A/N: Once again, I'm here to apologize for how poor my action scenes are. Hopefully it isn't too difficult to read!

Zelda and Urbosa stood atop the highest tier of the Domain, looking out below upon the small gathering of Zora that had come to meet Dolare and Akis as they strolled along the mighty bridge that joined the Domain to the mainland. Just in case, in the event that something were to go wrong, Urbosa had directed the Champions to split up, though only with Link's ultimatum that the Gerudo would remain at Zelda's side. To the southern end, Daruk kept watch over the affair while Revali stood in tentative watch from the north, all three positions crowded around by Zora whose curiosity had gotten the best of them.

At the vestibular platform into the Domain, Link stood with a stoic posture among the densest collection of Zora, most of them followers of the Niq themselves, awaiting their champion, the Sundered Scale. Link's eyes flickered alight at the notice of Mipha joining the two men, her expression far less furious than he might have thought.

"Good," Zelda woke up quietly to Urbosa, "They brought Mipha with them. Far less to worry about if we're all nearby."

Urbosa eyed the young Princess, "You sure? She's not pissed off or anything. They don't even have her bound."

"Hopefully that's part of her plan," Zelda wondered aloud, "Feigning camaraderie. All the better to goad them into our plot."

With a worried frown, Urbosa sighed, "Quite the devious little Princess, aren't we?"

"Hey now. I had to be devious to escape my bedtimes," Zelda confided with a smirk, "In any case, so far as I can surmise, this is going according to- well, maybe not according to plan, but I wouldn't exactly expect this group of Champions to do much of anything in the traditional sense."

"Perhaps that is for the best," Urbosa smirked, crossing her arms as the Zora crowd below began to cheer, all what the Zora upon the ramparts lurched forward in curious expectation.

Akis nodded as the three of them arrived, Mipha's inclusion seeming to gain something akin to trust among many of the Zora. Still, Link remained skeptical, his eyes not leaving Mipha's form even at a sudden disturbance approaching him from behind.

"Gah- Get-! Get back!" grumbled Zevan as he made it to Link's side amidst the bustling crowd surrounding the two of them, "Hylian! Link!"

He peered down toward the sword in Link's hand, held by its sheath at his side, though its presence compelled Zevan to ask, "What're you thinking?"

"Nothing what you yourself are thinking," Link smirked, "Don't worry, there's a plan."

Zevan reached up to better adjust his armor that had gone eschew amongst the crowd, "I expected nothing less from a Royal Knight. So what is it?"

Link shook his head, "How am I supposed to trust you?"

"Oh come on; we've traded blows," Zevan shot back with a bite, offended by Link's insinuation of mistrust, "Surely you know that counts for much amongst us Zora."

Grinning almost playfully, Link assured him, "Don't worry, I know. Just watch. It will become apparent soon enough."

Uninspired, Zevan sighed before returning to watch Mipha and the other two Niq approaching, "I mustered what I could of our guard beyond those guarding the King and the river. My father is amongst us somewhere, but these platforms weren't exactly meant for large crowds. We spend half our lives in the water for a reason, after all."

He continued, "Any reason Lady Mipha is with them?"

"They kidnapped her."

"By the gods!" Zevan declared in shock, "Why weren't we alerted?!"

Link gave him a knowing glance, which seemed to satisfy Zevan somewhat, until Link finished, "She can handle it."

"I do not doubt you, knight, but I still-!" Zevan was halted by Akis' voice breaking the air surrounding the crowd.

His voice roared, "Make way for your new King! Dolare, the Sundered Scale!"

Knowing his task, Link's eyes fixed upon Dolare, the crimson-scaled man appearing far more subdued now that Akis took the reigns. He seemed almost indignant, Link thought; as if he wished not to be there.

The three approached with a regal gait, Mipha's eyes lighting up as she caught Link's eyes in the crowd, which had slowly begun to break apart to form a pathway for the two Niq, tearing down the middle like a paper being torn in two, until it stopped at the feet of Link.

Akis' eyes narrowed with frustration as he stepped closer, "You! Hylian!"

As if recognizing the situation, Akis gave a ghastly sigh, "Look, I know these matters mean little to your people, yet I politely ask that you step free from our path."

Link remained still.

Lips turning in upset contours, Akis crossed his arms, "You wish this to be the first blight upon Dolare's reign? Surely you jest, Hylian."

"Surely I don't," Link muttered.

Akis spun around to return to Dolare, complaining under his breath before coming to a stop, wincing as he noticed Dolare's eyes. Intensely frightened were they, forcing Akis to return to Link to find what had so feverishly taken Dolare's attention.

As if in presentation, Link raised the Sword, "I believe you've heard of it. The Master Sword."

Gasps and murmurs echoed throughout the crowd. Despite the history of bloodshed between the two peoples, the Zora knew all to well the power of such a relic of the Hylians. It had earned its respect among their annals of history, and now, it commanded their attention.

"Allow me to ask for all the Zora of this Domain," Link spoke, his spine shivering at the gravitas of such a statement, "Prove beyond your words and bodies that you are worthy."

Akis scoffed, his lips coiling into a haphazard smirk as his raised his arms in a shrug, "Worth? You speak of worth? Where was Dolare's worth when your King, Dorephan, plunged a dagger into his side?"

Mipha cringed at yet another slight toward her father, earning her a sorrowful, sidelong glance from Dolare.

"Little more than words," Link assured, "Prove your worth among those veins of fate that run through each and every one of us."

Readying himself to further retort this Hylian whelp, Akis stepped forward, only to be stopped by Dolare, whose hand took his shoulder, pulling him back.

"What?!" Akis whispered in tumultuous breath.

Dolare shook his head, "No more pain, please. Let's just- finish this."

His eyes turning soft in realization, Akis was left listless as Dolare pulled in front of him toward Link, smiling, "As you said. You love me. I'll never be worth more than I am now."

Akis hastily shot back, still quiet, "D- Dolare!"

"I took it last night," Dolare assured with a knowing smile, "You've left me far too proud of you for me to not return the favor. You promised us a home, and now- I can actually take it for us."

Caught between some adoration and distress, Akis could only release a pressured sigh as he dropped his head, signaling his subdued stance, allowing Dolare to turn his attention toward Link. The two locked eyes with an intensity between them, Dolare speaking with feigned confidence, having been so disheartened the night before as a result of this relic.

"It seems to have chosen you," Dolare noted, as if ascertaining whether the Sword could even have multiple wielders.

Link cocked his head to the side, "Perhaps I'm but a messenger."

Dolare's brow narrow determinately, stepping ever closer as, above this heavy atmosphere, Urbosa and Zelda watched with bated breath. The Gerudo noticed the Zora's strides failing to break, or even slow, gaining upon Link with a think determination that soon began to rattle her.

"What if-" she slowed to a stop before Zelda could interrupt her.

"He won't," Zelda confirmed.

Urbosa eyed her, "I know, but-"

"He won't," Zelda repeated, her voice growing listless as her hands closed into fists, "He can't…"

Urbosa caught only a short, uncertain glance toward Zelda before returning to find Dolare just within arms length of Link before having stopped. His eyes aimed like venomous fangs into Link's own, Dolare twisted his lips with a final burst of confidence before throwing his hand forward to grasp the Sword.

Murmurs erupted from the crowd. Dolare's eyes widened in shock, his head darting low to find his hand just beyond reach of the Sword's handle, leaving his muscles tightening as he thrust his arm against an invisible vice holding him back.

"Goddess…" Zevan shuddered, realizing how close that man had come to this goal.

Dolare's eyes immediately darted back up toward Link, whose stoic face had tightened- constructed into a look of determination not yet tempered into anger, "Got you."

Behind them, Akis' eyes deepened in realization. He whipped his head up toward the higher platform before nodding with a seething frown.

"Helor!" he cried.

Link jolted into action, realizing what was about to transpire, but before he could react, a massive footstep rang out behind him, forcing him to spin around, but at that moment, Dolare gave a swift kick into Link's gut, sending him not only flying backwards, but releasing the Master Sword, which fell to the platform below with a thud.

Link hurried to his feet, but a giant pair of hands took his shoulders and threw him to the side, his eyes just catching the visage of the massive brute that had accompanied the Niq. The crowd immediately began to disperse at the sight of incited violence at the hands of such a goliath, leaving Zevan to strike up his trident toward Helor with a rallying cry.

"I order you to-!"

Helor grinned happily as he took Zevan's trident and wrung it from his hands, tossing it aside before taking a quick moment to slam a fist into Zevan's chest, knocking him back with a vehement chuckle.

"Puny Zora," Helor laughed, catching Mipha wrestling with Akis before rushing to help, "Akis! I'll-!"

Stopping him in his tracks, Link had crashed his knight's sword into the giant's side with a whopping swing, only for the weapon to reverberate away, deflecting forcefully from the Zora's scaly hide. Helor only chuckled before swinging his hand, knocking the sword free from Link's grasp before directing his massive punch from earlier into Link's shoulder, sending him toppling backward atop the slippery surface beneath his feet.

Above the battle, Zelda gasped with worry as Urbosa leapt into action, spinning around to make her way down into the fray, "Stay here! I'll-!"

Joining the Gerudo in a whip around to discover what had halted Urbosa's progression, Zelda's eyes widened at the sight of the Niq woman, Avoh, with something resembling a flail in her hand, a hook dangling from its loose end. Urbosa frowned, groaning with dismay.

"It seems a trap was meant for us as well…" Urbosa surmised.

Avoh began swinging the hook end of the flail.

Raising an arm to direct Zelda backward, Urbosa ordered, "Stay back. I've got this."

Avoh flinched with confusion, uttering in a sickishly deep feminine voice, "I've stripped scales larger than you from the largest beasts of the oceans only to allow myself the ability to reach their hide. What makes you think you're any more of a challenge?"

"Because those beasts weren't Gerudo," Urbosa challenged, her occupation of Avoh leaving Zelda to turn and find the others.

Revali was indeed locked into a duel of his own while Mipha took blows toward Akis, leaving Dolare and Helor dealing with Link and Zevan. Her eyes turned to were Daruk had been before the skirmish began, only to find him missing, her eyes leaping along the length of a nearby ramp where a blur of movement was coursing along the rampart.

Link struggled to push himself up beneath the approaching steps of Helor, the brute's laughter unable to rouse Link solely due to the anger swelling up from within. He grit his teeth, catching a glimpse of Dolare checking on a near-unconscious Zevan while the other Zora guards were busy with another pair of the Niq clan.

"NOW comes the fun part!" Helor laughed, "I wouldn't expect much from you land-dwellers, but I suppose I could take some entertainment from-"

In a massive SLAM, Daruk's swirling body went crashing into Helor's side, sending him spattering along the platform, sliding until he dug his own claws into the solid material, a sickening CREEEEEAK accompanying the movement as sparks flew wildly. Daruk quickly composed himself as he left his rolling posture, stretching his neck as he slammed a fist into his open palm.

"Ah ha," Helor chuckled with a feral look in his eye, wiping blood from his chin as he pushed himself up, "Big boy wants to play now."

Daruk sneered, "I suppose with you, I could find some will to pummel you to the ground."

"Ha!" Helor laughed, "Ditto for ME!"

The two clashed with massive bodies as Link worked his way up to his knee, still reeling as Dolare strode toward him, Zevan's trident in his hand and fury in his eyes.

"You make a fool of me," he started with heated breath, "I make a skewer of you."

Link desperately tried to stand and make a move, but his nerves remained locked from the earlier strike. His eyes bolted from Dolare, to Daruk, lost in his own battle, to Miph-

"LINK!" she cried, having overtaken Akis.

In one swift movement, she bent down mid-stride, taking hold of Link's sword and throwing it like a dart toward him to take advantage of its speed by itself. Link claimed the weapon from the air like a viper, immediately shoving its sharp end into the platform as Dolare struck, Link holding onto the handle with both hands atop the vertical obstacle, now toothed by three sharp edges ready to cut his life short.

Dolare sneered at Link's pained expression, shoving the trident with greater and greater force as Link's teeth shown in resistance. He turned to glance over his shoulder to find the source of the throw, only to find Akis having tackled Mipha to the ground.

"Good. No more intruders," Dolare's eyes winced with determination as he seethed, "There's so much about my existence that I'll allow to be tarnished; but to bring ruin to him…"

Link's sword rang out with a piercing screech as the trident shoved it closer, grating along the floor below as Dolare suddenly grinned. Link's eyes opened wide in surprise, but it was too late; Dolare released the trident, leaving Link pushing his sword out against nothing but a phantom, allowing Dolare to whip around, letting loose a fierce kick that slammed into the side of Link's head with a loud THUD.

Link slumped over, but remained conscious, if only of the blistering pain, the shrill ringing in his ear as his hand slid across the cold material beneath him. His eyes blurred, catching only the slightest hint of Mipha's shouts of what might have been his name. The next sensation upon him was the feeling of his body sliding across the ground, Dolare muttering to himself with great upset as he yanked Link's body to the platform's edge.

"Bah," Dolare scoffed as he turned Link over, sending his unmoving body plummeting into the basin below as he stood up, whipping his head around to Mipha's cries.

"NO!" she shouted angrily, kicking Akis off of her with intense ferocity, "NO!"

Akis grumbled, "GAH! You petulant little-!"

With the suddenness of a flash of light, a body came flying overtop Mipha, slamming into and launching Akis across the platform and leaving her alone to scurry to her feet with an endless vigor. She eyed Dolare as Revali slid to a stop beside her, turning his foot vertical atop the floor to stretch out his talons.

"Hard little buggers," he complained, "Is there any part of you that is not bolstered to the hardness of steel?!"

Mipha's lips curled with fury, "You could go for the eyes."

Revali turned to Akis and the one he had strategically launched in Mipha's direction to free her, wincing his face as if tasting the idea for a moment while the two returned to their feet.

"Perhaps I might give it a shot," he shrugged, "I'll get these two. Can you get the red one?"

Knowing she was on a time limit, that of mere seconds, Mipha didn't bother replying, simply dashing in Dolare's direction, knowing he was the only thing standing between her and Link. Dolare frowned at her advance, his eyes studying her movement, recognizing her muscles tensing in an attempt at leaping over him. His face sharpened with focus as Mipha did just that, his body jumping in time with hers, much to Mipha's shock, his hand taking hold of her ankle and yanking her from the air as he hit the platform once again, giving a forceful pull that slipped Mipha's legs out from beneath her, sending her head slamming into the ground.

Dolare shook his head, "I truly hate that this had to come to violence."

He watched Mipha's dizzying expression with a cold frown, "Such reckless stupidity… He must be important to you, huh?"

His sighed, his lips curling with dissatisfaction before he began pushing her off as well, "The things we do for the ones we love, I suppose..."

Then, with a final tap of his foot, Mipha went hurtling into the basin below as well.

Link's eyes stung. In some desperate attempt to seek out help, he had forced them open, even as he couldn't move his head. Between his rapid exhaustion and the ringing in his head, especially given the weightless environment, he couldn't even tell which way was up. He simply floated there, ever descending, as his lungs burned for a breath that wasn't ever his to take.

His vision blurred as an aberration appeared a few yards away, the visage of something quite angelic, now that his senses were so strained. He recognized Mipha floating there, her body functioning with much more motion than Link himself were capable. She slowly, yet surely, began spinning slowly in place as if she were hunting for something, albeit without much of her own senses about her.

Link watched in anguish as his lung clutched in his chest. His vision grew dark. Like a ghastly specter, black swirls entered his vision, closing in from within a dark halo that threatened to overtake his vision entirely. He battled with his own body, forcing his every never to resist that primal need for a breath that rang along his spine, in his head.

As his life slipped away, he watched Mipha's futile dance, thinking only of how he wished she would not blame herself, though knowing she would.

His lips constricted as an idea formed in some distant recess of his mind. His vision nearly gone along with his consciousness, with only the faintest breath left within his lungs. He gave it up, if only for one final chance at survival.

"Squeee-!" he sounded like a sonar mere moments before his body forced a breath, yet only finding water to fill his lungs.

At that moment, Link knew his fate was all but sealed.

"-quee…"

Mipha spun around, her eyes and ears ringing violently, yet the inner machinations of some ever-present, deep part of her mind caught the direction of that sound. She zeroed in on its source, forcing her body through the water before coming across Link's lifeless body, her eyes jolting open.

But this was no time for sorrow.

Her body churned into action, her arms hurriedly latching upon his torso as she pushed the two of them up toward the surface with powerfully lithe motions of her legs, the sunlight above breaking through the waters like salvation itself.

Or so she prayed.

They broke through the barrier between water and sky, Mipha immediately seeking out the closest landmass she could navigate to, his breath shaking as she noticed Link's body remaining much as she had found it. Tears welled up in her eyes, yet she battled the waters, pushing Link's body onto a small island near the cliff walls of the basin before crawling up to his side, examining his body with wetted eyes.

"Link..?" she asked weakly, her voice tearing at the seams, "Link..?!"

No reply.

Her eyes ran up and down his body, rushing to recall what she had been taught of these situations as far back as when Link was a child, his troupe of Hylians requiring such knowledge to be held by their hosts for just such an occasion.

She forced her emotions back into her chest, rolling her lips inward with focus as she reached down, placing her hands atop Link's chest.

His lungs.

She nodded, "Okay… Okay…"

Her eyes darted toward his head, watching his motionless lips as she muttered to herself in self-instruction, "Link- Your lungs are filled with water. Like two- Your insides are waterlogged. So-"

Immediately, she bent her torso low, thinking little as she pressed her lips atop his. She reached up, plugging his nose, as her gills fluttered in a vaccumous phenomenon. Her own body released air through her gills, but allowed nothing in, robbing herself of breath as she focused. In that vacuum now shared between them, she could nearly taste how much water was within him, feeling the lack of air pressure within him that she had all but recited to memory during their few kisses.

She pulled away with a sharp breath, placing her hands on where she surmised his lungs might have been, her body furiously beginning to push down onto his chest in hopes of ejected the liquid back through his mouth. Her breaths hastened as she worked in a near-feverish pace, her eyes once again welling up with tears as the effort grew more and more futile, her head shaking in denial.

"No…" she begged, "Goddess, please, no…"

Her voice left in a beleaguered, heart-wrenching plea as she pressed on, refusing to give up. She continued to press into his chest, teardrops raining down upon his torso as she cried, echoing in whimpering whines that left her without any rhyme or reason as to their mean-

*COUGH*

Mipha's eyes flew downward as Link's body reflexively threw itself upward, trying to expel the water that had entered him. With a sudden, endless rush of elation, Mipha resisted the urge to simply clutch onto him as tightly as she could muster, choosing instead to help him roll to the side so as to finish the purge of his lungs.

"Link!" she cried out.

He hacked up what he could, his body still fragile from the impacts he had taken, before allowing himself to return to his back, breathing in as deep of breaths as he had ever taken. Blinded by the sunlight above, his eyes winced, only to find the dark visage of Mipha hanging above him in all its angelic prominence.

"Link…" her voice shook, though now with tears of happiness constricting her throat.

Slowly, he reached a hand out to gently stroke whatever part of her he could manage to reach, speaking weakly, "I- What..?"

She shook her head, "It's okay, it's okay, it's okay."

Falling upon his chest, she clutched him as best she could, feeling his body temperature rise now that its internal 'engine' had begun to run properly. She dug her face into his chest, rubbing it back and forth in a loving nuzzle that left her heart bounding for joy. Link could barely move still, though he managed a few words.

"I got this," he spoke up quietly, "They need your help."

Mipha pulled away, having entirely forgotten of the struggle above. She watched him warily, terrified of what might happen to him were she to leave him here, though a faint grin from him put her at ease.

"C'mon; I've got you to live for," he admitted with a boyish tone, "It's gonna take more than drowning to keep me from that life."

Unable to hide a smirk of her own aimed at his bravado, Mipha leaned over to give him a gentle kiss before rising to her feet. She turned, readying herself to leap back into the water, only for Link's hand to weakly grab hold of her ankle, breaking her from that concentration.

"-love you," he spoke up.

Mipha bowed her head, allowing only a faint smile to cross her face before answering back in a voice empty from happiness, "I- love you…"

With that, she leapt into the water, climbing up one of the many waterfalls descending from the Domain having proved to be the quickest route. She left Link to recuperate from his injuries, though Link had left her something for more significant with his words.

Something he had once hoped he had left her when unsure of any reunion between them.

Now he prayed that hadn't become self-fulfilling prophecy.

"GWAAAAR!" Daruk roared as he finally gained the upper hand, clutching his fists together and throwing his entire weight into a mighty blow that sent the brutish Helor careening back along the main bridge into the Domain.

However heroic that might have been, Daruk quickly collapsed to his knees and then onto all fours, exhaustion forcing him to weather beneath the storm of combat. He turned to find Revali in much the same situation, having defeated two of the Niq on his own. Daruk's eyes then caught Urbosa, kneeling in exhaustion as well with her head having fallen low. The Goron returned to find Dolare and Akis muttering amongst themselves before stepping toward the Champions.

"They certainly did their jobs well," Akis groaned, "All we've to do is finish cleaning up the mess. Here-"

He tossed Dolare a spear, "Skewer the woman. She defeated Avoh in combat; I'm not about to bear witness to what she can do."

Dolare did as instructed, stepping toward Urbosa with a tense look on his face, not at all enjoying the task he'd been assigned. Urbosa's body rose and fell in heavy breaths, panting with increased strain as she mustered just the strength to peer up toward the feet that approached her.

"Don't suppose you'll give us a moment?" she asked sarcastically, "Y'know. Make it fair?"

Dolare's lips turned, "This was meant to be a war of attrition from the start. I'm afraid were we to offer such a thing, it would defeat the purpose of our strategy."

"Worth a shot," Urbosa shook her head with a droll expression, "Revali? You got any fight left in you?"

With a pained voice, Revali exclaimed, "As long as my very eyes allow, I will always be prepared to fight!"

"I meant with anything other than your attitude," she clarified with a grin, though it only earned her a coarse stare from the Rito.

"Alright," Urbosa sighed, lifting her torso up with her arms raised, "But I'm still gonna make you work for it."

Frowning, Dolare watched her with a listless expression. He never wanted it to be like this.

"STOP!" came a cry as Zelda nearly slid down the length of the rampart, scurrying to Urbosa's side and falling to her knees, hugging Urbosa tightly as her tear-stained eyes stared up toward Dolare, "Please don't!"

Dolare's brow fell.

"She's all I have," Zelda whimpered, her voice shaking.

His movement impaired, Dolare's eyes froze upon the sight before him, those words echoing far deeper into his mind than he had ever known to be pathways.

Urbosa chuckled, "Zelda, don't. If Link discovers I'm allowing this, he'll bring me back to life only to kill me once again."

"I don't care," Zelda bit back, "You all fight for me; I'll fight for you!"

Zelda reached for Link's knight sword that Urbosa had dropped in her exhaustion, standing up with the most erratic posture, both her hands on the hilt aimed toward Dolare.

"Don't you come any closer!" she commanded.

Dolare's eyes remained transfixed, his voice uttering lowly, "He's all I have."

The anger on Zelda's faced melted away as she recognized the hurt upon his own. Her arms trembled under the weight of the sword, flinching as Akis shouted, stomping toward the two of them.

"Dolare!" he cried out, "Do it! or I-!"

In a massive blow, Mipha's body flew through the air, slamming into Akis' body and sending the two skidding across the platform. Mipha leapt toward a nearby trident as Akis recovered, a sudden thrust leaving her fangs shown in fury as Akis dodged, only for Mipha to swing the weapon back around, slamming it into his side, forcing Dolare into action, splitting away from Zelda and Urbosa to dash toward the impending threat to Akis. Mipha let loose a flurry of attacks, newly focused now that she no longer was weighed down by the fate of her own lover; her strikes were meticulous, and wholly foreign to Akis, whose dodges were erratic and unrefined. Her teeth grit angrily with each swing, turning her attention toward Dolare as he flew toward her, a spear aimed in her direction.

"WAH!" Dolare shouted as he struck, leaving Mipha to twirl away, bringing her trident straight down upon the top of his weapon in an attempt to disarm him, but his grip remained true.

He threw her weapon away, giving him an opening that quickly shut as Mipha bounced away, returning her trident in front of her. Akis swirled around the two, attempting to flank Mipha, but a sudden burst of energy allowed Revali to burst toward him, grappling his ankle and sending him toppling to the ground. That motion caught Dolare's attention for but a brief second, allowing Mipha to maneuver her thrust around his spear, sending a prong of her trident into his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain as he recoiled.

"G- GAH!" Dolare cried out, dropping his spear and collapsing as he held his shoulder.

Mipha stomped toward him, trident outstretched as if going for the kill, though she paused immediately at the wailing voice behind her.

"P-Please!" Akis shouted in a beg, "Please! Just-!"

Mipha's eyes locked upon Dolare's injured form, her grip tightened as she felt Akis crawling to her feet, grasping her ankle as he begged from his prostrated position, "Don't-… Let him go. Please."

"Akis…"

He pleaded, "If one of us is to die, please- Let it be me. He's done nothing, just- Please…"

Mipha stood there, with her eyes stuck, but not wholly in concentration. She felt her ankle twitch, Akis' fingers allowing only the most brief of constriction as his muscles betrayed his subservience.

"Mipha!" cried out Zelda in terror as Akis leapt to his feet with a hidden dagger flying toward Mipha, though her premonition of his movement already won her the counter.

Already having spun toward him, she sent the butt of the trident into his chin, knocking him off kilter before twirling the trident in her hand and jabbing with a furious strike that sent its sharpened edges into Akis' chest, his eyes immediately falling lifeless as he trembled in shock, taking the trident with him as he collapse to the ground.

"A- A- Akis..!" Dolare cried, rushing over to the man, "AKIS!"

He slid to a stop beside him, burying himself overtop of him as he clutched his cheeks, bringing his face toward him only to find it devoid of life. He shook violently, unending dread drenching his every scale as he watched the cold face of the man he loved.

"Akis…" he whined softly.

He wished he had tears to offer him. but he knew the both of them had lost them all in their effort to come here.

Mipha gently pulled the trident from Akis' corpse, holding it at her side before staring upon Dolare with a vengeful expression, "What did you give to come here?"

Dolare dropped his head, allowing his forehead to bury itself against Akis' chest, "We had nothing to give…"

Watching him intently as though to size him up, Mipha's lips curled in thought as she stood above him. She watched the scene before her with increasing sorrow.

"All he wanted was the best for us, but-" Dolare managed coldly, "He wanted to give me the world."

"I never wanted this," he confirmed quietly.

Mipha allowed a sharp breath through her nose in contemplation, finally concluding, "You're not to see my father again. After what you've done, I'm sure he would want nothing short of your demise for your treasonous actions."

Dolare shook in realization.

Pondering silently for another moment, Mipha quietly asked, "What have you lost?"

His heart collapsing, Dolare weakly answered, "Everything…"

Mipha's eyes narrowed. She pulled her trident upward, yet it went no further. She dropped it at her side with a clang that broke out like a death knell.

"Take him," Mipha concluded, "Take all of your companions that are left. Never return to this land."

Dolare's head slowly turned up toward Mipha, his eyes blood red from his tearless anguish, recognizing the mercy now bestowed upon him, "B- But-"

"Don't say a word," Mipha replied with a bite to her tone, "What you have done to us is immeasurable-"

Her eyes flashed toward Akis' lifeless frame, thinking only of that moment she had lost her own destiny, "-except, perhaps, by those we love, and who love us. I will allow no further bloodshed to stain these waters, so long as I'm expected of such benevolence."

She stepped away as Dolare's eyes followed her in listless expectation, checking on Daruk before returning a glance to Dolare.

"Go," she reminded him.

Slowly, Dolare rose to his feet, collecting his lover in his arms as best he could in a posture Mipha had, for a moment, envisioned herself in, before limping away toward the bridge. As he made his away around to carry his subordinates there, even beneath his injured frame, he refused to glance at anybody but Akis.

Despite Mipha's order to return from whence he came, Dolare's mind fumbled with that inevitable truth. That he hadn't a home to return to, now.