Operation: MONARCH, Part 3: Thank You, Queen Mandy!

"JA—REEEEEEED!"

Precioooouuuuus!

Hyrule Field

Panini and Sector JP climbed down the mountain and began to follow a dirt road across the field. Karin had been talking on a cellphone before she hung up. "Okay, I just spoke to Yachiru on my Soul Phone. She says the Spirit KND already caught on to what's happening and they're trying to fight the demons and dark spirits. She also said she'd have no problem warping me to Earth via the Spirit World if need be, but she won't take the rest of you because of regulations."

"Ay hope Francis can manage without me for a while." Panini said. "If the Four Emperors are purposely targeting sectors, I'm sure the same will happen to others."

"Wait, who is the 4th Yonko again?" Jinta asked.

"Supposedly, it's Skaios, from the Sky God Pirates. According to Sector SA, that Mustache Girl and Wendy's dad, Vaati work for them. I don't think we know much about them though." Panini had been fiddling with her wristwatch. "Okay, I think I pinned the location of Cheren's communicator. It's on an island out at sea."

"ROOOOOAAAARRR…!" A massive shadow was cast over the land, the kids shaking under the dragon's screech. Smaug appeared to be returning to Death Mountain.

"What a terrifying dragon. . ." Ururu stuttered. "Mandy's going to be unstoppable with him."

"You guys know something?" Karin asked. "If Mandy's trying to cut off the KND from the rest of the universe, maybe we should try to gather intel, and I could share it after I leave the planet."

"You think so?" Jinta asked.

"Yeah. In fact, maybe I could take Panini to find Cheren while the rest of you go learn about that dragon. Based on what Mandy said, the Gorons should have info on him."

"Actually, Karin-nee," Yuzu said worriedly, "since we're here, I would like to go visit Koko's village."

"Oh, you mean the Sheikah girl, right?" Kodama asked. "The one you met on Field Day?"

"Yeah, the one who admired my cooking." Yuzu blushed. "I can't help but feel worried for her."

"Alright," Karin decided, "I guess you and Kodama can go find Koko's village. Jinta and Ururu, you find the Gorons."

"You sure you wanna split up like this?" Panini asked. "In this situation, you're just begging them to get captured."

"Will you relax? My team is strong, especially in these pairs. Plus, most of our enemies are demons. If you get in too much trouble, just call me, and I'll radio Yachiru to send backup to your location."

"We got ya!" Jinta gave a thumbs-up. "Sector JP, divide and conquer!" The three pairs went their separate directions.

Hyrule Castle

Impoz led Queen Mandy down a secret stairwell hidden within a wall in the underground port. The torchlit stairwell ended at a library. "These documents have gone untouched for 4,000 years, ever since our ancestors brought them from Planet Earth. At least… that's what we tell people, but we read up on them every once in a while. We have plenty of blueprints for ancient and powerful weapons, maps with locations of special treasures… and many other things that should be of use to a powerful queen such as yourself."

"You must know the underworld of this country very well. I find it odd that demons have been such a nuisance here for 4,000 years." Mandy replied.

"I believe it was before Hyrule was first founded. The Sheikah learned how to attract and repel demons, and we became a great service to the royal family. So great, in fact, that we could not allow it to end. So, our ancestors have been secretly luring and trading with the demons for ages, so the royals would always depend on us."

"And the royal family knew this?"

"Well… we may have kept some secrets to ourselves. But you are different, Your Highness. The demons have become your allies, too."

Mandy approached a desk and picked up a mechanical sword, the blade of which activated with blue energy like a lightsaber. "Over the years, we began to market Sheikah Tech items and weapons to other regions. Of course, theirs is in a much weaker class than what the royal family can possess." Impoz explained.

"You know, the material of this tech seems awfully familiar. Its design is similar to that of the Sky God Pirates' flagship."

"That ship is… Santa Hylia." Impoz bowed his head in slight shame. "Our ancestors built it to carry all of the Hyruleans to this planet, and we hid it underground. Yet, by some divine prank, it came rising out of the ground and vanished in the heavens. It happened back in May."

"And within that time, Skaios began to gain infamy. Because of your poor security, one of my enemies has taken something that should belong to me. You've already failed me, Impoz."

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I-"

In that instant, Impoz found himself in the middle of a vast desert. The castle was miles in the distance. "W-What? How did I get out here?!" As if some divine force compelled him, he made the great dash across the desert. "NO! YOUR MAJESTY! PLEASE! I can still serve you! DON'T LEAVE ME OUT HERE! LET ME RETURN TO THE CASTLE! PLEEEEASE!"

"Sorry, but I'm renouncing your duties." Mandy replied coldly, leaving him writhing on the floor. "FIRE TROOPS! Get down here and start making me weapons!"

"YAAAAAY!" The former Fire Nation soldiers raced downstairs, eager to get back in the game.

"Oi, we'll be able to attract loads of demons with all these secrets." Creeper said, having come down with the soldiers as he began reading a book. "So, can I be the new Head Attendant?"

"What else are you good for? As for me, I'm going on a little tour of the kingdom. Think I'll visit the Rito first, since they run the newspaper business. Mark my words, this whole planet will fear me within the week!"

Dueling Peaks; a few hours later

Three Tallblins (tall Moblins) charged at Yuzu and Kodama, spears in hand. The girls ran a safe distance away as Kodama launched iceworks to freeze the first Tallblin, then blasted it with a firework. Yuzu pressed a button on her wristband, projecting an energy arrow as she pulled back a string and launched it at the head of the second Tallblin. Yuzu let loose faster, weaker arrows, combined with more of Kodama's fireworks, until the third Tallblin was felled.

"I knew you would get us lost, Yuzu." Kodama said.

"Koko said her village was beyond the Dueling Peaks, how was I supposed to know there was a whole 'nother village? Especially since I can't read any of these Hylian signs."

The girls traveled back down the mountain path leading from Hateno Village. As they were bypassing Fort Hateno, Kodama gasped. "Yuzu, hide!" They hid behind a rusted Guardian Stalker, watching as a band of Bulblins rode Bullbos into the mountains. They pulled carriages of large tarps, and Yuzu was quick to notice the Sheikah girl on the front carriage.

"Kodama, that's Koko!"

"Koko?! Oh no, I wonder what they're doing with her?"

The girls followed the demons in secret, until they eventually arrived at Kakariko Village, a once-peaceful place with Japanese-style houses. The Sheikah gathered in the center, murmuring to one-another in terror. "This child invaded Hyrule Castle and tried to assassinate Queen Mandy. By order of the queen, her hometown of Kakariko shall be held responsible!" a Bulblin announced.

Yuzu and Kodama climbed a cliff and were able to watch the scene. The demons threw off the tarps, revealing piles of various scrumptious foods. "This food was prepared with the most horrendous body parts severed from us demons! You will consume every last piece, or we will summon Smaug to reduce this village to ashes!"

"Koko, what's the meaning of this?!" Mellie asked.

"I'm sorry, everyone! Look, just eat the food, it'll be fine!" Koko pled.

"I will not be poisoned by this demonic filth!" Ollie declared. "I would rather fight until the bitter end!"

"To think they forced this sweet child to prepare this filth." Nanna said.

"No!" a younger girl cried. "Big Sis doesn't make poison! Koko's food is always yummy!"

"That girl must be Cottla." Yuzu assumed.

"We can't let them eat that!" Kodama stated, preparing a firework. "I'll blow that poisoned gunk sky high!"

"Don't! Trust me…"

"I'll prove it right now!" Cottla vowed, running up and grabbing a Monster Rice Ball off the pile (it resembled a normal rice ball, but was purple).

"NO, COTTLA!" pled Steen, but the child had quickly swallowed the whole pastry.

"UUAAAAAHH!" The taste threw Cottla into a state of euphoria. "It's sooooo goooood! Everyone, grab a bite!! Koko's cooking is the best!"

The demons could only look in confusion as the Sheikah gathered to take food off the carts. "OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!" Their echoes of awe could be heard across the Dueling Peaks.

"So, this is what royals eat!" Claree beamed.

"The powers of Darkness have captivated me!" Rola said with tears.

"Oh, you're so talented, young Koko!" Steen said.

"Don't thank me!" Koko proclaimed proudly. "It was under Lord Mandy's orders that I feed you all! 'Twas her gift for the Sheikah!"

"Is this really what Lord Mandy ordered?" a Bulblin asked.

"Of course it is! If you don't believe me, you can ask her yourself." Like I would ever poison my own village, you dumb hag.

"I'm so proud of you, Koko." Yuzu smiled.

"'kay, but let's wait to tell her that." Kodama replied. "If those demons are on official business, we'll give ourselves away if we attack them."

"What about the ones we were just fighting?"

"Those were just field troops, any passerby would fight them. We should try to stay out of trouble as much as we can…"

Great Sea

"So, Cindy, how are you enjoying our new planet so far?" Mandy asked as they sailed the vast sea on the Boogey Coast.

"Well, it's better than the old one." her daughter replied nonchalantly, lazily watching the waves through the railing. "Hey, if you're the queen, does that make Dad the king?"

"We do not say a word about this to your father. As far as he knows, we're still on that vacation in Timbuktu."

"I sympathize with you entirely, Mother."

Endsville; Billy's House

Billy Cortix checked his mailbox and found a postcard. It depicted two (live-action) tourists in front of the ancient city, with Mandy and Cindy's faces pasted on them. "I'm so glad my girls are having such a fun time at Timmy's Buck Tooth." he said with a teary smile.

Great Sea

Mandy then heard the eerie "Caaaaaaw" of a Kargarok, seeing the messenger bird gliding toward the vessel with an envelop in its talons. The queen held a hand up to catch the letter, the bird perching on the rail. She opened it. "It's from my spy in the Sky God Pirates." Mandy could tell by the cute, kiddish handwriting.

Dear Lord Mandy,

It seems that Mustache Girl failed the World Rings mission, so that's always nice! My crew and I are going to attack a cruise liner on Mushroom World; supposedly, the Mobian Chancellor is on it, and Mustache failed to capture her, too. She's super useless, ufufu! I also snuck a look at a report sent by the spy in the Big Mom Pirates; it sounds like Big Mom is planning to take control of the Great Clock. That's gonna make going to New Galaxia very hard, especially for Commander Serket. It also sounds like some people wanna overthrow Skaios. Perhaps I should help them, ufufu! Until then.

-Li'l Despair

"Captain, we're nearing Dragon Roost Island." the Helmsblin said. The island in question was a towering range of needle-like mountains, with the tallest mountain serving as the nest of a dragon. "We'll be docking soon."

"I'll catch up with you then." Mandy lifted her daughter and morphed into a Fear Sphere, soaring up the mountain.

"Sigh… no one ever wants to dock anymore." The Helmsblin sighed.

"SHE'S COMING!" cried one of the Rito watchmen. "Get the children and elders inside!"

"Don't even think about it!" Mandy shouted, trapping the watchman in a fear trance as she and her daughter reformed.

The Rito village consisted of wooden birdhouses built on the mountainside. With fear in their hearts, the avian citizens gazed up at Queen Mandy, who looked down upon them from the highest foothold. "As Queen of Hyrule, I have made it my mission to personally greet each and every major nation. Seeing as your kind manages this world's media, I'm employing my Wizzrobes to oversee your business. This also involves your affiliation with Intergalactic News: they're one of the few businesses I'll allow trade with, but I get to decide which stories they hear about. I'm also imposing new taxes: 1,000 Rupees from every adult, and 500 from every child. Failure to follow these rules will result in your wings being clipped."

"Caaaaawww…"

"Huh?" Mandy cocked a brow at the familiar sound. "Another Kargarok?"

This Kargarok was carrying a package by a rope. The Rito watched curiously as the queen took the package and cut it open. Mandy was stunned by the sight of the steaming purple pie. "This package is from Kakariko… I see. Koko must have just finished serving them, and they sent me one last poisonous pie out of spite. Well, I shouldn't let this go to waste." The queen raised her sword and cut the piece into even pieces. "ALL RITOS, send your children up here to eat this Devil's Pie! That's an order!"

"We get pie?!" a pink Rito named Notts asked happily.

"Don't, Notts!" Laissa restrained her. "It's a trick!"

"Do you see this?!" Mandy grabbed a small horn with a scary dragon head. "This Dragon Call is specially designed to summon Smaug to my location! The Sheikah are trying to poison me with this garbage, so now you'll be punished in their stead! OBEY ME OR PERISH IN FIRE!"

"We're not afraid of Smaug!" a white-feathered man named Teba vowed. "The Great Valoo will protect us! Right?!"

All Rito faced the highest mountain. The pudgy red dragon sat barely moving from his perch. "Arroooooooo…" Valoo yawned.

"Oh… Valoo…" The Rito bowed their heads in disappointment.

"NOW!!" Mandy unleashed a Fear Scream, and out of panic, all the children in the village flew skyward.

"Guys, wait!" cried a 6-year-old Rito dodo girl named Dosey. "I can't fly! Someone lift me up!"

The children reluctantly gathered around the queen, who spitefully dropped the pie pieces on the ground. "Eat, now! And if you throw up on my dress, I'll call Smaug to behead your precious dragon!"

With hesitation, the Rito children took their first bites into the pie. "CREEEEEEEEEE!" They could not mask their screams of joy.

"And don't expect me to pay for your medicine-"

"DELICIOOOUUUUUUSSS!" The fledglings were so joyous that their bodies became light as feathers.

"W…What?!" Mandy choked.

"Can I give this pie to my mommy?! Pleeeaaaase?" pled Cree.

"It's better than Salmon Meunière! …Almost." Genli said.

"Thank you, Queen Mandy!" they chirped in unison.

"D…Delicious?" Mandy glanced down into the box, seeing one last piece of pie. She hesitantly picked it up—unknowingly, she picked up a small note with it, and it blew into the village. Mandy carefully took a bite of the pie. !!!!!!!

With tears streaming, Mandy sprouted angelic wings and was aloft into the heavens. This pie… This recipe… It's of a tier that could only be found among the Big Mom Pirates. I can taste the demonic essence… and yet, the horrifying flavor is nonexistent. It was mixed in a manner that filtered out the material that would poison mortals, thus creating a sensational dessert!

The note from the package was caught by a village guard, who read it aloud. "'Dear Queen Mandy, we graciously thank you for the amazing feast, and for returning Koko to us. Our bellies are full, so we wish to share with you the final remaining dessert, in the hopes it will bring you joy. Sincerely, the Sheikah of Kakariko.'"

"My, my, what an unexpected act of kindness." an elderly goose woman replied with a smile. "Perhaps this entire 'Nightmare Queen' shtick was just an act."

"Will we get more food if we pay taxes?" Genli asked. "Also, what're taxes?"

"Wait, I want pie, too!" Dosey finally climbed up the cliff and trotted up to Mandy. "Queen Mandy, can I have pie? Please?"

The queen was still entranced by the heavenly taste, but her vision returned in the form of a pleading dodo. "…An act… A shtick?" These words plagued her mind.

The Rito gasped horrifically when Mandy snatched Dosey by the wing. "YOU CALL THIS AN ACT?!"

"WAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The flightless Rito was thrown miles off the island and across the sea.

"NO!! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO MY DAUGHTER?!" the mother dodo cried.

"Ah told ya they shoulda stayed on the ground level." A Rito crow woman said to her friend.

"Say, mah Murdo girl friend, what you think they DO down there at sea level?"

"Beats me, maybe they do MCDONALDS."

"Hah! MCDONALDS! What a silly Land Rito thing to do, that Ah do not take part in at all! Heheh…"

"Now do you understand?!" Mandy announced. "Any person that even THINKS of insulting me will face similar-"

"WHEEEEE!" Then, she looked up agape when Dosey soared over the village.

"SHE'S FLYING?!" the crow ladies screamed.

"Dosey!" Her mother gazed at her child with pride. "She found her airbending!"

"Kuuooooooeeeeehh…" Mandy was so stunned, she forgot to breathe.

"Dosey could never summon her bending because of her fear of heights. Queen Mandy must have sensed that fear and helped Dosey conquer it!"

"Now I can finally go fly with all my friends!" Dosey circled the air above Mandy before taking land with the other kids. "Thank you, Queen Mandy!"

"We love Mandy! We love Mandy! We love Mandy!" The fledglings formed a ring and danced around the aghast queen. She couldn't even decide on her next move.

"Pffffufufufufu…" Cindy could not restrain her smile, saliva squirting through her teeth. "Mom's not scary." And she joined the circle of dancing Rito. "Mom isn't scaaaaary, Mom isn't scaaaaary!"

Kakariko Village

"I thought something smelled funny with that food." a Bokoblin said as the demons returned down the mountain road. "But how did Lord Mandy know that brat could filter out the harmful ingredients?"

"We'll tell her about this after she returns." a Tallblin replied.

Koko merely glared in their direction until the demons were out of sight. "Koko!" A voice averted her attention, seeing two girls running toward her.

Koko beamed at seeing her: "CHEF YUZU!" She excitedly ran up to her idol and bowed. "I'm so glad you're here!! You just missed the feast, I wish you could've had a bite!"

"It's OK, we saw the whole thing! I'm so proud of you, Koko; the way you mixed the ingredients was splendid!"

"But, how can you tell that?"

"Observation Haki." Yuzu tapped the side of her head. "I use it to analyze just how recipes are put together and with what ingredients. I knew there was nothing poisonous in that pile just from looking! But the question is, how did this happen to begin with?"

"Mmm," Koko murmured guiltily, "Mandy's minions hurt Koko's dad and she just wanted revenge. Koko doesn't know what she was thinking."

"Koko, Mandy is a Yonko, she's one of the KND's most dangerous criminals."

"Yeah, but is she really?" Kodama asked. "I mean, she did a few bad things, but I always heard she tends to help us. Koko, you have any idea what she's doing here?"

"She showed up out of nowhere and claimed the royal throne. Apparently, she proved she was Zelda's descendant."

"And now you're supposed to accept her as your ruler?! Heck, Cheren could've claimed the throne in that regard!"

"Hmmm…" Yuzu stroked her chin, forming a plan in her mind. "Koko, you think there's a chance those demons will come back for you? If Mandy hears how delicious your food was, what if she forces you to become her chef? At least, that's the most merciful thing that could happen, considering you ruined her plan to poison the village."

"N-N-Now Koko is more scared!" the girl shuddered.

"Koko, calm down! What I was gonna ask was, if that happens… do you think you could spy on them for us?"

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Kodama beamed. "We have a few M.I.K.E.s in our Infi-Cube." She reached in and retrieved a small device.

Kids Next Door: M.I.K.E.

Micro Intel Keeping Expedient

"If you could plant them around the castle and on yourself, we could receive the info on our communicators."

"Koko's a little worried, but…" Koko took and examined the M.I.KE., "if Chef Yuzu needs me, I can't let her down!"

"In the meantime, we were thinking of exploring the country." Yuzu replied. "We have a way of reporting intel to our KND."

"My Sector Leader has a Zero Cycle! Koko will ask him to lend it to you. But it's getting kinda late, and Hyrule's pretty dangerous at night. Do you wanna spend the night at Koko's?"

"That would be great! My feet are killing me. I wasn't expecting such a lengthy mission."

"And I feel like it's about to get a lot more lengthy…" Kodama sighed.

Hyrule Castle

Tidbits about the Boogey Divisions: Each division in the crew represents a major fear common in all mortals. The Nightmare Division, run by Mandy herself, represents Fear itself. The Flame Division, consisting of firebenders, represent Destruction. The Phantom Division, consisting of ghosts, represent Death. The Shadow Division, consisting of spies and assassins, represent Predators spying on you from the darkness. The Undead Animals represent Loss of loved ones. And the Anti-Fairies, spirits of Misfortune, represent such.

Azula, Cortez, and Rā's al Ghūl gathered at a table with a globe of Planet Hyrule. "Sigh, it feels so nice to be ruler of a nation again." Azula said, blissfully spinning the globe. "But let's cut to the chase. We need to decide which territories we'll be ruling over."

"We don't have nearly enough soldiers to establish complete control over this world." Rā's replied. "And many of our demons are still managing territories on other worlds. In any case… I'll set my sights on Gerudo Desert. Not only do the Gerudo seem like capable soldiers, I hear the Yiga Clan lurks in the nearby canyons. Fans of demons as they are, they'll certainly join our ranks."

"True, but isn't there something else you're looking for?"

"Indeed." Rā's smirked. "I know there's at least one Lazarus Pit on every planet, and I intend to find Hyrule's. I'm sure the knowledge in the Secret Cellar can tell me where. It will be the 3rd Lazarus Pit I bathe in, and once I do, I will be even stronger. But first, I'll need to find a mage to sacrifice for the pit."

"As for me," Azula followed, "I'll do a bit of landscaping. Preferably the forests, as I burn them to the ground to make room for our factories! I'll avoid the Kokiri Forest for now. I also wouldn't mind setting up a circus and finding performers to partake in life-or-death stunts. Just like the good old days."

"Ay'll take to the seas." Cortez decided, stabbing a sword into the ocean on the globe. "I 'ave me eye set on the Phantom Sea, amigos. Beasts aplenty inhabit these depths, and the weather be nigh unpredictable. Ay've already sent General Bellum to scour the waters."

"Don't just stab your sword into that!" Azula shouted.

"Oi, it be a bloomin' Zanpakutō!" Cortez withdrew the cutlass, revealing nary a scratch on the map. "A spirit sword, you moza! It won't cut unless I tell it."

"Ahahahahahahaha!" The three were approached by a skinny, psychotic woman. She had orange hair that shaped like horns, similar to Mandy, a green jumpsuit with black scratch marks, along with yellow gloves and boots. Her tongue dangled through her sharp teeth. "Blag blag blag, seeing you guys talk is sooooo boring! When am I gonna get to do some baby-shredding, uhn?!" Metal claws grew from her fingers.

This lovely woman's name is Vicky the Baby-Shredder. Once a Teen Ninja under The Steve, Vicky was an infamous babysitter who physically tortured her clients' children. In her adult years, she had never abandoned this hobby and was declared "mentally insane." She was rescued from prison by Mandy's crew and became a Torture Warden. She had eaten the Blade-Blade Fruit, lent to the Teens by Darth Genious, and can turn any part of her body into a blade.

"We've already captured some operatives and locked them in the castle playroom." Azula replied. "I know Mandy ordered you to 'rehabilitate' the world's operatives, so why aren't you doing your job?"

"WELL, SHOOOOOOOOT, I can't find my way through this big damn castle! So many halls and stairs and secret paths—and I'm about to make another one! Catch ya later, jackasses!" She made a chainsaw out of her hand and cut a hole in the floor, dropping in. "WAHOOOOOO—OW, I hit my pelvis against the chainsaw! Didn't hurt, though…"

"Sigh, that girl." Azula said. "At any rate… starting tomorrow, we'll begin our 'excavations.'"

"Speak for yerself, lassie." Cortez claimed. "Ay can storm the seas for a hundred nights straight, and Ay'll get started as soon as I quench me thirst with ghostly cocoa. …Not that I have buds to taste with. Yohohohohohohohoho!"

Unbeknownst to the commanders, Kimaya and Django were eavesdropping. "It's just as I figured." Django said. "That bastard's more high on Lazarus than Carter was. But we won't let him get his hands on this one."

"You ain't gotta worry 'bout nothin', home bud." Kimaya replied confidently. "Rotting Corpse poisonbending will make destroying that stank pit a synch. But not before Ah kill the old fart first."

Boogey Coast

Mandy had collapsed on her bed, head throbbing after the humiliating events that just transpired. "This can't be… It's impossible. I'm Lord Mandy, the Queen of Fear! People have been scared of me since kindergarten! How…How could this have possibly happened?!"

"What's wrong, Lord Mandy?" The queen gasped, suddenly enveloped in a colorful dimension. A giant scarecrow-like face rotated around her, singing loudly with its big mouth. "Are we having trouble with our look?" Mandy tried to cut him down to no avail. "How quite absurd for an Emperor. You TRIED to be FEARED… but I'm afraid you just aren't scary, dear! MANDY!" She was thrown into the air by hundreds of applauding Hyruleans. "Hail our kind Queen MANDY!" And up she went again. "Big thanks to great Queen MANDY!" She could hear the cheers of children. "We love you, sweet Queen MANDYYYYY!"

"AAAGH!" Mandy destroyed the illusion with a burst of chi, panting. "It was…It was Horror's Hand. I'm still being plagued by the nightmares Affright gave me. I need to conquer this fear once and for all! Or else this world will never fear me… and I'll become the laughingstock all over again."