...Riju’s P.O.V... "Sages, to me!" I shouted, stepping to the front beside Link. "Let's show this royal pretender the true power of Hyrule's alliance!"We formed a tight circle around Link, drawing our weapons in perfect unison. The air in the ruined camp began to hum with a terrifying, beautiful resonance.I raised my dual scimitars, summoning a massive, crackling sphere of brilliant golden lightning. Beside me, Sidon thrust his tridents high, wrapping my electricity in a towering, swirling vortex of crystal-clear water. Tulin let out a fierce cry, channeling a powerful, howling gale that spun our elements faster and faster, while Yunobo ignited his rocky shell with a pure, blinding golden flame, launching his spinning form directly into the center of the storm. ...Zelda’s P.O.V... I stood back, watching in absolute awe as the Sages combined all five of their elemental powers into one magnificent, blinding dome of energy.Link stepped forward into the center of the storm, raising his newly forged translucent sword. The blade acted like a lightning rod, absorbing the water, wind, fire, electricity, and the holy light of the Secret Stone all at once. The sword grew so bright it looked like a fallen star. With a fierce battle cry, Link swung the blade forward, unleashing a massive, roaring beam of pure, unified energy straight at Valakor.The blast tore through the mud, a flawless, unstoppable force.But just a millisecond before the beam could vaporize him, Valakor’s third eye flashed a panicked, frantic violet light.POP! ...Link’s P.O.V... With a sharp, distorted sound, Valakor vanished into thin air. Our massive final strike shot harmlessly through the space where he had just been standing, exploding high up into the clouds and scattering the dark storm above the camp.He had teleported away at the very last second.We all looked up at the sky. High above Central Hyrule, the dark, massive Zonai sky island was pulsing with a defensive, jagged purple barrier. Valakor had retreated back to his floating fortress, terrified of our combined strength, to heal his wounds and prepare his final defenses.I sheathed my new sword and looked at Zelda, Sidon, Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo. We had saved our friends, and we had our powers back. The sorcerer was cornered. It was time to take the battle to the skies for the final showdown.
...Zelda’s P.O.V... We stood together in the ruins of Lookout Landing. "Everyone, hold on tight," I said, gripping Link’s arm.Link pulled out the Purah Pad, his fingers rapidly tapping the screen to override the localized travel gate he had mapped on the descending structure. Sidon, Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo crowded around us, locking hands. With a brilliant, ascending flash of blue data-light, the ground vanished beneath us. We were whisked straight up into the freezing upper atmosphere.When the light faded, we materialized right on the grand, ancient stone courtyard of the floating fortress. The stormy violet clouds swirled violently around us, and standing at the top of a grand staircase was Valakor."You are persistent, mortals," Valakor hissed, his third eye flaring a toxic purple. "But you walked right into my laboratory. Behold the culmination of my ancestors' forbidden artistry!"He slammed his staff into the stone floor. The courtyard split open, and out rose a terrifying secret weapon: a massive, multi-headed mechanical hydra constructed from ancient Zonai stone and corrupted dark steel, pulsing with unstable purple energy. ...Link’s P.O.V... "Sages, defensive formation!" Sidon roared.The mechanical hydra roared, its multiple heads snapping down and unleashing a relentless barrage of dark violet energy blasts. The Sages immediately threw up their combined elemental shield, but this close to the fortress's core, Valakor’s magic was overwhelming. The raw force of the hydra's blast slammed into our barrier, shattering it instantly.The explosive shockwave didn't pierce our armor or cause any blood or injuries—instead, it acted like a massive kinetic gale. Sidon, Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo were violently blasted right off the edge of the sky island, tumbling down into the swirling vortex of clouds below."No!" I lunged over the edge, but the air pressure dropped, and a blinding flash of purple light consumed my vision. Everything went entirely black. ...Zelda’s P.O.V... I gasped, my eyes snapping open as I sat up straight.I looked around in utter bewilderment. I was lying in my bed at Lookout Landing. The morning sun was streaming through the window, the birds were chirping, and the camp outside sounded perfectly normal, bustling with reconstruction efforts. I checked my hands—no dirt, no scrapes. I felt completely fine, as if the entire terrifying battle had just been a bad dream.I rushed outside into the courtyard and immediately ran into Link, Sidon, Riju, Tulin, and Yunobo. They were all staring at their hands, looking just as confused as I was. They had woken up feeling entirely fine, too, with absolutely no injuries."You... you all remember it, right?" Tulin asked, his voice trembling slightly. "The sorcerer... the broken sword... the mechanical hydra blasting us off the island?""We remember," Riju said grimly, looking up at the sky. "It wasn't a dream."We all followed her gaze. High above Central Hyrule, the massive, ominous Zonai sky island and its violent purple storm were still hanging heavy in the atmosphere, casting a dark shadow over the land. Valakor’s fortress hadn't vanished. The sorcerer’s magical blast had somehow reset our physical state and dropped us back home, but the threat was still looming right above us, waiting for our next move.
