A room slowly came into focus as Zelda awakened. Four pillars stood at each corner of the bed she lay on. Earthy red curtains swayed in the vacant sections of wall while flames from lit sconces flickered. Shelves held various pots and books while vases sat in different corners of the room. Zelda blinked the fog from her eyes and rolled over.

"What the-?!"

Zelda shot up as a stuffed sand seal faced her.

"Good evening!" A soft voice fluttered from the entrance. "I see you have met Patricia." She continued, a giggle escaping her.

Peering across the room, Zelda found the source.

"Lady Riju" she breathed a smile. She stood as the Gerudo embraced her.

"Bularia found you on the outskirts of our town this morning. You must have passed out from heat exhaustion. Your lips were cracked and bleeding."

Lady Riju strolled to a fountain in the corner and began filling a mug with water. "Pardon my curiosity, but why were you out so far? This heat could kill you. "

Zelda traced her lips. Deep cracks scarred them. "Well," she started, wrapping herself in the soft sheets. "Something is happening in Hyrule. I'm not really sure what it is per se, but ever since Link - er - the knight defeated Calamity Ganon, it seems that Hyrule has, well, heated. My people are becoming sick from it. Some are dying. I was hoping to find the Winterwing butterfly and take it back to the lab to see if we could mass produce a cooling agent. Yes, it is a temporary fix but at least it would keep the Hylians from dying."

Lady Riju gave Zelda the cup and took a seat on the bed next to her. In seconds the princess downed the sweet liquid.

"I've never seen anything like it." Zelda finished.

The Gerudo looked the princess over. "A flutter of butterflies clouded Kara Kara Bazaar about a week ago. Did you find any out there?" she asked, playing with the jewels on her skirt.

"Well, this is the crazy part. My slate tracked the population's migratory path to the Palu Wastelands. Once I was out there though...nothing. My slate must not be working properly, because it won't even register the species. It's as if they never existed."

"What are you going to do?"

"I guess I'll begin looking for the Darners soon if I cannot find the butterflies. I can't stop now." Zelda began rubbing her forehead.

"What does Prince Lorne think of all this?" Riju asked innocently.

Zelda sighed inwardly. What did her fiance think? He was always tucked away in his hall discussing politics and hosting banquets. She rarely spoke to him. Not only because he was scarcely found, but because deep down, she didn't want to.

"He's so busy" she continued, adopting her years of public speaking. "I choose not to disturb him with matters like these."

Lady Riju rolled her eyes and leaned back on one arm. "Voes are mindless brutes. It doesn't matter what he thinks if he even thinks about the betterment of Hyrule anyway." Zelda blinked. Lady Riju gave a faint smile.

"Hyrule is not his to care for."

"But it will be someday."

Zelda felt a twinge of annoyance pass through her.

"So tell me, have you spoke with Link recently?"

"I…" Her voice cracked. "No, not in a long time." She cleared her throat. "My personal woes are just distractions. I came here to find a temporary fix for my people until I get this problem sorted out." She finger combed her hair then stood, straightening her tunic. "Do you know of anything else that may aid my people?"

The Gerudo smiled and waltzed to a chest at the bottom of the bed.

"I may not have something for your people, but I do have something for you."

Delicately, she lifted an object wrapped in red silk out of the metal trunk. It was small. A glimmer of silver peeked out from the cloth. "Lady Urbosa told me stories; many stories, of a cycle." Lady Riju motioned to Zelda to follow her as she kept speaking. Zelda stood, dropping the sheets to the bed then followed, feeling the cool cobblestone under her feet.

"The cycle ended with the Calamity; however, it also began again."

They approached an altar outside of the Gerudo's sleeping quarters. A small moat encircled a clay pillar. Flower petals floated in the still water.

"In every cycle, it seems that there are three forces; an embodiment of light which comes from your goddess, an embodiment of darkness, and an embodiment of truth. This cycle repeats every 100 years. In the most recent cycle, you were the embodiment of light. I see it in your eyes." Lady Riju paused, casting a glance over her shoulder to the Hylian princess. A hidden smile. "It seems that you are yet again the embodiment of light for the next cycle."

A look of confusion crossed Zelda's face. A heartbeat passed. She composed herself and stepped beside the Gerudo chieftain, staring out into the vast desert.

"This is not possible Lady Riju. I have done my part. I am simply following my path to care for my people." Zelda paused and thought. "How did you acquire this information? Even my oracles have told me that such events have passed." She tried to hide the bite in her words but failed.

Lady Riju began unwrapping the object. The silk rippled in the breeze as it fell to the floor. A small dagger, no bigger than the Gerudo's slender hand, shone like a diamond in the moonlight. Three rubies lay in the hilt while gold filigree traced the blade. Turning the blade in her hands, Lady Riju spoke.

"You're asking the wrong question."

The princess, mesmerized by the beautiful blade, caught herself tensing.

"What question should I ask then?" her voice an almost whisper.

With a quick flick of her wrist, Lady Riju sliced through her own palm. She waited a single moment to allow her blood to pool in the palm of her hand, then poured it into a small dip on top of the pillar.

"Ask me this Princess: Who did I get this information from?"

Zelda held her composure even though she was wary. She watched in confusion and curiosity as the Gerudo chieftain inserted the dagger into the altar. Blue light erupted from the top while cracks formed down the clay. The water began to bubble. A sacred note began to sound; quietly at first, slowly getting louder. The wind whipped the women's hair. Zelda shielded her eyes from the too bright blue light.

Riju smiled upward, holding her arms out in praise. All Zelda could hear was this piercing holy note. It was so familiar. Then, as quickly as it came, it vanished. The water settled and the wind died. Lady Riju fell to her knees, her head against the floor in a kneel. Zelda blinked, bringing her hand down by her side. She inhaled sharply as her eyes grew wide with shock. Behind the altar stood a magnificent vai. Red hair coiffed in a green tie billowed down to her waist. Golden armor guarded her shoulders and met a colorful brazier. Her waist and abdomen were bare, showing beautifully sculpted abs. Golden pieces shimmered along a red sash wrapped around her voluminous hips while the champions blue garb was hiked at the top of her left hip showing how long her sculpted legs really were. It clung seductively to her curves down to her right calf. Gold bracelets, bangles, and anklets chimed as the Gerudo champion turned to face Princess Zelda. A sensual voice resonated through the air as if the woman speaking were speaking across multiple dimensions.

"Well, well, well...you sure do know how to keep a woman waiting."

A sultry smile crossed her lips as she brought her arm beside her face. The champion snapped her fingers and lightning seized the sky. Thunder crashed. A grin grew across Zelda's face as all tension melted. She blinked back tears.

"Lady Urbosa!"