A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long. I just had my SEVEN wisdom teeth removed day before yesterday, so I've been kinda down for the count. On that note, I'm sorry if this chapter feels a tad rushed or cluttered. There's a few chapters that'll feel that way, namely because the first TWENTY chapters or so are setup chapters until we hit the plot. (what even is a plot? idk)

Link's sword form—named Aetherius—is finally revealed this chapter! To celebrate, I'm going to repost the amazing cover artwork drawn by Quasar_Crew, which features Aetherius on it. :)

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"It is done, sir." Rhoam turned to address the speaker, one of his researchers. The man bowed lowly, rich dark purple robes scraping the floor as he delicately held a wrapped parcel.

"And the result?" He couldn't stop the excitement that welled up within him. He pitied the knight, he truly did, but he would be of great service to their kingdom. It was better than forcing the burden of power upon his young daughter's shoulders.

"It was better than we expected." A wide grin spread across the researcher's lips, twisting his expression into something dark. He presented the wrapped parcel to the king.

Rhoam's breath caught in his throat as he caught sight of the blade for the first time. He'd been unsure if ordering them to refine the boy into a blade was the right thing to do, but they'd stated that the mass of metal which had become his body had condensed into the proper amount for the blade as soon as they'd made their wishes known.

It shimmered in the sunlight. It was such a bright silver that he could see his own reflection, and the Triforce mark was etched into the base of the blade. There was the most breathtaking blue gemstone set into the center of the guard, and Rhoam idly mused how it matched the knight's eye color. The gem was framed by the golden wings of the Hyrulian Crest, and the wings of the guard glowed like the ancient Sheikah blades they'd managed to find.

It was, by far, the most beautiful blade he'd ever laid his eyes on—even more so than the famed Sword that Seals the Darkness. It was a sword fit for a king. He could feel the waves of divine power rolling off of it like mist upon the sea, and he carefully reached out towards it.

Angry sparks of blue crackled in warning, and he chuckled softly. "Can you still hear me, boy? If you disobey me, your family will pay the price." The sparks stopped immediately. "Good." He grabbed the blade, gasping as he felt the power that was contained within it. "With this, we can defeat the Calamity." Rhoam knew his words were the truth. How could any force in this world defy him with this kind of power at his fingertips?

"Sir... will you name the blade?" The researcher's eyes sparkled in glee.

Rhoam hummed. "From this day forth, let it be known that the Goddess Hylia has gifted us in our time of need with a new Divine Sword. Aetherius. The eternal divine blade of Hyrule." He nodded before turning to look at the researcher. "I shall meet you and the rest in the chamber. You have done well, and will be rewarded."

The man smiled nastily before bowing and taking his leave, setting a black sheath next to the throne for Aetherius.

"I will never forgive you."

Rhoam startled at the voice that rang in his mind. "Aetherius? Was that you?"

"My name is LINK." The voice seethed.

It seemed that becoming a blade had loosened the boy's tongue. Regardless, this was only a minor annoyance. He could handle a mouthy brat if it meant having control of this seemingly limitless power. "It was Link." Rhoam corrected. "You are now my sword, and a sword of the Kingdom of Hyrule. You should be honored. You will seal away the darkness without the power of the princess."

"Honored?! Have you no shame?! Look what you've done to me! Do you know what I've gone through?! The hell I've been put through?!"

"I know very well what was done to you. I'm sorry you had to suffer so much, but it was necessary." He strapped the sheath to his hip and sheathed the sacred blade. "Now do not speak without permission. I am still your king."

Yes, Rhoam decided as the blanket of power wrapped around him like the static of a thunderstorm. This was a feeling he could get used to.

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It was decidedly strange, being a sword. Horrifying in a way Link had never known. He could see and hear, but could not move. His spirit could emerge, but was invisible and inaudible to onlookers—even Rhoam, who could hear his voice, could not see his shade. He privately wondered if his shade was even real, or just a projection of his imagination to cope with his new situation. Perhaps worst of all was that he could still feel, just not in the same sense as he could before.

He was constantly cold—it was like someone had turned the marrow of his bones to ice. It was the worst kind of chill he could imagine, but he could also feel pressure. He could feel the sweaty grubby hand of the king wrapping around his handle, and he wanted to violently fling the pig he'd once bowed to across the entire continent and beyond—far into the oceans where he might become food for sharks. But if he did that, his family would perish. Beyond that, he didn't seem to be capable of doing anything more than making some rather powerful sparks. He could glow, but he didn't think he could do anything more.

He could feel the fires that they'd used to melt him down; the pain of being hammered into shape, and sharpened into blade. He also learned he could neither black out nor sleep in this new form. He did not tire, as he once had, and he could no longer cry. This prison of steel was the worst kind of torture he could concieve. It didn't feel real, but at the same time it felt far too real.

His attention was snapped back to reality (the horrifying nightmare that'd become his reality) when Rhoam entered the small underground study that'd been outside his torture chamber. The six researchers that'd been his tormenters bowed before the king, eager for the reward that they'd been promised.

"You have done well." Rhoam smiled benevolently. "Without you, the kingdom would surely fall. You will be honored, and your families compensated." Link felt himself being pulled from his sheath, and his nonexistent heart stuttered in his chest. "Of course, I cannot afford to leave loose ends."

Nobody had the chance to react. Link would've retched if he'd had the stomach for it, as the taste—smell? Sensation?—of copper engulfed his senses. The icy chill that'd been a constant companion since they'd finished forging him was suddenly washed away by the blistering heat of freshly spilled blood. It covered him from tip to hilt, making him feel nauseous. He could feel himself slicing through bone and sinew and muscle as the six men fell dead at the king's feet.

If he'd had a body, he would've shuddered and cried, but as he was now he could do nothing but absorb the horror before him. Link was no stranger to death, but he had never witnessed such a brutal murder, let alone been forced to participate so intimately.

He felt a cloth wiping away the blood that stained his blade, and for the first time he found himself grateful for the icy chill settling back in. If being warm meant he was covered in blood, then he would freeze for eternity. He would get used to the cold.

"Now." Rhoam hummed after looking over his handiwork. "It looks like I still need some practice."

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Revali wasn't the kind of person to worry about others. He was proud and stubborn and had better things to do than worry about Link. At least, that was his thought at first. He'd found it odd when Zelda had first asked them if anyone had seen the knight lately. The guy was practically a silent shadow of the princess, so seeing her without him was certainly strange, but it wasn't like she'd treated him fairly from the start. Revali had suggested that perhaps he grew tired of being yelled at by her and resigned as her knight.

But, as Mipha pointed out, that didn't fit with his character. Nor did it explain why nobody had seen him for over a week. As a Champion, he needed to be readily available in the case of a sudden attack. Annoyed, Revali was brought onto the impromptu search.

It wasn't until a month had passed that he admitted that something was wrong. But Link was strong—as much as it pained Revali to admit—he was surely fine, even if he had been captured by the Yiga, as Urbosa suggested. So they mounted a rescue mission and stormed the Yiga hideout. Their attack yielded no results, but they managed to capture several high ranking Yiga warriors.

After days of intense Sheikah and Gerudo interrogation, Urbosa and Impa regrettably informed them that the Yiga had not been the ones to kidnap Link, and were just as mystified by his disappearance as the Champions were.

It had been almost six months now, and the Hylian king had finally called off the search. He claimed that the goddess had gifted them with a new sacred blade that could help them defeat Calamity Ganon and that while it was 'regrettable' that Link had gone missing, he 'couldn't afford to waste valuable manpower on a fruitless endeavor'.

The thought of that talk made Revali's feathers puff out in anger. Link was a Champion. He was one of them. How could they be expected to simply settle down and move on?! Just because the king had a shiny new blade didn't mean that the Champions were any less necessary. And from the way the king was talking, it was almost as if he wanted to take the hero's spot himself! Was this how all hylians were treated by their king?! If a Rito had gone missing, they'd be out there searching day and night!

"Revali, you're pacing a hole in the floor." Zelda pointed out softly, and the Rito made an indignant sound he dare not name as his feathers fluffed up again.

"So what?! Link is missing, and the king is doing nothing about it! How can I not pace?!"

"I've had the Gorons looking all over Hyrule, but... there's nothing." Daruk sniffled a bit as a few tears leaked from his eyes. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"There there." Mipha patted his shoulder, but she looked like she was barely holding herself together as well. "I'm sure... Link is strong, so he must be fine." The Zora princess didn't sound as sure as she would probably like to be. Not that Revali could blame her. Even he—someone who didn't particularly like Link—knew something was very wrong.

"I don't like how easily the king let this go." Urbosa's eyes narrowed. "There's something more going on here."

"I do hope you're not implying that my father had something to do with this?" Zelda frowned.

Urbosa's silence spoke volumes, and the Hylian princess started to turn red. The tension was getting thicker by the second, and Revali knew the pot would boil over if someone didn't step in right now. After all, it was common knowledge just how close the king and his daughter were.

"Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to solve anything." He pointed out tersely. "We can't afford to overlook even the most absurd possibility." He quickly raised his wings in surrender when Zelda's fury aimed his way. "I'm not saying I think it's him, but I am saying it's suspicious that he told us to stop looking. It hasn't even been six months yet. Is it normal for hylians to stop looking for missing people so soon? Especially when the missing person is the Hero?"

Zelda's lips thinned, but Revali's logic seemed to win out. "Fine. But I'll have no part in looking into my own father." She turned back towards Urbosa. "I hope this makes you happy. I'll pretend I don't know what you're doing."

"Very well." Urbosa spoke with a clipped tone as she walked towards the door. Her heels clicked against the stone with a calm anger. "Do not let your loyalty blind you, Zelda." She warned, and Zelda flinched back as if struck. Revali abruptly recalled that he'd only ever heard Urbosa refer to the princess as 'little bird' before.

With that, Urbosa left. Revali couldn't help the churning in his gizzard. Something was definitely very wrong. And he had a nasty feeling that Link was in the middle of it. You'd better be okay, you damn idiot.