Warriors | Part I // SSB AU Fanfic

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"-And that's the gist of the situation," Zelda concluded. Sheik, Ganondorf, Link, and she stood around a round table, documents spread all over it. One was the map Pit had brought, one was another map that Sheik used to mark the location of the site Zelda was held in, yet there was nothing on it, the other was a timeline, and the rest were a bunch of books.

"So you're telling me," Ganondorf groaned, putting his hand on his head. "That the Hero, who died five years ago, is now alive again thanks to the help of some mystical beings that can control spirits?"

Zelda nodded. "It sounds ridiculous, I know, but I saw him with my own eyes. He first showed himself to me as Jamie, but after I 'killed' him, he became Aaron. My guess is that those beings are keeping him alive in order for him to act as a sort of vessel for them to carry out their will. I've read nearly every book in the library and none of them say anything about Galeem or Dharkon or about their powers."

"Well, they're probably giving him the power to capture and control spirits, right?" Link suggested. Truth be told, he hated being there. He felt nauseous, his head was spinning, and his heart and mind couldn't figure out what to feel. His brother was alive. Well, alive isn't the right word, but his consciousness was here. He was here. And he was looking for Link, according to Zelda's words at least. His brother was here, but not he wasn't the same as before. He wasn't the kind boy he was in his childhood, he doesn't care for others. He isn't the true embodiment of courage that Link saw him as. He was a bad person, someone who had brought many people to the end of their lives. He was the reason all this battle had started in the first place. And yet, part of Link didn't care about any of that. How he wished Pit hadn't returned to Skyworld, maybe then he could finally make up his mind.

"That much is obvious," Sheik said. He turned to Zelda. "You couldn't find anything regarding their origins? What they look like?"

Zelda shook her head. "There was nothing. The only thing I can say about their appearance is that Galeem is white with a yellow orb, and Dharkon is black with a black orb."

"You saw them?!" Sheik asked.

"They were marked on Aaron's hands, more specifically when he was using Jamie's appearance," Zelda explained. "I didn't get the chance to look at Aaron's actual hands carefully, but I don't believe they were on his. He mentioned something about breaking some kind of seal, so it's possible those marks on his hands prevented him from showing his full appearance."

"This is giving me a headache," Ganondorf muttered.

"My theory is that Galeem helps capture and control spirits of those who are alive, like Palutena. She mentioned something about a yellow orb coming to her before she got possessed, it's likely that was Aaron communicating through Galeem's powers," Zelda said. "And on the other hand, Dharkon helps capture and control spirits of those who have passed. Gangrel, who passed away years ago, dropped a black orb when he was finished off a couple months ago in Ylisse, which matches Dharkon. This is pure speculation, but it sounds pretty reasonable, doesn't it?"

Sheik nodded. "As for what I discovered the night you came back, Zelda, when we went to investigate the place you and the others were found in, there was nothing there. There was not a single trace of life or movement made by human or human-like beings. We even investigated the area in a ten mile radius, but there was nothing around."

"They probably relocated their base then," Zelda sighed. "Considering the amount of power Aaron, Galeem, and Dharkon have combined, it's unlikely we'll ever find them by ourselves."

"How are we supposed to prepare for battle, then?" Ganondorf asked.

Zelda flinched. Right. Of course there'd be more battle, especially now that the identity of the puppet master was revealed. She glanced at Link, who looked even more uncomfortable than before. "I won't go on the offensive. If possible, I'd like to avoid as much battle as we can and focus on other things we have to do in the mean time. Aaron suffered heavy injuries, so even with Galeem and Dharkon's power, I don't think he'll recover easily. Even if he does, knowing how he is now, he probably wants to keep me in a state of anticipation, fearing the day he comes and attacks Hyrule. I'd give it six months to a year before anything major happens."