"Well, this is odd," Joji said as he stared at the screen, "Princess Rhiannon is near Hateno Village, but it seems like she hasn't moved from the same place."
The white dot on the screen moved erratically in the same spot. "That means the princess must be fighting something," Joji sighed, "whatever it is, it better not kill her before I do!"
"Whose idiotic idea was it to come this way?!" Aya asked as she fended off a corrupted Moblin. "I didn't think there would be this many!" Tulin said, "I thought Dori was just exaggerating!"
"She was not exaggerating!" Zya shouted as she impaled a corrupted red Bokoblin, "There are too many of them!"
"Ahh!" Koli shouted in panic as he whacked a blue corrupted Bokoblin in the head with the Boulder Breaker until its skull was completely pulverized, "There are so many of them I can't help panicking!"
Rhiannon hopped from behind a boulder and reached for the Master Sword, slashing 3 monsters at once. "I can't get the Master Sword to do the thing!" they shouted, "It happened during the siege of New Deya, why isn't it doing it out here?!"
"Rhiannon! On your left!" Aya shouted. Rhiannon turned to their left to see a corrupted black Moblin with a large wooden weapon. The weapon had sharp bones on the end. The princess instantly activated the orange force camp, then attacked the monster once it had fallen backward, slitting its throat in one swing. "Just what in Hylia's sake has taken over these monsters?" Tulin asked, "Are they really under Ganon's influence?"
Rhiannon stared at the Moblin's carcass. She flashbacked to the Divine Beasts–each one of them was infested with the same substance as the monsters, and the yellow eyes would sprout from them like flowers from the ground. "Dearest?" Zya asked, "Are you okay?"
"I just remembered something..." Rhiannon said, "...the Divine Beasts were also infected with this weird substance..."
There was then another flashback that crossed their mind. This time, it was the Blight Ganons. "It all makes sense now..." they whispered, "the substance, the Blights, the corrupted monsters... They are all linked to him, to Ganon. It's his way to spread around Hyrule..."
"That makes way too much sense," Aya sighed, "it's kind of scary to think about it."
"It's starting to get dark," Tulin said, "We should keep moving."
It was around sunset when they entered Hateno Village. There was an eerie vibe to the village for what Rhiannon noticed, the same offsetting vibe she felt at the Lakeside Stable by Floria Falls. "Is it just me or does something here feel... off?" Rhiannon asked. Zya looked around as well, there was something about the village that weirded her off. She noticed that the villagers would walk up and down the street but would not talk to each other or bat an eye, often bumping into each other without acknowledging it. Aya noticed that some of the villagers, especially the women, would hurry their paces when walking from one spot to the other as if they were running late, while Tulin noticed that as soon as they reached their houses, they would lock the doors and shut the windows–sometimes even closing their curtains. Koli, however, was staring at Death Mountain in the distance, specifically staring at Divine Beast Vah Rudania at the top. "Hey!" he exclaimed, "I can spot Rudania from he–"
"Shh!" the RhiGang turned around to see a man poking his head through the door. "Just what in Hylia's sake is happening?" Rhiannon thought, "I have to get to the bottom of this."
Rhiannon walked further into the village, storming down the main street. They noticed an inn just across a small river. When they tried to walk in, the door was locked. After giving up, Rhiannon noticed a particular structure in the distance–a house that was separate from the rest. "Hey!" Aya shouted as Rhiannon took off again, "Where are you going?!"
"Shh!" A voice from inside the inn. "It's like we got here and everything got strange!" Tulin said, "Even Rhiannon is acting strange!"
"Wait, I think I know what's going on..." Aya said, "follow me."
Rhiannon ran down the street and up a hill. When she reached the top, she noticed a house on a nearly broken bridge, so she crossed it carefully. She reached an old abandoned house that had old furniture scattered around the garden. "My father's house..." the princess whispered, "...I remember being here."
Many years ago
"One, two, three," a 6-year-old Princess Rhiannon counted, "four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... ten! Ready or not, here I come!"
She looked around the garden for her father. "Father!" she shouted, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
She then spotted Link hiding behind a tree. "I found you!" she exclaimed. "Aw, man!" Link chuckled, "You got me again, champ!"
"Okay! It's your turn to count!" Rhiannon said, "No cheating!"
"Got it," Link smiled as he turned around, "One, two, three, four..."
Rhiannon looked around for a spot to hide, so she hid behind a large bush. "...eight, nine, ten!" Link exclaimed, "Ready or not, here I come!"
Rhiannon snickered silently as she observed how Link would aimlessly walk across the garden looking for her. "Link!" Zelda called, "It's dinnertime! Where is Rhiannon?"
"We'll be there in a minute," Link answered, "we're playing Hide-and-Seek."
"Well, hurry up," Zelda said, "the food will get cold."
"Achoo!" Link looked over his shoulder when he heard Rhiannon sneeze behind him. He turned towards the bushes and separated the twigs, however, the little princess was not there. "You lose!" Rhiannon shouted as she approached him from behind, "I win!"
Both chuckled gleefully. "Okay, champ!" Link said, "It's time for dinner. We can play again afterward, okay?"
Rhiannon waited impatiently during dinner time. "Rhiannon, could you please sit still?" Zelda scolded. "I wanna go back out and play!" Rhiannon said, "Can I go, please?"
"You may not leave the table until you eat everything," Zelda said. Rhiannon looked down at her plate, noticing there were still vegetables that she did not want to eat. "I don't want to eat my veggies..." Rhiannon said. "Until you finish everything on your plate, you may not leave," Zelda said sternly. "Psst," Link whispered, "remember what I told you? If you don't eat your vegetables, you won't grow as big and strong as me! Don't you wanna grow as big and strong as your old man?"
Rhiannon gasped, then began eating her vegetables rapidly. After dinner, Rhiannon fell completely asleep. "Looks like someone went into a food coma," Link chuckled. "I do not understand," Zelda sighed, "Rhiannon never obeys me, but she is always so eager to obey you."
"You just have to be more patient with her," Link said as he picked up Rhiannon from the table, "it's not that Rhiannon obeys me because she doesn't want to obey you, you just have to stop scolding her every five minutes."
"How else is she supposed to learn?" Zelda asked. "By understanding her," Link answered as he placed Rhiannon on the bed. "I swear, sometimes you speak in a different language to me," Zelda sighed. "F-Father?" Rhiannon called. "What is it, champ?" Link asked. "Could you r-read me a bedtime story, please?" she asked.
Present Day
Rhiannon looked around the scattered furniture to see if they could identify anything. Between a pile of things, she saw a large rectangular object. She carefully pulled it out to see it was a large frame. "Is this...?" they thought. Rhiannon then wiped off the dust with their hand to reveal the old picture of their parents and the Champions. "Oh my Goddess!" they exclaimed, breaking into tears, "This picture!"
The princess collapsed to their knees as they sobbed. "Rhiannon!" Zya exclaimed as she and Tulin carefully crossed the bridge while Aya and Koli stayed behind. "Maybe we should–" when Aya turned around, Koli had found another way across the moat, so she decided to follow him. "My dearest! It's okay!" Zya said, kneeling next to her. Her eyes then fell on the picture; Rhiannon was gripping the bottom corners tightly as if someone was trying to take it away from her. "Rhia!" Dori called, unmounting her horse and running across the bridge, "Thank Hylia I found you! I imagined you'd be here–"
She noticed what Rhiannon was gripping. "Why is the guilt so crushing...?" Rhiannon muttered, "Why...? Why in this lifetime? Why not in the next? Why did it have to be them...?"
"Rhia... I'm sorry..." Dori sighed. When Rhiannon stood up, Dori noticed the blinking red light on their armor. "It must've just been my imagination..." she thought, "It was probably just light reflecting..."
"I'm sorry for putting on that show..." Rhiannon sighed, "I don't like being vulnerable in front of others."
"You're acting almost as if crying was a sin," Aya scoffed, "hey, we might or might not understand what you're going through. We all lost a parent, but you lost both..."
"Aya, the way you worded that made it seem as if Rhiannon's parents are dead," Zya whispered. "Y-You know what I meant!" Aya blushed. "I promise things are going to get better," Zya said, "we are just a few steps closer!"
"I can almost taste the end of the Second Calamity!" Koli exclaimed. "And let's hope it's the last one!" Tulin added.
"Seems like the princess has reached Hateno Village," Joji said, "and, tonight is a Blood Moon night. Whatever monsters the princess has fought will come back to life tonight. And what a better night for me to report to Lord Ganon what the princess is up to."
"Joji," two Yiga Clan spies appeared behind him, startling him, "Lord Ganon wishes to see you right now."
"With pleasure," Joji smirked. The three men then vanished into thin air and appeared inside Hyrule Castle. "I am expecting good news, Joji," Ganon said. Joji noticed that Ganon's deep voice would sometimes mix with Link's voice. "Link's fighting spirit keeps gaining strength," he said, "it is getting harder to control his body."
"Princess Rhiannon has reached Hateno Village milord," Joji said, "and it could not be better timing as tonight there will be a Blood Moon!"
"You just let her get near the Spring of Wisdom," Ganon said, "if Rhiannon reaches the Spring of Wisdom, her mother's fighting spirit will also strengthen!"
"Do not worry, milord!" Joji said, "Tomorrow, these fine gentlemen here will help me raid Hateno Village and we will slaughter the princess and her friends in the process! Hateno Village houses the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab, and with two tech labs under my control, I will finally be able to develop the weapons to destroy Hyrule!"
"No!" Link's voice exclaimed, "Leave my champ alone!"
"Silence, insect!" Ganon hissed. "I will not let you get to her!" Link exclaimed, "I will fight you!"
"I said silence!" Ganon roared, "Do you now see why I need to eliminate Rhiannon?!"
"Loud and clear, milord," Joji said, "we will let Princess Rhiannon have this one last night, but tomorrow shall be her final day. We will attack when she least expects it!"
Rhiannon and the RhiGang spent the evening rebuilding and refurbishing the house. Dori noticed the Blood Moon beginning to rise on the horizon, so she tried to keep Rhiannon inside as much as she could. "Psst, Aya," she said, "I think I know why these people are so nervous. Look over there."
Aya gasped when she saw the crimson red moon rising. "Of course, a Blood Moon..." she said, "no wonder you've kept Rhiannon inside."
"And let's keep it that way," Dori said. Inside, Rhiannon hung the picture of the Champions in the spot it once held. They sighed in relief, feeling accomplished. "I wonder what was going through their minds that day," they thought, "they were so young..."
"That is all of the furniture that was outside, my dearest!" Zya said, "The house is all settled!"
"Let's all have dinner, shall we?" Rhiannon asked, "Koli said he memorized a few Hylian recipes."
As the Blood Moon continued to rise in the sky, the RhiGang sat down at the table to eat. "Before we start, I would like to have a moment to say grace," Rhiannon said, clapping her hands together, "Thank you, Hylia almighty, for giving us shelter and food. Thank you to all the gods above for guiding us safely to Hateno Village, and I pray you will guide me to the Spring of Wisdom tomorrow."
"Well," Dori added, "what do we say when food is placed in front?"
"Thank you for this meal!" the RhiGang shouted in unison. Halfway through the dinner, Rhiannon noticed a faint red glow leaking through the windows. Aya noticed that Rhiannon had frozen in their spot as the glow became brighter. "Dori," Rhiannon said, "what color is the moon tonight? And don't lie to me..."
"R-Red..." Dori said. Rhiannon began to hyperventilate, dropping whatever was in her hand. "Rhiannon! Look at me!" Dori exclaimed, "It's going to be okay!"
"She's going into a panic attack!" Tulin said. "They need me!" Rhiannon cried, getting up from the table and running to the door as the others tried to stop them. "Rhia! Don't go outside!" Dori said, "You have to stay here!"
"My parents need me!" Rhiannon sobbed, "I can't let them there any longer!"
"Pull yourself together!" Aya said, "I know nothing we say will change what happened but this won't solve anything!"
Rhiannon then gave in, sobbing on the floor and punching it in frustration. As they got away from the princess, Aya noticed the blinking red light between Rhiannon's hair. The scarlet rays of moonlight then became silver. "Dammit!" Rhiannon shouted, "Why?! Why me?!"
"Rhiannon, I think you need sleep," Aya said softly, "Zya and I prepared the bed for you."
She stared at the blinking red light again but was unsure if she should point it out or not. Rhiannon's loud cries died out as she headed upstairs and threw herself on the bed. By the next morning, the RhiGang was awakened by a knock at the door. Grudgingly, Rhiannon got out of bed, jumping over Zya's sleeping body. The princess opened the door to see an old Hylian man standing outside. "Can I help you?" Rhiannon asked. "And with whose permission did you move into this house?" the man asked. "Um, this is my father's house," Rhiannon chuckled, "I can move here whenever I want."
"And where is your father, then?" the man inquired, crossing his arms. "Well, um," Rhiannon said, "my father just so happens to be trapped inside Hyrule Castle..."
The man then began laughing. "I'm not kidding, though..." Rhiannon said. "Get out of this house," the man said. "Not a chance, my guy," Rhiannon snapped, "this house belongs to my father, Champion Link."
"Link? The Hylian Champion?!" the man gasped, "That means..."
"I'm Princess Rhiannon," Rhiannon smiled. "I do not care who you are," the man said, "this property belongs to me, therefore if you want to acquire it, you must buy it."
"For how much?" Rhiannon asked. "100,000 rupees," the man answered. "100,000?!" the RhiGang gasped in unison. "Just who do you think you are, exactly?!" Aya asked outraged. "Wait a second," Dori said, "you're that guy Bolson, right?"
"Isn't it obvious?" he nodded. "That's such a dumb name..." Tulin snickered. "And you should know that Champion Link purchased this property 50 years ago from you," Dori snapped, "it should be in the contract."
Bolson then chuckled to himself. "Bold of you to assume I don't archive every contract," he said. He snapped his fingers with sass, then another Hylian man approached him with a scroll in his hand. "Here is the contract that Link signed 50 years ago," he said, clearing his throat, "but at no point did he ever mention it would be passed down to any descendants."
"Are you kidding?!" Rhiannon scolded, "My father was over a hundred years old stuck in a teenager's body back then! Of course he wasn't thinking about a family yet!"
"And in the contract, section B, paragraph 8, line 3," Bolson said, "if anything were to happen to him, this property will be returned to me. Unless Champion Link miraculously returns or you lot buy the property, it is under my ownership. Until then, you all have 24 hours to pack everything and leave."
"Just when I think everything is settled, some kind of inconvenience always happens!" Rhiannon sighed as they closed the door, "I should be heading to the Spring of Wisdom..."
"Let's see," Aya said, "I got a few rupees with me right now. I have no problem going back to Gerudo Town for more."
"My dad gave me some rupees before I left Goron City," Koli added, "I don't mind pitching in!"
"I can convince my aunt to help!" Dori added, "No harm in asking!"
"I can also ask my mom," Tulin said, "anything works, right?"
"I will gladly pay all 100,000 at once!" Zya said, "That way, we can save everyone's money for other expenses!"
"Zya, you don't have to," Rhiannon said. "Just let me do this!" Zya exclaimed, "For all of us! We need a place to stay!"
"We can all pitch in, it's fine," Dori said. "...I just want to help Rhiannon get to the Spring of Wisdom faster," Zya sighed, "I do not want to waste any more time."
The RhiGang exchanged looks with each other. "Let's put it this way," Aya said, "there are five of us, each one of us could pitch 20,000 rupees."
"Um, did you not count someone?" Dori asked. "I wasn't counting Rhiannon," Aya said, "this should be our way to thank them for what they did for us. I mean, have you guys forgotten what Rhiannon has done for us? Ending the Divine Beasts' rampages and freeing our parents' spirits?"
"Sure, because I was affected by one of the Divine Beasts," Dori said, "but, I wanna help Rhia as much as I can too so, I might as well pitch in too."
"It's settled then," Tulin said, "we'll pitch in 20,000 rupees for the house. If we get moving right now, we can have the money by tonight!"
"Wait," Rhiannon said, "are you guys all going back to your villages?"
"What? You want the money to magically appear in our hands?" Aya asked, "I should be the one moving out first, Gerudo Town is the furthest away."
"Tulin," Zya said, "Do you mind dropping me off at Zora's Domain on your way to Rito Village?"
"Not at all!" Tulin smiled. "Did you guys forget that the Mega Guardian is still out by Fort Hateno?" Rhiannon asked. "Dammit!" Dori said, "That stupid Guardian!"
"We'll just take the shortcut through the Faron Region," Aya said, "besides, I doubt Dori's Sheikah teleportation will withstand all of us at once."
"Alright then," Dori said, "let's get moving! Rhia, we'll be back by sundown. Do not leave Hateno Village, okay?"
"Fine," Rhiannon sighed as she watched her friends walk out of the house. "Wait," Zya said, "I think I have changed my mind."
"Huh? Why?" Tulin asked. "I'm... I'm afraid of heights..." Zya said shyly. "Are you serious?!" Dori gasped. "I promise I won't let you fall, Zya," Tulin said, "you won't even feel a thing!"
"D-Dori," Zya stuttered, "Do you think you could–"
"Nope," Dori replied, "deal with it yourself, queen."
She then disappeared into thin air. "You wanna come with me and Aya, Zya?" Koli asked, "Zora's Domain is on the way to Goron City anyway!"
"Isn't the path to Zora's Domain extremely dangerous?" Aya asked, "Rhiannon is gonna go nuts if they find out something happened to you! And, not gonna lie, I will too! I say you suck it up and go with Tulin."
Zya then stared at Tulin, who was preparing for take-off. "O-Okay," she said shyly, climbing on Tulin's back. "Right," Aya said, "come on, big guy. We have a long road ahead."
"Ready, Zya?" Tulin asked, "Hang on tight!"
He then took off as Zya screamed her Zora lungs out. Rhiannon observed through the window as they watched their friends go separate ways. When they walked downstairs, they saw their different suits of armor lined up on mannequins made out of wood. Rhiannon changed out of the Ancient armor and into the soldier armor. "I didn't even get to wear you that much," they sighed, "let me take you out for a spin."
The princess walked out of the house towards Hateno Village. Unlike their first day there, they noticed that the village was much more vivid. Rhiannon walked down the main street as people walked up and down the village, greeting each other, smiling, laughing at jokes, gasping at gossip–it was as if Rhiannon had entered a completely different village. She then looked up to see an odd structure atop the hill. "I supposed that must be the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab that Dori was talking about," she said. "Whoa!" she then looked down to see a young Hylian boy in front of her, "A soldier! Are you a knight?!"
"Huh?" Rhiannon gasped. "Are you a knight?!" the boy repeated his question, "Are you a warrior? Are you fighting in the war?"
"I'm a princess, actually," Rhiannon answered. "You're a girl?!" the boy gasped, "Can girls be knights?"
Rhiannon chuckled. "I'm not a girl, and I'm not exactly a knight," Rhiannon said, "I'm a princess. My name is Princess Rhiannon. What's your name?"
"I'm Dexter!" he said, "But my friends call me Dex!"
"Well, Dex," Rhiannon smiled, "my friends call me Rhia."
"If you're not a knight, why are you wearing armor?" Dex asked. "Well," Rhiannon sighed, "when I was younger, I was training to become a knight. Being a princess is nice, but I wanted to be more than just a princess."
"Can I see your sword?!" Dex gasped, pointing at the Master Sword. She pulled it out slowly as the blade shimmered in a soft blue glow. "This is the sword that seals the darkness," Rhiannon said, "it belongs to my father, and I have to take it to him at Hyrule Castle."
"My mom says Hyrule Castle is very dangerous," Dex said, "are you going there?"
"I must," Rhiannon sighed, putting the sword back in its scabbard. "Dexter!" A Hylian woman shouted, "What did I tell you about talking to strangers?"
"Look, mom!" Dex said, "She's a princess but she dresses like a knight!"
Rhiannon smiled awkwardly at the woman. "Anyone these days claims to be something special," she said, "this woman is probably trying to abduct you!"
"What?!" Rhiannon gasped, "N-No! He was the one that approached me! I wasn't trying to do any harm! M-My name is Princess Rhi–"
"You wish a crossdresser like you could be a princess!" the woman scolded, taking Dex by the wrist, "Stay away from this lunatic, Dexter!"
"I am Rhiannon, Princess of Hyrule!" Rhiannon shouted, "I will not let someone like you just slander me like that!"
"So the rumors are true?" another woman across the street gasped. Soon after, there was a wave of whispers and murmurs rolling down the street.
Princess Rhiannon is alive!
It cannot be! Could it be her?
This has to be a miracle from Goddess Hylia!
"Are you all willing to believe her?!" the woman asked, "What if she's an impostor?!"
"Would an impostor wield the sword that seals the darkness?" Rhiannon asked, reaching for the Master Sword, "I spent 25 years in a healing slumber, just like my father once did. The blood of Champion Link and Princess Zelda runs through my veins. They are both waiting for me inside Hyrule Castle."
More whispering began to roll down the street. "Rhia!" Dori appeared behind her, "I told you not to move!"
"Sorry, I got bored!" Rhiannon chuckled. "Well, I had to convince my aunt and my mom but I got the money!" Dori said excitedly. "Great!" Rhiannon smiled, "Now, we wait for the others."
"You got 'em?" Aya asked. "I got 'em!" Koli replied. "Good, now let's–"
"Hey!" They turned around when a voice called them, "You two! Wait there!"
"Daron?!" Aya and Koli asked, reaching for their weapons. "What do you want?" Aya inquired angrily, "I want you to stay away from Rhiannon!"
"Listen to me!" Daron said, "I don't care about that anymore! Rhiannon is in danger!"
"Why would we listen to you?" Aya scoffed. "Yeah!" Koli exclaimed, "Why would we listen to you?!"
"Just listen!" Daron said, "Rhiannon's Ancient Armor! It has–"
"How do you know about their armor?!" Aya gasped, "Are you spying on them again?!"
"I'm begging you! Please listen to me!" Daron shouted, "I swear on Hylia that I'm not making this up! Rhiannon's life is in danger!"
"Let's go, Koli," Aya said, "we have to return to Hateno Village before sunset."
"Wait! Please!" Daron cried as Aya and Koli turned around, "Dammit! The only other option is Zora's Domain but I was banned from there... Well, if I tell the queen that Rhiannon's life is in danger, maybe she'll let me in! I have to hurry before Joji makes it there!"
Meanwhile, in Zora's Domain, Zya waited patiently for Tulin to arrive. She looked up at the silver statue of Prince Sidon and Champion Mipha, then turned around to see Divine Beast Vah Ruta. "I got the money!" Tulin exclaimed, "Ready?"
"R-Ready..." Zya said nervously, "It is near sundown, we should hurry."
"You seem much more confident than this morning!" Tulin said, "Is that vertigo of yours finally going away?"
"I guess..." Zya sighed, "what keeps me strong is thinking about Rhiannon. I do not want them to lose their house."
"Me neither," Tulin sighed, "alright, let's take–"
"Queen Zya!" they turned around to see Daron down the Great Zora Bridge, "Please, wait! It's important!"
"Guards!" Zya shouted, summoning a group of Zora guards, "In case you need a reminder, you are not welcomed into Zora's Domain!"
"I mean no harm at all!" Daron said, "It's an urgent matter! Rhiannon's life is in danger!"
"Don't listen to him, Zya," Tulin said, "he just wants to get close to Rhiannon."
"Please, just hear me out!" Daron said, "You all have to get her out of Hateno Village! There is this guy who wants to kill her and he is tracking her down! He works with the Yiga Clan and he's also working with Ganon!"
"Are you out of your Hylia-forsaken mind?!" Zya gasped angrily, "Do you think those cheap manipulation tactics will work?!"
"Queen Zya, please listen to me!" Daron said, "I don't want to take the princess away from you, but someone else is!"
"I have heard enough!" Zya's voice echoed in the Domain, "I will not fall for any of these tricks of yours! Tulin, let us return to Hateno Village."
"As you wish, Queen Zya," Tulin nodded, letting the Zora queen mount his back. "Queen Zya!" Daron shouted, "Please!"
"That is Queen Zyannah for you!" Zya snapped before she and Tulin took off. "No one will listen to me..." Daron thought, "Joji must be on his way... I have to hurry to Hateno Village, no matter what it takes!"
Back in Hateno Village, Rhiannon changed back into the Ancient armor. Once again, Dori noticed the blinking red light. "They've been gone for too long..." Rhiannon said, pacing up and down the dining room, "What if something happened to them?"
"They'll be here soon," Dori said, "it's almost sundown. As soon as we give Bolson the money, can we visit the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab? Joji said that they can fix the Master Cycle Zero's rune up there."
"Sure," Rhiannon said, "but, what am I gonna do with Rhoam?"
"Give it to one of your girlfriends, maybe," Dori answered. There was then a knock at the door. Dori got up from her seat and opened it. "Thank Hylia!" Aya said as she and Koli caught their breath, "We made it! We had to run from the Hinox and the monsters..."
Tulin and Zya then arrived. "We have the money!" Zya exclaimed. "I'm glad we were able to find a quick solution in less than a day," Dori said, "that way, you won't lose your house, Rhia!"
"We should go give Bolson his stupid money," Aya said. "No need," Bolson said, startling the group. "H-How did you get in here?!" Rhiannon asked. "Back door," he replied, "I'm surprised you kids managed to find 100,000 rupees in one day!"
"We're all in our 40s..." Dori said. "I'm the eldest here," Tulin said. "I will take the money now," Bolson said, extending his hand towards them. Aya was first, followed by Tulin, then Koli, then Zya, and finally, Dori. "I hope you burn in Hell, cretin," she muttered. "I'll live with it," Bolson chuckled, "I'll have fun counting these. Anyway, ta-ta!"
He walked out through the front door, humming gleefully. "Now that we're done with that," Dori sighed, "can we go up to the Ancient Tech Lab? It's up the hill! Rhia and I need to go to fix a rune."
"Let's get moving," Rhiannon said, "the faster we get there, the faster I can go to bed and prepare for the Spring of Wisdom."
As the sun went down and the moon began to rise, Rhiannon and the gang walked across Hateno Village and towards the Ancient Tech Lab atop a hill. "Hey, Aya?" Koli whispered, "Should we tell Rhiannon about you-know-who?"
"No, it doesn't matter," Aya whispered back, "I'm sure Daron was just looking for our pity so we can lead him here. Whatever it was, I'm sure it is unnecessary."
Once outside the Hateno Tech Lab, Rhiannon knocked at the door. All six of them waited patiently for an answer when they saw a tiny female person open the door. "Can I help you?" she asked. Rhiannon could not tell if she was a child or a tiny woman. "Doctor Purah?!" Dori asked, "It's me, Dori! Lady Paya's niece, remember me?"
"Oh, yes, you," Purah said, opening the door even further, "I have received your countless letters."
"I never got a reply, though," Dori said, "anyway, um, do you remember–?"
Purah then gasped widely. "Princess Rhiannon?!" she exclaimed, "Look at you! The Shrine of Resurrection did you good, didn't it?"
"Doctor Purah was the one that calibrated the Shrine for you," Dori whispered, "and it was thanks to her that I created the Sheikah Slate replica."
"You look just like your daddy!" Purah smiled, "That strong chin... Those shimmering blue eyes..."
"W-Well, I do have some of my mother's features, too!" Rhiannon chuckled. "Of course!" Purah said, examining Rhiannon's face closer, "That nose...and that same cheek structure... What happened to your hair?"
"D-Doctor Purah, I would love to talk," Rhiannon stuttered, "but we come here seeking your help."
"The princess's Sheikah Slate has a broken rune," Dori explained, "we need to fix it as soon as possible."
"Oh, come on in!" Purah said, "I'll lead you to my Guidance stone! What rune is it? Magnesis? Cryosis? Maybe the camera?"
"The Master Cycle Zero," Dori answered. "Oh," Purah gasped, "I mean, I can see what I can do. Have you both talked to Robbie yet?"
"Doctor Robbie was killed two years ago," Dori sighed. Rhiannon listened to the conversation as they put the Sheikah Slate on the Guidance stone. "The lab is apparently under his apprentice's son's care," Dori continued, "a man named Joji."
"Son?" Purah gasped, "W-What do you mean? Robbie's apprentice had a daughter and she passed away during labor."
Rhiannon and Dori exchanged looks with each other, then with the rest of the group. "W-Whar?" they gasped.
"Has anyone here seen Princess Rhiannon?!" Daron walked into Hateno Village, nearly tripping over his feet, "Has anyone seen Princess Rhiannon?! Anyone?!"
"I saw her and her friends go up to the lab up there," said a man, "she might still be there."
Daron then hurried up, running uphill so fast he almost stumbled multiple times. "W-What do you mean Joji is not her son?" Rhiannon gasped. "As I said, Jerrin had a daughter," Purah said, "and right after giving birth she perished due to complications. What's not clicking!?"
Daron panted as he ran nonstop up the hill, his heart beating faster with every step. "Joji could be here at any moment!" he thought, "He might as well be here already!"
"At last!" Joji said, staring into the screen, "The princess has reached the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab! This is our time to shine! Let's get a move on!"
"Rhiannon!" Daron called, pounding on the door, "Rhiannon! I know you're in there! Please listen! Your life's in danger!"
"Is that Daron?" Rhiannon gasped. "He followed us?!" Zya, Aya, Koli, and Tulin gasped. "Please let me in!" Daron pleaded, "It's important!"
"Leave!" Zya opened the door aggressively, "We are busy!"
Daron slipped his way in. "Princess!" he said, "I do not come here seeking trouble. I am no longer seeking your hand. But please! I beg you listen to me!"
"Be quick," Rhiannon said, "but if you pull any tricks, I will kill you."
"It's a man named Joji!" Daron exclaimed, "He plans to kill you! He wants to trap you inside Hyrule Castle with Ganon and your parents! He has been working with the Yiga Clan and with Ganon!"
"What?!" Purah gasped. "Are you kidding?!" Dori clapped her hands to her mouth. "If this is some sort of sick prank–" Tulin grabbed him by the collar. "It is not!" Daron said, "The armor that Rhiannon is wearing has some sort of tracking device that Joji made! He's been tracking her location for days now!"
Aya, Dori, and Zya remembered the blinking red light behind Rhiannon's armor. Aya quickly spun her around and moved her hair, revealing the red light. "A tracker!" Purah exclaimed. "We've been compromised!" Rhiannon shouted, "We cannot stay here! We need to lure Joji and the Yiga Clan away from Hateno Village!"
"Rhia, the Sheikah Slate is ready," Dori said, "we have to get out of here!"
"Doctor Purah, please seek shelter!" Rhiannon commanded, "Do not open the door to anyone! RhiGang, let's move!"
"Princess!" Daron said, "Before you leave, I just want to apologize..."
Rhiannon and the others stopped in their tracks when he uttered those words. "I apologize for the pain that I caused you and for everything I have said about you and your father," Daron said, "I hope you can forgive me."
"I forgive, but I do not forget," Rhiannon said coldly, "but thank you for apologizing. And thank you for telling us about Joji."
They then led the gang out of the village. "We have to lead them to Hateno Beach!" Dori said as the RhiGang ran downhill. "As long as Joji stays away from Hateno Village," Tulin said, "we have to be prepared for a fight."
"Princess Rhiannon is moving!" Joji said as he stared at a Sheikah Slate screen, "She seems to be heading towards the Necluda sea. Something tells me she has been told about our plan... Daron, that bastard."
"To Hateno Bay it is, then," a Yiga Clan blademaster said as multiple other spies and blademasters disappeared in thin air. "Princess Rhiannon's life ends today," Joji said, "Lord Ganon will be pleased."