Emma’s Quest: Into the Depths

This chapter takes place two weeks after Emma's Quest and is based on Tears of the Kingdom! That game has been pretty addicting to me lately, so much that I have severe writer's block because I keep wanting to go on walks around Hyrule. While the game is a definite improvement over BotW, it still retains a handful of the former's repetitive aspects that are predominant throughout the game. But one thing that's certain is the side quests and characters are still great! So, today I'll be bringing in certain NPCs from the game while also making OCs of others.

Hi, Auntie Mito! Guess what? Hateno Elementary requested me to be a guest lecturer! Mrs. Marie would be so proud of me!

"Say hello to Ms. Freecss!" Professor Symin introduced. He was a spectacled Sheikah with the traditional attire of his people, but possessed a patient expression and average build like that of an approachable teacher. "She's a cadet KND operative, but I'm told she's a very well-traveled young lady. So, today she'll be-"

"Are you really the princess?!" asked Aster, a girl with a pink and white dress and green necklace.

"Of course she is, she has the Triforce on her hand." Azu, a green-shirted boy, pointed out obviously.

"Sefaro, you're a dye expert." Prig, a Minish boy, said to his Kokiri classmate. Prig's tiny desk was set on the shelf next to Sefaro. "Is that mark real or is it a tattoo?"

"Let's see." Sefaro got up and approached Emma. His green hair was done in a wolf-tail, but shaved at the sides, wearing a red tank-top, minty-blue leaf shorts, and wood sandals. He took Emma's hand and stared close at the mark. "I don't see any gaps in the texture or leaked paint. Not even a trace of a smell."

"I-I like to wash my hands when possible…" Emma blushed.

"Sefaro, please return to your desk." Symin ordered. "It's not polite to pry into our guest's personal life."

"Why else did you bring her here?" asked Karin, a tomboyish girl with brown hair in a large bun and whitish-green tunic. "You could've asked for any random KND operative, but you happened to pick the 'princess' who's all over the news."

"I-It's true that I curiously wanted to interview our guest before this, but it was only because of her experience that I asked her to be here."

"I think you also thought it would boost funds."

"Karin, you're getting an extra assignment tonight!"

"It's fine, it's fine." Emma blushed. "It's true that I'm the queen's granddaughter, but that isn't what I'm here to talk about today. I'd actually like to talk about the kingdom of Appleton from Planet Avalar! Since Hateno is famous for its produce and likewise its apple trees, Appleton is a place you might like to visit."

"We don't really care about that stuff." Sefaro remarked.

"Does Appleton have any cool weapons?!" asked Nebb, a brown-haired boy with a white shirt and no shoes.

"Um…well, it has a lot of unique magic wands, since it happens to be the base of Luna Nova Witch's Academy! Unfortunately, I never actually visited the academy, I just went to study its main apple market."

"Aw, why didn't you bring any cool wands?!" Nebb whined, grabbing something from his backpack. "I would've traded you this Demon Carver!" It was a circular blade with spikes around it.

"Nebb, I told you to stop bringing weapons to school!" Symin scolded. "That's detention for a week!"

I'm still keeping my Marzipan background a secret, but I was still excited to share my travels with people. Still, I expected my 'princess' background to be their main interest. The lecture was okay otherwise… but then my fame sort of shot up when a supervillain attacked.

"MU MU MU!" Cece was a mildly portly, pink-haired lady dressed in a dark-purple dress with dark-red mushrooms, an extravagant shroom cap to go with it. She and her shroom-dressed minions were throwing spore bombs that quickly grew into giant shrooms. "The future has arrived, Mayor Reede! Hateno will become the forefront of fungi fashion!"

"Take your crazy fashion back to Hytopia, you witch!" the mayor shouted.

I often hear Hytopia is full of eccentric fashionistas. Didn't my dads say their trainer was from there? Anyway, she tried to intoxicate me with her mushrooms, but they weren't that bad. I had Ray cook them later and they were pretty good! But I defeated them pretty fast; it's probably in the newspaper.

 Princess Saves Hateno From Mushroom Regime! The shroomy fashionista, Cece strikes the peaceful farming village yet again, but her reign was quickly subdued by alleged princess, Emma! 

I'm bringing smiles everywhere I go… but I don't know if they're for the right reasons. Was it really a good idea to tell everyone the truth?

"I still admire you for being honest with everyone." Supreme Leader Norman said. "I know you don't want people praising you because you're a princess… but, the Triforce isn't just a symbol of royalty. It's always been a symbol of hope, too. After what happened with Princess Cindy, more people will be looking for that kind of hope. And now they have someone to turn to."

"I know that… and I'd like to be peoples' hope, too. But even that comes with its own burdens…"

"Well, in the past, Link and Zelda probably felt the same way. But even they weren't alone."

"Like, their own KNDs?" Emma smiled in a half-joking way.

"Perhaps so. But in almost every era, Hyrule's always had Champions."

"Oh yeah, the Champions! They were the top representatives of each race who swore loyalty to the princess and fought by her side!"

"Hehe, you seem to like being a teacher."

"Well, I didn't earn straight A's for nothing."

"Heh heh! But that's the thing though: ever since you announced yourself, a lot of the operatives have been trying out to be Champions."

"Oh…" Emma shirked, a bit embarrassed by the notion. "Really?"

"Yeah." Norman seemed to share the sentiment. "Tulin from Rito Village just earned the right to wield the Great Eagle Bow. Pyper of the Kokiri is trying to master his Firefly Commanding. Anki of the Anouki is training his icebending to increase his island's iceberg barrier."

"So, like… they wanna swear loyalty to me or somethin'?"

It didn't take a genius to tell Emma was uncomfortable, carrying too many burdens on her shoulders. "There's a brighter way to look at it." Emma glanced up to meet his gaze. "You've inspired them to grow stronger and renewed a new sense of loyalty to the world. And honestly, I hope these would-be Champions do better than those weirdoes who used to pilot the Divine Beasts. Except Chief Riju of course, but still."

"Hahaha!" Emma felt a bit more optimistic from that.

"By the way, your team's outside, right? I'd like to give you guys a mission."

"Wow, sure! Yeah, they're just out-" Emma eagerly jumped to the door and opened it—her friends seemed to be cowering beside the office and watching a war take place. Unzen set up a wall of cafeteria tables and was bouncing an onslaught of Super Balls at Ray and Ayshe, who held guard at an opposite barrier and spat poison darts and paper wads. "What's… going on here?"

"Oh, Unzen flicked his ball at the back of Ayshe's head with a booger on it." Gilda answered. "It led to… this."

"Aha…at least she has backup."

"KNOCK IT OFF, ALL OF YOU!" Norman's order ended the war. "Ugh. Sector TRI, are you aware of Hyrule's recent Depths Operation? Wait, of course you are." He nearly forgot who was here for a second.

"Uhhh…" Don and Gilda drawled in chorus.

"It's a mining operation that's spanned across many regions of the world." Ray explained. "We discovered a vast underground landscape full of unique plants and animals, even ancient ruins. The Boogey Pirates and other companies have taken part in it and have drilled deep holes into designated areas."

"Hmm…" Ayshe sighed to herself in familiarity.

"Yes." Norman affirmed. "And the KND have their own mining areas, too. Unfortunately… it seems the Yiga Clan also do."

"The Yiga?!" Emma gasped.

"We discovered a Yiga camp in the Depths, a few miles from our Kakariko Mine. They've already ambushed some of our scouts. I'm thinking of sending our Top Sector down to destroy the camp, and I'd like you to accompany them."

"We're working with the Top Sector?!" Gilda exclaimed.

"I thought it'd be a great way to warm you 'rookies' up!"

"You can count on us!"

Kakariko Village

Within the pleasant green mountain range surrounding Kakariko, pitch-black darkness loomed miles beneath the gaping chasm. Sector TRI followed the wooden walkways from the village and over the mountain, ending above the chasm where a Sheikah girl waited. "Hi!" Emma called. "Are you an operative?"

The girl turned. She wore a common Sheikah robe and her white hair was done in two large pigtails and a triple bun. Her red eyes, under matching glasses with eyelash designs, brimmed at seeing the newcomers. "P-Princess Emma!"

"Don't call me that!" Emma outbursted. "I mean… please just call me Emma."

"S-Sorry." She blushed, sporting a crooked grin. "My friends always call you that; I know you don't want us to, but…heh." Sector TRI felt embarrassed for her. "I-It's great to meet you though. I'm Josha!" Her hand quivered extending it for Emma. "Sector Scige's Sagest. I mean, Sector SAGE's scigist! Scientist!"

"Hey, Josha." As Emma shook her hand, she could see Josha's eyes focus on hers. "Yes, it is the real thing. Look closer if you want."

"Haha…that's okay." Josha released, feeling she's made enough of a wrong impression. "I came here ahead of the others, but we didn't think you'd show up so soon. My mom brought me into the Depths once, but we didn't go far. I'm so excited to explore it!"

"You and me both! I bet ya there's a ton of good ingredients down there!"

"Never go on a mission hungry." Gilda remarked.

"Oh, there they are!" Josha lit up. "HEEEEY! You guys are late!"

"They're already here!" a Rito boy said. "Sorry we kept you waiting!" He flapped to quickly join them on the platform. He had white feathers and a bluish-gray beak, wearing brown torso armor and a dark-gray bow with gold ends, designed like wings, and a firm string on his back. "Emma, right?" He extended a wing. "I'm Tulin, leader of Sector SAGE!"

"Hiya!" Emma shook it. "Wait, Tulin! Norman told me about you! Is that the Great Eagle Bow?!"

"Uh-huh!" He showed off the bow with pride. "2,000 years old, crafted by Champion Revali himself!"

"Wow, only the best archer among the Rito is allowed to wield that." Ray smiled. "You must be pretty good."

"It just looks like a normal bow to me." Don said.

"Don!" Emma shouted.

"I'll have you know its craftmanship is more intricate than an average bow." A Gerudo child approached next, carrying a hammer and tool kit on her thin frame and her red hair in a distinct bowl cut. "But other than that, how do you do? I'm Mattison, the carpenter and tailor!"

"Ahhhhh, interesting." Emma smiled knowingly. "You must be an apprentice of Hudson Construction."

Hudson was Hyrule's greatest construction company, named for its founder who made his name by building his own town in the Akkala region. He sought people of numerous races to help the town prosper; a Goron to mine ores, a Rito to collect and sell goods…

"I'm more than an apprentice. I'm his son! I mean, daughter!"

"WAH?!" Emma gaped. "N-Now that I think about it, Hudson did marry a Gerudo…"

"Yeah, but she ain't the only hotshot around here!" A Goron rolled up, wearing a yellow miner's helmet, matching chest plate with a pickax symbol, and a shiny steel hammer. "I'm Offrak and I'm a YunoboCo apprentice!"

"So, we've got a Sheikah scientist, Hudson carpenter, and a YunoboCo miner." Emma observed. "I'm starting to see why you're the top! And isn't that the Megaton Hammer?"

"Let me guess, another super ancient and sacred tool?" Don asked.

"YEP!" Offrak cheered. "The same weapon that Champion Darunia used on the dragon Volvagia 5,000 years ago! Now it's my smithing hammer!"

"You need to keep up on your studies, Don." Ray scolded.

"I didn't think I'd become an indefinite resident here!"

"Yunan! Hurry up!" Tulin called to their last teammate. He was a little red Zora with a manta-like head and a white trident at his back. "This is Prince Yunan. He's a waterbender and our healer. He's kind of shy, but he's a great fighter! That's his Lightscale Mini!"

Yunan sported a shiny grin and grabbed his trident. He ripped it in two parallel halves and twirled them. "You all seem great already!" Emma grinned. "I'm sure you know me already, but these are my teammates: Gilda's our Ghost Whisperer, Don's our supplier, Ray's the karate expert, and Ayshe's our sniper and dagger specialist!"

"I see I'm not the only fan of the Zonai!" Josha beamed.

"Huh?" Ayshe was lightly startled as the scientist began to study her tattoos.

"These markings resemble the designs on their architecture. Even your armor feels so… barbaric!" She brushed the leather of Ayshe's vest.

"Hmmm…" Ayshe had yet to truly come out about her origins, since everyone was still riled up about Emma.

"So, uh, should we get going?" Emma asked.

"Yeah!" Tulin chirped. "Everyone else, parachutes on!" They grabbed some parachute packs lined up on a wall. "Ready… set… DROP!"

"WOOHOOOOOOOO!" The band of 10 dove into the abyss, going for 30 seconds as the darkness surrounded them. There was a lantern at the bottom, so they pulled their parachutes before they could impact with the ground.

As they descended more softly, the kids gazed around. The ceiling of the Depths was faintly lit with a cloud of mist, the silhouettes of cliffs and giant plants standing against it. Though they could barely see a thing aside from some faint lights, it was clear they were about to set foot on a whole new continent.

As soon as Emma's boots met the surface, she bent down and scooped a handful of sand, taking a whiff. "It smells moldy, but… kind of a 'rich' moldy."

"Doesn't it?" Josha grinned. "Now, the first rule of exploring the Depths: pack lots and lots of Brightbloom Seeds!" She dropped a glowing bulb plant on the ground. It instantly grew into a flower that lit the surrounding area. "We'll leave a trail of these to find our way back!"

"That's really gonna give us away." Gilda said.

"Well, the monsters down here can already see us better than we can." Offrak reasoned.

"We don't have a very good map of this place, but this is the basic route we need to follow." Tulin showed them a mostly blank map that read 'Start Here' and had several lines connected to dots with designs above or below them. "We'll head northeast from here. Let's go!"

The kids were delighted by the pink fireflies providing a comforting light. They had three sets of wings and were snake-like. Emma gently pinched one and held it close. "They look like Skytails. We oughta gather a few of these for Pyper; he loves fireflies."

"Hey, keep away!" Don drew a sword at a pack of small, toad-like creatures with single eyes. They were as tall as puppies, giving loud croaks before lunging at them. Don quickly slashed one while Ray threw swift punches at the others. "Oh…Emma, I killed this one."

"Then we have a meal later." Emma smiled, kneeling over the dead creature.

"Ew, you wanna eat that thing?!" Mattison cringed.

"We eat any creature we kill. Gourmet Hunter law! Although…" Emma felt the toad's skin. "It feels kind of like a rock."

"A rock?!" Offrak excitedly chewed off its hind leg. "!" He spewed it right out. "PLUH! That's disgusting!"

"Our data lists these creatures as Froxes." Josha explained. "They feed off the minerals down here. Of course, these are just babies. The adult Froxes are much-"

"FROOOOAAAAK…" The deep gurgling rattled their bones. The kids worriedly turned toward the source.

"…bigger."

The massive Frox seemed to muster strength in its lungs before trying to suck the kids in. Tulin used airbending to spin free of the suction and soar upward, sniping its eye with two arrows. The Frox reeled back in pain as Offrak rolled behind. The tail was flat and lain on the ground, so the Goron was able to roll up. There were several large ore shards sticking from its back. Offrak smashed three of them with the Megaton Hammer, the Frox roaring and shaking him off. "It kind of works like a Talus." Emma said. "Though it also looks like a Deku Toad. Maybe it's a hybrid? Might even have some Dodongo in there."

"This isn't the time for a biology lesson!" Ray shouted.

The enraged Frox scraped its foot on the ground and prepared to charge at them. "…? Froooaaaak!" But instead, it charged the other way.

"Haha! I guess it was too scared of us!" Tulin boasted.

"I think it was more scared of that." Gilda inferred.

A four-legged arachnid with a stone body and dark eyeball on top stomped toward them. The cracks around its legs possessed a dark-red glow. "We've never seen that before!" Josha exclaimed.

"I'm not sure if I should call it a Rocktite or a Gohma!" Ray said.

"I think we can agree that we should get away from it!" Mattison argued.

"No, I wanna study it!" Josha insisted.

"Get ahold of yourself!" Ayshe grabbed and pulled the scientist away from the Gohma's impending claw. She threw Josha on her back and dodged its consecutive stomps. The warrior jumped her way up via the ridges on its leg and reached the top, landing an array of slashes at its eye.

While it was distracted, Offrak rolled and latched onto one of its legs. "Let's see if this tastes any better!" The Goron took a bit of the stone. "MMMM! That's REALLY good!" He chewed more. "Mmm! Mmmmm! So good! Guys, I wish you could try some of this—WHOA!" The beast flicked him off.

"Give me a boost, guys!" Emma ordered. Ray and Don held their hands ready as Emma jumped into them, the boys supporting her second jump onto the Gohma. "Rock, Paper, ROCK!" A solid punch dizzied the beast. "Let's go before it comes to!" The group jumped off and bolted back on track.

"Our next landmark is a grove with a round, orange bulb!" Tulin said. "But we'll be crossing a giant root to get there."

"Hup!" It was only when Josha threw the next Brightbloom on the ground that-

"WHOA!" Don yelped, having nearly run off the ledge next to the giant root. "Could've warned us a little sooner!"

"What do these roots connect to?" Gilda wondered as they began to cross the natural bridge. "The trees down here aren't that big…" She looked up at the surrounding, flat-topped trees.

"They must be the Lightroots…" Ayshe said.

"Huh?" Ray replied.

"Ayshe, you know about this place?" Emma asked.

"I…"

"Hey, Offrak?" Mattison spoke. "Are you okay?"

The Goron in question was hunched over and twitching. "So good… That rock was so good…"

"Off…rak…?"

"Hee!" The Goron's shining light-red eyes highlighted his mad grin, throwing the kids into shock and horror. "I gotta have MORE!" He turned to roll backward.

"OFFRAK!" Tulin seized him by the front in his talons, Emma and Ayshe supporting him as the Goron squirmed. "That rock must've drugged him! Yunan, feed him an emerald!"

The Zora grabbed the green gem from his satchel and tried to shove it into Offrak's mouth. "BLECH!" Offrak tried to spew it out. "You'll ruin the taste! Give me that marbled rock! I want it!"

"Shut up and eat your medicine!" Ray grabbed the emerald and forced it down the Goron's throat. "This might suppress the cravings, but we should take him further away from that thing until the withdrawal wears off."

"Yeah!" Emma agreed as she helped carry the squirming Offrak. "Let's just hope we don't encounter anything else."

"CREEEEEEE!" With a gust of wind, a massive, winged insect-like creature ambushed from the darkness. Its spiky, icy-blue body had three segment aside from the head, which had giant pincers.

"You HAD to jinx us!" Ray exclaimed.

"HANG ON!" The Colgera whooshed directly over the root, the gust sending most of them flying off. Emma cast her fishing rod to catch Gilda, Tulin caught Mattison in his talons, while Ayshe jumped her way down lower roots to catch Josha.

"WHOA!" A root snapped beneath Ayshe's sandal, both plummeting into the darkness.

"JOSHA!" Mattison screamed.

"I'll make sure they're okay!" Ray leapt downward.

"Be careful, Ray!" Emma said. "We'll take care of this thing!"

"I see frozen spots on its underside!" Tulin said. "It looks like weak spots are under them! Emma, if I lift you up, can you break those ice chunks for me?"

"You can count on it!"

…

"Oof!" Ayshe landed on her rump, Josha safe in her arms. "Are you alright?"

"Heh, I'm fine." Josha blushed, straightening her glasses. "What about you? You took all the fall damage."

"It wasn't much." Ayshe stood and set Josha down, flexing her legs to relieve aches. "We fell pretty deep though."

"Better turn on some light." Josha dropped a Brightbloom and lit their narrow entrenched area. "Hey! There's more of that Frox ore!" She beamed at the deposits along the path. "And… look at that!"

It was a statue depicting a large-earred, big-toothed being in warrior's garb, a spear raised above her in a throwing position. Josha excitedly ran to its pedestal. "These look like… Zonai inscriptions!"

"'Farona, the Thunder Spear.'" Ayshe read. "Yeah, this is Farona! The warrior who drew power from storms!"

"W…What?!" Josha's jaw dropped. "You can read Zonai?!"

"Um…yeah."

"It didn't sound like you were faking! You must've studied hard! Wait, is this… could this be their homeland?!"

"It used to be, actually."

"Used to…?" Josha's intrigue grew brighter at the warrior. "Ayshe… how do you know so much?"

"I…I was raised by the Zonai."

"R-R-R…"

"Alright, don't alert us to more monsters." Ayshe pinched Josha's mouth, while her eyes only swelled wider. "I wanted to be open about my origins eventually, but I'm not really sure… how people would react, or if my people are fine with that. But since it's just you now, I thought I'd try."

She released. "I…I don't know what to say… You're a real Zonai?"

"I was only raised. I don't have their… defining features. It's complicated. Either way, I know a handful of things about their history and how to speak their language." As Josha still stared dumbstruck, Ayshe approached one of the ore deposits. "But they have this ore. They call it Zonaite. They knew how to process and make weapons out of it, but it also made a great adhesive. They used to mine it from these Depths, until…"

"There you two are!" They looked up and barely saw Ray atop a branch. "What're you doing, we gotta help the others!"

"R-Right." Ayshe nodded. "We're coming!" She lifted Josha onto her back and quickly climbed after the Zoldyck.

"You're the most amazing girl I've ever met!"

"Don't fall in love with me just because of my background."

"But, you are! I want you to tell me more about the Zonai, and teach me how to use that Zonaite! What if we could use it with my Sheikah Tech and build cool things?! Won't you be my research buddy?"

"Hm…" Ayshe was beginning to feel a tiny bit flattered. "I'll think about it."

Carrying Emma by her hands, Tulin swung his fellow Sector Leader into Colgera's farthest ice chunk. Her hardened boots shattered the ice, and Tulin would throw Emma back onto the root bridge while he shot arrows at the exposed weak point. Roaring in agony, the airbending insect fled. "YOU BETTER RUN!" Tulin yelled, returning to his friends. "That was awesome!" He raised a wing.

"Sure was!" Emma high-fived him.

"Do I make a good Champion or what?"

"Haha, uh…" The question took Emma off guard for a moment. "Ahem, Offrak! How is he?"

"Marbled rock… want marbled…" The Goron was restrained by Yunan's water shield. The Zora gave a fins-up and grinned.

"Hey!" a voice called from below. The group looked underneath and saw Ray, Ayshe, and Josha climbing. "A little help here?"

Tulin flew down to assist Ray while Emma cast her fishing rod to support the girls. "Everything okay up here?" Josha asked.

"Seems like!" Tulin chirped. "Yunan, just keep Offrak under control until he feels better. Forward march!"

He and Emma led the teams as they entered a grove of surreal trees. Some of the trees were Evermeans, which came to life in attempt to thrash the operatives. Josha beamed at Ayshe's swift movement, her daggers carving through the trees, while Emma and Tulin dealt with their own bunch. "Tulin, I need to ask you something." Emma began amidst a dodge. "Just… You know I didn't want any special 'princess' treatment, right?"

"I remember!" He shot three arrows through a tree. "I've been trying not to call you princess." The Rito blushed under his feathers.

"Yeah, so… to put it simply, this 'Champion' thing makes me a little-" She raised her arm to block one's slam-trunk, "uneasy. Like, Norman says a lot of kids are trying to be Champions because of me, so it's just… I don't know what they're expecting."

"Heh heh…I guess that is kind of embarrassing, huh?"

"Well, you wanna be one, too. So, what does that mean, exactly?" Emma chopped the last Evermean with a Scissors technique. "What are you expecting?"

"I…I'm not sure myself, honestly." Tulin scratched his head awkwardly. "None of us really knew you that well, so it's not like I was gonna swear loyalty or anything. I was sort of just caught up in the excitement."

"O…kay?"

"I mean, before now, I didn't really care about becoming a Champion or anything special. I just had fun fighting enemies and exploring with my friends. But before we knew it, a new 'princess' joined the KND. We began to feel… special. And I felt special. Even the adults from my town thought I was talented, so I thought… if we had a new princess, maybe I could be a Rito Champion."

"Right… that makes sense."

Tulin frowned, sensing her discomfort. "But I guess it was kind of silly, huh? We over-reacted…"

"I don't know. On one hand, it's great that I inspired people… but I would want them to become Champions because it's what they want, not because of me."

"Hmm…well, I'm sorry…"

"It's okay." Emma smiled. "I didn't mean to make things awkward. Aside from that, you seem like a great fighter and leader. I just don't want you to be those things for my sake."

"Haha!" Tulin blushed. "Thanks, Emma. And you're right. I will! Now, onto that bulb!"

Their landmark, a large orange bulb attached to a large root, served as a safe spot for them to rest. "Oooog…my tummy hurts…" Offrak rubbed his aching belly, Yunan channeling Healing Water over it. "Maybe I had… too much to eat…"

"The lesson is don't eat glowing monster rocks." Mattison said. "Have some of your own lunch. It might make you better."

Offrak retrieved a small piece of rock roast from his lunchbox and munched it. "Mmmm…nice and normal. Okay! I'm ready to roll!"

"We're heading southeast from here." Tulin said. "Onwards!"

As Josha planted more Brightblooms along their route, Ayshe glanced back at the orange bulb. "That must be a Lightroot."

"Hm?" Emma and Josha both glanced at her, being closer.

"They grow all over this place. They're what the large roots all connect to. But long ago, they all went out, drowning this place in darkness and hurting most of the produce and fauna… so, it became harder to work and hunt down here."

"Really…" Emma responded in intrigue.

"Fascinating." Josha stroked her chin. "Ahem, just so I'm clear, do your friends… know?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, what up with all the whispering?" Offrak asked. "You better not be talking about me!"

"Relax, we're just thinking aloud." Emma smiled.

"Wait… I do hear whispering." Gilda stopped and turned.

"Gilda?" Don spoke.

She saw whitish-blue, glowing flares past some trees. Gilda approached them. "Oh…Poe souls. I wonder what happened to their lanterns."

"Poes, huh? They're often used as drinks." Emma said.

"Ew!" Don and Mattison cringed.

"Poes… Hey, Gilda, can you collect them?" Ayshe asked.

"You wanna try them out?" she asked awkwardly.

"N-No… but I heard there were statues down here that helped ferry wayward spirits. I was just thinking we could find one. But, the mission comes first; and I wouldn't know where to find one."

"Well, okay!" Gilda pulled out a Dreamcatcher-like net to catch the Poes and stuff them in a bottle.

The kids followed the map to an abandoned mine with a withered treadmill, a pleasant pond with some purple glowing fish (which Emma caught since they looked tasty), and later a swamp full of brown sludge. "Ew…" Tulin cringed. "This wasn't on the map, but we are going the right way."

Emma tried to walk over the sludge. "Ugh, it's so sticky!"

"If only someone didn't lend their mech to a certain Gerudo, so it could carry us over this." Offrak commented.

"That's the last time I play Ed in shogi." Josha drooped in dismay.

Yunan perked up and swiftly brushed some water to wash some of the sludge away. "Haha!" Emma chirped. "Now there's someone who could scrub all the floors in Hyrule!"

"O…kay?" Mattison questioned.

"Hehe, it's just something I heard once."

"Heads up!" Don alerted. "I see another monster."

It was an octo-like monster, roughly their own size. Its body was humanoid with long arms, short legs, and webs between either, with a swelled purple head and mouth of red teeth. "Just an Octorok." Emma said. "Though a more grotesque one. You've seen me play 'volley' with them all the time."

"Seems to like this sludge just fine." Ray said. "Well, if it knows what's good for it, it won't spit anything."

The Mucktorok submerged in the sludge. "GRAAAAAHH!" A sludge shark burst out, its mouth, eyes, and backfin a gooey purple. It swam along the filth to gnash them, Yunan quickly sloshing it away with a Water Whip. "AND THAT'S A GYORG!" Emma screamed. The shark recovered and tried to swim away, but Yunan threw a Water Bomb to explode it in its tracks. The Mucktorok escaped and surfed the sludge in evasion. Yunan tracked the ripples it was generating and splashed water along the sludge in front of it. The Mucktorok tried to jump the gaps, but it was during these intervals that Ayshe was able to snipe it with arrows. "Now it's more like an Inkling!" Emma laughed. "I kind of like this Octorok!"

"I'll like it better when it's not trying to kill us!" Don said.

The duel lasted a few minutes as Yunan and Ayshe repeated their tactics. With the Mucktorok's death, the sludge dissolved, and the group stored the Mucktorok in an Infi-Cube. "This one might require some extra preparation." Emma figured.

"Boy, you really do eat anything." Offrak remarked.

"Uh, YOU don't get to say that!" Mattison stated.

They crossed a narrow cliffside over a dark abyss and reached a wider-open area, seeing a lantern-lit structure in the distance. "That's the Yiga camp." Tulin pointed. "Let's hold back on the Brightblooms for now. Offrak, turn on your helmet and just keep it aimed at the ground."

Using their minimal light, the ops steadily closed in on the camp while watching for any flaws in the road. Unfortunately, something else already caught wind of them: a pair of what looked like headlights, accompanied by the sound of tire treads, headed their way. "Great, what's that thing?!" Don asked.

"A buggy!" Ray exclaimed. Realizing it had no intention to stop, the team scattered apart from its path.

"Hahahahaha!" A skinny man in a reddish-brown suit and white mask with an upside-down Sheikah Eye was driving the spiked buggy. He turned toward Mattison, Josha, and Ayshe and tried to ram them, but the latter jumped to kick him off. He flipped upright and poofed into smoke and talismans bearing the same symbol. He reappeared on the buggy, but Tulin was ready to snipe him.

"A Yiga!" Ray exclaimed.

"Don't you kids know not to go trespassing?" the ninja asked. "The master won't be happy about this!" He formed a hand sign and disappeared.

"Well, the sneak attack was a bust." Tulin said. "Let's just charge straight ahead!"

"Luckily, he left us a ride!" Josha jumped into the buggy. "All aboard!"

As they closed in on the Yiga camp, they could see it was built around a stone structure, with a round roof supported by pillars and a chimney with a smelting area at the bottom. Some Yiga were using drills to dig into the earth, mining the black and green ore. "They're mining Zonaite!" Ayshe gasped. "This is an ancient Zonai forge!"

"It's a… what now?" Tulin questioned her sudden knowledge.

"She means it's a historical ruin, and they're defiling it!" Josha shouted. "We'll have to banish them without destroying anything!"

"Y-Yeah… you're right!" Ayshe affirmed.

The sectors barely had enough time to reach the camp before the alarms started blaring. Dozens of Yiga drove to intercept in buggies, parking once they formed a blockade several meters before the ops. "Oi, what's going on out here?"

A Yiga with a wider frame, large yellow collar, portly belly, and curved spikes on his mask poofed in the space between the cars, the headlights granting him emphasis. "What, are these KND operatives? You guys interrupted my bath for this? …HM?!" He perked up from seeing one of them. "That hair! Don't tell me… you're the princess from the newspaper?!"

"THE PRINCESS?!"

"Yes! She IS!" He pointed frantically at Emma's hand. "She has the Triforce! There's no mistaking it!"

"OH!!"

"Fine, I'm the princess." Emma said. "'Guess today is your lucky day."

"YIGA GA GA! I was already planning to orchestrate an ambush on you and you just waltz right up to my camp!"

"Should've figured you would." Ray glared. "After all, you're the leader of-"

"KNOW MY NAME AND TREMBLE! I am the leader… of the Yiga Clan!" He folded hands above him and kicked a leg outward with each word, and his minions mimicked him. "The strong! The burly! The daring! The Depths-defying!" And with a spin, he announced, "MASTER KOH—ow!" But he stopped facing the buggy behind him and slapped his hand against it. "M-Master KOHGA!" He faced the operatives and corrected his pose!

"Uhh…" Neither knew how to respond. "Forget him!" Ayshe said. "What are you doing to this place?"

"These ruins are full of strange ores and murals depicting unique weapons! If we could figure out the secrets of this place, it'll be a tremendous service to the Magnificent One!"

"Magnificent One?" Don questioned.

"Hmm…" Emma narrowed her eyes in worry. There was only one man they would refer to like that.

"But he'll be even happier once I've brought him Hyrule's newest princess! So, prepare yourself, Emma, as you face my Volley Jutsu!" Kohga poofed and reappeared in the field a short distance left of the operatives.

"Soooo… he wants you to go over there?" Ayshe wondered.

"I'll take the chance." Emma shrugged. "Can you guys deal with the rest of them?"

"You bet!" Tulin chirped. (Play "Kohga Battle" from Tears of the Kingdom!)

With that, Emma raced to meet Kohga in the field. The master made a hand sign and erected an energy net. A large metal ball with a Yiga Eye poofed above him as he made the first serve. Emma jumped and hit the ball back, but Kohga sent it several feet to her left. She failed to catch it before it landed. Emma gasped when it began to beep, making a terrific leap away from the explosion. She was scratched by the shrapnel, but still stood firm. Kohga began the next round: using Observation, Emma traced where he would send the ball and be ready to intercept it. In one of her serves, she bashed it with both fists and sent it far behind Kohga. "WEEG!" The Yiga frantically tried to catch it, but it landed. "OWWWWIE!" The explosion sent him spinning toward the central net before he got lodged upside-down in the earth. The net dispelled as Emma was free to close in and stomp the Yiga with a hardened boot. "Ouch-eech-ouch-eech-ouch-eech!"

But Kohga recovered and mustered up another net, this time calling two Footsoldiers to his side. They could cover more ends of the field as Emma served back the ball. Kohga managed to serve the ball too far from Emma. "Need an extra hand?!" Don announced, combining his fists to serve back before it hit the ground.

"NOW it's a fair match!" The round stretched for several more serves. Emma hit it close to the net for Don to then redirect its angle. A Yiga expected this maneuver and was ready to hit back, but Emma threw off his expectation by shooting a Paper ball and hitting the ball at a different angle. It hit the ground, the soldiers mimicking Kohga's panic until it burst. Don joined his leader in giving Kohga a butt-kicking!

When Kohga popped out of the ground, Emma socked him with a Rock punch, sending Kohga flying into a bathhouse hut. The hut crumbled as Kohga poofed… and he was then seen sitting in a bubble bath, scrubbing his back with a brush and squeezing a rubber ducky. He looked carefree and aloof, all while Don and Emma stared in disbelief. He was also still wearing his armor. "Eh?!" He looked shocked when he realized he was exposed. "OHWEE!" He jumped out and kicked his feet in a frenzy.

The master poofed back to the field and formed another net. This time, two additional balls split off from his main one, half-tangible before gaining a solid form. Kohga shuffled the balls around before serving all three at once. Emma and Don targeted two separate ones; Don's poofed while Emma could hit her ball back. "The other two are illusions!" When Kohga served the ball again, the illusions split off and came flying simultaneously, splitting to three areas of the kids' side. They had a split second to recognize the solid ball and be ready to intercept it. Kohga would then serve all three in a vertical stack—they saw it was the top one, so Emma quickly ran to grab Don, afterwards throwing him in its path. Don served the ball with great force, taking Kohga by surprise as it whizzed past his hand and hit the ground. The ball exploded and had him grounded. "Ouch-eech-ouch-eech-ouch-eech!"

After suffering another butt-down, Kohga reformed his net and summoned the next ball, but this time, it split into 99 illusions! They couldn't find the correct ball before they all became solid. "Princess!" Tulin flew over. "I-I mean Emma! We beat most of the soldiers, need some help over here?"

"Your airbending!" Emma exclaimed. "Tulin, blow a large updraft around the court, quick!"

"O-Okay! WOO-OO!" As Tulin's heavy wind swirled the court, the illusory balls disappeared when they were sent over, while the real ball stayed elevated.

"HEY! THAT'S CHEATING!" Kohga accused.

"Rock comes FIRST!" Emma leapt to hit the ball at Don.

"Rock!" He served it to Tulin.

"Paper!" He slapped it above Emma.

With a terrific, frog-like leap, "ROCK!" It blasted straight into Kohga and crushed him into the ground. The Yiga master would grow riddled with soot. (End song.)

"Nnnnnn…" An aching Kohga emerged from the crater. "You think you won, Princess? It's only because… I didn't finish my bath! There was soap scum in my eye!"

"I'm sure there was. You'll have plenty of time to rinse it out in prison."

"HAH!" Kohga poofed and reappeared in a large buggy several meters left. "We reaped enough from this mine already! There's still more work to be done before the Magnificent One's return!" Kohga started up the engine and made his escape. "Until we meet again, Princess! The Yiga will chase you to the ends of Hyru-" He crashed into a large boulder that his headlights didn't see until it was too late. The car exploded as Kohga flew up into the air. He landed perfectly on the intact seat, which was now only situated on a pole linked to a gas pedal, engine, and one of the tires like a unicycle. "Hmph! Yiga: RETREEEAAAT!" He stomped the gas as his unicycle zoomed off erratically.

"FULL GLORY TO MASTER KOHGA!" The Yiga followed suit on their own unicycles.

"…When you told us the Yiga Clan were devout Ganonists," Don said, "I expected them to be scarier."

"Master Kohga is an exceptional and strong Sheikah." Ray spoke seriously. "His techniques are unpredictable."

"You took him seriously?!" Don and Gilda exclaimed.

"That's mission accomplished!" Tulin brushed his wings in satisfaction. "Let's tear this Yiga stuff down and head back to the fresh air!"

"Yeah! It was fun working with you guys!" Emma smiled.

"You, too! Feel like grabbing lunch together? This restaurant at Rito Village makes a mean Salmon Meunière!"

"Mmmmm!" Yunan rubbed his belly at the thought of it.

"No, not more seafood!" Offrak whined. "Let's get us some rock roast!"

"I'll fix your clothes when we get back, too!" Mattison offered.

"Hey, Ayshe." The Zonai turned to Josha. "Wanna come with me on more Depth specxiditions? I mean, Depths expeditions?"

"Hmhm!" Ayshe found the stammering a bit sweet.

"If there're more ruins like these down here, I'm sure you'd like to see them, too, right?"

"Yeah, I would… especially if the Yiga plan to harvest from them."

"By the way, did you see that writing under the round roof?" Josha pointed.

"?" Ayshe jogged under the roof curiously and read the inscription that looped along the rim. "'In honor of Faputa.'"

"What's… Faputa?"

"I…I don't know."

From the mist of the ceiling, a dark winged eye watched the entire event.

Elsewhere in the Depths

Breathing heavily, the shriveled man's eyes were receded deep into his sockets. He sat meditatively on the pedestal as tendrils coursed energy into him. "The Triforce… has found a new master… Hyrule's next era is upon us. These children… cannot be left with such toys."

A pair of hunched, long-nose witches with white and black robes and dark-yellow skin limped into the chamber. "My Lord… the Green Child returns to us. Ho ho ho." said the witch with the red gem.

"She claims to have made allies for us. Ha ha ha." followed the witch with the white gem.

"Then let her speak…"

A woman with green hair floated into the chamber, her smile like that of a haunting spirit. Black arms and legs of energy grew from her stubbed limbs. "I'm sorry it's been so long… My Lord…"