masqueraded as a man to avoid Ganon's search for her. The second was an old friend who masqueraded as a male vigilante to try and be more intimidating to her foes. It was becoming so familiar by now that Syzan didn't care anymore. However the kids age was unusual. It just didn't seem to make sense as to why some kid this young would have the skill to deal with an Iron Knuckle and be teaming with somebody as jaded and unpredictable as Senshi. Kids being used as soldiers was something that bothered Syzan at a personal level, both he and Nydesti had missed out on most of their childhood and he knew the perils such a life typically brought.
"I'm not judging, but which is it? Are you trying to prove something to somebody or are you running away from something?" Syzan spoke in a lower voice.
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Spirit Temple
"I need to know something about Darrel Mytura'a spirit sword," Senshi said finally cutting to the chase. "So far I've discovered four weapons in Hyrule which have a power second only to the Master Sword: The Holy Light Sword, The Glaive of the Inferno, The Sword of Sunrise, and The Reaper of Death. I believe these weapons are all connected in a way but I can't be certain, especially since the Sword of Sunrise doesn't alter its shape like the other three. At least not that I've seen anyway."
"You bothered me for that," the Spirit Sage shot back in an annoyed tone as she positioned herself as if she were laying on an invisible long couch in mid air.
"No I was coming here anyway, this just a simple curiosity I hoped you could send some light on while I had you're attention. Had I encounter any of the other three sages those weapons are aligned to I would have asked them instead. In fact I may just still if the opportunity arises depending on what I learn here."
"Well you'll have to do just that then because I don't know. Honestly I don't think Darunia or that women will either so you might as well go save you're questions for Rauru."
"Yes, well he's that last person I want to ask. If there's one thing I've learned its that dealing the the ancients can we well... irritating."
"Ha! Tell me about it!" Nabooru laughed as she sat up strait. "Now tell me," she folded in her legs and rested her chin on her fist, "what could it possibly matter if those toys are related?"
"If those four are related it would mean that there are two more, and assuming I can find them they could push the results of this war in our favor. I've even already found someone I think the water weapon would choose as it wielder assuming I can save her from herself... and Hothnight."
"Ah, arming your allies even if you don't trust them. Funny, here I though you were the type who'd only go after those kinds of things for himself."
"I trust myself less then I trust some of the other light warriors so I'll just have to deal with that. Winning is more important right now. Though its funny you mention my own quest for power. The real reason I came to bother you is because I need to borrow some of yours."
"You have to be joking," she struggled not to break out into a hysterical laughter. "You're more likely to destroy a sages power the utilize it, besides only the Sage and Hero of Time can focus the power of the main sages."
"No, those to are the only ones who an channel all six of you at once. Almost anyone should be able to use the power of a single sage so long as its limited or rationed properly as to not overload them. Besides its that anti-power of mine that has led me to need your help. I haven't been able master it simply because the anti-spirit power not only drains my own energy to sustain itself like the other ones, but it also destroys any reserve power left in me. In other words it makes my own stamina eat itself. Right now I need my negative-magic more then ever if I'm going to rip Taden out of that damned women's soul. As such I need an alternative energy source to improve my stamina and since trying to do that on my own is what got me into this situation in the first place I figured it was best to humble myself for once and ask for help."
"Wow, either my pet Iron Knuckles smacked you around to much or you're finally growing up. I guess I can help, though if its Taden you're trying to fight I don't know what you don't just ask my for a big stick that fires spirit bolts since my power beats water."
"Either will do."
"Well I'm glad to see you're not picky Little Sen. Fine I'll see what I can do, but first some entertainment." The sage snapped her figures and vanished into thin air. A strange slightly orange tinted energy began suddenly appeared on Senshi's body only to fire off in four beams a moment later. Each beam slammed into the top of one of the platforms that surrounded the raised sage in the rooms center. The energy began to twist and grew. The bright orange-white hues slowly turned to pure black and the figures growing from the energy began to take human form. 
The figures form stabilized and Senshi now found himself faced with four shadows. Two men with what was either little or no armor, one unarmed and one with twin swords AND a shield. A women with nothing but a sword and lastly a heavily armored figure. It took less then a second for him to realize who's shadows these were, Saber, Kima, Dajronon, and Nahc. "Couldn't you just make me fight myself?"
Nabooru's disembodied voice echoed through the room, "You beat yourself up all the time. This is has more value to it, wouldn't you say."
Elsewhere
Only one thought crossed Misha mind as see noticed two blurry figures enter the room "crap..." Her cover was blown, well probably any way, he was having trouble thinking strait and it didn't help much that head was throbbing and the only words the blurry figure said that she could clearly make out were "Hold still..." and, "...head." Of course this was said as the figure was trying to get her to put something in her mouth so she was some what resistant. Eventually she figured out it was a bottle and started to slowly sips its contents beginning to tired to chug it down and not really wanting to since she still didn't know what the hell was in that thing.
The more she drink to more she could focus and the more her senses returned to her until she was finally able to realize the two blurry figures were Moran and that new guy. At the same time she started to realize her cover wasn't necessarily blown just yet. Her womanly figure had only just begun to develop, and with her hair cut short and what little growth there was hidden by tightly bound bandages she could still pass as a body. The side of her that was a soldier couldn't be happier that the state of her body made her mission easier, of course the side of her that was a young teenage girl was completely mortified by this.
On the other hand this strange guy was a bit up close and personal and might still figure it out. Worse yet, while she didn't is due to the internal conflict over her appearance, overblown concern over her disguise, and the head rush from the single most powerful potions she's ever tasted, she forgot both of them know she trashed an Iron Knuckle. Considering she was suppose to be posing a medic that could barely walk five feet with out tripped never mind have enough sword still to kill an Iron Knuckle that fact the she did just that could easily throw up a few flags over who she really was there was entirely more classified and harder to cover up then her gender. At the moment though, she had less important things to worry about.
It was when the old man finally left the room the new guy quietly asked her something that almost made her panic. "I'm not judging, but which is it? Are you trying to prove something to somebody or are you running away from something?"
"Oh crap did he figure out I'm a girl? Or wait maybe he's just wonder why I joined so young. Then again maybe he's just wondering why I'm tagging along with a jerk like Senshi. Argh! Damn it what's wrong with me, I'm trained to deal with this kind of thing, focus Misha. Stupid pissed colored potion, I feel light I'm on a sugar rush. Though I guess its better then being low on blood."
"I don't know what you mean? I'm hear because I'm a medic and I was assigned to stick with Shinigami. I was told all the Light Warriors were getting one assigned to them." She played dumb, with luck that would be enough but she doubted it. "Umm... by the way, not to sound ungrateful but, who are you?"
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
"I don't know what you mean? I'm here because I'm a medic and I was assigned to stick with Shinigami. I was told all the Light Warriors were getting one assigned to them. Umm... by the way, not to sound ungrateful but, who are you?" Mikahl inquired.
"My name is Syzan Xiphias, I'm an old ally of Shinigami and the old man." Syzan replied, while thinking over the kids defensive response. Sorting the truth from the lies was going to be tricky. Her being part of the army seemed believable enough, she certainly didn't share any of the more common sheikah traits. Her skill level though seemed beyond what was normally expected from soldiers, especially considering her age.
"So you were assigned to Shinigami huh? Seems like an ironic twist to assign a kid to play babysitter. You must be pretty skilled to get stuck keeping tabs on him. Let me guess, the army's black ops assassination squad?" Syzan spoke as he glanced back at the Iron Knuckle's remains. "I think Impa would be annoyed to learn her old squad has degraded to the point of needing kids to fill its ranks." he added with a sigh.
"You still didn't answer my question though. Why is a girl your age involved in stuff like this? In my experience only three answers come to mind. You are either trying to prove something to somebody, you're hiding from something, or you're trying to take revenge on somebody." Syzan inquired as he stood back up and walked over to the pile of armor on the floor. 
Senshi/Spirit Temple/Afternoon 4
Shadow Sabre wasn't a problem, the platform was to small for him to take advantage of his armor rolling form and it looked like these copies didn't have to originals magic which meant he didn't have to worry about the general's star sage powers. Shadow Kima on the other hand was still a problem. Sure she also lacked the originals sage powers but she retain the originals true form, a big ass spear wielding dragon. He could get a hit or two in when she was in her Hylian form but the second she went airborne the best her could do was avoid getting eaten. Honestly if they were coming at him all at one time she would have been able to take him out in three seconds.
Shadow Dajronon was giving him some trouble since he was a close quarters fighter who didn't rely on magic, but strangely he wasn't giving Senshi to much trouble. Considering all the first generation Light Warriors were unrivaled bad asses he was having trouble understanding how he could hold his own against one with just his sword. Even stranger was he was having the most trouble fighting Shadow Nahc. Like all the shadows Nahc had no magic which mean he had half the arsenal of the original. Even stranger the real Nahc was family, he had live with Senshi, trained him since he was old enough to lift a wooden sword. He was family, he knew how it thought, he knew how he fought, and yet this shadow copy who only had half his skill and that dual sword to long sword and shield switch trick going for him. On the other had the other Light Warrior copies, who were much stronger then then Nahc, who's moves he couldn't predict as easily were barely causing him to break a sweat.
That's when he finally realized it, he did now the others every move. What ever magic formed these copies was radiating off of him at the start of the fight. These weren't copies of the originals, they were copies of his memories of them. The reason Nahc was harder to fight then the other three was because he was the only one he knew well enough to have a full picture of, the other three was fractions of themselves at best.
Senshi just smirked, this fight had just gotten a whole lot easier.
Elsewhere....
Not only did this guy figure out her real job and gender he had the nerve to insult her about it, though she didn't know what the Sage of Shadow had to do with any of this. To add insult to injury he kept pressing for some grand psychological excuse for being what she was, as if she was some kind of emotionally abused infant that couldn't possibly be serving her country unless it was for some juvenile reason.
Of course it would be emotions that made her forget he place and yell out more then she should. "You've got some kind of twisted view on the world old man. You don't ask farmers or blacksmiths what childhood trauma made them want to pound metal or shove s*** do you? I am what I am because life happens and no other reason. I haven't been alive long enough to know anyone I need to take revenge on. The only thing I'm hiding from is poverty and starvation. As for trying to prove something, well I guess you could say I'd like my grandfather to be proud of how good I am at what I do, but I'd want him to be proud of me regardless of what I do." She paused for a moment realizing she had said a bit to much. 
"Err... and what I do is administer first aid to wounded solders," she tried to quickly cover for everything sh just blurted out but at this point even she knew it was too late.
"Any way what do you mean by an old ally of these guys, aren't they both like a million years old?"
Meanwhile...
"Oh you broke my toys already, I figured it would take you at least another fifteen minutes." Nabooru's disembodied voice echoed through the chamber.
"Yes I don't suck, shocking I know. Now if that was suppose to be a test I'm pretty sure I passed so can we move on."
"Test? No I was just stalling you while I went to asked Ruto for a favor. I needed to borrow something from her temple."
"Great so you were just screwing with me then, standard. So what did you need to," his words were cut short as his noticed as figure rising out of the middle of the center platform. It was another shadow, but time Nabooru's words let him know it would be harder then the last for combined.
"Honestly it creeps me out a little that she keeps that things around but we all know how obsessed she was with you're uncle. Oh well, have fun."
"...Damn it."
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
Syzan smirked to himself as the girls outburst, he had really struck a nerve and she let her true personality shine through the mask she wore. While it was true some people chose their calling based on what their lives simply led them to, the girl was clearly a trained assassin and that wasn't something that just falls into somebodies lap. Pushing the subject further probably wouldn't provide any more insight.
"Heh, yeah they are probably relics from your perspective... but I don't see why another person from that era would shock you. Oh well, I suppose my presence is cheating a little bit since I passed on a long time ago. I'm only here in fleshy form since the godly trio decided to lend a hand while you three are in the Spirit Temple." Syzan spoke moving onto a different subject to calm Mikahl down.
As Chamdar came back in with the Silver Guantlets, Syzan realized it was time to get moving.
"Well looks like break time is over, time to catch back up with Shinigami before he gets himself into to much trouble." Syzan spoke as pulled Misha's arm over his shoulder and pulled her to her feet. She staggered back still a bit weak and dissoriented from her wounds and still annoyed at Syzan's prodding.
As he began walking to the door Syzan turned his head back to her, "Well are you just going to stand there all day? Its time to deliver these ore chunks and make this Daybreaks Sword, afterall, the world isn't going to save itself."
Senshi/Spirit Temple/Afternoon 4
The fight was going no where. When he slashed the shadowed mimicked, when he tried a sword spin or beam it would back-flip out of the way or disappear into the ground. To top it off the one time he made the mistake of stabbing the damned thing jumped on his sword and tried to cut his head off. Senshi didn't even bother trying to figure out how it pulled that one off.
"Enough of this!" Senshi yelled while pulling out his scythe. He swung the massive weapons around like he would a sword spin. Despite the scythe's greater reach Shadow Link was able back-flip out of way of its blade, however it was still hit dead on by the wave of purple magic that followed. The purple stuck to the copy and began to grow until I completely encased it.
"I'm tried of playing this like some kind of do holier then thou hero boy, it's wasting my time. I'm ending this my way." He raised his scythe lifting the shadow magic encased copy of his late uncle into the air. He slammed the butt of the scythes staff into the ground with a pounding force that echoed through the chamber. The shadow magic aura surrounding the creature began to strike. The shadow link was slow twisted and crushed into a small ball of energy until the mass finally exploded filling the room with a shower a purple magic sparks.
The sound of a single person slowly if not sarcastically clapping rang out from all directions in the room until its point of origin focused behind Senshi. "Well it's about time you did that. Finding Shadows for you to fight was starting to become a pain. Though I do suppose Ruta will be annoyed that you destroyed her toy." Nabooru said with her usual sass as she slowly appeared behind the necromancer.
"Yeah well, several individuals have been trying to get me the play to morally strait hero. I was starting to fall for it and forgot the proper way to fight for a minute. Sigh, I'm going to need a new cloak."
"And just what was so evil about how you fought. The part where you destroyed a soulless apparition, or the part were you used a divine weapon to do it."
"A divine weapon which primary functions seem to be creating hordes of undead and apparently some form a death touch I haven't quiet figured out yet. Most people wouldn't consider those a good thing."
"Ah yes, most people. How ever could I forgot most people and they're infinite wisdom. There's no way most people people could have allow anything in they're moral system based on ignorance or generations of misconceptions. Think for a moment Little Senshi, you're Scythe mimics the power of a Sage, how could that be 'evil' by its nature alone. I would wager its only how its owner applies that power that could be judged as good or bad. Even then its rather subjective wouldn't you agree. Take those four I made shadows of from your memories. An assassin who summons various monsters or spirits to do his bidding beyond their will. A general who treats men lives like peaces of a chess board for a living. A dragon who masquerades as a Hylian, an act which I imagine would raise a lot of suspicion. And don't even get my started the second Gerudo Male. Face it, even the people treated like hero's could easily defined as villains if you look at it from a different angle."
"That sounded like a very drawn out way to say war is hell. Besides there's something you over looked in that speech, I've got a cousin once removed that set forth a pretty good example of what a hero is suppose to be."
"Oh yes, Link, who could forget how perfect he was, well perfectly sexy anyway."
"Spare me."
"You're no fun. Anyway I'm not sure why it shocks me that you've over looked his missdeeds, everyone else always seems to. You do realize he's the one the let Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm where he killed all but one of the ancient sages and claim the part of the Triforce. That in no way made the Imprisoning War was the subjugation the all the races went through a hundred times worse then I would have been had that not happened. And while we're all Legendary figures consider the sages, bastions of all that is holy, currently count among there members a thief and and assassin. Beyond that the Goddesses themselves, the ones who wrote the rules. Well you've talked to them, tell me you think their intentions and methods fit your idea of what 'good' is."
"Ok, I concede to your point. Still, you can understand why I have a hard time exempting myself with moral loopholes."
"You're 'betrayal' was false, necessary and in the end the correct coarse. The failures of your youth were just that and nothing more. As for you're 'anti-magic' and that voice in your head, well I think they might have a higher purpose and are by no means 'evil.' Obnoxiousness maybe, but not evil."
"Ah come one, you know yah love me. I've got a great sense of humor and I'm the only one in this body with a personality."
"Very true. Anyway I'd wager the only thing about you that's in the least bit evil is your attempts a manipulating people and situation just in case you want to back stab them. Even that isn't that bad in itself, it's just where you picked it up from that makes you have to kind of wonder."
"Right, I get it. I was never really going to join then Twili anyway. Probably just learn what I could and then destroy them from the inside. Besides if you're willing to help me after all this then I won't need to do that. Of course if you don't I suppose I could learn what little of there magic is relevant to me by studying Habiki."
"Oh don't worry about it I'm going to help you, but not because of all that nonsense I just spurted off," she placed her hand over his left shoulder, "but because you remind me of your uncle in the ways it matters." She winked but before Senshi's face could blush she disappeared into a bright orange flash leaving only burning sensation on Senshi shoulder in her wake.
He lifted up his sleeve to see a glowing tattoo of the spirit sage symbol where Nabooru had placed her hand. "Press either side and it will give you a nice burst of spirit energy. You've only got two shots though if I enjoy the way you apply them I might let you recharge."
"Damn it, I want to women more and more with every word."
"Can it. Well that's done, no to make sure the kid isn't dead... Oh damn it, I was going to ask her to repair my cloak." He shrugged and continued walking, "I guess I'll have to do without one for a while."
Elsewhere...
"Daybreaks is a lame name, we should call it the Sword of Sunrise or the Dawnbringer." Misha fired back as they headed to the main chamber. She may be the adopted grand daughter of the Keeper of Lore but that didn't mean she knew about ever ancient relic ever used by a hero. Even if they were ones being used by a current Light Warrior.
"So if you're only allowed here because we're in the Spirit Temple does that mean you won't be staying with us afterwords?" Misha asked hoping the fall out from her earlier loss tongue would be neutralized if the answer was in her favor.
The trio soon arrived in the main chamber just in time for Misha to see Senshi walking out of the hole in the statues face. "Senshi you jerk! Come down here so I can kick your ass!" She yelled once again accidentally relieving she knew Senshi's real name.
"Oh, you're alive." He callously replied as he drew his scythe to glide down. He wouldn't dream of letting the teen know he was actually worried about her. "...and you're practically indecent."
"How the hell's fault do you think that was. Making me crawl through the death trap temple with next to no equipment. I damn near died every five minutes only to find out you could have gone into most of those rooms yourself anyway. And if we're gonna talk about missing cloths, wears your hooded cape Mr. Grimdark."
"It got burned, I fought an Iron Knuckle that had fire and ice powers then Shadow Link, how was you're day?" He struggled to remain nonchalant as he spoke as he was damn near about to break into laughter. Not only did Misha current equipment and attire confirm his theories about her true occupation, but these emotional bursts clearly meant she was dropping the timid act and showing her true self.
Misha was at a loss for words, her face turn red and she started to puff up her checks. Finally she just stormed off into the towards to door way back out. "I'm going to collect my stuff!"
He waited until the door shut behind her before talking to the others, "Xiphias, please tell me I was not that easy to screw with when I was that age." he said chuckling slightly. "Anyway, how'd we fair on the search?"
C: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
As Mikhal stormed off in a huff Senshi turned the discuss back to the mission.
"We managed to snag several ore fragments and the Silver Gauntlets. If we combine the fragments together it should be enough to suit our purposes." Syzan spoke as he and Chamder showed Senshi the fragments they had collected.
Senshi glanced at the fragments with a satisfied look, but his expression shifted to one of annoyance. "Where's the Mirror Shield?"
Syzan paused for a moment, running his hand through his hair. "Crap, I knew we forgot something... Guess we can write that one off as I have no intention of backtracking just to snag it. Besides, Termina's Mirror Shield and the Mirror Gauntlets should still be at the royal vault at Hyrule Castle."
As the group began to head towards the exit Syzan decided to use his remaining time to bring up an uncomfortable subject.
"I've been thinking over this whole plan... With the intended powers of this sword, it will probably only work if that sheikah girl chooses to reject Taden and isolates her spirit from his. Whether it works or not won't change the real issue though. The invaders are a real threat to the world... and I don't think they have shown their real strength yet. A single weapon or a lone hero isn't going to be what wins this war, it will take the strength of all the allies of Hyrule, so try not to push them away so much." pausing for a moment Syzan knew the next part wouldn't go over well, "Senshi, try not to get so swept up in avenging your sister that you lose sight of the larger picture. Ultimately... Taden is irrelevant." Syzan spoke in a more somber tone.
He knew that Senshi's personal feelings on the matter as well as past experience would make it hard for him to look beyond immediate issue of Hothnight, but it had to be said.
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Spirit Temple
Before parting ways Syzan felt if best to impart a few words of wisdom on the younger warrior, "Senshi, try not to get so swept up in avenging your sister that you lose sight of the larger picture. Ultimately... Taden is irrelevant."
Senshi had figured this would come sooner or later, though he figured it would be from Chamder or Ithan when one of the two felt it was worth saying. In all honesty he was glad it was Syzan we said it, at least from him it didn't sound like a stock lecture on the logical course and he could respond more honestly to a dead guy he looked up to. "The truth of the matter is avenging Ayala has been the last thing on my mind this whole time. For one, and god knows it's taken me forever to admit this, I've blamed everyone except Hothnight for what happened. I was so scared I'd become another one of his toys like my father that I pointed all the anger, all that hate everywhere else. I blamed the old Light Warriors for not realizing Kashin was Hothnight or just not caring. I blamed the new Light Warriors for leaving those to alone for that to happen. I blamed Arch Angel for making the whole situation worse and ever divine figure I knew by name along with him. But most of all, of all the people I curse it spat at more then anyone else, I blamed myself. If I hadn't been just a, such a damned kid I could have stopped it. I don't care how different he looked I would have know that kid was Hothnight, even if I didn't I would have know what the Light Swords warring meant, hell my own damn scythe would have reacted the same. Even if I didn't know, even if I couldn't kill him on the spot with out seeing him became what he realize was, I still could have saved her. Hell we're psychics and siblings, we know when the others in danger, I DID know when it happen, but I was so damn far away I couldn't do a thing. If I had just stayed with the others I could have jumped in with one of those big damn hero moments." 
He stopped for a moment, gathering his thoughts before to drifted to far off point. "You know twisted as it sounds though, before I started blaming myself when I was blaming everyone else just to not blame Hothnight. I STILL fell into his game! That hate was still there only instead of going after him I targeted people who didn't do a damn thing wrong. But you know, that's not even the truly ****ed up part..."
He let out a pained laugh and paused as his eyes started to water, "The really twisted part, the part I'm know Hothnight would love the most if he knew, she doesn't blame him. She'd never say as much, god why would she, hell I sure as hell wouldn't be telling you this if you were still alive, but I know. I know her to well. Rape isn't exactly one of Hothnight's tactics, lets be honest he'd probably think it to strait forward or brutish. I know she doesn't blame Kashin either, she truly doesn't believe he would do that if Hothnight didn't start influencing him. Now I never met Hothnight when he was like that so I don't know, maybe he did have a soul she could be right, or maybe its because a part of her still loves that kid. No I'm positive she still loves that kid."
"Anyway if that's the case that means the one that hurt her was someone that never existed. An innocent kid who wasn't in control of his actions because some evil the possessed him leaked through. So if Hothnight's not to blame, if the kid he turned into isn't to blame, who's there to seek vengeance on. It wasn't the Light Warriors fault either right, so I guess that only leaves one person to blame. So you want proof that I'm not trying to avenge Ayala, it's because I don't know how to seek vengeance against myself."
He recomposed himself before continuing, his tone changing for sorrowful and self reflective to more determined if not slightly angry. "No, I've got one purpose in this whole mess now Xiphas, and it's make sure this doesn't happen all over again. Brysies is in the same situation as my sister, it so similar it makes me sick. Right down to the Goddesses puppetry making the whole thing worse. Then Annei, not only is she just a new twist on Kashin, she's just like me. The whole reason she got possessed in the first place is because she didn't think she was strong enough to protect her friend. It's the same thing I did when when everything happen and I'm still cursed by it. The only difference is I had someone help me before things got worse. It looks like I couldn't do that for Annei though, Hothnight's already gotten a good hold on her and they both seem to be stuck in some hybrid with neither one dominate, as far as I can tell anyway. Of course that's partially my fault too, I was playing my standard 'act' when I first met them both so they naturally hated and mistrusted me no matter what I did to help. It gave Hothnight the fuel he needed and it gave reason for Brysies to ignore me and run off with her anyway. So yeah, I'm trying to stop the worst case scenario, but first I have to un**** everything I did to make it worse, AND I have to figure out a way to do it without killing Annei. Wish me luck."
Senshi hadn't realized how close they were to the Temple entrance when they started talking about everything. As such he didn't bother considering the head start Misha had or how his voice would echo though the Temple walls and his emotions flared. He had no idea that the young girl had overheard words only meant for the dead. Mikhal was fast though and he knew he couldn't let Senshi know he over heard everything. Just before the others entered the chamber the split three ways Mikhal managed to run back into the "child" half of the Temple and walk back out just as they entered from their end.
"Well you got dressed pretty damn fast." Senshi called out as he saw the young medic enter the room redressed in his uniform with all his gear repacked. 
"Yes, the army makes you learned to waist time on things like that."
Senshi/Afternoon 4/Spirit Temple
"Alright lets get out of here, we've still got a lot more crap to collect if this half baked plan has even a remote chance of working." Senshi motioned to is two living companions to head towards the door.
"It's to bad you can't leave this Temple Xiphas but if you see those three pains in the ass again tell them we could use help like this more often," he said awkwardly in a strange way of saying thanks. "Anyway say hi Ryuna and Aylinn for me, assuming the after life really works that way anyway."
IC: Syzan - Spirit Temple - Day 4
After listening to Senshi vent his past frustrations Syzan knew the kid wouldn't just rush off at the drop of a hat to chase Taden, and leave his allies hanging when it mattered. However he was still a little to focused on preventing repeats of past tragedies that his focus on the overall mission was a little loose. Trying to talk more though would be pushing things though, he would have to find his own path through this.
As they reached entryway of the temple Syzan could feel waves of fatigue setting in. He had reached the limit of the time the gods had granted him.
Giving a final farewell Syzan gave a simple smile and wave as he faded away and dissappeared from the mortal realm.
Passing between the realms Syzan felt another presence coming from the oppossite way, returning to the mortal realm. As their souls passed each other Syzan could feel the other was filled with the power of Nayru. "Must be the scion Senshi was talking about... May you path hold good fortune for the future." Syzan thought to himself as he passed back into the other side.
== Double Kill ==
IC: Quell - twili camp - day 4
The scion was injured by the ice shards, but wasn't beat. Now she readying another massive attack, one strong enough to end the fight. Nothing in Quell's arsenal would be strong enough to stop or even deflect an attack with this much divine magical energy behind it. In his current state he wouldn't be able to dodge an attack of this nature, but a brief glint of light in the distance revealed all that he needed to win. Quell raised one of his hands in front of him, as if to sheild his eyes from the glow of the scions magic.
Now ready to strike the scion unleashed the massive burst of magic and it streaked through the sky towards its victim who remained stationary. A brief smirk crossed the scions face at the prospect of her victory, but it quickly turned to shock as she realized what was happening. Quell had had pulled the raised hand towards his chest, he was using the power of his guantlets on something.
The world seemed to be moving in slow motion as Kae started to turn her head to look behind herself. Her own attack racing down like a lightning bolt enveloping Quell in its blinding light before unleashing a massive explosion. Before she could finish turning she was struck square in the back by the massive spiked snowflake Quell had made earlier. Its speed was to great and its spin from being tossed earlier gave it to much cutting power. Before she could even register what had just happened in her mind, the snowflake had already passed through her and slammed in the ground.
For the Twili onlookers though time passed as normal and it was a shocking sight. One of their strongest mages now laid slain in a massive crator on the ground with the divine Scion of Nayru falling to the ground in defeat as well.
Jaden/???/Day 4
This compulsion led him to a very familiar place when his eyes closed. Fast asleep and not caring about anything in the physical realm, he found himself dreaming again. But this time, it wasn't just a concoction of his mind. It was a hanging rote Kae left just in case Jaden did stumble across her note. It was the events of the past three and a half days lived through her eyes. It only broke when she slept, except for her appearance before representatives of the Three. 
Of course, Jaden didn't like having to re-live all of Kae's experiences. It got to the point that he didn't want to sit there, because he didn't know how time was going to pass. But the information was important. What she saw could help him in his mission. 
When her first accident happened post-sparring, he understood why it was bad. Before his time with Nora, he would think it was able to be healed through with time and medical care. Now, it was a telltale sign of possible corrupted blood. And also why the metamorphosis took place. Becoming a Scion prolonged her life thanks to some of the benefits it provided. Special dispensations would make backlashes do less damage to her, to an extent...but in other ways they would be worse. 
Her first kills did bother him. There never was a way to ease into it. Dealing with most of them at range did make it less painful, but at some point she'd have to get close and dispatch one. And she did, execution style. With Lynn's approval. He was skeptical of her influence. In a way, it was good because war wasn't something that could be done without knowing how to kill or how to cope with it. Damaging one's own infrastructure was another problem altogether. Kae's powers caused mass property damage simply by design. She wouldn't always have the advantage of open-air guilt-free beam barrages...he hoped she'd learn how to use that sword better than before.
Then Lynn's skirmish with Darrel's party came up. Polaris was cool. The fact that she met him made him quite jealous. To fight by his side was something that made him even more nuts. Her tactics needed work. And her gambit of parlaying with the Sword of the Sunrise could have gotten her killed. How they dealt with Lynn after it amused him greatly. She was always so headstrong. But doing what they did could have given rise to part of what was to come later...and he definitely didn't need to see Kae staring at Lynn as she slept before she eventually conked out. It was very awkward for him. 
Awkwardness went further during her astral appearance in a dreamscape bubble of the Sacred Realm. Nora's pleas fell on deaf ears. She got some sort of a birthright. He got some of his innate powers unlocked today thus far but didn't have to go through this. Strangely enough, he could see Kae as she slept during this process and saw her body undergo changes. Spasms in legs reflecting tattooing, skin deepening in color, eyes emitting a soft glow. And part of the wood underneath her being singed with a constellation brand. If Kae lived and became a legend, that hut could end up being a historical landmark. Not like it already didn't have significance. It housed a legend already. 
Much less merciful to her now...so that backlash from her new form could do very bad things to her? Jaden hoped not.
Castle Town and her times in the Sanctuary proper confused him. She was death gripped into a battle and then giving her all once more, ending up in a hospital again. And Castle Town got heavily damaged by a large glacier...this is how they fought? Unconventional warfare. Titanic clashes. This is what he signed up for? Most of the things he saw could kill a man ten times over, and these people kept getting up. 
He felt for Castle Town's condition. When he got there he vowed to donate some rupees to the reconstruction effort. 
Hyrule Castle boggled his mind. He'd dropped off orders and had business there before. But what Kae saw and did while there, that was something otherworldly. Meeting the first Scion and having a private audience. Learning of another Primordial One's rebirth. And observing a conference of some of Hyrule's finest made him realize that old rivalries and personal agendas trumped the well being of the land he loved. Each one had their own idea of how things should be done. Common ground was unable to be met. And Kae's decision to strongly insist they not kill Lynn had a chance of being a contributing factor to her full-blown CBC emerging.
Even stranger was that they listened to her when she was the most inexperienced among them. Even being a Scion didn't give her enough clout to give a good observation. But he was glad that Nora kept her scrying detail, as she knew he was coming home to Kakariko. He could get trained to offer the help the Hylians needed to stand a chance against their enemies.
But skimping on homeland defense was a horrible decision. He would have advocated keeping Lynn on a very short leash and holding off the invaders before trying to fix her. Having that many powerful heroes in the battle would have made the victory a resounding one.
Of course, he was headstrong in his own way. And he really wished he could have seen more of their reactions, but Kae's field of vision was very selective. Lynn, Moran, Polaris, Raki. Shifting between those four systematically. 
Her diplomacy and manners were very good. Nora trained her well in terms of formal dealings with authority figures. And the guards really liked her. 
High ritual always confused him. It took a long time and he never understood significant things such as Starfire Crystal construction. At least when she wrote in her journal he could understand what had happened. A weapon of mass destruction and a workable medium for smithing were forged. 
The next morning was an odd one. He was glad he could shut his eyes during some of her early morning activities because there were some things Kae should have left out, such as dressing and freshening up. And he was glad she found her happy place before it all came crashing down around her. 
She should never have gotten on that icy disc. That ride would have shattered his faith. How did she not break down and cry after realizing her best friend had merged souls with a Primordial One and formed a new being? Or mis-guess at what happened? 
He was irate at what Lynn did to Kae. Dropping her in the middle of that cluster**** would be something she'd have to answer for later. He would have to talk to Kae if she lived through whatever was going to happen down there, because the dream ended with her casting slow fall on her self.
She couldn't trust anyone except her family, her deities, Nora, and herself. Anyone else could possibly do her harm in some way. And while he didn't think he could protect her, it was his big brother instinct to try to keep her safe somehow.
All that knowledge was useful to him. Her experiences better informed him on what really happened in the past three days or so. But why couldn't he wake up? What else was there to see? He struggled with all his might to break free, but his mind was trapped in another odd place. 
Kae/Twili Forward Camp/Day 4/Afternoon
Lynn's instructions fell on deaf ears once more. She wasn't watching her back and got sliced in half. As the light faded from her vision, she cursed bitterly.
Unfortunately, Kae could not crush her opponent's mind. She'd have to crush his body instead. Both parties had extensive psychic shock potentially wrecking their minds. 
Light cascaded in a flash before dissipating to reveal both Kae and Quell standing there, staring each other down. It was uncertain how many of the migraine-afflicted grunts were affected by this psionic battle. Some were knocked unconscious, while others believed they were actually hit with moonfire and went into seizure. Some even died from the shock. 
Kae also cursed bitterly because this gambit was going to cost her any more time in Seraph form. Nayru sent her another message, warning her that her body could no longer handle that gift.
If you stay in this form, you will perish. There are some reprieves I can still give you. Unfortunately, your blood is now corrupted. I can grant you a little more time on this plane than usual. You need to live until the next full moon's light...I want to save you...the other two do not...persuade them...remember, I can restore what the locusts have eaten. Do not lose faith!
Her transfigured form began to flake away and become sparkling stardust on the wind. What remained was a wounded, slightly burned, and quite bloody teenage girl. One missing her left arm, with an ichor-soaked stump at the shoulder joint. It had an incandescent, eerie glow to it, like something was growing. Veins swelled and skin tightened around the area as well. And this injury bothered her more than any of the others she had received.
Her time in Seraph form helped her to shrug off most of her physical injuries. Now that it had worn off, she was lucky she did not go into shock. And also that her aura sight was still functioning. Blood leaked from her tear ducts, nose, and mouth. She was really feeling effects of magical overuse...and didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Her opponent was uninjured and had a distinct advantage. 
She had to get away. Somehow. But if she couldn't weaken her enemy, she'd be pursued. 
Her first action was to prepare some sort of defense. Re-summoning her all-temperature robes and conjuring a few star shards, Kae held her blade in a defensive stance and kept her gaze steady, trying to hide how much pain she was in. Every inch of her body was wracked with agony. This is what it felt like to have one's body slowly become celestial...it was horrible...
Lynn Hothnite/Ahhhh! The Atmosphere/Day 4
Wind whirled past her with gale force, fluttering her hair before her face in a clustered mess. It was coming from above her, pushing down. Pushing down with such force she couldn't stand it. She tried to lift her arms, to part the hair from her face, but found the wind was pushing with such force she couldn't move them. Instead, Lynn squinted out through the hairs, and saw a passing cloud.
Cloud?
Then she realized.
She was falling.
Twili Forward Camp/Day 4
The Scion of Nayru and the pre-eminent Twili mage of the Advance Party were dead. Yet they stood staring down each other, waiting each for the other to make a move. A primordial being of flame and fire lay in a crater, mind seething with the ravages of powerful psychic attack. All around the soldiers watched. Or screamed. Or lay dead. Or all three. In a tent nearby, a broken young woman slept fitfully.
The Scion twitched a finger on her remaining hand. The Twili mage brought his hand up, ready to call once more on his icy powers. Neither followed through with their actions.
One of the soldiers exclaimed a loud curse, and pointed into the air. Momentarily, attention was torn from the two combatants. And even the two combatants, as though agreeing to momentarily pause their fatal bout, also turned their gazes skyward. Something was falling down into the Twili camp. Some assault by the Hylians, a new weapon? Or was it reinforcements sent from the Twili Armies stationed elsewhere.
The errant missile was on a trajectory bound directly for the Scion and the Mage. Both realized it at the same time, and both started to run. Neither made it very far before the object crashed into them, sending out a shockwave that sent both flying and scattered the remaining Twili troops in the area.
People coughed; the dust that was kicked up by the impact made its way into their lungs unbidden. Immediately, Scion and Mage turned to look at this newest crater, each fearing reinforcements for their enemy and praying reinforcements for themselves. A figure, human-sized and shaped, levitated out of the crater, silhouetted in the murky dust. But for whom would this newcomer fight?
"I shall prehend my constituent forthwith. She has evinced a commensurate degree of competency in the effectuation of this undertaking."
The figure let out a short, derisive laugh. "To the Twili: Serendipity! The Keep lies in anticipation."
Then, Hothnite hovered over to Kae, reaching her hand down to the haggard Scion.
"Come with me, Kae."
Kae/Twili Forward Camp/Day 4/Afternoon
The last time she heard these words, this happened. She was very reluctant to repeat her previous folly. But either way, her fate was going to be a bitch, or so she thought.
"And what, you'll drop me in the Twili Main Garrison this time? Who are you fighting for, anyway? There is much to discuss...and I am in dire need of medical attention. Your offer is tempting, but I need to know you're not going to kill me this time. Because while I can divine much, I can't understand what your purpose is in all of this. Especially if you're encouraging the enemy to march on our Castle. Give me a sign that you're good for it and I might take your hand...give me a sign that you're still in there..."
Kae gathered herself up from the ground and looked rather confused as she shifted her gaze to Lynn. Was any place in Hyrule truly better than her current location? With how this new merged being thought, Kae honestly couldn't decide. Stay, fight, and possibly die or be captured? Or take the ticket out of combat and end up Nayru-knows-where? 
For once, Kae did not know who to trust. Being on her own sucked. 
As she rose to her feet, some of the injured soldiers tried to jump her. Clenching her fist, a small blast nova sent them reeling.
"This is not your battle, worms! The rest of you will die like this if you continue to interfere!"
Lynn's offer was very tempting. And it seemed to have a very short window of opportunity. Staying was bad. Going could be worse. Known vs. unknown. Very seldom had Kae been faced with a tough decision such as this. 
IC: Quell - Twili Camp - Day 4
As the illusion faded and the real battle resumed, Quell couldn't help but be pleased with what had happened. He had not only withstood the psychic attack of the Scion thanks to the powers granted by his circlet, he had also managed to drag the conflict out long enough for her transformation to expire. In her powered down maimed form she would be ill prepared to defend herself against even normal soldiers at this point.
Although strangely enough the girl still had enough fight left in her to prepare a meager defense against what was coming next. This couldn't be mere determination, a transformation on that magnitude should have pushed her body beyond its capacity to continue. The only answer was that Nayru had bent the rules that governed the magic to allow her Scion to live. The gods were playing favorites, the very idea excited Quell as he raised his hand as he prepared to finish off the girl.
The prospect of having a way to inflict even a small amount of emotional pain on a god was to good to pass up. If Nayru favored this girl enough to ignore the very laws of nature that she created she would no doubt feel some manner of pain at the loss of the girl, even if it was merely a matter of wounding the goddesses pride. Quell would do this slowly though, capture and humiliate the girl in every demeaning way possible, find out what makes her magic tick and then turn it against the very people she was trying to protect, then when she had lost everything she cared about finish her.
The euphoria racing through Quell's mind was quickly shattered by the clamoring of the twili camp. Something was falling from the sky. Upon landing it revealed itself to be a young woman, who seemed to be trying to lend aid to the scion. 
Quell's blood boiled at the prospect of the scion escaping now. "No! I won't be denied!" he yelled at the newcomer as he unleashed a beam of raw ice magic at the woman.
Lynn Hothnite/Twili Advance Camp/Day 4
Hothnite turned, the hand that was outstretched to the Scion now reaching forward to intercept a blast of icy magic. The magic colliding with her hand, arcing from her palm and splitting between her fingers to flow in waves out behind her, slamming into the ground, tents, and Twili spreading frozen crystals where they impacted.
She lowered her hand, chilled vapors rising from the frozen appendage, and glared at the being who had thrown attack at her.
"Praytell, do the Twili hold knowledge of Hyrule's antiquity? Or merely do they tumultuously assail whichever kingdom they please? Surely your command is not ignorant of the import of this locale. And just as surely they must know many have done the same... and many of these ancient primeval evils still scour the land."
A smirk broke its way over her face.
"Evils such as I. A Twili ice mage would know the name of Hothnight the Hated. If not, said mage is undeserving, and overmatched."
She lifted her left hand, the right one still numbly affected by the Twili's magic, and snapped her fingers. From her fingertips emanated small ripples of energy that grew larger until the simple sound of a snapping finger had generated furious winds laced with a fine grit of frozen dust.
Kae/Twili Forward Camp/Mid-day 4
After seeing how Lynn reacted to the attack, Kae nodded and sent a brief message to Lynn hoping to avoid distracting her.
"I will accompany you when you are ready...you're still in there..."
Enveloping herself in a shroud of divine essence, Kae began to evoke all sorts of energies from her surroundings, turning the ground to glass beneath her in about a six foot radius. She had to sustain herself somehow, and since her body was beginning its painful conversion, raw magical essence would keep her stable and conscious. Even so, she felt faint and dizzy.
Primordial ice vs. arcane ice. Kae had a pretty good idea who would have the upper hand. She just hoped that she could last until receiving some kind of aid, whether faerie, potion, divine, arcane, or medical. 
Don't let me die here, Nayru. Not when you've brought me this far. But it's hard to hold on...it hurts...
I've sustained you as much as I can for now. You're resourceful enough to survive this. If Lynn doesn't extract you, muster up what is left and run toward Castle Town. I will handle the rest.
Kae's other concern was staying out of the line of fire as well as of any stray frigidity. Her shroud faded, and she kept a defensive stance with a few shards orbiting her.
IC: Quell - twili camp - day 4
The enemy was some form of the ancient mage Taden. Quell had indeed heard the stories about Taden's past exploits. Fighting a person like him in his current condition would be beyond stupid, but he had come so close to just leave empty handed. 
"Hmph... if you are truely an incarnation of Taden the Hated then there is nothing to fear. For everyone has had a turn killing you in your various forms." Quell shouted mocking the frosty shiekah. The truth of the situation was less amusing. The outcome of this type of fight right now wouldn't be in question. Then the attack came, a wave of mist and freezing wind began to roll forward from Taden.
It would probably take the last of his magic, but Quell figured he would have one trick up his sleeve that would help him save face in this situation. Before the icy wind reached him Quell poured ice mana into the air around him until thick heavy snow began to form and then pushed it forward as his own blizzard force wind. With the view between the fighters obstructed by collision of storms, Quell used his guantlets to yank a severed arm from the debris. With it tucked away Quell readied for the second half of his plan.
Jaden/???/Mid-day 4
I have a request to make of you...elder moonchild, brother of my Scion...get her to safety...I risk imbalance if I do any more this day.
Jaden found himself in a mezzanine of dream and astral reality. The little note Kae had left for him had somehow gotten Nayru's attention. His mind re-lived the events of her journey thus far, and though he had things left to do before departing, he just received a charge from his sister's patron.
"There's no way...in this place...you're talking to me? How? I read that note and now I'm here. I can't get to her in time!"
Yes you can. Well, in a manner of speaking. For a short time, I can astrally project your being to assist in getting Kae out of harm's way. Provided she can escape. What you didn't see will take too much time to explain, but in short she is very weak and in danger of death without assistance. She is going to attempt to flee a battle between Lynn Hothnite and Quell, a powerful frost magic user of the Twili forces. Originally Kae was fighting him after Kinslayer was incapacitated. Her Seraph transfiguration expired and now is very vulnerable. We need to extract her before she dies of blood corruption!
"Nora, you never cease to amaze me. What were you up to before you found this little pocket dimension Kae put my mind in?"
Even for Jaden, who had heard plenty of Kae's jargon in passing, this was very odd. Astral projection leading to a temporary physical manifestation? This was risky. What would happen if something bad befell him during the trip?
From what I have foreseen of two differing realities, if Kae escapes, she will flee disguised as an Interloper mage. Much collateral damage has afflicted the area and many grow unweary. Even their own commander has hamstrung them. In this possible reality, you are to slay the deserters and get her as far away from the arctic skirmish as possible. She will then find help in the arms of Royal Army Scouts patrolling Hyrule field.
"And the other possible reality?"
Hothnite and Quell use her as a pawn, bargaining chip, hostage, or worse if they notice her slip out. Considering the waves of energy she is giving off, even in a full out brawl they could pick up on her plan. She can't dampen the mortal echoes of pain diffusing throughout the air. You will be within eyeshot of the scene, but you will appear as a celestial. She may not recognize you but she will trust you.
"This is a big risk, you old crone. You sure this is the right thing to do?"
And you would just leave your dear sister to die? The deserters will notice her glowing eyes and kill her without our interference. She can't even handle a basic grunt mage at this point. Given all she can in the name of Hyrule. Wouldn't you want the same in her position?
"Nora, Nayru, whatever other powers are watching over this, I'm willing to do as you ask. Anything to save my sister. Your Scion. One of our few hopes of surviving. Send me!
One second, Jaden was staring into celestial swirls of miasma sky. Shortly thereafter, his spirit left his body, hurtling miles away through a tunnel of unexplainable origins. 
His vision was oddly altered. As his eyes adjusted, he found himself hidden behind a boulder, watching a Primordial One do battle with a heavily-armored frost arcanist armed with many tools of war. Second Sight gave auras in addition to mortal vantage, helping him discern who was who. He could see Kae, flickering violently to keep her spark of life going. It was in great flux, as though indecisive as what it should be. Hovering between the divine and mortal. With dual morningstars at the ready, he waited for his sister to start running.
Summary: Nora and Nayru devise a plan to try to get Kae out of the battle and in the arms of safety. Nayru's interventions have reached their limit for now, as she has done too much to save her Scion. Thus, Nora takes a large risk by astrally projecting Jaden's spirit for a short time and having him help her flee should she successfully escape. It's a stretch. But it's better than leaving her to an ill fate.
Kae/Twili Forward Arctic Hell/Mid-day 4
After siphoning magicks out of the air as a last-ditch effort to stabilize herself, Kae noticed a small battalion of Twili mages start to stir and panic amongst themselves.
"We're not sticking around and risking collateral damage like the rest." 
"If we can get away, maybe we can regroup with what's left after this clears." 
"Magus Quell dropped a freaking glacier over Castle Town. Whatever this other thing is, it could probably do worse. That angel and Kinslayer already eliminated many of us in their duel."
As they squabbled and a chilling white-out obfuscated the area, Kae grabbed a cloak from one of the dead interlopers, threw it over her back, drew up the hood, and smeared her blood all over her face. Their dark magicks tinted their skin. If she could keep her face hidden enough, they wouldn't know as she ran, and then she could split off. Provided Lynn or Quell didn't notice her run. Other small bits of troops ran away in all directions. This had erupted into mass chaos; Kae figured she could take advantage of it too.
I'm not waiting for Hothnite or that other jerk to finish up. That's too risky...I'm taking my chances with running away. If you're watching, my Patron, intercede for me.
With that prayer whispered up, Kae turned and hobbled off with some deserters, trying not to stick out more than she already did.
Lynn Hothnite/Day 4/Twili Advance Camp
Lynn chuckled at the retort from this would-be mage. Using a great supply of unoriginality, he countered with essentially the same exhalation of magics. And the insults of this fool were laughable at best.
"Many have my forms been, and oft are such forms given cessation. Yet never has there been stricken a quietus to Hothnight the Hated. I have never met oblivion, yet to many have I given the winsome wrap of Death's indifferent embrace. Now, come. Bring to me an assay of thy courage. We shall substantiate thy claims of there being 'nothing to fear', and find the verisimilitude residing as the polestar of thy noumenon."
Lynn released the production of her own storm, and let the Twili's own storm buffet her from all sides, becoming part of the very thing. And from inside, she took control of it, driving the snow and ice as the extension of her own being that it had become, subverting Quell's control as he fed his magic into the storm, and thus into her. A wall of hyperborean fury smashed itself against the mage from all sides.
Jaden/Twili Forward Camp/Afternoon 4
After further observation of Kae's pattern, there was a damned good reason he was in spirit form. Considering her instability, she'd sap the life right from him if she touched his physical form. Her body was taking magical energy from anywhere that was willing to give it. His new attunement and pact would only have opened the floodgates for her.
He resolved to head to the castle as soon as his spirit returned to body. And he did worry about being away from it, because it was helpless in that bed. 
She's beginning to make her escape. I don't want those two frostmongers roughing either of us up.
Remember, two possible futures. I'm banking on Hothnite wanting to teach the other one a lesson. And in trying to survive it, our Twili adversary will not be able to keep up pursuit. But I could be wrong. I have been before.
And if Hothnite wants her?
Then there's a good chance she'll have her. You can't get away from that.
Not moving very fast. Getting into position now.
IC: Quell - twili camp - day 4
As expected, Taden's latest incarnation was just as flamboyant as his past incarnations. However, as in the past, this could be used against him.
Quell watched as the storm he created was seized by the girl claiming to be Taden, then came the usual gloating. "Hmph... gloat all you want about being able to jump in at the end of a battle to prey on weary. Next time you won't have this luxury." Quell thought to himself as the storm approached and began to envelop him.
Fully enveloped by the attack Quell simply raised a hand and pointed towards the girl. "To be concluded." he spoke softly as the fury of the storm began to impact against his body. However instead of injuring him his body, it began to chip away into small chips and blocks of ice before completly crumbling to the ground. 
As the attack faded it was clear Quell was gone, but then so was the Scion.
== Escape ==
Kae/Hyrule Field/Afternoon 4
The other mages didn't catch on to her yet. They were unusually chatty, and would often turn to ask her questions because she looked like someone else. She just groaned and nodded or shrugged, not saying anything. 
Her hobbled pace surprisingly met theirs, so blending in was working. She just didn't know what was coming next. Sensing a good deal of energy from the battle behind her, a squall rushed over Hyrule Field in all nearby directions. This swept a few of the mages off their feet, and Kae tripped a few times. 
Jaden was waiting in the wings, though she didn't know this either. She was just hoping they wouldn't realize what was really going on.
"Wait a minute...why are her eyes glowing?"
"If you were this cold, you'd want to warm yourself up too."
"It's not that glow."
Giant shards of ice rained from the sky, taking a few of them down and abruptly interrupting the deserters' conversation. There wasn't much Kae could do here except pray she didn't get hit. Her mobility was pretty bad. As she huddled down to shield her head, she heard the sounds of death and slicing from all around her.
"Stay down until this passes! I'm your last hope of escape, so bear with me."
There wasn't much time to look up and see who it was. And the voice was oddly familiar, yet different than what she was used to. It was a bad time to make assumptions. But the inflections, the cadence, the accentuation of last and escape. It had to be Jaden. But he wasn't anywhere near her location before.
Feeling an oddly warm aura envelop her pattern, Kae heard a loud crash right next to her as fragments of icy shrapnel raked her back. More pain in an already painful situation, and her yelps gave that away rather clearly.
"Damn! It was already bad enough from what we knew. I'll pick you up. Just stay down until the storm's done; I'll shield you!
Summary: Kae is discovered by the deserters, but a combination of the icy squalls and Jaden's interference keeps her safe. She receives wounds from the storm, though they could have been much worse.
Jaden/Hyrule Field/Afternoon 4
Catching up to the pack and dodging falling chunks of ice from the sky was all in a day's work for Jaden. While some of them were killed by the storm, his maces liquefied the remainder of the unit's cranial and thoracic assets. Then, he waited the storm out, crushing any remnants of the storm that came near his sister. He instructed her to stay down and covered. However, remnants of what he shattered got through and lacerated her back pretty bad. 
Jaden wasn't even sure that the bloody mess behind him was Kae. It didn't look a thing like he remembered her. Scorched, missing an arm, covered in purple ichor which he assumed was celestial vitae, and leaking from nose, mouth, and eyes. Not to mention suffering from exposure to the cold. She looked like she'd been through hell.
And if he'd truly seen the battle she'd been a part of, he would have been very right. 
There wasn't clear visibility behind him, but there was no point in sitting around. This summon was going to expire at some point, so he had to get her as far away from this battle as possible. He stripped the Twili cloak from her and threw it on top of one of the other bodies, and cleaned up her face as best as he could.
She didn't recognize him, and she was barely conscious. 
"Stay with me, Kae! Don't go dying on me yet! I'm getting you out of here. Hang on!
When he picked her up, he noticed exactly what he'd assumed earlier. In order to keep herself stable, her pattern began to siphon any like magical energy from its surroundings. And this was passive, because she wouldn't intentionally hurt someone she cared about. 
He activated his Mesmeric Aura again to ward off the detriment of her leeching effect, and then went into a full sprint. It was enhanced by his previously self-taught disciplines, so he was running faster than a horse at full gallop on foot. If he wanted to push it faster, he could have, but he was worried that it would injure his sister further from turbulence.
Weakly, Kae looked up at her celestial redeemer.
"Thank you...If you are Jaden...thank you so much...this is hell...need medic..."
She passed out at that point, with her sword floating beside her. This alarmed her brother a good bit.
She fainted. Should I try to revive her?
Run as fast as you can! Your summon only has a few minutes left on it, so you need to focus on gaining ground!
He surveyed the horizon for any signs of patrols, and saw none. However, Castle Town was in the distance. He figured heading in that direction would get him something. But he couldn't leave her passed out like this. Anything could kill her in this state, especially wild animals.
Staying off the main road had its perks. If the Twili had scout patrols, they wouldn't go where he was out of fear of being spotted. And they had scryers for that, anyway. The Royal Army didn't have any problem sending scouts on the paths he used. 
But he could feel his summon starting to flicker. Castle Town was at least two miles away; he could make it in six minutes or less but Nora couldn't keep that rote channeled any longer than what she'd said. So he started calling for help.
"Medic! I have a wounded girl here! Anyone! Help!
His voice rang out with an odd resonance. After his shouts, he slowed his pace and set Kae on the ground after hearing galloping horses heading his way. They came from his right side. Hylian Royal Army Scouts, just like Nora predicted. As he felt the tug of his spirit back toward its home, he wished Kae the best of luck. And he vanished in a brilliant flash of light.
When he awoke, he was covered in sweat with Nora standing over him, blue potion in hand.
"Drink!"
Not one to ask questions in this situation, he threw it back like a pint of the finest milk in Kakariko.
"Good work. She isn't out of the woods yet, but at least she isn't in the hands of our enemy. Or Hothnite. When you are ready, we must speak to the Chieftain about what just happened. He's taken a very keen interest in your sister lately."
Jaden nodded and sighed, grateful he was able to do his part to save Kae.
Lynn Hothnite/Day 4/Twiki Advance Camp
The furious winds blew in all around the Twili, slicing away at his body and buffeting against one another, creating a turbulent vortex at their focus. In only a few seconds, the hazy silhouette of his body had disappeared, broken down into unrecognizable chunks. Of ice.
With a sneer and a growl, Lynn stepped forward to inspect the pile of chipped ice. Somehow, he had crafted a double and escaped.
"Clever." Lynn spit out the word. "Yet foolish. I have won this bout, as I will the one to come."
She turned from the remains of Quell's stand-in, ready to take Kae. But the Sheikah was gone. She had fled. But she couldn't have gone far in her state. The Twili's camp was in shambles after the encounter here, there were planty of places to hide in the scraps of tents and other structures.
"Oh, Briseis! Our clash has ended, show thyself!"
Lynn Hothnite began her search of the Twili camp, for survivors and for Kae Briseis.
Kae/North Hyrule Field/Afternoon 4
She passed out in the arms of a celestial savior she thought might be Jaden. He moved and talked like him, but with her being so close to death, she could have been hallucinating. 
Her mind was in a lonely place. It wasn't active at all, and there was no mindscape to provide solace. She was out cold. And going into shock.
Felis appeared when Jaden's summon was dismissed, to keep an eye on her. He wouldn't be able to do much but explain to whoever found her what to do.
Three mounted scouts from the Hylian Royal Army approached her position after they heard Jaden's shout. What they saw confused them, though a wounded Sheikah mystic unconscious in the middle of Hyrule Field would do that, especially with no one capable of making that scream nearby. 
And of course, the celestial cat was another bewildering factor.
"What is a Sheikah doing out here, and how the hell is she still alive?"
"Her arm's been blown off or something. And she's covered in some purple goo...What do we do?"
"We get her to a doctor quickly or she dies. Don't ask questions. Even though I want to, because that cat is very...unnerving."
Felis piped up, surprising the scouts.
"You three need to get Kae back to the infirmary at Hyrule Castle. Yes, I am a talking cat. No, you aren't seeing things. I'll explain on the way. Just be very careful when moving her!"
He jumped up onto one of the horse's backs and didn't startle it. After getting a good grip and climbing into one of the saddle bags, the scouts carefully picked up Kae and sat her up in front of one of them in the saddle. This one, of course, held on very tight and made sure her neck didn't move much. They may have been just Royal Scouts, but they weren't stupid. They had some basic first aid knowledge. One of them administered a red potion to her to try to stabilize her, and it did a bit of good. At least her bleeding stopped.
They then proceeded toward the Castle at as fast a pace as possible without risking Kae's safety.
The cat explained to the scouts what had happened in the Southern Field. They weren't necessarily buying it, but seeing the damage Kae had sustained, the story had some merit.
He then elaborated about why it was so important to get her to safety. They weren't too well-versed on divine lore, though they did know some things about magic. And that Sheikah were worth about a hundred soldiers or more compared to an average enlisted man. 
"What's a Scion?"
Felis purred before starting on that one.
"Well, let's just put it this way. Someone with divine blood in their heritage passed on their genes. Somewhere along the family tree, latent potential awakens and one of the Goddesses choose a champion from among them. Nayru has chosen hers in this conflict. Since a Hero of Time is still undiscovered or unavailable, exceptions are made to bring heroes to the fray that are capable of battling Hyrule's evils. You may call them Light Warriors in most cases. Scions...are rare. Kae here is only the fifth ever chosen. Thus are the thoughts of Nayru concerning the urgency of this war."
"You sure talk a lot, kitty."
After covering his face with his paws, he shut up for a bit.
Castle Town was in sight. The scout patrols had their own entrances, so to avoid extra attention they made their way through one and hastened to the castle.
What they saw shocked them even more. Somehow, it had been attacked even when security was at its highest. 
"We may have bigger concerns than a wounded Light Warrior. Lee, get her to the infirmary. Take the cat with you too. We're going to get a damage report. Keep your eyes open. The Castle may already be compromised!"
Other guards brought a stretcher out and helped him set her on it. Felis followed on foot as they rushed.
"So what happened to the girl?"
"Hothnite happened. It didn't do this to her, but from what the cat said, and no I am not crazy, she did battle with Kinslayer and Quell of the Twili forces. Hothnite apparently dropped her from the sky, right in the middle of their Forward Base. After the Twili commander knocked mostly everyone out and incapacitated the firebrand, Quell joined the battle and roughed her up pretty good. If Hothnite hadn't come back, Kae here would have been captured or killed. By the way, Quell is the one who destroyed most of the city with that glacier. So you can bet most of us want to stick a blade in his gut. This girl's a damned hero, and she had better pull through!"
Medics joined the rush when they saw a VIP detail around a stretcher. They were also confused by the presence of Felis, but stranger things had been seen around Hyrule Castle.
"I fail to see how a couple of young women could wipe out an entire forward base. Any word on troop movements?"
"Giblets, detritus, and severely injured survivors. No word on their XO. Of course, this is coming from a talking cat, so what do we back it on?"
Felis jumped up onto a medic's shoulder and piped up once more.
"I am a servant of the Goddesses. And her familiar. I see most of what she sees. Ask her when she wakes up, provided she's not too far gone to bring back!"
They all looked at him for a moment in disbelief, and then kept moving. After clearing a bed for her, they set Kae down and began to clean her up as best as they could. Two medics and three nurses drew a curtain and went to work. And she was still out cold.
"What the hell is this stuff? Is it...that's blood...never seen this before. We've seen a LOT. Is there a mystic in the house?"
"I have no idea what is happening to her left shoulder. Better not touch that."
After they got her into the infirmary, elite guards were posted outside and instructed to only let fellow Sheikah, Light Warriors, the Royal Family, or high ranking military personnel in. 
Jaden/Bryseis Residence/Afternoon 4
The shock from an out of body experience was mostly gone. Nora's blue potion cured him of most of that. But he was in for another one.
"I must coordinate and counsel the forces here. Chieftain needs someone to knock common sense into him when he's not at the castle. And I can't prop you up forever. That last little stunt? I pushed you out of the nest. You're technically my new apprentice, but even Kae had things she needed to do without my help."
He was in disbelief that she wasn't going to the castle.
"But you're probably the only one who knows how to save my sister's life. You really think the medics will do a good job?"
After sipping on a mug of coffee she'd taken liberty to prepare while downstairs, Nora smirked.
"Her divine problems aren't the main issue. Nor is her will to live. Becoming physically stable as well as keeping danger away from her is. You need to be by her bedside, Jaden. You said it yourself before this broke out. If she had to go out there, you wanted to protect her. How does it feel?"
They both got up and headed back to the kitchen in preparation to meet the Chieftain.
"I'm glad we were able to get her out of there. I just hope she learns from this. You said the past battles she's been in, she's pushed too hard. Isn't that what we're trained to do?"
"In her own way, if it doesn't kill her, she will discover how not to end up in the infirmary after a battle. At some point in this war. Though, maybe she thinks that if she doesn't end up there, she hasn't tried hard enough. Chieftain's waiting for us, apprentice. We shouldn't waste his time."
Jaden nodded as he secured his home, praying that his parents weren't in danger. No one had heard from them since war's start and they couldn't be traced by divination.
Jaden/Hidden Kakariko/Afternoon 4
The Chieftain had taken a keen interest in what had been going on with the Bryseis clan. And what Nora had been doing. They were the odd ones among a well-functioning unit of people busy fighting for Hyrule's survival. Sure, Nora and her charges were a bit unusual, but they fought in their own way.
Jaden received a new mission from his leader. His previous performances were exemplary and earned him a few commendations, and he got what he wanted: assignment to Hyrule Castle's defense, and eventual pursuit and destruction of the Twili forces in a counter-offensive should one arise. 
Nora was assigned to stay in Kakariko to counsel those in between assignments, as well as to continue her provision of supplies to the people. She was instructed not to engage in high-risk rituals unless it was deemed absolutely necessary. There was no use in her killing herself if a mistake arose. Considering she'd undertaken three in the past few days, she reluctantly agreed. 
This included her regular duties of scrying and keeping an open line with the Chieftain concerning spiritual matters. He wasn't that much of a religious man, but he did understand his heritage and traditions that followed.
Word also came back about his parents. Their presence would still be needed in the Lake Hylia region, aiding the Zora in defense and enhancing their security. Acting as liaisons, their aid would prove to be of high value. Most fighting had been kept out of that area thanks to them. The Hylians also considered sending some of Castle Town's refugees to Zora's River once the fighting died down enough to transport them. The other Kakariko also was on the list of places to send refugees while the city was being rebuilt. 
Due to the need to preserve Sheikah secrecy, their village was not on the list of refugee relocation.
As for handling Kae, information was exchanged concerning her latest activities. Jaden was to tell her not to reveal too much of their traditional lore in her journey. She most likely knew this already, and she never forgot her heritage. But her magic would become a focus of many, and in that, their leader was concerned that too many secrets would be revealed. 
Her next mission would have to wait thanks to her injuries. Chieftain did not much understand what blood corruption was, but that it did kill a few loremasters and mystics at some point in time. Few survived the disease. None of them were Scions. 
The issue of Hothnite reawakening was perceived as a danger to everyone. Kae especially would be at risk due to her connection, and while it was not said to keep the two away from one another, it was Lynn that dropped her into the Twili Forward Camp. But it also was Lynn who "saved" her, in a sense. The chaotic nature of Primordial Ice seldom had proven itself true where Kae was involved. There would always be a high degree of risk.
Primordial Ones could never truly be controlled. They all hoped that Kae would have some sort of sway in keeping Lynn's interest in destroying the Twili, at least until the sword was forged. They also hoped she would stay away from the castle until Kae recovered. Her condition was too critical to risk moving her again.
And so Jaden bid Nora and his leader goodbye, knowing that he would have a hard fight ahead of him. She did give him a few apples for Kae when she came to, and a letter from her parents when they stopped in to report. Under his command at Hyrule Castle were two high-class Sheikah: A young stealth specialist named Elly, and his old drill instructor, Haraf. He thought it odd to be issuing orders to the man that nearly killed his sister almost six years ago, and he had a few issues to settle with him. But now was not a time for infighting. He could get revenge after this was over.
Departing from Hidden Kakariko, Jaden sprinted at a pace that the Postman only dreamed he could sustain.
== Bonds Without Limits ==
Kae/Royal Infirmary/Afternoon 4
"I've never seen anything like this. And you're saying you can't touch her?"
"Anyone capable of magic use shouldn't. She will leech any and all available mana in an effort to sustain herself while unconscious. Consider it an arcane survival tool."
Mages and doctors were consulting over Kae's treatment as they observed at her bedside. She was as stable as could be for now with most of her physical injuries tended to. As for her metaphysical situation, that was still in diagnosis. Others being treated were slightly nervous that something so dangerous was being kept here. The arcanists ensured other wounded that Kae would not be a problem to them at all. 
"What about that stuff where her arm used to be?"
"We think it's a makeshift cautery to keep her from bleeding out. But it's doing something. Remember, this girl has the stuff suffused throughout her entire body. It may just be getting used to not having a limb to rest in. Or it could be trying to regenerate one. But her specializations aren't meant for healing. Kae is purely destructive and supportive with her magic."
"Why would infinite wisdom anoint someone who couldn't heal others?"
"Can we fathom the thoughts of Nayru? I'm just glad we have heroes like her around, even if they're full of riddles."
Medics continued to administer potions, medicines, and dress wounds. Her breathing remained shallow, but signs of life were constant in her tattoos. Their glimmer in tandem with her pulse helped doctors better understand her condition. But she'd lost a lot of blood, and attempted transfusions failed. Anything they tried to put into her was assimilated into her otherworldly vitae. 
One strange treatment the doctors and mystics came up with was an intravenous drip of blue potion. Alchemical cures trumped standard ones, though a hybrid approach was agreed upon in this. Her basic anatomy remained the same, however.
Jaden/Bridge of Eldin/Afternoon 4
He blew right by the Postman en route to the Bridge of Eldin. While Jaden hated taking normal routes to his destinations, there was no way he could clear that divide with a long jump. There was no going around. Thanks to the war, it was heavily guarded by troops, who fought off bokoblin and goblin attackers nearly every hour. 
Jaden came at a good time. Nothing much happening, though the troops did have questions about what he was up to. Business at the Castle was enough to sate interests, though many Sheikah passing through had the same response. 
One thing was true about wartime. Hylians saw a lot of Sheikah, more so than usual. Most of the time, they didn't want to be seen. Now, their presence gave Hylians confidence, even if some were skeptical of their true motives.
He decided not to run across the bridge. One wrong misstep was not worth it. Besides, a nice view with a partly cloudy afternoon sky was too good to pass up.
It truly was an architectural marvel. And he was glad the Twili hadn't tried much up in this area because it would be a primary target. One well-placed explosive meant crippling supply lines and troop movements. Some soldiers walked with him, but he wasn't talkative.
"Hey, don't most of your kind have red eyes? Why are yours purple?"
"Not all of us are the same. It'd take too long to explain, Hylian."
He kept prying.
"You were born with them?"
"Some of us are a bit more mysterious than your average Sheikah. Though if we are average, we are not trying hard enough."
"Take it you're not going to tell me."
Jaden nodded confidently.
"It'd take too long to explain, and you wouldn't get it at all."
They spoke of the predicted Twili march on Castle Town. 
"I prefer offensive strategies, but I see the merit in letting them waste resources in attacking one of the most fortified positions in Hyrule's history. We just need a strong counter-offense with diversion measures thrown in after the initial assault."
If any good soldier liked to talk about something, it was logistics. If it wasn't women or booze or revelry, that is.
"If there's time, setting up a large amount of flank units to cut off retreat would make for a grand rout. The problem is getting them there without both losing defensive advantage and being discovered. And if we need to do anything to those sub-human fools, it's rout them to the last man."
As they talked strategy, more soldiers on patrol were paying attention. It was the most interesting thing they'd heard of all day.
"I had heard that one of your people is some sort of divine champion now. Is that true?"
"Yes, that's my sister. Word spreads fast, I guess. Keep her in prayer. She's been heavily wounded in action."
Some of them cheered.
"Hail the Scion's brother!"
He really didn't want the attention, nor did he want to be famous for being related to Kae. While some liked fame wherever it was found, Jaden preferred to write his own legends. And with what Nora had made open to him, there were very good chances of him succeeding in that.
When he reached the other end, it seemed morale had improved greatly. His presence was inspiring to many, and he talked to nearly one hundred troops in one way or another. Archers were fixing up their bows after a goblin rush, and infantry were clearing dead away. 
"Possible that the Twili are paying these punks to give us trouble. Think they'd bother?"
"Both are champions of disorder. I wouldn't put it past them, and I'll bring that theory up with High Command. You guys are pretty well fortified though. But I'll see what I can do."
Jaden bid farewell to the company stationed at the Bridge of Eldin, and continued to head south on his way to Castle Town. He wanted to see his sister badly, and hoped High Command wouldn't tie him up too much when he arrived.
== Mind Farscape The Series The Movie The Game ==
Kae/Mindscape Aethereum/Afternoon 4
She was fortunate to be here instead of conscious. Wracking her physical form with pain, celestial blood corruption ate away. It was time to find out why Nayru would curse her own Scion with this affliction. Felis had opened the door in her mind to observe a conference between the Three and their subordinates.
They sat at a luxurious table, glasses filled to the brim with some sort of beverage. Kae had figured it was some form of ambrosia, for what else could sate divine thirst? Provided they willed to have need of it. Everything was heavenly. This was a section of the Sacred Realm unseen by many except for servants, angels, and sages. It wasn't time to call them together yet. It was time to argue over whether to speed up Kae's disease progression.
"I had told her that we would be much less merciful. She wielded our power like it was some kind of toy. Not very wise at all. Impressive displays. But no substance other than wanton destruction."
Nayru scoffed. She knew Kae was watching, but did not give that away to her fellow goddesses.
"She did what she had to in order to survive. You two would rather she just surrender and die? I chose her because of things neither of you could fathom. Did it ever occur to you that she was corrupted already, and that her actions could keep our domain free of Twili evil? Her little sparring match with Lynn set in motion events that could have killed her on the spot. No. I saved her from instantaneous incubation by choosing her as my Scion. And because she was the only one capable of taking up the mantle. Her heart is so big and her will has strength few could fathom. And to think many wrote her off as a cloistered, scared, little girl."
"She's got gall. I'll give you that. But her brother, or even Larisse would have been better. And to think all of our champions are dealing with things a Hero of Time should be dealing with. Too bad he's not coming for almost another thousand years. They could use one of those about now."
Farore sipped on her drink, musing about a few other things.
"Also, perhaps I opted to give her the kiss of mortal death to make her more aware of her limitations? To push herself harder than she has been? As reserved and humble as she is, she is headstrong and does not back down from anything. Her battles with Kinslayer and that Twili ice mage showed that. I'm not opting for a faster progression. Din seems to be a bit more vindictive though-"
Din stood up, shaking her fist at the other two.
"It is to be respected! She disregards any of it. Flings it around as though someone gave her the keys to the kingdom. It is a horrible representation for all of us!"
"So you elect to end her and lessen the Hylians' chances. Weaken their faith in us. Kill my champion and they win the war. They may fear us, but in true devotion we kill her in her prime. That does not bode well for others in the future. Especially when either of you may decide to anoint a Scion. It's a bit counterproductive."
Power walked over to Wisdom, clashing as they often did.
"She treads so closely to fully understanding the truth. We put a barrier in place to prevent that! Must we allow the mistakes of that fallen Gerudo King again? If Kae Bryseis discovers how to throw off our shackles, very few things could stop her. She only serves out of fear of the consequences. We all know that."
Nayru retorted crisply.
"Her heart, Din. Her heart. It burns with the fervor to do our will. To serve without question, or very few. Let her live to the full moon, show her devotion, and pardon her. I seriously doubt that she would become another Ganondorf. She knows what we did to him. And her goals? All she wants is the Twili to be defeated and her friend to be saved. How far have either of you two gone in pursuit of your heart's desires? Before we sat here at this table?"
Neither of them said anything at that point. Silence smothered the room for almost an hour as they wrote things down and had their servants pass them to and fro. 
Suddenly, Din broke the silence.
"You just had to give her a Seraph's power. Had you held back, I might have been inclined to listen to Farore. And you. If she persuades me with the full moon ritual, I'll back off. Until then, I'm not lifting it. The two of you can hold your strains of it back. But the girl needs to learn her place. You can still win a war with two-thirds of a Scion."
"For the sake of Hyrule, Din, cast your reservations aside and let her do her job! Law is my domain...if I must rewrite something, I will. I did when I chose her, and I will to preserve her within our means. But if she meets her end another way, we cannot prevent that."
There wasn't much more after that. Kae's jaw was gaping the whole time during this observation. Goddesses conversed and squabbled just like her own kind did. To write down what she saw here would be...beyond comprehension. Felis took a large risk in allowing her to see this. But at least she'd have until the full moon to keep going. No full-blown corruption, but Din's carried more pain with backlashes...lack of respect...Kae felt she had the utmost reverence when using her abilities. Never attacked allies. Or used vulgar displays without purpose. 
Moonfire was meant to strike fear into hearts of the faithless. Beams, blasts, celestial shard-based offensives, all for Hyrule. Not for herself. She saw herself as a conduit of divine power and will. As a representative of infinite wisdom. One that did crazy things that often didn't make sense, but still one that had utmost reverence to her calling. 
Why would Din be so spiteful? She had a Scion in the past. A very good one. Then the thought hit her.
Nayru's blessings often went to the Princess of Hyrule. For her to be granted this meant something had gone horribly wrong upstairs. The Triforce of Wisdom was out of alignment. It wasn't hers to have either. Though she wanted it, now was not the time to chase an impossible dream. After the war, she could quest and search. Not now.
This was a placeholder to balance other forces in the physical world...since something was missing, Nayru used multiple backdoors and loopholes to give Kae a burden few others could carry. Because she wouldn't do what others would. Her Sheikah upbringing cemented all things proper concerning this into her mind.
But what was happening back in reality? She could not will her mind to return to her body. Stuck here.
"Kae, you don't want to go back there. Not yet. Every inch of your flesh is burning with the pain of corrupted vitae. As you know, you are no longer fully mortal. Slowly becoming one of us, though the tide is two-thirds stemmed. Sad that Din doesn't like you. Her backlashes are the worst!"
She sighed heavily.
"Jealous, maybe. I'll prove her wrong when the moon is full. Show her I'm worth keeping alive. Because Hyrule needs me. As much as anyone who has criticized me throughout life would be reluctant to admit. I could have refused this, but I want to make a difference. And try to save Lynn...if she's not beyond it."
"Help get that sword done, and maybe you can get what you want. Still...even if not, you've been blessed with a lot."
"They talked about pursuing heart's desires and the lengths willing to be taken. You know what I want. I want Lynn back. And Hyrule safe. I'll go as far as I must to see those things happen, as they are my two personal desires. Everything else is on their wavelength."
Jaden/North Hyrule Field/Afternoon 4
With the Bridge of Eldin far behind him, Jaden decided to conserve his energies a bit and not engage in a full lunar-powered sprint on the way to Hyrule Castle. Him arriving and rushing to the infirmary this early would mean Kae sapping him of just about any useful bit of energy he had left.
He also felt a bit faint thanks to being out of body hours earlier. Using abilities could lead to a backlash or two now as a drawback of the pact. He had to conserve now, which saddened him.
Elly. She was smokin'. He was surprised they put her under his command. As for Haraf, Jaden believed the old coot should have stayed in Kakariko. There wasn't much use for a drill sergeant who hadn't seen action in almost a decade. The guy got owned by his younger sister when she was 11. He could fight well and good, and was used for some recon scouting from time to time, but most of the time he did his job as a teacher of fighting arts and conditioning.
Jaden could not stop thinking about her. Long legs, a tight bottom, sleek abs, firm bust. And incredibly pretty eyes.
Then there was that dulcet voice of hers. He'd been crushing on her for years. They were friends, but he was afraid of ruining what he already had. And he didn't have his father's silver tongue to seduce her. Nor did he want to be dishonorable about it. Sure, he wanted her. Bad. Most single guys in the village did. Other guys didn't bother trying to land her because they thought Jaden would beat them up. His ex-girlfriends noted his overprotective nature as a tragic flaw, similar to his father. 
If anyone even looked at Rashida improperly, Razah often would fire verbal barbs or a fist in the person's general direction. Jaden grew up seeing it in action, and it stuck with him. A beauty to fight for is to be defended with the full might of a man. He was a little better at controlling those urges than his father at least.
Elly was just too hard to read in terms of intention or desire. His mother thought she was a good choice for him. And since she and Kae were sort of close, Elly already fit in with most of the family. It was a safe choice. As long as he didn't feel like risking a stable friendship by trying to step it up. She'd give an inkling one day that he could steal a kiss from her, and then the next day be ice cold, not even wanting to hug.
This was probably a test by the Chieftain to make him think with the proper brain. It wasn't unheard of for heirs to undergo certain trials. With a war in full-blown progress, the leader had to think of some way to test him. Haraf was another way too. Keep lust and hate in check. Someone he really liked, and someone he despised. Both in his service. Nora probably had something to do with this. She had her influence on virtually anything important going on in Kakariko.
But why deploy Haraf? Were the Sheikah hurting that badly that they needed to have one less teacher in the village?
All able-bodied individuals were to help in any way possible. Haraf wanted to see some action. Jaden at least had to give the old guy credit for wanting to take it to the enemy head-on. 
It still amused him that Kae buried a moonbeam into his chest and sent him flying over thirty yards. His skin was permanently scarred from it, and students often asked him about it. Though nearly killed, he never let up on his pupils. That experience with Kae changed nothing about him. If anything, it was a fluke. No one would ever do that to him again. Even Nora, who he did not fear at all. Most folks in Kakariko had a healthy respect for her even if some didn't like her. 
Haraf was a guy who stuck to his beliefs, even if some were flawed. And his honor, though somewhat disputed, was something he fought for with everything he had. His wisdom forms the foundation for most young tribesmen. His fighting styles are their basic go-to melee forms. They work very well. There is no shame in teaching, as he often says. 
There wasn't much going on in North Hyrule Field except for Goron caravans being escorted by Royal Army footmen. They were transporting water, stone, and food to Castle Town to aid in the restoration effort. Since there was little mention of kinetics up here, there was no need for a full military escort. And the Gorons felt as though they should do something to help. They knew some of the better places to get building materials, and so they had mining teams gathering in the north in grottos and quarries.
Jaden caught up with one of the caravans and joined them. He figured he could at least help one get to Castle Town and then make his way to visit Kae.
But he still thought he was being way too visible for a Sheikah...it bothered him.
[b][color=darkblue]Lynn Hothnite[/color]/Afternoon 4/Twili Advance Camp[/b]
Nowhere. Nothing. Just a rather large assortment of Twili bodies in a large assortment of states. But no Hylian. No Sheikah. No Kae Briseis. The quarry had escaped, somehow, during the confrontation with the ice magus.
No great loss. Eventually Kae would come to her. It was a destiny that Hothnite could feel in her soul. But for the moment, she could do what she wanted. Heal from the tests that had strengthened her resolve. It wouldn't do to kill her too early. Not before she was ripe for the harvest.
In the meantime, there was work to be done. More seeds of hatred to be sewn. This harvest this time would be bountiful and filling.
Kae/Royal Infirmary/Afternoon 4
"Her breathing is less shallow now. That drip idea worked pretty well."
"It's expensive though! Why not just use a faerie?"
One of the doctors reminded the others of the metaphysical consequences of that.
"You'd kill the thing. It'd heal her to an extent, sure, but we kind of need to stay on the Great Fairy's good side."
Others took copious notes and observed. She was comfortable, but still rather banged up. 
"Sheikah know how to treat their own better than we would. Heard the girl's brother was on her way to aid in our defense. Think he'd have a better idea?"
One thumbed his chin.
"We've got to get her ready. Don't Scions heal faster than regular folk? If the man's got better treatments, it's worth the risk."
Mindscape
"I want to wake up. This is admittedly frightening, and I do not want to be seen here. How did you even find this place?"
"I'm older than them. And sometimes they need to be reminded that the faithful are watching. What they're doing isn't wrong per se. But we need 100% of you to get this thing done right. You need to live until the full moon!"
"Only way to do that is to avoid a lot of things. But there's also a war to win. Fine lines drawn and to be walked, eh Felis?"
The cat paced about the room and motioned Kae to get away from the window with his paw.
"You really do not want them to see you. Nayru won't care. You're almost immaculate in her eyes. But the other two...well...yeah. Also, now that the Twili know you exist, you're going to be hunted like a dog. You are in the safest place possible right now, Kae. Because they're doing their homework on you. You're going to need to change a few things up. Like using that sword more and getting better at CQC. Hang out with Jaden a little before you leave the Castle."
"Divine magics are rather hard to resist. There are very few ways to go about doing it. None of them are appealing. Delving into the Profane and selling the soul is one way. I wouldn't put it past the Twili to have already done that."
Felis curled up on Kae's lap as she leaned up against a pillar.
"You forget the weaknesses that follow the Lunar Pact. Sun's Concentrated Light. They may not have Light Arrows nor can they wield it, but there are alchemical backdoors. Things you didn't prepare for. And they all suck. Spirit Shackles, thought-noise floods. Light Nova Flasks. Quell stole your severed arm. He's going to figure out a few things from your inactive starmetal, and then they'll know stuff too. Not as much as if they got you, but still a few things. Like what I just mentioned."
Kae looked sullen, nodding and sighing. She took all these notes down in her head, making sure to remember anything that could be used. Knowing her own weaknesses as intimately as her strengths would prove for a more balanced approach to her combat.
"Or they could force my hand and burn me out real fast. Quell already did that by trying to attack my mind."
"And what do you know about Quell?"
"Lots of armor. Likes to take advantage of that and use the frost to keep things nearby. Can also wreck things from afar. Also has lots of trinkets to make up for other weaknesses. As far as mental assaults by all rights my defense should have floored him. He had a gate seal on his psyche. And that must have been him that neutralized my escape sentries. First Castle Town and now this. Round 3 will be cataclysmic."
Felis kept using this time with Kae to help her hash out weaknesses and strengths for the rest of the enemies she had encountered. Keeping her mind active would keep her from wanting to wake up...from returning to a world of pain and agony in that bed.
Infirmary
"Don't even try to get into that head. I took one look and almost had a seizure. Sometimes we can understand what keeps people clinging to life by taking a surface glance. In this case, all we can do is wait and keep her stable. How are her wounds?"
One of the medics threw more soaked gauze into a bucket.
"Staying pretty clean. But veins are constricting and becoming more pronounced around her shoulder and left side of her neck. That would burn like anything else, but whatever is acting on her stump...that's stopping her from bleeding out."
"There's no way she'll be ready for anything for at least another day or two unless there's some super cure out there."
Another medic drew her bedcurtain back against the sun. 
"Watch and wait. React when we have to."
Jaden/North Hyrule Field/Afternoon 4
While the Gorons were not quite expecting to see Jaden accompany them, he wasn't sure what kind of Twili activity was going on in the North. They tended to steer clear of here thanks to how defenses were. 
But there was a soft pocket in the north...one Jaden warned the Chieftain to keep guard over. And so a few elite Sheikah made sure to shank silently. Reports had mentioned a few foolish scouts who didn't trust their scryers. Jaden didn't get that information before he departed. It unfortunately had just reached the Chieftain's desk shortly after the Sentinel's departure.
Goblin activity was down thanks to the Bridge of Eldin drawing so much attention. They sure loved that thing.
He spoke with the Gorons about this restoration project. While the Royals were not doing as much as they should, they were trying to do things. However, citizenry had started a few improvement projects of their own. And being quite vocal about displeasure with the government.
"This is a time of war. They should suck it up and stand with our King. The last thing we need is a popular revolt. I should send a missive back to my people and start preparing counterinsurgency measures. Win back the hearts of the people. That's what my father is good at. Unfortunately, I can't stray from my orders or I'd do that myself."
"Brother Jaden, do what you need to. We'll make sure our water and stone get to the proper place."
"What happened to Castle Town was horrible. Our defense was too lax at the war's beginning. Way too lax to let that glaciermonger in to wreak havok."
"Even the most stout of our people will tell you, young Sheikah. You cannot do it all. That's why there's a community. Each member has gifts. Yours is apparent with your intellect. Your passion for battle, tactics, and such."
Jaden nodded. Though he'd just met this Goron, he wore his gifts on his sleeve. No pun intended.
"I will think on this. Especially with what is ahead. And you have my word that I'll bleed my last drop keeping this land safe."
The Goron and a few others carrying things cheered loudly.
"And so shall we, in our own way. It is the reminders given by people such as yourself that keep us strong. We never expected to see one of your kind in the open, and the ardor you exhibit...it is of a potent, unique quality."
"If you ever met my sister, she'd talk your head off for hours about that. Brightest mind our people have right now."
He was reminded of this team effort. Gorons had some of the tightest-knit communities in all the land, and while the Sheikah were a close second, there was much to learn from strong, proud, and enthusiastic giants from the north.
Haraf could better train their units. Elly could instruct them on how to avoid ambush and flank. And once those things were done, Jaden could command the very thing he loved the most: a mixed unit. Tactically, those were risky. And one needed the best out there to keep one functioning. They clashed with other large units in mass combat. And a few unlucky casualties could leave it in big trouble. 
If Kae fought in this battle, Jaden would have to warn her to avoid using high-powered abilities. It wasn't worth destroying the Sanctuary to ensure a victory. She was a living siege weapon on steroids. One with a huge target painted on her chest. If it was a field battle, by all means, rain down retribution from the heavens. But in a fortification assault, one stray bolt of moon juju could ruin the entire effort. 
All he could think about was tactics. Suddenly, it appeared as though he was being watched from afar once more.
"Stop thinking in hypotheticals. You don't even know what you're facing yet. Focus on the matters at hand and then prepare. You have a little time on your side, Jaden."
Castle Town grew larger on the horizon. He'd be there in less than a half hour, closer to his sister. He longed to be at her bedside. To hold her hand and pray. She just had to hang on. There was no way of knowing how bad of shape she was in, even with Nora's insight.
Kae/Royal Infirmary/Afternoon 4
It looked like she was improving a little. Kae still required a good bit of monitoring, but her breathing was much less shallow than before thanks to the blue potion drip.
However, that was still quite an expensive treatment. 
A rather short and young Sheikah teen around Kae's age poked her head into the room full of doctors.
"I want to see Kae; there's been chatter all about the Castle that she is here. Not safe to advertise a VIP or HVT's condition or location. Do you know the Twili have already tried to breach twice since they found out?"
Elly Shea, one of Kae's old friends, had a way of finding out all sorts of valuable information.
"They both met my blade. Worry not. But you should consider moving her to another location and putting a body double in her place. It worked for keeping the King safe. And Kae just might be as important to winning this war."
Her chin-length white hair was tucked behind her ears. Medics waved her in and shut the door.
"Get her away from the window too. One stray assassin's dart and our Scion's a goner."
Some of them looked at her dumbfounded as they followed orders. She went over to her bedside, knelt and prayed. They informed her that Jaden would be arriving some time that day, and that worried her to a degree. It was bad enough that he had a crush on her. And with her assignment under his command, his head would not be clear.
She prayed for Kae's health and a balanced mind for her XO.
Jaden/Hyrule Field N/Afternoon 4
After bidding his Goron friends farewell and wishing them a safe return to Death Mountain, Jaden found one of the Sheikah passages into Castle Town. It didn't take him long to find one of the safer ones. Considering what had been going on here, some of the rebellious folks found a few of these crawlspaces and set traps in them. 
This was one of those signs of the times. People were withdrawing support for this war and it had been less than a week. Sissies compared to Hylians of the past. What caused them to lose their trust in an established order that protected and cared for them? 
It had to be some sort of unnatural outside influence. Where else could new ideas come from? The Twili must have infiltrated, planted propaganda spies, or something. A popular revolt did not seem likely in his mind without some sort of external catalyst.
He stuck to the shadows as he moved through residential and commercial districts. The last thing he wanted was to have an angry mob chasing him, especially with people picketing in the streets. Self-defense would make him look much worse, especially if he had to kill to survive. This must have been what the Chieftain meant about avoiding an open stroll through the Capital's streets.
Sheikah were among the most loyal to the Crown. And highly rewarded for their services. Have-nots wouldn't have any of the privileged or entitled folks walking around. Even if each one had to pass rigorous trials to even be allowed to serve outside of Kakariko.
Hyrule Castle Courtyard
High alert. Was it really as good as it could be? It looked better than it had in the past. Elly must have been making suggestions, along with Haraf. Other Sheikah were here as well, keeping watch and protecting the Sanctuary. 
Upon exiting another crawlspace from the northeast, Jaden ceased covert movement and started walking towards a service entrance. Yes, he had to report to High Command upon entry. But he wanted to see his sister first. And brief his two partners on their assignments.
Then there was that bulging wallet full of rupees; the Peoples' generous donation toward the restoration effort. That would go to the Royal Treasury before nightfall. But they needed to do something about fixing Castle Town fast, or else those rebels would get it built and march on the castle themselves. Revolution was always bad. Revolution during wartime almost always meant not having anything left to fight for because the enemy would steamroll a divided people.
He had to stress unity. 'Suck it up and deal with it, we'll fix it as much as we can now and finish when we're truly safe again. Your ancestors did it and they turned out fine.' Stuff like that. Today's average Hylian was a softy in Jaden's mind. He could do for months what they couldn't stand for less than a day. 
Kae/Mindscape Aethereum/Afternoon 4
"Felis, I appreciate all you're trying to do, but I need to return to my body."
"Think about all we've gone over! You have a style of swordcraft given directly to you from Nayru, and you haven't considered how useful that is! Have you even tested it out other than against warm bodies in that forward camp?"
Kae paced about in white marble pillared halls. Clad in her robes, she lightly gripped her blade, tapping it against the floor, walls, and other things. She didn't want to be here. But she also did not understand the favor Felis was doing for her.
Back in the realm of flesh, Kae's body was afflicted with a nasty fever. Drenched with sweat, it struggled to compensate for undefined and completely unexpected metamorphoses. And by leeching any possible magical energies from her surroundings, it killed some of that pain. Which is why it was advised not to touch her unless one did not possess any aptitude for arcane arts.
But in Felis' Aethereal Mindscape, the ancient celestial aspect shielded the Scion's vulnerable mind from processing all of that pain. He had spent hours going over strengths and weaknesses. The finer points of divinity. Anything to whet her curious intellect and start her down a trail of tangency. However, she wanted very little of it. Still much to do. She wanted to mend up and get back out there again.
"Humor me by practicing some of those sword forms. I can bet you'd impress Jaden and Haraf with that. From what I know of Nayru, she'd give you something very defense-based and capable of exploiting openings. And another side of melee for quick precision strikes. You're built for finesse, young one. Use that speed. Use that lithe frame. Don't forget your heritage!"
"You're right...better to understand it rather than call the blade and wing it when it's really going to matter. Let's see what this Birthright of Wisdom is all about."
Kae assumed a defensive stance and went into a series of feints, blocks, and ripostes. It was a very quick style that accentuated her frame well. But she immediately understood its weakness. In order to inflict serious damage, her opponent would have to make a mistake. And for some Sheikah, it was better to eliminate a threat before such an opportunity presented itself. 
But in the right situations, provided she could avoid or deflect blows (or even roll with them), her defenses were more formidable in melee situations.
"Don't burn the candle at both ends. Most of your previous opponents know you're on a leash. Use the blade, save your body, and use your knockout punch when they aren't expecting it."
She nodded as she continued her drills. Precision offense led to rapid sweeps at blurring speed. Some of that bounce from riposting was channeled into some of those sweeping slashes. Unfortunately, this all had to be done one-handed. Kae preferred using two hands for better control...there had to be a way to get that back. 
Scions were not perfect in every way. They started their journeys as mortals, and had many of those complications. Then came confusion following revelation. This case...was even more different. Less than three days on the job and Kae was afflicted. Possibly condemned to a very short stint as a chosen one.
In order to ensure a better shot at living to bask in Full Moon's Radiance, Kae took Felis' bait and passionately embraced swordplay for the time being. It needed to be done and not much time was given for her to understand or get a feel for any of it.
She understood the other two gifts. Divine insight and amplified abilities. Two-edged gifts with much less mercy granted for misuse, even if she was given more responsibility with them.
Kae/Mindscape Aetherium/Afternoon 4
"Interesting stuff she gave you there. Rapid defense and precision offense. One more thing to consider while you're here: You've got more tricks in your head than death from above. Much less costly on you and almost as deadly. Maybe save the moonbeams for emergencies?"
Kae finished another finesse form and nodded.
"Coming on too strong is bad, I get it. But why risk injury? Why toy with them? Why not just give them an idea of what they're facing and finish them fast?"
"Because then they adjust accordingly. The secret's out, and they're going to come at you with ferocity. On all sides. That lich took one of your best friends, and who knows what it's going to throw at you. Hundreds of thousands of Twili want you dead, because your demise would kill the morale of the Hylian forces. You contributed to the destruction of their advance forces and defeat of a Primordial One. Welcome to the High Value Target Club."
She had a great backhanded swing. Without an enhancement on her sword, she didn't hit very hard. At least with an elemental lunar infusion, wounds would stay open longer than usual and sting a hell of a lot more.
"I knew when I woke up yesterday that I was already a member of that club, Felis. My main goal is to make this opportunity count. Win the war. Put that lich in its place or at least force it into dormancy again. Maybe get her back..."
"Nora may have told you there was hope, but I think she didn't want to break your heart. Lynn Annei is gone, Kae. Sucked into an ancient maelstrom of confusion, undeath, and warped conceptions. Hothnite is the embodiment of Primordial Frost and Hatred. You know this just as much as I do. Stop kidding yourself. I seriously doubt she's in there anymore."
Kae began to practice various sword enchantments. Wound enhancement through Lunar Essence infusion. Pure Lunar Element itself served well as a tool that could cut through most things to reveal truth underneath. Rock, metal, wood. Tougher things would take time to cleave through, but she'd never truly be trapped with something like that handy.
A sapping rote channeled through her blade could lend to a crude self-healing method. One Lunar discipline was the study of life force flow, and even innate magic's tap was a part of that. Diminish enemy energies while amplifying her own at their expense. This was something her brother was far better at doing, though Kae figured it was at least worth trying. 
"When the main threat to Hyrule is gone, we'll explore that further. All I can do right now is mitigate her chaos and try not to think too much about it. It makes me too sad! I really felt for her. Maybe as more than a friend. 'Cause I didn't have that many growing up. Of all the treasures in that vault, she had to pick that one."
Tears welled up in her eyes as her blade modulated in color from bright white to deep violet to all sorts of blended shades of the two. 
"Dwell on that any more and you'll become even more conflicted. Nayru wants you to be happy in the end. She'll provide someone for you to love. It's harder for you because you're so young, single, and eligible. If you survive, people will be throwing themselves at you. If I was a Hylian, I'd be crushing on you too."
She moved in a blur for her next form, amused by what Felis had said about her looks. Kae really enjoyed going on the offensive, even if it meant no mass destruction by way of the sky.
"It still happened, though. And it makes me so mad!"
Raising his paw in disappointment, he reiterated his previous point. 
"Getting mad means he wins. Not only is the Primordial One of Frost a very powerful magician, he is also a master manipulator. Don't play into it. It is what it is. And by keeping emotion out of the equation, you're less likely to succumb. But still, stay away from the thing."
Felis approached her and sprawled out, yawning.
"I sort of dig the darker influence you're sporting. There's this misconception that divine heroes have to look radiant, prim, and proper. You've got the radiant down. The edgy exterior is great because Hylians aren't all saints either. You're a good person. But you also have a strong vibe of holy vengeance just beneath the surface. It's like this: you love Hyrule and want it to be its best. You're a nice girl, but may the Three have mercy on any soul who gets in your way. Don't change a thing, babe. And don't go rushing into battle again until you're at one hundred percent."
"And keep going with these tangencies too. Let that body mend. I don't even want to think about this hospital bill!"
Kae just kept practicing and musing with Felis. This was almost as good as being conscious. Only two things could make it better. One being a new left arm, and the other being a barrel full of sour green apples.
Jaden/Hyrule Castle/Afternoon 4
That stealthy entrance was merely for show, as Jaden's mood changed as soon as he hit a main corridor.
It was more of that sibling protector thing he had going on. Instead of walking, he took off toward the infirmary at a normal running speed. Other military officials spotted him and began to follow, trying to keep up.
"A sight for sore eyes, Captain Bryseis! Why wasn't your arrival announced?"
"I didn't want to cause a stir on the way through Castle Town. Did you hear the s*** they're pulling out there? You've got the foundation of a popular revolt on your hands. Better try to calm them down. Last thing we need is the people turning on us and giving the Twili this kingdom by default."
"And what are you gonna do about it?"
Jaden sighed and pulled a bulging wallet out of his satchel. 
"My people have a generous donation to the restoration project. I will give this to the King myself, or the XO, whoever I see first. But I would like to have an audience with His Majesty while I am here. It's about my sister."
The few able to match his pace nodded.
"So that's why you're going this way. You'd best report to High Command when you're done."
"Why would I do anything else? Hyrule's preservation is my primary duty, especially when the Royal Family is involved."
When his followers broke off, panting with their hands on their knees, Jaden turned a corner and was greeted by crossed spears.
"Your business in the Medical Wing?"
Jaden sighed again and pointed at the Weeping Eye on his breastplate.
"Captain Jaden Bryseis of the Sheikah. Sentinel Unit. My sister is clinging to life in that ward and I wish to visit her."
Spears raised, doors opened, and Jaden's heart almost broke. He saw medics, mystics, and nurses huddled around a table formulating treatment plans, nurses attending to his sister, and Elly kneeling by her bed holding her hand, praying.
Some of the medics looked up and complained.
"More visitors? This has become a pilgrimage site instead of a medical ward. Please. Let the girl alone. Wait...another Sheikah...fine. Don't cause too much of a ruckus."
Elly looked up as well and smiled briefly, though she was stricken with worry.
"Captain Bryseis...Jaden...she's...hanging on."
"I skipped the initial visit to High Command to come up here. Let me take her other hand so we can both pray-"
One of the medics mentioned that Kae was short one arm. 
"The two of you will have to share a hand then."
He stood over her bed, fighting everything he could not to cry. Instead, he rested his head on her chest and hugged her loosely, doing his best to be gentle. Energies sapped from him due to her chrysalis mending rote, but he did not care. The sheer joy of being able to hug her in the flesh overcame that problem.
"First Lieutenant Shea, you can lead the prayer."
Jaden and Elly knelt together and prayed in their native tongue. They did their best not to get in the way of the nurses, who gave them a wide berth. Of course, the whole no-contact prescription went out the window. But would those medics really tell two Sheikah what they could not do? Furthermore, they were witnessing things few outsiders ever saw: very personal interaction between Sheikah. In fact, one of the attending nurses drew Kae's curtain to give ample privacy, and then stepped out.
Upon concluding, Elly hugged Jaden, her face streaming with tears.
"You think she'll make it, Captain?"
Jaden grinned, himself teary-eyed.
"She's one of us. She's got a strong will. No doubt in my mind she'll pull through."
Kae/Deep in the Mind/Afternoon 4
"It's all getting clearer now, isn't it?"
Kae let her sword levitate nearby as she sat down, leaning against a marble pillar.
"I never realized how fun that is! And much less taxing. Living 'til the Full Moon's Light has become a lot easier now. I think."
Felis had his gaze fixated on Kae's sword. It had a luster to it that really confused him, though his skeleton of sorts matched its inner makeup.
"Have you ever really hit anything with that? How it applies damage should have a large influence on the attacks you're making."
"It does what I tell it to. Standard damage, cautery, and such. Much more difficult to sunder a weapon. But to sunder flesh, oh, it's most likely fantastic at doing that. From what I know of Lunar melee enhancement, there's even a modulation that slices at a person's psychic core instead of their physical bodies. Great for incapacitation. It can be resisted, though. Often best used for torture, interrogation, or a desperation blow."
In a way, Felis and Kae were drawing black lines. Legal loopholes that would allow her to keep fighting and not start self-destructing. She was good at ending conflicts quickly, but her abilities relied too much on luck. Well, the kind of luck someone needs in nasty, brutish, and short encounters. And the double-edged Arcane rotes...they were nice...they fit her style perfectly...but barrages of beams would not help keep her alive.
One or two every once in a while, sure. Moonfire? Best saved for Primordial Ones, impossible odds moments, and the like. Not to be passed about like free candy.
Of course, this didn't mean she had to totally hold back. Sometimes things just had to go down. Felis was simply encouraging her not to tap her life force after her daily allotment of divine power had been expended. And with Lunar Elemental rotes, she could do that. They were also much more intelligent in their composition. No mass property damage, for one.
Kae didn't like Elemental rotes. They were too elementary for her, and that was why she often overlooked them. And they didn't quite produce the desired effect as quickly as she preferred. But they were weird, interesting, and often had unique effects on their victims' minds. No two people respond to a brief glimpse of divine revelation the same way. Or to being struck by a Seer's Slash. These rotes had a preferred mental targeting.
And meddling with the minds of others was something Kae did not enjoy. At least malicious meddling. Something felt very wrong about it. Psychic attacks, life force conversion, there were all sorts of backdoors. 
"Don't forget the basics. Even a well placed Mind Shock might do as much as an El Kio channeled blast, depending on what you're fighting. Lunar practicioners sometimes get addicted to the rush of power that advanced rotes give off. But you knew that..."
"It is an addiction of sorts. Because I was able to do it a lot more than usual, it just felt really, really good. The feeling of being something more than mortal. It is indescribable. But my body did not transform during the Kinslayer battle because I wanted it to. This corruption was an accident! I want to prove to Din that I am not one of those careless casters. Everything...it's all been for Hyrule...Wisdom is not her purview...That's why there are Three instead of One."
Kae/Felis Minor Mind Pocket/Afternoon 4
"And thus your time of reflection is complete. I think."
His plans were working. Felis had a point to make with Kae, and she was learning quickly. Nora scolded her about this so much, but she never listened because of her rapid progression in the craft. 
Burning the candle at both ends and not managing her daily allotment of energies properly weakened Kae's efficiency in and out of combat. Tapping her own energy was the downside of her tradition. It was one of those built-in warnings by the Three to stop channeling arcane power. Elemental sourced abilities circumvented this and were less vulgar in their displays. Mind Shocks and Mana Surges were crude, yet efficient. The same could be said of Pain Inversion and Suppression. 
Since Lunar elemental rotes had some psionic undertones, Kae decided to try to amplify that aspect. She'd seen Kinslayer use kinetic energy to form knots in the air. That wasn't something she could duplicate, but she could use her enemy's innate magical energies against them. Or even try to steal it for her own use, provided its resonance wasn't contrasting to her paradigm or tradition. In other words, not stolen from Shadow or Solar casters.
Those with weak mental fortitude were really at a disadvantage against her now. She was too predictable before. Now Kae had change-ups. Melee, different rote rotations, and raw destructive wrath when it was really needed. Scions needed to have a balanced offensive and defensive package. That was how they dealt with all the attention from their enemies. As it was, Kae was going to be heavily targeted by enemy forces. And Primordial Ones. She needed every edge she could get.
This is what Din would prefer. This could convince her to lift the affliction. Or so Kae thought. Felis advised her to consider backup plans in case Full Moon's Radiance couldn't save her. One was to pad her resume of heroic deeds so that when her body succumbed to her affliction she would not be banished to a lower tier of the Sacred Realm. Another was to seek out artificial preservation without pursuing necromancy, such as storing her soul within the Scion's Starborn Edge or a Starfire Crystal. It would be a lonely existence, but one that could guarantee a future provided a worthy hero came across the items in question. 
Then again, considering her initial Pact was exchanging the fate of her soul in return for immense power from the Three, an attempted breach of contract could make things much, much worse. Her strong devotion and service thus far would not have a horrible investment return. Even with a blood corruption banishment, she could still do things in the Sacred Realm. But being forever banished from the material plane would break her heart.
"Your body has stabilized enough to allow your mind to return to it without excessive discomfort. Do you wish to do so? I can keep you here until you're ready."
"Felis, your kindness is appreciated. This...session of sorts...it's helped me realize those errors that I can fix today. While my lack of physical fortitude cannot be remedied as quickly as these other things, you can bet I will work on that. But what about the missing arm? What can be done?"
The cat licked his paw as he mulled over things to do.
"You've got telekinesis. Do you really need it? Besides, there's active magic where it once was. Might want to consider letting it do its thing. I don't know what will come of it but it'll probably be better than the stump that's there now. My guess is that it'll be done by tomorrow morning."
"Telekinesis has the potential to tap into my daily allotment. It'd be nice to have something tangible. But alchemy can't regenerate lost limbs. Necromancy could allow for a passable prosthetic but it is a banned school in the Lunar tradition. If I don't like what happens when that spell culminates, I'm sure there are other options. I am not going to be an amputee or equip a wooden limb."
Kae paced nervously. She had no idea what to expect on the other side. A wispy gate of sorts appeared in front of her, and Felis waved at it. 
"Step on through when you're ready. But don't rush it."
She nodded, said a quick prayer, and stepped through. A tunnel of cascading lights flooded her vision, and then all of those trappings returned. Cramping, stiffening, burning, and stinging pains were everywhere. Not a single inch of her body lacked these feelings. As she stirred, she could feel two hands holding her right. And then the voices...her native tongue. Familiar voices. Elly...Jaden...
The Royal Infirmary
They were concluding their prayer when her eyes began to twitch. She coughed a little too, and then felt something stuck in her arm. Footsteps grew closer, but her eyes weren't open yet.
"It hurts...so much...Brother...thank you..."
Jaden was holding her hand and kissing it, grateful that she was waking up. Elly wiped tears from her eyes but also watched as the doctors were approaching bedside. She gave Kae a light hug and kissed her cheek as well.
"Stay strong, Kae. Don't try to move around too much...stay still. It isn't easy to do but you're through the worst of it."
Elly smiled, hoping to meet her gaze when her eyes did open. This proved to be true. It wasn't the same look she was used to seeing, but it was the same girl she grew up with. Jaden also looked up at her, grinning.
"You're a lot tougher than they give you credit, sis. Nayru knows how to pick 'em. How are you feeling?"
"You two need to step aside and let us work now. Don't have to leave, but give us space."
Kae had a smile so big it was capable of making onlookers melt from cuteness.
"I feel so much better knowing the two of you were watching over me! And these doctors. Where am I?"
"The Royal Infirmary. You have the King's own medical staff looking after you. We're giving you the best treatment in the land. And we would advise you not to get so banged up as to return as quickly. A dead Scion isn't desired by any Hylian faithful."
A priest gathered up a basin full of Kae's bloody bandages as well as some of the sponges used to clean her up.
"Don't tell me they're authorizing relics already. This is getting a little nuts."
One of the doctors gave a stern look at this priest, who replied crisply.
"It would be blasphemous to simply dispose of this as medical waste. I am ensuring this is handled respectfully."
They shrugged and let him go while doctors began running tests on her.
Since her pupils were now undefined, concussion tests proved inconclusive. Most of her damage was flesh wound caliber. Bruised ribs and heavy blood loss were the more extreme injuries, as the burns and lacerations had been treated to capacity. 
Jaden and Elly watched and waited. Kae's treatment looked painful. She yelped a little each time they touched her, and Elly cringed in response in some of those cases. It didn't feel right watching Kae in a state of horrid pain, and she felt helpless about most of it. Jaden was simply curious as to how Hylian doctors treated the wounded in VIP situations. It was quite possible that failure could send him here. But his concern for his sister was still high. She'd been through hell. The Twili did this to her. Hothnite contributed somewhat. But who would truly suffer for it?
Any Twili he saw. No mercy to any of them. He vowed a most painful demise to all interlopers who dared stand against him. More so than before, even. It got even more personal, as familial bonds were his highest valued. He loved Kae too much, even though he knew now that she could stand against any threat. 
Thanks to Nora. And Nayru. And even Haraf's heavy-handed training exams. All the suffering she'd experienced growing up had its desired effect. She wasn't afraid anymore. And a fearless Sheikah was among the most dangerous things to deal with in Hyrule. However, bravery does not imply stupidity. 
As they let the doctors work, the two Sheikah both nodded and said the same maxim. It was eerie yet undeniably impressive in its truth.
"The death of fear is the birth of true potential. But do not forget proper caution."
Jaden/Hyrule Castle/Dusk 4
He wished he could stay all night, but he had other matters he needed to address. And he felt very bad for his sister. But Elly could keep her safe tonight. There was that visit to High Command and all...they wanted to see him. As one of the higher ranked representatives of his people, the Chieftain trusted him with sealed orders and the restoration funds.
"Kae, I wish I could stay. I love you dearly, sis. Before I go, I have something for you from Nora. And our folks. They wrote a letter to you, and Nora had a snack."
The girl looked quite excited and tried to sit up, but a stern look from Elly kept her still.
"If you move too much, you'll tear stitches, dressings, and things that took forever to close those wounds up! Don't risk it."
He reached into his satchel and pulled out a sour green apple and an envelope. It didn't take too long for Kae to pull the apple from his hands by way of telekinesis and start devouring it. There was a look in her eyes unlike anything the doctors had seen before. It was mischievous, yet determined.
Elly and Jaden both chuckled.
"Mom always made apple pie for special occasions. Kae would steal a few of the baking apples and eat them later. Mom didn't really get mad, but when I complained that there wasn't enough pie filling, she got blamed every time. Dad thought it was funny, and then mom would smack him. Nora used them as a positive reinforcement for training. Some things never change."
Kae was lost in ecstasy while chomping on her snack. It was like nothing else mattered. Besides, she was hungry.
Jaden handed the letter to Elly, patted Kae on the head, and was on his way to see High Command. Pulling his ponytail binding out and readjusting his equipment, he marched down the Castle halls with a serious demeanor.
People were asking him all sorts of questions. He didn't respond to many, and the ones he did respond to were in a rather crisp manner.
"Captain, you're probably going to want company when you go before high command!"
Instructor Haraf came running up the corridor to catch Jaden. They both saluted each other in stride and kept going.
"I was wondering where you were. Teaching bug bit you again?"
"Always a good guess, sir. These guys are good, but I showed them a few things to improve their odds. High Command had better listen to you."
Jaden nodded and kept going.
"And your sister? I haven't had a chance go to see her. Heard it's real bad."
"Didn't know you cared, Instructor. She's awake now. Eating, even. Elly's watching over her in the Infirmary."
They approached High Command's antechamber, hoping that the Chieftain's orders would not fall on deaf ears. Listening to the hidden eyes and ears so loyal to the Royal Family for so long proved to be essential in wars past. Jaden had info vital to the war effort; he'd seen the Twili Garrison as he made his escape. He'd seen their infrastructure in Faron. Considering the forest kept people out, the Twili would not have much reason to change it around. 
"Elly gave me a heads up on security. For a lone Twili to just waltz in here and carve his way to the throne room...wait...it was that bastard I fought yesterday who did that! I swear if I see him again, there won't be enough left of him to send home in a box."
He then pointed to the fresh scar on his face that bridged horizontally under his eyes from cheek to cheek.
"He did that too. If he was dumb enough to let me escape, he's going to love fighting me again."
Haraf tapped his foot while they waited to be shown in to the war room.
"Captain, grudges tend to make you stupid. I was really mad at your sister for a long time, but looking back on it, we both gained something from that. I learned the truth behind that old crone's abilities, and she became a better Sheikah."
Jaden growled lightly.
"Instructor, do not remind me of that day ever again. I almost attacked you while you were incapacitated, and seriously considered killing you. No one does that stuff to Kae and gets away with it. I won't let it happen, regardless of who it is."
The middle-aged instructor covered his face with his palm.
"Each generation of your family has had the same problem, Captain. A passion so fierce that makes them all predictable. Kae's position now is going to make your anger very easy to bring out. All they have to do is cause her harm and you're out in the open. Don't get me wrong, though. Any threat to my brothers or sisters will be met with my blade introducing itself to vital organs."
"Glad to see you've at least moved on. Maybe I need to work on that a little...but we will need to talk later. It appears they're ready for us."
Tall double doors opened, and they were announced before High Command. The place looked like a dream to Jaden. Maps, figurines, battle plans, and much more would have made him drool if he wasn't forced to be proper. Generals and nobles looked at him, studying his form. How could someone this young rise to the rank of Captain so quickly among the Sheikah? Jaden was only 22. But he was one of their finest. And this Chieftain chose him as the heir of the people. A violet-eyed Moonchild. The Scion's brother. Nora's new apprentice. Two days pass and suddenly he has all of this responsibility.
He was ready. After formally presenting the Sheikah donation for Castle Town's restoration, they asked him to give his report.
Kae/Infirmary/Dusk 4
Elly was the perfect visitor for Kae. They had a chance to catch up on things. And while a lot had changed for the Scion, Elly treated her like she was still the same introverted girl in Kakariko. A lot changed for Elly too. She'd gained rank quickly for her age. They didn't usually get to spend much time together because either Elly was on assignment or Kae was locked away studying something.
"You know, Kae, security has been incredibly easy for the Twili to circumvent. I've killed two spies in the castle so far today. Did Nayru reveal anything to you while you were out?"
Kae sighed, as she dreaded the conversation would eventually lean towards the current conflict. Elly was always focused on her duties. But she was glad she had a friend by her bedside that cared so much.
"Not about the castle this time, no. Jaden said he had a bunch of intel to give High Command. He'll probably share it with you if he hasn't. But I can pray for some insight. Nayru has been the best to me when the night comes. But you're right. If they can just waltz right in here, they have a prime source of information on the inside...or something that was on the inside at some point. How did you catch them?"
Elly grinned and examined one of her twin jutsu daggers.
"This is where spending too much time around your brother comes in handy. He's so obsessed with tactics and mannerisms that when something's out of place, he'll go on and on about it until I smack him in the head. So I could hear him complaining when a guard patrol was off course or out of step tempo. Breathing cadences were staggered. Accents didn't match up. I've looked at everyone coming in and out of the place since I got here...entry is secure."
Eventually, the conversation turned to the topic of Lynn.
"Kae, I know you really care for Lynn. But what are you going to do about her now?"
After pulling a glass of water to her and sipping on it, Kae looked a bit sad.
"Stick to the plan at first. But if it diverts, I've had some time to think about it. For now, I need to stay away from her. She's chaos incarnate. And my emotions cloud my judgment so much that I'd do something stupid if I did get too close. She only wanted to protect me, and that damned livery cloak called out to her. It could have been anything else in that vault. Anything. I should stop."
Elly put her finger to Kae's lips and hushed her.
"You shouldn't get worked up. I get it, though. I've seen this look in your eyes before, though it's harder to read them now."
She held Kae's hand, trying to relax her. The Scion just stared at the ceiling, trying to fight tears. Elly had hit a point of frustration, one of few she had. And the girl needed some things, such as a reassuring and friendly hand holding hers. And Elly also was seeing something else coming from Kae's feelings, but she didn't bring that up. 
There are many things yet to occur. Write nothing off. Write no one off. And assume the enemy knows your strategy intimately. Your brother should advise High Command to overhaul all tactics. I cannot speak to him...Kae...never doubt your friends, your faith, or your abilities. But if you are able, seek out the Medallion of the Light Sage. I may be able to save you through its power. Through Full Moon's Radiance. Light can cleanse all affliction...even yours.
Kae's eyes flung wide after appearing to be briefly distracted. Elly kept her hand held, but looked over at the doctors with a little concern. Her breathing quickened and she shuddered a bit.
Most Honored Nayru, I will do as you ask. This is quite painful, but the promise of a better future will allow me to endure. Felis has helped me to better understand what has been given to me. If I can keep Hyrule out of Twili hands, I will do everything in my power."
You must also know this: The Twili have given themselves over to the darkest powers in existence. I have chosen you, but do not forget that profane champions have existed in the past...Aghanim...Twinrova...Bongo Bongo...the list goes on. Do not leave out the possibility that the Twili have an equivalent to you, Kinslayer excluded. If they do, it is your responsibility to face them. I will not forsake you. Don't listen to those who may try to tell you otherwise. If I truly didn't care about you, you would have died today.
"It's stress. You can stay, Elly. But Kae's had one hell of a day."
An...anti-Scion? I had not ruled that out. That would be horrible! I must rest on this; it is a lot to handle.
Nayru bid Kae's mind farewell for the evening, speaking a benediction and fading softly.
She snapped back to reality with Elly's concerned gaze locking with her glazed over one.
"Nayru was speaking with me. Lots to take in. Some things to pass on to Jaden...we're doing it wrong...overhaul military strategy...and when I recover, I need to get back out there as soon as possible."
Elly had seen this determination out of Kae before. Too many times.
"You're staying in that bed until they give you the all clear. Sleep on it, babe. I'll be here all night watching over you."
She hugged Kae for a while, holding her. 
"Elly, you have no idea how grateful I am that you're here with me. I'll sleep better knowing that."
The Scion did not stay conscious for long after that. It was a little surprising. But for the past three days she'd been constantly wearing and tearing her body. Little did she know that this was only the beginning of her journey. She'd been baptized by fire and ice. Proved that she could face danger of all sorts and live to tell the tale. 
Felis emerged from the cosmic vapors surrounding Kae's left stump and curled up by her head.
"I'm going to keep watch tonight too. We're all counting on her."
== Whie the People ==
Whie Malreaux/Day 4/Saint Saria Home for the Criminally Insane
The weather had been odd. Disastrously odd. Caused by some invading force, a 'Twili'. Not that Whie had any direct knowledge. That's what the orderlies had been talking about out in the hall the past day. Weather, weather, weather! As if there weren't more important things to worry about than a spot of snow. Like maybe his next meal.
"You all having fun out there? Where's my dinner, already!"
He was in one of his moments of clarity. One of those few times, every so often, when the other voices were quiet. Distracted. It was unnerving, when it happened. He had becomes so accustomed to the constant prattle, to the people living in his mind. On occassion he welcomed them, conversed with them, had a grand old time of it. But they didn't belong! He knew they didn't belong! It was clear as... as anything could be when people were yelling at you from your own head. He was the one who owned this body. Not them!
He should be in control! And for now, he was. It reminded him of a time when there was not a constant din of noise. Being alone in his thoughts now, he hearkened back to a time when he was alone in his thoughts always.
Whie Malreaux/Eight Years before the War/Ordon Village
Whie was seventeen back then. What a wonderful life it was, in the peaceful village of Ordon, far to the south of the hustle and bustle of Castle Town. Life was leisure, when it wasn't work. And sometimes, it was both.
On that day, which was just like the day before it and nothing like the day after, Whie had woken to the crowing of a rooster. Traditional. Normal. He bathed, dressed, ate breakfast. Plain, simple. Headed out to herd the goats into pasture, for the day's grazing. Harvest was approaching, as some of the goats grew to size. Soon enough they would be taken to slaughter, and the meats carted to Castle Town for market. Harvest was approaching, yes, but it had not yet come, and for now the goat's only produce was milk, and from that cheese. It was the slow season for another few more weeks for the ranchers.
The farmers, on the other hand, for what little was farmed in the midst of the great forest, were already into their business. It would be pumpkin stew for dinner, no doubt. Not that anyone was complaining over that fact. Better than going without, by far.
Whie stood in the field with his shepherd's hook, watching his flock. The sense of responsibility was a bit of an ego trip. However, his attention was distracted by a figure hopping the fence and bounding toward him. Leonora Heuward. She was a simple girl, his age, comely but no vision of beauty. A man might take a moment to glance her way, but nothing more. To him, however, she was the center of his world. He smiled when he caught sight of her, and her small smirk set butterflies alight in his gut.
"Howdy, Whie!" she greeted him when within earshot.
"Howdy, there, Leo. What's got you comin' out to see me here?"
She brushed her pale blonde hair back, trying in vain to keep her bangs from falling over her eyes. "Oh, ya know? Jess thought I'd come say hi?"
He chuckled. She was a bit of a tease, knowing how he felt about her but never quite acknowledging it. "Well, I's got a few hours left of grazin', but if'n you want to stick 'round with me, I ain't complainin'."
She grabbed his hand and tugged. "No, no, Whie! C'mon. The goats can take care for a few minutes. There's summin I want te show ya!"
He pursed his lips in contemplation. He couldn't very well abandon his duty. If anything happened to the goats, his father would have his head. But the allure of this girl was too much to resist, especially if she was taking him off somewhere... alone. Of course, his mind lost the argument with other parts of his anatomy, and he agreed. Nothing bad ever happened in Ordon, the goats would be fine. The two ran off, hopping the fence, and Leonora lead Whie into the edge of the forest.
"Right over there, look't see! Mah li'l brother found it jess yesserday. Ain't no one ever known et was back here afore."
Whie laughed. It was a simple outcropping of rock, with an indentation leading underground. "Leo, s'cuz no one ever comes out here. They're ain't nothin' intrestin' in the forest, 'less et already got found."
Leonora frowned at him. "Ye got no sense'f adventure, Whie. C'mon. It actually goes in purdy deep! We can 'splore et! Et'll be fun! Really, no one knows et's here, I asked 'round!"
Whie shrugged. Why the hell was he complaining about going into a dark location with a pretty girl? And in a cave, they might see something scary, and then she'd jump into his arms, and they'd embrace, and then...
His mind wandered as they wandered into the opening, passing through the entrance into an unnaturally dark crevasse leading away into the depths of the earth.
Whie Malreaux/Day 4/Saint Saria Home for the Criminally Insane
"Here you are, Whie. Your dinner just like you wanted." The voice cut through his reverie as the orderly carefully sat the rounded plastic tray on the ground near the door.
"You woman, how am I supposed to eat without utensils? And with it all the way over there? I'm in my right mind, for now. The others are silent, I think they're distracted by all this talk of falling glaciers and snowstorms. Bring it here, I'm hungry, and I don't feel like smashing my face into a plate just for a bite. I'm not an -animal-!"
She peered incredulously at him. "Well, that mask would have some think otherwise. If you're not animal, why not show you're true face?"
He hissed at her, a demonic noise slipping out from his throat and vibrating, slightly, the monkey mask that clung to his head. "The mask stays! It is the ligature of souls."
She frowned at him. "That's what I thought." The door closed behind her, leaving him alone with a tray of food and his thoughts.
Whie Malreaux/Day 4/Saint Saria Home for the Criminally Insane
Hunger had won out over dignity, and Whie had lapped the food off the plate without use of arms or hands. It was no way to live, and some part of him sincerely wondered how they expected him to get better if they were just going to treat him like an animal. Another part of him knew that their reckoning was close at hand. This other part of him, the dark part that whispered in his ear when no one else was around, had recently become quite more vocal.
"Now is the time. The seal will be broken."
Whie growled. Always in riddles did he ever speak. It was more annoying in that he really didn't understand the riddles at all, even though he always knew exactly what they meant. That was how he knew he was crazy. The part of him that was still Whie, and not Whim or Whistler. Whistler was also the Whisperer; when it spoke, part of the speech came through Whie's mouth as a soft hiss. Some of the people had taken to calling him Hissa, though Whie never much liked that one.
"Time? For what? What seal?" Whie's regular voice he spoke freely. It wasn't worth trying to hide it, he didn't care anymore. And speaking it aloud helped to differentiate what was his words, and the words of the others.
Of course, the last word was cut off in a mumble that turned into a scream as his mask suddenly sealed itself against his face. He couldn't breath! What was happening? The mask stretched, spreading backward over his face, consuming his head in its grip. He'd never hallucinated before, always it was just the whispers, or a lose of control. Perhaps he had finally broken down, gone more than crazy, but entirely insane. Whatever it was, it was frightening him. And it hurt.
It felt like his body was twisting, contorting, bending out of shape, and breaking into pieces. He felt new joints forming, old ones melding together, flesh slipping away to he knew not where, a burning itch across all his skin. It felt like an eon of body-rending pain. It coursed through his entire being. And then, just as soon as it had started, it had stopped. He was suddenly no longer wearing a mask, the air touched his skin directly, through his fur. And the jacket had grown around his limbs. Or, more appropriately, his limbs had shrunk around the jacket.
He tried to speak. "What's happening?" It came out as a strange slurred 'ook'-ing. His throat had changed shape, as well, and he'd have to get used to it before he could verbalize the myriad thoughts running rampant through his head.
But the jacket no longer constricted him. He squirmed a bit, and shrugged of the cloth that had been his home, his prison, for so very long. For the first time in a long time, he moved his arms and legs and tail free of encumbrance. And then his face produced a simian grin.
Soon the orderly would come for the tray. And then he'd be free.
Whie Malreaux/Day 4/Saint Saria Home for the Criminall Insane
The orderly knocked on the cell door. “Hey, are you okay in there?” Whie’s jacket, and presumably Whie, was crumpled in the corner of the cell. She could see it clearly from the viewport. It wasn’t moving.
“Hey,” she shouted down the hall to one of the other orderlies, “go get security. I think we have a faker.”
It was laughable how many people thought they could pull off the ‘pretend o be sick and jump the orderly’ trick. It never worked, not on people who followed proper procedure. Not on people who liked staying alive (though those who did survive the ordeal certainly never made the same mistake twice).
The orderly waited for the guards to arrive, occasionally calling out to the lump in the cell but with no response. After a short while, three large men approached her.
"I've been calling his name, but no response." she reported. "I'm not going in there without back-up, just in case, but we have to check on him anyway."
The largest of the men nodded, and directed her to open the door. She did so, and the four of them entered. Big-Guy followed the orderly closer to Whie, as she stepped cautiously toward the lump of jacket. "Are you okay? Come on. We're in here. Now's the chance for you to try and escape."
Her escort snorted. "Don't encourage him."
Then there was an odd patting sound and a sickening snap from behind them. The pair turned around to see a monkey perched on one of the door guard's shoulders, with the man's head twisted at an unhealthy angle. The body collapsed to the floor, and the monkey leapt to the second man as the orderly let out a frightened shriek.
Whie grabbed the second door guard and squeezed his monkey paws around his throat, attempting to choke the life from him. The man let out a shout, and grabbed Whie's tail, tugging hard and flinging Whie back to the ground. Portions of skin scraped from the man's neck under Whie's sharp claws and he began to bleed.
"Son of a..."
Whie didn't hear with which invective the man chose to end his phrase; at that point the leader's charge brought him close enough to be a danger and Whie against uncoiled his legs and sprung, entwining himself in the man's legs and bringing him suddenly and tumultuously to the floor.
Three versus one at the start. Two to one within the first two seconds. A man tripped to the ground.
It all reminded Whie of that one time...
Whie Malreaux/Ordon Village/Five Years Before the War
"There's the freak! Get'm!"
The trio of young men surrounded Whie, before he could even react, before he could start to try to escape. They captured him in a circle, and sneered at him. "Freak. We don't want you around here! Always whisperin' an' mutterin' to yerself!"
"N-No! It's not me!" Whie tried to protest. It wasn't him; he didn't whisper. It was those others! The voice that had been with him for three years, always there, always in his ear. Cajoling one moment, then castigating the next.
Of course, denying it only made the bullies angrier, and their leader throw a quick punch that connected with Whie's face and knocked him to the ground. "Don't you lie about it, you little shit! We know it were you what done that to Leo!"
"No! Never!" This he denied vehemently. He would never have done that to Leo. He couldn't! He loved her!
Yet my recollection of the events is quite different.
No. No. Not the voice. Not him! Not Whisper! Always revealing truths that Whie didn't want to know! It just wasn't fair. Why was he plagued with this? Whisper would tell him things, and Whim would try to make him do things.
"Oh, goddesses..." Whie groaned as the trio of boys started to kick him, bruising his sides and his back.
He would never do anything to Leo. Not Whie. But Whim would. No... Whim had! It all fit together! All those things Whie hadn't done, but had been accused of... it was all Whim's fault! And Whisper had to be involved, somehow. He just had to!
"Stop kicking me." Whie said, passionlessly. It so stunned the boys, they actually listened.
Their leader, however, recovered quickly. "What wassat? Can't hear ya muttering to yerself down there!" He smirked, and his two followers laughed at the sore joke.
"I said stop kicking me!" Whie's voice took on a different sound, crackling almost, and he rolled to his side, raising his arms over his head. A concussive wave exploded back from him, and knocked the three boys of their feet. Whie, in the lull, took to his feet.
"Wh-What the hell?" muttered one of the bullies, pushing himself to his feet. "You... You damn freak! He's getting weirder! I bet that's how he got Leo, too!"
And then, at the mention of that name, that name that affected him even when he was no in control, Whie twitched his finger, and a fork of electricity shot out from that fingertip, impacting with the boy's chest. His body jerked like the marionette of an epileptic, and then Whie exhaled, and the marionette's strings were cut. The boy fell in a tangle of limbs, not even twitching with vestigial energy.
"Ah-Ah! Goddesses! You killed him! You killed him! You BASTARD!"
The leader of the group, halfway to standing, sprung like a sprinter off the starting black and charged for Whie. Whie just smirked, and, of his own accord this time, dropped to the ground, shoulder forward and primed for impact. The full force of the sprint ran into Whie's shoulder right at the knees, and the bully flipped over Whie's back to the sound of snapping bone and crunching cartilage. It was followed by a sharp screaming after the pain finally registered.
"Let me show you what I did to Leonora."
The screaming lasted through the night. No one dared enter the forest for a week. When they bodies were found, each one had a twisted grin set in rigor mortis, and the stench of ozone hung around their bodies.
Whie Malreaux/Day 4/Saint Saria Home for the Criminally Insane
The orderly sobbed in the corner, praying to the Goddesses that the evil monkey would leave, and just go away forever. The vile creature! Her head was buried in her lap, in the fetal position, instinctively trying to protect herself. It had already killed the other three. She was the only one left! It was a matter of time. She prayed for salvation.
There were strange noises coming form the door. Like the same sound that had started the nightmare. Popping bones. She dared not to look, but... what if it was the sound of that damnable beast dying that she had heard?! What if she just opened her eyes, and the monkey was hanging limp and dead in the hands of her savior. And so, instead, she did dare to look.
The monkey was gone. Just a man. The man from the cell. Whie. She couldn't begin to question where he had been during the whole entanglement, nor did she even register that he was not restrained in his jacket. She was merely overjoyed that the monkey was gone.
"Goddeses bless you! Whie! Is it gone? Is the monkey gone? Don't let it come back! Don't let it touch me! Bless you, bless you for saving me!" She was quite frantic.
Whie slowly walked toward her, and she bolted up from the corner, ran the remaining distance, and flung her arms around him, so emotional was she.
He smirked. "I'm afraid the monkey isn't gone." Her arms tightened around him. "You see, I'm still right here."
She paused, afraid now. He wiggled his fingers at his sides. "You know something? You doctors, with your elctroshock therapy, are on to something. A shame you haven't refined it. Electricity. So seldom is thought of as more than an awesome aspect of nature here in Hyrule. Well, that's true; it's an amazing thing! If only it could be harnessed!"
He laughed now, as electric sparks jumped between his fingertips. "Except, it can! That's the beauty of magic, isn't it? The very building blocks of existence, the raw power of nature, all yours to command. But magic always comes with a cost, doesn't it? Years of study. Selling your soul. Myriad things must be done, or given away, in order to be granted that blessing we call 'magic'. Faith. One's life."
His eyes twinkled unnaturally. "Sanity."
"But, back to the point: Electroshock therapy has its roots grounded in fact. A normal living body is, in fact, controlled by electrical impulses. How do I know this? Why, I can sense it! Comes with the whole 'magic' thing."
The orderly was backing herself into the corner again, trying to scramble away from the unbalanced mind of Whie Malreaux.
"And I've proven it, too! Here, let me show you!"
The small sparks bounding between Whie's fingertips shot off, zig-zagging toward the woman. A trident of lightning slithered into the woman's nostrils. The stink of burnt hair and burning skin began to fill the cell. The orderly screamed, or more gurgled. Then, she began to twitch and dance around the cell as Whie cackled in childish amusement.
"There, you see? It's only electricity, but it's just as good as any psychic manipulation!"
The orderly's hips swayed in time with the twitches of Whie's fingers. Her hands stroked her sides. "Why, I didn't know you were attracted to me! Oh, how complimenting!"
Her face twisted in disgust, as well as pain. Her body moved of its own accord, while her brain felt as though thousands of insects were crawling all over it. She croaked a few words through her constricted throat. "You.... sick... bastard..."
He tisked at her. "Come now, come now. You're the one coming on to me!"
She managed control enough to flip Whie off. The smile left his face. "Enough. I'm bored with this. I've been locked up in here too long. I want to see how the world has changed. I wonder if what Whisper says he's heard is true? Well, it'll be interesting to find out, won't it?"
He clasped his fingers in toward his palm, clenching his hand into a fist. The electricity widened, now spawning from a fist rather than a fingertip, and grew as it pierces her nasal cavities. The sudden enlargement and ingress of power had a dramatic effect.
The woman's head exploded in gore and shards of bone, haphazardly painting the walls with ichor. Whie plucked a piece of skull, with brain still attached, from his shoulder and flicked it to the floor. It joined the mess that had been made from the woman's guards.
"Ew."
== Exit Neon, Enter Seishi...Again ==
Hyrule Castle/Moments after Neon's escape/Seishi Ma
Seishi took a moment to take in the destruction around him once is eye readjusted. The flash of light from his wifes teleportation spell had a habit of disorienting peoples vision. "Damn it, this place looks like hell."
"Yes well war is hell, no kingdom last for ever and all of that." Laynnei injected with her standard inability to outwardly show sympathy. "Granted this could be for the better, after all if Hyrule falls maybe I can get you to stay retired."
"Yeah, love you too hun."
Laynnei merely sighed and turned towards her daughter, "Ayala do me a favor, should your father find himself in one of those ridiculous situations with no chance of survival that you all seem to live for please, please drag him out of there. Funerals are a pain in the ass and alternatively I rather not have to deal with a husband who's missing all his arms and legs."
"Uuh, I'll try? I guess..." she knew damn well that was an impossible task even with her limited ability to teleport.
Oberon, on the other hand, was mortified by the thought. "What, no! Those fights are the best kind!"
"Do you need to go back in the bottle?" Laynnei barked with giving one of those soul crushing gazes that all mothers seemed to some how possess. The faerie squeaked in panic as she quickly retreated to her standard hiding spot inside Ayala's chest plate. Laynnei had spent the past few years trying to "tame" the faeries "over enthusiasm for war." So far its just placed the same fear of death in Oberon's heart that Laynnei seems to hold over most people how know her. "I swear one of these days I'm really going to nail that thing to a bug collection board. Anyway," she paused to return to a less antagonist tone, well less for her anyway. "You kids have fun, just try not to die of get maimed. I'll be at the Chan's." She vanished in another flash of light.
"She seems surprisingly less annoyed with everything this time around."
"She was usually only annoyed because she was worried about you kids. Now that she's gotten older she worries about you less."
"You know she's gonna kill you if she heard you say that."
"Nah, she's gotten less violent in her old age too."
"Speak for yourself!" Oberon's frightened voice rang out from inside Ayala's armor. The faerie has become so traumatized by Laynnei draconian discipline methods that she was still shivering in fear even after the devil women had left.
The scene at the castle was an improvement but not by much. The place was still in one piece but there was a trail of dead bodies leading towards the throne room. Seishi naturally assumed that's were he'd find Phoenix. Not surprisingly the throne room door was barricaded shut and there was a group of guards waiting just outside.
"Have any of you guys seen Phoenix, I need to check in with him real quick."
"Who the hell are you!?" The rather large lieutenant in change of the platoon bark barked back. He wasn't one to openly trust two heavily armed strangers who show up in the middle of an attack looking for the head of the whole damn army.
While it was a rather reasonable stance for the officer to take, Seishi wasn't one to give a damn. "You know Phoenix, old guy who runs the place. Tends to turn into a big evil looking thing every now an then. You know what, he's probably in that room, I'll just let myself in."
The LT started to raise his voice even more now that the stranger was clearly ignoring him and interfere with the plan Phoenix had laid forth from him. "Look no one goes in there as long as that door's sealed. That's Lord Phoenix's order, I figure you might want pay head to it. Unless of course your an enemy." The lieutenant cracked his knuckles getting ready for a fight.
"Is that so..."
"Oh here we go again." Ayala sighed as she readied her staff. Oberon popped her head out from hiding and was noticeably bursting with excitement over getting to see another fight after years of nothing but peace time training to keep her entertained.
The massive wooden door exploded into pieces and the lieutenant was sent flying into the throne room. "Hey look, the door's open now. Guess we're allowed in."
"Oh for the love of!" Phoenix shouted as he lifted his aged body up from the throne. "Just once can you show up here without putting a guard in a coma!?"
"Hey he started it."
"You always say that, you know every other Light Warrior manages to show up here without..." Phoenix cut himself shot once he looked down and notice who the guard was that was laid out on the floor. "Oh... Well I guess you've meet your new adjutant."
"My what?"
Seishi Ma/Hyrule Castle/Day 4
"Your adjutant, you know junior officers assigned to commanding officers to assist them in various duties." Phoenix spouted out the obvious knows full well Seishi wasn't going to like the conversation they were about to have. A fact which amused him a bit. 
"No, no I get that, its the my part that's throwing me off. See that would mean I was commanding something. Something with a lot of people based on the need for a secretary." Seishi had already figured out exactly what his old friend was trying to pull. It was the same think Sabre pulled on him centuries ago and he wasn't about to have it.
"No not a large group, just a few skilled soldiers that have a disposition similar to your own and as such have trouble maintaining the discipline required in a normal unit. I'm assigning Lt Lon to you because you'd never do the admin work, you don't know everything that's changed in the military since last time you were in it, and because Colonels are suppose to have assistants."
"Colonel? Hell why don't you just put me in charge of the whole damn army?"
"Ha!" the Lt shouted has he climbed back to his feet. "Where'd you get this jackass? Sure you can run this place as a Colonel, just kill the dozen or so dumb asses I mean generals above you and I'm sure you could easily lead us to victory, what with your vast knowledge of military command structure. Not to mention all those men who undieing loyalty you've gained through you're years of service. Look Lord Phoenix I know those whiny 'well breed' assholes who call themselves officers have been complaining about me but this demotion is bullshit."
The Paladin played little attention the to his new second commands ranting, though he could tell he they'd end up getting along already. Though there was one thing the Lt said that bugged him, "Twelve Generals? Damn it, one was enough of a pain in the ass now you have twelve."
"Yes like I said, things have changed hell a colonel today is about to same as a major from your time so its not really a two rank promotion." Seishi was a but confused by the "two" since the rank of Lieutenant Colonel didn't exist back in the damn but Phoenix didn't feel like wasting time explain EVERYTHING that change. Besides that was that the LT was for. "Any well LT it's not a demotion, if anything-" he was cut off by a loud crash and blood curling scream coming from the entrance into the throne room. He leaned to the side to look past the other two and confirm his suspicions as the origin of the noise. What he saw with Ayala standing in the archway spear in hand surrounded by the rest of the guards he had stationed outside the door. So far two of them were passed out on the group losing blood. "-it'll help you get promoted for once. Hello Ayala."
"Hi Phoenix, it's been a while." She shouted back without turning her graze away from the guards that had been trying to subdue her since Seishi smashed the door open with the lieutenants face.
"Quite, and I see you're in high spirits as usual. LT go get you're men to stand down before she kills."
The LT turned around and started to walk over to the fight but not before giving his Seishi a dirty look since he'd already figured out the relation those do must have. "What can I say, she takes after her old man." Lon just shrugged and started barking orders and he headed towards the back.
"You know speaking of Generals the official second in command slot is still open. Of course there's the defacto but Blade hasn't picked his right hand man yet so its still open. Now I hate to deny him the right to pick his own like every General since Sabre has been allowed to but I've got an army full of noble breed officers complaining to me every day that I let "commoners" before officers so I figure if I put the ancient bloodline back in that seat they'll leave me alone."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't bullshit me Seishi, you knew I was going to figure it out eventually. There was damn near a riot when Sabre gave me that position because I wasn't high born, and there's the fact that you've told me yourself your family was the second highest of the military nobility. Plus they way the Chief Military Adviser vouched for you back then and all the stories you've told me. You think I wouldn't piece it all together and figure out your family use to hold the second in command slot."
"Honestly I never gave it a thought either which way.
Fair enough. Seriously though it would help me with all the politics this job comes with."
Sorry, I'll pass. I'll do this army thing for you though. I'm to old for Light Warrior heroics anyway.
"You're joining the regular army again? I never though I'd see that," the young women laughed as she walked over with the Lt following behind.
"Yeah, Phoenix is making me a Colonel and giving me and putting a bunch of assholes who know how to fight under my command."
"Sounds fun, it almost makes me want to tag along instead of joining up with the Light Warriors."
"Oh no, you're not going near the Light Warriors. I've got your brother behaving for now and I don't want to have to worry the kind of crap he'd pull if he finds out you two are here." It was a half truth, he also didn't want them near Lynn but he couldn't let them know that.
"Oh great! There's another one of you floating around."
"Oh right I guess you won't know. You've already met him Lon. He was that cloaked mercenary that fought Kinslayer a few nights ago. I heard you had an argument with him or something."
"Oh that SOB was your kid, this is all starting to make sense now."
"No **** small world. I'm surprised you're alive though. Of course it does explain why your working with me."
"Yes, well that and he's the only capable officer I have left in the city. I had to ship off any one in the castle guard that was capable of a hard days work off to the regular army, and reassign most of the city guard to protect the castle. He's just still here because half the officer core refused to work with an officer who's father was a mason and he's gotten into a fist fight with the other half."
The LT just shrugged, "I always win though."
"So, am I getting to command a squad or whatever?"
"Company and no, you'd kill any soldiers work for you and I clearly don't have the men to spare. To be honest I wasn't expecting you so I didn't have anything planned for you. Just stick with your father unit and I'll make up some paper work to explain it. I'll probably make you a Warrant Officer or something."
"Great, what's a Warrant Officer."
"It's a rank above the enlisted but below the officers. They're technical experts outside the normal command structure so they do their jobs with out anyone giving them stupid orders, but they can't give out stupid orders either."
"So my job is to kick everyone's ass without having to worry about army bull."
"Not exactly, but sure."
"No **** that, that's exactly how that ranks gonna work cause that's pretty much how this companies gonna run."
"Everyone I've assigned you already acts like that so I expected as much. Now you should probably go meet them, they're all waiting in the training yard. And Seishi, I'm begging you, don't kill or any one else on our side for that matter. We could get attacked any day now and I need people to be able to walk." Seishi just waved back as he walked away grinning. Phoenix has known him long enough to realize that meant trouble. "Well crap, I just hope he doesn't do anything they can't sleep off. Unless the Twili attack tonight."
== Cliffhanger Conclusion ==
Maydni/Evening 4/Twili Advance Army Encampment
That damn Scion had made a real mess of things, that much was certain. But Maydni wasn't a Commander for no reason. She could inspire her men, with fear or high morale. And so, that entire evening, despite the psychosis plaguing her mind, that is what she had done. Those Twili who had fled the encampment in abject terror over the appearance of a Seraph and a being of Primeval Fire had returned, in time, once the chaos died down and it was heard there were survivors being led by Maydni.
The fact she had survived was morale boost enough.
"With Maydni on our side, we'll beat this Hylian dogs! Ground them into the dirt! She's survived the Forest Medallion bomb, and now she's survived their Scion! Nothing can stop Maydni!"
That was the word going around the camp. That was the thought of the troops. All doubts were quashed in a surge of renewed faith. They had come through the Forest, weakened but still strong. They had faced the Scion, and were bloodied by not beaten. Hyrule Castle was in their grasp.
"March! March through the night! Light your torches and move! We rested last night, we've rested all day! Tonight, we go to war! By sun-up, we will be at the Hylian's doorstep! This time tomorrow, this wretched kingdom will bow before us! March!"
A roar of approval made its way through the reinvigorated troops. Any tiredness was stripped away by adrenaline and testosterone, as well as an added leak of excitement from Maydni's psychic powers. The remaining host of the Twili Advance Army, just shy of one thousand men, turned to the north. Their march upon Castle Town began as the sun retreated beyond the horizon, hiding from their might.
Away in Castle Town, the southern edge of the world remained alight. The marching of a thousand torches simulated a misplaced sunset through the night.
MEANWHILE...
Outside the Spirit Temple/Evening 4
A small band of Hylian defenders stepped out through the main doorway of the Spirit Temple. Senshi, Mikhal, and Moran squinted at the setting sun, casting light straight down the line of the horizon and into their eyes.
"Wonderful. I can't see a thing now."
"Stop complaining, old man." Senshi reprimanded Moran. "The kid's pretty banged up, I don't know if using the Ocarina to teleport will make it worse, but we need to get these shards back to the..."
"Halt! You three!" came a shouted voice from the fringes of their vision. "You're... You're Hylians!"
The trio blinked a few times, and their vision adjusted. They had walked out of the Spirit Temple and into the middle of the main body of the Twili Army. The ground, which before had looked like sane in the darkness, now revealed itself to be the massed bodies of thousands, no tens of thousands, of soldiers at camp. And further on the outskirts was a multitude of engines of war and siege.
Senshi shifted backward into a fighting stance, readying his scythe. Moran's grip shifted on his staff. Mikhal just groaned. "Damn it. Not more fighting. Didn't we just leave this party?"
Two versus ten thousand? These guys don't understand the concept of a fair fight, do they?
"You're right. They're way outnumbered."
And Senshi struck forward, slicing clean through the first man to have noticed them, who had shouted. He gurgled a death scream. Those who had not heard his initial announcement heard the sounds of his dying, and suddenly there was a clatter as hundreds of men around them took up sword, shield, and whatever weapon was near-by. Senshi just laughed.
Oh! This is going to be fun.
Lord Grem/Evening 4/The Desert
A messenger burst into Grem's quarters.
"My Lord!"
Grem backhanded the insolent pup. "Announce yourself, you dog!"
"M-My Lord! I apologize! Th-There are Hylians in the camp! Fighting has broken out. Light Warriors, Eminence!"
Grem's eyes widened. They had been found already?
"Fetch me my axe." he ordered as he strode to his armor. "Today, they feel my might."
In a matter of mere minutes, with the help of his porter (and valet and two squires), the Lord of the Twili Army was armored and armed. He exited his tent and strode purposefully toward the fighting.
"Lord!" called a soldier jogging toward him. "We have them cornered. I can lead you to the fight if you would like to join!"
Grem smirked. "Lead me to the dead men."
By the time Grem reached the other warrior, the ground was littered with bodies and slick with blood. The sand soaked up the vitae, and stained itself. They had slain well over a hundred men already. More were dying with each second. These were indeed the elite special unit codenamed "Light Warriors". They fought with such ferocity it made Grem's blood boil to watch. Just two of them, and they had already done such damage. This war would prove interesting in the coming days, that much was certain.
But, then, sacrifices had to be made to the greater good. With each death on the sand, the chances of a Hylian victory here lessened. They were only weakening themselves, expending effort on minor targets. Grem could feel the strength of the dead Twili around him. These Hylians were foolish fighters. Too straightforward. Grem carefully knelt, scooping a handful of bloody sand and letting it ooze through the fingers of his gauntlet. Yes... it made his blood boil.
"Lord," murmured the aide who had followed him out to the field, "it would appear they are protecting an injured young lad. The boy was left sheltered near the entrance to this... temple structure. We have, however, recovered him. He's bandaged and really rather damaged. Likely a possible bargaining chip."
"Good," Grem commended the man. "Bring the captive forward. Let's show these two that they should not have come against us here."
Grem marched forward. The sand quaked at his approach. The two men turned to face the coming threat. 
"Who are you supposed to be?" asked the younger one.
Grem laughed a deep, dark laugh. "I am the Grand General of the Twili Armies. I am Lord Grem. And this," he gestured behind himself, "is someone you should already know."
His gesture signaled his aide, who presented the boy Mikhal.
"If this child's life means anything to you, you will submit yourselves."
The younger Hylian rolled his head and cracked his neck. "I’ve beaten demons, demi-gods and wizards that could destroy entire cities. Do you really think you can match me?"
Grem shifted a two-handed grip on his great-axe. "Fool boy. I can assure you that you have never faced anything like me."
The young man charged forward, his scythe slicing the air in an arc. He was fast, and he was strong. Grem's axe shot up in an instant and blocked the blow with a parry that sent the scythe careening into the sand. Senshi's eyes widened in surprise at the speed of his armored foe. Grem sucker-punched the surprised warrior, sending him stumbling backward. Before Grem could move in for another blow, Moran entered the fray, unleashing a magical blow against the Twili general.
Again, Grem's axe moved with unnatural speed. Moran's magic hit the edge of the weapon, and split. The axe actually cut the attack, sending twin beams shooting backward to either side of Grem, until they collided with and killed a pair of Twili soldiers behind Grem. Now it was Moran's turn to be surprised at his opponent.
Gram gave a short chuckle. "I know all you bastards are mighty damned impressed. Never get to see your glorious leader in one-on-one engagements. But... did I tell you stop attacking?!"
With a shout, the Twili snapped out of their distraction and flooded down on the two Light Warriors. Moran killed two dozen with magic before the surge overcame him and brought him to the ground. He killed another dozen in the ensuing tousle. Senshi killed every last one that got withing five feet of him, his scythe whirling around him like a shield of blades despite being only one weapon.
"Taliesin!"
Grem strode right up to Senshi, and the scythe, that magical weapon of such might, impacted with his breastplate. It bounced off, but left behind a goodly-sized dent in the armor. Grem, unperturbed, snapped out and palmed Senshi's head in his left hand.
"Puny little man. You cannot beat me. This battlefield is slick with the fresh blood of my soldiers. My soul burns with their sacrifice. Tell me, what do you fight for?" His hand squeezed, putting pressure on Senshi's head. "Your companions are in my hands. You, quite literally, are in my hand. Save yourself the embarrassment and stop struggling."
Senshi twitched, and a wave of telekinetic energy blasted out from him. Grem's hand opened and was flung backward. Senshi fell into the bloody sand. He rolled aside just moments before Grem's axe bore downward, missing him by only inches. Senshi's throat issued a guttural growl, and the scythe again struck at Grem. But this time, the Twili blocked the blow with his left greave, sending reverberations through the weapon that caused Senshi's fingers to ache.
"You do not know who you are $*%&ing with!" shouted the Hylian.
Grem didn't even respond. He merely bore his axe down on warrior, who blocked with his scythe held over his head with both hands. The power of the strike sunk Senshi's feet half an inch into the sand. The downward pressure of Grem bearing into him sunk his feet another half inch. Senshi gritted his teeth and pushed back. There was a creak of bending metal as the scythe's shaft warped slightly.
Then Grem lifed the axe away and stepped back. Senshi took a moment to breath before Grem charged again, feinting an overhead slash with the edge of the axe that turned into a diagonal swing with the axe's flat edge. Senshi brought the scythe up to block the initial attack, and was struck broad in the side by the full of the axe's flat. Something snapped in Senshi's body at impact. His body was sent careening off to the side. Then, something else snapped when he collided with a group of Twili soldiers who had formed part of the dueling circle in which he had been facing Grem.
Senshi moaned. The Twili soldier's underneath him groaned. He could feel at least one, maybe two broken ribs, and was pretty sure his left shoulder had been dislocated, assuming that wasn't the feeling of his entire upper arm having shattered.
Grem began a slow stride toward the fallen warrior, intent to finish the fight. He stood over the man, glaring at his broken foe. Then, he lifted his great-axe from off his shoulder, and hefted it upward.
A final strike was aimed and ready to bring itself down on, and through, the neck of Senshi Ma.
Mikhal shouted, "NO!"
Senshi's eyes looked up at his killer.