Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A shrine door groaned open on an isolated plateau, atop a cliff towering over the rest of the plain - already hundreds of feet above the surrounding land. Sunlight trickled through the leaves into the darkened cave, illuminating the dark stone that hadn’t seen the light of day in 100 years. Out of the shadows stepped a figure, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with his hand as he stepped slowly at first, then quicker, rushing to the edge of the cliff and overlooking the vast world that surrounded him.

Thus began the story of a hero.

Chapter Text

Link - that was his name, right? The voice seemed to think so - had awoken mere minutes before. A glowing light, blinding but warm and comforting in an almost familiar way, despite Link - yes, that felt right - not truly recognizing it. 

Something deep within him ached, a melancholy resolution that he should know this voice, that it was safety, it was comfort, it was familiarity, but he didn’t know it. He barely knew his own name, and as he opened his eyes he felt almost stricken to find the light was not there, cool darkness greeting him instead, a soft blue glow resting above him. 

There was water around him, wasn’t there? Did he even know what water was? Whatever the case, it quickly drained as he awoke, slowly sitting up in the small divot in the stone he was in - could it be called a bed? A strange symbol was carved into it, something else that called to him, strange yet remarkable and altogether too distinct to be random or something he shouldn’t know - but he shouldn’t know anything, should he? He had just woken up mere seconds ago, he didn’t know anything.

Yet he knew how to speak, didn’t he? Or he understood language, at least. He knew what the voice had been telling him - to wake up, to open his eyes. He had been asleep, he knew that much.

And he understood concepts like darkness and light, and being in a small, dark, enclosed room, with nothing else there but a glowing pedestal - he knew what a pedestal was - and some strange, root-like structure - he knew what roots were, and plants, and he knew how they grew - that held the mirrored ceiling to the bed he had been lying in. 

He seemed to understand the basics of the world, things that might exist, and the language he spoke - could he speak? - and he knew his name now, and he understood that he was naked - where were his clothes? Had he ever had any? - and that he was far too old to have just been born, but then, why else would he know nothing, yet everything all at once?

He was born anew into a world he’d already been in, with no knowledge or memory of anything, yet an innate sense of familiarity and understanding of something he didn’t understand. 

His head hurt.

So he had stood, and walked, and when the voice told him that it was a Sheikah Slate that the pedestal offered - he knew that word, didn’t he? - he took it. The voice knew he was asleep - for a long time, at that. How long had it been? Why had he been asleep? Most people didn’t sleep for nearly as long as he had, did they? What was “normal”, anyways?

The screen glowed and shifted, and a square grid appeared on it. The word “Inventory” appeared at the top, and he tapped at the screen curiously. An image - perfect to life, but smaller, shrunken down - of the Sheikah Slate was displayed on itself - and a few inches to the right, a model of himself, naked as he was, standing there blankly, like a mannequin or model. How did he know what those were?

He tapped on the image of the Sheikah Slate, as tapping on anything else seemed to do nothing - or bring him to more blank pages of empty squares, though that wasn’t much help either - and a description appeared in front of the model of him. 

“A mysterious tablet with a glowing center. You’ve never seen this device before, and yet... there’s something familiar about it.”

Well, he already knew as much. Though, how the device knew about his thoughts, he wasn’t sure. He shrugged, putting the device on the holster on his hip as he watched the pedestal return to normal, a door lifting in an abnormal - was it abnormal? - way, revealing another room. 

There were boxes and chests, as well as a few destroyed barrels. He knew what those were, at least. He walked over cautiously to one of the chests, looking around at the room - there was a ramp to a lower part of the room, and another door next to a pedestal, similar to the one he had come from. He turned back to the chest, and hesitated for a moment, before kicking the stone - and promptly hopping on one foot as he held his toes, wincing in pain.

Note to self - don’t do that. 

Inside was a shirt, and it lingered in his hands for a moment, before disappearing. He looked around, confused, before grabbing the slate resting on his hip. Another page had opened up, this one listed as Armor. Another description, noting how it was old and too small for him, but when he tapped on its display, two options appeared. He selected equip.

Instantaneously, he was wearing the shirt, and the model changed to reflect it. The brown strap over his chest easily fitted over it - why had he awoken already wearing it? - as did the belt. 

He turned to the other chest, kneeling down to undo the latch properly. A pair of trousers to match the ill-fitting, ages-old shirt, both plain and faded. He wondered for a moment at the lack of mold or mildew on the clothes that had been apparently left for many years - for him? He didn’t know, but he supposed there wasn’t much other option. Who else would they be for? Who else would enter into these dark - underground? - rooms, with doors only able to be opened by the device he held - how had they shut the doors behind him? Who had left them there? Who was the voice who seemed to know everything, who was calling out to him, who was instructing his path with a gentle kindness that he wasn’t entirely certain he yet deserved?

Regardless, Link turned to the other containers around him. He had no real way to get into the boxes, whatever they may contain - if it was anything at all - and though he felt they had been left there for him, as the chests had, he supposed if it was really important they would have left something for him to open them with. The barrels, however, he could already see inside, and he lifted one up experimentally - holding it over his head as he considered its weight. He threw it, and it smashed to dust when it hit the ground, ceasing to exist with a puff of dirt - smoke? Dust?

He did this with the others as well, though there was no difference. Finally, he resolved to make his way to the door, examining the glowing - orange, this time - pedestal, though this one did not have a space for him to place the slate. 

The voice spoke again, this time, instructing him to hold the slate up the pedestal. He did as instructed, watching as the eye-like symbol glowed blue instead, a message displaying on the screen of the tablet. 

“Authenticating...

“Sheikah Slate confirmed.”

The symbol at the center of the door glowed, and its panels began to lift, revealing a blinding light that he couldn’t see through. 

The voice spoke to him once more, but he couldn’t quite agree with them. They were the light, were they not? The glowing that had awoken him, the guidance that had shown him the way? How were they so sure that he was the one who would bring light to others?

And Hyrule - that was the land they were in, was it not? He felt like he knew it, but it had been so long - had it been? - since he had seen it, since he had known anything. 

His eyes adjusted, and he made his way up the gravel-covered stairs, past the pool of water that didn’t go above his feet, and climbed the wall in front of him like it was nothing - like it was something he had always known how to do - and wasn’t it? He could remember his entire existence, as far as he was aware, and he had known this since the very beginning, moments ago. He certainly hadn’t learned it in the few minutes it took to get to this point.

Still, something didn’t quite feel right.

And here he was, standing on the cliff, taking in the altogether overwhelming world full of life and thousands of locations that he was just itching to explore - he could jump off this cliff right now, skip the path and go forwards without a care, but that would hurt, wouldn’t it - an expansive forest and walls that were all-too-confining, despite the miles that they spanned and the sheer number of places he could go even in this confined area, raised up above the ground.

He turned every which way, before looking to his right, and seeing a figure in the distance - an old man, cloaked in dark clothing and holding a lamp-post-cane, turning away from Link the moment he saw him. 

Link took a breath, taking in the world around him for one last moment. It was beautiful, every bit of it, and he wanted to stay here forever, examining every last leaf. 

But at the same time, he couldn’t sit still for another moment longer. He had to run, to climb, to explore, to take in every last inch of this world he could find. He took a step, then another, and he was off, running into the world of the unknown, welcoming and dangerous and inviting as it was. 

He found a stick on the ground, and marvelled as it too disappeared into his inventory, the Sheikah Slate giving him a description as it classified it as a weapon - I know what a tree branch is, thank you. Though I might just use it as a weapon, now that you’ve given me the idea. 

He found mushrooms, and a few beetles, and he climbed the trees and the side of the mountain for a moment, though he didn’t have enough energy to make it to the top yet. He pushed a boulder down the path, and messed with the Sheikah Slate until he discovered the scope, and found a few more tree branches. He discovered the log of his quests, the only one currently being to follow the glowing point on his map, and he rushed down the hill, getting the description of an apple along the way as he plucked them off the tree.

There the old man sat, next to a fire with what looked like an apple, though it seemed rather charred. An axe was stuck into a tree stump just past him, and Link passed by the man, grabbing the axe first, letting it disappear into the slate before turning to face the man. He paused, grabbing the apple from the ground first, reading its simple description.

“I BEG YOUR PARDON!” 

Link jumped, meeting eyes with the man. He admonished Link, telling him he couldn’t take whatever he wanted, and Link looked around. That’s what he had been doing up until now - there was no one around for miles, it seemed, and everything here was part of nature. Though, he supposed the baked apple wasn’t. If the man had picked and cooked it himself - presumably making the fire as well - then he had every right to the apple. Link went to give it back, but the man kept talking.

“Oho ho! Forgive me - I could not resist pulling your leg.” Well. Link certainly didn’t appreciate his first interaction with another living being - besides that beetle he had caught earlier, that is - being a random person messing with him. Still, he listened to what the man had to say.

The man didn’t give him much information about himself, though he seemed to know a lot about the land, and he held a hope for Link that he himself wasn’t yet sure of. He pointed out the destroyed temple, and Link felt a twinge of grief, though as far as he knew, it had been destroyed for as long as he’d been alive. 

Still, he listened to the man’s descriptions, and the hope for his future. He took the torch from behind him, and listened to his worry about his desire to use it for fire - though, that was the purpose of a torch, was it not? Light too, yes, but what’s the point of fire if not to light things on fire?

Link continued down the path, looking around as he tried not to trip down the stone steps that were beyond well-worn at this point. He gathered more apples, and scoured his sight for anything else he could grab. He almost didn’t notice when something at the edge of his vision started to move.

He jumped back, letting out a rather loud and undignified yelp as something swung its fist towards him. Something red, about the same size as him, though a bit more well-fed - he supposed being asleep for - years? Months? He didn’t know - would definitely put a halt on his nutrition - and more crouched than he was. It had a horn sticking out of its head, glowing blue eyes not too dissimilar to his own, though with no whites or pupils, and ears nearly the same size as its face flapping as it moved. 

It swung again and Link sprinted a few feet away, adrenaline racing. What was this thing? Why was it trying to kill him? Could he fight it? Did he know how? How powerful was it? Would he die from one hit? It picked up a nearby tree branch and slashed at Link, who let out yet another undignified yell as the panic began to overtake him.

He had weapons, yes? How did he use them? What did he use? How did he use it? He still had the tree branch equipped, didn’t he? As the creature - monster? - leapt for him again, just barely missing, Link swung towards it, and he felt the branch move with surprising ease. There was something natural about holding a weapon. 

With a few more swings and a lot more panic, the monster was dead, turning black before disappearing in a puff of smoke, its horn dropping to the ground out of the dust. He poked it experimentally with the branch it had held - his had broken in the fight - before picking it up curiously. Just as quickly as he did, it too disappeared, and he pulled out the Sheikah Slate expectantly. 

A Bokoblin Horn - so that creature was called a Bokoblin? - with a tip about making an elixir with it. He hoped he could avoid any more of those, for the time being.

And so he continued on. The voice spoke to him once more, nearly giving him a heart attack when he was suddenly frozen in place - how could the voice do that? - instructing him to go towards the glowing dot on the Sheikah Slate. 

He took out the tablet once more, inspecting his location relative to the dot - how was it tracking his location? He didn’t suppose it mattered. 

He ambled down the path, inspecting anything he could - he found some amber and a cricket under a few rocks - and taking anything he saw - apples, tree branches, a few arrows shot into the ground. He put off the dot for a moment, taking a turn to go towards the Temple Of Time - that is what the old man had called it, right? - smashing pots on the way and cautiously investigating the strange, ruined relics. They were machines at some point, at least, he thought they were. He wasn’t sure if he knew anything.

There were a few more of those monsters - bokoblins, yes, that felt right - some with their own crafted weapons. They were better than the tree branches, so he took them. He was also ambushed by a small blue blob, dropping right in front of him from a tree. He wasn’t ashamed to say he let out a few curses at that. The slate told him that it was a Chuchu - or at least, that’s what the description of its jelly gave him. 

There were a few chests too - with a proper pair of pants! - and some vases. He couldn’t get his hand inside or shake whatever was in them out, but smashing them against the wall served much like the barrels, only these ones held some arrows, or other supplies. 

Soon he was in the temple, taking in the ruined walls, the desecrated patterns and designs. The statue was glowing, but he ignored it for the moment, taking in the sacred temple, now overtaken by nature and time. It was oddly beautiful, even in its age and decaying state. 

And, there - he almost didn’t see it, but carved into the floor, now overgrown with moss and grass, but just barely still visible, there was a symbol. He thought he had seen it before, in some of the other ruins - and at the top of the doorway, too, right? - but something about it drew him in. One large triangle, with three smaller ones inside, perfectly forming another triangle in the center through the absence of space. He stared.

Something about this symbol was so familiar. He should know it, he knew he should. Link crouched down, brushing his hand over the symbol, trying to think of something, anything he could tie to it. A memory, a name, something. Still, he came up empty. 

Link sighed, standing up again, making his way to the statue, though not before smashing all of the pots on the way, collecting the arrows and even a bow from a chest, hidden in the corner. 

The statue smiled down at him - it represented the Goddess, didn’t it? He felt some connection to her, though he didn’t know her name. And what did the smaller ones represent? He wasn’t sure. He stared for a moment; he felt there was something he was supposed to do, some interaction he was supposed to offer, but he didn’t know what. 

He turned, making his way outside through the rather large hole in the wall - if he could even call it that. He walked up to one of the ruined machines, inspecting it, running his fingers over the moss grown into the metal, and some other material that almost seemed the same as the one in the walls where he had awoken - the map had called it the Shrine Of Resurrection, right? Did that mean he had been dead, before? He wasn’t sure.

He supposed it was time to finally make it to the glowing point. 

He meandered through the stone path, descending the many stairs as he made it back to the trees and more open plain. He experimentally swung the axe at the fallen log, and marvelled momentarily as it poofed into a perfectly sliced bundle of wood, disappearing into his inventory once more as he tried to pick it up. There was something called “Hyrule Herb” next to it, too.

He jumped again as two more of those Chuchu things arose, letting out a yelp and running a good few feet away at first, before walking back cautiously and taking them out with one hit each. At least they weren’t nearly as strong as the Bokoblin creatures. 

He continued down the grander set of stairs, much wider and curved, though still overgrown and worn down. The glowing point seemed to be on his right, when he reached the bottom.

Right where the Bokoblins are, of course.

They appeared to have bows as well, and as he looked over the grassy plain - though it wasn’t nearly all that flat - he saw arrows scattered in the ground. They didn’t move, at least, and they didn’t see him yet, so he supposed he still had the advantage. He wondered if he could just sneak past them.

He made his way over to the side, closer to the water - that seemed to be closer to the glowing point, anyways - creeping up until he was behind the one without a bow - was it guarding the point? - though it had a shield, and a proper sword, too. 

He crept up directly behind it, removing all of his equipment to be as quiet as he could, and sat there for a moment, mere inches behind the Bokoblin. Unsure of what to do now, he cautiously lifted the slate, taking out a club once more. Quietly drawing himself up, he plunged it down on the Bokoblin’s back with all his might, staring in wonder as it fell to the ground, dying on the spot. 

Link smiled despite himself - if killing every monster was as easy as that, maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. He took his loot and moved forwards, turning away from the point once more as he crept ever closer to the two archers overlooking the small area.

He got close, too, less than a foot away from them, when one turned, spinning on its heel in shock and anger as it heard his movements, and Link froze, weaponless and spotted mere inches from two monsters, with bows and apparently infinite arrows - where were they coming from? They had no quiver, or any arrows visible in fact - and the desire to very much kill him dead.

He leapt back, equipping a weapon the best he could in his panic, and began to run, moving every which way to avoid their fire. He stumbled down the small hill they were on, trying to evade their view, before sprinting back up and slashing at one like his life depended on it - and well, it very well could. With only a few hits, it was dead, but the other one was still shooting. 

He fell back as an arrow pierced his shoulder, wincing and clutching the wound as he continued to run. It died quickly too, but he was still in pain, and injured at that. He pulled up the slate, looking for any remedy, when he noticed something he hadn’t before.

Besides the items and their descriptions, and the model of him, there were gauges. One showed his temperature, and another above it was a plain green wheel. He tapped it, and the label “Stamina” appeared, but nothing else, and it disappeared just as quickly. There was also a counter, with a green, emerald-like object next to it, detailing that he had zero of whatever it was.

But finally, and most importantly, there were three red hearts on the top left of the display, and one of them had a quarter chunk missing. He swiped back over to the materials he had picked up, and tapped on a few of them. In addition to their descriptions, there were little red hearts, matching to the ones on the top-left, that he had overlooked until now. 

Curiously, he selected an apple, and noticed that the options were different from weapons. Here, he had the choice to Eat or Hold. Hesitantly, he selected Eat.

His hand moved nearly on its own, grabbing the apple apparently out of thin air and shoving it into his mouth. In one bite, he had eaten the whole thing - with a rather loud crunch - and the wound on his shoulder disappeared - and the arrow with it - healing almost instantly. He checked the gauge again, and the display now showed three full hearts, as if nothing had ever happened.

Link frowned, slowly placing the slate back on his hip. He had a feeling that was not how it was supposed to work, but then again, he knew nothing, now did he? He shrugged it off, walking once more towards the glowing point marked on his map.

There, he found another pedestal, similar to the one he had first received the Sheikah Slate from. He considered it for a moment, peering curiously at the pedestal from every which angle, before placing the slate inside.

The screen glowed, flashing from orange to blue as the pedestal alighted, and words appeared on the screen once more.

“Sheikah Tower activated.”  Sheikah Tower? Is that what this place was? It was built into the mound on the ground, he didn’t really think that counted as a tower. 

“Please watch for falling rocks.”  What did-

The symbol on the entrance lit up, and the ground began to shake. Link tried to hold on as the world beneath shook like it was about to fall apart, but fell flat on his back despite his efforts.

The floor beneath him rose, and he could feel the rush of air as he ascended, the “ceiling” above him his only shield as the rocks fell away from around him, freeing him to the open sky as it grew rapidly closer, the very platform he stood on thrusted into the sky. 

After a moment the movement stopped, and Link cautiously stood, looking around. He was now a mile in the air, far higher than he ever would’ve been able to go on his own, and now the Tower - he understood now, why it was named as such - glowed blue, strange symbols - that almost looked like language - was it a language? - lining the cone that served as a small ceiling to the place.

He turned back to the pedestal - he would really rather have that slate right now, and maybe give some strongly worded feedback to the complete lack of warning for what happened - finding more words upon the screen.

“Distilling local information...”  It read, and the stone above it glowed to life, more of those symbols appearing, and seeming to flow downwards, toward the slate. They manifested in a glowing droplet, splashing onto the screen and changing its display, pulling up the map and illuminating the section they were in - he assumed they were divided by region? - replacing it after a moment with an actual, fully fleshed-out map.

“Regional map extracted.”  And the pedestal shifted, offering him the slate once more.

He placed it back on his hip, turning to look around for a moment and fully take in his new surroundings before looking closer at the map, when the voice began speaking to him again.

“Try... try to remember...” Remember... what? Something about that voice haunted him, and he sprinted towards the edge, facing the - castle? Palace? Whatever it was - that had dark pillars surrounding it, a light - the light, the one of the voice, glowing for him - emanating out of its center. 

“You have been asleep for the past 100 years.” A chill ran down his spine. 

He watched in horror as a dark cloud grew around it, a monster, beyond comprehension in size and never taking a full shape, more smoke than beast but monstrous all the same, with glowing eyes roared as if in response to the voice’s words. He did not doubt that it regaining full strength would mean total demise. Still, the light grew, almost in a locked struggle with the beast, growing brighter and larger as the monster did, and Link noticed that the eyes of the beast glowed in the same color the voice’s light did.

The voice urged him to hurry, and a sense of guilt and fear settled deep in his stomach. It was his responsibility to fight this beast, to save Hyrule, to save the voice. It was his fault it had grown this strong, too, wasn’t it? If he had been asleep for all this time - 100 years, he had been asleep - while it gained strength and power, when he should’ve been there, fighting it, keeping everyone safe, keeping evil at bay... He wondered how the voice still had faith in him at all.

With shaking hands, Link took out the slate once more, and it opened to his quests. Following the point had now been completed, the slate retold what he had done. Now, however, there was another section, with a gap between, suggesting there were more categories to come. Besides Main Quests, as that had apparently been, there were now Memories, all of them blank and blacked out, though they were numbered. There were 18 for him to... find? Remember? Recover? He didn’t know.

He looked around from atop the tower, taking in the simply enormous world around him. There were numerous other towers out there, glowing orange, in various areas of the world. 

He used the scope to place a pin on one, and found it was halfway across the world, nearly at the edge of the map. He supposed that made sense, with how far away it was, and he changed the pin to a stamp, so he could use the others on more important things, for the time being.

There were four glowing structures on the Great Plateau - as he now knew it was called - with the same dark stone he had found in the Shrine of Resurrection, and he wondered about them, taking in the view for one more moment before the more pressing issue hit him.

How was he going to get down? 

He supposed he could jump from the ledge, perhaps landing in some of the nearby water would save him? If he could reach it, that was. And there was stone blocking the two (what appeared to be) holes for him to leave through. Really, he didn’t see much other option.

Taking a breath, he steeled himself and leapt from the tower.

The air rushed around him for a moment, and he fell for just long enough to begin to regret his decision, panic seeping in as the ground grew nearer in an instant.

He plunged to the floor with a sickening crack, and everything went dark.

Chapter Text

Suddenly, he awoke, back on the tower.

Link nearly screamed. One moment he was plummeting to his death, bones all shattering in an instant with an excruciating pain he hadn’t known possible, and the next he was safely back atop the tower, as if nothing had happened, bones back intact and the world itself seeming to have rewound. 

He did a mental check, focusing on every part of his body - all of it was whole and unharmed, not a single scrape there to prove anything had even happened. 

With shaking steps, Link backed away from the ledge, looking closer at the platform he was on. There, past the two blocked passageways - there was a third, unblocked, and free for him to use.

Note to self - don’t jump off of tall things, especially before checking for other options.

He walked over to the hole, looking down. It appeared there was another platform he could jump down to, and a lattice-like lining on the wall, that he could potentially climb down with. Hesitantly, he began to lower himself down.

He looked around once on the lower platform, and found that there were several others just like it, spiraling down the side of the tower short distances from each other. With a little more confidence, he looked to the closest one, taking a deep breath as he stepped off towards it. 

He free-fell for only a second, landing safely on the platform without so much as stumbling as he landed. Relieved, he let out a sigh, setting his sights on the next platforms ahead.

He made quick work of the descent after that, landing on solid ground and smiling defiantly back up at the tower that had quelled him. 

No sooner than he had done so, however, did he hear a voice call out to him - not yet familiar, but one he had heard only hours before. 

The old man landed before him, gliding down - from where? How had he managed to get into the air, especially from that direction? - with a device that allowed him to soar on the air. 

Link listened steadily as he described the problem that had now arisen - though Link didn’t much see it as such - noting that a long-dormant power - could Link be considered that, too? - had awoken, and rather suddenly at that.

It felt quite pointedly the same as his awakening had been, merely earlier that day, but he kept quiet until the man asked him a question.

“If you do not mind me asking... Did anything... odd occur while you were atop that tower?” He queried, and Link considered not answering - how had he known he was atop the tower in the first place? Though, Link supposed the man might’ve simply seen him - but after a moment he decided to tell the truth. 

He really didn’t know how the man hadn’t seen the glowing light and the swirling darkness that had surrounded the castle, yet still noticed Link atop the tower, but he supposed that didn’t matter for now.

“I heard a voice.” He answered honestly, hoping quietly that the man might know something more about this voice. Could anyone else hear it too, or was it just Link? Why was it so insistent on speaking to him? Why did it have so much faith in him, despite his apparent failings?

“Well now! A voice, you say? And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?” Link’s heart sank for a moment - if the man did not know anything about it - had not even heard it himself - then there was really no hope for answers anytime soon. He resigned himself to living with these questions, for now.

“No.” 

“I see. Well, that is unfortunate.” I know. “I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle.” The old man pointed, and Link turned to face it. Oh, so you did see it? Why wasn’t that your first question, then? 

“That... is Calamity Ganon . One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin.” He had suspected as much. Though, it was nice to have a name to the monstrous beast that he was supposed to - expected to - face. 

Link listened as he continued to describe the destruction it had brought, the grief in his voice a feeling Link felt he knew all too well, though he did not have the memories to back it up. The castle, apparently, had kept it at bay for a century now, harboring the evil as it regained its strength, never leaving, never attacking again. Link couldn’t help but bitterly wonder why. 

The moment of its return, however, was fast approaching. At least, according to the old man, who now turned back towards Link, a guarded yet almost knowing expression in his eyes.

“I must ask you, courageous one... Do you intend to make your way to the castle?”

“I do.” How could he not? The voice needed him, Hyrule, needed him. He could not let everyone down. Not again. Not as he apparently already had. 

He barely knew how to fight, barely could keep himself alive for five minutes, but he knew he had to. It was his responsibility, his burden to bear, and he would pawn it off on no others. This was his fight. He would not run and hide. 

The man let out a tired chuckle. “I had a feeling you would say that.”

Still, he described their isolation, how no one could get in or out of the secluded plateau they were on. How then, had he been placed there, 100 years ago, to be resurrected? And, more pointedly, how had the old man made it up here, in his old age, with no one else to help him? There had to be some other way.

“Of course, if you had a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story.” And there it was. Link felt a hint of bitterness creep in. The world was in danger, the stakes were dire, and here this man was going on about the dangers of simply trying to leave the area, while dangling the solution over his head. Link didn’t quite have the patience for that.

“Hand it over!” 

“Oho! Certainly! Why not? But there is no such thing as a free item in this world, you know.” Well, Link knew that was bullshit. Everything he had gotten up to now had been free - the clothes he wore, the weapons he held, the slate itself had been given to him on a shining pedestal. And with the consequences so severe, why was he now trying to bargain with Link? Didn’t he know that Link had to fight?

He didn’t appreciate the offer to exchange it for treasure, but he knew he didn’t have much of a choice. Link didn’t care for riches, he would gladly hand over whatever meager treasure he could find on an apparently isolated plateau like this. He let the man lead him to wherever it was he would have to retrieve it from.

Apparently, it was only a few feet away. 

He began to describe the strange structure that Link had spotted - that he had already marked on his map, noting the locations of the four identical glowing stone structures. He had noticed, too, that they only began to glow when the towers had arisen. They were likely activated by the same mechanism that had caused all of the other towers to arise when Link placed the Sheikah Slate into the first one.

He supposed it wasn’t too much to ask for Link to venture inside, considering he had already been wanting to explore it, anyways. Though he didn’t much appreciate being essentially strong-armed into it.

“Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe.” Link begrudgingly agreed.

He walked past the old man, and carefully waded into the water. He had seen some fish swimming here, and the old man’s request could wait. 

He treaded past where he could reach, and found that swimming came almost naturally to him, though he certainly wasn’t a proficient swimmer, by any means. He dashed through the rather small pond, and managed to actually catch a few fish, before climbing out of the water and continuing onwards.

He made his way through the eroded entrance, now caved in and flooded with water. That must’ve been how people had come and went, before the destruction of everything. He searched a few of the broken machines as well, gathering a few more of those ancient materials.

Within moments, however, he approached the entrance to the structure, and he checked on his map again, seeing if there was any indication of what this... thing was. 

“Oman Au Shrine”, it was called, apparently. 

Another shrine. That’s what these must be, then. The Sheikah Towers, and the Sheikah Shrines. 

He rather wished he could read the language inscribed on its door - it was the same one that appeared under all the words on the slate, too.

There appeared to be a symbol on the floor, too, just like the glowing one on the platform of the tower, and there was that eye-like symbol that appeared on the tower and the slate, and just about everywhere. He supposed it must be a Sheikah symbol.

There was another pedestal, next to the door - he assumed it was a door, at least, it certainly looked like the other Sheikah doors - similar to the one he had used to exit the Shrine of Resurrection. He held up the Sheikah Slate experimentally.

“Sheikah Slate confirmed.”   The symbol on the platform glowed to life. 

“Travel Gate registered to map.” 

Travel gate?

“Access granted.”  The doors swung open.

Before he went inside, however, Link took out the strange tablet once more, looking at the map quizzically. The symbol representing the shrine now matched it - half orange, half blue. That seemed to be a theme, didn’t it? Orange meaning incomplete, blue meaning finished. Regardless, he tapped on the symbol representing the tower experimentally.

Only one option this time. “Travel.” Hesitantly, he selected it.

In seconds he was whisked away, feet lifting off the ground as his body seemingly unravelled, becoming thin blue wisps of light that separated further and further as they rose into the air, his very being coming undone.

In mere moments, however, he was pieced back together, through much the same process but now in reverse, and his feet were placed solidly back on the ground - only now, he was a mile in the air again, staring out upon the land from atop the tower, standing in the center of that very same circled symbol. The travel gate, it was called. 

Well, that’s much more efficient. 

With another tap, he was whisked away again, back to the shrine, warped through time and space to a location that was really not that far away - but then, he really didn’t feel like climbing down the tower again, and if he had this faster form of travel now, why not use it? He wondered if the same mechanics worked for the Shrine of Resurrection, and concluded that they probably did, but he wasn’t going to test it at the moment.

Instead, he stepped forwards, finally entering the shrine, and stepping onto the glowing circle with the eye-like symbol inside, inspecting it curiously.

Almost in response, it glowed brighter, and began to descend.

First it takes me up, and now it takes me down. Is this all I’m going to do on this plateau?

He looked around as the platform came to a stop - this place was evidently much bigger on the inside than it appeared. He wondered how far underground he was now, and how had they built such a sprawling place so deep underground without any hint of it existing on the surface, besides the entrance, of course.

Before he could properly take anything in, however, a voice began to speak to him - different than the one he had been hearing, and seeming to emanate from everywhere around him, with no discernable source.

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

Well that’s not ominous at all. 

Still, taking note of his surroundings, he spotted another pedestal, with a similar stone to the one he had found atop the tower - perhaps it held a map of the inner-workings of the shrine? He didn’t think it could be too large, but if there was another one of those stones, then there must be something important here. Curiously, he walked over, placing the slate inside as he had before.

“Sheikah Slate authenticated.”  Ever the same.

“Distilling rune...” Rune?

The drips began again, and this time a new screen appeared on the slate, one he had never seen before. There were six boxes, all greyed out and empty, aside from one, highlighted for him now. Magnesis. 

“Rune extracted.”  It displayed below the description. Magnesis must be a rune, then, and only one of them at that. 

The pedestal offered him the slate once more, and he tapped through it. Not only could it display the map - and his inventory, he supposed - but there was also a page specifically for runes. 

And, in the other direction, there were more greyed-out boxes, more rectangular in shape, with a warning that the Sheikah Slate data had been damaged, and one more, with the same warning, with 24 of those little boxes, smaller and square again. He wondered what they would be, if and when he recovered them.

For now, he lowered the slate, looking around the room once more. There, behind him, were two metal - doors? Slates? He didn’t know - and he began to put the pieces together. He selected the rune - not that he really had to, with it being the only one - and activated it, aiming at one of the metal rectangles. 

Not much happened at first, though it began to glow golden, as opposed to the red that both had appeared moments before, and a large blue magnet appeared in his hands, the slate floating inside, seemingly made of the same material that the barrier around the descending platform - an elevator, right? - was made of. 

But as he moved the magnet around, the door moved too, as easily as waving his hands around. He lifted it high in the air, pushed it back and forth, and swung it side to side, adjusting to this new power. Experimentally, he released the power as he swung it, sending it flying a few feet to the side before landing with a dull metal thud.

There was a walkway underneath, with a ladder and a small moat of water. Link took one look back at the elevator, before descending further, determined to thoroughly explore the new task before him.

There wasn’t much to find, really, just the other side of the metal bars he had seen. Though there were two metal blocks, and he picked one up, curiously destroying the wall of stone that laid before him with his newfound ability. He climbed over the remaining stone, when a noise in front of him caught his attention.

There was a tiny machine, made of the same materials as the walls - it looked like a smaller version of the ancient and destroyed machines he had seen on the surface - and as it glowed to life its one eye stared at him, appearing to charge up - well, something. 

Link dodged with a yelp as it fired an explosive beam at him, and he quickly hopped back to the other side of the wall, hiding from its gaze as he determined a battle plan.

A thought came to mind: Could this new power, this Magnesis, deal damage to enemies as well? There was only one way to find out, he supposed.

Sure enough, with a few swings it was dead, exploding rather spectacularly and leaving behind a few more of those ancient parts. He happily collected them and moved onwards, grabbing the chest on his way.

He was surprised, really. Was this already the end? It was rather short - not that he was complaining - but his only treasure was the Traveler’s Bow he had found, and he’d already had one of those from the Temple of Time.

Though... was that a person, in that magically enclosed box? They were sitting rather still, and they looked almost... mummified. Link wasn’t entirely sure they were alive, but in either case, he wasn’t particularly thrilled to see them there. 

Still, he approached the box, tapping hesitantly on the transparent wall in front of him.

“You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.” It was the voice he had heard earlier! The creator of the trial, apparently. He didn’t particularly agree, however. All he had done was move a few metal objects, with the power they had given him.

“I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial.” You already said as much. “I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia, and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon. With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled.” Link wasn’t all too sure about this now. 

Sure, he was the one meant to defeat Ganon, the voice had told him so, but a sacred monk, waiting here for him? Blessed by the Goddess herself, to wait for him? And this trial was incredibly easy, was this really how they measured the worth of a hero?

“In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you...” Gift? “Please accept this spirit orb.”  

And with that, a glow began to emanate from the monk’s chest, manifesting in a purple orb, floating towards Link quickly and surely. As it reached him, it seemed to explode into various streams of light, before resonating within his own chest, and Link clutched at the spot where it had disappeared. 

He felt fuller, like his soul itself had grown stronger, more complete. 

Did the monk just give me his soul???

There wasn’t much time to question it, however, as the monk gave his parting words, and disintegrated into magical green dust, floating away in the nonexistent breeze, leaving Link alone in the shrine once more.

Silently, he made his way back to the entrance, ascending with the elevator as he returned to the surface, his mind a sea of racing thoughts and questions, with no answers in sight. 

Even as he reached the surface, however, he had barely a moment to think, as a voice - growing steadily familiar, now - called out to him, with its same telltale shout. 

The old man plopped down in front of him, using his handy dandy paraglider that would become Link’s in just a short moment. Seriously though, where did he glide down from? There’s nothing tall enough anywhere nearby in that direction. 

“It seems you managed to get your hands on a Spirit Orb. Well done!” Well you certainly shouldn’t be able to know that. Still, he didn’t care enough to question it just yet. They had a deal, after all, and he had other priorities than finding out what, exactly, this old man’s deal was.

“Paraglider, please?” He asked, attempting to be polite.

“I encourage you to slow down for a moment, my courageous friend.” I would hardly consider us friends. “The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine... It is all connected to that Sheikah Slate you carry on your hip there.” Link stared. 

Fine, I’ll play along, if you really insist on dragging this out. 

“What do you mean?”

“It has been quite some time since I have seen that Sheikah Slate...” Great, not even answering the question.  

Link listened as the man described the Sheikah, apparently an ancient and wise tribe that used to inhabit the lands they now stood in, saving the kingdom over and over again. He supposed that was why everything relating to them was ancient, and why their name and symbol was plastered over every monument. 

He waxed on about the shrines, and their technology, mentioning that there were three more on the plateau. I already knew that, but thanks. Then he dropped the bomb.

“Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines... and I will give you my paraglider.” Link stared incredulously for a moment, trying to tell if he was serious. 

“That wasn’t the deal!” He finally argued, growing more frustrated with this man by the minute.

“Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I’m sure that won’t be a problem for a young go-getter like you!” Link gritted his teeth, holding back a plethora of words that were better left unsaid. He still needed this man to be willing to give him the paraglider at all, he couldn’t burn this bridge just yet.

He listened as the man described more things he already knew - how to search for other shrines, the fact that the tower was a great place to scout from, how to travel to them in an instant. Link grew more aggravated with every word.

Finally, when the man finished speaking to him, Link turned away from him - though he was rather suspicious of how the old man knew so much - he even knew that Link had awoken from the cave he had emerged - it wasn’t worth pressing now, especially as he bit his tongue to hold back his grievances. 

Instead, he approached the large stone walls that held the edges of the plateau, only a few feet from where he was standing already. Perhaps he did not need the paraglider after all.

He wasn’t going to jump - he had learned that lesson already - but what he had also learned was that he had a natural ability to climb things, and these stone walls had quite a lot of grip. Carefully, he began to lower himself down the edge.

He also noticed, as he began his descent, that there was a thick mist surrounding the bottom of the plateau, obscuring his view from the bottom - though he could see the ground a ways off, and it wasn’t too far from where he was already standing. He could make it there, with his current stamina, so long as he stopped on a few of the edges in the wall that he could already see.

This should be no problem.

Instead, however, he found that as soon as he descended beyond a certain point, no matter how strong his grip was or how much energy he had left, it was like the mist itself pulled him down, and soon he was plummeting towards the ground once more.

This time, however, he never did feel the impact. Instead, blinking as the air whooshed to a halt around him, he found himself back on solid ground, right about where he had started climbing, body aching but otherwise unharmed. 

His health gauge had gone down as well, but time had not rewound - he had not died, at least, though now he was more curious about whatever had brought him back to the top. Was it the same force that had caused him to fall? Or was it something else entirely? Was it the same thing that had brought him back to life? He had left to seek answers, and had ended up with only more questions still. 

He decided to attempt it once more.

Still, the same result, and now he was dangerously low on his health gauge - only one of the three hearts remaining. He tapped over to the materials, scanning for something that could help.

With two fish - both eaten in one bite almost against his will, just as before - he was back to full health, and his body no longer ached. 

He supposed then, with the sun setting, it was time to find a shelter or fire to rest at for the night.

With a rather long trek, he made his way back to the first fire he had seen, where the old man now sat again, though without any more baked apples. 

Wordlessly, Link turned to the fire, and he felt he had a choice to make: how long would he stay? There was some force that compelled him, three times jumping to mind, and as he decided to only rest till morning, he felt himself crouching down, almost against his will. He stared into the flames, and everything went black.

Chapter Text

In what felt like mere moments, Link awoke - though he wasn’t really waking, was he? He had not been asleep, after all, and he was no more tired for having sat the whole night, sitting in a position he knew otherwise would’ve been cramped and uncomfortable after an hour at most - in fact, he was rather well rested. It was like that compulsion, that calling to choose a time, had forced him to black out, skipping time like it was a matter of blinking.

The time was exactly 5:00 am, too, and for something he didn’t understand, it was rather punctual. Regardless, he stood, walking away as he pulled out his map to make his decision.

If the old man thought him odd for sitting, unmoving and staring endlessly into the flames for hours, then he made no sign of it.

Link decided to wander, for now, putting away the slate once more as he followed the path. He encountered a few more bokoblins, and fought them off with growing ease - though that didn’t stop his initial panic when they first spotted him.

He turned to the woods this time, curious about the smoke he saw trailing into the sky - it seemed contained, so he didn’t think there was a forest fire, but that didn’t make it any less interesting. He found a tree lifted up by the mound of dirt it was on, roots spreading over to create a small tunnel of sorts, and looking rather pretty as it did so.

Beneath it was a pile of leaves, looking rather out of place. How had they all stacked perfectly like that? Especially here, of all places, sheltered by the trunk and roots of the tree that they might’ve otherwise fallen from?

With a thought, Link took out his axe, and without another moment’s hesitation, swung at the pile of leaves.

Indeed, it was curious, because the whole pile poofed into dust, much like the decayed barrels he had seen earlier, and revealed a rock underneath. Bending down, he picked it up, holding it high above his head as he stared to see what could possibly be hiding underneath it.

“Ya-ha-ha! You found me!” Now this was something! A small creature, with a leaf for a face and a small branch in its hand, looking like it was made out of nature itself stood before him, dancing and smiling up at him. Link grinned back curiously.

“Huh? You’re not Hestu!” He hated to disappoint, but who was this Hestu? Were they on this plateau somewhere, too?

“But you can... see me? I didn’t know your kind could see the children of the forest!” Your kind? Hylians - that was the word, right? It felt old and foreign, yet strangely familiar to him. But children of the forest? He knew nothing of them.

Though, there was something that told him they should be familiar.

“Well, if you run into Hestu, please return this to him.” With that, this being held up a small, golden seed. The Sheikah Slate flashed with a description, but Link ignored it for now.

“Oh, and my friends are hiding in lots of different places too! Don’t be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!” It said, and Link smiled again. He had already planned to explore, and now he was granted full permission to look into anything he desired! It was like one large game of hide and seek, and Link planned to take full advantage of it.

He placed the rock back down beside the forest child - a Korok, according to the description of the seed it had given him - continuing on.

There was a small campsite, here, just a little ways into the woods. Link managed to shoot a bird that was resting on the stone arch, and he quickly gathered the materials that had been laid out here. The smoke came from a campfire, and there was a cooking pot - unlit, though he would have to fix that soon - beside it.

Taking out one of his now two torches, he quickly lit the fire beneath the pot, and began to look in his inventory for things he could cook. There was something about the idea of cooking that seemed so natural to him, drawing him in like a siren’s song.

He experimented, throwing a few items on the open fire, first, and then cooking others in the pot. It seemed that simply roasting them increased their restorative properties by only a half, while properly cooking them doubled it. Beyond that, he turned one of the lizards he had caught into an elixir, and decided that it was best he left some of his materials raw, for the time being. 

He was happy to find out that the meals, too, disappeared into the slate, and were both fresh and undamaged coming out - it was a rather helpful storage tool, he knew he wouldn’t be able to carry nearly the same amount of stuff as he did otherwise.

Satisfied, he turned away, searching the forest for anything of interest.

He found the old man, hunting, after a moment, and managed to kill a few of the boars grazing himself - and scared a good number off, too, but that didn’t matter - and he climbed a few trees, even finding some birds' eggs that he took with him.

He found another of those Koroks, atop a pile of stones, and discovered that time seemed to slow if he drew his bow while falling, allowing him to loose twice as many arrows in a fraction of the time. He followed a flower to yet another Korok - there sure were a lot of them, weren’t there? - and inspected the two giant trees - one fallen, and the other, though just a stump, was probably too tall for him to climb.

He caught a butterfly, and discovered that bees are very aggressive, hurt a lot, and will chase you anywhere - though they can be taken down with only two hits. 

He wandered into a nearby clearing, too, surprisingly empty and sunken into the ground, like a basin. A few mushrooms grew, and there were quite a few large stones all around. He grew closer to the center one, picking mushrooms along the way.

As he plucked one of the mushrooms from the ground, he felt the earth start to shake. Not again. However, this time, it felt much closer, and looking to his right, he saw the rocks lifting themselves out of the ground. Link let out a yelp and jumped a good few feet back, watching in panicked horror as they arranged themselves into an almost creature-like shape. 

It was huge, with two tiny rock legs, what looked like a teeny torso, two rather large stone arms, and a boulder making up its head, and every step it took made the ground shake. It had something atop its head, a darker stone, and weaker looking, but Link didn’t have much time to consider it, as it drew back an arm and prepared to swing. 

Link wasn’t ashamed to say he screamed, running for his life as it flung its arm at him, detaching it from its body and letting it shatter from the impact as it hit the ground, Link barely managing to dodge by a few inches. 

Though it didn’t seem to be able to follow him out of the clearing, it was able to keep sight of him for a good while after he left, continuing to throw its arms - slamming into the ground to seemingly regrow them, when it had destroyed both - at him as he fled from view. 

It turned out, he could in fact climb the tree stump, with a little bit of patience, and a good bit of adrenaline, too, and Link stood atop it, staring at the edges of the clearing, though he couldn’t really see it from this distance.

He could, however, see most of the forest, and it was rather beautiful, the trees, the grass, the vibrant life, and the distant world he could see, beyond the walls of this isolated plateau. 

He also spotted, not 100 feet from where he stood, another encampment of bokoblins, this time with arches on their own mini towers - had they built them themselves? They seemed somewhat intelligent, they could build tools, after all, and they understood how to use weapons.

Whatever the case, he made quick work of them, though not without a bit more yelling, panicking, and cursing. He discovered that there was a type of chest that only opened once the monsters were dead - he wondered who had made it, and what mechanism allowed it to function as such, and why they would make such a thing - with an opal inside.

He moved on, and found a few new types of mushrooms - apparently they had different effects, when cooked - and that squirrels dropped acorns when killed. He wondered if it had always been like this - everything poofing into smoke when it died, wildlife creating a dust cloud and leaving behind perfectly sliced meat, trees leaving perfectly bundled wood, monsters turning into a different, darker, smoke, and leaving behind only pieces of themselves - and of course, whatever weapons they had. 

He shrugged - he supposed it didn’t matter, that’s how it was now. 

He found another enemy encampment, and took it down - he was getting better at this now, though he still stayed out of sight for as long as he could, and couldn’t stop himself from panicking when the ones on the ground spotted him - destroying all of their crates and taking their materials. There were quite a few weapons here too, more than he could carry, even.

He took the chest, and the meat they were cooking, and, looking around hesitantly, turned to their campfire, sitting without another thought. Night was already falling, and he had a feeling that however dangerous it was during the day, it was much worse at night. He resolved to stay till morning again, and his vision began to fade.

And so it began again. He awoke, explored, and continued on his newfound routine - only 3 days old, and already settled into a comfortable new “normal”. He gathered materials, and ran around, and discovered every last bit he could, climbing, adventuring - he found some more old ruins, and climbed one of the thin stone pedestals - towers? He wasn’t sure - finding a chest at the top. Who left this here? How did they even get it up here? And then began the slow process of climbing back down, of course.

He found a giant stone skull, full of bokoblins, and watched with delight as he spread a small wildfire, eating up the dead grass around them, and culminating in a rather large explosion, before burning up the remaining bokoblins. There was a chest with “fire arrows” inside it too, and Link smiled at the thought of using them.

Something about the chaos and fire delighted him, and he ran off with glee to see what else he could find on this “small, desolate plateau”.

He discovered - with sheer joy - that he could ride his shield down any slightly sloped surface - and, with less joy, discovered that the bokoblin shields were very weak, and broke after only a few moments. He tumbled quite a ways down a hill before he could stand again, and while it hurt like all hell, he simply took out another shield and began again, paying more mind to its warning signs of damage this time.

He pushed a few boulders onto some bokoblins - surprisingly effective - and then pushed some onto bomb barrels - even more effective - and almost took down an entire enemy encampment, with bomb barrels, archers, and even a blue bokoblin!

Almost.

As it turned out, the blue bokoblin - and its spiked weapon - were much stronger than the red ones. 

With one hit, he collapsed on the floor, dead in an instant.

He awoke, moments later, just a minute before he had started - the previous bokoblins were dead, but the stone skull, its archer, and blue bokoblin were all alive and well. Cautiously, he decided to attempt it one more time, still shaking from the feeling of his very bones shattering, paranoid that at any moment his vision would fade to black once more.

He didn’t die, this time around, but he was panicked, screaming, and running quite a lot more than he was before. Though he managed to steal the bokoblins spiked weapon, which made it a bit easier, and he almost considered the fire arrows he got from the ordeal worth it.

Almost.

He also discovered, oddly enough, that dying had caused a bomb barrel or two from the previous bokoblin’s encampment to reappear, though the monsters themselves were dead. He didn’t question it much, however, too shaken up by his recent death to care much for the one odd barrel.

He made his way, after that, to the stone ruins where he had seen one of the other shrines. He supposed, if he actually wanted to get out of here, and save the voice, as he knew he had to, then he should be more invested in getting the paraglider, and completing his quest. 

He searched another of those ancient machines, getting a spring out of it, and continued forward, approaching the wall. It seemed, from the map, that the shrine was completely enclosed, so he would have to climb at least one wall to get in.

Link walked through one of the disconnected archways, just for fun - better to add a little enjoyment back to his life, after dying - and stepped forwards, eyes focused on the shrine he could see peeking over the wall.

What he was not prepared for, however, was the machine to come to life, glowing eye honing in on him as its whole body stirred, spinning and adjusting as it targeted him, glowing red and blue. 

The last thing he knew was the world flashing white, searing pain encompassing his whole body as his very being was incinerated.

This time, when he awoke, he was right back in its vision, and with a scream and not a moment’s thought, Link threw himself forwards, sprinting towards the wall and vaulting himself over it in what would’ve been record time, had anyone been there to keep track.

He stood there for a moment, back pressed against the wall, breathing heavily as he watched the blast soar over his head, listening to the sound of the machine looking around for him, but finding nothing. After a moment, it seemed to calm, falling relatively silent, but Link did not, clutching his chest and panting as his heart raced beneath his hand, blood pumping in his ears so loud it drowned out almost everything else. 

Finally, as his body seemed to understand that there was no longer an imminent threat, he allowed himself to relax slightly, taking tentative, shaking steps towards the shrine in front of him. 

Ja Baij, apparently, and as he registered the travel gate to his map, he wondered if this was the real trial, that proved his worth as a hero, or whatever that monk had said. There were two more of these, too, and they were in even more difficult locations to get to.

He wondered if they would be guarded, too.

This one, according to the Sheikah Slate, was simply titled “Bomb Trial”. Link’s previous enthusiasm over explosives had significantly shrunk, and he shuddered at the thought of the machine's explosive beams. He hoped there wouldn’t be any more in the shrine. 

Though, as he placed his slate in the pedestal, it appeared that the bombs were in fact a new rune - he had two types, even, and they worked remarkably simply. When he removed the pin, attached to the Sheikah Slate on the opposite side as the handle, the pin itself turned into a bomb - whichever type he had selected. He threw it a good distance away - he didn’t know how large the blast radius was yet, and he was not going for three deaths in one day - towards the damaged stone blocks, and tapped on the screen to detonate.

It wasn’t too large, which meant he could come a little closer next time, but it was very destructive, taking out both blocks in an instant. Link smiled, feeling a little more at ease.

He opened the chest, and continued on with the trial - using the moving platform, allowing himself to be launched for another chest, and throwing a bomb with another launching mechanism, to get to the monk which he could see already.

This monk told him much the same, and he discovered that receiving a spirit orb healed him of all injuries - which was good, because he had caught himself with one of the bombs, and it had hurt . 

Still, he was given the orb, wished blessings, and the monk disintegrated disappeared, leaving Link to walk back to the elevator once more.

He could, now, however, break those rocks which had blocked the proper entrance, and Link was thankful for the exit which did not have a deadly machine pointed at him. Though, now he didn’t trust any of the “broken down” machines - he never knew when one of them was going to wake up and decide to make this venture his last.

He still wasn’t sure if that undying ability had a limit, and he certainly didn’t want to find out.

It turned out, however, that there was another live one, just a few feet away, and as he sprinted in the opposite direction, he discovered another one. For a brief moment, he had two lasers pointing at him, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up as he vaulted himself over a wall once more.

He stood, breathing for a moment - it turned out, he had to have gone past one of them in order to get into the shrine. He supposed that was the real challenge - just getting to it. 

Checking his map, he found that now that they were aggravated and searching for him, the machines showed up on the map - Guardians, they were called. Well, they were certainly doing their job, guarding that shrine, though Link wasn’t particularly happy with it. As soon as they calmed down, however, they disappeared. Not nearly as helpful as he would’ve liked, but he supposed he could make do.

With shaking hands, he traveled back to the shrine of resurrection - he didn’t feel like walking all the way back to a campfire, especially with his shaking legs, and as the sun began to set he was even more sure that the land would grow more dangerous at night. 

He thought, as he teleported away, he saw some sort of flying monster, tiny, winged, and black, but he was only there for a moment more, and being pulled apart at the seams, so it could’ve just been a trick of the light.

As he climbed out of the shrine once more, he found himself wishing the shirt he had been given actually fit him - the small sliver of stomach showing hadn’t been much of a problem for him before, but now, he wanted every inch of coverage and protection he could get.

He found that trees would fall with one hit from a bomb, and exploding the fallen trunk had much the same result as the swing of an axe - a perfect bundle, with a poof of smoke. 

Again, he said nothing to the old man, plopping himself by the fire for the night, and again, the old man said nothing to him of his odd habits - the explosion of the tree, or the decision to black out and forgo his worries for the night. 

In the morning, Link found he could dive perfectly with surprising ease - and that diving into a circle of lily pads would result in another korok appearing. He found a chest behind some bomb-able rocks, too, and continued on his quest towards the third shrine, over by another, smaller forest.

On his way, he spotted a few more towers, past the plateau, and decided to mark them on his map as he walked - first adding a pin with the scope, then changing them to stamps on his map. He found one for almost every section on the map - and he was certain the others were there, too, he just couldn’t see them yet with the various geographic features in the way.

He killed a few more bokoblins, sitting in the middle of the plain, and taking much more care to be cautious this time, and found that if he used a bomb, he could get rid of the bees without them ever spotting him, with only one hit. 

He found another type of mushroom, as well, this one growing on walls, and a small wooden hut. He grabbed the pot lid and farmer’s pitchfork from out front first, before venturing inside.

And, more importantly, he found the old man’s diary.

Looking around, he saw no sign of the old man, and - rather fed up with the man’s antics, and feeling like this would be a small, petty way to get back at him - Link began to read.

It was quite sad, really. Only a few pages, detailing how he came up with a dish, - with the ingredients directly implied in the name - forgot what was in it, and then sadly pondered how he would never remember and no one would ever help him. Link almost felt bad for the man, and would probably have even more sympathy if he hadn’t lauded the paraglider over Link’s head.

He took some spicy peppers off the table - they too had potent properties when cooked, according to the slate - and headed over to the cooking pot. A pepper, a fish, and a slice of meat, and voilà! Spicy Meat and Seafood Fry. Now, to find the old man.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t too difficult. He was over in the woods, already chopping at trees.

Wait, how did he get here so fast? He hadn’t moved when I left, and I didn’t see him pass me on the way here. Plus, he moves way slower than me. 

Still, Link listened to what he had to say, and he supposed that the old man wouldn’t care about anything else until Link chopped down a tree for him, so he obliged. 

He cut the one the old man had been chopping at, first, then, with an idea beginning to form, chopped another - one of the much larger ones - letting it fall across the gap between the cliffs, forming a makeshift bridge. Link smiled, proud of his work, and turned back to talk to the old man once more.

(He also discovered a korok leaf, but he didn’t have room in his inventory, and it wasn’t all that important anyways.)

Still, the old man took a while to make his way back to the cooking pot - See, I knew it, he walks far too slow to have gotten here before me - so Link made a few more meals in the meantime, humming to himself and finding it rather relaxing, after everything else he’d already endured. He also found a korok atop the old man’s house.

The old man rewarded him for his recipe, giving him the Warm Doublet. Immediately, Link put it on, reveling in the warmth. Even next to the fire, it was breathable enough that he didn’t overheat, but it kept him much warmer than the ill-fitting shirt he had been left did. It fit better, too - he could understand why the old man had been uncomfortable wearing it, Link was much smaller, and it fit him perfectly. 

It also had a symbol on the Sheikah Slate, apparently representing cold resistance, the same way the food did. He supposed now he didn’t need to cook any warm meals, he already had an outfit that did it for him.

Now, to begin the arduous climb to the shrine above.

It didn’t take too long, he supposed, and there were plenty of rushrooms and ledges along the way, so he could stop and rest - otherwise, he never would’ve made it up there. It was quite the view too. He didn’t risk jumping up the wall too much, for fear of falling all the way back down, should he misjudge how much energy he had left.

Owa Daim shrine itself didn’t pose too much of a problem for him - he gained the rune, just as before - this time stasis, the ability to freeze certain objects in time, and force them to unleash all of their pent-up energy at once when they unfroze - and it was just matter of timing things right to dodge or create a stable platform after that.

It was the shortest one yet, he was pretty sure - he could see the monk from the moment he entered. Though he appreciated the iron sledgehammer. 

He would admit, though, that he may have gone a little overboard on that last stone ball - he hit it as much as he physically could, and sent it flying at mach speeds halfway across the open shrine.

And then managed to fall into the void, distracted by the sight.

It was much the same as falling into the fog surrounding the great plateau, and he “landed” back on the tiled floors, a little damaged, but otherwise unharmed, and continued on his merry way.

He uncovered the chest right nearby as well, and decided to play it safe and head back down the cliff to the cooking pot by the old man’s hut, before venturing into the snowy mountains.

This time - with the old man’s permission, surprisingly - he slept in the old man’s bed, resting till morning by properly sleeping, instead of just blacking out. It even healed him in the process!

And off he went, killing two more camps of bokoblins - one right by the old man’s hut, and the other by the entrance to the snowy mountains, surrounded by spicy peppers and only a few feet off the main path. He even gained a few bomb arrows in the process, and he very much liked the sound of that.

Link stood for a moment, considering the path in front of him. He could go into the snow, and get the final shrine - allowing him to trade for the paraglider, finally, and then go save the voice. Or, he could continue to explore, first, truly taking in the world around him.

He turned back and forth, debating his options. On the one hand, he really needed to finish this quest, so he could move on, so he could leave the plateau. On the other, he still barely knew the plateau itself, if he was going to head out into the world - massive in comparison, if the map was anything to go by - then he should at least revel in the places he could go now, before he left possibly for good.

And, well...

The voice had waited 100 years for him. It could wait a few more days as he got used to being alive again.

Chapter Text

It only took him a few days, really, to completely explore the plateau. He stayed out of the snowy area, mostly, avoiding it out of guilt and looking away any time he came near the shrine, but that was only a small portion of the plateau, and there was still so much for him to discover.

He grew familiar with the world around him, coming to know the different spots the old man would be, be it hunting, chopping wood, or simply sitting by a fire (which appeared to be his favorite activity), and though Link grew tired of him saying nearly the same things over and over, he found comfort in the known, the familiar, when everything else was still so strange and foreign to him.

Though, he wasn’t quite sure how the old man managed to seemingly teleport between the different spots, faster than Link could ever travel. He was even atop the tower, when Link travelled to it, and Link had no clue how he’d managed that. He could barely walk on his own, using his lamp-post cane everywhere and still moving slowly; how the hell had he climbed the looming tower?

Not to mention the advice he gave, somehow knowing things about the Sheikah Slate that Link had never told him. Even with the man’s vague explanations, Link couldn’t help but be a little suspicious.

Still, he made his way back down the tower, going back to the temple of time. Something kept calling him back there, though he didn’t know why. 

He was wary now, of the destroyed guardians littered around it, but none of them came to life, and he felt somewhat secure in the fact that that wouldn’t change suddenly.

He went back to the statute - of the Goddess Hylia, he now knew - looking up at the stone face with a sense of somber longing. He had known her, once, had worshipped her, revered her. There was a sense of familiarity to that face. 

There was a connection now, that he hadn’t quite felt before. Link was sure it was fruitless, but regardless, he began to pray, hoping that somehow, She could hear him, could help him in some way.

It only took a few seconds for him to notice something happening - a holy light shone through the gaps in the ceiling, illuminating the statue in a radiant spectacle. And then, as surely as the sun rose, a voice began to speak to him.

Hylia herself. 

“You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit Orbs.” Link could only stare. “I can offer you great power.” Was this it? The answer to his prayer? “But you do not yet have four Spirit Orbs. Seek out the shrines scattered across Hyrule, and face more challenges. Once you have claimed four Spirit Orbs, return to me.” 

His heart sank, if only for a moment. Those spirit orbs had to go to the old man, first - he couldn’t leave the Great Plateau without the paraglider, and he needed to trade them for it.

But - as he had already seen, with the scope - there were many other shrines off the Great Plateau. Once he could leave, he could conquer as many as he needed, and come back to offer them to the Goddess.

All hope was not lost, after all. Just delayed, for the time being.

Satisfied, now, with the answers he had, he returned to exploring, climbing, running, and gathering as he wandered across the various landscapes on the sizeable plateau. 

He opened more chests, found more koroks, and found every last nook and cranny he could. He even climbed a few of the ruins, just for the fun of it.

He also decided to try various methods of fishing - swimming to catch them, shooting them with arrows, and even using bombs - which seemed to be the most effective, at least for a larger area, though his aim with a bow and arrow was very precise.

He found that he swam ever-so-slightly faster if he unequipped his clothes - and also discovered, with a combination of mild horror and avid fascination, that he was covered head to toe in scars, many of them seeming to be from battles of some sort. 

None of which he remembered getting - and they certainly hadn’t happened since he’d emerged from the shrine of resurrection.

He wondered about his life, before all of this. He must’ve had one - he hadn’t simply popped into existence one day, in a dark cave on a remote, isolated plateau - and he was already fairly old - though he didn’t know his own age, and there was a sort of grief that came with that realization. He couldn’t remember anything, though. He hadn’t even known his own name; it had to be told to him.

By that voice, which had awoken him - after 100 years - who knew how long he would’ve been asleep if they hadn’t done so? The voice, who was waiting patiently still for him to come rescue them, rescue Hyrule.

The voice, who he had put off on saving so he could explore the plateau more.

Link sighed, climbing out of the water and putting on his new outfit - the actual sturdy pants, and the warm doublet he’d gotten from the old man - turning to face the snowy mountains once more.

It was time he finally completed his mission, and made it off this desolate plateau. 

And so, off he went, into the snow - it was rather annoying to walk in - and past quite a few decayed guardians. Even now, he still was on edge whenever he saw one, never trusting that it was truly “dead”.

He discovered that trying to “bake” chuchu jelly the same way he did an apple instead turned it into red chuchu jelly, that would explode into fire if he hit it. Link was rather pleased with that. He also found that if meat sat too long in the snow - as it did after he killed a bird and was too far away to pick up the meat it left behind - it would freeze, producing a heat-resistant effect, much the opposite of the spicy peppers.

He jumped when an ice chuchu appeared, and promptly got frozen solid for a moment when it exploded in a burst of frost. 

Note to self: keep your distance. 

He used magnesis to move the doors, repairing the bridge that had been half destroyed, and made his way up the spiralling mountain - Finally, the last shrine is almost here. I can be done with all of this. 

With the last few bokoblins in his way dead - after barely managing to dodge the assault of snowballs, and causing quite a few explosions - he was finally at the last shrine.

At least, on the plateau.

The cryonis trial proved to be fairly easy, as the others had been, and soon he was walking back out - though, he couldn’t help but notice, there was still one rune left blank on the slate - emerging victorious with the final spirit orb.

Before he could fully process this victory, however, he heard the telltale shout of the old man, gliding down in front of him.

“With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs from the shrines on this plateau.” Thanks for restating the obvious. “That means... it is finally time.” 

Well that was rather dramatic. It was just a paraglider.

“Link, it is finally time for me to tell you everything.” I did not tell him my name. And what does he mean, everything?   “But first...” He turned away.

“Imagine an X on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect.” Really? Why do you have to make this complicated?  “I shall wait for you there.” Can’t you just hand it to me now?

“Do you understand?” The old man began to... glow? “Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross...” Blue flames danced around him as he began to become transparent . “There... I will... be waiting...” And he seemingly faded out of existence, leaving Link bewildered and alone.

He stood there for a few moments, the cold bringing a flush to his cheeks as he tried to process everything that had just happened.

Finally, Link took out the Sheikah Slate, beginning to trace the map. Where the shrines make an X...

It seemed, if he wasn’t mistaken, that the old man was trying to get Link to meet him at the Temple Of Time. Why not just say that?   Besides, he’d already been there a number of times.

Though, maybe it had something to do with the spirit orbs. That did seem to be a rather spiritual place, and the Goddess herself had wanted to trade the same spirit orbs in that very location. 

Sighing, he tapped on the tower. It looked like he was going to have to make his way over there again. 

After a moment he made it to the temple, but the old man was nowhere in sight. The Goddess statue, however, was glowing fully, and Link made his way over to it curiously.

This time, She gave a more concrete offer - heart containers or stamina vessels - similar to the gauges he’d seen on the Sheikah Slate, only now, she was offering ways to enhance them. Still, he turned down the offer for now - the paraglider came first, as much as he wanted to accept.

As soon as he stepped away, the old man called out to him, once again from above, but this time not gliding down. No, he shouted down to Link from the roof, instructing him to get up there quickly. 

Link rolled his eyes as the old man disappeared from sight - he would’ve been there much quicker if he could teleport the same way the old man could - and Link already had teleported! It was just much more limited than his apparent form of travel. No wonder he could get everywhere before I could.

Still, Link found his way to the ladder he had seen earlier, ascending as fast as he could. The old man was standing - glowing, again - in a small room atop the temple, though how anyone was supposed to get to it without climbing the broken roof was beyond him. 

With one final sigh, Link heaved himself up, meeting the old man fully.

He listened, as the old man explained everything - how he was really King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, how Hyrule had fallen, how he was truly a ghost all along.

He told of the Divine Beasts, the Guardians, the ancient relics. How they were all made 10,000 years ago to fight the Calamity. But they were taken over - that’s why they had attacked him, they weren’t supposed to be guarding the shrine, but Ganon had overtaken them, had made them kill anything in their sights.

They were terrifyingly effective, he had to give them that. 

He told Link the story of how the world used to be, how they had gotten here. He told of a princess with a sealing power, and a knight with the sword that sealed the darkness. Of the four Champions that piloted the Divine Beasts.

He spoke of his daughter, Princess Zelda. That was who the voice was. The princess with the sealing power, the Goddess’ blood - no wonder she could call to him, from across Hyrule, trapped inside the castle. 

He told Link of who he used to be, too. Link had been her appointed knight, 100 years ago. Had fallen in battle protecting her.

He asked Link to save her. To save Zelda.

And then he was gone. He gave Link the paraglider, some instructions on where to head next, and that was it. He faded out of existence just as he had before, leaving Link to try and understand everything he had just been told.

He was a hero. He had been Zelda’s appointed knight, had wielded the Sword That Seals The Darkness, had been prophesied to save Hyrule.

He had failed.

And now, 100 years later, they were asking him to try again. To complete what he could not before, and end the calamity once and for all. 

From nearly the moment he had awoken, he was expected to save the world - and now he knew why: because he had already tried, and failed. He had failed, and left the world in ruin for 100 years while he slept, recovering from the wounds while the voi- while Zelda trapped herself in the castle with that beast to give him time to heal. 

He was less sure now, of his worth as a hero.

But, even so, he felt a dark determination grow inside him. He would save Zelda, save Hyrule. He would defeat Calamity Ganon, and do what he could not before.

He would not fail.

Not again.

Still, he needed time to gather his thoughts. Rushing off to fight in this addled state would not end well, as much as he wanted to go rushing in right that very moment. 

And so, he returned to the plateau, gathering materials and wandering around with a slower gait - no longer rushing to explore every last area, but more determined, more purposeful. He knew his surroundings, now, and he also knew why he was here. 

He wasn’t a hero. Heroes didn’t die in battle and leave the world in ruin.

He was a weapon. Here to destroy and kill and then leave the final work to the heroes who utilized his strength when he was broken and could fight no more.

He returned to the Goddess statue - the old man - or King Rhoam, he should say - had not, in fact, taken the spirit orbs from him. He supposed it was all just a ploy to see if Link had what it took to take up the mantle as Champion once again, even after losing all of his memories and collapsing in battle. 

He decided on more stamina - he could not die, at least from what he could tell, and he could recover from any injury in an instant with a good meal, or even just an apple or two, but stamina was much harder to regain.

He supposed though, that that was why everything had come so naturally to him - fighting, though terrifying at first, was so natural, like it was something he had always known to do, was always meant to do. And it seemed it was. 

Still, he wandered, reexamining the world around him. He fought the Stone Talus - that was what it was called, yes, he knew now - and he found that travelling was so much easier now, now that he could glide down from anywhere, and at nearly the same speed as he sprinted. 

Though, not everything was quite the same.

The plateau was lonely, now. The old man was nowhere to be found - though, he had left a message in his diary, for Link. It was a nice show of faith in him, despite Link still not being all too fond of the man.

Though, he supposed the entitlement was fit for a king. 

Still, Link couldn’t help but miss him, just a little bit. Now he truly was alone. 

As he settled down at the campfire in the middle of the woods, the lone stone arch coated in shadows, he couldn’t help but wonder what the rest of his life would hold for him.

Chapter Text

He spent a few more days on the plateau, fully taking in the changes, slowly accepting his responsibility and fate. Finally, as the sun set on his final night there, he prepared every meal he could, and sat down one final time, ready to take off in the morning, leaving the Great Plateau possibly for good.

He made his way to the edge in the morning, contemplating his next move. 

It was odd, really, that he didn’t need rest - he only “slept” at night because he wanted to avoid the extra dangers that came with the night, and even then he wasn’t actually sleeping. Not to mention, he hadn’t yet needed to eat - he wasn’t entirely sure he remembered what hunger felt like. 

Though he had eaten a few things, but only to heal injuries, or gain the effect. Not to mention that he hadn’t experienced any of the side effects of eating yet - which he was grateful for, considering he didn’t think there was a single bathroom on the entire plateau. 

That wasn’t important now, though. Link looked over the edge, steeling himself as he readied the paraglider. With a final dash, he leapt over the edge, flinging himself towards a new land.

Hyrule Kingdom.

He was on a path, he noticed, a proper one, made of stone, encircling the Plateau, it seemed. To his right, he could see what appeared to be the actual entrance to the plateau, caved in by fallen rocks - that must’ve been why it was flooded, on top, and why there was seemingly no way in or out. 

He had noticed, too, that the fog preventing him from simply climbing down was gone, and he supposed it had something to do with getting the paraglider - maybe King Rhoam had something to do with it? He was a spirit, after all. 

Link wasn’t entirely sure how much a spirit could influence, but it seemed about as likely as a mysterious fog appearing for unrelated reasons and disappearing at just the right time. 

To his left, and off the path a little ways north, there was a small herd of horses, and Link made his way over to them, slow and cautious. Something about the idea of riding a horse enticed him, the idea of a companion who could travel with him across Hyrule inviting and almost familiar. 

It took a few tries - and getting kicked in the face (more than once) - but soon Link caught a horse, riding the noble steed and soothing it as he did.

He couldn’t help but smile as a sense of peace washed over him, serenely looking out at the world as he rode along the path. He considered for a moment, looking over the plains and to the castle, doing as the old man - as King Rhoam, rather - had said, going to seek out Impa in Kakariko Village. 

But, turning to face the opposite direction, Link wanted to explore first. To see a little more of the world, before facing ultimate destruction, fate and destiny be damned. He had barely entered into this world, he wanted to see at least a little of it.

And so he rode off, in the opposite direction of the glowing point on his map, following the path until he made it to a crossroads. Stopping at the tree before it, he found a person there, sitting on the ground and looking worried.

Link took out a few apples from the slate, feeding his new companion, before turning to the person - a real person, another living being who isn’t a ghost or a monster or an animal - approaching them cautiously. 

“You’re not a watchman like me, are you? Yet I fear we both have the stink of long travel upon us. We are fragrant.” The man - Botrick, his name was - how did he know that? - said. Link wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that.

Luckily, he didn’t have to quite yet. “Say, on an entirely different topic... I’ve recently begun selling adventuring gear as I travel. Doing work as a watchman certainly fills my soul, but not my pockets...” And now Link had options, once more.

He considered for a moment, and decided to look at the man’s wares - not that he had any money to purchase them with. 

He had a good few arrows, and Link first decided to sell some things to the man - he couldn’t exactly purchase anything without money to buy it with. He sold the gems he had gotten from that Stone Talus, and, unsurprisingly, they were worth more than anything else in his inventory. He quickly had enough to buy out the man’s whole stock.

They parted ways, and Link continued up the path a little north, finding his way to a stable - Outskirt Stable, to be exact. There were more people here than he’d seen at all since waking up - though that wasn’t a hard bar to clear. He immediately decided he had to talk to everyone.

First, he talked to the workers, learning the ins and outs of the stable system, and registering his horse as his own for a pretty measly fee.

Link decided to name her Knight, a fitting name for the task before them both.

Next he set out to properly meeting everyone here at the stable, starting first with the travelling merchant with a rather large bag strapped to his back - Beedle, his name apparently was. Link bought a few more arrows and a Hearty Lizard from him, and moved on.

It was mostly stable workers, and he got a few quests from them - that was one of the missing sections, apparently, simple side quests, tasks that random people had asked of him, instead of the important missions he was tasked with carrying out.

He found a shrine right behind the stable, too, but while he registered the travel gate to his map, he didn’t enter it just yet. It felt like he had just finished with going in and out of shrines, and he had other things to focus on right now.

Like feeding the precious dog at this stable. 

Interestingly enough, when he did so, it led him to a hidden treasure chest. He was surprised, but definitely not complaining. 

The day had, apparently, gotten away from him, as he found that after spending some more time chatting with the various people at the stable, the sun was already beginning to set. He knew - having been told so only hours previous - that the stable also doubled as an inn, and the prospect of a bed did sound tempting, but really, he knew he didn’t need actual rest. With the cooking pot right there, he didn’t really see a need to wander inside and get any proper rest for the morning, it wouldn’t make much of a difference anyways.

Crouching down by the fire, this time, with two people near his side, he felt less alone. The world didn’t seem like such a big and scary place anymore, and a sense of calm washed over him. As he gazed into the flames, feeling his consciousness begin to fade, he wondered again what his life would now hold for him, free of the confines of that plateau.

Zelda, apparently, was quick to answer that for him.

The moon was red, the sky seemed to bleed, and dark flecks of smoke and something rose through the air. Ganon rose over the castle once more, eyes glowing yellow as Zelda began to warn him. 

Ganon’s power was growing, and now it was at its peak, under the hour of the blood moon.

All the monsters he had killed... every camp he had cleared... they were all brought back to life by Ganon’s dark magic. All of his progress, every little bit he had made the world safer, erased in a single night by Ganon’s magic. 

And this would not be the last time he did so. No, Link could tell. Every time a blood moon rose, Ganon’s power would grow again, and the slain monsters would return to flesh. Hylia knew how long this had been happening, but Link knew, now, that he would bring the end of it.

A fierce anger burned deep within, and as he awoke fully to the morning light, Link stood with a new determination, a glare in his eyes that made even the stable dog cower in fear. 

Link walked steadily to his horse, each footstep sturdy and sure, the sound of his boots against the dirt deafening yet lost to his mind all at the same time.

Mounting his steed, Link took off, only one goal now in his mind.

Kill Ganon. Bring an end to this suffering.

He had dallied long enough. Exploring Hyrule could wait until he had slain the beast that was keeping all of Hyrule, the whole kingdom, the whole land, trembling in fear, waiting for the day its strength grew and the world was consumed once more.

Link would not let that happen.

He did not follow a path. The roads would not lead him where he wanted to go, anyways. He ignored enemy camps, actual roads, countless structures, hills and mountains as he forged off his own path, headed straight for the castle.

He passed guardians - new ones, with numerous legs that sprinted after him, chasing with their deadly lasers whizzing past his face as he urged his horse faster, and old ones, stuck in the ground still but firing after him all the same.

He crossed the plains, avoiding death narrowly at every turn, and by noon, he was at the castle gates, having passed through and paid little mind to the countless ruins in front of them.

He left his horse behind, hiding from yet another walking guardian behind a wall that barely stood upright anymore - it was a house once, he thought hazily - and once the danger had cleared, he continued, making his way properly into the castle grounds.

Ganon appeared once more, Zelda’s light shone, and the beast returned to dwell... wherever it was. The Sheikah Slate now displayed a 3-dimensional map of the castle, and he rotated it, figuring out how best to get to the now orange dot that was Calamity Ganon.

It was a harrowing experience, dodging lasers, hiding behind walls, climbing up countless cliff faces and stone structures, but, after a long few hours of climbing and running, he was there. Standing on a pathway, facing the large empty room in which Ganon apparently was. 

He had gained a few materials along the way - something called Ancient Arrows from a chest, and a royal bow, from one of the ledges he had stopped on - and now, he stood, legs shaking slightly but a determination burning in his heart. He wouldn’t leave until Ganon was defeated.

He couldn’t.

The sky had grown redder the higher he had gotten, and as he stepped into the room, ready for this final battle, Link couldn’t help but find the tone it set rather fitting. 

The beast screamed, and a monster appeared before him - not the one he had seen, enshrouding the castle, but a smaller one. Windblight Ganon, apparently it was called, like a smaller form of his final foe. Link wasn’t sure what to do now, but he would stay and fight.

It was all he really could do.

His many arrows came in handy now, and as he dodged tornadoes and countless blasts, he began to feel worn out. He was barely doing any damage to this beast, and it was nearly killing him at every second. Still, he could not give up. He wouldn’t.

But it was strong. Stronger than any monster on the plateau, stronger than even the guardians. It was a miracle he had held out as long as he did, but with one failed dodge, he was dead on the ground, all life draining out of him as he collapsed, his weapons clattering down with him.

In moments, he was back to life, standing just before the doors again. Link shook off the pain, ignoring everything in him screaming to just leave, to wait, to come back when he was better prepared. He stepped inside again, and began to fight.

Still, he could only outmaneuver the creature for so long, and with his laughably weak weapons - that broke, too, after very few hits - it was little surprise that he fell dead again before coming close to killing the beast.

Still, he ran in again, trying harder now, using what he’d learned of its techniques. He dodged and ran and he used his bombs and his swords and his arrows and he fought as hard and valiantly as he could.

And he died.

Again.

And he ran in again. And died again. Over and over and over, because he couldn’t lose, he couldn’t fail, not again. He wouldn’t give up, not on fighting, not on Zelda, not on Hyrule. He would let that monster take his life a hundred times if it meant defeating Ganon once and for all. 

But, as his bones were fused back together time and time again, as time rewound and rewound to force the blood back into his body, to undo the wounds he suffered, to put his limbs back where they belonged and in one piece, Link grew weary.

He couldn’t do this forever. 

He hadn’t even made it past this first beast - and it was doubtless there were more before he would ever get to Ganon itself. 

He wasn’t ready. He hadn’t prepared, hadn’t thought - hell, it was a miracle he’d even made it here in one piece, with the dozens of guardians of all types trying to stop him at every turn. 

And his horse, he’d abandoned, leaving with those guardians so he could continue on foot to an even more dangerous place. He hoped his companion was still alive. 

Bitterly, as he came back to life for now the 23rd time, Link had to admit defeat.

He needed to live to fight another day. Killing himself over and over wasn’t going to save Zelda, wasn’t going to defeat Ganon or free Hyrule or help anyone. 

Link turned on his heel, failure burning into him more fiercely than any of the lasers had. Tears pricked at his eyes and Link’s feet dragged as he turned, begrudgingly, from the door to the sanctum, the decision more painful than any wound. 

I’ll come back, he promised. I won’t leave you here. When I am stronger, when I have done what else was asked of me so I have learned how to fight, how to defeat these monsters, I will be back. I will not leave you here to suffer. 

And with that final thought, Link took out his slate, returning to the land below.

Chapter Text

Returning to the stable, Link felt the guilt begin to eat away at him - more than it already was, at least. Not only had he failed Hyrule again, failed to save Zelda, again, had died in battle, again, but now, he had abandoned his horse in a terribly dangerous location, and he really didn’t think he could get her back without dying or getting her killed in the process. 

Not to mention, now that he had teleported back to the stable, he had no way of getting over there again to begin with, let alone to take the horse back with him.

Still, he held a small amount of hope. The stable worker had told him that they could retrieve horses, too, not just take one out of boarding. Link hesitantly walked up to the worker behind the counter - Embry, his name was - speaking with him with little hope.

He asked for them to bring Knight back.

“Alright, we’ll get Knight ready for you. Sit tight.”

His vision faded to black for a moment, and just as quickly it returned, a brief blink out of existence with no time passing. Embry gave him some passing advice about his horse, just as he had before, and when Link turned around, there Knight was, standing and snuffling at the air like nothing had happened.

Link glanced black and forth for a moment, eyes darting between Embry and Knight, trying to determine what, exactly, had happened, but he didn’t really care. 

With a weary smile, Link walked over to his horse, petting her mane gently.

He supposed, now, he should actually set off for Kakariko Village, and continue on with the quest he had been given. 

Though, with the sun setting, and his limbs still trembling with the memory of his deaths, he figured it was probably a wiser idea to stay and rest, for the night, and set off in the morning. There would be fewer monsters that way, anyways. 

He paid for a bed, this time, letting the workers wake him in the morning. It was only marginally more comfortable than simply blacking out for the night, but his aching limbs thanked him for it, and within moments of waking he was off, following the path this time and heading east.

He passed by the herd of horses again, and briefly wondered if Knight must miss her herd, her life before being caught, but he didn’t dwell on the thought. They had each other now, and he vowed to not put her in danger again.

He only hoped she could forgive him.

Keeping to his word, when he spotted two monsters attacking something, he leapt off her back, pausing for a moment to reassure her, before rushing off towards the fight, leaving her a safe distance away. 

There were two people, fending off the bokoblins, and though they were holding their own fairly well, it was clear they could use some assistance. Without a second thought Link stepped in, defeating the monsters with now growing ease. The red ones weren’t so bad, he supposed.

He gathered the materials he could, before turning to the closer of the two people.

“I appreciate the help back there!” The man - Mils, but how do I know that? - said. 

Regardless, he handed Link a meal - and a rather good one at that, Energized Glazed Mushrooms. Link smiled, letting it disappear into the Sheikah Slate. He would definitely enjoy that later.

“We really need to get to safety.” Mils said, and walked off towards the ruins that were a few feet away.

Link spoke to them both again, once they’d settled back into their routine, and found that they were treasure hunters. He held back a grimace as Mina warned of Hyrule Castle being off limits, and the dangers of the guardians.

He knew that now all too well.

They were rather dysfunctional, it seemed, the siblings were both here searching for treasure, but it was Mina’s idea, not Mils’, and she wasn’t even helping search. Link considered giving her a piece of his mind about it, but decided otherwise. Better not to meddle with their personal lives, they certainly hadn’t asked him to.

Just over the wall of the ruins, he found a chest with a shield in it, and considered it for a moment. He supposed he could give it to the pair, they were the treasure hunters after all.

But if they hadn’t found the chest yet, they weren’t very good treasure hunters. And if they had found it, then they must’ve already decided that the shield wasn’t worthwhile treasure.

Whatever the case, Link was keeping it.

He made his way back to his horse, continuing on the path. No need to linger any longer near the pair.

His journey was rather stop-and-go at first, as he discovered a new monster - a moblin, red like the bokoblins, but taller and lankier. They took a bit more to kill, but they weren’t too difficult, and Link found that he was growing a little less nervous with every monster he fought.

He supposed dying to Ganon so many times had lowered the stakes of these smaller foes.

He also found quite a few weapons laying around, and cautiously broke some crates and barrels, careful to make sure the guardian next to them was actually dead.

He also found another shrine, just before a bridge, and promptly stopped to complete it. The more spirit orbs he could gather, the better, because the stronger he was in any capacity the easier it would make fighting everything, including (and especially) Ganon.

It was a fairly simple shrine, and by the time he finished it there was still daylight out, so he was rather pleased with himself. He made it to the bridge, stopping to talk to the person patrolling it - Brigo, his name was.

He was a little unnerved, believing the end of the world was near - and he wasn’t too far off on that, though Link would never tell him that - pointing out the various bad omens. The shrines glowing apparently wasn’t normal, nor were the towers that had sprung up all across Hyrule. Link felt a little guilty for causing such unease.

He sympathized with the man, recounting his tale of being chased by one of the guardians. Link could understand why he was so on edge after an experience like that.

Not everyone could come back from the dead like Link could.

It was nice, though, to see someone else patrolling and looking out. Brigo was making sure monsters didn’t settle on the bridge; it would cut off an important route for many, and it was a noble thing, staying here, far from civilization, just to make sure that people could still (relatively) safely travel. 

Link considered the monster camp just a few feet off the path, near the edge of the bridge. 

He didn’t mind delaying his journey a few minutes longer to help make Brigo’s life a little easier. Especially for someone as kind as him.

It came a little close, with so many monsters, and one of them blue, but he took out the camp fairly quickly, and soon he was back with Brigo, who offered him directions to wherever he needed to go. 

Kakariko wasn’t far, apparently, just through the twin peaks, and then there was another stable where he could get further directions. The glowing dot on the map wasn’t too far either, though he suspected he’d have to turn after he made it through the peaks.

The sun was beginning to set now, though, and he stayed with Brigo under the small shelter he had, resting at the fire. He didn’t particularly think much about whether Brigo would consider his lost time odd, nor did he care about it much either.

In the morning he was off again, though he didn’t get too far before he was stopping once again. He made it just to the start of the peaks, before jumping off his horse once more, and turning to face the river.

He thought for a moment, and decided to cross it with Cryonis - it would be much easier - and much faster - than trying to swim across, especially with the current moving so fast.

It didn’t take long for him to climb the tower - though, it was certainly more annoying, now that the steps weren’t in close bound spirals - and also considering he actually had to climb it this time.

Still, he stood in silent wonder as the tower activated. It was rather beautiful, he had to admit, even if he couldn’t see all of it from up here. And the process of the map dropping onto his Sheikah Slate was rather fascinating as well.

It was nice now, seeing exactly where Kakariko Village was on his map. He was glad to have an actual place to the name, rather than just a glowing point in an expanse of blue gridded void.

This time, however, another feature was added to the slate as well: The Sheikah Sensor. It would be helpful for finding more shrines, and he was grateful for the option.

Though, after just a few moments of moving, he felt the beeping would get rather annoying if he left it on at all times.

He traced out his path on the map - he appreciated having the actual roads mapped out for him, now, as opposed to blindly following the paths - and took a running leap off the tower, gliding down to his horse.

With a short stop on the way - to get the shrine on the other side of the river, Ree Dahee - and with it he gained the Climber’s Bandana, and immediately added the piece to his current outfit - he was at Dueling Peaks Stable, and he dutifully completed the shrine at the stable as well, adding a new marking to his map. Travelling back to any place he’d been would be much easier with all these travel gates.

He talked to the people once more, gathering the materials left around the stable and meeting everyone there. There were a lot of twins at this stable, as pointed out by Sagessa, who also gave him a free elixir just for asking about them.

He fed the stable dog, of course, and gained a new quest from Prissen and Domidak - though he had to pay 100 rupees just to hear about it. It was a bit of a scam, if you asked him, but Link was ready to add any quest to his radar, so he didn’t mind too much.

He also discovered - by accident at first - that hitting the cuccos would make them lay an egg sometimes. 

And then promptly discovered that hitting them four times was the limit, apparently, and they would rain the hellfire of a thousand more cuccos on him if he did so.

He ran for his life, but still took a full heart of damage from them.

That did lead him to meet Hino, though, and for a moment Link considered telling him everything he knew about the blood moons, but then he realized he’d have to explain how he knew that, and he figured that “I’ve been hearing the voice of the princess from 100 years ago and she told me all this” probably would raise some questions, at the least, so he decided against it.

He also spoke with Rensa, who gave him directions to Kakariko Village. He could pretty much figure it out on his own, but it was always nice to be sure. 

Apparently Kakariko was where the Sheikah Clan lived. They must be the very same that created the shrines, and the slate he carried on his hip. No wonder that was his first official stop on this journey, they could tell him a lot more about what he must do next.

With that settled, he rested for the night at the cooking pot, and set off again in the morning without much more thought. He considered, briefly, going after the tower he saw in the distance - one of the only two he hadn’t been able to see from the Great Plateau, but he figured it was probably best to stay on track for now.

It was nice, letting his horse do the steering for him as they followed the path, allowing him to look out over the scenery.

There was something, though, about this plain, scattered with ruins and destroyed guardians, that called to him. A deep ache within him, and some glimmer of familiarity he didn’t yet understand.

Link shook his head, turning away. There was no point in ruminating over what was and could’ve been. He had a job to do, for now.

The sky was rather pretty, though.

He passed a few travelers on the road, mostly merchants, and he stopped at the sign to make sure he was heading the right direction.

It was a wonder he still remembered how to read, considering he hadn’t even known his own name when he woke up.

He continued for a good distance before stopping again, this time leaving Knight behind as he walked up to what appeared to be some sort of... creature? Person? It looked a bit like the koroks, only bigger, and with a tree growing out of its head, it seemed. He approached it curiously.

“Shakalaka!” It exclaimed as he approached. “You! You can see me?!” He nodded.

“I can see you.”

“Shala-zah! Shala-kah! It’s been 100 years since anyone has been able to see me!” A dark feeling settled in Link’s gut. Had it been him, who had seen this... person, 100 years ago? Regardless, the being introduced itself.

“I’m Hestu, and I need your help!” Hestu? That was who the koroks had been waiting for, right? Perhaps now he could return some of the seeds he had gathered. Though, first he should probably help Hestu, however he could.

He nodded as Hestu told him about the lost maracas, leaving Knight behind as he made his way over to their camp. No need to pointlessly endanger her, after all.

He contemplated the entrance for a moment, and ultimately decided to climb on top of it, rather than going through. No doubt the monsters would immediately spot him if he just walked right through, and the height gave him an advantage. Not only did they not see him, but now they couldn’t reach him, either.

It was three blue bokoblins, and Link felt a little nervous at first - they had been able to kill him in one hit on the Plateau. But he was better prepared now, with clothes that gave him actual defense, better weapons that didn’t break as easily, and actual shields this time.

He shot them quite a few times, getting them down to about half health - he hadn’t really considered it before, but it was interesting that he knew relatively how much damage each shot dealt, and how much more it would take to kill them. 

He didn’t want to waste too many arrows, however, and after his first bow broke he decided to jump down and face them head-on. With a few well-timed hits - and accidentally launching one of them over the side of the cliff - they were dead, and the chest’s eyes glowed yellow, allowing him to open it.

He blinked momentarily as he gained the maracas - he had forgotten, in the fight, that they were what he was here for, and hadn’t expected them to be in the chest. Still, he read their description in the slate, smiling at the thought of a baby Hestu shaking the maracas that would’ve been far too big for him then, before turning on his heel. 

He still had to return them, after all. 

He shield-surfed back to Hestu, presenting him with the maracas. Only, something was wrong with them, apparently. The korok seeds from inside them were missing.

He had the power, apparently, of “inventory expansion”. Did that mean he could magically make the Sheikah Slate able to hold more items? Only one way to find out, Link supposed.

Link gladly handed over a korok seed, and was presented with three options. Curiously, he chose his weapon stash, and Hestu began dancing.

Sure enough, another square appeared on the Sheikah Slate, allowing room for one more weapon. Smiling now, he turned back to Hestu, ready to hand over as many as he could.

Sadly, Hestu had to leave, apparently, so he only was able to gain one more weapons slot, but Hestu offered him plenty of information instead. 

Link was curious as to who “Grandpa” was, but he supposed it didn’t matter much right now. Hestu was, according to himself, the most celebrated musician of Korok Forest, and Link didn’t particularly doubt that. His music certainly wasn’t bad, by any means, and Link appreciated the small tunes he’d heard.

He almost laughed, though, at Hestu’s refusal to say anything about the koroks. They certainly weren’t as kind as Hestu, and it was clear he didn’t want to speak poorly of them.

With that, however, it was time to go. He was already almost at Kakariko, and there wasn’t anything he could gain from staying to chat any longer.

He found a few more koroks up the road, ironically, and caught a few frogs as well, and soon he was entering the gates.

Finally, he was here. Kakariko Village.

The first thing he noticed, besides the pleasant windchimes, was that there was someone sitting on the path, and they appeared to be injured. He approached them slowly, carefully guiding his horse to ensure he didn’t accidentally hurt them further.

They spoke for a moment, apologizing for the injury - though that really wasn’t something they had to apologize for, in Link’s opinion - before taking note of the Sheikah Slate on his hip. He didn’t see any reason to lie, so he explained; they were the people who were supposed to guide him, after all.

The woman - Nanna, her name was - contemplated his words for a moment. After mulling it over, she apparently came to the conclusion he was telling the truth, stating that the Sheikah Slate was a symbol that meant he was the hero of legend.

He didn’t feel particularly heroic, nor legendary, but he didn’t say that.

She insisted he met with Lady Impa, and he was glad to do so, considering that was why he was here anyways. She offered directions to her house, and sent Link on his way, saying it was an honor to meet him.

He wasn’t sure he deserved that honor, but he continued anyways.

He wanted to stop and chat with every person he saw, to explore the village and all of its interesting features - the houses had rather interesting architecture, and he was curious about their shops and fields - but he knew that all of that could wait. First, he had to speak with Lady Impa. His mission came first.

He also noticed, guiding Knight down to the entrance of Lady Impa’s house, that she refused to go any faster than a light trot while inside the town. He supposed it made sense, and was safer that way, but he figured it was best to leave her behind for any further travels in the town.

Before approaching the entrance, which was guarded by two people who seemed rather on edge to see Link, he first went up to the frog statues, with apple offerings in front of them. One, however, was missing an offering, its dish laying empty. Link took an apple from the slate, placing it in the dish curiously.

Of course, the reward was a korok.

With that knowledge, he took all of the apples, since if there was no other purpose for them then he might as well put them to good use.

Finally, he turned to the guards, approaching cautiously. Best not to make them think he was a threat.

Cado was the one to address him, upset that he dared to trespass on Lady Impa’s abode, in his words, but he quickly calmed upon seeing the Sheikah Slate he carried, apologizing for his behaviour. 

He had to say, having the Sheikah Slate on display was proving rather convenient so far.

Though, he had to wonder if it would be dangerous, should the wrong person see it. He didn’t particularly like having a beacon that apparently screamed “I’m the chosen hero”. 

He spoke to the guards again, after they moved out of his path, and it seemed they had much to say, but were waiting for him to speak with Lady Impa first. Though, he was curious about the Yiga Clan that Cado spoke of.

Link couldn’t help but feel angry, on the Sheikah’s behalf, for the way they had been treated. No wonder their technology had been left dormant underground - no wonder they had not been prepared, 100 years ago, for Ganon’s return. If the people - if the King, especially - hadn’t feared their technology and prowess those millennia ago, not only would the world as a whole be much more advanced, it seemed, but perhaps none of this would’ve come to pass. Perhaps the world would not have ended, 100 years ago, and Link wouldn’t be here now, with no memories and still relearning how to fight.

Though he didn’t agree with the Yiga - siding with the monster that wanted to destroy the whole world simply because society was unfair wasn’t exactly something he could get behind, or even really understand - he did sympathize with them a little. Not much, mind you, but enough to see what had pushed them to that point. 

Regardless, that wasn’t important right this moment. No, right now, he had to climb those steps, and finally speak with Lady Impa.

First, though, he met Paya, and felt rather bad for her. He hadn’t meant to intrude on her, she was just peacefully cleaning the deck. He couldn’t really understand being so shy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel bad for forcing her into a social interaction that she was clearly afraid of.

She was rather pretty, too, he had to admit, though that didn’t matter all too much. He would’ve told her as such, but he had a feeling that with how much she struggled saying her own name, taking a compliment would probably be too much for her to bear at the moment.

Though, he was curious as to what she said. Her grandmother? Did that mean Lady Impa? And if so, that meant that Lady Impa had at least one child... he wondered if he would get to meet them.

In any case, he opened the doors, finally ready to face her.

He felt a sense of sadness, at her words. It seemed they were friends,  or at least familiar with each other, 100 years ago. The relief she must’ve felt, at seeing her friend alive and well after so many years...

Only to have that reunion taken from her by his lost memories. He really didn’t know who she was, hard as he tried, and as she realized that he had lost all of his memories, it felt like a stake being driven through his heart. He really didn’t want to hurt her like this, stranger as she was to him. 

He hoped he could properly remember her, one day.

She brushed it off quickly, moving on to his mission. She spoke of Princess Zelda, and her noble duty 100 years ago, leaving for the castle alone. 

She was hesitant to tell him more, though, worried that with his memories gone, he was not yet ready to pledge his life to the cause of defeating Ganon. She didn’t wish to burden him with more than he was prepared for.

Little did she know how committed he already was, even with no knowledge of who he truly used to be.

Without hesitation, he gave her his word that he was ready. She laughed, a fondness in her eyes that he had not yet seen from anyone he had met. He truly felt like she had known him, all those years ago.

“Not a memory to your name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only courage and justice on your side. You have not changed a bit. Once a hero, always a hero.” Link felt a small semblance of pride at the words. It was good to know that, even now, he had a hero’s spirit, as everyone seemed to think. Though he still doubted his actual merit as one, it was nice to know that he at least had the courage of one.

He was just glad she didn’t know how terrified he had been to face his first bokoblin.

Still, she knew now that he didn’t recall much of anything, so she began to recount the tale to him again.

She told him of what had happened 10,000 years ago, first, the Golden Age of civilization at the time, and the legend that had been passed down for millennia of how they had defeated Ganon, upon his last revival. 

She was less detailed when it came to 100 years ago, perhaps knowing that he had already been told of the destruction and devastation, or maybe figuring that he had already concluded as much. 

And, finally, she told him the message she had waited 100 years to deliver.

“Free the four Divine Beasts.” And instantly, hope blossomed in Link’s heart.

King Rhoam had told him of the Divine Beasts, of the Champions that had fought alongside him and had piloted those mechanical wonders. He had spoken of how Ganon had overtaken them, just as the Guardians, and turned them against Hyrule, against everyone. 

But knowing that there was hope, that he could free them... Link was overjoyed.

He knew it was no easy task - from what little he knew about them, he could already tell they were giant, perhaps as big as the castle, and with their near autonomous nature and the malice that had overtaken them, there was no doubt that it would be dangerous, deadly, and no small feat. 

But he was prepared to take on the task. For Zelda, for Hyrule, for the fallen Champions, and even just for the sake of doing what he could to help those he could. He didn’t need to be some grand hero with a greater destiny to want to help however he could.

Still, he asked for clarification on the Divine Beasts. It was best to get all the knowledge he could, first.

He learned their names. Daruk, the Goron Champion. Revali, the Rito Champion. Mipha, the Zora Champion. Urbosa, the Gerudo Champion. It was nice, to have names for his companions from 100 years ago. 

Impa warned him, as well, that “it would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help”. Link forced himself to not wince at the mention.

He had already found that out the hard way. 

Still, she gave him a new quest, four glowing dots appearing on the Sheikah Slate to show where he must go now.

First, however, she tasked him with going to Hateno Village, where they could finish restoring the Sheikah Slate. 

That was his priority then, after exploring Kakariko a little further. It would be wisest to make sure the slate was in peak condition before attempting any major battles, considering how it had helped him thus far. 

It was also closest on the map, seconded by the dot above it, in the region just north of Hateno and Duelling Peaks. That was where he would go next, most likely. 

For now, though, he turned back to Kakariko village, speaking first to the guards once more.

Cado had left, but Dorian was still there, detailing the various shops in the village, and telling Link of a shrine too, just up the hill. He also spoke of the guardian of the village, encouraging Link to go visit her, when he got the chance. Link made a mental note to do so, and continued on.

Cado, it turned out, wasn’t too far away, instead standing at what Link assumed to be his house, looking distressed. He walked up, wondering what was wrong.

His cuccos had gone missing, apparently. Though, it was apparent there was much more going on in his life, with him mentioning that they were his only emotional support after his wife left him.

Link offered to go find them for him. After all, he was happy to help in any way he could.

It wasn’t long until he had retrieved all the cuccos, placing them back in their rightful place in Cado’s pen. He was happy for the reward - a purple rupee, worth quite a lot - but really that wasn’t why he did it. He was glad to bring any joy back to this man, though he barely knew him. Really, he just wanted to help.

He spoke to Paya again, as the sun began to set, inquiring as to what she was doing, kneeling by the frog statues. 

“I was just polishing the guardian deities.” She explained. She told him how he was going down a noble path, and how working to upkeep the deities was the only way she could help. Link was grateful for any aid, be it spiritual, physical, or otherwise. 

He really wished she would just call him Link, though. Master Link was much too formal.

He made his way up to the shrine next, ignoring the quickly fading daylight. He could always rest once he came out.

It was a simple tutorial, it seemed, much more straightforward than any of the puzzles from the other ones. He was even given a shield and sword right off the bat, to aid him in the trial.

He followed the Monk’s instructions, trying out the various fighting techniques. The side hop was fairly self-explanatory, as was the backflip, but what really interested him was the flurry rush that came from either of them.

Just as when he drew a bow midair, time slowed around him, allowing him a laser focus and an opening to slash at his opponent with no repercussion. He wondered if anyone else could experience the slowing of time like he could.

The parry was fairly simple as well, though it took him a few tries to get the timing right, and the spin attack he had already figured out. By the end of it, the mini-guardian was dead, and he had not only another spirit orb, but a new weapon as well. 

By the time he came out, however, it was already morning, and Link marvelled at it. He really didn’t need rest - though he supposed that 100 years of sleep had already been enough. 

Instead, he continued on into the woods further, following the path. He spoke briefly to the little girl - Cottla, her name was, and he’d seen her before, hanging around with another girl her age, and Dorian, the other guard - who only said that her mother was hiding. He didn’t pay it much mind, passing her quickly as he ventured towards where he’d been told the guardian spirit was.

He didn’t find any spirit, but what he did find was a plant, larger than him and surrounded by plenty of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. There were also four fairies floating in front of it, and Link was careful to sneak up, catching them quickly and watching them disappear into the slate just as all of his items had. 

Apparently, they would automatically revive him if he ran out of hearts, and Link wondered briefly if that would happen before or after his natural ability to come back from death.

Though, he supposed, he still didn’t know if there was a limit on how many times he could come back. He wasn’t really sure he wanted to find out.

He discovered a new, different type of carrot than the ones in the village, and he found he could use stasis to see which plants he could and couldn’t pick.

He also found a new type of flower, the Silent Princess. There was something about it that made him pause, staring at the flower in his hands with wonder. There was a familiarity to it, more so than any of the other plants he had seen, and he felt a sort of sorrow reading its description in the slate, knowing that it had been a favorite of the princess. Of Zelda. 

He had known her, too, once. 

He promised himself he’d gather as many of them as he could find, and he’d make her a wonderful bouquet once he finally saved her.

Finally, completing his circle around the strange pod in the clearing, he made his way up the mushroom-steps, glowing an unnatural shade of orange - though, he supposed it couldn’t really be unnatural if it was growing in nature.

Still, there was something strange about it.

He examined the pod, peering at it and its spiked leaves, when a deep and dark voice called out to him from inside.

“Boy... 

“Sweet Boy... 

“Please... Listen to my story...” It called. Raising an eyebrow, Link agreed.

“I am the Great Fairy Cotera...” It lamented. “This place was once a beautiful spring...” Link stared inquisitively. Was this really the guardian they had spoken of?

“But as time passed, fewer and fewer travelers arrived to offer me rupees. As a result, my power has abandoned me.” He could hear a sense of mourning in their voice, and he could feel it, too. 

The world had fallen into ruin for 100 years. Just thinking about all that was and could’ve been if things hadn’t gone the way they had was enough to leave a deep sense of grief in his very soul.

“I’m nearly powerless now, so I beg your help. I need rupees to become whole again. All I need is 100 rupees...” The voice pleaded, and he really couldn’t refuse. He had to aid anyone in need, it was his very nature.

He didn’t care for the offer of great things from her, he just wanted to help.

Even if it did somewhat suspiciously seem like she just wanted money.

A hand reached out from the pod, and it looked oddly hylian. Though, it was larger than he was tall, and he could spot a good bit of jewelry bedazzling what little of her he could see. 

Still, 100 rupees wasn’t that much of a price to pay, and just the other day he had offered as much just to learn more about a quest, so with little hesitation he pulled 100 rupees from the slate, handing them over to her without another thought. 

The pod began pumping, producing a pollen that sparkled from the air, and with a scream from inside the pod burst open, revealing a sacred pond.

The fairy herself emerged, a rather large woman, in the sense that just from her chest up she was probably over 50 feet tall, towering over the height of any of the houses he had seen up to now, probably even the stables too. 

She was rather scantily clad, though Link supposed it wasn’t his place to judge her outfit, and she was bedazzled from head to... well, not toe, since only her waist up was out of the water, but he figured she was probably wearing jewelry and gems wherever she could. 

She thanked him for freeing her, offering to enhance his clothes in return, so long as he provided her with the materials to do so.

The only one she was able to do so with at the moment were the Hylian Trousers he was wearing, and by blowing him a kiss - with (presumably) magical sparkles flying through the air towards him - their defensive properties increased, meaning monsters’ attacks would hurt him less now.

He wasn’t entirely sure how that worked, but he didn’t particularly care. Plus, he figured a fairy’s blessing worked as an enchantment, so it wasn’t too strange, all things considered. 

With that being all she could do, though, she disappeared back into the water with a laugh, shaking the ground as she went and leaving Link alone once more.

Chapter Text

There wasn’t really anything more he could do here, so he made his way back from whence he came, riding his shield down the path until he reached the turning point where the slope met the village, stopping to talk with Dorian and the two girls sitting beside him.

“Are you taking a break as well, Master Link? If so, allow me to introduce my precious daughters, Koko and Cottla.” Link smiled, waving his hellos to the two girls. Though, he wished that everyone would stop calling him Master.

He asked about the stories Dorian told to them, expecting fairytales or gentle warnings about the world around them, or perhaps tales of his days as a younger man, exploring the world. Instead, Link felt a sense of deep sadness as he recounted how people had heard a woman sobbing in the woods behind the shrine - no doubt the Great Fairy, who had been their guardian for so long. 

He couldn’t help but admire Cottla’s spirit, though, as Dorian told how the stories, intended to scare his daughters into staying safe, instead only excited her. No wonder he had seen her there before, peering into the woods towards where he had found the fairy. An adventurous one like himself, she was.

He wished them fun, and continued down the path, back to where he had left Knight, and the campfire beside her. There was a person there too, who he’d ignored before in favor of speaking to Impa, and now he approached them, curious to see what they were painting.

It was actually rather well done, a more simplistic portrait of Impa’s house, but by no means an amateur’s work. Pikango told him of the Great Fairy Fountain that was apparently hiding nearby, and how the villagers, so protective of their guardian spirit, refused to share the location with a random traveler such as himself. Link considered telling him that it was just up the hill, but decided against it, figuring it was best to respect the villager’s wishes.

Behind Pikango, a bridge extended into the small pond at the center of the village, that most of the waterfalls flowed down to. And, at the end of that bridge, in the center of the pond, stood a goddess statue - smaller than the one in the Temple Of Time, though overgrown with moss all the same, and clothed in an apron that one of the townspeople must’ve placed upon it. Link approached the statue curiously.

By praying once more, the statue sparkled with life, a holy light shining down from the otherwise cloudy sky and illuminating the statue with an enchanting glow.

“You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit Orbs.” Hylia spoke again, and Link marvelled. Even here, with this smaller statue barely taller than he was, Hylia could speak with him directly, offering to amplify his being, just as before. 

He thought about it for a moment, contemplating which would help him the most. Still, he upheld his previous decision, taking note of how the gauges had changed on the Sheikah Slate. He would wait until he had another full circle representing his stamina before he dedicated the rest of his spirit orbs to enhancing his health - healing items were of no scarcity, after all.

He wondered, briefly, if the people here knew that they could communicate so directly with Hylia, here in their very town. Or, if instead, Link was the only one who could do so at all, regardless of where or which statue he used. 

Regardless, he turned on his heel, setting out to further explore the town.

It seemed the cuccos had gotten out again, he noted, seeing one of them back at the campfire by the bridge, but when he spoke to Cado about it he didn’t seem to notice, nor care. 

Instead, Link turned back to the cooking pot he had seen, where Koko now stood, thinking dramatically by the fire.

He had to say, he admired the Sheikah’s style, and the consistency in their town with their fashion. It was very unique, and he wondered, momentarily, if he would be allowed to have an outfit like theirs. He wouldn’t mind paying a fair price to purchase one, but he didn’t know if they would allow an outsider such as himself to partake in a part of their culture like that.

He had also noticed that it seemed all people of the Sheikah Clan had naturally white hair, regardless of age, and he wondered if Pikango had originally been part of this town, before he became a traveler. Though, Link supposed that a stranger’s heritage was really none of his business. He did think that having his hairdo imitate a paintbrush was rather inspired though.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Link waved to Koko, wondering what she was thinking so deeply about.

She spoke of a soup she was going to make, telling him the recipe with excitement glimmering in her eyes. Link couldn’t help but grin back, happy to talk to someone with the same enthusiasm for cooking as him. 

Sure, he would eat anything, but there was something so satisfying about a proper meal, and with his penchant for experimenting, new dishes and recipes were something he was always happy for. 

She was rather adorable, too, practically yelling at him about how amazing this dish was, all amped up to cook it herself.

He nearly jumped back when she wailed though, shouting in distress as she apparently realized something. Link was quick to worry, ready to help her in any way he could.

Wow, I’ve only known this child for 5 minutes and I would already die for her. 

She was out of carrots, it seemed, and that was what was causing her such distress. Well, that was an easy fix! He had already spoken to both of the farmers, and gotten a free fortifying pumpkin and swift carrot from each. He would gladly hand it over to her in a heartbeat if it meant she got to continue to enjoy the wonders of cooking.

“I’ll bring you some.” He promised, and her eyes lit up. She beamed at him, quite literally jumping in joy as she thanked him excitedly.

Apparently, she could smell the carrot already, and he handed it over with a smile. She told him to wait just where he was, and she began to prepare the meal, offering him some when it was done. 

It disappeared right into his slate too, kept fresh for the future, whenever he chose to eat it, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment, knowing he had helped her follow her dreams of cooking. He was sure she’d be as great a chef as her mother one day, like she so aspired to be.

He spoke to her again, after it was finished, just to make sure she really was alright now, and it seemed she was, for she was already choosing another dish to make. 

He felt a twinge of sadness, knowing that she was the one cooking for her sister, and not their mother - he felt there was something he was missing, there - but before he could congratulate her on making such a wonderful dish, she was already yelling again, shouting about how she was out of goat butter.

He was even more concerned when she immediately started speaking badly of herself.

“Koko is a bad daughter who can’t do anything right. Koko will never be like Mother...” She lamented, and Link’s heart sank. Where had she heard such things? 

The fact that she spoke in the third person, a cute quirk moments ago, now had him even more worried. Had someone said these things to her? Who had dared to make a child feel so worthless? He had some strong words for them, whoever they were.

Still, he had to help, and he noticed the Sheikah Slate apparently agreed, registering this, too, as a quest for him to complete. First, though, it seemed he would have to step into the shops.

The general store only had four available items, and an odd selection at that: Eggs, carrots, bokoblin guts, and goat butter. Still, it wasn’t his place to question it, and he walked up to one of the baskets, immediately buying out all of their goat butter. He would do anything to ensure Koko was happy, and could continue with all the cooking endeavors her heart desired.

Just to be safe, he bought all of their carrots too, and then the whole shop’s stock of everything, just for good measure. Though, he did have to sell the rest of the gems he’d picked up along the way to afford it; he still wasn’t rich by any means. By the time he walked out, he barely still had a purple rupee to his name, but it was worth it, he was sure.

He returned to Koko at once, who was just as excited as before to be able to complete her meal. Just as the first time, she gave him some as thanks, and he had to say, just smelling it he was already hungry. He would have to make this one on his own sometime.

He appreciated her ethic too, her commitment to becoming a better cook was admirable. He wondered, for a moment, if attempting to talk with her again would prompt her to come up with another recipe.

In fact, it did. This time Tough Meat-Stuffed Pumpkin, which seemed pretty self-explanatory.

Well, now he was extra grateful for the Sheikah Slate’s ability to keep everything inside it fresh, because he still had some of the meat from those boars he had hunted on the Great Plateau. Had it not been for the slate's preservative properties, it surely would’ve been rotten by now, but as it was, he could hand it to her already sliced down to a manageable portion!

Really, he had to admire this child’s passion, even if it seemed she didn’t have any of the ingredients she needed.

He supposed, if she did, then he wouldn’t be able to help her, and share in the joy of cooking with her. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise, really.

He decided he wasn’t going to leave her side until he had helped her make every meal her heart desired. He doubted the rest of the town would mind if he helped a child achieve her dreams, after all, especially one after his own ravenous heart.

He was still concerned about her readiness to immediately jump to speaking so poorly of herself, but with the honey he had already gathered, he was quick to correct her claims, and he waited patiently as she began to cook once more.

He listened, as she spoke more of her mother, and now he certainly knew something wasn’t quite right. No child should be speaking of their mother in such a sad tone of remembrance, not if the mother was still alive. No, something was clearly wrong.

Koko began to cry, and Link reached out for a moment before withdrawing his hand, unsure. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he was still just a stranger. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

She seemed to calm down after a moment, talking it out, mostly to herself. She thanked him again, and he was glad he was able to help, even more than he had expected, it seemed. She had found a way to reconnect with her mother through these dishes, and Link was glad he could bring her that connection.

He spoke with her one final time, just to make sure that really was the last recipe she needed help with, and indeed it was. He listened as she proudly told him that she had decided to become a chef when she grew up, and that she was going to start making her own recipes now. 

He couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, knowing not only that she would make a great chef - just because she didn’t keep track of ingredients didn’t mean her cooking wasn’t amazing - but that he had helped foster that excitement and love for the craft. 

He left her to it, turning back to face the town once more. He really did need to head off soon, and head over to Hateno to finish restoring the Sheikah Slate, but first he wanted to make sure he had solved all the problems he could in Kakariko, first.

He supposed, though, that he really should stop by the shops first, and actually look at what they all had to offer. Even if he wasn’t able to buy anything right this second, it would still be nice to know what they had, and what he might need to save up for.

The first one he stopped at, across from the general shop, only stocked arrows, but that didn’t make him any less excited. He wanted to have as many as he could, in all honesty, but for the time being he just looked, stopping to talk to the clerk before he left.

She had an offer for him, as well. If he could light the arrows by the Goddess Statue, she would... well, she wasn’t entirely clear. Be attracted to him? He didn’t much care about that, he barely knew who he was himself, so there wasn’t much she could really fall for in the first place, and he certainly wasn’t thinking about romance when the fate of the whole world rested in his hands, but he was given a task, so of course he was going to compete it.

And, of course, it registered itself as a quest in the Sheikah Slate, so now he had to, just for completion’s sake. 

Not that he really minded; it seemed simple enough, and he loved setting things on fire anyways. 

He considered briefly using his fire arrows, but he only had a limited amount of those, and by momentarily pointing his bow down he could instead light one of his regular arrows on fire, accomplishing much the same task. With four quick shots, the torches were lit, and he hurried back to the shop, almost suspicious of how easy it had been. Surely there was something more, right?

She had seen him, apparently, despite the fact that the store was 20 feet away, there were no windows, he hadn’t seen her come out at all, and there was seemingly no way for her to even get out from behind the counter, but Link didn’t question it. It wasn’t his place to judge what was and wasn’t possible, all things considered.

She spoke of how her husband was a fine archer, and Link felt a tad bit uncomfortable. She was certainly older than him - though he was technically over 100 years old, but that didn’t really count, considering he hadn’t aged at all - how old had he even been, before all of this? - and while people of any age could find love, he barely felt like he was old enough to qualify as an adult, much less an older adult’s romantic interest.

She was... oddly excited, by him using a bow, too. He felt a little flattered, but mostly he was just confused and a little uncomfortable. She even gave him a red rupee for it, which he felt was a little much, but hey, he wasn’t complaining.

He was starting to put the pieces together, though, as she muttered about her husband becoming obsessed with cuccos instead of archery. Still, he didn’t say anything about it.

He continued exploring the town, popping into the armor shop as well - but not before stopping to say hello to the person waving outside, Lasli. 

“...Oh, my. Look at that face!” She exclaimed after greeting him, and he paused, unsure of what she was getting at. “You are TOTALLY my type. Hi.” He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. She was certainly closer to his age, and he didn’t mind the compliment, though he still wasn’t used to receiving them. 

He didn’t know if he really had a “type”, honestly. Really, he didn’t know anything about himself, or who he used to be, at least. 

Still, he was in the middle of a conversation. Now was not the time to get existential over his lost memories. 

Luckily, she continued without him having to say anything.

“Ooh, and you even have a Sheikah Slate on your hip!” She said excitedly. Was that “cool”, to her? He really had no idea what was and wasn’t popular. 

Apparently, it was more important than he realized, because she startled after thinking about it for a few more seconds, voice growing in volume as she apparently realized what it meant. 

She didn’t really know either, apparently, but she said it meant he was incredible, and that he was more important than he seemed, before going back to waving to the town as if nothing had happened. 

He stood for a moment, unsure of what to do next, but when she still hadn’t said anything for a few seconds he went inside, moving on as she apparently had.

There were two outfits inside, apparently both part of the Claree Collection, as the owner of the store - Claree herself - explained. She explained the one on his left, an outfit that would enhance his stealth, at the cost of having very little in the way of defense, and Link admired the items. They were certainly very stylish, and he didn’t doubt her expertise on the matter. 

They were also, as far as he could tell, the closest he could get to wearing an actual Sheikah Outfit, in the same style the people of the town did. However, it was also very pricy, and he really didn’t have the funds for that right now. For the time being, he would have to rely on meals with stealth-enhancing ingredients, and his thrown-together fashion choices. 

Turning to the other side of the store, though, the pants immediately caught his eye - they were the exact ones he was wearing, in fact. Sure enough, they were called the Hylian Trousers, same as the ones he wore. The whole set was named the same, with the Hylian Tunic and the Hylian Hood. That must be the full outfit, he supposed, and if that were the case then it would make the most sense for him to wear the full outfit, rather than this mishmash of clothes he was currently wearing.

The set was much cheaper than the other, ranging from 5 to 8 times less expensive than the Stealth outfit, but he still didn’t have enough to buy the items he needed. Besides, he knew he could always come back, and with the shrine just above the town, he would be able to teleport back in a matter of moments, rather than having to travel all the way back by foot or horseback.

Setting foot outside again, he noticed that the rapidly setting sun had now entirely disappeared behind the mountains, leaving the sky painted a myriad of pinks, reds, and purples as the blue faded away. It was beautiful, really, the way the different colors melded together until it all looked like a painting.

He made his way past Pikango, still working on his painting, and Paya, praying once more by the deities, and stopped when he saw Steen, practicing with a tree branch. Something about the way he swung it around felt... familiar, but also starkly amateurish. Link wasn’t quite sure why.

“The best defense is a good offense!” He proclaimed as Link approached. “Would you like to master the art of combat?” Really, Link felt that he was already better at facing off against foes than he was, slashing around a tree branch with no real practice, but he would never deny free advice, especially considering how little he really knew.

And, was it just him, or did the world around them seem to slow a little as Link spoke with him?

In any case, it seemed Steen was still convinced that Link was simply a fan of the “legendary swordsman” from 100 years ago, and not actually the same person. He couldn’t really blame him, Link understood that he didn’t exactly look over 100, let alone did he have the skills or sword to prove it, but that didn’t make it any less frustrating.

He had a few good pointers, Link had to admit, and he was grateful that he could share this knowledge with him, even if it was just the basics. And he was especially glad for the idea of dropping down on a foe from above - with the paraglider, he could drop from as high as he liked, and so long as he stopped for a moment to slow his momentum, he could land on a monster for the maximum amount of impact.

Still, with the night growing darker by the minute, and most of the town already asleep, there wasn’t much more he could do. He supposed, then, that it was time for him to rest, and then head out in the morning. He had delayed his mission long enough; it was time to set off for Hateno, for whatever important quest awaited him there.

He made his way to the inn, feeling a little guilty for waking Ollie once again - though it seemed like the man was always sleeping. Not that Link really had any place to judge.

He decided, with the long journey ahead of him in the morning, and having skipped a night’s rest already, he could spend a few more rupees and indulge in the soft bed, just for one night. After all, he wasn’t sure when he’d return, and if he’d get the chance to see what it was all about again after tonight.

40 rupees poorer and several hours later he awoke, feeling more rested than he had ever been in his current living memory. Though, that was rather limited, all things considered.

Still, the world glowed with morning light, and as he pulled out the Sheikah Slate to assess his next move on the map he noticed a single yellow heart, right next to the gauge displaying his health. He supposed that meant it was temporary, then? He wasn’t really sure. It would explain why he felt in such great health, though.

He made his way over to Knight, mounting his trusted steed once more as he traced his path on the map. There was no more delaying it; in a few short stops he should be at Hateno.

He didn’t say goodbye to anyone; he hadn’t known them long enough to feel the need to warrant it, and with the morning sun just barely gleaming over the mountaintops he felt it would be inappropriate to wake these strangers, kind as they were, to announce his departure. Impa had expected his parting for days now, and the others had known him for so little time that he doubted they would miss his presence much, anyways.

He did stop, though, right by the entrance to the town, speaking with Nanna once more. He wasn’t saying goodbye, not really, but he had never gotten the chance to follow up with her after their first meeting. He hoped her ankle was healing well.

She had valuable information for him, it seemed, as she spoke of her mentor, who used to work closely with Princess Zelda herself. She was at the research facility in Hateno - most likely, this mentor was exactly who he was setting off to meet. 

She did warn him, though, that her mentor was “a bit odd”. Link didn’t think he’d mind, though he duly noted the warning.

He appreciated the wishes for safe travels, and in moments he was on the open road once more, Knight galloping down the path as he admired the world around him, narrow and limited as it was in the current moment.

The world truly was beautiful, and he couldn’t help but admire it as he rode along, taking note of every detail he could. He was sure he wouldn’t remember it all, as his quest wore on, but he knew he would remember this feeling, the awe and serene astonishment at the beauty of the world. He wished he could cherish it forever.

He noticed, too, that Hestu was no longer in the same place - he was making his way back to Korok Forest, then, and Link wished him safety and luck on his travels. Hopefully Link wouldn’t have to come and rescue him again - not that he minded, but he wouldn’t wish an attack upon anyone, least of all someone as kind and gentle as Hestu.

He noted as well, as he rode along, that the Great Plateau had in fact been the absolute smallest section on the map, and each region was much, much larger. He supposed that was nice - there wouldn’t be dozens of towers for him to find, to complete the map, then - but that also meant that this large, sprawling world felt even grander and more unexplored. 

He wasn’t sure if he was ready for all of it, but he supposed for now he didn’t have to be. Hateno and Duelling Peaks would do.

He stopped just before Kakariko Bridge, noticing a person standing off to the side. Not walking, or riding horseback, or looking around. Just... standing there. Smiling eerily. 

He left Knight on the bridge, a safe distance away, before turning back, approaching the man cautiously. There was something off, though, and as the man began to speak, Link noticed something strange.

Everyone else he had spoken to, Link had immediately known their name. The old man, he supposed, he had just known as the old man, but that was how he had introduced himself as well, and everyone else he had somehow, innately, known how they were referred to, before they ever introduced themselves - some of them never even did. 

But this person... they just registered to him as a traveler. There was no name attached to the face, no information, they weren’t a merchant, or an adventurer, or a swordsman. No, they were just... Traveler.

“I can tell you’ve trained your body well...” They started off with, and immediately further red flags went up in Link’s mind. They had immediately taken note of his physical status, and Link’s grip on his belt tightened - Did he always place his hands on his belt when speaking to people? He supposed he did, or at least, he had every time he could remember.

And, he noticed now more than ever, time really had stopped as he spoke to this person, though no more so than any other. Another traveler - Bugut, he had spoken with him before - was frozen mid-step going down the stairs, Knight frozen mid-breath, and though as he looked around he noticed the world still moving - clouds still trailing across the sky, the wind still blowing the grass, bugs and birds still chirping in the distance - every conscious living creature seemed to be frozen in time. 

Everyone except the two of them, it seemed. 

“I’d say...” The traveler continued, “you’re familiar with both sword and bow, correct?” Link didn’t respond to his question, staring warily. 

“That’s a good skill set.” He praised. “Why don’t you join the Yiga Clan?” And there it was. He had just been warned of them, from various members of the Sheikah Clan, and that told him now why he had been so suspicious of the man from the start. Still, he didn’t want to start a conflict with them just yet, not if he could help it. 

He supposed he always had the option to play dumb. 

“Yiga Clan?”

“What? You don’t know?” The man’s expression turned into one of almost comical disgust and surprise, his stance widening dramatically - though, Link had reacted quite similarly before to the Old Man’s - to King Rhoam’s, rather - antics. Still, the “traveler” continued.

“Fine... I’ll tell you...

“The Yiga Clan... It’s...” He laughed. “A powerful, brave group of warriors, founded by Master Kogha and dedicated to defeating a hero thought long dead.” That wasn’t good, if they knew that he wasn’t really dead, as the whole world apparently believed. At least he knew something about the leader, though.

The man’s stance changed, though, a more devilish expression taking over his face. “I will take your life.” He declared, arranging his hands in a manner faster than Link could interpret, which somehow completely changed his form and outfit as symbols appeared around him. Was that how the Sheikah Slate was able to alter his own outfit? Some combination of technology and the existing Sheikah magic, that this Yiga Clan member now used against him, in its own, twisted version?

There was no time to really consider that, though, as the man jumped back now, weapon appearing in his hand as he crouched low, face hidden behind a mask with the Sheikah Eye on it, only inverted. Link remained on guard, unsheathing his own weapon and watching the man’s every move.

Which didn’t entirely help him when the man teleported, but that was something he could deal with.

He didn’t really have much of a choice, after all.

The fight didn’t last too long, though Link was panicking through most of it, trying to get used to these new moves - he had never fought against a person before, much less someone who could teleport, jumping through space all around him, or plummeting to the ground attempting to land atop him, or otherwise doing unnecessary elaborate jumps and sprinting at Link, slashing at him in a sweeping motion that forced him to jump back in fear, or risk having his stomach opened to the world. Though, one of the times he managed to slow time again, completing another flurry rush, as it had been called.

Still, within a few minutes the clan member was... dead? Defeated? Gone, at least, seemingly teleporting away after Link defeated him, kneeling as symbols appeared around him once more. In his place there were several rupees of various values, and fruit laying on the ground. 

Mighty bananas, according to the Sheikah Slate, but they left Link confused - had the Yiga Clan member really just died, poofing and leaving behind items like everything else apparently did when Link killed it? Or had he simply teleported away? And if he had teleported, why was there anything left behind? Had he left it as some sort of reward, for being defeated? Or had he simply dropped it and left it behind in the rush to escape an obvious loss? Link really had no clue. 

With that out of the way, though, he supposed it was time to resume his travels, and head off for Hateno once more. He was surprised, really, how easy it was to shake off the adrenaline of combat, especially with the peaceful journey that riding his horse allowed for. He just hoped there wouldn’t be any more people he would have to fight on the way.

There were a few run-ins with monsters - a bokoblin here and there, and a few chuchus jumping out of a tree - and nearly giving Link a heart attack in the process - but other than that, the ride was mostly peaceful.

At least, in the sense of there being no active attacks.

However, as he rode through this new section, having taken the fork in the road as he knew he now needed to, he couldn’t help but feel a rising anxiety at the sight of the hundreds of dead guardians, littered around the field he rode through, many of them scattered on or near the path.

There was a sense of grief, there, for the world that had been, and the countless ruins that had once been towns or settlements, now destroyed entirely by the calamity that had occurred. 

But, more imminently, there was a deep dread that lingered in Link’s stomach, and he urged his horse faster, hurrying through the area as the growing fear in his mind rose to the forefront of his worries. 

The worst part, really, was that he had no way to tell which ones were really dead.

He didn’t stop for anything, racing along the path, even ignoring the bokoblins that attempted to chase him and Knight as they hurried through the area. He really wasn’t risking it.

It wasn’t until he got to the gate that he slowed down, stopping for only a moment to speak with the person standing there, staring at it, though he left Knight behind again, more wary of this stranger than he would’ve been before. 

His name was Garill, though, and Link knew it even before he introduced himself, seconds into the conversation, so he felt somewhat reassured that this wasn’t another Yiga Clan member trying to take his life. 

He spoke of Fort Hateno, and it was amazing to Link how people just treated him like he was one of them, someone who had grown up in this world and knew of it and its various wonders and features, as though he had heard of this all before.

He guessed he had, at one point in his life, before he had lost all of his memories and been condemned to sleep for 100 years in a dark cave, but he really knew nothing of it now. He played along, though, agreeing when the man asked if that was why he was here. It was as good a way as any to get more information about this place.

He appreciated Garill’s sentiment, about needing to come and pay respects to the place that had held against the last siege, 100 years ago, and Link wondered if that was why, looking upon these fields, he felt some strange pull of recollection, still just beyond his reach.

Still, with their conversation over, Link rode on, slowing down as he passed through the gate and examining the structure, now crumbling and decayed. Just past the stone wall there was a cooking pot, with its fire still lit, and not much further there was a wooden cabin, a single lamp illuminating its door that was otherwise almost indistinguishable against the wooden wall.

Link paused, looking back at the gate separating him from the hundreds of scattered guardians, none of which had awoken to kill him, surprisingly, and then forwards, towards the open path that lay before him, enclosed by high cliffs on either side, but nowhere near as narrow as the road to Kakriko had been. 

He was safe enough now, he begrudgingly agreed, that he could stop and investigate this house, before continuing on his journey. It was only mid-afternoon, after all, so he had plenty of time to continue before he had to rest.

It was a single room inside, with a bed on his right, a desk on his left, and a stone fireplace centered on the wall in front of him. A man stood staring at the desk, glasses almost glowing in the light, and with hair visible greying. Link approached him curiously.

Calip, his intuition told him, or Dr. Calip, as the man referred to himself. He spoke of his groundbreaking research, and Link simply nodded along. He had no knowledge of this world - even if he had his memories of 100 years ago, he still would know very little about the world as it was today, who was famous, what their names were, who were world-known scholars and who were infamous for crimes against nature. 

He spoke of researching the ancient shrines, much as many others had, and Link couldn’t help but wonder about it all. Was it really such a mystery on how to get inside? All he had to do was hold up the Sheikah Slate to the pedestal.

But, then again, this was presumably the only Sheikah Slate in the world, or at least one of very few. Most people might not even know what it was, given just how large the world was. And they had only activated recently - upon his awakening, in fact (or rather, upon him activating the tower) - so there might really be no way for anyone to know how to get inside. 

Still, he felt a little sympathy for the man, apparently dedicating his life to researching something that came so easy to Link.

He was curious, though about the ancient texts Dr. Calip mentioned. He couldn’t help but probe, even as he said that he didn’t have time for “idle chitchat”. 

He spoke again of his years of work, still refusing to divulge any information to Link. He really wanted to know, though; any information regarding the shrines was helpful to him, and he was eager to complete any of their trials, if he could. Still, the man explained his reasoning.

“To prevent any undue attention, I haven’t even told my family about my work. You understand, I’m sure.” He said, and Link nodded. He was disappointed, sure, but it wasn’t his place to pry. Besides, he should really get moving along now, if there was nothing for him here.

“Of course, Dr. Calip.”

The response he got was something he wasn’t expecting, honestly. The sheer joy the man got from being called doctor - was that not how he had asked how to be referred to? Though, he supposed that the man had also mentioned that everyone seemed to forget that part. 

A part of Link was starting to doubt if this person even was all that credible, if everyone refused to call him doctor, and he was supposed to be famous yet refused to tell anyone about his work. 

Still, he listened as Dr. Calip revealed more information in his excitement, happy to share with someone who apparently committed the high flattery of referring to him with his preferred form of address.

“When a dark light resides in the cursed statue’s eyes, pierce its gaze to purge the seal from the shrine.” He quoted, and Link thought for a moment. 

He really didn’t have anything he could do with that information, not without knowing anything about the cursed statue, or what dark light it could be referring to. Dr. Calip seemed to think the same, saying that it was safe to share it with Link since he himself still hadn’t deciphered its meaning.

As the conversation dwindled, though, Link noticed a book laying open on the desk. Dr. Calip didn’t stop him from walking over, and when he heard no objections, he began to read. 

It simply said the same thing that had been quoted to him, so it wasn’t much help, but it was nice to know Dr. Calip wasn’t changing the words on him.

With nothing else to do inside the cabin he wandered outside again, taking all of the resources he could find. 

There were plenty of mushrooms all around, a few bee hives, even some crates and barrels on the other side of the road. He found another pile of bombable rocks, and opened the two chests lying underneath, and found another korok, and before he knew it the day had gotten away from him, the sun beginning to set once more.

He checked on his Sheikah Slate as he made his way back towards the cabin - perhaps he could sleep in the bed he had seen? And if not he could always just stay at the cooking pot until morning, or make his own fire if needed - and found that, apparently, he had unlocked the final category of quests. 

Shrine Quests, it was labelled, and there was only one in the section, titled “The Cursed Statue”. It detailed what he already knew, and Link appreciated the confirmation that this was related to an actual shrine, and not just some rumor that had been passed down for years.

He walked right into the cabin, and slept in the bed he had seen, once again hearing no objections from Dr. Calip, who apparently stayed up all night just thinking about the text he had recounted to Link, or else found some other place to sleep for the night. 

In any case, he had barely moved from where Link had seen him when he awoke.

He made his way back outside, using his newly replenished energy to climb a few trees, and cook another meal or two while he had the chance, before finally walking back over to Knight, feeding her a few apples to prepare her for the long journey ahead of them.

He was about to set off, in fact, when he saw Dr. Calip - now outside - sprinting towards and along the path, looking rather in a hurry. Link rushed after him, gaining his attention once more.

He offered to let Link tag along to see an expert in action, in his words, so long as he stayed out of the way. Without a moment’s further hesitation, Link hopped upon Knight and rode after him, keeping a slow but steady pace as they made their way... well, somewhere.

They took a path off-shooting from the main road, into a small cove where the mountains receded for a small distance, and Link slowed down, hopping off his horse to gather some of the materials all around while Dr. Calip continued jogging towards wherever their destination was.

He found something called a Hearty Radish, and the slate’s description told him that its special effect was that it would “temporarily increase his maximum hearts”. That must be what the yellow hearts are for, then.

He found, rather interestingly, that he could use stasis to pick out where the materials were, keeping them from otherwise blending into the tall grass and trees hiding them. Of course, it didn’t work for every item, and weapons didn’t light up the same way materials did, but it was still a neat trick.

He whistled for Knight as he continued following Dr. Calip, and found that there were dozens of statues, all of various heights but similar in design, scattered around the small clearing. There were fallen columns as well, and it seemed this place was some sort of ruins, though of what he was unsure.

Looking around he found another two statues, separate from the rest and in a small shelter made out of stone, with the very same stone plates in front of them as there had been in front of the deity statues in Kakariko. Much the same, one of the plates had an apple in it, and the other did not.

It was another korok, of course, but Link was happy for any sort of completion.

He spoke with Dr. Calip again, who was still as stumped as ever, and looked closely at each statue, but still, there was nothing for him to find. There was no “dark light” that resided in any of them, and he wasn’t even entirely sure what he was looking for.

Though...

If something were to have a “dark light”, as the passage described, then it would have to glow in the darkness, being light, but being dark, it wouldn’t be visible in the bright daylight. 

It was already growing close to noon, and as Dr. Calip began to leave, Link had an idea. 

Rather than heading all the way back to the cabin, and then having to travel back here anyways in the dark of the night, he simply placed down a bundle of wood and one of those red chuchu jellies he had gotten, making a nice little campfire - and accidentally starting a small wildfire that spread quickly through the grass, but nothing major came of it, so it was probably fine - and settled down, resting to night, for once.

When he “awoke” Dr. Calip was gone, and as he stepped towards the statues skeletal monsters arose from the ground, attempting to slash at him with a variety of weapons, rocks, and their own arms.

They were some kind of bokoblin, apparently, as they left behind bokoblin horns just as the living ones did, but also left behind their arms, which apparently counted as weapons? Nevertheless, he let it disappear into his inventory, still wriggling as he did so. He tried not to think too hard about the implications of using a still-moving arm as a weapon.

Turning back to the statues, it didn’t take long to decipher the meaning of the riddle - one of them had eyes that glowed purple, and by shooting the glowing eyes with an arrow - piercing its gaze, just as the riddle said - the glowing from within began to emanate from every inch of the statue, until it shattered from the inside out, and there, at the edge of the clearing closest to the mountains, a shrine arose from the depths, shaking the ground as it emerged.

He made his way over to the shrine, entering it readily.

Really, it wasn’t all that difficult of a puzzle, and soon he was making his way back outside, relighting his fire and resting until morning so he could be off again. 

Now that he had the shrine registered to his map, he could travel back here any time to discuss his findings with Dr. Calip, and with the shrine actually visible - and already completed, at that - Dr. Calip had more to research while he was away.

And so, off he went.

Chapter Text

He didn’t make many more stops along the way - there were very few areas for him to branch off and explore, and he didn’t pass anyone for quite some time, so there was no one to stop and chat with. Instead he simply enjoyed the view.

Though, as he came up part of the mountain, he noticed that off to his right - south of him, really - there was another tower. Slowing, he used the scope to place a pin, trying to determine which one it was. 

Sure enough, it was the tower for this region. It didn’t seem too far away, either, and he noticed a small branch off the path coming up, seemingly leading right to where the tower was. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to take a short break from travelling to get the tower - plus, that way he’d actually have a map to guide his travels, which would make everything much easier.

He dismounted, jumping off his horse just for fun, and then realizing there was a blue bokoblin and promptly shooting at it as many times as he could with time slowing down as he fell. It didn’t take too much to kill it, and he left Knight behind once more, promising her he’d be back shortly as he made his way over the narrow natural bridge.

There was a proper path on the other side, so he at least had some guiding factor to lead him, and though there were a few monsters he had to kill on the way - the bokoblin arm proved to be a surprisingly good weapon, despite its unorthodox... well, everything - it wasn’t as stressful as he thought it would be.

That didn’t mean he didn’t still panic when one of those moblin things saw him, or feel a spike of adrenaline every time he saw a blue bokoblin, but he was taking minimal damage and killing them fairly quickly, so it was a win in his book.

Making his way up the hill, he somewhat wished he had brought his horse, but he knew it wasn’t worth it to risk her safety with all these monsters crawling about. At least he could see the clearcut path he needed to take to get to the tower.

He did get to see the simultaneously terrifying and hilarious sight of a moblin throwing a bokoblin at him though, so that was something.

The tower wasn’t quite right, though, and as he approached it he noticed that it was covered in thorny brambles. He tried approaching, and promptly jumped back in pain as he found out that even attempting to get close would result in him getting injured.

He looked around, and found a cooking pot behind him, guarded by a blue bokoblin that was easily enough defeated. It did hit him, but it only did a quarter heart of damage, thanks to his much more defensive armor, so his anxiety lessened somewhat.

He also found, as he lit the cooking pot with yet another red chuchu jelly, that the thorny brambles were remarkably flammable, and soon the ones surrounding the tree and cooking pot were entirely gone. 

That gave him an idea, but first he decided to try cooking one of those hearty radishes he had found, just to see if his suspicions were correct.

Sure enough, the meal that it resulted in boasted full health recovery, plus three yellow hearts. 

Turning back towards the tower, he took out his bow, equipping the fire arrows he had barely yet used. He could see now, why the tree enshrouded by the thorns was burnt and charred.

Link did end up accidentally lighting himself on fire as well, forgetting that the tall grass was also very flammable, but he put himself out quickly enough, so it was no big loss.

He was also happy with the updraft, lifting him high into the air simply by pulling out his paraglider, and he glided around, looking at the tower from various angles.

As the brambles almost entirely burned away, he utilized the updraft once more, attempting to glide right onto the side of the tower to start climbing, but right as he got close another updraft started, launching him much higher, and subsequently into the flaming brambles above him. 

He fell, not only from hitting the thorns and leaving spikes in his skin, but also from the fact that he was now on fire, and he hit the ground with a rather loud groan.

He supposed now was as good a time as any to try out that hearty meal he had just made.

With a few more fire arrows, and some short climbing spurts - carefully, as to avoid the few remaining brambles - he was atop the tower, walking calmly over to the pedestal once more.

It was still wondrous, watching the tower fully activate, the blue light washing over it as it gathered the information of the surrounding area, then dripping it down into the slate as the map splashed into existence.

He traced his path on the map - now infinitely more glad for it, seeing just how complicated the road became - and determined that it would be quickest to simply paraglide back down to Knight, and take the straightest road he could, rather than following any of the turns. If he did it right, he should be able to make it to Hateno before nightfall, all things considered.

In fact, he could see Hateno from here, a bustling town built into the cliffs and seemingly much less compact than Kakariko had been. He couldn’t wait to explore it fully.

And so, after admiring the landscape for a few moments more, he leapt from the tower, gliding off towards his steed.

It didn’t take all too long, and soon he was off again, enjoying the calmer ride as he allowed Knight to take the lead.

The rest of the journey was rather uneventful, other than the few bokoblins that he killed here and there. By sunset, he was already at the gates of Hateno, and he slowed his horse to speak to the man patrolling the front gate.

Who promptly froze in fear and pointed his pitchfork at the sight of Link, but oh well.

Thadd, his name was, and it seemed he was just a little on edge when it came to strangers. Link couldn’t really blame him, considering his run-in with the Yiga Clan member earlier. He continued on, properly into the town now, taking out his map to see where everything was.

There were a few stores here in the main town, and the glowing point where he was supposed to go was apparently all the way at the top of the winding hill, where the lighthouse was, it seemed.

He left Knight at the center of the town, preferring to explore for the time being. 

He let a little kid guide him to a cursed statue, which stole one of his essences. He was glad, momentarily, that he had chosen to increase his stamina, so the being could not steal away his literal life, but that was very little relief considering that this being could apparently steal away his essence.

And of course, the Sheikah Slate registered it as a quest, too. 

He spoke to the statue again, clearly unhappy with the circumstance, demanding that the demon-turned-statue give it back.

It seemed that this was the kind of deal the demon offered, though. It could take life or stamina, and return whichever of the two he liked - it would be nice, should he ever need to switch out the two, but for now he would very much like his essence returned as it was.

The statue gave it back with little change, and Link shuddered, relieved that he had been returned to normal - or at least, as normal as Link could get - but still unnerved by the feeling of having his very essence tampered with.

And of course, Teebo thought he was weird for talking to a statue, but that part wasn’t actually all that new to him.

With that out of the way, however, the sun was already beginning to set, and Link could see the townspeople slowly retreating into their homes. He figured he should rest as well, there likely wasn’t much he could do during the night here.

Rather than finding his way to the inn, he noticed that there was already a campfire next to one of the shops, with a greeter standing right next to it.

He used flint to light the fire, this time, to be courteous and not set off a fiery explosion that would probably end up singeing them, at the least, and rested until morning like usual.

With that he was off to the entrance to the town once more, to ensure that he spoke to everyone he could on the way before making his way up the long winding path towards the lighthouse, and subsequently the glowing dot.

It was a rather good idea, all things considered, because the second person he talked to offered him a full tour of the town. Link gladly accepted.

It was just a general overview of where the shops were, really, but Link was glad for any kindness, and he appreciated the quick descriptions.

After the tour he returned to the front of the town, but before moving on he stopped at the shrine, near the new developments, as one of the townsfolk had mentioned. Any chance to complete a shrine, he was going to take, and he was relieved at the travel gate.

This shrine introduced something new, too. It wasn’t just a puzzle, like the others had been, but one that required moving the Sheikah Slate precisely, in order to control a larger apparatus.

He grew frustrated with it pretty quickly, and then discovered the whole puzzle was easier if he just turned the whole thing upside down, removing the maze aspect of guiding the ball.

With that done, he returned to the town, talking to everyone he could once more.

He gained a few quests; one from a child, who wished to see the weapons of the world, another from a woman who spoke of the secret of the trees - it registered as a Shrine Quest, so Link had a pretty good idea what the secret was - and a third from a man who wanted to get more information on the girl he liked.

He seemed pretty sleazy, in all honesty, but Link figured it couldn’t hurt to ask the girl what she liked.

That one was the easiest to accomplish, too, since it didn’t require him leaving the town, and especially considering the inn where the girl worked was about ten feet to his right when he spoke to Manny.

She told him she liked crickets, at least, out loud, but under her breath Link could hear her muttering about how she was just coming up with something random on the spot, and it very much seemed like she did not like crickets. 

He felt bad for asking her, and he wondered if she would be any more thrilled if Manny had been the one asking. He had a feeling she wouldn’t.

Sure enough, when he told Manny that he’d spoken to Prima, he muttered that she refused to even talk with him, and it seemed this whole situation was getting worse by the minute. He really didn’t want to help this random creep continue pursuing this poor girl.

But... he didn’t really have to lie, either.

He explained that Prima had told him she liked crickets, and wanted 100 of them. If it slipped his mind to mention that she actually seemed grossed out by the idea, then no one could fault him. After all, she hadn’t directly told him that, and Manny hadn’t asked about what she’d muttered under her breath.

He already had over 10 of them in his inventory, so it was no difficult task when Manny asked for his help gathering them, and he certainly didn’t mind the sound of a reward.

He was even more pleased when he learned that the reward was a silver rupee. 100 rupees for 10 crickets? He’d take that deal any day!

He spoke to Manny one last time - just to ensure he didn’t need any more help finding crickets, especially knowing how well he’d pay - and was about to walk away when he began to speak of the princess of Hyrule Castle, from 100 years ago.

He didn’t say much, really, just mentioned that she was beautiful, and was possibly the only one who could compete with Prima, in his opinion, and Link left him to it.

He started to make his way up the hill, after that, whistling for his horse to make the journey go faster. There weren’t many people along the way, but there were a good few houses that he passed, and he noticed quite a few torches everywhere. 

Not the kind that he could carry as a weapon, mind you, but the large wooden posts, with a hole in the center to carry a flame, and a small “roof” above it to protect it from the elements. He wondered what they were for.

He gained another quest, this time about stolen sheep, and continued up the path, wondering now about the little girl that one of the kids had said he saw coming out of the Sheikah Laboratory atop the hill - no doubt where he was supposed to be heading. 

There was only supposed to be an old man and an old woman up there, and Link figured one of them was the director, as mentioned by the various people he’d spoken to, so it left him curious as to what exactly was going on up there, and why the rest of the town seemed so clueless about the mysterious lab atop the hill, when it was seemingly still a part of their town.

He passed two more kids, both keeping watch for the mysterious girl, and soon he was on top of the spiralling hill, taking in everything he could see.

Hateno Ancient Tech Lab stood before him, and he examined everything he could. There was a furnace to his left - which he only knew because the sign warned that the furnace was hot if the flame was blue - that was unlit, one of those frog deity statues atop the roof above the door, with some sort of stylized glasses placed on it, the Sheikah Eye was on both the frog statue and the door, and he noticed what looked like a deactivated travel gate on the ground in front of the lab.

He could see what looked like telescopes attached to the lab, and a winding staircase on the outside of the tower, which appeared to have once been a lighthouse, and a chimney with white smoke billowing out of it. 

He supposed it was time to finally make his way inside.

Sure enough, inside there was a young girl, and an older man, but that wasn’t really the first thing he noticed upon opening the door.

No, what first caught his eye were the numerous papers scattered across the floor, the several wooden boards leaning against a slight raise in the floor - which led to one of the pedestals, identical to the ones that had given him the runes or the regional maps - and the dozens upon dozens of books lining the walls on multiple shelves.

This definitely was a research lab alright, and though he wasn’t all too sure about the mess, he couldn’t really blame them. It’s not like he even had a house of his own, and he knew he wouldn’t exactly keep it neat and tidy if he did.

And oh, that was a sort of grief too, knowing that he had no place to really call his own. The closest he had was the shrine of resurrection, but he didn’t really feel at home there, and he had no real longing to return to it. He had no place to stay, no long-term shelter, just the endless open world and his seemingly never-ending list of tasks to complete, the quests to carry out that, among various trivial things, included saving the world. 

If home was where the heart is, then not only did he not have a house, but he also didn’t really have a home, either.

He wasn’t even entirely sure he knew if he had a heart, at least, one that was completely and fully his own, and not just the values others had given to him.

But now was no time to wallow in that somber longing; he was here for a reason, and with the older man busily combing through the books on the shelves of the back wall, he approached the young girl, wondering if she could offer him any insight.

Purah, her name was, and she wore the same glasses that had been placed on the frog statue outside, a strange set of mechanical goggles resting atop her head and seemingly holding her hair in place.

She told him the director was in the back, and dutifully Link trudged over to him, ready to accept whatever mission he was here to complete, before they finished restoring the Sheikah Slate, as Impa told him they would. He figured they wouldn’t just do it for him, he probably had to do something for them in return. 

Symin, his name was, and he was rather fascinated with the books he was looking through. At least, until he saw the Sheikah Slate on Link’s hip. He asked to look through his runes, and Link was happy to oblige, listing them off, and waiting patiently as Symin described how he was missing the basic runes, apparently.

He also knew Link’s name, somehow.

He was told that Impa had brought him up to speed, when he inquired about it, detailing what she had told him. 

And then he called out for the Director. For Ms. Director.

For the little girl.

“As the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab director , Ms. Purah is the world’s foremost authority on ancient Hyrule culture.” Symin told him, and Purah jumped, flashing matching signs with her hands as she called out to them.

Symin was her assistant, apparently, and he advised Link to go talk to her himself.

Okay then...

She seemed overly familiar with him, though in a different way than Impa had been, seeming much more excitable and quite childish, in all honesty, though he supposed that was to be expected when dealing with a literal child - although Symin had started to mention that it wasn’t quite as it seemed, before stating that it wasn’t his place to say. The way she spoke and gestured was very energetic, at the least.

She called him Linky.

He told her of his lost memories when she asked why he didn’t recall her, and in turn she recounted how she had been the one to take him to the Shrine of Resurrection 100 years ago, after Calamity Ganon had fatally wounded him. 

She began taking notes on him in the middle of the conversation when he confirmed again that he still didn’t remember her. 

She commented on it herself, giving a rather insincere apology and calling it a charming quirk, and Link asked the obvious.

“Aren’t you a child?”

She explained that she only looked this way because of a failed experiment - that she had apparently documented fully in her diary upstairs, which she felt the need to mention to him despite asking him not to read it seconds afterwards - before returning to the more pressing issue at hand.

As expected, she asked him to run an errand for her first, and he just stared, waiting for instructions.

All he had to do, apparently, was bring the blue flame up and light the furnace, so that they could actually use the guidance stone - Is that what they’re called? - to restore function to the Sheikah Slate.

He wondered if the blue flame was what made the rest of the Sheikah magic blue, like the towers, the shrines, or the teleportation. 

And so off he went, riding back down into town to find the blue flame. It was helpfully marked on his map, but he spotted it from quite a good distance away anyways, so he didn’t really need the marker.

It was a rather slow process, carrying the flame from torch to torch - as it turned out, those were rather handy in keeping him from having to go all the way back to the furnace every time he needed to put his torch away, and it allowed him to use arrows to shoot the flame to even more torches rather than carrying it the whole way - but it wasn’t all that difficult, just annoying.

By the time he made it all the way back to the tech lab with the flame, the sun was already setting once more, but at least he was done. He ignited the furnace with the blue flame, and watched as the travel gate glowed to life with the same magical blue essence as the flame, registering to his map just as he’d thought it would.

Now all that was left was to speak with Purah again, and hopefully actually restore the missing functions to the Sheikah Slate, as Impa had told him to do.

Pushing the doors open as dramatically as he could, just for the fun of it, he noticed that the guidance stone was already glowing with life, the stone itself blue with swirls all around, and the pedestal a vibrant orange, ready for him to place the slate inside.

Purah didn’t have much to say on the matter, simply pointing out that the guidance stone was already reacting, and stating that there was nothing mysterious about it - it was pure science, according to her. And it was time to test it out, apparently.

“Give me a nice SNAP! Go on, no time to be shy about it!” She exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips and looking at him expectantly.

He was a little unsure about it, but he wasn’t turning down any opportunity to shout.

“SNAAAP!”

And with that, she removed the guidance stone lock, whatever that meant, allowing him to place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal once more.

“Sheikah Slate authenticated.” He was growing familiar with those words by now.

“Camera, Hyrule Compendium, and album missing files confirmed.” Camera? Compendium? Missing files?

“Starting repair.” 

The drips began again, and soon a rune was added - the last one that he’d been missing, thankfully - called the Camera. With it, images were restored to the slate - those larger blank boxes he had seen - and the compendium was added, though still left blank, but replacing the dull grey with a more dynamic blue with the Sheikah Eye, all numbered neatly.

With the repair complete, the slate was returned to him, and he made his way back over to Purah, showing her what had been done.

She told him to take a picture of her with the Camera, the final rune that had been added. Looking back at his slate, he found that there were perfect, true-to-life images, from various places across Hyrule. And, using the rune, he found it worked similar to the scope, only instead of zooming in, it was like the slate itself had a pair of eyes, which he could look through by viewing the screen.

That must be how those images had been captured, then. He had to say, this was the most interesting of all the runes he’d gotten.

Still, he aimed it at Purah, tapping the screen to snap a shot of her before speaking to her again. He asked her about some of the words, first, just to make sure he knew the terminology, before showing her the “pic” he had taken. 

She thought it looked cute, apparently, which was good enough for him, and he let her continue, talking on about the other photos in there, taken by Princess Zelda herself. Link would have to look more closely at them, now, knowing that they carried any hint of information as to who she once was - still is? He really didn’t know.

Purah explained that since he was her appointed knight, there was a high likelihood that he accompanied her to all of the places where the pictures were taken. She told him that these locations might be the key to regaining his lost memories.

With that she instructed him to head back to Impa - he was really glad for the travel gates, now, because he really didn’t want to ride all the way back to Kakariko - to speak with her more about Princess Zelda. 

She also mentioned that he should bring her back some ancient materials, once he had done so, but he saw no reason to postpone it. He had a few in his inventory already, so he inquired about what she had meant when she said “something good”.

She could upgrade the runes, apparently, given the right materials, and he was happy to exchange them, watching twice more as the guidance stone dripped its magic down onto the slate.

He didn’t have the ancient cores to upgrade stasis, unfortunately, but he was excited to see how they had changed - the sensor could apparently be used for anything in the compendium, not just shrines, now, and he was especially eager to see how the bombs had been improved.

He also asked her about Robbie - the other person she had mentioned he could bring ancient materials to. He was all the way up in Akkala - apparently the furthest northeast region, according to the glowing yellow dot when he selected the quest related to him. 

He switched it back to his current main objective, though, Locked Mementos. He wondered if they really could be the key to regaining his memories.

In any case, while he was here he might as well talk with Symin and see what the upgraded sensor was all about.

All he told him was to take a photo of a sunshroom - he hadn’t encountered one of those, just how many different types of mushrooms were there? - that was apparently growing out back, and come back and show it to him. It seemed easy enough, all things considered, and within a few moments he was back.

Symin seemed rather fascinated by it, really, and changed his request; now he wanted Link to bring him 5 of them, using the sensor to find them in the nearby forest.

Link didn’t really mind, though he figured he should probably rest until morning first, but before that, even, he quickly dumped out one of every item in his inventory, taking photos of every last one that would register to the compendium. Why bother getting natural photos when he already had quite the collection of materials?

It was interesting, seeing what materials could and couldn’t be registered to the compendium, and he quickly moved on to his weapons, dropping all of them on the ground once more - which was a lot easier, because he wasn’t limited to five at once - and photographing them as quickly as possible. 

He was grateful that he had moved outside to do this, as well - not wanting to dump a bunch of random materials on their floor - because there were other weapons he could take pictures of that he didn’t have room for in his inventory.

He even took a photo of Knight, for good measure.

With that he made another campfire, resting until morning before marking off on his map the different places he needed to go.

The first stop was Retsam forest, just a little ways off from where he stood, and then he’d continue downwards and further south to Hateno Beach to clear away those monsters that had been apparently stealing sheep, and after that he’d come back up to speak with the people who had given him those quests, Symin and Koyin, respectively.

Finding the sunshrooms didn’t take all too long, especially with the new sensor, but he did get distracted fairly easily by taking pictures of every creature he saw, to make sure he had it registered to the compendium. The forest was full of materials, from various mushrooms, to hearty radishes, to plenty of acorns and nuts, as well as a few birds and lizards as well. 

It was also very... peaceful, which was oddly new to him, despite the few serene moments he’d had so far. It seemed like every moment since he’d awoken, he’d been doing everything he could to survive - even if he did get distracted easily or pushed off important quests, he was still expected to complete them, was still jumping and screaming every other moment when a new thing that could kill him appeared. 

But here, taking photos of random creatures, happily scavenging and collecting mushrooms with no imminent danger, no looming quest or grand destiny, just him and nature, Link felt at peace. He wished every moment could be like this.

Sadly, he knew it couldn’t, and soon he was on his way again, making his way down towards the beach to where he knew monsters resided. He wasn’t looking forward to it, in all honesty, but he could help. That was all he really wanted, honestly, to help. If he could ease even the slightest bit of suffering, if he could make anyone’s life just the smallest bit easier, then it was worth it, no matter the task.

He just wanted to help.

That was what pushed him down the winding path - and over it, mostly, paragliding down until he couldn’t anymore - towards the monster encampment that he knew was somewhere at the bottom.

He just wasn’t expecting what he found.

He was grateful for the camera now, because it allowed him to identify anything he hadn’t seen before - so long as it was something the camera could recognize.

Such as the blue moblin waiting for him at their fire.

Or the black bokoblin atop the wooden platform. 

One blue bokoblin had managed to kill him in one hit on the Great Plateau. Sure, he had better armor now, and he knew that wasn’t the case anymore, but now not only were there two blue bokoblins - and one red one, but those didn’t scare him much anymore - but there were two black bokoblins - that he could see, at least - and a blue moblin. 

Needless to say, he had to be careful, or he was fucked.

He tried to pick them off one by one, and at first that was working - he managed to lure the moblin away from the group, and kill it before any of the other monsters noticed - and he managed to kill the red bokoblin without the others realizing where he was, but that was about as far as he got before things went downhill.

He realized it was no use, with three of them grouped on the ground, to try and pick the rest off unnoticed, so he used some of his few bomb arrows to hit all of them at once, and threw himself into battle, panickedly fighting them off the best he could.

He took a lot of hits, each one nearly killing him, and resulting in him running away to eat something as fast as he could before they managed to kill him - he was very grateful now that he could eat things almost instantly, thanks to the slate’s function - but it didn’t take too long for him to kill the ones on the ground.

Next were the ones on the platform - and there was a red one up there that he hadn’t spotted, too, so it wasn’t just the black bokoblin - and while they were somewhat easier to take care of, he still took quite a bit of damage. With each hit he took, he still felt seconds away from death, and it took everything in him not to just flee and swear off the entire mission. 

With the final bokoblin dead, however, and after gathering all of the materials he could from their camp, he teleported back to the tech lab, too tired to even think of trying to make his way back up there by foot.

He really should’ve brought Knight down, but since he had stopped in Retsam Forest first - which he got to by just jumping off the edge of the cliff closest to it - he hadn’t gotten the chance to. 

He was glad, at least, that Symin was pleased with the sunshrooms - he even gave Link a few hearty truffles in return - and in fact it seemed he had something new to show Link, “when he had the time”.

He really didn’t see the need for him to do that, considering Link obviously had free time right now, but he started yet another conversation, listening as Symin described the images that had been left behind on the guidance stone.

Purah allowed him to use the guidance stone once for free, restoring an image of a hearty durian, and afterwards Symin described how, for a fee, he could restore as many images as he liked.

Link preferred to take his own photos, for now, but he would certainly keep that in mind for the future.

With that now out of the way, he mounted Knight once more and began his descent back towards the town, stopping first at Koyin and Tokk’s farm to report in on the now-slain monsters.

Koyin was very thankful, saying that he’d single-handedly saved her whole flock, and while he felt that was somewhat of an overstatement, he appreciated any gratitude. She even gave him some milk, which he hadn’t been able to afford at the shop before, so even though the stress of the whole encounter would probably be living in his mind for quite a while, he felt it was almost entirely worth it. 

At least they were safe, now.

Chapter Text

By the time he made it back to town, it was already growing dark, and he decided to use the blue flame to light the cooking pots near the inn, rather than staying at it again. 

Of course, he couldn’t have five peaceful minutes, now could he?

“The blood moon rises once again. Please be careful, Link...”

Visions of a blood-red sky, monsters reborn and leering as a dark substance clouded the air filled his mind, breaking through whatever force caused him to black out during these momentary hours of rest. 

Of course. All the monsters he had killed were now back to life. Because why wouldn’t they be?

Regardless, he stopped at the shops once more before leaving, figuring it was best to stock up, even if he was just temporarily teleporting to a place he’d already been.

He found they had the full Hylian Set here, too, as well as an exact replica of the warm doublet the old man had given him, and the Soldier’s Set as well.

He’d certainly have to buy both full sets, as soon as he had the funds, but for the time being that really just wasn’t feasible, nor his main priority.

He was interested to find that teleporting with the Sheikah Slate worked just the same indoors as it did outdoors, though how exactly his vaporized form phased through the ceiling was beyond him.

It was a quick jump from the shrine in Kakariko to Impa’s abode, and soon he was strutting in just as he had before. Though, Impa didn’t tell him much, really, simply instructing him to find one of the locations pictured in the images, and see if it helped restore any of his memories.

That didn’t seem too hard a task, only, he didn’t know nearly enough of the world around him to glean where they could be from. 

He could see the castle in some of them, and that gave him a good landmark of where they could be viewed from, but the first one was way too close to the castle for his comfort - he was pretty sure he had passed that location on his way to fight Ganon, back when he’d first gotten off the plateau - and some of them were so vague he had no clue where to begin. 

Like that last one - it was just an image of a forest! How was he supposed to discern which forest it was in? Especially with so little information. 

At least the photos he took had their locations listed above them, but the locations of the restored photos were still encrypted, in that ancient language that most certainly did not know how to read.

Still, pondering over the various locations, he figured he could at least talk with the people here again, see if they had any more quests for him - even if it had only been a few days since he’d been here.

Pikango had one, apparently, commenting first on the fact that only the Sheikah were allowed to wear Sheikah gear - both answering his question on whether or not Link himself would be allowed to wear one of those outfits, and confirming his speculation that Pikango was also a member of the Sheikah Tribe, even if he didn’t live in Kakariko - or else he would offer Link his gear to help him stay dry from the rain. 

He wanted to see the Great Fairy Fountain, just as he had spoken of before, but this time he mentioned how even if it was just a picture, he was dying to see it.

Well, a picture Link could certainly help with.

Though he still wasn’t sure why everyone was acting like the fountain was so out of reach, it was literally just a two minute walk from the shrine, which everyone already knew how to get to.

Finding the Fairy Fountain was apparently a Main Quest, though he wasn’t sure why it was deemed so important by the Sheikah Slate, especially considering he had already found it. He was just showing it to Pikango, now.

Still, the photo was easy enough to get, and it did look rather beautiful, Link had to admit. He could see why Pikango was so eager to see it.

While he was here he figured he might as well talk with Cotera again, just to see if there was anything else she could enhance - though he doubted it, with how few clothes he had, and how few materials he had gained since he had last seen her.

Sure enough, there wasn’t anything she could do, but he at least appreciated the reminder of what materials he would need next time he wanted something enhanced.

He returned to Pikango, who by now had made his way just past the shrine, before stopping to bend over and pant from exhaustion. Link was happy to show him the picture he had taken, and was a little surprised when the painter wasn’t all that awed by the fountain, saying he expected it to be more sacred and elegant.

Link wasn’t really sure what he expected, then, but he supposed that didn’t really matter.

What he got in return wasn’t material, but it was much more helpful than any rupees or gem might’ve been. Pikango offered him knowledge.

He had been all over Hyrule, and so he was able to recognize almost any photo Link could show him. He picked out the one closest to where they were, and told Link exactly where it was - not too far from here, apparently.

Though, looking at the map, once their conversation was over, he found it was still a rather large distance away, and in the middle of a mountain range, too. It seemed the only way to get to it would be by crossing a rather large lake - river? He wasn’t sure - and even then he didn’t know if he could . 

He marked it on his map, though, deciding to leave it for another day. For now, he wandered back down to the town, speaking to whoever he could on the way.

He ran into Cottla - Koko’s sister, he remembered - and she was just as energetic as her sister, running around without a care in the world. She was happy to play, too, and he smiled a little when he found that this, too, registered as a quest. 

He was more than happy to play with her, and chose hide and seek - while he didn’t mind running around, he wasn’t sure that chasing a child he barely knew would be taken all too well by the village folk.

It didn’t take him too long to find her, though he checked quite a few wrong spots first - she was hiding on Impa’s back porch, a place practically invisible from any other spot in the town.

She was happy to play, though, giving him some “crunchy crunchables” (it was just rock salt) in return, and running off again, and Link couldn’t help but smile as she did. 

It was easy to forget the little things, wrapped up in grand destinies and the fate of the world, but he promised himself he wouldn’t lose sight of what really mattered; these small moments and the next generation, that he was hopefully making the world a better place for.

He ventured around the town some more, clearing out their shops yet again - save for the clothing, he still didn’t have quite enough for that - and resting at the inn one final time. 

His memories could wait, for now. It was time to finally set off on one of the first Main Quests he had been given: Freeing the Divine Beasts.

He set off as soon as he awoke; no need to waste any more time. He teleported back to the Duelling Peaks Stable - thankful that he knew they would be able to - somehow - essentially teleport his horse back to him, so he wouldn’t have to ride all the way back from Hateno. 

He wasn’t entirely sure where he was heading - that is, he didn’t know which of the Divine Beasts was represented by the glowing dot he was aiming for, but it was just north of the whole Necluda area, the combined expanse of the Duelling Peaks and Hateno regions. 

The tower was about in the middle of the region, from where he’d marked it, and the glowing dot was in the very northern reaches of it, though not quite near the edge of the map, which he suspected was largely sea, if the rest of his map was any indication.

In any case, he took off with the sunrise still gleaming in the distance, ignoring, for now, the incessant beeping of the sensor as he rode through the Duelling Peaks once more - he could see at least one shrine at the very top of the mountain, but he didn’t much feel like climbing all the way to the top just yet, so he would have to leave it for later.

It seemed rather counterintuitive, in all honesty, to ride west in order to go northeast, but he saw on his map that the path would reconnect somewhere, and he figured it was best to stay on the path for as long as he could. Hopefully the tower would be along the way as well, and he could trace his path once more.

He passed Brigo once more, and stopped for only a moment to chat, before continuing onwards.

He noticed, just after crossing the bridge, that directly to his right - or his north, rather - there was another path and bridge, that seemed to be heading more in the direction he needed to go. He glanced back at the path ahead of him for a moment, considering it, before pulling the reins and veering off towards the path in the distance. 

It was only a short few minutes’ detour, passing through the East Post Ruins, and skirting around an enemy encampment, but soon he was on the path again, and right near another stable, no less. He decided to stop and see what it was about.

He was given two quests - both requiring him to venture inside the castle and bring something back - a recipe, or a piece of gear - and he spoke to Beedle once more - he really was everywhere, wasn’t he? He’d been at every stable Link had stopped at so far.

He completed the shrine here as well, happy both for the travel gate and the spirit orb - and he was always up for a good puzzle, of course.

When he came out, he noticed something he hadn’t before - or rather, someone: Hestu! 

Link was glad to see that the tree-spirit was still okay, even if he was a little lost still, and he was even able to expand each of his stashes by at least one, with the korok seeds he had gathered.

There was nothing much else to do at the stable, however, and with that out of the way he rode off, now eyeing the tower in the distance. It was nice to have a physical marker to guide himself now, rather than just a glowing dot on a blank map.

He didn’t get too far, however, before stopping to chat with another traveler on the side of the road - he couldn’t help wanting to talk to everyone, he was naturally curious, and he already knew so little about this world, he would welcome any opportunity to learn more, or help if he could.

However, that was just the thing. When he spoke to them, no name came to his mind.

Just Traveler.

He gripped the hilt of his weapon as the traveler began to speak.

“Excuse me, young traveler, but if I may be so bold... you look quite troubled.” Link only stared. “Perhaps a glimpse into what your future holds would bring comfort to your spirit? That is... may I tell you your fortune?”

Link knew there was very little chance of ending this interaction without a fight, so he decided he might as well play along. Who knows? Maybe they really were just a kind stranger wanting to tell him his fortune.

He doubted it, but still.

“I see... red...” The traveler continued, once he agreed “A crimson... deep and rich... It’s the most beautiful color I’ve ever seen...” Red? A blood moon, perhaps? There were sure to be plenty of those in Link’s future. Or perhaps it was the outfit - or even hair, maybe? - of someone he was going to meet? 

“Oh! It’s the color of your blood!” Ah. There it was.

And once again, he was in a fight. Sighing, Link drew his weapon, still on edge but at least glad that the Yiga Clan Member had dropped the ruse.

The fight didn’t take too long, though were was quite a bit of jumping around, and this time, along with the bananas and money that they dropped once Link defeated them, they also left behind their weapon - a Vicious Sickle, it was called, and Link made sure to add it to the compendium before stowing it away in his inventory.

He was off again, after that, riding away in the vague direction of the tower and crossing a bridge fairly soon after his departure. 

He didn’t make it too far, however, before he saw another shrine - this time in the middle of the river, just below the hills he rode on after crossing yet another bridge.

He glided down, noticing a woman standing on the small island and aiming to land next to her.

Her name was Magda, and she spoke of the lovely flowers surrounding the shrine, that it seemed she had planted herself. She was right, he had to admit, it was a rather beautiful sight, and they were all so orderly too, with neat little pathways in between them. She urged him not to step on the flowers, and he nodded, happy to oblige.

With that he began figuring out how to make it to the shrine by only following the pathways, and it was trickier than it seemed - she had made a little maze, it appeared, encircling the shrine with twisting rows of flowers and pathways, and in his attempt to look all around him at once, he accidentally stepped just a few inches off the path, crushing exactly two flowers beneath his feet by mistake.

“No! You must not hurt the flowers ! They are screaming out in pain!” She yelled after him, and his vision faded to black for a split second, before he was planted back at the entrance to the flowerbed.

Blinking, he glanced at her, then the flowers, then back at her again, trying to figure out what had happened. It really was an accident, he wasn’t trying to hurt the flowers.

Still, back in he went, being more careful to avoid stepping on the neat little rows.

He only got so far, however, before a chuchu sprung from the ground, and he nearly had a heart attack in the moment, jumping back in his panic - and directly into the flowers.

“How many times do I have to say it?! Please treat the flowers with care ! They’re living things, you know!” He groaned as he was brought back to the beginning again, having to restart all over again. It wasn’t his fault that he was startled by a monster appearing under his feet. *

This time, he took out the chuchu right away, and he made it almost all the way to the shrine before another one appeared - there were two this time, both small, but still able to hurt him. 

He managed to not jump, taking one of them out almost immediately, but just as he turned to attack the other one it leapt at him, knocking him into the flowers. Time seemed to almost stop once more - the chuchu itself freezing in place - and he tried to bite back his annoyance.

“So many times...” Aaaand he was back at the start - right next to her this time, before she even started speaking, and he noticed that she looked dead on her feet, bent over and arms hanging loosely as she swayed.

“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve told you... It’s just so many now...” It’s been twice, not counting this one. Relax.

“How do you not understand? Why don’t you get it?” Something was definitely not right, and he felt a sense of unease creeping up on him.

She screamed, throwing her fists into the air before dashing off past him, sprinting through the rows of flowers she had so meticulously planted.

“I worked day... after day... after day... to plant those flowers... Then you come and hurt them... over... and over...” Okay, she was really getting stressed over these flowers. Two of those times hadn’t even been his fault!

She was kicking up dust as she ran around, and she collapsed on the ground as she made it back near the beginning, falling face-first into the dirt. He almost wanted to reach out and help her up.

Almost.

She drew herself up slowly, letting her head hang as her tone grew dark.

“I will make you understand...”

“the flower’s rage!!!”  

She sprinted at him, and his vision faded to black, even as he heard a scream escaping his own mouth.

He was flat on his back when he came-to again, and his whole body ached. Checking the slate, it seemed she had taken away three of his hearts - if it weren’t for the bonus heart he had gotten from the inn, would he be dead right now?

He shuddered to think of it, looking at her once again out of the corner of his eye.

Trying to brush it off, he hesitantly stepped onto the path once more.

It took him a few more failed tries to complete the maze entirely. Three more, to be exact, and this time when she knocked him out he didn’t take any damage - it seemed that she would take him down until he only had one heart left, so since he hadn’t healed, she wasn’t able to do anything this time - and he grew so frustrated that when he came-to, the first thing he did was draw his sword, slashing at the flowers out of spite.

She yelled at him again for that, forcing him to black out only to put him right back where he was standing half a second prior, and he let out a snarl in anger, turning to her instead.

He wasn’t thinking, really, and he swung. 

His sword passed cleanly through her, phasing through her body as easily as if it were air, and when it emerged on the other side it was stained with no blood, nor did she have a single mark on her - even her clothes were left untouched. His mind came back to him, and he stared for a moment, realizing what he could’ve just done.

She was staring at him in horror as well, having reacted as though she had felt the hit, or at least, some sort of duller blow, but she suffered no injuries, and it really hadn’t felt like he had hit anything. 

Curiously, he sliced at her again.

Same as before, his blade passed right through her, and though she looked none too pleased with his new discovery, he certainly was. 

It was a little annoying, sure, that he couldn’t actually do anything to ease his frustration, nothing physical at least, but was also a hell of a relief to learn that even if he entirely lost his cool, he couldn’t kill an innocent person in a moment of blind rage.

He wondered how that worked with the Yiga, considering they were people too, but he didn’t want to think about it all too much right now.

For now, he had another experiment to try: Bombs.

He placed one on the ground next to her - careful to keep it on the side opposite the flowers, though he supposed it didn’t really matter anymore - and took a good few steps away, keeping a distance for himself.

Sure enough, it didn’t do anything to her, other than making her flinch, and it didn’t damage any of the nearby surroundings, either. 

He wondered how that worked - that it was able to destroy certain items and deal damage to enemies, but leave the innocent unharmed and cause no destruction to the general surroundings.

In any case, he supposed it didn’t really matter all that much, and he finally made his way to the shrine - finally noticing just how dark out it had gotten, and hoping his horse wouldn’t mind being left alone for the night as he worked through the shrine.

It was weird, really, how his perception of time was completely skewed while inside the shrines - he could check the clock on his slate, and it passed at ever the same rate as it did outside, so he knew it wasn’t actually changed - but it seemed nonexistent as he maneuvered through them, and though it felt like it really didn’t take him all too long to solve the - really, very simple - puzzle, by the time he emerged daylight was just beginning to break.

He made his way back to his horse, riding off again and hoping he wouldn’t continue to get distracted - at least, not by something as frustrating as that whole endeavor had been.

He took the second right on the path, leading him into a marshy wetland that took him right in the direction of the tower - and the glowing dot, which meant he was definitely going the right way - and, though he did have to fight off an Electric Wizzrobe, as it apparently was called, it was relatively smooth sailing throughout most of the swamp.

Of course, he had to fight a few lizalfos on the way, and they were fast , and he managed to get a shrine on the way, but it wasn’t all too difficult, really, and it didn’t take too long until he was already halfway through. 

He would’ve made it all the way through, too, if he didn’t notice something about the surrounding area.

It was grassy, surrounded by water, and there were birch trees all around, with a mountain in the distance and a multitude of stone ruins nearby.

Just like one of his photos.

It was so clear to him, really, and he immediately set out to try and find the exact location, guiding Knight all around the wetlands in search of the one place that would perfectly match up with the picture, climbing small hills and holding up the Sheikah Slate comparatively, trying to find the perfect angle.

He must have spent a good few days in those wetlands, growing more frustrated with every passing moment as he just couldn’t seem to find the location that matched up with the picture he had, each moment drawing him closer to just giving up - because maybe they were wrong! Maybe finding the location in these photos wouldn’t even help him with his memories anyways, and he’d already passed the spot and nothing had happened - when it hit him.

Those were the duelling peaks in the background.

There was no way they would be visible from that angle from these wetlands.

And, well, if he let out a guttural scream of rage, well, no one was around for miles to hear it, so what did it matter?

He looked at his map once more, determined now to figure out where exactly this photo had been taken, if not here, and logically he knew it couldn’t be to the east of the peaks - there were no wetlands anywhere around, and especially no birch trees in the entire plain of dead guardians.

That left the west - right near where he’d first gotten off of the plateau, most likely. He had noticed some birch trees when he had jumped, and hadn’t there been a small lake there, too? It wasn’t exactly a marsh - but then again, neither was the photo, necessarily.

Knowing the shrine was nearby, he teleported away - leaving Knight behind once more - resolute in his decision to find this picture’s location before continuing on with his quest.

The magnesis shrine was right near where he wanted to go, and sure enough, climbing up onto the great stone wall that encircled the plateau, there it was - the lake, with the exact same ruins that were pictured in his photo.

Within moments he was on the ground, sprinting towards that small birch forest, just north of where his map ended, and soon he was there, slowing his pace as he examined his surroundings.

With steady steps, he slowly approached it, and he knew he was growing closer by the moment - doubly so when he saw the worn-out stone path, leading right to the edge of the water.

Just north of it he saw a small stone, jutting out of the ground and overgrown with grass, and any doubt fell away from his mind.

With trembling steps, he grew closer, and as he did he noticed something, lingering in the grass.

There was a golden glow, with hues of pink mixed in, sparkling and bedazzled and looking almost like sunlight, emerging from the earth. This was it.

He stepped fully into the spot, turning to face the ruins, and he felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. Numbly, he took out the slate, feeling compelled to almost by the same forces that allowed him to eat nearly against his will, or to black out at the campfires on a whim, and looked around comparatively.

He squinted again at the ruins in front of him, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind screaming at him that he knew this place, that there was something here for him, when his vision went white.

It was like a dream, or a vision - almost like when Zelda had spoken to him, during the blood moons, or before he had first opened his eyes - and he heard Zelda again!

Only, this time it was different.

The world around him shifted, and he was in the past, he was sure of it.

He let his thoughts fall silent as he relived his own memory.

Chapter Text

Link gasped as his eyes were thrown open again, staring down at the Sheikah Slate once more before dazedly placing it back on his hip.

He had known himself, for a moment - he was silent, a true knight, walking behind Princess Zelda, guarding her as she walked along and rambled about the ancient technology - about the very same Divine Beasts that he was now on his way to free.

She had sounded so excited, too, in her own element as she talked about the ancient technology and how it could be used and understood - she had held the Sheikah Slate as she spoke, and that’s right, it was hers, before all of this, before he had been placed in the Shrine of Resurrection and the world had fallen to ruin.

And she had mentioned someone else, too - Daruk, who was having trouble piloting his Divine Beast - who was he, really? Impa had mentioned him as well, when listing the pilots of the Divine Beasts, and had said he was a Goron - but what was that, even? Who were they all? 

Had Link really known them? Were they close? He had been so silent in that memory, refusing to show any real emotion or say a single word - had anyone really known him, back then? Truly, fully known and understood him? How was he ever supposed to know who he used to be, if no one else ever had? 

And then, at the end, she had seemed so... sad wasn’t quite the right word. It was almost self-deprecating, the way she had asked him, but it was also a slight, questioning his worth as a hero, wondering if he really was all that he was spoken up to be, and Link didn’t know - had he heard the voice in the sword? Had he been what everyone else thought of him? Was he truly a hero, once? Zelda didn’t seem to think so, or at least she implied as much.

He had come here seeking answers, and instead he was only left with more questions.

And now, on the slate, the memory was listed - #3, Resolve and Grief. 3? But it was only the second photo. There was a description, too, of what had happened - how did the slate know? And, tapping on the memory, as he would any item in his inventory, it gave him an option.

“View Memory”. 

Would that cause him to relive it once more? How was the slate capable of that? How was there a photo, on the slate itself, from his own memories? And in the third person, as well, showing both Zelda and Link himself, walking a few feet behind her, the whole world tinged with a yellow hue. 

He shook his head, deciding to stop questioning it - he wasn’t going to get the answers any time soon, that was for sure.

Instead, he switched over to the map, selecting a shrine that was growing steadily familiar to him.

He let himself be whisked away once more, ready to report back to Impa on what he had found.

She didn’t have much to say on the matter, once more, simply stating that he was starting to remember, and that she had something to give to him.

It was the Champion’s Tunic - the very same one that he had worn, 100 years ago - that he had been wearing in the memory, as well, with the same trousers that he wore now, too.

Its defense was much greater than the warm doublet he already wore, and it felt familiar, the fabric like an old embrace as he put it on.

The slate’s description also mentioned something interesting.

“In ancient Hyrule, this garment could only be worn by one who had earned the respect of the royal family. Equipping it will reveal an enemy’s life gauge.” 

That was strange, wasn’t it? He could already tell, inherently, roughly how much health a monster had - though much less exact than his own, which was measured helpfully by the slate - knowing approximately how much more it would take to kill them, based on how much each hit of his hurt them. What, then, would the tunic do, when he encountered an enemy?

There was only one way to find out, he supposed.

With not much else to do in the town, he finally teleported back to Daka Tuss Shrine, calling out for Knight and rushing off the moment he appeared back in the wetlands.

He really should get around to that tower, now, and the Divine Beast as well.

He rode over the hills, dashing through the wetlands, and soon he was on the other side, back on a more solid path. He was crossing another bridge, to one of the final islands he would have to cross, as it appeared, when a voice called out to him from the river.

Tona, her name was, and she was unlike anyone he had seen before - swimming in the river, her skin was a muted pinkish-red, with white all along the front of her face and chest, and there was silver and blue jewelry decorating her neck. She looked like what he imagined would happen if you turned a fish into a person, with her various gills and fins, and a tailfin sticking out of the back of her head. She treaded in the water, staring at him in amazement.

“Oh, my! Oh, wow! Oh, whoa! It’s a Hylian! A real Hylian!” He blinked at her, confused. Had she never seen one before? 

In any case, she seemed to realize her awkwardness. “Umm... I mean... You are a Hylian, right?” He saw no reason to lie.

“Yes, I’m a Hylian.” 

“I knew it! I SO knew it!” Yes, you did. “Well, what are you waiting for?! Go see Prince Sidon !” She pointed him in the direction, instructing him how to go and seek out this Prince Sidon figure, whoever he was.

Well, Link supposed it couldn’t hurt to go and meet him, especially if there was something they needed help with.

But first he was getting that tower.

He encountered some monsters on the way, and discovered what, exactly, the slate meant.

Instead of just being able to tell how much health they roughly had left, the same way he knew people’s names, this time it was a number.

The lizalfos he encountered were 50/50, and when he hit one with his sword - which was listed with a 14, on the slate, similar to how his armor had defense levels listed - the lizalfos went down to 36/50.

So that was what the numbers meant!

He continued fighting, slowly climbing his way up the hill and destroying the monsters he found along the way - there were quite a few of them, and he was honestly proud of himself for not panicking nearly as much as he used to - though that didn’t mean he wasn’t still screaming internally whenever a monster swung at him, but at least he was keeping it internal now! - and within a few hours he had made it to the top, climbing the tower triumphantly after quite a few close calls.

It was ever the same, the tower activated, the travel gate registered, and he was given the map, but there was something different this time.

Someone else was atop the tower.

He introduced himself - as it seemed so few people did, (not that Link did either) though it didn’t much matter anyways, since Link knew most people’s names just by speaking to them - stating that he was Gruve of the Zora - so that’s what they were, then? The fish people were the Zora - which meant that Mipha must’ve been as well, if he was remembering that name right, since Impa had listed her as such.

He would have to check which Divine Beast that meant he was heading towards, then, though he supposed he should’ve figured by the fact that the glowing dot was in Zora’s Domain on his map.

In any case, Link was still wondering how in the world he had gotten atop the tower - he could climb, but he hadn’t seen anyone else do so in his entire time since awakening, and he really doubted that anyone else had much motivation for finding their way to the top of one of these towers.

Still, Gruve was speaking to him.

“It is apparent that you are a traveler, but may I ask what brought you here?” Well, the sights were rather beautiful, but he was here on a mission. And, besides,

“I could ask the same!” 

Gruve explained that he was here by order of Prince Sidon of Zora’s Domain - then this Prince Sidon fellow he was on his way to meet was a Zora as well, and a leader of them at that - though that implied that there was still a King or Queen in charge - Link wondered if he would get the chance to meet them.

In any case, Gruve continued explaining how he was searching for a Hylian when he fell asleep - Why do they need a Hylian, specifically? And so urgently, as well, that everyone is out searching for one? - and the tower emerged from the ground beneath him, lifting him into the air. 

Link winced, feeling a smidge of guilt creep in - it was his fault the towers had arisen, after all, and he hadn’t really considered how that would affect the rest of the world - but then again, he hadn’t even known that the first one was a tower, let alone that there were dozens others just like it that would awake with the first. 

Still, Gruve shouted for Prince Sidon, yelling about how he had found a Hylian, but it was no use - Link could barely see down to the river himself, there was no way anyone was going to hear his shouting from all the way up here. 

He did feel bad, though, that Gruve was stuck up here now, unable to not only reach his prince - with his voice or otherwise - but to get down at all.

“I’ll likely meet the gods of the ever after before I ever see Prince Sidon again...” Link really hoped that wasn’t the case - he would help him get down, even, if he could. *

Still, the sun was beginning to disappear behind the mountains, and Link figured it was best not to travel on the ground in the darkness, if the plethora of monsters he had encountered in the day alone were anything to go by. 

Dutifully, he made himself a campfire and rested until morning, before gliding back down to where he had left Knight - no need to proceed on foot when he still had his perfectly good steed.

He had to cross what he believed was a monster-made structure, and kill another few monsters in the process - he managed to keep from being spotted, which significantly lessened his panic - and just as he was about to cross onto solid ground fully - hopefully for the last time - he was stopped again by another voice in the water.

This time it was another zora, with a spear on their back and what looked like some sort of armor covering what he could see of them. Tottika - they introduced themselves too - looked downright amazed to see him, a real, living Hylian, and Link just stood there staring into the water, unsure of how to react.

Tottika, too, instructed him to go and speak with Prince Sidon, and Link simply nodded - he was already planning to, anyways. 

He was off again shortly, and he noticed that even before he had made it 10 feet on the path, the Sheikah Sensor was already beeping incessantly - he might as well get the shrine, then, on the way, so he wouldn’t have to hear it beep every two seconds.

Surprisingly enough, however, he found another Hylian just a small ways down the path, standing next to a sign that labeled the split in the road.

“Hey. It’s kinda weird to see a Hylian around here.” Douma said, one hand on her hip as she measured him up. 

“Indeed.”

She had been greeted by one of the zora as well, apparently, and had also been instructed to go and meet Prince Sidon, same as him. 

She, however, did not seem to think as highly of the prince as his people did. She seemed to think that he was creepy, and that he had been hitting on her in some capacity - Link wasn’t sure if that was true, but it seemed he would just have to see for himself.

There were a few more monsters on the path - he had to leave Knight behind while he fought them, too afraid they’d hurt her if she got too close - and they were stronger, too - Link didn’t want to find out what would happen if they managed to get a hit in.

The path was caved in, after that, so he had to leave Knight behind anyways, and he noticed that once he got past a certain point the weather changed completely, a seemingly never-ending rain descending upon the area as soon as he entered.

He didn’t mind - the rain had been fairly peaceful, the few times he’d experienced it before now, and it allowed him more stealth so he could avoid monsters, but he discovered something about it that he hadn’t before:

It made climbing hell. 

Any time he climbed for more than a few seconds he would slip back down, often further than he had managed to climb in the first place, which meant that even making it up to the shrine was annoying as anything.

When he finally made it up there, he found another zora lady, Torfeau, standing guard next to it - she was wearing armor too, and once again asked if he was a hylian. 

She was the first to explain why, though.

“My home, Zora’s Domain, is in terrible danger. That is why Prince Sidon sent me in search of a strong Hylian warrior.” And she pointed him out again - he was even in sight now, though a little out of focus from this distance, and Link only nodded.

He understood, now, why they were so insistent on him going on to speak to their prince - though he still didn’t understand why they needed a Hylian, specifically. They were in danger, and they needed help.

He was more than happy to oblige - even if he hadn’t already been on a mission to free the Divine Beast, he was always happy to help those in need - though he wasn’t sure if he would be able to. 

They wanted a strong warrior who would come and save them. Link was supposed to be that warrior - at least, from what everyone had told him. He was Zelda’s appointed knight, the one who was meant to defeat Calamity Ganon and save the world, to destroy all evils and vanquish all foes, and yet...

He had already died before, fighting foes much less grand than Ganon, and of course, to Ganon as well... How could he be sure that he wouldn’t just fail them again? That he would be able to save them from whatever was endangering their home?

He supposed it didn’t matter. Regardless if he could, he had to try. He refused to just sit by and not help.

First, however, he was getting that shrine.

This one, he found, was different. When the monk greeted him, offering the trial, he called it one of combat, and, looking around, there was no puzzle to be found. Just a large, empty room, through a gate, with a rather large hole in the center. The trial itself was listed as “A Minor Test Of Strength”, and Link was wary, now, looking around cautiously.

When he got just a few feet into the room, the center section raised, revealing one of those mini-guardians he had seen a few times before - only, this time, it raised itself up, revealing arms, and more importantly, weapons.

It was a combat trial alright, and Link was immensely grateful that it was only a minor one - he managed to defeat it, sure, but he really didn’t appreciate the sheer level of adrenaline that the whole situation had caused. 

The monk said something different on the way out, too, before giving him the spirit orb.

“Your triumph over the test of strength subverts a prophecy of ruin. From the ashes of Hyrule, a hero rises.” Well, he wasn’t too sure about that - Hyrule had already fallen to ruin, hadn’t it? He had died, the world had been destroyed, and all hope had been lost.

But... it wasn’t really, was it? He was here, after all, slowly regaining his memories and learning how to fight again, and he was making the world better, bit by bit, helping out where he could, saving those who were in danger and completing the quests he had been given, and he had completed this trial, had he not? 

From the ashes of a Hyrule, a hero rises. That part was true at least, wasn’t it? Hyrule had fallen to ruin, but from that ruin he had risen, had awoken after all these years to offer hope once more. He couldn’t ignore that, despite how much he wanted to doubt it.

He emerged from the shrine quieted, making his way solemnly to the bridge. It was time to finally meet this prince he had heard so much about, now wasn’t it?

“Say hey there, young one! Up top, above you!” A bright red zora dove down from one of the smaller stone towers, landing dramatically in front of him. Link couldn’t help but grin as the man stood - who was twice the height of Link, he noticed with a start - he had to respect a dramatic entrance like that.

He introduced himself as Prince Sidon - though Link already knew as much - and he grinned at Link with a confident pump of his arm, his teeth seeming to sparkle in the dim lighting of the rain. 

His enthusiasm was infectious.

Link introduced himself as well, and Sidon boisterously complimented him, calling it a fantastic name. Link smiled, a light flush coming to his cheeks - it was nothing special, really.

A nagging thought reminded him that he hadn’t even known his own name, when he had awoken, but he quickly brushed it away.

It was hard to be existential with Sidon talking to him.

Sidon also mentioned that he had the feeling that he had heard it before, and Link didn’t doubt it - though it had been 100 years, he’d already discovered just how much people still spoke of him, though only as a legend by now. 

He did mention that he had been watching Link - the same as Douma had mentioned - but he hardly felt it was creepy. No, it was more the admiring tone of someone who had been waiting for the right person to come along and help them.

“Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!” He enthused, and Link had to agree. Though he wasn’t all too sure of his skills, it seemed others were, and he was here to help save them from danger - no need to make them think he was incapable, before he knew it for himself at least.

He praised Link quite a bit more, too, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit more confident in himself - it was hard to doubt his capabilities when Sidon thought so highly of him, and he was so sure about it too. 

That wasn’t the only thing he mentioned, though - and not nearly the most important.

“Right now, Zora’s Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta!” Ah, so that was the danger he was here to solve. He almost laughed - he was here to free Vah Ruta anyways, so this was no extra burden on his plate! 

Though, he would’ve been happy to help even if it was, he never wanted to leave someone in danger if he had the means to help.

Especially for someone like Sidon. 

He described the danger ahead - mentioning how the cliffs were too slick with rain to climb, forcing him to take the path riddled with monsters - and Link only nodded, ready to face whatever came his way. 

“Don’t give up! I believe in you!” Sidon said, flashing that blinding grin again and holding up his fist in support, and it was hard for Link to feel unease with that radiant smile gazing down at him.

With a gift of an electricity-resistance elixir, Sidon was off - backflipping higher than Link could ever hope to jump and landing fantastically back in the water with a splash, disappearing before his very eyes.

He waited there a few moments more, unsure of what to do next, before pulling out the Sheikah Slate. If he was going to do this, then he was going to commit to it - which meant first boarding his horse, since he had to leave her behind, and then stopping at one of the goddess statues to turn in some of his spirit orbs - with all the monsters he was sure to face, he was really starting to feel like his measly three hearts wasn’t nearly enough.

He was glad for the shrine he had just gotten - though the tower was close enough too that it wouldn’t have really been an issue - because it would allow him to return right to where he had left from, when he was done.

He was also especially grateful that the stables allowed him to board his horse as well, not just teleport her from one to the next, so he could be sure that she was being properly looked after.

He figured that, since the blood moon had once again regenerated all the monsters he had killed, it was the perfect opportunity to go back and fight the stone talus again as well - not only would it be much-needed practice for if he ever had to fight one again, but it would also be a great way to earn money, since he was so obviously lacking. Gems were probably his best bet at making any real profit, when it came to selling goods.

It didn’t take him too long to defeat the talus - he noticed, though, that unlike all the other monsters he had fought, the stone talus didn’t have a number for its health, just the same sense he’d always had. It didn’t really matter much, though, considering it was dead in a few minutes.

With that accomplished, he made his way back to Hateno - the Soldier’s Outfit was probably the best choice, considering up until now all of his armor had simply been cloth, and with all the gems he had just gotten he’d (hopefully) actually be able to afford it now.

Sure enough, he was able to buy the entire set, with even quite a few rupees to spare, and he left the shop satisfied.

He only had one question left, before he returned to where he had left from on his way to Zora’s Domain: did Hateno have a goddess statue, the same way that the Great Plateau and Kakariko did?

After a few hours of searching, he found that they did! It was just a little out of the way, and partially built into one of the houses, up on a hill to the north of the path.

As much as he was enjoying his extra stamina, it wouldn’t be of much use to him in a region where he couldn’t climb, and even with the better armor he had purchased he still felt far too vulnerable with only three hearts, so he exchanged four of the spirit orbs he had gotten for a heart container this time instead.

Just like the spirit orbs, it too healed him when it was absorbed into his being, and he wondered briefly if anyone else could see it too - a multicolored light shining down from the heavens onto him specifically, an ornate magical container of the very essence of life descending from the skies and into his own grasp, before disappearing with glowing poof as his very being was enhanced.

If anyone could see it, they sure didn’t say anything about it.

And, he supposed, after enhancing himself, he should probably strengthen the armor with the Great Fairy’s blessing, if he could.

That didn’t take too long either, and he was definitely glad that he had been killing every monster he had come across, rather than avoiding them, because it meant he already had the materials he needed to upgrade the full set - meaning that the champion’s tunic with the soldier’s helm and greaves was his new normal outfit, for the time being at least.

With all of that finally out of the way, and after resting until morning once more, just for good measure, he could at last return to Inogo Bridge, to resume his journey once more.

This was certainly going to be interesting.

Chapter Text

The first few monsters were fairly easy to take out, since they were practically lined up one by one for him to pick off individually, and he made quick progress along the winding path, shooting at the octoroks in the water and battling the lizalfos one by one. 

He picked up a traveler’s sword on the way, and he made a mental note to go back and talk with that boy in Hateno when he got the chance, before continuing along the path.

So far, things weren’t going too bad - sure there was the odd monster here and there, but nothing he couldn’t handle, and he was having a fun time collecting all new sorts of fish and frogs - and photographing all of them for the compendium, of course.

Progress was much quicker than he’d expected, too - he was already halfway to the second waterfall before midday. He would’ve gotten farther, too, except...

“HEY! Link!!” Link startled, looking around for a moment, before a flash of red caught his eye. “Sorry for calling out to you from the river!” 

He really didn’t mind, and as the prince continued talking Link didn’t entirely agree with the notion that Sidon had pressured him into coming - he had been planning on going to Zora’s Domain anyways, and even if he hadn’t, he was always happy to help.

Sidon didn’t say much, simply warning him of the monsters and telling him that all of Zora’s Domain was awaiting his arrival, before dramatically backflipping away once more. Link had to admit, that was definitely impressive - even though he could backflip himself, it wasn’t nearly as high, dramatic, or skillful as Sidon’s, and he usually only did it to dodge certain death.

Still, he was off again, up the narrow winding path in the pouring rain - he was glad for the soldier’s helm, now, because it at least blocked out some of the rain, much more so than the bandana had anyways.

It was rather quiet, too, and there wasn’t a monster in sight as he made his way up the hill alongside the river. It should’ve been peaceful, but it only made him wary - where had the monsters gone? Why was it so quiet? 

Too quiet.  

The silence was broken with a rather loud yelp as two boulders fell from the cliff above him, coming inches from instantly crushing him as he jumped back in a panic. It took him a good few moments to calm his breathing down enough that he could continue.

Though, did he actually need to breathe? He didn’t need to eat, or sleep, or rest in any capacity, in fact none of the necessary bodily functions had seemed all that important - if he had a lasting wound, he had never come close to bleeding out, and he could keep it for as long as he liked before healing himself. Either he was dead, or he wasn’t, and while anything in between still hurt, he didn’t really have to do anything about it.

Could he pass out from holding his breath? Could he drown? He knew he would, essentially, if he ran out of stamina while in the water, but that wasn’t really the same. 

And, well, he had never exactly kept an injury for all that long, preferring to heal as quickly as he could rather than continuing on while in pain. Could he die from bleeding out, then? It seemed rather odd that he would be unable to die from something like that, but he couldn’t die from hunger or thirst either, so who could really tell?

Still, he supposed it didn’t really matter - he’d find out one way or another, and for now, it wasn’t important.

And so he continued, moving a little more cautiously now as he followed the winding path.

He managed to flurry rush a lizalfos sticking out its tongue at him in an attempt to hurt him - their tongues were very long, and while they looked interesting, being multicolored and all, they also hurt, and even besides that it wasn’t a pleasant feeling anyways, so he was glad he was able to avoid it this time. 

There were some more thorny brambles in the path, and remembering how it went last time, he decided to use some of his fire arrows to get rid of them this time - especially considering the part closest to him, blocking his path, was outside the small “caves” that blocked them from the rain, which meant that even if he wanted to light it on fire with a chuchu jelly, the flame would just go out instead.

He certainly wasn’t complaining about the purple rupee in the chest, though.

There wasn’t much else to do under the underhangs, though, and he was quickly on his way. Passing through the small stone overcasts, Link discovered three things.

One: There was a very large camp of lizalfos on the other side, completely surrounding the path forwards.

Two: All of them were archers, armed with a type of arrow he had never seen before: Shock Arrows. 

Three: Not only would a direct hit nearly kill him, but if any of these electric arrows hit any form of water, - which there was plenty of, thanks to the never-ending rain - they would form a dome of electricity that would also shock him. 

Link ran through all four of his fairies in the shock and confusion, before finally managing to regain his bearings enough to run back for cover underneath the rocky shelter that the chest was still under.

It took him a good while to recollect himself entirely, coming to terms with everything that had just happened and eating one of the meals he had cooked to heal the damage that was still there, but finally he felt he was stable enough to at least consider going back out there.

However, with how much time had passed, - both from the actual attacks and from him recovering - it was already growing dark, and as awful as that was during the day, he did not want to face them all during the night - especially considering he wouldn’t really be able to see them in dark, but they sure as hell would be able to see him. 

When he awoke he cautiously ventured to the edge of the stone overhang, looking around first.

This time he was much more careful, picking off a few of the archers where he could, and dutifully running back to safety whenever he got spotted, hiding until he knew they had forgotten about him.

It’s not being a coward if it’s strategic.

It was a long and weary process, - especially considering he had no real way to know just how many there were - but eventually he made it through the danger zone. He never really calmed as he passed through, but he did slow enough to gather materials once he was fairly certain there was no imminent danger, even if he didn’t trust it.

The path dropped back down again, sloping downwards this time as it aimed towards the river once more, passing through more of those stone overhangs, and Link finally allowed himself to relax a little - it seemed he was truly through that enemy camp, at least, though who knew if there were going to be more like it.

He did brighten, though, when he heard a voice that was growing steadily familiar to him.

“HEY! Over here!” He ran over to the river's edge, smiling as he saw Prince Sidon waving at him from the water once more.

He told him that Zora’s Domain was still a ways off, and that he was making his way upriver as well, and Link was glad to know that he was safe, at least, travelling through the river rather than the monster-infested path. Though, that didn’t make Link any less happy to see him when he could.

“In the meantime, I’ll be cheering you on from here in the river, so hang in there!” A feeling of contentment washed over him, and Link smiled, nodding at Sidon. He seemed to genuinely believe in Link, and it was a feeling he hadn’t known before.

Everyone else had just wanted something out of him, had expected something out of him, be it small tasks or favors or the grand fate of saving the world, but Sidon seemed sincerely happy to see him, with a faith in Link that seemed much more earned than everyone’s blind trust in him as the legendary “hero”.

And, as if to prove his point further, Sidon wasn’t done, apparently.

“You can do it! Stay strong!” And he backflipped away, waiting, at least, for Link to wave before disappearing once more.

Link was sad to see him go, but he knew he’d see him again - at Zora’s Domain at least, if not before then. For now, he had a mission to continue, and with a sigh he turned back to the path, more resolute now in his determination to make it through.

Checking his map, he was still barely halfway there - if that, even - and he was especially glad for Sidon’s encouragement now. If it hadn’t been for his radiant positivity, he might’ve considered just turning around and deciding it wasn’t worth it.

The next obstacle presented itself fairly quickly: small, flying monsters that were cloaked in electricity. Electric Keese, according to the Sheikah Slate.

They weren’t the most difficult to fight, especially considering they only had one health point, but he kept them at a good distance thanks to their electricity. Bombs were a wonderful way to dispose of them, but he discovered the hard way that their bodies could still deliver nasty shocks all the way up until they poofed into smoke, so he had to be careful not to send them flying into himself.

He also found, after killing the first two, that the weather abruptly changed when he grew near them, switching quickly from rain to lightning. 

He was entirely sure what would happen if he didn’t remove his metal equipment - which by now had started sparking with increasing frequency - but he had a pretty good guess, and he wasn’t in the experimenting mood at the moment.

He didn’t really know if it was the keese themselves that had triggered the weather, or some other odd phenomenon, but when he passed the small cave they had been in, the weather cleared up fairly quickly - or at least, cleared up as much as it could while permanently raining.

There were only a few more monsters after that - a small camp of three lizalfos, and another lone one a few feet past that - before he reached a bridge, and he was grateful that things had seemingly calmed down, at least a little bit.

This time, he was beginning to expect it when Sidon popped out seemingly out of nowhere, from underneath the water. 

His tidings were much the same - he was about halfway to Zora’s Domain, and there were even more monsters up ahead, clumped together in bigger groups - he appreciated the warning, considering last time - but he was still happy to hear anything from Sidon.

“I believe in you, Link!” And off he went again, but Link had to stand there for a few moments, staring wistfully.

It was a strange feeling, wasn’t it? That was the first time it had truly felt like his name, like the person speaking to him was really addressing him, not some long lost hero, or some ancient legend, but really, truly, him. For the first moment since his awakening, Link truly felt like his own name. 

And that belief, that pride and encouragement, it didn’t feel unearned, but more than that, it didn’t feel like a burden or an expectation. No, Sidon was truly proud of him, believing in him with such ferocity that Link could hardly doubt himself. There was no lingering weight behind the words, no unsaid expectation - Link knew, if he turned around right now and decided he couldn’t do it, there would be no sense of duty from Sidon, no shame or anger at him for forgoing his responsibilities. 

No, Sidon was actually grateful for what he was doing, he understood the high stakes of what he had asked and appreciated Link for his actions, not for who he was supposed to be. 

He was rather glad that he had chosen to go towards this Divine Beast, first. For the first time, the world seemed a little brighter.

It was no wonder, then, that Link continued on with renewed vigor, defeating the monsters that he had previously been so terrified of with an ease he hadn’t thought possible.

That didn’t mean he threw all caution to the wind, though, and he was wary going up the open hill this time, taking note of the boulders that were already on the path, blocked from falling further by a rock or a rise in the path.

Though he still jumped, he was much further out of the way this time, and in no real danger from the edge of the path where he had been slowly watching for any falling debris.

He wasn’t expecting the giant boulder that fell once the path turned, but it got stuck by the narrow cliffs on either side of him, so he still didn’t get hurt, and it was a quick matter to climb over it and continue on his way.

He was more careful, now, turning corners, and luckily didn’t get caught off-guard by the archer lizalfos waiting for him just around the next bend in the path, though that didn’t make them too much easier to fight.

He figured, since he had time to prepare this time, he should probably drink the elixir that Prince Sidon had given him.

After fighting them off - he was learning their moves, at least, so he was getting better at avoiding getting hit - he noticed that there were quite a few crates around, and a rather large stone monument, which he took the time to read.

It was the beginning of a history on Zora’s Domain, and Link quickly moved on, continuing on the path despite the hastily setting sun.

He found another two lizalfos atop the small cliff that had been encasing the previous four, and promptly raided their supplies after defeating the two monsters, before dropping back down to the path below and using the small bit of shelter the stone overhang provided to make another fire, resting until morning once more.

He was extremely thankful that there was no blood moon, when he awoke, and he made his way towards the bridge he had seen, happy he was at least making progress.

The bridge - Ludo’s Crossing - was rather large, or at least rather long, and Link couldn’t help but feel a growing unease as he crossed, sprinting as much as he could without completely running out of stamina. It was too empty, and he grew more suspicious with every passing peaceful moment.

He supposed that was why he nearly jumped out of his skin when Sidon called to him again, though this time his voice was much quieter, considering the river was a good hundred yards below him.

The prince was mostly just saying hi, at this point, and mentioned that he would meet Link at Zora’s Domain - as sad as Link was that he wouldn’t see him again until he had finished this winding journey, he had somewhat figured as much, considering the rest of the path was much further from the river, and almost entirely on land from here on out.

He was about to wave Sidon goodbye, too, content to wait until he made it to Zora’s Domain, when the prince’s expression changed.

“Whoa! Link!!” He stared down at the prince “Beware, warrior! A monster approaches from behind you!”

Sure enough, when Link turned he found a blue moblin rushing towards him, weapon in hand and towering over Link as it prepared to bash in his skull.

Nice try fucker. 

He drew his weapon.

With a flurry rush and a few more hits, the beast was slain, and Link sheathed his weapon once more, adrenaline still pumping but the panic quickly subsiding. 

He marveled, for a moment, thinking back to when he had first awoken. He had been terrified of even the small chuchus, screaming and running for his life, but now the monsters seemed almost easy to defeat - though that didn’t much change the panic, but he didn’t show it anymore, at least not as much. He was able to put it aside and fight like it was something he was born to do.

Wasn’t it, really?

That didn’t matter.

He made his way up the winding path, weaving side to side as he collected the various mushrooms lining the stone walls on either side of the path. 

As he came around the corner, he attempted to get a photo of the doe standing solemnly on the stony cliffs, but only scared it off in the process, chasing after it as it ran off into the distance - and suddenly ceased to exist, after it had run for too long.

Link decided to just not question it.

There was another of those electric wizzrobes at a small peak, and he fought it off, dodging its electricity and using bombs to knock it down whenever he could, before helping himself to the various materials that made up the camp it had been residing in.

He wondered, briefly, if these all had belonged to travelers at some point, trying valiantly to fight off the monsters along the path, and failing.

Regardless, there was another of those stone monuments on the other side of the path from where the camp was, and it turned out it was an addendum, describing how 100 years prior, during the calamity, King Dorephan threw a guardian into a ravine, earning a scar on his forehead and the respect of his people in the process.

It was an interesting story, alright, but not enough to make him linger much longer, and he was off again, up the winding path and then back down again as the path descended.

With a few more moblins, - red this time - quite a few rocks, and another stone monument, Link was finally at the bridge connecting to Zora’s Domain. 

He had to admit, the whole structure was gorgeous, made of a carefully sculpted blue stone that seemed to glow even in the grey rain, ornate and delicately crafted so that every small detail was perfected and beautiful. As he made his way across the bridge, he couldn’t help but slow down to admire the beauty of it all, growing only more impressed the closer he drew to the actual domain.

As he stepped foot, finally, onto the proper threshold of the domain, Prince Sidon came running forth, greeting him with that same radiant smile and unyielding positivity. 

He was happy to show off the pride of his people, their monumental home, and told Link that he would be waiting with King Dorephan in the throne room for him, before racing off once again. Link couldn’t wait to speak with them both.

First, though, he was going to speak to everyone he saw on the way. Of course.

The first person he saw was a zora guard on his left, watching the entrance in a mirror position to the other guard on his right. Dunma, their name was, and it occurred to Link that he had no clue what different genders looked like across the various species - hell, gender itself was a whole abstract concept that he barely understood, going vaguely off of his innate knowledge of it that he presumed came from his life before losing his memories, and he could only somewhat tell the differences in hylians, so for any other race it would be a complete guess.

Unfortunately, his mouth worked faster than his brain, so he wasn’t the most articulate when asking them about it.

“You’re female, right?”

He mentally cursed himself.

“...My, how observant you are.” Yeah, he deserved that. “Is there a problem?” Well, no, but he did have more questions.

Age was something strange as well - he knew how hylians aged, that was much more straightforward than sex or gender, but if King Dorephan had been not only alive 100 years ago, during the calamity, but also already king, and old and strong enough to throw a guardian, and was still alive now - since that was who Sidon had asked him to come meet, was it not? - then he had absolutely no clue how zoras aged, and what the equivalent maturities would be.

He wondered if he had known this, once.

Still, he figured the most straightforward way to figure it out was just to ask her.

“How old are you?”

“That is NOT an appropriate question to ask a lady you’ve just met!” Ah, right. Manners and all that.

Well, it looked like he wasn’t getting answers any time soon.

She sighed. “Let’s just say I’m less than 100 years old. Can’t you tell?” Well no, he couldn’t - didn’t that also mean he was technically older than her? - but it at least gave him a vague sense of reference, though not by much.

She didn’t seem to want to talk with him much after that, - and he couldn’t really blame her - digressing on how Zora’s Domain was looking for a hylian soldier, and telling him to go meet with King Dorephan.

Was already planning on it.

Turning to his right, he approached the other guard, Rivan. 

“Huh? What is it?!” He startled, and Link glanced around, confused.

“Master Link!” 

Oh.

“Is it truly you? The Hylian Champion?!” It was. “It’s me! Rivan!” Link’s heart sank.

He knew him. Rivan knew Link, 100 years ago.

Link didn’t even know who he used to be, but Rivan did, apparently.

“We used to swim together when I was but a child... remember?”

He didn’t.

Rivan seemed disappointed, but not too surprised.

“Well, it has been 100 years since then. And now I’m over 130 years old...” 

Well that entirely threw a wrench in his guess towards how they aged.

He was 130, but looked nearly the same age as Dunma, who was at least 3 decades younger than him. He had played with Link when he was “but a child”, but he would’ve been at least 30 years old at the time. 

Link had no clue what time scale they were living on.

“I must say, you’ve aged well for a Hylian. Unbelievably well!” Yeah, well, he actually hadn’t aged. At all. For 100 years. Everyone else who was his age was extremely old, and showed it - not that it was a flaw, but he definitely didn’t look like them anymore.

Rivan wasn’t done, though.

“Now that I think about it - shouldn’t you be dead? Sorry. That may be too personal a question.” Well, technically I did die, but yeah. You’re not wrong.

Dunma was his daughter, apparently, and she quickly reminded him that they were supposed to be on guard duty. Rivan shifted topic once more, speaking now of the leader of the pack, Bazz, the heroine, Gaddison, and his father, Trello. He mentioned that they had all aged, but were doing well.

Link wondered if he had known them, too.

Rivan also mentioned something odd, - that Dumna had hinted at, too - warning that Link probably shouldn’t speak to the elderly. 

Why? 

He didn’t say.

He let Link be on his way, and just with those two short conversations he already had a lot to consider. 

With that out of the way, Link continued further into the town, stopping for a moment to talk with Ledo before making his way into the center of the town, a small plaza with shops built into it on either side.

There was a statue in the center, and Link’s gait slowed to a halt as he stared up at it, searching the monument for something; he didn’t know what.

It was a person - a zora, specifically, larger than life and sculpted in that blue stone, delicately holding a sculpted spear as she gazed down at the plaza, a gentle expression on her face. 

Something about it called to him, some aching sense of familiarity, and he reached up towards it, brushing a hand lightly over the blue stone, as if trying to call forth any sense of remembrance. 

Despite his best efforts, he came up empty.

There was a lady standing next to the statue, pointing at it as if mentally recounting something to herself, and he spoke with her, hoping to gain some, any, insight into who the statue represented.

Laflat asked if he was a hylian, as it seemed everyone here was prone to do, before introducing herself as the chief secretary for the royal family - he assumed she meant the zora royal family.

There was a moment of silence between them at first, and then...

“Are you curious about this statue of Lady Mipha?” Mipha...

“Yes, I’m curious.”

She began to explain.

“This is a statue of the former Zora Champion. Her name was Lady Mipha. She was as kind as she was beautiful...” Link did not doubt it. “They say her ability to heal wounded soldiers was beyond compare.” 

So that’s why this statue called to him. It was one of the four champions - whose Divine Beast he was here to free - who he had known all those years ago. In his previous life, before everything...

She gave him advice opposite to what the others had told him, telling him to seek out the elders if he wanted to know more about Lady Mipha. 

He wondered if those two conflicting pieces of advice had anything to do with each other.

In any case, he made his way past the statue, towards the small set of stairs to an enclosed lower level; where the sheikah sensor had been incessantly beeping to inform him a shrine resided.

He figured it couldn’t hurt to complete the shrine now, before going to speak with King Dorephan and Prince Sidon.

His tendency to lose track of time inside the shrines showed its head once more, and by the time he emerged morning light was just beginning to trickle over the domain. Link winced, feeling guilty for keeping Sidon and the King waiting, and decided it was time to make his way up to the throne room. The shops and other townsfolk could wait.

He made his way up one of the twin winding staircases, staring up for a moment before ascending the final set of stairs that would lead to the throne room.

Link steeled himself, taking a deep breath as he prepared for whatever he was about to face. 

It was time to finally earn the title of hero.

Chapter Text

Three figures stood in the throne room as Link entered; a green zora with a much different head shape than all the others he had seen on his left, looking much older, though Link couldn’t know for sure, the Prince himself, standing proud and tall on his right, and there, directly ahead of him, and looming a good twenty feet above Link, a mighty giant of a zora whom Link could only assume was King Dorephan.

He took slow, methodical steps into the center of the room, stopping to meet eyes with the King as he awaited whatever instructions the monarch had for him.

King Dorephan first congratulated him on making it all the way to Zora’s Domain, before introducing himself - though there had been no doubt on Link’s part as to who he was, despite his memory loss.

The king was also the first to notice the Sheikah Slate upon his hip, and Link could only blink at him. He had thought, since no one else here had paid any mind to it, that it was simply not that well known about outside of Kakariko - even the people in Hateno hadn’t recognized it, except for Purah and Symin - but with the King’s recognition, he now had to fully admit to who he was.

Not that he really needed to, in actuality. King Dorephan knew who he was already.

He remembered Link.

Sidon, apparently, knew of him too.

“The Hylian Champion? You can’t mean THE Link? THAT Champion?!” Link wondered now if Sidon would think less of him, knowing that he had already been tasked with saving the world, and had already failed once before.

Instead, it seemed that both royals were overflowing with joy to see him again - as apparently it was very much not their first time meeting. King Dorephan spoke of a rumor that he had fallen in combat, and Link felt a twinge of grief, knowing that the world knew more of his own death than he did.

He decided to tell the truth, that he had been sleeping for those 100 years that he had been missing, and King Dorephan was able to put the pieces together himself as to why Link could not remember him. 

He asked if Link remembered his daughter, Mipha.

His daughter.

She was a Princess, then. She was Sidon’s sister, then. 

Link had truly known her, then, through more than just being a champion. 

Link didn’t remember her.

Shame washed over him, and he bowed his head slightly as he tried to inform them as much. He wondered if he had ever really spoken, in the past, and even now he felt it difficult to force words.

“Doesn’t ring a bell.” He forced out, avoiding the King’s eyes.

He did not seem angry, only disappointed, and that was almost worse, the sense of dull grief that Link - who had apparently known them, had visited them, had been close with them, enough to warrant nostalgia on his return - could not remember them, hard as he tried.

He wanted to tell them that he was trying. That he felt some sense of glimmering familiarity, when he gazed upon her statue or heard her name, that everything in him screamed that he should know, that he should remember her, that he must , but nothing came out. 

King Dorephan urged him to look upon the statue, asking if it jogged any recognition, and told him that hopefully his memory would return in time. Link could only follow his gaze, desperately wishing the same.

Sidon was the one to break Link out of his quickly spiralling feelings of guilt. 

“Father... I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused.” Link wanted to hug him.

Still, as the king spoke, Link couldn’t help but admire the relationship between the two of them; it was clear the pair cared for each other earnestly, especially as King Dorephan congratulated him on the feat of bringing a Champion all the way to Zora’s Domain. Link was glad they at least still had each other, and the clear strong bonds between them.

With that all out of the way, however, King Dorephan got straight to the point. 

They alone could not end the Divine Beast’s constant rains, which were putting the entire domain at risk of flooding and vanishing off the map entirely. He asked Link to lend them their strength.

He would gladly do so in a heartbeat.

Muzu - the other zora in the room, who had not spoken until this point (although Link had noticed him glaring at him as he walked in) - objected, however, seeming entirely appalled by the idea.

Muzu seemed to think it was beneath them to ask a hylian for help, and while Link didn’t understand it, he wasn’t going to say anything to counter it. He knew nothing of zora culture, try as he might to remember it, so it was not his place to say what was and wasn’t an offense.

But the King and Prince were quick to defend him, to Link’s surprise, and he was flattered especially by Sidon’s comments. He was glad the prince thought him trustworthy, in his own words.

Muzu was not convinced.

“Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians!” Link felt a little insulted, on behalf of all other hylians - he could understand disliking him, and he wouldn’t fight against it, but to blame an entire race of people for the state of the world was unfair. 

Still, Muzu wasn’t content with just blaming the calamity on hylians.

“And that is not the least of it!” His demeanor changed, and he dropped his fists, which had been shaking in anger, as he bowed his head before turning to look away.

“It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us...”

Oh. 

With a single sentence, Link’s heart was flooded with remorse. Muzu was right, after all. 

It was Link’s fault the world had fallen to ruin, when he had failed his duty 100 years ago. It was his fault Zelda had been left alone to trap herself in the castle with Calamity Ganon for those 100 years. It was his fault that Champions had died, when he failed to defeat the evil that he was born to slay. 

It was his fault that King Dorephan had lost a daughter, Prince Sidon a sister, Muzu a beloved Princess.

He could not fault Muzu for his hatred. Not after all he had caused.

King Dorephan did not comment on his remark, instead turning to Link once more to inform him of the grave danger that not only Zora’s Domain, but all of Hyrule faced due to the endless rain that had been spouting from Vah Ruta. There was no doubt in Link’s mind over whether he would accept this duty; he had sworn from the moment he had known anything about the world that he would protect Hyrule, and even on a smaller scale, protect the innocent. This is what he had come here to do, to free the Divine Beasts and protect those he could.

He would not fail again.

As if it had heard King Dorephan’s remarks, Vah Ruta trumpeted in the distance, and the world seemed to shake for a moment as even from this distance. Link could see it begin to rise out of the reservoir - he had passed its trunk, on his way to Zora’s Domain, but had not thought much of it, had not even known what it was. 

King Dorephan seemed saddened by it, but not surprised.

He spoke of Princess Zelda now, of how she used to study the Divine Beasts before the Great Calamity. He told of how it was her research that allowed them to know that the glowing orbs on Vah Ruta’s shoulders were mechanisms that controlled the water it generated, and that it required electricity to work.

That was why they had needed a hylian, specifically. The zora could not handle electricity in any real capacity - could not even pick up a shock arrow, apparently - due to their aquatic nature. They needed someone who could handle the electricity needed to stop the Divine Beast’s flooding once and for all. 

He was happy, really, that the task was apparently so easy, - all he needed to do was shoot a few shock arrows, and it would be solved - but there was one small problem.

He needed to board the Divine Beast in order to free it.

He explained as much, for once forgoing his usual caution around mentioning that Princess Zelda herself was still speaking to him, instructing him to free the four Divine Beasts. King Dorephan was astonished that she was still alive, and Link explained that she was residing in Hyrule Castle, awaiting him to free the four Divine Beasts and defeat the Calamity, just as he was supposed to 100 years ago.

Sidon was surprised as well, mentioning that he didn’t know Link had such grand ambitions, and Link couldn’t blame him - he hadn’t exactly been forthcoming about his plans, after all. He had figured it was best to find out what they wanted him to do, first, before revealing his plans.

Still, Sidon was happy to help, flashing his by-now signature grin once more as he proudly held up his fist. Link couldn’t help but smile back, emboldened by Sidon’s neverending confidence. 

He threw down the plan just as quickly as Link had mentioned his, detailing how Link would cease its rainfall.

“Once it has stopped rampaging, you can easily climb inside it . Come, Link! Let us appease Ruta together!” Just as surely as Sidon, Link didn’t hesitate.

“I’m in. Let’s do this!”

King Dorephan thanked him, even though he hadn’t really done anything yet, and offered him a gift as a show of faith. 

Zora Armor, and the slate’s description intrigued him.

“Custom armor painstakingly crafted by each generation’s Zora princess for her future husband. Wearing it will give you the ability to swim up waterfalls.”

For one, he wasn’t sure how that last bit was physically possible, but that wasn’t the part that caught his attention.

A Zora Princess had made this? As what seemed like a proposal gift. Did that mean it was Mipha’s? And who, then, had she crafted it for? It seemed entirely improper for him to have it, knowing it was the intended engagement gift for a Champion he could hardly even remember, try as he might.

Muzu seemed to agree.

He shouted at King Dorephan, outraged that he would gift such precious armor, made by Princess Mipha herself, to “a shady Hylian”, as he called him. 

Link could only stand and watch as Muzu stormed off, pushed over the edge by this decision, apparently. He couldn’t help but sympathize with the elder, somewhat, though he felt it would be even more rude to return the gift.

King Dorephan explained that Muzu had been Mipha’s teacher, and that only added another layer of grief to everything. 

It seemed the king was more upset, however, that Muzu had now stormed off when he had been the one tasked with finding the shock arrows that Link would use against Vah Ruta. Link didn’t mind all too much, he could certainly find his own, but he supposed it would help if Muzu was on his side.

Link was moreso surprised by Sidon’s readiness to jump to his defense, rushing off after Muzu to sort everything out. King Dorephan asked Link to follow them.

He made his way back down the stairs, speaking to everyone he could on the way. He wanted to give Sidon some time to speak with Muzu first, before interrupting their conversation.

He spoke with one of the guards for the split staircase, who it turned out was Tottika, one of the zoras he had met on his way, who had instructed him to meet Prince Sidon. He seemed just as surprised to see Link as Link was to see him. 

He also spoke with a zora lady who had been running around in circles, and she seemed as surprised as they all were to see a hylian. She introduced herself as Tula, the president of Prince Sidon’s fan club.

He briefly wondered if he would be allowed to join said club.

Gruve was here too, staring down at one of the small waterfalls built into the structure. Link was glad he had made it safely down from the tower, at least. He had apparently jumped into the zora river, all the way from atop the tower.

Link had to admire the courage that took, especially considering, as far as he knew, Link was the only one with a paraglider.

Gruve asked him to dive from the waterfall and ride back up with the zora armor, and Link considered it for a moment. He supposed now was as good a time as any to test out how, exactly, the armor worked.

He was glad now for his ability to do a near-perfect dive, and Gruve certainly appreciated it too, seeming very enthused about showing his “true colors”, as the zora had put it.

It was probably one of the easiest quests Link had completed, and he changed back to the champion’s tunic quickly, moving on to speak to others along his way.

He met a child, who seemed troubled, and passed by a goddess statue he hadn’t noticed before, making his way over to a zora hunched over something Link couldn’t see, and acting very upset.

When he got closer he found that the zora was repeatedly grabbing at a shock arrow, jerking their hand back as they were zapped each time, and Link immediately grew concerned.

Seggin, his name was - and wasn’t that who Sidon had mentioned as having been able to shoot a single shock arrow at Vah Ruta? - and Link really wanted to stop him from continuously hurting himself.

Especially as he called out for Lady Mipha under his breath.

Seggin was even more enraged to see Link, claiming that he could finally avenge Lady Mipha - did that mean he planned to kill Link? - and stating that he would cut Link down himself.

Link decided it was safest to feign complete ignorance.

“What do you mean?” To be fair, he really didn’t remember.

That didn’t seem to calm him, but Seggin quickly lost his energy, his demeanor shifting to a sense of mourning instead.

Link promised he wouldn’t fail her again.

Seggin assured him that he would not be allowed to even try, and returned to his “training” as he zapped himself repeatedly with the shock arrow, trying to grow stronger so he could defeat Vah Ruta himself.

After a few more moments, Link couldn’t watch anymore. He took the shock arrow for himself.

Seggin wasn’t all too pleased about that, either, but Link couldn’t let him continue to hurt himself. He told Link that if he was so insistent on preventing his training, then Link could take on the responsibility of bringing down Vah Ruta.

That’s the plan.

He figured he should probably start making his way to Sidon now.

On his way down the stairs he bumped into another zora - and another elder at that, if he was guessing their age correctly. It was Trello - Rivan’s father, right? But hadn’t that been exactly who Rivan had warned him not to speak to? 

Oh well, it was too late now to back out of a conversation.

Trello seemed just as upset as the others had been, blaming Link for Mipha’s death just as they had, and preparing to strike him down himself. Unfortunately for him, - and very fortunately for Link - the zora council had apparently decided against that, and he was forced to simply insult Link instead, before abruptly ending the conversation.

I think I know why everyone warned me not to speak to the elders, now.

Finally, though, he reached the plaza, stepping cautiously towards where Prince Sidon was speaking with Muzu. He waved in greeting, afraid that saying anything would only make things worse.

Muzu didn’t want to speak to him at all, but Sidon insisted he did, revealing something to them both.

Link was the one Mipha had been in love with. The one she had made the zora armor for.

Muzu seemed just as shocked as Link was, though he seemed a good deal more horrified. 

Link had to wonder, though. Had she truly been in love with him? Had he felt the same? And she had never gotten the chance to give him the armor, had she? Why else would they still have it? He still didn’t know who he was, let alone how he felt about others, or how others felt about him. Had he really spent his childhood here, as others seemed to think? Had he been kind enough that a princess had fallen in love with him?

How awful was it, then, that he had forgotten her? She had died never being able to confess to him, and he didn’t even know if he would’ve said yes. He could barely remember who he had been, let alone anything about anyone else, yet apparently he had known her so well she had fallen for him. 

Grief settled in his chest, and he attempted dully to focus once more on the conversation around him.

Muzu was not convinced, but Link doubted Sidon would lie. Still, even Muzu pointed out that he remembered nothing, even gazing upon her statue.

Sidon was still defending him, but his words seemed far away now, and Link turned back to the statue, gazing up at it once more. The sounds of the rain began to fade away, as he truly took in what was in front of him.

That face...

He knew that face.

Everything else ceased to exist, and Link squinted, a nagging feeling coming to him - one he knew, now, though he’d only felt it once before.

He fell into the past.

Chapter Text

Link gasped as his eyes were thrown open again, and this time it hurt. 

He had known her. She had healed him, she had known him, she had dedicated herself to protecting him at every turn. She had promised she would always protect him, would always heal him, no matter the wound.

She had spoken of his childhood, too. They had known each other before everything, then, before either of them were Champions. He had been a reckless child, according to her, always getting himself hurt. She had been willing to heal him, even then.

And then he had grown up, so much quicker than she had, and it was clear even in the memory her devotion. He didn’t know if he had ever felt the same towards her, but it was clear he valued her companionship, had truly enjoyed her company. His own emotions were vague, - he had a feeling he had repressed them, back then, before the world had ended - but he knew that she had meant a lot to him, even if the feelings weren’t romantic.

Though, he supposed he had no real way of knowing. 

Sidon, however, was concerned. Link had somewhat forgotten that there were other people around, and he supposed that disappearing into his own long-lost past was a little concerning to anyone around him, who had no clue what was happening.

He tried to explain what he remembered, but Muzu seemed unconvinced, thinking it was far too convenient for him to remember now, just when he needed to.

Link didn’t bother trying to convince him of the memory.

Sidon encouraged him to wear his zora armor to prove that Mipha had made it for him, and while Link wasn’t sure if that was such a good idea, he pulled out the slate anyways, tapping the screen once more to change his attire.

Sidon was right, of course - the armor fit him perfectly, and even Muzu had to take notice of it, though he was appalled all the same. Sidon explained that Mipha had never told him because even before the Great Calamity he had never liked hylians. 

It took him a few moments to fully come to terms with it, but finally he bowed his head, before turning back to Link. Even as he stated that he never thought that she could’ve made the armor for someone such as him, he still admitted his fault.

“I am a proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you.” Link wouldn’t entirely call it unwarranted - it was his fault the world had ended, and he still hadn’t remembered Mipha - even now, he only barely remembered her - but he appreciated the apology. 

Muzu spoke of Ploymus Mountain and Shatterback Point, where a terrifying creature had made its home. It could shoot volley after volley of shock arrows, and even one hit could be fatal to a zora. Sidon seemed horrified at the mention of the beast, giving a name to the monster: a Lynel.

Link was not sure what it was, but he was sure to use caution, if the way they spoke of it was anything to go by. 

He was told to collect 20 shock arrows, and then to meet Sidon at the reservoir, where they would face Vah Ruta together. Just as he had before, Link blacked out for a moment, and when his vision returned, Sidon was no longer there, much to his disappointment. 

It wouldn’t be the last time he saw him, he knew that, but he was still sad to see the prince go. He only hoped that Sidon wouldn’t get hurt while waiting for him at the reservoir, right near Vah Ruta itself.

For the time being, though, Link figured it was best to prepare. And, of course, explore the town fully, now that there was no longer anyone waiting on him to speak with them

Though, Sidon was waiting for him, but he was waiting for Link to be prepared - since they were fighting together, Link wouldn’t dare go into the fight unprepared, and risk putting the prince in danger, putting his friend in danger.

And so off he went, perusing the shops and speaking with everyone he could. 

He first met Bazz, guarding the entrance to where the shrine was, and hadn’t Rivan mentioned him as well? He was the “leader of the pack”, right? Which meant Link had known him, 100 years ago. They had been friends, even, 100 years ago.

Bazz mumbled under his breath as he began to realize who Link was, but he doubted it, muttering about how it was too good to be true. He decided to test him, somehow.

“I must ask something of you, traveler. If you know it, speak it now. What is the Big Bad Bazz Brigade password?” Something about that phrase was familiar to him, though he couldn’t quite place why. Still, it seemed at least that Bazz was giving him part of the phrase.

“Fluffy white clouds! Clear blue...” He waited for Link to finish the phrase.

“Zora?” 

“Yes! There is no mistaking it!” He jumped for joy. “You are, indeed, the real Master Link!” There again, they were still calling him Master Link. He wished they would drop the formalities - especially if he truly had known them, those 100 years ago.

Link had apparently trained him, 100 years ago, helping him enough with his sword training that he was now the captain of the Zora’s Domain guard. It was awfully funny to him, considering Link had to relearn everything upon his awakening, and was probably barely as skilled as Bazz, now.

Though, he supposed that would explain, partially, why fighting had come so naturally to him, terrifying as it was at first. Sure, he had known that it was his duty to be a knight, but knowing that he had actually been skilled with a blade, enough so to train another, and not that he had simply been assigned the task... It gave him some comfort, at the least, and a small glimpse into who he used to be.

There wasn’t much else for Bazz to tell him, and he was off again, first buying out everything in their shop - Marot Mart - and speaking to everyone inside, then moving to the other side of the plaza, where the map told him there was an inn.

He spoke to the lady by the cooking pot, Kodah, and she greeted him as normal, before pausing, reacting in shock. 

“Could it be? Linny?! It is! It’s Linny!” Linny? Does this mean she knew me too?

Linny was the nickname she had given him 100 years ago, apparently, though she still remembered his real name. 

She had asked him to choose between her and Mipha. She apologized for it.

She was happily married to Kayden, now, and was the mother of Finley, both of whom were nearby. He spoke with the both of them as well, and while Finley - quite obviously - had no clue who he was, nor did she much care, Kayden, the clerk at the inn, was equally as surprised to see him again.

He gained a few quests as well, to gather luminous stones and take a photo of the lynel, and rested until morning, then he was off, - once he was sure that he had explored every last bit of their town, of course. 

He glided off towards the very large waterfall directly behind the domain, using the zoras armor to haplessly flop up the falling water, quite the opposite of the majestic swimmers that the zora clearly were. He explored the lake behind the top waterfall, Toto Lake, and found the Zora Helm hidden there, just as one of the stone monuments had mentioned, faded and worn as it was.

He looked rather ridiculous wearing it, but that didn’t really matter.

It took him a good few hours to make it over to the winding path that led up Ploymus Mountain, but soon enough he was there, grabbing a few shock arrows along the way, that had been shot into the trees, and slowly making his way up the weaving path towards where a monster apparently lied. 

It truly was a man-beast, as Sidon had said, looking like some mix between a horse and a hylian, with a truly monstrous face, and advanced weapons on its back. It was walking around, surveying the area, and Link quickly ducked behind one of the large stone mounds that were everywhere - and just in time, too, as it whipped around to face where he had just been standing.

This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

He tried to sneak around, and managed to grab a few shock arrows at first, but the beast could hear every step he took, quiet as he tried to be, and soon he was spotted. It roared in anger, taking out its weapons as it prepared to fight.

Shit.

He ran, hoping to get out of its sight, but instead it simply took out its bow, shooting volley after volley of electric arrows as he ran for his life.

He thought he was safe, after he had gotten a good distance away, almost entirely down the mountain and no longer able to see the lynel, but, well...

It could still see him.

As he found out when a shock arrow rained from the sky and hit him dead on, despite being nearly half a mile away at this point.

Link took out the slate while running, eating one of his meals as he continued to sprint for his life.

Once he had finally gotten out of its range, - though he didn’t trust it for quite a while, continuously moving just to be sure - he rested for a few minutes, catching his breath and trying to come to terms with what had just happened. 

Finally, as his breathing calmed down and it no longer felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest, he started to plan.

Okay, so either I need to not get seen, or I need to stay and fight. Running really isn’t an option with this thing. 

Slowly, with still shaking steps, he began to make his way back up the mountain, making sure he had his best armor and weapons equipped as he did so.

He was able to hide for a while, once he made it back to the top, but not long after he had made it back the lynel grew suspicious of his movements, and eventually found him once more.

He tried to fight, but it was so new to him - he knew nothing of their fighting patterns, the way he had grown familiar with the bokoblins’ and lizalfos’, and their weapons were much stronger than his - that even his best attempts weren’t enough.

One hit nearly killed him, and as he desperately struggled against it, fighting and narrowly dodging blasts, he had no time to heal his injuries, blood quickly pouring from the gash it had left. All it took was for him to get distracted for one second as it prepared to charge at him, and by the time he realized it was happening, it was too late.

He collapsed dead on the ground, weapon clattering out of his hands as the lynel trampled his body beyond recognition, while Link’s vision faded to black.

As his sight slowly returned to him, his awareness came flooding back, and soon he was standing again, feet stood solidly on the ground despite his very bones having been turned to dust moments before.

As the sunlight and rain drew his awareness back to his surroundings, he noticed something truly awful.

He had come back to life right in the lynel’s sight. 

Drawing his blade, he felt a dark determination take over his mind once more.

He would not fail this time. He was to face the Divine Beast next, if he could not defeat even a lowly monster, how was he supposed to free something larger than the castle itself? 

Link grit his teeth, steeling himself as he began to fight.

He learned its patterns, running around and dodging frantically, and soon he settled into them, panicking still as he was. He learned when to backflip to avoid getting hit, and after a few rounds of the same attacks he was even able to time it perfectly enough to get a flurry rush, allowing him a brief moment of respite in the battle. He learned to dodge to the side when it charged at him, and quickly mounted its back when it was down and panting, getting in a good few hits from atop it. He learned to shoot at its head to stun it, and would do so midair after being thrown off its back, or to stop it from shooting fire - though, if he missed or simply wasn’t able to aim in time, he learned to run to dodge the three successive blasts of fire it would shoot at him. 

He broke several of his weapons, but he could see its health draining, slowly but surely, and he was growing more confident by the minute that he would be able to defeat it, despite the fact that it had the most health out of any monster he’d encountered - 2000. 

He even remembered, in a brief moment of pause where it was far enough away and he wasn’t in immediate danger, to take a photo of it, both for the compendium and for Laflat.

Soon - though not nearly soon enough, in his opinion - the beast was dead, roaring and lifting up onto its hind legs as its body faded to black, before poofing into the same smoke as ever.

Its weapons were considerably higher quality than his were, despite the fact that they had been made by the beast itself, and its bow shot three arrows at once, while only using one. 

It dropped its guts, horns, and hooves, of course, but also some of the shock arrows it had been using - from defeating the beast alone, he now had enough that he could return, at least according to Muzu’s standards. 

Still, he had come up here to gather the arrows that were shot into the trees, and with the sensor it would be much easier to find them, so he set off to do just that, grateful for the calmer respite that the search offered.

By the time he was finished collecting them, he had 50 shock arrows, and the sun was beginning to set. Satisfied, Link located the shrine on his map - Ne’ez Yohma - and travelled to it. He still had to cook all of his meals in preparation, first, and report back to Laflat, and of course rest at the inn to be properly prepared for battle, before he would make his way to the reservoir.

He rested until morning at the campfire, first, since he knew he would have time to prepare the next day. Of course, he couldn’t have one peaceful night, now could he?

The blood moon rose once again.

Which meant, of course, that lynel he had just killed was alive and well once again. 

...

He wasn’t fighting it again. 

Instead he spoke with Laflat, showing her the picture he had taken, and she was terrified just at the sight of it, letting out a rather loud squeal. He really couldn’t blame her. As a reward, she offered him the Zora Greaves, and now he had the complete set of armor, it seemed.

He also figured that he should stop to chat with that boy in Hateno and show him the traveler’s sword, that way he could pick up more, better weapons for when he went to face Vah Ruta.

Nebb was happy to see the weapon, giving him a red rupee in return and giving Link his next request: a fire rod.

Link also figured, looking at his map now, that he should go back and complete that shrine at the first stable he had gone to, which he had ignored in favor of trying to defeat Ganon with no memories, preparation, or even decent weapons.

He winced at the recollection, teleporting away in an attempt to forget about it.

The puzzle itself was frustrating, though not actually all that difficult, but Link found himself swimming to gather the arrows he had shot quite a few times.

That was what piqued his interest, actually, in the zora set. Similar to how his meals or other pieces of armor advertised effects that would enhance various things, the zora armor boasted that it would improve his swimming speed. Curious, Link equipped the armor, swimming in the shallow water experimentally.

Sure enough, with the armor equipped he could swim nearly the same speed he walked, if not slightly faster. But that wasn’t all he wanted to test.

He remembered, back on the Great Plateau, that he had discovered swimming without any armor or clothes made him swim just a little bit faster. Though he had a feeling he knew the answer, he wanted to test if it was any quicker than the zora armor made him.

Unsurprisingly, while still faster than his regular swimming speed, it was much slower than swimming with the armor on, though he wasn’t sure if the armor was enchanted, or otherwise magically enhancing him, the way the other pieces or meals were, or if it was just designed in such a way that allowed him to glide through the water with so little resistance that he was able to move that much faster.

But that wasn’t the most important thing he had discovered, in actuality.

Last time he had taken off all of his armor, he had noticed the scars that he was covered in, head to toe, from his life before the Shrine of Resurrection. But, looking at himself now, those weren’t the only marks on his body.

They hadn’t disappeared, by any means, but now he was covered in even more marks; gashes and scars that he knew hadn’t been there before littering his already marked body. Some of them just looked like normal injuries that hadn’t healed properly, but some of them were burn marks, or lines where he remembered getting hit.

With a sinking realization, Link knew what they were from. 

His deaths.

Every time he had died - from falling off the tower, or that blue bokoblin, or the guardian, or the twenty or so times he’d died to Ganon, or even the most recent one with the lynel - they had all left permanent marks, the scars lingering even long after the injuries had healed themselves, after time itself had rewound to bring him back to life. 

He slowly brought the slate out once more, tapping the screen numbly as he equipped his clothes once more.

He wondered if Sidon would still have such faith in him if he knew how many times Link had failed already.

Regardless, he completed the shrine, and with that extra spirit orb he was now up to four once more.

With the weapons he had gathered, the 50 shock arrows, the quests complete, armor thoroughly examined, and now enough spirit orbs to trade them in, he supposed it was time to head back to Zora’s Domain, and finally join Sidon as he attempted to board and free Divine Beast Vah Ruta. 

No one commented on the fact that Link was able to talk to the Goddess Hylia herself and gain a heart container that had floated down from the heavens, despite him doing it in broad daylight in the middle of the town.

After that, it was simply a matter of cooking as many meals as he could in preparation - he found out that the Sheikah Slate had a maximum number of meals it could hold, that being three pages worth - and resting at the inn until morning, as the sun was quickly setting once more, and he was ready.

He was surprised, though, their blissful water bed cost more than the other soft beds, but it was well worth it - in the morning he found he had not one, but three yellow hearts, and an entire yellow wheel of stamina, looking at the Sheikah Slate’s gauges. 

He spoke with a few people again on his way out, and while most no one else had much more to say, Rivan did - asking him if he was planning to fight Calamity Ganon again.

Link’s heart sank, and he questioned what Rivan meant by “again”. 

Rivan spoke of how he and Lady Mipha had fought Calamity Ganon together 100 years ago, and seemed to realize that Link truly didn’t remember anything, offering Link to ask him anything. He was relieved.

Instead of staying to chat for any longer he set off for the east of the town, where the bridges led to the dam wall of the reservoir.

The path led him right to the wall, and he found that there were staircases inside, leading him to the top of the dam, right where he needed to go.

There was a platform at the top, with quite a few pots lining the railing - Link dutifully broke all of them, taking whatever arrows or materials laid inside. There was also a small enclosed area, though it didn’t really have walls, with a bed inside, and on the other side of that there was a chest - with more pottery, of course - which contained a Knight’s Shield - by far the most durable of any of the shields he’d seen yet, and with the highest defense too.

Sidon was standing on the end of the small dock, and Link equipped the Zora Armor once more, making his way towards the prince. It was finally time.

He was going to face off against a Divine Beast.

Chapter Text

Sidon flashed his radiant grin, happy to see Link ready and thoroughly prepared.

If he was upset about having been left waiting for so long, he made no show of it.

He flipped back into the water, just as he had before, and instructed Link to gaze upon the Divine Beast’s back, pointing out the glowing orbs he would need to shoot with the shock arrows he had gathered.

Link wondered if it was safe to be this close to Vah Ruta, when it was clearly angry - and taken over by Ganon, at that. 

No one else seemed to know that, he realized.

Still, there were waterfalls right next to each of the orbs, and that was why he needed the zora armor, he finally put together. With his ability to slow time to shoot arrows midair, this should be no problem, so long as he was able to ascend the waterfalls.

Sidon said he would take Link over to the waterfalls, but Link wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that. He supposed he’d find out soon enough.

“I know you can do it! I believe in you!” Link nodded, nerves calming at Sidon’s reassurance. 

He could do this. 

He had to.

Sidon told Link to get on his back, and well, he guessed that was one way to do this. He was a little unsure, not wanting to overstep the prince’s comfort, but he supposed that he didn’t have much choice, and besides, Sidon was the one who had suggested it. 

With a confident nod, Link agreed, and they were off.

Link had to agree, as Sidon began racing through the water, that this was a much more effective option than Link attempting to swim on his own, or using cryonis to cross the river towards the Divine Beast with no real way to escape should something go wrong, and Sidon was a magnificent swimmer, gliding through the water like it was nothing.

Ruta responded to their approach, and Sidon warned that it would be up to Link to fend off the Divine Beast’s attacks, stating that it would undoubtedly use its “ancient and mysterious powers” against them.

Link could only hope it would be something he was able to combat - after all, he had the Sheikah Slate, with its own ancient and mysterious powers, made by the very same people that had created the Divine Beasts. 

Sidon mentioned something about giant ice blocks, and with that final warning the fight truly began.

To Link’s pleasant surprise, these ice blocks were the very same that he could create with Cryonis, only more of them, more square than rectangle, and oh yeah, Vah Ruta would send them flying at them. He was just glad that the slate allowed him to destroy the blocks, not just create his own.

The fight was intense, with Sidon swimming at top speeds, giant blocks of ice - and later spiked balls of ice - being thrown at them, which Link had to frantically aim the slate to destroy, and Link vaulting waterfall after waterfall and attempting to aim his shock arrows just right, but after what simultaneously felt like forever and not nearly enough time, all four orbs had been neutralized, and Vah Ruta sank further into the water, trunk descending as the sky cleared for the first time since Link had reached the path to Zora’s Domain.

Vah Ruta began to float higher again as Sidon spoke to him, telling Link once more that he believed in him as he brought the hero closer to the Divine Beast.

He was thrown onto the platform, stepping readily onto the ancient stone that awaited him before turning back to face Sidon, listening as he gave words of encouragement.

They had so little time, however, and Link found himself wishing he could stay just a moment longer, speak to Sidon for just a few more minutes, but Vah Ruta was already rising further out of the water, and Sidon was quickly vanishing from his sight. He nodded down at the prince, promising himself that this wouldn’t be the last time he saw him.

For now, though, he had a duty to fulfill, and he turned back to the Divine Beast, noticing a pedestal just a few feet away. Tapping the slate to the eye, just as he had countless times before, the Divine Beast itself registered to his map as a travel gate, glowing to life before his very eyes.

As he did so, however, something else happened.

“You’re here.” A voice called out to him, beckoning from somewhere, though he couldn’t place where. It seemed like it was coming from everywhere at once, and yet nowhere at all, and it was gentle and surprised, like it had never expected him to arrive.

He knew that voice.

“I must say... that I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived.” Oh...

Oh...

It was Mipha. 

She sounded so... defeated; nowhere near as full of life as she had been in his memory, brief as it was, and Link wondered if she truly had been trapped here all this time, desperately awaiting his arrival for all these 100 years.

She instructed him on how to get a map of the Divine Beast, through the guidance stone that resided inside, and her voice faded away, leaving Link on his own once more.

There was something strange, though, blocking the entrance. Some sort of corrupted substance, with one large eye encased in it - growing out of it? - and Link found that even touching the substance hurt. 

It looked like the same thing that Ganon’s smoke had been made out of, only solidified into some sort of ooze - in fact, it looked like the exact material that the beast he had fought in Ganon’s place had been made of, when he’d made his way into the castle.

It was what was corrupting this Divine Beast, wasn’t it? Ganon’s Malice.

He took out his bow experimentally, shooting the eye the same way he would if it was the weak point of a monster, and sure enough the eye closed and morphed in pain, before all of the malice it was connected to poofed and disappeared.

Was that how he would free the Divine Beast? Ridding it of the malice?

He didn’t know.

Whatever the case, he made his way inside, looking around cautiously. There was a guardian scout inside, like the very first one he had fought back in the Magnesis Shrine on the Great Plateau, which was easy enough to defeat, and there was more malice holding shut the gate that the guidance stone was behind.

Link destroyed the malice eye, opened the chest that was hidden in the water, and used cryonis to open the gate, placing the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal once more.

He was given a map this time, just as he was in the towers, but unlike the others this one was a three-dimensional model - similar to the map of the castle - and along with the map, which he could rotate however he pleased, he was able to control the Divine Beast.

Only partially - he could really only move the trunk up and down - but it was still monumental, to him at least. There were also five orange spheres on the map this time, apparently representing “terminals”, and as Link examined the map he heard that voice begin to speak to him once more.

Mipha began to speak to him once more.

She explained how he could take Ruta back - by activating the terminals which controlled the Divine Beast, marked on his map as he had just noted.

Making his way back into the main room he had entered into, Link realized what this all really was.

A puzzle.

Just like the various shrines he had completed, the terminals were all located in different places in the Divine Beast, and in order to activate them he had to solve whatever puzzle kept them from him.

This was going to be easier than he thought.

The first one was as simple as rotating a crank with magnesis, though Mipha congratulated him for it all the same. Going past it, there was a large, open room with a significantly larger terminal at its end - the main control unit, which he couldn’t activate until he had first activated the other terminals.

That would explain why it’s not marked on my map yet. 

Instead he made his way to the second “floor” of the Divine Beast, and after fighting another guardian scout - one rank up from the first one - he was able to claim the second terminal simply by blocking a water spout with a cryonis block.

Really, this was proving much less difficult than he had imagined.

Another terminal was a simple matter of manipulating the trunk so it would spout water onto a gear, spinning it and freezing an orb with stasis so he could enter - and he gained a few treasure chests from the gear as well - and he noticed that Mipha’s voice was growing more hopeful with each terminal he activated.

He wished he could apologize for leaving her to wait here for 100 years, but he didn’t know if she could hear him.

Even if she could, he didn’t know if he’d be able to find the words anyways.

Still, though the puzzles weren’t too difficult to figure out, they were time-consuming, and took quite a lot of fiddling to position everything correctly - and of course, that wasn’t counting the amount of times he fell down and had to make his way all the way back up to wherever he had been - and by the time he made it outside to try and figure out how to get the terminal that was on the trunk, the sun was already beginning to set.

He didn’t think monsters could appear on the Divine Beast, though, and there was otherwise no real reason to rest through the night - he certainly didn’t need the sleep, and he didn’t want to keep Mipha waiting any longer than he had to.

It took quite a while of configuring and moving the trunk back and forth to figure out how, exactly, to make it to the terminal on the trunk, and he had to restart quite a few times from missing his landing when he paraglided down towards it - he found, at least, that he couldn’t fall all the way to the water below, because he would simply reappear back on the Divine Beast - similar to how the fog had worked on the Great Plateau, or the voids inside the shrines. He didn’t question it.

Once he finally made it, however, he realized with a growing sadness that this was where he had sat, 100 years ago, speaking with Mipha - or at least, where Mipha had spoken to him - in the very memory that he had just regained, looking upon her statue.

Link wondered if there was a chance she was still alive, inside Vah Ruta somewhere. After all, the zora could live for hundreds of years, if his inferences were correct, and she was still speaking to him.

But he had a feeling that she wouldn’t be able to throw her voice to him, from wherever she was, if she was still alive and well. Not to mention that there were deadly things abound, and the whole issue of her not having any food to eat for the century she was trapped.

Though, who knew, maybe the zora could survive off of little to nothing for 100 years. Link really had no clue.

He doubted it.

That didn’t matter right now though; he still had one terminal left to activate, and then - well, he didn’t really know, but sitting here feeling sorry for himself certainly wasn’t going to help.

By the time he activated the next terminal - which was another matter of manipulating the trunk to pour water to put out mechanisms that shot fire - Why would they build that into the Divine Beast, specifically to prevent someone from activating the terminal? - after opening a chest atop the Divine Beast - it was already growing close to three am.

Mipha told him to activate the main control unit now, warning him not to let his guard down, and as Link gazed up at the stars above, he wondered what else was waiting for him in that large, empty room.

He really doubted it was as simple as activating the terminals; not if Ganon had truly taken over the Divine Beast.

There was still that malice-like smoke floating through the air, the same as it did during a blood moon, and the entire Divine Beast was still glowing red, rather than the Sheikah’s signature orange and blue. It was much the same as the guardians were, and Link worried for whatever was to come next, once he did finally activate the main control unit.

As Link moved the trunk once more, putting it back towards the water, he worried for Sidon and the others in Zora’s Domain, listening as Vah Ruta trumpeted. He wondered if they were worried, knowing he was inside the Divine Beast and having no way to know if he was okay - knowing that the last person who had gone inside the Divine Beast, their beloved Princess Mipha, had never come back out. Vah Ruta had only trumpeted before when it was upset, attacking whoever came near, and he knew they had no way of knowing that he was controlling it, now, changing the trunk’s position on purpose. Were they afraid, hearing it trumpet in the middle of the night, not knowing what was happening? Did they fear for the Domain, or their own safety, or did they even care about Link’s? 

He wondered if the elders were praying on his downfall, hoping he would fall to the same fate as Mipha had in some twist of poetic justice, or if they were too kind-hearted to wish that upon him, truly, no matter how much they despised him to his face.

And his childhood friends, who had been so surprised yet happy to see him alive and well after all these years... did they know he was inside the very Divine Beast that had taken their princess from them? Were they afraid he would never return, that they had lost him after finally getting him back? Did they know him enough to care?

Did Mipha?

He wondered how she was not angry at him, for abandoning her for 100 years, for failing to protect her a century ago, for failing to save Hyrule, for leaving her to die and making her wait a century for him to come free her, trapped inside the very machine that was supposed to help them defeat Ganon, trapped in the place of her death for decades.

Still, he made his way to the main control unit as the sun began to rise once more, equipping his strongest armor and weapons just in case. She had warned him not to let his guard down - he wouldn’t fail her again.

He held up his slate to the pedestal, and that malice-smoke began floating through the air.

Something was very wrong.

Chapter Text

Something began to materialize, made of the same sheikah magic that he became when he teleported and the very same malice that he had seen before, twisting together into limbs of swirled red and black with stark red hair and sheikah technology built into its very limbs.

Waterblight Ganon.

Another blight.

Link tensed, adrenaline spiking as his mind flashed back to the castle, when he had tried and failed to fight one of these blights far too early.

He was prepared now, and he knew what he was doing. He wouldn’t let himself fail again.

He couldn’t do that to Mipha.

To Sidon.

They wouldn’t lose another warrior to this Divine Beast.

Mipha warned him that this was the very creation that had caused her demise 100 years ago. She told him that she had faith in him, and the battle began.

It had a spear almost the length of the room, and threw it at him in various ways, forcing Link to dodge every which way as he attempted to avoid getting completely obliterated by it. Though, with how long it took to throw it at him, he was able to flurry rush a few times, and though he couldn’t tell the exact number of its health - he figured that whatever constituted as a “boss” monster wouldn’t give off numbers, same as the stone talus - he was glad for his higher quality weapons, because it didn’t take him all too long to bring it down to half of its health.

Of course, that was quite literally only half the battle, and soon the floor was flooded even more, leaving only four floating platforms for him to stand on. He really didn’t think swimming would help him right now, considering the beast was no doubt better at it than him, if it had killed a renowned zora fighter 100 years ago, and he quickly made his way to one of the platforms, waiting for the monster’s next move.

It moved on to creating cryonis blocks, flinging them at him just as the Divine Beast itself had before, and Link destroyed them as fast as he could, glad he had stocked up on arrows at every venture - for now, it was his only real tool at such a distance.

He also found that he could use stasis on the cryonis blocks and send them flying back at the beast, and it would stun the blight, allowing him to swim over and attack with all of his might, though he was worried that it might send him flying across the room when it recovered.

Instead, it simply formed into a ball once more, just as it had in the beginning of the fight, and moved to hover over a different platform before resuming the same attack.

With a few more rounds of frantically breaking the blocks, using his bow, and swimming over to slash at the beast, finally, it was dead, screaming in agony as its very body unravelled, exploding into pure malice before dissipating entirely with a blast of purplish-red light. 

With its death, the entire divine beast seemed to lighten, the malice everywhere dissipating entirely as the red glow faded to blue.

A heart container floated down from where the blight had died, and Link stepped forward slowly, picking it up just as he had with all the containers previous - though they had been granted to him from above. 

The main control unit was pulsating more now, with a small beacon of blue light emanating from the pedestal, and Link made his way over to it with a few steady steps, holding up the slate once more.

“Once you activate the main control unit, you will not be able to reenter the interior of this Divine Beast.” It warned him, but there was nothing else for him here - he had solved every puzzle, had gotten every chest, had explored every last area.

It was time to finally free Vah Ruta, once and for all.

It was time to finally free Mipha. 

This time, as he activated the unit, it began to glow blue instead, and a voice called out from behind him.

“Hello, Link.” He turned to face her, and his heart sank.

She was glowing blue, with flames of the same color dancing around her, and instantly he knew. She was a spirit, just as King Rhoam had been - he had truly been too late to save her. 

She didn’t seem to think so, however.

She walked atop the water towards him, speaking of how she was finally free, and happy to be allowed one last chance to see him.

She granted him her healing ability, an orb similar to the spirit orbs, only when it hit his chest he was lifted off the ground, glowing in a different blue than she was - in the same blue her healing magic had been, in his memory. 

She told him how she had resigned herself to being trapped as a spirit for all of eternity, and how she had only hoped to see him once more - of how he had granted her hope and freedom she had never thought she’d know again. She told him to call upon her healing ability if he was ever in need.

Mipha told him to save the princess, Princess Zelda, and he began to glow with the same golden light he knew belonged to her, disappearing in a flash of that golden light while Mipha watched.

He became ethereal, a particle of light floating through the air by the divine magic of Zelda’s powers, and he was able to watch from the air as Vah Ruta sprung to life once more, trumpeting before sinking beneath the water entirely as it passed through the reservoir and the river, until it arose in a circular lake atop a mountain.

There, it trumpeted once more, reaching up on its hind legs before crashing back down to the ground, making the world shake with its weight. Its tusks extended, revealing the blue light they were made of, and together they formed a laser, aiming it towards the castle with a spectacular blast of light.

And then he was placed back into existence with a blinding flash of radiant light, the same way he had been taken from inside Vah Ruta, onto the ground in the very front of Zora’s Domain. 

As his feet were placed on solid ground again, he found that the slate lit up with the display of a new item - Mipha’s Grace. It explained how the power would work, and represented it by a blue orb with the symbol of Vah Ruta in its center.

Now all that was left was to speak with Sidon and King Dorephan once more.

Dunma and Rivan had nothing much to say, as he passed through, only commenting on the clear skies that they had not seen in who knew how long - Link was glad he could at least bring them that peace.

No one else had much to say either, as he made his way through the domain and up the winding sets of stairs towards the throne room, or at least nothing new, and soon Link had made it to the top of both sets of stairs, entering the room where King Dorephan and Prince Sidon both awaited.

King Dorephan was the first to congratulate him, and Link noticed that not only were Muzu and Sidon by his side once more, in the same spot they had been when he had first spoken with him, but it seemed all of Zora’s Domain had gathered behind Link to listen to the King’s remarks.

King Dorephan spoke highly of him, thanking him for saving Zora’s Domain and Hyrule by stopping the flooding of their lands, and he seemed genuinely glad that Link had made it through this trial unscathed - or at least, healed entirely from the injuries he had sustained.

Muzu was the next to speak, and Link turned cautiously towards the elder as he gained everyone’s attention.

“Link... I must sincerely apologize for my harsh treatment of you.” Oh... “This whole time, you were thinking of Hyrule’s and Lady Mipha’s well-being, just like the rest of us.” Link wasn’t sure what to say.

He hadn’t been expecting an apology - hadn’t felt they owed him one, in all honesty, despite their treatment of him. He couldn’t fault them for blaming him for the death of Princess Mipha - he blamed himself too, after all - and they had only treated him harshly because of that. He would not expect them to treat the one whom they blamed for the death of their beloved princess with kindness or sincerity; Link knew he certainly wouldn’t, in their position.

Muzu continued, however, apologizing on behalf of the entire Zora council, stating that they had misjudged hylians unfairly. Link hardly held it against them, though he appreciated, at least, that they were willing to accept change.

“That said, I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day.” He finished, and Link was more than willing to do so - he held no grudges against Muzu or any of the elders for their words against him, and his willingness to admit wrongdoing was enough for Link to wholeheartedly forgive him for his behaviour, and put it all behind them.

All that mattered was that they were all safe, after all. Link was happy to help them in any way he could, and he was especially glad that he was able, in some small way, to bring peace to Mipha’s spirit, and to their minds as well.

King Dorephan began to speak again, offering Link a reward for his efforts - though Link felt it hardly necessary. He told him to take the contents of the treasure chest sitting next to Muzu, which was apparently a treasured item of Mipha’s, those 100 years ago.

“By the way, Link.” He continued, drawing Link’s gaze up towards him once more “I see you are without your trusty blade... the sword that seals the darkness.” He was, wasn’t he? 

Link had no clue where he would find it, nor what purpose it truly served - he had plenty of weapons, and they all did their duty in fending off foes and keeping him safe, so he really didn’t feel he was lacking - but then, he supposed its purpose was much grander, wasn’t it? Its name implied it, indeed, with the title of Sealing the Darkness - Ganon, most likely.

He would have to seek it out, then; it was best to have every tool he could to defeat Ganon, and make sure he was the best prepared he could be, when the time came for that final battle.

King Dorephan was still speaking, though, and Link quickly tuned back in.

“Did you perhaps lose it when you lost your memory?” Well, there was no skirting around it now, was there?

“Perhaps.”

King Dorephan leaned forward in surprise, exclaiming at the loss of the apparently legendary sword. He offered more context for it, at least.

“That is a legendary blade that only you, the Hylian Champion, can wield.” It was the same as how the Divine Beasts were specific to the Champions, or the sealing power specific to the Princess, then, wasn’t it? That was why he was the chosen knight - the sword had chosen him.

King Dorephan lamented that it was no doubt resting somewhere in Hyrule, waiting for him to return. Link supposed that was one of his next orders of business, then, besides freeing the other Divine Beasts - and of course, the less important tasks that were registered as quests.

The royal thanked him once more, before turning to his son, thanking the Prince as well. He told Sidon that he was proud of him, and that he knew he would make a worthy heir when the time came.

He laughed, speaking now of how they were truly safe, despite the odds - the rains had stopped, Vah Ruta was on their side once more, and they were now safe from the harm that had threatened to befall them.

Sidon flashed his shining grin, turning to Link with enthusiasm before walking over and shaking his arm with all of his might. He thanked Link, beaming and nearly shouting the words as he expressed how he truly could never show his gratitude enough. 

All of the town’s people began cheering, jumping and shouting for joy as Link stood there, unsure how to accept their gratitude in any meaningful way.

He blinked, and everything faded to black for a moment more, before he opened his eyes to find himself in the room alone once more, aside from King Dorephan, of course.

He opened the chest, first, finding the Lightscale Trident inside - the very weapon that Mipha had fought with, 100 years before. He would be sure to treat it well.

Turning back to King Dorephan, he engaged conversation once more, listening first as the king congratulated him for all he had done yet again, before growing more somber and serious.

He asked Link if they were too late - if Mipha was truly dead.

Link’s heart sank, and he bowed his head for a moment before meeting the king’s eyes once more.

“I met her spirit.” He answered truthfully, and he explained what had happened inside Vah Ruta, when he had met her once more - for the final time, it seemed. 

King Dorephan thanked him yet again, both for being honest with everything Link had told him, and for saving the Domain. He told Link that if he ever needed anything, the Domain would welcome him with open arms, that he was welcome here any time.

Link could only nod, silently making his way down the stairs to the open air.

Sidon was standing on the edge of the balcony, now, overlooking the plaza, and Link approached him, curious as to what the prince had to say now that he was no longer awaiting Link to complete a task for him - not that Link minded, of course, but he hadn’t had the chance yet to simply talk with Sidon when there was nothing on the line.

He thanked Link, too, complimenting him for “overcoming the objections of those old geezers” and calling him a treasure of a hylian for taking time out of his journey to come to their “rain- and monster-ridden home”. 

Really, Link was happy to help - and besides, he had been planning to free Vah Ruta anyways, even if no one had asked him - hell, even if Zelda herself, or Impa on her behalf, had not instructed him to do so, he would have anyways, if only to free the spirits that were now trapped inside.

He couldn’t agree though, as Sidon thanked him for following him through to the end, calling himself pushy and unreasonable - really, Link admired him, and was grateful for everything the prince had done for him. 

He was the first person Link could truly consider a friend.

He told Link much the same King Dorephan had, that he was welcome in Zora's Domain at any time, and that they were ever at his service. Link appreciated that, though he didn’t feel they owed him anything.

Still, Sidon had yet more to say.

“Have I mentioned how incredible you are? And how thankful I am?” He boasted, louder than anything else he had said yet “Because you are! And I am! Yes, you are the greatest of Hylians and my most treasured friend for all time!” 

Link’s heart felt full, and he smiled up at the prince, a red tinge coming to his face as he tried to accept the compliment with grace.

It didn’t work.

That meant more than anything else, though; the confirmation that Link truly was Sidon’s friend - and a treasured one at that. 

Link realized, staring up at his unreasonably tall friend - seriously, why is everyone so much taller than me, I am literally half his height - that for the first time since he had awoken on that desolate plateau, he really and truly felt happy.

He hoped this feeling could last.

Chapter Text

Link made his way through the town once more, speaking to everyone he could along the way - almost everyone thanked him for saving the domain, in one form or another, but more than that, he found quite a few more people had quests, now that the threat of imminent danger was no longer looming over their heads.

Laruta sang him a song that revealed a shrine quest, Tumbo asked him for some frogs, - and also made several concerning comments about his missing mother, but at least Link had frogs aplenty to give him, - and Fronk asked him to find his missing wife - he was Tumbo’s father, apparently, - explaining that she had gone out fishing and hadn’t returned. 

Link promised he’d find her.

Still, it seemed that with Zora’s Domain now safe, travelers were beginning to arrive as well - in fact, Douma was here now, browsing the general store.

Making his rounds, he also found that Torfeau and Jiahto had quests for him as well, to eliminate the Hinox at Ralis Pond, whatever that was, and to find all of the stone monuments scattered around Zora’s Domain, respectively.

He figured it was best to do the two simplest tasks first - defeating the monster and completing the shrine quest - and set off to the west of the domain, passing and speaking with both Muzu and Trello on the way, who were apologetic for the past behaviour, much as the other elders had been.

He realized, making his way to the Veiled Falls, that what he would need to do was fairly simple; he had to drop down onto the pedestal with the spear - the ceremonial or lightscale trident would both work - from above.

He rode up the waterfall with the zora armor and aimed himself, dropping back down from as high as he could once he was sure of his positioning, and landing on the pedestal full-force.

He had forgotten his first important lesson, however.

Don’t jump from high places.

He had thought he would be safe, since he had paraglided down somewhat, rather than jumping all the way from the top of the waterfall, and he was several heart containers stronger and with better armor, but apparently the distance was still too far.

He discovered, at least, what Mipha’s Grace did.

Instead of time rewinding, forcing him to redo whatever had led up to his death, Mipha’s spirit instead appeared for a brief moment, holding out a hand to him with her healing powers as she revived him instantaneously, with a few bonus hearts to spare. 

“It is my pleasure.” She said, before disappearing with a flash, and Link wished he had some real way to thank her.

The Sheikah Slate detailed that it would be another 24 hours before the ability would be active again, and Link promised he would be safe in that time. 

Turning instead to the shrine, he found that Dagah Keek Shrine was different than any of the others he had entered, and indeed, the monk spoke differently too.

“To you who sets foot in this shrine... I am Dagah Keek. By entering this place, you’ve already proven your worth.” And indeed, there was no puzzle to solve - the shrine was one open room, with a set of stairs straight ahead that led to a chest, and another just past it that led to the monk. There was truly nothing to complete inside.

He made himself a campfire once outside the shrine - he was not allowed to rest inside them, for some reason, nor did Mipha’s Grace work inside - resting until morning before heading off towards Ralis Pond.

It seemed Torfeau wasn’t lying - the beast that rested there was a giant, the likes of which he had never seen. It was easily larger than even King Dorephan, and though it slept rather soundly, Link worried about waking it to fight the monster, afraid of what it was capable of.

He supposed there was no time like the present to find out, and he equipped the lynel bow, stringing a bomb arrow as he readied his aim.

Just as the stone talus and blight had proved, its health, too, didn’t register as a number to him, but he could tell it was going to take much more to defeat this monster than any of the other, smaller ones - though, maybe the lynel was more difficult, if his rough estimates were correct.

He spent most of the fight shooting at it from atop the large stone overhang above the pond - which could hardly be considered that, in his opinion, as the water didn’t reach past his shins - before jumping down with a mighty blast from his sword, finishing it off from close distance but sprinting away as necessary - it hurt like hell when the beast stomped on him, and he made sure to heal as needed.

He teleported back to the domain after that, too shaken up from the fight to walk back, and reported back to Torfeau on the status of the monster. That is to say, that he had killed it dead.

She offered a fair reward - a silver rupee, in fact - and praised him for defeating the beast, determined to become stronger so she, too, could protect the domain.

Next on his list was the luminous stone gathering, and though the actual act of breaking the luminous stone deposits was almost laughably easy, - and finding them was fairly simple too with the help of the upgraded Sheikah Sensor, - the act of getting to said deposits was frustratingly difficult, or at the very least annoyingly tedious, with the way they were tucked into the surrounding cliffs.

In order to get just the 10 luminous stones that Ledo had requested, it ended up taking Link almost three days of climbing and traveling across the various cliffs, but finally he was able to return, his eagerness to help dwindling somewhat from the exhaustion but nevertheless not fading entirely.

Ledo gave him two diamonds in return, though, so Link couldn’t stay aggravated for too long - it was certainly worth it.

With that out of the way, however, there was nothing much more for him to do here in Zora’s Domain - finding Mei would require leaving here anyways, and after the whole endeavor with the luminous stones, he really wasn’t looking forward to finding all 10 monuments.

He made his way over to the shop, buying out their entire stock once more, and then to the inn, where he rested until morning for a final time in this lovely town.

He was sad to go, really, but it was time he moved on - he had other quests to complete, other Divine Beasts to free, and an entire world to explore, and eventually save.

He promised himself he’d come back sometime, whether it be just to stop and rest, or to stock up on supplies, or simply to talk to the people here, this wouldn’t be the last time he saw the domain; but even so, he couldn’t stay.

With one final wave goodbye to the town at large, Link was off, teleporting away once more.

His first intention was to stop back and speak with Purah again, even if he didn’t have the ancient parts necessary yet - seriously, three ancient cores? They seemed rarer than even the ancient shafts - or hell, diamonds, considering from one quest alone he now had twice the amount of diamonds as ancient cores (though to be fair, it was a difference of two versus one, but still). 

He supposed, as he materialized in Hateno, that he could’ve teleported up to the ancient tech lab itself, rather than the middle of the town, but hey, he wanted to talk with the townsfolk too, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.

And besides, he’d wanted to check out these “new developments” as someone had referred to them that were right behind the shrine, and now he actually had a chance to.

They were stylistically speaking very different from the other houses in Hateno - and one of them even had a second floor! The bulletin board in front of them boasted “a new age of comfort” and urged people to explore their model homes.

Model homes? So no one can actually live in them? That seems like a waste.

In any case, he made his way past them to a small bridge over a very thin river, all things considered, towards a quaint little home which seemed to fit the aesthetic of their town much more so than the model homes did. 

In fact, there was something oddly familiar about it, even overgrown as it was. Link brushed it aside for the time being.

What confused him the most, though, was that there was someone at the front of the house with an iron sledgehammer. Hacking away at the house. 

He asked the person - Karson - what he was doing, and he explained that the town had agreed that the building needed to be demolished, abandoned as it was.

“The old owner apparently went off to the castle to report for service. Never came back, never wrote, so away it goes!” The castle? But then, the person who lived here must have left 100 years ago, at the least.

Could I... -?

He shook off the thought.

“I’d buy this place!”

Karson didn’t have much to say to that, simply telling him to speak with the boss, gesturing towards the back of the house.

In fact, Karson didn’t have much to say at all, besides that, only telling Link that in order to work for Bolson Construction, your name had to end in “son”. Link thought it was an odd policy, but didn’t say as much - who was he to judge, really?

Still, it was a shame that they were tearing down such a lovely old home, abandoned and overgrown as it was. Link wondered if he’d be able to convince them to stop.

He spoke briefly with Hudson - who basically required him to agree every other sentence or he’d just... stop talking - and then to the boss, Bolson himself.

Bolson explained that the town was very invested in tearing down the house, and if Link wanted to buy it, with all of the associated costs, it would run him 50,000 rupees.

That seems a fair price, all things considered. I mean, I’ll definitely have to do a lot to save up for it first, but that’s not unreasonable.

“I’ll pay!”

Bolson seemed surprised that he was willing to - and in all honesty, it really seemed like Bolson was just trying to deter him altogether - did the town even actually care if the house was torn down? - but regardless, he offered to cut Link a deal, offering it for the “special price” of 3,000 rupees instead, so long as he brought them 30 bundles of wood in return. 

Okay, now Link definitely thought Bolson had been trying to scam him, since no amount of “go-getter” attitude was worth enough to knock 47,000 rupees off the price, but he supposed it didn’t matter now.

In any case, 3,000 was a much more achievable goal - and he already had over 30 wood bundles, so that really wouldn’t be a problem. In fact, with all the other gems he had gotten and sold in his venture for the 10 luminous stones, he was already halfway there. He figured it was time to fight the stone talus again, since the blood moon had no doubt revived it, and he could probably stop at Ree Dahee too to break the ore deposits along the cliff face there.

After speaking with each of the workers again, now that they were on break - and stealing their sledgehammers too, both as a just in case and because his was about to break - he was off again, teleporting away, knowing he could come back to the shrine whenever he needed.

A few short days later, he was back, stopping first at the shops to sell all of his gems - obviously - and buy a few things with the excess money he had, and then running over the bridge once more to make the official purchase.

Bolson told him that they had left a weapon mount in there, and to consider it a housewarming present, and Link quickly made his way inside, examining his new home.

It was strange, really, to have any place to call his own. He had been a wandering soul since the moment he had awoken, never stopping and staying in one place for too long - and his lack of a need for sleep only furthered that, allowing him to continue through the night if he pleased, and to venture wherever he wished with little resistance, other than his own physical limits, which weren’t many.

Still, this place didn’t entirely feel like home yet, either. In the most simple sense, he hadn’t spent nearly enough time here for him to feel as such - he hadn’t been inside until two seconds ago, after all - and for another thing, it was entirely incomplete - it didn’t even have a door, let alone furniture, lighting or even a bed.

He supposed he would have to buy all of those from Bolson - even though they had been the ones to remove those features in the first place.

He was glad, at least, for the weapon mount, and he hung up the Lightscale Trident, grateful that he had a place to put it now. It was a treasured weapon, and a beloved item of Mipha’s; with how often his weapons broke, he didn’t want to risk destroying something so valuable, or losing it in the process of getting another weapon.

It would rest here, then, until his final battle with Ganon. He would not let it go to waste, and would not use it a moment before then.

He made his way outside again, speaking with the three of them once more - and saying his goodbyes to Hudson, who was apparently heading to the Akkala region, just north of Zora’s Domain. 

That was where Robbie was, wasn’t he? Maybe that was where Link would travel to next.

In any case, he spoke to Bolson, broke as he now was, to find out how much it would cost to have anything installed in his house.

It was 100 rupees per item, so he would have to come back to it, but at least now he knew, and could stop by anytime he wanted to upgrade his house.

For now, though, he made his way back towards the town, and began the long journey up to the tech lab, speaking to everyone he met on his way. While he could’ve just teleported, he appreciated taking the scenic route, and getting to interact with the kind people of the town. 

Purah didn’t have much more to say, nor did Symin, both requesting donations - be it ancient parts or rupees - in return for access to their technology, and soon he was off again, looking through the Sheikah Slate as he tried to determine his next move.

His first move was to head further upwards, exploring everything he could here in the laboratory first, as he had neglected to do on his previous visits.

He noticed a doorway that had been bricked off on his way up, and wondered briefly what it had contained, before. Further up he found a small room, the width of the windmill, and all it contained was a small bed, a nightstand and dresser, and a few pictures on the walls - nothing much, really.

Link continued his upwards spiral, noticing, as he got closer to the top, the scattered guardian parts all around, from the heads of the smaller guardian scouts inside the shrines, to the legs of an entire dead guardian haphazardly strapped to the roof. He also spotted the dozens of papers on the steps leading up to the final room, though the writing was too small for him to discern.

He made his way inside, and found incomprehensible diagrams and writing on a chalkboard in a small room, smaller even than the previous one, with a bed made of straw on his right and a window on either side of him, with detailed illustrations of various sheikah technology hung above them.

There was a small desk in the center of the room, short even for him, and a book laid open on top of it.

Purah’s Diary.

Link looked around for a moment, considering it. On the one hand, this was clearly personal, so he should refrain from delving into her personal life. On the other, however, it was for the best that he knew anything and everything he could about the technology that they had.

He also didn’t actually care that much about it being “private”, but he wouldn’t admit as much.

He was intrigued at the idea of an anti-aging rune - not only was it an interesting concept, but he had never considered the idea of making runes - was that something they could still do? Or was it something only Purah had figured out, in her years of research?

She also mentioned that she had made a Sheikah Slate for herself, which she then added the rune she made herself onto.

She had only been exposed to the rune for 20 seconds, according to her journal, before experiencing extreme ill effects. Link had to stop and consider for a moment, though.

Had she really been over 100, then? Before this whole experiment? She must’ve looked somewhat similar to Impa, then. Hadn’t Impa mentioned something about how they were related? Sisters, he wanted to say, though he couldn’t be sure. He supposed it made sense, though the idea of her being over 100 seemed odd, now that he knew her as young as she was.

Though he wondered if she felt the same about him, considering he hadn’t aged a day in the century he had been asleep.

In any case, he kept reading.

It seemed the rune had worked surprisingly fast, reversing her age at an alarming rate as she slept off the fatigue it had caused her. She had run several tests as well, fully inspecting her body and health down to her bone density, among other things, and had found that after one night of rest, her age was back to something similar to the 50s.

She had reversed her age by more than 70 years in one night.

In another night, she was as young as 30 again, and he was relieved that the de-aging had slowed, at least somewhat - though logically he knew she had to be okay, if she was alive and well downstairs at this very moment. 

Another night took another ten years from her, and through her newfound youth she was more mournful, remembering the calamity in more detail of its destruction - she had last been that age around when the calamity had actually struck, after all, and her youth brought back memories of the horrific tragedy.

She mentioned Link, then, speaking of how he was so young, yet so courageous, in her words; how he had been brought to her on death's doorstep, bleeding out from fatal wounds.

She said he was the youngest knight to have ever been appointed to the Imperial Guard at Hyrule Castle.

Even his strength had not been enough.

Her story continued, as she explained how she had brought him, and the Sheikah Slate that Princess Zelda had left behind to the Shrine of Resurrection. 

“Although the Slumber of Restoration had not been fully tested, we decided to put the swordsman under to save his life.” Oh...

So that’s why it had taken 100 years for him to awake... The power had been untested, the shrine unused, no experiments run to prove it was safe, that it would even work.

The fact that he had awoken at all was a miracle.

He found himself flipping the pages still, unable to stop reading as she returned to describing the experiment, first becoming a teenager, and then regressing to the mind and body of a 6-year-old. He noticed her sentences becoming more informal, her language decluttering and becoming less complicated as her sentences and words shortened, reflecting her regressing mental state.

She grew more annoyed with every word she wrote, sounding impatient and childish despite the somber and solemn resolution she had held in the pages before.

Luckily, she didn’t regress further, and instead described how she had finally finished working on a rune to reverse the process that had inadvertently gone a little too well. However...

The guidance stone had stopped working. The blue flame had gone out, and she had been unable to use it.

No wonder she was still a child when he arrived, then. 

He continued on to the final pages, where she described his own arrival, albeit in her newfound childish manner, and how grateful she was that he had been able to relight the flame for her.

He wondered now, when she would test the rune to revert her age back to normal, but he supposed there wasn’t exactly a real rush. She was still functional, immature as she was, and her knowledge hadn’t reverted with her mind.

Though, with everywhere he could go in the tech lab explored, he should probably actually determine where he was going to go next.

He figured his best next move would be to head for Akkala - since at least two of his quests were there, and they were practically the only ones he could do anything about, currently. Besides, he needed to explore more of Hyrule anyways, and he had a good idea of how to get there, judging from his map.

And so, to Riverside Stable he went, gathering Knight once more as he prepared for yet another long journey.

It didn’t take long before he was off, riding along the path once more as he made his way towards the wetlands once more.

Only, this time, instead of taking a right into the wetlands, he noticed a stable in the distance, just a little ways off the path to the north. He figured it couldn’t hurt to stop there, first, before continuing on his way.

Not that it was an entirely smooth ride - there was another Yiga Clan member on the side of the road, asking him to join them, and then further down the road and a little ways off of it there was a couple being attacked by blue bokoblins, but soon he was at the stable, leaving his horse behind temporarily as he ventured into the shrine, first.

It wasn’t long before he was outside again, speaking to everyone he could at the stable once more - including Beedle, who Link was beginning to think could teleport in some way, considering he had not only been at every stable Link had been to, but he had managed to get here from the previous stable in less time than Link, without a horse, and with a giant, heavy pack on his back.

It didn’t really matter, but considering the last person who had been able to mysteriously travel like that had been a ghost in disguise - the King himself, in fact - it did raise some suspicion.

He was also a little confused by Yolero, who swore he had gotten his hands on the legendary weapon, that only the chosen hero could wield. The Master Torch, as he called it. Link didn’t bother correcting him, even if he kind of wanted to - it wasn’t worth it, and besides, what would either of them gain from him convincing the man that he was wrong? 

He did feel bad for Ami though, who was forced to give directions instead of playing around like their brothers, due to some clause in the stable handbook.

He was rather intrigued by the story Quince told of how the dog, Satty, had saved him from a strange, glowing beast on Satori Mountain - wherever that was - and Link made sure to feed the dog lots of treats - of course, it led him to a treasure chest as well, but that was just an added bonus.

He also fished a treasure chest out of the river, growing a new appreciation for magnesis after Izra, the worker who had been staring into the water at it, expressed how stumped he was on how he could possibly get the chest out of the water. Sometimes he forgot that his abilities weren’t commonplace.

It seemed that was everyone here though, and he rested at their cooking pot until morning, setting off again on his way.

He decided to cross through the wetlands again after all, figuring it would be quicker, and soon he was at the same split he had been at before. This time, he chose the left path, leading him further north and towards Akkala, according to the sign at least.

There was another split not too far up the path, though far enough that it was off his map, and he had to take the right this time, or else he would lead him to Death Mountain - which he could only assume was the volcano he kept seeing, which looked like it was currently actively erupting, but what did he know.

He had had to fight an ice wizzrobe on the way as well, and had found, in an attempt to use its elemental weakness against it, that hitting an ice wizzrobe with a single fire arrow made it disintegrate instantly, dropping its weapon and nothing else much the same way the electric wizzrobes did after he’d fought them in their entirety.

Well that’s certainly handy.

Past that, there was yet another split, though this time it was simply between two different areas of Akkala. He took the left path, since it led to a stable, and it also appeared it would take him closer to the tower, which was nice.

After passing a rather large bridge - ignoring the enemy camp near where the sign was, and hoping they wouldn’t see him, either - he stopped. He left Knight behind as he veered off the path, heading towards where he could see the tower was, atop some other large structure.

Though, as he made it closer to the building, passing by many dead guardians, which already put him on edge, he noticed two things.

One, that the bridge leading to the building was destroyed in the middle, which meant he couldn’t simply walk across.

And two, that there was a person on the end of the bridge, being pushed closer to the edge by a very angry blue moblin.

Link sprung into action, forcing the beast back from the person and the ledge with several blows, before slaying it entirely. 

Nell, the person who had nearly been knocked off the bridge, thanked him, and began explaining why they had come here. They explained the history behind the Akkala Citadel Ruins, where the tower now stuck out of, and how his own kin had died in the battle, which is why he had come here to honor them.

Unfortunately, some of the old guardians were still active - the flying ones, in fact, which Link especially hated, even having only seen them once before - at the castle - which meant that Nell couldn’t go any further. 

Link looked mournfully towards the citadel, and the tower which he had planned to climb, but finally decided to heed Nell’s advice. There was no need to go rushing into such a clearly dangerous place for a mere map; it wasn’t worth it when he was still so ill-prepared.

He turned back, mounting Knight once more as he returned to the path. 

The next stable wasn’t far, at least, and the shrine wasn’t all too difficult to get to, nor complete, - although tilting the Sheikah Slate just right for the motion apparatus was frustrating, - and soon he was completing the same routine; speaking to everyone at the stable, checking what Beedle had to sell - it was customer appreciation day, apparently, and he gave Link an ancient arrow that he had gotten from Robbie - and grabbing anything he could that was laying around.

He spoke with Gleema and her sister, Jana, happy to help with the birthday quest, as Jana called it. Lucky for all of them, he actually already had one of each type of darner in his inventory, thanks to the various times he’d bought bugs from Beedle, though he did feel a little bad for Jana as her little sister ran over with the insects she was so terrified of, even if it was a little amusing.

With that out of the way he was off again, heading out for Akkala proper, ready to see the sights and finally speak with Robbie.

He could only hope the rest of the journey was as (relatively) peaceful as things had been up until now.

Chapter Text

His journey was rather peaceful at first, and he made his way down the winding path, admiring the beauty of the landscape covered with fallen leaves and breathing the fresh autumn-like air. Although he was often surrounded by chaos - not that he much minded, really - he appreciated these calmer moments, where he could simply sit back and relax as Knight carried him through the journey.

He was only drawn out of the serenity by the sound of a bokoblin launching itself at something, no doubt another person being attacked on their travels.

It didn’t take too much to kill the monster, and he quickly turned back to the person, Chabi, who had been attacked. She thanked him, giving him something new in return - not a meal, like others had, but Monster Extract. 

Link was a little hesitant at that name, but allowed her to explain - it was a spice made by Kilton, who worked at Fang and Bone, a monster-dedicated shop made by the monster-obsessed man, and apparently it was delicious, despite the fact that it was made out of monsters.

Link was going to question that, but then he remembered that he drank elixirs all the time, and those were made up of a combination of bugs and monster parts, so he really had no place to judge.

He was curious about this Kilton guy, though, and he remembered some of the stable workers mentioning him too - perhaps Link would get the chance to meet him during his travels in Akkala. In any case, he wouldn’t get much done by staying here, so he mounted his trusted steed once more, taking off racing along the winding path.

He let Knight take the lead through most of the journey, sitting back and admiring the gorgeous views that the world had to offer, wide and open as it was, with the beautiful hills and trees, the mountains in the distance and even an ocean far off to his east. It wasn’t all too long before he reached yet another stable, and he slowed Knight to a stop before dismounting, looking around at the people first. Before he stepped into the shrine, however, he checked his map, wondering if he was misremembering something.

Nope. This was East Akkala Stable, but the one he had just been at was South Akkala Stable. Did that mean there was a North and West one as well? Or, if not, then why would they name it that way? It made no sense, really.

He supposed it didn’t matter though, and stepped into the shrine just as he always did. 

He had to admit, he was getting rather tired of these motion-apparatus puzzles, and he was glad that the bonus puzzle for the chest was optional this time, on the opposite side of the monk.

The people at the stable had a few quests for him - one wanted to know more about Kilton, which should be easy enough, once he found him of course, and the other mentioned something about the Spring of Power to the east of here, so he would be sure to stop there soon. 

Another wondered sadly about the blue flame that used to keep one of the lanterns lit, and Link mentally sighed, knowing that he would probably have to do the same thing he had done in Hateno and light their furnace.

He was also fairly sure that the “akkala buns” that Khini gave him were just cooked frogs, but it wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d eaten, so he just tried his best not to think about it. 

With all of that out of the way, he started to make his way up towards the tech lab, figuring it was better to leave Knight behind at the stable rather than bring her up and down, when he could just paraglide back down or teleport if needed.

He made his way up most of the path, encountering a few wolves on the way, which were annoying but otherwise not a big deal, and he was in the final stretch when he passed a large mound of stone. He didn’t think much of it; at least, not until he had gotten past it and heard the telltale sound of a guardian firing up its laser.

He panicked, diving back in the other direction and hiding for a moment behind the stones, trying to figure out what to do.

He considered just fighting it head-on, but he really didn’t want to risk something like that, not when he had come so far without dying. He threw a bomb over the mound towards the guardian, but despite them being upgraded to now do twice the amount of damage, against the guardian, it knocked off exactly two points from its health.

(At least, he was calling them points, since he had nothing else to call the random numbers he knew represented how much it would take to kill something.)

He tried a few more ways of hurting it, but all of them left him incredibly vulnerable, and Link knew even one blast from its laser would kill him instantly, incinerating him in a second. In the end he decided to attempt sneaking around it, getting as close to the edge on his right as he could without falling over the side, and crouching until he made it far enough away and close enough to the laboratory that he was sure it couldn’t see him anymore.

Sure enough, when he made it up to the laboratory itself, he found an inactive travel gate and an unlit furnace. He would have to light this one, just as he had the other. He hoped they at least had a torch for him to use, because he had abandoned his a while ago.

He ventured inside, but there was no one to be seen. There was, however, an odd machine, vaguely person-like and seemingly all one piece. Upon trying to interact with it, two people appeared behind him, asking just what he was doing in their laboratory. 

He blinked, and suddenly they were in different spots, as though nothing had just happened.

The man was Robbie - though he could’ve figured as much - but unlike his two counterparts, he didn’t immediately believe he was really Link, even with the Sheikah Slate holstered on his hip. Instead, he spoke of how there was no real way for him to know if he truly was the very same Link from 100 years ago. There was only one solution, in his mind.

“If you can show me the wounds your body suffered 100 years ago, that should prove you are truly Link.” He said, and while Link wasn’t entirely certain he was right, he was fairly sure that Robbie was essentially asking him to take off his clothes.

Well, at least the Shrine of Resurrection hadn’t healed his injuries entirely - or maybe it was just that the nature of healing them so quickly left a scar? Though, he supposed it wasn’t actually quick , considering it had taken 100 years. 

In any case, it didn’t really matter. While he wasn’t exactly going to strip naked for just anyone, he didn’t entirely mind momentarily using the slate to unequip his armor so that Robbie could see the scars littered across every inch of his skin.

That was sufficient proof, apparently, and Robbie began his long-winded explanation of how they were planning to fight off the calamity with their ancient technology, rambling and asking about Purah, all while never giving him the chance to stop and put his clothes back on.

Finally, he told Link what he had already figured out - that he needed to light the furnace with the blue flame, adding reasons why Robbie or Jerrin couldn’t do it themselves.

Link rested until morning first, making a campfire right inside, much to their horror, before setting off to find where, exactly, the blue flame was.

He made his way towards the new glowing dot on his map, searching the massive pile of destroyed guardians on his way - he gained quite a few ancient parts from it, and even found a korok in the pile, so it was definitely worth it - and found that the flame was on the other side of a river, that split the cliff face in half.

It didn’t take long to paraglide over to the other side, but that wasn’t the real difficulty.

No, the hard part came when he realized that from the flame itself and through the entire path past it, there were dozens of blue moblins waiting along the path to take him out the second they saw him.

The first two weren’t too difficult to take out, though he had to play it right and avoid getting hit, for fear of how strong their weapons were combined with the added weight of their swings, and once they were dead he found that he could make progress much quicker by avoiding the long, spiralling path and instead dropping down the sides of the smaller cliffs towards the next torches he could light.

He also found, after much trial and error, that if he aimed it just right, he could not only pass the flame via arrows, as he had discovered in Hateno, but that by aiming miles higher than the torches, he could pass it to posts entirely out of his reach otherwise, allowing him to run past and skip entire sections of the path.

There were a few places he couldn’t skip though, and a few more that were so surrounded by monsters that he had to fight them, rather than sneaking or running past, but soon he was nearly at the laboratory again, having cut short his path, rather than taking the long route and making it back to the actual road.

Though, there was one slight problem with the shortcut he had taken.

It let out directly in the line of sight of the guardian.

He was lucky, at least, that the guardians only had one eye, because it meant that something as simple and small as a tree was enough to block their singular, straight line of vision, giving him time to rest and make small dashes towards the laboratory behind the cover of the many trees all around.

Soon he was at the laboratory once more, though not before discovering that he could walk while holding the torch towards the grass, just high enough to singe it as he walked, or set it ablaze if he held still for just a few seconds.

And, well, if he set nearly the entire small forest on fire just to watch the flames dance, then no one could really blame him, could they?

(They definitely could, but no one would see it anyways, so it was fine.)

Soon the furnace was lit once more, the travel gate was activated, and he could go inside and speak with Robbie once more about the ancient weapons that Cherry - the ancient oven - could provide.

There wasn’t actually all that much to do here, after he lit the furnace - he could exchange rupees and ancient parts for ancient weapons, all of which looked interesting, but were too expensive for him at the moment, or he could read Robbie’s Memoirs, which he wasn’t entirely interested in at the moment, but that was about it.

He made his way back down to the stable, shield surfing all the way down the hill, before deciding on his next quest.

Link figured seeking out the Spring of Power was probably a smart next move - not only did it register as a shrine quest, which he was always happy to complete, but it was also somewhere that Princess Zelda had apparently been, which meant he might be able to glean some more information about the past from visiting it.

It was just to the west of here, according to Nobo, and after resting until morning once more he was off, taking Knight around the fences and making his way down the expansive, sloping plain towards the hole in its center, which he could only assume had something to do with the spring.

Sure enough, it was the Spring of Power itself, and there was another goddess statue there, surrounded by waterfalls. He approached it, speaking with Hylia just as he had done before.

“You have done well to find this spring.” She told him this time, and Link could only listen intently. “Offer Dinraal’s Scale, received from the red spirit, to the Spring of Power. I, Goddess Hylia, will guide you.” And she fell quiet once more.

He didn’t know who or what Dinraal was, nor how he could get one of its scales, but Link figured he would find out in due time.

Turning back to the spring itself, he felt an aching sense of familiarity overtake him, and he paused, pulling out the Sheikah Slate for a moment to examine it. It had updated his quest, of course, but that wasn’t what he was looking for, really. No, switching over to the album, he found something much more important.

This looked almost exactly like one of the pictures.

Looking up, he glanced around, trying to figure out where, exactly, the photo had been taken from. As he took a few steps forward, wading through the water, he saw it - that same, glowing yellow light, emitting from the ground the same as it had been for the first memory he had recalled. He approached it hurriedly, stepping up onto the stone platform and reaching out for something he couldn’t entirely understand; that feeling that called out to him and pulled him into his own mind, his own past.

As he stared forward, trying desperately to initiate the memory just as he had before, he noticed something, in the fleeting few seconds before his vision was overtaken.

The light that called to him from the ground where he stood now, that indicated a memory that he could recall... it looked nearly the same as the light that enshrouded the goddess statue.

Chapter Text

Link gasped as his eyes were thrown open yet again, staring down at the Sheikah Slate once more before dazedly placing it back on his hip. It was all still so new to him, even as he had done it before, and he stood for a moment, feeling hazy as he tried to process everything he had just witnessed - had just recalled.

Zelda... the very princess he was meant to save, who had trapped herself with Ganon to protect the world, who had been so harsh and doubting towards him in his only other memory of her...

She had spent every day of her life praying and pleading to the gods of old to help her unlock her sealing power, to master her role in the defeat of the ancient calamity.

And she had failed at every turn. Her whole life had been spent praying and worshipping and trying desperately to unlock and understand her own sealing power, and yet she had come up fruitless time and time again. 

She had begged the goddess herself to just tell her what was wrong with her.

In her own mind, she was a failure. Link could sympathize all too well with that feeling. His heart was heavy with the realization, with the knowledge now of how truly burdened she had been. 

From the moment he had awoken, he had felt he was supposed to live up to some role he couldn’t attain - some life he had already lived and could never again revive, no matter how hard he had tried. He had been forced into the role of hero, had been expected to save the world despite not knowing how, not knowing anything. 

And Zelda had lived through and felt the same.

One hundred years prior, Princess Zelda had lived through this same grief every day of her life, trying desperately to attain something she was told she must, that she was sure she could not. She had so ingrained the belief that she was a failure that she no longer believed that there was any hope for her own abilities to ever awaken. 

But Link knew she was wrong.

She had unlocked her sealing power - by some means, though he did not yet know how - and had saved the world from total destruction, had made her way to the castle and restrained the Calamity itself, saving the world from total annihilation and preventing Ganon from ever even leaving the castle.

She thought herself a failure, but Link knew that she was not. Even if she had never unlocked her sealing power, had never saved the world, he would not hold that against her. She was just a teenager, wasn’t she? Just as he was. And she was expected to save the world, to unleash the powers of old with no guidance, no help, no instructions.

He would not have blamed her, had she been unable to. None of it was her fault. And her worth was not dependent on it, either. Her life still had value, her research and dedication still had worth on their own, and her very existence had merit, regardless of her supposed duty. 

He only wondered if he would be able to complete his sworn duty, just as she had, despite his misgivings about his own worth as a hero.

Link lingered a moment longer, staring at the statue of the Goddess for a long moment. Why could he speak to her so easily, yet Zelda could not?

Or, rather, why was Hylia so willing to speak directly with him, to make exchanges, even, directly granting him the essence of life itself, but had refused to talk with the princess of her own blood, even when the fate of the world depended on it?

He didn’t know.

He climbed out of the spring after that, mounting his horse once more as he rode back towards the stable. 

Link didn’t think much about what he was doing after that, too lost in his own thoughts to pay much attention as he completed the various tasks that had been assigned to him - exploring the shrine in Skull Lake, talking to Kilton, lighting the torch by the stable with the blue flame, reporting back to everyone who had given him a quest; it was all a blur to him.

When he had done all he could here, he decided to make his way back up to the south. There were a few shrines he had seen along the way, and a whole other path he hadn’t taken that was worth exploring, even in his numbed state.

He considered attempting to get the tower as well, dangerous as it was. If he was ever going to save Zelda, he was going to have to learn to face those machines.

Especially considering how many were at the castle.

He mounted his horse once more, taking off southwards via the path on his left - his east, this time - down the long, sloping hill.

He encountered another “Traveler” on the way, fighting the Yiga Clan member in a way that was now becoming routine, and utilized the ruins to make a campfire as the sun faded from view.

When he awoke he was already drenched in rain, lightning flashing in the distance, after yet another blood moon. He wondered briefly if the Yiga Clan Members were revived the same way the monsters were, but it didn’t really matter.

The rest of the ride went rather smoothly, despite the constant thunder and strikes of lighting that hit far too close for comfort, in all honesty. He wondered why his metal armor didn’t trigger sparks the same way his metal equipment did, but he certainly wasn’t complaining.

Soon he was riding past Lake Akkala, according to the signs indicating the splits in the path, and he paused at one of them, looking at the long, narrow land bridge that stretched out into the middle of the lake. It was almost like an island, only it reached up far out of the water, all the way to the height of the hills he was already on, far above sea level. The path wasn’t worn like the road he travelled on, and it seemed almost entirely natural, strange as it was. 

He guided Knight slowly towards the raised “island”, careful not to lead her over the edge, and when he made it to the center he found he knew the name of the place, just as he had before.

Tarrey Town.

It wasn’t much of a town, really, though there was a lone goddess statue in the center, with a small, c-shaped pool of water around it. There was a small wooden pathway leading up to it, and a cooking pot to the left of the statue - lit, in fact, which only seemed to be the case when there were people around.

A few feet in front of it stood Hudson, mining away at the large stone mounds that covered the entire “town”, interspersed with plenty of trees, and there was exactly one house built, he noticed now, which looked similar to the model homes in Hateno, only fully fleshed out - and actually functional now, it seemed.

Link first spoke with Hylia, exchanging the spirit orbs he had for another heart container, and then explored the house he had found, wanting to see everything he could on this strange island before speaking to Hudson, who would likely explain it anyways.

The house - which Link could only assume was Hudson’s - was rather empty, only a bed and small dresser inside; although there was a recipe printed on a poster on the wall, and Link took a photo of it to save for later, happy to try any new combination of food.

Hudson was ever the same, creating much more of a back-and-forth conversation than anyone else would - he didn’t mind, really, that others left so little room for him to speak in conversation; he was a man of a few words, after all.

Hudson told him how his venture into building a town wasn’t going so well. He said there wasn’t enough, and Link inquired what of.

“Enough anything... People... Money... Stuff...” Well, Link wasn’t sure how much he would be able to change, but he was certainly willing to try.

“I’ll help out!”

“But why? There’s nothing in it for you.” Hudson seemed perplexed.

“I don’t mind!”

His first task, according to Hudson, was to gather ten bundles of wood, in order to build the homes that people would live in. Link would’ve gladly provided the wood to him, only...

He didn’t have that much.

He really hadn’t had that many wood bundles to begin with, considering he didn’t need it for much, and he could always just sleep at an existing campfire or cooking pot if he needed, or stop at an inn if he really wanted - or he could simply not sleep at all, if he so chose - and after giving Bolson those 30 bundles of wood, he’d had approximately four remaining, one of which he’d already used.

Though, there were quite a few trees around...

A good half an hour - and several, several bombs - later, he returned to Hudson with the bundles of wood he had requested, happy not only for the materials, but for the acorns he had gotten from a few of them, which had allowed him to restore the damage he’d done from accidentally setting off a bomb or two before he was properly out of range.

Hudson was grateful too, and Link wasn’t even sure he’d noticed the now missing trees, though he wasn’t quite sure how he could miss the sound of the explosions.

In any case, Hudson didn’t mention it, simply giving him his next task: to find someone to break the rocks, whose name ended in “son”. Link wasn’t exactly sure how or where he’d find someone with those qualifications, but there wasn’t anything else for him to do here anyways, so he set off once more, returning to the path on his trusted steed as he made his way south.

He veered off the path once he reached the top of the hill, as it finally started to turn westward, rushing off towards Dah Hesho Shrine.

It was only another minor test of strength, and soon he was walking out again, thankfully healed by the spirit orb from the monk, into the dimming sunlight of the now fading day.

He gave an apple to the statues at the cliff’s edge, greeting the korok just as always, and he looked out upon the world, so serene and beautiful from here, with the orange glow over the horizon creating a sense of warmth, even as the temperature dropped.

He noticed, too, looking out over the world, that there was something strange to his right - below the path, out of sight from where he had ridden up, and concealed in a small patch of trees so dense and colorful that they looked almost unnatural.

Link jumped without hesitation, gliding off towards the strange little forest as though it were as simple as taking a breath.

He hit the ground running, sprinting off towards the dense cluster of trees, but skidded to a halt as he grew close, slowing and quieting his steps as he realized what it was that the dense foliage was hiding from view.

Another great fairy fountain, with a few flying fairies hovering around it, just above the shallow pool of water it sat in, coming no higher than his shins. At the very least, it looked the same as Cotera’s pod had, before he had given her the rupees she needed to revive the fountain fully.

He approached, after grabbing all the materials and fairies around it he could, climbing the glowing mushroom steps towards the pod, where a voice spoke to him from inside just as Cotera had.

She said much the same thing as Cotera, though this time she introduced herself as the Great Fairy Mija, and spoke of how this place had once been a beautiful spring, now abandoned by the lack of rupees.

She asked him for 500 rupees, and Link paused.

It was more than Cotera had asked, which wasn’t itself all that consequential, but with buying himself a house, among his other recent purchases, this would nearly make him broke. He could afford it, but he was getting really tired of constantly running so low on money.

Still, he sighed, reaching out a hand with the rupees she requested. I’m here to help. He reminded himself, though he gritted his teeth as the hand nearly the size of him snatched away his money with a hurried thanks.

There wasn’t much Mija could enhance about his clothes, due to his own lack of materials, and soon they were parting ways once more, leaving Link to teleport back to where he had left his horse.

He was grateful that Knight didn’t seem to mind much as he made his own campfire with one of the few bundles of wood he still had left, though he made sure to treat her to a carrot or two when he awoke in the morning.

He returned to the path shortly thereafter, crossing the Sokkala Bridges as he made his way back towards one of the first splits in the path he had taken, though now from the other side.

He cleared the enemy camp this time around, despite the black moblins which tried their very hardest to kill him - and nearly succeeded, too, which certainly didn’t help his rising heart rate - and returned to the path, preparing himself, mentally, for the task he was about to undertake.

The blue moblin on the bridge was back, and Nell was in much the same position Link had last seen him - nearly being knocked off the fallen bridge by said moblin. Link rushed in once more, less unnerved by the blue ones now that he had fought two of the black ones - and won . 

Nell didn’t have much more to say than he had the last time, and Link took one last look up at the tower atop the citadel, nodding to himself as he steeled his resolve.

He dashed forwards, leaping from the broken bridge towards the other side, and climbing up once he was close enough.

He waited for a moment on the other side, watching the lone flying guardian - a Skywatcher, according to the compendium - trail its gaze over the area, where half a dozen decayed walking guardians laid. He watched with bated breath as it scanned only the area closest to the citadel, before turning around and hovering over the path in its looping routine.

He was safe here, at least, though he hardly felt it was appropriate to consider any area near a guardian “safe”. 

It was a nerve-wracking escapade, dashing forwards to almost chase after the guardian - and the few after it - as it flew away, and then jumping to the side as it turned around, hanging off the edge of a cliff as needed or crouching behind a rock or cart, but slowly and surely he made his way up the winding pathway.

He was grateful, at least, that the guardians couldn’t hear him, or at least weren’t nearly as alerted by the noises he made as the other monsters were. It would’ve been humorous to watch even the bokoblins run from the guardians in fear, if it weren’t for his own rising anxiety, the sound of his heart pounding in his chest only serving as a drum to enunciate his imminent doom. 

Slowly marching up the path laced with danger and death in every direction, Link learned a valuable lesson of patience, watching and waiting before making any move to see if it would place him in the sights of a guardian.

Though, considering climbing - be it up or down - was one of his few emergency escape routes, he quickly came to despise this region’s penchant for thunderstorms. 

As if the rain slicking the surfaces of anything he might climb wasn’t enough, he really didn’t appreciate the sudden and frequent heart attacks he was given any time electricity shot down from the sky in bolts mere inches from where he was standing. The fact that the path was littered with metal boxes really wasn’t helping, either. 

Not to mention it obscured one of his few ways of knowing when danger was near, dulling his own hearing as much as the hearing of the monsters he might otherwise sneak up on, in different circumstances.

But finally, after a long, terrifying journey, he was at the top, where none of the guardians strayed.

What he found didn’t exactly make him happy, though.

There was malice everywhere, and the building which had once stood was now destroyed and decrepit, worn down and eaten away by the elements and the poisonous, mud-like substance that encased it. He climbed inside one of the smaller rooms that he could just barely fit in, and the panic subsided to grief as he looked around, taking in the research strewn around the room, the destroyed furniture and broken windows, reinforced though they were.

He climbed and wandered, killing the monsters that were there, trapped by the collapsed rooms and malice just as any person would be, and making his way up, however he could, maneuvering the malice-covered walls until he was finally able to jump towards the tower, past where the malice covered its lattices, too. 

It didn’t take all too long to climb to the top of the tower from there, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he reached the platform at the top, equipping a flame blade he had gotten to fend off the cold that ate away at him from this height.

He turned, hoping to admire the sights before activating the tower and its map, and promptly yelped, jumping back so fast he tripped over his own feet and landed on his ass, heart pounding.

It took a moment for him to realize that the guardian atop the tower was, in fact, dead, and he had nothing to actually fear, and he let out a string of curses, getting to his feet with a glare that could send the Goddess running.

It only took a matter of moments to activate the tower, and Link lingered only a few moments longer, taking in the view for a few precious seconds, before leaping off the tower in the direction of his horse.

Nell was nowhere to be found when he landed, and Link took off once more, guiding Knight to the path and onwards into the rapidly disappearing sunset.

The open night awaited him.

Chapter Text

Link rode all through the night and the next day, no longer paying much mind to the road ahead of him, simply travelling as far south as he could go.

That brought him to where he was now - just south of the Outpost Ruins he had passed through when he had first made his way to Kakariko, and staring forwards at the path to a new region, with its tower in sight and surprisingly within reach. 

According to the map, he was just in between the Great Plateau and Scout’s Hill, and the tower was, from this perspective, next to what he assumed was the entrance to a rather large bridge, based on his fuzzy memories of what he had seen peering off the edges of the Great Plateau, those weeks - months? - ago.

There was another Yiga Footsoldier on the side of the road, as the Sheikah Slate called them - and he wondered for a moment how and why they had their own entry in the compendium - and a monster encampment further up the road, which he promptly took out, starting from the top and working his way down, thanks to the hill nearby.

He made it just to the entrance of the bridge, with the large stone structure guarding it, when something struck him about it.

This was the Bridge of Hylia, apparently, but that wasn’t what caught his attention. No, it was the parallel entrances, and the long, wide bridge over the enormous lake, bigger than any body of water he’d yet seen - and he had gone to Zora’s Domain first - that struck his interest.

He pulled out the Sheikah Slate, flipping through the images he had taken and back towards the ones that had been restored. It took a moment of searching, but there , the middle-right photo of the center row.

It was of a bridge - this bridge - but from a distance, where both entrances could clearly be seen. In the foreground there was a tree, with two of those statues that usually meant a korok was waiting nearby, and far in the background, past the bridge, were mountains of red stone, the likes of which he hadn’t really seen yet, not up close at least.

Link turned and looked around. 

To his right - his west, really - he could see those same mountains in the distance. That meant the photo was taken to his east, then. It took a moment of moving around, trying to find the right angle, but there, in the distance - a lone tree, sitting on a hillside on the other side of the river that flowed into this lake. Link placed a pin on it, mounting Knight once more as he took off in the opposite direction he had been heading - the tower could wait.

He rode to the top of Scout’s Hill first, pausing, for a moment, to grieve the ruins that lay there, a token of a time long since past. From there, all he had to do was glide across the river, and soon he was standing before the tree, the golden haze appearing before him as he landed.

The process was much the same; he took out the Sheikah Slate, compared his current location to the one in the photo, and fell into the memory that awaited him.

It was brief, a moment of training while taking shelter from the rain, while Zelda spoke of his dedication. But it told him more about his past, moreso than just the simple moment he had recalled.

His father was a knight, too. At least, that’s what Zelda said.

Did he have a family, before all of this? A home that he could return to? Had his mother sang him to sleep when he was a child, scared of the thunderstorms? Had his father taught him how to wield a blade? Had he had siblings that he had played with, had shared his childhood with? Had he played at all?

He didn’t know.

He wondered about Zelda’s question. If he had been told, from the moment he was born, that he had to become a knight, simply because that was the role he was born into, would he have chosen a different path? Would he have lived a different life? Would he have rebelled against what everyone else had chosen for him, or fallen into line and become what they expected of him?

He supposed he had his answer.

From the moment he had awoken, everyone else had known who and what he was supposed to be. He was a knight, the chosen one, the one who would seal the darkness and defeat Ganon and save the world, who would rescue Zelda from her self-imposed imprisonment holding Ganon at bay and restore light and peace to Hyrule. Everyone else knew this.

From the moment he had awoken, that is what he had been told.

And he had accepted it.

This was his role. He knew it, no matter how unfit he seemed for it, no matter how many times he had died in battle or failed at simple tasks from his own reckless mistakes, he had a duty to fulfill, and he would not shirk the responsibility, no matter how much he yearned to live a life that was simple and explore the beauty of the world unburdened by the strings of fate and the destiny that was already determined for him. 

Zelda had never had that choice, though. She could not have, even if she wanted to, shed the responsibility and lived free, could not have abandoned her duty even if she tried. And yet no matter how hard she tried to fulfill it, either, she could not complete it. She was stuck in a constant state of failure, unable to leave and rebuff the duty thrust upon her, nor able to live up to the role she was destined to play. 

Link was realizing, as well, that the memories he was slowly recalling were not in order - though he supposed he should have figured as much by the fact that he had not found the pictures in order. Still, one thing in particular was confusing him.

The Sheikah Slate listed 18 memories, only four of which he had recovered. However, there were only 12 pictures.

Of course, the memory with Mipha had not been from a picture, it had been from her statue. But then, assuming that each champion would spark its own memory, that would still only bring the count up to 16. 

What were the other two, then? And how did the Slate know he would be able to recover them, when even he had no clue how much of his past he would be able to recall? 

He supposed there was no point in standing here and wondering about it - it’s not like it would help him find the answers - and so with a sigh he placed the slate back upon his hip, returning to the other side of the river where he had left Knight.

Though, not before getting the korok behind the statues, of course.

He thought for a moment, as he was gliding and then climbing back to where he had been. The weather had been different in the photo than in the memory - and in none of his memories had he actually recalled Zelda taking the photograph. It would’ve been highly illogical to do so anyways, in the middle of a conversation, or while praying to the Goddess, as he had recalled.

But then, he supposed that he wasn’t recalling the moment she took the photograph - the pictures just helped prompt his memory. For all he knew, when she took the picture and when the memory took place could be weeks apart, and just happen to be in the same location. Or perhaps the photos were taken in the moments before the memory started. 

He shrugged, brushing it off as just yet another weird thing about his own lack of memory, and set off towards the bridge once more.

The bridge itself was surprisingly empty, at least the vast majority of it, though there were a few lizalfos making camp in the very center, and a korok or two along the way. Soon, however, he was on the other side, and remarkably close to the tower, all things considered. There was even a path that seemed to lead right up to it!

Though, it was riddled with monsters, and there were already plenty of wooden spikes that he could see. He figured it was for the best that he left Knight behind, for now. For her own safety.

He killed the first bokoblin and rested until morning, since he’d already had enough heart attacks from monsters erupting out of the ground and didn’t need the added threat of whatever would come out during the night, and made his way further up the path when he awoke, climbing above whenever he could to stay out of the monsters’ sights.

He noticed, too, that the ground was very disrupted all around, with the path seeming like it was carved out by something larger, pushing the earth and stone out of its way and causing it to bunch up in odd plates.

It was tedious, although not too difficult, to make his way up and towards the tower, taking out the monsters one at a time when he could and climbing whenever he was able to use it to his advantage, and after a few hours he was at the tower, climbing the stone mounds near it and jumping towards the lowest platform. 

There were still quite a few lizalfos around, but he didn’t really feel like dealing with them at the moment, so he just decided to climb the tower before the rain hit, as the slate told him it was bound to any minute now.

There wasn’t much new about the tower itself, either, and the rain began to pour just as he reached the top, clouding the area as he gained the map of this new region - though, now that he thought about it, he really didn’t know why he was here. There were no quests down here, nothing to really gain by exploring, at least that he knew of, and he still had the other Divine Beasts to free.

He had just been so distressed from everything, from the constant barrage of grief and obstacles, the realization that the world had truly, fully ended, and that he was now standing in the ruins, that he had just ridden as far as he could, losing track of his surroundings and letting Knight take control as he rode through the night and day. But now that he had fully come-to again, he didn’t have any further reason to stay here.

He supposed he should start heading back north, once the tower finished activating. 

He noticed something remarkable though, as it did so. There, flying above the lake - Lake Hylia, he now knew it was called - was something massive, flying over the region with bright, vibrant scales of white and yellow-green, like a flying lizard the length of the lake itself. 

Link rushed to the edge of the tower, gazing at it as it floated above the lake, seeming to circle it, with glowing spikes all along its back and one large horn on its head. He took out the slate, hoping the camera might be able to identify the massive beast.

Farosh, it was called, the great dragon that was a spirit of lightning. Its electricity made it dangerous to approach, but although it was registered as a monster, the sacred spirit held no ill will towards people. It was said to have served the Spring of Courage.

Did that mean there were more springs, then? He had already found the Spring of Power. Was Dinraal another spirit then? Perhaps a dragon, like Farosh? How was he supposed to get its scale, then?

Link hesitated only a moment longer before leaping from the tower, gliding off in the direction of the lake, and the great dragon flying above it.

He had wanted to check out one of the islands, anyways, for its strange shape - it looked almost like a crab, from where he had seen it before - and the shrine that the sensor had alerted him to somewhere nearby, and now he had an extra excuse.

By the time he made it near the island, Farosh had already floated to the other side of the lake, and was ascending into the sky by the time he landed, so there was no real chance of him doing anything with it - not that he really knew what he would do if he had been able to get close to the dragon. There hadn’t really been a plan there.

Instead he turned to look at his surroundings. The center of the island he had landed on was sunken in, with a small path leading down into the crater, which held the shrine he was looking for.

The puzzle was rather simple, really, and soon he was walking back out into the now shining sunlight, allowing him to properly see the rest of the small islands littered around the one he was on. 

There were plenty of lizalfos patrolling around, be it swimming or walking, and a good few octoroks too, which were annoying to deal with, but nothing really of interest that he could see.

At least, not until he reached the back of the island.

There, right next to one of the smaller islands, away from any of the lizalfos or other creatures - was that a person?

It was, he was sure of it. Link quickly glided over towards the zora swimming in the water, her dark aquamarine scales almost blending in with the lake around her.

Mei, her name was, and Link paused - wasn’t that who he was supposed to be looking for? It was, wasn’t it? Fronk’s wife, who hadn’t returned from her fishing trip.

Mei seemed oblivious to her husband’s worries, remarking about the great haul she’d caught, and then worrying herself when Link brought him up, wondering if something was wrong.

There was a moment of silence as she seemed to realize her mistake.

She cried out in remorse, apologizing to Fronk - who wasn’t there, but who really cared - and giving Link the fish she had caught as she exclaimed how she needed to return home right away.

Link’s vision faded to black for a moment, and when he could see again she was gone, with the quest marked as finished. 

Link supposed he should probably return to Zora’s Domain as well, to check that she actually made it home safe.

With a few taps on the slate he was there, materializing in the familiar town as a smile came to his face. It was nice, to have somewhere to return to where he truly felt safe, even if he knew he couldn’t stay forever.

Fronk was right where he always was, chipping away at the stone structure in one of the smaller wells, and he thanked Link immensely for saving his wife.

I didn’t really do anything, I just spoke to her...

Still, he was glad to help in any way he could.

Mei was in one of the sleeping pools, hidden away below the staircase that led up to the throne room, and she merely remarked on how she’d like to go out and adventure more, but after the scare she had given Fronk she had resigned herself to resting and waiting for a while more before leaving again. Tumbo and Keye were happy she was back, at least.

With that out of the way Link cleared out the shop, as was becoming routine by now, and started planning out his next path on his map.

He hadn’t really been thinking as he had ridden back from Akkala, too numbed from the memory of Zelda’s plight and then by the ruins of Akkala Citadel to pay much attention to the world around him, other than keeping himself and his horse alive. Seeing Farosh had sparked his curiosity again, bringing him back to life from the numb, fugue state he had been in, but now that meant he actually had to go back to focusing on his duty.

He supposed he could complete a few side quests, now that he’d already finished one, before heading off to the next Divine Beast. There weren’t many he could complete, but he had never actually followed up on the quest Domidak and Prissen had given him about Misko’s treasure, and he thought he had seen what he assumed was a fire wizzrobe near the Lake Tower, so perhaps it would have a fire rod he could bring back to Nebb in Hateno?

In any case, he rested at the cooking pot until morning, despite the fact that the sun hadn’t quite started to set just yet - he would rather have the full day to explore and complete his tasks, rather than having to make a campfire in a random spot in just a few hours - before teleporting away in the morning.

Both of the quests were fairly simple to complete - there was, in fact, a fire wizzrobe with a fire rod near Lake Tower, and the riddle pertaining to the river was fairly literal - and after that he stopped to think for a moment.

The easiest quest to complete next would most likely be the one about the white horse, at Outskirt Stable. But, recalling the path connected to it, and looking at the dots on his map representing the Divine Beasts, it appeared that precisely where the horse was would be on the path he needed to take anyways to get to the Divine Beast in the Northwest part of the map. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone, in a sense.

In any case, he needed to stop at a stable anyways, since he had accidentally abandoned Knight again.

And so, with a rough plan in mind, he teleported off again, ready to face whatever trials awaited him on the path before him.

Chapter Text

Toffa told him the same thing as before when he arrived at Outskirt Stable - that the white horse was wandering around Safula Hill, to the northwest of the stable. It was nice to have the confirmation, at least.

Link also noticed two people here he hadn’t seen before, although whether or not they’d actually been here and he just hadn’t noticed him he had no clue - first was Pikango, painting the trees in front of them, and he asked Link if he had any new pictures to show him.

Link supposed it couldn’t hurt to ask, so he showed the painter his album, just as he had before. Pikango picked out one that was apparently nearby - the picture that was a statue of a horse, at the Sanidin Park Ruins, he said. It was on Safula Hill - right where Link was heading anyways! - and it seemed he was killing three birds with one stone, though that hadn’t been the initial plan. 

The other person was a woman standing by a tree, with her back turned to the world. 

“You’re finally here...” Aliza said as he approached, and Link paused warily, waiting for her to continue. “So it was true! I met the hero of Hyrule under this sacred tree!” She exclaimed as she turned to face him, a bright smile on her face.

“Uh... what?” 

She seemed disappointed by his confusion, speaking of the legendary hero and the legendary sword he carried on his back - so then, she was right, wasn’t she? She had met Link, the legendary hero, under this tree - although now she didn’t seem to believe it, taking his confusion to mean that it wasn’t him, and talking about how he clearly couldn’t be the hero because he was too scrawny and didn’t have the legendary sword.

Well first of all, hey, but also, shouldn’t I have the sword? Everyone else seems to think so, but no one knows where it is. 

She mentioned that it was hidden somewhere in the forest, and didn’t elaborate, simply asking him to tell the hero to come meet her here, should he ever meet them. It even registered as yet another quest.

He supposed he wouldn’t mind stopping by again once he reclaimed the sword, whenever and however he was able to do that. Regardless, he made his way over to Embry, asking for Knight just as he had countless times before. In a moment he was off, riding away and towards the hill where he was supposed to find two horses - one stone, and one living.

By late afternoon he had made it to Sanidin Park Ruins, where the horse statue resided just a few feet above the path, though technically connected to it. There was no sign of the white horse in sight, and so, dismounting his steed, he walked up towards the glowing point, no dimmer despite the rain greying the skies and thoroughly soaking his hair and clothes.

He was surprised, really, that he had found so many of the photos in such a short time - though he still barely knew anything of his own past or who he truly used to be from the few short glimpses he’d had into his own life from 100 years ago. He wondered if the rest would be as easy to find as these had been.

This one was near the end of his memories, or at least the pictures, being the 10th of the 12. He didn’t know what to expect, as he allowed himself to fall into the past once more.

There was much to take in, as his eyes were thrown open once more.

He had had a horse, back then! She was beautiful and a dark brown, contrasting Zelda’s royal steed - pure white, just as the one he was trying to find now. Toffa had said that it was supposedly a descendant of the horse of the royal family - Link didn’t doubt it now. 

Zelda had been quoting his own advice back to him, too, about soothing one’s horse. It was true to how he felt now - whenever he made Knight go fast, or if anything remotely unsettling happened, the first thing he did was to soothe her, patting her gently and making reassuring noises so she would know it was alright, feeding her small treats if she was particularly well behaved or had gone through something especially stressful. 

And then his memory had jumped - he couldn’t recall leaving their mounts behind, or arriving at the statue at all, but when his memory had resumed Zelda had been standing, just a few feet from where he was now, staring at Mount Lanayru in the distance.

They had been planning to set out in the morning, for her 17th birthday - he knew how old she was, now, and he knew he was close to her age - was he older than her? Younger? Had he been permitted on the mountain with her? He must’ve been, if he was her personal knight, to protect and guard her at all times. Then he had to have been at least 17, back then, right? 

He didn’t know.

She hadn’t seemed happy, despite her birthday being only hours away at the time. There was a grief to her words, even before she mentioned her inability to access her powers, and he took offense to the proclamation that no one under the age of 17 could be wise - even with his limited memories, he was sure that Zelda was the smartest person he had known, and her research and dedication could not be discounted just because she was young. 

Still, there was not much he could do now, 100 years after the fact and alone as he was.

He supposed all that was left to do now was to start searching, and he climbed some of the poles surrounding the small stone balcony, looking every which way to see if he could spot the descendant of the very horse Zelda herself had ridden on, that century ago.

It took a few minutes of searching, but after a moment he caught a glimpse of white, standing out against the darkening world around him, and with the help of the scope and his camera he was able to ensure that it was, in fact, the horse that he had seen. 

He glided off in its direction, though the hill wasn’t very steep, and soon he had to traverse on foot, using the rain to his advantage to get as close as he could before jumping upon its back.

It took a good bit to soothe the horse, once upon it - in fact, even as it bucked and tried to throw him off he had to take out the Sheikah Slate and down one of his stamina elixirs, or else be thrown to the ground - but after a few tense moments it calmed, and he soothed the horse all he could.

It was none too happy to be ridden, wild and free as it had been, and Link was hesitant to dismount at all, even to feed it apples for the discomfort. 

He rode off, back in the direction of the stable from whence he’d come, sorry to leave Knight behind but knowing that if he didn’t register this horse with the stable there was a chance he’d never see it again. He did have to steer it back onto the path a few times, unruly as it was, but in little time he was back at the stable, though the world was fully dark now, and rode right up to Toffa to show off the very horse he had spoken of.

Of course, Toffa wouldn’t actually do or say anything until he registered the horse, so he had to turn around and guide her two feet to Embry to do so.

He was asked to name her, just as he had with Knight, and Link thought for a moment.

He didn’t know what Zelda’s horse had been named, 100 years ago, though he would’ve liked to commemorate her by naming this one in her honor. He already had his trusted steed after all, and while he wouldn’t mind switching out which horse he rode every once in a while - it would be nice to give Knight a break every now and then - he didn’t really need another horse.

That was just it then, he supposed. This horse would be Zelda’s, once he defeated the calamity and freed her from her century-long imprisonment. It only fit to name her accordingly.

“Zelda’s” was the name he chose; it would be up to the princess herself to choose a proper name for her horse once she was free. This was just a placeholder until then.

Embry took Knight into their care, and Link turned back to Toffa, who was in utter shock that Link had managed to catch the royal family’s white horse. He told Link that he had made life worth living. And, as a reward, he gave Link the Royal Bridle and the Royal Saddle - the very armor Zelda’s horse had been wearing in that memory.

He figured it was only fitting then that he had the horse’s mane changed as well, to most resemble the horse Zelda had ridden upon those 100 years before. The stable hand, Canni, was more than happy to style her mane into a french braid, and with the royal armor it was hardly believable that it wasn’t the same horse.

With the quest out of the way, Link rested until morning - noting that it was already past midnight, after he had spent so long finding, taming, and then bringing back the very horse he was now styling - before setting off, finally, towards the glowing dot marking whichever Divine Beast he was journeying to next.

The journey was slow, but beautiful, even as he rode back through where he had been the day before. The gleaming sun made the world shine, and the world seemed bright and alive, even as he didn’t pass a single other person until near noon. Truly, Link wondered what he had done to deserve being able to witness the wonder and the beauty of the world around him; especially when it seemed that so few others got such a chance.

He passed over a bridge a few hours in, careful to slow his horse - who had even more stamina than Knight, and seemed to appreciate going fast even more than he did - and to guide her away from the holes in the slowly decaying structure.

As he was halfway across, he began to hear music - from an accordion, perhaps? He wasn’t entirely sure, but it was pleasant, and he looked around as best as he could while minding the gaps, searching for the source of the song.

He found it in a person stood upon one of the many stone mounds that were scattered all around - many of them were shaped like rings, in fact, with the holes in their center - playing an instrument that seemed like an accordion, only a little different, though Link couldn’t quite place how .

That wasn’t really what caught his attention, in all honesty. No, it was the fact that this person looked like they were also a bird. A parrot, more specifically - or was it a macaw? He didn’t really know - with vibrant feathers of blues, whites and yellows. They must be similar to the zora, then? In the sense that the zora were essentially fish-people, and this musician seemed to be a bird-person.

In any case, Link approached, leaving his horse behind as he climbed up the stone mound to speak with whoever this mysterious person was. Kass - that was his name - stopped playing as Link approached, seeming surprised to see another person in such a lonesome area, though Link didn’t entirely blame him. He turned as Link gained his attention.

“I did not hear your approach. I was lost in this song written by my late teacher.” He explained, “He passed away several years ago, you see... And this was the last song he taught me.” Link hardly blamed him; he knew all too well the feeling of loss, though he barely remembered those he had lost, and it was well within his right to become distracted, here in the wild, with no one around for miles.

Still, Kass seemed surprised as he turned to face Link fully, no longer meeting his gaze as he spotted something about him, apparently.

“Th-that there... on your hip!” Ah, of course. “...No, I’m sorry - it’s nothing. I didn’t mean to pry.” Well, he was certainly respectful.

Link considered asking him what he had been thinking - are you a bird? - but he supposed that after meeting the zora, he shouldn’t really question it at this point. Besides, Kass had been respectful towards him, it would only be fair to do the same and spare him Link’s awkward questions.

“No worries.”

Kass officially introduced himself, stating that he was a traveling bard, searching for ancient songs of Hyrule. He asked Link if knew of them.

“Ancient songs?”

“Ancient songs - songs that sing the praises of a hero who beat back the Calamity in an age past.” Oh. 

Though... did he mean Link? Or the ancient hero, from 10,000 years ago?

“I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?” Well, Link certainly wasn’t one to turn down any new information - and he appreciated the music he had already heard, as well. He would be happy to hear more.

He told Kass as much, and he began to sing, taking up his instrument again as he played a new tune this time.

“When a single arrow threads two rings,

The shrine will rise like birds on wings.”

Kass wondered aloud if the rings referred to the oddly shaped rocks all around, and Link fixated on the shrine. 

Of course, it registered as a shrine quest, and that all but confirmed it; he had done something just like this before, with the song about the trident and the pedestal. All he had to do was solve the puzzle, just as he had before.

He began looking around at the various stone arches, pulling out his bow now and again to see if the angle was right for him to be able to shoot through two of them, but none of them were facing the right directions. 

It took him a good few hours of looking all around, examining them from every angle, before he found the two that were aligned just perfectly enough for him to get an arrow through them both - though only if he crouched. Just as from the quests before, a shrine arose from beneath the ground, and the quest was marked complete.

Link considered the shrine in front of him for a moment, before turning and sprinting back in the direction he came from - he had no way to know how long the puzzle inside would take him to complete, and there was a chance that Kass would be gone by the time he had finished. He wanted to know the bard’s thoughts before they both departed.

Kass was staring in amazement at the shrine, though he had resumed the original song Link had heard him playing, and paused only when Link approached.

“That was... stupendous. I suppose I should have expected nothing less.” Link smiled despite himself - he was glad he could solve this riddle that apparently had been plaguing the musician. He hoped this wasn’t the last he would see of him.

Kass apparently felt the same.

“No doubt I shall see you again. May the light illuminate your path.” He nodded, and Link left, wandering back over towards the shrine, now ready to complete it.

The puzzle was actually fairly simple - all he had to do was stand on a few buttons at the right time - and soon he was walking back out, whistling for his horse as he ran back towards the path. Just as he had suspected, Kass was gone by the time he made it back to the path, and though Link would’ve liked to speak with him more there was nothing much he could do now. He took off again, racing down the trail as he continued on his way.

It wasn’t long until he came to a split in the path, and Link considered it for a few moments. Of course, the path to his left would take him where he was actually trying to go, towards the next Divine Beast, but the path to his right seemed equally interesting, with large stone spires jutting out of the ground over the path that descended beneath them, with craters carved out of them by erosion or some other force.

He didn’t actually get to make a decision, however, before he heard someone yelling, and the telltale sound of a bokoblin throwing itself at an innocent person. In seconds Link jumped into action, taking out the bokoblin with ease.

The person, it turned out, was Chabi, still adventuring to try and find Kilton, mysterious as he was, and ever the same she gave him another bottle of Monster Extract in return for his help. With that dealt with, Link turned back to his dilemma of the path. There wasn’t enough for him to really consider forsaking his mission in order to explore to the east, but then, off the path entirely there was something that caught his attention much more.

The tower for this region.

Link paused for only a moment more before mounting his horse once more, riding off the path completely in the direction of the tower. It wasn’t far, and within the hour he had made it to the base of the tower, where a new problem revealed itself.

Not only was the tower in the middle of a lake - not entirely a problem in and of itself - but it was surrounded by monsters, from lizalfos of various types to electric wizzrobes, which did not mix well with water - or at the very least, the combination of which did not bode well for Link . In fact, there was a new type of lizalfos he had never seen before, that the Sheikah Slate helpfully identified for him: Electric Lizalfos. Because there wasn’t enough electricity in the area already.

He left his horse behind, a good distance from the water, before hesitantly approaching the edge of the lake. No monster could spot him from here, though he was cutting it dangerously close, and he was very unsure as he created a cryonis pillar to begin traversing the water. He didn’t get far before he had to face his first lizalfos, though it wasn’t too much of a struggle, elevated as he was, and soon he was on his way again, more on edge, but managing as he crept closer to the tower.

The venture was perilous, with far too many electric wizzrobes for his liking, but after tactically destroying a few - and freezing others, so they couldn’t do anything - he was finally at the top of the tower, and safely out of all of their reach. He took a moment to rest as he activated the tower, truly taking in the wonder of the world around him as the sunset created an orange glow along the horizon, beautiful as everything else in this world seemed to be.

With one of his few remaining wood bundles, he made a campfire overlooking the edge of the tower, and he stared into the sunset as he rested until morning, happy to evade the extra monsters that would come with the night. It was only in the morning that he noticed something that he had not the night before, tired as he was and frazzled from the monsters.

There was another person atop the tower.

He wondered if they had gotten caught up here, much the same way Gruve had, by the rising of the towers, or if they, for whatever reason, had climbed up here of their own volition. Though Link doubted anyone would willingly forge through the swarm of monsters below just to climb an odd structure without further motivation - unless the monsters had only appeared after they were already up there? That would certainly explain why they hadn’t attempted to leave.

He didn’t really know, but then, he figured that he could just talk to the person, and figure it out that way.

Link approached the person peering over the edge, squinting with a hand in front of their face even with their glasses, and even as he walked nearly in front of the person, balancing carefully on the edge, they didn’t notice him, too entranced in their own thoughts. He considered, for a moment, attempting to startle the person, to break them out of their thoughts.

No, that’s probably too mean. Besides, I don’t want to knock them off the tower. 

“Hmm... It’s quite high. If only I was a bird-man ...” The person mumbled to himself.

Well, actually...

It couldn’t really hurt, could it? 

“BOO!”

The man was, in fact, startled, asking where Link had come from - despite the fact that he had climbed the tower quite loudly, due to the multiple monsters trying to kill him along the way, and the fact that he had activated it as soon as he had reached the top, physically changing the way it rested, and the color of its magic glow - but he didn’t fall off, and wasn’t actually all too upset by Link’s jest, so it all worked out in the end.

Branli explained that he had dedicated his life to the study of bird-men, trying to understand their flight mechanics. He said that he had been standing on the ground watching the skies when the tower had arisen underneath his feet, bringing him to the skies.

So the same as Gruve then. But, wait...

We’re in the middle of a lake. What do you mean you were standing on the ground? 

What were you really doing?

Still, he continued to explain how he was stuck up here with no way to get down - which Link actually believed, for once, considering that even if he did manage to physically climb down the tower, or jump down the platforms, there was still the case of the lake he would have to cross, which would be especially difficult with his rather large backpack and heavier clothes, and that was entirely apart from the monsters he would have to face.

Branli seemed to think it was a blessing in disguise, however, to be stuck up here, because from this height he could perfectly observe the bird-men in their natural habitat.

That is... a little creepy. They’re still people, ya know. And besides, I feel like they probably have an actual name, the same way the Zora or Hylians do. 

Something else seemed to catch his attention, though.

“Oh, my! Now that you’ve climbed up here, how will you get down without falling?! I suppose you’re stuck here too.” Link actually wouldn’t have much of a problem getting down. Even if he didn’t climb down, he had the paraglider, and he was no stranger to jumping from high places.

Though, he could probably mess with Branli a little bit more, just because.

“I’ll just fly down.”

“WHAT?! You can fly?! You can fly like a bird-man ?!” Link held back a smirk. 

Branli continued to be surprised for a moment, before realizing what he really meant, though he didn’t seem too disappointed, stating that even if it was just gliding it was still a step in the right direction. 

He asked Link to participate in a “short research study”, simply by gliding down to anywhere he wanted and allowing Branli to measure it - however he was planning to do that. He even offered to compensate Link, based on how far he flew.

He didn’t really have anything to lose, so Link agreed.

Branli seemed rather excited by the prospect, though he did ask Link to pay a 20-rupee liability fee, which he didn’t particularly like the sound of. Still, it wasn’t much, and soon Link was off, walking off the edge of the tower like it was second-nature.

He didn’t actually want to go far, even if he could teleport back, so he decided to simply glide down to his horse - that was where he needed to go anyway, the fact that Branli was completing a study based on it was just an added bonus.

As soon as he landed though, he felt frozen in place, and after a moment his vision faded to black.

When he opened his eyes, he was back on the tower, standing next to Branli once more as though nothing had happened. Was this what had happened to Knight every time he had asked one of the stable hands to “retrieve” her? No time had passed in either instance, and yet he had travelled quite the distance with no recollection of it.

Apparently Branli wasn’t all too impressed with his performance either, since he had only flown around 220 meters, according to his research. Link hadn’t exactly been aiming for a far distance, but he didn’t appreciate being spoken down to like that. 

He sighed, ending the conversation properly this time and gliding down to his horse separate from Branli’s research. He brought out the Sheikah Slate again, looking at his map, and in fact, the slate reflected his lapse in consciousness as well! It had a feature - the Hero’s Path, it was called, and he had used it a few times before - that allowed him to see exactly where he had been, marking his path in green, and it showed him making his way to the tower, off of it, and then spontaneously reappearing atop it the same way it would depict him teleporting.

He stared for a few moments more before putting the slate away; it really wasn’t worth it to spend his time trying to figure out what, exactly, had happened, or why.

He mounted his trusted steed, heading off once more.

Chapter Text

It was a short journey back to the path, and within a few hours Link had made it to another stable. There wasn’t much to do there - although one man gave Link his life savings in order to give to the next Great Fairy, who was apparently somewhere nearby - and after completing the shrine and gaining another shrine quest from a man near it, he was on his way. Though he did trade in his new horse for Knight again - after so long with her as his only steed, it felt wrong to just abandon her for the entire journey just because he had found a new horse.

In any case, he had spotted Pikango as he was leaving, which meant, from what he was starting to learn, that one of his memories was probably nearby - and in fact, looking across the bridge to the other side of the ravine, there were two cliff faces, one of which held a shrine. Similarly, in one of his pictures, there was a shrine clearly visible, along with some ruins, and what looked like a large, mechanical bird flying in the sky.

He paused for a moment at that, looking to the sky. Sure enough, in the distance there was a large, flying mechanical bird, although unlike in the picture, it was currently glowing red as it circled... something. It was most likely a Divine Beast, then, the very one he was on his way to free. He placed a pin on it - surprised he even could, and curious as the pin itself remained in midair even as it ceased to be touching anything he could place a pin on as the Divine Beast moved - and the map showed that the pin was right near the glowing dot he was heading towards.

Continuing to look around, he found there was a tower nearby as well, on the other cliff-face, and it looked like the path would lead right between the two. The perfect chance to complete the shrine, memory, and tower, all without ever straying too far from the road.

Like the bridge before it, Tabantha Great Bridge was full of many holes, and Link was careful to slow Knight, steering her carefully across the long, damaged bridge. In all honesty, he was surprised it didn’t collapse suddenly underneath him at any point as he made his way across it. As he made it to the other side, he began to notice the ruins atop the cliffs - no doubt the very same ones he had seen in the photograph. But, drawing closer to the valley between them, Link noticed something much more important.

A flying guardian, circling the path.

He left Knight behind as he began to traverse on foot, drawing cautiously closer to where the guardian circled, trying to figure out its path. 

Of course, things couldn’t be that simple, now could they? There was another guardian skywatcher, circling the other stone platform in the middle of the path - it seemed the two cliffs had once been one, and the only thing left in the middle were a few tall stone pillars, wide enough to fit an entire stable, but still only taking up a small part of the valley he found himself in. He managed to climb to the top of the first stone platform, before immediately being spotted by the first guardian - with nothing else he could do, Link equipped one of his few ancient arrows in a panic, hitting the guardian in its eye and watching it combust entirely from one hit.

He took a few moments to breathe, collecting the ancient parts it had dropped and opening the chest that was atop the stone platform, before cautiously paragliding over to the second of the stone mounds, climbing up where he needed to and managing to avoid the gaze of the second guardian skywatcher. 

There was a singular, suspicious rock atop the first half of the platform, though oddly enough no korok hid beneath it, and past that there were ruins, ancient and decaying far more than the single century should have allowed - but then, the ruins had been in the picture, hadn’t they? Which meant that these structures had already been ruins a century before, from a civilization far predating the calamity.

He wondered about them, stepping forwards into the structure that he could only assume was once a building. Had the two cliffs been connected, when they had first made this structure? Had there been a bridge between one of them and a third cliff, that had resided in the middle? What had been the purpose of this building? Was it a home? A congregation? A business, even? 

There were two chests on the platform as well, one inside the building - on what little floor was left - and the other just outside it, containing a silver rupee and a fire rod, respectively. He didn’t have room for the weapon, but he was glad for any money he could find - though, who had left these here? The ancient civilization, perhaps? Or some travelers who had made it to these same ruins? He had seen countless overturned carts and wagons along the path, no matter where on the map he went. 

How many people had died simply traveling the world? Trying to reach somewhere safer, or reunite with lost family, or simply explore the world around them? How many had left and never reached their destination, never returned to their homes? How many had been killed by monsters, or ran out of supplies, or died to the elements? How long had the world been this unsafe?

It was almost more than he could bear. 

Link turned, facing his back to the ruins as he peered over the edge of the platform. Nothing would be solved by him standing here and mourning those he couldn’t even be sure existed; he could only make the world safer by continuing on his journey, freeing the Divine Beasts, and eventually defeating Ganon.

He waited until the guardian had passed before jumping quickly off the platform, paragliding down until he was just outside its field of vision during its patrol and whistling for his horse, waiting with bated breath until Knight came galloping into his view. He guided her back onto the path, now safely out of the way of the guardians, and continued on his way forwards, though only for a short distance. As he came to a bend in the path, that would essentially turn him around completely, though slightly to the north this time, he noticed a divulging pathway, apart from the main road, that would lead up to the top of the cliff where he had seen the shrine.

If nothing else, he was eager to complete any shrine he came across, so he took the detour, though he quickly had to leave Knight behind as he realized that there was no real opening that didn’t involve at least a little bit of climbing. It didn’t take long for him to reach the top, though he was still on the far opposite end of where the ruins and shrine had been. He spent most of the afternoon making his way over towards where the ruins began - though they did have their own path leading through them, complete with stone stairs.

Although he actually avoided the path for the most part, considering it was lined with monsters. They weren’t hard to fight, but he didn’t particularly feel like gaining the attention of any more monsters than he had to.

He rested through the night and continued on, and by mid-morning he had made it to the shrine, differing only from the photo in the fact that it was now glowing - he supposed it made sense that the shrines hadn’t been activated yet in the past. The tower was also missing from the picture, for much the same reason.

Link allowed himself to fall into the past once more, eyes falling shut as the memory overtook him.

When his consciousness returned to the present, he had to pause for a moment, unsure of himself. He knew Zelda had not thought highly of him at first, and this had only been the third photo, so it was much earlier on than some of the others were, but even still...

She had been researching the shrine, trying to get inside but not knowing how - they hadn’t known they needed to activate a tower, first, or possibly even that the towers existed at all - but had grown frustrated at his appearance - had immediately told him to leave, and had shouted at him for simply being near her. 

He had just been following orders - he was her appointed knight, he was supposed to follow her and protect her, to be there so he could guard her should anything go wrong - and even with his limited knowledge of his own feelings back then, he remembered feeling confused then, too. He was just fulfilling his duty.

Why then had she seemingly hated him for it? He really didn’t know.

There wasn’t much he could do to answer that now, he would only have to wait to recall more of his own past, and perhaps ask those he could - maybe he could even ask Zelda herself, once everything was said and done.

In any case, Link continued, entering the shrine. He wondered about what trial Zelda would’ve had to face, had she been able to enter, as he rode down the elevator.

As it turned out, it was a Major Test of Strength - he was glad, now, that she had been unable to make her way inside, especially considering Link had not arrived until she had already been researching it for Hylia knew how long. He dreaded to think what might’ve happened had she been the one left to face the trial, especially with no previous experience with the tests of strength.

Even he struggled to defeat the guardian scout inside, the strongest one he had fought yet, with even more health than a lynel, and with blows that could nearly kill him in one hit, its health enough that he broke nearly all of his weapons in order to defeat it. Still, he emerged from the shrine by noon, and returned to where he had left Knight, continuing on the path for only another short distance more before becoming quickly sidetracked in order to activate the tower. 

He purposefully avoided the enemy camp to the right of his path, with several black and blue bokoblins, a black moblin, and a lizalfos for good measure, instead opting to get the korok that was a timed trial from one side of the path to the other, leading in the direction of the tower. He was glad that it hadn’t rained much yet in this region, and the weather interface showed that it would still be sunny for hours yet, considering how much climbing he was doing.

He was especially grateful for his ability to climb as well, considering there were monsters littering every path he could possibly think to take. It was much easier to simply avoid them than to waste his time, energy and resources on killing every encampment he saw, as much as part of him itched to fight and to take down every monster he saw. They would just be back with the next blood moon anyways.

By mid-afternoon he had made it to the top of the cliff, and he found that much like the Akkala Tower, this one too was surrounded by malice, though not to quite the same extent. By taking out one of the malice-eyes, he was able to form a makeshift bridge by causing one of the stone columns to fall, leaning against the tower and reaching above the malice that encroached on its lattices - though he had to admit he did it entirely by accident, simply wanting to take out any malice he could.

Link looked around first this time, and was happy to find there was no one on top of this tower, though considering the malice surrounding it he doubted anyone would’ve been standing anywhere nearby to begin with. Activating the tower was much the same, and he turned instead to face the world around him, staring at the land ahead of him in his journey.

The Divine Beast was still circling, although it was a little too close for comfort, in his opinion, and it appeared it was circling a town - no doubt the town he was heading towards next, marked by the glowing point. It was surrounded by water, and made up of small, tall islands connected by a series of bridges. As evening began to fall, and the air around him grew colder - enough so that he equipped his flameblade, as he found it had much the same effect as changing his clothes to something warmer - he noticed the very Great Fairy Fountain that had been mentioned by Toren. With nothing much else to do, he glided over to it.

It was surrounded by luminous stone deposits, and a new type of plant he had never seen before - Mighty Thistle. He gathered all of the materials, just as he always did, and approached the Great Fairy’s pod.

This Great Fairy’s name was Kaysa, and she asked for 1,000 rupees - it seemed the price was increasing each time - in order to restore her power. With a sigh, Link handed the money over. He was grateful, at least, for Toren’s 500 rupees - otherwise he certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford such a “donation”. 

Kaysa, much like her sisters, was very... flirtatious... with him, offering for him to live here with her forever, which he politely declined. 

He supposed he was glad - he hadn’t stopped to enhance his clothes in a good while, so this was as good an opportunity as any - but he was certainly apprehensive about their method. While he didn’t mind them blowing him a kiss to enhance his clothes, with their odd form of magic, it seemed the higher level the piece was enhanced to, the more intimate the gesture got.

With the third level enhancement that she was now able to offer, she told him to close his eyes, and started to lean in with her lips puckered out. For once, he was grateful that his vision faded to black as he stepped back in mild horror, raising his arms defensively. 

Though, when his vision returned, he was bent over and panting, and in all honesty, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what, exactly, had just happened.

With all of that out of the way, he figured he should probably stop back at the stable and report back to Toren. He wanted to at least let the man know that he hadn’t just run off with his life savings. It was simple enough to teleport back to the shrine, and Toren was right where he had been when Link had last seen him, asking immediately about the Great Fairy, and whether or not he had given her an offering. 

Link explained that he had, and Toren thanked him, glad he had chosen to ask Link as opposed to anyone else. He was a little jealous that Link had been the one to meet the Great Fairy, but Link was glad that he hadn’t attempted to venture through such a dangerous area alone - especially considering that even before he could’ve made it to the monsters, he would’ve had to go past two guardians first.

Though, honestly, considering that Link had gone through all of those, he felt he deserved some form of compensation. He had quite literally risked his life in order to deliver the man’s offering, and had matched his donation to reach the full 1,000. He didn’t expect much - he would’ve been happy with a meal, like many offered him when he defeated a monster from them, but after all of that a simple thank you felt a little small.

Toren was apparently none too pleased with this notion, however, seeming to think that meeting the Great Fairy was reward enough. Link sighed mentally, he supposed he should be grateful he had offered help with the donation at all. 

Maybe he really did need sleep. While he certainly could function without resting, even as the sun was far past the horizon now, he was feeling a little bitter, and that wasn’t supposed to be who he was. He liked helping people, in any way he could, completing their requests and killing monsters and making the world a better place. If he was so worked up over a small quest - which in all honesty he probably would’ve done without the external prompting, since he was already planning on making his way to all four Fairy Fountains - then maybe he would be better off sleeping through the night.

As in, actually sleeping, not just blacking out at a campfire. It had been a while since he had actually stayed in a bed, after all. Besides, the fee was negligible in the grand scheme of things - a single piece of ore would cover it twofold. 

When he awoke in the morning, he felt a sense of calmness wash over him. Perhaps that really was what he was missing: some proper rest. 

He teleported back to the tower, since it was the easiest way to glide back down to where he had left Knight, and this time he decided he was going to stop ignoring his problems. If he was going to eventually Save The World, he couldn’t get overwhelmed by a few measly monsters, even if they were higher level. Besides, he needed all the practice fighting he could get.

It took a few hours, quite a few flurry rushes, and strategic use of bomb arrows, but he managed to take out the entire camp of monsters, whistling for Knight as he used the adrenaline to sprint along the path, trusting her to catch up with him. The path ahead was mostly empty, apart from quite a few rocks and some wolves, and he spent a good hour or two just enjoying the view as he advanced along the path. 

As he made it near the top of the hill, however, he noticed something odd.

There was a windmill-like... thing, off to the side of the path and sticking out of the canyon, and there was a monster encampment up above the path, but far enough to the side that he didn’t think he’d be spotted if he stuck to the path, but right in the middle of the path there was a large mound of stone sticking out of it, the same color as all the rocks around it, but distinctly different in some way he couldn’t place his finger on.

He left Knight behind a good distance back, slowly approaching the odd mound. As he got closer, he thought to take out the camera, in case it might be able to identify it.

In fact it could, and it turned out he was right to be wary of it - it was a stone talus, a rare one, with its own separate entry to the regular ones. Link paused, approaching much slower now that he knew what it was. He was sure he could fight it, but he didn’t know how long this would take, or how much more dangerous it would be considering it was a higher-level version of the stone taluses he had already fought.

He was able to climb atop it, much the same as the other stone taluses, and he got a good few hits in before he was thrown off of it, landing on the ground and rolling for a moment. However, as he stood up, one problem quickly arose. 

It threw its arm at him, right as he managed to get to his feet, mere inches from the edge.

He was flung over the edge, hitting nearly every possible crevice on the way down. He whizzed through Mipha’s Grace in an instant, and the two fairies he had left, and was dead by the time he reached the bottom.

Link blinked as his awareness slowly came back to him, his bones miraculously unbroken and both his fairies and Mipha’s Grace unused, and he shuddered, grateful for his inability to truly die, horrific as it was to experience the temporary deaths that he did.

He was much more cautious this time around as he fought the stone talus once more, never putting his back to the edge, and the talus was dead shortly, with only minor injuries on his part. He whistled for Knight and took off once more, wary, now, of the path ahead, but sure that he could handle it, if he truly needed to.

That was what this journey was all about, wasn’t it?

Chapter Text

The rest of the journey was rather uneventful, aside from the odd monster here and there. Though, Link was especially apprehensive when it came to the long, thin bridges with no railings, that even Knight recognized were dangerous, refusing to go any faster than a light trot. 

Still, by midafternoon he had made it to Rito Stable, just outside of the town where he presumed he was meant to go. He figured that meant that the “bird-people” were the Rito - so the Divine Beast he saw circling the town was Vah Medoh, most likely.

He spoke to everyone he could at the stable, gaining another quest and listening to Kass’ song, long as it was, detailing the story of the calamity’s defeat 10,000 years ago.

How he wished everything could have gone the same a century before.

He spent the rest of the evening making more meals at the cooking pot - multiple people had warned him of the cold, so he was sure to use as many of his warming ingredients as he could - before resting until morning, ready to face whatever awaited him in Rito Village in the new day.

He took Knight with him as he departed, glad at least that the bridges leading to Rito Village had railings, and looked much more secure and well upkept than the ones on the road before had. He spoke with the guard patrolling, Gesane, and gathered what materials he could as he made his way from island to island.

He had to leave Knight behind as he made it, finally, to the entrance of Rito Village, and no sooner than had he taken a few steps up the first set of stairs then did Vah Medoh screech out from the skies, shaking the world as it seemed to alert to his presence, red and angry as it was.

He spoke with Mazli, the guard at the entrance of the town, who told him that now wasn’t exactly a good time for travelers - speaking of Vah Medoh, and how the Rito warriors who had flown up to check it out had been shot down. Link could only nod solemnly as he described the danger, and how the Rito were having to fly low to the ground to avoid being attacked. He was glad he had come here next; with its constant circling, there was no telling when it would next attack, or who might be hurt if it did.

He moved on, heading properly into the village, and found that the goddess statue here was right at the entrance of the town. He paused for a moment, considering it. If he was going to be in the air to fight this Divine Beast - though he had no clue how he would get all the way up there - he would need more stamina. Besides, he had already gained enough extra hearts, at least for the time being.

With that out of the way, he made his way up and through the town, stopping at the shops along the way and speaking to whoever he could.

It was strange to think that enough time had passed that no one really knew that the Divine Beasts had been on their side, a century ago, seeming surprised to have learned it recently from their elder, even as they recounted it to Link. From the moment he had known about the Divine Beasts, he had been told what they were made for, and of the Champions who had piloted them, before Ganon had overtaken them. He had remembered, even, the champions, his friends, who had utilized the Divine Beasts those hundred years ago, though only in pieces. 

And yet, to the people of this world, that time seemed like a myth, an era long past with barely any relics of it left behind. The people here were terrified of Vah Medoh, and some of them had even been directly harmed. He worried for them, capable as they were. He didn’t want any of them to take on more than they could handle.

Still, he continued to make his way up and through the town, completing the shrine that was here as well before finally making it up to Harth, the warrior who had been injured attempting to fight Vah Medoh, though he did not have much to say to Link, and finally the elder, Kaneli.

He was the first to recognize the Sheikah Slate, and he spoke of how it meant Link must be a Champion like Master Revali. That was who he was here to free then, wasn’t it? Assuming that the other champions were also trapped in their divine beasts, the same way Mipha had been. Though, Kaneli immediately seemed to doubt himself, muttering about how all of the champions had died 100 years before, so Link must merely be a champion’s descendant. That was how he referred to him for the rest of their conversation.

He had to admit, it was a little weird to be thought of as his own descendant, but he listened as the elder detailed the trouble Vah Medoh had brought to them all, and how only a champion could tame it. He told of how their two strongest warriors, Teba and Harth had attempted to face it, but after Harth had been injured, he was worried that Teba now planned to face it alone. He asked Link to help them, to find Teba and work together to stop Vah Medoh.

Was already planning on it. 

With the elder’s blessing now, and some actual instructions on what to do next, he began his way back into the town, stopping first in the abode just next to where Kaneli resided. He spoke with Tulin again, who once again told him that his dad was at the flight range, before turning to Saki - the elder had said she was Teba’s wife, right?

Sure enough, she had overheard him talking with the elder, and commented that he was planning to help her husband, Teba, in the fight against Vah Medoh. She told him much the same her son had, that he was off at the flight range, which she described in greater detail. She instructed him to take off from Revali’s landing, which shouldn’t be all too hard with his paraglider, commenting on how it was a memorial for the Rito Champion. Staring down at it, Link couldn’t help but feel it was oddly familiar.

His hands dropped to his side as he stared, squinting as he tried to grasp the wisps of memory that played at his mind. His eyes widened as he felt that all-too-familiar feeling overtake him, and his surroundings faded away.

When he opened his eyes again he found Saki staring at him in worry, crying out in alarm as he came-to. He barely had time to process it all as she worried that she had said too much, offering him to seek her out if he had any questions.

He remained silent for a moment, turning back to face the landing as he considered what he had remembered. It seemed, unlike Mipha, he and Revali had no such past or history of friendship - and in fact, Revali had held a barely-restrained resentment towards him for being the “chosen hero”. Even then, Link remembered being frustrated at his arrogance, not being able to say anything in the moment as the champion boasted about himself and then diminished Link’s own worth. 

For all he cared, Revali could’ve taken up the role as the hero. He had no desire to be seen as a savior who was above everyone else because of a sword - one that he no longer even had. He would’ve gladly let Revali take on that burden.

Only, he knew the rito would not have survived against Calamity Ganon - he had not even survived against its blight, if he had met the same fate as Mipha. No one had, nor could they have. That ability solely resided on Link’s shoulders.

And even he had failed those 100 years ago.

As much as he would’ve loved to give that responsibility over to someone who so clearly wanted it, he knew he would not be able to bear the thought - even then, a century before - of someone dying because he allowed them to bear the burden that was his to shoulder. He would not - could not allow that to happen.

That was why he was travelling alone now, exploring the world and slowly making his way to the Divine Beasts with no one by his side. He wouldn’t drag anyone else into this; not when it was his responsibility to bear. 

He turned to Saki again, remembering where he was, and decided to take her up on her offer for information. He asked first about Revali, though she did not actually know much of the champion - he should have figured as much, it had been 100 years after all - and she spoke of how Teba was training their son to be a warrior just like the champion. 

He asked about Teba as well, and he was told much the same as the elder had said, that he was impulsive and stubborn, and though a good warrior, would not back down now that he had gotten the idea of fighting Vah Medoh into his head.

She asked Link to help him.

He nodded, setting off to speak to everyone he could in the town once more before heading off to the flight range - he had not yet decided if he would take the path on the ground or attempt to glide over, but in either case preparing beforehand couldn’t hurt.

Harth was more willing to talk to him now, filling him in on Vah Medoh, Teba, and himself. He too asked Link to help Teba, and he could only nod once more in agreement. He knew all too well the dangers of someone who was determined to face a beast that was far too powerful for them - and he was certain that he was the only one with the ability to come back from the dead like he could.

He made his way all the way down to the inn, right near the entrance, and spoke with the man there - whose wife he had already helped with her quest for a baked apple - and gained a similar quest where he asked for flint in order to make baked apples for his wife himself. It was easy enough, and he paid well, so Link was more than happy to provide it to him.

He stayed at the inn himself, as the sky began to grow dim, hoping for a peaceful moment before he fully started out on his quest for the Divine Beast.

Of course, things could never be that simple, could they?

Once again there was a blood moon, and Zelda warned him to be careful just as she had before, while monsters were reborn and given flesh anew. Every monster he had slain up until now was back, terrorizing people and destroying the world even more, as though he had done nothing at all.

He supposed there was one good thing to come out of it, at least. The stone taluses - especially the rare one - were back to life, which meant that he could make a quick detour from his current plan to gather the gems they dropped, and use the money to buy the snowquill set, which would allow him to stop worrying about the cold entirely.

He teleported away, first stopping at Tabantha Tower - where he could glide down to the rare stone talus on the path - and then the Great Plateau, killing both taluses with ease.

He also realized, while he was already out and about, that thanks to a chest in one of the shrines he had completed he now had three ancient cores, which was the final requirement for Purah to upgrade Stasis. It didn’t take long to stop by there as well, before teleporting back to Rito Village.

It was a quick matter to trade the gems for rupees, and then the rupees for the snowquill set, expensive as it was.

With all his other preparations out of the way, Link began to focus on the task at hand. He figured, as he made his way back up the winding levels while looking at his map, that it would be easier to simply paraglide to the flight range, rather than gliding all the way back to the stable and then bringing Knight the entire way around the lake.

He was especially glad for the snowquill set as he glided into the snowy region surrounding the flight range, colder than anywhere he had been yet. He didn’t like the snow, pretty as it was, for how much it slowed his steps, little as he had to walk on it with the path cleared. 

He completed the shrine outside the flight range first - and teleported back to the village for only a brief moment to trade in the spirit orbs for more stamina, now that he had four - before making his way properly into the flight range itself.

It was beautiful and quaint, with updrafts rising from the water below and blue targets placed all around, with a small hut raised up from the ground overlooking it, glowing with light and warmth despite the cool air all around. As he climbed the ladder into the hut, he only got a moment to look around, before a figure sitting on the small “dock” jutting out of it gained his attention, apparently noticing him as well.

It was Teba, the very warrior he had come here to speak with, but he didn’t seem all too open to company. He told Link he should probably just go as he fiddled with his own bow. 

Link hated to intrude, but he wasn’t going to be pushed away that easily. He approached slowly, after taking a moment to fully take in the beauty and coziness of the hut they were in, engaging the warrior in conversation again.

Teba seemed none too thrilled with the notion that Link could help with Vah Medoh, refusing to believe it at first and asking for his name, as though that would somehow prove his intentions. He introduced himself officially, before pressing Link further.

“I’m guessing the elder asked you to come here and talk some sense into me. Am I right?” He asked, displeased.

“That’s right.”

He seemed unimpressed.

“Look - you seem like an all-right guy, but let’s make one thing clear: I’m not going anywhere. As a Rito warrior, I can’t rest until my people are safe.” Link could understand the sentiment, headstrong as he was. In all honesty, he was surprised - pleasantly so.

He had expected Teba to be much the same as Revali, thinking he was better than Link and refusing to consider him capable of nearly anything. Teba proved to be much more reasonable - and much kinder - than that, only acting harshly in his determination to protect his people. Link didn’t really want to talk him out of that - even if that was technically what he had been sent here to do. He just wanted to make sure the warrior didn’t get in over his head.

He told Link that he would only leave the flight range and return to his home under one condition: once Vah Medoh fell from the sky. 

“If I have to kill Medoh... so be it.” He said solemnly, his expression dark. “Only then will I return to the village.”

“Then let’s get started.”

Teba seemed surprised by this - most likely expecting Link to try and talk him out of his plan to defeat the Divine Beast, as everyone had asked him to do. Still, while he had no plans to talk Link out of trying to fight it just as he was also planning to, he was hung up on the fact that the only way to stop the Divine Beast was from the inside. 

“Fat chance of that happening. There’s no way we can set foot in Medoh.” He lamented.

“Actually...” Link explained his plan to set foot inside the Divine Beast, and free it from the inside.

Teba had very little faith in him, calling him brainless and stating that the only people who could enter Divine Beasts were the five Champions of old, who had all been dead for 100 years.

I mean, you’re not exactly wrong, but...

Teba mourned briefly for the champions of the past, before redirecting his attention to bringing Vah Medoh down. He explained that it had cannons that would blast them out of the sky if they weren’t careful, and told Link that he would need to test him before he was willing to bring the hylian with him.

He supposed that was fair, though he didn’t appreciate the previous insult.

He asked Link to destroy five of the targets within three minutes - an easy task, especially considering the persistent updrafts, which would allow him to rise back up rather than slowly drifting to the bottom.

It was a simple ask, and he completed it in less than half the time - hell, less than a third, actually. Teba was impressed, and complimented him on his archery skills - though Link couldn’t help but feel that his ability to slow time as he fell certainly gave him an unfair advantage.

He guessed it didn’t really matter though, did it? He would be using the same ability when they fought Vah Medoh, and Teba wasn’t trying to set up a competition, he just wanted to be sure that Link was capable enough to fight by his side.

Regardless, he affirmed his confidence in Link as a warrior, sure that he had seen dozens of fights before, and wondered for a moment if he had heard the name somewhere before. Link had a feeling he had. 

Teba told him to take the bow in the chest, and to let him know when he was ready. Link gladly did so, before turning to the cooking pot just a few feet away from them. If he was going into the sky, he would need plenty of foods to restore his stamina - and likely a meal or two to prevent the cold as well. He wanted to be wearing his strongest armor while fighting off the Divine Beast.

He changed his armor, equipped his best weapons - and his bomb arrows, which he felt would be useful when shooting at the cannons - and ate one of the cold-resisting meals he had cooked, before turning back to Teba. It was only just past noon, which meant they still had plenty of daylight to fight off Vah Medoh however they could.

Teba gave him 20 bomb arrows, stating that regular arrows wouldn’t make a dent in the cannons, and told him to prepare for the cold as well - which he had already taken care of. Link only asked the plan - it was important to know before they got up there, after all - which Teba told him: he would draw Vah Medoh’s fire, and Link would take out the four cannons, since the rest of its body was protected by a barrier. 

It seemed easy enough, though considering how intense his last encounter with a Divine Beast had been, he was hesitant to believe it would really be that simple. He had confidence in Teba - and himself, of course - but that didn’t mean he was willing to underestimate what Vah Medoh was capable of.

Still, with the preparations of the way, and the plan now fully explained, Link had nothing else he needed to do first. It was time to put an end to Vah Medoh’s reign of terror, once and for all. 

“I’m ready.” 

Teba nodded, seeming ready as well. But before he set off, he had one last question for Link.

“Why are you doing this? Why risk your life to bring down Medoh?” He asked, searching the hylians eyes for some sort of answer.

Link considered it for a moment, trying to come up with a satisfactory answer. He considered mentioning Zelda, and how this was only one step in a larger plan to free her. He thought about making some heroic statement about saving Rito Village, and being the savior he knew he was expected to be. But then, he knew that even if he hadn’t been the chosen knight, even if he had no personal involvement in any of this, he still wouldn’t have just done nothing. He had to help, not because it was part of some grand destiny or a responsibility that had been entrusted to him, but simply because he could.

That was the answer, then. That was why he was here, why he was doing all of this, for people he barely knew, and a village he had hardly seen. That was why he had done any of this.

“I can’t just watch...” He said.

“You can’t just sit and watch innocent people be terrorized?” Teba asked. “Then imagine how I feel as a proud Rito warrior.” He could.

Teba glanced away for a moment, seemingly steeling himself for what lay ahead. He looked back at Link, expression hardening, and told him to get on his back.

Link gladly did so, climbing as the rito kneeled and holding on as tightly as he could as the warrior took off. It was not dissimilar from how he had ridden upon Sidon’s back to face Vah Ruta, only this time they were taking to the air, not the water.

It was time to fight a Divine Beast once more. He could only hope the fight went as well as it had the last time.

Chapter Text

Link had to admire the sight as he rode upon Teba’s back, miles upon miles in the air, higher than Vah Medoh itself. The world truly looked different from up here, and beautiful too. Though, there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

He was crouched on Teba’s back, with only one hand grabbing onto his armor, and he stared down at the Divine Beast. Vah Medoh quickly alerted to their presence, activating its shield as they approached. Teba lamented about it, but they had planned for this anyways, so it wasn’t a problem.

“What’s wrong, Link? Too scared to talk?” Link only glared down at the warrior, though he knew he could not see it. 

Teba went over the plan once more, instructing Link to go after the cannons while he drew their fire, and warned him not to get close enough to touch it. 

Link was ready, and soon they were off, separating as they drew near the first cannon. Within seconds there was a red dot on his face, and an all-too-familiar noise began.

The “cannons” were the exact same as the guardians’ lasers.

Link grit his teeth, maneuvering in the air as needed and quickly taking out the first cannon - luckily it only took two hits with the bomb arrows to be destroyed, but he was wary of its laser, not only for his own safety, but for Teba’s as well. He trusted the warrior, he really did, and he knew Teba had already faced Vah Medoh once before, but he was now purposefully drawing its fire, and Link worried he would get himself hit trying to distract it from Link.

He was glad at least that so long as he let himself drop whenever it fired at him, they would be unable to hit him, firing at where they had last seen him and not accounting for gravity. It didn’t take too long to destroy the other three, annoying as it was, and soon he was landing on Vah Medoh’s enormous wings.

As he did, however, Teba circled around, showing off a nasty burn on his leg from where he had been struck. Link’s heart sank, and Teba wondered aloud if he’d even be able to make it back to the flight range.

Link could only pray he could.

With that Teba fell behind, turning tail as Link focused on landing on the moving platform beneath him, enormous as it was and moving at speeds beyond Link’s imagining, even as he tried to keep up with it. He was left alone once more to enter into a Divine Beast which had not seen anyone inside in 100 years, save for the spirit of the champion which piloted it, most likely.

The travel gate was much the same, and soon a voice called out to him - one he had heard only once before, yet it was still familiarly grating. Just as he had thought, Revali was speaking to him, much the same way Mipha had been able to, only he was much more condescending. 

He told Link about the Guidance Stone, just as Mipha had, asking him patronizingly if he could make it there.

Despite the pools of malice engulfing the walls, the disjointed path leading over to it, and the guardian scout in his way, Link could, in fact, make it over to the guidance stone, and it didn’t take him long to do so. Revali was similarly condescending as he instructed Link to activate the terminals, and it was clear he still doubted the hero’s abilities even as he relied on the hylian to free Vah Medoh, and by extension, himself.

It was one of the rare moments Link felt an unbridled confidence in himself - there was nothing that brought out his own assuredness in his abilities as much as someone doubting them, and he only grew more determined by Revali’s refusal to accept that he was capable. There was no better motivator than spite, it seemed, and while he felt he had nothing to prove, it would be nice to hear the smugness finally drop from the rito’s voice as he rescued the very person who had been unable to do any of this himself.

In any case, it seemed most of the terminals were in the wings - apart from the main control unit, which he had seen upon the Divine Beast’s back when flying above it. It appeared he couldn’t get inside the legs at all, and the head was where the guidance stone had been. 

His controls this time were tilting Vah Medoh entirely, with only three possible positions - neutral, tilted left, or tilted right, naturally. He looked in both directions, and decided to first head to the wing on his right - technically the left wing, looking at it on the map - figuring that since it had been blocked by malice, there was probably something important inside; not to mention it was the wing that had three terminals as opposed to two.

The first terminal was easy enough to access - all he had to do was clear out the malice in front of it, and tilt the divine beast to glide down to it from the entrance. Although, he did try to glide without tilting it a few times first, and found he was entirely unsuccessful. 

Revali seemed somewhat surprised, but still entirely unimpressed, and Link mostly ignored him, quickly moving on towards the chest and locked door on the other side of the room.

That puzzle was easy enough as well, although it took him quite a while to exactly figure out, not to mention the constant tilting back and forth as he manipulated the bombs, wind, and metal ball.

Revali was far less condescending this time, simply telling him to keep going. And... was that hope Link heard in his voice?

He did feel a little sympathy for the champion - no one deserved to have met the fate he and the others had, no matter how rude they were to Link personally. He couldn’t imagine the pain they must have felt, preparing as they did so extensively for the calamity they knew was coming, yet failing all the same in the end. The grief, and the slow realization that they weren’t going to make it - dying at the hands of a lower beast than the one they had been preparing to fight, losing everything and then being trapped with the very beast that had killed them in the very machines they had been chosen to pilot to defeat the calamity for a century, the years dragging on as they slowly accepted that they might never be free again...

Link would not wish that upon anyone, and personal grudges aside, he wished to do anything he could to ease that burden from the champion, even if he did not see eye to eye with him on most other matters.

With nothing else to do in this wing - it appeared the third terminal was somewhere underneath it, however he would access it - he quickly left, making his way to the other one.

The first puzzle took him many hours to complete, though not because it was all too complicated, simply frustrating and difficult to understand at first. By the time he completed it it was well past midnight.

Revali sounded fully surprised this time, and he was hiding his hope far less now, sounding bewildered by the fact that Link was actually activating the terminals, confounded by the idea that he might actually be freed.

The next terminal - though he could see it from where he was standing - would have to be accessed from the underside of the wing, and Link trudged back to the center, escaping through the open doorway on this side. The other side was blocked by malice anyways - and in fact, had a mouth made of malice that would spit cursed skulls at him, be it that of a bokoblin, lizalfos, or moblin.

The terminal underneath the wing he could access was simple enough to get to in theory, but annoying in practice. All he had to do was tilt the divine beast and stand in the cart which would bring him to the other side, however the other side was blocked by malice, which was annoying to shoot while accounting for the curve of his arrows as gravity pulled them back down to earth.

After he struggled with that conundrum for a good hour or two, he finally made his way up to the terminal, activating it just as he had the others. He waited expectantly this time, curious as to what Revali would say this time.

It almost sounded complimentary, the continuing surprise at Link actually being capable.

Still, he made his way up to the back of the divine beast, wanting to explore a little more first before he completed the last terminal. Revali had waited a hundred years, he could stand to wait a few moments more. 

He could see how this Divine Beast was clearly made for someone who could fly - maneuvering from place to place would be a breeze, no pun intended, for someone who could simply lift themselves into the air as they flitted from one spot to another.

It was also rather beautiful from up here, taking a moment to truly pause and appreciate the beauty of everything. The world looked magnificent from this high up, and he envied anyone who had the chance to see this regularly. 

As the sun rose, he pulled out the Sheikah Slate to take a few photos, wanting to capture the wonder and amazement he felt forever, eternally memorializing the sheer beauty of the world before him.

After that he made his way, finally, down to the other side of the divine beast, looking towards where the last terminal was. It appeared this one was much the same as the previous, only the cart he had ridden in was gone. 

He had to glide down, then, in the open air with nothing to stop him from falling all the way back to the ground, hundreds of miles below. Though, he had a feeling that some mysterious force would prevent him from actually doing so, but he didn’t exactly want to test the theory.

He tilted Vah Medoh once more, taking one last look at the wonderful world around him before jumping as far as he could, gliding the instant he was able to and hoping to all things holy that he would be able to make it.

Thankfully, he was, and he let out a sigh of relief as he walked up to the final terminal, activating it just as he had the others. Actually activating the terminals was the easiest part of all this.

Revali seemed entirely stunned that he had actually been able to activate all of the terminals, instructing him impatiently to head to the main control unit now. Link knew the drill by this point, and promptly made his way up to Vah Medoh’s back - though not before exploring everywhere he could first, making sure he had gotten every last chest.

Finally, he walked up to the main control unit, making sure that he had his best armor and weapons equipped, and held up the Sheikah Slate as he had done before. He was prepared, this time, for the beast that materialized out of it, and he waited for it to fully form as Revali described how this very beast had made him meet his demise those 100 years ago.

He asked Link to avenge him.

A dark realization came to Link’s mind as the beast fully formed, and even as Revali spoke he felt a deep sense of dread sink in. Just as the previous beast had been called Waterblight Ganon, this too was a blight. Windblight Ganon.

The very blight that had killed him all those times in the castle.

Link’s grip on his sword tightened, and he grit his teeth as he locked eyes on the monster. He would not fail this time; he couldn’t.

Just as it had in the castle, the beast teleported around, creating tornados and blasting at him with its lasers. Only this time Link knew its tricks, and not only that, but he had the advantage of the numerous updrafts generated by Vah Medoh’s mechanisms, allowing him to fully utilize his ability to slow time as he shot midair.

He had to admit it was odd to hear Revali shouting words of encouragement as he managed to get in hit after hit, panicking as he was while it tried its damndest to kill him. Its eye was its weakpoint, as it seemed to be for most monsters, and with a few direct hits he could stun it, allowing him to dash over and attack it directly.

Before long, however, the beast had entered its second phase, and soon it was bringing out all new attacks, using smaller canons to redirect its blast and shooting in sequences that Link only narrowly managed to avoid. And, much as he hated it, Windblight too had a laser much like the guardians did.

He figured, then, that it would be weak to the ancient arrows just as the guardians were. 

Sure enough, with an ancient arrow or two, many more bomb arrows, and a good few slashes from his sword as well, the beast was dead, exploding in a gush of malice that flowed out of its very soul - though Link doubted it actually had one. It exploded in a blinding flash of light and technology, and a heart container was left in its place, floating down to land in front of him just as had happened the last time.

He stepped forward hesitantly, picking up the heart container with a sigh of relief as it healed all of his wounds, finally allowing him to rest, even for a brief moment.

He turned, now, to the main control unit once more. He had already explored the Divine Beast to its full extent, had seen everything he could see, had collected all the treasure he could find. There was nothing left for him to do now except free the champion still trapped inside. 

Link took a deep breath, before stepping forwards and holding the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal just as he had countless times before.

The terminal began to glow blue, and the world fell silent, save for the sound of the wind whistling in his ears. And then...

“Well I’ll be plucked...”

The rito flew in, landing a good few feet from Link and glowing with that telltale cyan-blue, flames dancing around him all the same. He was surprisingly calm, all things considered, still sure of himself, but less overwhelmingly so. He thanked Link, even, and managed to not be condescending while doing so, much to the hylian's surprise. 

His mood shifted after doing so, however, and he turned slightly away from Link, folding his hands back together after his dramatic gesture.

“Don’t preen yourself just for doing your job.” Well that lasted long. 

Still, he commended Link for having proved himself, showing that he was a warrior worthy of the ability he had dubbed “Revali’s Gale”. He summoned it forth with a dramatic shout, raising his arm to the heavens as he called forth his ability into an orb that he shot at Link at breakneck speeds, nearly sending the hylian flying back.

It took a moment for it to absorb fully, and then Link was being lifted off his feet into the air, hovering at first, and then flying several yards into the sky before landing dramatically as he flipped over, kneeling and then coming to a stand as he stared back at his old ally.

Revali shifted topic again, focusing on the plans that would be made to defeat Ganon, though that same haughty air never left, and he mentioned that it was only if Link still thought he needed his help while he was inside the castle.

“Feel free to thank me now.” He boasted.

Link wished he could. He willed forward the words, tried desperately to make himself speak, but it seemed that old habits were hard to break, and even now, facing his long-dead ally who he only had this one chance to see again, he could not bring forth the words, could not make his mouth comply. 

And then he was glowing again, and being summoned back to the ground below, the mere seconds having stretched into an eternity of silence yet having been too short to have said anything at all, even if he could.

He looked back up at Revali, who seemed disgruntled, telling him to just go.

It’s not like I have much of a choice.

Within moments he was made ethereal once more, left to watch as Vah Medoh ceased its endless circling and instead shifted course, heading directly towards Rito Village. It braced its legs, balancing differently before coming to land on the perch made of stone that was the center of the entire village. He could see dozens of people flying around, staring in apprehension and concern as the Divine Beast made its roost just above their town - he could not blame them for their worry, benevolent as he knew this change was.

Medoh’s beak ignited with that same red laser that made its aim at the castle, and Link was placed firmly on the ground at Revali’s Landing, left to come to terms with everything that had just happened on his own, while the Sheikah Slate displayed its description of Revali’s Gale.

At least the town was finally at peace.

Chapter Text

Link spoke to who he could as he made his way back to the elder, gaining a few quests on the way. It seemed everyone was much more open to expressing their more mundane concerns now that the constant threat of the Divine Beast attacking them all was no longer a threat.

Bedoli sang a song which registered as a shrine quest, and Link was able to meet with Teba again - relieved to see that he was okay, and had made it back safely.

He talked with Tulin first, who was excited that his father had finally returned, and Saki, who thanked him immensely for bringing safety to their town and her family, before turning to the rito warrior whom he had come to admire.

“You...” Teba began, “I really owe you for what you did.” Link could not care less about that.

“Are you hurt?” 

“It’s fine.” He dismissed. “Thanks to my wife, I’ve recovered to the point where I can stand.” Link let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding.

That was all that he could hope for, really. That he was making a steady recovery and had no lasting wounds from the fight, even if Link hated that he had gotten hurt at all. He just hoped that the warrior would be more careful from now on, now that the town was safe and there were no pressing threats that he would have to throw himself into danger to eliminate.

Though, Teba mentioned that his wife had told him something interesting. He said that she told him Link was a descendant of the Champion. 

Link said nothing in response.

Teba laughed, telling him he had nothing to hide. He remarked that from his bowmanship and the way he moved in the air there was no doubt that Link had the blood of a Champion. 

Well, if there’s really nothing to hide...

“What? You look like you’ve got something else to say.” It’s now or never. 

“Actually...” He explained that he was the Hylian Champion, not his descendant. Teba was surprised for a moment, exclaiming at the revelation before falling silent. And then...

He laughed. “Good one, pal!” And his expression soured. “Everyone knows that all of the Champions were wiped out by Calamity Ganon 100 years ago.” Link sighed mentally, resigning himself to listen as Teba explained how, even if they were somehow alive 100 years later, they’d be “old geezers” by now, in his words.

With nothing much else to say, he told Link to talk with the elder, saying that he really ought to hear it from Link himself. When the hylian tried to press for more, he only repeated that he was alright now, apologizing if he had worried him, and telling him to speak with the elder once more. 

And so he walked next door to where Kaneli resided, approaching the elder as he had done before. He congratulated Link just as expected, speaking of the legends of old and how Vah Medoh had roosted upon their very village.

He offered Link a reward, though he hardly felt he needed one, pointing out the chest on the side and telling the hylian to take whatever was inside, before telling him once more how miraculous it was that he had managed to free the Divine Beast.

“Why... you are almost the equal of the very Hylian Champion who fought with Master Revali 100 years ago...” He told.

Well I would sure hope so. Though, what do you mean “almost”?

“All you lack is the sword that seals the darkness .” He continued.

Oh. Right. The legendary sword that I’m supposed to have. But where am I supposed to find it?

“They say the Hylian Champion wielded the sword that seals the darkness that now sleeps deep within the forest.” And with that he was done speaking, leaving Link to collect whatever was in the chest and consider his words.

Inside the chest was the Great Eagle Bow - the very one that Revali had wielded 100 years ago. Much like a lynel bow, it was able to shoot three arrows at once, while only using up one, and it did more damage than a lynel bow, if his memory was correct. 

Link paused; he should probably go mount this on the walls of his house, just as he had with Mipha’s trident. Only, he didn’t have any more mounts on his walls. 

Then he would just have to buy some more, wouldn’t he? That had been the plan, hadn’t it? Hell, it was still registered as a quest he needed to complete, all he needed to do was finish buying all of the furniture to go inside the home. Besides, he needed to stop back at Hateno anyways, he had several quests to complete from there - mostly shrine quests, but still - and it was always nice to visit anyways.

He still had people to talk to here first, though. With one last nod at the elder, he began to make his way back down through the village, stopping first to talk with Teba once more - who explained a bit more about the bow he now held, before planning to set off with Tulin for the flight range. He explained how he hoped Tulin would grow up to be a distinguished warrior like Master Revali.

You know, that might not actually be as bad as I thought. 

“Take care.” Link said.

Teba stood, turning to his son with nearly the same excitement Tulin had. They made their way to Revali’s Landing, where Teba took off with Tulin on his back, much the same way he had with Link when they had left to fight Vah Medoh.

With that he was left to continue making his way through the town, speaking to everyone he saw on his way. Not many people in the town had quests, but he was happy to see them all the same.

Amali asked him to find Kheel, who had run off to somewhere she didn’t know, and he found that her sisters were off doing various errands. As he made his way out of the town entirely, Gesane spoke of a Frost Talus, a monster of such incredible size and might that only a Champion could defeat. 

He figured he could at least finish those few quests, before stopping back at Hateno to talk with Bolson and mount the Great Eagle Bow on the wall. After all, who knew when he’d next need to come back here?

All in all, it didn’t take too long to find Kheel - she was at the very place she had been wanting to go when he had seen her last: Warbler’s Nest. Though, that started a whole other quest of gathering her sisters for their rehearsal, and once that was finished he mimicked their song with the stones at Warbler’s Nest to unearth a shrine, so that was neat at least.

He had also discovered what, exactly, Revali’s Gale did, when trying to find one of the sisters, Notts. She had been perched pretty high up, and rather than climbing, he had used his new ability, finding that it lifted him a good distance into the air with an updraft.

After that it wasn’t too difficult to put together the meaning of the other shrine quest, with the other ancient rito song, though this one actually had lyrics, and the shrine was similarly easy to complete. As for the frost talus, well, judging by the glowing dot on his map, Coldsnap Hollow was deep in the Hebra mountains. The monster posed no threat to the town from this distance, and he really didn’t have any plans to traverse the freezing and desolate mountains just yet, so he pushed that off as yet another quest to do later, whenever that time came.

He did, however, stop back at the flight range, just as he had promised, to check in on Tulin and Teba. He couldn’t leave without properly saying goodbye to the pair, of course.

Teba didn’t have much to say, only asking him to show Tulin how to use a bow, and warning him that Tulin got his bluntness from his father, and to not pay anything he said too much mind.

Tulin himself was enthusiastic as ever to greet Link, which he gladly returned. He asked Link if he was as good with a bow as his father said, to which he agreed, and asked the hylian to show him, by breaking as many of the targets he could in the time given. He was always up for a challenge, so he nodded, waiting for time to begin.

He played a few rounds of Tulin’s challenge, aiming to get better. He knew he had been mainly competent in sword combat, before everything, and though he didn’t exactly remember his training, he still had much more of an innate skill for melee weapons than ranged ones. It was good to get some practice in, and push himself to do better. Hylia knew he would need all of the practice he could get if he was going to defeat Ganon.

In any case, he admired the relationship Tulin and Teba had. It was clear that Tulin revered his father, and for good reason - not only was he a strong warrior, worthy of being emulated, but he was also a good father. It was clear how much he cared for his son, and Link could only stare as he saw the adoring look on Teba’s face as he gazed at Tulin. He was glad the two had each other - and Saki, of course, though she wasn’t present at the moment.

And, to a degree, Link was glad for his relationship with Teba as well. They weren’t as close friends as he was with Sidon, and Link still didn’t quite feel like his equal, more like an apprentice to a craft it was evident Teba had spent years honing, but all the same, he truly appreciated the time he had gotten to spend with the archer. In a way, it almost felt akin to the way Tulin and Teba were spending time with each other right now.

Of course, Link didn’t see Teba as his dad - he hadn’t known him long enough to, though that didn’t mean he was vehemently opposed to the idea - but he certainly had that fatherly nature, even when dealing with Link, capable as he was. He appreciated having someone look out for him, who wanted him to be realistic with his expectations for himself and not push himself too hard - who had been willing to defend and even take a hit for Link in battle to ensure that they had both made it out alive, despite Link being the one who had been ready to dive in with no real form of protection for himself, besides some flimsy armor that certainly wouldn’t hold up against the ancient machine’s lasers. 

He was going to miss the kind people he had met here, just as he did every kind person he had met along his journey, but he thought he was going to miss Teba and his firm but gentle assurance most of all. He wouldn’t forget what they had done together, nor the sacrifices the warrior had made for him. Not even Ganon could take that from him.

This wouldn’t be the last time Link would see the pair - just as he would never truly stop visiting all the various places he had seen - but he knew he probably wouldn’t be coming back for a while, at least not for very long. He wished them the best, and pulled out the Sheikah Slate, teleporting away.

Chapter Text

Hateno was as welcoming as ever, and Link made his way over to his house, speaking with Bolson as he did so. It was simple enough to have a bow mount installed, and he had another weapon and shield mount added as well. He would’ve done more, but it was 100 rupees for each thing he had installed, and after asking for a bed and door as well, he could no longer afford it. At least for now.

Mounting the Great Eagle Bow was simple enough, and soon he was walking back out - after admiring the new installations of course - into the town. He figured he should complete some of the quests here as well, before moving on to his next Main Quest - be it yet another Divine Beast, another memory, or the Master Sword itself.

Looking through his quests, he noticed two that had originated in this town here - besides the Weapon Connoisseur, and of course the ones related to his house. They were both shrine quests, and it seemed that they both pointed to Mount Lanayru.

One was about the three trees atop the peaks, with a trial awaiting near the sea when the three became one, and the other was about the Spring of Wisdom - a place where the princess of Hyrule had apparently gone to perform a ceremony.

Zelda...

It was settled, then. He was off to Mount Lanayru.

He was lucky, then, that he had just come from a place with freezing weather, because he had plenty of cold-resistance meals already cooked, and of course the entire snowquill set to keep him warm. Though, he did somewhat wish there was some way to make walking in the snow easier, especially if he was going to be climbing the mountain. 

He could see water on his map at the very peak of the mountain, and placed a pin there to guide his travels - the other shrine would most likely be somewhere along the way, and the mountain itself connected directly to Hateno, so he wouldn’t need to travel far to start his journey. With a quick tap to get him up to the Ancient Tech Lab, he was off.

The first part wasn’t too difficult - he was used to climbing and running, so scaling the first few peaks, while by no means easy, wasn’t exactly all that challenging. And from there it wasn’t all too hard to find the spot where the three trees aligned and “turn your back to them and head toward the sea”, as the legend went. 

He found a number of new species along the way as well, from mushrooms, to herbs, to even a new type of wolf. And the trial itself wasn’t really a trial at all - the shrine was another blessing, in which he found the climbing boots and yet another monk and spirit orb, with no actual puzzle.

With that out of the way, all that was left was to make it to the actual peak of the mountain, where he had spotted something mysterious, though he couldn’t actually tell what it was from this distance.

Revali’s gale actually proved to be quite useful, though, as he ascended the snowy mountain, climbing wherever he could, and allowing the champion to lift him up for faster and more effective travel when he could - he was able to use the ability three times before it ran out, it seemed, and the cooldown was much shorter than Mipha’s, but he supposed that was only fair - flying a few feet in the air didn’t take nearly as much energy as bringing him back from the dead, and it made sense that it wouldn’t be as limited of an ability either.

Combined with his climbing gear, of which he now had 2/3s of the whole set, he was making it up the mountain in record time, at least in his opinion. As he grew closer, however, he was able to get a clearer view of whatever it was that sat atop the mountain’s peak, if only through small glimpses. The camera was able to identify it, and he snapped a photo both to keep and for the compendium.

It was Naydra - another dragon. The spirit of ice, that served the Spring of Wisdom - the very one Zelda had set out to worship at for her 17th birthday, when she had come of age. But...

Something was very wrong.

Even from here, he could see that the ancient spirit did not quite look right. It was purple and black, with traces of red lingering around it, and while that shouldn’t have seemed all that out of the ordinary, there was something about the red that just felt... off. As he grew closer he used the scope to get a better view, and his heart sank.

It was malice. Malice was coating it, at least the part of it he could see, and it was heaving, resting atop the mountain with its whole body quivering as it breathed in and out, malice-eyes darting all around as it sat still. 

It was supposed to be flying, protecting the spring, the mountain, something, anything. It was not supposed to be lying there helplessly, heaving as it was now. Birds circled above it, and Link couldn’t help but mourn for the spirit, too overcome with malice to fly and be free like the birds above.

And so Link continued to climb, a deep sense of dread settling in his stomach as he ignored the clearly marked path in favor of simply climbing the walls, taking the most direct path he could to the spring, and its guardian spirit. 

He stepped forwards onto the path as he finally arrived at the top, staring at the groaning spirit, and the goddess statue beneath it, which looked so tiny in comparison. It was illuminated for a moment, before falling dark, and a familiar voice began to speak to him. 

“You have done well to find your way to this spring.” Hylia spoke. Link could only listen in reverent silence. “The one you see before you is an attendant to the Spring of Wisdom. This is Naydra, the blue spirit of Lanayru.”

“This servant of the Goddess has looked over the spirits of this land for ages, unknown to the world of man. However, the dreaded Malice unleashed by Calamity Ganon has possessed its body and reduced it to this state.” So that was why there was malice coating its body, and why it now curled itself around the pillars of ice.  

It had been taken over, the same as the guardians, the same as the Divine Beasts, the same as the world at large. But... if the Divine Beasts could be freed, and rid of the Calamity’s control... then could this spirit as well?

“You who have received the Spirit Orbs... Free Naydra from this Malice. Show what your power can achieve!” With that command from the goddess Hylia Herself, the enormous malice-eye shot open with a disconcerting sound, pupil beginning to dart around as the malice seemed to become aware.

Link steeled himself, equipping his best weapons and drawing his bow. If he had been able to rid all of the other malice he had encountered by shooting the eyes, then now was likely no different. He could not deny Her command, and so it was time to take up the fight once more, no matter the risk.

With a silent promise, Link loosed an arrow, the projectile whistling through the air the only noise on the otherwise silent mountaintop. 

There was a puff of smoke, and the eye disintegrated. Naydra roused, now, taking to the air as it began to circle, slowly making its way to the very, very peak of Mount Lanayru, which it encircled, looping around as it flew in a circuit around the snowy mountaintop. 

It took Link a good few minutes to climb to the top, meeting the spirit where it was and looking to the next eye of malice that he could destroy. With another arrow, the one on its stomach evaporated, and Naydra gained speed once more, taking off down the mountain. Link could only follow, gliding after it as it generated an updraft that allowed him to soar with infinitely regenerating stamina.

He followed the spirit’s winding path down the mountain, shooting the last two eyes of malice coating its body, and soon the spirit was free, shaking off the malice entirely as it began to shine with radiant light emanating from inside, before it shifted colors entirely - going from black and purple to blue and white. 

His vision faded as the spirit began to fly back to the top of the mountain, and when he opened his eyes he was back at the spring, where Naydra rested once more, only now of its own free will, leisurely pausing at the very spring it guarded and staring at him contemplatively. 

“Thanks to your efforts, Naydra, the spirit of Mount Lanayru, has been freed from the grips of an evil power.” Link only nodded, not daring to interrupt the Goddess. “But a single ceremony remains. Now... Loose your arrow through the body of Naydra to free the spirit of this region!” She wanted him to... shoot Naydra? But there was no malice left for him to rid the spirit of, no reason to attempt to hurt the guardian of this sacred spring.

Still, he had been ordered to by Hylia herself. And, besides, a single arrow probably couldn’t hurt a mighty dragon, especially free as it was now. Hesitantly, Link drew his bow once more, loosing one final arrow.

Naydra cried out, and the spot where his arrow had hit glimmered with golden light, before the spirit took off, spiralling towards the sky once more as it left the sacred spring. After a moment, the glimmering light shot off of the spirit’s body, landing just in front of the spring, just a few feet in front of him. 

“That is the spirit Naydra’s scale. It fell when your arrow struck.” Just as how the Spring of Power requires Dinraal’s scale...

“It serves as proof of the courage you received from the one who served the spring since ancient times. Come... Offer a scale from the blue spirit Naydra to the Spring of Wisdom.”

Link walked forward, cautiously picking up the scale from where it had fallen. He read the Sheikah Slate’s description of it, before continuing towards the Goddess statue, which had a pedestal before it. He placed the scale atop it, hoping it would reveal the way. Or at least, he tried to, but the scale fell off of the stone, unbalanced despite his efforts. As it hit the water, it let off a beacon of light, glowing golden once more as it became the light itself.

Behind the Goddess statue, an ancient door opened, revealing an orange glow from inside. A shrine - the very shrine that had marked this as a quest to begin with. 

“Your path has shown itself. Now go forth.” And with that, he was left on his own once more.

Link was silent as he made his way towards the shrine, contemplating everything that had just happened.

The guardian spirit had disappeared into a portal in the sky, likely another realm where it resided when it was not guarding the spring. Link had interacted with it - had gotten close enough to touch it - had shot it - had been instructed by the Goddess to do so. Had freed it from Ganon’s malice and then taken one of its scales, which he had offered to the Goddess in exchange for a shrine. 

One, measly shrine, a blessing that required him to walk in a straight line to open a chest - with a weapon he couldn’t even take - and an ancient monk who gave him yet another spirit orb. He had taken a part of a spirit's body for that. 

But... he hadn’t hurt it, at least he didn’t think so. He had been instructed by Hylia Herself to do so, had allowed it to rest and be free by doing so. And, well, it had thousands of scales - taking one really wasn’t that big of a deal, was it?

He sighed, brushing it off for now. There was nothing much else to do - ruminating on it certainly wouldn’t accomplish anything.

As he walked back out of the shrine, and into the spring once more, he considered the spirit orb he had gotten, and the Goddess statue in front of him. He did have four now, and though trying to trade them in before hadn’t done much - Hylia hadn’t even addressed the spirit orbs, only the scale that he was supposed to present - he wondered if She would accept them now that he had completed the shrine, the trial She had apparently so wanted him to complete.

Sure enough, he was able to trade them in for yet another heart, feeling stronger as Her voice faded away. He was grateful to have his being enhanced, and he wondered if this was truly something only he could do - the shrines were only supposed to be accessed by the Chosen Hero, after all, and Hylia had outright refused to speak to Zelda, Her own flesh and blood, those 100 years ago, if what few memories he had were anything to go by. Had he been able to speak to Her, a century before? Or was that only something She was willing to do now, realizing Her mistake in letting the world fall to ruin for 100 years and wanting to change the course of fate?

She wouldn’t answer him, of course, even if he had asked Her these questions directly. It seemed no one really liked giving direct answers.

There was only one real question left, then: what did he do now?

Looking at his map, he found nothing of major note nearby - there was a snowfield that he had passed over when freeing Naydra, and of course more mountain peaks, but nothing that really needed him to go see it. He wondered briefly what lay in the sea to the east, what world existed beyond the end of his map, but leaving Hyrule was the last thing he would do now. It was seeming like there was nothing even interesting around. Except...

There, on his map, he had marked something off already. He had left a stamp there some time ago, just where the water ended and the snowy area began. When had he...

Pikango. He realized. I marked it there because it was the location of one of my memories. 

That was it, then. That was where he would go next.

He considered, for a moment, how best to get there. He was already the closest he could get by teleporting, and any other means would require him climbing up an entire mountain - something he had already done, and wasn’t exactly looking to repeat. But...

He climbed to the very peak, above the cave where the shrine had been hidden. It would be a long distance to travel, but with all the various stamina-replenishing meals he had, he could probably make it. He hoped. At least using the paraglider would be much quicker than walking. 

Well, there was really only one way to find out. With one final glance back at the mountain, he took a running leap off, flying through the cold air with only one goal in mind.

Make it to the gate.

Chapter Text

The journey actually didn’t take too long, though it was boring as could be, flying so far above the world at what felt like such a crawling pace, while not even being able to see anything due to the constant snow and wind that made the world below him just a blur of white, with faint hints of landscapes in the distance.

He was still surprisingly high up when he made it to where his target was, and chose to drop down the rest of the way, catching himself at the last moment with the paraglider. It was rather fun to let himself free fall, even if just for a few moments as he grew closer to the ground.

From there all it took was a few steps backwards - the mark on his map hadn’t been exactly accurate, considering it was placed based on the map’s view of the world and not what the perspective actually looked like now that he was here - but soon he was able to line up his vision with that of the photo, allowing himself to fall into the past once more.

This time, when he blinked awake, there was little relief in returning to the present, nor in remembering what had occurred. No, all that was left was a solemn dread, and a sinking feeling in his chest as his heart seemed to stop. 

That was it, then. Zelda had felt nothing in the Spring of Wisdom, and before she got a chance to try anything else, to do anything else, Ganon had awoken. Time had run out.

All four of the champions had been there, though he did not entirely remember their names. They had spoken kindly with the Princess - even Revali, who Link had expected to condescend to her for her inability to unlock her powers. He supposed the rito had finally understood the gravity of the situation, in that moment, or at least had sympathized with Zelda more than he had felt the need to belittle her. 

And now... he nearly felt sick. 

He knew the outcome, knew the ending of the story that he hadn’t back then. They had all fled to their Divine Beasts, had tried with all their might to defeat Ganon, and they had failed. They had failed, and they had died, and the world had ended.

That was the last time he had seen any of them, then. At least the other champions - he had been at Zelda’s side when he himself had died, so there was no doubt he was with her from that moment until the end. But his friends, his allies, his fellow champions... he had never seen them again after that moment, had died before he got the chance to save them, had left their spirits to be trapped in the very Divine Beasts they piloted for 100 years.

He didn’t know what to do.

Link clenched his fists, dread and grief turning to rage as he thought about the senseless deaths that Calamity Ganon had caused, the countless people it had murdered with no rhyme or reason, simply causing destruction because it could. He wanted to scream, to shout, to pound that beast into oblivion and ask it why, why had it done all of this, why had it taken his friends, his family, his world, his life. What was the point of all this? 

His blood was boiling, and he could barely sit still another moment longer. He wanted to yell until his voice gave out, to maim something, to kill. 

He wanted to fight.

He marched forwards blindly, the edges of his vision going red as he tried to find any reason to keep going other than the blinding rage that threatened to consume him, to overtake him entirely until there was nothing left but a seething, screaming mass.

He marched forwards right into the path of a lynel.

Perfect.

He knew how to fight it now, and his rage left no room for fear, nor a second’s hesitation as he threw himself into battle, slashing away at the beast with a vigor and thirst for blood that would send the very earth running, should it comprehend what was happening. He fought, and he maimed, and he killed the beast.

By the time it had died, poofing into the black smoke that Link knew all too well by now, Naydra had already passed through the region, flying overhead and then disappearing into the sky once more as it completed its route. He hadn’t paid much attention to it at first, too consumed by the fight, but it brought him some peace now, as the adrenaline slowly left his system, to know that the spirit was alright, truly free now and roaming wherever it wished.

He rested for a moment, after that, trying to calm himself down. As angry as he was, throwing himself into fights wasn’t going to help anything - carelessly risking his own life was the opposite of what everyone needed from him. They need him to be strong, courageous, a hero who was not phased by danger or the losses they had faced and who was only focused on defeating Ganon and bringing peace and prosperity back to the world. If he was overcome with blinding rage then he could not protect those who mattered: the innocent who were still alive.

He would avenge his friends - he had already done so for two of them, at least partially - but for now he needed to focus on his main mission: doing everything he could to ensure Ganon would be destroyed.

He thought back on the words of wisdom he had gained from the elders of each village; on the words of Impa, Purah, King Dorephan, and Kaneli. There was something all of them had mentioned, something important that would help him in his ventures. Something that defined him as the hero.

The Master Sword; the Sword That Seals the Darkness. 

That was what he needed to seek out next.

Kaneli had mentioned it was resting deep within a forest somewhere, and the others had assured him that it was waiting for him, wherever it was. He wondered if any of them had any more information...

That settled it, then. He would set his rage aside and stop back at Hateno to report on the quests he had completed, and along the way ask Purah if she knew anything more about the Master Sword. Then he would speak to all of the other elders, and use whatever information he gained to seek it out.

With a tap on the Sheikah Slate, he was off.

Chapter Text

Purah didn’t actually have much to say on the matter - nor did Robbie, for it seemed both were far too focused on their research - and Impa was only really interested in his quest to free the Divine Beasts. He was a little disappointed - as they had known him, 100 years before, and remembered the calamity entirely, he had hoped they would know something about the sword that had marked him as a champion in the first place. Or at least that they would be willing to speak about it. 

Still, he moved on. King Dorephan only thanked him once more for saving the Domain, as did Sidon, who gave him a welcome reminder that Link was still, in fact, his treasured friend. By the time he made it to Kaneli, he was beginning to lose hope that they knew anything.

Kaneli did, at least, address the sword, mentioning the “sword that seals the darkness” just as he had before, and that it slept deep within “the forest”, wherever that may be. But that was all he had to say on the matter, and Link sighed.

He supposed he would have to seek it out the hard way: blindly searching Hyrule.

He figured he could at least start from somewhere high, he was sure to get a better view of Hyrule as a whole if he started from a good vantage point. Vah Medoh was a good start - although he discovered that, after teleporting to it, he couldn’t get all too close. The Sheikah Slate would display a message warning about the dangers of approaching the Divine Beast while it aimed at Hyrule Castle, and he was brought back to where he had initially been standing.

Still, Rito Village was so far removed from most of Hyrule that he wasn’t able to see anything of note, at least considering what he was searching for. Although, at the very edge of his vision, in the far distance, he could see something that resembled a tree, with pink leaves, but it was far too large. He placed a pin as close to it as he could get, and found it was much closer to Akkala Tower - perhaps he could get a better view of it from there?

He whisked himself across the map, trying to get a better view, but alas, the volcano stood in the way, blocking his sight of it. He teleported away again, trying to find a better spot to figure out what, exactly, he had seen, and if there was anything else that might point to the Master Sword.

In his various attempts, there was still nothing else he could see that seemed like it was important enough to have anything to do with the Master Sword. But, that didn’t mean all hope was lost.

He had noticed a tower, right next to where the strange place had been. And it wasn’t all too far from one of the stables he already had. So, with one final tap, he made his way to Wetland Stable, ready to start yet another journey in search of answers.

The journey was relatively peaceful, all things considered, and by midday he made it to yet another stable, at the bottom of the hill that the tower was on. The shrine was easy enough to complete, and he was even able to fulfill a quest at the stable, helping a small child, before setting off again towards where the tower was.

He defeated an enemy camp along the way, figuring it was best not to let himself get rusty when it came to fighting the smaller monsters, and slowly made his way up the hill, growing closer and closer to the tower.

He had to branch off the path when he made it near level to the tower, and found himself in the ruins of... something. It wasn’t a town, that much was clear, but it was overrun by monsters, and destroyed nearly beyond repair. Not to mention the tower and most of the dilapidated structures were in a lake of mud, the kind that he knew from experience would drag him down to its depths if he even attempted to swim through it, or if he accidentally fell in. 

Though, something about the structures seemed oddly familiar, a sense of acquaintance with the place nagging at him eerily. He shook it off, trying to focus on the task at hand.

There were monsters all along the path, which Link took out one by one, and soon he had made it to the top of the tower, thanks to Revali’s Gale and a single landing spot in the middle of the bog. It appeared that this tower had been underneath one of the stone skulls that monsters usually made their base in, as it was now speared atop the tower.

From there, the place he had wanted to look at was in the very direction that the stone skull blocked, but that wasn’t much of a problem. All he had to do was climb the stone skull, which was easy enough to do, and he had the perfect view of... whatever it was.

It was a forest, it seemed, with one giant tree at the center, with pink leaves - the thing he had seen from Vah Medoh. There was a fog enshrouding most of the forest, making only its edges visible, and of course, the top of the giant tree, which towered above the rest of the forest from such a height that the fog couldn’t reach it.

A forest.

Probably the largest one in Hyrule, too. The Master Sword had to be inside, somewhere.

The only question now was how he got to it.

Link returned to the camp below, taking out more monsters along the way. It was a quick matter to return to the path he had left behind, with Knight waiting for him even in the now pouring rain. 

The map showed that the path led directly into the entrance of the forest, and he figured that would probably give him a better sense of direction than just trying to blindly wander through what he now knew was called the Great Hyrule Forest. It was probably as large as the Great Plateau, and Link wondered what else lay inside as he made his way up the path. 

The fog encroached upon him as he entered the forest, and Link felt a deep sense of unease sink in, clinging to him like the morning dew on grass. The world was darker, and the sounds around him were quiet but unsettling.

He left Knight behind at the entrance, fearing it might be too dangerous for her inside, and slowly made his way forwards, eyeing the torches scattered around, lit with their sparks blowing in the wind. He didn’t exactly know where he was going, but he followed the torches, not wanting to stray too far from where the light reached. The last stretch was the most unnerving, as he sprinted through the fog to the torches he could just barely see in the distance, with no light to guide him in between.

There, he found two torches, serving as beacons in the uncanny darkness - he could still see the sky above, but it was starkly wrong, dark despite the light filtering through the fog - and one torch that he could carry or use as a weapon, leaning against one of the two lit beacons. He didn’t entirely know what he was supposed to do, but he took the torch anyways, dropping one of his weapons in favor of lighting the weapon he now held, looking to the fog for some sense of direction.

Hesitantly, he took a step out of the light. His steps were slow as he ventured forwards, unsure of where he was meant to go, and he looked around cautiously as he searched for any hint as to what he was meant to do. 

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do, as the fog crept up on him, swallowing him whole as his vision went white. He heard laughter, and a voice called out to him saying something he didn’t understand, and when his eyes opened again he was back at the very beginning of the forest, just a few feet away from Knight.

He shuddered, taking out his map to see if he could find any sense of direction, but it was no help. The entire path was blocked out by the treetops, meaning he had no real clue where to go. Though, he did notice that the Sheikah Slate had labeled the part of the forest he was in, now.

The Lost Woods. 

That didn’t make him feel any better. He looked around hesitantly, unsure of how or what he was even meant to be doing. Still, he tried again, following the path once more. 

This time, he barely even made it to the second lit torch, as apparently he had strayed too far from the path, and the fog enveloped him once again.

There was more laughter, and that same voice, and goddess above, he felt like he should know it. The voice was all too familiar and all too unrecognizable all at once, and he couldn’t understand what they were saying but he felt like he should, like he should know, like he should understand. 

Link realized quickly that he hated everything about this. It was awful and disorienting and each moment he spent in here he felt more creeped out, hating every second as he attempted yet again to make it through the cursed woods.

It was only after he had made it to the final two torches twice more - and had been brought back to the beginning once by the fog, and then the torches themselves by the fog - that he realized something.

The wind.

The sparks flying off of all the previous torches were blown in specific directions because of the wind - towards the next torches. That was why he had been given a torch - to follow the wind. 

It took him another few attempts to figure out how, exactly, to follow the wind, stopping constantly to check if it had changed directions and still getting blown off course occasionally, but finally, finally, he made it to an enclosed path, where the trees thinned out and he was forced in one direction by the landscape around him. 

He was on edge, still, wary of the world around him and unsure when or if the fog would encase him once more, not daring to stray too far from the very center of the path in fear of getting turned around once more. 

Truly, he hated everything about this.

But eventually he noticed his surroundings starting to change, the fog lightening up as he began to notice pink petals coating the path. The noises around him changed too, the unsettling silence and occasional creeping sound from the void fading out as he began to hear what almost sounded like music.

He finally lowered his torch as he stepped properly into the safe haven he had found, practically glowing with life, vibrant and vivid and so different from the dark, dead world he had just come from. He was in Korok Forest, the Sheikah Slate informed him.

And there, shining in a beam of sunlight in the center of the path - the Master Sword, stuck into the ground. 

He ignored the koroks disappearing all around him, shying away from his presence as he made his way confidently to the center of the forest. It was here all along, waiting for him, just as they had said.

He placed his hands on the hilt of the sword, attempting to pull it out of the stone, when something strange happened.

A voice - Zelda - began speaking to him, and he saw visions of the past.

“Link... You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you.” And he was thrown back, staring at his hands as he tried to understand what had just happened.

From above him, a deep, rumbling voice awoke, wondering aloud who was there.

The tree was speaking.

He introduced himself as the Great Deku Tree, a being who had watched over Hyrule since time immemorial, guarding the very sword that lay before him now. He explained how Link had been the one to wield it, 100 years before, and how the tree remembered Link, although Link did not remember him. 

He warned Link that even attempting to wield the sword was a trial, one that he was not sure whether Link could yet handle. If he was not yet prepared, he would lose his life on the spot. 

Link looked back down at the Master Sword, waiting before him. This was the sword he was destined to wield, what had made him worthy of being a champion before all of this. The very reason he had been Zelda’s appointed knight. This was why he was the Chosen Hero. He wasn’t sure if he was yet strong enough to be the same hero who had wielded the sword those 100 years ago.

He supposed there was only one way to find out. 

Link reached out once more, placing his hands on the hilt of the sword as he crouched down into a proper position. With one final breath, he began to pull. 

It hurt. That was the first thing he noticed. It took all of his strength, and drained his very life as he pulled. It was almost indescribable, his very life essence seeping out of him, a deep ache radiating through his whole body yet a piercing sensation all the same, like his very soul was being destroyed. He could understand now why it was not a test for the weak. 

Even still, he pulled, and slowly but surely the sword rose out of its resting place, inching out of the stone and growing ever closer as his very life was drained away. The pain was almost unbearable, but he pushed through it, trying with all of his might even as he felt his very soul growing weaker by the second.

“Enough.” The Great Deku Tree called out, and he stumbled back. He was barely still alive, hardly able to keep himself standing, but even still he hated that he had to give up. He had been so close, had almost managed to free the sword, and yet he could not do it. He didn’t yet possess the strength he had 100 years ago.

And it hurt. 

“You would have lost your life if you hadn’t released your grip on the sword...” The Deku Tree warned, and Link could only glare up at him, even knowing that it was not the tree’s fault that Link was no longer strong enough to wield the very blade that defined him. “Prepare before you try again... for I will not stay your hand partway through the next time.” 

And his life was restored. He felt back at full health now, but the sword was back where it had started, sunken fully back into the stone. Link glared, biting back the tears that threatened to burn his eyes as he gazed at the Master Sword.

The tree didn’t know him, though. It didn’t know what he had been through, what abilities he now had that he hadn’t before. He had the fairies on him, and Mipha’s Grace, and his stubborn inability to die. If Ganon himself could not stop him, then this sword certainly could not. 

He steeled himself, placing his hands on the blade once more.

He pulled, and he pulled, and his very life drained away as the sword lifted inch by inch, pain searing through his entire body yet everything in him refusing to give in. He would not be undone by a sword, by the very weapon that he was destined to wield. He would not be defeated by this. 

And yet...

He collapsed dead on the ground as his life was drained entirely, stolen away by the very sword that was supposed to help him save the world.

When he “awoke” again he was standing before the sword as if nothing had happened, though he already had the Main Quest indicating that his conversation with the Deku Tree had already happened, at least. That meant that only his second, fatal attempt had not yet happened, or at least, had been undone by the rewinding of time.

He shuddered, readjusting to the feeling of life in his limbs as he took one final glance at the damned sword that was supposed to help him seal the darkness, and had instead taken his life. He ignored the impending sense of dread and worthlessness and instead turned to the rest of the forest, trying to reignite his curiosity as to what it had to offer.

There were quite a few koroks here - with names, too, as opposed to the generic “korok” that he sensed whenever he talked to one he had found. They actually spoke with him, too, a few of them giving him quests, and nearly all of them addressing him as “Mr. Hero”. Although he didn’t usually like titles, he had to admit it was kind of cute. He felt like a big brother, with adoring younger siblings who thought the world of him.

Chio, the one with a mushroom growing out of their head who looked like the closest they had to an elder of their village, asked him to complete the trials that some of the koroks had prepared for him. They said that the trials would prepare him for pulling out the Master Sword. He was more than happy to do anything that would help him prepare.

“So will you test your mettle in the Korok Trials ?” Chio asked.

“I’ll do it!” Chio seemed less than enthused.

“Ya know, if you keep doing everything everyone asks of you without question, you’re gonna get conned eventually...” Link just blinked at them.

I mean, yeah, but I’d rather get tricked into helping someone who didn’t need it than refuse to help someone who did need it.

Besides, he liked to think he had some critical thinking skills. He could tell when people were being shady, he just didn’t immediately refuse to help them because of that. Just because he chose to ignore the red flags didn’t mean he couldn’t see them.

In any case, the koroks had apparently decked out the inside of the Great Deku Tree in preparation for his arrival. ...inside the Great Deku Tree? But isn’t he alive? Am I inside his stomach right now? 

Though, it was called his naval, so Link figured it was okay. Probably. 

There were two shops inside and an inn, which he was allowed to stay at free of charge, courtesy of Pepp. He made sure to buy out both of the shops - after selling some gems he had acquired along the way - before resting until morning in the bed of leaves that Pepp had made for him.

It was surprisingly comfortable.

In the morning he made his way through the rest of the forest, meeting someone he had nearly forgotten about, but was nonetheless happy to see: Hestu.

The musician was as happy as ever to see Link, offering just as always to expand his inventory in return for korok seeds, an offer Link gladly took up; it had been far too long since he had gained space in his inventory, and he was glad for any chance to hold more things.

There was also a shrine just around the corner, which Link was more than happy to complete - he was grateful for the spirit orb, of course, but he was also glad that it meant he would never have to travel through the lost woods again. 

He completed a full circuit around the Great Deku Tree, following the path that circled him, before deciding to climb up to see if there was anything he could find from a higher vantage point. There was a platform not too high up that allowed him to speak with the Great Deku Tree himself, and if he thought it was odd that Link was climbing him, he said nothing to indicate it.

At the very top - on what he supposed was probably the Great Deku Tree’s head? - there was another platform, with plenty of vegetation, and another korok, Walton, who offered him a trial of his own. They were riddles, which Link figured he had gotten pretty good at, and he asked Link to bring him the object that the riddle was about.

The first few were simple, an apple, a pumpkin, and a sunshroom, which were all fairly common and relatively easy to get. The next ones were a bit harder - a rare fish that he was lucky he had, and the final one, which he was honestly surprised he actually had: a lynel hoof. He was glad, then, that he had fought that last lynel after regaining the memory, he wasn’t sure if he would’ve had one of these without it, and the thought of purposefully seeking out a lynel now was more than a little off-putting. 

The reward was definitely worth it, though, being a diamond. 

And after that, well, he was off to the korok trials, ready for whatever quests awaited him. He just hoped that they wouldn’t be too frustrating - he could deal with difficult, and he could deal with deadly, but he really had little patience for annoying.

Chapter Text

With all of that out of the way, Link made his way to one of the three glowing dots on his map, not sure which one was which or what trials awaited him, but eager to take on anything that would make him stronger. 

The first one he ran into was the Trial of Second Sight, which was not all too difficult really, though certainly unnerving, as it forced him back into the lost woods he had just escaped. He had to use magnesis to see where the metal boulders were hidden inside the trees that looked like they had mouths - a fact he had not paid much attention to before, but now was thoroughly creeping him out - and follow them until he made it to a designated area.

There he found a rusty shield guarded by stalkoblins, as he now knew they were called, and had to “feed” the shield to one of the trees. Doing so resulted in another tree releasing a chest, which he then had to “feed” to yet another tree to unearth the shrine, that this whole trial had been for.

At least the shrine itself was a blessing.

From there he teleported back to the center of Korok Forest; there was no way in hell he was travelling back through the lost woods when he really didn’t have to. 

The next trial he found wasn’t all too difficult either, although nerve-wracking in a different way. All he had to do was make it through a set path with the korok shield, bow, and sword equipped, but since they were made out of wood, and not necessarily the most durable weapons he had, he was definitely worried about them breaking or catching on fire. 

For the first part of the trial he didn’t use the weapons at all, not risking using up durability for the few measly chuchus and keese that attacked him, and instead preferring to use bombs - infinite, hard-hitting, and versatile, they were the perfect tool, really. 

He was right about the fire risk, it turned out, as he discovered a new type of keese that were literally on fire, all the time, and set everything near them ablaze as they tried to kill him. Not the most difficult thing to take care of, but certainly its own flavor of terrifying.

The rest of the trial didn’t take too long from there, though he did have to be stealthy a few times to avoid getting shot in the face by archers or octoroks. The shrine was another blessing, and he teleported back to Korok Forest once more, realizing that he now had four spirit orbs already. 

There was a goddess statue near the shops, wasn’t there? He ventured back inside, and sure enough, it was standing right there, in between the inn and one of the shops, just past the cooking pot. He paused for a moment, considering what he needed.

To be stronger. If he was going to obtain the Master Sword, which drained his life as he attempted to free it from the stone, then he would need more life for it to drain, so he wouldn’t die in the process.

He doubted one more heart would make him worthy of the sword, but it was certainly a good start. 

With that settled, he made his way to the final korok trial, feeling more assured that he could complete whatever task awaited him. The quest log told him it was called the Lost Pilgrimage, whatever that meant. 

As it turned out, it was a quest of stealth, where all he had to do was follow silently behind one of the korok, Tasho’s, younger brother as he tried to complete the trial on his own. It seemed easy enough in theory.

Link attempted it a few times, trying to follow behind Okai undetected, but it was no use. His equipment was too loud, and even with nothing equipped, his movements were just too loud, drawing attention to himself and causing them both to have to start over. 

Link sighed as he was brought back to the beginning yet again. It was no use, at least, not yet. But... he remembered, back in Kakariko, there was a set of armor he hadn’t bought yet - two really, but the other wasn’t important - that advertised its use for stealth. It couldn’t hurt to stop back and buy it first, could it?

In any case, it was a relatively quick trip, although he did have to stop to fight a stone talus or two first just to make sure he had the rupees to buy it, and he bought the hylian tunic and hood while he was at it. 

Since he was already in Kakariko, he decided to rest until morning as well - annoyed by the blood moon, but not entirely too surprised - and make his way up to the Great Fairy as well, since he might as well take any chance he could get to enhance his armor.

And, as luck would have it, he spotted a blupee along the way, careful to snap a photo of it both for the compendium and for the quest one of the koroks had given him. 

With all of that out of the way, he returned to korok forest, showing the picture of the blupee to Peeks and returning to the final korok trial that awaited him. Although tedious, it wasn’t really that difficult, save for one part he got stuck on where he had to quickly kill a wolf without being spotted, and soon he had completed it, arriving at the third and final shrine.

He returned to Chio, reporting on his completion of the trials. As a reward, Chio gave him three Big Hearty Truffles - sure to gain him even more yellow hearts than the regular ones. He was grateful, really, but...

With everything else here done, there was really nothing left for him to do in the forest. The Master Sword wasn’t going to budge just yet, and all the other quests he had already completed - save for the freezing rod one, but that would be simple enough as soon as he found another ice wizzrobe.

Staying around really wasn’t going to help him anymore, and he’d helped everyone here that he could. It was time, then, to move on, much as he hated to go. Korok Forest really was quite a lovely place, terrifying and unsettling as it had been to get here. He only wished that he had been strong enough to retrieve the Master Sword on his first try.

There was no use dwelling on it, though. Hating himself for being unable to achieve his destiny wasn’t going to help - he had seen that all too well with Zelda. It was time to move on, and come back when he was truly ready.

He followed Maca’s advice, making his way to the ogre tree that would bring him out of the forest - and to where he had left Knight. He climbed inside, letting the fog envelop him just as it had countless times before.

This time, at least, he recognized the laughter, distorted as it was - it was just the laugh of a korok. And the voice, though still indiscernible in what it was saying, sounded eerily similar to the koroks as well. Perhaps it wasn’t as terrifying as he had first thought.

Chapter Text

Link decided, riding off towards the stable he had come from just before entering the Lost Woods, that he would make his way to the next Divine Beast. It was certain to make him stronger, and if he couldn’t get the Master Sword, then he might as well complete the other Main Quests set out for him.

Besides, by now he was pretty sure that doing so would cause him to remember at least one memory, which was one of his other goals anyways, so it wasn’t like he was slacking off, by any means. 

It took him a while, but by nightfall, he had made it to a new stable - though not before getting a shrine or two on the way - after taking the left split in the path, as opposed to the one on the right which he had taken to go to Akkala. He wasn’t exactly sure where he was going, but he knew that the closest Divine Beast was in the region between the two he had already been to, and he figured it was best to follow the path rather than try and forge his own.

Luckily enough for him - and unluckily enough for those passing by - there was an ice wizzrobe just in front of the stable, and with a single fire arrow he was able to vaporize it, taking the freezing rod. With the shrine out of the way as well, he was able to stop back at Korok Forest for just the quick moment it took to show Kula, before teleporting back to the stable.

He didn’t stay for long, only taking the time to do what he usually did - talking to Beedle, approaching everyone he could at the stable, resting until morning, the works - before setting off in the morning. Though, he certainly appreciated Gaile, who had sold him fireproof elixirs - he had a feeling he was going to need those as he made his way up Death Mountain, where the next Divine Beast was apparently located. 

He passed a few travelers along the way, and stopped to investigate the water, which was an odd shade of blue - while the hot springs were certainly soothing on their own, he also found that they healed him. Along the way, he also noticed an increasing number of dead guardians scattered about, which always put him on edge. Though, he was at least able to use stasis to tell if they were really dead or not, now.

He didn’t much appreciate the monsters popping out of the ground though, even if they were only chuchus so far. One even managed to catch his horse on fire, much to Link’s horror, though Knight quickly walked it off as though nothing had happened. Link gave her a few extra treats, just to be sure she was okay. He wondered briefly if apples could heal her too, the same way they did for him.

There was a new type of bird here too, much larger than Link had ever seen - an ostrich, apparently - and plenty of sunshrooms abound, though Link didn’t think he would need them for a good while. He found a few barrels and a broken-down cart as well, but those were the usual mundane things he found while travelling to new regions. Something else caught his attention much quicker. 

To his horror, there was a guardian here. A walking one. Fully alive and intact, and scouting out the path, searching for its next victim to obliterate.

And he was riding straight towards it.

Everything about the guardians terrified him, try as he might to be strong and brave. He was trembling as its laser focused in on him, and his thoughts were racing a million miles a minute, but somehow through the panic only one idea actually made it to his limbs, hardly aware of them as he was through the panicked haze.

He leapt off of Knight’s back, drawing his bow and allowing time to slow as it had countless times before. With what little time he had, he switched his arrows to the ancient ones, of which he only had four left. 

The Forest Dweller’s Bow - which he still had equipped from the trial - shot three arrows at once, for the cost of one, and with a single direct hit to the guardian's eye it was defeated, dying in an explosion of light and mechanical parts.

Somehow, miraculously, they were safe.

That didn’t stop Link’s legs from shaking where he stood, and it took all of his energy not to collapse. He had been through countless trials, had tamed two Divine Beasts already, had fought blights of Ganon himself, but something about the guardians...

It was like something deep in his very soul feared them, warning him with every ounce of desperation it could mutter to run and get as far away from them as he possibly could, to flee all the way back to the shrine of resurrection if he had to. He wasn’t entirely sure why. But it took all of his energy to fight that instinct, even for the few split seconds it had taken to defeat this one.

He didn’t think he could recreate that feat if he tried.

The fear went past the simple desire for self-preservation, beyond the natural, healthy fear for that which could kill him and past even his knowledge of what they could do, both from what he had seen and what he had been told. There was something rooted deep within him that knew they were to be feared above all else, and shaking now, standing where one had just died, Link thought he was going to succumb to that terror and never awake again. 

Knight, however, was unphased by the danger the two of them had just been in - the danger Link had unknowingly brought her into - and simply snuffed at him from where she stood, merely feet behind him. Much as he wanted to flee or collapse or just start crying, he couldn’t ignore her vies for his attention.

He turned back to her, shakily offering her another few apples for being so brave in the face of danger, much as he felt he had failed to be. After a few more moments of shaky breaths and attempts to calm his pounding heart, he finally mounted his noble steed once more, continuing, slower this time, up the path.

The caves he entered were much calmer than the previous part of the journey had been, though there were dozens of flaming keese and fire chuchus all around. They were all weak enough that a single hit from a bomb or his bow would kill them, and small enough that they were easy to stay away from.

Just a little ways up the path, further up the hill, Link found a much more insurmountable issue. The path, though only for a brief area, devolved into large “steps”, platforms of stone nearly as high as he was tall, that there was no feasible way to bring Knight up, nor past. 

He had brought her all this way for nothing - had endangered her for nothing.

He tried not to let guilt consume him.

Though, climbing up past it, he supposed it wouldn’t have really mattered anyways - as the heat became scorching enough that the very air around him burned, forcing him to down one of the fireproof elixirs he had purchased or else immediately go up in flames. On top of that, he had to unequip any wooden or otherwise flammable equipment, or else have them burn up and break, too. Though, that was much less pressing an issue than trying to keep his body from being flambéed. 

At least there was plenty of ore around, he was certainly going to need it once he made it to whatever town was nearest the Divine Beast.

Link quickly diverged from the path, in part to climb the tower that was practically right there, and in part to avoid the other guardian that was patrolling right where he would’ve needed to go. Needless to say, he was not looking for another round.

Though, after getting the tower, he did stop back at Robbie’s tech lab, figuring it was best to stock up on as many ancient arrows as he could afford, even if he really didn’t want to have to use them any time soon. It was better to be prepared for something he wouldn’t need than not be prepared when he did need it.

He returned to the path once he was safely out of the guardian’s sights, continuing on his way with minimal difficulty. He found that the ice rod was actually surprisingly useful, as any fire-acclimatized monster would vaporize in one hit, not just the wizzrobes. 

He also found that, since everything near-immediately caught on fire as soon as it hit the ground, he was able to make a campfire by simply throwing down a bundle of wood, which made resting till morning much quicker.

And so it went, continuing along the path and fighting dozens of monsters along the way, most of them infused with flames in some form or another, and making slow but sure progress as he inched closer to the glowing dot on his map. He discovered a new type of octorok, lizalfos, lizard, and even an Igneo Talus, which was much the same to fight as a regular stone talus, except for the fact that he first had to hit it with ice to be able to touch it without being set ablaze. 

Just past the talus, he found the Southern Mine, with plenty of goron workers, ore deposits, and fireproof lizards - which he was able to exchange ten of for a piece of fireproof armor, so he wouldn’t have to rely on the elixirs as much. Though, it was the chestpiece, and Link didn’t particularly like having to give up the advantages of the champion’s tunic, so he’d probably end up switching back and forth between the two methods.

He talked to everyone he could, made a few more fireproof elixirs of his own, and continued on his way, weaving from side to side along the path as he collected ore and killed monsters along the way. Really, up until now the path hadn’t been too difficult or treacherous - save for the guardians, of course. Even the scorching heat was barely a problem thanks to the fireproof elixirs and armor. 

But, well, things could never be that easy, could they? 

For a short stretch of the road - though it seemed to go on forever - Link had to quicken his pace due to the magma balls of fire and death raining down from the sky. He sprinted as fast as he could and dodged every which way, but he still got hit a few times, picking himself up and continuing to run even as his very skin was on fire. 

Even once they stopped falling, he didn’t fully trust it, and continued to run until he made it to the entrance of Goron City - pausing only as the very Divine Beast he was here to free roared and began stomping louder than before, drawing Link’s attention as it traversed the top of Death Mountain. 

Finally, he made it to the entrance, slowing his pace only to speak to the goron patrolling the gate into Goron City. He held a weapon - similar to the cobble crusher Link had gotten from a chest - over his shoulder, and wore a metal faceplate that covered his forehead and “sideburns”, though he wore his actual hair in a high ponytail.

“Well, lookee here...” Krane said, smiling down at him. “Welcome, Master Link!” The hylian champion stared for a moment, confusion and surprise washing over him.

“How did you know?”

“What do ya mean?” Krane looked just as confused as he was, now, and Link was unsure what was happening. Krane spoke of the magma bombs that kept raining from the sky, deterring visitors, and showed surprise that Link had made it this far. He said that almost no one had come by in ages.

“I’d be bored to tears if I didn’t pass the time pretendin’ to greet the long lost Hylian Champion, heh.” Oh. So he was just pretending everyone was Link, and had accidentally done it to the actual Link. Well at least that confusion was out of the way.

He considered correcting the guard, but figured it wasn’t really worth it. He wasn’t much the type to go around flaunting his status as a champion either, frustrating as it was when people didn’t believe him about his own identity in the few times he did.

He continued past the guard, entering finally into Goron City. The town was as nice as any other, scorching though the heat was, and despite the pools of lava that he was careful to avoid falling in. Link really wasn’t eager to find out what the consequences of falling in would be - would he die? Would it be like falling in a void in the shrines? Would he lose his limbs, or else live to suffer the fate of the molten rock? He really didn’t want to test it. 

Still, the town was quaint, and he appreciated the friendly nature of nearly everyone he met. He was happy to buy the two other pieces of fireproof armor - he had found plenty of gems on the way here, and was able to sell them for a small fortune, meaning no expense was too much for the time being - and check out the rest of the shops in town, speaking with everyone he could along the way. 

With the town somewhat thoroughly explored, he made his way to the elder, who was standing not too far from the center of the town, peering out with a thoughtful expression on his face - with the one eye that wasn’t covered by an eyepatch, that is.

Bludo spoke of the eruptions from Death Mountain, that had only been getting worse in the recent days due to Vah Rudania stomping around atop the mountain. He grew more agitated with every word, until his back seized up with an audible crack, and his face contorted with pain. 

He explained how he had been planning to drive off Rudania as he had countless times before, when “this blasted back pain” flared up and prevented him from doing much of anything. He scowled, gaze shifting away from Link as he muttered to himself.

“That blasted Yunobo... When will he return?” He wondered to himself quietly.

“Who is Yunobo?”

Bludo told him that Yunobo was a young goron who usually helped him drive off Rudania - which Link noted was more promising than the other two Divine Beast quests had been. Perhaps the fact that they had already been able to - and had been doing so continuously - drive back Rudania without any outside help meant that this quest would be easier than the others had been. Though, Link didn’t get his hopes up.

In any case, Yunobo had gone to grab some painkillers from the Abandoned North Mine, but as Bludo explained, he hadn’t yet returned. The elder didn’t seem to think too highly of this, muttering about how he was probably off somewhere wasting time, but Link grew concerned. The mine was most likely abandoned for a reason, and if the goron hadn’t returned, then it was likely that something had happened, whatever it might be. 

It was decided, then. He was going to find Yunobo; both to officially start the quest to free Vah Rudania, and to make sure the young goron was alright, and had not been injured or otherwise stalled on his journey by outside forces. 

Link just hoped he was okay.

Chapter Text

Link was quickly on his way towards the new glowing dot on his map, though not before gaining another stamina vessel from the goddess statue in town - just to complete the full second wheel, finally, so he could focus the rest of his energy on heart containers - and of course completing the shrine just outside the town. 

The path to the north mine wasn’t difficult to traverse, though there was an octorok or two along the way - the kind that spit magma balls at him, but would willingly swallow a bomb in an attempt to do so - and soon he had made it to the glowing point, although that didn’t actually do him much good. 

There was a worker named Drak almost guarding the entrance, and they grew suspicious when Link asked about Yunobo. Though, mentioning that Boss wanted to know was enough to overcome any misgivings they might’ve had. They explained how Yunuobo had gone to the vault to fetch some painkillers, but hadn’t yet come back, and they warned Link not to go any further due to the danger surrounding them.

Link promptly ignored that advice. 

He walked up to what looked like a cannon, if he was correct, and couldn’t help but feel a spark of glee at the prospect of getting to use one. Drak called out to him again as he approached, warning him not to touch Boss’s cannon. Well, suspicion confirmed I guess. Though, now that you mention the lever...

The cannon was easy enough to operate - the lever moved it from side to side, and with a single bomb he was able to propel the actual projectile in whatever direction it was facing. They were rather powerful too, though Link didn’t fully get to see them in action until he had progressed further into the mine.

There were plenty of monsters about, but with the help of the cannons, some ice arrows, and a few moments of melee combat, he was able to clear nearly the entire mine as he made his way closer and closer to the vault, uncovering updrafts and ore deposits with even more shots from the cannon as he went. He was surprised, at first, by how quickly it went by, the whole mine passing in a blur - though maybe that was just the heat.

Link noticed, as he finally approached the vault, that it had been blocked with the same molten rocks that had been covering some of the ore deposits and updrafts along the way, and with little hesitation took to the final cannon, loading and aiming it with a casual air that would lead any onlooker to believe he had been doing it his entire life.

He kind of wished he had.

It took only a few tries to time it right, and he quickly made his way over to the now uncovered entrance to the vault, where he could see a figure huddled and cowering as he approached. 

That figure was none other than Yunobo, who panicked at first, thinking that Link was a monster and shouting for help as he ran in circles, before realizing that Link was not, in fact, a monster here to kill him, but rather a friendly face looking to help him. 

Well, at least, his intentions were kind, though he didn’t know how much of that actually made it to his facial expressions. From what he’d gathered, he tended to have a more stoic expression, even as he came to people’s aid. 

In any case, Yunobo was grateful that Link had broken him out of the vault, describing how a magma bomb had caused a rock slide, trapping him inside. He was rather surprised to learn that Link had successfully used the cannon, exclaiming how he thought only Boss knew how to handle one. 

With that out of the way, Yunobo remembered that he was technically on a mission to bring the painkillers back to Bludo, and rolled along - literally; he curled into a ball and started rolling down the path, much like Link had seen the child in the center of the town do. He supposed that was how the gorons travelled. It was effective, he had to give them that, but he wondered if it ever hurt, or if they rolled into something because they couldn’t see where they were going.

Still, Link was left alone once more to consider everything that had happened.

He liked Yunobo, he decided, cowardly as the young goron was. He couldn’t blame Yunobo for his fears, and he was sweet, from what little interactions Link had had with him. He hoped that the goron made it back to town okay, though there shouldn’t be too much danger anymore thanks to his decision to take out all of the monsters along the way.

With that settled, Link pulled out the slate, considering his next move. Of course, he was going to continue his quest to free Vah Rudania, but before he went back to town he figured he should follow up with a few other quests first; not many, mostly just the goron spice which he had only just now been able to get, and buying a few more things for his house now that he had the money. 

It only took a short while to do both, though Link decided to dye his flamebreaker set while in Hateno - he had never really liked red all that much, and found that the blue looked much better on him, just as the champion’s tunic did, although this was a darker blue. And of course, since he was already altering it, he stopped at Kakariko to enhance it as well.

Link was back in Goron City within a few hours, and quickly made his way through again, talking to everyone he could as he did. This time he even met someone he hadn’t noticed before - a woman staying in the inn, who at first thought he was flirting with her, before quickly changing topic to her business.

She was here for the jewel trade, but with the Divine Beast stomping around it was rather difficult for her to gather gems. He supposed not everyone could make it to as dangerous places as he did so easily, so it would’ve been much harder for her to gather gems than it had been for him. Though, wasn’t she hot atop a literal volcano? He had the flamebreaker armor, now, but she didn’t appear to have anything. He asked her as much. 

“Oh... Well, I slathered Fireproof elixir on my skin, so I’ll be fine.” Ramella said, and Link blinked at her blankly.

The elixirs were supposed to go... on your skin?  

Maybe that was why some of them tasted so awful - he knew they were made of bugs and monster parts, but cooking them extracted their near-magical properties and created an actual potion. Was he not supposed to be drinking them?

Eh, if it worked it worked, and who knew, maybe she was the one doing it wrong.

Regardless, he finally made his way back to Bludo, surprised to find that Yunobo was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he had just made his way back to his own house? Though, Link had a feeling that wasn’t the case. Bludo was happy to see Link, in any case, thanking him for rescuing Yunobo by giving him a few more fireproof elixirs, and he truly seemed like he was feeling better. He stretched, preparing to head off.

“I mean no disrespect to Daruk’s legacy, but if I’m not there to give that Rudania a good walloping...” He said, glancing towards the top of the volcano.

“Daruk?”

Bludo seemed horrified by his ignorance, asking if Link really didn’t know about the goron Champion, Daruk. He pointed to a statue - though really it was more of a memorial or sculpture, built out of the very stone of the volcano. It was the likeness of three different gorons, the topmost of which sparked something in Link’s memory.

He fell into the past as he had countless times before.

When his eyes were thrown open again he was left with an aching in his very soul, a grief he couldn’t control. He really had known Daruk - had known him even before becoming a champion, judging on his words and the way Link remembered he had felt about him. They had been close, closer than anything, and he remembered that nickname, the way Daruk would always thump him on the back hard enough it felt like he was shattering Link’s spine. He remembered hanging out with him atop Vah Rudania, as Daruk got used to piloting his Divine Beast, remembered listening to his advice and feeling a sort of kindred spirit with the goron, different as they were. Tiny as he was in comparison, Daruk had never underestimated him, never made him feel like he was less than or weak. 

He barely remembered Daruk, and Link already missed him.

Bludo was confused about his sudden blackout, but brushed it off as hylians just being strange. He explained how Yunobo was actually a descendent of “the Great Daruk”, and could even use the very ability Link had witnessed in that memory. 

Descendant? Then that means Daruk must’ve had a kid, doesn’t it? Is that who’s in the monument with him? 

Bludo continued, telling Link how they shot Yunobo out of the cannons at Rudania in order to drive it away, and how Daruk’s Protection was what allowed them to do so without him getting hurt. He supposed it was as good a way as any, if it was the only thing that worked.

“All right, that’s enough outta me. Time to go drive off Rudania!” He said, clenching his fist as he prepared to head off. Only...

His back seized up again, and he winced in pain, hunching over as he thumped at his back. Link couldn’t help but wince as well - the sound of his back cracking was loud, and Link didn’t doubt how debilitating it must be from the sound of it alone. Bludo bemoaned that he wouldn’t be able to go anywhere today, and asked Link to go tell Yunobo that he wouldn’t be coming. 

Link was happy to oblige, hoping the elder got some rest, and quickly made his way back along the path towards the new glowing dot on his map at Eldin bridge - though not before figuring out how the minecarts worked, and getting a shrine or two along the way. And, of course, after dodging many more magma bombs when Vah Rudania decided that he was getting too close for comfort, or whatever its reasoning was.

By the time he made it to Eldin Bridge, it was already coming around to morning again, and he had to admit that the sunrise looked quite stunning from up here. Though, that wasn’t what really caught his attention, as he made it to the glowing point on his map.

No, he was much more preoccupied with the moblins that were currently trying to kill Yunobo. 

The goron was currently huddled atop the cannon’s platform, hunched in on himself with a glowing, multifaceted structure shielding him from the world as the moblins stomped about and swung their weapons aimlessly, unable to actually hurt him but trying nonetheless. Daruk’s Protection, the very power he’d seen the Champion use to protect them both.

Link sprung into action.

It was easy enough to take down the unarmed moblin, though he had to be careful to avoid the other’s swings, and he quickly moved on to that one as well, taking it down with a few well-timed hits and a flurry rush with a spear of his own, though not before sustaining a good few hits of damage, which were easily healed with the food he had in his inventory. Still, the monsters were dead, and they were safe, for the time being.

Yunobo kept cowering for a moment, before lowering his guard, looking around in amazement before exclaiming his thanks to Link for saving him yet again.

Link made his way over to the goron, who was now standing sheepishly next to the cannon. He considered what he had been sent here to do, to inform Yunobo that Bludo wasn’t coming, and that he should head home for the day as well. But he also thought about the Divine Beast, still stomping around and putting everyone in danger, and why he had come to Goron City in the first place. 

Maybe they didn’t need Bludo after all. 

Link had already freed two Divine Beasts, after all, and the reason they had needed Boss was because he knew how to man the cannons - but Link had already gotten used to them as well. Combined with Yunobo’s power of protection, they should be able to handle it on their own, should they not?

Yunobo thanked him once more, wondering aloud what would’ve happened had he not shown up when he did. He crossed his arms tentatively, sighing.

“Still no sign of Boss, eh?” He asked, looking worried.

“He’s not coming.” 

“Huh? Not coming? But why, goro?!” He looked even more worried now, raising his arms in alarm.

“His back hurts.” 

“After we went through all that trouble to get them... the painkillers didn’t even end up working, goro.” Link felt bad for him, really, and it was clear he was only growing more nervous by the moment. “Well, if Boss can’t help, there’s nothin’ else we can do. I suppose I’ll just head back now...” 

“Wait a minute!” 

Yunobo was only more confused by that, worry overtaken for a moment by his brief bewilderment. He asked Link why he wasn’t going back.

“I wanna board Rudania.” 

He appreciated the brief look of horror on Yunobo’s face.

Still, the goron expressed his concerns, telling him that it was impossible, and worrying about the dangers of it. He asked Link why he would risk such a thing, and he explained, though it didn’t do much to ease Yunobo’s confusion. Link supposed that was fair - trying to explain just about anything about his circumstances - from waking up on the Great Plateau, to being the long-dead hero, to wanting to free the Divine Beasts rather than “defeat” them - always led to confusion, he figured it was pretty far outside what most people would consider normal.

But surprisingly, despite his fear, Yunobo agreed to help. He instructed Link on how to lower the bridge - that Bludo had raised to make sure that Rudania couldn’t make it further down the mountain - by using the cannons, with Yunobo as the cannonball.

This time it was Link’s turn to express his concern, worried that literally launching him out of a cannon might be a little dangerous. Still, Yunobo was quick to reassure him, showing off Daruk’s protection with a bright grin and explaining that it wouldn’t hurt one bit, no matter what he hit into. 

Link was hesitant at first, but took aim at the bridge, launching Yunobo at it just as he had the actual cannonballs. 

Sure enough, Yunobo was left without a scratch afterwards, although a bit disoriented at first. Link wasn’t sure if this was the best idea, but he didn’t really have much other option, did he? 

Link took one last glance back towards Goron City, where he was sure Bludo was awaiting both of their returns. There was no turning back past this point; once they had started fighting the Divine Beast, it would be far too dangerous to turn around or head back until it had been completely subdued and freed. 

It was time to end their constant fear, once and for all.

Chapter Text

The first thing Link and Yunobo did upon crossing Eldin Bridge was figure out a form of communication, even as Vah Rudania roared and released a type of flying guardian Link had never seen before - they had no lasers, and hardly moved around, but had the same telltale cone of vision that told him that it would be unwise and outright dangerous to be seen. 

Yunobo seemed to know as much too, explaining how he would always get spotted and Vah Rudania would send down countless magma bombs after him. He offered Link complete control of the situation - he would tell Yunobo when to stop and when to move, and would have to take full responsibility for keeping the both of them from being seen.

Link considered joking answers for a moment, like a wink, or psychic mind powers, but he knew the only real way that would work. The only noise he really could make, consistently, without hesitation, and loudly enough that he could hear it from anywhere: a whistle. He felt somewhat guilty for having to call to Yunobo like a horse, but it was the only way that would work. 

From there they were off, passing through the sentries undetected at first, nerve-wracking as it was. They hid under stone overhangs, separated momentarily when Link had to push a boulder or two onto a few of them, and ducked and weaved as they made their way to the first cannon, hesitating any time they needed to move forwards.

The first hit was successful, but from there it only grew more perilous, and though they were making good progress, Link wasn’t perfect. As much as he wanted to be responsible and keep them both safe, he had never done this before, and the guardians, though not equipped with a laser, made him tremble if he stared at them for too long. His panic made him lose focus, and Link failed at the most critical part of the mission.

He got them both spotted.

Yunobo was fine, scared as he was, thanks to Daruk’s Protection, but Link was left to run for his life, dodging left and right as he tried not to run too far away while avoiding the rain of fire. He was hit a few times, but managed to recover as the magma bombs finally slowed to a halt. 

He took a few more moments to breathe, allowing the both of them to recuperate before slowly, cautiously, continuing onwards. 

Link was more careful from then on, not just avoiding, but killing every sentry he could, doing his damndest to ensure they both were safe. As much as he knew he would be fine - and as much as he hated the sheer terror that the guardians brought him - he was most of all worried for Yunobo. He was so young, still, and clearly so terrified of everything, and Link hated dragging him along through something like this - hated that Yunobo had willingly volunteered to come along just to help Link. No one deserved to go through something like this, no matter how capable they were, and Link hated to put him in any more danger than he absolutely had to. 

Still, they made their way up the winding volcanic path, avoiding and killing sentries, defeating monsters, and using the cannons to drive Rudania further and further up the mountain, until finally, miraculously, they made it to the very top. With the final blow, Rudania crawled inside Death Mountain, sitting atop the lava in its center and awaiting... something, as Link and Yunobo finally enjoyed a brief moment of peace, a respite from the danger and adrenaline that had been steadily increasing with every passing moment atop the volcano. 

Yunobo was thoroughly impressed by the both of them, enthusiastic as they made it to the top in pursuit of Rudania. He exclaimed that it was their big chance, and Link nodded, sprinting forwards and leaping off the platform where they stood, throwing himself into the volcano without a second thought. 

He wondered, briefly, what Yunobo would do, now that Link was falling, then gliding, down to the Divine Beast, but there was no time for that now. He could worry about that once this Ganon Blight had been thoroughly killed. 

There was a Champion to free, after all.

The travel gate was much the same, with the Sheikah Slate glowing to life as he activated the pedestal, that same blue magic bursting out of the mark on the floor, and Link looked around expectantly until he heard it; that comforting voice that he had been looking forward to hearing.

“Hey, little guy! Long time no see.” It was, wasn’t it? Far, far too long, even if Link couldn’t really remember it.

Daruk sounded so tired, so much less full of energy than Link had remembered him, and he knew that he only had himself to blame. If he had not fallen in battle, if he had not been forced to recover for 100 years, then he would not have left the Champion here, alone, abandoned and isolated for those hundred years as his spirit slowly drained, despite him assuring Link that he had never stopped believing in the hylian Champion.

Still, there was no time to mope about it now. Link made his way into the Divine Beast, and found that the door slammed shut behind him, shrouding the world in darkness as Link was left in an unfamiliar void. The only light he could see was a hint of a blue flame in the distance, and the numerous malice eyes encroaching on the walls. 

Link made his way forward slowly, taking out the eyes as he could and collecting whatever was in the chests that they dropped, until he made it to what he assumed was a wall, separating him from the next room. He took the torch from the chest, and looked around, trying to think of ways to light his way - besides the obvious, of course. 

He found that using a spin attack with a flame-weapon lit the world up partially, but bombs lit up the entire room, if only momentarily. It allowed him to get a scope of the world around him, and he felt safer knowing that he could see whatever was in the dark without having to get close to it, or worrying about the flame going out.

He could also tell that there was something through the wall, based on the fact that he was sensing 13/13 somewhere in the darkness, and if he had to hazard a guess it was probably a guardian scout - since he doubted a bokoblin was in here, and it felt too short to be one anyways. 

Not to mention he thought he could see a single blue eye glowing in the darkness. 

He brought the blue flame to the torch and made his way through the doors, repeating the process in the new room as well; taking out the malice eyes and scout, opening the chests, and bringing the flame to the torch. Soon he was at the guidance stone, and the real trials began.

It was much the same as Medoh and Ruta had been - Daruk spoke to him, he solved puzzles, and activated the terminals. At least the ceiling vents opened when he activated the guidance stone, so it was no longer pitch black inside. 

Really, the first three terminals were easy - they just required him rotating Vah Rudania, or burning something - or both. And the other two weren’t all that difficult either, they just required facing the heat on the outside, and manipulating an orb through the rotations.

Though, he had to admit, Death Mountain looked oddly beautiful from inside its crater. He wondered if anyone else had gotten such a view, though it was doubtful. Maybe Daruk had, back before all of this, but Link didn’t think anyone else could even survive this heat, let alone would willingly go into an active volcano.

He also found out what happened if he fell in lava, much to his horror as he accidentally fell off of Vah Rudania while rotating the Divine Beast - it was much the same as him “drowning”, or falling into the void in a shrine. He just blinked back into existence face down on the ground closest to where he had fallen off. At least he didn’t have to worry about that, then. 

Still, with everything else out of the way, it was time to activate the main control unit, and fight the Ganon blight just as he had before. He was grateful, at least, for the few moments he had heard Daruk’s voice, glad for anything he got to hear from his friend. Out of the few memories he had, the one with Daruk was the first time he truly remembered feeling... happy, fleeting of a moment as it was. Revali had despised him, and Mipha... well, it was complicated, because he had apparently known her since childhood, which he couldn’t remember, and she had also developed feelings for him, which he could never be sure whether or not he had returned, but Daruk...

Daruk had truly felt like his friend, a kindred spirit that Link had simply enjoyed spending time with. There was no weight behind it, no expectations, he wasn’t the knight that Daruk had seen grow up, he wasn’t the chosen hero that couldn’t fail or else prove his beliefs right, he wasn’t the champion meant to serve and protect him, he was just... Link. There was nothing more to it, no expected role for him to fill, just a friend, someone whose company he genuinely enjoyed.

 He was happy for these fleeting moments he got to experience that again, got to hear his friend’s voice after all these years, after everything, but he knew it had to come to an end sooner or later. Bittersweet as it was, he had to free the champion, and say his final goodbyes far sooner than he would’ve liked. They couldn’t stay here forever, and he wouldn’t dream of forcing Daruk to stay trapped just so Link wouldn’t have to say goodbye. It was time to finally free him, and put an end to the suffering he’d endured for a century now without Link. 

It was time to end this.

Chapter Text

It started just the same; Link attempted to activate the main control unit, and instead the blight of Ganon appeared, swirling together with a mix of malice and Sheikah technology. Daruk warned him to be careful, that this beast - Fireblight Ganon - had gotten the best of him 100 years ago. 

Link wouldn’t let the same happen to himself. 

The fight was intense at first, as the beast swung its sword and threw balls of fire at him, with Link having to dodge left and right to avoid being singed or incinerated, but he quickly discovered how to stun it, attacking with all his might to get his vengeance on the beast that had taken away his friend. This beast could not be allowed to live when the best people in the world had not been.

The second stage was much the same, only more dangerous - and of course, the beast pulled out new tricks. It infused its weapon with fire and created an impenetrable shield around itself, made of flames and some form of magic, and Link’s blood began to boil. 

How dare it create a twisted mockery of his friend’s very ability against him, how dare it attempt to save itself from the same fate that had befallen the champion with his very own ability. 

Link was going to tear it to shreds.

He found an opening when the beast did something he’d already seen before - sucking in air to create a bomb just as the octoroks had. Just as before, the solution was simply more bombs, something Link would have been delighted in were it not for the dreadful situation. His rage burned just as brightly as the fire around him, and Link felt almost invigorated, energized by the bloodthirsty anger that had awoken in him.

It didn’t take long before the blight was dead, dying in an explosion of malice and light that somehow didn’t feel violent enough , not for all the pain it had inflicted.

Still, there was not much more he could do. Link had done all he could, had killed the beast, had freed the Divine Beast. All that was left was to pick up the heart container and actually activate the main control unit now, to finally free his fallen friend. 

It was much the same; the unit began glowing blue, magic was in the air, and a voice called out to him from behind, a voice he only wished he could hear forever.

“Great work little guy!” 

Daruk.

He thanked Link, seeming a little out of it as he did, and apologized for the trouble that he’d caused by being trapped here. He apologized for being a spirit, stuck in the very Divine Beast he had been chosen to pilot for 100 years against his will.

He apologized for dying.

Link felt guilt begin to eat away at him. He wished he could say something, could tell his friend “That’s not something you have to apologize for” , could comfort him for having to endure that for a century, but his voice failed him. He could only stare as Daruk continued, changing his tone back to reflect the present, and the freedom Link had brought him - and Rudania.

He explained the plan, how he would bring Rudania down the mountain and take aim at Hyrule Castle, how he - and the other champions, no doubt - would fire away once Link started the fight with Ganon, getting their own vengeance against the century-old evil that laid root in Hyrule’s center. 

And he gave Link his own ability, just as Mipha and Revali had done. He dubbed it Daruk’s Protection, and sent it flying at the hylian champion as though it were a fiery attack, though the actual impact was much softer than it appeared it was going to be. 

Link was lifted off the ground for a moment, ghosts of flames dancing along his skin as the fire emanated from within, and when his feet hit the ground again he felt an innate pull, calling him to use the very strength his friend had. Planting his feet and slamming his fists together, he was able to wield that same geometrical shield, made of magic and pure will. 

He felt remorseful, really, for taking his friends’ abilities. They had been their pride in life, but now they were of no use to them, not as spirits. Link knew they couldn’t do much with their abilities anymore, knew that this was their way of still finding some use in them, still finding a way to help Hyrule, but he still felt guilty taking their own spiritual abilities from them, even if they were freely offered. It just didn’t feel right. 

Still, he looked back to Daruk, appreciating the few final words he could hear from his friend. Even as Daruk spoke, Link felt that telltale sensation as his body began to glow, yet still he looked down in surprise, not yet ready to say goodbye. He wished he could have just one more minute, one more moment to spend with his friend - his friend that he barely even remembered, but knew he would likely never see again.

Fate wasn’t kind enough to allow that.

He was made ethereal once more, left to watch from high above as Vah Rudania climbed out of Death Mountain’s crater, glaring towards Hyrule castle and face splitting open to reveal the laser that now pointed at the swirling mass that was Ganon. 

He was placed solidly back on the ground at the entrance to Goron City, becoming solid once more as he gazed up at the volcano, illuminated brightly against the dark night sky. The Sheikah Slate now displayed the red orb representing Daruk’s Protection, with its own description front and center.

He made his way into the town, finding Yunobo just a few feet in, and he was relieved that he had at least made it back okay, after Link had left him atop Death Mountain. Though, he was a descendant of Daruk after all, so Link should’ve expected as much.

Yunobo congratulated and thanked Link for appeasing Vah Rudania, and he told him that he swore he saw Lord Daruk standing atop the Divine Beast as it had climbed into position. Link smiled, briefly, a bittersweet feeling overtaking him as he thought about the goron getting a chance to see his ancestor, if only for a moment. Yunobo wondered aloud if he had seen his ghost. 

He also told Link to go see Boss, before rolling away. Link quickly followed, making his way across town to where Bludo was now standing, with Yunobo at his side. 

Bludo thanked him for freeing Rudania, and though Link appreciated it, he was getting a little tired of hearing the same thing over and over again from everyone. He had made it his mission to free the Divine Beasts, to bring peace to Hyrule; he wasn’t expecting thanks for it, or to have everyone praise him, he just wanted to make the world safer, to help those he could. No one really knew him, really understood who he was or what he was doing or why he did it, they just thanked him uncomprehendingly for the vague knowledge they had of his activities.

Still, Bludo’s tone quickly shifted, joking as he wondered why Link waited until his back pain finally cleared up, making it look like he had just been lying about his back pain. He quickly laughed it off, returning to his blind praise of Link and Rudania. He told Link there was some treasure left in his house that was now his, and with that he walked off.

It was Daruk’s weapon, the one he had wielded those 100 years ago. Link would have to hang it up in his house in Hateno, when he got the chance. 

For now, though, there were just a few things left to clear up before he could move on, lovely as this town was. He made his way through it once more, speaking to everyone he could, and taking on whatever quests they had. He figured he could spend the next few days taking care of all of them, before departing for whatever mission he would take on next.

And so, that was what he did. He took care of the Igneo Talus, and found the hidden secret near the hot springs, and brought Ramella all the gems she wanted, checking back in with everyone as he did and getting whatever reward they offered him - not that he really needed one, but he still appreciated it nonetheless. 

With nothing left to do in the town, he said his silent goodbyes, teleporting off to Hateno to display the Boulder Breaker in his home, and then, decidedly, to Korok Forest. He was stronger now, no doubt - he had the gift from the strongest champion he knew, had proved himself more capable than even Daruk, in defeating the beast that the goron had failed to (not that Link blamed him, or even really thought it was a fair comparison) and had completed more shrines since then. 

It was worth trying, at least once more, before deciding what his next venture should be.

But, though he was undoubtedly stronger than before, he proved to still not be strong enough. His stubbornness won out once more, and he collapsed dead on the ground before the sword, life force drained out of him entirely. Despite all of his accomplishments, he was still not strong enough for the sword.

It was off to the next Divine Beast, then. He needed to get stronger, and what other way could he prove himself than by doing what the champions themselves had not been able to, when the calamity had first awoken? Besides, he needed something to distract himself, and the smaller quests would only further the guilt he felt at not being able to complete his destined mission.

He left Korok Forest without a word.

Chapter Text

The final Divine Beast was marked by a glowing point in the south-easternmost part of his map, one of the few blank areas left. But, much as he wanted to set off immediately, travelling there would prove to be difficult, as there was no apparent path connecting to the region. At least, not with the map he currently had.

But there was one section in the center that was empty, too, a gaping hole where the very middle of his map should be. Antsy and numb at the same time, Link decided to set off there, first; the tower - and subsequent map - of the region would at least provide a little insight on where to go next. And who knew, maybe it would serve as a better distraction than yet another Divine Beast quest would.

Link used one of the shrines from the Great Plateau as a jumping-off point, heading towards the tower he could see in the distance. It was in a fairly empty area, from what he could see. Though, considering how difficult some of the other towers had been, he should’ve known not to trust it.

Everything was going well, at first. He was able to get surprisingly close to the tower with no sign of danger, and he even found a shrine along the way, tucked into the hill just across the road from the tower. As he approached the tower, however, the sense of calm quickly faded as an all-too-familiar noise overtook his senses. 

Within seconds a bright red dot appeared on his head, and his blood ran cold. 

Another guardian stalker, with its vision locked on him, and its legs vaulting it across the path in his direction. Link had barely processed what was happening when he felt his legs moving of their own volition, sprinting away even as his thoughts hazily tried to piece everything together.

He made it all the way up the hill before the guardian finally lost sight of him, all the while ducking and dodging to avoid its laser, searing heat blazing past him within inches of where he had stood, reminding him of what awaited him should he fail to dodge in time. 

It took him a good while to calm down, catching his breath atop the hill as he stared at the tower, and began to notice the other guardians surrounding it. He counted two, no, three decayed guardians, though one was a good distance away and probably wouldn’t see him if he made a dash for the tower, and two guardian stalkers along the path, though just far enough that he might be able to go unnoticed if he played his cards right.

Really, he didn’t want to go near them at all, he would much rather just turn around and forget the whole thing, but this was Central Hyrule. The castle was in the distance, and it was littered with guardians. How was he ever supposed to save Zelda, to save Hyrule if he couldn’t get past his deep-set fear of the mechanical beasts?

But how was he supposed to overcome his fear when they could decimate him with a single blast? When every second he was near them his whole body began to tremble as he was overcome with anxiety, something so innate that it had to have come from before he had awoken, had to have some underlying cause beyond his current waking memory?

He settled for simply pushing through the fear, not daring to attempt to fight them, but instead sprinting right past the two decayed guardians near the tower, praying to any spirits above that the stalkers wouldn’t notice him.

He wasn’t sure if his prayer was heard, but at least he made it to the tower without any trouble from the walking guardians, so he would take whatever mercy he could.

But getting to the tower was only half the battle. As he climbed, resting and crouching on every platform along the way, he faced the wrath of the two decayed guardians, jumping the entire way up to get out of their sights as quickly as possible. Even with his back turned, he just knew when they had spotted him, no matter the distance. The feeling made his skin crawl.

Still, after a long, tense, endeavor, he finally, finally, made his way to the top of the tower, struggling to breathe for a moment before gaining the map. He could still hear his heart pounding in his chest, but he pretended he could not, trying to focus instead on the pretty sights he could see from up here.

It didn’t really work.

He rested until morning up here as well, hoping that the brief respite of blacking out would allow his body to further calm down, but alas, he “awoke” in the exact same state he had blacked out in, as though no time had passed at all. Though, the blood moon probably hadn’t helped.

With the map, at least, he could see where the path led, and that the road connecting to Outskirt Stable led directly into the region that held the last Divine Beast. With a sigh of relief, Link teleported away, glad to finally know where he was heading, and grateful he wouldn’t have to deal with the guardians on the ground any more than he already had. 

From there, the journey was relatively peaceful, all things considered. Sure, there was the odd monster here and there, and the hinox in the middle of the path, but other than that Link made good progress with little difficulty, at least in comparison to the other, more troublesome journeys he’d made. He even found a moblin club, which he dutifully brought back to Nebb in Hateno, before teleporting back to where he’d left off. 

He completed a few shrines along the way - including one that required him to face a trial of heat against the “goron blood brothers” - and faced off against a good number of monsters, but within a day or two he had made it to another stable - Gerudo Canyon Stable. From there it didn’t take too long to make his way up to the tower, which was surprisingly nearby, tedious though it was to scale the cliffs surrounding it. 

It was then that he returned to the stable, actually talking to the people there now that he could clearly see where he was going, and feeling more energetic now that he’d had time to both peacefully ride his horse and get in some light exercise by climbing to the tower. Beedle was there, as always, selling arrows and other various items, and Kass was there, playing the same song he did at any stable Link could find him at, but besides them there weren’t really that many people here. Though, the two others that were here both had quests for him, it seemed.

The first, Pirou, just asked him to bring him a lot of rushrooms - 55 to be exact - which was a simple enough task, if annoying. The second, however, proved to be much more interesting - and more concerning.

It was a request from a man named Sesami, who told Link about his travels with his four friends. They had been journeying together when monsters attacked them, and they had been separated; now Sesami had no idea where they were or if they were alright. He asked Link to let them know he was waiting for them, should Link encounter any of them. 

That didn’t sit right with him, though. Even though Sesami hadn’t asked him to seek out his missing friends, Link couldn’t just stand idly by knowing that innocent people might be in danger - and alone on the road, too. He left the stable behind once more, setting out to find the missing posse. 

He knew he hadn’t seen them along the path, but what he had seen were several wooden platforms all along the walls of the canyon, with multiple layers depending on the area. They had also been lined with monsters, which meant if Sesami’s missing friends really were there, they were in quite a bit of danger. Every second spent put them further at risk.

It didn’t take too long to find the first person - once he’d made it over to the top of the platforms, that is - and after a few strategic hits the bokoblin attacking them was down. Link explained what had happened, and they ran off to meet with Sesami, forcing Link’s vision to fade to black as they disappeared, already gone by the time his vision returned.

The second person was just a few feet away, on the other side of the canyon and a level down, and their response was much the same. From there there were only two left, and Link spent the rest of the day searching the canyon for them. 

He was glad he was able to help them, each time slaying the bokoblins threatening their lives and recounting Sesami’s worry to them before they decided to head back. To be able to help even that small amount, to know how to fight when they couldn’t, to take out monsters that seemed so weak to him now yet were still genuine threats to the people around him... he had almost forgotten how nice it was to be able to bring hope to people, to give them more life than they thought they’d see, to allow them to feel safe in a world constantly in peril. 

Though he couldn’t keep them safe forever, he was glad he could save them now. He was glad that another person wouldn’t have to face the grief of losing their friends, the guilt of knowing they didn’t do anything to save them, regardless of whether or not they truly could’ve, had they tried. 

He returned to the stable before sunset, happy to see the five of them gathered around the campfire. Sesami was overjoyed that his friends had returned, and uninjured at that, repeating that he couldn’t thank Link enough. He spoke of how his friends had recounted it, that he had taken down the monsters despite being outnumbered and had done so with style. 

I mean, I just slashed at them a few times, I don’t think it’s much to brag about. 

“I want you to have this.” Sesami said, and handed him a golden rupee - worth 300. “Sorry it’s so small. Everyone chipped in for it, but we’re in the middle of travelling, y’know?” Link nearly gawked.

Small? That was a fortune! And even if it wasn’t, Link still would’ve been grateful for it. He hadn’t done it for the reward, he had done it because they were in danger, and he knew that if he could help, he had to at least try. To receive anything in return for that was an added bonus at best, and for it to be such a high amount of money had Link practically radiating gratitude.

Still, he said nothing, allowing Sesami to continue. 

“In a way, I’m kind of glad all of this happened. It’s helped me realize just how important friendship is. Opening up to others might make you more vulnerable, but it’s also the only way to give your life any value.” 

Link considered that for a moment, feeling a wave of somberness wash over him. It was true, really; he couldn’t find camaraderie if he didn’t let anyone in, if he never allowed anyone to know the burdens he carried. 

But... was it truly worth it? To allow others to carry his burdens, to drag them down with such crushing grief, the weight of the world on his shoulders... that weight was his, and his alone, to bear. He might never be able to fully enjoy the companionship he knew, deep down, he needed, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. 

He was the destined hero. His own needs came second to what was needed of him.

Although his own realization was somewhat undercut by Sesami declaring that caring about others was “an emotional liability”, and thus that him and his friends had decided to part ways. He walked inside, and Link made his way over to his friends, deciding to ignore, for the time being, his last remarks. 

Palme said that he was even more of a wuss than Sesami, having waited for someone else to rescue him instead of trying to help himself. He hoped that someday he could help others the way Link had helped him. Flaxel was just grateful that she was safe, and she couldn’t stay angry at Sesami for being scared, even if she wished he could’ve come to help her. Oliff, meanwhile, compared his swordsmanship to that of the legendary hero from the Calamity, though Link didn’t bother to tell him that he actually was the very same person. He doubted he would’ve been believed, anyways. And Canolo had realized that travelling simply wasn’t for her; she was going to head home as soon as she could, grateful as she was that he had saved her.

“I get the feeling that going home isn’t an option for you, so take care of yourself out there.” She said, and Link’s heart twisted.

It was odd, feeling seen like that - he really didn’t have a home to return to. He had his house, in Hateno, and the Great Plateau - and of course, places that felt like home, like his time spent in Zora’s Domain - but none of that was where he truly belonged, where he could return to at the end of the day and simply stay. With the life he had, he could only keep moving, wandering from one place to the next.

He wasn’t aimless, at least - not most of the time, anyways - he had goals and ambitions, and he travelled for a reason. But he also didn’t have any grand-scale plans. He had to save the world, of course, but that wasn’t really what he wanted, on a personal level. He wanted the world to be safe, and he was willing to do whatever that took - wanted it for more reasons than just because he was supposed to do it - but that wasn’t personal . That wasn’t the point of his life. 

What would come after? What would he do? Would he wander forever? Travelling constantly? Would he settle down? Perhaps he’d change seasonally, staying in each of the towns across Hyrule for a few weeks or months at a time, before moving to the next place. With the shrines and towers it wouldn’t be too difficult to simply appear in a new town whenever he felt like it. But would that make him happy? Was that what he really wanted?

He didn’t know.

But for now, he supposed he didn’t really need to know. He wasn’t here to figure out what he wanted to do with his life once the world was no longer in danger - after all, he had the rest of his life to figure that out. Perhaps then he wouldn’t have to do it alone, either. He was here to free the next Divine Beast. To allow the spirits of those who hadn’t gotten the chance to live in a world where they were safe to finally rest. 

It was time to head out.

Chapter Text

Link discovered fairly quickly that he couldn’t bring his horse into the desert. Of course, he hadn’t planned on bringing her too far - just to the refuge he could see a little ways into the desert; so she could rest outside of the desert heat. But instead, as he approached, he found that it was almost like an invisible barrier lay on the ramp that led into the sand. No matter how hard he tried, she could not move an inch further, though not for a lack of trying on her part as well.

He supposed this was it then, at least for now. He gave her mane one last pet before hopping to the ground, setting off into the blazing heat of the desert sun. It was still fairly early in the morning, so he hoped it wouldn’t be too terrible yet, but just in case he had already made a few heat-resistant elixirs the night before. He would be of no use in fighting the Divine Beast if he collapsed from heat stroke on the way there.

The path to the Bazaar wasn’t long, scorching hot though it was, but on the way there he felt the ground begin to shake, a mechanical cry echoing from the distance.

Vah Naboris. 

A sandstorm shrouded the Divine Beast as it trampled across the desert, purple feet shaking the ground with each step it took. Though it was far from where Link stood, he was still wary of the land surrounding it - with how dangerous the previous beasts had been, he didn’t want to risk drawing too close and invoking its wrath.

As he approached what he now knew was Kara Kara Bazaar, he began to feel a tug of familiarity. Something about the tranquil waters in the middle of a desert called to him in a way the stable hadn’t.

He pulled out the Sheikah Slate, flipping to the pictures taken a century ago. There, the fourth one - it was taken right near here, at sunset. He looked around, but it wasn’t until he was much closer that he found the familiar glow he was looking for. 

It wasn’t what he had expected from such a serene place, at least in appearance. Zelda had been running, fearing for her life, from members of the Yiga Clan, and for good reason. They had encircled her, had nearly killed her, and were only stopped by Link showing up and, for the first time in any of the memories he had recovered, truly acting as her knight and personal guard, dispelling the threat quickly and efficiently.

It was a rather short memory too, and it left him with many questions, though that wasn’t exactly new.

Why had she been running? Of course, they were after her, but when had that started? She had been coming from the direction of the stable - but had that stable existed a century ago? Where had he been? Why had he left her unattended for long enough for her life to be in danger? Was he truly so bad at his job? Or was she simply so determined to get away from him and his constant presence that she had endangered herself by running right into a deadly threat? 

The Sheikah Slate told him that the memory was almost right after the one in which she had shouted at him, providing him some small clarity in the confusing muddle that was his own mind and memory after having a random glimpse of the past suddenly reawakened, with no context or understanding of it. 

Something had changed after that moment though, he knew it. Something important. He just wished he had more to go off of than gut feelings and random flashbacks.

The next memory he had of her was the one under the tree, where she spoke with him not as an annoyance or an obstacle, but someone she could confide in, or at least speak her mind to without anger. But what had happened between then? And would recalling all 18 memories fill in the gaps? Would it even paint a cohesive picture? Or would he be left wondering, with no real recollection of his past, only small glimpses of a life that he wasn’t sure was any longer his?

Would he ever remember his own childhood? Or anything about himself, really? Or was it all lost in the Calamity, just as countless other lives had been?

He sighed. 

No matter. He glanced around approaching the first person he saw. Wondering about my broken memory won’t solve anything. I should just focus on the task at hand. 

The person he spoke to was a guard, presumably of the gerudo, though he had no real way of knowing for sure - not yet anyways. She told him that Gerudo Town was still a far ways off, urging him to rest before continuing his travels, and mentioning something much more interesting in her advice.

“Though, you ARE a voe... Even if you make it to town, you won’t be able to get in...” That could prove to be a problem. 

He inquired further, learning that “voe” meant “male”, and that once again the Divine Beast near the town had only recently started acting up. It seemed Ganon had grown more defensive upon his awakening, making everything under its control more aggressive to keep Link at bay. In any case, Vah Naboris was surrounded by not only the fierce sandstorm, but intense lightning, which meant getting near it was going to prove difficult. Especially considering a good chunk of his weapons were metal.

He thanked her for protecting the Bazaar, and pressed further into the small oasis, taking in the breathtaking sight despite the searing heat. Although, the small lake - if it could even be called that - provided some relief so long as he stayed close enough to it. 

There were quite a few people here, for such a small settlement, and he spoke with everyone he could, eyeing the merchants’ goods and of course running into Beedle as he always seemed to do. He met a rito named Guy, which was certainly interesting - though he wasn’t one to judge someone’s name, Link just found it funny that he was essentially named “dude”. 

Link gave him a cooling elixir to ease his troubles, hoping he wouldn’t be trapped in this heat for too long - especially considering he had come from the Hebra region, whose frigid temperatures Link had experienced first-hand. He also learned a new gerudo word out of it, “sarqso”, meaning “thank you”. Guy enthusiastically exclaimed it after explaining what it meant.

Surprisingly, though, there wasn’t much to actually do here, and so after meeting everyone and getting a shrine quest that he’d get to later, he set off in the morning for Gerudo Town, all the way across the desert. Link discovered something on his way, with the early morning sun beating down on his back and his feet sunken into the ground with every step he took:

He hated sand.

The ground was scorching hot to the touch, and with each step he kicked up a small cloud that landed right back in his boots - the soldier's greaves, which were made of metal and rapidly gaining heat with each moment he spent in the sun. Even with an elixir, the heat was still present in every way, he was simply able to push through it as though it weren’t real. 

He hadn’t needed to eat or drink up until this point, simply snacking whenever he needed to heal the wounds he had gained - and while that hadn’t exactly changed, he could still feel dehydration beginning to set in as he travelled across the burning desert, a sensation he hadn’t felt in all of his waking memory. He wondered if it would go away when he cooled down, or if for the first time in his life since waking on the Great Plateau he would actually experience a bodily need. 

Frustratingly, sticking to the path as indicated by the Sheikah Slate was of absolutely no help at all - on the way to the Bazaar, the path had been blatant and noticeable, beaten down and hardened almost like stone from the constant travelers walking upon it, but here there was no discerning the supposed path from the surrounding sands, and staying upon it did nothing to quell the aggravating slowness of his every step. 

Needless to say, Link was not having a very good time.

He was relieved beyond words when he encountered the shrine just outside the town walls, quickly detouring for the welcome respite from the desert and all it entailed to complete the trial left for him. For once, he hoped the trial wouldn’t be too quick or easy - he wanted this break to last.

Chapter Text

All good things must come to an end, and soon Link returned to the surface to face the actual reason he had come all this way in the first place: Gerudo Town. He spoke to the people around the town first, a few men who seemed thoroughly bummed that they weren’t allowed in, mostly because they had planned to flirt with all the women inside, before finally actually talking to the guards stationed at the entrance.

Though not before learning that there was, in fact, an easier way to travel the desert, and one that seemed right up his alley: sand-seal surfing. Like shield surfing, but attached to an animal that would pull him, gliding right over the sand. He would’ve killed to know that before crossing the desert. Although considering there was no shrine over by Kara Kara Bazaar, perhaps that would be how he ended up getting back.

In any case, he made his way over to the guards, speaking with the women who were all twice his height. 

I’m starting to feel like everyone in Hyrule is taller than me. 

He was told outright that he wouldn’t be let in because he was a voe, and that vai was their word for woman. And sav’orq meant goodbye. He would be sure to use those once he got inside. 

If he got inside, that was.

No, I will get in there. It doesn’t matter what it takes, I won’t let innocent people be endangered because I couldn’t find a way into the town. 

He figured it was time to start trying things, then. Pleading with them obviously wasn’t going to work, and they were clearly warriors in their own right, if the spears and armor were anything to go by. He wondered, however, what would happen if he simply... walked right in. 

In seconds he had two spears pointed at him, and his vision quickly faded, until he was standing just a few feet back from the entrance. He knew it was unlikely, but he had at least had to try. Still, that left him to seek out whatever other option he could find. 

Climbing the wall seemed to work pretty well at first - until he heard voices shouting after him, that is. This time when his vision returned he was being thrown onto his back, scorching desert sand burning away at him through his clothes as he stared up at the spear pointed in his face. Link took a moment to steady himself before continuing.

The result was the same no matter where he approached from. Climbing the walls, even out of sight from any of the guards, resulted in him being thrown out. Walking in any of the entrances didn’t work. Even dropping from above had him thrown out yards above the walls. It was like there was some invisible force field where they could just sense his presence, and throw him out before he ever made it inside in the first place.

In his frustration, he even tried attacking the guards, thinking there was a chance they’d let him in if they considered him a worthy opponent, but his sword did nothing to them, and similarly their attacks dealt him no damage - although they did throw him on his back, so they must’ve had considerable strength. They even damaged his shield when he attempted to parry it. Still, there was no real “winning” a fight when neither of them could actually hurt each other.

This was getting him nowhere.

His only clue was from that traveling merchant, Benja, who had mentioned that there was a man that frequently infiltrated the town and traveled between here and the Bazaar. Even the official quest simply repeated that information, leaving Link stumped as to how to find his way in.

Perhaps he could tunnel underneath? But he had no real way to do so, and he figured that the same invisible force that allowed the guards to know he was there from above would work from below as well. And he’d already tested every other method he could think of.

All that was left to do was return to the bazaar in hopes he could find this mystery man, wherever he was. 

At least it meant that he got the chance to attempt sand-seal surfing; although it took him a good few tries before he was able to actually catch a sand seal for long enough to attach his shield. 

He appreciated the wind racing through his hair, the thrill overtaking the frustration that had been building as he raced across the sands, the world starting to blur around him as he and the seal dashed through the desert. He determined then and there that it was the best mode of transportation he had encountered so far, at least in terms of the experience, though obviously teleporting was faster. He would be sure to use it any chance he got.

He was back at the bazaar before sunset, and while he was sad to leave behind his new animal companion, temporary though it had been, he was eager to begin his search anew, quickly scouring every inch of the place for a person he had somehow missed, even going so far as to climb some of the trees to gain a better view. Though it was fruitless metaphorically, he did gather quite a few palm fruits, so at least he didn’t come away entirely empty-handed.

In his search he noticed something he hadn’t before: the main building, which held the inn and individual arrows, had a ladder on one side, which meant that people were probably supposed to climb atop it, or at least were allowed to, as opposed to nearly every other building Link had ended up on top of. It was one more place to check, if nothing else, and he quickly made his way up the series of ladders until he was all the way at the top.

There, standing on the opposite side and looking out upon the sandstorm in the distance, stood a person, dressed in clothes that looked remarkably similar to the ones the gerudo women had worn, and with long red hair just as they had too, although lacking the height that made Link feel so dwarfed. Perhaps they had some tips, at least?

Vilia claimed to know nothing of the man who had managed to sneak into gerudo town, but Link couldn’t help but study her face for any hint of knowledge. Something about it was all too familiar too, although with his memory, that could mean just about anything. Still, she clearly noticed his gaze, calling it out in a teasing manner. 

“You’re very beautiful!” He decided on, hoping to ease some of the awkwardness that came from staring intently at a random stranger’s face.

“Oh, such a nice thing to say! And I’m sure you’d agree that these clothes only help my looks, right?” She asked, although she didn’t wait for a response. “Now that I think about it, this style would look quite fetching on you.” 

Link considered it for a moment. There was no reason he shouldn’t wear them, was there? Although pink wasn’t really his color, he could always have them dyed. And it was a rather fetching style, as Vilia had put it. Plus, he was always up to buy more clothes, he had already amassed quite the collection of outfits. And, of course, there was the technically more important fact that it might allow him to walk right into Gerudo Town - he’d already had people comment on how he wasn’t the most outwardly masculine figure, surely he could pass as a woman if he tried, right?

It wouldn’t hurt to try.

For 600 rupees he was given the outfit, told to change while Vilia looked away, and his vision faded in and out - though he supposed he should be used to that by now. He was already wearing the outfit when he could see again, and Vilia squealed as Link put his hands to his cheeks, somewhat surprised by the transformation. It was certainly a more revealing outfit than he was used to, but then again it wasn’t entirely out of the question for him to walk around in his underwear should he have to.

“You look adorable!” Vilia exclaimed, and Link couldn’t help but feel flattered, if a little embarrassed. He still wasn’t all that used to taking compliments, and he was glad the mask covered the tinge that was certainly coming to his cheeks at the words.

“Just as I thought!” She continued, “You make for quite a good-lookin’ gal . That’s a traditional Gerudo outfit.” Link had to admit, he did feel very pretty in it. “It’s such a striking look around here. I doubt anyone would even suspect that you’re a man!”

Vilia continued to gush about the outfit, both in its appearance and breathability, and even suggested that Link keep her in mind if he was ever free to “grab something to eat”, which he thought might be an invitation to a date, though he had to admit he had no experience in that department, at least in his waking memory - although part of him doubted it had been in his repertoire even before losing his memory. 

He didn’t get the chance to say anything in return, however, as just then a strong breeze blew by, detaching one side of the mask and revealing Vilia’s face underneath. Is that a beard? Well, I’m not one to judge, I’ve definitely seen far weirder. All she said was to make sure he watched out for the wind, and Link had to facepalm for a moment as he considered just how easily his disguise could be overturned. 

Although, he had never had the wind detach any of his clothing, even the more easily moved ones like his bandana. Perhaps it was part of equipping it via the Sheikah Slate? None of his weapons or sheathes ever fell either, unless he was forced into dropping them by electricity. 

Oh well, that’s a problem for another day. 

She was right, at least, about the outfit helping with the heat. According to the slate it provided one level of heat resistance with the whole outfit equipped, although it did nothing to help traveling in the sand. 

He wandered around the bazaar for a short while, and immediately he noticed the change in how people spoke to him. Everyone he spoke to commented on how cute he was, and the men immediately started trying to flirt with him. It was rather flattering, all things considered, and Link couldn’t help but feel cute wearing it, too. He would definitely have to add this to one of his regular outfits, he was too pretty to simply sideline it outside of Gerudo Town. 

In the morning he set off again for Gerudo Town, although this time he was able to simply teleport. The guards treated him differently too, acting as though he was simply a traveler rather than a threat they needed to keep out. Merina even suggested he stop by the canteen to get a drink. He hesitated for a moment, glancing between the both of them, before taking a few steps forwards, slowly walking through the door. When they didn’t stop him, he resumed his normal pace, and finally, he entered Gerudo Town.

The Sheikah Slate marked his quest as done, and he quickly made his way through the town, speaking to everyone he could and familiarizing himself with all the different shops - and there were quite a few. He gave some flint to the jewelry shop owner, traded spirit orbs with the goddess statue, and bought out the stock of nearly every shop, weaving in and out of what he assumed were individual residences before finally turning to the large set of stairs in the center of town.

It was time to talk to the Chief.

Chapter Text

There were two guards outside of the throne room, and they warned him that they would really rather not allow visitors, but had to at the chief’s orders. He had heard the buzz around town about some sort of trouble going on, that thieves had stolen something precious from the chief, and Link determined that once he knew more he would help them locate their stolen item, before heading off for his fight against the final Divine Beast.

He only got a few feet inside before the Chief noticed him, and it struck Link just how young she looked. She wasn’t exactly a child, per se, but she certainly was just barely a teenager, if that. He had heard one of the women in town mention that she was young, having inherited the throne after her mother’s death, but he hadn’t quite expected her to be that young. He wondered what it must be like, to rule at such a young age.

Although, he himself was young, wasn’t he? He was around Zelda’s age, and - ignoring the 100-year addendum - he was certainly just barely considered an adult, if at all. Would others find it odd or sad that he was expected to save the world while in his youth? Or would it bring them hope, to know that it was someone who hadn’t been bogged down by the way of the world for decades prior? 

In any case, the Chief, Riju, seemed surprised yet weary at his appearance, wondering how he had gotten inside, and noting the interesting object on his hip - that is, the Sheikah Slate that once again people found so surprising. Buliara, on the other hand, was taking her job as Riju’s guard very seriously, and declared with a hit of her sword to the ground that Link was permitted to come no closer. 

Riju tried to calm her, stating that Link was no common traveler, and asked his name. Although he was aware everyone in town thought he was a woman - he wouldn’t be allowed in otherwise, after all - he found no reason to lie about his name. As far as he was aware, it wasn’t a common name at all, so he doubted she would immediately recognize it as a man’s name - if it could even be considered that. He really didn’t know the history behind it. 

“Link...” She repeated “And what is it you’ve come all the way here to tell me, Link?” Riju studied him from her position on the throne - propped up by several pillows, with steps leading up to it. Perhaps Link had finally found someone shorter than him - although considering she was also noticeably younger than him, that didn’t actually reassure him all too much.

“I can calm Naboris.”

Buliara doubted him, stating that the only people who could ever tame something as powerful as a Divine Beast were Champions, like Lady Urbosa. That must’ve been Vah Naboris’ pilot, then, the Champion whose spirit he was here to free. Buliara told him that all the Champions died in the Calamity 100 years ago, meaning no one could ever control one now.

Riju, on the other hand, recalled a tale from the Calamity that her mother had passed down, of how a princess had placed a fallen swordsman into a deep sleep. A swordsman who shared his name. 

Uh oh. 

Buliara still doubted it, calling out that the legends also spoke of a legendary sword. Link’s heart sank, a sense of guilt clawing its way up from where he had tried to suppress it. He knew he had to carry that sword, knew that he was destined to, that he already had once before. He knew that he had tried, and failed. That it had killed him where he stood. 

Still Riju called attention to the Sheikah Slate on his hip, insisting that he had to be more important than a simple drifter. Link could only watch as they went back and forth, waiting for a moment to insert himself into the conversation, to insist that he could prove himself if they wanted, just so that they wouldn’t have to live in danger any longer.

“...I don’t remember ever hearing of a Hylian vai among the Champions.” Buliara said solemnly, bowing her head in thought. Her eyes widened with realization and she looked up at Link with a betrayed rage, slamming her sword into the ground once more. “Wait a moment... You’re a voe!” Link began to worry.

“A voe within our walls is a great crime.” Riju told him. “But a voe who is a Champion...” Link held his breath. “Well, we’d never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa. And if you’re here to help us with Naboris, then we are allies.” Link let out a silent sigh of relief.

Riju began speaking of the dangers, how Vah Naboris was cloaked in a massive sandstorm, and hurling lightning at anyone who dared to approach it. They had tried, but no one had found a way to appease the Divine Beast. With his status as a Champion, however, she wondered if he might be able to enter Vah Naboris and calm its anger from the inside. 

That’s the plan. 

Still, Buliara didn’t trust him, questioning how Riju could entrust a complete stranger with such an important task. She suggested a way Link could prove himself: recovering the Thunder Helm, the stolen heirloom Link had heard about. Riju considered it for a moment, beginning to explain the heirloom’s purpose.

“You see, there is only one thing in all of Hyrule that can withstand the lightning from Naboris. The Thunder Helm , a family heirloom and relic of the Gerudo. But as Buliara says, it was stolen from us.” Of course, then. It was needed to be able to even get close to Vah Naboris, so he would gladly go retrieve it - although really, he would’ve done so even if it hadn’t been so important. 

Buliara told him to speak with the soldiers training in the barracks, where Captain Teake would tell him everything he needed to know about the thieves. With that, their conversation was done, and Link was left to go discover what, exactly, he was up against. 

He spoke with all the soldiers in the barracks first, and learned that one of the soldiers, Barta, had gone missing on a mission near the thieves’ hideout. On top of that, it seemed all the soldiers were in trouble to some degree, with half of them training tirelessly to make up for their failure to protect the Thunder Helm. Link wondered if he had undergone similar training as a knight, before everything had happened.

Captain Teake was rather kind, once she realized Link was supposed to be there and wasn’t simply an outsider in a place he shouldn’t be. She explained how everyone had been on edge ever since the Yiga Clan had stolen the chief’s heirloom.

The Yiga Clan. 

Of course, who else would it be? They probably disguised themselves as random Gerudo women and walked right in, if their ploys to pretend to be travelers are anything to go by. 

“We’ve determined that the Yiga’s hideout is in Karusa Valley, but... The soldiers are all exhausted, so I was just thinking about requesting some extra help...” She continued, before turning to the soldiers in the yard. 

“Hey, everyone! Listen up! This Hylian vai has agreed to help us, so offer her any information you can!” She announced, and told Link to consider himself a part of their unit. It was odd, to feel welcomed into a troop so easily, but at the same time there was a sense of familiarity to it. He wondered if his own unit, back before the Calamity, had been like a family to him, or if they were all just reluctant coworkers. 

Had they spent time together, outside of training? Had they joked, back in their quarters, laughing about whatever had happened that day? Shared their troubles when things went wrong? Had they spoken about their home lives, and how they couldn’t wait for their days off to go see their families again? Did they spar for fun, even when they didn’t have to? Were they proud of each other’s accomplishments, or jealous of each other’s skills? Did they bicker over who had the better weapon, or revel in awe over whoever had the best? Did they even talk to each other? Did they know each other at all?

Would he ever actually know?

Link slowly turned back to the soldiers, walking down the small set of steps as he began to ask for more information. Karusa Valley was at least already on his map, a small jut out into the blue void that was the region north of here - presumably the Gerudo Highlands, from what he’d heard mentioned, although he couldn’t be sure. He would have to get that tower, too, when he got the chance. 

There wasn’t much the soldiers could tell him. The base was difficult to get into, no soldier had even stepped foot inside, and with the thieves being the Yiga - able to teleport and change shape, although it wasn’t clear whether or not they knew that - there wasn’t much advice they could give him on what to do. 

That didn’t matter, though. Link had faced several members of the Yiga Clan already - hell, he had faced down three blights of Ganon. He could handle whatever they threw at him. All that was left now was to find a way to Karusa Valley, which would prove difficult considering it, too, was blocked by a sandstorm, and he had no shrines or towers to teleport to anywhere near it, considering he’d never been to this region before.

His next course of action was to get to the tower, then. It was fairly close to the valley, from what he could tell, and it would provide him a clear point of access to get closer, all while remaining high up so as to retain the advantage. With nothing much else left to do here, he was off, teleporting back to the stable so that he could begin his climb.

Chapter Text

The climb was arduous, a long and difficult journey across miles of hard stone in climates that varied wildly from harsh desert sun to freezing cold nights, but eventually he made it to the tower. That, however, was only half the battle. Of course, now he actually had to get on top of the tower, which sounded far easier than it looked. 

The tower itself was taller than any he had ever seen, and it sat in the middle of an apparently bottomless void, surrounded by a spiralling path that slowly circled upwards, though even the top of it only appeared to reach just around where the platforms started, which wasn’t actually all that near the top. It was clear, though, that trying to climb the entire tower from the height he was at currently would only end with him falling in the void; there was no way he could reach anywhere near the top with his stamina and the sheer freakish height of the tower. 

Although, knowing he couldn’t die, and that nearly any other time there had been some sort of bottomless void, he had simply reappeared atop wherever he had fallen off of, Link couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he jumped in. Perhaps there was something down there, all the way at the bottom. Worst case scenario, he’d die and have to redo the past few hours - which would certainly be annoying, and he wasn’t exactly all too keen on dying in any manner, least of all willingly, but it wouldn’t actually be the end of the world - and far more likely he would simply be down a heart and “wake up” face first on the ground. 

Eh, what the hell.

And he jumped.

He fell surprisingly far before blacking out, especially considering he was at the very bottom of the spiral, and just as he suspected he awoke back safely on land with minimal damage. 

Oh well, guess I better start walking. 

And he did.

The path itself wasn’t all that interesting, all things considered. There were a few monsters here and there, which didn’t prove to be too much of a problem - several of them ended up falling in the void, though Link wasn’t actually doing it on purpose - and there were several chunks of bombable rocks that he, of course, exploded, but other than that there wasn’t really anything noteworthy on his way up. The biggest threat to him really was the occasional falling rock, which did manage to make him jump, but other than that wasn’t much of a problem.

Finally, after making it all the way to the top, and navigating the somewhat annoying manual elevators with carefully placed metal blocks, he was able to glide over to the tower, and was delighted to find Kass playing a song atop it. He activated the tower first, before allowing the musician to regale him with a song of old. 

It was a rather simple tune, and Link quickly worked out its meaning, gliding down to the pedestal below and completing the quest within the day, before turning back to the original reason he had arrived. 

The tower was actually rather close to Karusa Valley, and with how tall it was Link was able to glide over rather close to the valley’s entrance, though he stopped first for another shrine just above it to ensure he could easily return whenever he needed. Not that he particularly wanted to return to the hideout of the Yiga Clan on any sort of regular basis, but knowing how his journey had gone so far, he figured it was probably inevitable. 

From there he dropped down, beginning the slow climb up the hill of sand that led further and further into the valley, weapons equipped and ready for whatever he may face. He dodged the falling boulders, collected whatever herbs were growing nearby, and crept up the seemingly endless slope as the sun trailed across the sky, mostly hidden by all of the stone overhangs yet still ever-present as the temperatures slowly rose throughout the day. 

Link was grateful when the sand finally ended, giving way to stone and a proper path beaten into the dirt, although it definitely made him wary of what was to come. It was no surprise when a member of the yiga clan appeared, although he did jump at first, not having expected them to appear so suddenly. 

It was a pleasant surprise to find out that the bow they left behind was a Duplex Bow, shooting two arrows at once, but more importantly, the next weapon that Nebb had wanted to see. He’d be sure to bring it over to Hateno when he got the chance. 

Link continued towards the glowing point marked on his map, taking out a few more Yiga Clan members on the way until finally he found himself in front of what he presumed was the entrance, a hole carved into the stone walls that led to a small room with torches and tapestries. He looked around cautiously, not trusting that he could just walk right in - especially considering how much of a hassle it had been to get into Gerudo Town, which wasn’t exactly a top-secret base full of stolen treasure and master thieves. 

Still, it didn’t look like he had much other option, and so with caution in each step he slowly made his way inside. 

There were several sets of stairs inside, each leading to a hole in the wall covered by a tapestry, except for the one leading to a pedestal in the center of the room, surrounded by lit torches, with a bow placed atop it and a torch - the weapon kind, not the fixture - on the ground beside it. It didn’t take much to figure out that it was time for his favorite activity: lighting things on fire. 

It didn’t take long for Link to burn down all of the tapestries, discovering which one led to the proper entrance to the base and then continuing to burn down the rest just for the hell of it. There were a few pots, crates and treasure chests scattered throughout them, as well as a good few keese, and only once Link had thoroughly checked each chamber did he continue to the proper path. 

He thought it was a rather simple disguise, considering they were known as master thieves and all, but then again he supposed many people wouldn’t willingly walk into a base full of dangerous people known as being master assassins, among their other feats. But then, when had Link ever been like most people? 

Unsurprisingly, the main path led to more stairs, but soon Link was in a new area entirely, a dark and musty cave with perfectly square walls, a few bananas strewn about and a jail cell atop the small landing he stood on. He quickly snatched up the bananas, wary of the armed yiga patrolling a rectangular protrusion in the more open area of the base to his left, and approached the cell.

“Hey, what are you doing here? This is the hideout of those Yiga thieves who stole the Thunder Helm ...” Barta said, staring at him from the other side of the bars.

Barta, I know that name. That’s the soldier that went missing, right? 

It was no wonder she was missing, if she had been captured and imprisoned here. She warned him that if he was seen, they would call for backup and quickly outnumber him - there was no way he would win against all of them, at least according to her. She told him that all she had ever seen them do was patrol and eat bananas, and that he should get out of there while he still could. 

He was grateful now that he had bought the stealth outfit - ironically the only clothing he had marked with the Sheikah symbol - because it was certain to make getting through here much easier. Though he removed all of his equipment as well, just in case. Perhaps he could distract them with the bananas? The only time he had ever found them was from defeating the footsoldiers anyways. Although the ones patrolling here were blademasters, according to the Sheikah Slate, but that probably wouldn’t change much, based on what Barta had told him.

In any case, he had to get moving. He waited for the right timing, quickly sneaking across the floor and climbing atop the rectangular pillar, getting a better view of the room. There was another blademaster simply standing in front of the door, but with the cargo in the way he would probably be able to make it over there, at least, before being spotted.

Probably.

Without much other option, he simply had to go for it, and hope for the best. It went smoothly, at least, but now that left him with his next problem: the unmoving, unwavering guard. Link couldn’t just sneak around his patrol if he wasn’t patrolling, and he was right in front of the door, leaving no room for Link to squeeze past him unnoticed.

Welp, time to try it for myself. 

Link threw a banana directly in his line of sight, and near immediately the blademaster changed in demeanor, happily hopping along towards the fruit and leaving Link time to quickly sneak around and through the door, where he promptly ducked out of sight, catching his breath and gathering his surroundings. There was a door to his right, which led to a very open room, or a ladder directly in front of him. He took the latter. 

It led to a small scaffolding above the open room, with a cove at the end full of mighty bananas, and containing a treasure chest with a precious gemstone inside. All that was left now was to find a way to traverse the large, open room undetected. 

It wasn’t too difficult at first, nerve-wracking though it was, but Link was quickly tempted by the precious gemstones below, and risked sneaking down to grab them. The first few attempts went well, with him leaping back up to the safety of his high ground undetected, but on his final attempt...

Well, it didn’t go so well, to say the least.

The blademaster spotted him, whistling a specific tune as the other guards quickly became aware of his presence, locking the gates in response and calling upon countless footsoldiers as backup. Link barely had time to take in the threat when one of the blademasters sliced at him, and with a single hit he crumpled to the ground, life draining out of him with no time to even think. The last thing he heard was a cruel laugh, and an indiscernible voice calling out to him.

“Beware, fool, the eye of the Yiga.” 

And with that, he was back in the entrance, standing right next to Barta’s cell.

Link had to take a moment, trying to process what had happened. The swiftness of it all had his head reeling, and it was only after smashing the pots again that he realized that something had been very wrong about his death: he hadn’t been given the chance to be revived. The fairies he had had done nothing, Mipha’s Grace hadn’t so much as began to activate, and he was already dead on the ground. Why? What was so different about the blademasters that they were able to bypass all his safety mechanisms? Or had he simply been struck so hard that it hadn’t mattered, that it cut through them all just as easily as it had cut through his own flesh and bone?

Regardless, he knew now more than ever that he had to be careful; failing to be stealthy had far more dire consequences than even he had realized.

But for now, he had to redo everything he had just done, and get back to where he was before. It was tedious, and his heart was pounding out of his chest, but after much longer than it had taken the first time - on account of the now racing adrenaline and fear to place even one toe out of line too early - he was back, and he was much, much more cautious in his attempts to steal the gemstones this time.

Back atop the pillar, he realized something that he hadn’t thought of before: Revali’s Gale. Although it would certainly lift him too high in such an enclosed area, he could handle being shoved into the ceiling for a moment in order to glide over to the much higher up - and barred off, meaning he couldn’t simply climb it, although he had tried - center structure. He just hoped the sudden noise of wind wouldn’t draw the guards’ attention.

From there, it was just a matter of not falling off, and dropping the strategic banana here and there and he was through, into a smaller room filled with sand and treasure chests, and thankfully empty of any and all people. The wall was magnetic as well, surprisingly, and Link guessed that was some sort of secret entrance. Although, in the entire place so far, he still hadn’t found the thunder helm. Perhaps it was behind that secret door? 

Or perhaps he would have to fight someone after all, and that was what was behind it.

Well, he supposed there was only one way to find out.

The second he stepped foot outside, he knew something was off. The area was large and open - he was outside again - and there were lights strewn all about. There was a large, circular hole in the middle of the ground, seemingly bottomless, just as the hole around the tower had been, paved with stone tiles on its perimeter. The whole place felt like a massive trap, and he was walking right in - but then again, what else could he do?

“Hey!” A low voice called out, and Link began to look around. 

A person appeared behind him, teleporting in with that signature Yiga technique, and upon turning to face them Link found... well, not what he was expecting. It was a yiga clan member alright, and they looked much more pompous than anyone else, but they were also severely out of shape, at least compared to all the other members he had seen so far. And they lacked the composed dignity that the others had as well, at least in demeanor.

Just as with every other yiga he had spoken to, he couldn’t discern their name immediately, but Link had a feeling he would find out soon.

“Who the heck are you? And what are you doing in my napping spot?!” The person exclaimed, hands drawn in an almost comical stance. Link was almost amused - they certainly didn’t seem like the great and mighty figure he had come to expect.

“Wait a minute...” They rubbed their eyes excessively - or rather, their mask, as though that would help them actually see better. Thinking about it, how could they see through their masks at all? They were wooden, and covered their entire face. Though, Link supposed he could see just fine through thick armor.

“That thing on your hip... Is that... Could it be a Sheikah Slate?” Well, if they recognized that, well it certainly didn’t mean anything good for Link. “If it’s a Sheikah Slate... Then that means...” They startled. “Yeah, IT’S YOU! You’re that Link guy I’ve been looking for!” They yelled, letting out a startled yelp as they did so.

Well, it was almost never a good thing if someone was actively looking for Link. And they knew his name - probably from the footsoldiers he’d encountered in his travels, reporting back to them after the blood moon had revived them. Though, would they remember anything after that? Perhaps it had been other spies that had reported back to them? 

In any case, this person seemed rather excited that Link had simply walked right into their lair, when they’d been apparently having scouts search high and low for him. 

“Oh, excuse me. I haven’t introduced myself yet.” They crossed their arms with a little “hmph”, somehow managing to look disdainfully at him without any facial expressions at all. 

“I am the leader... Of the Yiga Clan!” They exclaimed, posing dramatically. Link didn’t have much time to react before they started almost dancing, shifting between dramatic poses as they began listing off their excellent qualities.

“The strong! The burly!! The one!! The only!!! MASTER KOHGA!!! Now, prepare yourself!” Link almost laughed at the dramatics of it all, but he knew he was in for a fight. Still, he had to appreciate the sheer silliness of it all, even if he was about to fight for his life. 

With that, Master Kohga spun off, and the fight began.

Most of the fight consisted of him spinning around dramatically, using vaguely Sheikah techniques of magic, and Link causing him to drop his own creations on his head. Of course, that caused him to somehow land completely upside-down with his head stuck in the ground, which was almost as amusing as it was easy to absolutely obliterate him with his weapons. 

And that led to him getting even more angry, stomping around midair with literal puffs of smoke coming out of him before he tried a new technique that was basically the same as the old one just with more moving parts, or a shield that didn’t really work. Really, the fight was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

Master Kohga, unlike his many underlings, did not take defeat with grace.

“Who would’ve thought... I’d be done in like this... And by this guy, of all people!” He exclaimed, hunched over and holding one arm as he huffed and glared at Link. He began stomping his foot angrily on the ground, like an impudent child who hadn’t gotten his way.

“You think I’m just going to let this stand?! Do you?!” He yelled, before clearing his throat. “Ahem. I almost lost my temper there...” Link bit back a laugh. Almost?

“Argh, what a pain... I can’t go out this way. What to do, what to do...” Clearly, the so-called master had not thought this out, and Link was growing amused with his struggle to last even a few minutes in a fight, only to pout like a child and talk to his apparently mortal enemy with no regard for how it made him look.

He grew surprised, exclaiming that he had an idea and beginning to laugh sinisterly - managing to actually sound decently creepy, despite his failure to appear at all threatening mere moments ago. Still, the dauntingness quickly disappeared the second he opened his mouth.

“I need to bust out my serious moves... A secret technique taught by my father’s mother’s father! It will... destroy you!” So, your great-grandfather? Why say it like that?  

“This is the end!” He yelled, pressing his fingers together and summoning yet another giant metal ball, far taller than the both of them, and dropping it on the ground between them. It... wasn’t all that impressive, if Link was being honest. This is the secret technique? Exactly what you just did, but slightly bigger? 

“Ahahaha-uh... Huh. Maybe it’s just a tad too big. Are you still over there?” He asked, and Link couldn’t help but grin despite himself. Truly, this was one of the most absurd fights he’d ever had. Though it was a welcome break from the terrifying endeavor that had been sneaking through the base. Link wondered if he could’ve skipped all of that and just gone over everything, but it was too late to worry about that now.

“Well, no matter.” He called from the other side, though Link still couldn’t see him. “Pretty soon you’ll be gone! And not just from my line of sight! Only the leader of the Yiga Clan... can use this secret technique...” The ball began to start rolling, only...

Away from Link. 

“It is... the ultimate...” Master Kogha trailed off, and despite the rather large spiked ball in between them, Link began to see frantically flailing limbs as Master Kogha apparently realized he was not, in fact, controlling the weapon he had just created.

Link simply stood and watched as the ball rolled towards Master Kogha, who, instead of teleporting, or floating, or one of the other many tricks he had just shown he knew how to do in order to get away, simply flailed and backed up until the ball pushed him over the edge of the gaping hole in the ground, letting out an almost comedic yell as he fell down the seemingly infinite ditch.

“Coward! I shall be remembered!” He yelled from beneath, all while Link simply stood and stared. “The Yiga Clan will track you to the ends of Hyruuuule!” And with that there was a very loud crash, shaking the ground. With the signature flutter of cards, a chest appeared, and Link walked over, amused, confused, and somewhat underwhelmed. 

Why and how had a chest appeared? Had he done it on purpose? Was that just what happened when a yiga clan member died? Did their magic react and undo whatever they had sealed away, since they weren’t around to uphold it anymore? Or was it just the same as anything else he killed? Except, this time Link hadn’t even killed him, he had basically just killed himself with his own stupidity. Did it even really matter?

Link sighed, opening the chest and finding the Thunder Helm inside.

It was time to return to Gerudo Town - something he was actually looking forward to, all things considered - and to right the wrongs that had been caused by the thieves. With a tap, he was whisked away into the early morning sun.