“What news do you bring, servant?” Apocalypse Modeus asked, blood spilling from his mouth and onto the floor, making a loud noise in the hot emptiness of the chamber.
“I may have found something, master. Something resting in the depths of Death Mountain,” the Dark Knight answered.
“What is it?” the Hell Lord asked eagerly.
“The Gruid-noms….the shadows of Gorons….they once served a master. Golem was his name…he was humanoid in stature…and cunning as the Aku-Mari that patrol this land in mind…” the Dark Knight answered.
“They once served? A deceased creature, that is not in my realm…is of no use to me, servant,” Apocalypse Modeus said.
“All evil spirits come down here my lord. And this one was the greatest evil in Hyrule before the time of Ganon and his followers. Which tells me one thing,” the Dark Knight began.
“And what is that one thing, servant?” Apocalypse Modeus asked.
“It tells me his spirit….is still in Hyrule. You see, as legend has it, this master of Gruid-noms…this…lord of the magma….thrives with the mountain. When one sleeps, it is natural that the other would do so also. So master, we awaken the volcano….and we awaken Golem…the kingdom of Hyrule will be scorched…and the mighty Golem will be your first Hylian general…ready to sculpt the world as you see fit,” the Dark Knight explained.
“Then what are you doing wasting time here? Go to Hyrule, to Death Mountain! I grant you life! Now go, travel, awaken the mountain, gather the Gruid-noms, and then send Golem to destroy the kingdom of Hyrule, starting with the royal family and their bodyguards…the Triforce Team,” Apocalypse Modeus ordered.
“Yes my lord,” the Dark Knight complied, bowing once and then leaving for Turtle Rock, the way from Hell into Hyrule.
Jet was laying on his bed, lost in thought. The fight yesterday had left his son with more than a few cuts, and he had his fair share of wounds too. Ganon had gotten at least six times stronger in the last decade, and Jet had no idea how they could hope to defeat him now. Link would have a plan. Link always had a plan, even if it was just to attack and try to stay alive, Link knew what to do when it came to Ganon. Jet knew in his heart that it was Link who had saved Shinota from Ganon yesterday. But why? He had said that he would be alone for the rest of his life, forsaking even his wife.
Jet stopped to think about Malon for awhile. She was heartbroken at the time. A year had gone by and Link had not so much as a thing to her. Not a visit, or even a sign he was alive. Eventually it all added up, and she couldn’t take anymore. Malon left Hyrule that day, traveling to Holodrum to start a farm and hope for a happier life. Talon and Ingo still looked after Lon Lon Ranch, and though they missed her from time to time, they were content with her happiness.
His thoughts were disturbed, as usual. Zelda walked into the room, closing the door behind her and sitting next to Jet on the bed. She still had the most beautiful eyes ever. Zelda could always calm Jet down. It was a gift she had ever since the first time he met her.
“Is something wrong? You’ve been acting so strangely lately…and I’m worried,” Zelda asked.
“Zel…I dunno what’s wrong….” Jet’s voice trailed off.
“Anything you wanna talk about?” Zelda questioned in her usual caring tone.
“I dunno….I just hate the way things are going right now…” Jet said quietly.
“Why is that?” Zelda asked.
“Nothing is like it was,” Jet said quietly.
“Maybe nothing was like it is supposed to be,” Zelda suggested.
“How can you…..wait…..no….” Jet’s voice trailed off.
“Honey?” Zelda asked.
“No!!!” Jet yelled.
“Honey, what is it?!” Zelda asked.
“Ah…..I just….I just….remembered something,” Jet said in a frightened voice, his breathing heavy.
“What is it?” Zelda asked, her arm around Jet.
“I….can’t remember,” Jet said, laying back in his bed. Zelda was about to further question him when Kafei appeared in the doorway.
“Hey, you guys….I don’t mean to disturb anything….but it looks like there’s something going on in Hyrule,” Kafei said.
“How do you know?” Jet asked, sitting up.
“Haven’t you been paying any attention to your Mystic crystal? It’s reacting…a lot,” Kafei answered. Jet leaned over, sticking his hand under his bed. He pulled out a small wooden box. Opening it slowly, he looked at the orange crystal that stored the power of the Mystic Sand. It was glowing brightly.
“Why didn’t the alarm go off?” Jet asked.
“I have no idea,” Kafei answered, shrugging his shoulders.
“I sure hope it isn’t broken….Kazuya hasn’t been around here in years and I have no idea how to fix it,” Jet said, standing.
“What are we going to do?” Kafei asked.
“What do you think we’re gonna do? We’re gonna go to Hyrule,” Jet answered, strapping his sheathed sword onto his belt.
The sky was dark, clouds all traveling toward the mountain of death. The air was dryer than usual, and there was a bitter feeling all over the land. The team walked quickly toward the stairway to Kakariko Village, eager to find the source of the problem in Hyrule. Shinota and Jet could immediately tell something was going horribly wrong. The cloud over the mountain was a fiery red, and the black clouds were quickly gathering around it.
“Kafei, any idea what this is?” Shinota asked.
“None. All I know is that my mystic crystal was reacting a lot to whatever is here, which tells me one thing. Someone who has Mystic magic is here,” Kafei answered.
“Hmm…There’s you, Jet, Shinota and I. The only other person who still possesses Mystic magic is….” Zelda’s voice trailed off.
“Link!” Jet yelled, finishing for her, running quickly ahead and up the mountain path.
“Wait man! We have no way of telling if he’s up there, or sane for that matter!” Shinota yelled to no effect. Jet was already on the mountain path, heading quickly toward the crater at the top. The others followed despite the dark feelings lingering in their hearts.
The mountain path wound and twisted every few feet, and there was no sunlight on the mountain to help guide one’s way. The black clouds covered every inch of light, their dark arms spreading out and holding each other in an embrace that covered the very sky. The only light the team had was the fiery ring of clouds around the top of the mountain’s crater.
“Jet, stop,” Zelda said in a firm voice.
“Yeah?” Jet asked, turning toward his wife.
“This is foolish. I know you hope to find Link, but if he is indeed up here, then perhaps he wants to be alone?” Zelda suggested.
“Zel….I can’t take that chance. He is the only one who can really kill Ganon. He has the Master sword. We need him. He may hate me, but he wouldn’t deny us if he knew he was Hyrule’s only hope right now,” Jet said, beginning to face the steep path once more.
“Yeah man. There’s gonna be other times we can get him. Do we have to try and find him while the mountain is erupting?” Shinota asked.
“You don’t know that it’s erupting,” Jet said calmly.
“Yeah, but what else could it be right now?” Shinota asked.
“I know Link couldn’t produce the fiery clouds. They only appear when the mountain isn’t at peace. That much you all should have learned from the Hylian lore,” Kafei said quietly.
“I guess so….” Shinota said slowly, eyes focused on the pitch black ground.
“And as the king and queen, and the royal knights of Hyrule, it is our duty to protect this world, in darkness or light, or even fire, right?” Jet asked.
“Yes….it is. But we should try to be-,” Zelda was cut off. Two rolling spheroid shaped objects descended down a steep part of the mountain path, stopping before the four warriors standing there. They uncurled, and Jet recognized them instantly.
“Gruid-noms!” Jet yelled, drawing his sword.
“Let’s talk later,” Kafei suggested. Shinota and Zelda readied themselves for battle.
The Gruid-noms leapt at the Triforce Team, exerting much more power than Jet had ever remembered them having a decade ago. Had he just become weaker? No. He couldn’t have. Of this he was sure. They had gotten stronger. Either that or their will to fight was boosted by something, an unnatural ethic that gave them the drive to attack for more than their own survival for once.
Zelda met the first Gruid-nom head on. He was slightly taller than his comrade, and his reptilian eyes shined with anger toward the Hylian queen. She stabbed at the Gruid-nom with both of her daggers, and the creature curled into a ball, the blades not penetrating at all.
“Hmmm…..Triforce of Wisdom!” Zelda yelled, lighting up the black mountain path with the golden aura of the Triforce piece she bore. The first Gruid-nom’s sizzling corpse was without life before it even hit the black ground. The second Gruid-nom, though cowering and afraid, still made his way forward to face the team, ready to fight.
“What are you doing here now? You guys are never out in the open like this,” Jet questioned, pointing his blade mat the creatures throat.
“We do all for him,” the Gruid-nom answered with a hiss, looking to the fiery cloud over the crater of Death Mountain.
“For who?” Kafei asked.
“Our master,” it answered.
“And who is that?” Shinota asked.
“He is at the top. He is waiting for us. We must return. But first we must kill……kill all of you,” the Gruid-nom answered.
“Ugh, we really don’t have time for this!” Jet yelled, raising his blade. The Gruid-nom reared its fist back, terrified, punching Jet in the chest. The blow threw him from the mountain path, and he disappeared into shadow.
“Jet!” Kafei yelled, worried.
“Hee hee. Watch this,” Zelda whispered to Kafei. In mere seconds, Jet’s body flew back above the mountain path, surrounded by a golden saiya-jin aura.
“Now….who is your master?” Jet asked, pointing his index finger at the Gruid-nom.
“You are a d-devil,” it said in disbelief.
“Tell me now!” Jet yelled, the aura flaring around his body like the outstretched wings of a mighty beast.
“H-he is on top of t-the mountain,” the Gruid-nom answered.
“Wrong answer!” Jet yelled, blasting a ki blast through the head of the creature, blood splattering against the black wall of the mountain side. Jet landed safely on the path, sheathing his blade. He continued onwards. The other three stared at the corpses of the Gruid-noms for another moment, then followed their leader.
“Foul creatures that intend to make my kingdom their own. I will smite them for such insolent thoughts,” Ganon said calmly, warping away from the throne room in his mountain chamber.
Over the black hills they slowly passed, nothing lighting their way but the red fiery cloud of the mountain top, smoke billowing out of the crater, covering the skies of Hyrule in thick black mist, the very air as evil as the Gruid-noms themselves. They edged their way up the last large black hill, and saw the wooden pole and red flag that signaled the top of the trail.
It would now be one more climb to the top of the summit, to the entrance of the crater itself. They slowly walked down the open black space leading to the last wall of stone they had to climb. The four stopped, looking up at the fiery red cloud in anticipation of what they would find. Jet had a feeling of hope in his heart that they would find Link. There were so many things he hadn’t said ten years ago, and so many things he had needed to say.
“I hope you’re ready, this is where the fun part starts,” Zelda reminded them. They all nodded, readying themselves. They would have to travel quickly. The four bolted forward suddenly, running full speed toward the wall of rock ahead of them. Boulders of molten rock crashed down all around them, bringing a macabre light to the dead black of the desolate area. Hundreds of fiery red rocks rained down upon them, and it was an incredible struggle to avoid being hit.
At last the warriors made it to the base of the cliff. Kafei went forward first, grabbing onto a rock jutting out of the stone wall. He quickly hoisted himself up, finding a foothold in the rock easily enough. He looked back to the black ground, where he could just barely see the shapes of the others, and he nodded, motioning them up to follow him. He hoped they had seen him.
“Why can’t we just fly up here again? I mean, hit me if I’m wrong, but we’re saiya-jins, right?” Shinota asked.
“We can’t climb, because if whatever’s up there isn’t Link…and they sense our energy….then…well, the word ambush comes to mind,” Jet answered.
“You’re so smart honey,” Zelda said.
“Don’t make fun of me Zel. I know it’s kind of obvious, but-,” Jet started.
“But I’m the one that asked. Man you’re rude to me. Heh,” Shinota cut in.
Jet finally made it to the top of the mountain. There were two cave entrances, one to the left side of the wall of rock, and one to the right side. Below him was a grand view of the village of Kakariko. There were but a few dim lights from candles and torches seen far off inside the houses, and only two or three people out and about. The town was at peace. Jet smiled slightly, then turned to face the mountain. He walked into the cave on the right; the entrance into the crater of Death Mountain.
He ran down the steps, and stopped next to Kafei. There was a shocked look on his face, his fists clenched. Jet was at first very puzzled by this, then he looked in the direction Kafei’s eyes were facing, and he too was then frozen in place.
In the molten pits of the crater, far below the safe rocks, there was a circle of Gruid-noms, chanting. At least one hundred were in the circle, and the rest of the tribe, thousands upon thousands, were in the rest of the crater’s dark caves, waiting and watching. In the center of the circle, there was a bubbling in the lava, and the sounds of strong gasps coming from below the surface as if something was stuck under the burning coals. Jet couldn’t help but wonder to himself though, what kind of a demon it would take to survive the very fires of Death Mountain’s crater.
“J-jet….look,” Kafei stammered, pointing upward to the top of one of the smoking spires of rock in the massive chamber. Jet looked up slowly, almost afraid of what it was he would see. Atop the spire of rock stood the Dark Knight, sword drawn, chanting lowly. Jet finally knew what his plan was; he intended to resurrect whatever was beneath the lava.
“We have to stop-,” Jet was cut off by a flashing light. Suddenly, standing before him, was Ganon. It looked as though the situation was only going to get worse from here.