Zelda awoke with cool hands on her cheeks.

It took her a moment to realize they were pressing her mouth open, that water was running into her mouth and down her face. When she did, her body rebelled violently.

She gagged, coughing up the water and turning her head to the side. The hands smoothed back her hair. "What-" she began in a croaky voice, straining to blink the tears out of her eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

The voice is soft, lyrical. Genuine worry and kindness shrouded the words in delicate silk. Zelda felt a tinge of familiarity on the tip of her tongue.

"I-" In comparison, Zelda's voice grated, garbling and rusty. She cleared it, blinking furiously. "F-fine, I think. Better." Her eyes began to focus, and she could now make out the delicate form of a woman bending over her. It was dim where they were, but Zelda thought she could see a faint smile on the woman's lips.

"Here. Drink."

The rim of a water bottle bumped her lips, and Zelda opened, this time drinking greedily. Water ran through her throat like rain hitting a cracked ground, a combination of discomfort and relief that Zelda readily welcomed.

"Who are you?" Zelda asked as soon as she was able. Now that she knew the hands weren't a hallucination, she had to know who had been touching her face.

"My name is Mipha," the girl replied.

Zelda sat up so fast her vision exploded into fireworks. Mipha's hands were quick to steady her, but Zelda shook her off. "Mipha?" she sputtered, her throat still raw and lips chapped. "Princess Mipha Vann of Zora's Domain?"

"Yes," she responded. Her voice had yet to raise above a soft murmur. Zelda strained to make her out in the near pitch darkness.

"Mipha!" Zelda threw her arms around the vague shape of the other princess, pulling her close. Mipha hugged her back, though with a lighter touch.

"Do we know each other?" Mipha asked kindly as they pulled apart.

It'd been a while, to be sure. Zelda and Mipha only met at royal functions for a few short moments up until a few years ago. After Dragmire was crowned, the Domain pulled back from functions to distance themselves from the tyrant. Zora's Domain was notoriously isolationist, both politically and geographically. Their land mass sat outside of the continent. Rich, but small, with a beloved monarchy.

"Princess Zelda," the blonde introduced, keeping a hand on the Zora's in order to keep track of her. "Of Hyrule."

"Oh, yes! I'm glad to see you, my friend, even under such conditions."

"I'd say especially because of these conditions. I would never wish this upon you, but I have to admit: I'm glad I'm not alone."

Mipha's dark shadow bobbed its head. "As am I."

"Mipha?"

Zelda startled at the third voice, jerking away from the source of the sound. Mipha did the opposite, drawing closer to the voice without a hint of hesitation.

"Is the lady awake?"

"Yes, Sidon, she is."

Zelda crawled forward. "Prince Sidon?" she asked.

"Hello," Sidon greeted. He sounded genuinely pleased to meet her, and Zelda couldn't suppress a small smile. She'd met Sidon only once, at his naming ceremony. Even as a newborn child, he sported a smile. "Who're you?"

"I'm Zelda. I'm the Princess of Hyrule."

"Hey! Just like Mipha!"

Mipha chuckled, cradling her brother closer to her chest. "That's right, Sidon. She's royal, just like you and me."

"I apologize for asking this in front of your brother," Zelda began, pausing to allow Mipha to interrupt. When she didn't, Zelda went on, "but do you know why they're taking royals?"

"Not a clue," Mipha replied.

"Who else is here?"

"To my knowledge, it is just the three of us."

Zelda's mind seized this tidbit and immediately began flipping through the countries and their rulers - and why Zora's Domain and Hyrule differed.

Gerudo, obviously, couldn't contribute to her data. The Koholint and Waker Islands had no central governmental leader. Termina was led by a monarchy as well, though the king and queen had died several years ago and all that remained was a council regency that held the place for the crown prince. Dragon Roost Isle was ruled by a tribal leader and was chosen by merit, rather than blood. There was a King in Twilight, though the rule had been assimilated into the Gerudo nation and he hadn't been seen in several years.

"Lorule," Zelda blurted before her thoughts had even caught up to each other. There was a monarchy in Lorule with a princess, and Zelda couldn't remember the last time she'd been seen. Like the Termanian Prince, she was also an heir apparent waiting to come of age to claim her throne. "There's a princess there, too. Have you seen her?" Her name suddenly came to Zelda. "Hilda?"

"I have not been able to see anyone since I came here."

"That's alright," Zelda replied. Her mind was whirling. "Two princesses and a prince don't make a pattern, but there's obviously a connection between our kidnappings. If Princess Hilda was taken as well, we could suspect that Dragmire is after the female heirs. But your brother…" Zelda paused, studying the dark form of Mipha. "Would you mind telling me how you were taken?"

"Of course not," Mipha responded, drawing her arms protectively over her brother. "We were attending the Historical Gardens. I brought Sidon to teach him the significance of the tablets. The Garden is a holy place, so we brought only five of the Royal Guard." She shook her head in dismay. "We were ambushed. I believe they were after me, but-"

Sidon leapt from Mipha's arms, standing akimbo in front of her. "No one hurts my sister!"

"Yes," Mipha agreed in softer tones. "My brave Sidon refused to leave my side." She reached out for her brother and he gladly returned to the safety of her embrace. Her voice hardened. "We woke here. Perhaps a day passed before you joined us."

Zelda absorbed this information and formulated her next inquiries. "Did Dragmire injure you at all?"

Mipha made a small noise of affirmation. "A small cut on my arm. It's already closed. Yours is far worse."

For the first time since awakening, Zelda's presence of mind turned to herself. She now noticed that her hands and feet were unbound, though there was aching where the zip ties had cut into her skin. Her arms had been separated and wrapped wrist to elbow. Gingerly, the princess prodded her wounds, pleasantly surprised to find that the injury was not as painful as she'd anticipated. "Thank you," she told Mipha. The other princess nodded. "How did you release the zip ties?"

"Sharp rock," Sidon answered. "And Mipha healed you up! She's really good at healing."

"It was my pleasure," Mipha assured Zelda.

Before the two could converse further, light sliced through the darkened cell, only barely preceding a screech of metal and stone. Mipha clutched her brother tighter and Zelda instinctively distanced herself further from the ray of light illuminating the space in front of her prison. With an ominous air, a shadow holding a gas lamp walked towards them, footsteps echoing through the faint reverberations of the still-ringing metal door.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintances, Princesses," drawled a woman's voice. The shadowed figure cocked her hip, using the opposite hand to hang her lantern on the wall above the bars. Zelda bit her lip to keep from making a sound as the light fell upon the newcomer, a wild card she had yet to observe and could quite possibly be bringing her to more horror.

The light was poor, but Zelda could make out the sharp angles of her nose, the volume of her abundant red hair, and the hoops that hung from her ears. Her neck barely registered outside of the dim light, but Zelda thought the woman might be wearing a dress or skirt of some kind, given the rustle of fabric.

A sharp clatter of metal hit the stone floor, followed by the screeching of the same object as it was kicked under bars. Faint sloshing of something liquid suggested this woman had been in charge of bringing them food.

"Welcome to the Gerudo Desert." The affected voice betrayed no remorse, no pity. It was the voice of someone in charge, arrogant, aloof. "I'll be your jailor. You may call me Urbosa."

With that, the self-proclaimed jailor flicked the lamp off and left without another word, plunging them into darkness with the finality of a slamming door.

Revali was the first to see the upcoming monster.

Before anyone else had even registered the threat, Revali had unclipped his bow unclipped, strung, and notched with an arrow. Link had only a moment's notice to veer out of his line of sight before the arrow left it's perch, flying with deadly precision into the chest of the upcoming pig-man.

The target dropped with an irritating squeal, and Revali scoffed in disgust. To think he was wasting perfectly good arrows on these monstrosities when even a novice rock-slinger could down the same prey with a handful of pebbles. It was asinine.

Revali's arrow embedding itself into the first monster shocked the rest of the group into action. Sheik stood in his stirrups, kunai flashing between his fingers. The girls pulled back on the reins, grouping together and withdrawing their own pocket knives with grim expressions. For a moment, the entire forest was still. The horses shifted, the wind rustled the leaves, and the pig-monster dissolved into black magic with a hiss.

Revali held another arrow ready, the string creaking under the strain. The calm before the storm, the archer thought to himself. This moment of anticipation thrilled him. When he was honed on his target, his arrow pulled back, the string taunt in his fingers… Every sound dimmed. It was just him and his bow.

The silence splintered with a shrieking cry. Revali released his arrow into the eye of the first monster to break the trees. He downed three before Link and Sheik hit the ground, blades in their hands. The archer's keen eyes picked up the number of the ambush. Eight more - excluding the four he had already dispatched. Two were larger than the others, one red and the other black.

Sheik charged in without abandon. His blades were a flash as the nimble Sheikah darted between blows and grabs, slicing lacerations into every patch of skin he passed. Revali had another arrow drawn, but the boy moved so fast through the monsters he held his fire.

The other boy, Link, was far less experienced. He planted his feet and held his dagger in front of him like a sword. The first monster to break the chaos Sheik caused went at the boy with a spiked club, squealing. Link sidestepped the first blow and buried his blade in the monster's exposed back.

Revali released his next arrow over the blonde's head, downing the approaching monster as its prey tugged the knife out of its fleshy sheath.

Link glanced to Revali, the body dissolving around his knife and releasing his weapon. A flash of understanding passed between them before Link turned to the next monster.

The archer watched as Link challenged the monster that loomed over double the smaller boy's weight. Another arrow was drawn back, but he held fire. Until Link fell out of his line of sight, he would keep his arrow in its position. Link was moving faster than Revali anticipated. Adrenaline did that, the archer supposed.

Sheik felled four on his own, leaving only the two giants left. Link held his knife in challenge. Sheik skirted the edges.

Link's monster had a sword drawn - a clunky piece of steel that had lost its sharpness and luster long ago. Sheik faced a monster that held nothing more than a wooden branch. Still, Sheik was more wary. Link faced his opponent without flinching.

Revali watched Link jump to the side to gain ground. The sword had longer reach, and Revali was mildly surprised to see the teen account for that. Link was nimble, darting in at an angle to give the monster a target. The monster took the bait, and Link pivoted, throwing his weight backward to miss the swing. Just as the blade passed, he made his move, darting in to slice the monster across its ribcage.

Link leapt back when the monster kicked out, but stumbled and lost his footing. Revali loosed his arrow, catching the monster in the shoulder as it turned. The distraction gave Link time to scramble up and, brandishing his knife, close the distance between them again. The monster kicked out at Link, still yowling from the arrow, but the blond was on a mission. He sidestepped the kick, threw one of his own into the leg supporting all its weight, and flipped the knife blade down. The monster fell in a tangle of limbs, but it could do nothing to stop Link from thrusting his blade under its chin.

The body erupted into black smog, causing Link to leap back.

Revali returned his attention to Sheik, who had just flipped over the club his opponent had been wielding and ended it with a well-placed laceration at its throat.

"Well, I feel useless," came a voice from Revali's left. He cast a sidelong glance at her, quick to search her for injuries or danger before returning his attention to the two boys. Sheik gathered up the monster parts left behind - horns and talons and such - while Link hefted the sword, testing its weight in his right hand.

"You're welcome," Revali informed the two, irritated that they had yet to thank him.

Shocked into gratitude, the group chorused their thanks, Link and Sheik notably less enthusiastic.

Malon added, "Your aim is incredible."

Revali shot her a grin. "Of course it is. I was the head of the archery club. I've never lost a competition." He returned his attention to Link. "You aren't considering keeping that, are you?"

Link turned his attention from the sword to Revali. "It's a weapon," he replied, sweeping his arm down to showcase his blade. "It's better than a knife."

"It's a freaking sword," Aryll jumped in, equal parts amazed and exasperated. "Where did the monster even find a sword?"

Link shrugged. Before Revali could bait Link further, Sheik made his way over to the archer to give back the arrows he'd retrieved. Ignoring Revali's complaints at their condition, he swung himself back onto his horse. "We're losing daylight," he barked, inclining his head to the path they were following. "If we push hard, we may be able to make it to the Tabantha Great Bridge by nightfall tomorrow."

Link stuck his new sword through his saddle and climbed on his haughty red mare. With a nod to Sheik, the group started off again, pushing their horses faster to make up for lost time.

By unspoken agreement, Revali was promoted to the front, his bow kept stringed and attached to his back.

Their mission had just grown a lot more dangerous.

Trees grew more sparse through the next couple days, trading wildlife for rock formations and furry animals for lizards. The trail grew rockier, and the horses went slower. They reached the Tabantha Great Bridge the afternoon after Sheik had planned, but Malon and Link had been too adamant about keeping the horses traveling at a safe pace for the Sheikah to drive them faster. Knowing that the next day would be nothing but hard riding through the Ridgelands, the group backtracked into the forest a good distance, preferring the cover and water supply to the open rocky plains stretched beyond the fields.

In the dying light, the eight teenagers huddled together to determine the plan for the next day.

"If we ride hard, we should be able to get over the Tanagar Canyon by mid-morning," Sheik was saying, pointing at the route on the map laid out before them. "If we ride through the Seres Scablands instead of around, we can have water and save an hour of travel."

"Will the muck suck in the horses' hooves?" Malon worried, frowning at the Sheikah's hand.

"It's cold enough to freeze the ground," Daruk put in, thumping his fist on the hard dirt beneath him. "The marshes should be stiff, so the horses will be fine. We'll need to ride fast, though; there isn't much cover in the Scablands! We'll make one big target of ourselves."

"And here," Revali drawled, fingering the fork in the road following the Scablands. "That is where Malon and I will part ways with the rest of you?"

"Right," Sheik confirmed. "Depending on when we get to the fork, we may spend one last night together before riding our separate ways. You should be only two or three days' worth of travel from Castletown."

"And how much travel do we have left?" Navi interjected, her face tight with discomfort. Her back pains had only grown the past few days, and she spent much of her time on the horse gripping the reins and hunching over the saddle.

"You can ride a lot harder on Nima Plain," Malon put in. "Nothing but grass. It's used for a lot of horse riding competitions."

"So Dalite Forest," Sheik concluded. "And after that?"

For the first time, Link tugged the map to him and started tracing routes. "We have three or four days of travel this way" he began, following the route that crossed Regencia River and continued down past the Great Plateau. "If we go over Nephra Hill, we could cut it to one day."

"What about the horses?" Malon demanded, snatching away the map. "They can't climb Nephra Hill. It's less a hill and more a ravine!"

"If we go slow-" Link argued.

"Even slow, that place is a landmine for horses! Any number of them could twist their hooves, and then where would you be?"

The rest of the group looked to Sheik. Ultimately, he decided which route would get them there the fastest. The teen in question was staring intently at the map, his finger trailing along the Regencia River route, hesitating when it came to rest on the Temple of Time. "Malon's right," he said at last, ignoring the ginger's smug grin. "It's too dangerous for the horses. We need them through Gerudo Canyon Pass, and we can't afford any injury."

Link relented, dipping his head in a nod.

"We're about a week from destination," Sheik informed them. He traced the path. "One, two," he paused on Dalite Forest, "three four five," he looped Nephra Hill, "six" his finger cut through the Canyon Pass, "and seven." He traversed the Desert and landed on Gerudo City.

"Best case," Midna added. Always the cynic, she brought up the next order of business. "We've only been on the road for a few days, and we've already started to get injured."

"Nobody's been injured," Malon stated, though it was more a question than anything.

"Really?" Midna rolled her eyes. "Pixie can barely stand straight, and we've all noticed how much pain she's been in. Revali seems to have slept in something poisonous along the way-" "I have not!" "-and Daruk, what is going on with your skin? Chronic eczema?"

The large teen scratched his face, coming away with flecks of dry skin. He looked at it with confusion, then shrugged at Midna. "Don't ya worry about me. It's just the dry winter air."

Revali still preened in injured pride. Midna had watched him scratch his arms the entire day, and she wasn't about to be fooled by his present restraint. Even his face held tinges of pink, like whatever rash the boy had was spreading.

Navi didn't bother to argue. She knew there wasn't anyone who would fall for it. "But I can still ride," she promised. "It hurts no matter what I do, and it's no worse on a horse."

Sheik looked at her thoughtfully, then down at his hands. "There's nothing we can do. We just have to keep moving."

With that, they split into their predetermined roles. Link went to Epona, speaking softly to her as he brushed her down. Noticing his melancholia, the red mare pushed her warm nose repeatedly into Link's face, nickering and blowing hot air on his frozen nose. He grinned and redoubled his efforts of scratching her face. "Only one more night," Link muttered into her mane. "Then we split up. I'm worried about Malon. Revali too, I guess. And Navi. And Sheik. And T-Ze-" he broke off with a sigh. "About the Princess," he finished. Epona bit his hair.

Link sighed, shifted so she didn't have access to his head. "I really like her," he told the horse, carding his fingers through her mane. "I mean, I knew her for about a week and a half. Maybe two? I don't know. But there's something about her…" Epona turned her head, sniffing his shoulder. "I feel like I've known her forever."

"Idiot."

Link jerked, causing Epona to flick her tail in annoyance. The blonde whirled to face the goth with a sheepish grin. "Heeeyy."

"I knew you had a crush on her," Midna taunts, her arms folded with a smug grin. She was leaning against a tree, her ankles crossed. "I mean, the way you looked at her the first time made it obvious. I just didn't know you'd moved past the state of denial."

Link sighed, his hand trailing from Epona. The horse nickered, irritated, and stalked off.

"Well?" Midna prompted when the blonde remained silent. "Dish."

"Who says dish?" Link retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Spill, then," Midna shot back, mirroring his eye roll.

Link shook his head in derision before relenting, "We may have kissed."

Midna's eyebrows shot up. "A bit further than denial, I see."

"Yeah…" Link chuckled to himself. "A bit."

"Go on," Midna pushed. "I thought you weren't into the whole dating game anymore, after Ilia."

Link sighed, earning him a glare from Midna. "Well, so we kissed, and I told her I didn't want to date, and she said that was fine."

Midna dropped her arms. "For real? The Princess of Hyrule agreed to an open relationship?" She scoffed at his nod. "But she's so far out of your league!"

"I know."

"Geez, you and girls."

"I know, Midna," he stressed. "But it's not like I was going to date anyone else either. I just didn't want the drama. Tetra got that."

"Zelda," Midna corrected. "And it seems like she already knows you pretty well, you know, with only a couple weeks under her belt."

"I know that, too. Look - it was new, okay? We only started a 'thing' the Saturday before the whole school-shooting thing!"

"New new," muttered Midna. Then she looked to Link. "That's why you wanted to go."

Link nodded. "Don't tell the others, though. I'm not sure if… I'm not sure what's going on anymore."

"Oh no. How will I keep this from my best friends." Her deadpan voice stole a couple chuckles from Link. "I'm just surprised you didn't immediately come bragging to me about the hot chick you bagged."

Link rolled his eyes once again, this time so dramatically he was sure all Midna could see was the whites of his eyes. When he refocused on the goth, he wore a contemplative frown. Midna was quiet, watching him think, until Link formulated the right words. "It's… I don't know. I feel like I know her. Like, from the instant I saw her I just kind of… knew."

"Maybe you're soulmates," Midna deadpanned. When Link shot her a half-hearted glare, she grinned impishly and shot out another theory: "I know! Maybe you guys knew each other in another life, maybe when you were the prince and she the lowly commoner."

"You are no help at all."

"She's in the castle, a hooded servant, staring out the windows at the dreary castle grounds, when all of a sudden, you, the prince, burst in! And I'm there, too, of course, to make fun of you when your eyes first meet…"

Link shoved her shoulder, sending her stumbling into the tree. When it didn't look like she was going to let up, he turned the tides. "So you gonna tell me about you and Sheik?" Midna's smile froze and she glared at him darkly. "That's what I thought." Link turned to leave. Midna grumbled at his "low blow" and followed him as he stalked off.

Navi had made dinner. Revali managed to shoot down a couple of birds and she'd roasted them quiet nicely over their cheerful fire. She seasoned the meat with the supply of salt and pepper from the saddlebags, though Daruk - in keeping with the running joke established that first night - made sure to add a sprinkle of dirt to his portion.

The dinner was melancholy. They had bonds with each other that had been forged over the past four days of sweat, exhaustion, and a shared purpose. Malon and Revali's looming departure shadowed the camp. Aryll and Navi were glued to Malon's sides, sharing a blanket that wrapped around all three of them. Revali was trying hard not to appear concerned, but his tense shoulders and absent itching betrayed his nerves.

"I can take a double shift tonight," Link offered when the group started laying down sleeping bags. Sheik looked at him with a raised eyebrow, still shaking out his sleeping bag. "Malon and Revali will have a lot less chance to sleep with just the two of them."

"I'll stay up with you," Sheik offered, but Link was already shaking his head.

"It's fine. I'm not tired at all. If I start feeling drowsy, I'll wake you up." Sheik looked like he was about to argue, but Link wasn't about to back down. The Sheikah finally shrugged, wrapped himself in his sleeping bag, and rolled into Midna. The nights had gotten colder, and now it wasn't just the girls sleeping side by side to conserve heat. The guys did it too - with Midna marking the line between the genders.

Link tended the fire, keeping his ears out for any suspicious noise, until the moon rose over the horizon and filtered over their camp with a pale light. Link watched the steady rise and fall of his friends' chests for several moments before rising, satisfied that they were out.

The blonde unwrapped his pilfered sword from the make-shift sheath in his saddlebag.

He was no expert, but the blade felt unbalanced in his hand, the metal too heavy for the short pommel. Still, Link felt leagues better with a proper weapon in his hand. Their group hadn't brought any guns along with them, mostly due to the fact that none of them could wield one and they were more likely to injure themselves than any monster they might encounter. So in comparison, a sword felt much better in Link's grip than a glorified kitchen knife.

With the wet stone he used to sharpen his pocket knife, Link angled the sword in the dirt and began to sharpen the edge of the blade. Rust rained down from each stroke, filling the firelight with dancing motes.

The motion of back and forth lulled Link into a hypnotic state, his mind filled with firelight and steel and cold and Zelda.

Zelda.

Link wasn't sure how, but he could almost feel the direction in which she lay. South, his instincts insisted, though it could very well be because that was the direction Sheik had pointed out to him. He wasn't quite as panicked as the day she was taken. He hoped that meant she was alright, and not that he was just getting desynthesized to the whole situation.

A stray light from the firelight flashed into his eyes, drawing him from his reverie. After a hard blink, Link looked at the blade he'd been working on, proud to see its metal far more shiny than before. Placing the wet stone back in his pack, Link tested the weight in his left hand again, watching the blade flash in the dim lighting.

He tried an experimental swing. It felt clumsy, so he tried again, this time with more wrist. Better, he thought, and swiped again. He transferred weight from his heels to the front of his foot, testing out his balance. Different emphasis on the muscles in his arm changed the way the sword cut through the air. How his hand held the grip changed the amount of force he needed to use.

Not a sliver of fencing technique had ever been taught to Link. Still, just the act of swinging the blade brought a host of exhilaration to the young teen. He skirted around the campfire, sweeping his blade in every sort of stroke he could come up with. Once he even swung the sword behind him, and his hand automatically flipped his grip without him even having to think about it.

Link was exhausted, but he continued to thrust and retreat, swing and switch, cut and block. If he had been a bit more lucid, he probably would have stopped to wonder at the way his body moved instinctually with the blade. As it was, he was half-convinced he was dreaming.

Anyone who watched would have no doubt that Link was a professional. Only, he wasn't. This was the first time he had picked up a sword.

In this lifetime, at least.

Saria wasn't sure where the thought came from. She sat in the limbs of a nearby tree, shrouded in darkness and watching Link swing the sword with reckless abandon. She hadn't the slightest clue how she caught up to them - she had been wandering for days, sometimes drawing near to them while they slept, other times resting in the shade as they barreled past on their horses. The forest was in her blood, and the leaves brushed against long-repressed memories, bringing up scents and blurs and echoes that Saria knew were not from her personal experiences.

Here, watching Link, she felt ancient. He was her childhood friend, and she was proud to see him chasing what he wanted. She wanted to go to him, to join him on his mission, but she knew she shouldn't. She sat in the tree's embrace, listening to its song, knowing that she was being held back for a greater purpose. The longer she spent in the forest, the more certain she was that it was where she belonged.

Something is happening to this world, Saria thought as she twisted a leaf through her fingers. Something's happening to each of us.

She watched Revali scratch his arms in his sleep. They grew redder each day. She noticed when Daruk turned over, burying his face into the dirt with a content sigh. Navi most of all. The way the petite girl hunched over, her body pulling tight, made the changes in the world all the more obvious to Saria.

The green-haired girl held her hand in front of her face. It was smaller than she remembered. Her skin was smoother. Her clothing was growing too big for her. Perhaps it was because she ate only what the forest provided, or perhaps she was simply wasting away.

Yes, she was changing. They all were.

Ayo-a-mayo, I'm back. You know, I always figured when I started college I'd be the type that joined everything and chilled all the time. But nope! I'm taking five classes, one of which is a language class, the other four being science-heavy. And I'm a tutor (cuz I know things, I guess?) and have all these appointments. It's nuts, my dudes. I'm busy out the wazoo and I don't even know how it came to pass. Still, the reviews made my heart warm and I was able to finish this next chapter. Sorry if it's shorter than what you're used to; I couldn't write more here without ending the chapter without the flow feeling wrong to me. (And yes, I know, I keep building up! When is anything actually going to happen? Next chapter, my friends! Next chapter! It'll be a doozy...)

Anyway, let's answer some reviews!

Loreseeker: I'm glad you're reading this for the same reason I'm writing it! I hope you enjoy what I have planned... I sure think it's pretty good. I wrapped a lot of elements up for each character, and I don't wish to disappoint!

Oracle of Hylia: Why thank you. And there will be more wild, promise. I love the setting of Hyrule, so I'm going to take them all over.

Etta: Eh. Not a huge fan of guns myself. He's gonna be a sword-wielder again, even if it is a modern Hyrule. In my opinion, it's just more interesting that way.

Random Norwegian: I hope I blew your mind with that Urbosa tidbit! Don't get too mad at me yet, though. I do plan on answering many of your questions in the next chapter.