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Chapter Text

Over the expanse of featureless, sandy waves, there is a single flash of red making its way over the dunes, heading south towards the canyon where the Heroine’s sit. Despite it being midday, there’s an icy chill in the air as the figure is watched from all sides. The heat rising from the sand makes it hard to see far ahead, and makes the air seem strange, foreign shapes spilling into the surroundings.

Urbosa weaves through bleached bones, avoiding camps of desert monsters, shielding herself and her charge from the biting wind and sand. In the distance, she can see the opening in the canyon where the Shrine of the Seven Heroines are. If she looks even closer, she can see the smoke rising from the incense fires that the Twinrova light every morning to do their rituals and communion with spirits.

Crossing past the arena of the Seven Heroines, to the entrance of the cave in the back of the canyon and its water barrier feels like a balm, as it chases away the chill of eyes from the sand watching her as she had made the days long journey from Gerudo Town. She glances back towards the open sand, and in the shimmer of heat sees shadowy figures coalescing, stalking the canyons and shadows. Waiting.

“Well don’t just stand at the precipice, Chieftess. Come and tell us what it is we can provide for the leader of the Desert People.” A voice made raspy with age calls out from the dark recesses of the cave, and Urbosa turns back towards her goal. Her heels click on the stone, a metronome helping her to gather her thoughts as she unswaddles her baby son from his wrappings.

“I come to ask for the Protection of the Seven Heroines, guardians to our people. Our legends speak of the Calamity being made whole in the sons of our people, and I refuse to let my son become the fuel for the curse to manifest.”

The twin sorceresses gaze upon her precious son for a moment before the elder dressed in blue, Koume, takes him from her and pokes his plump cheeks, her sister Kotake gently holding his tiny fingers. The pair coo over Ganondorf and walk to the center of the dark room, Urbosa following anxiously behind. They place her baby on a stone altar carved with ancient Gerudo text, the dialect lost to time, except to the two sorceresses before her.

Speaking in Deep Sand Gerudo, the oldest form of their language, the twins wave sticks smoking with incense over Ganondorf, and presumably, See his soul through the vapors. Urbosa never learned why or how the Twinrova do what they do, just that their job was important, and they were the most powerful individuals in the Tribes, above even the Chief.

“It’s good you came when he was so young,” Kotake said, her ruby jewelry glinting in the bright sunlight, “The claws of the curse have not yet dug deep into his soul.” Urbosa breathed, not realizing she had been holding it. Koume grabbed her hand, the age seen in the skin contrasting with the strength of her grip, and led her a little further from the altar as Kotake grabbed various pieces of amber and desert plants from a table to the side, as well as a dish of incense oil.

“If you want the protection of the Seven, first we must purge whatever curse has a hold on him. Given the nature of the curse, and how it’s targeted every boy of your line, it will be a very old, dark thing. It may be frightening to watch, but whatever you do, you mustn’t interrupt. It would be disastrous for your son.”

Urbosa nodded. “Will it hurt him?”

Kotake laughed, answering for her sister. “It will not be pleasant for the babe, but it will be good for him in the long run. Curses tend to grow more severe with age, and their reach grows deep. If you had come when he was older, the strain of removing it could kill him. As young as he is, this should just be a mild sting.”

The Twinrova reconvened at the altar, and as the Chieftess watched, placed amber on Ganondorf’s forehead, heart, and stomach, and laid a circle of the stones around him on the plinth as they began speaking the dialect of the Deep Sands again. The murmur of their voices grew louder as the air in the cave began to swirl, becoming louder and faster the more Koume and Kotake spoke. A tension began to rise in the air, like something impossibly heavy was sitting in the space of the cave, making it hard to breathe. The amber in the circle around her son darkens, while the amber on his skin glows.

Just as Urbosa felt she couldn’t breathe anymore, the tension snapped, and the shadows in the room darken briefly before fleeing to the entrance to the cave. There, a shadow forms, lit from within with two coal-fire eyes, blazing into the room as the Twinrova finish their incantation. The shadow begins to step over the threshold, and Urbosa draws her scimitars before the spirit is stopped by the barrier the running water around the perimeter of the room provides. The air smells like rot, fighting with the scent of the incense. In the altar, Ganondorf sniffled and began to cry.

Baleful eyes meet the Chieftess’.

“The chain will remain unbroken, Urbosa of the Gerudo Tribe. The babe belongs to the Blood Moon.” It’s voice rasped, with the sensation of scales across her ears.

“Not anymore, demon. Begone, you have no place here.” Koume said, waving smoke from the burning desert plants her sister had grabbed. The shadow took a step back when the smoke hit it, but it remained unmoved.

“You cannot banish me when his soul remains unbound. He will be the final cog in the machine of this land’s rebirth. There will still come a time where he has to answer answer my call” Kotake sucked her teeth while the demon smiles meacingly, a slash of white appearing upon his shadowy form. Urbosa remained frozen, her eyes fixed to the shadows while her blades were clutched in her hands.

“Guess we’ll just have an audience then, for this part.” Immediately, both halves of the sorceress duo removed the amber, and wet their hands with incense oil to begin smearing it on Ganondorf’s body, drawing script invoking the Heroines, and sigils of protection and sealing. As they drew, they began murmuring again, and the shadow shuddered, it’s presence filled with rage.

“No! I will not allow it! That boy belongs to the darkness! He will be undone!” The water at the room hissed and steamed as the shadow clawed at the barrier, howling as a copper glow suffused the room from the braziers of oil. Urbosa gazed transfixed as the Twinrova directed the glowing vapors into the sigils of incense drawn on her son. The markings disappeared as the glow poured directly into his skin, absorbing into it. Her son’s crying began to subside as the shadow continued to rage. As one, the twin sorceresses turned to it.

“By the power of the Seven Heroines, God-protectors of the Desert People, Protectors of Ganondorf, son of Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo Tribes, begone, shadow. Back to the Infernal Realm from which you came!” A wave of magic flew out from them, sparking copper red as it met the shadow outside the cave. Shrieking, it was torn apart, the last of the pressure in the room leaving, and the steam from the waters dissipating.

Kotake brought Ganondorf back to her, already swaddled in a new cloth, knit with red and blue yarn, as well as a bottle of incense oil. The twins placed kisses on his forehead first, then Urbosa’s.

“Don’t delay now. Return swiftly to Gerudo Town, and you should hit a safe place to camp and rest by sundown. For the next few days, make sure to light some incense near him while he sleeps, so his soul can adjust to the new weight. He should feel much better in the morning, but the incense should help soothe any residual pain.”

Urbosa’s eyes pricked with tears as she gazed down at her greatest achievement, and nodded to the Twinrova as they returned to their communions. Then she left their cave, exited the Arena of the Seven Heroines, and began the long journey back to Gerudo Town, a new optimism in her step as she celebrates her son’s freedom from shadows and curses.

Chapter Text

The Princess of Hyrule was not what you would call a reverent person.

Years of praying to the Goddess with no answer except enigmatic dreams will do that to a person, she thinks. What reverence she had for great marble statues or cathedrals of stone have been burned out of her by resentment for her position as princess, and by disappointment that she could not connect to her divine birthright. Shame dogs her steps in every holy place she attends, and she feels as though the eyes carved in reliefs and statues follow her everywhere she walks, with judgement in their gaze.

As her father likes to remind her, her duty to her people is to access her sacred power. Not to chase frogs in the gardens, not to read books about architecture and engineering, not even to do research on the various geoglyphs littered across all of Hyrule (they feel familiar, like they belong in a dream that she’s had, fuzzy at the edges and warm with sleep). No, it’s to pray, and contemplate, and meditate, and pray some more. After her mother died when she was eight, it felt like she couldn’t go three days without trips to the chapel in the castle to pray before the marble bust of the Goddess.

Never mind that none of those trips have proved fruitful. No, sunrise to sundown, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule believes his daughter should spend every waking hour groveling and begging before unfeeling stone carved in the visage of motherly affection. It’s no wonder the Princess would rather be out in the gardens, the grass, literally anywhere else. Every time she climbed out of the waters of the chapels, a little part of her shriveled more and more, becoming scarred and calloused with apathy and burning resentment.

In direct opposition to her duty defined by stone and candlelit darkness, however, Zelda finds the outdoors increasingly beautiful, an escape and haven for her. Out there, she can just be Zelda, who likes to catch frogs and write down their colors. Out there, she can lay on her back and watch clouds roll by. Out there, she can do things that feel more concrete than throwing words into the air.

Which was why now, Zelda found herself wistfully staring out her balcony at the night sky, stars twinkling as the full moon returned her gaze. A sigh escapes her as she catalogs the constellations that she sees, the Harp and the Windfish and the Helmaroc King. The stories associated with each flit through her mind as she leisurely made her way across the entire sky. Gohdan, Koloktos, the Mask, and the Fierce Deity.

The maps of the night sky that diagram all the constellations and their placements in the night sky, while detailed in their paint and exactness, never really capture the majesty of the inky black dotted with lights. She always felt small when looking up into the stars. Logically she knew that they were incomprehensibly far away, in the cold expanse of darkness past the sky itself, but the merry twinkling always made them feel small. Like they were an insect that she could cup in her hands and observe. While marble and stone couldn’t draw her gaze in awestruck wonder, the sky and wonder of the world outside the castle always could.

A flash of light signifying a shooting star interrupted her perusal of the night. A perfectly golden streak of light flying across the sky, fallen from who knows where. The legends talk of shooting stars being fragments of the Sacred Realm, pieces of the universe upheld by the Three Golden Goddesses, able to grant small wishes to those whose hearts are burdened. She’s not sure if the wish granting part is true, since the Triforce is seen as the ultimate wish granting power, but legends tend to be circular like that. Mortals always want to hope that they can affect the goings-on of the universe.

In a rare moment of sentimentality, Zelda felt herself caught by the simple beauty of a streak against the night sky. With the golden light painting her face, and feeling the closest to reverent that Zelda has been in the eight years since she watched her mother be lowered into her grave, she clasped her hands together and prayed a simple prayer.

“If there’s anyone listening out there in the world, I wish that I am enough for my people, and that I can be who I need to be for them, and content in that purpose.”

As she wished, she could almost feel a warm breeze brush under her hair, as if some hand had smoothed across her shoulders, bringing a scent of incense from the chapel steeple directly under the tower her study rested in. The shooting star seemed to wink for a moment, the twinkle growing for just a moment, before it winked out altogether. The Princess wasn’t sure what that meant.

Was she heard?

Was she being ignored?

Was she being judged for not praying in a more official capacity? She hadn’t wanted to get on her knees to pray before her open window, but maybe that had painted an unflattering light of her in the eyes of whoever was roaming the Sacred Realm.

A knock at her study door cut off her musings. The door creaked open to reveal Impa, the Sheikah warrior responsible for protecting Zelda, already giving a small bow as she stepped over the threshold.

“Your Grace, I believe it’s about time for you to retire for the evening.” Her steady voice rang out in the quiet study. Zelda nodded as she stood,preparing for the short walk one wing over, to where her room was. Impa gratefully didn’t comment on her sitting on her open window sill, outside of narrowing her eyes at her as the Sheikah woman closed and latched the window.

“I’m ready to go now, Impa. Thank you for escorting me.” Zelda said, stepping out of the door with Impa following closely behind. Impa gave her a small smile in response, nodding before going silent as a shadow as she tailed Zelda through the winding corridors.

As her view became dominated by marble, stone, and stained glass once more, Zelda felt the last tendrils of warmth and wonder leave her as the night sky left her view the farther in the castle they got. Instead, she turned her focus inward, getting ready to face her responsibilities the next day.

Shoulders back, head straight, eyes forward.

Chapter Text

Link hums quietly as he stands outside the Temple, waiting for the Sage to emerge. He was tasked by his Command Protector to escort the Sage of Shadows to the palace to hold court with the King and other Sages. Because the Temple of Shadows is a ways farther out than the rest of the Temples due to its duties at the funerary rites for the Tribes, a Protector is sent to escort the Sage to court (not that they necessarily need the protection). 

The walk over had been cool, the sun not quite risen over the horizon, but with the emergence of it inevitable throughout the return walk, Link was glad he packed extra water. The escort was never really interesting, since there weren’t many threats that would come all this way just to fight the carrion birds for scavenge.

“Good afternoon, Protector Link” The slightly raspy voice of the Sage of Shadows, an older man named Zamek, called out to the young man, followed by the tapping of a walking stick as Link turned to greet the tall man with a shallow bow. Zamek lightly tapped the back of his calves with the walking staff as he passed, already starting down the path.

“I don’t want to be too late to this court, so get a move on, youngling.” Link gasped in mock outrage as he jogged to close the distance between the two of them, adjusting his sword and bow strapped to his back as he went. The path was well tread, and the sky was clear, so Link wasn’t all that worried about an encounter. For once, he’d have a relaxing assignment.

As they walked, Zamek asked Link questions about how being a Captain Protector was going, since he’d only recently been promoted to the position. Link answered all of his questions as easily as he could. Yes sir, he had been the one to kill the Boss Bokoblin that was threatening one of the North Necluda islands, and no sir, no Gleeoks had appeared at that point (Thank all three of the Golden Goddesses for that), and yes sir, it’s such an honor to serve the Zonai Tribes in this way.

The old Sage reminisced on his younger days as a Protector for the Tribes before he decided to dedicate his life to the Temple of Shadows, which would have been fascinating if Link was all that interested in how the carrion birds eat the funeral bodies, or how the construction of their peoples’ Memory Chimes worked.

Still, he nodded and agreed at the right times, so he considers his duty done.

A quiet rustle to the side of the path drew Link’s attention while the older man kept talking about the optimal time of bleaching before bones could be made into chimes, but that quickly died off as the Sage realized Link was alert in a way he hadn’t been before. His sword arm flexed and he took a deep breath before stepping quietly off the path, stepping toward the bushes that the rustling came from. The young Protector crept to the shrubbery and poked the branches with his foot to see if anything was inside of it, but instead, only a small pigeon with red-tipped wings burst out, momentarily alarming Link before he breathed out a sigh of relief.

Sighing in relief, he turned around, only to immediately start running as he watched a full flock of almost twelve Aerocuda start pursuing the Sage of Shadows. Pumping his arms as he dashed to intercept, Link slid to a stop right in time to grab his sword in a downswing and immediately cleave through one of the monsters that was spiraling down. Rolling with the momentum of his swing, he looped it into a circular slice that clipped one's wings so it fell with a cry, and dug into the soft midsection of another, flinging it to the ground to lay unmoving.

When the group stopped diving and instead began to circle, Link pulled his bow out, knocking an arrow and shooting one down with an arrow between its eyes, followed by three more with arrows in their heart, stomach, and through one's mouth as it opened its jaws to give a screech. Link kept the Sage to his back and his eyes on what remained of the flock as they continued up the path quickly, trying to find an outcropping or a lone building to take shelter. Thankfully, a small alcove of rock sprang up, and he immediately shoehorned the Sage into the rock face at his back, keeping his eyes on the small space he would need to defend.

“Quite the adventure this time around, eh Link?” Zamek chuckled breathlessly, fingering the Secret Stone set at his throat. Link chuckled in agreement, and thought for a moment, coming up with a plan for how to get the Sage to where he needed to go.

“I think the best way for us to take care of them is for me to rush out and take care of them while you try and get farther down the path. I believe that if I make a more annoying target out of myself, they’ll want to take care of me.” Link explained his thoughts to the Sage. He got a scoff in response.

“I may be old, but I'm a perfectly capable, Protector. Nay, I think I shall stay near you for the time being. If you need any assistance, I will be happy to provide such a service to you.” Said Sage chuckled at Link’s sour face. “I understand that you have your duty, but if I can help, I want to, young man.” Link reluctantly nodded in response. The two hunkered down in preparation to burst out of where they were hiding, Link’s muscles tensed in anticipation.

With a burst of speed, the two of them flew out of the cover they had claimed, only to find that the flock had acquired even more Aerocuda, possibly another flock of eight merging with the five that had remained. Link swiftly recalculated, pulling his magic to himself before blasting a few out of the sky with a gale thrown from his outstretched arm. The rest of the flock screeched as five began to wheel down to meet him. The protector took his bow and began to knock multiple arrows, shooting monster after monster out of the sky as he could see the Sage of Shadows also throwing his magic out to meet a group of the raptor-like creatures that had circled around to him. Link quickly slung his bow onto his back again, reaching to grab his sword, but even that small pause was enough for the Aerocuda.

Link was interrupted from his reaching when a feeling like fire crept up his right arm. An opportunistic Aerocuda had quickly swooped down and taken a claw up his arm, opening a gash that had already begun bleeding sluggishly. Link managed to grab his sword anyway, and clipped the things’ wing as it wheeled away. However, the damage was already done. The smell of blood began to suffuse the air as more Aerocuda became frenzied, already flying into a suicide swoop to try and take him out, putting Link on the defense.

In the face of the swarm of monsters coming down to him, he felt a calm wash over him, a part of his soul rising up to meet him in the moment. He exhaled, and a cloud of pearlescent vapor exited as a familiar fluidity flooded his veins. He met every Aerocuda head on as they dived down to him. Every once in a while, one would get lucky and catch his arm again with another claw, but one by one, the flock began to fall. 

Eventually, Link slowed as the amount of Aerocuda dwindled, most either dead around him or flying away in search of easier prey. Link glanced at the Sage of Shadows, feeling bad for almost forgetting him, but breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the older man finish off a small group that had broken off from the main crowd. Putting his sword back on his back, he began to walk back towards the sage, picking his way over the obscene amount of Aerocuda corpses littering the road.

“The carrion birds will take of these, young Link. Thank you for being here to help me get to court. I shudder at the thought of having to face this without such a capable protector." Link sheepishly lifted his arm to scratch at his head, only to once again be interrupted by a final cry. He whipped around in front of the sage, throwing the arm he had just lifted in front of his face as the talons of a straggler Aerocuda latched around both parts. He grit his teeth and the thing flailed, tearing chunks of his arm out as he fumbled to pull his sword out with his non-dominant hand. The wet sound of his flesh being rent open weren’t quite loud enough to quiet his pained yells, even as he sluggish plunged his sword through the monster.

With all the monsters truly gone now (Link had done another check of the area), he catalogued himself, swaying on his feet. While at the time it hadn’t seemed quite as bad, especially since the adrenaline took away the pain, Link found now that he could not move his arm at all. In fact, in places, it seemed like his arm was completely functionless. The mangled appearance of the flesh didn’t help things, anyway.

Determined to make the journey anyway, Link tried to keep Zamek moving, even as the Sage fussed over his arm. The act of walking proved to be too much for the young protector, however, as he fell to his knees, and then slumped to his side. The last thing Link saw before falling into the sweet abyss of unconsciousness was the Sage of Shadows murmuring an incantation into his secret stone and the thundering footsteps of approaching people from far, far away. As blackness took hold, he could swear he felt a warm palm on his forehead, and caught a quick smell of a rich incense.

Chapter Text

"In the wilds of the Faron region, there are strange ruins with carvings depicting boars, owls, and dragons. These ruins are associated with various sets of armor and ceremonial garb that seemed to belong to a tribal society of warriors who were adept at various types of magic. The most puzzling thing about these ruins and clothing is that they are some of the oldest in all of Hyrule, and for all appearances, the people these belonged to are no longer in existence, as if they quietly fizzled out. There are no known descendants of this mysterious "Zonai Tribe", and none of the peoples of Hyrule can lay claim to their presumed territories (even if they technically belong to the Kingdom of Hyrule). Archaeologists to this day know next to nothing about this civilization, and it is one of the most debated areas in all of Hyrulean academia."

-Excerpt from "Historia: A Comprehensive Guide to Hyrule's Oldest Places"

***

Zelda stands near Purah and Impa as they survey the courtyard below them, crawling with Sheikah as they continue to unearth the stone and metal contraptions that lay in the ground. The sun is high in the sky, and voices are constantly calling out to one another, coordinating the excavation of ancient Sheikah technology.

“What exactly are these contraptions? I’ve never seen machinery built like this in any of the engineering journals I’ve read.” Zelda asks, writing observations in a journal clasped in front of her. Sleek, segmented metal legs tipped with three clawed toes, and a partially separated head allowing for full 360 degree rotation in any direction.

“Well, the script that we find printed on it calls them Guardian units. We’re not entirely sure when these were built, but we do plan on repurposing them, whether as their intended purpose or for something different. Your father wants us armed to the teeth when this “Calamity” hits us.” Purah answered, preoccupied in her own journal as well. Her younger sister Impa rolls her eyes and continues on for her.

“A lot of our older literature, dating back as far as 10,000 years, detail the construction of these things. They also talk about four even larger ones, though we’ve only just begun searching out the locations that our ancestors talked about. The large ones are presumably gargantuan war machines they called “Divine Beasts”. The papers all talk about how successful they were at abating Calamity Ganon, allegedly blasting him to pieces so that the Hero of the time, along with your however-many-great grandmother, could seal him away.” The young warrior shrugged, continuing her thought with a quick sweep of her hand over the surroundings. 

“I’m of the opinion that these ought to stay in the ground. The Sheikah had to seal these away at some point for a reason, especially considering the Kingdom’s past distrust of us as a people. I would rather we not invite that back to our doors.

Purah sucked her teeth as she finished jotting down her thoughts. Wagging her finger at her sister, she began to walk towards the stairs to take her down to the people excavating, to help coordinate.

“Fear will only hinder our progress in the long run though! Look at how advanced our technology was even 10,000 years ago! Between this, the Divine Beasts, and that Shrine in the Great Plateau, we could’ve had so many more advancements in the time since! We probably could’ve made flying cities by now had we just kept this out!” Impa squared up as her sister disagreed, seemingly preparing for a fight.

Meanwhile, Zelda sighed and shook her head as she turned back to the unearthing. As much as she wanted to get more involved, her father took the opportunity to bar her from continuing many of her projects to try and keep her from pursuing this new topic. Just that morning she had gone to wade in the shallow pool of the chapel under her study, hazy smoke clouding the air, praying for the Blessing of the Goddess to be realized within her. Thankfully, just because she was told to pray doesn’t mean she actually did. In fact, she really just dozed off on the water covered steps, resting her head on her clasped hands to feign devotion to her ritual.

Mentally shaking herself out of her melancholy, Zelda turned to the two sisters as they continued to bicker.

“Impa, what time did you say that Ganondorf was to arrive? I’d like to change into more casual clothes before he gets here.” Impa immediately stopped her thought, and ignored her sister’s continued argument as she turned to the Princess.

“He said he’d be here before your father entertains the upper houses, so..” She trailed off as she looked to the sky. “I’d say in about an hour or two from now. We can go get you ready, if you’d like.” Zelda nodded, glad the distraction worked.

“Yes please.” At Impa’s answering hum, the two of them said their goodbyes to Purah, Zelda giving a wave and Impa making a rude gesture as they made their way through the winding halls of the castle to Zelda’s room. There, she spent almost half an hour carefully undoing the multiple ceremonial twists and braids to her hair (as well as brushing out the tangles from keeping it that way for so long) and slipping out of the most formal prayer dress she owned, before donning her casual clothes. One of the simple dresses (thank the gods), a simple blue with gold stitching. 

She spent the rest of the hour looking through some of her research papers on the nature of the geoglyphs across the breadth of Hyrule. The imprint of the mark itself was strange, because it wasn’t done in any sort of recognizable paint compound by today's standards. While most would require upkeep, or some sort of replacing, these simply stayed, shimmering like they had been stamped there, in geometric designs common for the old Zonai Tribes depicting all sorts of things. There was a long eared figure to the west of Hyrule Castle, a shell or teardrop on the western coast of Lanayru, even what looked like a Molduga in Necluda, of all places.

The worst part of all is that they all felt so familiar to her. She felt as though she knew exactly what these images were, or where they came from. Whenever she tried to chase the feeling though, it dissipated, like some forgotten dream she had when she was a child. It was frustrating, and paired with a desperate need to somehow be useful in the absence of her divine gift, it was driving her crazy. She felt as though she was being blocked off from unlocking everything that they needed.

As much as she wanted to continue her reading, though, she knew that there was tea to have, and people to socialize with, not to mention the arrival of one of her oldest friends. Ganondorf made the socializing tolerable, since he was much more adept at having conversations that didn’t veer into academia, which usually left people blinking blankly at her as she rambled about her most recent field research or project she was pursuing.

The Great Hall was completely populated by the time she got there, the nobles who populated the upper district of Castle Town already in groups talking and gossiping amongst themselves. Waiters and servants came and offered drinks and finger food, discreetly cleaning as they went. Zelda could see her father through the swirl of colors, speaking with the Captain of the Royal Guard and a couple of the patriarchs he frequently entertained in his office or study or wherever. Thankfully her late appearance (even if only by a couple minutes) would not be noticed today.

A quick glance told her that Ganondorf had not arrived yet (he’d tower over everyone present), so the Princess resigned herself to having to make nice and attempt conversation for the next while before her friend could come save her. Making her way around the room, she made polite greetings and awkward small talk with anyone who would approach her, until a hand caught her elbow.

The Princess turned around, a greeting on her lips, before she started to smile, as Ganondorf was the one to grab her. He was dressed in traditional Gerudo garb, patterned silk draped over one shoulder, with other baubles secured to the rest of his outfit. The Prince in question smiled at her as she threw herself into his side for a hug, and offered his arm to start accompanying her around the hall.

“Why good afternoon, Your Grace.” Came his teasing voice. Zelda immediately rolled her eyes so hard she was sure they would lock in place, pinching his arm under his sleeve as he snickered at her.

“Shove off, you oaf! I can’t believe you left me alone for even fifteen minutes of this nightmare.” Ganondorf adjusted some of the braids running through his thick mane of red hair while Zelda complained at him. Eventually, her complaining petered off and she talked about what she had done that day, from falling asleep in the warm waters of the castle chapel, to watching the Sheikah unearth their ancient creations. As she rambled, Ganondorf listened as best as he could while also briefly greeting those that came to say hello, and once she was done, they had circled the hall twice before stopping at a table with most of the finger food on it. Ganondorf grabbed a couple small sandwiches to pop in his mouth as he listened.

“.. and I swear the paint used on the geoglyphs isn’t even paint, and it’s some sort of magic imprint, but I can’t test my hypothesis without figuring out what type of magic could leave that sort of thing, and I- Oh Ganondorf, I’ve been babbling your ear off. I’m sorry, how was your journey? Did you run into much trouble on the road?”

***

Ganondorf sighed as he turned to Zelda, her face turned towards him as she stopped herself from her tirade. Like usual, she seemed embarrassed that she had dominated the conversation with her academic pursuits, but Ganondorf hadn’t minded. He smiled before answering her.

“Generally no, the road was pretty clear the whole way. We did have a run in with a tiny squad of about three Yiga Clan members, but we took care of them easily enough. You’d think a sect of ninjas connected closely to the capable Sheikah would give them better training, but so many are just incompetent. And the bananas.” Ganondorf shuddered in disgust. “I think they’ve made me hate bananas.”

“Well at least you and your warriors are capable enough to take care of them, incompetent or not.” Ganondorf turned to the new voice, to be faced with King Rhoam. The King of Hyrule gave him a polite nod while the Gerudo Prince bowed. “I’m pleased that you made it safely t our castle, I’d heard there was an increase in Yiga and other bandit activity on the road towards the desert.”

“Yes sir, we were blessed to get here safely. My mother sends her regards, and apologizes that she wasn’t here to organize the Sheikah’s access to our canyons to excavate. She had an urgent meeting with a couple Tribes out farther in the desert.” King Rhoam ran a hand through his beard in thought.

“Yes, that sandstorm brewing is troubling indeed. King Dorephan and Elder Kaneli have also told me of worrying weather conditions on the outskirts of their lands. Do keep us updated, Prince Ganondorf. I’ll let you continue your rounds before we formally begin the discussion.” The older man wandered away from the two of them, going to shake hands with others of the nobility in attendance.

Ganondorf ran a hand through a loose section of his hair as he sighed. With the discovery of Ancient Sheikah tech in the plains of Hyrule, as well as mentions of larger automatons in the other areas of the continent, the Sheikah had been requesting passage to the other sovereignties in order to excavate the machines. While many of the others had allowed them to come in, Chief Urbosa had argued that each sovereignty held a portion of ownership of the machine placed in their lands, and didn’t want the closest servants of the Hyrulean Royal Family to have free reign over the entirety of the desert (even if she trusted them wholeheartedly. It was the principle of the thing).

The purpose of this trip was to negotiate how the excavation would happen, but with the development of a massive sandstorm in the Deep Sands, Urbosa had to pass on the responsibility to him as her heir. To say Ganondorf was excited would be a gross overestimate. He was dreading it.

The rest of of the party passed in a blur of shaking hands and poking fun with Zelda as they tried to avoid talking to people as much as possible, and before he knew it, the Prince of the Gerudo was sitting in the King’s working office, with Impa (who was there on behalf of the Sheikah), King Rhoam to help mediate the proceedings, and a couple of secretaries who would be writing the proceedings. Outside, the door was flanked with two of the Gerudo's guards, and the Hylian Royal Guard. Rhoam folded his hands together.

“Shall we begin? Let’s get this excavation settled, time seems to be of the essence.” He gestured to Impa, who nodded to Ganondorf.

“On behalf of the Sheikah, we would like to thank Chief Urbosa for allowing us the opportunity to enter your lands and find an ancient piece of machinery that our people built over 10,000 years ago to help combat the Calamity. With the return of Calamity Ganon on the horizon, we hope to use this beast, Vah Naboris, as well as the other three Divine Beasts in Lanayru, Hebra, and Eldin to defeat it once again.”

“We are happy to aid in the prevention of destruction of this entire continent and everyone who lives on it.” Ganondorf assured. “As long as our sovereignty is respected, the Sheikah researchers and archaeologists are welcome to do whatever they feel is necessary to gain an understanding of these beasts, within reason. My mother only asks that we retain ownership over the Beast, as it was left in our land.” 

With the sound of the secretaries quills scratching paper in the background, Ganondorf and Impa, with input with Rhoam, outlined where the excavation site would be, what services the Gerudo could provide the researchers that would be coming to the canyons, and rules that couldn’t be broken during the duration of the excavation. When they had ironed all the details, Ganondorf felt pretty confident in the agreement. The Hylian King dropped a hand on his shoulder before he left, with a small upward quirk to his thick mustache.

“That was well done, my boy. You’ll make a fine Chief for your people, if your skills for negotiation are any indication.” Ganondorf ducked his head in embarrassment. As much as he may disagree with Rhoam’s personal style, especially when it came to how he parented Zelda, the compliment still felt good to hear. “If you wouldn’t mind, since you’ll be staying a couple days anyway, I’m sure Zelda would appreciate some company as she goes about her duties.”

“I’ll be sure to accompany her, even if she’ll mostly be in devotion during those times.” Ganondorf replied, already knowing Zelda would rather just pray for a little while and then spend the rest of the time talking about recent academic findings, ranging from new sightings of Silent Princesses, to the various alleged sightings of Dragons twisting through the skies of Hyrule. The King chuckled as they strolled through the halls, back towards the personal and guest wings of the castle. Negotiations had lasted until the sun had already settled below the horizon, and Ganondorf was ready to unbraid his hair and rest after the long journey.

“I’ll be sure to have someone come get you if Zelda doesn’t retrieve you herself.” Rhoams clucked his tongue at the mention of his daughter. “Honestly, that girl. Too excitable for her own good. I’m grateful for your more restrained presence, I think it helps her, whether she realizes it or not.” Ganondorf pinned his tongue between his teeth to keep from making a face at the statement. 

Zelda was only excitable because she was passionate about the things she talked about, including her duty. It didn’t help her when her interests and passions were stifled for her to be “proper”, since she already knew when to be serious. With his guest room coming up, he was glad the conversation would be cut short. The king’s single minded focus on making his daughter’s “divine power” awaken was driving his daughter to resent the birthright, and resent him as a father.

“I hope you have a good night, Prince Ganondorf. Enjoy the rest of your stay here in the Kingdom of Hyrule.” Rhoam’s farewell snapped said prince out of his musings, answering with a bow to his retreating back, and quick goodnight before stepping the room and letting out a gusty sigh. He made quick work of changing into sleep clothes as his belongings had already been unpacked while he was at the social gathering, and began to undo the various formal jewelry on his head and in his hair in favor of leaving it loose, quickly brushing through the worst of it to make the job easier in the morning.

The Gerudo Prince climbed into the bed provided for him (which was almost too small for someone of his stature), staring at the ceiling as he mentally combed through the events of the day, from waking up in the camp near the beginning of Hyrule’s Fields to the negotiations he had just finished. Eventually satisfied with the review, he sent a prayer up to the Seven Heroines, the Guardians of his people, and fell into the blissful dark of sleep.

Chapter Text

“Archaeologists at both the Sheikah Institute of Design and Research in Kakariko Village and the University of Hyrule recently discovered fossilized remains in the plains of West Necluda. Part of the ongoing research into the ancient Zonai Tribes, researchers were hoping that the area would hold evidence for conflict or expansion out of Faron to help explain the ancient peoples disappearance. Instead, they found multiple samples of plant and animal remains that give a look into the prehistoric profile of early Hyrule. One finding was a lily-like flower that appears to be related to the Silent Princess, and a bird species similar to the Edin Ostrich of today, only with what seems to be many more feathers.”

-Excerpt from an article in Hyrule Times , the premier source for all news in Castle Town.

***

The morning saw Ganondorf sitting in the chapel, fighting off a yawn as Zelda dozed in the water under the guise of praying. He had watched her pray for almost an hour, before sighing frustratedly and just leaning her hand on her arms below the gaze of Hylia’s statue. He knew the water was warm, but he could never understand how easily she fell asleep while sitting in it up to her chest.

At least the incense was soothing, a sweet floral scent that was similar to the perfume Riju loved to wear. It made him miss her and her sand seal puns, and how she demanded to do his hair every morning. In the desert, everything was much simpler than in the Kingdom of Hyrule. The Gerudo as a whole were simply much more pragmatic than their Hylian counterparts, born from lives lived in harsh sunlight and sand. While they prospered in the extreme conditions, especially with his mother as the chief, they simply didn’t have the same level of pomp and circumstance to their daily lives.

Ganondorf sighed as he leaned farther back in the pew facing the Hylia statue, giving in and deciding to doze, before he heard Zelda’s head hit the water and she jerked up, gasping and sputtering. A laugh burst out his chest, and he doubled over as she began to wade back to the stairs leading out of the pool, coughing and wiping her face as she made her way over. Quickly, Ganondorf walked to the water's edge, stepping down one step to offer Zelda his hand as she climbed. The princess reached over, placing her hand in his to pull herself out.

At her contact, his vision went white. Images flickered in his vision, formed and gone in an instant.

Hateful red eyes stare at him in a desert at night. The shadow reaches for his face-

He’s drowning in a golden sea, bubbles fizzing from his lips as he fights for air-

The sky is shattering like glass, cracks spreading as far as the eye can see-

A blood moon is rising over a familiar ruined city-

A sandstorm is approaching from the horizon-

The heart of the mountain is cooling-

A snowstorm is circling-

The waters are darkening-

A city in the jungle is falling into the lake-

He’s standing on a beach, gazing at a woman with gold hair and dark skin. The waters are calm, gently washing over his feet as the figure before him turns in his direction. He catches the tail end of a murmured statement, the whisper of a name: Floria.

“Do you understand, son of the Seven?” Ganondorf stares wide-eyed at her as she looks at him seriously, the third eye on her forehead slowly opening.

“What are you saying?” He says, stepping closer to her, only for her to not get any closer.

“Ganondorf. Wake up.” She said, her voice modulating into Zelda’s voice and back.

“Wait. Wait, what do you mean? What did you say? What is Floria? Tell me, please!” Ganondorf tried to run towards her, only to sink up to his ankles in the sand. He scrabbles at the grains as he’s enveloped exponentially quicker, the sand up to his knees, then waist, chest.

“Ganondorf. Wake up. Wake up, wake up! wake-”

He wakes up.

Zelda’s worried face overtakes the figure’s serene expression. Her expression immediately crumbles into relief at seeing his eyes open, and she throws her arms around him and sobs.

“Oh thank all the little gods! I thought you weren’t waking up, you weren't breathing, and your eyes were rolled back and- Ganondorf you scared me so bad!” She pulls back and slaps his arm, sorrow turning to fury. “Idiot! Don’t you dare ever do that again!” Ganondorf blinked in confusion as he pushed himself up onto his elbows.

“What, uh. What happened?” A blinding headache felt like it was splitting his skull, and he could feel the contents of whatever vision he just saw slipping away like smoke. Zelda huffed as she tried to help him up (despite being so much smaller than him).

“You were helping me out of the pool, but when I grabbed your hand, your eyes rolled back and you fell to the floor. I thought you had died. Seriously, don’t do that again.” Ganondorf just let out a groan as he flopped back down to the floor. Zelda huffed out a reluctant chuckle and flopped down next to him. “Do you know what happened to you?”

Ganondorf hummed, sifting through what little he saw in the vision.

“Well, I think your Goddess just invaded my mind to give us a message. It was really confusing, very disjointed.” Zelda just gaped at him, her face getting steadily redder with frustration. Ganondorf continued.

“I think your father needs to hear about it though, for some reason the only thing I remember clearly is the word Floria. Ring any bells?” The princess continued staring, her face a bright cherry red, before wordlessly getting up and pacing. She started murmuring to herself, gaining traction and volume as she ran a stretch of the chapel ragged. Ganondorf, meanwhile, forced himself to his feet with a groan, getting ready to head back towards the Main Hall and Sanctum farther in the castle.

“I can’t believe this! Years of begging and praying, and as soon as you step foot in the chapel waters you just have a vision. Just like that! I- I just can’t! It’s preposterous. You don’t even follow Hylia like that! Ugh!” She abruptly stopped in the middle of the chapel and covered her face, taking a couple even deeper breaths than before, trying to collect herself.

“Fine. Fine! Let’s go to my father.” Said prince followed her reluctantly as they peeled out into the hallway and started making their way towards the Sanctum. Zelda was obviously fuming, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides, so Ganondorf stayed silent, giving her time to get herself together.

Outside the doors to the sanctum Zelda stopped and tightly clasped her hands together, visibly wrenching her frustration under control. Ganondorf stepped to stand next to her as she reached out, and pushed the doors to the Castle Sanctum open.

***

“Zelda, my daughter. What brings you and Prince Ganondorf here, instead of performing your duties?” Her father’s deep voice reverberates in the spacious room as she and Ganondorf step forward, him offering a bow as Zelda curtsies in her white dress.

“Father, we come because the Prince experienced a vision while in contact with the sacred waters.” She forces her words to come out clearly, hiding her trembling fingers in the cloth of her clothing. A glance up revealed her father staring right at her, his eyes cutting through her in accusatory confusion. The king raised a hand to his beard, stroking it as he hummed in thought.

The silence felt stifling as her father and most of the court present stared at the duo, the feeling of being watched crawling over Zelda’s shoulders, forcing her shoulders taut and rigid. Next to her, Ganondorf had his shoulders back too, and his jaw was faintly clenched, a sign he was just as nervous in front of all the people too.

“Well,” Her father broke the silence, “Let’s hear what the prince saw. Surely it must be important.” Ganondorf cleared his throat, before relaying what he saw.

“Well, your Majesty, like what your daughter said, I stepped into your sacred waters to help her out after she slipped in. I was pulled into a vision when I stepped into it, and saw a lot of visions that didn’t feel very connected in my head. The only thing I can clearly remember is the end. Specifically one word, Floria. I don’t know what the significance is.” He bows his head in apology, as Zelda then looks at her father, who glances at her and waves his hand, permitting her to speak.

“Father, Floria is the name of an ancient city associated with the Zonai tribes in Faron. Nobody’s ever found it, but every mention of it in carving or text tells us that it rests at a lake basin in the deepest part of the jungles, and multiple sources reference the Dracozu River as a way to find it.” She paused to gauge her father’s reaction. At his insistent, almost impatient, wave to continue, she kept going.

“Many scholars believe that whatever’s left of their considerable magical knowledge may be held in ruins in Faron, so they all want to find Floria in order to get a bigger idea of how Faron was organized, in the hopes we could further our own-”

“Then the Goddess truly has seen fit to bless us, regardless of the method.” The King interrupted. He stood from his throne, making his way down the stairs with a small group of knights immediately moving to flank him as he stepped down to where Zelda and Ganondorf were standing. He clasped her shoulder, with a smile. “Thank you, Prince Ganondorf, for coming straight to me when you received this vision.” His eyes cut to Zelda briefly, giving her a small nod. She could feel her heart starting to beat quickly and her face growing red again, and viciously wrestled with herself to stay cool.

With the blood rushing through her ears, she could barely hear her father ordering people to gather up a research team to investigate the Spring of Courage, and continue from there. Zelda turned to walk out of the throne room, content to perhaps accompany the team to the Spring and tag along on the journey, when her father stopped her by calling his name. She begrudgingly stopped, and spun to look him in the eye, as he gave her a stern point.

“Zelda, I want you to stay here while the research team investigates. Not only is it dangerous for you as the princess to go, but your duty is here. Evidently, your devotion could use some restructuring, since Ganondorf received a message while you did not.”

The room went silent after he said that, and Zelda couldn’t help but gape at him much like she did when Ganondorf had told her about the vision. Said young man stood next to her still as a statue, eyes wide and face slack with shock. Evidently he never thought her father would say something so blunt about her powers- or lack thereof- in front of such a large group. The feeling of the court’s eyes on her pierced her being, and she couldn’t help the way she shivered, and her fists clenched at her sides.

She could feel her eyes growing hot even as her face paled and became cold while she processed just what her father said- and what it insinuated about her. He might as well have said she just didn’t have her powers, the comment was so obvious. She had never expected he would bring up the string of failures regarding her unlocking her powers just to forbid her from going on a research expedition.

Fighting off tears as her heart ached, Zelda turned and fled, walking just slow enough to maintain decorum as she escaped. Ganondorf followed, trying to keep pace with her, but she gave no indication that she noticed, occupied with winding through the castle’s hallways towards her study, where she could properly blow her fuse and honestly? Probably cry a little too.

She deserved that much, at least. While practically the whole academic world will be fighting for the chance to find Floria, she’d have to occupy herself with what she always did: Hypothesize off of scraps while keeping her father off her back about praying.

It was her “duty”, after all.

Chapter Text

“He has arrived! Today in Castle Town, everyone who's anyone knows that the dreamy Prince Ganondorf of the Gerudo Tribes made his regular trip up to the Kingdom of Hyrule, flanked by his capable warriors. Despite the long journey, there wasn’t a hair misplaced on the Prince’s head! Dressed today in a beautiful Gerudo silk half robe, with gold jewelry attached, it’s no wonder every girl in Hyrule loves this hunky young man. The rich greens and pinks and blues of his sash coupled with the deep gray blue half robe only serve to emphasize his rich green eyes and burning red hair. Speaking of hair, Ganondorf has a LOT of it! I don’t know about all of you, but I want to know his routine! Put up in a half-do common for the Gerudo men (however few they are), this style is elevated by the gold headpiece and glint of gold beads tied into his hair, as well as the solid gold detailed necklace hanging from his neck. I wonder how this trip will go? The Princess is (still) woefully single, and what better potential spouse than the hunky Prince of the Gerudo? Stay tuned for all the updates on this royal’s stay in Hyrule Castle!”

- Excerpt from By the Goddess!, a teenage Hylian pop culture magazine

***

Ganondorf stood on the battlement overlooking Castle Town with the morning sun blazing down onto his head and shoulders, and Hyrule Field illuminated in shades of green as a gentle breeze caused ripples to be seen from the Castle. To his left, Zelda was holding herself still as a statue, face placid and smooth. Even farther left was her father, situated to address the assorted team of Hylians strapped with backpacks and supplies for the long trek to the heart of Faron.

“Researchers,” The King’s voice carried to the whole crowd of people, including the spectators that had come to send them on their way. “What we ask you to do has never been done before. Your travels and potential discovery could mean everything for the Kingdom of Hyrule, and for every other kingdom on this continent. The secrets those ruins hold are one of the last puzzle pieces needed to truly rid ourselves of the great danger of the Calamity. We wish you luck on your endeavors, and implore you to return home safely.” He paused to let the crowd cheer.

“Dr. Tolbyo, as the leading expert on what little knowledge we have of the Zonai Tribes, we look forward to the leaps this group will make in our understanding of the magic and mystery of the Tribes, and anticipate the results of your expedition with bated breath. Be careful as you traipse through the jungles of Faron, and lean on the soldiers that we send forward with you to help protect you.” Rhoam stepped to the side and gestured his daughter forward, Zelda’s face still appearing to be as peaceful as a still lake. The Princess of Hyrule raised her arms as cheers rose up to meet her, a minute crease in her brow as she began a blessing.

“In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I pray for the protection of these people as they travel for the good of our kingdom, and our world. I ask for the Grace of our Guardian Goddess to go before you, behind you, and all around you as you embark on this all-important task. May the jungles of Faron pose no threat to you, and may you be successful in all the ways needed.” She lowered her arms to the sound of the people cheering and praising Hylia (and Zelda) as she slid back to Ganondorf’s side. King Rhoam stepped back up.

“Godspeed, researchers. Make us proud.” With the dismissal from the King, the team, headed by Dr. Mayen Tolbyo and a few guards, because their long march down the winding roads of Castle Town, towards the open fields of Hyrule, and then farther south to the jungles. Ganondorf could hear cheers erupting from the town as the group passed, allowing him to clearly track the group’s progress as they headed towards the main gate.

After a while, with the last of the group clearing the main gates of Castle Town, the King and his entourage began to go about the rest of their business for the day, especially with court coming around noon. Even surrounded with movement, however, Zelda stood motionless, gaze fixed on the researchers as their group got progressively smaller in the distance. A glance at her face revealed a tension in her mouth and a tightness around her eyes that said she was fighting off her emotions.

“Zelda? Do you have a place you need to be?” Ganondorf gently asked, leaning forward to try and meet her eyes. Zelda’s lip trembled with the force she was tightening them, and she stared resolutely forward.

“Just-” Her throat clicked as she swallowed. “Just give me a moment. Please.” Ganondorf hummed in response and let her continue to stare out into the fields, and turned to do the same. The sun was steadily getting hotter, so hopefully the introspection the princess was doing wouldn’t take too long, but he could enjoy the breeze and blue sky in the meantime. Birds warbled out their songs as they wheeled about, and he could hear muffled chatter from beyond the castle gates from the bustling town.

A small gasp caught his attention as Zelda took a small step back, looking up at the sky. Ganondorf looked up with her, and couldn’t see anything. Maybe a wispy cloud moving with the wind in a snakelike path, but nothing that should garner such a reaction.

“What is it?” He asked, still trying to find what she saw, squinting in his efforts. Zelda blinked next to him, her face looking spooked as she shook her head.

“It was nothing. I must be tired or something similar, I thought I saw… Well, nevermind. It doesn’t matter.” She assured him. She turned and beckoned him with her as she walked down the stairs towards the courtyard. “I think I want to walk through the gardens this afternoon, if you would like to join me.”

Ganondorf shook his head. “I can’t this time, unfortunately. I have to discuss what path we’ll take for the return trip back towards the desert. My mother requested I stop by the Highland Tribes and check on them on the way back. Inventory and all that.” Zelda nodded, slightly disappointed, and Ganondorf shrugged. At the junction where they would separate, Zelda towards her study and Ganondorf towards the guest wing, the princess stopped and faced him.

“Thank you for standing with me, Ganondorf. I appreciate the support, even if you aren’t loud about it.” She gave him a small smile, and he grabbed her hand and kissed it with a bow as in the Hylian custom.

“Of course, Zelda. You’re my best friend, I’ll always be on your side.” He released her hand and started back down the hall. “I’ll see you at dinner, yes?” Zelda nodded and the two of them walked towards their respective destinations.

***

Zelda walked through the gardens, following the stone path between perfectly manicured hedges and bushels of flowers, the swirls of color matching her racing thoughts. She stared straight ahead as she thought back to her blessing (can she even call it a blessing if she doesn’t possess her sacred powers? Answer unclear) of the research. Or more appropriately, back to after, when she was watching the troupe make their way across Hyrule Field, sky bright blue above them. Right as she and Ganondorf were leaving, she saw… something.

Really, she wasn’t sure what she saw. It felt maybe like she had been hallucinating, because what she had seen was a long white serpentine body snaking up towards the clouds. Winks of bright crystal blue and a flash of golden mane, twisting up and up until it almost seemed to fade away, past where the eye could see.

Zelda kept walking until she found a bench to sit on, hand on her chin as she tried to make sense of what she had seen. It felt important that she had seen this, but she couldn’t convince herself that it had actually happened. It felt hazy, like a shimmer of heat rising from the stones of the castle walls, or like seeing a shape dart through water, but not seeing what it was.

Did she see a dragon? Most sightings are recorded by children (which many academics scoff at), but there is some empirical evidence that they existed. Reliefs on not only Zonai ruins (since the dragon seemed to be one of their most recognizable symbols), but also Old Hylian ruins (like the Springs, or the East Gate near Mount Lanayru) depict long, serpentine dragons attending to sacred places.

The princess shakes her head. What was going on with her? Seeing dragons? The lack of consistent evidence from more recent history suggests that if dragons ever existed, they don’t anymore. That, or they just don’t hang around the Hyrule Continent anymore. Seeing a dragon in this day and age is preposterous, especially her. She has no magical ability, nonexistent divine powers notwithstanding. Maybe she needed to go inside, the bright sun might be messing with her head or something.

A quiet part of her is still unsettled. As the princess walked, she mulled over her uncertainty. What if it was real? What does it mean? Is she close to her powers? Is she being hunted? She hated no knowing what was happening, the academic in her frothing at the mouth with the want to learn what was going on. She briskly made her way up the stairs, hoping to get inside and write some notes and maybe doodle what she saw, just to get the buzzing anxiety about it out of her. As she crested the stairs towards the doors leading into the castle, a flash of blue caught her eye.

She whipped around, to try and catch whatever it was, and all she saw was a glimmer and blue motes of light float for a split second before fading. Zelda stood and stared for a moment. Two strange sightings within a day? That has to mean something, right?

She turned back around, resuming her brisk walk to her study and giving her head a vigorous shake (to the confusion of the guards stationed at the doors of the gardens).

Outside of missing her powers, Zelda’s starting to worry that something is seriously wrong with her.

***

Yako was excited to look at the ruins, sure, but did they really have to go to the deepest part of the hot, humid, horrible jungle to do it?

Yes, his supervisor had told him, back at the University of Hyrule. They did.

The young researcher wiped his brow for the fifth time in 3 minutes while lugging his pack up the banks of the Dracozu River. The trip from Castle Town, across the fields of Hyrule, across Lake Hylia, and into the Faron Grasslands took multiple days, which was bad enough, but they hadn’t even hit the jungle yet. However, even the abysmal trip didn’t stop Yako’s heart from pounding. The Zonai! The oldest mystery that Hyrule has to offer! Older even than the “Forgotten Temple” in Hebra and its huge Hylia statue! 

After getting his Bachelor in Linguistics and Archaeology, he was thinking he’d be able to sit in a lab and study ruins brought to him. Between the Sheikah technology being studied, and the discovery of numerous ruins, technology related to identification and study of the ancient was booming, which made his job much easier. That is, if he wasn’t in tropical hell, traipsing through bugs and bushes trying to find the barest hint of civilization that was apparently found there.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask how much further till Lake Floria (for the fifteenth time in a half hour), the trees began to clear, and his already open mouth flew wide as he took in the sprawling grounds before him. He hadn’t thought anything could beat the Dragon statue complex at the mouth of the Dracozu, but this city was magnificent.

Perfectly angular stones jutted out of the canyons surrounding the lake, almost as if placed there instead of carved. Beautiful wooden bridges crossing the lakes, grown over with moss and supported by the largest mangrove trees Yako had ever seen. Intricate circles and symbols depicting dragons, owls, and boars decorating the edifices. The largest building alone was enough to take his breath away, the smooth walls growing up and up into a beautiful pagoda, with layered roofs and columns. Runic inscriptions and reliefs dotted the walls, swirling beautifully across the pristine stone.

However, even from a glance, he could tell that the stone was a little too pristine to be a ruin for as long as it apparently has been. A look at his supervisor, Dr. Tolbyo, as well as the other researchers, revealed they all seemed to be thinking the same, based on their looks of confusion. The group all began to murmur amongst themselves, before Dr. Tolbyo turned and addressed them.

“It seems we have our work cut out for us, so why don’t we start moving up towards the large complex and move our way out from there?” He started directing the soldiers accompanying them, as well as various small groups of researchers, in preparation for unpacking all of their tools and beginning what they came to do. However, just as everyone started to shift towards moving forward, a loud rustling all around them, along with yips and whistles echoed out from the brush, followed by many figures emerging with weapons drawn.

Yako, and many other researchers, yelped as they were all prodded into a small group, even the soldiers nervously following unspoken orders, even as they surrounded the researchers and drew their swords. The whole trip they hadn’t had much trouble with the local wildlife (both normal and monstrous), only to be stopped now by… Well, Yako wasn’t actually sure what or who these people were.

At a quick glance, they seemed pretty similar to the Hylians of the research team, but closer looks really took care of that belief. They had much darker skin on average, with incredibly light hair, almost as if the whole group spent most of their time outside in the sun. Their necks were slightly too long to be Hylian, and their ears were too long, in all sorts of different configurations. They had long, defined noses (honestly, they almost looked like snouts), and had striking tattoos on every visible part of their bodies. Geometric designs, and eyes, and lines went all around their skin. Upon closer inspection, Yako could even see little nubs- horns?- poking out of all their hair.

One of the soldiers stepped forward (their leader?), and spoke to them in what Yako assumed to be their native language. When met with terrified silence, they sighed and waved the other soldiers down. Once all of the weapons previously pointing at them were relaxed, and not actively threatening, the soldier tried again. Dr. Tolbyo tried to step forward.

“Excuse me, I’m so sorry but this must be a misunderstanding. I’m Dr. Mayen Tolbyo, from the University of Hyrule, and we’ve come here to study these ruin-” He was interrupted as the leader held up a hand to stop him. After talking at them for a while, Yako realized he could vaguely recognize what they were saying. The inflection and stresses were strange, but the soldier seemed to be speaking a dialect of Old Hylian, or maybe some kind of even earlier version of the language.

“ Hello! ” Yako blurted out, speaking slowly since his Old Hylian was rusty. Learning the written language and speaking rules was different from actually speaking it, after all. “ We come in- ” He wracked his brain for the correct word, “ We come in peace!”

While Dr. Tolbyo and a few other researchers gave him funny looks, the leader looked relieved. He turned to Yako and spoke, clearly enunciating and speaking slowly (to Yako’s relief).

“ Greetings, Hylians. We apologize for the lackluster welcome, but we wanted to be cautious. What brings you to Zonai lands? ” Yako’s brain stuttered to a halt.

Zonai?

The Zonai were still here?

As he automatically answered the soldier’s question, Yako’s mind raced. He felt like they were on the precipice of something extremely important, and the young researcher felt giddy with excitement. The secrets of the Zonai were all within grasp, and all it would take is time to unlock them.

Yako couldn’t wait to see what happened.

Chapter Text

“For large family gatherings back in Hateno Village, my mother used to break out our expensive, authentic Goron Spice and used it to make the most wonderful curry. Everyone used to go absolutely crazy for it, and we’d always have to make multiple servings just so we wouldn’t run out! This curry is also perfect for cold weather and sick days, because it packs a punch that will both warm your insides and clear out your nose! Below I’ve written down the recipe so that you can make this for yourself, in the same format that my great grandmother wrote it down in. Just remember that you have to always use the freshest ingredients, and…

- Excerpt from a curry recipe in a newsletter titled The Cooking Pot

***

Zelda is standing on a pristine white beach, looking out over a clear blue ocean with a clear blue sky.

Foam from the waves cascades over her feet and ankles, soaking the hem of her prayer dress. A gentle breeze causes her bracelets and jewelry to clink softly together. The air smells salty, yet sweet when she takes a deep breath in. It would be peaceful, if it weren’t for what was waiting for her in the center of the ocean.

Massive and pristine, a statue of the Goddess Hylia rises from the waves, perfectly clean and perfectly angled so her face is looking down at Zelda with a motherly affection that the princess doesn’t recognize. She can feel the syrupy sweet presence of massive power all around her, weighing her down until she feels as though she is fighting just to maintain eye contact with the statue.

Zelda took a step into the ocean, towards the Hylia statue, and paused. When the statue didn’t move, she took another step. Eventually, she just started walking, going farther and farther out into the salty ocean. The water never got higher than ankle deep, however. The approach to the statue was simultaneously infinitely short and the longest journey she’s ever made. The statue never changed size as the princess approached, and when she stopped, its face still perfectly met hers. The serene expression scraped her, igniting a spark of emotion she couldn’t name. Fury? Despair? She was too overwhelmed to pick through it.

“Well?” Zelda said. “Isn’t there anything you should say?” The statue remained silent. “No hello, or well done finding me?” The ankle deep water began to become more rough, throwing spray and seafoam up into the air to catch the sunlight, gold and sparkling. Zelda felt raw, numb to the beauty as she looked accusingly up at her progenitor.

“My entire life I’ve spent dedicated to you, and you still won’t speak to me.” The princess yelled, hotness gathering in her eyes. “I’ve spent so much of my life in your sacred waters, praying for your help, and you’ve never answered. Not even now, when I’m looking your likeness in the eyes!” Tears began to flow, running down her cheeks and dripping from her chin to meet the violently churning water at her feet.

“Curse you. Curse you!” She screamed falling to her knees and glaring at her reflection. “The Holy Powers continue to prove deaf to my devotion. Please, just-” Zelda looked back up at the statue, her cry dying as a lump rose in her throat, choking her anger and leaving nothing but a deep, empty sadness.

“Just tell me, what is it? What is wrong with me?” Her plea rang out over the surroundings. Her tears continued to flow as she stared at the monument, waiting for an answer (against her better judgement). The breeze continued to move, gently plucking at her hair and sleeves as the statue stood silent.

Though not for long.

A large cracking sound resounded through the air as a minute tremble traveled down the statue, Zelda feeling it in her bones and in the shift of the water. Suddenly, tears began to pour from Hylia’s eyes, shining a clear, holy gold as it poured out into the ocean surrounding it, causing the water to begin rising impossibly fast, beginning to glow as it covered her knees, her chest, and her head. The princess kicked her feet and frantically fought towards the surface, gold bubbles fizzing about her as the surface of the water grew farther away, fed by the neverending stream of sorrow coming from the visage of Hylia.

As she began to drown in that golden sea (now a proper sea), her lungs burned as she felt the suffocating weight of power surround her again, crushing her against it again and again until she-

She woke up.

***

Urbosa stood with her son and her warriors as servants and aides scrambled about, setting the Sanctum of Hyrule Castle up for the meeting happening in just a little while. Receiving the letter from King Rhoam was a big surprise, as the council meeting for the Union of Greater Hyrule wasn’t for another few weeks. Even bigger of a surprise was the contents of the letter, stating that not only had Ganondorf had a vision given to him by the patron Goddess of the Hylians, but that his vision led to the discovery that the Zonai people still lived and breathed in this day and age, regardless of the evidence of their ruined culture.

It unsettled her, to be completely honest. The Gerudo Desert sits right next door to the grasslands that border the Faron jungles, separated only by the small set of ridges making up Mount Granajh and the East Mesa. How had they gone unnoticed for so long? Why had they gone unnoticed for so long? It didn’t sit right that she just had no knowledge of what was going on, but at least she knew she was in good company. The entirety of Hyrule was blindsided, and everyone was prepared for the worst, with the Calamity on the horizon, and now with the looming reintroduction with an apparently fierce and warlike tribe of magic wielding warriors.

Before coming to the Kingdom of Hyrule for this council meeting, Urbosa had taken great care to comb through the earliest histories of the Gerudo, trying to find any information on the Zonai, just so she wouldn’t be in the complete dark. It was all for naught however, since much of the earliest oral history of the Gerudo was lost after it became a territory of Hyrule. Efforts to record that history after the desert got its independence was limited, since many of those songs and stories were just completely lost to the sands of time. Even the Twinrova, who were the oldest and most powerful women of the Gerudo, don’t remember every story passed down.

Urbosa refocused her gaze towards watching the finishing preparations. The five seats arranged for the heads of state in Hyrule were large and ornate, carved from wood (thank the spirits for the lack of stone, ugh ), arranged in a half circle facing the entrance to the Sanctum into the Great Hall. Smaller chairs were set up behind the big ones, for other people of importance, such as Princess Zelda or Urbosa’s son, but other dignitaries could sit as well. Already she could see quite a few of the Zora nobility sitting, Mipha in the head of state chair. Her father outgrew Hyrule Castle many years ago, so his absence was not unprecedented. The Gerudo chief went ahead and sat down, Ganondorf sitting behind her to the right, and Buliara forgoing the chair to stand at her left, sword pointed towards the floor.

As the initial preparations dwindled, and the rest of her fellows took their spots, Rhoam held up his hand to speak. Chatter quieted as he prepared his speech.

“Thank you, fellow sovereigns, for allowing us to have this meeting. I know that recent times have become challenging in many of our regions, but I felt that a discovery of this magnitude required the attention of our entire Union.”

“Indeed,” Mipha agreed, her soft voice easily reaching across the room. “Father was incredibly surprised and perplexed when your letter arrived. The Zonai, of all people? We had believed them to be extinct.” Murmured agreement echoed around the chamber, and Rhoam held up his hand again.

“And believe me, no one is more surprised than I when I received word from Dr. Mayen Tolbyo from the Faron jungles that they had encountered said people. We immediately began preparations for this very meeting, and have been keeping communication with the King and Queen of the Zonai open so that they can take this opportunity to be reintroduced into modern Hyrule.”

“No doubt this will prove helpful for our research into the Calamity as well,” Urbosa stated, “that is, if they are the masters of magic legends make them out to be.”

“Well then, I guess we better hope so, huh?” Daruk spoke up from across the half circle. They had to make his chair extra large, to accommodate his… wide, stature. More agreement met him. “Speaking of the Zonai, where exactly are they? Did they get held up or something?”

“The most recent letter said they’d arrive in the early afternoon of this day, so I’d expect them any second now. Hopefully.” Rhoam stated. “While we wait, though, perhaps we can discuss what we usually would during a Union?” Urbosa wasn’t fond of having to wait, but if they could get some business done then she wouldn’t complain.

Mipha opened up by talking about the other Zora Domains and how they were faring in relation to the Hyrulean one. Apparently, the inexplicable pollution of one of the Domain’s wellsprings is specifically limited to Hyrule, which is concerning but also relieving. Additionally, as the coastal region, they handled most of the sea trade with neighboring continents like Termina and Labrynna. Sea trade and travel continues to be constant and beneficial (obviously), so they quickly moved on.

Right as they were moving on the Gorons, which would no doubt talk about the fact that Death Mountain was visibly getting cooler, an aide rushed  in through a side door and stooped to whisper in Rhoam’s ear. Daruk quieted as he gestured to the aide to speak louder for the whole group, and the young man raised his voice.

“The Zonai have arrived, my lieges. They will be coming through momentarily.” He scurried back towards the edge of the room as murmuring from around the half circle started back up again. A quick glance around the room revealed everyone straightening in their seats, and excitement- and nerves- permeating the room. Zelda, in particular, was nearly vibrating from excitement, and Urbosa spared a quick smile for that, before a herald stepped forward.

“Entering now is Chief-King Taluk and Queen-Sage Callio of the Zonai Tribe!” She called out, and the grand doors opened, in time with Urbosa holding her breath in anticipation.

***

Link hates Hyrule Castle.

It’s too big, too gray, and he has no clue what any of the Hylians are saying at any time. Plus, he (and every other Zonai in the castle) keeps getting stared at. Granted, he understands that logically, the Zonai stand out amongst them. It just was uncomfortable in the meantime.Comes with the territory of being a notion that is actively being reintroduced to the rest of the world.

The young man flexed his new hand, still not used to the unique almost-right feeling of the gray matter moving in time with his thoughts. After the Aerocuda attack that left him with a useless arm, the amputation and replacement process had been thankfully simple. Just a medical recontruction using zonaite and the healers from the Temple of Light and he was suddenly able to join the field again! Kind of. Simple missions only, like protection detail during a diplomatic visit.

Speaking of, him and his small squad of protectors strolled along behind King Taluk and Queen Callio as they made their way towards the guest wing of the castle. The researcher and translator (Yako? Link didn’t really remember his name) chatted amiably with the two leaders, giving them idle details from the meeting they had just come from. If his captain was to be believed, this marks only the beginning of almost a week of negotiation and discussion between every sovereign in Hyrule.

Both Mipha of the Zora and Daruk of the Gorons seemed pretty friendly, if Link were to guess. Neither of them really held back when it came to exchanging pleasantries and well wishes to the entirety of the Zonai, but he could tell they were holding back many questions. Elder Kaneli of the Rito seemed curious, but he mostly kept quiet, so Link didn’t really have a read on him. The most interesting sovereigns were the King of Hyrule, Rhoam, and Chief Urbosa of the Desert People.

The two of them seemed nervous about this reintroduction, though maybe for different reasons. While Link didn’t even try to pay attention to the political posturing happening, he did keep an eye on the body language of everyone in the room. Urbosa seemed ready for an altercation, though could only tell that from the tenseness of her shoulders and her eyes. She hid it pretty well. Rhoam, on the other hand, seemed like he was testing the waters. Link wasn’t sure why, whether to try and find a reason they stayed hidden, or to try and get them to demonstrate some kind of military prowess. Either way, the two of them seemed to think the Zonai had a hidden motive for not showing themselves (which, to be fair, they did , but not for a nefarious reason).

The group stopped in the middle of the hall, and the King turned to the Protectors.

“Thank you again for accompanying us here, Protectors. I believe my wife and I will be retiring for the night, but we encourage you to explore to your hearts content. King Rhoam graciously has opened his home to us, and said we may use his facilities as we see fit, within reason. I believe he specifically mentioned a training ground and a garden by name, though I’m sure if you get lost someone could potentially help you. You are dismissed.” All of the protectors gave a short bow with their fists over their stomachs as the King and Queen turned around and stepped towards the room Yako led them to. Link’s captain gestured to two Protectors to guard their door, and signed a quick dismissal to the rest of them.

The mention of a garden rang in Link’s head. He wouldn’t mind spending some time outside after most of the afternoon was inside. Plus, maybe he could take a quick nap in the sun like he used to do at home. He just had to figure out where it was.

Easier said than done, language barrier notwithstanding. Link wandered the halls, gaining stares and whispers with every corner he turned. He blew a breath out of his noose in a sigh, and his ears and nose twitched in irritation. He took to flexing his prosthetic as he paced, checking in any unlocked doors and gaining quite a few surprised yelps as he peeked into some servant’s quarters, the kitchens, and the barracks (just to name a few).

Eventually, he found himself back in the Great Hall, with the exit from the castle at one side and the Sanctum entrance at the other. Spotting a servant walking towards the exit, Link hurried over to them and tried to ask them where the gardens were in Old Hylian. At their nervous confusion, Link sighed again, and began to mime.

Cupping his hands together, he thrusted them upwards in a miimicry of plants growing. After, he mimed plucking a flower and smelling it, making a sound of satisfaction. The servant’s eyes widened, and they said a word Link didn’t recognize (maybe he should read up on those modern Hylian books brought to Floria), and pointed to a door that Link had passed by thinking it was locked. Making a sound of affirmation, Link saluted the servant and made his way over to the door, trying it and finding it unlocked.

Pushing the door open, he was immediately greeted with the pleasant smell of wildflowers and manufactured grass. He took a deep breath of relief as he stepped out into the gardens and began to prowl, looking for an optimal cat nap spot. The gardens were very different from the ones at the Zonai Palace, much more manicured and uniform, whereas the Zonai preferred to grow their gardens in a way to simulated the actual environment, with multiple layers overlapping each other with compatible flowers and trees. It was no less beautiful, though, just different. 

Easier to find a nap spot too, much more visible sunlight.

Speaking of, Link found a gently sloping hill with a nice patch of grass, and laid down, closing his eyes to face the sun and breathe deep. The warm sun on his front and the soft grass at his back began to relax him, pulling him into a doze, eventually pulling him into proper sleep.

*

Link roused to the sound of voices around him. He cracked one of his eyes open, and then both flew open as he registered a large group of Hylian knights around him. He jumped up, making the knights flinch as he backed up from them with a wary look in his eye. The knight closest to him held up both hands in a gesture of peace, and Link relaxed minutely as he watched them shuffle amongst each other.

The lead knight opened his mouth and spoke, which led nowhere since Link could not, in fact, understand him, and the knight groaned. He then mimed drawing his sword, and swung a couple times. Link had no clue what he wanted.

Noticing his confused stare, the knight sighed and looked to the sky. Second attempt came with him gesturing between Link and himself, and swinging a couple times, before stopping and shaking his imaginary hand. Link made a noise of affirmation, pointing at himself as a question. At the other’s excited nod, Link realized he was wanting to spar. A nod caused the whole group to cheer before beckoning Link to follow them, and he obliged. Hopefully he wouldn’t embarrass the ranks of Protectors of the Zonai with this sparring.

As they left the gardens, and approached where Link assumed was the training grounds, all the trepidation from before began to drain out of him, and a familiar energy began to rise up in him. Whatever the outcome is, Link knew that it was going to be very fun.

Chapter Text

“One of the oldest legends in Hebra tells the story of the Stormwind Ark. The legend is a hopeful tale about the return of winds to the Hebra region by way of the magical ship, The Stormwind Ark. Told in song, this story has been passed down for generations, for so long that not even the Rito know when it was first told. An interesting mention in the legend is the idea that the Rito were taken up past the clouds into the “Heavens”, where there were floating islands and clear blue skies. The presence of floating islands dominates many legends in not just Rito, but Hylian tradition. Ruins like the East Lanayru Gate and the “Forgotten” Temple display carving of islands floating in the sky, along with strange figures that may reference gods and large bird species. Historians believe that these may be artistic renditions of the Sacred Realm. However, this does beg the question: How is it that the Rito in the story are able to visit the realm of the immortal even as mortals themselves?”

- Part of a commentary on The Legend of the Stormwind Ark

***

Commotion in the training grounds brought a full crowd of people out of the castle to witness what was apparently about to go down. Zelda wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, exactly, but what she did know for certain was that a Zonai Protector was drawing his strange stone (is it stone?) sword opposite a royal guard. She glanced around the grounds, and recognized Mipha, Daruk, and Urbosa standing with their own guards, and Ganondorf accompanying his mother. Even a small group of Protectors that accompanied King Taluk and his wife were talking and nudging each other.

Word of fights (especially when they were a surprise) always spread quickly through Hyrule Castle. Zelda had sped from her rooms to the grounds as soon as she had heard, buzzing with a curious and anxious energy. She desperately wants to see the fight, and witness what could be the first demonstration of Zonai warrior prowess in thousands of years. But the anxious thoughts in her head keep talking about the reputation that precedes the tribes, barbaric magical warriors that were a conquering force in ancient Hyrule. She could tell that many people thought the same, especially in the tense lines of the Gerudo warriors' shoulders or the sharp calculation in Mipha’s eyes as she surveyed the two warriors chatting below.

Zelda reached out and tapped one of the knights on the shoulder. He spun around, and startled, dropping to a knee before Zelda gestured at him to rise impatiently.

“What rules did the two competitors agree on?” The soldier straightened up and gestured out to where the two had begun circling each other, preparing for the bell to start.

“We managed to communicate no magic, and I believe they managed to agree on first blood being the deciding factor. I think they’re about to start, Your Grace.” Zelda stepped through the knights who parted for her and stood at the edge of the wall leading down to the ground level, intently watching both fighters as she mentally prepared to take notes.

At the sound of the bell, the Zonai Protector shot forward and swung his sword at the knight, just barely blocked as the knight tried to jump back in alarm. Quickly pivoting, the Protector spun on his heel, just barely being blocked once again, followed by the knight thrusting out his sword, and the blade missing by a hair as the Zonai (Zelda really wishes she had a name, to be honest) slid backwards, just out of reach. The two began to circle again, the initial energy pushing them forward waning as they recalculated.

The knight rushed forward, swiping his sword in a wide arc to try and catch the protector’s arm or torso in a shallow cut, but the Zonai slid underneath the blade, running his own sword against the armored chest of the knight. To the princesses eyes, the protector looks vaguely frustrated, seeming to let out a little huff before backing up and trying to examine the knight.

“He’ll have to be better than that if he wants to make a Hylian knight bleed.” The soldier to her left said, crossing his arms with a smug smile. “Our guy only needs to get one hit in. It’s only a matter of time.” Zelda wasn’t convinced. The way the protector moved made it seem like he could anticipate the knight's movements before they happened. He moved like air, light on his feet, almost dancing around his opponent.

The two warriors were right in each other’s space, trying and failing to draw blood from each other. The knight had yet to land a hit, and his evident frustration was obvious, but the protector still hadn’t managed to land a hit that wasn’t on armor. Both were obviously worked up, frustrated they didn’t end the fight faster, but the knight’s sword work, even to Zelda’s untrained eye, looked sloppier compared to the precise movements of the protector.

Glancing into the crowd, Zelda could see everyone intently watching the fight, with cheers coming whenever it seemed like someone had landed a hit or if something particularly cool happened. The group of Zonai seemed to be very relaxed, lazily watching the fight like they already knew what the outcome would be. Zelda saw her father had arrived at some point, followed by Kaneli of the Rito, and they were both idly chatting while half heartedly watching the fight. She quickly looked back down, to avoid potentially making eye contact with her father.

Right as she looked down, the knight rushed forwards, thrusting his sword towards the protector’s unprotected belly. Zelda was sure this was when the fight would end, even with the protector dodging to the side, when time itself seemed to slow, and a small pressure pushed down on the air around her. She watched as the Zonai exhaled, and a pearly vapor exited his mouth, sparkling in the light as he threw himself to the side, and then swiped his sword into position on an unarmored part of the knight’s elbow.

With a snap, time returned back to normal, and Zelda’s ears popped. With a final slide, the protector finished with a small slice in the bend of his opponent's elbow, flicking a couple drops of blood to the ground, to the cheers of his fellows. The rest of the crowd stayed still, stunned and from the looks of it, unaware of the strange time stop. Zelda almost wanted to call it magic, but it felt different somehow. Older, deeper, more instinct than conscious thought, almost like it was a part of the protector that he couldn’t shut off.

The protector and the knight stood and clasped elbows with a nod before the knight got pulled away by his friends, with playful ribbing ringing through the air about his defeat. Meanwhile, the Zonai group all convened with their champion, seeming to congratulate him as his shoulders hunched up to his ears in perhaps embarrassment. People began to mull about again, returning to their duties now that the thrill of the fight was over. Servants ran to continue completing their tasks, and knights returned to their posts. Zelda continued to watch the Zonai warrior as he talked to his fellows, until he perked up and began to look around, before making eye contact with her.

The Princess of Hyrule felt some kind of spark pass between them, like a puzzle piece slotting into place in the universe as they stared at each other. She found herself unable to look away from his eyes, the blue of them like a clear crystal, and sharp enough to cut. She saw a wary intelligence in them, not unlike when a wolf finds a deer without its herd, assessing her threat level. She desperately wanted to break eye contact, but it felt as though there was a gravity that kept her gaze pinned on him.

“Your Grace.” Her focus was thankfully broken at the sound of Mipha beside her. Zelda quickly glanced away, turning to the Zora Princess.

“Good afternoon, Princess Mipha. Did you enjoy watching the spar?” The other princess smiled, the barest hint of her sharp teeth peeking through as she nodded in response.

“Indeed I did, Zelda. The two were very skilled, and it was very impressive how the Zonai warrior prevailed despite his lack of armor. I’m sure quite a few people are losing some rupees in the wake of it.” Zelda laughed with Mipha, thinking about the soldiers that had been talking before the match.

“I have to agree with you. I imagine there won’t be many more spars between the Hylian knights and the Zonai protectors for now at the very least.”

Mipha held out her arm, and Zelda looped her arm through as the two of them made their way out of the training grounds and into the castle proper. They chatted about things they noticed in the fight, such as the protector’s adaptability in the face of an armored opponent, or how impatient the knight got towards the end.

“I think the fight would have lasted even longer than it did if your knight hadn’t gotten so frustrated with the skill of his opposition.” Zelda sighed in response.

“Yes, well I’m sure he’s learned his lesson, from his commander if not from the fight itself.”

As the two of them cycled through the halls, continuing to chat about whatever came to mind, Zelda found herself wondering what the Protector was doing in the wake of his victory, and mulled over the electric eye contact they had had. 

Just another tick on the list of things wrong with her, she muses

***

Ganondorf sighed and stretched out his arms as he left the training grounds, following his mother as they made their way through the halls towards their quarters to get ready for whatever social peacocking awaited them in the afternoon.

“That was… something.” His mother said. Buliara snorted from behind them, and Ganondorf couldn’t help but smirk too. Something was an understatement, it was eye opening to see a showdown between a Zonai Protector and a Hylian knight.

“The Protector’s form was good, and his skill was evident.” Buliara let out. Ganondorf’s eyebrows shot up in shock. A compliment to a random stranger was not something the Gerudo Commander did often, and the fact she gave it to someone that she was most definitely suspicious of was not insignificant.

“... Indeed.” His mother said after a pause, obviously taken off guard just like Ganondorf.

“Riju’s gonna be upset she missed something that cool.” He poked Urbosa’s ribs where her bodice didn’t cover. His mother flinched and swatted his hands without looking back. “I wonder what sort of training they do to fight so fast. I almost couldn’t see the Protector move.” Urbosa’s head tilted back, her green eyes meeting his.

“I agree, it was almost supernatural. I kinda want to challenge him to a spar too.” Ganondorf thought back to watching the fight. For a moment, he could’ve sworn that time had slowed down a couple times, and that strange fog that left the swordsman’s mouth. As much as it probably would have contested the outcome of the duel, Ganondorf was hesitant to call it magic. Something about it itched across his skin in the same way as when he entered shrines to the Seven Heroines. Almost an involuntary response from some deeper part of himself.

The rest of the walk was Ganondorf pointing out different movements that the Protector did during the spar and what Gerudo counters existed, with Buliara cutting in every once in a while to add her own two cents, even if there isn’t a Gerudo in the desert that fights quite like her. By the time they arrived at their rooms, the prince had a solid theoretical plan for if (when) he ever sparred a Protector. Urbosa gave Ganondorf a small wave when he stopped in front of his door, her and Buliara continuing down the hall while he pushed it open and closed the door behind him.

He immediately went towards the bathroom to freshen up a little bit before the afternoon, since he would be spending it with Daruk, Kaneli, Rhoam, and Taluk and he didn’t want to just look like a young Prince. Even if he wasn’t necessarily worried about being condescended, the other three knew better. He was mostly worried about making a good impression on the King of the Zonai, as a representation of the Gerudo people. He also didn’t want to be stressed about it for hours only for the actual social to be maybe three hours at the absolute maximum.

To avoid overthinking everything, Ganondorf thought a quick doze would do him some good, especially since he hasn’t really had the chance to properly rest since even before they got to Hyrule. His dreams had started taking a weird turn since the vision he received a few weeks back, with a myriad of visions mostly revolving around his home in the desert and bones and eyes. 

Regardless, the guest bed provided to him looked very comfortable, and he knew his mother or one of the Gerudo attendants would come get him if he was toeing the line of being late. Ganondorf climbed under the covers, forcing his mind to relax and absently imagining what his next dream will manifest as, as the blackness of sleep crept slowly into his mind and carried him away.

*

Ganondorf stood in the desert, watching the dunes as the setting sun painted the sand a metallic red. Over the course of a few weeks, he has witnessed the sun in the desert steadily setting until now. Off in the distance, a small fire spitting glowing embers into the air, accompanied by the sound of metal scraping on metal that somehow drew him in closer, disappearing footsteps trailing behind him on the shifting ground.

Despite the heat rising off the sand, the chill prickle of eyes crept up his spine, and Ganondorf’s shoulders tightened, drawing up in primal fear, only to relax at the warmth that spread over him once he stepped near the fire. The border of the camp was almost a physical thing, and thin copper mist wafting through the hair and emanating off the flickering flames. The light from the fire threw everything into sharp relief, illuminating the face of a Gerudo warrior as she dragged her spear’s edge against a whetstone.

“Princeling.” She said, giving him a nod. A roar echoed across the desert, sending the dunes crashing like a wave, a mirror to the beaches and their crystal waters.

“What is this? Who are you?” Ganondorf couldn’t help but ask. The tension in the air surrounding the fire, and the ominous darkening of the sky as the red sun sets and a full moon rises grows by the moment, setting a hum to his teeth. The warrior barks a single laugh, standing up to reveal she’s almost three heads taller than Ganondorf himself.

“This, Son of the Desert People, is your soul. The reflection of your inner world, dogged by the steps of Darkness and stalked by the power of the Infernal, much like the Gerudo people have always been. You are a special interest to them, and the one who exists above them.”

Ganondorf frowned, not completely understanding what she meant. Gerudo legend told of the Gerudo living in the desert, and how the desert is a home and haunting ground for many spirits and small demons, but that didn’t explain the almost excessive presence of sour, rotting tension sitting on the dreamscape. The warrior looks in his eyes, piercing gold meeting his own blazing green, and she responds to the confusion she sees on his face.

“The time is nigh, little Prince, for you to make a choice that will define you and our people for a new generation.” Her arm stretched out into the distance, where a gargantuan monument sits, white as bone and visibly streaked with red rust like blood, even from a great distance. Great ribs, curving towards the sky like a colosseum, and surrounding a spire that glows so red it’s almost pink, emanating malice. The sand’s movement surrounds it, and the roars originate from it.

“The Demon has stalked you since your birth, and such is his power that even our presence won’t deter him. You must refute it. If you fail, the world will be plunged into a darkness deeper than even the Calamity that threatens it.” She holds out her hand, and Ganondorf grapes her forearm, shaking it in the customary greeting of their people. Her lips quirked up in a smile, and her other hand came to rest two fingers on his forehead, where the amber of his headpiece would rest.

“Me and my sisters have watched you grow into a fine young man, Prince Ganondorf. Don’t let our protection go to waste.” She said, her voice starting to go fuzzy. Ganondorf’s eyes widened as he put two and two together.

“You’re one of the Heroines?” He glanced at her armor, hoping to tell which sister it was based on the carvings. Alas, it almost seemed like an amalgamation of all of them, and when he glanced at her face again, he noticed it slightly shifted every few seconds, as if each sister was replacing the other too fast for his mind to keep up. “Wait, please don’t leave yet! I want to understand! What Demon has been stalking me? Why does he want me so bad that you intervened?”

The heroine's mouth moved, but no sound came out as the desert grew fuzzier and fuzzier, all sound swallowed up by a sweet silence as Ganondorf approached wakefulness. Even as he clawed to hold onto the dream, he could already feel the memory of the details fading from his mind while the sounds of the room he was asleep in grew clearer and clearly, until the dreamscape he was in was no more.

***

Callio sat in a tea parlor alongside the Gerudo Chief Urbosa and Crown Princess of Lanayru, trying not to show her nerves while the two (extremely competent) women try to find a conversation starter for them that doesn’t obviously delve into secrets she and her husband are not ready to tell. The spread in front of them had an assortment of teas, sugar, and milk, and Callio was at a total loss. In Zonai tradition, the highest ranked individual would pour the tea, but she had no clue how Hylian tea etiquette went. Mipha and Urbosa seemed content to just wait, visibly assessing her as she fought down the urge to just grab the teapot.

Rescue, thankfully, came in a small procession of attendants that took over the ceremony of pouring the tea, almost like clockwork pouring all three cups simultaneously. One thing about the Kingdom of Hyrule that Callio has noticed is that they know how to run a tight ship. Everything is streamlined, elegant, and polished. The servants know just where to go and how to remain unseen, the windows are strategically placed to angle cuts of light to paint the room in clear colors and perfectly illuminate the space. Even the tea set is placed so pristinely that it’s almost a shame to use it.

Urbosa took a sip of her tea first, breaking the silence.

“It’s a relief to be free of the men for a moment to ourselves.” She sighed, looking over the rim of her cup. Mipha let out a small breath of laughter.

“Now Chieftess, you know that being in the presence of men is a rare occurrence for you. Ganondorf definitely doesn’t count.” The Gerudo woman’s mouth closed from where she was about to protest. Callio was still just a little too high strung to find the quip funny enough to laugh, but any mirth would’ve died anyway when both sets of eyes turned to look at her, and Mipha continued her thought.

“I’m sure your husband is enjoying his time with the others too, but I have to admit, competing with Daruk to see who has the best aim is not how I would’ve wanted to spend my afternoon.” Callio smiled fondly at the mention of Taluk.

“I’m sure he’s handling himself very well, my husband has a surprising competitive streak and loves a chance to show off. I’ll definitely be hearing about any victories or losses tonight.” The other two women chuckled a bit as they all continued sipping their tea, servants periodically coming around to offer a top off.

“I have to say, Queen Callio, the demonstration from one of your Protectors this afternoon was very impressive. Your guards must be trained very well. The lack of armor is a bit shocking though.” Urbosa said, a calculating gleam in her eye. “Is there a specific reason I haven’t seen more armor on your people?”

“Oh Link is one of our most talented Protectors, he’s the youngest Captain we have. We’re very proud of him and his dedication to our people. For the armor- or I guess the no armor- it’s more of a tradition, I think. We used to be much more reliant on our magic ability alone in our early history, so I think it’s just persisted over the ages. Plus the jungle gets very humid and hot, and armor can be very stifling in the humid air.” The two ladies hummed in acknowledgement.

“I actually meant to ask,” Mipha cut in quickly, “but I noticed that one of Link’s arms is darker than the other, and he doesn’t seem as used to it. Did something happen? I could take a look at it, as a healer myself.”

“That won’t be necessary, though I’m sure he’d be grateful for your offer. Link lost his arm while protecting one of our Sages while traveling, and what you see is actually a prosthetic. It’s a complicated process, and really only the Sage of Spirit fully understands how the prosthesis is generated, but I’m sure if he ever gets away from his duties he wouldn’t mind walking anyone through the basics.” Callio carefully skirted around the reality of using zonaite as a material in the prosthesis, but she couldn’t have completely ignored the question. It was a risk that she, her husband, and the other Sages had before bringing Link to the Union.

The honesty broke the ice though, so the rest of the conversation the three of them had was very casual. The pristine atmosphere was interrupted by Urbosa’s dry wit and Mipha’s sweet but calculating observations. Topics flowed like water, and Callio felt like she got a good look at how the people of Hyrule were the same and different from how the tribes knew them before their self isolation. It also gave her the opportunity to share (some) about her own people, and their conversation lasted so long that it took until they were getting up from their seats to retire for the evening before she realized someone had been missing.

“I have a question. Why couldn’t Princess Zelda accompany us? I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her in person yet.” Urbosa hummed, and Mipha’s face fell a little.

“The Princess had a few matters to attend to, specifically in her role as the “High Priestess” of Hylia, if that’s what you would call someone with the blood of the Goddess.” The Chieftess said. The two of them seemed stiff as Urbosa spoke, almost as if there was something more to that statement. Callio filed the information away for later, which felt like something she would need to discuss with Taluk. Obviously there was something serious going on behind the Princess’ responsibilities, and judging by the looks on the ladies’ faces, it was not something good.

“Well that’s too bad. Hopefully Taluk and I can meet her officially soon, it seems she is well loved by not only her people, but even those outside the Kingdom of Hyrule.”

“Oh yes, Zelda is a wonderful friend, and a dedicated princess. Anyone would be lucky to meet her.” Mipha piped up, her face brightening. “She and I have somewhat grown up together. Or, I mean, she grew up with me, I was already pretty old. We haven’t been able to spend much time with each other recently, but I still consider her to be one of my closest friends.”

Callio smiled, feeling the honesty and love emanating from both women as Mipha talked. The three of them continued chatting all the way to the guest wing of the castle, where she could see Taluk and Rhoam waiting, presumably chatting as well.

Her husband immediately brightened when he saw her approaching, holding a hand out to interlace their fingers when she stepped up to him as he finished a statement to Rhoam.

“-As I was saying, I wasn’t sure what to expect when Daruk said he was competitive, especially since we were doing an archery contest, but he impressed me. The bow was very small compared to him.” Rhoam let out a chuckle at that, before Taluk continued. “However, I must cut this conversation short, as my wife and I would like to retire for the night, I’m sure our Protectors are tired of following us around all day.”

“I would believe that, I know my guards most likely feel much the same. Enjoy the rest of your night, your majesties.” The King of Hyrule waved them off as he began to make his way back to his wing of the castle as well. The couple turned to their own rooms, leaving the Commander in charge of their procession to organize the night watch, but before moving on, Taluk reached out and clasped Link’s shoulder, giving him a smile and a nod.

“From what we heard, you did wonderfully representing our nation, Protector Link. Good job.” A flush crawled up the young man’s neck and ears even as his face stubbornly remained stoic. The team behind him snickered as Taluk and Callio closed their room’s doors, and Callio could hear teasing comments about his form waft as the door clicked shut.

“And how was teatime, my radiant sundelion?” Her husband asked as the two of them began to remove the ceremonial ornamentation littering their clothes. Callio hummed, searching through their luggage for a fresh set of sleep clothes.

“It was pleasant, Hylian tea is very malty compared to our own. I think this’ll be good for us.”

“Well anything would be better than annihilation from Calamity, so I’d have to agree with you.” Callio slapped her husband’s arm, earning her a snicker.

“You know what I mean! This will be good for our people, to re enter the global sphere instead of keeping to ourselves. The others seem eager to know us and learn about us, so I have high hopes about our timeline! Perhaps we’ll be able to share all of our knowledge with them sooner than we thought.” Taluk grimaced.

“Rhoam still seems mostly suspicious based on our conversations, he definitely was not satisfied that we supposedly don’t live up to our rumors. Kaneli and Ganondorf are cautious, I think? The only one that seems all in for us right this second seems to be Daruk.”

“I think that may be just how informal Goron society is though, Taluk.” Callio argued, heading towards the bathroom to wash before bed. “You know they’ve always jumped headfirst into alliances and just carried weapons just in case.”

“That’s true.” Taluk conceded. A long silence followed, as her husband mulled over his conversation. “I have a feeling there’s something going on with Princess Zelda though. Everyone seemed hesitant to talk about her, and we still haven’t been introduced to her personally, even though we’ve met basically every other member of every royal family on this continent.”

“I was about to say the same thing!” Callio called over the sound of the bathing pool filling up. She peeked her head out of the door to avoid yelling. “Urbosa and Mipha were very cagey about why she didn’t join us, and I’m sure that her responsibilities to Hylia aren’t an all day occurrence. I guess it isn’t our business though, we’re keeping our own secrets too.”

She stepped back into the bathroom, setting up the soaps and aromas that the servants had stocked their room up with. As steam began to rise in the room, and the water filled up, Callio finally felt herself begin to relax. Whatever happens, Callio knows that her people will push through, and Taluk will be by her side through it all.

***

Chapter Text

“King Dorephan of the Lanayru Zora’s Domain,

High Queen-Sage Callio and I would like to thank you and your people for the hospitality extended to us while staying in your Domain. The past couple months of getting to know your daughter and the other representatives of Hyrule’s Provinces has been very valuable to us, but getting the opportunity to meet you in the flesh was a privilege we cannot thank you enough for. Your son Sidon is a charming young man, and your domain is radiant. We hope that our relationship with you continues to grow and flourish.

We wanted to ask you about the problem facing your Domain. Do you know how one of your wellsprings came to be polluted? How is it affecting your people? We’d like to help however we can, and if you ever need anything from us, do not hesitate to ask. We’re all fighting the same foe, and it would serve us well to be a united front.

Warm regards,

High King-Chief Taluk of the Zonai Tribes

- Letter Correspondence between King Dorephan and High King-Chief Taluk

***

Zelda stared up at the ceiling from her bed, waking up from yet another strange dream that already is fading into smoke. Over the past few months since the Zonai’s first arrival in Hyrule, preparations for the Calamity and research into what’s causing the strange environmental concerns in each Province have been going well and strong, but recently has hit a wall. Hypotheses into periodic cooling of Death Mountain’s center turn up empty, investigations into upstream pollution and acid rain in regards to Lanayru is proven false, and Hebra’s cold snap has only gotten colder, with only Rito Village and the southernmost edge of the Tabantha field providing a solid place for crops to be grown.

A sigh escaped her as she brainstorms. Something’s missing from the equation, she knows, but she can’t for the life of her figure out what it is. At the beginning, everything almost seemed to go too smoothly, with the Zonai helping the Sheikah research alternate materials for their Divine Beasts’ power, and discovery after discovery of ruins upon ruins, but now the steam has run out. Her father arrives at dinner more often than not frustrated with the lack of news from anywhere, including their own borders. It hurt her heart to see her father so worried for the future, even if it means his already lacking patience towards her has grown infinitely smaller.

She can’t say she doesn’t understand, either. She’s also fed up and sick and tired of no news, and no burgeoning power inside her. In her youth, she would get annoyed at the lack of response from Hylia when she prayed, but over the past few months in particular, she’s been especially bitter. She’s skipped out on her prayers and pleading for at least two weeks now, and her father finally saw fit to send her around on a pilgrimage to the Spring of Power, which she’ll be setting out on in a few days time. It’ll be the first time since before the Zonai came that she’ll even step foot outside of Central Hyrule.

She wishes she could say that she was excited, but all that awaited her was a boring trip to sit in some water in a sacred site she’s seen millions of times before now, in the dreary North Akkala Valley. At least this time, Ganondorf gets to join her on her trip with her entire entourage, it’ll be a welcome presence. She’s grown listless and dejected the farther into this Hyrule has gone. Impa recently had to force her to get up and make appearances, with the princess herself just going through the motions.

Not even meeting the King and Queen of the Zonai had changed anything. She was so excited, only to be ushered away after the barest amount of time to make pleasantries. She wanted to ask them questions, but the growing dread from the Calamity and the despair of prayers being left unanswered has drained her.

Regardless, she needs to get up and greet the new day. With great difficulty, she forces herself up into a sitting position, turning her head to her window and staring at the light coming in and painting her room in the colors of the dawn. Right on time too, as the door opened a moment after she sat up, revealing Impa with a small army of attendants.

“Oh good, you’re up already. Your father would like to see you at breakfast today, he wanted to go over a few more preparations for your trip to the Spring of Power. I also heard that he put requests into the kitchen for specific foods you might like.” She tried a smile in Zelda’s direction, and Zelda fought to muster a tiny smile in return.

Impa’s smile fell, and Zelda tried for a joke. “Well I’m glad that I’m awake while you dress me this time. I would hate to be woken up while we’re walking through the halls.”

Thankfully, the spirits seemed to be smiling down on her today, because Impa laughed, and the attendants bustling about the room giggled quietly amongst themselves. “It was one time! And you technically were awake, just dozing!”

“I could have sworn that I was perfectly asleep.” Zelda said mock-petulantly, holding out her arms for her sleeves to be pinned up around her elbows as layer upon layer got placed on her. As stuffy as her outfits and ceremonial dressing could be, there was something comforting about being draped in cloth, almost like a well made shield. Doesn’t really do much for the whispers in the court, or her father’s unknowing barbs, but a shield of sorts anyway.

After she was done up in the blue and gold of her family, Impa led the way towards the dining hall while the attendants stayed behind to tidy up her room from her getting ready. The walk to the hall is greatly effective at waking her up in the morning, mostly because it’s just so incredibly long. So by the time Impa makes a quick turn into the smaller dining room used for private meals, Zelda is properly awake enough to be surprised.

“Ah, Zelda, my daughter, there you are.” Came her father’s voice, clear from the smaller confines of the room. Her back instantly straightened as she stepped to the table, where there was a smaller spread than usual, packed with comfort foods she grew up with. Her heart lurches painfully in her chest, as if she’s standing on the precipice of a cliff.

“Father! This is a bit of a surprise.” Rhoam chuckled at her, gesturing for her to sit down and start eating.

“I know, but I felt it has been much too long since we’ve sat down and eaten together, just the two of us. With everything going on, I’ve missed just sitting with you.”

Zelda internally scoffed, still feeling as if she’s pinwheeling over a large pit, overcome with confusion and wariness. “It has been a while, maybe even since before you received that prophecy.” Her father’s face darkened a bit, and he nodded.

“Yes, well I figured that it’d be nice to have a relaxing breakfast for a change.”

Surprisingly enough, Zelda found that the breakfast did end up being pleasant, for once. The food was wonderful, truly just as she remembered it while growing up in these halls, and her father’s company was appreciated. He didn’t lecture her on her duty (she had heard enough of that , thank you very much), and carefully skirted around her true interests (like the research she still wanted to do on those geoglyphs), but the mundane talk about the castle gossip (and gossip from the other nations) was a refreshing change of pace for them.

Eventually though, breakfast had to end and they both had to return to the reality of their lives. Her stomach was already sinking as she stood up and brushed a few straw crumbs from her skirt. Her father offered her his arm, but didn’t move them from their spot in front of the exit.

“Zelda.” He said, turning slightly to face her. “I know that we have had many disagreements over the past few months, regarding many things. And I know that I’m being hard on you, but I hope you can recognize why I do the things that I do.” She nodded, a lump of emotion in her throat.

“But,” He continued, “I hope that you remember that you are my daughter, and that no matter our disagreements, I still love you dearly. Alright?” Zelda nodded again, suddenly too overcome to verbally respond, but Rhoam must have seen that she understood, because he gently patted her hand resting on top of his arm, and walked them out of the dining room, and back towards the wing that they live in. The walk to her study is quiet, almost introspective, until Rhoam released her arm outside her door.

“Make sure you prepare well for your trip, Zelda. I’ll let Impa dictate what needs to be taken, and I’ll make sure to prepare who will go with you. Ganondorf should meet you on the road to Akkala.” He smoothed a hand over the braid crowning her head, and turned slightly away, clearing about to head to his study. “Now I must go prepare for a research group heading to the Lost Woods. I wish you luck on your journey”

***

The road to Akkala from Hyrule Castle is notoriously very long, stretching up through Lanayru and into Goron lands, skirting the foothills of Death Mountain. There’s also a point where it gets notoriously dreary, right as you round the bend of Thim’s bridge and into the general area of the Lanayru Wetlands, and up into Lanayru proper.

Ganondorf bemoaned this to the four Gerudo warriors he was traveling with, staring out into the distance as they waited for Zelda and her entourage at the road split near Inogo bridge, on the side of Trilby Valley. The four of them all resolutely ignored him (he’d been complaining for at least half an hour at this point), and that made him complain even more. The campfire they had built sputtered weakly as the cool wind blew underneath the quick shelter they erected to keep the rain off, but thankfully, still radiated warmth. Their horses were being tended to by Dorah, and were thankfully not too difficult about the downpour.

“I hope Zelda gets here soon, I don’t know how much longer I can survive this. I miss when we were in a dry area.” He squinted into the curtain of rain, clicking his tongue. “They sure are taking their time though.”

“Maybe they got sidetracked, Prince Ganondorf.” The warrior nearest him (by the name of Merina) said. “I’m sure they’ll arrive any second now.” Ganondorf just groaned in response. Merina’s audible sigh back at him made him just groan louder, to be annoying. “Getting on my nerves won’t help them get here faster, sir.”

Just as he was about to whine back at her, the sound of hooves tracking through the muddy ground caught his attention. He put his attention back on the road, to see a small group of horses approach them, loosely surrounding a horse so pure white it practically glowed in the dim light from the rain. A grin split Ganondorf’s face, and he raised his hand in greeting as the entourage came to a slow stop in front of them.

“Hail! You finally made it. We were just beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost on the way up!” He called, just before reaching to grab his horse’s reins from Dorrah and swing up onto the saddle. They quickly assimilated into the group of Hylians, and Ganondorf urged his horse to walk next to Zelda and her steed, Storm.

“How was the walk up?” He asked her. The princess gave a small huff in response.

“It was fine, the weather was nice up until we came closer to the wetlands, but it’s always a bit dreary around this area. Might as well get used to it in case it’s a rainy period in Akkala.” Ganondorf nodded in agreement.

“I pray to all the little gods it isn’t.” His grave voice pulled a small scoff out of Zelda.

“You can survive a little sky water, you big baby. You’re not made of sugar.”

“But I’m so sweet and fun.” He prodded her from across the gap, and she swatted his hand, looking at him mock-imperiously.

“If anything, you’d be made out of salt.” He gasped in mock outrage, clutching metaphorical pearls. Impa clucked at them both, shaking her head in exasperation.

“Children, please. We’re trying to have some peace.”

“Impa, you’re literally only four years older than me, you cannot be talking. Especially with how you and Purah argue.” Zelda retorted playfully, and Impa let out a heaving sigh, turning back towards the front.

“I fear you’ve mortally wounded her.” Ganondorf stage whispered to the princess, catching Impa’s massive eye roll out of the corner of her eyes. Zelda let out a short laugh.

The group made pretty quick progress down the road, clearing into Lanayru proper by evening. Another couple hours or so would take them to the South Akkala Stable before nightfall, where they’d spend the night. In the morning, they hoped (or at least Impa hoped) to get to the East Akkala Stable by noon, so that everyone could have a quick lunch before Zelda and a couple others went down to the Spring. 

Usually, her devotions at the Springs consisted of a full 24 hours of prayer through the tending of the Spring, much like the old Priestesses of Hylia did before the Temple of Time on the Great Plateau was built. So a lot of her time would be spent placing some offerings, and clearing away some of the detritus that accumulates when an outdoor sacred place is left to the elements. Afterwards, she spends time in the waters, not only cleaning herself from the physical labor (and purifying herself), but praying to the Goddess.

Ganondorf remembers the first time he asked her about what she did at the Springs, when they were still new friends and he was curious about how Hylians worship their patron Goddess. When she went through the complete process, the young prince had at the time been most confused by the fact that the Priestesses of Hylia had left.

“The tradition was dying out, I guess.” Young Zelda had said at that point, shrugging helplessly. “At the time, a lot of people no longer wanted to come seeking blessings in an outdoor spring. They wanted an indoor space protected from the elements. So the Temple of Time was built to satisfy them, and the Priestesses went with them, leaving only the Royal family to tend to the Springs.”

Either way, the Spring of Power was still a lovely alcove, tucked into the side of North Akkala Valley. Theoretically, one could watch the ceremonies from the top of the valley, observing everything from above. Ganondorf himself had even done it a few times.

Dinner when they set up at the South Akkala Stable was a simple road meal, sprinkled with some herbs that had been picked while they were on the road. Once they slept, it would be the home stretch for the Spring of Power, and everything that could (but may not) happen there.

If anyone had looked at Zelda the closer they got to the Spring of Power, they could visibly observe the more closed off she got. Her eyebrows were almost permanently crinkled, and her mouth was pulled into a deep frown. While the trip was a win in Ganondorf’s opinion, since it had been lighthearted for the most part, it was a shame that this place made Zelda so sad. Impa had confided in a letter to him and his mother that she was worried for the Princess. She was supposedly having trouble finding the motivation to do anything amidst the raging court gossip, her father becoming more irritable, and the pressure of her birthright.

Sitting by the cooking pot next to Zelda as they ate, Ganondorf spared a glance upward towards the sky, watching as a small shooting star flew across. In a move relatively unlike him, he sent a prayer up not to the desert spirits of his people, or the Seven Heroines, but to Hylia.

“Please let something happen while we’re here. I know she’s prayed to you far longer and far more than I have, and none have been answered, but I figured I’d try. I think she needs some hope right now, and you’re the only one who can give it at this point. Please.”

***

Link has been here before.

Where ‘here’ is happens to be a different question (that he doesn’t quite have an answer for at this moment, thank you very much), but Link recognizes the view, an endless sky rising up to meet him as he falls from an indeterminate height. The space around him is peppered with billowy clouds, and he can hear a distant cry of birdsong, unrecognizable to him as he is, but still intimately familiar with the deepest and most primal part of himself. An impenetrable wall of clouds lies far below him, covering everything and blocking what was under it.

Even though Link could clearly feel himself falling down, wind and clouds rushing past him at dizzying speeds, he never truly changed altitude. Dizzyingly high above everything, so high up that realistically, he shouldn’t be able to breathe. Link was no stranger to weird dreams, used to seeing visions that don’t fit his life. Falling moons and open seas, harp melodies and great red wings. The lines between him and these other places and times blur, and sometimes he’d wake up from a dream like this seeking for something (or someone) that didn’t exist anymore.

 Looking to his left and right doesn’t reveal anything, but looking down again has Link squinting towards the cloud barrier. A minute hole lies far below him, winking with a crystalline edge against the darkness of what seems to be a wound through the clouds (like a sword had been plunged into the fabric of reality), and buffered by the clouds around it, swirling around but never overlapping the rip. An unintelligible whisper flits into his ear, somehow making it through the rushing wind surrounding Link, and following some instinct he didn’t know was lying within him, he unslings his bow from where it manifests on his back.

Notching an empty bow is strange, but even before he can finish pulling it back, an arrow that manifests out of what must be pure, distilled starlight forms, and he takes aim. With a breath, the starlight slides from his fingers and streaks down, down, down, towards the spot of darkness, until it reaches the edge of Link’s dream, striking that spot of darkness winking through the clouds..

The arrow shatters against the tear, and a crack spreads from it.

The Sky shakes, and reality is thrown into disarray, fractures spread out and up and down as far as Link’s eyes can see. Once upon a time, Link’s younger sister used to collect bits of colored crystal and glass, stringing them up in their home’s windows so that the sunlight would paint their rooms a multitude of colored fractals speckled across their floor.

Surrounded by the sky shattering around him, Link is reminded of those light shows as the different pieces of sky shift to different skies, different times of day, all falling past him faster and faster. When he glances into each pane, he can see- strangely enough- himself, at different ages and in different outfits. Or at least, he thinks it’s himself.

Green tunic, brown hair, leather boots.

Pointed ears, pale skin, round face.

Red hair, blue and green paint, full beard.

Just for split seconds, he sees snapshots of these figures, and now,despite the fact that they look nothing like him, he just knows that they’re him- and his bewildered look is reflected in every face. It feels like a shared dream, him and his counterparts mirroring each other back and forth across generations and species, tied together by the fracture spreading through a beautiful open sky.

‘Link. Wake up.” The voice returns. Melodic and strong, overlapping itself until multiple voices whisper in his ears. A wind sweeps past him, pushing the clouds away like a broom sweeps dust. Before Link’s eyes he can see a flawless golden ocean rising up to meet him, the light emanating from it staining the clouds around him like ink. The fractures surrounding him seal together, and he is left falling alone through a sacred, golden sky.

Now, there is movement, because he can see the ocean growing closer and closer, the clear gold water showing all the way to the bottom of the water. Deceptively deep, and breathtaking. He keeps falling, and falling, and falling. The birdsong has long faded, and Link can only hear the wind whistling around him. The ocean before him comes closer, closer, closer, and-

In a deafening rush of fizzing golden bubbles, Link hits the water. Stunned, he takes a moment to look around the expanse of light swirling around him like he fell into the heart of the sun. Before long though, he behind to try and fight his way up to the surface, pushing up and up through the water, surface growing closer until-

He wakes up.

Chapter Text

“Sit, children, and listen:

Look out into the East Desert. You see the smoke rising in the distance? Do you smell the incense coming in on the wind? The witches of the wastes are performing their rituals on this day. They are powerful sorceresses, armed with power from places mortals cannot see. Blessings and curses pour from their hands, and they are above even the Chief of our tribes. When we were a scattered people, fighting amongst ourselves as thieves and pirates, they united us with their will. When demons sought to drive us out of the Deep Sands, they anointed our Heroines and led us to this land of plenty. They have been with us since the beginning of our people, and they will be here long after even you have your grandchildren. So if you ever find a day where you need their help, you best ensure that you’ve been well behaved, or else you may not receive the boon you seek.

- Transcription of a Gerudo legend titled Witches of the Wastes

***

The Hyrule Zora’s Domain was built many ages ago, starting out as a relatively simple home constructed in the basin of the Zora River. Originally built to protect the Zora Fountain and the Old Hyrulean Water Temple, over the centuries the Zora have built their Domain higher and higher until it was a resplendent city, multiple tiers rising above the water and surrounding the central carved fish throne chamber. The level of detail in the carved luminous surface of their structures was renowned across Hyrule, and only obtainable through a multi-century effort.

Mipha gazed towards her home from the East Reservoir Lake, sitting on the head of Divine Beast Vah Ruta, which she had been entrusted with. When Impa and King Rhoam came to Lanayru to approach her about being a Champion of Hyrule and Pilot for the Divine Beast, Mipha couldn’t help but say yes. She was the pride of the Domain, Heir to the throne, and had a duty to help protect the wellbeing of everyone across the continent of Hyrule. It was a no brainer.

Fortunately, despite Vah Ruta being intimidating at first, especially with Purah’s long-winded explanation on how to be a pilot for such an advanced piece of magitech, the Zora princess grew attached to her Divine Beast. The driving and movement was still a little rough, she needed to practice, but she felt almost connected to it, as if it was meant to be piloted by her.

She ran a finger across the etched stone material making up the main body, tracing a swirl pattern spiraling outward. From here, she could see Vah Rudania resting on Death Mountain near Goron City, the blue glow of it standing out among the dark stone. She wondered who else they would choose to be Champions. Obviously her and Daruk had been asked, but the Gerudo had two (maybe three) eligible candidates for Vah Naboris in Urbosa, Ganondorf, and Buliara, and the Rito had many great warriors that would be capable of piloting Vah Medoh.

Her musing was interrupted by a faint call from below, on the docks that Mipha uses to board Vah Ruta.

“Princess Mipha!” The voice of one of the guards, Rivan, if Mipha was hearing correctly. The Princess stood and looked down towards the dock, where the guard was calling and waving an arm at her. He stopped and cupped both hands around his mouth. “Your father requests your presence! A sheikah messenger just arrived with some news!” Mipha cupped a hand around her mouth to respond.

“Give me one moment please! I will be right down!” She hurried off the head of Vah Ruta and switched the main console to its stasis mode. The Divine Beast has no closed doors, for the most part, so it’s easy to just step out of the exit and off its landing onto the dock, where Rivan was waiting for her.

“Shall we?” She asked. Rivan nodded, and fell in line behind her shoulder as they made their way over the dock and into the Domain proper. People on the walkways waved and gave shallows bows as she walked past, and she made sure to smile and wave back to all of them

“Do you know why a Sheikah messenger arrived? I can’t imagine anything else for us to do, since Vah Ruta has already been unearthed, and I’ve been named Champion. Unless this is a routine check to see how we’re adjusting?” Rivan shook his head.

“I have no idea what they’re here for, Princess. I was just told to fetch you, because whatever was being said was incredibly important. Sorry I don’t have any further information.”

Mipha made a noise of acceptance, and focused on picking up her pace, quickly weaving through the paths of the Domain and towards the throne chamber that her father would be in. As a King Zora, not many places can fit him, but thankfully, the chamber was built to withstand the growth that King Zora went through. Mipha used to wonder if she would continue growing to sizes rivaling her father, but considering that she’s still relatively young for a Zora, and her father was still in his prime, the subject has largely left her mind. If she grows, she grows.

Speaking of her father, he noticed her as she entered and quickly beckoned her in.

“Mipha! Come, come. Supposedly, the news is for the both of us.” He focused his attention back on the Sheikah man before him. “Now, what is it you’ve been sent to tell us?”

“Right.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been sent because of something that happened over the past couple days. You both are aware of the research party that was sent to the Lost Woods, yes?”

“Indeed,” Her father said, “We were told that hopefully, the team could create a way to navigate through the woods to where the Sword that Seals the Darkness was being held. I believe there was some old legend or writings that referenced it being there?”

“Correct. The Master Sword is referenced in writings from 10,000 years ago stating that it is placed within the Lost Woods to protect it, under the watch of the Great Deku Tree, which has supposedly grown in the deepest part of the forest. We had hoped that a path could be mapped so that eventually, we’d be able to send expeditions to hopefully retrieve the sword. A lot of the writing vaguely references a “Soul of the Hero”, and we’re not sure what that means, so we were going to do more research into what was required to wield the sword before anyone tried.”

Mipha locked eyes with her father. Perhaps this was Rhoam saying that they were successful in their mapping? Could they begin looking into what was required for the Master Sword? The Zora had some writings talking about the Soul of the Hero too, but none of them really provided a context for what to look for. It seemed to just be a random person each time the Master Sword was pulled. She opened her mouth and asked.

“Was it a successful venture? How did the party fare?”

The messenger grimaced. “Well, before we get too far into the explanation, I will say it was successful.” Mipha opened her mouth for a follow up question, but was politely stopped by the Sheikah’s hand being raised. “Maybe even a little too successful.” 

Her father frowned. “What do you mean?” The man paused, and began his explanation.

“We received a report from the Royal Guard Captain that had accompanied the party that while they had been resting at the Woodland Stable located at the mouth of the Minshi Woods, one of the Zonai Protectors went missing. The next morning, as they traveled up the path to look for him, he stumbled out of the lost woods, dirty, disheveled, and gleaming with fairy lights. Additionally, this Protector exited the Lost Woods holding a gleaming silver sword with a blue hilt.”

He paused again, eyes flicking to both of them.

“This blade was confirmed to be the Master Sword.”

***

Zelda found herself face to face with the Goddess Statue again.

She was at the bottom of the golden ocean, bubbles rising from the sand as she walked towards the statue. Even from here, she could see it was in terrible condition. Cracks stretching down her face from her eyes mimicked tears, and chunks of stone floated away from her wings and the main body of the statue. Zelda curtsied, rolling her eyes as she spread her white prayer dress out around her. She didn’t bother speaking, knowing there would be no response. The Princess sank down into a sitting position, running her fingers through the soft, fine sand at the bottom of the ocean, until the soft sound of crumbling stone reached her ears.

Looking up, she was met with the sight of the statue floating apart, with a figure in white slowly floating to Zelda’s level. Looking at her was a little like looking at something underwater, the surface warping and rippling too much to get a clear image. She caught a glimpse of feathered wings, long golden hair, dark skin, and a flash of a silver sword. A weight that could only belong to a Divine being emanated from her, prompting Zelda to immediately adjust her position into a kneel. Frustrations aside, she was not trying to get smote at the first encounter with Hylia. Funnily enough, in addition to feeling this divine weight, she also felt a great pit of sadness in her, like a whirlpool sucking all her emotions out until there was nothing but despair and hopelessness.

A hand lifted her chin, and Zelda looked up into the constantly shifting face. She could almost make out words, as if the Goddess was trying to talk to her, but was too far away. She bent down, and while the Goddess must have kissed her forehead, Zelda felt nothing from it. Afterward, the Goddess raised her arms, and a great force suddenly swept up underneath Zelda, pushing her up and up until she cleared the top of the ocean, surrounded by a crystal blue sky.

Her mind slammed back into her body, and she took a second to take inventory. All ten fingers and toes, she was still in the Spring of Power, and, to her utmost disappointment, she still had no awareness of her Holy Powers.

Zelda sighed, frustrated once again as the vision began to grow hazy in her mind. She felt as though she had been closer than ever before, but something was holding her back. Behind her, Ganondorf snorts, already reaching for his scimitars as he stood from where he sat against a broken column during the duration of her prayer.

“I’m assuming it’s a no-go?” He rumbled, the Gerudo tilt to his Hylian apparent, especially since he probably just woke up from a nap.

“Yes, well, unless the Goddess decides to bestow Her power on me as I’m climbing out of this pool, then yes, we’re done here for now. I’m famished” Zelda sniffs imperiously, and grumbles as she hikes her soaked prayer dress up while climbing out of the pool. She paused at the edge, hoping to feel some spark in her soul to lure her back into the water, but nothing happened, and Ganondorf reached down and hauled her out.

“Then let’s just rejoin the others outside the spring and see what they’ve cooked up for dinner. Soon enough, it’ll be time for you to get back in and pray some more.” Zelda pouts at him while he stretches upward like a cat, back popping as he yawns. “I’m about ready to hit the hay for the night.”

“Well that makes one of us. I feel as though my defective existence is being further proven.”

“You’ve ruled out curses? If you aren’t sure, maybe asking the King Taluk and Queen Callio would help, since they’re masters of all things magic.” Zelda resisted the urge to sigh again. She had already ruled out curses, mostly because every professional that’s seen her has confirmed there’s no curse on her or any other kind of bad spiritual taint, but even if she hadn’t, she doubted she’d be able to go to the Zonai anyway. At every opportunity, she’s been kept from interacting with them as much as possible. She’d hoped that maybe her father would be too busy to run such a tight ship on her, but he’s done a remarkable job of keeping her occupied.

She gets it though. If she were her father, she’d want to hide the fact that her daughter couldn’t awaken her sacred powers too.

Oh how she wished she could be joining the research team on the Zonai or Sheikah, though. She wanted so terribly to be part of a successful venture, something that would give her purpose beyond standing and praying and climbing into sacred waters, but she was barred at every turn. She had already been conducting research into the Zonai when they were found, and she loved watching the progress on the research of ancient Sheikah tech. Most of all, though, she missed being on a team. She missed Impa and Purah terribly.

Ganondorf thumped her shoulder gently, probably sensing her spiraling thoughts.

“My mother has been telling me about Vah Naboris and the Zonai monarchs, if you’d like to hear some court gossip.” Zelda felt a smile bloom on her face, and she wracked her brain for questions to ask, even if she would never expect Ganondorf to know the answers to every single one of them.

As they strolled out of the spring's official landing, Ganondorf tried to answer every question she had. He at first talked about what little he’s observed from the Zonai (“They’re incredibly nice, Zelda, you’d really love them, and they seem very intelligent. They’re almost able to keep up with Purah when she talks about the Sheikah magitech.”), but eventually had to move on to other topics, mostly the Divine Beasts. 

The Gerudo prince talked about how the mouth of Karusa Valley has never seen so much foot traffic than right now, and about how apparently, at the innermost part of the valley, the Yiga Clan’s main hideout is  (“We’re not entirely sure where, just because they seem to have hidden it, but we know it’s there. They have gossip stones with red paper seals on their faces lining the path up. For now, tightened guards have been sufficient.”)

“Oh,” Ganondorf paused, “I almost forgot! Your father, Impa, and Purah approached my mother about two weeks ago to offer her the Divine Beast as its Champion pilot.” He glanced at Zelda, who nodded at him to continue. “She accepted, but at first she wanted me to do it.”

“Oh! Why didn’t you accept? I knew Father was looking for Champions, and Mipha and Daruk already accepted being pilots.” Ganondorf shrugged his massive shoulders.

“My magic doesn’t fit it well, since Vah Naboris was built with lightning magic in mind. My mother and Riju were born with that power, so it only makes sense for her to pilot it. Besides, I would rather be spending time with you instead, not in some ancient, dusty camel.” The princess laughed in response, dropping the subject and eagerly changing the subject to the other Champions. The Rito Champion had yet to be chosen, but if Zelda had any say in it, she’d suggest Revali. The warrior was renowned for his skill with a bow, and has pioneered a whole new fighting technique utilizing artificially made updrafts. Anyone with that kind of ingenuity and creativity would be a great fit.

Their discussion wasn’t able to last very long, since the camp came into view only a short distance from the spring to the west. When they got close, a servant dashed up to them and bowed.

“Your Majesties. We have received a letter requesting we return to Hyrule Castle at once. We have already packed most of everyone’s things, but if the two of you wouldn’t mind, please get ready for the return trip. We were just about to send a retrieval.”

“That’s odd. We usually linger a while longer before leaving, and definitely not in this much of a hurry. What’s the rush? The trip has only just started, and we were planning to be gone for at least three more days.” Zelda said, cutting her eyes to Ganondorf, and back to the servant.

“What was in the letter?” The Gerudo Prince asked, and the young man straightened, his next words causing Zelda’s face to go sheet white, while her stomach dropped to her shoes.

“The Master Sword has been claimed. By a Zonai Protector.”

***

Link hummed quietly to himself at the cooking pot of the Woodland Stable, right on the edge of what he knew was the Eldin Canyon. The rest of the group he was with were currently unpacking in the stable proper, but he volunteered to cook dinner for the night. He was currently melting some cheese into a pot full of tomatoes, and kneading some dough on the side while listening to evening crickets chirp and the not-so-distant rumbling of Death Mountain. Hopefully bread and cheesy tomatoes were good for everyone, but it was simple and delicious when done well, and if Link were to brag, he would say that his cooking was pretty top tier.

The party was heading towards the Lost Woods, supposedly to recover the Sword that Seals the Darkness. Link’s a little unsure how they plan on doing so, since the Lost Woods tend to cause people to get lost unless they know how to navigate it or if they’re led through it. It’s none of his business at this point anyway, since he’s just protection detail for the squishy little researchers, alongside his team and the other Hylian knights that accompanied them. Thankfully, most of the Protector’s ranks at this point have learned passable New Hylian (which was interesting to learn, the language has changed so much since the Old Hylians interacted with the Old Zonai), so no translators were necessarily required to make the journey go smoothly!

The trip up to this stable took about two days, thanks to the inclines and the difficulty with lugging equipment. Trekking through the canyons worked up everyone’s appetite, so it was a good thing that Link started cooking early, because right as the second batch of food was finished, the group (and honestly, some of the people at the stable not with their group) descended upon the cooking pot like vultures. Within minutes, Link’s hard work was devoured, and chatter began to rise up while the researchers and guards winded down for the evening. One by one, both Hylians and Zonai began to retire for the night, calling out thanks (or shoulder slaps in thanks) before leaving, and Link offered to clean the pot out for the stablehands, since he was the one that did all the cooking.

Scrubbing the pot dominated his focus, the rhythmic scraping to clear the sides of melted cheese and tomato soothing, until a teeny poke on the back of his thigh and a giggle startled him. Whirling around and drawing his sword, he turned to see a small creature resembling a chubby doll made of wood, complete with a smiling leaf mask. They let out a squeak in surprise, and Link immediately shoved his sword back in its sheath and raised his hands in a peaceful gesture. Now that he wasn’t startled, he could recognize a Korok when he saw one. Said Korok peeked through its tubby arms.

“You can see me?” Came the confusing question in a child-like voice. Link tilted his head in respect. Even if Koroks are generally friendly (and minor) forest spirits, it wouldn’t do to upset one.

“It would appear so. May I ask what your name is, little spirit?”

“Oaki, mister! Yahaha! You can see the children of the forest!” He did a little dance and hop, making Link huff out a small laugh. Oaki giggled back at him and toddled closer, reaching for Link’s hand, which he offered to the Korok.

“I wanna show the others that you can see us, Mister! Please, please, please come with me?”  Oaki tugged on Link's fingers, urging him towards the Minshi Woods. Link let him pull for a while, unmoving, but in the face of such a cute spirit whining and trying to get him to follow, Link finally stood up and scooped up Oaki as he walked out of the fence to the stable. Oaki directed him as they went up the hill, until a dark entrance to a misty forest yawned before them. The Korok in his arms pointed straight into the heart of the woods, and after a moment’s hesitation, Link continued walking. Hopefully this trip would be done before morning, so the party wouldn’t go looking for him.

Following Oaki’s directions was more difficult than it should have been, honestly, but once the mist swallowed Link up, he had no choice but to go where he was pointing, weaving between menacing trees with snarling faces. Eventually though, the fog began to thin, and a warm light cut through the fog, illuminating a beautiful green glade with trees and shrubs swarming with Koroks. His pace slowed as Oaki hopped out of his hands, chattering with the other forest children that sent waves and little greetings out to him.

A small clearing opened up in front of him, with a spot of clear sunlight illuminating a stone dais spottily surrounded by Silent Princess. A truly gigantic tree stretched up over him, a face naturally set in the weathered bark, and pink petals crowning the branches. But what really caught his attention was what was on the dais. Set in a triangle shaped pedestal, was a sword, with a silver blade glinting in the sunlight, and a lovely blue hilt.

Something about the situation was familiar, but Link wasn’t sure what it was. Looking at the sword made him feel like he was standing on the edge of one of his home islands, gazing down towards the surface. His head swam, and his vision went double, mind overcome as he stepped up the dais towards the sword. He watched his prosthetic hand ( A hand with a brown glove, a hand with a green sleeve, a hand with a bracer to accompany its glove) reach out towards the handle, the rumble of the tree in front of him not penetrating his mind until his fingers wrapped around the hilt.

The cold of the handle shocked him back into the present, and he made to let go, but his body was paralyzed, the sword so cold it burned as he watched a silvery glow emanate from the blade, like fire licking at the air, the scent of ozone filling his nose. He fell to one knee, strength being sapped from him as images flashed behind his eyes.

He watched a moon with a menacing face fall over and over on an unsuspecting town. He watched a pure white sword impale dark armor, and a tall woman shatter a mirror. He watched a red dragon boat sail across an incomprehensible sea. He watched a beautiful girl play the ocarina. He watched the ground come closer and closer until a giant red bird caught him. He watched a huge man transform into a terrifying beast. He watched a pink-purple cloud of pure evil roar it's rage to the sky before blinding blue light seared into its not-flesh. Life after life passed behind his eyelids, faster and faster, making him dizzy, until a bell light voice spoke in his mind.

“Hello again, Master”

The images stopped, and Link’s vision cleared, revealing that he had bent backwards, unseeing eyes fixed onto the night sky. He gasped a breath in, and even more sudden than the visions, a column of golden light erupted out of him. The light burned and blinded him as he screamed, feeling as though his soul was being branded. The burning sensation concentrated to the back of his left hand, like a red hot nail being driven into his flesh, and he watched a golden triangle bloom onto the back of it, before the pain and light cut off and his vision went fuzzy.

As he fell backwards, the sword in his grip sliding out of the pedestal, and the smell of old wood wafting into his nose, his vision went dark, and Link knew no more.

Chapter Text

“In Goron legend, there is a mystical city somewhere in or around Death Mountain that was once the original birthplace of all the rock people of Hyrule. According to the stories, this city was built from the bones of the first Goron, a gargantuan rock giant that assisted Din in her divine forge until she was called back to the Sacred Realm. It’s said that when she left, he fell into a deep sleep, and his body was remade into the great volcano, Death Mountain, which cradles the holy fire of Din as it rises from the earth. The first of the Goron emerged from his stone flesh, and they fashioned a home out of the bones of their First Brother. And so it was named after this great giant, and the Goron as a people adopted its name as well: Gorondia.”

-Excerpt from "Hyrule Historia: A Comprehensive Guide to Hyrule’s Oldest Places”

***

Zelda and Ganondorf lay in the tall grass a short ways away from South Akkala Stable, staring up into the night sky. The rush to pack up and start heading back to the castle had dominated most of the afternoon, and by the time everyone had settled into the stable, stars had begun appearing in the night sky. While everyone else turned in for the night, Zelda stayed outside and gazed into the night sky.

Ganondorf had joined her knowing that she was swallowing a bitter pill. He could see it in the tightness around her eyes and clenched jaw, the hopelessness that had been dogging her crashing against her. To know that a piece of this great puzzle of destiny was revealed, and she was being left behind because of her struggle with Hylia’s blood was tragic.

“Did I ever tell you,” Zelda started, “That I started having strange dreams?” Ganondorf hesitated, thinking back through their conversations.

“I think so.” He stated. “Never anything in depth though, just that you were having weird dreams about your powers.”

She continued on “It started just before the first meeting with the Zonai people. The night before, I had a dream that I woke up from thinking it was important, but I don’t remember much about it. I remember it being bright. I remember standing on sand, it could’ve been a beach. I remember yelling at something, but I don’t know what. I also remember this huge, heavy weight on me, but not like a physical weight. Like I was surrounded by something with great power.”

“It doesn’t happen every night, but I always recognize it. Bright light, soft sand, big emotions. Over and over and over. More recently, I’m starting to remember small details. The smell of salt. The sound of the ocean. The color gold, all around me. And always, that immense, heavy pressure inside and around me.”

Ganondorf turned his head to find her staring dead at him, eyes wide and scared.

“I used to think that I was getting closer to unlocking my powers, like maybe the Goddess saw my devotion and would bestow her blessing on me. But now,” Her voice shook, “Now I’m worried this is a sign I have been abandoned by my progenitor, and everything I’ve done until now has been for nothing. I’m scared that Hyrule will fall, and it will be because I didn’t have the faith or strength to manifest my own thrice-cursed birthright.”

She suddenly sat up in the grass, and Ganondorf scrambled to follow, watching her stare at her hands, still talking.

“What if nothing works? What if when the Calamity happens, we are defenseless and everyone I’ve ever known and cared about dies? Father, Mipha, Urbosa, hells, even you . I don’t know if I could handle losing everything.” She burst into tears, covering her face with her hands and hunching over. Cautiously, the Gerudo prince tugged her hands off her face and held them in his own. He could feel them tremble in his much larger grip.

“It’ll work, Zelda. I swear it upon the Heroines, Hylia, even to the Golden Goddesses above, that there will be a happy ending. All of Hyrule is determined to make this happen, and I swear to you, Zelda, that the Goddesses smile on us. I swear to use all of my power-and even beyond that, to ensure our victory.”

Zelda threw herself into his arms, sobbing harder and pushing her face into the junction between his shoulder and neck. He could feel the fabric of his half coat getting wet, but in the moment, he didn’t mind. He held her until her cries began to quiet, and she released him, hiccuping. He let her back away, still sniffling.

“Feel better?” The smallest smile flitted across her face.

“A little. Thank you, Ganondorf. I think,” She turned to look at the sky, “I think I’ve been holding onto that for a long time. It was good to talk to someone about it.” Ganondorf patted her arm.

“Well good. I knew it had been a rough few weeks, maybe even months, but I had no idea you were having these dreams.”

“Yes well, when they first started I didn’t know what to think of them, so I ignored them. They’ve gotten more frequent recently, so it started to wear on me. I think that cursed Master Sword being pulled just was the breaking point. I know Father’s going to go ballistic when we get back, and try to force me to awaken my powers more than he already is.” At the mention of the Master Sword, her face fell again.

“I don’t think anyone was expecting one of the Zonai to pull it. Haven’t most of the Heroes from legend been Hylian?”

“I mean, the profile of the Hero has always been a little murky. Most of our recorded Heroes were Hylian, sure, but we haven’t had need of a Hero in, at the very least, ten thousand years. And even then, scholars aren’t sure what the identity of the Hero from then was anyway. Art depicts him as red haired and tall, wearing clothing we can’t identify. The leading theory is that he may have Gerudo in that life.” Ganondorf hummed noncommittally. In the Tribes, they didn’t really keep track of the Hero of Legend as diligently as the Kingdom of Hyrule, probably because they simply didn’t follow Hylia’s legends as closely.

The Gerudo have always prioritized Din, the unnamed Goddess of the Sand, and the Seven Heroines. The Twinrova could probably be considered part of their veneration, but since no one is entirely sure what they are, the general consensus is to just treat them as respectfully as they would treat any other spirit of the world.

“Well imagine that. A Gerudo Hero, after all the conflict we've had with Hylians? That would cause a huge stir.” Zelda hummed in agreement.

“I wonder which Protector pulled the sword. I don’t know any of them by name, but whenever they’ve visited there seems to be a committed team that usually accompanies the King and Queen or other teams.” Ganondorf opened his mouth to respond, but a cough from behind them drew his attention.

The two teens turned around to find Impa standing in the tall grass, having approached silently from the Stable.

“As much as I hate to interrupt you two, it’s getting late, and it may be wise to head to bed. We still have a ways to go before arriving back at Hyrule Castle.” She offered Zelda her hand while Ganondorf pushed himself off the ground.

“I suppose it is pretty late. Thank you for coming to get us, Impa.” The three of them walked back into the light of the stable, and Zelda paused at the entrance, since Ganondorf was heading to a different part of the stable to sleep.

“Good night, Ganondorf. Hopefully everything will work out tomorrow.” Ganondorf repeated the well wishes, and made his way around the stable to the room set out for him.

While getting ready for bed, he reflected on his and Zelda’s conversation. Specifically the dreams that the princess was having. He didn’t get the chance to mention (or maybe he didn’t want to mention) his own ominous dreams. Or more specifically, the vibes and impressions he’s been left with. The chill of eyes, warmth of a campfire, a strong voice drowning out a roar.

Maybe the two are connected? Ganondorf muses as he climbs into the bed, fitting himself as much as possible under the blankets.

He’s not entirely sure why the thought causes a twinge of fear to penetrate his heart.

***

Taluk stood by an open alcove in the main temple found in Floria, looking out across the river basin. Evidently, the past couple days had been eventful , to say the least. Link pulled the Master Sword, and got himself thrust onto the international stage of destiny. The Zonai king heaved a sigh.

“Careful, love. Keep looking so serious and you’ll get wrinkles.” His wife called as she entered the alcove. The Sages must have finished their Council meeting. Taluk heaved another huge sigh, and turned with his arms spread to receive her.

“To think, this time last year the most pressing problem for us was how much we were going to eat for the banquet honoring Lilipa’s coronation as Sage of Light.” Callio hummed in thought as she stepped closer.

“Yes, I remember quite a bit of chaos surrounding that particular ceremony.”

“Well, how was I supposed to know she was allergic to Chickaloo nuts? I’m not the one who can see the future.” His wife laughed at him, and he couldn’t help but chuckle along with her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he put his arms around her shoulders as they leaned against each other.

“It feels like everything is developing at speeds we can’t keep up with. I don’t know what the right move is.” He whispered with his nose in her hair. His wife rubbed her hand down his back in comfort.

“We’ll be okay, Taluk. If it comes down to us causing an international war or just revealing ourselves, then we’ll be able to do it with no stress. The Goddess Hylia would descend in person before she let Hyrule tear itself apart. It goes against her very nature. Everything will work out, and the real work will begin, once they’re ready to hear the full truth.”

“I wonder if it’s them we’re waiting on, or if our unwillingness to reveal ourselves is because we are not ready. We haven’t had to navigate external politics since before Hyrule was a Kingdom. I worry we’re not doing our former leaders proud.” His wife sighed after he finished, and leaned further into him. She seemed to be mulling over his words.

“Personally, I think you’re doing a fine job, and I’m not saying that because I’m your wife. The rest of Hyrule isn’t so unforgiving that they would retaliate against us instead of continuing to prioritize the imminent destruction of everything all of us love.”

“Well when you say it like that, it sounds so simple.” Taluk complains. Callio chuckled at him.

“Well, sometimes it is that simple, you silly man. Your overthinking is sometimes a blessing in service to our people, but at this moment it’s doing more harm than good. We’ll be okay, my love, I promise.” Taluk sighed, holding his wife closer for a moment before she reached around and pinched his side.

“Alright, Taluk, I know you think I’m done with the Council for now, but we’re not. Everyone wants to discuss with you what our next moves are, especially concerning the Temples.” They separated, and she grabbed his hand as they made their way back where she came from. The Council Chambers are usually closed to Taluk, as he is more responsible for the relationship that the Zonai have to the outside world, as well as being the face of their government and military. The Council runs the day to day, and he usually leaves them to it unless there are problems concerning their people.

“Ah, the lovebirds finally return.” The raspy voice of Zamek, the Sage of Shadows, announced.

“Took them long enough, I was thinking they both skipped!” Taluk could hear the smile in Lillipa’s voice as she whispered across the room to the other Sages. Callio rolled her eyes playfully before taking her seat at the head of the Chamber, also taking the time to unlock one of the glowing green lock sigils at the side of her seat. In response, the circle of seats rotated slightly as another chair rose up from the floor, giving Taluk a place to sit while they met together.

“Well let’s get started, yes?” Callio said. “With the retrieval of the Master Sword by our very own Link, we may need to begin preparing for the moment we want to reveal our full breadth, as well as how we’ll tackle the topic of the Temples we know are still on the surface.”

“I believe,” Zamek began, “that it may be prudent to begin scouting out potential candidates for wielding the Secret Stones found in each of our Temples. I believe that once we have candidates selected, we could begin subtly revealing information that may help them come to the conclusion that we have more to tell, which will give us the opportunity to be truthful without consequence.”

“I disagree.” Came the voice of the Sage of Spirit, a younger man by the name of Alectus, stated. “Granted, I agree that it would be wise for us to begin looking for wielders of our Secret Stones, but I disagree about how we should go about revealing information. Wouldn’t it be wiser to just come clean and reveal ourselves instead of leaving clues?”

Taluk steepled his fingers as Zamek began to debate Alectus, with Lillipa jumping in every once in a while to get clarification on points the two make, and Callio lost in thought next to him, probably probing her divination abilities for a hopeful path.

“I’m just saying for the stability of our people and the safety of us, it would be wise not to reveal everything at once. That sounds like a recipe for pandemonium.” Zamek finishes, leaning back with his hands held up in peace. Alectus dips his head in understanding.

“And I understand your point, Zamek. My only disagreement is that I don’t think it would be wise to feed information to them because it may seem like we’ve been stringing them along. I don’t anticipate that going over well at all.”  Zamek conceded with a grunt. Taluk finally sat up, steepled his fingers as the sages glanced up at him.

“We’ve been split on this since the beginning, unfortunately.” Lillipa says to him. “So we’ve been hoping that as the king, you could be the tie breaker or the compromise maker or what have you.”

“I see." He took a moment to gather his thoughts, sifting through each argument. In this case, the best option would probably be a compromise between safety and honesty. "The best option, in my opinion, is to be upfront, just not completely upfront. We decide on champions for our temples, and after we talk about our temples, just say that we have some information and secrets that can greatly help with the effort against the Calamity, but make sure that they know that we are not completely ready to share everything. We need to sift through some of what needs to stay secret before we can continue.” He took a breath. “That way, they know that we want to tell them everything, but at the moment, we are not equipped to give them what they need to know and what we need to stay in our possession alone.”

All the other Sages murmured to themselves as they each individually agreed with his proposal, with varying amounts of satisfaction. However, with the initial plan outlined, they all began to discuss what knowledge needed to definitively stay with them alone. How secret stones are made, Draconification, other inner workings of their government. Most of the other things, like what the Temples are for, what secret stones are for, the full reach of their people, even the true form of the Calamity, should be revealed in time. There were other things to sort through before secrets could be revealed, and they needed to foster their relationships with the other leaders more as well. Particularly with the Kingdom of Hyrule itself, and with the Rito in Hebra.

“Perhaps this is where it is a good thing that Link pulled the Master Sword,” Callio mused, “because he will undoubtedly be paired with the Princess of Hyrule at the very least, which will serve as an outlet for our people to get closer to them through the burgeoning partnership between Hero and Goddess Incarnate. The Rito are a bit harder to get close to anyway, they’re relatively isolated and like to stay independent. They are a proud people.”

“I’m sure Elder Kaneli is perfectly friendly.” Came Lillipa’s reply. “I just think that they, even more so than their fellows due to their landlocked location, haven’t had to interact with foreign entities they weren’t familiar with. It’ll all work out.” She continued after taking a moment to think.

“I will say that choosing candidates for the Temples may be simpler than we thought. The Sheikah already have champions, yes? We could use them too, as ironically, the ancient Shiekah created contraptions suited to the same magic as our secret stones.”

“So that would make Princess Mipha, Chief Urbosa, Daruk of the Goron, and I believe the Rito warrior named Revali our potential wielders, yes?” Zamek piped up. Taluk nodded in confirmation, and the older man made a sound of satisfaction. “Then I have to agree, our secret stones would be in good hands. They all seem to be capable warriors, and once we were able to speak to them about the severity of the task, I imagine it would be a great honor.”

For the rest of the meeting, Taluk let the Sages hash out the rest of what needed to happen in the near future and they began preparing for their reveal, interjecting only when needed, but while this meeting definitely boosted his confidence, he couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was still barreling down a slope that they couldn’t control.

***

Link stood before the throne of King Rhoam in the sanctum of Hyrule Castle as the man gave him a once over, taking in his green half-shawl shirt, and the sandals on his feet, and the distinct lack of armor. Off to the side of the room, he could see presumably the princess of Hyrule, the tall Gerudo man from the introduction he attended, and four representatives from the four nations of Hyrule. He recognized the Chief of the Gerudo, the Princess of the Zora, and the leader of the Goron, but he did not recognize the Rito.

After he pulled the master sword (and he tried not to linger on that overwhelming thought), the party he was accompanying with the other Protectors rushed back to Hyrule, packing all their things and booking it to the castle faster than they had left. The king had immediately sent word to the other provinces, and told everyone to hang tight while everyone who needed to come traveled to the castle.

Now, after about a week of waiting for each of the important people to arrive, Link was supposedly going to be brought into the inner fold of the effort against the Calamity. His stomach twisted with nervousness. Being in close correspondence with his own sovereigns is one thing; the King is his most supreme officer, it’s normal to run into him with the other Protectors. Meeting the sovereigns of other nations? Terrifying, a diplomatic incident waiting to happen.

“Well, Protector,” Said king began, standing and gesturing Link to meet him where the other people were in the corner, “Now that the prudent parties are here, I would like to invite you into the fold of the Champions that the Sheikah have appointed to pilot the Divine Beasts found across Hyrule. I will let them introduce themselves.” The Gerudo Chief immediately stepped forward, holding her hand out.

“Urbosa, sole Chief of the Desert People and all our tribes.” She said, meeting his hand and they grasped forearms. The Zora Princess and Goron leader both stood and introduced themselves with their full titles as well. Crown Princess Mipha of the Lanayru Zora’s Domain, and Daruk, leader of the Eldin Gorons. The Rito just huffed, and didn’t bother offering a hand.

“Revali, greatest warrior of the Rito.” He said tersely. “And you are?”

“Link.” He spoke quietly. “I’m a Captain Protector of the Zonai.” Revali huffed again, unimpressed. Rhoam cleared his throat, and gestured towards the Hylian princess.

“And this is my daughter, Zelda, Crown Princess of Hyrule, and Ganondorf, the heir to Chiefdom of the Gerudo Tribes, and Chief Urbosa’s son. However, only Urbosa, Mipha, Daruk, and Revali are pilots for the Divine Beasts.”

“It’s wonderful to make your acquaintance, Link.” The soft voice of Mipha said to him, to the murmured agreement to everyone else in the group, with the exception of Revali and Zelda. The Princess of Hyrule had a neutral look on her face, but in her eyes Link could see a deep sadness. Revali looked offended to be in his presence, unimpressed with him as a person, and with the feathers around his neck puffed out, looked as if he was trying to appear bigger, with a look on his face like he was two seconds away from flying as far away as possible.

“Yes yes, we’re so glad the Hero of legend has revealed himself, and it’s an honor to meet you, Protector. Can I return to my people? I have more important things to deal with than,” Revali gave Link a sideways glance, “this.”

“Oh, Revali, don’t be such a spoilsport! It’s good to have all the resources that we can acquire, and what better resource than a Hero of legend reborn into the modern age! If we are all to work together to contain this apocalypse, then we must build bridges, not burn them!” Daruk boomed, slapping Link’s back hard enough to propel him a couple steps forward. The Rito scoffed, while Urbosa chuckled quietly.

“Well said, Daruk. We must endeavor to be open to working with one another if we hope to succeed!” King Rhoam agreed, clapping his hands together. “I imagine this is a good time for everyone to familiarize themselves with each other. All of you will have to end up forming a team of sorts, as you work to develop your skills towards defeating the Calamity.” 

As the king waxed poetic about needing to work together, and the value in allies and being allied with one another, Link zones out and tries not to fidget as he feels the stares of the Gerudo Prince and Hylian Princess burn into the side of his face.

He remembers making eye contact with Princess Zelda during the spar he did with the Hylian Knight, and the connection he felt. Now, he figures it probably had something to do with their connection to divinity recognizing each other, but he can’t help but feel like at the time, the sadness in her eyes was much less pronounced. He also can’t help but notice that she had a spark of anger in her eyes that she didn’t have before, and it felt as though all that anger was being directed at him.

Ganondorf’s stare felt more like curiosity. Link knows he’s a little unassuming, with his short stature and prosthetic arm, paired with his lack of armor. It’s an advantage to be underestimated by opponents larger than him, but Link doesn’t necessarily feel threatened. From his observation of the Prince before pretending to pay attention to the King, Ganondorf seems to be more analytical than one would initially expect. He can recognize someone that pays attention to their surroundings and threats around them because he does the same thing.

“But, I’m spending a lot of time running my mouth, when I should be spending it on our next move. I need to excuse myself, but please, if you need anything, Zelda is here, you can come find me, we can get you anything you need.” Rhoam hurriedly left after his parting words, and immediately the four Champions began talking, Daruk barging through first.

“We should do a little ceremony! Like a blessing or something, to recognize Link as a part of the Champions now!” He boomed (Link’s starting to think he’s always booming), and was met with a truly disgusting scoff from Revali, again .

“I hate that idea, and don’t think it’s necessary. I don’t think it’s worth the effort, and I personally don’t see the point of recognizing someone for something that wasn’t born of their effort, but instead just some twist of fate.” Link could tell that Revali was once again side-eyeing him with a smug aura surrounding him. He let the unspoken insult run over him like water on a duck’s back, and just raised an eyebrow in response, staying silent. If the Rito warrior wanted to insult and underestimate him, that’s fine. There will come a time that he’s able to prove himself.

“Oh, you’re such a downer, Revali. I think it would be nice, and we should talk to Rhoam about it.” Mipha said, placing a finned hand on Daruk’s forearm. Said Goron gave her a wide grin, and they began talking to one another about what they wanted the ceremony to be like, and how it would be a great start to their team relationship as Champions. Revali rolled his eyes, but thankfully stayed silent as he started tinkering with his bow.

Princess Zelda and Prince Ganondorf turned to each other and started murmuring to each other, the Gerudo resting a hand on her shoulder while she made tight, upset motions with her hands, corresponding to what she was saying. Looking around the group, Link was already feeling a little left out, even if it’s unintentional for Mipha and Daruk in their excitement, and an anxious sweat began to break out on the back of Link’s neck.

“Don’t mind them,” the voice of Urbosa to his left came, “the five of them get excited and lost in their own worlds. It truly is an honor to meet you, Protector Link.” Urbosa offered another firm handshake to him. “The greater our numbers, the better we can dispel this Calamity approaching us.” Link clasped hands with her again, taking stock of the calluses on her hands marking her prowess with a sword.

“Forgive me for my ignorance, but what exactly is a Captain Protector? I’m not familiar with the military structure of the Zonai, and you seem quite young to already be a higher rank.”

Link began to talk, carefully skirting the Construct shaped hole in the discussion as he explained that the King is the highest officer of the military, followed by Command Protectors, then Captain Protectors, and finally the normal Protectors.

“Ah, then your fellow warriors must be very skilled, if even just a Captain Protector is a match for a Hylian knight. Your fighting was exceptional during that spar.” His ears burned red while he nodded.

“I’m technically the youngest Captain Protector in recent history, and I thank you for the appreciation.” He scratched the back of his head with his prosthetic, catching her quick glance at it. “I’m hoping to climb to be the youngest Command Protector as well, if it’s possible.”

“I’m sure you’ll find success in your endeavor. I know both I and my son have expressed a wish to test your mettle against some of the finest the Gerudo has to offer as well, if you’d be up for it.” Urbosa stated politely, and Link let a small smile overtake his place. He agreed, and began to ask questions about Gerudo fighting and techniques.

While the chief responded in kind, talking about her home, Link felt his anxiety dim, and a burgeoning feeling of camaraderie sprouted within him.

Chapter Text

“Not all Heroes wear capes! In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Master Sword has been retrieved, by no less than one of the returned Zonai! And not ONLY one of the returned Zonai, but the Zonai Protector that bested one of Hyrule’s own knights in a duel to first blood! Revealed to be named Link, this young man is adorable enough to put even the handsome Prince Ganondorf through his mettle. His short stature, teeny little horns, and soft ears will make even the toughest girls blush! Last seen clad in a revealing green shawl with short (and tight) shorts, complete with sandals, this warrior is a sight to behold. Despite his lack of height, you can see the strength in his slim shoulders, and in the definition of his thighs (drool!). The final cherry on top- this man has some INK! Will this warrior of the forgotten people be revealed to be the sweetheart his features suggest? Or will he turn out to be a bad boy fit for a romance novel? Stay tuned as we keep you up to date on the hottest, juiciest gossip in the kingdom!”

- Excerpt from By the Goddess!

***

The next day, Ganondorf finds himself at the Sacred Grounds to the south of Castle Town, taking part in a farce of a ritual.

“... Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight, the sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection….”

Zelda’s speech fades out as Ganondorf glances to the four Champions chosen to pilot the Divine Beasts, his mother among them. While Urbosa and Mipha share looks of solemnity, Daruk only looks disappointed at the depressive nature of the ceremony, and Revali looks two seconds away from flying home, his irritation at the Hero’s special treatment plain on his face. All of them bore the matching blue cloth accessories that Zelda had personally embroidered in order to mark them as Champions, nicely linking them together as a group. 

He looks back at Zelda and the Zonai Protector, named Link. Zelda looks serious, if a tad bored, but the Gerudo prince can see the irritation in her eyes as she recited a blessing for the Hero to grow closer to the Sword, and he can also see the tense way Link is holding himself, like he isn’t used to being the center of attention.

Revali’s less-than-stellar opinion of the Hero is baseless, though Ganondorf can see how the Rito had come to his conclusion. A quick glance is enough for someone to write off the young Zonai as incapable, but Gerudo grew up looking for the smallest hint of threats in the sand. The protector was small, sure (the only one physically shorter than him was Mipha and Zelda), but the set of his shoulders and the tense line of his body as he kneels belies a readiness to jump up and attack. When they had been introduced the day before, Link looked like he was sizing all of them up, and Revali’s comments were purposefully ignored.

Most intriguing, though, is Link’s strange arm. From the tips of his fingers to halfway up his bicep, his arm was a gradient from a dark grayish-green to a dusky version of his natural tan, before his natural skin tone took over. Additionally, he had geometric lines continuing up his arm and partially across his chest. Ganondorf desperately wanted to know what was up with it, but also didn’t want to commit any sort of faux-pas.

He could admit that he was excited to meet someone closer to his age from the Zonai, but he could also plainly see that Zelda wanted nothing to do with him. The fact that he pulled the Master Sword basically immediately after his people reintroduced themselves, while she’d dedicated her entire life to unlocking her power definitely stung her pride. He could hear her voice peter off as she approached the end of the blessing.

“Ganon.” At the sound of his mother’s voice, he looked up into Urbosa’s piercing green eyes. She turned her head towards the Princess and Heroes direction, and he saw Link trying to start a conversation with a Zelda whose face said ‘I’m being cordial because I have to be, but I would literally rather be anywhere else’. He winced on the Protector’s behalf.

“You’ll have to keep an eye on her, Rhoam wants to try and convince Taluk and Callio to allow Link to accompany her everywhere. Make sure she doesn’t get too upset and take it out on the poor boy.” Ganondorf nodded.

“I’ll do my best. Link didn’t look like he wanted any of this either. What were you and the other Champions talking about?” His mother looked pained as she recollected the past few minutes.

“Daruk was disappointed with how solemn everything was, which is fair. You know he wanted this to be more of a celebration. Mipha was fine, and you know Revali.” She chuckled. “He’s just upset that Link gets all this attention just because he pulled the Master Sword. I think he’ll be a little bitter for a while.” Ganon snorted.

“Probably an understatement. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to shoot him at some point.”

“You’re not wrong.” Urbosa flicked her hair back over her shoulder. “But that’s between him and Link. Personally, I hope they fight it out. It might do Revali some good, to be humbled a little.” She looked off, seemingly daydreaming about the prideful warrior getting beat in a fair fight, a smirk growing on her face before she refocused.

“I do need to head back home though, as important as this was, we still need to finish preparing the outer tribes for movement into their underground abodes. I would appreciate your help, but the sandstorms aren’t predicted to grow stronger anytime soon, so if you’d like to stay and help with,” She gestured towards Zelda, Link, and now King Rhoam, “all that, you can.”

Ganondorf gave his mother a nod. “I think I’ll stay another week or so, that should be enough to at least get them cordial with one another. Afterwards, I’ll head back to Gerudo Town. I think Zelda mentioned yesterday that Purah and the other Sheikah researchers have a prototype for some kind of message sending device, so maybe I can use that to stay in touch after I leave if need be.”

Urbosa spoke her agreement, and made her way towards the troupe of Gerudo guards waiting for her. Ganondorf turned the opposite direction and made his way over to Zelda, noticing her protesting to King Rhoam.

“But father, this is so unnecessary! I already have the full force of the Royal Guard dogging my steps, and Ganondorf has always been close to me whenever I do anything that could be dangerous. Why would this Protector even need to follow me?” She seemed genuinely upset, hurt that her father would limit her even more, and with the physical reminder of her failure at that.

“Zelda, it would be good for him to learn of the Hylian legends and how we live here. Plus, having the soul of the Hero so close to you may help awaken your dormant sealing powers. I will not have you refuse his presence just because he makes you uncomfortable. King Taluk and Queen Callio agreed that it would be good for him to get to know you and they’re going to let him stay with us at Hyrule Castle for a couple weeks every month. Now you will be polite and you will accept what I have to say. He’s right next to you, and you’re complaining about his presence.” His tone brooked no argument from her and he watched Zelda clench her fists before bitterly nodding.

“Yes, father.” Rhoam nodded once before turning on his heel and heading back up the ground towards Hyrule Castle. Zelda stood where she was and let out a wordless sound of frustration, turning to a bench to plop herself down on. Ganon started to step towards her when a hand at his elbow stopped him.

Link stepped back when the taller boy turned to him. Ganondorf was ashamed to say that he somehow forgot he was there; he was so quiet. The young Zonai gestured toward Zelda, speaking in mostly clear, if accented, Hylian.

“Did I do something wrong? Why is she so unhappy?” The Gerudo Prince inwardly sighed; Zelda definitely did not consciously understand that being upset at being near Link hurt him too, but she definitely wanted to stay far away from the Master Sword.

“I would try not to take it personally, if I were you. She doesn’t have anything against you specifically, more the situation we find ourselves in.” Link gave him an incredulous look after a pause, mentally picking through his words. “I’m serious! If anything, she’s more upset about that sword than you or whoever else would’ve drawn it. The sword just symbolizes her greatest failure, not unlocking her sealing powers.”

Link’s eyes widened in surprise, which reminded Ganondorf that technically, the Zonai were not aware of Zelda’s struggles (oops). Before he could panic and try and cover up though, his gaze hardened into determination.

“Then I’ll have to make her see me , not the sword.”

***

“Thank the gods we’re done with that.” Revali huffed. “Was it as wonderful as you wanted, Daruk?”

The Goron let Revali’s sarcasm pass over and tsked at him.

“Well, it would’ve been better if you weren’t such a sourpuss, oh great Rito warrior. You single handedly were sucking all of the joy out of what was supposed to be a fun little ceremony to bring the Hero in. All of us had a formal ceremony when the Sheikah asked us to be pilots, it was only fair that Link got one too.” The Rito scoffed.

“ Please , it’s not like he did anything to deserve being the Hero, and it’s just redundant to have a “Hero” when we already have four of the most powerful pieces of divine magitech in the world being piloted by four of the greatest warriors the world has to offer. What can he offer, a nifty sword that’s super effective against evil?”

Daruk and Revali continued arguing while Mipha half heartedly listened. After formally meeting Link, she was very confident that was an extremely competent warrior, given he was most definitely the warrior from the infamous spar. She watched Ganondorf and him talk after Zelda stomped away, fixating on his appearance. Yes, it was definitely him, even down to that strange dusky arm. Mipha knows it’s a prosthetic, thanks to the tea she shared with Urbosa and Callio, but it continues to amaze her every time she looks and thinks about it..

Modern prosthetics have sharply increased in function and advancement with the introduction of sheikah magitech, but none of those have the same seamless formatting to the natural flesh, or even the fluidity that Link seems to have with his. As a healer herself, she desperately wants to know how in the world they’ve created it. Perhaps it is a sign of the rumors of the Zonai’s mastery over magic being true?

“Mipha, tell Daruk I’m right!”

“You don’t even know what Link is capable of, Revali, so I don’t think it’s fair to write him off as unnecessary or incompetent. It’s unbecoming of a representative of the Rito.” Mipha immediately said. Revali squawked in outrage while Daruk laughed in victory. The Zora Princess snickered to herself while her Rito friend continued to make offended and irritated squawks, unable to come up with some to rebut her point.

“If you’re so concerned with him being a liability, you could always challenge him to a spar. He’s already beaten a Hylian knight to first blood, so a challenge wouldn’t be unwelcome.” Mipha told him. He huffed, muttering about having better things to do.

“I’m leaving. See you all in the castle.” With a flourish, Revali threw himself up into the air with one of his updrafts and soared towards the castle, bypassing Castle Town entirely.

Daruk and Mipha stood in companionable silence, watching as Ganondorf tried to field Link from stomping over to the Princess. Obviously under his polite image, the Protector had a spine of steel and a point to prove. The determination reminded Mipha of her younger brother Sidon, funnily enough.

The thwak of metal slamming into wood accompanied her as she made her way up the bridges leading to the Veiled Falls. A vision of Sidon met her as he repeatedly hit the wooden dummy he had set up with the spear he was practicing with.

“Now what could that poor dummy have done to deserve such treatment?” She called up to him, a teasing lilt in her voice as her younger brother whipped around. Her brother had already outgrew her, standing three heads above her, finally managing to grow into the fins that have plagued him since his birth. She circled around him and leaned against the dummy while Sidon brandished his spear in the air. “What’s got you practicing so hard in the middle of the day? Father’s been wondering where you are.”

Sidon huffed before exploding into a sped up version of the Zora’s basic stances.

“Just wanted to get some practice in. Have to keep pushing if I want to live up to the “Crown Jewel of the Zora”. He said to her, moving into more moderate stances and movements. Mipha frowned.

“What do you mean, “live up to? You’re plenty capable and skilled, there’s not really anything to live up to.” Her brother scoffed in response before turning to her, leaning on his spear.

“Mipha, you are the apple of our people’s eye. Father is the most beloved in recent memory, and both of you are accomplished warriors who have defended our Domain from numerous threats, and you have both worked to make our home one of the most resplendent in Hyrule. In comparison, I’m not even close to you. There haven’t been any threats to defend against, thanks to you and Father, I don't help with the diplomatic endeavors, because that’s yours and Father’s job, and at the end of the day, I’m just Sidon.” His voice rose slightly towards the end of his rebuttal, bitterness creeping into the words.

The idea, however, was so preposterous that Mipha started laughing. It started off disbelieving, but grew into full blown, body shaking laughter as Sidon’s face grew redder and redder with embarrassment and irritation. He looked close to running away as Mipha wiped tears from her eyes, holding up a hand to stop him.

“Hold on- I’m sorry I just- have you seen how our people adore you?” She said, giggles interspersing the statements. “All the girls of the Domain love you, and every young man idolizes you! You are by far the most prodigious spear wielder I’ve ever seen, and your utilization of our family’s magic towards shielding rather than healing or attacking displays a mind primed for defending not only the Zora, but all of Hyrule. You’re just as loved as I am, perhaps even more so because of your lovable personality and availability. I’ve heard of all the ways that you’ve helped around the Domain, and I know Father speaks incredibly highly of you to everyone.”

Sidon looked gobsmacked as she spoke, the red from earlier returning as he became embarrassed and pleased. Her brother has always been the type to respond to verbal encouragement, despite his tactile nature.

“Truly, little brother, there is nothing for you to live up to. You’re already everything our Domain needs you to be. Easier said than done, I know, but just think about all the ways you help our people before you think about how you don’t measure up.”

Sidon opened his mouth to respond, and the response was too faint as the memory petered off in her mind.

Mipha glanced back at Link, as she blinked away the memory. Yes, Link definitely had something to prove- not just to Revali, but also to Zelda. The Princess of Hyrule had been disappointed by many things in her life, and didn’t entertain many people as friends as a result. To be let in, the Protector would truly have to wear her walls down.

“You about ready to head back, Mipha? Looks like the three of them might be here for a while.” Daruk spoke up, breaking her thoughts. Mipha turned to look up at the large Goron, and smiled faintly.

“Yes, I imagine so. Let’s head back, I’m sure the three of them will make their way eventually.”

The two of them made easy conversation as they made their way back up towards Castle Town and Hyrule Castle, and Mipha’s thoughts turned towards home. At the end of the day, everything will work out.

It had to.

***

Link wandered through Hyrule Castle’s halls, looking for the Princess.

It had been a week since the blessing ceremony, and Ganondorf unfortunately had to return to his home. While he was here, Zelda was perfectly polite, if not a little short with him, but as soon as Ganondorf wasn’t there to keep her in his presence, she disappeared. It was increasingly frustrating to have to look for someone who was supposed to be connected to you. Even more frustrating was that despite all his tracking skills and experience, Zelda still manages to hide from him. Truly, it was hard to think that it was any other reason besides an innate dislike of him, but Ganondorf seemed confident that it wasn’t him, but the sword that is now constantly strapped to his back.

Link stepped closer to a servant and asked if she knew where the Princess happened to be, and if she could show him the way to her if she’d be so kind, but the servant just squeaked in surprise and turned tail. It had been like that with every servant, no matter what. All of them seemed determined to either avoid him or tell him conflicting answers on where the princess was. It was obvious the Princess didn’t want to be found by him, and all that did was make him more irritated. How in the world was he supposed to work with and get to know someone who wanted nothing to do with him?

The only other place that Link had not looked so far would be the Sheikah Research Lab found in the castle. Every other common place for the Princess to be was empty, devoid of her and instead leaving evidence of her being there just a few moments. Pretty much the only thing that Link knew about Zelda was that she loved academia above all else, based on the discussions she and Ganondorf had that the Gerudo heir tried to include Link in. Not that it stung that he was being left out, or anything.

The lab, when he entered, was a minefield of what seemed to be organized chaos. Machinery and papers were strewn all over the place, and the research teams were all huddled around mounds of machinery, observing and tinkering with ancient parts of magitech, not even noticing when Link stepped deeper into their space. He could see prototypes for small machines not unlike the hulking Guardian units he’s seen wandering about the Castle’s courtyard, and also a group dismantling a large pad, studying the inner workings and comparing them to complicated blueprints on ancient, yellowed pages.

At a glance, it seemed that the Princess was not present in the lab, but Link still was not convinced. A careful perusal of his surroundings placed her in the lab relatively recently. A couple pages with notes signed with her initials, a schematic with improvements doodled onto the page with the precise lines he’s observed in literally every other place he’s looked, all point to her being in the room.

In the deepest part of the lab, he could see the forms of the two Head Researchers, Robbie and Purah, bent over a table with multiple pages strewn about it and a disassembled tablet. Their heads were close together, and they seemed to be murmuring over the schematic, phrases like “maintaining the functional integrity in a smaller device” and “decrypting corrupted runic data” flying in one ear and out the other. Link has never been particularly interested in mechanics and machinery, finding more fulfillment when he has something more active to do, like practicing swordplay or developing his skill with wind magic. He could appreciate the dedication the Sheikah have towards understanding and improving their already impressive magitech.

A slip of paper crinkled under his sandal as he stepped towards their table, and both jumped up, whipping around to meet his eyes as he glanced at the paper and back up to them.

“Oh! Protector Link, how wonderful to see you. We haven’t properly met and made acquaintances.” Purah said, adjusting her glasses and offering her hand. Link grasped her forearm and shook it, repeating the action with Robbie when he offered as well.

“Likewise. I was wondering if maybe the two of you could tell me-” His question was cut off when Purah leaned far into his space and began cataloging the tattoos on his face and arms. She reached up, and began stretching the skin of his cheekbone as she talked through her observations.

“Hmm, truly you Zonai have such an eye for detail. The intricacy and symmetry of your tattoos is truly impressive, Protector. We Sheikah only have the one traditional tattoo, our Sheikah Eye tattooed onto our foreheads,” She pointed to her own forehead, “but I’ve noticed that no two Zonai tribesmen’s tattoos are the exact same. What is the significance of the shapes? The amount of teardrops on your face? Or even the closed gold eye I’ve seen tattooed onto your King and Queen’s faces? How long did it take for you to complete your tattoos? Do you plan to acquire more, or is it locked by your role in your culture?”

Link took a step back as she leaned closer and closer, a manic gleam in her eyes as she borderline demanded answers.

“It may be better to ask an actual tattoo artist from my people rather than me, they’re the ones that decide the tattoos you receive outside of the teardrops and the golden eye. Teardrop tattoos depend on your status in society, ranging from one if you're an everyday citizen to four if you're royalty or a sage. The gold eye tattoos are also a coming of age tattoo.” Behind Purah, Robbie took a sheet of paper and began writing down everything Link was saying. Purah, meanwhile, continued to babble.

“There’s so many questions we have about Zonai ruins across Hyrule. What about the geoglyphs? Do you know anything about those?”

“Purah, I’m sorry, but I’m not a scholar. I don’t really have the answers you want.” Link raised his hands in surrender, trying to ward off more questions. “I really only came here to see if Zelda was around. I heard word that she frequents the lab when she can.”

Purah and Robbie glanced at each other, and Link’s eyes narrowed when Purah turned back to him with wide, innocent eyes.

“Why, I haven’t seen Zelda today! Are you sure she isn’t in the chapel, praying?” Link stayed silent, giving Purah an unimpressed look. The two researchers kept their eyes guileless for a few moments, before Purah finally sighed, grumbled a quick “Ought to leave the acting to Impa”, and gave him an apologetic look.

“She heard you were coming this way and cleared out a few minutes before you arrived. I don’t know where she could be now, though. Probably wherever she can keep an ear out for where you are.”

Link let out a wordless sound of frustration and turned on his heel stomping towards the entrance. Ripping open the door, he made sure to close the door marginally more gently than how he opened it, but afterwards he whipped around and glared down the hallway. He stalked across the beautiful carpet, making his way back to the atrium, servants scurrying out of his way as he ignored all of them.

If Zelda planned on avoiding him forever, then she was going to be sorely disappointed.

Chapter Text

“The duties of the Sage of Light is to oversee our commitment to serving the Divine. They watch over our unions, and refine our energy. It was not so long ago that Sage Merim began his search for the one that would take his place as the Sage of Light. Today, we have the distinct privilege of recognizing his newly chosen successor. Lilipa is a capable mage, and a dear friend to my own wife, Callio. She is dedicated to her craft and to our people, and I cannot imagine another person more equipped to take over the duties required for this position. I know I and my wife cannot wait to see how the Temple flourishes under your watch, Lilipa, and we also cannot wait to have the opportunity to share the burden of leading our people with you. Cheers!”

- Transcription of King Taluk’s speech at Sage Lilipa’s coronation ceremony

***

Zelda looks out her study’s window as Link storms across the courtyard like a man about to kill someone. Servants jump out of his way as he singlemindedly makes his way out of where the Research lab is and towards the castle proper. All morning, they’ve been playing a game of cat and mouse all across the castle, Zelda doing her very best to just avoid him, but the Zonai Protector just. Won’t. Stop. Trying to find her.

“Zelda?” Came a tinny, fuzzy voice from deeper in her study. Her head whipped around, looking at the screen of the Purah Pad given to her, seeing it illuminated with Ganondorf’s face. “Zelda? Are you there?”

“Yes!” She rushed over, grabbing the pad and looking at him squint at his own screen. “Wow, I’m glad this works, Purah will be so happy.” Ganondorf cracked a grin, and tapped the screen a couple times.

“Yeah, though I’m sure they could do something about the sound. It’s all fuzzy and weird.” Zelda grabbed a pen and jotted down notes. The audio had a bit of feedback, and the video was laggy, though that could be due to the distance between the pads. The messaging feature she had installed still doesn’t work properly, though she did remember hearing that Robbie was developing a design and schematic for some sort of tower that may stabilise the signal. For now, they would just have to endure.

“I’m pretty sure they have something in the works for that, but we’ll just have to wait.” They trailed off in silence as Zelda stepped back to the window, to see that Link had already finished passing through and was out of her sight. Her mouth pulled into a frown, and she glanced at the door to her study (gotta make sure he’s not literally right there ).

“Zelda!” She whipped her head back to the pad to see Ganondorf again, looking mildly exasperated. “I called your name like, five times. Why are you frowning so hard? Everything alright?”

The princess sighed, and slumped into the chair while leaning an elbow on her desk. “I dunno, Ganondorf. Everything is just weird now that the Master Sword has been pulled, and Father wants Link to follow and I just- ugh!”

Ganondorf stared at her for a few seconds, searching her expression. “You’re avoiding him, aren’t you.” He didn’t say it like a question, and Zelda didn’t try to lie. Her friend had always been frustratingly able to see right through her and any attempt at lying. Her friend huffs at her.

“Zelda. Come on. It’s not his fault that he pulled the sword. You can’t blame him for being caught up in a web of destiny.” Zelda stays quiet. “I thought you were going to be okay with him following you around. He’s also not going to be here twenty-four seven, he’s only staying for a week at a time.”

“Yes, but that’s the whole problem!” Zelda bursts out. “I don’t want him here! I don’t want that sword anywhere near me, I don’t want him here to just keep on reminding me that I’m failure, and I want every to just stop talking about my failures and leave me alone! I’v ebeen plagued with rumors and criticism and these thrice-cursed visions that don’t seem to mean anything outside of making me feel and know that above everything else that I am, I am a failure! A stain on the lineage of my mother, a stain on the legacy of the Goddess with whom I share blood, a shame to my country, and most of all, a failure to myself.”

Ganondorf’s look was full of sympathy. Zelda hated it.

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” he said gently, “but that doesn’t mean that you can take it all out on Link. He’s not responsible for your power not manifesting, he’s not the source of the gossip in the castle, he’s not gatekeeping everything you love and want in life. He’s just as tangled in the destiny of Hyrule as you are. And more than anything, I bet he’s hurt by your actions.”

Zelda’s mouth dropped open and she started sputtering at him. Ganondorf gave her a hard look, and talked over her, somehow talking over her even with the audio problems of the Purah Pads.

“Link arrived in the Kingdom of Hyrule under the pretense that he was going to be interacting with you and learning about Hyrule, as well as whatever was going on with the two of you destiny wise. Instead, I assume he has arrived alone, with the one potential friend he has here instead is avoiding him at all costs. That can’t feel good, and he’s probably thinking you hate him for no reason.” Zelda opened her mouth to interject.

“I mean, technically, he did arrive her with a couple other Protectors, so he’s not actually alone-”

“Zelda.” Ganondorf sounded genuinely frustrated, for a second. He looked as if he was going to speak more, but was interrupted when a loud knock came at the door. A servant poked her head in, and glanced around the room before landing on Zelda.

“Your Grace, a couple knights said they saw Protector Link headed this way. Did you want to move from here? Do you need a distraction?” Ganondorf’s sigh was audible as he turned away from the pad for a moment.

“I have to go, Zelda. The Deep Sands tribes are all moved underground at this point, but trends are pointing towards it getting much worse, and Gerudo Town is starting to prepare too. If you’re going to keep running away from Link, fee free, but just know behind the Sword there’s definitely a person who doesn’t deserve to be treated the way you’re apparently treating him as soon as I leave. Bye, hopefully I’ll see you soon.” The audio and visual cut off as he left the call, and Zelda hung her head with a wet sigh.

“Your Majesty?” Came the voice of her servant, sounding unsure. Zelda pulled her head up, feeling a headache developing, and put the conversation with Ganondorf away. Maybe after Link leaves, she’ll more closely look at her own behavior, but right now her heart was too sore to want to even be near him.

Yes, thank you. I’ll head to the Research Lab to report to Purah. Delay the Protector, please.”

As she fled her study and ran the long way to the lab (hopefully avoiding Link since he was coming from that way), she felt a twinge of shame in her chest, and resolutely shook her head. She’ll figure herself out later.

For now, though, she’s going to wallow.

***

The labs of the University of Hyrule’s Archaeology and Anthropology department were usually pretty empty except for the most devoted of undergrad and grad students, furiously working on projects on reports due the next class period. However, for the past couple weeks the labs were full of researchers, grad students, and PhD candidates as they evaluated and cataloged pieces from a recent dig site.

Yako had the (mis)fortune of being one of the researchers who had been in the field, though thankfully, they hadn’t had to travel to the jungles of Faron. He wasn't sure if he would survive another trip through that particular hell. Not that where they went was much better, because the cold of Hebra was blistering, and a whole different brand of torture. The only respite while on the field is that the inside of the “Forgotten” Temple was marginally warmer, being an indoor space and all.

They had gone to Hebra’s biggest Temple (and honestly, one of the largest Temples in all of Hyrule) in order to try and make sense of some of its most distinctive carvings, as well as find some sort of indication of when the Temple was built. A couple fallen pieces of reliefs were recorded and packed up to be sent to the University, whether as a teaching tool and study material for students and professional researchers.

Currently, Yako was assisting Dr. Tolbyo and a couple other Anthropologists in transcribing the Old Hylian script underneath each carving in the reliefs that were brought to the University. Usually, he’d be working on essays for his Advanced level class on antiquated languages of Hyrule, but thankfully, his professor was letting him count this work as an acceptable substitute (given that he wrote a report on it every two weeks).

“This relief has the same stylistic nuances as the carvings on the Lanayru Promenade, complete with the inscriptions below that narrate whatever the pictographs say.” One of Dr. Tolbyo’s colleagues (Dr. Kamio?) stated, glancing between one of the relief fragments of the first chamber in the Forgotten Temple, and a sketched recreation of one of the full reliefs from the Promenade leading up to the Spring of Wisdom. “However, the subject matter being depicted is very different from similar carvings at the time. I know the Promenade and other ruins dated to the early history of the Kingdom of Hyrule begin their depictions in the later years of the fourteenth King and Queen’s rule, but this one doesn’t even depict Hyrule as a Kingdom.”

“Indeed.” Dr. Tolbyo says, looking at the fragment with her. “I would even hazard to say that these carvings depict whatever civilization eventually becomes the Kingdom of Hyrule. These reliefs start at Hyrule’s creation,” He points out the three tall figures to Yako, prompting him to note their features (long ears, flowing cloth that fades into the relief, their arrangement reflecting the Triforce fragments in their vicinity, and their multiple sets of arms) as he continued, “but after that it’s unfamiliar. What do you make of this fragment, Yako? It’s good practice for you to do your own analysis.”

Yako swallowed. Way to put him on the spot, thanks Dr. Tolbyo. The graduate student brought his notes over and leaned over to see the line of relief fragments, matched to the sketched pictures they took of each wall they were recovered from.

“Well, starting off broad, the reliefs seem to be separated into four different eras or settings. We have the creation story, which starts with the first fragment depicting the Golden Goddesses creating our world, up until the twelfth. Then there seems to be a great struggle that lasts for many years against multiple foes, which continues from the thirteenth fragment to the fortieth. After the fortieth, there’s a setting change where instead of on the ground, we’re in the skies, depicted by these floating islands,” Yako points at the chain of islands accompanied by birds, “which lasts until the seventy-fifth relief, and finally ends with one of the islands sinking to the surface, which begins the establishment of whatever Kingdom grew into Hyrule.”

His mentor hummed in agreement, and stroked his chin. Dr. Kamio crosses her arms.

“Indeed.” She points at the line of reliefs. “What would you say the narrative is, Yako? We also have the inscriptions that followed the narration.”

“Well, the problem is that the inscriptions read much more like epic poetry than any kind of solid historical account.” Yako gestures at the creation story relief, and its inscription. “If I had to guess at a narrative, the first setting would still depict the creation of Hyrule. The second setting depicts a veneration of the Goddess Hylia, through her defeat of other gods and spirits who wanted to control Hyrule, as well as perhaps the establishment of whoever came to become the Kingdom of Hyrule. The place where it gets dicey would be in the third act.” The three of them moved down to where the sky islands were depicted.

“If we go by the poem beneath, this is a depiction of a heavenly city, a promised paradise of safety from the tumult of the world.” Yako pauses to look through his notes. “However, the common theory of what is depicted in carvings similar to this, as well as other culture’s stories, such as the Rito’s Stormwind Ark , is that we’re looking at the Sacred Realm. Therefore, I would believe that this is some kind of story about Hylia doing some sort of action in the Sacred Realm, or a depiction of whatever afterlife this civilization believed in.”

“But,” He continued, trying to sidestep whatever rebuttal Dr. Tolbyo had already, “if we assume that, then the fourth act makes even less sense, because the relief shows an island falling from the sky and becoming part of the foundation of the Kingdom of Hyrule. I don’t know how the Sacred Realm works, obviously, but I’m certain that islands don’t usually fall out of it.”

“And if we go with the theory that everything depicted is history, it also doesn’t make sense because we’ve never encountered ruins of an island fallen from the sky.” Dr. Kamio states. “Therefore, this is a fun little historical conundrum that can hopefully be resolved if we happen to find any ruins that are as old or older than the Forgotten Temple. It seems unlikely though, this could very well be the first official Temple of Hylia in Hyrule.”

Dr. Tolbyo clapped Yako on the shoulder with a proud smile. “Regardless, that was an excellent rudimentary analysis of the reliefs. Make sure to write that report you owe your Antiquated Languages professor, and I’ll sign off on your hours as soon as you get the form to me. Additionally, I would like you to write an essay on the various depictions of Hylia and the Divine in Old Hylian carvings for my class at the end of the week. Now, go home and unwind, we’ve been at this for hours now.”

Yako nodded, and made his way to the far corner of the room, where he had stashed his satchel and other belongings while doing lab work. He shoved his notes and pen in the satchel, and hiked the bag up his shoulder, calling a farewell to his mentor and Dr. Kamio before winding his way through the crowded lab building and out to the University’s main campus. He was going to go home, shower, and scrounge around in his kitchen for whatever small meal he could eat while focusing on his report and the essay, as depressing as the image was. It could always be worse.

At least he wasn’t in the jungle.

***

Ganondorf is in the heart of the desert, again.

The moon hanging above him, impossibly huge, emits a sinister red, casting the sand below it to look like a sea of blood, dunes shifting and swelling with the roars coming from the obelisk in the distance. From the safety of the campfire, devoid of the Seven Heroines, Ganondorf watches as ruins emerge from the sand, only to be swallowed again moments later. He knows the campfire won’t be safe for much longer, either, for the copper glow suffusing the campsite was already fading, the woodsmoke smell becoming more faint. He needed to move.

But he also didn’t want to step foot near that obelisk, or its bone cage.

He also really wanted to get rid of whatever was making his soul (if the Heroines were to be believed) this malicious, though. So, evidently, it was where he needed to go.

The Gerudo Prince walked, tripping every once in a while from ruins and obstacles that got immediately swallowed by the sand. His progress was slow, and he almost thought that perhaps he was being purposefully humiliated, by whatever awaited him. So he grit his teeth, and endured in the hopes that giving in would get him to his destination faster.

The closer he got to the monolith, the more unsettled he became. A sickly-sweet smell of rotting matter became stronger, and the sand below his bare feet- when did his feet become bare?- grew steadily hotter, despite the terrible chill from being watched. A roll of thunder in the distance echoed across the sand, and Ganondorf looked out the way he came to see storm clouds on the horizon, impossibly darker than the sky around it, untouched by the scarlet glow of the moon. He could smell rain on the wind, despite how bone dry the air and sand was around him.

Another roar from the obelisk drowned out the thunder, and the Gerudo prince steeled himself, and began walking again. Ruins rose and fell around him, and somehow, Ganondorf found a path where there was no resistance. The desert around him began to shift in other ways, almost urging him forward, the swells and crests pushing him faster towards the center.

The pressure around him grew in the final stretch, the smell of rot growing more intense the farther up the final hill he got, and Ganondorf could finally see the base of the grotesque red-purple pillar. He could also see how his shadow lengthened towards it, not away as the glow brightened. Two pricks of fire ignited in the head of his shadow, and Ganondorf stopped a few feet from the obelisk.

“I See you.” Ganondorf said. The shadow chuckled, with the sound of scales scraping across sand cut underneath the deep voice.

“And I, you, little Prince.” Another roar echoed out as if in response to this thing's voice. “It is a pleasure to meet the new vessel of my ascension.” The statement left Ganondorf speechless.

“I am not your anything, Shadow.” Another laugh, another roar, and Ganondorf watched in shock and fear as the shadow unfolded from the darkness, forming into a figure taller than any Gerudo living or dead, still with those blazing eyes, full of malice.

“As I told your mother when she tried to protect you, child, the chain will remain unbroken. You will make a Pact, and you shall finally bring about the Age of the Blood Moon.”

“You have nothing for me.” Ganondorf retorted, fear and anger both coloring his voice. “Now leave my soul and take your presence and lies elsewhere, Shadow, before I-”

“I am not a mere shadow.” The Shadow’s voice grew impossibly loud, the roar compounding it until Ganondorf fell to his knees, holding his ears to block it out. In a flash, the Shadow was in front of him, darkness fading away to show- him. Or at least, an older version of him.

Or, maybe not. Ganondorf didn’t recognize the jewelry or armor of this figure, and his shadow(?) shifted forms every few seconds. Dark armor, then leg and arm wraps, then a delicate gold crown, then long sleeves and regal features, and then the shadows melded back.

“I think you’ll find,” The Shadow- no, Demon (he must be one, to be able to run off his tribe’s protector spirits) starts, “that I am not a being that accepts ‘no’. You cannot stop the motions of fate, boy, and you are but a rabbit who had found himself in the waiting jaws of a wolf. Surrender to me, and we will become glorious.” Ganondorf shook his head.

“I refuse. You cannot have my soul, and the Infernal will not lay claim to my people. I would rather die.” In a flash, the Demon’s hand gripped his face, burning hot, and snarled in his face, somehow having fangs fit for tearing his throat out. The Gerudo Prince felt his flesh starting to burn from the contact, and he thrashed, trying to escape.

“That can be arranged, little prince.” The Demon bit out. “But before I kill you, maybe I’ll kill the people you love first, and make you watch. Properly break your spirit before I lay claim to a body that has been mine since before your birth.” Ganondorf felt rage spark through the agony, and he snarled back at the Demon.

“I won’t allow you to hurt anyone.” He threatened. “I will hunt you down to the ends of the Earth, and make you regret everything you’ve ever done.” The Demon chuckled, and squeezed his face harder as a threat.

“I look forward to feeling your resolve crumble in the face of my power. Until next time, whelp.” The Demon shoved him backwards, and with the sound of thunder echoing as a warning in his ears, Ganondorf fell onto the sand, sank through it, and-

Sat up, resurfacing from his dream into the realm of the waking. His stomach gurgled, and he ran to his bathroom, whimpering as he threw up, the smell of rot in his nose and the phantom sensation of burning fingers on his face. His heart was still pounding and his hands trembling by the time he was done, and he leaned his head against the wall next to the chamberpot. His heart slowly calmed, and the minute tremble of his hands stilled. He took a deep breath before getting up, and walking back into his room.

He gave his bed a wide berth except to grab his red and blue blanket he’s had since he was a baby, and sat on the floor in the corner, despite his exhaustion. He wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, breathed deep the faded scent of incense and desert herbs, and settled in for a night of restlessness.

***

Chapter Text

“Throughout Hyrule’s history, the Blood Moon has been considered an omen of evil and bad luck approaching. Proto-Hylian writings pray to the Goddess to “seal away the Demon, and deliver us from the Age of the Blood Moon”. Archaeologists find carvings of monsters being revived by it in early ruins all across Hyrule, and even to the present day, it’s common to find good luck charms and jewelry designed to ward off its dark presence. What powers this phenomenon? Does it have a power source? Or is it, in of itself, the source of all the foul magics found in Hyrule’s darkest places?”

- Excerpt from an essay titled The Blood Moon: How Hyrule Lives in Fear

***

The road from Kara Kara Bazaar to Gerudo Town was longer than it appeared, Callio mused as she and a contingent of protectors and mages trudged their way through sweltering heat and bright sand. While visible from the Bazaar, the walls and water source of the city were almost a full day and a half away (if they stopped for frequent breaks). They had started walking early in the morning before the sun had risen, and they were now approaching the halfway mark at noon. She was looking forward to the cooler air within the walls of the Town the most, as opposed to the equally tantalizing smells and tastes awaiting them.

Thankfully, despite her husband’s worries, the other Kingdoms were perfectly willing to let them gradually sift through their state secrets and decide what is worth sharing. In the meantime, however, they’ve begun sharing their knowledge of magic theory and history (early history, that is. Years of isolation mean they haven’t kept track of any history except their own, with the exception of large scale calamities). The other rulers seemed overall grateful, though Rhoam seemed a little bitter that they didn’t offer those things in the first place. Still, he accepted it as the assistance it was, and now the real work began.

The trip they were taking to the desert factored into it, as originally, just a group of protectors with a group of mages and engineers (not that anyone else knew they were engineers) were to travel to the desert to offer their services to provide a magical protection to the Divine Beast against outside tampering, and perhaps to offer that service to Gerudo Town itself. The storms that were growing farther out (and looked actually terrifying in person) seemed to ebb and abate, with no warning. One week they were staying constant, and the next had explosive growth, more tribes overtaken and forced underground.

The new objective plays into visions that Callio has received recently. In her dreams, while she’s awake, and even while in meetings with other Sages, she’s received ominous visions filled with shadows and smoke. She hears scales scraping across the ground, and steel being drawn. The clearest sound, though, was a threatening voice cajoling and offering power to a potential Pact puppet. The response was just as clear: anger, desperation, and the voice of Ganondorf refuting the Pact over and over, becoming weaker with time.

With this new information in mind, Callio decided to accompany the group, and see what she could glean from interacting with Urbosa and hopefully Ganondorf himself, though he wasn’t always in the town proper when they had visited in the past. The vision had filled her with dread, knowing that the Demise had gained enough power to try and manipulate the sons of the Gerudo again. From what little she personally understood about the Manifestation, she knew that usually it was around this time that the victim broke under the pressure of such an ancient and powerful mind. That the prince hadn’t displayed any signs was either a sign of great hope, or a reason for worry.

If Urbosa and the Gerudo had managed to find a way to stave off the Father of Monsters, then there was hope that the cycle could be broken. But, if somehow, Ganondorf had already been broken, then Demise working through him was cunning, and playing to gain the upper hand in the eventual struggle that would follow. Should the latter be true, it would spell disastrous consequences for not just the Gerudo, but all of Hyrule, and Callio prayed to every god and spirit of the Divine that Demise had not clawed his way into Ganondorf’s being.

“High Sage,”  The voice of Klaia, one of the mages in the group, broke her out of her thoughts, “Command Protector Telesto says there is a Lizalfos camp off the road to the south. She wants to know your orders.” Callio nodded, and sent her off with the instruction to attempt to drive them off. If chasing them out didn’t work, then she could take lethal action to just annihilate the camp.

While her husband technically was the head of the Zonai military, she and the other Sages had some authority in the absence of the King. As the Queen of their people, and a High Sage, she could give them orders such as this, but anything more complicated was out of her hands. She didn’t have the head for tactical strategy, nor for effective military direction. She would leave those to her husband, whose mind for strategy and tactical observation were unmatched by anyone in Faron or elsewhere (though she may be biased).

Taking care of the camp was light work for the women under Command Protector Telesto, and they continued their trek towards the high walls of Gerudo Town. If she strained to hear, she could maybe hear the street musicians playing tunes, though it may be wishful thinking. The trek continued to be long, and the sun began to sink over the horizon, sky slowly turning darker and darker as they drew nearer.

“Alright, everyone.” Callio turned to everyone once they could see the opening of the gate. Thanks to the excessive preparation, and the rudimentary water magic that a few of the mages knew, they hadn’t needed to stop at all, unless to eat or clear away monsters. The air was becoming noticeably more chilly, and the sky was painted in purples and reds. Perhaps ten more minutes of walking would suffice to make it into the town, and they’d probably be offered rest before they were granted audience with Urbosa the next morning.

“I want to reiterate why we are here. I will offer our services to reinforce the Ancient Sheikah mechanism known as Divine Beast Vah Naboris, and also to place wards against evil and danger in preparation for the sandstorms that seem to drift ever closer. While you do so, please take note of any discrepancy or threat, no matter how small, to the integrity of the machines or the Town’s foundation. We must be subtle, and we must be thorough, so that we may be prepared for when our full services will be needed. Lay down spellwork that wards off Infernal influence, and note any mechanical quirks you see. Protectors; a small group will accompany me while in the town, but the rest of you, under Command Protector Telesto, will stay with the mages and engineers as protection from monsters and unsavory characters while in the desert. Does everyone understand?”

Sounds of assent and understanding rise up from the ladies in front of her, and Callio turns to continue walking. As the walls loomed higher above them the closer they got, she could see the Gerudo warriors standing guard at the openings, and a couple merchants loitering outside as their licenses and papers were verified. One of the guards took note of them and made her way over to greet them.

“ Sav’saaba , ladies, and Vasaaq . What is the purpose of your visit?”

“ Sav’saaba , warrior. We’ve come to seek an audience with Chieftess Urbosa, and to offer our services to help better protect the Gerudo people.” Callio passed over the last letter Urbosa sent her before her journey, stamped with her seal, and offered her secret stone necklace as proof of her identity. No other Zonai wore secret stones besides the King and other Sages, and an outsider like Gerudo would not recognize it for what it was. For the time being, she could afford to trust it in her hands.

The warrior scrutinized the seal on her letter, and the secret stone, looking for falsehoods before turning to her and returning both items. Her voice, while welcoming before, took on a more respectful edge as she addressed them again.

“It’s an honor to host the Queen-Sage of the Zonai and her people. Follow me, and we can get you settled in some guest quarters before your audience with the Chief, which will have to wait until morning.” Callio nodded, and they followed her towards the Gerudo Palace. Another guard seamlessly filled in the empty spot at the gate, and Callio relaxed as they strolled down the main street. Regardless of their reasons for coming here, it would be nice to see her friend again.

***

Urbosa clenched her jaw to keep from fidgeting as she watched Koume and Kotake circle Ganondorf like predators around their potential meal. The arrival of the Twinrova had been unexpected and anxiety inducing as it followed the coattails of Ganondorf’s latest string of dreams. Her son had finally spoken to her about it (after four days of nonstop nightmares), and what he described chilled her to the bone. And then to have one of her guards tell her that the Witches of the Wastes were literally at her doorstep? The Gerudo chieftain had seen many terrifying things in her life, Ganondorf’s first encounter with the witches at the top of the list, but this day takes the thrice-damned cake.

Her son was sitting shirtless on a cot in the physicians ward of the palace (evidently come straight from his bedroom), and his back was ramrod straight to keep from slouching. She could see his hands clenched tightly at his side when Koume stopped directly in front of him, staring into his eyes with a burning focus.

“It seems as though our blessing and the protection of the Heroines are no longer over the Prince, sister.” Kotake scoffed, swiping her hands across Ganondorf’s cheeks, and rubbing what seemed to be flaky ash off her fingers.

“Indeed. I can smell that foul shadow’s stench all over him.” In this moment, Urbosa was truly reminded of how Other the pair were. In other instances where the twins came up from the Heroine’s Arena, such as the Gerudo’s festivals and ceremonies, they could almost pass as mortal. They were perfectly polite, if a little pointed as they spoke to adults, and they gave out candied fruits and other treats and trinkets to all the children that would run up to them. Now, however, they had a presence about them, some ancient light behind their eyes that betrayed who they were.

The Twinrova were the keepers of the oldest Gerudo ceremonies, after all, and if the rumors were true, then this pair were old enough to have seen the foundations of Gerudo Town be laid. Old enough, even, to see when the Desert People left the wastes of their birth, and traveled to the oasis of Hyrule.

“Well, so be it. Let us begin.” Kotake continued, flicking the rest of the soot off her hand, and stalking over to her and Koume’s bag of materials they brought. First she pulled out incense oil, and various powdered herbs, along with various precious stones like amber and opal. Urbosa’s eyes bugged out as Koume grabbed an honest-to-gods diamond , and hefted it onto the table where they placed all their chosen things.

“Magic theology lesson for you, Prince Ganondorf.” Koume stated as she grabbed a mortar and pestle, flicking open a jar of herbs and tossing a few in. Her son jumped a little, and Kotake continued as her sister began grinding the herbs into a fine powder.

“You are familiar with how gemstones hold the powers of certain elements within them, yes?” She said, gesturing to the assortment of gems before them. Ganondorf nodded, and the older woman  gestured for him to speak, as she began to place gemstones around the room, in a mirror of the day they had first blessed him. Opal around the edges of the room, and amber in a circle around his cot.

“Yes, it’s commonly known that various gemstones hold elemental power or affiliation, like sapphire to ice or ruby to fire. Opal is connected to water, and amber is loosely linked to Earth, but it isn’t the strongest connection.”

“Very good, young man.” Koume stated, adding the incense oil to the powder she just finished grinding to a small bowl, mixing it into a paste. “Each  of those associations is correct, with the elaboration that diamond is commonly seen as affiliated with light, and is useful for amplifying other energies.”

“Now, what significance do you think the paste I am making now has? What purpose does it serve?” As Ganondorf thought, she began to smear small symbols on his face, under his eyes and on his forehead, curving under his chin, and continuing down his chest and arms.

“I believe the significance would be in the incense, yes? Commonly, the various incense oils and scents are used in ceremonies and such that are designed to connect the mortal and divine realms. The herbs would just direct that connection towards the Gerudo deities and spirits?”

“Correct in theory, but less nuanced in practice. The herbs do not direct the econnection towards the Gerudo, they just help define what the purpose of this ceremony is. We chose herbs of protection and strength, Thistles and Armoranths and such other plants.” Urbosa found herself listening enraptured as the twins explained each process in their ceremony as they, before realizing that was the point. They were making an effort to distract both Ganondorf and herself from the anxiety that his situation was causing, while also imparting their wisdom, as was their responsibility.

“Final question, and this time, we would like you to answer, Chief Urbosa. What do you think the purpose of our set up is here?” Kotake spoke, finishing the arrangement of gemstones around the room. The diamond was placed in the center of the amber circle, underneath Ganondorf’s cot. “Why do we have the symbols, the gems, in the exact spots we placed them?” The two witches clapped their hands together, and the air became noticeably cooler, and a hum of magic filled the air. Ganondorf breathed deeply, obviously feeling more relieved in the circle placed around him. Urbosa crossed her arms and took a glance around the room.

“I believe this setup is a mirror to how you helped my son the first time you blessed him, only with different materials. The symbols are to bolster strength, and call down protection from the Sacred Realm. They mention the Heroines, Hylia, and Din by name.” The Gerudo chief gestured to her son and the amber laid around him.

“The amber serves as a magical anchor, drawing up strength from the depths of the Earth, to be a bulwark for whatever enchantments you cast to cast out or weaken the Demon’s hold. The opal would be unclear if you were to operate under the correct assumption that the Gerudo are more attuned to fire and earth magic, my own lineage notwithstanding, but water is a handy tool against Infernal beings. Especially running water, which while we are not in a space with running water, the opal is arranged in an unbroken line, creating a running conduit of water magic.” Afterwards, she pointed directly at the diamond under her son’s cot. “The diamond is in the center to amplify each individual part of this ritual, based on its placement.”

“Astute. The only difference between this ritual and the one when your son was a baby is this: We are not trying to force out the Demon, but trap him within this room.” Urbosa’s mouth fell open, and Ganondorf let out a strangled noise.

“Peace, both of you. This isn’t about allowing the Demon to take over,” Koume smoothly stopped any argument either was about blurt out, “This ritual is about trapping him while simultaneously boosting the Prince’s inner strength and protection. The more fortified he is, the more the creature is weakened, until Ganondorf forces him out permanently.” The twins got into positions on either side of her son, and laid a head on each shoulder, the other grabbing each other’s hand. “Unfortunately, we cannot just physically push him out of the Prince’s soul, because he has gathered power to force his way in despite the Heroine’s presence. At this point, the only one who can deny him is you , Prince Ganondorf. We can just help you.”

Ganondorf groaned. “That’s definitely not what I wanted to hear.” The Twinrova scoffed as one, and didn’t bother to respond. Instead, they began to speak, Deep Sand Gerudo filling the air as the current formed from the opals and amber around the room began to become more pronounced. Just like that night many years ago, the air became filled with pressure, growing tighter and tighter until it felt like a knot snapped into place. Ethereal vapor coalesced, wafting about, and the twin witches separated from each other and Ganondorf.

“He should not leave this room until he successfully denies the Pact, and we will be here to monitor him. Go, Chieftess, there is nothing more to be done here. Your guest is to meet with you soon.” Urbosa’s eyes widened, and she cursed as she sped from the room, rushing to get presentable enough to entertain the Queen-Sage of the Zonai. Callio could not have picked worse timing.

***

“Thank you, Urbosa, for the warm welcome into your home.” A sweet voice echoed through the air of the Gerudo Palace. Riju peeked around the corner as her mother and their guest walked through the halls.

“It’s no problem, Callio, you and yours are always welcome to come here, just as everyone else in Hyrule is.” Her mother said in response. “I’m glad you got the chance to visit before all of the desert is forced underground. These sandstorms act so strange.” The two queens rounded the corner, and Riju vacated, dashing to tuck herself in the curtains draped across the walls. “It seems that they die down and stay the size they are, and then just explode in size without warning. None of our usual ways of predicting the severity or size works, and they’ve creeped ever closer to our heart.”

“Well, I am glad that Gerudo Town hasn’t been forced to their foundations yet. And I’m sure all of us will be able to get to the bottom of whatever is causing all the disasters happening across Hyrule.”

Watching them pass by her, Riju was once again struck by how beautiful the Zonai Queen was, with graceful proportions and regal features. Bright tattoos standing out against her darker skin, and vibrant blonde hair put in a braid down to her knees, she seemed more like a nymph of the desert than a member of the mortal races.

“I was hoping that we’d see your son and daughter while I’m here, but I haven’t seen any of them since we got here,” Queen Callio said to her mother, and Urbosa hummed in agreement.

“Ganondorf unfortunately has been feeling under the weather recently, so I’ve been forced to surrender him to our court physicians for care. Riju is probably sneaking around, and getting into all sorts of mischief, knowing her. We may still see her.” Riju pressed herself further behind the curtain to avoid being seen. She would’ve loved to see the two of them, but she’s spent all morning in her bedroom, pacing anxiously over her older brother. His dreams worry her, worry their mother, they even somehow manage to worry the Twinrova out of the cave in the East Desert, for Din’s sake! That was enough to throw anyone into a panic!

The only thing that pulled her out of her room was the desire to see the Queen of the Zonai again. The first time she had visited, Riju had been starstruck by her presence, and she had been so nice and friendly to her. It served to motivate to leave her room, but she couldn’t really get herself to walk up to her. Her panic was still too strong in her chest, and her mother seemed determined to play it cool, so the Princess didn’t want to spill anything that she wasn’t supposed to. Maybe she’d come say hi after a little time had passed.

Listening carefully to her mother and their guest’s footsteps making their way out of her sight and earshot, Riju ran towards the physicians room of the Palace, bursting in to see her brother. The Twinrova were off to the side, murmuring to each other, and her brother was sitting on one of the benches, wrapped in his old quilt, and visibly exhausted. Paying no mind to the cloudy vapor in the room, the princess carefully avoided touching any of the precious stones she could see laid around the room.

“Ganon!” Riju cried, throwing her arms over his shoulders, trying to avoid smearing or rubbing off the markings drawn on his skin. “Are you okay?” Her older brother wrapped his arms around her, and rocked the two off gently for a second before releasing her and holding her arms.

“About as good as I could be with a Demon haunting my dreams, little sister.” He gently said. The bags under his eyes seemed even deeper than they had this morning. “Every time I fall asleep, he’s there to taunt me and try to convince me. Always wearing a different version of me, showing all kinds of visions of potential futures.” He scowled deeply, rubbing his eyes and wapping his quilt around his shoulders. “And he keeps talking about me bringing about the Calamity.”

“Legends state,” Came the voice of one of the Twinrova, “that the fate of the Calamity has always been chained to our people, plaguing us from the earliest stages of our History. Alway in our royal line, and always the sons. Where elsewhere in the tribes, a baby boy is a blessing and a celebration, the sons of our chiefs have always been a curse. Never once has the chain of the Demon been thwarted. Until now, hopefully.”

Riju turned to address them respectfully. “What do you mean, hopefully?” The twin in blue chuckled, and gestured to her brother. “Well, your mother brought him to us to protect, and we have staved off the Demon’s plague until now, when he has more options. If he had been left to be picked at and pulled towards madness, he wouldn’t be able to resist the way he does. Now, he can refuse the Pact the Demon offers, and then we will be free of it.”

“No pressure,” Ganondorf sighs, “It feels like he tears my mind apart a little more every time I meet him. I don’t want to return to sleep.”

“But you must, to formally refuse. He grows in power every time you meet him, but you must find the strength to refuse, and push him out of your soul. He will only dig his claws in deeper with time. Such is in his nature. Only then may the Heroines return and fortify you once more.”

Her brother groaned and flopped back onto the bench. “That’s the last thing I want to do. I’d rather he just get kicked out.” Riju laid a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

“I’m sure you’re strong enough, Ganon. You’re like, the strongest guy I know! I’m sure this time, you’ll get in there and just absolutely defeat the Demon!” He chuckled at her.

“Well, with you in my corner, I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about. The Demon doesn’t stand a chance.” Riju beams at him until the Twinrova in red clears her throat.

“As much as we love your dedication, and your presence is a balm to your brother, we must ask you to leave for now, Princess. We have much to do to help prepare Ganondorf.” Riju nodded, moving out of the way as they took small bowls of paints made from herbs and drew sigils of strength and protection on Ganondorf’s skin. “We may need to move him to the Sanctuary before the end of this.”

The two continued muttering and puttering around Ganondorf as he laid there and held his eyes open, trying to look as peaceful as possible. He sent Riju a thumbs up, and she nodded, leaving the room, and heading towards where her mother was last. After reassuring herself about Ganondorf, it felt silly to continue avoiding seeing visitors, and even though she still had a knot of anxiety in her stomach, it at least felt more manageable now.

She just had to trust that Ganondorf would be okay, no matter what.

***

Chapter Text

“O Din, Fire of the earth and shaper of the desert’s dry waves, hear my humble prayer:

I ask you to grant me the strength to overcome. To break the chains that bind me, and bury the one who wishes to destroy me.

Lend me your fury, O Goddess of Gold, that I may use it to reveal your will. Let the fire of your being rain upon the earth to show your displeasure, and paint the sky red with your rage.

Set my feet into the Earth, and turn me into the bulwark that weathers the calamity, and the stone that survives the disaster.

Strike the enemies foundation, tear it from under them, that they may see and know that you are the Goddess through which all Power is given- and also taken away.”

- A common Zonai prayer to the Golden Goddess of Power, Din

***

In the days that the Queen-Sage of the Zonai was visiting, Urbosa kept them neatly away from the physician’s wing of the Palace, despite Callio’s desire to give the Prince her well wishes. Koume and Kotake didn’t care for such trivial things like politics and keeping secrets, but the lack of anyone present gave them the opportunity to fall into their silence, communicating in their minds to one another as they maintained their ritual.

Thrice now, they have had to reapply the warding symbols upon Ganondorf’s skin, for the paste has flaked off as ash with every dream the Prince fell into. He always woke up shaking, faint impressions of injuries that do not exist in the material world darkening on his face, throat, and torso, before fading within the hour. The prince was feverish, hot with some sort of inner turmoil that sapped his strength.

Thrice now, they’ve also had to forcibly remove spirits who made their way into the room, yet lingering outside the circuit of opal they placed. Their presence stressed the Chieftess’ son, as his sense for the supernatural has been heightened in response to the fight he faces. These minor demons made hissed promises to the young man, promising their service if he only gave into their Father’s wishes, or promised relief if he only bowed to them instead. The audacity made both twins grit their teeth.

The longer this fight went on, the more the two let go of their mortal disguises. Teeth sharpening, skin smoothing, nails sharpen to claws, ears lengthening. While Koume and Kotake were mortal, once, the powers bestowed upon them have made them Other , in a way that others find disconcerting. Usually, they would take better care to wrap their guises around them and secure it like a cloak, but usually they aren’t laying witness to the struggle that would define their people’s history for another age.

‘If this keeps up’, they thought to one another, minds joined such that it was less one of them speaking to the other and instead both thinking it simultaneously, ‘he will have to be moved into the Oasis.’

‘Give it time.’ The thought rose between them, lined in shimmering hope. ‘He may be triumphant, yet.’ As one, they stalked through the room, eyes flickering from the opal conduit to the figure of Ganondorf on his cot, twitching in the throes of his most recent dream. Dark marks appear and disappear, only to reappear again as he fights the darkness in him. Snarls left their lips as a wisp of malice flickered off of him, before fizzling out with a furrow of his brow.

Over the course of the day, the prince only woke up twice, and each time looked weaker and weaker. Shadows fell over his face, darkening the bruises under his eyes, and blood leaked from his nose from the strain of bearing the weight of their people’s curse. There was a light behind his eyes, full of hate and malice, that set the witches teeth on edge. They narrowed slitted eyes at him as he laid back down, already murmuring in his half asleep state.

When almost immediately after he fell asleep, malice rolled off of him in a wave, there was no communication needed. Koume turned to the door, to get a guard to fetch Urbosa, and Kotake moved to Ganondorf’s side. She laid a hand over him, swiftly joined by her sister as the guard left, and as one they called down stasis, a barrier so solid and unbreakable that the Prince would be forced to stay as he was, until they had safely relocated. The spell shivered, something dark within it’s net fighting to tear it apart, but it would last precisely the amount of time needed.

Followed by a group of twenty elite Gerudo warriors, and Urbosa herself (with the Princess clinging onto her hand), the Twinrova moved the Prince of the Gerudo deeper in the Palace, going down a couple levels. The procession wove through hallways weaving straight to the deepest part of Gerudo Town without actually being the underground shelter for disasters. There, directly below and fed by the water source for the entirety of the Gerudo city, the most sacred site for the Gerudo outside the Arena of the Seven Heroines lay.

The room was carved from the sandstone of the rest of the city, floor made of interconnected channels making concentric rings of running water, supplied by waterfalls descending from the ceiling. This room fed its blessed water throughout the rest of the city, providing a barrier against the worst of the demons that stalk the desert. The raised parts of the floor had various herbs and vegetation growing from plots of soil, giving the air a scent of spice that complimented the clean breeze and soft rushing sound generated by the streams. Thin torches burned with flames of pink and amber, casting strange shadows among the ripples of light. Stone monuments to the Seven Heroines were arranged throughout the room, four in a ring around the outermost stream, and three in a ring among the inner streams. Each statue was covered in carved runes, matching the carvings in the walls.

In the center of the room, a raised dais rose up from the water, complete with a curved altar that could serve as a cradle for those who sought the deepest protection the Desert People could offer, and this is where the Twinrova finally laid Ganondorf down. Immediately, the barrier they cast was shred to pieces, sending a shiver down their spines for the power displayed, and malice in a vapor began to rise off the body of their prince. He thrashed and groaned like a bull led to sacrifice, desperate and exhausted, bowing backwards even as the vapor coming from him was swept by the breeze, sucked away and purified in this holy oasis.

As the two returned to the edge of the oasis, Urbosa kept watching her son, a tremble in her lips and wetness shining in her eyes.

“Will he be okay?” She croaked, clutching her daughter’s hand like an anchor, Riju openly crying as she watched her brother let out a strangled scream. Koume and Kotake looked at each other, before consciously drawing their mortal skin around again, providing a more comforting view in spite of the grim news they had.

“We do not know. We’ve done all that we can do for him, and so the rest falls into his hands.” The Chieftess’ mouth tightened further, and Kotake laid a hand on her unoccupied hand, clenched into a fist. She drew it up, and clenched her own fist over it. Urbosa’s mouth grew into a rueful smile.

“It’s times like these that I wish their father were here with us, instead of traveling with his wares.”

“Your highlander husband will hear of what happens here, just as the rest of the Tribes will, inevitably. And take heart, Chieftess. Your son is strong, we shall see him- and the Desert People- triumph, one way or another.” Kotake squeezed Urbosa’s fist one more time and released, and with it, some of the rigid tension left the woman’s shoulders. Koume met her sister’s eyes, and turned to the procession.

“We must keep watch, but you need not stay here. We only ask the warriors to remain to guard the Oasis while we watch over him. Urbosa, you have a people to lead. Little Riju, you must attend to your duties as well.” Quietly, solemnly, everyone present moved into the positions they would stay in (Chieftess and Princess leaving altogether), and the twins began to circle the room, leaving touches of magic and murmuring in the Gerudo of their youth, fortifying the old protections with their essence, even as a dreadful certainty entered them. They didn’t tell the Chieftess that this precaution wasn’t about saving the Prince at all, and didn’t plan to even after it was over.

It was a means to contain the monster within him. To trap it in a powerful place of old magic, where they could do their part.

If the Prince failed, they would not hesitate to strike him- and the one who would reside within him- down into oblivion.

***

Ganondorf breathed out shakily and fell to his knees as he just barely blocked an obsidian sword from cleaving him in half. The jeers of watching shadows echoed in the air as his opponent tsked. The air was so thick with malice that he felt as though he was choking with every inhale, and the Demon was drinking in his struggle.

“Get up, pathetic whelp. This is the best you have to offer? Even your ancestors that fought me in the past put up more of a fight!” He threw out his foot, and kicked Ganondorf across the arena with impossible strength. Ganondorf groaned in pain, struggling to his feet, holding his scimitar with two hands, and trembling with terror. The storm was finally upon them, thunder rumbling through the clouds swirling. The air was thick with moisture, though the clouds had yet to release their deluge. Unfortunately the cover wasn’t enough to drown out the red glow of the Blood Moon, but it did make the Demon snarl at the sky.

“Just give up, little prince.” He purred, holding out a hand. “Your suffering will cease if you just accept the Pact.” All the shadows hissed in sadistic agreement.

“Yes, little prince, give Father your hand!”

“He knows what’s best, and what your heart longs for, little prince!”

“Become a member of a glorious lineage!"

“Usher in our Age!”

“No!” Ganondorf gasps out, legs shaking as he brandishes his blade, despite the cracks throughout and the pieces chipping off from the force of “Father’s” blows. “I will not bow to your will! I refuse to be made into an abomination! You shall not have me!” The ugly whispering grew in volume, switching from sweet nothing into vile insults and taunts.

“We shall cull your lands, and feast upon your people, sniveling creature!”

“Worthless thing! You would deny Father? He shall split you open and tear out your heart!”

“Quiet!” Came the booming voice of the Demon. “If you will not kneel before me, then I shall tear apart your soul, and lay claim on the husk of your corpse.” In a flash, faster than a creature of his size should be able to move, the monster appeared at his side and swung his sword in an unstoppable arch, devastating and poised to kill. Ganondorf threw himself to the side, barely avoiding his death and leaving the sword to cleave through the sand.

“Stop fighting, little one.” Came the threatening coo, and the Gerudo Prince ran behind a rock that had emerged from the latest roar across the desert, breathing hard and trying to recover his breath. Ganondorf took a deep inhale, and dashed out from the rock’s cover, throwing a hand out and forcing a spire of stone to push out of the sand and into the Demon’s gut. The rocks slammed into those obsidian scales, and immediately shattered into dust. Ganondorf scowled, and internally let loose every foul curse word he could think of in Gerudo, Hylian, and even Zora. He’d add some Rito curses if his throat was made for their native language.

“Valiant effort.” The Demon chuckled, before flashing next to him, leaning to speak in his ear.

“But pathetic.” Ganondorf barely had a mind to lift his sword in a paltry block before the full force of that claymore slammed into him. With a crack, his sword’s blade shattered, and the edge caught the prince’s ribs before flinging him to the ground again. All the shadows laughed in pleasure, the sound like vipers slithering over rock, and the massive figure towered over him.

“WIth you as my puppet, everyone will once again fear the Father of Monsters, King of Demons. Prepare to die, boy .” Ganondorf scrambled through the sand as the sword cleaved down towards his head, aiming to remove it from his body. Instead, he shifted up, and the blade bit into his chest with a pressure that felt as though it pulverized his ribs. Ganondorf coughed blood onto his own face, and the Demon smirked at him.

“I was aiming to make your death quick as a mercy to you, but who am I to keep you from the suffering you have chosen? Enjoy your final moments of agony, Prince Ganondorf.” The prince resolutely stared into the vortex swirling above him, keeping his breathing shallow as the beast forced a throne of bone up from the sand, his shadows circling the Gerudo prince to laugh at his misfortune. A raindrop fell on his cheek, and within moments the clouds began upending their burden.

Even now, he strained for more strength, reaching for power with his being where there was none for him to find. He mentally clawed at the metaphysical realm he was in, straining for anything, a sense or a drop of energy he could steal. The demons around him provided an obvious source (or sources), but that was what they wanted . Ganondorf refused to accept power from any of them, so he strained higher, trying to dig his fingers into the world outside his soul, or the storm within it, or anything .

He could feel the life within him fading, as the rain stole what warmth was still in him. A demon stepped close to him, but immediately leaped away as a bolt of lightning landed where it had stood. More flashes fell, pushing back the horde of shadows as they tried to touch him, keeping them in a loose circle around his prone form. He could even hear the Demon King’s grunt in surprise as a bolt landed too close to his throne. Did that mean the storm was’t created by said King?

If that storm wasn’t of the Demon, then maybe Ganondorf had a chance. The young man tried to reach for the power in the clouds above him, and drew up nothing. He focused back onto the storm, the crackle of energy and motion all around him, and sent up a desperate prayer to any god, great or small, that would listen.

“Please,” He whispered, blood coming up from the corner of his mouth in a foam. “Please, I’m begging you. Help me.” A tear rolled down his cheek, masked by the rain still dripping down his face, and he let out one final whisper.

“I don’t want to become a monster.”

The storm continued to rage, and the shadows around him snickered as he felt the last of his hope fizzle out. Ganondorf felt a wretched laugh bubble up from his ruined chest. So this is where he would die, indeed. He began to close his eyes, accepting death and hoping for an escape from the pain he’d endured, but instead felt something click into place in his chest, with a feeling like relief filling him up.

Bones creaked and groaned as he felt fragments and breaks heal, flesh knitting itself together and aches from the days of fighting fading. The storm began to slow, and Ganondorf sat up as the clouds parted in the middle, revealing the red moon, but also a golden star, falling towards them.

“What is happening.” The Demon demanded, standing from his throne as it crumbled to dust, and Ganondorf forced himself to his feet. “How are you not dead!” The star fell closer and closer until it impacted the sand, skidding to a halt between the prince’s legs. He began to kneel down, and rage bloomed from the Demon before him, rushing to stop him as his children scrambled to get away.

Ganondorf breathed, finally able to without choking, and gently brushed the star with his fingers. Turning his head, he saw the monstrous man roar, reaching a clawed hand out for his throat, face shifting through a million Ganondorfs of the past, madness alighting in their eyes, and steeled his resolve. He closed his hand around the golden star, and the world stilled.

Then, like a desert flower opening its petals after a brief monsoon, gold light erupted out of Ganondorf, shooting in a column of concentrated sunlight. The hiss of the lesser shadows being incinerated was drowned out by the sound of rushing water, and the Demon King screamed with rage.

“You. Are. Mine!” He boomed, still straining for him. “You will be my vessel! The world will once again know the name Demi-”

“Wrong, you cursed blight. I am not, and never will be, yours. I belong to the Desert People, and nothing will ever chain me into slavery.” Ganondorf interrupted, stepping towards the Father of Monsters, and reached up to clutch the scaled throat of his enemy.

“I refuse your Pact, Demon King. Begone !” He pushed out with everything he had in him, and the new power he had responded, blooming into the imprint of a triangle on the hand grasping the Demon’s throat, gold exploding out and incinerating everything around him. The black scales of the monster he held, the sand beneath his feet, the obelisk, the campfire in the distance, the storm, the entire desert, was burned up in an explosion of light. The only thing left was the feeling of floating, a gentle rocking as if he was in the depths of a holy ocean.

He felt the impression of lips upon his forehead, and a voice splitting into seven distinct tones whispered in his ear.

“Well done, little Prince. Rest now, we will watch over you once again.” 

Ganondorf took a deep breath, and let go, letting his vision fade into the darkness of true, dreamless unconsciousness.

***

Kohga felt a foreign rage rise in his chest as one of his spies reported that she had seen a bright light erupt from the Gerudo Palace. Tighter surveillance was required when their master had initiated the final part of his plan to gain the Prince as his vessel, in order to monitor and keep track of the process. In the past couple weeks, his footsoldiers had reported a growing sense of malice and gloom in the vicinity of the Palace, even when the Zonai Queen had arrived, unfortunately sweeping some of the gloom away by her mere presence .

Regardless, the gloom in Gerudo Town had grown to a miasma, especially towards the end, but now, all of his spies, including this scout, have reported that the gloom has all but disappeared! Ejected in what has to be the most grotesque use of pure sacred magic Kohga has ever heard of! How dare that boy reject his master, the Calamity, everything his royal bloodline has been prepared for from the beginning!

Kohga had felt the truth in what Demise taught from the first time he heard his voice, even while he had been a member of the Sheikah. Hylia was a blight upon this world, his master had said, and Hyrule was first his . All the things that crawled on their belly and lurked in the dark belonged to the Father of Monsters, and he desired to reclaim what he had always owned. The usurper goddess was to be dethroned, her line ended in this mortal plane, and that cursed Hero locked away for eternity, kept from his cycle of rebirth to secure the stability of Demise’s eternal reign.

Plans change, however. The Yiga leader dismissed the young lady once she had finished, and turned to enter the shrine room in their hideout. When Kohga and the few disenfranchised Sheikah split off to form their own Creed and needed a place to meet and organize, safe from the prying eyes of their former families and the other peoples of Hyrule, the Lord of the Blood Moon had directed them to Karusa Valley, and to the chasm that led them to the Depths. He charged them with two assignments: spreading their influence subtly, keeping eyes and ears on every important figure on the continent, and to search the depths beneath Hyrule for his resting place- the Breach that Hylia cordoned off specifically to hold Demise. The Depths had been an untapped mine of potential, resources and space aplenty for them to grow, but the space was a curse when searching for their  Master.

Thankfully, the many months of mapping the dark underbelly of the world paid off. The Breach of Demise was found, and already construction of a shrine- hopefully even a temple!- to the King of Darkness was under way.

Kohga will prepare to meet personally with his master in the next few days, but first, he must handle the situation in Gerudo town, and work on ending the line of Hylia and either felling or capturing the Hero. He knelt before the altar depicting the Blood Moon on the back wall of the room, offerings of bananas and gemstones laid in front, and reached for the familiar, decay-scented presence of Demise.

Master , he thought out to the god. My spies have indicated that the plan to claim Prince Ganondorf has failed. A foreign rage filled up Kohga, burning him from the inside, and the leader grit his teeth to ride out the blessed pain.

The stupid boy has resisted me, yes. Came the cool reply, contradicting the burning hot rage Kohga could still feel in his chest. Therefore, we must instead pivot back to our original plan. Continue to surveille, and begin attempting to isolate the Princess and Hero, in order to finish one or both of them off. I want Hylia’s blood spilled for our dynasty, and the Hero in chains if he can’t be killed.

Yes, master. It will be done. The mental equivalent of a pat on the head was left in the wake of Demise exiting Kohga’s mind (the Yiga leader always felt giddy when Demise gave him approval), and he stood up from his knees. He pulled out a paper seal and activated the teleportation spell printed on it, popping out from the shrine and into the Main Hall, where Sooga was standing on the dais and barking commands to the footsoldiers.

“Sooga.” The Blademaster turned to his leader at the sound of his name, and waved another Blademaster from his position at one of the doorways to take over on the dais, giving him a quick command before coming down to talk with him.

“Master Kohga,” He started politely, “How may I help you?” Kohga led him out of the Main Hall and past one of the public rooms into an unused storage room. He’d prefer to use his office, but for news like this, which would eventually become the directive for every Yiga on the continent, a less private room would be sufficient.

“Our Master in the Depths has informed me that the Gerudo Prince proved to be too headstrong and stubborn to accept Demise’s Pact. Therefore, we have been tasked to return to our previous mission. He has also told us to begin moving towards isolating the Princess of Hyrule and Zonai Hero. As my second in command, do you have an idea on how we may accomplish this?”

“I would need to speak with Spymaster Tuurah, but we could place more spies in Hyrule Castle to keep an eye on the Princess. We won’t have the opportunity to do anything like poison or assassination, though- the Sheikah are too close to the royal family, and I know that the warrior Impa is the little Hylia’s personal bodyguard. Unfortunately, we don’t know enough about the Zonai to keep an eye on the Hero, and we also don’t have anyone who could infiltrate their lands, as none of the Faron tribes have joined our ranks. Our normal foot soldiers don’t quite have glamor paper seals prepared for that sort of infiltration either.” Kohga sucked his teeth in annoyance, but thought for a moment.

Patience would serve them better than rushing, in this case. Ambush requires time, and patience Kohga isn’t known for. Thankfully, his more cool headed subordinates are more suited to this sort of endeavor.

“Meet with our spymaster, then, and come up with a plan to assassinate the Princess. Demise prefers for the Hero to be captured alive and kept in chains, so that can be placed on the backburner for now. For now, our focus should be destroying the direct opposition of Demise’s power. All else will follow.”

“I was also told recently that the Princess is planning to visit Gerudo Town relatively soon, according to our spies in the servant’s ranks. None of them were sure when the next visit from the Hero would be, but they’ve noticed that the two of them do not seem to get along.” Kohga hummed in thought, stroking his chin through the mask he wore.

“Then we may be able to plan quickly. Gather a team of foot soldiers that can be prepared to strike when the royal procession stops in Kara Kara Bazaar. If a spy can lead her away from the group, then we may kill her without anyone being any wiser. It is a boon that the Hero and Princess do not like each other, because if they are not together, then it will be easier to get at Zelda without the Hero interfering.” Kohga spat the princess’ name.

Sooga grunted in agreement, and Kohga dismissed him to meet with Tuurah and begin assembling the strike team. Soon, pieces will fall into place for his master. The usurper will be thwarted, and all of Hyrule- even the entire realm, will once again belong solely to Demise.

All praise to the Demon King.

***

Chapter Text

“Zoranai is a celebration of water and its life-giving properties. Commonly, the Zora of Domains all over the world celebrate in a three day ceremonial veneration of the various deities associated with water. The first day is entirely dedicated to the Golden Goddess Nayru, who established the Law of the world, and therefore, created the principles of physics and chemistry that allowed water to form. The first day consists of solemn reflection, with ancient poetry of the Zora read out amongst the sound of rushing water and monotone notes ringing through the air like a tuning fork. The second day is dedicated to the Ocean King, Oshus, whose eternal journey across the oceans stirs up the waters and prompts life to spring from its depths. He is venerated through offerings of energy, such as dancing, sparring, and “other activities”. The third day is dedicated to Lord Jabu-Jabu, and Jabun, who are patron guardians of the Zora, among other water spirits such as Windfishes and Giant Turtle spirits. This final day is the one that is looked forward to the most, for it is a day of feast and craft. Offerings of food, craftsmanship, and laughter. It is not uncommon for the feasts to have leftovers that last for days after the Festival.”

- Description of the Zora Festival simply named Zoranai

***

Link was dreaming again.

Since he pulled out the Master Sword, Link's dreams have manifested into identical instances where he is gently rocked in the depths of an ocean so light it could almost be air. The water was so clear that he could see all the way to the bottom, and even all the way up to the surface, but no matter how hard he kicked, neither seemed to get any closer. Swirls of bubbles made shapes reminiscent of clouds drifting by him. He wasn’t drowning though, simply because in his dreams he had no need to breathe. The ocean seemed to swirl and eddy around and through him. Everything was still and quiet. 

Most everything.

A roar echoed out of the depths, smooth and bell-like, and Link watched the sinuous shape of a dragon appear and twist around him in graceful curves. Pure white scales and a gold mane, with blue crystal spines and elegant antlers growing out of its head. Link watched, enraptured, and the dragon turned its great head fully to face him, draconic eyes banded blue and pink, purple and green. A strangely shaped horn protruded out of its head, looking uncannily like the hilt of the Master Sword.

A spark snapped between the two of them, and Link found he couldn’t look away as the dragon stared at him. Some innate instinct flared up in the protector, and he couldn’t help the feeling of fear-tinged awe in the face of such a powerful creature. The dragon let out a mournful cry, and Link was hit with a wave of sorrow emanating from the dragon, centered on its strangely shaped horn. Or maybe not a horn, but some kind of injury? Kicking his legs, the Zonai youth tried to come closer to examine the wound, but the dragon let out another sorrowful roar and began to twist away, swimming deeper into the ocean-that-wasn’t-quite-an-ocean. Link watched it as it began to fade from view, but a sudden splash drew his attention upward.

A mass of bubbles and seafoam rocketed down to Link’s level, and he watched the bubbles dissolve to reveal dark skin and red hair. The Prince of the Gerudo seemed to be asleep, face slack while dark marks on his throat and chest and arms flaked off and disappeared like ash in the wind. Link watched the Prince’s eyes flutter open, piercing green meeting his for a split second before-

Link woke up, eyes snapping open to see the Rito warrior, Revali, standing in front of him with his arms crossed. Link had to crane his neck up from where he was leaning against a column  in the shade of the Rito Village gardens. King Taluk had wanted to take a trip up to Hebra to foster a closer relationship with Elder Kaneli and the rest of the Rito, and Link was part of the protection detail. Over the course of the few days they had already been there, many of the Rito had warmed up to them (especially the children-chicks? Link didn’t know how to refer to them), but Revali had remained strictly cordial with every Zonai minus Link, who he was openly demeaning and acerbic to.

“What a waste of everyone’s time and effort.” Revali snapped, scoffing when Link lifted an eyebrow in response. In the time that Link has spent getting to know the various Champions tasked with piloting the Divine Beasts, Revali has consistently stayed staunchly opposed to him on principle. It’s always something: his lack of armor, his lack of any qualifications outside of being military, his stature, lack of any notable combat skill (that the Rito has personally seen). It’s impossible to measure up, because Revali had already decided to dislike him.

“I mean,” Revali continued, “I just don't understand your purpose in all this.” Link had heard this statement before too.

“I can understand why Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk are needed, they’re leaders and skilled warriors all. Zelda is essential for sealing away the calamity, and the Divine Beasts are tools to assist. But with such an impressive roster, why are we relegated to merely assisting you ? All of my- I mean our - superior skills, and you get priority just because you have that silly sword on your back.” The Rito tsked.

“I mean, it’s just,” He paused to scan Link up and down, “ asinine.” Link couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Revali smirked like he had won some kind of fight.

“Oh? Unless you think I’m wrong?” He asked in a faux-innocent tone. “Maybe we should settle this one on one?” One of his wings came up to tap his beak thoughtfully. “But where… Oh!” Link steeled his shoulders and spoke clearly to drown out whatever Revali was about to say.

“Sure.” Revali gaped at him, and Link plowed onward. “Let’s settle this, birdbrain. You and me, in front of Rito Stable. Three hours from now.” Irritation briefly took over his features before it smoothed into condescension again. He opened his beak just for Link to steamroll him again.

“Unless you’re too cucco .” Link turned on his heel, ignoring Revali’s outraged squawks as he climbed the stairs onto the spiraling walkways that defined the Rito's architecture. He had to find Taluk before the fight to try and avoid any political blunders he may have walked himself into. It wouldn’t be great if he managed to ruin what friendship his king had made with the Elder because he couldn’t control his tongue.

It was just- Link was tired of being condescended. It had been insult after insult, starting with the Princess of Hyrule deciding she wanted nothing to do with him. The constant evasion, the condescending way the servants of Hyrule castle led him on a wild goose chase, stacked up on the scathing, razor sharp barbs that the “greatest warrior of the Rito” threw at him had worn his patience thin. At least he was losing his temper here, against a warrior not connected to his people’s leaders, rather than at the Princess, which would have had dire consequences.

Revali wanted a fight? Fine.

Link would give him one.

***

Taluk was feeling a sense of deja vu, standing with the rest of the Protector team while Link stood with his arms crossed, waiting for Revali’s arrival. When the young man had stormed up to him, catching him right as he finished a meeting of sorts with Elder Kaneli, Taluk had felt his heart sink until Link opened his mouth.

“I’m fighting Revali in three hours outside Rito Stable, and just wanted to let you know in case anything political happens because of it.” Immediately, the young man had turned around, stalking down the winding walkway leading to the village-city’s entrance. Taluk stood there, flabbergasted until Kaneli chuckled beside him.

“I’m sure Revali’s sharp tongue is to blame for this showdown. It’ll be interesting to see how you Zonai fight against airborne enemies, no?” Taluk nodded, and definitely did not think about how Protectors took care of entire flocks of Aerocuda every single day.

Which brought them to the present, where a whistle of wind is all that preceded Revali’s landing before Link. A couple other Rito warriors touched down, already chirping to each other in their native language in various stages of confidence. Kaneli spoke loud enough to silence everyone.

“Let’s get this showdown started, shall we!” The old bird clapped his wings together. “I’m at the edge of my seat. What are the agreed upon rules?” Link looked at Revali, face stony.

“First blood, magic is allowed.” Revali grit out, already clutching his bow. Kaneli confirmed the rules with Link, and nodded in satisfaction, motioning to one of the Rito warriors. The young man stepped forward with a large bell, and struck it, signalling the start of the match.

Immediately, Revali whipped up a wind with his wings and launched upward, gracefully propelling himself away from Link’s reach with a sword. He seemed to want to finish the fight with only arrows, perhaps to prove a point. However, his flight path was interrupted by Link, who swept an arm out and a sudden gale pushed Revali into a stuttered recovery. The Rito warrior grabbed his bow with his talons while righting himself, and strung an arrow.

Thunk! The arrow struck the ground where Link had been a moment before, but the Protector was dancing around the arena, dodging the arrows some of the time, blocking the arrows with his blade others, and interspersing it all with gusts to interfere with Revali’s flying. Taluk had seen Link fight many opponents, and his skills were always impressive, but something about the way he moved showed the king that the young Protector was angry. Instead of fluid, his movements were short and brutal, only truly dodging because of the first blood rule.

Despite the obvious skill that Revali possessed, it was increasingly obvious he was getting frustrated with Link’s ability to counter and dodge his arrows, and he was especially becoming angry with the fact that the Protector was interrupting his flight pattern. The fight continued, and continued, and continued for what felt like hours, and the other Rito warriors were starting to mutter to themselves again, less confident than before. There were a couple exceptions to the rule, one being a white feathered warrior that was introduced as Teba, leaning against the stable and observing Link with sharp, predatory eyes. He was watching his footwork, and the way that he would lift his blade at just the right instance to deflect it, almost like the Protector could foresee each attack.

Revali dropped like a stone, landing with a thud on the ground, swiftly putting his bow on his back and unsheathing one of the rito-made feather blades. The warrior ran to Link, and their blades clashed violently as the Rito flew into a minor frenzy, frustrated that the fight wasn’t going as he seemed to expect or want.

Speaking of Link, his face was stony, brows furrowed as he glared directly at his opposition. From what Taluk heard about his fight with the Hylian knight, Link hadn’t been anywhere near as mad. The King does remember hearing about the Protector's temper sometimes while the boy was still in training, especially when his agemates would tease and taunt him every once in a while, but that stopped over time, and Link grew much closer to those he shared his duties with.

The fight continued on, much more interesting to watch now that it wasn’t just Link dodging Revali’s arrows. The Rito's main skill was with a bow, but it was obvious that he still took the time to hone his sword work. He was holding his own quite well, all things considered, but he was flagging as well. Meanwhile, Link looked relaxed, his stony exterior finally cracking to reveal a tiny, smug smile as he pushed his opposition back a couple paces.

Revali huffed in genuine anger, and Taluk watched the wheels in his head turn as he glanced around the area they were fighting in. An idea struck the warrior, and he dashed forward, sliding under Link’s answering slice, and jumping up into the air behind Link, bringing his sword down towards his arm for a cut.

Taluk’s secret stone pulsed on his chest and grew warm as time rippled briefly, slowing down while Link pivoted. A pearlescent vapor left his mouth on a breath, and he repositioned himself to dodge the incoming attack. Time began to speed up again, and Link took advantage of his new position as Revali came down to leave a thin slice across the Rito’s ribs, flicking the blood onto the ground and dancing backwards out of Revali’s reach.

Everyone stood slident, save for the loud breathing from the two warriors as they processed the fight. Then, Revali let out a wordless growl of rage as he whipped around and flew upward, heading back towards the city and not even bothering with post-spar pleasantries. The other warriors all had looks of shock on their faces, disbelieving that their best fighter could be beaten. Teba even had a wider look to his eyes, staring intently at Link as he collected himself and walked over to Taluk and Kaneli. He gave a bow to both and offered his hand to Kaneli, grasping the elder’s forearm equivalent.

“I’m sorry that I started a fight in your home, Elder Kaneli. I hope this doesn’t make you think less of King Taluk or the Zonai.” The old owl waved off his apology, folding his wings behind him.

“There was no harm done except to Revali’s pride, Protector Link. No need to apologize, as I’m sure you were goaded into this fight more than anything else. Revali’s tongue has a habit of getting away from him and lashing at people he doesn’t necessarily like.” Link nodded, and turned back towards the village-city (mostly likely to take a nap- if there’s one thing about him, it’s that he enjoys naps more than any other person). Taluk could hear the young man muttering to himself, something along the lines of “Sure, goaded. Stupid, idiot, bird. Should’ve ended the fight earlier.” Taluk chuckled and turned back to his companion.

“Shall we continue where we left off?”

“By all means, came Kaneli’s reply, and the two set off. While Taluk was glad that Link got the opportunity to release pent up frustration, he still breathed a sigh of relief that this hadn’t happened anywhere else. Elder Kaneli was much less uptight than some of his Rito brethren, which worked in their favor. If this had happened in Lanayru, or gods forbid- Central Hyrule - it would’ve been much less forgiving, despite Callio and Taluk’s efforts to grow friendships with these people. Tensions were still much too high, and the Zonai too new to cause too much disruption.

Hopefully, the full breadth of the collective Zonai knowledge can be shared in the coming months. The brewing problems in the various provinces have slowed down (suspiciously after Callio reported Ganondorf recovering from a mysterious sickness she had heard about during her stay in Gerudo), and hopefully it stays that way.

Hopefully.

***

Sooga stands next to Spymaster Tuurah as she surveys the ranks of Yiga footsoldiers and blademasters arrayed before them. They had to assemble a strike team to quickly infiltrate the servant and soldier ranks of Hyrule in time to accompany Princess Zelda and the Protector Link as they go on their outing to Gerudo, and as the two lieutenants to Master Kogah, they were splitting the responsibility of choosing. Sooga would choose who would infiltrate the soldier ranks (which required less blatant espionage and stealth), and Tuurah would choose the most capable of the Yiga to infiltrate the servants ranks, which would be closest to Zelda, who would be able to tell if one was behaving strangely.

Thankfully, there was a multitude of Yiga already in the castle, including in the higher up ranks of servants and even nobles. They’d been biding their time, hiding their disgust for the crown and the spawn of Hylia, and waiting for their Lord’s directive to destroy Hyrule. It seemed that time was growing closer by the moment. He felt giddy at the thought of it!

“Alright, now that everyone’s assembled,” Tuurah began, turning to talk to Sooga mask-to-mask, “I believe it’s right that I go first. While we have many skilled spies, and every Yiga clan member is required to have some infiltration skill, we have only a few of my most skilled spies left. There is a difference between posing as a traveler and a servant of the Royal Family of Hyrule,” The blademaster nodded.

“I agree, Spymaster. Please, feel free to go first, I have a mind to observe for a while anyway.” Tuurah turned sharply and prowled through the lines of footsoldiers, navigating effortlessly to where she knew her people were. Thankfully, Kogah began marking ranks of foot soldiers with small flourishes to their uniforms. It worked to preserve their anonymity, but it helped discern who was who. Otherwise it would be much harder to build teams like this, while faced with row upon row of blank masks.

Tuurah called all of the spies she chose up to the front of the room, and Sooga stepped off the dias in the gathering space to wander the rows. The task set before them had a layer of subtlety that required he didn’t just send every strong blademaster and footsoldier out to be a soldier. You had to be able to think like and understand how the various militaries operate, and what was expected of them.

With this in mind, he navigated through each row, choosing a variety of builds and skill levels in fighting that he knew about, because it’s important to infiltrate all ranks of the soldiers to ensure that at least some would be able to get into the travel party.

After choosing every clansman that would be on the strike team, Sooga turned back to the gathered crows as Tuurah led the chosen members into the next room over, to debrief them on their mission.

“Thank you for your patience as we chose the members of the strike team for our newest mission. We must all now be patient as they work to do our most daring venture yet: assassinate the Princess of Hyrule. Our hope and prayer to the Demon King is that they will be successful, and that we can witness the day when our god rises from the Breach, and rules over Hyrule as is his right. All praise to the Demon King. You are dismissed.” The assembled clansmen repeated the praise and separated, going on to perform the duties assigned to them outside of missions. Sooga stayed to survey everyone leaving, and once everyone had left, he moved into the next room, where Tuurah was finishing the briefing for their missions.

“Anything to add, Commander?” The blademaster stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest.

“This mission is of critical importance, as I’m sure the Spymaster has already told you. As such, this mission will be considered with the possibility of a suicide mission. If there is a chance that you will be captured, in order to preserve our secrets, your orders are to destroy yourself by any means possible. While many of us were once a part of the Sheikah clan,” Sooga’s paused, “our liberation from their ranks mean that we do not have the knowledge of what techniques they have at their disposal for extracting information. Am I understood?” At a chorus of agreement, he relaxed minutely.

“The wisest course of action is to travel through the Gerudo Highlands to the nearest main road. Infiltrate the nearest garrison first, and move your way up into the possibility of either joining the princess’ party, and work your way to the palace to be a part of the initial team. However, we do not have much time to do this mission, for the princess and the champion of the Zonai will be travelling within the next couple months. Spymaster Tuurah will instruct you on how to depart and when in the coming days. Now I must go and report to Master Kohga. We wish you luck. All praise to the Demon King.”

Sooga turned and left while the chorus of clansmen repeated the sentiment to him. He made his way through the hideout, and reflected on the mission set before them by Demise. His blood began to sing with excitement again with the idea of the princess’ Sacred blood being spilled in the name of his Infernal master. He had full faith in his people’s ability to get the job done.

Victory was in sight, and it already tasted sweet.

***

Chapter Text

“The Silent Princess-also known by the name The Princess’s Lily (Lilium naoischus)- is a species of Hyrulean perennial lily that grows across the entire continent, but can mostly be found in the grassy plains and foothills of Central Hyrule and Lanayru, with a stunning white and blue coloring making it a staple of the Hyrulean continent. Named for the princesses of the Royal Family, this flower is a truly rare find, and one in need of protection. Due to a decreased presence of this blossom across its habitat, many botanists call for it to be considered a threatened species. Efforts from conservationists and researchers to develop a way to cultivate the flower in domestic and controlled environments have failed thus far, making its preservation in the wild all the more critical.”

- Excerpt from a botany journal titled Flora of the Continent

***

It doesn’t take a Sheikah of Impa’s caliber to notice the tension between Zonai Protector Link and Princess Zelda. Honestly, it doesn’t even take the observation skills of a normal person to see it. The tension in the escort was so thick that it was almost a miasma around them as the journey towards Gerudo progressed onward.

While Impa knew about how the Princess had been avoiding Link at any cost (even employing the servants to run him in circles), she hadn’t really paid attention to it, between her responsibilities as Zelda’s bodyguard, the next leader of the Sheikah, as well as the personal “spymaster” of the king.. Purah seemed a little concerned by it, especially as it began to affect her opportunities to ask Link questions about his people, but Impa had overlooked it. Obviously she regrets that now.

Link had a deep scowl marring his face as he stomped away from his most recent attempt at getting Zelda to talk to him, and her shoulders lowered back down from her ears. Link mechanically checked his belongings, slinging them to be strapped to his horse’s sides with deft hands, outpacing a lot of the rest of the party with the exception of the more experienced soldiers. He adjusted the reins and saddle, murmuring quietly to the animal the whole time, before reaching into the pack strapped to his hip and pulling an apple out to feed it. When the horse whuffed a sigh before happily eating the apple out of Link’s hand, he cracked the first smile Impa had seen on his face over the course of the entire journey.

Honestly, Zelda’s behavior was getting a little out of hand. Even though Link wasn’t necessarily highbrow or noble among Zonai, he was still important to their people (and it was obvious that the King and Queen were fond of him). The Princess wasn’t doing herself or her people any favors by going out of her way to be unkind to him, not even mentioning roping her servants into her unkindness.

Impa directed her horse to walk next to Zelda’s after everyone had finished saddling up. Zelda twitched as she came up, but stayed marginally relaxed after realizing it wasn’t Link.

“If we keep making this time, we should be past the Canyon Pass before nightfall. We can camp at the Gerudo Canyon Stable, and potentially make it through to Kara Kara tomorrow evening.” Impa hummed in agreement, not adding much to what the Princess said. As long as no bandits or gods-forbid Yiga accost them, the timing seemed correct.

Her hands twitched as the feeling of being watched crawled up her spine. She’s used to being looked at, especially when accompanying the Crown Princess of Hyrule, but this feeling was different. Her senses tingled and she felt tense as this feeling intensified, a malicious intent in the watching, and she turned her head slightly to look behind them.

Nothing but the caravan was behind them, and the attendants and soldiers accompanying them seemed to be minding their own business. Too late, Impa realized she had stayed silent for too long, and Zelda interpreted her silence as accusation.

“I don’t want to hear you scold me too, Impa. I already get enough of it from Father and Ganondorf. I don’t want him around, and I refuse to spend more time around that damned sword.” Her shoulders were creeping up to her ears again. Impa sighed and ran her fingers through her horse’s mane absentmindedly.

“Then I won’t say anything about it, Princess. But I hope you’re taking care to think through your actions, especially regarding someone who is the Champion of his people. Just because it hasn’t had consequences of great magnitude now doesn’t mean it won’t later. The Zonai are valuable allies, and if they are soured against us because of how we have treated one of their own, it will not be a good situation.

She didn’t say anything else, even though Impa could see an expression of guilt flit across Zelda’s face. Hopefully this would change her behavior. Her father most likely just ordered her to treat him better, and Ganondorf (as much as Zelda respects his honest opinion) most likely didn’t go hard enough on her to make a difference. Appealing to her logic and duty towards her people, and emphasizing the international consequences of her actions gets to the heart of the problem. Since she said she wouldn’t scold the princess, though, Impa changed the subject by clearing her throat.

“I believe the food on the menu for tonight’s dinner is tomato mushroom stew and spiced meat skewers. Hopefully that’ll be enough for your refined taste.” She gently teased, and Zelda relaxed again. She scoffed in mock outrage.

“I’ve had my fair share of commoner food, Impa.” She states with an imperious sniff. “It may not be the castle’s food, but it’ll do for now.”

The two of them snickered as the journey continued. Despite her displeasure towards having Link present during the visit, it was easy to see that she was excited to see Urbosa and her family.  After her mother died in her youth, Urbosa had become something of a motherly figure for the Princess, and Ganondorf rapidly became her best friend. She was close with some of the other younger nobles in Hyrule and its neighboring provinces, like Princess Mipha in Lanayru and even Impa herself, but the Gerudo prince and her had clicked in a way nobody else had been able to. It was easy to see her love for the family.

There even was a time when King Rhoam had sent Zelda to live with Urbosa and Ganondorf in Gerudo Town, to “help foster friendly relations” between the Kingdom of Hyrule and what was once its vassal state. The actual reason was because Zelda had been begging for months for a trip, and rather than send her back and forth over and over, King Rhoam just decided to let her spend one long trip with them. To the young princess, even the extended visits to the other Hyrulean provinces was worth the couple months she spent in the desert.

Hours after crossing the Canyon Pass, cliffs looming above in the rapidly fading sunlight (along with the rapidly fading heat ), warm firelight from the stable at the mouth of the desert grew steadily brighter, and the party began to hustle to a warm meal and comfortable beds. Impa turned her gaze forward to Link, who stared resolutely forward, twitching his fingers in the mane of his horse. Unfortunately, while Zelda had Impa and was surrounded by her own people, Link didn’t have an entourage of Zonai protectors to be surrounded by. Despite the hands of friendship extended by the sovereigns of all the nations, those from Hyrule Castle had a habit of excluding the young man while he visited from Faron (which Zelda herself had made sure of, however accidentally).

Impa sighed, and turned back to her own horse, unpacking what she needed to for this short stop while the feeling of being watched returned. She’d need to do some sneaking around later, once everyone’s gone to bed. If they’re being watched, she needs to figure out what or who is doing it. The last thing anyone here needed was a potentially dangerous situation.

***

Ganondorf looked out across the shimmering sand as he and his guards approached Kara Kara Bazaar. They had set out early in the day while the desert was still cool so they could rest at the bazaar during the hottest part of the day and guide Hyrule’s entourage to Gerudo Town in the evening when it started getting cooler again. The Gerudo Prince scanned the colored banners of the bazaar’s merchants, offering spiced meats and Gerudo silks to potential customers, among other wares and gear. Thankfully the bazaar and the path leading up to the canyon pass was untouched by the sandstorms, leaving them to operate as they always have. After his most recent visit to the Highlands, before his self-exorcism, the Highlands were also untouched, if a little colder than usual.

Ganondorf dropped his gaze to his right hand, looking at the faint, shimmery triangles stamped into the flesh. When he had awoken in the Oasis of the Town, feeling more rested than he had in weeks- maybe even months- the Twinrova had inspected him from head to toe before paying special attention to his hand. The two had released a simultaneous breath, drawing their mortal glamor around themselves again as they congratulated him on coming out victorious.

“It seems as though “the chain unbroken” has finally been thwarted.” Koume had said, gently placing a hand on Ganondorf’s cheek while her sister continued looking at his hand.

“And with the ultimate well of strength in him, to boot.” Kotake looked severely into his eyes, the fairy-lights within them displaying the power in her. “The Triforce of Power is a great tool and blessing, but also a great temptation. Do not become complacent, Prince Ganondorf.”

Ganondorf gulped as he flexed his fist a couple times, feeling inwardly for the conduit of strength he could feel deep inside himself. He’s had to spend time getting used to his limits again, with such a large difference in the amount of strength he can draw. The training grounds walls have multiple holes and cavities getting filled because of his struggle with his limits- or rather, the lack of a limit.

The sounds of the bazaar intensified as they passed through the scattering brush marking the border of the oasis it sits in. Ganondorf breathed deep, inhaling the smells of the various foods being served, and dismissed his entourage to wander and set up for the evening. Already the sky was the bright gold of late afternoon, swiftly reddening with the coming dusk. The heat was also fading, mitigated by the oasis and the various torches and campfires lit within it. He locked eyes with a few Hylian soldiers as they meandered around the oasis, and scanned for Impa briefly before locking eyes with Link, who was holding an apple for his horse to eat.

After he woke up from his struggle, his dreams have continued to be strange. Less “a Demon is stalking you in a desert with a blood red moon” strange, and more “the patron goddess of the Hylians has given you a vision” strange. All of them reminded him of that first message he received, when the Goddess had said the name Floria to him, leading to the rediscovery of the Zonai people. All of them had a gold ocean, or him walking on powder soft sand looking out into a desert with gold morning light streaming through perfect clouds.

The strangest of his dreams, though, had Link in them.

They never spoke, never did much more than lock eyes with each other, but a spark was there where before there was not. Zelda had confided that when she watched Link’s spar, before he pulled the master Sword and soured her opinion of him, she had met his eyes and there was a connection- some kind of compulsion that kept them staring at each other. Ganondorf felt like that a little, now, though his only guess is the fact that the two of them are chained to one another through the Triforce. If the prince remembered correctly, the Heroes of old legends always held the Triforce of Courage, which left the Hero with a connection to wild spaces, instances of miraculous healing and sometimes an ability to control aspects of nature.

Unfortunately, the Triforce of Power hasn’t had any positive legends outside of its creation, so all the Prince knows is that he has a ruthless strength he didn’t previously possess, and a connection to the rooted energy of the earth. A level of fireproofing, too. His mother had a momentary panic when he grabbed a piece of flatbread straight off the bakestone, only to scold him when she realized the heat was just a pleasant warmth for him.

Link nodded at him, and Ganondorf gave a nod back, unsaddling from his horse and leading him over to where Link stood. 

“ Sav’saaba , Protector Link. How have you been? I feel as though we haven’t had a chance to speak in a long time. Was the journey here manageable?” The young Zonai moved his hand to rub his horse’s snout, and snorted in amusement.

“ Sav’saaba , Your Royal Highness.” Link’s voice gave a lyrical tilt to his words, lending a musical quality to the otherwise familiar speech. From what little native Zonai Ganondorf had heard, he understood it to be very bouncy, rising and falling in pitch and tone to alter the meaning of a phrase. “The journey itself was fine, even if the company wasn’t as pleasant. I’ve said it many times to you and your mother, but your home is very beautiful.”

Ganondorf winced in sympathy, noting that Link was the sole Zonai in the party dominated by Hylians. Zelda was still giving him the cold shoulder, then, and the guards and attendants had followed suit.

“Yes, well. Zelda can be a little hardheaded, sometimes. I’m sorry that she’s avoiding you.” He loved the Princess dearly, she was his best friend after all, but he could still recognize that she was being unfair to an undeserving party. Link seemed perfectly friendly, and from their past conversations, had a sharp mind and a soft heart. And if Zelda’s complaints about being chased around could be trusted, a spine of steel.

A glance around revealed Zelda nowhere to be found, and a small niggling feeling of worry rooted in Ganondorf’s mind. The desert had become more dangerous recently, with increased monster presence from the sandstorms, and increased Yiga sightings.

“Where is the princess, anyway?” Link looked around before shrugging bitterly.

“Hells if I know. I can barely find her in Hyrule Castle, I wouldn’t be able to keep track of her here.” The horse he was petting nipped at his fingers with a whuff, and Ganondorf heard the whisper-soft rustle of a Sheikah consciously making noise.

“Your Royal Highness, Protector Link, may I talk to the both of you for a moment?” Impa gestured to the side of the sandstone inn, where shade from the building obstructed the Bazaar’s views of them. Her face betrayed nothing, but Ganondorf felt that anxious feeling grow anyway. The two men looked to each other before following the Sheikah woman to the wall, and she turned to them with a sudden grave expression.

“What I’m about to say cannot leave this space, do you understand?” Link and Ganondorf nodded, and she continued.

“We cannot find Zelda in the Bazaar, and while I’ve verified that the Captain of the Guard is safe, I have reason to believe we have some unwelcome guests in our entourage.” Impa reached behind herself to grab an object in her pack, and displayed it to them. What she pulled out had Ganondorf’s heart freezing and dropping to his stomach.

A mask, pure white save for the upside down Sheikah eye emblazoned on it in blood red, still attached to a strip of red cloth. The mask had blood staining the surface, and Ganondorf looked up to meet eyes with Impa, noting a spot of red splattered on her cheekbone. She continued her thought.

“We’ve been compromised, and I suspect we’ve been compromised for a while. I don’t know numbers, but treat every member of the Hylian guard as suspicious except for the Captain. If you can, fan out in the area surrounding this bazaar to find her. I will keep investigating the camp, but we must find the princess-”

Impa was cut off by a high pitched shriek echoing through the Bazaar, echoing across the dunes. Link’s head snapped up and his eyes narrowed, silver blue becoming almost beastlike as he tilted his head to locate the sound’s direction.

“That sounded like it came from the north.” Ganondorf murmured. “Maybe out towards the Great Cliffs.” Before the last words even left his mouth, Link took off, scooping his bow, arrows, and sword up with practiced ease as he sprinted through the sand with barely a struggle in his step, already angling north as the sun continued to stain the sky red.

“Ganondorf, grab a few of your guards and follow him, I’ll keep sweeping the camp.” Impa ordered, turning to stalk through the brush on the outskirts of the oasis, like a Lynel prowling around its territory. The prince quickly fell into action, unhooking his scimitar from his horse and releasing a shrill whistle that gathered a few of the Gerudo warriors to him. He gave them sharp orders in their language, and the three warriors fanned out around him as they quickly gave chase across the desert. Ganondorf could see Link tilting his head this way and that, listening for sounds of a struggle, and he sent a quick prayer to the Heroines to guide him to his friend. Hopefully they wouldn’t be too late.

***

Zelda ran with the desperation of a woman about to die, arms pumping as she struggled through the sand. The whisper of cloth behind her, almost drowned out by the blood rushing in her ears, marked the pursuit of the Yiga Clansman that had cornered her in the ruins. She had retreated to a small set of ruins about half an hour out of the bazaar to avoid another confrontation from Link, making sure to grab a few members of the guard before going for protection. Impa would have been preferable, but she was monitoring the oasis for threats and Zelda hadn’t wanted to disturb her.

However, what happened in the desert now constituted a nightmare. She had arrived at the site, running a hand over the worn stone columns, before one of the guards had cornered her, sword held out threateningly. The four guards gazed hungrily towards Zelda, cruel smiles twisting over their faces as the glamor on them popped, leaving the red clad clansmen behind. One had rushed her, and she managed to evade him by twisting around the ruins, keeping pillars between them until she could make a break for it through the open desert. They had been chasing her for a while now, from where she had been hiding from Link, all the way towards Kara Kara Bazaar. Her lungs were burning, her legs were aching, to stop meant certain death, so she pushed forward, towards the speck in the distance marking the safety of the oasis.

Unfortunately at that moment, a rock caught her foot and she went sprawling across the sand, her ankle twisted painfully and throbbing from the impact. Sobbing from fear, exhaustion, and pain, she tried to scramble upright, but found herself cornered and surrounded by not just the one Clansmen chasing her, but a full trio behind him advancing on her. She started begging, asking for mercy from whoever would listen, whether that be the attackers before her, one of the Gerudo soldiers in the bazaar (as unlikely as it was), or even Hylia herself. The Yiga closest to her laughed at her, the sickle in his hand gleaming menacingly.

He slinked closer, the other three fanning out to start surrounding her, Zelda scrambling to get further away, her pleas growing louder as she stared death in its face. The sun bled the sky into a blood red hue, perfectly complementing her attacker’s garb.

“Say goodbye, Your Grace,” One of the Yiga sneers, contempt in his voice at her title. “Your blood will feed the Great Beast, the wondrous Father of Monsters, and fuel his rise to come back into this world.” He darted close, swiping his blade down towards her. Zelda flung herself farther back, managing to avoid a severe injury, but still getting a small slice to her arm that began to bleed. Additionally, she managed to lodge herself into a rock, cutting off a means to escape.

“You can’t escape this,” Came the menacing coo of the Yiga who sliced her, stepping even closer. “It’s only your destiny. Bled like a sacrificial pig, your life spilled out for our King and supreme Master to take his rightful-”

He was cut off with a gurgle as he slumped to the side, an arrow lodged through his throat. With a soft huff, Link landed in front of her, having leapt off of the rock she was cornered against, brandishing the master sword in front of him, expression stony. The other three Yiga glanced at their fallen brethren before looking at Link again. One spoke, only a slight waver in his voice betraying his nervousness

“How fortuitous of us, to have both the Hero and the Princess here where we can usher in a new Age of the Blood Moon. Prepare to suffer, Zonai filth.” They brandished their sickles. Link took a deep breath in, and readied his stance.

With an exhale, Link threw his arm out and a gust of wind immediately bowled two of the Clansmen over, and Link darted forward so fast it seemed like teleportation, slamming his blade against the curved edge of the remaining Yiga’s weapon. Giving them no time to recover or teleport, Link swung his sword again and again, until the sickle gave out and shattered like glass. Stunned, the attacker was unprepared for the vicious way Link clocked them, smashing his sword’s pommel against their neck and snapping the vertebra. Before the body even completely hit the ground, Link had another arrow strung, and skewered one of the remaining Yiga with an arrow through the forehead as they struggled to their feet.

Just as the Protector turned to where the last Yiga had been, Zelda felt a ‘pop’ of displaced air behind her, and a curved blade rested against her throat.

“Aht aht, watch your step, Hero. You wouldn't let the Princess get hurt, would you? I’m the one with the power here.” Link crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow.

“You’re sure about that?” Came the lilting, accented Hylian. The Yiga clansman cackled with dark glee, even as they trembled with anxiety.

“Of course I am, you stupid simpleton. Make one wrong move, and you can kiss your sealing power goodbye-” Once again, there was a cutoff, as multiple Gerudo-made spears were brandished around the Yiga, a group of guards slipping around the rock, and a smooth rumble cut through the desert air.

“I would drop your sickle if I were you, clansman, lest you want to feel the bite of my scimitar.” The Yiga tightened their grip on their sickle, trembling grip seeming to resolve to kill Zelda in their final moments, but in a flash, Link was in front of them, slamming his bloodstained pummel against their head. The clansman moaned in pain and slumped to the ground, unconscious and twitching, their sickle sliding out of their grip. Miraculously, the blade didn’t do so much as scratch Zelda as its master went down.

The princess sat there, staring at the bodies of her attackers, as Link straightened and sheathed his sword. Gentle hands lifted her up, and Ganondorf rested a broad hand on her shoulder as he said, “Let’s head back to the Bazaar. We’ll head out at first light, with my guards being your protection for tonight. I believe Impa is still rooting out all the spies in your entourage.”

The princess nodded, still shellshocked, as she watched the Zonai confirm he’d help Impa before turning to trudge back through the sand towards Kara Kara. The guards continued to take care of her, wrapping her ankle in stiff cloth and smearing medicinal paste on her cheek before covering it with a thin cloth patch. She felt an immense guilt fill her as Link’s shoulders drooped with something she didn’t recognize, whether that be sadness or exhaustion. 

She’d been very unfair to him since the Blessing she gave him (didn’t give him? Could she even give blessings if she didn’t have her sacred power?), and had ignored and avoided and been generally very unkind to him, to the potential detriment of their nation's friendly relations. Even after all the mistreatment, he had gone out of her way to slaughter three Yiga for her, and make sure she was safe. As much as she still didn't want to be anywhere near that sword, and her heart still ached with grief every time he was near her, she could afford to extend some friendship to him. Steeling her resolve, she called out to him.

“Link,” The Protector turned to face her, and she had to take a deep breath. She looked into his eyes, and mustered as much genuine remorse as she could into her expression. “I’m sorry.”

His expression stayed blank, shoulders still slumped, but he nodded once. He turned and continued to walk away, tension leaving his shoulders gradually. Just as he got far enough away she thought he wouldn’t say anything else to her, Link turned around and unslung his bow from his back, gesturing to it and then arrows at his waist. A small grin spread across his face, and he pointed at her.

“Tomorrow, I’m teaching you to shoot.”

***

Chapter Text

“Is love in the air? Or is it just the sweet scent of Fairy honey? It’s about that time again in Hyrule - time for the Great Fairy Festival! If you’re looking to get lucky or hitched this year, you’ve come to the right place! By The Goddess is here to give you tips, tricks, and insights into how to crush this year’s season of love and bag that man in three easy steps! Step one is having the perfect outfit. Since summer is in full swing, it’s important to wear bold, seasonal colors- a nice sky blue or sunshine yellow works perfect, but you can also get away with a stormy gray or soft peach if you want something a little more subtle. Keeping in style with cuts and clothing that accentuate your figure and features will make any man’s eyes follow you! Second step: the right perfume and makeup is required to… ”

- Excerpt from a special Great Fairy Festival article in By The Goddess!

***

In the rapidly heating morning sun, ankle wrapped in a stiff bandage to keep it straight, Zelda stood in the training salles of the Gerudo Palace, learning to shoot a bow. In the light of everything that had happened the day and evening before, she was grateful that Link had seemed to accept her apology, but she wasn’t necessarily holding out hope for an archery lesson, no matter what he had told her the evening before. That is, until one of her attendants had woken her up while the Protector was knocking on the door as soon as dawn had broken. A part of her still felt like running away when she saw him, and she still felt raw every time she glanced at the sword strapped to his back, but she had made a commitment to be better. Being better starts with changing her attitude. Even if that meant enduring archery lessons, the like she hadn’t attended since she had turned thirteen.

The Princess’ interests were purely academic. She loved to study engineering, she loved to study chemistry, she loved to build and observe and catalogue and read, and all the things that make a good scholar. She had tactile skills, both from engineering and from her upbringing as a lady. Sewing and embroidery, painting, music-Zelda was actually extremely partial to the harp and ocarina. She had never been interested in combat (besides observing a match or two), never been interested in sports, even the high society ones like the aesthetic archery with supple bows and horse racing. It just wasn’t her thing. She would’ve preferred being able to sleep in a little and see if she could convince Urbosa to let her see the research she had on Divine Beast Vah Naboris.

Instead, she stood feet planted apart while struggling to aim an arrow at a target not fifteen feet away. Link had the compassion to adjust the tension in his bow to accommodate the significant difference in strength between them, and was inspecting her form as her arm trembled slightly from holding it up for too long. Careful of her bandage, he tapped her injured foot with a wooden rod he had pulled from his pack.

“Your legs should be farther apart. Line them up with your shoulders and keep your upper body straight.” Zelda released a breath, bit back the stubborn and frustrated retort on her tongue, and focused on the target. She wasn’t a complete beginner to this, after all. Thoughts rose and left just as quickly, her brain unable to completely focus in favor of cataloguing the sun reflecting off a bit of sand to her left, the heat rising, the sound of water rushing on the roofs of the city’s buildings, the sound of her own breath in her ears. The Protector backed away and she let go of the bowstring, the arrow notched tapping the rim of the target before bouncing off. Link huffed.

“Not too bad. Not enough force to push through, but it’s a good start.” 

“I did archery for sport when I was younger, you know.” She rubbed her bicep in embarrassed irritation. “Was never very good at it though.”

“You’re drawing the bowstring back like it too. Not enough strength, too much focus on aesthetics.” Link mimed what she did, showing her how her arm had been delicately holding the arrow and bow, gracefully curved instead of fortified. “Looks pretty, but isn’t very practical.” He stepped back up, and directed her arms as he lifted the bow back into position. He adjusted her grip on the arrow, and slightly straightened the arm holding the bow. He pulled her hand back to her cheek, then tugged it back to her ear.

“Doesn’t matter if you’re pulling it to your cheek or your ear, do whatever’s comfortable. Focus on where you’re aiming the tip of your arrow, and release all three fingers at the same time. Deep breath. Don’t overthink it.” Zelda gave a tiny nod, and the Protector stepped back again.

As she gazed across the salle, preparing to draw the arrow back, the princess huffed. Her mind just wouldn’t quiet, too busy mentally cataloguing everything around her, spiralling into tangents and mental rabbit holes that she would normally entertain, but couldn’t at the moment. She tried to take deep breaths and empty her mind, recalling the meditations she had to perform when trying to connect with Hylia, even though she despised doing it. 

After a couple deep breaths with her eyes closed, she raised the bow and pulled the arrow back to her cheek, opening her eyes and aiming at the center of the target. She stared at the tip of the arrow and released, this time hitting the very edge of the target, lodging a couple inches into the hay. The princess inwardly smirked, satisfied that she had managed to land the hit this time. Clapping from the side drew her attention, and Zelda turned to see Ganondorf standing in the shade of the palace, leaning against the wall of the salle.

“Impressive, princess. Keep working, and you could hit a sleeping Hinox in broad daylight!” He called out teasingly. Link chuckled, and Zelda stuck her tongue out at him, flushing a bright pink.

“Keep poking fun, and I’ll make you a pincushion, Bokoblin breath!” She shook Link’s bow at him. Ganondorf dramatically gasped in offense, and pretended to hide from her aim. Link fully started laughing behind her as the two kept snarking back and forth at each other, and Zelda was struck that it was the happiest she had heard the Protector in all the times they had been in each other’s company. He laughed loud and stood bent over, holding his stomach. He had a nice laugh too, one that made his already young looking face appear more innocent, and a musical bounce to it that betrayed its genuinity.

Guilt welled up in her again. They had known each other for months by that time, and not only did she not know anything about him, but she had actively made him miserable in her company the entire time. All her staff had followed suit too, reflecting her bad choices back at her. She had a lot of work cut out for her if she wanted to make it up to Link. She took deep breaths to stave off her giggles, and waved of Ganondorf to get him to calm down too as she turned to face Link head on.

“Link.” She said, his snickers dying down as he registered her suddenly serious tone. She swallowed around a lump in her too-dry throat, and pushed onward, channeling the kind of Queen she wanted to be, the kind of Queen her mother was- and the kind of Queen she’d be proud of. “I know I’ve already apologized, but I was also in shock and just grateful to be alive. So I want to apologize again, properly. I’m so sorry for the way I’ve been treating you. It wasn’t fair of me to ignore you and make your life difficult just because you pulled the Master Sword. I-” She paused, and decided it would be better to lay all her cards on the table.

“I haven’t unlocked my sacred powers. I’ve prayed and meditated for years- my whole life, really- and not a single drop of it has been revealed to me. Knowing that I’ve been going my whole life without something that’s supposed to be my birthright, and then finding that you didn’t even pull the sword on purpose, it didn’t feel fair to me. But it doesn’t excuse my actions, especially as a member of the Hylian Royal Family, and as a person. I’d like to restart, if you’re amenable to it.” She extended her hand to his for a handshake, fingers twitching in the air. “Hello, Protector Link. My name is Zelda, and it is a pleasure to meet the Hero of Legend.”

Link stared at her hand for a few moments, brows raised as he digested everything Zelda said. Then he reached across the space between them, and clasped her forearm in a handshake more reminiscent of a warrior’s greeting than a noble or dignitary. He gave one firm shake, and nodded to her.

“The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace. Let’s be friends from now on.”

***

“Why play this game?”

Impa straightened up from pouring hot water on the cup of green tea leaves placed in front of the sole surviving Yiga clansmen from the attempted assassination a couple days prior. The spymaster stayed silent, letting the question hang in the air as she laid out all the staples of a Sheikah tea set, complete with a small plate of honeyed fruits between them. Impa sat and lifted up her cup, inhaling the scent of the tea from her tea, before leveling a neutral look at the man sitting opposite from her.

The clansmen shifted, a slightly disoriented look in his eyes signaling that he hadn’t quite recovered from the pommel to the head he had taken from Link.

“Though I’m sure your Master Kohga would prefer for the Yiga to have existed on their own from the beginning, you and I both know that isn’t true. Therefore, I know you are familiar with the history of the Sheikah tribe, and how your cult abandoned our duty.” She took a delicate sip of the green tea. “Thousands of years of serving the crown has led the tribe through many a dark art, and though the methods may have been useful at the time, our modern sensibilities have shown us that decency gets us what we want far more than torture and interrogation. Drink your tea.”

“I’m not going to drink poisoned tea.”

“Of course not. You’re going to drink green tea, as is customary for a discussion between fellow tribespeople.” Impa hid her smile behind the rim of her cup as the clansman snarled at her, jumping out of his seat.

“I am NOT a part of your tribe! You, who serve the accursed Hylian royal family as their loyal attack dog, bloodying your hands with the things beneath them. I am a part of something greater! A Dynasty that is glorious and will rise from the ashes of your goddess’ legacy!” The clansman’s eyes were wide and wild, crimson boring into her with a zealous fervor. His voice took on a dreamy quality as he sank back into his chair, staring into space with a euphoric smile on his face.

“The Yiga Clan is meant for more than your pathetic mortal duties. Meant for more than even controlling your courts and ruling the world. The Demon King will rise again, and it will be a blessing to watch him devour the world and start it anew. Just as it will be a blessing to watch you and your pathetic tribe burn.” Impa hummed and grabbed a honey coated slice of apple, dipping it into her tea to dissolve the honey before eating the slice with a content sound.

“If you’re destined for greatness, then there’s no harm in answering my questions, now is there? Now sit, and eat. You have no way of fighting out anyway, and one wrong move will get your throat cut.” Impa knew that the Yiga Clan didn’t fear death, as they believed with fervor that they would be reborn to continue their service to the Calamity. However, mention of the title “The Demon King” piqued her interest.

“Is the Demon King why you would dare attack Princess Zelda in broad daylight? Truly you had to have realized it was a fool’s errand considering how protected she is.” The sneer came back as the Yiga answered, gloating over the almost-triumph he and his fellows had.

“Not as protected as you like to think, spymaster. Truly, it didn’t even take long for us to infiltrate the servants and soldiers coming this way. The only reason we failed is because of your pesky Hero, and even he will not be so lucky next time.” Impa mentally took note of the fact that she would have to comb through every servant and soldier in the palace once they’d returned, but kept her face a blank mask.

“The Calamity, Demon King, Father of Monsters. He is our master, and the rightful ruler of this world!” The clansman took a deep gulp of his tea and shoveled fruit into his mouth, suspicion forgotten as religious fervor took over. “There’s nothing you can do to stop his return, Impa of the Sheikah. It’s too close, and he’s too powerful to contain. Your war machines will fall, your Champions will be struck down, and the princess and Zonai will die. We may have lost the Gerudo prince, but all things will be remade.” Impa’s mind caught on Ganondorf’s mention. What did the Yiga want with the Gerudo Prince?

“What does the Gerudo Prince have to do with anything? Is the Triforce of Power your goal?” Impa asked, but the Yiga tutted at her.

“Ah ah ah, spymaster. You don’t get to know that answer.” The two fell back into silence, calmly sipping their tea as they mulled over the conversation. Unfortunately, the Yiga seemed to remember that this was still a questioning of sorts, and seemed to be carefully regarding her with suspicion, trying to settle his face into the blankness the Sheikah cultivated. As much as their masks helped preserve their anonymity, it came at the expense of the Clan’s pokerface.

Impa refilled their cups with hot water, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. The Calamity was close to returning, which wasn’t news, but now she knew that the time frame was closer than they thought. The world was preparing for an awakening within a few months, but it may be beneficial to begin planning for weeks. The main thing she needed to know now was what the Yiga’s next move would be.

However, it was unlikely that she’d get the answer out of this clansman. It was worth an attempt, though. She lowered her cup, the Yiga mirroring her actions with a calculating clean in his eyes.

“I’m sure now you want to know our grand designs for the world, the people in it, and how we’ve paved the way for our Father’s predestined rise.” He smirked at her, and Impa raised an eyebrow. She gestured, an unspoken “Well go on” in the action, and the red clad man cackled, almost tipping his chair back and catching himself at the right moment. He leaned forward, propping his chin up onto his hand and caught his breath before continuing.

“The only charge we have been given is to destroy the goddess’ bloodline, and neutralize the threat of the Hero. Sorry to disappoint. We’ve been so close to that goal for so long, you wouldn’t even be able to comprehend the amount of times that you could’ve lost your princess if it weren’t for our patience. I’d suggest you take a deeper look at who you trust. You never know when a bad apple finds its way into the bushel.”

“Disappointing.” Impa tsked. “I was hoping you’d have more to give me. I guess I should’ve expected this, from a mere footsoldier.” The Yiga twitched, and Impa reached over and drew a line across his throat with a dagger she had retrieved from a holster, a bloom of red spilling across the flesh and down his uniform as the clansman slumped forward, head hitting the table with a pool of blood quickly spilling across the wood. She’d have to pay Urbosa for the destruction of property.

Impa straightened the tea set she had laid out and placed her hat on her head, walking to the door to reveal Urbosa. She and Buliara had been observing the questioning through thin slits in the walls to let airflow in, and the chief grimaced at the sight of the body.

“Was that necessary, Impa?” She questioned, and Impa hummed a confirmation.

“The Yiga Clan are not a cult of zealots for no reason, Chieftess. I had all the information I could get from someone of his rank, and he would only have complicated things in the long run. It’s better for him to die here, and may the gods and spirits have mercy on his soul. I will be back with some of my people to clean up here, and I will gladly compensate you for the bloodstains on your table.”

Buliara snorted, and Urbosa nodded.

“Well regardless, thank you for trying. As little information you got out of this, I’m sure we can use it somehow.” Impa tilted her head down the hallway, and the trio began to navigate out of the prison cells in Gerudo Town, towards the more official meeting chambers. There was much to do.

***

“Hey, listen.”

A bell-bright voice called, and Callio opened her eyes,looking up at the statue of Hylia in the Zonai Temple of Time, her blood singing with the power of her Sight. For a moment, everything was peaceful and warm, and comforting golden mist floating away from the visage of the goddess. A quiet rumble rose up through the floor of the temple, and the statue trembled. A crack ripped through the center, tearing the goddess’ smile in half and causing the statue to crumble, large stones falling and breaking until the entire statue had been ground to dust. All the lights in the room flickered, and went out. Darkness descended.

A fog was rolling in.

Callio blinked, and watched a sky island fall. The people of the town she stood in ran all around her, their lips moving and eyes wide in fear, but the Zonai Queen could not hear a word. The island fell closer and closer, the obvious Zonai patterns becoming more and more defined. Tears filled Callio’s eyes, and the vision started to melt away.

The fog was rolling in.

Callio looked up again at the sky, and watched a storm build, lightning flashing and winds tearing through the clouds, one moment a thunderstorm and the next a shrieking host of screaming souls and demons, eyes trained on her and rushing down to swallow her. She watched claws and horns and fangs close in, before a deep roar drowned everything out and she fell to her knees, holding her head in pain.

Against her will, her head tilted up, and she stared as Hyrule Castle was forcibly ripped from the ground, and lifted up into the air, malice pouring from the cavernous darkness below it. The sky started to bleed red, growing more and more vivid, like a great wound has been carved into the heavens, and Callio turned slightly to see a massive Blood Moon.

A single note rang through the air, dark and ominous, and the moon rose higher and higher until it was at the peak of the sky. A heavy, almost divine terror filled her up until she was frozen with horror, and the Queen of the Zonai blinked uncomprehendingly as a single tear carved a path down her face.

The Blood Moon, suddenly banded with sickly blue, black, and hateful red-gold, blinked back.

Callio awoke with a sharp gasp, shivering and cold despite the sweat pouring off of her, the sky still dark outside, full moon (the normal one) glowing with a comforting brightness. She hunched over in her and Taluk’s bed, trembling and gulping down air, wide eyes staring unseeing into the blankets pooled about her waist. Her husband stirred and sat up with her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer to him.

“Shhh, shhh, my love. Focus on me, deep breaths.” Taluk took her hand and placed it on his chest, purposely taking deep breaths and giving her something to focus on while she gathered her wits. She pressed her hand firmly into his chest, focusing on his steady heartbeat and the feeling of his other hand gently wiping tears away from her face. They sat there together, breathing together, until Callio had stopped trembling and leaned fully into her husband's arms, relishing the feeling of his arms around her and the comfort from it.

“What’s wrong, Callio?” Taluk asked gently, frowning in concern. Callio took a moment to just breathe, sifting through her fragmented thoughts and what she saw in her dream.

In her youth, Callio had been prone to dreams and visions that she couldn’t comprehend, believing that she only had an overactive imagination. After her service at the Temple of Time, however, she had realized that she had a propensity for Time magic, including prophecy. She had spent a long time consulting with older and wiser dedicates to the temple to interpret her Sight, and years of cultivating her gift has let her be able to actively sift through the threads of passing time, seeing how her choices and the choices of others affect her people and the world. This vision was worryingly specific (or at least, more specific than some of her most recent dreams). Callio looked up at her husband, concern swimming in his eyes.

“The time for the Calamity may be approaching faster than we hope, Taluk.” She said gravely. She sat up and climbed out of the bed, quickly pulling on day clothes and wrapping a shawl around her arms. Taluk jumped out and followed her cue, quickly changing out of the clothes he slept in while Callio sent a pulse out of her secret stone- a message to her fellow Sages that they needed to meet soon.

She rushed around, frantically grabbing pieces of jewelry and going through the motions of getting ready, before Taluk’s calloused hands gently took hold of her arms and he pulled her to him with a kiss to her cheek.

“My love, slow down. We will still meet with the other Sages, but as your husband, I want to support you. What did you See?” He cupped her face in his hands, and Callio sighed, closing her eyes and covering his hands with her own.

“I saw the beginning of the end. Our islands falling, storms of demons and dark spirits. Hyrule castle lifted into the sky, and the most powerful Blood Moon I’ve ever seen. I fear the Father of Monsters is making his move soon. I don't know exactly when, but we may be out of time. It may be time to reveal ourselves fully-no more secrets.”

Taluk grimaced, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, but nodded shortly, moving to continue getting ready. They didn’t bother with most of their finery, considering this was an impromptu and rushed meeting.

The royal couple rushed through the halls of their palace, making their way towards the council chambers where they would meet the Sages. They’d have to wait for a little while for the Zamek to arrive, on account of the distance between the Main Island and the Temple of Shadows, but the old Sage could be speedy when he needed to be. Guards and servants and empty hallways blurred by the two as they navigated their way, taking the least populated route they could find- it wouldn’t do to throw the palace’s staff into a panic.

As the council chambers grew closer, they could also hear the voice of Lilipa talking to her escort from the direction of the main hall. The Temple of Light was the closest to the Palace, only preceded by the Temple of Time,and followed by the Temple of Spirit on one of the lower floating islands making up the main archipelago of the Zonai population. Soon enough, Alectus would arrive, followed by Zamek.

On their approach, Callio took a deep settling breath. The council and her husband would figure out what to do to the best of all of their ability, and she still clung to the hope that she had that Hylia herself would descend before letting her peoples destroy each other. Like that first meeting months ago, they had to believe that the peoples of Hyrule would rather work together than hold a grudge for hurt feelings and bruised trust. Otherwise, they would be in hotter water than they thought.

***