"It's all right. It's quite all right, really. She's having a rest. We'll be going on soon. There's no hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world."
- Timothy Dalton
"I might as well ask you for the vodka martinis that have silenced the screams of all the men you killed. Or if you find forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women, for all the dead ones you failed to protect."
- Roger Moore
"Contract?"
- Kyubey
The war was over. Vah Ruta's chambers echoed with the sounds of waving water and quiet weeping. Link's weeping.
He was huddled in the water with Mipha's body in his arms. He had rushed to Vah Ruta as soon as he was able. The only other thing in the sanctum with them were Waterblight Ganon's remains, dead just like his evil master.
Calamity Ganon had been defeated. Link had been able to save Hyrule, but he had come too late to save her. He couldn't even be there in time to give her comfort so she wouldn't have to be alone in her final moments. He had failed her.
In the aqueduct windows above, a single slender figure crept into view. She was a lone assassin with her entire face covered in a Yiga mask. Her long silver hair flew behind her as she hopped down from her viewpoint and lightly splashed in the water beside Ruta's main control terminal.
The Yiga girl silently reached over Waterblight Ganon's corpse. One hand held a small knife, which she used to carefully pry out the monster's petrified eye, salvaging whatever horrible treasure she could. The other held up a poisoned throwing star, ready to silence any witnesses who were unlucky enough to cross her path.
But Link never moved. He didn't valiantly rise up with the Master Sword in hand to avenge his lost love. He only lowered his head, silently waiting for death to take him and reunite him with Mipha.
The Yiga girl finished prying out the eye. The Waterblight's corpse bubbled and melted down into oil slick in Ruta's water. It evaporated completely in a cloud of black steam.
The Yiga slipped her throwing star back into a small bag at her waist and carried the corrupt artifact in one hand. She nimbly but cautiously waded through the ankle-high water toward the spot where Mipha had fallen. She shook her head and spoke in a soft, muffled voice.
"Poor little thing. I would have pleaded with grandma to stir up a better Waterblight if I had known the Zora Champion was so sweet. She didn't deserve to go out like this."
"Stay away from her!" Link snapped like a man transformed into a wolf, drawing Mipha's limp form tighter in his arms.
The Yiga calmly stood there with one hand on her hip, rolling the large glass eye in her other hand like a magic globe. Behind her mask, she contemplated.
"You know, it doesn't have to end this way," she finally told Link. "The Yiga are always looking for new conduits to hide Ganon's energy while he sleeps. We've tried crystals, ancient weapons, animals, different people through the ages. Even some of the previous Zeldas have gotten themselves dirty in this resurrection business in a few eras, even if she's too stuck-up to admit it."
The girl curiously tilted her head.
"We've never tried using another princess before."
Link never lifted his eyes from his lifeless beloved. Blinded by his grief, drowning in his sorrow, he wasn't thinking clearly.
"What are you saying?" he asked in a weak voice.
"I could bring her back with the last of Calamity Ganon's power from this generation," the shadowy Yiga innocently suggested.
"What's in it for us?" Link said.
"You'll live together, you'll love together, and you'll dry up like old papayas and die together," she said temptingly. "Life can go on like this never happened to the two of you… if you're willing to pay a price."
Link moved his hand to brush the ruby fins away from Mipha's closed eyes. He sighed as he slipped further into despair.
"Will she know?" he said uneasily. "Will she find out what I've done to her?"
"Not in her lifetime," the Yiga promised. "Ganon's far too weak to be detected for at least the next few centuries, and he never harms the carrier when he's dormant. When Hyrule starts preparing for his next return ages from now, no one will ever know he's gathering his strength in the moldy dust of some ancient Zora princess who gave up her life to stop him the last time. It can be our little secret."
The water sloshed lightly as the Yiga came nearer.
"Of course, since the two of you are so close, you'll wind up tied to his power as well. Long after the two of you are gone, your spirits will still be bound together in his darkness. You'll both be left as shadows of yourselves. She'll become his main source of strength eons from now. You'll serve only to keep an eye on her resting place. You'll be her own little phantom bodyguard."
In the back of his desperate, fractured mind, Link told himself that might be for the better. He was still looking down at Mipha when he replied.
"Our descendants will be there to stop him. We just didn't train long enough this time. Whatever we turn into, they'll be better than us! They'll be even stronger than us! The prophecies say you'll never win," he growled, but even he couldn't completely believe his words. The same prophecies said the Divine Beasts weren't supposed to fail them, yet this disaster happened.
"Then it sounds like your conscience is free of guilt. Let the next batch of heroes clean up whatever mess you make," the Yiga girl said cheerfully. "But facing Calamity Ganon after he's inherited regenerative powers like hers? I'm betting differently."
The water sloshed again. The Yiga girl was practically looming over him now.
"So what's it going to be, hero? Are you willing to take a little gamble with me?"
The chamber was silent for several moments. Finally, Link lifted his head and stared into the wicked symbol that covered the girl's face.
"Help her," he whispered in defeat.
The Yiga kneeled to Mipha's other side. She moved Link's arm back from Mipha's chest and held the petrified eye against her scales. The dark blue sphere slowly sank into her as if her heart was a small lake, gradually losing its bubble shape as it became one with her.
"Come on, hero," the Yiga said with an impatient breath. "I can't curse this girl all by myself."
Hesitantly but instinctively, Link placed his hand over the Yiga's and gave her the rest of the strength she needed to guide the orb the rest of the way. As it was completely absorbed, Mipha's most grave injuries healed instantly, leaving only minor cuts and the occasional welt along her shimmering scales.
The Yiga slowly rose back to her feet. Pressing her two fingers to her brow in a sign of farewell, she tilted her head.
"We'll see you around in another ten thousand years, Mr. Black Knight."
The girl giggled deviously as she dissolved behind a puff of mist. All Link could do now was hold Mipha in his arms, waiting for a miracle.
Her gills began to gently sway. Her lips parted slightly as her chest slowly rose and fell. Her eyelids twitched before they finally showed their familiar gold irises, once again full of life. As she came to, she seemed more confused than relieved.
"Link? H-how?" she blinked, turning her head toward every side of her Divine Beast. "What happened? Something flew at Ruta. This thing started trying to take control of her. I fought it as long as I could, but I… I'm certain I…"
Link held her closer so his warmth would help her regain hers. He pulled her face into his hair so she wouldn't see how much he was struggling not to cry.
"It was just a nightmare," he whispered in her ear. "It's all over now."
Mipha closed her eyes and smiled, never asking more.
Link lifted the weary Champion out of the water and carried her to safety. They were nearly at Vah Ruta's entrance when he spoke, finally appearing happy and relieved.
"Hey, Mipha?"
"Hm?" The Zora princess blinked sleepily, nestled comfortably in his protective arms.
"Remember how you said you were hoping we could spend more time together once this was over?"
Zelda arrived at Vah Ruta with her Sheikah escorts just as Link was walking out of the Divine Beast's foot with Mipha in his arms. She came rushing forward in surprise, hardly believing it was the two of them.
"Link! Mipha! Are you alright?"
"She's just a little scratched," Link said, happy to be bearing Mipha's weight. "She needs her rest."
"Don't worry about me, princess. I'll be fine," Mipha said with her head nestled against Link's shoulder. Her face sparkled with serene cheer.
"I'm so glad for you," Zelda sighed softly. "But Urbosa and the others… I only wished they were…" She shook her head in grief.
Mipha's eyes widened as the realization she was the only survivor of the four Champions sunk in. Link already knew none of them had survived.
"It's alright," he calmly told both princesses. He looked down at Mipha lovingly, causing his hair to cast a dark shadow over his eyes.
"We'll make sure the world doesn't forget them."
Author's note: If you're confused about the nameless Yiga character, read "Can the Eel Come Out to Play?" This story is basically another AU of that AU introducing Bad Paya, Who Hangs Out with Nega-Impa.