Operation: MONARCH, Part 5: Gratitude Crystals

Eldin's Flank

Imbuing his bat with Haki, Jinta destroyed the massive fireball with a mighty swing, but reacted swiftly to dodge Smaug's hammering head. "Hey, can't a kid go for a nice walk without a dragon sticking its neck in his business?!" Jinta tried to retreat, but Smaug landed in his path and blew fire, the boy raising his bat in defense. Smaug ceased and grunted when something small began to sting his eyes, shutting them as he swung his head about.

"WAAAAH!" Ururu screamed, taking the blow and crashing against the mountainside. If not for her durability, the Tiny Devil would be splat by now. Though Smaug remained unaware to her presence, he instinctively blew fire in her direction, so Ururu hurriedly flew away. Jinta could tell he was targeting her, so the boy ran up and struck one of Smaug's claws. This had no effect as the dragon smacked him away, Jinta falling off the cliff. "JINTA-KUN!" Ururu saw him and flew down as fast as possible, but remained tiny in order to carry an element of surprise.

She managed to bypass her falling friend, get underneath, and threw her hands up against his stomach. Jinta's immense weight brought her down a tad, but she regained herself and mustered all her strength to prevent their descent. It still astonished Jinta that she could be so strong while still being so little. Smaug peered over the cliff, astonished by the fact this human could apparently fly. "Ururu, didn't you say he had a weak spot somewhere?"

"He didn't say where it was."

"If you fly around his body, you think you can spot it?"

"Are you crazy?! We should try to get away from this thing! You saw what happened to Sakura, and you dropped your bat in the chasm!"

"But if we can find out his weakness now, we can develop a strategy later."

"Where you going, boy?!" Smaug began to fly after them, blasting fireballs that they narrowly dodged. Jinta ordered her to drop him onto his back, so Ururu complied, shifting upward and suddenly pulling back. To Smaug's surprise, Jinta landed on him, clasping one of his spine blades with one hand and trying to punch him with the other. "What pitiful act of rebellion is this?" Smaug twisted his head to see the little prey. "My armor is like tenfold shields, which even the most powerful warriors cannot penetrate."

Ururu flew underneath the dragon, scanning for a weak spot. "His stomach looks like a different color. But it doesn't seem like… wait a minute, that's gold! Is that from the treasure he was sleeping on?! Jinta-kun, I think the weak spot is on his belly, but he covered it with gold!"

"He's gotta have SOME other weak spot!" Jinta yelled into his communicator.

"WHAT other weak spot?!" Smaug suddenly flipped, Jinta holding tight. "I knew it! There IS someone else with you, someone smaller! But luck isn't with you today, brats!" The dragon slammed his back against the cliff, but Jinta pressed his Haki arms to either side to prevent a more fatal impact, resulting in bloody arms. Ururu gasped in horror, knowing Jinta could not survive that a second time. When Smaug readied to smash him again, the Tiny Devil swooped by and grabbed Jinta by the collar, carrying him off just in time.

"I knew this was a bad idea." Ururu said, looking back at the dragon. "We'll be lucky if we get out of here…?" Her visor scanned a particular spot on the left side of Smaug's chest. "Oh! Jinta-kun, I think I found-"

"ZTAR STORM!" Princess Sivam cast a black beam to the sky, and black stars rained everywhere.

"AAAAAHH!" The Ztars struck Jinta and Ururu, breaking the Tiny Devil's wings as they fell into the Great Rift.

"And goooooood riddance, mothuh effers!" Sivam cheered. "What easy pickin's. They don't make good operatives like they used ta."

"If that was an operative, aren't you ordered to apprehend him?"

"But I just knocked him down the pit." Sivam picked her nose. "Can't you get 'im? You're the one who broke his arms."

"You are remarkably incompetent, Sivam. But that's what makes you so adorable." Smaug pecked the little fairy before diving into the pit. With breakneck speed, he snatched Jinta in his claw seconds before the boy could splatter into the river.

Across Hyrule

Large balloons carried fenced platforms to the sky, allowing children to gaze over their world with awe. "Hey, no leaning over the rails!" the Bokoblin tour guide ordered a Gerudo and her ostrich Rito friend.

"Mr. Bokun, I see shooting stars over Death Mountain!" the Rito said.

"AAAAH!" cried a Kokiri. "Mr. Bokun, it's Smaug! Smaug's coming to eat us!"

"Calm down, kids!" Bokun said, looking through a telescope. "It looks like Smaug rescued a boy that fell off the mountain. See, he's taking him to the castle to be treated."

"Smaug is so niiiiice~" the children sang.

Down below, some Goron kids were bouncing on the belly of a young Hinox as the cyclops lay on his back. Lizalfos were playing Tag with Zora in the river. Teenage Aeralfos and Rito were engaged in Sky Dodge, a form of dodgeball that took place high in the heavens. Demons were beginning to sell balloons and merchandise of their glorious queen, and profit would go straight to the reparations of Castle Town.

"I used to be afraid of bugs, and other kids liked to tease me for it." a Kokiri boy said on the news. "Queen Mandy gave me a nightmare where I was attacked by Skulltulas, so I fought them, and now I ain't scared no more!"

"When I was little, I fell in Lake Hylia and I couldn't get out." a teenage Goron said. "I was stuck there for a whole day, and since then I've been afraid of water. Queen Mandy threw me in the lake and forced me to climb out on my own, and I did it! It was pretty inconvenient though, but at least I'm not scared of water now."

Koko and Mandy were watching the reports on the throne room's large screen. "You've become a really great queen, Your Majesty!" the Sheikah praised.

"I still don't understand." Mandy replied, a hand over her heart. "Acts of kindness usually make me sick. Especially when I'm the one doing them. My body feels numb, but I feel less sick for some reason. It's like a very gentle knife is scratching my heart."

"Your real intent might be to sway people to your side, but I think you've taken a liking to helping them." Koko smiled knowingly. "Isn't it better to have people admire you out of gratitude than worship you out of fear? Or maybe it's Zelda's spirit talking to you."

"I didn't ask for your opinion, I asked for a parfait. Chop chop!"

"RAAAAAHHH!" Koko's heart nearly jumped out when Smaug landed on the castle, sticking his head in as he discarded Jinta on the floor. "This boy was taking a stroll on my mountain. He might be a KND operative."

Koko gasped, recognizing him. "Isn't he… Yuzu-san's friend?" she whispered.

"Vicky, you have a new victim! Take him to be treated first." Mandy ordered.

At that instant, the Baby-Shredder fell through the ceiling 20 meters up. "Geesh, the old king had a LOOOOOOOOOT of Gerudo pictures. I kept some of them." Vicky waddled over to Jinta and cut a circle around him. "Ahahahahahahaha." Once finished, Vicky jumped on him and brought the floor down. "Wheeeeeee!"

"Since we're here, Lord Mandy," Sivam flew in from behind Smaug, "we wanted to have a word with you."

"Koko, my parfait." Mandy ordered.

"R-Right. Excuse Koko." The girl raced out of there.

"Lord Mandy, ever since you awakened me, I was hoping I would be called to destroy at least five towns by now, but I haven't been given the chance to destroy one." Smaug said.

"And my Anti-Fairies have barely broken any backs because you keep ordering the assassins to massage them." Sivam followed. "You know how much anti-magical buildup they've got? Ever since Mavis trapped us in our own domain 600 years ago, we're fucking bored!"

"It was 6,000 years ago." Mandy corrected.

"Y'SEE?! You promised us all the chaos and havoc we could ask for if we joined you, so where is it?!"

"It's true that the original plan was to control the masses with despair and destruction, but my chi has been suffering an emotional block. I've been forcing myself to be terrifying, when in reality I've yet to conquer my own fears of growing soft. The only way to break this block is to confront it."

"Oh, you'll do more than confront your fear. You'll embrace it. Accept it as part of you. Then, you'll lose your former reputation and form a completely new one, abandon your old personality." Smaug loomed forward, his steaming breath enveloping Mandy's form. "And I, for one, do not follow such a kind heart."

"If you want cruelty, I'll show it to you, Smaug. My assassins already know your weakness, and they'll strike you down the second you show any kind of rebellion."

"Will you really? Judging by your recent actions, you'd sooner rid me of that fear. So, why should I be afraid then? As I lay gasping for breath, you would show mercy and save me—AAAAH!"

Smaug had been talking to an illusion of Mandy, allowing the real one to stab his weak spot with her saber. "Does that answer your question?" She withdrew the blade. "You'll do as I order you, now go back to your cave until I call you. Period."

With a vicious snarl, Smaug pushed himself off the castle and took flight to Death Mountain. "Now, once I get my parfait, I'll check up on my ancient weapons. Resume patrol, Sivam." Mandy left the throne on that note.

As the Anti-Fairy glared in the queen's direction, her adviser, Omsoc flew up from the hole Vicky carved. "Did I eavesdrop on a lover's quarrel, perhaps?"

"Omsoc, I'm starting to think Mandy isn't cut out for a position of power. She's using us for her own gain, forbidding us from using our full potential."

"I am so thankful that even YOU are wise enough to see that! What shall we do about it, Your Filthiness?"

"I think we should claim what is rightfully ours. We'll steal this planet right from under her missing nose!"

Hateno Beach

"Yuzu-san, if you're still hearing this, I think Mandy captured one of your friends. He was the boy with red hair. Smaug brought him to the castle and he looked pretty beat-up."

"Jinta was captured?!" Kodama exclaimed. She, Yuzu, and Karin were resting on a beach near towering cliffs. "Wait, but what about Ururu? Ugh, I wish these things were two-way."

"This is Karin to Ururu, do you read me? Please respond!" Karin yelled into her wristwatch, only to receive static. "We're still getting a signal, so it must be intact. Either she's unconscious or she lost it. When they last reported, they said they were near Death Mountain, right? Close to a giant chasm."

"Will you be able to find her?" Yuzu asked. "What if she was knocked out in her shrunken state?"

"Yachiru can help me track her. But first, I think I'll warp to Earth and report our current status. At this rate, the KND will end up going to war with Mandy's crew, and that's on top of the other pirates who captured other sectors."

"Speaking of that, have we ever actually confirmed that these three Yonko are allied?"

"According to the M.I.K.E.s," Kodama replied, "Mandy still hates the other Yonko, which implies those other attacks were just huge coincidences."

"I dunno…" Karin spoke suspiciously. "Coincidence or not, something is going on between them. We'd best make sure all the KNDs know that."

Secret Cellar

"Check it out, Lord Mandy!" Creeper exclaimed, aiming a Sheikah Tech shotgun. "After 10,000 years, Hyrule is once again at the peak of modern age machinery! Thanks to help from our new Yiga friends, we're all set for any invasion from the KND or those other bloody Emperors!"

"I would've hoped you had more prepared than just fancy guns." Mandy stated.

"'ey, these guns are more than what other Hyruleans got. They may own fancy equipment like motorcycles or spaceships, but unless you're in the black market like the Zoldyck Clan, you have to outsource your firearms and other weapons. But these silly things ain't the only thing in our arsenal. Please direct your eternal glare at THIS!"

"ARRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A tremendous elephant drowned an entire coast by channeling the ocean through its trunk in a titanic gush.

"CAAAAAAAAAWWWW…" A gargantuan eagle stirred a cyclone with its spiraling wings and decimated a forest.

"ROOOOOAAAAARRRR…" A colossal camel trudged across the desert, enveloped in an eternal sandstorm and destroying nearby settlements with lightning.

"OIIIIINK OIIIIIINK." A massive salamander emerged from Death Mountain Crater and willed the volcano to erupt, melting the towns around it.

These clips replayed on the TV screen in the room. "I'm impressed with how good their effects were back then." Creeper said. "These clips didn't really happen, but they're a good representation for the Divine Beasts' power. The elephant is Vah Ruta, who absorbs moisture from the air, ground, or sea and channels it into powerful waterbending. The camel, Vah Naboris, absorbs energy from the ground and turns it into lightning. Vah Medoh, the bird, can control wind and has lasers designed to shoot down any aerial foe. And Vah Rudania, as you saw, uses firebending and can even bend lava."

"Why the hell does Rudania 'oink' if it's a salamander?"

"The documents say they thought it was more intimidating. These babies are virtually indestructible, but they're designed to only be controlled by benders of their respective elements. We can easily use Azula to control Rudania, but for the others, we had to recruit some of the citizens. We already did some scouting and found some suitable candidates. They've been escorted to the Divine Beasts' resting places, and as we speak, they're working to reignite and control them."

"These machines do appear quite promising… I'll bet they can even shoot down the Santa Hylia. So, who are these candidates in question?"

Creeper led Mandy back upstairs to the Royal Wizards' Chamber, currently occupied by Wizzrobes. Their crystal ball displayed a live apparition of a red Zora girl with jellyfish hair and glittered fins. "YO, check me OUT, Yo' Majesteh!" she yelled in a sassy, hipster tone. "They calls me Ludy Juny, but don' ask why! I'm a dancer up where I'm from, and ain't no one wants a piece of MY waterbending! 'Soon as I git this big-trunk booty under caps, I'mma turn it into mah new dance floor!"

The next image was that of a young eagle Rito man with round glasses. "O-Oh, dear. Um, h-hello, Queen Mandy. M-My name is Quinn, and I've been chosen to pilot Vah Medoh. It's, um, it's quite the honor, and I promise to do my very best, f-for our great kingdom! Hehe! …Sorry, I get so embarrassed in front of celebrities."

The next person was a young Gerudo girl with a large ponytail. "Greetings, Queen Mandy, I am Riju, Chief of the Gerudo. In spite of your rather rude greeting to us, I am grateful for the opportunity to pilot Vah Naboris. She is a very sacred being to my people and I am proud to be the first Gerudo in eons to work with her."

"We're grateful for your cooperation." Mandy replied. "Speaking of which, let's see how Azula's fairing with Rudania."

The crystal ball revealed a clueless, small, and ordinary-looking Goron boy. "Um… where's-"

"HELLO." he yelled in a nasally voice.

"Um, hi? Where's Azula-"

"SHE LEFT."

"What? Where is sh-"

"TO 'MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.' TOLD ME TO FILL IN."

"Fill in?! Doesn't she realize how important this is?!"

"HER BODY'S TOO WEAK. NEEDS A STRONG GORON FIREBENDER."

"You hardly look like you fit the bill!"

A tiny Lizalfos peeped out from behind the kid's leg. "Actually, Lord Mandy, Gollin is a giant, and his firebending isn't to mock. His fire is on the Emerald level; it might be lower than Azula's, but his durability makes up for it."

"YEAH, SO NO WORRY. I CAN HANDLE THIS."

"Sigh… you better not disappoint me." Transmission ended. "Well, Riju seems promising, but the others seem like clowns. You sure they're the best benders we got?"

"According to polls, they are." Creeper answered. "The only concern is if they would use them against our crew. Luckily, there is a failsafe mechanism beneath this very castle. The Secret Cellar has a control station which will erect Sheikah Tech towers around the castle, and those towers will unleash a massive EMP that will shut down all technology on the planet! Then we'll have to subdue the pilots before they start back up again."

"Good. Rule #1 is you can't trust anybody, especially citizens of a world you're trying to dominate."

"Oh yeah, how's your little Kindness Quest fairing, anyway?"

Mandy touched her heart once more. "Ever since my fight with Affright, my fearbending has been weaker, like it was stuck and needed force to get out. But now, it feels like it's trying to hibernate. My body feels numb, and so does my heart."

"You're a better poet than your husband is."

"So, what's the status of the other crewmen?"

"It seems Rā's al Ghūl determined the Lazarus Pit's location and went off to find it. Your daughter's visiting Sunset Canyon to make friends with the Twili, but it doesn't seem Kimaya and Django accompanied her. I don't really know where they are."

"I might have a feeling…"

Gerudo Highlands

North of the scorching Gerudo Desert was the frigid highlands. Rā's and his ninjas navigated the steep cliffs in search of the mountains' most distinctive landmark. They followed a narrow path between towering cliffs that almost threatened to swallow them, and it seemed that was just what would happen as the path only seemed to lead to a dead end. However, as the snowy mist cleared, the imposing cliff took the form of a stone goddess.

"The Seven Heroines are hailed as the strongest and wisest Gerudo that ever lived." said General Shiva. "But many don't know there were originally Eight Heroines. That's because the eighth one took an interest in dark arts, so they used earthbending to move her statue up here where no one would find her."

Rā's clasped the feet of the statue and pushed it aside with his bending. There was a secret stairwell underneath. "And this statue was used to hide the source of those dark arts. Four of you, stay outside, the rest are with me."

The ninjas obeyed, facing the snow-filled path as their master entered the cave. Already, they were alert as figures seemed to be trudging through the snow, moaning eerily. Skeletons and Redeads were limping toward them, led by Kimaya and Django.

Rā's band ventured the depths of the dungeon and found the sanctuary: it was a fountain of reddish-pink ooze, surrounded by corpses. "At last… Hyrule's Lazarus Pit. And this one feels more powerful than the ones on Superbia or Secco."

"Now we need only find a suitable mage to serve as our sacrifice." Shiva said. "However, the only issue is Mandy's new policies. Because she seeks to win the approval of her subjects, she won't allow us to sacrifice an innocent person."

"Then we'll search for a magic criminal, or perhaps capture someone from a different world. Either way, the sacrifice will need to possess sufficient power, otherwise the pit may not reach its full potential…?" It was then they realized a red gas was seeping in from the entrance. The ninjas jumped away from it. "Gas? Is it a trap?!" (Play "Hidden Village" from Twilight Princess!)

Kimaya and Django entered the sanctuary, the former training her Keyblades like guns. "Bravo, Green Veins, you found the Lazarus." Django clapped. "Too bad it's the last you'll ever see."

"You two are from Cindy's division." Shiva recognized. "What's the meaning of this?"

"This planet ain't big enough fer two Lazarus victims." Kimaya spoke in a country accent. "My pardner here had a rotten experience with one o' these here pits, and we ain't lettin' the same happen to anyone else."

"Rā's al Ghūl, my grandma has underworld connections the same as you." Django explained. "She learned that you were also a Lazarus user, and that you were in Mandy's crew. That's why we joined this crew to begin with. We didn't get the chance to stop you from using Secco's pit, but now, it's all over."

"Is that what you think?" Rā's smirked with malice. "You children are due for your eternal rest." The Demon's Head lunged forward, targeting Django's guitar, but the musician called up some Dead Hands to restrain him, then Rā's was bat away by Kimaya.

The cowgirl entered Rotting Corpse Fury, spreading her foul stench to the entire cave, the female ninjas holding breath and taking cover on the ceiling. Rā's seemed unfazed, sending a Sand Stream that Kimaya blocked with crossed blades, enduring the wave until Rā's flew in with a barrage of sword swings. Kim allowed him to cut her to pieces, and when Rā's turned his sights on Django, a horde of Redeads sprung out of the ground to choke the demon. Rā's easily dissolved the zombies into dust, but Kimaya was given time to reassemble and jump into the Lazarus Pit.

The hazardous chemical rose from the fountain, shaping like Kimaya as it formed guns and began shooting Rā's. The Demon's Head rode a sandwave, swiftly evading the bullets; he was in no hurry to become the Lazarus's sacrifice himself. Rā's whirled sand around himself, applying Haki to it: Kimaya brought down a Lazarus arm, but the Black Sand Shield nullified the attack. Rā's then brought a Black Sand Fist around to PUNCH Kimaya out of the Lazarus! He then formed a bunch of Sand Needles over her and Django, all launching at once. Django knew Kimaya could survive the attack, but he called a bunch of Gibdos over himself to protect his guitar.

Rā's flew to slice through the mummy pile, but Django escaped and fired a soundwave at him. The boy summoned Stalfos, but Rā's destroyed them with Sand Clones. He was shot in the back, about-facing to a recovered Kimaya. She was using one Keyblade to shoot gas bullets, but was whirling the other in the air. Rā's realized Lazarus was floating above him, the demon dodging just in time. Kimaya dove back into the fountain, molding a Lazarus body, the same time Rā's molded a sand body resembling his upper half. Fists of pink Lazarus and black sand met one-another, until Kimaya's right arm stretched away, became a gun, and shot off Rā's' head.

Rā's' left arm became a sword and sliced Kimaya's body in half during her weakened moment. Rā's bashed her body toward the land and quickly buried her under sand. He burrowed through the sand and caught Kimaya by the neck. "With years of training, I'm the strongest sandbender on Superbia. I can dry all the fluids in a body and reduce it to dust. Your bones are powerless to me."

"Huuurrrrr…!" Kimaya struggled to push him off, her bones slowly dissolving. Were it not for the magic animating her corpse, she would be dust by now. "Ain't gonna stop me from breakin' wind!" With a tremendous burst of flatulence, their enclosed sand tomb became uninhabitable, forcing Rā's to hold his breath and escape. Kimaya bent the gas into a bomb and threw it at Rā's, the Head defending with a Black Sand Shield. The furious Rā's grasped the ground, morphing a sand trail toward Django, grabbing his boots, and yanking him off the ground. He swung Django in the air until he dropped his guitar.

"Grab it!" Shiva ordered, the ninjas dropping down with breath held. Kimaya used a Lazarus whip to keep them away from the guitar, and when Rā's tried to stab the instrument, Kimaya threw her boney arm to grab it and summon the arm back. Her other hand shot a Gas Bullet at the sand hand to free Django, yelling "Git on outta here!" as she returned his guitar.

Django saluted her and raced out of the cave, strumming up a horde of Redeads to block the cave's exit. Rā's faced Kimaya again as she splashed in the pit, mustering her chi to its very peak. Bright red light shone from the many cracks on her bones, her poison growing hotter and hotter and causing the Lazarus to boil. "My Liege, we must get out of here!" Shiva yelled as the ninjas desperately cut down the Redeads. Rā's growled, knowing the pit was seconds from exploding.

Django bypassed the dead ninjas outside, just in time to watch the cave burst into flames. The rotting odor reached his dead nose, smiling at Kimaya's success. But the boy was horrified when Rā's trudged out of the cave moments later, his hair and flesh almost completely withered away, exposing the green muscle underneath. The other ninjas were protected by sand shields. "Your friend has sacrificed herself for nothing."

"No worries. She's a fast healer." Django strummed a few notes, and Kimaya's ash reformed from the smoke.

"'Guess you gotta find a new pit to dump in." Kimaya retorted.

Rā's grit his teeth and stomped the ground, entering Sand Fury. The Head grasped one of the cliffs, his chi melting all the surrounding snow and breaking off a chunk of the cliff. Its sand morphed into a statue of Rā's that dwarfed the Eighth Heroine's statue. "Kimaya, you can't go into Fury Mode after a self-destruct like that, can you?"

"Nyope. 'Guess it's time to hit it." (End song.)

"Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Kim and Django rode the former's skateboard faster than one could ride a horse. It was extremely convenient, because this very path sloped directly down Hemaar's Descent, a very popular location for Shield Surfing. "WOOHOOOOOOOO!" For a moment, the duo forgot the sandy colossus chasing after them and rode down the mountain with joy and freedom. They bounced haphazardly down hundred-foot cliffs, dropping into Tanagar Canyon. The canyon would flow for miles and miles, with plenty of room for their skateboarding spree.

"Sigh…" Rā's gave up the chase and merely scowled in their direction. It was pointless to play along with their childish games. "We'll see who gets the last laugh, you wretched urchins."

Hyrule Castle; night

Mandy's royal bathing quarters were at the top of a small tower. She had the option to close the skylight or allow the sun or moon to provide light for her. She chose the latter. A statue of Hylia watched over the tub, which was the size of a hot spring. Mandy sighed in bliss, allowing the whole of her body to partake in the soothing steam. She reached her right hand to the moon, blocking it from view. "Darkrai once told me the moonlight weakens my fearbending. It's strongest on nights with a Blood Moon. Either way, it'll make it annoying to get in touch with my chi again."

"I've experienced that problem once before." a British voice said.

With a start and a splash, Mandy realized that a golden-haired Hylian woman was bathing as well. "Where did you come from?!"

"I've been here for ages, Mandy. It is our kingdom, you know."

"P…Princess Zelda?"

"Well, one of them. The others call me 'Zelda of the Wild.'"

"Yeah, but I call her 'Scientist Zelda.'" Mandy gasped when a dark-skinned girl appeared in her bath. "She was obsessed with Sheikah Tech. As for me, I'm Tetra."

"Also known as 'Pirate Zelda'!" replied another Zelda with more thick hair. "And I'm 'Zelda of the Past.' Nice to finally meet you, Mandy. Though I'm quite upset you gave away our Triforce of Wisdom."

"I didn't think it suited me." Mandy replied. "It made me look like some pure-hearted pushover."

"Indeed, our family was a long line of lightbenders." said Twilight Zelda, whose hair was a dark gold. "Your fearbending greatly contradicts us."

"You were never a ball of sunshine yourself, Twilight Zelda." remarked Sky Zelda. "You were so serious. Explains why your Link never fell for you."

"Same with Ninja Zelda." followed Train Zelda.

"I had to take my place as a Sage." replied Ninja Zelda, a.k.a. Sheik. "We were not meant to be."

Mandy, at this point, was royally confused. Here she was expecting a pleasant bath, now it was being invaded by Zeldas. "Look, I didn't ask for company, especially not from ghosts. So, please leave."

"Although you were quite different from us," said Twilight Zelda, "it seems you are finally awakening to your roots. Both we and the Links of our times were renowned for our kind services to the kingdom. Doing good deeds, whether for selfish intentions or not, clears a person's chi paths and makes them a better bender."

"However, I sense it is having a special effect on your fearbending." said a purple-haired Zelda with an upside-down Triforce scepter.

"WHAT ARE YOU, an Emo Zelda?!" Mandy shouted.

"No, my name is Hilda, Zelda's Negative. I'm the Princess of Lorule, and I was invited by that one."

"She's my bestie!" Zelda of the Past sloshed over and hugged her. "By the way, 'Lorule' is the opposite of 'Hyrule.' Get it? Low? High?"

"Anyway, have you ever heard of Gratitude Crystals?" Sky Zelda asked. "They're mystical objects that only spirits and demons can see. They're compositions of the Emotion Chi emitted by peoples' gratitude."

"Those very crystals are latching all over your chi!" a tiny voice squeaked. Mandy was shocked to see a tiny Zelda on her shoulder. "Hi there! I'm Minish Zelda. Tee hee hee, your nostrils are so tiny!"

"I thought you said doing good deeds CLEARS chi paths, not clutters them with crystals!"

"It's clear they're resonating with your Fear Chi, since they're also made of Emotion Chi." Train Zelda clarified. "Still, it's odd that their positive emotions would be attracted to your negative Fear. Then again, opposites do attract. I'm looking forward to seeing how your chi will develop with this."

"But still," input Science Zelda, "the only reason you've been doing all this is to make Hyrule fear you. With all the good you've done, is that still all you want?"

"Hm hm hm." Mandy smirked. "You don't understand how the world works now. People only do kind things because they expect something in return. In videogames, side quests are only worth doing for the rewards. In real life, people only make friends to rid their selves of loneliness, but those friends are only worth having if they have something to offer. That's why every operative in a KND sector needs to pull their weight. Still… I won't deny that doing all this gave me that tiny ounce of satisfaction."

"The fact is, you've already made yourself the queen of this world." said Twilight Zelda. "Even if you merely wanted to have something over your fellow pirates, the Hyruleans will be counting on you. You will need to keep their loyalty and their faith."

"You're my least-favorite Zelda. Get out of this tub."

"Hey, don't be mean to Goth Zelda!" Minish Zelda squeaked.

"That last part was meant for all you. If you've no more relevant things to say, then out of this tub. NOW."

"Huff. Fine." Sky Zelda grumbled. "We can think of better baths than this!" With that, all the Zeldas flew away.

"Sigh… How proud I am to be different." With no more disturbances, Mandy could close her eyes and embrace the warmth in peace. The steam touched her very soul and cleared her mind.

She looked inside herself… she saw her soul floating in a nightmarish wasteland, and tiny orange crystals orbiting her. She felt a warmth radiating from them, the crystals slowly drawn to her. Yes… these are the Gratitude Crystals. I wasn't expecting so many. I can feel their positive emotions. But how can they possibly help me? Fear is a negative feeling, and it's all I have control over.

Mandy's body emitted its red aura, the chi rising to the surface. The dark red morphed into a soft bright orange, the royal bath gleaming beautifully. I can feel their gratitude.

"Thank you for helping me fly, Queen Mandy!"

"Thanks for the Deku Water, Queen Mandy! My forest will look beautiful!"

"Now I can play with my Miniblin friend without people attacking him! And it's all thanks to you!"

"The Cuccos bless you with their gratitude, Queen Mandy! PRAISE BE THE CUCCOS!"

"We love our new training partners, Queen Mandy! The Goron Blood Bros. will be stronger than ever!"

"With these new Sheikah Tech rods, we'll feed Lurelin with even bigger fish!"

Yes… This gratitude comes from fear. They lie awake, thinking of my kindness. Just like that Kiki girl.

"But know this." Mandy knelt down to the young witch. "I'll remember your face… and I hope you remember mine… on the day that the Grim Glarer Mandy looked on you with murderous intent, and spared your life." And, with a smile that looked so soft and kind, she said, "okay?" Seeing such a rare look up close was more scary than anything. Kiki couldn't bring up the words, only nod.

When people like Kiki think of me out of fear, I can feel it, and my chi is just slightly stronger. The same is happening now. These crystals contain their Gratitude. Gratitude comes from Fear. And that's why I can bend these feelings to my whim. I… am awakening.

A couple castle guards gazed out a window with intrigue: the tower of the royal bathroom was shining. "You know, I once heard a rumor that the ghosts of former princesses haunt that tower. Could it be true?!"

"Perhaps we should ask the queen to call a paranormal expert."

Skies of Hyrule

The Anti-Fairy army gathered before their princess, allured by the black light of the Ztar Rod. "Lord Mandy promised the Anti-Fairy regime would rise again, and like it or not, she will grant our wish. Today, Princess Sivam becomes the new Queen of Fear! May misfortune shower all of Hyrule, under my BLACK ZTAR SKY!"