Under the Setting Sun

by SoulPieces

Kakariko Village, utterly destroyed, yet somehow still the starting point of something grand. Isha, a young teacher and survivor of the Shadow Beast attacks, joins a swordsman named Link after rescuing some children from his village, and finds herself caught up in legends and myths that are far more grim than the bedside stories her father once read to her. [AU]

9. Chapter 8 Lanayru

A/N: You're not hallucinating, I have in fact changed the title of the story. Never did like the old one.
Also just a fair warning that this story will continue to have some fairly graphic descriptions of battle, blood, injury, etc. throughout. This'll be the last CW regarding it.

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Chapter 8 - Lanayru

Though they had now been traveling for over an hour through ice and snow, nothing prepared Midna and Link for the lonely, quiet sight that awaited them as they finally reached the main Zora settlement.

Link stood at the basin of Zora's Domain, the usually deep pool now dry and freezing as the rest of the lake and river areas. Standing at the entrance of the Zora's famed central village, he took in the depressing scene before him. There was no sign of the mighty waterfall pouring in from the throne room, no great waterways winding through canyons and crevices, no large central pool. Where the great waterfall once fell, a wall of sleek ice now stood, jagged icicles hanging down like horrid teeth from the cliffs above. Everything was frozen. More unnervingly, there were no signs of life here.

"Seems we'll need to climb some more," Midna commented, her teeth chattering. Through his thick pelt, even Link felt a chill in the air. How were the cold-blooded Zora dealing with such an environment? Did they have any water left at all, wherever they were hiding?

He looked about the Domain, noticing that every single pathway leading up and out to other areas of the Zora territories was coated with ice and snow drifts. To climb that would be incredibly dangerous and cold, but the paths led straight to the throne room high above the basin.

Link sat on the cold ground, considering his other options that would not include such a terrifying view. He could try to backtrack all the way to Castle Town and approach the domain from the north, as was his original plan. However, he would be navigating blindly, in an unfamiliar form, through rocky mountain paths and god-knows what sort of monsters up there. It would also be a colossal waste of time if he climbed all the way up the road just to find it was also too slippery to pass.

Midna stood beside him, a black hand resting on her chin. "I'm starting to think the Zora may have gone the way of Kakariko," she mumbled, her eyes directed towards the frozen mouth of the main would-be waterfall. "I mean, I hope I'm wrong, but…"

The hero agreed silently. Things did not look good. If he had any chance of saving anyone, he would need to move faster. No time for backtracking.

With Midna's assistance, Link was able to leap the large gaps between the islands and outcroppings that formed the solid walkways within Zora's Domain. She used her hair to keep him steady on the slick surfaces, grabbing him by the scruff like a pup any time he slipped, adding insult to injury.

At least it distracted him from the growing distance between his feet and the bottom of the crater.

Finally, he scrambled up the final ledge to the top of the domain. Once he was solidly on the ground, Midna floated towards a massive natural dome before them, its rounded peak a stark contrast to the jagged mountains that surrounded the river. He followed her, ears pointed straight ahead as he listened for any danger.

They continued under the natural arched entryway, a wide circular room opening up before them. The sides of the room were partitioned off by ornate metal screens strung between the columns that supported the cavern's wide roof. A single throne sat empty at the other end of the grand hall, carved from the mountain itself and adorned in coral and shells. In the center of the room was a massive, frozen-over lake - the headwaters of Zora River.

Link looked on in awe at the craftsmanship that went into the designs, so unlike anything he had seen before. Swirls and waves scrolled across the walls, shell patterns were etched into the floors. Every carving appeared to have been done so with deliberate, tidy strokes that flowed seamlessly together. Even the torch posts were far from mundane and made to resemble underwater plants carved from blue stone.

His eyes were drawn up to a hole in the ceiling above the central pool, the Twilight sky above looking as ominous as ever. As if summoned by his gaze, a black portal similar to those he'd witnessed before tore a rift in the sky. Four large twilight beasts plummeted from the portal, landing on the frozen central pool. The ice creaked under their weight, but not a single crack showed on its surface.

Midna slammed back down onto his back, already gathering her mysterious power in the massive fist at the end of her hair. As they had at the lake, they worked together to tear the Shadow Beasts apart. Fangs bared, he made quick work of the monsters. He was always sure to kill them quickly - their screams were, literally, loud enough to wake the dead.

He and Midna nearly had these fights down to a precise performance, at this point. Pick off the smallest one first - it would always be the fastest and hardest to chase down, and always broke free of Midna's bindings before the others. Then turn and face the other two. The Shadow Beasts always feel in threes, always with the same attack pattern. One beast, small and nimble, to try to distract and disorient their prey with quick strikes. Two lumbering, larger beasts to handle the real destruction. These were the beasts that were most often responsible for felling buildings, and they had a natural affinity to seek destruction.

He didn't allow the last two anywhere near the decorative columns. They managed to scrape long gouges in the rocky ground, but his teeth were already tearing through muscle and flesh before they could reach anything substantial.

He spat out the last of the monsters' blood, wiping his tongue along his leg to try to clear the bitter taste. At least they leave the portals behind, he thought.

Midna's powers did not seem to include creating portals, but she could at least assist him in using the ones created by the faceless monsters to travel, as long as he was under the influence of Twilight. He'd never bothered to ask the details, as they'd proven helpful enough a time or two, and he felt the strange imp wouldn't be forthcoming with the information. She rarely was.

The shimmering of a weak blue flame beneath his feet caught Link's eyes. He jumped, realizing for the first time that there were many of these flames beneath him. Not one of them swayed or moved around or behaved as any spirits he had noticed before. The ice, he realized, went all the way down, and it held prisoners.

With a sinking heart, he focused his senses on the figures below him. Despite the ice, humanoid shapes began to form, taking the place of the blue flames of light-dwelling spirits.

Here, trapped within a frozen mass grave, Link gazed in horror upon hundreds and hundreds of Zora, their faces twisted in permanent fear.

---

Isha lost her will to stay quiet shortly after Mikas's needle first pierced her skin.

Her jaw ached from clamping down on the rag stuffed between her teeth for the second time that day, her mouth dry from screams refusing to be held back. In the first procedure, Isha had been in such dire straits, not even the pain could keep her conscious. Now, there was no amount of exhaustion that could distract her from the aching, irritated wound.

Her hands grasped at the blanket that was wrapped across her chest, nails scratching her skin as she clawed at it, seeking any semblance of relief. At some point, she heard Zepin say something that she could not decipher over the roaring in her ears. He pushed down on her shoulders, trying to keep her from thrashing while the mute healer carefully picked bits of torn cloth and dirt from the open wound. In the back of her mind, Isha knew she was being a very difficult patient and making things rough on her companions, but her flailing was involuntary. The disinfecting ointment he used stung unlike any pain she endured before, she could feel the stitches being sewn in. She almost preferred to have the kargarok's talons pierce her again than suffer this torment any longer.

Something tugged at the rag in her mouth, and she tried to wrest her arms free to fight back. She couldn't have bested Zepin in a test of strength even at her best, but she still fought like a cornered animal.

"Isha," an older male voice finally reached her, pulling Isha back to her good senses. She forced her blurry eyes open, finding Valan standing over her, a bottle of some unknown blue mixture in one hand, the rag - her one comfort in this hell - in the other. "Let go."

Her eyes traveled down to Mikas, who had pulled back from her side. He'd placed a blanket over her side. A crimson stain was blooming across it - this was far from over. But Valan gave her instructions, and Isha knew she had to listen to these Zora if she had any hope of surviving. She willed her jaw to unlock, a popping noise making her wince as she finally released her grip. Her mouth was painfully dry, and that blue liquid looked tantalizing.

"You have to take every last drop of this," he instructed, pulling the cork free of the bottle and holding it over her mouth. "It will help you endure the pain, but you may experience some difficult side effects."

Zepin's hands finally let up from her shoulders, and Isha lunged for the bottle of medicine despite the Zora around her urging her to be careful. The gritty, thick, bitter liquid somehow stung her mouth as it went down, but with her side still split open and blood still throbbing from the open wound, she figured it was better than nothing. Better than dehydrating before she bled out.

She didn't ask what it was, nor did she care to know. The side effects would either be less unpleasant than this surgery or kill her, either of which was an appealing alternative at this point. Anything, anything to escape the pain was welcomed.

Zepin raised his brow in surprise at how quickly she finished off the jar of disgusting potion. A strong concoction of rare ingredients, he knew the mixture well - it was infamous among the soldiers. Valan's Blue Coral potion was strong enough to give even the most strong-minded of warriors nonsensical visions for hours, and was reserved for use only on the worst of patients. Many of the soldiers just called it "crazy juice" due to the hallucinations it caused. More often than not, it was given as a mercy to dying soldiers who were suffering beyond help, an effort to give them some relief in their dying moments.

"Give her five minutes, and then continue," Valan instructed his son, turning and walking away. Isha, still breathing heavily, was handed a glass of water by the silent Zora, which she gulped down greedily. It went down better than the potion.

Valan and Zepin left the tent, leaving her alone with her silent doctor. Mikas was staring at something straight ahead, his expression blank.

"I'm sorry if I'm a difficult patient," Isha whispered through her tears after several moments of silence. Her voice was hoarse.

Mikas shook his head and directed her to lay back down. She hesitated, worried he would begin before the potion took effect, but he laid a reassuring hand on her head. His mouth quickly fell into a frown, and he placed his hand under her chin and turned her head to the side.

She froze at the contact, uncomfortable with how close he was. He tapped the skin beneath her ear, an action that made her once again aware of the unceasing ringing. It had followed her from the battlefield. She recoiled at the feeling, but Mikas held her chin in place and continued to look at the damage sustained to her ears. His long nails poked and prodded all around her ears, watching her reactions to gauge her pain and feeling for swelling along her cheekbones, behind her ears, along her jawbone and down her neck.

She closed her eyes, her mind swimming. She tried to focus on anything other than the miserable state of her body or the massive warrior who could snap her neck with one swift movement. Though they had shown her nothing but kindness, she could not ignore that a natural-born predator and well-trained soldier currently held her jaw in his hands. Gentle as he was, it would take little pressure from his jagged nails to cut her and cause her to waste what little blood was left within her.

Mikas did not harm her, of course. He was all too aware of his strength, and he was always careful. After a bit more observation and prodding, he released her, though Isha did not open her eyes. Images of the ancient sea-dwelling Zoras swirled behind her eyelids, a territorial race who became sick of land-based nations encroaching on their waters and turned hostile against all after their homes were consistently destroyed by careless seafarers. They were said to now dwell in the deepest of oceans, something Isha was grateful for as she was certain they'd waste no time in snapping her neck, unlike Mikas.

She felt something light fall into her lap, and the ancient Zoras darted out of her sight, leaving her in darkness. She tried to blink, finally realizing that her eyes were still closed. Opening them, Isha found a small leatherbound notebook open to a page with some writing on it. She picked up the notebook and held it close to her face, still trying to pull herself from her horrid thoughts and focus on reality. The words swam into place before her.

Do you have reduced hearing?

She looked down at the scrawled words, formed from thin, slanted, looping characters drawn by a hurried hand. Interesting penmanship. Messy yet neat, not unlike her own writing. She wondered how often a Zora soldier would really need to write. Perhaps a lot, if he refused to utter a single word.

She realized after a few moments that he was awaiting a reply. Right, she wasn't the silent one, he was. Her mouth still worked, supposedly.

"Yes, sort of. I hear a lot of ringing."

He gestured for the notepad again, taking it back and scribbling something else down.

Hylian ears are far too sensitive for the sounds of war.

She gave him a strange look. "My father was an excellent knight of the Hylian army, I'll have you know. He did just fine, and I don't think his hearing ever suffered."

Mikas curled his upper lip in a strange smirk, jagged teeth flashing in the evening light. She shivered despite herself. Again, he scribbled something down and held up the book.

Your ears may heal on their own. We will focus on your side, and worry about them later.

"And if they don't?"

Then you may want to start carrying a notebook around.

She stared down at the letters as they danced across the page. Taunting, like the one who wrote them. Her eyes shot to Mikas, intending to shoot him a glare, but a flash of scarlet caught her eye.

Right, her side. Isha wondered if it flowed like a river, or if she had any blood left to spill. With the way she felt, Isha feared it was the latter. Mikas would need to resume stitching her up soon, a realization that filled her with fear. Her head was swimming, fog covering her vision.

A cold hand once again fell upon her bare shoulder. Isha flinched, fearing she was about to be restrained once again, her shoulders already hurting as if they were bruised. She wouldn't be surprised if they were, for how much she struggled.

She heard a snapping sound from somewhere overhead. In her blurred vision, she could see Mikas lowering back into his seat, snapping his fingers for someone's attention. Something shiny gleamed in his other hand.

Valan again returned to her side as well. She felt small under his analytical gaze.

"Are you still with us?" his voice echoed.

"What do you mean?" She had not moved from the bed, that was certain. Where else would she be? Like she could go anywhere in this state.

Valan knelt beside her. "This potion relies on visions to keep you distracted from reality. It should also help restore the blood you have lost. It is effective, but slow to make and slower to take effect. Know that you may sleep peacefully here. Peras, Zepin, and I will keep watch. Mikas will do what he can to save you. Do not fear that pain anymore, dear child. The potion will keep you numb."

Isha tried to focus on his words, tried to piece together their meaning. She knew he was speaking to her in Hyrulean, plain as day, but the meaning of the words were lost on her. She tried to ask him something, but when she went to open her mouth, she realized he was gone.

Her mouth felt dry. That potion, that grit, what exactly was that, anyways? She felt like she'd been in the desert all day. Sand, maybe. Sand in the potion, sand in the bottle, sand in the desert, her thoughts sang.

This did not look like a desert, though. The sky above was beige, like a canvas tarp. It was dark here, except for a sliver of flaming orange light somewhere off to her right. Maybe that was the sun reflecting off the sand? But there was a Zora here, too, and Zoras did not belong in the desert.

Said Zora looked at her, a strange face indeed. This male was aloof and did not speak to her. This disappointed her. How is he supposed to tell me interesting stories about the Zoras if he doesn't talk to me?

She'd long dreamed of seeing Zora's Domain and learning more about their culture, and specifically studying the history of their architecture, unmatched beauty carved of the world around it. She wanted to know all about them. She wanted to know about every culture, past and present. Even future cultures, if it were possible.

Something thunked gently against her head. She narrowed her eyes, the Zora at her side giving her a very odd look. "What?" she rasped. How could she possibly still be so thirsty? Didn't she just have a glass of water? Perhaps she really was in the desert.

The notebook, again. He held it in front of her face, a new page open with new writing. She closed one eye, straining to still the dancing letters into place so that she could read what he'd written.

You're still here, at Lake Hylia. If you survive this, you should speak to Zepin about your questions. He always has "interesting stories."

"If you survive this." Right. That explained the look he gave her, the blood that coated her arm and the sheets she lay upon. Red, all of it deep red. It reminded her of the pretty outfit she'd borrowed from Uli, in Ordon. A shame it was gone, really. She'd really liked that outfit.

At her side, Mikas crossed his arms across his chest, listening to her soft, mindless babble. The medicine was working as intended. The Hylian woman had been near silent for the first several minutes of the surgery, finally still enough to allow him to delicately sew her gaping wounds back together. Finally quiet enough for himself to think.

His father had used the excuse that he "didn't work on Hylians" for his shoddy stitchwork earlier. Supposedly their bodies were just "too different." As Mikas worked his way down her side, though, he found he disagreed. He had no experience with performing surgeries on Hylians, either, but their muscles and internal organs weren't too different from Zora. Her skin was certainly softer and more delicate than his own scales, but with a steady hand, this was no issue. It was certainly not delicate enough to excuse the hack job Valan had done.

What his father did not want to admit was that he was losing his touch as a healer, his age finally catching up with him. His weak healing powers had left him years ago, and Mikas was fairly certain Valan's position as healer to the Royal Family of the Zora was just a courtesy. He still had the medical knowledge, and his fighting magic had not left yet, but Valan was long past retiring age.

He would have already retired, if he had a proper apprentice lined up. The thought was not welcome in Mikas' head. He tapped his head, an action his mother had taught him in childhood.

You must remind your mind to stay focused, his mother's voice still followed him. When you tap your forehead here, you remind your brain to focus on what's ahead of you. This will keep your hands steady.

Progress on the Hylian's wound was agonizingly slow. Between the thick, sharp talons, the earlier botched stitching, and frequent movements and jumps and everything else Isha had endured, he feared she wouldn't have enough skin left to patch up. His old man had done his best to sew up her wounds earlier, but Mikas feared Valan had done more harm than good.

Then again, most Hylian doctors would have shrugged and called her a loss the moment Peras pulled her from the waves. Valan's attempts were better than nothing.

You could have healed her in a few minutes, Valan had said to Mikas earlier. The younger Zora had scoffed. Perhaps he could have, at one point. But that was another life, another Mikas.

He was no healer, and that was that. He had turned his back on such ideals years ago. He was just… returning a favor from one warrior to another by trying to give her the best chance at recovery. That was it. It was all he could offer.

Despite her injuries, the Hylian had not hesitated to take up arms alongside him and his soldiers, not hesitated to put herself at risk just to protect others. She behaved as though her injuries were secondary, a minor inconvenience rather than a death sentence.

Take her out of the battle, though, and this Isha seemed as clumsy and fragile as any other Hylian woman. He did not quite understand how the woman had jumped and used her bow with little struggle earlier, though he'd heard rumors that Hylians were known to enter a berserker-like state just before death. Perhaps it was instinctual?

"How do you make the carvings?" she mumbled dully, rolling her head to face him and startling him out of his thoughts. Goddess above, how is she still awake?

He gave her an exasperated look. The day had stolen his energy, and he still had a ways to go on her stitches, and even then he would not rest. He would keep watch until she either died or a miracle occurred. They still had to find a way back home, and find their missing Prince. So much to do, so few of them left to do it. The least she could do is let him conserve his meager energy.

Unfortunately for Mikas, Isha appeared to be going through another lucid phase. When he did not respond, she continued, struggling to form her words. "Pictures don't tell me how you all make them so beautiful. The shells in the walls..."

Was she talking about the glyphs that covered Zora's domain? He felt it strange she would ask him - it was considered a sacred act to have a glyph of your own added to the walls, they weren't just pictures or shells. They were symbols of legend and of Zora history, allowed only to be carved by master craftsmen chosen by their Royal Family.

The potion makes her vague, he reminded himself, forcing his irritation down. Just focus. He wiped his hand on a sterilizing towel, tapped his forehead, and wiped his hands again before continuing.

Her delicate fingers clenched and flexed at her side, digging into the blood-soaked sheet. This worried him - they only had three sets of sterile sheets with them, and two sets were soaked and dirty already. Without Lake Hylia or the river, things were looking incredibly dire.

His patient smacked her hand down on the bed, demanding his attention. Again, she stretched her fingers outwards, pointed at him. Her green eyes were hazed with confusion and fear. Her visions were clearly not pleasant. Comfort is an important medicine, do not forget to administer it to every patient. His father's teachings. He wiped one of his hands off once more and placed it over hers.

Mikas had been against the Blue Coral potion from the start, knowing the havoc it could wreak on an unprepared or weak mind. Her earlier thrashing and screaming had left them little choice, though. They did not have anything else that would be strong enough to quell her fits, they were lucky to have even the coral.

The patient's hands felt cold, even to him. He let out a deep and continued cleaning the wound with one hand. Would she fight all this way just to slowly die here, unaware of the world around her? What of her friends, her family? Who would he need to track down to notify of her passing? Did she have children waiting for her return? Mikas supposed that, if she did, they would likely still be very young. She was still very young, compared to himself.

"What's going on?" Another moment of clarity washed over her, misty eyes darting around the tent. She gripped his hand tightly, as if clinging onto driftwood among stormy seas. Her eyes flashed to him, misty with tears at the visions she was fighting through. Such a strong contrast to the warrior who stood behind him earlier. A pity.

He again wondered where that horrendous bird had taken her from. The woman was far too malnourished and clearly un-trained to be a member of any organized army, and she still wore her hair long. Most Hylian soldiers he'd met would either crop their hair or shave it entirely for the sake of their helms.

Perhaps she was a hunter for her people? Her sharp aim kept them safe while they traveled, to the point that Zepin had made a comment about her putting all of them out of a job. Hylians were naturally excellent hunters.

Mikas wondered if he'd ever get the opportunity to ask her any of the swirling questions.

"Right, right, you don't speak…" she continued, her breathing heavy. He brushed his thumb across the top of her hand, giving her an apologetic look. "Is everyone okay?"

He nodded and inclined his head to the front of the tent, indicating they were hanging around. She seemed to relax at this and released his hand.

"Do you think I'll make it?" she asked after a few quiet moments passed between them.

Mikas considered his facial expression carefully. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want her to give up hope just yet. He'd seen many a soldier pull through injuries beyond what should have been possible via their sheer will to fight another day. Though it had been fleeting, he had seen that same fire in her eyes when she'd laid down on the table.

Unable to come up with a proper expression for a response, he simply turned his face back to her side. She won't if I do not focus.

Isha did not say anything further, her eyes focusing on some far-off point as the visions once again stole her attention from the reality around her. His tedious work continued without her struggling. He tied the stitches tied closely to one another to help prevent the wound from opening at the smallest of movements. It would take longer, but multiple strands should help prevent the thin wire from snapping so easily. Isha fell into a deep slumber, and Mikas stopped numerous times to lay his head against her chest, her breathing so delayed at times that it made his own heart stop. Still, the faint heartbeat continued. Good. Perhaps if she was sleeping deep enough, she would escape the visions that drove lesser beings mad. The threat of yet another failure loomed over him, but Mikas kept his hands steady.

As he cut the end of the final stitch, his father appeared in the doorway of the tent. "How is she?"

Mikas raised his hand and shook it side to side in a "so-so" motion, knowing his father had likely not strayed far from the tent, keeping a close eye on the young woman. They were all concerned. He brushed past the elder, moving to grab a clean rag to wipe away the mess.

Valan admired the clean, precise stitching that went from the bottom of her ribs all the way down to her hips. His son had always been excellent in his work, his hands steady and certain. "It appears you've done almost everything you can," the old male continued, giving a sidelong glance to Mikas. The younger Zora ignored this look, crouching on the floor beside his patient. With a rag now soaked in clean water - what little they still had - he started rubbing the dried blood away. It barely made a difference.

"She is concerningly pale. I fear that basic medicine and treatment won't be enough." At Valan's words, Mikas shot his father a threatening look, his eyes darting between the old healer and Isha.

Unlike the others, his father was quite fluent in all of Mikas' communicative faces and movements. "Calm down, boy. She is standing at death's door already." He leaned in close to his son and dropped the volume of his voice. "A shame you won't touch your magic anymore. Your mother would be ashamed to-"

A loud slap cut him off. Valan stumbled back, holding a hand to his face. Mikas had leapt to his feet in anger, dark eyes blazing with fury and making his message very, very clear: Stop.

After his shock subsided, the elder Zora rubbed his face and gave a dry laugh. The impact barely stung, he was more surprised that his son was this testy today. "Oh, throw your tantrums all you want, kiddo. I knew her for over four-hundred years, she would have slapped you ten times as hard for acting like such a fool. Do you really think this is what she would have wanted? Have you learned nothing?"

Mikas felt he'd learned too much in his short near-century of life. His father's gaze suddenly softened, something that irritated him further.

"You know I will respect whatever you do with your life, and it is your decision how you want to utilize the gifts you were blessed with. Whether on the fields of battle or by my side in the infirmary, I will always be proud of the Zora you are becoming. However…" he looked again to Isha, who had not yet stirred. Her longest bout of complete silence so far. "To refuse to treat a patient to the fullest extent of your abilities is as good as killing them yourself."

Despite himself and the silent vow he held to such high importance, Mikas snarled at his father, a guttural noise that shook his vocal chords, an unfamiliar feeling after decades of silence. Even Valan was surprised, his eyes widening as he took a cautious step back.

Quickly collecting himself, he looked up to his towering son. "Oh, save your attitude. I pray that someday you are able to move forward with yourself before you kill anyone else. It's those damn emotional outbursts that did you in from the beginning. You have no control, Mikas." He stormed off, not waiting to see Mikas's reaction.

His heartbeat thrummed loudly in his ears. Mikas rubbed his throat, frustrated with himself. His father was right, and he clearly had not been able to get a grip on his emotions even after a decade of silence and meditation. What good was his word if it was so easily strained? What good were all these years of silence and frustration and turning his back on everything he'd been taught, if he still had no better control over himself than before?

What good is a healer who–

"Bit cranky, isn't he?" came a weak voice from the cot behind him, rattling him from his inner turmoil.

Mikas returned to her side, kicking over the small chair he'd sat in before and dropping to his knees. He set both elbows on the edge of the bed, eyes scanning her face for any sign of blood returning to her system. She was still as white as a sheet, but she wasn't dead yet. He had not failed yet.

"You're cranky too," she continued, turning her face away from him. "A lot to be upset about these days."

He released a deep sigh, briefly wondering if he could convince her to take a vow of silence until the effects of the potion passed. Her babbling was getting to be too much for his nonexistent patience, even if he was relieved to hear her.

"My mom's dead too." The words were like lightning through his bones. He laid his head in his hands, as if to avoid the conversation entirely, but still she continued. "Dad, gone years ago. My students. My village. I lost them weeks ago. Link's parents are dead, too."

Did she say… her village? Memory of gossip spread about the domain about a village being wiped off the map overnight came to the front of his mind. The Zora had long considered Kakariko Village as a sacred place, for it housed the tombs of monarchs from time immemorial. When the dark beasts' leader appeared in their throne room all those weeks ago, demanding allegiance, he had mentioned defiling the graves of those precious monarchs. Gods, he'd nearly forgotten about that news in all the mess they'd been caught up in lately.

So, she was from Kakariko, then. Perhaps this was why he and his friends felt compelled to save her. The village was under both Hylian and Zora protection.

Something didn't seem right, though. In all his experience, Kakariko had been a largely pacifist community, relying on Zora, Goron, or Hylian soldiers from nearby towns. It had gone so long without event that, over the years, Peras had decreased the number of guards sent out to the village, feeling it was a wasted endeavor when monsters seemed to be oblivious to the village nestled deep within the canyons. The Zora had once seen it as a safe haven to escape to, should anything happen to them. It was supposed to be protected.

A soft tap on his head fin drew him out of his thoughts, and he realized his patient was shouting something. Mikas looked up to see her struggling to pull herself up, suddenly panicked by something unseen.

"The river, the river," she was gasping. "Go, the river, go!"

He snapped his fingers twice, signaling for assistance from the others. Mikas tried to push her back down, to signal for her to remain still, pointing to her wounds that were stretching and pulling with her struggling.

"No, no, don't!" she begged, fighting back. Her dull nails slid harmlessly off his hard scales, his natural armor. "He's going to thaw the river!"

"What are you talking about?" Peras' voice came from behind Mikas. The former healer looked back at his leader and offered a weary look.

"Hey, come on, you need to speak clearly," Peras continued to Isha, stepping up aside the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Lanayru," she gasped, her eyes struggling to fix on any of the faces that swirled in her vision. Deep within her mind, she fought to keep her awareness, to form the right words to convey the vision she had received so suddenly. "The Domain will thaw, the Lake will burn," she managed to repeat a portion of the message that echoed through her skull.

Despite her hallucinations, Isha was able to make out a concerned look exchanged between the eight– no, two Zora. Dammit, get it together, she cursed herself.

"You're going to have a lot of strange dreams–"

"It's not just a dream," she rasped, forcing herself to stop resisting their efforts to get her to lay still despite her instincts to keep fighting. She would not be taken seriously if she couldn't fight off the hallucinations. "Please, listen-"

"We're listening." Now Zepin was here, too. Yes, yes, all of you need to hear this.

Isha felt like she was floating through a roaring sea, waves high above her head and pushing her down, trying to force her to a sleep she feared would be permanent. Her ears still rang, no longer a sharp high pitch but instead a thunderous booming that grew louder with her racing heartbeat. I need to warn them, she reminded herself.

"Isha, what did you see?"

She reached for the bed beneath her, feeling the thin sheets and metal frame, reminding herself that she was on dry land and not being tossed about in a raging ocean. She was here, in Lake Hylia. They were in danger.

"The frozen domain is thawing," she repeated those persistent words. "The river will burn a path, and the Lake will boil and flood." She could still clearly see the massive, writhing snake of a Light Spirit that had torn through her visions, its power weakened within the Twilight realm but still overwhelming the young woman in the moment, unlike any of the Light Spirits she'd met thus far. Even in a near-death state, Lanayru commanded respect.

And Lanayru came to warn Isha. To protect the Zora.

"What do you think, Valan?" Peras' voice sounded years away. "She sounds pretty upset."

"It is not unheard of to hear spirits from other realms when under the effects of the hypnotic coral," the ancient healer mused. "Though strange that Lanayru chose to speak to her. If it's real though, this could be deadly."

"There's no sense in waiting around to find out if it's real or not," Peras replied. "If the river were to resume its flow as fast as it stopped, that alone could kill us. I'm not too eager to find out what a burning lake may feel like, either."

"We can't move her in this state," Valan said. "Even if she could walk on her own, she couldn't hope to scale the dropoff cliffs, and I fear that any more blood loss will kill her."

Silence followed, and Isha felt her consciousness begin to fade again. No, she thought desperately. I need to make sure they leave.

"Leave me," she breathed, tears burning in her eyes. "Your prince… your people… they need you."

Nobody said anything for several moments. Isha felt panic rising in her throat, every second potentially a vital second wasted.

That foul blue potion came for her again, washing her away from this dark overhang where the Zora stood, their soundless words escalating quickly into what appeared to be a very heated argument. She grasped for the bed at her side but could not find it, could not feel her anchor to reality. Her hands just felt cold and numb. The sounds of conversation were drowned out by the beating of her heart and the ringing in her ears.

I've done what I can, she told herself, her will to continue fighting slipping out of her fingers. They know I'm too injured. She prayed they would save themselves, that Link truly was thawing the ice that apparently claimed Zora's Domain and continuing down his heroic path. He would ensure that others would not suffer as they had.

Perhaps the soldiers would run into Link and give him closure on what had happened to her. Perhaps he would assume she took off on her own, scared off by the monsters that had attacked her.

The world would go on, just as it had when her father had died, and again when her entire village was slain.

At least I made a difference to some.

---

Death Mountain: the highest peak in Hyrule and, currently, the land's only known active volcano. This beast of a landmark was visible for miles and miles across the Hyrule plains, a silent sentinel in the sky standing proud above Kakariko canyon. This place had long been the Holy Lands of the Goron Tribe, the temperatures of the molten tunnels beneath the earth producing the most gourmet of rocks that the Gorons attributed their near-immortal lifespans and monumental strength to. Its extreme temperatures and gorgeous, rugged landscape concealing world-famous hot springs drew tourists from far and wide, taunting them to test their mettle on its deceptively dangerous mountain trails.

Lately, however, the mountain had become active, its once-comforting presence mutated into a terrible threat of what could come to pass, should the mountain decide to unleash a millennia of built-up pressure upon the kingdom.

Yet it was here, in this desolate, threatening landscape, that Link sought a solution for Zora's domain. When the mountain shook, it would sometimes release massive, half-solid rocks of lava that Link prayed would produce enough heat when exposed to Zora's Domain. Midna, with her ability to transport objects, could bring it back with them to the throne room and plunge it into the central pool, and try not to burn the frozen Zora, assuming they were still alive.

The Shadow Beasts had been quite convenient in dropping a portal at the throne room, but Link didn't have time to dwell on the implications of that. Certainly, it was a coincidence They were simply chasing him.

Though he had departed the Twilight Realm, the hero's cursed form followed him. It would not be until he restored Lanayru that he would be able to roam Hyrule in his proper human form once more. In Hylian cities, this might have been an issue, but not here. The Gorons paid him no mind as he zipped along their mountaintop city. They were used to seeing the occasional lone wolf prowling the canyon, and he made a point to stay clear of the more populated areas. Midna remained hidden in his shadow to avoid detection.

Finally, he heard it: the sound of rumbling from deep within the earth, building in intensity with every second. Link kept his eyes to the darkening night sky, having learned his lesson the last time he was here with falling rocks.

The ground shook so hard his vision blurred, and for a moment the hero wondered if the mountain was finally going to blow. The moments passed and no massive eruptions occurred. Lava began to trickle from vents in the side, solidifying as it crept down to the mountain, bits and pieces breaking off into the massive chunks of rock he'd been searching for and tumbling down the slopes.

His eyes fell on one falling not too far away, still glowing red from within. He took off after it, praying to any deity who would listen that this ridiculous plan would not be in vain.

The ground shook with the impact of every falling bit of lava rock, threatening to throw Link off balance. He held himself steady, though, knowing he had to keep moving if he wanted to avoid being struck by any loose debris that may still be flying through the air.

The large rock they approached was so hot, Link wasn't sure they would be able to withstand it long enough to get it to the domain. He thought again to that deep pool, frozen to the very bottom, and felt that nothing less would be enough to get Hyrule's waterways flowing once more.

Midna lunged from his shadow, quick to act. Bolts of red power surrounding the boiling rock. Grunting with the effort, she shook the thing loose from the ground and lifted it high into the air. She snapped her fingers and it shattered into thousands of small black particles, flying up and into the portal they had arrived through.

The pair followed after their cargo, the heat from the volcano debris boiling even in the space between portals.

By the time they came out the other side, the massive hunk of lava and molten rock had already fallen into the frozen pool below. A sharp hissing sound filled the room as the ice thawed, the first bits of precious water evaporating in the heat. Humidity surrounded them like a thick blanket, and Link wondered if it were possible to drown just by breathing in too much of it. Still, he remained within the throne room, not taking his eyes off the Zora still below, searching desperately for signs of life.

He wasn't sure he could handle being too late again. Midna lowered to the ground beside him, eyeing the rock carefully. Her job was not finished.

They waited with baited breath, and then, finally, the tell-tale sound of cracking filled the room. The imp immediately called upon her power yet again, lifting the rock from the pool as the ice beneath it shattered. The sound of bubbling water came from somewhere at the unseen bottom, turning the pool into slush. She held the rock high above, providing enough heat to thaw the Zora but keeping it from coming into contact with their bodies.

Splashing and sputtering soon followed as the first Zora found their way to the edge of the pool. They took quick notice of the rock that seemed to be floating mysteriously above their heads, they scrambled to pull one another further away, whispering questions like is this the afterlife? What do you think this means?

From the other side of the throne room, layers of ice began to crack under the building pressure of the meltwater. With a splintering sound, the frozen waterfall burst into pieces, water rushing out over the ledge and hammering down into the crater below.

With the throne room thawed, Midna took the lava rock and brought it over to the entrance of the throne room, looking down over the waterfall. With great effort, she sent the chunk of rock flying out into the center of the basin. It pierced through the thick ice covering the bottom pool of the domain with a sound not unlike that of an explosion that echoed off the stone surrounding them. Water and steam were sent high into the sky as the rock sank to the bottom of the lake. Confused, exhausted Zora gasped behind them.

The water from the throne room and the rock sinking beneath the central pool both were hot enough to carve a path down the frozen riverbed, once again filling Hyrule's main river with life-giving water. Ice continued to crackle down the mountains as the roaring flood shredded its way through the unnatural freeze. The old shoreline crumbled in this boiling wake, young trees uprooted and carried away downstream.

Link recalled the five spirits he'd encountered in the lakebed earlier, and said a quick prayer for their safety against the flash flood headed their way. Hopefully, the ice cracking was loud enough to reach them below, and give them some sort of warning of what was to come. Maybe it was just wishful thinking.

In the throne room around him, more Zora began to stir and pull each other from the thawed chamber, shaking the cold away and looking around in confusion. Relief flooded him in waves as each Zora staggered to their feet. Finally, he had properly saved lives.

"Well, that's been handled," Midna said with a smug voice, dusting her hands together. She took her spot on his back once more and dug her heels into his side. "Now that you've helped the local fish-people population, we can get back to what's important."

He rolled his eyes, but knew she wasn't wrong. With the lake refilling, he should be able to reach Lanayru and restore their power. He turned and made for the exit of the throne room, the Zora around him still trying to piece together their situation. The early risers tried in vain to explain the strange sight of the lava rock floating above their heads when they woke. Those still coming out of the pool just looked on in confusion.

God, was the entire village gathered here? Why?

"Wait!" a voice called behind them, though Link continued forward, thinking the phrase to be intended for someone else. "Please, you must allow me to thank you for revitalizing both my people and this spring."

Link stopped abruptly and turned to find quite the sight before him.

Another spirit, but this one was not nearly as visible as the ones who were still alive. A tall, slender Zora covered in red scales and decorative armor hovered above the ground behind him, her green eyes shining near-gold in the evening light. The fins atop her head were framed about her face, her scales shifting from red to yellow as they descended over her shoulders. The scent of death surrounded her like a thick cloud, tinged with sadness and regret for a life taken too soon.

Behind her, the Zora spirits did not react to the spirit's presence. It was not a living spirit.

"In life, I was the elder of this village and Queen to my people. My name was Rutela," the ghost offered her explanation. "As you likely know, young man, this is the water source for all in Hyrule. The dark ones, the beasts that you defeated earlier, they raided my village and executed me before my people as a message." Her heavenly voice was thick with emotion, but true to her royal blood, her face remained collected and calm as she delivered her message. "You, who take the form of a proud beast, I have a great favor for you to ask."

Midna stretched and yawned, interrupting the dead queen. "Not to be rude, but we aren't exactly here specifically for you guys," she said with a bored tone. "We've already got a lot going on…"

Link barked at her, silencing the imp as he recalled the young Zora child he'd seen in Castle Town. He knew, immediately, that he'd seen the Queen's son dying on that bed. Their scent was the same. He turned back to the apparition, understanding in his eyes. How can she be so cold? He wondered of his companion.

"I see it in your face. You know, then, that my son Ralis is not long for this world. I feel his presence fading, growing fainter over time. I want nothing more than to rush to his side, to bring him back to these healing waters. But my time in this world has passed, and though I would give it gladly, I no longer have a life to risk in his rescue.

"So it is this that I ask of you, chosen of the Gods. Please… would you save my dearest Prince Ralis? My prince needs his people, and they need him…" she began to fade from view, Link nodding in agreement. Of course, he would do this for her. How could he ignore such a request?

Midna's cold attitude irritated him. Though she acted as something of a guide on this journey he had been set upon, she hardly seemed to care for anything other than her own mysterious ends, which she had entirely avoided explaining beyond sending him on a fetch-quest for some strange relics. How she could stare a dead queen - a dead mother - in the face and try to deny her the hope that her son would live on, he couldn't begin to understand.

"I don't know how you expect to squeeze this little side-mission into your schedule, Wolfy," the imp snarled into his ear. "But you've put off finding those Fused Shadows for me long enough, and I'm getting tired of waiting. Maybe you have all the time in the world to kill, but I do not. Let's get a move on, you can't communicate, much less save that prince right now, anyways."

He stretched his legs and took off for the exit. The sooner he cleared this final curtain of Twilight, he would have his freedom again in the world of light, where Midna could only stick to his shadows and rarely bothered him.

In his rush, he failed to account for how slick the path next to the river would still be. He went to turn along the cliff edge, meaning to use the outcroppings along the domain wall to make his way down the same way he'd come up. His paws failed him and he lurched sideways, the weight of his passenger pulling him over the edge and sending him into the rushing current. It dragged him under, and he vaguely registered Midna clinging desperately to the fur around his neck. His muzzle broke the surface of the churning water and he saw the waterfall fast approaching. Knowing he stood no chance of escaping the undercurrent. He took another gulp of precious air just as he crested over the top of the waterfall, and for the second time that day, his heart seized in fear at the height from which he dropped.

---

When awareness found Isha again, she was greeted not with swirling, confusing images or roaring thunder in her ears, but instead with absolute nothing. Her ears were blissfully, finally silent. There were no smells, no depressing fading light, no screams of distant monsters or the stench of dried, rotting fish. She dared herself to breathe, fearing that this, too, would feel like nothing. Surely, she was dead.

Her lungs filled with air. Sweet, beautiful, clean air. She breathed deep, her eyes closed in pleasure at the sweet relief from the storm she had just weathered. Her mind was finally, blissfully quiet.

It was here that she remained for an immeasurable amount of time, enjoying the peace of this strange place. Perhaps this was her afterlife, or perhaps she was asleep in her bed in Kakariko, all of this having been a horrible nightmare. Perhaps she was nowhere.

Something felt off about her surroundings, though her senses would not awaken to tell her what it was. She tried to get a feeling for anything of the outside world, but nothing responded. Her mouth would not taste, her nose would not smell, eyes would not open, fingertips unable to find anything tangible that would tell her where she was.

But there it was, that strange feeling again. Not her hands, but near them. It beckoned for her attention, though it did not make itself easily known. She frowned and tried once more to open her eyes.

Finally, her body responded to her beckoning. As bright, orange light flooded her vision and stripped away that glorious void, she felt the rest of her senses return, as well.

That nagging feeling again shot through her body, and she tried desperately to trace its source. Her fingers brushed against her side, and she realized what that feeling was.

Pain.

Like a snake's strike, the pain struck her as if it had been waiting for her to return to consciousness just to assault her once more. Her entire side burned and ached, but she could not move to seek relief. Every twitch of her abdomen made her skin feel like it was being pulled apart. A silent cry left her lips.

Fabric suddenly covered her vision, something light falling upon her face. She scrambled to pull it away, finding Mikas looking down, his handsome features twisted into a scowl.

Lanayru's vision crashed to the front of her memory and she set into a panic when she realized that the roaring in her ears was not at all like that ringing she'd been suffering from before. No, this rumbling was shaking the ground around them. She knew then that Lanayru's words had been true, and that, if Mikas wasted his time trying to transport her, he would likely be injured or even killed by the following flood.

"What are you still doing here?" she screamed, finally finding her voice. "You need to go!"

The soldier dropped to her side, butting his forehead against hers and staring her down. He grabbed something from the bed beside her and shoved it into her chest. Shocked, she looked down at the single piece of paper he handed her.

If you stop to argue, we will both die. Put the clothes on.

She swallowed her racing heartbeat and lifted up the fabric she'd pulled from her face. Another one of the dressing gowns Valan had kept handy. This one had long flowing sleeves and a back that tied closed. Goddesses bless the well-prepared, she thought of the older healer, pulling the blanket around her chest loose.

As she pulled the sleeves over her arm, she once again looked Mikas up and down, his back turned to her, trying to understand his motives. Why care so much? She wondered.

She tried to reach over her shoulder for the strings to tie the dress shut, but that horrendous pain shot from her side again and she winced.

"I need help," she stammered, realizing her mouth still felt incredibly dry. She fought to clear her throat. "I can't reach-"

Mikas was already stepping behind her, threading the ribbon through loops on either side of the shirt and pulling it closed. His hands moved so fast as he tied the back shut, she might have made a joke at his expense had they not been in such dire straits. We will both die. At least he was straightforward.

The blue-tinged Zora was relieved to see a bit of color finally back in the woman's face. Her pained expressions told him that she had made it through the worst of the potions side effects, and unfortunately that meant the pain-relieving effects were subsiding, as well. He had done what he could upon his return without dipping too far into his dormant healing magic, but doubt poked and prodded at his mind when he saw her still recoiling in pain with every movement. Would he ever be able to do things right again?

A lost cause, his father's voice had followed him when he'd turned back so suddenly, shoving his backpack off on the old man before departing.

He knew it wasn't, though. This person, this Hylian who had communed directly with Lanayru, who hailed from a village sacred to their tribe and just happened to drop out of the sky into their lives, was no lost cause. There was more to this woman than bows and arrows and jade eyes that made him feel small in her stare. In his experience, kargaroks rarely left people alive after an attack, carnivorous monsters that they were. Yet she had come at least as far as Kakariko, left alive for the entire trip. A deliberate transport, but to where, and why?

There was also the whole business with Lanayru speaking to her through her hallucinations about the Domain. They could have been the ramblings of a wrecked mind, but he could not ignore the faint rumbling that seemed to grow louder with every passing second, coming in from the north mountains. A sound that any Zora would know well - the sound of Hyrule's wellspring thundering forth.

The river was flowing again, just as she'd said it would.

But Lanayru did not speak to Hylians, did not bother with anything outside of her blessed people, his people. Why did the warning not come to Valan, or even him, the son of a priestess?

He had many questions and no time to write them down, let alone wait for the answer. For now, he needed to get them both out of harm's way.

With the woman dressed, he held her steady as she eased from the bed, careful not to move too quickly to either side. Once standing, she tried to take a few steps forward. Her eyes watered with the effort.

He crouched in front of her and gestured for her to get on his back. Left with no energy to argue, Isha once again allowed the warrior to carry her upon his shoulders out of danger.

She noticed that it was just the two of them left at this camp. At least the others had the sense to flee, she thought to herself. At least it would not be four lives for hers.

"I don't understand," she rasped, desperately searching for anything to distract her dark thoughts. "Why didn't you run?"

He shook his head to the side, an action that irritated her greatly. "Don't give me that shit," she cursed him. "Dammit, why won't you speak, huh? Not even in an emergency? Did any of you listen to me at all? Answer me!"

Still, he remained silent. She started struggling against the grip he kept on her legs, trying to push herself from his back. He stumbled as she threw him off balance with a smack to the head, but tightened his grip regardless.

"Just let me go," she cried. "If you won't speak to me then why should I allow you to take me anywhere?"

She could feel his body rumble with an exasperated sigh. Still, the landscape flew by them, his arms squeezing her from either side, trying to stop her struggling. Another stabbing pain from her wounds finally brought Isha back to her good senses, and she choked back a sob. I don't know if I can endure this much longer. Her mind hardly felt like it was still her own.

Distant rumbling morphed into a roar as the river tumbled forward, growing ever closer to the lakebed. The terrain ahead of them grew impossibly steep, but Mikas did not falter, grabbing at the rough stone before him and hauling both of them up and over larger and larger hills. She tightened her arms around his shoulder, burying her face in his neck and mumbling an apology as her initial fit subsided.

"I'm just… I'm so overwhelmed," Isha whimpered, not even sure if the warrior heard her. She didn't care. "I'm sorry. Please, just get us out of here…"

Higher and higher he climbed, desperately searching for sturdy hand- and footholds within the cliff face. Mikas knew that if he could just reach the top of the dropoff, they would have a far better chance of escaping the worst of the flood that inevitably approached.

Even as his hands and feet began to bleed from the sharp edges of stone and his muscles ached at the effort it took to pull the two of them up, he kept going. He had not risked everything just to die at the end!

The warm breath of the Hylian on his neck kept him going, reminding him that he had not failed yet, had not let another patient die on him. With every sob she took another breath and her life continued on in spite of the odds, in spite of his hesitations. Even as she tried to struggle against him earlier, Mikas could not help but be impressed by how quickly she was pulling herself from the potions' effects and overcoming the exhaustive accelerated healing she'd undergone. It was this energy that told him that, if anyone would survive such a dangerous transport, it would be this explosive little Hylian.

The rumbling of the incoming flood continued to grow, filling his ears until he couldn't even hear his own hard breathing over the sound of rushing, churning water. A mass of frothing water and churning debris burst from the mouth of the river, high above them. The rushing water had dislodged countless monster encampments, trees, rocks, and chunks of earth on its way down, sending all of it flying across the expanse of the lakebed with terrifying force. Smaller bits of debris fell around them, scattering across the rocky lakebed. Though the top of the waterfall was hundreds of feet above them, a rush of warm steam confirmed the last of Lanayru's warning: this water was boiling.

The water level rose with alarming speed, a disgusting, thick brown soup of mud and debris and massive chunks of ice that somehow had not yet melted and hissed from the heat of the water. Mikas's muscles ached with exhaustion and his sides and shoulders were sore from how tightly his passenger clung to him. He dared to look up. They weren't even halfway up the cliff, and yet the water drew closer to them as they climbed.

Gritting his teeth, he took a sharp breath and pulled back his hand, striking it hard into the edge of the cliff. His sharp nails pierced through the fragile stone, creating a stronger, more reliable place for his hands and feet. He repeated this again with his other hand.

Though every hit stung, the Zora continued to create his own path up the cliff rather than seeking natural footholds.

"Gods, you're insane," Isha's voice reached him over the roar of the water. Had he not been so focused, he might have laughed at her shock amidst all the insanity going on around them. She had endured hours of hallucinations, yet this surprised her?

The summit grew closer at an agonizing pace, but they were making progress. He dared another glance down, the churning brown waves only a few feet from his fins. Shit. His hands ached, blood running down his arms, but still he climbed. The edge of the cliff was so close. If he had just a few more seconds, he could reach it, he just knew.

Something slammed into Mikas from behind, the air sucked from his lungs as he was forced into the face of the cliff, Isha's head colliding with the back of his own. Hot water exploded around them and he fought to keep his grip on the slippery rocks. The crashing waves pulled back, leaving them both gasping for air.

His passenger sputtered, trying desperately to grab on to the cliff herself. He feared her struggle was going to fell them both. Isha grunted with the effort of pulling herself up, her exhausted muscles visibly shaking. Mikas wanted to grab her and force her back on his shoulders, but her fierce expression stopped him. He knew to fight would be a pointless waste of time, and she slid to his side, her hands and feet finding their own indentations in the rock face.

Tears poured from Isha's eyes but she fought through the pain of torn, sore muscles, swearing under her breath the entire time. Mikas gave her a final glance to show his disdain for her choice, then continued to pierce his hands into the cliffs..

He knew they had very few precious seconds to clear the rest of the cliff before another wave struck them. With her no longer clinging to his shoulders, he feared she would not survive another hit. Upward they continued their desperate climb, Isha using the footholds he left behind.

He struck his hand through the rock, splintering his diamond-hard nails but forcing the wall to bend to his strength… Until it didn't.

For just a brief moment, he'd lost momentum in his swing when his other hand - his only anchor to the wall - slipped on the drenched rock. His heart jumped into his throat. His free hand struck the rock, but his fingers crumpled under the force. He had just enough time to register the ache before he was falling backwards, his feet losing their purchase on his narrow footholds.

"Get back here!" Isha cried. Ignoring the searing pain that shot through her stomach, she twisted around and lunged for Mikas' outstretched arm. Her palm connected with his wrist, and his shoulder popped. His fall was stopped.

He looked up at the foolish Hylian who thought she could possibly lift anything close to his size, but his eyes did not stop at her face, awash in relief. Just behind her, clinging to her other wrist and hanging over the edge by a thick rope about his hips, Mikas saw a familiar flash of sharp, white teeth stretched wide in a silly grin.

He could not recall a time he had felt quite so glad to see Peras and his ridiculous smile.

"So, where are we on the score of who's saved whose lives?" Peras called down, tugging on the rope wrapped around his waist to signal Zepin to pull him back up. Mikas found his footing once again in the slick wall with his feet, but Isha refused to let go of his wrist, giving him a pointed glance at the swollen, broken fingers on his other hand. Right. He found he could only move his thumb on that hand.

"It's going to be back to zero if you don't get us up there before my arm rips off," Isha snapped back to the squad leader, her voice tight with the strain her shoulders were enduring.

The water still raging beneath them, and another wave fast approaching their backs, Peras and Zepin made quick work of pulling the two back up from the cliff's edge. With little time to spare, they finally heaved themselves over the edge, beautiful dry land ahead of them. Mikas felt he could kiss the stones he now lay on. Isha released the tight hold she'd had on his wrist, disbelief still covering her face. Whether she was shocked by her ability to hang on or the fact that she was still alive at all, he didn't know and didn't care at the moment.

Mikas allowed himself a few moments to catch his breath and then jumped to his feet, knowing they had little time to rest. They were quite a ways from the original shoreline, and the water was still climbing.

Peras took over carrying the Hylian, who still seemed to struggle between thankfulness and anger that they had not completely listened to her warning. He took her snark in stride, though, laughing as she called him every name under the sun. The group sprinted towards the shoreline where Valan awaited them. In the rush of rescue, they all felt light.

Once the water crested over the dropoff and started to fill in the shallower parts of the lake, its progress slowed immensely, and the Zora were able to reach Valan well ahead of the rising water. Peras finally released Isha here, who was still breathing heavily. She looked ready to restart her reprimands, but the lead Zora held up a finger to stop her.

"We listened to you," he said, pointing between himself, Valan, and Zepin. "So save your rants. You've been interesting company, and the idea of leaving you behind was difficult to stomach. But we all knew, just as you did, that you were standing at death's door. We ran. Mikas was the one who decided to turn back."

"I'm still not convinced you aren't just a ghost," Zepin added, prodding her shoulder. "You look horrible."

Despite herself, Isha laughed. "Sorry, next time I'll try to keep my appearance more in order when I'm escaping boiling floods and saving foolish soldiers," she snorted.

Isha caught a look exchanged between Valan and Mikas, something she couldn't decipher. The look was then shared with the other Zora. Mikas turned and stormed away.

"You're welcome," she couldn't help but hiss when he did not acknowledge her.

Peras snapped his fingers together. "Don't mind him. As joyous as this reunion has been, we want to get moving. We should be able to reach Lanayru's spring from here. We must go thank the Light Spirit for saving our lives, and she will shelter us in her cave."

"Wait, I want to try to walk," she stopped him from lifting her back onto his back. "I have already been too much of a burden-"

"You aren't a problem just for needing help, you know," Peras cut her off, extending his arm out for her to take. "At least allow me to help you keep your balance. It shouldn't be too far."

She graciously accepted the help, and the party continued on, with Zepin and Peras on either side of her, Valan and Mikas behind them. Isha took deep, steady breaths as she pushed herself forward. Her entire body still ached, her shoulders screaming from their abuse, and her mind was anything but clear. Faint memories of her earlier visions flitted at the edges of her mind, threatening to pull her back into their confusing embrace and send her back into that awful, mind-muddling place. She shuddered, vowing silently that she would never again touch any strange potions.

At least her ears had finally quieted. She dared to focus her hearing sense, wary that if she listened too hard, she would trigger the horrendous ringing again. Thankfully, all that met her was the sound of roaring water behind them, and the crunch of dried grass and shifting of rocks beneath their feet.

"Last I checked, my blue potion was ineffective against mortal wounds," Valan's whisper reached her ears. Of course, she most certainly shouldn't be eavesdropping between father and son, but…

"You do still possess your gifts."

There was a long pause, and Isha almost wondered if they somehow knew she was listening before it hit her. Right, vow of silence or whatever.

"Healing is not a linear process, something I often forget myself," Valan continued on with a sigh. "I will try to understand you more, though it would be much easier if you would speak with us again. Perhaps someday you will stop hiding from all of this. You're too old to be afraid of your own abilities, and I miss my son's voice."

Isha recalled her earlier outbursts and felt the tips of her ears grow warm with embarrassment. Regardless of the situation, she had no right to criticize a stranger's personal choices. Especially when that stranger had risked everything to come back for her.

Lost in her own thoughts, Isha hardly realized they were already approaching a long set of shallow stone stairs. These led up into a huge cave opening framed in snake-like carvings, resembling the faded apparition that had appeared in her earlier hallucinations. She sucked in a breath, for the first time truly nervous to meet a Light Spirit.

Unlike with Eldin or Ordona, Lanayru had carried with her a fierce and powerful aura, one that pushed aside heavy thoughts of deserts and statues in motion and eels and black, towering fortresses and all manner of other scenes that were already fading from memory. Lanayru did not mince words, did not hesitate to task her with a message for them all: Flee now, or be lost in the lake with the monsters that infested her landscape. It was a command she could not imagine ignoring.

The young woman nearly fell to her knees once they reached the top of the stairs. Isha wrestled her hand free of Peras' arm, mumbling about needing to rest and clutching her injured side. Her gown was soaked, and she prayed it was only from the lake water.

Daring to look down, she was relieved to see that her gown remained free of any red stains, though she was covered in mud and grit from the lake. She frowned, wondering if she was forever destined to live a life of dirt and filth and grime. It was almost enough to make Isha miss Kakariko and its hot nearby hot springs.

They all decided to stop here, in front of Lanayru's intimidating cavern. Zepin flopped onto his back in the dirty water, complaining about the supplies they'd had to leave behind in their rush, including their dinner. Peras found a loose stone and tossed it at his friend, mumbling about leaving him behind next time.

During their hike, the roaring Zora River had finally lost a lot of its pressure, resuming something more resembling its usual steady flow. The lake had stopped rising, but it had already long passed the original shoreline. Though it had first been near-scalding, it seemed the temperature was finally dropping back to a normal level as well.

Isha finally allowed herself to think of Link again, busy saving entire villages and the kingdom of Hyrule as a whole while she fought tooth and nail to cling to her life. She wondered how he possibly found the energy to keep going.

To be fair, he probably doesn't have a chunk taken out of his side at the moment. She shuddered at the fuzzy memories coated in blood, her muscles and ribs exposed.

Isha didn't know how she had survived, and found she currently did not care. Magic or potions or Light Spirit interference or sheer refusal to die, it did not matter. At least she was here, still alive. If she could just recover fast enough, perhaps she would still be able to reunite with Link and find the one who commanded all those shadow beasts, and not lose her life on the way there. Once they found that person and got rid of them, all of this would stop.

Then, she could finally seek out the adventure she'd always dreamed of.

The young woman closed her eyes, resting her head against the decorative stone under her. For now, the sun still remained fixed in the western sky, still trapping them within this strange realm called Twilight. She would make no progress here, not in this state. She deserved some rest.

"How is your side, kid?"

Valan's voice stirred her, and she opened one eye. The Zora was crouched over her, face dark against the fiery sky. "Sunshine and roses, wouldn't hardly know I've had half my body weight removed in blood and flesh," she groaned.

"A good sense of humor is a great sign," he responded with a smile. "It is truly a miracle you are still with us. I'm afraid Hylian bodies are a bit beyond my expertise, so I'd like to ask you to visit a doctor once you are fit enough to travel so far. Just to make sure we don't lose you after all of that drama."

His gaze traveled beyond her. Isha rose into a sitting position, turning her head to see Mikas behind her, shaking his head.

"It seems he disagrees with me," Valan said with a chuckle. "Nothing new there. He never has been a fan of Hylian doctors, so he feels it would be a wasted trip. You'll have to forgive his prejudice."

An annoyed click of the tongue was the only response Mikas gave.

"I am curious, though, if you have a chance to examine your wounds, could you tell me if your stitches remained in place? It wouldn't hurt to make sure everything held together." Giving her no opportunity to respond, Valan patted her shoulder and got to his feet, disappearing into the Light Spirit's cavern. His son's hard stare followed him.

Zora male are certainly strange, Isha thought to herself, running her fingers through her messy hair and curling her knees to her chest. What was all that about?

If she wasn't bleeding, then clearly her wounds had closed. Isha did not care to look at her stitched side anyways, for she still could not rid herself of the gruesome sight of that open wound. It did not hurt as it did before, anyways. That was good, right?

Isha felt a tap on her soldier, and tilted her head back to find Mikas. He put one hand over his chest and gave a small bow, and his lips formed silent words: thank you.

"I'm still trying to decide if I should kill you or thank you, myself," she replied, giving his leg a gentle smack, more a playful gesture than an angry one. "You wouldn't have needed me to save you if you had just listened to me. You owe me no thanks."

Mikas shot an annoyed look to the sky when she turned away from him.

Isha heard him walk away and leaned forward, wrapping her arms about her knees. Her right shoulder was especially sore from holding up the weight of a fully grown Zora male. She had pulled off quite a stunt, but for the relieved look that he gave her when he stopped falling, she would do it again in a heartbeat.

Footsteps approached her, steps she was beginning to find annoyingly familiar. Mikas joined her once more. He sat beside her, holding that damn notebook in his hands again.

"Gods, this again," Isha groaned. Mikas pretended to look offended. "I don't understand your silence. What good does it do anyone?"

She waited impatiently while he wrote something down, then turned the page to her. Maybe someday I'll talk about it.

She gave him a strange look, shaking her head slightly. "Oh, gee, I'll try not to hold my breath."

Another pause while he wrote, another chip off her patience. I wonder which will last longer - your attitude or my silence?

"Drop the shit-eating grin," she snapped, despite smiling herself. "We both know the answer."

He snorted, and they sat together for a while, neither moving or writing anything. Finally, Isha asked, "...so, did you want something from me?"

He turned to a new page. Why do you refuse my thanks for saving my life?

"I wouldn't have had to save your life if you'd just listened to me and left with your friends." She gestured to Peras and Zepin for emphasis, who were currently lifting driftwood from the water near the shoreline. "I shouldn't have needed to save you. What you did was… I don't even understand it."

He'd already begun writing, but it still took a moment before he turned the book back to her.

How does one spend hours trying to save someone's life and then leave them to drown in a flood? I couldn't have lived with myself for letting someone die when I could do something about it.

She stared at him for a moment, a rare moment of considering her words before continuing. "I still think you're an idiot," she mumbled. "I don't feel right accepting your thanks. If I had not at least tried, then I truly would not have been worth saving."

Your expression when you caught me has stuck with me. Did you know Peras and Zepin were there?

His question seemed strange to her. "No?"

Perhaps it was the scratching of pen on paper that annoyed her so much. Especially since it seemed to take him a painful amount of time to write whatever it was he wanted to say.

You jumped after me, knowing we would both die, then?

Isha's eyes flitted away from him, from that damn notebook, and she bit her tongue. "Like I said, if I didn't do something, I… I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if someone died trying to save me," she finally confessed, pulling her knees closer to her. "My mother died alone. Nobody deserves that."

He sighed, and she heard him writing again. This is actually insufferable. I'm going to throw that damn thing in the lake, she thought.

She felt his cold hand on her arm, and turned slowly back to face him. He looked at her, the notebook closed in his lap.

"Sorry," she said, noting his worried expression. "I just… I don't know." Isha let out a deep breath. "I grew up in a village that made me feel alone, especially after my father passed. He also died alone, in battle. I have spent a lot of time feeling alone, and it is one of the worst feelings I have suffered. To have that be your last feeling as you meet your end… I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Mikas offered a gentle, understanding smile and lifted a hand to her head, smoothing her hair in comfort. Then, he reached for the notebook and opened it back to its last page.

I'd rather you not forget about me. I want to someday have a real conversation with you.

She scoffed. "Oh boy, and how many centuries away will that be?" She tried to smile despite the bite in her tone. "Hylians hardly live more than a hundred years, you know. I'll be deaf before I hear you speak, I'm sure of it."

He gave her a playful shove and turned, tossing the notebook over to where their one remaining backpack of supplies sat along with their weapons. Mikas then reached out and took one of her hands in his, lifting it to his lips before standing. She gave him a confused look.

"I laid half-naked on a table while you worked to keep my guts inside of me. It's a bit late to be so formal, don't you think?"

Though she relished in embarrassing the massive Zora, she could not ignore the warmth of her own face and ears, knowing that her blush was likely so much worse than his. Mikas quickly turned and walked off towards the cave spring, and her hand fell back to her side.

Isha took a deep breath, relishing in her ability to do so despite everything she'd been through, and laid back once more. Zora male were strange, indeed.

Still, the woman realized she felt safe for the first time in weeks. She relaxed and stretched out along the ground, feeling the cold stone under the fingers. She survived the desperate rescue of the Ordon kids. She survived the destruction of her home village, and the heart-shattering pain from the loss of nearly everyone she knew and loved still did not break her. That horrendous kargarok did not kill her, nor did the churning waters of Lake Hylia The echoes of her hallucinations under the blue potion reminded her that she had survived that horrendous ordeal, too.

She'd even held the entire weight of a full-grown Zora male without losing her arm.

Hey Link, she thought into the sky with a small smile. Maybe I'm not so weak after all.

---

Thank you for reading.