"… I hope you know that I will always protect you." Relief filled her petite frame as some of the anguish in Link's eyes dissipated at her words. She retracted her hand from his freshly healed arm and gazed nervously out over the waters of the East Reservoir Lake. She had brought Link to Ruta, hoping that atop the Divine Beast, she could finally ask him the question she had been meaning to for some time.

"Once this whole thing is done, perhaps things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know…Perhaps we could spend some time together."

The Zora Champion was surprised at how confident she sounded when she suggested it. She didn't feel nearly so within as she again second-guessed herself and her intent for bringing Link here. Her inner turmoil was lessened as she carefully analyzed Link's face. His features seemed lighter as though a weight had been lifted. If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed that his smile wouldn't be far behind.

She knew better. It was so rarely that he smiled anymore. Even Sidon and Owen struggled to wrestle the barest tug at Link's lips. She looked away to hide her dissatisfaction, choosing instead to look down at her hands that she held together.

"I was thinking," Link muttered hoarsely, causing her eyes to snap back to him, "about the promise I made Naydra that night." His face gave nothing away as he stared at her intently. "When I go to finally meet her… will you… will you come with me?" he finished weakly.

Mipha smiled graciously as she inclined her head. It was rare that she was able to spend any time with him anymore. The idea that maybe one day he would truly come home overjoyed her.

Link gave her a grateful nod and turned his brooding eyes back to the lake beneath them. Mipha's hand unconsciously trailed the package she had brought with her. Another moment of indecision wracked her as she rushed herself to choose. She looked to her suffering friend as she attempted to make up her mind. In that brief second, where the weight of the world seemed to weigh him down, she made her choice.

She would wait once again.

Mipha had assumed that after the brief conversation, Link would be biting at the bit to return to Princess Zelda. The Hylian made no move to get up, seeming content to remain where he was. Mipha said nothing as the afternoon bled into evening, eventually fading into night. She was more than happy to spend her time in the company of a dear friend.

Mipha opened her eyes to see Link's face hovering above hers. She was disoriented, not even realizing that she had collapsed. Link gently helped her into a sitting position.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I think so," she replied gratefully. In truth, her heart hurt terribly. Remembering the loss of her mother, and then reexperiencing the pain of watching Link wither away from a once vibrant child was difficult, to say the least.

Link frowned at her.

"I have just remembered some painful things. It will take time for them to fade away again."

He tilted his head in thought. Finally, he gave her a firm nod and stood, helping her up carefully as he did so. The Hylian Champion held onto her as she wobbled even with his support. Mipha took several deep breaths, fighting against nausea that bubbled within her. She had suspected that entering the Divine Beast would have a negative effect on her. She hadn't expected it to be so severe though as she tried to swallow down the bile that was building in her throat.

She unsteadily assured Link that she would be all right and that he could let go. He did so, albeit unwillingly, sticking closer than he normally would.

"What now?"

"Ruta seems to be locked down," Mipha answered shakily. "The console that was first used to activate her is further within. I think we should start there."

Link latched onto her arm as she nearly fell taking a step.

"Really, I will be fine."

Link nodded, but his grip remained, helping to steady her.

"Very well," she murmured. "Let's get moving."

The Zora Champion led Link towards the rear of Ruta. There, separated from them by a small pool of water and an overhanging gate, was a terminal matching the ones in the shrines and towers.

"May I have the Slate?"

"No, wait here." He didn't wait for her to protest, diving into the shallow pool of water at their feet. She watched the spot where he had disappeared, waiting impatiently for him to get back. Being alone in Ruta was unnerving. The once clean, lit pathways through the interior were now covered in oily black masses. She nearly choked as she saw black particles evaporating from the blackness into the air. She had once found solace here among the earthen colors and the blue highlights. Now, a sickly red glow permeated the interior as malice stained the surfaces.

She nearly cried out as Link resurfaced, looking at her with all the concern in the world as he pulled himself out of the water. He took his place by her side and pulled out the Sheikah Slate. Rather than tilting its face towards them, he held it flat and tapped a new symbol. A three-dimensional image of Ruta sprung up from the Slate's surface, giving off a soft orange glow as it did so. The image was transparent, allowing her to see the outside as well as the inside. Scattered throughout the interior were special markings.

"These are the terminals we need to activate," she murmured as she indicated one of the locations specified on the strange map.

Link nodded and put the map away, setting a steadying hand on her in the process.

"Lead the way."

"Well, that looks… interesting," Urbosa commented as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She had been in the process of assisting Captain Bazz with battle preparations when Sidon, wearing a full set of metal armor, bounded up to her with an exuberant greeting. "Is this the solution Purah was talking about?"

"Yes! Supposedly electricity onl- " he was cut off as Urbosa raised a hand.

"You can spare me the finer details. Wasn't that meant for Sergeant Seggin?"

"Ah, about that. I asked her assistant to modify it for me instead."

"So, a Prince who could sit this out safely behind the frontlines is instead risking his life?" she asked as she raised a brow.

"I do not intend to sit idly by as my family and friends risk their lives."

"Hmm," she hummed as she hooked her finger on her chin. "You've got a lot of spunk. I like it."

"You do? I thought you might try to send me back."

"I think a leader should be willing to do more than they ask their followers. Do you disagree?"

"No!" he replied excitedly. "I look forward to fighting by your side."

"Moving a bit fast, aren't we? Usually, I expect to be taken to dinner before I trust someone to fight at my side," she responded, setting a hand on her hip.

"Well… while I am currently not courting anyone, I still think it would be highly inappropriate for me too- I mean that I," he quickly tried to correct himself as she raised a brow at his objections, "well you see… Allow me to start again… What is so funny?"

Urbosa laughed raucously at the young Prince before her.

"You are so like your sister."

"Thank you?"

"You are just so easy to mess with."

"I see. Is that a good thing?"

"For me? Absolutely. For you? Not so much."

"Ahh… perhaps we should continue readying ourselves?"

"Eager to get out of the mess you're in?"

"No… I mean, it's not that I mind it's just- "

"So easy," Urbosa chuckled. Sidon hung his head as she grinned playfully at him. "I suppose you're right."

"So where are we right now?" the Zora Prince asked, his embarrassment forgotten.

"Not anywhere good." Urbosa began tracing her temple with a finger.

"But you and I should be able to deal with the worst of it right?"

"I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, we don't know how many there are, exactly how many shock weapons there are, and because of the Zora's weak climbing abilities, we are stuck on this field with few ways to flank them. You and I are also the only ones with any sort of resistance to electricity, which means everyone else is going to have to hang behind until we've eliminated that particular danger."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sidon asked impassively.

"I've sent one of yours to the Wetland Stables with a message for a… friend. I think he would be able to tip the scales."

"Are you sure he will come?"

"Oh, he'll come alright. The chance to win attention in battle and me asking for help will be too irresistible for him."

"It sounds like there is nothing to worry about!"

Urbosa shook her head at the Prince's boundless enthusiasm. He wasn't putting nearly enough thought into what was to come. Even so, she wasn't sure that trying to impress on him the gravity of their situation was a good idea. Sidon, with his unshakable faith, could help to keep their morale high and that could win them the battle.

"So, what is the plan?"

"You and I are going to hold the line while some of the best swimmers wait at the bottom of the river. When we identify the largest threats, they'll spring out of hiding and hopefully kill them before they can do too much damage."

"Hmm," Sidon hummed thoughtfully. "Is there any other way we can ambush them?"

"Not that I can think of," Urbosa muttered gravely. "If we had more climbers, we could have them laying in wait from above, but that won't work."

"This is not going to be easy, is it?"

"Not in the slightest but I do have a trick or two up my sleeve."

"Like what?"

"Now that would be telling," she chuckled. "Alright, let's get back to work."

Sidon nodded and took to her side as she got back to work preparing for the battle ahead.

They had done it.

They had activated all the terminals within Ruta. Now, it was time for them to descend to Ruta's control room.

Link looked at Mipha. She had gradually become steadier as they had activated the terminals. She could walk without help, and most of her flush was gone. He was still concerned about her though. The closer they got to the control room, the more she fidgeted. He chalked it up to nerves. The interior of Ruta was filled with more than the oily black substance they had seen upon entering. Some of the masses contained eyes that watched them. No matter where they were, they couldn't escape the all-seeing eyes. He didn't want to admit it, but he was unnerved by the feeling of constantly being watched, yet it also felt strangely familiar. Link had never wanted to escape a situation as much as he wanted to right then. He kept his face perfectly neutral as he shrugged the thought off.

"Link… there is something you should know. It's about the armor you are wearing."

Link stopped and turned to look at her. He thought it was peculiar that she had stopped to talk about this just outside the control room.

"I know that my father said we would talk about this after we appeased Ruta, but I don't know what is about to happen. I want… I want you to know the significance of what it means." She spoke quietly and nervously. "It's… it's…"

"It's okay," Link interrupted. He didn't want her to force herself to speak if she was unwilling.

"No, it isn't!" He flinched unconsciously as she snapped. "I am sorry, Link, but I need you to understand. That armor… it's an engagement gift."

"Engagement?"

"Yes. Father and I decided that because of the situation, we would wait to inform you until after Ruta was cleansed."

Link stared at her uncomprehendingly. His mind stopped working as he tried to process what Mipha had just told him. The Zora Princess' fidgeting grew worse as Link stood there silently.

"If you do not wish to accept it… that is… it's okay. I mean of course I wish you to accept but if you don't that's okay too. All I want is for you to be happy- "

"Let's go," Link interrupted quietly. He didn't wait for Mipha to reply, instead choosing to enter the control room. He felt far too conflicted to do anything else.

"You just need to activate that terminal." Mipha's voice cracked as she motioned towards the console at the far end of the room. "That will reset Ruta's system, but we should be careful. This is likely where Ganon will- "

"I'm sorry," Link muttered suddenly. "I just need time to think about… all of this."

"I am so sorry. I know that it was unfair of me to put all of that on you so suddenly."

"I'd rather know than not know… it's just a lot."

"I know. I just want you to know what it means. Why it fits you so well."

"I see…"

"Let's… let's just focus on this right now," Mipha murmured quietly.

Link nodded, still uneasy about the situation he was in. He set it aside as he brought the Slate up and set it on the terminal. As soon as the Slate made contact, an explosion of malice knocked him back. Threads of blue light fled the console, collecting behind both him and Mipha.

"Waterblight…" Link strained to hear Zelda's voice as he flipped around. "Waterblight…"

The blue threads spun themselves together, forming into something that had appeared to have crawled its way out of a nightmare. The misshapen figure was an amalgamation of ancient technology and malice that had coagulated to form purple skin. Red veins crisscrossed over the sickly skin as a single, blue eye stared them down. The red mane that patched its face flowed through the air as the creature hung above them.

"Waterblight is a phantom of Ganon. It was created for the sole purpose of killing the Zora champion and turning the Divine Beast against us. One hundred years ago, its interference nearly killed Mipha and almost led to the destruction of the Domain. I have held in check as best I can but it is up to you two to destroy it. I have faith that together, you two can defeat it. May you be victorious."

Waterblight activated a device it held in its hand, causing a giant, holographic spear to jut forth from it. Link drew his sword and lowered his center of gravity as the scourge of Vah Ruta charged forward.

"Dinsake!" Urbosa spat as she managed to put her shield between herself and another Lizalfo's sword. Though the battle could not have been raging for very long, she and Sidon were already standing on a hill made out of the lizard-monsters' bodies. Her foot lashed out, catching the creature in the chest and sending it careening back into its kin. "How many of these things are there?"

"I don't know," Sidon gasped as he dispatched another of the monsters with a quick flick of his wrist.

Things had, as she should have guessed, gone terribly wrong. Their plan to hide Zora soldiers in the water hadn't worked. The Lizalfo that had shock arrows were nowhere to be found, and instead, the Zora had been confronted with swords and spears that were electrified as well. They had been forced to retreat before they could do anything, leaving Urbosa and Sidon to handle the fighting as best they could.

Urbosa only had enough time to fill her lungs with air before another swarm of Lizalfo descended on her. She lost herself in the monotony of swinging her sword, blocking a strike, and swinging her sword again. The hill of bodies beneath her feet grew with every passing minute and still, there was no end in sight.

Urbosa grunted in pain as a Lizal boomerang cut her leg. She fell to her knees as the Lizalfo's stood over her. Before the monster could even draw back, Midna crashed into it and ripped its throat out. The wolf stood next to her as she quickly drank a stamina potion and pushed herself back up, ready to fight again.

Midna didn't retreat behind Urbosa this time. The wolf would attack low, latching on to a Lizalfo calf while the Gerudo Champion attacked high.

"Lady Urbosa! We may have a problem!" Sidon called.

"What?"

"They have shock arrows above us!"

Urbosa smiled ruefully as she cut down another monster.

"Cover me!"

The Zora Prince obliged, stepping in front of her during a momentary lull. Urbosa looked at the cliff above them and focused on the Lizalfos moving above them. She only had a vague impression to work on, but it probably wasn't all that different from attacking one. She snapped her fingers, calling lightning down on the offending creatures. She gasped for air as her power drained her. She glanced up, only to see the monsters were merely stunned. She didn't have the strength to call more.

For the first time since the battle started, doubt began to creep up on her. Nothing had gone right, she and Sidon were struggling just to stay on their feet, and now the enemy had gotten behind them.

In quick succession, the Lizalfos fell as arrows rained down on them. Urbosa fought off a smile as she felt a familiar gust of wind behind her.

"Well look what we have here. A battle is raging, and our beloved Gerudo Champion is lazing around on the ground."

Urbosa had never been happier to hear Revali's haughty voice.

"And what, exactly, have you been doing?"

"Oh, someone thought she could do it all with nothing but a boy and a stuttering fish. How's that working for you?"

"Never been better," she grumbled as she struggled to stand. She downed the last of her stamina potions. It gave her enough energy to get her feet solidly beneath her. It was then that she noticed that the Lizalfos had fallen into disarray beneath them. The lizard-like monsters were scrambling in every direction, trying to escape something only they could see.

Urbosa sighed as she saw what they were fleeing from. Daruk was barreling through them, knocking whoever was unfortunate enough to be in his way high into the air. Urbosa chuckled darkly as the constant stream of monsters being thrown into the air and slamming back into the ground took on the impression of a wave.

"Always has to put on a show, doesn't he?"

"Oh be quiet. Sometimes a little showing off isn't the worst thing."

"Forgive me but how is a Goron able to travel here? When I tried to bring one here, he fell ill not long after the rain started falling," Sidon murmured as he watched Daruk charge towards them.

"He bought an elixir from a sleazy merchant. Supposedly, it protects him but- " Revali paused as they heard Daruk roaring while he tore through the ranks, "- I think it just made him really… happy."

"For the love of Farore," Urbosa muttered as the Goron finally reached them.

"URBOSA!"

"No need to shout, Big Guy."

"Oh… sorry!" Daruk whispered.

"I apologize for interrupting," Sidon called, "but I think we should strike while they are still recovering."

"Hey, Feathers, why don't you show us those skills you keeping going on about?" The Rito narrowed his eyes at her as she continued, "There are a few of them using shock weapons. Think you're good enough to take them out before they reach us?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Revali snorted.

"Sidon, go notify Bazz that we can advance."

"Absolutely!" The young Prince bounded towards the Zora soldiers.

"Did either of you happen to see a white Lizalfo on your way here?"

"YOU MEAN THE ONE I BOWLED OVER?"

"There is no need to shout," Urbosa sighed. "Think you can lead us to him?"

"You betcha!" he cried as he held his Cobble Crusher high.

The Gerudo Champion shook her head. She planned to have a long talk with the Goron after all of this was done.

"We are ready, Lady Urbosa," Sidon said. He and the rest of the Zora stood behind her, ready to charge forward at a moment's notice.

"You ready, Big Guy?"

Daruk bellowed his response, charging back towards their opponents. Urbosa was surprised when her voice, as well as the voices of the Zora joined Daruk's. The Lizalfo, still trying to regroup, quaked as they were rushed by the bellowing army. The Lizards tried to scramble out of the way, only to be cut down by swords and spears if they weren't sent flying by Daruk's swings. Urbosa almost felt pity as they broke through them. Almost.

The few Lizalfo archers that managed to fire off a shot before Revali's arrows found them were so panicked that their arrows went wide, rendering them harmless. Urbosa noticed that a few stray arrows managed to find their way into Lizalfo that nearly killed one of the Zora. Even Midna helped, locking her jaws on any of the lizards' legs she could find.

The Gerudo Champion stuck close to Daruk and Sidon as their sprint led them to the white Lizalfo as it attempted to regroup its forces. Daruk tossed his weapon at the creature. It leaped over the Cobble Crusher and scuttled towards him, swinging its sword. Daruk caught its arms and struggled to hold it back. Urbosa sidestepped him, driving her scimitar into the monster's chest as Daruk's head smashed into the Lizalfo's.

The Lizalfo's grip faltered, giving Daruk the chance to rip the monster off the ground. He swung the creature around and slammed it into the cliff wall beside them. The monster fell to the ground where Midna pounced on it and ripped its throat out. The monster was far too dead to even twitch.

"HA!" Daruk roared as the few monsters that remained fled back down the path. With no strong arm to lead them in the fight, they scuttled away like insects. Urbosa set a hand on her hip as she watched the unenviable creatures retreat.

"Well now that that particular bit of unpleasantness is behind us, what's next?" Revali asked as he lighted down beside them.

"We mop up," Urbosa sighed as she turned her gaze to the carnage that lay around them. She smiled as the Zora soldiers, led by Sidon, filled the air with shouts of victory.

Mipha dove to the left as Waterblight's spear crashed into the spot where she had been just a second prior. She readied her trident, preparing for an attack that never came.

As soon as Waterblight had forced her to leap away, it had turned its attention to Link. The Phantom raised its weapon, slamming it into the ground. The force of the strike knocked Link off his feet and set him tumbling to the water covered floor.

Mipha rushed toward the Blight, trying to reach it before it could attack Link again, but it was too fast. It was nearly on top of Link before she made it two steps, trying to stab the Hylian Champion with its massive spear. Link rolled away, barely being missed by the Blight's strike.

Mipha finally reached Waterblight, ramming the Lightscale Trident deep into its back. She had to fight the urge to cover her ears as an unnatural scream echoed around the cavern. The Blight whipped around before she could withdraw her trident, ripping the weapon out of her hands and leaving her defenseless.

Waterblight raised its weapon, but it didn't even have a chance to attack as it recoiled, again screaming in pain. It spun around again, this time forgoing any attempt to appear menacing as it rammed its spear into the ground. Link was ready though and dove to the side, javelining the trident back to Mipha.

The Zora Champion sidestepped the weapon and caught it, twirling it around as she swiped at the Blight's back. Her attack caused the Blight to flinch violently and created another opening for Link to dash forward and slash at Waterblight.

The Phantom shrieked again as it lurched away from the duo before disappearing in a flash of blue light. Instinctively, the two Champions rushed toward each other and stood back to back so that Waterblight couldn't attack one from behind.

"There!" Link pointed to the control console with his blade as a blue light floated above, turning back into the Blight.

They were about to charge it, but the Phantom raised its hand, causing the Divine Beast to shift beneath them. All at once, water began flooding the room as four solitary platforms rose up.

"Be careful!" Mipha called as Link swam towards the nearest platform, pulling himself up and pulling his weapons back out moments before the Blight descended on him. Mipha darted for them, using her natural hydromobility to reach the two combatants quickly.

She leaped out of the water, propelling herself high enough that to be eye-level with Waterblight. Before she could drive her weapon home, its free hand lashed out, knocking her across the room.

She struck the water hard, falling beneath the surface as black spots danced across her vision. Thankfully, she didn't have to try and recapture the wind that had been knocked out of her as her gills were able to supply her with oxygen.

She shook her head, darting back towards the surface as her vision finally cleared. She swam to Link's aid as quickly as she could; however, she didn't make it far before she felt something rushing through the water behind her. Reacting quickly she flipped over, stabbing towards the object with her trident. Her weapon collided with an ice block that had been hurtling towards her, causing it to explode into a million tiny shards.

She felt another one coming.

She shot up to the surface, leaping up quickly to check on Link. The Hylian Champion backflipped as the Phantom rammed the platform with its spear. Unfortunately for her companion, Waterblight had anticipated the move and lunged towards him, catching the Hylian by the neck before his feet could touch the ground.

"Link!"

She wanted to rush to his aid, but she had a problem of her own to deal with. Diving back down with the Lightscale Trident held before her, she entered the water smoothly, destroying another block of ice in the process.

Believing she was finally clear, she sped through the water, leaping out of it once again. In front of her, the Blight was still holding Link by the throat, aiming its weapon at him. As she flew toward them, the Phantom's gaze turned to meet her briefly. It summoned another block of ice, holding it in place as it leered at her.

Just as it was about to be sent hurtling at her like its predecessors, it exploded, blinding the Blight as Mipha spiraled over its arm, using the Lightscale Trident to deliver a gash along the length of its forearm.

Waterblight screamed, expressing its pain and rage as it dropped Link and the Slate while Mipha dove back into the water.

She immediately flipped around and leaped back again, attacking the Blight's torso as Link laid waste to its lower half. Every time it would try to swipe at Link, Mipha would jump out of the water to intercept it with an attack of her own. Every time it tried to counter Mipha with spear or ice, Link would cut into it or use the Slate to blast the ice.

After what felt like hours, the Blight's movements slowed and it looked to be struggling to remain airborne. Sensing that it was time to finish the Phantom off, Mipha leaped out of the water one last time, planting her weapon deep into its mechanical eye, shattering the metal that had protected it.

The Phantom threw her off as its unnatural shrieks bounced around the room. Waterblight, still suspended, began contorting as its howls continued to pierce through them. The creature shrunk in on itself as the cracking of bones joined the reverberating screams. Suddenly, the creature exploded, sending malice in every direction as Mipha brought her arms up to shield her face.

When Mipha finally let her arms down, the control room was empty except for them. She hurriedly looked for Link, finding him close by. She rushed to his side, concerned by the cuts and bruises that littered his body, especially the deep one on his throat.

"I can wait," he muttered hoarsely as he pointed towards the control terminal. She didn't like it, but she knew that Link would be unwilling to budge. It would be faster to do what they had come to do first and then heal him. Mipha helped support the Hylian as they stumbled up the stairs to the terminal. To her surprise, Link handed her the slate.

"What?"

"Ruta is yours."

She nodded and carefully set the Slate on the terminal. The once red highlights returned to a calm blue as the Divine Beast was filled with a quiet, peaceful light. Ruta trumpeted and reached out to Mipha as it had done so many years ago. Mipha greeted her old friend joyfully. Ruta's mind was no longer a festering pit of hate and despair. Rather it was filled with the glowing warmth that she remembered.

The reunion was short lived as Mipha felt Ruta preparing itself. The Divine Beast sent her comforting thoughts, tinged with sadness as it said goodbye. She didn't understand what Ruta meant until a bright flash of light filled her vision as she felt herself being plucked out of Ruta's interior.

"Father, while we are waiting, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, my dear," Dorephan replied. His daughter had become a bit of a nervous wreck since she had returned from Vah Ruta. He supposed that a distraction may serve her well as they waited for Link to arrive.

"When we were on the Great Plateau, we met the spirit of King Rhoam. Before we left, I promised him that I would carry a message to you."

"And what was this message?"

"He wanted me to tell you that you were right and that, if he had listened to you, we may have been able to avert this all together."

"Oh, Rhoam," he sighed tiredly.

"May I ask why he wanted me to tell you that?"

"King Rhoam was always… rather harsh with his daughter," the King replied after a pregnant silence. "It was not because he lacked love for her but rather, he allowed his fear of Ganon to guide his actions. He put the weight of the world on Princess Zelda and you Champions."

"That sounds horrible…"

"Indeed," Dorephan murmured sorrowfully. "I tried to warn him that his callousness would only make it harder for her to unlock her sealing powers, but he refused to listen. He believed that he needed to push her even harder despite the fact that it was tearing him apart to do so."

"Is that why Zelda and I had such a hard time getting along at first?"

"Yes. She saw how her father acknowledged your dedication and progress, something that she desired for herself. I believe that his regret for his treatment of her is what truly bound him to the Great Plateau."

"I can't imagine how difficult that must have been."

"And I hope that you are always unable to," he replied with a small smile on his face. He had always strived his best to help his children understand that no matter how they failed he would love them just the same. He feared that he wasn't the parent that he could have, and should have, been but he had done the best that he possibly could. It was exhausting, trying to govern the Domain and raise two children on his own. In such moments he missed Nera dearly, but he understood that, even though it was difficult, there was a reason that all this had happened.

"Thank you for- " Mipha stopped mid-sentence as Link entered the throne room quietly. Dorephan felt a pang of sadness as he saw the Hylians attire. He was wearing a Knight's tunic while in his hands, he held the Zora armor.

"I see that you know why I summoned you," Dorephan stated impassively.

Link nodded uncomfortably.

"And what have you decided?"

Link said nothing for a long time.

"Link…" Mipha murmured quietly. The Hylian gave her a pained glance.

"I can't accept this," Link muttered. He set the armor on the ground at Dorephan's feet.

"May I ask why?"

Link shook his head. He sent Mipha one last sorrowful look and turned away.

"Link?" Mipha asked. He could almost feel the lump that he heard her speaking around.

The Hylian said nothing more as he quickly left the throne room behind. The King frowned slightly as Link, almost too quick to catch, sent a tortured glance over his shoulder.

Dorephan stared after the young man with a furrowed brow. He had seen something in those blue eyes that wasn't normally there. He discarded the thought quickly.

"Are you alright, child?"

"I can't say that I am surprised, or-" he listened as she continued rambling incoherently, trying to explain to herself what had just happened. Finally, a soft "no," found its way out.

"I know this may be difficult for you to accept, but-"

"Will we be able to remain friends?" The King saw the desperation in her eyes.

"The two of you have forged a bond that not many can hope to rival. I have no doubt that if you two wish to be friends, you will find a way to make it work." In truth, he had no idea if they could or would, however, he saw no reason for Mipha to know that. Even so, he believed every word he spoke.

"I see…" he could see the tears forming in her eyes.

"Come here," he murmured as he scooped her up and held her close. "Remember that this too shall pass." He held her for some time, finally putting her down when the tears stopped. "I think it would be good for you to get some rest now, my dear. It would be unfortunate if our guests of honor collapsed during the celebration."

"Celebration?"

"We've had not one, but two victories today. I think that is worth celebrating, wouldn't you agree?"

She nodded and quietly wished him a goodnight, wandering out, as though lost, afterward. The King sat back and closed his eyes, losing himself in the problem Link had presented him.

Dorephan was familiar enough with him to know how the Hylian expressed himself. It didn't take much to see that something was wrong.

"Captain Bazz!" he called as his eyes snapped open. The Zora guard stepped in wordlessly. "Bring Laflat to me. I have need of her," he murmured ardently as he leaned down and picked up the forgotten armor.

He wasn't fond of involving himself in the affairs of others, but sometimes, especially where his children were concerned, it just couldn't be helped.

"I'm okay," Mipha sniffed quietly. "This is okay… it has to be, doesn't it?" The girl's voice cracked as she spoke. She was staring off into space, too drained to even cry.

"No, it doesn't," Urbosa replied quietly.

"What?"

"It doesn't have to be okay," Urbosa repeated as she wrapped an arm around the Zora Princess. She pulled Mipha in, allowing the Zora's head to rest on her shoulder. She ran a comforting hand up and down Mipha's arm. "Soon enough it will all have to be all right, but right here, right now, it doesn't have to be. Right now, it can be awful."

"But- "

"But what? There is no one else that has to know about this. It will stay between you and me."

"Thank you… mother…"

Urbosa raised a brow and looked down at the girl whose head rested on her shoulder. Though she was still awake, her eyes had long grown heavy and her breathing grew deeper by the second.

The Gerudo Champion gently extricated herself and lowered Mipha so that she was laying down. She stared down at the young girl and shook her head. It wasn't right that one who was little more than a child was forced to bear so much. If she had it her way, Link, Revali, and Mipha wouldn't have had to take part in this fight at all.

She sighed and silently left Mipha to rest. The Gerudo Champion made her way to the inn as she reflected on the past few days. She knew that she should be reveling in their latest victory but deep down she felt as though nothing had truly been accomplished. Some nameless force was driving her to keep pushing forward. No matter how she tried to convince herself that they had completed the first step to defeating Ganon, the feeling that it wasn't enough persisted.

Urbosa's eyebrows furrowed together as she stepped into the inn. In the foyer stood the King's secretary holding a package that she gripped tightly. The woman's eyes lit up as they settled on her.

"Lady Urbosa," she began earnestly, "King Dorephan has asked me to pass a message along to you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. He hopes that you would accept this," Laflat replied as she handed over the package, "and that you would place it among Master Link's possessions."

"What is it, exactly?" She knew exactly what was in the package. The King didn't exactly strike her as someone that gave in at the first no. She imagined that he was one to patiently press, slowly breaking one down as water erodes a stone.

"He said that you would know." The woman spoke with a mixture of nerves and curiosity as though she wanted to know what lay under the wrappings, but was fearful of what she would find.

The Gerudo shook her head. This wasn't exactly an action she approved of, however, she could understand the desire to take care of one's kin. She also couldn't deny that he likely had a good reason for sneaking the object in rather than forcing it upon him knowingly. The embodiment of the spirit of water indeed.

"Very well," Urbosa murmured as she took the parcel. "Tell him he owes me for this."

"I… uh- "

"And I intend to collect."

Laflat quailed under the Gerudo's austere gaze, that was until Urbosa's laughter broke the spell. The Zora woman giggled lightly as well, albeit uncertainly.

"Tell your King that I'll take care of it."

Laflat nodded gratefully and excused herself as Urbosa entered the shared room of the inn. It wasn't particularly to her liking, far to open and lacking walls, but sleeping in a proper bed would likely make up for it.

Revali sat on one of the waterbeds that had been offered them for their part in protecting the Zoras' home. Daruk stood beside him, watching over Revali's shoulder as the Rito slackened his bowstring and sorted through his arrows. Her gaze lingered on Link, who sat on his own waterbed, staring at the only wall expressionlessly. His belongings lay beside him, within easy reach.

She knelt down and opened the satchel that lay next to his sword and placed the package within its depths

"What?" she asked as Link eyed her warily. "Isn't a proper gentleman supposed to carry a lady's personal effects?"

"Proper gentleman?" Revali snorted, not even bothering to look up from his arrows.

"You wouldn't understand, Feathers."

"Oh and why- "

"Don't ask that," Daruk grumbled.

"Hmph."

"Oh, stop pouting."

"Why do I even bother?"

"That's what we've all been asking since the beginning."

"Will you two lay off for once?" Daruk asked tiredly. "It's been a long day and I feel like I got bowled over by an octorok."

"I suppose I could play nice just this once."

"Whatever."

"Good enough for me," the Goron sighed. "While we're all here, I think we should plan our next move."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we should head back to Kakariko before we head to Death Mountain."

"Kakariko?"

"Yeah. I think it would be a good idea for us to rest and… uh, regroup a bit before we move onto the next Divine Beast."

"You can't be serious," Revali scoffed. "You expect us to put everything on hold because those two- " he continued as he gestured to Link, "- are feeling sorry for themselves."

Link didn't respond but his eyes flicked to Revali coolly.

"It isn't a terrible idea," Urbosa murmured as she tapped her fingers on her waist.

"You can't be serious!"

"I am. Even if Link and Mipha didn't need time to collect themselves, there is still the matter of what we don't know."

"Like what?" Revali asked snidely.

"I'm shooting in the dark here but I think there may be a reason it's called Death Mountain."

"As far as we know, I might be the only one who can get up there," Daruk added.

"Fine! Let's just waste more time, shall we?"

"We're not wasting time, Feathers, we're preparing."

Revali snorted and turned away. Daruk and Urbosa exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

"Well," Daruk muttered somberly, "I guess that means it's back to Kakariko." The Goron plopped down unceremoniously on the waterbed next to Revali. As he did so, the bed burst, spraying water everywhere, catching Revali, Urbosa, and Link.

"Are you serious!" Revali squawked as shot out of his bed.

"Really, Big Guy? I just got dry."

"What in Din's name made you think that you could just sit on a waterbed?" Revali asked disbelievingly.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to- " Daruk stopped as he heard something unexpected. Link sat on his bed, laughing as he watched the Goron clamber off the ruined bed. Urbosa, shocked by the sudden outburst of expression, stared dumbfounded. Before long, she and Daruk joined in, and Revali, as little as he approved, soon joined in.

They sat around the fire in the front of the inn, drying off yet again. As they joked and talked of their time apart, Urbosa felt oddly at peace. Despite the knowledge that they were nowhere near finished, little moments like these made it all worth it.

Zelda remained vigilant, as she had from the beginning, while her friends slept. She had missed them dearly over the many years that they had slumbered. Even though they would struggle, and possibly receive worse scars than those they had now, she was still comforted by their presence, by the knowledge that hope still existed.

Her attention was drawn to a mountaintop not far away from where her friends slept. There, having taken position after the Blight was destroyed, sat Vah Ruta. The Divine Beast had used an underwater passage to travel to the top of the mountain. From there it had settled and fired a red beam at the castle. At one point, she would have assumed that it was the superweapon that had been hinted at in the ancient texts she had studied. Now, after using Ganon's connection to the Beasts to study them further, she knew it was the targeting system.

"You never change, do you?" a voice whispered smoothly. Despite the fact that the voice echoed through her mind, the malice that swirled around her reverberated in response as though it were the physical embodiment of it.

"Ganon?"

"Who else?" If she had been expecting to hear the voice of the Calamity, she would have expected a howl, a roar, anything other than the refined voice that murmured quietly to her. "I see that even after I nearly killed them the first time, you still believe you can win."

"Good will always triumph no matter ho- " she shuddered as Ganon's laugh overrode her voice. It sickened her that neither his voice nor his laugh conveyed what he truly was.

"Forgive me," he sneered. "I forgot how naive you are."

She tried to speak but words failed her.

"I see that you don't understand." The beast sounded thoughtful, almost pitying. "There was a time when I too believed that I was the good in the world. Then I learned a truth that some find… difficult."

"What?" Though she needed neither food nor water while sealed away, her throat felt dry as she asked the question.

"Good, Evil… neither really exist," He said patiently as though explaining it to a child who wouldn't know any different. "Both are lies conceived by those who lack the power and conviction to chase their aspirations and they use it as a pathetic excuse to justify the actions that they do take."

"You're wrong!"

"Am I? Tell me girl, did you know that your ancestors committed genocide?"

"What?"

"The Sheikah were not always housed in Hyrule. They came, millennia ago, seeking asylum. In an effort to convince your 'benevolent' ancestors of their worth, they created the Guardians and the Divine Beasts. When the Royal Family witnessed these creations, they painted Hyrule with the blood of the Sheikah, leaving only enough for them to barely carry on."

"That can't be…"

"If only your people had accepted their offerings. Maybe then there would have been no need for the Hero of Time," Ganon chuckled. There was little regard for her distress as he continued. "Do you see, girl? There is no such thing as good and evil. There are only those who are willing to accept their actions and those who try to justify them."

"You're wrong," Zelda said again. A strange calmness had overtaken her. She couldn't put it into words but she knew that Ganon had become so twisted that he could no longer see the truth. Or perhaps it was his own way of justifying the role he had taken.

"We shall see soon enough," Ganon answered pleasantly. "But know this," he murmured as his presence began to withdraw, "in time, you will know despair."

If at any point you were hurt, just remember that it hurt me to write it more than it hurt you to read it

Guest reviews:

Rebiele: Don't worry. I'm not actually worried that you'll hate me, Revali is just my spirit animal so sometimes I feel the need to be a bit dramatic. I would also like to point out the only game I ship Zelink is Skyward Sword. Otherwise, I just can't. The whole bound by fate thing strikes me as unromantic.

To the Anon who questions Revali's attitude: The poor Chicken has trust issues that relate to his childhood but more on that later. Your welcome for responding to reviews. I kinda felt bad for not doing it before because I worried you guys were feeling ignored.