A Hero's Ballad

by ArtemisPrince006

A Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild story. This will be a trilogy. The first book takes place 100 years before the start of Breath of the Wild. There will be lots of action and adventure and things will get pretty dark, however ultimately it's a story of how two unlikely people come together to overcome incomparable odds, terrible loses, and find love.

38. The Ninja Way

"That should be good." I said as I finished rebandaging Impa's wounds. Two days had come and gone since the battle with the Yiga and the Molduga attack. Everything had been quite hectic since, as there were a thousand things to do. The Molduga was slowly being transported away from Gerudo Town and Karusa Valley was patrolled constantly just in case any Yiga returned. However none had been seen since. What remained of their hideout was investigated, although most of it was buried beneath rocks and that which was accessible was only ashes. Another group a soldiers had been sent to retrieve all the bodies from Karusa Valley and begin burying them. And those were only the main tasks, there were so many little ones, like organizing the troops, sending word to the others, tending to the injured...

"Thanks Zelda." Impa said and rested a hand on her abdomen. It was her most serious injury, but it was healing nicely thanks to the healing ointment I had. "Did you send word to my father?"

I nodded, "Yes, I wrote to Vorel. I expect the Sheikah forces will be leaving to return to Kakariko Village within the next few days."

"Yeah, probably." Impa sighed.

"You alright?" I asked, worried about her. She had been a little distracted since the battle.

Impa shrugged, "How are Urbosa and Revali doing?"

"Good." I answered, my eyes still intently studying Impa. "Urbosa is very busy. But she had minor injuries. Revali's burns are healing nicely and he's been busy helping scout Karusa Valley."

Impa stood up, "Well I should probably get back to work. There's still a lot to do."

I grabbed Impa's wrist, "Impa, please tell me what's wrong. I know something is bothering you."

Impa shrugged again, trying to appear nonchalant. "The battle just got to me, Zee. But I'll get over it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, knowing Impa probably saw some gruesome things during the battle. It wasn't the same as fighting monsters. These were people... Sheikah in fact, the same as Impa.

Impa rubbed her forehead, "I don't know. I just..." She trailed off and turned to look at me. "How do you do it, Zelda? How do you always stay so calm, as if nothing bothers you?"

I furrowed my brows, "You know that's not true, Impa." My hand curled around my opposite bicep, recalling all the horrible things I would do to myself. "I have my own demons to deal with. And I haven't dealt with them in the best ways. I only appear calm and collected because I've never been given another option."

Impa and I stared at each other for a few seconds. Then Impa plopped back down on the chair opposite me and grabbed my hand. She gave it a soft squeeze. "Sorry, Zee. That was selfish of me to say."

I shook my head, "No, it wasn't. I've never been in a battle like you were just in. But I'm sure it would have upset me too. Fighting people is different than fighting monsters."

Impa looked down at the ground, "I killed someone, Zee." Impa looked back up, her eyes watery. "A girl, like me."

I closed the distance between Impa and I, wrapping my arms around her in a hug. Impa returned the hug, clinging to me as she silently cried. Minutes later, we released each other and Impa wiped her cheeks. "I don't know if I'm the best person to talk to about this." I said as I took Impa's hand. "I've never experienced a battle like this, but I know Urbosa has. Maybe she would be able to help."

Impa looked uncertain. "I don't want to bother her..."

"She would be happy to talk to you." I reassured, "Trust me. Urbosa has been there for me through so many things. I'll talk to her."

Impa nodded and gave a soft smile. "Thanks Zelda."

"Of course." I smiled back at her, happy to help. "And I'm always here to listen too."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Impa shook her head. "I do feel better now. I think I'll be productive and help out."

"I'll join you." I said as we both stood up. "I also need to find Revali and reapply the salve to his burns. I think by tomorrow they'll be completely healed."

Impa slung her arm over my shoulders, leaning into me. "You're really something else, you know that Zelda?"

I smirked and wrapped my arm around her back. "So are you Impa. So are you."

Night had fallen and I was making my way up the stairs of the palace. Things had quieted down for the day as most people had retired to their homes or tents. Climbing the last set of stairs, I entered the palace, finding it completely empty. I frowned, wondering where Urbosa was. She had been keeping long hours since the battle, however perhaps today she had retreated to her room early.

Hastily I ran up to her room, coming to a halt right in front of it. My eyes instantly found Urbosa standing next to her bookshelf, a book opened in her hand. Hearing my approach, Urbosa lifted her head, her green eyes meeting mine. "Little Bird." She called and then snapped the book shut. "How are you?" She asked as we walked to each other, meeting in the front of her room.

"I'm doing fine." I replied. "Maybe a little overwhelmed by the past few days."

"I agree with that." Urbosa said and brought two fingers up to the bridge of her nose. "Thankfully things are slowly being sorted out. Although we'll have to monitor both Karusa Valley for any Yiga still remaining as well as the desert for Moldugas." Urbosa shook her head. "If it isn't one thing, it's another."

"I concur." I agreed, knowing now that the Yiga had been taken care of, there were other things I had to tend to.

"Are you leaving soon?" Urbosa asked, "With everything going on I haven't' had time to touch base with the Hylain and Sheikah armies."

I nodded. "Yes, within the next few days. Lieutenant Brazo will likely return to Central by the end of the week. Impa and Reghi decided to leave in three days for Kakariko Village. I plan to join them."

Urbosa arched an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

I nodded, "Yes, I want to stick with Impa for awhile. I know there are things that need to be done at Central, but most don't need me there for it. They can manage without me for awhile longer. But I think Impa needs me. The battle was hard on her." I looked up at Urbosa, "I was hoping maybe you could talk to her? I've never experienced a battle like that between the Yiga. But I know you have. I was hoping you could help her through it."

Urbosa gave a firm nod, "Of course. I'd be happy to talk to her. In fact I made note to talk to her while we were leaving Karusa Valley... but with everything that's happened since, it's slipped my mind." Urbosa shook her head. "Your first battle is always the hardest. Taking life never gets easier... but it gets easier to manage."

"Thanks Urbosa." I stated.

"Any time." Urbosa smiled, "She's a strong girl. She did well in the battle."

"Yes, she is."

"And how is Revali?" Urbosa asked. "I know he's been helping scout in Karusa Valley, but I haven't seen much of him since the battle."

"Revali is doing well. His wounds are healing nicely. I assume he'll return to Rito Village when Impa and I leave."

"Yes, I imagine so. It was nice having his help while he was here. He certainly saved me during the battle with Kogha."

I arched an eyebrow, "Did he?" I gave a little laugh, "Careful now, he'll never let you live it down."

Urbosa laughed, "He most certainly won't, now will he!" Urbosa shook her head, still laughing. "Before you leave, let's have dinner together. Impa and Revali are welcome to come." Urbosa looked around her, then lowered her head to mine and whispered, "I think we can bend the rules a little bit and allow Revali to enter the palace."

I grinned, "It's not like you haven't broken them before." I recalled when I was here so many months ago with Link. How we snuck him into the palace.

Urbosa snickered, "Yeah... It's an old custom, one that seems to cause more inconveniences than anything. Even we Gerudo are trapped in our certain ways of thinking."

"I think that can be said about all clans... I mean just look at the Yiga. They were so focused on revenge that they allied themselves with a monster."

Urbosa shook her head, "Even I do not understand their logic there."

We stood in silence, thinking about the Yiga. After several long minutes, I took a step back, "I should probably leave. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment and ask about Impa." I gave a polite dip of my head.

"You're always welcome here, Little Bird." Urbosa gestured to her room. "But I'll see you for dinner. And I'll try to talk to Impa tomorrow."

"Thanks Urbosa. I'll let her know." I smiled gratefully. We briefly hugged and then I left her room and entered the main part of the palace. I walked to the back of the room, staring out on the open desert, the sky deep blue and splattered with stars. Movement caught my eyes and I watched as a dark figure descended from the sky and alighted upon the sandy ground.

"I thought I might find you here." Revali turned to look at me, his eyes aglow with reflected moonlight.

"Revali. Is everything alright?" I asked, not expecting to see him. I stepped down carefully from the palace and rocks below to the desert floor, then made my way over to Revali. "Are your wounds healing ok?" My eyes went to the bandages wrapped around several areas of his body.

Revali dismissed my concern with a flip of his winged hand. "Fine. I don't even notice them anymore. Although the bandages can get in the way."

"They should be ready to come off tomorrow." I placated. Tilting my head, I asked again, "Is there a reason you're here?"

"Not particularly." Revali replied, "I just thought I'd check up on you. You have a tendency to bear things alone."

I stared at Revali for a moment, his light green eyes meeting mine. Although we hadn't known each other for long, Revali knew me quite well... better than some people who had known me for years. "Thanks, Revali." I said, feeling very grateful. We had won the battle with the Yiga, and albeit the war was just beginning, Urbosa, Impa, and Revali had all made it out with minor injuries.

Revali shook his head, "Let's head back to the encampment. Unless you plan to stand out in the desert all night."

"No, I think I'd prefer to head back and warm up around a fire." Now that the sun was gone, the desert had grown cold. A chilly air blew across the open sand, making me shiver slightly.

With that we made for the encampment, walking around the outer walls of Gerudo Town. Firelight from fires and lanterns within the encampment illuminated the way as we made to our tents. I looked up at the sky, the half circle of the moon shining brightly. It was then, Link crossed my mind again. I hadn't thought about him much in the past few days since the battle, as it had been too chaotic. But now I wondered how he was doing...if he had passed his trials by now or if he still was working through them.

"Thinking about him?" Revali asked, a teasing tone in his voice.

"Hmmm?" I turned to look at Revali, distracted by my thoughts.

Revali rolled his eyes, "That knight of yours."

"Oh." I said, blushing. "I wish Impa had never brought that up."

Revali chuckled, "I had an inkling regardless. Things like that don't get by someone as perspective as me!"

I gave Revali a side eye, "Oh really?" I replied with a hint of sarcasm.

Before Revali could reply, a soldier walked out in front of us from one of the many intersecting aisles. As he turned to look at us, I instantly recognized him and grimaced.

"Oi! Princess Zelda." Cobain grinned. "What a nice surprise to run into you."

I forced a smile, not wanting to deal with the egotistical knight. "Hello Cobain."

"Kind of late to be wandering about, no?" Cobain said, walking over to Revali and I.

"I was just returning from the palace." I replied formally. "I had matters to discuss with Urbosa."

"Right." Cobain said, smiling casually at me, "She's quite the fighter. I saw her on the battlefield briefly. No wonder she's so well-respected amongst all the soldiers."

"Urbosa is a force to be reckoned with." I agreed. "It looks like you made it out of the battle with minimal injuries. That is good." My eyes fell on a bandage around his right bicep.

"Yeah, just a scratch." Cobain lifted his injured arm up in front of him. "I assure you the Yiga I fought suffered much worse. Once we get back to the castle, I'm sure I'll be promoted for my accomplishments in battle. The Lieutenant might even talk to the Caption about recommending me for the Royal Guard." Cobain lifted his eyebrows, "Perhaps you'll be the one to knight me as a Royal Guard."

I bit the inside of my cheek, remembering to keep my formalities in check, "Unfortunately, I am not the one to perform such duties. My father or one of his advisors does. Besides, I likely won't even be at the castle when that happens."

Cobain frowned, "Aren't you coming back with us?"

I shook my head, "I will be headed to Kakariko Village next."

"Oh." Cobain said, surprised, "Well if that's the case, I'd be happy to go with you. Wouldn't want you to be in any danger traveling across Hyrule."

"That's alright." I said in a sickly sweet voice, "I will be traveling with an entire army of Sheikah ninja. I can assure you I'll be just fine. Besides, someone with your skill will likely be needed back at the castle."

Cobain stared at me for a few seconds, then grinned, "I suppose you're right, Princess. But if you ever need a skilled knight, I'd be happy to help."

"I'll keep that in mind." I bit out and then gave a parting wave and walked past him, happy to put some distance between myself and Cobain.

"Persistent, isn't he?" Revali stated as we walked away.

I sighed, "You can say that again. I think Impa was right; he's really trying to get into my good graces."

"I assume he wants Link's position." Revali said and then waved his hand dismissively, "Although even I must admit Link has more skill than that knight."

I looked up at Revali, surprised, "Wow, I think that's the first nice thing you've said about Link."

Revali snorted, "Don't get the wrong impression. He is still leagues behind me in skill."

I laughed and rolled my eyes.

The days continued to pass in a blur. The following day a platoon of Gorons arrived at Gerudo Town, setting up their own encampment on the east side of Gerudo Town. It had also been decided that a group of Sheikah would stay in the Gerudo desert, just in case there were any more issues with the Yiga. The rest of the Sheikah force,as well as the Hylian military, began to pack up. On the eve before our departure, Impa, Revali, and I found ourselves in the palace, sitting at a low table with Urbosa.

Impa seemed to be in better spirits since her talk with Urbosa, which I was happy about, and both Impa and Revali's wounds had healed. Things had quieted down in Gerudo Town as well, thus Urbosa didn't look as stressed as she had when I saw her a few nights prior.

Instead we were all smiling and casually chatting as we sipped some Gerudo wine and ate the local cuisine. "This has a delectable spice." Revali said as he sipped at his wine.

Urbosa grinned, "It's a local favorite. Gerudo secret recipe. It's called Burning Sunset."

"Marvelous." Revali cheered.

"The food is great too!" Impa added, shoving another forkful of roasted cactus into her mouth.

"I'm glad you are all enjoying yourselves." Urbosa said, pleased. Then her eyes turned to me, "I talked to Bomog today. I forgot what a rowdy bunch the Gorons are." She laughed.

Bomog was the Goron in charge of the army stationed in Gerudo Town. "Have you ever been to a Goron Feast?" I asked. Urbosa shook her head, making me grin. "Then you have no idea how rowdy they can get."

"I'd love to attend one." She said sincerely. I had no doubt she would enjoy it.

"Bomog is a hardy warrior." I said, not surprised they put him in charge. "He may be a little rash and doesn't think things through all the way, but he is brave and strong. And he motivates the troops."

Urbosa nodded, "I could sense as much from talking to him. Although a part of me did want to fight besides Daruk. But he is leading the Goron force stationed in Akkala."

"There's also a small force of Gorons positioned in Kakariko Village." Impa added. Then her eyes shifted to Revali, who was sitting next to her. "Rito too."

"And Gerudo." Urbosa said. There was already a decent amount of Gerudo who had decided to travel along with the Sheikah forces back to Kakariko Village. Fosaku had offered to lead them.

"I'm not sure we'll have room for all of them," Impa said. "Kakariko Village is nested between three cliffs, so there isn't much excess room."

"If there are cliffs, the Rito will camp upon them. We're more at home closer to the sky." Revali stated, continuing to sip his wine.

"Well that makes things easier." Impa said. "I'm sure my father and I will figure it out."

Urbosa arched an eyebrow, "Do you intend to stay in Kakariko Village?"

Impa nodded, glancing across the table at me. "Yes. I did want to stay with Zelda, however I think it best I help out in Kakariko Village now. I am the next leader, so I have a lot to learn. Plus it might give my people some peace of mind having me there."

Urbosa nodded, "I can understand that. After Kakariko Village, do you intend to head back to the castle, Little Bird?"

"Yes, that is probably best." I replied, "I wouldn't mind stopping by Zora's Domain and Akkala to check on Mipha and Daruk, but I should report back to my father directly. And I know Revali should get back to Rito Village soon. I don't want to drag him across Hyrule anymore than I have." After hearing I was traveling with the Sheikha back to Kakariko Village, Revali had insisted upon joining.

Revali huffed, "If I didn't mind to begin with, I wouldn't have offered my assistance. Besides, at least you have someone with legit skill besides you now, not just a special sword." Revali's tone came across dismissive, but underneath, I thought I sensed a hint of concern. Was he worried about Rito Village... Or Link? I almost laughed at the thought.

"Speaking of Link..." Impa started, "Do you think he'll be back at the castle when you return?"

"I hope so." I said, worry in my voice. It was almost a month since he had left. Surely he would be finished with his trails by then. If not, how much longer would they take? Or would he even return at all?

Urbosa clasped my shoulder, "He will be fine. Have faith in him."

I nodded. "I do..." I trailed off, "I just worry."

"Classic Zelda." Impa said with a grin, "Always worried about something."

We all chuckled a little at this, for it was true. There was never a shortage of things for me to worry about. "Link will be fine." Revali reassured me, "He wouldn't let something as trivial as this deter him. Although I suppose it can only be expected it might take him awhile. Afterall, his skills pale in comparison to mine."

"Is that so?" Impa asked, leaning over to the Rito. "You think you'd be back any faster?"

"Of course." Revali made a grand gesture with his winged arms. "I'd pass the trials in days, with flying colors obviously. Quite asinine to think otherwise."

Impa leaned back and rolled her eyes. Although Revali still got on her nerves, she seemed to enjoy messing with him every now and then.

"Once back at the castle, and assuming Link is there, then what?" Urbosa asked me, curious as to what my next steps were.

I exhaled, "My main focus once I return is awakening my powers. My birthday is approaching, so I can finally make my way to the Spring of Wisdom. Until then I'll be focusing on praying and training. I think I've set everything up so at this point everyone else can take care of other things while I focus on my powers." They were the last pieces of the puzzle.

"You can count on us!" Impa grinned, followed by reassuring nods from Revali and Urbosa.

"Focus on what you need to, Little Bird." Urbosa said, "We can handle things from here. You've done enough as is."

"Indeed. And with me around, you have nothing to worry about. I can handle things easily." Revali boasted, making Impa look over at me and arch an eyebrow.

Still, I smiled, happy to have everyone's support. We continued to eat our meal, laughing and chatting long after the food was gone.

The next day most of the Skeikah army set out, as well as a group of Gerudo warriors. Since we were such a large group, we moved slowly, only making it to the edge of the Necluda area, the two mountains of Dueling Peaks towering above us in the distance. The day's travels had been uneventful, but tiring as I had walked most of the way; our horses being used to help transport equipment or the injured. Both Shino and Icefire seemed annoyed with such menial tasks, but after some coaxing with apples, they begrudgingly resigned to their fate.

We made camp that night and I fell asleep early. The next day we pressed onwards, passing through Dueling Peaks and reaching the stable just on the other side before noon. Continuing on, we soon crossed the bridge that led us up into the mountainous region where Kakariko Village dwelled. I could feel the anticipation in the air as most of the Sheikah were ready to return home.

Upwards we trekked, gray cliffs soon rising above us on either side, reaching towards the sky. Excited murmurs rippled through the warriors. Even the Gerudo seemed anxious to reach the village, probably curious to see what it looked like. Since it was hidden away, the village didn't get many visitors.

Before long the red archways on the outskirts of the village appeared. However something felt off. I stopped, causing both Reghi, Revali, and Impa to halt as well. Seeing us stop, the troops behind us paused, falling silent.

"Is something wrong?" Impa asked in a low voice.

I narrowed my eyes at the arch, quietly walking over to it. The wood was scratched, likely from weapons such as swords and spears, while the banners that hung from the archway were torn. I turned back to Impa, Reghi, and Revali. "Something isn't right." I said, an uneasy feeling in my gut. "Revali, can you fly ahead quickly? If you see anything, report back immediately."

Hearing the seriousness in my tone, Revali didn't put up a fuss, he merely huffed and leapt into the air, reaching the cliff tops in seconds. We waited anxiously for him to return, the soldiers growing unsettled. As the second passed, I began to pace, hating to wait. Impa, sensing my unease grew nervous, her hand subconsciously going to the handle of her wakizashi.

We only had to wait a few minutes and then Revali was back, his eyes startled. "Monsters are attacking the village." He said urgently.

Impa's eyes went wide with fear and the news traveled quickly through the ranks, startled whispering spreading like wildfire. "How bad is it?" I asked, trying to get as much information from Revali as possible.

"I didn't get the greatest assessment," Revali stated, "But it looked like a decent sized group of monsters."

I nodded. "We need to hurry then." I bit my lip, trying to think of a strategy. It seemed our only option was to charge straight in there, as the other entrances were too far away to make some kind of pincer attack. I looked back at Impa and Reghi. "We'll have to do a frontal attack. If we all charge in there at once, we can hopefully take the monsters by surprise and push them back. I'm not exactly sure what the situation will be like once we are in Kakariko Village, but we need to hurry. Just be cautious and alert."

The army behind me gave brief salutes, showing they understood. I looked over at Revali, "I need you to a look out. If you see something, tell me immediately."

Revali nodded. "Understood." With that he jumped into the air once more, flying back towards Kakariko Village.

Inhaling, I readied myself for yet another battle. "Let's go." I ordered, and then Impa, Reghi, and I raced forwards, the army of Sheikah and Gerudo following behind us. I grabbed my bow and an arrow, ready to fight as soon as I entered the village.

Soon the red archway leading into the village came into view, two dead guards lying in front of it. I kept my eyes focused forward, ignoring the fallen for now. First we needed to protect the living. I burst through the entrance, Impa and Reghi next to me.

In seconds, I took in the scenario before me. The village was in disarray. Buildings were on fire, gardens had been overturned, monsters and civilians were locked in battle all throughout the city, and corpses, both Sheikah and monster, were scattered about.

Running down the path, I fired my first arrow, killing a bokoblin who was chasing a woman and her child. Instantly the woman collapsed. I stopped next to her, calling several soldiers over to me. "We need to have a small group focused on evacuating the injured and children. Please take these two somewhere safe and assemble a few more soldiers to help." The soldiers nodded and instantly began to execute my orders. I went back to the fray, trying to figure out where to go. Everything was chaos, and I had lost Impa and Reghi after I had stopped to help the woman and her child. My royal guards were also lost in the mix of soldiers. The Sheikah and Gerudo forces had already plunged themselves into battle, joining the Sheikah and Gorons already fighting.

I bit my lip, then ran over to the two Gorons who were fighting two blue moblins and three bokoblins. I fired an arrow, striking a blue bokoblin clean through the eye to the brain, killing it. I stopped a few paces away from the Gorons and fired another arrow, which lodged itself in the tough hide of a black bokoblin. Grabbing an ice arrow, I took aim again, this time freezing the black bokoblin. The monster was instantly encased in a sheen of ice. Seeing an opportunity, one of the Gorons struck out with his claymore, slicing the ice-ified bokoblin in two.

As this happened, I fired an eclectic arrow at one of the blue moblins. The arrow took out one eye and sent a crippling shock through the moblin's body. As the creature spasmed, the Goron swung his hammer at the moblin, which collided with the creature's head, killing it on impact. Now only one moblin and bokoblin remained.

I ran over to the Goron's, taking out the red bokoblin with a few well aimed arrows, while the Goron's tag teamed the remaining moblin. When the moblin fell to the ground, unmoving, I approached the Gorons, who grinned at me, their pale skin splattered with dirt and blood. "Thanks for the help, little Hylian."

"What happened here?" I asked, trying to figure out how this attack started.

The one Goron scratched his chin, pausing before he answered my question. "The monsters attacked."

I pursed my lips, having inferred that much already. "Can you give me anymore information than that"

The other Goron spoke. "They attacked from the south and east. They surprised us. Hasn't even been an hour since the initial attack."

I nodded, not liking the sounds of that. They had attacked from two different directions, meaning this was a planned attack, one in which they had done a little recon. Their attacks were becoming larger and more thought out, not just random occurrences.

"Where is Vorel?" I asked the Gorons.

The Gorons looked at each other, then back to me, and shrugged. "Not sure." One answered, "When the attack first began I think I saw him take a group of Sheikah to head off the Eastern approaching monsters."

"I need to find him." I said. The Gorons nodded in understanding and then I ran away from them, leaving them to tackle a small group of bokoblins that had appeared. I ran through the village, many buildings on fire while Sheikah and monsters were locked in battle everywhere I looked. I spotted more Gorons as well as Gerudo in the fray and Revali was flying overhead, firing arrows as he surveyed the battlefield.

Spotting me, Revali swooped down and landed as I fired an arrow at a slow moving chuchu, the creature exploding into chunks of wiggly jelly. "How does it look?" I asked as I fired at two more chuchu, hitting both of them with a double shot.

"The village is in disarray." Revali stated. "The addition of our soldiers to the battle seems to have helped, but there is a large concentration of monsters at the northern end of the village." Revali frowned, "There are some formidable opponents there. I've spotted several wizzrobes as well as a hinox. But I think a white moblin is the one leading this army. The beast is trying to take the temple."

"The temple?" I asked, both Revali and I continued to fire arrows at enemies as he relayed information to me.

"I'm assuming that's where Impa's father is. He must have retreated to the temple and has become a target for the moblin."

"We should head that way then." I said immediately. "Where is Impa?"

"Already there." Revali replied. "She headed straight for the temple."

"Then we should join her." I stated, and began to head that way.

"And what's the plan to deal with all those monsters?" Revali asked, keeping pace with me. "That hinox is going to be a pain and those wizzrobes should be stopped before they cause more damage. And the moblin in charge isn't your ordinary moblin. It's cunning."

"I'm thinking." I replied, my mind whirling as I focused on the battle at hand as well as devising a plan. "Vorel probably fell back to the temple as its a good defensive structure. There is only a narrow bridge for an enemy to approach from and it has many positions for archers to take positions and snipe down enemies. Although at the same time, those benefits also isolate the temple. We need to draw the moblin's forces attention away from the temple. I'll have a group attack the rear. That should give those in the temple some reprieve. I'd ask you to help those in the temple defend it, but I'm going to need your help dealing with the wizzrobes and hinox."

"What has the Princess concocted?" Revali asked as he fired another arrow, killing a bokoblin. We had reached the northern part of Kakariko Village, and like Revali had said, there were monsters swarming everywhere.

"We need to find Impa." I said.

"On it." Revali shouted back, already in the air, flying in search of Impa. While he did this, I ran over to a group of Sheikah and Gerudo warriors. Assisting them, I dropped several enemies, then told them of my plan. They nodded in agreement and quickly altered course to attack the central force, hacking away at the rear of a long line of monsters that stretched from the entrance to the temple and spilled out at the beginning of the bridge. More monsters were on either side, but more were concentrated to the East, which is where they had come from. I spotted the Hinox, clumsily stomping around and throwing rocks haphazardly, hitting buildings, monsters, and Sheikah.

Several wizzrobes danced about, two ice and one electric. Their maniacal laughter echoed off the cliffs as they fired frozen and electrical attacks. My head whipped away from the wizzrobes as a high-pitched scream filled my ears, and I dove to the side as a bokoblin lunged at me, a large club smashing into the ground where I had just been. I scooted away frantically, grabbing an arrow in the process. The bokoblin tugged at the club as it had lodged itself in the ground. Placing my knees underneath me, I took aim at the black bokoblin, which was an easy target this close. My arrow penetrated the bokoblin's skull through its eye, instantly killing it.

I rose to my feet, catechizing myself for my inattentiveness. After all my lessons, I knew how deadly it was to get distracted in a battle.

"Zelda!" I turned to see Revali and Impa, and I felt a surge of relief. They both came to a stop in front of me, and wasting no time, I began to tell them my plan.

"We need to draw the hinox away." I started. "Right now it's a nuisance and our soldiers can't get in close without being bombarded by rocks." I pointed at the giant monster throwing more boulders into the battlefield, no regard for what it was hitting. "I should be able to lure it away, which will allow our troops to close in on the monsters. While I lure them away, I need you two to deal with the wizzrobes." I gave Impa a pointed look. "There are two ice wizzrobes. I think that fire rod you've been carrying around might come in handy here." Impa grinned.

"And you think you can handle a hinox all by yourself?" Revali asked, clearing thinking about the last time we encountered a hinox, both of us nearly dying in the process.

"I'm not going to try and defeat it." I explained. "I'm just trying to lure it away so its one less thing for the main army to deal with. I should be able to buy enough time distracting it, so the two of you can defeat the wizzrobes. Once they are defeated, Revali, I want you to come help me take down the Hinox. Impa, you take charge of the troops in the East. You should be able to drive those monsters off once the Hinox and wizzrobes are delt with."

The two nodded, their eyes serious. "It's dangerous." Impa voiced, yet she didn't look deterred. This was her home after all. I knew she would do whatever it took to protect it.

"And Revali." I said, "Keep an eye out on the group of monsters attacking the temple. I think the soldiers I sent should be enough to distract them, but if the monsters do break through the temple's defenses, we need to back them up. You're the only one who can reach them."

Revali grinned and put a hand to his chest, "I assure you, I am the only one they will need."

"You'll be ok on your own, Zelda?" Impa asked, a flash of worry going through her eyes.

I nodded. "I'll distract the hinox for as long as needed. I do have a few tricks in my quiver." I pointed to my elemental arrows and gave the two a reassuring look, albeit it didn't cure my own nerves. Despite my brave words, I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to distract the thing. But I'd have to make something work.

"Any questions?" I asked, making sure they both understood the plan. Both Revali and Impa shook their heads. "Alright, let's go!"

With that we were off, Revali leaping into the air while Impa and I charged forward. Impa and I diverted, Impa headed towards the wizzrobes, while I made my way to the hinox, which was ransacking a house, tearing the wooden walls apart board by board.

I darted towards the Hinox and pulled my bowstring back, firing an electrical arrow at the giant creature, its black skin tough and resistant. Although the arrow did not pierce the monster's skin, it shocked it, making it drop the wooden board in its monstrous hands and turn its devious eye on me. The hinox roared in anger and then began to stampede towards me. I fired one last arrow before I turned and ran, hitting the hinox on the edge of its eye, further enraging it.

Now that the hinox's attention was fully on me, I raced towards the western entrance to the village, trying to draw the creature away. The beast, oblivious to my intentions, thundered after me, angry and clutching at its eye with one large hand. I ran with everything I had, the ground shaking slightly from the tremoltus stomps of the hinox. I spared one last look at Revali and Impa, who were locked in battle with the wizzrobes. I prayed they would hurry. I wasn't sure how long I could keep this creature at bay.

Revali flew towards the wizzrobes, all dancing about at the eastern end of the village, which was where the majority of the monsters were conglomerated. He set his eyes on the electric wizzrobe, gleefully firing electrical currents into the fray below, not discriminating between enemies or allies.

Revali fired an arrow at the wizzrobe, gaining the creature's attention. The electrical being twisted in the air and then disappeared, leaving a sparkling trail that Revali instantly noticed with his keen eyes.

Below him, Impa ran towards the two ice wizzrobes, sheathed her wakizashi, and pulled out the glowing red fire rod. Normally she would be rather pleased to have an opportunity to use it, however it was her home that was being besieged. All she could think about was driving the monsters away before they destroyed her home and hurt her people anymore than they already had.

Impa lifted the fire rod and cut at the air with it, a ball of fire sparking to life from the glowing end. The ice wizzrobe turned in Impa's direction, sensing the heat from the fireball. It gave a startled chitter, then disappeared, barely missing the fiery attack. The movement caught the other ice wizzrobe's attention, and suddenly it disappeared too.

Impa whipped her head around, recalling Zelda once told her it was possible to track the wizzrobes movements, however Impa couldn't remember exactly what she was looking for... something subtle in the air, like little ripples?

Impa didn't have much time to ponder this as both wizzrobes suddenly popped back into existence, one behind her and one in front. At the same time, the ice wizzrobes held up their rods, ready to attack Impa. Impa steeled herself, knowing she had to act swiftly. With a flick of her wrist, she launched another fire attack at the wizzrobe in front of her. Then Impa leapt out of the way as two icy blasts descended towards her.

As Impa dodged, her fireball hit the one wizzrobe in the head, causing its light blue hood to burst into flames. The wizzrobe's hands spasmed frantically and seconds later it dropped to the ground - dead.

The other wizzrobe, noticing Impa's successful evasion, disappeared for a few seconds then reappeared right behind her, already raising its ice rod to freeze Impa. Impa whirled around, trying to defend, but she was too slow.

Before the wizzrobe could launch an attack, the creature staggered to the side and let out an excited squeal. Then it spun in the air and disappeared, retreating. But before it did so, Impa noticed an arrow lodged in its side.

"Watch their feet." Revali's voice sounded, and then the Rito was in front of Impa, bow and arrow in hand. "You can see their movements, even when they are invisible." He advised, his eyes scrutinizing the air.

"Thanks." Impa breathed, searching the air.

Revali huffed, "It isn't uncommon for others to require my assistance in battle."

Impa frowned, and gave the Rito a dull look. "What about the electric one?"

"Still frollicking about." Revali stated, eyes still intently watching the sky. "However I was able to injure it before I noticed your predicament. We should be able to finish the remaining two quickly if we work together." Revali said, startling Impa. She expected him to say something along the lines of how he could easily manage two wizzrobes at once. "Granted," Revali continued in his normal prideful tone, "It would be just as easy to dispose of them myself." And there it was.

"Let's just get this over with." Impa gritted out, then held up her fire rod. "Distract the ice one and I'll kill it with one shot. Then we can take out the other one."

Revali gave Impa a side glance, not used to her giving orders, but he relinquished. He had been about to suggest the same anyways. "Just make sure you know how to aim that thing." Revali looked down in disdain at the fire rod.

Impa merely nodded, then Revali leapt into the sky, his wings instantly snapping out and catching an air current. The ice wizzrobe appeared as Revali approached it, raising it's rod. Revali began to zigzag through the air, making him a nearly impossible target to hit. This confused the wizzrobe, and as it paused to process the Rito's erratic movements, Impa stepped in closer, raised the fire rod, and swung down hard, a fireball sprouting to life. It propelled itself directly at the ice wizzrobe, who instantly caught fire and danced about frantically. Seconds later it fell from the sky in a limp heap.

"Onto the next one!" Revali shouted, swooping low, turning, and heading towards the electric wizzrobe. The creature had gone back to firing erratic shockwaves into the lines of battle. Revali instantly started firing arrows at it, drawing its attention back to him. The wizzrobe gave a jump of surprise, twirled, then vanished. "It's headed your way!" Revali shouted as he watched the wizzrobe's tiny trail it left behind.

Impa readied herself, fire rod drawn and eyes alert. She still wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she didn't have to search for long as the wizzrobe suddenly appeared, right above Impa. Impa's eyes widened, and she swung the rod left and right, several fire attacks hitting the wizzrobe. However these didn't kill it. Instead the wizzrobe darted to the side.

As the wizzrobe moved, Revali aimed a well timed arrow, which upon impact burst into ice. The wizzrobe stood frozen for only a second as right behind the first arrow, was another that once it met it's target, it cracked the layer of ice and dug deep into the hooded face of the wizzrobe. The creature plummeted to the ground.

Revali landed next to Impa, a pleased look on his face. Impa looked around her, trying to see how the battle was going. All around them were monsters and Sheikah, Gorons, and Gerudo fighting, weapons clashing together as the village burned. In the distance she could see Zelda taking aim at the hinox, while before that was the group of monsters on the bridge: one end being assaulted by Sheikah and Gerudo, while the other was trying to break into the temple. Impa's eyes went wide.

"Oh no!" Impa cried, her eyes filled with shock and devastation. "The temple!" Revali turned to see the group of monsters were lighting arrows on fire and shooting them at the temple, which quickly caught fire. If nothing was done, the building would quickly be consumed by flames along with all of those in it.

"Take over here." Revali said firmly, "Like Zelda instructed. I'll go to the temple." Zelda had given him a few more elemental arrows. The ice arrows could be used to quiet the flames.

"What about Zelda?" Impa asked, fear for both her friend and her people filling her.

Revali looked down at Impa, meeting her gaze with one filled with resolution, yet Impa could see a flicker of worry. "Zelda can hold her own. We must trust her. Besides, this is what she told us to do. We must protect Kakariko Village."

Impa nodded, a pit in her stomach, but she pushed forward and headed towards the battle in front of her. Revali wasted no time and jumped into the sky, firing an ice arrow at a patch of fire. He pressed his beak together, knowing this would be an annoying struggle between him and the monsters; but they didn't realize what a quick and accurate shot Revali was. Still, despite that, he didn't have time to play these games. He hoped they'd run out of fire or the Sheikah and Gerudo soldiers fighting them would finally break through their defensive lines. Revali spotted the white moblin in front, its elongated snout barking out orders. All around it were other moblins, a formidable force... and unusual. It was odd to see such a large group of moblins working together.

His eyes flickered to Zelda, who was still dealing with the hinox. He grimaced, knowing he needed to hurry. As much as he'd like to take on the white moblin once he was finished combatting the fires, he had to hurry to Zelda. Despite her reassurances, how long could she really entertain such a monstrosity? He would do what he could to protect the temple, but then he had to help Zelda.

I dove to the side as the hinox smashed its giant fists down upon the ground I had just been standing on. I hit the ground, rolled, and bounced back on my feet, an arrow already notched.

I had managed to get the hinox over by the western entrance and was now trying to evade its mighty blows and try to do any damage I could. However this hinox was a bit more clever than the hinox Revali and I had taken on. It knew I was aiming for its eye, so anytime I raised my bow, it covered its enormous eye, obscuring my target. Regular arrows were practically useless against its tough hide; thus all I had were my elemental arrows, which I didn't have many off, especially since I had given half to Revali.

Therefore I was in quite the predicament. I fired a fire arrow at it, which burst into flames on impact. The hinox swatted at the flames, quickly snuffing them out. Still it had given me some time to gain a little more distance between us. I looked around, my eyes briefly catching Revali flying around the temple. I bit my lip, knowing I was likely on my own for a while. As I continued to look around, I tried to come up with a plan.

Most of the structures around me were wrecked or on fire, which didn't give me a lot to work with. It was just my bow and I. Perhaps if I could immobilize it. The skin at the back of any monster's knees was thinner than that on the rest of its body. Still, even with a hinox of this strength, it would take more than one arrow to rip through it... Unless...

The hinox stomped towards me, prompting me to lift my bow, a bomb arrow in place. Before the hinox got any closer, I fired it, the impact causing a blast that made my hair fly back. As smoke and fire billowed out, I ran, circling the hinox until I was behind it. The hinox looked around, dazed, not sure what had happened. The bomb arrow hadn't been aimed at the hinox, but rather the ground in front of it. I needed cover to get into position behind the beast.

As the smoke dissippitated, the hinox continued to look around for me, a hand covering its eyes, ready for a sneak attack. It didn't realize I was going to exploit a different weak point. I released a second bomb arrow, this one aimed directly at the back of its kneecap. Another explosion ensued, the shockwaves whipping past me.

The smoke cleared, revealing a mass of torn skin and muscle, blood gushing out. The hinox grunted in pain and spun around, collapsing as it did so. I circled it once more, trying to stay behind it. Enraged, the hinox teetered to its feet and reached outwards with its colossal hand. Its fingers wrapped around the base of a tall tree and with a firm tug, it snapped the tree at the base of its trunk. It then took the tree and with its other hand, sheared off the branches, basically making a long bat.

I took a step back and notched another arrow as the monster's eye spotted me, baring its teeth in a gruesome smile. The monster took one step forward, still able to move, however much slower as it couldn't put much weight on one leg. Then it slashed through the air with the tree trunk and I dove to the ground, feeling the wind whisk over me from the momentum behind the attack.

Getting to my knees, my eyes widened in shock as I saw the monster raise the tree trunk over its head, and thrust it downwards, directly where I was standing. The attack was so quick, I barely had time to move from my kneeling position and knew I wouldn't make it in time to avoid the attack. Instead I lifted my bow and released the arrow, knowing if I made this shot, the others would be able to defeat the hinox easily.

Once the arrow left my bow, I was ready to dive to the side, so at least I might avoid a killing blow as only my legs would be crushed. Yet as I lowered my weapon, I felt pressure against my side and suddenly the wind swept past me. I looked up, my eyes widening in complete disbelief as I saw Link's face. For a second I thought perhaps I had been too late and the hinox's attack had crushed me. But then Link looked down at me, his blue eyes bright and alert.

"I see even in my absence you've still managed to find trouble." Link gave me a soft smile and I knew it was really him. I hadn't died, I wasn't hallucinating. Link was really here. Coming to a stop, Link set me down. Still in a daze, I stared at Link, my brain trying to process what had just happened. The last thing I had ever expected was Link showing up.

"Link." I said softly, "You're here."

Link nodded, "Just in time too." His eyes scanned the area, surveying the battle, then coming to rest on the hinox, who was knelt on the ground, clutching its eyes as blood trickled down its face and onto the ground. My arrow had met its mark.

Yet I hardly paid any attention to that. Link had returned!

Unable to contain myself I stepped in close to Link and threw my arms around Link's neck, so happy to see him. Link, surprised at first by my actions, stiffened, but then relaxed and wrapped his arms around my back, holding me close. Despite the battle and chaos all around us, I felt this overwhelming sense of warmth and safety nestled next to Link. I wanted to stay there forever, but I knew now was not the time.

Resignedly I pulled back, meeting Link's cerulean blue gaze. "How did you know I was here?"

"They told me back at the castle you were headed here. I came as fast as I could."

I smiled up at him, then took a step back, dropping my arms from around his neck. Link also released me, and I felt his warmth disappear. Resignedly I looked over at the hinox and pressed my lips together firmly. "We need to finish off this hinox. Then we can rejoin the others and deal with the white moblin."

Link nodded. "Understood."

With that we snapped back to the battle, focused on the task at hand. By now the hinox had recovered, its massive eyes bloodshot and puffy, however it was still able to see to an extent. "If you can distract it for a moment, I should be able to blind it."

Link nodded, "Right." Then he was off, running towards the hinox, which instantly spotted Link and roared in anger. The hinox smashed its fists into the ground, trying to crush Link, but Link was too fast. He leapt out of the way, then sprinted towards the hinox, cutting into its forearms with the Master Sword. The hinox jerked back in pain, lifting its head upwards in the process. It was at this moment I spotted my opening and released the arrow I had notched. The arrow spun through the air and hit the hinox near the center of the eye. Flames erupted from the impact and burned away at the creature's eye. I lowered my bow, pleased that my skills with this bow were improving.

As the hinox clutched at its eye, patting it to try and put the flames out, Link made his move. He darted around the hinox and slashed away at the creature's ankles, slicing clean through the tough hide. His attacks cut through tendons and nerves, making the monster collapse. With a loud thud the hinox fell onto the ground. It grunted in pain and rolled to the side, trying to get upright again. However Link was too fast and stopped the hinox. Rushing to the beast's head, as soon as the hinox turned over on its side, Link found the opening and pushed his sword straight through the creature's giant eye. The monster spasmed as the life ebbed out of it, then grew still.

Link pulled his sword out, while I began to run towards the temple, my eyes quickly observing the scene before me. The Sheikah and Gerudo were battling against the army of moblins, trying to clear through the bridge. However their progress was slow. Revali continued to fly about, putting out fires with the ice arrows. Towards the east, the battle continued, but it looked as if our forces were starting to make headway against the monsters.

Catching up to me, Link ran at my side. His face looked grim as he assessed the scene before us. "We can't let them reach the temple." I said, coming to a halt, my thoughts racing. "Vorel must have taken as many children, elderly, and sick into the temple as he could before things became too chaotic. That's why they aren't mounting much of an attack on that side. There's probably only a few warriors with them. If only there was a way to get over there..." I pursued my lips. "Or maybe we don't need to get over there. We just have to cut the moblins off from getting over there." I ran to the edge, right before the land dropped off into the lake below. I waved my hands over my head, trying to catch Revali's attention.

Spotting me, Revali fired one last ice arrow, quelling most of the flames. Then he swooped low and landed next to me, his eyes widening as he noticed Link. Then he frowned, "About time you showed up." He retorted. "Here I was thinking you were going to let us do all the work."

"Here." I said, shoving several bomb arrows at Revali. He arched an eyebrow, "Take out the bridge. We need to cut those monsters off from the temple. Then they'll have no were to go but to face us over here."

Revali looked at me sternly then grabbed the bomb arrows. "Leave it to me." With a flick of his head, Revali turned away and lunged into the air.

"Well he hasn't changed." Link observed, rubbing the back of his neck. I found it almost reassuring to see that gesture; it was just another piece that confirmed Link was back.

"It's Revali." I stated, watching as he closed in on the bridge. "He'll never admit that he might have missed you." I pointed at the entrance to the bridge. "Be ready. Once Revali takes out the bridge, the moblins will charge back into the village. We'll need to deal with the white moblin. And quickly."

Link gave a firm nod, his eyes looking down at my new bow that I was holding. He arched an eyebrow, and I shook my head, "I have a lot to tell you once this is over." Link merely nodded again, both of us watching Revali take aim at the bridge. As the arrow flew through the air, I felt Link's hand graze mine. Then, my hand was in his; seconds later the bomb arrow hit the bridge, causing a loud explosion. The smoke was pushed away by an air current, revealing a broken and splintered bridge. Moblins plummeted into the turbulent waters below, while others clung to the broken remains of the bridge, trying to haul themselves back onto the parts of the bridge that remained intact.

The moblins quickly altered their direction and pushed back into the Sheikah and Gerudo, flooding into Kakariko Village. My eyes instantly found the white moblin, very easy to spot amongst the reds, blues, and blacks of its brethren. I squeezed Link's hand, "Let's go."

In response Link gave a gentle squeeze back and then our hands let go of the other, running into the fray, our sights set on the white moblin. I fired several arrows as we maneuvered through the battle while Link slashed at any stray moblins we ran across. Soon we reached the white moblin, who was locked in battle with a Sheikah. The moblin thrust downwards with its giant broadsword with so much force the the ninja's blade snapped. The moblin cackled and kicked out with its leg, sending the Sheikah sprawling onto his back.

Link bolted forward, putting himself between the fallen Sheikah and the white moblin. I ran over to the Sheikah and helped him to his feet. "Find Impa. Tell her the hinox has been defeated and the temple has been protected." The Sheikah nodded and quickly retreated.

By now the moblin had its sights set on Link, a devilish smile on its face. It grunted something out, clearly excited. Lifting its sword, it sneered at Link, challenging him. Link didn't wait, he pounced. Link moved with astounding speed, cutting a jagged wound into the moblin's side. Blood spurted out, painting the creature's white hide crimson red.

I pulled my bow back, ready to assist when I found an opening, aiming at the creature's eyes. Movement caught my attention from my peripheral, and I rolled to the side, barely missing a blow from a moblin, its massive club smashing into the ground. I jumped to my feet and took aim, an arrow flying into the moblin's left eye. It snarled in pain, and ripped its club from the earth, leaving torn earth behind. I ran towards it's left, trying to take advantage of its blind spot, but the moblin swung its club in a circle, forcing me to retreat. Once finished, it ran at me. I stumbled back, not expecting it to react so quickly. I fell to the ground and stared wide eyed as the moblin raised it's club.

In the blink of an eye, the creature suddenly froze in place, a layer of ice appearing over it. And then the top of a sword pierced through the moblin's chest, breaking the ice. The moblin's body crumbled to the ground, revealing a battered Impa.

"Impa!" I said, glad to see her.

Impa rushed over to me and offered a hand, hoisting me to my feet. "I got your message. We were able to drive off the monsters from the East. All that remains is the moblins." Both of us turned towards the white moblin, which was locked in battle with Link.

I felt a small gust of wind, and then Revali was at my side. "I swear the lot of you would all be dead without me."

"Thanks Revali." I said, grateful for Impa and his assistance. "You too Impa."

"What now?" Impa asked, her short sword in hand.

"That moblin isn't going to take its eyes off Link." I stated, "Perhaps one of us can get in a killing blow while it's focused on Link."

"I'll take to the skies." Revali said and leapt into the air.

"You go to the left." I instructed Impa. "I'll go to the right."

With that, Impa and I took up position behind the moblin. Impa to the left, while I was to the right. Link continued to fight the moblin, effectively evading its attacks, while he chipped away at the moblin, leaving gashes all over the its body. Still he couldn't stay in range for very long as the moblin would lash out with its giant sword. He had to do quick attacks, and then retreat out of range.

The battle continued all around us, but I could tell the number of monsters was dwindling. We were so close to winning and securing Kakariko Village. We just had this one final obstacle.

As Link lunged away from the moblin, another moblin approached him from behind. I fired and arrow at the moblin, electrocuting it before the monster could attack Link. The monster howled, dropped its weapon, and spasmed. In that time, Link turned around and shoved his sword through the moblin's throat and into its skull.

As Link's back was to the white moblin, it saw it's opportunity and took a step towards Link, it's sword raised. At that moment, time seemed to slow as I watched the events unfold. About to swing its colossal sword downwards on Link, Impa darted forward and shoved her wakizashi through the moblin's chest. The moblin screamed, ripped itself away from Impa, then turned around, cutting straight across with its sword. The movement had been so fast and unexpected, Impa hardly had time to react. Her attack to the creature's chest should have killed it.

But instead it attacked, cutting right across Impa's abdomen.

"NO!" I screamed, the words torn from my throat before I could even think to do so. Without realizing it, my feet began to race towards Impa, thus one second I was staring at the scene from afar, and the next I was at Impa's side. I flung my bow down and grabbed at Impa, one hand going to support her head, the other going to her injury.

In that one moment, fear truly gripped me. Not of dying, but of losing everything I loved and cherished. Images began to flash through my mind of the vision I had had when I was at the Spring of Power - terrifying images I had prayed wouldn't come true. But what if this was the beginning of them? What if we truly were doomed? What if everyone around me died horrible and gruesome deaths?

Because of me.

Your fault. My dreams had screamed this at me for so long.

Your fault! And now those accusing voices echoed in my head as I watched the blood drain from Impa.

This is all your fault!

"Zelda!" Reality snapped back in a horrible blur of crimson. I blinked and tore my eyes away from Impa to see Link next to me, crouching by my side. The white moblin was lying on the ground dead, likely finished off by Link.

I looked at Link, slowly feeling my mind return to me. It was as if Link was my anchor, keeping me from falling into a pit of despair. Hardening myself, I began to take control of the situation. I knew if I didn't act now, Impa would die.

"I need bandages." I said, my hands going to Impa's injury. "Cloth. Anything to apply pressure." Link was off in seconds, trying to find anything that would works as bandages. Diligently I peeled back Impa clothes, my stomach churning as I saw how deep the wound was. Like any Sheikah trained in the ways of the ninja, I had been taught basic medical practices. But this was beyond my skill. Probably beyond the best healer in the village. There was only one person who could save Impa now.

My eyes flickered upwards as Revali landed, his eyes fixed on Impa. "Revali." I said, making him look at me. "We don't have much time. If we're going to save her, we have to take her to Zora's Domain. Only Mipha can heal her. I need you to fly there and tell Mipha what happened."

Revali didn't need any more instructions. Sensing the severity of the situation, he took off, flying faster than I had ever seen him fly before. As Revali disappeared, I peeled off my shirt and applied it to Impa's wound, pressing firmly on it to soak up the blood and stop the bleeding somewhat. My white undershirt was stained red and I had an assortment of cuts all over, but I hardly felt a thing. All my attention was on Impa. I refused to let her die.

Link returned seconds later, torn cloths in his hand, likely from fallen soldiers. I greedily took them and began to tear them into strips. Then I started to wrap them tightly around Impa's abdomen, making her grunt in pain. Impa was hardly awake, the blood loss making her drift in and out of conscious, which I was grateful for. I didn't want her to feel this pain.

As I worked on bandaging Impa, I looked over at Link, who was watching with worried eyes. "Link." I said in a serious tone. "Can you find Icefire? I need to leave as soon as I'm done bandaging her. Once I leave, I need you to stay here." Link frowned and I could see he was about to protest, but I pushed through. "I need you to make sure Kakariko Village is safe. You also need to let Vorel know what happened. Once you do that, please join me in Zora's Domain. I'll wait there."

Link looked at me, contemplating my words. I knew he didn't like it, but he finally nodded. "Take Epona." Link said. "She's waiting at the western entrance."

I sighed, "Thank you Link." Link nodded and then leaned in closer to me, his hand coming to my cheek. He gingerly wiped away a tear; I hadn't even realized I was crying.

"She'll be ok." Link whispered. I could only swallow and look down at Impa, her bandages finally finished. But a faint red spot was already beginning to appear. "I'll carry her to Epona." Link stated, then dropped his hand from my cheek and carefully picked up Impa.

We went as swiftly as we could to Epona, being diligent to not disturb Impa's injuries. I mounted Epona, and then together, Link and I positioned Impa behind me on Epona, tying Impa too me for good measure.

Once she was in place I looked down at Link. "I'll be ok." I reassured. "Please take care of things here for me. And tell Vorel that Impa will be fine. I'll make sure of it." Link nodded and then with a flick of my wrists, I was off, Epona racing across the land. I wasn't sure how, but she must have sensed the gravity of the situation, for her hooves pounded against the earth, pushing us faster and faster towards Zora's Domain.

We splashed through the wetlands, water spraying up and drenching my lower half. But I hardly noticed. All I could focus on was going faster... fast enough so Impa would have a chance.

Steering Epona, I maneuvered her towards the entrance to Zora's Domain, not slowing down at all as we hit hard land rather than the soft bottom of the wetlands. Rain started to drizzle from the sky, completely drenching us. As we neared the first bridge, I pushed Epona forward, making her jump over the steep rocky slope before the first bridge. Her powerful legs propelled her forward and she landed with a slight skid due to the rain.

We crossed the bridge, moving slower to account for the slippery terrain. I didn't need to end up in the Zora River again. We weaved through the the pathway leading to Zora's Domain, each second passing painfully fast as I thought of Impa behind me, slowly bleeding out.

"Zelda!" I heard my name being called and looked up to see Revali flying over me. "They know you're coming. Mipha has taken care of the rest."

"Thank Hylia." I uttered, knowing I was so close. Minutes later, we burst through a span of forest to find the majestic bridge waiting before us. Epona's hooves echoed out as they hit the polished rock of the bridge, almost sounding like thunder. At the end of the bridge were several Zora waiting for me. Pulling Epona's reigns, we came to an abrupt halt at the end of the bridge. The Zora quickly rushed over to me, cutting the rope that held Impa to me and gently pulling her from Epona. One tall Zora then ran off with Impa, carrying her protectively in his arms.

I slid off Epona, feeling physically and mentally exhausted. "Impa!" I cried out as I watched the Zora disappear with her.

A hand suddenly rested on my shoulder, light and soft. "It will be ok, Princess Zelda." Said a familiar voice. I turned to see the pretty Zora, Lera. "Princess Mipha works miracles. Your friend is in good hands."

I bit my lip, still claimed by fear. But I knew Mipha would be able to heal her. I had experienced Mipha's power first hand. A light thud sounded to my right and I turned to see Revali had landed, his feathers and clothes drenched. He shook himself, shaking the water from his feathers.

"Flying in the rain is such a vexing task." He said, annoyed.

"Revali." I said, "Thank you. Thank you so much for your help."

Revali met my gaze and his normal scornful look softened, "Don't mention it, Zelda." His winged hand patted me on the back. "Let's find a place to stay out of the rain."

Lera stepped forward, "Please follow me. I'll take you to the inn. You're the only guests currently so its been prepared for you and the Rito Champion." Lera frowned, just noticing something was missing. "Where is Link?"

"He's coming." I breathed, "Please keep an eye out for him. And Epona-"

"We will see to your steed." Lera promised. "And I will make sure the guards know Link will be joining us."

"Thank you." I exhaled. Then Revali and I followed Lera to the inn. All the while my mind was plagued with worry for Impa. I felt confident Mipha would be able to heal her, yet thoughts about the vision I had at the Spring of Power whirled through my mind. What if this was the start of it? What if I really was destined to lose all those important to me?

I glanced over at Revali, the image of his mangled body flashing through my mind.

Please! I prayed to Hylia. Please don't let this be our fate. Show me how to save them! I don't know what else to do.

Silence was my only answer, which I was accustomed to. But I knew once I returned to the castle, awakening my powers would be my top priority. I had almost lost Impa. I refused to lose anyone important to me. I would find a way.

Link and Zelda have finally been reunited! Yay! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you guys enjoyed it too. As I've mentioned prior, I really like writing battle scenes, but I know that's not everyone's cup of tea, so I've tried to intersperse the battle scenes throughout the story. However since we are getting close to Calamity Ganon's return, there probably will be a fair amount of huge battle scenes.

With that being said, we are getting very close to the end of book one, maybe like 10-12 or so more chapters... ish (I'm thinking probably in January I'll be finishing it up)? It's just kind of crazy how far I've come in this story and how much support I've gotten! Which I am ever so grateful for! Starting this piece, I really just wanted to write a compelling story showcasing Link and Zelda's journey/relationship in BOTW. I always hoped other people would enjoy my writing and the stories I weaved together, but ultimately, I just wanted to write something my teenage self would have loved, as books were an escape for me (Now I have writing and video games lol.) But it makes me so happy and ecstatic that other people enjoy this story! Thank you all so much for reading, all the kind/supportive words, and sticking with it as I continue to work on this :)