-Northwest of Kanyou, Zelda-

Zelda's horse descended from the trees toward the plains. The path had been windy and they had gone at a reckless pace for two days, but they had made it. They could have made it in half the time if they had ridden through the plains, but Ganon and she agreed to take roundabout paths through the mountains around the western edge of Qin till they approached from the north.

The mountains surrounded Qin on the west side and one mountain range pierced down its middle. This split Qin in half, making the Genyuu Pass an essential defense; but Kanyou had long been the former fortress of Qin that protected it from its easterly neighbors. King Shorlin turned the massive fortress into his capital when it was no longer necessary to use it as a defense against the east. The capital was nestled into a group of mountains near the pass. Not touching the mountains, but close enough.

She pulled the horse to a halt as the capital came into view. It was close enough she could near the ruckus of the towns within.

"So this is Kanyou." Ganondorf Dragmire descended from the tree line. His horse stopped by her side. His wolf kept an equal pace easily. As they stopped, the wolf sat and panted to catch its breath. Elder slowed to a halt.

"It is. What do you think?"

"It is much larger than I expected," Ganon replied. "I always figured the plains people were more frivolous with its space, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. You could make so much farmland with these plains, and your children must be able to run freely without coming to obstacles."

She said, "Not quite. With the army so focused on our borders, bandits are rampant. Also, past wars have salted the earth... leaving much of it unable to grow crops. There is only so much that can be farmed. Most of it is a wasteland. So you can understand another reason why I am hesitant to give up valuable land. I would not want to damage relations by giving you useless wasteland, but to give up farmland would damage the country dearly."

Ganon sighed. "Didn't we already agree to discuss it later?"

"Yes, but-"

"So stick to it, High Princess! Focus on what is before you. Focus on the present! We have a palace to take."

Zelda nodded. "You are right..."

"Of course, I am." Ganondorf turned towards the trees and yelled out loudly a command in Majoran. Immediately the earth started to rumble. Ganondorf turned his horse forward and kicked it into motion. His wolf followed, and Zelda did the same to get her horse into motion, for not a moment later a tide of Majoran horsemen, massive wolves, and tree-centaur burst from the trees into the open. Link's horse joined into the stampede on its own, to his relief, and Zelda saw Matsubi and her Qin followers were keeping up as well.

Zelda spurred her horse on to catch h up with Ganon. His horse was as fast as the wind, and with his bright red hair in the wind, he looked like he was trailing fire. It almost sparkled in the sunlight.

"High Princess, where is this door of yours!" Ganon yelled.

"It will be just ahead! Look for a lonely bent tree!" She yelled back.

Knowing what to look for, Zelda saw it first and lead him towards it. She stopped by the tree. The tree itself was exceedingly old, struggling to survive in the wasteland. The well had dried up long ago and was sealed shut with a lid. The army stopped around her. Zelda dropped from her horse and tried to pry the seal open, but it would not give.

"Allow me. Time is running out. They can see us from their walls." Ganon stepped forward while flexing his arms.

Zelda took a step back. Ganon brought a fist down onto the wooden and iron planks with a yell, and they shattered to pieces. The Majoran cheered. Zelda was impressed. Shattering wood with a fist was impressive, but was doable by men of strength. To shatter wood reinforced with iron? She knew of only two men that could do it. Now she could make the list three members long.

Not wasting a moment, Zelda climbed onto the edge of the well and motioned to Matsubi. The man had the privilege of holding the rope. He tied it to the tree and threw it in. Before anyone noticed she was already half-way down.

Ganon raised an eyebrow and looked at Elder. Not many girls her age would volunteer themselves to jump down a well first. Elder shrugged.

"It is clear! The path is still here!" Zelda called up.

Ganon motioned for the others to follow down. "One hundred go down. Only Qin, Majoran, and Fae. No wolves can go down a well. The rest circle around the capital and keep their attention. Do not engage!"

The army followed the orders. Elder and the Fae left their bodies behind and flew down into the hole. The Qin followed. Finally, Ganon climbed down with a large number of Majora warriors. When the last Majoran's feet landed, Elder flew into the rock crevice and the well-sealed itself with solid stone.

The Fae's presence illuminated the passage.

The bottom of the well itself was small, but after a short distance opened to a cavern that extended into a narrow path. It was uncomfortable squeezing together before Ganon managed to push his way to the front. Thankfully the Fae took up practically no space. Now if only Ganon could say the same. His head repeatedly hit the ceiling. He growled in annoyance.

"Here is the path. It should lead us to the temple." Zelda said from further in. Ganon squeezed his way to her and looked into the crevice she referred to. It was dark and long.

"Oh, the blasphemy we are about to commit..." Elder whined.

"Yes, yes. No one put on the mask until we leave the temple. We are here to fight but I would rather not anger Din in the process by causing a fight in a temple." Ganon looked back at everyone. He received mostly groans and complaints of it being cramped. "I'll lead the way."

"It is a straight path. Follow it to the end and we will be there." Zelda said.

-Genyuu Pass, General Ouki-

Ouki inserted a finger into his ear, twisted around, and found he had a buildup of wax. He blew it off. On one side of Genyuu Pass was the army Chancellor Ryo rallied to invade the capital. On the other side was the army Chancellor Ketsu rallied to defend the capital. In the middle was the massive gated wall of Genyuu and atop the wall was the army General Ouki possessed. It was a small fraction of his army, but they were his elite. He could easily handle either side if they attacked him.

And they knew it.

"There. Now maybe I can hear you properly." Ouki said.

Ryo growled. "I said to let my army pass! Open the gate!"

"Yeah... see, that's what I thought you said. But I knew it couldn't be so. The gate never opens for an invading army." Ouki replied.

"The prince has committed kingslayer! The seven kingdoms have dubbed him a kingslayer and demand justice!"

"Is this true, Ketsu?" Ouki turned to Ketsu.

The large man gulped and shook his head. "Most certainly not, wise general! It is true the princess has perished in a tragedy, but it was not the princes doing! What's more, how can we say this is a kingslayer business? How can we know Zelda truly has inherited the bloodline of the king? She appeared from nowhere. For all we know her birthright could have been faked and she is but the child of a woman from a lower standing?"

"Hmmm... He has a point. We only have the word of the priests... and you." Ouki looked to Ryo.

"You cannot be serious! I demand you open the gate!"

"Demand?' Ouki lowered his tone dangerously low.

Ryo realized his mistake and after forcing himself to calm, said, "General. You have served Qin all your years and can be given credit for our national stability."

Ouki smiled proudly, "Go on."

"Surely you see how having a spoiled brat on the throne will lead to instability, yes?"

"I do, but the thing is that I don't give the slightest DAMN who is on the throne," Ouki replied. "But continue. I like how you praise me."

Ryo felt a vein pulse in his forehead. The man was purposefully getting on his nerves. Ryo right now would give up half of everything he possessed if only he could find one weakness in Ouki. The man was unaffected by economic or political climates, and he had not lost a single campaign of the war. Others may have Ouki's intelligence, instinct, insight, charisma, and strength for war, but no one possessed them all at once as he did. Ouki could not be bought. He could not be persuaded. He could not be shifted or changed. He could not be defeated. Ryo half wondered if he should resort to assassination, but Ouki had already handled hundreds of assassins in his time sent from all the nations. Not only because Ouki was as strong as a mountain and tough as steel, but he also possessed air-tight security and fanatically loyal troops.

Ouki was completely immune to anything Ryo could do. And he knew it.

"You stand to lose everything you have worked for," Ryo concluded.

"Oooohhh." Ouki breathed. "I felt that one!" Ouki turned to Ketsu. "He's got you on the ropes now! You better up your bet! Come on, you got something to beat that?"

"Is this a game to you!?" Ketsu yelled.

"Yes!" Ouki replied with a bright smile. "Problem with that?"

"Open the damn gate!" Ryo barked.

"You shouldn't be cursing, Chancellor. It's impolite."

"AAAAAARGH!" Ryo yelled.

Ketsu said, "The fate of the country is on the line and you treat it like a child's game!"

"Are you comparing me to a child?" Ouki wondered. Ouki looked to his first-in-command. "Is he comparing me to a child?"

"He is, sir." The Englishman bowed.

Ouki clicked his tongue. "I knew it."

"Open. The. Gate." Ryo hissed.

Ouki sighed, "Fine, open the gate."

"Yes, sir!" His soldiers saluted and set to work.

"What?!" Ketsu exclaimed in surprise. "No! Don't open the gate!"

"Alright! Close the gate!" Ouki confirmed.

"Yes, sir!" His soldiers saluted and relayed his counter-message.

"What is wrong with you!?" Ryo barked.

"Are you trying to destroy the kingdom!?" Ketsu also yelled.

"See, now. This is a problem. You hired me to attend the gate." He motions to Ryo. "And you also hired me to attend the gate." He motions to Ketsu. "So I technically work for both of you. Which is all grand and good, I don't mind. I'm a flexible man. I have a big heart; I can share my bed with many lovers."

Ryo felt his eye twitch. Ironically his eye twitch was matched by Ketsu.

Ouki continued, "But it seems some political what's-it has happened... and you know this is why I despise politics. It's all so messy! You want me to open the gate! And you want me to NOT open the gate! Does nobody think about what I want?!"

"I do, sir." The Englishman piped in.

"Good, man! Someone cares!"

Ryo and Ketsu immediately started yelling, but with both of them speaking at the same time in the same pitch, Ouki couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying. He waved his arms around to stop them. "Chancellors! Chancellors! We are men of honor, are we not? We all seek the future prosperity of Qin-"

"You just want to screw around..." Ryo muttered.

"-so let's find a nice healthy compromise, yes?" Ouki smiled warmly. "So. Here is my thought... follow me on this. We will share!"

"What?" Ryo and Ketsu said simultaneously.

"Yes! See! Sharing is what adults do! I know this is hard to follow, but keep up with me on this. I work for both of you, and you both want two things from me. I am feeling a bit stretched by these conflicting orders... so here is what I will do to seek a proper resolution to this conflict of mine. I will open the gate for five minutes. Then close it for five minutes. This will cycle until you two are happy. Yes?"

"NO!" Ryo and Ketsu both yelled.

"Great! NOW GET THE REALMS OFF MY GATE!" Ouki all but kicked them both off.

-Sometime later-

Ouki sighed in sheer bliss and relaxation. There was nothing quite lying back in a reclined, cushioned bench, tea in hands, shirt off basking in the warm sun, fluffy clouds in the sky, and arrows flying overhead. It was only made sweeter by the knowledge that the two most powerful men in the country wanted him equally dead right now. Yet they would do nothing to touch him.

"Close the gate!" Ouki's captain yelled. This order was repeated by the men in charge of the lever, and the gate was closed on Ryo's men trying to get through the passage. It was slow going, as the passage was the only way allotted to them, and neither side was willing to fight Ouki for control of the gate. They could try, but they knew they would fail.

Ouki took a sip of tea. His English friend sat by him also sipping tea and watching the clouds with him.

"Beautiful day," Ouki remarked.

"Quite." The Englishman replied. "Do the arrows block your view, sir?"

"Not at all. Thank you for asking."

The Englishman took the pitcher of tea and refilled both of their cups. The yells of men in battle got particularly loud for a moment as the gate finally closed. The giant wall shuddered as the locks clicked into place. Undoubtedly some men got trapped on the wrong side of the closed door and were dying now.

"The neighbors are a bit loud, though," Ouki complained. "We should complain to the authorities."

"I shall look for some scrolls for you, sir." The Englishman stood and left. Soon after he returned with a pair of scrolls and some ink and a quill. Ouki smiled jovially and set to work writing his complaint.

"You know, I think I have invented a new sport."

"Oh?" The Englishman wondered.

"Arrow volley. You have a wall, and two sides shoot arrows over."

"Very good, sir. I shall have it written up immediately."

"Not yet, it is merely a seed of an idea. Let us allow it to blossom for others can see its beauty."

"Most wise, sir." The Englishman nodded.

One arrow fell low and pierced the pitcher holding their tea. Ouki stopped writing long enough to look at it critically. He whined. "It was such a good batch too. You make excellent tea."

"I shall make us some more, with a new pitcher, sir." The Englishman nodded and walked away.

Ouki chuckled. He continued to write. His chuckle reached the point of full laughter as he finished. "Perfect!" He chucked the scrolls over the wall.

-Genyuu Pass, Chancellor Ryo-

"What I would give to put that man's head on a pike!" Ryo hissed as he paced in his tent. His closest attendants watched him critically.

"Relax yourself. He is merely trying to crawl under your skin." One said.

"Well, he succeeded!" Ryo yelled. "I have never met a more insolent, proud, foolish, and invulnerable man in my life! He takes nothing seriously! Everything is a joke! The world is his playing ground! He never grew out of being five!"

They collectively sighed. Ryo would be angry for some time in a rant it seemed. A man knocked on the tent and was allowed in. He presented a scroll to the old man, Abhdan, since Ryo seemed to be in too much of a hissy to notice. The old man pinched his lips together to keep from laughing as he read the scroll, and he rather passed it on. The second man chuckled, and then the third man was aggravated.

"What is it?!" Ryo demanded once he noticed.

"General Ouki sends a message. He says we are being too loud, and wants us to use our inside voices."

"I WILL KILL HIM!... AS SOON AS I KNOW HOW!"

-Temple of the Triple Goddess, Capital of Qin-

Whether it be due to lucky coincidence or divine providence, the temple was empty save for the priests. Normally the temple would be open to worshippers at all hours of the day, but prince Kyou had placed a curfew on the entire city to root out the Sheikah. It was still not the time for the curfew, it was only midday, but the impact of the curfew and the lack of stability in the capital led few to leave their homes.

The priests made sure the temple was clean, the oil lamps were full and lit, and all was well in preparation for worship. They prayed the people would be allowed to come freely, but were thankful none of the less that a few hours was allowed daily.

They did not expect to see the statue of the Temple Goddess to move. It was a faint movement at first, then a muffled voice. As the voice was met with another voice, they noticed the noise and looked in time to see the stomach of Naryu peel open when a door from the wall on which they were imprinted.

One priest passed out. The rest to witness it was too stunned for words.

"See?" Zelda said. "There was a latch to open it."

"Mmm." Ganondorf hummed.

Zelda crawled down from the doorway passage. She patted herself down after her feet met the marble floor. Ganondorf dropped down with a heavy stomp. He looked around and eyed the statue. The statue itself was a picture of three Goddesses circling a sun, moon, and planet.

"What do you think?" Zelda wondered.

Ganondorf's red eyes roved the statue before landing on Zelda, who watched him patiently. He raised an eyebrow. "It will do."

"I will make sure to convey your appreciation to the craftsman."

Ganon moved on and noticed the priests. The priests stared back fearfully. His red hair, red eyes, large build, dark skin, and war garb didn't help with his persona. Zelda smiled a bit awkwardly as the high priest and barbarian stared at each other.

"FREEDOM!" Link pushed himself through the line of Majora, Qin, and Fae to fall out of the passage. He about cried as he laid on the ground. "Fresh air! Bright sun! I love you! Don't leave me again-"

"Shut it." Matsubi kicked him in the side. "Pay attention to the atmosphere, will you?"

Link looked around curiously and noticed the polite standoff. The priests gathered to see what the stir was, while Zelda's army spilled from the passage. Elder flew into one of the wooden pews and reshaped it. The wooden long chair cracked, split, splintered, and morphed into the large shape of a centaur. Other Fae flew into it, and the wooden shape split into smaller centaurs.

Another priest passed out.

Ganon said, "Out of respect for Din, I ask you to tie yourselves up."

"The alternative?" The high priest asked.

"We will do it for you, and I won't be gentle."

He nodded, and after a brief moment of thought, calmly said, "Everyone, Naryu seems to have given birth to... demons, men, women, and... floating lights. Our very furniture is coming to life. I do believe the incense was a bit strong today. We are seeing things. Let us go... clear our thoughts."

"You do that," Ganon grunted.

"Come." The high priest motioned for the other priests to follow. He walked slowly and with poise, but Ganon watched as they the rest scrambled over themselves to flee into a backroom. He sniffed.

"Not quite what I imagined a temple to be." He said.

"What did you expect?" Zelda asked.

"I expected one more like our own, with passionate revelry. Your temple is very... clean, orderly, suffocating." He looked back at the statue of the triple Goddesses. "But to each their own."

(Edited 3/1/2020)