The Zora had requested her presence when the Divine Beast's rampage had begun. She wasn't terribly surprised. She had spent a great deal of time working on the Divine Beasts alongside Princess Zelda and several other Sheikah scientists. The missive had been rather unspecific as to the true nature of the problem but she had packed her supplies immediately and set off.

She and her assistant, Symin, had spent the better part of a month traveling to the Domain. It had frustrated her to no end, but Symin was continually dropping equipment and misplacing their supplies. That alongside the fact that neither of them was exceptional combatants made their travel time much longer than it should have been.

They had been enthusiastically greeted by the Prince of the Domain upon their arrival. He had rushed them quickly to the throne room where Dorephan, the Zora King, was waiting for them. She gaped up at the gargantuan Zora seated on the throne. When she had first met Dorephan, he had towered over the Gorons. Now the ancient King was larger than life, almost as tall as the domed ceiling that rose above them. Sidon, his son, and Prince of the Domain stood beside his father, not losing the original enthusiasm he had greeted them with for a moment. On Dorephan's other side stood one of the elders. His scales were green and, much to her amusement, his head was flat as though someone had dropped a heavy pan onto it.

"Welcome to Zora's Domain, madam Purah." She smiled to herself as Dorephan's voice boomed through the throne room. She was surprised that Dorephan didn't seem the least bit shocked at her appearance. Then again, in all the years she'd known him she had never seen the King phased by anything.

"Just Purah will do," she replied with a cheeky snap of her fingers.

"I take it you are the assistant that we have heard so much about?" Dorephan asked as he turned his attention to Symin. Purah tapped her foot annoyedly. The child in her wanted to stomp, but the more rational part of her knew that would be inappropriate.

She assumed Symin nodded as he remained mercifully silent.

"May I assume that you know why we requested you here?"

"You want us to see if there is anything that can be done about Vah Ruta," she replied.

"My King, I must protest this again. You don't honestly believe that this-this child," he spluttered as he waved his hands in Purah's direction, "can do anything about Vah Ruta. This is a job best left to a Zora."

Purah's irritation instantly flared at the reference to her apparent age. She opened her mouth to retort, but Dorephan beat her to it.

"Now Muzu," Dorephan cut in, calm as ever, "it is rude to comment on a lady's age. Now then," Dorephan continued as he ignored Muzu's grumbled retort, "as I recall, you worked alongside Princess Zelda and my daughter to activate Ruta."

"That's right," she replied with a thumbs up. She sent Muzu an impish grin, which only grew as the elder's frustration visibly increased.

"So, you know that Ruta has the ability to create an endless supply of water. For the past few weeks, Ruta has been spewing this water into the air, creating endless rains."

"For a few weeks!" Purah cried. "That would mean that the dam…" she trailed off.

"You see the problem," Dorephan stated. "Princess Zelda believed that the orbs above Ruta's joints could conduct electricity. Sergeant Seggin managed to shoot a shock arrow into one of the orbs. Thankfully, the deluge slowed for a time, but only for a time." Dorephan sighed before continuing, "my son proposed we find a warrior capable of handling shock arrows so we could hit all the orbs, but even if we could, I feel it would only be a temporary solution. That is why we asked you here. Do you know of a way to calm the Divine Beast?"

"I can only speculate," Purah replied worriedly. "I think the only way to truly calm it would be to completely reset Ruta's core system, but that would require a device we don't have."

"You mean the Sheikah Slate?" Sidon jumped in. This was the first time she had seen the Prince so serious.

"Indeed," Purah replied as she eyed Sidon. Perhaps she had been quick to judge him.

"Is that not what you are carrying now?" he asked. She hid her amusement as excitement once again tinged his voice.

"This is my attempt at a remaking it," she sighed. "While it is extraordinarily useful, it lacks many of the functions that the real Slate- "

"Like Stasis," Symin interrupted dreamily.

"As I was saying," Purah continued through gritted teeth, "I don't believe it will be able to interact with Vah Ruta."

"Ah," Sidon replied, a grimace showing on his face. He wiped it away quickly as he quickly flexed his arm and grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "Well no matter," he cried, "all we have to do is find the real Slate!"

"The bomb rune," Symin said suddenly. Everyone looked at Purah's assistant slowly. She snapped so hard her fingers hurt, causing Symin to jump. "Ah, my apologies. Every time I think about the- "

"Yes," Purah interrupted, "You love the Slate, you get lost whenever you think of it."

"It is so- "

"Will you focus!" Purah shouted. She counted to herself to calm down.

"This farce has gone on long enough," Muzu cut in sharply, "I will see you out myself."

"Muzu, these are my father's guests. You do not have the right to kick them out."

"I have entertained your fantasies long enough, Prince Sidon. These two can do nothing to help us and there is no Hylian that- "

"Enough." Dorephan spoke quietly, with barely any more force than normal, but everyone froze. "This is larger than all of us. Pointless bickering will do us no good. Muzu," the elder stiffened at his name, "you will show Symin to the library. He may find something of use there." Dorephan waited until the grumbling Zora and still dreaming sheikah assistant left the room before continuing, "Sidon, do you believe you can find a warrior capable of aiding us?"

"Absolutely," Sidon replied as he again flexed his arm and grinned. "I'll depart at once." The Prince rushed out of the throne room without any prompting.

Dorephan shook his head and sighed as he watched his son.

"I worry about him," Dorephan murmured. "He tries so hard to live up to his sister's memory, and I worry that will one day cause me to lose him too," he sighed. "Now then, assuming that we find the Sheikah Slate, and somehow board the Divine Beast, what will happen?"

"I don't know," Purah replied uncertainly, "I can only assume that Ganon left a trap for anyone who tried to reclaim it."

"Reclaim?"

"Ganon somehow took control of all the Divine Beasts, and he has maintained his control over them, despite the Princess' efforts to keep him at bay."

"Princess Zelda? Is she still alive!?"

Purah was taken aback at the King's response.

"Yes. She sealed herself and the Calamity within Hyrule Castle." She dreaded the answer she would receive to her next question, "how much did Impa tell you?"

"Only that all the champions fell, but that we had time to devise a plan before Ganon finished his assault."

Purah cursed her sister. Impa had always compartmentalized information. Occasionally the habit had its benefits, but at other times it damaged her personal relationships. It was what had destroyed her relationship with Purah.

"When Ganon broke free, he attacked the Divine Beasts and Guardians, turning them against us. We believe the reason that Ruta has been silent is that the Princess sealed herself and Ganon away. However, her power is fading fast. That would explain why Ruta has become active again."

"I see," Dorephan responded. "Is there anything else I should know?" he asked, leaning forward with an expectant look in his eye.

"Well," Purah replied uneasily, "there is probably one more thing you should know."

Daruk scratched his cheek as he stared at the map in front of him. Despite that his ability to use the Slate's map was shaky at best, he still wished he was using it rather than the paper one that he and Urbosa were currently poring over. The map was faded and provided minimal information on the landscape they would be traversing. He looked around the Wetland Stable as he searched for any solution that wasn't the one they currently had.

"I don't like this any more than you do," Urbosa replied to his unvoiced complaint, "but I don't think we can all go together. You're still recovering from the rain yesterday, and it's only going to get worse from what Irene and Rosso told us."

Daruk sighed. Being out in the rain, even for the short time that it was, had caused him to feel ill. He had only been planning on staying the night, but Urbosa had insisted that they stay an extra day to give him time to recover.

"I think it would be best if Link, Mipha, and I go on ahead."

"You should take Revali along with you," Daruk muttered.

"If the rain is as bad as they say, it will limit his visibility and his ability to fly," Urbosa sighed. "Besides, I don't know if his head is in the game right now."

"Do you really think that three of you will be enough?"

"I have no clue," Urbosa responded, "but I know that you're going will only cause more problems."

"Yeah," Daruk sighed. He shook his head. "Alright then, you three will go on ahead. Revali and I will stay here until you guys get back."

"Will you have enough money?"

"Even if we don't, Lawdon may let us work out another way to pay."

"I suppose."

"That is if the rain doesn't stop first."

"Let's hope it does," Urbosa murmured.

"Really don't like the rain the do ya?"

"It's a nuisance," she muttered irritably.

"Yeah," Daruk chuckled, "you were having a pretty bad hair day yesterday."

Urbosa narrowed her eyes at him.

"You aren't skulking now, are you?" Daruk laughed out.

"Choose your next words carefully."

"Is that really the best you have?"

"No, I just wanted you to feel like maybe you could pull one over on me."

"Why?"

"So I could take it away from you."

Daruk shook his head as he grinned.

"Now back to the Domain and Divine Beast," he muttered quietly.

"Scared of how I'll get you back?" Urbosa asked smugly.

"Terrified," he replied absently.

Urbosa grinned at him before returning her attention to the map.

"Sticking to the road looks like the safest and easiest route," she murmured, "but if we take this path through the Wetlands, we could save a significant amount of time."

"Will you be able to handle it?" Daruk asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Rhoam mentioned that you lived in a desert before. Are you sure you can handle the Wetlands?"

"I'll have Link and Mipha with me," Urbosa sighed.

"Then stick close to Mipha," Daruk replied.

"I think- "

"I'm serious. We can't afford to lose anyone."

"Alright."

"Good," Daruk responded. He continued poring over the map. He sighed again.

"You okay Big Guy?"

"Yeah."

"I buy that as much as I would an apology from Feathers," she said, only half-jokingly.

"I just don't like the fact that I won't be there," he muttered. "I'll be sitting here moping while you three are risking your lives."

"There's no other way around it unless the rain somehow stops before morning."

"I know," he sighed. "Do me a favor. Take care of yourself and those two."

"You mean three?" Urbosa asked with a raised brow.

"You're gonna take Midna?"

"I'm beginning to think she is attached to Link's hip."

"Good point," Daruk chuckled. He bent back over the map, only for Urbosa to take it away and begin rolling it up. "Uh, what're you doing?"

"I think we need a break from this, at least for a little while," she replied.

"Urbosa, there's still a lot to cover."

"Like what?"

"Well, there's..."

"Even if there are things we haven't covered while we've been standing here for hours, it still won't be enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you noticed how often we run into trouble?" she asked patiently. "No matter how much we plan ahead, there will always be something we weren't prepared for."

"You're right," Daruk muttered. "I just wish I was gonna be there."

"I know," she replied sympathetically, "but this isn't going to help. You're only going to drive yourself crazy trying to account for every possible scenario."

"Yeah," Daruk took a deep breath and straightened himself, "thanks."

"Anytime," she replied.

Daruk grinned and started to saunter away. He stopped as Urbosa started speaking again.

"It's your job to keep us in line, but it's my job to keep you in line." She grinned as she pointed at him, "Don't think I'm going to go slacking off now."

"Thanks again," Daruk replied gratefully. He, despite her incessant teasing, was thankful that she was looking out for him. At times he felt overwhelmed by the gravity of their situation. He supposed that was why Urbosa behaved the way she did, only showing her inner focus when it was needed.

This was the first time that it occurred to him that the reason she pretended to not take things seriously was to help lighten the mood. They had all had moments when the weight of their responsibilities threatened to crush them, but that was always when Urbosa had shown up to begin her teasing. It wasn't a permanent solution, but it was nice to forget about their troubles, if only for a while.

He quickly lost the train of thought as he saw a small child, who had climbed up a significant portion of a bookshelf lose his balance. Daruk barreled forward and caught the boy before he hit the ground.

"You okay?"

The boy stared at the Goron with wide eyes as he sat in the palm of one of Daruk's hands. He finally nodded shakily. Daruk gently set him on the ground and the boy instantly shot off towards the stairs like one of Revali's arrows.

"I think you're in the wrong business," came Urbosa's cheeky voice. "I think babysitting is probably what you were made for."

"What makes you say that?" Daruk asked dryly.

"That," Urbosa replied as she gestured with a thumb to the stairs behind her. The boy was peering at Daruk around the edge of the walls that enclosed the stairs. As soon as the Goron made eye contact the boy fled upstairs.

"He's scared of me."

"Oh, stop you. Give him a day or two and he'll be following you around like Midna follows Link."

Daruk chuckled as he shook his head. He was going to miss Urbosa and her teasing while she was gone.

Sidon cut through the water towards Mercay Island. After he had left his father's side he had recruited a few of the Zora women that were constantly following him around to help aid him in finding a Hylian (he reminded himself to ask them why they followed him so often). He had been keeping watch at Inogo bridge when one of his scouts returned, looking as though she had seen a ghost. He hadn't been able to understand the majority of her ramblings, but he had caught something about his sister accompanied by two Hylians and a wolf.

Sidon hadn't known how to respond to her. His sister had been dead for a century. There was no way she could be making her way through the Wetlands. Even if she were alive, why would she be in the company of Hylians? He had known that she had possessed a close friend among them long ago, but he couldn't still be alive. Why wouldn't she have come home?

He leapt out of the water, too preoccupied to do so with his usual grandeur. As soon as his webbed feet touched down, he began his search for the wayward Zora he had been told about. He stopped at the crest of a small hill. He turned his gaze every which way but still couldn't find the ones that he had been told about. He was about to continue his search when a small, dark blue form demanded his attention. Over in small cluster of trees sat a wolf.

He approached the animal slowly and apprehensively. The wolf made no move to attack or run away as he drew closer. When he was almost upon her, she stiffened and began to growl at him. He stopped in place but didn't break eye contact with her. He tried to remain calm on the outside, but on the inside, he could barely contain his excitement. The novelty of this entire situation might even rival his battle with the giant Octorok.

The wolf slowly lifted herself up and closed the distance between them, matching Sidon's caution with her own. He nearly giggled with childlike excitement as she began sniffing at him. She continued for longer than he thought necessary, but eventually, she stepped back from him. She turned her back to him and began stalking away. When he made no move to follow her, she looked back over her shoulder and barked at him. He took a cautious step forward. She began picking her way through the thicket, this time with Sidon following close behind.

His anxiety grew with every step he took. He had spent years wishing that his sister was still alive. He would sneak out of his room at night and stand, simply staring at the statue that had been built in her honor. There, he would try as hard as he could to hold on to her fading memory. Sidon felt awful that he was slowly forgetting the times he shared with her. A part of him, despite how childish he found it, felt that to let those memories fade away would be to truly let her die. In a way, those memories were the only thing that kept his sister from being just another footnote in the histories Muzu crammed into his head.

Sidon had confided all of this in his father. The old King had listened as intently as he ever did and when Sidon had finished, he had assured the young Zora that what he felt was completely natural. He had also warned that though he would always feel her loss, there would come a time when he would have to let Mipha go.

Now he wasn't sure what to feel. He knew that he needed to let Mipha go so she could rest in peace. Yet there was a chance, however small, that she was still alive. He attempted to keep his raging emotions in check as the wolf guided him into a clearing where one figure stood with two others who were seated on the ground.

Mipha knelt next to Link as she moved his hands across his back. They had been attacked as they had reached the last island that lay between them and the Zora river. Link and Midna, who had been walking slightly ahead of her and Urbosa, were quickly surrounded. She marveled at how both Hylian and wolf had only sustained minor injuries from the brief bout.

"I never thought I would get tired of being popular," Urbosa grumbled as she kept an eye on their surroundings.

Mipha felt slightly guilty as she hid a smile. When they had first started off, the rainfall was light. However, the farther into the Wetlands they journeyed, the harder the rain fell. As the amount of water that dove from the sky increased, Urbosa's mood fell to match.

She finished healing the wounds on her friend's back and began looking for Midna. The wolf was possibly more frustrating than Link. The Hylian always took some convincing to sit down and let her mend him but Midna was near impossible. The wolf carried a lot of pride in her and that was likely why Mipha struggled to get her to sit still. She wanted to make sure that she had healed Midna entirely.

She frowned. Midna was nowhere in sight.

"Where did she wander off to?"

Link shrugged.

"Aren't you worried?"

"She may have traveled with us for a while but that doesn't mean she is used to constantly being indoors or being around us," Urbosa replied.

"But what if there are more monsters?"

"Don't forget that she is a natural born hunter. She knows how to move without being noticed."

"But- "

"She'll be ok," Link said quietly. The reassuring look in his eyes helped calm her nerves. Truth be told she wasn't just nervous about Midna. Each step brought her closer to her supposed home. A home she had no memory of.

Mipha was about to respond when she heard a quiet rustling nearby. She glanced over to find Midna walking up to her and Link. The wolf lay on her side in front of her and Link. The Zora champion was in the process of reaching out to the wolf when Urbosa cut her off.

"I think that can wait. You should probably greet our visitor."

"Our visitor?"

Urbosa motioned towards the direction Midna had come from. Standing at the edge of the clearing, as if petrified, was a tall, scarlet Zora. Pain began building in her skull as she looked into his eyes.

Abruptly the Zora was a younger version of himself, barely knee high. He sat on a Hylian's shoulders as he gave her a toothy grin and flexed his arm.

"My dear sister… is that- is that really you?"

"Sidon," she murmured as his question brought her back to the present.

Before she knew what had happened, Sidon rushed forward and wrapped her in a nearly bone-breaking embrace.

"It really is you," he choked out. Her heart broke as she felt a wetness entirely unrelated to the rain trickle down her head. She had left her baby brother all alone for a century while she had been asleep.

"I'm so sorry Sidon."

"I'm just glad you're back." He held on to her for a long time and she let him as she did her best to not break down. His grip on her eventually loosened as he set her back down gently. She had been so caught up in the moment that she had failed to notice that he had lifted her off the ground in entirely.

"Where have you been all this time? Why haven't you come home? Who are these people and why are you traveling with them? Where did you find this wolf? ISN'T SHE THE MOST AMAZING WOLF YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?!" Everyone laughed as the excitable Zora spoke nearly as fast as Revali could shoot.

It was amazing how contagious the young Prince's excitement was. Even though Mipha still felt the weight in her heart and the burning in her eyes, she couldn't help but smile at him.

"That all can wait," he muttered as he cut his own excitement short. He reached down and took both her hands into his own. "We need to get you back to father at once. He will be thrilled to see you are alive." She dug her heels in as Sidon tried to guide her away.

"I can't leave them," she said. "They may need my help to get to the Domain."

"Why are they- "

"I think you should go," Urbosa interrupted.

"What?"

"Don't get me wrong, having you around makes us all feel better but I think you should go on ahead. I think it will do you some good to see your family. And don't worry about us. We won't be too far behind."

Urbosa's words helped but Link's determined look accompanied with a nod was what set her at ease. She turned back to Sidon and took his hand.

"Take me home."

If it isn't one thing," Urbosa growled as she climbed after Link and Midna. It was barely the second day of their journey to Zora's Domain and she had already had to deal with more water and climbing than she had ever had the desire to deal with. The Wetlands were aptly named, and they had chosen to cross through the worst of it for time's sake. Now the rain was making an already difficult climb that much harder as the rocks became slick with water.

Rhoam had told her that she was from a desert. That was probably why she hated the awful amount of water in the Lanayru Wetlands.

She paused to wipe a stray lock of her scarlet hair out of her eyes. This only served to increase her frustration. She didn't spend prolonged periods of time on her hair, but for the love Nayru she at least wanted it to be presentable.

She looked back up to find Link's waiting hand. Past it, she saw him sitting on the ledge just above her. She took his hand gratefully as he helped pull her up the rest of the way. Despite his help, she was still annoyed with him. He had removed his armor and weapons, then took his tunic and tied it around himself to form a sort of pouch that Midna sat in. He not only had to climb in the same conditions as her, but he was again carrying more than his weight. The most frustrating part was that he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Link grinned at her as she tried to work her damp hair back into some kind of order.

"Not a fan of the rain?"

"You have to choose now to develop a sense of humor?" she griped back.

His grin grew wider, much to her chagrin.

"Less teasing, more climbing."

Link laughed at that. He grabbed on to the tower's side and began hauling himself up. Urbosa wasn't far behind him. She was grateful that the tower had handholds. They made the trip up much faster.

They took a brief break on another platform halfway up the tower. Link allowed Midna out of her harness to wander around as they rested. The wolf seemed grateful that she could walk around again. She paced back and forth restlessly as they tried to recover.

Link motioned for the wolf to come back to him. She obeyed with an annoyed shake of her head. Midna interested Urbosa. The wolf had started taking on some mannerisms that the champions displayed. She had seen her roll her eyes at Revali more than once.

Urbosa stretched her aching muscles after they reached the top of the tower. She smiled widely as she realized that the rain was no longer falling on her. It was still damp but compared to the constant patter of rain on her skin, it was bearable. She tilted her head back and tried to erase the misery of the last few hours.

"What are you doing up here?" a nervous voice queried.

Urbosa's hands found her weapons as she whirled towards the source.

"Whoa, whoa! Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," a Zora cried out.

"How did you get up here?" she asked curtly.

"Ah. A most astute question," he conceded. "A couple of weeks ago, Prince Sidon asked for volunteers to help find a Hylian. I agreed to help, but I got tired and took a nap. When I woke up the ground was rumbling and suddenly I was up here. If Zoras were more capable of climbing, I would be down already. I think my only option is to dive into the river but," he paused as a smile tugged weakly at his lips, "I'm a bit of a coward."

"I see," Urbosa muttered as she removed her hand from her scimitar. She turned a critical eye on him as she tried to estimate his weight. She turned down the idea quickly. She doubted the paraglider could handle the weight.

She was distracted by a crackling noise. She looked over her shoulder to find Link setting his pot over a fire he had built.

"What are you doing?"

"I think we should stay up here for the night," Link replied. "It doesn't look like the rain will let up anytime soon."

"It gets worse the closer you get to the Domain," the Zora added earnestly.

"I suppose it will give us time to dry off."

She drew close to fire, grateful for the warmth that it provided. She smiled at Midna as the wolf sniffed the contents of the pot and licked her chops.

"Seems I'm not the only one with good taste."

Link grinned as he continued stirring.

She settled down next to the fire and started finger-combing her hair. She really hated the rain.

"Here." She looked up to find Link holding a simple brush out to her. "Daruk thought you might need it," he said with a sly smile.

"Well, I suppose at least he knows a bit about a woman's needs." She took the brush and began the arduous process of detangling the red mess that hung from her head.

Link pulled four bowls out of his pouch and began doling a simple stew into each one. He held Urbosa's out to her. He then took another over and gestured for the Zora that shared the tower-top with them. She had noticed him edging closer to the fire slowly.

"So," Link started as the Zora took a bowl, "what's your name?" he finished around a full mouth.

"Gruve."

"Link."

"It's nice to be able to talk to people again."

Urbosa tuned the chatter out as she turned her thoughts towards the coming day. She checked the map on the Slate. It looked like in favorable conditions the trip to the Domain would take most of the day. If what Gruve said was true, then it would take all day. She sighed internally as she tried to prepare for the rain-filled days ahead.

"I really hope I can work up the courage to dive into the river tomorrow."

"Don't worry," Urbosa replied as she rejoined the conversation, "I'll help you out with that bit."

"Really? How?" Gruve asked excitedly.

"We'll discuss it more in the morning." The Gerudo grinned sweetly at Link, who stared at her. She thought it was adorable that he was trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Thank goodness you two climbed all the way up here."

Urbosa held back a chuckle as she wondered how much Gruve would be thanking her tomorrow. She stretched out as she finished her meal.

"We should get some rest while we can. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Link woke early as he always did. He liked the early mornings. It was a time when he could merely be. He enjoyed the others' company, but he loved the time he spent alone. It reenergized him far more than sleeping did. He would occasionally volunteer for the latest watch so that he could get that extra time. The one thing he preferred to solitude was the company of Midna or Mipha.

Nervous energy took over as his thoughts turned to his Zora companion. Mipha was capable of taking care of herself, that much he knew. Even so, he worried that she would do something rash. Gruve had informed them that the reason Sidon had been looking for a Hylian was to help subdue the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. The ancient machine had begun pouring an endless supply of water into the atmosphere causing endless rains. If nothing quelled the Beast's rage, then the Domain and all of the surrounding villages would be wiped away by the sea.

Link reasoned that Mipha would, being the Machine's pilot, have the best chance of calming Ruta. She was normally levelheaded but sometimes, when others were suffering, she overextended herself trying to help. He wouldn't put it past her to try and do something now despite the potential dangers.

"I see you are an early riser."

Link smiled politely to Gruve.

"Even less talkative in the morning?"

He shrugged. It was something he had noticed though. He had no problems speaking to the other champions but whenever there were others around he only spoke when it became necessary. It was never something he had thought of as odd, but Gruve had. Then again, Link was ready to admit that the Zora may be a few corals short of a full reef. He shook his head.

"Did I say something wrong?"

He shook his head again.

"Oh, I see. Now about getting down…"

Link frowned. He could see that Urbosa had a plan, but knowing her it probably involved throwing Gruve off the tower when he was distracted. He didn't want it to come to that though.

He and Gruve peered over the side of the tower. Link pulled his paraglider out and began mulling over the only viable option he could think of: he would have to hand the paraglider over and climb on to Gruve's back. He knew it couldn't support both their weights for long, but it only needed to be long enough for Gruve to get off the tower.

He gazed out over the edge of the tower as he began explaining his plan to Gruve. The Zora nodded thoughtfully.

"Are you sure it will work?" the Zora asked as he crouched to look over the edge.

"Definitely," Link lied.

"Well then- " Gruve was cut off as a brown arm snaked its way under his legs and quickly propelled him into the open air. Link watched, horrified as the Zora fell through the air, screaming all the way. He breathed a sigh of relief as Gruve twisted into a diving position and cut through the surface of the water, bobbing back up after a couple of seconds.

He turned an accusatory glare on Urbosa who stood next to him with her hands on her hips as she wore a triumphant smile.

"What?"

"You threw him off!"

"Don't get worked up. I only did it because there was no other way to get him down safely."

"But- "

"Link," she sighed, "You know I don't handle weak-willed men very well."

Link shook his head and looked back down at Gruve. The Zora had waded out of the water and waved to him exuberantly.

He turned on his heel to prepare Midna for their brief trip down. As he was tying his tunic around himself, he swore he saw the Wolf's eyes sparkle with amusement.

When Midna was secured on his back he and Urbosa stepped off the side of the tower and glided across the river beneath. Gruve greeted them enthusiastically as they landed.

"That was truly incredible! We must do that again sometime!"

Link and Urbosa exchanged a glance. He could see that she was just as lost as he was.

"Well, I'm glad you were appreciative." The comment almost sounded like a question.

"I should probably be on my way. Shall I let Prince Sidon know that two Hylians are on the way?"

"Yes," Urbosa replied.

"Excellent. Oh, you should try to be careful. I saw some monster camps along the path while I was up there."

"I think we can handle whatever comes our way."

Link gave a reassuring nod to Gruve when the Zora sent him a questioning look.

"I suppose I shall see you soon then." Gruve dove into the river and began swimming upstream.

"You were right. He really isn't all there, is he?"

Link didn't hear Urbosa's comment. He was looking down at where his hands should have been, but rather than seeing the gloved hands of an adult he saw the bloodied hands of a child. Urbosa's voice faded out as the world around him shifted.

He stumbled over the uneven terrain again as he ran to the only two he could think of; Kodah and her father. His childhood friend had once told him that if he followed the river then he would eventually find her home.

He kept running as he looked over his shoulder trying to spot any monsters that might be chasing him.

The monsters had attacked in the middle of the night. When his mother had heard the screaming, she shut him in the cellar. She had promised she would come back for him when it was safe. He had sat in the darkness as fear held his young heart in its clutches. Mercifully, the screaming was reduced to a dull cacophony that he could only make out if he listened closely. Exhaustion drew him into a restless sleep as he waited for the return of his mother.

He jolted awake at the sound of wood shattering. Guttural snarls filled the tiny cellar. He bit back a scream as he saw a twisted form lumber into view. He scrambled into a small hole in the wall that he used to hide in when playing hide and seek with Kodah. He listened in terror as sounds of things being broken open and things being overturned echoed in the room. A part of him felt indignant as his family's food was being ruined by monsters.

He tried to push himself farther into the wall as a red leg filled his view. Red scales were comforting to him, but the leg in front of him wasn't scale covered. And the sounds that came from the creature didn't sound like anything he had ever heard.

There was a roar from somewhere outside. The red legs in front of him rushed out of the cellar. He didn't move from his spot despite the cramping in his legs.

He waited.

And waited.

After what felt like forever, his little legs couldn't take it anymore. He crawled out of the hole and towards the door. He looked out of the door tentatively. He saw nothing and heard nothing. The smell of smoke permeated the air as he stepped out into the open.

He sunk to his knees as he looked around his home. Ordon, or what was left of it, had been completely razed. Only the barest bits of the homes remained. Link shook his head, trying to dispel whatever was making him see this.

"Mother," he called out.

The only response was silence.

"Mother!"

Nothing.

This was all just a mistake. Everyone had made it out were just hiding to make sure it was safe to come back. All he had to do was wait for them to find him.

He waited as twilight rolled in but his mother still didn't come.

He rummaged through the food that was left in his cellar. It was nowhere near as good as what his mother made but he was grateful for it. Besides she would be upset with him if he let it go to waste while he was hungry. He crawled back into the hole in the wall and slept restlessly.

Still, no one came.

He built a small fire and found a small cooking pot. All the cuccos were gone so he couldn't cook eggs for breakfast. There was rice though. He gathered some from what little was left in his cellar. He sat back as his meal cooked and hugged his knees to his chest. He hadn't expected his mother to be gone this long.

He refused to leave the village despite its state. He wanted to be there when his mother came back for him.

Still, she didn't come.

Days later he wandered to the village outskirts and saw horribly disfigured forms lumbering towards the village. Link rushed home and scribbled a panicked note telling his mother that he was going to find Kodah. He then fled the village as fast his little legs could take him.

He ran to the river and followed its winding path. The path was difficult, but he pressed on. He cut his hands every time he stumbled over the uneven ground. He was covered in bruises from falling to the ground, but he pressed on. He thought the reason for his flight was to outrun pursuers. He didn't know that it was because deep down he already knew that he wouldn't ever see his mother again.

He tripped at the top of a small incline and tumbled down the other side. When he finally stopped rolling he attempted to stand only to collapse to the ground once again. Link wept silently as reality finally set in. He had lost his father years ago during a similar attack. Now he had lost his home, his village, and his mother. He was all alone in the world, except for Kodah. The little boy looked up with tear stained eyes and crawled towards the river.

He stuck his face in the water, taking a long drink and allowing the flowing water to wash the grime away.

He sat back and finally looked around him. The sun shone brightly on the rocky path. There were so many places to climb and hide in. It was the ideal place to play hide and seek. Or he could play tag with Kodah in the open space by the riverside. Any other time he would have been excited by his discovery. Now all he could muster was a dull gaze.

He turned back towards the water to stare at his reflection. His mother had always cooed about how his eyes sparkled but all he saw was a nearly lifeless blue reflected back at him.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a small clay jar. He crawled over and plucked it from where it was nestled among the rocks just off the bank. He turned the dripping object over in his hands. It was unremarkable, but his childish curiosity took over and he opened it. A rolled-up piece of paper fell out when he tilted it over.

He unrolled it to find it was a letter. The child rubbed his eyes one more time before holding it up to read.

To Whoever finds this letter...

A/N: Did you miss me. I mean, I missed me and I live in my own head. It actually feels weird posting this soon again. What I find really funny is how we all start posting at the same time. We do that on purpose you know.

Anyway, I hate to say this but the next update will probably take a while. One of my shortcomings is a low emotional intelligence. That means that writing through emotional crap is going to be really difficult and time-consuming. I'll be honest, I was considering glossing over it but decided against that. I would rather take longer but actually write something worth your time as opposed to sticking to my regular schedule and make something that lacked a vital component.

On the bright side, you're one step closer to Zora's Domain. I need to consider whether or not I should add a genre.

Also, shoutout to JamesYorke and his way of getting Gruve off the tower.