Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Kana was lost, lost in a world that chilled her to the bone, as if it had been tailored just for her. This land was a nightmare come true in every way, shape, and form. Complete and utter gloominess, darkness as far as she could see, everything a shade of dark with a slight tinge of purple to it.

The land could be best described as a lifeless, baleful husk, drained of any of its worth centuries ago. What little plant life present was shriveled up and leafless.

The sky was dark, and only the faint light of dying stars were eked out its canvas, barely standing out from the ever present void. Brightest amongst them (which wasn’t saying much) was the moon, its pattern different to the one she knew.

The ambience was even worse; nothing about this land sounded familiar to her, a low droning was a constant in her ear, drilling itself into her skull and wracking her with anxiety. Eldritch, senseless whispers were carried by the roiling gust of winds. She couldn’t see it, but she could hear it in the wind, the faint screeching of monsters, no doubt searching for prey. Sometimes, a great boom of thunder would pierce the veil of relative silence and make her jump.

To put it bluntly, this place screamed ‘evil!’.

Worst of all, Kana couldn’t recall anything as to how - or even why - she was here. It was a complete gap in her memory, and she hated every second of it.

She had nothing but her sword and dragonstone for comfort, her only reminder of home in this living nightmare. She huddled her stone close to her chest and took a deep breath. “Stay strong, you can do this. Stay strong, you can do this,” she repeated under her breath, doing her best to suppress the tremor in her voice.

With a slightly firmer resolve, Kana ventured forth into the dark wastelands, those six words never leaving her mind. Maybe she could find help?

There was no help to be found in this nightmare. If it wasn’t the land itself seemingly trying to kill her with its haphazard slopes and jutting spikes, then it was the numerous beasts marauding around every recess, waiting for her to let her guard down so they could devour her. The smaller monsters - crawling skulls - would try to latch onto her face no doubt trying to eat it. The bigger ones - beasts made of shards - roared and did all that they could to try and tear her to shreds. Any attempts to fight back proved to be pointless; they’d simply piece themselves back together and continue the chase, hiding was the only way she survived.

The gods seemed to take pity on her, and she eventually came across a set of ancient carvings in the stones, a set of unknown runes, with an arrow pointing to the right. She didn’t know what they meant, but it seemed to say ‘continue in this direction for safety’. It brought her a precious modicum of comfort.

Much later, the runes proved themselves meaningful and something in the distance caught her attention. Far ahead laid a great stone bridge, providing a path over an everlasting abyss below. It was ancient and cracked at parts, yet still stood tall. The bridge paved the way to an enormous dark city that loomed even further beyond. The faintest glimmer of hope lit itself in her heart; if there was a city, then there had to be someone she could talk to!

Kana stood at its edge, spooked and at the edge of her nerves. There was a growling-like sound behind her, and a frightened Kana hurriedly crossed the bridge, trading uneven, rocky terrain for smoother ground.

Kana reached the city’s entrance where a dilapidated arch stood. Strange glyphs were carved onto it. Their true meaning unknown to her, she guessed it was a welcome of sort. And with a slightly straighter posture, Kana took her first step into the city.

The city was but of dark stones - faint purple peeking from cracks - and loneliness. Pillars were broken yet still standing, forever frozen in place. Its many roads and stalls were devoid of life, carrying within them a whistling wind. the few houses she checked were no different. At the very least, no beasts prowled its insides and the droning was gone. In short; only a very slight improvement over the outside world.

Kana bumped into a pillar she swore wasn’t there a moment ago. Taken by surprise, the girl stumbled and fell onto her stomach with a small ‘ow!’ as her dragonstone rolled to her side. Kana held her nose and whimpered as she resisted the urge to cry. “Stay strong, you can do this. Stay strong, you-”

“Hmm?” a deep and powerful voice hummed. Kana’s eyes went wide as the ground beneath her rumbled softly under two heavy thuds.

Kana felt the presence of something powerful behind her. Slowly, she looked over her shoulder and froze from fear, her eyes wide as they could be. She was laying in the shade of a gigantic monster over twice her height looking down upon her silently, its eyes narrowed with interest.

Its body was a seamless fusion of flesh and metal. Dark, scarred plates covered most of its body, serving as natural armor. Metallic grey plates alongside gold highlights decorated it too. Two pillar-like legs supported its colossal frame, and strangle symbols were engraved onto its knee pads, made from what seemed to be solidified flames. A highly decorated skirt of sort hung from its waist, dark and gold. Its torso was gigantic, part of it resembled a ribcage of sort glowing a bright, translucent red. What looked to be three faces were dangling from chains running down its torso, their gaze piercing. At the center of its chest laid a massive golden emblem, rotating clockwise slowly as it was firmly secured by four plates. Behind it shone a red light. Its arms were covered in more armored plates, great claws served as its hands and two blades that made her own sword look like a toothpick were nested upon its left forearm, acting as retractable knives.

But what stood out above all else was the head. Two white eyes, hiding beneath them a red glow, stared back curiously behind a great, threatening mask darker than the skies above could ever hope to be, its shape jutting out in several places as it radiated a menacing aura. Archaic, unknown glyphs were engraved all over the black mask, made visible only by a faint purple glow highlighting the titan’s body in its entirety.

To put it bluntly, it was a monster straight out of the darkest, deepest pits of her nightmares. The beasts of before looked like the sweetest of pets in comparison.

The monster raised an eyebrow as it loomed over her. “What have we here?” Its voice could best be described as something dark and gravelly, the edge of every spoken word distorted with a strange and scary echo. “I have not seen someone like you before, what brings you here?”

Her previous rationality and resolve crumbled as fear overwhelmed her. Kana uttered a pitiful whimper and hid her head behind her arms. She brought her legs to her chest and curled into a ball, trembling like a leaf in the wind as she awaited the inevitable end.

“Please don’t kill me...” Kana whimpered with dread.

There was a pause. “...Kill you?” The monster sounded genuinely confused. “Why would I do such a thing?”

“Because you’re a monster and that’s what monsters do!” she said quickly, still tightly in her ball.

“You think me... a monster?”

It was Kana’s turn to be puzzled at the answer, her position relaxed by the barest of inches, and she sneaked a peak at the monster. It had knelt down to observe her, and she noticed the evident curiosity and slight hurt in its eyes. She felt a pang of guilt.

“My appearance may be fearsome, but I am no beast, little one.”

Her eyes settled onto the chains, and fear relit itself in her heart. “Then why do you have faces hanging from those chains!?” Kana brusquely snapped a hand towards the offending chains.

The monster brought its… his hand down and removed an aforementioned ‘face’. “These are masks,” he said, tapping it to produce a metallic clang, “Though they might as well be our faces,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing, little one.”

Their back and forth continued for a while, and Kana did not even notice that with every nitpicks she threw, she progressively came out of her ball until she was standing tall. Even then, he still dwarfed her in every way, she’d have to stand on her tiptoes to even hope to reach his kneecaps.

“Will you continue to pick at my every detail, or may I finally speak?” The titan said, mildly annoyed by her insolence.

The sudden harshness of his voice had Kana freeze in place and stare mutely. Interpreting her silence as a ‘yes’, the titan spoke. “Who are you?” he said, the previous irritation gone.

“...Who are you?” Kana meeped, suddenly finding herself transfixed to the floor.

A snort of humorless laughter. “I am Makuta, ruler of The Shadow Realm and ancient Mask Maker of Okoto, though I no longer reside there,” Makuta - even his name sounded evil and scary - answered. “Now, who are you?” He repeated himself once again.

“I’m... Kana,” the girl said unsurely.

“Kana of?”

“...Nohr and Hoshido.”

“I have not heard of either of these lands. Are you lost, perhaps?”

“Uh…”

“No need to answer— of course you are.”

Kana made to retort, but there was a particularly loud crash of thunder, and the girl flinched as she lost her footing and fell on her rear.

Makuta gave a quiet sigh and brought a hand down to very gently run a claw through her red hair. “There, there, little one,” he said softly, “No harm will come your way as long as I am here.”

For a moment, even if it was just a second, everything was alright.

She looked up from her seat and Makuta withdrew his hand. “What is this place?” she asked, taking in her surroundings.

“The Shadow Realm, a child like you does not belong here. What are you doing so far from home?”

Kana made to speak, but a sudden low growling of sort cut her off. Kana hung her head low and clutched her abdomen as pain flared in her belly.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, that was nothing!” she hurriedly answered.

“...Are you hungry, child?” 

Kana vehemently shook her head, but the growling of her stomach betrayed her hunger once again; she was starving. Reluctantly, she nodded. “Yes...”

Makuta answered with a nod of his own and stood up. “Then follow me. There is food in my quarters.” He beckoned her with a hand as he trudged towards a large temple. Kana followed with hurried steps and tried not to let her eyes linger too long on the two prominent axe blades on his back.

Kana felt akin to a mouse in a normal sized room; everything was so much bigger to accommodate Makuta’s prodigious size, yet some smaller if still large instruments laid about for her to use. Despite having the same gloomy appearance as everything else, it also felt... cozy?

After giving her a quick look around, he pointed towards the cooking pot by the fire. “There is stew by the fire, but do not expect the greatest of tastes.”

Wooden ladle in hand, Kana reached for a sample and took a whiff before making a face in repulsion. The smell was awful. Still, spurred by her hunger, she brought it to her lips and took a sip…

...Only to immediately regret her decision as she was struck by the most foul of taste in all the worlds. Even Felicia’s cooking was better than this poison! She forced herself to swallow the vile substance and retched loudly. She placed the ladle back where it was and forced the bile down her throat, coughing at the burning it left. She quickly reached for the nearby bowl of water and gulped it down, anything to wash out that horrible aftertaste.

Makuta offered an empathetic nod. “I know precisely how you feel, Kana; skull spider stew is awful in both taste and smell, I can barely stomach it myself, but it is one of the very few nourishments available in the Shadow Realm.”

“Blegh, is there anything else?” Kana said quietly, wiping her mouth on a loose piece of cloth.

“Care for some fruits?” He offered her a large fruit, looking somewhere in between a grape and a raspberry. Kana took it and plucked one off, smelling it before taking a bite. The taste wasn’t much, but it was heaven compared to the stew. The texture wasn’t half bad either, so she scarfed the rest down noisily.

“Do not eat too many at once, I do not know why, but they have a tendency to-“ Kana held her mouth as her cheeks puffed, then swallowed with a grimace. She reached for the water once again. “...Induce vomiting if eaten too quickly,” Makuta finished lowly.

Kana let out a whine. “Is there any food here that doesn’t make you feel like hurling?”

There was a pause as Makuta furrowed his brow in ponder, then softened. “Well... I suppose there is another way, follow me.” Makuta headed off from the kitchen onto the outdoor, Kana following closely.

“Where... where are we going?”

"To my forge, I shall craft you a Mask of Power.” He answered as he began to climb up the numerous stairs. At the peak laid another great temple, its entrance lit by torches.

“How can a mask help me with eating?”

“You will see, Kana. You will see.”

Once at the summit, Makuta took a few measurements of her head and scrawled them onto a stone tablet. Then he procured a sheet of metal and heated it with his staff until it was glowing hot.

“Get comfortable,” he said as he placed the metal onto the anvil and reached for his hammer, “This will take some time.” He raised it high, and so began the first of many swings.

It was almost comical to see someone as huge as him hammering away at such a tiny piece of metal. But with every clang that rang throughout the forge, the metal bent and twisted into a new form, one that vaguely resembled a face of some kind, with ‘fins’ of sorts jutting out the lower parts.

Kana munched quietly on a fruit as she watched him repeatedly bring his hammer down upon the metal which would become her mask with bemused intrigue. She looked around the forge to see myriad tools, crystals, and ores stored about.

An unsure Kana cleared her throat. “Can I take a look around?” she asked. Despite having treated her with nothing but kindness, part of her was still afraid of his fearsome appearance, his deep voice, and the cold isolation of the threatening landscape.

“Feel free to do so, but do not touch anything,” came his reply.

With a quick ‘thank you!’, Kana allowed her curiosity to lead her forward as she observed the numerous miscellaneous items stored about. She started with his equipment, prongs, hammers, the usual tools she found in the forge back home. The further she went, each tools seemed to become more complicated than the last, some even impractical in both shape and size.

She switched to the crystals stacked in their own crates. Each glowed one of six colors, red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and white.

The reds were warm even at a distance, she reached out to touch one but Makuta’s words rang through her head, “Do not touch anything.”

The air surrounding the blues felt damp, and smelled faintly of rain.

The green ones seemed lively, they gave off an aura of… Some kind of forest, she couldn’t quite get the hang of it.

The yellow crystal felt dry and gave off an impression of aridness. Like deserts.

The purple ones felt… enclosed, a little damp even, yet they had a charm of their own.

Last but not least, the whites were a polar opposite of the reds, emanating a chill she could feel even from where she stood.

The next thing that caught her attention was a series of stone tablets, strange runes scrawled into them, next to imagery of masks. Instructions, maybe? Adjacent to them was a large collection of molds, inside each the design of a mask that varied from mold to mold. Some were big, others small. Some simple, some that could best be described as a convoluted mess.

A question crept into her head, and Kana returned to where the clanging came from. Makuta acknowledged her return with a small nod, he was still working on the mask with fervent devotion. Its shape had changed into something more pronounced, but it still looked incomplete.

Kana cleared her throat from where she sat. “Uhm… can I ask a question? Mister…"

"Makuta. And yes, you may.”

She thanked him with a nod and a hum. “Thank you, couldn’t you have just… used one of those spare molds lying around?”

The Mask Maker paused in his work as his head jutted upwards a tad. He looked over his shoulder and silently stared at the girl, his eyes unmoving, yet they seemed either unamused or insulted. Unnerved, Kana walked two paces back.

“Tell me, child, do you happen to see any mold of a mask your size?” Makuta asked, his tone calm, but a hint of stiffness betrayed his apparent offense.

“n-no…” Kana mumbled, avoiding his gaze as she suddenly found her feet far more interesting.

The brows on his mask narrowed a bit, and he huffed quietly before resuming hammering away. “I thought so.”

For a while, the only sounds that broke the silence of the forge were the crackling of flames and the metallic clang of his hammer striking against steel. But then he placed it aside and a quiet chuckle left him - sounding more like a dark gurgle - alongside a soft shake of his head. “My apologies, Kana. I did not mean to scare you, I was only teasing,” he said, resuming his work, “But you catch on quite quickly, this mask here is needed to create the mold used to cast the true, actual mask.”

Kana gave a silent nod and watched as he performed his work. With a final clang, Makuta then quenched the mask and presented it. “The ‘frame’ is complete, onward to creating the mold.”

The mask was stored in a container of sorts and filled with an unknown substance, Makuta lit a fire under it and sealed it shut. “The solution will take around an hour to cure, then the mold will be complete.”

“Now what do we do?”

“Now... we wait.”

And wait they did…

...Makuta soon made the discovery that Kana was not patient a person as he was.

“Bored…” Kana mumbled as she laid splayed across the outside floor, staring idly at Makuta. “Has it been an hour yet?”

“It has barely been five minutes,” Makuta said from his seat.

Kana let out an exasperated, groaning and drawn-out sigh as she rolled to her back. “How can you not be bored here?! There’s nothing to do!”

Makuta shrugged, his armored shoulders clanking. “I am used to ‘doing nothing’ as you say, and this place used to be far emptier.”

Kana raised her head. “far... emptier?”

“There once was a time where this city did not exist.” Makuta dragged his hand across the surroundings. “Every building you see, each of their many engravings, all of them were built by me. A recreation of sort of Mask Maker City, with some changes to the designs.”

“But, why make it so gloomy and... evil-looking?”

“Had there been any way to change the color of the surroundings, I would have done so, believe me.”

Kana lowered her head again and stared silently at the skies above. Their first encounter came to mind, and with it, so did a question.

“What was it like?” She said absentmindedly.

“Hmm?”

Kana sat up, her legs folded. “Your home, Okoto. What was it like?”

Makuta looked to the skies above and gave a deep sigh as old memories came to mind. “The mythical island of Okoto.” His voice was low and fond. He raised a hand and shadowy flames manifested before them. Within it formed the image of a colorful island divided by mountainous peaks. “It was a place of wonders and beautiful landscapes, separated into six sections, each representing one element. Fire, Jungle, Water, Ice, Stone, and Earth. Each tribe lived in harmony, and peace reigned across the land.” Though Kana could not quite see it, Makuta was smiling behind his mask.

The island was replaced by two figures standing side by side, wearing golden armor and intricate masks. "Two brothers - known as the Mask Makers - created Masks of Powers from the elements. I wore the Mask of Control. And Ekimu the Mask of Creation.” The revelation that he had a brother had the girl even further intrigued, and she leaned forward.

“We provided the islanders with many masks to suit their needs, and we were respected as equals.”

“You have a brother?”

“Had. That was many, many years ago,” he said.

“Oh...” Kana pursed her lips and looked away. “I’m sorry.”

“It is fine.”

“Do you miss him?”

There was a short pause. “A little,” he said lowly before shaking his head, dismissing the flames. “Enough of my world, tell me of yours.”

Kana made a noise of assent and sat straight. “I don’t remember the name of the continent, but it's separated into two; Nohr, and Hoshido.”

The girl explained in vivid details all she knew, of Nohr’s poor crop yield and decadent court, in sharp contrast to Hoshido’s bountiful fields and peaceful nature. How Nohr’s cruel king Garon declared war and invaded the other kingdom and how her father was uniting both worlds to fight the true, hidden enemy. Try as she might, she could not hide the longing in her voice.

“It is… unfortunate that you live a life riddled with danger at every corner.” Makuta lamented, aware of his own hypocrisy.

“It’s not so bad, I have my friends and family to protect me! Plus, I’m stronger than I look!”

“Nevertheless, one should never grow up so close to the field of battle.” Makuta shook his head in abject disapproval.

A little uncomfortable from the subject, Kana decided to change it. “How far do you think our worlds are from each other?”

“Tell me, have you ever once heard of Okoto before? Of an island occupied by beings both biological and mechanical?” 

She shook her head. “No, not until today.”

“Hmm, how are the people of your world? Are they too only organic as you are?”

“Yes, I mean... not all of them? There’s some Golems and Faceless around home, but they’re not… alive like us, they’re made.”

“Then Okoto is very far away from yours.” Makuta ultimately deduced.

She scratched the back of her head then giggled faintly, catching his attention. “Heehee, I should’ve put two and two together; it’s called ‘the mythical island of Okoto’ for a reason!”

A hearty chuckle escaped him - by far the most emotive he’d been so far in her stay here. She could tell he was smiling beneath the mask.

Another question came to mind. “How did you end up here?”

And just like that, the smile was gone. Makuta remained silent in ponder as he turned his head and looked elsewhere. “Can you keep a secret, Kana?” he asked.

Kana gave a firm nod. “Uh-huh, I’ll tell no one, I promise.”

“Very well,” his eyes returned to hers. Summoning the flames once again, he resumed the story. “It was a sacred law that no mask could ever contain more than two elements, or else they would become too strong and dangerous. Out of curiosity, I broke that rule in secret, and forged many forsaken masks to sate my ever-growing curiosity, culminating with the Mask of Ultimate Power.” The flames flashed, showing many masks of varying colors and sizes, followed by their risky test run. Then it showed Makuta, back when he was still ‘normal’, crafting a final mask, each blow of his hammer causing the mask to glow a different color. “It remained stashed away in my airship. But curiosity ultimately triumphed over my conscience, and I put it on.” The fire now showed Makuta holding the finished Mask of Ultimate Power as he then very slowly raised it to his face.

“What happened next?” Kana breathed as she sat at the edge of her seat.

“Its power proved to be... overwhelming. It was far too powerful for me to wield and nearly took control over me. The island itself began to shake and crumble.”

The flames showed just that— him being taken off guard by the sudden power surge, his color changing to dark and red as his size grew. Then, Okoto itself splitting apart from the Mask’s uncontrollable energy.

“And in a moment of lucidity, I knocked it off my face.” Makuta mimicked swinging a hammer upon himself, the fire showing him doing just that, and Kana winced, swearing that she heard a great 'THWACK’.

“Weakened by the blow, the mask could not contain the power of six elements, and collapsed onto itself. A vortex swallowed me whole, and when I came to, I was in the Shadow Realm, changed into what you see now. Perhaps, had I crafted it out of envy rather than curiosity, the power might have affected me differently.”  He whisked the fire away.

“What happened to Okoto?”

A deep sigh. “My actions have caused irreparable damage to it as a whole, but life still thrives. I wonder if they truly know what happened to me."

“And your airship?”

“Destroyed in the blast, unfortunately,” he said, “Now, how did you end up here?”

“I was...” she frowned, her brow creased in focus. “I was...”

Kana leaned her temples against her hands as she mentally tugged and pulled for an answer. She could almost see it, reach out to it even. But it would always slip through her fingers and slither back into the corners of her mind.

“I... don’t know...” she mumbled lowly, hanging her head low in shame. Makuta had disclosed to her his terrible mistake, and she couldn’t even remember how she ended up here. She mumbled an apology and shook her head.

A faint laugh, and a claw delicately ran through her hair. “It is fine, Kana. Do not worry.”

Their conversation continued, and before Kana even noticed, an hour had passed.

“The mold should be ready, let us go.”

Back at the forge, Kana took her usual seat as Makuta proceeded to open the container and extract from it a perfect mold of the mask previously built. He placed it near the smelter, and cast molten metal into it.

The metal solidified in silence, still glowing a bright red. Makuta carefully extracted the mask from the mold, he fetched his prongs and proceeded to quench the metal in a tub of water where it produced a loud sizzling. He retrieved the steaming mask and, as he placed it at the table before her, it produced a final prominent clang.

“The mask has been crafted, it is now yours to wield.”

Without a word, the girl took the mask in her hand and inspected it. Its color was a white-gray almost identical to her own outfit, and its eyeholes seemed to return her stare, spurring her to put it on.

Kana placed the mask onto her face, only for it to abruptly fall off, she deftly caught it and tried again, with the same result. She fumbled with the mask, no matter how hard she pressed it to her head, it just wouldn't ‘click’ and stay in place. With a frustrated groan, Kana held it out to Makuta with her head hung low. “I can’t get it to stay in place...”

“Some adjustments are required, I see.”

Mask in hand, Makuta walked out of sight. There was a short series of loud noises, and when he returned a few leather straps had been put in place behind the mask.

“Here, this should make it easier.”

The girl placed the mask once more and fastened the straps. Instantly, she felt a surge of power running through her as the mask briefly emanated a slight grey light. Despite its weight and her growling stomach, she felt awake and alert.

“What’s happening to me?” she said in awe.

“The mask has granted you its power. This one is known as a Mask of Scavenging. It allows you to drain the residual life force of nearby beings, either dying or dead. A modification of mine allows it to work on food, also.” Makuta explained, a bit proudly.

Kana perked up, “Really? That’s amazing! But, how do I use it?”

“I believe a proper demonstration is due. Tell me, Kana, are you afraid of spiders?”

Kana frowned and tilted her head. “A little, why?”

“Then it is time for you to conquer that fear.” Makuta raised a hand and fired a bolt of shadow energy at the ceiling above her. Kana heard a screech, and something fell at her side shortly afterwards.

She looked down and wished she didn’t. At her feet was the still twitching form of a monstrous arachnid from before, its body resembling a skull baring sharp fangs, four spindly limbs attached to its body twitched weakly. She yelped and jumped back.

“Do not be afraid. It cannot hurt you, for it is far too weak. Take it and use your mask to drain its energies, you will feel better.”

“A-alright…” Kana stammered, she approached and grasped the spider uncertainly, cringing as its form wriggled slightly in her hold. She stared blankly at it, unsure how to proceed.

“You hesitate, why are you not you feeding upon it?”

Kana pursed her lips and looked away shyly. “I… don’t know how to use my mask.” She admitted, hiding her head beneath her shoulders.

Makuta raised his head in understanding and gave a slow, patient nod. “I see, close your eyes and focus, the mask will carry out your command. With enough practice, it will become second nature to you.”

Kana nodded in kind. “Got it! Okay, just focus…” The girl closed her eyes and emptied her mind, she thought of the mask and felt its energies resonate within her. She took a deep breath and called out to it, directing it to the spider in her hands. She imagined herself draining it of its vitality, and the mask followed her command, a low droning of sort drifted in the air, and the spider began to go still. 

Something was coursing through her veins, her gnawing stomach ached less and less, the mask began to feel lighter, and she felt more awake, more alert. Kana’s pupils widened as she gasped softly, the transfer grew thinner, and she heard Makuta speak.

“Do not allow your focus to waver, else you will need to start over.”

The girl heed his warning, and returned to the task at hand. The mask resumed its work, the energy coursed through her once again. The spider went still, and the transfer faded by itself.

Wondering if she had done something wrong, Kana opened her eyes. All that remained of the skull spider was a dessicated husk. She squeaked and dropped the remains at her feet. She punted it away on impulse and immediately jumped in pain as she nursed her aching foot.

A soft laugh drawled from Makuta’s throat. “Excellent work, Kana,” he said with an approving nod, and she felt a pillar of pride swell within herself. She approached him and wrapped her arms as best as she could around a leg in a hug.

“Thanks, uncle!” she beamed.

For a fraction of a second, Makuta seemed bombarded by a myriad of conflicting emotions, until he settled with a quiet hum and patted her on the back.

He took a step away from her.“Earlier, you mentioned your wish to return home. There happens to be a way to bring you back to your homelands.” He revealed.

A beacon of hope lit itself within her heart, she slowly looked up to him in wonder. “Really?” She said slowly, her jaw began to droop.

“Yes. An ancient mask, known as the Olmak, said to have the power to create gateways to different worlds.”

Kana scrambled for a plate of metal, intending to stuff it into the forge, only for Makuta to shake his head and tell her off.

“Were it so easy, regular steel will not suffice for the Olmak. We require something stronger, more powerful.”

“What do we need to make it?”

“Protodermis, and in great quantity. It is found in the depths, and only in the barest of scraps; it shall take a while.”

“How long do you think it’ll take us?” Kana said as she turned to the outdoors, ready to bolt down the stairs at a moment’s notice as she practically hopped in place from excitement.

“At best? A week, at worst... a year.”

Kana stood dumbly as the weight of his answer stayed her feet and struck her like a punch to the gut; they could very well be at this for a whole year. A whole year without either her Papa or Mama. She was no stranger to that; that’s how things were in her deeprealm, but at least she had the company of the villagers living there. But this was the Shadow Realm, there was nothing here, nothing other than endless fields of desolate, gloomy wastelands littered with monsters and nightmares, nobody else other than herself and Makuta.

It was far too much to bear, yet Kana did all that she could to shoulder it. Little by little she began to break. Kana held her mask loosely as she wiped her eyes and struggled to keep a straight face.

Makuta picked up on her troubled mood. “Kana? Is something amiss?”

“I’m fine...” she croaked, her lower lip quivered as she shook her head, her eyes stung as tears began to fall.

“No, you are not. What is it?” He said, his voice was low and soft, his concern genuine.

“I miss my home, I miss my friends, and I... I m-miss... ” Kana bowed her head as water clouded her sight. “I-I miss my p-papa...” Kana couldn’t hold it in anymore, the foundations crumbled and she began to cry. Her mask fell down with a clang. The girl hid her face behind her hands and dropped to her thighs, sobbing.

Makuta looked on with unease as the girl bawled, blubbering faintly about her family. She was scared and confused, far away from home as one could ever be, in a place someone like her should never be, and in desperate need of her parents. Finally, he could endure the sight no longer and knelt down as dormant paternal instincts took over. He gave Kana the barest of pat and she looked over her shoulder, red-rimmed eyes overflowing with tears settled onto his. Makuta silently held out his hand, and Kana accepted his invitation, climbing into it without so much as a word.

The earth beneath him shifted into a seat, and Makuta sat down. He kept the girl in his clutch as she held onto his armor and cried softly, the sound echoing throughout the emptiness of the forge. A pang of sadness rang through his old heart, and with it came an epiphany; I must return Kana to her home as fast as I can.

He did not speak, instead brushing her hair softly in a comforting manner. The crying eventually petered out into faint sniffles, then soft breaths; Kana was fast asleep, having snuggled as best as she could into his hold, clutching a claw like a doll. She needed this sleep.

Slowly, glacially, Makuta hoisted himself up and made his way home. Each step a deliberate effort to make as little noise as possible, lest she stir from her slumber.

Once home, Makuta laid the girl onto his mattress with utmost care and draped the covers over her. For a while, he remained still and simply watched her sleep soundly. And as he did so, he swore to protect this little girl with his life and to return her to her parents. Part of him wished to wipe away her tears, but he also did not wish to disturb her. Thus, Makuta silently slid out of his room and headed to his kitchen. He scrawled a message onto a stone tablet and laid it flat on the table, her mask lying adjacent to a recently killed skull spider.

“Follow the marks to find me.”

Back at the forge, Makuta placed the mold of the Olmak in place, and made sure his other tools were well in place. Preparations were complete. Staff in hand, Makuta marked the stone floor with a series of scratches as he headed off to the depths, fully intending on starting the excavation for the prized ore.

Kana stirred awake, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She didn’t remember falling asleep, or even going to bed. She looked around drowsily at the dark stone walls in her torpor.

Dark stones.

Kana quickly shook herself awake, she was still in the Shadow Realm. She must’ve had fallen asleep after tiring herself out with all that crying, and Makuta had subsequently put her to bed.

With a quick stretch Kana hopped off the oversized bed and into the kitchen, finding her mask next to a stone tablet and a dead skull spider - she cringed in repulsion, still creepy. After finishing her ‘meal’, her eyes settled on the tablet and its message.

“Follow the marks to find me.”

Stepping outside, Kana followed the series of scratches as they led her down a series of stairs and slopes as she descended deeper and deeper into the underground beneath the city. The myriad tunnels were first lit by torches, then by glowing crystals, all the while a constant whirring bounced off the walls. The path branched numerous times but she never strayed from the scratch marks.

She reached Makuta to find him staff in hand drilling at a wall. A series of tool were next to him as well as a large crate containing a few pinpricks of a golden substance.

“Uncle?” She called out quietly, unsure if she could even be heard over the noise. His staff ground to a halt as he looked behind himself and visibly relaxed.

“There you are, sleep well?” he said, voice bouncing off the walls.

“Uh-huh, what do we do?” she said, cutting straight to the point.

“I shall dig a tunnel that will progressively lead us deeper and deeper, and you will search through the rocks for any pinpricks of Protodermis you may find. As I have said before, it is only found in the deepest sections, but we may stumble across the occasional deposit if we are lucky. Are you ready?”

Kana gave a determined nod.

“Then let us begin.”

“Let’s go!”

Chapter Text

Corrin was a wreck, Kana had vanished three days ago, and the entirety of his army had split up to find her. They still hadn’t found anything, but he wasn't going to give up anytime soon. He’d stayed up searching for so long the past days he’d barely gotten any sleep.

Night was about to fall at any moment, and with great pain did Corrin drag himself from the forest back to camp, holding on to the faint hope that the others had found at least something. He quickly reached the bonfire where the others awaited him.

Anna approached him, worried just like he was, “Did you find anything?”

“Nothing,” he said dejectedly and shook his head. Corrin then went around, asking the others the same question only to always receive the same answer; nothing.

Three exhausted figures emerged from the woods and made themselves known, Takumi, Oboro, and Kiragi. Corrin rushed to the trio and spoke before they could. “Did you find her? Where is she? Is she alright?” Corrin hurriedly said, a part hopeful, part tense, all worried smile on his face. Anna stood by his side, awaiting their answer.

Takumi stared back with a conflicted gaze, avoiding direct eye contact for a moment. Corrin looked back to the rest, noticing how they didn’t seem to share his optimism, how they avoided looking at him in the eyes. Their heads held low, discomfort and consternation apparent. His hope began to falter, “Please, tell me she’s…”

“Corrin, Anna, everybody’s done their best, I’ve searched the entire area up and down for the whole day, checked every nook and cranny for the smallest lead, and I…” he spared his wife and son a quick glance, “We’ve found nothing. I don’t know how to say it but...” Takumi trailed off, his mouth jutting open and shut as he tried and failed to form words, until he shook his head and settled with a somber stare. “I’m so sorry,” was all he said, placing a hand on Corrin’s shoulder.

Corrin breathed in sharply and visibly paled, Anna held on to him even tighter as her expression twisted in disbelief. The camp as a whole held their breath. The prince looked elsewhere as his mind struggled to make sense of his brother’s words, until he shut his eyes and shook his head. Already he could feel tears pooling up.

“No,” was all he said, no screams, no cries, just a soft and simple ‘no’. Corrin bowed his head and hid his face beneath his hands. His next breath was cracked and heavy. Anna herself remained still as a statue, still in shock from Takumi’s words.

Corrin spun about, “No, no, no, no,” he twisted and shook in disbelief whilst pacing back and forth, continuously repeating that single word. He refused to believe this was happening, but he couldn’t stop the rising distress. Somberness began to spread amongst his friends and family. Some couldn’t bring themselves to look and kept their heads low, others had their eyes begin to water as his pain hung heavy over all, the air turned gloomy and dejected.

A despondent Corrin doubled over, “Kana...” was all he said before his world crashed down, and Corrin collapsed onto his knees sobbing. The prince cried out in despair, pain, grief, and loss, the sound echoing clearly into the skies.

Corrin wailed openly, such behavior was out of his stature as a prince, but he couldn’t care so much as an inch nor could anybody blame him. He was a father above all else, and his daughter was gone, possibly even... forever.

The realization fully sunk in for Anna, and she began to cry herself, shaking her head in denial. They had faced many hardships in life, but Kana’s disappearance was something all its own, something neither could ever be prepared for.

A hand on his shoulder brought him back to his senses if for just a moment, and Corrin looked up to see Anna. She tearfully offered him a hand, and he clambered up into her hold. Both wife and husband held one another as they grieved openly over their loss, and the rest could do nothing but watch and shed tears of their own.

Chapter Text

”I am not doing that.” Makuta said.

“Why not? You already look the part, might as well act like it for once.” Kana replied.

”I said, I am not doing that.” the Mask Maker reaffirmed.

The girl tugged on his claw. “Come on! It’ll be fun!”

“...”

”Please?”

”...Fine,” Makuta ultimately acquiesced, ”Though it may be a little gratuitous.”

They made their way to the central hall. As they did so, Makuta raised an arm and called upon his powers. Then other footsteps joined them, followed by groans and screeches.

Kana quickly found herself followed by an entourage of shades; shambling forms, crawling traps, beasts not so much resembling weapons as BEING weapons themselves.

The crowd came to a halt before the temple. Kana took her place in the center, watching unsurely from her spot in the sea of phantoms as Makuta trudged into it and took his place at the balcony.

(music)

The Dark Lord drags a claw across his army and growls. ”My minions. Centuries of plotting from the shadows come to fruition at last; today, I will take my rightful place among the gods.” He states with a flourish. Kana feels a chill run down her spine; in a moment’s notice, Makuta’s change in tone and demeanor makes him all the more terrifying.

”It is a victory for all that is dark and unforgiving.” He lays his staff onto the parapet, glaring to the observers below. The beasts roar and snarl as he takes it anew.

”Our ancient code demands we never reveal the prophecy recorded in the Temple of Light. Ekimu, the fool,” the Dark Lord laughs at the mere mention of his brother, then lurches forward. ”He will honor that vow... even if that means the Toa will never know their true power, and darkness will rule forever.” With that proclamation, he plants his staff and leans back clenching his fist in assured victory.

The shades roared their triumph, raising their arms high and laughing in raucous victory. Lightning sprung in the sky as did the crash of thunder. And just as sudden as they came, they puffed into nothingness.

The spectacle was over.

From his perch, Makuta gazed expectantly at his sole spectator, who stood still as a statue looking rather pale.

”Well? How was it?”

Kana numbly nodded her head. “Good...” she muttered, clapping in shock. “Very good...”

Chapter Text

Three months, three restless months of toiling in the depths to wrestle Protodermis from its rocky confines - of which an entire day was spent gingerly digging themselves out of a cave-in. Hours then spent on a convoluted filtering process to extract nugget after nugget, iota after iota. Shadow Beasts threatened them at every stop, but the girl had proven herself to be more than a match for them, and they learned to leave her alone. Those who did not quickly faced his wrath.

Now, after three painstaking months, enough of the elusive ore had been collected to forge her ticket home. Over those spanning days, Kana came to know the depth’s maze-like layout by heart. Eating became more of a distant hobby as she relied more on her mask for sustenance. Her accent even took on a bit of Makuta’s.

The air in the forge hung thick with an intense pressure, it tore at their autonomy and demanded that every action be a conscious one. It only made things more tense.

Makuta went over the forge’s numerous instruments for the umpteenth time. ”The mold is in place. The smelter is burning hot. The Protodermis needs only be placed. Are you prepared, Kana?”

“I’m ready, uncle.”

“Then let us begin.”

The Mask Maker and his protectorate pushed their collective spoils into the smelter then watched with muted tension. The golden pile turned glowing hot and began to lose its shape in its shift to liquid form. Physically, the process was no different than that of regular metal being turned liquid. Mentally, it was a nerve-wracking ordeal. Kana’s heartbeat felt like a thunderous drum in her chest, yet it beat no faster than before. Her hands gripped her dragonstone so tightly she feared it would crack and shatter. Even Makuta wasn’t exempt from it. His eyes constantly darted from one spot to the other, claws clenched together in an iron grasp that threatened to break his armorskin.

The Protodermis had fully melted into a glowing, formless swirl. ”Now,” came Makuta’s order. Kana hurriedly pulled a lever with a little help from him, and the molten substance flowed into the mold, the last drop of which filled it to the brim. Makuta promptly reset the mechanism and stared attentively at the mask as it began to harden.

“The Protodermis will take far longer to solidify than ordinary metals. We can spare some time outside.”

“No,” Kana shook her head, keeping her eyes on the mold. “We can’t make any mistakes.” Both of them knew no such mistake could possibly happen, yet neither wished to run the risk.

Neither spoke as the cast solidified and took the shape of the mold. Every minute felt like an hour, yet boredom never managed to worm its way into her head. She was far too focused staring intently at it, its afterimage a constant in every blink.

What laid beyond the forge did not come to mind, darkness closed onto her surroundings as he reached for the mask. She was solely preoccupied with the present. Her mind refused to acknowledge anything else, blotting them into that same void. There was nothing but the forge, the mask, Makuta, and herself. The tub produced a loud hissing, its content boiling from the incredible heat as it cooled the intruding object. So much vapor exuded from the tub it hid the mask from her sight.

The sizzling came to a halt, and Kana looked on in awe from behind her own mask as Makuta retrieved from it a bright golden mask, large enough to fit snugly upon his head.

“It is done,” he breathed. Makuta turned and showed her the Olmak. Kana could do nothing but remain silent, mesmerized.

“To the balcony,” he said simply. Kana understood and followed suit.

Once there, Makuta raised the Olmak to his head. His dark mask fizzed into nonexistence, and Kana caught a glimpse of his true face; one completely devoid of any defining features.

Makuta sighed as the golden mask’s energies flowed through him, a bright golden glow emanated from his body. Then he remained still as if in deep focus.

After a long pause Kana spoke unsurely, “Uncle? Is something wrong?”

“...Do you mind describing your homelands to me in greater detail? I would rather not risk sending us to the wrong world.”

“Oh! Alright! It looks like... Uhm... Uh... There’s some forests, a really big ravine, some plains, and...” Kana hit a mental roadblock, what did Nohr and Hoshido look like exactly? She hadn’t really seen enough of her homelands to have a clear picture of it. That, and it had been three months since she’d last been in it. Buuuuut…

Kana took off her Mask of Scavenging, “What if I wore it instead?”

Makuta jutted his head in her direction. And for a split second bewildered surprise was written over his eyes before they quickly narrowed into their usual stern stare.

“You are joking?”

“No, I’m serious!” Kana shook her head and lurched forward. “I know what my home looks like more than you do. If anyone knows what they’re doing, it's me.”

“I should warn you that its powers can prove to be overwhelming to the unprepared.”

Her will did not waver, “You know I’m tougher than I look! I have dragon blood, I can do this!” Kana said, nodding as she narrowed her eyes, her resolve strengthened.

Makuta hesitated, then removed the Olmak. “Very well,” he lowered it to her head - his mask fizzled back onto it's rightful spot in a burst of shadowy flames. “You may begin when ready.”

Taking deep breaths, Kana stepped forth. The mask was far too big for her head; she had to push her face against it for it to acknowledge her as its wearer. Even with her preparations, she was taken aback by the surge of power flowing from it and into her. Despite the dazing surge Kana forced herself to endure it and breathed heavily as it came to pass.

"Is everything well?” Makuta said quietly.

I’m okay, I just... didn’t expect that,” Kana gasped, holding tightly onto the mask not only to keep it in place, but to keep her feet.

Once Kana regained her strength she shut her eyes and called out to the mask. She thought of home, the vast green plains of Hoshido, the unfortunate gloominess of Nohr, the great mountain chain that divided them both, and the Bottomless Canyon that laid below.

The mask obeyed.

This time she was ready for it, but the crushing weight nonetheless took its toll upon her. Kana grit her teeth and bared it anew. An opening of some kind began to form before them, a rift in space wide enough for her to pass through it. She spared it a fleeting glance before shutting her eyes again. Not enough, it needed to be bigger for the two of them to pass through.

”Nngh!” Kana strained harder. And the portal stretched itself wider and wider, It’s edges glowing and distorted as its insides swirled like a whirlpool.

“There! That should be enough!” Makuta growled. Kana released the mask and her clenched fist of a face relaxed as she stumbled backwards and fell on her rear. Makuta instantly came to her aid, “Is everything well, niece?”

Kana raised a placating hand to brush him off, “I’m okay, I’m just... tired,” she panted, her skin beaded by efforts. She leaned against his leg as she caught her breath. Kana reached for her mask and sighed as its familiar energy coursed through her, then she was on her two feet again.

She stared at the portal for a long time. It’s insides were ragged and distorted, producing a swirling, humming droning of some kind.

They shared a knowing glance, accentuated with a nod. And with resolve tougher than steel, both stepped forth into the opening. The two abandoned the desolate, oppressive wastes of the Shadow Realm for the soil of what hopefully would be her homelands.

The two emerged from the rift as it closed behind them with an audible pop. And both Kana and Makuta shielded their eyes from the sun momentarily taken aback by its vibrant light; one had not seen its shine in over three months, the other, several centuries.

Other sounds and stimuli quickly joined the light; the softness of grass, the crunching of leaves beneath their feet, the warmth of the sun against their skin, the distant singing of birds, and the wind’s faint breeze. It was a bright, sunny day like any other.

Kana took off her mask and gawked at her surroundings in awe. “We did it... We did it! It’s home! I’m finally home!” she cheered with joy, dashing happily through the plains in circles as she pranced and giggled with glee. Kana ran and ran, bursting with such relief and delight that it left her feeling almost dizzy as she released this pent up energy. Switching from human to dragon form on a whim she rolled, jumped, bucked and kicked as if there was no tomorrow. She’d jump and flip, stumble and fall over only to laugh and do it all over again.

“It’s so good to be out of that scary hole!” A gleeful Kana proclaimed as she spun with her hands stretched out. “Right, uncle?”

Silence.

“Uncle? Did you hear me? What’s the...” Kana spun about only to trail off as she laid her eyes upon him.

The Mask Maker was silent, staring in awe at the plains and forests laid out before him blind to her calls. His eyes very slowly dragged across the surroundings, lingering onto every single things no matter how insignificant. He was mesmerized by it all. Kana approached him, but he paid her no mind.

A bird soared past his head, and he held out his hand for it to perch itself onto a claw. He observed the little feathered creature preening its blue plumage in wonder.

“I have not seen the light of day in thousands of years...” Makuta said quietly in wonder, still not completely over the change of his surroundings. “The singing of birds, the sun’s warmth, it is... nice. It reminds me of Okoto.”

Makuta dismissed the bird, he watched it fly off then knelt down to speak with her. “Now, where can we find your family?”

“We’d definitely find them in Papa’s castle. It’s in the Astral Realm,” Kana answered.

“And exactly how does one enter this...Astral Realm?”

“If you don’t have dragon blood, it's really hard to get to it. But we just need to find a Dragon Vein and I can make a portal to it. Any of them will do.”

“I presume these ‘Dragon Veins’ are scattered across the lands, yes?”

“Uh-huh!” Kana nodded with her usual childish enthusiasm.

“Very well,” Makuta spun the girl around and sent her stumbling forward with a light nudge. “Lead the way.”

And so began their search for the doorway to her family. The journey was nearing its end, but the path ahead was still long.

Corrin was broken. Not in body, but in soul.

He still ate, still drank, still wore the same armor, still lead the army. But the spark of life in his eyes had long since died out. His eyes were glassy and dull, his movements lethargic from depression. He was a hollow shell blankly going through the motions of life. He barely left his quarters, wishing to spare the others the pitiful sight.

His daughter had vanished three months ago. There had been no battle, no ambush, not even the slightest of scuffle. She had left camp to play in the forest, and that was the last anyone had seen of her. Even after the others had assumed the worst he didn't stop. His search lasted for days, weeks, even. He desperately scoured the land for anything that could lead back to Kana, neglecting his own needs in a bid to find her.

He returned empty-handed and broken. Not in body, but in soul.

There had been no traces of her anywhere. No footsteps, no scratch marks, not even any scraps of her armor or scarf. Nothing. It was as if she never existed. And that drained the life out of him.

The others knew of his pain, felt it too, but no one - save for Anna - could truly understand the weight of his grief: his own flesh and blood, gone, her fate left unknown. Every night it would keep him up. And when he finally fell asleep, he would be plagued by nightmares. Demons of all shapes and sizes encroached upon his daughter who begged and cried for help. No matter how fast he ran, how hard he fought, the lands would stretch themselves out, and she’d remain just out of his reach. More often than not he’d wake up screaming as she was set upon by them, stirring the others awake. He was lucky to get more than a few restless hours of sleep.

A horn blared, nudging him out of his sorrowful trance. A soldier broke into his chamber. “My lord, the castle is under attack!” they shouted, voice muffled under their helmet.

”Under attack?” he repeated mutely as he stood to his feet.

Ghosts! The invisible one, the one from…” the soldier shook their head indecisively. “That place we can’t talk about!” they said with a vague gesture.

Vallites. Anankos was seizing on his grief. His army was growing increasingly confident and aggressive, actively leaving Valla to attack both Nohr and Hoshido.

The soldier grabbed his shoulders and shook him fiercely. “My lord, we cannot waste anymore time, there are too many of them! We will be overwhelmed at this rate! We NEED your help!”

The thoughts of losing any more lives brought him back to the realm of the living; he would not lose anymore of his family. “Right! Get the ballistas up and running, and awaken the stoneborns!” Corrin grabbed the Yato and followed the soldier onto the battlefield.

Their little pilgrimage had been going on for a while now, and neither of them were bothered in the slightest. One was overjoyed to finally return home and the other mesmerized by the new world. Neither truly knew where they were headed to, but every moment spent was a happy one. Far better to wander around blindly through the plains than to remain still in the Shadow Realm. Still, it was a little jarring to switch to ‘normal’ food after relying on her mask for so long, she’d almost forgotten how peaches tasted like.

Only very recently had they managed to find a path, and whoever they crossed paths with always gave them a wide berth - Makuta wasn’t exactly someone most would assume to be friendly based on his appearance. Not that it seemed to bother him.

“I can feel it, we’re close to one. It’s gotta be around here somewhere...” Kana said as she looked around attentively for anything that looked out of the ordinary.

“Perhaps the inhabitants of that village may be of use to us.” Makuta said, raising a hand towards the horizon. The two redoubled in their efforts, heading towards it with one goal in mind.

But as they neared it both realized that something wasn’t quite right. Makuta came to a halt and so did she.

“Wait… do you hear that?” he said, eyes narrowing in focus. Kana honed her hearing towards the village. She could hear it; screams and roars. “Beasts.”

“They’re being attacked!” Kana realized. She dashed forward dragonstone in hand, the village wasn’t too far away, it didn’t have to end in another sole-survivor situation like it did with Mozu. She beckoned Makuta forward in a hurry, “We can’t leave them be! We have to help!”

Makuta stomped past and scooped her up in his claw, quickly making their way to it. The village was now in plain sight, overridden with monstrous green beasts shackled by broken restraints; Faceless.

“The central horde is mine, take care of the stragglers and help any you can find.”

“Right!”

“I will send you forth, be prepared.”

“I’m ready, do it!”

With a grunt, Makuta hurled the girl sky high. Kana felt the wind racing against her face and the sudden weightlessness of the air. A fall from this height would definitely kill her, yet she wasn’t afraid at all.

She just knew what to do.

A Faceless shrouded in ghostly flames closed in on a hapless villager. It raised a fist only to pause and look above as it heard a screech. Sharp talons dived down and caved in its face. The rest of the body came crashing down, crushing the monster’s bulk into the soil.

“Go!” Kana roared, urging the villager away with a swing of her neck. The woman hurriedly got onto her feet and ran.

The girl darted from one Faceless to the other, killing them and saving each person she came across. From what she could hear and see, Makuta was making mincemeat of the horde, wounding and knocking down many in a single swipe of his staff.

There were so many of them, but Kana couldn’t stop for a moment: one second spent catching her breath could spell doom to a helpless innocent.

She saw a Faceless - one much more armored than usual - gripping a young boy by the scruff of his neck. It growled a laugh as it raised a fist, and Kana instinctively dashed forward. “LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

The Faceless chieftain jutted its head towards her and snarled, setting the child down in a motion that might generously be called tender. The child ran, eyes as wide as they could be. It took a step forward and roared out its challenge. Kana answered with a roar of her own and charged.

The two traded blows. Kana found her claws to be of little use against its thick armor plates, but nonetheless left massive dents into them bruising the skin underneath and angering it further. For its part, the Faceless almost seemed to be toying with her, or at least figuring out her fighting style.

Kana lunged forward bowing her head only for it to sidestep her goring charge. It gripped her neck and crashed its head against her own. A stumbling Kana growled as her vision blurred and swiped ahead in a blinded daze. Her claws landed a lucky hit and raked its flesh, but it only served to further enrage the beast.

Kana hopped back in time to avoid a wild swing, and it almost seemed to laugh as it bent over and beckoned her forward, daring her to strike again.

Kana took the bait, she stood on her hind legs and brought a claw down in a brutal swipe. The Faceless roared and parried her overhand blow with an armored fist. The girl stumbled as she was forced a few steps back rearing from the blow’s unexpected might. It seized on the opportunity and followed with a crushing haymaker to her chest that knocked her away, throwing her to the ground with a pained roar.

Gasping, the girl stumbled onto all four only to be sent flying by a rising fist. A flash of light, and she crashed down in a pained heap, having reverted back to her human form midair.

A dazed Kana could only stare dumbly as the monster trudged to her with a snarl, raising both arms high for the coup-de-grace.

“NO!”

The Faceless roared out in pain as three flaming prongs suddenly pierced its back and jutted out the other side. Behind it stood the furious frame of Makuta, his eyes a boiling red burning with anger.

“YOU...” he snarled as he raised the impaled monster high. “I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!”

The staff spun to life, turning it into an agonized and growling green swirl. Then Makuta extended his arm blades. Kana shielded her eyes knowing what would follow.

The roars came to a halt and numerous wet bits splattered onto the soil not a second after. He flung the torso onto another Faceless and stomped them both into paste. Makuta was overcome with rage. He saw nothing but red as he slaughtered monsters by the numbers with cascading savagery. She witnessed his blood-soaked, roaring bulk rampage through the thinning horde and, for the first time in three months, she was afraid of him again.

One of the trace remaining Faceless rushed and struck his leg with a furious roar. The blow bounced off the thick plates without causing so much as a dent.

He wheeled about. The Faceless seemed to shrink and pale beneath its helmet. The enraged Mask Maker’s only reply was to lunge claws snapping out to grip its arms. In his wrath he crushed the limbs and pulled out to each sides, tearing its arms off before it could even react.

It stared down dumbly at its armless torso as black ichor sprayed from the stumps. Makuta snarled then swung his arm blades. The head rolled cleanly off its shoulders, then the headless, armless body slumped down with a thud.

His attention then latched to Kana. Apoplectic, savage eyes met with terrified, bewildered ones. And just as sudden as it came, his rage instantly evaporated. Red switched back to white as his expression softened into worry. He gingerly helped his niece onto her feet and ushered her towards a relatively unharmed corpse.

The mask did its job in draining the trace vitality off the remains, and Kana mustered a sigh as pain and soreness ebbed away. Bruises receded and bones fixed themselves anew. Still not fully mended, she drained a few more until she felt good as new. As she did so, the girl tried her her best not to let her eyes linger too long upon the numerous disembodied limbs laying about.

There were a few distant dying roars, then Makuta trudged up to her, a small but noticeable slump in his posture. “There, it is done,” he stated with a sigh as he rid himself of the numerous splatters on his armor. He then gazed at the surrounding plains and called out, “It is safe now.”

With those four words, the villagers emerged from their hiding spots and began crowding around them, both eternally grateful and keeping a healthy amount of cautiousness of the two. Makuta remained silent as Kana did her best in brushing off their numerous gratitude, instead meekly asking if they knew of a nearby Dragon Vein. They were directed to a hollow in the nearby forest, and both found the aforementioned Vein without a hassle.

Kana knelt down, placing a hand onto the soil and drawing out the Dragon Vein’s power. It began to glow, and a great, shapeless swirl formed before them. The portal expanded until it was tall enough for Makuta to step inside with ease.

”Our journey reaches its end beyond this portal, Kana.” Makuta said. Though he remained unmoving and stoic as always, she could see the tinge of sadness in the subtle twitch of his mask.

Before she could offer an answer, the portal began to clear up, giving them a view of her father’s castle.

“Wait, something’s wrong...”

To her horror, what should have been a welcoming sight was anything but; the castle grounds were overridden with countless ghostly invaders. Corrin and his army were pushing back as best as they could, but it was obviously a losing battle.

“Oh gods, they’re everywhere!” Kana said, horrified.

Makuta stepped forward staff in hand, “Then I shall take to the front lines myself.” He snatched the girl and placed her onto his back. “Hold onto me and stay where you are; these vermin are mine.” he plunged into the portal arms crackling with shadow energy.

The situation was grim, for every invader that fell by his blade two more took its place. Anankos wasn’t playing anymore games; he wanted them all dead there and now. Many were wounded, some too badly to fight - amongst them Anna. Corrin barely had so much as a scratch on him, but he could feel the fatigue weighing him down more and more. They just wouldn’t stop coming, like an unstoppable wave. It was only a matter of time until he’d be too tired to even raise his sword.

Another portal appeared on the battlefield, no doubt carrying more invaders within itself.

“More reinforcements! We can’t hold them much longer!”

Instead of more foes what came out the hazy mist was a blast of darkness, destroying a dozen invaders. Both sides came to a halt as an enormous spear-like staff then emerged, followed shortly by its wielder; a masked titan clad in red, dark, and gold. The newcomer raised a claw and blasted away a pack of Faceless, simultaneously revealing its allegiance and jostling the combatants back into action.

The battle raged on, but a powerful ally had made themselves known and single-handedly turned the tides in Corrin’s favor. One by one, the invaders were pushed back.

This could not be considered a fight. It was a slaughter. A slaughter he carried without mercy. Those who stood against him were broken and discarded.

Makuta swung his staff in an arc, mowing down rows upon rows of invading soldiers as they were either sent flying or crashing into their partners like ragdolls, granting the defenders a reprieve from their previous struggle.

The foes were plentiful in numbers but they fell by his hands all the same by the dozen. A general crushed to free a swordsman here, a Faceless destroyed to help an oddly dressed wyvern rider there. He was plowing through the hordes like a child stepping on ants. He snatched a blonde girl away from a berserker, destroying it before setting her down with care.

An arrow bounced off his mask, and the titan raised a foot to crush the invader into paste. He heard Kana retch from her perch and muttered an apology under his breath.

Makuta heard a scream and spun about firing a shadow blast at a distant group of enemy soldiers, freeing an injured blue haired woman long enough for two archers with matching outfits to hoist and carry her to safety.

The battle went on until there were barely any invaders left. A figure stepped forth, ornate armor cloaked in the same ghostly flames as the others.

He unsheathed his blade with a laugh, “I’ve waited far too long for a worthy opponent. Show me what you’ve got!”

Makuta didn’t listen to the swordsman’s boast. The flaming prongs of his staff shifted and pressed tightly together. And without a word he thrust it forward in the blink of an eye, skewering the man onto it with a gurgle. He gripped the head and plucked the body off the tip. There was a crunch, and the body went still, discarded like rubbish the moment thereafter.

Scattered and leaderless, the remaining stragglers were quickly routed with ease. The battle over, Makuta placed his staff onto his back, careful not to bother the girl. Freed from danger the wounded were brought into tents and tended to.

It was only a matter of time until a small, cautious crowd began to form around him, he scrutinized each and every single one to see if any shared some resemblances to Kana. Most if not all visibly shrunk under his stare but some kept their cool, if for a few seconds longer.

A young man in whitish-gray armor stepped forth. His hair was white, his eyes crimson, and his ears slightly pointy - something Kana had too. Makuta had seen enough; this was her father, no bones about it.

Corrin approached the stranger but kept a safe distance, intending to thank them for their much needed assistance. He didn’t know who they were, or even what they were, only that he wouldn’t have won without their help.

The titan’s gaze settled onto him. Its brow narrowed in scrutiny and it hesitantly began to raise its hand. Corrin’s instinct kicked in and he assumed a defensive stance as did his retainers. Unfettered by his action the titan carried on with its own, slowly reaching behind its head and taking ahold of something perched on its back.

When its hand returned to sight a small armored figure was held safely in its clutch, their face also hidden beneath a mask of their own, though one much less regal than the one it wore.

The titan continued in its glacial pace. It knelt down and the figure dropped down from its hand onto the ground. They glanced at him, then to the titan, back to Corrin, then back to the titan again.

Something in his heart stirred, something about them seemed… familiar.

The titan nodded to the figure and gave them a light, encouraging push forward. The figure then took a tentative step ahead, as if they were uncertain, or perhaps nervous, to continue.

They way they moved. The grey of their armor. Their small size. All of it made his heart pause, it brought her to mind.

Their blade clattered onto the ground as they bowed their head. Small, childlike hands scrambled to undo clasps at the back. Then they gripped the mask and gently pulled at its sides. The covering came off without a hitch, and the figure held it loose in one hand.

A small series of gasps left Corrin and the others as he froze. His eyes shot wide in disbelief as he dropped the Yato in shock, mouth hanging partially open. He could hardly believe what he was seeing.

Hiding behind the mask was the face of a young girl with hair the same shade of red as Anna. Her eyes were a soft gray and her ears pointy just like his.

For a moment time stood still as everyone held their breaths. The girl stared back with a mix of uncertainty, adoration, and awe. stunned just like him.

“...Papa?” she breathed, her voice soft and tentative, barely above a whisper as if the slightest noise would whisk him away.

The voice cleared any shreds of doubts that lingered. Yes, it was her. It was his little Kana, who he thought he had lost months ago, having vanished without a trace.

“Kana?” he answered, his voice trembling and barely above a whisper.

Her grip on the mask vanished, and it clanged onto the grass with a ‘thud’. A wide open grin crossed her face as tears welled up in her eyes. “Papa!” she cried out again, dashing to him with her arms held out.

Corrin met her halfway. He knelt down and tightly wrapped his arms around her as she threw herself in his grasp, nearly knocking him off his feet. Tears flowed freely down their cheeks as father and daughter cried openly, overjoyed from being finally reunited after so long.

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that, sobbing relief into the other’s shoulder as he ruffled her hair and she held on tighter, it could have been an hour for all he knew. Months of despair and anxiety melted away in the blink of an eye, she was here, safe and sound, looking no worse for wear.

He cradled her head and smiled with tearful eyes, “I’m so glad you’re okay,” he managed to choke out. “I missed you so much.”

Kana mimicked the act, gloved hands reached out to hold him. “I missed you too, Papa.”

Corrin asked the question that ached him all this time; "What happened to you?"

Kana could only offer an honest shrug, unsure herself. "I don't know, I just remember playing in the forest, then I was in this whole other world. It was straight out of a nightmare, there were monsters everywhere. I was so scared, but then I met him.”

Her answer paved the way for curiosity. "Him?" Corrin said, furrowing his brow.

She gestured to the masked titan, who had stood back to his full height eyeing the pair in silence. His crimson eyes met with the titan’s white ones, and his gaze betrayed no hostility, just simple curiosity.

"He helped me, kept me safe, and brought me back,” Kana finished. As much as she hated to do so, she squirmed from her father’s grasp and nudged him towards her guardian.

All eyes were on him, waiting for him to take the first step and speak to the titan.

Corrin brushed the tears from his eyes and approached him. He was still a mess from his tearful reunion, but he could afford to look less like one.

He stood before him, looking back at Kana before speaking up. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing back my daughter safely, uh...” Corrin’s mouth held open as he attempted to recall a name he never once heard. “Sorry, what’s your name?” he asked sheepishly.

“Makuta,” the titan answered, his voice quiet.

The prince was momentarily taken aback by the gravelness of his voice, but nodded in acknowledgment, “Thank you, Makuta.”

He acknowledged his gratitude with a nod of his own and turned around. He walked a few paces before Corrin called out to him once more. “Wait, don’t leave!”

Makuta paused, he looked over his shoulder to see Corrin with his hand out, Kana stood at his side, staring mournfully at the thought of his departing to the Shadow Realm.

“I can’t ever repay you enough for what you did to me, to all of us. But I can offer you a place to stay, a part in my army.”

Makuta did not answer, but the barest jolt of his head upwards and widening of his eyes betrayed his surprise at Corrin’s invitation. He had remained in the Shadow Realm for well over a thousand years, this was his chance to make himself worthy of the title ‘Mask Maker’ once more, and help bring peace to worlds torn by a hidden war.

Besides, Kana would surely miss him if he left.

Makuta approached Corrin once more, his pace slow and purposeful. “I cannot refuse such an invitation; I will join you in your endeavors.” He declared.

Corrin stuck out a hand, Makuta raised his own, and the pair ‘shook hands’ the best they could.

He spared the girl a knowing glance and smiled beneath his mask as she beamed in rejoice.

“Now, is there a forge nearby? Preferably a spacious one.”

END