The Mushroom Kingdom Wars

Chapter 47

The grand hallways of Hyrule Castle echoed with the rapid footsteps of Zelda and Sonic. The stone walls, once adorned with tapestries of Hyrule’s rich history, now seemed cold and foreboding. Sonic dashed ahead, knocking Ganondorf’s soldiers aside effortlessly with spin dashes, while Zelda followed closely behind, the Master Sword glowing with an ethereal light.

Sonic glanced back at Zelda with a grin. “Not too much farther now, Princess! Those goons didn’t stand a chance!”

Zelda, gripping the Master Sword tightly, pointed ahead toward a pair of massive, ornately carved doors. "There! The throne room is just beyond those doors."

The doors were sealed from the inside, their intricate carvings depicting the battles of old. Sonic ran his hand along the surface, assessing the situation. He smirked confidently. "Step back, Zelda. I’ve got this."

Zelda took a step back as Sonic dashed to the far side of the hallway. In an instant, he launched himself forward at full speed, transforming into a blue blur as he crashed into the doors. They shattered into pieces, wood and stone exploding into the room beyond.

As the dust settled, Ganondorf sat calmly on the throne, his posture relaxed as if he had been expecting them all along. He looked down at the intruders with a smirk.

"Ah, Princess Zelda and the little blue pest. I expected no less. Welcome to your end," Ganondorf said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Sonic wasted no time. He zipped around the throne room, knocking out the remaining guards with swift, lightning-fast blows. As he finished off the last soldier, he locked eyes with Ganondorf, preparing for a dash attack.

"You’re not as tough as they say, are you?" Sonic taunted, charging forward.

But Ganondorf casually flicked his wrist, and with a surge of dark magic, a chunk of the wall ripped free and slammed into Sonic, he crashed into the ground, the force of the impact sending debris flying across the room. Zelda’s heart dropped as she watched him go down, his usual cocky grin wiped from his face. For a moment, time seemed to slow, the sounds of the battle fading into the background as panic surged within her. “Sonic!” she cried, but he didn’t respond, lying motionless beneath the rubble.

With fury burning in her eyes, Zelda lunged at Ganondorf, the Master Sword gleaming with holy energy. Zelda’s muscles burned as she swung the Master Sword with all her might, but Ganondorf moved like a shadow, his every step deliberate and graceful. Each strike she missed sent a shock of frustration through her, and the dark energy he hurled in response only pushed her further back. Her grip on the Master Sword tightened—this was her kingdom, her battle to win, and she would not let it end like this.

Ganondorf’s laugh echoed through the throne room. "Is that all the courage you can muster, Princess? You cannot hope to defeat me."

Outside, the battle continued to rage below. Peach, her clothes singed and armor dirty from the fight, stood alongside Donkey Kong. She hurled another fireball into the advancing horde, the heat scorching the ground beneath her feet. But no matter how many she took down, more seemed to emerge from the shadows. The battlefield was a sea of clashing steel and blazing magic, the screams of battle filling the air as the allied forces fought tooth and nail to hold their ground. The power of the fire flower danced at her fingertips as she launched them toward the advancing enemy forces. Her heart pounded with worry as she glanced up at the castle, hoping that Zelda and Sonic could reach Ganondorf soon.

"We haven’t heard from Zelda or Sonic. What’s going on in there?" Donkey Kong asked, swinging his massive hammer into a group of enemies.

Peach frowned, throwing another fireball at a charging soldier. "I don’t know, but we have to keep pushing! We need to buy them more time!"

Above them, the Starfox team, along with Samus, weaved through the sky, their lasers raining down on Ganondorf’s troops. Despite their efforts, the enemy forces seemed endless, more soldiers appearing from the shadows.

Fox’s voice crackled over the comms. "These guys just keep coming! We’re doing what we can, but that barrier still needs to come down!"

Below, Roll’s communicator crackled to life with Dr. Light’s voice, tense and urgent. "Roll, I’ve detected Zero’s energy signature. He’s here."

Roll, Bass, and Proto Man immediately turned their attention to the battlefield ahead, where Zero had already begun tearing through the remnants of Robotnik’s upgraded Robot Masters. His movements were impossibly fast, his strikes lethal and efficient. As the last Robot Master crumbled before him, Zero slowly turned to face them. The battlefield seemed to freeze as his eyes locked onto Roll, Bass, and Proto Man. For a heartbeat, none of them moved, the air thick with tension. Proto Man gripped his shield, expecting an attack—but it never came. Zero stared at them, his expression unreadable, before vanishing as quickly as he’d arrived.

Bass clenched his fists, frustration etched on his face. "What’s his deal? Why didn’t he attack us?"

Roll shook her head, trying to make sense of the situation. "I don’t know… but that’s not our concern right now. We need to get to the front lines and help Peach."

Proto Man smirked, adjusting his scarf as they prepared to move forward. "Right. Let’s show them what we’re made of!"