Aeris was completely soaked by the time Starlight burst through the Fortress gates. A group of women standing near the walls let out startled screams as she barreled past them, solely focused on finding Ganondorf.

Her skirt stuck to her thighs as she slid from Starlight's back before the mare came to a full stop next to a group of guards with solemn faces, the kohl around their eyes was streaked from the rain or tears. "Where is he?"

They jumped as her panicked voice echoed through the downpour. The tallest of them stepped forward with her hands wrapped tightly around her spear. "It was an accident,"

Her face was pleading with Aeris, praying that her words would find what little part of her rational brain was still functioning. "WHERE IS HE?"

The guards shrank back and a murmur echoed through the surrounding Gerudo. "They took him to your chambers,"

Aeris took a heaving breath and gathered her drenched skirt in her fists before bolting into the Fortress. She was vaguely aware of footsteps echoing behind her, but she didn't care to turn to see who it was that was following her.

She sprinted through the halls blindly turning corners and barging past anyone she came across. She passed a small group of recruits who were clinging to each other and crying, fear and adrenaline pulsed through her veins.

If tears were being shed…

No, she couldn't bear to think of the reason so many of the Gerudo would be brought to tears.

Her lungs burned for air as she pushed herself harder and faster toward their chambers.

Her chest seized as she turned a corner and was met by a dark red smear along one of the walls, defined fingers trailed down from the streak. A small cry left her lips as her knees buckled, and she tumbled to the floor.

She scrambled back staring through wide terrified eyes as she lifted one of her hands and a ragged sob tore itself from her chest as thick dark red began to trail down her arm. The acrid taste of bile filled her mouth as she scrambled back away from the pool with her eyes still locked on the dark red coating her hands.

Her hand began to shake as she looked down, she had slipped on a puddle of blood.

"Too much," Her breathing picked up as she desperately scrambled back. "There's too much,"

Blood mixed with water as she struggled to wipe her hands on her skirt, but the deep red stained her skin and nails. The footsteps behind her grew closer, and she finally scrambled back to her feet to continue down the hall, trying her best to ignore the spatters of blood that stained the stone.

There was too much blood. Why was there so much blood?

She skidded around the final corner and a pair of arms wrapped tightly around her. The familiar floral scent that followed Nabooru mingled with the thick metallic tang of blood. "Aeris stop,"

"Let me go!" Aeris struggled against Nabooru. Scratching and kicking trying to get the taller woman to release her.

"Aeris, please," There was an unfamiliar waiver to Nabooru's voice that sent a sharp spike of fear through Aeris's chest.

"No!" She fought against the arms around her trying to reach the last door that was keeping her from 0him. "Please, no!"

Why was this happening? There had to be a reason, some explanation that would make this all make sense.

This wasn't how this ended, everything she had gone through everything she had done, it wasn't meant to end like this. He wasn't meant to— Not like this.

"Let go of me!" Aeris threw back both of her elbows and felt the air being forced from Nabooru's lungs.

She dropped to the ground and scrambled toward the door to their chambers. Her hand slipped off of the blood slicked handle when she tried to grab it, but she pushed forward until the door finally swung open.

Her heart stopped dead as she burst through the door and the scene before her unraveled.

He was fine.

He was sitting on the edge of their bed with crisp white bandages wrapped around his upper abdomen. He was talking gently to a young girl no older than thirteen who was actively sobbing as she clung to his hand. His other hand was softly ruffling her hair as he smiled down at her trying to steady her trembling form.

"I'm so sorry!" The girl's voice cracked as she rocked back and forth, swaying with the force of her cries. "I didn't mean to!"

"Stop that," The hand on the top of her head moved to her chin, and he lifted her face to his. "I couldn't be prouder of you," The girl hiccuped loudly. "You managed to land a blow against me on your first day with a spear, and a damn good one at that,"

"But," The girl was silenced before she could begin.

"No buts, with some hard work we'll make a warrior of you yet,"

"You think so?" The girl's lip was barely trembling now as Ganondorf ruffled her hair.

The girl's trembling lips split into a small grin as he smiled down at her. "I know so,"

"Gan?" His gaze turned from the girl toward the door and the small smile on his face fell as he took Aeris in. Her lips trembled and her breath shook as she took a tentative step forward.

"Aeris I—"

She crashed into him drawing a pained hiss from his lips, but his arms still wrapped around her. "I thought you were dead,"

She buried her face into his bare chest, he smelled of dirt and metal, but she didn't care. She could hear his heart beating and feel the warmth of his skin.

Urora burst through the door behind Aeris and audibly sighed with relief as she watched Ganondorf cradle the back of his wife's head and softly shush her. She extended her hand to the young girl and beckoned for her. "Let's give them some space,"

- - ┈┈∘┈༒┈∘┈┈ - -

"That hurts," Ganondorf's lips curled into a grimace as Aeris pulled at the bandage in her hands.

"Then stop moving," A low hiss of pain let his lips as she finally finished unraveling the bandages that were wrapped around his chest. The white fabric was now dirty and stained with blotches of red and brown that made Aeris sick to her stomach.

"Well then stop pulling so hard," A grunt followed his short laugh.

"You look pale," Aeris turned to reach for fresh bandages as he took a deep breath stretching his ribs.

The wound sat just below his left ribs, it was roughly as long as Aeris's palm and had stopped bleeding in the hours that she had been with him. It would leave a decent scar, but Amearu had insured her that the spear had missed anything vital. "Stupid,"

"What?" One of Ganondorf's brows quirked up as Aeris muttered under her breath. "Me?"

"Yes you," She laid the strips of cloth across her lap and motioned for him to raise his arm, so she could rewrap the wound. "You should have told someone you were hurt,"

"I didn't think I was," Aeris stared up at him with an emotionless gaze, and he turned away from her. "I though that my armor had stopped the blade, it wasn't until I took off my breastplate that I notice the blood,"

"Stupid," The young girl, Ezri, had apologized profusely through a barrage of tears when Aeris had finally gotten a chance to speak with her. She explained that there had been a mix-up in the armory, and she had been given a sharpened blade in place of the blunted spears that the recruits used.

Aeris sighed heavily as she wrapped the last of the bandages around his side. Watching Ganondorf with the girl had made her stomach flutter, he had still been able to dry her tears and calm her even after she had put a spear through his side.

And, while Aeris had been a mess and screamed at the guard that had been sent to get her along with Nabooru for not getting all the information before sending her, he had remained calm enough for the both of them and had managed to wrangle her back into their chambers where they stayed until she got her wits about her. He always seemed to be the more level-headed of the pair, especially since Aeris seemed to be a walking bundle of nerves as of late.

"This couldn't have waited three days," She secured the bandages and laid back against their bed. "Three days and then you would have been free to do whatever and injure yourself however you pleased, just three days and the festival would be over and done with," At least this wasn't one of the festivals that he had to dance for, that would have been a disaster. "Now you have to do the rituals with all of this,"

"I'll be fine," He grunted as he laid next to her, and she rolled to give him more space. "We'll be fine,"

"I know," She pressed her forehead against his and gripped his face between her hands. "I think the rain scared me more than anything,"

Rain still pattered against the side of the Fortress as they laid there, it had calmed from the downpour to a drizzle but the weight of it remained.

"Rain isn't always a bad thing," She leaned into him as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I'm surprised you even remembered that old superstition,"

"I've been reading a lot," They shared a short laugh, no one was sure where the Gerudo's superstition around rain had started. Maybe it was simply how rare rain was in the desert, or maybe it was something more sinister that had fallen into myth.

"You know, in most places rain is a sign of life," His eyes softened as her brushed his thumb over her cheek.

"I know," She had lived on a farm after all, rain for her parents had been a gift from Hylia herself sent to renew the land and nurture the animals and crops. "I just panicked,"

"I know you did," She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead softly and pulled her head close against his chest.

His heart beat steadily in her ear as she snuggled closer to him, she was cocooned against him wrapped in his embrace and comforted by his body heat until her tilted her head back up to his face.

"You know," She couldn't help but giggle as his lips curled into a wicked grin. "Amearu has be on bed rest for the next three days,"

Laughter bubbled from her chest as he pulled her into a heated kiss. She pulled away panting lightly as he peppered her face with soft kisses. "Key word being rest, bed REST,"

"I'll be the one to decide what is and isn't rest," Her laughter was swallowed by his lips as he rolled to pin her against the bed. "And right now this is all the rest I need,"