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It hadn't taken out Both skeletons like he wanted, but he did learn something else valbule from the exchange. Apparently the skeletons could regenerate so normal blows as he was thinking of wouldn't cut it which is why the bombs came in handy.

Perhaps if he had a hammer or something designed to smash things to pieces he could try that route instead but a sword and buckler made a poor weapon design for that so the bomb would have to suffice.

If it hunkers down I can't get a killing blow and normal blows won't do it without enough kinetic force behind it to powder them.

However, he didn't have to, he only needed the thing off balance for a brief second so he could properly blow them up. He had gotten to far to have some nameless skeletons stop him from his goal. Leon picked up the steel shield, and surprisingly hurled it at the skeleton.

He didn't expect it to hit even with his enhanced strength, but even if they blocked it should(hopefully) knock them off balance and he doubted they were fast enough to get dodge entirely.

Leon didn't waste a moment before throwing one of the bomb flowers at them. Just for good measure, he also tossed the last rusted knife to keep them off center. It wasn't the most fancy or glorious but in real fights, things that worked for survival weren't the prettiest to look at; they just worked.

The skeleton knight blocked the shield with it's own shield and held it's ground. However, thanks to the distraction of the shield being thrown, it didn't see the bomb plant that Leon threw and when it exploded, it was spectacular...

There were boney bits flying everywhere and they soon disappeared in a puff of smoke. Once more, leaving the steel sword and shield. The gate blocking the door on the other side of the room, slides up, allowing for progress to continue.

Leon gave a sigh of relief but didn't completely relax, he couldn't afford to until he managed to get out of here. Just in case he needed them again, he grabbed the weapons from the floor and continued cautiously on his search.

As Leon gets to the top of the tower, the top was a wide open area, with places to hid behind. There were small green, glowing bottles scattered around the place and in the middle of the room was an Object that seemed out of place.

And floating about fifty feet above that was a Young Woman, encased in crystal, seemingly asleep. Off in the distance, powerful wing beats could be heard...

Is that who I think it is?

Was that P-Chan trapped inside but having their normal form back or someone else? Still he figured it would be a good idea to get them out of here regardless if he could find a way to reach the crystal.

The other object was one of interest as it seemed like fire arm so he went to investigate to see what kind he was working with if so. In a medieval setting there was no way it be here unlike the three Goddesses set it there on purpose.

Just as he went to examine it, he heard the sounds of wings and mentally cursed, not sure what it was but it sounded big. If it turned out to be some dragon, then the irony of being a knight to save the princess analogy wasn't completely lost on him.

He searched for anything in the room that could be used, but barring that it looked he'd have to break them out with his weapon. There was caution in that idea, since he wasn't aware of what it shot, if it was high explosive and broke the crystal he'd kill the person inside. So to that end, before he did something that possibly did more harm then good he gave a experimental shot to the wall.

If turned out not to be too huge of splash damage, he aimed slightly off the center of the crystal to break it. That way even if it broke it wouldn't harm the person inside and he'd be able to catch them, but only if the damage wasn't spread around. He of course catch them before they fell too.

As it turned out, it was a Hylian plasma rifle, and like most forms of Hylian energy weapons, it has three setting. Standard fire, plasma shield, and charged shot.

The plasma shots, however, had no effect on the crystal and as soon as Leon took up the weapon, the wing beats started getting closer, until something shoots into the sky above and dive down, landing with a thunderous crash!

Through all the dust, the sound of claws scraping the ground could be heard and a monstrous figure comes walking out. On all fours, wings spread out wide, Leon's Dragon comes into full view, ready for a fight!

Before the unknown being could get there, Leon thought it a good idea to take some cover just in case.

Out of all the things Leon expected to see, the being that was more or less responsible for tearing his family apart and generally being a thorn on his side wasn't it. It was a very personal grudge, but despite all the negative feelings he didn't lose his head from it.

Ridley was incredibly dangerous, and he didn't think this weapon was going to cut it. Looking at it strategically, it be smarter to get his target after blinding/distracting them and making a break for the exit. As was, this was pretty bad all around since it was indoors on top of the person still being suspended in the crystal.

Leon took aim between the creatures eyes and fired

Leon's shot hit it's mark, naturally, but it ricochet off of Meta Ridley's metal hide and impacted in the ground. This get's Ridley's attention and instead of wandering, he goes into search and destroy mode. Luckily he didn't know where the shot had come from.

The bad news as expected it didn't do anything even with a eye shot. Wasn't plasma suppose to be their weaker points? Unless..this wasn't the exact same Meta Ridley he was more familiar with.

Fuck. How am I suppose to get past this thing?

Fighting them up front or at all seemed like a bad idea but he wasn't sure how to distract them and then get P-Chan out of here. Though..he was notably stronger then a normal person and there some rubble laying around.

He tested some of it, getting a idea of its weight; something not too heavy so he could lift but not too light or it wouldn't make the noise it needed to. While Meta was searching and didn't know his position, he waited before hurling the debris on the opposite end which made a loud noise on impact which would make it sound like someone else was coming from the other side.

If it worked, it may give the needed breathing room to reach his target and get the hell out.

Leon's distraction worked. Meta Ridley turns towards the noise and rears back his head, a small plasma vent on his chest plating opens as green plasma swiftly travels up channels on his neck, and a massive burst of super heated plasma shoots from his mouth, exploding on impact with the opposite wall!

The plasma vents in his armor close and Ridley stands still, listening "I know you're here..." he growls "Come out, little bug. I promise I'll make your death quick." he snarls. It seemed like he didn't see the floating crystal in the center of the room.

It worked but not as much as Leon had hoped. He was trying to get Meta away so he could grab P-Chan but the bastard was hogging up the space. Mainly because he couldn't beat Meta Ridley up front, if all it took was a standard plasma weapon he be dead already. No offense to the Hylians, but he had seen much better weaponry as well on his travels but that also wasn't fair comparison.

Though...I did notice that chest vent open. If I could get a charged shot in there maybe it'll do the job? Short timing but I can definitely do it.

Silently but carefully after a moment he began to allow his weapon to charge knowing he only had one shot at this.

The rifle didn't charge as silently as Leon might have liked, as the powered built up, it gave off a steady hum. It was soft as first, but as the stages in power grew, the hum got louder.

Fortunately, this wasn't loud enough to gain Ridley's attention. Least not over the wind. He suddenly launches into the air to get a better vantage point of the area and thus, better locate Leon!

This could either be a very good thing depending how he played his cards right at any rate. He planned on grabbing Natsumi and booking it out of here, and if he was really lucky without them noticing.

He made sure the cost was clear before making a bee line towards the location, though this time he used the small structures in the middle for extra leverage to make the jump to the crystal in the middle. If it worked, he'd make a quick run for the exit and out of this realm.

As soon as Leon left his hiding place, there was a loud roar that sounds in the sky! Meta Ridley had spotted him "I found you! Now DIE!!" he roars as he dives towards Leon, the vent on his chest opens as he builds up his breath weapons as well as firing out a small swarm of seeker missiles, and all of them aimed directly at Leon!

However, none of them ever hit. In fact, The missiles and even Ridley were now nowhere to be seen. They all seemed to have disappeared as soon as Leon touched the crystal.

The crystal slowly lowers to the ground, disintegrating as it touches. Leaving only the young woman inside. She seemed to be still asleep.

As soon as the crystal was gone, the whole castle starts to violently shake as it begins to fall apart!

Leon didn't have time to question what the hell just happened , all he knew was the person he came for was here and the damned castle was falling apart. He picked the young woman and then one secured began to really book it, to get out of this castle and towards the exit of this realm. It was times like these was was very grateful for his speed.

There were no baddies on the way to the portal. It was only fifty, or so, yards away when a blast of green fire impacts in front of Leon, then it encircles him completely as Meta Ridley lands, shaking the very ground!

He starts, slowly, towards Leon "I thought for sure that bringing down the tower would be the quickest, and easiest, way to kill you!" he growls "It seems I was wrong. I guess if you want something done right, you know?"

If Meta Ridley wasn't bad enough, Leon had dropped his only weapon in his quick dash to get himself and Natsumi out of here in one piece. After all the stuff he had went through in here this was it? He was just going to fall short once again when it counted?

He couldn't run past them with how surprisingly fast they were with them literally being in front of them. So he had to fight, fruitless as that was with nothing around except for a half broken sword. Leon gently put the young woman down and walked in front of them protectively, maybe by some miracle he could lead them away but he had no illusions he was going to survive Meta in a melee fight a sword.

"At least we agree on one thing."

Despite the relatively hopeless situation, he was genuinely calm. Just like Natsumi had been willing to risk things despite bleak odds, he was to for his loved ones sake.

Meta Ridley stalks right up to Leon "You would face me with a rusted and dull sword?" he chuckles. His eyes start glowing a greenish color "Is it courage, insanity, or desperation that makes you think this is a good idea?" he growls, flexing a razored claw.

"Courage." Leon said, without missing a beat, starring Ridley down. "I know I can't win against you, but that's not the point. It's something someone like you would never understand." Meta may of had a cause or something he believed in maybe but he didn't fight to protect people he cared about.

Ridley laughs, throwing his head back "Something I wouldn't understand? You nothing about me, which gives you no basis to judge." he says as he cranes his head towards Leon, his eyes start glowing a blueish color "But I now you!" he growls "When you had the means to fight me, you were, instead, thinking of simply running away..." he snarls "Do you believe that would have been a wise idea?" he asks, gnashing his metal teeth together.

As that what he really thought? That was a difference in tactically accessing a situation in a much more powerful opponent and throwing yourself against a blender. He was annoyed slightly by the impilcation, he wasn't ever going to just leave Natsumi high and drive.

Hm..it's a long shot and I doubt it do much but if he makes the first move and I get something internally then a very tiny maybe. It's better then nothing. The internal bits should be much weaker in theory.

Leon's eyes narrowed a bit. "As a person who controls troops you should already know when to fight and when to withdraw to preserve those under you, even if you can win doesn't always mean its always the right thing to do. I could let my hate of you get the best of me and just ignore everything but you're not why I'm here. You're a secondary objective, always has been." It probably piss them off, but that was the point, people did stupid things when angry.

Ridley thinks for a bit "So it's better to withdraw and live to fight another day, than to push towards an uncertain vicrory?" he says, nodding "I see the wisdom in those words." he says.

He turns from Leon and takes a few steps back, then turns towards his prey, but doesn't move to attack. Instead, the space dragon lowers his head, starts to glow a bright white light, that than turns into three distinctive colors, red, blue, and green.

WHen the light fades, Ridley was gone. Replaced by the three goddesses "We meet again, Leon." Nayru  says in her soft voice.

"Indeed, were we ever away from you?" Farore asks.

Din shakes her head, her red locks dancing around her shoulders "No. We were here the whole time. In every room, every enemy you faced.We were there. Watching." she says.

"And what we saw, we liked. In the many trials we set upon you, you had demonstrated wisdom. Choosing to withdraw and come up with a plan, rather than fight your way out of a situation." she points out.

"When faced with the many challenges and enemies we pitted against you, rather than running away, you stood your ground, bravely facing any adversity you encountered." Farore explains.

"And when you faced those challenges, you displayed a level or both power and control that many wouldn't resort to, simply to achieve their intended desire." Din states.

All three move towards Leon, surrounding him in a triangle formation "Wisdom..." "Power..." "Courage..." they all say "Those are the virtues needed to gain the power o the Tri-Force..." all three say, their voices now sounding transcended, almost omnipresent "Now tell us what it is your hearts desire is."

Leon felt then a bit more then overwhelemed, he had thought for a moment all his actions would have been for nothing and his story would end there. Instead it turned out to be a test, something Danny had told them about since the beginning before it started.

He took a deep breath to compose himself, before answering. "I want to bring Natsumi back to life so she finally get a chance that was denied to her by Tylon to live a normal peaceful life."

After a minuet, Farore was eyeing Leon "That is not your True heart's desire, but your immediate one." she says. All three of their eyes were glowing a brilliant golden color, as they were all looking upon Leon.

"But either way, it is done. Now take Natsumi and leave this place." Din says as all three point to the portal.

Leon gently took Natsumi, knowing his part of the job has been done giving the three a thank you, before heading out the portal.

(Leon's out I suppose)