The rumble of horse hooves shattered the silence that had fallen after Sidon's tale ended. A firm and rapid sound was coming from the southern entrance of Lookout Landing. Everyone turned their heads in that direction. Their faces showed confusion and tension as they saw the approaching patrol. It was not the full patrol they had been expecting, and Sidon and Riju, in particular, frowned upon noticing that something was off: the shortage of men in the patrol, and especially that the person leading it was not who they expected.
With an urgent signal from Purah, Link and Paya stood up, on alert. Sidon tried to stop him.
"Where are you going, Link?" he asked, surprised.
"Sorry, Sidon," Link responded, apologizing as he and Paya ran toward the newly arrived patrol. "I need to deal with some matters regarding the patrol."
As Link and Paya moved away, Riju and Sidon watched with growing concern. The patrol was approaching the entrance, but it was incomplete, with several injured soldiers—some with only minor wounds, while others were clearly in serious condition. The patrol captain, a woman with a somber expression, was doing her best to maintain formation, but the exhaustion and gravity of the situation were evident in every step.
Riju glanced at Sidon. Her face was a mix of confusion and concern.
"Did you notice?" murmured Riju, not taking her eyes off the entrance. "This doesn't look good."
Sidon nodded, his expression serious.
"Yes... something must have gone wrong. This wasn't how we expected the patrol to return."
"I thought Hoz was leading this group," Riju remarked, puzzled.
"So did I," Sidon added. "Perhaps there was a change of plans."
Worried, Sidon and Riju decided to approach and listen to what was happening.
"Purah, what's going on?" Riju asked, noting the tension.
"We're dealing with a minor setback," Purah replied as Link tried to defuse the situation.
"Don't worry," Link intervened with his usual calmness. "Let us finish speaking with Flaxel, and we'll explain everything."
Meanwhile, Paya ran to Yona, who, after a brief conversation, quickly made her way toward the infirmary. Sidon, unable to contain himself, followed her.
"Yona, what's happening?" Sidon asked, visibly worried.
"Don't worry, my love," Yona replied, trying to soothe him. "They need me in the infirmary. You stay on your mission; everything will be fine. We'll see each other after the battle."
Sidon looked at her anxiously.
"After the battle? What do you mean? Aren't you coming back with us?" he asked, confused.
"Unexpected complications have arisen," Paya interjected. "We're making some tough decisions, but everything is under control." She then summarized the situation and explained how they had to ask the troops to return to defend Lookout Landing and had requested that leaders or delegates from each key settlement organize an evacuation plan.
Yona took Sidon's hands and looked at him tenderly.
"Sidon, remember that we are leaders," she said, her voice calm and reassuring. "We must stay composed and guide our people. Look at Link—always so calm and determined, even though he must be filled with nerves. He's doing everything he can to secure the defense of Lookout Landing, and we must do the same."
Sidon nodded, feeling a little embarrassed by his anxiety. He knew it was his duty to remain calm and, above all, to support Link. He kissed Yona before heading back to Riju. Both of them felt some relief knowing that their responsibilities were in capable hands.
Upon returning, they met Link, who was walking toward them.
"Hey!" Link called out with a smile. "I just finished talking with Flaxel. Why did you leave? I was about to give you an update."
"Paya already filled us in on the situation," Sidon said, playfully patting Link on the back. "Don't worry."
Visibly nervous, Link apologized.
"I should have consulted you first as leaders, but things escalated quickly, and we had to act fast," he said, looking down.
Sidon, ever kind, chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"It's all right, my friend. My father and Muzu are managing things at the Domain. They know what they're doing."
Riju added with a smile:
"I left the Citadel in the hands of my best warriors. And don't worry; you're famous in Gerudo Town for your… impulsive actions," she said, laughing.
The three of them laughed, easing some of the tension. Despite the challenges, their camaraderie made them feel stronger.
"Well then, Link, what information did the patrol bring?" Riju asked cautiously. "Just so we have an idea of what kind of danger we're facing."
Link scratched his head, deep in thought.
"The truth is, what they said doesn't make a lot of sense," he replied, searching for the right words. "They claim they were on their usual patrol when suddenly, a horde of monsters attacked them with a force and fury that seemed almost… inhuman. It wasn't like other attacks; it was brutal. They suffered several casualties, and many returned with severe injuries. That's why we needed Yona's help."
Sidon nodded and placed a comforting hand on Link's shoulder.
"Of course, they needed Yona's healing powers to save those poor soldiers. But did they say anything else? How did they manage to escape?"
Link took a deep breath, looking at Riju and Sidon before speaking.
"What the patrol told us is… unsettling," he said, lowering his voice almost instinctively. "One of the soldiers, still trembling, told me he'd never seen anything like it. Everything was calm during their patrol, until a horde of monsters appeared, as if out of nowhere, with a ferocity beyond anything they'd ever faced. 'They weren't just monsters,' he said, 'they were something more… as if possessed by a rage not of this world.'"
Sidon watched him closely, a frown creasing his brow as Link continued.
"That same soldier told me they barely had time to react. 'There was no way to organize ourselves,' he said. 'They came at us like crazed shadows, as if they were trying to devour us alive.'" Link paused, lowering his gaze. "Many fell, and others returned with wounds so severe I don't know if they'll ever fight again. But the strangest part is how they managed to escape."
Riju furrowed her brow, caught up in the tension and dread reflected in Link's voice.
"How did they do it? What happened?"
"Here's where it gets strange," Link continued, his voice lower now, as if afraid of being overheard. "None of the soldiers remember how they escaped. They all agree that they were in the middle of battle, surrounded, when suddenly… everything changed. In the blink of an eye, they found themselves alone on the battlefield, surrounded by silence and ash, as if the monsters had never been there."
Sidon and Riju exchanged a glance, and a palpable unease settled on their faces.
"One of the injured, just before passing out, whispered something about a 'blinding light.' He said he saw it just before the monsters vanished. The soldier could barely speak, his words were broken whispers: 'A light... like lightning... from beyond this world.'" Link paused. "Prunia thinks it was a hallucination caused by the trauma, the mind's final attempt to make sense of the horror. But after hearing him… I don't know. It feels eerily similar to something I saw in one of the Tears of the Past."
Riju and Sidon fell silent, their eyes wide, expectant. Link glanced at his tablet, and his voice became barely audible.
There was a moment of silence. The three of them exchanged looks, as if in those few seconds, everything had taken on a different weight.
"Could it be...?" Riju started, her voice uncertain. Link paused, checking the time on his tablet.
"The time and place..." he murmured, his voice barely a whisper, "they match."
A silent understanding began to form between them, though none of them dared put into words what they were thinking. They looked up at the sky, but still couldn't fully comprehend. According to Mineru, when she told them what had become of Zelda, she explained that those beings lost their essence, the memory of who they had once been. But… what if a part of them still knew, hidden in some forgotten corner of their being, how they could help? Link revisited the memory between Zelda and Sonia, listening to each word with new attention, a fresh understanding.
The echo of those words began to shape an idea in his mind, almost like a whisper from the past. What if Sonia was right? What if she really was there, somewhere, trapped in the darkness, and all she needed was to remember who she was in order to break free? The thought sent a chill down Link's spine. He knew who she was, what had happened, but… where was she when it all took place? He reviewed the storehouse of memories. There it remained, empty—the slot for the memory yet to be revealed.
Just then, Riju broke the silence, as if sensing the weight of the thought Link was beginning to connect.
"Let's go back to the others, Link," Riju said urgently, her gaze full of meaning.
Link nodded, though his mind remained preoccupied with that thought. The certainty that the answer might lie buried in the memory he still had to awaken left him with the weight of an unnamed truth, waiting to be revealed.
As he returned to the others, Link couldn't help but feel a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach. He knew he was leading his friends into a dangerous battle, but he also knew he couldn't face the Demon King alone. He needed them, and they trusted him completely.
When he reached them, Link shared every detail of the recent events, just as he had with Riju and Sidon. The atmosphere grew tense, but his companions, with determined faces and eyes full of resolve, responded in the same manner. There was a calm acceptance, devoid of any doubt. With firm words and glances that radiated confidence, they reaffirmed their unwavering loyalty. They were ready to face whatever lay ahead, even the darkest of fates, for Hyrule and for him.
"Thank you… Truly, you are true friends," said Link, blushing with pride as he heard their words. "I just wish this would end soon, and if I ever manage to bring Zelda back... I promise…" His voice faltered, choked with sobs. The sacrifice Zelda made to safeguard the Master Sword's power weighed heavily on his chest. Remembering her heroic act filled him with both sorrow and pride. The image of her, so vivid yet so distant, made his eyes well up. He placed a hand over his mouth, trying to stifle more tears. The thought of a world where he might never see her again was nearly unbearable.
Sidon was the first to approach, placing a firm, reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Brother, never lose hope," Sidon said, his voice full of conviction. "Zelda is a fighter, and we, as your friends and allies, will never stop looking for her. We'll fight for her, and we believe she will return. The entire Zora Domain prays for her well-being, and with you by our side, we'll bring her back."
Riju, her face set with determination, stepped forward to join them.
"Link, you are our family, and Zelda… she's a part of you. If she trusted you to protect us, we'll do the impossible to honor her sacrifice. No one in the Gerudo Desert would leave a friend behind, least of all someone who's done so much for us."
Josha stepped forward next, smiling warmly.
"As long as we're together, there's no barrier we can't overcome. Zelda always believed in you, Link, and that inspires us to believe too. We'll never be alone in this."
Yunobo nodded firmly, his voice trembling but resolute.
"Link, you've always been the hero we admired... now you're also our hope. We won't give up, not in finding Zelda, and not in bringing back the person you love."
Finally, Tureli stepped forward, looking at him with unwavering loyalty.
"If there's any way to bring her back, Link, we'll find it. Zelda is not only our princess, but our friend, and we won't rest until we see her again."
The words of his friends were like balm to his soul. He looked at each of them and saw the same mix of hope and determination on their faces. Inspired, he raised his arms in a gesture of gratitude, and without another word, they all embraced, their bond unspoken but deeply felt. In that moment, they shared the unity that kept them standing, the unbreakable connection that pushed them to face any adversity, and the hope that, in the end, they would bring Zelda back.
Link gazed at the sky, knowing that in a few hours, the Lightning Dragon would cross the horizon of Lookout Landing in its eternal flight. With a sigh, he wished he could see it before the battle began.