When I Was Your Age- a Breath of the Wild prequel

Gerudo Valley

The girls trudged across the desert, this time relatively uncomplaining. They had finally made it to the mouth of the Gerudo Canyon, when a small man ran up to them.

"You have to help! There are monsters attacking my friends! Come on!" The man dragged Urbosa by the hand over to a ladder. Above, there was a commotion. Blood flew over the edge of the thin wooden planks and stained the ground at Zelda's feet.

"Hold on, slow down," Aaliah cautioned the man, "What's your name?"

"Dyson," he replied, wiping his forehead with a dirtied hand. "Please, hurry!"

Urbosa took something out of her bag and climbed the ladder. There was a crash of lighting right where she stood, and she came back down. "I took care of the enemies. Get your friends back down. We must go."

The man smiled hugely. "Thank you, Lady Urbosa!"

How did he know Urbosa's name? What did she do to those enemies? All of those things Zelda wondered as they trudged through the valley. Finally, Aaliah spoke.

"What was that back there? You pulled that thing out of your bag, and a thunderclap sounded once you got up there. Did you use, like, magic or something?"

"No," replied Urbosa shortly.

Aaliah smirked. "Sounds like you're lying to me. So what was it? Elemental magic? Fire? Extendable scimitar?"

"Okay," Urbosa cracked, "I've been practicing a new technique using the Thunderhelm. It'll help me discharge static electricity in the atmosphere. So yeah, elemental magic."

"Cool!" Aaliah smiled.

"But," warned Urbosa, "You mustn't tell anybody. Not even the Gerudo Guards know that I've been practicing this technique. The Thunderhelm is fabled among Gerudo- and I kind of, well, stole it."

Zelda nodded. "I give you my word; my lips are sealed."

Aaliah smirked silently, which spoke for itself.  Urbosa walked over to her and bonked her on the head with her closed fist.

"You won't tell anyone, otherwise you're toast, understand?"

Aaliah nodded with a silly smirk. Anyone could see that she planned to tell anyone and everyone about the Helm.

The three continued on their way until they reached a bend in the road. There, they saw a sobbing traveller.

"Please!" Called the traveller, "Please, you have to come here!" Urbosa, Zelda and Aaliah approached the stranger.

"What's wrong?" Asked Zelda.

"My wares!" Cried the traveller, "They've been stolen!"

"Oh dear..." intoned Zelda.

Urbosa pushed In front of her. "What's your name, traveller?"

The traveller continued to sob without an answer. Urbosa tried again: "Who are you?"

The traveller again, refused to answer. Zelda stepped beside Urbosa. "At least tell us what you were carrying so we can help you find it," Zelda offered kindly.

"I was..." the traveller looked into the distance, "I was carrying bananas."

"Bananas?" Aaliah popped her head above Zelda's shoulder.

"Bananas. They're my favourite." A smile crept across the traveller's face. "Do you like bananas?"

"Not particularly," Urbosa stood up.

The traveller jumped back in anger. "You don't like bananas?"

Urbosa nodded. "Is there a problem with tha-"

The traveller disappeared and reappeared in a puff of smoke, now garbed in a red bodysuit and mask, holding two Vicious Sickles, one in each hand. "I will take your life, Urbosa of the Gerudo!" Urbosa and the traveller both sprung backwards, drawing their weapons.

Zelda moved away as Aaliah stepped between them. "Hey!" Shouted Aaliah. The disguised traveller stopped their attack. "You're a member of the Yiga Clan, aren't you?"

The traveller stared at Aaliah through the fighting mask they had put on. "Who do you think you are?"

Aaliah flashed a smile. "I used to be part of that cult, y'know. I quit. It was stupid." The Yiga clan member's mask glared at Aaliah with its singular inverted Sheikah eye, and Aaliah stared it down as well, until the Yiga clan member snarled.

"If you were truly a member of the Yiga Clan, prove it. Show me your letters."

"Okay, if I do, let us go then."

"Deal."

Aaliah hiked up her tunic to reveal a phrase in ancient Sheikah- RPTSKJRZZ. "See? I've got the tattoo. Now let us go."

"Can you tell me what the tattoo means?" Asked the Yiga clan member.

"No."

"You have to tell me what it means." The Yiga clan member snarled. "You have to, or I won't let you go."

"Why do you care so much?" Asked Aaliah, raising an eyebrow, "You join a cult of demon-king worshippers, get a tattoo from them, not too unusual if you ask me."

"Tell me." The Yiga Footsoldier practically begged.

"If you insist. But if you don't like it, you still have to let us go." Aaliah walked up to the footsoldier and whispered something in their ear. Then, she backed away. "We should go," she suggested to Urbosa and Zelda, who had completely lowered their guards during this encounter, watching silently.

Aaliah took both of them by the hands and dragged them from the scene. The Yiga Footsoldier stood silent and still, staring at the ground. After a while, their mask fell off, and a tear rolled down their cheek.