Chapter 14 - Fight to Survive

After their meeting, Zelda and Daisy immediately set forth the evacuation of Hyrule. Since Hyrule was less technologically savy as the Knights of Hope, they had no flying vehicles to speak of, meaning loading everyone into the Haldberd, a vessel not made for ground landings, would be impossible. Fortunately, they had another option: the same method used on planet Sauria not too long ago.[br]
[br]

What they did was create temporary wormholes on the ground using specially made bombs that created localized explosions that worked in the same manner as the Haldberd's modified Hyper Cannon. It took some doing, but at least one agent was able to reach each village with one wormhole bomb to evacuate the people to the dimensional gap. Link, being one of the few people with full knowledge of Hyrule's ins and outs, provided Krystal and Samus with detailed instructions to find certain people and places that were out of the way of the major villages and towns. Finding them would prove difficult, but not impossible. So Krystal and Samus, in their own separate ships, set off for their assignments, carrying enough wormhole bombs for each location.[br]
[br]

In the meantime, Link was preparing himself for battle. No doubt Mario was going to make a quick return, and with Zelda, along with many of the other agents in Knights of Hope, preoccupied, he, along with what few soldiers Hyrule's royal guard could manage, were the only line of ground defense for Hyrule. Blade Knight commanded the Haldberd, which was hovering above Hyrule Castle Town, but Link knew well enough to know that one ship was really scraping the bottom of the barrel.[br]
[br]

Link was just tightening up his spare armor, a red and golden suit called the 'Hero's Tunic' when he heard Rusl call out, "Oi! Link!"[br]
[br]

Link turned to find Rusl walking towards him with a sword in hand, "Figured you could use some help."[br]
[br]

"You should be with your wife and children, you know," Link told Rusl.[br]
[br]

Rusl answered back, "The Mayor will watch after them for now; you're the one who needs me more."[br]
[br]

Link gave a warm smile; this wasn't the first time Rusl came to his rescue in a time of crisis. He couldn't have asked for a more true friend.[br]
[br]

"It's gonna be a harsh fight," Link said, knowing full well this wouldn't scare Rusl off.[br]
[br]

"Please! This isn't the first fight we've been in, you know!"[br]
[br]

The voice came from behind Rusl, and Link peeked just over Rusl's shoulder, and saw two more of his friends running towards him. One was a tall, elderly man, well built and carrying a cannon on his shoulders, the other was a girl, about Link's height with white armor and a bow in her hand.[br]
[br]

"Auru? Ashei?" Link was pretty surprised. Rusl, who hadn't really turned to face them, wasn't.[br]
[br]

"You made good timing," Rusl called back.[br]
[br]

"We fight to protect Hyrule, remember?" Auru returned heartily.[br]
[br]

"Sorry Shad couldn't make it," Ashei added, "he's busy rescuing Hyrule's historical records."[br]
[br]

Link gave a light chuckle as he recalled Shad: the skinny man with large glasses and bulging forehead. "That does sound like Shad," Link said, still keeping his spirits up. [br]
[br]

"So, about our enemy," Ashei immediately asked, "Are they really that powerful?"[br]
[br]

Link nodded grimmly, "They have access to powers and mechanations the likes none of us have ever seen. We're in for the fight of our lives."[br]
[br]

Auru rubbed his chin for a moment, then he asked, "Do we have a chance?"[br]
[br]

Before Link could answer, a ringing cry echoed in the skies above them. Everyone there ducked down slightly, wincing at the sound, then looked upward to see a gargantuan bird, hovering above them. At first, Rusl, Auru, and Ashei readied their weapons, but then caught sight of a shining something hovering near the bird. A second look revealed to them that it was one of the Knights of Hope; the small, pink, one.[br]
[br]

"Hey," Rusl asked Link, "Isn't that the creature called Kirby?"[br]
[br]

Link strained his eyes a bit to get a better look, then replied, "Yeah, I think it is."[br]
[br]

"I certainly hope he's friends with that bird-monster up there," Ashei said, worriedly.[br]
[br]

For a while, it seemed like Kirby was talking to the mammoth bird. Then, after what the group took for a nodd, the bird spread it's wings and pirtched itself on the deck of the Haldberd. At first, Link and the others became a little worried, but after seeing that the bird wasn't descending onto the town, or making any threatening movements whatsoever, they surmised they had a new ally in the skies.[br]
[br]

"I'd say our chances just got a whole lot better," Rusl said, beaming at Auru, who smiled back confidently.[br]
[br]

Link looked to where Kirby was. He'd just flown lower to a point a small ways above Link's head. After staring at him for a short while, Kirby then gave Link a bright smile and waved. Link was comforted by the gesture, and waved back. Then, after pulling a small wand with a star at the end of it out of his mouth, Kirby flew into the skies to fly along side the giant bird.[br]
[br]

"A new friend?" Rusl asked.[br]
[br]

Link smiled and said, "I guess so."[br]
[br]

Link then looked at Rusl, Auru, and Ashei and said, "I'm counting on you guys. Let's show 'em what we can do."[br]
[br]

Ashei smiled confidently and said, "No problem!"[br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

It didn't take long for Mario's armada to arrive. Sixteen ships, including the Gauntlet, appeared over Hyrule, nearly blocking out the sun. No sooner had they arrived then the rocketons descended from the black ships and Toadstool soldiers were warped down to the surface. And the biggest fight of Hyrule's history began.[br]
[br]

On the ground, the fighting was fierce and bloody. Arrows flew from the castle walls and rained down on the toadstool soldiers, who continued to march forward, firing hundreds of thousands of energy blasts at the defending Hylian soldiers. The army was also hit with random cannon shots, curtesy of Auru[br]
[br]

But most of the intensity was on those in the front lines. Link, Rusl, and Ashei led the front line troops. Link and Rusl's blades danced among the chaos, striking down foe after foe, barely skipping a beat. Even though Ashei's specialty was archery, she still held her own on the front lines, feathering a great number of enemies. Despite the valiant efforts of their leaders, however, the other soldiers weren't having the same success; the large opposition was steadily taking it's toll on the Hylian soldiers.[br]
[br]

In the sky, the intensity was just as high. What few fighters were in the Haldberd's hangar bay were fighting for their lives against the rocketons, while the Haldberd herself sent a spray of continuous cannon fire towards the black ships. Kirby and Dyna Blade were also in the middle of the fray; Kirby flew at blinding speeds using his Star Rod to strike down rocketon after rocketon, while Dyna Blade flapped her shining wings furiously at the enemy ships, showering them with steel feathers that sliced into the hulls. So far, three black ships had fallen, but that still meant there were thirteen left to deal with.[br]
[br]

On board the Gauntlet, however, Mario was still not in a good mood. True the Gauntlet was still intact, but it was only just barely. Apparently, Wario's repairs were only temporary patch-ups, and the port side was already starting to come apart under the stress. To add to that strain, his remaining ships were beginning to show signs of crumbling under the mounting pressure of the opposition's attack. His ships had held up better than this against the Haldberd before, but they'd never before went up against Dyna Blade, and were fully understanding the monster-bird's real power.[br]
[br]

Mario wasn't happy about the situation on the ground either. They were making progress, but it was too slow, and the death toll for his side was becoming alarmingly higher with each passing second. Even if he did manage to capture Hyrule, he'd have an insufficient amount of men to hold it, and there'd be no time to get reinforcements here quick enough. He'd have taken a loss no matter what the outcome.[br]
[br]

But retreat was the last thing on his mind at the moment; Mario couldn't leave now, not after the insult he'd just been paid by Link. He wasn't about to leave until he had Link's head mounted on his wall. But despite his large attack force, that was starting to look less and less likely.[br]
[br]

"Dash!" Mario yelled, "What's the condition of our ground troops?!"[br]
[br]

There was a momentary pause, then Dash replied, "We've lost 26% of our army, and casualties are still climbing."[br]
[br]

Just then, the ship was rocked on it's port side by a sharp jolt. One of the Toadstool soldiers on the command deck then cried out, "We have hull breach!!"[br]
[br]

"Divert auxiliary power to the shields," Sonic called out.[br]
[br]

"Belay that order!!" Mario bellowed. All eyes turned worriedly to their leader as he continued to issue orders, "You will divert power the forward guns and focus our attack on the Haldberd! I intend to extinguish them once and for all!"[br]
[br]

Sonic was about to rebut when Mario cut him off with another order, "I also want all ships converged on the Gauntlet! They will provide us with the cover we need!"[br]
[br]

"Sir!" Sonic exclaimed, "That would be inadvisable! Our ships have taken heavy damage as it is! If we follow your plan, they'll surely-!"[br]
[br]

"I have given you an order!!" Mario answered fiercefully, "Now, carry it out!!"[br]
[br]

The bridge crew was silent for a moment, but then Dash stepped forward and said solemly, "You heard him."[br]
[br]

With that one toad input the appropriate command into the ship's computer while another toad transmitted Mario's orders to the other ships. Meanwhile, Mario stared out the viewing window, seething with rage as the battle continued all about him. A menacing scowl was etched into his face as he continued to dwell on the events that had happened up until now: the duel between him and Link, the announcement, and now this. It was as if fate, for some reason, decided to conspire against him. But he couldn't quit; not now, not after he'd come so far. The universe was still infected with evil, and he needed to purge it by any and all means. And if it meant destroying Link, so be it.[br]

I will cast him into the deepest fires of Hell if I have to!!![br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

Back on the ground, Hyrule's defense was still holding on. By now, Ashei had exhausted her supply of arrows, and was now relying on her own sword, though her swordsmanship wasn't one to be compared with Link or Rusl. Still, she held her own, and continued to strike down enemy after enemy.[br]
[br]

Still, their situation was starting to look grim. They were only left with half of the amount of soldiers they started out with, and the enemy still showed no signs of slowing down. The only thing that was helping was the constant stream of arrows that halted the enemy's advance. What also helped was that the enemy soldiers seemed most focused on destroying Link, no doubt orders from their esteemed commander. It didn't matter to Link; it just meant it was an opportunity to slow down the advance and take out as many soldiers as possible.[br]
[br]

"Rusl!" Link called out as he struck down two more soldiers, "How're you holding out?!"[br]
[br]

Rusl plunged his sword into another soldier as he replied, "I'll live, but this is far more fierce than I anticipated!"[br]
[br]

"What did you expect?" Ashei shouted as she twirled her blade about and struck down three more soldiers, "This is war, after all!"[br]
[br]

Link then performed a jumping slash that crashed into the ground and threw several toadstool soldiers off their feet. Afterwards he leapt back to his feet and fought on shouting, "Don't give up just yet! So long as we're alive, they have no chance of winning!"[br]
[br]

Both Rusl and Ashei nodded in affirmation and continued swinging their blades against the on-coming soldiers. Still, Link couldn't help but notice their motions beginning to slow as the fighting continued on. He couldn't blame them; the fatigue was getting to him as well as his arms began to ache from constant motion. But letting up meant forfeighting his life, and he wasn't resolved to die just yet; he punctuated this thought by performing a powerful spin attack that struck down a whole group of soldiers.[br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

In the Haldberd, Zelda and Daisy observed the battle from the safety of the command deck. Of course, in a battle, 'safe' is a relative term. Rocketon fighters flew all about the Haldberd, firing countless projectiles at the solitary ship. So far, the few fighters on the Knights' side, along with Kirby, were able to fend them off for the most part, but no one knew how long that would last.[br]
[br]

Just then, one of the Waddle-dee sailors shouted something to Blade Knight, who nodded in acknowledgement.[br]
[br]

"What's happening?!" Daisy cried out.[br]
[br]

"The enemy ships are converging on the Gauntlet," Blade Knight replied, "looks like he's-!"[br]
[br]

Blade Knight was cut off by a strong jolt that rocked the ship hard. Otacon peered into his display screen, then called out, "The Gauntlet's focusing it's attack on us! Forward shields weakening!"[br]
[br]

Blade Knight hollered back, "Divert all shield power and compensate!"[br]
[br]

As Otacon nodded and carried out the order, Daisy reached for her communicator and called Peppy, who was helping with the evacuation in Hyrule Castle Town.[br]
[br]

"Peppy! Status!"[br]
[br]

Peppy's voice crackled over her communicator, "We're almost done down here! Give us another 7 minutes!"[br]
[br]

"Peppy, I don't think we have 7 minutes!!" Daisy cried back frantically. Then she felt Zelda's hand on her shoulder.[br]
[br]

"Don't worry," Zelda said, "Link will protect us."[br]
[br]

Daisy wasn't sure if this reassurance would be enough, but she nodded anyway. Hope wasn't something she was ready to give up just yet.[br]
[br]

"How's Dyna Blade?" Daisy called to Blade Knight.[br]
[br]

Blade Knight replied, "A few rocketons went after her, but I've already sent some of our fighters to help her!"[br]
[br]

"Okay!" Daisy yelled back. It was good to know Blade Knight was still keeping on top of things. But, she was starting to feel useless; when it came to fighting, Daisy rarely provided any help. She began contemplating what she might do to help as the fighting continued around her.[br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

Back on the ground, the fighting was steadily becoming more and more desperate. It came to the point that Link, Rusl, and Ashei were now the only ones left in the front lines. They were heaving deep gasps as they continued to swing their swords about. The majority of the remaining enemy soldiers took up position near the castle walls and began lobbying shot after shot onto the defending soldiers, who retaliated with arrows and bombs.[br]
[br]

After a few more minutes of fighting, all three warriors broke off from their foes and pressed their backs against each other as the Toadstool soldiers began to swarm around them. They were surrounded now, with multiple guns pointed right at them. All three of them were on the borderline of exhaustion and starting to feel desperate as they stared down the several barrels of the blasters.[br]
[br]

"This isn't looking good," Rusl commented almost casually, which was amazing considering how tired he must've been. Ashei and Link didn't say anything; they were too busy catching their breath. But in their minds, both felt Rusl's words were severely underexagerated.[br]
[br]

It wasn't long before one of the soldiers finally spoke up, "The Mushroom Empire demands your surrender! Lay down your arms, and you will only be taken prisoner!"[br]
[br]

"So that your beloved leader can save us for a public execution?" Link asked, his voice dripping with contempt.[br]
[br]

"You will show proper respect to our king!!" Another soldier yelled angrily.[br]
[br]

"Yes," Ashei whispered hastily, "let's try to avoid getting our heads shot off prematurely."[br]
[br]

Link barely heard her words. Right now, his mind was racing like mad to find a solution. There had to be a way out of this; this couldn't be how things would end. Link had been in tight situations before, but this time the stakes were much higher. It wasn't just Hyrule depending on him this time; it was the entire universe now that needed him. Something in his gut told him he just couldn't die here...[br]
[br]

Just then, streams of laser blasts rained down on the ground soldiers. The sudden attack caused panic among the soldiers and they all scrambled about, looking about themselves deliriously as they tried to figure out what was happening. Link, Rusl, and Ashei were just as surprised, and were rooted to the spot, gripped by shock. Link then looked upwards and caught sight of Krystal's arwing fighter, along with Samus's ship, as they roared through the skies. It was as if some miraculous force gave them the speed to complete their tasks and return just in the knick of time. It was only then that he realized his opportunity was fleeting, and that there was no time to stand around.[br]
[br]

"Everybody make a break for the castle!!" Link hollered at the top of his lungs. His sudden outburst caught both his companions off guard, but got them running in the right direction.[br]
[br]

The three of them swung their blades swiftly and wildly about themselves as they surged forward through the sea of enemy soldiers. Soldiers continued to fall all around them as they surged their way forward, praying beyond hope that they'd all make it to the castle gates in one piece.[br]
[br]

Soon, they finally broke through the last row of mushroom soldiers and continued running for their lives as they made for the castle gate. Bolt of energy began to zing past their ears as they drew ever closer to the gates, which were flung open by Auru.[br]
[br]

"Come on!" Auru called to them, and they pumped more air into their lungs as they forced their legs to pump even harder. Then, all three finally made it to safety as Auru slammed the doors shut behind them. As soon as the doors were shut, all three of them collapsed to the ground, heaving deep breaths of air. It was a while before Link was finally able to force some words out.[br]
[br]

"How...much longer...?"[br]
[br]

"We're just about finished," Auru replied as he hefted Link and Ashei to their feet; Rusl was helped up by another soldier, "The soldiers are the only ones left."[br]
[br]

"Okay, then," Link replied breathlessly, "I'd say it's time we left, too."[br]
[br]

"Couldn't agree with you more," a voice called out. It was Shad, just as Link remembered him. Seeing him in high spirits comforted Link's weary spirit.[br]
[br]

"There's one wormhole left, and I suggest we take it," Shad told Link hurriedly. Link nodded in response and Auru called what soldiers were still on the wall to retreat. Everyone immediately made a mad-dash for the town square. They're job was done; now it was time to run.[br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

The crew of the Haldberd had just recieved Peppy's message and couldn't have been happier with the news. With all of Hyrule now safe in the Dimensional Gap, all that was left was to make a run for it themselves.[br]
[br]

"What's our status?" Daisy called to Blade Knight, who called back, "The wormhole generators at full power and Dyna Blade made it inside the hanger! We're ready to go!"[br]
[br]

"Get us out of here, then!" Daisy cried out. No sooner had she said this than one of the sailors acknowledged the order and initiated the wormhole generator. The beam shot out and the wormhole was opened.[br]
[br]
***[br]
[br]

These events, of course, didn't go unnoticed by the opposing forces on board the Gauntlet.[br]
[br]

"Sir!" one of the mushroom soldiers cried, "The enemy, sir! They're making a run for it!"[br]
[br]

"No!" Mario bellowed angrily, "Stop them, now!!"[br]
[br]

Unfortunately, Mario's order came too late, for the Haldberd, and the other ships, had already made it past the surrounding rocketons into the wormhole, which closed right after them, making a clean getaway.[br]
[br]

Mario didn't say anything, but he didn't need to. His seething was all the evidence the crew needed to ascertain their leader's frustration.[br]
[br]

"Um, sir?" another soldier meekly stated, "I'm getting reports from the ground troops. The city is deserted, sir..."[br]
[br]

Mario still said nothing, but one would've expected him to lash out at something at any moment. Fortunately for them, Dash was somewhat on top of the situation.[br]
[br]

"Sir," said calmly, "If I may be so bold, I may have an idea to turn this to our favor..."[br]

You are not authorized to comment here. Your must be registered and logged in to comment