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Chapter Text

“CALL ME WHEN YOU GET LOST"

A Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fanfiction by one music connoisseur Kotoneshoemi

Chapter 1: I'm Looking Forward to Joining You, Finally

~ ~ ~

This was bad. Very, very bad. They all knew going in there was a risk of dying. Be it from the abundance of Gloom or the multiple high ranked monsters in the chasm below Hyrule Castle. Or it was the fact that the monster they were facing against was a truly vile man. One who had killed the First Queen of Hyrule out of cold blood and nearly plunged the world into darkness, releasing death and destruction to everything in his path, only being sealed away by a great sacrifice of the first king. Link knew this. Riju and Tulin knew this. Sidon and Yunobo knew this. Mineru knew this. Yet here they were, either on the ground, badly injured or barely standing up, fighting against Ganondorf himself, the Demon King. The man looked as if he was the personification of evil itself, a burden that had plagued the land for nearly a millennium. He smiled cockily, watching as the knight and sages stood up, bleeding and bruised.

“My, my…” Ganondorf scoffed. “You really have tested my patience for far too long, pests. But I'm afraid this is where your little game ends.”

“When will you ever shut the hell up?” Riju grimaced, the Gerudo chief wiping blood off her face.

“You bad guys are always the same…” Tulin cried out, the young Rito preparing his bow, his wing injured yet still ready to go. “All talk and no bite!”

“No matter how many disgusting men like you appear , you will fail like the rest.” Sidon chuckled, the Zora Prince holding onto his injured shoulder, being supported by Yunobo. The Goron Leader grimaced at Ganondorf, gritting his teeth.

“We won't let you destroy our world-Goro!” He cried out.

“Ganondorf…” Mineru and Link supported each other, the Zonai Spirit looking at the Demon King with utter disgust under her mechanical body. “You have been a blight on our world for far too long. I will avenge my brother and her majesty!”

“And you're nothing but a beast. You will fall today!” Link readied his shield and the Master Sword, holding in how bad his injuries hurt. Link wasn't just doing this to save the world. He was doing it for Zelda. The Princess sacrificed everything to restore the Master Blade, willing to throw her humanity and identity to become the Light Dragon to give it renewed strength. Link pointed the sword at Ganondorf. “I will not let Rauru, Sonia, and Zelda's sacrifice be in vain, you bastard!”

Ganondorf scoffed, pointing his blade at the group. He then lunged, with Link attacking back. Sidon and Riju used their water and lightning manipulation powers to give support. Tulin flew around the arena, the Rito giving covering fire as Yunobo and Mineru helped Link with their bigger strikes on the Demon King. It was a valiant effort, yet Ganondorf proved too strong, taking their attacks as if it were nothing more than bug bites. He nearly effortlessly wiped the floor on the group, with Link, Mineru and Tulin being the last ones still going.

“Your little game has ended, pests. Bow down to your rightful king at once!” Ganondorf yelled, his smile twisted as his soul. Link and Mineru had him in a sword lock, but he kicked the Hylian Knight hard, Link hitting the wall and dropping both his shield and the Master Sword. Mineru’s mech soon was massively damaged, the Zonai spirit falling out of it. As it crumbled, rushing to reform, the part holding Mineru’s Secret Stone broke, leaving it by the injured Link, his body aching in pain as he coughed blood up. Link watched as Riju, Sidon and Yunobo joined the fray once more, despite their severe injuries. Yet, Link couldn't get up. He couldn't look away from the brutal way Ganondorf attacked his allies… his friends. And in front of him… was that god damn stone. The stone that led to his allies having their powers amplified. The same stone that was killed over for. The same stone corrupted by The Demon King to spread his malice across Hyrule. The same stone… that turned Zelda into a dragon. Link felt his world grow silent, yet his breath and heartbeat was loud. It was as if time slowed down as he reached for it, Link looking around as Ganondorf’s carnage reigned, all the Sages in a desperate struggle. He remembered Mineru’s words about the stone, glowing softly in his bloodied palm…

“To become an immortal dragon is to lose oneself.”

And he… he already made his choice. 

Ganondorf effectively threw all the other sages off him, growling like a mad man. He caught Tulin, slamming the poor kid into the ground. ”Your death will be swift, boy. You're the lucky one.” He cackled maniacally, striking fear into the sage as he raised his blade, ready to strike. Tulin closed his eyes, bracing for certain sudden death…

Yet it never came. Ganondorf was tackled by Link, his body glowing in an emerald green light, the knight grimacing in pain. Tulin quickly ran to Mineru, the Zonai Spirit watching in horror as she realized what Link had done.

“L-Link… LINK!” Mineru called out to him, the other sages as well. Ganondorf tried to get him off to take his Secret Stone out of his head, intending to swallow it, but the smaller knight overpowered him, almost as if he was powered by something divine.

“Link!” 

“Lil’ Bro!” 

“Don't do this!” 

“B-but why?!”

All those cries from his friends… his head was almost splitting, feeling as Link's mind, soul and body was going numb. Shaking, he looked back at his friends, a small smile on his face as his eyes became what could be described as an explosion of light. Using what little time he had left as a hylian, he spoke.

“I'm sorry, guys… Finish the job for Zelda and I…”

And with that, a blinding light overtook the room, a loud wail emerging.

“LINK!!!” The sages all cried out.

But Link was no more.

~~~

Purah had her eyes locked onto Hyrule Castle, nervously tapping the edge of the guard rail. She was worried about what was going down underneath there, knowing how Link and the Sages were fighting for everyone in Hyrule. Purah was also not doing too well during the Upheaval, constantly blaming herself for Zelda and Link's initial disappearance due to her suggestion to the duo to investigate the Castle after the first initial cases of Gloom were happening. Yet, all she could do was wait, hoping that Link and Mineru’s plan would work out. She then sighed, hearing someone come up the steps.

“Professor Purah?” Yona asked. The green ocean zora and wife of Sidon looked at Purah gently, sensing her distress. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah… just stressed and overthinking stuff.” Purah smiled nervously, adjusting her glasses. “I just… with everything from the Upheaval, to Zelda's current state and the whole kingdom, I feel like I'm just forced to watch everything go down.” She took a deep breath.

“It's alright.” Yona gave her a soft smile. “You have done a wonderful job helping everyone sort this mess out, especially when you sent aid to Zora's Domain after Link and Sidon stopped the gunk coming from the Water Temple.” She looked at Hyrule Castle, her face a bit uneasy, yet full of hope. “Now it's just praying that this nightmare is nearly done.”

Purah nodded slightly. “You're right. I think Linky has this in the bag. I'm just letting my thoughts get the better of-”

Before Purah had a chance to finish her thought, a massive earthquake was felt across the land, causing everyone in Lookout Landing to hold on to something to avoid falling down. As it subsided, one of the men noticed the chasm beneath Hyrule Castle behind to glow a bright light.

“Purah?! You have to see this!”

Purah and Yona got up, rushing to Purah's Telescope as the light began to shine even brighter, until….

“CRAAAAAAAAAAAAW-”

Coming out of the chasm were two dragons. One was black and red, and was massive, almost eclipsing the Castle it nearly crashed into. It was vile, violent, and felt like it was death itself as it thrashed around in it's flight.

However, fighting it was a much smaller one. This one was a dark green, with a light blond underbelly. It's spikes and horns were almost akin to that of jade, and had a mane that was a silky, yet slightly darker blonde. It fought with such vigilance and determination, despite it's smaller size. Purah was in shock, as Yona and the other residents of Lookout Landing came onto the observation deck to watch the battle. Purah quickly ran out of there.

“P-Purah? Where are you going?!” Just as Yona spoke, a massive figure flew over, this being the Light Dragon.

Purah quickly got onto a horse, her face determined. “I'm going over to Hyrule Castle. Something about this… just stay here!” With that, she rode off, her mind racing as her eyes were locked onto the dragons. Her mind’s worst fears were slowly taking over her, but she shook them off, still rushing to the battle.

~~~

Mineru opened her eyes, the Zonai mech holding onto Tulin and Riju. They definitely weren't in the Chasm's depth anymore, but when they looked down on what they were standing, they were all shocked. 

“Link…” Riju said, her voice in total disbelief. 

“Did Mister Link… H-He did it… no…” Tulin's voice began to crack, his eyes ready to tear up. The moment of somberness was interrupted, as not only were Sidon and Yunobo missing, but the group and the transformed knight were attacked by another dragon. 

“Ganondorf swallowed his stone as well...” Mineru remarked, the trio barely dodging an attack from the Demon King's transformed state. It was able to tear one of Link's horns off, the Jade Dragon crying in pain but still keeping at it with his attacks. “We need to fight Ganon off to prevent him from hurting Link or killing us!”

“But how?!” Riju called out, holding onto the mane. Just then, they heard another voice. 

“My friends!”

“Lil Bro! Lil Sis! Goat Lady!

The three saw as another dragon came up to them, Sidon and Yunobo on top of it. It was the Light Dragon… Zelda herself.

“Sidon! Yunobo!” The other three smiled, only for the seven to be interrupted by the valiant cry of the Demon Dragon.

“Mineru… you have a plan?” Riju asked. “We're going need a miracle to take out Ganondorf…”

Just then, the Zonai noticed the multiple swells of Gloom on the Demon Dragon's body, seemingly from how sudden the transformation was, along with how Ganondorf’s stone was cracked and corrupted.

“Ganondorf has weak points all across his body. If we could strike them all, we can finish him!” Mineru said, the others nodding. Despite the fact they were no longer themselves, Link and Zelda also cooed positively, seemingly acknowledging the little creatures on top of them.

“Then let's get to work-Goro!” Yunobo chimed. And soon, everyone began the final battle, one last hail mary to stop the Demon King. The group worked as a unit, letting the two dragons get close as the Sages attacked on Ganondorf's weak spots, the Demon Dragon wailing as it tried to defend itself. The group didn't waste any time, quickly slashing, shooting and pounding every weak spot, each blowing out crimson and black blood. It then led to the final weak spot appearing on top of the Demon King’s head.

“There!” Mineru called out. “It has a protective barrier around it… W-We need the Master Sword!”

“I have it with me!” Sidon yelled across, holding the blade up. Everyone nodded, as each sage jumped off the Light and Jade dragons, Mineru staying for a bit longer to talk to the transformed.

“Link… Thank you. We won't let your and Zelda's sacrifices be for nought.” And with that, she jumped, skydiving with the other as they all held their hands on the mystical blade, their secret stones amplifying their plunging strike.

“THIS IS IT! THIS IS FOR HYRULE!”

“WE WON'T LET GANONDORF WIN!”

“WE WILL WIN THIS!”

“WE'RE DOING THIS FOR LINK AND ZELDA!”

“AND THIS… IS FOR OUR FUTURE!” Mineru yelled out, all five plunging the blade deep into the mass pile of Gloom, as a bright light enveloped the group. It was over.

The Demon King had been slain.

~~~

Purah stopped her horse as the demonic looking dragon stopped flying, before glowing and exploding into a flash of light, causing her horse to be startled and for her to fall off it. After getting back up, she noticed as instead of three dragons, there were now only two. The mysterious green dragon and Light Dragon cooed, before howling a victorious battle cry. Purah covered her ears, still wondering where the green dragon came from.

“This day just keeps getting weirder…” Purah shook her head, adjusting her glasses. At the corner of her eye, the Shiekah noticed five figures coming out of the former basin that surrounded Hyrule Castle. It was the Sages, a small gleam of hope formed on her face as Purah rushed towards the group.

“There, there, big guy…” Riju was helping Yunobo out of the crater he created after crashing into the ground. Sidon helped pick up Mineru’s ruined mech out of the water, the spirit thankful for the Prince's kindness and generosity. Tulin was checking on his friends, until the group heard Purah called out, her voice exhausted from all the running she just did to reach them.

“G-Guys! You did it!” Purah smiled, wiping sweat off her brow. “You bastards actually did it!”

Sidon gave his iconic smile. “I assured you earlier, ma'am. We were not going to lose to some horrible beast!”

Tulin jumped up in joy “Yeah! We took him on and won!”

Yunobo rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.“He nearly took us out-goro. B-but we prevailed in the end.”

Riju looked down, not ready to break the news. “Link did save us all at the end…”

The short celebration quickly became silent, the sages looking down. Purah’s fears were slowly creeping up. “W-What do you mean by that? Link usually comes back after a bit, so it's normal for him, r-right?”

Mineru shook her head. “What Riju meant was… Link… sacrificed himself to save us all and help defeat Ganondorf.” Purah’s face kept her awkward smile, the Sheikah Scientist trying to keep her optimism from fading.

“Link's not dead, yeah? He just probably got teleported by some magic or by a divine being o-or-”

“Miss Purah…” Tulin said, holding onto Link and Zelda's Purah Pad. “Link is not like us anymore…”

Sidon sighed, handing the Master Sword over to Purah. “He's with Zelda now…”

Purah looked down at the sword, before at the sky, as the Jade and Light Dragon slowly flew off together. Her worst fears were realized. “No… No that can't… Mineru… we can fix this, right? They won't be stuck like that forever?” She rushed up to the Zonai spirit, her eyes welling up with tears as her smile began to wither.

“Purah, I told you-”

“I know! I know! I know about that… but we can get them back to being their old selves! There has to be a way to save from just being beasts that just only fly around!” The eerie, somber silence didn't help, as Purah went on her knees, her tears finally pouring out. “P-Please… Please tell me we can…” 

Mineru shook her head, her long rabbit-like ears going down. “Purah… they made their gambit. Now all we can do is live for them.” Purah’s cries were only heard to them, as the rest of the Kingdom celebrated the end of the Upheaval. The two mystical beasts flew around the sky, never leaving each other’s side. They didn't know who those little creatures on their backs were that helped them defeat the Demon Dragon, but the Light and Jade Dragons patrolled the sky from then on, grateful for their help.

It was the end of an age of calamity …and the start of an age of change…

~~~

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading my first fanfic after a long time! I have been currently Zelda brainrotted and also Tyler the Creator brainrotted since the release of Chromakopia. As I was thinking of ideas to draw, I thought of drawing Link, Zelda, Purah and the TOTK Sages as a series based off the album CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST's original cover art. One thing led to another, and here I am, writing fanfiction again. I appreciate any praise or criticism, as I am a bit rusty, but I am so proud how this first chapter came out! Until next chapter!

Chapter Text

“CALL ME WHEN YOU GET LOST”

A Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fanfiction by one music connoisseur Kotoneshoemi

Chapter 2: Count Me Out

~~~

Purah found herself in the Great Sky Temple, the atmosphere of the place was far more run down and looking as if the place was just attacked. As she looked around the dark corners, the light coming from a torch, she found the fresh remains of what looked like the sages, all of their faces horrified and bodies withered, as if their souls were sucked out, not able to fight back against whatever killed them. As the Sheikah made her way to the central altar, on top of the stairs, looking at the blood red sky was a man clad in purple. Flying around were what seemed to be corrupted versions of the Light and Jade dragons, the voices sounding like they were human, and in constant pain. As she went to confront the man, he turned around, her vision soon becoming pitch black, as she felt her body begin to rage in pain, her cries soon morphing into a draconian howl, before…

~~~

BZZZT! BZZZT! BZZZT!

Purah rubbed her eyes, groaning as she woke up from the very vivid nightmare. “Damn it… It’s that same nightmare again…” She looked at her alarm, seeing the time be set at 8:30 AM. She took a deep breath, getting out of bed as she went to get ready for the day. After changing into her clothes, which were a simple black long sleeve sweater with gold accents, red tights, work boots and her trusty lab coat, she put her hair into a lower ponytail. While it was still goofy, she had been letting her hair down more often out of both laziness and… personal reasons. After getting her fingerless gloves and glasses on, she grabbed her new model of the Purah Pad, a much smaller device than the previous models that Zelda and Link tested, being able to fit into her pocket and be much faster to use. She quickly scrolled to a tracker, smiling lightly as the signal lit up.

“Glad to see you two guys again…” She went up top to Lookout Landing’s observation tower, hearing the bustling of the town below. Despite it being only two years, Lookout Landing went from just being an observation area to a small yet bustling town, being labeled as the epicenter of technology in Hyrule. It was crazy to think how little technology was used only just a few years prior, to now being used in a majority of Hylian villages. It was still taking time to come to places like Death Mountain or Rito Village, but most expected stuff like the revamped Zonai power grid and the new, more mainstream version of Purah's Slate design to be widespread In the next few years. But for Purah, that didn't matter. She looked through her telescope, seeing the Light Dragon and Jade Dragon fly by what seemed to be Kakariko Village. The Shiekah Scientist quickly jotted down her notes, remarking how the duo seem to go around that area slowly.

Date: May 10th

Link and Zelda went by Kakariko again. It seems as though they can no longer remember who they originally were, some of their actions dictate that certain areas may be so ingrained in their minds that they subconsciously remember it. This may be the key to help figure out a way to reverse the draconification…

She sighed, before jotting one last thing down on the page.

… I hope.

She closed the notebook, before returning to the telescope to keep an eye on her transformed friends. Just as she turned around to drink some water, she jumped at the sight of a familiar friend.

“Hey Purah!” Tulin smiled. He looked as he had finally reached his teen years. He was slightly taller, his voice sounded a bit deeper, and his clothes were looser, consisting of a baggy green and brown vest with a hoodie, a simple pair of brown pants, and leg padding on his sides. He also kept his scarf and had grown out some of his feathers, putting them in a ponytail similar to how Link stylized his.

“By Hylia, you scared me…” Purah shook her head, much to the Rito's amusement. “...what do you want, Tulin?”

“Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. The other sages and I are here for the weekend, and we wanted to see how you were doing. It's… been a while.” Tulin said, his voice soft and slightly sad.

“It's fine… I'm doing fine.” She went back to her telescope, watching the two dragons again. “Thank you for putting those trackers on Link and Zelda a few months ago… It's been helping with the research.”

“No problem. You still think we can…” Tulin sighed. “You've been at this for the past year. You still disagree with Mineru's belief that nothing can be done?”

“I don't just disagree. I know it can happen. Link and Zelda already pulled miracles on us before.” Purah remarked, jotting notes down as she kept her eye on the two mythical dragons. “I just hope I can do one for them, just this once.”

Tulin nodded, rubbing the back of his head. “I still hope we can… but it has been nearly two years, Purah.” The Shiekah gave him a side eye at his statement, causing him to stutter. “N-Not that I think it can't be done. Sidon believes it and so do I… but still…”

“I know.” Purah shook her head, returning to the telescope and checking the readings of the Light and Jade Dragons. “... and I don't care if people think it's impossible.”

“I understand… I also wanted to ask something else. Since we're all here together, you want to hang out with us in a couple of days? It's going to be the second year anniversary of just defeating Ganondorf, and it wouldn't be right to not celebrate it without you.” Tulin gave her a small, gentle smile, only for her to give a pensive look.

“... We'll see.” Purah said. “Just leave me be for now, please?”

“But Purah-”

“Tulin. Now.” The Rito looked down, nodding.

“I understand. Soar long, okay? See you on the 12th.” With a hearty sigh, Tulin flew off, leaving Purah to her own devices. The Sheikah took another sip of her water, before continuing with her study in silence.

~~~

Tulin landed in the middle of Lookout Landing’s square, Sidon, Riju and Yunobo coming up to him. All three saw the look on his face, sighing.

“Purah still is looking for a way to change them back still, yes?” The Zora King said, his silver attire scented with gold and blue. He also had a black and white cloth out his cuffs and his crown fit snugly on his head, a feather adorning it.

“She is. She kinda just wants to be left alone for now.” Tulin sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

”Sucks-Goro. We haven’t seen her in weeks.” Yunobo chimed in. The Goron had grown his beard out more, while his hair was a bit more messier. Everything about him looked like he had matured a lot in the past two years, as his clothes were very much for a president of a mining company, wearing a lot of safety equipment. “I just hope she’s able to come for the celebration on Saturday.”

”I wouldn’t count on it, sadly.” Riju remarked. The Gerudo Chief was wearing a mix of Hylian and Gerudo attire, with her black skirt having both white accents and gold jewels, her top was a black and gold sweater with floral patterns, and her leggings were black, with specially designed boots adorned in black and gold. She also had a lighter crown for a more casual appearance. “She’s been putting off a lot of our meetings recently.”

”Hey, don’t be harsh on her, Riju. She still feels responsible for everything that happened to Link and Zelda. I wouldn’t imagine the guilt one would have.” Sidon replied back.

”I wasn’t being harsh, Sidon. It just worries me, like she’s becoming a shut-in. Especially after that last meeting about her dream of us being dead and some weird guy in purple…” The Gerudo bit her lip.

"Yeah. That did freak me out… Anyways, has anyone seen Mineru?” Tulin asked, trying to keep tge spirits high.“She's been gone for a while as well.”

”Last I checked in our messages, she was up at the Sky Temple of Time for some… meditation thingy.” Yunobo answered, scratching his chin. “Mostly to fix her mech after getting into a scuffle with some Lizalfos-Goro. I think she should be here tomorrow or today, so we should be expecting to see her at the celebration!”

”That’s good to hear.” Tulin smiled. “Well, uh.. since it is us four, you guys want to go get something to eat or just shop?” The Rito asked.

”Fine by me, my lovely friend!” Sidon grinned. Yunobo also nodded, thinking of having some delicious Rock Roast.

“Ooo, I've been craving some Rock Roast with Peppers-Goro!” He noticed Riju looking up at the observation tower, her face solemn. “Ey, Lil’ Sis? You okay?”

Riju shook her head, snapping out of her trance. “M-Me? No. I’m good. I’ll just wait here. You voes go have fun.” She said with a small smile. The others nodded, saying goodbye as they went to grab food. Riju sat at a nearby table, sighing. It definitely felt… weird. While the rest of Hyrule were recovering and celebrating the defeat of Ganondorf, Riju could tell that her team was not feeling it. While she and Tulin were close, almost like brother and sister despite her role as the chief of the Gerudo and Tulin on his way to becoming the Rito leader, the rest of them were either at odds or busy being adults. Sidon had become the King of the Zoras, managing his royal duties along with being a husband. Yunobo had become a very important figure in helping the restoration efforts post-Upheaval with YunoboCo. Purah and Mineru were at different ends of the spectrum with everything to do with Link and Zelda’s state’s as the Jade and Light Dragon, along with managing the restoration efforts of Hyrule. Purah desperately believed there was something they could do to turn them back to normal. Mineru believed that their fate was sealed, even if she wanted to restore them as well. The Gerudo Chief took her earring off, looking at the Secret Stone it contained. The fact this little thing made her lightning powers more potent and powerful, yet would curse her if she ever thought to swallow it as a last gambit.. it scared her. 

“How can a little thing like you cause so much to happen?” She thought to herself, placing the earring back onto her ear. Just then, she heard a very familiar voice behind her.

”My, did I disturb you, my dear?” The Zonai mech spoke, It was Mineru, her soul piloting it. Riju smiled, getting up and hugging.

“Mineru! I see that you came early! What gives?” She chuckled, the mech nodding.

“The repairs weren’t as bad as I originally thought, so I was able to have it repaired.” Mineru replied. “I.. was able to speak to my brother and her majesty when I meditated.”

”Oh.” Riju said surprisingly, raising her eyebrow. “Did they say anything?”

“They were thankful for everything we had done to save Hyrule. Even if they told me I deserved to rest.” The Zonai chuckled. “Ah… Rauru… how’d I miss him. I just told him and Queen Sonia that there is much more to be done here to assure Hyrule never has to suffer anything like the Calamity or Upheaval again.”

“That’s good…” Riju’s voice then became quieter, Mineru picking up her facial expression. “Did… you ask about it?”

”… I did.” Mineru sighed. “They said that due to their state as spirits, they couldn’t do anything to restore Link and Zelda to their original state. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine, It’s fine. I thought maybe… just forget it.” Riju remarked, sitting back down. “Purah’s still holding out hope, at least.”

”I wished I could be as persistent as her sometimes.” Mineru remarked. “But.. sometimes life just loves to take, and we must accept those consequences. I wish we could tell their story to the rest of the kingdom, but that would cause… issues.”

Those words stung the young Gerudo Chief, Riju slightly nodding. “I understand. It is nice to at least know they are together, even if they are beasts. But you’re right... Don’t want people to go crazy over what happened to them.” The Zonai solemnly nodded with her statement, before trying to change the mood.

“… Say, shall we get everything ready to go for the celebration in the coming days?” Mineru said, her spirit smiling under her mech’s cold exterior. “ I may have or may not have changed my look up after nearly ten millennia, so it might be fun to show it off.”

”Really? The ancient rabbit lady getting with the times? That’s new.” Riju said sarcastically, Mineru laughing as well. The duo noticed the other three Sages come back into the square.

”Say, shall we join our companions?”

Riju nodded, getting out of her seat. “Of course.” And with that, the duo walked up, joining up with Tulin, Sidon and Yunobo. Despite the sadness, there as a hope for a bright celebration in the following days.

~~~

May 12th. The day Ganondorf was purged from the world. And the day Link and Zelda’s fate were sealed. And it started with that same, vivid nightmare as well.

Purah looked at the calendar, feeling apprehensive about today. Today was a day of celebration for the rest of Hyrule, but for her, it was a day of regret. The Sheikah got up, getting changed. Her room and lab were a huge mess. Papers, notes, failed experiments and more laid across the table. As she was getting ready, she noticed an open cabinet, going to close it and finding the remnants of her friend’s former lives. It was Zelda’s Purah Pad, lying on the side of it. The screen was pulsing a faint blue at the top, which was… new, but Purah closed the cabinet, not wanting to be reminded of what went down on that day two years ago more than she needed. She looked outside as well, seeing the Light Dragon and Jade Dragon flying together, most likely near North Hyrule Ridge. She shook her head, closing the window.

”Just… try to be positive, Purah.” She told herself in her mind, leaving her lab as she locked the door. Just outside were the Sages, including Mineru. “… Hey.” Purah said, her face looking away from them.

”Purah, I just want to say-“ Mineru was cut off by the Sheikah.

”If it’s about Link and Zelda, just wait till we’re done with this. Everyone is expecting nice, crazy scientist Purah, not… whatever I am now.” She bit her lip, refusing to look at the Zonai. Mineru sighed, nodding as well.

”Fine. I understand.” Riju, Yunobo, Sidon and Tulin were quiet, deciding not to get in the two’s conversation.

”Anyway-Goro…” Yunobo coughed, the others looking in his direction as the Goron spoke. “Shall we make our way to the square? I can buy us all water or some watermelon drinks until it starts.” He gave a smile to the others.

”Watermelon sounds great, even though it is cold right now.” Tulin nodded, flapping his wings. 

“Refreshments are in order. It shall lead us to a brighter day!” Sidon cheered. Riju chuckled, smiling.

“I would gladly take one as well, Yunobo.” She remarked, looking at the Zonai and Sheikah. “You two want one as well or…?”

Mineru awkwardly chuckled. “Can’t, obviously. But I appreciate the thought.”

Purah shook her head softly. “I-It’s fine. I have my water flask. Thank you though... Let’s get going then. Just remember not to tell anyone about Link or Zelda’s… state.” With that, Purah walked, the others following close behind, as the group made their way to the celebration.

~~~

Despite the uneasiness between the six of them, the Celebrations at Lookout Landing Square was amazing. Seeing all of the people, from Hylian to Zora, just be happy as they either played the carnival games, ate food, or just talked to each other did give a small smile to their faces. If only those two were able to see this…

The six made their way to the main seating area, just as Robbie was giving the opening speech.

”As you know, it has been two years since we saw the end of the age of Calamity, with the fall of the Shadow King!” The old geezer was then interrupted as a Zora soldier came up and whispered, probably put there to help people remember their speech lines. “I meant Demon King. Of Course. But I see this as the start of a great age of progress for our beautiful land to heal and become a dystopia!” 

Purah gave a slight chuckle as she watched her old coworker be constantly reminded what words to actually use. “Should’ve used my anti-aging tech", she thought. Mineru just shook her mech’s head at Robbie’s speech. The other sages also had a good laugh as well.

“But of course, this wouldn’t have happened without the help of my dear fellow scientist, the five sages, and of course, our missing princess and her knight. As we wait for their eventual return, I have written a song about them from the bottom of my heart. I shall have it played now!” The Zora Soldier got on stage, interrupting and saving everyone’s ears. Riju and Purah did appreciate the old man hamming things up. 

”Thank you, Mr. Robbie. But I think that should be for later… much, much later. Anyway, please sit down and let the next person speak.”

As another person came up to the stage, the sages and Purah just watched as many people, from those at Lookout Landing to those who came from the likes of Tarrey Town and Gerudo Town, talk about their experiences, from the people they’ve lost during both the Calamity and Upheaval to the tales of the sages and local heroes who helped many survive, all thankful that the pain is finally over. Yet, every time they heard about Link’s kindness or Zelda’s thoughtfulness, the six of them squirmed in their seats a bit, thinking about the two friends they’ve lost. As it wrapped up, the group were ready to leave, until…

”… And for the final person up to the stage, after Beedle’s… advertisement for his bugs, it is… lemme get this right… Purah! May you please come up to the stage?” The Zora Soldier asked, the Sheikah Scientist stopping in her tracks.

”Me? But I didn't put my name on the list.” She called out. She looked at the others, the Sages just shrugging.

”Well, it says that you are on the list, so..” Since she didn’t want to get into an argument, Purah went up the stage, cursing out Robbie under her breath for forgetting to take her name out of the pool of speakers.

”W-Well, hello. You already know me, but my name is Purah. I am the current head of the Zonai Research Team, which now includes the research into the mysterious dragons that appeared during that last battle, which we still don't know too much about still.” That last line stung her. She knows exactly who they were. “A-As we approach the second anniversary of that battle, I am reminded of a quote King Rhoam would say…” Purah continued on, just trying to finish the speech so she can get out of here. “And… I am thankful for how fast our beautiful kingdom, despite the scars it now carries, has healed. I just wished Link and Zelda were here to celebrate with us. But, like the rest of you, I have hope they will return. Thank you.” Purah was ready to leave, until some of the people there began to ask questions.

”Has any research been done on the Light Dragon and the Jade Dragon helped figure out where they came from?”

”Are they tied to anything to do with the Upheaval or even the Calamity?’

”Why has the Zonai Research Team been super secretive about the murals or relics?”

Purah gulped, her voice quivering a bit as she tried to answer the questions as fast as possible. 

“W-Well, I didn't see this as a Q & A, but I'll answer a few.”

Tulin, Robbie, and Sidon came in to calm the crowd, asking them to be organized.

”Anything you can say about them, from the current research?” A Hylian man asked. ”We’ve seen you always up on the observation deck, so we would like to know.”

”Well…” Purah looked at the others, Riju nodding while Mineru seemed a bit iffy, before nodding her mechs head. “F-From what we currently do have on the dragons, what we know is that the behavior they exhibit is a very docile nature, but the Jade Dragon seems to be the more protective one, despite the lack of one of it’s legs and the injury it had to it’s horn during the final fight against the Demon Dragon. And we also know that one of them is…” Just as she was about to say something else, she noticed a strange figure at the back of the crowd. He looked sickly, his clothes purple and elegant, yet very simple compared to most of the clothing of this era. But something was off about this man. He had a threatening aura to him, he looked very similar to the man in her dream, and he bore a striking resemblance to… “Link?”

”What?”

”Did you hear that?”

”One of those dragons is Link???”

“Told y'all she was crazy. But no one believed me!”

Purah shook her head out of the trance. The man she just saw was now gone. She then turned to look at the sages, Riju and Yunobo looking absolutely confused by what she said, as Mineru had her palm on her mech’s head, looking disappointed and pissed. Purah was only confronted more, as more people began to question the Sheikah Scientist, confused by what she said. “No! I mean-”

”Is Link one of the dragons, Purah?

”What about Zelda?”

“Have you been lying to us this entire time?!?!”

”U-Uh.. no, that’s-“ Robbie came in to help break the commotion, seeing her distressed.

”That’s it, you guys, leave her alone! She’s been stressed with her job!” After the Zora soldier came to help the old man quell the crowd, Purah quickly ran off. 

“H-Hey! Purah! Wait!” Tulin called out to her. He then quickly flew, following after the Sheikah.

”W-What the hell was all that about?” Riju remarked, looking at Mineru and Yunobo, the three getting up from their seats. 

“It seemed like something spooked her-Goro.” Yunobo said worryingly.

“Whatever it is, we need a long talk. Something isn’t right with her.” The Zonai stormed after Purah. After the group began to chase after her, Sidon followed behind them, wondering what was going on with his friends.

~~~

Purah quickly unlocked her lab’s door, before quickly slamming it. Her heart was racing, she had sweat dripping, and she swore she saw the man from her dream. What was going on?

”Purah…” Mineru’s voice rang outside, her normally gentle voice now stern and frustrated. “Open the door, we need to talk. Now.”

The Sheikah quickly opened it, leading all of them inside. “Guys, I am so, so sorry for what happened right now. I-I got distracted by something and I slipped up and-“

The Zonai Mech powered down as the Spirit of Mineru came out of it. The Rabbit looking Zonai had her hair grown out, putting it into a ponytail, and her outfit a mix of modern Hyrulian and Ancient Zonai. She also had the Secret Stone of her brother on as a necklace, finding it during the cleanup of the Hyrule Castle chasm. “Purah. What's going on? Everyone I know here in this town has said you have become an outcast, you haven't come out of your lab, and that last meeting we had two months ago about that nightmare you told… have you been overworking yourself?” Mineru's concern was on full display.

“No! I haven't. Why would you guys say that?” Purah tried to shrug off. Riju just shook her head, speaking up.

“Purah, we all noticed you not acting like yourself. It’s been like that ever since we defeated Ganondorf.” Her face was worried. “You’re acting like you’re the only person who can take the brunt of what happened. But every time we try to reach out to you, you always push us away.”

“Purah, the loss of Link and Zelda has all hurt us. I still miss them everyday, especially for what they have done for my Domain.” Sidon sighed. “It is not your battle to take alone.”

“Then why haven’t we done anything to fix them?!” Purah yelled, clutching her shaking fist in anger and sadness. “It’s not like they are actually dead. They are just flying around as mindless docile dragons, yet none of us have figured out a way to return them to normal.”

“We know, Purah.” Mineru gritted her teeth, her ears drooping down. “Yet as I told you-“

“What, that they are forever stuck like that because it’s fate or something? I say to hell with that! Link and Zelda are depending on us this time, yet you all gave up on saving them!”

“No we haven’t-Goro!” Yunobo chimed in, his voice in shock as the other sages were stunned by what Purah said.

“Purah, we all have been busy with helping the Restoration efforts along with running our homes! Why in Hylia’s name would you say that?” As the argument continued to heat up between Purah, Mineru and the rest, Tulin noticed something that caught his eye. The young Rito went up to the cabinet, a light coming from underneath. He opened it and picked up the Purah Pad, the light at the corner of it glowing bright blue. 

“Guys?” Tulin called out, only to hear the argument continue on.

”...IF YOU JUST LISTENED TO ME FOR ONCE, PURAH AND STOP BEING IRRATIONAL-“

”OH, ME BEING IRRATIONAL? YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO YOURSELF, ACTING ALL HIGH AND MIGHTY FROM A KINGDOM THAT DIDN’T SEE AN OBVIOUS THREAT IN FRONT OF YOU TILL IT STABBED YOU RIGHT IN THE BACK!”

“W-Woah guys! Stop-“ Sidon interjected, being interrupted by the Zonai spirit, gritting her teeth at the Sheikah as the two came face to face.

“COMING FROM THE ONE WHO PRESSURED THEIR PRINCESS TO AWAKEN A POWER SHE DIDN’T HAVE FULL CONTROL, YET STILL INSISTED AND HARRASSED HER TILL IT WAS TOO LATE!”

”Guys!” Tulin yelled, to no avail. Yunobo, backing out the conversation as Riju and Sidon held the two bickering royal scientists back, noticed him and stomped on the ground hard, causing everyone to nearly fall, looking up at the two.

”Oi”! Lil Bro got something to tell you numbnuts-Goro!” The Goron said, his voice stern. “Go on, Tulin.”

The Rito nodded, coming up to the others, holding the Purah Pad up, it's screen now locked onto a full blue. “Is this normal?”

Purah adjusted her glasses, taking the pad. “N-No, actually. It’s been acting up this morning…” Mineru, Riju, and the others came up to it. It showed what seemed to be a faint signal. Something was interfering with the pad, yet it didn’t seem malicious. ”Hey… when you transferred your soul into this, Mineru… did you mess with it internally or-“ The Sheikah asked.

”N-No, outside of the modifications to have it work with the Zonai grid.This is something new.” Suddenly, it lit up brightly, nearly blinding the six. When they were able to see again, they noticed that on the pad, it had only but a single phrase in Hylian: “The Immortal Demon’s time is nigh... Seek the Light… beyond the stars…”

”The Immortal Demon?” Riju said, confused as to what the hell just happened. “Is this a prank? We’ve defeated Ganondorf together.”

”He couldn’t possibly come back… there is no way he can-Goro!” Yunobo said, his face sweating in fear.

”Seek the Light… Beyond the stars?” Sidon asked, his face confused by the phrasing.

”What does any of this mean?” Purah said, looking at the pad in confusion. Just as she adjusted her glasses, the group heard draconian howls from in the distance. They all rushed up to Purah’s Observation deck to see what was the matter. In the distance, they could see the faint golden light of the Light and Jade Dragons by the Temple of Time. 

“Ms. Purah… what are they doing?” Tulin asked, just as the Shiekah looked through her telescope.

”I… I don’t know… They are just floating there…”

”Floating there?” Mineru looked at Purah, clutching her secret stone. Then, as it was only two years ago, the dragons started to softly shine, before the light turned the dusk sky into a gorgeous golden one, bright as the light of Hylia. Returning to the telescope after covering her eyes, Purah returned to her telescope. The dragons were now gone, yet she could see two figures plunge into the River of the Dead.

”We… we need to go there. Now!” Purah said, looking at Mineru and the others. “Link and Zelda… they aren’t there anymore!"

Understanding the severity of the situation, the others nodded. Purah let Mineru go into her Sheikah Slate as the group quickly made their way to the Great Plateau. 

~~~

Riding on horseback, rolling around, and flying, it took nearly the full night and late into the afternoon as the group made their way. It had started to rain, which didn’t help with them finding their way back to the ruins of the ancient temple. 

”We’re here.” Riju remarked, helping Purah get off her horse. Mineru’s spirit pooped out of the slate, with Yunobo and Sidon coming up fast. The group had a lantern as the storm raged on.

”If the dragons are gone… does that mean Link and Zelda are…” Tulin asked.

”We don’t know, my friend. But ave faith in them...” Sidon assured the Rito Warrior. The group walked together, the lantern and spiritual glow of Mineru leading them through the heavy rain.

”Little Bro? Princess-Goro?” Yunobo called out.

”Linky? Zelly? It’s us!” Purah said. The rain was pouring hard, the group feeling themselves slowly begin to lose faith, but kept pressing as they reached deeper into the forests of the Great Plateau. 

“It’s no use. It’s too dark because of the rain.” Mineru cursed under her breath.

”We can’t go back. T-They have to be here.” Purah remarked, herself feeling exhausted. Just then, the group heard a rustle in the trees, including a familiar voice.

”H-Hey... it’s okay… we’re almost there…”

The six looked at each other, rushing over and nearly blinding the people as they made the corner. Purah nearly dropped the lantern, as all of the sages were in shock.

”No way…”

”Your majesty…”

”It… it can’t be…

”Lil’ Bro? Lil’ Sis?”

”Sa’oten..”

”Are…. Are you-? Purah’s voice was quivering at the sight.

In front of the six, there they stood. Bloodied, injured, tired, in makeshift rags, stood two humanoid dragons. One was a jaded green, with smooth scales, with a missing arm and horn, while the other was a creamy white, softly furred and looking regal, despite the blood on her claws and injuries. Their blonde hair formed into a mane around their neck, yet resembled certain familiar hair styles, and their spikes and horns both glowed light green and light blue respectively. The Light Dragon was holding up the Jade Dragon, before speaking, her voice hoarse yet soft.

”Guys? It’s us…”

It was Link and Zelda, 

~~~

Author's Note: Here it is, guys! Chapter 2! I hope that I'm able to post at least once or twice every two weeks, because of college and stuff getting in the way. Until then, see you next time, and remember to play Xenoblade Chronicles X  Definitive Edition!!

Chapter Text

“CALL ME WHEN YOU GET LOST”

A Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fanfiction by one music connoisseur Kotoneshoemi

Chapter 3: Reincarnated

~~~

“…”

“……”

“…z…”

“...Zel…”

“Z… Zelda…”

Link felt as if he was underwater, as he opened his eyes to a blur. It was like everything between from that fateful final encounter with Ganondorf to now was all but a peaceful blur. One that came with a massive headache, of course. As his vision finally cleared, he realized he wasn't underwater… he was falling, and below him was a familiar figure.

It was the princess, and she was also in freefall.

“Z-ZELDA!” Quickly leaping to action, he positioned his body to fall faster, reaching the Princess, as he grabbed her body with his left arm. Yet, mere seconds above the water, it registered with him that something wasn't right with his body. He felt different. His body ached differently. Everything felt wrong-

SPLASH!

The duo crashed into the water, quickly rising up. Link couldn't swim as well, due to his missing right arm, yet thankfully Zelda finally awoke when they hit the water, helping him and herself finally reach the snowy riverbank. Both were panting, wet, and exhausted from the sudden freefall. When they finally were able to process everything, the duo looked at each other, both shocked by seeing each other after so long… and by their new forms.

“Link…” Zelda said, her breathing intense. Her body had a soft creamish fur around it, with scales on her shoulder, elbows and knees. Her exposed skin was a pale grayish brown, and covered in scales. Her eyes, as beautifully green as they once were, have a slight purple on the sclera. Her hair was a blonde, messy mane that went down to her neck, and her horns, spikes and nails were an aqua blue gem. And her face… despite looking almost like a Zonai, still displayed the Princess's beauty. “You… we… how…?”

“I… I know…” Link went over to look at his reflection in the water. His body has changed like Zelda's. His skin was that of green scales, with a soft yellow underbody, reminding himself of the Zora. His eyes were blue, with the sclera a lighter shade of the color. One of his emerald-like horns was damaged, torn off from a fight he had no recollection of. And of course, his right arm was gone, a casualty of the Gloom that infected it. He looked back at Zelda, herself also looking into the water. Both stared at each other before grasping into a hug.

“Oh Link… it's been so long…” Zelda said, her voice downright breaking down as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Zelda… I missed you so much…” Link could feel the phantom pain of his missing arm, yet he shrugged it off. Despite the current predicament of their strange forms, they were just glad to finally be able to talk, think, and feel once again. “A-Are you okay? Nothing is wrong, outside our new bodies or forms or whatever they are called?”

“Yes… I'm alright…” Zelda held his hand up to her cheek, softly smiling as she wiped some tears away. “Are you?”

The Jade Dragon nodded,”Yeah… I’m doing fine. I guess we have to figure out what happened to us, where we are and how far in time we were… asleep.” Zelda’s ears went down, not wanting to think of the worst possibility of being too far into the future.

”Yeah… and another thing is finding something to wear.” She chuckled, embarrassed, Link looked down, before sighing in relief.

”Thankfully , it seems our bodies are like Zoras, at least. Still, we should figure out the rest and make our way back to Lookout Landing… If it still exists.” The duo left the snowy river side, looking down at the region below. The two sighed in relief, seeing the Temple of Time to their right as they felt their soles walk away from the icy cold snow to the warm and soft grass. “Guess we ended up in the Great Plateau again…”

”I wonder if all of this is a coincidence. You were woken up by the Shrine of Resurrection, after all.” Zelda pondered, the Light Dragon rubbing the back of her head.

”In any case, our best bet to find civilization is to reach the Temple of Time.” Link replied. “The Shrine was deconstructed, last time I checked and it did hold some Yiga members the last I remember.”

“Temple of Time it is, then.” Zelda nodded, leading the way as Link followed close behind. It definitely felt weird walking, talking, and just acting like… themselves, after nearly ten thousand years for Zelda and the two years for Link, but the thought that they have outlived everyone they hold dear as family, friends and allies still lingered in the back of their minds, slowly festering as fear. What they didn’t know at that time was the group coming to investigate the situation of the missing Light and Jade Dragons.

~~~

“Any dice, Zel? Link asked, watching Zelda come down from the central tower of the tower, the draconian princess shaking her head as she handed him some large pieces of cloth she found stashed away in an old abandoned chest. She did take note that the ruins look about the same from what she could remember.

”Nothing but the same old ruins, other than these. At least it beats being bare.” She turned it quickly into a makeshift tunic of sorts, before feeling something in her mane. Pulling it out, was her secret stone, or Tear as she dubbed them. “How in Hylia’s name did this not fall out?”

”Is that…” Link also checked his own mane, finding Mineru’s stone in it. The color shifted from it’s original purple to more of a green, like Link’s horns and spikes on his tail. “Guess they just… popped out of our bodies after we got turned into these… things.” He sighed, putting the stone back into his mane as he wrestled with the cloth to make it a tunic like Zelda’s.

“I guess so… still doesn't explain why we aren't fully beastial or Hylian. If I only had the Purah Pad, we could-” She said, frustrated. Link put his hand on her shoulder, assuring her.

“Hey… we'll figure this out. We always do.” He said with a small smile. Zelda appreciated the gesture, wiping some hair off her face.

“Yeah. And the first thing we're doing is fixing your arm… it saddens me how it couldn't be saved.”

“It's okay, Zel. If I have to use my left hand, I will.” Just then, the duo heard a crack in the weather. Looking outside the ruined temple, they see a thunderhead coming in from the east. “Great… just our luck…” the Jade Dragon sighed.

Zelda also shared the same sentiment. “Let’s go find some shelter then. It’s going to be a long night.” The duo quickly left the temple, going up the path. Thankfully, despite how long it had been, the duo managed to find a small cave with a cooking pot and left over wood, Link quickly getting to work to set up a fire to give the two warmth. “Thank you, Link.” The Light Dragon said, with her knight sitting by her as the two rested.

”No problem, Zelda… Still holding up?” He asked, the princess nodding.

”Yeah… Just trying to process everything right now. It just feels… weird.”

”What do you mean?”

”Like this a dream… You and I are finally able to talk again after so long, even if we’re not exactly Hylian anymore… It’s great, but some part of my mind just wants to believe this isn’t something I deserved.”

Link looked at her with sad eyes, nuzzling her softly. “Hey. Don’t say that. You went through so much. You deserve a chance to live.” He gave her a small smile, Zelda chuckling at how cute he looked. 

“I guess so. Link… do you remember anything before you transformed?” She asked. “I just couldn’t imagine everything you went through after everything below Hyrule Castle.”

The Jade Dragon nodded his head, sitting up. “I… kinda do. It is a bit hazy, but it isn’t like I forgot everything. The two I do remember vividly is finding your last memory and that last battle. Learning what happened to you… I couldn’t imagine how scary that would be.” Zelda knew what he ment. She could vividly remember everything leading up to swallowing her secret stone. The immense pain felt as multiple arrows hit her in the head, all her emotions welling up as she only thought and prayed for Link to protect everyone as she grasped the Master Sword. When the transformation was fully completed, it was as if everything went to black, with her waking up to a far different era from the one she was teleported to.

”And the battle against Ganondorf?” She held his hand.

”I remember it as if the world went still. I held Mineru’s stone after Ganondorf nearly destroyed her mech. And something in my mind said to do it. Like it was our last hope to stop him from destroying our home… our people.” His ears went down, shuddering as he remembered the sensation he felt when he swallowed the Secret Stone, feeling as his old body was ripping apart to give way to the Jade Dragon. “I… I just hope I was enough to give them the edge against that monster.”

Zelda smiled, looking out as the rain poured out. She put her head on Link’s shoulder. “If what we saw so far is to be believed, I think they did…” She said, the two dragons huddled together, watching the rain continue to pour. “I just hope that they are still with us.”

Link nodded, taking comfort with the person he loved. Eventually, the rain did slow down, so the duo were able to take that time to scavenge for food and supplies. Zelda guides the way, using a torch and the glow of her spikes to lead the way for the duo. 

“Okay. Food, maybe a weapon to protect ourselves, and maybe some water to help us reach Lookout Landing. That’s the plan?”

”Yep. Hopefully, there will be someone to help us out once we get down, but it might be too wet to climb down right now.” The princess replied, walking over a tree trunk, before helping Link climb over it herself.

“Alright… there should be some apples and some squirrels we can use to cook.” The Light Dragon smiled, running off as she went to gather some fruit. Just as Link went to sit down, he heard a familiar grunt. Looking over, he quickly leapt away. It was a Moblin. A Silver one at that. Link ran as fast and silent as he could to get Zelda. 

“Zelda!” He said in a loud whisper. “We need to get out here now. Moblins are here and they are the strong ones!”

”Moblins? Here?” Zelda said, nearly dropping the supplies she secured. “How?”

The two quickly began to make their way out of the area, only for a branch to snap under Link’s foot. Hearing the few Moblins start to stir awake, the two dragons booked it, hiding behind a rock as the monster began to patrol, looking for the duo. Link and Zelda held their breaths, trying not to be seen.

“Zelda… I’m gonna distract them. You make a run for it.” Link said.

”With your arm? You are in no condition to do that.” She said, worried about him. “I’ll be the distraction.” She gives him a small smile, before running out of cover, whistling to get the monsters’ attention. She runs away, the Moblins giving chase. Link quickly ran out, looking for a way back to the small cave area they were at. Just as he looked for his way back, the rain began to pick up, before it became a heavy storm. Just what his luck needed.

”Great…” Link gritted his teeth, making his way. Just then, he heard a screech, and soon, the Jade Dragon’s side was hit, Link practically flying as he hit a tree. He coughed, looking up at his attacker, one of the Silver Moblins, holding a club. It strikes again, Link barely jumping out of the way. He got up, running while clutching his side, it slowly bleeding. The night looked behind him, seeing the monster give chase after him in the rain.

As Zelda finally shook the monsters off her tail, catching a breath, she went back to go find Link, only to hear one of his cries. “Link… oh no.” She ran to the source, seeing the Silver Moblin kick the injured Jade Dragon. Link had gotten ahold of a weapon, using it to hold off the monster as best as he could. “Link!” Zelda ran, using her time powers to slow the monster down, before rushing up and helping her knight.

”Link… you okay?” Zelda said. Link only nodded, trying to shrug his wounds off. 

“Y-Yeah… He did get me good, though…” He shuddered, Link wrapping his arm as Zelda helped him move out. As they moved, the time spell on the monster, it looked confused as the target it was going after was gone. It sniffed, before setting it’s sights on the two dragons. It screeched loudly rushing up and knocking the two down. It then looked at Link, snarling as it readied its weapon to strike him.

”Get… OFF HIM!” Zelda’s claws came out as she seeped them into the flesh of the monster’s back. Both of her irises began to glow gold as she roared, the monster trying to shake her off to no avail, dropping it’s weapon. It bashed her against a tree, causing the dragon to fall off. Link used this opportunity, grabbing the club. He bashed the monster’s leg, hearing it snap as it fell in pain. The Jade and Light Dragons nodded at each other, Zelda and Link finishing it off with a swift strike of the club and Zelda’s own claws, glowing with light. The monster finally died, turning into nothing more than dust. Link and Zelda were taking deep and shaky breaths, before one of them nearly collapsed. “LInk!”

“I’m sorry… I thought I could-“

“Don’t be… it’s okay.” She helped him stand up, the two limping away from the scene of the battle, making their way back to the Temple of Time. “H-Hey… It’s okay… We’re almost there. We are near the temple.”

Just then, the two were nearly blinded by a lamp, looking in front of them. They spotted six figures, all in shock of their appearance. Very familiar figures. In front of them stood a Hylian, a Rito, a Zora, a Goron, a Gerudo and a Zonai. It was them.

”Are…. Are you-“ The white haired hylian spoke, her voice shaking in fear at what had happened to the duo.

Zelda spoke, her own voice shaking. “G-Guys… it’s us…” The two dragons then passed out, exhausted and tired.

”LINK!” 

“ZELDA!”

The two’s vision went black, hearing the figures… no, their friends, rush to the transformed Princess and Knight.

~~~

“Mmm… uh… huh?” Zelda's eyes fluttered open, as she awoke. It wasn't the rainy grasslands of the Great Plateau. It was a nice house. Zelda rubbed her head as she saw Link next to her. The transformed knight slept peacefully, both of them in proper yet simple clothes. “Hey… Link?” the Light Dragon shook him, but he just kept snoring away. The door then opened, Purah and Mineru coming in. The Shiekah ran up, hugging Zelda.

“ZELLY!” Purah said with a smile. Her attire and hairstyle definitely looked a lot more different, and she could tell how stressed the scientist was with the small bags under her eyes, yet Zelda was happy to see her long time friend. “It's been so long. Are you holding up?”

Zelda nodded. “Yes. Despite everything, I am feeling better. It is… definitely going to take some time getting used to this new form me and Link became… but it feels good to know I can talk to you guys again.” The Light Dragon smiled, a small blush on her face.

“It is good to hear.” Mineru said, Zelda taking note of the Spirit's new look.

“Mineru! You uh… look different.” Zelda tilted her head, Mineru shaking her head with a small chuckle.

“Yes, I do. It turns out ghosts aren't chained to being stuck in the attire they died in, so I decided to take a more, modern look.” The Zonai lightly chuckled. “You and Link also changed. Also be rest assured, us two and Robbie are working on a prosthetic arm for Link.” 

“T-That's good…” Zelda said, sighing in relief. “Where are we, if I may ask. A-And how long has it been?”

“Kakariko.” Purah chimed, handing her a flask of water. “And from what my research has figured out… you were stuck as a dragon for nearly 10,000 years, while Link was only for two, after the battle against Ganondorf.”

“Yes…” Mineru replied. “Still, we haven't figured out the current reason as to why you two were transformed into this… state. The tests we did on you while you recovered shows about 75% Dragon and the rest a mix of Hylian and Zonai.”

“Oh…” Zelda looked at her hand, looking how draconic it was.”It is strange…” 

“On the brighter side! All those wounds you two got seemed to heal away immediately, minus the obvious of Link's arm and horn.” Purah smiled, sitting at the edge of the bed.

“Oh… huh… guess that comes with being an immortal dragon territory.” Zelda chuckled, Mineru going into a Zonai construct, giving the Purah Pad to the transformed princess.

“We also had this appeal on the Purah Pad, just as your disappearance in the more bestial forms occurred.” The Zonai sighed. “We don't want to assume the worst… but I would like your thoughts on the subject matter.”

Zelda read the messages, puzzled by it's meaning.”Immortal Demon… Seek the Light? Yeah… I don’t remember putting this message there before the draconification. Sorry.” She sighed, handing the slate back to Mineru’s construct body. Just then, Link slowly woke up, yawning. He immediately got crushed by Purah”s hug.

“W-WOAH! HEY I JUST WOKE UP” He laughed, looking at his transformed lover and his two friends. “Hey… sorry for everything… did we-?”

Purah and Mineru nodded. “Yes… Ganondorf was effectively purged, thanks to your efforts and the sages.”

Link smiled, before realizing. “Oh Mineru! I have something for you!" He checked his mane, only to not find the Dragon Tear in it. "Uhm... it's not here..." The Zonai understood, smiling.

“Don't worry, Link. The Tear is fine. We had to take it out when we were taking care of you and Zelda over the past week. I have been using my brother’s stone, and it did seem like my original stone had… recalibrated with you, in a way.” 

“That's good…” Link smiled, looking at Zelda. “Well… Zel… we're finally home…”

The Light Dragon smiled back, nuzzling him. They truly were back home.

~~~

Author's Note: Nothing too much for today, but I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story so far! Till next time!

Chapter Text

Hey Guys! This is Kotoneshoemi,the author of this fanfic.

I'm am thankful for all the feedback everyone has given. With that, I wanted to apologize for taking so long on Chapter 4. I haven't abandoned it, but I been busy with college and life. I am nearly done with it so far, so it should be posted by Friday or Saturday. Thank you for your patience.

As a little bonus...

Here are the official designs/reference sheets for Link and Zelda in this AU!

See you guys soon!

Chapter Text

“CALL ME WHEN YOU GET LOST”

A Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Fanfiction by one music connoisseur Kotoneshoemi

Chapter 4: What A Day

~~~~~

It had been a few days for the duo to recover from both their sudden transformation into their strange, hybrid forms, Purah and Mineru’s constant tests on them for any curses or any magical afflictions, and just getting up from the wounds of the skirmish against the Moblins, which no longer appear on their bodies. But it wasn't so bad for Link and Zelda. Kakariko Village and it's hospitality was well appreciated, and despite the duo still being taken aback by how much things have changed in their absence, it was still the sleepy little village of Sheikah they remembered. Link was the first to wake up, yawning as he put on a traditional Kakariko Robe, his right sleeve flopping due to the lack of his arm. Today, he and Purah were going to test some prototype prosthetics. He looked over at Zelda, the Light Dragon peacefully resting, holding onto her pillow and softly mumbling in her sleep about frogs. He smiled, leaning down and kissing her forehead, before leaving the room to be greeted by Mineru in spirit form, busy going through reports and old documents from the past two years he was absent. “Hey Mineru.” The Jade Dragon said, catching her off guard.

“Oh! Link.” She came up to him. “Do you need anything? I can hop into my Construct in case.”

“N-Nah. I'm holding up. Still getting used to… everything. With the whole new form and of course, the lack of my arm…” He chuckled, embarrassed.

Mineru nodded, the Zonai floating as she continued to get her documents.

“I am glad you two have come back to us.” She said, “I should have had more trust in you two more. Purah was right.”

Link shook his head. “Hey, I didn't expect myself doing something as crazy as swallowing your stone, knowing it was going to be permanent, would end up… not being so permanent in the end, though with some consequences. I wouldn’t blame you for thinking it was something both Zelda and I wouldn't come back from.”

“I know…” Mineru bit her lip. “But Purah and I had had constant fights over the last couple of years over whether we should have investigated if we could reverse the draconification. I genuinely thought it was fruitless…” Her ears went down, ashamed of her memories.

“Our arguments also exploded into… things we shouldn't have said.”

Link bit his lip, coming up to her. “It's okay. At least we're now back. Purah had told me how much you and others have been restoring Hyrule in our absence. I heard you helped develop a nation-wide power grid thingy?” He said, a soft smile on his snout.

“Oh! Yes… We actually just finished setting it up in Hatano. Our plans were to take it to the Zora's, until our elephants in the room fell out of the sky “ 

The duo chuckled, just as Zelda came down, the dragon princess in one of Link's old tunics, yawning loudly, her tail softly hitting each step of the stairs as she dragged it. Her mane was a mess, and her eyes were half-lidded, still showing her being sleepy.

“Mmm… Morning, you two.” She said, rubbing her eyes. 

“Morning, my love!”

“Morning, Princess.”

Zelda acknowledged the two, before going to the ice box to get milk and make some coffee.

“I should go help her before she accidentally burns herself or the house.” Link got up, going to help Zelda make her cup. Just then, Purah came in, papers in her mouth and holding a box with new arms for the draconic knight.

“Oi, Linky! I'm here! I got your arms!”

It took a lot of self control for everyone to not burst out laughing, Purah sighing in embarrassment.

“Just put them on the table. We'll start testing them soon, after I prevent Zelda from burning the house down or ruining her drink.”

“I'm not!” The princess said in protest… just as Link stopped her from accidentally putting salt instead of coffee cream into her cup.

“It's alright. You and Zelly take your time. I need to discuss some stuff with Mineru, actually.”

The two dragons nodded, as the Zonai and Shiekah left the house.

~~~~~

Purah sighed, handing the papers she had to Mineru, the spirit picking them.

“What's this, Purah?” She asked.

“I've been testing their stones to see if anything occurred to them during everything and… well… look!”

The Sheikah was practically shoving them into the Zonai's face. Mineru grabbed the papers before reading them. As she overlooked them, she noticed how the energy readings were off the charts for Zelda and Link, yet their stones seemed normal. In fact, they seemed to be less powerful.

“Strange…”

“That's not all. Their stones seemed to also be… a bit broken?”

“You can't just “break” a Secret Stone, Purah.”

“Well, somehow they did. And it's not like the stone shattered. It's more like when they transformed into their current forms, some of the stone remained. I took photos of it.”

Purah brought out her own Purah Pad, and showed off a photo comparing Riju and Tulin's stones to Link and Zelda's. The couple's own Dragon Tears looked a bit smaller and had some cracks, yet were mostly intact. Mineru’s face did scrunch up a bit, trying to make sense of the absurdity of the past few weeks.

“Well… color me shocked and call me an asshole. Why is everything not making sense anymore with these two?”

“That’s Linky and Zelly for you, Mineru!” The Sheikah Scientist chuckled. “But I think this might be the key to why Link and Zelda aren't fully Hylian. They might have parts of the Dragon Tear inside of them!”

“It's still just a theory, Purah. We haven’t done any true full body exams or used that X-Ray device that Robbie finally developed.” She handed the papers back. “I'm heading to the Zonai ruins above the village. Maybe the Zonai Research Team overlooked something during their initial investigations?”

“Alright. I'll be testing arms for Link with Zelda's help. We're gonna have to eventually explain this to the rest of Hyrule… after my blunder.” The Shiekah rubbed the back of her head.

“It's okay. And seeing as things are being a lot more… crazy now, I think we should take each other's notes and investigations for cross referencing. I also want to know what you saw in those nightmares you had.” Mineru said.

“Oh? My nightmares?”

“With Link and Zelda returning to us and that strange warning we had from the original Purah Pad… I rather not take a chance of it being a coincidence.” 

“I… see. Just be careful going to the ruins. I'm still weary of them falling onto the rest of the village of you getting hurt.” Purah said, a worried smile on her face. Mineru nodded, waving as she entered her mech and began to make her trek to the nearby Sky Ruins. Purah sighed, thinking of the day she saw that strange man cladded in purple amongst the crowd. The same day Link and Zelda came back. Now, she had heard of how the heroes of Hyrule would surface to stop a new threat, but after 108 years of the Calamity and the Upheaval, Purah couldn't imagine Link and Zelda having to go on a third quest to save the land. With a light stretch, the scientist went back into the home, wiping away any fear she had to check on her best friends as she entered.

~~~~~

When Purah re-entered, she found Link helping Zelda cook breakfast.

“Okay, you wanna flip it, but have control over it. Don't try to act like a hero.”

“Like… this?”

Zelda successfully flipped the egg, Link satisfied with how happy Zelda was with flipping it. The two turned to see Purah, who was giving her two best friends a small smile as she leaned against the door frame. It felt good to see them like this. Not stuck saving the world or having to rebuild a ruined kingdom. Just them being able to be happy again, not as a princess, knight, sage, or destined hero, but just as Link and Zelda.

“Glad to see you two dorks making breakfast again. Need any help?”

“I would appreciate it! We need someone to help make the oatmeal and toast!” Link nodded, his tail wagging. The Shiekah acknowledged the Jade Dragon, and went to help the two make breakfast. By the time all three finished, they were extremely satisfied with how it came out. The smell was immaculate, and the taste was beyond delicious. Zelda was happy with how the eggs came out, especially after being known for… kinda adding stuff to everything without a thought before Link had to save it. And not to mention this being the first time they did something like this after… everything. 

“Delicious, Linky and Zelly! You guys still got it!” Purah chuckled, wiping her face.

“Aww geez, Purah.” Zelda smiled, her spikes and horn softly radiating as she smiled, eating her meal. “It just felt right to make something after being gone for so long.”

Link nodded, himself putting seconds onto his plate, though being careful with the lack of his right arm. “Yeah. I think I want to start cooking more often, since I really don't know what else to do. Hyrule seems pretty safe from everything I read and heard about! It reminds me of how it used to be.”

Zelda and Purah agreed, though the Sheikah still had her worries, holding it back so she wouldn't ruin the two's mood. “Yeah… it is nice to see the place just kinda find some sense of normality these days. I hope they last longer past our lifetimes.”

“True, though I do not know how long our lives are now in these forms. Plus the fact all three of us live much longer than any typical Hylian, be it through technology or stones full of ancient magic.” Zelda sighed.

“Oh please, Zelly! I'll keep using my aging rune to keep being on you two's side. And if I die? Well, I'm gonna haunt your asses to make sure you don't try to shield surf into Death Mountain!”

All three bursted into laughter. Eventually, the trio were talking as Link and Purah went through the different prosthetic arms. 

“H-Hey! Purah! These are a bit tight on the stump!” Link winced, the Shiekah acknowledging.

“Sorry Linky. I was trying to make this connection point secure so we don't risk having a loose arm.”

“Don't kill him, please?” Zelda lightly teased, taking a sip of her tea. Link rolled his eyes, but in a light-hearted manner.

“Still, try to be careful. I haven't had an arm for like… well, three years?”

“Two, actually. And don't worry Linky. You will be fine.” Purah began to place the arm onto the connection. “This is going to act similar to how you fused weapons, but it's going to be connecting to the nerves on your arm stump. Just give it some time once we finish and it'll be like you never lost an arm in the first place!”

Zelda noticed some very familiar runes on the knuckles of the new arm. 

“Purah? Are these what I-”

“Yep! I found a way to get the runes recovered after you two… broke the Shiekah Slate to that Lynel.” She sighed, the others grimacing at the memory.

“I-In our defense, it didn't go out with a whimper!”

“Yeah? Well… Faron Forest lost a lot of good ruins to check out and we lost a very valuable piece of history cause you two decided to jury-rig it to be a bomb to take out an encampment.”

“It was a golden Lynel!” Zelda whined. “Besides, it only split into two pieces after we recovered it, and your Purah Pad is a lot better in terms of usability! Speaking of which, when will we get those smaller ones you and the other sages carry?”

“I thought of having you keep the original one but update it with our current tech, since it was a gift to you. Link will get a new one.” The Shiekah Scientist said, screwing in the forearm part of Link's prosthetic. Zelda nodded, the Light Dragon nodding with a small smile. 

“I understand. Still… once we can, I can't wait to see how everything has changed in Link and I's absence.” 

“Annnnnnd… There! How does it feel?” Purah smiled, the arm fully finished. Link began to move it, surprised by how fast it responded.

“W-Woah… you three actually did it! This is amazing!” Link grinned, the Jade dragon moving his robotic arm around. Zelda came over, gleefully looking at the arm as Purah looked proud of her, Robbie, and Mineru's work.

“Glad you like it, Linky! Now… seeing how it's almost noon… you two want to finally get some fresh air?” Purah asked. The other two gleefully nodded.

~~~~~

The trio had a nice walk in Kakariko, Purah taking them up to say hi to Cotera, the Great Fairy who had returned back to her original spot after the chasm had been sealed back up. Despite Link and Zelda's changed forms, most if not all of the village accepted them with open arms, with only a few stunned looks at the two dragons. Eventually, all three were having lunch, Link tinkering with his arm and both Zelda and Purah yapping about what they should go to investigate next.

“... I say, I think I would love to learn more about the outside world. It's been a long time since we had communication. I held Ganon back for so long, and I was planning to open communication back before the Upheaval and all the time travel and draconification stuff, so I think now would be the best time to start fully exploring those options.” The Light Dragon took a sip of her tea.

“I think that would be a good idea, Zelly. Though, I dunno how viable as a kingdom we would be seen since we did lose a lot of communication during the Calamity.” The Shiekah nodded. “But… I believe it's better to start sooner than later. I've been dying to see how the rest of the technological and archeological world would love to see our research into the Zonai and our recovery of our kingdom’s technological side.”

Just then, Mineru came floating down from the ruins above the village, her mech following her and going into standby. “Ah. Purah, Zelda, Link. I see you two are doing well?”

Zelda nodded. “Mhm! Your arm seems to be what Link needed! I thank you, Purah and Robbie so much!” 

Mineru lightly bowed, the spirit pleased. “I came  up with the initial design. Purah and Robbie further refined and crafted it.”

“Yep! I hope Linky likes it!” The three looked over, just as Link accidentally opened a panel on his palm, seeing a very familiar eye.

“Purah… this is a guardian eye.” Link said, a bit confused.

“Of course you added one… Purah!” Mineru groaned, glaring at Purah. Zelda just laughed.

“H-Hey! Link deserves a cool ass laser! And besides, it's not active.”

“Yes, but this is supposed to a prosthetic arm and something for Link to use for exploration. NOT for him to accidentally blow the head off a Hinox alongside half of the Hebra Mountain range!”

“It's not that powerful!”

“Guys! It's okay!” Zelda said, calming the two royal scientists to avoid conflict between them. “Just as long as we don't activate Link's pocket death laser, we'll be okay.”

“Alright. Alright. You got that Linky?”

“I just wanted my bombs back.” Link chimed, going back to eat his Goron Spiced Meat and Rice Bowl.

“Anyway…” Mineru cleared her throat. “I found something inside the ruins that might relate to that strange message we found on Zelda’s Slate before they transformed into their current anthropomorphic forms.”

“Oh?” Purah and Zelda raised an eyebrow.

“It was behind some of the initial ruins, but I saw a strange mural of what seemed to be this… creature. It reminded me of how Zelda described Calamity Ganon when we were in my original time, but instead of that of a pig or… as we confronted a few years back, a demon dragon, this creature was described as a long lost race known as the Picori.”

“Picori?” Zelda tilted her head. “What is a Picori?”

“From my understanding, these are a long extinct race of Mice-Like elf creatures, no bigger than the size of a thumb.”

“Wait, wait, wait… your saying this Immortal Demon the Purah Pad talked about is super tiny?” Link had to hold back a bit of a laugh. “I couldn't imagine the reincarnation of evil be something like... a Korok.”

“If it was that easy to beat them, I would say that. But no.” Mineru said. “This demon is similar to Ganondorf, but instead of a king of darkness, they instead took the form of a wind mage."

“Wind mage? Like Tulin?” Zelda asked.

“In a way, but not of the arts Tulin has. This… Demon seeked power just for the hell of it. The mural told of how he kidnapped various maidens, turned many people into stone, including an incarnation of the goddess.”

Zelda felt uncomfortable by what the Zonai Spirit was describing. “H-How was he defeated?”

“I'm not too sure, but it seems as if he was sealed twice. Once with a blade of the Picori, and a blade that split its user into four versions of themselves.”

“That could be a stand-in for the Master Sword?” Link suggested. “But like… I know the spirit in the sword well. Both I and Zelda would of been able to feel another presence in it. But… we never did.”

“It is but a legend, and a far more ancient one than even our current time. There has been multiple incarnations of the Kingdom of Hyrule before the Zonai originally descended onto the land. Of course… the land’s language had shifted, evolved, changed, or been left behind. Thee land we know as Hyrule may have been called something different in the far past.

“It does fit with what we know of the legends that have survived.” Zelda said, scratching the back of her ear. “We have tales of the heroes of Twilight, Time and Skyward being taught to us as children, but I always expected it to be after the Zonai, not before.”

“But if that's the case, then why would a mural remain inside a Zonai ruin?” Purah chimed in. “It should have been long gone.”

“That… I don't know. When the Sky Islands formed, they did drag parts of the land with them. But this mural was inside the ruins. And when I mean inside, I mean very deep. Being a ghost does have its perks in that aspect.”

“Anyway, what did this demon… mage… wizard guy look like?” Link asked.

“The mural was damaged… but from what remained… he looked like you, but clad in purple.”

The other three’s eyes widened, Link's in confusment, Zelda's in worry… and Purah's in fear.

“N-No way… Like when we had that mess back at the festival. I saw a guy like that in the crowd, and when I accidentally said Link's name, he was gone…”

“Purah? Are you okay?” Zelda looked at her friend, the Shiekah's face looking pale.

“A-And my dreams… with Link and Zelda corrupted by malice… you and the others dead? Mineru … t-that man was there!”

“H-hey, Purah? It's okay.” Link came up to her, the jade dragon coming to comfort her as Purah began to shake. ”It's just a dream-”

“W-What if it's a vision instead?! Why would I have these, Linky? Why would-”

All four of them was interrupted as a familiar white Rito, wearing goggles and a winter hat was flying toward them, before landing. It was Penn, a reporter of the Lucky Clover Gazette.

“Message for Purah and Mineru!” He said, his voice cheerful.

“That would be us.” Mineru said. Penn went up, going to hand the letter off to Mineru's mech, before noticing the two dragons.

“Oi! Who are these two? They look like Lizalfos…”

“It's me, Penn. Link and Zelda.”

“Oh Hi Lin- LINK?!? AND THE PRINCESS?!?” The rito's beak nearly dropped to the floor. “HOW WERE YOU TWO FOUND?!? AND WHY DO YOU LOOK SO… erm… not hylian-ish?”

“To make it short… we uh… got cursed to save everyone. Yeah! We'll figure out how to return to normal, but for now, keep this between us.” Zelda responded, helping calm Purah down.

“What is the message about, Penn?” Mineru asked, picking up the message and opening it with her mech.

“I’m… not too sure, but it did seem urgent. I had to fly double time here! But you sure that I shouldn't say anything about you two being found?”

“Y-Yeah. It's going to take a lot time for people to adjust to our… new looks. We'll write a statement when we're ready to show ourselves. But please, tell us where this message is from."

“Oh right! This is from one of the farming communities! They lost contact with Adoba Village a few days ago, and one of the people who went to investigate said there was something strange about it.”

“I can tell….” Mineru interrupted, looking at her friends. “Lost contact…. And a village full of missing people. The letter said it's like everyone left."

“N-No… this can't be right…” Purah said. “We… We have to investigate it!”

Mineru, Link, and Zelda nodded with Purah's statement. “Where is this village located, Penn?” The princess said, her horns glowing blue.

“Erm… South of Nette Plateau. How come?”

“We going to check it out. Something about this is fishy.” 

And with that, the four left to prepare, hoping for the best.

~~~~~