Link watched as Zelda came back home with the knights she had set out with. King Rhoam was also awaiting her return alongside him. The King immediately took off the moment he saw his daughter turning to learn who had become the Rito Champion. Zelda had already stated what Champion she was going to be naming, choosing to name the others tomorrow, saying it would be the easiest to get the Champion who lived up in the cold first.

The knights took off to carry out their duties before their shifts ended while he waited awkwardly for his moment to speak with the princess. The knights gave him a jealous look as they eyed that sword on his back, and Link shrank back in slight fear. He wasn't the one to trust jealous people with the famous sword strapped on his back; anyone could try again to steal it away from him. Despite the Great Deku Tree's warning to everyone with him about what would happen if they tried taking the sword, Link knew they would still try anyway.

Eventually, Link watched as King Rhoam nodded before taking off to his study. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he was going to start writing a letter to Impa and Purah about the Champions being named, and asking for the update on the Divine Beasts and Guardians. Slowly, Link made his way over to Zelda, bowing respectfully before kissing her hand in greeting before standing straight with a friendly smile, but noticed how she didn't return the smile. His smile quickly faded away as he cleared his throat, shifting awkwardly where he stood.

"Might I ask how the Ritos were?" Link asked as he walked with her, offering his arm to which she took without much thought. "I heard their village is cold despite not being in the air. Their range is the place where you could freeze to death. What I would have given in order to see it with you."

"You wanted to join me? You had to practice with the Master Sword in order to understand it better," Zelda scoffed. "The Ritos were fine. I named Revali, their best skilled archer, as the Rito Champion. He reassured me he'll be able to pilot Vah Medoh with ease. The cocky bastard."

"Revali? I can't wait to meet him," Link nodded in acknowledgement. "I have to say— I wonder what the Divine Beasts actually look like. I hear they're at the Royal Ancient Lab with Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie along with the Guardians and other Sheikahs."

"Are they?" Zelda hummed. She remembered little about the locations of the Divine Beasts, but she could see them being with Purah and Robbie at the lab in order of finding out how to make them run again. "I hope they can figure out how to make them run again along with the Guardians."

"I have no doubt they'll figure something out," Link replied. "It was Impa and Purah who figured out Ganon's return along with Robbie. They'll be able to find out their controls."

"I suppose if anyone can figure it out— it's them," agreed Zelda. She didn't doubt Purah's and Robbie's talent for figuring controls out; they were the best and the leaders of the research after all.

"Which Champion will you pick out next?"

Zelda smiled at the thought of meeting the next Champion. "The Goron Champion. I hope whomever is the Goron's best will make an excellent Champion."

"I'm sure he or she will," Link reassured her. He didn't doubt her choices for the Champions. "They can't exactly fool around with what's happening nowadays, now can they? They need to be serious."

Zelda gave him a look for a split second before unhooking her hand from his arm. He didn't make a move to head after her as she walked away from him. Even if they could speak with each other without yelling, he could still sense some sort of tension between them; the rift still existed. With the new additional stress of picking the Champions, making sure the Divine Beasts and Guardians were working, it wouldn't be so easy to speak without being tense and accidentally saying something that would make them have a fight.

After a few moments, Link made his way after her. He made sure to keep his distance from her, knowing she would like it better as she thought about a possible Champion for the Gorons, Zoras, and Gerudos. She made to make sure the ones she picked were right for the job; who knew what could happen if they weren't?

"Princess, may I ask you something?" Link asked quietly as he picked up his pace in order for her to hear him.

"What do you want, Link?" she didn't glance back at him.

"I have a request for the Zora Champion," Link admitted. "Princess Mipha would be a wonderful Zora Champion— she's the best in terms of healing wounds."

Zelda took in his words and thought back to all the times Link had spoken about Mipha when they were children. He always spoke highly about her after their first meeting; explaining how she managed to save him when he fell into the water. Her healing abilities couldn't be compared to others. She stored the possibility of Mipha becoming the Champion in the back of her mind.

"Are you sure you don't want her to be the Zora Champion so you can see her again? I recall how close you two are."

"No," Link shook his head in answer. "I can see Mipha whenever I want, but I know she'll make an excellent Champion."

"Fine," Zelda sighed heavily as she gave in to him. "I'll keep her in mind when I go to pick out the Zora Champion. But I will make no promises. If there is another Zora who shows better potential for the Champion; I'll pick them— it'll probably make her father much more relaxed."

Link knew Mipha's father would be worried about her being the Champion if she was chosen, but he knew deep down she would be a great choice. There was no one better for that title than his best friend. He could only hope that Zelda would pick Mipha and not someone else. Vah Ruta would respond perfectly to Mipha's kind nature; it would be easy for her to figure out.

After a while of walking around with Zelda, the pair went their separate ways. Zelda went to her study in order to study the route to Goron City while he went to the training grounds to practice with the Master Sword a bit more. A moment later, he felt someone push him on the shoulder.

"Hey squirt," Tora clicked his tongue as he eyed the sword. "How's the Master Sword?"

Link opened his mouth to reply before he realized there were two other knights behind Tora. He paled slightly as he felt his stomach drop. Tora wouldn't be jealous, would he? He wouldn't gang up on him in order to take the Master Sword, would he? The youngest guard swallowed as he tried to reply normally.

"It's fine," Link mumbled nervously as he backed up slightly, watching them eye him carefully, probably looking for the chance to pounce. "I'm still trying to get used to it. Why?"

"Y'know, you could always give it to one of us," another knight, Doug, piped up. "That sword shouldn't be wielded by a kid like you."

"A kid like me?" Link repeated.

The third knight, Dallas, grinned as he placed his arm on Doug's shoulder. "Yeah!" he whistled as he eyed the sword. "It was probably a mistake for you to pull it— the sword needs an adult to wield it. Not some kid who got lucky."

Link stiffened. He didn't want them to know but their words hit a little too close to home for his comfort. "It wasn't a mistake," he insisted. "The Master Sword doesn't make mistakes! You know this. I know this. I was meant to pull it and it shows it. Besides, if you try to take it— it'll shock you."

"Oh, please!" Doug snickered, waving him off. "That's just something they say to make others back off."

"Oh, yeah? Try it," Link smirked as he threw the sword to Tora.

Tora smirked smugly as he caught it before he felt an electrical shock run up his arm, and he yelped loudly as the sword went onto the ground. Link smirked widely as Tora's friends backed up in shock. The great knight rubbed his hand as he stared at the Master Sword, swallowing heavily as he came to terms of what it had just done.

The things the Great Deku Tree had said were true. It was all true. Tora scowled lightly as he stiffened, pushing Doug towards it so he could try. Doug hesitated for a moment before bending down and taking it into his hand before yelping in pain as a harder shock ran up his arm.

Straight away, Dallas held up his hands.

"I ain't trying!" Dallas yelped as he backed up. "That fucking sword will kill me! It won't let anyone else touch it."

Link smirked in victory as he took the sword into his hand. "See? I don't think it's a mistake that I have it," he couldn't help but laugh at the older knights' expressions, "— it's my sword and I'm its wielder."

"But how?" stressed Doug. "You're just a kid compared to us! We've been at this for a long time, and you've only recently joined!"

"I don't know how," Link admitted as he gazed down at the sword, seeing his reflection in the blade easily. For a split moment, he saw someone else staring at him; someone with darker blond hair and blue eyes, clothed in green. "All I know is— it chose me for a reason and I intend to obey its wishes."

Tora glanced at him before smiling. "Atta boy!" he chuckled. "I can report back to King Rhoam with a positive response."

A look of confusion flashed over Link's face.

"Wait, what?" he questioned. "What do you mean?"

"King Rhoam wanted to see if you intended on doing the right thing when it came to the Master Sword. He wanted me to test you," Tora explained as he patted Link on the head with a proud smile. "He'll be pleased to know you intend to do just that."

Link stiffened before he relaxed, smiling softly. "Oh," he murmured. "That's a relief. I thought you were going to beat me up."

The great knight shook his head with laughter echoing around the courtyard. Doug and Dallas exchanged a look before bidding them goodbye as they headed back to the barracks. Tora patted Link's shoulder once again as he nodded, turning on his heels to do his rounds. Link took a moment to calm his pounding heart as he replayed Tora's words in his head; King Rhoam wanted to test him to ensure he was serious about being the Master Sword's wielder.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared at all during that test.

Once again, he glanced down at the sword to see if he could see that man again. Unfortunately there was nothing that could point to him again. Link took a deep breath as he sighed.

Well, at least he knew now the sword was serious in having him as its wielder.

"That shock is going to either be a blessing or a curse. I'm going to have to keep my eyes on you, won't I?"

…

It wasn't until they actually had to go to Death Mountain, did the knights understand why Zelda brought several positions with her in order to keep the heat in check. She smirked as she tossed them a few, placing the rest back in her satchel on her mare, climbing aboard as she kicked the sides lightly as they began to trot up the mountain slowly but surely. The heat had begun to kick in as soon as they passed by an old shrine that stood, unused, surrounded by rocks and lava.

Passing by the Hot Springs, the knights snuck a glance at each other before sneaking into it. Zelda smirked as she got off her horse, patting the mare as she watched her head over to the Hot Springs to grab a drink or two before getting into the water altogether and the Gorons who were there smiled as they moved to pet the white mare.

"Excuse me," Zelda began politely as the Gorons looked up.

"Yes?" the oldest Goron there asked. "What do you need, Princess Zelda?"

"Do you know where I can find your Elder in the Goron City?" questioned Zelda, arching her eyebrow. "I need to ask him a question on who your best Goron is."

"Our best Goron?" the Goron asked. "Why do you need to know that?"

Zelda smiled gently. "We're looking for someone to be the Goron Champion due to Calamity Ganon's incoming return," she explained. "I need the Elder's input in order to choose on who that Goron will be."

A look of concern flashed over the Gorons' face as they pointed the direction where their city laid. She gave them a firm nod before heading that, leaving the knights alone with her horse. As she thought, the Goron City was full of rock and lava; many Gorons were walking around to head to their duties before they noticed her presence and gave her some armor to keep cool in their hot city, which she respectfully said no in return.

She was led to the Elder by a young Goron, who raced towards the Elder's hut. The Elder gave her a wide smile before placing his heavy hand on her shoulder, welcoming her with as much politeness as the Rito Elder did.

There wasn't any time wasted when she asked who the strongest Goron he knew was. When she was asked why, she gave the simple explanation of Calamity Ganon's incoming return, watching as anger flashed over the Elder's expression much like it had with Revali's expression when he learnt of Ganon's return.

The Gorons also had something against Ganon, it seemed.

"Daruk," the Elder stated firmly. "That's who our strongest brother is! You'll find him up further at the mines."

"Thank you," Zelda replied as she took off in the direction she was pointed in.

It was easy finding the Goron the city was proud of. She watched as Daruk moved the rocks with ease as he threw them into the flames below, watching as the other Gorons cheered before making their way over to the mine. That's when Daruk caught sight of her as he turned around. He waved her a happy wave before rushing over to her; hoping from rock to rock before he landed in front of her.

He held out his hand, and much like Revali, he kissed it respectfully as he stood straight before leading her out of the heat. When she asked why they couldn't just speak where they were, Daruk informed her he didn't want her passing out from the overbearing heat and led her down the mountain where the heat wasn't so bad for humans.

They also passed the knights, which quickly followed them with Zelda's horse.

Throughout the walk, Zelda explained everything that was happening and Daruk took a deep breath as he took the information in. All the races had their own tales of Ganon, and they all shared one similarity to them; Ganon did something to upset them, making them hold a grudge for all eternity.

"The Rito Champion has been picked," Zelda went on as they continued on their walk. Daruk was listening closely, not wanting to miss anything she said. "All we need is the three other Champions to pilot the remaining Divine Beasts."

"And ya want me?" Daruk questioned, happiness and pride gleaming in his eyes.

Zelda nodded sharply, "Yes." she replied. "By being the Goron Champion, you'll be piloting Divine Beast, Vah Rudania— a lizard. They'll be able to walk through lava and will most likely be stationed on Death Mountain to get a clear aim at Hyrule Castle."

"Of course I will!" Daruk beamed, nodding. "I'll do anything to take down that beast. The Gorons have their own scores to settle with Ganon, anyhow and this'll help us do just that."

"So, I have your agreement and approval?"

Daruk chuckled, holding out his hand. "You bet, you do!"

Zelda beamed as she shook hands with him. "Excellent," she said. "Once the other Champions are chosen, there will be a ceremony held in order to congratulate the Champions and make them the official team that will take down Ganon, aiding the Master Sword's Chosen."

"Who pulled the sword?" Daruk questioned.

Everyone knew at this point the Master Sword was pulled. News flew fast with the amount of Gorons, Zoras, Ritos, and Gerudos walking about to overhear things. The Elders knew of the sword too; but the return of Ganon was something they didn't know.

A look of annoyance flashed over Zelda's face.

"A guard named Link," she explained. "You'll meet him at the Ceremony, I assure you."

Daruk nodded. "Alright. So, who's leadin' the Champions?"

"I am. I'm the Commander."

Daruk was taken aback by that as he racked his eyes up and down, as if he was trying to locate any injuries on the princess but found none. At first, his thought was; how did King Rhoam allow that? But then he realized, King Rhoam had picked his daughter to lead the Champions as their Commander. He didn't know how to feel about that, but he knew it wasn't his place to judge at all.

Was this some sort of test to see if she was good enough for the throne?

For a split moment, Daruk didn't know what to say. He wanted to know if this was a joke, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings— it wasn't in his nature to hurt others' feelings.

"Oh, yeah?" he grinned, keeping up his happy posture. "The King picked ya especially?"

"I was surprised, I admit," Zelda admitted. "But he said he wanted the best to lead the Champions."

Daruk placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently so he wouldn't hurt her. "Well, I'm happy for ya!" he said. "Can ya tell me a bit about ol' Rudania?"

"Well, Rudania is the Divine Beasts the Sheikah believe are for the Gorons," Zelda explained. "It was quite easy to see which Beast was for the Ritos; Vah Medoh with their wings. Since Rudania is a lizard, they believe the Gorons are the best option. I also believe they named them Rudania after a famous Goron?"

Daruk thought for a moment. "Yeah…" he trailed off. "Rudania sounds pretty close to Darunia— a Goron sage we all learn about from a young age. He was once leader of the Gorons just like Boss is. I can see Rudania being named after Darunia. I think we'll get along just fine."

Zelda grinned. "I hope Rudania responds to you well, then."

"When am I expected at Hyrule Castle?" asked Daruk. "You mentioned havin' to go there for a ceremony…"

"Someone will come with a summons for you."

"Well, I look forward to it!" Daruk grinned. "You head back to the castle and focus on getting the next Champions, now."

Zelda nodded as she bid Daruk goodbye, motioning for the knights to bring her horse forward. She watched for a split second as Daruk began to make his way back to the Goron Mines and took a deep breath as she thought back to Link's swords.

Mipha.

Would she be a good Zora Champion? Perhaps she should give her a chance and see if she truly was the best the Zoras had. It wouldn't hurt to try and see after all.

"We head to Zora's Domain next," she declared. "We can make it there before the sun sets."

The knights nodded before following her.