"So, are things really going that poorly?" Urbosa asked as she lounged against one of the several ledges that ran along Naboris' interior. While looking at the schematics for the other Divine Beasts, the Gerudo Champion had noticed that her Divine Beast wasn't quite the same as the others.

Ruta's interior had been designed with a Zora in mind, with many flat surfaces and waterfalls to accommodate them. Medoh had minimal walkspaces, replacing them with perches a Rito could use while not in flight. And then there was Rudania, who had angled walkways for a Goron traveling across mountains. Naboris, on the other hand, had no real plan when it came to its promenades.

At least, that's what the Sheikah and Hylians who unearthed the Beast believed.

Her first visit was enough to realize that they either hadn't spent enough time to notice how complex Naboris was, or they didn't care to find out. She hoped it wasn't the latter, as it would be a shame to entrust the future of the Kingdom to those who barely took the time to master one of their greatest weapons. Unlike the other Divine Beasts, Naboris could not support such a simple system of pathways, as its body was made of three cylinders that rotated independently of the others. Creating the paths through them required the pilot to forge her path by rotating each cylinder in specific patterns; however, it wasn't nearly so simple as that. As Naboris' partner, the Gerudo Champion would also have to ensure that she placed herself correctly, as she may wind up on the floor while the walkway she had created was inaccessible hundreds of feet above her.

While the other Champions' first goals had been to learn to control their beasts while simultaneously fighting, hers had been to understand Naboris itself. Hours of her day had been devoted to experimenting, trying to find every possible route that she could create and traverse. She explored the bottom levels, and the power conduits there, slowly working her way up toward the top, reaching hidden areas that none of the researchers had even found on the maps of Naboris' interior.

It took hours of analysis and practice, but eventually, she was able to manipulate Naboris' interior without a second thought. It had been amusing to watch researchers or emissaries from King Rhoam watch with widened eyes as she walked through the rotating interior, creating pathways beneath her feet as she held casual conversations.

It was much less amusing when such a visitor became sick in her Divine Beast.

Regardless, she had been quick to invite Zelda for a visit upon mastering Naboris. Judging by the Princess' response, Zelda had been eager to take her up on the offer.

Within a few weeks, the Princess of Hyrule finally arrived with her new personal bodyguard in tow, ready to explore Naboris. They had spent the better part of a day exploring before finally deciding to camp out within the Divine Beast's interior.

That was the first time she had met Link and learned just how bad the relationship between Zelda and the knight was. The Princess was quite jaded when it came to other people, so it was no surprise that she would take some time to warm up to Link. Urbosa could only hope that Link would provide her little bird with the friendship she so desperately needed.

However, there seemed to have been little, if any improvements in the months that followed. The Gerudo Champion couldn't blame Zelda for her coldness toward Link. The ever-cool and composed knight was famous throughout the land for his battle prowess, and that had been before he drew the Blade of Evil's Bane, thus catapulting himself to the same status as the heroes of legend. Conversely, Zelda, who had yet to access her sealing powers, had to suffer the people's contempt. Not a single Gerudo dared to speak ill of the Princess, but Urbosa couldn't control the rest of Hyrule, and she knew just how powerful the people's murmuring could be.

Unfortunately, all the Gerudo Champion could do was offer a small place of safety for the young girl as she struggled to fulfill her duties. It didn't feel like it was enough, but she knew it was important.

It took several seconds for Urbosa to realize just how lost in thought she had become as Link maintained his silence. Without his voice there to occupy the silence, she was as prone as ever to becoming lost in the past.

"Has she tried talking to you about anything?"

A slight shake of the head.

Of course she hadn't. For some reason, the young girl hadn't inherited her mother's willingness to speak her mind. Instead, she bottled everything up for fear that she would be rejected once again.

"Have you tried talking to her?"

The pause before Link shook his head again was not lost on her.

"Do you have a friend that you could trust with anything?"

The blue eyes that had been boring into her silently broke away as they were clouded by thought. She swore she could almost see a smile on his face before he came back to the present and refocused on her.

A small nod.

"And you understand how important that is?"

Another nod.

"Then you know what I expect of you."

There was a very pregnant pause, giving her the chance to gauge Link's response as she waited for his response.

Finally, there was a nod.

"I'm glad to hear it," she said. Urbosa was well aware that what she was asking of the Hylian Champion was well out of his field of comfort and expertise. Regardless, she knew from everything that she had witnessed in the last day that he was devoted to helping Zelda.

She pulled the Princess closer, taking a moment to massage her back lightly as Zelda tensed up in her sleep. After a few seconds, Zelda once again relaxed, allowing Urbosat to turn back to Link.

"You know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," she stated as a small smile dominated her face. "I noticed at our inauguration that you spent a lot of time… 'watching over' the Zora Champion. What was her name?" Urbosa asked, noting the slight widening of his eyes with amusement. "Lady Mipha?"

During the course of their conversation, Link had started the process of letting his walls down slightly, but in the span of an instant, he had re-erected them. She hadn't expected him to become so guarded at the mention of their fellow Champion, but now she was fascinated. His reaction told her that she was close to learning something deep and genuine about him. Of course, it would be difficult to pull that truth out of him.

Of course, he had inadvertently also given her an avenue through which she could mess with him. Even if she couldn't discern what exactly existed between the Hylian and Zora Champions, she could at least keep herself somewhat entertained making the poor knight squirm - or at least try to.

"Why were you watching so diligently? Surely, she was safe with her personal guards there with her."

No response.

"Then again, perhaps you weren't really worried about her safety."

A bare narrowing of the eyes.

"Hmm," Urbosa hummed thoughtfully. "She is quite beautiful… perhaps you needed some time to take it all in?"

A slight tightening of the jaw.

"Now, that can't be right, after all, you did spend some time in the Domain, didn't you? I'm sure you had plenty of time to get acquainted with her."

His eyes widened just a bit.

"Wait..." she said in mock surprise, as though reaching some grand revelation. "Don't tell me. Could it be that you developed feelings for Lady Mipha."

She couldn't maintain her composure anymore as she observed the mix of shock, annoyance, and defensiveness, all of which Link was trying to hide behind a stoic facade. Urbosa laughed so hard that she startled Zelda, who sat up and looked around blearily before relaxing back into sleep once again. Once Urbosa was certain that her little bird was sound asleep, she once again turned her attention back to the Hylian Champion.

"Oh now Link, you simply must tell me everything," she started, ready to enjoy every moment of prying into the silent knight's inner life.

Urbosa came out of the haze that had overcome her the second she had set foot within the Beast. Looking around, she found that she barely recognized the interior that she had spent weeks familiarizing herself with. Not much had changed in terms of layout; rather, it was the sickening red glow and the oily malice that grew within that were the real changes.

Though they were minor in the grand scheme of Naboris, they made all the difference. No longer was the Divine Beast a safe haven, but rather a threatening and foreboding presence. Even the Beast's consciousness lacked the warmth and nobility it once had. Instead, there was something almost feral about Naboris' mind. If it weren't for the natural barriers between their minds, Urbosa's may have begun to buckle from the overwhelming melting pot of anger, hate, and pain that she felt in the Divine Beast's consciousness.

She remembered Mipha describing how close she and Ruta and had been, saying that at times it felt like they were emotionally inseparable. Urbosa had respected Mipha's inner strength before, but returning to her own Divine Beast increased her admiration of the Zora Champion's fortitude. To have experienced the same nauseating emotions that Urbosa was now, only intensified several times over, and continue on required a willpower that the Gerudo Champion wasn't sure she herself had.

Thankfully, Urbosa and Naboris hadn't possessed the same closeness, allowing her to distance herself from the turbulent storm of emotions that her Divine Beast was now experiencing under Calamity Ganon's brutal corruption and enthrallment.

She set aside her concerns for Naboris' mental state and instead eyed her surroundings. The current configuration of the Divine Beast's interior would only allow her to travel the lower levels. Under normal circumstances, it would have only taken a thought or two to create whatever pathways she needed, with some help from Naboris. Unfortunately, these weren't normal circumstances.

Thankfully, she'd had the foresight to bring the Sheikah Slate with her. It would be more difficult to use the Slate, as the controls were far more clunky and unintuitive than relying on mental commands; however, she wasn't overly bothered by that fact. So long as Naboris was reclaimed in the end, she would make do.

And on a slightly more positive note, it might give some of her fellow Champions time to catch up. She wouldn't wait for them as every step forward brought with it a sense of urgency. Her little bird was running out of time and every wasted second would only serve to put the Princess in a worse situation.

Stepping across the rounded floor with purpose, Urbosa made her way to the central controls as yet another thought crossed her mind. Both Mipha and Daruk had mentioned that Zelda had called out to them while they were within their respective Divine Beasts.

When would she hear the Princess' voice?

A shudder traveled through the sentient machine as the Gerudo Champion set the slate on a terminal, linking the device to Narboris' controls. Her mind was far from the rotating cylinders that controlled her environment as she was focused more on what she might hear. Even Revali had mentioned a warning that Zelda had delivered.

Yet all she heard was silence.

Granted, Mipha had noted that Zelda had delivered the warning about Waterblight as the fight had started, but Daruk and Revali had received theirs upon entering their Beasts.

Perhaps she no longer had the strength to reach out? It was a worrisome possibility, as that only meant that they were all but out of time entirely. Even if she managed to reclaim the last Divine Beast within a few hours, there was still the matter of making it to Hyrule Castle before the Calamity broke free.

Would they even have enough time?

As the flow of thoughts continued, she found she had a plethora of questions that were finally surfacing. What would be different this time? What would be the most effective strategy to combat Ganon? The other three pilots had mentioned that their Divine Beasts weren't behaving as obediently as before. Could they truly be relied upon in the final battle?

There was so much to think about, so much to consider even as she reflected upon the memories she had regained.

Urbosa stopped as she set the Slate on yet another terminal. Looking back, she noticed just how far from her starting place she had wandered. Somehow, the Gerudo Champion had not only just activated the third of five terminals, but she had also made her way up to the upper levels of Naboris.

She didn't bother chastising herself for her inattentiveness. It would only cause her to lose herself again, and she would need every ounce of focus she could muster, especially if the blights were as dangerous as she had been led to believe. Considering that they had been designed specifically to kill each Champion, she would have to proceed with extreme caution.

The fourth and fifth terminal seemed to take forever for her to activate. Perhaps it was because she was more aware of what she was doing. Or maybe the dread she felt was weighing on her more than she thought. Perhaps it had something to do with unconsciously slowing herself down to give her friends a chance to reach her.

Whatever the case, she felt another shudder travel through her as the fifth terminal activated. Seeing it light up only served to increase the dread that clawed at her insides. The silence that blanketed the Divine Beast was unnerving. It wasn't the absence of sound, but rather that every sound that should have been was dampened by some oppressive force that hung over her surroundings.

The world was holding its breath, waiting for whatever was to happen next.

A strange energy permeated her and her surroundings as she reached the floor, ready to burst in at a moment's notice.

Not breaking her pace, the Gerudo Champion strode toward the main control panel and set the Slate on it.

The return of sound was nearly concussive as Naboris screeched once again, its inner mechanisms once again whirring as the Beast began moving once again. Thin blue threads leaked out of the central terminal, breaking outward and racing to string themselves together behind her.

"Urbosa," Zelda called out weakly as a small, misshapen body took form before her "… you should not have come alone..."

Impa tore her eyes away from the map at her feet as the entrance to her tent was pushed aside. The wolf that sat beside her tensed up, a low growl emanating from her canine throat; however, she was quick to relax as their visitor entered.

"Dorian," she greeted pleasantly. She had been hoping to see Dorian and pull him aside for a few minutes. Ever since they had gotten the news concerning the fate of the Yiga clan, he had been quite distant and brooding. While he wasn't exactly the most enthusiastic person she had known, he was acting more akin to Link than himself.

"Lady Impa," he replied after kneeling, his hat obscuring his eyes as he refused to look up at her. "I've come to -"

"I do not mean to interrupt," she said, having fully intended to do just that, "but I would rather have a conversation with you instead of your hat."

Dorian paused for a moment as he raised his head to finally meet her eyes. "My apologies, Lady Impa."

She nodded, gesturing for him to continue with what he had come to say.

"I came to inform you that not only have the soldiers that Lady Riju sent arrived, but is sending more to help bolster our forces..."

"And?" she asked with a raised brow.

"It would seem that Lady Riju is accompanying them."

The elder wasn't exactly surprised at the news. She had known that meeting her great aunt would have an effect on the girl, especially considering how… hands-on Lady Urbosa could be.

"I assume that she feels confident that the Yiga no longer pose a threat."

"I believe so." There was a brief, but undeniable hint of pain in his voice.

Impa nodded thoughtfully. The Sheikah elder had no idea what had possessed Farosh to nearly level a mountain in order to handle the Yiga. Hylia certainly had something to do with it, as the only things that were really known about the dragons were that they were servants of the Goddess. Still, she couldn't fathom why the Yiga were not dealt with sooner, or why any of the events of the past century had happened as they did. Impa had learned to stop questioning it though, as she had long since found that she was not equipped to understand the machinations of a deity.

Whatever the reason, she was grateful that the dragon's actions had benefited them as much as it had.

"Link and Revali?"

She frowned as Dorian hesitated to deliver his answer.

"Both were seen leaving Kara Kara Bazaar early this morning."

"Why?" she asked, already wishing she was there to knock their heads together personally if Mipha hadn't already.

"It seems that Lady Urbosa left to reclaim Naboris on her own."

Impa sighed quietly as she set a hand on the wolf and began stroking her back. The elder had come to find that petting the canine's back had a calming effect on her, and considering how much stress the last few weeks had put on her, it was nice to have such a simple way to calm herself.

"Your friends have a habit of doing precisely what I don't want them to do," Impa murmured to the wolf quietly.

A few of her scouts had found Midna and Link's horse on the road leading into the Gerudo Desert. There was a time when she would not have batted an eye as the two creatures wandered to their death; however, old age had made her soft. It was also fortunate for all parties involved that the Sheikah had such respect for Link and his years of service to the Royal Family.

No one had needed to be convinced to bring the two animals in.

"Perhaps I should send you back to them so you can keep them in line."

Midna raised her head, turning to eye her with a look that almost conveyed annoyance.

"Perhaps not. After all, I seem to remember Revali running away on your watch," she continued almost playfully.

The wolf was far from amused.

Impa's smile died down after a few seconds as she turned back to Dorian. "What else?"

"The Zora, Rito, and Gorons are all in place and are readying themselves to assault the castle."

"Good. When Lady Riju arrives, would you be so kind as to summon her, Prince Sidon, Teba, and Yunobo for a war council?"

"Yes, Lady Impa."

"Good. Now," she continued as Dorian moved to stand, "there is something else I wish to discuss with you."

"Yes?" the warrior asked as he lowered himself again, this time sitting with crossed legs.

"How are you?"

"As well as I can be," he answered evenly.

"Is that so? You've been rather distant since we received news of what happened to the Yiga."

A look of near panic crossed his face as he stiffened considerably. "I have no -"

"I am not questioning your loyalties," Impa explained soothingly. "You have done more than most to prove yourself to me. That being said, I understand that you might have had some friends among them."

Dorian said nothing, not that she had expected him to. Abandoning the Yiga had always been a heavy burden for him, especially after they had killed his wife in retribution. Despite the complicated relationships that must have existed there, it still must have been difficult for him to hear of their deaths. Even after being betrayed by many she had considered friends, it had been hard to hear of their deaths years later.

Only age had taught her that the bonds between people were difficult to sever entirely, no matter how damaged they may have been.

"… It's strange. My daughters are finally safe but..." The warrior trailed off, clearly unsure of how to express his feelings. Putting emotions into words was something that even the greatest poets had struggled to accomplish satisfactorily.

"Life is rarely straightforward, and relationships even less so. Though the Yiga may have threatened you and your children, you still had a history with them, and that does mean something. Perhaps you should take some time to sort your feelings out."

"It will have to wait," he said. "There is still much preparation to be done. Madam Purah and her assistants are still working to replicate the Guardians' weapons and requested my help in obtaining more supplies."

Purah, as well as some of her associates, had accompanied Impa to the outskirts of the fields surrounding the castle. At first, the Sheikah elder hadn't been thrilled by the prospect; however, that had quickly changed after the girl had introduced her most recent project. Using parts that they had gathered over the years, Purah and Symin had managed to recreate one of the blades that the Guardians used as weapons. The "blade" appeared to be made entirely of blue light yet somehow was able to cleave through some of the toughest materials, including a Guardian's chassis.

"Very well," Impa replied. "Be careful, old friend." Dorian was quite capable when it came to traveling undetected in enemy territory, but that didn't mean he was immune to making mistakes.

The warrior nodded before returning to his feet and stepping out of her tent.

Impa reached up, rubbing her forehead gently as a wave of exhaustion slammed into her. Whether or not anyone else understood, the battle that so many had thought was yet to be was one she'd been fighting for well over a hundred years. Since long before the Calamity had broken free. All of the time spent tirelessly working taxed her all at once, leaving her desiring nothing more than to lay down and sleep for days.

However, she remained where she was.

Her rest would come, but first, she had to see the final stretch of the battle finished. She had to for the sake of everyone that had been lost. For the sake of everyone who had picked up the torch and continued on despite how bleak their odds had been.

For the sake of them all, she had to carry on for just a little longer, then she could finally rest.

Urbosa barely had the time to brace herself as the Blight's blade collided with her buckler yet again. She didn't bother trying to land an attack of her own, as she knew that the monster had already retreated out of range.

So far, the fight was almost irritating to her as she couldn't help but think that Thunderblight was toying with her. The Blight was capable of moving at speeds that her eyes could barely track, yet there were moments where it almost seemed to linger. Those pauses were different from the brief instances where it had to stop to change directions entirely. It taunted her in those moments, giving her the impression that maybe she could get in a strike of her own if only she were fast enough.

She didn't let herself get worked up though. It took every ounce of training she had ever received, as well as focusing on the most subtle cues to intercept each strike. Trying to capitalize on a false opening would only get her killed.

Of course, that meant there was a very real opening she could make use of. The Phantom's brazen confidence had allowed it to attack her in what was becoming a discernible pattern. Of course, Urbosa had done a bit of acting to allow the Blight to believe that she was still struggling to figure out where it would come from next.

Granted, she would have to act fast before it figured her out, but her timing had to be perfect. If she started her counter too early, it would give the monster the chance to retreat and too late would mean its strike would land first.

Thunderblight darted toward her, leaving a blue streak from the light of its blade in its wake. Urbosa waited for the pause in which it changed directions. Again, it dashed forward. The Gerudo Champion took a step back, slashing where her sword arm had been a second prior.

She was rewarded by a blood-curdling screech as the Phantom retreated at a blinding speed. It stopped as it's shield hand came up to asses the damage she had just dealt.

Though she couldn't see the cut she had delivered, she knew just based on how the Blight was behaving that it was little more than a scratch.

Urbosa cursed silently as the creature's single eye glowed brighter as it glared at her. Despite it being mechanical, the eye conveyed far more hate than she ever could have imagined seeing in another being.

The Gerudo Champion's mind raced to develop a new strategy even as the Blight rushed her again. She realized quickly that there was no longer time to think, as strike after strike came with her barely managing to block the fatal slashes. Despite her best efforts, several attacks made it through her defenses, marring her body with cuts.

She had no time to develop a new tactic, yet every second defending herself drained her more and more, both in blood and in energy.

Knowing that there was no other option, Urbosa snapped her fingers.

The Blight stopped its rapid movement, raising its blade skyward even as the flash of light signaling an imminent lightning strike illuminated her surroundings. The familiar crack of thunder boomed through Naboris' insides; however, it wasn't accompanied by the shrieks of Thunderblight. Rather, the lightning struck the Phantom's blade, arcing along its length as it lowered it.

Urbosa took a deep breath as the Blight held the electrified blade so she could see the continued streams of electricity traveling across it. She hadn't quite understood what her friends had meant when they said that their respective Blights had been designed to kill them.

Now, she understood.

Her skill, while allowing her to survive thus far, was nowhere near enough to overcome the sheer speed of Thunderblight, let alone its own skill. She had limited use of Naboris' environment, which she had once controlled freely, but only if she could find time to use the Slate. Even her lightning, which had helped to change the tide of battles, now only served to make her enemy stronger.

The Gerudo Champion raised her sword and shield through the haze of pain and exhaustion that clawed at her. She had always known that she might fall in battle as death was only ever one mistimed block or counter away; however, she had promised herself that she would not go quietly, especially if she fell to Ganon.

Urbosa had heard that the beast had once been one of the few men born to the Gerudo. If that were true, then he was a stain on their history, and one she intended to rectify no matter what.

She would carve her legacy, and the legacy of her people, into his memory.

As the Blight charged, the Gerudo Champion decided that she would focus less on defense. Trying to block the onslaught of attacks earlier had only worn her down. She might have only been able to intercept a few more attacks before her body ultimately failed to keep up, and that had been her estimation before an electrified blade came into play.

If, however, she was to use the last of her strength to land one last strike of her own, then whoever was coming after her would have an advantage.

The Blight didn't bother to try and bypass her buckler anymore, instead attacking her head-on. She took a step back, dodging the first strike, then another while leaning back to avoid the slash at her head, then sidestepped to avoid a stab.

Judging by how the twitching muscles that made up the Phantom's body, it was about to swing at her left side. Throwing what was left of her self-preservation out the window, Urbosa threw up her shield while lunging out with a strike of her own. Taking the hit would inevitably take her out of the fight, but she couldn't hold out for much longer.

It was now or never.

Neither strike landed as a something raced past her ear, thudding into the Blight's shoulder, causing it to jerk backward out of the range of her scimitar. Urbosa just had time to see the shaft of an arrow before the Blight retreated as more arrows rained down from above, one or two finding their mark.

A pair of boots landed beside alerting her to Link's presence.

The Hylian Champion stepped between her and where the Blight had taken cover, holding the Master Sword in one hand while the other dug in the pouch on his hip. Link pulled out a bottle with a bright pink potion, holding it out to her. As soon as she took it, he drew his shield and advanced toward the Blight's hiding spot cautiously.

A gust of wind as well as the sound of talons on stone announced that the Rito Champion was present as well.

"Has anyone told you that you must be the stupidest woman alive?" Revali's voice lacked the snideness she would have expected to hear from him.

"It's nice to see you too, Feathers," she panted after she finished draining the potion.

"Link, Mipha, Daruk, and I have all nearly died to these things, and we weren't alone," Revali hissed as he nocked and drew an arrow, stepping around her as he kept his bow trained on where the Blight would appear from. "What made you think you could take one yourself?"

"That thing is fast," Urbosa stated as she rolled her shoulders, ignoring Revali's attempt to lecture her. There were more appropriate times and places, and considering how fast Thunderblight was, getting distracted, even for a moment, would be enough to get one of them killed.

"I noticed and I think you noticed that I put a couple of arrows in it," the Rito Champion replied.

"You surprised it, and you know it."

Revali eased the tension in his bow, lowering it as he eyed her over his shoulder. "What do you suggest?"

"That you put more arrows in it," she growled as she started advancing herself.

"Wait," Revali commanded. "Let Link handle it up close."

"I'm glad you're finally starting to have faith in him, but -"

"Trust me," he interrupted. "I hate saying it, but no matter how fast that thing is, Link can handle it."

Despite the circumstances, Urbosa was nearly floored by Revali's change in attitude. She had seen a more grudging respect growing between the two since they had returned from Medoh, but never once had there been that level of acknowledgment from him.

It was certainly something to think about later on.

"Can you use your lightning?"

"I've got one or two left in me." She wasn't naive enough to believe that just because her ability hadn't worked once that it would never work. It would just require far more careful planning and execution to use than normal. "I'll have to time it right."

"Got it."

Link finally rounded the corner, instantly throwing up his shield as the Blight darted out of hiding. Revali loosed an arrow, drawing another as Thunderblight dodged.

Link sidestepped as the Blight lashed out at him, allowing the monster to force him between Revali and itself. The Rito Champion still might have been able to make the shot if not for the series of blows that ensued.

Both combatants moved with blinding speed, their appendages beginning to blur as the sounds produced by their weapons overlapped. Strike after strike landed with Urbosa only being able to actually see a small handful of them. She could tell that Link was trying to change position himself so that Revali had a clear shot, but the Blight refused to allow it.

Beside her, Revali grunted in frustration as he continued aiming toward the two combatants. "Too fast," he growled as his arrow followed the duelers.

Urbosa's eyes widened as she reached a very different conclusion. Link's movements were starting to slow considerably as the seconds dragged on. He needed to break away before he lost any more speed.

"You have to fire now!"

"If I do, I -"

"You don't have to hit it, you just need to distract it!"

Moving his arrow a hairsbreadth, Revali loosed the projectile, sending it racing toward the two. Thankfully, the arrow caught Thunderblight's attention, giving Link just enough to bash it in the face with his shield before leaping back. The Phantom didn't have a chance to pursue, as the Rito Champion immediately let loose a barrage of arrows and, while none of them hit, it did force the Blight back into hiding.

"We're not going to win like this!" Revali spat quietly.

"No," Urbosa agreed as Link caught his breath across from them. She considered joining the Hylian, but considering the speeds at which he and the Blight were moving, she would only get in the way. Thunderblight must have been toying with her far more than she had realized, as she would never have been able to keep up if the battle had started like that.

Whatever it was that had allowed Link to move at such a speed apparently only lasted a few seconds and she had no idea how many times he could use it before he was exhausted.

"If I can make an opening, can you use your lightning?" Revali asked, his focus still on where the Blight had resumed hiding.

"The last time I tried, it caught it." She didn't know if the Blight could do anything more with electricity other than powering its weapons, and she really didn't want to find out. The question did spark an idea though.

The Blight may have been fast enough to catch a bolt of lightning, but if the bolt were split or redirected, then even the Phantom would succumb to it. If Revali were to fire enough arrows, perhaps it would work. Of course, there was a major issue.

If Link couldn't get out of the way, then he would be struck as well.

"I have an idea."

"What?" the Rito Champion asked impatiently.

"Is there a way for you to launch dozens of arrows, and get Link to safety?"

"Are you..." He lowered his bow as he turned toward her. "Naydra?"

"Naydra," she agreed.

"You really are insane." He looked back to the Hylian Champion, who had remained stationary, before turning to analyze their environment. "Get him up there," he said, pointing toward a ramp with a passage underneath.

Urbosa nodded as Revali silently launched himself in the air.

The Gerudo Champion waved her sword in the air, catching Link's attention. Silently, she motioned toward the ramp that Revali had chosen, praying that he would understand what she meant. She watched as his eyes flicked toward the structure before nodding and turning so he could see her and the Blight.

Revali landed several paces away, removing his quiver. The Rito Champion took handful after handful of arrows and dumped them into a pile on the ground unceremoniously. Normal, shock, ice, fire all made it into the pile until Revali was satisfied. When he was finished, he nodded to her before crouching and spreading his wings wide.

Urbosa held up three fingers where both Champions could see, counting down silently.

As soon as her last finger fell, Link broke to the right, sprinting toward the ramp as the Blight darted out after him. Urbosa watched, carefully controlling herself as the Phantom zipped after her friend, nearly cutting through him as Link reached the incline. Again, Link dodged another strike, this time engaging the Blight in another series of blindingly quick blows as he continued edging his way up.

Urbosa kept her fingers poised to snap at any moment.

As soon as Link set foot over the empty space, Revali flapped, creating a large vortex of wind that sent him racing toward the two combatants. Both the Blight and the Hylian Champion turned to watch as the maelstrom of wind and arrows led by Revali barreled toward them.

The Rito Champion slammed into Link taking them both tumbling off the ramp just as the Blight was struck by the first of the arrows. The Blight managed to raise its shield, and even managed to slice a few arrows as the storm reached it; however, even its speed wasn't enough to save it from from the dozens that continued flying.

Urbosa snapped her fingers, focusing on a single arrow within the storm of them. Thunder reverberated through the air as a bright spark struck the arrow before splitting off into two separate bolts and leaping to two more arrows.

Thunderblight gave up on trying to defend itself against the arrows that assailed it, and instead tried to catch her lightning once again, but even it wasn't fast enough. Even as one bolt struck its blade, another jumped to its shield, while another connected with its arm, and still another on it's back. The Blight couldn't even make a sound as it began convulsing violently while being struck by several more arrows as it was flung off the ramp and collided with the ground below.

It lay, twitching as the storm ended and Link and Urbosa rushed it.

Thunderblight attempted to push itself up shakily; however, one last arrow from Revali impaled itself in an already damaged shoulder and giving Link time to reach it. The Hylian Champion once again bashed it with his shield, knocking it back to the ground until a second later, when Urbosa reached it and drove her sword deep into it.

There was no blood-curdling scream as it began contorting, just as the others had described. Instead, the monster stared at her vacantly as it rose up above their heads. Despite the rage and hate, she had felt at the beginning of the fight, there was nothing left but a cold, dead emptiness. Its powerful emotions could only help it withstand so much.

The Blight exploded with a bright burst of light, forcing Urbosa to cover her eyes as a warm breeze rolled over her.

Once the light died away, she lowered her hand and opened her eyes. The reds that had plagued Naboris had been replaced by the normal blue hues of Sheikah tech, while the blemishes made of Malice had receded entirely. Reaching out tentatively with her mind, she once again greeted her Divine Beast, finding Naboris' consciousness waiting to greet her warmly.

While Urbosa knew that her memories concerning the Divine Beast were largely missing, she instinctively knew that something about Naboris was much different.

Her conclusion was only supported when, after only a brief reunion, Naboris sent her and her companions away.

"… and I cannot, for the life of me -"

"Mipha," Daruk said.

" - figure out what would possess you to leave for Naboris on your own, especially after -"

"Mipha," Daruk called again.

"What?!" the irate Zora Champion snapped as she rounded on Daruk.

The early afternoon happened to be one of, if not the, hottest times of the day in the Gerudo Desert, and unfortunately for the three missing Champions, that's when they had returned to the Bazaar. It wasn't so much the heat that made it such a terrible time to return as they could handle the heat just fine. Mipha, however, could not. She had come to find that the heat did not agree with her in the slightest, and that had left her in quite a foul mood despite the excitement she had felt a few hours prior. Link's acceptance of her proposal had certainly helped lift her mood; however, it brought questions even amidst the joy, and they certainly were not helped by the heat.

Seeing all three of them alive and in one piece, albeit much worse for wear in one particular case, had done her heart good. Regardless, her relief had been quick to wear off, and soon after, she had drug Urbosa away to give the Gerudo Champion a piece of her mind.

She supposed that the others had followed to make sure that she wasn't too hard on Urbosa.

She didn't plan to be too hard on the woman, just to make sure that she would never do anything so uncharacteristically stupid again.

"Calm down," Daruk replied doing his best to create calming gestures with the limited space available to him. The room was already small for a Goron, but with four other people, it was a wonder that he hadn't lost his mind yet.

"I'll calm down when -"

Mipha stopped as Link set a hand on her shoulder. She nearly snapped at him as well; however, one look at him was enough to take the steam out of her. She was still angry with the Gerudo Champion, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything more on the subject as she saw the complex emotions on her fiance's face. She could see the concern on her face, that he hated seeing her like this.

She took a deep breath, recentering herself enough to regain some control. "You are to stay here and get some rest," the Zora Champion stated as she turned away from everyone and opened the door to Urbosa's room. "If you leave this room, I will have Daruk hold you down."

She didn't wait for anyone to respond, instead storming out of the room and down the stairs of the inn. Link followed after her, staying just a step or two behind her at any given time. She paid him no mind as she stalked through the lobby and out into the cool night air of the desert.

The Hylian Champion continued to follow her as she stepped across the sands of Kara Kara Bazaar. Despite how faithfully her friend remained by her side, it did not keep her from leaving him for the depths of the oasis. Her frustrations due to her discomfort dissipated a little as the still-warm water enveloped her, soothing her agitated skin.

The Zora Champion, consumed by thoughts of recent events, slowly circled the bottom of the oasis. Urbosa's decision to attack Vah Naboris alone, while something that still angered her, was the last thing on her mind. So much else had happened, and considering that it was normal for just about everyone else to go put themselves at risk, it didn't make sense to focus on it too much. Not when there was so much else to occupy her thoughts.

Over the course of the past couple of months, she had witnessed the death of a loved one, lost touch with reality as she was forced to watch Link die over and over, lost control of her emotions more times than she could count, and struggled to fulfill her role among the Champions.

And all of that became so much more difficult as she considered her engagement to Link.

After her white scale had come in, her father had spent many hours discussing marriage with her. What was required, why so many failed, and what it took for a true bond between mates to develop. He made sure to discuss them all with her.

And that was how she knew she had so much work left to do.

In her current state, she hated the idea of being separated from Link, not so much because she loved spending time with him as she was terrified that something would happen if she weren't there. She had made a promise to protect him, and she had failed to keep that promise. If not for the Sheikah technology at Hyrule's disposal, Link would have died during the Great Calamity.

She couldn't figure out why, in the wake of all of her failures, Link would still accept her.

Mipha looked up, finding the Hylian Champion standing where she had left him. The smooth, glass-like surface of the oasis allowed her to observe from below as he stood motionless with the Master Sword planted in the ground at his feet.

It occurred to her that she really couldn't protect him as she once again thought through a conversation with Revali.

"What if I can't do it?"

"Then you try again."

The Zora Champion closed her eyes, trying to summon the courage to tell Link what she had come to understand. She knew that she had to be just as honest with him as she was with herself, even if that meant that the Hylian Champion changed his mind about her.

Mipha opened her eyes and swam up slowly, not giving herself time to think twice.

Link stiffened slightly as she broke the surface; however, he was quick to relax when he realized who had made the noise.

"There's something I would like to discuss with you." Mipha pulled herself up onto the edge of the water, sitting in silence despite what she had just said.

After a few seconds, her fiance joined her on the ground, not taking his eyes off the horizon as he set his blade in his lap.

"..."

The Zora Champion gathered her thoughts as her companion waited patiently beside her. "… Do you remember the last time we visited Ruta together?"

Link nodded.

"And do you remember the promise I made you?"

"You'd heal me, no matter what?"

"Yes," she agreed as her hands came together in her lap. "I… don't think it will be possible for me to keep that promise." Mipha was surprised at how composed she sounded as the words left her mouth. She would have thought the lump in her throat would have given her emotional distress away. "And now, I can't help but feel that I have lied to you." She took a deep breath as she finally turned to look at her fiance, hoping to gauge his reactions to her words before a word left his lips. "And, I know that marriages built on lies do not last. So, I will not blame you if..."

Link frowned at her even before she trailed off. The Hylian Champion studied her for a long time, leaving her to fight the urge to fidget. While prolonged periods of silence weren't uncommon for him, this was a time in which she wished he would speak his mind, even if it was to say something she didn't wish to hear. It nothing else, at least it would be over.

"I knew it was a promise you couldn't keep," Link said quietly as he turned away once again. "I can't protect you from everything either."

"I know."

"..."

"..." Mipha shifted uncomfortably as she sensed that her friend still had quite a lot on his mind.

"I haven't changed my mind."

Oddly enough, the sigh of relief she had expected to come didn't. Rather, a strange peace settled over her, calming the nerves that had been causing her distress only minutes prior. It was peculiar to her that allowing herself to be vulnerable with him was still something that could still be so difficult for her.

Not knowing what to say to express her gratitude, sorrow, hope, faith and all of the other complex feelings coursing through her, she reached out and took his hand. Link accepted it, reciprocating with a gentle squeeze.

As much as Mipha was enjoying the moment, she knew that there was likely a pressing concern that Link needed to attend to. "Would you like to find something to eat?"

She couldn't help but laugh as Link nodded enthusiastically. It seemed that no matter how their lives changed, some things, like his insatiable appetite, would always be the same.

A/N: I LIVVVVEEEEE! In other news, after doing quite a lot of the thinking (which is difficult with smol brane like mine), I have decided that I am going to sprint to the end of the fic, then go back and focus on the rewrites. Yes, I know it would be nice if I could pick one thing and stick with it, but you know...

This is me we're talking about.

(By the way, by sprint, I don't mean that I'll be cutting content to get to the end faster. I mean that I'll be doing my best to push the rest of the story out before September).

Anyway, until next time.