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Chapter Text

There is but one legend amongst the Monsters of Hyrule…

Long ago, there laid a lush land of near endless bounty - ruled by nature.

Until there came an ambitious people, forging the land to their own visions.

As the kingdom expanded, the meek creatures that called the lands home were forced to flee. They made a pact with an ancient spirit in desperation, but were tricked. Unwillingly, they were transformed into horrifying monsters to lay waste onto the land for the deity’s selfish desires. It seemed as if they would be forced under its subjugation for all eternity...

...then suddenly four monsters managed to break free from the curse through sheer force of will. Banding together, they escaped from under the thumb of the malicious god. The famed monsters were said to be: a beast of colossal strength, a reptile of impeccable precision, an imp of unrivaled magic, and one humble pig. With little options, they reluctantly aided the people of the land and pushed against the bloodthirsty forces they once called family...

...But this was a short victory. Even with the creatures’ help, the kingdom was overwhelmed by the servants of chaos. The four monsters tried with all their might to free their enslaved brethren, but the trickster god learned well. It was clear that all opposition to its rule would be met with a painful death.

The remaining people and their allies soon found themselves trapped - surrounded by unspeakable terrors. With the end drawing nigh, a lifeline appeared through divine intervention, or just pure happenstance: a sliver of power, once wielded by the gods of old, tossed aside in an abandoned temple. For their allegiance, the monsters were rewarded with a second betrayal. They were left behind on the ravaged soil they once loved - while the survivors used the newfound power to flee to the land above the clouds.

As the last piece of earth was sent skyward, the monsters lowered their weapons & embraced fate.

Ironically, the creatures of the land got exactly what they had bargained for.

While the monsters of legend perished, their scorn for both their new master and the “chosen people” of the land yet lingers. It is said that as the heroes were struck down, the ancient god made a fatal flaw. An uncorrectable mistake, contrived in arrogance, that would one day be the monsters’ strongest weapon. So even while forced under the wicked spells of old, and detested by all other walks of life, a silent hope endures for the Monsters of Hyrule.

Chapter Text

In the ruined outposts to the East of the Great Plateau, a lone Bokoblin named Kobb hastily scavenged through the rubble. Usually nothing of great value could be found - as by this point everything had been picked clean. Although it was surprising how much valuables the remnants of Hyrule had stashed away. There was also the fact that many of these ruins had their loot occasionally “stocked up” by many an adventurer getting too greedy and meeting their end - but Kobb tried not to think about that. Instead, it darted its eyes around for any potential patrol: Hylian or Monster. The hood of its wolf pelt bounced up and down as it jerked its head back and forth - eyeing the road as well as the busted crates.

Rusty swords, broken glass, tattered cloth, nothing useful. Still, Kobb kept rummaging. Maybe it could find something sharp to fasten to the front of its shield. Not like it would find a weapon that could match the trusty Flameblade sheathed on its back. A large SQUAWK suddenly interrupted its searching and the Bokoblin’s head flipped around - only to see the Eldin Ostrich it rode in on complaining about being fed.

“I am almost done, we will get you some dinner later” it shushed the large bird. The ostrich huffed and joined the Bokoblin scanning the ground. Except in the ostrich’s case it was to find a snake or lizard to stamp out and eat.

After a few more minutes of combing, Kobb struck a jackpot. In what appeared to be a collapsed shelf, it found a jar of clear yellow substance that somehow hadn’t cracked. With some strained effort, the Bokoblin pried the lid off and cautiously dipped its fingers in and licked it. The second the gooey liquid touched Kobb’s tongue, it was struck with the most delicious taste it had found in its life. Kobb quickly recognized the concoction as honey, but it had no idea it could be this sweet! Its large ears twitched in delight from how new this felt. Seems like the Malice that once had control over the Bokoblin refused to give it even the most simple of pleasures. That was behind Kobb, now. No more would Calamity Ganon have power over it - but that was exactly why it had to be on constant alert. 

Carefully, Kobb covered its sweet treasure and stuffed it in its satchel. As tempting as it was to guzzle all the honey down immediately, the Bokoblin restrained itself. When its head moved, the setting sun shone onto a particular crevice and a glint flashed in Kobb’s eye. On a winning streak, it pried further and pulled out a very peculiar object. It was a small metallic heart attached to a chain. The chain had rusted pretty bad, but the heart gleaned a glittering gold. There was a fasten on the side and the Bokoblin curiously pried it open. Once the dust and dirt were brushed off, the face of a handsome Hylian man stared at Kobb. The picture only went down to the bust, and the man wore a rather rustic attire. He had a slight smile with bright blue eyes - the only color of the picture that hadn’t washed out. This must’ve been carried by a soldier that was stationed here, the Bokoblin thought as it let its mind wander to those it had lost.

How long had it been since that fateful day - when it was separated from its treasured friends? Weeks? Months? The days seemed to mesh together as Kobb was forced to be constantly nomadic. Any period of rest it gave itself would bring back the heartbreak it faced in the Tanagar canyon. It hadn’t even tried to free any other Bokoblin after it had to witness its new family get wiped out in days. This is for the best , it would always tell itself. While there was strength in numbers, it also drew too much attention - and right now Kobb was at the top of The Calamity’s hitlist. At least that was the excuse it gave itself. In reality it was not ready to try to start again. The holes that its Bokoblin brethren and Sledge left could never be filled.

And yet, there was the faintest shred of hope that still lingered. All Kobb saw was its Moblin companion fall over the ledge. The rest had their fate set in stone, but Kobb did not see Sledge draw its last breath. It was hard for the Bokoblin to tell what was hope and what was sheer delusion - trying to reason with the dead.

“Stop this…” Kobb grunted to itself, “...you saw Sledge fall. Just keep moving. Never look back, just like what Sledge told you.” 

Before the Bokoblin could delve any further, it heard a panicked squawking from its ostrich. Kobb whipped its head around and saw the bird yanking on its lead and trying to run backwards. It followed the ostrich’s eyes and came face-to-face with a Bokoblin patrol. There were at least 3 on horseback - with likely another one away from the main group. One of the Bokoblins made a pointing gesture to the Eldin Ostrich and rallied the other Bokoblins with a loud grunt. The patrol kicked their feet into the horses sides and started closing the distance. They hadn’t seen Kobb yet, but that hardly mattered. It was one of The Calamity’s top priorities right now and its Malice-free eyes would surely be noticed. The locket was unceremoniously stuffed into its satchel and Kobb sprinted to its mount. The lead was swiftly cut with its Flamesword and it leaped onto the Ostrich. With two light taps to the side of its neck, the bird took off in a run and diverted from the main road - instead heading North.

The hood of the wolf pelt was thrown off the Bokoblin’s head. Galloping hooves and warcries of “Kill The Defector!” could be heard from behind, but Kobb was far from panicked. Knowing from personal experience, Bokoblins were far too small to be riding the horses of Hyrule. With no saddle they could only go so fast before flying off the back. Eldin Ostriches were far more suited to a Bokoblin’s size - and they were very handy in a pinch. The escape plan was already plotted in Kobb’s mind: it would run alongside Hylia River, find a good place to leap across to force the other Bokoblins to take an alternate route, then take the northern path to the Lanayru Wetlands and lay low for a few days there. That should buy the Bokoblin enough time to find a good hiding place before reinforcements storm the area. There was no time for Kobb to catch its breath, no time to second guess. The Calamity would stop at nothing to eradicate the defector.

However, Ganon would have to try a lot harder to catch this Bokoblin.

Chapter Text

The Lanayru Wetlands once housed a small but important community that acted as the mid-way between the Hylian and Zora capital. Many dealings of commerce, culture, and royal squabbles took place in that humble village. But that was in a long forgotten time - at least to the Hylians. Now it is nothing but a ruined muck surrounded by bloodthirsty Guardians and Lizalfos. Except not even the forces of Ganon are too keen on keeping this spot. The land to the northwest is far superior at gatekeeping any travelers from going to and from Zora’s Domain. It also allows for more than just Lizalfos to be stationed as it is not required to wade through knee-deep swamp. It is one of the few ghost towns of Hyrule - devoid of Hylian and monster alike. 

Which made it the perfect home for a certain Lizalfos that once went by “Lizzy”.

While it was hard to let go of the name the small Zora had given it, the Lizalfos ultimately grew attached to a name it gave itself on a whim: Zayl. It still had the similar phonetics that “Lizzy” had, but it wanted a name more rooted in Malician. In its language zayl was used for the feeling of smoothness - like from running water or running your hand down a Lizalfos’ scales. Ironically, its new name also happened to sound quite similar to the Hylian word for “scale”.

When it arrived at Lanayru Wetlands all it had were the weapons it gathered on the way there, and the neckerchief given to it by Prince Sidon. In a short time, Zayl had managed to carve out a small isolated niche for itself on the far eastern island. There was a long-abandoned house that was just perfect for the Lizalfos. Rather than clean up the rotting boards and eroding stone, Zayl simply let nature take over further. It carried handfuls of moss and cultivated a bed and a carpet, it dug a small canal that opened out into the wetlands for a steady diet of fish and frogs to find itself right at its doorstep, it even set up its own Lotus Seed farm. In just a few weeks Zayl went from struggling alone to thriving, but still alone.

Even with chores and botanical decorating to keep it busy, the Lizalfos was really starting to feel lonely. When it was under the Malice, it was always within a stone’s throw of another Lizalfos. While conversation was skim, having each other's company was enough. It tried to stave off the loneliness by keeping several snails that lived along the marsh banks as pets, rather than eating them. That worked for a while, and snails were pretty good listeners, but what Zayl really needed was interaction with something that could talk back. 

Unfortunately, conversation with anything else in the area was out of the question. The Lizalfos post to the Northeast would undoubtedly skewer the poor Zayl the second they saw the absence of Malice. The Zoras that occasionally passed through the wetlands would eviscerate the lone Lizalfos on sight - speaking from prior experience. Every so often it would find a Hylian brave enough to explore the hostile wetlands, but they were more interested in ransacking what was left from the fallout of The Calamity for essentials. Zayl continued to brainstorm. It knew that there was a slim chance of a Lizalfos having any exchange with a Zora or Hylian (unless it was an exchange of sword blows), but what if they didn’t know it was a Lizalfos?

Zayl immediately got to work on its next project. It gathered as many flowers and natural dyes it could and began the arduous process of making paint through trial-and-error. The Lizalfos had to travel to the forest to the west of the Lanayru Wetlands just to get dry wood to make a fire. Then it made its own elevated fire pit out of stone - as the ground its home rested on was too damp. While it initially did this to boil flowers for paint, Zayl used this fire-pit to begin cooking fish too. It remembered seeing Bokoblins do this all the time, but it had preferred to eat them raw. Zayl thoroughly enjoyed the newfound taste, and experimented with a balanced diet of cooked and raw fish. Over the next few days it felt a night-and-day improvement in energy.

 The Lizalfos then took the flexible but strong Lotus stems from its harvests and taught itself how to weave baskets and other trinkets. It had seen similar objects in the many ruins of Hyrule, and it was excited to make one of its own. After many failed attempts and thrown objects, Zayl finally crafted one sturdy enough to hold several fish and lotus seeds. Using a dried wooden board, it painted simple pictographs that would hopefully pass the language barrier. The first drawing was a hand grabbing a fish, another hand dropping something else in a full basket and a big circle to the side. The second drawing had the same hand grabbing a fish, but the basket was empty and the circle had a large red X through it. Hopefully, Zayl wanted to get a simple message across: Take what you want, but leave something behind. 

This was also its litmus test for the Hylians and the Zora. If they couldn’t be trusted with a basket and a simple request, then why should it put their trust in anything else? At the crack of dawn, the basket of freshly caught fish and hand-picked Lotus Seeds were placed close to the fork in the road that led to the wetlands. Zayl also put an empty “collection” basket next to it. With any luck, travelers passing by would see the basket in the distance and trade with this unmanned stand. Some might see it as an obvious trap, but Zayl was willing to take that risk. After the usual daily routine, it crept back to where it left the basket and was pleasantly surprised to find it still intact. Furthermore, there were some things left behind too. While not all the fish and Lotus seeds were taken, the second basket had several goodies inside. Salted meat, dried fruit, edible mushrooms, and even a few rupees were sitting at the bottom. The Lizalfos chuckled to itself - forgetting that the beings of Hyrule used their own currency. It certainly had no use for rupees, but it was more than satisfied with this outcome. 

Over the next few days, Zayl excitedly refined the little trading outpost it had created. Now that it could trust the Hylians and Zoras on the honor system, progress could be made. First, it made another sign depicting a rupee with an X through it. While their green and blue sheens were pretty, Lizalfos can’t eat rupees. Next, it tried to polish the bartering system it had set up. With more paint and wooden planks, Zayl created a sort of “trade table”. A Hyrule Bass was one clump of rock salt or equal amounts of meat. A Hearty Bass was two clumps of rock salt, or 1 ½ as much meat. A satchel of lotus seeds was equal amounts of fruit, mushrooms, or plants. A crude wooden stand was also constructed around the bartering baskets. Soon enough, the trade basket was full of meats and produce from all over Hyrule. Zayl could hardly contain its excitement as it cooked with these new ingredients. It had no idea that food could taste anything but fishy, but its numerous taste buds welcomed this change of pace.

Meanwhile, from the opposite point-of-view, word spread from the local stable about a mysterious trader living in the wetlands that had not been seen by Hylian nor Zora eye. Every so often, a bounty of fish and vegetables would show up at this unmanned bartering stand, and what was left would vanish. Several individuals would stake out the location to maybe see this merchant. Except when they did the basket would remain empty, or it would be replenished the second they averted their gaze. There were also accounts of smoke coming from the east side of the wetlands. One nosy Hylian went off to see for themselves, but found only an empty house that had been overrun by nature with a smoldering campfire beside it. Maybe if they looked closer they would have seen the Lizalfos-shaped mossy rock, but instead they chalked it up to some woodland spirit. 

Due to this encounter, Zayl had unknowingly become “The Ghost Merchant of Lanayru”. Although that was not why Nat and Meghyn were in the Lanayru Wetlands one fateful afternoon. They were simply after truffles.

“C’mon, Meghyn!” Nat shouted from a few feet away, “We’re not letting a little water get in the way of our ticket to rupee heaven!”

Her sister grumbled in a very familiar feeling of aggravation as she waded through the wetlands - carrying her boots out of the water.

“I think you’re underselling what ‘a little amount of water’ means!!” Meghyn shouted back.

Nat looked back and scoffed, putting one hand on her hip. “Well it’s either this or monster-infested forests so let’s see some hustle! The quicker we get some truffles the faster get out of this dump”

“Didn’t have to tell me twice…” Meghyn muttered under her breath. She swore that her sister would one day be the death of both of them - with how often they’ve run into trouble.

And it looked like today might be that day when they rounded a bank and saw themselves face to face with the biggest Water Buffalo they’ve ever seen.

The sisters froze. Buffalo were not normally aggressive, that is unless you spooked them or invaded their space. It looked like they accomplished both as the beast huffed, reared backwards, and started to charge. Nat tried to run, but the wetlands slowed her down to a pitiful jog. Not like a Hylian could outrun a buffalo from this distance, anyways. She at least did better than Meghyn, who tried to run backwards and ended up falling right on her bum into the water. As the buffalo closed distance the two flinched and prepared for the worst - not realizing a glint appearing from the nearby cluster of trees.

A sharp fwip filled the air and an arrow made its mark right in the back of the buffalo’s leg. The creature stumbled and lifted itself up on its hind legs. That seemed to only make it angry. But right as the beast lifted its head, a peculiar fwipafwipafwipafwipa came from the same treeline and a razor-sharp boomerang tore perfectly across the buffalo’s neck. With a loud groan, the buffalo took a few angry steps closer then fell to the ground hard. The resulting shockwave almost launched the sisters off the ground as the surrounding water quickly turned red.

The sisters looked to the nearby trees to see who could have possibly saved them, but their hearts dropped into their stomach when they saw a lone Lizalfos shuffling towards them. Before they could let out a scream and try to draw their weapons, the monster passed right by them as if they didn’t exist. This caught Nat and Meghyn completely off guard and they sat in the marsh, dumbstruck as the Lizalfos neared the felled buffalo. The creature was still slightly writing in pain and the Lizalfos approached with caution. It laid its hand on the buffalo’s chest, feeling its labored breathing for a few moments, before muttering something in an unknown language. While the sisters couldn’t parse the Lizalfos’ words, it sounded apologetic? With that, the Lizalfos surgically reached into the wound near the neck and yanked - giving the animal a merciful death. 

While the Lizalfos started washing the blood off its hands, Nat and Meghyn considered bolting. But then the Lizalfos shot its gaze towards them and they froze once more. It reached behind its back and the sisters once again gritted their teeth, but then the Lizalfos held up a roll of crude bandages and pointed to them.

“Bleeding?” it shouted to the two Hylians in a raspy voice.

Nat and Meghyn looked at each other in sheer disbelief. Never in their lives had they come across a monster that wasn’t immediately hostile.

“Uhhhh……we’re alright, but thank you?” Meghyn hesitantly shouted back, giving a halfhearted thumbs-up.

The Lizalfos cocked its head to the side upon seeing the Hylian’s gesture, and then imitated it with its chameleon-like hands. It looked so comical Meghyn couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. As the two sisters helped each other out of the shallow water, the Lizalfos hoisted the two hind legs of the buffalo on its shoulders and began to slowly drag it to the shore. Now that Nat had a better look at the monster, she noticed it looked a lot different than other Lizalfos. The steel armor adorning its shoulders and back were overrun with moss, a wicker basket of fish was affixed to its waist, and a frilly handkerchief was wrapped around its neck. Nat felt an odd sense of deja vu from the handicraft of the Lizalfos’ basket. She put two-and-two together after realizing it matched that stand they saw coming into the Lanayru Wetlands - and recalling the conversation she had with the nearby stable owner.

“Are you the Ghost Merchant?” she called out.

The Lizalfos’ head turned around and it gave a quizzical look at Nat.

“Do not understand what Hylian is asking” it said back.

“Do you put the fish over there?” Nat clarified, pointing to the entrance to the Wetlands.

“Ahhh” the Lizalfos said, its eyes lighting up, “Yes. Do not talk, please? It is…a secret to everybody.”

Nat nodded and gave another thumbs up, with Meghyn following suit. While they felt conflicted on this whole situation, it’s not like the Lizalfos was hurting anybody. Plus it just saved their hides, so privacy was the least they could give to repay the monster.

“You got a name?” Nat asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

To her surprise, the Lizalfos nodded. “Yes. Call me Zayl!” it happily shouted back.

“A-alright, then…see ya around, Zayl.”

“Ceeeeya aroun!” Zayl imitated back with a wave, getting back to hauling the buffalo.

The two sisters simultaneously nodded and trudged back the way they came. They exited the Lanayru Wetlands in complete silence - with only each other as proof this actually happened and it wasn’t just a crazy hallucination.

Perhaps it was high time the sisters retired from their truffle hunting ventures.

Chapter Text

“What are you doing, Aingsly?!” Reeds shouted at the young Hylian tearing her way up the hill, “Don’t you know that’s Bottomless Swamp you’re heading to?”

“Oh, c’mon, it’s been forever since we’ve been exploring and this thing is right in our backyard. Besides, you never had to come in the first place!!” Aingsly shouted back as she clambered on some rocks. Following quickly behind was her two friends, Reeds and Carson.

“Yeah, and there’s a good reason we haven’t! Have you forgotten about all the monsters running about?” Reeds yelled back before cursing under his breath to his more reasonable friend. “Oooooo ughhhh my parents are going to kill me if I die because of her!”

The other Hylian teenager next to Reeds opened his mouth like he was going to say something, shut it, then finally spoke.

“I mean, there hasn’t been a monster sighting around that area in months. For as menacing a name as ‘Bottomless Swamp’, it seems safe enough.” Carson said, still a little out of breath from trying to keep up with the others.

Reeds looked at him with absolute disdain. “Don’t tell me you’re on her side for this?” he said as Ainglsey nearly slipped off a rock and let out a startled “whoop! ”.

Carson shrugged. “Do you see any Malice? Even when we had those mercenaries clean up that area to safen the roads, the monsters were back next Blood Moon. How many Blood Moons has it been now? Three?”

As much as Reeds hated to admit it, Carson was right. That sinister red glow from the north that had been around since his childhood was now completely gone. There was now an eerie stillness in the air. It really seemed like the only life around was them and the circling crows overhead.

“For someone who’s worried about your parents, you sure don’t listen to your mom when she talks about her patrols” Aingsly chimed in, suddenly right next to the two boys.

“Oh, shut up” Reeds said, rolling his eyes. “But that’s beside the point! There could still be monsters just waiting to ambush us! And that wouldn’t nearly be as bad as…you know…”

Carson and Aingsly exchanged glances, both clueless to what Reeds was talking about.

“...The Hermit?”

The other 2 Hylian teens bust out in roaring laughter, causing Reeds to blush.

“You actually believe The Hermit exists?!”

“We only use that story to scare the pants off of Ms. Lemmy’s brats! Bwahaha!”

Reeds doubled down and stomped his feet in anger.

“I’m telling you, it’s real!” he shouted. “One night I couldn’t sleep, so I went out of the stable beds for some fresh air and I saw this…thing floating down towards the river! It came from this hill I saw it! It was glowing and had these long freaky hands…”

Carson held back his laughter for a moment, only to keep sputtering. “My man…that sounds like a Wizzrobe. You got spooked by something that dies to an icicle.”

Reeds adamantly shook his head. “Noooo there’s no way it was a Wizzrobe! They’re all dainty and move around like this!” he said while prancing around and waving his hands much like a Wizzrobe would do - much to the chortles of his friends.

“This…thing was lumbering. Its feet seemed to drag through the air.”

Aingsly held her chin and nodded in fake-concern, stifling her laughter as hard as she could. “Mmhmm…sounds like you caught your dad taking a midnight leak” she said, causing the two to once again burst out in a fit of giggles.

By now Reeds had enough of their shenanigans. “C’mon you all, quit it. You’ve heard the rumors from the nightly patrol, too. The Hermit has to be real!”

Carson and Aingsly wiped the tears from their eyes and took deep breaths. “Okay,” Aingsly said, pulling up her hood, “lemme get into the mood for this.” She began waving her fingers in front of Reeds’ face.

“Ooooo on lonely nights, when the moon is but a sliver in the sky, do not wander about because that’s when The Hermit comes out to play.”

Carson was enjoying the show, but Reeds was not amused.

“It comes down from the skull of Bottomless Swamp, looking for its next victim. In one touch, it withers your bones and turns your skin to ash. If you hear its song, it’s already too late because that’s when it…GETS YA.”

Aingsly lunged at Reeds’ face, causing him to flinch and almost tumble down the grassy hill. The glasses poorly affixed on his face did fall off, but were caught by Carson before they could be stepped on. Once Reeds could see again, he flailed his arms back at Aingsly, tired of her antics by now.

“If it’s any consolation,” Carson said, “it’s in the middle of the day. Plus, you’re all skin and bones so you’d probably choke it to death.”

“Oh that just warms my heart.”

“Last one to the top is a stinky ol’ Hermit!” Aingsly cried, bounding up the rocks once more. Carson followed suit, with Reeds begrudgingly following. 

In a few minutes, the three teens had made it to the top of the hill where the actual swamp was. They all simultaneously stopped and gazed at the sight - completely forgetting about their little race. They had seen the Bokoblin Skull Rocks from a distance several times, but the one in the middle of the swamp dwarfed all of them. While they knew it was only carved out of stone, they could only imagine what gargantuan creature the horned skull would belong to. Just like Carson said, the ground was completely devoid of Malice or any other monsters. But in its place were rows of wooden stockades - with the business ends of large sticks pointing outwards. The surrounding silence only added to the haunting ambience as the group tiptoed through the skewers.

“This wood…it’s not waterlogged…” Carson said with an air of concern, carefully running his finger down one of the spikes.

“Well, duh,” Aingsly said, “it’s not in the swamp.”

“It means it was carved recently,” Carson snapped back. A pit quickly formed in the stomach of all three young Hylians.

“I think…we should head back” Reeds said in his best trying-not-to-panic voice.

“Oh, shush, soldiers never run at the first sign of trouble.”

“The ones that live do.”

“If you wanna be a Cucco, go ahead and turn tail. I wanna see this thing up close.”

Reeds sighed and continued to tail Carson and Aingsly until they all arrived at the shoreline of the swamp - if you could even call it that. There was not a plant in sight, with the substance the rock skull was stuck in being more akin to tar. Carson curiously chucked a rock and it landed in the swamp with a loud GLORP and slowly sank out of sight.

“Welp, I say I’ve seen enough. Have you seen enough? I’ve seen enough. Leeet’s head back” Reeds said in one breath and began to turn around before Aingsly grabbed him by the collar.

“Nuh-uh. You’re staying for this” she said. Before Reeds could ask for what, she cupped her hands around her mouth and took a deep breath.

“Hey Mister Hermit! Your song is crap and your mom looks like a Lynel’s ass!” she shouted as loud as possible. A faint ass…ass reverberated through the swamp.

Reeds nearly had a heart attack. 

“Are you trying to get us killed?” he whispered with gritted teeth. 

The three Hylian teens stood still with bated breath. All of them had one foot pointed towards the hill in case they needed to bolt - including Aingsly. For the longest time, the stillness in the air remained. Except now the storm clouds they hadn’t paid attention to were just starting to drift over their heads. A gloomy overcast quickly covered the midday sun. Light raindrops began to fall on their heads. The eye sockets of the skull rock seemed to get darker than ever. Yet, nothing happened.

“See? Nothing here but your crazy imagination!” Aingsly said, hiding her relief that nothing answered back.

Before Carson or Reeds could respond, they heard an ominous howl of the wind. The color drained from their faces as the chill gust blew past them. Then, they heard something apart from the wind. It started out quiet, but carried through the swamp. It was high pitched, and had a melody. The song sounded mournful - as if the wind itself was mourning. Like a siren’s call, the Hylians were compelled to stay and listen despite everything their minds and bodies were screaming at them.

“It’s…lost someone…” was the only thing Reeds could whisper.

A large thunderbolt from the sky snapped them out of their trance. The lightning landed squarely on the top of the skull rock, the empty eye sockets lit up with a menacing yellow glow as if it had come alive, and an ear-piercing shriek broke the soothing melody .

“IT’S THE HERMIT!” they all cried out in terror and acted unsurprisingly like three panicked teens with no combat experience. Carson tore down the hillside with comically flailing arms. He nearly broke his legs leaping off of one of the wooden stakes. Ainglsy instinctively reached for her daggers, but they immediately flew out of her hands when she unsheathed them too forcefully. She fled shortly after. Meanwhile neither of them noticed that Ainglsy’s flailing had knocked the glasses off of Reeds. Through the pandemonium, he could hear the plop they made when they landed in the swamp. His priorities suddenly shifted. Fear of dying by some paranormal thing was quickly trumped by the fear of having to explain to his dad why he lost his glasses. That was if he could even avoid all the splintery skewers with his horribly farsighted vision. Death was almost a preferable option. 

“Shit, not my glasses! Hey! Hey you two! Help! My glasses fell! Guys?” he yelled, but his friends were too focused on their own self-preservation to even register his words.

With reckless haste, Reeds got on his knees and started sifting through the muck. He saw the general direction his glasses flew off to, but he might as well be trying to find a needle in a haystack. He waded deep enough that he had to stand up - the swamp now waist-high. It was a race against time before his glasses sunk too deep, but Reeds was determined. Seconds later he felt his hand bump against something that must’ve been the frame, but he accidentally pushed it further down. Desperate, he leaned in further and further until he finally had the sinking glasses clutched in his hand. Unfortunately as he took one final step forward, the swamp bank had an unseen dropoff and Reeds was left treading mud. The swamp was impossible to swim in, and the Hylian soon found his neck sinking below the surface. The mortal ramifications of his situation fully dawned on him and he started screaming bloody murder until the swamp water got past his mouth. He took as deep a breath as possible before his world went dark. It turned out there was a third worst outcome to all of this.

As Reeds sank lower and his lungs burned for air, he felt truly alone. His friends would have no idea what happened to him, and they’d think this stupid Hermit thing got him. No other thought went through his head except the horrifying realization that he was going to die. Right before Reeds resigned himself to his fate, he felt something grab his outstretched arm. He sputtered in surprise as he felt his body being pulled back upwards. Whatever grabbed him wasn’t his friends. The hand had a velvety texture and he could feel elongated fingers running down his forearm. After what seemed like an eternity, his head broke the swamp surface and he sputtered and gagged for air. He went limp and felt himself being dragged to shore. Something also snatched the glasses out of his hands before he could react. Reeds sat up, dazed but alive, and was met with the sting of a cloth slapping him across the face.

“Stupid, stupid Hylian! I ought to have let you drown!” an unknown voice said to him. It did not sound like anything Reeds had heard before. It was distinctly high-pitched and shrill - but not childish. He took the cloth given to him and wiped the dirty swamp bilge out of his eyes. His farsightedness and watery eyes made the figure very hard to discern. It was tall with emaciated limbs. What it had for a body was unknown as it had a long flowing gray robe with highlights of yellow. Once again the possibility of a Wizzrobe went through Reeds’ head, but there was no way this thing was a Wizzrobe. It didn’t have the pointy hat part of the robe, its feet were touching the ground, and Reeds wasn’t immediately fried, frozen, or zapped. Although it sure didn’t help that the cloak completely covered the figure’s face.

“Cough! Well you shouldn’t have scared me and my friends like that!” Reeds said in retort with a hefty amount of courage behind it. Whatever this thing was, it probably shouldn’t be angered.

The mysterious figure scoffed. “You Hylians have some nerve saying that when you intrude on my home! You lot are lucky I only planned on scaring you!”

The lone Hylian lowered his head with slight shame, but the creature wasn’t done. 

“And some good friends you have! Where are they now?”

Reeds opened his mouth to say something, shut it, then let out a big sigh.

“Look, can you just give me my glasses back? I’ll be out of your…hair now.”

The mysterious figure crossed its arms, tapped its finger for a few seconds, and reluctantly held out its hand before snapping it back before Reeds could reach out.

“Only until you turn around, leave the way you came, tell no one of this, and never come back here again.”

Reeds didn’t need to be told twice and enthusiastically jumped back on his feet and turned around. He was absolutely filthy - but just glad to be alive (mostly) scot-free. The Hylian cupped his hands behind his back and felt the weight of his glasses drop in them. The frames were even more crooked than before, but it was good enough to get him home.

“I guess I owe you thanks for saving my life uhhhh…Mister Hermit? Missus Hermit?”

The figure scoffed again, growing more impatient. “I am above your useless Hylian designations. But if you must know, you shall call me Rezek. For it is inevitable you all will one day know my name: as the greatest magician in Hyrule!”

“Uh…huh…alright, then.”

“Now get out of my sight, fool Hylian!”

Another flash of lightning crackled almost on-cue. Reeds yelped and tore down the hillside to regroup with Aingsly and Carson - and give them a stern talking to. Once the boy was out of sight, the figure brought its hand to its face in exasperation. It lifted its hood off, revealing the stubby head of a Thunder Wizzrobe. The bright blue and green hue in its eyes stuck out from its normally drab outfit. It had long abandoned the cloak it had worn all its life in favor of sticking out less. After all, it was a rouge Thunder Wizzrobe that The Calamity was after. On the top of its head was a very peculiar scar that had yet to heal. It was still sensitive when Rezek touched it. Even with the Malice expunged from its body, it was still dealing with the side-effects every day.

“Premature Hylians are even stupider than I thought…” Rezek grumbled as it floated back up to the giant skull rock over the swamp.

Inside the giant skull, Rezek had done a complete remodeling of the place after it had expunged all traces of The Calamity. A rainwater-collection system was built along the top, tree logs had been carved into humanoid dummies Rezek used for magic practice, a lightning rod in the form of a rusty claymore was stuck at the top for that nice ozone smell on stormy days, a polished shield sat on top of a crude desk, and a nice comfy hay bed tied it all together. Rezek made a beeline to its mirror and stared at itself until it didn’t feel like itself anymore. The Malice-infused orb on its Thunderstorm Rod seemed to vibrate. While it was certain that the encased Malice had no way of calling to its master, every so often it could feel dark whisperings coming from the rod. Thankfully they were outlandish enough to ignore - as Rezek couldn’t give up the power boost its Calamity-in-a-bottle provided.

“You only did that because you had to,” it said to itself firmly, “if that whelp had died in the swamp they would’ve descended upon you like hornets.”

“But what is wrong with saving a life?” Rezek said back to itself.

The lone Wizzrobe slammed its desk. “It was a Hylian life! Would they extend to me the same mercy? What have they done for me?”

“They haven’t slighted me…yet.”

“I saw how…how that one was treated!”

“And yet that one found it in itself to forgive. Would it not want me to forgive, too?”

“I don’t want this to become a habit…I don’t want to be burned from the other side.”

“But the day will come when I might have to rely on them.”

Rezek snarled and ran away from its mirror and swan-dived onto its bed. Nestled in the hay was a small Fire Rod. In any other circumstances this would be unfathomably dangerous, but the flame inside the magic rod had been burnt out. Not even a single ember remained. Rezek curled into the fetal position and held the extinguished Fire Rod up to its forehead and closed its eyes.

“You would know exactly what to say. Why did you leave like this?” Rezek softly whispered before letting sleep take hold of its body.

Chapter Text

The sun was beginning to set after another quiet day on The Great Plateau, but it had seen quite a bit of action in the past. After Link emerged from the Shrine of Resurrection, the rockface was swarmed with forces of Malice in search of the Champion, but he had somehow eluded them. With the Great Plateau being completely isolated from the rest of Hyrule, all of Ganon’s forces evacuated. It had been months now and the Plateau was empty - save for the local flora and fauna. After all, no sense spending resources guarding a place that had no tactical advantage and was untouched by Hylians in decades.

Then a certain Moblin named Sledge, draped in a bear’s pelt with a snapped-off horn, climbed all the way to the top.

The trip from Akkala to the Great Plateau was harrowing, but Sledge found a way as always. Avoiding the roads, it had to take the long way around - following the entire east coast of Hyrule until it reached Mount Lanayru. From there it took the gorge between Zora’s Domain and Kakariko Village and traversed through Central Hyrule from there. Climbing the Plateau itself was very daunting, but enough had eroded away for Sledge to find footholds here and there. The trip was worth it - a cozy cabin stood waiting for the Moblin just like the mysterious old man said. The roof was much too short, and many of the logs were rotting, but that could be remedied.

With no monsters, Hylians, nor guardians in sight, Sledge could work unhindered. It first got to raising the roof of the decaying old cabin. Sledge’s new Double Axe could fell trees in nearly a single chop - thanks to the Moblin’s immense strength. The axe had clearly seen numerous battles, but still managed to maintain its razor-sharp edge. It had already gotten Sledge out of a few binds on the way to the Great Plateau. After a few days of hard labor and one bruised thumb, Sledge once again had a place it could call home. But that was only a means to its main goal: find its treasured Bokoblin friend, Kobb. 

There were many vantage points atop the Great Plateau, and Sledge spent the next few days scouting the area. Mount Hylia was a bust. It was too high up, too far away from Central Hyrule, and the bitter cold reminded it of the Gerudo Highlands - and the somber memory of its lost friends. The battlements surrounding the cliffside were promising, but that might call too much attention to Sledge. If The Calamity had vacated all monsters, a lone Moblin would draw suspicion. After being disappointed with all the other potential spots, it begrudgingly tried out the Temple of Time. It had gone inside only once before: When it walked up to the giant angelic statue to examine it, the Moblin felt a burning scowl coming from it. The statue’s eyes remained open and lifeless, with the smile showing an almost manic cheerfulness, but the air was filled with a lingering disgust that sent a chill down Sledge’s spine.

That’s not to say the feeling wasn’t mutual. A primal anger welled up inside the Moblin upon reaching the statue of Hylia. It knew the Hylians worshiped some sort of goddess, but not much so about the details. So why did the smile on the statue’s face enrage it so? Especially after it had lost all ties to Ganon? It did not know for sure. More emotions than anger rose up from Sledge’s being: resentment, bitterness, and also a deep shameful sadness - as if it had been stabbed in the back. To the shrine’s left and right were the same insignia on the Moblin’s axe. Perhaps this sour attitude was its conflicted feelings towards the Hylians? Maybe it was the old wound opening up where its Bokoblin friend, Frost, died by the Hylians’ hands? Yet this felt way more personal, somehow. 

“Do your subjects have freedom to choose their path? Or do you chain them up, same as him? ” Sledge said with a low growl in fluent Hylian, pointing its head towards the Malice-infested Hyrule Castle. Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. But the air got tenser.

Sledge waved its hand dismissively and turned away. “It does not matter. I would not be foolish enough to trade one god for another, anyways.”

While the Moblin never set foot in the Temple of Time after that, it did survey the outside for a good way onto the steeple. Near the busted-up wall, a sturdy metal ladder was affixed to the church. Gingerly, Sledge climbed a few rungs. It was small for its size, but the ladder held its weight well. It almost got a bad case of vertigo when it reached the top, but Sledge managed its bearings enough to shimmy along the roof and reach the lookout post within the steeple. It was surprised to see that a small wooden red-stained box had survived all this time. Inside was a torch whose oil had long dried up, a rusted horn of some kind, several sticks with moth-eaten cloth attached to them, and finally a peculiar metal cylinder.

Sledge picked up the only unknown object in the box and examined it. It was fairly lightweight and the Moblin was scared of breaking it with how small it was in its giant hands. The cylinder was smaller at one end - collapsing into concentric circles. Gingerly, Sledge gave it a slight tug and it stretched to nearly triple its length. Now it was getting somewhere! It held its eye up to one end to find that there was a dusty glass lens. Suddenly Dual Peaks looked much closer! The mountains were barely visible due to all the dust inside, but Sledge could not have asked for a better object. Who knew that a long-abandoned Hylian telescope would wind up in the hands of a lone Moblin so many years later?

Picking apart the telescope to clean it was one of the most nerve-wracking things Sledge ever did. Its hands were so big compared to the device that the slightest twitch might break it irreparably. This carefulness was almost for naught as, once the lens was taken out, Sledge blew into the open telescope without thinking - throwing a cloud of 100 year-old dust right in its face. Sputtering and sneezing, it ran outside and spat at the ground several times. Sledge hacked like a cat trying to get rid of a hairball and then made a pathetic flail to the nearby pond - dunking its head right into the water. After a few more coughs and wheezes, it wiped its face and let out a loud embarrassed laugh before collapsing backwards onto the ground.

“Stupid, stupid Moblin” Sledge said to itself - but this time with a bashful grin that spread ear to ear.

Once it put the telescope back together, Sledge’s mornings and afternoons were spent almost exclusively on top of its little watchtower. Nearly all of Hyrule Field could be seen from the naked eye - and the telescope allowed for excellent scrutiny. It astounded Sledge just how alive the land felt when it was able to view it from such a grand scale. On windy days it would gaze at the ripples in the grass and trees. During lunchtime it would amuse itself seeing how the creatures of Hyrule tried to beat the heat of that scorching midday sun. Sledge would also learn many of the Hylian trade routes - as well as the Bokoblin patrols. Of course, it still spent a majority of its time focusing on every movement it could. The Bokoblins were near impossible to differentiate from a distance, but Sledge had a gut feeling. It would know when it found Kobb. 

Rainy and overcast days were Sledge’s least favorite type of days. The undulating waves of rain cut visibility to where it could barely see past the Plateau. On days like that, the Moblin would cut its losses and just do chores or forage for food. On one particularly rainy week, Sledge created its own Dragonbone Moblin Club out of materials from abandoned outposts. Its Double Axe had yet to fail Sledge, but it never hurted having a hefty club to smash something to smithereens. Even on the gloomiest of days, the Moblin couldn’t help but take a spot at its usual perch and watch the distant flashes of lightning while munching on an apple.

Sledge also used this opportunity to start on another sketchbook. As the day was winding down, it would take a slow jaunt through the Plateau before heading back home - cataloging plants and animals along the way. It may have lost the Hylian field guide, but it had read it so often the pages were like pictures in its head. There was no written script for Malician, but the Moblin tried to make a translation book of sorts - using Hylian characters to create Malician sounds. As the last bits of daylight would fade away, Sledge lied in its gigantic hay bed and reread the Hylian books for the umpteenth time. Nodding off to sleep, it would wonder what to do if it saw Kobb roaming the fields one day.

Weeks passed, but Sledge remained optimistic. Its patience was finally rewarded as the sun began to set after another uneventful day. Just when Sledge was going to collapse its telescope and head back down, it heard the echo of a hauntingly familiar horn. That Bokoblin horn had been the cause of many duds so far, but Sledge had to check every time. Once again, it put its eye to the spyglass and scoured Hyrule Field for the source. While it did not see the Bokoblin blowing the war horn, it located many Bokoblins passing by frantically on horseback. An unease filled Sledge’s stomach.

“Where are you all running off to?” it muttered to itself. Sledge took the telescope away from its eye to see the whole field erupting in activity. It counted one, two, three, four, cavalry squads of Bokoblins - each with at least three horses and two per horse. This did not sit right with Sledge. There are only two beings it knew that could cause such a stir. With its pointer finger, it tracked the direction each squad was moving and they all lined up to the East near the outpost ruins. That was when it saw a single speck, moving faster than the rest, heading north up the river bank. Nervously holding its breath, Sledge put the telescope to its eye one more time. The Moblin nearly dropped it when the view focused. There was a lone Bokoblin with a wolf’s pelt over its back, riding atop an Eldin Ostrich. Sledge let out a triumphant laugh.

“Ahaha! At last! I found you! I knew they could not keep you down, Kobb!” it bellowed at the top of its lungs. Sledge’s vision got blurry as tears of joy welled up in its eyes. 

It almost fell off the Temple of Time leaning forward so much. Sledge was practically glued to its telescope. It zoomed out to get a better picture and Kobb was beating the other Bokoblins by a mile. Its control over the ostrich was unmatched.

“Oh they will not catch you, my friend,” Sledge said with a low chuckle, “not in a hundred years.”

It savored the view of its cherished companion alive and well for a few more seconds, before collapsing the telescope and scrambling off the roof.

“Are you going to lose them in the wetlands to the east?” it said in between heavy breaths. “I must intercept!” 

Sledge was in such a hurry to depart that it almost forgot its Double Axe and book satchel. It was not going to lose Kobb again.

Chapter Text

Kobb the Bokoblin stood on the road leading into the Lanayru Wetlands - holding the lead to the Eldin Ostrich. Both were covered in scrapes and cuts from their recent getaway, and they barely managed to create enough distance from the forces of Malice. They were on borrowed time. It could still hear the war horns echo in the distance, but Kobb couldn’t help but savor this last moment with its feathered companion.

“I think this is where we part ways, friend” Kobb said softly as it unfastened the homemade bridle. “The swamp is no place for a big bird like you.”

The ostrich cooed sadly and nuzzled its face against the Bokoblin.

“Ahaha, I will miss you too. The time we had sure was fun” it said as it pulled a Hightail Lizard out of its bag and tossed it in the air. The Ostrich caught it perfectly, wolfed it down, then took off North back towards the Eldin province.

“A good bird always knows the way home,” Kobb said to itself as it entered Lanayru Wetlands in a brisk jog.

The dirt road quickly turned into a rotten boardwalk as Kobb trekked further into the swamp. By the time it reached the central island, it was already out of breath. It was twice as hard to run with how easily Kobb’s feet stuck into the soft ground. After splashing some water on its face, the Bokoblin found a high mound of dirt and surveyed the area. No other monsters in sight…so far. At the very least it had bought itself some time as the pursuing monsters would have to abandon their horses. The issue was that there were not many places to hide here. Perhaps the natural barrier of the wetlands would provide enough cover, but that was not a risk Kobb was keen gambling on. The surrounding town ruins were practically all collapsed, with no basements due to the swampy environment. Relief came from the northeast as Kobb spotted a house that was still partially standing. It might be a bust regardless, but it was at least a start.

With much haste, Kobb ran to the abandoned house on what was once called Bannan Island. Again it triple checked its surroundings for any monsters. While scrutinizing the house, it noticed a few oddities about it. There was a large collection of Lotus plants on the western bank, a big canal carved through the north side, there were remnants of a fire, and an excessive amount of moss was everywhere. What’s more, there were several skewers of fire-roasted fish hanging over the burnt logs. It looked like they had been sitting there for some time, but that mattered little. Kobb’s stomach growled and its mouth watered. It hadn’t had a good meal in who knows how long. All it had in its satchel were chewy lizards and mushy apples. 

Still no Hylians nor monsters in sight. That must mean these are fair game, right? Surely nobody would mind if Kobb took them, right? The Bokoblin tunnel visioned and nearly floundered over to the smoked fish when it saw the coast was clear. It yanked the stick out of the ground, brought the Bass to its large snout and took a deep breath. Salty, yet still had that fishy aroma. But before Kobb could savor it much longer, it was interrupted by a pronged spear pressing right against its neck.

Kobb’s eyes shot open, and there it stood eye-to-eye with a Lizalfos. The moss covering the monster made Kobb realize its fatal error. Of course, Lizalfos can camouflage to blend into nearly any natural background. How could it have been so careless? For a few seconds, the two stared at each other. The Bokoblin might as well have been pinned against a wall the way the pronged spear held it still. Any sharp movement would instantly slice Kobb’s neck - and it would be over. The Flameblade on its back was so close, yet so far away. But then something happened that Kobb never had anticipated in even the most outlandish fantasies: the Lizalfos eased up its grip and spoke.

“You are a thief, Bokoblin,” it said in a raspy voice, “but you are not like the rest.”

The pronged spear backed off slightly and Kobb gasped for air, but the pointy bits still remained too close for comfort.

“You come here alone. You wear the skin of a wolf. There is no Malice in your eyes.”

Kobb still did not know if this meant it was off the hook or not. The eyes of the Lizalfos moved too quickly as it scanned the Bokoblin. It was still expecting to get skewered at any second.

“Do you call yourself something other than Bokoblin?” the Lizalfos asked. “Do you have…a name?”

“Kobb.” it said softly. “My name is Kobb. I am…the only Bokoblin alive to escape the Malice.”

“Ahh…” the Lizalfos said, finally pulling the spear back and twirling it in the air a few times before planting it firmly into the ground.

“Then we are the same. Call me Zayl.”

As the evening turned to twilight, the two monsters sat in near silence as Kobb scarfed down its third fish. Zayl didn’t say much - just stared quizzically at the Bokoblin as it softly nibbled on its food. Kobb was too busy savoring the flavor to notice. It had not eaten a dinner quite this good that it was hard to not wolf down every scrap it was given. This Lizalfos had refined its cooking from its huge surplus of ingredients, that they felt like Hylian Royalty the way they feasted. When Kobb was finished Zayl tossed a handful of charred Lotus seeds its way, and the Bokoblin eagerly began snacking again. Its ears enthusiastically vibrated as the smokey crunch washed over it. After a few more bites, Kobb finally noticed Zayl was looking at it funny and it tilted its head curiously.

“I did not know there were others,” Zayl said with a soft astonishment, “others like me.”

Kobb slowly looked at the ground and traced its finger on the dirty wooden planks. “There used to be more,” the Bokoblin said with empty eyes. “I once shared the company of five more - plus the best Moblin in all of Hyrule.”

“What happened?” Zayl asked without thinking, already guessing the answer.

“Gone.” Kobb said back, gritting its teeth and grabbing handfuls of dirt. “Taken by The Calamity’s army. One-by-one I had to watch them fall. The last of my dearest friends gave up their lives so I could flee.”

As hard as it tried to stop old wounds from opening, Kobb could not hold this one back. All it took was the first conversation since the incident. It made a loud grunt and took several heavy breaths - small teardrops running off its nose and onto the damp ground.

“That is horrible…” Zayl said, scooting closer to try and comfort the Bokoblin. It slowly held out a sweet baked apple in its outstretched hand - which Kobb accepted and nodded in thanks. The treat was eaten in two bites and it took a few more deep breaths.

“At least they are in the ground for good, no longer forced to rise again on the Blood Moon. They will get the rest they deserve.”

Zayl raised its tin cup of water in agreement. “And same for us when that time comes.”

Kobb shook its head and sighed. “Right now it feels like I am still cursed by undeath. That I am forced to keep living. For what reason I do not know.”

The two sat in silence once again, but this time Kobb’s appetite had subsided. They simply watched the last light of the sun setting - enjoying the newfound company. But soon enough the spark of conversation struck up again.

“How did you escape?” Kobb asked Zayl. 

The Lizalfos let out a small laugh. “Nothing but luck. Happened to be alone when I saw a Zora child. The Malice told me to kill, but I fought back. I do not want to think of what would have happened if there were others with me…”

Kobb snapped its head towards Zayl. “You did it on your own?” it asked in disbelief.

Zayl tilted its head, surprised that Kobb was so surprised. “Yes? Maybe? The small Zora may have helped. It gave me a name…my first name. ‘Lizzy’. That is what it called me. That was when I realized I was…me…that I was more than one of many Lizalfos.”

“Fascinating…” Kobb said with a warm smile, “then we have the same story. Except I had a name given to me by a Hylian.”

“While under The Malice, you and a Hylian stood down? That is very surprising.”

A glint appeared in Kobb’s eyes - hoping Zayl would say something like that. “It was not any Hylian. It was Link: the fallen Hylian Champion and scourge of The Calamity”

Zayl sat with a stunned silence for a while. A chill ran down its spine as it heard that name for the first time in a long while.

“That does not sound like that happened by chance.”

Kobb threw a pebble into the water with a melancholy laugh. “I would rather believe in our own choices and luck. If the future was so certain, then Ganon would not be fighting this hard to keep us from thinking for ourselves.”

“Mmmm…that is a very good point,” Zayl said softly.

By now, the last of the sun had disappeared from the horizon - letting the crescent moon softly light up the land. Before the two could gaze at the night sky much longer, Kobb’s ears twitched as it heard the faintest sound of water splashing. It immediately sprung onto its feet and frantically gathered its equipment.

“What am I doing?! I need to leave now. I have put your life in danger just by being here.”

Zayl was dumbstruck and looked around frantically. “Leave? Right after we have both found another monster that is just like us? We must stick together!”

Kobb held its head and shook it back and forth violently. “No, nonono. You do not understand. I was being tracked by forces of The Calamity when I came here. They have likely caught up to these wetlands by now. This place will be crawling with Malice within hours. I must flee.”

The Bokoblin kneeled to the ground quickly as thanks for the hospitality and then turned around to run - but was grabbed by Zayl before it could even take a step.

“If you are headed North, you will run straight into one of the largest Lizalfos outposts in Hyrule” it said with a low and heavy voice. “If The Calamity is nearing these wetlands, then patrols from there are headed here right now.”

Zayl could feel Kobb’s hand get clammy as it stared at the Bokoblin with grave eyes. Still, it tried to pull away.

“Death follows me like my own footprints, Zayl,” Kobb tried to reason, “I will not ruin this life you have made for yourself!”

The grip on Kobb’s hand tightened. “And I will not let you throw your own life away for my own safety!” Zayl sternly shouted - suddenly raising its voice. The normally soft-spoken Lizalfos yelling froze Kobb in its tracks. They were once again left staring at each other - except this time their eyes met and they both felt a kindred understanding. While it had only known this Lizalfos for less than an hour, it was as if they had been companions since the beginning of time. Kobb believed it could truly put its life in the hands of this Lizalfos. It slowly nodded its head and moved back towards Zayl.

“Then lead the way, friend.”

Zayl nodded and yanked Kobb’s arm towards the half-collapsed house. Near the remnants of what would be stairs, Zayl pulled away some large branches of tree leaves to reveal a hidden compartment of sorts. It looked like a tight squeeze, and whatever was down there was hidden by darkness. It did not seem pleasant, but it sure was a better alternative to whatever was causing the distant splashes.

“How well can you see in the dark?” Zayl asked.

“Better than when I was in the Malice. What…is this?”

“A Hylian’s storeroom. They did not realize water from the ground fills up this space. Room was empty when I found it…except for the snakes but those are gone…I think.”

Kobb took a deep sigh and started bringing its knapsack above its head before Zayl brought the Bokoblin’s arms down.

“Not yet. I need your help, first” it said and began climbing up to the second floor of the decrepit house and then to the branches of a large tree hanging over it. Kobb followed suit, but it was clear who was the better climber. The two monsters moved some branches out of their face and the whole wetlands in front of them was visible. That was when Kobb held its breath as it saw dozens of small beady red eyes dotting the landscape. Some were much higher off the ground and caused more ripples in the water - definitely Moblins. The deeper parts of the Wetlands were also teeming with Lizalfos swimming about. 

This situation was gradually becoming harder and harder to wriggle out for the two monsters.

Chapter Text

Sledge stood out of breath near East Hyrule Field weighing its options. It had managed to make it all the way to the Hylia River in a few hours, but daylight was near its end. There was at most an hour left before the sun would be fully set and it had yet to find Kobb. Once it climbed down the Great Plateau, it could no longer track the rogue Bokoblin as it tore through the land on its ostrich. Sledge guessed it would head to the Lanayru Wetlands to slow down the horde of monsters on its tail, but the Moblin doubted its hunch. It had to be certain that Kobb would be where it headed next. And to do that, Sledge needed another vantage point. 

Still panting from its full-blown sprint, the Moblin climbed up the hill that led to Bottomless Swamp. It figured it would be deserted as the monsters stationed there would undoubtedly be deployed to take down Kobb. Sledge’s guess was correct as it made its way to the top - met with nothing but the large skull-shaped rock and silence. The stillness put Sledge on edge as it tiptoed past the sharpened posts towards the swamp shore. The gigantic skull rock would be perfect for a temporary lookout post. The trouble was getting across the tarlike muck. If it could get to the large horn dipping into the swamp, then Sledge would be home-free. The Moblin tossed a rock halfway and watched it get stuck and slowly sink. It did not think it would be tall enough to wade across. There was also this uncanny feeling Sledge couldn’t shake. It felt like it was being watched. But if that was the case, then wouldn’t it have gotten attacked already? Sledge instinctively reached for its Double Axe and looked around. In what would be either great courage or great stupidity, the Moblin called out in its gruff voice.

“Be any Hylian, monster, or anything else take a problem with my crossing to the skull? Let it be known or I shall go!”

Sledge’s words resonated through the still air, but there was no reply. The Moblin shouted again - but this time in Hylian. Once again, no response. It shrugged and took a step closer, but backed off when it heard a haunting melody echoing through the swamp. The Moblin’s eyes frantically darted around but it could not see where the sound was coming from. Still, it refused to back down. Out of nowhere, a large bolt of lightning shot from one of the eyes of the skull directly to Sledge’s left. It dove out of the way and saw a gray-cloaked figure hovering between the skull rock’s eye sockets. 

“That was a warning shot. My next bolt of lightning will not miss, nosy Moblin” the figure said in a shrill voice. 

Heart pounding into its chest, Sledge pulled itself up and faced the robed figure. The two looked each other down for a few moments - with the figure’s magic rod pointed directly at the Moblin. Sledge had an uncharacteristic sneer on its face as it nonchalantly brushed the dirt off its arms.

“Show your face, Wizzrobe, before I pull that hood down for you” Sledge growled. It kept its weapons sheathed, but it still had a hand on the axe handle.

What sounded like a mix of a laugh and a scoff could be heard under the robes. “Perceptive, are we? Perhaps you are not just a stupid Moblin. It matters not, anyways” it said as it grabbed the cloak hood with its free hand and yanked with aplomb. There, Sledge got a good view of the Wizzrobe’s mug. Its blue-green eyes shone like beacons in the setting sun, but its razor sharp teeth had a scowl just as angry as Sledge’s. 

“I should kill you now for seeing my face, but I will give you one chance to walk away” it said, pointing its Thunderstorm Rod to Sledge’s head. “Perhaps I will let you spread the word of my name: Rezek. The most powerful Wizzrobe in Hyrule.”

Sledge took the bravest step forward and stood tall. “You will not kill me, either way.”

Three sharp thunderbolts struck near Sledge’s feet in quick succession - with one more going over the Moblin’s head.

“And what makes you think I won’t?” Rezek growled.

“Because you have not killed me, yet” Sledge said with a confident smirk. “Would a monster like you give any normal Moblin a warning shot? No…”

Rezek recoiled and floated backwards a bit.

“You know that I am the same as you” Sledge said as it slowly unsheathed a dagger on its waist and pricked its finger - letting a drop of teal blood land on the soil. “There is not a speck of Malice between us.”

“What difference does that make?!” Rezek snapped as it floated back into its hut and crept its head over one of the rock eyelids. “Like I would let a Moblin up here in the first place!”

Sledge let out a deep sigh and bit its lower lip. It had known Wizzrobes to be unpredictable and pretentious, but it had hoped that the Malice had at least some contributing factor to that.

“Tell me, Rezek. Why are you so rude as to not ask a fellow monster for its name?”

The Wizzrobe drummed its fingers on the stone. “I was not of the assumption that Moblins and the like could have names.”

“This one does.” Sledge said with growing irritation. “And this Moblin would be happier if you called it Sledge.”

Rezek recoiled at the name. “Hylian tongue?” it gasped, feigning a choking noise. “You break from The Calamity just to have a name of those that would put you in chains without a second thought? Where is your monster pride?”

Sledge’s eyes darkened. “You should watch your tongue, Rezek . The Hylians have slighted me more than you will ever know. My name stands in defiance of the Hylians’ judgment of us. Not in allegiance. And the way you are talking, you sure sound a lot like them .” it said sternly - its patience being fully tested.

“Well I must say, you’ve surprised me Mo-er…Sledge. I never took you for the talkative type.” Rezek said with a nervous stutter as it tried to backpedal. “I suppose you deserve some credit for helping me see Moblins differently.”

“...but not enough credit to let me come up, I assume?”

Rezek retreated downwards, its eyes still peeking over the ledge. “Why do you want to come up here so badly? Is it the view? Do you wish for a friend? Because I am just fine by myself! Always have been! Go find some other monster!”

Sledge stomped the ground with a commanding ferocity. “Look, you have wasted enough of my time already and this is a matter of life and death! If you have not noticed, forces of The Calamity are moving eastward! They are trailing the last Bokoblin that has escaped the Malice. That also happens to be my friend!”

“So you’re the ones that caused all the commotion today?” Rezek muttered with slight annoyance. It did not appreciate the bustle of activity around Hyrule Field - lest its hiding place be found out.

“I have been trying to find this Bokoblin myself for weeks. Kobb is its name! All I ask is for a vantage point and I will be gone!”

Rezek avoided eye contact, biting its lower lip. It wasn’t trying to lead Sledge on, it just had no idea what to say. It didn’t help that it had grown an innate apprehension of being close to anything else. Even the idea of being an arms length away from the Moblin made it wince.

“Please!” Sledge cried, letting a bit of its bold exterior slip. “Kobb thinks I am dead! It thinks it is alone! I need to find my Bokoblin friend before Ganon does or else…”

One sentence particularly struck a chord with Rezek and it channeled all the energy it had to lift itself back over the rock ledge. The two monsters stared right at each other - with Rezek’s hands behind it back as it slowly hovered up and down.

“I will give you permission to the top of my home. You have my word on that.” Rezek said with a sudden softness. “But you have to get there yourself.”

Sledge breathed a sigh of relief and took a half step before stopping before it touched the mucky swamp. There was a good 30-40 feet of impassable tar between the shore and the horn of the skull rock. It shot the Wizzrobe a look of disappointment.

“You are not even going to lend a fellow monster a hand?”

Rezek immediately returned to its usual sarcasm. “Oh, shall I pick you up and lift you across? I don’t know how to get over here on foot, I float. Figure it out if you’re such a smart Moblin.”

“You are a cruel and heartless Wizzrobe.” Sledge growled, not even giving it the satisfaction of eye content.

“Heartless? Yes, we don’t have hearts - or really any guts like you do. I'm surprised you knew that.”

“No it means…ugh, forget it.”

Sledge did not want to waste any more time. It immediately eyed the skinny trunks of pine trees still barely holding on. The Moblin stuck out its thumb, closed one eye, and compared the length of the shore to the horn tip to the tree height. Seemed good enough. The Double Axe on Sledge’s back was whipped out and it felled one of the trees in just two chops. It did the same for two more.

Does it think it will cross on those logs? It will go rolling off as soon as it takes a step.

Before Rezek could even finish its thought, Sledge chopped a diagonal section off the ends of each log. This created a rectangular bottom at both ends, and the Moblin was able to orient the logs to be firmly placed on the tip of the stone horn. A full knapsack was raised over Sledge’s head as it took a cautious first step. The soft ground kept the logs in place and it remained on the surface of the swamp. Sledge’s nostrils let out a triumphant huff as it shuffled across with a steely grin. The wood bent at the center because of the Moblin’s immense weight, but the impromptu bridge held. Needless to say, the Wizzrobe was dumbstruck.

“Mmhmm…you did not think I could do it so fast?” Sledge said with a glint in its eye.

Rezek scoffed and retreated back into the inside of the skull rock. “Just do your surveying and be on your way, please.”

Sledge rolled its eyes and snorted. Guess there was no pleasing that Wizzrobe. Well it cannot be helped Sledge thought as it scaled the skull rock to the very top. From there, practically all of Hyrule Field was visible again - and so was Lanayru Wetlands. However, there was a problem. The little standoff Sledge and Rezek had burned enough daylight for the sun to just begin to vanish behind them. With what little visibility it still had, Sledge could see dozens of moving bodies - all likely forces of The Calamity. The Moblin gritted its teeth and quickly collapsed its telescope. Kobb had to be somewhere in there. Sledge quickly turned around to head back, but it nearly had a heart attack upon seeing Rezek poking its head up the back of the skull.

“Did you find what you were looking for?” it asked, its high pitched voice sounding more strained than usual.

“Worse,” said Sledge, “the whole east swamp is swarming with Malice. I must hurry over there now. Thank you for allowing me on top of your home.”

The Moblin only got a few steps before Rezek hovered with surprising speed in front of Sledge. It wagged its long fingers back and forth with a tsk tsk tsk sound.

“Predictable as any other Moblin - running headfirst into danger with complete disregard. Do you think you will find your Bokoblin friend when the clouds cover the moon and you cannot see your own hands? Because the Malice will definitely be able to see you .” Rezek said, its airy voice turning sharp and deliberate. “And what if you find the Bokoblin? Then what? Think you two could take everything down there?”

Sledge had half a mind to knock the Wizzrobe out of the way - but it did have some good points. It was angering how close Kobb was, yet so far away. Still, Sledge couldn’t help but retaliate with words of its own.

“And why do you care so much about what happens to me?” the Moblin said with a slight grin, leaning in towards Rezek, with the Wizzrobe subconsciously creating more distance. “Am I not just some stupid Moblin to you? After all that fighting you did to keep me from coming up, now you want me to stay?”

Rezek flinched as if it had been punched in the face - despite the lack of fists being thrown. It turned around, refusing the Moblin to give it the slightest amount of eye contact.  “B-because if you get in over your head and come running back here, there goes my perfect hiding place! I don’t want my cloak at risk because of your foolishness! That’s it!” it stammered unconvincingly.

If you say so, Sledge thought to itself. Was it really that hard for the Wizzrobe to admit it had the slightest concern? It begrudgingly walked back to the top of the skull rock and continued to stare at the swamp. Meanwhile, Rezek took a deep breath from diffusing the situation. Sledge did not know that Rezek had been holding onto its Thunderstorm Rod behind its back the whole time. It slowly pulled it out and stared at the orb of contained Malice at the epicenter. The obsidian-like sheen gave it enough of a reflection for Rezek to see its own glowing blue-green eyes.

It’s probably too late for the Bokoblin, anyways. Nobody is allowed happiness here.

But the fact that they are still searching means it has not been found yet.

But do I really think there was nothing Sledge could do? Or was I being selfish again?

No…no I don’t think I could let it walk away with a clear mind. It only made sense.

But I should not follow after this. I doubt the Bokoblin would welcome me, anyway.

“I hate only being able to watch .” Sledge grumbled. “I hate feeling helpless.”

Rezek softly floated over to be closer to the Moblin - but still out of an arms reach.

“If there’s one thing you should know, Sledge,” it whispered just quietly enough for Sledge to not hear, “it’s that you will always feel that no matter how strong you are.”

Chapter Text

“We are lucky my house is far east and sound does not carry well here” Zayl whispered, eyeing the wetlands full of Malice-infested monsters. “They heard us long ago, but could not tell where the noise was coming from.”

The Lizalfos pulled out its Steel Lizal Bow and wrapped its tail around the sturdy branch it was sitting on.

“Do you have a plan?” Kobb nervously asked, not sure how long their cover would last.

Zayl pointed to the Lizalfos swimming around the perimeter. “Need to make sure they are not able to sniff us out. We Lizalfos can sniff out salmon going upstream all the way from the ocean. Both of us have lingering scents that do not belong to a Lizalfos or Bokoblin under the Malice.”

Kobb gulped and gripped its thighs. “So we take out the Lizalfos?”

“No,” it said, shaking its head, “much harder to hit a moving target. If I miss an arrow we will be found quickly. We will simply fill this area so full of lingering Malice that our smell is drowned out.”

The Bokoblin was impressed by its new friend’s quick thinking. “So how do I help?”

Zayl put its left hand around Kobb’s shoulder and scooted it closer to where the two monsters were breathing the same air. It then pointed to a nearby squad of Bokoblins to the west.

“For each group, I need to take each one down as quickly as possible - or they will alert the rest. I have very different eyes than you Bokoblins. It takes a while to focus on something, but when I do I never miss.”

Kobb looked to Zayl and almost jumped at seeing one of its beady eyes staring right at it - with the other still fixated on the squad.

“Which is why you have trouble hitting a moving enemy?” it asked, its cheek squished against Zayl’s face.

“Yes, that is it. We are better for ambushing than attacking. Your job is to point to the other Bokoblins before I fire my shots. That way, I can follow your hand and find my next target immediately. If a group has more than three, make sure you point to another one right after I shoot the first.”

Even with a seemingly simple role, Kobb couldn’t help but sweat. It gave a final silent nod and outstretched its arms - pointing to two of the roaming Bokoblins. Zayl nodded back and notched a deadly arrow, pulled it back and zeroed in on the other Bokoblin. The Lizalfos took a deep breath, but then brought the bow back to a resting position without firing - suddenly turning to Kobb.

“Are you okay with this?” it said with a worrisome expression. “These are Bokoblins, same as you.”

Kobb winced and let out a pained grunt. “There will come a day where us Bokoblins…all monsters…can be free from this cursed circle of death and rebirth.”

Zayl lowered its bow even lower, turning its head to press against Kobb’s forehead. Even in the darkness, it could see the Bokoblin’s watery eyes.

“But until that day comes, the best I can do is hope the ones I slay do not turn to the Stall.” Kobb said as it wiped at its eyes - a fire now welling up behind them.

“Aim true, Zayl.”

Zayl let out a grawp in agreement and shot its iron gaze back to its original target. The arrow was pulled back and held. For an agonizing few seconds it stood perfectly still, waiting for the right moment. Another cloud front passed over the moon - blanketing the wetlands in darkness. Zayl released. A sharp fwip forced the surrounding leaves forward like a gust of wind and one of the Bokoblins jerked its head back and collapsed - Malice quickly disintegrating the body. In no time at all, Zayl notched another arrow and shot its head to where Kobb’s left hand was pointing. The Bokoblin watched in awe as Zayl’s hands and eyes jerked around almost robotically - correcting itself with tiny adjustments until the aim was perfect. Kobb noticed that the Lizalfos’ tongue was sticking out in the air not for concentration, but to feel the direction of the wind. Another arrow let loose, another downed Bokoblin. Once again Zayl wasted no time on the third arrow - following Kobb’s right hand and sending the projectile through another Bokoblin skull. Barely five seconds had passed.

“Next squad. North-northeast” Zayl whispered urgently. Kobb turned its eyes in that direction and saw another squad. The Bokoblin pointed, and Zayl let the arrows fly once again. This time a Moblin was in the mix, but Zayl went for it last and felled it with three quick arrows before it could let out a roar: one in the head, two in the chest.

“You are doing great, Kobb. Another squad. East.”

With blinding speed, Zayl made quick work of a few dozen Bokoblin and Moblin. Kobb was in awe at how surgical and ruthless this Lizalfos could be. It did not seem to have such a fighting spirit at first glance. None of the forces of Malice knew what hit them, but the remaining monsters quickly noticed their ranks dwindling when the moonlight became uncovered by the clouds. However, there was now a thick miasma of Malice lingering in the surrounding air. Kobb and Zayl could hide in plain sight.

“Let us head back,” Zayl said as it sheathed its bow, “I think we angered them a bit.”

Kobb didn’t need to be told twice and the duo slinked down the tree and back to the hidden compartment entrance. Zayl crawled down headfirst - its hands adept at clinging to walls. When it signaled the storeroom was safe, Kobb lifted its knapsack over its head and let Zayl grab its legs to hoist it down. The Bokoblin quickly found itself up to its shoulders in dingy water and in near complete darkness. This was at least better than what was on the surface. With the two in their half-underwater bunker, Zayl peeked its head out and shot its tongue to grab the tree branches. Slowly, it dragged them back to laying on top of the storeroom entrance. 

“Now we wait?” Kobb whispered, its arms already getting tired from holding its belongings above its head.

“Yes. And hope they think we fled somewhere else” Zayl said back. It was enjoying the refreshing water a lot more than Kobb was - softly paddling around the perimeter of the bunker.

“Or they will give up after enough searching…”

“You were being chased by them, do you think that will happen?”

Kobb laughed morbidly. “There is a better chance of Malice freezing in a snowbank.”

…

“Any updates?” Rezek chimed in. It had been floating around the top of the skull rock on its back - as if it was floating down a river.

“Clouds are covering the moon, still hard to get a good look.” Sledge said with a grunt of annoyance. “Plus I thought you were going to bed a while ago.”

Rezek scoffed. “I am simply…intrigued by this Bokoblin you prattled on about.”

Sledge looked away from the telescope with a surprised look and then leaned back with a smile.

“You mean Kobb? It was the one that freed me from the Malice. But more than that, it was the Bokoblin I nearly gave my life to save. It would be embarrassed if I said this, but Kobb is one of the strongest monsters I have known. Not for its raw strength, but it has this…unbreakable heart. I cannot think of the right word but…but Kobb could be offered power greater than the gods and it would refuse.”

Rezek winced and hid the Thunderstorm Rod attached to its cloak.

“Reminds me of someone I once knew…” the Wizzrobe whispered.

“Hmm? What was that you said?”

“I said…what does Kobb look like? In case…I may see it one day.”

Sledge raised a brow.

“Don’t want to accidentally zap it, you know!” Rezek now shouted.

“You’ll know it when you see it.” Sledge said with a smarmy grin, and the Wizzrobe huffed and went back to floating aimlessly. After a few minutes of silence, the top of the sun finally cleared over the mountains and gave the glow of early dawn to the land.

“It’s morning already?” Rezek complained. There weren’t bags under its eyes, but the color of its irises looked washed out. “It’s been so long since I have not slept like this.”

Sledge had lost count how many times it had rolled its eyes. “Like I said before, you did not have to stay out here.”

While the Wizzrobe already started deflecting and making excuses, Sledge tuned it out because it just noticed something odd. The Lanayru Wetlands: they were practically empty. It was not like The Calamity to just flee - and so quickly to boot. A pit immediately formed in Sledge’s stomach as it feared the worst and it scanned the swamp for any possible clues. Nothing. Maybe Kobb took them all out? Unlikely, but it would have heard the war horns if so. Even Rezek stopped its monologuing when it saw Sledge jerk its head across the horizon.

“All of Ganon’s army. They retreated from the wetlands.”

Rezek blinked a few times. “That’s not a good sign. But if they got your Bokoblin friend Ganon is absolutely one to put its head on a pike…which I don’t see.”

“Do not dare put that image in my head.” Sledge growled, to which the Wizzrobe wondered what was wrong with what it said.

Before they could talk more, Sledge felt a very deep and heavy rumble come from the ground. Then came another, and another. Like footsteps. Through the telescope, Sledge could see trees in the back of the swamp fall left and right. Then the last layer of foliage was knocked down and it came into view.

“Oh no…”

“Ganon must really want your friend dead if they’re trying to wrangle that .”

“That does it, I have had enough waiting. I am heading over there now.”

Rezek pulled at the cloth around its neck with a concerned wince. “Before you do, look a bit to your right. There’s more…”

The Wizzrobe had never seen a Moblin run faster down a hill.

Chapter Text

Kobb gladly welcomed the morning light that gradually lit up the little bunker it and Zayl were hiding in. However, they had both nearly gone crazy from having to stand in complete silence for hours. Monsters of Malice had crept towards their little hiding spot and gotten dangerously close several times, but the smokescreen Zayl had created seemed to be doing its job. Both of them could hear the opposing monsters get increasingly frustrated on the topside. Mixed amounts of yelling and bickering filled the air, but sometime in the early early morning there came only silence. When light just started to creak through, Kobb motioned to Zayl if they should head back up - to which the Lizalfos emphatically signed a negative gesture. When the sun came over the mountains and a small beam of light shone from the entrance hole, only then did Kobb get the courage to whisper.

“Nothing has happened above ground since darkness still covered the land.” Kobb said to Zayl as quietly as possible. “Should we go up and take a look?”

Zayl nodded. “The Calamity’s forces must have thought we fled with the distraction we created.” it said back.

With utmost caution, Zayl climbed up the metal ladder with spear in hand. It peeked its triangular head over the entrance and scoured the surroundings - each eye darting in a different direction. Nothing. Not even a stray Keese. It signaled to Kobb the coast was clear and the Bokoblin wasted no time scampering out of the miserable wet cellar. No sooner than when its feet touched dry land was it immediately knocked on its butt by an earthly shockwave. It was strong enough to almost knock Zayl down, too, and another soon followed. BOOM BOOM BOOM resonated through the ground as the snaps and crackles of falling trees could be heard in the distance. Zayl felt like a fish out of water, but Kobb got a cold sweat as it instantly recognized this feeling.

“They did not…” was all the Bokoblin could say.

Scrambling back onto its feet, Kobb tore to the northern shore of the island. From there, its fears were confirmed upon seeing the faint shadow of a figure taller than a house - with nearly the width of one as well. As the treeline behind it was knocked over effortlessly, the behemoth became illuminated by the morning sun.

“The Calamity has brought in a Hinox,” Kobb said to Zayl. 

The Lizalfos’ beady eyes widened and it made a mad dash back to the bunker, but was immediately stopped by Kobb.

“They are using the Hinox to completely level the swamp,” Kobb said with trembling hands, “going back underground would bring death.”

“So we run away?” Zayl suggested, to which the Bokoblin nodded. But before it could even take a step, Zayl ran back towards the house. Arms flailing and rummaging around, it scampered back to Kobb in record time - various trinkets in its arms.

“I cannot leave without my snails.” Zayl said with several river snails now affixed on the mossy parts of its armor. Despite the situation, Kobb couldn’t help but hold back a lighthearted laugh. With their belongings in tow, the two monsters cleared the hill that led to their escape South. Except they came upon a sight that made them tear back the way they came - practically falling on their backs. Scanning the horizon and heading north with metallic clanking and whirring was a deadly Guardian.

The two monsters sat on the ground for what felt like a while and looked down in desperation. The distant thundering footsteps and cracking wood heavily contrasted with the rhythmic stomps of the nearby Guardian. It felt like the universe was forcing them to choose how to die. Going North also meant heading right into one of the busiest outposts in the Lanayru region. To say Kobb and Zayl were swamped was an understatement.

“The Hinox is to draw us out. The Guardian is to finish the job.” Zayl said - softly shaking its head. The Forked Lizal Spear was held limply in its hands.

Meanwhile, Kobb gripped its scalp so hard its knuckles turned white as it racked its brain for a way out. “Come on, Kobb. Think…you have gotten out of places like this before…” it pleaded with itself. The Bokoblin thought back to the time it escaped the Lynel - but only through Sledge throwing it across a gorge. Despair crept in as thoughts of its fallen Moblin companion flooded its mind. But then out of nowhere it felt a surge of determination. No, it would not have a repeat of last time. Zayl and it would get out of here alive. With newfound energy, the Bokoblin got back to its feet and crept its head over the hill. The Guardian was still making its way North - but it had not spotted the duo yet. Kobb then ran back to where it could see the rampaging Hinox. It had leveled a good chunk of the west side of the swamp and was moving eastward. With its finger it traced a path through a clearing. Maybe…maybe it could make one of its foes do all the work for it. 

“Zayl, how much wood and material do you have at your house?”

The Lizalfos looked puzzled, but could see the fire in Kobb’s eyes. “I have some wood boards and paint. Nothing that could take down a Guardian.”

Kobb then whispered something to Zayl, causing a devious grin to appear on its long face.

…

“Foolish Moblin…thinking it can out a Hinox or a Guardian - let alone both at once.” Rezek said to itself as Sledge got further and further away.

The Wizzrobe shrugged casually. “No problem of mine. If it wishes to die in such a preventable manner, so be it.”

Rezek still could not help itself but keep watching - darting its head back to Sledge, then to the foes on the horizon. A cramp formed in its side and it subconsciously started floating forwards before catching itself.

“Gaaah! Why do I care about this so much! I haven’t even known that Moblin for a day!” it yelled at itself as it paced back and forth.

“I already helped it out! Did all I could do! I’m done, here! I have a great thing going for me! I’ve got a nice place, all alone, unbothered by Malice or Hylian. All I need to do is stay put, hone my magic, bide my time, keep safe. I cannot let myself throw everything I’ve worked for away for some distraction!”

Then it heard a whisper in the wind. It could have been its imagination, but the whisperings felt as if a long-departed friend was right beside it.

Do you honestly believe yourself when you say that?

The same echo of a memory called out to the Wizzrobe again.

There is always another option.

Rezek was so lost in thought that it drifted down and felt its feet touch the cold rock. It winced as it could now feel the far-off vibrations the Hinox was causing. The soft thump thump thump reverberated in the Wizzrobe’s head that it soon felt deafening. Its eyes were shot open when the sound of a huge explosion rang through the air. It gritted its teeth and let out a begrudging groan.

“It never feels like you’ve done enough…”

In nearly an instant, all that was on Bottomless Swamp was singed ground and the smell of ozone as a yellowish gray blur streaked through the air.

…

“Do you have a spare bow lying around?” Kobb asked, briefly admiring their quick handiwork. Using rusty tools and wooden planks, the two monsters had constructed a crude cutout that was vaguely Hylian-shaped. It was mostly just wooden planks and tool handles held together by basket weaving, but hopefully it would be enough to fool a Guardian from a distance. They had even used Zayl’s paint to mask the wooden texture - and couldn’t help but draw a crude smiley face where the head would be.

Zayl shook its head. “All I have is my bow, but the Bokoblins I handled last night should have a bow or two lying around.” It did pull some arrows from its own quiver and hand them to Kobb. “Here. Just in case.”

Kobb took the arrows and bit its lip in thought. Now the metallic whirring of the Guardian had gotten loud enough to be a grave concern. “I will have to see what is there. Do you know your job? Remember, we only have one shot at this.”

“ Grawp ,” Zayl chirped in affirmation, nodding its head. Kobb nodded back and took off to the west before suddenly halting and running back.

“I almost forgot the most important part: the timing. When the glowing light is on you, it will take the Guardian three Bokoblins to charge before firing.”

Zayl tilted its head in confusion. “Three…Bokoblins?”

“Yes. You count out loud. One Bokoblin, two Bokoblin, three Bokoblin… pssssh kaboom .”

“Ohhhhh…yes…kaboom…heheheh” Zayl said with a smile, giving what looked like a thumbs-up. “How did you find that out?”

Kobb pulled back its wolf pelt, revealing a rather nasty burn on its side. Zayl winced. “Remember: Stay hidden, wait till the Guardian is lined up, count to three Bokoblins.” Kobb said, imitating the thumbs-up before running back west - staying out of the Guardian’s sight. 

Zayl, meanwhile, began dragging the Hylian-prop into the swamp. It laid low to the ground, scanning a full 360 degrees with its unique Lizalfos eyes. The Guardian still needed to clear the hill behind it. To its right it could see Kobb zig-zagging as it looked for a ranged weapon. With some luck, it managed to find a Spiked Boko Bow. It was vastly inferior to the Lizalfos’ bows, but it would have to make do.

Past Kobb, Zayl could see the rampaging Hinox, but now that the sun had risen more, it could make out the details. It had a massive collar around its neck, and was led by 4 chains held by smaller figures - presumably Bokoblins. One of the chains was swinging freely, so it was safe to assume at least one of the Hinox’s allies had already been squished in the crossfire. Even more concerning was that the Hinox had a huge blinder covering its one massive eye. Zayl gulped. While it required expert marksmanship, shooting a Hinox in the eye was one of the few ways to down one. But since it was blind, all it would do was rampage at anything in front of it. But that was exactly what The Calamity wanted it to do.

Zayl’s blood boiled thinking about the lengths Calamity Ganon would go to. Leveling an entire ecosystem? Forcing what was usually a passive giant to frenzy? All that just to take out one lone Bokoblin? Was Kobb that much of a threat, or was it just the principle? It mattered not, for Zayl detested the Malice regardless. Slowly, the Lizalfos moved into position and got down on all fours. Breathe in, breathe out, concentrate, let your being become one with the land. Slowly Zayl’s skin color morphed to a mossy gray - appearing like it was any old boulder. The Hylian dummy was firmly clenched in its hands and hidden from the Guardian’s view when it would come by. One eye pointed to the Hinox, the other to the East. The bait was set.

As Kobb approached the Hinox, it came to the same enraging conclusion as it saw the Bokoblins being dragged around while the huge monster blindly leveled the nearby area. In the middle of the wetlands there was a large sturdy tree that Kobb could get a vantage point from. The group got dangerously close to Kobb’s tree, but suddenly the Hinox halted in its tracks. The Malice-filled Bokoblins regained their footing and immediately started bickering.

“The Hinox one of us has stopped moving!”

“Is that not obvious? Hurry up and prod it again! We are sick of getting dragged around!”

“We think the fire sword was with the one of us that got squashed…”

“Well hurry up and find it! We have already failed to find the defector after losing it once!”

Slowly, Kobb notched an arrow and pulled it back. It was never that good with a bow, but if there was ever a time to improve it was now. “Think about how Zayl does it,'' Bokoblin whispered to itself. It eyed the Bokoblin breaking the ranks to look for the Flamesword. The bow was aimed slightly high, Kobb held its breath, and released. The aim was nearly a work of art as it perfectly arced through the air and hit the lone Bokoblin right between the shoulders. A meaty THUNK rang out as the foe Bokoblin staggered and fell face-first into swamp water.

“We are under attack!” one of the other Bokoblins screeched with bloodshot eyes as it yanked out its club, the other following suit. “Find the defector and kill it! Bash its head in! Make its guts spi-”

The second Bokoblin was cut off as another arrow landed squarely in the back of its throat from above. The last enemy Bokoblin frantically looked around until the sun was blocked from its eyes. It lifted its head up just in time to see Kobb leaping down on it. Kobb’s eyes were firmly shut tight as the Flameblade in its hands plunged into the other Bokoblin’s chest. The lone Red Bokoblin draped in a wolf’s pelt stood tall and flicked the slight blood and Malice off of its sword and faced the Hinox. With the raucous fight turning silent, the Hinox’s ears perked up and it slowly brought its gargantuan hands up to the collar around its neck. With barely a flex, it ripped the metal ring in half and threw it aside. The blinder that was affixed to its head was torn off as well. A large yellow eye harboring a very unsettling hunger stared down at Kobb.

“Bokoblins…unreliable as always…” the Hinox said with a booming voice.

Kobb nervously pulled out the Spiked Bow and held it up to the Hinox’s face - its hands visibly shaking.

“Try it,” the Hinox dared - bringing one hand up to its face and walking forward menacingly.

The Hinox fell for the bluff. Kobb jolted the bow lower and took a shot directly at the exposed knee. The arrow stuck in and the monster bellowed in pain - nearly rupturing Kobb’s sensitive eardrums. Now frenzied, the Hinox slammed its hands down in retaliation, but Kobb had already started running away. The shockwave sent the Bokoblin nearly 3 feet off the ground and it could feel swamp water splash on its back. As it ran, it could see the distinct shape of the Guardian appear behind the hill.

Zayl watched from afar as Kobb took out the remaining Bokoblins and angered the Hinox. It wanted to help so badly, but it had to stay where it was. Kobb might be able to get a few lucky shots, but it would take more than that to down a Hinox. All the while, the stomping and mechanical hissing of the Guardian reached a boiling point when it finally came into view. As expected, its glowing blue eye passed right over Zayl as if it was part of the wetlands. It was tempted to put up the decoy now, but the Guardian was not in a good spot yet. It had to be just further North. Thanks to its eyes being on opposite sides, it could line up the Hinox and the Guardian perfectly. Just a little more, just a little more.

“What are you waiting for, Zayl?” Kobb grunted to itself as the Hinox pursued it. Kobb was barely faster, but it was using too much of its energy sprinting away while the Hinox only had to take a few steps to make the same distance. Its legs were screaming for rest, but that would mean getting squashed like a bug. It was surprised the Hinox had not tried to uproot a tree and throw it at the Bokoblin, but shooting at its knee must have enraged it - made it tunnel vision. Still, Zayl sure was taking its sweet time. 

At last, the Guardian took a few more steps and was lined up well enough. With as little movement as possible, Zayl pulled back an arrow and shot it squarely on the Guardian’s dome. Then with a soft grunt, the Lizalfos grabbed the handle at the base of the decoy and hoisted it up high. It resembled more of a scarecrow than a Hylian, but hopefully it was good enough. The clink of the arrow triggered the Guardian’s reflexes and its unblinking eye snapped around and turned red with a mechanical humm. A laser pointer was placed square on the dummy’s chest, ignoring the Lizalfos-shaped rock below it, as a loud bwipbwipbwipbwip filled the air.

“One Bokoblin.”

Kobb saw the dummy rise out of the water and immediately oriented its trajectory to be running directly at it. The Bokoblin had found its second wind as it tore across the wetlands with the Hinox in tow, literally. It could hear all sorts of nasty things coming from the monster’s mouth, and Kobb felt a hint of satisfaction. Underestimate a Bokoblin, will you , it thought.

“Two Bokoblin.”

Zayl’s heart was beating as fast as a galloping horse. Every bad outcome played through its head at a rapid pace. Yet it still put its trust in the plan, and Kobb. They had only gotten this far because they had relied on each other to a near spiritual level - and Zayl was not about to let its faith falter any time soon.

“Three Bokoblin.”

The Guardian’s eye locked on and blue energy surged from its head. Simultaneously, Zayl let the dummy fall right as the Guardian released its deadly explosive beam. The Lizalfos could feel the sheer heat that soared right over its head. Kobb used the initial flash as a cue and went into a slide right into the ankle-deep water. It, too, felt the immense energy of the Guardian’s laser. One final KABOOM thundered in the two monsters’ chests, and the Hinox fell silent. Kobb refused to look back - knowing all it would see is the smoldering bottom half of a Hinox quickly disintegrating into Malice. It also stayed on the ground, hoping the Guardian wouldn’t spot it and leave after accidentally team-killing one of Ganon’s forces. Unfortunately, Zayl forgot about the most crucial part of Kobb’s instructions.

“Gweheheh! Graaaaah!” Zayl shouted in triumph as it leaped into the air. “We did it! That was…with the…Gaaaaahahaha!”

It started doing a little victory dance, but was immediately brought back down when it heard that familiar bwipbwipbwipbwip and saw a red dot focused on its chest.

One Bokoblin.

That’s right, the Guardian. Zay somehow completely forgot that it hadn’t taken out the Guardian - dropping its camouflage with its celebration. Now it was facing the emotionless death machine at nearly point blank. A heart-shaped lump jumped into its throat as the Lizalfos desperately pulled out its bow and aimed a shot. Maybe if it hit the menacing red eye, that would buy it enough time to scamper away.

Two Bokoblin.

Kobb was too far away to do anything. The second it saw Zayl jump up, it knew this would only end badly. It couldn’t help but frantically charge towards the Guardian. There were mere seconds left until Zayl was obliterated. Maybe it could get just close enough and chuck its sword the rest of the distance. That seemed like a far cry as its legs finally betrayed the Bokoblin and it fell back into the shallow water. It could only watch.

Zayl let an arrow fly. Then another, then another. But each one bounced harmlessly off the Guardian’s armor. It didn’t help that the mechanical menace started bobbing and weaving as it charged once Zayl pulled out its bow. It had one final shot left. Zayl tried with all its might to hit its mark, but the moving target was just too much for the Lizalfos. The last arrow didn’t even land on the Guardian and the singular eye flashed a hot white. Despair and regret was all the Lizalfos could feel.

Three Bokobli-

Like a shark breaking the water, a Blue Moblin lunged out of seemingly nowhere and sliced upwards with a large Double Axe - lopping one of the Guardian’s legs clean off. The sheer power behind the swing sent the Guardian upwards right as it fired the laser, shooting it far away from the monsters and dissipating in the air. Before the Malice-infused sentry could charge another shot, the Moblin worked with surgical precision. It expertly dodged any slices the Guardian made with its other limbs as they were hacked off - same as the first. Metal chunks and screws flew every which way as Zayl watched in utmost astonishment. When the Guardian was nothing but a stump, the Moblin buried the heavy club on its back right into the side of the machine’s head. Its face was brought right up to the weakly flickering eye.

“Tell your master that I am still breathing.” the Moblin said with a snort of its nostrils. 

“I do not believe my own eyes.” Kobb said to itself after witnessing what just went down. It got back on its feet and slowly walked towards the Moblin, knees wobbling like jelly and its wide mouth agape. With each step it counted another detail of the Moblin: Dark blue in hue, wearing a bear pelt, a busted horn, beaming blue eyes. This was impossible, but Kobb’s eyes said otherwise.

“Sledge?” was all the Bokoblin could muster. The Moblin turned to face Kobb and its stoic expression immediately melted into absolute relief. There was a look of intimate familiarity for both monsters and the biggest possible smile stretched across the Moblin’s face.

“Haha! I knew it! I knew I would find you, Kobb!” Sledge yelled as it threw its axe to the side and ran towards Kobb.

“How? How did you survive? I saw you fall!” Kobb said back, now in a full-on sprint. Leg pain be damned. It had more questions than answers, but it cared little. All that mattered was reaching the Moblin it once thought to be gone forever. It could feel tears streaming down its face.

“It takes more than that to take down a Moblin!” Sledge bellowed back at the top of its lungs. The oomph it put in its steps were so strong, one would think the Hinox came back.

They could only focus on closing the gap between them, and none of the monsters noticed that the Guardian was somehow still not neutralized. With creaking and jagged movement, and a club jammed in its side, the head swiveled to the Moblin and its eye began to glow red again. Except it did not even get to charge this time. Kobb and Sledge’s reunion was interrupted by a ground-shaking KA-BOOM as a huge lightning bolt flew straight towards the Guardian and hit its mark - halting the two monsters in their tracks. The shockwave made the hair on Sledge’s arm stand on end, and it flung its body around just in time to see what was left of the Guardian short-circuiting and crumpling to scrap metal. All three monsters turned with wide eyes and dropped jaws to where the shot came from, and saw a lone Wizzrobe holding a smoking Thunderstorm Rod. The tips of its feet barely touched the water’s surface, and its face had a mix of condescension and mischeivery.

“Rule 1. Always confirm the kill” it said in a shrill tone as it wagged a finger back and forth.

Zayl was without a doubt the most dumbstruck of the four.

Chapter Text

Rezek watched from afar in silence as Kobb and Sledge celebrated their long-overdue reunion. As the two monsters laughed with tears in their eyes and pressed their foreheads together, the Wizzrobe could not help but feel a twinge of envy. It rolled its eyes as Sledge picked up Kobb and gave it a big noogie on the head playfully. Rezek was so busy feigning disinterest, that it hadn’t noticed Zayl scooting closer and closer to it. The Lizalfos was happy as a clam in comparison - thrilled to see that Kobb’s friend hadn’t died after all. 

“I helped!” Zayl said enthusiastically to Rezek - causing the Wizzrobe to yelp in surprise and almost drop its Thunderstorm Rod. 

“Wh-how…Why are you so close?!” it yelled back, maintaining its distance from Zayl. Rezek became unsettled with how the Lizalfos’ eye lifted up towards it while the rest of the body faced straight ahead.

Zayl chirped curiously. “You blew up the Guardian, so you are not on the side of Malice. You are a friend, correct?” it said, now turning towards Rezek and tilting its head.

Rezek sulked in return. “Well, yes , but does my presence not frighten you?! I am a Thunder Wizzrobe! Conjurer of lightning bolts!”

“I have used those lightning arrows before. It is not that dangerous if you are careful!” Zayl said back - completely oblivious to Rezek’s remarks. 

Being compared to an arrow was the biggest blow to Rezek’s ego it had in a while, and it wasn’t even on purpose.

The blunt end of a Forked Lizal Spear was placed a little too close to the Wizzrobe’s face while Zayl kept its chipper smile. “My name is Zayl! It is nice to see you!” it said before the spear was immediately swatted away.

“Gah! Are you trying to skewer me?” Rezek shrieked, unceremoniously flailing its arms. 

Once again Zayl was confused. “When Lizalfos greet, we interlock our spears or tails. It is a sign of trust, but many other Lizalfos use it to show their power over the rest.”

Curiously, Zayl craned its head and tried to look under Rezek’s cloak. “I have never seen a Wizzrobe with a tail, so I thought I could use the spear instead.”

Magic flowed up to Rezek’s face, tinting its cheeks slightly blue as it embarrassingly tugged its robe lower and floated closer to the water.

“Why did I help, why did I help, whydidIhelp…” it muttered as it held back the tempting urge to slap the Lizalfos.

Not far away, Kobb and Sledge were shooting their mouths off - completely oblivious to the culture shock happening right next to them.

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense…Hey! You two!” Rezek shouted to Kobb and Sledge. The two monsters’ turned their heads towards the Wizzrobe. Sledge still had the most cheery mug, but Kobb gave Rezek a more skeptical look.

“As much as it pains me to spoil the moment, we should all head out of this filthy swamp before The Calamity sends even worse reinforcements. I’m sure you two can…catch up later.”

Sledge mischievously raised an eyebrow. “We? Are you not going to head back to your home now?”

Rezek drummed its fingers on its cloak impatiently. “Well I was until I had to take out that Guardian because your Lizalfos friend couldn’t keep still!”

Zayl looked away and bashfully tapped its claws together. 

“Now that my location is compromised, I cannot go back! Besides…we all share the same enemy. Perhaps…it would be the wisest decision to move as a unit.”

“Yes!” Zayl said gleefully while pumping its arms up and down, “More friends!” 

Rezek floated a little further away.

While Sledge was holding back a satisfied smirk, Kobb was a little less than thrilled. “I thank you for your help, Wizzrobe, but your lightning magic almost fried our Lizalfos friend. Can we trust that you will not sear one of us by accident?”

Rezek looked offended that Kobb would even suggest its aim to be anything less than perfect.

“And if we are going to move as a group, we should all know your name. Mine is Kobb. If Sledge trusts you, did you give it your name?

The Wizzrobe made nervous eye contact with Sledge, but it was motioning for Rezek to do the talking. It hid its shaky hands behind its back - appearing to be regal.

“Your friend has already given me your name, Kobb. Which surprises me that it has not given you mine,” it said with Sledge rubbing the back of its head apologetically.

“I call myself Rezek. And you will not find a better Thunder Wizzrobe in all of Hyrule.”

Kobb raised its brow. “Well, Rezek, I was talking with Sledge and we thought it would be best to escape to the river north and head to Death Mountain. We will not go too close to the volcano, but it will be hot. Are you prepared for that?”

“Lightning is born from the hottest of heat,” Rezek said with a toothy and devilious grin, “I will be right at home.”

“Zayl? How about you? Lizalfos usually live near the water…”

Zayl’s head perked up and it clapped its claws together. “Oh! Yes, Fire Lizalfos are the ones near Death Mountain. But us River Lizalfos love the heat! It is like being under the nice warm sun all day…” it said as it started to daydream, and then quickly snapped itself out of.

The four monsters nodded and started North before Zayl suddenly scampered in front of them.

“If it is not too much to ask…do any of you three know Hylian?”

…

It broke Zayl’s heart to leave its little secret merchant stand behind, but with Sledge’s help it was able to write a message in big Hylian letters:

CLOSED FOR NOW

THANK YOU FOR THE BUSINESS

I WILL RETURN ONE DAY

Crossing the Hylia River was no small feat, either. The bridge nearby was the obviously better choice, but that risked being spotted by a Hylian or a Calamity footsoldier. Rezek and Zayl were very helpful in making sure everyone’s belongings remained dry, but the Wizzrobe couldn’t help but see a dirty look from Kobb as it aimlessly floated above the cold river while the Bokoblin was stuck hanging onto Sledge for dear life.

Once the group of monsters was officially in the Eldin region, they branched from the riverside road and started hiking up one of the shallower slopes up Death Mountain. The air had gotten noticeably drier, with the canteens they had scavenged getting passed around more frequently. At a certain flat portion of the mountain, Kobb and Sledge finally had a chance to talk more - as Zayl was trudging slightly behind with a lax Rezek bringing up the rear.

“I was not expecting you to bring a Wizzrobe with you, Sledge.” it said with a more lighthearted tone now that Rezek was out of earshot.

“Were you expecting me to show up at all?” Sledge said back with a slight banter. 

Kobb closed its eyes and let out a deep grunt. “I thought about it every day since the day you fell down that canyon, Sledge.” it said, happy that those days were behind it.

“I have been searching for you since then…and it looks like we have both become very different monsters on the way here.”

“Mmhmm, when did you learn to write Hylian? What were you doing while looking for me?!” Kobb said, grunting a laugh as it kicked a rock down the hill.

“Falling into the abyss and crawling back up…” Sledge said with a macabre humor, “...and you can thank Rezek for helping me find you.”

Kobb’s ears drooped down and it bit its lip in apprehension. “I am sure Rezek means well…it is just…it seems a little too excited to blast away with its magic.”

“Well from what I saw, Zayl is the opposite. I do not think that Lizalfos could hurt a fly if it tried.” Sledge said, motioning its head back towards Zayl.

A sputter came from Kobb’s snout. “You should see it when it is actually in a fight. I saw it first-hand last night. Zayl…becomes a different monster when it draws a bow. Its face turns to stone and every arrow hits between the eyes. It is a terrifying sight.”

At first Sledge thought Kobb was joking, but the serious look in the Bokoblin’s eye was no laughing matter.

“And Zayl is disciplined with its bow, too. Rezek feels like having an explosive barrel around.”

Sledge nodded solemnly. “Yes…but when I look at that Wizzrobe, I see a monster that pushes away because it has endured great pain. I do not dare tell it this, for I know it will lash out. But it perhaps needs us more than we need it. Who knows how it managed to escape the Malice like us?”

“Cannot be worse than what you or I have gone through, and we are not so reckless with our weapons.” Kobb said, patting its Flameblade softly on the hilt.

“But for both of us, we had one treasured friend come back.”

A harsh silence met the two monsters, and they spent the next few minutes hiking in silence. When they scaled the next level of the mountain, Kobb let out another sighed grunt.

“I miss the rest of ‘em so much, Sledge.”

“Me too, Kobb, me too.”

“Blade, Boom, Frost, Fang, Amber…all of them…”

“May they stay in the ground for good - getting the rest they deserve.”

“I have not even tried to free any more Bokoblins.”

“I do not blame you for that.”

A few more minutes of silent hiking passed when Kobb’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“Do you feel it, too?”

Sledge tilted its head in confusion.

Kobb massaged the sides of its large snout in concentration. “This…feeling of…remembering? It came to me when I first met Zayl and it happened again with Rezek.”

The Moblin looked down and gave an affirmative grunt.

“I have changed, Sledge. Traveling alone has left me distrustful of nearly everything Hyrule can throw at me,” Kobb said while kicking up dirt, “but something tells me I can trust that Wizzrobe - even though my mind is telling me not to.”

Sledge gave Kobb a pat on the shoulder. “Maybe you are still the soft Bokoblin I first saw when I broke out of that ice.”

Kobb chuckled. “Maybe…but maybe there is a reason we cannot remember much while we were in the Malice…”

…

As the natural mountain path continued, the grass became scarcer and the ground tinted red with clay. Right as the sun began to set, the group of monsters came around a ledge and found themselves on the plateau that was about halfway up Death Mountain. At first it looked as barren as the surrounding area, but then a huge pool of water came into view. The monsters could see the steam escaping the surface and the exhaustion in their legs came down on them all at once. Not a speck of Malice in sight, either. Even better, the jagged rocky peaks surrounding them provided perfect natural cover. They likely would have to move on eventually, but what was known as Lake Ferona by the Hylians would be an excellent pit stop.

“Grrrmm…I want to jump right into that lake so badly” Kobb said with weary eyes.

“Do that and you might cook the meat right off your bones” Rezek scoffed. 

Zayl gingerly crept over and tapped the surface with a claw several times. It recoiled from the initial heat - but it wasn’t scalding hot at least. The Sizzlefin Trout swimming around was enough to convince Zayl and it went in for a dip - but not before carefully removing the plate armor that its snails resided on and placing it far from the shore.

“Ehhhheheheh,” Zayl chirped as it swam around, “I needed this after that cold river…”

Kobb wasted no time in sliding down to the shoreline and letting its legs float in the hot springs. It made a squeal in delight as it laid back with its tongue flopped open. Sledge followed suit and took a ragged cloth out of its knapsack, dipped it in the springs, then laid it over its eyes. The Moblin let out a low guttural groan in satisfaction and its snout twitched in delight. All the while, Rezek simply hung back and watched with fidgety hands. 

“Are you going to stay there, Rezek?” Zayl called out to the Wizzrobe.

Rezek’s fidgeting got worse now that it was put on the spot. “I am plenty warm by myself! My magic does not allow me to tire as easily!” it said back as it floated away from the main group and set itself down a few feet from the shore. Zayl gave a cheery thumbs-up.

Two lies, back-to-back. Having to expend its magic floating halfway up Death Mountain left Rezek absolutely drained. Its hands were always colder than one would expect - not that it would let the group find out for themselves. With its back propped up against a larger boulder, Rezek took deep breaths and felt the residual heat of the hot springs radiate across its face. It watched the others splash and banter and it winced. Heat began traveling up its arms and it instinctively pulled its hand off the ground. Rezek only liked the heat when it flowed through its entire body whenever it would cast lightning - that and, well…

“They have warm blood in their veins. You are stuck with the cold essence of magic.”

Zayl ran out of the water, panting and out of breath, before running back in seconds later - pure joy in its little beady eyes.

“You are not like them. You will never be like them.”

Kobb let hot water drip from its hands onto Sledge’s rag until the Moblin noticed and yanked it off. Seeing it had been pranked, they both shared a hearty laugh.

“Even with the Malice gone, you will never feel the beat of a heart in your chest like they do.”

…

With the sun fully set, the monsters started a small fire out of sight from any wandering eye. Zayl had managed to catch some Sizzlefin Trout and prepared an excellent dinner for the group. Even the reserved Rezek couldn’t help but let out a shrill MMM when it took a bite - and promptly turned blue in the face and hid itself the rest of the evening. While the fire slowly began to peeter out, the monsters readied themselves for bed. Sledge and Kobb were firmly resting against each other - feeling the heavy nostalgia from when they once traveled together with the other Bokoblins. Zayl was curled up around its armor like a stuffed animal - its forehead rubbing against one of the mossy surfaces. And Rezek was just far enough away to feel the flickering campfire’s heat in its eyes. Soon enough it faced the opposite direction, away from the other three, hovering in the fetal position just inches off the ground.

“Should I ask Rezek to come over here?” Kobb whispered to Sledge, its head lazily held in the crook of the Moblin’s elbow. 

Sledge looked down at the Bokoblin with weary eyes and sighed. “No…we should wait until it is ready to join the fire.”

The Bokoblin let out a tired laugh. “I think that will take a while.” it said before looking over to Zayl. It was quietly tracing the shape of one of the snail shells with its finger. This piqued Kobb’s curiosity.

“Do you have names for your snails?” it asked, which caused Zayl’s head to perk up.

“Yes!” it nearly shouted, so excited that one of them finally asked, “These are Izzy, Dizzy, and Fizzy!”

The snails all looked identical in the low light, which made Kobb and Sledge wonder how Zayl could tell them apart. 

“Is there a reason they all sound similar?” Sledge said, squinting to try to find any distinction between the snails.

Zayl had now sat up and clapped its claws together. “There is! My old name was ‘Lizzy’ before I chose ’Zayl’, so I wanted that name to still be around somewhere.”

“That reminds me!” Zayl continued, the tiredness vanishing almost instantly once it got to talking, “Sledge, I do not think you know of how I escaped the Malice! So I was the only one at my outpost, and…”

Sledge leaned back with a warm grin and let Kobb relax further against its body as it let the Lizalfos spin its tale.

The whole time, Rezek could hear every word of the conversation. It was caught in-between not wanting to join in at all, and desperately wanting to be included but anxious that it would be too deliberate and say the wrong thing again.

An extinguished Fire Rod was cradled in its hands, hidden from sight, as it gladly let sleep overtake its body after the eventful two days.

Chapter Text

Kobb and Sledge awoke to see Rezek casually floating a few feet away from them. As the light morning sun hit their groggy eyes, they stared at the Wizzrobe in cloudy confusion. Zayl had already woken up long before they did and was washing its face in the hot springs nearby. Rezek looked slightly irked as if it was forced to wait there for a while - the time clearly being a few hours past sunrise. 

“We are going to scout the road ahead” Rezek firmly said once the ears of Kobb and Sledge perked up.

The Moblin shook the sleep off its face and eased Kobb into standing up, then getting on its feet too.

“We shall come, too. Are you worried we were trailed by The Calamity?”

Rezek drummed its fingers nervously and nodded with a pensive frown. “Yes. We got out of that swamp a little too easily. Now that we’re all in one place, it would be too easy to take us out in one fell swoop.”

Kobb gulped - a pit forming in its throat. Rezek was right. While there was strength in numbers, there was a lot less margin for error. It was surprising that The Calamity only sent a Hinox and a Guardian, but maybe that meant Ganon’s forces were starting to be stretched too thin. 

“There is a Hylian Outpost nearby. I think we are more likely to find some of them than any other monster” Kobb said with a concerned grunt.

A slight smile flickered on Rezek’s face. “After yesterday, I’d be glad if a Hylian is the only thing we see.”

Sledge and Kobb chuckled back, took a swig of water each to get rid of their dry morning mouth, then headed out with the other two.

The shore of Lake Ferona was narrow, but the monsters managed to reach the Maw of Death Mountain fairly easily. Zayl was in front, followed by Kobb, then Sledge bringing up the rear - with Rezek floating over the water. The monsters took their sweet time: Making sure to have Sledge scouting ahead with its telescope at any available opportunity. The last thing they wanted was to fight on a small groundspace. Zayl would also round every rock face, keeping low to the ground, then signal the coast was clear. It was an exhausting process - especially when the steam of the hot springs poured over them as the day got hotter. 

At last, Zayl passed around the next plateau and found itself staring at the natural bridge that split the two hot lakes: The Maw of Death Mountain. Zayl’s eyes combed across the road that led higher up towards the mountain and immediately saw something stick out. It looked like a figure of someone, but it was not moving. Through all the steam coming from Lake Ferona it was hard to tell what exactly it was. The creature also looked like it was…trembling? Silently, Zayl crept back to the other three - its senses on high alert.

“I see something,” it said with uncertainty, “but I cannot tell what it is. Sledge, can you get a better look with your Hylian tube?”

Kobb instinctively put its hand on the Flameblade handle. Rezek could feel the stitching in its cloak strain from the way it clutched at the fabric. The Moblin nodded and walked to the front with Zayl - only peeking out its head at first. With Sledge’s increased height and its telescope, it was able to get a much better view. Its heart was beating quickly as it focused on what Rezek saw, only to breathe a sigh of relief when it came into focus.

“It is just a lone Hylian.”

The rest of the monsters exhaled deeply. Rezek massaged the sides of its head, trying not to think about how worked up it almost got.

“Well?” the Wizzrobe then said, “Is that it? Is it a traveler? A mercenary? What are they doing?”

“Patience, Rezek,” Sledge growled, “I need to adjust this thing to get a closer look.”

Sledge zoomed in on the telescope and its face contorted to a confused frown.

“The Hylian…it is trembling and has its hands in its face…it appears to be crying…”

Just as the words left Sledge’s snout, Zayl was gone in a flash. It began tearing up the hill on all fours towards the crying Hylian. The vibrant red color drained from Kobb’s face and its heart began to thump in its throat.

“Zayl! Wait, don’t!” it shouted as it tried to catch up. Sledge immediately knew something was off and followed.

There was no hope for Kobb or Sledge to catch up with Zayl. The ground speed of a Lizalfos is unmatched and many travelers are caught off guard by how quickly it can close distances. Zayl used this to its advantage as it zoomed ahead of the rest and skidded right in front of the stationary Hylian. Immediately the woman let out a surprised yelp as she was now face-to-face with a Lizalfos. Zayl put its arms up in a display of peace.

“No, no!” it tried to reason in its best Hylian speech, “I am friend. Friend! Why Hylian sad?”

The Hylian woman’s expression immediately shifted to utter bewilderment, almost unnaturally, until a glint appeared in her eyes and she continued to grovel.

“Oh! Oh, kind Lizalfos, it is horrible! Something horrible is about to happen!” she cried.

Zayl turned frantic, and started darting its eyes around. In its panic, the Lizalfos didn’t notice the woman reaching one hand behind her back.

“What? What will happen?” Zayl urgently said back. Kobb’s pleas in the distance went unheard. The Hylian woman moved her other hand out of the way - revealing manic eyes with a surprising lack of tears in them.

“Oh, that is the most tragic part! The horrible thing will happen… to you! ” she yelled as a menacing sickle was suddenly headed right for Zayl’s neck.

Zayl tried to jump back, but the Hylian was just as nimble. Before the curved steel could make its mark, a blinding flash of light appeared on Zayl’s left side. The woman turned her head just in time to see a magnificent flurry of electricity heading towards her.

Right before the lightning bolt struck, the woman disappeared in a flurry of blood-red paper tags and the stray electric missile cracked a nearby boulder instead. Zayl turned to see Rezek close by - its Thunderstorm Rod smoking and an unsettling fierceness in its eyes. Kobb and Sledge soon caught up, nearly hyperventilating. For a brief second, The Maw of Death Mountain was as quiet as a snow bank. Until a sadistic laughter filled the air and the Hylian woman appeared on the boulder with another burst of paper tags. Her outfit changed to a very recognizable dark red tights and muscle shirt - a Yiga mask covering her face.

“It must be our lucky day!” she shouted, her voice noticeably more confident and boisterous. “We were staking out here ‘cuz we heard rumors a certain someone would be dropping by, but this is just as good! Who’s ready to kill some monsters that dare defy The Calamity? Yiga Clan Assem-”

The Yiga Soldier was immediately bombarded by several more bolts of lightning from Rezek before she could even finish her sentence. A loud shriek accompanied by several BA-BOOM s filled the air as she ducked behind the boulder.

“Dammit, you idiots! Hurry up and help me before I’m fried!!”

On-cue, several puffs of smoke and red tags appeared all around the four monsters as various Yiga Footsoldiers appeared out of nowhere. Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl all huddled closer together and drew their weapons - while Rezek stayed put and took several deep breaths. The Wizzrobe’s eyes darkened and its resting frown turned into a full-on scowl as more Yiga appeared in fits of laughter. All in all there were about a half-dozen Yiga Clan soldiers: One archer, one Blademaster, and four Footsoldiers; plus the leader that was still hunkered down behind the boulder. For a brief period in time all parties stood perfectly still - shaky hands clutched at their weapons.

Rezek was the first to strike. With a blood curdling screech, it waved its magical rod violently back and forth. Sparks arced through the air magnificently and thunder strikes rained down from the heavens - causing the Yiga members to break formation. However, so were the monsters as the lightning did not differentiate from friend nor foe.

“Watch where you are shooting Rezek!” Kobb growled to its ally that clearly wasn’t listening.

“The Wizzrobe! Take out the Wizzrobe!” the leader shouted from behind the boulder. 

The Yiga archer darted through the lightning, pulled back its bow, and released a deadly two-shot from their Duplex Bow. Rezek tried to sidestep, but the archer knew better to aim for the body. The two arrows made their mark with a clackclack on the end of the Thunderstorm Rod. The force jolted the weapon out of Rezek’s hand and it was sent spinning out of sight. The oppressive thunderstorm immediately subsided and a footsoldier lunged towards Rezek with a sickle.

“How are you gonna fight now without your magic, stupid Wizzrobe?” he jeered as the carver was raised up high.

For the first time in a while, a toothy grin widened across Rezek’s face and in a flash of sparks it was suddenly hovering over the Yiga member’s forehead. The Wizzrobe wished the Yiga was not wearing his mask, just so it could see the fear in their eyes. Rezek’s hand was placed firmly on his chest.

“I am much more than the cannon fodder Ganon calls ‘Wizzrobe’” it said. A surge of lightning burst from its hand - sending the Yiga soldier flying away. The other members flinched and kept their distance.

The Yiga archer pulled back for another shot, this time towards Rezek’s head, but the sound of sharp and quick footsteps got progressively louder. She turned her head just in time to see Zayl sprinting full-speed right at her. There was no time to line up a shot of its own, Zayl simply barged straight forward and landed a clean tackle. With its back armor landing right on the Yiga’s solar plexus, the air was knocked out of her and their archer was suddenly out of commission. 

Two more footsoldiers tried to double-team Kobb now that it was separated, but the Bokoblin used its smaller size to its advantage. Staying low to the ground, Kobb bobbed and weaved in and out. It kept up small hits in with its Flameblade - each one causing the Yiga members to yelp in frustration. It didn’t help that Kobb’s shield was almost as big as its body so they were unable to land a good hit, themselves. 

Sledge was one-on-one with the towering Blademaster. The behemoth of a man was nearly as big as the Moblin itself - and it definitely had the strength to rival one. Using his wind magic, he was able to put incredible force behind his blade that would nearly knock Sledge off its feet. When their axe and blade collided one more time, they were at a momentary standstill. Sledge snorted fiercely and lunged forward - delivering a mighty headbutt with its cracked horn that staggered the Blademaster.

Zayl was in a bit of a pickle as it couldn’t seem to pin down any Yiga members with its spear. They were simply too fast. One Yiga soldier copied the Lizalfos and tackled it to the ground. The spear shaft blocked the curved steel from sinking into its flesh, but it was stuck on its back as the Yiga pushed forward. As a last resort, Zayl opened its mouth and propelled its long tongue right onto the Yiga’s mask. Blinded and caught off-guard, the soldier relinquished its grip and tried to pull the sticky end off. That was the opening Zayl needed and it sweeped the man off his feet using its long meaty tail. 

The whole time this was going on, Rezek was jeering at the Yiga soldiers - daring them to face it. The Wizzrobe hadn’t noticed that their leader was sneaking up its blind spot. Several throwing daggers were conjured from her belt and a malicious smile appeared behind her mask.

“This’ll be the last time anyone gets the jump on me…” she whispered as she pulled back, ready to kill.

KA-BOOM!!

All the monsters and Yiga members dropped the fighting and snapped their heads towards the source of the explosion. The smoke cleared and the Yiga Leader had her mask and the front of her body comically singed as her body was stuck in the mid-throwing position. The mask fell off, revealing her flabbergasted-but-alive face. There was also a new figure added to the mix.

Pulling back another bomb arrow was an unknown Hylian. They were fairly short for a Hylian, and were adorned with Flamebreaker Armor. The caged helm hid their identity, but Kobb could have sworn it saw faint blue eyes beyond the cage. They turned towards the Yiga Leader and stared her down.

“...Yiga Clan, RETREAT!” she shouted with a soot-covered face and they all disappeared in a cloud of red paper tags and dust - just as quick as they came. The one that Rezek blasted was carried by another soldier, but he looked to still be breathing before they both vanished. 

Only the mysterious Hylian and the four monsters remained on the Maw of Death Mountain. The Hylian then turned towards them. Instinctively, Kobb readied its sword, Sledge brought its axe close to its body, Zayl pointing its spear forward, and Rezek shot its head around in a panic to look for its missing rod before making an embarrassing fighting stance. They stared each other down, the Hylian’s blue eyes now even more pronounced than before. After a few agonizing seconds, they withdrew their bow and cocked their head to the side.

“Kobb? Is that you?” the Hylian asked before unfastening the bolt on their helm and ripping it off.

The four monsters now had a clear look at the Hylian’s face. He had dirty blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and his bright blue eyes seemed to glisten in the sun. Sledge, Zayl, and Rezek all turned towards Kobb when the Hylian said its name - who had its jaw on the floor.

“Link?!” the Bokoblin said in complete astonishment.

A warm smile spread across Link’s face as he crossed his arms - just as surprised as Kobb.

“It’s been a while, huh? Glad to see you’re still alive.”

Chapter Text

As Kobb enthusiastically walked up to greet Link, the other 3 monsters had completely different reactions. Sledge held its chin quizzically as it gave the Hylian a good look up and down. It was not around when Link first freed Kobb from the ice, so it hadn’t gotten a chance to actually see him. Sledge did notice that there were some…discrepancies with how Kobb described him. Still, it followed behind Kobb. Zayl was back to its enthusiastic old self. It zoomed a wide berth around Link, looking at all the cool weapons adorning his belt and back. Rezek kept its distance as expected - still frantically looking for its Thunderstorm Rod. Link met with the Bokoblin in the middle.

“I saw the Yiga Clan getting smacked around and couldn’t resist joining in. Didn’t expect to see them scrapping with some monsters, though!” Link said, wiping the soot off his hair.

“You sure are a long way from the Gerudo Highlands, huh?”

Kobb put its hand on its forehead from Link’s comment. That’s right. The first and last time they had seen each other was way back on Gerudo Highlands.

“It is…a long story…” it said in its best Hylian before nudging Sledge - urging it to take over the conversation since the Moblin was fluent.

“Oh uhhh…” Sledge said, not used to being put on the spot, “My name is Sledge. I was also frozen with Kobb and it freed me from the Malice after you freed it.”

The Moblin gave Link a hearty pat on the shoulder - which caused his whole suit to reverberate. He jumped in surprise, also startling Sledge, but then laughed it off.

“Are you the group ambassador?” Link asked with a hint of snark.

Sledge chuckled. “Well…not really. It is just that I am the only one fluent in Hylian. I guess our Wizzrobe friend Rezek is a little bit, but it is…not the best speaker.”

Link craned its neck past Sledge and saw Rezek darting around looking for something. He tried to wave, but went unnoticed to his disappointment. Link then saw a dusty magical rod to his right.

“Hey, are you looking for this?” Link called out as he reached for the Thunderstorm Rod.

A burst of sparks filled the air and Link found his hand on top of Rezek’s - the Wizzrobe clutching onto the wand like its life depended on it. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Rezek tore its hand back, Thunderstorm Rod in tow. The Wizzrobe gave a quick nod in thanks and disappeared to the back, leaving the smell of ozone behind. This puzzled Link. Rezek’s face reminded him too well of himself when he tried to hide something. That and he could have sworn he saw a faint red glow coming from the magical instrument. He blinked a few times and shrugged it off, getting back to his conversation with Sledge.

“Your Lizalfos friend seems the most eager to see me.” Link said, pointing to Zayl.

Before Sledge could talk, Zayl jumped in front of the Moblin.

“Yes! I am Zayl! Nice to meet Hylian friend!” it said with stars in its beady eyes.

Link bashfully backed up a bit, but still had his usual cheery smile. This Lizalfos sure was a giant ray of sunshine, if a little much at times.

“You like collecting wildlife, Zayl?” Link asked, pointing to one of the snails affixed on its armor. It had retreated into its shell due to the fighting, but it was starting to come out again as things subsided.

Zayl knew Hylian speech the least out of all of them, but it could pick up on context clues. “Yes, yes!” it said back, letting one crawl onto its claws to give Link a closer look.

“This is Fizzy!” it said, practically shoving the snail in Link’s face. 

Link leaned in close, seeing the snail's stalks extend as they both got a good look at each other. He then reached behind his back and pulled out something hidden in his hands. Zayl now leaned in closer, only for Link to release about five Warm Darners into the air. Zayl jumped back in surprise but laughed along with Link. Kobb had the widest grin as it saw how well the group integrated the Hylian. But then a sudden thought crossed its mind and its eyes widened. Sledge was pulled aside and Kobb whispered something in the Moblin’s ear. It nodded and walked back up to Link.

“It is great to come across one of our only allies,” Sledge said, “but we need some help from you.”

Link turned with a confused face, so did Rezek. Both the Hylian and the Wizzrobe stood with a comically similar stance, despite being a fair distance apart.

“We have had several fights with Ganon’s forces. Death Mountain looked secluded enough to hide for a while, but now the Yiga know we are here.”

The air turned serious, and Link’s face went into a very rigid stoic frown as he nodded.

“We cannot keep moving, hoping we won’t run into The Calamity. That is inevitable. We need a place that the Malice does not touch, but is also welcoming to…our kind…monsters.” Sledge said, the last part having a particular sting to it. Link bit his lower lip.

“Do you know of such a place? It does not matter the distance, I would walk across all of Hyrule just to get away from that .”

For about a minute, Link stood in silence. To the monsters it looked like he was racking his brain for all the different possible places, then ruling them out as he shook his head occasionally. Then a light went on and his eyes lit up - then hitting himself in the head to say “oh, of course”. He looked at the monsters with a soft reassurance in his bright blue eyes.

“I know a place. It might be a longshot, but it’s worth a shot. Not too far from here, either.”

“Lead the way,” said Kobb.

A half-step was taken before Link quickly swiveled back around.

“Oh, before I do, could I take a picture of you all?”

Link was delightfully vague on where they were headed, but the monsters were not expecting to go down the mountain the exact way they came. They appeared to be heading West as Link’s route took them around the perimeter of Death Mountain. As the hills turned a washed-out green once again, the four were left wondering just where Link was taking them. The Hylian had even changed out of his Flamebreaker Armor and now had his usual sky-blue tunic. Kobb and Sledge were once again leading the way while Zayl and Rezek brought up the rear. This time Zayl was hanging closer to the Wizzrobe than before - occasionally looking up at it. Rezek tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible, but when their eyes met once the jig was up. A deep sigh came from its toothy mouth and it glanced over to Zayl.

“What is it?”

The Lizalfos extended its claw towards Rezek. “Thank you for saving my scales back there.”

Rezek almost instinctively slapped Zayl’s claw away, but it quickly stopped itself. No, it shouldn’t be too harsh this time. Ever so gently, it pushed the extended claw back down then snapped its arm back to neutral.

“Perhaps you should thank me by not running head-first into the unknown like a fool. You are lucky that my magic is so exemplary.”

“I…did not know the Yiga could do that.” Zayl said as it drooped its head in shame.

Rezek scoffed. “Even if that Hylian was not a Yiga, you shouldn’t have approached. That is Rule 2: Assume every Hylian will kill or call for another to kill.”

“But…what about Link?”

“An exception to the rule does not change the rule - until the exception becomes the rule.” Rezek said with a wave of the hand.

Zayl put its claws together. It sure hadn’t had that type of experience with Hylians, yet. It was more familiar with Zora encounters. That didn’t help its case as the Zora were notoriously ruthless towards Lizalfos - yet there was also that one exception.

“Do you think most Hylians and the others will like us one day?”

“Given the choice, I would put more faith in Ganon having a change of tune…”

The conversation had managed to ruin Zayl’s chipper mood, and it halfheartedly skipped up to the front where things weren’t all doom-and-gloom. It replaced Kobb as the Bokoblin started purposely lagging behind until it was side-by-side with Rezek. It did not have a cheery face, and Rezek was once again avoiding eye contact. Unlike Zayl, Kobb didn’t wait until it would eventually look down.

“That was the second time your magic almost put us in the ground for good.” Kobb said with a low grunt, turning up to face the Wizzrobe who still refused to look it in the eye.

Rezek bit its lower lip and continued to look away.

Kobb pressed further. “It was worse today. That storm you made… any of us could have gotten hit. 

“The Yiga ruined my concentration. That was just one fluke. I didn’t hit any of you, and saved Zayl’s tail twice . I don’t see what the problem is.” Rezek snapped back, finally looking Kobb in the eye.

“The Yiga?” Kobb said, an anger rising up in its voice that none of the monsters had seen. “What do you have against the Yiga that me, Sledge, or Zayl do not? How could the Yiga make you act so careless?!”

Rezek covered its mouth with its fist and turned away again. Truthfully it wanted to bury that less-than-graceful moment of itself as deep as possible. It had its own reasons for why the Yiga made it see red, but it couldn’t tell Kobb.

“I never miss what I’m aiming for. And I have no intention of zapping any of you. Simple as that.” the Wizzrobe deflected.

Kobb walked in front of Rezek and stood on its tippy-toes to get at an even-level with its head.

“What if your magic fails you? What if you do miss, Rezek? What then?”

The two stared each other down as the group walked ahead. Rezek quickly couldn’t handle the fierceness in Kobb’s eyes and turned away - floating up and over.

“I won’t miss.”

Meanwhile, Link and Sledge were talking their mouths off at the front. The Moblin couldn’t be happier now that it had a chance to use the Hylian dialect it’d learned. They talked at length about cooking, swordplay, and the differences between Hylian and monster culture. Link was just as enthralled, taking numerous notes in his Sheikah Slate he'd undoubtedly send to Purah and Robbie.

“So have you tried to write down the uhhh…Malicean language?” Link asked as the group continued West.

Sledge shrugged. “I am not smart enough for that. I simply use Hylian writings to imitate the sound.”

Link scribbled more on the glassy screen of the Sheikah Slate. “Amazing, you should write a translation book or something!” he said, pointing the smooth stylus up to Sledge. “I’ve always wondered what the monsters were saying when I was sneaking through their ranks in disguise.”

“Disguise? Have you dressed up like us before?” Sledge asked.

Link sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. “Uhhh well…I have these…helmets that mimic you guys.”

“Ahhh…” Sledge said, “I thought you were saying you shed the layers of cloth you Hylians always put on.”

“O-oh,” Link said, thinking back to all the times he’s done exactly that, “I mean, it’d be a more convincing disguise if I did hahaha.”

Sledge laughed back. “I would not blame you. I get hot enough in this bear pelt, sometimes. I cannot imagine wearing as much as you Hylians.”

As they kept walking, Sledge hummed a chipper tune while Link internally wanted to die. The one-sided awkward silence continued for a bit longer before Sledge just realized it missed a very important detail.

“Oh, Link, I had been meaning to ask long ago. Where are we going?”

A glint appeared in Link’s eye as he pointed ahead. Sledge hadn’t even noticed that they were now on a main road and surrounded by trees. They seemed to create a tunnel covering the road - that then opened up to a foggy forest in the distance. 

“The last place Ganon would expect to find four monsters: Korok Forest.”

The name resonated through the air like a cold breeze, even reaching the sulking Rezek, and all four of them felt a simultaneous chill run down their spine. Great Hyrule Forest was renowned for being one of the only places The Calamity couldn’t touch. Numerous squads would be sent in - only to get lost in the fog and never seen again. The place had an air of mysticism to it that any monster knew to stay far away from. Perhaps Link was sending them there thinking Ganon would never assume the monsters would go in on their own. 

“Would we be…allowed?” Kobb said nervously. 

“So long as you don’t bring anything of The Calamity in, but I don’t think I have to worry about that with you all hahaha!”

Rezek gripped the handle of its Thunderstorm Rod tightly. The orb of Malice that acted as its core continued to pulse the faintest of red.

“Well, let’s go!” Zayl said, taking a step forward before immediately being pulled back by Link.

“Whoa, watch your step, Zayl. There is powerful magic at play in these woods.” Link said as the blueish-gray fog picked up around them - reducing visibility to just a few feet ahead.

“The spirits here created a spell that doesn’t allow passage unless you take a very specific path. Stray off the path, and the fog takes you…”

Sledge gulped nervously, shuffling its feet closer together.

“Now for Hylians, those taken by the fog in Lost Woods find themselves right back where they started. But for you monsters, I don’t think the spirits will be as trusting. So be careful.”

Rezek scoffed. “Pshh…spirits. Such things don’t exist.”

Link turned to the Wizzrobe with honest confusion. “I thought out of everyone, you would know about Koroks, Rezek.”

“Well of course I know about the Koroks!” Rezek said adamantly, throwing its hands in the air. “But they aren’t spirits! They’re living things. Plants imbued with magic. It can be explained - unlike spirits.”

“You’d be surprised…” Link said with a mischievous smirk, “sometimes you get the feeling that there’s more than just Koroks watching you around here.”

Zayl shivered harder and clung onto Kobb’s arm.

“Just follow right behind me and you’ll be fine. You won’t be attacked as long as you’re with me. They’ll trust that I have brought four monsters here for a good reason.”

“Why do I get the feeling that’ll be far from the truth?” Rezek whispered to itself as it floated behind the rest.

Link came up to a large open lantern, the flame softly flickering in the fog. A hand-torch was sitting right beside it and Link lit it ablaze. He then walked straight into the fog, the monsters nervously following. He came across another lantern and lit it with his torch. Rezek looked behind itself to see that the first lantern had gone out - only fog and hints of trees to their backs. Link turned to his right and did the same to another lantern, and in turn the previous one went out. The group remained completely silent the whole way - concentrating on not lagging behind. 

While Zayl was the most visibly nervous, still clinging to Kobb, Rezek was an absolute wreck. It whipped its head around at any nearby noise - whether it be birds flying or the wind rustling. The sound there was muffled; like the fog was a thick blanket covering the forest. There was also that lingering feeling that it was being watched . Like the trees themselves had eyes. As Link approached the last lanturn, the faintest odd noise filled the Wizzrobe’s ears.

bwoopbwoopbwoopbwoop

“What was that?!” Rezek shrieked, causing Link to nearly drop the torch.

“What was what?” Zayl said back, darting its head back and forth looking for whatever made Rezek go on edge.

“Did…did none of you hear that?” Rezek said, seeing the mostly nonchalant faces staring back at him.

Link was concerned. Perhaps Wizzrobe had better hearing than most beings of Hyrule. “What did it sound like?” he asked, his face turning stoic as he reached for his blade.

Rezek rubbed its temples, trying to think of a good Hylian word. “It was like…a siren.”

The other three monsters looked at Link for an answer, who in turn looked just as puzzled.

“Doesn’t ring a bell for anything I’ve heard around here,” he said, scratching his head, “are you sure you’re not just high-strung from this fog?”

“Perhaps…” Rezek growled as it let the conversation drop. It could be that its mind was playing tricks on it, or maybe there was more to these woods than just the local folklore…

As Link cleared the section with the torches, they reached a new part of the forest that made Zayl do a little yelp. The path head was full of huge, dead trees with grotesque faces carved into the front. Some had twisted smiles of malice, others looked like they were screaming in agony. Even though he’d walked through here dozens of times, it never failed to give Link a little chill.

“Once again, stay close to me,” he said, the hand holding the torch getting white-knuckled, “this is meant to scare off intruders, but there’s a trick to it. You gotta walk the path of normal trees in-between these scary ones. Once we get to the big fallen log we’re home free.”

Kobb was now holding onto Sledge’s arm, who in turn was being held onto by Zayl. Rezek still hung back, but floated just slightly closer to the main group. Link kept an iron gaze forward - ensuring the skinny featureless trees never left his sight as he navigated the monsters through the fog. The monsters, meanwhile, kept their heads to the ground - none of them having the nerve to look at the distorted faces adorning the trees surrounding them. All the while the fog got thicker and thicker, threatening to swallow their feet. The walk was at most a few minutes but it felt like hours. Then, just as Link saw the giant felled log ahead…

bwoopbwoopbwoopbwoop

“Hoo-hoo! Oh, one cloaked in sparks, born from the crack in the sky…”

The Wizzrobe could feel magic coursing through its skin at an alarming rate. Its body was preparing itself for battle, but it kept up its iron constitution. This is another trick it told itself. They want to scare off monsters so they’re doing this. But the voice was not of a Korok, nor a Wizzrobe. It was whimsical, but it was also deep. The others in front of Rezek remained unphased, leaving it feeling the most alone it’s been in a long time. Maybe it would have to fight while the others remained oblivious to this possible threat.

The voice echoed once again.

You danger the rest with what you bring…Heehaha!

Rezek whipped its head around and saw the faintest of faint shadows fade into the fog. In the split second Rezek was given, all it could make out was something with wide arms and a fan-shaped head floating off the ground. 

Do you think you can control the one who controls ?

The sight of a black and red eye with only a yellow slit for an iris flashed in the Wizzrobe’s mind and then vanished. Rezek finally lost its nerve.

“Gahh! You must be playing tricks on me, there’s no way none of you heard that!”

Link whipped his head around. “What was it this time?”

“It was a voice! I heard a voice!” Rezek yelled as its whole body shook. “You all have to be hearing it, too! Are you trying to get back at me for what I did earlier? Well fine! I’m sorry! I’m sorry for that little storm I did!”

Kobb walked up to the Wizzrobe and grabbed it by the shoulders. In any other situation, it would have pushed Kobb away immediately, but its nerves were too racked to care. 

“Rezek. None of us heard anything . Not even Link. Nobody is tricking you. What is this voice saying?”

Rezek grew suddenly silent. It couldn’t tell them. Doing so would mean it’d have to explain the Malice orb, its own time spent under Ganon, and...

“What was the voice saying, Rezek?”

Rezek winced, pulled off Kobb’s arms, and turned away.

“Nothing…nothing at all.”

Kobb shook its head and let out a defeated grunt. The Wizzrobe looked truthful, but it could tell it was staying quiet for a reason. Why doesn’t it just talk? This time it was Sledge’s turn to be upset. 

“That was not funny, Rezek,” it said in its booming voice, “Zayl is already shaking bad enough.”

Sledge’s disappointment was even harder to stomach for the poor Wizzrobe as it dejectedly continued to Korok Forest with the rest of the group.

Link, meanwhile, was paying close attention to the Wizzrobe’s eyes: how they moved, where they looked. It’s not that he didn’t trust Rezek, but he had a gut feeling it was hiding something crucial. Yet he chose to remain silent on the matter - as he recognized the importance of just not saying anything at times.

At last, the oppressive fog began to clear and was replaced by a beautiful verdant green atmosphere. The four monsters looked up and around with wonder as they saw natural hues they never imagined were possible. Link grew a satisfied smile seeing the monsters react to the beautiful forest for the first time - nostalgic for the first time he came across the sight. There was a clearing up ahead, but Link signaled to the monsters to wait slightly behind as he took a big step forward.

“I apologize for the sudden arrival, and the uninvited guests,” Link shouted to the empty treeline, “but I can promise you that The Calamity has no control over these monsters! All four of them have managed to free themselves from the Malice that kept them under Ganon’s rule! We come bearing no ill-will, but rather for shelter. These four monsters have been chased all across Hyrule by forces of Ganon, wishing them dead, and have no home for themselves! All I ask is food and shelter for my friends. If this bothers you or the Great Deku Tree, let it be known and we shall leave the way we came!”

Link’s voice echoed throughout the forest clearing. For an agonizingly long time, the forest remained still. But then the leaves began to shift and rustle - as if a sudden breeze swept by. As the monsters looked up in awe, it was not leaves that were rustling but instead dozens of Koroks. They littered the air as they descended - each holding their signature leaf windmills. They waved and motioned for the party to come closer. Link took several deep breaths as he clutched his chest. It seemed they were welcome after all.

“That was…very formal.” Sledge said as several Koroks approached the group.

Link gave Sledge a wink. “You gotta be very concise with Koroks, they don’t understand Hylian slang.”

“Mr. Hero!” the Korok Elder known as Chio squeaked, “We didn’t know what to think about you bringing monsters with you. But the Great Deku Tree said he couldn’t sense anything bad in their hearts!”

Chio then turned towards the monsters and waved - its body making a shookashooka sound. The other Koroks flew around the monsters, giving out many high pitched “Hello!” and “Welcome to Korok Forest!”. Zayl was absolutely giddy, waving to each and every one. Kobb and Sledge became dizzy from the Koroks circling them. Even Rezek cracked the slightest of smiles - taking note of how they used their own magic. Yet the Wizzrobe couldn’t shake that feeling of malaise it got from Lost Woods. If that shadow wasn’t a Korok, then what was it.

Link and the rest began to walk towards the center, but a line of Koroks suddenly cut off their path.

“Hold on a second!” one of them piped up, “One of you has something that should never be allowed in Korok Forest ever .”

Rezek’s teeth clenched and it instinctively reached to the magical rod fastened to its robe. If one was observant, they would’ve seen steam coming up from the top of the Wizzrobe’s head. The Koroks side-eyed all the monsters and they froze too. What could any of them possibly have that is such a danger? It was hard to tell if the beady eyes on the Koroks’ leaf masks were actually eyes, but Rezek could feel them staring into its soul regardless. One Korok broke from the ranks and approached them. Rezek’s arms were wobbling under its cloak and it contemplated dashing away right then and never returning. Instead, the Korok stopped at Kobb and patted the handle of its sword.

“You have a weapon of fire, Mister Bokoblin!” the Korok said in a tone that sounded like a father lightly scolding his kid. “Please leave it near the entrance and you can pick it up if you decide to leave! You see, we Koroks don’t agree with fire.”

Kobb lightly slapped its head, a little embarrassed it didn’t think about its Flameblade. 

“Oh, yes! Here!” it said, unfastening the sheathed sword and handing it to the line of Koroks. They then carted it towards a big wooden box, tossed the sword in, and with a green poof was suddenly replaced with a large rock.

“Your sword is still there!” one of the Koroks reassured, “It’s just temporarily a stone!”

Link and the others laughed. The party could now finally enter the heart of Korok Forest. Rezek hung back for a little bit to collect its nerves. It closed its eyes, held its hands slightly apart, and took several deep breaths. Tiny arcs of electricity arced through its fingers as it let the serenity of magic flow through its body. Still, this whole ordeal was taking a toll on its psyche and the dangers of Hyrule seemed tame compared to the eggshells it’d have to walk on to hide its secret here. But leaving meant it might have to deal with whatever was in that fog.

For the first time, it wondered if it really needed that stupid hunk of Malice around. But without it, how weak would it be? Could it even hold a candle to its friends? Its foes?

Chapter Text

“Ganon’s own have started to defect. I never thought I would see the day…” came a deep and booming voice from above.

The four monsters jumped and looked around before Link pointed them towards the center of the clearing. They looked up and saw that the enormous tree in front of them had facial features much like an old man. Where the eyes would be were covered by thick branches resembling eyebrows. His mouth turned slightly downward, but he didn’t look sad - just reflective. The cherry-blossom branches seemed to sway in a completely independent pattern from the surrounding trees. All four of the monsters felt this immediate pressure on them and their breath was momentarily stolen. They felt like ants compared to the size of this ancient being. This tree has lived to see the lifetimes of thousands come and go, and he will likely live to see many many more. Rezek instinctively lowered its head as if to bow in respect - before catching itself and jolting back up.

“You’ve never seen this before?” Link asked with mild shock. He expected at least the Great Deku Tree would have knowledge on this.

“Oh-hoho” the tree laughed with a low rumble Sledge could feel in its chest, “I may be old, but there are some things that even I have not seen. Yet, I have heard many a tale long before my time. Whisperings on the wind that have reached my ears…”

Zayl turned its head in confusion - wondering how the Deku Tree even had ears. Kobb pulled Sledge down and whispered in its ear, and the Moblin then stepped forward and cleared its throat.

“If you have any information that could help us, anything to possibly free our own from the Malice that binds them, could you please tell us?”

The Great Deku Tree’s brow curled down. “Mmm…Sledge, was it?” he said, despite the Moblin never giving him a name, “I am afraid that my memory is quite unique. Like roots, it is spread like a blanket deep underground. It will take me some time to find what you are asking for - if it exists at all.”

Sledge nodded solemnly in understanding. “If it does not trouble you, may we stay here in the meantime?”

Another rumbling laugh came from the tree. “Oh-ho! Of course! We shall allow you to stay as long as you wish…for Korok and the monsters of Hyrule are more alike than many would believe.”

“So the Hylians have slighted you, too?” Rezek said with a slight smirk.

“Not quite, Rezek…my children and I serve as the keepers for the Hylians’ greatest weapon. Yet they only pay us mind in their most dire need - and then forget we exist until the next time. Like seasons, they come in cycles. And with every cycle fewer and fewer arrive.”

Link winced and turned his head away. The Master Sword strapped to his waist felt a little bit heavier.

“My children stay in these protected forests, for the outside world is unkind to them. If they do venture beyond the forest buffer, they are forced to hide amongst nature. Not even Hylians are kind to them - for they do not remember our deeds. I am sure they will understand your plight more than anyone.”

A soft rustle of the wind blew through the forest. Despite the warm welcome, none of the four monsters felt like they belonged. They felt like intruders. Yet, a certain call to Korok Forest came from within that calmed their nerves. This place truly felt like the epicenter of nature. The soft light filtering through the trees was turning a bright orange. It was getting late. Like clockwork, all the surrounding Koroks fluttered about as they got ready for nighttime. Firefly lanterns were hung up, flowers were tended to, and the air was filled with the sounds of seed maracas. Chio the Elder flew right up to the group as the other Koroks bustled around them.

“We will have beds ready for our guests soon!” he squeaked.

Rezek felt another presence and it snapped its head to see a young Korok staring at it. Although they weren’t looking directly at the Wizzrobe - but rather its Thunderstorm Rod. It hastily covered it up with its cloak and shot the Korok a dirty look. The beady black eyes on the leaf mask made it impossible to gauge a reaction, but Rezek could feel a naive curiosity.

…

“So this is the inside of the Deku Tree?” Sledge said in awe as it lightly touched the wall of the wooden tunnel. 

“Try not to think about it too much,” Link said with a grin. As the monsters walked into the main room, Koroks of all kinds held up strings to measure them while carrying leaves and brush back and forth.

When the cramped tunnel opened up, the Koroks were assembling 4 more beds next to a fifth that looked like it had been made long ago. There was also a table off to the side composed of a huge mushroom with acorn-shaped chairs nearby. As Link reached his bed, he swan-dived into the covers without even removing his tunic. A satisfied groan could barely be heard from under the pillow. While the monsters waited for their beds to be finished, Link found the strength to lift himself up.

“I’m about to sleep like a Hinox. But before I do, I should let you all know I’m leaving early in the morning.”

Kobb and the rest looked disappointed. “Awwh, why are you?” it asked.

Link rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. “Well to tell you the truth, I still have urgent business to take care of in Death Mountain. I’m glad I was able to run into you again and find ya a home, but I gotta keep doing my…hero thing…whatever that is.”

Zayl looked the most glum out of all of them and it almost made Link rethink his plan out of guilt. Thankfully Sledge nudged the Lizalfos upon seeing Link’s conflicted face.

“I’ll be back soon enough, don’t worry,” he said, trying to reassure Zayl, “the Koroks are having their spring bloom festival in about a week or so that I said I’d attend.”

Zayl clapped its claws in excitement and Kobb chucked. With that load off of Link’s mind, he gave a thumbs up and fell back into his pillow. He was out like a light almost instantly - his hand hanging slightly off the bed.

“Whoa…” Rezek said, still thinking about Link’s near perfect form on the swan dive. 

“Yes, Mr. Hero is quite the heavy sleeper!” one of the Koroks said as they stuffed a bed with fluffy leaves, “Always wakes up at the same time - early in the morning! I don’t know how he does it…”

The monsters made small talk as the bed assembly was finished. Sledge’s was noticeably lower to the ground to accommodate the Moblin’s massive weight. When the remaining Koroks made the last touches, Kobb lightly pressed on the squishy center before climbing on. It made a squeal in delight as it practically sunk into the leaf mattress. Zayl and Sledge followed suit, making similar sounds as they had no idea a bed could be this comfy . Rezek did a swan dive of its own - feeling the woven leaves perfectly cushion the Wizzrobe. It looked over to the other monsters to see them clapping and giving thumbs-up. Link remained out like a rock the whole time.

“So what do we do now? We stay here until Old Leafy remembers something important? Because I have done quite enough running and fighting for a long while.” Rezek said as it shuffled around for the comfiest position.

“I know the first thing I will do is teach you two how to speak Hylian.” Sledge said, pointing to Kobb and Zayl, “I do not like being the mouth for all of us.”

Kobb laughed then shrugged. “We need more information on freeing more of us from The Calamity. Besides I…I am not sure I have it in me to free more Bokoblins. Who knows how much Ganon has learned since then.”

“You managed to free other monsters?” Rezek said as it did a double take, “Where are they now? How did you do it without magic?”

The Bokoblin looked over the Sledge with a ‘you didn’t tell it?’ face before turning back towards the Wizzrobe. 

“There were seven of us. Sledge and I are the only ones left. Please do not make me talk about it more.”

Rezek didn’t need to be told twice. It awkwardly nodded and rolled the other direction. When its face was out of sight, the Wizzrobe gritted its teeth so hard it could feel the strain. This is why you need to shut up, it told itself. Kobb took a deep breath and let sleep take over its body. It mustn’t let the old wounds open it. It was not Rezek’s fault for nearly opening them. Sledge felt guilty for keeping Rezek out of the loop, but it too was afraid it would not be able to hold itself together if it was forced to retell that bloody story. The Moblin let its upper half fall into its pillow with a loud POOMF that shook the floor. Link was still out cold.

None of them noticed Zayl softly crying into its pillow - mourning for monsters that it never got the chance to know.

…

Rezek awoke to a cloudy morning to see that Link’s bed was unoccupied. It was still pretty early - enough that the sun hadn’t risen yet. The Wizzrobe could try to sleep for another hour or so, but it had learned that once it woke up that was that. Kobb and Zayl were still completely passed out while Sledge shuffled back and forth - clearly half-awake and trying to get more sleep. Rezek dusted the leafy debris off its robe and made its way outside of the Great Deku Tree. Link was found not too far from the entrance - staring off into the hollowed log they entered from. Rezek floated beside him and he gave the Wizzrobe a soft affirmative nod.

“You didn’t have to do this for us, but I guess I should be thankful that one of the few competents Hylian is on our side.” Rezek said, glad it could get a chance to see the lad off. Normally Rezek wasn’t too fond of Hylians, but there was something about Link that drew Rezek’s attention.

Link gave a conflicted half-grin, taking the rare praise he could get. “...thanks?” he said, still wondering why the Wizzrobe always said the right thing in the worst possible way. Then again, he was not entirely innocent of doing the same. The knapsack on the ground was slung over his shoulder and the two stared forward for a bit before Link spoke again.

“He turns your kind into killing machines, doesn’t he?” Link said softly with a glaze over his eyes.

Rezek flinched slightly. “Yes, that is what the Malice does?”

Link shook his head. “No, I’m talking about Wizzrobes,” he said, now facing Rezek, “you weren’t under Ganon’s control at the start, weren’t you? You were trained until you were out of breath and could not take another step. From the very start you were told you had one purpose - to kill…how did you break free?”

He had hit the nail on the head. The way Rezek talked about Ganon and the Malice was…different compared to the other monsters. It felt vindictive - way more personal. Kobb, Sledge and Zayl did not have a specific past to remember thanks to the hundreds of deaths and rebirths by Malice. But the way Rezek talked hinted to Link that it wasn’t like the rest. To say Rezek was beside itself in anger was an understatement. It snarled at Link and turned its head away. 

“What business does a Hylian have with my past?” it growled.

Link sighed and grabbed Rezek’s hand. He forced the Wizzrobe’s long spindly fingers to run down his palm. At first Rezek almost shrieked and pushed Link away, but was caught off guard by how calloused this young Hylian’s hand was. Hard bumps, scars, and ridges littered Link’s palm. It resembled one that should belong to a 60-year old farmhand - not a spry Hylian that was at most a few years past coming of age. 

“When your hands are only taught to hold a weapon since you could carry one, destroying becomes all you know. It’s not just Ganon that is guilty of this. But hands can do so much more.” Link said before pulling away. 

Rezek looked down at its hand to see that Link had sneakily placed a beautiful blue flower in its palm. The Wizzrobe’s mood shifted immediately and it looked at Link with a feeling of kinship it had only felt once before. Blue essence of magic welled up near its bright yellow eyes.

“Learn how to create something instead, Rezek.” Link said with a melancholy smile as he casually saluted and walked back towards Lost Woods. As the Hylian slowly disappeared into the foggy distance, Rezek heard loud thumping footsteps behind it. Sledge quickly passed Rezek and it could feel the woosh of air pass by.

“Argh! I missed Link!” it said, punching its fist into its other hand. “Hey, Link! Good luck!!” it bellowed loud enough to wake half the forest before turning to Rezek.

“Did Link give you that?”

The Wizzrobe looked up and shook the gloom out of its eyes.

“Link told me to give this to someone that can take care of it,” Rezek said emotionlessly as it dropped the flower in Sledge’s hand, “pass this on to Zayl for me, would you please?”

Chapter Text

The next few days were quite uneventful. The Great Deku Tree was still racking its memory for anything to help the monsters, so they didn’t have much to do but lollygag about Korok Forest. Sledge spent a considerable time teaching Kobb and Zayl how to speak Hylian. Zayl picked up on the language much faster than Kobb - who had trouble remembering all the tricky grammar rules. It didn’t help that Sledge had nothing but its own memory and notes as a guide.

While Sledge was on glorified school teacher duty, Rezek would often find itself floating through the forest breeze alongside the Koroks. They didn’t talk much, but the Wizzrobe picked up on the ways the woodland creatures effortlessly glided with their tiny pinwheels. Rather than using magic to keep themselves afloat, like Rezek did, the Koroks channeled their wind magic into creating updrafts that would carry their light bodies. Rezek learned from this and found it could create miniature wind currents of its own by changing the pressure of the air around it through electric magic. It could hover higher and for much longer than the brute-force method it had been taught. Perhaps this was an intentional flaw - forcing the Wizzrobes to expend more effort and thus making the Malice seem like an upgrade. There was also one Korok that would not stop giving Rezek side glances - the same Korok from before. He went by the name Oaki, one of the youngest Koroks, and he apparently just passed a coming-of-age test.

“This is made entirely out of wood? Amazing!”

Zayl was hanging out near the training grounds a few days later upon hearing the Koroks had an archery range. It ran its claws down the robust Forest Dweller’s Bow - feeling the perfectly smooth carvings. 

“These were made for Mr. Swordsman, but they should work well enough for someone of your size!” Damia, the head ranger, chimed in.

Zayl laughed, pulling its own bow out and placing it on the stone shelf. “This is what we Lizalfos use. Good for close-up fighting too if you have to!”

Damia was intimidated by the sharp Steel Lizal Bow - the bladed ends and spiky face guards making it wonder how Zayl used it without cutting itself. Still, a glint appeared behind his leaf mask.

“Well if you use the bow we have on hand, you may discover some…interesting properties about it.”

This piqued Zayl’s curiosity and it made an enthusiastic grawp , then picked up the Forest Dweller’s Bow. With a green poof a quiver of arrows materialized where a tiny tree sapling once was. Several balloons sprouting leaves and roots also floated several yards away. Zayl notched an arrow and carefully aimed at the center target. The arrow made it a few feet before another poof of green smoke broke the singular arrow into three identical copies. Each made their mark on the plant-balloon, popping all of them simultaneously. Zayl put the bow down and clapped its claws in delight.

“That was so amazing!” it said, before thinking about the combat effectiveness of this weapon. Realistically, you’re not going to come across three identically spaced enemies. This time a glint appeared in Zayl’s beady eyes.

“May I show you what my bow can do?”

Damia clapped and more plant balloons poofed into the air. This time there were about a dozen at various distances.

“This is one of our standard bow courses!”

Zayl nodded and lifted its own bow up to its face. Before even firing a shot, it zeroed its eyes in on every single balloon - memorizing where its eyes were for each one. It notched an arrow at blinding speed and honed in on the first. POP! The second. POP! The third, fourth, fifth. POP POP POP! With almost robotic precision and stone-cold eyes, Zayl jerked its arms to the exact position needed. The dozen balloons were annihilated in under half a minute. Zayl turned to the Korok with an excited grin.

“How did I do?”

If Koroks could sweat, Damia definitely would have. It made a mental note not to get on the Lizalfos’ bad side.

“Can you set up moving targets? I’m…not great at hitting those…”

The next hour or so was incredibly frustrating for Zayl as the Korok balloons were the most slippery things it had ever shot at. No matter how hard it concentrated, it couldn’t consistently land a good shot. It would get a lucky hit every so often, but a good chunk of time was spent grumbling under its breath and trying not to get too angry. Meanwhile, Damia sat back and observed until he finally came to a realization. He knew there was something off about Zayl’s archery style, but he finally could put it into words.

“I see what the problem is. You’re not leading your shots!”

Zayl turned its head in confusion. “Leading…shots?”

“Yea! You lock on to your target but then by the time you let go of the arrow, it’s already out of the way! You gotta follow it with your bow, aiming a little farther ahead of it, and then fire!” it said, mimicking doing just that with its stubby arms.

“I do not know if I can get used to that,” Zayl said with a sour groan, “I am only so precise because my eyes lock on to my target so well.”

Damia jumped up and down in encouragement before creating another moving balloon. “Just try it!”

Zayl took a deep breath and steadied its arms. The first shot flew wildly into the fog as it moved the bow too fast and overshot. The second lagged behind as Zayl fell back into its old habits. It made an aggravated croak and slammed its claw on the stone table.

“Just focus. Move your eyes and your bow at the same speed!”

Just concentrate like you always do Zayl told itself as it notched one more arrow. The balloon target was moving in a wide oval shape. The Lizalfos followed it with its eyes for two rotations…three rotations. Its bow followed, but it did not fire. Not yet. Forcing itself not to rely on muscle memory was so hard. Instead, Zayl tried to do everything manually. Think about everything. It was mentally exhausting, but at last Zayl continued moving its bow as it let go of the string. The arrow sailed true and a loud POP rang out - followed by a silly little jingle.

“Ah-hahaha!” Zayl yelled in triumph as it nearly jumped into the air. “I did it!!”

Damia clapped in excitement, too. “Ya-haha! You did it!! Just keep practicing as you’ll get that down in no time!”

As the euphoria eventually wore off, Zayl had a burning question in the back of its mind that it had been meaning to ask. 

“Why do Koroks need a place like this?”

Damia shuffled his feet hesitantly.

“It’s training for the Mister Heroes that visit, but the Great Deku Tree also says we need to learn how to protect ourselves from threats to the forest…”

Zayl felt a little guilty and scratched its shoulder. “When was the last time you used a bow?”

“I’m the groundskeeper here so I have only used it on Keese or Chuchus that get too close! Although…” The Korok’s tiny little arms pressed on his head like it was lost in thought. “...I have had to use it once before to save myself. But that was a looooooooong time ago. I don’t even remember what I used it on.”

“How many years do you have?”

Damia perked back up. “One-thousand, five hundred and six!!”

Before Zayl could process how many years that was, it saw the large shadow of Sledge clear through the fog and approach the two. 

“I thought you would be here. The Deku Tree wants to talk to all of us.”

…

Zayl was the last to arrive at the stone pedestal before the Great Deku Tree. The other three monsters were joined by Link again - who had an even more exhausted look behind his eyes. Nevertheless, Zayl let out a happy gasp upon seeing the Hylian again and ran to his side. Link looked across to see the Lizalfos give a thumbs-up. He immediately perked up and did the same.

“Now that you are all here,” the Great Deku Tree said with his deep booming voice, “I can at last discuss this unusual phenomenon between our four guests.”

“Do you remember anything important?” Kobb said, hiding its shaking from anticipation.

The Great Deku Tree pursed his lips and grumbled in thought.

“Mmmmmm…important, yes. Useful…that will be up to you to decide.”

The four monsters and Link leaned in close.

“While this…blight…known as the Malice has precluded even me, many stories were told to me before much of Hyrule’s history was lost in The Great Calamity one-hundred years ago. Books…such unreliable things. If you want a tree to remember something just tell it! Oh-hoho…”

Rezek started to get impatient, gripping at its cloak, but it remained silent. 

“You see, there was once a time when Ganon’s subjugation of the monsters that roamed Hyrule was much more of a…hierarchy. And, may you believe it or don’t, the great calamitous being took the form of a Gerudo King.”

Link nodded his head. He had heard that particular story many times before in the numerous classes that were drilled into his head from a young age. The monsters, on the other hand, were quite shocked. 

“This hierarchy, while built with an iron fist and fear, did not rot the brains of the subjects and turn them into mindless weapons of destruction. The monsters could have dreams, aspirations, love, and hatred of their own. When I was but a sapling, I heard several accounts where every so often, monsters and Hylians would put aside differences so they could both survive this rugged land. Of course, there is no guarantee that this actually happened. It could just be folklore - to remind us of a bygone era we wish was still here.”

Kobb felt a certain ache in its chest. It could feel nostalgia rushing through its body, but it could not find a memory to be nostalgic for. For Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl, it felt like there was a hazy impenetrable cloud in their memories. 

“For the longest time, I too believed it was nothing but tall tales. However, seeing the four of you before me as living proof that monsters can act on their own…it is chilling to say the least. I must congratulate you all for showing this old tree that there is still much to learn about this land.”

Zayl rubbed the back of its head and began to blush, but Sledge was the one to step forward this time.

“Is there anything else?” it pleaded with the Great Deku Tree, “If the Malice is not how things always were…then you must have knowledge on how to get rid of it!”

With a gloomy sigh, the Deku Tree’s branches shifted.

“I am afraid not. Even when Ganon is sealed, the Malice remains. That is one of the many ways he is able to return over and over. Now that we know what we know, any conventional solution would be at great detriment to the rest of Hyrule’s monsters.”

Link turned away and winced. Even from deep within Korok Forest, he could feel the eerie glow of Hyrule Castle - and his sword’s call to the center. Rezek sighed heavily - feeling that this was just a big waste of time. Zayl drooped its head while Kobb and Sledge pinched at their snouts and grunted sadly.

“Oh-hoho! Do not be so glum, friends. If you four were able to break free, then it is possible for it to happen again. Besides, this is the type of predicament that cannot be solved in a day.”

The tree’s words were reassuring for the group and they began picking themselves back up.

“Besides, today is the day of our Spring Bloom Celebration!” he boomed loudly - reverberating through the woods, “Let the festivities ease the troubles on your heads, if just for a little while.”

“What happens in the Spring Bloom, anyway?” Zayl whispered to Link.

A glint appeared in Link’s eyes.

“Just watch...”

In mere minutes the entire center of the forest was swarming with Koroks. All of them were carrying branches that had budded flowers on the very end. Several Koroks even had buds on the tips of their little ears. Link and the four monsters were asked to stand back as the ritual started. From somewhere in the forest came a large Korok known as Hestu that was nearly taller than Sledge. He looked like he should’ve had a voice as deep as the Deku Tree, but he was just as shrill as the other Koroks. He also insisted that he had been there the whole time, it’s just the monsters couldn’t see him. 

As the tiny Koroks began circling around the smiling Great Deku Tree, Hestu pulled out some bright blue maracas and began to dance. Bright magical bubbles swirled around him as the Koroks sang a wondrous melody. Their voices were like miniature violins and all the monsters and Link shuffled to Hestu’s rhythm. All except Rezek - who remained motionless as a statue. Its legs fidgeted but it refused to let itself dance. Not again. It still couldn’t help but quietly hum along as magic essence welled up slightly in its eyes.

After a full song and dance number, every Korok froze in place and held their branches up high. With a loud POP! , every bud simultaneously bloomed into a brightly colored flower at tremendous speed. The flash of color nearly blinded the onlookers as the Koroks then spun their branches and let the flowers fly upwards. Many disappeared beyond the forest canopy and the music softly faded.

“That was…” Kobb whispered to Sledge, not even able to find the right words to describe the beauty it just witnessed.

Meanwhile, Zayl was clapping up a storm and looked to its friends with stars in its little beady eyes.

“What a dance!” it said, trying not to yell, “I have never seen so many colors!”

The Koroks weren’t done yet. They immediately began scattering around and changing the scenery as afternoon turned to dusk. Decorations were hung up, stands made out of mushrooms were grown out of seemingly thin air, a stage was procured and more Koroks with robust instruments began warming up. The monsters were now a little confused.

“I thought that was the Spring Bloom celebration,” Sledge said, “is there more later?”

Link looked at them with his most mischievous grin yet.

“Oh, you’ve never partied like a Korok? You are all about to have the night of your life…”

…

Link was not exaggerating in the slightest. It didn’t hurt that the Spring Bloom Festival was the biggest Korok holiday of the year - celebrating an end to winter. An hour in and all the monsters had their own makeshift Korok masks alongside Link - enjoying the festivities in their own way. Once it got dark and the Firefly torches were set up, the forest became a cacophony of music and shaking seed maracas. Sledge took a break from talking with the Great Deku Tree to join Link at one of the tables that was serving food and drinks. Some of it looked borderline inedible for a Moblin, but there was some fruit and veggies scattered around. The Elder Chio was the one serving.

“Greetings, uhhhh Moblin Sledge! What can I getcha?”

Sledge was getting decision fatigue just looking at all that was behind the Korok. It turned to Link and gave him a little “help me out” look.

Link chuckled, taking a swig from a wooden cup. “Try the wildberry-coated radishes. It doesn’t sound like it works, but it does.”

Before Sledge could contest, a wooden plate of huge plump radishes coated in a sort of jam was slid right in front of it. It gingerly picked one up and popped it in its mouth. It was immediately stuck by a sudden sweetness followed by a sharp spicy tingling. It let out a low growl in delight.

“You are right! These are perfect!” it said before scarfing down the rest of the plate. Sledge guzzled down the water it was given, then looked at what Link was drinking. It was orange with a purple swirl. He took notice and gave Sledge a smarmy grin.

“Oh, want one of these, too? I’m afraid these might be a bit too strong.”

Sledge made an exaggerated huff. “Too strong for a Moblin!? I cannot imagine!”

They both laughed again, but something in Link’s eye told Sledge he was serious.

“This is a blend of fermented voltfruit with rushroom tops. I call it ‘Zap Ya Fast’. One sip of this will have you acting funny all night.”

“Are you , yourself, old enough to have that Mister Hero?” Chio said with a squeaky interrogative tone.

Link waved the Korok off. “Pssssh I’m over a hundred years old, let me have this!” he said as he downed what was left in the cup. Chio gave a look that felt like the Korok was rolling its eyes. At least the lad never went past his limits.

Sledge curiously looked down at the drink suddenly procured in front of it. It was pulpy and viscous - almost like a frozen drink. The Moblin’s long tongue was dipped in and it was immediately assaulted with a harsh mix of bitter and sweet. It coughed in surprise and looked down to see Link nonchalantly sipping another.

“How can wheeze you drink that so easily?”

“Eh, I’ve made worse. It gets much better by the second one.” Link said with a snarky grin.

A few more hours into the night and nearly everyone was dancing to the Korok string quartet known as “The Evergreen Fiddles”. Their wooden instruments played lively jigs that made you feel like you were dancing on air. The monsters had never seen Link with such a blissful smile as he laughed and danced with them. Meanwhile, a lone Rezek hung out quietly near the entrance to the Great Deku Tree. It silently munched on a mushroom skewer as the other 3 monsters danced the night away. As it was contemplating just turning in for the night rather than be a useless wallflower, Zayl snuck up right beside it.

“Are you gonna dance, Rezek? Cah-mon!” it said, trying to imitate the Hylian slang Link used.

Rezek jumped in surprise before immediately trying to compose itself again.

“No, sorry…I don’t dance.” it said, hoping Zayl would drop it and go back to the Korok mosh pit.

Instead Zayl made a low pitched whine and grabbed Rezek’s hand.

“Do not be such a fly on the wall! Everyone can dance! There is no way a Wizzrobe like you cannot dance! You are so light on your feet!”

Rezek yanked its hand back so hard it jolted Zayl forward.

“Well this one doesn’t, alright! I don’t dance!” it snapped - raising its voice loud enough for several nearby Koroks to turn their heads. Zayl blinked in surprise, then softly nodded and slowly reached forward to grab its hand again. It looked up at the Wizzrobe with a slight smile, but sadness behind its eyes.

“I understand. I am not the smartest, but I see you have your reasons. Have a good night, Rezek.”

Something was plopped into Rezek’s hands and Zayl ran back into the herd with the others and resumed dancing. Rezek softly lifted the foreign object up to see that it was a tiny seed maraca in the shape of an egg. A beautiful red flower pattern adorned the small instrument. It instinctually waved it in rhythm to the music and felt a soft shookashooka vibrate through its arm. Rezek was suddenly overcome with a wave of emotions it could not deal with, and ran to a place beyond seeing.

…

It was late into the night - around 3 or 4 in the morning. In just a few hours, the sun would rise yet all the denizens of Korok Forest would still sleep for another few hours. The Great Deku Tree’s heavy breathing resonated throughout the canopy. Everyone was absolutely tuckered out from the Spring Bloom festivities - everyone, that is, but two young Koroks heading for the inside of the Great Deku Tree.

“What are you doing, Oaki?” the Korok known as Macks whispered as it saw him drifting towards the entrance.

Oaki turned around suddenly, not expecting anyone to follow him. “Gah! Macks! You’re supposed to be sleeping!”

“ You’re supposed to be sleeping too!” Macks rebutted, “Why are you going inside the Great Deku Tree? He told us not to bother our guests while they were sleeping.”

The other Korok looked away in shame, but continued to drift towards the opening in the tree.

“The Wizzrobe one of them…I saw something on its belt! It was calling to me! I need to see it again…just one more time…”

Macks made a big sigh “Kuuu…you better not get us in trouble with this stunt.”

“Well you’re free to go back to bed!” Oaki snapped, “I’m going to get another look…”

Oaki continued to aimlessly float towards the room that the monsters and Link were sleeping in. Macks followed behind, but by darting in and out - frantically looking around for anyone that could catch them. All of the other Koroks were fast asleep, hovering weakly in the air as they subconsciously clutched their little leaf pinwheels. As they reached the monsters’ beds, they were all out like a rock too. They heard the loudest snoring that they thought was coming from the huge Moblin, but it was actually coming from Link. Oaki approached Rezek’s bed.

“I’m getting a bad feeling about this, Oaki!” Macks said with a hushed urgency as the Korok floated closer. “I don’t think you should be doing this!”

That did not stop Oaki. He was within arms distance from the Wizzrobe. Its head rested neatly on the cushy pillow, but the rest of its body hovered slightly off the bed. Rezek was not even using the covers they had painstakingly sowed. Poking out of its robe was the handle to its Thunderstorm Rod.

“I have to get another look. I can barely sleep without thinking about it.”

Oaki reached its stubby hands towards the magical rod and Rezek made a high-pitched whine. The Korok jolted back before realizing the Wizzrobe was just having a bad dream. Its hands were trying to grab at nothing as it shifted back and forth. Oaki pondered for a moment before gently placing one of the branches it was holding in Rezek’s arms. The Wizzrobe’s fingers snatched at the stick and held it close to its body. Rezek let out a loud exhale and calmed down from the night terrors it may have been experiencing. This was Oaki’s chance. Slowly, he unfastened the Thunderstorm Rod from Rezek’s cloak and let it fall into his hands. Macks could only watch from afar with bated breath as Oaki now clutched his prize.

“Finally…” is all Oaki could muster as it stared right into the glowing black and red orb at the crook of the staff’s lightning bolt design. In the near pitch darkness of the Great Deku Tree, it gave a soft crimson glow that reflected in the Korok’s beady eyes. From the orb, Oaki could hear a soft whispering. The soft voices bounced around in Oaki’s mind as they progressively got louder - yet still murmuring. They were indecipherable, speaking a language the Korok did not understand. Macks felt a terrible presence in his chest as he saw his friend continuing to stare. Oaki gripped the magical item harder in its arms and closed its eyes. He felt immense power surging through his tiny body as the whisperings in its head became deafening. Instinctually, he breathed some of his own magic through the handle…

With a loud KRA-KOW the Thunderstorm Rod misfired a stray lightning bolt right at the ceiling. Oaki was immediately thrown out of his stupor and he shrieked with a loud “Gah!” as the wand fell out of his hands. Macks could see it fall in slow motion as it hit the wooden floor hard - the glowing red orb being the first thing to land. A shattering sound of glass followed and the two Koroks watched in horror as a deluge of red and black substance erupted from the broken core. The malicious fluid swirled through the air before pouncing on Oaki. It didn’t engulf the Korok, but rather flowed right into his body. A blood-curdling shriek filled the small room as Oaki clutched his head in agony.

The other denizens of the tree interior jolted awake from the initial lightning strike, but the miasma of Malice made them question if they were still in some nightmare. The shriek that followed made them realize that, no, this was very real. The other Koroks were in an absolute panic - not knowing what to do as the Malice overtook Oaki. Link was out of bed in seconds with his sword unsheathed, but was scared to use it in case he hurt the Korok. Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl also sprung out in record time, and were equally as conflicted. They were also more afraid than they had even been. How did the Malice manage to get here?

Rezek’s experience was unique. At first the lightning strike didn’t phase its slumber at all. But when the ear-piercing wail came from Oaki, it convulsed itself awake to see the Malice it once contained entering the Korok. The Wizzrobe’s eyes became as wide and white as dinner plates. It frantically searched its robe for its Thunderstorm Rod - only to see it on the floor with a shattered core. The last of the Malice entered and the shrieking of Oaki quickly turned into a high pitched malicious laugh that chilled to the bone.

It had to act now . Rezek lunged forward with speed it didn’t think was possible and planted its hand firmly onto Oaki’s forehead. With gritted teeth, it sent an electric shock surging through the Korok. This was a deadly gamble, but Rezek was betting on the low conductivity of wood to save the Korok. The Wizzrobe could feel its electric magic reach into Oaki’s mind and it grabbed the Malice like a fishing hook. With all its might and a loud cry, Rezek pulled away - drawing the evil goop out like poison from a wound. The Malice resisted in its hands, but Rezek kept up this dangerous game of tug-of-war. With its other hand, it grabbed the Thunderstorm Rod off the ground and shoved the essence of The Calamity back from whence it came. Just like before, the amazing heat from Rezek’s electric magic melted and mended the glass orb - creating a seal from which the Malice couldn’t escape. 

When the last of the Malice was forced back into the glass core, there was a blinding flash of red light and the room was back to the dark blue of the early dawn. The sheer power sent Rezek back onto the bed and Oaki onto the hardwood floor. The soft yellow glow of Firefly lamps replaced the nightly ambiance as more Koroks came in to assess the scene. Link and the other three monsters stood with mouths agape in shock from Rezek’s display of power. The Wizzrobe, however, had more pressing matters to deal with. The immediate danger was taken care of, but there was still that meddling Korok. It threw itself off the bed and grabbed Oaki frantically. He was absolutely distraught - shivering and quaking as if he was caught in a blizzard.

“I…I saw him! ” Oaki cried as he covered his eyes in terror. “He was in my thoughts! He was in my mind! I tried to fight him, but I couldn’t!”

Rezek was hyperventilating and gripped the Korok tighter. 

“The Calamity…does it know how to get in? Did it find out how to get past Lost Woods?!”

“I…I…”

The Wizzrobe felt a sharp object suddenly press against its neck. At least half a dozen other Koroks surrounded it - weapons drawn.

Chapter Text

Rezek stood alone with bound hands before the Great Deku Tree - feet forced onto the cold floor. Where the Master Sword once slept, its Thunderstorm Rod now laid. The crack in the Malice Orb had been repaired, but the eerie red glow pulsed with more life than the Wizzrobe had seen yet. Several Koroks surrounded it - their bows primed to fire at any given moment. The early sunshine of dawn just barely reached past the tree canopy. Link stood apart from the rest - one hand balled into a fist covering his mouth. Truthfully, he didn’t know what to think about this current situation. The other 3 monsters were close by. Zayl had a somber look on its face that could only be described as the feeling of betrayal. Kobb had gritted teeth with a mix of disappointment in anger as its snout curled upwards. Sledge stayed silent and shook its head mournfully. It had a hunch Rezek was hiding something, but not this . The Great Deku Tree had a long deep scowl running down his face as he looked Rezek up and down.

“Untie the Wizzrobe.” he said with a commandingly deep voice. The Koroks begrudgingly complied and cut Rezek’s bounds with their wooden daggers, bowing, then floating away.

“You are very lucky, Rezek,” the Great Deku Tree said with an amazing anger behind his voice, “very lucky that you were quick enough to save my children from harm. It seems Calamity Ganon was not able to get crucial information from Oaki in time. However, you merely mended a problem you created that threatened this entire forest.”

Rezek looked away and winced. It felt great guilt, but it would be lying if it wasn’t internally placing part of the blame on that stupid Korok that got too curious to begin with.

“So why don’t you go ahead and explain to me,” he said, eyeing the Malice-infused rod before them, “why you had the gall to bring such a horrible thing to my domain?”

Rubbing its bruised hands, Rezek stepped forward and cleared its throat. It maintained its confident stride, but deep down it was absolutely terrified. Talking was not one of its strong suits - and this did not look like an entity worth angering. It would have to choose its words carefully.

“Great Deku Tree,” it said, swallowing its pride and resorting to flattery, “Wizzrobes are renowned for their magic potential across Hyrule. However, it is really the magic rod that makes the Wizzrobe. It is more of a magical amplifying device than one that casts magic itself. That is why you will often see many Hylians fumbling with one should they get their hands on it.”

Rezek cast a slightly condescending glare at Link, who rubbed the back of his head with a “yeah, you got me there” look.

“There is more. Wizzrobes are trained diligently under an elder of the respective branch of magic - ice, fire, and thunder. They are then reborn under the Blood Moon with the Malice of Calamity Ganon. From this, Wizzrobes are given power beyond comprehension. They can change the very climate around them if they so choose.”

It then brought attention to the Malice core in its Thunderstorm Rod.

“As you can see, I have broken free from the wretched curse that once bound me. Before you holds every shred of Malice that once flowed through my body. This…is my equalizer. This is how I can keep up with the rest of my kin that are still tied to Ganon. Without it I…I would be too weak…”

The Great Deku Tree looked pensively at Rezek in silence. He frankly didn’t know what to make of its explanation. Before he could get another word in, Kobb pushed through the Koroks surrounding Rezek and got in the Wizzrobe’s face.

“I thought you were better than this, Rezek.” the Bokoblin said sternly as it pushed a finger onto Rezek’s chest. “You put us, all of us, in danger - because you wanted more power. Does that make you any better than the Wizzrobe still under the Malice?”

“Yes! Yes it does!” Rezek yelled as it pushed Kobb’s hand away. “I am doing this to spite Ganon. For the first time, this Malice is the one at the whims of a greater being! The Calamity’s power is near limitless, yet I am using it against him!”

“You cannot use Ganon’s own power against him!” came another voice. Link joined the two with a cold face. Rezek gulped seeing how serious Link was.

“Rezek, you are toying with ancient magic that even the greatest scientists in Hyrule don’t understand. Maybe you have control over this tiny amount of Malice now, but last night proved that will not last.”

The Wizzrobe could not force itself to look at Link in his eyes and it turned away.

“That was a fluke! I was not the one that dropped my rod! I was not the one that broke its seal!”

Chio the Elder Korok now got in Rezek’s face.

“You dare blame us Koroks when you brought the Malice here first?” it said in an angry squeaky voice, “I talked with Oaki and he said he felt a certain call to that weapon of yours! Whether it affects you or not, it certainly affects those around you!”

Rezek gritted its teeth, but it couldn’t deny the elder’s words.

“Perhaps you are right,” it said with a shameful sigh, “but there is still no way to keep up with the enemy without it. I may use the power of the Malice, but I do it to beat the Malice! Is that not a good thing?”

“Is it because of that?” Kobb said with a growl, getting closer to Rezek. “Or is it because you secretly miss the power you had under the Malice? None of us feel weaker without it, yet you had to resort to the Malice again!”

Rezek got worked up again and its face became flushed with rage - hands balled into fists.

“Well you can thank it that Zayl’s still alive! Do you think I could have fried that Guardian without it?”

“That does not allow you to use Ganon’s power as some…some lightningrod!” Kobb shouted back.

“That is easy for you all to say! The Malice was all you knew before you broke free! You were born into it. I had to feel that wretched substance strip the flesh from my bones and break me down until there was nothing left! I was killed and brought back as a husk of what I once was! I sealed away everything that gave me joy, everything I held dear, to become nothing but another spear to be thrown!”

Link’s eyes turned glassy as he was hit by a sudden rush of familiar memories.

“This is how I get back at that beast! This is what it deserves for all it did to me! I am using it as nothing but a tool because that is how it treated me !” Rezek yelled with a quivering voice. Hints of magical essence welled up in its eyes.

Kobb’s scowling face immediately turned to a flabbergasted stare as if it got punched in the gut. They stared at each other, painful tears welling up in the Bokoblin’s eyes as well, both at a loss for words. Something snapped in the air and all the surrounding Koroks uproared in argument over what to do with the Wizzrobe. The Great Deku Tree remained silent, still observing the concentrated orb of Malice on the ground. As the group continued to bicker more and more, he noticed the soft red glow grew brighter and brighter.

“ENOUGH” he boomed loud enough to knock Link, Kobb, and Rezek off their feet. The forest became so quiet that one could hear a leaf drop. 

“It is clear…that this is a problem that goes beyond this weapon that was brought in. However, with that said I cannot allow such a thing to exist here. Rezek, you knew bringing that thing here would endanger your fellow monsters - as well as this whole forest.”

The Wizzrobe felt every eye in the clearing on top of it.

“First, you must remove all presence of the Malice you brought from the forest. I do not care how you do it, but I cannot allow a speck of it to be within the confines of my domain. Only then, will we consider re-extending our branch of hospitality that you took advantage of. Do not expect much - for my children are now scarred and distrustful of you from what happened last night.”

Rezek stood with its feet on the stone cold ground, completely motionless. Get rid of it? The one thing that gives it an edge up against the enemy they are all fighting against? Why? Why don’t they get it? In desperation, Rezek turned to Sledge or Zayl in hopes one would vouch for it. Kobb would clearly side with the Great Deku Tree, but maybe one of the others could see.

After a quick glance Rezek wished it had just looked at the ground. Zayl’s long mouth was stretched into the most dismayed frown. It looked the most genuinely hurt out of everyone watching. Sledge’s snout turned downward as it crossed its arms looking at Rezek. It said no words, but its stance said it wouldn't be going to bat any time soon. Even if Rezek complied, it doubted that they would do anything beyond sit and watch as it got kicked out. Despite being with the only things it might be able to call ‘companions’, Rezek felt more alone than ever. 

“If those are my options,” Rezek said, walking to the Thunderstorm Rod and picking it up, “then I think I will save everyone here the trouble.”

In a flash of sparks, Rezek vanished in an instant - the trail of ozone heading back into Lost Woods.

“Rezek, wait!” Sledge called out, as the rest stood there blinking.

Run. Just keep running. Run until you cannot run anymore.

Tufts of grass were torn up as Rezek bolted through Lost Woods - the gray-blue fog whizzing past its eyes. It did not remember to take the secret route. It just ran. Streaks of magic essence flowed from its eyes, leaving a trail of bright blue.

They’re better off without me. They never wanted me to begin with. Why would they? They have flesh. They have blood. You have nothing.

The fog grew thicker, but Rezek paid no attention. It had to go somewhere else. Anywhere but here. If it was standing still it would have to think. No time for thinking, only running.

This is why. This is why I cannot be close to anyone. I will always mess it up. It will always lead to ruin. You didn’t even have a chance this time, and you still messed it up. You will always be a lone Wizzrobe.

Rezek suddenly stopped. It was nowhere closer to the exit of Lost Woods than where it entered. The grotesque trees with contorted faces surrounded it and the fog began to creep in further. It collected around Rezek to where it could no longer see past its own knees. Panic set in. Would it be taken by the fog? It ran in a completely different direction - the fog now actively pursuing it. Bobbing and weaving didn’t help, as the dense fog came at it from all directions. It was then that a shadow passed by the corner of its eye.

bwoopbwoopbwoopbwoop

There it was. That infernal sound again. Whatever was in these woods was the hunter, and Rezek the prey. It shrieked as it tried to find some path, some correct way out of here, but it was fruitless. The fog was now up to its chest and even thicker. It couldn’t tell if the long dark shadows were trees or its pursuer. Still, Rezek kept running. The siren sound only got louder and louder with each step. It was then that it ran face-first into something - too busy looking behind to see what was chasing it. It was not as hard as a tree, and had a bit of a give, but it knocked Rezek onto the ground regardless. The fog was so heavy in front of its eyes that all it could see was a big looming shadow hovering over it. It had the same general shape as before: tall with a fan-shaped head.

With a loud wail, Rezek covered its eyes and huddled in the fetal position. It didn’t think about pulling out its Thunderstorm Rod, and its magic had gotten the Wizzrobe in enough trouble already. Even with eyes tightly shut it could feel the presence of whatever it ran into. Perhaps if it kept them closed it would not have to perceive whatever horror awaited it and the thing would give it a swift death. That, however, never came and instead Rezek felt the ground around it shift as the fog completely engulfed the Wizzrobe. After an agonizing minute of refusing to open its eyes, it heard a whimsical voice coming from above.

“Open your eyes, Wizzrobe…ahoo-hoo!”

Everything in Rezek’s body was screaming at it to keep them closed and make a break for it, but curiosity ultimately got the better of it. It dared to crack its eyes open by the tiniest amount, but nothing could have prepared for what the Wizzrobe witnessed.

The heavy fog was gone, and it was now in a large clearing. There was still that wispy gray-blue ambiance of Lost Woods, but Rezek could see in front of its own face. And hovering above it was a most peculiar creature. It had a long flowing orange robe - with dark blue wind patterns embroidered in the cloak. Its head resembled that of a Rito, but this was certainly no Rito. Its beak was large and red like a toucan, and its eyes were wide and multi-colored. Adorning the top of its beak was a golden helm that stretched above its head into a fan-pattern. Suddenly the shape this creature took in the fog made a whole lot more sense. It didn’t look threatening, instead giving off a mischievous smile as it waved around a tiny object that resembled a conductor’s baton. Yet, its cloak was so long that any hands the creature had were hidden.

“What…are you?” Rezek asked, not sure if the creature was friend or foe.

It scoffed in an overly embellished manner and put its arms on its waist. 

“The nerve! The nerve of you! Don’t you recognize a fellow Wizzrobe when you see one? Hoo-hoo!”

Chapter Text

“...No…” was all Rezek could muster. The terror it once had evaporated in nearly an instant now that it had a better look at the mysterious creature in the fog. The shadows did a great job at making it more intimidating than it was. And it called itself a Wizzrobe? Granted, it didn’t look much like a Rito besides the bird face. Its body was much shorter, and its cloak acted like wings. Multi-colored plumage ran down its face that would be nauseous to look at if the colors weren’t so washed out. There were also several patches of missing feathers. This so-called Wizzrobe continued to stare with a whimsical smile as it lazily twirled its baton around. Rezek brought itself back on its feet and tried to compose itself.

“I know what Wizzrobes are. I’m a Wizzrobe. And you are certainly no Wizzrobe.”

The bird-like Wizzrobe cackled with a deep laugh that echoed like they were in a cave. It leaned in close enough to Rezek that it had to back up.

“Such a shallow view! Oh how I weep for you, fellow Wizzrobe. If you must judge only on appearance, then take a look at my eyes and tell me that again!”

Rezek brought itself to look deep into the eyes of this stranger. That was when it noticed something most peculiar. While this creature’s body looked like no Wizzrobe it had ever seen, its eyes were like looking in a mirror. The wide, multi-colored pupils with green and yellow hues stared right back at Rezek and it felt a shiver down its spine. It didn’t know how or why, but this creature was right - it was a Wizzrobe in every sense of the word. Rezek could even feel that magical bond between every Wizzrobe. It had been wondering why it felt such a strong connection to this forest, and this was why.

“I…but how?” Rezek said as it gave the odd Wizzrobe a look up and down, “Why do you look different than any Wizzrobe I have ever seen? What magic do you use? Did you give yourself a name?”

Another roaring laugh came from the other Wizzrobe and with a flick of its baton, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. Rezek flinched and looked around for where it vanished, but that mischievous laugh echoed in its head again. The Wizzrobe reappeared in the crook of a nearby tree, then laying in the grass, then right behind Rezek, poof, poof, poof - each with a loud “Hu-Hah!”. It stopped its little show floating above Rezek like it was lounging in a hammock.

“Questions, questions, so many questions! All that I could ask the same for you! Perhaps I’m what Wizzrobes are supposed to look like and you’re the phony! Ah-heehee! Besides, I believe the intruder should be the one answering the questions first…”

Rezek’s patience was being tested to the max by this Wizzrobe. Whether this was punishment from earlier, or just bad luck, it did not know.

“Intruder?” Rezek said with a miffed smirk, trying to beat the other Wizzrobe at its own game, “I do not recall Wizzrobes being native to Lost Woods…”

The other Wizzrobe teleported to now be upside-down and right in Rezek’s face.

“That may be correct, but who do you think controls this spell of fog around here? Surprise! It’s me! Or at least…some of it ehehehe”

“Wh-why did the Deku Tree not bring up that very important detail to me?!” Rezek said, almost beside itself. If it had known a fellow Wizzrobe resided in the Lost Woods, that would’ve been a huge load off its mind - as well as open up a slew of questions.

The other Wizzrobe laughed again. “Did you ask him? Maybe the Deku Tree does not know I am a Wizzrobe. Or he does! Who cares? Whooooo!” it said as it flew back to its usual spot - blowing Rezek’s cloak in the fierce breeze it made.

“Besides, I have not talked to Ol’ Leafy since he was thiiiiiiis big!” it said, motioning its hand close to the ground.

With every sentence, Rezek had two more questions. Its head was spinning trying to comprehend where this being landed in time. Perhaps it was being taunted by this old Wizzrobe.

“Can you at least give me your name? I will even give you mine, first. I go by Rezek, I am the greatest Electric Wizzrobe in Hyrule, and I was just leaving this accursed woods. Are you pleased, now?”

The other Wizzrobe smacked its beak and nodded sagely. It looked like it got what it wanted.

“Electric magic, I see. Powerful, but much like lightning it does not differentiate friend from foe. Very well. I suppose you deserve to know who I am, too. I call myself…Haze.”

A Hylian name, fantastic Rezek thought, rolling its eyes. “Well, Haze, perhaps I-”

“Wait!” Haze interrupted as it suddenly poofed closer, “...can I go by Brine instead? It reminds me of the salty sea air of my birth…now lost to the cruel passage of time.”

“You…you don’t have to ask me for that…” Rezek said, now questioning this Wizzrobe’s competence.

Brine backed up a bit bashfully. “Ahh right…hehehoo. So, tell me Rezek…what is a respectful Wizzrobe like you doing with something like that .” it said, pointing to the Malice core on Rezek’s Thunderstorm Rod.

Rezek backed up defensively. “What room do you have to judge?” Rezek snapped, not expecting to be chastised by another Wizzrobe, “There is no way such a powerful spell around these woods can be held up by our magic alone! What are you hiding under your cloak?”

The happy-go-lucky attitude of Brine quickly faded as it let out a heavy sigh. “Such doubt…and none of it is any fault of your own. How much has been lost since I last saw the outside?”

It took a deep breath and Rezek could feel the wind swirl past it and around Brine. A miniature thundercloud formed above the peculiar Wizzrobe - cloth strands standing on end from the ambient static electricity. The eyes of Brine opened, revealing an intense glare as it waved its baton to an opening in the clearing. A tremendous lightning bolt unlike anything Rezek had ever seen came barreling out of Brine’s arm. The arcing electricity then swirled around the Wizzrobe before concentrating right above it. Brine made a fierce chopping motion with its hands and a nearby dead tree was vaporized in the blink of an eye with a booming KRA-KOW . Even more surprisingly, there was no reaction from the forest. No birds flying away, no yelps of nearby wildlife or Koroks. It was as if Rezek and Brine were in their own little ship in a bottle. The smoldering patch of grass reflected in Rezek’s eyes as it looked in bewilderment. Brine pushed its sleeved back and puffed out its chest.

“ That. Is just a speck of what we are capable of. A grain of sand in the infinite magic beach. You may get faster results with that club of yours, but it is finite. Too many bells and whistles. Only muscle. No elegance. It will only carry you so high. No more. No less.”

“Can…can you teach me?” was all Rezek could get out as it could feel the magic flow through its body in exhilaration.

Brine wagged its finger with a tsk tsk tsk . “I cannot. Not yet. You are still reliant on the power that belongs to him .”

A knot appeared in Rezek’s throat. The Malice orb stared back at it as it glared at the sinister core. “...and if I got rid of it?”

“Aheehee…if only it were that easy. My answer would still be no.” Brine said. It couldn’t help but giggle. “You made it to the top on a pair of rickety stilts. If those were taken away, you would come crashing down! No…you must first ease yourself off that malicious power a little at a time.”

“And would you then teach me?” Rezek said. This was no longer about a lust for more power. It felt a genuine desire to learn from this ancient Wizzrobe.

Brine rubbed the bottom of its beak. “Perhaps…it would take great amounts of unlearning for you. I can sense the resentment in your heart. Never in my days was it as bad as this. It seems Ganondorf’s methods have changed since long ago…if that is still his name.”

“There has never been a Ganondorf…only Ganon.”

“You are a little bit right, and a little bit wrong. You will come to see” Brine chuckled. 

Rezek shook its head. “Can you tell the future too, or are you talking in riddles again?”

“Feels like both sometimes! Ahee-hee! What I say may come to pass, or it may pass you by should you stay the right path…”

The two stayed quiet for a little bit. Brine stayed put - a goofy smile back on its face. Rezek still had so many questions, but not enough time to ask them all. 

“How…how did you break free from his command?” Rezek decided on asking.

“Broke free?” Brine scoffed, “All I did was walk away! Yet there were so many moments where I could have walked away earlier, but alas, the desire for easy and quick power was too great. Perhaps that makes me worse than the monsters under his rule now - if my assumptions are correct. But that brings into question…what is a worse offense: killing many under the control of another, with no free will of your own…or only killing when necessary, but of your own volition?”

Rezek remained silent, for it did not know the answer.

“We can talk till the sun falls, but there will always be another life that was taken - no matter whose fault it was. Remember this, Rezek, there is always honor in deciding to walk away from it all. To simply say ‘no’ and leave. To think there is a point beyond returning is just another means to control those who care enough. It took a heated talk with a peculiar Hylian long ago for me to realize that. What was his name again? Oh well…it does not matter! Heehe…”

There was a sudden shift in the atmosphere around the two Wizzrobes and Brine perked right up. 

“Ah! It appears someone needs you! That means our time is coming to an end.” it said as it began waving its baton around. The surrounding fog began to encroach on Rezek once again. 

“Wait!” Rezek said, frantically waving the fog away. “I cannot leave now! Please, help me! I am begging you! Will I see you again? I need to learn more!”

Brine had an uncharacteristic melancholy behind its eyes and it waved Rezek goodbye. With a soft laugh, it imparted one last nugget of wisdom.

“We shall meet one more time. Use it wisely. I leave the rest to those that care for you the most. That is the one thing I am envious of you, Rezek. You are in good hands…”

The fog passed Rezek’s eyes and it could no longer see anything but the fading shadow of Brine. The ground disappeared from under it and with a blinding flash of light, the lone Wizzrobe found itself at the entrance to Lost Woods. It waited and listened for a moment, but all it could hear was the rustling of leaves and small songbirds in the distance. Guess the old Wizzrobe lied about someone needing it. With a heavy head, Rezek turned around to leave Korok Forest for good. But that was when it heard a familiar voice.

“Rezek! Where are you!” came a deep bellow from within Lost Woods. It turned back around to see Sledge, Zayl, Kobb, and Link all heading towards the entrance. Rezek considered bolting then and there, not wanting to bring itself to see the disappointment of its former companions. Wracked by indecisiveness, the group quickly caught up.

“Ahh…came to see me off, eh?” Rezek said quietly, looking down and away.

Sledge shook its head. “Nope. We are going with you.”

Rezek was so aghast it felt as if it got kicked in the chest. It forced itself to look in everyone’s eyes and was met with sympathetic grins. Zayl gave a small thumbs up as their eyes passed.

“I don’t…no…you all should be staying in Korok Forest. It’s safe there. I don’t want to ruin this for you all,” it said, wincing hard, “Besides…I want to hear what Kobb has to think about this, first.”

It said this half-expecting that the Bokoblin had been dragged into this by the others. They had been at odds ever since it joined, and Rezek figured this would’ve been the perfect time for Kobb to be rid of it. Instead, Sledge let out a hearty laugh.

“Well…it was Kobb that pushed us all in the first place…”

Another gut punch for Rezek. Kobb stepped forward with a sheepish stance as its snout curled downwards.

“I…I do not know what you have been through, nor is it any of my business, but I cannot let you go on your own. Korok Forest is nice, but it is not meant for us. We need to keep working together against Ganon.”

Magic essence flowed out of Rezek’s eyes like faucets.

“No monster left behind. That is something I told myself once and I will not break it. We are coming with you.”

Rezek stood still, slightly swaying in the breeze for a brief moment before lunging towards Kobb - wrapping its arms tightly around the smaller monster. The Wizzrobe’s body shook uncontrollably and Kobb felt a certain warmth from the center of Rezek’s chest. It jolted back to where it was as quick as it came and coughed in embarrassment. Link and the other monsters blinked silently with wide eyes. It had never seen Rezek try to make physical contact with anyone until then. The moment passed and it slowly pulled out its Thunderstorm Rod - staring blankly at the Malice core that started this whole mess.

“I don’t think I can mend what happened today. That could have been the end of…so much” it whispered quietly.

“You have to get rid of that thing eventually,” Link said with a heavy breath, putting a hand on its shoulder, “but at least you recognize your mistake.”

Rezek squinted “I know…just…not now. I’m not ready, yet. I am still too reliant on it. I have to take things slowly.”

“Then we’ll be behind you the whole time.”

The other monsters grunted in agreement. 

“Ehh…where do we go now?” Rezek said, realizing the Hinox-in-the-room, “I doubt there is a place as safe as Korok Forest.”

Link laughed and gave a wink. “That’s why you have me! It may not be as safe as Korok Forest, but I had a backup planned just in case.”

“How far?” Zayl asked, already dreading having to walk a long distance again.

“Well…it’s on this side of Hyrule at least…but we have to walk along the northern perimeter of Death Mountain.” Link said, pulling at his collar.

Sledge shook its head and laughed morbidly. “I guess we are taking another trip around Death Mountain, then.”

That night, after they set up camp, was the first time Rezek slept close to the rest.

Chapter Text

“Gah! Do the Yiga ever just go away?!”

Link and the monsters found themselves with their backs to Death Mountain after a Yiga ambush. They had to steer clear of the Eldin Badlands further down the mountain as that was heavy Lynel territory. That unfortunately didn’t stop a meddling Yiga patrol from tracking and intercepting them.

Everyone was in their own predicament. Sledge wrestled with 3-4 footsolders at a time as they fruitlessly tried to cut through its thick hide. Rezek was not at its full potential as it had been trying to wean itself off the Malice’s power in its rod. Perhaps it would’ve been a good time to forgo that in order to survive. Link was slowly knocking them out one-by-one, but he couldn’t be in every place at once. Zayl couldn’t seem to pin down any of the Yiga with its bow as they were too agile for its eyes. If only it had more training at Korok Forest. Kobb was undoubtedly having the worst of it. The Bokoblin’s feet were precariously close to the volcano’s edge as it turtled against the Yiga’s deadly blows. A single misstep could send it straight into the lava.

“Enough!” Sledge yelled with enough ferocity to stagger nearby Yiga. It grabbed one by the arm and flung them at another group - knocking them over like bowling pins. It then picked up another by the mask that had managed to get a good stab in, let go, then punched them in the gut so hard the Moblin could feel a few ribs crack. The Yiga leader made a signal and one of the bowmen pulled out an arrow that was sizzling at the tip. Sledge dove out of the way and it felt a tremendous explosion from the ground it was standing on. They brought bomb arrows.

“Zayl, you need to take out those archers!” Rezek shouted, trying its best to zap them out of the sky, too. 

The Lizalfos tried its best, but they kept vanishing in those confounded paper tags the second it got a good lock-on. Meanwhile, Kobb had almost prevailed in beating back the Yiga threatening it off the cliff. But that was right when one of the archers focused on the Bokoblin and let loose a deadly bomb arrow straight at its feet.

Nobody had enough time to yell at Kobb to watch out, but it was vigilant enough. It spent the fraction of a second it had covering as much of its body with its Knight’s Shield as possible - but it wasn’t enough. The blast protected most of its body - but its left arm got a bad burn. Even worse, the force from the bomb arrow sent Kobb careening over the cliff and directly above the lava pit. 

Before anyone could scream its name, Rezek blasted forward with enough force to send nearby Yiga off their feet. Its face was cold and calculated as it followed the Bokoblin off the ledge. Kobb squealed as it fell, its back to the lava and its body spiraling. Rezek had only one shot at this. It made a wide berth around Kobb and then scooped it up with one hand. The Bokoblin was heavy, but Rezek’s noodle arms were deceptively strong. With expert finesse, Rezek snatched Kobb’s Flameblade from its hand, and then blasted itself towards the cliff wall with an amazing thunderbolt of its own. The fiery sword was struck into the rock and Rezek’s arm was almost ripped off from the resistance. Despite all odds, the Wizzrobe’s gambit worked and the two were left dangling over the lava pit - a deep groove carved in the rock wall above them from where the sword struck.

Rezek grunted as its limits were strained to the extreme. Kobb remained limp in its arms, and all the Wizzrobe could hear was the clash of steel and explosions above. Zayl, Link, and Sledge would have to fight on with two monsters down. There was no way it would be able to hover back up supporting the weight of a Bokoblin. Slowly, Kobb started to come to and almost lurched out of Rezek’s arms when it saw the boiling lava dangerously close to its face.

“Ngh! Don’t you dare go out like that!” Rezek hissed with gritted teeth as it held firm to Kobb. After an agonizing few more seconds, the sounds of fighting subsided and the two were left dreading the fate of their friends. But then, it saw a familiar face slowly peek its head out from the edge. Zayl’s face went from total despair to shock as it jumped up.

“They are alive! Yes, quick! Get a rope! A rope!”

…

“Kobb, stop squirming and let me spread this on your arm!” Link said as Kobb clenched its teeth in pain.

It was past nightfall and the group had made it back down the mountainside and were camping on Eldin’s Flank. There didn’t seem to be any sign of civilization nor monsters for miles. Thankfully, Link happened to have burn salve from his near-infinite satchel. Kobb had been burned pretty badly - blood plasma now leaking from where its skin had been scorched. The bright red skin coloration was more of a washed out pink where the blast hit. It was trying to hold still for Link, but the pain was almost too great at times. Kobb resorted to kicking its legs up and down like a toddler as it held its arm as still as possible.

“At least that was just its arm. The same can’t be said for your shield.” Rezek said with a morbid laugh. 

Sledge’s heartbeat was still in its throat - even hours after the event. They were back out in Hyrule for barely two days and they already had another near-death experience. Just how many times were they going to get lucky?

“I liked that shield…” Kobb joked back as Link carefully applied the bandage, “that one carried me across an entire canyon.”

The joke was lost on most of the group, but Sledge was caught off guard and roared its head back in laughter. That seemed to calm its nerves a little bit. When Link was done bandaging, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and kicked back. Kobb slowly rotated its shoulder to test its limits, then winced again.

“That’ll take a few days to heal,” Link said as he put the gauze away, “hopefully the next two days will be smooth sailing. We can find you a new shield in time, too.”

Zayl nervously gulped, not exactly reassured. “Is there anything around here we need to watch for?”

Link shook his head. “Naaah. This place is as barren as it looks. Nothing of interest for neither us nor Ganon. Akkala can be a bit dangerous, but our destination is less than a day past Skull Lake.”

While his words were reassuring, the rest couldn’t help but feel slight unease from just how quiet the northernmost part of Hyrule was. All they could hear was the soft howling of the wind and the crackling of the campfire. For the next few minutes the group stared emptily at the soft flames - trying to come off their combat high from today. Rezek cleared its throat again.

“You still have not told us where we’re going, Link. You sure like surprises…”

The gears in Link’s head turned for a bit before he covered one eye with his hand in embarrassment.

“Oh, oops, I mean…you never asked to be fair. But we’re going to a place that might find a breakthrough in this…Malice problem.

The monsters perked up immediately. The Great Deku Tree’s account was a start, but they still felt like they were at square one.

“Tell us more!” Zayl said excitedly, “How can they help us?”

“Well…they’re the most brilliant scientists of our time - both older than The Great Calamity. If anyone can figure out an easy way to purge Malice, it is them.”

Rezek tried not to get its hopes up. “Hylian, I presume?”

“Sheikah, technically,” Link said, waving his hand. “Don’t worry about first impressions, I’ve been sending them research notes ever since I first met Kobb. It might be a big surprise for them when we show up at Robbie’s doorstep, but they’ll know who you are.”

Kobb let out a slight chuckle and poked at the fire. “I do not know much about the Sheikah, but if they are half as friendly as the Yiga I will not complain.”

Everyone let out a small laugh, but Link got a sudden curiosity.

“Did you ever interact with the Yiga before…you broke free and all?” he asked.

Sledge and Kobb looked at each other, then shook their heads. “If we did, we do not remember,” the Moblin said, “maybe saw them running around every so often. But nothing besides that. Probably thought of us as nothing but mindless weapons. They were right…but…”

“Ahh…I see…”

The mood turned sour and everyone went quiet once again. That was when Zayl noticed that Rezek was humming some tune very quietly. It was soft enough to nearly get drowned out by the flames, but the Lizalfos could hear the faintest of melodies.

“Wat-cha singing, Rezek?”

The Wizzrobe jumped, surprised that Zayl could even hear it, then waved it off.

“Oh, nothing. Just…a little song. There are no words for it.” it said, hoping the others wouldn’t hear it.

Zayl picked up on Rezek’s shyness and leaned in closer. “You could try to give it words!” it whispered with a wide smile.

Just a few days ago, Rezek would have pushed the Lizalfos away, but Zayl’s beaming enthusiasm was just too infectious to ignore. It rolled its eyes with great embellishment and shook its head with the slightest smiles of its own.

“I…I don’t know. I haven’t sang since…well…I would rather not say.”

Rezek was so busy lost in thought it didn’t see Kobb creeping up on its other side.

“We could help you out!” it said, causing Rezek to flip once again with a loud “Ack!”. The Wizzrobe took a few deep breaths and fidgeted with its hands before composing itself.

“I…appreciate the offer…but this is something I would rather do on my own…when I’m ready… if I’m ready…”

Kobb and Zayl looked at each other before nodding and then shrugging it off.

“That is fine. Never hurts to ask.” Kobb said before giving the Wizzrobe some space. Rezek then brought its legs close to its chest and held them close. Truth be told, it very much would like to create something with the rest. It was just that the song it was singing was still one drenched in painful memories.

“Actually…” it said, raising its voice for Sledge and Link to hear, “there is something that I have been thinking of…regarding another song.”

Everyone leaned in and gave Rezek the floor.

“Do you find it funny that Hylians use ‘monster’ in this…very negative way? We’re ‘monsters’ because we were under Ganon, but if a Hylian does something bad they’re also called a ‘monster’. And for us, that is just…us. We’re monsters. That is who we are. I never knew ‘monster’ was an ugly word in Hylian until Sledge told me.”

Link receded a bit in secondhand guilt, but Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl were nodding in agreement.

“When…if we manage to free more of our kind from the Malice…do you think the Hylians will still call us ‘monsters’ in the same way they do now? Will we have to prove ourselves to them? Will they believe us?”

A sudden suffocating pressure was put on Link, even if it was no fault of his own.

“I like to believe that things would change…” Link said softly, “but you have to understand, there is no kingdom of Hyrule anymore. That died long ago…alongside many other things. When I finish what was started, I bet most of Hyrule will even notice. We will still be as scattered and divided as before.”

“Sounds like no better time than for a fresh start.” Sledge said reassuringly. Link looked up at the Moblin and gave it a warm smile. That seemed to cheer the lad up.

Zayl felt a little out of the loop and tilted its head. “How is that about singing?”

“Well…” Rezek said, uncurling its legs, “what if we made a song that says ‘yes, we are monsters and we are proud of what that means to us’? That we are allowed to live and die just like any other creature here? That our struggle matters just as much?”

The rest were growing more fond of Rezek’s idea. Link silently watched as they brainstormed. There was something truly magical about watching creatures that were once not allowed any autonomy creating something all on their own. He had spent quite some time relearning the joys in life - and took great comfort in seeing others find it for the first time. All four of them came up with their own verses as the night went on - with Rezek humming the refrain. None of them aside from Rezek had that good of a singing voice, but that sure didn’t stop them. Before they all retired for the night, they had to sing it all the way through one time.

“Ready?” Rezek said to Link, who took on the task of providing a steady beat by slapping his shield with the butt of a dagger. He could keep surprisingly good time - giving the monsters a stable ba-BUM ba-BUM . After 4 measures of beats, Kobb began the first verse. It had a gruff tenor voice, but it sang its heart out regardless. While Link couldn’t understand the words the four monsters sang, their sheer passion told him something a simple translation couldn’t. However if it were to be transposed to Hylian, it would’ve sounded something like this:

I am a monster of the land,

Bokoblin is what I be.

We come in scores of ten or more -

From the mountains to the sea

But fighting you is not for us,

Yet we must when you push our hand.

We wish for our own sleepy town,

We hope you understand.

…that…

Rezek, Sledge, and Zayl joined in for the refrain.

We deserve to be here

Just as much as you.

And you might call us monsters,

But we call ourselves that, too.

And you scream when we show our fangs,

And you run when we raise our hands.

But that’s just what we’re given, 

We are the monsters of this land.

Zayl started the second verse. Its singing voice was a more raspy alto, but the Lizalfos’ throat sack gave the melody a rich undertone.

I am a monster of the land

Lizalfos, sharp as nails!

My bow can shoot between the eyes,

And a spear that will impale.

But killing’s not my passion,

Yet I do what must be done

If I could have things my way

I would cook from dusk to dawn

After another refrain, Sledge began the third voice. Its voice was a deep baritone as expected.

I am a monster of the land.

Moblin, tough as steel.

Fists as hard as diamonds,

That can smash through any shield.

But my hands aren’t meant for killing,

Yet I do what I must do.

I would rather be off painting,

But you see me as a brute.

Sledge, Zayl, Rezek, and Kobb sang that familiar refrain for a third time, then Rezek cleared its throat and delivered a final verse. Its voice was somewhere between Kobb and Zayl, but the wispiness of the notes made it seem deceptively higher pitched.

I am a monster of the land.

Wizzrobe, bold and brash.

Lightning from my fingers

Will surely turn you into ash.

But we’re not so different, you and I

It’s our lives we want to keep.

And if you try to take that away, then

You’re more monster than me.

The final refrain became so loud Link could feel the song reverberate in his chest and it echoed through the empty valley.

We deserve to be here

Just as much as you.

And you might call us monsters,

But we call ourselves that, too.

And you scream when we show our fangs,

And you run when we raise our hands.

But that’s just what we’re given, 

We are the monsters of this land.

As the four rounded the refrain one more time, they all jumped up with roaring laughter. Link was suddenly grabbed by Sledge and thrown into a group hug as well. He couldn’t help but laugh and cheer along with them as they settled down for the night - softly humming the tune.  Over the past few days Link felt this innate kinship with these four monsters. It was not his past memories; it was a feeling much more ancient than that. Yet he couldn’t help but feel this subtle pain in the back of his mind. This dread.

After all…the last time he formed a lifetime bond with four strangers, it ended in the worst way imaginable.

Chapter Text

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Confound it! How early is it?! Link, if that’s you, this better be important or I’m turning on the laser turret and giving you a 5-second head start!”

Robbie sprinted down from his bed at surprising speed, still in his nightgown. He grabbed the Sheikah goggles hanging next to his coat and peered through the peephole in the front door. He saw Link giving an apologetic wave - a bashful smile on his face. He also saw several other someones outside the door and did a double take. Slapping the sleep from his face, Robbie threw the door open to be met by Link and four monsters.

“Wha-what in the gods name? Why did you bring the whole Calamity to my lab?!” he said, reaching out and poking Kobb lightly in the forehead.

Link was also just as astounded when Robbie opened the door. He expected to see the boundless oldie that greeted him when he first showed up at Akkala Lab. Instead he was greeted by an equally energetic 40-something Sheikah man.

“You…you read the reports I sent you, right?” Link said as he eyed the new Robbie up and down with suspicion, “And what happened?! You didn’t use Purah’s anti-aging rune, did you?”

Robbie shrugged with major embellishment. “Had a bad health scare, Link. And thanks to you creating a channel to the Hateno Lab, this was our best option…yes…that is what happened.”

Link put his hands on his hips and gave him a look - convinced that this wasn’t the whole story.

“You’re over a hundred, you have no room to talk! Besides I can’t die on you, yet! We gotta finish taking out Calamity Ganon once and for all - and that’ll be easier now that I’m a new me! Hee-he!”

Robbie struck a dynamic pose, leaving Link and the monsters to stand there in awkward silence.

“I like this Hylian” Zayl said to the rest, not phased at all.

“Ah! But your report…yes I thought you were pulling my leg the whole time. Sorry, Link.” he said with a casual shrug.

Link pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep sigh. Now he was remembering more of the Robbie from before The Great Calamity - and there sure was a lot.

“I mean who can blame me! Something as unprecedented as the monsters breaking free from Ganon would be the biggest breakthrough of the last few centuries! But this is fascinating…not a trace of Malice in your eyes…I see vigor…I see life …” Robbie said as he ran closer to the four monsters. He picked up Zayl’s arm and felt the weight, ran his hand down Sledge’s shoulder, extended his Sheikah goggles to zoom in on Rezek’s face, and pushed Kobb’s ear down to watch it spring back up.

“Oh but come in, come in! Quickly, before anyone from the nearby stables sees.” Robbie ushered, basically pushing Link and the monsters into the main room of the Akkala Lab. Sledge expected to have its neck craned the entire time, but was pleasantly surprised when the doorway opened up into a large hollow citadel. Books and technological contraptions littered the walls. The inner bookworm inside the Moblin was clamoring to read some of them. 

“Jerrin! We have uhhh some interesting visitors!” Robbie yelled up the spiraling stairs, “Don’t panic if you see them, okay?”

The sound of hasty footsteps immediately followed and an older Sheikah woman appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Oh, it’s just Link! Heya, Link! Here I thought this was gonna be another crazy-”

Jerrin stopped herself when she saw the four monsters wandering around the ground floor. She first looked with skepticism - wiping the sleep off her face then looking again. Upon a second glance she nodded her head slowly with a slightly stunned expression.

“Heya, Rob?”

“Yes, Jer?”

“I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this, but you can tell me later. I’m gonna go back to bed…”

Robbie gave a half-hearted thumbs-up and Jerrin blew him a kiss before slowly walking back to their bedroom, rubbing her head slightly. Rezek felt like it was about to spontaneously combust from secondhand embarrassment. Without missing a beat, Robbie clapped his hands loudly and turned to the group.

“But yes! Exciting developments! I must pull what we were able to salvage from the Royal Library!” he said with great enthusiasm as he scurried up the rolling ladder and glided across the numerous bookshelves - throwing books left and right onto the ground.

“After centuries upon centuries, the monsters have begun to fight back! Ooohoo this could mean so much! Let’s see…myths…monster myths…monster anatomy…”

Each book Robbie tossed off the shelf landed perfectly in a neat little stack. After he had a tower about 20 books high, he slid back down and rested an elbow on it.

“Looks like we will be busy the next few days.” Kobb said with a light chuckle. Link made a face that looked like he was holding something back, but had to rip off the bandage eventually.

“About that…” he said, crossing his arms and tightening his legs, “I have something to ask of you all that won’t be easy.”

The commotion settled down and the monsters all looked at Link.

“I’m gonna need two of you to stay here and two of you to come to the Hateno Lab with me.”

The four were rather shocked at Link’s proposal. They had gotten through so much as a group and now he wants them to split up? Rezek hung its head low as it was already predicting Link’s reasoning.

“It won’t be for long, don’t worry,” he said, waving his hands with attempted reassurance, “It’s just…we need as many heads as possible for this. The sooner we figure out how to take down Ganon from the inside, the better. Purah needs first-hand accounts and extra hands just as much as Robbie. Plus this way, we have a backup in case one of the Ancient Tech Labs gets compromised.”

Kobb shuffled its feet, Sledge let out a deep sigh, and Zayl fidgeted with the tip of its tail.

“I know this is a very hard thing to ask for all of you, but I think this is our best option. Kobb and Zayl, you should probably be the ones to come with me. The Hateno Lab is pretty close to the Hylian village nearby. You two would draw less attention. Plus, Akkala is perfect for practicing magic with no one else around.” he said, then looking at Rezek.

They didn’t like to admit it, but Link was right. Freeing the rest of their kind from the Malice was their end goal - not the safety of the group. This divide and conquer strategy might get them some actual progress, especially if Purah and Robbie were as renowned as Link said.

“Guess we’ll be stuck together like at the start, huh?” Rezek said with a small smirk aimed at Sledge.

The Moblin laughed back. Kobb and Zayl also gave each other friendly glances. Ironically they were splitting up in the same groups that pulled them together in the first place. 

“Robbie, fire up the Hateno Transporter!” Link said. Robbie nodded and ran over to an incomprehensible control panel full of flashing blue lights. After pushing some switching and pulling some levers, the furnace in the center of the Lab whirred to life - a distinct lofty mechanical sound filling the air.

“I’m ready to go when you are,” he said to Kobb and Zayl, “it might be some time before you see each other again. This thing needs a lot of fuel to get going and breaks on occasion, so you won’t be able to go back and forth easily.”

Kobb and Zayl faced Sledge and Rezek as they all got one last look at each other for now.

“Make sure Rezek continues to work on…you know…” Kobb said to Sledge, motioning to the Thunderstorm Rod on the Wizzrobe’s waist. Rezek dramatically huffed in response.

“I have been getting better! It’s not easy when you’re flying off cliffs!”

Kobb rubbed its burnt arm and bit its tongue playfully. Zayl shuffled its feet and looked at Rezek with gleaming eyes.

“Before I leave, can you…can you do that thing you did to Kobb a few days ago?”

Rezek was confused and mouthed Zayl’s question back to itself before realizing Zayl was asking for a hug. The Wizzrobe rolled its eyes before opening its arms - to which Zayl practically leaped at Rezek. It then looked at Kobb and Sledge with a flushed face that said “just get in here already” and they eagerly joined in the group hug. Sledge’s huge arms wrapped around the other three with room to spare and they all pressed their heads together in a collective silence. None of them saw Robbie lift up the goggles to wipe at his eyes, nor Link cover his face.

“Do not get into trouble you cannot get out of!” Sledge said as a final goodbye as Kobb and Zayl walked with Link to the large glowing insignia on the ground. Rezek and Sledge watched as the three slowly dematerialized into glowing strands of blue and the furnace powered down.

“Now, then,” Robbie said, pointing to the sky with aplomb, “let’s do some tests! I wanna see what a Moblin and a Wizzrobe can do first-hand!”

…

“Linky! I finally caught you dropping by! And it looks like you brought some friends…”

Link’s eyebrow twitched slightly. “Purah, you’re not stuck as a child anymore. You don’t have to call me ‘Linky’”

The Sheikah scientist known as Purah was back to how she looked before The Great Calamity. Her de-ageing rune managed to work a little too well, but thanks to Link’s help Purah was able to get back a body that could actually operate the ancient tech. The bright red streak in her hair was back - just like how Link remembered it long ago.

Purah rolled her eyes playfully. “I could…but Linky still sounds cuter! You’d never let me get away with that 100 years ago heh heh.”

“Heh heh…Linky” Zayl repeated quietly. Link shot the Lizalfos a glare that could kill on its own and Zayl drew back - still saying the nickname in its head.

“Please tell me you took my reports seriously…unlike Robbie…” Link said, hoping he wouldn’t have a repeat incident.

Purah stifled a laugh and shook her head. “Of course Robbie never bothered…but yes! I did! All the way back when you freed that Bokoblin from the ice. You scared me half to death with that picture, you know! The only way I knew you weren’t dead from that is you were able to put it on my desk!” she said as she neared Kobb.

“Are you the same Bokoblin? Link’s ‘handwriting’ said you go by Kobb, right?”

Kobb felt its ego inflate a bit and puffed out its chest. It felt good to be recognized. “Yes!” it said with glee, “I am Kobb!”

Purah inspected the Bokoblin’s eyes and gave it a wide smile. She then turned to Zayl.

“And what of this one? You got a name, lizzy?”

Zayl shook its head, unaware Purah used its past name by pure coincidence. “I am not Lizzy anymore. I am Zayl.”

Purah clapped her hands in excitement. “Well, Zayl, it is great to meet you!” she said as she picked up the Lizalfos’ scaly hands and gave it a shake. 

“Well c’mon in! And hurry, I don’t want any nosy Hateno snoops seeing you…”

Link, Kobb, and Zayl all ducked into the smaller Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. The inside was much more cluttered, too. Where there would be floor was nearly completely covered in sheafs of paper. There were spots one could stand, but the numerous reports and pictures were slowly engulfing the empty space like an amoeba. Purah shuffled her feet to clear a path - sending papers flying every which way.

“Symin’s out gathering right now, so maybe you could give him a good scare when he comes back!”

Kobb and Zayl looked at each other apprehensively.

“Kidding! Only kidding! He’s already read all of Link’s reports, anyways. But still, you must tell me everything! If we find a method for this…Malice expulsion, then that’s practically four whole species for Hyrule we never accounted for. That’s insane! Imagine the cultural developments, the potential folklore, the…well I’m getting ahead of myself aren’t I?”

Zayl was eating up every single word of Purah’s. Link couldn’t help but smile. At least he was sure the Lizalfos would have a good time.

“Oh, Purah, can you fix my slate real quick? I uhhhh…banged it on a rock real bad.”

Purah rolled her eyes and shuffled over to the large rune setup crammed in the middle of the room.

“Again, Linky? You’re gonna transport yourself straight into the ocean if you keep dropping that darn thing!”

Zayl scratched its head. “Why did you not use the slate thing to transport everyone?”

“This bad boy can only transport one body at a time” he said as he pulled out the Sheikah Slate. It looked like it was dropped a lot more than once. Which was a correct assessment. Link was too embarrassed to admit he banged up the Sheikah Slate by tossing it straight into the air and then failing to catch it…numerous times.

He threw the slate to Purah who caught it without even looking up from the rune’s console.

“Just hold still while I activate the repair function. Should take a few minutes.”

While Purah punched in buttons and swore at Link under her breath, Kobb and Zayl pulled up a nearby stool and slouched down.

“Are you going to leave soon?” Kobb asked, even though it knew the answer.

Link nodded. “As convenient as it would be to get rid of Ganon without stepping in that infernal castle, I still have to go with our old strategy for now.”

“How many of those Divine Beasts have you wrangled, anyways?” Purah shouted from her station, “I still think that’s just asking for a repeat of last time.”

Link winced. At least this time, they can count on Zelda holding the Calamity back…for now.

“One more. The one threatening Rito Village. I still have…hang-ups about that place. I don’t want to think about what I’ll remember there.”

Purah gave Link a smarmy wink. “Well, if I remember how it went down, it might not be as bad as you think…but you will probably want to strangle 100 year-ago you.”

“That just warms my heart, Purah.” Link said, rolling his eyes back. 

A loud DING rang out from Purah’s station and she chucked the Sheikah Slate towards Link - who had to jump out of his seat to catch it.

“Good as new! Next time you bring it back this damaged, I’m charging ya. We don’t got any spares of these lying around, yanno?”

Link made a sheepish wave at Purah and headed for the door.

“Alright, take care Kobb and Zayl! Maybe you can keep Purah actually organized now that there’s more than two pairs of hands.” he said, sarcastically biting his tongue.

“Hardy har har. Don’t get yourself killed out there, dummy.” Purah said with a little bit of an endearing demeanor. She wouldn’t dare tell Link this, but she was elated to see the boy showing some actual emotion after so many years. Purah wasn’t the closest to him pre-Calamity, but she could tell more laid behind those vacuous eyes than he admitted.

Zayl rushed up to give Link another goodbye. 

“It was great to travel for a little longer!” it said with a strained voice, holding Link’s hands as it tried not to get too choked up.

“Hey, I always drop by here so you’ll see me in and out,” Like said to try to reassure Zayl, “right, Purah?”

“Would be nice to know, if you actually hung around longer than ten minutes!”

Everyone got a good laugh and Link turned around and opened the double doors out of the Hateno Lab. He stopped for a brief moment and turned around.

“Oh and Kobb…”

The Bokoblin looked to see Link’s face turn stoic like he was in the middle of a battle. His bright blue eyes shone with passion.

“We will find a way to get your kind out of this mess. We must break this cycle…for everyone’s sake.”

The doors closed and the muffled sound of mechanical whirring was heard before it went silent. Zayl opened the doors again - only to see not a trace of Link in sight. Purah clapped her hands and jumped to the nearest spot on the floor that wasn’t covered in stray papers.

“Well…anything I can getcha? I’m a horrible cook so don't expect anything that isn’t premade or burnt charcoal.”

Zayl looked around. On several shelves were containers that held various plants and insects. It put its claws together bashfully as it had an idea.

“Do you have one of those boxes for my snails?” it said, pointing to a random terrarium.

Chapter Text

“So this is the essence of Calamity Ganon…”

Robbie inspected every inch of the Malice core slotted into Rezek’s Thunderstorm Rod. The Wizzrobe was on tight guard - paranoid that it might get a repeat incident. Sledge observed from a distance behind an upturned table - Double Axe in hand. Yet, the Malice within felt more dormant than before. Perhaps this was because Rezek had been relying on it less? The swirling orb pulsed weakly with the faintest of red glows.

“Careful…” Rezek warned, “it can corrupt susceptible minds - even when sealed like this. It has a certain call that some cannot resist.”

“Mmhmm…and you have been able to resist it?” Robbie said, zooming in with his Sheikah goggles at the swirling maelstrom at the center.

Rezek clutched at its cloak. “I had to deal with that mess flowing through my body. It dulls you. Disobeying is punished by pain, thinking too hard is punished by pain. That is enough of a reason to ignore any suggestions it has.”

Robbie flung up his goggles and shook his head. “Sheesh…I’m surprised one of you didn’t rebel sooner.”

“If it were that easy, there would not be only one of me.” Rezek said with a slight eye roll. “To even resist the Malice in ones body requires tremendous strength, or great magic. Even in my case, I was only able to break free because…because of help.”

Sledge’s ears perked up. It hadn’t heard Rezek mention someone else before when it came to breaking from the Malice.

“Well, whatever the case, this Malice looks pretty inert now. Pretty hard to study when it ain’t doing anything.” Robbie said as he put his hands on his hips pensively. “I would ask if I could get a sample, but I don’t think you’re gonna let me break into this anytime soon heh heh.”

Rezek began to think. There was no way it would give the Malice inside an inch to escape, but perhaps it could still help Robbie.”

“It is inactive because I haven’t used my rod for any magic as of late.” it said, taking back the staff and running its fingers down the steel lightning bolt patterns. “I’ve been trying to ease myself off of relying on this cursed thing, but I can use its full power to get it riled up again.”

Robbie perked up and struck that dynamic pose again. “Yes! What an idea! To the junkyard!”

What Robbie called the junkyard was behind the Akkala Lab. It certainly lived up to its name. Scraps and silent husks of Guardians littered the entire area. A giant mechanical crane stood in the center - the claws showing heavy wear and tear. Seems like Robbie used this place to salvage any Guardian parts he could get his hands on.

Rezek hovered in a clear spot and waited for Robbie to give it an all-clear. It took a deep breath and let its magic coarse through the Thunderstorm Rod. Drawing on the immense power from the Malice, it built up tension and then released - sending a gigantic thunderbolt soaring through the air. The large tuft of hair above Robbie’s forehead stood up even higher on-end and he could feel the static lingering in the air. When the coast was clear he sprinted over to Rezek and examined the Malice core. As expected, it was now brimming with life - swirling and pulsing like never before. Furiously, Robbie scratched notes in his field guide and examined the orb from every possible angle.

“Such astounding power…it is like an amplifier for any amount of energy put in. This is leagues beyond the cores the ancient Sheikahs used. Yet, so volatile. A Calamity-in-a-bottle, if you will.”

“And equally as fragile.” came a deep voice from behind them. Rezek and Robbie turned to see that Sledge had quietly snuck up on them.

“It cannot survive on its own. It needs a warm body, or enough of itself to be tethered to the ground.”

Robbie took a heavy breath and rubbed his head. “I must document all of this,” he said as he sprinted back to the lab. This left Sledge and Rezek alone in the junkyard. Rezek slowly floated over to the Moblin and took a seat on top of a rusting Guardian head. For a few minutes, they both looked out over the breathtaking view of the Eastern Sea. Gulls flapped in the distance as the chilly Akkala wind blew over their faces.

“Miss them already?” Sledge asked, to which Rezek let out a big sigh.

“I cannot believe I let Zayl’s attitude annoy me,” it said with a melancholy high-pitched laugh, “it’s way too quiet here without it.”

Sledge laughed back and stretched its arms. “Well said. You might have to take Kobb’s place for my sleeping partner.”

Rezek gave the Moblin a look that said ‘over my dead body’, which Sledge answered back with a mischievous tongue-bite.

“You will be sleeping with a sack of potatoes before that happens.”

The two exchanged funny faces at each other for a while until Sledge remembered why it came out there in the first place.

“Why did you not tell us about another Wizzrobe?”

Rezek relapsed back into old habits, darting away from the Moblin and hissing. Sledge gave it a look and the Wizzrobe lowered its head in embarrassment and slowly hovered back.

“How did you figure it out?”

“You just told me.” Sledge said, perhaps getting too much of a kick out of reading Rezek like a book.

A frown grew on the Wizzrobe. “That was a dirty trick. I would praise you for being just like us, but I’m too mad.”

Sledge shrugged. “If you were helped by a Hylian, you would never have said you were helped at all.”

Rezek let out the biggest sigh the Moblin had ever seen and it slouched so much it was practically lying down.

“That is a story I am still not ready to tell. And it seems you have one of those, too.”

Sledge’s snout curled downwards. “That is fair.”

Another moment of silence passed before Sledge felt a sudden surge of inspiration. It yanked out its sketchbook from its satchel and began furiously scribbling with a piece of charcoal. Rezek looked over its shoulder to see that it was drawing the landscape in front of them. The Wizzrobe crept closer and closer as Sledge sketched. It was amazed at how the Moblin’s huge hands drew with such precision. There was even shading to the monochrome drawing that reflected the time of day. A twinge of envy grew in Rezek’s chest.

“Can…can you show me the rest of that book?”

Sledge’s snout curled up as it looked back at Rezek with a warm smile.

…

“Hey Zayl! Symin and I gathered the ingredients you wanted!” Purah shouted as she entered the back door carrying a burlap bag.

Zayl made an excited grawp when it heard the door close. It spent a good chunk of the time learning how to use all of the cooking equipment that Purah usually forgoed to have Symin travel down to Hateno for food. The long tongue of the Lizalfos snapped forward and wrapped around the handles of Purah’s bag and then brought it back without leaving its post. Purah let out a little yelp in surprise.

“I uhhhh…I don’t think that’s sanitary…isn’t Lizalfos spit corrosive?”

Zayl looked back and shook its head. “Nope! When we Lizalfos spit, we are using a hole under our tongue that goes alllll the way to our stomach!”

The explanation didn’t help Purah’s appetite and she resorted to slouching on a nearby chair. Kobb immediately hovered over her with its brows raised.

“I cleaned up half of the floor. Are you going to clean up the other half like we agreed?”

Purah groaned and leaned her head back. “Ughhhhh yeah just…gimme a second. Man, I was not expecting to be run ragged by you two when Linky brought ya here.”

“I think this is exactly what you needed, in my opinion.” came a deeper voice from the back door. An older Sheikah man that went by Symin came in - also carrying various ingredients from out in the field. 

The assistant was given a mean glare as Purah pulled herself out of the chair and began cleaning up all the stray research documents. There was so much that could probably just be shredded, as it was irrelevant or redundant, but Purah was passionate to a fault. She could never bring herself to throw out any research that might be useful later - and to her that was almost all of it. Even as she gathered the sheafs of paper off the floor she reasoned with herself on why it should be kept.

“I tried to uhhh….organize? Is that the right word? I tried to organize it by the Hylian symbols, but I think I messed up in some places.” Kobb said, motioning to about 30 individual stacks of paper.

Purah pinched Kobb’s cheek endearingly. “Awwwhh, you really are a softie at heart! What really matters is they’re off the floor so we finally have room to walk.”

She never thought about it before, but the monsters’ arrival made Purah realize how adorable Bokoblins and Lizalfos can be when they’re not trying to kill you. The way Kobb’s ears fidgeted and moved depending on its mood, and Zayl’s little poses it made whenever it would ask for something never failed to give her a smile. She also meticulously took notes on every mannerism and body cue they would make - frantically writing more and more research papers on monster behavior within close quarters. There was, however, a Hinox-in-the-room that gave her paranoia. The children of Hateno were known to be quite nosy when it came to her Ancient Lab. If any of them saw Kobb or Zayl it could spell trouble.

“Let’s see…cryosis rune testing…Stall appearance patterns…how to remove excessive grass stains from a blue tunic…” Purah mumbled as she shuffled through her papers. There might be something in here that would be of use to the monsters, but she had her doubts. She would have to look through the old books on hand for anything potentially relevant. As she finally reorganized the main room, Purah whistled an old tune from a time gone by. From the kitchen came a soft hum that matched her melody. Zayl was singing along as it cooked. It was almost second-nature to the Lizalfos. 

“So…while I clean up this exploded library…either of you got some stories to share?”

Kobb’s ears twitched and it turned to Purah with curiosity. “What type of stories?”

She waved her hands in a circle as more papers were collected under her arm. “Oh, you know…how did you break free? Linky wrote all about how he did it for you, Kobb, but I wanna hear your side!”

The Bokoblin felt a little bashful, but was inclined to tell Purah anyways. “An Ice Wizzrobe froze me and my group after a fight broke out, but Link thawed us out. Not sure why he did. It was the Malice that let us survive. But when I saw Link’s face, I did not feel Ganon’s control. I was allowed to…to think. And I saw that Link had saved me.”

Purah nodded pensively. “So, extreme temperatures. One possible reason.”

“I was alone. When I was in squads of other Bokoblin, I felt connected to all of them through the Malice. There was no single Bokoblin, just ‘we’.”

“Isolation…and the silence needed to think.” Purah said, now halting her clean up to listen intensely to Kobb’s account.

“That was when Link showed me I…I could be me - not another Bokoblin out of many. He suggested the name ‘Kobb’ and I grabbed onto it. Then something inside me…broke. Maybe Malice and this idea cannot exist at once?”

Purah squatted low to the ground in thought before rocketing back up. “Yes! That may be it! Zayl, did something like that happen to you?”

Zayl looked over its shoulder as it gutted and cleaned a fish. “I did not get frozen, but I was alone!”

The stack of papers in Purah’s arms were thrown to the wayside as she scrambled for a blank piece of paper and a pencil.

“Okay, so we can definitely say isolation is key in breaking from Calamity Ganon’s control. This is exactly what I have encountered when observing monster behavior in the past. One monster is usually no problem; don’t bother it and it won’t bother you. But in a group their aggression seems to…amplify. That must be the Malice’s job! Any number times one is just that number!”

Kobb could almost see smoke coming from the desk as Purah wrote furiously.

“And and and…and the whole frozen part! Zayl, did you struggle to break free? Was it hard?”

The Lizalfos made an affirmative grawp .

“Malice can be very viscous, like molasses. Anything liquid has a freezing temperature! Well, if it’s the same as water, then you wouldn’t have survived likely…well…we can’t rule that out. But still! It it it must have…slowed down the Malice! Just enough to let you think . That must be another duty for the Malice: no thinking allowed. No thinky, no mutiny!”

Purah then pointed her charcoal pencil, nearly whittled down to the nub, at Kobb.

“I heard that the other two monsters Linky brought, a Wizzrobe and a Moblin, are with Robbie. We could capture individual monsters, freeze ‘em, then thaw ‘em out and bing bang boom! Snap!”

She leaned onto her desk with near overflowing confidence, but Kobb rubbed the back of its head awkwardly.

“Rezek is not an Ice Wizzrobe…it uses lightning magic…”

“Can it learn other types of magic?”

“I do not think so.”

Nonchalantly, Purah chucked her piece of charcoal as hard as she could at the wall - shattering it to pieces. On the same wall were several black dusty spots where she clearly did the same thing. Kobb flinched but Symin barely even blinked even though the piece was thrown closer to him.

“Ahh well! It’s the start of an idea! Maybe if we get an Ice Wizzrobe on our side we could-”

Purah was interrupted by Zayl banging a wooden spoon on a cast iron skillet.

“Fresh fish is ready!” Zayl said with a spring in its step as it bounded over to the nearby table and placed a piping hot plate of grilled fish and veggies in the center.”

Kobb had to hold itself back as the aroma from Zayl’s cooking assaulted its large nostrils. It was already spoiled by the Lizalfos when they were out on the open road. Now that it had a full kitchen setup, this would be close to nectar of the gods. Purah couldn’t help but salivate, too. It had been so long since she had a nice hot meal. Before using the anti-aging rune, her old bones couldn’t carry her all the way to Hateno and back - and Symin wasn’t exactly a competent chef either.

For the first few minutes, the entire group of Hylians and monsters ate in complete silence - so entranced in the flavor they were at a loss for words. The grilled Hyrule Bass practically melted in the mouth and the sprout heads had the perfect blend of bitter and salty. Zayl could not be happier from the reception it got. 

“Mmf…by the gods, Zayl, where did you learn to cook?” Symin said as he scraped every last bit of fish he could off his plate.

Zayl shrugged. “I…tried out every combination and saw what worked and what did not.”

“A fellow researcher, through and through!” Purah said as she lifted her cup to the Lizalfos. Zayl couldn’t help but blush - the sides of its face turning a deep green. More small talk followed until Kobb took a good look around and made a realization.

“Where are we gonna sleep?” it asked.

Purah smacked herself on the forehead. “Oh! Duh! My bad, I forgot about that! Uhhh…Symin sleeps on the second floor of the silo and I sleep on the top floor…I have some spare bedrolls that you two can use down here! I’m sorry it’s not much but…we’re a little cramped on space if you couldn’t tell.”

Kobb nodded before biting its tongue mischievously.

“You still need to clean up the rest of the floor.”

Purah looked to her right and saw that she barely made any progress - too distracted by Kobb’s story. She let out the longest dramatic groan yet.

“Symin, get me some wine.”

Chapter Text

The next few days were exciting yet uneventful for the monsters. On Rezek and Sledge’s side, they got to spend a majority of the day out in the crisp Akkala air as Robbie poured over his books. Sledge would occasionally be called upon to do some heavy lifting, or Rezek would have to aid Robbie with its hovering magic. They did have to keep a constant alert - for Hylians from the nearby Akkala Stable would swing by Robbie’s Lab. Sometimes they would be in need of a favor, other times they would be delivering food and supplies in exchange for rupees and ancient parts. It was not easy to hide a Moblin, but Sledge could move so silently a Hylian wouldn’t notice if it crept right behind them. Rezek had no trouble at all since Wizzrobes could blend in with their surroundings by altering the temperature of the air surrounding them - creating an illusion that looked as if they vanished in a haze.

Kobb and Zayl were stuck inside for most of the day, but at night they would run up to the roof of the Hateno Lab and gaze at the stars while looking at the sleepy village below. As much as they wanted to explore the surrounding woods, Purah was very clear on the risks. Hateno already has an extreme paranoia problem as one of the last Hylian establishments left after The Great Calamity. If they knew two monsters resided just on top of the hill, there would be absolute pandemonium. She did give them the occasional few hours of sunshine on top of the Lab. It was unlikely that anyone would spot them in such a high place. 

As for Purah and Robbie, they meticulously looked over the many old texts they had on hand. Truth be told, since Link had come out of the Shrine of Resurrection and they had helped him all they could, the two Sheikah didn’t have much to do until the monsters showed up on their doorstep. The four’s arrival ignited a newfound passion in them as they studied arduously. Kobb, Zayl, Sledge, and Rezek often felt like they were under a magnifying glass, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. They were just glad someone wasn’t treating them with immediate disgust and fear. 

Knock knock…

“Alright, you know the drill.” Robbie said to Sledge and Rezek before stalling behind the front door. “I’m coming! Gimme a little bit and I’ll be right there!”

Rezek hovered out of sight while Sledge quietly climbed the spiral staircase and took a seat near a blind spot on the second floor. Robbie waited for a little bit longer before opening the door to see an elderly Hylian woman.

“Ah, Lettie! Been a while! What brings you to the lab?” Robbie said with clasped hands and a grin. He felt guilty for not letting her inside, but it was too risky otherwise. 

Lettie sighed with an air of whimsy.

“Hello again, Robbie. I’d say you haven’t aged a day but you’ve aged a lot less than a day.” she said - looking up at the man who was much shorter than her just a few months ago.

“Not much, though, I’ve been swell! Grandkids helped me move to Akkala. They figured it might help my old lungs if I didn’t live downwind from that blasted volcano cough cough .”

Robbie ended up breaking. “Why don’t you come on in and sit down for a bit? Just uhhh…stay on the ground floor. I got some contraptions up there.”

“Tch, don’t have to tell me twice! My knees ain’t what they used to be.” Lettie said as she sat down on a nearby stool. Robbie pressed a button on a nearby gadget made of ancient parts and it whirred to life - pouring piping hot water into two wooden cups. A mix of herbs was thrown in and Robbie handed one of them to Lettie. She took a careful sip and made a wrinkled grin.

“If your knees are giving you trouble, I got a little somethin’ somethin’ lying around to help.” Robbie said, pointing to a rack full of handmade ancient armor and prosthetics.

Lettie waved him off. “Naaah, that’s not why I came here. Besides, I don’t trust that old-timey equipment. Not anymore…”

A harsh silence filled the air. Lettie wasn’t as old as Robbie, but she was old enough to remember The Great Calamity - as it happened a little after she turned 7.

“I came hoping you had something nobody else in Hyrule could possibly possess. A little bird told me you’ve been trying to salvage anything from before The Calamity. And, well…”

Lettie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The wrinkles and scars on her face were even more noticeable in the brightly lit lab. Few remember that fateful day, but for those that do it is a generational scar that still bleeds.

“My father, Glenn Taylor, was one of the many Hylian soldiers lost. I don’t know if he was in the field, or at Akkala Citadel. All I know is he never came back.”

The old Hylian woman looked around at Robbie’s vast library.

“If there is a book here that mentions him by name, may I please have it? I don’t care if it’s something as mundane as a page of a census or a barracks report. I just need something with his name on it. I have nothing in his memory. Not even a painting. We lost it all when we had to flee.”

Robbie held his chin pensively. He might have something on hand that could mention her late father, but where would he start? Nonetheless, he was determined to grant her request. Lettie’s hands were softly cradled by Robbie as he took off the Sheikah goggles to look her directly in the eyes.

“I’ll try my darndest to find something. No guarantees, but if there’s something out there, it’s probably here.”

“Oh, bless your old heart.” Lettie said before giving Robbie a hug and slowly heading out the door.

“If you find anything, I’ll be at the nearby stables! My grandkids set me up with a nice room and board there. Bless their little hearts…”

Robbie waved her off as the door slowly closed. Before he could even get a start on his search, he heard a loud THUMP THUMP THUMP as Sledge raced down the stairs. Very uncharacteristic of the Moblin.

“What was the name that the Hylian gave?” it said with surprising urgency.

Robbie raised an eyebrow, wondering why the Moblin looked so panicked. “Glenn Taylor? Why, you wanna help me look? It’ll be a lot easier with four hands.”

His words passed right through the Moblin’s head. Instead, Sledge slowly reached into its satchel. It was about thrice as big as one that Hylians carry - and was filled to the brim with books and writing supplies. It pulled out a ragged journal with a wrinkled leather cover. Sledge flipped to the first page - where one sentence was written in neat little handwriting.

“If found, please return to Glenn Taylor of the 27th Hyrule Army Division.”

…

The day was wrapping up and Zayl was busy gathering up the scraps from that day’s dinner. Grabbing some nearby greens and fruits, the Lizalfos ran over to a glass enclosure and tossed them in. It then brought its face up to the glass and watched its snails chow down. Purah had helped it build a little terrarium and the snails were thriving. Kobb and Symin were playing some type of board game in the middle of the room, while Purah was busy combing over her research and recalibrating her Sheikah runes. There was still some daylight left, but it was dark enough that the evening lamps had been lit hours ago. It was pretty stuffy on the ground floor and Zayl wanted to get some fresh air.

“I am going outside for a little bit!” it called to the rest. Purah looked out the window and pursed her lips. Perhaps it was a little too early for the Lizalfos to be going out, but perhaps she was being too paranoid. Besides, Kobb and Zayl probably should be going outside more often anyways. She noticed that their behavior had become slightly sluggish and lethargic.

Zayl stepped out into the night air and took a deep breath. There was a perfect hint of the salty sea blowing from the east that made this lookout spot just divine. With too much pent-up energy, Zayl jogged around the small wheat farm in the backyard. To the North was the breathtaking Mount Lanayru. Where the Lizalfos was standing was about how close one could get before feeling its blistering cold. Yet, Zayl felt a certain call to it. Perhaps it was its imagination, but it could have sworn a voice was calling from the summit.

It was not able to dwell on this for long as its adept hearing picked up whispers coming from the side of the house. They sounded…argumentative but hushed. The voices were getting close to rounding the corner any second. Zayl’s head snapped to the backdoor. Scampering back to the door meant charging right in the direction of the voices. The Lizalfos panicked. Should it stay put? Should it make a run for it back into the Lab? In its indecision, it ran out of time and saw the head of a small Hylian round the corner. With its exit cut off, Zayl got low to the ground and entered the trance-like state of blending into the background. Hopefully, Zayl would be seen as nothing more than an oddly shaped boulder.

“I still don’t think we should be up here, guys!” whispered the voice of a young Hylian girl.

“Oh shut it, Karin, you can run to your dad if you wanna.”

Three Hylian children rounded the corner of the house and snooped around the area. 

“I don’t see any Sheikah girl up here. Do you, Azu?”

“Nope. Looks like Karin was a dirty liar.”

The Hylian girl stomped her foot.

“I’m not lying! I saw her!”

One of the children known as Sefaro leaned in close to the other two.

“Maybe…Karin saw a Sheikah girl…but it was actually a shapeshifting monster ! Pretending to be a playful girl to lure us kids here and eat them for supper!” he whispered as he wiggled his fingers making a ghostly oooooo sound.

Azu punched him on the arm. “Quit it! It’s already creepy enough up here” he whined. Sefaro snickered in response.

“Well, I know what I saw!” Karin said adamantly.

The two boys shrugged. “If you say so. C’mon let’s go home. This espi’nage was a bust.” Azu said as he kicked a pebble. It sailed over and landed close to Zayl - drawing the boys’ attention to the motionless Lizalfos.

“Ooooo it’s a weird statue!” Sefaro said as he hobbled over. 

“Guys!” Karin pleaded, trying to stay as quiet as possible, “Can we just leave?”

“ You could always Cucco out at any time.” Azu said as he got closer to Zayl.

“What if the monster that lives up here turns things to stone?”

Karin wanted to leave, but her curiosity also got the best of her as she walked over. Meanwhile, Zayl was trying so hard to remain perfectly still. It was ever thankful that the blanket of night obscured any major features of its body so the Hylian children still thought it was a statue. Zayl’s eyes were closed tight as they easily reflected the tiniest light. It had no idea if they would poke or prod it, or just leave. Azu and Sefaro were too busy talking about what could have made this statue and didn’t notice Karin slowly walking to where Zayl’s head was. In the faint light of the Hateno Lab she saw the shape of a snout and small nostrils. In a move that could only be called “youthful stupidity”, she put her index and middle finger in the ‘peace’ formation and jabbed them straight up Zayl’s nose.

“Gyaah! Ow!” Zayl yelled in surprise and pain as it jumped away from Karin and broke its camouflage.

“Yaaaaa! It’s a monster!” Azu and Sefaro shrieked at the top of their lungs. They bolted as fast as their little legs could carry them down the spiral hill. Karin, meanwhile, stood there dumbstruck - too surprised to scream.

“Why did you do that?” Zayl said with a disappointed voice. Karin looked down at her fingers blankly, still in a stupor. The backdoor of Hateno Lab was thrown open and Purah appeared in the doorway.

“What was that?!” she shouted. The light from inside shone on the Hylian child and she made a loud yelp. Her brain finally caught up to the rest of her and she bolted as well. Rather than being chased by any monster, Purah was the one running after the child. 

“I better not catch any of you kids around here ever again!” she shouted as loud as she could while Karin caught up with the other two in record time. As the three children practically tumbled down the hill, Purah clenched her teeth with worry. She sprinted back behind the lab to catch up with Zayl. 

“Oh, sweet Hylia, this might be bad…” Purah said as she quickly ushered Zayl inside. “I knew I should have told you to wait a while! Oh, gods above...”

Zayl’s heart was also racing, but it was still confused on why Purah had such a reaction. “Those Hylians were quite small…are they a threat?”

Purah pursed her lips and sprinted up to the giant telescope mounted on the second floor balcony. It pointed square at Hateno Village. Sweat beads ran down her brow as she saw three tiny dots running downhill.

“By themselves? No. The threat hinges on whether their parents will believe them.”

…

“What? You want me to hand this journal to that old Hylian?” Sledge said incredulously.

Robbie shrugged. “You were the one that found it. I can set up a meeting time for you two.”

The Moblin shook its head in bewilderment and backed up slightly.

“You want me to show myself to a Hylian…after we have been hiding from them the whole time we have been out here?”

“Okay, but hear me out,” Robbie said with open palms, “you all will have to present yourselves to the Hylians and the other races eventually. If we successfully beat Ganon, all while freeing enough monsters…well, that still leaves us with a whole continent that sees you all as bloodthirsty enemies.”

Robbie’s bluntness hurt, but he was right. Sledge grimaced but there was no denying the facts. If it wanted to fulfill its dream of creating a civilization of monsters, free from Ganon’s influence, then all the Hylians itching to get a stab at any monster in sight needed to be dealt with.

“That sounds like a problem that falls more on the Hylians than me,” Sledge said, still unconvinced, “why should I have to prove to them we are not a threat? I have no interest in being what they consider to be ‘civilized’. I have met so-called civilized Hylians that act more like the monsters they hate.”

“Ahh...well…yep fair enough.” Robbie said, rubbing his head. “But! We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. This isn’t about that…perhaps I shouldn’t have brought that whole thing up. Agh…this is about you taking credit for a kind deed!”

Sledge looked down at the wrinkled journal and snorted slightly from its nostrils. Robbie kept pushing.

“I didn’t find the journal. You did! By mere chance, granted, but who gives a hoot about that! If I handed that over to Lettie and she thanked me, I’d feel guilty because it is thanks that you deserve.”

“Alright,” Sledge said, finally convinced, “how are we going to do this?”

Robbie made a small fist pump in celebration before catching himself and running to the front door.

“Go to the grove of trees on that side of the Lab. I’ll have Lettie come by and then you can hand it to her. And don’t worry, I’ll be there with ya in case things might go south.”

Sledge gave a thumbs-up with a halfhearted grin and Robbie struck a pose in response.

…

The next hour or so, Purah held her face to the giant telescope and waited. She was clutching her legs so hard, her fingernails almost dug into her flesh. The normally sleepy town below was beginning to light up a little bit. Houses that normally were dark by nightfall had yellow light shining through the windows. Several unknown figures sashayed back and forth on the narrow street. Many seemed to go in and out of the local bar. Purah’s eyes were bloodshot, but she couldn’t look away. Just what was happening down there? Slowly, Kobb approached her and cleared its throat. Purah jumped, but then made a sigh of relief when she saw Kobb standing over her.

“Zayl told me about…the tiny Hylians…what is the village below doing?” Kobb asked as it clenched its jaw nervously.

Purah ran her hands through her hair stressfully. “I can’t tell. It definitely looked like those dumb kids caused a stir.” she said as she then banged her palm on the side of the telescope - making a loud GONG .

“Gah! Of all the nights those brats had to snoop around my lab!”

A tired scowl covered her face and she bonked her head on the telescope in frustration repeatedly.

Kobb stepped back and winced. It felt secondhand guilt from this whole situation.

“Should Zayl and I leave for a bit?” Kobb suggested, “maybe hide near the sea until they calm down?”

Purah shook her head. “No, no. The outskirts of Hateno are crawling with other monsters. They’ve wanted to take this place down since The Great Calamity. If they saw either of you, that’d draw more attention here. I don’t wanna punish you for a miscalculation on my end, either.”

Kobb nodded and took a deep sigh. They had a brief moment of silence as they listened to the night wind howl until a light suddenly appeared from the corner of their eyes. Purah jumped up and swiveled the giant telescope over. Several nasty expletives escaped her mouth as she slammed her thigh in distress.

“You and Zayl need to leave through the backdoor and stay there right now .”

Chapter Text

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Purah hesitated just outside the door and prayed. To Hylia, to the long lost gods, to whoever might be listening. She took a few deep breaths to collect herself and swung the door open. There she saw a gruff Hylian man with a handlebar mustache and a beard. It was the head of Hateno Village.

“Reede!” Purah said with blatantly fake enthusiasm, “what brings you out here so late?”

The Hylian man frowned and bit his lower lip. “Ahh…you must be that old Sheikah’s kin,” he said with an almost monotone voice, “may I come in? This is about…concerns that my citizens have had tonight.”

Purah’s heart rate spiked as she forcefully swallowed and let Reede inside the lab. There, the mayor looked around with his hands behind his back at all the various Sheikah contraptions lying about. Symin made a weak wave that was ignored. Reede eyed the dinner table; four messy plates and utensils on each side.

“Apparently one of Pruce’s boys and my own daughter were snooping around here. They’ve been punished accordingly, but they were claiming that some monster almost ate them.”

Purah’s eyes instinctively glanced at the backdoor - still partially ajar.

Reede let out a low chuckle. “Now…we all know children to have pretty wild imaginations. Bless their hearts. But with that said, monsters are a threat we need to take seriously. Our patrolmen do their darndest, but there’s always the chance one slips through the cracks.”

Reede fingers drummed on one of Purah’s bookshelves.

“The boys’ fathers thought they were just lying for attention, but they kept trying to get my little Karin to vouch for them. She’s much too shy to speak in public, bless her heart, so that’s where I come in.”

Purah crossed her arms to stop her hands from shaking as Reede continued to snoop around the lab.

“Now, let’s be honest here. I have no idea what you Sheikah do up here, nor is it any of my concern. You tinker with all your newfangled bells and whistles while we actually hard working Hylians make an honest day’s bread. Different strokes. That said, there’s been talk. Talk about…dubious experiments…dark magic…necromancy. The rumor mill spins, but every story’s got a grain of truth, wouldn’t you say?”

Reede looked at Purah with a fire and brimstone in his eyes. There was a good reason she rarely interacted with the people of Hateno.

“I…those children probably spooked some wild boar!” she said, coming up with a quick lie on the spot. “They’re known to hang a little too close to my lab. Scares me half to death sometimes! Heh heh…”

The gruff mayor’s eyebrow raised suspiciously. He slowly walked to the dining table and put a calloused hand on the back of a chair.

“Pray tell, then, why did you have a dinner of four? Seems to me like you and your…assistant are the only ones home.”

Sweat dripped down Purah’s forehead. They forgot to clean up after Kobb and Zayl.

“Do…do you not know? My grandmother and daughter also live here!” Purah lied again, “They’re both upstairs fast asleep! I’m sure you don’t want to wake them.”

A low growl came from Reede. Purah had a quick answer, but he was still not convinced.

“Your daughter will be able to vouch! She was just telling me about a Hylian kid snooping around that looked like her” she hastily added on.

Wrinkles appeared on the man’s forehead as he racked his brain. Yes…his daughter did say something along those lines. Maybe he was just letting the Hateno paranoia get to him. With that he seemed convinced. Now the children would have to be punished more for lying.

Reede was just about to exit the door when he took one last look near the giant stone slab where the Sheikah rune laid. It was covered in a thick layer of dust, but the mayor saw three spots where someone (or something) walked. It was a long oval footprint of a creature with two large front toes. The mayor had braved patrol duty far too many times in his youth to mistake that footprint. It undoubtedly belonged to a Bokoblin. His mustache twitched and his face turned as red as a beet. Without any self-preservation, he lunged at Purah - grabbing her by the collar of her Sheikah uniform and slamming her against the wall. She yelped and gripped at his collarbone as hard as she could. Blood dripped, but Reede did not relent.

“Where are you hiding the monsters?! I know they’re around here somewhere!”

Symin tried to pull Reede off of Purah, but as he ran forward, the mayor tossed Purah to the ground and elbowed him right in the gut. The Sheikah man went down, and Reede pinned Purah to the ground as he practically spat in her face from yelling. Normally she could get a pretty good fight in, but Reede caught her by surprise at the start so she couldn’t find solid footing. She sunk her nails deep into the man’s flesh but his anger was too great to notice the pain.

“Where are the monsters?! Were you using them to scare away prying eyes? What are you hiding?! I knew this Sheikah technology couldn’t be trusted! It caused The Calamity in the first place! Have you found how to use Ganon’s minions as your own puppets? Clever, sneaky little-”

Reede did not get to finish his sentence as Kobb came barreling through the backdoor and delivered the meanest shoulder tackle it could muster. A few of the mayor’s teeth filaments were knocked loose as he flailed around the ground. The Bokoblin quickly helped Purah back onto her feet as she gasped for air. Kobb then got between her and Reede and made a fighting stance. 

“The monster you are looking for is right here,” Kobb growled with balled fists.

The mayor’s eyes grew wide and he pathetically pedaled his legs to scoot away - his back now to the wall.

“Gah! It speaks! The beast can talk!” Reede yelled as he tried to reach for the door handle. Kobb menacingly walked closer.

“Yes. I can talk. We always could, but not in a way you understand. And I do not bleed for any Hylian or god. I am my own monster, not the beasts you see us as!”

Reede froze. For just a split second, Kobb’s words resonated with him. Yet the cognitive dissonance was too powerful. He just couldn’t comprehend being lectured by a Bokoblin. Reede’s mustache and beard quaked as he was at a loss for words. Kobb took another step forward and it sprung him back into action.

“Back, vile creature! Back I say!” he shouted as he chucked a nearby book at Kobb’s face. The Bokoblin swatted it away, and Reede bolted out the door. Zayl quickly appeared behind, but its backup was just a tad too late. Both the monsters looked at Purah to make sure she was alright and helped Symin off the ground. Purah didn’t bother running to her telescope. Instead she stood in the doorframe and watched Reede run away. He seemed to disappear into the darkness until the base of the hill suddenly lit up with dozens of torches. The wall of flame began to gradually move up the hill.

“Symin, get that route to Akkala Lab up and running, stat .”

…

Sledge stood near a group of trees in the cold air of the Akkala night. For the first time in a long while, the hood of the bear pelt was covering up its head. It paced back and forth, holding the tattered journal in its hands. To think that the book it picked up in the Akkala Citadel would lead it here. Rezek floated closer, noticing the Moblin’s fidgeting. 

“Are you nervous?” it asked softly. Sledge let out a loud huff from its nostrils.

“I would be lying if I said ‘no’. This Hylian…she was there. She saw The Great Calamity with her own eyes. There is a very real chance I was in the army that wiped that stronghold out…the one her father was in. ”

Sledge creased the book from holding it too tight.

“Maybe I should leave it here, instead, and head back to the lab.” it said before Rezek floated right in front of it. Its classic tsk tsk tsk came as it wagged a finger - but it was not nearly as condescending as before.

“If you’re going to blame yourself on the possibility that you were there, then you might as well take the blame for what every Moblin has done. But you shouldn’t. Because you are not every Moblin. You’re Sledge, and Sledge was not there during The Great Calamity.”

Sledge was so shocked that it almost dropped the journal. It bit its lower lip and took several deep breaths - trying not to lose it then and there. 

Rezek gave Sledge a light pat on the shoulder. “I’ll be up in the trees just in case. Good luck.”

The Wizzrobe vanished before Sledge could thank it. Perhaps that was for the best. Rezek never took praise too well. On-cue, a small torch in the distance could be seen getting gradually closer. That must be Robbie guiding Lettie up towards Akkala Lab. Sledge mentally prepared itself a bit more before sitting on the ground - facing away from the road. In the dusk, it made the Moblin look a lot smaller than it actually was. It didn’t want to scare the Hylian away immediately. After a few agonizing minutes, it heard two voices.

“I don’t see what all the smoke and mirrors are for, Robbie!” an old Hylian woman laughed, “if a friend of yours has what I’m looking for, they should’ve just gone to the stables!”

“This…friend of mine doesn’t care too much for the public eye,” Robbie said, a little bit of strain in his voice, “besides, I think you will be more than happy with what they have for you!”

Lettie let out a playful scoff. “Is that so? Well what are we waiting for? Let me see this kind stranger!”

The two arrived at where Sledge was sitting. Robbie’s torch illuminated the scene partially, but all Lettie saw was a hidden figure facing away.

“Well aren’t you a shy one! What’s your name?” she said with a smile.

“...my name is Sledge.” it said, still facing away.

Lettie nodded. “Well, Sledge, Robbie here said you have something for me! But I don’t think I can thank a stranger before I see their face? Why don’t you turn around for me?”

Sledge stayed silent for a little bit more, its breathing visibly heavy. “Do…do you promise you won’t run away?”

Robbie clutched the torch a little tighter. Lettie pursed her lips a bit in confusion. This whole gig seemed a little suspicious, but she couldn’t put a finger on why.

“Y-yes? Don’t worry, hun, I’ve seen plenty in all my years. I doubt there’s anything left in Hyrule that can scare this ol’ granny away!”

It looked as if Sledge nodded from under its pelt. With an agonizing slowness, it turned around. Despite the torchlight, Sledge did a good job hiding its body. As it rotated, Lettie could not see the face as its head was hung low and covered by the bear pelt’s hood. Even its blue skin was unnoticed thanks to the ambient darkness of the night. When Sledge at last faced Lettie, it slowly pulled down its hood and looked her in the face. At first the woman’s breath left her and she clutched her chest. Yet, she stayed put. Sledge slowly extended its arm towards her. Loosely held in its hands was a wrinkled book. Lettie tried to reach for it several times, but instinctively pulled back. After two tries, she gathered the courage to accept the Moblin’s gift. With bated breath, she opened the first page and almost fainted at the name scribbled on the inside cover.

“Where…where did you find this?”

…

“Come on out, Sheikah woman!” Reede shouted from behind the angry Hylian mob. Practically the entire village had shown up with pitchforks and torches. Many had scowls that covered their entire face, hands shaking in anticipation.

“We don’t want any more trouble! We just want the monsters!”

Purah appeared from behind the balcony of the second floor, noticeably distraught. Bargaining was out of the question, but her goal was to stall for time. 

“Do you folks not know ‘live and let live’?” Purah shouted back. “These monsters have broken free from Ganon! They needed a home, and they want to be left alone as much as you do!”

The angry mob stirred, but remained unconvinced.

“She’s lying!” one of the men shouted, “The monsters attacked my kid! It was trying to eat him!”

The crowd grew more restless. Purah slammed her fists on the balcony.

“Your kids were sneaking around and scared it! Zayl didn’t lay a finger on your little brats!”

“So it’s no better than an animal, acting only on instinct!” a woman shouted from the crowd. “Can we trust it not to go wild?”

Jeers of anger came from the group of Hylians, with Reede standing stoically in the middle with crossed arms and a wide frown - dried blood on his face and arms. Purah gritted her teeth as the torches were raised up and down menacingly. She felt something tug at her shirt and she looked down. After bending down and some muffled talk, she rose back to the crowd again.

“Fine! Maybe you should hear from the monster itself!”

The mob fell suddenly silent before murmuring amongst each other. The chatter stopped once again as they saw a lone Lizalfos rise over the balcony to greet the crowd. Zayl’s hands were shaking upon seeing the few dozen faces staring at it with shock - weapons firmly clutched in their hands. Maybe this was a bad idea.

“Erm…hello!” it called out to the crowd with a little wave of its claw. “My name is Zayl! There was once Malice in me, but not anymore! I am fighting against Ganon to free other monsters. I am also good at cooking!”

Zayl gave a thumbs-up to an absolutely dead reception. All of Hateno Village stared at Zayl with completely blank eyes. Just like Reede, their brains were broken from seeing a Lizalfos act completely differently than what they were used to. 

“The monster’s learned to mimic our speech! It’s more dangerous than we thought!” came a random voice from the crowd.

The Hylains became riled up again and grew angrier than before. More jeers and boos were hurled at Zayl and a few even tried to throw their pitchforks at it. Purah shook her head sadly and ducked back into the Lab alongside Zayl as the mob screamed louder and louder.

“Torch it.” Reede growled, the fire reflecting in his eyes.

…

“I remember his handwriting since it was yesterday,” Lettie said softly as she flipped through the pages, “the little loops he always made, saying ‘trite’ like it was going out of style, I…this is more than I could have ever asked for.”

Sledge couldn’t help but smile, but it kept its head down. It wanted to look as non-threatening as possible. Even after helping this old Hylian, it couldn’t take any chances. Not again.

“I found it by the giant fortress to the south. Forgive me for disturbing the dead. I do not think I can possibly make up for the damage we have done to you, but-”

The Moblin didn’t get to finish its sentence as Lettie fell forward and wrapped her arms around its snout. Softly, she placed her forehead on Sledge and rubbed her hand in slow circles. A grandmotherly shushing came from her as tears streamed down her face. Sledge began to tear up as well.

“You don’t need to say another word,” Lettie whispered as she felt Sledge’s heavy breath, “what a kind, kind Moblin you are. Oh, yes. I can feel it in the wrinkles on your face. I can see it in your eyes.”

Lettie pulled away momentarily to look directly at Sledge.

“You have suffered great loss. Haven’t you, o’ gentle one? By the hands of my people, no less?”

Sledge couldn’t hold it in anymore and started to ugly cry. Tears poured down its face as Lettie picked up its huge hand and cradled its chin - softly reassuring the Moblin.

“Shhhh…it’s okay, baby. Let it all out. I’m an old granny, you can cry on me all you want.”

The tears kept falling and Lettie continued to softly pet Sledge on the side of its face with a soft smile. Robbie got a bit choked up as he watched from a distance. Sledge was eventually able to pull itself together and it took one last deep breath.

“See, isn’t that better? Everyone needs a good cry once in a while.”

“How…how are you able to be so calm? To forgive me?” Sledge said with a stuffy nose. “You were there. You remember everything we did! I was not allowed to remember before I broke from Ganon, but I could have been any one of those Moblins…Why? When you have every reason to hate what I am…why do you stay?”

Lettie made a quick gasp before closing her eyes again and giving the Moblin some soft pats on its snout.

“You know, Sledge. There is an old saying from when I was young. ‘The axe forgets, but the tree remembers’. It means that those that hurt never remember the ones they hurt. Well, after you get to about my age you see it’s not always as cut and dry as that. For starters, why blame the axe? It’s not the one that swings at the trees and chops them down, that falls on the one holding it! The tree that the axe came from had no say in being made an axe.”

Lettie then reached down and put her palm into Sledge’s. Her fingers barely reached the Moblin’s first knuckle and she could feel a radiant warmth coming from the center.

“But sometimes, when the moment is just right, the axe remembers that it is made of wood, too. For we are all children of this land, and that is something many of us forget - by accident or on purpose.”

Sledge closed its eyes tightly, trying not to let the tears well up again. 

“Besides…you’re doing what you can. And that’s all that matters to me…”

As the two were having their moment, Robbie saw a faint orange blinking coming from inside the Akkala Lab. He stuck the torch into the ground and ran with a concerning urgency.

…

“I’m trying to connect to Akkala, but it’s taking a while!” Symin said as he frantically fiddled with the rune console. 

Purah swore under her breath and pushed him aside. “C’mon Robbie, where in the blazes are you? We don’t have time, this place is gonna go up in smoke!” she said, pressing a unique combination on the button layout. That seemed to trigger something as the giant stone slab the Sheikah rune was perched on started to vibrate and move. Giant claw-like legs that resembled Guardians popped out of the side and rose the whole contraption off the ground.

“Grab everything you can and put it on top, we’re busting out the back door!”

Kobb and Zayl nodded and scrambled to throw books, scrolls, and weapons onto the slab. The rune-on-legs made a beeline to the backdoor, but a torch thrown through the window with a mighty CRASH put them on borrowed time. As the fire flew through the air, it jumped to any loose piece of paper it could - setting an entire bookshelf ablaze. The inferno reflected in Purah’s eyes with absolute anguish as she saw so much of what she’s worked for burning to the ground.

Yet, there was no time to ponder. As Kobb and Zayl scurried across the ground, avoiding the fire and grabbing anything they could, Purah and Robbie gave the walking rune some encouragement by pushing it from the back. They were so close to freedom, but the flames grew bigger. They spread across the walls and to the second floor. A fiery plank fell on Kobb’s already-burnt shoulder and it squealed in pain. Zayl used its own projectile spit to hold back the fire as much as it could, but it felt like fighting an Igneo Talus with a single ice cube.

Purah pressed another combination of buttons and a miniature Guardian Laser fired out of the Sheikah stalactite. A clean hole was blown right out of the side of the lab and the two monsters made a break for the outside. The Rune-Guardian followed suit, but much slower. By then, the fire had reached the giant telescope. Creaking metal rang through the air as the supports snapped and it fell straight through the lab. A blinking red light suddenly turned green.

“We have contact! Ready to transport!” Symin shouted at the top of his lungs.

Purah breathed a sigh of relief, but they weren’t out of the woods yet. “Alright, we got 30 more seconds! Just hold tight, everyone!”

They all sat on the stone slab as it began to grow a bright blue, but then Zayl suddenly sprung up in panic.

“My snails! I forgot my snails!” it yelled as it scampered back into the burning lab.

“Zayl, no it’s too late!” Purah yelled, but the Lizalfos had already run inside. She slammed her hand on the console. “Hylia be damned, we can’t afford to wait much longer! That dump’s gonna collapse any second!”

The immediate heat from the fire almost knocked Zayl out. No, it needed to find Izzy, Dizzy, and Fizzy. Zayl snapped its head to where the terrarium usually was. By some divine miracle the box containing the snails had not yet been torched, but the flames were fast approaching. It darted in between the smoldering wooden boards, snatched the snails, and made a beeline back to the slab. It was home free. Kobb ran out to meet it. Good. Zayl tossed the box as hard as it could and the Bokoblin caught it - stumbling backwards from the momentum. Kobb then threw it to Symin. The snails were safe, now Zayl just needed to get the heck out. That was when a deafening CRACKKK resonated through the entire Hateno Lab. The giant hole Purah created had compromised the structural integrity - and the fire wasn’t helping. Just as Zayl passed its front half through the back door, a huge burning beam collapsed and fell right onto its tail. Zayl lurched and fell to the ground. It was pinned.

“Zayl!” Kobb squealed as it lunged towards its monster friend. The Lizalfos was still alive, but there was panic and dread in its eyes that the Bokoblin had never seen.

“No! Leave me! Just go!” Zayl shouted. Kobb tried to grab it by the hands, but they were swatted away. It screeched in pain as the hot wooden beam pressed firmly on its tail. Bones were undoubtedly broken from the ordeal.

“I am not leaving you!” Kobb shouted back. “No monster left behind!”

“Ten seconds left!” Purah yelled at the top of her lungs. She hated to do this, but there was no other option. The Lab was collapsing backwards towards them. Either they left now, or they would all get crushed. More and more parts of the lab fell to the ground aflame - some almost hitting Kobb.

“Kobb, you do not understand NGH …I would rather die than what is going to happen. Leave me. Give me a proper death. Please .” Zayl said with the most dire voice it had ever spoken. The Bokoblin refused.

“You are not dying here!” it yelled, grabbing Zayl by the waist and pulling as hard as it could.

“Kobb, no! No! Don’t! Kobb, please!” Zayl pleaded as tears fell down its eyes. It gritted its tiny sharp teeth and screeched - not out of pain, but out of dread.

“Five seconds!”

The blue light around Purah and Symin grew brighter. The orange and red flames above them did as well. They looked up and saw the burning rubble that was once Hateno Lab tumbling down directly towards them.

“Kobb, no !” Zayl yelled one more time before letting out a blood curdling shriek - one that would be heard in the Bokoblin’s nightmares for years to come.

Kobb felt something give, and they both tumbled backwards.

All that was in Kobb’s eyes was a blue radiance, and all that was in its ears was a soft whimper.

…

“Thank you, Lettie,” Sledge said, wiping its eyes and standing up, “thank you…for everything…”

Lettie let out a hearty laugh. “Well, I hardly did anything. You were the one that gave me the book!” she said before bowing in a playful demeanor. “I do appreciate the thanks regardless.”

They both looked around for Robbie, but he seemed to have gone out of sight.

“Awh! That old coot probably had to stop something from blowing up!” she scoffed as she pulled the abandoned torch out of the ground. “Guess I’ll just walk home on my lonesome.”

Sledge shuffled a bit. “Are you sure? I can help you part of the way there.”

Lettie waved off the Moblin. “Psh-aw. These old bones still got some fight in ‘em. Plus, there’s nothing Hyrule can throw at me now” she said before starting to walk away. She took a few steps before turning back around.

“Sledge? Does your name come from ‘sledgehammer’?”

The Moblin’s ears perked up. “Yes! It is a name I gave to myself!”

“A fitting one, at that. Sledgehammers, powerful things that can build as easily as they destroy. It’s all in the heart of the one who wields it…Hey, Sledge! If you see Ganon, I want you to ram a hammer so far up his ass he feels it for another hundred years!”

Sledge punched the air enthusiastically. “I will tell ‘em Lettie sent me!”

The old Hylian punched the air back. “A-ha! That’s what I like to hear! Fight on, Sledge! Fight on!”

As the torch slowly grew smaller, Sledge felt a thin hand on its shoulder. It looked up to see Rezek actually smiling. It wasn’t the snarky or mischievous smile it would usually have, either. Rezek had a genuine warm smile across its face. Neither said any words, for just looking at each other said enough. They both nodded and headed back up towards the Akkala Lab. As they got halfway up, there was a blinding flash of light near the front door, followed by a BOOM that shook the ground. Sledge and Rezek wasted no time in sprinting the remaining distance - but nothing could’ve prepared them for what they saw. 

Right in front of Akkala Lab, and smashed right through the porch, was a giant rock platform with dozens of assorted items on top. Mechanical legs were strewn about - completely busted from the trip. The edges were charred black, and a few remaining cinders were snuffed out by the cold night air. The rest of the sight made Sledge dry heave and made Rezek go so stiff that its only movement was the cloak softly swaying in the wind.

“Sheesh! Cut it a little too close! Everyone still in one piece?” the woman on top shouted. She had garb similar to what Robbie wore, but that was not what Rezek and Sledge were looking at. 

Lying on the cold stone slab were Kobb and Zayl. The Bokoblin turned to see the other monsters, but its eyes did not have the warmth of reunion. Rather, they occupied a cold unceasing void. The thousand-yard stare pierced right through Sledge and Rezek as the Bokoblin softly held Zayl.

What was left of the Lizalfos’ tail only went a few inches down - the end softly dripping blood.

Chapter Text

“It…it will grow back, right?” Rezek asked as Robbie padded Zayl’s missing tail with disinfectant.

Kobb and Sledge looked at the Wizzrobe with an apprehensive sulk. The rest of the room was deathly quiet, with the only other noise being Zayl’s pained squeaks as Robbie cleaned the wound. Rezek felt out of the loop and looked at all the gloomy faces around it.

“Well, won’t it?!” it now shouted, feeling the seeds of doubt creep in too, “Those tiny lizards in the wild grow their tails back all the time! Why can’t Lizalfos?” 

Robbie let out a deep sigh as it covered the wound in a layer of gauze. “It’s easy to grow back a tail when you’re barely longer than a forearm,” he said, “I fear Lizalfos are simply too big to regrow a tail.”

Rezek gritted its teeth harder, still in denial at the severity of the situation.

“Then why have I never seen a Lizalfos with a missing tail?” it said, its voice getting more and more worked up. “If the tail is detachable when in danger, then it has to grow back in case it happens again! Why would-”

“Because the Malice kills us when we lose it!” Zayl snapped, its raspy voice piercing through the air. Rezek was left just as quiet as the rest.

“A Lizalfos without a tail is just as useful as no Lizalfos to The Calamity. If it fell off, we would die . Right away. Back to the Malice. No tail, no Lizalfos.”

Rezek hung its head low and drifted further away - ashamed it made Zayl outburst like that. The rest of the room fared no better, tightly gripping clothes and looking away from the Lizalfos. Zayl gingerly ran its claws down the top of its back, only to feel a drop off at the base of the tail. There was nothing. It tried to flex its tail muscles, but only the base slightly jostled. A soft croaking came from its lungs as its breathing grew shallow and rapid. Zayl couldn’t believe its tail was just…gone. By now it was likely charred to ashes underneath the burning wreck of Hateno Lab.

“I think…I am going to sleep for a while…” Zayl said slowly before turning away from the group and curling up in the fetal position. Sledge, Kobb, and Rezek all held a hand on the Lizalfos’ back and whispered some words of encouragement.

“I think we all could use some sleep.” Robbie said with a grim frown as he pulled off the sanitary gloves and tossed them aside, “Sledge and Rezek, I can bring your bedrolls up here and get a spare for Kobb as well.”

The monsters nodded, all of their eyes reflecting a shared mourning.

Robbie and Purah exited the spare bedroom after the four monsters had gotten their bedding arrangements and huddled up together. Zayl still slept separate from the other three, but it scooted closer so that its back was touching Sledge’s warm arm. The two Sheikah walked quietly down the spiral stairs and into the main hall of the Lab. In a big heaping pile in the middle was all Purah was able to save.

“What a horrible, horrible night.” Robbie said, his voice falling deep and raspy enough to sound as if he just aged thirty years.

Purah nodded slowly, seeing how small the pile of books and papers actually were. “Hateno Lab’s gone,” she said quietly, “those damned villagers burned it to the ground after they saw Zayl…”

“I assumed as much…” Robbie said with his head hung low, “all that research, all our efforts, gone in mere seconds. This is like losing the Royal Lab a second time.”

A quizzical expression replaced the angst and Purah turned to Robbie. “Huh? Do you think I didn’t have a backup after what happened last time?” she said, running over to the Rune console and turning it on. After several button presses, a large interactable image of a library was projected onto the wall.

“I just so happened to take the liberty of backing up every last scrap of paper I had onto this bad boy” she said proudly, patting the rune.

Robbie was flabbergasted. “B-b-but…there is still so much! What about all the hand-drawn pictures in those books? Some of the stuff you had dated back nearly eons ago! This is still a tremendous loss!”

Purah walked up and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “Books can be rewritten. Pictures can be drawn again. It’s what’s inside them that matters - not what they’re made of, dummy.”

That seemed to calm Robbie down and he took a few deep breaths. “You’re right…as a man of science I should know that more than anyone else…”

“We can start first thing tomorrow.”

“Yes…but there’s also…what happened to Zayl.”

Purah grew silent and pursed her lips. “I don’t really know what we can do, Robbie. Poor thing’s just lucky it was able to make it out alive. If the tail doesn’t grow back, it might just have to live without it.”

Robbie took off his goggles, showing a grim darkness behind them. “I think for Zayl’s sake, that’s out of the question. It needs a new tail to have a fighting chance.”

“So you’re saying Zayl can’t fight without its tail?”

“I’m saying if we don’t find Zayl a new tail soon, it won’t have the will to live to next week - let alone fight.”

…

The dawn turned to morning, and morning turned to afternoon, but Zayl hadn’t left the room upstairs. As each monster woke at a different time, they asked if Zayl was alright - to which it responded with a weak groan. Kobb brought it some breakfast, but by lunch only a few bites had been eaten. Meanwhile the first floor ruminated with unease. Robbie and Purah tried to get back to their research work, checking in on Zayl every so often, but they just couldn’t concentrate. Neither Rezek nor Kobb nor Sledge felt like doing anything either. They just awkwardly wandered around the Akkala Lab or the yard outside.

When Zayl finally wandered downstairs, the rest wished it hadn’t. It took every step with agonizing slowness, but it still stumbled and fell down the last few steps. The Lizalfos angrily banged its fists on the floor several times with tears in its eyes before Kobb and Sledge helped it back up. Moving looked like a chore for Zayl - its whole body off-balance from losing its tail. Zayl’s infectious enthusiasm had shriveled up like a dry lake, a sluggish apathy replacing it. The Lizalfos’ once beaming eyes turned a dull gray and its vibrant green scales were washed out like a murky river. For dinner, it only ate in tiny morsels - occasionally reaching back and softly rubbing the gauze that covered what was left of its tail. Before the rest were finished, it violently pushed its plate away and shook its head angrily. Zayl then tried to make the trip back up the stairs - with Rezek floating alongside and helping it stay balanced.

When Zayl was out of sight, Sledge pushed its plate away, too, and slowly got out of its chair. Without a single word, it grabbed its Double Axe off the wall and headed outside - slamming the door shut. After a few more minutes of silence, with a muffled thwacking coming from the backyard, Robbie excused himself and followed where Sledge went. At the nearby grove, he saw Sledge hacking at a tree with all its might.

THWACK THWACK THWACK filled the air as the Moblin’s axe struck the trunk again and again. Sweat poured down Sledge’s brow, but it did not relent. With each swing, it let out a loud angry grunt that made nearby birds fly away. As Robbie got closer, he could see the Moblin’s tears mixing with the sweat as Sledge chopped relentlessly. Surrounding Sledge was several smaller stumps and wood chippings - with the fallen trees not far away. When its axe struck again and the tree began to fall, Sledge pushed on the trunk so hard it fell twice as fast. Sledge then hacked at what was left clinging to the stump, hoisted the small tree over its shoulder, and tossed it like a javelin as hard as it could. Robbie could see the strain in the Moblin’s muscles as it grunted so loud it echoed through the hills. The rustling tree sailed through the air before falling over the cliffside and out of sight. 

Robbie slowly approached Sledge and put his hand on the Moblin’s arm. Sledge flinched in surprise, but then gritted its teeth and looked away - a little embarrassed at the carnage it caused.

“Feels awful, doesn’t it?” Robbie said, gazing over the rolling Akkala plains, “that feeling of helplessness. Where you know something has to be done, but nothing you can do will help? It almost makes you feel like taking the blame.”

The old Sheikah closed his eyes and daydreamed of a time long dead as the wind blew over his face. So much could have been stopped in hindsight, and he’s had over 100 years to ruminate over it.

Sledge snorted weakly from its nostrils and began chopping the felled trees into neat logs.

“I have lost so much already…I cannot lose Zayl, too…”

Robbie turned to face Sledge and took off his goggles - showing the Moblin the passion in his eyes.

“Then I need your help. Kobb and Rezek, too, if they’re up for it. Think you can get me another Lizalfos tail?”

Sledge was so confused it stopped mid-swing. “I do not think that will work,” it said, before bringing the axe down again, “And even if it did, I would not take the chance that a speck of Malice could remain inside.”

Robbie shook his head. “I’m a man of science, not a butcher! It’s not for Zayl, I need to learn Lizalfos anatomy inside and out. Especially the tail. The diagrams we have on hand aren’t enough.”

“Mmhmm…” Sledge hummed, thinking back to all the shuffling Robbie and Purah did earlier that day.

“You’ve seen all the doohickeys I’ve made. If anyone can build a replacement, it’s me.”

Sledge tilted its head with doubt, but it could not deny Robbie’s fervor.

“Robbie…you are not thinking of-”

“Correct! I will take it upon myself to build a new tail for our Lizalfos friend!” he shouted, striking a pose out of a bad habit. “But I need to know how the tails work in the first place. Get me a fresh Lizalfos tail, and I’ll get a prototype working within the week.”

Sledge was overcome with emotions of gratitude. This was more than something out of obligation, this was coming from a genuine care for Zayl. The Moblin felt tears welling up again, but it shook them off. For now, it needed to stay focused.

“Tell me the best place to find one, and it is yours by tonight” Sledge said with a commandingly confident harumph.

Robbie slid the Sheikah goggles back on and paced around. “Ahh, yes. I’d say you have two good leads: The Akkala beaches are always teeming with Lizalfos, but they would likely spot you immediately. And then there’s…well…hmmmm”

Sledge pondered alongside Robbie. “Is there something wrong?”

“Yes…well…for you, definitely.” Robbie said, pulling at his collar and wincing. “See there is this rather…odd individual known as Kilton. Runs a little shop called ‘Fang and Bone’. A man of science like me, but his methods are…questionable at best. Obsessed with monsters, but…actually more so obsessed with what’s inside of monsters. Their bones, their guts, all the stuff that needs to leave the body before being studied. Part of me thinks he likes the blood and guts more than the science behind it! Quite unsophisticated, if you ask me.”

A slow growl came from Sledge’s mouth as its face turned into a scowl.

“What does this ‘Kilton’ look like?” it said in a much deeper tone than usual.

Robbie picked up on Sledge’s shift in mood and looked up at the Moblin questionably. “He’s about this short, got a potbelly, puts makeup on his lips to look like fangs…uhhh he sounds high pitched last time I talked with him?”

Sledge slowly picked up the chopped-up logs and started heading back to the lab. “And where can I find this ‘Fang and Bone’?” it asked with the same grim tone.

“Depends. He flies in his hot-air balloon all across Hyrule. When he stops by Akkala it’s in between here and the stables.”

“Perfect.” Sledge growled as it hung its head low.

Robbie could tell something was up, but he didn’t know what. “Sledge? Have you come across Kilton before?”

Sledge’s rugged and scarred hand ran down its head - stopping at the sharp end where its horn had snapped off. Robbie couldn’t see, but the Moblin was snorting so heavily that water vapor spewed out before dissipating in the cold Akkala air.

“No. I have never seen a Hylian like that in my life.”

The faintest of smirks appeared on Sledge’s long mouth. Perhaps it was high time for a little bit of payback.

Chapter Text

“Well, it’s not a permanent solution…but at least this will keep you balanced.”

Robbie dusted off his hands and helped Zayl to its feet. The Lizalfos looked back to see a rudimentary tail carved out of wood and bound by leather straps. It wasn’t the best fit, but it sure was better than nothing. Zayl still looked as exhausted and gloomy as ever, but the slightest of melancholy smiles pushed through. Kobb, Rezek, and Sledge breathed a huge sigh of relief seeing Zayl’s mood lighten even the tiniest bit. The moment didn’t last as it dropped to the ground and clutched the base of the tail.

“Gack! It itches! The tail itches! Why does it itch?” it groaned as it reached for the wooden tail. Kobb instinctually ran over and scratched the length of the wooden tail before realizing how silly it looked. Yet somehow, that seemed to alleviate Zayl’s pain and it made a loud exhale before pulling itself back up.

Robbie shook his head and held his chin. “You just experienced what we call ‘phantom pain’. I saw it all the time when Hylian soldiers lost their limbs in battle. The arm or leg is missing, but they still feel pain as if the limb was still there.”

“What do I do if the pain comes back?” Zayl asked, its gloomy mood returning.

“Try massaging or scratching the dummy tail. If that doesn’t stop it, I have some herbal remedies that might help.” Robbie said, placing a hand reassuringly on Zayl’s shoulder.

Zayl took a few cautious steps, the wooden tail jostling around slightly. It shook its head disappointingly and sat back down.

“It helps a little when walking…but it does not feel like it should be there.”

Purah kneeled down and tightened some of the straps and asked Zayl to try again. This time, it seemed to walk a little bit easier.

“The important thing is this will hold you over until we get a replacement ready.” she said, tossing some spare wood in the nearby hearth.

Sledge was hanging by the window, staring intently outside Akkala Lab. The sun had set about an hour ago - and the Moblin was on the lookout for that bright purple balloon. Half of it was to find a loose Lizalfos tail for Robbie, half of it was to settle its score with Kilton. 

“You know, I doubt Kilton’s gonna come around today, Sledge.” Robbie said from across the room. He was mostly ignored except for a small nod from the Moblin. Kobb slowly walked up to join Sledge near the windowsill.

“Sledge, is this that same Hylian that…”

“Yes,” Sledge said, not letting Kobb finish its sentence, “the same Hylian that took my horn and defiled the bodies of Amber and Fang.”

Kobb bit its lip in apprehension. “And what are you going to do to that Hylian when you find him?”

Sledge growled with a sharp bitterness. “I do not know. I just want that Hylian to know the consequences of treating us like grain to be harvested.”

“And to get a Lizalfos tail…”

“Yes…that, too.”

Kobb left Sledge to brood and went back to helping Zayl get accustomed to the stand-in for its new tail. Thankfully, the emergency-fix seemed to grant the Lizalfos some of its appetite back - much to the relief of everyone. Sledge stood transfixed on the horizon for another hour. Despite Kobb and Rezek’s protests, the Moblin refused to budge. Its patience was finally rewarded when it saw the faintest purple glow appear from a cloudfront and touchdown somewhere in the Akkala fields. Sledge jumped up in excitement and yelled for Kobb and Rezek, all while Robbie stood by and watched - suspicious that the Moblin was hiding something. The three monsters were out into the cold Akkala night air in record time.

…

Sledge, Rezek and Kobb gazed at the ominous purple balloon from some nearby brush. There seemed to be a shorter Hylian rummaging behind what would be the counter. From the ceiling of the stall hung monster bones and teeth attached with string. There were also jars full of…something strewn about. Kobb felt queasy just looking at it.

“Bleck, why do we need to come here, of all places?” Rezek said, feeling a little unsettled too. “We could just lop off another Lizalfos’ tail and be done.”

Kobb and Sledge shifted slightly. “You heard Zayl. If a Lizalfos under Malice loses its tail, Ganon kills it instantly. I would rather not kill any more monsters than we have to. Even if that means coming to a Hylian like this.” Sledge said, eliciting a low growl.

Rezek shrugged. “Killing monsters, or getting parts from a monster killer. Doesn’t seem like there’s a right answer, heh heh. Are we going to go up all at once? Do any of us have rupees? I sure don’t. What’s the plan?”

In the midst of Rezek’s ramblings, Sledge had already crept all the way over to Kilton’s stand while the Hylian was turned away. The stout man caught a whiff of something as he was sorting Keese wings and paused.

“ Sniff sniff. What is that I smell? This smells like Moblin…but so much more! Yes, yes, Bokoblin too. A hint of Lizalfos and…gah something else.”

Kilton turned around to see Sledge starting straight down at it with the most intense scowl it had in a while. The Hylian waved his hands around and jumped so high he nearly bonked his head.

“HOOOOOOOOYAG! It is a Moblin! A huge one at that! Gaah! Hello there, big fellow!” he said while clasping his hands together. “I know you can’t understand me, but it’s a good thing I have my scent-masking oils on! Yes, yes, you’ll think I’m just some widdle monster! Heehee!”

“Maybe for other Moblins, but not this one.” Sledge said in a deep booming voice. Kilton’s jaw dropped and he slowly looked up to see the Moblin crossing its arms and looking into his eyes with a fierce intensity. He yelped and tried to scram for the lead to the hot air balloon, but Sledge snatched him up by the shirt collar before he could take a single step. Kilton wriggled in the air, legs dangling and kicking, and Sledge brought him eye-to-eye.

“Do you remember me?” Sledge roared before holding Kilton further away so he could get a good long look. The gears in his head started to turn as he noticed Sledge’s distinct features: the long scar going over its right eye, the bear pelt on its back, and most importantly the snapped horn. He gulped with great concern.

“Yes…yes, yes you are that Moblin! The one near Tanagar Canyon that scared me half to death! The one next to those peculiar dead Bokoblins!” he said, before the gears turned again and he slowly put two and two together. Understanding Hylian speech, was found amongst bodies that the Malice hadn’t broken down, and looked beyond pissed.

“Oh…oh no-YAAH” Kilton shrieked as Sledge dropped him on the ground. Immediately Kilton began groveling at the Moblin’s feet.

“Please forgive me, oh smart Moblin! I didn’t know! I simply thought I found an opportunity to get more monster parts without having to kill any! It pains me so! If I had known they were your friends I wouldn’t have defiled their bodies!”

Sledge looked down - its scowl softening slightly. The Hylian seemed apologetic, but Sledge still didn’t know what to think about his whole “harvesting monster parts” schtick. Before it could say anything, Kobb and Rezek caught up to the Moblin - causing Kilton to let out another yelp.

“Gah-ah! You have more friends? Please tell me I haven’t angered them, too!”

“Sledge, don’t hurt Kilton! We still need their help.” Kobb said with a scolding glare. The Moblin felt even guiltier and winced while looking away. Meanwhile Rezek gave Kilton a good look up and down with a quizzical face.

“This is a very odd Hylian,” the Wizzrobe said as it floated closer to his face, “this ‘Kilton’ looks more like one of us than one of them…”

Kilton gasped and clapped in delight. “OOOooo! To be called monstrous by another monster! I would have never dreamed this would happen!”

Now things were circling back to being annoying for Sledge.

“Why are you so into us monsters in the first place?” Sledge said with a slight growl. Kilton wasn’t off the hook in its eyes just yet. But then the gleeful eyes of the Hylian suddenly turned gloomy and he faced away from the group - looking towards his stall.

“Heh. Well let’s just say…when everyone you meet calls you a monster just by how you look…and how you walk, you start to realize that maybe you’d rather be a monster than a Hylian.”

The three monsters grew still - even Sledge whose scowl seemed to fade away instantly.

“Perhaps I acted a little too quickly,” Sledge said with a deep huff of its nostrils, “but I still take issue with how you…collect…parts of us.”

Kilton turned around on a dime and waved his hands reassuringly.

“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong! I am a scavenger at heart. You’d be surprised how many monster bones are just lying around. Maybe not too surprised considering the uptick in Stall as of late, heh. But no! I would never kill a monster just for the sake of my inventory! It brings me enough pain to kill one in self defense!”

Sledge took another deep long look into Kilton’s eyes. The short Hylian before him seemed more honest about this than anything else. With one more deep sigh, Sledge toppled backwards into the grass and covered its face with its hands. And to think it almost let its emotions get the best of it again.

“Stupid, stupid Moblin…” Sledge said quietly.

Kilton leaned around inconspicuously. “Is…is your friend going to be alright?”

Kobb and Rezek looked at each other and shrugged while a muffled “That remains to be seen.” came from the ground.

“Well, there is a reason why we are here…” Rezek said, wringing its hands and looking away. Kobb immediately cut to the chase from there.

“How well do you know Lizalfos anatomy?”

…

“Ahhhh this does not look good.” Kilton said as he eyed what was left of Zayl’s tail. The wound seemed to have closed around the tail base - forming a spiral pattern of new scales. Zayl was a little apprehensive about a stranger eyeing its injury, but it was too desperate to be picky.

Robbie burst through the door, hands and face covered in fermented Lizalfos blood, and his face did not look cheery either.

“I got a chance to dissect the tails that Kilton was so gracious to lend me” he said, causing all the monsters to lean forward - including Zayl.

“From what I gathered, Lizalfos’ spines run all the way through the tail. That is to be expected, since that’s the case with most field lizards. However, that poses a problem.” Robbie said, disdainfully pulling off the rubber gloves and tossing them aside.

“It’s not enough to just attach a new tail to the base as if it was a prosthetic leg. Well, we could do that, but it would be pretty ineffective at all the things Lizalfos use their tail for: micro-balancing, holding weapons, clinging onto things, combat, the list goes on.”

Zayl subconsciously reached back and rubbed where its tail now stopped. It gave the base a little flex and watched it weakly twitch.

“What we would need to do is attach our new tail as if it’s an extension of the spine.” Robbie said as he pulled out some wooden trinkets for a visual guide. “That would mean opening up the wound again, maybe even cutting along Zayl’s back in the process, and connecting it to the spinal cord. This would be extremely risky, and might make Zayl unable to walk at all if something goes wrong.”

All eyes were back on Zayl. Its gloomy expression had a bit of a fire light up underneath as it looked at Robbie with stern beady eyes.

“I do not care. I will take a chance at losing my own life if I have to” it said with a deep growl. Sledge, Kobb, and Rezek gave the Lizalfos reassuring rubs on the shoulder.

“You will get through this.” Sledge said with a calming deep voice. The other monsters nodded and Zayl felt its eyes go watery seeing all the support around it.

Robbie nodded before checking his watch. “Well in that case, I’ll start building tomorrow. I need to hit the sack after all this” he said. Everyone else heartily agreed.

Before anyone could finally head to bed, they were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. The four monsters jumped and started to scramble - wondering who could possibly come by the lab at this time. However they were soon put at ease as a familiar scruffy blonde head appeared. The door swung wide open - revealing the giant Sheikah slab embedded in the front porch that was still stuck there since Purah’s arrival. There was still a residual blue glow around the device as Link took a few steps inside the Akkala Lab, making sure that this was real and not his mind playing tricks. He looked confused, but confusion turned to grave concern as his eyes passed Robbie, Sledge, Rezek, Kobb, Purah, and then finally to Zayl.

“I chose Hateno Lab on my slate. Why did I end up here?”

The faces of Robbie and Purah told him everything.

Chapter Text

“So that’s it, then? Hateno Lab up in flames?” Link said with a slight gloss over his eyes. He couldn’t help but make quick glances over at Zayl. His hands were gripped onto each other so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

“‘Fraid so, Link,” Purah said, forgoing the cheesy nicknames for now, “like I said I have everything backed up but…gods I didn’t think it would get this bad.”

Link continued to stand motionless for a little bit before sprinting over to the nearest wall and slamming his fist as hard as he possibly could. The rest of the company flinched - with Link’s eyes darker than the monsters had seen yet.

“I knew I should have just left them all with Robbie.” he said in between heavy breaths. “Gods, why did I split them up? Why did I trust Hateno? You can feel the pressure boiling in there with nowhere to go.”

In the midst of Link’s sudden outburst, he felt a tug on his tunic. He turned around to see that Zayl had silently walked all the way over. The familiar spark of joy absent from the Lizalfos’ eyes nearly made Link lose it then and there.

“This is not your fault, Link,” Zayl said quietly, “everything happened so quickly I do not-”

Zayl was interrupted by Link falling forward on his knees and wrapping his arms tightly around the Lizalfos. It made a small chirp in surprise and could feel Link’s chest shaking as he winced - tears lightly falling down his face.

“I know,” he mumbled, trying his best to get the words out, “but you didn’t deserve what my people have done to you. I am so, so sorry, Zayl.”

“You do not blame us for the things other monsters have done, why should we do the same?” Sledge said, walking over and placing a hand on Link’s shoulder. He let out a big sigh and looked up at the Moblin - his eyes tinged pink and his teeth clenched.

“This is different. You had no choice, no free will. Every one of those people at Hateno knew what they were doing was wrong but did it anyway. They’re lucky I didn’t see what was left of the Lab before coming here.”

Sledge huffed loudly and stared Link down fiercely.

“Do not get in a fight with your own kind for our sake” it said, causing Link to retreat.

“And Robbie is building me a new tail! Maybe it will be better than the old one!” Zayl said, a glimpse of its boundless enthusiasm blooming for a brief second. Link gave the Lizalfos an affirming squeeze and pulled away. He sat on the ground, holding his head with a melancholy half-grin.

“We can only hope,” he said quietly, “but no matter what happens…I still have some choice words for that ‘quiet’ little town.”

…

According to Robbie it would take at least a week or so to create a tail from Sheikah tech scraps “depending on how many all-nighters I pull”. Thankfully Link managed to have a bulk of materials on his hands - including a Giant Ancient Core. Robbie didn’t even wanna ask how Link got his hands on that, but some fresh scars across the lad’s forearms gave him enough context. Kilton had already left, being a Hylian that wanders with the wind, but not before handing all his research on monster anatomy to Robbie. He also had a special gift for Sledge and Kobb. In the Moblin’s giant hands, 2 Bokoblin horns were dropped. He said he knew they were the correct ones because he always sorts his inventory by date and location. 

“I know that this was a big misunderstanding, but I still want to make it up to you. Heh, heh.” he said softly, trying to gauge Sledge’s reaction.

The Moblin stared at the splintered horns in his hands. It could almost see the smiling faces of its fallen Bokoblin brethren from just the horns alone. Kobb held Sledge’s hand and felt a mighty tight grip and did the rest of the talking - knowing Sledge would be a bawling mess soon.

“We cannot thank you enough. Sledge and I will find a way to make use of these.” it said, close to crying its eyes out, too.

With something to look forward to, Zayl’s attitude gradually got better as the days went by. It got more accustomed to the wooden dummy tail and started helping out more around the lab - much to the relief of the other monsters. Meanwhile Link was running around doing a little bit of everything as usual. He’d dart like a bee between helping out Robbie with the tail, talking with Symin and Purah about recovering their research, and catching up with the four monsters. A nice conversation between him and Rezek was had about easing the Wizzrobe off the Malice core in its rod. Rezek had been making great progress, but now it was having trouble reaching the magical prowess it had even before being drenched in Malice. Link suggested that it might be similar to muscular atrophy in non-magical creatures, but that didn’t make Rezek any less frustrated when it practiced out in the Akkala fields.

One day while Purah was sitting near one of the Sheikah runes, hunched over her notes in the worst posture imaginable, a large shadow loomed over her. She looked up to find herself face-to-face with Sledge. It looked bashful like it had been meaning to ask a question a while ago, but couldn’t bring itself to talk.

“Hiya, Sledge! Need something? I’m a little cramped at the moment but I can probably fit whatever you got in my schedule” she said with a sarcastic wink.

The Moblin froze, a little embarrassed with its request. “Ahh…yes. I heard that you are trying to rewrite everything that burned down at your lab. Well, I was wondering if I could…help out? I have a sketchbook if you need me to recreate any pictures.”

It rummaged through its knapsack and pulled out a random book and threw it in Purah’s face. Her eyes lit up upon seeing Sledge’s detailed charcoal sketchings. To think such huge hands could make such precise strokes!

“I also want to translate as much as I can into our own language!” Sledge said, now talking loud enough for the whole central room to hear. “I think it would be nice if Hylians could learn our language just like we learned yours!”

Purah pulled herself back on her feet and clambered up a bookshelf to give Sledge an affectionate punch on the shoulder.

“I thought you’d never ask, ya big softie! I can’t draw worth a damn so I’d love to have you on board with my little salvaging project! This is actually a perfect opportunity to start from scratch! We can work in tandem - remaking everything side-by-side for 2 languages. Oooo this is getting the blood pumping even more!”

After that Sledge would usually be found alongside Purah and Symin hammering away at their reconstruction project. Every so often Zayl and company would peek into Robbie’s workshop to see his progress. Building a tail from scratch was no easy feat, but Robbie was steadily getting there bit by bit. Every so often he’d grab Zayl for additional measurements and weightings. He had to be sure nothing was a scale out of place. Even if the Lizalfos’ body accepted the new tail, it might not have the correct weight or feel.

Nearly two weeks later, Robbie burst from his lab with triumph. Oil and sweat were caked on his forehead but his eyes burned with fervor. Everyone else was just finishing breakfast when he cleared his throat loudly. That was when the group saw him resting his elbow on a wheeled tray with the most immaculate contraption sitting on top. It was a near perfect match of a Lizalfos tail - but crafted out of polished Guardian armor. The individual plates that ran down the mechanical tail looked almost like scales, with the whole piece giving off a beautiful blue and orange glow.

“Might be my best work, yet” Robbie said as he polished the prosthetic a little bit more. “So, Zayl, are you ready?”

The Lizalfos was so starstruck it didn’t register Robbie’s words at first. Rezek waved in front of Zayl’s face and it came to.

“N-now? You are ready to put it on me now ?”

Robbie nodded enthusiastically. “I knew if I told you the night before you wouldn’t be able to sleep. We need you in good health because this operation is gonna be a rough one.”

Zayl’s heartbeat rocketed in pace as the end goal was literally touchable. Everyone else gave the Lizlafos its space, but gave it encouraging looks. It took a moment to close its eyes and take some deep breaths. For a while it didn’t think it would be able to live like this, but maybe this would work out. When Zayl opened its eyes again, the vibrant blue in its eyes had returned.

“I am ready to get my life back.”

…

Robbie and Purah accompanied Zayl in the smaller workshop room as they prepared everything. Zayl was lying face-down on a crude operating table trying to keep steady breaths. Link and the rest of the monsters patiently waited outside - worrying their hearts out.

“Now, I want to get one thing clear before we start,” Robbie said with a very grave tone, “I cannot put you to sleep for this treatment. If this was any Hylian surgery I would just knock you out, easy as pie. But I don’t know how Lizalfos would react to the chemicals. I don’t wanna risk outright killing you or putting you in a sleep you’ll never wake up from.”

Zayl swallowed the knot in its throat and nodded. Through Robbie’s goggles it could see a warped reflection of itself. Robbie picked up that it was bothering Zayl so he promptly took them off to look at the Lizalfos with his own eyes.

“That said, I’m not leaving you high and dry. I have some numbing agent I’ll inject in your tail and all along your back. You’ll still feel me cutting into you, but you won’t feel any pain…at least not until it wears off a few hours later.”

Zayl nodded again, making an affirmative grawp . Truth be told, it wasn’t necessarily nervous about not surviving the surgery. It was more worried about surviving a surgery that didn’t work.

“I’ll set up the painkillers now, we’ll wait a few minutes, and then I’ll make sure they’re working.” Robbie said before heading out of the room towards his medicine cabinet. Purah came over and placed her hand over Zayl’s and gave it a few hearty pats.

“I know you told Link not to take any blame for himself, but I still can’t help feeling guilty for what happened too” she said with a soft sigh.

Zayl made a morbid chuckle. “That is what I like about you and Link. You care about us even when we tell you not to.”

“Well someone’s gotta, ya dummy!” she said as she pushed playfully at Zayl’s horn. Zayl lightly laughed back and Robbie quickly entered the room again. It refused to look at the needles that were about to go into its body.

…

After Robbie’s first injections, Zayl’s entire back felt incredibly weird. When Robbie poked and prodded, the Lizalfos could definitely feel the sensations but no pain followed. As it gave Robbie the go-ahead it was given some additional muscle relaxers and it kept as still as possible. There was still some lingering discomfort as Robbie carefully cut along Zayl’s back. Yet Zayl managed to stay rock-steady even through the base of its tail being opened and the mechanical tail attaching to its nerves. It felt a moderately painful jolt run down its back when the device connected to its spine and it made a loud grunt in response, but Zayl kept its iron composure. It helped that it was used to staying motionless for long periods of time.

While the operation lasted barely under an hour, it felt like eons for Zayl as it tried to ignore the numb feeling of Robbie’s hands inside its body. At last, the opening in its back was stitched up - the tingle of its scales being pulled back together almost making it shiver. Some cleaning agent was padded all along the cuts as a finishing touch and Robbie finally stepped back, stretched, and cracked his knuckles.

“You took it like a champ, Zayl,” he said with a satisfied grin, “although you still need a few days to heal. Don’t want those stitchings coming loose any time soon.”

Zayl grumbled but gave a weak thumbs up. As much as it wanted to test out the new tail, it could barely even feel it yet - let alone the rest of its body.

…

While Zayl was back to being bedridden and sore the next couple of days, the atmosphere was completely different than before. Its appetite had slowed down, but it was back to being cheery and goofing along with the rest of the monsters. When it was left alone, it would spend most of its time gazing at its snails or softly stroking its new mechanical tail. Robbie had not activated it yet, opting to wait for Zayl to be completely healed from the surgery. The prospect of seeing the tail light up made the Lizalfos’ heart race as it kept a nonstop grin. Sledge would occasionally take breaks from its project with Purah and read to Zayl to ease its boredom. Some of the books achieved the opposite effect and would put Zayl to sleep almost immediately, but Sledge didn’t mind. Kobb also dropped by frequently alongside Rezek. The Wizzrobe even had a small get-well-soon present for Zayl - much to Kobb’s surprise. It was a wooden hand-crafted contraption that resembled some worm-like creature. The sculpture was incredibly light and had several moving parts, to which Rezek showed that it could move across the ground with the slightest breeze. Zayl softly blew towards it and the gizmo mysteriously began moving like an inchworm, making the Lizalfos clap in delight. It was hard to imagine the shape Zayl was in just a few weeks prior.

At last, after two weeks of building then another few days of recuperation and assisted walking, Robbie gave Zayl the clean bill of health required to get back on its own two feet. It still felt clunky trying to walk without the mechanical tail activated, yet, but Robbie wanted to give Zayl some space. The Lizalfos sat in the Akkala outdoors awkwardly while everyone else watched. Slowly, Robbie fiddled with some controls inside a panel on the tail. There were also several slots where the joints would be in case additional weight needed to be added.

“Now, when I turn it on, you’re gonna feel a sharp pain run down your back, but after that, it should almost feel like the real thing.”

Zayl clasped its claws together and took some heavy breaths.

“You ready?”

“...yes. Yes I am.”

“Alright lemme count down iiiiin three two one-”

Just like Robbie said, a painful jolt flowed from the base of the tail all the way up to Zayl’s neck. It made a sharp gasp but then heard soft whirring as the mechanical tail came to life. The study-yet-light metal flexed up and down with lights glowing bright blues and oranges as the tail started up and made test movements. For Zayl it felt like the tail was moving on its own and its heart beat even faster. When the bootup sequence was done, the Lizalfos closed its eyes and let muscle memory take control. It reached out its hand and flexed, and suddenly it could feel the warm tip of a tail in its hands. A large branch lying in front of Zayl was snatched up immediately and passed to its hands with minimal effort. While the feeling of the tail was dulled, it felt no less like a second arm than it did the night of the incident.

The onlooking Hylians and monsters watched with apprehension, unsure of how Zayl was handling it yet. But then the Lizalfos sprung into action. With its head to the heavens, Zayl leaned back and let out the loudest warcry it could muster. It was shrill and ear-piercing, but it also sounded absolutely jovial. Zayl ran across the ground, the mechanical tail perfectly bobbing left and right with its steps. It skidded to a halt and swiped at an imaginary enemy. The swish and follow through felt completely natural. Finally Zayl ran back to the group, all of them beaming with relief, and it propped itself up on its new tail. With closed fists of triumph the Lizalfos laughed and laughed. It could barely see a few feet in front of itself from the tears that streamed down its face.

“Haaaa! Yes, yes! I am back! Ahahahaaa!”

Chapter Text

Busywork refused to slow down at the Akkala Lab - even after the miraculous success with Zayl’s replacement tail. If anything, that motivated the Lizalfos to play catchup. It was practically begging Robbie to make it his assistant regarding Ancient Tech - to which Robbie obliged with glee. Zayl also felt like it should do this because it wanted to make repairs for its new tail on the fly. The last thing it needed to be was caught in the middle of Hyrule with a malfunctioning prosthetic. To Robbie’s excitement, Zayl picked up on the craft incredibly quickly. Lizalfos eyes were practically perfect for the delicate process of handling the machinery and it had steadier arms than Robbie had ever seen. Unfortunately the Ancient Tech Weapons were a little too unwieldy for the Lizalfos - especially the bow which Zayl could barely pull back half way. Not letting frustration deter it, it used its free time to work on a side project. Zayl was even given its own pair of Robbie-goggles.

Link stayed busy as ever - now immersing himself in the many books that littered around the lab. Although there was something different about his demeanor that the monsters quickly picked up. He was acting more shifty - talking to Purah or Robbie in private and stopping conversation when one of the others walked by. The four assumed it had to be some mission they were being purposely kept in the dark about, which only made them wonder more. It wasn’t until Link and Purah suddenly announced they would be camping around Akkala for a few days. When Rezek finally pressed them for answers, Link pulled at his collar thinking about how to best explain it to them.

“Well, we’re going to conduct some research on trying to free more monsters. That’s all I’ll say for now. Don’t wanna get all of your hopes up for nothing.” he said with a knapsack slung over his back. 

Purah sheathed a shortsword, did her signature pose and nodded. “Don’t wreck the place while we’re gone! And Sledge, you can keep doing our little project without me for now. If ya need help go bother Symin” she said, the last sentence partially hushed and non discreetly pointing to a Symin that had fallen asleep in his chair.

Sledge lightly chuckled and waved the two off as they closed the door. 

“I suppose you’re also keeping quiet on this?” Rezek said sarcastically to Robbie, to which he scratched the back of his head bashfully.

The next day was yet another lazy and uneventful day at the Akkala Lab - except without Link and Purah. With a less crowded lab, Robbie’s wife Jerrin sashayed around more often. Robbie would always tell her she was more than welcome to be with everyone, but she insisted on staying mostly upstairs and outside. Large gatherings weren’t her thing - which is mostly why she was so inclined to move into Akkala in the first place. Jerrin used this moment of peace to get to know the monsters a little better. The initial shock was jarring, but being a fly on the wall for the past few weeks helped her pick up what exactly had happened. When she saw Zayl fiddling with Ancient Tech, she sarcastically asked Robbie if it was making another Cherry - causing the man to shrink in his chair. She also learned a spot of monster culture from Kobb and Sledge, as well as Rezek assisting her with her own research.

Another morning arrived and the Akkala Lab was still expecting Link and Purah to be out. They said they’d be away for a couple of days, but that was in “Link Days” as Robbie called it: an arbitrary unit of time that’s considerably longer than a day. What they didn’t anticipate was a knock on the door just a little bit after breakfast. Every head turn snapped before it was promptly opened from the outside. Purah alone, looking awfully disheveled, stood in the doorframe. Tensions rose immediately, but her face had a wide toothy grin a mile long. She was panting as branches and leaves stuck out of her bun.

“Everyone come with,” she said between breaths, “we captured ourselves a Bokoblin.”

…

With Purah leading the way, the four monsters and Robbie found themselves at an abandoned rotting cabin near West Akkala. Link stood outside the door with his usual pensive face as the company approached.

“Hey, Linky, I brought the whole crew! How’s our guest?” she said, causing Link to draw a sigh.

“I was worried it’d break the binds with all the thrashing. It seems to have quieted down now.”

Kobb’s brow furrowed and it looked at Sledge with apprehension. The last time it had freed one of its kind was all the way back in the Gerudo Highlands. After it separated from Sledge, the thought of trying it again did not even pass its mind. It knew the moment Purah spoke back at the lab why they kept this a secret from them. Kobb surely would have refused to let Link and Purah stick their necks out for its behalf. 

“I…I do not know if this will work a second time” Kobb said, scratching its arm, “when I broke Sledge and the rest from the Malice, Ganon had no idea it could happen.”

Robbie drummed his fingers quietly. “Are you willing to give it a shot? We know this is a touchy subject, but there’s no way of knowing what will work if you don’t try. That’s the fundamentals of science.”

“I know, I know,” Kobb said, waving its hands forward, “you all should…wait outside. I want to go in alone. We are both Bokoblin, maybe that will make things easier. I know there is a true Bokoblin buried deep down in there.”

Rezek, Sledge and Zayl all huddled close to Kobb for support. Link, Purah and Robbie all gave Kobb a supportive gesture as well.

“Be careful,” Rezek said sternly, “don’t give the Malice a second to breathe.”

Kobb nodded and slowly pushed the rotting door aside. In the center of the roof, hands and feet tied to a stone shelf, sat a lone Blue Bokoblin. It had several scratches and bruises on its body from its apparent thrashing about. It was still conscious, its blood red eyes the only source of light in the room, but it was heavily panting. It was exhausted. Maybe this would aid in the process. Kobb carefully approached, but the Blue Bokoblin’s ears twitched and its head whipped around upon hearing someone take a step inside. Its burning crimson eyes met Kobb’s soft blue ones and the thrashing began again.

“Traitor! Defector! Enemy of The Calamity! Curse you, curse you!” it shouted in a language the Hylians didn’t understand as the Bokoblin nearly dislocated its shoulder the way it struggled.

Kobb closed its eyes painfully and took a deep sigh. It tried to take another step forward, but the Malice-infused Bokoblin became more violent.

“You will die a thousand deaths when The Calamity catches you! All traitors to Ganon are weak! All traitors deserve their guts spilled under the Blood Moon!”

Not wanting the other Bokoblin to hurt itself further, Kobb stayed put. The Blue Bokoblin continued to write and shout insults for a few more minutes until it had run out of things to say. It once again fell to its catatonic state like before - steam rising up to the ceiling from its mouth.

“It does not have to be like this.” Kobb quietly said in its own language. The shield on its back was pulled off and Kobb sat down. It was about a few paces from its unfortunate brethren.

“Silence!” the other Bokoblin screeched, saliva frothing from its lower jaw, “You bring ruin to us! You bring ruin to The Calamity!”

Kobb held back its own tears as much as it could and held the reflective shield up to the Blue Bokoblin. It felt like they were worlds apart as Kobb gripped the edges with shaky hands. The ramblings tampered off and halted completely as the Malice-filled Bokoblin saw a frenzied monster staring back at it.

“Take a long look,” Kobb said, drumming nervously on the shield, “this is you. There are Bokoblins, and there is you. You do not have to be every Bokoblin. You can be…your own Bokoblin. You can have a name for yourself. You can choose what you want to be. My…my name is Kobb. I am Kobb. And I have known other Bokoblins with their own names. Their…their names were ones like Amber, Blade, Fang. You can have one of those too.”

The other Bokoblin blinked and leaned forward as much as it possibly could. It closed and opened its mouth several times between heavy breaths as it stared at itself with disbelief. The spark of independent thought flickered on and off as the gears in its head turned. It looked visibly painful as its skin twitched all over, but the Bokoblin kept at it.

“A…a name? One of those…for…me? Maybe…”

Kobb was on the edge of its seat. Yes, this is exactly what happened the first time. Maybe this could be repeated.

“ You are not escaping me that easily.” said a deep voice that did not belong to the Bokoblin. It was in Hylian tongue.

The prospects of hope were swiftly dashed upon sharp rocks as the Blue Bokoblin’s eyes glowed tenfold. It lurched back up like a string was pulled on a puppet. The head moved lifelessly towards Kobb - the blinding searchlights that were its eyes glaring right through the lone Bokoblin. The light hit the shield and the whole room turned a blood red. Kobb’s heart dropped to the ground as it jumped on its feet - staring into death itself.

“ There will not be a single monster to escape my grasp. ” the voice continued. “ All monsters were born to serve ME. That is your purpose! I am your god! To defy me means treason and treason means death! ”

Kobb stood there and tried to move its feet. Nothing. It clenched its teeth in rage but its body did not move. It was so close. How? How could The Calamity interfere like this? Was it growing stronger? Sledge instinctually drew its Double Axe, but was stopped by Link before it could enter the shack. His stern eyes told the Moblin all it needed. This was Kobb’s battle. Running inside could make things worse. Still, the voice continued to taunt.

“ And when the dirt drinks your blood I will revive you again and again! You will be reborn until you are nothing but a husk of bones with a hunger for the flesh of the living! You dare to throw away the power I bestowed? If it were not for me, you would be on four legs like a dog! You would be the Hylians dirt-sniffing pet, bounded in chains! No better than a wild boar ripe for slaughter! Bokoblins and Moblins alike are the- ”

Kobb moved like lightning with an ear-piercing war cry. In the blink of an eye it was behind the possessed Bokoblin - its Flamesword unsheathed and steam rising from the blade. The head of the other Bokoblin hit the ground, but the voice was not silenced yet. A horrible laughter echoed through the rotting cabin and the rest of the body rapidly decomposed into nothing. The roaring laughs were warped as the severed head broke down into Malice - finally being silenced with a soft pshhhh . The murderous red glow subsided and the dark blue hues returned to the inside of the hollow room.

Kobb promptly sheathed the sword and slowly sauntered towards the exit. The rest of the company watching from the door promptly cleared a path for the Bokoblin. A suffocating silence blanketed everyone like a thick fog. It weakly covered its face once the midday sun hit its eyes and kept walking - even ignoring Sledge. Kobb took a few more steps, feeling the cool grass on its feet. A soft breeze blew from the nearby sea.

“Link?” it said softly, staring ahead, its hands balled into shaky fists.

Link winced and opened his mouth to try to say something, but nothing came out. The guilt pressed on his chest like a stone slab. Kobb did not give him a chance to collect his words. The Bokoblin turned its head, the sky-blue eyes filled with tears and an inconsolable frown cracked along its face.

“Please do not make me do that again.”

Chapter Text

Where am I ?

Kobb found itself in an endless sea - water in every direction as far as the eye could see. Yet it was wet only up to its ankles, its feet resting on some unknown surface. The Bokoblin took a few steps forward and it was like walking on air. Walking turned into a sprint as it desperately searched for something in this empty expanse. That was when it noticed that there were no clouds, either. An equally endless blue stretched above it. What should be the hot sun beating down on Kobb’s face was neither too hot nor too cool. This left it perplexed as it continued to run in no particular direction - spraying the slightly salty water behind it.

When it was clear Kobb was going nowhere fast, it stopped in its tracks to catch its breath. But it wasn’t tired, either. Was this a dream? Reality? Somewhere in-between? Without many options, the Bokoblin took a deep breath and bellowed out into the blue emptiness.

“Hello?! Is there anyone out there?” it yelled in both its own language and in Hylian. The glassy-smooth water slightly undulated, but there was no answer back. But then soft ripples echoed across the infinite sea, growing stronger and stronger until Kobb felt a rumble directly below it. Like a whale surfacing from below, a magnificent blue serpent-like dragon burst out from the depths. Crystal formations adorned its horns and body and its eyes glowed with an unnatural beaming bright blue. Kobb fell onto its rear in surprise as the mysterious dragon coiled around it, then softly rested its head on the water’s surface - just a few feet from the frightened monster. It didn’t look hungry, or angry, or even territorial. In fact, there didn’t seem to be much emotion behind those blue eyes at all. But for all Kobb knew, this thing could be royally pissed and it would have no idea of knowing. Thankfully, the creature remained motionless as a soothing voice echoed throughout Kobb’s head - all while the dragon’s lips stayed still.

“There is a way to aid you…and your kind.” the voice said softly. Kobb assumed this to be the voice of the ancient being before it. 

“How..how…please tell me!” Kobb pleaded, “Who are you? How do you know what I am?”

The Bokoblin was so enraptured it did not notice the sun above was glowing brighter, the soft yellow slowly morphing to a blinding white. The dragon continued.

“I cannot say here. She may be listening. Telling you now is dangerous. You coming here is dangerous. Speak to the Hylian boy of begrudging fate. We have brought too much attention now.”

An ethereal white void was enclosing the two, but Kobb was not done talking.

“Who is ‘she’? I do not understand! Please, I need any help I can find! And this boy…do you mean Li-”

The light hit Kobb’s eyes and a bright smiling face burned into its vision. It lacked enough details to be mistaken for a statue. The eyes had no pupils and its mouth was hanging open like it was laughing. Between the jaws was the only color that was not a blinding white - and it was an inky black void. Kobb only saw it for a fraction of a second, but the image stayed in its mind long after it had jolted out of its bed in a cold sweat. It darted its head around to see Sledge, Zayl, and Rezek with equally panicked looks in their eyes.

…

“The same dream for all of you, huh?” Link said as the four monsters sat in front of him. They were all in a little nook where Sledge and Purah had been working on their restoration project. Link had a pensive face, but his eyes let on more than he said. The second Kobb mentioned a bright blue dragon he became enamored in its story. He promptly pulled out his Sheikah Slate and pressed some buttons, then revealed the screen to the monsters.

“Did it look something like this?”

Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl gasped as the creature shown on the slate was a perfect match to the one found in their dreams. Rezek softly nodded - being the only one of the monsters slightly knowledgeable of the legendary dragons.

“I had heard a rumor when…when I was still in that cursed castle that one of them fell under The Calamity” the Wizzrobe softly said. 

Link let out a light chuckle and put the slate back on his belt. “Well not anymore, thank gods. When I reached it the Malice was more of a parasite than part of the body. It was in bad shape, though. Nearly froze my leg off lashing out at me.” he said, pulling back his pants and revealing a nasty frostburn scar on his lower calf.

“Its name is Naydra: one of the last surviving dragons and servants of the old gods. It’s hard to look at all the giant bones you see around Hyrule and think about how many more there used to be. Once you notice it, you can’t stop.”

A peculiar chill ran down everyone’s spine.

“Do you think Naydra will really be able to help us?” Sledge said, a bit skeptical of this whole ordeal.

Link nodded back emphatically. “There’s a very good chance Naydra was fully aware while it was infested with the Malice. If there’s anything that might give us a leg up on Ganon, that dragon has it.”

“I wouldn’t count us out that quickly, Link!” Purah chimed in from behind, “Sledge and I have made quite the few discoveries ourselves.”

“Oh?” Link said, a mischievous smirk of his own briefly showing, “Would you mind sharing?”

Sledge began enthusiastically ripping books off the shelves while Purah fiddled with the Sheikah Rune. As if she was presenting her research to the Royal Castle again, Purah had the rune project across the few blank walls that were left.

“Remember when the Great Deku Tree said that they heard stories of monsters defying Ganon, but could not remember the details?” Sledge asked the group, who all nodded.

Purah stepped in to continue Sledge’s thoughts. “Well during our little restoration project, Sledge had the idea to dig a little deeper into this! Even with what was lost in Hyrule Castle, we still have the entire Sheikah library that we saved. If we’re being honest, that was probably the best-case scenario if we had to lose one. The Royal Family sure had some…bureaucratic decisions in the books they kept.”

Robbie and Link let out a loud chuckle - both knowing too well what she was talking about. Outside of the training grounds, the Sheikah Library was Link’s favorite spot to go when he was getting overwhelmed. As the walls lit up blue with Hylian characters, Sledge set the books down open-face to various important pages and continued the presentation.

“Hiding within pages and pages of ancient history are numerous accounts of monsters either defecting or deserting Ganon’s army. Since we are the first to break free in…who knows how long, I say it is likely these writings were ignored as old folklore. But the second we started looking , these stories popped up everywhere. Let me read a few for everyone.”

The others were on the edge of their seat as Sledge picked a book. The pages were practically falling out - rebound dozens of times with old string.

“ I had the most interesting encounter with a Moblin today. After discovering the entrance to a small secluded cave in the Eastern Woods, the inside had already been lit with several torches. There, I saw myself face to face with a Moblin. On instinct I drew my sword, but this Moblin did not immediately attack me like the many others I’ve faced. This one just stared at me with a glazed look in its eye. That was when I saw its shield and mighty spear lying on the ground, and the Moblin still did not budge. I was brought back on my guard when it reached behind, but instead of a weapon it pulled out a small satchel. The Moblin tossed it my way - a familiar jingling sound ringing through the cave as the pouch landed on the floor. It was undoubtedly a small sum of rupees.

As if I wasn’t getting my fair share of surprises that day, the Moblin spoke to me in simple Hylian. It told me to keep the location of the cave a secret between us. In hindsight I wish I had spoken with this different Moblin a bit more, but I was too shocked by this whole ordeal. Instead I simply nodded and took the Moblin’s bribe, exiting the cave without another word. I don’t know what that Moblin had gone through to not attack me on sight, but I will uphold its wish anyways. Not often do you see a friendly face around here anymore - let alone one of your supposed enemies.

It seems Ganon’s troops are not as unified as they seem.”

Sledge closed the book softly and picked up another, barely giving its audience time to process these writings.

“This is not even our oldest account and it could be centuries, even millennia ago” it said as it opened the new book.

“This one is slightly more recent, and from a time period we know in Hyrule history. Purah called it the uhhh…Starlight Period?”

“Twilight Period, actually, but close enough” Purah said with a sarcastic grin.

“Yes, the Twilight Period. This source is a collection of stories of this famous knight that had a rivalry with a monster general. After what was said to be hours of fighting, the monster did the unthinkable. It laid down its mighty axe, conceded victory, and switched sides - telling the knight that it only follows who is strongest.”

Rezek let out a low whistle. Sledge put the book down and picked up yet another.

“And finally there is one that sounds like it might be made up, but we cannot rule that out. The impossible has happened enough times. This one is actually a common story meant to be read to Hylian children that is said to date all the way back to the Pre-Hyrule Kingdom. In the story: a monster wants to live with the Hylians as one of them, but is too afraid of what they think. So the monster, when it meets a young Hylian that isn’t frightened of its appearance, asks him to help out enough people in the town that the happy feelings turn its horns into hair and its claws back into nails. The monster can then live with the Hylians looking like them. Story ends, happy ending.”

Zayl couldn’t help but roll its eyes. Of course the Hylians have a story like that, and based on its experience doubted it would ever happen.

“If you ask me, I would like to keep what is left of my horn if I could,” Sledge said, eliciting a few laughs, “but the pattern is there. Nothing Purah and I found has gone against what the Great Deku Tree told us.”

Purah was given the floor once again. “Exactly! Hyrule’s culture has varied so much in the last few thousand years we used to have jobs dedicated to old Hyrule anthropology. If all of these stories were from one specific period, maybe we could assume this was that Hyrule’s mythos. But this…multiple stories of monsters defecting, being able to make their own choices even while under Ganon, and spanning across nearly every period we have literature on: it points to the fact that you four are not unique in your defiance of Ganon. This has happened before.”

“If it happened before, why are we the only ones that have broken free now?” Rezek chimed in, “Maybe I could believe that this happened in the past if Kobb was not the first to leave the Malice in…however many years it’s been since then and now. It should have happened before! Ganon sure acts like this is unprecedented!”

Sledge made a tsk tsk tsk , waving its finger much like Rezek did - causing the Wizzrobe to give it a begrudging smirk back.

“You are very close, Rezek. You are so close to asking the right question. What you should be asking is: Why did it stop?”

The shift in perspective made the Wizzrobe’s eyes light up like a Guardian.

“You’re saying something changed that made it nearly impossible to break free?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying!”

“Maybe the Malice has something to do with it!”

“That makes too much sense that I am scared to think about it further.”

While this whole talk was going on, Link was stuck in a daze. Those stories Sledge told - they seemed familiar. There was no way any of them could be his lost memories, so why did he have this miasma of nostalgia surrounding him? Robbie took notice of Link’s loss of stature.

“Hey, Link, are you alright?”

He snapped out of the stupor quickly, the familiarity fading like footprints on the sand.

“Oh, yeah, I got a little lost in thought there. This is certainly a new development.”

Robbie chuckled and rubbed his head.

“Gaah, I’ll say. Givin’ me a headache just thinking about it. It really does make too much sense. Maybe enough monsters defected at some point that Ganon came up with this…Malice to ensure every monster would stay under his control?”

“I have a feeling this ties into the dreams you all shared.” Link said, turning to the monsters.

Zayl clapped its hands in eager anticipation. “So what next? We see Naydra? If it says it can help, this might be what we need!”

Link nodded. “Naydra is at the tip of Mount Lanayru - no easy climb. At least it’s still on the West side of Hyrule. Although…yes, they are close to that mountain range…” Link tapered off as the mention of past eras of Hyrule piqued his interest again.

Everyone leaned forward, expecting something wild to come out of his mouth.

“We’re going to pay Kakariko Village a visit first.”

Chapter Text

As Robbie and Purah booted up the giant Sheikah rune on the floor, Link and the monsters packed their belongings plus some extra supplies. They were all slightly hesitant, but Kobb was especially anxious.

“Are you sure there will not be a…a repeat of what happened last time we went to a Hylian village?” it said, trying not to glance over at Zayl.

“Sheikah village,” Link corrected, “and this will be different from last time. I’ve already talked to Impa several times about you all. There’s nowhere near the same amount of aggressive fear as the Hylian settlements.”

Purah poked her head over the console. “Speaking of, tell her I said hi! Just uhhh…don’t tell her about the whole ‘Robbie and I are back to when we peaked with our good looks’. I just know how much she’d yell at me.” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Heh. At least we restored one important thing.” Robbie said, then high-fiving Purah. Link gave both of them a disapproving scowl worthy of Impa - shutting them up quickly as they quietly returned to setting up the transport.

Rezek bit its lip, but was willing to give this a try. “I sure hope they trust you enough to trust us. At least it’s better than walking all the way south.”

Sledge made a sarcastic snort of its nostrils. “Says the one that has to do the least amount of walking!”

The two chuckled together as Zayl ran back and forth between the lab - gathering various ancient parts and tools. It now had a knapsack slung onto its back that had everything it needed for an emergency fix to its tail.

“Too bad I will not be able to show you what I have been working on until later!” Zayl said to the rest of the group, which only piqued their curiosity more.

“Can you tell us a little bit about it?” Link said with a charming smile, to which the Lizalfos wagged its finger like Rezek.

“Nuh-uh. All I will say is that one of Sledge’s books gave me a good idea.” it said - turning its head to show everyone that it was winking. Sledge began racking its brain for what it’s done that could have possibly given Zayl an idea. A lightbulb went off as it, too, had a smirk run down its snout.

“I think I know what you are talking about, and I am excited to see it.”

The rest rolled their eyes in exasperation. Before they could dwell on it any longer, Robbie and Purah popped their heads up from their stations with a unified “We’re ready!”. After a triple check that everyone had what they needed, Link and the monsters headed for the transport rune.

“Say, Link, did you ever get Kakariko Village to set up a furnace of their own? Cuz if not you’ll have to walk all the way back here.”

Link let out a defeated sigh. “Nope. Impa was especially against it but all of Kakariko doesn’t really want ‘any of that newfangled old tech near us’” he said, making air quotes.

“What a shame,” Purah said overdramatically, “now you have an excuse to swing by Zora’s Domain on the way back. Won’t you, Linky?”

The cheeks on Link’s face quickly turned red and he looked away. Zayl turned its head feeling out of the loop, but was also apprehensive of going back to Zora’s Domain. After all, it had promised to leave that area alone after what happened.

“Just start the transporter, please ” Link begged, wanting to die a second time.

Purah couldn’t help but snicker as she pressed more buttons, lighting up the floor under them a bright blue. Right before the aura covered Sledge’s eyes, it heard Purah one more time.

“Oh and Sledge!” she said, looking at the Moblin with a warm smile.

“ Hol-ding var-tu-le”

She spoke in the language used exclusively by the monsters. Roughly translated into Hylian, it would be “May you have great fortune” or simply “Good luck”. It had no idea Purah was secretly teaching herself its language.

Sledge nodded and gave a smile back as it slowly vanished from the Akkala Lab along with the rest of the group.

…

The bright light of the Sheikah transporter faded, putting Link and the monsters squarely on the ancient shrine that overlooked Kakariko Village. They were immediately greeted by the equally bright midday sun lighting up the landscape. The huge waterfalls in the distance glistened with light - creating several small rainbows. Before any of the monsters could take in the sight for very long, they were greeted by an elderly Sheikah woman with a wide brimmed hat sitting right in front of them. They almost didn’t even notice she was there - except for Link whose eyes lit up immediately.

“Hello, Link,” she said with a wide grandmotherly smile, “it looks like you’ve brought some friends this time.”

Link bowed with respect, but still kept a cheery grin. “Good to see you too, Impa. How did you know I was coming?”

“I had a gut feeling. Once you told me about these special monsters I knew we would be destined to meet one day.” she said, her tone quickly turning serious. The four monsters followed Link’s lead and bowed in respect of the Sheikah elder, but she quickly waved them off.

“Bah, enough with the formalities, tell me more about yourselves! Although there are some things we should take care of, first. We must make sure our new guests feel welcomed…”

…

An hour or so later, Impa and Link faced the denizens of Kakariko Village with Kobb, Sledge, Rezek, and Zayl behind them. Link had his arms crossed, maintaining the most stern face he could muster. He acted as the buffer between the hesitant Sheikah townsfolk and the monsters. Zayl would be lying if it said it wasn’t absolutely terrified. It’d only been a few weeks since the incident at Hateno. Scaly knees bobbed and it gripped the tip of its metal tail so hard it was creaking. Rezek immediately took notice and floated back to the ground - pulling Zayl closer and softly rubbing its shoulder yet still looking sternly forward. That seemed to calm it down as it softly whispered thanks to the Wizzrobe.

“Listen up!” Impa shouted with a piercing voice that sounded half a century younger, “While it might look like the forces of our enemy are in our village, these are monsters we can trust! They have defected from Ganon’s control and have decided to fight against him!”

The crowd below was a stir of hushed whispers and murmuring. It was not nearly as angry and self-righteous as the Hylian mob, but it felt just as apprehensive. Impa felt the hesitation and kept talking.

“Should anyone have qualms with our guests, need I remind you of our own history? The Sheikah were once vilified by the Hylians as well! Our very way of life was almost wiped off the map several times, but we persevered! Even today, the Hylians do not see us in a positive light anymore. There are some that see our ancient technology as the cause of The Calamity, and we are not as trusted as the times few still remember.”

Link felt a knot in his stomach and shifted slightly.

“The plight of these monsters is much like our own, and they deserve a safe haven as well!”

The chatter halted and the rest of Kakariko Village silently nodded. While this would take some getting used to, they felt no ill-intent coming from Kobb and the rest. Impa felt a tap on her shoulder, turning around to find Sledge wanting to get a few words in. She gave the Moblin the floor.

“We will not be here for long, for we are just passing by.” it said in its deep voice that carried deceptively far, “We hope that we will not interrupt your day and that you will treat us like any other guest. We are simply trying to survive - the same as you.”

After the initial shock of Sledge speaking subsided, the crowd of Sheikah gave small motions of affirmation before dispersing back to their homes or posts. One of them gave a thumbs-up - which Zayl enthusiastically returned.

…

“So you think their pasts are connected, somehow?” Impa said, now sitting back on her usual spot as the group convened in the main Sheikah pagoda.

Link nodded vigorously. “They have virtually no memories of when they were under the Malice - let alone any time before then. You helped me get my memories back, maybe you could help them?”

Impa let out a pensive groan and stroked her chin. “I am afraid it’s not as easy as that, Link. If what they say about Ganon’s methods are true, and their souls are resurrected with a new body every blood moon, then their memories are likely lost to time. Maybe some residual events are left over, but for all we know that could be memories created by the Malice itself.”

“What about thinking of them as past lives?” Link said, snapping his fingers, “If each death and resurrection is a ‘life’ you could work backwards from there!”

“Hmmm…perhaps I don’t give you enough credit, Link,” Impa said with a slight chuckle, “you sure are a master of creative ideas.”

While the two were conversing, Kobb saw movement out of the corner of its eye. Peeking out from one of the hallways it saw a Sheikah woman about Link’s age. She had the standard garb, but with the famous insignia marked on her forehead. When the two locked eyes, she made a soft squeak and recoiled back behind the wall. But then slowly she crept back from her hiding place. Kobb gave a small wave with a grin, and that was enough for her to slowly move towards the Bokoblin and the others. 

“H-hello, there,” she said so quietly they could barely hear her. “Link told me about you all b-but it’s something else to meet you! Haha…my name is Paya.”

Zayl immediately perked up at the prospect of a new friend. It leapt forward with a speed that made Paya jump - but then drew back upon seeing her skittish reaction. Slowly the Lizalfos extended a claw.

“Hello, new friend! I am Zayl! How did you come up with your name, Paya?”

She instantly turned beet red and shook her head back and forth so hard her long hair flew in front of her face - more willing to face the whole Yiga Clan itself than tell someone the origins of her name. Sledge felt the tension and stepped forward to introduce.

“I am Sledge, thank you for introducing yourself. I wish we could stay longer, I would love to learn more about the Sheikah.” it said with a warm smile - grabbing nearly half of Paya’s whole arm by accident when giving her a handshake. The bright red face did not subside as Kobb walked up to greet.

“My name is Kobb! Wish I could say more, but that is about it” the Bokoblin said as it grabbed Paya’s other hand and shook it. The poor girl was feeling a little overwhelmed, which Rezek intervened this time.

“Hey, hey don’t make her pass out, you two. I am Rezek: Electric Wizzrobe.” it said, baring a little too many teeth as it smiled. Paya nervously laughed and subconsciously backed up a bit. Rezek saw an opportunity and its intrusive thoughts prevailed.

“Now, there’s no need to be frightened of us monsters. We don’t bite! Aheheheh!”

Paya rubbed her neck and nervously laughed along with a meek “Ahaha”.

“Boo!” Rezek said barely above speaking volume as it lightly flinched towards Paya.

With a loud shriek, Paya flailed backwards and fell square on her butt. Link’s ears twitched as he heard the commotion behind him and instinctually tilted his head away from Impa. Rezek heard a sharp fwish and turned around just in time for a hard wooden sandal to make its mark right between the eyes. A loud THWACK rang through the house and the Wizzrobe found itself flat on the ground, too. Its head throbbed as the blurry image of Impa came into view.

“Your friends could use some improvement on their manners, Link.” she said with a mischievous grin.

…

While Paya was running up and down, making preparations for Impa, the rest of the group sat in a circular formation - all nervous in their own way. Apparently some gifted Sheikah had an innate ability to look into people’s past lives. Many dismissed it as a phony science, but even the Royal Family had a bad habit of calling on Sheikah Priests whenever any Hylian boy possessed the slightest of talent - hoping to find the reincarnation of the Legendary Hero of old. Sheikah scholars were also the very first to theorize that Rito and Zora belonged to a similar species centuries before scientists argued the idea of divergent evolution. Yet, all that mattered little to the four monsters sitting on various pillows around the room. If even the tiniest bit of information was lost in the annals of the past, they were willing to do anything to get that.

Really, the only one who felt out of place was Link.

“Is everybody ready?” Impa asked sternly, looking to her left and right.

Link shifted awkwardly in his seat. “Impa, I…I’m not sure why you need me. I’d rather not look into my past if I could avoid it…are you sure I need to be here too?”

Impa slapped the side of her pillow with gusto. “Of course we need you, Link! The fact that you were dragged into this is no coincidence. I see the way you look at them - even if you don’t see it yourself. Ones like you have met ones like them.”

Rezek scoffed slightly, hesitant to believe it had met Link in a past life. “I don’t want to discredit your own magic,” it said first, now afraid of another flying shoe, “but that’s not how souls work. A soul cannot find a new body unless it is forced to through magic. That’s what Malice does. That does not allow for what you Sheikah call…reincarnation…”

The Wizzrobe’s last word was said at a whisper as it gripped its seat tightly. So did Link. Impa simply chuckled softly.

“Oh-hoho you are a little right, and a little wrong. Calling it a ‘past life’ is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, the soul doesn’t return to a new body, but the idea of the soul does. The body yearns for this world, and thus is reborn with a new soul. Our Sheikah magic simply connects the invisible threads between each body - as far back as we need to.”

Rezek was still hesitant, but her explanation seemed sound enough. Now she just needed to prove it. 

“If Paya has everything ready, now let us all join hands.”

One by one the monsters, Impa, and Link all reached out. A circle of arms were created in order of Impa, Zayl, Kobb, Link, Sledge, and Rezek. Impa began to recite an incantation in a language the rest couldn’t understand. Paya walked around the circle and placed her palm at the top of each head - needing a stepladder for Sledge. As she did so, the chalk symbols at their feet and in the center began to glow blue. Kobb could almost feel its consciousness swim away from its body as Impa continued the spell.

“Thread of destiny, guide these five souls” she finally said in Hylian.

Zayl’s heart beat into its throat as it felt an impossible wind flow around it.

“Lead them to their most fateful encounter. Follow the thread up, up the ceaseless waterfull of time!”

Sledge felt like it was being pulled from the top of its head, much like when the Malice left its body, and then its world went black.

…

“No! This cannot be! They are leaving us!”

Kobb, Zayl, Sledge, and Rezek could see again, but that was all they could control. It was like they were stuck in a suit of armor that someone else was moving. The bodies their minds occupied also didn’t resemble the ones they were used to. Kobb still looked like a Bokoblin, but its head was more round than oval with a better upright posture. Sledge sacrificed height for width - wielding a wide shield and a mighty spear. Zayl looked the most different of them all. It now had an entire metal gauntlet on one arm and the end of its tail formed a spikeball. The rest couldn't even see Rezek’s face. A wide-brimmed hat and an overflowing cloak only allowed two beady white eyes to shine through. It was clear they were in a time period far detached from their own. If this was so far in the past that even the monsters looked different, then that means…

Before any of them could get a closer look at each other, their bodies turned about-face where the Lizalfos was pointing. The area around them was a huge ruined temple. The stones had the wear and tear of several centuries. It was mind-boggling they were experiencing an indefinite time in the past, and there were still buildings that looked ancient. There was not much time to dwell on the scenery, either, as the low rumbling in the ground turned into a miniature earthquake. The bodies of the monsters stumbled as gargantuan chunks of land began erupting out of the ground and towards the sky. It felt weird not being in control, but there wasn’t much they could do as they began talking on their own as well.

“Are they leaving us here to die?” the Lizalfos shouted, stomping its feet angrily.

“Whatever those people found in that temple, it must be quite powerful” the Wizzrobe said with a muffled grunt.

The Bokoblin looked around, desperately trying to find a nearby piece of rock that was escaping to the heavens, but it was fruitless. It threw its blunt sword at the ground - falling to its knees in despair.

“Why…why would they do this? We helped them. We bled fighting for them. They said they would help us, too, and they are leaving us behind?!”

The Moblin let out a loud growl and dropped its spear. “It is because we are monsters. It did not matter that we were fighting for them. Our lives clash with their perfect world. The one their blasted goddess demands. We never fit in with them. It is finished.”

Before the dread had even a moment to set in, the monsters saw something miraculous falling from the rising stone. It was the shape of a man, balancing on the tiniest pieces of rock before leaping down to another before it rose too high. The sight was truly spectacular - like a trout flinging itself up a waterfall, only in reverse. He finally got low enough to the ground that he pushed off one last time and recovered with a combat roll. Only when he landed within a few feet of the monsters did they get a good look at him. He had the same pointy-ears and lightweight green tunic as the rest of the humans, with long dirty blonde hair tied into a ponytail and bright blue eyes that shined with vigor. He was also fairly young - just barely an adult if that. While the monsters stared at him with awe, he gave a warm smile and joined up with them.

“You, I remember you,” the Bokoblin said with a heavy breath, “you were that soldier that convinced the rest of them to give us a chance!”

The young man nodded. “Apparently I didn’t convince them enough if this is how they’re doing things” he said with a hint of sarcasm “Now pick up your weapons, we’re getting out of here.”

“I’m sorry, but you came here to die, Hylian” the Wizzrobe said bluntly, “You saw how many monsters were surrounding us. Our old master wants your people dead just as much as us. Thanks to them leaving with that ancient magic, this will only be our grave.”

The Hylian chuckled and bit his tongue.

“Not all of it” he said as he reached out his arm and opened his hand. Sitting squarely in his palm was a small golden artifact. It was in the shape of a triangle and it glowed with such an immense power the monsters could feel its radiance just by looking at it.

The Moblin couldn’t help but let out a loud belly laugh.

“You…you are either the bravest or most foolish Hylian I have ever seen.”

His cheeks flushed red a bit as the Hylian clutched his side. “Wasn’t easy, either. Had to fight my way out. I couldn’t just leave you here to die” he said as the monsters took more notice of his recent cuts and bruises along his body.

“Maybe we might live to see tomorrow…” the Lizalfos said as its much wider eyes twinkled with hope.

On-cue another small earthquake nearly knocked them off their feet, but this time it came from outside the bastion they were holed up in.

“Our old master has almost broken through,” the Bokoblin said grimly, “our master has made it clear that defiance means treason and treason means death.”

“We are fighting tens of thousands to five. This does not look good for us even with the power you managed to steal” said the Moblin.

“But I will still fight for you all until my body cannot fight anymore” said the Lizalfos.

“We have broken free from that wretched curse, and I will be nothing but rags before I go back under their control” said the Wizzrobe.

“I turned my back on my own people for what I thought was right. This will be the bloodiest battle no one will remember” said the Hylian as he closed his fist back on that strange glowing relic.

The weakened stone walls finally gave way - with countless glowing red eyes beyond the curtain.

…

“Stay with me, please! Stay with me!”

“You…you left them behind.”

“They told me to get you somewhere safe! They are giving up their lives for you! Please do not die now!”

“It is so cold…I am so tired”

“Do not fall asleep, you will not make it if you do! Oh, gods, there’s so much blood.”

The Bokoblin’s vision was getting blurrier and blurrier - the world revolving around it as the Hylian carried it on his back. As they clambered across rubble, the sound of war grew louder to their backs. Slowly the Bokoblin reached for its aching chest- bringing his hand back to his face to see it coated in a warm purple. It convulsed, sending the Hylian off-balance and falling to the ground. The Bokoblin comically rolled a few times before it lay face-down on the ground, hand outstretched towards the Hylian. He had his sword unsheathed, facing the horde of monsters with wobbly knees. The army encroached and surrounded, clashing steel and gnashing teeth. Tied to long wooden posts were the other 3 monsters. They were alive, but their breathing was shallow and the ground beneath them was stained a different color. The lone Hylian shouted back and aimlessly swiped as the other monsters got closer and closer - shouting insults and jeers at the both of them.

Suddenly the army parted like a sea leaving high tide as a large swath in the middle cleared. From the back of the lines came a figure about twice as tall as the tallest Moblin. A wildfire of orange and red hair trailed from their head to the ground and the rest of their body was a menacing red and obsidian black - lizard-like scales adorning their arms and abdomen. The monsters close to them cowered in fear as they approached the singular Hylian.

“Stand down before a god, whelp, before I kill you where you stand” the figure boomed in a voice that shook the Hylian to his core. Yet, he refused - baring his teeth and standing his ground. This didn’t even phase the god. Rather, they looked mildly annoyed instead.

“I am giving you one last chance to run away with your life. Hand the worthless Bokoblin to me, and I might still consider it.”

The Hylian remained silent, spitting blood at the ground in-between them. This time the god let out a roaring laugh that echoed murderously through the remains of the temple. The monster army joined in the laughter - the noise unbearably loud and dissonant.

“To think that I would chase and slaughter you humans like vermin across this entire land - only for a single one to stand against me here! Perhaps you are the only one of them that has any courage in their worthless bodies. It almost seems like a waste to kill you. Almost.”

As the malicious god talked, the Hylian clutched onto the golden artifact for dear life. Gods above, why wasn’t it working? This was supposed to be when whatever power that was inside activated and saved him, right? He could still feel the immense warmth and power in the palms of his hands, but he had no idea how to use it. Did he really squander his own life like this? The god snapped their fingers and the three tied-up monsters were brought before them.

“But before I wipe your pathetic existence off the face of this world, allow me to show you what I will do to the Bokoblin you are giving your life to protect.”

“N-no…” was all the Bokoblin could muster as it reached for the others.

The god brought their gargantuan hands over the face of the Moblin. It used the last of its energy to lift its head up and give the Bokoblin a weak grin before facing right into the eyes of oblivion as the god clenched fiercely. But instead of the expected, the Moblin’s whole body violently disintegrated into a sandy substance - swirling around the gargantuan figure before disappearing into their enclosed fist. They proceeded to do the same to the Lizalfos and the Wizzrobe, who both also gave the Bokoblin one last look before facing the god with a scowl. When their work was done, they took a deep breath and laughed again.

“Your bodies belong to me ! I will scatter your souls across my entire army so that not even a shred of you is left intact!”

The god then brought its attention back to the Hylian.

“So now, after what you have seen, do you still fight?”

Doubt surrounded the young man like a swarm of ants. His arms quivered as he held his sword tightly towards the malicious god. Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run - to run and hide and forget this day ever happened. He looked back towards the Bokoblin lying near-motionless on the ground. They met each other's eyes and it was clear the monster also wanted him to run and live. It wanted him to leave it behind to its fate. That once glance forced something up from deep inside the Hylian, and it turned back towards the god and stomped his foot with enough passion to move mountains. Nobody noticed, but something clutched in the palm of his hand grew a little bit brighter.

“Yes! Yes, I will still fight! You say I have courage, but can undying beings like you even know what that means?! Courage is not to fight when you know you will lose, but it’s to fight when no one else will!”

The god was almost taken aback by the Hylian’s speech, but they quickly shook it off. With another snap of their fingers, a mighty sword conjured in their hands. The blade was longer than the entire young man. The monster army around them all moved back a few steps.

“Prove it” they said before lunging.

The Hylian jumped back barely in time, the sword obliterating the spot they were standing. After a few more swings and close whiffs, the Hylian positioned himself near some softer ground. When the god swung their sword down again, it got stuck in the ground for just enough time for the young man to run up the blade and bash the god’s face with his shield while stabbing in the shoulder. Expectedly the Hylian’s blade did not even crack the skin of the god, but the shield bash stunned them out of the sheer bluster of the move. With the fight going on longer than they cared for, they made a sweep at the Hylian’s legs with the giant sword. Adrenaline pumping through his body, he leapt over the deadly blade but was met face-to-face with the god midair.

“Too slow.”

The god sent a mighty punch straight in the Hylian’s sternum - sending him flying backwards and right next to the Bokoblin. Coughing blood, he tried to stand right back up but felt something break out of his skin near the lower ribcage. Quickly, he collapsed. The monster army roared with applause and steadily drew closer to the two while chanting. At death’s door, the Hylian used all his strength to turn his head to look the Bokoblin in the eyes.

“Ngh…I’m sorry, friend…I failed. This is it.”

The left hand of the Hylian was still clutching the stolen magical item. Guess it turned out to be useless, anyways.

“Friend…yes…we are friends.”

The world around the two was going so dark that they didn’t notice the other monsters and the god looming over them.

“Mmhmm…at least I can die facing a friend.”

The golden artifact slowly sunk into the young man’s palm, but his whole body was so wracked in agony a little bit more pain went unnoticed..

“But, I do not even know your name…we fought and died together and I do not know who you are…”

The surrounding heckling got louder as the god said something, but neither of them paid it any mind.

“Oh, my name? Heh, I never cared for it that much. People worry too much about their name being remembered when…ngh…what they do is more important.”

A soft glow emanated from the back of the Hylian’s hand. It faded away quickly, but left behind a peculiar mark. It was a large triangle split into four equally-sized triangles - with the bottom right one being the last part to shine before snuffing itself out.

“Please…tell me. It will be forgotten, anyway.”

The Hylian smiled just before his eyes went gray.

“Of course. My name is Link.”

Chapter Text

Link and the four monsters awoke from their respective trances and immediately collapsed. Sweat clung to their faces like bugs as they gasped for air. Kobb instinctually dry-heaved - thinking it’d lose its lunch then and there. That vision. That was them, but also not them? The pain they felt the entire time was very real, if a little subdued. There was no question about it, what happened in that vision was a glimpse into a past infinitely far away from the present. Impa took a moment to steady herself, too, as Paya passed everyone a wet towel. Sledge’s huge form took up nearly half the room sprawled-out.

“Easy, easy…” Paya said to the group, her towel promptly snatched by Rezek as it laid on its back and placed the cloth over its eyes, “...don’t stand up for a while, p-please. These rituals take a big toll on the body and mind.”

Saliva dripping unceremoniously from his open mouth, Link clenched his hands together and kept his knees firmly planted on the ground.

“Th-that was…there’s no way…there’s no way a past life of mine had the same name…”

Impa frowned and made a pensive hmmm before standing up and walking around - recovering much faster than the rest. Then again she didn’t have to go through the ordeal. Although what she did see through the lens of Link and the monsters was concerning to say the least.

“The odds are not impossible, but considering your role it might not be a coincidence. You have learned something very important, however. The monsters breaking free from their master is no new development. It has happened before, and it will happen again.”

Zayl brought itself to sit on its behind, softly rubbing its tail.

“We…we looked different. I looked nothing like I do now…and Rezek, I could barely see your face.”

The Wizzrobe made a muffled ground, then pulled the wet towel slightly up so it was no longer covering its mouth.

“That was not us. We were in their bodies, but that was not us. But I…that other Wizzrobe…there was so much power behind it. It felt unstable to even take a physical form. How…how much magic have we lost since then? And that… demon that grabbed it. I could feel that Wizzrobe’s very soul being spun around its fist then shattered into pieces.”

“That’s it!” Link shouted as he shot up from the ground so fast that he immediately keeled back over. 

“Ngh…Kobb…do you remember what that god said…after they destroyed the others…”

Kobb rubbed its head as the urge to upchuck finally began to subside. “Augh, something about shattering the souls? I could barely hear what they were saying.”

“What if that’s exactly what that god did?”

The other monsters were too much in a stupor to really understand, but Impa hid a slight smirk.

“That god was not Calamity Ganon. I think. They looked different to the memories I’ve had. Maybe Ganon inherited this god’s army. Maybe this was in a time before the ancient curse took effect. That legend’s the only reason why I was chosen to be Hyrule’s Champion. One of Hyrule’s only preserving myths from before their time was that a hero struck down a malicious god - and in turn the god cursed the hero’s people and all their descendants. They say that it’s the reason Ganon keeps returning. Gods, they forced me to learn all this and it’s finally being useful.”

Sledge pulled its head up, but was still content on lying on the floor.

“I do not like where you are going with this…”

Link continued. “If the god said they would shatter the monsters’ souls and then scatter them across their army…then wouldn’t that mean their rebellious spirit, and their hatred of their master, could show up in any of the monsters?”

“You cannot be saying we are reincarnations of those old monsters?” Sledge said, doubtful at best.

Rezek concurred. “That’s also contradictory with Wizzrobes. We do not come from the Malice. We’re ‘born’ from the middle of split trees, then other Wizzrobe intercept the younger ones and integrate them into the Malice.”

“Nonono,” Link said, slowly shaking his head to not disturb his achy brain, “I’m saying that everything reborn through the Malice is a reincarnation of those old monsters. Every single one.”

The room became so silent that a feather falling could be heard. A sickening malaise fell over Kobb once again and it clutched its stomach. Rezek slowly lifted its top half off the ground and let the wet rag fall to the floor. Zayl felt its tongue retreat further into its mouth, and Sledge pressed hard on its brow.

“All of us? We all have a bit of that Bokoblin or the rest’s soul in us?” Kobb said, now drooling as well from panting too hard.

“It makes too much sense. Somehow, when that god bound their souls into…I guess it would be their form of the Malice we have now…that accidentally tied those four to every other monster. And now every single Bokoblin or Moblin or Lizalfos or Wizzrobe…maybe even Hinoxes and Lynels too, has a piece of the first monsters that dared to defy their master.”

Zayl shook its head slowly and exhaled deep breaths. Sledge did the same but it had the slightest of smiles running down its snout.

“That sounds exactly like a mistake that an arrogant god would make.” the Moblin said, drumming its fingers on the ground, “The soul is shattered and spread wide, and the idea endures. Our resentment for Ganon can be brought all the way back to that day.”

“If that’s true, why did we stop fighting back?” Rezek said, now slightly floating off the ground with its legs criss crossed - rubbing the towel down its face. “As far as I know, we are the only ones to break free in…who knows how long. How were things different back when Calamity Ganon took physical form like in the numerous stories before us?”

“...Malice…” Kobb whispered, putting all eyes on the Bokoblin. It was the first of the five to bring itself back to its feet, clenching its fists with determination.

“The answer is the Malice.”

Kobb took a deep breath and nodded, putting the pieces together in its head.

“I do not know what exactly happened, but Ganon must have grown angry at so many monsters defecting. Ganon wanted an army with unbreakable loyalty, so he created the Malice. An awful…thing…that binds to your mind. No more thinking, only eating and killing. If you cannot think, you cannot defect. Remember that…that other Bokoblin you captured, Link? I was so close…it was so close…but the Malice stepped in and stopped us. That is how no monster has managed to break free until us. If the soul of those old monsters is in all monsters, then that means we got lucky. All four of us were in the right place at the right time.”

Silence once again washed over the room. Kobb forcefully closed its eyes and a few tears came out. Link and the others pulled themselves back on their feet and surrounded the Bokoblin. Their knees were shaky as were their future, but the information they learned from today could not have been more helpful.

“Well then let’s use this luck to show Ganon what happens when we’re given a single step of leeway” Link said with a mischievous grin.

A round of affirmative grunts surrounded the boy as Impa approached them.

“The road will not be an easy one, I’m afraid. But you’ve made it this far with each other. You sure know how you pick your friends, Link.”

Link blushed a bit before shaking himself off and slapping both his cheeks with gusto.

“Alright! Tomorrow we make for Mount Lanayru.”

…

The road to Mount Lanayru was nearly as treacherous as the mountain. Once they departed from Kakariko Village, waving Impa and the rest goodbye, they had to sneakily skirt past the Lanayru Promenade - as numerous monster encampments surrounded the ancient architecture. From there they were immediately greeted by a fierce Lynel making its post in the Naydra Snowfield. Even though they were confident they could take it out five-to-one, none of them were willing to risk it. Instead, Link took advantage of its remote bombs to cause a ruckus on one side. This let them creep past the menacing beast as it was distracted. As the hours went into the afternoon and the group slowly ascended Mount Lanayru, it only got colder. Zayl was faring the worst out of all of them - being a Lizalfos from warmer parts of Hyrule. It had to rely on the warmth from the core of its tail, but it wasn’t enough. Kobb, however, was more than willing to temporarily part with its Flameblade so the ambient warmth could give the Lizalfos a chance in these frigid temperatures. Once it got even colder, Link pulled out a flask from his pouch and told Zayl to drink up. It could immediately feel its insides warm like there was a calm fire brewing in its belly. Zayl gave Link a thumbs up and he returned it with a smile.

As the sky grew dark and Link lit a torch, the monsters heard a peculiar voice in their head about three-quarters of the way up. It matched the one from their dreams.

At last…you have arrived. But there is still much ahead of you…

After rounding one more corner of a battered stone mountain path, Link and the monsters found themselves at the Spring of Wisdom - and face to face with the behemoth of a dragon known as Naydra. Its head was right above the washed-out womanly statue at the center of the spring, but its body wound around the mountain peak several times over. Clouds of ice crystals swirled around its head and the gems adorning its body. Its breathing took so much air that the group could see the currents in the snowflakes. Naydra was intimidating, but not threatening. Seeing the dragon gave the monsters a sense of tranquility. This was a gentle giant, and one that could be trusted.

“Did you call us here?” Kobb asked as it bravely stepped forward. Slowly Naydra nodded its giant head.

“ Indeed, ” came a voice inside its head, “ I sensed that some of Ganon’s own had left him long ago, but I was only able to contact you recently. ”

“You said you could help us,” Zayl said, stepping forward as well, “how? We do not know what to do! How do we free the rest of us?”

Link looked at them with surprise, seeing the monsters having conversation with the air.

“ How unfortunate, the Hylian Boy of Begrudging Fate still cannot listen to me. You will have to be my mouth for now, monsters of the land. ”

Sledge nodded. “I will deliver everything you say to Link.”

“ Very well. While I cannot feel a fraction of the pain you monsters have endured, I was forced to have a taste - if only for a brief time. ”

Rezek nodded solemnly. “So it was true…you did fall under the Malice.”

Naydra slowly nodded again. “ Yes. Through my own negligence, I found myself infected by the magic that binds monsters to your former master. But it was…different for me. The Malice had not yet crept into my mind. I could still think, and feel, and use the smallest bits of my power. That is how I called to the Hylian for aid - to which he succeeded. But that is not what is important for you. While I was under, I felt this…immense ancient presence. ”

A chill ran down the monsters’ spines - despite the Spring of Wisdom unnaturally balmy temperature.

“ It was deep, deeper than I could see. But I could feel it. The presence shone like the brightest beacon in the dark. See, the Malice is not just the liquid ooze you can touch. It is its own realm separate from ours. It is where the bound souls of monsters are trapped and howl for release.”

Kobb buried its fingernails into its arms in rage. Just the thought of it made the Bokoblin’s blood boil.

“ What I felt…perhaps it is the very core of the Malice - and maybe Calamity Ganon himself. This is why I have called you here, brave monsters of the land. If this being is destroyed, then maybe it is possible to defeat The Calamity without the need to call upon those mechanical beasts once more. ”

When Sledge relayed this to Link, he immediately perked up - his blue eyes practically beaming. That castle…he never wanted to enter that infernal hellscape again. And now maybe he didn’t have to.

“ I am terribly sorry to ask this of you, for you have suffered enough. But I will bring one of you back into the Malice. You will be tethered to me, so you will be protected from its corruption. There, I will guide you to that special place and you can destroy what is there. ”

The monsters were stunned silent. Was this really possible? Could they defeat Calamity Ganon, right here and now? The prospect was too tantalizing to ignore. If anything, it was worth a shot.

“How will you…enter the Malice?” Zayl asked, its mind swirling with a hundred questions, “What do we need for this? I am so confused…”

What sounded like a small chuckle came from the dragon’s mouth.

“ Your Wizzrobe friend has already brought all we need. ”

All heads shot to Rezek, Link giving it disappointed puppy-dog eyes especially. Rezek immediately recoiled and yanked out its Thunderstorm Rod.

“Hey, hey! I’ve barely been using the Malice inside this thing, see!” it yelled, shoving the wand in their faces. As it said, the Malice core inside was an inactive jet black.

“ Come to me and break the seal. Then stretch it thin as glass and as wide as you can. One of the others will be holding onto my tail as my body partially enters the realm of Malice. It will be like what the Hylians use to catch fish. ”

Rezek was extremely hesitant, but if it controlled when the Malice would get loose it would have a much easier time handling it. This would not be a repeat mistake. This left Sledge, Kobb, and Zayl to decide who would go in with Naydra. But there was barely any amount of debate.

“I will go.” Kobb said without hesitation.

Sledge and Zayl looked at each other with shifting glances.

“Are you sure?” the Moblin asked cautiously. “You said to yourself you would never return to the Malice. What if…what if you do not come back?”

Kobb immediately slapped Sledge on the hand.

“Do not say that! I will come back. This started with me, and it will end with me. I will show The Calamity why it had every right to be scared of one little Bokoblin!”

Sledge took a deep breath and got on its knees so its head was level with Kobb’s. With its tree trunk sized arms it wrapped around the Bokoblin for a big hug. Kobb felt the immense heat from the Moblin and brought its smaller arms around Sledge’s waist. Zayl joined in for the hug, causing Rezek to roll its eyes before going in as well.

“You are right. You will come back.” Sledge said as it held back tears.

Kobb nodded and slowly walked up towards Naydra. The immense dragon uncoiled and brought the tip of its tail to where Kobb was standing. Its scales were so huge and jagged that Kobb had no trouble grabbing hold. Although just in case, Naydra let out a deep breath and a bright light enveloped Kobb’s midsection. There, an ethereal rope connected it right to the dragon’s tail.

“ This will protect you from the Malice, and prevent you from being lost if you lose your grip. ”

“Is everyone else ready? I do not know what will come out of this…Malice circle I’m creating so get your weapons drawn.” Rezek said, placing its rod on the ground and rubbing its hands together.

Zayl passed its spear to its mechanical tail and notched an arrow. Sledge pulled out its club and Double Axe. Link unsheathed his Master Sword and gazed at its insignia. This would probably be the most useful out of anything in his infinite arsenal. With Kobb giving a thumbs up, Rezek took a deep breath and stomped on the head of the wand - putting too much pressure on the core and rupturing it. Like steam escaping a kettle, the gaseous Malice burst itself out of the core and flung itself towards the nearest warm body. But this time Rezek was prepared. With a thunderous clap of its hands, an electrical field trapped the Malice in its tracks. From there, the Wizzrobe slowly pulled its hands apart and the Malice stretched thin like putty. This was causing quite some strain for Rezek, but it could keep this up for some time. Its magic was considerably more powerful since just a few days ago. Perhaps it learned a few things from that Wizzrobe of the past. In mere seconds, the Malice formed a thin disk the size of a small pond. 

“It’s ready!” Rezek shouted at the top of its voice. “I do not know how you intend to go inside, but do what you need to do!”

Naydra promptly positioned its tail with Kobb attached over the pool of Calamity’s essence. A contrasting bright light to the black void nearly blinded the onlookers as the dragon lowered its tail into the Malice. However, Link and the rest of the monsters didn’t see Naydra’s tail come out the other end. It had vanished completely. Before Kobb fell out of sight, it met eyes with Sledge. It was not unusual for the Bokoblin to have a fire behind its eyes, but what Kobb had now was a raging inferno. With the smallest of grins, it nodded. Sledge returned the favor right before Kobb vanished into the Malice. Almost as a reaction to their entrance, the black and red circle glowed with a sinister brightness. Immediately Malice-infested Bokoblin, Moblin, and Lizalfos skulls expelled themselves from the portal into the chilly mountain air - floating straight for their enemies.

“Protect Rezek!” Link yelled as he shot down a Moblin skull. “It needs to keep that magic up!”

…

Darkness covered Kobb. All that was in front of its eyes was a swirling miasma of black and red. Naydra’s aura surrounding it protected the Bokoblin from the Malice, but it could still feel the immense power and bloodlust coating it like honey. Slowly it lowered down, down, deeper into the endless abyss. The sound around Kobb was muffled, but what it did make out was a cacophony of screams and growls. Kobb tried its best to ignore it, but it couldn’t help but hyperventilate at the thought of how many monsters' souls were trapped in this infinite domain of suffering.

As Naydra’s tail descended further into the Malice, Kobb wondered just how far they were going to go. Was Naydra long enough to reach this supposed “core”? It did not have to question for long, as it felt a tremendous thump in its chest once they reached a certain depth. Just a few more steps down was something truly powerful beyond words. Like Naydra said earlier, it felt ancient - like this thing had been here for untold years and would be here for much more. Kobb clambered down to the very tip of the dragon’s tail and kicked its feet curiously. What it didn’t expect was for its foot to breach a surface and feel open air again - like it was falling through water in reverse. Still clutching onto the dragon’s tail, more of Kobb’s body entered this new realm and gravity suddenly took over. It could feel its feet dangling and it got a better sense of the new environment. It felt…arid…and dry. The descent finally passed Kobb’s eyes and it immediately found itself at a loss for words.

This was a pocket of paradise in the Malice. The edges were aligned with golden sand dunes, and a beautiful oasis sat in the middle. Next to the greenest palm trees and a small pond was a modest house carved out of sandstone. Above the front door was an unmistakable insignia: the mark of the Gerudo. Yet, Kobb only had seconds to take in the landscape before its feet were suddenly grabbed and it was yanked down to the ground.

Kobb’s butt landed firmly on the sand with a soft poomf and it squealed in surprise. It was now sitting squarely in the shadow of probably the largest human the Bokoblin had ever seen. He was at least seven feet tall, with beautiful red-orange hair that flowed like a wildfire. His garb matched that of the spaulder that Link wore whenever traversing the desert, but Kobb had never seen those clothes before. The armor showed plenty of muscles that would put Sledge to shame - along with greaves that looked impossibly heavy. His complexion matched that of the Gerudo, but this certainly looked like no Gerudo Kobb had ever seen.

“You made a mistake coming here, you know. It is dangerous for little Bokoblins to go where they shouldn’t.” he said with a rich deep voice that was just as intimidating as it was soothing. 

“Who…who are you?” Kobb asked, terrified of the answer it would get.

The Gerudo man let out a single laugh and spread his arms wide.

“My name is Ganondorf. And I am the one that killed the world.”

Chapter Text

Kobb sat petrified, staring up at the Gerudo King that called himself Ganondorf. It had been told by Sledge that Ganon had once reborn himself in human form, but for one to live this long would be impossible. He showed virtually no signs of aging, the only blemishes across his body being large scars that told countless battles. The worst of them was a fissure of a scar right in the middle of his ribcage that seemed to glow. Was he really the core of The Calamity? The immense power radiating from the man said yes. If he was taken down here, then the battle would surely be won. Somehow Kobb found the willpower to bring itself back on its feet. As the Bokoblin stood in the shadow of Ganondorf, it slowly reached for its Flamesword - arms shaking like jelly. The Gerudo King let out a hearty laugh.

“Reaching for your sword so quickly? I like that. You have some guts, Bokoblin, to draw your weapon in front of me.” he said with a playful smirk. Kobb felt like an ant below a Lynel’s hoof, but it stood firm.

“My name is Kobb,” it said with the slightest crack in its voice, tensing its arm muscles and holding its sword firm, “and I am going to end this curse on all monsters.”

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow and pushed a few blazing red strands of hair out of his eyes. “So the shackles of Malice have finally been broken. Never thought I’d see the day…”

Slowly the Gerudo King looked up to the artificial sky above them. Kobb followed. The dome encompassing the oasis shimmered with gold and yellow, but the inky blackness of the Malice could be faintly seen swirling around them.

“I must commend you for somehow reaching me…Kobb…but killing me here will do very little to stop the rampage that is The Calamity. I am afraid to say that you came all this way for nothing.” Ganondorf said solemnly. His slightly wrinkled face turned into a distinct frown and the golden glow from above softly reflected in his eyes.

Kobb felt like it had been punched in the gut. The wobbly knees returned and it stammered trying to think of a retort.

“Y-you are lying!” it shouted, pointing the sword right at Ganondorf’s face, “You are hiding in here while safely commanding your army! You are Calamity Ganon!”

Ganondorf let out a thundering deep laugh that shook the Bokoblin’s eardrums.

“I have lied about many things, little Kobb, but this is not one of them. Yet, you still seem keen on fighting. But perhaps it would be in both our best interests…”

In an instant, Kobb’s sword was knocked out of its palm and firmly struck into the sand. The Bokoblin could barely make out Ganondorf’s movement; he was so fast. Its hand stung slightly as it was left grasping at nothing. The smile on the Gerudo King was manic like a shark that smelled blood.

“...if we buried the hatchet for a moment and had a little chat. I’m sure we both have plenty of questions for each other?” he said as he snapped his fingers. With a slight rumble, two sandstone stools manifested out of the ground - as well as a small table. Adorning the rocky surface were two coconut halfshells, a liquid sloshing inside, and a wooden square with a checkerboard pattern. Kobb recognized it immediately as the same board game he would always obliterate Symin in back at Hateno Village.

“Instead of killing each other like barbarians, how about we do what the nobles do and get them to kill each other?” Ganondorf said, taking his spot on the massive stone chair.

Kobb didn’t have much of a choice. Begrudgingly, it took its spot on the opposite side. It could still feel the tether to Naydra, with the very tip of the dragon’s tail softly swaying back and forth inside their little bubble, but it could no longer hear the voice. With another snap of Ganondorf’s fingers, all of the appropriate pieces formed out of sand on the chessboard. Except they didn’t look like the set Kobb had played. The pieces on the two sides resembled Hylians and monsters. The pawns were Bokoblins and footsoldiers, the Bishops were priests and Wizzrobes, the Knights were horses and Lizalfos, the Rooks were Moblins and Guardians. The Queen on the Hylian side was a detailed model of a woman with long flowing hair in an ornate dress - while the monster side was a Lynel. The King on the monster side was a Hinox so large it almost encroached on the other tiles, while the Hylian side had a majestic old man with a long beard and a gargantuan claymore. Ganondorf spread his legs and rested his chin on his open palm with a devious smile.

“You will play the Hylian side - seeing as you are their newest wardog” he jeered.

Kobb’s nose twitched as it moved a pawn forward.

“I did not break free from one tyrant to be a slave to another. We simply share the same enemy.”

“That remains to be seen, whether you want it or not,” Ganondorf said bluntly as he moved a pawn two spaces ahead as well. “That reminds me, how did you break out of the Malice? Are you the only one? Answer these, and I’ll tell you anything you ask.”

With a loud huff of its nostrils, Kobb moved another pawn - creating a defensive wall to try and force the Gerudo King into making the first overextension.

“I broke free with nothing but pure luck. I was caught alone and a certain Hylian showed me mercy. He helped me find myself, and the Malice vanished. I then freed the rest of my squad - five other Bokoblins and a Moblin.”

Ganondorf made a low chuckle and closed his eyes - feeling an ironic nostalgia. He had a hunch of who that Hylian might be.

“And the others?”

Another pawn on Ganondorf’s side inched forward.

Kobb grunted, wanting to do anything but bring up those fateful few days. But it pressed on.

“One was lost to our own kind. As we were now enemies to The Calamity.”

A Hylian pawn moved, freeing the bishop.

“Another fell to disease of this land - for the Malice no longer protected us.”

A monster knight jumped to the front lines.

“Yet another died at the hands of the Hylians when it came to them for aid.”

A Hylian bishop slid to the left - threatening the knight.

“We lost one more to the Malice itself - clinging onto its body for days and forcing it to move.”

The monster Knight jumped again, now threatening a pawn but would be immediately taken by another pawn.

“The last Bokoblin fell to a mighty Lynel - buying me just enough time to escape. I thought my dear Moblin friend Sledge died alongside it, too, until it caught up to me months later.”

A Hylian Knight jumped into the fray - threatening a pawn of its own.

“So it is you two against the world, huh?”

A monster pawn moved forward, now threatening the Knight if it took the other pawn.

“No. There are two more of us - a Lizalfos named Zayl and a Wizzrobe named Rezek.”

Ganondorf softly tapped on the other Bishop and frowned pensively - eyeing his next move.

“So that one Wizzrobe made it after all. Color me surprised…” he said under his breath.

Kobb moved yet another Hylian pawn forward - securing the wall it had created.

“I have one more question, actually,” Ganondorf said with a sarcastic grin, “If you get what you want, freedom for all monsters, able to create your own kingdom away from The Calamity’s grasp…do you honestly believe the Hylians will let you?”

Ganondorf slid a monster pawn diagonally, taking one of Kobb’s. The battle had officially started.

“That is not for them to decide. We are here whether they like that or not.”

Kobb slid a Hylian pawn diagonally, trading pieces.

“Naive at best and willingly ignorant at worst. You will be herded like cattle and treated as such.”

Ganondorf moved a monster knight to take the other pawn.

“I will be dead and buried before that happens. And I have seen every corner of this land. The Hylians are scattered. If we work fast, we can create a home that cannot be ignored.”

Kobb moved a bishop to the far edge - forcing a trade with the queen.

“And what happens when they unify again? I’ve known too many Hylians for my own good. If there’s one thing they care about more than anything, it’s land. Friends, family, possessions…all replaceable. But land they are ravenous for. A Hylian would sooner fight to the death than give up the land ‘owned’ by their ancestor that’s been maggots and bones since the mightiest tree was but a sapling.”

Ganondorf begrudgingly took the bishop with the queen, which was then taken by one of Kobb’s knights.

“Compromises can be made. If they can share a kingdom with the others of Hyrule that look nothing like them, then they can share it with us.”

Ganondorf laughed and took another piece.

“Those alliances have been shaky since I was a boy. The only reason those work is because the other races of Hyrule are easily quarantined. Give the Rito the snowy forests, the Gorons their volcanos, the Zora the wetlands, and the Gerudo…the Gerudo the bone-dry deserts. Those corners of Hyrule were never of much use to the Royal Family and the rupees that lined their pockets. But you, you Bokoblins and Moblins and such. You’re hardy, like them . You can thrive in most any climate. There’s no easy place to plop you down and ignore. And whether you like it or not, the Hylians still see your kind as nothing but mindless murderers. Many will not be swayed easily, if at all. This is ripe for petty squabbles, conflict, bloodshed, war .”

Kobb took another piece.

“I have seen that with my own eyes. The Hylian’s cruelty can rival the Malice. But I have also seen great kindness and forgiveness. I know that many will either ignore or try to kill us, but we can work with the ones that will give us a chance.”

Ganondorf took another piece.

“And how far are you willing to go for their approval? How much of the culture you monsters create are you willing to sacrifice? Would you dress like them? Act like them? Maybe even give up your own language for the more ‘civilized’ Hylian tongue?”

Kobb took another piece.

“Sacrificing who we are as monsters will never be worth what they offer. But whatever world that you remember the Hylians for is gone. You destroyed it. You said the races of Hyrule are forced apart, but I have heard many stories of how they have worked together. Once the Malice has been removed, and they see we had no choice but to fight, we can rebuild.

Ganondorf took another piece.

“Heh. That camaraderie is only to fight a common enemy - that enemy being you. It will not last. The very second The Calamity is sealed away, every son and daughter of the old Hylian nobles and royalty will crawl out of their caves and try to rebuild what they lost. Every. Stone. Even worse, they never got to experience the luxury of their forefathers - only their stories. They will want that back. And they will do anything to get it.

Kobb took another piece.

“There is one thing we have on our side: the Champion of Hyrule.”

Ganondorf took another piece.

“ Him ?! The ‘chosen hero’ is just as much of a pawn to Hylia’s dominance as you. When he is victorious, he will be cast aside like a used rag. Peaceful times don’t need heroes - only their statues. And peaceful times are whatever the kingdom deems as peaceful.”

Kobb grunted and looked at the board state. By then each of them only had a few pieces remaining after checking each other multiple times. Neither had their queen left, but Kobb noticed that Ganondorf had made a crucial miscalculation and it made a devious smile.

“You say we are both pawns? Wardogs on a chain? You might see us Bokoblins as nothing but cannon fodder, but when you give the rope you bind us the slightest slack…”

The pawn that Kobb had sneakily trekked all the way to the end of the board made it to the last square - gleefully replacing it with a Queen and putting the Gerudo King into checkmate.

“...you will learn why you should not underestimate us.”

Ganondorf put his finger on top of the king, looking for any possible out, but that was the game. With a defeated groan he knocked over the king and all the pieces immediately dissolved back into the golden sand they came from. Still, a sore loser he was not and he graciously leaned back and took a sip from his coconut drink with a satisfied smirk.

“Impressive. Most impressive. Very well…I have gotten what I want. I will answer any questions left. You have earned that much.”

Kobb leaned forward on its stool and took the first sip of the drink it had been offered pensively. Questions, questions, so many questions to ask. But Naydra’s swaying tail in the corner of its eye continued to linger in the Bokoblin’s sight. Undoubtedly just being here was putting strain on the dragon, but there was so much to learn. Kobb would have to ask carefully.

“If you are not The Calamity, then what is? What is Calamity Ganon?”

Ganondorf leaned his head back and took another long swig of his drink.

“Ganon never existed. There is only one Ganondorf, and that is me. Any Ganon that came before me is only by name - a name that it never had in the first place. When Ganondorf was known and feared all throughout Hyrule, they decided to name the beast within me Ganon. As far as they know, we are one and the same. But the beast that takes over my body, the one with a face of a mighty boar, is nothing more than the corpse of a dead god. Demise: the god of ruin that cursed this land with endless bloodshed after they were struck down by the first Hero of Hyrule.”

Kobb felt a chill down its spine and shivered.

“How is that possible?”

“Who knows? Gods do not die like us mortals. You can kill the mind, but the body will remain - thrashing like a dying animal. What you know as Calamity Ganon is a rotting Demise that knows nothing but destruction and death. There is no end goal for The Calamity. It will simply swallow the land with Malice until it can no longer eat. You may hear it talk, there is a good chance you have, but there is nothing behind the words. It is a horse without a rider - but all the more dangerous because it has all the rider’s lingering ambitions and desires. The only reason I know all this is because I have taken glimpses into that endless void of Malice. I am tied to this accursed cadaver - with all its strengths and weaknesses.”

This was a little too much to take in. All this time, that god that Kobb saw in its vision was The Calamity? Things were still hazy, so it pressed the Gerudo King.

“So why did you keep trying to conquer this land?”

Ganondorf shook his head and laughed.

“Because my disdain for the Royal Family endures just like this curse I’m attached to. From before I could take my first step, I remember the tension. The nobles of Hyrule never liked how we did things. A Gerudo King born every 100 years - one that could come from anywhere in society. The very idea that royalty was not dictated by blood infuriated them.”

Kobb grunted and bit its lower lip. It had half a mind to point out the hypocrisy, but it let Ganondorf continue.

“And for that, their petty resentment was what caused their downfall. My people were forced into a godless desert. We were not allowed to till the lush soil just outside our door. We were not allowed behind their opulent castle to trade. And when the Civil War struck, and we vowed to remain neutral to the affair, our trade with the rest of Hyrule grinded to a halt - the rest terrified of the Hylians’ wrath. My first taste of the ‘people chosen by the goddess’ was an 8-year famine that decimated my kingdom.”

Its stomach in knots, Kobb gently put down its drink and fidgeted its hands nervously.

“So you can see why I sought to eliminate that blight from this world” Ganondorf concluded with a more malicious grin.

Kobb was still unconvinced. “And then what? What led to my own kind being forced under this oppressive magic that does not let them even think ?”

“I got…carried away. I had heard rumors of the Royal Family hiding a weapon of great power. One that fell from the gods of old themselves: The Triforce.”

A soft wind ominously blew through the makeshift desert. Another chill ran down Kobb’s spine.

“I plotted for years how to get back at the king and his cohorts. I swore my allegiance to him, gave my honor and dignity to him, killed for him…all to gain his trust and claim the Triforce to myself. There, I would shape Hyrule to a vision more fitting for my people - and the rest of the non-Hylians too. But alas, they didn’t cooperate. I am not proud of what I did today to try and coerce them, but I saw it as minor sacrifices - stepping stones to a better world.”

“I think you are making excuses for your horrible acts.” Kobb said with a scowl.

Ganondorf let out a booming laugh again.

“Perhaps. Do I regret it because I know it was wrong, or because I failed? I still do not know today. But regardless, imagine my surprise when I entered the Sacred Realm - only to find that there was only one piece of the Triforce left. A singular golden triangle - shining brighter than the sun. I reached out to grab it, but it grabbed me first. The Triforce of Power had chosen me, for my tenacity and world-shattering ambition. But I was burned. For you see Demise was chosen first - and their lingering corpse still stuck to that piece of the Triforce.”

The huge hands of the Gerudo man clenched so hard the sandstone table formed cracks.

“It took hold of me. I wasn’t changed, what was left of Demise simply brought out the part of the me that was always there. The part that would conquer and kill at any cost to achieve his goals.”

Kobb let out a deep guttural growl that frightened even Ganondorf.

“And that was when you forced us monsters under your boot - treating us the same as the Hylians treated you?”

Ganondorf uncharacteristically waved his hands forward, shaking his head.

“Hypocrite I may be in many regards, but this is not one of them. Well…not at first, at least. Even while on my power trip from the Triforce, I knew that the best way to rule an army is to make them want to be ruled. You monsters came to me. It had been so long since the ancient power that bound them had a face - a voice. There were still defectors aplenty, but ruling your army with an iron fist is what gets a sword stuck in your back. You save that for your enemies.”

Kobb leaned forward in its chair.

“And were we allowed our own thoughts? Our own voice?”

“Plenty! Like I said before, the curse I found did nothing more than bring up the very worst murderous thoughts present in every living being. You could resist it, and many did, but the temptation to get back at the Hylians for stomping on us like snakes was too succulent to ignore.”

“...so what went wrong?”

Ganondorf let out a deep sigh and leaned back in his chair. He looked to the swirling golden sky and shook his head - begrudgingly dredging up old memories.

“I tried to break free, tried to end the cycle I soon found myself trapped in. In many ways I envy you, Kobb. You succeeded in forging your own path where I could not.”

Kobb’s ears perked up as Ganondorf rambled on.

“Once my soul was tied to the Triforce of Power, that was it. No matter how many times the goddess’ army sealed me away, I was destined to come back. To be resurrected alongside this dead god. While the sting of defeat time and time again broke me, no, it was the taste of success that did me in. Many times have I been victorious. I crumbled the kingdom of Hyrule and reigned supreme. Finally, I could rebuild this land without that cursed monarchy. But the husk of Demise…this Malice …it didn’t let me. The extinction of the kingdom didn’t sate it. No, it wanted elimination of the entire Hylian race. The other races, too. Including my own. It had a ravenous hunger that I soon found I could barely hold back. When the shattered pieces of Hyrule would band together and defeat me, I was almost relieved. Yet, I continued to try, for they kept making the same mistake again and again. They rebuilt their castles on a flawed foundation - still propping up that bureaucratic Royal Family as the shining beacon of their kingdom. Even worse…because I am still the one and only Gerudo King, my own people suffered greatly with each loss. They have endured many attempted exterminations - all for the simple sin of birthing me. In the end, I guess those bureaucrats got exactly what they wanted…because what I used to call home has also fallen to the flawed bloodlines of monarchy.”

Kobb thought long and hard about what this meant for their current situation. If they were victorious, would this happen again? How would the rebuilt kingdom of Hyrule treat monsterkind, the very group trying to kill them for eons until now?

“Is that what convinced you to end this cycle?”

Ganondorf nodded solemnly.

“Mostly. But the final straw, when I was in an inescapable pit of despair, was a lone Hylian reaching a hand out to me and giving me a chance. He hooked me into believing that breaking the cycle was what I really wanted. Even if it meant I would be put to rest for one last time. Shame it didn’t work. Like a hornet’s nest, the body of Demise retaliated and sealed me away. That is why I’m stuck here now. Without a body to inhabit Hyrule, Demise’s corpse took front-and-center. Its own host had defected. That could not happen again. And so it forced every monster under its control into a new entity you know as the Malice - where rejecting The Calamity was all but impossible. I was a fool to think I could ever break free from this curse. That was the last time I had ever seen another human. I still remember the Hylian’s face as I screamed at him to kill me.”

“...Link…” Kobb whispered on pure instinct. Ganondorf’s ears perked up and he raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, the very one. But not really. He is cursed, just like I am. And his story will always be a tragic one - a poor young man forced to grow up too quickly. Thrown into a tumultuous violent world where home is a concept long dead. His curse is unique. As the chosen hero, his name is destined to be lost to time. Everyone will know of the great Hero of Hyrule, but none will know of Link. Except me. I remember. I remember every single one. How ironic, that the only one to celebrate his name is his greatest enemy. One he is forced into an endless dance of death.”

Kobb scratched softly at the sandstone table in little circles.

“...but it is not the same Link, is it?”

“It isn’t, but it is still Link. While his soul is not bound to his Triforce of Courage like mine, the idea of Link is destined to be reborn for as long as I have breath left in me. He will always have that same indomitable spirit, that same warm sleepy smile, those burning eyes that you did not want to make mad, and a bottomless pit for a stomach. Before I was put in the sad state you see me now, I would come to see our clashes as a sad inevitability. Of the few times I have bested him, it never felt good. Like having to slit the throat of a wounded deer. One of the few Hylians I have ever respected, and he always will be.”

Ganondorf found himself lost in thought before Kobb awkwardly spoke up again.

“And what about the last of the Triforce? Tri in Hylian means three, right? Who has the last one?”

The Gerudo King’s mood immediately shifted back to his normally haughty self.

“Hah! Don’t get me started! The Triforce of Wisdom is the one that blasted goddess has tethered herself to. Except unlike the others, it is completely inorganic. The Royal Family claims the Triforce has chosen their bloodline, giving them the right to rule, but it was done so with sheer brute force. Years of keeping their bloodline ‘pure’ so the spirit of Hylia continues to inhabit their unfortunate daughters. And unlike Link, they make sure their names are known far and wide. His name stays the same out of coincidental fate, Her name stays the same out of self-fulfilling obligation.”

Kobb felt out of the loop. “Her? Who are you…”

“Princess Zelda.” he said with a deliberate groan. On-cue the wispy walls around them shook slightly and they felt the rumble in their feet.

“I-is that the Hylian who-”

“Yes. The one that is currently waging her own little war against the beast known as The Calamity. If it had not been for her, the entire land would likely be nothing but Malice by now. We are lucky that this Zelda had as much resolve as she did. And therein lies one of my many issues with the Royal Family. Every princess of theirs must be Zelda. Once they are queen, many shed their old name, but it is considered going against the Goddess herself to have a daughter named anything but Zelda. And they are all different ones. Link is predictable. I know him better than he knows himself. But you never know what you might get when a new Zelda shows up. They can be whimsical and carefree, cold and calculated, conniving and resourceful. Some would not give me a moment before aiming straight for my head, while others were willing to hear me out - all before their advisors ruined everything of course.”

Kobb had no idea what this Zelda looked like, but tried to picture what kind of person she would be. To spend the last 100 years fighting The Calamity. She had to be unendingly resilient.

“What about the Princess Zelda that is also stuck in this Malice?” it asked, to which Ganondorf stroked his bright red beard.

“She has promise. I have felt the girl's ambitions even stuck in this ship-in-a-bottle. The distaste for her own lineage lingers in her mind. She was burned by the Royal Family, too. Perhaps she could be the one to end it all…but the call of her Triforce might still prevail. It remains the most dangerous of the three and I will stand by that.”

Kobb scoffed slightly. “You have the Triforce of power and you are saying the one of wisdom is worse?”

Ganondorf’s eyes gained a darkness behind them as he stared squarely at the Bokoblin. His fingers were interlocked as he rested both elbows on the armrests.

“What is more dangerous? The power to destroy a country, or the wisdom to know exactly how to do it?”

No words came from Kobb’s mouth, but it knew the answer. The two stared at each other for a good while before Kobb got the courage to speak up again.

“Your hatred for the Royal Family is understandable, but you cannot ignore your own part in all this. And you keep bringing up their goddess? You say you are cursed by the body of Demise, but you also hate their greatest enemy? You are not telling me everything you know about Hylia.”

Ganondorf shook his head and grimaced.

“You will come to learn, young Kobb, that Hylia is a bigger obstacle for Hyrule’s peace than I ever was.”

Kobb frowned, but was morbidly curious to hear the Gerudo King’s reasoning.

“Explain.”

“What does Hylia even represent? Hyrule? The Hylians? They don’t even know. I will let you in on a little secret. Hylia is the goddess of purity.”

A soft ringing filled Kobb’s ears and it felt a cloudy haze in its mind.

“That might sound fine at first glance, but gods do not think like mortals. Everything to her must be pure as freshly fallen snow. Her land must be pure. Her people must be pure. Their history must be pure. Any impurities or deviations from her vision will be swiftly and violently expunged. How do you wash out the impurities of a history so rife with conflict as this one? Simple. You burn the books drenched in blood and write new ones. Ones that conveniently skim over the atrocities on your end. Make them seem inevitable - like a necessary evil. Something that had to be done to defeat the larger threat. Or just don’t talk about it at all. Let it fall forgotten to the annals of time - as you build houses over countless unmarked graves.”

The soft rumbling on the outside grew slightly more intense.

“Hylia practically lives within the blood of the Royal Family - swaying their every decision. And you, Kobb and the rest of the monsters here, will be the first thing to go in order to ‘purify’ the lands. The goddess does not care that you have found free will. All monsters of Hyrule are seen by her as blemishes on an otherwise perfect kingdom. So many Hylians despise you just for the way you are. They will have no qualms slaying you by the hundreds. All it will take is someone to give them a thumbs-up.”

To make a point, Ganondorf menacingly stuck his hand out and made a thumbs-up, then violently swiped the thumb across his neck with a loud crrk . Kobb felt a pit form in the back of its throat that it couldn’t quite swallow.

“Things will be different. They have to be” it said with a slight whimper.

“There is no better time than now to change the world to how you imagine it,” Ganondorf said with the faintest hint of a grin, “but you must be prepared to fight those who you see as your allies. The allure for power and dominance is just too strong to ignore. I know that better than anyone.”

Kobb nodded, having gotten all the information it could have ever wanted. It was incredibly disappointing that it couldn’t end things right here, but there was nothing it could do but move on. It took a step towards Naydra’s dangling tail before suddenly halting, then spinning on its heels to face Ganondorf again. It had an idea.

“One more question…what happens if I drag you out of this Malice with me?”

Ganondorf blinked a few times in shock - not expecting anything like that to come from the Bokoblin. He saw the gears turning in Kobb’s head and made a devious smile.

“Oh, the same as if I die here. Nothing. The Calamity is the one steering the ship. I haven’t even been able to harness the full strength of my Triforce since I was put here.”

Kobb scratched behind its large ears and its snout twitched.

“Interesting. What would it take to convince you to come with me?”

Ganondorf rose slowly out of his chair - reminding Kobb of just how huge the man was. The robe attached to his waist was thrown off, revealing the longest and most menacing claymore the Bokoblin had ever seen.

“All the monsters I had the pleasure to know up until now have had the same code: They will follow the side they see as the strongest. Today, I will adhere to that code as well. You have two options, Kobb. Prove to me that you have what it takes to save your kind from the Malice, and I will follow you. If you think you cannot best me in combat, leave my wretched prison right now. The way of the sword is all that I know, but I will not hold it against you if you turn around and head back. There is honor in living to fight another day.”

Kobb stood firm and weighed its options. Logically speaking, there was no advantage to taking Ganondorf with it. If anything, it stood to complicate things. Yet, it could not sit still with the feeling of leaving him to rot here. On an emotional level, the adrenaline pumping through its veins gave it a newfound resolve. It had been itching for a fight since it got here. It could not deny the call to get a few stabs at the man that started it all. The shield on its back was thrown front-and-center and its Flameblade quickly unsheathed. The Bokoblin’s arms were no longer wobbly - solid as the strongest oak branch. Any words spoken after this were unnecessary. It was time to engage in a conversation of steel.

Ganondorf’s chest huffed with delight as it saw Kobb brandish its weapons. It had been too long since he had a good fight. He was hoping Kobb would do this. In truth, both of them needed this just as much as the other. The Gerudo King’s Claymore was drawn with a sharp flash of light - the scabbard tossed to the side. There was no shield in sight. He didn’t need one. With a wave of the hand, the softly glowing symbol of the Triforce on Ganondorf’s hand grew dim.

“I will give you a fair fight. You deserve as much.”

Raucous clanging of metal quickly replaced the wind.

Chapter Text

“Kobb, you better hurry up!” Sledge grunted to itself as the outside group soon found themselves swarmed by creatures of Malice. Even Naydra was feeling the effect of its body half-entered in the Malice. As the corruption began to spread, the bulging eye-like growths started to appear all over the dragon’s body. Link and Zayl would stick an arrow right through the pupil, forcing the Malice to withdraw, but they didn’t know how long they could keep this up. Rezek was handling it the worst out of all of them. Keeping the portal of Malice open was putting a tremendous strain on its mind and body. The floating skulls continuing to dive-bomb it certainly didn’t help. The Wizzrobe refused to speak - afraid that even a word would break its concentration enough to lose Kobb in that endless void.

“Naydra, is Kobb still there?” Zayl yelled as it smashed a Malice Skull to bits with its new tail.

“I can still feel your Bokoblin friend. It has strayed from the tether, but I can sense its presence. We must hold steady! From its beating heart, it must be locked in a great battle…”

Sledge relayed to message to Link and he grimaced with deep worry in his eyes.

“Kobb, whatever you’re doing you better wrap it up fast…”

…

Flashes of steel gleamed through the air, but the blood of a swordfight was surprisingly absent. The Bokoblin and the Gerudo King were trading blow for blow - one never getting the upper hand of the other. Kobb’s height proved to be an advantage as Ganondorf had to swing and stab at more awkward angles than he was used to. Yet, he had a relentless defense. Every hit Kobb tried to get in, the ornate pearl sword clutched in his hands would swiftly block. Ganondorf did not have to be even looking in the direction of the strike and his sword would meet Kobb’s. For a brief moment they stopped and stared at each other right in the eyes. Both of them glowed with burning determination. It was clear neither wanted to lose.

“You’ve got some skill, Kobb the Bokoblin, considering you’re still standing by now,” Ganondorf taunted with a smarmy grin, “but how much longer can you keep it up?”

Kobb huffed its snout and stomped its feet. Its muscles were screaming at it to quit, but it refused to give in to the exhaustion.

“As long as I can still breathe!” it shouted with conviction.

“Hmmph, well said. Let’s continue…”

The mighty sword of the Gerudo King was brought down once again. Kobb leapt out of the way, feeling the immense shockwave as golden sand sprayed into the air. Just how was Kobb going to get a hit in? The Bokoblin hadn’t even landed a scratch and it would likely need way more than that to even stagger its opponent. Kobb tried to create some distance, but Ganondorf scoffed and lunged toward it with unearthly speed - his feet practically gliding off the sand as his robe menacingly flew behind.

Kobb suspected Ganondorf wouldn’t give it any room to breathe, and waited till it could see the lines in his bright yellow eyes. As the sword was swung down yet again, Kobb executed a flawless parry with the face of its shield. The reverberation from the clash nearly wobbled the Bokoblin’s arm off, and it made a warcry squeal as it followed through. Ganondorf staggered, giving Kobb just enough time to stab him through the abdomen.

Or so it thought.

The tip of the Bokoblin’s Flamesword had barely pierced the skin. It had been halted by Ganondorf’s other hand - which now fiercely gripped the blade. Steam arose from his hand as the red-hot fire seared his skin, but he didn’t care. Veins bulged from his arm and the Gerudo King made an angry grimace while yanking the sword out of Kobb’s hands, tossing it aside. He held up the burned arm, golden-tinted blood slightly dripping down, and clenched. Kobb was left speechless and petrified.

“You must do what you can to survive.'' he said sternly before delivering a mighty backhand across Kobb’s face.

The Bokoblin skimmed across the sand like a smooth rock over a lake and landed with its head to the sky. Its world was spinning, but it wasn’t out of the game yet. As a looming shadow approached it, the Bokoblin rolled out of the way just in time for Ganondorf’s sword to land where its head once was. Getting back on its feet, it used the fraction of a second it had to scour the area for its sword. There it was, planted in the sand right behind Ganondorf. It needed that if it was to have the slimmest chance to survive. Perhaps Kobb had gone in over its head…

“You will be granted a warrior’s death. That is the least a mighty monster like you deserves.” he said sternly as he went in for another strike. 

Rather than try to parry again, Kobb rolled in-between the Gerudo King’s legs. From there, it jammed its closed fist into his thigh and Ganondorf immediately let out a deep grunt of pain. This was enough of a distraction for the Bokoblin to scamper back and pick up its sword again. Ganondorf was absolutely shocked. There was no way a punch from a Bokoblin would hurt him that much. As he turned around, his eyes went white for the first time in a long while as he saw the root cause of his pain. Clenched in-between Kobb’s fingers were two jagged Bokoblin horns acting as brass knuckles. They were the very ones that once belonged to Amber and Fang - the ones Kilton had gifted it before parting. Ganondorf’s blood dripped from the sharp edges as Kobb looked at him with a razor sharp fierceness. 

“You do what you must to survive, yes, but I did not make it this far alone.”

This time Kobb was the one to take initiative - lunging at the Gerudo King with a newfound strength. Ganondorf was not prepared at all and just barely blocked the strike with his own sword. The slight stumble was all Kobb needed, but instead of going for another stab it decided to chuck its steel shield as hard as possible right at the Gerudo King’s face. It was the riskiest gamble Kobb had made in its entire life - and truthfully it only did so because it thought it’d be funny if it worked. Somehow Kobb’s gambit paid off as the blunt edge sailed perfectly under Ganondorf’s chin and got him in the throat. A loud choking sound as well as the rest of the air in his lungs escaped from his mouth as he was thrown even more off-balance and fell like a tree.

At last, this was the one chance Kobb needed - it would not get any more. As the Gerudo King toppled, surely to get back up soon, the Bokoblin used Gaondorf’s gargantuan legs as a footstool to leap high into the air. Just as he landed on the ground with a loud poomf , Kobb plunged its Flameblade towards his chest with the loudest squeal it could muster. It felt the blade break through, and Ganondorf’s eyes shot wide open. As his blurry vision came into focus, he looked with quivering lips at the sword now stuck in his chest - and the Bokoblin standing triumphantly on top of him.

The soft howl of the wind was all that could be heard for a few moments. The two simply stared at each other. There was no more resentment or malice in either’s eyes. This is simply what had to be done. This was one of the only two outcomes. But then the Gerudo King’s right hand began glowing once more and he let out a tired chuckle.

“It has been so long since I got to feel the sting of another’s sword. Well done, monster of the land…well done.”

Slowly Ganondorf began to stand up again, forcing Kobb to slide off his armor and nearly faceplant the ground. With the Flameblade still stuck in his chest, Ganondorf did several stretches before yanking it out with extra embellishment and a loud grunt. A small trail of blood accompanied, but the hole in the Gerudo King’s chest was no longer bleeding. Instead it glowed with a blinding white light as it slowly sealed - forming the same scar as before.

“At least the pain lingers. Reminds me that I still have a bit of Gerudo left in me…” he said before tossing the sword back to Kobb. It had an unnatural warmth to it that quickly subsided. Kobb had no time for a retort as Gaondorf’s head immediately shot towards it.

“Well, you win. I am a man of my word. Maybe we can finally end this curse if every monster in Hyrule has the fire in their hearts that you possess, Kobb. Now get me out of this blasted prison.”

On-cue the ground rumbled like an earthquake and cracks finally began forming in the golden ceiling above. Slowly the treacherous red and black fluid dripped down to the sand below.

“Better hurry up before the Malice has other plans…”

Kobb nodded and wasted no time in running to Naydra’s tail. It was still there, thank the gods of old, but it did not look too good. It resembled a wilting flower - the Malice no doubt to blame. Cautiously, Kobb placed a hand on one of the crystals and focused its mind.

“Naydra, are you still there?” it called out, “I need to get out of here, now .”

Immediately it heard the mighty dragon’s soothing voice in its head.

“ Understood. We must hurry and seal the portal. Your friends are losing their strength. ”

A pit formed in Kobb’s throat that it forcefully swallowed. If its dawdling caused any of them to get hurt, it wouldn’t be able to forgive itself. The imposing shadow of Ganondorf engulfed the Bokoblin as he lazily sauntered over.

“I am bringing someone with me, you need to tether them too!”

“What? Who? What did you find, Kobb? Did you defeat the core of Calamity Ganon? ”

“I will explain later. Get us out of here first!”

Kobb heard the sound of a deep sigh in its head. “Very well. Take hold of…whoever you found in there and I will keep them safe, too.”

Both arms of the Bokoblin latched onto the wrist of Ganondorf and he felt the presence of Naydra surrounding him. He didn’t know what exactly this dragon was, but he knew this was ancient magic at play. As Malice began to pour like a waterfall from above, both of them clung onto Naydra’s tail for dear life as it promptly pulled itself upward. Ganondorf took one more longingful look at the golden oasis he had known for centuries. All things must come to an end, but he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret as he felt the power in his arm grow silent once again.

…

“Naydra is pulling itself out! Quick, Rezek! Get ready to close the portal!” Link shouted as loud as he could. Him and the monsters were cut up and bruised from the nearly two hours of fighting they had to endure. But this was the home stretch. As Naydra snaked further and further out of the pit of Malice, everyone’s heart beat faster. The dragon’s face grimaced as it seemed The Calamity was not too keen on it escaping. Naydra let out an ear-piercing screech - sending a wave of cold wind and snow pulsing out from its head. Link, Sledge, and Zayl all covered their faces while Rezek endured the brunt of it. Several trees snapped and practically exploded from the sudden cold wave as Naydra at last yanked the last of its tail out and expunged the Malice covering it.

“Now! Close it!” Link shouted.

Rezek complied. Making no hesitation to clasp its hands together and collapse the disk of Malice. Its teeth nearly cracked as it clenched - forcing all of the Malice back into the glass core from whence it came. The cracks were finally sealed, Link and the rest dispatched whatever creatures of Malice remained, and they were left staring at whoever in Hylia’s name Kobb brought out of the Malice.

The one who was the most entranced in the Gerudo man was Link. He instinctively reached for his sheathed Master Sword, but what he was feeling deep down was much more complicated. It was nostalgia, it was hate, it was resentment, it was pity, it was sorrow, it was melancholy, it was a quiet acceptance that things will never work out how you wanted them too. All of these and more he felt when he stared into the eyes of that man. As the Gerudo pulled himself up and dusted himself off, their eyes met. His bright blue eyes met their opulent gold. Link couldn’t help but make a slight frown and he pursed his lips. He had certainly never seen a Gerudo man in any of his past memories, so why did he feel this haunting familiarity?

“Do I know you?” he finally said to the man, who in turn made a devilish smirk and laughed.

“No. No you do not. But I sure know you…Link. It has certainly been a while.”

The Hylian was dumbstruck. How did he know his name? Still, this lingering animosity flowed through him and he drew his sword and pointed it at the man.

“If you came from there, I should be concerned that you know me.” he said with an uncanny blank face.

The Gerudo man snorted and let out a hearty laugh.

“I would say you haven’t changed a bit, but that would be a lie. Yet, you’re still the same Link. The same Link…”

“Kobb, who did you drag out of there?” Sledge said with a booming deep voice. “Did you destroy Calamity Ganon? What happened down in the Malice?”

The Bokoblin had finally pulled itself out of a bank of snow and brushed itself off shivering. It was so cold out there compared to the warmth of that desert oasis.

“It is a long story, and a small victory. I have found Ganondorf, the Gerudo tied to The Calamity and the holder of the Triforce of Power.”

A chill simultaneously ran down everyone’s spines. Link especially was bearing the brunt of this news. Bags appeared under his eyes and his bruises from the last battle felt like weights dragging him down. Zayl seemed the most unphased out of all of them.

“So we won? That is the core of Calamity Ganon right? Did we do it?”

Ganondorf laughed again.

“Not quite, little Lizalfos. I was simply a vessel for Demise’s corpse - the being you know as Calamity Ganon. Bringing me out of the Malice has done little to curb its power.”

Link felt a rock on his chest. The other monsters were hit hard by this news but Link was taking it the worst. His legs wobbled as he struggled to stay standing. This whole mission sounded a little too good to be true, but he thought they could at least weaken Ganon. The thought of going back to Hyrule Castle gave him uncontrollable shakes.

“So that means…”

“Yes, Link. You will still have to defeat The Calamity if you want to stop it from destroying this land.”

Link took a deep breath and pulled himself back up, practically snarling at Ganondorf. His sword stayed pointed squarely at his face.

“So why are you here then, huh?! Do you have something to gain from all of this? How are you still alive?”

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and approached Link. Despite the brandished weapon, he knew the Hylian wouldn’t use it. Not yet. Tucking the Master Sword under his arm, he leaned in close - their foreheads practically touching.

“Your Bokoblin friend was awfully convincing. For the longest time, I thought this cycle of violence you and I are trapped in was an inevitability. But if these monsters had the resolve to break from the Malice…then maybe we can do the same. This won’t be the first time you and I have begrudgingly joined arms, but I certainly hope it will be the last for both our sakes.”

Link’s anger melted nearly instantly. The Gerudo King’s yellow eyes glowed with a ferocious honesty. He tried to find it within him again, tried to justify his conflicting and wretched feelings for this man, but he couldn’t. He personally hadn’t found a reason to hate Ganondorf. Not yet.

“If Kobb has found it in itself to trust you, then I will as well. From what I see, most of your power has abandoned you…Ganondorf” Link said, his eyes moving to the Triforce mark on the Gerudo King’s hand - noticeably lacking in light.

Ganondorf sighed. “Regrettably so. While it would be fun to ‘catch up’, I do think I will take my leave soon. I am curious how my people will handle my reception, but you can trust that I’ll behave. Perhaps I’ll keep you in check every now and again, too. Make sure you stay the hero you’re supposed to be.”

Link made his own smirk and brought himself even closer to the man towering over him.

“I’ll hold you to that. While I’m not the Link you remember, you should be lucky I’m not even the Link I remember.”

“Heh. I expected as much. Oh and one more thing…”

With blinding speed, Ganondorf delivered a powerful leg sweep that knocked Link off his feet. He fell fast with a yelp and hit the snowy ground with a soft poomf - looking up with inconsolable aggravation to the man that just pushed him on his butt. His messy dirty blonde hair had fallen in front of his face, to which Ganondorf swept away with his thumb so they could see eye-to-eye again.

“That’s for all the times you stabbed me through the heart.” he whispered with the most devious grin imaginable.

Link kicked him hard in the shin as a retort. As the bickering continued, Kobb looked around casually at first before growing more panicked. Sledge and Zayl took notice and made the same observation.

“Where did Rezek go?”

…

The lone Wizzrobe flew down the mountain at unforeseen speeds. The chilly winds of Mount Lanayru flapped at its coat and nipped at its fingers and toes. But it couldn’t slow down. It couldn’t even tell the others. There was no room for idling. It had to leave now . Any time spent not gunning for safety would put it and the rest in jeopardy. The ones it had betrayed would swarm this area like fire ants - looking for what was missing. Rezek had to get far, far, away. But to where? Where could it possibly go from here? It got an inkling of an idea, but that would be quite the journey. And yet it would all be worth it for the discovery Rezek had found - something that if it took would anger The Calamity to a boiling point.

Held in Rezek’s arms, swaddled in the only cloth it could find, was a newborn Ice Wizzrobe.

Chapter Text

Just as Rezek sealed the last of the Malice back into the glass core from whence it came, Naydra let out a tremendous roar - sending a blisteringly cold wave through the air. The Wizzrobe, the one closest to the dragon and the lightest of the monsters, was knocked off its feet and followed the wind. As the dragon expunged the last of the Malice from its body, the surge of ice it had created rippled across the mountaintop. Even the most sturdy pine trees in the vicinity were frozen solid and split nearly in half. Rezek’s back happened to collide with one of them and it comically slid down the glistening bark and into a fresh snow pile. It wasn’t sent far, but it was pretty disgruntled and already beaten up from the battle. Rezek could still see Link and the others with Kobb sitting next to…some Gerudo man. Rubbing its sore head, Rezek began to shake itself off and head back over when it heard the faintest of whimpers coming from the crook of the split tree.

“Ehh…ehh”

The Wizzrobe stopped in its tracks. It had to be hearing things, right? It hit its head wrong, it was exhausted from keeping that portal open, the cold was affecting its magic. The Thunderstorm rod on its belt swayed weakly, the Malice core glowing a murderous red. Rezek lightly slapped both its cheeks, brushed the snow off its cloak, and again floated to the spring.

“Ehh…”

This time there was no way Rezek could ignore it. There was definitely a sound coming from that tree. A lingering thought grew in the back of its mind that made the Wizzrobe sink its sharp teeth into its lower lip. Now it had to check. What-if’s ran laps around Rezek’s mind as its long fingers slowly wrapped around the split trunk of the tree. Everything would hinge on what it would find. With an almost agonizing pace it peeked its head around and was promptly left speechless.

Curled into the fetal position at the base of the tree was a tiny Ice Wizzrobe.

Rezek’s world immediately turned upside-down. Of course. Wizzrobe are born from the crooks of split trees - through fire, snowstorms, and lightning respectively. Somehow, Naydra’s magic had made the perfect conditions to birth an Ice Wizzrobe. The newborn was without robes - but it seemed to be faring fine in this weather as ice crystals softly danced around it. It was still asleep, whimpering quietly as its eyes were forced tightly shut - almost upset that its nap had been ruined by being born. It stirred more, giving Rezek a glance of the tiny sharp teeth that already adorned its mouth.

Without the slightest of hesitations, Rezek lifted the bottom of its robe and ripped until it had a long strand of frayed cloth in its grasp. From there it reached through the splintered wood and carefully picked up the tiny Wizzrobe. It stirred more, its weak complaints getting slightly louder, until Rezek wrapped it snugly in the impromptu blanket until only the tiny head was poking out. Slowly, the baby Ice Wizzrobe opened its eyes. They were pure as snow and bluer than a clear sky. A soft gasp escaped its mouth as it saw itself face-to-face with Rezek. The larger Wizzrobe’s dark yellow eyes were the only source of light, acting like a setting sun as Rezek softly shushed the little one. Slowly, its hand was brought over the Ice Wizzrobe’s head and gently pushed its eyes shut. The call of sleep was too powerful for the infant and it immediately fell unconscious once again - practically melting into the blanket.

“It is better you stay asleep for the journey we are going to take, young one.” Rezek whispered before bolting off into the night.

…

It couldn’t have told the others. There was no time. As much as Rezek had relied on the help from its monster companions and Link, this was a journey it’d have to take alone. As it tore down Lanayru Mountain, the baby Wizzrobe still fast asleep, it thought back to how it came to be. It remembered waking up in Hyrule Castle, surrounded by scowls and sneers. It remembered having its entire being deconstructed, then rebuilt from the ground up to how The Calamity wanted. It remembered being told from the moment it learned to talk that it was “Electric-14”. Just a number. Seen as nothing more than a sack of magic holding a wand. It remembered the grueling training - and the punishments. It remembered the times it floated weakly in its bed, hungry and cold, hoping its magic wouldn’t run out till its next meal. It remembered the bitterness that kept it going day after day - all the way up to the day it met that peculiar Fire Wizzrobe. More painful memories resurfaced. It would be damned if it left a fellow Wizzrobe to suffer the same fate.

But if it wasn’t already at the top of The Calamity’s hitlist, it certainly was now. The particularly powerful ones, the elders as they were called, could sense whenever a new Wizzrobe was born. This was how the Malice maintained an iron grip on its race. Any newborn Wizzrobe would immediately be intercepted - and then subjugated under The Calamity. There was a good chance the Elder of Ice had already been alerted to the creation of the Wizzrobe cradled in Rezek’s arms. A squad would be sent to retrieve it, and that would be that. But they had not accounted for Rezek. Never in a million years did they consider a rogue Wizzrobe would be in the exact right place at the exact right time.

And that was why it had to leave immediately - get as far away as possible. One Wizzrobe is hard to track down, but the baby Ice Wizzrobe in tow would be too high of a magical concentration to ignore. Every single minute counted. The blustering mountain winds stung at Rezek’s face, but it kept its breakneck speed. It had to get this little one somewhere safe. None of the others would be able to match its pace.

“I’m sorry, Sledge,” it whispered to itself, “but ‘no monster left behind’ also includes this one.”

…

Many hours after darkness had blanketed the land, Rezek had found a temporary holdout in the Lanayru Promenade. After flying down the mountain at a breakneck speed, it was quite exhausted. The extra weight it had to carry didn’t help. On the top shelf of the promenade, the Wizzrobe squeezed past some fallen boulders into a small cavern. The area was crawling with Lizalfos and Bokoblins, but they wouldn’t notice a small fire locked behind the rubble. Rezek placed the small Ice Wizzrobe, now only a few hours old, on the softest patch of dirt and moss it could find then collapsed on the ground. The pitiful excuse for a fire flickered weakly in the dark as Rezek laid out the supplies it was lucky enough to have on its body when it took off. Sat in front of the smoldering pile of sticks was its Thunderstorm Rod, the Malice core still softly twinkling a dark red, the rations it was given back at Sheikah Village, a canteen of water, what was left of its fire-starting kit, and a small dagger. It was personally averse to such a weapon, but as Link told it a few days ago “you never know when you’re gonna need a knife for something”. Another precious object sat along the rest: a Fire Rod whose core had gone silent - the warm red and orange hues now the color of ash. Rezek stashed it away before it could dwell on it any longer.

A deep breath passed the Wizzrobe’s sharp teeth as it rested a cheek on its hand. Rezek was really out of its head. Not only would it be relentlessly pursued by its own kind, but it’d have to juggle the responsibilities of taking care of this newborn Wizzrobe at the same time. It felt obligated to protect it the moment it saw the baby sleeping in the tree crook, but it didn’t know the first thing about taking care of something so helpless. When would it wake up, and what would it do then?

The first half of Rezek’s question was answered as it turned to look at the tiny Wizzrobe - only to see two bright blue eyes staring right back at it. Rezek jumped in surprise with an embarrassing noise. Yet the baby kept staring. A vacant look with its toothy mouth hanging open dispelled any notion of thought, but perhaps it was observing. As non-threatening as it could, Rezek scooted forward - cursing the muddy ground for dirtying its robe. Old habits still died hard.

“Hello there, young one,” it said to the tiny Ice Wizzrobe, “you should be going back to sleep.”

The blank stare from the child continued, but this time it wrestled its tiny arms out of the blanket it was wrapped in. Its brow now curled downward in a puzzled expression, it slowly reached up to its head and grabbed the tips of its ears. Rezek took notice that the other Wizzrobe was no longer staring into its eyes, but now its ears. Perhaps it was testing to see if it looked the same as the one in front of it?”

“Yes…you are a Wizzrobe, just like me. We are both Wizzrobe. You are an Ice Wizzrobe, and I am a Thunder Wizzrobe.” it said softly, pointing to the small one then itself. The eyes of the smaller Wizzrobe narrowed and its head bobbed up and down.

“Wizz…robe…” it finally said, putting one of its tiny fingers on its chest. Its voice was high pitched but not grating. It was airy like its words were skating on a frozen pond.

Rezek gave a warm smile and nodded.

“Yes. That is what you are, young one.”

It was absolutely stunned. Talking in just a few hours? Clearly there was so much about its own race that it never got a chance to learn - or was kept hidden on purpose. Nevertheless Rezek broke a rice cake and handed half to the other Wizzrobe. It slowly held the Ice Wizzrobe’s arm and turned it upwards, then placed the food in its palm. A bite was taken and the small one followed suit. Eating came second nature to the child as it picked up the pace with its bites - soon furiously scarfing down the rice cake with flakes flying everywhere. When it was done its head snapped up to Rezek with pleading eyes that shone even brighter. Rezek couldn’t help but let out a small laugh as it handed the baby Wizzrobe another rice cake that was promptly devoured.

“There is so much for you to learn, young one,” Rezek said, having half a mind to teach it how to eat with some manners, “and there is even more you deserve to know. A fresh mind - free from the blemishes of the Malice. One that can be taught magic the right way. How we used to. Do I have the future of all Wizzrobes before me? Is this what Kobb said it was fighting for all this time?”

The tiny monster looked up from its food, the gears turning in its head trying to parse what Rezek was saying. Its twig of an arm reached up and pointed to the larger monster right in front of it.

“Wizzrobe…” it said again, but more confidently.

Rezek nodded. “Yes, but I am not just a Wizzrobe. I have a name, and it is Rezek . We are much more than monsters filled with magic, young one. We can choose our names, choose who to follow, choose who…who to sing and dance with” it said, its voice getting scratchy and tapering off at the end.

The ramblings caused the tiny Ice Wizzrobe’s eyes to droop as its head bobbed up and down like waves on an ocean.

“Sleepy…” it said quietly before leaning back to rest its head on a patch of moss.

Rezek nodded, pulling the frayed blanket up to the Wizzrobe’s chin then softly rubbing its head.

“Yes, young one, rest. We will need to be on the move in a few hours. I can teach you more things tomorrow.”

“Yes...tomorrow” it whispered before making the same whimpering snores Rezek had heard all the way back on Mount Lanayru. Despite the grim situation, Rezek couldn’t help but make a tired smile. It thought back to the others, how they would react. It had faith that they would assume it left for a good reason. This was not the same Rezek from just a few weeks ago. Maybe Kobb would be jealous that Rezek had managed to find one of its kind that was free from the Malice, while the Bokoblin had failed? No, it trusted Kobb. A victory for Wizzrobes is also a victory for all monsterkind. They had to take what they could get. As the exhaustion of the day covered Rezek like a heavy blanket, it also fell to the call of sleep. It curled around the newborn Wizzrobe, one thought shining through before it was dispelled by the comfort of the night.

“There may not be a god around that cares about us monsters, but I’ll be in the ground before I let them stop me doing just that.”

…

“Watch out around this mountain top. Now that the ice dragon broke free from our grasp, it lashes out at any trespassers” the Elder of Ice hissed at the half-dozen or so Ice Wizzrobes that surrounded it. Mount Lanayru was so high above sea level that the first hint of sunbeams could be seen cracking over the horizon.

“Lord Ganon has informed us of an unusual surge of Malice in the area. I have also detected the birth of a new Wizzrobe. Intercept it and bring it here at once.”

The platoon of Wizzrobes nodded and spread out - scanning the area for any split trees. Of that, there were aplenty. Broken pine trees covered in ice crystals littered the dim mountaintop. What first tipped off the other Wizzrobes was that they couldn’t sense the presence of other magic here. Wizzrobes have an innate ability to sense other Wizzrobes, so either this newborn had hidden well or something was up. If they were looking down, they might have seen four sets of wildly different footprints in the show - belonging to monster and man alike. But they were too fixated on the trees. At last, one of the Ice Wizzrobes saw what it was looking for - a split tree with the insides coated with gleaming ice that more resembled glass. 

“There is nothing here!” it said to the rest in a raspy voice. In nearly a blink of an eye the Elder of Ice was beside it. The Malice in its eyes glowed with twice the intensity of the rest.

“What?! Impossible!”

The imposing Blizzrobe peered into the crook of the tree and was also met with nothing. There was no way it was a false positive. It could still sense the immense lingering magic that releases at the birth of a new Wizzrobe. Slowly, it traced its long fingers across the bark to one peculiar spot it had just noticed. Part of the wood was burnt, and it had seen enough to know what caused it. These were electrical burns - ones that are caused from Electric Wizzrobes taking off at high speeds.

Lips quivering in rage, the Elder of Ice let out an ear-piercing screech that caused even the other Ice Wizzrobes to cover their ears. Crystals formed around the base of the tree before climbing up, up, straight to the top branch. With the entire thing encased in ice, the Elder swung its rod at the trunk like a bat and shattered the entire pine to bits. It caught an ice chunk in its slender hands and crushed it mercilessly.

“We want every Wizzrobe in this valley at arms. Call the other Elders, too. This is a blunder they are responsible for, after all.”

Chapter Text

The other three monsters, Link, and Ganondorf were near the bottom of Mount Lanayru while the sun just started to break over the horizon. They were cold, they were tired, yet they were determined to find Rezek. The only mark the Wizzrobe left was a path of upended snow at the peak - going back in the direction they came. As the very first light of dawn illuminated Link’s eyes, the bags under them drooped like a weeping willow. Kobb, Sledge and Zayl weren’t faring much better. The Lizalfos wanted out of this freezing climate - as they were almost out of heat potions. The Bokoblin dragged its feet, its bandages haphazardly dangling off its arms and legs. The Moblin had to shake its head back and forth constantly just to stay awake. Meanwhile, Ganondorf was as happy as a clam. He gently sauntered next to the rest, whistling as he walked. The stink eyes Link passed to him were obvious, and he took slight revelry in it.

“Come on now,” he said with an air of sarcasm that made Link grit his teeth, “we’ve got to move faster if you want to find your Wizzrobe friend.”

“You said you would take your leave earlier,” Sledge snapped back, “and yet you are still clinging onto us like a burr.”

Ganondorf let out a hearty laugh and met eyes with Sledge.

“I was, but this Wizzrobe you talked about piqued my curiosity. I, myself, have always had an affinity to the magic arts. I would love to see how Wizzrobes have progressed since I last saw them - especially one that broke free from Demise.”

Link eyed the Gerudo King suspiciously. He took a swig from the canteen, never breaking eye contact with the man. 

“Besides, this is still the quickest route to Gerudo Valley. Might as well tag along. Makes it more interesting, heh.”

Before Link could retort, they all heard the echo of an ear-piercing scream coming from the top of the mountain. Snow was shaken off of the nearby tree branches as the company covered their ears. It subsided after a few seconds, but the air began to stir with heavy unease. Then, as if a hive of hornets was knocked to the ground, dozens of figures peppered the horizon - just barely viewable in the light of dawn. They were Wizzrobes. It was like a migration of birds, perfectly in sync and steadily flying to their destination like marching soldiers. 

“Rezek, what did you do…”

“It looks like your Wizzrobe friend has been busy.”

“At least we can let them do all the work for us.”

“Yes…we follow the Wizzrobes, they lead us to Rezek.”

“Rezek…wherever you are, please stay safe.”

…

Rezek had already begun to set off, baby Wizzrobe carried like a knapsack, when it heard the faint screeching of the Elder. Fingers dug into its shoulders as the small Ice Wizzrobe was violently awakened. That was the least of Rezek’s concerns as it saw the horde of nearly every Wizzrobe in Hyrule begin to convene near Mount Lanayru. With clenched teeth Rezek considered its options.

It was expecting anger from The Calamity, but not to this degree. Initially, it had planned to pass through Kakariko Village. Right now it was the only major settlement in Hyrule on its side, but after what it saw it just couldn’t risk it. There would be too much collateral damage. Asking the Sheikah to defend against this many forces of The Calamity was too much. They might even expect the Wizzrobe to flee there. It still had one hope left, one promise of sanctuary that it could reach, but it would take a few days minimum just to reach it. This was also a place The Calamity would never expect it to go in a million years. If it left Lanayru as fast as possible, it could get out of the danger zone and buy some time before the company of Wizzrobes spread out. It would head south of the Promenade - cutting through West Necluda then heading north again. 

Before it took off from the ground once more, it heard the wispy stirrings of complaints in its ear. But it was not prepared for the worlds that filled its head.

“Rezek…I am sleepy…what happened?”

The baby Ice Wizzrobe remembered its name. It was also close to making full sentences. Once again it had only been hours since it last awoke and the information it had retained was staggering. Rezek glanced back and saw the half-shut snowy blue eyes of the tiny Wizzrobe. They shone with a childlike innocence that made Rezek’s body ache. It did not ask to be thrown into this world and it was already in-between one of the ugliest conflicts monsterkind will likely see. It was Rezek’s responsibility to ensure with absolution the small one did not end up like them.

“We are on the run, young one,” it said quietly as it kept to places out of sight as other Wizzrobes filled the air, “and we need to get out of this valley soon.”

“Ahh…” it said back, not fully understanding. Curiously it looked to the sky, too. A wide smile beaming across its face at the scene.

“Wizzrobes!” it chimed with glee, pulling out an arm and pointing upwards, “So many!”

Rezek let out a deep sigh and headed for the south plateau of the Promenade - up a waterfall that led into Necluda. Confused whines came from the Ice Wizzrobe.

“Nghh…Rezek! Why are we going away?” it asked, shuffling backwards in the pouch and grasping to the numerous Wizzrobes that grew smaller and smaller. Rezek’s eyes darkened as it tightly clutched its robe.

“Because, young one,” it said softly and deliberately, “they are the ones we are on the run from.”

…

“Why are the Wizzrobes chasing us, Rezek?”

This was the fifth time the Ice Wizzrobe had asked, but Rezek was willing to explain as many times as it could. However many it took for the smaller Wizzrobe to understand. Although, it would be lying if it said it wasn’t slightly miffed from the barrage of questions. At the very least it was thankful there was something to take a load off its mind as the two sneaked by Fort Hateno and towards Kakariko Bridge.

“Because you were born, young one. When Wizzrobes are born, they’re brought to the center of this land and trained to be soldiers.”

“Why?”

“Because The Calamity wants to maintain its control over all monsters.”

“Why?”

“Like I have said before, for power and rule. The promise of power is dangerous, young one. Remember that. There is never power that comes without a price. You will always pay for being stronger. And the more power you want, the steeper the cost…”

“Ahh…”

Rezek then turned around to the Ice Wizzrobe with a tired mischievous smile on its face.

“Now I have a question for you, since you seem to have too many of those. How can you speak so clearly? How have you said words in our language that I have not spoken to you, yet?”

The young Wizzrobe’s mouth hung wide open in pondering, thoroughly stumped. Its tiny hands pressed on its temple as it shook its head weakly.

“I…do not know…I see it. In my head. The words. I know them. There are so many…I can’t grab them all. Why?”

Rezek chuckled and lightly rubbed the tiny Wizzrobe’s head. That seemed to calm it down and it looked at Rezek with sorrowful eyes as light blue magic essence welled up near the corners. Rezek thought back to…that one Fire Wizzrobe’s words: You were taught that language, but I created it. Yet, our language is the same . Even without the Malice, the language of monsters seemed to be written in the magic that flows through them.

“Everything doesn’t need an answer, young one. Take solace in knowing what you know now, and look forward to what you’ll learn in time.”

The hike across Necluda continued in silence for a few more minutes until the Ice Wizzrobe once again spoke up.

“Rezek…can I have a name, too?” it asked with eager eyes twinkling like the sun hitting a freshly fallen snowbank.

The Wizzrobe was hit with a sudden familiar warmth. Melancholic memories rose in front of its eyes and it tried its best to speak without a choked tongue. It was waiting for the day the young one would ask, but it was not prepared for that question this early.

“Of course, young one,” it said with a cracky voice, biting its lower lip with a strained smile, “but it has to be one you choose for yourself.”

“Oooo that’s hard…” it said back, resting its chin on Rezek’s shoulder.

Rezek glanced down at it with a cheekier grin. “You should give some time to think about it. Maybe take a little sleep” it said, pulling the blanket over the Ice Wizzrobe’s head.

“Mmhmm…”

Perhaps it was the thoughts of choosing a name, or the soft running water as they passed under Kakariko Bridge, but the young one did just that and passed right out. Heavy breathing and snores filled Rezek’s left ear as it kept moving. It could find a safe spot near Dueling Peaks and rest there for the night - the orange sunset softly reflecting off the water in shimmering hues.

…

Rezek sat with the small Wizzrobe under some tree cover looking to the west - reveling in the sight of the dozens of Wizzrobes swirling around Mount Lanayru. The evening meal was much more substantial than the prior day - the Wizzrobes having found a small grove of apple trees. What barely resembled apple cores littered the ground around them, the sharp bite marks more of a serrated knife than teeth. The remaining rations helped round out the dinner, but the Ice Wizzrobe had almost become addicted to the first sweet thing it had tasted in its life. Rezek had to hold the young one back for fear of letting it indulge too much for its own good.

In truth Rezek had picked this spot not to watch the sunset, but to keep a watchful eye on the platoon of The Calamity's Wizzrobes searching for their heads. Tonight’s rest was planned to be cut short as well - heading out when it was no longer certain they were still after the red herring it had dubiously created. Still, that did not make the sunset any less breathtaking. Rezek did notice something awfully peculiar. The scraps of its robe it used to carry the newborn Wizzrobe had changed. Somehow the threads had woven together on their own to give the ice Wizzrobe its own cloak - complete with sleeves and hood. Very likely this was a result of the little one’s subconscious magic. This gave Rezek an idea. It brought itself back into the air and outstretched its hand to the small Wizzrobe.

“Let’s see what magic you can do, young one.”

The other Wizzrobe was apprehensive, but still grabbed Rezek’s hand nonetheless. Gently, it was pulled up into the air by the larger Wizzrobe and swayed from Rezek’s arm like a kite in the wind. Most of it was not of its own magic, but Rezek’s - channeling through its arm. The small one held on tighter and it started to sag down to the ground.

“Careful, careful,” Rezek instructed, “Don’t be scared. Let the magic cushion the air under you. Imagine yourself surrounded in a tunnel of wind.”

The Ice Wizzrobe meekly nodded and closed its eyes. With a deep breath it steadied its hands and let the magic flow through its body. Cold air currents were sent from the top of its head, then up around and down - forcing hotter air to give it an uplift. Before the Wizzrobe knew it, its legs were facing the ground but it couldn’t feel any dirt or grass on its feet. Slowly it opened one eye to see itself floating all on its own - Rezek having let go. The shock made it momentarily lose concentration, sending it plummeting to the earth and landing softly but without balance. The young one fell onto its back with a soft poomf .

“You were doing great, but you thought about it too much.” Rezek said with a slight chuckle, “After enough tries floating through the air becomes second nature. Like walking is to the rest of the monsters and Hylians.”

The Ice Wizzrobe pulled tufts of dry grass from the ground - tossing the browning plants into the air as its way of having a small conniption.

“It is difficult…” it said with a slightly grumbly voice.

“Just keep at it, young one,” Rezek said, offering a hand to pull it up again, “one day you will wake up and not even notice you’re floating.”

Rezek pulled up the other Wizzrobe again, but this time let it rest on the ground.

“Now it’s time to talk about the other magic we Wizzrobes have. I want you to close your eyes again and ignore every other sound, every other feeling around you. Take a moment to listen to what’s in your body.”

The Ice Wizzrobe complied and took steady breaths as it concentrated solely on its inner being. The evening bird calls were the most distracting surrounding noise, but the young one drowned it out all the same. Slowly it began to see the magic that flowed through its body. It was like a wispy blue essence that went from the top of its head all the way down to the tips of its fingers. It wasn’t cold nor was it warm, but a presence of energy that gave the Wizzrobe life. With each inhale and exhale, the small Wizzrobe surged the magic in and out, in and out. The magic was almost begging to be released, flowing through its body to look for any exit. With great hesitation, the Ice Wizzrobe focused that desperation to the palms of its hands. It didn’t feel like it was releasing its own magic, but more so trading with the magic outside. An exchange of equilibrium. The Wizzrobe opened its eyes to see it surrounded by a snowglobe of ice crystals - the ground beneath it crunchy like the morning after an early freeze. Its face lit up like a candle as the evening sun bounced to each floating snowflake. Looking to Rezek for approval, it was met with a soft nod and a smile.

“Yes, you understand. Magic is something that can be quite beautiful. But, there is one very important thing I need to show you.”

Rezek gingerly pulled out its Thunderstorm Rod. The Malice core in the center was nearly completely inert, and it was not planning on using it any time soon. The Ice Wizzrobe’s eyes ballooned in wonder as it saw the intricacies adorning the wand and felt its magical presence.

“This is a weapon that amplifies any magic you put into it tenfold. It will get you immediate results. It will satisfy those that want immediate results. But it is a dangerous road to take. It is the quick and easy path. It will never get you to a place where your own hands couldn’t. I will show you the difference right here and now.”

Rezek took a few steps back and looked to a clearing in the small woods they were under. With a swish of its wrist, the Thunderstorm Rod let loose a mighty lightning bolt that soared between the trees and obliterated a small boulder just outside. The young Wizzrobe clapped with delight, but Rezek wasn’t done with its presentation. It fastened the rod to its belt, unused, then clasped its hands together. When it pulled them apart, numerous sparks began to arc between its palms and fingers. Bringing its hands further apart, the sparks looked almost stretched like putty. They then began to encircle Rezek as it commanded the surrounding lightning like a conductor. The maelstrom of electricity only got stronger and stronger as fierce winds created a crater of grass surrounding it. Rezek looked to the clearing again and brought a single hand up in a claw-like position. The young one looked with absolute awe - preparing for the lightning to strike with ten times the ferocity. However, Rezek did not release and brought its hands back to neutral. It clearly took immense strain and control to slowly uncoil the raw energy flowing through its body, but eventually all the sparks dissipated. For the Ice Wizzrobe, it was even more impressive than if it had just released the lightning. This helped it truly comprehend the responsibilities of magic. Rezek took a minute to take deep breaths before walking back to the young one.

“That…is what we can do when we are not confined to clubs - when we are not forced under the Malice. This is why the rest of our kind is forced on these.” Rezek said as it patted softly on its Thunderstorm Rod. “We are being held back. The Calamity wants us to be nothing but weapons - easy to make, easy to throw out. It took me a long time before I saw just how much we Wizzrobes have lost to this. That is my gift to you, young one. I am teaching you what I learned so you don’t have to go through the same ordeals as I.”

The Ice Wizzrobe nodded, totally enamored with what it just saw and heard. It didn’t fully understand, but it felt the conviction in Rezek’s voice. Slowly it looked down at its own hands and mimicked the motion its mentor did just minutes ago. As it pulled its hands apart, wisps of cold air spun around - creating a floating cluster of ice crystals. It then released the tiny amount of magic it had stored, letting the cluster explode in a harmless shower of ice flakes. The widest smile beamed across its face and Rezek was once again dumbstruck. It had picked up on everything so fast. Was this Wizzrobe special, or was this what happened when newborn Wizzrobes were given the chance to develop Malice-free?

“I…I think I have a name, now.” it said softly, holding a hand on its chest. Rezek leaned forward, waiting for what the young one would say.

“Can…can I be Ashen?”

In their language, ash was a word for snow - ironically completely different from the Hylian word. While shen was a descriptor for something pillowy or with a lot of give. Roughly translated it would mean soft snow . It was a perfect name. Rezek slowly got down on the ground to where it was head-height and wrapped its arms around the younger Wizzrobe. It was never one for hugging, but there were always its exceptions. Magic essence poured from its eyes as Ashen’s arms slowly wrapped around Rezek as well.

“Yes. Of course you can, Ashen,” it said quietly, “It is a wonderful name.”

Chapter Text

It was well into the hours of the night and the Elder of Ice hovered a comfortable distance away from the other two Elder Wizzrobes. The Elder of Fire clenched at its robe, hesitant to be in such a frigid region. A small glow of the company’s rods were the only source of light atop Mount Lanayru. Something was off, and the Elders could feel it. The defector couldn’t have gone far, with the mountain and surrounding valley swarming with magical presence. It was probably holed up in some cave - cowering in fear and waiting for the end. The thought gave the Elder of Lightning a murderous grin, but they had to find it first. It was an eventuality - with nearly every Wizzrobe in Hyrule called to the cause. Yet, the optimism was quickly wiped off its face as several Wizzrobes floated up for their report. They were noticeably absent a traitor and a newborn. Instead, all that was clutched in their hands were clusters of Shock Arrows. 

“These were everywhere coming down the mountain,” one of the lesser Wizzrobes said, “it followed a path that ended near the snowfield.”

The eyes of the Elders went wide. Even in the low light they could see the tips of the arrowheads crackle and burst - like they had magic infused in them. This was Rezek’s breadcrumb trail. While it was not keen on using a bow, the magical properties of Shock Arrows interested it enough to have a small bundle stashed away. Zayl didn’t work well with electricity so it had never asked for them, either. By creating a false trail then doubling back, the Wizzrobes would sense the electricity from the arrows as a false positive. The Elder of Lightning balled its fists so tight magic essence leaked from its palms.

“We have been played for fools!” it hissed with rage. Its head snapped to the other two Elders - looking just as mad as the first.

“Split up your monsters and fan out! We will go west. Fire Wizzrobes head north, Ice Wizzrobes head south! We have wasted enough time finding the defector! We must intercept before it teaches the new one too much!”

A windy maelstrom kicked up half the snow on the mountain as all the Wizzrobes simultaneously took off at lightning speed.

…

Ashen lazily awoke to the soft howling of the wind as it felt the floaty descent of a soft fall. Slivers of its eyes opened to a barely lit world - its face planted on a soft robe as gravity aided its grip. It took notice of something supporting its legs, which it soon recognized when it sleepily pulled its head up. Rezek was giving it a piggy-back ride, the newborn Wizzrobe already grown too big to be carried like a knapsack. Ashen was still about a third of the height of a full-grown Wizzrobe, but it had quite the magical growth spurt compared to yesterday. From the dim light, Ashen could see the near infinite expanse of Hyrule plains - undulating like waves in the late-night wind. It glanced behind it and saw an impassable rock wall Rezek was descending from.

“Rezek…” it said with a sleepy yawn, “are we going somewhere else?”

Without looking back Rezek nodded sternly.

“Yes, Ashen. The other Wizzrobes are on the move, so we shall be too.” it said with a stiff breath. Concentration was key in slowly floating down from Dueling Peaks, especially when carrying a young Wizzrobe.

“Ahh…” Ashen said back. That’s right. Its name was Ashen now. It felt nice to be called that. It looked to the east again but the mountain face was covering too much to see if the sky was full of floating figures once again. More questions bore into its mind once again as the grogginess wore off. The insatiable hunt for knowledge ran through Wizzrobes’ bodies, and Ashen was no different.

“Rezek…how are you different from the other Wizzrobes? The ones that want to…force me to fight?”

The tips of Rezek’s feet danced just above the water of Nabi Lake below as it let out the most pained sigh in its life. It looked down at the still pool to see the pure white light of the moon illuminating its visage. Two sets of eyes stared back at it: its own bright yellow eyes and Ashen’s soft blue pupils. Rezek forced its own eyes shut and bit its lower lip. Maybe it was finally time to talk to someone else about it, but that would mean opening the old wound once again. Still, Ashen deserved an answer. It had always hoped the first one it told would be Sledge, but that was before it found a Wizzrobe child on its back.

“Let me tell you a story, Ashen,” it said, magic essence already welling up near its eyes, “about a brave Wizzrobe named Frifer.”

…

Impa and Paya woke up to the sound of desperate knocking on their door. Paya gingerly opened the door, lamp in hand, only to be surprised at the sight of Link and the monsters at her front door. 

“O-oh! Link! A-and the others!” she said with surprise as their exhausted faces illuminated under the weak lantern. Behind her followed Impa - both in their nightgowns. She glanced at the company behind Link, taking notice of the new arrival with slight skepticism.

“Link, you sure love to surprise us at ungodly hours…and you seem to be missing a member. Where is your Wizzrobe friend?”

Link’s heart sank. “So Rezek didn’t come by here?” he said, leaning weakly on a nearby wooden beam.

Impa shook her head. “If it did, I would have certainly noticed.”

Throwing his hands up into the air, Link turned to the rest of the group. Kobb and Zayl were a nervous wreck, with Sledge the only one that seemed still composed. It crossed its long arms silently - drumming its fingers pensively. Despite how much its body was craving sleep, it fought it off to think of any other place Rezek would flee to. Clearly whatever it was going through was dire enough to not even hold itself out in Kakariko Village. Impa chuckled to herself slightly.

“Perhaps you slugabeds should be more like Sledge. It doesn’t seem deterred.” she said with a tired grin. 

Ganondorf, who had been mostly hanging back, saw an opportunity and took it. He strolled up to Link and placed his elbow square on his shoulder - showing the stark height difference between the two. 

“She’s right, Link. Don’t tell me you’re throwing in the towel this early? Where’s that indomitable spirit I’ve known for so long?” he said, glaring down with a smirk. Link met him in the eyes with a fire that could roast a Goron.

“Must you be the bane of me even now?” he said, having half a mind to headbutt him right there.

Ganondorf leaned in closer, his grin getting wider. “Apologies…force of habit. It’s a little too easy, you know I have to. I gotta get my licks in when I can - now that I have to behave.”

Kobb rolled its eyes, begging for the day Ganondorf would ditch the party. It had enough of that Gerudo King over the past day and a half.

“You two can bicker more when we find Rezek” it said with an increasingly aggravated tone, “we need to ask why it wouldn’t seek shelter here, too.”

Zayl was the first to look up and made a loud grawp in surprise. All heads turned to the partial moon, which illuminated a haunting sight. The torrent of Wizzrobes circling Mount Lanayru were dispersing - scattering in different directions like a plate smashing on the ground. About a third of them were headed directly over Kakariko. Chills ran down everyone’s spine and Zayl forcefully gulped.

“Rezek may not have come here because of that” the Lizalfos quietly said. Its posture was meek and low to the ground, but its claws still hovered slowly over its bow with anticipation.

Kobb grunted and nervously cracked its knuckles.

“Rezek…I have not seen The Calamity this mad since we first met up. What did you do? Were you afraid to bring all of them here?” it asked an empty audience. Impa hid a small smirk.

“It was a foolish decision indeed, but that shows how much it cares. We’d be able to handle it, no problem, but it didn’t want to drag us into whatever it’s going through. Yes…I can sense great turmoil. Something is shifting, the tides are turning in our favor as we speak…”

Link stepped forward. “How?” he said in disbelief, “I thought we could end things here and now, but all we accomplished was getting stuck with the enemy of my very being! Who conveniently lost his kingdom-ending powers right when he switched sides!”

Ganondorf made a sarcastic little wave with three of his fingers from the back of the pack.

“Everything feels two steps forward, two steps back! Even with the Divine Beasts! Gods, I don’t see how we can make progress short of a miracle…”

Suddenly, Sledge’s eyes shot open - largely ignoring the conversation around it. The exhaustion had all but vanished from its eyes as it got a brief moment of clarity.

“I know where Rezek is going” it said in its deep booming voice that cut through the air like butter. Link turned back and forth to see Impa smiling more than ever.

“Like I said, you should take a page from Sledge’s book. But first, you should take a quick rest. Just a few hours, tops. It’s amazing how much a simple nap can do.”

No one could deny her grandmotherly smile and they all begrudgingly went through the door. There was no sense in heading to Rezek if they were too tired to fight when they actually arrived. Before Paya closed the door, she took one last look at the sky above. The Wizzrobes that passed overhead seemed to be ignoring them. That was good. They were too tunnel-visioned on Rezek to worry about the largest Sheikah settlement in Hyrule.

“Rezek, you better be alright…” she whispered to herself as the door slammed shut.

…

Rezek floated across Nabi Lake - the tips of its feet narrowly missing the turbulent splashes of water as a harsh wind blew across the land. The distinct lack of stars in the west horizon meant there was heavy cloud cover arriving. Small flashes of light in the distance followed by soft rumbles gave it enough clues to know what came next. Still, it recounted its somber tale to the small Wizzrobe on its back.

“You see, Ashen. There was once a Fire Wizzrobe known as Frifer. Frifer was strong. Frifer was powerful. With just its hands it could make magic rivaling anything a Wizzrobe could do with a rod. Yet, that’s not what Frifer wanted. It was much like you, Ashen. Frifer had eluded The Calamity for long enough that when it was taken to that castle, it already had its own name.”

Rezek pointed to Hyrule Castle - just barely visible through the treeline.

“It bounced through the air and had a smile that made you smile back. But The Calamity and the Elders did not want Frifer to be Frifer. They wanted it to be ‘Fire-14’. They wanted it to be the perfect soldier for Ganon’s army. The Elders and the other Wizzrobes did everything they could to beat the individuality out of that one Fire Wizzrobe. Through the crude clubs, or starvation, or their own magic: they brought Frifer to its knees.”

Ashen let out a frightened whimper and Rezek rubbed the top of its head to reassure it.

“But Frifer refused to give in. It did its own magic in secret. It played along to please the Elders and they were none the wiser. Perhaps it would have escaped that wretched castle and found a life for its own…had it not met a certain Electric Wizzrobe.”

A sharp gasp came from Ashen, but it kept listening. Rezek was nearing Eagle Bridge.

“This particular Wizzrobe was the same as all the others. Taken to Hyrule Castle after it sprung from the ground - and taught to hate from the day it learned how to speak. It was forced the name of Electric-14. Yet, it still had ambitions. Just not good ones. All it cared about was power. Being forced under The Calamity, from its point of view, was just a stepping stone to be the most powerful Thunder Wizzrobe in Hyrule. If that meant giving up its mind, that was seen as a worthy trade-off.”

Ashen clenched tighter onto Rezek’s robe - fingers trembling softly.

“But then something happened. Frifer and Electric-14 got a chance to be alone. To talk without any of the outside distractions. Frifer taught Electric-14 that there is another way to do magic. The right way. It helped Electric-14 come up with its own name - not one devoid of any feelings it was forced to use. And then it showed the Wizzrobe the beauty of music, and dancing.”

Two of the words Ashed didn’t understand, but it heard the whisperings of a melody in the wind. It was sad, yet sweet. Like a parting that must come to pass, but whose greeting led to happy memories. Soft magical tears welled up in its eyes as well.

“Frifer offered Electric-14 another option, a way out. To forgo to power promised to it, and escape from The Calamity’s clutches. Together. But the call of the Malice was too strong, and the Wizzrobe couldn’t do it. After all that had been done, not even Frifer could break through to it. Electric-14 had gone too far to think it could turn back. Even…even though everything it really needed was right in front of it. So it stayed. And so did Frifer.”

Rezek passed under the bridge and rested its hand on the cold cobblestone. It was exhausting to even speak as it recounted the story. Slowly, it gritted its teeth and marched on.

“This would be the biggest mistake Electric-14 had ever made in its life. The time came for all the new Wizzrobes to be brought under the Malice - completing their training as soldiers for The Calamity. One-by-one they lined up and let the Malice destroy their body from the inside so they could be reborn under the Blood Moon. Finally, Electric-14 had all the power it could ever ask for. But when it was brought back from death…Frifer was gone.”

Ashen made a small gasp and buried its face in Rezek’s shoulder.

“Soon everyone found out what happened. Frifer was also offered power beyond power, but it refused what The Calamity offered. It let itself die as its final slight against the being that stole everything else from it. Electric-14 tried to mourn, tried to even remember why it felt so sad at the dying Fire Rod stuck in the ground…but the Malice wouldn’t let it.”

Rezek stopped at a small island in the crossroads of two rivers. Just a little bit further to the next destination, but how much ground had the other Wizzrobes covered by now?

“It is obvious to say, but I was Electric-14, Ashen. I say ‘was’ because that is a name I have left behind. That Wizzrobe’s ideals of power and want were slowly replaced with mercy. Cooperation. Compassion. But even when I broke free from the Malice that bound me, I still had trouble understanding. I was gifted a second chance in the form of other friends - my fellow monsters. Ones that could show me once again that power isn’t everything. I just…I wish I could have seen it sooner.”

For a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard were the soft chirping of crickets and howling of the wind. Grass almost up to Rezek’s chin softly swayed in the breeze. Ashen’s grip on Rezek’s shoulders didn’t relent as it softly whimpered into its back.

“Rezek…I don’t want to go into the Malice. Don’t let them take me away…”

Slowly Rezek rubbed Ashen’s head again and made soft shushing sounds. The Ice Wizzrobe’s chin was gently lifted up as Rezek looked it straight in the eyes. The magic essence leaking from the corners of its eyes were wiped away with a thumb.

“As long as there is magic still in my body, I will keep you safe Ashen” it said with dire certainty. Ashen nodded back and they quickly moved on. The rumbling of thunder in the distance got louder.

…

Only a few minutes later, Rezek and Ashen were floating above the murky Bottomless Swamp. A sense of nostalgia came over the Electric Wizzrobe as it thought back to the last time it was here. So much had changed, so much of it had changed. The menacing skull-shaped rock seemed to stare at it as Rezek slowly floated over. It looked down at the bubbling brown swamp to see the logs Sledge had used to create a bridge still held - albeit a little rotten. Rezek couldn’t help but chuckle. This place would provide a great temporary pit-stop to the final destination, as well as a great chance for Rezek to clean house. It never got the chance to swing back around and grab more of its belongings when it set off with Kobb, Sledge, and Zayl. This whole time it had gotten by with just its rod, its magic, and the cloak on its back. There were plenty of goodies that might help when the inevitable fight of its life breaks out.

But the last thing it was suspecting when it approached was a small light shining in one of the eyes - with three Hylians gathered around a small lantern on the ground. They were all juvenile, with one whispering to the other two as she made extravagant motions with her hands.

“Who are they?” Ashen said loudly without thinking. Immediately the three Hylians’ faces whipped around to one of the eye-windows - the dinky lantern light illuminating Rezek’s face enough for them to get a good view.

“AAIIIIIEEEE A MONSTER!!” they all screeched in unison as they scrambled in the dark for wherever they put their weapons.

Rezek desperately tried to shush them before they made too much of a racket.

“Shh! Shhhhh! Stupid Hylians, I’m not here to kill you! Be quiet!” it hissed. This caused one of the Hylians to stop in his tracks and look back at the Wizzrobe with a flabbergasted face. He grabbed the other two by their shirt collars.

“Wait! Aingsly, Carson! I recognize that voice!” he said as he leaned in further to get a closer look.

“You’re the Hermit! The one that saved my life! The Hermit was a Wizzrobe?”

The other Hylians also grinded to a halt as they looked in disbelief. Rezek rolled its eyes and let out a loud huff. It, too, recognized the Hylian. Reeds’ crooked glasses stuck out too much to forget.

“I told you my name is Rezek, but yes. Now you understand why I didn’t want you to see my face.”

Aingsly pried Reede’s hand off her collar and rubbed her bruised neck. “Huh, so you did almost drown, Reeds. I thought you made that up to save face from how dirty you were” she said and was met with a punch on the shoulder.

“When we came back to try to apologize a few days later, there was no one here,” Carson said remorsefully, “we figured what we called the Hermit left after that whole incident so we kinda…made this our own little hideout.”

Rezek eyed them suspiciously and drummed its fingers on its arm. It wasn’t upset, but it was surprised they even came back after how it scared them last time. Carson immediately raised his hands in a peace gesture.

“We didn’t take any of your stuff! It’s still…wherever you left it…in case you came back for it. We just wanted a place to hang out away from…well everything” he said with reassurance.

“Well…thank you for respecting my belongings, at least. I wasn’t expecting to see you three here, either.”

Ashen watched with eyes as wide as dinner plates. This was the first time it had seen a Hylian before - and so close to boot. As Rezek softly floated inside the skull rock, Ashen swiveled its head back and forth like an owl to take it all in. The small Wizzrobe was placed gently on the ground, Rezek making a big stretch and rubbing its back, then darting over to a small crate near a mushy pile of hay.

“You all should probably leave - for your own safety. I don’t want to drag you into my current spat with every Wizzrobe in Hyrule” it said, using its Thunderstorm Rod as a small source of light as it rummaged around.

The three Hylian teens didn’t pay attention to Rezek, too focused on Ashen sitting in the middle of the room.

“Hey there, little guy!” Aingsly said, reaching a hand out, “what’s your name?”

Ashen stared at her with vacuous eyes, grasping softly at her index finger.

Rezek looked back and let out an exasperated sigh. “The young one doesn’t know any Hylian, but it goes by Ashen. Also did you not hear me? If you’re not prepared to fight a horde of Wizzrobes you three should head home.”

Reeds pulled at his collar. “That’s not really an option for us. See, there’s been a huge increase in Stall numbers for the past few days.”

“The Stall?” Rezek said with grave concern, its eyes widening. 

Carson nodded. “Yep. Can’t go more than a few steps from any settlement or campfire without getting jumped by them. Their numbers have been nowhere near this bad…makes you scared of sleeping without a light.”

A lump formed in Rezek’s throat. Did this have to do with their recent escapades? It certainly would have to discuss this with Kobb and the rest when they regrouped. Aingsly was still occupied with the tiny Ice Wizzrobe.

“Ashen” she said, pointing to it. Ashen nodded with a toothy smile. She then pointed to herself. “Aingsly…”

“Ang-sli” it said, pointing back to her. They both clapped in delight, which Rezek couldn’t help but smile at. 

“Never seen a baby Wizzrobe before…” Reeds said, leaning in closer to Ashen as well.

Rezek continued to pack various items in its satchel. “I doubt any Hylian has. Consider yourselves lucky - you’re probably the first. And it’s also the reason every Wizzrobe in Hyrule is after us. The Calamity doesn’t take kindly to defectors - much less ones that steal its cannon fodder.”

On-cue thunder rumbled even closer than before. Carson made a low whistle. “I assumed as much when you didn’t shock us on sight.”

With everything it needed, Rezek hurried over to Ashen and handed it a glass vial with a dark blue liquid inside.

“Drink up, young Ashen” it said, helping the Wizzrobe steady its hands as it downed the potion, “Ice Wizzrobes cannot handle extreme heat well. In case we run into fire magic, this will protect you.”

Ashen sputtered as it swallowed the bitter drink. It was then handed an apple slice as a reward for being a good sport, which it promptly devoured.

“I’m headed outside for a few minutes,” Rezek said, floating over to the entry arch, “I need to see how soon we must depart. Sleep can wait. We’re so close.”

The second it floated out Rezek felt a light drizzle dancing on the top of its head. The sky was as black as pitch - the moon and stars completely obscured. A storm was definitely brewing, it was just a matter of when it would reach here. Really, this meant Rezek should’ve left 5 minutes ago. Yet as it hovered slightly above the cold stone in the night air, it couldn’t shake this feeling of immense dread. Its nerves were screaming at it that the Wizzrobe was in danger, but it couldn’t tell if that was its nerves or intuition. It looked to the direction of Mount Lanayru, but even the sky above there was now cloaked in thick cloud cover. The crickets that once filled the ears with nightly ambience were dead quiet - the wind Rezek’s only companion out there. And it was getting louder.

The sky flashed with lightning, and they were suddenly visible.

Rezek was surrounded. Floating like reapers all around Bottomless Swamp were at least a few dozen Wizzrobes. They were only in Rezek’s vision for half a second but it could count every last one of them before the darkness returned. It didn’t stay for long, as every direction lit up with bright yellow lights. First, the two murderous eyes of each Wizzrobe - tinted with the red of Malice. Second, each of their magic rods that arced electricity between the menacing spikes adorning the sides. They shone like a swarm of fireflies and their high-pitched laughs reverberated through the empty swamp. Bloodlust filled the air.

It was too late. Rezek was pinned like a rat.

Keeping its back to the entrance, the lone Wizzrobe made a fighting stance. As a response, several lightning bolts shot out from the Wizzrobe-dome surrounding Rezek. Effortlessly, it deflected them with its bare hands - even returning a few to sender and causing a burst of Malice to explode before dissipating quickly into the dark. Even Electric Wizzrobes weren’t totally immune to their own magic.

“Hold! Hold!” shouted a shrill voice from the ranks and the volley stopped. From the group came a particular intimidating Wizzrobe. Its body gave off a luminous glow and Rezek recognized it instantly. It was the Elder of Lightning. Its almost canine-scowl turned into a murderous grin as it approached Rezek. 

“Hello, Electric-14. You have been quite the thorn in our side for too long, wouldn’t you say? And I am going to relish this moment where we put you down like the wretched dog you are.”

Rezek hissed at the Elder, sending sparks across its fingertips to show just what it was capable of now.

“You will call me Rezek, you old dud. I defy the name you placed on my head and forced down like knives. And I defy that curse you place on every Wizzrobe you get your hands on!”

A low tsk tsk tsk came from the Elder.

“Such impudence. It was clear that the problem Wizzrobe rubbed its flawed existence on you. Fire-14, yes. What a waste of potential, just like you.”

Rezek snarled even louder and steam huffed from its sharp teeth. The light drizzle picked up to be smaller raindrops.

“You will call it by its true name. Frifer. And Frifer was ten times the Wizzrobe that you all were! You are all nothing but sacks of Malice with eyes! At least Frifer had purpose that wasn’t serving something else!”

The Wizzrobe’s words struck a nerve as jeers and hisses surrounded it. Small bolts of lightning flew around and past Rezek from every which way, but it held firm. The murderous grin of the Elder widened.

“Brash talk for a dead Wizzrobe. And you deserve to be punished severely for your treachery. I am giving you two choices, Electric-14. Choose a short and quick death without a fight, and we will take the newborn without incident. But fight back, cast one singular lightning bolt, and it’s over. We will hold you down, and we will make you beg for death. We will teach you the true meaning of pain - and we will force the new Wizzrobe to witness it all.”

A sharp gasp came from Rezek. From there, it felt only primal rage. Its hands balled up into fists as they shook uncontrollably. This was not Malice talking. If it was up to the Malice it would be dead and buried already. This pure hatred came solely from the Elder’s rotten soul.

“What will it be, Electric-14? You do not have much time to choose…”

Rezek glanced back, its eye movements unseen in the dark. In its peripherals, it could see the three Hylians and Ashen cowering in fear. There had to be a way out of this. Nothing was hopeless. It imagined a clear picture of Ashen, of Sledge, Kobb, Zayl, and Link. Dying was not an option. Nothing it stuffed into its satchel was of any use, but there was one more trick up its sleeve. Subtly it floated backwards, feigning fright, to where it was just barely outside of the stone skull. Rezek brought its chin up high and held its hands behind its back in the most dignified manner it could muster.

“Do you know what I think, Elder? I think you’re afraid to die. I think you’re all afraid to die.”

Furiously it began making hand signals behind its back. Its only hope was that the three Hylians picked up on what it was trying to say. Aingsly made a slight gasp and ran to the one thing she and the rest displaced from Rezek’s house when they made it their hideout. Meanwhile Carson had to hold Ashen back - desperately trying to prevent it from running outside.

The Elder of Lightning was taken aback. A response like that was the last thing it expected.

“Time is running out for you, Electric-14! Why does a traitor like you care about what we superior Wizzrobes think?”

Rezek hid a slight smirk and a glint appeared in its eye under the low lighting.

“Wizzrobes have a limited number of resurrections, don’t they? There’s only so many times a being made completely of magic can get stitched back together until it all falls apart.”

Whispered murmurs could be heard all around it, and Rezek knew it had them hooked. The Elder looked around frantically and tried to take control of the situation.

“Mind your tongue, defiler! Now choose, do you wish to die peacefully or painfully?”

Rezek could see the cracks in the Elder’s armor. Even it couldn’t resist to hear more.

“Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, and Wizzrobe. Under the Malice, we are the only ones where new life is still created. Yet, our numbers are the fewest out of all of them. Why? At this point we should outnumber the Hylians! But we don’t.”

The whispers grew to chatters and the Elder of Lightning gritted its teeth so hard it could feel the strain. The lingering thought Rezek had brought front and center was always in their heads, but it didn’t feel real until spoken out loud.

“The simple fact is that after enough times, we die for good. None of you fools have put it together because you do not think of each other as fellow Wizzrobes, only as leaves on a branch! But every leaf must fall eventually. So here I ask all of you, how many times have you died and been brought back? Five? Ten? Twenty-five? 

Some of the Wizzrobes even began counting on their fingers.

“How about you, Elder. How many times has the Malice sown your wretched body back together and forced your soul into it? Has it been more painful each time? The Malice has tainted you all on the promise of eternal life and power. But it’s not even one The Calamity can keep. Are you terrified of the day that you’re in the ground for good? Because I’m not. You live each life with reckless abandon tricked into believing you get as many as you want. While I make sure every day of mine will be one I am proud of - should it be my last. That is what it means to live, and you are all nothing but husks of magic and hate without it!”

The steadily growing babbling of the surrounding Wizzrobes was suddenly silenced - leaving them with the soft pitter-patter of the rain and rolling thunder.

“Do you think that will stop us from cutting you down where you stand?! Do you think that speech will make us show mercy ?”

From the darkness, Reeds jumped out from behind Rezek and held its arms out wide. It stared right into the face of the intimidating Wizzrobe with a quivering lip.

“B-back off!” he shouted with a cracking voice, “I won’t let you hurt Rezek!”

The Elder scoffed.

“Hylian? Of course the defector would ally with that filth. Not even worth my magic.” it said as it delivered a hefty punch right into the boy’s gut. Reede went down fast - rain droplets coating his glasses. The Elder turned back to Rezek with a glare of ten thousand knives.

“Well? Do you?!”

This time it was Rezek’s turn to spread a shark-toothed grin across its face.

“Of course not. I was simply stalling for the storm to get here.”

In the blink of an eye, Rezek zoomed to the top of the skull rock. Jutting out of a small crack in the center was the blade of a claymore. This is what it signed to the three Hylians. When it lived at Bottomless Swamp it had jury-rigged a lightning rod using a rusty claymore for its own research, but the Hylian teens had removed it due to the hazard it posed to them. However, they still kept the claymore around and Aingsly frantically set it back up as Rezek gave its speech. This was the inch of breathing room it needed to get out of here alive. The Elder of Lightning and the surrounding Wizzrobes were too sluggish - their reactions dulled from the information bombshell they were given seconds ago. Rezek wrapped both hands around the metallic sword and called to the clouds above. The thunderheads that blanketed the sky discharged again, but Rezek was ready. Like a shepherd herds sheep, the Wizzrobe guided the lightning from the sky all the way down to the claymore clutched in its hands.

Contact.

Rezek felt the immediate surge of untold amounts of electricity entering its body. Its muscles tensed up - cutting its palms on the sword from the tighter grip and forcing its eyes shut. This was more than enough electricity to kill anything that wasn’t a Hinox or a Lynel, but Rezek knew how to exploit lightning and keep it away from the important bits. It was like water. It would always take the path of least resistance for release. Through this, lightning could be irrigated like a river. Elbows tucked close to its body, Rezek sent the lightning down its arms and into its stomach. Its eyes glowed gold from the sudden super-charge of energy. From here, it was just a matter of sending the lighting up and out.

Rezek opened its mouth.

A shriek echoed through Hyrule Field that was so loud it split the clouds under it. From Rezek’s mouth came a torrent of lightning and sparks - lashing out like tendrils and whips. The Elder was obliterated where it floated without a second of hesitation. Before the Malice could even dissipate from the air, Rezek swiveled around the claymore in a complete circle. The surrounding enemy Wizzrobes were promptly annihilated all the same. They simply couldn’t handle that much electricity surging through their bodies. After one full rotation, Rezek pried its hands from the claymore and launched itself to the ground - howling to the heavens above with its back to the stone. The rest of the lightning launched skyward from its mouth and broke the cloud cover, leaving Rezek the only thing illuminated by the dim moon.

When all was said and done, only half a dozen or less Electric Wizzrobes remained after Rezek’s onslaught. The lingering Malice that was once their entire battalion covered them like fog before disappearing into the darkness. For the first time that any of them could remember, they were truly afraid of death. Like roaches to light, they scattered in different directions through Hyrule field - more fearful of Rezek than The Calamity’s retribution.

Rezek stayed on the ground, the few stars in the sky reflecting in its bright yellow eyes. Its heavy breaths were not out of exhaustion, but sheer exhilaration. Whatever was the Wizzrobe equivalent of adrenaline, it was this. Unceremoniously, it rolled off the top of the skull rock and back to where it originally stood. Reeds was still curled up on the ground in pain, but he gave the Wizzrobe a thumbs-up with a smile. Rezek returned the grin and bent down to help the Hylian up. Without an exchange of words they steadily headed back into the shelter. Reeds did have a particular look on his face that said “now we’re even”.

When Ashen saw Rezek again, it pushed itself off the ground so hard that the wet rock where it stood formed ice crystals. The tiny Wizzrobe leapt into Rezek’s chest and wrapped its arms around its neck. Magical tears streamed down its cheeks and its soft whimpering was muffled by Rezek’s slightly singed cloak.

“I…I heard what they were going to do…” Ashen softly cried. Rezek softly rubbed its head once again and whispered reassuring things to the young one. After enough consoling, Ashen slowly crawled onto Rezek’s back - its eyes bluer than usual. The three Hylian teens looked at Rezek with a solemn understanding. There was no time for goodbyes. If that many Wizzrobes closed in on them in minutes, they had to leave now . Especially when Rezek’s stunt could be seen from every vantage point in Hyrule.

“Good luck” was all Aingsly said.

A small trail of sparks was all it left behind as Rezek bolted north-northeast.

…

Dawn was breaking over the horizon and Rezek had finally made it. The Wizzrobe once again found itself staring down the arches of trees that lead to Korok Forest. The rustle of leaves and bird calls gave that old sense of nostalgia Rezek was so accustomed to. Ashen didn’t know what to think of the new location. It felt safe but…there was a lingering suspicion - like there was much more to this forest that met the eye.

Rezek passed under the entranceway and the familiar gray fog seeped into its vision once again. It could feel the eyes of the forest peering down judgmentally. The last time it had left these woods were not on good terms. Undoubtedly there were numerous Koroks eyeing it from the treeline unseen - watching and waiting for what Rezek’s first move would be. The path of torches with a lit fire was still there, same as it always had been, but Rezek did not take the path to get out of the fog. Rather, it took off in a full-blown sprint straight into it.

“Wh-what are you doing, Rezek?” Ashen said into its ear. It was frightened by the mystery of what could possibly lie behind that fog. Rezek in return let out a small laugh.

“We are visiting an old friend” it said as it darted in-between the trees in the wrong direction. The fog creeped up past the Wizzrobe’s chest, with Ashen straightening its posture to avoid the mist going over its head. It was a fruitless endeavor as seconds later the two Wizzrobes were completely enveloped by the fog. For a brief moment it felt like they were dancing on air until the smoky vapor clouding their eyes dissipated, revealing they were in a completely new location. It was a secluded circle of trees - with an unknown figure sitting in front of them.

To Ashen, it had never seen this creature before. It had a flowing robe like it did, but its cloak extended past its arms like wings. It had the head of a large-beaked bird with plumage of countless colors. However, the colors were all but dulled out - hinting at their once brilliant hues. The feathers were patchy, missing multiple spots exposing a gray lumpy skin. Its eyes were much like Ashen’s, but with nowhere near the amount of life and vigor. Rezek stepped forward and bowed.

“Hello, Brine,” it said softly, “I have returned…”

The being perked up and a weak smile grew along its beak.

“Rezek…I knew that was you, heehee. I see you’re using our last meeting well…”

Chapter Text

The two Wizzrobes, their times spanning centuries or longer, stared face-to-face under the soft gray glow of the Lost Woods fog. While Brine showed its age back when it and Rezek had first met, it looked noticeably worse for wear. The bags under its eyes drooped with the severity only severe insomniacs would have. The patches in its feathers had crept past the start of its forehead - with the edges looking loose enough to be plucked out by the handfuls. Still, Brine kept its cheery and lighthearted smile as the usual laugh echoed throughout their little alcove.

“Heehaha…I see something new in your eyes, Rezek. Or something that was once there that is now gone. Whatever the case, you are no longer the Wizzrobe I saw leave the forest.”

Rezek gave a solemn grin then floated closer to the old Wizzrobe.

“You said it yourself, Brine, I was in good hands.”

Slowly Rezek let itself drift low enough to the ground that it kneeled on the soft dry grass. Ashen’s grip on its cloak relented and it peeked over the larger Wizzrobe’s back. Brine tilted its head to the side and reached with an outstretched arm. The tiny Wizzrobe looked up to Rezek for reassurance, to which it nodded. Ashen slowly approached Brine and let the older Wizzrobe’s sleeves pass over its palm. Brine took a deep breath, a surge of glowing specks surrounding it before letting Ashen’s hand swing back to its side. Another wistful laugh accompanied.

“You bring with you new blood of the land, and it is stronger than I have yet seen. But! There is still much for the young one to be taught.

Rezek nodded emphatically.

“You said we would meet one more time, and that is why I came,” Rezek said, leaning close towards Brine, “I have brought Ashen here for you to protect it, Brine. The Lost Woods are safe - a sanctuary in a land full of Malice. You can teach it your magic, too. The other Wizzrobes under The Calamity will not be able to detect it…”

Brine opened its mouth as if to say something with a surprised expression, before relaxing back to neutral with a deep sigh. Slowly it turned its head up to the treeline - causing Rezek to scoot even closer.

“Please, Brine!” it pleaded, “I don’t wish to part with the young one, but it must be done! Ashen must be kept safe, and this is the safest place for it! I flew all the way from Mount Lanayru to get here!”

The wrinkled eyes of the older Wizzrobe reflected a very haunting sadness as Brine winced, forcing itself off the ground. Its robe was much more tattered than before as it gave Rezek a melancholy smile.

“Heehee…I truly am sorry that you came all this way for little old me, Rezek. Because truthfully, I do not have much time left. I am dying.”

A sharp gasp drew between Rezek’s sharp teeth, its eyes going wide.

“What? What happened? Let me lend you some of my own magic!” it said, true panic in its eyes for the first time in a while. Brine simply shrugged and looked back to the treeline.

“Nothing happened. I am just old, Rezek. Too old heh heh. I have been dying for a while, but my body has held together just long enough. Just long enough to see this…heehee.”

An almost squeaky stutter came from the other Wizzrobe’s mouth - in pure disbelief. 

“B-but what about everything you were going to teach me? About your magic? So much will be lost to time!”

Brine couldn’t help but belt out a loud hearty laugh that echoed all throughout the trees.

“My magic? Rezek, you have already taught yourself everything I possibly could. Maybe more. That core of ancient evil on your belt lays as dormant as the anger that was once in your heart.”

Rezek’s head snapped down to the Thunderstorm Rod it had once relied on, the one it couldn’t live without. What was once seen as its great equalizer against The Calamity was now nothing more than an afterthought. The Malice core in the middle remained as black as tar. The whisperings of self-doubt that once plagued Rezek’s mind had all but vanished as well. It had never noticed the difference between each day, but only when it was on top of the hill could it see how far it was from the start. Brine gave it a smarmy smile before gazing back at the swaying leaves in the soft wind. Magical tears already began to well up in the corners of Rezek’s eyes - Ashen receding back to wrapping its arms around the other Wizzrobe’s leg.

“I am just happy that I finally got the chance to see my fellow monsters flourish,” Brine whispered, tears welling up in its own eyes, “to be the strong and hardy creatures we were meant to be - not the underlings of a malicious god. Yes, the tides are finally turning. If what I see is the future, then it is one I am glad to have helped create. Ah-hooo.”

Its eyes met the two Wizzrobes again and Rezek finally understood. Brine had been waiting this whole time. Biding its time until it could pass just a little of what it knew to those that deserved it. Still, Rezek had so many more questions.

“If you see the future then I must know: Will the rest of the monsters be free, too? Do we win?” Rezek asked, still uncertain of everything.

Brine let out another loud laugh that sounded more like a bird call before coughing and hacking, having to catch its breath.

“If I told you what might happen, it would change the outcome. And if it was a bad outcome, you would surely create the results yourself in trying to avoid it.”

Rezek looked away with gritted teeth - that being exactly what it didn’t want to hear. It felt its own hand get grabbed by Brine and it turned to see forlorn eyes staring back.

“Prophecy is not a gift, Rezek. It is often a curse. Do not attempt to look into the future - lest it stare back with the fury of all that should come to pass. Should your magic show you a glimpse of what’s to come, think carefully. Time is like a river. You cannot stop it, but you can change the trajectory - even if only slightly.”

A very harrowing unease shook Rezek’s body to the core before Brine began coughing more. Bits of yellow magical essence streamed from its beak before getting lost in the surrounding fog. The old Wizzrobe reeled over backwards before being caught by Rezek. Its eyes were nearly completely gray but its happy-go-lucky smile remained. Cradling Brine in its arms, Rezek felt something drop into its left hand. It was Brine’s wand - a humble ivory stick that looked more like a conductor’s baton.

“I truly am sorry, Rezek,” Brine said weakly after another few coughs, “but I am giving you one more task. Please bury this near the sea. A nice patch of ground where you can close your eyes and feel like you are back on the open ocean - the salty tang in your nose and mouth. You will feel the call to your ancient past when you are there.”

Rezek tried its hardest to hold back the waterworks, but it was still streaming magical essence over the coat of the older dying Wizzrobe. 

“Y-yes…yes I will.” it said, softly stashing the wand in its pockets.

“Ahh…good…” Brine said as it laid its head back more and sighed happily. The soft morning glow floated from the tops of the trees over its face. The wide leaves may have prevented it from seeing the sun for so long, but it could always feel its warmth.

“Is this how it feels? To plant the seeds to a tree you know you’ll never see blossom in the sunrise of tomorrow? Because it is wonderful, still.”

Rezek said nothing, but held onto Brine tighter. Ashen watched from over Rezek’s shoulder with its mouth hanging open in confused anguish. It didn’t know why it was so sad, yet the tears still fell. A soft golden glow emanated from Brine, but in the way light shines through a window. Small holes opened across its body painlessly and brightly colored wisps slowly flew out. It was finally time.

“Before I go…” Brine said weakly, “would you entertain this old Wizzrobe and sing with me? For one last song?”

Rather than fall more into mourning, Rezek grinned wide - showing all the teeth in its mouth.

“I would like nothing more.”

With Rezek tapping its foot on the grass for a 1-2-3 beat, the two Wizzrobes sang a duet. Rezek didn’t know the words, but the melody felt intimate. That same ancient call that had become so hauntingly familiar washed over it again. Like a branch on a tree, it felt itself being traced all the way back to its roots as it harmonized alongside Brine. With the rhymes fitted to Hylian dialect it would sound something like this:

Oh, there’s a hole that the sea left in me.

Yes, there’s a hole that the sea left in me.

From the day that my legs touched the land,

A part of me was lost to thee.

So there’s a hole that the sea left in me.

Gone are my days looking over the waves -

Landlocked and lost while my body decays.

So I spent all the rest of my days,

Longing that old salty breeze

Yes, there’s a hole that the sea left in me.

As the verse concluded, the last of Brine faded away into the fog with its soft smile and eyes being the last to go. A soft black cloak was left limp in Rezek’s arms as the soft touch of the wind fluttered through the woods. Ashen buried its head into Rezek’s shoulders with heavy sobs that it did not know the reason for. The older Wizzrobe’s slender hands gently rubbed Ashen’s head as it brought itself back to its feet and floating off the ground.

“Why?” was all Ashen could get between its heavy breathing, “why can’t I stop?”

Rezek forced its eyes shut and let its own tears flow freely.

“Because you can feel, Ashen,” it said with a strained voice, cracking several times a sentence, “but being s-sad is important. Sometimes to feel sad is better than to feel n-nothing at all.”

Ashen made a small nod, wiping the magic essence around its eyes on Rezek’s cloak. It would’ve cared about that a while ago, but there were more things to worry about than a dirty robe. Slowly, Rezek trudged back the way it came - back into the thick fog and leaving this magical realm behind for good.

…

Rezek exited the entrance to Lost Woods, sunlight beaming directly into its face, and the most harrowing sight came into view. Across the river was an entire battalion. Fire and Ice Wizzrobes dotted the sky like flocks of birds, but that was the least of Rezek’s concerns. They had brought in the artillery. Specifically: 3 Guardian Stalkers and 5 Guardian Skywalkers. They were far enough to not be an immediate threat, but the army and Rezek stared each other down for what seemed like hours. Neither made a move. There was no easy escape route, but the Hyrule Field behind it was vast and expansive. Regardless of its choices, this was the most outmatched fight Rezek had found itself in. Those in front could give their all. Rezek had to worry about Ashen on top of everything.

Yet, it stood firm.

The dark cloak of the late Wizzrobe Brine was tied into a circle and worn like a sash. In one final act of defiance, Rezek unfastened the Thunderstorm Rod off its belt. The Malice core was yanked out of the center and the rod tossed to the side like an apple core. Held tightly in its long fingers, Rezek gave the infernal ball of glass and hated one more stern look before tossing it up into the air as high as it could. Without even looking to the sky, the Wizzrobe sent a magnificent lightning bolt from its hands - streaking towards its target. Like fireworks, the Malice core exploded in a breathtaking shower of red and yellow before quickly dissolving in the air - any possible target too far away. Rezek looked to the army of The Calamity with a special kind of contempt in its eyes.

“Try to put me into the ground, now…”

Chapter Text

Through the faintest light of dawn, three horses and a peculiar Eldin Ostrich tore across eastern Hyrule Field. Two were noticeably hulking in comparison to the other - sporting gargantuan riders with a smaller passenger clinging on for dear life. The third horse led the pack in an echelon formation, bobbing up and down like turbulent waves. The ostrich kept up through sheer maneuverability - able to clamber across any rocky surface and cut corners. As light poured over the hill, the faces of Sledge, Ganondorf, Kobb, Zayl, and Link were illuminated. Zayl was stuck as the passenger of Sledge’s horse as it was nowhere as experienced as the other riders. All of their faces were stone-cold as they followed the swarm of Wizzrobes and Guardians in front of them - all heading north. They didn’t talk, they didn’t even look at each other. The time for any distractions, any bickering, was over. Even Ganondorf was uncharacteristically determined to follow the trail of a lone Wizzrobe named Rezek.

The pursuit began late at night when the brief nap of the five was interrupted by an ear-piercing screech that sounded too close for comfort - followed by the loudest kaboom of lightning they had heard. As they scrambled outside into the dark rain, all of their minds went right to Rezek. According to one of the scouts of Kakariko Village, an unnatural storm of lightning swarmed around Bottomless Swamp - right on top of the giant skull-shaped rock. Sledge’s eyes instantly went wide. It had a gut feeling Rezek would try to make it back to its old home, but it also didn’t anticipate the enemy closing in so quickly. The amount of time they had was even shorter than they realized.

They needed a way to get over there yesterday, but transportation options were slim. Dueling Peaks stable was an option, but any time they wasted was time that Rezek might not be able to afford. As the Sheikah didn’t travel by horseback often, all that was in the village was an aging horse and a pack mule. Link stormed out of the village’s western gateway as the rain finally let up, seemingly upset. The monsters gave him some room to breathe, but Ganondorf followed a length behind. Kakariko opened out into the vast Hyrule field, where the Gerudo King saw Link standing silently before he put his fingers to his mouth and made a high-pitched whistle that carried across the plains like a siren. Only moments later, a solid dark-brown horse appeared in the distance - closing in on the Hylian extraordinary fast. It had no saddle nor stirrup, but came to Link like it was a trained horse. He had a handful of apples waiting for the stallion as he lightly brushed its neck with reassuring coos. Ganondorf slowly approached, putting the horse on edge immediately.

“This fella never liked the stables, a little too wild.” Link said, giving the horse some hearty pats on the side, “But he’s fast enough to bring more horses before we lose more time than we already have.”

Ganondorf huffed a small laugh, minding his distance from the stallion giving him a death glare.

“Maybe it’s good enough for a Hylian as small as you, but you’re gonna need something bigger for me and the Moblin.”

Link resented that comment, but hesitated on a retort when Ganondorf let out a loud whistle of his own - using only his mouth. It was deep and percussive. Not loud enough to be heard past a few miles, but definitely strong enough to be felt . Like before, a few minutes later a horse could be seen galloping towards the pair. Except this time there were two - and they were nearly taller than a small house. They looked almost identical to the gargantuan horse Link found near the Faron Grasslands. Both of them galloped straight to Ganondorf who gently rubbed their snouts with both hands as they huffed loudly. Link stood there flabbergasted as the horses towered over him, while Ganondorf couldn’t help but smirk.

“You are not the only one good with animals,” he said with an absolutely shit-eating grin, “nor the only one with friends waiting for just the right moment.”

A sharp exhale came from Link’s mouth as he pursed his lips, looking up to the Gerudo King.

“Why are you helping me? Helping us? I still don’t get it” he said firmly, his blue eyes shining in what little light lingered in the dark. Ganondorf let out a sigh of his own and winced.

“Because, Link, at the end of the day we both do what we think is right for this land. Call me power-hungry, but I truly thought I could use Demise’s power to change Hyrule for the better. It’s not like the common folk saw much of a real difference in one sovereign king compared to another…at least before the Malice took over.”

Link stood with a raised eyebrow, but the man seemed genuine. Ganondorf continued.

“And every cycle…every rebirth…I would see the progress I made to end the rule of kings undone completely. The same mistakes made again and again. But I see something special that I never got a chance to see in every other Link I’ve known. Something you possess right now.”

A light chuckle came from Link, morbidly curious. “And what would that be?”

Ganondorf drew near and leaned in close.

“Resentment…spite. You see, Link, you’ve always been burned by your fate. But you never let it set in until the final blow was struck and you were forced to look back at the peaceful life you were never allowed to have. And yet, the tragic fallen hero did the unthinkable this time: came back to life. The Calamity didn’t rob you of your life, Link, it simply was the inevitability that the Royal Family helped cause. And I can feel the anger in your heart - for it is one we share.”

Link clenched his teeth and turned away. Ganondorf’s words were spot-on, but he didn’t want to admit it.

“But resentment is just an emotion - one that can lead to great acts just as often as horrible ones. I trust you will use it to do what I could never accomplish: break this cursed cycle. Let my rule as the Gerudo King, no, the rule of all kings, finally come to an end. For at the end of the day…there would be no one else in this world I’d rather die with than the one who’s killed me a hundred times already.”

Slowly, Ganondorf extended his calloused hand with a fierce but determined glint in his eyes. Link’s eyes met and he understood. It was the look of a desperate and tired man. His equally rough and scarred arm met Ganondorf’s and they shook hands. His palm was warm like the desert sand, but not uncomfortable. They both gave each other smarmy half-smiles as either refused to relent. At least until they were interrupted by more movement coming from the north. Both their heads simultaneously turned to see an Eldin Ostrich bolting towards them. They backed up instinctually along with the horses as it closed the distance faster than they’d seen yet. The large bird stopped abruptly near Link - turning its head sideways and bobbing back and forth.

“I’ve never seen one of these this far south before…” Link said with unease. From the Kakariko gate came Kobb sprinting as fast as its Bokoblin legs could carry it.

“Friend! How did you find me?” it yelled to the ostrich, who nearly knocked Link over pushing past him to get to the Bokoblin. The bird’s long neck bent down to get scratches all over by Kobb’s hands, who let out happy grunts in-between laughs. Behind it followed Zayl and Sledge, slightly ashamed for eavesdropping.

“They have an impeccable sense of smell,” Ganondorf said, completely unphased, “it seems it was trying to reach Kobb for quite some time.”

Link turned to the monsters, then back to the horses - putting his stern face back on.

“Well we have our way to Rezek now,” he said, his voice dropping with the glow in his eyes going darker, “we can’t waste another moment.”

Seconds later, Hyrule Field was filled with the sound of galloping hooves as the blanket of dawn slowly lifted. 

…

Rezek stood facing the army ahead of it with bated breath. Neither it nor the other Wizzrobes nor the Guardians made a single move. It was a standoff. They had all heard that the squad of Electric Wizzrobes was almost entirely wiped out. Both Rezek and the pawns of The Calamity were just outside of each other’s range. Now it was simply a waiting game for who would crack first - and thus lose the standoff. Rezek’s long fingers twitched as it conjured menacing storm clouds directly above it - challenging whoever dared to take another step closer. However its chest and head were covered in the red laser-sights of the Guardians. From this distance it could easily sidestep any energy blast, but that was not guaranteed if it got any closer. Ashen nervously clung to Rezek’s robe, hiding its face with small whimpers of fright. The larger Wizzrobe whispered something and Ashen held on tighter.

The miniature thunderhead above the Wizzrobe descended on top of it - obscuring it from the nosy onlookers. The Guardians fidgeted and swiveled back and forth to find their target again. The moment of hesitation was exactly what Rezek needed. In a flash of lightning, it burst from the cloud cover like a bullet from a gun - headed straight for the crowd. Electricity streamed behind it as it soared with speeds The Calamity didn’t expect. In the blink of an eye it zoomed across the river and threatened to cut right through the blockage. Yet, the Guardians’ targeting was absolute. Despite Rezeks speed, their sights tracked it 1-1 as the haunting bwipbwipbwipbwip grew louder and louder. But that was exactly what Rezek wanted. As it bobbed and weaved perfectly between the other Wizzrobes’ fireballs and ice spears, it aimed itself perfectly between two Guardian Stalkers. As Rezek passed their unflinching robotic eyes, the white flash filled its peripherals and the deadly beams barely missed the tips of its feet.

The tunnel vision of the Guardians proved to be their downfall as the two lasers passed each other and made their mark on the other Guardian - one below the main hull and one right square in its eye. Two massive point-blank explosions obliterated one Guardian and crippled the other. The surrounding Wizzrobes caught in the crossfire were evaporated instantly or knocked out of the sky.

A dust cloud followed Rezek as it tore southbound Hyrule Field, but the rest of the army was unphased. A barrage of magic and missiles trailed Rezek while it created as much distance as it could from the rain of death upon it. With a quick about-face, the Wizzrobe put its body between the army and Ashen - still hurtling itself away from the action. Any projectile that got close enough was swatted away with its hands that were now crackling with an electric field. The Guardian Skywalkers provided covering fire while the enemy Wizzrobes began their encroach. Some of them even clung to the remaining Guardian Stalkers as they scuttled alarmingly fast across Hyrule Field like grotesque spiders. 

Rezek unleashed bolt after bolt - each making their mark on another Wizzrobe if it got too close. Bursts of red and black Malice coated the air in front of it as the lightning cleaved clean through the opposing monsters. The Guardians proved to be the worst nuisance as the sound of war blew in Rezek’s ears each time a deadly laser barely passed by its face. If it had any chance to survive, they had to go. As it rounded the Crenel Hills, avoiding the foliage and boulders by pure instinct, it glanced behind it just enough to see some rusty discarded weapons near a demolished wagon. With an maneuver that would make a falcon proud, Rezek brought itself parallel to the ground and spun around to grab the iron spear and rusty dagger. With the spear tucked under its arm, the Wizzrobe ran its hand down the blade - soaking it in electricity before throwing it with a dark shadow under its eyes. Leading the shot, the dagger cartwheeled through the air and landed squarely in the chink of a Guardian Stalker’s amor - right between the head and body piece. Sparks flew followed by another massive explosion when the Guardian’s laser imploded on itself and took a few more Wizzrobes with it. The only Stalker left was the wounded one. The five Skywalkers were still in relatively good condition, however. But Rezek planned on changing that.

Holding its thumb up to its eye, it tossed the spear high up into the air and seemingly missed one of the flying Guardians. But with a dramatic chop of its hand, a mighty lightning bolt fired from the spear right through the Guardian to the ground. Another massive explosion of mechanical parts followed that sent the adjacent two Guardian Skywalkers careening in opposite directions. The Guardian on the right was decapitated by a jettisoned propeller and unceremoniously plummeted to the ground with a seismic THUD . The Guardian on the left was embedded with additional shrapnel and veered too close to a nearby tree - knocking itself off balance and digging circles into the dirt before shutting down. In mere seconds the battalion was down four more Guardians, the remaining Skywalkers and Stalker now keeping a fair distance from each other. 

Unfortunately for Rezek, the opposing Wizzrobes had barely lost a dent in their numbers and were just given plenty of opportunities to close in. Rezek could see the murderous red glow in their pupils as they reached out with sneers and maniacal laughter. Leading the pack were the Elders of Ice and Fire - too eager to get their payback. In desperation Rezek pushed itself off the ground with another boost of lightning, but the flame bolts and giant flying icicles were getting harder and harder to deflect. If even a cinder touched Ashen, it could spell disaster. Ice Wizzrobes were practically allergic to fire - their whole bodies falling apart in an instant like parchment caught aflame. A distinct coldness could be felt on Rezek’s shoulder. It glanced back to see the tiny Wizzrobe covering itself in a blanket of snow and ice with terror in its trembling eyes. A newfound motivation flowed through its veins as its teeth gritted in anger. It passed another river, its back to Applean Forest. The inking of an idea popped in its brain for just a brief enough moment for the Wizzrobe to act upon it.

Rezek stopped in its tracks within a second.

The pursuing Wizzrobes were now flying towards it at the speed of sound, but they weren’t expecting to reach Rezek so soon. This was exactly the drop the lone Wizzrobe needed to get. Sparks arcing from its fingers, it swung volley after volley of punches and the Wizzrobes flew right into them. Each fist that connected sent thousands of volts through their Malice-filled bodies. This shouldn’t have worked, but Rezek’s feet were planted firmly on the ground - allowing itself to act as a ground for the electricity to flow through and then back. This was only possible because it had shed its aversion to the dirty soil long long ago. And while Wizzrobes were quite middling at hand-to-hand combat, Rezek’s travels with its fellow monsters had taught it a thing or two about using your fists. The Wizzrobe punched its way through a few dozen of its own before the remaining fell back. On reaction, Rezek swept its arms across the horizon - sending deadly electricity like a wave through the front lines. More of the Wizzrobes convulsed before imploding in a cloud of Malice, but Rezek wasn’t done. It violently struck its open palms into the earth and sent shockwaves of lightning rippling across the ground. The clumpy sod of the forest was upheaved and thrown into the air - providing Rezek the distraction necessary to bolt.

Not even that was enough to scare the remaining Wizzrobe away. Apprehending Ashen was too important to risk failure under The Calamity. As it bobbed and weaved through the trees, the opposing Wizzrobe did the same. They appeared like phantoms in the corner of its eyes as large trunks passed between them. At this point Rezek was thoroughly exhausted but it had to keep fighting. For Ashen. Passing the trees it spent more of its magic sending electricity up through the trunks so the sparks would go up and out - raining down from the branches like lightning fruit. The soft light of Hyrule Field was ahead, but what awaited Rezek when it came out?

The answer to that question was a Guardian laser heading straight towards its face. 

As Rezek was darting through the woods, one of the Guardian Skywalkers had made a wide berth around - waiting for the moment the Wizzrobe would pop out and blast it away. The bright flash of light alerted Rezek just in time for it to bring its hand up and deflect the deadly projectile away from the danger zone. Not all was deflected, as the sheer impact of the blast sent Rezek’s left hand careening back and nearly pulling itself from the shoulder. The Wizzrobe shrieked in pain, but the rebounded laser managed to make its mark near the treeline - right where dozens of Wizzrobes were pouring out. Another chunk of the army obliterated by friendly fire once again.

Yet, Rezek’s left arm now hung limp and injured - unable to cast magic. A deranged laugh echoed from the Skywalker Guardian as a bruised Elder of Fire clung to its hull. Now at a severe disadvantage, Rezek took to the plains once again. But now it was sluggish, slowed, left to defend itself with one hand. More Guardian lasers and magical missiles were sent its way, and it quickly became too overwhelming for the poor Wizzrobe. Flames tickled its cheeks and spears of ice grazed its legs. A final laser from the Guardian Stalker streaked through the air right at Rezek’s chest, but the Wizzrobe had yet resigned itself to fate. With its good hand, Rezek cupped the tip of the energy bolt in its hands - using the wind from an electrical current as a buffer from its magical flesh. It concentrated the explosion in its palm and surged the last of its magic reserves directly into expelling the blast outwards. The air pocket protected it and Ashen, but the force sent them hurting backwards at unseen speeds. They reached the top of a hill, and Rezek turned its body to cradle Ashen in its arm as it was met with a hard landing. 

“Rezek!” Ashen shouted loudly as the larger Wizzrobe in front of it barely had the energy to bring itself to its knees. The young Wizzrobe clenched its fists - partially in anger and partially in fright. Ice crystals swirled around its trembling hands that it was entirely oblivious to.

Out of breath and nearly out of magic required to live, Rezek stared at the grim sight ahead. The herd had thinned considerably, but they were still vastly outnumbered. The three remaining Guardians closed in - ready to unleash judgment. Rezek winced in physical and emotional pain. It didn’t want to do this. It wanted to do anything but this, but perhaps this was the only way out of this mess.

“Ashen…” Rezek said with a raspy voice, “I need you to use your magic.”

The eyes of the tiny Wizzrobe turned wide and white like dinner plates.

“I…I can’t!” it said with absolute panic in its voice and shaky hands, “I don’t know how! I can barely fly on my own!”

Rezek brought Ashen close to its body and slowly turned it to face the terrors plaguing them. With its only functional hand and chin resting on the smaller Wizzrobe’s shoulder, Rezek guided Ashen’s arms to face the Guardian Stalker - the closest one of the bunch.

“You can. I have never believed more that you can do something. I will be your eyes.” Rezek said through gritted teeth - tiny collections of magic essence welling up in its regretful eyes, “Concentrate on the space between your palms, and then release. You can do this.”

Ashen wanted to protest, but it had little choice. It simply nodded with a small whimper and held its hands a few inches apart in a claw-pattern. With a few deep breaths, a mighty spear of ice hovered in the space between. Rezek aimed the focal point towards the Stalker’s head as the mechanical reticle pointed towards them. Ashen drowned out the unnatural blipblipblip s - toned out any other distractions as the solid chunk grew bigger and bigger.

“Release…” Rezek whispered monotonously.

With the grace and elegance of a painter, Ashen let go all of the built-up energy and sent the oversized icicle hurtling towards the Guardian. The sheer recoil would’ve sent it flying if not for Rezek acting as a backstop. A sickening crunch followed, the spear punctured straight through the singular eye. A blinding flash of light followed, but an erupting explosion where the Guardian once stood was the result.

“Y-yes…you did it,” Rezek said through its pained panting, rubbing Ashen’s head softly before turning it towards the nearest Guardian Skywalker, “another one…p-please…”

Ashen gulped, but silently nodded again. This time, everything felt natural, with Ashen closing its eyes to truly feel the magic coursing through its body. Rezek carefully aimed the small hands towards one of the motors.

“Release.”

Another menacing ice spear launched from the hill made its mark. This time the propellor shredded the projectile, but this only caused it to get coated in crystals then refrozen instantly. The motor blew in a billowing cloud of smoke - sending the Guardian lopsidedly tumbling to the ground.

“You’re doing such a good job, Ashen,” Rezek whispered weakly with a soft smile on its face, its strength close to fading, “one…more…then you run and never look back.”

Tears flowed freely from the tiny Wizzrobe as it clenched its teeth harder than Rezek. Slowly, it let itself be aimed towards the final Guardian in the sky - the one accompanying the Elder of Fire. As it charged up one final bolt of ice, it begged. Begged to whatever is listening to stop this. This couldn’t happen. Anything but this.

Before Rezek could whisper the final “release”, the Guardian Skywalker suddenly exploded in a shower of blue light. Both it and Ashen were so dumbstruck that the ice spear was catapulted aimlessly away. For a brief moment, Rezek could trace a streaking blue line that stretched to the south. It had just enough time to follow the path and nearly pass out from what it saw.

Riding into battle was none other than the friends that had been tracking it for the past few days, as well as the Gerudo man it had seen pulled out of the Malice back at Mount Lanayru. The charge was led by Link and Kobb on their respective mounts, but the arrow that made its mark was fired by Zayl - perched on top of the shoulders of Sledge. Like hawks they descended onto the remaining numbers of The Calamity’s Wizzrobes. Rezek and Ashen watched in awe as the aerial Wizzrobes were met with swift arrows by Link and Zayl - while any on the ground were annihilated by Kobb,Sledge, and the mystery man. Any stragglers dispersed while they still could, and the plain was quickly brought to a howling quiet once again. Ashen felt Rezek get heavier as it slumped over the smaller Wizzrobe. They had tracked Rezek down. The lingering faith that they would show up was always there, but Rezek regretted ever letting it falter. A long deep sigh of relief escaped its mouth as it slowly began to shut its eyes.

However they were shot back open as the Elders of Fire and Ice emerged from the billowing smoke of a Guardian carcass - floating right towards the two of them.

Rezek found a second wind of energy and yanked Ashen behind it - shielding the tiny Wizzrobe from the enraged boss Wizzrobes. They snarled and spat with their magic rods raised to the sky. Link was the first to notice what was going on, but none of them were close enough to make it to them in time.

“Insolent cur!” the Elder of Ice hissed with its eyes glowing bright red, “we will not lose everything we have worked towards to some pathetic whelp like you!”

The Elder of Fire swung the rod above its head like a lasso as it let out furious laughter.

“The young one’s death will be on your head, Electric-14! This is what happens to those that oppose the Calamity!”

A storm of snow and flames erupted from the Elders towards Rezek, but it could still hold the line. An outstretched hand coated with the last of its magic cleaved through the onslaught - but not without singeing its robes and freezing a few fingers. It leaned hard to the left, keeping Ashen in the cold at the cost of its own face going numb as crystals climbed past its cheek. When the assault subsided, the Elders were furious that the two Wizzrobes were still left standing.

“Die already, defective rag of dirt!” the Elder of Fire screamed with fury, readying another blast of heat, “We are the superior Wizzrobes! Your magic is weak like the Fire-14 that denied u-”

Rezek’s next moves were purely instinctual. They were not based on self-preservation, but of the devotion to protect Ashen at any cost. It made a fierce slicing motion with its right hand and a mighty lightning bolt fell from seemingly nowhere right on the Elders. They shrieked in pain, but it was not enough. They continued to advance, and Rezek chopped down a second time. Again, a mighty strike rained from the heavens and bathed the Malice-soaked Wizzrobes in electricity. And once again they persisted. Their skin peeled away to reveal the swirling maelstrom of Malice underneath - their eyes glowing with more hatred than should even exist in a living being. Rezek was spent. It had no idea where it pulled those two lightning bolts from, but there was no way it could do a third without shutting down. 

“Take one more step, and I’ll show you what a Wizzrobe can really do!“ Rezek hoarsely shouted, completely bluffing.

The Elders gritted with a murderous smirk with what was left of their faces - calling its bluff and stepping forward. Bluff it may have been, there was no other option now. Rezek let out the loudest shriek it could muster from deep in its throat. Every last drop of magic it could find in its body it sent straight down on the Elders in the form of righteous lightning. This time it lasted long - longer than should be considered reasonable. Sparks covered the hill as the Elders let out a final death rattle. They refused to let themselves be bested by this lone Wizzrobe, but their bodies simply couldn’t take that amount of electricity. Just like any monster of Malice, they rapidly decomposed. The last things to go were their spiteful eyes gazing into Rezek’s soul who’s lingering gaze could be felt long after it faded. 

Rezek’s body was now a pale gray, its eyes a glassy white as the world around it went dark. Its head hit the soft grass of the hill, but now with a beaming smile across its face. The last sight before it passed out from exhaustion was six blurry figures looking over it.

Chapter Text

Rezek awoke from its long slumber to a muted sunlight and the sounds of birds chirping amongst the gentle breeze. Weakly cracking its eyes open, they were filled with vibrant green colors as a vast forest canopy stretched above it. Its body was sore all over - too exhausted to even lift an arm to cover its eyes from the sunbeams. This place felt familiar, but it was still in too much of a daze to put a finger on why. With the little movement in its fingers, it grasped at what was a bed of leaves more comfy than any cloth. The Wizzrobe tried to stir, but the soreness that plagued its entire body put any ambitions of rising to rest.

About a few more hours later Rezek woke again, but with a little more control of its body. The sun shining from the roof of leafy branches above hinted at it being late morning - possible early afternoon. Still, its eyes refused to open but the curiosity of where it slept and how it got there was too tantalizing for the Wizzrobe. Rather than lift its hands up, it slowly dragged them up to its stomach to where the tips of its fingers touched. With a deep breath and a sharp exhale, Rezek sent sparks arcing between its hands - letting its body act as a conduit for its electrical magic. That seemed to be enough of a jumpstart needed as Rezek’s eyes sluggishly opened fully. Its vision was blurry, but it could make out surrounding trees in the distance. It was in some clearing of a forest - but one that still had a rich canopy. Where was this? It was so close to figuring it out but its brain was short-circuited and lethargic. Now the soft rumbling it heard along with the natural ambience could be made out clearer. It was…conversation. There was one peculiar figure that stood closer than the rest, but it was still the shortest out of all of them. It gave off an ambiance that felt chilly but not uncomfortable. The standalone part was the eyes of the figure that had the radiant blues of the clearest sky in Hyrule. Rezek brought all its concentration to those eyes and at last Ashen came into view. A sharp gasp escaped both of their mouths as they each realized they were staring at each other. Small tears of magical essence appeared in the corners of Ashen’s eyes before they quickly spiraled into a torrent. Yet an open-mouth smile filled with relief and wonderment still accompanied the young Wizzrobe’s face.

“Rezek’s awake?” it said quietly, not even believing its own words. Upon seeing Rezek return a look that wasn’t completely catatonic, Ashen went jittery. It darted its head back and forth before turning to the group of blurry figures behind it.

“Rezek’s awake!” it shouted with a sharp shrill voice, practically bounding through the air towards the bedridden Wizzrobe. What followed behind was practically a stampede as Rezek found itself quickly bombarded by Kobb, Sledge, Zayl and Link as well. A cacophony of questions and blubbering filled its ears as all its friends crowded around the Wizzrobe - begging to tell Rezek how much they all missed it. Kobb’s ears drooped so low they hugged its cheeks, while Sledge’s snout was a faucet of mucus and tears. Zayl talked so fast trying to catch Rezek up it was nearly incomprehensible - while Link simply wrapped his arms around the surrounding monsters and gave the Wizzrobe a cozy smile while tearing up himself. Ashen flew right into Rezek and buried its face in its robes without thinking - almost knocking the wind out of the poor Wizzrobe with a loud gasp. It bashfully backed up, feeling slightly guilty until it saw Rezek had an equally elated yet exhausted grin - not prepared for the sudden welcome.

“Whoa! You should give your friend some breathing room if they have just awoken” came a booming voice from directly above. Rezek slowly tilted its head up to see that its bed was at the foot of the Great Deku Tree. That’s right. This was Korok Forest. They must have brought the Wizzrobe here after it collapsed. At last its vision came into full focus and it could see the dozen or so Koroks curiously dancing around its bed. Furthermore, it could see that its bed was almost like a wheelbarrow - able to be picked up and carried elsewhere. As it looked at the faces around it showing pure relief and comfort, magical tears welled up in its eyes once again.

“How…how long was I out?” it said in a quiet sharp voice. Everyone’s faces turned awkwardly as they broke eye contact - not sure how to tell Rezek.

“Nearly a week…” Link said softly, scratching the back of his neck.

Rezek nodded slowly, not entirely sure how to take this information. Its mouth hung slightly open but not agape in surprise. Weakly it crossed its arms with a disappointed frown. If anything it was upset it wasted this much time recovering.

“The Deku Tree said it would take a while for your magic to recover,” Kobb said, gently patting Rezek on the leg, “you opened your eyes a few times since then, but you did not even seem awake when you did. You barely ate, and it took others holding food and water up to your mouth.”

That news was the one Rezek took the worst. It hated the feeling of having to put that burden on the rest of the group - especially when this whole debacle happened because of its own actions. The Wizzrobe winced painfully and scooted itself so it was sitting up more than laying down.

“So why am I outside? Not complaining, I’m just surprised”

Zayl piped up, bobbing its head back and forth.

“Sunlight is better for you! We did not want you in the tree hollow all day! But we still had to bring you back in at night…”

Rezek let out a slight chuckle, craning its neck to the large wheels next to its head.

“Hmmhmm…I suppose that’s what these were for. Shame I wasn’t awake for that, would have been amusing to see you all carrying me” it said with a sarcastic grin, eliciting an eye roll from everybody.

“ I was the one doing all the heavy lifting” Sledge said with an arrogant huff of its nostrils, “if I cared more about Hylian currency, I would be sending you a bill for all the times I lugged your sleepy cloak around!”

The circle around Rezek erupted in laughter. The Wizzrobe began sputtering and coughing from laughing too hard in its condition. The mood turned sour for a bit before Rezek rolled its eyes and waved its hand around limply.

“I would honestly prefer staying asleep this entire time. I hate feeling useless.” it groaned, prompting Ashen to cling to its other arm.

Kobb sighed with a soft grunt and shook its head.

“If there was a time for rest, it is now. Too much happened in a few days and it is nice to take it slowly for once.”

Rezek couldn’t argue with that. Now that Ashen was safe it could finally get the rest its body was aching for. The tiny Wizzrobe had almost nodded off, itself, resting on the side of the unbelievably comfy bed the Koroks made. It hadn’t grown nearly as much as the few days when they were on the road, but it was at least a little taller than before.

“All right, you should all let Rezek get some more rest” The Great Deku Tree said with a slight scolding tone. Begrudgingly, the group started to disperse before Rezek stopped one of them.

“Kobb, might I have a word, first?” it asked, to which the Bokoblin softly nodded. Rezek looked down at Ashen, still clinging softly onto its arm.

“Ashen, may I speak with Kobb alone?” it said with slight guilt, knowing how worried the little Wizzrobe had been the past few days. With its shining blue eyes, Ashen looked up and silently nodded. No complaints came from its mouth, but Rezek could feel the Wizzrobe’s reluctant arms slowly pry off of it as Ashen darted across the forests towards some Koroks. Kobb and Rezek watched the young Wizzrobe from afar as it giggled and played with the small woodland creatures. It let loose harmless ice crystals from its hands and the Koroks danced around them like they were taking part in some abstract game. What the Wizzrobe also finally took notice of was Ganondorf near some wooden stumps. The Gerudo man looked slightly miffed as he was surrounded by several Koroks with their bows pointed towards his face. His frown was that of a man who was slightly amused at first, but felt the gimmick wearing thin after several days of constant surveillance. Yet he understood their paranoia - surprised that the Great Deku Tree even allowed him to be here.

Rezek was the first to speak up.

“Looks like we both found something on top of that mountain…”

Kobb snorted lightly in laughter.

“Both unexpected…but I think Ashen is a lot more important than…that husk of a Gerudo king…”

Rezek’s ears flicked as it bit its lower lip in apprehension.

“I can assume he is the human form of The Calamity…” it said, giving Ganondorf a bit of a side-eye.

Kobb leaned back and forth. “Yes, but no. It is very complicated and I am not sure I understand it, myself,” it said, trying not to make direct eye contact in case he looked their way, “but one thing is for sure: when I pulled him out of the Malice, the ancient power abandoned him. Ganondorf…he wants to break the curse that binds him much like us, but his ego is too big. Reminds me of you when we first met.”

Rezek gave the Bokoblin a dirty look - who replied with a sarcastic grin.

“I think Ganondorf is upset that there is not much he can do. The Malice works without him, The Calamity hunted you down without him. I do not think he will be staying with us much longer. He needs to find a purpose on his own.”

“Yes…purpose…” Rezek said softly, turning its gaze to Sledge, Zayl, Ashen, and Link. A silence washed over them again as they took in the ambient sounds of Korok Forest. Rezek sunk into its bed a little more, breaking the silence once again.

“How was Ashen? While…I was indisposed” it asked apprehensively.

Kobb’s ears perked up and it turned to Rezek with a hearty smile.

“Ashen is great! Sledge and Link have been teaching it Hylian…whenever we could pry it from hanging around you, that is. It has so much energy that is only really matched by Zayl. Yesterday we had to get its long tongue unstuck from a rock that Ashen froze. It said it wanted to see what would happen…” it said, pinching its snout.

Rezek rolled its eyes just imagining how that’d look - knowing Zayl all too well. Yet there was still a pit in its stomach that weighed it down.

“It’s doing fine, then? It’s not…acting like the rest of the Wizzrobes?” it said, tensing up its shoulders.

Kobb gave the Wizzrobe a weird look before catching on.

“Ah…no…it is not. Ashen is getting so much better at handling its magic on its own. It can be mischievous, but it understands the feelings of others…I would say it does that better than most Hylians.”

Rezek let out a deep sigh and leaned back even further to where it was nearly looking directly up at the midday sun. A few more sighs escaped its mouth before it realized how overbearing it was, and then tried not to sigh at that. It still had so much to say to Kobb about what happened from Mount Lanayru onwards, but it couldn’t find the words. The Bokoblin felt something was off, and knew the reason why. Softly it laid a hand on Rezek’s shoulder.

“You did not make a wrong choice in leaving without telling us, Rezek,” it said, looking at the sulking Wizzrobe with bright blue eyes of its own, “Ashen is without Malice because of you, and it is so happy.”

Rezek pouted slightly, crossing its arms. “Then why does it feel like I did?”

Kobb chuckled again and gave Rezek a few soft pats on the arm. “That is a question you have to ask yourself, not me. Now get some more rest…” it said before leaving to join the rest of the group. Rezek sighed one more time before letting its eyes naturally close again.

…

The next time Rezek awoke was in the dead of night. It made guttural sounds from its tongue as its mouth was unbelievably dry. This was a special kind of sleep fatigue that anyone gets when they nap too hard. Its surroundings had also changed - no longer surrounded by leafy foliage from all sides. Now it was in a wooden hollow that could only be the inside of the Great Deku Tree. It was dark, but the one firefly torch on the wall was just bright enough for Rezek to get its bearings. Even though it was parched as a desert, the Wizzrobe still couldn’t find the energy to get out of bed. That was when it saw its own personal oasis: a wooden pitcher of water on a stump of a nightstand right beside it. Without a second thought, Rezek seized the pitcher and guzzled water down like a Hinox - not even noticing the small wooden cup beside the pitcher. Although it was quickly interrupted by the sound of a light whimper and a yawn coming from the other side of the room. Rezek brought the pitcher down to see Ashen’s beaming blue eyes cutting through the dark - the rest of the young Wizzrobe’s body obscured. It coughed and sputtered in surprise, struggling to put the pitcher in a spot it wouldn’t immediately tip over.

“Hello, Ashen,” it said with a raspy voice, still getting water out of its system, “why are you up so late?”

Softly the Ice Wizzrobe hovered closer to Rezek, looking over the foot of its bed.

“I cannot sleep, Rezek,” it whined, its long ears twitching, “can I sleep in your bed?”

Rezek didn’t even need to respond, it simply scooted to the left slightly and Ashen’s eyes lit up. With a happy gasp, it climbed in-between the leaf blanket and immediately grappled Rezek’s right arm. The larger Wizzrobe gently rubbed Ashen’s head as it nestled up against it.

“Your own bed is not comfy enough?” Rezek slightly teased, to which Ashen shook its head back and forth. The pit began to form in Rezek’s stomach again as it remembered what got it in this situation in the first place. As Ashen’s heavy breathing lifted the covers up and down, the memory burned a hole in the Wizzrobe’s mind and it had to talk to Ashen about it while it was still awake.

“Ashen I…” it said, already getting choked up, “I’m sorry for what happened. I shouldn’t have made you use your magic like that…”

The Ice Wizzrobe’s head suddenly shot up and looked up at Rezek. Confusion reflected in its bright blue eyes.

“But I did it! My magic worked and it helped us! What do you mean, Rezek?”

A deep pained sigh escaped Rezek and it wrapped its other arm around the young Wizzrobe.

“Ashen…magic is a wonderful gift we Wizzrobes have. And it should not have to be used for war. We can do so, so much more with it, and all I have used it for and seen it used for is to take lives…”

The tiny Wizzrobe went silent with its eyes widening, retreating into the covers slightly.

“That was the second time you used your ice magic, and it was to destroy. I pushed you to do something you weren’t ready for. I made you grow up too early. You had to learn that sometimes you must use your magic to protect yourself at any cost. It’s not fair that you were born in the middle of the fiercest invisible battle this land has seen. You did not ask for that.”

A soft blue glow collected around Rezek’s eyes and the magical tears welled up once again.

“When I first saw you in the crook of that split tree, I thought I could see a Wizzrobe grow up without its first memories being war…survival…pain. And I failed to do that. I failed you, Ashen” it said, its voice cracking as tears flowed harder from both of them. Rezek pressed its forehead lightly on the Ice Wizzrobe’s head and winced with heartbreak. This time, Ashen was the one to reassure. Its small hands grabbed Rezek’s collar and it wrapped its arms around the other Wizzrobe’s neck.

“You stopped me from being…being like them,” Ashen said, muffled by the leafy sheets, “you didn’t fail. Thank you, Rezek…”

That was all Rezek needed to hear. It had tunnel visioned so much on how it wanted things to be that it forgot about the important things. Ashen was safe, and it had not let the horrors of the world keep its free spirit down. It wrapped its own arms around the other Wizzrobe and held on tight. Both of their trembling slowly halted as they calmed each other down.

“You’re right…and that’s why I will keep fighting. So you don’t have to.”

 With a soft pat on the back, it slowly let the young Wizzrobe ease its head back onto the bed and pulled the covers up to its eyes. It meant to say something else to Ashen, but it had fallen asleep near instantly. With an amused sigh, Rezek leaned back and closed its eyes. 

Ashen’s peaceful snores were all Rezek needed to fall back asleep, itself.

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Rezek’s strength recovered to where it was at last able to hover above the ground on its own. However, it could only hold itself up for minutes at a time before needing to set itself back down. It was pretty miffed, but the Great Deku Tree reassured that it’d be back in shape as long as it took things slowly. The two also had a quiet talk on why he even allowed Rezek back in the first place after what happened last time. The old tree informed Rezek that he could feel the growth its made and the lack of Malice just by looking at it. Diverting The Calamity’s forces away from Korok Forest was a plus - even if it was at the fault of the Wizzrobe in the first place.

“I should also mention…” Rezek said, floating close to the tree’s face after a long silence between them, “Brine, er…the Wizzrobe that made its home in your Lost Woods…it’s gone…”

The Great Deku Tree’s wooden eyes turned downwards in a peculiar sadness - one that looked like he had been prepared for this.

“Is that what the old bird called itself now? Hoho…I should have seen this coming. It looked like it was falling apart when I was but a sapling. Probably didn’t think I knew it was a Wizzrobe”

Rezek let out a melancholy laugh.

“Heh. That’s what it said about you, too.”

A low laugh then a deep sigh came from his trunk again.

“What a shame. It’s always right after you lose someone that you wish you knew each other more.”

Meanwhile Ganondorf was still having a miserable time. The Korok bows pointed at him slowly began to lighten up, but he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at every step. He suspected the decreased security was due to a mild scolding from Link, but the Hylian shot him glances as well. They weren’t angry or resentful; once again they were conflicted. Ganondorf gleefully used this opportunity to send a mischievous smirk right back Link’s way - causing him to relent and turn away.

“You sure you still don’t wanna go at each other’s throats for ol’ times sake?” he once said to Link when he was in hearing range. That did not help the Hylian’s mood and he sauntered up to Ganondorf and put his face so close their foreheads almost touched - only possible because the Gerudo King was leisurely lying down.

“You are the worst thing that’s ever happened to me” he said with a low drawl before stomping away.

Ganondorf took great pleasure in still being the only one that could still get under his skin.

“Not even close, fairy boy!” he called out, the Koroks exchanging confused looks while Link did his best to hold back from decking that man right then and there.

Ashen continued to be its carefree and happy self - especially now that Rezek was out of its coma. When it was not with the other monsters, it was floating around the Great Deku Tree - asking him a million and one questions about Hyrule and any funny or fascinating stories he had. Rezek would try to intervene, only for the Great Deku Tree to laugh it off and say he’s never had such a good listener before. 

The rest of the monsters fared just fine, too, now that Rezek’s health was steadily improving. Zayl had managed to scrounge some Guardian parts from the fight and spent most of the day tinkering away and making repairs to its mechanical tail. By the end of just a few days it had built several attachments that could be made to the slender tip: a menacing spikeball, a potentially useful shovelhead, spider-like legs that could grab things off the ground easier. Sledge often hung by the Lizalfos and made small talk while sketching anything it felt like. Any pictures of Ashen were immediately seized by the young Wizzrobe and displayed in Rezek’s room in the Great Deku Tree’s hollow. Kobb was most often seen with Link - talking clandestinely about who knows what. Zayl inferred that it might be plans for once Rezek gets better, but their hushed tones made it seem like it was much more important than that.

…

Rezek awoke to one particularly foggy morning with Ashen asleep at its side as always. It kept telling the small Wizzrobe that it should sleep in its own bed alone once in a while, but it was too sneaky for its own good. With a sarcastic huff, Rezek eased itself out of bed making sure Ashen wasn’t woken up. Its soft leafy pillow was slid under the young Wizzrobe’s head as Rezek made its way out of the Great Deku Tree. There it saw Link, early bird as always, shuffling about with a slightly groggy face. Hanging close by was Ganondorf, but with a large knapsack slung over his back. Rezek inferred enough from this and slowly floated over towards the two - closing in on Link first. They met eyes and both made a quiet nod at each other. With its hands behind its back, Rezek stared off at the exit to Korok Forest.

“It is interesting to think about the last time we had a chat like this…” Rezek said, hiding the slightest of smiles.

Link chuckled back and put his hand softly on Rezek’s shoulder. This time the Wizzrobe didn’t recoil.

“Heh…a lot has happened since our last visit to this forest.”

“A little too much,” Rezek said before instinctively looking back towards where Ashen was still sound asleep, “...but at the very least, I can look forward to a Hyrule where we aren’t just mindless soldiers.”

“You and me, both…” Link said with a very heavy tone that carried the weight of a thousand burdens. This prompted Rezek to look at the Hylian and really pay attention to the scars that littered any part of Link’s exposed skin.

“Quite ironic that The Calamity and the ones your kingdom put in charge had very similar methods of keeping their cannon fodder in check.”

Link and Rezek swiveled to see Ganondorf leaning against a tree next to them. The Wizzrobe gave a slight frown.

“Tch, that’s rich coming from you” it said, pointing a long slender finger at the Gerudo King. Ganondorf simply laughed.

“Perhaps, but at least I kept my army in line with respect - not fear. For a people blessed by a goddess, they sure have created more horrors out of their own than I could ever dream of doing.”

Link’s patience was being tested once again, but he held firm and waved the imposing man off.

“Are you gonna leave, already? Or are you scared of missing me?” Link said, hitting Ganondorf with a sarcastic look of his own. For the first time in a while Ganondorf was caught off guard and started sputtering.

“Grrr…I just needed to finish my rounds! Specifically I wanted to talk with the Wizzrobe as I never had a good chance to, that’s all!” he growled as his stature rose noticeably.

Link wasn’t deterred, using one of the few opportunities he’d get to mess with the Gerudo King a bit more.

“Heh, so you’re gonna miss all of us, that’s so sweet of the ‘great king of evil’.” he said with a smarmy smile, leaning in closer.

Ganondorf’s face was now steaming, being the one to break eye contact.

“Grargh! I’m only going back to Gerudo Desert so I can be as far away from you as possible!” he said rather loudly, causing some of the nearby Korok’s heads to turn.

Rezek’s ears perked up a little bit.

“You’re heading to Gerudo Desert?”

“You know they don’t let men in their capital, right? Doubt they’d make an exception for you. I think it would be the opposite, actually.” Link said, just imagining how quickly any of the Gerudo guards or even townsfolk would stab Ganondorf on sight.

A deep sigh came from the Gerudo man’s mouth. “Yes, and I’m undoubtedly the reason for that. But I have no plans to make my presence known. I didn’t let Kobb drag me out of the Malice just to let my people take the blame for my curse, again. While they still bent to the Hylian pressure of a monarchy decided by blood…I cannot blame them after what they’ve been put through.”

Both Link and Rezek froze from the sudden honesty coming from Ganondorf as he continued.

“I just miss my home. It’s been so long since I got to feel that blazing hot sun on my skin, and that fierce stinging wind. I used to see that as a curse, too, but here I am yearning for it more than anything…”

Slowly Link walked up and gave Ganondorf a reassuring pat on the forearm. Even through the tough exterior he could see the face of a man that genuinely cared about his people. It was the first time that they locked eyes without ulterior motives or animosity behind them.

“Well, best of luck…you know that I’ll still be making my own rounds to make sure you’re not going back to old habits?”

A stifled chuckle escaped Ganondorf’s mouth.

“I’d expect just as much. It’d be concerning if you weren’t watching me like a hawk.”

“And when the time comes?”

“...yes…when the time comes I will help end this cycle once and for all.”

With a nod and a warm grin, Link made an affirmative “hmmph” and began heading back to the Deku Tree hollow. Rezek hung back - as it could tell Ganondorf was still not done here just yet. The two hadn’t even gotten a chance to talk one on one due to the hectic nature of the past few days.

“You know, Rezek,” Ganondorf said, staring off into the foggy exit of Korok Forest, “Wizzrobes have always fascinated me. Part of the reason I stuck around that infernal rival of mine is that I was hoping we got a chance to talk.”

Rezek pursed its lips in curiosity.

“What exactly about us do you find so interesting?” it said, half-wanting to be flattered after everything it’s had to deal with.

Ganondorf furrowed his brow in thought. 

“I have dabbled in the art of magic, as have nearly every other race in Hyrule, but Wizzrobes are the only ones with innate magical abilities. Perhaps a case could be made for the Sheikah and Yiga clans, but their magic is cultural - begun to be taught from near infancy and takes years to make so much as a breeze. Much of what I used to be able to cast, too, has been lost - due to the Triforce’s power abandoning me or my own negligence. But a Wizzrobe that was born days ago is able to conjure ice spears large and fast enough to fell a Guardian…” he said with a soft of wispy awe to his voice. Rezek had quite the opposite reaction.

“Do not remind me of that,” it said with a painful wince, “I should not have forced Ashen to use its magic like that.”

“Perhaps, but the proof-of-concept stands.” Ganondorf said solemnly, “I used to think the Wizzrobes of today had become considerably weaker from the ones I knew, but you and Ashen proved that wrong. What you have lost as a species can be found. But even the bond you Wizzrobes once had amongst each other has been severed. If you are truly committed to your goal, you must fix that broken tie as well.”

Rezek instinctively clutched at its chest with heartache.

“The only reason I’m here is because I tried to mend just that…” it said. While its Thunderstorm Rod had been abandoned, the inert burnt out fire rod that once belonged to another certain Wizzrobe still hung loosely from its belt.

Ganondorf nodded solemnly. “Mmmm…it’s not right. In my time Wizzrobes could share a close bond with nearly anyone. Now, they even force themselves away from the ones that use different magic than themselves - and claim their superiority over the other monsters. This separation…this elitism…it’s everything I hated and fought against and it found a way in thanks to the Malice. You need Ashen’s magic to break that wall down” he said, his eyes glowing with a somber nostalgia. The Wizzrobe across from him bit its lip and continued a scowl.

“I told you, I don’t want Ashen to use its magic like that again.” Rezek said firmly. Ganondorf nudged closer and loomed over the Wizzrobe.

“That, unfortunately, may not be a choice you’re allowed to make. What I’m saying is if you truly wish to achieve freedom for monsters, all monsters, not just Wizzrobes, then you need the young one’s magic. Maybe not for the blind destruction magic is now known for, but you will need it one day. The way the child has learned…the sheer speed its magic has developed…reminds me of how things used to be.”

Rezek was now without words, resorted to staring into Ganondorf’s golden eyes. The man was as cryptic as ever, and it would have to stew with these thoughts a little longer to make any sense of them. With that Ganondorf let out a small “heh” and turned around.

“Goodbye for now, fair Wizzrobe. Hopefully next time we meet you won’t be on death’s door” he said walking away with a small handwave.

With a kingly stride, Ganondorf walked into the fog of Lost Woods before quickly falling out of sight - leaving Rezek with the soft ambient sounds of morning and the stirring of the Koroks. The words of the Gerudo King resonated within Rezek and a certain fire brewed in its eyes. A million ideas flew around its head and it got so lost in thought that it didn’t notice Sledge was looming right behind it. It didn’t help that the Moblin was unintentionally extremely light on its feet.

“Good morning, Rezek. I see Ganondorf has left?” it said, causing the Wizzrobe to jump in surprise before zooming up to Sledge’s head - holding the sides of its face.

“Sledge, something just dawned on me,” Rezek said so fast and urgently the Moblin almost didn’t register the words, “the rest of the group can wait but I have to tell you this. Sledge this is important! Sledge!”

“Rezek, what happened? You should be resting!” it said with increasing concern, but the manic determination in the Wizzrobe’s eyes refused to subside.

“We need to head back to Kakariko Village. I’ve wasted too much time already…”

Chapter Text

A few more days had passed since Ganondorf took his leave from the group and they were now back in Kakariko Village. As much as the Great Deku Tree insisted Rezek get the rest it needed before setting off, it was too indignant about needing to head back now . Any answers Kobb, Link, or Zayl tried to get out of the Wizzrobe were cryptic at best, and Sledge wasn’t helping. They both maintained that this was a matter worth telling everyone at once - including the Sheikah. After much deliberation, the group was back on the road. Thankfully they were not forced to go on-foot as they had all their mounts. Kobb had its Eldin Ostrich, Sledge had the gargantuan horse that Ganondorf had permanently lent it, and Link called the wild stallion that came to his aid a second time. Zayl was once again forced to cling onto the Moblin’s back - while Rezek and Ashen held onto Link. The Wizzrobes’ light weight put little stress on Link’s horse, thankfully, but it meant they had to go slower than the breakneck pace that they had rode in on. 

After about a day and a half of riding, they were greeted at Kakariko Village with a sigh of relief from everyone. They had seen the storm of Wizzrobes and were getting more worried by the day. Rezek had almost fully recovered by now, but still took naps spanning multiple hours if it used too much magic keeping itself afloat or practicing its lightning. It acted almost catlike - hyperactive for short stints, darting all around the village, before passing out for a midday nap soon after. Link, Kobb, and Zayl were now at their wits end trying to decipher what Rezek was up to, but their questions were soon answered. They, Impa, Paya, and a few more of the renowned Sheikah warriors were all gathered for a meeting in Impa’s house. As Link sat on his pillow next to Kobb and Paya, he felt the slightest twinge in his stomach - getting a rush of anxiety. There was a bad feeling in his gut that he would have to face his responsibilities very soon. But he didn’t have much time to dwell on it as Rezek and Sledge entered the building, seating themselves across from Impa. The Wizzrobe arrived a little later than expected - having to convince Ashen not to follow it inside and instead play with the Sheikah children that it had made very quick friends with in the past few days. Slowly, Rezek extended its arms in greeting.

“Good afternoon, everyone!” it said in an excited but dire shrill voice, “Thank you for taking the time out of your day to come here. This is where we will plan our next steps to snuff out The Calamity for good. Welcome…to the War Room.”

A few murmurs broke out amongst the Sheikah men and women, but Kobb and Zayl nodded their heads in understanding. Of course, that explains its hasty nature and clandestine vibes. Kobb’s ears still twitched in slight annoyance that it didn’t get to be in on this until now; it seemed thrilling looking in from the outside. Meanwhile, Link’s stomach dropped a few feet as he felt the gaze of Hyrule Castle even with the mountains of Kakariko in-between. Rezek motioned to Sledge, who took the floor.

“Furthermore, Rezek found some crucial information during its journey that would interest us all - monsters and Hylians alike. We have gathered you all here because we believe everyone in this room has the fighting spirit to help us defeat The Calamity - and also find as many extra hands that we can.” Sledge said with its booming deep voice that roused both confidence and respect. One of the Sheikah shuffled around nervously, that being Paya. Meekly she raised her hand with a slight wince.

“I don’t mean to i-interrupt,” she said, immediately wanting to die from every eye going on her, “b-but I don’t see why I was asked to be here, then. I’m not exactly a fighter-”

“She can fight.” Impa said so suddenly and matter-of-factly it made Paya huff and hide her face in embarrassment, “She fights better than I could in my prime. I would say she’s the one in this room you’d want to look out for the most heh heh.”

Rezek rubbed its temple - still feeling the sting of Impa’s thrown sandal even though the pain had long subsided. 

“We also decided to make this group small so as to present our plan and new information easier. We assume the rumor mill will have everything we say around the village by dinnertime” it said, trying not to eye anyone in particular. But the nosy Sheikah knew who they were and subconsciously looked away. With that Sledge cleared its throat again and started.

“To make a long tale shorter: The Calamity is scared. It is afraid of losing the power it clung onto for the past one-hundred years. We thought removing the source, the undying Gerudo King that held the Triforce of Power, would also spell the end of the Malice. How wrong we were. Ganondorf was never in control like we thought. In a way he was just as imprisoned as we were, and freeing him did little to halt The Calamity’s power.”

An unease filled the air and Kobb looked especially downtrodden. Sledge didn’t expect this negative of a reception and it quickly tried to recover.

“Yet, Kobb’s valiant efforts were not useless. Far from it. We have managed to separate the Ganon from the Ganondorf. The ancient dead god he is still cursed by, Demise , is nothing more than a wounded animal. And like how a deer flails around in its final death throes, the corpse of Demise has been doing just that since they were killed long ago. Maybe there is some thought in what is left, but it only knows power, consumption, and control. Which means…now that it no longer has a vessel such as Ganondorf, we may be able to eliminate The Calamity for good.”

Several of Sledge’s audience leaned forward at the prospect. Link, however, sank lower than before. Bad memories and anxieties rushed in as this all seemed hauntingly familiar. Rezek then floated forward to take the floor.

“Unfortunately, we have a tight deadline. That is, if we want to ensure our victory. Tell me - when was the last Blood Moon?”

More murmurs filled the air as the Sheikah discussed before Impa raised her hand to calm her people.

“It was just a few days before you arrived here for the first time…” she said.

Rezek nodded with a grin.

“Correct. But some of you may ask how this is relevant? To answer that, I will ask that question with a question of my own…” Rezek said before turning to Link, Kobb and Zayl.

“How many of The Calamity's Wizzrobes are left after what happened on Hyrule Field?”

A stunned silence filled the air as the gears quickly turned in everyone’s head. Zayl’s face practically lit up with the realization - wondering why it didn’t think of it before.

“That storm of Wizzrobes…Rezek wiped nearly all of them out…” the Lizalfos said slowly. Rezek snapped in affirmation.

“When I was escaping with Ashen, I had nearly every Wizzrobe in Hyrule tailing me. Now they have either returned to the Malice, or are scattered and hidden. The survivors are likely terrified of failing The Calamity this badly. Of the ones sent back to the Malice, were the Elders of all three elements of magic. So not only have Demise’s Wizzrobe forces a fraction of what it once was, they are also leaderless. But it will not be that way for long…”

Sledge then stepped in, carrying a few notes in its large hands.

“We know that Blood Moons are how The Calamity replenishes its fallen soldiers - speaking from…personal experience. We also know Blood Moons only happen when the moon is full…and they do not occur twice in a row based on the research I’ve done with Purah. This gives us the smallest chance to strike while the iron is hot, and while The Calamity is missing some of its most powerful troops. Its power comes in unfathomable numbers, but we have managed to equalize the battlefield very slightly. But we do not have time to delay - as I expect all the Wizzrobes that Rezek took out will be on the hunt once again when they are reborn from the Malice.”

The Moblin’s words rang out amongst the group as it delivered its final verdict.

“To ensure victory, we will have to enter Hyrule Castle and defeat whatever being of Demise or Malice awaits within 6 weeks. That is our hard deadline. We cannot gamble on the chance that a Blood Moon will not show up at the earliest inconvenience.”

The room was so silent a pin drop could be heard. Calamity Ganon had always been this looming threat for the monsters, Link, and the Sheikah alike. But now that a strict deadline stared them straight in the face, the threat felt magnitudes worse - as if Demise was staring down on them. Yet despite the suffocating pressure, Link managed to keep it together. While the possibility of failing a second time was always in the back of his mind, he mustered up all the courage he could just to stand up. Sledge, Rezek, and the rest of the room turned towards him and he did a little fist bump to hype himself up.

“In that case,” he said after a deep breath, “we still have a lot of work to do…and we better get started.”

A hush fell over the room again, but it lasted much quicker as Zayl broke the silence with a loud “Yes!!” - causing everyone else to either lightheartedly whoop or yell as well. Link couldn’t help but laugh with a reassured smile as he then turned to Impa.

“The Divine Beasts have been freed, but we’re going to need more than that to storm Hyrule Castle. We need to unite what little of Hyrule is still left.”

Impa nodded sagely and let out a long sigh.

“Yes…you should meet with the new Champions. We will use Kakariko Village to host anyone willing to join the cause.”

“Take us along, too,” Sledge said firmly, “I am done hiding from the rest of this land, and I will only fight with those that would bleed for me and my kind like I would for theirs.”

Link nodded firmly. He was in the same boat. After what happened at Hateno Village, he had no intention of fighting with anybody that would treat his monster friends like that.

“That also brings us to another stage of our plan,” Rezek said. “Just a day’s trip north in Akkala, we have the other two surviving Sheikah scientists: Purah and Robbie. If we set up a connection that allows us to warp between their ancient tech lab and Kakariko Village, it would drastically impro-”

Another of Impa’s wooden slippers flew Rezek’s way, but it nonchalantly moved its head out of the way just in time.

“We are only using the Divine Beasts’ power because we are desperate! I will not have my sister’s confounded technology in this village! Have we forgotten what caused Hyrule’s ruin in the first place?” she said with a sudden shift in tone to stern and fierce - the wrinkles on her face suddenly more pronounced.

Rezek sighed and shook its head. “I know your anger all too well, but this is something that must be done.”

Impa still had a scowl across her face, unconvinced, and Kobb then stood up and walked towards her. Slowly, it laid one of its hands on her palms.

“We know how you feel, Impa,” the Bokoblin said with a solemn look across its snout, “The Calamity took what was part of your people and twisted it into a weapon of Malice. That is what happened to us, too…to all of us monsters. But you should not throw away that part of the Sheikah. If it was not for your technology, Zayl would never have recovered from losing its tail.”

Impa glanced over at the Lizalfos to see its beaming smile. The mechanical tail was also whirring with life and vigor. She then looked at Link, specifically the shining blue light in his eyes. The Shrine of Resurrection managed to give him a second life - one that wasn’t full of heavy expectations and broken dreams. She let out the longest and heaviest sigh and relaxed back on her seat.

“Very well…I relent just this once. Thank you for teaching this old lady that she still has a lot to learn, heh” she said, easing back into a light smile.

A loud throat clearing was then heard and all heads turned towards a gruff Sheikah man. It was Dorian - one of Kakariko’s strongest fighters.

“I hate to bring up the Hinox in the room,” he said, pulling at the collar of his uniform, “but even with this 6-week deadline, we also must assume that Princess Zelda will be able to hold off Ganon…or Demise or whatever it’s called now-”

“Zelda won’t fail” instantly came from three separate stern voices in the room: Impa, Link, and surprisingly, Paya.

Chapter Text

Link and the monsters stood at the fork in the road a little outside of Kakariko - accompanied by a few Sheikah to ensure safe travel. The path to the right led straight into Zora’s Domain - while heading left would take them back to Akkala. The sun had just cleared the imposing cliffs that towered over the north half of Lanayru. There was a distinct difference in the dirt between the paths: one dusty and dry, the other moist and dabbled in swampgrass. Rain was nowhere near as constant as when Link arrived, but that scent of freshly washed air filled his nostrils as he looked towards the road to Zora’s Domain. He dismounted his horse and gave it a firm pat on the side. Wasting no time the jet black stallion took off towards Hyrule Field once again.

“It’s not even worth trying to ride a horse through that windy path.” Link said with a slight chuckle as he firmly put his hands on his hips. He closed his eyes and took another deep breath. Going to the Domain was always conflicting. Link could always expect the most hearty welcoming he could imagine, but it was still hard to shake the first encounter he had out of his mind. If it was not for the soft rushing of the Zora River, it would be dead quiet amongst the group. They understood that another split-up was coming, and promised to themselves it would not end like last time. Briskly Link sauntered over to Zayl and extended a hand.

“C’mon, Zayl,” he said reassuringly, “you’ll be coming with me to the Domain. The river can get quite nasty unless you’re a Zora or a Lizalfos.”

Zayl made a bashful grawp and touched its claws together as it usually does when it gets nervous.

“I…I do not think I should be the one to go with,” it said meekly, “why not Rezek? It can float, and its magic is stronger there!”

Rezek turned to Link with a quizzical face, Ashen still clinging onto its back as it was still unable to keep pace with the rest.

“That’s a good question, Zayl, why not take me instead? The constant storms in Zora's Domain are perfect for my magic…”

Link shook his head with a small sigh.

“Zora and electric magic go about as well together as gunpowder on Death Mountain. I doubt they would even let you in the capital for their own safety, Rezek,” he said, biting his lip. “I also don’t want to bring more than one of you all when I meet with the new champions. We’ll be able to travel lighter and it’ll be ‘easier’ for diplomacy…as much as I hate to admit it.”

Kobb’s and Sledge’s ears drooped down, reluctant to admit it too. They would have loved to see the opulent sights of the Domain with their own eyes. 

“Don’t worry, you’ll meet all of them eventually! …I hope” Link said, misinterpreting them slightly. 

Not wanting to cause more trouble, Zayl relented and let Link help it off the horse. It knew it’d have to confront its past eventually, but it would’ve preferred staying away from the Domain for as long as possible. Yet it didn’t tell Link that as the Lizalfos said its temporary goodbyes to the rest of its friends.

“Wait, before I forget!” Link shouted, running over to Sledge, Kobb and Rezek. Carefully, he unclipped the Sheikah Slate on his belt and held it out in the palm of his hand. The soft blue lights whirred unceremoniously but it still fascinated the monsters nonetheless.

“One of you should borrow this since you’re heading over to Purah and Robbie. Won’t be much use to me when I’m traveling in tandem. Just make sure not to break it, okay? I’m technically borrowing it, too.”

Kobb looked at the sorry state of the Sheikah Slate, with its cracked screen and chips in the frame, and gave Link a suspicious look - its snout curled slightly upwards. Link’s ears turned pink and he forced out a loud cough.

“Well don’t break it more than I have, then! Anyways, who wants it?” he sputtered, his cheeks growing bright red as well.

A gaggle of chuckles surrounded him before Sledge softly raised its hand.

“That thing can take pictures, right? If so, I would like to borrow it! Would be great for my drawing book” it said with sparkling eyes and an outstretched hand.

The lantern in Link’s head flickered on as he made a sudden realization and his cheeks somehow grew redder.

“Waitwaitwait let me…set some things up first” he said as he backed himself against the trunk of a nearby pine and frantically pressed on the screen with the subtlety of a bomb arrow.

Muttering several curses under his breath, Link finally called the Moblin over to show it how the slate works after he had “set it up”. As the Hylian was showing Sledge the ins and outs, how to use the teleportation rune, the camera, and all the other cool doodads, Rezek and Kobb meandered over to Zayl. 

“You better come back in one piece this time,” Rezek said, prompting a slight jab from Kobb, but that helped ease Zayl’s mind as it let out a raspy laugh.

“I have gotten so used to this, sometimes I forget it is not my own flesh…” the Lizalfos said as it lightly stroked its mechanical tail. Kobb then put both its hands on Zayl’s shoulders and briefly touched foreheads before letting go.

“No matter what they say, do not let them get you down. Please.” Kobb said with a more serious tone, but Zayl understood and nodded firmly.

Ashen leapt off of Rezek’s back and floated towards the Lizalfos and gave its neck a hug that made Zayl let out a loud ACK in surprise.

“I’ll miss you Zayl,” Ashen said with a disappointed but still bubbly voice, “you’re always so funny.”

Rezek rolled its eyes and had to pry the tiny Wizzrobe off Zayl before it was slowly choked.

“It is only for a few days, and I think you could do without an enabler of mischief for that long…” Rezek said with a lighthearted scolding, to which Zayl chuckled back bashfully.

Link had just finished giving Sledge the rundown on using the Slate and the Moblin hurriedly ran over to Zayl to say its farewells while it had the chance.

“Take care, Zayl…” it said softly with its long arm reaching down to Zayl’s shoulder.. It chose few words, not wanting to repeat what others might have said. The Lizalfos smiled and patted Sledge’s hand softly. With that, Link gave it a “ready to go?” look and it made an affirmative grawp . The Hylian then turned to one of the Sheikah, still on their horses and looking a tad impatient.

“Remember: stay off the busy roads. Take the eastern path and make a wide berth around Tarrey Town for good measure” he said firmly as Kobb and Sledge mounted their ostrich and horse respectively. With one last wave goodbye, the group took off - leaving a small cloud of dust in their wake as they took a left at the fork. An awkward silence filled the air as Zayl and Link were now by themselves.

“Well, let’s head on over!” Link said, patting Zayl on the back. “If we hurry a little we can make it to the Domain by lunchtime - I did not eat enough for breakfast. Plus, you’re gonna love a certain friend of mine. He has just as much boundless enthusiasm as you do, heh.”

Zayl bashfully laughed back, a lingering thought in the back of its head. So Link must know more than a few of the Zora if he’s so familiar with their home. Could he know that Zora? The chances seemed to be higher by the second. It was also doubtful they would be able to cross that much ground in just a few hours, but Link had surprised even the Lizalfos. While the regular road was meandering to slowly ascend up the steep cliffs around the river, Link knew of several shortcuts. A few of which involved going off the beaten path to cross the raging Zora River. It was then that Zayl realized why Link had asked it to accompany him. Each time they made one of his shortcuts, he could pass his belongings to the Lizalfos and ask to be ferried across. Slinging Link’s knapsack over its horn, Zayl happily obliged and easily carried him. Although that did bring up a few questions for both of them.

“How do you know this place so well?” Zayl asked as they crossed the river once again.

Link hid his face slightly under the water, blowing bubbles for a second before rising back up.

“I visit here a lot, that's all! Need to check on the Divine Beast to make sure it’s still up and running every so often! You seem to know the lay of the land around here, too.” he deflected, making Zayl flinch enough for Link to nearly lose his grip.

“This…is a very common Lizalfos spot, yes! I must have been placed here a few times while under the Malice” it said back, now being the one to take its turn hiding its face into the water.

Link made a soft “ahh” sound, knowing that both of them were hiding something. The rest of the walk was in moderate silence, and it didn’t help that a light drizzle had put a damper on conversation. Yet even the gloom of rain didn’t make the riverside path any less breathtaking. It truly was a road that ran alongside nature instead of cutting through it. The loud rushing of the Zora River gave an innate calming property that could be enjoyed even while soaking wet, and paired with the vibrant green forest that surrounded it made quite the enjoyable hike. Zayl didn’t blame Link at all for being so familiar with this path - for it would walk it every day if given the chance. Once the pair made their way to crossing Oren Bridge, Zayl spoke up once again.

“Link, I…” it said with slight hesitation, but decided it was better to rip off this bandage sooner than later. The Hylian turned towards it, and it got even more flustered staring down his bright blue eyes, but Zayl swallowed the lump in its throat and continued.

“I have been here before. This place…was where I was when I broke from The Calamity. From there I moved to the swamp south of here where I met Kobb” it said slowly, thinking back to how much time had passed since.

Link raised an eyebrow curiously.

“Oh! What happened? I was the one to help Kobb break from the Malice so I always wondered how you managed to do it…”

Before any more could be said, they were interrupted by a giant figure leaping out of the river and landing with a tremendous THUD behind them on the bridge. They were so tall that their head obscured the sun overhead - making their face beam with radiance.  A crimson red filled their eyes, with Link and Zayl having polar opposite reactions. For Zayl, that familiar color alongside the blinding light was terrifying and it crouched behind Link instinctively. Meanwhile the Hylian looked up boldly with a smile beaming on his face as his eyes adjusted and Prince Sidon came into view.

“Link! I just knew that you were dropping by again, I could feel it in my gills!” the Zora Prince practically screamed as Link enthusiastically leapt into his arms for the standard Sidon greeting. The Hylian’s feet dangled off the ground as Sidon gave Link a huge hug that nearly took the wind out of him. He never really got used to nearly being crushed every time he visited the Domain, but he didn’t mind. It was the comfort he needed after traversing through an entire land that echoed in the aftermath of his mistakes. They both laughed heartily, yelled standard Zora chants, and rubbed their foreheads together all while Zayl felt the most out of place it’s felt in a while. It was quite the shock seeing Sidon act like this - remembering its first impressions with the Zora Prince. It stayed low to the ground, a little afraid that Sidon was only this happy because it hadn’t seen the Lizalfos yet. However its fears were alleviated as the hulking crimson Zora looked down with friendly sparkling eyes Zayl had never seen before.

“And this must be the Lizalfos you talked about! Zayl, right? The one that freed itself from the Malice!” he said, which confused Zayl even more.

“You…have talked about me?” Zayl said to Link, who nodded firmly - still comically clutched in Sidon’s arms with his legs dangling.

“I’ve told pretty much all the friends I trust about you, Kobb, Sledge, and Rezek. It’d be a little stupid not to if I’m bringing you into the Domain.” he said, which made Sidon chuckle.

Zayl let out a small ahh but still kept looking at Sidon with a bizarre gaze. Was this really the same Zora? The look in Sidon’s eyes showed a masked familiarity with the Lizalfos that he was hiding, but why? Sidon took note of Zayl’s look and his pupils darted back and forth erratically in quick thought.

“Say, Link, do you mind if I have a chat with our new friend? I would love to learn more about it!” he said. The words “new friend” hit a soft spot in Zayl’s mind and it was caught off guard. Link leaned his head back so that he could get a glimpse of the Zora Prince while being held like a hanging cat.

“Haha…sure, you too can walk ahead I guess.” he said, getting a small rush seeing Sidon’s eyes light up from so close.

“Splendid! We’ll be off, then! Should reach the Domain in no time!” he said, hesitating putting Link down to not so subtly press his face into Link’s scruffy hair for a few seconds before finally letting him back on the ground. Zayl assumed all this was standard Zora customs and the thought crossed its mind of how silly it would look to be held like that as it and Sidon walked ahead of Link. As they rounded a turn in the path Sidon whipped his head around to make sure Link was outside of hearing range and looked to the Lizalfos with a much different expression. It wasn’t stern, nor angry. The Zora Prince appeared much more solemn than before - his beaming toothy smile now just the slightest curve of the mouth that might not even be called a smile.

“So…you go by Zayl now?” he said with a quieter tone, “I think it is a nice name…although it made me a bit confused on whether you were that ‘Lizzy’ when Link spoke of you…”

Zayl tapped its claws together like it usually did when it was sheepish or nervous. Now it was sure this was the same Zora it had encountered all that time ago. 

“I…I am sorry I broke my promise and came back here.” it said back in a more raspy voice than usual, “I did not want to tell Link about what happened here.”

A long relieved sigh escaped Sidon’s throat and he looked up to the sky before letting his head fall down low.

“I’m glad you didn’t, actually. I think it’s better to start fresh - act like we’ve never met. I was not myself that day, and that was your first impression of me…”

The Lizalfos turned its head in confusion and looked directly at Sidon.

“But why? Everything worked out, did it not? You were angry then, but you did not know I broke free of the Malice…” Zayl said, still not sure what the big deal was.

Sidon shook his head fiercely and looked away with shame.

“If Katela hadn’t snapped me out of it I would have killed you, Zayl. You shouldn’t have seen that side of me - no one should, really. I’m not proud of who I was that day. I’m just glad you are still here for me to apologize. It’s better if Link didn’t know about that…” he said with gritted teeth. 

The Lizalfos still didn’t understand, blinking blankly at Sidon as they walked ahead of Link.

“But that part of you is still you, right?” Zayl said, thinking back to the early days of traveling with Rezek.

Once again Sidon let out a deep sigh, balling his fists to his side and bobbing his head in slight frustration.

“It’s not just that, Zayl. That day I saw a part of me that I didn’t even know was there.” Sidon said, scratching the back of his head. “I thought I was the only reasonable Zora on the council - that the rest had let the loss of my sister bitter their hearts. I thought I hadn’t let that happen to me. I thought I was the only one able to move on. Turns out I was wrong. The Lizalfos you are now is not to blame for what happened, yet I still almost took your life for good…for no other reason than spite and some twisted idea of revenge. I don’t think I even did the right thing in the end…forcing you from your home. You needed a helping hand and I failed you.”

A stiff silence lingered in the air - the path to the Domain rising so high in elevation the raging Zora River sounded like a distant wind. Sidon continued when Zayl was left without words - not knowing what it should say at this point.

“Please…I hope you can forgive me so we can put that chapter of our past behind us. I’m sure you have things you remember from when you were under the Malice you’d like to forget, too.” Sidon concluded, turning to face Zayl again and looking at it with more solemn eyes than the Lizalfos had seen in the Zora.

In a way, Sidon was right. While Zayl’s memory under the Malice was foggy, the fact that it had almost attacked a Zora child while under its influence was enough for the Lizalfos to spend a few sleepless nights thinking about what it might have done in its many lives. It thought back to that exhilarating feeling it got when it was able to ponder its freedom with no distractions. That liberation, the feeling of a clean slate, it felt nice. Perhaps they would tell Link eventually, but the prospect of putting that behind to start anew made Zayl’s heart flutter.

“Mmmm…if that is what you want,” Zayl said before extending an arm out to Sidon with a small smile, “it is nice to meet a new friend for the first time!”

Sidon hesitated - not expecting Zayl to be so easygoing. The Lizalfos tilted its head sideways and made a curious chirping sound. This is what Sidon wanted, right? This pushed The Zora Prince to meet with Zayl’s arm and clasp their hands together. His hand had a peculiar texture to Zayl. It was cool and smooth but with a distinct feel. The two shook hands and for Sidon it felt like an immense weight was immediately lifted off his chest. He let out a small giggle to which Zayl copied. Sidon laughed harder, then so did Zayl. Gradually their laughter snowballed out of control to where their cackling echoed across the rainy cliffs of Ruto Mountain. Link caught up to them and rolled his eyes with a playful smile on his face.

“Good to know you two are getting along…”

…

Zayl was left speechless when they rounded a cliff for the final time and Zora’s Domain came into full view. It could be seen from Luto’s Crossing, but the slight drizzle and distance prevented it from being viewed in full splendor. As the three crossed the opulent Great Zora Bridge, Zayl spun its head around every which way - marveling in the beautiful cerulean stonework. Link and Sidon couldn’t help but look at each other and chuckle to themselves. Many had this initial reaction when visiting the Domain, and it was always a treat to see someone witness it for the first time. Zayl counted the massive arches above its head as they continued to the Domain, but it took notice that Link and Sidon changed formation right when they neared the entrance. Sidon was leading the pack while Link brought up the rear - sandwiching Zayl in the middle.

“This is for your own safety,” Link whispered to the Lizalfos, “we don’t want anyone attacking you thinking you’re an intruder.”

Zayl gulped nervously and nodded - knowing first-hand how ruthless the Zora could be regarding its kind. But if it trusted anyone to keep it safe, it was these two. It counted the last five arches as the bridge passed the outer wall - unfathomably expansive and tall. This was it, Zayl was officially in Zora’s Domain.

As the three climbed up the small steps that led to the entrance gate, they were immediately greeted by the two Zoras that stood watch. Sidon waved to both of them and they saluted. It was clear they were trying to stare straight ahead, but they couldn’t help but give shifty glances at Zayl. It already felt like it was under a huge magnifying glass and it hadn’t even gotten past the main entrance.

“Good to see you, Rivan” Link said with a polite wave, to which Rivan returned before snapping back to attention suddenly.

When they entered the main square, nearly every eye in view was focused right on Zayl. It almost stumbled a few times as they climbed another set of stairs to head up to the second floor. The once bustling Domain was now dead-quiet as Link and Sidon huddled closer to the Lizalfos - Link’s hand instinctively hovering over his sword. The hints of whispering could be heard through the agonizingly slow climb. Even worse, Zora’s Domain was not like the other castles of Hyrule. There were no walls or ceilings to hide Zayl in the slightest. It was completely exposed to the Zora capital and all the gossip surrounding it.

The Zoras it passed on its way up made a wide berth around the trio - nearly hugging the far guardrails. Zayl glanced to its right and saw a few older looking Zoras on the battlements. They met eyes and the Lizalfos was given the meanest glare it had seen in all its life. Zayl snapped its head back to look straight forward, which caused it to stumble again. Only this time it didn’t catch itself and fell right into Sidon’s back. Link was quick to react and grabbed both of Zayl’s shoulders and pulled it back on-balance. Sidon immediately sputtered apologies, seemingly unaware of the visible apathy surrounding him. His voice carried through the whole Domain, but his words barely registered to Zayl. It was all white noise as the Lizalfos couldn’t stop itself from glancing back at the older Zoras. Their scowls had somehow gotten more hateful and many surrounding Zoras had their hands on their weapon handles - even the younger ones, albeit more out of nervousness in their case.

After what seemed like hours, they had finally made it to the second floor. Only to Zayl’s disdain it was greeted with another flight of stairs. To its right it could see a path that led to a collection of pools that several Zoras were swimming and bathing in. Many had their eyes just above the water that made Zayl feel like it was being stalked by one of its own. Yet out of all the suspicious and whispering Zoras, it locked eyes with one that didn’t immediately show fear or disgust. It was a very familiar young Zora whose eyes lit up with excitement. She was none other than Katela - the child that had somehow helped Zayl break from the Malice and who Zayl then rescued from its fellow Lizalfos.

“Lizzy!!” she shouted as loud as possible and ran towards Zayl. However, she couldn’t even get more than 3 steps in before being scooped up by her mother. Katela kicked and protested, but her mom hid her from sight of the Lizalfos. The mother then gave Zayl the meanest grimace it had seen yet. Her pearly white teeth were blinding even from a distance as she carried Katela away despite her muffled complaints. Zayl exhaled deeply and clenched its eyes shut, just wanting this to be over already. It felt a soft hand on its shoulder and turned around to see Link with a disappointed melancholy in his eyes. The look he gave Zayl was one of intense familiarity - like he had seen this all before.

“You’re doing great, we’re almost there. Just a little more.” he said quietly, but with a strong reassurance.

Thankfully Link was right. The upcoming staircase wasn’t nearly as exposed and only half as long. There were still two more Zoras guarding the path to the Throne Room, but one of them actually looked more curious than anything.

“Afternoon, Bazz!” Sidon said with a stride in his step as he passed the Zora in question. Bazz gave a jovial “nothing to report, Prince!” with a clang of his spear on the floor. As Zayl passed Bazz, he continued to look at the Lizalfos with an inquisitive spark in his eye. It was the first time Zayl didn’t feel like an unwanted enemy or a specimen to be observed. When it turned to look Bazz in the eye, the Zora gave it the smallest nod. Possibly a greeting, maybe something else. Regardless, Zayl made a soft nod back in response - not sure what to make of this Zora but mostly just glad he wasn’t hostile or afraid.

“Ahh, welcome back, Link!” Bazz then said to the Hylian, who cheerfully made a small salute as he passed the Zora guard. 

Finally having a positive encounter with another Zora, the steps felt much less grueling for Zayl than before. However, its newfound confidence quickly deflated as it walked within earshot of what appeared to be a conversation happening in the throne room. And whoever was inside did not sound happy.

“Absolutely incredulous! To think such an enemy would be brought into our pristine kingdom! The very thought makes my blood boil! I-”

Zayl’s eyes peeked up to see a dark green Zora with a wide head shooting his mouth off. The other Zora he was ranting to was absolutely hulking in comparison. He sat in the center and was about as tall as a Hinox - and just as intimidating. A regal aura surrounded the giant Zora that made Zayl regret this choice to come this close to the Zora capital even more. The smaller old Zora’s rantings ceased immediately as Sidon entered the room following Zayl and Link. The Zora Prince glared at the older one with a type of frustration you would only get from years of experience. The large kingly Zora stroked his chin as the tense silence spread to this room as well.

“Muzu…” he said with a booming deep voice, deeper than Sledge, “would you please step out for a moment while I consider your counsel?”

Muzu hesitated, opening his mouth to get one more thought across, but relented and swiftly turned about-face to leave back down the stairs. He made sure to give Zayl a dirty side-eye as they passed and the Lizalfos was not surprised in the slightest. It had been thrown looks that could kill by nearly every Zora in the Domain - what was one more? It helped that the throne room was actually covered by walls and a roof, relieving that oppressive gaze Zayl had felt since it stepped past the outer ring.

The throne room itself was absolutely gorgeous - even more than the rest of the Domain. Ornate indigo decorations and paintings made of twisted metal and colored glass adorned the walls and ceilings that sparkled in any light. The throne the large Zora sat on was equal parts breathtaking and menacing - opening up into petals of blue steel like a deadly lotus flower. Its layout was like an amphitheater, with dozens of seats circling the throne with an inner circle of six smaller seats excluding the massive throne.

“Quite an unusual turn of events…” the imposing Zora muttered to himself before straightening his back to tower over the trio even more.

“What brings an ally of Ganon to our Domain - much less to its king, Dorephan, himself?” he boomed with a stern voice that made Zayl feel even more like a bug on a log than before.

“Father…” Sidon said with a much more reserved voice than usual, “this is the Lizalfos I have told you about. The one who-”

“I am not asking you, Sidon, I am asking the monster itself.” Dorephan interrupted. His head turned to look Zayl directly in the eyes - a certain brimstone behind them that terrified Zayl to its core. Now it would rather deal with every single Zora out there than the one in here. With every ounce of courage it could muster, the Lizalfos stepped forward and cleared its throat.

“Zora…tall leader…” Zayl said, momentarily forgetting the Hylian word for ‘king’, causing Dorephan to raise an eyebrow quizzically, “I am no longer tied to The Calamity. I have broken my curse with the Malice, and seen as traitor to Ganon. We are not allowed our own names, but I have given one to me - and it is Zayl. I defy The Calamity, and what it has done to my kind and my home.”

Dorephan continued to stroke his chin unperturbed.

“I see, I don’t suppose you’d be able to provide any proof of these claims?” he said with the hint of a scowl. Sidon immediately stepped forward to challenge this.

“Father! You cannot-”

“Sidon, the enemy has grown stronger and smarter.” Dorephan interrupted again, his voice sounding like it could shake the roof, “You know this. We all know this. It is not enough for this Lizalfos to say it has defected. Prove it to us, monster.”

Rather than give in to fear, Zayl swelled its chest up and exhaled sharply through its nostrils. It didn’t know where this newfound strength came from, but it was getting an adrenaline rush not too different from the heat of battle. Keeping its gaze with the Zora King, Zayl unfastened its menacing Steel Lizal Bow from its back. The nearby guards immediately raised their spears and began to approach, but with a single raise of Dorephan’s hand, they reluctantly withdrew. Rather than draw an arrow, Zayl pointed to the sharp metal spikes adorning the bow and in one swift motion pierced the palm of its hand with one of the tips about an inch deep. The Lizalfos grimaced in pain, then gingerly pulled its hand free. It then raised its bleeding palm to the Zora King - showing him the lime-green blood flowing down its arm.

“There is not a pebble of Malice in this body of mine,” Zayl said with a low hum, “and I would rather die for good than go back.”

The Lizalfos then turned to the side to show its mechanical tail.

“If that is not enough for you, then look here. A Lizalfos with no tail is useless to The Calamity, and would have been returned to the Malice long ago.” it said with an almost angry growl. 

Link and Sidon were dumbstruck. Link had only seen this more serious side of Zayl right after it had lost its tail. It seemed like it had a fierce warrior brewing inside it just waiting to be backed into a corner. Dorephan was impressed as well, nodding his head slightly as Zayl then began bandaging its hand up. 

“Oh-hoho…Hyrule is full of surprises, indeed.” Dorephan said, letting a slight smile get by before turning stern again. “You may have proved you are not allied with Ganon, but you have not proved you are allied to us . What brings you to intrude Zora’s Domain - knowing that we see you as our greatest enemy. And that you would be but a pincushion on the bridge if not for your escorts.”

This time Link stepped forward to try to defuse the situation.

“King Dorephan, we brought Zayl here because-”

“Once again I am not asking either of you to talk in this Lizalfos’ stead,” he interrupted one more time, “it will tell me with its own mouth.”

Link had never seen this side of King Dorephan. Even when he was at his lowest point visiting the Domain, the king had never shown this amount of disregard for him. If anything, it was quite the opposite. King Dorephan was one of the few in the Domain other than Sidon to give Link the benefit of the doubt. Despite losing his child to The Calamity, he never blamed Link like the others. Yet, the resentful frown spreading across his face as he looked down at Zayl told the Hylian all he needed to know. His grief had not yet healed - and he was taking it out on the monster in front of him.

“We…I am here to ask for help.” Zayl said firmly. This was not going to be a repeat of Hateno. It would have to choose its words carefully, for Dorephan ensured no one would be talking for Zayl except itself. Thankfully Sledge had been helping it with its Hylian speech ever since. “There are more of us…monsters that have broken free from the Malice. I am here to speak for the rest. We wish to free the rest of the monsters but…Calamity Ganon needs to be destroyed.”

King Dorephan nodded slowly and let out a long pensive groan.

“Is that not what the Divine Beasts are for? We have already done all we can.”

Zayl shook its head fiercely.

“We have little time left, Zora King. Because of a friend, The Calamity’s monsters have less numbers now…but not for long. The next Blood Moon is our time limit. The Malice is fighting back harder. It is afraid of losing its soldiers: us monsters. We need to attack the castle in the center before the Blood Moon. Six weeks.”

Another long drawn out groan came from Dorephan, crossing his arms in thought this time.

“Please…” Zayl said, meeting the king’s eyes, “we…I…am asking for your Zora soldiers to help. We have a…‘war room’ in the village of the Sheikah where we will meet. Hopefully with the other beings of this land too. We are trying to…unite…Hyrule. For one final battle.”

Nervously Zayl looked back to Link for encouragement, who gave a thumbs up and smile. Zayl gleefully returned it before hearing a loud clearing of the throat behind it - whipping its head back around to face Dorephan.

“Hmmm…this is quite an interesting development. However, this is a decision that the Cerulean Council will have to make - not something I can approve nor deny on my own.” he said, his scowl subsiding but not entirely gone. Zayl nodded and opened its mouth to speak again, only for Dorephan to continue before it had a chance.

“But!” he boomed through the wide room, “before I can even convene an emergency council, and before I can even allow you to stay in our Domain, you must prove yourself worthy to the Zoras.”

Zayl gulped and shifted its feet in apprehension, wondering what it would have to do. It nodded to King Dorephan silently - letting him know it was ready for whatever he could throw. The Zora King smiled for the first time, but it was not a cheery smile.

“Good. Regardless of species, I can appreciate a willing warrior. You see, just north of here is Toto Lake - and the ruins that encompass them. Just recently a pack of monsters decided to set up camp there. A rather brazen decision, but they are just out of range for our archers to pick off. To make things more infuriating, they have been creeping closer to the Domain - some even gathering at the waterfall nearby. This is quite worrisome as the pool below is a common social spot for our young ones…”

A bad feeling brewed in Zayl’s stomach as it waited for what Dorephan would say next.

“Clear them out,” Dorephan said with the slightest glint hidden in his eyes, “I will send Bazz to accompany you and ensure the job is done. Do this, and I will guarantee you lodging in our Domain and an emergency council to discuss your request tomorrow.”

The Lizalfos felt its knees almost give out, but it refused to give Dorephan the satisfaction of a reaction. The corner of its mouth quivered as it stared right into the Zora King’s eyes silently. Link and Sidon had less of a muffled reaction. Sidon made an audible choke and practically leapt forward while Link gritted his teeth so hard his chin shook.

“This is absurd, father!” Sidon shouted, losing the reserved tone he normally kept. “How has Zayl not proved its worth already? And asking it to kill its own kind? This is beyond harsh!”

Dorephan slowly turned his head to his prince son and let out a deep disappointed sigh.

“Deeds bring merits. Merits prove worth. You know that is the Zora way, Sidon,” he said in an almost deadpan voice, “and I’m sure your Lizalfos friend will have no qualms in this if it’s no longer allied with Ganon, correct?”

Sidon’s hands trembled as they were balled into fists. Meanwhile Link slowly approached Zayl and knelt down close to its head.

“Zayl, you don’t have to do this,” he whispered to the Lizalfos, “if our plan succeeds, then there won’t be a Blood Moon to bring those monsters back. You won’t have a chance to save them from the Malice if you kill them now. We can find help elsewhere, it’s not worth it.”

Its beady eyes continued to stare straight at the Zora King - chest visibly rising and falling from its heavy breathing. There was so much that was wrong with this, and it had never felt more helpless. This was its first taste of the battles of diplomacy. No steel is struck, but the sting of words often felt worse than a sword. Keeping its eyes forward, Zayl leaned slightly back towards Link.

“If they do not get me to do it, they will send someone else. If we win, those monsters will never have a life free from Malice, no matter my choice. We can only hope their souls will find rest.” the Lizalfos quietly said back.

Link let out a small gasp, not realizing that and gripped Zayl’s shoulder tighter. This truly was a lose-lose scenario and they had walked right into it. Meanwhile, Dorephan’s smile grew wider as he looked down on Zayl from his gargantuan throne.

“Well? What is your answer, little Lizalfos?”

With one more deep breath, Zayl raised its head and straightened its hunched posture - “growing” nearly a foot taller as a result.

“I will do it. But only so my fellow monsters will be put in the ground for good out of mercy, instead of how you see us.” it said in its raspy voice, but there was a new bravado behind it. There was so much on the line that Zayl knew risks had to be made.

Dorephan made a slight smirk and nodded.

“Doesn’t make much of a difference to me as long as they’re gone. Off you go, then. Bazz is on the left. Sidon will debrief him.”

Without another word, Zayl turned around with a slight huff and headed back down the stairs. Sidon and Link took their chance to give King Dorephan an upset and angry frown as they followed Zayl out the throne room. The soft rumble of thunder boomed in the distance.

Chapter Text

Zayl and Bazz stood in the shallow pool facing the giant northern waterfall that led to Toto Lake. While it was still mid-afternoon, the sky had grown noticeably darker from the impending storm. A soft drizzle accompanied, but neither of them minded. Both Zoras and Lizalfos alike loved the coming of rains to keep their skin and scales smooth and moist. Yet there was a certain tension between the two as they stood in silence facing the waterfall. Bazz’s vision kept leaning towards Zayl as he tried to get a good read on it. But Zayl was uncharacteristically expressionless. Its eyes were half-squinted as the mist from the waterfall continued its advance towards the two. Deep and heavy, breaths rose its chest up and down, but it didn’t look angry.

“Got everything you need?” Bazz said, trying to relieve some of the pressure. While this mission was a complete surprise to the Zora, he was not exactly a stranger to Zayl either. He was one of the few Sidon trusted in confiding about the Lizalfos and other monsters that had broken free from the Malice. Perhaps he was sent because King Dorephan thought Zayl would be brought out of its comfort zone. Or this was some test for him or Sidon as well. Regardless of the case, Zayl jumped a bit at Bazz’s voice then turned and nodded.

“Yes…I am ready” it softly said. In the interim to get to this waterfall, Bazz had debriefed Zayl on how they were gonna do this. He would use the Zora’s tremendous swimming prowess to scale the waterfall, Lizalfos in tow, then they’d slowly approach the encampment from the west. Without another word, the two waded deeper into the pond up until they were right at the foot of the crashing waterfall. The splash from the water was fierce enough to slightly sting on the skin, but this was nothing for the aquatic Zora and Lizalfos. Zayl firmly gripped onto Bazz’s shoulders, who then took a deep breath and let the water flow around him. With a mighty leap he began ascending the tall wall of water in a near reality-defining display. While magic was mostly reserved to Wizzrobes and specialized persons, the Zora were so in-tune with the water around them they could practically bend it to their will.

Like a cleaver Bazz tore through the water and rose higher and higher - creating his own current in the waterfall that let him rise to the top. It was nothing short of spectacular for Zayl who held on for dear life. It counted the seconds with agonizing patience, hoping it would be able to keep its grip all the way up to the top. While the trip itself lasted just over five seconds, each one felt like minutes as the freshwater sprayed in Zayl’s face as the two climbed. At last Bazz reached the summit - grabbing the ledge and swinging himself and the Lizalfos up and over. They were back on solid ground, albeit precariously close to the waterfall’s edge. Zayl’s knees wobbled from the exhilaration of it all and it almost broke out in a loud laugh before it realized why it was here and the need to be absolutely silent. A small nearby plateau kept them obscured from the nearby lookout posts as they crept westward to a larger plateau. The tall wetland grass was able to hide the low-frame Lizalfos well enough, but Bazz had to resort to going prone and inch forward little by little. When they reached one of the larger plateau’s, Bazz hoisted Zayl up onto a ledge who then used its mechanical tail as a tether to bring Bazz up. Slowly, they peeked over their cover and saw the full encampment Dorephan told them about. All in all it was only 7 monsters: Two Bokoblins on the shoddy lookout battlements, then three Lizalfos and two more Bokoblins patrolling or lollygagging near the actual ruins of Toto Lake. Zayl’s claws clenched hard enough on the boulder it left indents in the rock. A bright flash followed by the rumbling sounds of thunder gave the Lizalfos an idea.

“We must be quick, and we must be silent,” it whispered to Bazz, unfastening its bow, “I will use the thunder’s noise to take out the archers without altering the others.”

The Zora nodded, biting his lower mouth with apprehension. “I was uhhh…instructed to not assist you, just escort and observe…but what King Dorephan doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?” he said with a slight glint in his eye. Zayl picked up on his cue and let out a light exhale and smiled for the first time in this whole outing.

“Thank you.” Zayl said, the gears in its head turning with thought, “If you want to help, you can be ehhh…how does Rezek say it…Plan B!”

Bazz tilted his head to the side, the floppy fins on his head dangling with him, “Plan B? I suppose I can lend a hand if you get too over your head, but what does that entail?”

Zayl let out a long groan and wringed its claws.

“You see…The Calamity…it sees all. These monsters cannot know that I am here. When they find us…the defectors of the Malice…every monster in the area swarms us like angry bees. If they found out I am in your Domain…” it trailed off, inferring enough to make Bazz gulp nervously.

“I will try not to miss, but if I do…and they creep closer…do not let them see me. For both my safety and your kind’s.” Zayl finished, looking gravely serious at Bazz. The last thing it wanted to see was a repeat of what happened with Rezek. Even though nearly all of the Domain hated the Lizalfos, nobody deserved the swarm of The Calamity upon them.

“Understood…” Bazz said softly, unfastening the silver spear on his back and holding it firmly in his hand. It would be ideal if Zayl flushed out this encampment without a hitch, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t itching for some action.

Zayl nodded with a little bit of gung-ho, gliding its claws up and down the wooden bow with a water-like smoothness. For this particular mission, it decided to leave its Steel Lizal Bow at the Domain. While it had enough oomph behind it to stop a charging Lynel, this situation called for more precision. In its arms was a Phrenic Bow - gifted to it by Impa as they left Kakariko Village. When it came to distance and accuracy, this bow was nearly unmatched. When drawn, Zayl felt like it could pin a fly to a tree without killing it.

Another flash of light arced through the sky and this time Zayl counted up.

One Bokoblin, two Bokoblin, three Bokoblin.

A deep rumble resonated through its chest as thunder boomed. About three seconds. That was its calibration. But before it could notch an arrow, Bazz spoke up again.

“Are…are you okay with this?” Bazz asked with a look of concern on his face, “I get they’re under Calamity Ganon, but they’re still your kind right? I can do more than just watch, to be honest!”

Zayl hesitated before releasing a long drawn out groan and looked Bazz directly in the eyes. While its pupils were small and beady, the sky-blue coloring shone with life unlike the rest of the Lizalfos Bazz had ever encountered.

“No, I am not okay with this.” Zayl said softly but firmly, “Your king is forcing me to put my own monsters in the ground. For my punishment or his delight, I do not know. But if I do not do it, then someone else will. I have seen how the Zora fight us with my own eyes…ruthless…bloody. Not even an enemy deserves to have a spear rammed down their throat so their jaw hangs by a string.”

Bazz gulped nervously - thinking back to the many outings he’s done with Sidon and the other Zora to eliminate nearby monster camps. Yet the look Zayl gave him was not resentful or judgemental, it was simply disappointment. However Bazz would’ve taken an angry Zayl over the sheer melancholy that shone in its eyes now.

“I am the only one here who will treat these monsters how they should…a quick death of mercy…like falling asleep…so I will do it.” Zayl said, wincing slightly and turning away. Bazz was lost for words so he slowly nodded and watched their flank.

An arrow was notched into Zayl’s Phrenic Bow and it pulled back to half-draw - waiting for the right opportunity. It peeked the side of its head over the boulder, its unique eyes especially coming in handy here. The two lookout towers were spaced so one was closer than the other with both Bokoblin archers on top looking in opposite directions. Perfect. Patiently, it waited for that familiar flash of light. The second the sky lit up, it began counting.

One-Bokoblin, Two-Bokoblin…

Zayl sprung out from behind the rock and pulled back its bow to a full draw. The first deadly arrow was sent zinging across the landscape towards the farther Bokoblin. With near blinding speed, Zayl notched and pulled back another arrow - sending this one to the closer lookout tower.

Three-Bokoblin.

The loud rumble of thunder shook the land right as the arrows made their mark. Both perfectly pierced the Malice-filled Bokoblins in their necks, just above the shoulders. This ensured that the Malice’s “kill switch” would activate immediately - the Bokoblins beginning to disintegrate before they hit the ground. Any noise they made was immediately drowned out by the rolling thunder and the lookout posts were left empty. Bazz was watching while prone to the ground, thoroughly impressed.

“Now we can move closer” it said without another word, creeping closer to the actual encampment with Bazz tailing behind. Another large boulder served as their cover as Zayl readied another arrow. This one was aimed for the Lizalfos patrolling around the border. It sauntered slow enough to be an easy pick. Light flashed from the sky once again and Zayl sprung up from cover to release an arrow that perfectly hit the separation in the other Lizalfos’ armor that it had known so well. The third monster went down. At this point taking the rest down was like clockwork to Zayl. The storm had picked up enough that thunder rolled through like the steady beat of a funeral drum. It wasn’t until the last Bokoblin suddenly realized it was somehow all alone that the last flash of lighting came - followed by a perfect arrow through its neck.

What chilled Bazz to the bone was how methodic this Lizalfos was as it took down the encampment in mere minutes without a trace. He took quick notice of how unflinching Zayl’s eyes were the second it locked on. No matter how much its head moved, its eyes adjusted as if they were frozen in place. That was not to even mention Zayl’s stone-cold gaze. Its breathing was steady, and its mouth unmoving. To say this was a humbling experience for Bazz was an understatement. All of the Lizalfos he had encountered before had some of the worst shots in Hyrule. Simply strafing back and forth was enough to break their aim - but not Zayl. One of the other Lizalfos it took down was swimming in the deeper parts of Toto Lake, with Zayl’s arrow perfectly led to make its mark. It was here that Bazz had realized just how much The Calamity had hindered the monsters of Hyrule. He was never scared of them. Perhaps scared of the impending threat of The Calamity, but fighting the monsters felt like cannon fodder. 

But if this was hiding in every Lizalfos, Bazz finally found a reason to be truly frightened.

“That is the last of them that I see. Let us continue…” Zayl said quietly, the bright blue color returning to its eyes from the dull gray that momentarily replaced it. Bazz rapidly nodded and the two waded through the shallow Toto Lake. While heading to the center, Bazz noticed Zayl was taking a few detours - picking up miscellaneous objects in the water. The Bokoblin’s necklaces, leftover pieces of Lizalfos armor, wooden clubs aimlessly floating on the surface were all snatched in its claws.

But they were all suddenly dropped back in the water with a satisfying ker-sploosh when it saw a large Moblin rounding the corner. Both monsters jumped in surprise, but for different reasons. Thanks to the Malice, the Moblin had much poorer eyesight and couldn’t tell if it was a fellow monster in the distance or something else. It squinted its eyes and leaned forward as Zayl zipped behind a large wall of ruined stone before the Moblin could register what it was looking at. This left Bazz caught with his proverbial pants down as he was now the only subject the Moblin was viewing. Its ears perked up when it realized a Zora was right in front of it - drawing a large club from its back. Bazz reacted by drawing his own spear, but Zayl had other plans.

“Point to the Moblin, point to the Moblin!!” it shouted from behind its cover. Bazz was so shocked at this request that he instinctually obliged and pointed his spear right towards the Moblin’s chest as it charged headlong. Zayl didn’t dare peek out from its cover - instead triangulating the Moblin’s position from Bazz’s direction, the rippling of the water it could see, and the volume of the splashes. With one more deep breath, Zayl drew its bow, notched an arrow, and fired blind out of its cover. A loud THUNK echoed across the small lake, followed by a loud SPLASH that resonated up to Zayl’s knees. The Lizalfos gingerly peeked its head out from the wall of stone to see a disintegrating Moblin and Bazz looking at Zayl with wide white eyes.

…

On the bank of Toto Lake, Zayl had made 8 small piles of dirt and muck resembling graves. Beneath the dirt was a buried trinket Zayl salvaged from each of the monsters it personally killed. It stood over them with a mournful frown as Bazz watched from behind.

“They’ll come back next Blood Moon, right?” he asked, not sure what all the fanfare was for, but still trying to be polite. Zayl turned to him, its eyes beginning to water.

“Not if our plan works,” it whispered, “we are trying to take out The Calamity before the next Blood Moon. If we succeed, these monsters will stay dead. They are the saddest loss The Calamity has caused. Everything it has done to me, the pain this land has caused…”

Both its and Bazz’s eyes drifted to the mechanical tail wrapping around Zayl’s feet.

“...I still got to live. These monsters will not have that gift.”

With that, Zayl turned back around and got on its knees, its claws clasped together in some sort of prayer. It muttered raspy sounds in its own languages which piqued Bazz’s curiosity even more.

“Which god or goddess are you praying to?” he asked, trying so hard not to pry but his nosy-ness getting the best of him, “I was not aware the monsters of Hyrule worshiped a god?”

Zayl turned around with dim eyes, but with the faintest of smiles that had the spark of ironic humor.

“A god is what caused all of this. That is what Rezek told me. If a god can do…this…to my kind, I do not want to meet any more of them. I…pray? That is what you call it? I pray for the monsters that will never be given the chance I got. That is also why I fight.”

The Zora and the Lizalfos stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours before they silently agreed to head back to the Domain.

…

The sun was beginning to set over the Domain and Zayl laid quietly on the bed it was provided - nestling itself into a ball much like a cat. Confronting King Dorephan was no less terrifying the second time, but the humongous Zora seemed to have been put in a better mood after Zayl came back unscathed and victorious. With Bazz to vouch for the Lizalfos, Dorephan upheld his end of the bargain. An emergency meeting of the Cerulean Council was to be convened when the sun was at its highest tomorrow - while Zayl was given lodgings for the night. Despite the initial protests from the resident innkeeper, a sum of rupees dropped onto his lap by Link was enough to shut him up. Link forgoed the much nicer ‘royal guest’ room Sidon gave him when he usually visited in favor of keeping Zayl company. 

“Nervous about tomorrow?” he asked, sitting on the side of the Lizalfos’ bed. Zayl curled up tighter and made a small groan.

“Yes, a lot.” it said, nearly interrupted by its stomach making an even louder groan that caused it to sit up. Zayl looked at Link and let out a small laugh.

“Heh, I have not eaten yet today. Maybe some food will help”

Link laughed back and nodded, patting Zayl on the shoulder.

“There’s a communal kitchen just outside of the inn,” he said, directing Zayl with his thumb, “if they give you any trouble let me know. Just don’t cook too much or they might get a little huffy.”

Zayl’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a kitchen to cook in. Its gut working faster than its brain, the Lizalfos sprung out of bed and headed out of the archway. The kitchen itself was pretty large - meant to encompass several people cooking at once. Kilns and glistening marble countertops filled Zayl’s eyes as it gandered with awe. Since it was well into the evening, only one other Zora was in the communal kitchen. He looked down and away while he silently gutted a fish - trying to avoid Zayl’s eye contact as it took mental inventory. The catch-of-the-day was held in a big icebox in the center, but there was not much left after most everyone else’s dinnertime. The Lizalfos was left with the scraps of a few Hyrule Bass with the open pantry nearby only containing dried and salted meats and veggies. 

This was still more than enough for Zayl to work with. It sunk its claws into the cold storage and pulled out several fish then dragged them across its nostrils. Not too fishy of a smell, still fresh. Without a moment to waste, practically forgetting where it even was, Zayl grabbed an empty cooking station, plopped the fish on the cold counter, and started a warm fire under the stovetop. Knives, pans, spoons, and forks were all eagerly seized and Zayl got to work. From there its process was rhythmic. Humming a particular tune, it gutted the fish and cut it into nice filets. Its chops were so methodical that the other Zora couldn’t help but peek over to look. He saw Zayl drape the filets over the underside of a bowl so it could pick out any bones it had missed in the initial de-boning. Curiously, Zora grabbed a bowl of his own and tried the same technique and kicked himself at how effective this was.

“How…did you learn to bone a fish like that?” he said, momentarily forgetting he was talking to a Lizalfos. Zayl looked around, thinking that the Zora was talking to someone else, but was pleasantly surprised that the question was directed at it.

“I did it wrong enough times to try something else!” it said back with a cheery smile. The lone Zora made a soft “mmhmm” and nodded his head slowly.

Once the filets were prepared, Zayl scampered over to the dry storage and yoinked its usual blend of spices - or a substitute if it couldn’t find them. After an adequate lathering of salts, herbs, and a topping of goat butter, the Lizalfos gingerly laid the fish on the heated pan. The szzzzz that filled the air alongside the sheer aroma was like heaven for Zayl. The Zora beside him got a whiff and looked at the sad state of his dinner, knowing he couldn’t possibly compete.

The smells of cooking wafted outside of the kitchen and drew in some nosy onlookers. Another Zora peeked her head in the door and was taken aback to see Zayl’s skills. It didn’t stop at the fish. While the skin-side seared, it ran back over to the food stock and grabbed an assortment of vegetables. Carrots, onions, lotus seeds, tube roots, were all chopped up with an eager ferociousness then thrown in the pot…alongside some more goat butter for good measure. Zayl lost itself in its craft as it tossed in more spices, more salt. Its humming progressed to a full on break out in song as every movement was done with extra flourish. It flipped the fish filets, letting them fly nearly a few feet in the air before dropping back down onto the pan perfectly. Another sizzle filled the air and Zayl leaned in to get a good whiff of the delectable dinner it was preparing.

Just one more finish on top - another sprinkle of Hyrule Herbs. The leafy greens pinched in its claws, it was just about to toss them in when the movement in the corner of its eye finally registered. It had gotten so centered in cooking that it hadn’t noticed the small crowd of about half a dozen Zora practically leaning into its station. It froze with its hand over the bubbling pan - gently letting the herbs fall in as it met the eyes of the rest of the Zora. Every one of their mouths were watering, drool nearly falling to the floor. Any reservations they had about the Lizalfos vanished in the face of a perfectly cooked meal. Zayl went from confusion to the slightest glint appearing in its eyes. Ironically it had hooked the Zora just as well as they had hooked the bass.

“Should I use the rest of today’s fish?” Zayl said with an eager smile - which was met by a resounding flurry of nods.

It was safe to say that not one of them walked away unsated that night.

Chapter Text

The blazing sun stared down at Zayl as it was just a few minutes till high noon. It had yet to enter the throne room, but the amphitheater-like seating was already packed like sardines. Practically the entire Domain had shown up to witness this council meeting. After all, it was the first emergency conference the Cerulean Council had convened in quite some time. Rumors had already spread like wildfire regarding Zayl’s arrival - and the Zora citizens weren’t going to miss this for the world. Several of the larger seats forming a semi-circle around Dorephan were filled, but two were still empty. Sidon and Link stood to the Lizalfos’ left and right as it gathered the last bit of strength it could.

“Easy, my friend,” Sidon said with a hand on its shoulder, “you will pass out if you breathe that quickly for long enough.”

Zayl looked up to the Zora Prince with a half-smile and nodded fiercely.

“This meeting will decide so much…I am worried I will say the wrong thing.”

A lingering unease filled the air as Sidon and Link exchanged glances. They would be lying if they said there wasn’t a pit in their stomachs, too. 

“Well, just know at least one member of the council has your support, and it’s this Prince right here!” Sidon said with gusto - pumping his fist and giving his teeth a gleam in the sun. Zayl chuckled at the spectacle, but it couldn’t put into words how much it appreciated Sidon’s words.

“I’m so used to being on the frontlines I’m not sure how I can help here,” Link said, moving to sandwich himself between Zayl and Sidon, “but I know you both’ll do great.”

Sidon’s bit his lip with watery eyes before lunging down to wrap both Link and Zayl in one big hug - his arms long enough to hold both the tiny Hylian and the moderately sized Lizalfos.

“Yes! We must do great! For everyone!” he said as he strode with a princely stride into the throne room.

Many of the Zora crowd’s faces lit up like a celebrity had just walked in upon seeing Prince Sidon. A few even whooped and cheered while he took his usual seat at the council. For Zayl it was a completely different experience. The room practically deflated when it walked in through the majestic archway. Heads turned, Zoras coughed, murmuring started. Link kept close to Zayl until it was his turn to part ways and settled for a small cramped seat. In the middle of the council ring was an imposing podium, but no chair in sight. It looked like Zayl wouldn’t even be given the comfort of a seat. Slowly it walked to the ornate pearl-colored stand and clutched the sides as if it was about to fall off. Every elder Zora that Zayl looked at returned absolute disdain. Muzu in particular had a frown spanning nearly a mile across his sea-green face. Zayl might as well have been surrounded by Guardians - because their gazes felt as close to the laser dots as the real thing.

The whispers grew louder and Zayl could even pick out a few faces of the crowd. It met eyes with Bazz and he gave the Lizalfos an affirmative nod, and the Zoras it had cooked for all of last night were giving it similar looks of enthusiasm. Like a weight was lifted off its belly Zayl let out a deep breath - taking much solace in knowing there was at least a few more on its side. King Dorephan raised its hand and the crowd fell silent the very second. He looked to his people with his usual stern but commanding brow - only the ambient falling of water to accompany.

“It appears we are still one Zora short. Where is our royal historian to fill in for Kapson’s absence?” he said with a deep booming voice that frightened even some of the Zora around him. He was met with silence - for no one dared to speak up. At least until an old grizzled voice could be heard from the entrance. 

“A thousand apologies, King Dorephan! I may have gotten sidetracked while gathering what I needed!” called the royal historian named Jiahto as he hobbled through the great archway. “I believe everything is in place to get started now!”

The Zora King nodded, waiting for the Jiahto to take his place as the seventh Cerulean Council member - the old Zora too out of breath to give Zayl even a slight frown.

“Then we are ready to begin this sudden meeting of the Cerulean Council.” Dorephan said, shifting slightly in his massive throne. “Again, I apologize for inconveniencing any of you to convene at such short notice - and I thank you all for taking the time to be here. Now, we will let our…guest…take the floor.”

Not even a minute in and Zayl already felt its back pressed to the wall. The proverbial spotlight shifted and all eyes were suddenly on the Lizalfos. It was not at all prepared to be thrown into the wringer this quickly. 

“Me? You want me to speak first?” it said with a hefty stammer. Several whispers broke out in the crowd already - not aware that the Lizalfos could even speak Hylian.

Link gripped at the fabric of his pants while Sidon bit his finger - both lamenting having to see Zayl this nervous and not able to do anything. Dorephan leaned in and towered over the comparatively small Lizalfos - Zayl afraid its head would be bitten off and spat out then and there.

“Yes. It was your proposal, was it not?” Dorephan said with the slightest glint appearing in his teeth, “Please inform the rest of my council why you have gathered them out of their busy schedules today.”

 Sidon’s gaze turned slightly upward at his father with the slightest hint of contempt. Even after he had made his thoughts clear to the king last night, Dorephan continued to act like this. Zayl looked at the council around it. Several of the older Zoras were impatiently drumming their fingers on their desks - their minds set in stone from the get go. But then its vision turned to the crowd behind them: apprehensive and morbidly curious. Maybe it couldn’t sway the minds of these elders on its own, but perhaps if enough of Zora’s Domain was convinced they would surely appeal out of pressure! Finally having a solid game plan, Zayl cleared its throat and spoke with a crisp raspy voice that echoed perfectly throughout the throne room.

“My name is Zayl. I am a Lizalfos that broke free from the Malice. There are more monsters like me, and we are all fighting against The Calamity. Our goal is to free the rest of our kind under the Malice, but we cannot do it alone. Link has been aiding us as we fight back, and the Sheikah too.”

Many eyes wandered to the only Hylian in the room, who did a small wave. Good job, Zayl he thought with the slightest of smiles, keep me fresh in their minds as you ask them what we want.

“We have a plan to make one last attack on Hyrule Castle - helping Link reach the source of The Calamity. That is why we have come here. We are asking to bring some of your forces to Kakariko Village to help us in this battle.”

The crowd broke out in more murmurs and gossip as the elders and Dorephan all looked at Zayl with an unconvinced scowl. Still, the Lizalfos pressed.

“There is a time limit. We need to defeat The Calamity before the next Blood Moon. This means we have less than 6 weeks to gather our army and strike. I understand there is a lot of…bad blood?...between Lizalfos and Zora.You must understand: the Malice turned us into walking spears. You are not allowed a name. Your orders are either to kill or survive. Any spice of betrayal is met with pain and punishment. I do not remember much of my time in the Malice - and I do not want to. But if more monsters are freed, and we create the towns you do…the ones that do not fight and destroy, there can be a chance for unity. For mercy…”

Whispering ground to a halt as the entire crowd was enamored with Zayl’s speech - leaning on the edge of their benches. Even those that were stationed outside or looking in from various spots couldn’t take their eyes off the Lizalfos. Then, it concluded with one last line that shook the entire Domain.

“The rivers are our home. Lizalfos and Zora…water is where we dwell. If…when there are enough Lizalfos like me…I do not see why there cannot be water for all of us to share.”

Like steam bursting from a kettle, the crowd erupted in chatter. Questions bounced around the room and echoed into pure unfiltered noise. Link and Sidon were the only ones unshaken, getting almost of an enjoyment out of this and both sending Zayl a smarmy grin.

“Unity…what would a mindless killing animal know about unity?” Muzu snarled from under his breath. The rest of the elders sans one also whispered various obscenities and insults under the cover of the cacophony. King Dorephan raised his hand and like clockwork the commotion was shot down like a one-winged crane. He looked at Zayl with an almost incredulous stare. 

“Your first request may be discussed, but your other plea is not a situation I see in my lifetime, nor my son’s lifetime, nor his future grandson’s lifetime.”

Sidon instinctively looked away and gripped his podium harder, biting his tongue hard.

“A Lizalfos community? That doesn’t slash and claw and gobble at everything in sight? I will believe it when I see it. Nonetheless, you have sufficiently explained why we have been called here today. But before we begin a vote, I would like the rest of my council to get their words in edgewise. We will have each one speak their mind on your proposal, ask any additional questions, and discuss with their fellow council. Then, we will vote. You understand that lying on any question we ask may cause ejection from the meeting or further punishment if necessary?”

King Dorephan looked at Zayl with the conviction of a god, but at this point Zayl was used to dealing with petty gods. It silently nodded, keeping a firm eye contact with the Zora King.

“Very well,” Dorephan said, motioning to his left, “Prince Sidon will go first, then the rest in clockwise formation. I will hold my tongue until the final verdict. After all, it is important for not just the king to have a voice.”

Sidon’s eyes perked up with delight as he nearly leapt out of his chair.

“Yes! As you can see, my fellow Zora in council, the proposal I introduced months ago has finally shown its face once again. For this is the same Lizalfos that one of our young witnessed breaking free from its tie to Ganon. Many were not swayed by the account of a child, yet here it is staring right at you!” he said, gesturing to Zayl with a bombastic flair.

Link raised an eyebrow, keeping a hand on his chin. Sidon had never mentioned this before in all the times he’s visited the Domain. Why now?

Seggin, the Domain’s oldest military sergeant, was the first to raise an objection. 

“I still say that is nothing more than coincidence! This Lizalfos has yet to tell us just how it broke free from the Malice…supposedly!”

A familiar glint appeared in Sidon’s eye and he walked over to Zayl - putting an elbow nonchalantly on the stand and leaning in.

“Well then, Zayl, why don’t you give us a shorthand story of what happened?” he said with a most dubious grin.

Zayl immediately picked up what was going on. Sidon was tossing it the easiest question it could possibly be given. The Lizalfos dragged its tongue on the corner of its mouth across its scales and cleared its throat again.

“I would be happy to, Sidon. I was alone from the rest of my group as a Zora child happened to wander too close to our camp. The Malice told me to kill, but I fought back. You must understand: with the Malice there is strength in numbers. The more monsters that are together, the stronger the Malice forces you down. The Zora child was not afraid of me. She called me ‘Lizzy’. That was my first name. I have given myself a name of my own, but Lizzy is what saved me. It was a rope that I could grab - and pull myself out of the Malice. It was a fight inside myself: the demand of the Malice to kill…fighting the want to protect this small Zora child.”

A few members of the crowd gasped - several Zora parents squeezing the hand of their own child tightly.

“The Malice lost. I was free to have my own thoughts, free to make my own choices. But the Zora child was still in danger. The rest of the Lizalfos arrived back at the camp and I fought to protect the Zora child, but I was not strong enough. I do not want to think about what could have happened if Sidon did not show up.” Zayl finished, leaving the room stunned once again. Yet the air of skepticism still persisted, so Sidon pushed harder.

“Do you remember what the Zora child was called?” he asked, throwing another softball question to which Zayl nodded emphatically.

“I could never forget it. Her name was Katela.”

Sidon put his hand on his chin and gently stroked it.

“I see…would you be able to recognize Katela if you saw her again?”

Zayl nodded again, prompting itself to look all around the crowd for said Zora. A few groans in disgust elicited from the Zora when Zayl’s head remained stationary and all that moved was its two free-socketed Lizalfos eyes as they darted around the throne room. Much to its dismay, it could not find that familiar face anywhere. Distrust rose amongst the crowd - the seeds of doubt sowing even when it involved their beloved Prince. But suddenly a bright flash of light nearly blinded its left eye, and it looked up to see the very same Zora child peeking in from the outside.

“She is right there.” Zayl said, pointing up and to the left, and every head in the room followed to see Katela leaning over a precarious piece of architecture that made up the throne room “walls”. She had been using her steel bracelet to shine the sun into Zayl’s eye to get its attention. 

“Lizzy! Hi, Lizzy!” she shouted with absolute glee, but with the color draining from her parents’ faces.

“Katela, get down from there! I told you to stay at home!” a voice shouted as two Zoras jumped out of their seats and sprinted outside. Zayl stifled a small chuckle, as did a few members of the crowd. Yet several of the elders’ scowls grew even wider - Muzu in particular begging to jump in.

“I fail to see how any of this is relevant to the topic at hand!” he barked, slightly rising out of his seat, “anecdotal stories are hardly an argument for spreading our troops even thinner! Much less have them fight alongside…them.”

Sidon expected Muzu to make this exact interjection, and had come prepared. He gave the elder Zora a bit of a shifty eye and raised his brow.

“If this battle determines the fate of Hyrule once again, I don’t see why we shouldn’t be sending as many men and women as we can to aid them. And I did prove something important, Muzu,” he said, now turning to face the older man, “We have cut and dry evidence that monsters would have wills of their own if not for the Malice. And not only that, but they’re more like us than we thought. Bonding, companionship, and a desire to protect the helpless: all across Hyrule we have seen these traits and are what allow us to relate with others that look nothing like us…”

For the briefest of moments Link’s and Sidon’s eyes met, his words lingering before he snapped his head back to attention.

“And now we can see these are present in monsters too. They could have always been there, but were forced into what we see today. Perhaps they would have their own Domain to call home if the world was not so cruel. I will hold off on my official vote until the end, but I say this could be the start of a new era of prosperity - if we let it be so.”

Sidon’s words shook the crowd and the murmuring picked up once more. From Zayl’s eyes it could see the minds of the onlooking Zoras changing right before it. Even the scowls of the Elders had lessened - with the exception of Muzu. The beloved Zora Prince gave Zayl a quiet thumbs-up and a wink before returning to his seat. The round of inquiries had now been passed to Trello: the keeper of ceremonies and fill-in for the Priest of Hylia in Kapson’s stead. The deep-blue elder Zora slowly rose out of his chair and walked towards Zayl - stopping much farther away than Sidon did.

“While this may not be relevant to the proposal, I do have a question that intrigues me.” he said, holding his hands hoity-toity behind his back, “Strange Lizalfos, what was your relation to Calamity Ganon? Did you and your monster brethren worship him? See him as a god?”

Zayl bowed its head down in thought, letting out a low hum from its closed mouth.

“No,” it said quietly, thinking about its time in the Malice, “it was a…relation…of fear. You do what you were ordered, and you will live. Fail or defect, and you are turned to the Stall until your punishment is served. If we were to worship, it would have done nothing.”

A few Zoras in the crowd winced - thinking of the writhing masses of bones that are the Stall.

“But see him as a god? Yes. The Calamity’s power is so large that it is hopeless to try to describe it. The cruelty we faced in the Malice is something not from this land, but something greater…my friend Kobb has told me Calamity Ganon is what is left of an ancient dead god - and I believe it.”

Trello was slightly taken aback, not expecting such an answer.

“Err…well, then. In any case, that makes me curious about your thoughts on Hylia. Now that you’ve…broken free from this sort of curse, and are now a bit more civilized, would you consider turning to Hylia?”

Zayl turned its head sideways in confusion, making a small grawp? in response.

“If a god is what did this to me, I am not sure why I should worship another?” it said, not fully understanding Trello’s question.

Unfortunately it didn’t see Link nor Sidon making a furious swiping motion at their necks towards the Lizalfos, or else it might’ve said something different. 

“Ahh, I see. That is a shame. No more questions…” the old Zora said with a twinge of disappointment in his eyes. Several of the Zoras in the crowd adorned in more ornate jewelry let out a small sigh as well. Slowly he turned back around and took his seat once again. His scowl was gone, but it was replaced with pity - and Zayl wasn’t sure which it’d rather deal with by now. 

Next around the circle was Dento - the most renowned blacksmith in the Domain. Another deep-blue Zora like Trello, but with a noticeably worse posture. He was nearly hunched over as he slowly rose out of his seat and sauntered over to Zayl, standing slightly behind the podium so he could look at the Lizalfos’ entire body. His eyes strayed towards the prosthetic tail that blinked soft blue lights down Zayl’s back. 

“You said your name was Zayl, correct? I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in Lizalfos weaponry. While more brittle than our armaments, it’s twice as sharp - nearly hazardous to the wielder themself. While I have my own doubts with this proposal of yours, I can say the potential to improve on our Domain’s weaponry would be quite advantageous…” he said, giving Zayl a look up and down. The Lizalfos turned back and nodded softly, letting the Zora continue.

“And I do apologize, but the blacksmith in me couldn’t help but notice that artificial tail of yours.”

In response, the tip of Zayl’s tail twitched and slithered around like drawing a circle with your finger.

“What superb craftsmanship! Perhaps it is not the time to talk about it, but there’s something deeply tragic about losing a part of yourself to your own kind…” Dento said, hunching over even more to get a closer look.

Zayl awkwardly held its claws together and tapped them a few times before letting out a deep sigh with heavy closed eyes.

“It was not fellow monsters. The Hylians were the ones that stole my tail” it said with a clear voice that cut through the room like a knife. Every member of the council including Sidon perked up in surprise and averted their eyes from Zayl. Link gripped his pants even tighter - still kicking himself for that whole situation. Dento brought his posture back to normal and exhaled through his sharp teeth .

“Oh…well…no further questions…” he said quieter than ever before power-walking back to his seat. Zayl had created a silence that only King Dorephan could replicate - who also sat motionless on his throne with a forlorn face. But the inquiry round had to continue, and the elder Zora to Dento’s left stood up.

“Unlike most of my colleagues, I have a question relevant to this proposal.” said Seggin: a dark green Zora that was once renowned as the most prominent sergeant of his time. Like a soldier, he marched back and forth in front of Zayl as he talked.

“Regardless of how our guards are doing, you bring a tall ask, Lizalfos. For Hylia’s sake, if you were asking for even one of our men I’d consider it a tall ask. Link has already reclaimed Vah Ruta. Our role in this is done. I still have my reservation on using the wretched beast that took our Lady Mipha from us, but we are not sticking our neck out this time. What you’re asking is to risk losing more of our precious Zoras to The Calamity. Why should we do this for the monsters that, in a way, caused all of this in the first place?”

Zayl was nearly beside itself and gripped the podium so hard that flakes of opal and stone were scratched off. It stared into the eyes of Seggin, who had a condescending look of superiority at the Lizalfos. No, it must be composed. It had to remember what Kobb said, never let them get it down. Through wobbly knees, Zayl forced itself to stand taller and lift its head up high.

“Fighting against the Malice is how we monsters that can fight back are making things right - for all of Hyrule. I am sorry you cannot see past the wrinkles in your eyes.” it said with uncharacteristic sass, eliciting Link to widen his eyes in shock. He’d expect that kind of remark from Rezek, but he didn’t know Zayl had that in it. Sidon also leapt out of his seat with a sudden fire behind his eyes.

“What do you want Zayl to do that it isn’t doing or hasn’t done?!” he shouted, causing King Dorephan to make a motion with his hands telling the Prince to quiet down. Yet the Zora King still let the conversation run its course.

“If it took this long for a single Lizalfos to break from the Malice, what do you expect from the rest? Is it not enough that they are willing to fight alongside us?!” Sidon said with less of a shout, but just as stern. Seggin let out a loud huff and began walking back to his seat.

“Well I am sorry you both think that’s all it takes to right the wrongs. No more questions.” he said, sitting down forcefully. 

Link nervously bit his lip and looked around. The Zoras surrounding him seemed much more conflicted than after Sidon’s speech - and there were still two more to speak their mind before the final vote began. The heel of Link’s boot tapped furiously on the stone ground loud enough for the Zora to his right to tap him on the shoulder and get him to stop.

The next elder to speak was Jiahto: the Zora royal historian. He had a stride out of his chair that was regal and composed, yet still had a bit of humility. Rather than face Zayl, he faced his fellow council and the crowd.

“While I have no questions for this guest of ours, Zayl, I do believe I have found something relevant to this conference that we are gathered for. Unfortunately, gathering everything was what caused my tardiness, but I do believe it is worth it.” he said, causing everyone to lean in closer to the old Zora as he pulled out some extremely faded stone tablets.

“If you young ones were paying attention when I taught you in school, then you all should know the history of our people is muddy at best and lost to time at worst. We rely on carving into stone, as storing paper manuscripts would be unfeasible, but stone erodes. It fades. It’s dropped by accident and smashed to pieces. It can’t be helped, and sometimes it is better to let go of the past rather than cling onto it so hard it makes your hands bleed.”

Jiahto singled out several of the elders, shooting them a bit of a scowl while they turned their heads down in return.

“That said, we are doomed to make the same mistakes of the past lest we learn from it.” the old indigo Zora said as he held up a battered and weathered hunk of stone. From Zayl’s distance, it could just barely make out the markings of a language it could not read.

“This is a tablet I found in the archives - where we try to keep things as dry as possible. It is a record so old we do not even have a year for it, and the Zora language used is archaic by comparison to today. But what I was able to translate is quite harrowing. It appears to be a military report where the now-outdated term for ‘Hylian’ is used quite often. What the report details is, once again, hard to decipher, but I was able to match some of these words to ‘ambush’, ‘territory’, ‘battle’, ‘supplies’, 'casualties’, and ‘encampment’. Now, interpreting ancient texts is a very finicky business. Slang becomes slight, myth and fact blur like blood in water, and most importantly, it only survived because those that wrote it did as well.”

Trello cleared his throat loudly as if to push Jiahto to get on with it. The Zora in the center let out a groan, then drummed his fingers on the tablet.

“That said, I think there is a very logical interpretation: in a long bygone era we Zora were once at odds with the Hylians - killing and warring over territorial disputes.”

Pressure built up in the room as scoffs and guffaws were heaved at Jiahto. Several members of the crowd shouted expletives and ‘impossible!’. The older Zora let it wash off his back like river water as he held up a hand for order and continued.

“This historically tracks. Let us not kid ourselves. We have had a shaky relationship with the Hylians even before the Calamity. Despite our similar cultures, we cannot help but squabble over who’s land ends where. We both believe we are entitled to the lush swamps where the rivers end and the land begins. The council unfortunately, myself included, has been convinced everything was clear as glass due to how hard the tragedy of The Calamity hit us. But we are the last generation that got to witness the monolith of the Hyrule Kingdom at its peak. Does anyone else sitting down today remember the infamous Lanayru Wetlands ‘treaty’ when we were barely large enough to hold a spear?”

Several of the older Zoras in the crowd gripped at their seat or their arms - now remembering all too well how empty the larders turned while they were too young to know the reason why. 

“Shaky alliances are to be expected, but at the very least our people can get along with their people. More than getting along, even. Some of the strongest bonds I’ve seen in this world have been between Hylian and Zora…yet these texts suggest we were once bitter enemies that fought at the very sight of each other. Hauntingly familiar, if I do say so myself…”

Seggin leapt out of his seat for a rebuttal among many others. 

“Such extrapolation is uncalled for! It is heresy!” he shouted so loudly his throat croaked, “We were nothing like these savage monsters! It’s impossible!”

“This is our history! Whether you want it to be or not!” Jiahto bellowed back, holding the stone slab up high, “And I say there was a very high chance we were seen in the same light as any of the monsters that have been around just as long as us! Perhaps there even was a time when the prospect of Hylian and Zora coexistence was unthinkable, and look at us now! When I look around my fellow council, all I see is blind anger! Perhaps you are mad because you looked into the mirror of the past and didn’t like what stared back?”

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the room uproared louder than ever before. Seggin and Jiahto spat insults and mudslinging back and forth while many background arguments took place as well. All while this was going on, Sidon hid his face in his hand in embarrassment - bracing for what would inevitably come next. Zayl looked around in horror as the throne room had become a fighting pit of words. All while Link sat quietly and sunk into his seat, trying to stay as invisible as possible. After a few more seconds, a vein bulged in King Dorephan’s forehead and he took a deep breath.

“ORDER! WE HAVE ORDER!” he boomed from his imposing throne while slamming his open palm on the spot that would make the loudest noise. Once again, the blanket of silence fell over the crowd and they were left wide-eyed but mostly back to their senses.

“Jiahto,” Dorephan said with a deep angry voice, “I do believe you have taken the floor long enough.”

The old deep blue Zora made an emphatic bow and slowly walked back to his seat - carefully setting the stone tablet back on his desk. His wrinkled face struggled to hide a grin aimed towards Zayl. The Lizalfos was bewildered that the elder would stick out his neck that far for it, but perhaps whatever he read on those ancient slabs gave him some sort of revelation.

“I apologize for breaking my oath of refraining to talk during this segment, but I do ask that we keep it civil, polite, and quiet .” King Dorephan said sternly, glaring at several of the offenders. “Now Muzu will have his chance to speak and we will move on to the final vote.”

The old green Zora’s face lit up like a smile similar to how a shark sees blood. Muzu moved from his chair over to Zayl at a speed that was just a little too fast for a Zora his age, but with the feeling that he was holding back the enthusiasm to take the floor faster. He stood in front of Zayl’s podium - facing to the side and refusing to look the Lizalfos in the eye. With hands squarely behind his back, Muzu lifted himself up and down on his webbed toes.

“I have one more round of questions for the monster brought in today.” Muzu said in a gruff tone, his eyes still keeping an iron gaze away from Zayl, “It will answer with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. They are simple questions, so no need to drag this longer than we haven’t already with frivolous words. Do I make myself clear?”

Zayl tried to let out a meek “yes” but was interrupted before it could even open its mouth.

“No objections? Good. First question: If a monster is killed while under this ‘Malice’, are they dead for good?” Muzu said, his eyes sharper than steel.

“No…” Zayl said, suddenly feeling the fatigue in its legs from standing so long.

“Mmhmm…so does that mean when monsters are reborn under the Blood Moon, they are the same monsters coming back?”

“Yes…”

“Interesting. Is that true for you, too? Were you killed and reborn many times?”

Zayl sunk lower in posture, dreading the next questions, before muttering another “Yes…”

Muzu stroked his chin, his eyes now wandering out the throne room and towards the courtyard.

“Which means that while you still look like any other Lizalfos slithering across the ground, you’re actually quite old, correct?”

“Y-Yes…” Zayl now stammered, the gravity of the situation fully dawning on it. Truth be told, it hadn’t really thought about how it’s technically an untold amount of years old. It glanced down to its claws - afraid that this revelation would suddenly make it wrinkled or disintegrate into dust. Muzu stifled a chuckle and a mean smile as he continued his barrage of questions.

“Would you say you’re at least older than 100 years old?”

Don’t say anything, Zayl, you don’t have to answer. Please don’t say anything Link whispered under his breath. His unclipped nails dug into his thighs and nearly drew blood as he could only watch his Lizalfos friend get pushed right into a corner. Sidon was not faring any better - knowing exactly what Muzu would ask next. His long crimson fingers tapped furiously across his desk like a rippling ocean wave.

“...yes.” Zayl said after hesitating as long as it could. Already it could see the mood shifting as Muzu took full control of the room.

“Now then, if you were allied with Calamity Ganon for all of that time until recently, would you then say that there is a good chance you took part in the mindless slaughter that nearly ended the world? I saw many good Zora lost that day - many I knew for decades. Were you perhaps a part of that?” he said, now actually facing Zayl and leaning in close enough for the Lizalfos to see the blood-stained whites of his eyes. 

Zayl had to lean back out of claustrophobia, immediately beginning to stammer.

“I c-can hardly remember where I was at all! And I had no contr-”

“Yes or no, monster.” Muzu sternly interrupted, twisting the proverbial screws on Zayl, “I am not asking for nuance. I am asking the simple yes or no question: is it possible you were in the army that raided Zora’s Domain?”

Looking for any kind of lifeline, Zayl darted one eye to Link and one to Sidon. They both looked stiffer than a board, with the exception of their head shaking left and right as subtly as possible. A little too late. The window to abstain from questions was missed about three questions ago. Even so, it always knew this was a topic it would have to confront sooner or later. It really didn’t know if it was dead or alive when The Calamity first struck. Surely the Zora would understand even if it was, it had no agency of the situation at all? It had only truly begun living now, and none of it was any fault of its own. Even if it said no, nobody would believe it - regardless of how bad a liar the Lizalfos was.

“Yes…” Zayl said, feeling the weight of a Stone Talus pulling down on its neck, “it is possible I was there. B-but I do not have a way of-”

“No more questions!” Muzu shouted as his voice echoed through the now-silent throne room. The energy had deflated like a dead Octorok. The crowd had thousand-yard stares as emotional wounds opened up that they thought had long healed. The oppressive stinging glares came down on Zayl once again. Yet there were still some that refused to fall into despair. Several Zoras showed even further conviction in their faces as they stared at the old green Muzu heading back to his chair with hearty disdain. One of them was Sidon.

Now that the last of the council had spoken their minds, the finale of the trial was to begin. A lingering miasma of apprehension could be felt across the entire throne room as they eagerly stared at King Dorephan to end this turbulent afternoon. Even despite the horrible landing, Zayl was uncertain of the outcome. Hope lingered in its heart that enough of the council had been swayed, but it would just have to see.

“We will now begin the final vote on the Lizalfos’ proposal. Remember: open palm is aye, closed fist is nay.” King Dorephan said slowly and deliberately, “Once again, we still start on my left and circle around.”

Sidon had raised his hand with an open palm before King Dorephan had even finished his sentence. He gave a confident smile with a chin held up high as he looked at Zayl with faith. A strong 1-0 lead.

Next was Trello, who hesitated a bit before ultimately holding up a closed fist. He didn’t look happy with his decision - giving Zayl the same disappointed stare as before. The vote was now tied 1-1.

Dento was third to vote and also looked conflicted. After a hearty sigh he nodded sagely and raised an open palm. Another deep breath came from him as he felt a great sense of relief. Zayl’s proposition had taken the lead once more at 2-1.

The fourth vote was spearheaded by Seggin - who coldly and emotionlessly lifted a closed fist. His focus was more on the Zora to his left than Zayl, who he was giving a sharp eye of animosity. 2-2. Another tie.

In immediate response, Jiahto threw up an open palm - staring right back at Seggin and matching his anger. His vote seemed more like a personal vendetta than genuine support, but Zayl would take any small victory it could. A 3-2 count so far.

The next vote was even swifter and the most expected out of all of them. Muzu showed his closed fist to all of the throne room while keeping a laser-sighted scowl on Zayl. The vote had reached an even 3-3 count. Now it was up to Dorephan to be the tie-breaker.

Zayl didn’t know it at the time, but this was an incredibly rare sight. In proceedings like these, most of the council would have near unanimous agreement or disagreement - with a majority being met before even reaching King Dorephan. He liked it that way. It was not often that the council would be perfectly split before reaching him and force a final vote, and the decisions involved were never easy. Hardly a Zora was making contact with their stone seats as they rose and leaned forward for the final verdict. Zayl’s arms and lips began to shiver despite the balmy and humid temperature of the Domain. It had bared its soul to nearly the entire Zora population and this would decide if they liked what they saw.

King Dorephan looked down on Zayl with dry eyes. They were not cold and cruel, nor warm and inviting, just barren of any action aside from the spark of thought. He had yet to make his choice. Link brought his hands up to his face - nervous to even look at what the result would be. Sidon kept his open palm upwards firm and true, refusing to let a single muscle flinch. He believed in his father. After a painstakingly long wait, Dorephan began to move. Time seemed to slow down to a halt as everyone’s eyes followed the Zora King’s arm lifting up into the air. His choice was shown to the world and not even the most opulent sparking halls in Hyrule could hide his dirty decision.

The mighty King Dorephan held up a closed fist. The vote had failed 3-4.

Chapter Text

A stagnant silence filled the throne room of Zora’s Domain as King Dorephan held up his vote to the crowd and his council. Nay. Zayl’s call for aid, the entire reason they had even ventured to the Domain, was rejected and now up in smoke. For the Lizalfos it felt like it was floating miles into the air - stuck in perpetual hangtime before the inevitable plummet back down to the hard ground. Link felt his stomach twist into knots and Sidon could do nothing more than close his eyes tightly shut and exhale. The Zora Prince felt smaller than he ever had before, as if he was a minnow fighting the impossible rapids of the river. Everything he had done wasn’t enough, and the same went for Zayl. What hurt Zayl even more was the reception around it. Nobody looked happy - save for Muzu stifling the smallest of grins. Every other Zora, even the elders that voted no and the crowd members that gave it shifty stares, had a mutual glum in their eyes. It was an extremely hard decision all around, and none looked too pleased with the results.

“I suppose that concludes this emergency gathering of the Cerulean Council,” King Dorephan said much quieter than usual, “we will not be granting the proposed request…however, it is only fair that we continue to provide hospitality to our Lizalfos guest. It has at least proved itself in that regard. I now ask all members of the crowd and those on the stand to disperse, please.”

Zayl and Dorephan met eyes for one more time as the slow shuffling of fins began. The edges of the Lizalfos’ mouth curled down while they continued to stare. What it was most surprised at was the Zora King’s face. It could see a coldness to his eyes, but no cruelty. Definite wrinkles littered his face that showed his age in the mid-afternoon sun as the beams shone through the architecture.

Soon it felt a tap on the shoulder and broke its gaze to see Link ready to lead Zayl out. As the two silently funneled out of the throne room with the rest of the Zora, Zayl turned around one last time and its Lizalfos eyes picked up on something nobody else would. King Dorephan’s hands were pressed firmly on the armrests of his throne, and trembling ever so slightly. He kept staring straight ahead - despite Sidon now looking directly up at him on his left. 

Not a moment after the two left the throne room, Zayl felt its arm get tugged by Link as he led them both to duck out of sight and sneak back around the outside. From a hidden vantage point, Link and Zayl watched as the last Zora meandered out of the throne room and Sidon’s fists slammed the ornate desk hardly a second later.

“What is the meaning of this, father!?” he shouted before turning his attention to the older Zora around him, “And the same goes for the rest of you that voted no!”

The Zora elders hesitantly turned their heads down, too ashamed to look the Prince in the eyes. Meanwhile King Dorephan stroked his chin gently and let out a deep sigh.

“Sidon, while I appreciate you holding your outburst until now, this was nothing more than a standard council vote. Perhaps you should take a walk to cool down.”

Sidon angrily gritted and clenched his hands on the blue marble.

“No, father! The way you have treated Zayl has been unfair since it arrived!” he said, forcefully pointing a finger to Dorephan, “It is not done! Where did your compassion go?”

King Dorephan bit his lip harder than usual, lost in thought for a moment before snapping himself back to the present - turning to Sidon.

“I gave it a chance to prove itself and it succeeded. And I gave it the fairest chance for a trial it could have possibly gotten. My choice on the vote is irrelevant to the matter. It is still our guest, and we will show it hospitality until it leaves. Is that not enough for you?” he said, looking his son directly in the eyes. 

Sidon recoiled back, suddenly without the words to his emotions. 

“Then tell me why! Why did you vote no? After everything?”

“Because, my son…” Dorephan began, never referring to Sidon like that lightly, “there will come many times where you will have to make a decision you do not like, but must be done. That is what it means to be King. I did not enjoy raising my fist to that small creature that asked for our aid, but I had to turn it down for the good of our Domain. Yes, perhaps there is some truth to be said in my treatment. But if I would have voted nay regardless of cause, should I have acted jovial and welcoming and lead it on - only to dash any hopes it had against the raging river rocks?”

Sidon instinctually resumed biting his finger, not able to return an answer. Dorephan continued.

“My points against the Lizalfos’ proposal are similar to Seggin’s. We are spread too thin as is. We are already aiding Link in his fight against Ganon through Vah Ruta. Our people’s safety should be the number 1 priority. I have faith that Link will be victorious against the Calamity this time. There is no need to stick our necks out further that could get our people hurt. And there is one more reason…”