A/N: Welcome back to another chapter! It's been a while, and I've got a few announcements before we get started on the chapter. Firstly, and this is the most important right now...

Ao3 Readers... MIND THE TAGS!!! Remember that MCD Tag? For those of you who don't know, that means MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH. Yeah, we're about to start usin' that this chapter. You have been warned.

Also, Soul of Steel will (much like Hero's Spirit) be split up into more than one book. In fact, there are three different ways this story can unfold, so I'm going to end Book 1 at the diverging path. From there, you'll be able to pick which of the three stories you'd like to read (or you can read them all!) So, for those LU readers here, It'll be a long while before the Chain shows up... sorry.

This chapter really ran away from me. What started as one scene ended up divulging into this 20k monster of a chapter. That aside, I'd like to give a shoutout to Lunermoon10000 on Wattpad, who gave me the idea for Urbosa visiting Link's hometown and finding his diary. Thanks for the brain-juice! You're part of the reason why this chapter is so dang long. XD

DISCLAIMER: This Author takes no responsibility for any dehydration, cursing, broken devices or lasting trauma that may come as a result of reading this chapter.

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Urbosa let out a small sigh as her horse crested the hill overlooking the small village. Rolling hills and miles of farmland stretched out before her, cradled in the gentle fingers of a grand old forest that many said was home to spirits. White covered the world as far as the eye could see, coated in the gentle dusting of mid-winter's snow.

Rayju Village was a quiet, sleepy little place nestled in the eastern side of Central Hyrule. It was a wonder that Link had come from such a quiet little village. He always struck her as a cityboy somehow. Link had likely kept his birthplace quiet to avoid unwanted attention directed towards his family, but considering the fact that the Champions had exhausted every lead they had, Urbosa had asked Daruk and Mipha—who had known the knight since he was a young child—for the location of his hometown. If they couldn't find anything by pressing forward, then perhaps they needed to retrace Link's steps. Though she was assured more than once that the king had already quietly searched the area, Urbosa didn't want to leave even the most unassuming stone unturned.

Besides; she didn't trust Rhoam half as far as she could throw Daruk—which really wasn't as far as people may think.

"Milady?" The voice startled Urbosa out of her thoughts as her gaze slid to her left. Ruja was her right hand warrior. Her personal guard who'd been with her since Urbosa herself was a young vai. She was one of three guards that Urbosa had allowed to accompany her on this expedition.

"Forgive me for being lost in thought." Urbosa intoned with a sigh.

"It's understandable." Typhir nodded in understanding. She was the General of Gerudo City—the highest military authority aside from Urbosa herself. Normally Typhir wouldn't be allowed to leave the city while Urbosa was absent, but with Link's sudden disappearance nobody wanted to take the chance that the Chieftess herself would be next.

"Um... Milady?" Linae was the final member that accompanied her. Young though she was, she was Typhir's protege—a talented warrior the likes of which hadn't been seen in centuries. "Why did you bring so many of us along? N-not that I'm questioning you, but..." The young girl winced at Typhir's reprimanding stare.

"There's a deep unrest in the land." Urbosa's words swirled around them like the wind. "I'm sure you've felt it too. After Rhoam used that sacred blade to defeat The Calamity, people have started to turn fear into anger. Not only is Link being branded as a coward who fled in the face of the oncoming danger, but the rest of the Champions are seen as either heroes or unnecessary accessories to the Hyrulian king." The Chieftess ignored the choice words hissed through Typhir's teeth at the reminder.

"I heard the search for the Hero was officially called off." Ruja's eyes flashed in anger. Link was important to Urbosa, but he had also aided and befriended many of the Gerudo that often accompanied her beyond the walls of her city. Beyond that, he was an accomplished and respected warrior—to tarnish his honor when he wasn't even around to defend it was sacrilege among the Gerudo.

"Which is why we've started doing things quietly." Urbosa ran a hand through her hair, straightening a few strands that'd fallen with the wind.

"So that's why you told us to dress casually." Linae realized. Indeed, Urbosa had made her guards forgo their usual armor in favor of traveling clothes that wouldn't stand out. Even Urbosa herself had swapped her iconic skirt and top with a nondescript set of hylian traveling clothes that she'd gotten from Zelda.

Mipha and Revali were searching the borders and neighboring kingdoms for any sign of their wayward hero. Now that the Calamity had been dealt with, travel to and from Hyrule had opened once more. It was possible, though still highly unlikely, that Link had somehow found himself in a neighboring kingdom. Though how someone would be able to kidnap the hero from right under Hyrule's nose was a mystery to her, the possibility should not be disregarded.

Daruk and Zelda were keeping a public image for the rest of them, going out and about to aid the kingdom in the rebuilding and funeral efforts for those who were unfortunate during the attack.

Urbosa privately thought that the less the Hyrulean king knew of their activities, the safer they'd be. She had a nasty feeling that something dangerous was moving in places she couldn't see. The chieftess dearly hoped she was wrong.

"Hoods up, we're heading in." Urbosa instructed as she shook her thoughts from their current path. Travelers weren't uncommon in this area, and since it wasn't unusual for the wary ones to keep their faces hidden, Urbosa and her girls didn't stand out in the bustle of the village's marketplace.

She listened as they passed through, trying to ascertain the general atmosphere of Rayju. It was amazing what one could learn by simply listening to idle conversations.

"...eard that Champion Daruk had helped bring supplies to Marka Town himself!" Someone stated eagerly. Urbosa inspected some of the apples at the stand to her left as she listened.

"Man, those Champions are so cool! They're said to be the Guardian Spirits of Hyrule! Hero King Rhoam may have defeated Calamity Ganon himself, but the Champions also fought against versions of Ganon, right?" A second voice joined the conversation, and Urbosa winced.

Rhoam had tightly controlled the information that made its way to the public's ears. Though each Champion had faced horrific enemies that day, it was clear that none of them would've won had the battle been allowed to progress. Even Urbosa would admit she was entirely outclassed. She couldn't even make a scratch on the enemy that'd been sent to kill her.

Of course, the Hylian King had twisted these facts and painted the kingdom's victory as a one sided beatdown—a victory so effortless that they hadn't even needed Zelda's sealing powers. He'd made it seem like the Champions had won as easily as breathing, and none of them had the chance to protest it. By the time the four had been released from their intensive medical care, the rumors and stories flying about them were far too widespread to correct. Of course, Urbosa's people weren't foolish enough to believe such wild tales, but the hylians had far too much trust in their king.

She knew Mipha and Daruk had straightened their situations out with their respective people, though she wasn't sure if Revali had fed the rumors, dismissed them, or simply ignored them. While he seemed like a glutton for attention, he was strangely honest about his own accomplishments. He was never one to take credit that he hadn't earned himself.

Urbosa took a deep breath and worked her way through the market, making sure to stop at a few stalls here and there to help support her cover as a simple traveler. After the better part of an hour, she'd finally made her way through the marketplace and towards the quieter areas of town. She hardly looked up as her girls fell into step beside her.

"Find anything?" She kept her voice low as they walked down the road that led towards the residential outskirts of the village. Houses were starting to become more spread out as the town itself gave way to farmland and pastures.

"Nothing but baseless gossip." Typhir sighed.

"I'm not surprised. Small towns love their gossip more than the big cities." Ruja shook her head. "Nothing on my end either."

"It's almost like they're trying to forget him." Linae muttered softly. She went to kick a small mound of snow, only to find it a solid stone that'd been hiding beneath. She cursed softly under her breath as Typhir snorted in amusement.

"Is this your first time seeing snow?" The general asked around her chuckles as Linae slowly tested her weight on her undoubtedly bruised foot.

"I-I've seen pictures before..." Her cheeks reddened and Urbosa found her own lips ticking up.

"You're thirty-three and you've never even been to the Gerudo Highlands?" Ruja shot the warrior a raised eyebrow.

"My family lives in Oasis and Riverview." The green-eyed girl shrugged. "The Faron Region may get a lot of rain, but they don't get snow. I've never had any reason to travel anywhere else."

"Riverview is Thundra's Sister City, right?" Ruja hummed in thought.

"That's right. Just like Oasis is Gerudo City's Sister City." Urbosa affirmed. Every Gerudo settlement had a voe-accommodating town nearby so married vai could live with their families.

"My sister, Hinra, she's married with two kids." Linae smiled brightly.

"Do you think you'll ever want to find a voe and settle down?" Typhir eyed her protege curiously, earning a snort from said warrior.

"Me? Find a voe? In what world?" She shook her head. "No, I'm not that kind of woman. The only voe I'd ever have my eye on is one that could best me in battle."

Urbosa let out a laugh at that. "I think much the same. I'm afraid we're both going to join the Ancestors without leaving a legacy behind."

"You should think about having a daughter, at least." Ruja shot Urbosa an irritated look. "What if something happens to you? Do you have any idea how exhausting it would be for all of Gerudo City to undergo a Succession War?"

"I'm sure things would fall into place." The Chieftess hummed. "Besides, it's customary in the case of the sudden death of the Chieftess for her right hand or left hand—which would be you or Typhir—to take over until the Succession Battles are complete. If you don't win it first."

"Please don't speak of such things." Typhir's aqua gaze narrowed. "It's bad luck."

"I never took you for the superstitious type." Ruja raised a brow.

"In times like these... well, one can never be too careful."

"Here we are." Urbosa's words brought the group to a halt before a rather quaint farmhouse. The homes were sparse in this area—the last one they'd passed was about a twenty minute walk. This one was likely the farthest out from the center of town, right on the border of the forest. The only thing that separated the property from the frost covered woodland was a small white picket fence.

A splash of color caught her eye as they approached the front door of the house. A small garden was thriving despite the winter's chill. Bright purple swift violets and the gentle blue of some nightshade stood defiantly amidst the blanket of white. The path to the front door was lined with a flower Zelda had once named as snowdrop, and to her left was an old oak tree. The branches were bare, but they stretched both along the sky and the ground, creating what would likely be an adventurous playground for any children. A lone swing groaned softly as it swayed in the breeze—a subtle reminder of the child that was no longer there.

A window planter rested beneath what Urbosa assumed to be the kitchen, barren as it awaited the warmer spring weather. It really was a quaint and lovely home, she decided. Her gaze was naturally drawn to the uneven stone steps that lead up to the front door. They were carefully cleared of ice and snow, allowing Urbosa to see the pair of handprints carefully carved into the stone.

It was a hylian tradition in a few of the older towns, she recalled. Having the local stonemason trace the shape of your child's hands and carve their indent into the steps of your home was said to bring prosperity to the household. These handprints were small—one set a good deal larger than the other, but both were that of children. Carved in childish Hylian underneath were two names: Link and Lyra.

Urbosa's breath caught in her throat for a moment. She'd never stopped to wonder about Link's family. She knew his father was a knight who died shortly after Link had discovered the Sword that Seals the Darkness, and Link had mentioned a mother only once—in the silence of the night upon Naboris, when he thought Urbosa and Zelda were both sleeping. He'd never mentioned a sister.

A hand rested gently on her arm and she brought her gaze to meet Ruja's purple ones. There was a silent understanding—a support that she desperately needed right now. Link's presence had been missing for over a year now, but his absence had never felt so solid until now. Her heart ached as she knocked on the door.

A young woman—who didn't at all look like the mother of a seventeen-year-old—pushed open the door. She had a waterfall of brown curls and a gentle face. Link had the same shape in his face, Urbosa realized. And she shared her son's eyes.

It had been so long since Urbosa had seen those eyes that she'd forgotten the intensity of their color—like someone had taken the clear blue of the crisp winter's sky and added a dash of Goddess Blue to the hue before lighting it aflame from within.

She cleared her throat of the sudden grief that'd flared up within her and spoke. "Sav'aaq. I am Urbosa of the Gerudo. Do you have a moment?"

The woman's eyes widened. "You're Link's..." Her voice broke over her son's name, and she rapidly blinked away unshed tears. "Please, come in. I'll make you something to drink."

The four of them entered and followed the woman into her sitting room. While she busied herself making them tea, Urbosa took a moment to admire the home of her missing friend. The warmth and love of the home was the first thing that hit her. There were pictures on the wall—likely printed by Purah. When Link had borrowed the Sheikah Slate to take them, Urbosa had no clue. Zelda would've surely thrown a fit had she been forced to separate from her beloved Sheikah tech, but Urbosa also knew for a fact that Zelda had never once met Link's family.

The pictures were of Link and his mother, and a young girl that had to be his sister. The girl had shimmering golden curls and azure-green eyes that glittered like gemstones. Link had her up on his shoulders in the picture, and both sported matching grins that stretched from ear to ear. Urbosa had never seen Link smile before, let alone so widely. The Sword that Seals the Darkness was noticeably absent in the picture.

"Sorry for the wait." The woman reentered the room with a tray of steaming cups. She set them down before each visitor and then took her own seat. "My name is Heather. I'm sorry for the late introduction."

"No need for apologies. I'm sorry we've dropped by unannounced." Urbosa shook her head.

For a moment, everything was silent. "You haven't given up on him." Heather's voice held a tremor of hope that pulled at Urbosa's heartstrings.

"Link is not the kind of boy to run away from his duty." The Chieftess' voice was stern. "And I do not trust that the investigations were done properly."

A wry smile crossed Heather's lips. "You... are just like he said. Strong and wise."

"He spoke of me?" Urbosa took another sip of her tea. It was surprisingly good, considering the fact that she wasn't normally one for tea.

"Often." Heather's lips pulled up further, though it was something too sad to be called a smile. "He... would tell me all kinds of stories about you and the other Champions. Lyra especially loved hearing him speak about his adventures and travels." She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "Be honest with me, Lady Urbosa. Is my son alive?"

Never had Urbosa felt such pain from the gaze of another. She had heard that the hardest thing a mother could endure was a missing child, but she'd never seen it like this before. She took a deep breath. "I don't know." Her words had the woman's expression turning bitter. "But I intend to find out. I will find out the truth. And if I cannot bring him home..." She felt her own voice attempt to crack as a wave of emotion overcame her. "Then I will at least bring you closure."

A heavy silence befell them. Urbosa allowed it to enshroud the group until Heather spoke up again. "He kept a journal." The words nearly made Urbosa flinch as a flare of hope sparked to life within her. She didn't want to work herself up over something that may be nothing, but this was the best piece of news she'd heard in months. "He is... was a very private child. I don't think even Mipha has seen it. But given the circumstances..."

"Did the king not already read it? I thought he'd already come by to search?" Linae frowned. "He assured everyone that..."

Heather scoffed and her expression flickered with disdain. "That man never bothered searching here. He sent a few guards to wander about and ask about Link here and there, but they never searched. Never... never did anything to find my son." Her hands clutched her cup so tightly that Urbosa feared it would shatter. "To think my husband gave his life to serve such a vile..." She forced herself to take a deep breath. "The only ones who ever looked were the handful of men that served under Link. But their loyalty must be to their king—such is the way of a knight. After that man brushed off my son's disappearance, I couldn't help but feel like..." She trailed off, words unspoken hovering between them, ringing louder than a thunderstorm.

Urbosa felt something in her connect to the mother. "And that is why I am here. Quietly."

The shadows in Heather's eyes brightened as she looked at Urbosa like she'd never seen her before. "If that's the case, then perhaps... I can trust you with this. Please, Chieftess... no, Urbosa. As a friend of my only son, please find him."

A small smile graced Urbosa's face. This vai was asking her for this favor not as the Chieftess of the Gerudo, but as a friend of her son. A friend that just-so-happened to be in a position where she didn't have to answer to the crooked king of Hyrule.

Urbosa stood, her girls standing with her. "We will find the truth."

"His room is upstairs. Second door on the left." Heather dabbed her eyes. "I don't know where his journal is kept, but Lyra might. Those two... they're very close."

The four nodded and headed upstairs. Urbosa couldn't help but notice the smaller details. Worn areas of the railing, where children had grabbed the last rung to swing around the last step. A small chip on the wall had the slightest bit of purple—had Link accidentally whacked the Sword that Seals the Darkness on that corner when he'd swung around the bend? The thought had the ghost of a chuckle passing through her lips.

"This is the room." Linae nodded towards the door. It was a soft blue color, worn around the handle and edge of the door so much that the wood was visible through the paint. A small sign adorned with little koroks hung upon the handle that proudly claimed the room as Link's. Urbosa had the sneaking suspicion the sign had been made by Link's sister.

Gently, with the utmost care, Urbosa pushed the door open and stepped inside. The first thought she had upon entering the room was how serene it was. The walls were a gentle green that reminded her of the forest, and the dark wooden shelves were adorned with all kinds of treasures a young boy might find there. Pinecones, rocks, and even one leaf that looked to be cut out like a mask covered the shelves. She recognized one rock as something from the Zora's Domain, and another from Death Mountain.

Hung on the wall above an immaculately made bed was an old iron sword. Just below it was a very well-loved wooden one that looked to be just the right size for a four or five year old child. A crudely carved wooden shield rested against the wall between the shelves and bed. Here and there, Urbosa could see things from each Champion's hometown.

There was a rather beautiful bracelet of zora scales—many different colors, including the bright red of Mipha's. A small cobble crusher that had to be a gift from Daruk to a young Link... perhaps that was partially where his immense physical strength came from.

She also spotted a pair of ear adornments from the Rito—feathers braided onto the metal that was made to hook around the back of a hylian's ear, charmed to keep one warm. It was a common tourist gift from Hebra, but this one looked like it was made with feathers from Revali himself. Urbosa let a small smirk of amusement cross her features. It seemed Revali may have appreciated Link's friendship more than he let on.

Urbosa's eyes caught on a rather lovely pair of earrings—something from Darla's Gem shop in Gerudo City. Tucked into the back of the shelf behind that was a set of hair ornaments and nail polish. It seemed that Link had enjoyed his little trip to Gerudo City.

She vividly recalled the moment she'd realized the pretty little blonde vai sitting two tables away from her and Zelda was in fact the young knight. It'd been more than a challenge to keep a straight face. She'd found the situation hilarious, especially since he made an incredibly convincing vai. Beyond that, it was by far the most relaxed she'd ever seen Link, so she decided to let things be.

It was only after Zelda had fallen asleep on Naboris that she'd turned with a smirk towards the hero and told him that next time he should order a Noble Pursuit. He had turned red as an apple, mouth opening and closing as his ears frantically twitched in mortification. It'd been the most expression she'd seen from Link, and she couldn't help but give him a little wave every time they were in Gerudo City. Just to tease him a little.

She'd already warned her guards that, so long as Link pretended to be a vai, he was allowed in the city. Not that Link knew that, of course. She wondered how long it would take him to realize that Urbosa wasn't the only one that saw through his disguise. Not that Zelda had any clue.

Her mirth quickly faded when she realized that Link may never realize... that he might not ever visit her city again. That it was entirely possible that he was already...

"Let's start searching for that journal." Her voice was hard and they all set to searching.

They looked in every drawer. Every shelf. Under the bed, in the closet and wardrobe... They found many things of Link's—trinkets and personal objects that Urbosa forced herself not to wonder about. She tried not to pry, but with every little keepsake she found she couldn't help but wonder how little she really knew about the boy. There were so many things about Link she didn't know. So many things she wanted to know. She wanted to sit and talk to him, to get to know him as more than a fellow Champion.

Now she feared she'd never have that opportunity.

"You're not going to find it like that." The voice had the four Gerudo warriors whipping about. There, in the doorway, was Link's sister. She was young—about ten, Urbosa would estimate—and her resemblance to her brother was uncanny. They had the same hair, though Lyra's was curly like their mother's. Lyra's eyes were more greenish than Link's, but they held the same shape and intensity. Perhaps most of all, Lyra's serious expression reminded Urbosa so much of Link that it hurt.

"I'm... sorry?" Thankfully it was Linae that broke the silence.

"Link's journal. That's what you're looking for, right? Mom told me." She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and entered the room. "You're not going to find it by snooping through his things. My brother's stubborn not stupid. He won't leave something like that laying about for just anyone to find." She brushed past Urbosa without pause and took the wooden sword off the wall. She twisted the hilt and a soft click reverberated in the room as a secret compartment opened. With a flourish and a smirk, Lyra pulled out a small chiseled bit of wood.

"A... key?" Typhir blinked.

"Well I'll be." Ruja laughed. "I never took Link for the type to go that far."

"My brother... He's very careful about what the people see." Lyra carefully set the sword on the bed and walked over to the blank space of wall beside the bookshelf. "'I'm the Hero, so I must be strong. I can't show anyone weakness'. That's something he says a lot. He's such a dummy." She muttered the last part. "Hey... you're Urbosa right? The Gerudo Chieftess that Link's friends with?"

Urbosa nodded. "I am."

"Then find him. My brother. I... I miss him." She glanced away from them as she took a framed picture—one taken with all the Champions—off the wall to reveal a small crevice. Lyra carefully inserted the wooden key and twisted. This time, a hidden drawer popped out of the floorboard, revealing a worn journal. She picked it up and looked Urbosa in the eye. "Don't let anyone else read this unless it's necessary to find him. I swore I'd only give this to you."

Urbosa reeled a little. "To me?" Of all the Champions, Urbosa felt she'd had the least one-on-one interaction with Link. If anything, she thought Link would entrust this to Mipha or Daruk.

"He always said that... if anything happened to him, you would be the most likely to 'snoop in the right places'." A wry smile crossed the girl's lips. "He respects you a lot. More than the others, I think. He's always admired the way you take care of the princess and your people. Said the king should take a few chapters out of your book."

Urbosa smiled softly as she took the journal from the girl. "I would like to hear some stories of Link, sometime."

Lyra's eyes lit up. "I don't mind, but you have to tell me some stories of him too! I know there's some things he doesn't say—there's gotta be some embarrassing adventures in there somewhere."

Urbosa chuckled. "Well, I'll tell you about the time he snuck into Gerudo City."

"He what?!" Lyra choked before bursting into laughter. "Now that's a story I need to hear." She took a deep breath and grinned at the Gerudo Chieftess. "You'll stay for dinner, right? I'll come grab you guys when mom's done cooking."

"We..." Ruja glanced between Lyra and Urbosa.

"We would love to stay for dinner." She had a feeling that this trip would last a few days. More than simple answers, she wanted to make sure Link's family was all right. And she wanted to get to know the boy behind the knight.

"Oh, and if he was a dummy and wrote it in a language you don't know, there's a few translation books in the bookshelf—third shelf tucked in behind the history books." Lyra grinned before she swung out of the room, looking far more upbeat than she had when she'd entered.

"A language we don't know?" Typhir repeated blankly.

"Uh... guys?" Linae gestured towards the bookshelf. "There's some serious variety here. I think Link's a budding Linguist."

Urbosa felt her brows rise as she glanced over the titles. Most of the books were in Hylian or Common, but she spotted a few in Zora and Sheikah. There were a few children's books in Rito, Gerudo and Caravanthian—the language of one of the bordering kingdoms—as well. "Indeed." Urbosa couldn't help but be impressed. She'd had no idea Link knew so many languages.

"Well... I know some Rito and Hylian, but anything else is gibberish to me." Ruja shrugged.

"Let's just hope it's not written in Sheikah..." Linae winced as Urbosa opened the journal.

"Looks like... this was started on the day Link was named a Champion." She hummed as her eyes skimmed over the elegant script. Thankfully it was written in Hylian—a language Urbosa was quite fluent in due to her lifelong friendship with Yevette, Zelda's mother.

Jan x250, Today I was named a Champion of Hyrule as well as the Hero of this era. I knew something like this was coming. It's been five years since I found the Sword that Seals the Darkness... I wonder if my father would be proud of me? I hope... I hope I can really do this.

Urbosa took a deep breath. She'd known he was scared—what kind of person wouldn't be terrified of the sort of responsibility that'd been shoved upon this child? It was still hard to read it.

She flicked ahead, eyes catching entries here and there. Names stared at her from the pages of the book, written in immaculate Hylian script. Every now and again, she'd catch something written in Sheikah or Zora—likely things that he didn't want his sister snooping through.

Link had gone missing a few days after Zelda's sixteenth birthday in the year the Champions were first named. Urbosa remembered seeing the knight the day after her birthday, but Zelda had received new pieces of Sheikah Tech to tinker with from her father. She had holed herself up in her room for several days thereafter, and Link would've had no duties to attend to so long as the princess was safely occupied in her lab.

None of them had thought much of his disappearance at first. They'd all assumed he'd gone to visit his family or take time to himself while his charge was busy. It wasn't until a week after Zelda's birthday that they'd realized something was wrong. Zelda's birthday was the eighteenth of November.

Urbosa flipped through the entries until she came to the ones from that month. There were only a handful of them, but if these entries could point her towards the truth somehow...

November 2, x250 The King has given me two weeks off starting today to visit my family. I'm not sure why, but I have a bad feeling about this. Mom and Lyra were utterly thrilled, so I'm not about to complain (not that I'd complain to the king in the first place), but he prepared a horse and pack for me so quickly I didn't even have the time to let anyone know where I was off to. He said something about enjoying the peace while it lasted, what with the coming darkness. I don't think I'm the only one on edge these days. The King has been edgy lately too... He said he has something important to speak with me about upon my return. Perhaps he heard about Zelda getting attacked in the Gerudo Desert the other week... Am I about to get demoted? Is this like a 'thanks for your service, but we don't need you as a knight anymore?' kind of thing? I hope not... My mother needs these paychecks... She can't live off dad's savings forever.

Something in Urbosa's chest went cold. Link had a meeting scheduled with King Rhoam two weeks after this entry. Two weeks would've been... around the time of Zelda's birthday. Around the time Link went missing.

"You... don't think...?" Linae's voice trembled as she read over Urbosa's shoulder. The Chieftess grit her teeth.

"I hope not." But she honestly couldn't say she wouldn't expect it.

November 5, x250 Lyra and I went down to the river in the forest today. The Koroks were so excited to see us! Well, see me. Lyra still can't really see them like I can. Acorn insisted on sitting on my shoulder as I tried to show Lyra how to cast a rod. Haha... let me tell you, it's hard to cast properly when you've got a Korok on your shoulder. He isn't as small as he was when he was a baby! I think Gemini would be proud of him...

"Koroks?" Typhir made an intrigued sound. "I've heard of them, but I didn't think anyone could actually see them in this day and age."

Urbosa didn't comment. The entry had left her feeling bittersweet. She skimmed the next few entries—all of moments he'd shared with his mother and sister. They felt warm and she could feel the love pouring from the pages. It was a side of Link she'd never known before. Before she knew it, she was at the final entry.

November 11, x250 I return to the castle at dawn. The trip will take several days, but I need to arrive in time for Zelda's birthday. Besides, I feel bad for whatever knight was saddled with 'Princess Duty' in my absence. Haha... She's infamous among the knights for ditching her escort, after all. I think the guy she'd locked in the loo for a week is still traumatized. I think I'm the only one that's managed to keep up with her. I can't blame her though... she's got a lot on her plate. I wouldn't take kindly to being followed around all day either.

Still... There's this awful churning in my gut... I fear something is about to go terribly wrong, and I have the oddest sense that it has little to do with the coming Calamity. Even the Sword that Seals the Darkness has been wary these days. I...

To you who is reading this. Hopefully my sister followed my directions and this has fallen into your hands, Urbosa. I'm sure you're wondering why I would entrust my innermost thoughts to you when I'm obviously so much closer to Mipha and Daruk. In truth, I trust you to look for only that which you need. And beyond that, if this has been given to you, it means something has happened to me. I would trust no other to look in the places one would not think to search.

Moreover, I feel you have the strongest willpower of us all. Should something truly awful have happened to me... Well, I wouldn't wish such a memory on anyone, but I feel you would handle things with a steady heart.

Please... I implore you. Even if you cannot find me, look after my sister. And look after Mipha in my stead. Even if you must take my family kicking and screaming into your city, protect them with all the honor of a Gerudo Warrior. Because they are more precious to me than anything in this world.

The last sentence was written in messily scrawled Gerudo. 'Strength to those with the Power to protect'. It was an old phrase among the warriors. A sendoff one would give someone heading into a fierce battle. It seemed Link understood the appropriate use for it.

"A battle indeed." Ruja's mouth was a thin line. "I fear your hunch was correct."

"As do I." Urbosa had always thought Rhoam had something to do with Link's disappearance, but she'd never had more than a gut feeling... until now. "It can't be a coincidence." She gave a heavy sigh.

"But why would... he orchestrate something like this?" Linae frowned, wary of anyone listening to things they shouldn't be. Not that there should be anyone listening in on them when they'd told no one sans Daruk and Mipha where they were going, but it was a good habit to have.

"I agree." Typhir nodded. "I can't understand his angle. What could he possibly achieve by making the hero vanish before the big fight?"

Urbosa frowned and put her hand to her lips as she thought. It really didn't make any sense. Rhoam should be the one who had the most reason to keep Link safe—at least until after Ganon's attack.

"I'm with you there." Lyra's voice startled Urbosa out of her thoughts. "I don't know much about the king, but I know he always made Link uncomfortable." She paused for a moment. "I read the entry too."

Urbosa sighed. "You should be more careful about what you say. Even walls have ears."

"Nah," Lyra grinned easily, "this place has been protected by the goddesses since Link found the sword. He said the Koroks ensured nobody would bother us here. If someone was here that wasn't supposed to be, they'll give me a signal that only Link and I know. So I know nobody else is here."

"A Korok alarm." Ruja shook her head with a wry smile. "Somehow this doesn't surprise me."

"Anyways, dinner's ready." Lyra grinned at them. "C'mon, mom made curry! She hasn't made that in ages. It's my brother's favorite dish, but it's my favorite too!"

~~~

Urbosa smiled softly as Lyra led her by the hand into the forest. Linae and Ruja had been roped into helping Heather prepare dinner, so it was just her and Typhir today. It'd been three days since they'd first shown up at Link's home, and they'd gone over several more entries from the journal along with Lyra.

The girl was incredibly intuitive with a mind as sharp as a scimitar. The stories they'd traded of Link had birthed an odd sort of friendship between the two. Though Urbosa was many years the girl's senior, she felt like she could speak to Lyra as an equal. It reminded her strangely of Zelda when she was younger.

"So where are we off to in such a hurry?" Urbosa chuckled.

"My special place." Lyra beamed as they came to a stop in a clearing. It was beautiful. Though snow covered the landscape, flowers of many colors bloomed defiantly. Grand old trees rustled in the breeze. Strangely enough, they all had bright green leaves on their branches, though Urbosa was certain these were the kind of trees to lose their leaves in the winter.

"Link said there's a lot of koroks that live here, and that's why everything blooms and the leaves never fall." Lyra explained. "I can't see them, but I can kinda hear their laughter if I'm quiet. Link used to take me here all the time to talk. He's always loved the forest."

"Has he now?" Urbosa hummed. "I'm not sure I've ever seen him camping."

"He's got the skills to survive in the wild. My brother can eat rocks like a goron." Lyra chuckled.

"That'd be something to see." Typhir grinned.

"No, I mean he can literally eat rock roasts. I think he learned it from Daruk when he traveled places with dad." Lyra deadpanned. "But never—and I mean never—ask Link to cook."

"Is he really that bad?" Urbosa laughed as they settled down beneath a tree. The branches rattled with the breeze, and she swore she heard children laughing, but shrugged it off.

"Oh, he's worse." The young girl giggled. "I was talking with Raymond this one time—Raymond was his Vice Captain when Link was a Knight Captain—and he told me that the one time someone mistakenly put Link on cooking rotation, the whole squadron got food poisoning so bad that they had to call in the Zora healers."

"You're joking." Typhir's jaw dropped. "Nobody's that bad at cooking!"

"Link definitely is." Lyra nodded sagely.

"Come to think of it, I do recall an occasion where Revali tried to put Link on cooking duty for a night when we were traveling to some of the springs. I don't think I've ever seen Mipha move so quickly as the moment she clamped Revali's beak shut. Even Daruk had looked warily between them before volunteering Mipha to cook."

"Well duh. Mipha knows Link's horrible skills." Lyra rolled her eyes. "Even she couldn't teach him how to make it edible. Most she and Daruk could do was teach him how to roast a fish and add salt."

Urbosa sat back, enjoying the vibrant greenery against a backdrop of white. She let her eyes close as the sounds of the forest washed over her. Dimly, she listened as Typhir and Lyra continued to talk about Link's horrific cooking skills. This was the place Link would come to unwind. This quiet of the woods was his sanctuary. Urbosa could easily see why. This place was one of the most peaceful she'd ever seen.

Between the green leaves of the trees and the flowers in the field, the forest hummed with a gentle melody of peace and serenity. A creek bubbled just out of sight, completing the symphony that nature had created. She stiffened when a weight made itself known upon her left leg. Slowly, she opened her eyes, hand twitching for her scimitar, only to freeze.

It was a creature she'd never seen before. It had a pudgy wooden-like body with a leaf-like mask over its face, with a protrusion like a nose that stuck straight out. Its head was misshapen—looking like it had branches growing out from behind the leaf-like face. It laughed and shook its branch, creating a little rattling sound.

"Yahaha! You can see me! Right?" It tilted its head. Abruptly, Urbosa realized there were more of them. They were in the branches of the tree they sat beneath, the bushes that dotted the field they were resting in, even hovering in the air upon little spinning leafs.

"What... are you?" Her voice halted the conversation between Typhir and Lyra.

"Milady?" Typhir frowned. "Who... are you talking to?"

Urbosa blinked, letting her gaze drift between her two companions and the little creature. "You... can't see him?"

"Most people can't see us!" Another creature called out as it lept from a branch above them. Urbosa had to quickly throw out her hands to catch it, earning a giggle from the being. "We're Koroks!"

"Koroks?" Her eyes widened. "But..."

"Can you see them?" Lyra practically bounced in excitement. "Link's the only one I've ever met that could see them! Oh! Oh! Ask how Acorn is!! He's the baby Korok Link found when he was a kid! His mentor died and Link promised to take him in, but when he had to leave to become a knight, there wasn't any way to bring him along."

"Is one of you Acorn?" Urbosa blinked at the one in her hands. It squirmed to be set down and she realized he was a great deal smaller than the other Koroks.

"I'm Acorn!!" He bounced excitedly. His leaf was a bright vivid green, like the new leaves of spring. "I'm really young, but Link's been looking after me." He proclaimed proudly.

"Where's Link?" Another Korok asked. "He hasn't visited in a long time. We're worried."

"We don't know where he is. We're looking for him." Urbosa explained.

"We can help!" One of them hovered until it was floating before her. "Koroks live in all the forests of Hyrule! We can ask our siblings if they've seen him. Almost all of us know Link, and we can ask the Great Deku Tree too!"

"We would appreciate that." Urbosa smiled softly. "I'm Urbosa. I'm a friend of Link's."

"Oh! You're the Lightning Child! We've heard about you!" One of the larger Koroks spoke up. He was almost as tall as a Hylian—no, maybe a little taller. "I'm Hestu!" He shook his maracas. "I travel around a lot, so I'll ask Papa Deku if he's heard anything."

"Thank you, Hestu." Urbosa nodded as Acorn snuggled into her cloak.

"It's cold. I don't like it. Can I come home with you?"

"Well, I don't know about that. I live very far away, and there are no forests there. But you can come back to Link's house with me."

"This looks so weird, even if I know there's Koroks there." Typhir stared blankly at Urbosa.

"I'm used to it. They really love my brother." Lyra snickered.

"Come on." Urbosa stood carefully, letting Acorn burrow himself in the hood of her winter cloak. "I'm sure they've got dinner ready by now."

"Mmkay!" Lyra jumped up and dusted herself off. "And Urbosa? I'm really glad you can see them. I know my brother will be really happy to know you can see them too! So make sure you let him know when you find him."

"I will." She promised.

~~~

"I still don't get it." Linae huffed as they sat in the field. The snow was thicker today, so there weren't as many Koroks out and about, but there were enough to climb all over Urbosa.

Neither Linae nor Ruja could see the little tree spirits, and she found herself being forced to entertain them all by herself. They were certainly clingy.

"Get what?" Lyra snagged another cookie from the picnic basket.

"Why Rhoam would kidnap Link." Linae rolled over onto her stomach. "No matter how many times I think about it, I can't figure out why. What does he get out of it?"

"I know what you mean." Typhir nodded. "If we understand why then maybe we can figure out where Link is now."

"Yeah. Besides! Link went missing before Ganon attacked, right?" Lyra frowned. "How'd the king know that the goddess was gonna send another sword?"

Something hot shot through Urbosa's veins like fire as she bolted upright, eyes wide in alarm. The realization came upon her like a strike of lightning and her heart pounded in terror.

"Milady?" Ruja had her hand on her blade, but Urbosa hardly heard her. Because Lyra was absolutely right.

"He wouldn't know." She whispered as the horror set in upon her. A warm breeze whispered by her ear, somehow cementing her thoughts as fact. "Link went missing right after Zelda's birthday, after he met with the king. And he would have no way of knowing another sword would come... if it really came from the goddess."

A beat of shock and silence passed through them. "You... don't think that Link's disappearance had something to do with that sword?" Linae's voice was hardly a whisper, like she wasn't fully processing the words that came from her own mouth.

A sudden soul-crushing certainty overcame her. "We need to find the Sword that Seals the Darkness." She realized. "That blade is the key to this entire mess, I'm sure of it. And that other blade... Aetherius..."

"Right. But we can't just ask the king to borrow his sacred sword." Ruja frowned sharply.

"So tracking down the original sacred blade is our priority." Typhir grimaced. "But if Rhoam really did take Link, then surely he'd have the sword too?"

"We'll have to search the castle then." Urbosa winced. It'd be hard enough to investigate the king directly, but to snoop around the castle when he was already likely suspicious of her?

"If you're looking for the Master Sword, we know where it is!" Acorn piped up from her left, and Urbosa's eyes locked onto the spirit.

"You do?"

"Yeah! Hestu said she found her way back to the Lost Woods! That's where Link found her, by Papa Deku." Another Korok bounced excitedly. "We can guide you through the woods if it helps!"

"I would greatly appreciate that." Urbosa felt her resolve harden.

"Um... Milady? We can only hear half of this conversation." Linae gently reminded her.

"The Koroks said that the Sword has returned to her pedestal in the Lost Woods. They've offered to guide us through the mists to where she rests. We may be able to find our answers."

"The Lost Woods... that's pretty far." Typhir mulled it over. "We can't be out of the public eye for that long without questions coming our way."

"Perhaps..." Urbosa hummed. "I'll talk to Daruk. Death Mountain borders the Lost Woods. If I'm visiting the Gorons on official Gerudo business regarding our gemstone supply, then I doubt anyone would question it."

"But the Chieftess herself going?" Ruja raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not, that would be ridiculous." Urbosa grinned as she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ran her fingers through it before turning to smirk at her guards. "But Garnet is just a regular Gerudo Warrior."

"You haven't used that identity in a long time." Ruja smiled softly.

"Huh?" Lyra and Linae blinked in confusion.

"Back when Queen Yevette of Hyrule would visit the Gerudo, or Lady Urbosa went to visit Yevette, she would often use the name Garnet to avoid unwanted attention." Ruja explained. "It's her civilian persona, you could say. I don't think she's used it since..."

"At any rate, Garnet should attract much less attention than the Chieftess." Urbosa tied her hair back up as she spoke.

"You're leaving tomorrow, right?" Lyra sighed.

"We've got to find Link." Urbosa reminded her.

"I know, but... please be careful. My brother can take care of himself, and I trust you can too. But you're my friend. Please..."

Urbosa placed a hand gently on the young girl's head. "I promise I'll be careful. And should anything ever happen, you can always find sanctuary with the Gerudo." She shot her girls a look as she spoke, earning a nod from them all. Her orders were understood. Should Lyra or her mother ever approach the gates of Gerudo City, they would be taken in as refugees and quietly hidden from the eyes of Hyrule. Urbosa would take Link's written request seriously.

Beyond that, she would leave a Shadow with the girl and her mother. The Chieftess of the Gerudo always had a private group of three to five warriors that were both her private attack force and her secret guards. These Shadows were her arms and legs in places she couldn't reach.

As the group walked, Urbosa glanced towards the shadow of a tree. "Cobra." The woman appeared at once, cloak obscuring her short crimson hair. Reddish brown eyes locked onto Urbosa without a word. Cobra was the most skilled in assassination and information gathering. Urbosa'd had her looking for information on Rhoam and Link for months. "I assume you heard everything?"

"Of course, milady." She nodded. "I'll look into anything Link was doing around the castle at that time. Along with the sword Aetherius."

"No." Urbosa took a deep breath. "No, I'll investigate that myself. We've already exhausted that route. I want you to stay here in Rayju and look after and protect Lyra and her mother."

"Lady Urbosa." Cobra's gaze narrowed. "My duty is to protect you."

"I know that." She ran a hand over her face, eyes darting between the group that was quickly leaving her behind. "But I couldn't face Link if something happened to his family. And I have little doubt that Rhoam would use them to get him to cooperate. If I can assure him they're safe, then I can concentrate on getting Link out of whatever mess he's in."

The Shadow's lips thinned. "I really must advise against this. You can place other shadows on them. I am supposed to look after you."

"The fewer people who know of Lyra and Heather the safer they'll be." Urbosa shook her head. "Friends though we may be, do not forget who your Chieftess is." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She knew she was being somewhat unreasonable here, but there was a screaming in her gut that Cobra was the only one who could protect them.

She'd ignored that feeling ten years ago, and her best friend had died as a result. If she ignored that feeling again, she'd be a fool. She would not make the same mistake twice.

Cobra seemed to understand the look in her eye at the very least, because she backed down at once. "Understood." She stepped back into a shadow and vanished from Urbosa's senses.

The Gerudo Chieftess took a deep breath. "Link... I really hope I'm wrong." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Din, please let me be wrong about this."

She couldn't help but feel like the wind was apologizing.

~~~

Urbosa followed Hestu along an unseen trail. The mists curled around her, clinging to her arms like unnatural spirits attempting to guide her away from the path. She had never been to the Lost Woods before, but she felt she finally understood the eeriness that people spoke of. There was the strangest feel of otherness to the air that had her hair standing on end. She felt like something was about to crawl out of the mist and drag her away, never to be seen again.

The only thing that kept her calm at this point was her Korok guide and Ruja, who had accompanied her for this mission. Typhir and Linae were needed back at Gerudo City, and they were both very put out about being forced to stay behind. Though Ruja seemed as unnerved as Urbosa herself by this place.

Hestu's lively humming and the gentle rattle of his maracas helped ease their discomfort. Though she and Ruja both were reaching their limits; there was only so much tension they could take before something snapped. Every step forward felt like they were backtracking, and she'd lost count of the amount of turns they'd made. At times it felt like they were heading towards the entrance, and others like they were about to walk off the edge of the forest's island. It was a little maddening.

"It's the Lost Woods!" Hestu had explained with a laugh when they raised their concerns. "Only spirits can navigate this place on their own. Don't worry, I know the way!"

That'd been nearly an hour ago. Urbosa dearly hoped that the Sword was there. If she went through something like this for nothing, then she and Ruja both would need to knock back some Noble Pursuits the moment they hit the sands. Urbosa found her respect for Link rising yet again. How had he managed to find the sword in this mess? She idly wondered if the koroks had guided him or if he'd really stumbled upon it by accident like Lyra said.

She hadn't told the other Champions about her lead. Zelda was busy with the start of the High Society Social Season, and a few new discoveries with the Sheikah Tech. Mipha, on the other hand, was out with a few pods of warriors searching foreign seas and was thusly unreachable at the moment. Of all the races, it seemed the Zora were the most motivated to find Link. Not to say the rest of them weren't, but even the Gorons had started to lose their steam over the last year of searching.

Lyra said that Link had grown up with the Zora, and they considered him one of their own. Perhaps that was why.

The fact remained that most of the Champions were unavailable. It didn't feel right to inform only Revali and Daruk of a theory, especially when she hadn't properly found anything yet. She'd informed Daruk that she'd found a small lead and would get back to everyone when she figured out more. She'd then re-entrusted Link's journal to Lyra with strict instructions to show the others should they come asking for it.

"We're here!" Hestu announced with a little dance. Urbosa's eyes widened as she stepped into the clearing. Light fell in golden rays through the branches of grand old trees taller than most buildings. Koroks danced all around the clearing. They were in the branches, the air, even the roots of the trees themselves. And there, on an elevated pedestal that resembled a stone Triforce, stood a very familiar blade.

Urbosa took a deep steadying breath. The sword was sparking pitifully, a weakened chime traveling across the wind to her ears. Urbosa didn't have any experience with swords that were probably sapient, but she thought it looked rather angry. Perhaps even a little scared. Maybe it was worried about Link too.

She shared a look with Ruja before stepping forth. Her heart pounded in her chest. Nobody but the Hero could wield the Sword that Seals the Darkness. Urbosa vividly recalled the memorable occasion when some upstart knight had attempted to take the sword from Link, claiming that Link was a false hero and that he was the true one. He'd barely brushed a hand over the hilt of the blade before it had wreathed itself in blue lightning, throwing the arrogant knight halfway across the courtyard. Curiously enough, though it'd been strapped to Link's back, the hero had been entirely unhurt. The other man, on the other hand, had been covered with horrendous burns and stripped of his knighthood at once.

Now, approaching that same blade with the intent of speaking to it, she found herself rather intimidated. Of course, a few burns would be a negligible price if it gave them the answers they needed regarding Link, but she couldn't help but be wary.

She glanced towards Ruja before taking a breath and stopping before the sword of legend. Then, feeling entirely foolish, Urbosa spoke. "I am Urbosa, a friend of Link's. I know I cannot wield you. But you are our last hope—please, we've searched everywhere... Help us find him."

Urbosa reached a hand out, resisting the urge to flinch away when the sparks lashed out at her.

"I would advise against that." Urbosa wasn't the only one to shift into a battle stance at the unexpected voice. It was too low and deep to be a korok, and it looked like Ruja had heard it too.

"Um... Lady Urbosa?" Ruja's gaze was firmly locked upon the gigantic tree that stood behind the Sword. It took a beat before Urbosa realized what this meant.

"Are you... The Great Deku Tree?" She'd heard stories of it from Yevette when she was a girl. An ancient guardian tree that had stood strong in Hyrule for longer than anyone could remember. Some said it dated all the way back to the Hero of Time's era—one of the earliest heroes they had record of.

"That is one of the names I am known as." The tree laughed softly, the branches above them shaking with his amusement. "But you... are not the person I expected to come."

"Do you know why I am here?"

"I am afraid that I do not." The tree gave a large sigh. "When the Sword returned to her pedestal so suddenly, we were not sure what to think. She has been inconsolably furious and we have not been able to calm her rage."

"Link has gone missing." Urbosa's words had the tree stilling in surprise. "We've been searching everywhere for him, but it's already been a year. I fear it has something to do with the Hylian King, but—"

An infuriated chime cut her off as a fresh wave of sparks flew from the Sword that Seals the Darkness. It seemed that Rhoam truly did have a firm hand in this matter.

"Even if she were of sound mind and soul, I would not be able to guarantee your survival should you attempt to pull the Master Sword." The Deku Tree shook his head. "But... I can see you are determined. Such courage is admirable indeed. In her current state, however, I cannot say that she will be able to hear you."

"I need to try." Urbosa's words were like steel. "This is our last hope."

"Then I will not stop you." The tree fell silent once more, but Urbosa could feel his heavy gaze upon her. She glanced at Ruja and Hestu, now filled with an entirely new kind of apprehension.

"Okay. Work with me here, we have the same goal." She muttered to the blade before her. The moment her hand closed around the grip, a blinding agony enveloped her. She staggered as a wreath of blue lightning coursed through her, and for a moment she feared she had bitten off more than she could chew.

But the image of the photo sitting on the mantle in Link's home—of him smiling with his sister and mother—forced her mind to focus and her legs to stand strong. She called upon the wellspring of her own power within her—the lightning she was famous for—and pushed that against the power of the sword until arching flashes of crackling light flew from them both.

The power of Urbosa's Fury and the sacred divinity of the Sword that Seals the Darkness clashed in a frenzied maelstrom of awesome might. The thick smell of ozone hung in the air as fierce winds kicked up. Koroks were blown from their branches and Urbosa distantly heard Ruja call out to her, but the chieftess ignored it all—ignored even the burning agony that was tearing its way up her arms.

Because there, on the very edge of her awareness, was a voice. Urbosa flared her power and reached for that tiny spark of rationality within the blade before her. And suddenly, she found herself pulled into a strong meditative state. Though she was certain that the clash of power was still occurring in the outside world, before her was a calm realm of darkness and an ethereal woman made of blue.

"You... are not Master Link." She narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"I am not. My name is Urbosa. I am a friend of Link."

The spirit of the sword—for that is who this woman must be—tilted her head. She gave off rolling waves of staggering power, but Urbosa noticed the cracks and chips that formed around the woman's edges. She was old, even if she didn't appear so.

"Why have you come?"

"Because I need to find him. You were the last one to see Link. I want to bring him home."

The two held one another's gaze for a long moment before the burning ache in Urbosa's arms eased slightly. "Your courage and determination are admirable." The spirit floated towards her, gliding like a dancer upon ice. "If you are so inclined, I will allow myself to accompany you on this mission."

Urbosa's eyes widened. "You would let me wield you?"

"My Master will always be the one who holds the Spirit of the Hero, but there was once a time when a young boy forged his own Spirit." The woman gave a wistful smile, cloak billowing in an unseen breeze. "Though I have greatly weakened, I will aid you in whatever way I can. I cannot form a true Master-Wielder Bond with you, but that does not mean we cannot forge a connection that will benefit us both."

"As long as it helps us find Link." Urbosa felt her determination flare as the spirit nodded.

"I will show you my memory of that night. From there, you can make your own deductions... Lady Urbosa."

Before Urbosa could question what the spirit meant, the entire world flickered. The darkness bled away to reveal the courtyard of Hyrule Castle—a quiet area that hardly anyone went to these days. It'd been Yevette's garden. But the night was dark with festering storm clouds as Link—and by Din it had been far too long since she'd seen him with her own eyes, had he always looked so young?—kneeled before Rhoam.

"Link... you have come." The king had an expression of pity upon his face, and Urbosa took note of the people shifting in the shadows behind the kneeling knight. "I'm sorry it has come to this, child. But you must understand... This is for the good of our kingdom. We cannot defeat The Calamity without you."

"Master, look out!" The sword's voice rang out softly, but it seemed Link hadn't heard her. The shadows sprung from their cover and before Link could even register what was happening, the pommel of a sword met the back of his head.

Urbosa swallowed thickly when he went down like a sack of bricks, and her hands sparked with rage. Blood trickled from the head wound as the king observed the unconscious boy, eyes flicking towards the sacred sword that spat curses that had even Urbosa feeling somewhat mortified.

"You... will no longer be necessary." The king glanced away from the sword and spoke to one of the men. "Take care of that sword. Do not destroy it or damage it. It's a valuable historical artifact." He smiled a bit as he stroked his beard, and Urbosa snarled alongside the spirit of the blade.

The man nodded, carefully holding the blade by the straps with which Link had bound her to his back. Furious sparks flew from the ancient sword, but the man ignored them as he walked away. Though the king's voice was getting further away as the man walked with the blade, Urbosa could still make out Rhoam's words. "Take him to the chamber. If all goes well, he will be the last one."

The darkness returned as swiftly as it had left, and Urbosa wasn't the only one sparking in fury. "It is as I'd feared." She took a deep breath.

"After that, I was taken to the Royal Treasury. When I felt the Wielder Bond between myself and Master Link weaken significantly, I knew something horrible had happened. He is alive, but there is a 93% chance that he has undergone something that has altered or severely damaged his soul. I forced myself to return here and await my Master."

"I see." Urbosa went to run a hand through her hair, but gasped when her right arm protested loudly.

"My unstable power has caused you harm." The spirit winced. "I apologize, Lady Urbosa."

"You've called me 'Lady Urbosa' twice now... does that mean anything?"

"Though you do not hold the Spirit of the Hero, your power holds enough divinity that I can form a Wielder Bond with you. I will recognize you as one of my Masters. Though our Bond will not be as strong as the one I hold with Master Link or his Spirit, it will be enough for you to wield me. My name is Fi—I am the Spirit of the Master Sword, and I acknowledge you as my Master, Lady Urbosa."

Fi held out a hand towards Urbosa as the darkness started to bleed away. The pain in her arms flared to life with all the fury of an inferno, but she forced herself to take the spirit's hand.

"I am Urbosa, Chieftess of the Gerudo. I look forward to working with you."

Abruptly, the sound of Ruja's voice shouting above the furious crackling of lightning and swirling of wind accosted her ears. Urbosa found herself gripping the Sword that Seals the Darkness in the clearing of the Korok Forest once more, but the agonizing burning from earlier had ceased. Without a second thought, she pulled.

The storm quieted instantly as the blade was freed from her stone prison. All eyes rested upon her with a sense of awe and confusion as Urbosa held up the Sword of the Hero. "Well... I can't say this is what I had planned when I arrived."

"L-Lady Urbosa?" Ruja breathed. "How?"

"Fi and I made a deal." Urbosa marveled at how well-balanced the blade was. She'd never thought anything but a scimitar could feel so perfect in her hand. She went to take a practice swing when her arms screamed, and she found herself staggering.

"Milady!" Ruja was by her side in an instant, but she drew back in horror upon seeing her arms. Both of Urbosa's arms were covered in horrific burns. They branched from her fingertips to her shoulders, leaving branching trails of silvery-black like lightning. Parts of her skin were starting to blister, and Urbosa was quite sure that if she didn't have a natural affinity for lightning that the injuries would've been far more severe.

"I am sorry." Fi's chime caught Ruja's attention, but it seemed the only one who could hear the sword's voice was Urbosa herself.

"It is all right." She smiled softly. "I expected something like this when I reached out to you."

"So she has chosen you..." The Deku Tree sounded mystified. "Such a thing I have not seen in a very long time..."

"We need to get these treated." Ruja's voice was hard. Urbosa could tell by the tension in her brow that she was severely displeased with the actions the chieftess had taken today, but kept herself silent because she also understood why.

"It was Rhoam." The Chieftess' words had Ruja's indigo eyes focusing on her at once. "And I fear Link has been hidden somewhere in the castle."

"First we need to tend to you." Ruja narrowed her gaze. "You cannot fight like this."

"I know." Urbosa resisted the urge to rub her face. "You are right, as usual. It's just..."

"I understand." Ruja helped her to her feet. "This is the closest we've been to him in over a year. But that is no excuse for lowering your guard."

"I will tell you if I sense Master Link nearby." Fi added, and Urbosa gave a nod as she secured her new blade to her hip.

"Fi. Is there a way to disguise you? If Rhoam finds out that I have you, it would bring nothing but trouble and chaos." Urbosa glanced down at the iconic purple hilt of the blade of legend.

"If you allow me to tap into your magic Lady Urbosa, I can easily change my appearance." Fi affirmed. Urbosa hummed in acknowledgment as the blade at her side shimmered, shifting to that of a rather dashing scimitar with a dark purple and gold grip. She was fairly sure no other wielder of the blade had ever asked her to change her shape, so despite a few visual similarities there was very little chance of Fi being discovered.

"Thank you." Urbosa looked towards the koroks and the Great Deku Tree and bowed.

"This land is facing great peril, though not in a way with which we are familiar." The Tree warned. "Use great caution... young hero."

~~~

"I still can't believe it." Linae stared at the Sword that Seals the Darkness with wide eyes as Laurune—Urbosa's personal medic—changed the chieftess' bandages. "You pulled the sword of the hero? I thought there was only ever one hero?!"

"It's less that I chosen as a hero and more that I've proven that I have the courage and ability to wield her." Urbosa corrected. "It's a connection forged on mutual interest. We're both looking for Link."

"Well, you've certainly got the recklessness of a hero down pat." Ruja scowled as she slathered on more burn cream under the careful direction of the medic.

"These burns are worse than we thought. They're formed by divine magic." Laurune scowled. "I'm afraid... there may be permanent damage. Healing magic can't do anything to an injury caused by divinity. We'll have to wait it out and hope for the best."

Urbosa frowned lightly as she carefully flexed her arm. She didn't regret her choices. Not only did she find the answers they were looking for, but she now had a way to sense if Link was nearby—an invaluable resource. But every movement of her arms sent a sharp lancing pain through her, and anything faster than a casual wave was agony. Ruja was right to call her reckless. There was no way she could reliably fight in this condition.

"How long do you think it'll take until I'm in fighting shape again?" Urbosa let her gaze flit towards her healer. Laurune was one of her Shadows, just like Cobra. But where Cobra specialized in stealth, assassination and information, Laurune specialized in healing and trap dismantling. She was also an excellent thief, though she liked to keep that information quiet whenever she could.

"It could take months before the healing is complete... maybe even a few years." Laurune informed with a wince. "I'd say no fighting for you for three months at least."

Urbosa fought a frown. "If that's the case..." Her eyes flitted between her guards. If she couldn't fight, then she'd need to let her guards be her sword until she could. "Laurune. Typhir. Ruja. Yasbelle." At the last name, one of her Shadows entered the room. "Until I am back in fighting shape, I will designate the four of you as my blades."

The warriors bowed. "It is an honor." Typhir nodded.

Typhir, the general of the Gerudo army. Ruja, the head of the Gerudo's equivalent of a Royal Guard and Urbosa's trusted childhood friend. Laurune, the best medic in Gerudo City and a proficient fighter—rare among the healing profession. And Yasbelle, one of Urbosa's five Shadows and one of the most proficient close-quarters combatant their people had seen in generations.

These four women would be Urbosa's hands and feet until she was cleared for combat again. They would travel with her wherever she went, and Urbosa would need to put her absolute trust in them in any combat situation.

"There's a Champion's Meeting set up at the castle in a few weeks." Urbosa watched as the expressions of her girls tightened, but nobody contested her.

"I'll get everything packed." Laurune sighed. "Please try to move your arms as little as possible for the next few weeks. In the meantime, I'll set you up with some stretches that will help your muscles start to recover."

"Thank you."

~~~

Revali clicked his beak in distaste as he sat at what had been dubbed the 'Champions' Table'. Their usual meeting spot had been the same since the group had been formed over two years prior. The Champions had an entire wing of the castle set aside for their use—either personal or otherwise. Their meeting room had been charmed with every privacy spell under the moon by Impa herself soon after Link's disappearance. They had no need to worry about people eavesdropping here.

Which was why Revali had to raise an eyebrow when Urbosa entered with four guards. She normally had only one or two with her when she traveled, and even then she usually had them wait outside during their meetings. Even Mipha's guard was allowed to wander whenever she was with the other Champions.

"Are you okay?" Daruk's voice was layered with concern, and it took Revali a moment to understand why he'd even asked. Urbosa held her arms somewhat awkwardly—like she was injured.

"I'm afraid I'm on strict 'no combat' orders for the next few months, so you'll have to excuse my guards." Urbosa carefully took her seat between Daruk and Zelda's empty chair.

Mipha was on her feet in a moment. "You're hurt?"

"How unlike you." Daruk frowned. "I don't think I've seen you get injured badly enough to be on combat probation for a decade."

"It couldn't be helped." Urbosa shook her head. "I found a lead on Link."

Everyone froze at that. "Hang on a moment. Shouldn't we wait until Zelda gets here?" Revali glanced around. It was unlike her to be late.

"I heard she was out visiting another digsite and lost track of time." Urbosa shook her head. "She's still a day or two out."

"So this lead...?" Revali prompted and Urbosa gave a bitter smirk.

"My gut was right." It took them a moment to understand what she meant by that. The moment they realized the Yiga had nothing to do with Link's disappearance, Urbosa had turned her gaze towards the Hylian King—someone Zelda had refused to consider.

"So... it was really...?" Mipha steadied herself against the table, still standing numbly beside Urbosa.

"And how exactly did you confirm this?" Revali narrowed his gaze. As an archer, he was a tad more observant than most when it came to certain things. Urbosa was injured gaining this information, and the woman standing beside her was a healer famed across the lands as one of the best non-Zora healers—Lady Laurune, the personal healer of Urbosa. If Laurune couldn't heal Urbosa's injury, then it likely wasn't something normal. One had to forgive him for being suspicious about her source of information when none of them had found even a whisper of Link's whereabouts.

"I asked the only being I could who had seen Link last." Urbosa unhooked her scimitar from her hip, but it wasn't the one she usually carried. Gently, the Gerudo caressed the blade. "Fi, could you transform back for a moment?"

Before anyone could call her out on talking to a sword, the blade shimmered and shifted. Revali's breath left him as Mipha landed hard in the empty chair one of Urbosa's guards had pushed up behind her. Sitting there, innocently on the table, was a blade they hadn't seen in over a year.

The Sword that Seals the Darkness.

"H-how...?" Revali wasn't sure if it'd come out in Common or Rito, but the message was clear regardless.

"I went to the Lost Woods to ask her about Link. Though it was a challenge to form a Bond with her, she accepted me as a secondary wielder. Though it did not come without a price." Urbosa carefully undid the bandages on one of her arms. As the bindings fell away, Revali felt abruptly ill.

Her arm was a horrible mixture of black and silvery-blue burns that pulsed with divine power. They branched out like a fern—or perhaps lightning. He was sure it was agony to even move them... it was no wonder Laurune had forbidden her from combat.

Mipha quickly shook herself out of her stupor and placed her hands carefully over the injury. Her signature green glow wrapped around the burns, and while Urbosa's expression smoothed out greatly, it didn't appear to heal as much as Revali would've liked. Though a good chunk of the burns were now that silvery-blue color—likely how they all would look when fully scarred over—there was still a great deal of them that looked horribly painful.

"I fear that even my power cannot heal this easily." Mipha bit her lip in what Revali assumed was frustration. "I can do some regular healing sessions with you and we should be able to get you back in fighting shape in a few months." She glanced at Laurune, who nodded. The Rito privately wondered if it was impolite for a healer to tend to someone who already had a private resource.

"Even a little helps." Urbosa smiled. "Thank you."

"So... it really was...?" Revali's gaze drifted to the sword, bringing the topic back around.

"She showed me her memory of that night. He had Link knocked unconscious and taken somewhere." A bit of lightning crackled along Urbosa's fingers as she spoke, her anger saturating the air like a thunderstorm. "His exact words were 'take him to the chamber. If all goes well, he will be the last one.'"

"The last one..." Mipha's expression became rather dark. "It almost sounds like he planned to... torture him."

The words had Revali's own anger swirling like a hurricane. Though he kept a tight rein on his wind magic, a frigid breeze managed to waft through the room. This whole time, they'd bowed their heads to a king like that. He opened his beak to say something—probably something that would get him smacked upside the head if his parents were still alive—when a loud CRACK startled the room.

Daruk forced his hand to release the dust that had once been part of the table. Never before had Revali seen a goron so enraged. Gone was his friendly disposition and eternal smile. The words 'gentle giant' were about as far from the scene in front of him as one could imagine. No, for the first time in his admittedly short life, Revali was afraid of Daruk. It seemed like his rage could topple a volcano, and Revali abruptly recalled that Daruk had known Link since before he'd become a knight.

"Do we know where he is now?" Daruk's voice was like two boulders grinding against one another.

"No. However, Fi said she'll be able to sense if he is nearby." Urbosa gave them a meaningful look, and Revali felt some semblance of hope spark to life within him.

Urbosa had risked permanent damage to her arms—a warrior's livelihood—to give them this chance. Not only did she bring back valuable information, but a homing beacon for Link himself.

A chime had Urbosa's gaze drifting towards the sword. Though a Gerudo's ears did not have the dexterity of a hylian's, they twitched ever so slightly—a sign that she was listening to whatever the sword had to say. Revali privately wondered if Link had heard the voice of the sword like Urbosa seemed to.

"I can say with certainty that Link is somewhere in Hyrule."

Revali wasn't the only one relieved by that statement. Many of them had been quietly searching across borders just in case. But it was easier said than done when each of them was considered a war hero.

"I... have another question." Revali took a breath. "It's not related to Link, but it's important to talk about nonetheless." His words commanded the attention of the room. "It's about our Divine Beasts."

"Our Divine Beasts?" Mipha looked rather puzzled, but Urbosa seemed to understand what he was getting at right away.

"We, and our people, are not under the rule of King Rhoam of Hyrule." Revali's words had his companions nodding. "But the Divine Beasts are a powerful temptation. I know I'm not the only one that's noticed how he refuses to concede the throne to Zelda. Ever since he found that sword it seems like he's been vying for power. The power of the Divine Beasts is no longer necessary for the safety of our land, and they're far too dangerous to just leave somewhere." He privately shuddered at the thought of abandoning Medoh somewhere. She was more than just a machine, she was a companion. Just like the other Champions... and just like Link. Perhaps it was because of that that he felt the need to protect her somehow.

"That's true." Urbosa hummed. "Though it was never specified if the Divine Beasts were loaned to us or given to us, it remains to be that no other can move them without their pilots. Without us. But that doesn't mean new pilots won't eventually be found."

"And who's to say those new pilots won't be looking to hurt people?" Daruk's expression was hard and dark, though his earlier anger was starting to abate. "But what do you think we should do?"

"Perhaps... if we hide them as our ancestors did long ago..." Mipha spoke up softly.

"I noticed it when we were first acquainting ourselves with our Beasts." Revali smoothed down a few of his feathers. "There's an option on the command panel called 'Seek and Hibernate'. I think this is what the Sheikah used ten thousand years ago."

"So you're saying we should let them hide themselves away again." Daruk hummed. "I'll be awful sad to say goodbye to Rudania, but I suppose it needs to be done."

"I agree. We cannot risk them falling into the wrong hands." Mipha nodded. "But should the Calamity rise again..."

They all winced. "Not that we were much help this time." Revali clicked his beak in distaste. "And when Calamity took control of the Guardians, I thought..."

"Yes, it does seem like he planned to take control of the Divine Beasts as well." Urbosa nodded gravely. "Then we should hide them away at once. Before the next disaster befalls us from the ones we once called allies."

"In that case we should return home and take care of this first." Mipha sighed heavily. "As much as it pains me to say it, we will need to search for Link after we have ensured our Divine Beasts are safe."

"Right. Then I will see you all at the meeting next month." Urbosa nodded as she carefully strapped the Sword that Seals the Darkness back to her hip. It shimmered as it took on the shape of a scimitar once more. "May Din be with you."

~~~

She was going to leave the castle. The plan was to head home and handle Naboris' situation before Rhoam could concoct something against her people and demand the Divine Beast's services.

She considered staying until Zelda returned the next day, if only to inform her of the new situation, but the girl's blinding love for her father convinced her otherwise. Urbosa could not risk Rhoam finding out that she had the Sword that Seals the Darkness. But there was never a time of non-emergency where Urbosa visited Hyrule Castle and didn't take a stroll through Yevette's Garden.

The Queen's Garden was normally closed to visitors upon her death, and reopened only when the princess assumed the crown and claimed the garden as hers. Each Queen had added or contributed to the garden in some manner, and though it broke tradition, Urbosa was allowed inside.

Yevette had made it clear to all who worked for her that, should the worst befall her, Urbosa would still be allowed to access the thriving paradise. The chieftess was grateful. This was perhaps the only place in the castle where she could unwind and reminisce about her friend.

She found herself sitting on a white stone bench beneath a tree that she privately thought wouldn't look out of place in the Korok Forest. It was the place where Urbosa and Yevette would spend hours talking about all kinds of things. It was their spot.

Her guards were a rather respectful distance away, so Urbosa let her head rest against the tree and gaze at the sky through the branches. "I don't know anymore, Vetty. Zelda has grown into such a beautiful young woman, but she's still immature. She doesn't take her duty seriously, and because of that her kingdom suffers. I know you loved him, but the man you married... well, I never liked him." She sighed softly. "I truly wish you had listened to me." The silence stretched from discomfort to peacefulness when Urbosa spoke again. "I miss you."

The soft click of a scimitar being loosed from its sheath had Urbosa's eyes snapping open at once. A scowl flitted across her lips when she saw Rhoam making his way through the garden. It seemed Urbosa wasn't the only one who had ignored tradition.

Rhoam's eyes landed upon her a moment later, his eyes widening slightly with surprise. "Forgive me. I did not realize that someone was here."

Urbosa readied herself to say something—some kind of meaningless pleasantry—when Fi softly spoke to her in her mind. "Lady Urbosa..." Never had she thought a spirit's voice could tremble. "I sense Master Link."

Aetherius chimed from Rhoam's hip, and something horrific took root in her soul. A realization that made her feel hot and cold all over, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep her expression neutral and her voice steady.

"I was merely visiting an old friend. Pay it no mind." Urbosa's heart was racing in her chest. Her injured arms—bandages covered by her cloak—trembled with suppressed rage and horror, even as she fought against the feeling of detachment in the face of her shock.

"Then I suppose I shall be on my way." The king nodded his head and passed her. For a moment, Urbosa heard a voice echo on the wind. It was a voice she did not recognize, but knew all the same. It was layered heavily with a now familiar chime.

"...please... see me..."

"I see you, Little Fox." She uttered softly. She had no idea if he could hear her, but she hoped he did.

"Milady?" Ruja's voice snapped her out of her stupor. "You're shaking."

"We're changing our plans." She decided abruptly, drawing the attention of her four Blades. Tonight, a foreign dignitary from Thybrig was visiting. The welcoming party would be grand, but there was a strict no weapons policy in place from both sides. It was likely Urbosa's only chance to get to Aetherius without having to go through Rhoam.

"What are you talking about?" Laurune narrowed her eyes. "This was a trip to inform the others. Nothing more."

"I've found Link." Urbosa's words had the four stiffening with shock.

"You've... what?" Typhir breathed, eyes flitting between Urbosa and the disguised sword at her hip.

"I will explain at the inn." She looked at her warriors, spirit bright with the flare of fury and hope. "For now, let us depart."

~~~

"I can't believe our luck." Typhir bemoaned. "Of all times..."

"I'm sorry." Ruja apologized from her bed.

"Don't apologize." Urbosa shook her head. "It isn't your fault that you got food poisoning."

"But it is quite severe." Laurune frowned as she dabbed the sweat from Ruja's brow. "I have my doubts that this is a simple case of food poisoning... I don't think she should be left alone right now. She should be fine once we get through tonight, but..."

Typhir looked towards her chieftess with a light frown. Lady Urbosa had explained to them what she had discovered earlier that day. Link, somehow, had become the sword Aetherius. And tonight was their only chance to get to him without the hylian king standing in their way.

It was a dangerous mission, one that Typhir would like to call in several more warriors for, but the Gerudo Desert was several days' travel from the castle—and that was if one were to rush. Typhir had known her lady for a long time, and she would never abandon someone she had sworn to protect. And whether or not they realized it, each Champion was someone she had sworn to protect the moment she donned her Champion's Skirt.

There would be no talking Lady Urbosa out of this plan, nor would there be any postponing it. They'd have to complete this mission with only Typhir herself and Yasbelle.

"Then if you do not hear back from us by daybreak, we shall meet at the Gerudo Desert." Typhir cut through the silence, earning a somewhat startled look from Yasbelle and Laurune.

"I can't help but feel like Lady Din is urging us away from this course of action." Yasbelle bit her lip. "I have a bad feeling about tonight."

"As do I." Urbosa's voice was grave as she set her gaze to the sunset. "But this is our only chance. As you are aware, we, the Gerudo, are planning to cut off our ties with Hyrule by Summer's end. Once that occurs, there will be no more Champion meetings for me, nor will there be any visits to Hyrule Castle. I cannot say how Rhoam will react, but a declaration of war for setting foot in his kingdom after leaving would not be amiss."

"That's why you've had us memorizing evacuation routes to Rajwal, isn't it?" Typhir found the information falling into place with ease. For months, Lady Urbosa had drilled the Gerudo Warriors on various escape routes and tactical maneuvers that would lead them and the civilians from the desert to the neighboring kingdom across the sands. Lady Urbosa had also been hard at work to foster closer ties with Rajwal, presumably in preparation for cutting ties with Hyrule.

If they failed tonight, Typhir knew Lady Urbosa would carry the guilt and regret of Link's disappearance until her final days. The General grit her teeth as Yasbelle spoke. "Are you certain, Lady Urbosa? If something happens to you..."

"I will not leave my people without guidance." Her voice was firm. "But I will not abandon a comrade who is in dire need of help. We will move tonight. Din willing, we shall leave with Link among us."

Typhir prayed that things would unfold as planned.

~~~

Link sat quietly on his pedestal in Rhoam's bedchambers. The King was attending the welcoming feast for Thybrig, and weapons were expressly forbidden—even sacred ones. Link couldn't say he was disappointed. Any time spent away from Rhoam was time well-spent, in his opinion.

It was nice to see Urbosa earlier. Though she'd... felt strange. There was a sort of connection there. It was familiar, not unlike the one he'd had with the Sword that Seals the Darkness. And he'd sworn he had heard her chimes on the wind. But that was impossible. He'd no idea what Rhoam had done with the Sacred Sword, but he would not leave it in a place so easily found.

Link had chalked it up to finally losing his mind. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He'd been a sword for nearly a year and a half by this point. A gentle sigh had a few chimes floating through the air. He wished he could at least tell the others what happened to him. So they could stop looking and move on with their lives.

A spark of something jolted him out of his thoughts. He cast his awareness towards the window that had not been open a moment ago. There, standing proud and strong, was the Gerudo Chieftess. But why was she here? What reason could Urbosa have to sneak into Rhoam's bedchambers?

There were two women behind her. Typhir, Link recognized, the General of the Gerudo warriors, and another that he'd seen once or twice around Urbosa but had never formally met. Then there was the scimitar at Urbosa's hip. It felt strangely familiar, though he could not place how as it was not Urbosa's signature blade.

"Link." The hero-turned-blade startled at the sound of his name. He had not been addressed by it in so very long, let alone by someone whose gaze was turned his way. Gently, warily, Urbosa reached out a hand to pick him up.

He let her. There was a burst of warmth—a pleasant heat that started to chase away the aching cold that had settled within all that he was—and a connection formed.

"Ur...bosa?" His voice was soft, hesitant. He wasn't sure if this was real, or if this was some twisted fantasy he'd thought up in his misery.

"So I was right. It is you." He had never heard her sound so heartbroken before. "We've been looking for you, you know."

Link let a quiet chime of mirth escape him. His blade glowed with a gentle joy as it started to sink in that he had been found. That someone had finally seen him. "I've... been waiting."

"I'm sorry. We should've seen you sooner. You've been right here this whole time."

"How... How did you find me?" He'd thought Rhoam had covered all his bases. Diverted all attention away from the correct path and snuffed out anything that could possibly lead back to him.

"Well... I had some help from an old friend." She gently patted her scimitar, which chimed softly.

If Link still had eyes, they would've widened. "You are... But how?! I thought only the Hero...?"

"Master Link." He startled at the voice that came from what he now recognized to be the Sword that Seals the Darkness. "Lady Urbosa came to me in the Lost Woods, seeking your whereabouts. She has proven to me that she is also a worthy wielder."

If he'd had lips, he would've smiled from ear to ear. "You've exceeded my expectations yet again, Urbosa. But..." The excitement faded a bit as his mind flitted to all kinds of reasons why this was a decidedly bad idea. "If you're caught..."

"Do not worry yourself with that." Urbosa's voice was firm. "All you need to worry about is us getting out of here. Fi, do you think Link can transform like you?"

"I am sorry, Lady Urbosa. It seems Master Link's power is incredibly unstable at this time. There is a high chance he has no control over it." Fi—apparently the name of the sword he'd wielded (and now, having been a sword, he felt incredibly guilty for not treating her better)—seemed to sigh.

"I'm sorry." Link mentally winced. "I can try...?"

"Don't push yourself." Urbosa smiled softly as she held him close. Link relished in the warmth that engulfed him. "I've got you."

"Actually..." The foreign voice had all three of the women in the room spinning about. Link instantly noticed how Urbosa's hand twitched towards Fi, but ultimately remained still. A spike of worry and anxiety passed through him. Somehow, without even asking, he knew she was hurt. "It is we who have you."

The man stepped from the shadows, swathed in black. He had a black mask with the symbol of a scythe etched over the front. Link felt like shuddering—there was something inherently wrong with the energy of the man before them.

Typhir and the other warrior stepped in front of Urbosa protectively, blades out. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The man chuckled. "Forgive my lack of manners, Chieftess Urbosa. I am the leader of the Horsemen. A specialized covert attack force of his Highness King Rhoam. I am called Death, and I fully intend to live up to my name tonight."

With a slight twitch of his hand, five more enemies scattered from the shadows, surrounding the three of them. Link felt his blade glow fiercely. If he'd had a heartbeat, it likely would've been racing.

"We've got who we've come for." Urbosa uttered softly to her guards. "Yasbelle, with me. Typhir, stall them. Escape when you can."

They both nodded as the three moved as one. Urbosa and Yasbelle fled out the window as the sound of Typhir's blade clashing against the enemies' echoed behind them. Link felt the quickly approaching presence of three pursuers as Urbosa and Yasbelle finally reached the gardens.

He let out a chime of warning when he felt something moving from their immediate left. Thankfully, Urbosa seemed to understand his wordless exclamation at once as she ducked and rolled. A dagger soared inches above her head, embedding itself in a nearby tree.

There was a distinct struggle to Urbosa's movements that hadn't been there before. Link abruptly realized what it was when he saw the bandages around her arms. "Urbosa... you're hurt."

"I'll be fine." It was a lie. He didn't call her out on it.

Urbosa's run came to an abrupt halt when two more enemies blocked their way forward. "Where's Revali when you need him?" Link tisked, causing Urbosa to smirk.

"Probably fluffing his feathers somewhere." She responded, and despite their dire situation, Link found himself letting out a small laugh—perhaps the first one he'd given as a sword.

Yasbelle stood at Urbosa's side, expression grave. "Milady."

A pang of grief shot through Urbosa—something Link was more than a little surprised to feel through the new connection between them. He realized at once what Yasbelle was asking—she was asking Urbosa to leave her behind should the situation to escape arise.

After a moment of silence, the Gerudo Chieftess nodded and spoke in the tongue of her people. "Strength to those with the Power to Protect."

Yasbelle smiled softly and responded in kind. Link wasn't fluent in Gerudo yet, but he was fairly sure it translated to something like 'May the Ancestors guide your blade with honor'.

"Use me." Link implored the Chieftess. "I can help you."

"Are you sure?" He could feel her hesitation. Link would be lying if he said it wasn't nice to have someone think of him as a person before seeing him as a sword.

"Absolutely. I trust you, Urbosa." He felt the connection between them hum as she drew him from his scabbard.

"Heh... Laurune will have my head." Urbosa smirked as she held Link in her right hand and drew Fi with her other. Though it should've been awkward—dual wielding a broadsword and a scimitar—her stance was flawless. It was a world's difference from being wielded by an amateur like Rhoam. A steady thrum of comforting warmth spread between the three of them—from sword to wielder to sword.

Link gathered the particles of power in the air around himself, letting his blade take on a steady glow. He idly noted that Fi was doing the same, but seemed to struggle to hold onto the particles. They slipped through her grasp like grains of sand through a sieve, and he pushed some of his power over to her in the hopes that he could help. Fi chimed in gratitude as her glow brightened.

"Thank you, Master Link."

"Of course, Fi."

"Let's do this." Urbosa winced as she led the attack. Though Link had never been used in a proper battle like this, it was almost enjoyable when he was wielded by a friend. He arced through the air, clashing brilliantly with the enemy's sword. Sparks flew through the night as Urbosa brought up Fi to block another hit before smoothly disengaging and launching an attack of her own.

It was one of the most graceful dances Link had ever seen. He'd seen Urbosa fight a handful of times, but it was so much more intimate to be part of the dance as the weapon. For the first time since becoming a sword, Link thought that perhaps it wasn't quite so bad.

Excitement thrummed through him from hilt to tip and a rather vicious chime danced through the air. Whether that was from himself or Fi, he didn't know. He bit into the flesh of a foe, and while the taste of blood was still unpleasant, the high of the battle washed away the feeling of filth.

Urbosa lashed out, ready to behead one of her foes, when her arm failed her. Her injury caused her strike to miss her mark and the man retreated, eyeing his fallen comrade warily. But there was a gleam in his eye that Link didn't like.

Abruptly, a new presence made its way to his awareness. "Behind you!"

Urbosa spun away with nary a second to lose. A blade caught her shoulder, forcing a snarl from her lips as it bit into what Link had already surmised to be a rather devastating injury. He felt his elation from the battle leave him as he warily surveyed their situation. Four enemies remained. Urbosa was panting hard and her arms were trembling terribly. Link tried to share whatever energy he had with her, but it either wasn't working like he wanted to or it wasn't something he could actually do.

This wasn't looking good.

Yasbelle was at Urbosa's back, trying to cover her chieftess' weakness. Normally four enemies would be nothing to someone of Urbosa's strength. But she couldn't use her lightning here—not with so many foreign dignitaries around, and certainly not with Aetherius in her hand. The moment they were caught she'd be branded as a traitor of Hyrule regardless of what anyone said. Knowing Rhoam, he'd exile her and her people—at the very least.

Without warning, the fight began anew. But this time it was obvious that things were not in their favor. Urbosa's blocks were starting to give, and her attacks were becoming wider and more exhausting. Link could feel the waves of guilt from Fi, the softly muttered apologies from the sacred sword, and realized that Urbosa had likely been injured pulling her from her pedestal.

She'd damaged her body—possibly beyond repair—for him.

He shook the thoughts from his mind. He needed to stay focused. Even if he was just a sword, getting distracted was the last thing he needed. Link realized that Urbosa's swing was too short and released a wave of power like he did when fighting Ganon. His arc of blue light sliced into their foe easily, and four enemies quickly became three.

Yasbelle had also managed to knock down yet another foe, and Link found his hopes rising yet again. There were two left. Then they could make it to the wall of the garden and use the emergency exit—something every Champion knew. That would lead them straight out of the castle and to the fields beyond, where they could make their escape.

"Need a hand?!" A familiar voice called out, and Link felt a wave of relief sweep across them—from Urbosa, he realized. Typhir had caught up to them. "Milady, you can rest."

"I wish I could." Urbosa's voice was strained, but she didn't lower Link or Fi. "But I'm afraid we've little time to waste."

Three new enemies stepped out from the shadows, and Link mentally cursed. Back to five it was. Typhir and Yasbelle shared a look and a silent nod before the General muttered something softly in Gerudo. Link didn't understand it, but Urbosa seemed to.

A quiet spike of anxiety and heartbreak was all he could feel in response to the words. And then the enemy attacked.

The pacing was far faster than before. Urbosa was barely keeping up and it was only thanks to Link's ability to fling energy beams that she was even hitting her targets anymore. "NOW!" Yasbelle cried out, and Urbosa and Typhir broke away from the fight, both making a mad dash for the emergency exit. Link realized a moment too late that Yasbelle had stayed behind.

Typhir and Urbosa were nearly there when Link felt Yasbelle's presence vanish. He'd only felt something like that happen once before, as a sword. When Rhoam had killed the researchers. Yasbelle was dead.

He hardly had the time to process that before a new presence abruptly made itself known. "Left!" He cried out, and Urbosa barely managed to dodge in time. From the shadows of the exit tunnel they were aiming for, the man who called himself Death appeared.

Urbosa and Typhir stopped their advancement and a cold feeling of dread passed over them all. Their pursuers were still behind them. They were trapped.

"This is the end of the line for you, Chieftess Urbosa." Death seemed to grin beneath his mask. "I must admit, you would've been far more difficult to fight... if you weren't already injured."

He could hear the gears in her head spinning, trying desperately to find a way out of this situation. He felt her hand shift in her grip of him, readying to snap and summon her lightning, but the man held something up with a grin.

"And don't try to summon that famous lightning of yours. It will do you no good." It was a clear glass orb that held Sheikah Blue lightning within. "It's a relic. Ancient Sheikah technology made to reroute the lightning of even a Divine Beast. We've tested it numerous times. Your power will do you no good here."

There was a soft snap and a crackle of lightning aimed for one of the men behind her... but just as Death said, the bolt instead found its way to the orb held in his hand. "I see you've come prepared." She hissed.

"Well of course." Death grinned. "After all. My purpose is to end you, should you prove to be a thorn in the king's side. And my, what a thorn you are."

Link wasn't the only one to sense the attack coming from her left. Fi was raised to block the strike aimed for her throat, and Link eagerly bit into the side of the assailant, ending his miserable life. Death laughed as the fight began anew. Link didn't have time to count the number of enemies before them, but it seemed that many had been laying in wait—watching as their comrades tired the Gerudo fighters out and then replacing every dead enemy with a fresh battle-ready body.

It was admittedly smart. Link didn't have to admit that when it was the enemy's plan, though. There was a sudden soft cry from Typhir as she fell to the grass, bloodied and defeated and despite her best efforts, Urbosa's attention wavered for just a moment.

Something in the air abruptly shifted. It took Link a moment to realize what it was as a pained, agonized chime filled the air from both him and Fi. In her moment of distraction, Death had attacked Urbosa from behind.

The blade sticking through her middle was assuredly fatal, but she stood her ground even as it was mercilessly torn from her flesh.

"Attacking from behind... How cowardly." Urbosa spat, red painting the flowers beside her.

"Well done, Death." It was a voice Link knew far too well. "And Aetherius... did you really think you could flee from me?" Rhoam stepped out from behind the wall, an amused smile on his lips.

"His name is Link." Urbosa snarled, taking another step forward even as her lifeblood poured from her body.

"It was." Rhoam corrected as he sauntered up to the chieftess, idly grabbing a blade from one of the men nearby and holding it to her neck. Though her arms hadn't the strength to rise, she stared back at the hylian king defiantly. "But the only one alive who knows that is about to die tonight."

"And to think... we thought Calamity Ganon was the evil in this kingdom." Urbosa spat at the king, smirking when crimson stained his robes.

"I do believe... the story will go something like this. The Chieftess of the Gerudo was so jealous of the sacred sword that she stole into the king's bedchambers to obtain it. Well... You'd be lucky if I didn't wage war against your people for this."

"SWINE!" Urbosa's furious shout was filled with enough loathing to call down another bolt of lightning from above, though it too was redirected to the Sheikah orb. "You would kill innocent people to cover up your own evils?!"

"Well... I suppose your head will suffice. For now." Rhoam readied his swing, but Urbosa found the hidden strength to lunge one last time.

She swung Link, and—at long last—he tasted the blood of his most hated enemy. It was divine—the sweetest thing he'd ever tasted without a tongue. A slick, wet thunk sounded as Rhoam's left arm fell to the grass. It wasn't enough to qualify as revenge, but it took the last of Urbosa's strength. She staggered, thrusting Fi and Link down into the dirt to keep herself upright—for he understood that even in death she would never bow to Rhoam.

If Link had lips, he'd be smirking as ferociously as Urbosa was. "I regret that I cannot take you with me to my grave. Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule... I curse you with all that I have. May you and your kin ever struggle in this world, may your thirst never be quenched and your hunger never satiated. May your happiness wither and perish for the evil that you have brought into this world. I curse you in the name of the Gerudo People and the Goddess Din."

And suddenly, with a flash of steel too fast for him to see, it was over. Rhoam dropped the blade in favor of grasping his bloodied stump as Death's minions rushed to the king to aid him, but Link's attention was entirely focused on Urbosa.

Urbosa, whose head was now rolling along the grass. Who, even in death, had refused to let go of Link and Fi.

The warmth that had encircled him so wholly shattered like glass, and the aching cold somehow felt so much worse. An agonized chime echoed on the wind, and it took Link a moment to realize it was him making that sound and not Fi.

Rage—a fury beyond words—swelled within him as Rhoam pried him from Urbosa's death grip. He hardly noticed that another presence was hiding in the brush, so great was his agony and grief and anger that he was nearly blinded by it.

Until a horrified gasp from a nearby tree drew Link and Rhoam's attention. There, standing in the shadows of a grand old tree that looked like something straight from the Korok Forest, stood Zelda. She held a hand over her mouth as she stared at Urbosa's body with wide terrified eyes.

At once, Rhoam staggered over to his daughter. "Zelda..."

"F-father...? What...?" Her voice was strangled and it seemed like she was desperately questioning reality.

"I am sorry." He stepped before her to block her vision as he and a few of the black-clothed men guided the two inside. "She attacked me... I had no choice but to defend myself."

"I..."

"I understand that this is a shock to you..."

"Your highness, you must get treated at once!" One of the men urged, and Rhoam winced when he realized the man was right.

"Get some rest, Zelda. I'm sure you're upset and exhausted from your journey, but I will explain tomorrow." Rhoam finally stepped back.

Link felt the presence in the bush shift ever-so-slightly, and cast his awareness in that direction. He only caught the briefest glimpse of indigo eyes—Ruja, he realized with a quiet horror—before casting his attention away lest he somehow risk exposing her to the king.

"But father—"

"Zelda." His voice was firm and almost a little angry.

"I... understand." She gave him an unreadable look before taking a step backwards.

Link watched coolly as she retreated into the castle, taking only one glance back towards Urbosa. "If Din does not follow through on Urbosa's curse, then I will." Link swore. His rage was quickly cooling into something sharper than a blade. He embraced the iron chill that had once again washed over him. "I will NEVER forgive you. May you and your kin never know peace."

"Does that include Zelda?" Rhoam asked bemusedly as he was led towards a nearby room for treatment.

"If she chooses ignorance, then yes. Even Zelda will not be spared from my wrath." Link promised. "May the demons have mercy on you, King Rhoam. For even the gods cannot save you from my fury."

~~~

In the silence of the night, from the shadows of the bushes, Ruja watched with wide and terrified eyes as the men who felled her oldest and dearest friend left. It was only then that Laurune unclamped her hand from over Ruja's mouth, where she had silenced her agonized cries.

They'd realized shortly after Lady Urbosa had departed that Ruja had been poisoned. It was a toxin that Laurune had nearly missed in her checks, but would've been fatal had it gone on for any longer. Thankfully, the medic was not the most skilled in Gerudo City for nothing.

Though she was not cleared for battle, a horrible churning in her gut had spurred them both towards the castle. They had arrived just in time to hear Urbosa utter the most heinous curse towards Rhoam and see her head hit the ground.

It was only Laurune's iron grip that had kept them from being discovered. Once the coast was clear, the two snuck out of the bushes. At the very least, they would take their fallen home.

A sharp gasp from the medic had Ruja's eyes darting to her left. "Typhir's alive." She whispered urgently.

Ruja nodded as she took off her cloak and grabbed Urbosa's body with a heavy heart. She glanced at the Sword that Seals the Darkness. "I am sorry it has ended this way." She whispered. "If you allow us, we will watch over you."

The sword did not protest when she gathered her and strapped her to her side for ease of travel. Perhaps the sword was mourning too.

"Come, sister." Laurune's voice was laden with grief. "We must return."

"Without Yasbelle?" Ruja's heart pounded at the thought of returning to their people without her body. It would be hard enough as it was to return with news as grave as this.

"We cannot risk it." Laurune shook her head. "It is enough that we can lay Lady Urb– Urbosa to rest."

Ruja nodded silently, following after Laurune. Tonight Lady Urbosa was called to run with the Ancestors. She couldn't help but feel like the Ancestors had called her far too soon.