Emma's Quest, Part 4: Vampire Hunter

This chapter brings back a certain vampire from the Halloween chapter!

Ordon Village

Team Emma traveled southeast of Lake Lanayru and passed through Faron Woods, which covered almost the whole south portion of the Twilight Continent. But due south of Faron, at the very bottom tip of the country, was Ordon Woods. Home to its own guardian Light Spirit, Ordona, it was a peaceful village with wood houses, a river and waterwheel, even farmland that mostly raised pumpkins, Ordon Goats, and Cuccos. Of course, its most distinct landmark was the KND treehouse that grew from a house separate from the rest of the village. This house once belonged to one of Link's incarnations.

Team Emma rested in a local inn, recovering from their fatigue. When morning came, they decided to warm their selves up by offering to help at Ordon Ranch. Don tried to carry stacks of five hay at once to build up his muscle and toss them into neat rows; Ayshe tilled a wide area of ground with swift speed, leaving Gilda to plant vegetables; and Emma was left with the milking of the goats. Ordon Goats were riley animals who didn't take well to wrong hands, but Emma applied just the right touch.

"Wow, you kids know how to get it done." praised Einar, the farm's owner. "You wouldn't happen to be KND, would you?"

"Nope, just adventurers!" Emma smiled. Of course, she had an ulterior motive for her help: "So, do we get the Ordon Goat Cheese now?!"

"Couldn't you afford anything at the shop?"

"We like our food fresh!" Gilda cheered.

The goat cheese was thick and ring-shaped with patterned segments of lighter and darker-yellow hues. Once Einar finished preparing it, the four friends filled their bellies with its girth. "Deeeeelicious!"

"Heh heh! I sure wish our kids offered to help like you. But they'd rather stay up in their treehouse when they're not on missions."

"KND stuff is important." Don inputted. "Especially with…er, never mind." He hesitated to break the good mood.

"The recent demon attacks, right? Or, the anti-demon attacks, I guess. We hear about them when we deliver goods to the capital."

"Yeah…" Emma shook her head, not wanting to break focus. "Um, before we go, do you know anything about the woods to the south? We were heading there next."

"Huh? Well, those woods are where the Ordon Wolves dwell. They're a somewhat peaceful species who don't really come to the village, but they'll eat my goats if I leave them out at night. But if you stroll on their turf, well, at the very least they'll be defensive."

"Then we'll try not to disturb them."

"I've always wanted a wolf pelt." Ayshe said, daggers clenched.

"AYSHE!" Gilda screamed.

"Actually… I'm worried if there's something else in those woods."

"Huh?" Emma looked up.

"Almost every night, I hear the wolves howling in pain. And one morning, four months ago, we found one's body near the edge of the farm, its neck ripped open and blood drained. It had other bite marks, too. The only other predators in that wood are Skulltulas, but it didn't look like their fangs. We asked the KND to search the woods, but they didn't find anything."

"Hmm…" Emma checked her map, marking over the woods in question. "Maybe this is Dad's next test."

"What?" Einar came around to view the paper curiously. "…That symbol! That looks like Sector XX's logo!"

"Really? You recognize it?"

"Yeah, one of my old friends went to that sector. Name was Zushi. But he stopped visiting over a decade ago and it sounds like they all vanished. …Don't tell me you're trying to find them?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. But maybe I'll have an answer soon." Emma stood from the table, her friends following. "Thank you for the food! We'll come back and tell you what we find in the woods."

"Oh…" Einar's curiosity grew as he watched the children leave his home. "Just who are they?"

The four ventured to the southern Ordon Woods. They were ordinary and peaceful with the sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves. The friends walked over a creek, smiling at the little frogs hopping around, the squirrels watching them from the treetops, and the Squirkis chasing mini mews. "So, one of Dad's teammates used to live there, huh? Maybe that's why he chose this forest."

"Yeah, but what about his other teammates?" Don wondered. "Did they come from Necluda or the Oocca then?"

"Don't know. …oh!" Emma stopped them. Wolves watched them from the shade. They were a splendid yellow-brown with clear red eyes.

"I don't feel hostility." Ayshe said. "Just caution."

One of the wolves stood in their path directly. "It's okay, Mr. Wolfenstein." Emma smiled, approaching slowly with a hand held out.

"Wolfenstein?" Don remarked.

"Yeah! That's a fun name, right? And that one can be Mozart, that one is Ralf… come to think of it, the Marzipans have a Wolf! Only she…well, you might not like to meet her. But we won't hurt you guys. We're safe."

Her hand was just six inches away from the wolf's nose. He smelled no hostility, just the after-smell of cheese. …The wolf looked up and pounced back. "EMMA!"

A Skulltula descended from a web, "AAAAH!" Emma fell on her rump and scooted back in panic. "Sk-Sk-Sk-SKATCHUA!"

Ayshe leapt opposite the spider and threw a dagger, slicing through its soft belly cleanly and out the back. "More venom darts would be nice." She harvested some of it and began crafting the small darts.

"Thanks, Ayshe… but now we have to eat it."

"Oh, I forgot."

However, the wolf bit the Skulltula's leg and dragged it to his pack. They nodded in gratitude and put on bibs. With knives and forks in hand, they dug into the spider. "Ah! What polite wolfies." Gilda cooed.

The four were free to pass, walking up a forest hill and down the other side. Beyond the woods was a great river that separated the Twilight and Labrynna countries. As they headed for the approximate area on the map, clouds covered the sun, casting gloomier shades from the trees. "Man, it's still daytime and we can barely see." Don said.

"Times like this a wisp comes in handy." Gilda replied. She hummed a soft tune that echoed through the woods. A small, blue, shroom-shaped wisp appeared to provide them a soft light.

"That's better." Emma smiled. "But even though the Skulltula caught me by surprise, I doubt we'll find anything that sca—!!!" Right then, an unbearable pain coursed through her foot. "YOWCH!!" She backed up and sat down, seeing that a thin, fallen, sharpened branch was the problem. "Augh…that went straight through my boot!"

"Er…Emma?" Gilda bent down, studying the worn boot as she flipped the front part up and down. "I think you need a change of shoes."

"I guess they've been through the wringer enough, huh? Man, I can Haki through worse injuries no problem, now I got a whole other toe wound!"

Farther in the forest, a predator caught the scent of blood. It raced off.

"And just apply the disinfectant…" Emma shuddered from the stinging of Gilda's treatment. "I think we got all the dirt off… and now some bandages. Need some for the boot, too!"

"Gilda, just learn magic and heal me safely."

"Nothing heals like human hands."

The predator lunged through the trees like a mad squirrel.

Ayshe's ear twitched from a snapping twig, whipping around with daggers ready. "Something's coming!"

"What?!" Don gasped.

Gilda froze, feeling a dark presence.

"RAWR!" A fanged girl pounced from the trees—Ayshe stabbed her in the gut and kicked her away. The girl recovered, fangs bared for… she hesitated when she realized they were humans. She seemed to be a 12-year-old girl with sweet peach eyes, her black hair in several long dreads that were orange near the ends. She wore a light-pink kimono under a brown haori, along with pink-strapped sandals with thick black leggings. There was a piece of bamboo hanging from her neck.

"It's a… girl?" Don questioned. "A feral girl?"

"She doesn't really look feral." Gilda reasoned.

"No…" Emma approached and studied her fangs. "You're a vampire!"

"I didn't know Hyrule had vampires!" Don said.

"What are vampires?" Ayshe asked.

"Wow, you really didn't get out much, huh?"

The girl put the bamboo in her mouth like a muzzle. "But… you're a friendly vampire." Emma said. She nodded. "That's why you stopped attacking. You must've just smelled my blood and… wait, are you the one that's been killing wolves in the forest?" She bowed her head shyly, but nodded. "Then…! By any chance, do you know this symbol?" Emma showed her the "XX" on the map.

The vampire lit up. She took the bamboo out and spoke in a rasped way. "Yuh…yuh…you…"

"Meeeee…?" Emma slowly drew a finger to herself.

"One…waiting…fooooor?"

"Waiting… for what? Um, do these look familiar?" Emma showed her the golden relics.

The girl flinched back in a fright, but the relics glinted off her shocked peach eyes. "Aaaahh…!" She pranced back through the woods.

"Come back!" The kids scurried to catch up. As the vampire fell out of sight, the woods around them grew foggy.

"Oh, great, a Lost Woods." Don complained. "Very original, Hyrule!"

"There's always a trick to these, but what?" Emma wondered. "…Maybe that!" She saw short pink flames on the ground, etched around a footprint. "That looks like her shoe! But it's… pointing right." Emma followed it that way. They found another one pointing up-left. "Heh, this is easy! Guys, hold hands, let's stay on track!"

"This could easily be a trap." Ayshe said.

"Emma has a second nose for these things." Gilda assured.

The trail led to a wooden shrine-like house. The vampire squat still and politely as a woman walked out. "What is it, Nezuko? Do we have guests?" She wore a green and pink shrine maiden's robe, black hair in blocky segments, and a headband with red, circular faces with different expression. Her bangs had balls with the same faces, and she wore a ghostly white mask with milky black eyes and a smile. "Ah…who do we have here?"

"H-Hello." Emma spoke. "We're…"

"Emma Freecss. Is that your name?"

Emma choked on her breath in that instant. "How did you know?!"

"Well, she's a shrine maiden." Don said. "Probably read your mind, asked the spirits, or just saw the future."

"Hmhmhm! No. I knew it because that's what your father said he named you. A girl with hair like the sun… there's no better match."

"Oh! Then this is the right place!"

The woman removed her mask, exposing her gentle face with welcoming blue eyes. "My name's Alluka. Care to come in for some tea?"

The kids removed their shoes at the door and sat politely at the table, waiting to be served. They could smell that Nezuko's tea had a trace of blood, sipping it through her fangs. "So, Miss Alluka…um-"

"Why do I have a vampire?" She smiled knowingly. "I found her wandering the forest almost seven months ago. She came from a village in the far east of Faron. Quite tragic, really… a vampire attacked the village one night, killed anyone wandering outside, and converted Nezuko. And Nezuko was about to bite her own brother…" The girl bowed her head ashamedly. "But despite her newfound instincts, she held back. The surviving villagers feared the beast, so Nezuko fled."

"STOP HER! If she gets away, she could infect all of Hyrule!" The dread of her own village turning against her etched into her memory. The survivors chased throwing spears and arrows, no longer seeing her as a child, but a monster. She'd never run so fast before her, didn't think her feet could hold out this long. She ran deeper and deeper into the woods, hoping to go as far away from her hometown or anyone else. "Dang… we lost her! Hurry, alert the capital about this!"

Alluka left the shrine for her daily stroll. She caught a whiff of blood and walked toward its source. To her dismay, there was a dead wolf… and a pair of peach eyes quivering in the hollow roots of a tree. The woman crouched and approached cautiously. "Well, hello, little one." She gave a welcome smile. Alluka extended a hand, Alluka baring her trembling fangs. "You look lost. Want to come to my house?"

Nezuko shook 'no.' Alluka thought what to do… so, she took a small knife and pricked her hand. Nezuko suddenly dashed out, but Alluka whipped out a Sheikah talisman. "Now now now. That's not healthy for you."

"…" Nezuko stepped back in guilt. She dropped and clenched her head, on the verge of crying. She couldn't believe what's become of her. She was a monster now… Just last night, she was an ordinary girl happily going about her life… now she was a monster…

Alluka softly patted her head. "Why don't I make us some tea? You can tell me what's wrong. I won't tell anyone."

"Poor thing…" Gilda frowned sympathetically.

"Her brother, Tanjiro ran to find her, but by then, I already welcomed her in my shrine. I trained to deal with corrupt spirits, so I helped Nezuko get a handle on her bloodlust and taught her not to harm humans. Tanjiro thought it was best to let her stay with me, but he and his friends come to visit once a month. Sadly, their village had to migrate to a different region in fear of another attack. Of course, I wasn't the only one to train Nezuko. I managed to contact the Spirit KND and have her trained and recruited as an operative. She can travel to the Underworld whenever she pleases and go where they need her to. Just recently, she helped fend off an evil vampire invasion on Earth this Halloween!"

"That's cool!" Emma said. "Did you make a lot of friends?"

Nezuko nodded happily. "Yes," Alluka replied, "but from what I heard, that event was rather messy. She only had time to talk to one person… and she can barely talk as is." Nezuko smiled sheepishly. "But regardless of where she goes, she always comes back here."

"Miss Alluka is really nice to you, huh?" Nezuko nodded. "But wouldn't you like to live with your brother again? If he could find his own place?"

"Ehhhh…" Her voice breathed in hesitation. "Brother's… friends… noisy…"

"Huh?"

"Tanjiro often brings his friends, too." Alluka responded awkwardly. "ZENITSU ALWAYS TALKS LOUD LIKE THIS AND HE KEEPS CRYING 'CAUSE HE'S ALWAYS PANICKING ABOUT SOMETHING!" The kids clamped their ears shut, quivering from the abrupt disturbance in atmosphere. "And Inosuke likes to flex his muscles and stick his pig mask in your face, oink-OINK!"

"Yeah, that sounds…sounds pretty obnoxious." Emma cringed.

"Makes hard… talk to…" Nezuko rasped.

"Hmhm!" Alluka chuckled. "But now that you know everything about her, why not tell us about yourselves?"

"Heheh, fair enough." Emma blushed. "But you already know why I'm here. How do you know my father? Did you use to be operatives with him?"

"I spent time with them, though I was never an operative. I can't say where any of them are… only my family. Before that, I have something to give you, Emma." Alluka picked up a small golden bar and brought it to her.

The kids lit up in gasps. "It's a… golden parallelogram this time!" Don said.

"The third piece…" Emma took it. "And you're just giving it to us? No trial or anything?"

"One could say your true trial's just begun."

"But what do all these mean?" Emma laid the other two on the table.

"Well, I believe they go together like a puzzle." Alluka smiled. "But you have to find the last two first."

"There are two more?!"

"Hehe! It seems your dad couldn't fit the whole map on that paper. Fortunately, I have your next clue here." Alluka placed her own paper down, marked with "XX."

An ecstatic Emma quickly pulled out the main map. "That looks like Frostland in Four Sword Country. And that zone's northwest of Twilight Continent."

"There's where you'll find another of my family." Alluka said. "The truth is, my family lives in hiding. The royal family supposedly dug up dirt on our past and branded us as criminals, turning most of Hyrule against us."

"Really?" Don asked in shock.

"Hm…" Emma tried to think about this. It's not something that was taught in class, but the library did have a textbook about a certain family.

"Emma… I would like you to take Nezuko with you. I don't have kids of my own, but I've come to think of her as my family, too." She patted the child, earning a pink blush. "That's why I'd like her to meet my brothers… and whoever their children are. I hope the time comes we can all be family again."

"I wonder… is my dad in the same situation? Is there another reason he never came to see me or Great-aunt Mito?"

"Hm…" Alluka frowned. "It's not my place to answer, Emma… but I will say that you might learn something unbelievable when you finish this quest. And I don't really know what your father expects of you in the end." Emma felt a great weight in her heart. Her friends felt her dread and looked in sympathy. Alluka, sensing her unease, smiled and added, "But if I could guess, he would want you to be happy and do what your heart tells you. But I also think Gon truly believes you deserve these treasures. That they're yours and no other's. Because no matter what you learn, only you are worthy of them."

Emma didn't understand what that meant, but she trusted Alluka's words… and trusted her father. She closed her fingers firmly around the three treasures and tucked them away. "Alright. We'll go find your family… and we'll take Nezuko, too. But there's something we should warn you about. We've met some people who are hunting demons. There've been attacks all over Hyrule, according to the news. I can't help but think the incident with your hometown might've pedaled this uprising."

Nezuko bowed worriedly. She looked up and responded, "It… okay. Want… meet… Alluka-san's… family. No like… hiding…"

"Hehe. Then we'll protect you."

"By the way," Ayshe said, "I'm sorry for cutting you back there."

"Okay… Not hurt much…" Nezuko smiled. "I… sorry for… attack you… Hard to… control…"

"Freshly cut wounds can drive a vampire on the hunt." Alluka said. "But I think she's still good at controlling herself regardless. Just be careful when you…oh, I almost forgot! There's quite a lot of rivers on the way to Four Sword Country."

"Yeah, so?" Emma asked. "…Oh! Vampires can't cross running water."

"I have a solution to that, actually." Alluka presented them a small wooden casket with a handle and Sheikah seals. "Nezuko can ride in this. This special casket will seal her from the outside world and let you carry her over running water."

"But how can she fit in…" Nezuko climbed on the table, already ready to answer Emma's question. To their awe, she grew smaller. She crawled along the table with the bubbly face of a baby.

"AWWWWEEEEEE! She's so cuuuuuute!"

"Who's a wittle Nezuko?" Gilda took the baby in her arms and poked her nose. "You are! Yes, you are!"

"Vampires all have unique abilities and this is one of Nezuko's." Alluka said. "The rest, you'll have to see for later."

"Hehe, okay!" Emma held the casket cradle open. "Ready to go, Nezy?" She nodded as Gilda set her in.

The journey took another two days. They headed north out of the forest to Twilight Capital, where Emma visited the local boot-repair shop. Of course, the shop was actually managed by Minish, 'cause none could handle the finer details of footwear like Minish. They gave it a good interior and exterior cleaning and sewed up all the rips. The Minish were pleased with Emma's expression as she welcomed her feet to a nice, clean home! Though by that time, evening was nearing, so they spent the night at the inn. The next morning, they headed north to Zora's Domain. There was a cave that led to Snowpeak, the northwest frostbitten mountain. The friends rented a Wolfos-driven sleigh to carry them up the snowing mountains.

Luckily, since the sky was clouded on this peak, they could let Nezuko out to enjoy the ride with them. "We'll have to put you back in when we get to the Maiden River." Emma explained. "That's what separates the Twilight and Four Sword countries. Snowpeak actually connects to Frostland via bridge, straight north from here. We'll get there easy-peasy!"

"Yea…!" Nezuko rasped a cheer.

…

Further up the mountains, piles of shattered Chilfos and Frost Lizalfos were dead at Shinobu's feet, Cold Darners and Winterwing Butterflies fluttering with the flow of her blade. "HOOOOOO!" Ashera drove her blade through a Blue Lynel's neck, felling the centaur. "Man, I feel ripped off. Mira had tougher monsters than this."

"As long as we get our job done faster, I don't mind." Shinobu sheathed her blade.

"Feel like going a spar with me? You seem pretty tough yourself."

"Who, me? Please, you're in much better shape than I am."

"I ain't talkin' about fitness, sweetheart. I'm talkin' about that fire in your eyes… and whatever you're packin' in that sword."

"Oh, this sword isn't for the likes of you." There was a teasing glimmer in Shinobu's purple-black eyes. "Only for demons…"

"Fine, break a girl's heart. But did you know I wasn't actually a demon hunter? I just named one of my special moves 'Demon Slayer' and it sort of spread. Heh, and now I'm being hired by a princess to-"

"HEY! We're not supposed to mention her!"

"R-Right! Whoopsie!"

"Clearly more brute than brain. Let's just move down to…! Sniff, sniff. That smell."

"Oh, you caught that? Sorry."

"What?! No! It…It smells like… a vampire." Shinobu dashed up the nearby hill and looked over from the cliff. She watched as the sleigh full of young adventurers crossed the valley. "Children?"

"Now, there's some kids who know how to tank the weather!" Ashera exclaimed.

"One of them… is a vampire! Let's follow them, Ashera."

Team Emma reached the great, wide Bridge of Winds. They put Nezuko back in the casket as they ventured across, Four Sword Country coming into view. West of Frostland was the Desert of Doubt, home of some Gerudo and the Zuna Tribe, and east of it was Eastern Coast, known for its fortunetelling village.

Once they set foot on Frostland, Nezuko could safely emerge. The snows were much gentler here than Snowpeak, full of pine trees, houses, and children having snowball fights. Team Emma passed frozen ponds on their way to the destination and were attacked by Pengators, green alligator-penguin hybrids. The monsters would retreat after the hunters felled two of them. "Thank you for the meal!" they chorused, deciding to stop for a nice lunch break.

As Team Emma passed through a village, "And we're just about… here?" they came upon a small elementary school. Emma glanced between the clue and map. "Huh…I guess the one we're looking for is in this school?"

"Looks like it's just letting out, too." Gilda said. "Should we… ask around?"

"I… help." Nezuko said. "If Alluka-san's… family… similar scent…! Sniff-sniff! Smell it now!"

"Really?!"

"Sniff-sniff-sniff-sniff!" Nezuko ran toward the school with arms spread to her sides—but stopped against the open entrance like a wall.

"Uh…vampires have to be invited into buildings, remember?" Emma asked.

Luckily, the portly principal walked out. "Hello, little lady. Something the matter?"

"Want to… go school…"

"Well, come on in! Sounds like you can use some speech classes." Nezuko instantly blazed into the building like a motorcycle snapping free of a sticky trap.

Though the school was clearing out, the afterschool karate practice was in session. The instructor invited three local guards to train the student. He was 12 years old and skinny, wearing a white karate robe with a red belt. "HUH!" The student kicked one in the gut, bending him over, then leaping for a whirling kick to his head. "HUH!" The youth kicked one off his feet and chopped his head with a clean enough swing to KO him. The third tried to grab him from behind, but the boy back-flipped over and kicked him in the back. The guard resorted to grabbing his spear and thrusting it, but the boy dodged, chopped the head off, and punched him in the nose.

"Good, Ray, good good!" The instructor clapped. "…Uh-oh. Looks like that spear grazed you a bit." A light drop of blood formed on his cheek. The woman grabbed a tissue and lightly patted it. "I told you asking for real weapons was a bad idea."

"It's not real training if there isn't real danger, Mom." The messy-haired boy replied in a calm, but snarky tone, suited for his stern, glaring expression. "Besides, everyone else wants to be a swordsman. Karate might've been cool where you're from, but it ain't much here."

"I'll have you know the Sheikah practice it. Swordplay is cool, but there's nothing quite like honing your natural body."

"When'll I get to learn from Dad?"

"'Cause your dad's arts aren't exactly 'right' for sweet young boys."

"It'd probably make me tougher."

"I'm sure it would, but let's become the toughest at karate first!"

"Whatever. Let's just go so I can get my homework do-"

Nezuko burst into the room and tackled Ray. "WHAT THE-?!" She sniffed his cut.

"HEY!" His mom pulled the girl off. "Young lady, what do you think you're-"

Ray gasped, seeing her fangs. "MOM, WATCH OUT!" He threw a kick at her legs. "It's a monst—OW!" He stubbed his toes against her strong legs.

"NEZUKO!" They looked as Emma's team rushed in. "Hey, don't hurt her!"

"Who're you guys?" Ray asked. "And what's this monster?"

"She's a vampire, but she's okay!" Emma got between them and pulled Nezuko from the teacher's hold. "Nezuko, what was that about.

"Heh…he… smells like… Alluka-san…"

"Did you say… Alluka?" asked the teacher, her eyes widening.

"I don't know vampires that well, but it looks like you need a leash on her." Ray said.

"We're really sorry." Emma bowed. "She just… wait." She looked up at the woman, only now registering her question. "Do you know Alluka?"

"What's your name?"

"I'm Emma… F-Freecss." She was slightly blindsided by the question and still guilty for the sudden intrusion.

"Heh…" The woman's smile grew wide and ecstatic. "Boy, I sure didn't expect this today."

"Hang on, don't tell me THIS is the kid we were waiting for." Ray said.

"Are you Alluka's relative then?!" Emma asked excitedly, showing her the clue and gold parallelogram. "Do you recognize these?"

"I'm Alluka's sister-in-law, actually." The woman took Emma's hand and shook delightedly. "Call me Lexi. This is my son, Ray."

"Heya, Miss Lexi!" Don waved. "Name's Don, this is Gilda, Ayshe, and Nezuko!"

"And is Nezuko here… Alluka's daughter?"

The vampire shook 'no.' "More like adopted, right?" Emma inferred. "But, from the way it sounded, you guys don't know each other's kids."

"Yeah… we haven't really seen each other in over a decade."

"Because our family were servants to Ganon." Ray said.

The kids looked to him in shock. "Ray!" Lexi flicked a scolding finger at him. "Ahem…there's a lot to explain to you kids, but we'll do it on the way. Let's go to my car."

Lexi owned an average Automo-brand car barely fit enough for four of the kids to sit in the back, Nezuko shrinking to baby form, while Ray had the passenger's seat. "Sorry about that." Lexi said as she drove up a road, turning the windshield defroster on as a pleasant warmth filled the car. "But as I already told Ray, that part about Ganon isn't true. That's just what the Boogey Pirates told everyone."

"Because we're the evil Zoldyck Family." Ray said as he opened a textbook.

"Zoldyck?" Ayshe repeated, feeling familiarity.

"I knew it." Emma said. "I remember reading that the Zoldycks were a family of Sheikah assassins who were… descended from the Yiga. And 12 years ago, they were branded as top criminals."

"The Zoldycks lived on Hyrule much longer than that." Lexi replied. "They were still infamous and were descended from Yiga, but they didn't worship Ganon. Hyrule just left them alone. But then the pirates started spreading rumors that they were planning to revive Ganon, and that they kidnapped Princess Cindy. It also didn't help that one of my brothers-in-law got involved with a dangerous pirate crew."

"And that's why Dad can't live with us." Ray continued. "And why I can't have friends."

"Ray, you know that's not true. You just have to be careful what you say. …Which you've done well up 'til now."

"Well, we're suddenly letting these people into our lives, why not? 'Cause apparently, Emma's a magical girl who'll make everything better."

"You're puttin' way too much pressure on me." Emma blushed.

"Ray, Emma's father is a dear 'friend' of the Zoldycks and so is she. She may not make 'everything' better, but if we can't trust anyone else, we can trust her."

"Yeah, Ray." Emma smiled. "We won't tell anyone. Will we, guys?"

"Certainly not!" Gilda grinned.

"We aren't even Hyruleans, so I got no biases!" Don said.

"That's not the most comforting thing to say."

"And I'm from the Zonai tribe." Ayshe smiled.

"The… Zonai? Those barbarians from legend?"

"Yes. The Zonai survive and live in secret. Now you have my secret, too."

"Heh…" Ray sported a smirk. "Fine, you got me there."

"Hehe, I bet you don't smile much." Emma teased.

"Mmg, shut up."

Lexi parked the car at a large wooden gate. They all climbed out to approach it. The kids glanced down in alert when small, pinecone-shaped creatures climbed down the nearby trees. "Whoa, they're Deku Cones!" Emma beamed.

"Yeah. They live all around here." Ray answered. "Whenever I read under a tree, they always climb down and bug me."

"They just wanna be friends." Lexi smiled.

"And pardon me, Madame, but we are known as Pinezeelous." One of the cones stated in a squeaky tone. Some of their pines shaped a nose, mouth, and pointed ears, while their eyes were red. "And I must advise against going further. The Dark Woods lie beyond this point."

"Oh, you know who I am by this point, don't you, Sebastian?" Lexi remarked. "Emma, since you know what these are, would you also know what Deku Cones like?"

"Yeah! Snowberries, of course."

"Open my trunk and get some."

Emma saw a jar of the berries in there. "Hehe!" She popped it open and poured them on the ground. The Pinezeelous excitedly crowded around her boots and took the berries.

"You may pass!" Sebastian signaled the pines up on the gate to turn some gears and open them. The group got back in the car and drove through.

A few minutes later, Shinobu and Ashera reached the gate after following the car. "They must've gone in there." Shinobu whispered. "Those kids clearly know she's a vampire… but that place looks like a cesspool for demons."

"So, let's go in there and bash them up!"

"Keep quiet! We'll have to tear the gate down by force, and that'll make it tricky to ambush them. You can conceal your chi, right?"

"Conceal my what now?"

"Just stay behind me!"

The adventurers exited the snows of Frostland into a dark forest where wind rustled the trees. "Phew, I'm getting too warm now!" Lexi chirped. "Let's roll some windows down." She rolled each window down a crack. The kids shuddered under the howling breeze and ominously swaying trees.

"I… should've asked this before, but where're we going exactly?" Gilda asked.

"These are the Dark Woods. Where an evil spirit dwells."

"Yeah, I got that impression." Don nodded. "Good thing we got a Ghost Whisperer in our team!"

"Now, I can't quell EVIL spirits or anything like that! So, WHY are we going here again?"

"You'll see." Ray smirked.

"Ooooo, a spooky forest now!" Emma beamed. "This adventure gets better by the—AAAAAH!"

A whirlwind of paper birds suddenly swallowed the car. Some of them flew in and aggressively flapped or pecked them. A frantic Ayshe sliced them in half, but those pieces would shape into smaller birds and keep flapping. "Uh-oh! It's attacking!" Lexi exclaimed. "Quick, get out of the car!"

"Shouldn't we roll the windows up and back away?!" Don asked.

"Nezuko?" Ayshe watched as the vampire sized up, lighting her hands with pink flames to burn the papers. "Hey! You'll burn us down in here!"

"You're a firebender? Ah!" Don winced when one of the flames touched him. "Wait, it didn't hurt…"

"Something's wrong! I don't feel any spiritual presence from these things!" Gilda yelled.

Emma gasped. "…Let's get outside!"

The kids piled out, watching as the paper cranes amassed around a single space. They formed a large, feminine head with a glowing kimono. "Ooooooo…tuuuuuurn baaaaaack… or suffer a thoooooousand paper cuuuuuuts…"

Lexi snickered to herself. Narrowing her eyes, Emma approached the spirit. "First comes rock." She balled her fist. "Rock…Paper…" and leapt toward the spirit, "Scissors cuts PAPER!"

She SLICED it clean down diagonally. The spirit grunted in pain as it shrank and assumed human skin with black hair and pink eyes, wearing a white papery kimono. "Ouch…that was harder than I thought it'd be."

"Another shrine maiden!" Don gasped.

"He's a man, actually." Emma corrected.

"DWUH." Don, Gilda, Ayshe, and Nezuko's mouths gaped at askew angles.

"Hey, Dad." Ray greeted.

"Kids, meet my husband, Kalluto!" Lexi skipped up and propped both hands on his shoulders, pushing herself to the air. "He's scrawny like his son, isn't he?"

"I figured it was some kind of bending trickery." Emma said. "Not just that, but… you're a Logia, aren't you? A Logia paperbender?"

"Yes."

"I knew I felt some kind of conscience in those paper cranes! Gilda said there was no spiritual presence, so that was my only guess. But man, paperbending is rare!"

"He's one of a kind, I'll tell you that much!" Lexi cheered.

"Ray, can you paperbend, too?"

"No, but he can sure bend those books."

"You're a teacher, is that a problem?" Ray scoffed.

"Heheh." Kalluto chortled. "Still… for you to know that art, you're definitely Gon's daughter."

"I am."

"Let's go to my house. I'll treat you to supper. I have the next shard there, too."

Eldin's Flank (Play "Conspiracy" from Trails in the Sky.)

Kamui added some decoration to the giant leviathan fossil: Fatblin and Moblin stabbed into its bones with their own spears. "Since Gorons eat rocks, I wonder if they'd eat fossils? Perhaps there's a sub-tribe who do, I should ask her about that. Hm?"

Dinraal, the red serpent dragon who roamed this canyon, flew in an erratic manner. "AAAAUUUUUUGGGHH!" A man struggled to rip off Dinraal's horn, withstanding the flames Dinraal set his whole body ablaze with. The horn severed as he pierced the dragon's head with it. Dinraal plummeted into the bottomless canyon as the man jumped onto the flank. He wore a dragon's skull over his shadowed head, red eyes piercing through, with a brown fur cape and green garb over his muscular body.

Kamui approached the man, shaded beneath his umbrella. "Well, hello, H. Decided to join the party?"

"The Stargazer asked me to keep an eye on you. You are rather a loose cannon."

"Isn't freedom one of the perks of being an Enforcer?"

"Freedom has a price, you know that."

"Yes… except I'm not a time-traveler like some of you."

"Even so, you're expected to do your job. Another of the Seven Knights is in this world."

"I'm sure I'll see her when fate allows me. Until then, I'll stick to my little fun here. If you'd like to join me, I'll put in the good word for you."

"Demons are often appetizing… but my only game is dragons."

"Indeed. The Hyruleans won't take kindly to killing one of their sacred beasts… but I doubt the princess will mind."

"Do you suppose she'd ally with us? It would be nice to have an Emperor's influence after K. Rool so rudely declined us." H thought back to the terrible condition one of their Managers wound up in… and even that the Anti-Heroine returned with a broken leg.

"Assuming she gets the status she so pines for. I'm sure she will in that case. She is desperate for power, after all." Kamui's phone rang. "Speak of the devil." He answered. "Hello?"

"It's me. Are you busy right now?"

"Just took care of the demons at Eldin Flank. I even scratched 'GO BACK TO HELL' into the mountainside. It looks authentic enough to seem like Goron writing."

"Good. Come to these coordinates, Kamui. I have some things to discuss with you."

"Yes, Your Grace." He hung up. "You hear that? Duty calls. Don't get in my way, Huntsman." The Yato returned to his small aircraft.

"Don't get distracted, Y." (End song.)

Dark Woods

Kalluto's log cabin was crafted by his trusted gang of local Deku Scrubs. He had some pots, a fire pit, and enough mats to fit everyone at the table, but overall had the right necessities and lived with minimalist needs. He treated them to soup and Cooked Keese Swarm, splaying the circle of multi-sized Keese around the table. As they ate, Kalluto and Lexi shared stories of their unexpected first meeting, and likewise Emma's team shared the beginning of their adventures.

"Great-aunt Mito never really told me that much about Dad. Just that he was in the KND, became a hunter, and he fought with this Rock, Paper, Scissor Haki. I was taught basic Haki by Captain Augustus, but over time, I learned these tricks myself."

"I guess Janken just runs in the family!" Lexi said. "Pretty impressive."

"By the way, you said Dad was a friend to the Zoldycks earlier. How exactly?"

"Because he was Killua's closest friend." Kalluto smiled, drawing the children's intrigue. "He's our middle-aged brother. It used to be that Zoldycks only kept to their selves or other assassins, but Killua decided to try out KND training one day. There, he met Gon. And since then, he wanted to be with no one else."

"Awe. Did he really like Dad that much?"

"You have no idea." Kalluto narrowed his gaze suggestively. "In fact, I never really understood how he felt. I never got what he saw in Gon. But you could say… I began to feel different when I met Lexi."

"Even a trained assassin is helpless in a cute girl's fingers." Lexi teased, pinching his cheek.

"Mmmmhh…" the sheepish husband mumbled.

"Hmm…" Gilda stroked her chin, connecting some dots in her mind.

"But you'll hear the rest from Killua himself. Gon left us the clue to his hiding place. Gon's the only one who knows where we're all hiding, in fact."

"So, you don't even know where Alluka is? Or your other family?"

"Well, we're kind of estranged from our oldest two brothers. But I don't wanna know where Alluka is either. I can wait until we reunite. But first, I should give you the next shard." He raised his left hand and turned it into paper planes that flew to a wall near the ceiling. They pulled open a secret compartment and retrieved another gold parallelogram. Emma gratefully took the treasure and tried to put them together on the table. They seemed to fit together perfectly, with only a triangular gap at the top. "Huh…" The shape began to look extremely familiar.

"Ray?" Lexi looked as her son began to leave, his plate already clear.

"I need some peace and quiet."

Emma looked his way with sympathy, feeling the unease radiating from him. "Hey, can I go talk to him?"

"Sure, Emma." Lexi smiled appreciatingly.

Emma joined Ray in the peaceful breeze of outside. He'd gone to sitting around the house's corner, continuing his reading. "Hey… are you mad at me, Ray?"

"Just look at him, Emma. He lives in a cheap cabin, eating bats. We go visit him once in a while, but he can't come to us 'cause he's afraid of drawing attention. Our family is cursed. Ever since I was little, Mom always hushed me for almost bringing up my weird paper dad, saying 'It's not safe, it's not safe,' but then she's always tellin' me to make friends. And all of a sudden, it's safe because YOU'RE here. I just don't get it."

"I don't either. I'm only just meeting you guys, but your parents and Miss Alluka act like I'm a lifelong friend. Even the Zonai act like I'm special and I don't know why. And Dad thinks I'm special… I don't know what any of them expect from me, but it's kind of stressful. It makes me scared."

"Hmm…"

"I think… you feel the same. And I'm sorry if being here only makes it worse. So, after I leave… I'll try not to bother your family, anymore."

"Hmm…" Ray closed his book. "If I said 'yes' to that, Mom would just guilt me about it."

"Heh…" Emma flushed at the awkward, yet believable response.

"But I…I'm tired of feeling alone. I'm tired of Mom making me think I can't trust anybody, even though she wants me to make friends. I just… I hate it. I wanna beat up whoever gave us this curse. Even if it was your father… or you."

"Ray…" Emma felt the anger coursing inside him.

The boy narrowed his gaze and firmly rose, glaring at Emma. "Hey, fight me."

"Huh?!"

"Doing karate calms me down. I like taking my anger out on things. But I want strong opponents, so I can learn to hit harder. I wanna see how strong you are."

"I don't wanna fight you for that reason."

"Fine. Then just pretend we're training. And don't hold back on me either, use your Haki."

"O…okay."

The two faced each other on the house's pavilion. They shared a bow. Ray dashed and leapt for a kick, Emma dodging her head left and grabbing his leg before slamming him on the soil. Ray spun and kicked her knee, not hard enough to make her fall, but he saw her bend off-balance, so he flipped up to punch her belly and topple her. Emma jumped up and balled her fist. "First comes rock! Rock, Paper," she sidestepped to confuse Ray, who made ready to counter or evade. "PAPER!" She shot a chi sphere, Ray jumping right, but Emma dashed to kick him. He grabbed her midair boot, propped himself upside-down from it, and spun-kicked Emma's jaw. She spun, taken aback by his maneuver, and knowingly hardened her back to block his follow-up. She still stumbled forward from the kick, beginning to turn back counterclockwise. He swiftly sidestepped that direction to stay behind, taking advantage of her missing left ear to hide the sound, then thrusted a kick at the back of her left ankle.

"RAY!" Lexi shouted, the group rushing outside when they heard the fighting.

"Don't!" Kalluto blocked them with his papers. "I think Ray's just venting."

"I would say 'violence isn't the answer,' but who're we to talk?" Don asked.

Ray flipped Emma on her back and tried to pin her arms down, but she kicked both legs forward to flip up and fling him off. Ray rolled around her right and tried to chop her hip, Emma blocking with her right hand, followed by a kick to her left leg, but Emma tanked the damage and threw a hardened punch at his gut from her left fist. Ray tumbled several meters back, landing in a sit and hacking saliva, to which Emma then jumped to pin him down. "HUUUUCK!"

"Sorry." Emma blushed. "Was that too much?"

"Y…Man, you're heavy! Are you a vampire, too?!"

"Nope. Just a normal, flesh-and-blood human… except I feel like I eat way more than you do."

"Gourmet Hunter diet, huh?" Ray smirked. "Not like the cheap food we got around here."

"Are you okay, Ray?" Lexi called. "Did Emma snap you like a twig?"

"SHUT UP!"

"Here." Emma got off and offered a hand, but Ray swat it away and managed to stand. "See, you're fi-" Emma was punched in the mouth, then Ray kicked her left leg again. Emma flipped her leg up in the flow of his kick, predicting he would target there, and kicked his gut in the process. Ray reeled back once more, gasping as Emma charged him with hands open. He ducked and put his whole body into toppling her, but Emma withstood and brought her hands down to proceed with her plan. "Tickle tickle tickle tickle!"

"Hahahahaha!" Ray's underarms were helpless in her fingers. "What?! This is the dumbest move, hahahaha!"

"You told me to not hold back, didn't ya?"

"This ain't what I, hahahaha!" Ray was soon pinned beneath her weight again. She stopped tickling as Ray tried to breathe, though couldn't manage well with his weighted gut. Still, he couldn't bring himself to frown. "Fine… you win."

"Haha!" Emma rolled and lay beside him, arms splayed. "But… even though I'm scared, I'm glad I have so many people supporting me. Maybe Dad just wanted to show me that I'm not alone… that I have you, the Zoldycks, and others to support me. So, I hope we can be friends."

"Heh…sure." Ray turned his head to her. "I don't know who's behind our curse… but it can't be you."

"Heh…?" Emma heard footsteps and saw Nezuko approach in a toddler form. She lay her belly over Ray playfully, turning to show her kiddy peach eyes.

"What do you want?"

"I sorry… scare Ray earlier…" She put her young arms around him and nuzzled his chest. "Can Ray… be Nezuko's family, too?"

"Like I didn't feel like a freak already."

"Hey, don't say that." Emma reached and patted Nezuko's head. "She must've heard us talking, didn't she?" She nodded. "She feels the same way you do. She just wants to understand."

"Ray…" Lexi approached them, heart warmed by Nezuko's gesture. "You don't have to, but would you like to go with them? I know I haven't made it easy to make friends, but… well, you have some now. I think you would like getting away from us and spending time with them."

Ray began to feel warm the longer he looked into Nezuko's comforting eyes. This was accompanied by Emma's earnest smile, thin rays of sun breaching the dark trees to touch her orange hair. "Alright… I'll give it a shot."

Kalluto smiled, hoping his son could be happier. "…?!" The Zoldyck cast a swarm of papers up at the trees. (Play "Shinobu's Theme" from Demon Slayer!)

"Kal?!" Lexi gasped.

A figure suddenly fell from the branches, clothed in a bug-winged robe. "I have paper cranes patrolling the treetops, they picked up that intruder!"

Her cover blown, Shinobu rushed to slice Nezuko—Emma jumped in the way and blocked the sword with her hardened arm. Ayshe dashed to slice the woman, only managing to get her cheek as Shinobu leapt back. "Don't tell me: another demon hunter?!" Emma glared. "Nnn…" She felt fatigue.

"Stand down, children. That girl is a vampire. She must be slain."

Ray flipped up and tossed Nezuko to his parents. Shinobu slashed an airwave, but Lexi caught the vampire and ducked just in time. The slash cleaved Kalluto's Logia body and sliced all the way through his house. As Kalluto reformed his paper, he noticed the light-purple liquid that dampened the cut paper. "Poison?"

"I steal the poisons from monarch butterflies and insects with my bending," Shinobu twirled her sword as bugs fluttered around it, "and transmit them through my blade."

"Oh." Emma looked at her arm. The sword had slightly cut through her Haki and left an infected wound. "Ah, what's a little bug poison?" She fought her fatigue charged Haki.

"I'M HERE, TOO!" Ashera, a black-armored woman, charged from the bushes with her double-edged sword—Ayshe leapt to kick her in the jaw before she could reach Emma.

"Looks like we got double trouble!" Don said, he and Gilda rushing to join. They and Ayshe faced Ashera. Emma fired her Paper sphere at Shinobu, who sliced through, but Ray leapt to kick the back of her head. Shinobu caught him with her free hand and threw him against a tree, using her pheromones to command a swarm of monarch butterflies to bite him.

The swordswoman was struck in the head by a strong, but soft ball, its speed sending her flying. She looked as the ball returned to Nezuko, full-grown and pinning her sandal atop it. "Leave… family… lone…" She grabbed the ball and dashed to grab Ray, putting him atop her back. Shinobu kept slashing, Nezuko barely able to keep up with her speed. She kicked Shinobu's hip, with Emma shooting her leg with an arrow, the combination sending Shinobu flying. However, she was still able to cut Nezuko's cheek, her sword stinging like a bee as the cheek swelled. "This sword was tailored for things like you! My poison sickens you as much as humans!"

Nezuko ran toward her and threw pink flames, Shinobu reactively evading. "The heck is your problem?!" Ray leapt off Nezuko for a kick, Shinobu ducking, but Emma sniped her other leg to break her balance. Nezuko kicked the ball at her while Ray then flipped her. His attempts to pry her sword were futile as Shinobu shoved him away and ran circles around Nezuko.

"My family was killed by vampires. You might think she's tame, but sooner or later she'll lose control. I was following you, I saw the way she reacted going in that school!" Nezuko used her strong legs to block the sword from whichever angle it came, and when Shinobu tried for a wide slash, Nezuko shrunk to toddler form to dodge it. Ray dashed to grab and carry her while Emma charged to counter Shinobu's sword with her Scissors.

"Nezuko never killed or bit any humans! If you'd give her a chance to explain-"

"Emma, quit trying to talk things out with a killer!" Ray shouted.

"YES!" Ashera exclaimed, excited as her flurry of strikes were countered by Ayshe's quick dagger-work. "Less talking, more FIGHTING!"

Don leapt to slamdunk her head, briefly dazing Ashera, while Gilda sung for Leaf Spirits to swirl around and dizzy her further. "And what's your story?" Don asked.

"I fought tons of strong monsters on my homeworld! I started shouting 'DEMON SLAYER' and became so popular, I got hired to kill actual demons!"

"THAT'S YOUR ONLY REASON?!" they all screamed.

"Hired by who?!" Emma shouted.

"Idiot!" Shinobu spat as she kicked Emma away and leapt at Nezuko for a twirling slash. She leapt in evasion and wiped the blood from her earlier cut, burning with pink flames that she threw onto Shinobu. "Besides, she's hurting me now!"

"Ever heard of self-defense?!" Ray shouted, running to slide-kick her feet, but Shinobu was unmoved by the act. She flew over him and cast a gas cloud at Nezuko, causing bees and butterflies to swarm her erratically. She set her whole body ablaze in pink, the bugs buzzing in panic.

"You think that fire can protect you from my poison?!" Shinobu tried to stab the girl through the flames, landing a cut to her hip. "It doesn't even burn!"

Emma gasped. None of the bugs were going down to Nezuko's fire, and none of them were burned in the car when she used it then. "They… don't burn!" Nezuko turned into a toddler to hide in the flames and swarm before running out. Shinobu saw and leapt to stab her—Emma grabbed the child in a hug as the tip of Shinobu's blade pricked her shoulder. "Stop and think for a second! Why is Nezuko attacking with flames that don't burn?"

"Hm?" She realized the flames weren't charring Emma at all despite her tight grasp.

"Well, Nezuko? Could you tell us?"

"Eh…I…I don't want… to hurt…"

"Nezuko, what're you doing?!" Hana exclaimed as the vampire set the entire hall of the haunted house on fire. "You're gonna hurt the hostages!"

The Poes cried as the flames turned their ghoulish robes to ashes, reducing them to their own fiery cores. The trapped Hylians cried as the flames began to envelop them… but to their surprise, they felt no heat or pain.

"Huh? Your flames… didn't burn anything but the ghosts."

"Don't… want to… hurt… people…"

"So, your flames can't burn anything mortal." Emma recollected. "Only spirits?"

"Spirits… and demons…"

"How… interesting." Shinobu replied. "And how effective is it on demons?"

"Hey, you're missing the point!" Emma yelled. "Nezuko's flames are meant to protect mortals, but she's not a demon killer like you guys!"

"N-No… I'm not…" Nezuko affirmed.

"Ashera, withdraw!" Shinobu sheathed her sword.

"What?!" Ayshe wrapped her legs around Ashera's neck and punched her face, the warrior slamming her back against a tree. "But I'm just having fun!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" Kalluto attached Paper Bombs to both women, the kids clearing back before they exploded. The swordswomen withstood the blasts as Emma and Ray threw a punch and kick at Shinobu's face and legs. Shinobu dowsed them with gas before retreating up the forest, Ashera following. Kalluto's cranes pursued, so Shinobu ordered her insects to counter the paper.

"I want to tell her about this vampire. Perhaps she may like to acquire it. We should report this bunch as well."

"Hey, we'll pick this up next time, brats!" Ashera yelled. "Be ready by then!"

"Ugh, there's no point telling you anything…" (End song.)

"They're getting away!" Ray shouted.

"Don't, Ray!" Lexi grabbed his shoulder. "You kids are tired and poisoned. Just be glad they're giving us a break."

"But it won't last long." Kalluto said. "I think it's time to change location… Both of us, Lexi. Ray, do you still want to go with them? What about you, Nezuko?"

"I… want to stay… with my friends… and meet… family…"

"Yeah… I do, too." Ray agreed.

"We'll have to be really careful from here on." Emma replied, body limp as she fell to her knees. "Huff…can we get some medicine in town? Maybe some juicy fruit…hoo…"

"I have some medicine of my own." Kalluto said. "We Zoldycks trained against poisons… though you still look pretty good yourself, considering."

"I gots me strong immunity." Emma managed a grin. "By the way… what about the next clue?"

"Ah, right. I actually had a little challenge prepared." Kalluto scattered some papers around the ground, all with part of an image drawn. "You'd have to put the puzzle together to figure out the next spot… but I guess I shouldn't make you do it now."

"It's okay! I love puzzles."

"Man, you really don't let anything get to ya." Ray remarked. "I think I'm gonna like this."