[center][h2]Frozen Highlands - Moon Mountain[/h2]
[i]Friday Afternoon[/i]
Word Count: 2063 (+3 REXP) + 498 = 2561
[color=salmon]Ace Cadet[/color] & [color=797979]Ganondorf[/color][/center]

The journey through the Frozen Highlands so far had taken its toll on the Seekers, but the last trudge up to the peak was proving especially rough. Fighting through the dark, isolated, facing down the phantoms of past regrets… it would put a mental strain on anyone, from the most stoic of warriors to the kindliest companions.

Ganondorf’s own experience had been… Well, he wasn’t sure what to make of it. For most of it, he found himself chasing after a Hero wearing green. He knew that figure anywhere, and just the sight of him was always enough to make the Gerudo’s blood boil. It was a bit strange, though, that the Hero had spent most of the time being elusive rather than confronting Ganondorf directly as he was usually fated to do. It was enough to make the warlord question whether the Hero was fleeing or actually leading him somewhere. But eventually, Ganondorf was brought back to reality by voices that belonged to the other Seekers, allowing him to follow those and making it to the other end of the ordeal.

As the warlord began making his way up towards where the other Seekers had disappeared to, he caught a glimpse of movement on the ledge ahead of him. An [url=https://coromon.wiki.gg/images/12_Humbee_A_front.gif?da7d2b]insect[/url] and a [url=https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/57104d0ce14d.png]cat[/url] were crouched in the snow, peering down over the side of the cliff that bordered the mountain path.

[color=797979]”Hmm?”[/color] Ganondorf grunted. Deciding that his curiosity had gotten the better of him, he made his way over to peer down over the side of the cliff where the two critters were lurking. He had noted that the cat seemed to be one of the many cats gifted to the Seekers after they escaped from the College, so was this one’s owner nearby?

Indeed they were. When Ganondorf approached the animals they tittered at him, and when he looked over the ledge he could see a shock of scarlet hair that was quickly becoming familiar. Climbing up the rock face, gloves and boots dug in to any hold they could find, was the Ace Cadet. Though still a few feet down he wasn't too far from his goal, a look of concentration on his face as he worked to make sure he didn't lose his grip and slip back down. Though when he noticed the large silhouette poking over the side, too big to be either of his new pets, the hunter blinked and nearly broke his concentration anyway.

[color=salmon]"Oh. Hey,"[/color] Ace said, as though this was the most casual meeting in the world. Then, less careful than he probably should have been, the hunter raised an arm towards Ganondorf. [color=salmon]"Mind giving me a hand up?"[/color]

[color=797979]”Mm.”[/color] Ganondorf hummed with a short nod. He knelt and reached down a hand toward the Cadet’s arm and started to haul the monster hunter up over the ledge. [color=797979]”First our sleep was interrupted,”[/color] he said, as if counting off the ways the day had irritated him, [color=797979]”then we spent Hylia-knows-how-much time digging straight out, then got embroiled in a maze within a college of sorcerers…”[/color] He exhaled a frustrated breath as both Seekers stood back up straight again. [color=797979]”And now this… whatever it has been. And the day is only, what, half over? Certainly not what I would call a very good day so far.”[/color]

Maybe it was the rather deadpan way that Ganondorf delivered this statement, but Ace actually barked out a laugh. Slightly rueful, sure, but a laugh all the same.

[color=salmon]"No kidding,"[/color] he agreed. With a crook of his finger the Cadet summoned the bug to his side, then returned it to the pal sphere on his belt. The kitty circled the two men's feet. [color=salmon]"It's been a hail of a time so far, and today's just been hex-tra bad."[/color]

The events of the morning were definitely weighing on Ace more than some of the others in the group; a slight shadow seemed cast over his gaze, but it didn't reach his mouth, which he stubbornly made to grin at the Gerudo. [color=salmon]"Now we're headed to the top out of food and energy. But hey, can't get any worse, right?"[/color]

[color=797979]”Need I remind you that we’re on our way to kill a Guardian?”[/color] Ganondorf replied incredulously, [color=797979]”I wouldn’t underestimate the day’s ability to get worse if I were you.”[/color] He hmphed an exhalation of breath, [color=797979]”Guardians always seem to have a way of making things worse. Especially if Moebius decides to interfere directly as they did in the Dead Zone.”[/color] 

Ganondorf was the last person to really empathize with anyone, but the warlord couldn’t help but detect a hint of what the Cadet was trying to bottle up.

[color=797979]”Are you well?”[/color] He suddenly asked, [color=797979]”You're a bit… out of sorts from the look of you.”[/color] The warlord did seem to notice how uncharacteristic that was of him and quickly added, [color=797979]”It’d be immensely frustrating if one of my allies potentially dragged me down in whatever the next battle will be.”[/color] Obviously he was saving face by making himself sound more pragmatic than anything.

The joke about things not getting worse going over Ganondorf's head softened Ace's smile up a little with genuine amusement. The almost total lack of humor in this party could be funny in and of itself. The sudden pivot to asking about the hunter's well being did surprise him though, and unconsciously Ace placed a hand over his sore side. He'd already checked to make sure he wasn't bleeding, just a little banged up from the fall, and he hadn't felt like he'd been favoring one side over the other... but if even Ganondorf said something about it, then he must have looked worse than he thought. Or maybe the day's events were just catching up to him, and the exhaustion and wariness he felt lurking under his skin had already made it to the surface.

[color=salmon]"...yup! All groovios here,"[/color] he said. If he spoke with enough conviction then it would become true. [color=salmon]"Just, uh, had a little run in with a fake ghost, boo-lieve it or not. Got a little hairy for a bit, but once we meet back up with Blazermate it'll just what the uroktor ordered. She'll fix everybody up."[/color]

Ganondorf's tacked on comment about others dragging him down had unwittingly struck at a recently exposed (courtesy of the false Mae) sore point of Ace's, but just as he'd told the shadow he was long past those days of floundering and was dedicated to learning and improving himself. Not to mention he could read between the lines, sort of, and so had an inkling the warlord just wanted to maintain his big, scary image. Ace clapped Ganondorf a few times on the back and nodded towards the path so they could get a move on.

[color=salmon]"I'm maybe not as well as usual, but I definitely won't be a liability when we fight the Guardian. No worries,"[/color] he said. [color=salmon]"Besides, even if Consul N does show up at least we won't be going into a fight with him blind."[/color]

They started up the mountain trail again, their pace slow.

[color=salmon]"What about you? Did you get stuck with one of those shadows too when we got split up again?"[/color]

[color=797979]”Depends on how you define what a ‘shadow’ is.”[/color] Ganondorf admitted with a shrug, [color=797979]”I saw a figure from my world that led me around on what felt like a wild goose chase until I stumbled onto your two pets.”[/color] The warlord explained as they walked, [color=797979]”Beyond that there… wasn’t really much else to tell. I could tell you who the figure was, but I doubt his identity will mean much of anything to you.”[/color]

After a moment, Ganondorf gave a rough sigh and decided to satisfy the hunter’s curiosity if any was still present, [color=797979]”He’s one of the other bearers of the Triforce.”[/color] He held up a large hand to show off the glowing triangular sigil that was the Triforce of Power, [color=797979]”It was originally one relic, one power that was a gift to mankind from the goddesses of Hyrule. When I had it in my grasp, it split into three. One stayed with me, and the other two vanished to bond with two other individuals. They each represent Power, Wisdom, and Courage. I hold the Triforce of Power and Princess Zelda holds the Triforce of Wisdom. The ‘shadow’ I saw was the Hero who holds the Triforce of Courage - Link.”[/color]

The hunter cat meowed proudly as though it had single-handedly saved the Gerudo from being lost in the mountains. Ace felt that the warlord's story was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall if he'd overheard Ganondorf talk about it before or if it had been someone else. The first name he gave, Zelda, was also ringing some kind of bell, but the second one was much easier to identify.

[color=salmon]"Oh, I know Link,"[/color] Ace said. After a beat he clarified, [color=salmon]"well I know [i]a[/i] Link. He fought with us for a while, but I don't think he mentioned any Triforce so many it was a different Link?"[/color]

Ace held a hand up to cup his chin as he thought about it. [color=salmon]"That sounds more like Linkle's kind of thing. She's- well she used to fight with us too, but a curse got her, and now she's... out here, somewhere."[/color]

His voice was a touch forlorn, but only momentarily. While he still hoped they could reunite with Linkle and save her from the Skull Heart that had taken her over, he knew there was no point in dwelling on that at the moment.

[color=salmon]"They're both from Hyrule though! I'm sure we'll run into them again,"[/color] the hunter told Ganondorf, glancing his way with a smile - definitely misinterpreting the relationship between the Hyrulian hero and the Gerudo chief.

[color=797979]”Hmm.”[/color] Ganondorf hummed thoughtfully, but didn’t actually say anything. What would he even do in the event of encountering Link? The sight of that Hylian punk made his blood boil, but enough to derail his current objectives? And what would Link even do? Attack? Treat him with contempt and distrust as Midna had? It was already difficult enough to maintain rapport with the Seekers. Then all at once he decided it was time to change the subject.

[color=797979]”You mentioned Consul N.”[/color] the Gerudo King said, [color=797979]”Which one was that? Was he the one who helped L when you fought her?”[/color]

[color=salmon]"Yeah. He had a cane and could do that..."[/color] again Ace wobbled a hand in the air as he attempted to explain N's power while lacking the appropriate context. [color=salmon]"...time lag thing. We haven't been making too much of a splash in this region yet so I dunno if he even knows we're here."[/color]

The two of them were nearing the peak now, the hollowed out shell of what appeared to be a moon hanging above them against the black sky. Being among the last to arrive, they could see most of the other members of the White Team in the near distance ahead of them waiting. If this was their destination, then the beacon they intended to set to draw the Guardian to them would be here.

With the group in such a bad way, it was the first time Ace felt so under prepared for a big fight like this. Still, he put on a cheeky little grin. [color=salmon]"But I guess he'll know soon, huh?"[/color]

[color=797979]”Indubitably.”[/color] Ganondorf grunted in response.

The two of them continued chatting as they arrived at the summit, topics remaining cursory for the most part. There wasn't a whole lot of time for either of them to rest before the group as a whole entered the cavernous moon, but what time they did have was spent gearing up as much as possible for the unknown. As expected Blazermate was happy to top all of her teammates off health-wise, so at least they were all set there. And when Ace's feline friend that she was somehow Ganondorf's big sister for "rescuing" him (despite the massive Gerudo easily being more than six times the size of her), and attempted to climb her way up to groom his wild mane of red hair, the warlord deciding that handing over some of his stock of paldium in order for the Cadet to make another Pal Sphere to keep the cat in was a good idea. 

[hr]

...of course the combat-capable kitty did not stay in her ball for long. Once Mokou came up with the idea to ignite the sun-like object in the center of the structure the Seekers found themselves in, it didn't come as a shock to anyone that whatever had trapped the Frozen Highland's light in there would try and stop them from setting it free. 

The cat, and its insectoid friend, broke out of their protective spheres to join the fight at the same time as their master, whose weapon was already drawn and ready.

[color=salmon]"Alright,"[/color] he said, drawing the great bow's string back, [color=salmon]"let's light it up!"[/color]

Whether he meant the sun or the huge face of their foe it was hard to say. His arrows, coated in blast powder, sailed through the air at the latter, and with such a large target they were unlikely to miss. The Humbee flew around the hands and used its Feelers to search for weak points, while the kitty leapt up to swat projectiles out of the air, throwing them harmlessly to the ground before they could strike any Seekers near her.

Ganondorf didn’t need nearly as much time to prepare. He pre-emptively summoned a squad of Moblin Archers who could shoot fire arrows if that was needed to help Mokou ignite the fires. He also shed his biomechanical armor and wore the Fae Royal Set he had claimed from the Winterhold College spoils in its place, minus the helmet. Other than that, he simply brandished his newly acquired weapon from the spoils of the Seekers’ time in the Winterhold College and that was enough to get him ready.

[hider=Acquired Items][b][url=https://remnant2.wiki.fextralife.com/file/Remnant-2/fae_royal_set_armor_sets_fextralife_wiki_guide_250px.png]Fae Royal Set[/url][/b]
Heavy armor set of exquisite craftsmanship that sacrifices mobility for superior protection. It offers high armor rating and excels in slash, bleed, and fire resistance

[b]Fae Spear[/b]
Thin, elegant, and lightweight but sturdy, this very long polearm allows a dexterous wielder to pierce vital organs from a comfortable distance. Not really suitable for throwing[/hider]
And then, as many Seekers expected, battle began anew. The first thing Ganondorf did was pluck a Fire Arrow from one of the Moblins’ quivers and nicked himself with. The spark of flame from the enchantment was enough to trigger his Flash Fire ability, taking on the form of a flame aura ignited around him that would double the power of any fire elemental spell or attack he used going forward in the battle. Unfortunately he had little time to do much else thanks to the wave of spikes sent out along the ground by the Man in the Moon.

Ganondorf’s Bullet Jump made it easy for him to jump clear over the wave and land back on the ground safely after they subsided. His Moblins were slightly less fortunate, and two were already slain from the opening spikes. But the remaining three were still healthy enough to notch arrows and let them fly. As for Ganondorf himself, the opening volley had decided his target for him, and so he prepared to charge toward the Man in the Moon. Fortuitously, he and Ace both felt the speed buff of Roxas’s Tailwind hit them as well. Evidently the Nobody was already at work doing his own opening moves elsewhere.