Abscond

Prologue

She could feel everyone's eyes on her, and even with Link by her side throughout all of this, it gave her little comfort. She kept her eyes on the ground, head bowed, hoping that they maybe wouldn't ask the question that she knew they would. However, as they approached her, their attention was past the point of suffocating. She was silently drowning in the gaze of all their hopeful eyes and worried voices.

"Well?" Daruk was the first to break the tense silence. She hesitantly raised her head to meet all of their gazes. The words couldn't escape her though. Her tongue felt leaden in her mouth, and she stifled a cry. She was a failure. "Don't keep us in suspense. How'd everything go up there on the mountain?"

She merely stopped walking to look at all of them. As her silence grew, she could see the hopes all of them had been bearing vanish. Finally, she shook her head, still not trusting her own voice. "So you didn't feel anything? No power at all?" Revali asked.

"I'm sorry, no," she apologized, bowing her head. Ghirahim elbowed the Rito in the side, causing both of them to exchange glares.

"I think what Revali was trying to say is that maybe you won't immediately feel the power. It could be very well be inside of you but is waiting for a crucial moment to reveal itself," Ghirahim explained. The Rito just rolled his eyes.

"Either way, let's move on," Urbosa firmly stated. "You've done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won't be of any help."

Zelda glanced up at her as if about to apologize yet again but was interrupted. "After all, it's not like your last shot was up there on Mount Lanayru. Anything could spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that...thing," Urbosa finished explaining. The rest of the champions nodded their heads in agreement, appreciating murmurs going to and fro.

"That's kind of you. Thank you," Zelda whispered. She still refused to glance up, and her voice was deadpan. It was as if she had already given up any hope she might have had in the past.

"If I may," Zelda's eyes barely peeked upwards to address the new voice speaking to her. "I thought you... Well, I'm not sure how to put this into words. I'm actually quite embarrassed to say it," Mipha hesitantly admitted. Everyone waited for her to finish and the Zora's eyes briefly met Link's for a second.

"But I was thinking about what I do when I'm healing. You know, what usually goes through my mind," she started again. "It helps me when I think-when I think about-" Mipha was cut off as a loud boom echoed throughout the land, the ground beneath their feet violently shook not even a second later. Zelda let out an undignified exclamation as she lost her balance but soon felt a steadying hand on her back. She looked behind herself, at Link. He only offered her a half nod, the only solace he could give.

"What the hell was that?" Ghirahim growled, voicing everyone's worries. He pointedly looked at the Rito, and Revali took into the air not a moment later. He grunted as a particularly powerful gust of wind threatened to send him falling back down, but made himself fly up a little further to see what was going on.

"Not good," Revali muttered to himself as violet lightning shot down on Hyrule castle and smoky clouds soon set down on the land. As another gust of wind attacked him, he quickly flew down to land again. Everyone looked at him expectantly, but before he could say anything, a demonic roar shook the ground again. With that, everyone realized what was happening.

"It's here," Urbosa voiced.

"This is it then," Daruk added, causing Zelda to worriedly look between them.

"Are you sure?" She frantically asked. This was too soon. Ganon couldn't be here yet.

"Positive," Revali noted with finality.