Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Open your eyes.

The soft voice was the first sound to touch his ears. As he tried to process it, the rest of his senses slowly returned to him. There was a damp smell in the air. He realized he was laying down, and that some sort of liquid was surrounding him.

Open your eyes.

He struggled to follow the voice’s instructions. He wanted to see her face.

How did he know it was a girl?

Open your eyes. Wake up, Link.

Link? Was that him? He hoped so. He wanted to be whoever that lovely voice was speaking to.

Finally, his eyelids slowly opened. Above him, a strange blue light emanated from strange stone carvings. The light pulsed like a heartbeat.

He suddenly realized that the voice had stopped. Gathering his strength, he pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around, but there was no one to be found.

He was alone.

He studied the walls for a moment. To his left was a strange pedestal standing in front of the all. Well, that was something, at least. Perhaps the person who’d been talking to him was speaking through it.

He climbed out of the bed, though it wasn’t much of a bed. It was more like a shallow bathing pool. After a moment, he tried standing. Without the warm liquid that had surrounded him, Link felt chilly. But there was nothing in the room but the pedestal and the bed where he’d woken up.

He considered speaking, to try and bring the voice back, but when he tried to speak, he realized he was thirsty, and making a noise hurt. He looked back in the bed but thought better of it. He didn’t think that stuff was water.

His only option was to approach the pedestal. Perhaps it held some answers.

He slowly took a few steps forward. His balance returned to him fairly quickly and every step gave him more confidence in his body. When he stood in front of the pedestal he leaned in to take a closer look.

Suddenly, it spun and a rectangular object popped up.

That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it. It will guide you after your long slumber.

Long slumber? How long had he been asleep? How did he end up here, wherever here was? No matter how much he wracked his brain, he could not remember anything.

He did as the voice said. He trusted it. He wasn’t even sure it was real, but it was the only thing he had to go on.

Once it was in his hands, the Sheikah Slate seemed to activate and some sort of interface appeared. What a strange word. Interface.

At the same time, part of the wall receded, creating an opening.

At this point, he was certain of three things. First, his name, as the voice said, was Link. Second, he had been sleeping a long time. And third, he knew the owner of the voice, even if he couldn’t remember exactly how or why.

A glimmer of hope rose in him. Maybe that person was through the doorway, waiting to answer his questions. Maybe she had food and water, too.

But when he stepped through, he found himself still alone. Still hungry, thirsty, and chilly. Looking around, he found chests, boxes and barrels on either side of the walkway.

The boxes and barrels offered nothing but dust, but the chests were another story. Inside one was an old, worn shirt, and inside the other was pants and a belt in the same condition. They looked decades old.

After pulling the tattered clothing on he felt a little warmer but still famished.

He approached another pedestal on the other side of the room.

Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way.

He did and once again the walls receded and the apparent doorway was opened, revealing a blinding light at the end of the cavern.

He headed to the end of the cavern. Just before a small ledge was some shallow water, and he kneeled down to quench his thirst. After awhile, he felt much better, and stood up, ready to climb the ledge.

Link, you are the light… our light, that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now, go...

He looked around again, cleared his throat gently, and called back to the voice, “Hello?” His vocal cords were still rusty, and he knew, even in here, where his footsteps echoed, he wasn’t very loud.

He drank a little more and tried again. “Hello?” He called. “Is anybody there?”

There was no answer.

Frustrated, he put all his strength into pulling himself up the ledge and left the cavern. The light was very bright and as he drew closer he could hear a chirping sound.

Birds, he thought. He appreciated the sound.

Up ahead, he could see the light was shining on something green. Grass.

Forgetting his frustration and the voice, he broke into a run, eager to see the outside world - Hyrule, he assumed, whatever that was.

He found himself on some sort of cliff, overlooking a wide expanse of land. It was breathtaking. There were mountains and trees and lakes. He saw a volcano far in the distance, and much nearer, to his right (he wasn’t sure which way was north yet), was a large, ancient looking building.

Below the building, looking right at him, was a dark, hooded figure with what appeared to be a large white beard. The figure turned his back to Link and started walking to a small fire beneath an overhanging ledge.

Link watched him for a moment. This was the first person he’d seen in… well, to be honest, he didn’t know how long it had been. From what the voice had said, he’d been sleeping a long time.

He turned back to the land before him for a moment, and felt a sinking feeling. There was something very wrong here. Sure, this place felt full of life - trees, and birds, and he was sure he could see a wild boar down there - but it felt eerie. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

He was positive the bearded figure wasn’t the owner of the voice that had been guiding him before. It was too soft, too feminine, to belong to the man sitting by the fire. Still, perhaps he held some answers to the questions lingering in Link’s mind.

His mind made up, Link turned his back to the landscape and made his way towards the old man.

Chapter Text

Whatever the old man was cooking at the fire smelled delicious, and when Link reached him, he immediately picked up the apple laying by the fire.

“I beg your pardon! I do believe that is my baked apple!” Cried the old man. “You can’t just go about taking whatever you please!”

Link froze, unsure of what to do. Give it back? Beg for it? He was so hungry…

Then the man laughed. “Oho ho! Forgive me - I could not resist pulling your leg.”

Link relaxed as the man continued. “Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat.”

Link settled down across from the old man, smiling gratefully. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Link munched on the baked apple. He tried to refrain from eating messily as he could feel the old man’s eyes on him, scrutinizing his every move.

“It’s rather unusual to see another soul in these parts.” The old man commented.

Link froze. How was he supposed to explain where he came from? He wasn’t even sure of the facts himself. Perhaps just his name would be sufficient.

“I’m Link. Who are you?” He decided keeping the subject off himself was probably best.

“Me? I’ll spare you my life story.” said the old man. “I’m just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time. What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?”

This guy was good, Link thought. He dodged the question though. “Where are we?”

“Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough.” Link thought the man was smiling. “As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence, I shall tell you.”

Link breathed a sigh of relief.

“This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule.” The old man stood and turned towards the large building looming over them. “That temple there… long ago it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom one hundred years ago, it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay. Yet another forgotten entity… A mere ghost of its former self.”

One hundred years ago… Link wondered if the decline of Hyrule a century ago had anything to do with him being in that strange cavern. The voice had said he was the light that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Was there darkness upon it now? And why him? He now had even more questions than before he’d spoken to the old man.

“I shall be here for some time.” said the old man, breaking Link from his thoughts. “Please let me know if I may be of service.” With that, he sat down and turned back to his fire.

Link wandered away, towards the abandoned temple. The eerie feeling he’d had before was back and growing stronger. There was a small lake to his right, and a large rock poking out of the center. Something thin and metallic was sticking out of it.

A sword. For some reason, he felt he’d be safer if he had a sword. He dove into the water and climbed the rock. It was an old rusty broadsword, but just like his clothes, it was better than nothing. The moment he equipped it to his belt, his Sheikah Slate registered it.

Apparently his decision to retrieve the sword was a wise one as above him he could hear a snarling and groveling sound. He quietly climbed the cliff above and peeked over it. Strange, red, pig-faced creatures with large ears were dancing around the fire. Link watched them. Something told him they would not be as kind as the old man. He climbed back down, deciding to learn more about them later.

Once he had returned to the shore, he noticed an ax sticking out of a tree stump. He pulled it out, and decided to keep it. He was considering how he would carry both the sword and the ax when his Sheikah Slate made a sound.

Setting down the ax, he pulled out the Slate and examined it. Just like before, the ax was now registered under melee weapons. He looked at the ax on the ground, only to find it was no longer there.

Strange. Hesitantly, he tap the picture of the ax on the interface. He was given two options: Equip or Drop. He decided on Equip. The broadsword disappeared from his back and was replaced with the ax. Very strange. He decided to accept it for now and figure it out later.

He explored the temple, trying to figure out what the giant statue might be of. Perhaps she was a saint or a goddess? He found several items, including a bow and arrows (his Sheikah Slate registered them as well). Outside, he ran into another of the strange red creatures he’d seen before.

And it saw him too. It ran at him, brandishing a club. Link backed away for a moment, and barely dodged the monster’s swing. Finally, he drew his ax. He struck the monster three times before it screamed and turned black, disappearing as dust. Left behind was a large tooth, which the Slate registered as a Bokoblin Fang.

So the creature he’d just killed was called a Bokoblin.

It suddenly dawned on him that he’d actually killed something. Part of him was okay with this. It was in self-defense after all. But another part of him felt guilty. Even if the creature had attacked him, he’d taken its life.

His thoughts were interrupted by the voice again.

Link, head for the point marked on the map in your Sheikah Slate.

As if on cue, the interface changed on his Sheikah Slate and pulled up a map, where a small golden circle glowed somewhere far from the pin that showed his own location.

He wondered how the Slate knew what to do. Perhaps the voice could control it? But where was the voice? He looked around. The old man was too far away, and his voice was too gruff to be the one Link kept hearing. Still, there was no one else here. The old man had said that himself.

Link sighed and, since it hadn’t steered him wrong yet, headed in the direction of the golden circle.

There were more Bokoblins in this direction, and fighting them caused both his broadsword and his ax to break. He began collecting the clubs and bows the Bokoblins left behind. They had surprisingly good balance.

As he followed the blank map, he thought about the little information he’d gathered up to this point. In his mind he made a mental list.

1. I am on the Great Plateau, somewhere in Hyrule.
2. Hyrule kingdom fell one hundred years ago.
3. I have been asleep for a long time in that chamber, maybe for one hundred years.
4. I am physically strong and I know several swordsmen techniques. Perhaps I was a warrior before?
5. The old man is hiding something.
6. There is a voice in my head that is not mine.

Finally, after defeating two more Bokoblins, Link reached the point on the map. There was a tiny cave in front of him, and inside was another one of the pedestals he’d seen in his own cavern. He studied it carefully.

Place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal.

Link followed the instructions that had appeared on the Sheikah Slate. He supposed the Slate had sensed it was near the pedestal.

The Sheikah Slate fit itself perfectly into the rectangular space, and the base spun before lining up with the other inscriptions. Then the whole thing glowed. Link could only watch in amazement and wonder who had built these things.

Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks.

What?

Without warning, the earth began to shake. Link lost his balance and fell over, barely dodging the rocks that were falling around him.

Some warning, he thought.

Everything became still quite suddenly. Link stood up and looked around.

How in the world? He was much higher than before. He carefully looked down from the edge. So that’s what it meant by ‘tower’. He assumed it had been buried in the ground until it rose up after being activated.

There were at least a dozen in the distance, in every direction, and he could have sworn they had not been there before.

He turned back to the pedestal.

Distilling local information.

Link watched as the stalactite above the pedestal streamed a blue glowing letters down to its tip. The blue letters formed a single droplet, which landed on the Sheikah Slate. Once again, the interface immediately pulled up the map, but this time, instead of being blank, a small area map appeared.

Regional map extracted.

Regional map. Link assumed this was a map of the Great Plateau, particularly since the tower was called the Great Plateau tower.

The Sheikah Slate returned to him and Link put it back on his hip. He turned away.

Remember… Try… Try to remember… You have been asleep for the past 100 years… The beast…

The return of the voice surprised him. In the distance, he could see what must be the silhouette of a castle, and a beautiful golden light shining from it. Link wanted to run to it, though he didn’t know why. But then the light was overtaken by a strange black and red shadow overtook it.

When the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end…

The shadow enshrouded the entire castle and even from far away Link could see some sort of beast form in the shadow. It seemed to be roaring. It gave Link the chills.

Now then… You must hurry, Link. Before it’s too late.

Link didn’t move for a few moments, trying to digest this new information. He was almost sure that the voice was the golden light. The voice had confirmed for him that he’d been asleep for one hundred years, and he’d been involved in the downfall of Hyrule. The beast must have been what caused it…

He checked the map on his Sheikah Slate, but the castle was not on it. There was, however, a strange blue symbol. When he touched it, it read, “Shrine of Resurrection”.

Once again, Link couldn’t move. He was positive that place was where he’d emerged earlier. Resurrection? Why had he been in the Shrine of Resurrection? Did he… die?

Taking a deep breath, he tried to organize his thoughts. He recalled the list he’d made in his mind, and made some changes to it.

1. I am on the Great Plateau, which I now have a map of.
2. Hyrule kingdom fell one hundred years ago, because of the beast in the castle.
3. I have been asleep for a hundred years in the Shrine of Resurrection.
4. I was definitely a warrior of some sort.
5. The old man is hiding something.
6. There is a voice coming from the castle. She may be trapped there.

He didn’t hear another word from the voice, so he decided to make his way down the tower. He discovered he could hop through an opening, from one ledge to the next, like giant steps. He’d decided to seek out the old man again. Hopefully, he’d get some clear answers.

Chapter Text

Link didn’t have to look very far for the old man. As it happens, the second he touched the ground, the old man landed in front of him. Link looked up, but they were nowhere near any cliffs for the old man to have jumped off of, and he definitely hadn’t been on the tower.

So where had he come from?

“Well, well… it seems we have quite the enigma here.” said the old man. “This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another.”

The old man gazed up at the tower. “It is almost as though… a long dormant power has awoken quite suddenly.” He turned back to Link. “If you do not mind me asking, did anything… odd occur while you were atop that tower?”

Something odd certainly had happened, but Link wasn’t sure he was ready to share it. Then again, perhaps if Link opened up to him, then the old man would do the same.

“I heard a voice.” said Link.

The old man did not look surprised. In fact, he looked delighted. “Well, now! A voice, you say? And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?”

Link shook his head.

The old man nodded and turned towards the castle in the distance. “I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle. That is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin. It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake.

The old man looked quite sad. “For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It would appear that moment is fast approaching…”

Link could something inside of him, a voice in the back of his mind, urging him towards the castle. He knew that this voice was his own.

The old man watched him for a moment. “I must ask you, courageous one… Do you intend to make your way to the castle?”

Without hesitation, Link said, “I do.”

He chuckled. “I had a feeling you would say that. Here on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down. If you were to try to jump off… well, no death could be more certain. Or more foolish. Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story.”

Link now knew how the man had flown. For some reason, he could visualize a paraglider in his mind. Had he seen one before? He decided to approach the subject tactfully. “Paraglider?” he asked.

“Oh! Piqued your interest, have I? Yes, I didn’t come soaring down here on my own feathery wings, you know! Worry not, I will happily agree to give you my paraglider. But not for nothing. Let’s see now…” He thought for a moment. “How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby. Come. Let me show you something.”

Link followed the old man to a small hill nearby. Standing at the top, Link could see another camp of Bokoblins to his right. In front of him was a small lake.

“Do you see that structure over there? The one with the glowing orange light?” Link looked in the direction the main had pointed to. “It began glowing at the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place would house some sort of treasure, wouldn’t you? Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe.”

Link agreed that was fair. He didn’t see any need for treasure himself. The paraglider would be much more useful than a crown or jewels. So he headed down the hill, and around the lake, avoiding the Bokoblins for now.

Once he reached the structure, he noticed it had a pedestal as well. He held the Sheikah Slate up to it.

Sheikah Slate confirmed.

The circular carving in the front suddenly glowed blue.

Travel Gate registered to map. Access granted.

The orange light turned blue, and the entrance opened. Link stepped inside, and was lowered into the shrine.

His descent felt endless, until he finally reached the bottom. He found himself in a strange chamber. Here was yet another pedestal, with a stalactite hanging above it, much like the one on top of the tower.

A voice rang through the chamber, much different from the one trapped in the castle. This voice sounded ancient, and was little more than a whisper.

To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am Oman Au. In the name of the goddess Hylia, I offer this trial.

Shrine? Goddess? Trial?

So this place was a shrine, and whatever he was about to do was a trial. He remembered the large statue in the temple. Perhaps that statue had been the goddess Hylia.

This pedestal granted his Sheikah Slate some sort of update called Magnesis.

It didn’t take him long to figure out how to use the new power. He could now move metal objects around. He used this power to move further through the shrine, even destroying some sort of robotic creature that was similar to ones he’d seen outside. The ones outside, however, seemed to be damaged and were much larger.

Finally, he reached a smaller chamber. Behind a blue barrier sat what Link thought was a statue. After a moment he realized it was some sort of monk. Oman Au? He reached out to the person, who seemed to be in a deep state of meditation.

Touching the barrier caused it to disappear and Link panicked. What had he just done?

But he’d apparently done the right thing, as he heard the ancient voice again.

You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. I am a humble monk, blessed with sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you. Please accept this Spirit Orb.

In front of the monk appeared a dark orb with a familiar symbol on it. The orb floated towards Link and then into his chest, where it disappeared. It was an odd feeling.

May the Goddess smile upon you.

Link watched as the monk faded away, as if turning to dust. He wanted to stop him, to help him, but he didn’t know how. How long had the monk been sitting there, waiting for him? At least one hundred years, since Link had been asleep for that long.

Link felt strange then, and noticed he was now surrounded by a strange light. Moments later, he founded himself standing on the blue circle outside the shrine, and the sun was going down.

Time to get the Paraglider.

Chapter Text

Just as before, the old man flew down to meet him. From where, Link didn’t know, but at least he had the Paraglider with him.

“It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb.” he said. “Well done!”

“How did you know?” Link asked.

“Clairvoyance!” He chuckled. “Or perhaps just something similar.”

Link quirked an eyebrow, but the old man took no notice.

“As one gets older, it can become more difficult to see what is right before one’s eyes…” He said mysteriously. “However, that which was once hidden from view can often be crystal clear. But perhaps that is not true for everyone! Oho! The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine… It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there.”

Link glanced down at his Slate. Had he told the old man what it was called? How did he know?

“What do you mean?” Link asked, hoping to pry more information from the old man.

“It has been quite some time since I have seen that Sheikah Slate…”

Link thought the old man looked sad, but his expression quickly became guarded again and he cleared his throat.

“Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again. But their ancient technology disappeared long ago, or so it is said.” He eyed the Slate again. “It is interesting, however, to think, how something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine. These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across the land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more.”

Three? Link knew exactly what the old man was about to say.

“Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines… and I will give you my Paraglider.”

“That wasn’t the deal.” Link said in annoyance.

“Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I’m sure that won’t be a problem for a young go-getter like you!” He chuckled. “Since I’m feeling generous, I will teach you a trick for finding shrines.”

Generous? How did he consider this generous?

The old man then explained how to create beacons using the scope on his Sheikah Slate, but it involved climbing the tower.

“Are you joking?”

“I’m afraid not. But do not worry! I have another little trick to share with you for your effort.”

He then explained how to open the map and warp to shrines and the top of towers that he’d activated. So far, only the Shrine of Resurrection, the Great Plateau Tower, and the Oman Au shrine appeared on his map.

After explaining these things, the man walked away. Darkness had finally fallen, so Link decided to find some place to sleep for the night. He was exhausted.

Perhaps he could test the Warping ability on his Slate. He tapped the icon for the Shrine of Resurrection and selected travel.

His body was enveloped in blue lights, and a few moments later he found himself standing in the Shrine of Resurrection. He left quickly and headed down to the small cave where the old man had been when they’d met.

The fire was still going, though the old man was nowhere in sight, and Link decided to bake a few apples for dinner before falling asleep. He’d find some meat tomorrow.

He was awoken the next morning by the chattering of birds. He sat up slowly, thinking about the day before.

“Good morning.” said a voice.

Link turned around to see the old man sitting by the fire.

“There are many monsters on this plateau. I do not think it wise to sleep alone, out here in the open.” said the old man. “I was merely keeping watch as you rested.”

Link thanked him and then found some more apples. After breakfast, he stood to leave.

“Off to find the rest of that treasure, are you?” asked the old man.

Link gave him a pointed look, and then pulled out his Sheikah Slate to warp to the tower.

Once there, he used his scope to locate the three shrines and placed pins on them. He could now see them on the map, although he couldn’t warp to them. The closest one was in a place called the Eastern Abbey.

He warped to the Oman Au shrine, and traveled in the direction of the abbey, fighting monsters along the way.

He was soon close enough to see the walls of the ruined buildings. He also saw a few more of the giant, broken spider-like robots. As he approached the walls, he heard an odd noise. He turned around and saw that one of the robots had lit up and was preparing to shoot.

He ran for cover, remembering how painful the shots from the tiny one in the shrine was. As fast as he could, he ran to the other side of the building. There wasn’t a robot here, but it was a dead end. He climbed the wall and found the shrine on the other side, no robots in sight.

Safe for now, he activated the shrine and entered. It was called the Ja Baij Shrine, and in it, he received the Remote Bomb Rune. This allowed him to summon two kinds of bombs: spherical and cubical. The different shaped bombs allowed him to solve the puzzles, complete the trial, and receive another Spirit Orb.

When he arrived outside the Shrine, he climbed a different wall and found another robot awaiting him. He quickly went back the way he came, staying near the edge of the cliff, just far enough away that the first robot didn’t sense him.

Once he was completely free, he decided to head for the next shrine. It was past the temple, so he headed that way, fending off monsters on his way. He made good use of the Remote Bomb this way. His weapons would wear out, but the Remote Bomb was inexhaustible.

The next shrine was on a high cliff, and below it was a small cottage. Link approached it, and found the old man there, cutting down trees. He offered Link some supplies, including another ax. Link decided to take a break and cook some lunch. He made a Spicy Seafood and Meat dish, which earned him a warm doublet from the old man.

He put it on, as it was much more comfortable than the old shirt from the Shrine of Resurrection. Then he decided to scale the cliff. There were several ledges along the way that he was able to rest on. Finally, he made it to the top, where he activated the shrine.

The Owa Daim Shrine gave him the Stasis Rune. He used this to freeze objects in time and then give them potential energy by hitting them. When the Stasis ended, the objects were propelled in the direction he’d hit them. Owa Daim rewarded him with another Spirit Orb.

Finally, he was down to the last shrine, but it was getting dark so he decided to wait until morning to go into the colder part of the mountains.

He stayed with the old man that night, and the following morning, he helped him chop wood before heading to the gate that was the entrance to the snowy region. He was nice and warm in his doublet, and he made his way to a broken bridge to get across a wide river. He used his Magnesis to move an old metal plank and carefully made his way across the freezing water.

Halfway up the path leading to the shrine, he was nearly squashed by two falling boulders. He managed to leap out of the way just in time. Just before the shrine was another Bokoblin camp. He quickly took them out and approached the shrine.

The Keh Namut Shrine granted him the Cryonis Rune, which he used to create frozen ice blocks. He had to defeat another tiny robot. He completed the trial and earned the last Spirit Orb.

Outside the shrine, the old man landed in front of him. Link wasn’t surprised. He’d been expecting another dramatic entrance from the old man.

“With this, you have now acquired all the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this Plateau.” said the old man. “Oho! Extraordinary! That means… it is finally time. Link, it is finally time for me to tell you everything.”

Link waited. He had known the entire time the old man knew something, and now he was going to find out what it was.

“But first…”

Link sighed inwardly. Of course there was another catch…

The old man turned away. “Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect. I shall wait for you there.”

He turned back to Link as a blue aura surrounded him. “Do you understand? Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross… There…”

Link watched in shock as the old man began to disappear.

“I shall… be waiting…”

Those were his last words as he completely vanished.

Link stood there for a moment trying to figure out what had happened. Perhaps the old man was like the monks in the shrines? But why wasn’t he in a shrine himself?

Link sighed and opened the map on his Sheikah Slate. He mentally drew two lines that formed an X from the shrines, and discovered his destination.

The temple with the giant statue.

It would be faster to get there from the Shrine of Resurrection, so Link warped there and made his way down the path. There were no Bokoblins here anymore, as Link had already defeated them.

There was no one in the temple, so Link approached the statue.

To his surprise, it communicated with him, and granted him extra strength in return for four Spirit Orbs. Was that why the old man had had him collect them?

Feeling even more able than before, Link turned away to look for the old man.

“Ho!”

Link looked up, in the direction of the voice. The old man was standing on the roof!

“The blessing of the goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see…” He said. “Here I am. Get up here - quickly!”

Link did not like the command in the old man’s voice, but decided it was best to do as he was told for now. He went outside and climbed a ladder he hadn’t noticed before to reach the roof. The old man was inside a broken tower.

Finally, it was time for answers…

Chapter Text

“Well done there, young one!” the old man greeted him as he climbed into the dilapidated tower. “Now then, the time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.”

What? Link had figured out the man was a ghost, but a ghost king?

“I was… the last leader of Hyrule.” He said, and added in a low voice. “A kingdom which no longer exists.”

His lantern then began to glow. The light became so blinding, Link had to look away. When he looked back, he was shocked. Instead of an old, hooded man, there was a regal, commanding king. He was still surrounded by a blue glow, and his feet didn’t touch the ground.

Ghost king… Link thought.

King Rhoam continued as though nothing happened. “The Great Calamity was merciless… It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago.”

I already know that, thought Link to himself, but he dared not say it aloud.

“It was then that my life was taken away from me.”

Link had surmised as much, given that the king was now, well, a ghost king. He hoped the old man would tell him something he didn’t know.

“And since that time, here I have remained… in spirit form.” said the king. “I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me.”

Link assumed he should appreciate this sentiment, but he was still a bit annoyed about the wild cuckoo chase he’d been sent on. The lack of memories certainly didn’t help. And the fact that every person he’d met so far turned out to be dead. First the monks, and now the old man.

“I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago.”

Link would have been on the edge of the seat if he’d been sitting. He was, however, standing.

The old man finally began the tale.

“To know Calamity Ganon’s true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also… a prophecy.

“‘The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.’ We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn’t long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors.

“We also found the guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously. This coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed ganon away using the power of these ancient relics.

“One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors’ path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions - a name that would solidify their unique bond.

“The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon… but nay… Ganon was cunning and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us.

“The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well… The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess. And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon.

“However… The princess survived… to face Ganon alone.”

Link heard the girl’s voice again. “Link… you are our final hope… The fate of Hyrule rests with you!”

“That princess was my own daughter… My dear Zelda…”

Zelda… That was so familiar…

“And the courageous knight, who protected her right up to the very end… That knight was none other than you, Link. You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn.”

Link looked down at the ground. He had figured out he was a warrior of sorts one hundred years ago, but he hadn’t expected to have had such a large role in the events of the Calamity.

“And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later.”

100 years late, you mean, Link thought. If he’d been such a valiant knight, then how could he have failed? He tried to think of all the people he must have let down, but he couldn’t imagine a single face, aside from King Rhoam and the monks in the Shrines. Was anybody alive? What if they were all dead?

“The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself.”

Zelda? She was the soft voice he’d kept hearing? He gazed past the king to the castle, where he knew Zelda must be. Was she alive, or was she also a spirit, like her father?

“Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help. However, my daughter’s power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land.”

He grew quiet for a moment, and then, barely meeting Link’s eyes, he continued.

“Considering that I could not save my own kingdom… I have no right to ask this of you, Link… But I am powerless here… You must save her… My daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon.”

Link’s annoyance at the old man was quickly dissipating. The king had lost so much, and here he had waited, for Link, for one hundred years, probably watching his kingdom fall apart as the guardians and monsters rampaged around the land freely in the wake of the Calamity.

And now he was humbly asking Link to end this turmoil. Even if he’d wanted to, he couldn’t say no. He felt a sense of duty, something that had been calling him to the castle to defeat the beast from the moment he’d seen it, and he was quite sure it wasn’t Zelda. It was something much deeper than that.

“Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point.

“I suggest that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness.” He raised a hand to point towards two towering peaks. “Follow the road out to Kakariko Village. There you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your Sheikah Slate for the precise location of Kakariko Village. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north.”

King Rhoam turned and looked Link in the eyes. They stared at each other for a moment, a silent communication between them. Link was still absorbing all of the information he’d been given. Finally, the king broke the silence.

“Go on… here is the Paraglider, just as I promised. With that, you should be able to safely fly off the cliffs surrounding this area.”

Link sighed, glad he’d finally received it. Truth be told, he’d actually forgotten about it, listening to the king’s tale. “Thank you.” He said simply. He’d never been much for words.

How did he know that? Link didn’t linger long on the question.

“I think that’s it…” said the king. “I’ve told you everything I can. Link, you must…” The blue light glowed dimmer. Link could see the wall through the old man. “...save… Hyrule…” And then he was gone.

Link felt a strong sense of loneliness. It only made him want to find this Impa person more. He remembered that the king had said Kakariko was one of the villages in the wilderness. That meant there were several. He sighed in relief. He wasn’t the only person left… There were others. He just had to find them.

Link settled in the tower for the night, as it was getting quite dark again. He didn’t need to set a fire, as he was warm in his doublet.

He wasn’t alone…

So why did he feel like crying?

Chapter Text

He was in a town. A large, bustling town, full of noise and colors and stone buildings.

“Link, time to go, come along!”

Link turned away from the display of toys in a window, to the owner of the voice, a young girl with long red hair. He took her hand, and they began walking through the town, towards a large, pristine castle.

“We’re going with Daddy to Zora’s Domain tomorrow, and we’ve got to buy enough supplies. You’ve still got the goat cheese, don’t you?”

“Yes, Sissy.” Said Link, happily holding up the package of cheese. “And I picked some apples from our tree this morning. Can we take them, too?”

“Of course we can. I’ll even bake them if you want.”

“Could you cook them with honey? Please?” Link begged.

Sissy laughed, a lovely laugh. “If you’re good. Maybe share some with Mipha. Not many Zoras have tried honey before.”

“That’s a great idea!”

He let go of her hand and ran ahead of them, to a house near the gates of the castle, and stormed inside. The apples were on the table, in a wooden bowl. He grabbed a cloth and wrapped the apples in it. By the time Sissy had entered the kitchen, he was retrieving the honey.

“Well, aren’t you a hard worker?” Sissy teased. “Daddy will be pleased to hear you’ve been such a big help today.”

Link set the jar of honey on the table and went to get a basket from the counter. It was one they usually packed for long journeys.

“Do you think Mummy would be pleased, too?”

Sissy took the basket quietly, a sad frown on her face.

“Yes…” She said, trying to smile. “I’m sure Mummy would be, too…”

Link awoke in tears. He was sure the dream had not been a dream, but a distant memory of his childhood. Sissy… he’d had a sister… with long, flowing red hair.

And he couldn’t remember her name. He finally pulled himself together enough to look out the window.

It was already midday! How long had he been sleeping? Link quickly warped to the tower. He had decided to glide from the highest point possible, so he could cover more ground. He stood on the edge, facing the road that led to the Dueling Peaks, and took a deep breath.

One… two… three!

He wasn’t falling for long, as he’d quickly pulled out the Paraglider. He figured out how to make himself move in each direction, and settled on forwards.

After a few minutes, he drew closer to the ground, but still not close enough. His arms were growing tired, though…

An idea came to him. A dangerous one, but, then, he would die anyways if he fell from this height. He put away the Paraglider for a moment, and dropped a ways down. Ten feet from the ground, he pulled it back out and floated the rest of the way down.

He took a moment to steady himself. He’d thoroughly enjoyed his first gliding experience, but it had left him a bit disoriented.

The road was before him, and he saw another shrine up ahead, past some ruined buildings. There were Guardians there that might still be active, so he circumvented the buildings before returning to the road. He could see monsters in the distance, but no people. He sighed, and made his way to the shrine, his sword drawn just in case.

It took him awhile to complete the Bosh Kala Shrine, and when he emerged, the sun was going down. He needed to find shelter.

Just ahead on the road was a bridge, where he found his first living, breathing person.

Link was beyond joyful to find another person. His name was Brigo, a self-appointed guard of the Proxim Bridge. He was specifically watching a guardian on a nearby sandbar in the river.

Just off the bridge, Brigo had constructed a shelter with a roof. He invited Link to stay there, since it was getting dark. Link offered to help keep watch, which Brigo seemed grateful for, so they took turns. The way Brigo snored, he guessed one didn’t get a lot of sleep out here.

The next morning, Link said farewell to Brigo and set off down the road again. There were a couple monsters on the way, including Chuchu’s, but not a ton. Not many people either, though he’d found one in the forest by following the smoke from her fire.

He’d spotted another tower in the middle of a river that ran through the Dueling Peaks, and managed to glide over to it from a small cliff. Under the cliff was an abandoned monster base, and he had collected all the supplies he could from there.

He climbed the tower and activated it. It was called the Dueling Peaks Tower. It was then that he realized the Great Plateau was a very, very small area. The Dueling Peaks map was six times its size. He couldn’t see any settlements on there, so he assumed the Sheikah Slate didn’t yet have that information.

He glided down to the road again and started through the Dueling Peaks. There were a few travelers, mostly merchants, along this road as well. Link was glad to see them. He didn’t stop to chat like he had with Brigo, as they all had a destination in mind.

There was a new monster in this river: Lizalfos. And they could swim. Still, Link made quick work of them and the Octorok, and collected the parts that remained behind.

He crossed the river once, to reach the Ree Dahee Shrine.

He nearly had a heart attack when he saw the silhouette of a great beast at the other end of the valley. As he drew closer, he realized it was a rooftop in the shape of a horse. There was a shrine nearby, which he glided down to as it was surrounded by spikes. Again, it took him several hours to finish the Ha Dahamar Shrine, as the sun was low in the sky when he returned to the surface. The spikes, he noticed, were gone.

There were lots of people at the building, which was called the Dueling Peaks Stable, including a pair of twin children. Link couldn’t help but smile. Even in this world of destruction, these children were happily playing with the stable’s dog. Link felt a great sadness, too, as he remembered the sister he’d lost. How many blissful moments had they shared together, the way these twins did?

Sissy… He doubted she was still alive. The town they’d lived in had been too close to the castle. She’d probably perished, like the king and the Champions.

Link sold some fish he’d caught to a strange merchant named Beedle in order to afford a night’s stay in the Stable. He couldn’t pass up a chance to sleep in a cozy bed.

As night fell, he learned about the stable system from the brothers who ran it, how to catch a horse and register it, train it, etc. A traveling girl educated him on elixirs, and even gave him one as a sample.

Finally, Link turned in for the night.

He awoke the next day with a purpose: catch, register, and train a horse. He quickly spotted the one he wanted. It was a deep reddish color, and had a fiery attitude. Somehow, Link tamed her and brought it back to the stable. Twenty rupies later, and he had a real saddle and reins.

“And what are you going to call it?” asked the stable owner.

Link thought for a moment.

“Sissy.” He said, not caring that the man was trying to hold in his laughter.

“Well, okay, then. She’s all yours.”

He spent the rest of the day training her and gaining her trust. Sissy had no patience, but Link had plenty. He somehow knew exactly what to do, calming her when she got too wild. The girl who’d given him an elixir called him a natural with horses.

Training Sissy took awhile, so Link had to stay at the stable for another night.

He set off for Kakariko the next morning on Sissy’s back.

Chapter Text

“Whoa, there.” Link said, calming his horse. The fiery steed had been spooked by a boar just after crossing the bridge, aptly named the Kakariko Bridge. Further ahead, he saw the strangest thing he’d seen so far. Even stranger than the horse-head stable.

“Um… hello?” Link said. The creature looked very much like a tree with arms and legs, and a small leaf covered its face.

“Shalaka?” said the tree. “You! You can see me?”

Link almost said he couldn’t, but the creature wasn’t trying to kill him like all the other non-humans he’d met, so he decided to be polite. “I can see you.”

The tree then sang. “Shala-zah! Shala-kah! It’s been one hundred years since anyone has been able to see me!”

Link assumed this had something to do with the calamity.

“I’m Hestu and I need your help! Those monsters over there stole my beloved maracas! I think they’re still on the other side of those rocks. I can’t use my powers without them. Shoko… so please! Please get my maracas back from them!”

Link looked in the direction Hestu pointed. There were several rocks piled up, with a small opening. Link dismounted Sissy, and, for good measure, tied his reins to the tree Hestu was standing next to.

He didn’t know what Hestu was, but for such a large thing, it was pretty helpless. Who wouldn’t stop to help? Well, people who couldn’t see Hestu, which was apparently everyone except Link.

What makes me so special? Is it the sword that chose me? Did it give me powers? But how do I have those powers if I don’t have the sword that seals the darkness?

Link climbed the rocks and surveyed the scene on the other side. There were three Bokoblins - two red and one blue. This would be easy. He crouched down, summoned a round bomb, and threw it.

When it detonated, it sent one red one off the cliff into the water below. Bokoblins couldn’t swim. The next bomb killed the other red one. It took three more to take out the blue one. Finally, Link climbed down the rock and to a treasure chest on a raised platform. He’d opened several of these already, and always found treasure or weapons inside.

This time, however, he found a pair of intricately carved red maracas.

He returned them to Hestu, who celebrated.

“Shaaaaa-laaaaa-kaaaaah!” Hestu shook the maracas. “But wait! There’s something wrong with my maracas! The Korok seeds inside are gone! How am I supposed to dance now? Shoko…”

Link didn’t know what Korok seeds were. He hoped Hestu didn’t ask him to look for any.

“If I had just one Korok seed, I could sing, dance, and use my power to help you. You see, I have the power of inventory expansion! So let me know if you find some Korok seeds!”

It took Hestu a little while to explain what it meant by inventory expansion, what a Korok was, and where he could find a Korok seed.

It was just around the corner that Link met a second, smaller Korok. He saw two groups of block with similar patterns, though one block seemed out of place. Link fixed the pattern, wondering what would happen. A Korok appeared with a pop, hovering by a leaf. As a reward for solving the puzzle, Link was given a Korok seed.

Although Link wanted to find out how Hestu’s magic worked, he was also eager to find Kakariko Village and meet Impa, so he went on. Hestu had said it would be in that spot for awhile, so Link didn’t have to rush back.

Kakariko Village wasn’t far from there. He walked through several red gates before he finally found it. There were many houses here, and people with white hair wearing white robe-like clothes and straw hats. One large building on the other side of the village stood in front of several waterfalls.

It was a beautiful sight, and Link had spotted, with the help of the sensor on his Slate, another shrine. That would make it easy to return here.

At the entrance of the village was an elderly woman lying on the ground.

“Ouch!” she said. “Traveler! I’m sorry, but I seem to have twisted my ankle… I’m Nanna, by the way.”

Link helped her stand up.

“Hmm… let’s see here…” She tested the ankle, and managed to stand steady. “I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

“It’s fine, really. I’m glad you’re okay.” Link assured her.

The woman stared at him oddly for a moment. “Say, traveler… Where did you get that… object hanging from your waist?”

Link explained about receiving it in a shrine.

Nanna did not seem surprised. In fact, she looked delighted. “That Sheikah Slate is a symbol. It means you are the hero of legend. Though there are few who know of such legends anymore…”

Link was about to ask where he could find Impa when Nanna continued.

“But we Sheikah have been waiting for you for a very long time. Please, before all else, I must insist that you meet with our leader, Lady Impa.”

“Where is she?” Link asked.

“Lady Impa’s house is below Lantern Falls - just over there.” She pointed to the largest house. “In any case, it was a real honor to meet you. Hehe, I suppose you’re used to that, having lived as long as you have.”

Link smiled sheepishly, not at all used to special treatment. He wasn’t used to anything at the moment. Everything felt new, even though some things were familiar, there was still a strangeness to them that made Link feel like an alien in this world.

He made his way down the path to a large, central area. There were two guards at the base of the stairs to Impa’s house. Across from them was a small spring with a smaller version of the statue of Hylia. He walked up to the statue first, and received a second blessing for the four shrines he’d completed.

Then he approached the guards.

“You there! Who are you? How dare you trespass on Lady Impa’s abode!”

Link wasn’t sure what to say. Would they believe him if he said that a ghost king had sent him to speak to Impa about Calamity Ganon and the princess?

Luckily, Link didn’t have to say anything.

“Hm? Is that…” The guard peered at Link’s waist. “A Sheikah Slate? But that would mean you are… But it’s not possible. Can it be?”

The guards relaxed, and the second one said. “Please forgive us for behaving so rudely. Of course we have heard the legends from Lady Impa herself. Please friend, go ahead and step inside.”

Link thanked them. He was grateful they’d figured out who he was. It was a strange feeling, knowing these people had waited for him for so long, and he couldn’t remember any of them. He supposed they wouldn’t have been alive 100 years ago, but maybe their parents had been.

At the top of the stairs he bumped into a young girl.

“Oh! I’m sorry.” Link said, helping the girl steady herself.

She looked up at him in horror, and then covered her face. “A-a man?!”

Again, Link was speechless.

“Huh? Is that-?” She peeked through her fingers. “It’s a Sheikah Slate! Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? What was his name? Li… Lin… um…”

Link wasn’t at all hurt that the girl couldn’t remember his name. He wouldn’t have known it himself if Zelda hadn’t kept calling him that.

“Oh, it’s not that I forget… I’m just bad with speaking. As for me… My name is Paa… Paaa…”

Link waited patiently.

“Oh! My name is Paya!” She cried. “Phew… I got it out…”

“Hello, Paya. I’m Link.” he said.

She smiled and spoke slowly. “I know I should be able to say it easily, seeing how it’s my own and all. I’m s-sorry. Anyway, my grandmother has been awaiting your return ever since I was little. Plea… Please hurry inside.”

Link did, and pushed open the double doors of the house.

The room was large. Across from him, on either side of a low platform were staircases leading to the upper floor. In the center of the platform was a tiny elderly woman sitting on her knees with her arms folded in her sleeves. Atop her head was a very large straw hat, with several Sheikah eyes hanging from it.

Link stared at her. He’d been hoping he might remember something upon seeing her, since he’d obviously known her in the past, but there was nothing. Not even a spark.

But she remembered him.

“So… you’re finally awake.” She smiled at him fondly. “It has been quite a long time… Link. I am much older now, but… you remember me, don’t you?”

Link was thoroughly disappointed in himself. Here was an old friend, right in front of him, and he couldn’t remember a thing.

“What is the matter?” asked Impa. “You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you. Those eyes… they lack the light of familiarity. It is I, courageous one. Impa. Surely you must at least remember the name Impa?”

Link looked away for a moment. “I am sorry. I cannot remember anything from before. I am here because King Rhoam sent me.”

Impa was slightly surprised. “Oh, I see. So you have lost your memory.” She shook her head. “Well, it matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being.”

A blessing in disguise? How was this a blessing?

“Dearest Link… Please come a bit closer.”

Link nervously stepped towards her until he was right in front of her.

“A hundred years ago…” She began. “Yes… A hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda’s final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber. And then… all alone… Along she went to face Ganon.”

Link nodded, knowing this from King Rhoam.

“Before Princess Zelda went to nobly meet her fate… she entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you. I have been waiting 100 years to deliver the princess’s message.”

Link stood up straight to give his full attention.

“However!” said Impa. “These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you… Well, if you are to hear them… You must be prepared to risk your life as well. But I am afraid that burden may be too much to bear while you are still without your memories.”

Link felt frustrated. He had a feeling Impa could tell whether he was truly prepared to risk his life.

“I leave the choice to you. When you feel you are ready to receive the princess’s message, return to me.”

Link bowed, and left the house. He needed to feel some sunshine on his face.

Unfortunately, it was pouring rain outside. He wanted to kick something, but Paya was still cleaning a window. It was probably best not to spook her.

He glanced around the village. Even in the rain, he could see the shrine on a cliff above the village. He spent the next few hours completing it. Rather than solving a puzzle, this shrine revolved around learning some fighting techniques. He received a Guardian sword for his hard work.

Link returned to Kakariko Village just as the sun went down. In the darkness, he managed to find the inn and the general store. He sold some meat and some amber to afford a bed.

He was the only one staying there, so he had the inn to himself. Good. He needed time to think.

Impa had said he needed to be willing to risk his life. To be honest, he hadn’t even considered his own life when he’d promised the king he’d bring down Ganon. He hadn’t thought about it once. This whole time, it had become his goal. Destroy Ganon and save Zelda.

But why? Why should he risk his life for someone he wasn’t sure he even knew? Why should he help the king? What had he done for him? Sent him running around the Great Plateau for a few Spirit Orbs? He’d failed his kingdom, and now he was depending on Link to fix all his problems.

If he didn’t save Hyrule, said a little voice in his head, then Ganon would escape and destroy it. So what… thought Link. Why should this be my responsibility? I don’t even know these people, this land. It’s all strange to me.

What could he do then, if he didn’t go after Ganon? Find a village and settle down. Have a family. Travel around and meet people…

People he was condemning to death, said the damn voice again.

Link made a frustrated noise and rolled over so he was facing a wall.

By the time he fell asleep, he still wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

Chapter Text

“Link!” cried a voice. “Where are you?”

He looked down from the branch he was perched on. Just below him was a young woman with flaming red hair.

“Up here, Sissy.” His voice wasn’t high pitched anymore.

She looked up, and crossed her arms. “Aren’t you a little old to be climbing trees?”

Link laughed and hopped to the ground. “You’re never too old to do anything - that’s what Dad says.”

Sissy rolled her eyes. “Speaking of Dad, he wants us to go to the sword ceremony.”

“And see all those knights taking turns holding a sword and hoping it will choose them?” asked Link, quirking an eyebrow.

“Don’t be bitter. The rules are clear.” Sissy admonished. “Only a full-fledged knight can attempt to hold the sword that seals the darkness.”

“The rules were made by the knights themselves. They want to make sure only one of them gets to be the appointed knight.” Link said. “And I’m positive Rundel purposely scheduled the ceremony for today. My knighting ceremony is in three days. If they’d just waited, I could have a chance at it as well. And Dedry. He and I will be knighted together and I know he wants to hold the sword, too.”

“Dedry doesn’t want to be the appointed knight, though, does he?” Sissy asked.

Link laughed. “No, he just wants to spend some alone time with Princess Zelda.”

“I doubt she’ll even notice he exists.” Sissy said. “Now, come on. Whether it’s fair or not, we need to be there to support Dad. Who knows? Maybe the sword will choose him.”

Link followed her to the castle, knowing she was right.

At the gate, a deep voice called out to them.

“Link! Senna!”

Link and his sister looked up. Above them was a man waving at them. The light of the sun shining behind him obscured his face. Link squinted to get a better look-

“Cockadoodledoo!”

Link bolted upright, reaching for his weapon. It took him a moment to realize he was in a bed at the inn, alone, and not the middle of nowhere surrounded by monsters.

“Cockadoodledoo!”

Link cursed the cuckoo that was shrieking it’s morning greetings. He’d been having a wonderful dream. He could remember every detail this time.

The way his sister’s hair moved in the sunlight, the sound of his father’s voice, for he knew the man that had called out to them was his father. If only his face hadn’t been obscured.

And he’d said her name. Senna. His sister’s name was Senna. His two dreams had included three other names so far: Mipha, Rundel, and Dedry. He could not remember their faces. But they were probably all dead. His father, his sister - all dead.

Link pulled his knees to his chest. He hated this. He hated not knowing who he was. He hated being told what he had been and what he had to do. Most of all, he hated Calamity Ganon. The monster had taken everything from him.

He wished he could remember what had happened after the memory he’d just seen in his dream. If he wasn’t allowed to be chosen by the sword that seals the darkness, then how did he end up as the appointed knight? What had changed?

Had it chosen his father? Perhaps his father had given it to him? Either way, he had somehow, against all odds, become a Champion for an entire kingdom. Senna would be proud of him. And his father, too, he knew.

Link peered out the window, at Impa’s house, wondering what Senna would want him to do. What would she say right now?

In his dreams she was kind and patient, but stern. She would understand how Link felt but encourage him to make his own decision, he thought.

Then that was what he would do. He would make his own decision.

He wasn’t going to save Zelda and all of Hyrule just because the king told him. He wasn’t going to be willing to risk his life just to hear an old message from an old lady.

He was going to do it all because he wanted to. Whoever he was, whatever he had done, was behind him.

From now on, he was Link, the son of a knight, Senna’s little brother, and the princess’ appointed knight. He quickly dressed himself and went straight to Impa’s house.

He pushed open the doors and did not hesitate this time to stand in front of her. She watched him expectantly.

He met her gaze. “I am ready to hear Princess Zelda’s words.”

Impa eyed him. “The words that the princess risked her life to impart to you… I cannot pass them on to someone who lacks conviction. Are you prepared to risk your life for the greater good?”

“I am.” said Link, determination in his eyes.

“Ha! Not a memory to you name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side.” Impa said fondly. “You have not changed a bit. Once a hero, always a hero.”

Link was glad to hear that he was still the same person after all.

“Very well.” said Impa. “Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened…”

Link prepared to listen. He knew Impa would probably repeat a lot of things he knew, but King Rhoam had said Impa would tell him more.

Taking a breath, Impa began her tale.

“The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages. This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess. With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this ‘legend’ that occurred 10,000 years ago.”

Impa motioned to a detailed tapestry behind her. In the center was a monstrous beast, surrounded by tiny guardian-like characters. On one side of the beast was a red and blue figure wielding a sword, and the other was a blonde figure in white. Each corner held a larger, animal-like figure: a bird, a camel, a salamander, and an elephant.

“Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return.

“They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians.The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged.

“Upon Ganon’s inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe.
And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow, the princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon.

“A hundred years ago… in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years prior. But… in the end… Despite our best efforts and careful planning, we underestimated his power. In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words: Free the four Divine Beasts. That is what she said.”

“The four divine beasts?” asked Link. He still wasn’t exactly sure what they were.

“The four Divine Beasts are the ancient Sheikah weapons wielded by the four Champions who Ganon defeated. The Divine Beast Vah Rudania controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora. And the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo.”

Link was surprised to hear the name Mipha. Was this the same Mipha that his sister had mentioned in his memory? If it was, then this Mipha had been his friend.

“It would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help you… You must infiltrate the Divine Beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side. More information about these Divine Beasts can be found by locating the four races scattered across Hyrule. The Sheikah Slate will guide you on your way. You must go where it tells you and meet with each leader there.”

Link pulled out his Sheikah Slate, and he found four yellow pins blinking in different areas of his map. He allowed Impa to study it for a moment.

“...it seems to me that your Sheikah Slate is not yet complete. The device Princess Zelda left you is your guide and also your memory. Now, let’s see…” She thought for a moment. “Someone at the research lab in Hateno Village might be able to help you…”

“Hateno Village?” asked Link.

Impa nodded to the Sheikah Slate, which was now showing another new pin.

“The location shining on the eastern edge is Hateno Village. It is a small village, one of the very few places that avoided suffering significant damage during the Great Calamity.”

Link put his Sheikah Slate away.

“You are Princess Zelda’s only hope… and Hyrule’s, as well.” said Impa, smiling fondly at him. “You cannot turn back now. Follow your heart and seize your destiny!”

With those parting words, Link bowed and left, accidentally bumping into Paya again.

“Sorry, Paya.” said Link kindly, picking up the broom she’d dropped and handing it to her.

“I-it’s f-f-fi-fiii-... It’s fine!”

Link explored the village a little more, and found a clothing shop. Here he bought a Hylian tunic and hood, which were more durable than the clothes he’d been wearing up until now. He already had Hylian pants, so he didn’t need to buy any of those.

He heard from a painter named Pikango there was a fairy fountain outside the village. He found it and gave the weakened fairy one hundred rupees. She was grateful and offered to help make him stronger.

Around the fountain were plenty of herbs and ingredients he could forage for. He spent the late afternoon hunting.

Finally, he went back to the inn. He hoped beyond hope that he had another dream…

Chapter Text

“Woah, there.” Link soothed his horse as they reached Kakariko Bridge.

Sissy had been very antsy today. He had a feeling she could sense Link’s bad mood. He’d woken up from a dreamless sleep, which had been a great disappointment. Then, just as he’d prepared to leave the village, a lightning storm started. Link and his steed had been forced to take shelter for hours. Thankfully, the Sheikah were rather accommodating.

Though he’d lost some daylight, Link was determined to make it to Hateno Village without stopping. Still, the weather had been disheartening. In the distance, he saw the Dueling Peaks Stable. He considered stopping there, but it was high noon. Still several hours of daylight. He turned in the direction of Hateno Village.

The way there was full of monsters, some of which Sissy outrun easily, but others Link dismounted and fought. There were tons of guardians near Fort Hateno that tried to shoot them, but they escaped through the gate.

The second they were through, Link felt relief. They were safe here, he knew. The road cut through a small forest here. Before him was a small cabin. There was also a man standing near the wall of the fort.

Link spoke to him. Apparently, he was just a traveler who had come to see the historic Fort Hateno, as it was the last defense between Hateno Village and the Calamity. As it was getting dark the man offered for Link to sit by his fire for the night. Link was grateful, especially after talking to “Doctor” Calip in the cabin, who was more focused on his research than anything. Link felt the “Cursed Statue” was very interesting, so he decided to investigate it sometime, after he found Hateno Village. Link tied Sissy to a tree so she didn’t wander off and sat down with the man.

Link found it hard to rest that night - there was something in the air that put his hair on end. He looked up at the sky, and noticed that the moon was red. He had never seen a red moon, and he watched as it rose high in the sky and turned the entire sky red. What was going on?

He was about to wake the other traveler, but at that moment, he heard Zelda’s voice.

Link… Link… Be on your guard. Ganon’s power grows… It rises to its peak under the hour of the blood moon. By its glow, the aimless spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light return to flesh. Link… please be careful.

Link found himself shaking uncontrollably. An invisible force was squeezing him - he felt pressure on his body from every direction. He could see nothing, hear nothing. His senses were overwhelmed. He wanted to scream but could not find his voice. His body trembled until the sky returned to normal. Even then, as Link gasped for breath, the moon stayed red.

The blood moon. Was that right? Had all the monsters he’d defeated come back to life? And Ganon was at his full power during the blood moon. Was that the force that had been suffocating him? He glanced at his companion. The man had slept through the whole thing.

Link didn’t sleep at all that night. At sunrise, he rose and left before the other man had awoken. He couldn’t stand to sit there any longer. He had to reach Hateno Village.

Before he did, however, he spotted another tower. This one was much trickier than the last two. There was a monster fort at the base of the tower, and several more along the path.

For her safety, Link left Sissy hidden under some trees. He then made his way stealthily up the mountain path. He had plenty of arrows so, after finding some cover, he took each monster in the fort out one by one. He then climbed the fort and found supplies there.

The monsters along the path were easily dispatched. But there was one at the top, sitting at a fire, that was more powerful - a Bokoblin with dark skin. Link used his best weapon on the creature, but it snapped in the middle of the battle. He resorted to his bombs and arrows. Finally, the creature was defeated.

He headed for the tower, only to find that it was covered in sharp thorny brambles. His bombs did nothing, nor did his weapons. Finally, he managed to set an arrow on fire and shot it at the brambles. They quickly burned and Link climbed the tower.

This tower was called Hateno Tower. From the top he could see his destination - a village about the same size as Kakariko, if not a little bigger. He activated it and then paraglided down to where he’d left Sissy. They returned to the path and made their way to Hateno Village. It was early afternoon when he got there.

A man stopped him before he entered through the gate, studying him suspiciously.

“Hmm… you certainly look Hylian like the rest of us.”

Link hoped so. He certainly didn’t look like a Bokoblin. The man finally let him pass.

Link explored the village, still exhausted from the previous day and the blood moon. He found several businesses here - another clothing shop, a general store, an inn, and even a place to dye clothes.

He also found a shrine, called the Myahm Agana Shrine. He completed it, his mind not completely focused, and then checked into the inn. He needed a good night’s sleep.

Chapter Text

The following morning, Link started talking to the people of the village. They gave him directions to the ranch in the village, where he could leave his horse for the day. From there, he received directions to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.

The villagers didn’t seem to know much about the lab, except that the director didn’t like anyone touching the ancient furnace in the village or the torches that led from there, up to the lab.

There were various signs on the way up the long path that warned people to stay away from the torches and such. Finally, somewhat out of breath, Link reached a strange, multi-story building. His eyes moved upward.

There was a Guardian at the top of the building! Link jumped back, pulled out a shield, and his new Guardian sword, prepared to save the lab.

But the guardian didn’t move. Link peered more closely at it, and discovered that it was actually tied there with rope. He looked around, glad that no one had seen his reaction. Sighing, he put away his sword and shield. Thank Hylia…

He opened the door. Inside were two people of Sheikah descent, a middle-aged man, and a little girl wearing large glasses. He spoke to the little girl first.

“Good Morning. This is the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Do you have some business with the director?”

Link nodded. “That’s right.”

“The director is in the back.” said the little girl. “A terribly busy person, that one. Please try to keep it brief.”

Link felt a little nervous interrupting the man who was reading a book intently.

“Um… excuse me…”

The man looked up, and to Link’s relief, he smiled. “Good morning. I imagine you’ve never seen so many books in one place. Pretty incredible, isn’t it?”

Link nodded, unsure what to say.

“We’ve gathered all of Hyrule’s known literature on ancient civilizations here. As for the actual number of books, well…” The man stopped, and studied Link, particularly his hip. “Is that… that thing on your waist? Is that a Sheikah… There’s no mistaking it. That’s a real Sheikah Slate, isn’t it?! I’ve never actually seen one in person!”

The man looked as though he wanted to hug Link, but he seemed to be trying to hold in his excitement. “If you could just show me the runes on it, I’d be most appreciative.”

Link obliged, and held out the Sheikah Slate.

“Stasis… Magnesis… The Remote Bomb and Cryonis…” He mumbled to himself. “So that’s it for runes… But… Hmm… Strange… It doesn’t seem like you have the basic runes… I don’t understand why they’re missing. There must be some reason...”

The man clapped his hands together. “Ah! Where are my manners? I nearly forgot to introduce myself! My name is Symin. You are… Link, right?”

“You know my name?” asked Link.

Symin laughed. “Lady Impa caught me up to speed. You see… we were told, ‘A young man holding a Sheikah Slate will appear, and you must do all you can to help him. He will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration. His name will be Link.’”

Link assumed the Slumber of Restoration referred to the Shrine of Resurrection.

“Oh dear!” cried Symin. “I forgot to tell you something very important!”

Link had a feeling this was a very forgetful person before him. Then again, who was he to talk? He couldn’t remember the name of his own father.

“Director! Listen, Ms. Director!” Symin called to the other side of the room. “This is a REAL Sheikah Slate!”

Link was thoroughly confused. “Director?” He asked. Wasn’t Symin the director? He turned to see that Symin was talking to the little girl.

“Oh, that’s right… I haven’t introduced our director. Ms. Purah happens to be right over there. As the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab director, Ms. Purah is the world’s foremost authority on ancient Hyrule culture.”

Link could feel his face turning red in embarrassment. How could he allow himself to be tricked. Would Purah be mad?

“Check it!” cried Purah.

He turned back to Symin.

“I have the utmost respect for Ms. Purah and all she’s accomplished. I’m honored to be her assistant. On that note, Link… You see, the director may look like a young girl, but… Well, maybe it’s not my place to be telling you these things. You should talk to Ms. Purah herself.”

Link stepped across the room to Purah.

She laughed with a child-like voice. “Heeeey! Are you surprised?! The director of this laboratory is NOT Symin. It’s ME! Snappity Snap!”

Link did not know how to handle this girl… woman… person…

“Anywaaaay, Linky!” said Purah. “Do you remember any dreams from your time in the Slumber of Restoration? You don’t look like you’ve changed a bit in the last 100 years, but SOMETHING must have happened in all that time!”

Link shook his head. Had she just called him Linky? He was pretty sure she’d implied that she was over a hundred years old as well.

“Well, no matter! I’m just happy you’re still in one piece.” she tilted her head. “Linky? What’s with that look? You do still remember me, right?”

“I don’t remember…” Link said.

Purah looked as though she’d been struck by lightning. “Really?! Well! I’m so shocked I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to recover from this!”

Link thought that was a little dramatic.

“Even though, 100 years ago, I took you to the Shrine of Resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you… Even though I was the one who put you safely into the Slumber of Restoration… Despite all that, you still don’t remember me?”

“Sorry, but I really don’t remember…”

Purah snapped out a notebook and wrote something, mumbling to herself. “Hmm… As expected, after 100 years in the Slumber of Restoration, subject… has… lost… all… memories. Noted!”

She looked up. “Oh, soooorry! I have a bad habit of taking notes rather abruptly like that. It’s a charming quirk, isn’t it? Anyhoo… do you have any questions for me?”

“Aren’t you a child?” Link blurted out. Symin had been drinking water in the back and, at the brashness of Link’s question, choked on it. Purah ignored her assistant.

“How very rude!” She said, stomping her foot. “Hm… or perhaps it’s not rude at all… I suppose that’s actually a rather logical conclusion to jump to…” She turned back to Link from her mumblings. “The truth is, I look this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I say ‘failed’, but in some ways, it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs. BUT! The whole thing is embarrassing, so I insist that you refrain from reading it!”

Why would she tell him where to read about it if she didn’t want him to read about it? Purah was a very strange person, Link decided.

“Anyway, enough about that. Back to the topic at hand!” said Purah. “Here you are, after 100 years. Here to defeat Calamity Ganon, who is growing in strength with every passing moment! And to rescue our beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you’ve got the courage to try.”

He certainly had that. He’d already decided that.

“And to help the one true hero, I, the one and only Purah, will restore the basic functions missing from the Sheikah Slate! And what do you say to that?”

Link wasn’t sure what the basic functions were. His Sheikah Slate seemed to have been functioning just fine. But who was he to argue with the director who had been researching this stuff for a century?

“Yes, please!” He said.

Purah giggled happily. “I knew you’d say that! All right, then. First, I need you to run an errand for me.”

Uh-oh. Link was suddenly having flashbacks of the old man and the Great Plateau. What did Purah want?

“What’s with that look on your face?” asked Purah. “You didn’t think I’d fix your Sheikah Slate for free, did you?”

Link thought about it. The old man had required four Spirit Orbs for a Paraglider… Impa required that Link be willing to trade his life for a few words… Why would Purah be any different?

“I did not.” Link said honestly.

“Let me explain what this errand entails.” Purah said. “You know the unlit furnace on the wall just outside this laboratory?”

Link nodded. He had noticed it on his way in.

“Could you please bring the blue frame from the ancient furnace in town? Oh, and also use it to light our furnace?” She motioned to a pedestal like the ones found in the towers. “This sweet little Guidance Stone will start working once you do that, allowing us to restore your missing runes!” She mumbled something to herself before turning back to Link. “Ok, then. I’m counting on you for that blue flame!”

Link couldn’t believe that between a king, a wise village leader, and a crazy scientist, the crazy scientist was giving the most reasonable request. He would gladly run this errand for Purah.

Symin gave him a torch, since Link didn’t have any, and Link made his way to the ancient furnace. He got lost a few times, and had to ask for directions. Finally, he lit the torch with blue flames and made his way back up to the lab. He lit some of the torches along the way, and at the lab, he lit the furnace.

When he did, a warp circle on the ground activated. His Sheikah Slate noticed this as well and added the Tech Lab to the map.

Inside, Purah looked even happier, if that were possible.

“Snap!” she cried. “Linky, thank you so much! Now then, take a look over there! The Guidance Stone must be starting to react! There’s nothing mysterious about it - this is pure science!”
So the blue flame powered the ancient Sheikah technology? But where had the blue flame come from? Before he could ask, Purah continued.

“Well then, let’s go ahead and restore those Sheikah Slate runes for you!” She snapped her fingers. “Give me a nice snap! Go on, no time to be shy about it!”

Link considered what she was asking for a moment. He hadn’t snapped his fingers since he’d woken up, if he’d ever even done it before.

“Snap!” He said a little playfully, succeeding in snapping his fingers at the same time.

“Nice one!” she hopped up and down. “Hokay then, Sheikah Slate repair… underway! Guidance Stone lock removed! Now, let’s do this thing!”

Link approached the Guidance Stone and placed his Sheikah Slate in it.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Camera, Hyrule Compendium, and album missing files confirmed. Starting repair.

Link was surprised to realize he knew what a camera and an album were. He watched as the data was distilled to his Slate. A rune was added, called the Camera. Then the Album appeared, and twelve photos appeared in three rows. After that, the Hyrule Compendium opened, and many blank squares appeared on the interface. Each was numbered.

Repair complete.

The Sheikah Slate was returned to him then, and he replaced it to his hip.

“And it’s done!” said Purah. “So? Is it all fixed up now?”

He held the Sheikah Slate out to her.

“Hmm, lessee here… which one is it… camera, Hyrule Compendium, album… Yep! Looks good.” She clapped happily. “So I know this is sudden, but hear me out. Take a picture of me with the camera! Oh, and don’t forget to lemme see it!”

Link laughed and took a picture of her, showing ito her. It was very easy to use the camera, he found.

“Ah, it’s not just a pretty girl in these images. Yes, there are also some old landscape photos stored in the album.” said Purah, looking through them. “I know Princess Zelda had made frequent use of the Camera feature, but this… Hey, Linky! It dawns on me that you were Princess Zelda’s appointed knight, which means… there’s a strong possibility that you accompanied her to all of the places where these pictures were taken.”

Link stared at the photos, but he didn’t recognize any of them, except for the one with the Dueling Peaks in the background. He assumed that place had been taken very close to the Great Plateau.

“Oh, right. The ‘lost memory’ thing could prove troublesome.” said Purah. “But don’t lose hope! It just means these pictures could be the missing piece to help restore your lost memories!”

That was certainly an idea, but… he still had no idea how to find these places.

“If my hunch is correct, I suggest you check in with Impa. She knows more about Princess Zelda than even I do!”

Purah wanted him to go all the way back to Kakariko Village. Well, he supposed she really was a crazy scientist…

“Oh, there’s just one more thing I need from you!” At Link’s expression, she said, “You don’t have to worry about this until after you see Impa, but I want you to bring me back some ancient materials! Bring them either to me or to Robbie at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab.”

Akkala? Where was Akkala?

“If you bring us ancient materials, we’ll give you something good as a reward.” she said. “All right, let’s do this!”

Do what? Link wondered, before heading over to talk to Symin before he left. He seemed a lot calmer than Purah.

Symin seemed happy to talk to him. He knew a lot about the kingdom of Hyrule, and showed him an old map that was considerably more complete than Link’s Sheikah Slate.

“Here’s Hateno Village.” said Symin, pointing. “And far to the north is Akkala. It will take you a while to get there. Here’s Kakariko, where I grew up, and this is Lurelin Village, where my wife and kids live.”

“Your family isn’t in Kakariko?” asked Link.

“Well, no. They aren’t Sheikah, so my wife didn’t feel comfortable there. She and her father were going to move here, to Hateno Village, but when she was pregnant, we didn’t think it was safe. And now, with Ganon growing stronger, the monsters are more numerous, so…”

Link nodded. He understood how Symin felt.

“When was the last time you saw them?” Link asked.

“About a year ago.” Despite the sadness in his eyes, Symin smiled. “My wife likes to joke that even if it was safe to travel, she’d never leave Lurelin’s beautiful tropical weather.”

Link smiled. “Well, I better get going. Kakariko’s two days away.”

“Did you activate the shrine there?” asked Symin. “If you did, then you could just warp there.”

Link hadn’t thought about that. He hadn’t warped since the Great Plateau. He quickly asked if Symin would take care of Sissy until he returned.

He bid farewell to Symin and Purah. Then he pulled out his Sheikah Slate and warped to the shrine outside Kakariko Village.

The weather was quite nice, even if it was a little hot. Link assumed it was the middle of summer, with the heat and storms. He paraglided off the cliff to Impa’s house, wondering what Impa would think about the pictures on his Sheikah Slate.

Chapter Text

“Huh, I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but you seem just fine.” said Impa the moment Link entered her house.

Link had no clue who could have told her that. He shrugged it off. Perhaps she was only jesting.

“Now then, let me see.”

Link, knowing what she wanted, handed her the Sheikah Slate.

“Aha!” cried Impa. “This is, without a doubt, the camera that Princess Zelda used 100 years ago!”

Link reiterated what Purah had said about the pictures.

Impa nodded. “It could be that if you visit the locations within those pictures, you will be able to restore some of your lost memories.”

She returned the Sheikah Slate to him. “Come back here once you have tried going to at least one of these locations. There is something I wish to give you.”

Link wondered what she might have to give him. He decided not to worry about it for now. He was sure the places in these pictures were far apart. It would take him awhile to get to each place. He had a much bigger mission.

He spent the rest of the day exploring the area northeast of the fairy fountain, called the Rabia Plain. There was a rather peaceful forest on a small plateau.

He met a Rito for the first time - Kass, an accordion player, sang a song about the forest. Link soon solved the “crowned beast” riddle. It was rather easy. The hard part was sneaking up to and mounting a buck, then riding it to a Sheikah Platform near Kass.

Finally, he managed it. Then he waited. The lights on the platform turned from red to blue and the ground began to rumble. Similar to the towers, a Shrine rose out of the ground on a hill nearby.

Kass was ecstatic that he had helped Link, but he soon flew away for other adventures, leaving Link to enter the Mezza Lo shrine. He solved it, and, as it was getting late, he set up camp.

He considered going back to Kakariko Village, but after several days of people he needed a night alone. There was another man on the other side of the forest, so he wasn’t entirely alone.

Setting a fire, he sat down and stared into the flames. So much had happened since he’d left the Great Plateau. He was glad there were still so many people, but he still felt there was something missing.

He drifted off to sleep, grateful the moon was white. He didn’t want another Blood Moon in the wilderness. The first one had been horrible.

“Long before Hyrule remembers,
Before the twilight’s burning embers,
There was a blessed isle above,
The Goddess Hylia’s gift of love…”

Senna’s voice rang through the great hall, more beautiful than the bells of the clock tower.

“A fine young woman yeh’ve raised there.” said a knight to Link’s father.

“Thank you, Yenda.” said his father. “I’m proud she was chosen to sing at this ceremony. The sword won’t choose another hero for a very long time.”

“When chaos came to reign
Hylia was reborn to man
A young lass of golden mane
And a power to save our land…”

“Aye, that’s true.” said Yenda. “But Morian, what of yer boy, there? Will he be joining us today?”

Link spoke for himself. Yenda was one of the few knights who Link highly respected. “My knighting ceremony isn’t for another three days.” He was only there to support his father, and of course, to hear his sister sing. She had the most beautiful voice in all the land.

“Who planned that?” asked Yenda. “Bloody Rundel, wasn’t it?”

Link smiled, but didn’t answer.

“And the sword chose a knight
A hero strong and brave
And the hero set out to fight
For the land he sought to save…”

“Dedry and Link will be knighted together, you know.” Morian said, trying to change the subject. He didn’t like talking about Rundel.

“That so? Well, I’ve missed quite a bit, haven’t I? That’s the last time I go to Death Mountain for two months, isn’t it?” Yenda shook his head.

“And what of Death Mountain?” asked Morian in a low voice. Link kept his eyes on Senna, but listened to his father. “Have they chosen a champion?”

“Aye. The warrior, Daruk.” Yenda told him. “Heard of him?”

Morian nodded. “Never met him, though.”

“One of the best Gorons I ever met. And they’re all pretty good.” said Yenda.

“Yenda!” said a voice behind them. “I’m glad you’re back.”

They all turned, startled, to see a tall knight with short black hair.

“Rundel.” greeted Yenda. “I heard you’ve had a bit of a mis-scheduling there. Dedry and Link?” He narrowed his eyes.

Rundel gave him a fake smile. “Yes, quite a conundrum, isn’t it? Probably for the best, though. They are young. Your daughter sounds beautiful, Morian.”

Morian ignored him, so Link did the same. Senna’s song was nearly over. The verses now spoke of a different hero, who had saved Hyrule from the twilight.

“The twilight princess bade farewell
To the princess and her knight
Her last words, they’ll never tell
‘Til the realm is bathed in light…

Now all Hyrule awaits the day
When the land’s awash with fear
That the heroes sealed away
And the calamity draws near.”

Link’s eyes blinked open, the song his sister had once sung still echoing in his mind. He couldn’t remember what happened next, but he did his best to preserve the bits he could recall. Senna had been singing, and he and his father, Morian, had been in the audience.

Then there was Yenda, Dedry, and Rundel… He got the feeling Rundel was not his friend, but perhaps Dedry was? He hoped so.

He could hear birds chirping in the trees above him, greeting the sun as it slowly rose behind him. He supposed it was time to move on and begin the mission Princess Zelda had left to him.

Where to begin? He pulled out his Slate and checked the nearly empty map. The four beacons Impa had added blinked at him in unison.

“Zora’s Domain is closer…” He said to himself. “Now I just have to find the path…”

He finally found a road that seemed to lead towards Zora’s Domain. All he had to do was warp to the Dueling Peaks Tower. First, he needed to get Sissy. He couldn’t encroach on Symin’s hospitality for too long.

He warped back to Hateno Village and retrieved his horse. Then he gathered supplies. He considered buying the set of armor at the clothing shop, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to be weighed down by that right now. He probably would have worn it with pride a hundred years ago.

After some time, he decided he was finally ready. He mounted Sissy, and made for the Dueling Peaks Stable, where he planned to board her.

It was late afternoon by the time he reached the stable. He boarded Sissy there and then immediately warped to the tower. At the top, he could see for quite a distance. There was another tower in the direction of Zora’s Domain. It probably held a map of the entire area. He marked it with a pin on his Slate.

He spotted the road he’d taken after leaving the Great Plateau. It didn’t lead towards Zora’s Domain. Perhaps he could find a better view from the Great Plateau Tower. He could start there in the morning. For now, there was a camp of Bokoblins below that he could plunder. After the Blood Moon, he didn’t feel at all bad about killing the soulless creeps.

After collecting the little goods they had, he returned to the top of the tower and made himself a little bed out of a couple blankets he’d bought in Hateno Village. He slipped on his warm doublet for good measure and laid down.

Tomorrow, he was really going to do it - set out on a dangerous and magical adventure, just like the heroes of legend. Except, he wasn’t a hero. He’d let everybody down. He was the failure who had to fix everything. That was his legend.

Chapter Text

The road to Zora’s Domain was not easy to find, but with help from fellow travelers, and his handy Slate, he’d finally found it near the Great Plateau.

As he set his sights on the mountain that was hiding his destination, he got a strange feeling that made him turn in the other direction. There was a small lake a ways away, and a hill that looked… strangely familiar.

He carefully made his way over and climbed up the hill. The view took his breath away. He couldn’t believe it! It was one of the pictures Zelda had taken! He pulled out his Sheikah Slate and glanced between the photo and the real thing.

And it came back to him.

He was following Zelda through some woods, a day’s ride from the castle, and she was babbling on. He didn’t mind. The things she had to say were quite interesting.

“From here we’ll make our way to Goron City,” she said, reading some information on the Sheikah Slate. “Then, we’ll need some adjustments on that Divine Beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible.”

Link said nothing, though he doubted it would matter if he did. He knew Zelda didn’t exactly like him, but he wasn’t sure why.

“He’s figured out how to get it to move… but it’s apparent that we still have much to learn. But to think… that Divine Beast was actually built by people…”

Link smiled to himself, positive now that she wasn’t talking to him at all. She was so caught up in her plans that he would probably startle her if he spoke now.

“That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage.”

He sufficed himself with paying attention to what she wasn’t - their surroundings. It would do them no good to be surprised by that damn Yiga clan right now.

“These Divine Beasts… so much we don’t know… but if we want to turn back the Calamity Ganon, they’re our best hope.”

Zelda slowed and came to a stop.

“Tell me the truth,” she said, turning back to look at him. “How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back?”

Link didn’t answer. He could feel the weight of the sword, but it didn’t slow him down, somehow.

“Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet… hero?”

Before he could answer her, the memory faded away. He sat down on the hill and sighed. Even Zelda had doubted him. Why did she have faith now? With this memory, combined with the ones in his dreams, and what Impa and the ghost king had told him, he was more confused now than when he’d woken up. There were just so many questions in his mind, and very few of them had been answered.

Knowing he was losing daylight, he quickly returned to the road and set out again. This time, nothing diverted him from the path. He easily made it to the Riverside Stable, finding only a couple monsters in his path.

At the stable, he asked for his horse, who was delivered to him by that evening. He spent the afternoon talking to the other travelers who were staying at the inn, and exploring the surrounding area. There was, of course, a shrine, which would definitely make it easier to come back here.

Since darkness had fallen by the time Sissy arrived, he decided to spend the night there. Good thing he did, because the rising moon was a deep red. Link did not sleep well, even in the rather comfortable stable bed, but it was better than being out there.

As the Blood Moon began, Link could feel the overwhelming pressure in his body. His muscles seemed to weaken and he had trouble breathing. Why were these Blood Moons so painful?

When it was over, he sat up in his bed and looked around. No one else seemed too bothered by the horrible thing that had just happened. They were talking about it like it was normal. He supposed for them, it was. None of them knew a world without the Blood Moon after all.

He awoke the next morning bright and early, hardly rested but full of energy nonetheless.

He saddled Sissy and they set out on the road together. Traveling by horse was a bit faster than by foot, and it was far less lonely.

He made it to the Lanayru Wetlands by noon, and decided to board Sissy at the Wetland Stable nearby. There were far too many dangers lurking beyond.

He took a short break to hunt in the woods - he wasn’t sure how long the journey to Zora’s Domain would be, or what creatures would be edible. Crossing the narrow river, he delved further into the trees and spotted a wild boar.

Taking aim, he struck it straight in the eye. As he collected his booty, something about the place made him pull out his Sheikah Slate. He was surprised to see that a collection of trees looked exactly like the ones in the twelfth photo Zelda had taken.

And then it came back to him.

They were running… running so fast through the rain. They had to get away to somewhere safe. But then her hand slipped out of his, and he stopped, turning to find her on her hands and knees.

She was unrecognizable as the princess of Hyrule - covered in mud from head to toe, every bit of dignity and hope gone from her eyes.

“How?” she asked.

Link stepped towards her and kneeled down, sheathing his sword..

“How did it come to this?” She repeated. “The Divine Beasts… The Guardians… They’ve all turned against us… It was… Calamity Ganon… It turned them all against us!”

Link wasn’t sure what to say. He was in shock, too, though he hid it well. Even years of knight’s training could not have prepared him for the hell that surrounded them.

“And everyone… Mipha, Urbosa, Revali, and Daruk… They’re trapped inside those things…” She buried her face in her hands. “It’s all my fault! Our only hope for defeating Ganon is lost all because I couldn’t harness this cursed power! Everything - everything I’ve done up until now… it was all for nothing!”

Still, Link had no words for her. This did not help Zelda.

“So I really am just a failure! All my friends… the entire kingdom.. My father most of all… I tried and I failed them all…” Tears streamed freely down her cheeks amongst the raindrops as her eyes met Link’s. “I’ve left them… all to die.”

She threw herself into Link’s arms, and he wrapped his arms around her, hoping she wouldn’t feel so alone if he held her tightly.

“You haven’t failed me,” he whispered as she sobbed into his shoulder.

The memory faded away, and Link breathed in for a moment. He wished he could see more, but his brain refused to do as it was told. He had a mission ahead of him, and decided it was best to push this memory aside for now, and returned to the Wetland Stable.

The wetlands were full of lizard creatures called lizalfos. They were a lot harder to fight than bokoblins. Somehow, he managed to fend them off, and reached the Daka Tuss Shrine, which contained a water-based puzzle. He solved it, and then moved deeper into the swamp.

The closer he got to the tower, the more monsters there were. He fought them off, moving forward as quickly as he could. He found the ruins of a village along the way, and wished he could stop and pay his respects. It was probably his fault after all.

Finally, he reached the end of the wetlands, crossing the last bridge just below the tower.

It took a lot of fighting and climbing, but he somehow managed to get to the base of the tower and make his way up. He reached the top completely out of breath. It did not help that it had been raining non-stop since he’d left the wetlands.

He took a moment, eating some food to regain his energy, then walked over to the pedestal, and activated the tower. It reacted immediately, and just like the other two towers, it began to give off a blue glow and dropped some map information into his Slate.

He retrieved his Slate and examined the new region. This was the Lanayru Tower, it seemed. The village ruins he’d travelled through had been called Gopongo.

The closest checkpoint to the tower was the Inogo Bridge, which he could easily paraglide to from the tower. But… that would have to wait until morning. He was exhausted, and according to the map, Zora’s Domain was a long, long way from here still. He could go there in the morning.

Chapter Text

Link awoke at what he assumed was early morning, but it was hard to tell since the rain and clouds blocked out the sun. It was just light enough to see the Inogo Bridge. Swallowing a quick breakfast, he pulled out his paraglider and dove off the tower.

He landed on a shrine near the bridge, and entered it. It was another combat shrine, and after much cursing and narrow misses, Link finally defeated the small Guardian.

Outside, a Zora was waiting for him. She called him over and introduced herself as Torfeau. She explained that the Zora prince, Sidon, was looking for a Hylian warrior.

Well, that was quite a coincidence, Link thought. He followed Torfeau’s instructions and paraglided down to Inogo Bridge, where Sidon was apparently waiting.

The second his feet touched the ground, he heard a voice from above. He looked up at the guard tower and saw a much taller Zora waving at him.
The Zora jumped out of the tower and landed in front of him. Link took a few steps back. If this was Sidon then… he was huge…

“Pardon the entrance, but you’re a Hylian, aren’t you? I was hoping perhaps you’d have a moment to talk!”

“Um… I suppose so…” Link said, craning his head just to see the Zora’s face. He had no idea how Zora biology worked, so he couldn’t tell how old Sidon was, and, though he wore no clothes, there weren’t any… gender-defining features…

The Zora introduced himself. “I am Sidon, the Zora Prince! And what is your name?”

“I’m Link…” he said, wondering what else he could add that would make sense to the prince. “I’m from-”

“Link? Your name is Link?” Sidon exclaimed. “What a fantastic name! Hmm, though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard it somewhere before… Well, in any case, it is a strong name! To be honest, I’ve been watching you.”

Well, that was a strange thing to say to someone you’ve just met, Link thought.

“I’ve seen the way you work,” Sidon went on. “I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person. Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!”

Link thought for a moment. He’d fought his way here, so… “That’s right.”

“Aha! Just as I suspected! I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled! Yes! Exquisite!”

Sidon was… boisterous, to say the least.

“I have been searching for someone like you for a long while. A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power. Right now, Zora’s Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta!”

That explained the nonstop downpour. This was part of his mission. If he went along with Sidon, he could free the Divine Beast like Impa had said.

“Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior!” Sidon insisted. “Won’t you please come to Zora’s Domain with me?”

“Sure thing.” Link said.

“Wow, really? Thank you, Link!” Sidon cried. “You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora’s Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!”

Although Link had a map, he listened to Sidon’s directions on getting to Zora’s Domain. A Zora could just swim up the river, but Link would have to take the road alongside, and it was a bit treacherous - and full of monsters that attacked with electricity.

“Don’t give up! I believe in you!” Sidon said. He gave Link an Electro Elixir, and then bade him farewell.

Link wondered if he had any ingredients that would allow him to make more Electro Elixirs. Looking through his inventory, it didn’t look like it… Oh well, he supposed this one would have to do.

He crossed the bridge and followed the path. If he got lost, he would have his Slate to show him the way. Almost immediately, Octoroks and Lizalfos began popping up out of nowhere. He avoided them when he, but it was difficult to outrun a Lizalfo. He found himself having to fight more than he’d like to.

There were lanterns along the way that let him know he was heading in the right direction.

Sidon met him a short while later, calling out to him to be careful, and to hurry. Link wondered if those two things should really go together.

He scavenged whenever he could, collecting ingredients and other supplies he might need. It was around noon when he finally spotted Zora’s Domain, from a bridge called Luto’s Crossing. Sidon called out to him from here, who told him he still had a long way to go. He then warned Link of a monster approaching.

It was a large, black Moblin, but Link defeated it easily, and continued on, following the lanterns and his Slate.

Every now and then he would come across and large, engraved wall. They chronicled the history of the Zora, and he tried to stop and read each one. Anything that could teach him what he needed to know.

He somehow avoided or defeated every enemy along the rest of the way and reached the Great Zora Bridge.
Finally, he thought. And then he looked up and saw the majestic city before him. Zora’s Domain was beautiful, even in the rain.

Though it was late in the day, and he was exhausted, he forced himself to continue across the bridge. Just as he reached the entrance, Sidon came running towards him.

“Whoa! I’ve been waiting for you, Link!” Sidon greeted him. “Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora’s Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!”

Link followed him into the city.

Chapter Text

Link wanted to continue following Sidon, but he stopped as he reached one of the guards who was watching him curiously.

“Huh? What is it? Master Link!” The Zora cried. “Is it truly you? The Hylian Champion?!”

Link couldn’t believe he’d found another person who’d known him. Wouldn’t that make this Zora over a hundred years old?

“It’s me! Rivan! We used to swim together when I was but a child… Remember?”

Link felt bad for not remembering him. He knew from the memories of his sister that he’d visited Zora’s Domain often as a child, but…

“That sounds familiar…” Link said, hoping Rivan wouldn’t be upset.

“Well, it has been one hundred years since then.” Rivan admitted. “And now I’m over 130 years old… I must say, you’ve aged well for a Hylian. Unbelievably well!”

Link was about to ask how Zora’s age when Rivan continued.

“Now that I think about it - shouldn’t you be dead? Sorry. That may be too personal a question.”

The other Zora guard interrupted just then. “Father… We are on guard duty right now.”

Rivan apologized and quickly explained that the older Zoras were still around, but Link probably shouldn’t talk to them, though he didn’t explain why. He then reminded Link to go to the throne room.

Link caught up with Sidon and followed him up to the throne room. There were Zoras of every size, and even some of different shapes along the way. He made note of a shrine below. He would activate it as soon as he was finished in the throne room, and then solve it in the morning.

Right now, it was time to meet the king.

He stood before the king, surprised by his sheer size. He wondered if Zoras stopped growing like Hylians, or if they continued growing until death? But the elderly Zora to the king’s right was quite old, and very small. Maybe now wasn’t the time to wonder about this sort of thing.

“Ah, you must be the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct?” The king said. “You did well to come all the way here!”

Link breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn’t anger him.

“I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora.” He continued. “Hm? That object upon your waist… is that not a Sheikah Slate?! Hmmm?”

Link glanced down and remembered how many of the Sheikah in Kakariko Village had recognized him because of the Slate. Perhaps King Dorephan would as well?

“Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you are… You are the Hylian Champion, Link! Do not tell me you have forgotten me…”

Sidon looked shocked. “The Hylian Champion? You can’t mean THE Link? THAT Champion? So that’s where I have heard your name before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!”

“I cannot believe it.” King Dorephan chuckled. “The Hylian Champion, Link, has appeared before us… We have met numerous times, I’ll have you know. Ah… So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend.”

“Yes…” Link said. “I used to visit this place as a child…”

“Quite! I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive. Extraordinary!” King Dorephan cried.

“I did fall in combat, but I was saved and placed in the Shrine of Resurrection. It healed me, but I was asleep for a hundred years, and most of my memories are gone. I’ve regained a few, but…”

“But surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?”

Link shook his head. “I know she was my friend.”

King Dorephan looked sad. “I cannot believe it… You and Mipha were so close… Yet you do not remember her?” The king sighed. “Young hero… Please look upon the beauty of Zora’s Domain. Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha’s immortalized form still not jog your memory?”

Link knew which statue he spoke of, and shook his head.

“Well, perhaps your memory will return in time. I dearly hope so.”

“Father… I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused.” Sidon said. Link was thankful he’d intervened. He wanted to remember Mipha, but he couldn’t force the memories to come flooding back.

“Oh? Yes, of course.” King Dorephan agreed. “But first, it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a Champion here without realizing it! That is quite a feat, my boy!” The king laughed, and Sidon looked only bashful. “That is a good one! Link, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea.

“Now, then, Hero… I must inform you that Zora’s Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?”

“What?” Interrupted the elderly Zora at Dorephan’s side. “King Dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so! To ask a Hylian for help… Why, the very thought curls my fins!”

“Muzu, I expected more of you.” King Dorephan said. “How can you still protest?”

Sidon looked angry. “Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest. Link is here because I invited him! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? He is the key to saving Zora’s Domain. I have no doubt in my mind.”

“Indeed.” King Dorephan agreed. “Link is a Champion, through and through. As things now stand, Zora’s Domain… Nay! Perhaps all of Hyrule… is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together.”

“Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians!” Muzu cried. “A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it! It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us…”

So, they’d finally reached the heart of the issue. This was what Rivan was talking about. The elderly must hate him because of what happened to Mipha. They blamed all the Hylians, but Link, and maybe even Zelda, most of all.

Do you even know what Zelda has been doing for the past century, for all of us? Link wondered.

King Dorephan broke the silence.

“Link… Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains.

“For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora’s Domain, but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger.”

At that moment there was a loud, echoing roar that made them all turn towards the reservoir.

“Hmm… the Divine Beast is crying out once again…” said King Dorephan. “Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta’s shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them.”

“Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow.” Sidon explained. “Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force. That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us!

“Link, I am certain you have already figured this out, but… We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course. Please, hero, I beg of you. Help me stop Ruta’s rampage of destruction!”

“That is why I’m here.” Link said. “The Sheikah elder, Impa, told me of the Divine Beasts. Zelda left her message. She wanted me to regain control of all four Divine Beasts.”

“Whaaaat?” King Dorephan leaned forward. “Princess Zelda herself instructed you to board the Divine Beast and appease it from within? So then… Princess Zelda is still alive?”

“Yes. She’s been fighting to keep Calamity Ganon contained in Hyrule Castle for the past one hundred years.”

“I do not believe it…” King Dorephan leaned back once more, astonished. “She was alive this whole time, just as you were! The events of one hundred years ago cannot be altered, it is true. But if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts… they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!”

Sidon chuckled. “I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Link… Wondrous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once it has stopped rampaging, you can easily climb inside it. Come, Link! Let us appease Ruta together!”

Somehow, Sidon’s confidence and jovial attitude was rubbing off on Link. “I’m in. Let’s do this!”

“Thank you, Link. Truly. We are in your debt.” King Dorephan said. “Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny. Now then, allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith.”

King Dorephan handed Link a cloth package. He unwrapped it, and found a strange, armored tunic. He couldn’t name the material, but it looked pretty neat. He quickly put it on. A perfect fit. Strange.

“So long as you wear this Zora armor, you can ascend waterfalls just like a Zora. Please take good care of it.”

Muzu looked furious. “King Dorephan! Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry! Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!” He glared a Link. “He may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should HE receive such an honor. This is just too much, my liege. I do not understand it one bit!”

With that, Muzu stomped away.

King Dorephan sighed. “Hmph. That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set. You must understand… He was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him, just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness.”

After a moment, he continued. “Hmm, but what shall we do now? I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we will need to appease Vah Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff…”

Sidon waved it off. “Link! Do not let his words concern you. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!”

King Dorephan mumbled to himself… “Sidon… I suppose that means you are going to tell him…” To Link, he said. “Link, Muzu is most likely in the courtyard below. Would you mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him.”

Link wasn’t sure what he could say that would change Muzu’s mind, but he wasn’t about to ignore the Zora King. He followed Sidon down to the courtyard. Muzu was standing in front of Mipha’s statue, staring longingly.

When Link approached, Muzu gave him another glare. “Hmph. You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you.”

“Listen well, Muzu. There is something you need to know.” Sidon said. “He who stands here… the man called Link… is the one whom my sister, Mipha, had feelings for.”

Link was as surprised as Muzu. Mipha… had loved… him?

“I was only a child then, so I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister’s undying love for a Hylian named Link.”

“What?! No…” Muzu clenched his fists. “You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora! How could Lady Mipha possibly have feelings for a Hylian like him?! The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon Princess Mipha’s statue.”

Link looked up at the statue. A beautiful Zora smiled down at him, a powerful trident in her arms.

“It is the truth, Muzu. Though you never knew it, he was ever in Mipha’s heart…”

Mipha… If only she were here now… He could no longer hear the two arguing, only her voice.

In an instant, Mipha’s face, alive and well, flashed in his mind.

They were sitting on the end of the trunk of Vah Ruta. Link watched as she held her hands over his injured arm, light glow around her hands.

He looked up as she began to speak. “I was thinking, this reminds me of the time we first met. You were just a reckless child… always getting yourself hurt at every turn.”

Link chuckled. “And you put up with me…”

She smiled back at him. “Every time, I would heal you, just as I’m doing right now.”

“I’d probably be dead if it weren’t for you.” Link replied. “Or covered in scars at least.”

Mipha giggled. “I thought it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown-up so much faster than I did.”

It was true, by the time Link was thirteen, Mipha still looked about seven years old, though she was actually a couple years older than him. Even now, just a few months after he’d turned seventeen, Mipha still looked young - perhaps twelve.

“You’re still my oldest friend, Mipha.” Link assured her. “That will never change.”

“I was… I was always willing to heal your wounds… even back then.”

The glow disappeared as Mipha finished, his arm completely healed.

“So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do?”

“We fight…” Link said. “With every ounce of courage we have.”

“We just don’t seem to know much about what we’ll be up against… But know this: that no matter how difficult this battle might get… if you - if anyone ever tries to do you harm… then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound… I hope you know… that I will always protect you.”

Link nodded. “I know you’ll always be there for me, Mipha. Just like I’ll always be there for you.”

“Once this whole thing is over, maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young. You know… Perhaps we could spend some time together.”

In that moment, her beautiful face began to fade away.

Link gasped as he felt the pounding rain on his back and the angry voices of Sidon and Muzu. The only Mipha before him now was the statue. It was a pale imitation of the real thing, Link thought.

“What is the matter, Link?” asked Sidon. “Are you unwell?”

Even Muzu looked concerned. “Hm? You are quivering like a hatchling… whatever is the matter?”

“Mipha… I remember…” Link felt a deep sadness as he realized that she was lost to him… forever…

“WHAT?” Muzu shouted. “Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! There is no way you remembered her just now, when it is most convenient. In any case, without any solid proof, I cannot possibly take you at your word! If you have any such proof, now is the time to show it. Do so, and… and I… I shall tell you how to get those shock arrows! Yes, as well as anything else you wish to know.”

“Have you truly not figured it out yet? Simply take a closer look at what Link is wearing!” Sidon insisted.

“Hm? You really think changing your clothes is going to make me…” Muzu gasped. “What in the… That is the Zora armor from before! Lady Mipha made that by hand, and yet it fits you perfectly! What is the meaning of this?”

“Now you understand, do you not?” Sidon said. “Now you know who her heart belonged to and who she made this special armor for. The fact that this armor fits Link perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for him and him alone!

“You have always disliked Hylians, even before the Great Calamity. That is why Mipha never told you. Now that you know, you must promise to help him save us all, Muzu. Please, tell us where we can find the shock arrows we need. Knowing you, I bet you have already figured it out.”

“Hmph. I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as he… I do not approve of asking for help from a Hylian, but I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you. As promised, I shall tell you where you can collect as many shock arrows as you will need.”

Muzu proceeded to explain about the tall mountain above the reservoir, Ploymus Mountain. At the top was Shatterback Point, where a frightening Lynel lived, firing deadly shock arrows at any who dared approach. There were shock arrows scattered all over the surrounding area, and if Link was sneaky enough, he could snag some. Muzu believed he would need about twenty.

Link wanted to get a good night’s sleep before attempting to retrieve the arrows or fight Vah Ruta, and Sidon agreed it was a good idea. He pointed Link in the direction of the inn, and told Link to meet him at the reservoir when he was ready.

Link went to sleep that night dreaming of what his life might have been like had they defeated Calamity Ganon. He and Mipha could have spent more time together. He wasn’t sure he loved her the way she loved him, but he cared deeply for her.

Chapter Text

Link set out bright and early the next morning. Well, as bright as an endless rain can be. After activating and solving the shrine below, he headed east, towards the reservoir. Near the reservoir was a waterfall, which he quickly swam to.

He floated beneath the waterfall for a moment and concentrated. No one had explained how the Zora armor worked, but he must have done something right, because seconds later he was splashing up the waterfall.

Suddenly, he was airborne, and pulling out his paraglider as fast as he could. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt his descent slow. He landed at the top of the waterfall, and immediately climbed the next one.

He was prepared this time when he hit the air, snapping his paraglider out and gliding safely to the ground.

After the third time, he made it to the top of the mountain. There was a little-used path leading to a sign, which pointed him in the direction of Shatterback Point. He could already see some shock arrows where they been fired into trees and the ground.

Muzu had said he needed to be as quiet as possible, so he quickly changed into a set of clothes he’d bought in Kakariko - Stealth armor. He put away all of his weapons so that he could be completely silent. Then he made his way carefully up the mountain.

It didn’t take him long to find the terrifying creature. The Lynel looked part-man, part-horse, and part-lion. Link hid behind rocks and trees as he snuck past it, snatching up shock arrows as quickly as he could.

There were a couple close calls, where Link had nearly been spotted, but he hid just in time for the Lynel to move on. He tried to stay as far away as he could, but the Lynel moved constantly.

Finally, Link picked up his twentieth arrow, and he made a mad dash for the top of the mountain. There were several more arrows here, and he picked them up, moving further up the mountain, to the very peak.

There was a sign here, but Link ignored it, running straight to the edge into a perfect dive. He landed in the east reservoir lake below and swam to land. Then he made his way to the pier where Sidon was waiting.

“Glad to see you’re ready to go, Link!” Sidon greeted him. “Are you ready for this? Do you have your Zora armor and enough shock arrows?”

“I’m ready!” Link said.

“Wonderful!” Sidon cried. “You never cease to amaze, Link! Now then, let us go and appease that Divine Beast as one!”

Sidon then explained their plan of attack: Link would ride on Sidon’s back so that they could quickly move around. Link’s job was to stop Vah Ruta’s attacks and destroy the ice it fired at them.

Once all of them were destroyed, they would have a chance to approach one of the waterflows on Vah Ruta’s sides. Link could climb it like it was a waterfall and shoot into the arrow. From there, he could aim at an orb. If he was good, he could fire twice.

The first round was a little confusing at first, but Link managed to destroy all the ice blocks so they could reach the waterflow. He shot into the air and manage to fire one arrow at the orb. His second shot missed by a foot. He wanted to fire again, but he was out of time. Sidon caught him as he fell and they repeated the procedure.

The second time he went up, he fired at the same orb again and it activated. He went up a third time and did not miss as he fired at the second orb, shooting it twice and activating it.

But Vah Ruta went into overdrive after that, shooting twice the amount of ice blocks at them now. Link had to work a lot faster to destroy them.

Link climbed another waterflow and activated the third orb. Not long after, he did the same with the fourth orb.

Sidon cheered as the water spewing out of Vah Ruta began to slow. Within a few moments, the water flow completely stopped.

Sidon swam to a low ledge on Vah Ruta and allowed Link to climb onto the divine beast. It was here that the Zora prince wished him good luck, and Link entered the belly of the beast alone.

As the beast rose again, he marveled at the ancient beauty up close. Of all the ancient Sheikah technology he’d seen so far, this was by far the most amazing. The detail and care that had been put into it - he wondered how it must have looked when it was first built, and whether it was just as slick with water back then.

He found himself on a ledge with a large, circular carving on the ground. Beside it was a pedestal. He approached the pedestal and immediately held his Sheikah Slate to it.

Travel Gate registered to map.

Well, that was handy, Link thought, as the circular carving glowed blue next to him.

You’re here, said a soft and famliar voice.

He swung around wildly, trying to find the owner of the voice. It had to be her. But there was no one to be found.

Yet the voice continued. I must say… that I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived. Now, Ruta can be free of Ganon’s control.

“Mipha?” Link whispered.

You’ll need a map to prevent you from getting lost. An image flashed through Link’s mind - one he was sure he’d never had - of an interior room of Vah Ruta. He could see another pedestal just like the ones in the towers. The guidance stone there contains the information you will need.

“Mipha?” Link said a little louder. But she did not speak again. He decided it would be best to follow her advice and get to the guidance stone.

The interior of Vah Ruta was nothing like he imagined. It was a maze of puzzles and devoid of life, save for the piles of malice here and there. Sometimes, he could get around these easily, but every now and then he had to shoot the eye to clear the path before him.

The only other enemy in the first chamber was a small guardian, which he defeated easily. With the help of his Cryonis, he then raised the gate blocking his way and placed his Slate in the guidance stone.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling map of Divine Beast. Divine Beast controls have been enabled.

Link didn’t have long to wonder about the ‘Divine Beast controls’ as he removed his slate from the interface.

Mipha’s voice echoed in his mind once more.

Good! You’ve obtained the map of the Divine Beast. You will see several glowing points on your map which represent the terminals that control Ruta. Take Ruta back by activating all of the terminals. Be careful.

He studied the map for a moment trying to make sense of it, and then set out to explore the chambers.

The first one was nearby, underwater. All he had to do was use his Magnesis to turn a gear and the terminal rose above the water. He activated it, and Mipha told him there were four more terminals remaining.

He want on to search for the others, and found one in the middle of a water mill, which he had to freeze with his Stasis. The next one was further up, inside a larger mill, but this one was much more difficult.

There were several mechanics, including changing the water flow from Ruta’s trunk by adjusting the angle it was at. After a few minutes of tweaking, though, he figured it out.

Along the way, he fought more small guardians and destroyed globs of malice, opened chests full of useful items and rupees, and found the other two terminals.

To get to the upper level, he had to ride the outside of one of the mills, which apparently functioned as huge gears, too. The Sheikah were crafty, Link thought, but he wondered why they had to make their terminals so difficult to get to.

One of the terminals was on Ruta’s back, leading Link to raise the trunk so that he could glide down to it. The last one was surrounded by flames, and it took all of Link’s cleverness, as well as more Magnesis gear-turning, to reach it.

He felt relieved to have finally found the last one, but Mipha put a slight damper on his spirits.

You activated all the terminals! Now you can start the main control unit.

Of course, Link thought. There was always more. He was sure Mipha had been a great friend, but surely great friends shared the entire plan with each other before getting started? Since when was there a main control unit?

There should be a new glowing mark on your map. Head there! Be careful not to let your guard down.

Trying to push away the flashbacks of the Great Plateau and the shrine quest the old man had tricked him into, Link shrugged and made his way to the point on his map.

The main control unit was a large, glowing terminal about four times the size of the others, in the rear of the beast. Link ran to it, eager to free Mipha - and all the Zora’s - from Calamity Ganon’s control.

But as he placed his slate on the pedestal, dark malice poured out of it, almost overwhelming him. He jumped back and reached for his weapon.

The malice began to take shape before him - it had one arm with a large blade attached to it, a monstrous, horned head with a mane of red hair, and plated Sheikah-like armor.

Please take care. That… thing is one of Ganon’s creations. I put up as much of a fight as I could, but it proved to be my demise one hundred years ago…

The monster stared at him menacingly, but Link held onto his courage.

Regardless… I believe you are well prepared for this moment. I have faith in you!

Thank you, Mipha, Link thought as the monster emitted an earsplitting cry, and its blade became a huge spear.

Careful… That spear has a long reach.

At first, all Link could do was dodge its powerful attacks, but he soon realized that after attacking, its defenses were left open, and he had a chance to retaliate.

If he was fast, he could get in several attacks at once. But then the monster would disintegrate into a ball of flight that he couldn’t touch and move further away, forcing Link to chase it.

After fighting it this way a few times, the monster changed its tactics. It raised the water levels, bringing four platforms up as well. As Mipha said, Link now had little room to operate.

The monster rose above him, so Link had to pull out his bow, aiming right for the monster’s eye.

Apparently it wasn’t expecting that, because it cried out and swung angrily at two Cryonis blocks Link had summoned. He quickly summoned another, as they took the brunt of the attacks.

After shooting it once more with an arrow, it fell to the water, and Link used the cryonis blocks to hop to the next platform and attack the monster while it was down.

This method worked exceptionally well, even when the monster summoned its own ice blocks to attack Link with.

Finally, Link delivered the final blow. The monster shrieked in pain as it disintegrated, leaving behind gold-glowing main control unit.

He took a moment to catch his breath before heading over to the control unit and placing his Sheikah Slate on the interface. As usual, the unit glowed blue, signifying his success.

“Hello, Link.” said Mipha.

Link turned around, as the voice had come from behind him, not his mind.

There she was, his childhood friend standing before him, but only in spirit. She was surrounded by an ethereal glow, much like King Rhoam had been.

“Because of your courage, my spirit is now free,” said Mipha. “And Ruta, as well. Thank you, for I am now allowed by this freedom to be with you once again.”

“Mipha, I’m sorry…” Link said softly. “If I hadn’t failed, you wouldn’t be dead.”

“Don’t be silly, Link,” said Mipha. “None of us were as prepared as we hoped to be. But you have been blessed with the chance to make the world right again. I know you can do it.”

Link smiled, wiping a tear from his eye. “Thank you, Mipha.”

“Since I am now a spirit, my healing power would be wasted on me,” said Mipha, walking towards him on the water. “I have no need of it. So therefore, I would like you to have it.”

Link was speechless. She was entrusting her power to him?

“Please accept Mipha’s Grace,” she said, summoning a ball of light that propelled itself to Link.

It went straight into his chest, and Link felt a strange warmth surround him as it entered his body. That was when he realized his feet weren’t touching the ground. He only a had second to prepare before he dropped down again. Thankfully, he landed on his two feet.

“Yesterday, I was awash in a pool of tears,” said Mipha. “I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity. But now you’re here. All this time, my hope… was to see you once more. Promise me that you will not hesitate to call upon my power if you ever find yourself in need.”

Link bowed his head, his words gone as he grew used to the power he’d just gained.

“Knowing that will let my spirit rest in peace,” she said happily. “I must go. Ruta and I have our roles to fulfill. We are both honored to be able to play the role of support. We’ll annihilate Ganon together. Farewell.”

Link could see a golden light surrounding him, but just before he disappeared, Mipha spoke one more time.

“Save her, Link. Save the princess. Save Princess Zelda.”

Link reappeared at the entrance of Zora’s Domain just in time to watch Vah Ruta take up a position on a nearby cliff, aiming a beam of red light straight at the castle.

He smiled to himself, and then made his way to the throne room. Many Zora followed him, and stood behind him as the king addressed him.

“Link!” cried the king happily. “You did well to survive your trial! I have been awaiting your return! The violent downpour has disappeared, as has the threat to Zora’s Domain! It is all little more than a bad dream now. Thanks to your efforts, there is no longer any danger of a great flood laying waste to Hyrule!”

The Zoras behind him whispered about the king’s words for a moment, but were silent when he spoke again.

“You appeased the Divine Beast Vah Ruta and thusly saved Zora’s Domain!” King Dorephan bellowed. “We are truly grateful! What you did for us is more than we could have ever expected of you.”

“Link…” Muzu, who stood at the king’s side, said. “I must sincerely apologize for my harsh treatment of you. That whole time, you were thinking of Hyrule’s and Lady Mipha’s well-being, just like the rest of us. All of the members of our council humbly fold our fins back in gratitude, along with the rest of our people.”

Link bowed in thanks, unsure of what to say.

“Perhaps the older generation of Zora, myself included, misunderstood Hylians after all. It would seem so.” Muzu said. “That said, I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day.”

Link smiled, having never been angry with Muzu in the first place.

“Link!” cried the king once more. “I must reward your efforts! Now then! I implore you to collect the treasure inside that chest over there.”

Muzu had brought out a large chest and placed it next to the throne.

“It was cherished by Mipha,” said the king. “A memento of sorts. I would like you to have it as a token of our friendship. Please take good care of it.”

Link had a feeling he knew what was inside that chest, but before he could go to it, the king hummed in thought.

“By the way, Link,” he said. “I see you are without your trusty blade… the sword that seals the darkness. Did you perhaps lose it when you lost your memory?”

Link had indeed, and nodded sadly.

“That is a legendary blade that only you, the Hylian champion, can wield.” said the king. “It is no doubt resting somewhere in Hyrule even now… waiting for its master to return.” The king quickly changed the subject. “Link, all of the Zora thank you from the depths of our hearts for your heroic and selfless work! And you too, Sidon.”

Sidon turned to the king.

“As your father,” said Dorephan. “I am proud of you for fighting the Divine Beast alongside Link. You have grown much recently. I know you will be a worthy heir when your time comes.”

Sidon bowed his head. “Father… I… Thank you!”

“The heavy rains have stopped, and the Divine Beast is our ally once again!” cried Dorephan. “How glorious! Truly splendid!”

The king laughed heartily.

Sidon punched the air. “Link! This is wonderful!” He cried, with a twinkling smile. He walked over to Link and took his hands, kneeling somewhat to reach him.

Link, who already felt dwarfed, tried to smile.

“Link! Thank you so much! Truly, I could never thank you enough!” Sidon cried.

You really could, thought Link.

“You helped save our home from vanishing away! This calls for a top-tier expression of gratitude!”

Oh no, thought Link.

But Sidon merely stood up straight and bowed, with a hand on his heart, as all the other Zora cheered. “Zo! Zo! Ra ra ra! With all my heart… Thank you!”

Everyone but King Dorephan soon left to celebrate the occasion, and Link relished the silence for a moment, before the king motioned kindly to the chest nearby. Link approached it with baited breath.

He gently picked up the beautiful trident. Was the king really giving this to him? The Lightscale Trident… Mipha’s treasure. He quickly wiped his eyes before the tears came. He truly missed his friend.

Humbly thanking the king, Link made his way down the steps to the lower level. Although it was getting dark again, it was time to leave Zora’s Domain.

Chapter Text

He spent the next few days exploring the Lanayru region. It was very large, and there were a number of shrines all over the place, plus plenty of small quests to do.

He found a group of islands to the east of Ploymus mountain, in the Lanayru Sea, and the Kah Mael Shrine on Tingel island. In this shrine, he had to launch himself into the air by dropping a block on one end of the scale, and gliding to the altar, where another Spirit orb awaited him.

Not far from Ploymus Mountain were two more shrines - Dah Hesho and Ke’nai Shakah, both tests of strength in which he had to defeat small guardians (he learned they were called Guardian Scouts from the Sheikah Slate).

From Dah Hesho he could see another tower, and he placed a pin on it so that he could find it later.

On his journey to Zora’s Domain, he’d boarded Sissy at the Wetland Stable, and he returned here to retrieve her.

After a good night’s rest at the Wetland Stable, he decided to go somewhere familiar, and so he and Sissy made their way through the Dueling Peaks, to the stable, where the owners recognized him and chatted with him for a while. Link could tell Sissy was tired, so he boarded her and warped to Kakariko Village alone.

Impa was happy to see him, and to hear that he’d discovered one of the places in the pictures Zelda had taken.

“Now that you have seen some of the princess’ memories, you must have started to remember certain things…” Impa said.

He had to agree with her, thinking of his sister and father, and the others who had appeared in his memories.

“Here,” said Impa, passing a folded blue cloth to him. “I will hand this over to you now, before I forget.”

Link unfolded the tunic and smiled. It was the exact same blue that Mipha and Zelda had been wearing in his memories.

“This is something of yours that I have been keeping safe, by request of the princess. This clothing was specially made for you when you became a Champion. Please handle it with care.”

Link thanked her, and then made his way to the Kakariko Inn. It was here, in a private room, that he tried on the tunic and looked at himself in the mirror. Once again the familiarity washed over him…

A whistle behind him made him pull his eyes away from the mirror before him.

“Lookin’ good, Champion!” cried the young man in the doorway. “Hafta’ say, though, I’d look way better.”

Link laughed. “I don’t think it would fit you - you’re way too big, Dedry!”

Dedry rolled his eyes. “It’s not my color anyways. By the way, Rundel isn’t pleased. I heard he wanted to be the Champion.”

“Didn’t everybody?” Link said, picking up the sword that, two days ago, had denied every night that stood before it, including his father.

“Yeah, and the one person who didn’t want it is the one it chose,” said Dedry. “That cannot be a coincidence. It just shows how… pure-hearted you are.”

Link had stood before the sword quite by accident. When none of the knights were chosen, the king had reluctantly allowed his daughter to approach the sword.

In her eagerness, she had tripped over her long blue dress. Link jumped up from the front row and caught her before she fell.

“Are you alright, princess?” Link asked as she regained her balance.

“Yes, thank- oh, my…”

Link followed her gaze. On the altar before them, the sword was glowing brightly. Link looked down and realized he was standing in the center of the Triforce etched in the ground. Zelda stood just outside of it.

“It’s you.” Zelda whispered, though she didn’t sound enthusiastic about it. In fact, she refused to look at him.

The crowd whispered excitedly amongst themselves, until King Rhoam cleared his throat. Link turned to him as the crowd became silent.

“It seems the sword that seals the darkness has made its choice. What is your name, young man?”

“I-I’m Link, your majesty, the son of Sir Morian.” Link said.

“And where is your knight’s crest, young Link?” asked the king.

“I have not been knighted yet, your majesty.” Link admitted. “My ceremony is in three days.”

The king nodded. “It seems that does not matter to the sword. Link, you have been chosen as the Hylian Champion. Do you accept this responsibility?”

Link glanced at the princess, his father, and his sister. The princess looked miffed, but his family was overwhelmed with joy.

“I accept, your majesty.”

King Rhoam nodded and motioned to the sword. “Then take the blade in your hands, Champion, for it is your destiny.”

And now, here he was, with his own room in the castle. It was even in the same wing as Zelda’s chambers, as Dedry had pointed out the moment Link had shown him which window was his.

“Are you coming to my ceremony tomorrow, Champion?” Dedry asked.

“Please call me Link, Ded,” said Link. “And of course I’m going. It was supposed to be my ceremony, too.”

Dedry shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s alright. We’ve always shared everything, even our birthdays, but we both knew that one day we would have to grow up and… go our separate ways. We have different destinies.”

“That’s only partly true,” argued Link. “We’re friends, and no destiny is going to get in the way of that.”

Dedry smiled. “So you’ll wear that wicked blade to my ceremony, right? It’ll make the whole thing less boring.”

“If it makes you happy, Dedry,” said Link, rolling his eyes. He appreciated that his friend never stayed down for long, and was merely attempting to lighten the atmosphere.

“I just want to see the look on Rundel’s face with you there,” said Dedry.

Link laughed. “No Calamity will keep me from seeing that!”

Link realized he’d placed his hand on the glass, as though Dedry were on the other side.

He pulled away, the tears finally flowing. “I’m sorry…”

That night, his dreams were full of faces - people who were so familiar to him but he could not name, alongside his family, Mipha, Dedry, and the other knights he knew. One face stood out amongst them, the only one that never really looked at him, never truly saw him.

“Zelda…” He said as he opened his eyes the next morning. He glanced around the room, but he was alone. He looked out the window, in the direction of the castle. “I’ll save you, princess.”

Chapter Text

Link warped to the research lab after breakfast. There, he found Symin under tree, peacefully reading an ancient text.

“Link! It’s good to see you again!” Symin said, greeting him. “Come sit with me. Purah and I heard of your feats in Zora’s Domain. I’m sure you could do with some rest.”

“Thanks, Symin,” Link said, glad for the invitation. Symin, was, after all, the person he’d come to see.

“Are you alright?” asked Symin. “You look a bit down.”

“I’ve been… having flashbacks… of my life before the calamity.” Link said.

“I see,” said Symin. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Link was grateful that Symin was willing to listen, and searched for the words. He told the Sheikah man all that he could remember - from his life in Castletown to visiting Zora’s Domain to play with Mipha as a child.

He went on to tell him about Senna, and his father. Training to be a knight like his father, the Sword Ceremony, and being chosen as the Hylian Champion.

And Symin truly listened. He didn’t interrupt or ignore him. It was nice to let his feelings out to someone who cared. When Link finally drew quiet, Symin spoke.

“It must be hard for you,” Symin said. “All of the people you were close to are gone, and there’s nothing you can do to change it.”

Link nodded.

“But their faith in you wasn’t misplaced. Just look at what you’ve done already since your return!” Symin said.

“How do you do it?” asked Link. “How do you live so far from your family without hurting all the time?”

“I don’t,” said Symin bluntly. “Every morning I wake up and think of them, and it hurts.”

Link said nothing, so Symin went on. “But every few weeks, I get a letter from her, with little notes from the kids. I read about their accomplishments, and their lives. It’s hard not being there with them through it all, but knowing they’re safe and happy keeps me going every day.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Link. “I wish I could get letters from my family.”

“I suppose that isn’t possible…” Symin said. “And it would be very difficult to go to Castletown and retrieve mementos of your life there, since it’s crawling with Guardians.”

Link nodded.

“Maybe you just need a new place to call home,” said Symin.

“A new place?”

Symin smiled. “A house where you can start building new memories and collecting new mementos.”

“Do you know how to build a house?” asked Link.

“Not at all,” Symin laughed. “But there are some builders in town that know a thing or two. Come to think of it, I heard they’ve been ordered to demolish an old building in the village tomorrow. If you go to them, I’m sure you can get them to sell it to you. Maybe they’ll even fix it up for you.”

“Thank you, Symin,” said Link, standing up. “Where can I find them?”

The flamboyant builder Bolson was more than happy to sell Link the old house, in exchange for building materials and a huge discount of 3,000 rupees. Considering the original price would have been 50,000, it was a small price to pay.

Link had the money, but it took him a day to gather enough wood to appease Bolson. It was another two days before the house was ready.

He spent most of this time with Symin, planning his next journey.

Symin had a map of Hyrule that was slightly less detailed than the Sheikah Slate, but it had all of the stables, towns, rivers, roads, and mountains. They took it outside, mostly because Purah often worked very loudly.

“You’ve already been to Zora’s Domain,” said Symin, pointing to it on his map. “If you wanted, you could go north from the Wetland Stable to Akkala and find Robbie. He could build you some amazing equipment.”

“That would be nice. I’m sure it won’t be easy climbing Death Mountain.” Link said.

“Only the most fearless do that,” Symin said. “Purah told me that even before the Calamity, most people didn’t attempt to climb Death Mountain. Only the knights were brave enough to do it.”

“Yeah, like Yenda,” said Link. “He was a friend of my father’s and he was there when Daruk was chosen as the Goron champion.”

“So a Hylian knight witnessed that?” Symin asked. “Amazing. Now, if you were to go this way instead…” He pointed to the west of the Great Plateau. “You’ll find Gerudo Village. It’s a pleasant place, I’ve heard, if you’re a woman.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, they don’t let men into their city.” Symin said. “You’ll have to be very clever and sneaky to get in.”

“And if I get caught?” Link asked.

Symin bit his lip. “How fast can you run?”

“So… Gerudo Village is out until I can find a way to get in…” Link said. “Looks like the Rito Village will be a long distance as well.”

“They’re all pretty tough.” Symin said. “But you’ve got to pick one of them.”

“Shall I close my eyes and point to one?”

“Whichever your finger is closest to is the one you go to.”

Link closed his eyes and Symin spun the map so that Link wouldn’t know which direction it was facing. Then he aimed one finger in the direction of the map and pointed at a random place.

They both looked down.

“Goron City it is.” Symin said. “Don’t, um, melt?”

“You’re very reassuring, Symin, you know that?” Link said.

“I try.”

When Bolson finally finished repairing the house, Link only had a short time to spend in it. For a little extra, Bolson agreed to install a bed.

There was a single weapon mount on the wall, and Link gently placed Mipha’s trident in it. He then went outside to the cooking pot and made some dinner.

On the other side of the house was a fenced in area, perfect for a garden or raising pigs or chickens, and a small stable. Eventually he would bring Sissy here, but for now the stable system worked fine.

Bolson sent one of his men - Hudson - to Akkala to clear away some land and build a new town. Seeing him go, Link finally made a decision on his next step.

Later that day, he bade Symin farewell, with a plan in mind. He would go to Akkala and find Robbie, and then Goron City to free the Divine Beast there.

He laid down in his new bed that night feeling a lot better. He had a home base now - a place to come back to that was his. And nearby was the one real friend he’d made so far. He wondered if Symin considered him a friend as well. He’d have to ask one day, he supposed.

When morning came, Link gathered his supplies and pulled out his Sheikah Slate. The Inogo Bridge was the closest he could get to the road to Akkala, so he warped there.

Here we go, Link thought, finding the road and setting out on foot.

Chapter Text

By midday, Link had reached a fork in the road. Remembering Symin’s map, he decided to take the westward path, which would take him to Akkala’s tower. He reached the tower just before nightfall, just as he’d hoped.

It was a dark night, with clouds covering the pale moon - perfect cover to get past all of the powerful guardians. There were some flying ones here as well, patrolling the entirety of the structure that Symin had called the Akkala Citadel. The once beautiful place was now in ruins.

Link adorned his Sheikah armor and found his way to the bridge. There was a staircase that he could follow, but he had to be careful, as the flying guardians would shoot him if he got in their sightlines.

There were also a number of Bokoblins, which he took out with his bow and arrows. He still had plenty of lightning arrows, and he’d found some fire and ice ones, which caused more damage to the monsters.

He moved quickly and quietly, pausing only when he needed to hide from a guardian or take out a Bokoblin.

Finally, he reached the base of the citadel. He kept climbing, knowing it was too early to celebrate yet.

It was a steep climb, and he had to stop a few times to rest, but he didn’t get caught.

When he got to the top, his heart sank. The ground surrounding the tower was covered in globs of malice.

Damn you, Ganon, he thought. He searched for an eye to destroy it, but when he destroyed it, only a small bit disappeared. There had to be more inside the citadel. He hopped across and climbed over the wall.

What he found was an angry Bokoblin, which he dispatched, breaking a sword in the process. He really hoped the sword that seals the darkness wouldn’t break so easily.

There was no other eye, so Link decided to do the only thing he could - climb to the top of a broken archway and glide onto a clear spot of the tower.

He did, and found that further up there was no malice. He moved quickly, pausing to rest on a ledge halfway. He soon reached the top, and nearly fell back.

Link laughed at himself - the guardian on the other side of the platform was deactivated. Quietly thanking Hylia, he approached the pedestal and placed his Sheikah Slate into it.

As usual, the tower turned blue and distilled a map of the region to his Slate. From here, he also placed some pins at shrines he spotted. One of them looked like it was next to a stable.

He flew down to the stable, which was called South Akkala Stable and activated the shrine there. It was only midnight and he wanted to get a few hours of sleep before he attempted the shrine.

Chapter Text

He only slept for a few hours, waking at the crack of dawn and heading over to the shrine to complete the trial. When he finished, he checked his map. If he went north, would reach the lab much faster, so he set out.

The path took him into a small forest between two mountains. Link wondered why it was called the ‘Shadow Pass’. He hoped there wasn’t some terrifying and powerful monster here.

It was quite peaceful, actually. There were, as always, some Bokoblins, but by staying on the path, Link was able to stay out of trouble.

After the forest, he could see the Ordorac Quarry, along with a few Guardians. He decided not to go anywhere near them, and continued down the road.

A little further down the road, Link stopped. He glanced to the west, just north of the quarry. Something there was pulling him towards it.

His feet moved of their own volition, but Link didn’t try to stop it. He didn’t want to. Something told him he wasn’t walking into danger.

He kept walking until the ground disappeared beneath him.

“Whoa!” He cried, snapping out his paraglider. He landed safely in a shallow pond, and looked up.

Link gasped as he noticed his surroundings. It was an ancient, peaceful place. He checked his Slate.

“The Spring of Power…” Link said to himself. That sounded so familiar.

He walked towards the arches, hopping over the gaps between the stones, until he reached a large statue of the goddess, Hylia. He stopped to pray for a moment.

When he stood up, he felt something incredibly familiar. On a whim, he took out his Sheikah Slate, and checked the photos Zelda had taken.

There it was, a photo of this spot. It was then that he finally remembered.

Zelda stood waist-deep in the water, adorned in a pale white dress, and hands folded in prayer.

“I come seeking help… regarding this power that has been handed down over time…”

Link stood further back at the entrance of the shrine, quietly praying that the goddesses would deem the princess worthy of the power she sought. She was trying her best, and truly wanted to protect her people.

“Prayer will awaken my power to seal Ganon away…” Zelda said to the statue of the Goddess. “Or so I’ve been told all my life.”

“And yet…” Zelda scoffed. “Grandmother heard them - the voices of the spirit realm… And mother said her own power would develop in me. But I don’t hear… or feel anything!”

“Father has told me time and time again… He always says, ‘Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!’ Curse you…” Zelda said, slapping the water. “I’ve spent every day of my life dedicated to praying! I’ve pleaded to the spirits tied to the ancient gods! And still the holy powers have proven deaf to my devotion!”

“Please just tell me… what is it? What’s wrong with me?” she cried out.

Link stepped forward, as if wanting to comfort her, just as the memory faded away.

Zelda… Link looked up at the goddess statue.

“Why? Why did you bless me so easily, but you left her believe she was a failure after years of dedication?” Link asked. “If you’ve just given her the power, we wouldn’t be here! We would have stopped Ganon! She thought she was useless, and now she’s putting all her strength into stopping the evil that wants to destroy everything you’ve created! Don’t you care about us? Don’t you want us to stop the Calamity?!”

The goddess was, of course, silent. Link collapsed to the ground, wishing he’d never come here.

“Mipha… my family… my friends… everyone… they’re all dead… because you couldn’t trust the purest and most faithful woman in the world. She wanted to protect everyone so badly… and you wouldn’t let her… Why?” Link sobbed as he remembered the image of Zelda praying before the goddess. “She tried so hard… and you condemned her to a hundred years in hell…”

After awhile, Link regained control of his breathing, wiped away the tears, and entered the shrine at the spring. Maybe solving a shrine would help take his mind off… well, everything.

It turned out to be a test of strength, and using his mind and body really did help him feel better. He left the spring in such a good mood that he bowed to the statue of the goddess before leaving, even though he been screaming at it an hour ago.

He returned to the road and made his way further north until he reached the East Akkala Stable. He completed the shrine here and stayed the night once more.

The other travelers explained that the Akkala research lab was north of here, but the road wasn’t exactly safe. He had a rough day ahead of him.

Chapter Text

Link continued north the next morning, after a rough blood moon the night before.

The walk was rather peaceful, and he soon caught sight of the lab itself.

It was at that moment that a Yiga clan warrior appeared before him, and stalked towards him.

Link immediately pulled out his bow and lightning arrows, shooting and moving towards the lab at the same time.

Just past a small pile of rocks, he heard a familiar sound.

“Shit…” Link muttered, diving forward to dodge the beam from the guardian. Thankfully, this one didn’t have working legs.

The Yiga didn’t let Link forget about him, swinging his sword, which could slice Link in half easily.

Link fired another arrow at him, weakening him long enough to blitz him with a Lizalfos boomerang. A few minutes later, he’d weakened the Yiga enough that he disappeared.

Now all he had to deal with was the Guardian. Remembering the advice Symin had given him, Link aimed his arrow straight at the Guardian’s eye. Then he ran forward and slashed at it as it tried to recover, just as he’d done with the Yiga warrior.

After several rounds of this, he defeated the Guardian, and collected a few parts before moving on to the tech lab.

He entered the lab, and was suddenly face to face with a strange… thing. It seemed to have two eyes, and a mouth… but it was shaped like a metal oven. Before he had a chance to investigate it, he heard a voice.

“Hey, you! What are you doing here? Hmmm…”

Link turned to see a little old man wearing weird goggles and a young woman next to the door. Both looked annoyed and curious.

“Are you… the one called Link?” asked the old man.

“Yes, I am.” said Link.

“Hm? Hm. That’s too bad. If you were the legendary Link, there would be something important I’d need to tell you,” said the old man. “But how can I determine with full certainty whether or not you are the true hero? Yes, how indeed? Hm?”

He thought for a moment. “Hm, hm, yes. If you can show me the wounds your body suffered 100 years ago, that should prove you are truly Link.”

Link suddenly liked Purah a lot more now, as he turned away and took off his clothes and gear. He left on his undergarment, however.

“Hm? Hm! Yes, the number of scars on your body… just as I remember. Most seem to have healed, but they do line up with the scars I know you got during the Great Calamity 100 years ago.” Robbie said after examining Link’s bare chest closely. “Yes, I acknowledge you as the real Link. So let us begin again…”

Link put his clothes back on, and turned to Robbie once more.

Robbie cleared his throat. “I am the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab, Dr. Robbie. In any case… I really am impressed that you made it all the way out to this rather remote location. Did you, perchance, meet Purah and borrow her power?”

Link wasn’t sure what he meant. “I met a child.”

“Purah, a child? What?! She really has a kid?” Exclaimed Robbie. “Or do you mean that Purah aged backward… and she is now a child?”

Link nodded to the latter explanation. “Purah got younger.”

“Are you certain?”

Link nodded.

“So she’s as crazy as ever…” Robbie muttered.

Crazy is a relative term, Link thought.

Robbie nodded. “Okeydoke. Knowing her, I’m guessing she screwed up some experiment. Yes, typical. Let us return to the subject at hand, hm? Did you know that the Calamity is regaining its power?”

“I know.” Link said.
“I see.” Robbie said. “Then I don’t need to tell you my story, hm?”

“Tell me,” said Link.

“Yes, I see. In that case…” Robbie began. “The goal of our Sheikah research lab is simple, really. We aim to destroy the Calamity that has endured across time, to rid Hyrule of its dark influence, and, above all, to rescue Princess Zelda, who is now a prisoner of the Calamity.”

So we have the same goal, then, Link thought.

“We have worked ourselves to the bone conducting our research. For a time, I feared I’d pass before we could prevail. However, you, Link, managed to awaken before this old sack of flesh gave out. That means the time is now! Yes, yes!”

Link nodded. He’d learned from Purah that it was best to just listen and nod.

“You! Now is the time to join forces with us Sheikah, yes?” Robbie asked. “We must destroy the Calamity!”

Link smiled. “Yes, it is.”

“Yes! That is correct!” cried Robbie. “You and I are going to join forces to put an end to the Calamity!”

He paused for a moment, giving Link a moment to look around the dimly lit lab. The one thing that drew his eyes the most was the glowing oven next to Robbie. He hoped the old doctor would tell him about it.

“And on that note,” Robbie said. “Sorry for the long preamble, but I’d like to provide you with some ancient soldier gear. Did you catch all that?”

Robbie motioned to the oven next to him. “Cherry, erm, the ancient oven, creates ancient soldier gear. But I fear she’s out of sorts at the moment. I’m afraid someone will have to bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace again.”

The doctor hobbled away to his work. Link knew exactly what he needed to do. After a short chat with Jerrin, the research assistant and Robbie’s wife, he learned the location of the furnace, and a little about Jerrin’s son. He took a torch and made his way down the path, safe this time from the Guardian and the Yiga.

He found some moblins on his way there, and got rid of them before lighting his torch with the blue flame. Then he followed the lanterns, lighting each one as he passed it.

A few times he was able to light his arrow with the flame and shoot it into the next lantern if it was too far away. He felt very clever for it.

There were many more monsters on his way there, but he managed to either fight them off or avoid them.

When he reached the lab and lit the furnace, the circular etching in front of the doorstep glowed blue, which Link knew meant it was a Travel Gate.

He went back inside to talk to Robbie.

“You! Link! Listen up!” Robbie cried when he came in. “My darling Cherry is back to normal! Such is the power of love. My love made Cherry well again.”

Link really didn’t have time for this. “The furnace is lit.”

Robbie reined himself back is. “Oh, well, thank you. Yes, quite. Now then, please take this as a gift of my gratitude now that Cherry is fixed!” He handed Link three arrows with glowing blue tips. “They are made using secret Sheikah technology. With the addition of my upgrades, they have morphed into… Anti-Calamity weapons! So to speak… needless to say, they are an incredibly powerful type of ancient soldier gear. I like to call them Ancient arrows!”

Link accepted the gift, and let his Sheikah Slate inventory them.

“In addition to ancient arrows, Cherry can make all kinds of ancient soldier gear.” said Robbie. “If you’re looking to acquire some, give your ancient materials, and rupees, to Cherry.”

“Rupees?” asked Link suspiciously.

“Forgive me, Link,” said Robbie sadly. “Ever since the fall of Hyrule Castle, we haven’t had much in the way of funds for our research. That’s why I thought you might be willing to help us out! With rupees. Lots of them. I beg of you!”

Link was more than willing to help, and he told the doctor so.

“Then let’s do it, hm? The two of us, as soon as possible, yes. Let’s conquer the calamity!”
After his conversation with Robbie, Link checked out Cherry, the oven. His Sheikah Slate communicated with the ancient technology and displayed all of the gear that could be made, including what materials and rupees were required for each piece.

At the moment, all he could afford were a few more ancient arrows. He soon bade Robbie and Jerrin farewell, and made his way back to the East Akkala Stable. From here he headed Southeast, opposite of where he’d come from.

The long road led him past what looked like a small island in Lake Akkala. He crossed the bridge and met, to his surprise, Hudson.

Hudson had found the perfect spot to build a new town - Tarrey Town, but was busy gathering supplies and materials. Link offered his help and spent the rest of the day assisting in clearing the land and stocking up on wood for Tarrey Town.

Link stayed the night here and set out again the next morning, soon discovering the fountain of the Great Fairy Mija.

He then climbed up Kaepora Pass and completed the Dah Hesho Shrine, and past Akkala Falls. Link loved having the Sheikah Slate and being able to put a name to the places he discovered.

By nightfall, he pulled out his Slate. According to his map, he’d explored most of Akkala already. He didn’t have time to investigate the far reaches or dark corners, so he decided it was time to move on to the next part of his journey: Death Mountain.

Chapter Text

After spending the night in Zora’s Domain, Link used his Sheikah Slate to travel to the Wetland Stable, where he started north. He soon came to the Foothill Stable. From here, he could see the Eldin tower, and after resupplying, he went straight for it after placing a pin with his scope.

He narrowly avoided a confrontation with an ice Wizzrobe, and continued on until he reached a sign which said “Maw of Death Mountain” that led him to the base of the mountain. From here, he had to climb.

The tower itself was seemingly unguarded, and Link quickly made his way to the top and activated it. From there, he spotted a shrine on an island in a pool of lava, and wondered if it would be safe for him to glide down. If he missed, he would be toast.

He decided to give it a shot anyways, making it to the shrine without difficulty and completing the trial inside. He nearly returned to the road, but he felt there was something about this place, and he instead went in the other direction, gliding to the other side of the lava lake.

Everywhere here was steaming hot, but he endured until he finally found the place he was looking for.

He pulled out his Sheikah Slate and glanced at the landscape. Sure enough, this was one of the places Zelda had taken a photo of.

He let the memory in excitedly.

“That cut doesn’t look too bad, actually. You’re fine for now.” Zelda was saying after wrapping a cut Link had received in a fight. “But you know, there’s a fine line between courage and recklessness.”

They were surrounded by many dead monsters, including a Lynel, which Link had slain in an effort to both protect Zelda and prove to her that he was the Champion she needed him to be. He’d only received a small injury to his body, but a big one to his ego as Zelda admonished him.

“As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal.”

She sounded just like his sister, and he tried hard not to smile at that. Meanwhile, Zelda had turned to the battlefield, her expression turning analytical.

“It seems that, not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise but the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well.” She said. “I fear that… I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon.”

She stood up and wiped the dust off. “And, if that’s the case, I’m ready to expect the worst. We’ll need to make preparations as soon as possible.”

Link stood and followed her down the mountain dutifully.

Returning to the present, he relished for a moment in the fact that he had once slayed a Lynel. He was much more cautious now, probably thanks to Zelda, and the lack of knowledge he had of… well, anything.

Finally, he decided it was time to move on, and carefully glided back to the road. He narrowly missed his the lava, and Zelda’s words echoed in his mind.

I know I’m not immortal, Link thought sarcastically. Yet here I am.

He soon reached a place called the Southern Mine, where he met Kima, a Hylian who needed help gathering some Fireproof Lizards. After assisting him with this, Kima gave Link his Flamebreaker Armor, which would help Link’s body resist the extreme heat.

The armor was heavy, but it was it was incredibly useful, so Link wore it for the rest of his journey.

Chapter Text

It was just past the Southern Mine that Link met his first real peril. A huge explosion shook him to his core, and he cried out at the pain to his eardrums. He didn’t have time to recover, however, as large, flaming rocks were falling from the sky.

Link did the only thing he could think of: run. Through the pain in his head and the terror in his heart, he could see that up ahead was clear of falling rocks. He ran as fast as he could, praying to Hylia that nothing would fall on him.

Finally, he reached safety and sat down for a moment as the ringing in his ears slowly subsided. It was no wonder Hylians rarely traveled to Goron City. Link felt even more respect for Yenda, the old knight who had traversed Death Mountain a century ago to witness the ceremony of the Goron Champion, Daruk.

After some time, Link felt his hearing return, and stood up to get on with his journey. He would have to be careful to stay away from loud noises for awhile, but he was certain that would be impossible.

He was proven right, of course, when a loud roar echoed across the mountainside. Link froze and looked around, his hand already reaching for his weapon.

There it was, a large shadow crawling up the very peak of the volcano.

“That must be the Divine Beast,” Link muttered, wincing slightly as his ears popped.

After witnessing this spectacle, Link found himself at the entrance of Goron City. Here he met a Goron brandishing a huge metal weapon or tool that even Link couldn’t have lifted.

“Well, lookee here,” said the Goron. “Welcome, Master Link!”

Link’s brow raised in surprise. “How did you know?”

The Goron shrugged. “What do ya mean? More importantly, I hope ya made it past all those magma bombs without injury! To be honest, we haven’t had too many visitors here since those magma bombs started fallin’ from the sky. I’d be bored to tears if I didn’t pass the time pretendin’ to greet the long lost Hylian Champion, heh.”

It took a moment for Link to realize the Goron didn’t actually recognize him. His confused expression caused the Goron to go on.

“Oh, in case ya didn’t know, Link is the little Hylian who fought alongside the Goron Champion, Daruk. If you wanna hear more, talk to the Boss. He lives further in town.”

Link had too much of a headache and earache to try and convince the Goron that he really was the Champion Link, but the conversation hadn’t been pointless. He’d learned what the falling lava rocks had been, and he had a feeling he knew what was causing it.

He glanced up at the vague outline of the Divine Beast before heading further into the town.

As he explored a bit, he wondered what had possessed the Gorons to build wooden bridges over the lava pits, and where they’d gotten the wood in the first place. Then again, they looked strong enough to lug entire trees up the mountain, so that wasn’t surprising.

There were white arrow shapes painted on the center bridge, which were leading him to a larger building up ahead. He followed it, hoping this was where the Boss was.

Before meeting with the boss, Link made his way a little to the north, following the signs and his shrine sensor to the Shae Mo’Sah Shrine. Perhaps the quiet of the shrine would help his ears before he spoke to the Goron leader.

This somehow worked, and Link returned from the shrine much more relaxed than he had been. The noise from the mountain no longer bothered him either.

Link made his way back to the Boss’s house, stopping to talk to an old, bearded Goron that told him about Vah Rudania causing eruptions and interfering with their mining operations.

“I can’t tell you how many times we’ve use that cannon to chase off that fiend,” growled the old Goron. “But it always comes back!”

The poor Goron strained his back at that moment, and Link felt very bad for him.

The Goron then asked him who he was, and Link simply replied that he was a traveler.

“I see,” said Bludo. “So, then, you came all this way to pay your respects to me? I like you already, brother!”

Link straightened a little, wondering if this was the Boss he’d heard about.

“Well, my name’s Bludo,” The Goron claimed. “I’m the great Goron Boss who’s fearsome enough to silence a crying child! Or to make a silenced child cry, either way. Yes, it is none other than I, Bludo!”

Before Link had a chance to properly introduce himself, Bludo went on.

“I was plannin’ to drive off Rudania like I always do, but then this blasted pain in my back flared up outta nowhere…” The Goron grumbled. “That blasted Yunobo… when will he return?”

“Who is Yunobo?” Link asked.

“Yunobo is a young Goron who helps me drive off Rudania.” Bludo explained. “He went to grab some painkillers for my back from the Abandoned North Mine, but he hasn’t come back yet…”

Bludo grumbled some more, and then said. “Hey, if ya happen to see Yunobo, will ya let him know I’m lookin’ for him?”

Link promised to do so, and then set about exploring the town a little more. There was a general store, where he bought some Goron spice and cane sugar. He had plenty of rock salt from his own mining, so he passed on that. He did stock up on ice and fire arrows, however.

Protein Palace, run by Aji, was sort of a restaurant. Aji didn’t have many customers, however, as it was easy to cook things on death mountain.

There was also an inn, and, surprisingly, a clothing shop. A tall, red-haired woman was the only customer at the inn, and though it was late, Link decided to not get a room just yet.

The only items at the clothing store were Flamebreaker boots, armor, and helm. Link bought the boots and helm, since he already had the armor, and the Goron at the store was kind enough to adjust the fitting on his armor.

Link was glad he couldn’t see his reflection, as he was sure he probably looked ridiculous, but he was safe from the flames. He was not safe from the Gorons rolling around. Apparently they could curl up into balls and literally roll. Link had trouble dodging them quickly in his flamebreaker armor.

Finally, he made his way to the old mine to find Yunobo.

Chapter Text

A Goron named Drak was blocking the way, but after some convincing Link managed to get past him to find Yunobo. The cannon that Bludo used to fight the Divine Beast was nearby, but Drak made sure Link went nowhere near it.

There were plenty of monsters here, but Link used his stealth and skill with the bow and arrow to defeat most of them. A few times he had to fight them one-on-one or use one of the several cannons dotting the mine. Along the way Link found several updrafts from the flaming lava that helped him navigate with his paraglider.

Night had fallen by the time Link reached the place Drak had told him about - the vault. First, he had to blow up a pile of rocks blocking the way. Link entered, and found a frightened Goron wearing a blue scarf inside.

“Oh man, oh man, oh man,” the Goron was repeating. “What am I gonna do?”

The Goron turned slowly and spotted Link. “Monsters! They’re here! They found me! Help!” He ran around in a circle as he yelled. Then he stopped and caught his breath, having realized Link was not, in fact, a monster. “Huh?”

“Now that I’ve gotten a good look…” the Goron muttered. “Whoa! It’s a Hylian! Were you the one who broke through the crag to rescue me, goro? Thanks, brother! But what brought you all the way out here to begin with?”

“I was looking for Yunobo,” said Link. “Bludo needs him.”

“Oh! So that’s it! Boss told you to come find me!” Yunobo looked relieved. “Thank goodness. In any case, I sure am glad you saved me, goro! The name’s Yunobo. Everyone calls me… Yunobo. I came to get some painkillers for Boss, but a magma bomb caused a rock slide, sealing the entrance, goro. By the way, how did you break those rocks at the entrance, goro?”

“With a cannon,” Link admitted. “There’s one on the cliff above here.”

“Huh? You used Boss’s cannon?” Yunobo didn’t looked scared, but rather shocked. “That thing is so difficult to use. I thought only Boss could handle it.”

At that moment, the young Goron remembered his task - to deliver the painkillers to the boss, and quickly bid Link goodbye. He added that Link should come see the Boss later.

Link used his Slate to travel back to the shrine near the city and went to the inn. He wisely turned down a Goron massage and fell into a deep sleep.

“Look at you, my little darling!” said a soft voice.

Link opened his eyes. There was a lovely, brunette woman with sparkling blue eyes looking down on him.

“One day, you will grow up to be big and strong, just like your father!” She lifted him up in the air and Link giggled.

“Mummy! Mummy!” he said in a tiny voice, wiggling stubby fingers at her.

“Oh, bless you, little one!” said the woman, snuggling Link close to her bosom. “Your first words! I’ve yearned to hear those before…”

She turned away, laying Link on a soft surface. Link sat up and reached for her, but then recoiled as she wretched and coughed into a wooden pail.

“Mum, are you alright?” asked a little girl. She went straight to Link, whose eyes had become teary and picked him up.

“Don’t worry, Senna,” said their mother. “Everything will be alright. Just promise me something.”

“Of course, Mummy,” Senna said, trying to sound positive and handing Link a wooden rattle to distract him. “What is it?”

“Promise me you’ll be brave,” she said. And then she snatched up the pail again and wretched.

The image disappeared, replaced by a new one. Many stones with writing surrounded him. Some had flowers, and some were more decorative than others.

Link, who was a little taller now, was following Senna up a hill, each of them carrying a yellow flower.

“Come along, little brother.” Senna said, a sad smile on her face. “Mum always said that chrysanthemums look best when the sun reaches its peak. They were her favorite flower, you know.”

“Mine, too,” cried Link.

They stopped in front of one of the stones.

“Happy Birthday, Mummy,” whispered Senna, laying her flower in front of the stone.

“We miss you,” said Link, copying Senna’s action.

“Daddy’s promised to take us to Zora’s Domain.” Senna said to the stone. “We leave tomorrow.”

“We’re going to meet the princess!” cried Link.

“But we’ll be back in time for Link to start school.” said Senna.

Link groaned. “Do I have to?”

“Of course, silly. Mum would say the same thing if she were here.” Senna said. “We all have to grow up eventually.”

“Can I still climb trees?” Link begged. “When I’m not learning?”

Senna considered this. “Well, I don’t see how else we’re going to get the best apples, and I suppose if you want to be a knight you’ll have to be strong, so…”

“Yes! Thanks, Sissy!” Link cried, hugging his sister. He then glanced at the grave marker. “And thanks for making her so nice, Mum!”

Sissy laughed so hard she cried.

Link awoke laughing. He quickly composed himself and wiped the tears from his eyes. He reflected for a moment on the memories he’d dreamt of. They had been the earliest so far.

Obviously, his mother had passed away when he was a toddler, and Senna had practically raised him, since their father was a knight. He missed them more now than ever.

Perhaps I should start a journal, Link thought. I can keep track of my adventures and memories, and one day share them with others.

Symin was sure to have a spare blank journal or even parchment lying around somewhere, and Link made a mental note to ask him after his mission on Death Mountain.

Right now, it was time to meet with Bludo, and hopefully, this time, Link could convince the Gorons of who he was and why he was there.

Chapter Text

“Ah! It’s the tiny traveler!” Bludo greeted him heartily. “Yunobo told me all about how you helped him, brother. Here’s a reward for ya. Hylians like you need this sorta thing, right?”

The mighty Goron handed him three bottles of Fireproof Elixir. Link accepted them gratefully.

“Ok, then. Well, I took my painkillers,” Bludo said. “So I guess its time to meet up with Yunobo. I mean no disrespect to Daruk’s legacy, but if I’m not there to give that Rudania a good walloping…”

“Daruk?” Link blurted out, recognizing the name.

Bludo took this exclamation the wrong way. “Are ya really tellin’ me ya don’t know about Daruk? The Goron Champion?”

Bludo motioned to one of the mountains above. “See that statue up there? That’s Daruk!”

Link blinked in the sunlight at the humongous carved statue he’d mistaken for a mountain peak the day before. After a moment, he could make out the details in the face - a spiky beard, tough eyes and proud smile.

Strange, Link thought, he looks… familiar.

“Yeah!” cried a gruff voice. “I think I’m finally getting the hang of controlling this Divine Beast!”

“I hope so,” Link said, wishing there were something to hang onto on the back of Rudania. “We’ll need you and the others at their best if we’re to have hope of defeating the Calamity Ganon.”

“I tell you what…” said Daruk, swinging his arms to pilot the salamander-like creature. “It sure is a blast piloting a toy like this around.”

Link grinned. “If Zelda heard you calling it a toy…”

Daruk guffawed. “Let those other Champions know, they better eat their gravel if they wanna keep up with Daruk. Speaking of which, can you believe this view? Just look at all those delectable rocks sprinkled on those mountains. Mighty tasty.”

Link appreciated the view with his eyes, not his taste buds.

“I may not know a whole lot about this whole Calamity Ganon thing,” said Daruk. “But mark my words, I’ll protect this land of ours to the death! Right, little guy?”

Daruk raised an arm and gave Link a powerful slap on the back, causing him to stumble forward. As he caught his breath, Daruk laughed again.

“Hey, by the way,” said the huge Goron. “Congrats on becoming the princess’ appointed knight. That’s a really big deal, protecting the king’s daughter. No pressure.”

Link flinched as Daruk patted him on the shoulder again, but the Goron was much gentler this time and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Seriously, though,” said Daruk. “The princess is a strong personality - so strong she can’t quite see the range for the peaks. Remember that, and you’ll be fine.”

Link hoped Yenda could help him translate the Goron saying later. At that moment, the ground began to rumble. Link struggled to keep himself upright.

Above them, many large rocks rained down upon them. Daruk braced himself, and slammed his fists into one of the rocks, a glowing red orb surrounding him.

Daruk turned around as the dust cleared. “Alright, so what was I saying?” He glanced back up at the peak above them, muttering. “That was a little strange… As far as I know, Death Mountain has been quiet for decades. But if the mountain is shivering enough to send down a bunch of boulders that size, then…”

Link felt Daruk’s apprehension, wondering what to say.

“Never mind,” said Daruk. “Forget I said anything…”

“What’s gotten into you?” asked Bludo, snapping Link back to reality. “Hylians sure are strange. Anyway, Yunobo is actually a descendant of the great Daruk. That’s why the slacker can even use Daruk’s Protection!”

That must be the red shield Daruk used, Link thought.

“He uses it to protect himself when we fire him at Rudania. That’s the only way we can chase that blasted beast away.”

Link’s eyes widened in surprise. They fired Yunobo like a cannonball?

“We have no choice because normal cannonballs are no good against him,” Bludo said when Link asked about this. “All right, that’s enough outta me. Time to go drive off Rudania!”

There was a cracking sound. “Arrg!”

“Are you okay?” asked Link.

“Oh, yeah, just peachy.” Bludo muttered. “Dumb traveler, of course I’m not okay.”

Link ignored the comment.

“Owww… Arrrg… I’m afraid I won’t be goin’ anywhere today. I hate to put you on the spot, but… can ya please go tell Yunobo that I’m gonna have to cancel for today?”

Link nodded. Perhaps this would give him a chance to talk to Yunobo about the Divine Beast.

“He should be at Eldin Bridge.”

Link made his way up the mountain trail again, this time in the direction opposite the abandoned mine. His Sheikah Slate led the way. Along the way he found the Goron Hot Springs. Sitting in warm water did not sound nice right now, so he continued on.

It was a treacherous climb, as there were many monsters, and magma bombs constantly falling from above.

At Eldin Bridge, Link discovered a band of black moblins surrounding Yunobo at another large canon.

Here we go, Link thought. He fought the monsters with all his might, somehow managing to defeat both with little injury to himself.

“Thanks for savin’ me, brother! I would’ve been in real trouble if you hadn’t shown up when you did, goro.” Yunobo cried.

“No problem,” Link said, smiling at the blue cloth tied around Yunobo’s shoulders. That, he was sure, was in honor of Daruk.

Yunobo sighed. “Still no sign of Boss, eh?”

“He’s not coming,” Link said, explaining about Bludo’s back. As they spoke, Rudania roared and slithered along the mountainside across a river of lava from them.

“After we went through all that trouble to get them, the painkillers didn’t even end up working, goro!” cried Yunobo. “Well, if Boss can’t help, there’s nothin’ else we can do. I suppose I’ll just head back now…”

“Wait a minute,” Link said. “I need to get on Vah Rudania.”

“What?” Yunobo asked. “You want to board the beast? Why risk it?”

“Well, I’m…” Link wondered if the Goron would believe him. The Zora King had recognized him by his face and Sheikah Slate, but Yunobo certainly hadn’t been alive back then, so he wouldn’t know it truly Link.

“I don’t really understand it, but I’m sure you have your reasons,” Yunobo said. “But we’ll have to weaken it first, and to do that, we’re going to have to lower the bridge. Boss uses the cannon to do that. He raised it to prevent Rudania from getting here.”

Link followed his gaze, noticing a long metal platform standing upright.

“I know how to use the cannon, remember?” Link said.

“You’re right!” cried Yunobo. “And I can be the cannon ball. Don’t worry. I’ve got Daruk’s Protection so it won’t hurt a bit! Just… fire gently, goro?”

They took their places, Yunobo inside the canon, and Link behind it. He dropped one of his remote bombs inside, and then set it off. Yunobo shot towards the bridge, surrounded by a red orb. The sound of the collision echoed on the rocks, and was followed by the bridge slamming down.

Yunobo landed in front of the bridge, a little dizzy but unhurt.

“We did it…” he mumbled. “See that, goro… If we put our heads together… anything is possible!”

“You’re right about that,” Link said.

“That power I got from my ancestor… Daruk’s protection… it really is somethin’ else, isn’t it?” asked Yunobo. “Anyhow, I guess my time as a cannonball isn’t over yet, goro. So let’s get a move on and cross that bridge, brother.”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Link agreed. They crossed the bridge together, and looked up at Vah Rudania as it roared. Apparently they’d drawn too close, as a fleet of mechanical balls flew out of it, surrounding the beast and searching the ground for intruders.”

“Oh, yikes!” cried Yunobo. “A sentry is always a nuisance, no matter where it is or how many of them there are. If one finds you, Rudania will go nuts, which will cause Death Mountain to erupt, goro.”

Well, that’s lovely, thought Link.

“I… always get spotted, and then magma bombs come raining down one after another.” said Yunobo, scratching his head anxiously. “If Boss were here he’d swat those magma bombs away like they were nothin’ and force his way up! I don’t think you’d be able to do that, goro, and I don’t wanna cause you any trouble. Hmm…”

They both thought for a moment.

“Maybe the best idea is for you to give me a signal to let me know when I should stop and when I can move forward.” Yunobo said.

“Fine, I’ll whistle whenever I want you to move or stop.” Link said.

“That’s a great idea, goro!” cried Yunobo. “Ok then, I’m counting on you and your whistles to make sure I’m not spotted by those awful sentries!”

They set out then, and Link found it even too hot for his armor to withstand. He drank one of the Elixirs Bludo had given him and trudged on, Yunobo following close.

As they approached a sentry, Link whistled, and Yunobo froze. Link watched its progress and decided on the best action: he climbed a wall and lobbed a remote bomb at it, collecting the spare parts. Then he signalled for Yunobo to continue and they climbed further up the path.

Link destroyed the next sentry as well. He decided to blow them all up, as he would need the parts for upgrades to his Sheikah Slate as well as for the Ancient Gear Robbie was so keen about.

There was a cannon here, which Link and Yunobo used to their advantage. Link launched Yunobo at the Rudania, which made the beast roar and move to the other side of the mountain.

There were two more up ahead, patrolling the same area, so Link knew he had to destroy them both. The air was difficult to breathe, but he didn’t let that stop him. With Yunobo out of sight of the sentries, Link scaled the cliff so that he could drop remote bombs on each of the sentries.

He then glided back down to collect the spare parts and call Yunobo forward. The Goron lumbered behind him as they reached another sentry, which Link also destroyed. His ears hurt a little each time he detonated a remote bomb, but it was well worth it to keep Rudania from detecting them.

Further ahead, they found another cannon being protected by a Moblin. Link killed the monster and launched Yunobo at the Divine Beast again.

Two more sentries guarded the next passage, and Link decided avoiding them was a better idea than trying to fight them. It was really difficult to breathe now, and he wanted to get out of here soon.

The next group of sentries were more difficult, and Link used some metal blocks to smash them.

Two more huge moblins blocked their way after this, and Link decided the best choice was to surprise them. He used another metal block and dropped it on each of the moblins until they were both decimated.

There was one more cannon here that Link fired Yunobo with, and he watched as the mechanical salamander collapsed, momentarily stunned. Steam escaped from every recess as it climbed to the top of Death Mountain, diving in and causing a violent but quick eruption.

This did not stop Link and Yunobo from chasing after it.

“That was so cool!” Yunobo cried. “You really put a licking on that thing, Link! It’s time to finish the job! This is our big chance!”

Link nodded. “Here I go!” He dove into the volcano, the beast directly below him. After a moment of free-falling, he snapped his paraglider out and floated to the surface of the beast.

The heat was intense, but Link knew the elixir would protect him. He could feel its effects had not worn off.

There was a platform here, much like on Ruta, where Link used his Slate to activate the terminal. This also created a Travel Gate to the Divine Beast.

Link was a little less shocked when he heard Daruk’s voice.

Hey, little guy! Long time no see.

Link smiled, wishing he could remember more about his old friend.

I always knew you’d come back, y’know. I never stopped believing in you! You’re here to take control of ol’ Rudania back from Ganon, eh?

You’re gonna need a map that shows the guts of this place. Link saw the images of the beast’s interiors in his mind, just like Mipha had done of Vah Ruta.

You can grab the info from the guidance stone over there. Now get a move on!

Link did so, entering the door that had opened when he activated the terminal. The door shut behind him, leaving him in complete darkness except for the glowing eyes of the malice. Link pulled out some fire arrows and took them out one by one. He then lit a torch near the next door with the blue flame of the torches at the entrance.

In the next chamber was a Guardian Scout, which he dispatched with a practiced swing.

Navigating in darkness was difficult, and he had to rely on his hearing to and other senses. Good thing the guardians and malice eyes glowed, making them easy to spot.

He lit the next torch, and moved on to the chamber where the guidance stone was. Link quickly placed his Sheikah Slate in the stone.

Sheikah Slate authenticated. Distilling map of Divine Beast.

Link watched with undying fascination as a drop of data splashed onto his Slate.

Divine Beast controls have been enabled.

He retrieved his Slate and studied the map.

Nice job getting the map of the Divine Beast! The terminals that control Rudania are noted by the glowing points on your map. To take back Rudania, you’ll need to activate all of the terminals. You got this, little guy!

The room lit up as four ports opened on the back of Rudania. Now that he could see, finishing the job would be much easier. Right away, he spotted the first terminal, using his slate to rotate the beast ninety degrees so he could properly use the terminal.

Link climbed a staircase and reached a higher floor outside. He continued to rotate the dungeon as needed, activating each terminal as he reached it. Some of the dungeon was very puzzling, and took him awhile to figure out, but eventually, he made it to the last terminal.

Nice! That was the last terminal! Now go ahead and start up the main control unit!

After his experience on Vah Ruta, Link was much more prepared for what might happen if he tried to activate the main control unit on Vah Rudania.

He found the unit on top of the beast and approached it, attempting to place his slate on the stone. It was at this moment that the malice engulfed the unit and transformed into a beast much like the one in Vah Ruta, except this one held fire in his hand. It shrieked at him, causing his ears to hurt a bit.

Watch yourself now! That ugly pain in the crag is Ganon’s handiwork! Thing got the best of me a hundred years ago. Good luck, little guy! Go get ‘im!

Link fired a series of ice arrows at the monstrosity, and then slashed at it with one of his weapons. This worked a few times, but then it flew above the beast, out of range of Link’s attacks.

The monster began to suck in the ash and flames from the air and then shot a fireball at Link, who instinctively fired an ice arrow at it. This was effective, and Link considered what to do as the beast began to suck in again.

“Eat this!” Link cried, tossing a remote bomb at it. It sucked it in and Link detonated it, causing the beast to shrink and slam down onto Rudania again.

Link slashed at it again several times with his sword before it recovered.

This method worked several times, but the monster seemed to have enough and began firing at Link with lasers not unlike the Guardians did.

Link continued to fire ice arrows as much as he could, but he did so from behind a pillar.

After shooting one more arrow, the beast screeched horribly and disintegrated.

Link eagerly activated the main control unit, causing it to turn blue.

“Great work, little guy!” cried Daruk.

Link turned to see his old friend behind him, only a spirit now.

“I owe you big for this,” said Daruk. “Because of you, my spirit is finally free. Can’t thank you enough! I feel like I should apologize.”

Link shook his head. “No, Daruk, you don’t have to-”

“I was doing all I could to protect Hyrule when that thing got the best of me. Sorry that me resting with the rubble caused such a mess.”

“It’s not your fault, Daruk,” Link assured him.

Daruk brushed him off. “The good news is, Rudania is now back under our control! That means that our century-old Ganon beat-down plan can finally go into effect! I’m gonna take this down the mountain. I’ll have a better shot at Ganon there.”

Link nodded. “A good plan.”

“And then, once you’ve made your way into Hyrule Castle, we’re gonna light that thing up!” Daruk punched his hand. “I want to give you something. It’s a special power of mine called Daruk’s Protection. It’s no good to me now that I’m a spirit, but it might be useful for you.”

Daruk clapped his hands together. “Here it comes!” A ball of red light took shape between his palms and shot straight into Link’s chest. It didn’t hurt a bit, and even lifted him into the air a few inches.

Link tested the power, punching his fists together. He stared in amazement at the red orb surrounding him. Then he looked up at Daruk.

“From this moment forth, the power of protection, from the depths of my soul, now lives inside you.” A white light surrounded Link. “Good luck, little guy! And give my regards to the princess.”

Link waved goodbye, words failing him.

He reappeared at the entrance of Goron City, where Yunobo was waiting for him.

“Hey, brother!” Yunobo said. “Thanks so much for appeasing Rudania, goro! I don’t exactly know what you were doing in Rudania, but… Well, it seems to have calmed down, goro!”

Yunobo hesitated before speaking again. “Ya know, while I was up there, I coulda sworn I saw Lord Daruk standin’ on top of Rudania! I wonder, was that his ghost? I dunno how to explain it, but somehow I feel a lot braver now, goro!”

“You always were brave, Yunobo!” Link told him.

Yunobo smiled, but then he gasped. “Oh! That’s right! I talked to Boss about you, and he said to bring you to him! An order from Boss can’t be refused. Move it, goro!”

Link followed him up the path to Bludo.

“It’s you!” cried Bludo. “Yunobo told me everything. You really are somethin’ else, brother. You know that? I can’t believe you really conquered Rudania.”

Link smiled. He could hardly believe it, too.

“But good grief, did ya have to do just when my back pain went away?” Bludo said gruffly. “I was all ready and rarin’ to go at Rudania myself! Now you’ve gone and made it look like I was just fibbin’ about my back pain this whole time! Imagine that! Me!”

Link flinched as Bludo guffawed loudly.

“And I’m also happy to see Yunobo finally got his act together. I know that’s your doing, as well. But enough back patting and other such nonsense. Take a look at this!”

Bludo motioned to the summit of the volcano. “The Divine Beast Vah Rudania has calmed down and returned to his peaceful ways. Now we can get back to diggin’ for ore around Death Mountain.”

Link stared in awe at the beam of red light that Rudania had aimed right at the castle.

“Oh, right! I’ve still gotta thank you, brother!” Bludo cried. “There’s some treasure in my house. Grab it. Keep it. It’s yours. It’s a sharp blade that Daruk himself once wielded. I’m sure you’ll be able to make good use of it!”

Link thanked him.

“However…” said the Goron. “Well, as a Hylian, you probably already know this, but… Apparently, 100 years ago, the Hylian Champion had a legendary blade - the sword that seals the darkness. They say the sword sleeps in a forest somewhere… waiting… I bet you’d like to find it, eh? You should go lookin’!”

Link smiled wistfully and then retrieved the blade from Bludo’s house. The weapon was called the Boulder Breaker. It was extremely heavy but durable, but Link found himself somehow able to lift it.

Link then bid farewell to the Gorons, and left the village. He pulled out his slate and traveled to the shrine in Hateno Village for some much needed rest.

Chapter Text

Link took a deep breath when he arrived in the village. The air was so clean compared to Death Mountain. He changed out of his armor into his light blue tunic and Hylian trousers. With his movement no longer restricted, he immediately turned towards his house, and was surprised to see someone already there.

“Don’t worry, girl,” Symin was saying, feeding Sissy slices of a chopped apple. “Your master will be back soon. He’d never leave his trusty steed for long.”

Sissy nickered at him.

“I didn’t know you were a horse whisperer,” said Link, startling the Sheikah scholar.

“You’re back!” Symin said when he turned around. “I didn’t think you’d be so quick.”

“Well, the Sheikah Slate makes traveling a lot easier,” Link said. “And I had some help from a Goron in defeating Vah Rudania.”

“I’m impressed, Link! Your skills surpass that of the heroes of legend!”

“Why don’t you come in?” Link offered. “There isn’t really a place to sit, yet, but…”

“Actually, I took care of that while you were gone.” Symin showed him inside.

“Whoa!” Link cried. “How did you do all this?”

The interior of his house had been completely decorated and furnished. On the lower floor, he now had a table and chairs along with a kitchen, complete with an iron oven. A seating area was arranged on a blue rug, with an oil lamp perched on a small table, perfect for reading late into the night.

A bookcase next to the door was packed with books that Link was sure he’d never owned.

“Gifts from Purah and Impa,” Symin explained as Link examined the leatherbound texts. “I had Bolson spruce up the place as a surprised for you. Perhaps you’ll feel more at home now that it’s not empty.”

“Are these weapon displays?” Link asked.

“These two are, like the one you put the trident in,” Symin said. “But these three are for bows, and these are for shields.”

“This is incredible,” Link said. “You did all this for me?”

“Well, it wasn’t all my idea…” Symin said, and he glanced away. “Uh, there’s more upstairs.”

Link noticed several crates underneath the staircase as he ascended. Up here, his bed now had a table next to it, along with a small display table with three framed photos and a flower arrangement on it. A desk overlooked the lower level, complete with quills, ink, parchment, and some blank leatherbounds.

Link examined the photos. The first one was of the five champions and Princess Zelda, all posing seriously for someone holding the Slate. Link recognized Zelda and Mipha and Daruk, but there were two more: a tall woman with dark skin and flaming red hair, and a Rito with a confident air about him.

Link laughed aloud. “Purah gave this one to you, didn’t she? I remember her testing it. We’d only just discovered the camera feature. She wanted the first photo to be special.”

“It is pretty special,” Symin said.

The second photo was of Link and Zelda. They weren’t posing this time, but looked as though they’d been caught by surprise in the middle of a conversation. Link was leaning on a stone wall, and Zelda was holding a book. She looked more annoyed than he did.

The last photo took Link’s breath away. It wasn’t as sharp an image as the other two, as it had been taken by a pictograph rather than the Slate. A young red-haired woman in an emerald dress stood between two men in Hylian Knight armor.

“Senna… and my father…” Link whispered. “And that’s me… We were dressed like that for Dedry’s knighting ceremony.”

“Dedry?” Symin asked.

Link recognized that tone. It wasn’t curiosity, but recognition.

Link turned to him and waited.

Symin cleared his throat sheepishly. “Dedry was… my grandfather…”

Link quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t remember him having children.”

“He didn’t until after the Calamity,” Symin explained. “You see, at the time that Ganon took over, Dedry was in Kakariko, meeting with Lady Impa. Afterwards, he fought to protect the village, and he met my grandmother, a Sheikah woman. They had a daughter, who eventually had me.”

Link studied Symin for a moment, before noticing the shape of his eyes. They looked like Dedry’s, though they were a different color.

“Hmm, I guess I can see him in you,” Link admitted. “Why didn’t you mention it before?”

“I wasn’t sure you remembered him, and I didn’t want to confuse you.” Symin said apologetically.

“Is he…?” Link couldn’t finish his question.

“I… don’t know,” said Symin. “He disappeared when I was a kid. He said he was going to find something, but he was never heard from again.”

Link nodded sadly. His best friend might still be out there, or he may be dead. He may never know.

“I’m sorry,” Link said. “Losing your grandfather must have been difficult.”

Symin shrugged. “I came to terms with it a long time ago. Besides, I still have both my parents. They’re just in Kakariko.”

Link looked around his house. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you for this, Symin.”

Symin grinned. “You don’t have to thank me, Link. After all, you weren’t supposed to see it until tomorrow.”

“Why not?” asked the hero.

“Did you forget your birthday?” asked Symin.

Link stared at him in shock. “Uh… yeah, I guess I did… it’s tomorrow?”

“Indeed it is.” Symin said. “My grandfather used to celebrate it every year by firing an arrow with an apple towards the Great Plateau. He said he was making a point, but he never told me what it meant.”

Link laughed. “Come on, let’s sit down and I’ll explain.”

“Be sure to pick the brightest reds!” called Senna.

“Of course, Sissy!” Link replied from his perch in the apple tree.

He dropped a few into the basket below for his sister to inspect. “I sure hope Mipha likes it.”

“I can’t see how she wouldn’t like apple pie,” Senna said. “She loved the honey baked apples you gave her.”

“That’s true.” Link said. “But that was a long time ago. We’ve both grown so much. What if her taste buds changed?”

“Either way, Link, it’ll be a gift made by and from you!” Senna said. “She’ll love it just for the sheer fact that it’s her best friend. I’m going to take these inside.”

After she disappeared, Link glanced up to find a bright red apple, just as something shot past his face. “Gah!” The young man fell backward, hanging from the branch by his legs. “Dedry! You could’ve killed me!”

His fellow knight-in-training chuckled, slipping his bow into its harness on his back. “What? My aim is true, friend. I’d never shoot if I thought I’d hit you. I’m offended you’d think I would.”

Link rolled his eyes again and swung himself back up. “You shot the apple I was about to pick!”

“So what?” Dedry shrugged. “It’s going to look the same once it’s in the pie.”

Link yanked the arrow out of the tree, the apple going with it, and glared at the hole left in the bark.

“Link, we’ve got enough apples! Let’s get to work!” Senna called from the house.

Link sighed and climbed down from the tree.

“Remember, Link,” called Dedry as he walked away. “As long as your aim is true, you’ll win any girl’s heart with a pierced apple pie! And Happy Birthday!”

Link refused to look at him, his face the color of the apple with the arrow inside it. “Yeah, you too!”

“So he shot your apple on your birthday?” Symin asked.

“Well, it was his birthday, too. The bow he used was a gift from his uncle. Nearly killed me with it, just so he could give me some relationship advice.” Link said. “My sister and I used to make all sorts of stuff with apples. Our tree was really high, so it was hard to get the apples, but climbing was my favorite past time.”

“So, uh… were you and the Zora princess really… involved?” Symin asked, clearing his throat awkwardly.

“Not… really… We had a, uh, strong friendship, but I never realized she saw me as more than…”

“Right… got it, you were friends.” Symin said. “Was there a girl, though? Someone you saw as more than a friend?”

Link thought about it. “Not that I can remember… But my memory isn’t exactly reliable right now. Even if there was…”

“Sorry, I didn’t think about that. If you’d had a girlfriend… she’d be gone by now.”

“She would have been killed instantly if she was in Castletown like my family.” Link said sadly. “I’m just glad Dedry escaped that fate, wherever he is.”

Symin had a strange look on his face, but it disappeared quickly, replaced by a sudden panic as he saw the sun low in the sky. “Oh no, I told Purah I’d be back in less than an hour. She’ll have my head on a platter if I don’t get back soon! I’ll see you tomorrow, Link! Don’t go anywhere - Purah and I are baking a cake!”

Link waved as he dashed out the door, and then turned back to his very homey abode.

There was one question on his mind in that moment. How old was he?

“Happy Birthday, dearest Link!” Purah cried, standing on a stool to see over the table. “I hope you like your new hoouuuse!”

Symin was cutting the cake, and shaking his head as Purah waited impatiently for a slice.

“Thanks, guys. You didn’t have to do all this.” Link said.

Purah crossed her arms haughtily. “Everyone deserves a cake on their birthday, especially the legendary Champion chosen by the sword!”

Symin served them each some cake, making sure to give Purah a big enough piece that she couldn’t complain.

It was very good, just as sweet as he remembered cake being. Perhaps not as good as Senna’s apple pie, though. He wondered to himself whether Mipha had ended up liking the Pierced Apple Pie. That part he couldn’t remember.

“So, where are you off to next, Link?” Purah asked.

“The desert,” said Link. “To Gerudo town, and then I’m going back north, to the Rito village.”

“What are you going to do about the women-only law?” Symin asked.

Purah, of course, had the bright idea. “A disguise, of course! You’ve got a pretty face, Link! You could totally pull off being a girl!”

Link sighed. He’d considered the option as well. He said in monotone: “Yeah, the hero of legend, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness, resorting to wearing women’s clothes to get into a town in the middle of the desert.”

“With that attitude, you won’t fool them at all!” Purah tutted. “I’ll have to give you some pointers.”

Link shook his head frantically “No, it’s alright, Purah. I’ll be fine.”

“We’ll have to find you some clothes that fit,” Symin said thoughtfully. “But all we have are Sheikah clothes, and they’re fairly unisex.”

“I’m sure I can figure something out.” Link said.

Later that evening, Link and Symin plotted his route to Gerudo town. It was another long one, but it would be pretty short if he took a shortcut from the Great Plateau. Even though he’d just returned, he felt it best if he set out the following morning. After seeing the despair that the Gorons and Zoras had been in, he had a bad feeling the Gerudo and Rito were in just as much trouble.

Symin promised to look after Sissy again, and Link felt indebted to him. The Sheikah had been so generous, and Link told him so.

“What are friends for?” Symin asked as he bid Link good luck.

Before he walked out the door, Symin bowed in what Link recognized as a Sheikah custom. “May the goddess smile upon you.”

Link bowed back. “And you as well.”

Chapter Text

Warping to the Great Plateau was a good idea on Link’s part. The Keh Namut Shrine was just above a road that led to Gerudo Town. He could see a shrine in the distance, which he glided down to, activated, and completed.

After placing a pin on the tower, he began climbing the mountain up to it. This was made easier by the constructs along the side of the mountain. Link had a feeling he’d found where the excavations for the ancient Sheikah technology had been.

He made it to the tower without getting into any major battles, though there were a number of monsters guarding the place.

Having a map certainly helped, and he was able to glide to several shrines from the tower. One of them was right next to the Gerudo Valley Stable, where he stayed for the night.

The next morning, he set out for the Kara Kara Bazaar.

Once again, the feeling of familiarity washed over him and he pulled out his Sheikah Slate. There it was, the picture of the oasis.

Link was perched on rock, wondering where Zelda had gone.

There she is, Link thought, spotting her on the ground, surrounded by three members of the Yiga clan. He moved fast and dove just in time to stop the Yiga clan member from slitting her throat. He disarmed the masked menace, and stared down all three of them. They backed away, but Link didn’t relax until he was sure they were gone.

He turned back to the princess, helping her stand, and sighed.

“Please don’t disappear on me again,” Link said.

“I’m sorry,” said Zelda. “But… thank you for saving me.”

Link shrugged. “Let’s get back to the Bazaar.”

Zelda… so you were reckless sometimes, too, Link thought. He wished he could remember more about the Yiga, which he’d run into a few times.

He explored the Bazaar for awhile, and somehow found a man who liked to dress as a woman on top of the tall rock formation above the shop.

He thought Link was adorable, and sold him a Gerudo outfit for a discounted price. Link tried it on, and blushed.

The top was only midriff, leaving his belly exposed. Well, at least he was wearing pants.

After escaping the gushing compliments from the cross-dressing man, Link climbed down from the rock and looked at his reflection in the oasis.

Farore’s wind! He really did look like a girl. Hopefully it would be enough to convince the Gerudo. The few at the oasis didn’t seem to notice he wasn’t a girl, so he thought he should give it a shot.

When he reached Gerudo town, he walked nervously to the entrance, praying they wouldn’t catch him. He’d activated the shrine outside the town so that he could return easily.

“Welcome to Gerudo Town,” said one of them as he passed.

“Thank you,” said Link in a soft voice. He was trying to sound like Senna, and wasn’t sure if it was working. Either way, they didn’t stop him from entering the town.

It was breathtaking, really. Link wanted to stop and talk to everyone, but he was afraid of blowing his cover. The strangest part was the lack of men. He hadn’t expected it to make much of a difference, but it did.

Actually, compared to all of the places he’d been to in Hyrule, including Castletown, Gerudo Town was a very pleasant place to be. The women were kind and respectful to each other, even when they disagreed on something.

It was easy to figure out where the leader of the town was: a palace overlooked the plaza. He went straight for it.

Link entered the throne room without issue, as respectfully as he could.

“Yet another traveler,” said the Chief, a tiny girl adorned in gold and blue. Link had heard someone call her Lady Riju. “How did you get in here? Oh, it seems you have something rather interesting there.”

She beckoned him forward, and he approached cautiously, preparing his voice to speak in a feminine pitch.

The tall guard next to Riju tapped her weapon on the floor. “You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo. Declare your business, but come no closer!”

“Hold on, Buliara,” said Riju. “This one appears to be more than a common traveler. You there - what is your name?”

“My name is Link, Lady Riju.” Link said softly. He thought he sounded like a girl, or perhaps a prepubescent boy.

“Link…” Lady Riju repeated. “And what is it you’ve come all the way here to tell me, Link?”

“I can calm Naboris,” Link said. He’d gathered all the information about Vah Naboris and the Gerudo that he could at the Bazaar. Apparently, it was tromping around the desert in a lightning storm, and could easily make for Gerudo Town or the Bazaar and crush them both.

“You think you have what it takes to subdue something so powerful as a Divine Beast?” Buliara asked in disbelief. “The only ones who could ever control them were Champions like Lady Urbosa. And all the Champions died in the Calamity 100 years ago.”

“Buliara, a memory just popped into my head - something my mother spoke of…” Riju said. “When the Calamity happened the princess of Hyrule placed a fallen swordsman into a deep sleep. That swordsman, much like our new friend here, was named Link, though it always seemed more legend than fact.”

“But, Lady Riju!” Buliara replied. “Do those same stories not also say that the Hylian Champion carried a legendary sword? I see no such weapon in this person’s care.”

Link wasn’t actually wearing a weapon, as he’d felt it best to look as little a threat as he could to the Gerudo.

“They do indeed…” Riju said. “If I recall correctly, it was called the sword that seals the darkness. The Princess of Hyrule supposedly hid it away in the middle of a deep forest.” She peered at Link. “What of the device on this one’s hip? It appears to be a precious relic of the Sheikah.”

Buliara glanced at it curiously as well.

“I can’t imagine they would give something so valuable to a simple drifter - can you?” Riju asked.

Link wasn’t sure where the conversation was going, but as long as it didn’t lead to his death, banishment, or imprisonment, he supposed it would be fine.

“I don’t remember ever hearing of a Hylian vai among the Champions.” Buliara said. “Wait a moment, you’re a voe!”

Oh no, Link thought, feeling his death was imminent.

Riju chuckled. “A voe within our walls is a great crime. But a voe who is a Champion… Well, we’d never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa. And if you’re here to help us with Naboris, then we are allies.”

Link breathed a sigh of relief, and then listened to Riju speak of Vah Naboris. But, to complete the quest and earn the Gerudo’s trust, Link would have to recover the stolen Thunder Helm from the Yiga clan.

“Without my heirloom, you’ll never be able to approach Naboris,” Riju said. “Heh, you know, I take heart in having such a rare visitor as yourself. Lady Urbosa must be looking out for us.”

Buliara sent Link to speak with Captain Teake and her soldiers about the Yiga and the Thunder Helm.

Link did so, and learned that one of the Gerudo had set off on her own on reconnaissance. She had yet to return. He left Gerudo village soon after this. It was mid-afternoon. If he was going to sneak into a hideout, it was best to do it under the cover of night.

But getting through the desert - that he should do before the sun set.

Chapter Text

To the northeast of the city were some ruins. Link couldn’t tell what they’d once been but they seemed to lead straight to another tower. He used his scope to place a pin on it, and then made straight for it, avoiding the monsters strewn throughout the ruins.

Finally, he reached the base of the mountain, and started to climb. When he finally reached the tower, he took one look and decided against an attempt. He didn’t have the stamina to climb for that length of time.

Link turned away and placed some pins on a few shrines nearby. He would get to those eventually. He sensed more danger in this region than usual, and this feeling only worsened as the sun drew low on the horizon.

Following the base of the mountain, he found a narrow passage. He was certain it was the one the Gerudo soldiers had spoken of, and put on his Sheikah armor to be stealthy. He was headed to the heart of the Yiga clan, and he preferred to avoid battle as much as he could.

Darkness had fallen by the time he reached the entrance of the Yiga hideout, and he somehow managed to sneak in undetected.

Inside, he located the missing Gerudo warrior and freed her, proceeding further into the hideout.

When he finally reached the other side of the fortress, he came to an open clearing with a giant hole in the ground. He was certain he didn’t want to know what the purpose of the hole was.

“Hey!” cried a deep voice.

Link looked around for the source, and to his right a very large (and round) Yiga warrior appeared out of thin air. Judging by his decorative collar, this guy had to be the leader of the clan.

“Who the heck are you?” the masked man asked. “And what are you doing in my napping spot?”

Who napped next to giant holes in the ground? Link wondered.

“Wait a minute!” cried the Yiga leader. “That thing on your hip… Is that… could it be a Sheikah Slate?”

“That’s right,” Link said boldly. He braced himself.

“If it’s a Sheikah Slate, then that means…” The Yiga leader gasped. “Yeah, it’s you! You’re that Link guy I’ve been looking for!”

“A bit slow on the uptake, aren’t you?” Link goaded, too tired to care if he pissed him off.

“What luck!” cried the Yiga leader, as though he didn’t hear Link’s snide remark. “My scouts are out in the field looking high and low, but you just wander into my hideout!” He paused. “Oh, excuse me. I haven’t introduced myself yet.”

Is this a joke? Link wondered.

“I am the leader of the Yiga Clan!” The bumbling warrior said. “The strong! The burly! The one! The only! Master Kohga! Now prepare yourself!”

Link crossed his arms and gave the so-called ‘master’ a bored look. “For what?”

Master Kohga spun away rapidly, and Link drew his sword and shield.

It seemed Kohga preferred long-range attacks, and Link used this against him. The battle was considerably short, and the Hylian Champion wondered how this guy, who was crushed by his own boulder, had become leader.

Once he was dealt with, Link found the Thunder Helm and used his Slate to travel back to the Gerudo Town shrine.

Riju was waiting for him in a chamber above the throne room

“Oh, you needn’t say a word,” said Riju. “As the chief of the Gerudo, I can sense the power of the heirloom flowing from you. I know that you’ve succeeded!”

Link smiled, though she couldn’t see it under his face cover.

“As you can see,” said Riju. “I am still but a child. The people look upon me with nothing but warmth in their eyes, but even this brings me some pain, I must admit. I’ve tried so hard to be worthy of their love, to be a worthy chief, and to prove to myself that I was worthy, too.”

Link understood this. He was trying to prove himself worthy of being the Hylian champion to everyone in Hyrule.

“When my family heirloom was stolen, I felt as though a shadow had fallen over me.” Riju said sadly. “Yes, your arrival in the midst of all of this must be the work of Lady Urbosa. Now, please give me the helm.”

Link handed it to her, and she placed the relic on her head.

“Um… how do I look?” asked Riju.

Link stared at her, a familiar feeling engulfing him once more.

She looked relaxed aboard the Divine Beast as he approached her, the princess fast asleep in her lap.

Of all the champions, Urbosa was the one Link truly feared. She had no trouble speaking her mind, and an entire race of warriors to back her. He didn’t know her that well, either, so it was hard to tell what she was going to do.

“Ah, well…” Urbosa said, noticing him. “You certainly got here fast. I should have expected as much, from the princess’ own appointed knight.”

He really wished people would stop calling him that. It wasn’t like Zelda had appointed him herself. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with him. She was always cold and dismissive of him, and he tried not to take it personally.

“She was out on a survey all day today,” Urbosa explained. “Still as the sands now. So? Spill it, boy. Have the two of you been getting along all right?”

Link looked away in an attempt to avoid answering. He didn’t want to speak ill of the princess, especially to someone who obviously cared about her so much.

“It’s okay,” Urbosa said, with a light chuckle. “I know. Your silence speaks volumes. She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny.”

Link knew this, having overheard a conversation between Urbosa and Daruk once. He empathized with Zelda, which was why he never argued or snapped at her.

In fact, he admired her. She was intelligent, curious, and analytical. But she struggled with emotions and her self-esteem.

“Don’t worry, it’s not like you carry the blame in any of this,” Urbosa went on. “It’s unfortunate. She’s put in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she’s gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication. She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power. And she has nothing to show for it. That’s the motivation driving her research. I’d be doing the same thing.”

Link shifted on his feet, wishing he could do something to help the princess. But she probably wouldn’t want it, not from him, anyways.

Lady Urbosa stroked her forehead. “She really is quite special. You be sure to protect her with your life. It’s quite the honor.”

Link smiled in agreement.

“The night brings a chill,” Urbosa said. “It’s probably time we take her in. Hm… Or…”

Urbosa looked mischievous as she snapped her fingers. In that same instant, lightning cracked near them, startling the princess out of her slumber.

“Urbosa! What was that?” She cried, looking around. “Did you feel that?” Zelda turned and spotted Link, and her expression turned from surprised to annoyed. “Wait, what - how did you - what are you doing here?”

Urbosa burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” asked Zelda, confused.

“What’s wrong?” asked Riju, curiously. “You’re just staring. Anyway, what matters now is… How is it? Do I look all right?”

Link tilted his head a bit. “It looks good…”

“I see…” said Riju, as though she knew he was lying. “The threat Divine Beast Vah Naboris poses has only grown since we began searching for the heirloom. I believe that Gerudo Town itself may be in danger before too long. As chief, and as a Gerudo, I must find some way to stop that thing before it threatens my people. Will you help me?”

“Of course,” said Link.

Riju giggled. “Who would have thought that, just before such a momentous battle, hearing a simple, confident pledge of support from you would be what puts me at ease?”

Link smiled again, forgetting about the cover. Riju told him to meet at the lookout post south of the town. It didn’t take him long to prepare, and he soon found himself climbing the lookout post as the chief had asked.

Chapter Text

The plan was to use sandseals to get close to Vah Naboris. As long as Link stayed next to Riju as she wore the Thunder Helm, he would be safe from the lightning storm the beast created. It was a lot easier said than done.

As they drew closer, Link had to shoot the feet of the camel-like beast with bomb arrows, gifted to him by Riju.

It took two shots to each foot before Naboris finally roared and buckled its knees. As the lightning subsided, they took the opportunity for Link to board it.

“Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own,” said Riju after they’d both caught their breath. “I have no choice but to entrust the rest to you.”

Link nodded and ran to the beast, hopping aboard before it became active again.
As he expected, Urbosa’s voice greeted him when he activated the first guidance stone and the Travel Gate.

Well, well, well… You sure do know how to keep a woman waiting.
I can’t wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon!

She then explained where to find the map of the dungeon, showing him the images in his mind’s eye.

A guardian scout awoke the second he stepped forward.

“Hello to you, too,” Link said before pushing it over the side and watching it fall to the sands below. It was crushed by one of Naboris’ legs the instant it hit the ground.

Link quickly changed into his Hylian tunic and trousers, which were better suited to the amount of movement he would need in this task.

The map was a lot harder to find than he thought it would be, but in the process he also located the main control unit. Too bad it was useless until he activated the five terminals.

Once he had the map, it was easy task to get to the terminals and activate them, sometimes using the Divine beast controls to do so, which allowed him to rotate segments the belly of Naboris.

He returned to the main control unit, as Urbosa directed him. When he did, another monster of Ganon emerged. This one had a sword, and a shield. Link had a sneaking feeling it probably had lightning powers, too.

I could definitely use that Thunder Helm right now, Link thought regretfully.

Stay on your edge, Link! This formidable adversary was made by Ganon and brought me to a warrior’s demise 100 years ago. Do not allow this to be your end.

If he wasn’t staring at such a disgusting creature, Link would have found Urbosa’s phrase for ‘death’ comical.

I didn’t plan on it, Link thought fiercely.

Fight for your life, and its death!

Link did everything he could to follow Urbosa’s order, but the monster was very fast. Link waited until it drew close before striking it with everything he had.

Even with all his cleverness and courage, however, he still needed Mipha’s Grace to keep him going.

Finally, he struck the final blow, and the creature screeched in pain, finally disintegrated in a mass of sludge.

Link tried to forget he sight and activated the main control unit. Then he turned, happy to find Urbosa behind him.

She descended the stairs in ethereal grace. “I knew you wouldn’t let us down, Link. Thanks to your valor and skil, my soul is free and Naboris is ours once again.”

Link nodded. Even after a hundred years, he couldn’t think of the words to say around Urbosa.

“Which means that finally, we can complete what we started years ago.” Urbosa said. “We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business. I’ve waited so long for the moment to see you finally rush Hyrule Castle. As well as for the moment when I incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash.”

Link chuckled. He felt the same, of course.

“Which reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something. Please accept this gift, which has come to be known as Urbosa’s Fury. It will no doubt be of use to you.”

Link felt the power fill him as the orb of light shot through his heart. He snapped his fingers as Urbosa once had so long ago.

Lightning flashed around him, exhilarating him.

“Both you and the princess,” Urbosa said. “I know you have suffered much regarding what happened to us Champions. But this is how things had to happen. No one need carry blame.”

Her assurances didn’t exactly appease the guilt Link felt, but they were kind words still.

“So please, make it clear so she understands that. Tell her to shed any worries. And let her know, I couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Link nodded again, hoping he’d be able to keep that promise.

The lights Link had become accustomed to began to surround him once more.

“You take good care of the princess.” Urbosa told him. “Oh, and also, take good care of Hyrule.”

He reappeared outside the gates of Gerudo Town. Link changed back into his Gerudo silks and headed for the palace.

Riju was surprised to see him, but relieved. “You’re back? I’m glad your okay. Naboris is no longer a threat to the town. I’m still worried about the larger threat to Hyrule, but at least my people won’t be troubled by Naboris anymore.”

Riju motioned to two chests behind her. “I want to offer you these as thanks for your help. I trust you’ll accept them.”

Link thanked her respectfully.

“These pieces of equipment are priceless treasures of the Gerudo people. They were once worn by Lady Urbosa. Since you and Lady Urbosa were friends, it’s only right that you have them.”

Link thanked her and opened the chests. Inside the first was the Scimitar of the Seven, which Link recognized as Urbosa’s weapon. Inside the other was a beautiful shield called the Daybreaker.

Link soon departed from Gerudo Town and returned to his home in Hateno.

Chapter Text

He was glad to be able to return to Hateno that night, as a blood moon had him in agony, despite the comfort of his bed.

Nightmares clouded his mind - images of Zelda, Urbosa, Daruk, Mipha, and the Rito Champion fighting alongside him against Calamity Ganon. In his visions, each of the champions was killed, one by one, despite his best efforts to save them.

All that was left was Zelda. She turned to Link, surrounded by a pure light, and smiled softly at him. Behind her, a monstrous entity rose from the darkness, casting a shadow on the princess.

“No…” Link whispered. “Don’t-”

He tried to run towards her, to save her, but his legs wouldn’t listen to him. He could only watch in horror as the darkness swallowed her whole.

“Noooo!” Link bolted upright, breathing hard.

The sun wasn’t up yet, but Link knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep after the nightmare. He threw off the covers and went over to his desk, where an empty leatherbound journal had been opened to the first page.

He hadn’t found the energy to write a single word, but he supposed there was no better time than the present.

With a deep sigh, he dipped his quill into the bottle of ink and started to write.

My name is Link. I am the princess’ appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. We, alongside four other champions, had a singular mission - a mission that was doomed from the start.

Link proceeded to write all he knew about the calamity and his past 100 years ago. He wrote about his friends, his family, and Princess Zelda.

Then he moved on to waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection, and his adventures since then - his successes and his failures. He wrote about Symin being the descendent of Dedry.

It took him a day to put all of his thoughts down on paper. When the sun came out, he ate some breakfast and took care of Sissy. He wrote through lunch, and didn’t stand up again until dinner time, after which Symin came to check on him.

“I hadn’t heard from you, but I could see from the smoke of your chimney that you’d returned.” Symin said when Link answered the door. “What is that on your hands?”

Link looked, and noticed his hands were nearly black. “Ink… I’ve been writing.”

“I’m glad you’ve found some used for the journals,” Symin said. Link offered him a seat. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine, I suppose.” Link said.

“Even after the Blood Moon last night?” Symin asked.

So that was why Symin was here. He was worried.

“It felt worse than usual. I think…” Link paused, not wanting to say it. “I think Ganon is growing stronger.”

“That is true,” Symin said. “Lady Impa told us Ganon has gained much of his power of late. However, you have grown stronger, too. And your courage never falters.”

Link sighed. “What if I fail?”

Symin looked him straight in the eyes. “And what if you don’t?”

“Symin, I can’t even find the so-called sword that seals the darkness! How am I supposed to face Ganon without it?” Link didn’t know why he was so upset, but he didn’t care to wonder right now.

“Have you actively been looking for the sword?” asked Symin.

Link shook his head. “I don’t even know where to begin. According to Dorephan, Bludo, and Riju, Zelda hid the sword away in an ancient forest. Do you know how many forests there are in Hyrule?”

Symin looked as though he did, in fact, know how many forests there were in Hyrule. “This may surprise you, but there aren’t that many ‘ancient’ forests in Hyrule. In fact, there is one I can think of that may be the forest in question.”

Link leaned forward as Symin pulled out his trusty map.

“Here it is, the Great Hyrule Forest.” Symin pointed to a place just west of Death Mountain. “It’s a mysterious place, and very few have ever entered. Purah once said the Koroks live there.”

“The Koroks?” Link asked. “I’ve met a few of them. They give me Korok seeds if I solve their puzzles.”

Symin blinked at him. “Oh, they really exist.”

“You thought Purah was crazy didn’t you?” Link asked, smirking.

“Eccentric and crazy are two different things,” Symin defended.

“So that’s the most likely location of the sword,” Link concluded.

“Yes, but I don’t think you should attempt to retrieve it yet,” said Symin. “According to the legends, if you are not strong enough in your body, mind and soul, then you could die.”

“How will I know?” Link asked.

“That I couldn’t tell you.” Symin said honestly. “They’re just stories I’ve heard, but Purah puts stock in them.”

Link sighed. “I definitely need to free the divine beast of the Rito’s first.”

“Perhaps you should further explore Hyrule before entering the forest.” Symin suggested. “You haven’t gone to Lurelin yet, have you?”

“True,” said Link. “And Hudson has probably expanded Tarrey Town in Akkala. I’d like to see how he’s doing.”

“Then there are the pictures on your Slate. You still need to find them all.” Symin added. “Doing these things may strengthen your resolve, and more than likely prepare you for the challenges that await you.”

Link smiled. “When I go to Lurelin, would you come with me? I know you want to see your family again.”

Symin gave him an odd but grateful look. “Thank you, Link. I want to see my family more than anything right now.”

“Then, after my mission with the Rito, we will go to Lurelin Village.”

They spent the rest of the evening planning routes to the Rito and Lurelin. The route to both was long. Link could only hope that he made it to Hyrule Castle in time.

Chapter Text

He started from the Hateno this time, as most of the way he would be able to take Sissy. Together, horse and hero set out for the Dueling Peaks. Most of their journey was calm, with Link only having to jump off twice to fight back monsters.

By nightfall, he’d made it through the valley to Dueling Peaks Tower. He’d already made a plan to stay with the ‘guard’ at Proxim Bridge. The man here liked to talk, and told him about the Deya Village Ruins nearby.

Curious as ever, Link tied Sissy to the bridge, and hiked up the hill to see the ruins for himself. The place looked old, as though they had been in this state before the calamity. Link walked around the edge, coming to a tree with two small statues underneath.

Instinctively, Link pulled out his Slate. Yes, this was the seventh photo.

It was pouring rain, so the princess and her appointed knight had taken shelter underneath a large tree. While she curled up against the rock beneath, Link was a ways away, practicing movements with his sword.

He needed to get used to the different balance of the Master sword, and took every chance he could to do so. Waiting out a storm was the perfect opportunity.

“I doubt this will let up anytime soon.” Zelda said forlornly.

Link didn’t answer, concentrating on his swings without leaving an opening for his enemy to strike him.

“Your path seems to mirror your father’s.” Zelda said. “You’ve dedicated yourself to becoming a knight as well. Your commitment to the training necessary to fulfill your goal is really quite admirable.”

Link stopped swinging, holding his sword in front of him. Rarely did Zelda speak directly to him, and never had she given him a compliment. He glanced at her, and then back to his sword.

“I see now why you would be the chosen one.” said the princess, turning away from him. “What if… One day…”

Link lowered his sword and turned to her.

“One day… you realized that you just weren’t meant to be a fighter,” she said, still not looking at him. “Yet the only thing people ever said was that you were born into a family of the royal guard, and so no matter what you thought, you had to become a knight. If that was the only thing that you were ever told, I wonder then, would you have chosen a different path?”

What a strange question. He didn’t yet have an answer, but perhaps he would when Ganon was defeated.

Link returned to the Proxim Bridge camp and tried to get a good night’s sleep.

The next morning, he mounted Sissy and they rode towards the Great Plateau. It was here they turned north, passing several village ruins. There was a grand structure to the north, but Link didn’t bother to investigate it. It was probably crawling with monsters.

When he reached a fork in the road, he took the north path, soon coming to the Outskirt Stable. He resupplied some, and listened to the stories of a frightening Lynel that stalked the coliseum ruins nearby. Apparently not investigating the large structure had been a good idea.

He continued on, crossing a bridge and eventually coming to more ruins. He wasn’t sure what it was called, but there was a large horse statue in the center that looked incredibly familiar.

They were both on horseback, Zelda and Link. Hers was a gorgeous white stallion, and his a gentle dark mare.

Zelda patted her horse, repeating words Link had told her afew days before. “‘Be sure to take the time to soothe your mount. That’s the only way it will know how you truly feel.’ Your advice was quite helpful, thank you. This little one and I are getting along quite well now.”

“You just have to communicate with them,” said Link, patting his own horse.

Zelda nodded. “At first, I wasn’t sure if I should outfit him with all of the royal gear. I thought maybe he should have to earn it first. But it works! He wears it like a true natural.”

Link gave her a bemused smile.

“I’m trying to be a bit more empathetic.” Zelda said when she saw his expression. “Benefit of the doubt, you know?”

They were approaching the ruins of an old park, just as the sun was setting.

They left their horses to graze for a bit on the upper platform, where Zelda gazed upon the mountains to the southeast.

“See that mountain?”

Link followed her gaze to a tall peak in the distance.

“That’s Mount Lanayru,” she said before he could reply. “It takes its name from the Goddess of Wisdom.”

Link knew this - the stories of the three golden goddesses were taught to all the children of Castletown.

“Lanayru’s decree is very specific.” Zelda said. “It says no one is allowed under the age of seventeen, for only the wise are permitted a place upon the mountain. I’ve prayed at the Spring of Courage, and at the Spring of Power, yet neither awoke anything inside me.”

Link wanted to say something, to comfort her, but he wasn’t sure if words could help.

“But maybe up there,” said Zelda. “Perhaps the Spring of Wisdom, the final of the three, will be the one. To be honest, I have no real reason to think that will be the case. But there’s always the chance that the next moment will change everything. Tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday.” She turned around. “So then I shall go, and make my way up the mountain.”

Link took a deep breath as he recalled the moment.

“Hut-hut,” he said, urging Sissy on. They crossed another bridge, where Link could see a tower in the distance. It was in the opposite direction of his destination, but it would also expand his map if he could reach it.

He found a safe place to hide Sissy, and then climbed the ridge to the base of the tower. It was surrounded by shallow water, and wizzrobes, but Link didn’t let this scare him off. He snuck around to a side that the wizzrobes could see, and fought a few Lizalfos to get to a platform on the tower.

He started climbing, resting at each platform as he ascended. Finally, he reached the top and activated it. He had quite a view, and studied the map he’d been provided.

This was the Ridgeland Tower, and apparently the place with the horse statue had been the Sanidin Park Ruins on Hyrule Ridge.

It was time to move on, so Link glided back down to Sissy and they proceeded east. Past the Hyrule Ridge was the Tabantha Stable. Link could already see the tower for the new region in the distance, but he and Sissy were both exhausted, so they spent the night at the stable, crossing the Tabantha Great Bridge the next morning.

There was a pass through the mountains here, guarded by two Guardian Skywatchers. On the top of one of the peaks, Link could see a shrine, so he hid Sissy once more and climbed the mountainside, staying hidden from the Skywatcher.

The shrine was called Tena Ko’sah, and inside he had to defeat a strong Guardian Scout. He managed to, and earned some nice gear and a Spirit Orb for his effort.

It was upon leaving the shrine that Link felt another sense of familiarity. He pulled out his Slate once more, and realized he’d found the location of the tenth photo. Incredible - this was his third memory in as many days from these photos.

He was on his horse, riding towards Zelda through a collection of ancient columns. He was more than a little annoyed, since the princess had once again run off without him, and he considered telling her so.

However, when he reached her, she gave him a haughty glare.

“I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort.” She snapped. “It seems I’m the only one with a mind of my own. I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the king’s orders.”

Link was about to retort that it was his job to protect her, but she continued on.

“Return to the castle,” Zelda said, marching past him. “And tell that to my father, please.”

There was no way he was going to leave the princess unattended out here, so he ignored her order.

She turned around. “And stop following me!”

Link shook his head, trying not to laugh at the princess’ expression. He descended and found Sissy, and together, they carefully snuck past the Skywatchers above.

Once again, Link had to hide Sissy as he activated the next tower, which was called the Tabanth Tower. He then glided down to a curious place, and discovered the fountain of the Great Fairy Kaysa. She granted him some strength before he left, returning to Sissy.

With a map of the region, it was easy to follow the road, and they reached the Rito stable by late afternoon. Link boarded Sissy, and spent the rest of the day locating and solving shrines. He even managed to activate another tower - the Hebra Tower, giving him a map of the entire northeast quadrant of Hyrule.

When he finally returned to the stable, he was exhausted, and nearly collapsed onto his soft bed.

Chapter Text

Before he entered Rito Village the next morning, Link looked up at the sky. He’d seen it the day before, but now that he was closer, the divine beast looked quite majestic. It screeched at the people below as it circled the village.

Link quickly entered the village and activated the shrine there, completing it before he went looking for the village leader.

It was very cold here, so he stopped at a shop to purchase some warm Snowquill clothing - trousers, tunic, and a headdress.

It was much more comfortable than the Flamebreaker armor or his Gerudo silks, and he breathed easily as he made his way to the top of the village, where he found the elder.

“Ah, a visitor,” said the bearded Rito, and then he took a closer look. “That object on your hip… could it be? Forgive me, where are my manners? I am Kaneli, elder of Rito Village. Now, then… is that not a Sheikah Slate dangling from your hip?”

“That’s right,” said Link, wondering if he would be recognized for who he was like in Zora’s Domain and Gerudo Town.

“Oh, my! So it is true!” cried Kaneli. “That means you must be a Champion like Master Revali - one of the few able to board Divine Beast Vah Medoh.”

So the bird-like beast above was named Medoh.

“Ah, forgive me,” said Kaneli, mumbling to himself about something. “Champion descendent, if you would listen to this old man’s request, you would have my eternal gratitude.”

Link nodded, amused somewhat that Kaneli believed him to be only a descendent of the Champions. He supposed that was still better than nothing. “I’ll listen.”

“Thank you. Truly,” said Kaneli. “Now that I know you have the blood of a Champion, there is something I must ask of you. How shall I put this…? I would like you to deal with Divine Beast Vah Medoh, the giant beast circling above us.”

You can’t say he isn’t honest, Link thought.

“Only a chosen one, a Champion, can stop a Divine Beast. You must enter the beast and bend it to your will.” Kaneli said. “I tried explaining this to the more headstrong Rito warriors, but they wouldn’t listen to reason. Teba and Harth tried to confront Medoh, but it did not go well, and Harth was injured.”

Link nodded solemnly.

“Teba escaped unscathed, but I fear he now plans to face Medoh alone,” said Kaneli sadly. “As a descendent of the Champions, perhaps you can help us. Please, find Teba. If you work together, you may be able to stop Divine Beast Vah Medoh.”

Link searched the village for Teba. Along the way, he found a shop selling all sorts of goods, children running everywhere, and Rito warriors discussing the most pressing issue of the village: Vah Medoh.

He finally learned Teba’s location from a Rito named Saki, who told him to take off from Revali’s Landing to get to the Flight Range.

Link could see Revali’s Landing from where they were standing, and it brought back a memory.

Vah Medoh flew peacefully overhead, where Link observed its progress from the large landing in Rito Village. Zelda was further up the roost discussing important matters with Elder Gafara.

Link could see from Zelda’s expression she didn’t want him there, so he’d excused himself.

A sudden updraft surprised him, until Revali flew up from the center of the gale and perched on the wooden balustrade. Link braced himself mentally, knowing Revali would have some course words for him.

They’d met a few years before, when Link and his fellows knights-in-training were sent to Rito Village for a three week training session in archery alongside the Rito apprentices. It was here that Link displayed his prowess in all forms of combat and impressed all of the Rito, except one hotheaded Rito apprentice.

Revali didn’t take kindly to a Hylian stealing his spotlight, and challenged Link to a contest of archery. Link refused.

“I am here in friendship, not competition,” he’d said. “Besides, my fellows and I leave for Castletown tomorrow. The journey will be long and we may come across monsters of any sort. I do not wish to tire myself or waste my arrows.”

This in turn had led the Rito warriors to call Link wise beyond his years, only serving to anger Revali even more, and he called Link a coward later that evening when the Rito apprentices and knights-in-training sat together for dinner.

Another knight-in-training argued that Link had not shown cowardice, but courage. It takes courage, sure, to accept a challenge and take part in it, but far more to refuse that challenge and accept the ridicule that was sure to follow.

This led to a rather lengthy and philosophical discussion on bravery and recklessness amongst the apprentices and trainees. Link did not take part, preferring to save his energy for the long journey ahead. Revali glared at him the entire time.

The following day, Link and his comrades set out for Castletown once more.

And now Link had finally returned to Rito Village, and the first time he’d been alone with Revali since that day.

Revali was much calmer now than he’d been back then, but he still resented Link. “Impressive, I know. Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky.”

Link said nothing, just as he had that evening all those years ago.

“Yet I have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar,” Revali gloated. “It’s considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito. With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn’t easily dispense with Ganon.”

Link was certain Revali was greatly underestimating Calamity Ganon greatly, but he knew the Rito warrior had been training relentlessly. He displayed no lack of dedication, that much was certain.

“Now then,” Revali hopped down from the balustrade. “My ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note. But let’s not - pardon me for being so blunt - let’s not forget the fact that I am the most skilled archer of the Rito.”

Link agreed with that, but he didn’t want to give Revali an even bigger head.

“Yet despite these truths,” Revali continued, trotting around him with a superiority. “It seems that i have been tapped to merely assist you. All because you happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on your back. I mean, it’s just… asinine.”

Link sighed inwardly, but said nothing. He’d learned from his confrontations with Rundel that it was better just to let people like him say what they wanted to say. Arguing would only add to their hot air.

“Unless…” Revali said, meeting his eyes. “You think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one?”

Link was prepared for this, and opened his mouth to speak.

“Oh, but where?” said Revali, in mock thought. “How about up there?”

He motioned to Medoh dramatically.

Revali laughed. “Oh, you must pardon me. I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!”

Link rolled his eyes as Revali took off into the air.

“Good luck sealing the darkness!” the Rito called as he flew up to Vah Medoh.

Unimpressed, Link turned and made his way back upstairs to Zelda.

In the present, Link stood in the center of the familiar platform. It had once been called Melody’s Landing, after the performance of a famous Rito bard had taken place there. And now it was Revali’s Landing, after the Rito’s lost champion.

Despite Revali’s treatment of Link all those years ago, it still seemed fitting that the Rito had honored their champion in this way. He deserved to be remembered. After all, he had been a dedicated and talented warrior of the Rito, and truly cared about all of Hyrule.

Vah Medoh screeched at him from above.

Don’t worry, Revali, Link thought. The asinine hero is coming to save you.

With that thought, Link jumped off the platform and snapped out his Paraglider. He landed on the other side of the lake, where a familiar road would take him to the Flight Range.

Chapter Text

There were a number of monsters in his path, but he defeated or avoided them, reaching a shrine that had been there during his training days here. He chuckled at the ridiculous stories the Rito apprentices had told the trainees back then. They’d dared the trainees to go into the shrine and defeat the evil monster within, but none of them had been able to open it.

Link, of course, had been told by a Sheikah girl from Kakariko what the shrines actually were, and so he sat with the apprentices and laughed at the Hylian trainee’s attempts to open the shrine.

“Well, friends,” Link said quietly to himself. “Time to find that evil monster.”

Link was a somewhat disappointed to find a puzzle-like trial inside, rather than a combat one. There was a single Guardian Scout, but that was pretty much it.

Returning to the surface, Link made his way through Dronoc’s Pass, which was a short walk. Dronoc had been known as the master of flight techniques, and Link had once heard that Revali was descended from him. It was a lot to live up to, which was one of the reasons he’d never purposely tried to antagonize the Rito champion.

The flight range was an incredible sight, full of powerful updrafts and winds. There were several targets dotting the walls. This was an extreme training method that the Rito warriors used to teach flight and archery. The Rito gained accuracy, strength and resilience this way.

Link climbed up to the structure called Dronoc’s Nest, which was really just a small hut with another platform for take-offs and landings.

On the platform he found a serious-looking Rito fiddling with a well-made bow.

The Rito heard him as he approached and looked up slightly. “Yeah?”

“Are you Teba?” Link asked.

“I don’t know you. And I’m actually pretty busy here. You should probably go.” Teba said, testing the strength of his bow.

He wasn’t getting rid of Link that easily. “Pardon me.”

“Did you need something?” Teba asked, annoyed. “I’m busy here.”

“I can help you.” Link said.

“Help me? With what exactly?” asked Teba.

“Vah Medoh,” said Link. “I want to board the Divine Beast and calm it.”

“Let me get this straight,” Teba said. “Some random Hylian wants to help me bring down Divine Beast Vah Medoh? I’m not buying it. What’s your name, stranger?”

“My name is Link,” said the Hylian Champion.

“Link, huh? Well, Link, I’m Teba. But you already knew that.” said the Rito warrior. “I’m guessing the elder asked you to come here and talk some sense into me. Am I right?”

Link sighed. “Yes, but-”

Teba scoffed. “Just like the elder to trust any fool wandering into this town. Look, you seem like an all-right guy, but let’s make one thing clear: I’m not going anywhere. As a Rito warrior, I can’t rest until my people are safe. There’s only one way I’m going back to Rito Village.”

“And that is?” Link asked.

“Once Divine Beast Vah Medoh falls from the sky.” Teba said. “If I have to kill Medoh… so be it. Only then will I return to the village.”

“Then let’s get started,” Link said, hoping Teba would accept his help.

“Are you serious?” asked Teba in disbelief. “Well, far be it from me to talk you off the ledge. But it’s as the elder said: the only way to stop Divine Beast Vah Medoh is to get inside it. Fat chance of that happening. There’s no way we can set foot in Medoh.”

“Actually, I plan to enter Vah Medoh and take back control of it.” Link explained.

Teba laughed. “So not only are you wingless, but you’re brainless too. Let me fill you in - the only people able to enter the Divine Beasts are the five Champions of old. And unfortunately for us and the rest of Hyrule, they all died a hundred years ago. If it hadn’t been for Ganon… Never mind. Let’s focus on bringing down Medoh.”

Link straightened to show he was listening, happy that Teba had accepted his help.

“If we approach Medoh recklessly, its cannons will blast us out of the sky before we even get close. So, I’m going to need to test you before I take you with me.”

Of course, Link thought.

“We Rito warriors use the updraft in this ravine to hone our aerial archery skills.” Teba explained. “The updrafts are so strong here that a person could just open up a cloth over their head and float up easily.”

Or a paraglider, Link thought.

“Now let’s see what you’re capable of.” Teba said. “You’ll have to maneuver through the air and destroy five of the targets set up in this valley in three minutes.”

“I’m ready,” said Link, taking a step towards the edge of the landing.

“Then get to it.” said Teba.

Link wasn’t sure how he managed it, but after jumping off the platform, he snapped out his paraglider and flew a short way toward the first target. In one swift motion, he put away his glider and pulled out his bow and arrows, shooting the target within a split second.

He then pulled his paraglider out again and repeated the action four more times. Only once did he have to land next to Teba again, having run out of breath for a moment.

Teba was somewhat impressed, as Link completed the task in two minutes and one second.

“You’re…” Teba began. “A skilled archer. It was as if time stopped with every arrow you let fly.”

Link shrugged. “I will never be as good as a Rito warrior.”

“I’ve got to tell you, Link,” Teba said, looking upon Link with respect now. “When you first showed up, I thought someone was pulling a prank on me. But after seeing you handle that bow, I can tell you’re the real deal. You must have seen a battle or two.”

“I’ve seen a few,” said Link.

“Don’t be modest,” Teba said. “I can tell just by looking at you. Link… I feel I’ve heard that name somewhere before…” Teba shook his head. “Well, if you really want to help me bring down Medoh, it’s now or never.”

“What’s the battle plan?” asked Link.

“I’ll get you into position so you can give its cannons all you’ve got.” Teba said. “Inside that treasure chest is a bow I’ve modified. Take it, and let me know when you’re ready.”

Link did as he was told, and marveled at the craftsmanship of the weapon. It was a Falcon Bow, but it seemed stronger than any Link had used before. The two of them got to work on preparations: bomb arrows and a plan of attack. Teba would draw Medoh’s fire, while Link would focus on taking out its four cannons. Destroying the cannons would allow Link a chance to board the beast.

“I’m ready,” said Link.

“All right, but let me ask you something,” said Teba. “Why are you doing this? Why risk your life to bring down Medoh?”

“To rescue Zelda,” said Link honestly.

“Zelda? But that’s the name of the princess Revali served one hundred years ago at Hyrule Castle.” Teba said. “I don’t know what she has to do with Divine Beast Vah Medoh, but whatever. As long as you’re helping me bring down Medoh, your motivation is fine by me.”

Link was glad he didn’t have to explain the increasingly complicated story behind his quest. Teba knelt so that Link could climb onto his back, just as he’d done with Sidon in the battle against Vah Ruta.

Teba took off smoothly and flew out of the Flight Range, back towards Rito Village. In a few minutes, they were above Vah Medoh.

“All right, it’s showtime,” said Teba. “Man, even I feel like I’m going to freeze up here!”

“It has its barrier up again,” said Link.

“What a pain…” said Teba.

They went over the plan again, spotting all four cannons so that Link knew where to aim.

“Alright, it’s on you!” said Teba. Link then let go of Teba, who flew out from under him. He took aim at the first cannon, and fired twice. It blew up, and Link snapped out his sailcloth, praying Teba would see him.

Teba appeared beneath him, and brought him higher again. Link let go and glided to the next cannon, which he quickly destroyed. They repeated this twice more, and soon all four cannons were dealt with, and the barrier surrounding the beast disintegrated.

Link glided down to the top of the beast and Teba soared next to him.

“Well done, Link! That thing is history!” Teba cried. He grunted, faltering in the sky. “Bad news, Link. It looks like I got hit pretty good back there. I think… I think I need to get back to the Flight Range.”

“Can you make it back?” Link asked, concerned at the wound on Teba’s haunch.

“You head down to Medoh,” said Teba, not answering Link’s question. “Good luck! It’s all you!”

The Rito warrior gave him a thumbs up with his feathery appendage and then fell back, turning around towards the Flight Range. Moments later, Link landed on the tail of Vah Medoh.

He immediately activated the pedestal and Travel Gate.

Well now, I’ve seen that face before. I had a feeling you would show up eventually. But making me wait a hundred years is a bit…

Please don’t say asinine, thought Link.

...indulgent. You’re here to wrest control of Medoh away from Ganon, correct? If so, then the first thing you’ll want to do is find yourself a map.

Once again, images of the way to the guidance stone appeared in his mind.

That guidance stone has the information for the layout of this Divine Beast. Can you make it there?

Link made his way towards the guidance stone. The interior of Vah Medoh was full of Ganon’s malice, much like the other three. Link realized he’d never actually been aboard Vah Medoh before. As Revali had said, he’d never had a way of making it there on his own.

A small updraft allowed him to glide across the chamber, straight to a Guardian Scout. Link dealt with it and then moved on. He didn’t want to waste any time, not when he was so close to rescuing Zelda. And he had to do before she lost all of her strength.

He received a map of the Divine Beast and control over the mechanics - the angle that Medoh was tilted at. The location of the five terminals were on the map as well.

Being able to tilt Vah Medoh at will was invaluable in reaching all of the terminals. He also found it helpful to open the apertures throughout the floating structure, which brought in gusts of wind, allowing him to move objects and glide around the place. He had to use Stasis and Magnesis several times as well.

Once he’d activated all five terminals, Revali instructed him to head to the main control unit, which was on the back of the divine beast. Link wasted no time getting there, and was not surprised one bit when another one of Ganon’s creations appeared.

Good luck! That thing is one of Ganon’s own, and it plays dirty! It defeated me 100 years ago, but only because I was winging it. I can’t believe I’m actually saying this… But you must avenge me, Link!

Link obliged, not that he really had a choice. He dodged as the monster sent small tornados and laser beams his way. Whenever it came close to the ground, Link swung his sword at it. After several hits, the sword broke, and he had to switch to a Zora spear.

Halfway through the battle, it summoned several small satellites that allowed its lasers to bounce around. Link avoided the fireworks and tried to aim at the beast with his bow and arrows. After many more hits from the remaining bomb arrows he had, the monster screeched and disintegrated.

Link sighed in relief and activated the main control unit.

“Well, I’ll be plucked.” said a voice behind him. “You defeated him, eh?”

Link turned to see Revali’s spirit landing before him.

“Who would’ve thought?” Revali didn’t sound as cocky as Link remembered him. In fact, he sounded… grateful. “Well done. I suppose I should thank you now that my spirit is free. This returns Medoh back to its rightful owner!”

Link smirked.

“Don’t preen yourself just for doing your job.” Revali said with a scoff.

Lift me up and knock me down, Link thought.

“I do suppose you’ve proven your value as a warrior. A warrior worthy of my unique ability. The sacred skill that I have dubbed Revali’s Gale!”

The ball of green light Revali summoned flew straight into Link’s chest, lifting him high into the air. Link landed gracefully, glad he hadn’t made a fool of himself in front of Revali.

“It’s now time to move on and start making preparations for Medoh’s strike on Ganon. But only if you think you’ll still need my help while you’re fighting inside Hyrule Castle.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Always, Revali.”

“Feel free to thank me now.”

Link gave him an odd look as the golden light surrounded him.

“Or… never mind, just go.”

Before Link disappeared, Revali said, “Your job is far from finished, you know. The princess has been waiting an awful long time.”

Link reappeared on Revali’s Landing, just as Vah Medoh dove towards the town. It bent its legs and torso, perching directly on top of the rock.

Link returned to the elder, where Keneli was waiting for him.

“You have done it!” cried the elder. “And you survived at that! You conquered Divine Beast Vah Medoh! To think the beast has taken up roost at the top of the village. It looks simply… divine.”

Link nodded, agreeing that it looked rather spectacular.

“If the legends are true, ‘the light from the Divine Beasts will ravage the Calamity.’” Kaneli said, hope in his eyes. “For now, Divine beast Vah Medoh will become the protector of this village and live on in legend, alongside you.”

“I’m honored, Elder Kaneli.” said Link.

Kaneli roared with laughter. “Oh, yes! Of course! I must reward you properly! Feel free to take what you find in that treasure chest. You will get more use out of it than I.”

Link thanked him, and turned to the chest.

“Champion descendent,” said Kaneli, stroking his beard. “I have only just realized. That sword you have in your possession…”

Link looked at the sword on his back. It was a Guardian sword he’d earned in a combat shrine trial. Since his Zora spear was damaged, he’d switched to the glowing blue sword.

“Could it be the sword that seals the darkness?” asked Kaneli. “The Hylian Champion who fought alongside Master Revali 100 years ago… Could that be you?”

Link bowed instead of answering his question. “I’m grateful for your kind words, Elder, but I’m afraid my quest is not yet complete, and I must prepare for it. I plan to set out at first light.”

“A quest, you say,” said the Elder. “I wish you good luck.”

Link thanked him and opened the chest, to find a familiar looking bow. It was known as the Great Eagle Bow, and had been wielded by Revali himself. Link had a feeling Revali would be very angry if he heard that the tiny Hylian Champion had been given his bow.

Oh well, Link thought. I guess you shouldn’t have been… winging it.

Link then went to check on Teba, who happened to be next door. It turned out that giving Link the Great Eagle Bow had been his idea. He congratulated Link, and then talked of his son, Tulin, and his plans to take the boy to the Flight Range the next day.

Link bade him farewell and made his way to the inn for the night.

Chapter Text

Link didn’t use his Slate to return to Hateno the next morning. Instead, he retrieved Sissy from the Rito Stable and made took the long way back. He had a few things to take care of first.

It took him two days to reach Outskirt Stable, where Link boarded her. He then made his way towards the colosseum. It was here that he challenged the Silver Lynel. He fought long and hard until, finally, he was able to take it down.

After finishing it off, he took a deep breath. He was not going to run away from any challenge anymore. He had to become stronger if he wanted to retrieve the master sword and defeat Ganon.

His next stop was the nearby tower, which was so policed by Guardians that Link had chosen to avoid it until now.

There was no time to waste. Using Revali’s Gale, Link climbed to the highest stone he could, and then used another updraft to get as far up the tower as possible. He used ancient arrows to defeat the two guardians that kept trying to shoot him, and climbed the rest of the way.

At the top, he gazed at the castle. On the map he saw a place called the Sacred Ground Ruins. That sounded so familiar. Link pulled out his paraglider and flew towards the castle, where the ruins were.

There were a few Guardians stalking this area, and Link, remembering his promise to himself, took them all out and collected the ancient parts left behind.

When he reached the ruins, he stepped carefully, positive there would be a monster here.

It was empty, however, apart from an unshakeable feeling that he’d been there before. The photo in the Sheikah Slate showed Hyrule Castle in all its glory, and an undamaged Sacred Ground. Surrounded by the columns, Link studied the Triforce in the center of the circle.

Link was knelt in the center of the Triforce, studying the symbol inscribed in the top triangle, listening to both Zelda in front of him, and the whispers of the other Champions behind him.

“Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity.”

Link wondered why they were doing this. They’d already had the sword ceremony, and next week they would be presented to the public as the five champions and their leader, Zelda. He wished he could have at least brought his sister and father, and maybe Dedry, too.

“And have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of twilight…”

Link recognized the phrasing of Zelda’s speech from text he’d read in school about the legendary heroes of Hyrule. It made him feel small, following in the footsteps of so many powerful warriors.

“This sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection, and we hope that…” She paused, just for a moment. “That the two of you will grow stronger together as one.”

Zelda lowered her arm for a moment, taking a deep breath, before raising it once more and continuing.

A short distance away, Link heard Daruk.

“Gee, this is uplifting… she’s making it sound like we already lost.”

“Wasn’t this your idea?” asked Revali snidely. “You’re the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur, and nonsense we could muster!”

Link was unsurprised to hear Revali talk this way of him. They’d never really gotten along.

“And if you ask me, the whole thing does seem to be overkill.” said Revali. “I think I’m on the same page as the princess regarding… this boy.”

“Oh, give it a rest.” Urbosa chided. “That boy is a living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least that’s how the princess sees him.”

Zelda finished her speech, and lowered her hand. Link slowly raised his head, wondering if he should stand now.

The memory faded away and Link looked up at Hyrule Castle. He knew he wasn’t ready to fight Ganon, but perhaps he could take a look through the ruins. One of the photos in the his Slate was of a tower in the castle. Maybe he would find that location.

He made his way stealthily through Castle Town, taking out the Guardians before they spotted him with ancient arrows. It was tedious and time-consuming, as he had to check around every building.

In what was once the nicer part of town, Link paused. He knew immediately which house was his, and stood in front of the door. In another house, he’d found a dilapidated skeleton curled up in the basement, where it had been sheltered from the elements and preserved. He prayed he wouldn’t find that in his own house.

With trepidation, he pushed open the door, which groaned from not being touched in a century.

The house looked as unlived in as all the others, covered in dust and cobwebs. The tablecloths, tapestries and drapes were full of moth-bitten holes, their colors faded.

But it was just as he remembered it - the wooden table and chairs that his grandfather had carved stood pristinely in the center of the dining room. There were a number of old books and scrolls that were still in one piece as well, and Link considered taking a few. Books were heavy, though, and he may not make it out alive with any.

In the kitchen, a cutting board and knife were out ready to use, the vegetables long disintegrated. Link didn’t dare open the cold chest - he was certain that a foul smell would be sealed inside. There were a few dirty dishes in the sink from their last meal together, and Link stayed far away from them.

The bedrooms upstairs were just as they’d left them as well. Senna’s songbook was open on her desk, and her emerald dress from Dedry’s ceremony lay over her mirror. Link ran the fabric between his fingers, wishing he could have seen his sister in it one more time. Link closed the songbook and slipped it into a bag he’d found in his own room.

In his father’s room, the armor stand was empty, just like Link’s. But Link’s armor would be on display in his castle chambers. Somewhere, Link knew there was a fallen knight, whose body had long since turned to dust. His armor would be a bit rusty, perhaps, but still there. The thought upset Link more than he expected it to.

As he reached the attic, he peered out the small window at Hyrule Castle. Something was pulling him there, and he knew it wasn’t Zelda or Calamity Ganon. It was inside of him, begging him to go there.

Perhaps unwisely, he did as his heart asked.

Only minutes later, he was cursing at himself after destroying a Guardian Skywatcher. There was already another one aiming at him, and he would swear on his second life that there was a Lynel somewhere there. He could hear it roar. Some of the Guardians were attached to the turrets, which certainly made them less mobile, but they were numerous, and Link had to tread carefully.

His feet seemed to know exactly where to go as he bypassed the first gatehouse in favor of circumventing the western side of the castle walls. There was an opening here where the structure had crumbled, and Link only just managed to escape the sightline of another Guardian Turret.

He could now see his destination - a short passage that led to the wing where he and Zelda had lived. His room was further in, but Zelda’s was visible from here. He scaled the wall, avoiding the Guardians surrounding the area. Ducking low, he took a good look at the door that led to Zelda’s study.

Link followed Zelda out of her study, watching the Sheikah below as they worked on the ancient Guardians. She was much less annoyed about his constant presence now than she’d once been.

All the while, he kept an eye out for any sign of trouble, particularly a Yiga Clan member. They’d recently tried to dispatch the princess in the Gerudo desert, and Link was not keen to allow that to happen again. He’d received an earful from his sister and the king.

Zelda looked excited as she stopped between two parapets. A guardian was following a Sheikah, as it was commanded. It reminded Link of a dog, actually.

“Incredible,” Zelda said. “We’re at a point now where we can actually control them. At the current rate, we’ll soon know all we need to about the Guardians and the Divine Beasts!”

She turned to Link happily. “And should Ganon ever show itself again, we’ll be well positioned to defend ourselves.”

Before Link could reply, another voice surprised them both.

“What are you doing out here, Zelda?” asked King Rhoam.

Link instinctively dropped to one knee, his head bowed. There were two ways to greet the ruling monarch - kneeling, as Link was now, or standing at attention, which the two armored knights accompanying the king did.

“I…” From his position, he could not see Zelda’s expression, but noticed her fist clench and her voice tighten. All the joy he’d seen moments before were gone. “I was assessing the results of the experiment with the Guardians. These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the -”

“I know that,” said King Rhoam. “They are essential to Hyrule’s future, and our research demands that we keep a close eye on them. However, as the princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom.”

Link heard Zelda’s breath catch.

“Let me ask you once more: When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?” asked the king harshly.

This was not the first time Link had heard the king speak to his daughter this way, and it was not the first time he wished he could pull her into a warm embrace and tell her she was fine, that she was worthy. The more time he spent with Zelda, the more he more he wished he could help her.

“I’m doing everything I can,” Zelda said. “I’ll have you know that I just recently returned from the Spring of Courage where I offered every ounce of my prayers to the Goddess-”

“And now you are here wasting your time,” King Rhoam snapped. “You need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training. You must be single-minded in unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away.”

“I already am.” Zelda argued. “Don’t you see - there’s nothing more I can do! My hope is… My hope is that you - that you’ll allow me to contribute here in whatever way I can!”

“No more excuses, Zelda!” barked the king. “Stop running away from your duty. As the king, I forbid you to have anything to do with these machines from this moment on, and command you to focus on your training.”

Link looked up slightly as Zelda’s body stiffened. The unfairness of it all made Link feel powerless, despite the sword on his back.

“Do you know how the gossip mongers refer to you?” asked King Rhoam. “They are out there at this moment whispering amongst themselves that you are the heir to a throne of nothing. Nothing but failure. It is woven into your destiny that you prove them wrong. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” said Zelda, her voice quavering. “I understand.”

The king turned away from them, and Link waited until he’d disappeared through the door before standing back up.

Knowing nothing he could say would appease her, Link merely waited until Zelda turned and marched past him to her study. He slipped ahead of her and opened the door.

“Thank you,” she whispered without looking at him. Link followed behind her as she entered.

Hidden behind an undamaged parapet, Link glanced to his left, where a large beaten door barely hung to its hinges. Inside, Link found a large wooden desk against the back wall. There were many books, potions, ingredients, maps, and piles of parchment.

The room had seen better days, as parts of the ceiling had caved in, creating piles of rubble on either side of the door.

Two things drew his eyes: a single open book on the desk, and a lonely flower with five blue and white petals growing out of the rubble.

Link sat carefully in the chair and reached for the book, and immediately realized it was Zelda’s diary. Curious, Link read her last entries. Link’s assumption that Zelda hadn’t liked him was proved correct the more he read, but after the altercation with the Yiga, Zelda had begun to respect, and even care, for Link.

He could feel some of his memories return to him as he read on, though most of them were quite faint. Link smiled at Zelda’s neatly written words. He felt somewhat guilty for having been so quiet around her, which had only put her more on edge. Thankfully, they’d both begun to open up to each other after their visit in the Gerudo desert. They trusted each other.

Link slipped Zelda’s diary into his bag, right next to Senna’s music book. He then glanced around for anything else salvageable. For a moment, he considered finding his own room.

A noise behind him made the hair on his neck stand up. He reached for his Slate and opened the map, as he heard the sound of a guardian laser powering up, knowing it was aimed right at his back.

A moment later, he found himself at the shrine next to Outskirt Stable. The sun was going down as Link glanced back at the castle.

“Don’t worry, Zelda,” said Link. “I’m coming for you, very soon.”

Chapter Text

Two days later, Link met Symin at the Proxim Bridge. Symin looked exhausted atop his horse, unused to travel, so Link decided to set up camp alongside the guard next to the bridge. The three men took turns keeping watch all night, and the next morning, Link and Symin bid farewell to the guard.

A short way west from the bridge was a long road that stretched south, past the Great Plateau.

Symin had brought his map, which helped since Link hadn’t reached the towers in this area before.

“The bridge of Hylia will take us across the Lake Hylia.” said Symin. “I’ve heard one of the towers is on the other side.”

Link nodded.

“What’s on your mind?” Symin asked. The night before, Link had told him about his latest adventures into Castletown and Zelda’s study.

“I can sense it growing stronger,” Link said. “And Zelda is growing weaker. What if I’m too late? What if it overcomes her, and I can’t stop the calamity from returning?”

“Your trepidation is understandable,” said Symin. “Impa and Purah can feel it, too, especially on the blood moons. But that doesn’t mean you have to go charging into Hyrule Castle right now.”

Link sighed. “I know. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t without the Master Sword.”

“And you should only attempt to do that once you’ve regained te strength you had before. How many photos do you have left?” Symin asked.

“Two.” Link said. “One of them is north of Hyrule Castle, as you can see the north face of the castle. The next one is a huge gate, but I’m not sure where it is.”

“Could I see the second one you were talking about?” asked Symin as they reached the southern road that led to Faron. Link opened the photo on his Slate and passed it to Symin. “As I thought! I’ve seen sketches of this place, but this one is true to life. It is the Lanayru Gate.”

Symin used the Slate to show Link where on the map he would find the gate.

“I’ve been near it!” Link cried, and he told Symin of his meeting Kass in the plain nearby. “It’s not far from Kakariko Village at all.”

“Not for you, perhaps.” Symin said. “But the road to Mount Lanayru has been impossible to traverse for, well, as long as I can remember. It’s one of the most dangerous places in Hyrule, aside from the castle.”

“I could bypass the road and simply fly down from the cliff above.” Link said. “And with this new power from Revali, I should be able to scale the mountains easily.”

They could see the bridge from where they were now, and they both drew their weapons. The bridge was known for being home to monsters.

As they made their way across the bridge of Hylia, Link was surprised at how skilled Symin was with a bow. While Link fought the brunt of the monsters, Symin was a helpful aid, weakening their foes from afar, and even killing a few before they could strike Link from behind. He also kept Sissy far from the battles.

Finally, they reached the other side, where Symin took the horses to lakeside to rest while Link tackled the Lake tower. It was incredibly helpful having a detailed map of the region, and Link glided down from the top to where Symin had started a fire.

“Something smells delicious.” Link commented.

“I caught lunch while you were gone,” said Symin, motioning to two fish impaled on sticks over the fire. “It’s not much, but it will keep us going until we reached the Highlands Stable. It’s out of the way, but the safest place we’ll find before nightfall.”

Link agreed with him, having checked his map from atop the tower.

They set out within the hour and made their way along the road as it turned east through Faron woods, which led them to a fork in the road. They took the southern path straight to the Highlands Stable.

While Symin took care of the horses, Link explored the area a bit, completing the nearby shrine and discovering, to his surprise, the Horse God Malanya.

Once again, Symin had food ready when he returned.

“This is great,” said Link, chowing down on the baked apple.

“I’m nothing compared to my wife,” Symin said modestly. “She puts honey on her apples. The children love them.”

“That’s the best way,” Link said. Symin gave him an odd look, but said nothing.

After a good night’s rest, the two companions before the sunrise, returning to the Faron woods and making their way through the forests. By late morning, they’d reached the Sarjon Bridge. By noon, Link had activated the Faron Tower.

They made a quick stop at the Lakeside Stable and then crossed the Floria Bridge, making camp in the Ebara Forest on the other side.

“At this rate, we’ll reach Lurelin before noon tomorrow,” cried Symin as their dinner roasted over the fire.

“And you’ll get to see your family,” Link said. “I’m glad I could help you do this.”

The Sheikah man beamed at him.

Chapter Text

Symin was proved correct as they spotted buildings by midmorning the next day.

“There it is,” said Symin breathily, as though he could not believe himself.

A half hour later they entered the village itself. It was unlike any place Link had ever been - the houses were similar to the ones in Kakariko, raised on platforms, but made of completely different materials, and surrounded by tropical palm trees. The people wore colorful thin clothing, and most of the shirts were sleeveless, perfect for the warm sunny day.

Link had noticed the change in temperature the day before and wore his blue Champion’s tunic, the thinnest article he had. Symin, however, had simply removed his Sheikah coat, leaving only a skin-tight sleeveless black top.

“They live on the edge of the village,” said Symin, dismounting his horse. “This way.”

Link dismounted Sissy and followed him to a lonely house further from the others.

Two children were playing in front of the house, but they paused as the men approached.

“Papa?” said the older one, a pale Hylian girl about six or seven years old with long, braided white hair. “It’s Papa! Mummy! Papa’s here!”

“Papa!” cried the younger child, who couldn’t be more than three, with red hair that looked like fire in the sunlight on his head.

“Rita! Yenda!” cried Symin, holding out his arms as the two children jumped into his embrace. “How I’ve missed you!”

“Rita? What did you say, dear?” called a woman’s voice from the house.

“Papa is here!” Rita repeated.

“Symin?” A woman with long red hair appeared in the doorway, and after a moment she, too, ran towards him. “Symin!”

She tackled him in a tight embrace. “Oh, my dear I’ve missed you! There’s been so much talk recently, and the monsters have increased in numbers and I’ve just been so worried and-”

She stopped, having noticed Symin’s companion. Link stared back at her, surprise in both their eyes.

“Link?” she whispered.

“S-Senna?” asked Link, taking a step back.

“It’s really you!” Senna cried, closing the space between them and pulling him into her arms. “I’ve heard so many rumors but I wasn’t sure…” She loosened her grip to look at him. “Link, what’s wrong?”

“I-I don’t understand…” Link said, his eyes darting from Senna to Symin. “It’s been a hundred years, how…?”

Senna turned to Symin, too. “You haven’t told him?”

Symin rubbed his arm nervously. “I wasn’t sure how… Link, I’m sorry I kept this secret from you, but this really is your sister, Senna.”

Link accepted the cup of tea Senna offered him as his eyes wandered around the round room. They were all sitting with their legs crossed around a short round table.

“I know you have questions,” said Senna.

“I’d be daft if I didn’t,” Link said, a little snider than he meant to.

“What do you already know?” Senna asked, something she always did when she was planning a long story. Telling her how much he knew would put them on the same page.

“All I knew before I got here was that Symin had a wife and kids here in Lurelin,” Link said. “I knew you weren’t Sheikah, and that’s why you didn’t live in Kakariko, and that you lived here with your two kids and your fa…”

Link paused, and looked around the room. There was a curtain directly behind him. The young Champion scrambled to his feet.

“Link?” Senna said quietly.

Link parted the fabric, and his breath caught in his throat. “Dad’s armor…”

“He’s out hunting,” Senna said. “He should be back in a few hours.”

“You’re both alive…” Link said, touching the cold metal of his father’s armor. “How?”

“It’s a long story,” said Senna.

Link sat down in his spot again, showing he was ready to listen.

Senna took a deep breath. “Just after you and Zelda left for the Spring of Wisdom, Dad and I were summoned to Rito Village by the Elder, or so we thought… As we entered Tabantha, we found ourselves surrounded by a large group of Yiga Clan members. Dad was overpowered, and we were captured.”

Link clenched his fists.

“The Yiga created a fake invitation from the Rito as a ploy to separate them from the other knights.” Symin said.

Senna continued. “They took us to their hideout in the Gerudo Highlands, and I’m certain they were planning to use us to lure you into their territory in order to kill you.”

“What other purpose would they have of the family of the Hylian champion?” Link asked, anger evident in his voice.

“But then, something… happened,” Senna said. “The Yiga all got excited and ran out of the base, forgetting us entirely. We didn’t know what it was about, but we used it as an opportunity to escape. We were lost for a few moments, and we ended up in a room full of chests.” Senna reached for a wicker basket and opened it, removing a small item wrapped in cloth. “Out of curiosity, I opened one of the chests, and discovered this.”

She passed the item to Link, who examined it. “An ocarina?”

“Yes. See that crest there?” asked Senna.

“The royal family,” said Link.

“Dad didn’t know what it was, and he doesn’t take stock in most legends,” Senna said. “But when I saw it, I just knew… It’s the legendary ocarina of time, thought to be lost since the ancient Gerudo-Hylian wars. All this time it’s been in the hands of the enemies.”

“Senna, tell me the rest…” said Link, not nearly as excited about the ancient artifact in his hands. He set it on the table for Symin to examine it.

“Well, after I found it, and convinced Dad to let me keep it, we escaped from the hideout and found ourselves lost in the Highlands for a short time, until we recognized our surroundings as Mount Nabooru. We could see the castle in the distance, but there was some terrible cloud surrounding it.”

Senna wiped a tear from her eye. “Still, we knew we were near a village. Just as we thought we were safe, the Yiga appeared all around us - I suppose they’d finally realized we were gone.”

Link reached for his sister’s hand instinctively.

“Out of desperation, I pulled out the ocarina and played the first song that came to mind - the song of the royal family from ancient times.” Senna said. “Then the world began to spin and… we were in the same place, but the Yiga were gone. We made our way to the nearest village, only to find it in ruins. It looked as though it had been that way for a long time.”

He felt Senna squeeze his hand. “And then we found a stable, and they laughed when we asked for a ride to Castletown. We asked about the king, for Zelda, for the Champions, and finally, for Impa. She was the only one they said was alive. We tamed a pair of horses and made our way to Kakariko, and we were shocked to find it completely different, and so dangerous.”

Symin poured them all more tea as Senna went on.

“We could tell that something horrifying had overtaken the castle, but we weren’t sure what until we found Impa. She was, to say the least, shocked to see us. But the sight of her, having aged so much, only proved to us what we’d thought for several days: we had traveled through time.”

“So it really is the ocarina of time…” Link said softly.

“Indeed, little brother. It was only after our meeting with Impa that we learned the whole story: the Calamity, the deaths of all the champions, and Princess Zelda’s brave sacrifice. We were distraught to learn of your fate, but Impa gave us hope. She told us you had been placed in the Shrine of Resurrection, and that you would return to defeat the Calamity once and for all.”

“How long have you been here?” Link asked.

“We arrived on Mount Nabooru about ten years ago. For awhile, Dad and I only felt safe in Kakariko. It was the only place that seemed familiar.” Senna explained. “That’s where I met Symin, and where we were married. We came here to Lurelin for our honeymoon.”

Symin took the story from there. “We tried to leave several times, but the roads get more dangerous from every few years. After Senna became pregnant, it wasn’t safe to travel anymore. Morian fought his way here to be with his daughter and grandchild.”

The older Sheikah sighed. “Purah still needed me in Hateno, and so she and Impa sent a team of Sheikah to help me return. I’ve been able to make a trip every few years, when the roads were more traveled and the monsters’ numbers lower.”

“Couldn’t the Sheikah have escorted you and your children?” Link asked.

Senna shook her head. “Having children would have slowed us down, and it would have been impossible to cross the Bridge of Hylia. Travelling by boat wouldn’t have been any safer.”

Link sighed. All three of them were silent for some time.

It was Symin who finally broke the quiet. “So… Link named his horse after you.”

Senna grinned and turned to Link. “Did you really?”

“Her name is Sissy.” Link said sheepishly. “I just thought she had a similar personality. Did you really name your son after old Yenda?”

“It was Dad’s idea,” Senna said, rolling her eyes.

They laughed together, heartily, and Link thought it was the most wonderful feeling in the world.

“Senna?” called a voice outside. “Do we have guests?”

“Yes, Dad! Come and see!” Senna called back.

There were a few grunts as though he were carrying something heavy, followed by a thud.

“You did not just put a bloody animal on my lanai, did you?” Senna asked.

“Of course not,” came the reply. “It’s wrapped in bearskin. Won’t hurt the porch at all.”

A tall Hylian man then appeared in the doorway, casting a shadow over Link.

“Symin! I should have guessed.” Morian said. “Your letters hinted at your coming arrival. Welcome back.”

“It’s good to see you, Morian,” Symin said. “I wouldn’t have made it here if it weren’t for-”

“Dad?”

Morian turned to the voice. Link was standing now, no longer holding Senna’s hand. For a moment, the older knight looked confused, and then his eyes widened in recognition.

“Link?” asked Morian, stepping towards him for a closer look. “Is it really you?”

“Yes, Dad,” Link said, his eyes watery. “It’s me.”

“My son!” Morian cried, pulling Link into a tight bear hug. Link returned the embrace, a sense of safety and strength surrounding him.

He was just short enough that he could tuck his head under his father’s chin, and bury his face in his chest. He breathed in his father’s scent. It was just as he remembered it: wood and leather and sweat and something slightly metallic. There was a new, salty scent as well, which Link assumed was due to living by the sea.

“You’re alive,” Morian was saying, his voice broken. “My boy, you’re here. We thought we’d lost you forever… We weren’t sure when you would come back but you’re here now. Goddesses, I’ve missed you, Link.”

“I missed you, too, Dad.” Link mumbled into his chest.

“We’ve heard rumors,” said Morian, finally releasing Link. “But very little news reaches us here with accuracy.”

“What have the rumors said?” Asked Symin as Link and Morian sat down. Link was happy to find himself between his father and sister.

“That someone has been appeasing the Divine Beasts, and helping people all across Hyrule.” said Morian. “Some say he’s the Hylian Champion, and others say he’s a descendent. Still, some believe he’s a new chosen hero, like in the legends.”

Senna poured Morian some tea. “We’ve also heard that the monsters have grown more numerous again, and the fearmongers have taken it as a sign of the Calamity’s return. People say the monsters and the Guardians surrounding Hyrule castle have become more active as well. So has the Yiga clan, which is another reason we have stayed here.”

“There is truth to all of it,” said Symin. “Link has returned, and he will soon retrieve the master sword. Impa has sensed that Calamity Ganon’s strength is growing, which explains why we’ve had more blood moons of late, and the increasing number of monsters. Central Hyrule is more dangerous now than it has ever been.”

Link looked up to see his father’s eyes on him. “Dad? What’s wrong?”

“All these years, my only thought has been ‘Why did I let my one and only son accept the sword?’” Morian said, regret in his voice. “I should have stepped in and said you were too young, but I was so proud that you had been chosen, that you had wiped that smug grin off Rundel’s face… I didn’t consider how dangerous it was.”

“Dad, none of this was your fault.” Link assured him.

“Truth be told, if Link hadn’t been chosen, all three of you would probably be dead.” Symin said, ever the analytical. “You would have been in Castle town at the time of the Calamity, and probably been killed instantly.”

“And the sword chose Link,” said Senna. “It chose him because it saw him as worthy. None of the other knights, including yourself, could have wielded the sword. Only Link. It chose only Link.”

“What matters now is that we’re together,” Link said. “We all survived because we were meant to. And soon I will return to the castle to stop the Calamity and rescue Zelda, and all of Hyrule.”

“But what about the sword?” Senna asked.

“It’s hidden in the Great Hyrule Forest. The Koroks are said the live somewhere hidden there.” Link said. “I’m nearly ready to go there myself and find the Great Deku Tree. I just have some things I need to do.”

“Those last two memories,” Symin said. “And you said you wanted to go to Akkala?”

“Memories?” Senna inquired.

Symin nodded. “While Link was slumbering in the Shrine of Resurrection, all of his memories disappeared. Indeed, when I first met him, he had no idea who he was, apart from what others had told him. But the Sheikah Slate has some old photos that catalog Zelda and Link’s journeys across Hyrule together. Link has been able to recover much of what he’s lost by tracking down the places that Zelda took these photos.”

Morian reached up and touched Link’s ponytail. “So you forgot how to cut your hair?”

Link covered the ponytail protectively with his hand. “I like my hair a little long.”

Morian laughed heartily.

“Oh, there’s one more thing,” Link said, digging through his bag. “I found this.”

“My songbook!” cried Senna happily as she took the offered book. “But… this was in my room… in Castletown.”

“I know…” Link said. “I managed to get in… I wanted to see our old house. I went to Zelda’s and my wing of the castle, too.”

His father looked as though he were trying very hard not to chide his son. Link thought it best not to mention his near escape from the guardian.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on the lanai, where the newly reunited family talked of many things, including their past lives in Castletown, the new lives in Hateno and Lurelin. Symin heard some very funny stories about his grandpa Dedry. There were a few quiet moments where they all thought of those they had lost, and would never see again.

Link was surprised at how easily he adjusted to having his family back. He’d spent so long believing them to be dead, but now that they were back he readily accepted it.

Senna and Morian were impressed by the capabilities of the Sheikah Slate. They spent quite a while on the map, telling Link exactly which parts he was missing.

“That’s the Yiga clan hideout,” said Morian, with slight anger.

“Yes, I’ve been there,” Link said. He immediately realized his mistake, as both his sister and father rounded on him.

“Of all the foolish things!”

“There’s a difference between brave and stupid, son!”

This went on for a moment until Link cried out, “It was the only way to get to Vah Naboris!”

Of course, that just brought up a load of questions.

Finally, amidst the chaos of questions, Symin offered some logical advice. “Why don’t you tell them the whole story, from the moment you woke up in the shrine of resurrection, to now?”

So Link did. Through the rest of the afternoon and well past dinner, Link recounted the events of his life since his awakening. He turned out to be such a good storyteller that even Rita and Yenda sat down to listen.

They were a great audience, even Symin, who’d heard most of the tales already. They gasped and exclaimed and cheered at all the right moments. Link was just getting to the part about his battle with the lynel in the colosseum when Senna announced it was bedtime.

“But, Mummy!” cried Rita.

“No buts,” Senna said. “Help your brother with his bed roll.”

The little girl sighed but did as she was told. Symin rolled out his bedroll next to his wife. This left one space for Link near his father.

“I’m going to check on the horses,” Link said. There was a dull ache in his head, and he needed some fresh air.

He’d only taken three steps from the house when a sharp, blinding pain took hold of him.

Someone was screaming, and Link wanted very badly to help, but the pain in his head was unbearable.

He couldn’t move… He couldn’t breathe…

Then it expanded to other parts of his body until every inch of him felt as though it were on fire.

“Link! Link!” cried a deep voice. “Breathe, son, breathe!”

Link gasped for breath, but the air seemed to pierce his throat.

“It’s a blood moon.” said a second voice.

“It’s alright,” said the first voice. “You’re going to be fine.”

Link suddenly felt very warm, as though he were wrapped in a blanket. There was a steady beat against his ear. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. It was comforting, and he finally found himself able to breathe in and out.

“Open your eyes, Link,” said the voice again.

He hadn’t even realized they’d been closed, but when he opened them, the first thing he saw was the fading red moon in the sky.

“Thankfully, it only lasts for three minutes,” Symin said.

Link took in his surroundings as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Senna and the children were huddled in the doorway. Symin was kneeling next to him. Link looked up at the person holding him.

“Dad?” Link asked.

“You’re safe, Link,” said Morian. “I’ve got you.”

Link nodded. He felt very safe in his father’s arms, as he always had.

“How do you feel?” Symin asked.

Link sat up slowly and took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts. He knew exactly what Symin was asking. “That one… was the worst one so far…”

“Let’s go back inside,” said Morian, and he pulled a still shaking Link to his feet.

As he stood up straight, his head started swimming, the world fell away from him, and then everything went black.

Chapter Text

Monsters surrounded him, screeching and grunting and swinging their clubs. When he tried to move, he realized his wrists were tied above his head.

They struck him, one after another, leaving his body scarred and mangled. Then the flames rose up from the stakes at his feet. As the fire licked his bare skin he called out for help, but his voice was hoarse.

The burns moved upward as Link struggled against his bonds, crying out in pain as he listened to the cackles and guffaws of the monsters. And then, straight ahead of him, a masked Yiga aimed an arrow directly at his chest.

As though in slow motion, Link watched as the arrow was loosed and spun towards him. Then - it was only an inch away and -

Link jerked upright, breathing hard, his body drenched in sweat.

“Shh… it’s alright, Link,” said his father, offering him some soup. Link only drank a little before going back to sleep.

More nightmares were waiting for him.

There was Zelda, laughing and holding up the Sheikah Slate as though she were taking a picture of him.

And then her laughter turned to horror as a shadow cast itself over Link. When he turned around, he saw a beast so terrifying words could not describe it. Before he could draw his sword, the monstrosity swallowed him whole…

The images of terror filled his unconscious mind. Happy thoughts were fleeting as they were so quickly overtaken by blood and pain. Link wondered when the torture would be over...

He groaned as a soft, sweet voice reached his ears.

“*Come to me, come to me,
Come to me, my darling.
Do not flee, do not flee,
You are such a dear thing.

Forever won’t be enough
For me to show my love.

Come to me, come to me,
Come to me, my darling…”

“Senna?” Link asked, his voice hoarse as it had been in his dreams.

“You’re awake,” said Senna happily, and she continued to hum happily as she thumbed through her old songbook.

“Here, drink this,” said Morian.

Link took the water gratefully. “How long was I out?”

“Almost twenty-four hours,” said Symin. “You spent most of it fevered.”

Link drank some more water, and soon felt refreshed. “I’m sorry…that’s never happened before.”

“I’m just glad you weren’t alone,” said Morian. “If this had happened out in the wilderness, any number of things could have…”

Link was glad his father didn’t finish the sentence, as he really didn’t need to think about dying… again.

“Healer Lena said you’ll be in perfect condition after a few days rest,” Senna assured him.

Link shook his head fervently. “I don’t have a few days. I need to leave in the morning for Tabantha. I have to find the place where Zelda took the photo. And then the Lanayru Gate, and I want to visit a couple friends in Akkala…”

“You can’t travel in this state.” said Senna firmly.

“I have to,” Link told her, reaching for his champion’s tunic, boots and other gear.

“No, you don’t!” Senna snatched the Sheikah Slate away when he reached for it, tears in her eyes. “You can’t just go! You need to recover!”

“I don’t have that luxury,” said Link, standing up and gently pulling the Sheikah Slate from her grasp. “There are things I must do and I don’t have the time to lay around waiting for my nightmares to go away. They’ll only get worse the longer I wait.”

“Why you?” Senna sobbed. “Why does it have to be you? Why do you have to be such a hero? Surely someone else can do it?”

“Senna… Link…” Morian said, trying to rein in both his children.

Link shook his head. “You know there’s no one else.”

“Why do you have to make up for her failures, though?” Senna shouted. “If she’d just focused more on that sealing power none of this would have happened!”

Link rounded on her, and she flinched at the anger in his eyes. “Don’t talk about Zelda like that!”

There was silence for a moment as Link turned away to assess the state of his gear. He didn’t really want to fight with his sister. They’d rarely argued in the past, except over things that truly mattered.

“I’m sorry…” Senna whispered. “I didn’t realize… how you felt…”

Link set down the Sheikah Slate and turned to the three of them. “Even if there was an army to take down Calamity Ganon, I would be on the front line… I’m not just doing this for Hyrule… I’m doing it for her… for Zelda.”

“I always wondered,” said Morian. “About that look you had every time you talked about her. Your eyes brightened at just the sound of her name.”

Link met his eyes. “The more I remember, the more I miss her.”

Senna’s eyes were watery as she nodded. “Tomorrow… I’ll make some honey apples for you to take on your journey.”

Link smiled. “Thank you, Senna.”

Senna pulled him into a tight hug, and then let go.

Link spent the rest of the day with his niece and nephew. The children took to their uncle easily, having heard quite a bit about him from their mother and grandfather. Together, the three of them played tag, sword fights, and pretend.

Both Rita and Yenda wanted to be knights, and to travel the world.

“I want to meet every person!” cried Rita.

“Every person!” Yenda repeated. “In the whole world!”

They begged for more stories about the other places in Hyrule, and so Link drew some pictures in the sand to give them an idea about the other races and their dominions. He drew Hyrule Castle, too, as well as their home in Castle town.

Rita made people out of long pieces of grass, while Yenda found some tiny twigs to use as swords. A large pile of moss became the Calamity Ganon. Link watched bemused as the grass people took down Mossy Ganon.

“You know what this means, right?” Symin asked later.

“What?” asked Link.

“You’re going to have to come back if you want to continue being their favorite uncle.” Symin said.

“I’m their only uncle,” argued Link. “Are you staying, then?”

“Aye, for as long as I can.” Symin said. “Purah gave me time off.”

Link knew why Purah, the ever-controlling and picky genius, would do such a generous thing. If, by chance, Link did fail, Symin should be able to spend his last moments with his loved ones. He tried not to let this fill him with grim thoughts as he helped Senna prepare dinner.

Dinner would have been a quiet affair if there hadn’t been children. As it was, rather than feeling somber about Link’s coming departure, the adults were filled with laughter as Rita and Yenda tried to mimic Link’s storytelling, recounting the battle between Grassy Daruk and Urbosa.

Why the Gorons and Gerudo were fighting, no one knew, but in the end, Urbosa won. Link told them the Gerudo warrior would have been proud.

As the sun drew lower, the family prepared for bed once more. Link checked on the horses again, this time without fainting, and returned for a restful night of sleep.

Chapter Text

He rose early the next morning, before the sun, to begin preparations for his journey. He and Symin had plotted his course: Sissy was to stay in Lurelin under Morian’s care while Link used his Sheikah Slate and glider for quick transport to the Ridgeland Tower.

Once he was packed and ready to go, Link stepped outside to watch the sun rise. He rarely had the opportunity to behold it. He reclined himself on the lanai and waited for the rest of his family to awaken.

Symin emerged first, shuffling sleepily across the wood porch and sitting down next to Link. Morian was next, followed by Yenda and Rita, who were both early risers. Senna was the last, and she jerked out of the house with a panicked expression on her face.

When she spotted Link, she relaxed.

“I thought you’d left…” she said.

“Not without saying goodbye,” Link assured her. He hugged all of them, including Symin, who he was happy to call his brother-in-law.

“You’ll come back, right?” Senna asked before letting go. “One more time before you go to the castle?”

“Of course,” Link promised.

With some final words of farewell, and one more playful tug on his ponytail from his father, Link used his Sheikah Slate to gate to the Ridgeland Tower.

Once there, he glided down to a shrine that was directly north of the castle. After completing it, he spotted a stable further north, near the ruins of the Maritta Exchange. To the south, however, was the open fields of the Irch Plains, and the Royal Ancient Lab.

He decided to explore this second area first, as it seemed more likely to be the place Zelda had taken the photo.

He was soon rewarded upon landing next to a large pond. There before him was the strange tree from the photo! From here, he could see the nearly decimated ruins of the old laboratory.

The feeling of the memory growing in his mind was nothing but pleasant.

“There’s one,” said Zelda. “Oh! And there’s another!”

Never had Link seen anyone so interested in flowers before. Sure, they often held medicinal purposes, but it still seemed a small thing to spend hours on. And they had certainly been out here near the Royal Ancient Lab for hours.

With the rise of so many dangerous creatures in Hyrule, Link was more on edge than ever. Why did they have to be in such an open area? There was no cover, anywhere. He kept a sharp eye on, well, everything. No one was getting a blade that close to Zelda ever again. Not while he was alive.

Zelda, of course, was oblivious to all of Link’s discomfort with their current occupation, and continued rambling on.

“The flowers we have in Hyrule aren’t just beautiful,” said the princess. “They’re also quite useful as ingredients for a variety of things.”

Zelda gasped and kneeled down, having spotted an interesting looking flower: five petals of blue and white.

“This one here is called the silent princess,” she said quietly.

Link leaned in for a better look, sensing the sadness in her voice.

“It’s a rare, endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can’t get them to grow domestically yet. The princess can only thrive out here in the wild.”

Zelda gently caressed one of the petals.

“All that we can hope is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own.”

She was unusually quiet for a few moments, and Link thought to himself that a silent princess was rare indeed.

Then she gasped again and crawled forward. “Is that what I think it is? Look as this!” she cried, snatching something out of the grass. “I don’t believe it, but I actually caught one!”

She was holding something between her palms, hidden from view. “This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances.”

Then she opened her hands to reveal a bright green frog. “Ta-da!”

Link flinched. He did not like frogs. Not at all.

“Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities. We wouldn’t be in a controlled environment out here, but with your level of physical fitness… you’d be a perfect candidate for the study!”

“Uh…” Link wasn’t sure how to say no without opening his mouth.

She thrust the frog towards him. “Go on! Taste it!”

He leaned away, falling backwards in an effort to escape.

“No, thanks!” he cried, crawling back to the tree. “I’ll stay over here.”

Zelda huffed and looked at the frog, probably trying to decide how to contain the critter until they returned to the lab. Link didn’t care so long as he wasn’t involved.

Still, he couldn’t help but watch as she continued her field research. She always looked the most beautiful when she was thinking.

...Wait… did he really just think that?

Link blinked as the sight of the ruined tech lab returned and felt a bit of heat across his face. He’d known for a while that he really cared about Princess Zelda, but he’d never considered that his feelings might have been more than that.

He shook his head to regain his composure, suddenly glad that he was alone for the first time in a while. Maybe he’d talk to his father about it later.

It was only midday, so Link sat under the tree nearby and ate some lunch. The silence was less than comforting. He missed the noise of his childhood. Even in the villages, an eerie quiet lay over Hyrule.

He could suddenly recall days spent in the safety of Castle Town, where children laughed and played, people called to each other in the street, and horses and carts clicked by on the cobbled streets.

Then there were the trips his father took him on to Zora’s Domain, where he and Mipha had gotten up to much mischief while their fathers discussed diplomatic issues they knew nothing about. He remembered her face when she’d first tried honey apples. She hadn’t been too fond of them, gagging and making Link laugh.

There were the endless days of training with his best friend Dedry, the constant bantering back and forth between them. Then there was Yenda and his stories of legends from long ago, and Rundel’s exaggerated tales of his own adventures in Hyrule.

Link missed that life dearly, even the bad parts. He was glad that, by fate or luck, he still had some of his family.

After a short rest, he pulled out his Slate and studied the map. According to Symin, the last photo was of the Lanayru Gate on the eastern end of the Promenade, a road built alongside a river that connected the valley below Mt. Lanayru to Kakariko Village.

It would take him at least a day to cross the Promenade, and that was assuming that most of it was still intact. He hadn’t explored it very much, despite how close it was to Kakariko.

Taking a deep breath, Link warped to the Mezza Lo Shrine and then made his way on foot to the west gate of Promenade. What he saw did not bode well.

There were monsters, powerful ones, everywhere. Link gulped, but remembered his promise to himself. To defeat Ganon, he would face every challenge that would make him stronger.

By mid-afternoon Link had lost count of the monsters he’d killed and was silently cursing himself for not climbing the cliff above and just dropping down to the gate with his paraglider.

The sun was just going down when he reached the Dow Na’eh Shrine at the top of the waterfall, which was the halfway point. By the time he’d completed it, the pale moon had completely risen.

With a glance in the direction of the castle (which was hidden from view by the tall mountains), Link decided he had no time to waste. He equipped his Sheikah armor and slipped past the sleeping monsters using the cover of the night. By the time the sun had risen again, Link had reached the east gate.

It was one of the few structures in Hyrule still in one piece, and Link was impressed by its sheer size.

And then, just like all the others, it came to him…

Link followed a somber Zelda through the gate. They’d just returned from the peak of Mt. Lanayru, where Zelda had poured her heart and soul into her prayers, to no avail.

The other four champions were waiting for them.

“Well?” asked Daruk with concern in his gemlike blue eyes. “Don’t keep us in suspense. How’d everything go up there on the mountain?”

Zelda said nothing, merely shaking her head with downcast eyes. Link wished he could simply pull her into a warm embrace and tell her everything was gonna be alright.

Revali took a tentative step forward. “So you didn’t feel anything? No power at all?”

“I’m sorry, no,” said Zelda, still not looking at any of them.

“Then let’s move on,” said Urbosa, ever the voice of reason. “You’ve done all you could. Feeling sorry for yourself won’t be of any help. After all, it’s not like your last shot was up there on Mt. Lanayru. Anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking for that… thing.”

“That’s kind of you,” said Zelda hollowly. “Thank you.”

Mipha, after glancing at Urbosa and Link, spoke up.

“If I may,” said Mipha respectfully, “I thought you… well, I’m not sure how to put this into words… I’m actually quite embarrassed to say it. I was thinking about what I do when I’m healing… you know, what usually goes through my mind… It helps when I think… when I think about-”

A great quake and rumble from the ground cut her off. They all froze, trying not to lose their balance. Link instinctively reached for Zelda.

The earthquake stopped as quickly as it started, and then began again. Revali leaped into the air for a better view.

As he returned, they heard a terrifying roar from the direction of the castle. Link’s eyes widened, and his arm went for the master sword on his back. Zelda gasped in horror.

“It’s here…” Revali said.

“This is it, then,” said Daruk.

“Are you sure?” asked Mipha, surprisingly calm.

“Positive,” said Revali. They could see it now, confirming with their own eyes that a monstrous shadow reached into the sky where Hyrule Castle was.

“It’s awake,” said Zelda, terror and doubt in her voice. “Ganon!”

“Let’s stop wasting time!” Daruk cried, turning to the others and getting straight to business. “We’re gonna need everything we got to take that thing down! Now, Champions! To your Divine Beasts! Show that swirling swine who’s boss! Link will need to meet Ganon head on when we attack. This needs to be a unified assault!”

Revali rolled his eyes but said nothing.

“Little guy!” said Daruk. “You get to Hyrule Castle. You can count on us for support, but it’s up to you to pound Ganon into oblivion!”

Link nodded, courage welling up in his chest.

Urbosa laid her hands on Zelda’s shoulders. “Come, we should go. We need to get you someplace safe.”

“No!” Zelda refused. “I am not a child anymore! I may not be much use on the battlefield, but there must… there must be something I can do to help!”

Daruk scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to say. Link looked up at the storm-like sky, wondering if his father and sister were alright… and Dedry and the other knights. Perhaps they were already employing the Guardians to fight. He had to get there.

He had to.

Link cried out as the memory disappeared. Had they always been doomed to fail, right from the start? Even if Zelda had gained the sealing powers, would they have been prepared for the onslaught that Ganon had brought upon them?

He didn’t have much time to think about this, as a band of monsters was running towards him, jabbering in their nonsense language. They’d probably heard him yell.

That was stupid of me, he thought, pulling out his Slate and warping to Kakariko.

It was time to see Impa again.

Chapter Text

Link did not hesitate to open the doors to Impa’s house. As he approached her, she looked up.

“I sense it…” she said. “Their presence. Daruk. Urbosa. Revali. Mipha.”

Link nodded, knowing their spirits were awaiting the moment that he stormed the castle.

“A hundred years ago, I put my life on the line to fight alongside everyone,” said Impa, her expression sad. “But… I could not protect them. They died without fulfilling their destinies. I have lived all this time thinking they died in vain.
“But this energy I feel from their presence…” She patted her knee. “It seems they have not given up.”

Link smiled at that. “They are ready to fight with me.”

Impa grinned back at him. “I can also sense… that they were all overjoyed to see you again.”

Link was positive that was not the case with Revali, but then, who was he to argue with a wise elder like Impa?

“Now you all serve the same purpose!” she said forcefully. “Now it is time to attack Calamity Ganon, while he is weak! Hurry to the princess! Go, now! Even with the blessings of the Divine Beasts on your side, you must be careful. Calamity Ganon will be well protected. Be prepared for anything!”

Link nodded. He knew she didn’t mean that very second. He still had things to do, like retrieving the Master Sword which… he had no idea how to find.

“By the way,” she said calmly. “How are you faring so far?”

With happiness, Link told her all about his family and new house in Hateno Village. He also mentioned that he’d completed the task of finding all of the locations of the photos in his Sheikah Slate.

“No…” said Impa incredulously. “Al twelve pictures already? You’ve visited every place?”

“Symin helped me figure out where everything was,” said Link.

“Hmm… Then I suppose it’s time,” said Impa, mysteriously. “I will reveal the location of the final memory.”

The final memory? What did she mean by that?

Very slowly, Impa stood up, though she wasn’t much taller than when sitting, and hopped down to the floor.

“Lady Zelda gave me specific instructions,” said Impa. “She asked me to wait to show you this.”

Link followed her to a large photo on the wall.

“This is the final picture.” said Impa. “Does it look familiar? From this village, you should be able to get there in a half day’s time.”

Link knew exactly where the field of decayed Guardians in the photo could be found.

“Now go, child. Seek out what Lady Zelda has shown you.”

Link did, eager to see what Zelda had left behind. He warped to the Ha Daamar shrine, which was next to the Dueling Peaks Stable. Greeting the owners, he ran straight past the building and to the center of the field of Guardians.

It was coming back to him, what had happened here, one hundred years ago…

He stopped short next to one that had climbed over a rock.

It was raining, but fires still burned around the defeated guardians, flickering and dying one by one.

Several more scrabbled across the grass, searching for anything still alive. Searching for them.

Link kneeling on the grass in front of Zelda, glaring at the mechanical beasts, his sword partially supporting him. He was in pain, but he wasn’t going to back down.

“Link, save yourself!” cried Zelda, knowing how injured he was. “Go! I’ll be fine! Don’t worry about me! Run!”

But Link was a knight. Knights didn’t save themselves. They saved others, even if it meant sacrificing their own life. Besides, they both knew that Zelda would not be fine. She wasn’t trained to fight. There was no way she could face a guardian on her own.

He stood up, stumbling a bit, despite his wounds. He would not leave her.

Just as he regained his balance, one of the guardians spotted them. Link raised his sword, intending to strike as it aimed for him.

“No!” cried Zelda, stepping in front of him and holding up her hand.

To his shock, a glowing white light suddenly surrounded her, a triforce appearing on her right hand. It was so bright that, for a moment, Link couldn’t see.

When the light disappeared, he saw that the guardian was no longer moving. None of them were.

She’d finally done it, Link thought as his body finally gave out.

“Was… Was that… the power?” Zelda whispered as Link collapsed behind her. “No! Link! Get up!”

Link coughed, trying to stay conscious, but he was too weak to even talk.

“You’re going to be just fine.”

He looked at her, wishing he could believe her. He was glad, though, that the last thing he saw was her beautiful face.

Zelda sobbed hopelessly over Link’s body. Just then, a strange noise caught her attention. The sword was glowing!

“The sword?” she said. “So he can… he can still be saved?”

“Princess!” cried a voice from afar.

Two Sheikah warriors sprinted towards her.

“Princess,” said the first. “Are you alright?”

This was her only hope. “Take Link to the Shrine of Resurrection. If you don’t get him there immediately, we are going to lose him forever! Is that clear?”

They nodded.

“So make haste and go. His life is now in your hands!”

Back in the present, Link collapsed to the ground. He’d felt what it was like to die… again…

Link…

He recognized the voice, turning towards the castle in the distance.

Link…

Link… You have recovered all of your memories of us from 100 years ago… I am here… inside Hyrule Castle… It is now time for you to defeat Ganon.

“I’m coming, Princess,” said Link.

He made his way back to Kakariko on foot. Needing time to think about everything. He still wanted to visit Akkala, but the urgency in Impa’s voice told him he probably wouldn’t have time. He had to find the Master Sword.

“Shalaka!” cried a familiar voice as he reached the pass that led to Kakariko. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Hestu,” said Link. “How are you?”

“Still wondering when you are going to visit my village, shalaka!”

Link chuckled. “I’ve got a lot to do, Hestu. I’m not sure I’ll be able to.”

Hestu hopped up and down. “It’s very important, shalaka! You have to! You have to!”

Link sighed. “All right, I will. After I’ve defeated Ganon.”

Hestu shook its maracas angrily. “No, shalaka! You misunderstand! You need to go to my village now!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go, right now,” said Link. He’d never seen a korok so adamant about something. “Where is it?”

Hestu gave him some simple directions to find the Korok forest, so Link figured out from his map where the best place to start was.

Thank Hylia he had a paraglider. It made getting to the Woodland Tower much easier. With time of the essence, Link used Revali’s Gale to avoid battling the monsters guarding the tower, and climbed up to activate it.

It was freezing up here, and raining, so he put on warmer clothing. A large rock covered half the top, and Link wondered what it would take to knock it down.

Shrugging off his curiosity, Link jumped off and paraglided down to a path in the forest, following it until he reached a slightly crumbled arch. From here, he followed the line of torches through the mist. Hestu had called this place the Lost Woods.

Eventually, the mist began to clear away and Link walked through a large hollow tree trunk into a very green path. This was the entrance to the Korok Forest.

“Unbelievable,” said Link.

There, stuck into a rock in the center of a large, stone clearing, was the Master Sword.

He ran straight towards it. The moment his hands wrapped around it, he heard her voice.

Link…

Visions flashed through his mind, from the moment of his ceremony to an image of the a silent princess flower.

You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you.

Link let go of the sword, overpowered by the emotion contained within it.

Above him, he heard a deep yawn.

“Who is that?” said the giant tree above him. “Did I doze off again?”

Link tried not to look surprised, but as many strange things as he’d seen, nothing could have prepared him for the talking tree.

“Um… My name is Link,” he said, hoping his voice was loud enough.

“Hrm? Well, well… it’s you.” said the tree. “You finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I’d nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even my patience has limits, you know…”

Link wasn’t sure he liked the tree. It was like the plant version of Revali.

“That look on your face tells me that you have no recollection of me, however.”

Link was more than used to not remembering by now, but it was still frustrating. How could he forget a giant talking tree?

“I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree.””

Link vaguely recalled stories of the Great Deku Tree from legends, but he did not remember personally meeting the tree.

“That is the weapon created by the ancient Goddess. The sword that seals the darkness - that only the chosen knight can wield against Calamity Ganon.”

“Yes,” said Link. “I am the one who wielded it 100 years ago.”

“Yes… but I must warn you to take extreme caution. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not to.

As the Deku Tree spoke, a tiny korok acted out Link pulling the sword (represented by a stick), and then feigning death. “If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life, where you stand.”

The Great Deku tree chuckled at his children’s antics. “Best of luck, young one.”

Link knew he was ready. He placed both hands on the sword, and pulled with all his might. Slowly, he felt himself weakening, but the sword began to slide out of the stone.

And then, with one final pull, it was free. He held it up, feeling the familiar weight in his hands.

Finally, he thought, holding the sword up and resting his forehead against the flat of the blade. He silently said a quick prayer to the goddess Hylia. And then, he held it skyward.

“Your master will come for you,” said a voice.

There was Zelda, or rather, a memory of her, shown to him by the sword.

“Until then, you shall rest safely here. Although the Slumber of Restoration will most certainly deprive him of his memories, please trust me when I say that I know he will arrive before you yet again.”

“If I may be so bold, what is it that you are planning to do next, Princess?” asked the Deku Tree.

“The Master Sword, I heard it speak to me. It seems that my role is unfinished. There is still something I must do.”

“I sense there is great strength in your dedication,” said the Deku Tree.

“Great Deku Tree, I ask of you,” said Zelda. “When he returns, can you please relay this message… Tell him I...”

“Now, then,” said the Deku Tree. “Words intended for him would sound much better in the tones of your voice, don’t you think?”

Zelda smiled. “Yes.”

Then she lifted the sword, and slid it into the stone, where it locked itself in place.

Link lowered the sword, a deep sadness in his chest as he thought of how much Zelda had sacrificed for him and all of Hyrule. He gave the sword a few practice swings with ease.

“What you just saw happened where you stand one hundred years ago,” said the Deku Tree. “After you were separated from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here, where she knew that it would be safe, under my watch.

“She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. She has a smile like the sun. I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again.”

Link agreed, and bid farewell to the Deku tree. He was almost ready.

Chapter Text

Link stayed true to his word and visited his family before going to the castle.

“You found the sword!” cried Senna as he approached them.

“Yes, it was under the care of the Great Deku Tree all of these years,” Link explained.

“Incredible,” said Symin, who looked as though he were holding in ten thousand questions.

“So I guess that’s it, then?” asked Senna. “You’re going?”

“I’m ready,” said Link.

Senna nodded, and gave him a tight embrace. Symin hugged him, too.

“Remember what I said,” he said quietly, so Senna didn’t hear. His voice wavered some. “You’ve got to come back, for the children.”

Morian scrutinized his son before stepping towards him and pulling him into a warm embrace. Link breathed in deeply to keep the tears from his eyes.

“I love you, son,” the older knight said. “Go save Hyrule.”

After finally parting with his family, he decided it was best to get it over with, and warped to the Katah Chuki Shrine, which was nearest the castle.

From there, he quietly entered Castle Town, sneaking and paragliding as far as he could. He wanted to save as much of his strength as he could.

Finally, he made it to the castle itself, a feeling of dread filling him. There was so much evil here.

He took advantage of the moat and swam up the waterfalls, each one taking him closer to the center o the castle.

There were some close calls, but he managed to get out of range of the Sky Guardians before they could fire on him.

After what seemed like ages, he made it to the sanctum of the castle. He entered, unsure of what he was going to face.

Above him was a strange, cocoon-like ball of malice that covered the entire ceiling. As he peered up at it, he saw a bright light glowing inside it.

Link… Link…

Link didn’t move.

Link… I’m sorry but my power isn’t strong enough… I can’t hold…

Her voice faded away as a beam of white light shot out, ravaging the inner sanctum, wiping out pillars and crumbling walls. It narrowly missed Link himself.

Steam poured out of the vessel above, before it exploded, malice gushing out. A ginormous beast landed before him. Link could barely make out its features before the ground gave away beneath them.

Link braced himself as he and the monstrosity fell to the depths of the castle. He snapped his paraglider out, floating safely down to the floor of the new chamber.

There were no words to describe the beast. It had spider-like legs and body, but the torso of Lynel. One arm, which brandished a large sword, was much bigger than the other. A mane of flaming red hair covered its skull-shaped head, and glowing, fiery eyes full of hatred watched him land. Link noticed a jewel-like spot on its forehead, wondering what it was.

It drew backwards and roared at him, shaking the ground beneath him.

Link prepared himself, but he paused as he felt the call of his friends. Revali, Mipha, Daruk, and Urbosa were going to do their part.

Link watched blue light flooded the chamber, firing a barrage of energy at the beast, and it collapsed for a moment.

As it rose again, Link drew his sword.

In the battle that followed, Link made good use of Daruk’s shield, and the bow that the Rito had given him. He fired bomb arrow after bomb arrow, hoping he was making a difference.

Ganon screeched at him and climbed the wall. As it prepared to fire at him, he deflected the shot back at it. Link dodged another attack, and slashed at it with all his might.

Finally, after firing, slashing, deflecting, and dodging over and over, the creature seemed to be severely weakened.

It made a horrible noise as what Link assumed was blood poured out of it. A purple light engulfed it, and Link flinched. What was happening?

Was it over?

No… there was a cloud of smoke, the color of malice, high above him, and he could still hear the creature’s roar.

It floated up and out of the chamber.

Link contemplated ow to get out of there, unsure where he was. But then, white light surrounded him, and he knew it was Zelda, taking him to where Ganon had gone.

He reappeared in Hyrule Field, where his horse, Sissy, awaited him. Had Zelda brought her there?

Ganon was born out of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and time again. He has given up on reincarnation and taken on his true, enraged form. If set free upon our world, the destruction will be unlike anything ever seen before.

Ganon took on a more corporeal, boar-like form now. A terrifying beast of immeasurable power.

Link quickly mounted Sissy. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but Zelda had brought his horse for a reason.

I entrust you with the bow of light - a powerful weapon in the face of evil.

A golden blow floated down to him from the sky. Link took it in his hands and felt the power emanating from it.

Link… you may not yet be at a point where you have fully recovered your power or all of your memories… But courage need not be remembered… for it is never forgotten.

Courage.

That was all he needed.

He took the bow in his hands and heard Zelda’s instructions.

That energy covering Ganon’s body is called Malice. None of your attacks will get through as he now is. I will hold the Malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. Attack any glowing points that you see! May you be victorious!

Link did as he was told, firing at every golden circle she created, while dodging the beast’s attacks.

Ganon’s power is weakening!

He did it again and again, and Ganon roared with every strike.

Link! Look up there.

A long, glowing line appeared on Ganon’s head, stretching over his back. He drew his bow, and fired.

The beast roared in pain as a ball of light shot out of it.

“Zelda…” said Link. It was really her, in the flesh.

She stood before the weakened Calamity Ganon and held out her hand as it tried to escape. A powerful ball of golden light engulfed it, and then it was gone.

It was over. It was really over. Link patted Sissy, before taking a step towards Zelda. It was difficult to believe it was really her.

The dark clouds began to clear away as Zelda finally spoke.

“I’ve been keeping watch over you all this time,” she said, facing the castle. “I’ve witnessed your struggles to return to us as well as your trials in battle. I always thought - no, I always believed - that you would find a way to defeat Ganon.”

She turned towards him finally. “I never lost faith in you over these many years. Thank you, Link, the hero of Hyrule.”

Link took in her beautiful smile, and thought to himself that the Deku Tree was wrong. Zelda’s smile was even lovelier than the sun.

“Zelda…” said Link.

“May I ask… do you really remember me?”

Link took a step forward, wanting to embrace her. “You… are unforgettable.”

Chapter Text

On a tall hill overlooking the ruins of the castle, clad in her usual travel clothes (Impa had kept them safe for her), Zelda studied the Sheikah Slate. Link had gladly handed it over, knowing she understood its functions better than he.

With Ganon gone from the world, many of the monsters under his control had disintegrated. The Lynels had stuck around, as well as creatures like the Chuchu’s.

But the moblins and bokoblins were gone. Impa believed they’d returned to their own world, wherever it was.

The Guardians had deactivated themselves all across the land. There were still the Yiga Clan, who were no doubt planning their revenge against them, of course.

With so many obstacles gone, traveling was much easier now, and his family had made their way to Hateno Village, where they were now staying in Link’s house. He was more than happy to have them there, but there wasn’t much room.

Word of Ganon’s defeat had spread far and wide, and Link and Zelda seemed to be recognized wherever they went, especially by the Sheikah. Zelda had stayed in Kakariko for some time, catching up with Impa, and getting used to being in her body once more.

Link spent time with his sister and her children, and sparred with his father. Sometimes, he helped Symin with his research. It was easy to collect ancient parts now that the Guardians weren’t trying to kill him.

But one day, shortly after her birthday, Zelda appeared at Link’s door. Link knew exactly what she was there for. Ganon was destroyed, but there was still so much left to do. The kingdom was in ruins, and neither of them could simply leave it that way.

And so, they’d made their way back to Central Hyrule, where Zelda was contemplating their next move. At the moment, Link was enjoying the view, which Zelda was completely missing, so engrossed in the Slate.

“We’ll make our way to Zora’s Domain,” Zelda finally said. “Divine Beast Vah Ruta… looks like it stopped working. Let’s investigate the situation.”

Zelda finally looked up from the device, though she didn’t seem to be taking in the scenery. “Mipha’s father… I believe he would like to hear more about her. The least we can do is visit him and offer him some closure.”

Link nodded, thinking Sidon might like that, too.

“Although Ganon is gone for now, there is still so much more for us to do. And so many painful memories that we must bear.” Zelda continued. “I believe in my heart, that if all of us work together, we can restore Hyrule to its former glory. Perhaps, even beyond. But it all must start with us. Let’s be off.”

She stopped halfway to their horses.

“I can no longer hear the voice inside the sword,” said Zelda. “I suppose it would make sense if my power had dwindled over the past one hundred years…”

She turned to look at him. “I’m surprised to admit it… but I can accept that.”