"This means war."

Revali gripped his Great Eagle Bow in his right wing. Bomb arrows were filled to the brim in the quiver hanging over his shoulder. He looked toward Link, who nodded his head.

"Now is not the time to be weak," Zelda proclaimed, mostly speaking to herself. "We'll rescue Mipha, defeat Philip, and ever so kindly escort the Yiga Clan out of my castle. I will regain my title as Queen."

Link put his right hand on Zelda's shoulder. "You never lost it to begin with." He flashed her a reassuring smile. "Everything will be okay. We just need to stick together and stay strong."

Zelda nodded, taking in everything Link had told her. She would take back what was rightfully hers, and save her kingdom. She was not about to let some flaming prince from a faraway kingdom take what belonged to her. She was not going to let that happen.

"I'll save my people," Zelda declared. "He'll have to kill me first."

Link laughed nervously. "Alright, I know we're trying to boost morale, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright?" He stood beside Zelda, his head held high. "No one is dying. Not if I can prevent it."

Revali inhaled deeply, filling his lungs to the brim with fresh oxygen. He bent his knees, taking off into the sky. He circled Zora's Domain momentarily, before taking off North.

"Where's the bird heading?" a Zora knight asked. Moments earlier, he and his comrade had alerted Zelda and her friends about Mipha's kidnapping.

"He's going to Goron City," Zelda said, barely above a whisper.

The Zora knight's eyes widened in fear. "You mean, by Death Mountain?! He'll be cooked alive!"

"We have no other way to get in contact with Daruk," Link shook his head. "Revali is the only one quick enough to make it through."

"Don't worry," Zelda said, "I prayed for his protection and granted him greater speed." She looked down at her feet, bare and cold. "I just hope it'll be enough."

Link nodded. "It will." He took Zelda's right hand in his left, taking off in the direction ahead of him. "We have no time to lose! We have to get going in order for our plan to succeed!"

Zelda quickly followed behind him, soon letting go of his hand and running ahead of him. it was as if her legs were on autopilot, numb to the feeling beneath her feet. Her cheeks grew cold as she sensed the continuous flow of tears down her face.

Keep running, she thought to herself. Faster, faster. Any second lost is a second Mipha could have been saved sooner. I have to run. Run fast. I cannot slow down. I cannot afford it.

"Zelda? Are you okay?" Link yelled after the young queen. He tried to keep up with her, yet she was moving at an incredible speed, far faster than him.

Zelda said nothing as she wiped the tears from her face. Where her sudden boost of adrenaline and stamina had come from, she had no idea. All she focused on, was saving Mipha as soon as possible.

"We need Urbosa," Zelda heaved, racing through the forest guarding Zora's Domain. "I have to transport

myself to her—it's the only way!"

"Hold on!" Link yelled.

Zelda did not stop running. She heard Link's echoing pleas behind her, and instead continued onward. Zelda exited the forest, hurrying into the Lanayru Wetlands. She tried to efficiently trudge through the mud, pulling her leg from the sludgy substance. She only grew frustrated with her movements, and searched for a quicker way out. To the north, there was a small bridge. She decided to jump atop it, and run across the dry land. From there, she decided she would run to Central Hyrule, where she would be close enough to teleport to where Urbosa stayed in Gerudo Village.

"Link, I'll meet you underneath of Hyrule Castle," Zelda called behind her, without looking. "And I'll retrieve Lady Urbosa now!"

There was an eerie silence. Zelda began to slow, catching her breath. In an instant, all of the pain she had endured while running out of Zora's Domain, suddenly caught up to her. Her lungs felt as if they had dried up, and oxygen was unable to reach them. She bent over, heaving breaths as she felt unbearable sharp pains in her feet. She fell to the wooden bridge, head pounding, unable to stand back up.

"What—" she cried, "what in Hyrule—" her breaths were short, uneven, and raspy. "I can't—"

"Zelda!"

Link had finally caught up to the queen, sliding down on his knees. Zelda barely picked up her head, before she fell onto her back. Her whole body became tinted, a soft red color. She felt as if she was sitting on the edge of Death Mountain, burning up as flames engulfed her lungs.

"Why didn't you stop?" Link yelled, thinking Zelda was unable to hear him. "I'm here!"

Zelda winced. The sharp pains she felt in her feet were now transporting to other areas of her body. Her fingertips tingled, turning numb and cold. A migraine appeared at her temples, and her eyes began to burn. She closed them, shaking her head as forcefully as she could. "I can't—" she began again in her raspy breaths. "I can't, Link—"

"What happened to you?" he asked, putting his hand against her cheek. "You just wouldn't stop running! You pushed yourself too far. And now you're in serious pain!"

Zelda shook her head, pushing her elbows into the wooden bridge. "I'm fine—" she coughed a few times, feeling as if she was about to pass out after every cough that exited her mouth. "We need to get Urbosa—" Zelda was gasping for breath now. Her right hand clutched her top, scrunching the fabric within her fist. "I'm going to get her!"

Link dove into Zelda's chest. For the first time, Zelda witnessed the one she cared about most, in such a frightful position. She closed her eyes, feeling her magic swell within her body. Her arms weakly wrapped around Link, placing her head into his neck. The two witnessed the golden glow of the Goddess' magic that rested within Zelda's being. Zelda cried out in agony as she felt her body lift from the wooden boards, returning to a soft surface only seconds later.

She breathed out a sigh of relief. Her limbs fell limp in the hot sand. She felt Link's body atop of hers, beginning to adjust to their new surroundings.

Zelda hadn't thought much about the swelling heat in the Gerudo Desert. And, knowing she was not close enough, Zelda groaned.

"We're in the Gerudo Desert," Link said blatantly. "Gerudo Village is..."

Zelda gasped for air once again. "Over there," she finished, groaning, this time, in pain.

"You're going to fall unconscious," Link said, placing his hand against Zelda's forehead. "I need to get you to the inn inside the village."

"Men," Zelda breathed ever so quietly, "are not... permitted to enter..."

Link closed his eyes in anger. He began to assess the situation further, as if thinking of a plan in order to save the queen. "Damn... you'll overheat, Zelda."

Zelda nodded. "Leave..." she attempted to clear her throat, not wanting to know what residue clogged her body. "...get to Urbosa. Leave me."

Link picked up Zelda in his arms, his breathing immediately becoming heavy. "Not happening. I'd never leave you behind."

He lifted his feet from the sand, thankfully protected by the boots he wore. However, even Link was not completely safe from the blazing desert sun. He let out aching breaths as he carried Zelda toward Gerudo Village, taking one slow step at a time.

Zelda began to concentrate her power, hoping desperately to save Link this unbearable suffering. She wished she could just disappear.

To disappear... would save so much despair...

Zelda shook her head, keeping her eyes open. Her left arm flung over top of her forehead, blocking the bright sun from her eyes.

I cannot think like that, the queen told herself. I have lives to save. People I have entrusted my loyalty to. I cannot give up on them.

She let out a gentle breath, feeling the beating of Link's heart against her side. It slammed into his chest a few times every second, propelling blood through his body.

Link wouldn't be in this terrible situation, if it weren't for me.

Zelda inhaled a shaky breath.

"Are you alright?" Link asked, unable to worry about anyone but Zelda any longer.

Even now, he trudges through the unbearably hot desert, just to escort me to safety...

"Zelda, stay with me," Link said softly, despite the hammering heart within his chest that told Zelda he was not calm.

Mipha would be safe... who knows what's happened to my own father, all because of me.

"We're almost there, my queen," Link mustered.

Zelda felt a drip on her cheek.

Rain? In the desert?

"Zelda, please, answer me," Link almost whimpered, his demeanor changing completely. "Everything will be okay, I promise; but you have to stay awake, okay?"

Zelda's eyes twitched open for a moment, then closed as she became lost in what seemed like a trance. "The puppy... I killed it..."

Link's intake of breath was uneven. "You— you what?"

Zelda coughed, burying her head into Link's chest. She felt warmth erupt from her throat. A liquid, like water, almost—yet heavier. A metallic taste came with this sensation she felt.

"I was scared," she cried, now smelling the substance she coughed from her body. Her eyes opened, watching the blood drip from Link's tunic.

Her blood.

"You're hallucinating," Link said, shaking his head. "We're almost there. We're almost there, Zelda, okay?"

But Zelda could feel how Link's arms shook. He was afraid of her, now, unable to understand the memories she had begun to share with him. How, she wasn't as perfect as everyone believed her to be. She killed an innocent creature, to save her own life.

"I can't let you die," Zelda bawled. "I can't let anyone else I love, die."

"I'm not dying," Link assured the queen. "No one is dying. You haven't killed anyone."

"My puppy, he's gone, and has been, because of me—" Zelda gasped.

She heard quickened footsteps in the distance, ahead of them. Footsteps that were not Link's. They were light and sharp. The sand was barely moved by the movements it felt.

"Goddesses, no," Link forced through clenched teeth. "Please, no!"

Zelda heard giggles. Childish giggles. Giggles that only someone who was very happy made.

Her body fell to the sand beside Link's. Link moaned, painfully and agonizingly. He placed himself atop the queen, protecting her body with his own. "Get away!" he growled. "Get away!"

The giggles returned. Zelda shivered, despite being in the blazing heat. She closed her eyes, placing her hand on Link's chest.

His heartbeat was slowing, as was her own. The pain Zelda had felt, began to dissipate.

Suddenly, thunder struck. Cries emerged from what seemed like only feet away from where the young knight and queen lay in the burning sand. Zelda could almost feel the electricity, as if it was able to surge through the sand. She could sense anger, somewhere in the distance.

"You keep your nasty hands off of them!" a familiar voice yelled, almost a scream. "I will not hesitate to slaughter your entire clan for the pain you've caused these people!"

Zelda's eyes fluttered, fighting to stay open. Behind Link lay four bodies, draped in the garnet outfits the Zora knights had warned them about earlier. Bows were sprawled out in the sand, followed by rupees and bananas.

Off in the distance, Zelda watched a golden aura approach them at an alarming pace. A tall woman with beautiful tan skin fell beside them, tilting her head to the side as her voice echoed in the two Hylians' ears.

"Why have you come here?!"

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