#if revali gets beat by link he's mad as fuck but if it's mipha he just takes it bc he has a soft spot for miph :)

[amiharana]

Hi it's the Slate anon again um. I love your posts on botw modern AUs just imagining all the antics they would get into. You know they would all have a group chat together, Urbosa writes with proper punctuation and everything, every one of Zelda's messages is programmed to sign with "Her Royal Highness Zelda Bosphoramus Hyrule CCLXXVII" and Daruk writes every single thing in all caps. Link as quiet as he is means every time they see "Link is typing..." it's a national event (and it ends up being "ok" or "🫡")

Daruk would have a long distance game night every week for a "bonding session" but an hour each time is spent in him figuring out how to turn on the camera for the video call. Mipha invites Zelda, Revali and link to her animal crossing island and Zelda does nothing but fill the museum with animals while revali spends an embarrassing amount of time decorating the island. A Mario kart session nearly led to the murder of multiple champions

HI SLATE ANON 🥺🤍 IT'S NICE TO HAVE YOU BACK!! and i'm glad to hear you like the modern aus!! imagining what the champions w zelda and link would be like in a modern au brings me much joy

zelda's signature LMFAOOO i bet she started off with just "—Zelda" and then kept adding shit until it was ridiculously long and she just keeps adding stuff it to the point where if she just sends the word "hi" her signature is 99% of the message. daruk absolutely types in all caps and he tries to use slang words but it's a hit or miss he's very much the How Do You Do Fellow Kids? meme. i agree w link being quiet in the chat, but i'm torn between him being online often and just lurking silently + reacting to messages with emojis or him constantly having his phone on do not disturb, low brightness, and <10% battery all the time 😭😭 the gang buys him chargers but he always somehow breaks them ksjhdfjkd

the idea of the champions having a game night over like a discord call or something is so fuckign cute im cryingfhgjk it doesn't matter what the game is, revali is going to end up being ridiculously competitive and try to win every single time. link effortlessly beats him every time tho LMAOKDJFHDKJF zelda link and revali playing animal crossing together 🥺🥺🥺 link lowkey be tearing up zelda's island and steals all her fruit though LOL

this kinda made me think of a twitch streamers au 😄 i think zelda would be like a just talking/variety streamer like think pokimane or valkyrae; mipha would play games like animal crossing or stardew valley, but then randomly do a fortnite stream but the thing is she would fucking slay at it????? 😭 i feel like urbosa would play a lot of horror games like dead by daylight, resident evil etc. me personally i can't handle horror so props to urbosa bc it doesn't faze her at all whatsoever

i'm not sure what daruk would stream? would he even be able to get his setup together like he lowkey gives me the same vibes as the one time snoop dogg did a stream and forgot to log off so the live was just on for like 12 hours or something LMAO. now revali and link....... they are The Streamers Ever. i think they're both variety streamers but also like speedrunner rivals and also revali would speedrun elden ring and link would speedrun super mario odyssey

imagining the champions+zelda getting brought together by like . fuckin, idk someone doing love or host (hestu but he's the austinshow KJDHFDJKH) and the dynamic between them all is just so good they end up somehow becoming a stream team :] the champions+zelda playing jackbox or among us together :> revali losing his shit when he gets killed but also being the most efficient murderer and so is link so they kill everyone else in the game Quick Asf 😳 revalink have a "We are a good team" klance moment LOL......

imagine the champions having a minecraft server that they stream on and it's called the CSMP (Champions SMP). zelda has admin perms and revali is always asking for admin too claiming that he's the second most responsible person on the team, and to prove a point, zelda then gives admin to urbosa much to revali's chagrin. while this is all happening, daruk is still learning the wasd keys and trying to move and link is already in the nether #SpeedrunnerLife! mipha is 1000 blocks away swimming with dolphins and finds a sunken ship with treasure :> they eventually add the descendants to the SMP too, and impa and rhoam make special appearances on link and zelda's streams!

i highkey love this au 😭🤍

[techmomma]

Things I was very, very gay for in HW:AOC

Link not even considering himself for the position of Hero Who Seals the Darkness until Zelda was in danger and then pulling the sword to save her

Link being a big stupid fucking himbo and eating rocks at least once, possibly twice, getting egged on like a frat boy and enjoying every minute of it, doing the stupid nodding-to-help-you-swallow gesture FUCK

Mipha only barely chiding toddler-Sidon for going up against the lynel with just a spear, and mostly very proud of her little brother and delighted at his bravery he could have died Mipha

Impa. I love you so much Impa.

it’s so cliche but god damn it you made me care about the stupid eggbot nintendo i hate you so much for almost making me cry when it played zelda’s lullaby with its stupid little pistons

everything about purah and robbie bless these stupid nerds

the soundtrack fucks

okay as mad as i am about the timeline bullshit getting to see rhoam and zelda reconcile was -chef’s kiss- cliche as hell but god did it make my little heart happy. pure fluff for me to devour okay

i ended up loving kohga and sooga WAY more than i thought i would. they are gay. 

kohga’s stupid fucking RUN JESUS CHRIST I CAN’T WATCH IT FOR MORE THAN THIRTY SECONDS WITHOUT LAUGHING SO HARD I WANNA THROW UP

yes seeing older Sidon almost crying to see Mipha again made my little heart glad

Zelda then running to save Link without a second thought the way he saved her, activating an ancient mystical power for the sake of someone else, I’M SO FUCKING GAY FOR IT

piloting the divine beasts looks stupid as hell but also fun as hell. like, pure power fantasy ROOTY TOOTY BOOM BOOM SHOOTY FUN. I WILL STOMP YOU TO DEATH WITH MY HOOVES FUN.

also really neat that the presence of the second champions increased the power and health of the divine beasts?? definitely lending credit to the theory that the divine beasts are actually linked to the souls of the champions.

hearing the classic, energetic, fun zelda theme while you absolutely beat astor’s shit in with a sudden power boost? very fun.

like this game had a TON of “look don’t worry about plot have some catharsis” moments and honestly i can’t fault them for that

Teba meeting his idol and being THOROUGHLY disappointed? very good.

zelda using the bow of light? oh FUCK yeah

watching players use monk maz koshia to fight is the funniest shit ever, NYOOOMMM FLOATIN’ MONK MUMMY COMIN TA GETCHYA. HERE HE COMES! HERE HE COMES!

daruk. my boy. you are so good.

revali is just there to be an asshole and i love him for it

urbosa

urbosa again

yunobo getting to see his grandpappy ;3;

urbosa to riju: i don’t know who you are little vai but you’re now my new daughter in addition to zelda

Tired Dad Dorephan

yes i do appreciate that you can play the entire game with link in his underwear and a ladle

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of the Yiga | Chapter 11

Unsteady - X Ambassadors

I know you're trying to fight when you feel like flying. If you love me, don't let go. If you love me, don't let go. Hold… Hold on… Hold on to me, 'Cause I'm a little unsteady. A little unsteady.

It took almost a half an hour for Revali to get to the bar. He pulled the car to the curb and stepped out. He looked down at Link with a frown and shook his head. “The tables have turned,” he said. “Guess I did owe ya one.” When Link didn’t respond, he reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him up to his feet.

“Let’s go. Get in.” He pushed Link toward the car.

“Keep an eye on him,” Kit said. “He’s not okay.”

“I’ve got two,” Revali said, turning to Kit.

Kit frowned. “I’m serious.”

Revali met his gaze. “So am I.”

Kit nodded once. “Don’t let him do anything stupid, alright?” He hesitated, turning his gaze to the car. “Keep him away from pill bottles.”

Revali nodded silently. They shook and he thanked him before sliding in behind the wheel, pulling into the street and navigating the city. He glanced over at Link briefly before speaking.

“Are we gonna talk about this?”

Link gave no response. His arms were folded across his chest, his head against the seat as he gazed out the window.

“Yes,” Revali said simply. “Yes, we’re talking about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Link muttered.

Revali’s brows furrowed. “So, why does Kit think you’re going to kill yourself?”

Link didn’t respond. Revali slammed on the breaks at a red light and sneered at him.

“This isn’t fucking funny!” he shouted at Link.

Link met Revali’s gaze wordlessly.

Revali’s gaze softened. “Come on, man.” He turned his gaze back out the windshield as the light turned green. “You can’t do this shit. You know that.”

“You’re right,” Link said. “I can’t do anything I want to do, because I always have to do something for someone else.”

“You’re being an idiot,” Revali muttered. “Being dead doesn’t do anyone any good. Especially Aryll and Mipha. You can’t do that to them.”

Link’s brows furrowed. “I know.” Revali was right, after all. He couldn’t do that to them. He wouldn’t. But at the same time, it didn’t seem fair. It seemed his whole purpose in life was to do what everyone else needed. Not once did he ever have a chance to do what he wanted. “Everyone else got to leave,” Link said softly. “Everyone got to do what they wanted. And I had to stay here. I had to give up what I wanted to take care of everyone else’s shit.” His voice hardened as he grew angry. “I save the world, and for what? To get left behind?”

Revali frowned. “You could have -”

“Could have what?” Link snapped. “What should I have done? Sold the house? Pawned her off on someone else? There was nothing I could have done. I had to stay home to take care of Aryll. I had to be a parent. I had to be a fucking adult with a mortgage and bills and two jobs and it still isn’t enough.”

Revali’s brows knit together. “So, you’re mad because everyone else got to live their lives?”

Link’s expression softened. When Revali said it out loud, it sounded petty. He knew that. But it didn’t change anything. “I’m mad because… this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. I didn’t want to be stuck here like this. Everyone got to escape but me. Now…” His voice trailed off. “I just wanted one thing I could control. One change I could make. I wanted my escape.” He sighed softly. “I don’t expect anyone to give up their lives like I had to do. That’s not what I wanted. Mipha already has. I don’t want that.”

“What do you want?” he asked. “Because now you’re starting to contradict yourself.”

“I don’t know,” Link muttered.

Revali’s lips pinched together. “Alright,” he started. “I get it.”

Link glanced at him.

“So, here’s what you do,” he continued. “Stop trying to be the damn hero. The way I see it, the only one who needs saving is you. And you’re not letting anyone do it. It’s not your fucking job anymore, alright? So just give it a fucking rest already.”

Link’s brows furrowed. “Is this a joke? Are you and Kit stealing each other’s notes or something?”

Revali’s gaze flashed to his. “Huh?”

“I’ve heard that twice already,” Link muttered.

“Well, then maybe that fucking means something,” Revali said in an obvious tone. “Goddesses, you’re dense.”

Link sighed. “That’s easier said than done.”

“You’re not getting your one way ticket out of here,” Revali growled. “Sorry, pal. It’s not happening. Not while I have something to do about it. Besides, you’re not a quitter, Link. If there’s one thing I know, you’re too damn stubborn to give up.”

“So, what?”

“So.” Revali sucked in a breath. “So, what? What do you want? Don’t think of what you need to do, or what you think the world wants. What do you want?”

Link thought about this for a moment. He realized then that he didn’t know what he wanted. He was so busy doing everything he thought he had to do that he lost sight of what he wanted. And what he wanted was Mipha.

“I want Mipha back,” he said softly.

Revali smiled. “What else?”

Link glanced at him. He thought further. “A dog.”

Revali shrugged. “Alright. Sure. A dog. What else?”

“A new job,” Link muttered.

Revali grinned. “That all seems pretty doable, dude.”

He hated to admit it, but Revali seemed to have a point. Though, a part of him felt angry at Revali for pointing these things out, as if he were just an idiot that couldn’t see the bigger picture. Still. The more he thought of it, the more he wanted it all, and the worse he felt for wanting to give up. In truth, he cycled through these various emotions so quickly that he didn’t really feel any better, but just confused. And still, his heart was hurting. Hurting for all the ways he seemed to be fucking up. For the terrible life he was giving his sister. For giving up on Mipha. And in the midst of it all, he just wanted his father back.

Link realized only then that he was crying.

“Man, no, what?” Revali frowned. “I thought we were making progress.”

Link sighed and slumped back in his seat. “I’m tired.”

Revali nodded. “One day at a time,” he said. “One issue at a time.”

“Where do I start?”

“Where do you want to start?”

Link hesitated, then pulled a ring box out of his pocket. He opened it and examined his mother’s ring. “Mipha,” he said simply.

“You have a ways to go before you can do that,” Revali pointed out, but he was smiling smugly.

“Yeah,” Link said with a sigh.

“This weekend,” Revali said. “We’re getting together. You can start then.”

Link hesitated. He was eager to see his friends again. But he wanted to make things right with Mipha as soon as he could. He was ready to stop being the hero. He just wanted to live his life.

*****

Aryll was already in bed when Revali and Link got to the house. The house was dark, but Link didn’t bother turn any lights on. He headed straight for the couch, letting himself fall against it with a heavy sigh. Revali joined him, kicking his feet up.

“Don’t get any ideas,” he said. “No making moves on me in the dark.”

“You can leave,” Link said. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Agree to disagree,” Revali said. “I canceled all my plans for you. I’m staying.”

Link snorted. “Like you had plans.”

“I always have plans,” Revali said. “But my best friend is more important.”

“When did that happen?”

“When I decided I could ride your coattails into fame.”

“How’s that working for ya?”

Revali frowned. “Not as well as I’d hoped,” he said. “I thought we’d be knee deep in babes and cold hard cash.” He shrugged. “Well, I am, anyway, but I had to do that all on my own.”

“You must have it so hard,” Link said, rolling his eyes.

“Eh, I’m doing alright, all things considered.”

“Good for you,” he muttered.

“Have you given up on milking the hero bit?”

“No,” Link said dryly. “You haven’t noticed all the babes running around my mansion?”

Revali grinned. “You almost have me beat.”

“Don’t worry,” Link muttered. “The bank will be kicking us out any day now.”

His grin faded. “You know we’re here for you,” Revali said. “You’re not alone.”

“I kind of am,” Link said. “Besides. I don’t need anyone’s charity.”

“It’s not charity,” Revali said, his brows knit together. “You’re allowed to ask for help.”

Link sighed. “Yeah, I know,” he said. “I just wanted to keep it all together until Aryll graduated.”

“My company’s opening an office here,” Revali said with a smug grin. “They sent me here to finalize the plans. I’m running that bitch. But, I don’t have an apartment set up yet.”

“You’re not living here,” Link said.

“Aw, come on,” Revali whined. “You need money. I’ve got it.”

“All the money in the world wouldn’t be enough for me to live with your ass.”

“A thousand,” Revali said. “I’ll sleep on the floor in the basement. I’m hardly around, anyway.”

Link raised a brow. “You would pay that much for a room with a concrete floor that you’ll spend no time in?”

“Assuming I can bring chicks.”

Link opened his palm. “Let’s see it, big shot.”

Revali shrugged and pulled out his wallet. He then proceeded to count out the money, his smug grin returning.

“What the fuck do you do? You just carry around this much money on a daily basis?”

“Don’t worry about what I do,” Revali said. “I’ll be hiring in our new office. Interested?”

Link regarded Revali with hesitation. “Doing what, exactly?” he asked carefully.

“Those details are on a need to know basis,” Revali said.

“Don’t I need to know the job?”

“You do your job as I tell you to do it.”

Link raised a skeptical brow. “That sounds shady.”

“That’s why I’m hiring Urbosa as my lawyer.”

“What the fuck do -”

“Don’t worry about what I do! For the love of Hylia. The less you know, the better.”

“Uh-uh,” Link said, shaking his head. “I’m not getting involved in your shady ass business.”

“Name your price. Salary. Paid sick time, personal time. Four weeks vacation. All holidays. Company car. Paid mileage.”

“You can’t do that,” Link muttered.

Revali grinned. “What’ll it cost? Fifty big ones?”

“Fifty?” Link said slowly.

“Sixty? Seventy?”

“You’re insane.”

“Eighty?”

“Is this a joke?”

“The money is no issue. Top dollar. And most of the shit you’ll be doing, you won’t even know about. And if something goes wrong, we’ve got Urbosa.”

“Are you a hit-man?” Link whispered.

“Please,” Revali said, though he pause to consider this for a moment, scratching at his chin. “I would be so good at that, though. I’ve got that whole Matrix thing going for me, yanno?” He smirked at Link. “You, on the other hand…”

Link crossed his arms and turned his gaze to the tv. “Right.”

“So, think about it?”

Link sighed through his nose. “Sure. I’ll think about it.”

“Good,” Revali said with a nod. “Then you’ll be able to actually afford a ring for Mipha instead of giving her hand-me-downs.”

Link frowned. “Aryll says it’s romantic.”

Revali laughed sharply. “Right,” he said. “Nerd.”

“Can I go to bed now?”

“Sure. We spooning? Or is that reserved for Daruk?”

“I… what? We don’t spoon!”

“I have pictures that say otherwise,” he said with a snicker. “And one of you in an adorable little skirt.”

Link groaned loudly. He pressed a pillow to his face. “End me.”

“Not today, man.”

Link let the pillow fall onto his lap with a sigh. After a moment, he propped it up against the couch and lay across it, letting his feet stretch out to kick Revali.

“What are you doing, idiot?”

“Going to bed,” Link said with a yawn. “I have a feeling you won’t let me be alone in my own room.”

“Two eyes,” Revali said. “I promised your boyfriend.”

“Hmph.” He closed his eyes and groaned when he felt Revali drape a blanket over him.

“Do you want a bedtime story, too? Some warm milk?”

“Bite me,” Link muttered. When Revali didn’t tease him further, he let his mind quiet as he listened to the tv, and eventually, quite unexpectedly, sleep came to him.

[katedoesfics]

Shadows of Hyrule | Chapter 33

They looked across the field, the power-lines stretching onward on either side of them. But the forest that Link and Zelda had found earlier was no longer across the way. Instead, the field rolled on away from the city and toward the distant interstate.

“You said there was a forest here,” Revali said, his brows furrowed. “I don't see a single tree.”

“I don't understand,” Zelda said. “It was here. This is where we found the sword.”

“Were you on drugs?” Revali asked skeptically.

Zelda turned and sneered at Link.

“What? This isn't my fault,” he said defensively.

“Now what do we do?” Mipha asked. “This is where the portal is supposed to be.”

“Something's not right,” Urbosa said.

“I think that old hag sent us on a wild goose chase,” Daruk muttered.

“No,” Zelda said firmly. “It has to be here.”

“What do we do?” Mipha asked.

Their eyes turned to Zelda.

“I don't know,” she said slowly. “I guess we have to try somewhere else.” Her phone rang at that moment. Impa's name flashed on the screen and she answered it quickly.

“Impa -” But Impa cut her off. She listened intently, her brows knit together. “You can't be serious... In Akkala? ... Of course... Right. We'll head over there.” She hung up the phone and blew at her bangs, exasperated. She turned her attention back on her friends. “I have bad news, and worse news,” she said.

“Of course you do,” Revali said.

“The bad news is that the portal is definitely not here.”

“And the worse news?” Mipha asked.

“The second portal has been opened. The Shadow Beasts beat us to it. It's in Akkala. Some people in the area have reported seeing something going on at the old citadel. My father has already sent detail out to keep people away, so we should be in the clear to take care of it.”

“More Shadow Beasts?” Urbosa asked.

Zelda shook her head. “I don't think so. It sounds bigger. Impa wasn't sure, but we need to get over there and close it before whatever it is attacks the city.” “That's a long drive,” Urbosa said. “It will be the middle of the night by the time we get there.”

“Impa can help with that,” Zelda said. “Sheikah can teleport.”

“You mean, she's note a useless old hag after all?” Revali said.

“Watch it,” Link warned. “Or she'll beat you with a stick, too.”

*****

Impa was waiting for them rather impatiently when they got back to the shrine. She looked at her wrist, yet there was no watch on it. “If I had a Rupee for every time I had to wait around for some damned hero, I'd be the richest person in the world.”

“Along with your title of the oldest person in the world,” Revali said with a grin.

Impa slapped him upside the head. “No respect,” she hissed. “I will not make this an easy trip on you.” She turned to her granddaughter at her side. “Go with them. Bring them back when they're done. Unless they all die. Then leave them there.”

Paya hesitated. “Grandmother,” she said softly. “That's... a lot. I've never had to teleport seven people before.”

Impa shrugged. “Well, at least bring Link and Zelda back. Unfortunately, we'll need them.”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Revali said. “You're not ditching us in Akkala.”

“Relax,” Impa said, waving a hand at him. “You have legs. You can walk home.”

Revali opened his mouth to argue further, but Impa raised a hand, and immediately the world seemed to melt around them. They looked around in a panic, turning to Paya for some clarification, but she averted their gazes. And just as suddenly as the world began to melt and disappear around them, they felt as if they were jolted through time and space. Their insides lurched sickeningly, and in a snap, the world focused around them once more. Except the scene around them was not that of the shrine. They were deep in Akkala, now, the world shrouded in an eerie and unnatural twilight. In the distance, the citadel stood tall against the horizon, a dark shape against the dark storm clouds that rolled in.

But the storm was the least of their problems. Above the citadel, the opened portal seemed to grow and pulse. In the field that stretched between them and the citadel was an army of what appeared to be skeletons, some clad in armor, all with swords and other various ancient weaponry, and they were marching straight towards them.

“Those aren't Shadow Beasts,” Daruk muttered.

“Are those fucking skeletons?” Revali said.

“Of course they are,” Urbosa said. “Why would we expect anything less than insanity?”

“How are we supposed to destroy an army of bones?” Revali said.

“They're just bones,” Link said. “What's the worse that could happen? They'll just fall apart... right?”

“I have a feeling it won't be that easy,” Mipha muttered.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Revali said. “Let's get this over with.” He drew his bow and let an arrow fly. It hit its first target, knocking the skeletal soldier to the ground. But after a moment, it returned to its feet, seemingly unfazed by the attack.

“Awesome,” Revali muttered.

Urbosa stepped forward then, and with a snap of her fingers, lightening plummeted against the ground. Skeletal soldiers flew through the air where the ground erupted. Those in the direct path of the strike were turned to ash. As the soldiers fell to the ground, their bones broke and scattered, seemingly ending their short-lived lives.

“You're on,” Revali said to Urbosa. “There's no way I'm letting you have all the fun.”

Revali and Urbosa eagerly plunged themselves into battle, taking out as many of the skeletal soldiers as they could.

Link turned to Zelda and Mipha. “Stay out of the way,” he growled.

“No way,” Zelda said. “We can help.”

“Find that power,” Daruk grunted at her. “You can help by closing that portal before we get our asses handed to us.” He turned to Link. “I'll stay here with them. I've got more going for me than these fists.” A red orb took shape around the three of them suddenly; a protective shield that enveloped Daruk, Zelda, and Paya. “Just take care of that army.”

With one last glance to his friends, Link and Paya hurried to join Revali and Urbosa in the battle. However, when they neared the skeletal army, Link froze, gripping the sword in both hands. Battling the Shadow Beasts seemed easy enough, despite their terrifying forms and horrific shrieks. In comparison, a walking structure of bones was not nearly as scary, but there was one difference between the two, and that difference was weapons. This was exactly the moment Impa had been training him for, yet he suddenly felt overwhelmingly under prepared. As they charged towards him, weapons raised, they seemed more real than anything he had encountered yet, and he couldn't bring himself to move. But it was kill or be killed, and Link wasn't about to succumb to an army of walking corpses.

He raised his sword as the first skeletal soldier charged him, deflecting his enemy's blow and dislodging the sword from the soldier's hands in one swift movement. The sword fell to the ground, leaving it defenseless, and in that moment, Link swung his sword around again, cutting through the midsection of the soldier and ending the brief battle.

He felt a wave of adrenaline wash over him as he tore his gaze away from the corpse and onto the next soldier charging at him. He gripped the sword in his hand once more, feeling more confident than he had in a long time, and repeated the process of battling and killing.

But as the battle wore on, the skeletal army seemed to grow, and their attacks moved en masse. Suddenly, he found himself in clusters of soldiers, working hard and fast to take them out before they had a chance to surround him. He didn't have a chance to think, only react, yet his body seemed to move automatically, just as Impa had taught him to do in combat.

Though the battle had seemingly only just begun, Daruk could see that his friends were already being overwhelmed. The hoard of skeletal soldiers seemed endless, and the battle showed no signs of ending any time soon. From time to time, his friends disappeared in the madness, only to resurface a few moments later, looking more exhausted than the last time he caught a glimpse of them. He couldn't sit by and do nothing any longer.

“Stay here,” Daruk growled to Zelda and Mipha before running out to join the fight, leaving them alone in the protection of his shield.

They watched helplessly in the protection of his barrier. Without her power, and with Mipha's only ability being to heal, they felt useless. Zelda grew agitated; there just had to be something she could do. She couldn’t stand idly by in Daruk’s protection while her friends fought for their lives and all of Hyrule.

She desperately tried to gather her inner strength, just as Impa had been training her do. She fought to relax and focus her mind, but it was impossible in the midst of battle. She could hear the sounds of steel clanging together as Link plunged deeper into battle, fighting off the attacks of Ganondorf’s army. She felt the ground tremble as Urbosa let loose her terrifying power, lightning striking all around them. She listened to Daruk’s grunts as he threw his strong fists at his enemies, and Revali whooped as his arrows hit their targets.

“Curse this damn power,” Zelda practically shouted in frustration. Her hands made fists at her sides, her knuckles turning white. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she tried once more to awaken the power inside of her, growing more and more desperate as time ticked by.

They were already severely outnumbered, and the longer the fight took, the more tired Hyrule's Champions were becoming. Zelda watched helplessly as Daruk panted after each blow. Urbosa moved further away from the heart of the battle, her power growing weaker. Revali desperately shot arrow after arrow, but he was growing careless and his arrows missed more frequently. Even Link was slowing down, stumbling backwards and moving to a defensive stance, no longer making any attempt to attack his enemies. They didn’t have the energy to continue like this. They were losing.

“No,” Zelda muttered. She closed her eyes and tried once more to summon her power, but it was useless. She cursed loudly and pressed herself as close to Daruk’s shield as she could without breaking it. Her eyes darted around the scene of the battle, her mind racing, hoping to find something she could use to help them. Her eyes stopped on Link as she heard the sound of steel on steel. She watched in horror as the Master Sword was thrown from his hands, clattering onto the ground just yards away.

Mipha screamed to him, and together, they watched as he lost his focus, his attention turned to the sword, but Mipha's voice was lost in the chaos. Her heart lept in her throat as the enemy’s sword plunged forward into Link, stunning him for a moment, his mouth open in shock. He blinked up at the enemy for a moment until the sword was withdrawn and blood splattered out of the wound in his gut, staining the blade, his shirt, and the ground around them.

Mipha’s throat burned as she screamed into the night. Zelda threw herself out of the protection of Daruk’s barrier, shattering it. Without thinking, she sprinted forward towards Link, unable to see through her blurred vision. She threw her arm out desperately in an attempt to stop them from attacking again and a surge of power shot through her body. She gasped for air as her breath was seemingly sucked out of her lungs and the surge shot down her arm and out her open hand in a sharp and blinding light.

The light shot across the battle and seemed to extend far across the land, as far as she could see. When it subsided, she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. She blinked through her wet eyes. The world had grown quiet. Too quiet. The sounds of battle had ceased, and everything was still. She looked around; skeletal bodies were strewn across the ground, defeated. Her eyes moved over to her friends; they, too, were examining the sight of the finished battle, their mouths gaping open. One by one, they turned their eyes to Zelda as she pushed herself to her feet. And then they looked passed her at something far more disturbing than an undead army. Urbosa’s face whitened and she cried out to Link, bringing Zelda’s attention back to him. She spun around on her heels as he fell to his knees, doubled over and gasping sickeningly. Blood spewed out of his mouth as he fought to fill his lungs with air.

“No!” Mipha ran to his side, her weak knees collapsing under her. She caught him as his body gave out under his own weight and he collapsed against her. Blood seeped through his shirt and onto her hands as she frantically ripped open his shirt in an attempt to cover the wound, but it was much too deep.

“No, no, no,” she muttered, her hands shaking, as she pulled her closer to him. “You’re going to be okay,” she sobbed. “Don’t leave me. You’re going to be fine.”

Link’s gaze met her’s for a brief moment, but his eyes seemed empty. They closed and he fell limp in her arms, no longer breathing. She screamed to him, her vision blurred. She could barely make out the voices behind her until she felt Daruk's strong hand on her shoulder.

“Fix him,” he growled to her. “Snap out of it and fix it! If you don't hurry...”

Mipha hesitated, staring down at Link. The only time she had used her powers to heal was a cut on his face. This was no simple wound, however. What if she couldn't do it? She pinched her lips together in an attempt to hold back a sob. Without another word, she closed her eyes and set to work healing him with shaking arms.

Daruk turned away as Mipha worked and made his way to Revali’s side.

“Do you think she can do it?” Revali asked, hesitant. For once, his expression seemed to show concern, even fear, for Link. “Wounds are one thing. But this…” He turned his gaze to Daruk. “He’s a dead man, Daruk.”

“Shut your mouth,” Daruk growled. “She can do this. She has to.”

Revali turned his attention back on Mipha as she worked, unaware of the rest of the world around her.

Zelda leaned against Urbosa, who seemed to suddenly be her only support as she stood watching Mipha. She bit back a sob, but her body shook, and Urbosa pulled her closer, running her fingers through Zelda’s hair, just as she did with Riju when she was upset. And it seemed to work. Zelda felt a little more calm, a little more focused. It grounded her in reality as she watched Link carefully, waiting for some sign of life.

After a few more minutes, they got their sign. Link gasped and choked as his lungs filled with air. Mipha quickly pulled him against her as he gasped for breath and then passed out once more, his head in her lap. The wound continued to bleed profusely, and Mipha turned her attention to it, closing it up as quickly as she could to stop it from bleeding further, now that Link appeared to be stable.

“We can’t stay here much longer,” Daruk said, his voice rough. But there was a small sigh of relief to it. “Once he’s stable enough, we need to move and get back to Impa.”

“We can't leave without closing that portal,” Urbosa said. “If we don't hurry, who knows what else will come out of it.”

Zelda nodded and stepped out of Urbosa's comforting hold. “I'll take care of it,” she said, her face creased with concern.

“You're not going alone,” Revali said. “Come on.”

Zelda didn't bother to argue with him. They hurried toward the citadel where the portal pulsed in the sky, leaving the others to tend to Link.

After a few minutes more, Mipha sat back against her legs and lowered her arms, her gaze still on Link. “Okay,” she said softly. “He should be okay to move. The wound is sealed.”

Daruk didn’t hesitate once she gave him the okay, scooping the still unconscious hero in his arms. Mipha got to her feet, realizing how suddenly exhausted she was. She had never had to heal someone who was almost dead. It took more out of her than she realized, and her legs gave out under her own weight, too tired to support her any longer.

Urbosa caught her as she collapsed and lifted her off the ground as she drifted in and out of consciousness. “She’s exhausted,” she said. “She'll need rest.”

“I can get you back to the shrine,” Paya said. “It will be easier in a smaller group for me. I'll come back for Zelda and Revali.”

Daruk hesitated, glancing towards the citadel. He nodded. “Alright,” he said. “Just make it quick.”