29

"Obviously, it starts bloody raining." My eyes roll in annoyance as the first drops sprinkle around us.

Rain always seems to show up every time I set my mind on doing something real important. It's just my karma.

"I do not mind rain." My tall Zora friend replies gently.

"Of course, you don't." I grumble.

Since I proposed to end our quest for the circlet, Sidon has been very compliant and shows a thoroughly positive attitude, as if determined not to make me regret my choice. But as I observe the menacing sky, I fear that, soon, my favorite aquatic man will have bigger problems than a little rain. The wet grass under our feet turn to dark pellets of rocks and we arrive to a commanding point of view on the bay.

"What in Hylia's name –" I mutter in shock as Sidon gasps next to me.

The scenery in front of us looks like it was painted from the ancient texts depicting the apocalypse. Black sky above black water, raging twister of rumbling dark clouds, unsettling flashes of evil purple light. And, in the middle of it all, swiveling slowly, a colossal beast – a magnificent, terrifying dragon. I have only once seen such a ghastly scene: when Calamity Ganon besieged Hyrule Castle.

"What is happening here?" Sidon whispers anxiously, taking cover behind a rocky cape as he scrutinizes this otherworldly sight.

I crouch beside him, racking my brains for a course of action.

"Let's move closer." I tell my companion.

He nods, his brows furrowed with resolve, and we stealthily make our way towards the shoreline, following a line of sheltering rocky boulders. As we progress, the temperature drops radically; we are entering a storm of mixed rain and snow. My long hair sticks to my face and I have to blink furiously to see clearly. The hammering rain however simply rolls down Sidon's sleek skin. The terrible weather makes a blaring racket.

"You think this is the winter being the child was talking about?" Sidon asks loudly over the tumult of the rain.

I give him an uncertain look. Yes, I thought it would be Naydra, the ice-breathing dragon that serves the goddess of Wisdom. But this is not exactly Naydra. Its silvery scales are covered by a dark film. Its incandescent ice crest has turned a feeble purple. Sickly outgrowths cover its body, bubbling like black and fuchsia lava. I have seen it like this before. When it was infected with Malice.

Suddenly, a deafening crash surprises us as a violent lightning strikes the ground only a few yards from us, making the earth shake under our feet.

"There is something unnatural at play here." I shout. "We have to do something."

"This is madness." I hear Sidon speak to himself under the rumblings of the storm, his eyes wide open through the downpour as he searches the scene, trying to grasp its meaning.

He suddenly becomes still as a statue as his gaze stops on a point right in the eye of the storm, his expression utterly terrified. I feel a knot in my stomach as I follow his gaze, apprehending the worst. I have never seen Sidon terrified – but I have seen the same misery in his eyes. It's the exact look he has when he talkes of the one person he loves most, the one person he had to watch sink in wretchedness, the one person he fears to lose above all else. And, in the split second it takes for my eyes to follow his gaze, I pray, harder than I ever did, that my instincts are wrong. That she doesn't have anything to do with what is happening here.

My heart drops, my stomach twists, incomprehension freezes my every muscle as my eyes lock on Zelda's small silhouette, hovering high in the midst of this turbulence. Her hair and clothes are roughed around by the whirlwind, but otherwise she is perfectly still. Her eyes seem to be peacefully closed, but at such a distance, it is hard to distinguish her features. Her eerie figure reminds me of the immaterial form she took to contain the Calamity. Only back then, she had seemed to be golden light incarnated. Now, there is a dark aura around her. The greatest shame stabs at my chest. I never should have left her side.

I am so petrified the raging storm seems to have fallen silent – I don't even hear Sidon cry out his wife's name. It's the brutal leap he takes towards the water that brings me back to my senses, and I quickly grab him by the belt. His massive body propels me forward before I manage to impede his progression.

"You can't go, Sidon!" I shout, pulling him back towards the stony beach. "If lightning hits the water, you'll be as dead as fried fish!"

"We have to get to her!" He yells angrily.

I intently gaze into his anxious eyes, my face resolute.

"You don't. I do." I state. "I was appointed to protect her."

"You will die too if lightning hits you." He retorts loudly.

As if to answer, I stab the ground with the Master Sword and drop every metallic object I carry next to it. I don't have much left – just my paraglider, a wooden bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"Do you expect me to just sit here and watch you risk your life?" He shouts in despair.

"Yes. Preferably away from this." I point at the involuntary lightning rod I had created.

He falls silent and turns his gaze back to the woman we both love, trapped at the center of a storm of Malice.

"Be careful… try not to hurt her, Link." He finally mutters powerlessly, his voice barely audible through the rumbling thunder. "I believe in you."

I nod, as to give him my word that I will do whatever it takes to retrieve my appointed protégée alive and well.

"Get rid of anything metallic and stay low on the ground." I advise, unable to find meaningful words for him to dwell over as he waits.

I deploy my paraglider and jog up to the water, where I find a powerful gale to use as a propeller. I jump as the wind inflates the painted canvas. I don't even feel the usual vertiginous sensation as the ground shrinks away at high speed. My mind is set on the one single goal of getting Zelda out of this evil mess. The strong winds make it hard to control the direction I take. I am drenched in freezing rain, but I don't pay attention to my shivering. I surf on the swirling gusts until I am in vicinity of the colossal beast circling around her, searching for a sensible plan. The dragon is hostile at best in its normal form. I doubt this Malice infested creature will let me get through. Yet, if I attack it, Zelda will be in the crossfire.

I carefully glide above the serpentine body; its powerful tail brutally cuts the air a few feet from me. Not an option, predictably enough. I retreat and observe the face of the woman who will always stay my beloved princess. There are no emotions depicted on her beautiful features, but her eyes seem to be rolling under closed eyelids. I call out her name as loud as I can.

I could have called a stone statue for all it did. What in the Goddess's name is happening to her?

I can't hang on my paraglider for ever, I need to act fast. I'll have to purge Naydra from Malice, hoping it won't bring any harm upon Zelda. I am so close to the dragon that I can feel the sting of the endless cold that englobes it. I swiftly put the paraglider away and raise my bow. Time seems to slow down, making the world freeze around me, as I concentrate on hitting my targets – the nasty outgrowths on Naydra's body. Three of them are within range of my arrows. I fire. Once, twice, trice. And I have to take out the paraglider again before I hit the water.

Eerie cries echo through the storm as Malice takes the hit. I anxiously observe the pained wriggling of the gargantuan dragon, Zelda standing dangerously at the center of his circumvolutions.

I repeat this little maneuver a few times, clearing the dark force clinging at Naydra's body. My arms, shoulders and core are burning from the constant effort, and I finally have to land for a moment. A sudden flash of lightning cracks the air only yards from me; I can feel the burned breath of the wind on my skin. The immediate thunder resonates loudly in my chest as my heart races. I make for the rocky cliffs for a short rest – I'm not approaching the water in a hundred years in such a thunderstorm.

My feet roughly hit the slippery rock and I catch my breath, looking back on my work. Naydra looks exactly as if I had done absolutely nothing – no, worst, it looks like the infection is progressing.

This can't be possible, I have cleaned at least half of its body. I stare in confused apprehension. How can the Malice be getting a hold of such a mythical creature so quickly? I must have missed something.

I squint at the nightmarish display, and suddenly I see them. The dark fumes that trail from my very own princess, fueling the beast's corruption. I silently watch in disbelief. Not Zelda. This can't be happening.

A vigorous wind sweeps the cliff where I stand, and I jump back in the air with my paraglider. I drift as close as I can before the massive dragon blocks my way. I know in my heart it is of no use, but I have to try.

"Zelda!" I cry out over the tumultuous rainfall and menacing rumble of the clouds. "Fight it!"

I hastily evade a whipping body attack Naydra sent my way.

"Fight it!" I yell. "You have to seal it back!"

But she remains as still as the Goddess's statues.

"SEAL IT!" I howl in despair, raindrops rolling down my face.

This time I could swear I detected a short pause in the uncontrollable rolling of her closed eyes.

"You can d – Arrgh!" My encouragement turns to a cry of pain as Naydra's sharp claws grip my leg and send me tumbling through the air.

My whole calf is freezing where the beast slashed it, so much that I feel like it might actually be on fire. The world spins around me as I struggle to reopen the paraglider. My fingers are numb from the cold. I finally manage to expand it and catch a drift that puts an end to my revolutions. A short, relieved sigh escapes me.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I find an upward gale and ride it until I am high above the goddessdamned dragon. I just need to clear a way to her. Once again, I draw my bow in a slow-motion freefall. I aim repeatedly with my numb fingers at the blacken projections of Malice growing on the celestial beast. The arrows fly mercilessly, all but one hitting their target. The last arrow is deflected by the dragon's thick armor and, as I gasp in horror, passes only a few feet above Zelda's head. That was a really – too – close call.

But it worked: as the colossal creature recoils in pain, I swiftly glide through the loops formed by its circling body and reach Zelda. If I can drag her away from here, I can at least make sure she is not in any physical danger, that's a start. Shifting my weight and grip, one of my arms leaves the paraglider, ready to snatch her – and I crash into a solid barrier.

"Wh- For Goddess's sake." I despair, pressing my hand against the invisible shield that separate us.

Well, so much for worrying about hurting her. I hover in front of her, powerless. Her inner struggle seems to be still raging, as the darkness takes over what is left of the dragon surrounding us. Her hands are crossed over her heart in a prayer gesture, and I squint at a strange triangular symbol shimmering feebly on her right hand. I have seen it before, years ago. Frowning, I turn back to her unfathomable face.

"Whenever you are ready, Princess." I whisper. "I'm not leaving without you."

My words are lost in the uproar of the storm. I anxiously stare into her closed eyes, wondering how my life could go on without her. Trying not to think of the ghost of a person the Fallen Hero had become. My fingers caress the force field in front of her face.

"Come back to me. Please."

I take back the paraglider with both hands and I rest my forehead on the unyielding shield, looking at the violent waters far beneath us. My arms are weakening. I know I'll have to rest soon, but I can't bring myself to leave her side.

Suddenly, as Naydra lets out a loud blood-curling shriek, my head topples forward, and I slide towards Zelda. Our bodies collide, and I clumsily try to catch her, letting go of the paraglider with one arm. I manage to grab her waist, but the unbalanced paraglider sends us hurtling sideways towards the deep waters. We fall at a terrifying speed, narrowly missing the deadly dragon's coiled body; its coldness makes my damp clothes rigidify. My deadened fingers finally slip from the paraglider. I close my arms around Zelda's inert body as we plunge head first into the freezing water, encircled by the falling body of the dragon.

Every inch of my body cries in protest. I open my eyes, searching for the surface, and try to carry both our heavy, fully clothed bodies to the surface. Naydra's body, freed from its dark assailant, fades away all around us in a myriad of silvery glimmers. Zelda and I seem to have landed in the frozen starry skies, so high it is no longer possible to breathe, the alleviation in our souls reflected in our floating clothes. Yet the pull of gravity, far from bringing us back to earth, is dragging us further into the unbreathable heavens.

I kick as hard as I can, yet the surface only seems to recede. My heart is hammering against my chest as panic starts to flood my brain. We need to get out of here fast; if we don't drown, we'll get toasted by lightening. I let out a cry of exertion, sending countless bubbles flying upwards, as I give all I have – every last drop of stamina – to bring us to safety. My head resurfaces, and I gasp loudly, pulling on Zelda until her face is out in the air. But this blessed breathing is short lived as the water pulls us in again. Out of nowhere, another force brings us at the surface once more.

"I got you." I hear Sidon's calm voice between my choking coughs.

I don't think I have ever felt this grateful. Blinking the water away from my eyes, I climb on his back, cradling Zelda in my arms. I warily look up as we dart across the bay, my eyes widening in surprise. The clouds are still dark, but the storm is gone. Quiet droplets still drip from them, but the thunder has quieted, and the snow disappeared.

"Link?" Zelda feeble voice reaches my ears.

Looking down on her confused face, my heart fills with relief and I hold her tightly, pressing our wet heads together. She gave me a real good scare.

We reach the shore and we all run aground in the stone pebbles. Sidon immediately joins us in our embrace. He gently takes his wife away from my arms and into his, whispering anxiously in her ear. As we all kneel in the gravel, and that our return to safety sinks in, my previous fear gradually transforms into incomprehension, and anger.

"How in Hylia's name did you end up here?" I demand as Zelda frees herself from her husband's hold.

It is hard for me to understand her motivations, as always, but I can't figure out why her expression is far from fearsome or relieved. Instead, I can sense a disgusting feeling seeping from her like a poison. Deep shame. Sidon shots me a reproachful glare.

"I-I came here searching for you." She stutters, looking at the ground.

We both raise our brows at her in surprise.

"For us?" Sidon repeats.

"You came here?" I emphasize loudly. "You mean you left the castle willingly, on your own?"

She shakes her head, her face contorting, tears glistening in her already damped eyelashes.

"I'm sorry." She whispers.

How could she leave? What happened to all the important business to manage at court? She was swamped when we left – Sidon had felt terrible about leaving her alone to deal with this. I get up to my feet, feeling the sharp pain in the torn-up flesh of my calf.

"Who's in charge if you are both here?" I ask, dreading her answer.

Her mouth opens and closes, her bluish lips trembling, her gaze frightened.

"I'm sorry, Link." She repeats.

"Who, Zelda?" I insist, raising my voice menacingly.

"Link!" Sidon interjects indignantly, but Zelda blurts over his call.

"Paya." She tells the ground.

A rage I have never felt towards her now boils into my heart.

"Are you joking?!" I hear myself shout.

She starts, her soaked body shaking under the light rain. Sidon stares at me in startled disbelief.

"How could you, Zelda? How could you!?" I am now positively yelling, a thing I don't think I have ever done.

What a pointless expedition this had all been. I sharply retrieve the Master Sword from the ground and turn on my heels, stifling a cry of pain as my calf protests, heading for the plains.

"Where are you going?" Zelda asks with a quivering voice.

"To the castle." I shout without turning back.

"Link, wait!" Sidon requests. "Nightfall is upon us, you cannot undertake such a journey now. We will rest for the night and go together tomorrow."

"Rest if you like, I'm going." I reply promptly.

"You are injured, please be sensible!" He presses.

"I'm not wasting another minute." I insist stubbornly. "We've wasted enough time as it is."

I take a few strides, but Zelda's voice stops me.

"Then take this."

I turn to her. She is holding out her Sheikah Slate.

So that's how she traveled all the way here on her own. My anger is rattled by this kind gesture. I walk back to her and silently accept the small object that had been my constant companion after a slumber of a hundred years that had stripped me of my memories and friends.


Author's notes: Finally some action! Hope you liked it.