Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

" Open your eyes ." A voice, melancholy and calm sounded in his head. 

She became aware of his surroundings- the roar of water her ears, the feeling of being submerged in a cold liquid, the foggy, almost dizzy feeling as blue light entered her vision. The Gerudo warrior stumbled out of a now-empty pool, disoriented by her sudden access to her senses. And looking around, she wasn’t the only one who was like her. While she was the first out of the pool, she wasn’t the only one in there. Three others slowly rose to their feet, dazed with a far-off expression. 

The first to wake up was a girl shorter than her with glossy red skin and a tail-like appendage in the place of hair. She had webbed hands and feet with razor-sharp claws, fins at the end of her elbows, and shark-like teeth that ground together as she tried to piece together the many confusing aspects of how she ended up there. Still, despite her somewhat savage-looking features, she was graceful and serene. Vai

The next to emerge from the pool was a large bird with bright white and blue feathers covering his body. Though he had a beak and feathers, he didn’t have wings-not in the normal sense. His plumed hands brushed his head. It was clear to the Gerudo that he was having a difficult time processing his surroundings. Voe

The final one out of the pool was a large, well-chiseled man with yellow skin and bright white hair. He had short legs, but a large upper body. The well-chiseled description seemed apt as he looked as if he had been carved from a boulder, especially looking at his craggy back. His bright blue eyes scanned the room as if he were looking for something. Voe

There was a tug at her mind, something telling her that these people were important, but she couldn’t recall anything. Not her name, not ner identity, not even her appearance, and judging by everyone’s suddenly sharp gazes and panicked stances, nobody else seemed to know either.

“ My friends. ” The voice was back, and everyone seemed to hear it. “ Please stand at the podium.”

The Gerudo took the lead and walked to the bright blue podium at the end of the room. A light mechanical sound echoed through the ornate, technological-looking cave the group found themselves trapped in, then a small rectangular device flipped around and presented itself to the Gerudo. It had bright blue and orange lights with an eye pattern that fit easily in her hands.

“ That is a Shiekah Slate. Take it. It will help to guide you all after your long slumbers .”

The device turned on briefly as if responding to her touch. The door at the end of the room opened, revealing another hallway with blue lights. 

She gestured toward the door with her eyes, beckoning the others without speaking. The room was damp, slightly chilly, and as littered with worn-out treasure chests. Each person stood at a chest and opened one, receiving an article of clothing for their efforts. Though it wasn’t always for them as the rock man and the bird had to switch their findings. Still, the chill was gone as she put something on over the clothes she woke up in.

Another glowing pedestal stood at the end of the hall, with orange lights this time. 

“ Hold the Shiekah Slate up to the pedestal. It will show you the way,” the voice claimed with a bit of confidence.

The Gerudo did as she was told. The lights changed colors from orange to blue and a loud chime echoed through the room. 

“ Authenticating.” A separate voice droned. There was a pause before a blue light appeared on the door in front of them. “ Shiekah Slate confirmed. ” The door opened slowly, filling the room with natural lights from the outside world. 

Each person winced and covered their faces as their eyes adjusted. 

“ Urbosa, Revali, Mipha, Daruk. You are the keys to our future. Go out and help Hyrule once more. Now go.”  

The Gerudo felt a tug at her memory once again. This time, she was given a shred of her identity. She and the others in the cave now had their names, though they would determine which one was theirs later. In the meantime, the four of them silently moved out of the cave and out to the field. They felt the wind on their skin and the overgrown grass tickle their ankles. 

For the first time since they woke up, the Gerudo heard one of her companions speak. 

“Whoa,” the fish girl murmured. The rock man made a similar remark and the Gerudo wouldn’t have been surprised if she did as well. The world around her expanded suddenly, with towering mountains, a castle, tall trees, and a volcano in the distance all being things of note. 

Out of the corner of her visions, she saw another person. This person was an elderly man. He wore a brown cloak and carried a lantern on the end of a staff. He walked to a campfire down the hill. Voe

“We should go talk with him,” the Gerudo said, a bit surprised by the sound of her voice. “There’s a man down there.” Her voice was low and assertive. 

“Right. That would be a smart decision,” the fish girl said softly. 

“I do agree that we do need to talk with him, but I’m not sure I like your bossy attitude,” the bird scoffed. 

The rock man frowned. “She took charge because nobody else did. We were all focused on something else.”

The bird rolled his eyes and began to walk down the hill. Everyone else followed, picking up sticks, mushrooms, and apples as they walked. The man sat at the campfire, lantern by his side as he cooked a few apples over the crackling flames. He smiled warmly at the group. “My, it’s quite rare to see anyone else here, but four people?”

“Where are we?” the fish asked. 

“Ah, getting right to the point, I see.” The old man stood up and grabbed his staff. “I don’t see our meeting as a coincidence, so I shall tell you. This is the Great Platea. It is said that this plateau is Hyrule’s birthplace.” He pointed to a building in the distance. “That temple was once used for many sacred ceremonies, but since the decline of the kingdom one-hundred years ago, it has sat unused and abandoned.” He sighed and sat back down around the fire. “It is yet another forgotten entity, a ghost of its former self. I shall be here for a while so feel free to ask me if you need something.”

“How long have you been here?” the rock asked.

The old man frowned. “Far too long. Would you like an apple? I baked too many of them now, but they’re quite nutritious.” He glanced at the group. “And I also managed to find something you might find satisfying too,” he said, pointing at the rock man. The old man smiled. “You must be hungry, after all.” He moved a rock from his side to the rock man.

Thinking on it, the Gerudo did feel a little peckish. Seemingly, so did everyone else. But she wasn’t interested in whatever food he offered. “You know something that you aren’t telling us, don’t you?”

The man sighed. “I’m afraid I can’t answer right now, but I will at another point. For now, it would be best to eat and explore your surroundings, would it not?” The man’s voice, though soft and bitter, was dignified and commanding as well. 

The fish girl stepped up and took an apple. “Very well. Thank you for the food.” The Gerudo and the bird begrudgingly took an apple while the rock man grabbed the rock he was offered.

“Do not mention it. Now, seeing as you are together, why not chat as you take a walk. I shall be around if you need me.”

The four of them moved from the old man’s camp as they ate their food. “I don’t think we got anyone’s names,” the fish girl said with a frown. “I would tell you mine, but I’m not sure if it’s the right one.”

“Amnesia,” the Gerudo grumbled. “And we all seem to have it. What could this mean?”

The bird scoffed. “And you were right that he’s hiding something. Though I will admit that I don’t think it’s anything terrible.”

“Why don’t we say the name we think is ours? And if nobody claims the same name, it means we picked the right one,” the rock man suggested. He didn’t wait for anyone to shoot down his idea. “Out of all the names the voice mentioned, I think mine would have to be Daruk,” he said with a smile. He pumped his fists. “It fits me, but I’m not sure why.”

The fish girl paused from eating her apple. “I shall go next then. If any of the names we heard were to be mine, I would think it be Mipha.”

“Revali is mine,” the bird said with a smirk. “That leaves you as Urbosa.”

Urbosa nodded. “It was my name anyway. That’s the feeling I get.”

Mipha smiled. “It’s nice to meet you all. I hope we can all become good friends.”

As they were chatting, a voice rang through their heads again. “My friends,” the voice called out once more. 

Revali frowned. “Just checking, but everyone can hear her voice, correct?”

Everyone nodded. The voice continued. “ Head to the glowing point on the Sheikah Slate’s map You must hurry. ”

“I’ll take the lead from here,” Revali insisted with a smirk. He took the slate from Urbosa and brought the map up. “Since I can fly, it’s only natural that you follow me.” He scanned the map and put the slate on his hip. He took a deep breath and lifted off the ground. Gusts of wind followed as he flew high into the air. 

The point on the map wasn’t far from where they emerged from the cave, but enemies blocked their paths. Armed with tree branches and an axe, the ground trio took on a red, pig-like enemy with horns. As if it were second nature to Urbosa, she snapped her finger at the unfortunate enemy. Lightning crackled and thunder boomed through the area as the bokoblin became nothing more than a horn on the ground. Its club lied a little further from what remained of it.

Urbosa felt exhilarated until she looked at the face of her companions. Mipha curled in recoil and Revali grounded himself. “I’m not sure where that power came from,” she said with a pause, “but I’ll be more mindful in the future. Are you scared of lightning, Mipha?”

Mipha, though tense, shook her head. “I-I don’t think so? I’m not sure, however.”

“I was flying,” Revali screeched. “Be more careful next time!”

Daruk stroked his beard. “There was that thing with Revali, and now Urbosa. Do you guys think we all have some sort of ability like that?” 

Mipha nodded. “I think you’re right, Daruk. I certainly don’t feel like I am unimportant. We’ll just watch and see.”

They continued forward. Revali took off back into the sky, leaving Urbosa, Daruk, and Mipha on the ground. 

Another group of bokoblins stood in their way. This time, Daruk led the charge against them. Armed with an axe, he swung himself into the enemies with a wide grin. They were baffled- unable to attack the mass swinging at them. They were blown back, though they didn’t die immediately.

Urbosa moved in with a bokoblin club. Her strikes were quick as if she were the lightning she was able to control. Though she managed to kill the enemies with ease, she found herself wishing that she had a blade.

The bodies of the bokoblins vanished in a puff of smoke, as all beasts spawned from Ganon’s power did, though they left horns and their weapons behind. Urbosa smiled and grabbed a short traveler’s sword from off the ground. Revali swooped back down and picked up a bow. 

“Didn’t even need my help, I see. I found the glowing point on the map,” he said with a smirk. “Just as expected, of course. You did well in your battle too,” he added. Instead of flying off once more, he led the group on foot. They went a few yards before Revali pointed to a glowing pedestal. The area was encased in rock but had a floor that was different from the dirt and rocks surrounding it.

Once everyone was standing near the pedestal, Revali slid the slate into the pedestal. It flipped around and made a whirring sound. 

“ Sheikah Tower activated. Please watch for falling rocks.”

The ground rumbled. Mipha and Revali lost their footing and stumbled back, but Daruk caught both of them and propped them back up. It didn’t last long, however. The tower shot into the sky, propelled by an unknown power. Everyone was knocked backward this time. 

Once the tower was stable, they got back up. “That was awful,” Revali grumbled.

“Agreed,” Urbosa said. Mipha gave a slight nod. 

“ Distilling local information.”

They moved back to the pedestal. A tune rang through the air, building up in tone before a drop of blue liquid splashed onto the slate. The screen came to life and displayed a map of the area. What was once a blue, featureless area with white borders now graphed mountains, displayed area names, and showed blue beacons of the cave and the tower. 

“ Regional map extracted.”

The podium popped the Shiekah Slate out, prompting Mipha to grab it this time. She put the slate at her hip and smiled at her companions. “We have a map now. This should be of great use.”

A voice rang through their heads once more. “ Remember:”

“Here she is again,” Revali said. “She always seems to chime in when we’ve completed a task. She’s likely to tell us to go somewhere else now. We’re going on a wild goose chase.”

“Be respectful,” Daruk scolded. “She’s probably trying to help us.”

Revali’s eyes twitched. “She’s being vague.”

“ Try to remember.” She called. “ You four have been asleep for the last one-hundred years.”

“What?!” Revali screeched. 

Urbosa shushed him. “Let her finish if only so you can get the information you wanted.”

The champions looked over their surroundings. Their eyes fell on the castle far in the distance. Giant claw-like pillars surrounded it and a smoky, purple haze swirled around the building. Every so often, it almost seemed like a boar’s head was the face of that mist.

“ The beast… when the beast regains its true power, this world will face its end.” The voice paused. “ You must hurry, before its too late.” The voice grew silent once more.

“Was that enough information for you, Revali,” Urbosa asked with a frown. Her eyes didn’t leave the monster’s form. Just looking at it sent a chill up her spine.

“We should talk more about it on the ground,” Daruk suggested. “I’m not suited for the chill up here,” he said with a laugh. He carefully dropped down a hole, making a thud sound as he hit the metal below. Mipha and Urbosa decided to climb down manually, though they made sure to stop for breaks at each metal outcropping. Daruk rolled his way down, using the outcroppings as stairs instead. 

Despite leaving before Revali, he sat on the ground with his arms crossed. He faked a yawn as he saw Urbosa and Mipha come down from the tower. “I thought you decided to stay up there. Now, we should discuss what the voice mentioned. We’ve been asleep for one-hundred years.”

Urbosa nodded. “Indeed. It would seem that is the case.”

“The older gentleman mentioned something about how the kingdom fell one-hundred years ago too,” Mipha said with a frown. “I think something terrible must have happened to us.”

Daruk nodded. “That’s what my gut tells me, too.”

A voice called out to them once again, but this time it wasn’t a strange woman’s voice they heard. Floating down from the air, paraglider in hand, was the old man from earlier. He stopped in front of the champions. He chuckled slightly. “My, my. It would seem as if we have quite the enigma here. This tower and others like it have erupted from the ground, one after another. It’s as though... a long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly.” He gripped the lantern and looked at Mipha. “If you do not mind me asking… did anything… odd occur while you were atop the tower?”

Mipha nodded. “Yes. We heard a voice, though we do not know its origins.”

The man’s expression turned bitter. “Ah. That is unfortunate. “ He faced the castle and while his hood covered his face slightly, it didn’t do much to hide his frustration. “I assume you caught sight of that atrocity surrounding the castle.”

“That great, big, pig thing, right? Yeah. It sure is an ugly sight,” Daruk said.

The man nodded. “That beast is Calamity Ganon,” he growled. “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. For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely.” The man’s hand clenched his lantern. “There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again. It appears that moment is fast approaching.”

“Ah. I see. It’s as I thought then,” Mipha muttered. “We must have been badly hurt when it was unleashed the first time. Am I correct in that assumption?”

The old man flinched. 

Revali nodded. “Makes sense. We suddenly wake up, no memories of who we were, and hear a voice in our heads telling us to do seemingly pointless things. You’re here on behalf of that girl who we hear in our heads, correct?”

“Additionally, you talk as if you have a personal stake in this- granted if this creature is as bad as you and the girl claim, everyone should have a stake in it. But by your mannerisms, it isn’t that simple, is it?” Urbosa asked. She put her hand on her hip. 

The old man looked to the ground. His form shimmered as blue lights swirled around him. “I suppose you’re too observant for me to keep up with this facade. Yes. A century ago, you four were nearly killed at the claws of Calamity Ganon. We were lucky that you received aid in time. Though it came at the cost of your memories.” His brown, ratty attire changed to a regal blue gown with a crown atop his head. “I wished to wait until later for this, but the four of you pieced it together before I had the chance to test you. In life, I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule.”

“You died.” Mipha’s voice was soft, almost inaudible. 

The King nodded. “Yes. Though you figured that out earlier than I wanted, it changes nothing on what I shall have you do.” His form shimmered once more. He was dressed in the brown garb he wore before. “Though you cannot access the shrines, I would have you go to each of the four in this area and place the slate on each pedestal. It may prove useful later.”

Revali frowned. “And why can’t we access the shrines? We’re important enough to recover for a century, but not important enough to go into a building?”

Rhoam sighed. “I’m not sure that anyone can access those shrines anymore.” He tapped his staff against the stone. “Enough of that. I shall show you what the shrines look like, then teach you a good way of scoping the land. It wasn’t meant to be an order, but it is now.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and made his way to the edge of a lake. He pointed the staff at the strange, orange structure with a round base. “Go there, then press the slate to the pedestal. I will be there shortly.” Blue lights swirled around him, then his form vanished into the air.

“Whoops,” Daruk laughed. “That was pretty smart of you guys.”

“I did not mean to bring it up so soon, but the question weighed on my mind,” Mipha muttered. “It matters not though. We must do this, if only for that man who seems to trust us so much.” She stepped to the water’s edge and swam across. “I can either wait for you here, or I can proceed to scan the slate.”

“We can head over,” Urbosa insisted. “The King probably would have us do that anyway.”

It didn't take long for the others to join Mipha on the other side. Mipha beamed at the others as she sat on the shrine's platform. "Ah! Hello! We can scan the slate now!" She stood up and pressed the slate to the pedestal. The building's color changed from bright orange to a cool blue, though the top remained orange.

The door did not open. “ Return with the Sheikah’s chosen,” a voice droned. The base of the shrine lit up and another blue triangle was added to the Sheikah Slate’s map.

“And likely, you won’t be able to gain access to these shrines.” The amnesiac champions shifted their attention to the King, who reappeared beside the shrine. “I will explain that part, and everything else later. For now, I want you to bring up your map.” He hovered next to Mipha and watched her slide her finger against the screen.

“I don’t see why we needed to come here if we can’t even enter the place,” Revali grumbled.

“Then pay attention. I’m aware patience wasn’t your strong suit, but there is a purpose in everything.”

Mipha showed the screen to King Rhoam once she pulled up the map. “What do I do now?”

Rhoam pointed at a glowing point on the map. “I want you and your friends to gather together and hold the slate together while one of you taps the location on the map.”

The group made an awkward huddle as each of them grabbed part of the slate. Mipha tapped the blue triangle representing the nearby tower and accepted the onscreen prompt. Suddenly, each of their bodies were broken into particles of light, moving into the air and vanishing from sight. 

They lost sensation for a brief moment, it was as if they blacked out. When they each came to, they were standing on the very top of the tower, huddled on the bright blue circle. King Rhoam waited for them by the edge.

Each champion backed away from each other, startled by the sudden teleportation. “What was that?” Urbosa asked under her breath.

“That felt really odd,” Daruk chimed in

King Rhoam chuckled. “You can teleport to places you’ve already been to. I encourage you to get used to that feeling. This brings me to my next task.” He beckoned the champions over to the edge of the tower and gestured toward the wilderness that stretched beyond them. “This is a good place to plot your course and to see what lies out there. My next task is for you to find three more shrines and activate them. Though I’m not sure it will be of use, it will be a good way for me to test your resolve and for you to get used to this lifestyle. If you find me in the field, feel free to talk to me. I may have something important for you.”

“And what if I fly off the plateau?” Revali plucked the strings absentmindedly. “I can do that, you realize.”

“You would leave the rest of your group? I don’t see you as being that kind of Rito.” King Rhoam shook his head. “No. You won’t fly off. Not since I have information about your old life. The same extends to the others. It seems like a wild goose chase, but I deem it important.:”

Urbosa nodded. “I understand. Though I don’t like it. It feels like a random set of tasks, but we’ll follow them.”

King Rhoam smiled. “Thank you. Now for the second part of my explanation. You can point your slate toward any point in the field and the slate will magnify it. From there, you can also put pins on your map that act as beacons. And with that, my explanation is finished. Feel free to explore the Great Plateau to your heart’s content.” The king vanished before their eyes.

After scanning the distance and putting beacons on the map, Mipha moved toward the hole to climb down from. She grimaced. “I don’t know that I want to climb down manually. My hands don’t seem suited to it,” Mipha muttered. “But that slate teleportation function is another oddity.” She moved closer to the group. “Did anyone want to get down via the slate?”

Revali scoffed. “I assume you weren’t talking to me, but I don’t think I’ll be using that feature too often anyway.”

“I’m ready this time! Now I know what it’s like, so I won’t be caught off guard.” Daruk flashed Mipha a wide grin and put a hand on the slate. “You coming, Urbosa?”

“Yeah. It’s easier than climbing.” She gripped the slate. “We’ll meet you at the shrine, Revali.”

Revali nodded and took off into the sky. Mipha pressed the screen to confirm the teleportation. Everyone was off the tower, in one way or another.

When Urbosa and the others came around, they were on the platform for the shrine. Revali had gotten there before them and was sitting smugly on top of the shrine. “I thought you would never make it.”

“Interesting, so there’s a delay in how long it takes to bring us here,” Urbosa muttered. 

Mipha turned the screen of the Shiekah Slate off and put it back on her hip. “It truly is a marvel of technology. Though I’m still not sure I can get used to how teleporting makes me feel. It does seem useful, however.”

“Where to first?” Daruk asked.

“I think we should find a place to take shelter, first and foremost,” Urbosa insisted, crossing her arms.

The sun was setting and the sky had a slight chill. Before long, the night would fall. “Why don’t we visit that campfire we first saw on our way here?” Mipha put her hands behind her back. “There’s a river there, so I can catch fish for a meal. Perhaps even find something better for us to use in combat.” 

They began to walk toward the campfire while they talked. 

“Sound good to me. I’ve been wanting to find something other than this axe. It’s too light. And I’ve noticed that none of us  have anything we’re comfortable with.” He glanced toward Mipha. “So while Mipha gets something to eat, I’ll gather whatever weapons I can find, even if it means I have to fight something for them.”

Urbosa nodded. “I’ll keep the fire going. Revali, can you go into the forest and gather fruits and vegetables?”

Revali frowned. “I suppose I can if only so I can bring some real flavors to this meal. I swear, I was nearly going to march into those woods myself to find something to eat.” 

She smiled softly at the bird. “I’ll leave it to you then. We’ll eat well with you in charge. If you need help with anything, I’ll be there in an instant.”

Revali smirked. He plucked the string of the bow as he chuckled. “Me? Need help. You’re talking to a master archer,” he insisted. “I’ll be just fine, but if it makes you feel better, I’ll call you if there’s something you can do.” He padded toward the forest’s edge, ahead of everyone else.

Daruk laughed heartily. “A feast! It’s just what we needed to lift our spirits. The day’s been kind of confusing and dreary. I’ll make sure to find the best rock roast this place has to offer!” Daruk shouted. 

As they neared the campfire, Daruk and Mipha split off from the group to explore the cliffs and the immediate area surrounding the river. Ahead of them, Revali had flown to the forest and was scanning the trees for signs of life.

Urbosa made her way to the campfire and stoked the flames. They crackled and gave off a comforting heat. She couldn’t help but think of the blank spaces in her memory. A shiver went down her spine as she tried to recall anything, though nothing surfaced. She sighed. Perhaps, Urbosa thought, they would be able to figure everything out. 

There was no question in her mind that she would leave no stone unturned in her search for answers.

Chapter Text

Mipha and Daruk moved to the water’s edge. “Do ya see any fish?” Daruk scanned the rippling, blue body of water. Green, scaly fish moved just below the surface, though the clarity of the water made it slightly more difficult to see. 

Mipha nodded. “Yes. There should be plenty for our meal.”

Daruk looked at the water, then at Mipha. “So, how are you gonna catch them? By hand?”

She giggled, then grabbed an apple that had fallen from the tree atop the hill. “While you can catch fish with your hands, they can also be lured closer with bait. Once you know what something likes, you can draw it closer to you.” She sliced the apple with her nails and carefully placed the apple slices into the water and watched it as they floated on the water. 

A curious fish drew closer to the bait and nibbled at the apple slice before it was scooped out of the water. “That’s impressive!” Daruk stared in awe as she did the same with another apple slice a little ways away from the other. 

“It’s muscle memory for me. I suppose I must have eaten a lot of fish.” She stared at the water before turning back to Daruk. “I’ve got it here. Don’t worry too much about me. Go ahead and try to find more weapons. I need to clean these fish anyway and it’s a rather bloody process.”

“Well, if you need me, don’t hesitate to call me,” Daruk insisted. 

“And you as well, Daruk.” Mipha smiled softly and turned back to the rippling water. The sound of footsteps grew increasingly quiet as he moved toward a solitary enemy in the distance.

This left Mipha alone by the pool. She took in her surroundings and stared at her reflection in the pool. “I haven’t done a single thing to be of help,” she muttered quietly. “Not really. The club is unnatural in my hand, so I can’t fight. Why am I here? Clearly, the others are important enough to warrant this attention.” 

Her thoughts were interrupted as a shout from Daruk filled the air. She moved the fish away from the riverbank and ran to him. A bokoblin with a spear stood in front of him, as well as one with a bow. They hissed and clattered as they moved forward. A group of the undead was walking among the living. 

In a moment of panic, Mipha hurled the boko club she had at the spear bokoblin’s skull. The foe vanished, leaving only the weapon behind. 

Daruk used Mipha’s appearance to his advantage and swung the axe forward, barely missing the head but cutting the skull from his body. The skull bounced angrily clattering its bones as it tried to reform. Daruk didn’t miss his swing the next time and brought it directly onto the bokoblin’s head. Both bodies vanished, leaving behind the weapons and a horn.

“Whew. I probably had that, but thank you for coming! They snuck up on me.” He stared at the weapons on the ground. “But now we’ve got more weapons. Is there anything you’ve got your eye on?”

Mipha reached out to the spear. Though it didn’t quite feel right to her, it felt good enough for the moment. “Yes, I believe I’ve found my weapon.”

Daruk grinned. “That’s great! You know, you were amazing with handling that monster!” He scratched his head. “I guess I didn’t think that there’d be enemies like these. It might be a good idea if we head back soon.”

Mipha set the spear on her back and slowly moved back to the river. “At the very least, we shouldn’t go off alone in the meantime. Give me a moment to gather these fish and we’ll make our way back.”

“You got it! I can go ahead and look for a meal for myself in the meanwhile.” 

Mipha and Daruk got to work on their tasks, only occasionally having to take a break to fight enemies. Once their business was concluded, they made their way back to the campfire.

A single arrow- a single shot. A magnificent shade of blue hung around the branches of a tree, old, gnarled, and long. A boar peeked its head through the trees, but Revali didn’t want boar that day. Though the beast would be easily felled, he kept looking. 

Revali took to the skies and scanned his surroundings. From his vantage point, he could see a large clearing with a large boulder, a bokoblin camp, and smoke from another campfire. The rito touched down on a young tree and looked around for a more detailed look.

The fire was going strong as if someone had just been there. Revali mentally figured the mystery person to be King Rhoam and moved on. Near the base of a large tree, fluorescent, blue mushrooms grew proudly. Silent shrooms, his brain supplied. Safe to eat, even better to cook. He dove from his perch and stuck some particularly large mushrooms in a brown, burlap bag pinched from a nearby bokoblin camp.

From a distance away, he saw more mushrooms. They were bright green but didn’t glow, unlike the silent shrooms. He tiptoed towards them, silently moving through the grass like a beast would stalk its prey. 

“Stamella mushrooms,” he said quietly. “Perhaps this meal won’t be nearly as bland as I thought.” He plucked a few shrooms from off the ground and placed them into his bag. Revali flew back into the air and scanned the clearing from the sky. “Seems like a trap, so I shouldn’t linger. There’s honey. Perhaps I may be able to grab it.” Revali touched down at the edge of the clearing, making sure not to step into the actual clearing itself. He launched an arrow at the hive and quickly dove after it. He soared back into the air as he placed the honey in his bag. “What now? 

Revali stood on a tree, taking in his surroundings once again. Then, he saw it. Down by a broken arch, a tiny, white bird pecked at the ground.

Revali smirked, then moved back into the air. He aimed carefully and masterfully. With one arrow, the bird was felled and dinner was saved. 

At least for Revali, that is. He flew down to collect the bird and began to remove the feathers and to clean the bird for later. The darkening forest unnerved the rito, so he moved to the campfire. “What a day,” he muttered. 

The arrow had torn through much of the top part of the bird, leaving little of the breast meat intact. “I’m getting sloppy.” Revali studied his bow, scoffing at the weight at the craftsmanship. “This thing isn’t great. I’ll have to get another bow. First, we need to leave this land.” With a sigh, he turned his attention to the forest’s edge, though he couldn’t see much through the trees. “So, we failed last time. Were we close, or…?”

Revali stopped as he lost himself in his thoughts. Echoed words, muffled by time rang through his skull. Was it his own voice? Or was it someone else? He had a headache. 

His resolve faltered, but he continued his task of mindlessly plucking feathers from the bird.and cleaning it. Once the task was done, Revali wrapped the meat in a large korok leaf and placed it in his bag. He wandered from the forest wordlessly, making his way back to the campfire.

Urbosa stared into the crackling campfire. It was a beautiful sight, The soft glow helped to protect her from the dark corners of the shadows. Something could hide in the trees, though she didn’t know what she was so tense about. She just knew there was something in the world that used shadows and manipulation to hurt people.

She thought of them as cowards, but dangerous ones. 

An apple fell by her arm. Someone was there. “Sav’saaba.” She chuckled. “Wish to join in, King Rhoam?”

Rhoam laughed. “I suppose I couldn’t hide from you. No, it’s alright, but I did want to teach you some recipes that could be useful, as well as pick your brain for help with my own recipe.” He set a cast-iron cooking pot on the campfire. “Pots like these may be scattered around the land. You can add your ingredients to them and cook from them. It’s quite important to keep a note of where some are.”

Urbosa nodded. “Yes, I understand.”

Rhoam poured water into the pot, waited for the water to heat up, then added some sliced apples. A watchful eye was kept as the fruit cooked as he moved the pot occasionally. “Simmering fruit allows it to become sweeter, though water isn’t known for its flavor. If you have sugar or syrup, it would be better to use that. Honey also helps.” He removed the apples from the pot with a ladle and moved them into a wooden bowl. He stuck a fork in the bowl and passed it off to Urbosa. “I can wash this, but feel free to help yourself.”

She obliged. Urbosa poked one of the slices with the fork and brought it to her mouth. Though a little plain, it was softer and it tastes sweeter than before. “It does taste better than just an apple by itself,” she confirmed.

Rhoam chuckled. “Yes, but that isn’t all. I’ve found that a good meal like this helps you recover from a hard battle. Though with your skill, I trust that meals won’t be used to heal as often.” He looked forlornly at the forest. “There are many ingredients to be found in Hyrule, each with their own properties. Though my favorite would have to be the Silent Princess.” His voice trailed off as he spoke, finishing the sentence with a murmur. 

“There are four of us, I’m sure we will use these cooking pots often.” Urbosa smiled. “Thank you for explaining them. Are you sure you don’t wish to join us, at least to have company?”

The King looked conflicted but shook his head. “Nay. I do not wish to intrude. You four are bound to spend nearly the entire journey together. You should eat together and try to get to know one another as best you can.” He lifted the pot up and moved down the hill. “I’ll bring this back in a bit. It should be washed before I attempt to cook a meal with meat.”

The King retreated down the hill, toward the direction Daruk and Mipha went. It left Urbosa alone again. 

She held an apple to the flames and watched as the skin slowly began to cook. Her mind began to wander once more. “So,” she said aloud, quietly speaking to the shadows around her. “What do I know? My name is Urbosa.” She nodded to herself, then continued. “There are phrases in my head that are natural to me, ones that I have never heard the others say. I should have been killed in battle 100 years ago, but I did not. Nor did anyone else in this group.” She thought back to the voice that echoed through her head earlier that day. It was familiar and made her think of the sky. 

A little bird.

Urbosa took the apple she baked and set it on the ground. “I know that many of my memories have been locked away, same with my allies. Now, what do I not know?” She leaned back and looked up at the sky. “Why were we chosen for this? What role do we play in the things to come?” She sighed. “Furthermore, by Rhoam’s actions and his speech, as well as based on the shrines themselves, I have to infer that someone important did die in that battle. Can we do anything at this point?”

Rhoam appeared once more from the bottom of the hill. He chuckled softly as he carried the pot and some ingredients to the flames. “I would like your assistance if you would. I’ve been here for a century, and in that time I have forgotten components of a meal I enjoyed.” He set the pot down, removed the ingredients, and spread them out on the ground.

Though she was unclear on some of the ingredients, most of them seemed explanatory. There were three peppers and a hunk of boar meat. Additionally, there were a few knives, a fork, a spoon, and a plate.“Chalk it up to my age or how long I’ve been here, but I had this dish I used to like a long time ago. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what it was. It was spicy meat and something fry.” He sighed. “I remember that the other thing in the dish was a kind of meat. White meat. I believe. And it was salty.”

“I believe that sounds like bass,” Mipha chimed in. Rhoam and Urbosa looked at the pair as they made their way up the hill, weapons, and fish in hand. “They’re plentiful just down the hill.”

Rhoam laughed. “Ah. It would seem you’re right, and Hylian bass seems correct. Shall I teach you how to cook it?”

Mipha handed a bass to Rhoam. He set it on a stump and carefully carved a fillet from one of the sides with a curved knife. Rhoam set the knife down and placed the pot on the fire. With a different knife, he began to cut the peppers into rings and set them on the side. 

“It should be hot enough. Typically you would put oil in the pan, possibly butter, but we don’t have any. We’ll just have to hope that it doesn’t burn,” he said with a laugh. He slid the peppers in and began to stir them around. The fumes wafted into the air, prompting a few coughs from Urbosa, Daruk, Mipha, and Revali, who had quietly crept back unannounced. 

“Oh, Nayru! The smell,”  Mipha griped. “Is this typical?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Revali grumbled. “I have a feeling that it is.”

Rhoam laughed once more and slid the boar meat into the pot. “Peppers have that effect on people. I don’t have that problem anymore, though it would assail my nose all the same when I was alive” He grabbed a wooden fork and flipped the meat over. “You want to make sure that the surface is brown on both sides. The meat itself is pretty thick, so you may want to keep it in the pan longer than that, however.”

They watched as the former king cooked the meat, adding the fish in partway through without the skin. Their stomachs rumbled. He used a spoon to bring the food onto a plate, then handed it off to the champions. “I do hope you enjoy. And I hope my little demonstration helped to inspire you. There are many ingredients throughout Hyrule that go well together. And I thank you once more for helping me to figure the recipe out. If you visit my cabin tomorrow, I will have a gift for you to help with the chill.”

King Rhoam smiled as he set the pot down once more. Then he faded from sight, leaving the four of them alone once more.

Revali coughed. “So, I did manage to find something in those woods.” He removed his spoils from his bag and set them on the stump. “Fish is alright, but I decided to grab some poultry while I was there.”

Urbosa nodded. “And I see the mushrooms too. And honey?” She smiled. “That’s a pretty sizable haul.”

“Wow, your food is pretty different from mine,” Daruk noted. “I’m willing to share though!” He lifted a rock from off the ground and presented it to the group. “These kinds are full of nutrients, although they are a bit bland.”

“Ah-no. That’s alright. We have plenty enough as it is.” Mipha giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m not sure that we will be able to finish all this.”

Daruk studied the ingredients, then his own. He raised his hand to his chin and stroked his hair. “That’s true. Maybe another time then.”

“Alright, now that we’re done with that question, we should start cooking,” Revali said with a frown.

“I can keep watch while you cook. I’ve got my meal already. Mipha and I saw some strange enemies while we were near the river and they emerge from the ground. It would be bad if they attacked and nobody was prepared,” Daruk insisted with a grin. Though his voice commanded authority.

“Yes. I do feel that shifts are a good idea, though are you sure you’re fine alone, Daruk?” Mipha asked, staring at him with concern.

“Don’t worry about this old crag. I’ll be fine. They won’t surprise me again.”

“If you’re ok with that, I have no objections. I’ll come to relieve you in a little while,” Urbosa said. “Once we’re finished cooking.”

Daruk flashed the group another grin and left down the hill once more, rocks in tow. 

“I do hope he’ll be alright,” Mipha muttered.

Urbosa smiled softly, rubbing Mipha’s back. “I’m sure he will. Now, let’s see how well we all can cook.”

Each person stepped to the pot, each with a varying degree of confidence, Revali having the most while Mipha had the least. They handpicked their ingredients and got started on their meal preparation.

Urbosa was up at the pot first with a Hyrule bass and two silent shrooms. She cut the meat of the bass and the mushrooms into cubes and stuck them onto a skewer with the mushrooms. Despite having the pot, she didn’t use it. She removed it from the flames and held the skewer above the open flame. The edges of the mushrooms and the meat darkened, eventually charing from the flame slightly. She transferred each skewer to a korok leaf.

She took it off the heat and continued to make and cook the skewers until she was out of ingredients. Each skewer had their own varying degree of color to them, but she was happy with them.

Next up was Mipha. She nervously brought the bass to the fire and cooked it until the skin was charred. Her fish was attached to a large stick

Finally, Revali sauntered up to the cooking pot. He put in his poultry legs into the pot and seared it. Once the sides were brown, he covered the pot with the leave he used to carry the bird in. The smirk on his face didn’t change, no matter what the step was in the cooking process. He lifted the leaf and added cut stamella shrooms to the mix. Once liquid from the mushrooms began to pool at the bottom, he added some chopped Hyrule herb and honey to the pot. 

He stirred the mix and covered the poultry and mushrooms in the honey glaze. Once he was finished cooking, he transferred the mix onto a plate.

“Whoa,” Mipha gasped. 

“I would assume that cooking is something you have experience with,” Urbosa said with a smile. “Before we get into our dishes, I do feel that we need to try what Rhoam made.”

Mipha nodded. “I am rather curious.”

Each of them grabbed a fork and took bites of different parts of the food. Though spicy, the flavor was good. The game-like boar paired well with the salty nature of the bass with a kick of spice to enhance the dish. Though the peppers had a distinctly fruity undertone. 

Though good, each of them didn’t dare to take another bite as to not fill up on a different dish.

“I’m going to go switch with Daruk now. Wouldn’t want him to be alone out there,” Urbosa said, rising from her seat at the campfire. She took a plate and some skewers. “If you need anything, I’ll be down the hill.”

“I won’t, but thank you for the concern,” Revali said with a smirk.

Urbosa chuckled. “Sure. Enjoy your meal.” She began to walk slowly down the hill. 

“You as well,” Mipha called. 

Daruk walked down the hill and sat on the ground. His makeshift weapon laid next to him as he began to eat. The stars offered light among the dark sky.

It was a beautiful night, but he couldn’t help but think that they were missing something, missing someone. Daruk racked his brain for answers. 

“There’s that girl in our heads. She’s important. Me, Mipha, Urbosa, and Revali. But there’s someone else too.” Daruk closed his eyes and bit into his food. “Someone. Someone, someone, someone. What do they look like?”

He searched and searched through his memories but the further he tried, the more his stomach turned. They were lost to him, like dust in the wind. 

He finished his meal quickly, then stood up and scanned his surroundings. He needed to do something, anything. He needed to remember that person. Even just their hair would do.

He heard the clacking of bones behind him and swiftly turned around. Two skeleton bokoblins hissed at Daruk with wooden clubs raised in the air. Though he was quick to turn, the enemies were quicker on the attack. They swung down as Daruk braced for impact. 

The impact never came. A red shield formed around the Goron, causing the weapons to bounce off pitifully, though a loud cracking noise filled the air. It was his turn now. Daruk grabbed his axe and swung to knock them off balance, then brought the axe down on their skulls. They quick;y faded to dust, leaving their weapons and monster horns behind.

Daruk wiped the sweat from his brow. “Whew/ That could have been bad. But seems like I have one of those abilities too. I’ll have to let the others know later.” He continued his lookout until Urbosa came to relieve him as she said she would. She had her weapon by her side and a plate of fish and mushrooms in her hands. Though a little charred, she seemed to be enjoying it.

“I can take over now,” she insisted as she stuck the fork in her mouth. 

Daruk nodded. “I’ll stick around a little bit longer. Just until you’re finished eating.”

Urbosa acknowledged Daruk with a nod. 

Although the two of them were there, neither spoke. The surrounding area remained tranquil. Their view of the world around them plunged both of them back into their heads. No matter where Daruk tried to look, he couldn’t stop staring at the castle. 


The swirling black and purple monster that circled the castle was a blemish on the otherwise beautiful landscape. When he wasn’t looking at the monster that nearly ended his life, his sights were set on the volcano, far in the distance. He felt homesick just looking at it. And now with the excuse of being in a group, Daruk no longer could bury himself in single-mindedly looking out for monsters. 

A quick look at Urbosa’s face told the same story. She hadn’t eaten all of her food, but it had been set to the side as she stared at the castle. 

“I’ll go ahead and head back up,” Daruk said with a laugh. “I’ll check up on the other two and keep them safe.”

“I think they can keep themselves safe, though I’m sure another person wouldn’t hurt matters,” Urbosa’s eyes remained fixed on the castle. 

“That’s true. I’ll send the bird down in a little while. He can take over then.”

Urbosa nodded.  “Alright. Thank you.”

Daruk took one final look at the volcano, then walked back up to his other friends.

Chapter Text

The sun rose over the horizon, illuminating the Temple of Time and bathing it in light. It was a beautiful sight, if not a bit haunting. What once was likely a strong beacon of hope had aged and been abandoned, lost to time. Ironic for a building named after time to be lost to its currents.

In her patrol, Mipha was spending her time checking out her surroundings. There may have been monsters prowling, but Mipha felt a sense of safety just by holding a spear. She witnessed her first sunrise after waking up from her hundred-year nap. 

She tapped the wooden spear with a slight smile. “I do hope all our mornings can be this beautiful. “

“Indeed. I hope you can enjoy peace every once in a while.” A small bit of blue fire appeared at the edge of Mipha’s vision before fading. Mipha turned to look at him, half expecting not to see anyone. But Rhoam didn’t leave, he merely donned his disguise once more. “It’s good to see you up and alert this early.” Rhoam chuckled. “The others are asleep, though I suppose it’s been a harsh day.”

“Indeed it has.” Mipha was quiet. She gazed over the horizon, past the Temple of Time. Her eyes were glued on Hyrule Castle.

“I wished for the four of you to learn the lay of the land before putting burdens on your shoulders, but alas, it wasn’t to be.” He frowned. “Truly, I apologize for putting you and your companions in this position.”

“You need not apologize for that. What happened has already happened. We are alive and that is what matters. It is the secret-keeping that has my friends on edge.” 

King Rhoam grimaced. “Perhaps, but I do not want to overwhelm you for no reason. Explore this land and figure out how to work together between the four of you. I assure you that I will point you where to go after that.”

Mipha looked back toward the king. “Then what will you do?”

Rhoam laughed dryly. “Who knows? Perhaps I shall sightsee. Do not worry about me. I have long since died. I only wish to see my daughter and my kingdom safe.”

“I cannot promise anything, but I will try my best,” Mipha said quietly. 

“Thank you.” The king’s form flickered. “I shall go now and see to those gifts I promised yesterday. Excuse me.” He vanished, leaving behind ghostly-blue flames that burned out seconds after he left. 

Now alone, Mipha stared back at the horizon once more before heading back to the campfire.

Everyone was already awake and seemed like they had been for a little while. Urbosa was tending the fire while Revali fiddled with bows and Daruk inspected the camp. 

"Oh hey!" Daruk waved. "I was just about to come looking for ya."

Mipha smiled. "And I was about to help with the camp."

"We went ahead and took care of everything since you were watching for monsters." Urbosa handed Mipha some mushrooms on a wooden skewer. "Even breakfast has been covered."

Revali placed the bow he was working with on his back and smirked. "It’s been all done so we can finally start this adventure proper. Say, did you manage to see where the other shrines were? If we are to listen to that old man then we need to know where to go."

Mipha shook her head. "I did not venture far from camp, though I would assume that you would be in the best position to find them."

“A fair point. Flying is my specialty,” Revali said with pride. 

Urbosa poured water onto the campfire and rose from the ground. “We should go ahead and head out then. Perhaps we can find all three in one day.”

The Champions traveled down the dirt path, then to the field where the tower was located. Revali smirked and flew high into the air. Soon after, he flew back down, tablet in hand with several colored dots on the map. “I scouted for the shrines, really nothing major. They’re all there, all three of them.” He waved the slate in the air flippantly. 

“So, which shrine is closest?" Mipha peered over to look at the slate. 

“There is a bit of a problem,” Revali admitted. “Two of these shrines are atop the mountains. But the one nearest here should be one we can all easily get to.” He pointed across the fields. “It’s this way. After this one, I may go to get the other two on my own. “

The champions nodded. “While you activate those shrines, we can train and perhaps gather more ingredients for a meal tonight,” Urbosa said. She felt for her weapon and then began to walk down the hill. She walked briskly, yet she often looked back to make sure she was still being followed. 

The group made their way back down the hill and moved past the Temple of Time. In the distance, just past a stretch of grassland, broken remains of a building stood. Time, nor the calamity had been kind to the remains. The four champions stood just outside the threshold, hands by their weapons as they studied the landscape.

The broken walls held no secrets, nor were there any bokoblins wandering around. The only things of note were the shrine just past a cracked wall, and a few hunks of metal partially buried in the ground. Sensing no danger, Urbosa took a step forward. 

Suddenly, a loud whirring noise sounded through the air. The ancient machine’s eye blinked on and locked onto the Gerudo with a pink beam focusing on every move she made. Urbosa quickly ducked behind the rubble, causing the machine to lose focus, before powering back down. “Don’t make any sudden movements,” she ordered. 

“What is that?” Mipha asked quietly, peering at the machine. She and the other champions had also ducked behind the walls in an effort to not be seen. 

“I don’t know.” Urbosa sighed. “But we need to be able to get past it. Does anyone have an idea?”

Revali looked at the strange machine and grumbled. “We don’t even know what it does.”

“It was targeting me,” Urbosa hissed. “I’m not going to find out.” 

Revali huffed, then moved towards the strange machine. “Then allow me.” He smirked as the machine started back up and targeted the bluebird. 

“Revali!” Urbosa attempted to drag the bird back, but Revali moved too far away. He aimed his bow at the eye of the machine and fired. The machine’s head spun as the cogs and pistons made a racket. The machine’s noise stopped briefly before a loud gong-like noise emanated from the machine and targeted the bird again. 

“A bit tougher than I would have thought,” Revali said with a frown. He shot the machine again, “Let’s go! Before it recovers,” he shouted. 

The champions scrambled to flee towards the shrine, stopping once they ran into another machine. “The shrine is just here,” Mipha shouted. 

Revali quickly shot the machine before it could target anyone, then flew himself and Mipha over the wall. “Over here!”

Urbosa began to make her way over, but it was too late. A beeping noise rang through the air, growing louder in intensity until finally, a pale blue beam of light made its way directly toward Urbosa. They had not gotten far enough from the other machine.

In the moments before the blast, Daruk put himself between the two and held his fists out. In that instant, a large red shield formed around the two. The shield cracked loudly as the blast ricocheted off the shield and back at the metal monster. Daruk then curled up into a ball and jumped over the wall. The two of them landed on the other side, out of breath and frazzled. A beeping noise echoed through the air, then faded as an explosion ripped through the air. It jolted Revali and Mipha. 

“Are you okay,” Mipha shouted, running towards Urbosa.

Urbosa took a moment to calm down for a moment. She looked over herself, then at Mipha. She put her hand on Mipha’s shoulder and smiled. “It seems like I’m alright.”

Mipha breathed a sigh of relief before moving towards Daruk. “And what about you?”

Daruk uncurled himself and laughed. “Yeah! No need to worry about me. Guess we know what those things do.” 

Urbosa stood up and moved towards Revali, jabbing a finger in his face. “What was that?” She demanded. “I clearly told you not to engage with it and what do you do?”

Revali scoffed. “We needed to pass them anyway. Besides, I don’t take orders.” He growled back. “I am a leader, not a follower. You may be able to get the others to follow in behind you, but you will not be able to control me.” His eyes narrowed. 

Urbosa felt her teeth grind together. In her peripheral vision, she could see the other two champions slowly backing up toward the shrine. “You nearly got us killed. You need to put a cap on that arrogance.”

“Or what?” Revali smirked and placed his hands on his hips. “What will you do? What can you do? Will you shoot me from the sky? Or use that lightning ability to ground me?” He chuckled. “No. You won’t”

Urbosa growled. “Try me.”

Urbosa suddenly felt something shove its way between her and Revali. “Enough,” Mipha commanded. Her voice was loud, firm, and carried through the air. It was very different from the Mipha she was used to hearing. Mpha pushed Urbosa back while Daruk pushed Revali back. 

There was a moment of awkward silence as Urbosa and Revali glared at each other before Mipha spoke again. “I would hope that you two would be more mature than that.” She first faced Revali. “What you did was dangerous. It could have very well ended terribly for any one of us. We are lucky that Daruk’s ability is to shield, otherwise, Urbosa would have been hurt. I hope you know not to do something like that again,” she scolded. 

Revali rolled his eyes, but Mipha’s words sunk in, even if only slightly. Urbosa couldn’t help but smile.

“And Urbosa,” Mipha said, pointing towards the Gerudo. “I know he is being stubborn, but we need to try to get along. We are here to save this land, so we cannot be getting into squabbles like this.” She looked at Revali once again. “I will not be asking you to apologize. It would not be sincere. I am asking for you to mind each other. You two are both important members of our group. We were all capable enough to be chosen for this task, so let us act the part.” Mipha moved towards the shrine again. “Now, let us activate this and we can begin looking for the other shrines.”

Revali walked over, still visibly annoyed, and placed the tablet on the shrine. There was a bright glow as the sound of stone shifting echoed through the air. What was once orange was now blue, aside from the large Sheikah eye on the top of the shrine. 

“And now, I think we can go our own ways for now,” Revali said with a sneer. “After all, that was the plan.” Without waiting for a word of opposition, Revali took to the skies and flew off. 

A moment passed, then another. “He could have at least allowed us to move to a safer location,” Urbosa growled.

Daruk looked to the sky, in the direction Revali left towards. “Don’t be too harsh on the guy. I think that he’s still getting used to a group dynamic. Something tells me that he wasn’t in a group like this for a long time.”

“Your anger is warranted, but we cannot risk scaring him off,” Mipha muttered.

Daruk moved towards the wall to the back of the shrine. “Now, let's see if we can leave. I wouldn’t want to spend my whole day here.”

Revali was flying. He had a destination in mind located over the mountains. It wasn’t right. How dare she?

Revali took a break from flying and stood on a cliff, just for a moment. Just to clear his head. He was fine. Everything was fine. His stamina was definitely what he remembered it to be and he wasn’t tired at all.

Urbosa was bossy. She was always telling everyone what to do, even when they all woke up. Who is she to tell Revali what to do? Why did everyone follow behind her? 

He shook his head. He had a mission to do, and it just wouldn’t do to be late. He took to the skies once more, He reached the top of the cliff, and there stood the shrine. It was the same orange color the others had been. He placed the tablet onto the shrine and activated it. “One down, one more to go.” He looked over the horizon and spotted his next quarry, 

It was further up the mountains than this shrine had been. There was snow actively sticking further up. It struck a nostalgic chord. He reached his wing out to touch a falling snowflake. It was ice cold and dissolved upon impact. Cold enough to snow but not quite cold enough to dust. Just like….

He tried to reach for the memory and shuddered. “Seems that will have to wait,” he grumbled. He flicked water off his wing and took to the air once more. 

In the air, the bird felt freer, but he realized while flying that he couldn’t maintain himself for long periods of time. He touched down into the snow and took a brief rest. In that moment of respite, he gave his wings a cursory glance. He didn’t look any different from what he could recall, but he also couldn’t recall how fit he was. 

He grumbled again. There was no one around to hear his complaints, and he was fine with that. 

Revali couldn’t fly too long. He would plummet to the ground. That was a fact. “Perhaps it was the long sleep,” he said aloud. It seemed to make sense. It didn’t make it any less frustrating. 

Once his stamina returned, he took off again. This time, getting close to the shrine. The rest of the journey was on foot. He set the tablet on the final shrine and gazed down the mountain. “There is no way I am making it down quickly.” With a grimace, he tapped on the screen and selected the shrine near the river.

His vision grew dark as he vanished into the air and moved towards the Shrine of Resurrection. 

Urbosa, Mipha, and Daruk made their way back to the campfire on the hill with little issue. With Daruk’s newfound ability, they were able to get past the last mechanical monster and take off toward the Temple of Time. From that point, it was a relatively straight shot back to base camp.

At this point. the group split up. One part, Urbosa, and Mipha walked into the forest to find fruits and veggies for a large meal before they had to leave the Great Plateau. 

Then there was Daruk. He decided to stay behind to wait for Revali and to keep the fire stoked. 

It had been a little while since the group left and Daruk had already found an alright-looking rock to eat later and had set it aside. It wasn’t volcanic, and it looked to be fairly bland, but he would hopefully find something better later. “Alright,” he said aloud. “Let’s see if there are any monsters stalking about.” He rolled down the hill and gazed out towards the horizon. 

Nothing. They had already taken out the bokoblins in the area yesterday and it seemed like no new monsters took their place. So Daruk gazed over the horizons to the world he and the others would be tasked with saving. In the distance, he could see several high mountains, green forests, and rivers that cut the land. 

But the thing to draw his eye was once again the giant volcano looming in the distance. It was the furthest landmark he could see. It was bright red against the surrounding blue sky with a thick cloud of smoke billowing out of the crater. He searched for a memory of the location, but he was unable to draw anything from his mind. 

Still, it would be fine, the Goron thought. He would just have to recall those memories another time. So he moved back to the campfire to check how well it was burning. 

Sitting smugly by the fire was Revali, arms crossed and head raised. It was like he was looking above Daruk.

“I see you took your sweet time getting here,” Revali said with a smirk.

Daruk laughed. “Nah. I’ve just been making sure our base is clear. Wouldn’t want anything attacking us during the night, after all.”

Revali glanced around. “So where are the others?”

Daruk pointed towards the forest. “They went to look for ingredients to use for dinner.” He looked at the slate on the Rito’s hip. “Did you manage to find the other shrines?”

Revali smirked. “Of course I did. It was a breeze for someone like me. Flying is my specialty, after all.”

Daruk nodded. “That’s great!” He pointed towards the horizon. “So tell me, what do you see when you look out there?”

Revali raised an eyebrow. “Mountains? Hyrule? What are you asking?”

Daruk scratched his head. “Ah well, I mean. Is there anything out there that you think you connect with? Like, I mean. I look at that mountain back there. And suddenly I feel like I need to go there.”

Revali scanned the distance. “Well, It’s hard to really spot anything from this far away.” He pointed towards a series of sharp, snowcapped mountains to the west of the volcano. “But I think I recognize that place.”

Daruk’s gaze followed Revali’s finger to the mountains and winced when his eyes landed on them. “That’s cold,” he blurted. “I don’t think I could spend too much time there.” Daruk pointed at the volcano. “That’s what my eyes are drawn to.”

This time, Revali shook his head, as if disagreeing with the very concept of the volcano. “And that’s too hot!” 

Daruk laughed. “Well, I guess it would be too hot for you. You have all those feathers.” He narrowed his eyes. “It isn’t too far off. We should visit both places.”

Revali squawked. “What?”

“Yeah” He pointed towards the snowy peaks. “I visit your place and you visit mine. Maybe we can learn more about each other! It’ll be a nice trip.”

“Hmm. If that happens, if,” he reiterated, jabbing a feather at Daruk’s chest, “I suppose I would be able to prove that my home is the better place.”

Daruk snorted. “Alright then.” He was content, gazing up at the volcano. He grabbed his rock from earlier and bit into it, wincing at the flavorless composition of minerals. “I will be glad to be able to leave if only so I can get some better grub.”

Revali huffed. “Same with me. There’s only bass and hardly any poultry. Everything here is small. I do more damage to the meat itself than I can reasonably eat. It will be a good day when we can go and find civilization.”

“You know,” Daruk said after a moment of pause, “our little group has a lot of strong personalities. It’s great until we need to be unified.” 

“This is out of nowhere,” Revali grumbled. “Are you talking about earlier? No one knew what those things could do and we needed to get by.”

Daruk nodded. “Yeah, we did. And it’s good that we made it to the shrine, but we need to look out for other people in our group as well. I think apologizing to Urbosa would be a good idea. Maybe not right now, but at some point.” Daruk smiled. “If we’re all traveling together, we wouldn’t want anything to keep us from being friends. There’s a reason we were all grouped together, so we must have been friends before.”

“Or we were just important people by ourselves,” Revali countered. 

Daruk laughed. “Perhaps, but I’d like to think we were all grouped together like this because we were friends, or at least friendly with each other. I’d like to get back to that point so that we can each show off what’s important to each of us.”

Revali scoffed but said nothing. A brief moment of silence passed. “Perhaps it may… be nice to show where I came from. I don’t quite remember it, but I know the feeling of such a place.”

“And the others feel the same too,” Daruk said, his smile widening to a grin. “We just have to get past this awkward phase before we can be friends again.”

“I still don’t quite like how Urbosa bosses everyone around. I am quite capable of making my own choices.” Revali huffed. He crossed his arms. “I don’t like anyone barking orders at me.”

“I’m sure we’ll all get to a point where we can all issue commands,” Daruk said. “You too, but as of right now, we’ve all been just caught in the moment while she has taken it all in stride. It’s hard to think of anything other than lost memories and of the rubble around us, but she has taken on that mantle.” Daruk turned his attention from the caldera to the bits of destroyed buildings surrounding the Plateau. “Me and Mipha, well, we both think that after we leave the Great Plateau, that’s when this stuff will sink in with Urbosa.”

“And that’s when she’ll pump the breaks and allow someone else to lead? Is that what you’re saying?” 

Daruk shrugged. “I don’t know for sure, though. I can’t read her mind. I wanna believe that she has faith in us, so I want you to have the same faith in her.”

“No promises,” Revali huffed, “But I will try to be more patient, I suppose, at least till we’re out of here.”

“Hello,” Mipha yelled from the forest’s edge. “We’ve gathered everything on our end!” She smiled, prompting Daruk to do the same.

They would have one more meal here, then they would continue on their journey.

After their meal, Mipha found herself walking by the river. The rippling currents and the bubbling sounds soothed her. 

It had been a stressful couple of days, coupled with the knowledge that they had to save the land. The fish in the lakes didn’t have to concern themselves with that, however. It made watching them all the more relaxing. No matter the circumstances, so long as the water wasn’t affected, they would survive and prosper. 

She must have lingered at the pond for a half hour or so before she heard footsteps behind her. She stood from her perch and turned to the figure. 

King Rhoam stood there, a sad smile on his face. “I’ve prepared everything if you would gather everyone. I will be in front of the Temple of Time.” With his message passed on, he vanished from sight.

Mipha frowned and walked back to the camp. Everyone was doing their own things. Revali was adjusting his bow, Urbosa was lounging, and Daruk had been doing stretches. 

Revali was the first to notice her. “Ah, you’re back.” Everyone else stopped to look at Mipha.

“The King would like us to go to the Temple of Time now,” she said. “I believe we may be able to leave as soon as we do so.”

Revali stood up. “Then we should head over right away.”

“I agree,” Urbosa said, standing up. “It doesn’t mean we have to leave right away, but it’s better to finish this now so we can leave early tomorrow.”

It didn’t take much for Daruk to follow. “Let’s see what he wants!”

But Mipha was the only one who saw the King’s face. This would be a goodbye. He was currently the only person they knew, and he was going to leave. Still, it had to happen eventually. It didn’t stop the pang of sadness from gripping her chest.

It was a short walk away to the Temple from their camp. There were no enemies on this path as they had taken care of it earlier. Still, they stayed on their toes.

Once they stepped into the temple, King Rhoam appeared again and gestured to a set of chests on the ground. They hadn’t been there before, Mipha knew that. 

“I would like to thank you for putting up with my requests,” he said pointedly, glancing at Revali. “I have for you a set of paragliders. They should make it easy for everyone to easily escape down.” He sighed. “Please, I have one more request. I would like you to save my country. You should be able to find allies in Kakoriko who will help you on your next step, should you take my request to heart.”

“Of course,” Mipha said. “It’s our home too.”

King Rhoam smiled, one last time. “Thank you. I… I have many regrets in my life. I only wish now that my daughter can prosper.”

“We’ll save her,” Urbosa insisted. “And we’ll protect this land.”

Rhoam nodded, and faded away, leaving blue embers that soon faded as well. He was gone, truly. Mipha didn’t know what to think. “We will carry on your legacy,” Daruk muttered. Revali for his part shut his eyes and paid respect for a few moments.

“We should head back,” Urbosa said. “We have a long day ahead of us, especially if we are to go to the town he mentioned.”

“Yes,” Daruk agreed. He adjusted the ruby-red paraglider on his back. “It’s late anyhow.”

They trudged silently back to the camp. There was a general consensus on the first shift, then nothing as they each tried to sleep,

Chapter Text

The champions awoke, each in their own times. Each was as silent as a field mouse as they maneuvered around camp. They had to break it down and ensure they had everything for the journey ahead. None of them knew what lay in store, nor how the world fared in their absence. 

It was strange for it to be so silent. There weren’t even any noises from the bokoblins in their nearby camps. It was as if the entire plateau held its breath, quiet, anxious. The weight of it all began to press down on Mipha. Looking around, she was sure the others felt the same. 

There was no need for words. Each of them slung something across their backs, whether it be paragliders or bows or bags, and trudged past the Temple of Time. No enemies met them. 

Finally, they stood at the edge of the Plateau. “Are we ready?” Daruk finally said, breaking the silent spell cast on them. 

“Yes. King Rhoam said we should be able to find allies in Kakariko. This should mean there are people waiting for us, at the very least. Civilization lives on,” Urbosa soothed. 

Revali took one step further toward the edge, smirked, then made his way down. It was precise, dramatic, and practiced. It was what was needed to shake everyone’s worries and doubts, at least for now. They could see him standing on a bridge, tapping his foot impatiently. Mipha wasn’t fooled, however. His muscles were tense. If any one of them were to fall, he would be there to try to assist. 

Well, at least with herself and Urbosa. She wasn’t quite sure that Daruk could be caught in the air. And as if reading her mind, Daruk made his way down next. “Might as well head down there myself,” he said with a grin. The Goron gave the two a thumbs up before rolling down. The glider caught him in the air. 

It was actually pretty impressive that the paraglider was able to slow his descent as much as it did. He still fell quickly, but there was control there. He could glide. 

Mipha looked to Urbosa and she looked back.  “We can do this together.,” Urbosa insisted.

Mipha tended to agree. There was no water below and she didn’t want to fall by herself.

On three, the pair took out their gliders and made their way down. It was exhilarating. The wind pushed against her face, a sensation that felt somewhat familiar. It made her feel courageous and strong. Still, she was happy when she was finally reunited with the ground. 

Revali and Daruk made their way over, the former smirking while picking at the feathers on his wings, as if he were making sure they were all in place. “Not a bad jump down. Now, what direction is this place?” His smirk fell with an exasperated sigh. “Couldn’t he have mentioned a landmark?”

“Why don’t we see if we can ask someone?” Daruk asked, cheerfully. 

“If we see anyone, it might be a good idea,” Mipha agreed. 

Just a little ways away, there was a man standing on a bridge, looking out toward one of the mechanical monsters they had seen earlier on the Plateau. He was muttering to himself. He was loud but indiscernible. 

Daruk grinned. He took a casual stroll toward the man.  “Heyya,” the Goron cheered. “Me and my friends are lost. We’re wondering if you know how to get somewhere.”

The man looked up from his quarry with a jolt. “Oh!” He looked the group up and down. “You’re a strange group to be traveling together. Where are you headed?”

“Kakariko Village,” Urbosa answered, her voice unwavering. “We were wondering about how to head there.”

The man hmmed, completely looking away from the creature he was looking at before finally pointing toward a large mountain in the distance, one that seemed to have been split down the middle. “I would head down that way. Be careful though. There are monsters that patrol the roads. And especially watch your footing if you’re going around the Castle.” Finally, he looked at the mechanical pile across from the river. “Those things patrol around the Castle.”

Daruk nodded. “We’ll be careful. You stay safe too, friend.”

The man laughed. “Believe me, I’m not going near those things.”

“That would be for the best.” Mipha smiled. “Thank you very much.”

With a wave from nearly everyone, they set back on the road. There was a large spire in the distance. Their first stop would be to climb it and activate the map of the area, then head through the mountain.

The area just outside of the Great Plateau was nearly the same as atop it, but it felt a bit more freeing. There were people they occasionally bumped into while walking along the path. Every so often, a man with a horse would travel, prompting the group to step off the path briefly to let the man go.

It felt alive, more alive than it seemed. People were still going about their day-to-day life as if the swirling, purple beast on the horizon didn’t exist. 

It made Mipha smile.

After their trek and their stop at the tower, they finally made it to a stable. They could finally take a moment to rest and eat. Dusk was quickly approaching so they would make their way in the morning.

“Do you know where we can find Kakariko Village?” Daruk asked the man at the counter. 

He pointed to a path up a hill. “It’s just up there. Follow it and you’ll make it in no time. It’s fairly quaint, but it’s a good place with good people.”

Daruk flashed him a grin. “Thank you!” 

“Feel free to use the cooking pot outside at your leisure. I hope to see you fine folks again sometime.”

“We can take a break here,” Daruk said. He pointed up the hill in the distance. “It shouldn’t be too long from here,” he explained. 

His friends looked drained and appreciative of the small break on the road. “Thank you for speaking with him,” Mipha said with a sigh. 

“He said we were free to use the pot too,” Daruk cheered. “Go ahead and eat up!” The man of stone grinned. “I’ll be around! I want to try to talk with some of these fine people.”

His friends started making their way there as Daruk entered the stable. There were people staying, some temporarily taking shelter and some long-term. He was fairly certain he could pinpoint who was who. First, he walked up to a pair of sisters, the two of them grumbling about something.

“Hey!”

The sisters turned to him inquisitively. “Oh, hello there?” 

“My name’s Daruk and me and my friends have started traveling recently,” he explained. “You look fairly well-traveled, so I was wondering if there was anything you could tell us!”

One of the sisters groaned, looking at the other. “First piece of advice I’ll offer is to stay on the main roads. There aren’t as many monsters there.” There was an accusatory tone to her voice and a bitter edge to her gaze.

“Well, if you were asking me, my first piece of advice is that there’s a lot of good stuff you can forage, and that stuff is usually off the beaten path,” the sister countered. “Including truffles.”

A new person walked by, a man with a strange beetle-looking bag. “There’s a lot going on right now,“ the man said. “I travel between all the stables and you’re always hearing of the problems in each region.” He pointed to a large object in the distance, hanging in the sky. “For example, the Rito can’t fly very well over there, because they’re getting blasted out of the air. I’ve found that it’s best in these places to listen to the locals about the danger.” The man grinned and held his hand out. “Beedle is my name,” he said. “I buy and sell things and I travel often so feel free to talk with me.”

“Daruk’s my name,” Daruk introduced. He shook the man’s hand, accidentally gripping too tightly.

“My tip is to watch the lunar cycles,” a new voice piped up. It was a man standing in the doorway of the small building. He was glancing up at the sky even when he spoke. “There’s a thing known as a Blood Moon. Monsters who are slain come back to life when it hits midnight, so make sure you’re vigilant.”

“When is the next one supposed to be,” Daruk asked. 

The man glanced at Daruk. “It’s tonight. It’s probably for the best if your group stays here for the night.”

Daruk nodded. “That’s what we planned, ‘cause we don’t want to travel too much at night.” He waved. “I’ll be getting back to my friends, but it was good talking with everyone! I’ll keep all your tips in mind!”

He walked back out of the stable and sat by Urbosa. In her hands were skewers with meat and mushrooms. “Welcome back,” she said. “What have you been up to?”

“I was talking with everyone in there. Apparently, monsters are everywhere, and the ones we do slay come back when the moon turns red.”

Urbosa gazed up to the sky. “Fantastic,” she deadpanned. “We cannot trust everywhere we travel to stay safe then. And after all the work we did to clear the area around the Temple of Time.”

“Still, it is better to know this now rather than be blind-sighted later,” Mipha insisted, bringing a bowl of rice and fish. 

Revali strode to the group, his poultry stir fry in a bowl in his hand. “Did you learn anything else? I’ll admit, this is already quite good for having been gone for that short amount of time.” He puffed out his chest as if he wanted praise from praising someone else.

Daruk smiled at him. He would acknowledge him at the very least.  “It just means we have to be vigilant, not a problem! We’re the best team I can think of! I’m sure we’ll be just fine out there.”

The silence that hung over the group was like a fog. Even with no memories to speak of, they knew that was categorically false. 

So they sat there, gazing up as the moon turned red. Red tendrils of light flicked and flitted in the air and emerged from the ground. They could hear growling from somewhere, everywhere, but it was still safe. 

Finally, the moon was at its peak in the sky. Zelda’s voice rang in their heads.

“The Blood Moon, when spirits of monsters slain come to haunt the lands of Hyrule again,” she said mournfully. “Please, be careful.”

Then, just as quickly as it came, it left. The moon faded back to its normal pale glow.

They were awake and ready to head out at the crack of dawn despite the troubling sleep. Just past that hill in the distance lay their goal. They would learn more about their mission. Revali, of course, was the one to push them on their way. He followed behind the rest of the party, making sure they weren’t going to be ambushed. 

While he would love to play the part of the leader, he had temporarily shelved those thoughts. He didn’t even know why he wanted to in the first place. The others were better at speaking with people. All he did was ruffle feathers. 

“If we hurry, we might be able to get there before sundown,” he sneered. 

Urbosa rolled her eyes. “We are going as fast as we can. Not everyone can fly, you know.”

He did know that. It was what made him special in the ragtag group he’d gotten stuck with. “What I’m saying is that we actually left early today. We don’t actually know how far this place is.” A bluff, some way of explaining his actions. 

Mipha chewed on the tip of her nail. “That may be true, but it surely cannot be too far, otherwise why would the King point us here first?”

The sound of jingling and high-pitched yelling grabbed their attention. 

“Oh no!”

Their paces quickened. What once was walking was a full-on sprint. At the top of the hill stood a large Korok, jingling and panicking. “Shoko… the monster took my maracas,” he said aloud. “How do I get them back?”

The group stared blankly at the stupendously tall tree, then the tree looked back at them. “Oh? Can you see me?” His shrill voice sounded. “Shoka! Could you get my maracas back? Please?”

Revali huffed. There wasn’t a way of gracefully or kindly saying that you wanted nothing to do with this sidequest. He looked around and noticed everyone else smiling at the creature kindly.

“We’ll get your maracas back,” Daruk insisted.

The Korok’s eyes glimmered in the sunlight. “Really? Oh thank you!” 

Well, Revali thought, at least it would be a relatively easy request. Revali took to the skies and located the monsters stupid enough to steal a set of maracas and kept himself aloft. The bird snickered. 

A set of three bokoblins were dancing around a fire, dancing and clamoring. 

The Rito drew back and notched an arrow, letting it pierce the bokoblin’s head. It wasn’t quite dead yet though as it flew a few feet back. It wasn’t a problem as the second shot took it out.

Seeing their dead friend, the other two bokoblins grabbed their wooden clubs and frail shields and looked up. They couldn’t reach him. Revali had the upper hand and not even their rocks could change that. It wasn’t so much of a battle as it was bullying. 

Revali touched down and grabbed the maracas and flew back. Both the Korok and his traveling companions looked at him in awe. He handed them off with a smirk. “I just figured that we shouldn’t waste too much time,” he said. 

“Wow! Thank you Shoko!” The Korok shook the maracas, then frowned. “Oh, there’s no Korok seed in here, shokoooo….” As soon as he tilted forward, he snapped back. “Wait! Do you have a Korok seed? I can smell it!”

Mipha nodded and reached into her bag and set a few seeds into the Korok’s hand. “We got a few on the Plains. Will this make your maracas work?”

The Korok’s expression brightened and his voice raised a pitch. “Yes! Thank you so much! As thanks, I can make a bag bigger!” He shook his maracas and danced. The shaking grew louder and more Koroks appeared at his side. When he was done shaking, Mipha’s bag glowed. “There! You should be able to store more weapons! If you find more of these, I can expanda-banda-band your bag!”

“Where can we find you if we need to give you more Korok seeds?” Urbosa asked.

“Oh, well, I have to get back to the forest. OH!” The Korok looked sheepishly at the group. “I forgot to tell you my name! And I forgot to ask for your names! Shoko… that’s not nice of me.”

Daruk gave a good-natured laugh. “It’s not a problem! We all have moments like that! We forgot to ask too.”

“Oh, then it’s ok?”

Mipha smiled. “It’s perfectly fine. Won’t you tell us your name?”

The Korok brightened. “My name is Hestu! I live in the Lost Woods with the other Koroks and the Great Deku Tree! What’s your name?”

“My name’s Daruk,” Daruk said with a grin.

“I’m Mipha.”

“My name is Urbosa.”

And then the Hestu looked at Revali, eyes practically sparkly. “And in saving the best for last, I’m Revali.” The bird smirked. 

“Whoa! Now I have five non-forest friends! Daruk, Mipha, Urbosa, and Revali! It’s really nice to meet you! If you find any more Korok Seeds, come to the Lost Woods! I’ve gotta get home before it’s too late though.” The Korok waved his tiny hand at the group and waddled into the direction of Hyrule. 

“Do you think he’s going to be fine,” Urbosa asked, concern lacing her voice.”

Mipha nodded. “I think he will be.” 

In the briefest time the group talked, they turned to look for Hestu only to find no Korok. He had vanished in the wind. 

Revali sighed. “Now that we’re done here, might I suggest we go find Impa?”

Urbosa nodded. “Thank you Revali. Truly, I thank you for aiding.”

The Rito nodded. “Well, It was only so that we wouldn’t be too stalled.”

The Gerudo laughed. “So that we would not be stalled, indeed. How pragmatic.”

The group began their trek into the city itself, attracting the attention of the Sheikah guards and residents.

Kakariko was a quaint town, in Revali’s humble eyes. The houses were mostly small and took up little space and most of the space in town was reserved for walkways and farmland. 

Finally, after a few days of travel, they made their way to Impa’s front door. Two guards stood there, looking over the champions. “It’s an odd group to travel together,” one of the Shiekah said.

“We’re here to see Impa,” Revali said impatiently. He held out the Sheikah Slate. “Is this proof enough?”

They nodded. “We’ll tell Impa that you’re here. She’s been expecting you.” One of the guards went inside while the other stood at his post. As they waited, Revali studied the man left outside. He seemed nervous, even if only slightly. It was to be expected. They didn’t know what he was capable of. They didn’t know of his greatness yet. 

He glanced at the doorway before thoughts of doubt could creep in. He could hear the floorboards creak and the door open.. The man from before walked back to his post and gestured up the stairs. “She’s waiting for you, do not keep her waiting.”

“We won’t,” Urbosa insisted. She stepped forward and ducked under the short doorframe. 

Mipha followed quickly behind, with Revali following her lead. When Revali made his way up, he glanced back. Daruk stood awkwardly outside the door and laughed sheepishly. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to fit through here! That’s alright, you can tell me what I need to know and I can sit out here. The sun’s pretty nice right now!”

Revali nodded. “We’ll fill you in.” He softly closed the door and turned to face the elderly woman sitting in front of them.

“Is that all of you?” She asked. 

“All of us that can fit in here,” Revali deadpanned.

The woman, Impa sighed. “I should have prepared for this, but thank you for coming here first.”

“The old king, he sent us here. We have no memories to speak of at the moment, but we were told to do something to fix Hyrule. Could you help us in pointing us where to go?” Mipha asked softly. 

The woman sighed again. “Let me tell you a story, then I can point you. It should prove instrumental in knowing what happened. It was a hundred years ago at this point and we had been trying to get everything prepared for Calamity Ganon’s eventual reawakening. Princess Zelda was hard at work at accessing her sealing power while we unearthed relics from my tribe from long ago. The Divine Beasts and the Guardians were meant to aid in the Princess’ and the Hero’s battle with Ganon.” She winced. “But alas, they proved to be our undoing. In the battle that ensued, much of Hyrule was lost, including the castle and the surrounding towns. Even the Hero perished, but you four and Zelda survived. You were hanging by a thread, but there was something we could do. We put you in stasis to heal and hoped. There was always the possibility that it could cause amnesia, but we hoped it wouldn’t. I am sorry for the troubles in that regard, but it was our only resort.” She held her hand out. “Could you hand me the Sheikah Slate for a moment?”

Revali stepped forward and placed it in her hand. In a few moments, she handed it back. 

“While you could make your way to fight Ganon now, I would not recommend that. He is being strengthened by his hold on the Divine Beasts. These were contraptions that you four were meant to pilot, but you never made it in time.” Impa explained. “Ganon has split some of his power and is using them to pilot them in your stead.”

“But if we have to fight Ganon, who’s going to pilot them?” Urbosa questioned.

Impa shook her head. “No one. We cannot use them for this fight. They would have further weakened him, but we shall have to do with freeing them.”

Mipha frowned. “I see. I am… sorry that we could not have gotten there in time and that we cannot make use of them.”

“No, don’t be. None of this was your fault, any of you. We were caught unprepared and Ganon was smarter than we thought,” Impa insisted. “At the very least, we saved the four of you, even if it came at a cost.”

“And do you have a solution for that too?” Revali asked. “It’s taxing, is all, to not know anything about your life. Frustrating,”

Impa thought, then nodded. “Purah, my sister, should be able to point you in that direction. She lives in Hateno Village. Follow the path back from the village and behind the stable and you should find it.”

“Then we’ll do that,” Urbosa said. “It’s not too far from here, right? We can make that our first priority.”

The older woman nodded. “Give Purah my thanks for me, and thank you for doing this. It will not be easy, but I have faith in you. You were named Champions for a reason.” She smiled. “Go bring peace to Hyrule.”

“We will,” Urbosa said, walking to the door. She, Mipha, and Revali left and closed the door behind. They quietly walked down the stairs and looked between each of them, then to the Goron basking in the sun below.

Daruk raised his head and smiled. “Oh, that didn’t take too long. Do we have our destination?”

“Yes,” Mipha said. “We are going north first to a place called Hateno. Impa said it should help with our memories.

“We’ll explain more on the way,” Urbosa insisted.

As they walked back outside Kakariko, Revali took one last look at the guards standing watch. The nervous man was gone.

Urbosa led the group as usual past Kakariko, she tracked the field carefully even if she didn’t know what she was looking for.  “Impa mentioned that Hateno is past here,” she reminded.

Her eyes fell on a woman just ahead. Her posture was friendly, inviting. She waved cheerfully and beckoned them, but her sharp eyes contrasted the image. “Hey! Are you looking to travel somewhere? Maybe I can help!”

Daruk drew forward, grinning as he always did. “Yeah! Me and my pals here are new and we just wanted to make sure we’re going the right way.”

Urbosa’s steps quickened. Something sent her mind racing. They needed to get out of here, now.

The woman chewed her lip. “Oh, yeah. I can help you.” She smirked as she reached for something by her side. “Help you into the grave! Glory to Master Kogha.” A smoke ball was flung at the ground and in an instant, the woman was wearing an all red bodysuit with a mask covering her face. She dashed at the Goron, sickle by her side.

It was all Daruk could do to shield it with his ability. He gasped. “Hey!” He grabbed the club from his back and swung forward. 

The woman flipped backwards and vanished in the air again, then suddenly appeared in the air near Urbosa, bow in hand. Urbosa hopped to the side as two arrows whizzed by her head. Her heart raced and she didn’t know why. 

“Duck!” Revali shouted. He drew the bowstring back and shot, but failed to hit as the woman vanished again.

Then, the woman appeared by Mipha, but Mipha was prepared. She hopped back then charged forward with her spear. The woman fell from the sky and crashed to the ground. In that instant, Urbosa found her strength and let her swords do the dancing.

The woman huffed. “We know what you’re doing and we will put a stop to it.” She gave another grin and vanished, leaving behind rupees, a banana, and the sickle she was wielding. 

Daruk walked to the loot and put the items away, handing the weapon over to Urbosa. “Did you want this?”

Urbosa shook her head. “Leave it where it is.” She wouldn’t be caught holding that abomination. Weapons did have the potential to kill someone, yes, but the sickle was cruel.

Daruk must have read her expression as he set it down and dropped a large rock onto the metal. It dented easily and what a relief it was to see that. “There! That way, they can’t get it back!”

“Smart,” Revali commented. “Now let’s get back to what we were doing.”

“And let’s be mindful of who we may see on the road,” Urbosa insisted, looking around the group. She pressed forward, moving past everyone to take the lead of the group. “I don’t know how I knew, but she struck me as odd. Let me lead on these roads.” She waited a moment for an argument, but it never came. Satisfied, she continued walking.

They pushed past the deactivated Guardians, noting how close to the group Revali stuck, and then into the forest. They followed the path, occasionally having to dispatch a group of enemies on their way through.

Urbosa tried to keep her mind busy. She would take note of the cooking pots they found, or of the broken settlements. She would even make the occasional pitstop if she saw a Korok. She welcomed any distraction, even if she didn’t know why.

Though it took a few days of travel, the actual time they spent was mostly peaceful. Now they found themselves near the gate of town. Mipha smiled, it had been a while since she had a good soak. 

The guards stopped them, but quickly allowed the group to pass with Urbosa staring daggers. But before they would leave, Mipha would ask a question. “Do you know where we can find Purah?”

They pointed to the top of the mountain at a strange building. “She’s usually up there but lately there’s just been this kid that’s shown up instead,” he explained. 

Mipha nodded. “I see! We’ll go check up there, then.”

Revali looked at everyone, then to the house at the top. “I’ll go scout ahead. Go ahead and make staying arrangements because I don’t want to sleep outside tonight.”

“You got it! I probably will still have to because these little buildings don’t seem to be built with me in mind,” Daruk said with a laugh. “But the weather’s nice and it’ll be good not to have to sleep in shifts for once.”

Mipha’s eyes looked to the clear river flowing through the village. “I may also elect to sleep outside. The water looks nice, far nicer than a bed does.”

Urbosa nodded. “Alright, I’ll get two beds then.” She took her leave and into the center. 

Mipha watched in awe as she walked. She was confident and purposeful. She didn’t need to get people to move, they automatically made way for her and vanished into the crowd. 

“Did you want to find a good spot in the river,” Daruk asked. “I could sleep nearby if you want.” He smiled. 

“Yeah,” Mipha said. She and Daruk walked around the water’s edge and looked for a good place to stay. Eventually, they came across a pond behind an old, wooden house. The building looked empty, and the sign was faded. “Perhaps here,” she said. “Nobody seems to live here, or has for some time. Surely they won’t object to me sleeping there for the night.”

Daruk nodded. “And there’s good sun spots too, as well as cover if it rains. It’s perfect!”

They basked in their findings, intensely proud of the spot they discovered before breaking into a laughing fit. Mipha with her stifled laughs and snorts, and Daruk with his loud and boisterous roar.

“This is quite silly,” Mipha said. 

Daruk nodded, still chuckling. “Sometimes you need something like this. We’ve had it kind of rough since we woke up, and If it takes a pond to cheer you up, then that’s what it takes.”

The Zora woman silently agreed. “I think we should find where Urbosa went, this way we can all stick together,” Mipha said instead. 

“Yeah, wouldn’t want birdbrain to yell about having to find us,” he said with a grin. 

They moved across the bridge and down into the town. Urbosa was easily seen at a large inn, towering over the average person in the crowd. Mipha pushed her way through and gave apologies and excuses as she went. Daruk directly behind her however, did not share her struggle. They made way, if only to not be accidentally crushed underneath.

Not that Daruk would have, of course. Mipha knew better than that, but his big bulk gave a certain impression. 

“Sav’saaba,” Urbosa greeted. ”Did you find what you needed?”

Mipha nodded. “We have! There’s an old house with a pond nearby.”

“I see. I’ve booked the beds for myself and Revali,” Urbosa said. “Revali’s come back but hasn’t said anything yet. He wanted to set his stuff down before we went up.”

They could hear a voice from behind the door, slightly annoyed and haughty. “She didn’t tell me anything, told me to grab everyone even though I got her furnace working again,” Revali said with a huff as he opened the door. “Let’s go before we burn the day away.”

He stepped forward, acting like the leader in this outing. Mipha didn’t object, nor did anyone else. She merely took in the sights as they traveled. There were fields of apple trees and of cows and goats. She laughed to herself. Something echoed in her head, telling her that it should remind her of something. 

Perhaps she saw a lot of goats?

She must have! She filed that information away for later. She was more interested in the landscape anyway. As she climbed the hill, she stared into the distance at the bluish mountain range ahead. She felt a pang of homesickness and longing, then she was forced to tear her eyes away and to a house at the very top.

Revali’s feathers were more ruffled than usual. He knocked on the door, then opened it. “I’ve brought them,” he said with disdain. 

As everyone filed in, the small child on the table grinned. “Yes! You did! Thank you, Revali. Now, he’s already told me a little bit about what you’ve done after waking up,” the girl started.

“Wait, who are you?” Urbosa asked. “We were sent to speak with Impa’s sister, Purah. Is she here?”

The girl scoffed in a fake outrage. “Oh? You don’t recognize me? And after all I did to try to save you guys. It’s enough to make a girl cry.”

Revali groaned. “She’s explained the whole thing to me already. This is Purah, apparently.” He huffed. “She’s said as much, and that was the only thing she said.”

Purah faced Revali and pouted. “You’re not very fun, but fine. Yeah! It’s me! I found a way to reverse aging! Snappity-snap!” She grinned as she snapped and posed. “And I know about your memories and I do have a solution to that particular problem too.” Her eyes settled on Mipha. “But I have a little favor I need.”

She looked melancholic. “I need you to destroy an out-of-control Guardian for me.”

Revali rolled his eyes. “They’re all out-of-control. So any will do? Did I really need to get them?”

Purah shook her head. “No, it’s a specific one,” she insisted. She held her hand out for the slate, which Revali gave begrudgingly. After a moment, she handed it back.

Revali immediately screeched. “You’re telling us to go all the way there before we can even begin to get our memories back?”

“Revali,” Urbosa warned with a low rumble. 

Revali ran his fingers through the feathers on his head. “No, I want you to look at where she’s sending us,” he hissed. He passed the slate forcefully and zoomed it out. “This is where we are,” he pointed. “And this is where this Guardian is.”

“Oh. My apologies then, Revali.” She whipped her head up and narrowed her eyes on Purah. “And why this specific one? And why not help?”

Purah put her hands on her hip. “I can’t help you, not right now. Not without that Guardian being rubble on the ground. It’s too important, both for me and for you guys. Revali said you went to a bunch of shrines before, right?”

Mipha nodded slowly. “Yes? But we couldn’t do much there. The slate was locked to basic functionality, or that’s what it said.”

“Well! If you go there and destroy the Guardian, then you’ll be free of that problem. Don’t you want to be able to use the Sheikah Slate and all of its functionality?”

Revali grumbled. “You made a way to de-age yourself and you can’t give it to us?”

“No, I can’t.” Purah insisted. “But I can do something for you in the meantime.” She hopped off the table and rummaged through a drawer. “Aha, here it is!”  She walked back, key in hand, and placed it in Mipha’s hand. “There’s a house I managed to save from being demolished! There’s no beds in it right now, but it should be able to fit everyone and has access to fresh water.”

“Oh!” Mipha said with a smile. “Is it that older one?”

Purah nodded. “Yeah! Bolson Construction helped to spruce it up, but they haven’t had the time to make furniture. When you come back, there’ll be more stuff there. This way you don’t have to pay for beds next time.” She looked sheepishly at the party. “Believe me, I am trying to help, but I can’t do much at the moment.”

Mipha found it hard to be mad at her, not when she was so earnest. She was keeping something hidden, but she could tell it was something that brought her pain. “It’s ok. We’ll be back when we manage to destroy that hunk of junk.”

“Besides, you could teleport to one of the shrines you already have activated. It’s not like you have to leave from here,” Purah insisted. “It’s still a long journey, and I’m sorry. But this is something you need to do first. I know you have to free the Divine Beasts, but this is the most important thing right now.”

Revali sighed. “Fine. What does this thing look like? Is it stationary or...?”

Purah’s face had an unreadable expression to it. “It’s able to move, but it looks different. It’s covered in Malice, this purple goo stuff from the Calamity. You’ll need to be careful.”

“We will,” Daruk insisted. “We’re pretty good at breaking things, or at least I am. We’ll take care of it, and then you can relax.”

“Is there anything else?” Urbosa asked. 

Purah shook her head. “Do let me know immediately when you’ve slain it. Please, it’s important. Have someone branch off and let me know if you can.”

Urbosa’s eyebrow raised. “Is there a reason for that?”

Purah nodded. “Yep! I can’t tell you right now but it’s important for me.”

“Well, if there’s nothing else, I’m leaving,” Revali said, pushing his way to the door. “I’m going to bed. We can leave in the morning.

Urbosa followed behind shortly. 

“It was nice to meet you,” Mipha insisted. “I am sorry that you have been saddened by this. And I’m sure you have your reasons for everything.”

“But this will probably also take a while to get where we’re going,” Daruk said with a laugh. “Just based on how they reacted.”

Purah nodded. “Trust me, I wish he did go that far.” She gave the two a light shove. “But you need to get going. And thank you for hearing my request.”

Mipha waved her goodbye before the door was closed. She and Daruk made her way down the hill in a satisfied silence. 

All they needed to do at this point, was to sleep. They would deal with the journey later.