The darkened fortress was silent, most of the Gerudo were resting peacefully in their homes feeling secure for the first time in years. The only signs of life other than the few guards still on duty were the faint sounds of arguing coming from inside the war room.

Six souls one from each of the various species of Hyrule stood around the large map that depicted Hyrule and the vast desert. "I'm not planning anything without Aeris here," Nabooru crossed her arms her face daring any of the other Sages to challenge her.

"Are we sure we can trust her?" Saria the small green haired Kokiri spoke up from her place beside Link.

"I trust her," Link looked down at his childhood friend and gave her a reassuring smile. "And judging by what was revealed in the Spirit Temple, she may be right about Ganondorf,"

"It it possible," Impa sighed deeply.

"Possible?" Nabooru scoffed. "It's the truth,"

"The truth?" Darunia's voice boomed through the room. "You expect us to believe some long dead evil is possessing your king?" It was the Goron's turn to scoff.

"What are you suggesting?" Nabooru's eyes narrowed.

"Stop it!" Impa stepped between the Gerudo and Goron. "If we are going to win this we need to work together,"

"Should we be doing this without Rauru?" Ruto spoke softly. "We work together much better with him around,"

"Rauru can no longer leave the Sacred Realm," Impa cast he gaze to each of her fellow Sages. "It has clouded his perception of the workings of the physical world, things are no longer as black and white as he would like to believe,"

"I don't want to kill anyone," Link's voice was soft. "If there is even the smallest chance we can save him, that's what I want to do,"

Darunia sighed. "You're right Brother," He turned to Nabooru. "Forgive me, it is difficult not to think that we Gorons were the only to suffer,"

"It's not a question of who has or hasn't suffered," Saria spoke up her voice surprisingly strong. "The question is how do we fix it,"

"Wise words for one so small," Nabooru chuckled and Saria smiled brightly.

"Indeed," Impa crossed her arms. "But we need to act quickly, where is Aeris?"

"She said she would be waiting for me outside of the temple, but she wasn't there when I came out," Link sighed. "Time is strange in the Sacred Realm it dark by the time I left the temple, she may have returned here,"

"I sent a guard to look for her as soon as we arrived," Nabooru leaned heavily against a wall as she spoke. "She was supposedly resting in her quarters, I have no idea what's taking them so long,"

The five Sages and link turned as the door swung open and a Gerudo guard entered. "Nabooru," The guard held her head low, refusing to make eye contact as she spoke. "We can't find Aeris,"

"What do you mean you can't find her?" Nabooru's voice was dangerously low.

"We've searched the entire fortress," The other Sages exchanged glances as the guard continued. "She and several things from the royal quarters have vanished,"

"Damn it Aeris," Nabooru sighed and turned back to the Sages.

"How sure are you that she didn't just run?" Ruto's fins flared slightly

"What did she take?" Nabooru turned back to the guard and the woman jumped slightly under her gaze.

"Her circlet, her mourning attire and," The woman paled slightly and motioned for Nabooru to lean closer so she could whisper the final item.

Nabooru sighed. "Damn it Aeris,"

"What?" Link jumped to his feet from his place beside Saria.

Nabooru turned to Link and sent him a pained look. "If she's doing what I think she is," Her voice was grave as she continued. "She has a plan and she's two steps ahead of us," She could feel the energy from her new found abilities surge up inside of her.

"We need to move now,"

The sun was creeping over the horizon as Aeris neared the stairway into Kakariko Village. Starlight's sides heaved under her and sweat foamed on her flanks, Aeris felt bad having to push her beloved companion as hard as she had, but she was on a tight time frame. It wouldn't be long before Nabooru caught on to what she was planning.

"I'm sorry girl," Aeris gave Star a gentle pat. "You can rest soon,"

Few people were stirring in the Village as Aeris made her way through the rows of houses, but she knew that Urora would be up. The woman rose with the sun every day and started her daily routine by the time the Cuccos crowed.

She paused as she came to a stop in front of the house she had called home for the past seven years, it was traditional Hylian in design but Urora had added several Gerudo accents over the years.

She could hear Urora moving around the kitchen preparing her morning meal and tea, her heart ached as she pushed the door open and Urora jumped, startled by Aeris' sudden entrance.

"Sa'oten!" The Gerudo woman barely managed to avoid dropping her mug of steaming tea. "Aeris, you scared me Vehvi,"

"Sorry Urora," Aeris smiled sheepishly and moved to hug her adoptive mother. "I came to tell you it's safe to return to the desert,"

"So the witches are dead?" Urora motioned for Aeris to sit and poured Aeris a mug of tea.

"Yes," Aeris sighed as she was handed the steaming mug, thankful for it's warmth. Winter was approaching and the early mornings were quickly becoming cooler.

"And Ganondorf?" The two shared a look that only a mother and daughter could, a look of both compassion and understanding.

"I have a plan," Urora nodded slowly as she took in Aeris' expression.

"You don't plan on returning to us do you?" Urora placed her mug on the table and gave Aeris a knowing look.

"I," A pang of guilt shot through her as she tried to speak. "I think I can save him and I'm prepared to sacrifice anything to do so," Her hand fell to the satchel at her hip, the contents felt as if they were burning into her side.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Urora swirled the contents of her mug slowly. "I fear that it must though," She sighed heavily. "Hyrule and it's royal family are notoriously unforgiving," The Gerudo woman stood slowly and moved to look out of the kitchen window. "Did I ever tell you about my husband?"

"No," Aeris had been meaning to ask Urora about her life before she took in Nabooru for years.

"His name was Rhoam, and he was the crown prince of Hyrule," Urora smiled softly as Aeris stared wide eyed at her. "I was young when I first ventured into Hyrule, barely sixteen fresh from my warrior's trial, It was hard to imagine Urora young and inexperienced. "I was ambushed by a group of Stalchildren as the sun set over Hyrule Field, I was sure that I was going to die when a man in silver armor on a white stallion rushed to my aide,"

Aeris laughed lightly. "It's like something out of a fairy tale,"

"Indeed, he helped tend my wounds and offered me a ride to Castle Town. I had no idea he was a prince so I accepted, he was a humble man easy to talk to and he made me laugh, I was smitten within the first hour," Urora let out a huff of a laugh. "Young and stupid,"

"Sounds familiar," The pair laughed together for a moment. "When did you?"

"Figure it out?" Aeris nodded. "As soon as we approached the bridge the guards drew their weapons and he had to use his title to permit me entrance to the town," She rolled her eyes in a way that Aeris had seen many times in her youth, mainly when Urora would discover Nabooru and Aeris up to no good. "I almost died right then and there, I apologized profusely but he insisted that it was his duty as prince to make sure visiting neighbors enjoyed their stay,"

"So how did you wind up, you know?" Aeris couldn't imagine Urora anyway other that the strong confident woman she had known for nearly her whole life.

"He snuck out of the castle every night I was in town to see me, he said I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and couldn't let me slip through his fingers," There was a wistful smile on her face as she spoke that made Aeris' heart happy. "I was only supposed to be in town for a week but on my last night he asked me to marry him,"

"And you accepted?" Aeris was on the edge of her seat as she listened to Urora.

"No," Aeris deflated to lean back into her seat causing Urora to laugh. "Not at first, he was a prince and I was just a girl visiting a neighboring kingdom, he left me that night and I thought that was the end of it, but the next morning he came back to me and told me that he had denounced his crown so we could be together,"

Aeris gasped lightly. "He did that for you after only knowing you for a week?"

"He did," Urora nodded. "He said that his younger brother Daphnes had always been better than him at the dignitary side of things, he would rather lead his men on a battlefield than from a throne, so he offered to be his brothers General and let him take the throne," She sighed. "We were wed the following morning and started our life in a small house on the banks of Lake Hylia,"

"So what happened?" Aeris finished her tea and stood to place the mug in the sink.

"His father wasn't happy about his eldest son marrying a Gerudo, he constantly begged Rhoam to return to the castle, to return to his crown." She sighed deeply. "For two years we were happy, for two years everything was perfect, until one day he received a summons to battle. He was confused, no battles were happening Hyrule was at peace, but he went anyway." The mug in Urora's hand cracked under her grip, but she ignored it. "He was the only casualty of the battle and none of the reports had the same story,"

"You think his father had him killed?" Aeris took the cracked mug from Urora and held her hands tightly in her own.

"I can't prove it, but the circumstances were too strange. I left the night I got the news and returned to the desert," It pained Aeris to see Urora like this. "I'm sorry vehvi," Urora wiped a single tear from her cheek. "But, you need to know that the royal family is vindictive, even if you succeed in saving Ganondorf, you still may not get your desired outcome,"

"I know," Green eyes met gold. "But I have to try,"

The two hugged one final time and Urora watched the girl she had raised from a child to the woman before her, walk out of her home one last time.