Chapter 12: Blades of the Yiga

I walked back to my room, Link trailing behind me. He had been quite insistent upon staying by my side throughout the entire day after he had heard about the lizalfos attack; probably upset he had not been there himself during the attack so he could uphold his duty. In fact, he had been uncertain about me leaving with Urbosa to train from the beginning, afraid something would happen to me. And something had happened, fueling his need to not let me out of his sight. Because of this, he had been glued to my side for the rest of the day and after days of intense training, the attack, and then dealing with everything once we returned to Gerudo Town, my patience was running thin.

Inhaling deeply several times and then exhaling slowly, I tried my best to not snap at the knight. He was only doing his job, even if he was going a bit over the top with it. Nothing was going to happen to me in a palace filled with Gerudo warriors.

Once Urbosa and I had returned to the Gerudo Town, Urbosa immediately went to the palace to talk to Natuma. By the time we got to the palace, both Natuma and Link were waiting for us, clearly having received word of our return. Natuma and Link had listened in stunned silence as we recounted what had happened, from Urbosa's new power to the Lizalfos attack. Natuma had instantly sprung into action, preparing several patrols to search the desert and another to investigate the battlefield we had just come from.

Urbosa and I led Natuma and a few Gerudo warriors back to the site of the attack. Link had also tagged along, refusing to leave my side, despite the fact that I was surrounded by a group of esteemed warriors.

Natuma and Urbosa had taken their time investigating the sight, leaving me to patiently wait for them to finish. I answered a few questions every now and then, but otherwise I waited, wishing I could go back to the palace and just sleep for several days straight. Now that the adrenaline had left my body, everything was back to aching, however now it felt worse than before.

When we finally left and returned to Gerudo Town, Urbosa had a healer come to tend to both our wounds properly and more thoroughly than I had done after the battle. The whole while, Link stayed nearby, out of sight of the healer, but if I tilted back, I could see him leaning against the wall that led to the guest rooms, patiently watching and waiting for me.

Finally when that was done, I was allowed to return to my room. I said a brief goodbye to Urbosa and then walked away, feeling each step as I did, my limbs heavy. As I reached where Link was, I merely gave him a brief glance and then walked past him, wanting nothing more than to collapse on a pile of blankets.

Reaching my room, I turned to Link and making sure to keep my voice level, I said, "Link, I'm very tired. It's early, but I'm honestly just going to go to sleep and I won't be leaving my room until tomorrow. So go do something rather than follow my every footstep." I didn't wait for a reply or reaction. I simply opened the door to my room, walked inside, and firmly closed the door behind me.

I let out a long, exhausted sigh and sluggishly made my way over to the bed. With the last of my energy, I took off my armor and desert clothes and then pulled a shirt over my head. Then I fell onto the bed, sinking into the soft, heavenly mattress. I had never been so grateful to lie in a comfortable bed. I grabbed a pillow and then held it to me, curling around it.

Although my body was completely drained, my mind was still running at the speed of light, thinking about everything that had happened. My eyes felt wary, so I knew sleep wasn't far off, as long as I could quiet my raging thoughts for a moment.

The fact that Urbosa had been given this extraordinary power was proof that Calamity Ganon was coming. Hylia would not give such a power for no reason. The increased appearance of monsters was also an indicator, although not conclusive. But now I knew for certainty that Calamity Ganon was coming. I needed to find the other champions and give them their powers as well. And most importantly, I needed to unlock mine.

My stomach was in knots and I felt a hollow feeling in my chest. The idea of Calamity Ganon returning had always filled me with a deep resolution to do whatever I could to protect Hyrule. But now that I knew its return was eminent, I was filled with... fear.

Fear that I wouldn't be able to awaken my powers. Fear that I would let everyone down. Fear that Hyrule would fall. Fear that it would be all my fault.

What if I'm not strong enough?

What if I don't actually have any powers?

What if I fail them all?

I felt my body begin to shake and a scream lodged in the back of my throat. Why was I so useless? Even after all the work Urbosa had put in to train me over the past few days, I had accomplished nothing. My powers were as nonexistent as ever. I recalled feeling something during training, but looking back I wasn't even sure if it was real anymore.

Were they really that critical for defeating Calamity Ganon?

My thoughts continued to spiral into a frenzy, consumed by my inner demons.

...you can talk to me too. A voice suddenly echoed in my head, cutting through the self doubts and loathing. Link's words that he spoke to me at the Kara Kara Bazaar rang through my mind and suddenly I was on my feet. The door was in front of me a moment later, my hand finding the knob, pausing there.

Unable to turn the knob, I stared down at my hand. Link was only a few feet away and yet it felt like he couldn't be farther. I leaned forward, placing my forehead against the door. I shouldn't bother Link with my problems. He had his own issues to sort through and a job to do. He didn't need the extra burden of a disheveled Princess who couldn't do the one and only thing she was supposed to do.

Letting my knees buckle, I slid to the floor, my head still against the door. Urbosa, who had been a huge support to me, was only a short walk away as well. Yet I knew she was very busy with her responsibilities as chief currently. I couldn't just barge in and demand her attention. Especially not after everything she had already done for me.

Why was I always a burden?

Crawling back to my bed, I curled into a little ball, holding my pillow close to me. There had to be something I could do.

You've tried everything, Zelda. I told myself. What else is there?

And that is when I recalled the stone statues Urbosa and I had passed along the way to the Gerudo training camp. The states of the Seven Heroines. Perhaps I would find something there? It was worth a shot at least.

I knew it was later in the day, thus I wouldn't make it to the ruins by nightfall. However, if I left tomorrow morning, I would be able to spend several hours there. And maybe I would be able to find something as well: An answer - a glimmer of my power?

Clenching my fists in determination, I got up and walked over to my backpack, unpacking the ingredients to make more coatings for my arrows and then the Slate, which had my transferred notes for how to make the arrow coatings. Quickly I got to work, my resolve overpowering my need for rest.

Link watched the Princess retreat to her room, looking completely worn out. He couldn't blame her. From what he understood it had been an intense three days of training which ended in an ambush by lizalfos. When he heard about the attack, he was instantly upset. Upset with himself for not being able to protect the Princess, although she didn't seem angry at him for not doing his job. In fact, she seemed more angry with him for doing his job. She hadn't yelled at him, however, he could tell she was getting annoyed by his constant vigilance.

But he couldn't allow anything to happen to her. He knew in his heart that she was the key to defeating Calamity Ganon. Sure he had a legendary blade, but she was intelligent, and a sharp mind could be far more powerful than any weapon. Even without her powers, Link felt that she would find a way to defeat Calamity Ganon.

Link made his way back into his room and sat down on his bed. There wasn't much for him to do at the moment as the palace was swarming with Gerudo warriors and he couldn't risk being seen. He looked over at his nightstand, seeing one of the books Zelda had given him on it. A small smile played at his lips, recalling her thoughtful gesture. He grabbed the book, which contained a bunch of Gerudo tales, many of which he doubted the validity of, but were nonetheless quite entertaining. This was his fourth book, as he had had a lot of time to read while Zelda was gone. When he could, he spent his time training, which was typically in the morning and later in the day, when the Gerudo weren't using the training area. Thus he had the entire day to fill, and really only one thing to fill it with: reading.

Flipping through the book, he came to a story called the Sand Menace. There was a picture on the next page, depicting what looked like a giant brown fish with a white underbelly. It looked rather ugly with jagged, bony dorsal and caudal fins and a large white projection coming from its chin. It had four tiny appendages that looked like vestigial arms. The odd fish was laying upon the desert sand, rather than swimming in the water where one would expect a fish to be.

Link studied the weird picture for a while longer and then flipped past the story, stopping when he saw a fable about the Seven Heroines. Even he had heard about the legend of the Seven Heroines. Deciding on that story, he laid back in his bed and once more began to read.

I awoke later than I had hoped, although without any windows, it was awfully hard for me to gauge when to wake up. With haste, I dressed and then grabbed my bow and quiver, making sure my quiver was fully stocked with arrows. I grabbed the Slate and hooked it onto my belt and then packed a few items to bring with such as my waterskin, the salve, and some food to hold me over until I returned to Gerudo Town later today.

Once that was completed, I slowly opened my door, peaking out to make sure no one was present. Quietly, I snuck out of my room and made my way to the main part of the palace, praying to Hylia that Urbosa wasn't there. As I stole a quick look around the corner, I found the throne chair empty, as it was still early in the morning. I dashed through the palace and down the stairs, the courtyard empty. Mornings were a very quiet time in Gerudo Town; evenings were much more livelier.

Finding the sand seal rental, I quickly paid for one sand seal, thankful the owner didn't ask any questions. Before much longer I was bounding over the sand dunes, enjoying the pleasant temperature of the morning before it got unbearably hot. The giant skeleton soon came into view and I stopped briefly to take a picture of it with the Slate. There was a little information on the Slate, stating the creature was a leviathan, a long extinct animal that could survive in an array of extreme environments, from the blistering heat to the freezing cold.

I passed through the Palu wastelands without any issue and was making good time. The day had gotten progressively hotter, however I could see the East Gerudo Ruins in the distance. After awhile longer, I was at the opening of the East Gerudo Ruins, two tall rocks jutting up on either side of me and encircled the seven grand statues.

I stepped off my sand seal and unhooked my shield, hanging it from my backpack. Walking into the ruins, shadows fell over me, a reprieve from the intensity of the sun. Gazing up at the statues, I was stunned at how large the they were. They were worn after years of exposure to the elements, but all were still in good shape considering. The faces of the heroines were set into stern looks, making them appear aloof and cold. They all held large swords, the points resting at the base of each statue while the handle was wrapped in stone hands. I walked over to the nearest statue, my fingers gently caressing the eroded stone. It was rough and grainy underneath my fingers, even though it looked smooth from a distance.

Turning away, I walked over to the center of the statues, which formed a circle around a stone platform in the shape of a triangle. Uncertainly I brushed off a spot of the platform, so all the loose sand was wiped away, and sat down cross-legged. Still fascinated by the statues, I studied them for longer. Behind the statues was a large cliff, encircling the ruins in a wall of stone, the only opening was behind me.

I bit my lower lip, contemplating what I should do. Urbosa had said people would come here to pray, therefore I closed my eyes and began to speak. "My name is Zelda, and I come here to ask the great heroines of old to bestow upon me any wisdom they can in unlocking my powers. I have traveled all across Hyrule and trained for countless days to awaken this power inside of me, yet to no avail. Please, if there is any advice you can give me, I humbly ask for it."

I opened my eyes then, frowning as I did so. Nothing felt different, although sometimes an answer did not come right away. With that thought in mind, I offered up another prayer and then began to chant under my breath.

Time passed and eventually I stopped, growing dejected. It seemed like this would be another dead end. Although I had planned on spending longer in the Ruins, I decided to head back to Gerudo Town early, figuring I would only waste my time further if I stayed here. It was then I realized I hadn't told anyone where I was going. I gave a worried look, hoping everyone thought I was still in my room, which wouldn't be a wild conjecture as I had told Urbosa during our ride back that I just wanted to sleep for several days straight once we returned to Gerudo Town. Hopefully I could slip back into Gerudo Town undetected, thus preventing everyone from having a panic attack that I had disappeared, which would result in Urbosa sending a full scale search party for me. Although I couldn't blame Urbosa for such a response. The last time I had disappeared while in the desert, I had almost died.

Rising, I turned towards the exit, however as I did so, I heard a rock fall from the top of the cliff. It bounced along the rocky wall and then landed in the sand with a thud. I glanced over at the fallen rock, an eerie feeling creeping over me.

Out of instinct, I grabbed my bow. Glancing around the canyon, I backed away slowly, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. Nothing else moved and not a noise could be heard. And then I broke out into a full on sprint towards the exit of the ruins.

As I neared the exit, pandemonium broke out. From the corner of my eye, I saw arrows fly towards me and I dove to the ground to avoid them. A ping echoed through the area as an arrow hit and bounced of the shield on my back. Quickly I jumped to my feet running towards the exit, however my eyes filled with horror as I did so. Rocks began to fall from the top of the cliffs above the exit and I knew if I didn't hurry I'd be barricaded in.

Pushing my body, I ran as fast as I could, my quiver and shield clanging together. More arrows flew at me and I zigzagged around them. Grabbing my shield with my free hand, I held it in front of me as more arrows descended, each clanking off as they hit. Glancing around the shield, I looked to the top of the cliffs, seeing several figures clad in maroon and black outfits with white masks on their face.

The exit was before me now, and I sprinted to the left as one boulder came crashing down. The force jostled me and I stumbled forward. Unable to regain my balance, I crashed to the ground, landing on my shield. I grunted as the shield jammed into my abdomen, but I had no time to lose and rolled to the right so I was next to the boulder that had just crashed to the ground.

Looking above me, I saw another boulder falling for me, so close there was no time to escape. I let out a terrified gasp and put the shield over my chest and head in some feeble attempt to protect myself. A loud crash sounded and rubble clanked against the shield. I waited another few seconds and when I found I was still alive, I lowered the shield, shock filling my eyes.

Above me, the large rock sat wedged between the cliff and the boulder I was lying next to. It had been in the perfect position and lodged itself above me. Still, it looked rather precarious, as if it could fall at any moment, so I rolled to my feet and darted out from underneath the boulder just as two more boulders crashed down, which provided enough force to free the one I had been beneath. It sunk into the sand, however my mind was on trying to find my sand seal, who was nowhere to be seen. I spotted several arrows lodged in the sand and concluded that my attackers had scared off my seal, trying to stop me from escaping easily.

Strapping my shield back onto my back, I grabbed an arrow, ready to fire if need be. Then I ran for all I was worth, knowing Gerudo Town was far away and there was no way I'd be able to run all the way back there at this back-breaking pace. However, for now I needed to focus on losing my pursuers. I had a decent head start since they would have to climb down from the cliff.

Yet just as I thought that, several figures spontaneously sprang from the sand, puffs of smoke surrounding them to help hide their presence. I tore through the smoke, my eyes watering from the sting of it. Breaking through the smoke, I continued to run through the sand. Sparing a glance behind me, the smoke was still there, slowly billowing upwards. However several figures clad in maroon and black gear appeared from the smoke, weapons in hand. They wore white masks with a red eye symbol painted on them. It was then I recalled the textbooks I had read so long ago during my history lessons. There had been a picture of a mask just like that... which belonged to a Yiga clan member.

Despite the heat of the desert, my blood ran cold. There were at least 12 Yiga following me, with more coming from the cliffs. I nocked an arrow in my bow and turned around, my eyes swiftly locked on a target and fired at it, all within only a few seconds. I did not wait to see if it hit.

Grabbing a bomb arrow I hoped it was still potent enough to cause a decent explosion for I had reworked the formula last night. Spinning around once more, I fired it just past the last Yiga so I would not be caught in the blast. It sank into the sand, a loud bang sounding as soon as it made impact. Several Yiga were thrown up in the air, as well as a cloud of sand, blinding several Yiga in the process.

I continued to run, hoping that had slowed them down some. Scanning my surroundings, I cursed the barren wasteland around me. There was no place to hide, no place to lose my pursuers. It was just a wide expanse of sand, dotted here and there with cacti, rocks, and skeletons. The only way to lose them now was if a sand storm miraculously appeared. It was then that an idea came to mind.

Grabbing another bomb arrow, I notched it and then took aim as I looked back at the Yiga, who were still following me. I aimed closer this time, the arrow landing directly in front of the closest Yiga. As the arrow hit, a wave of sand was stirred up into the air, creating a mini-sandstorm. The impact from the arrow also caused a loud explosion, and I was ripped off my feet, falling face first into the sand.

Spluttering, I spit out sand and stumbled to my feet, blinking sand from my eyes. My eyes stung and my vision was blurry, the mini-sand cloud that had appeared around me did not help either. However I squinted my eyes and continued to run, visibility poor.

Unable to see properly, I did not notice as the sand beneath my feet disappeared and I fell awkwardly down a sand dune, my ankle twisting in the process. A sharp pain shot up my leg and as I came to a stop, I grabbed at my ankle briefly, feeling if it was broken. A few seconds later I was on my feet, continuing to run and thankful my ankles wasn't broken. Yet as I put weight on my ankle, pain shot through my leg, making me almost collapse once more.

I gritted my teeth, dismay filling me. There was no way I could outrun the Yiga with an injured ankle. Glancing behind me, I saw the plumb of sand was still there, which had slowed the Yiga down. It had given me a little extra time, in which I should have been gaining more distance, yet now that wasn't an option. Instead, I quickly climbed to the top of the dune, knowing I would have to stand and fight them, and if I was going to do so, I would want the high ground. Once at the top, I slipped my fingers into my brass knucks and grabbed another bomb arrow, preparing myself for the onslaught ahead.

Several Yiga had emerged from the sand cloud and others that had been further behind, were now going around it. Confused, the Yiga were scanning their surrounds, trying to find me. One finally spotted me and pointed in my direction. Then the Yiga began to run over, signaling to me to begin my barrage of arrows. One after the other I fired the bomb arrows, creating plumbs of sand to blind my enemies as well as big explosions to stop them in their tracks.

I continued my assault, aiming for any area I saw a glimpse of a Yiga, although that was hard with all the sand in the air. Still, I continued my barrage, knowing I needed to keep them at a distance. Once they closed range, the odds would be even less in my favor.

As I grabbed another arrow, a shadow fell on the sand in front of me and a second later, a Yiga was jumping from the cloud of sand, a sickle raised in the Yiga's hand. Startled, I dropped my bow and arrow and took a step back. On instinct, my hands came up and the sickle clashed against the metal of my brass knuckles. Taking the Yiga by surprise, I pushed back with one hand, allowing me to lower my other hand and then threw a powerful uppercut to the Yiga's elbow. A bony-crunching snap sounded and the Yiga cried out in pain, dropping the sickle.

I grabbed my bow and then spun around to run away, however I only made it a few steps before my ankle gave out. Collapsing into the sand, I reached for an arrow, several Yiga now appearing from the sand, too close for me to use bomb arrows anymore.

As the drew closer, more enemies began to appear and dread filled my chest. How many were there? Releasing an arrow, I hit one Yiga with an electric arrow, causing the Yiga to go into a fit of spasms. Still more appeared as I did this, and I knew the chances of me defeating them were low.

My eyes darted towards two Yiga, who were closing in on me. Reaching for an arrow, I steadied myself for the fight ahead of me, knowing very well that with my advantages gone, I wasn't going to win this fight.

Link opened the door to his room, his eyes falling upon the Princess's room directly across from his room. He contemplated knocking on it to check on her, but he knew she was tired and probably wanted to rest in peace. Thus he continued on his way, carefully checking around each corner to make sure he wasn't spotted by one of the guards. When he reached the main room of the palace, he saw Urbosa was sitting on her chair, her legs crossed and her chin resting on her knuckles.

He walked over to her, Urbosa's light green eyes falling on him. "Have you seen Zelda yet today?" She asked, clearly concerned for the girl. He wasn't sure exactly what Zelda and Urbosa's relationship was - mentor, friend, or family- but they were both very close, in fact Urbosa seemed to care for Zelda more than Zelda's own father did.

Link shook his head and Urbosa began to tap her fingers along her chain, making a faint clicking sound. "It is probably best to let her rest for today. She was exhausted." Urbosa frowned, her eyebrows kneading together, "However..."

Link gave Urbosa a questioning look, wondering what the fierce Gerudo woman was worried about. Urbosa let out a long sigh, "Zelda is a logical and practical person. Thus she is driven by results. She needs to see that her efforts have produced something otherwise she can get very discouraged. Her training once more did not result in much... and sometimes she enters these states of mind where... she does rather drastic things."

"Like jumping off a castle tower?" Link asked.

Urbosa looked a little surprised, "She told you about that?"

"She mentioned it."

Sadness overtook Urbosa's face. "Have you seen..." Urbosa trailed off, not sure if she should bring it up.

"The scars." Link finished.

Urbosa nodded, "I hope you do not think less of her because of it. Zelda is strong." Link could see Urbosa's eyes become watery, "She's brilliant in fact, however after years of being called a failure and being told everything she does isn't good enough..." Urbosa stopped, her voice quivering. By this display, Link could tell just how much Urbosa loved Zelda, as if the blonde-haired girl was her own flesh and blood.

"I would never think less of her for it." Link suddenly said, feeling compelled to talk. "There is more than one kind of battle. Internal ones can leave just as deep of scars and can be even harder to fight, for most of the time, we fight them alone and in silence. Most of the world doesn't even realize the struggle that's happening."

Urbosa looked at the knight, studying his calm expression. He was the knight who possessed the Sword that seals the Darkness, the one destined to vanquish Calamity Ganon. He was the best knight in several generations, skilled with a sword as well as an array of other weapons. Yet beneath the calm exterior, Urbosa could see a glimpse of the uncertainties he carried within himself.

"Wise words." Urbosa said, "You too have battles you've fought alone and handled them in silence." Urbosa shook her head, "It isn't fair. You're both so young to carry such a weight. I know Zelda feels as if the fate of Hyrule rests upon her shoulders. And I'm sure you must feel similarly as you two share a destiny."

Link agreed with Urbosa, knowing all too well the intense pressure he had felt once he became the wielder of the Master Sword, driving him into silence as he maintained his facade of strength. When in reality, he wasn't sure if he could defeat Calamity Ganon, after all he was just a soldier. Despite his exemplary skills, he was just one person with nothing but a sword on his back. Would that truly be enough?

He was sure Zelda felt the same way, however she had to endure it far longer than he. Her whole life she had been preparing for her destiny and trying to unlock her powers. When he was a child he practiced swordsmanship and traveled with his father, exploring the land and honing his skills. Although his father had high expectations of Link, he was still allowed to be a kid and he always felt like he had the support of his parents. And until he withdrew the Master Sword almost eight months earlier, his responsibilities and duties had been that of any other knight- manageable.

His father, mother, and younger sister had been so proud of him once he claimed the legendary blade that he could not bring himself to voice his concerns with his family. Instead he smiled and kept his mouth shut, deciding it would just be something he would have to endure alone.

Zelda had to endure such things alone for her whole life.

"I can hardly ask anything of you, Link." Urbosa started, ripping Link from his thoughts, "And I know your duty is to protect the Princess, nothing more, but I'd appreciate it if you could befriend her. I think it would be good for both of you."

Link's eyes met Urbosa's and a moment of understanding passed between them.

The moment did not last long as panicked footsteps resounded on the stairs leading up into the palace. Link quickly hid behind Urbosa's chair, the closest hiding spot he could find. As he crouched low behind the throne, two Gerudo entered the palace, one breathing heavily.

"Lady Urbosa!" The other said, her voice sounding alarmed.

"What is the matter, Fosaku?" Urbosa asked, rising to her feet.

"It's Princess Zelda." Fosaku informed, "Tevaru said the Princess rented a sand seal this morning and just now that sand seal returned alone."

"You mean Princess Zelda is missing?" Urbosa said, a slight note of fear in her voice. Link felt his body stiffen at the news, his hand instinctively reaching for the handle of his sword. There was a slight pause and then Urbosa continued. "Do you know where she went?"

"No." A different voice responded, Link assumed it was the sand seal trainer, Tevaru. "But I saw her head East this morning."

"East." Urbosa muttered thinking. Link had to contain himself from running out into the desert to find Zelda. He needed more information before he searched for her. But the fact that she didn't return with the sand seal wasn't promising news.

Calm down. He told himself. Zelda can handle herself in a fight.

But for how long? And how many opponents was she up against? Was she even in a fight? Or did something else happen?

"She went to the East Gerudo Ruins." Urbosa spoke a second later. Without waiting for a reply, she continued, "Prepare a sand seal for her knight. Quickly!"

Tevara rushed off in a hurry, leaving Urbosa and Fosaku. "What shall we do, my Lady?"

"Return to your post." Urbosa instructed. "I will put together a patrol to follow the knight."

Fosaku nodded her head and ran off to do her chief's orders. Urbosa walked to the training grounds, glancing behind her as she did so. The spot behind her chair was empty, the knight long gone.

"Keep her safe." Urbosa whispered, a slight quiver in her voice.

Two arrows sprang from my bow, both hitting the two Yiga closing in on me. Their bodies began to contort as an electric current passed through them. Yet more Yiga just took their place. I grabbed two more arrows, aiming at more enemies that neared me. One hit, while the other crashed into sand, sparks springing from it. Grabbing another arrow, I did not have the chance to notch it as a kunai came flying at me. I dove to the ground to avoid the flying weapon, the sharp blade nicked my cheek, leaving a thin trail of blood down my face.

Coughing, I propped myself up on my hands, my eyes filling with dread as the Yiga closed in on me. My fingers wrapped tightly around my bow as the Yiga began to surround me, cutting me off. Not that I could escape with my ankle. Releasing my bow, I clenched both fists tightly around my brass knuckles.

One Yiga began to step in close to me, sickle in hand. They came closer, raising the sickle as he neared. I looked up at the curved blade, readying myself. Then as he took his next step, he foot landed right in front of me and the sickle descended. My eyes looked down towards his knee and just as I was about to lunge for his knee, a loud clank of metal sounded and a leg filled my view, clad in Hylian trousers and brown boots. Blood splattered the sand and a gurgled cry came from the Yiga in front of me.

Stunned, I looked up to see a familiar figure wearing a bright blue tunic and holding a legendary sword. I blinked several times, not sure if what I was seeing was real. "Link?" I breathed. The Yiga that had been about to attack me crumpled to the ground, a large gash stretching across his chest.

He turned his head slightly, one of his blue eyes finding me. "Are you alright?" I nodded, Link's presence seeming so surreal. Turning away from me towards the remaining Yiga, he said "Watch my back." And then he lunged into battle, running towards the closest Yiga.

I watched in stunned silence, his words echoing through my head.

Watch my back.

Despite the circumstances, happiness filled my chest knowing that Link viewed me as a partner he could rely on and not a damsel in distress that needed protecting. Grabbing my bow, I carefully stood up as Link's blade met another Yiga's sickle, the sickle snapping as it did so. The tip of the blade spun up into the air, landing a few paces away from where Link and the Yiga where.

Careful not to put too much weight on my bad ankle, I notched an arrow. The Yiga tilted it's head down, clearly surprised Link had broken his weapon. Taking a few steps back, I saw a clean shot and released my arrow. The arrow whipped past Link's head and them embedded itself into the Yiga's shoulder. The Yiga howled in pain, his hand dropping the rest of the sickle and clutched at his shoulder.

Not wasting a second, Link moved on, pushing further into the fray of Yiga. The Yiga stood still for a moment, clearly surprised by Link's presence. Taking advantage of this, I fired two arrows, both hitting their mark. Flames erupted from the arrows and swallowed the Yiga. I smirked, excited to see my new recipe for fire arrows worked. The Yiga flapped their limbs in a frenzy, trying to put out the flames. With haste, they fled from the battle.

Finally the Yiga members seemed to get past their initial surprise and began to rush Link. Those closest to him, Link swung at with his sword, slicing open one Yiga's thigh. As the Yiga far away ran towards Link, virtually forgetting me, I fired arrows at them, freezing some, others burst into flame, a few were electrified, and some were hit with regular arrows.

All the while, Link fought with his sword, lashing out at any who dared challenge him. Even when several Yiga came at him, they were no match for Link's skills. He easily dodged their attacks and then picked them off one by one. And as he disposed of one Yiga, he was already ready for the next.

Soon the desert floor was scattered with Yiga bodies and red sand. The remaining Yiga backed away, clearly hesitant at approaching Link. Grabbing another arrow, I let it fly. The arrow made a big arch in the sky and then landed behind the Yiga. A loud boom sounded and the Yiga were thrown from their feet. Sand flew up in the air, and those that survived the blast, ran out, fleeing the area in puffs of smoke.

We watched the plumb of sand and puffs of smoke for several minutes, making sure all the Yiga had fled. When the sand began to settle and the smoke dissipated, my shoulders relaxed and Link turned towards me. He gave a swift flick of his left hand, flinging the blood from his sword. He then sheathed the blade, walking towards me.

I smiled and began to run towards him, forgetting my injured ankle. As soon as I put weight on it, I crumpled. Seeing this, Link ran towards me, his arms outstretched, catching me just before I hit the sand.

"Zelda, are you okay?" He asked, concernedly. "I thought you said you weren't injured."

"Well not really. My ankle is probably sprained, but it's not bad. Just needs to be taped, iced, and I probably shouldn't walk on it for a while." I reassured.

Link frowned at me, clearly not appreciating my deceit. A hand came to my face, his fingers wiping away the blood on my cheek. From there, he shifted his arms, so one went behind my back and the other behind my thighs. Then he proceeded to lift me in the air, a squeak escaping my lips.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed as I was pressed against his chest, both arms holding me securely.

"Carrying you?" He replied, giving me a questioning look.

"I can walk." I replied testily.

Link gave me an incredulous look, "You're going to walk all the way back to Gerudo Town on one leg?"

I crossed my hands over my chest, "I could."

Link stared at me for a second and then his face broke out into a grin and he started laughing. Setting me down, he continued to laugh, clearly finding what I said hilarious.

I however was far from amused.

Glancing up at me, he tried to stifle his laughter, however he could not suppress the big grin on his face. "Sorry, it's just... of course you would say something like that." His eyes met mine and I could see such sincerity in them. "You know, it's ok to ask for help sometimes."

It was at that moment I felt something stir in my chest that I had never felt before. I couldn't really describe what it was... maybe a fondness of Link? Or a desire to be near him? Either way, I felt a blush rush to my face as well as my heart rate increase; I looked down at my feet, not sure why I felt embarrassed all of a sudden.

"I'm not going to make you carry me all the way back to Gerudo!" I protested, my face still flushed.

"I wasn't going to." Link said, making me glance back up at him. He pointed behind me and said, "I got here on a sand seal. It would have taken me forever to get here otherwise." Looking behind me, I saw a sand seal not far away from us.

I let out a long sigh, trying to calm my racing heart. "Come here." I told him. He stepped closer to me and as he did so I wrapped my arm over his shoulders, leaning into him. He arched an eyebrow at me, but said nothing. "Help me walk over to the sand seal."

In response Link's arm wove around my waist, helping to support my weight. Then we started to make our way over to the desert-dwelling creature, who was rolling in the sand happily, completely unaware of the battle that had just been fought next to it.

"It would be faster if I carried you." Link offered.

I pursed my lips, "I'm trying, ok?" Our eyes met and I knew he understood what I meant. Asking for help was something I wasn't good at. Letting him help me this much was a huge deal for me. It made me feel very vulnerable... and yet for some reason I didn't mind being vulnerable as much around him.

We slowly made our way over to the sand seal, my ankle stinging with pain as I limped on it. When we reached the sand seal, I saw that Link's shield was still fastened to the harness around the sand seal. He grabbed the shield, turning it so the front side was in the sand.

"How did you know?" I asked, wondering how he had found me.

"How did I know you were gone? Or how did I know where you were?"

"Both."

Link scratched the back of his head, which seemed to be a common habit of his. "The sand seal you took this morning returned without you. Urbosa figured you'd be here." He answered. He motioned for me to come closer to him, and I hobbled over to his side as he stepped onto the shield. "You'll have to hang on."

I stared at him for a minute, contemplating his words. As much as I didn't like it, I knew he was correct. "Very well." I replied and then stepped onto the shield behind Link. My arms snaked around his bare torso, feeling the heat from his skin and the definition of his muscles. Once more I felt heat come to my face. "Are you sure this is safe?" I asked. "I won't be able to balance very well with a bad leg."

Link turned his head to smile at me, "That's what I'm here for. I'll keep you balanced."

"But-" My words were cut off as Link tugged on the reins, making the sand seal jump into motion. My face pressed into Link's back and the shield began to sway back and forth beneath my feet. It was a familiar motion, however it felt like I had no control over it. I held on tighter to Link, the master sword digging into me, and buried my face in his shoulder, not enjoying the experience at all.

I closed my eyes and just focused on the sound of the sand moving underneath the shield, ignoring the unease I felt and the pain that shot through my left ankle every time I accidentally put weight on it.

"You alright?" Link asked.

I shook my head, which was still resting against Link's shoulder. After a moment, I said, "I'm sorry."

I felt Link's head turn to look at me. "For what?"

"For leaving." I replied. "I should at least have told someone where I was going. I just got so focused... I..." I sighed. "Sorry."

Link didn't reply for a second, making me grow anxious. "Listen Zelda..." He exhaled, as if trying to find the right words. "It's like you said, we aren't just Princess and Knight, we are partners. And you can treat me like I'm your partner. You've helped me with things, and I want to be able to help you too. You don't have to do everything on your own anymore. I was like that too... until I met you.