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Art by CaptainCrescentRoll on Reddit

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Gravel sounded from underfoot as I stopped in my tracks, a little ways away from the blonde hero. He knew I was there. I could see it in the tensing of his body. I wouldn't say I was surprised. These clunky suits made stealthy reconnaissance all but impossible.

Yunobo peaked out from over his shoulder with his typical worried eyes. He offered me a small wave, which I returned halfheartedly. As I put my hand down, I caught Link glancing over his shoulder. "(Y/n)..."

My ears perked up curiously, having no clue how he'd react to my return. His mouth moved as though he was struggling to pick out his words. Eventually, he fell still and silent, simply watching me from behind his visor.

The glowing light of lava reflected in his eyes, making them all the more piercing as they searched my expression. The emotions I'd invoked upon my return burned away in the golden light, leaving me to only guess if he'd intended to appear vexed. I wasn't left to ponder long, as his eyelids slowly lowered in apprehension. He took a breath and attempted to address me once more.

"(Y/n). You came back," Link began, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I nodded, taking a few steps around him. I was careful to not come too close. Only Hylia knew what he must think of me in this moment.

"I always d-"

"You said... You said that you'd have been better off leaving me behind," he spoke. My teeth found the inside of my lip. I bit down nervously as we conversed. Link had no need to target my words specifically, completely overlooking the boundaries that he himself had overstepped. Only the words of the Rito champion and my dedication to this quest held my feet fast as I countered.

"I believe we both said things that were..."

"Uncalled for?" I avoided staring as he finished my sentence for me. "Yeah."

"Yeah." The blonde blinked and shifted positions yet again. "W-Well if you're willing then maybe we should-"

"We probably should-" The both of us fell quiet as our words awkwardly stumbled over one another. Yunobo soon broke the silence, finally becoming successful in deflating the tension among us after he'd failed so many times before.

"I-I don't want to interrupt, Goro, but we kinda have to take out Vah Rudania while we're here..." he spoke, twiddling his thumbs. Link and I moved away from one another as the hero motioned towards the final cannon. Yunobo jumped inside with a flash of red as his shield encased his body. After a brief command was entered into the Sheikah Slate, a large round bomb appeared in Link's palm. He pushed it down into the weaponry and pressed a button to set off the explosive.

A streak of red passed through the sky like a comet hurdling towards Rudania. It collided with the beast, much to the creature's distaste. It gave a great roar sounded from within the machinery as it attempted to trudge onward and up the mountain. Unfortunately for it, there wasn't any place left to go... except for within the volcano itself.

Creaks and screeches of metal on metal rang out clearly as Rudania clutched the mountainside. The rocky landscape gave way in its claw and crumbled, leaving the fire lizard to tumble down into the lava filled depths below. Link and I took a step back, anticipating that nothing good could come from the final collision.

Sure enough, as the giant's body came hurdling down, it sent a spray of lava upwards and out of the top of the volcano. It was as though the mountain had erupted of its own accord, shaking and spewing deadly flame onto the ground below. I shielded my eyes from the bright light until the action had settled.

Our trio didn't waste a second in climbing the mountainside. We were close to peering over the top when Yunobo spoke up.

"Looks like we've put up quite a fight guys, but it's gonna take more than that to take Rudania down. It's time for you two to finish the job!" I nodded. "Thank you for your help, Yunobo. We couldn't have gotten this far without you." The Goron blushed at my comment, seeming extremely flattered. I didn't wait to hear his response as I seized Link's hand and jumped over the edge, onto the awaiting back of Vah Rudania.

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A brief use of my glider allowed me to land gently against the corrupted Sheikah tech that lined Rudania's back. Though it'd turned out okay, using my glider anywhere in Goron territory, especially whilst wearing this heavy suit, came close to giving me a heart attack. I could tell Link was experiencing something similar, as his landing was rougher than usual. Still, with a few wary steps and a wipe of his eyes, he'd adjusted and regained his footing.

As we stood together on the back of the beast, we examined our surroundings. Great waterfalls of lava cascaded from every corner of the inner volcano. It was terrifying and radiated heat like I'd never felt before, but it was quite beautiful. Still, I made a note to appreciate whatever cold or at least comfortable weather came my way after this trip.

I took a few extra seconds to watch the falls, as well as the body of the unconscious beast, before I realized Link had already found our first goal. He tapped his Sheikah Slate against the terminal as I jogged to his side. I stopped shortly to catch my breath once I'd made it there. The thick, reddish smoke in the air made rigorous movements taxing when it came to my breathing. This led me to worry for battles to come.

Link glanced back over his shoulder to watch me approach. We both took note of the Sheikah Travel Gate shone blue behind us. As soon as the light had died down to a comfortable glow, a gruff voice addressed us. Link and I recognized it immediately.

"Hey little ones! It's been quite a while." I couldn't help but smile in relief as Daruk spoke. "Sorry for the wait."

"No worries, you're here now aren't ya? Besides, I always knew you two would come back. Never stopped believin' in you either." From the corner of my eye, I could see Link's mood improving as well. He was practically grinning along with me.

"Now, I'm assumin' you came to take back control of ol' Rudania, huh?" We nodded in unison, prompting him to continue speaking. "Ha! I knew it. You two are gonna be needin' a map. Head to that guidance stone on the other side of the beast!"

Link and I figured we'd know what to do, seeing as we'd done this a few times before. There was an open doorway near by that we crossed through as soon as Daruk had finished speaking. Much to our dismay, the door slammed shut behind us once our feet had passed through the threshold. I heard Link gasp and pull me close as we were left in darkness. I allowed him to lock his arms around my waist as we waited in the silent cavern.

"Link..." I finally mumbled. He hummed. I could still feel his body shifting, as though he were searching for some sort of light. "Vah Ruta didn't happen to blind you did it?" I asked, already knowing that Naboris and Medoh hadn't done such things.

"They didn't. But it'll be fine," he said. "Look, there's a blue light coming from down there. I'll bet that's the end of this corridor." I nodded, having forgotten that he couldn't see me.

"Do you see it?" he asked, his hand still wrapped around me tightly. "Yeah, sorry. I forgot you couldn't see me nod." He laughed softly. He must've been quite close, as I could feel his breath against my cheek. "We should get going then..."

"'Course. Lead the way?"

"Or we could go together. Wouldn't want to stumble over you." He said gently, linking his arm with mine. I stayed silent and walked with him until we reached the end of the hallway. Two small torches were set out in front of us. Both of which glowed blue and did their best to illuminate the room around us. Unfortunately, their light fell short, leaving nothing for us to see except the threatening glow of Ganon's corrupted minions.

Link pulled a bow from his back and nocked an arrow. I was about to warn him of weapon catching fire until I noticed the blue light glinting off the object. It must've been a metal variant of the weapon, as it didn't even start to smoke.

I listened for the telltale twang of the bowstring as Link loosed two arrows. Each stuck down their targets, clearing the area of the reddish sludge that was coating much of this room. He aimed his bow one final time and released. The arrow hit, sending up sparks as it bounced off another metallic surface. Upon getting closer, I realized he'd shot at a Sheikah chest.

I knelt down and opened it. Inside lay a simple torch. Link placed a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. "What is it?"

"Just a torch... I'm assuming we'll need this to light the way."

"Like we did in the lost woods?" I smiled. Despite that experience being utterly unnerving, I was glad Link was willing to talk to me. "Yeah, except this time we didn't kidnap any magical creatures." Link laughed and stood up, taking the torch from my hands. "I apologized didn't I?" The blonde said, holding the torch gently over the flickering flame. I smiled and stood, wiping the dust from my knee.

"Yes. And I suppose she found something worthwhile on her trip didn't she?" I said as he walked back towards me. He took one final step before stopping, letting our faces shine in the blue light. I simply watched his features. He struggled to speak in the same way he had back at the final cannon. "I guess she's lucky," I said, somewhat to myself.

"We're lucky too," he spoke gently. I glanced up, thinking he'd be avoiding my gaze. To my surprise, his blue eyes were locked firmly onto mine, only made fiercer in the light of the torch. We spent a few moments in silence until Link broke away, searching for something to light aflame.

An unlit fire source lay at the opposite end of the room, right next to a sealed gate. Once it caught fire, the gate rose, letting us into the next room. I tried to speak with the hero again as we kept moving.

"L-Link I wanted to apologize for-"

"Watch it!" He pushed me aside as a beam of light shot across the new room. It exploded against the wall where I had been standing. I recognized that noise, as well as the glowing eye that seemed to float nearby. A tiny guardian was keeping watch over this room, intending to blow us to bits whenever possible.

Link had leaned over me, ensuring I wouldn't be hit. I reached up behind him and seized his sword from it's sheath on his back. I rolled out from under him and engaged in battle with the robot, dodging and parrying to avoid being marred by its blast. The fight ended with the Master Sword lodged into the eye socket of the creature.

Bright light shone through its body as it struggled to hold itself together. Finally, its metallic shell gave way and burst open into a cloud of purple smoke. It left behind a single screw, a memoriam of technology long past. I lost sight of it as it rolled across the ground and resorted to patting around the floor for any sign of it. Finally, I plucked the tool off of the ground and offered it to Link, who'd still managed to cling to the torch despite all this excitement.

I returned his sword to him and pat his shoulder. "N-Nicely done," he spoke cautiously. I sent him a small grin. That seemed to be enough to lift his spirits... and to let him know that I was working towards forgiveness.

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The darkness of this journey made quite the annoyance. The only light we had came from the glow of enemies and our own tiny torch. Still, we made it to the map terminal that Daruk had mentioned. Link placed the Sheikah Slate atop the technology and watched as it twisted into place. A stone, positioned just above the terminal, began to glow. Ancient Sheikah coding trickled down the sides, forming a singular drop of information. It splashed against the slate and soaked through its casing, letting it know how exactly this Divine Beast functioned and giving us a bit of control.

I peered over Link's shoulder as a three-dimensional map of Rudania appeared, sporting red pinpoints wherever the other terminals could be found. A line of text appeared at the bottom of the image, stating that the Divine Beast Controls had been enabled. Link reached out to take the slate as Daruk called out yet again.

"Nice job getting that map you guys! Did you notice the reddish points on it?" Link and I nodded, already used to what these symbols meant. "I'm assuming those are the terminals we'll need," I said, walking around. Seeing as Daruk's voice was totally disembodied, it was difficult to know where to look whilst speaking with him.

"Oho, exactly! You'll need all of them in order to control ol' Rudania. Think you're up to the challenge?" Link placed the Sheikah Slate back on his hip and nodded. "Naturally. We've made it through worse."

"I'm likin' that attitude little guy. I know you guys have got this!"

Daruk's voice faded as we were left in darkness yet again. I motioned for Link to hand me the slate and examined the surface carefully. "Aha! Watch this." My thumb pressed down on the screen, selecting a particular option from Rudania's controls. The beast shuddered as an array of panels moved along its back, opening up the room to the light sources outside.

Link and I both shielded our eyes as the roof pulled back. It took a moment to adjust to the sudden brightness, but I was quite grateful to see again. Link grinned and took the slate back from me. "Amazing! What else can this thing do?"

"Well, there's some pink arrow looking things there too. I'm not sure what they do but maybe we could-"

"Shit!" Link clutched the slate tightly after he'd clicked on one of the arrows. The entirety of Vah Rudania's body began to shift. Floors shifted to walls and walls to ceilings until the entire room was twisted into another position. Link and I had slid down the floor we'd started on and onto a ramp of sorts.

Link stared up the ramp and into the open sky. I assumed there was a terminal somewhere up there, it was just a matter of reaching it. I felt Link's hand hold tightly to mine own, as it'd done many times before and I felt comforted. "Well, let's get going," he said nonchalantly. I nodded in agreement and joined him in a jogging pace up into the inner workings of Vah Rudania.

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"Try moving it to the other side." Link continued to sweat nervously as he pushed the metal cube along. A wall of fire separated us from the final terminal. I placed a hand to my chin in thought. The fire was cut off whenever the shiny obstruction crossed its path. All we needed was a way to get over.

"Aha!" I announced, having been struck by genius. "Link, the slate." He seemed nervous, but still he placed the tech into my waiting palm. Once I'd insured that it was secure in my hands, I knelt down, calling upon the Rito spirit's power. A tornado sprung up from nothing, brewed by that cocky friend of mine. He gave a small bow as the winds lifted me and my glider over top of the obstacle and gently lowered me down on the other side.

I tapped the slate against the terminal, unable to hide my smile. We were coming so close to achieving what we'd set out for. I could almost taste our victory over Calamity Ganon's next servant. I savored the thought until Daruk's voice rung out proudly to congratulate us.

"Nicely done! That was the last terminal. You should see a new mark glowing on your map. That'll lead you to the main control unit!" I packed away the Sheikah Slate with a nod and crouched down to call upon Revali again, until I noticed that the fiery wall had disappeared as soon as I'd activated the terminal. Link peeked through, waving me over with a smile.

We crossed back through the room we'd been in and up a large staircase to our starting point. From there, we could climb up the side of Vah Rudania and atop its back. If the map was correct, the main terminal should've been located just in the center of the beast.

Sure enough, a terminal overgrown with blight was just in front of us. Upon tapping that terminal, the battle would begin. I passed the slate over to Link again, meeting his nervous blue eyes as I did so. He looked away almost immediately, simply giving my hand a squeeze to acknowledge that I'd be there with him for this challenge. With a deep breath and some self-encouragement, he strode forward.

"(Y/n)... Are you ready?" he asked, his hand wavering as he held the slate just above the terminal. I nodded and place my hand over his, ensuring that we'd both be the ones to awaken this ungodly creature.

Link pressed down, only for the terminal to immediately explode with a mixture of purple light and smoke. We jumped back to watch Ganon's servant take form.

The ground shook and caused us to stumble. Strings of blue light laced between us before gathering behind our backs. It took the shape of an axe far greater than any I'd ever seen and moved on the form the rest of its hideous body. Limbs twisted and shifted until finally they came together as one single, horrific being whose hands were lit aflame.

"Watch it you two! That ugly piece of crag is one of Ganon's," Daruk pointed out. "Really? I would've never guessed," Link hissed to me hurriedly. I couldn't help but snicker as Daruk continued his warning. "The thing managed to best me a hundred years ago. You've come this far, now show 'em what you're made of!"

Link and I immediately ran off, both of us taking separate directions. It had become clear to us amongst our many fights that tag-teaming was our best option for larger opponents. If we were going to take on something like this, we may as well distract and confuse it whenever possible.

The fire-blight didn't take kindly to our strategy. It shrieked and roared, swinging its blade in a wide circle around its body. Luckily, it missed the both of us. I was rather surprised. That axe was three to four times the size of us.

"(Y/n)!!" Link yelled from the other side of the creature. "I'm going to aim for the eye! It seems to be a weak spot!!" I nodded, remembering how shooting for the eye had aided us in previous fights.

Link and I both kept up a steady running paste as we circled our opponent. The blond hero nocked an arrow as quickly as he could and targeted the blue glow of the creature's eye. The first arrow missed severely, but still managed to slice through the lower part of its body. It seemed more annoyed than phased as its rampant axe swinging continued.