Summary: The Yiga Clan attack Gerudo Town and Link risks his life while being mindful of his promise to Mipha.

The atmosphere was tense the next morning when the Champions awoke in Urbosa's palace. The Yiga Clan attack would occur later that day, and they were not an enemy to be underestimated. They had caused more than their share of harm in the past, not the least of which was helping to resurrect Ganon the last time. They were masters of Sheikah technology and stealth. There was also the uncertainty of what sort of Guardian mechanism they had created and where they had hidden it.

Urbosa had arranged for food for everyone, but she was no longer with them. Under cover of darkness, she had slipped away and boarded Vah Naboris. The most trusted captains of the Gerudo had been informed of the upcoming attack but were told to keep that knowledge to themselves. They did not want to risk a Yiga Clan spy learning anything.

Link had his Hylian shield and Master Sword ready with him. He also carried a Royal Guard bow and a supply of arrows of various types. Since they planned to remain concealed within the palace until the attack, the disguise was no longer necessary. Link had switched out of his Hylian Vai costume and donned the Desert Voe armor.

There was not a lot of talk among the group. Daruk and Revali were both busy preparing their weapons and making sure they were cleaned and in top condition. Purah and Robbie were working with the Sheikah Slate and doing what they could to test its functionality. Vah Naboris still stood on Spectacle Rock. It would have been better for it to be closer, thought Link, but it was too late now. At least its weaponry had a long range. Another thing Link wondered about was how close the Sheikah Slate needed to be to disable the Yiga Clan Guardian. And for that matter, would the rune work at all?

The time passed slowly. Midday came, and now the attack was expected in one hour. Link again thought about Mipha and the promise he made. He needed to be brave but careful. He could not afford to be reckless. There was no magic healing power here.

The attack came right on time. It began with a screeching sound coming from outside the southeast walls of Gerudo Town. They saw some sand shifting, and then a lump in the sand start to grow. The Yiga Clan's Guardian slowly emerged from the sand. It had been able to secretly burrow underground through the desert sand and hide right outside Gerudo Town. The device took the form of a giant black scorpion, larger than a Guardian Stalker, but much smaller than a Divine Beast. It was digging itself out of the sand with its claws, and soon its ugly head was visible. There were two giant claws in front, and two smaller claws near where a living creature would have its mouth. And instead of eyes, it had what looked like a Guardian energy beam weapon on its face. As the rest of its body emerged from the sand, you could now see it also had a vicious looking tail ending with a sharp hook. It was a frightening looking device, and once free of the sand, it started to advance toward the city walls. Link guessed the fact Gerudo Town was built atop a rock formation prevented the scorpion from burrowing underneath the town itself. But the scorpion Guardian had surprised them. It was much closer to Gerudo Town at the outset of the attack than they had expected. Meanwhile, Vah Naboris came alive and started its way down the mountaintop.

The scorpion kept moving forward and reached the town walls near the Sand Seal compound. It began to batter the walls with its claws. Purah was trying to activate the Sheikah Slate defense rune from her position in the palace but without any effect. He wasn't sure if it was because the device was out of range or the rune didn't work at all. Two more blows from the scorpion claws, and the Guardian breached the wall. The scorpion crawled forward unopposed into Gerudo Town.

Battling the scorpion on foot or in the air was impossible. Its armor was too thick, and the machine was too powerful. He briefly thought about confronting the device with his shield and sword as he had done with Guardian Stalkers in the past, but that seemed reckless even to him.

The Yiga Clan warriors were apparently holding back their attack, letting the scorpion Guardian do their dirty work. Vah Naboris was still too far away to be of use. It was too risky for Urbosa to shoot from that distance for fear of hitting the defenders. But if they could not stop the scorpion Guardian soon, Link realized, it alone could destroy the entire city.

By now, the alarm had sounded, and the Gerudo warriors were rushing to protect their city. But looking at the scorpion-shaped Guardian, there was little they could do. Link climbed to the top of one of the walls for a better view. He looked back toward Vah Naboris. It had completed its climb down from the mountain and was making rapid progress across the sand. But how could it battle the scorpion inside the city walls? Link climbed down from the wall and ran back to Purah in the palace. He wondered what Daruk and Revali were doing now.

"Purah, give me the Sheikah Slate and tell me what I need to do. I will try to get closer to the scorpion," said Link.

Purah handed him the device and showed him the rune he needed to activate. Link crept along the side of the wall and then angled behind another wall so he could get closer but stay behind the scorpion, which continued to crawl forward, its claws and energy beam destroying everything in its path. Link crept slowly out from behind one of the broken walls. He activated the Sheikah Slate rune. Nothing happened. Was he still too far away? He crept slowly forward again, hugging walls whenever he could. He was very close now and within the scorpion tail's reach. Its head turned from side to side. If he were spotted, he would be crushed or impaled by one swing of the tail. He activated the Sheikah Slate again. The scorpion Guardian suddenly came to a halt and froze in place. The rune had finally worked. The scorpion was immobilized.

Seeing their contraption immobilized was a signal for the Yiga Clan warriors to attack in person, and Link was right out in the open. With flashes of orange smoke, dozens of Yiga Clan warriors appeared and began to attack the Gerudo guards. The Gerudo fought back with their spears. He heard Daruk yelling and glimpsed him swing his giant weapon at a group of three Yiga Clan warriors, sending all of them flying off into oblivion. Link drew his bow and picked off two of the Yiga Clan warriors, but now he was spotted.

Five Yiga Clan warriors started to approach him. He couldn't handle this many if they all attacked at once. He held his shield up to protect himself as he slowly backed away. The Yiga Clan warriors recognized the Hylian shield he was holding as belonging to their most hated enemy. It would be a bonus to rid the world of the Hero of Hyrule. Link kept slowly retreating. His thoughts wandered to Mipha. Was this to be the end of their time together? He prayed to Hylia to watch over her. The warriors kept advancing, their confidence growing.

Suddenly all five warriors screamed in pain, clutched at their chests, and collapsed. Revali and the Rito archers who had been hiding in the water tower were flying into battle now and picking off Yiga Clan warriors from the air. The tide was turning. The Yiga Clan had not counted on their Guardian scorpion being immobilized nor to confront any soldiers but Gerudo. The presence of the Rito and Champions was a surprise, and they were unprepared. The remaining squad of Yiga Clan warriors started to withdraw through the breach in the wall made earlier, but they were in for another surprise. Vah Naboris had arrived by now, and with deadly precision, fired blasts of powerful electric charges at the fleeting Yiga Clan. Not a single one survived the battle.

A cheer went up from the Gerudo warriors, and the Champions joined in. Urbosa climbed down from Vah Naboris. Seven Gerudo guards had died, killed by either the scorpion Guardian or Yiga Clan warriors. The Champions had only some minor scrapes and bruises. Link himself had a small injury on his leg where he had scraped against a broken piece of the wall.

Revali walked over to Link. "You're welcome for saving your life," he said.

"Thank you, Revali," said Link. "You did indeed, and your Rito warriors turned the tide of the battle. I will be forever grateful to you."

Revali seemed to soften a bit, hearing Link's praise. He preened himself then began to walk over to speak with Urbosa.

"Revali," said Link calling him back. Revali turned. "Could you also please do me another favor? Could you get a message to Mipha at Zora's Domain that I am alright?"

"Very well," said Revali. "I will have a Rito deliver the message for you."

Later that evening Urbosa gathered the Champions, Purah, and Robbie together in the palace for a final meal before they all left for their homes.

"Thanks to all of you for coming to our aid. The Gerudo will not forget what you have done for us. Purah's and Robbie's defense mechanism immobilized the scorpion Guardian thanks to Link's bravery getting close enough to activate it. And Revali and his Rito archers took out many of the Yiga Clan while Daruk was pounding some of them with his sword. My thanks also go to the many brave Gerudo guards who stood strong in defense of their city and especially for those who bravely gave their lives. They will be honored and remembered. It's a lesson today that we must remain vigilant even after Ganon's defeat. But we have dealt a severe blow to the Yiga Clan today. They lost many warriors, and I do not expect them to cause serious trouble for a long time. So, let's enjoy our victory and a meal together," said Urbosa. "But first, I ask for a moment of silence to honor those who gave their lives today."

Everyone stayed silent and offered a prayer to Hylia for the fallen Gerudo warriors. Then it was time to have a final meal together. Daruk finally had a chance to speak with Link.

"So little guy, how is married life? I knew you and Mipha had a thing for each other and was happy to attend your wedding," said Daruk.

"I couldn't be happier," said Link. "Mipha is wonderful, and we are expecting two children soon. It's going to be strange being a father, but I am looking forward to it."

"Well, congratulations!" said Daruk. "Since you never have time to visit me, I'll have to head down to Zora's Domain one of these days. And I can check in on the kids too."

"You would be very welcome if you do," said Link. "We would both love to have you visit."

"It's a deal then," said Daruk.

Urbosa then came over to say a word to Link.

"Link, thank you for your help here. I can only imagine how much pain and worry this has caused Mipha, and I am so sorry about that. Please give her my love and tell her we could not have won without you," said Urbosa.

"Thank you, Urbosa," said Link. "I think Mipha will get over everything as long as I come home unhurt. I hope we can meet again under happier circumstances. But I am finally here in Gerudo Town as a plain Voe," he laughed.

"Yes, I miss how cute you look in that Vai costume," laughed Urbosa. "If you want, you can even get a massage at the inn tonight: we are offering a one night only special for Voes. Well, good night, and have a safe journey back home tomorrow morning."

Link made the rounds and said goodbye to everyone. He did go to the inn to get a good night's sleep but decided to forego the massage treatment. The next morning, he woke up early and started the journey home. He rented a sand seal for the first part and headed as far north as he could to the Gerudo Desert Gateway. It was a short walk from there to the Gerudo Canyon Stable. The stable owner rented him a horse, and Link rode on to the end of the road in Gerudo Canyon Pass. Word had reached Zora's Domain about his travel plans, and two Zoras were waiting for him there with a boat.

"Greetings, Link," said one of the Zoras. "We have been ordered to escort you safely back to the Domain. In fact, Lady Mipha gave us strict orders. We are not to let you out of our sight."

"Thank you," said Link laughing. "I won't give you any trouble! I'm eager to get home and happy to have some company."

The boat ride was pleasant. They first headed north around the back of Hyrule Castle. It was a view of the undamaged castle he hadn't seen before, and it was very impressive. After rounding the castle, they headed south and then made their way along the Zora River.

"Is everything alright back at the Domain?" asked Link.

"Yes, everything is fine," said one of the Zora guards. "We heard about your mission to the Gerudo and are happy it was a success. Your presence there as a Zora citizen and representative was honorable and courageous. But I know Lady Mipha is very anxious about you."

They soon passed under Luto's crossing and then into Ruto lake. Finally, the boat pulled into Zora's Domain and docked. Link wasn't wearing his Zora armor, so he had to climb the ladder to the upper level.

News of his arrival must have preceded him because Mipha and Sidon were both waiting for him. When he saw Mipha, he rushed to hug her. She held him close, and they kissed.

"I was so relieved when a Rito delivered the message that you were unhurt," said Mipha. "I missed you so much and worried every minute of every day."

"I missed you too," he said.

Link reached around and hugged Sidon. "And I missed you too, little brother," said Link.

"Father is waiting to see us," said Mipha. "He received a full field report on the battle this morning."

The three of them walked up to the throne room.

"Link, welcome home!" said King Dorephan. "I was overjoyed to learn you were unharmed, as well as of your victory. I was also proud to read in the report that the technology you supplied played a key role in the victory and also about the extraordinarily brave part you played in the battle."

Mipha glared at Link.

"What extraordinarily brave part are we talking about?" said Mipha. "I hope you didn't take any unnecessary risks? You remembered your promise, didn't you?"

"I snuck up behind the Yiga Clan Guardian to activate Purah's rune," said Link. "It was nothing. I think the report portrayed my actions as more heroic than they were."

"Well, you can tell me all about it later," said Mipha. "I hope it wasn't reckless, or you will have Nayru and me both to answer to. And I think Nayru may well be more forgiving. You know how hurt I will be if you didn't take care of yourself."

"I did take care of myself, sweetheart," said Link. "I love you too much to throw my life away."

"Anyway," said King Dorephan, "I am happy you are safe back home where you belong. I know you and Mipha are anxious to be together, so I won't keep you any longer. Sidon, say good-night to them."

They all said good night to each other. Link took Mipha's hand, and they walked back home.

"How are you feeling?" Link asked.

"A lot better now that you're home," she said. "I worried every night about you."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that," said Link. "I thought about you every night as well and swore I would not risk my life needlessly. I only did what I thought necessary to save the town and all of us."

"Well, I'm not going to argue with you about it now," said Mipha. "I'm happy you're back, and I'll look you over for bruises when we get home. But you owe me back five nights of worry. How are you going to repay me?"

"Sounds like something better discussed in the comfort of our bed," said Link.