Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Now, before we start the story, I want to give you guys some details on what to expect when going into the story.

1. There is going to be a lot of lore that is from the prequel

So, If you haven't read "Botw Reimagined: The Past" I highly recommend doing so if you don't want to be confused.

2. This whole story will be told mostly in Link's POV. There will be certain points where the perspective changes, but they will be brief.

3. Just like the prequel, there will be a miphlink ship in this fanfic.

However, if you weren't satisfied with how it ended up in the prequel, you will either be satisfied, or cry. There is no in-between.

4. I really want to focus on the game aspect of this story as well.

In this story, it will be mainly influenced on a playthrough of Botw that I will be doing. I'm going to include any interesting shrines and side quests. However, I will also introduce brand new side quests in this story too.

The new side quests will mainly be story related and give character to any who are involved.

I want to say more, but that would be saying too much, so I'll leave it there.

5. Any minor content, namely koroks and annoyingly placed named locations, will be assumed to have been collected.

I'm doing a 100% playthrough, so this is why I mention it.

Chapter Text

...

...

"..."

"...Open your eyes..."

Ugh... Huh... Did... Did something call for me...?

"Open your eyes..."

I do as I am told and open my eyes. I'm greeted by a blinding blue light...my body... It seems to have been in this... Water...

"Open your eyes."

That voice is getting kind of repetitive... But at least I can hear it very clearly now.

"Wake up, Link."

Huh, is that my name...? Strange... I shouldn't be questioning that, it is my name. The water around my body seems to be lowering. My eyes are now wide awake now.

The water eventually drained and I slowly got up from whatever I was sleeping on... I look around to see my surroundings, only to see that I was in a pretty small area.

Still, I have no clue where I even am, and why can't I remember what had happened before I was put in here...

Well, no use trying to remember now. I have to know where I even am. I steadily climbed out of what I was sleeping on.

Suddenly, a pedestal lights up, indicating that I probably need whatever is on it. I walk over to it, while I did so, the pedestal offered some sort of slate...

"That is a shiekah slate. Take it. It shall help guide you after your long slumber."

A shiekah slate... I grab it off of the pedestal and take a look at it. It turned on as soon as I held it. I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen this before...

The door in front of me suddenly opens. After it fully opens, I see that there are two chests. Curious, I start opening them.

Old Shirt

Armor: 1

Well-Worn Trousers

Armor: 1

Well, at least it's something to wear. I almost didn't realize that I didn't have anything to wear other than my boxers.

After putting those on, I made my way to what seemed to be another pedestal.

"Hold the shiekah slate up to the pedestal. That will show you the way."

Well, not like I have anything else to do to get out of here. I do as the voice told and the pedestal glows blue as it activates.

The door that was in front of me then activates and unlocks itself. As the door opens, sunlight beams into the area.

I walk in front of the open exit, having to shield my eyes a little from the sunlight.

Again, I hear the voice "Link... You are the light- our light- that must shine upon Hyrule once again. Now go."

Hyrule... It sounds so familiar, but I can't remember. But now, all that was left to do was leave wherever I was.

I climbed a little wall that blocked my way. After that, it was time to step outside.

As I got outside, I walked to the cliff to look at my surroundings. Wow, as soon as I took a look, I couldn't help but acknowledge how beautiful this view was...

As I looked to my right, I saw what looked like a temple. Though, down the hill, I saw what seemed to be an old man. Maybe I should go ask him where I am?

While I was walking down the hill, I noticed some mushrooms on the way down. I figured that I could probably use those, so I picked some up.

As I picked one up, I almost felt like I gained information on what they were... They're Hylian shrooms.

They don't do anything special, and they're probably common too. Huh, I did not know that.

If I gain the information on anything that I can pick up, I should probably pick up everything that I can find.

Again, I made my way to the old man. As I got to him, I picked up some apples and noticed a baked one on the ground.

Without thinking, I picked it up.

"I BEG YOUR PARDON!"

His shout startled me a little.

"I do believe that is my baked apple! You can't just go about taking whatever you please!"

I turn to him, with a little guilt on my face "S-sorry sir..."

The old man then chuckled "Forgive me- I could not resist pulling your leg. Please help yourself. An apple and an open flame make for a succulent treat."

I give a sigh of relief and nod.

"Though, it is a bit strange to see another soul in these parts."

Well, I've got to know who he is at least before I continue talking.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"Me? I'll spare you my life story."

"I'm just an old fool who has lived here, alone, for quite some time now. What brings a bright-eyed young man like you to a place like this?"

"I don't really know where 'this' is. Do you know where we are?"

I mean, I don't remember anything from before I woke up, so of course I wouldn't know where I was.

"Answering a question with a question. That is fair enough. As I cannot imagine our meeting to be a simple coincidence... I shall tell you."

"This is the Great Plateau. According to legend, this is the birthplace of the entire kingdom of Hyrule."

Great Plateau huh? Well that's definitely an interesting name for this place.

The man then got up and faced towards the temple that I saw before.

"That temple there... Long ago, it was the site of many sacred ceremonies. Ever since the decline of the kingdom 100 years ago, it has sat abandoned, in a state of decay."

Wow, 100 years ago... I wonder what could have happened to the kingdom for it to decline.

"Yet another forgotten entity. A mere ghost of its former self..."

After that, the old man then sat back down. I then walked over behind him and grabbed a torch that was on the wall.

The Old man turns back to talk "Well then, help yourself to that torch there. And how, may I ask, are you planning on using it?"

"To set things on fire, of course."

I probably sounded way too calm when saying that as the old man gave me a concerned expression.

"That is rather... Unnerving. Please be cautious with that around any dry grass that might catch on fire."

"You know, there are plenty of monsters in this area. That torch would make a good weapon, if need be. However, do not just swing it around without purpose. You must face your opponents and lock your sights on them!"

I nod and wave goodbye to the old man. I then see an axe in a log, which I pick up.

Woodcutter's Axe

Attack: 3

I approach a cliff that drops into a lake. As I do so, I hear that mysterious voice again.

"..."

"Link..."

"Link. Head for the point marked on the map of your shiekah slate."

I checked the map of the shiekah slate that I was given. I saw a yellow mark on the map, which was pretty plain. However, I zoomed out of the map and noticed that it was a lot larger than I thought!

The great plateau seemed to have its own area, which was so much smaller than any other areas.

After closing the map, I then jumped into the water below. Unbeknownst to me, there was a circle of lily pads where I jumped.

After surfing, I see something appear beside me. It was a little figure with a mask.

"Ya ha ha, you found me! Huh? You're not Hestu! But you can... see me? I didn't know your kind could see the children of the forest! Well, if you run into Hestu, please give this to him!"

The little creature then gave me a seed... Apparently, this is a korok seed. So that's what these things are...

"Oh, and my friends are hiding in lots of different places too! Don't be shy about poking your nose into suspicious places!"

After that little interaction, I made my way to that temple. As I got to the entrance, I saw what must be a monster!

I took out my axe and engaged in combat with it. Even if I didn't pull out my axe, it would have definitely wenty after me anyway.

It wasn't that bad to fight as after knocking it back, it dropped its weapon, which after I picked it up, ended up being a Boko club.

After a few more hits, the monster goes down, dropping a horn. Seems like that thing was a bokoblin, mainly because of the information I was given.

I then went inside the temple. To my right, I saw a lot of pots on the ground and a chest. I don't know why, but I couldn't resist breaking all of the pots.

I ended up getting some arrows from them too. Coincidentally, the chest had a bow in it.

Traveler's Bow

Damage: 5

Well, now the only thing missing was a shield. Kind of weird... I know all of this information, and also know how to fight, but I can't remember who I was...

I approach this large statue, however, nothing really happens when I try to examine it. Probably should have expected that...

I then leave the temple and approach another, smaller, building, which was destroyed. I defeated another bokoblin and opened the chest that it was guarding.

Hylian Trousers

Armor: 3

Wow, that's a pretty good upgrade from my other trousers. I immediately put them on.

As I get closer to the location on my map, I defeat a couple more bokoblins, this time they had bows, which I took and gained more arrows.

There was now one more bokoblin in my way to the location. This time, it had a shield and a sword.

With timing my attacks correctly, I was able to defeat the bokoblin and get its shield and a new weapon.

Traveler's Sword

Attack: 5

Finally, I made it to the marked point on my map. There seemed to be another place where I could put my shiekah slate.

I examine the pedestal before placing the shiekah slate on it. As it took the slate, there was something that could be read.

Shiekah Tower activated

Please watch for falling rocks.

Wait what?

The whole place then started to shake, making me fall on my back!

However, it seemed like everything started to shake, even the wildlife.

Not long after, the shacking stopped. Then, the platform I was on broke through the earth it was in and rose in the air.

After that, I finally got up. I guess the information I'm given also includes the names of places. I am now on the Great Plateau Tower.

I then check the pedestal with the shiekah slate.

Distilling local information

There then seemed to be a liquid forming above the slate. The liquid then drops into the shiekah slate.

I then check the slate, which then switched to the map. It seems to have revealed the entire map of the Great Plateau!

Regional map extracted

The pedestal then releases the shiekah slate, which I grab. However, I then hear that strange voice again...

"Remember..."

It sounded like it came from the direction of the castle back there... As I look, there seemed to be a bright light coming from the castle.

"Try... Try to remember..."

Remember... What have I forgotten...?

"You have been asleep for the past 100 years."

As the voice says this, the ground suddenly shakes and something swarms the castle.

"The beast... When the beast regains its true powers, this world will face its end."

That 'beast' that the voice seems to be talking about rises above and roars before disappearing.

"Now then... You must hurry, Link. Before it's too late..."

Chapter Text

So... Is that voice telling me that I need to defeat that beast that was surrounding the castle? How am I supposed to do that?

Well no need to think about that now... Right now, I need to find a way down this tower.

There seemed to be a lot of rubble blocking what seem to be the exit points of the tower. However, one of those holes hasn't been touched.

Luckily it seems like the tower had a sort of staircase. One at a time, I fell lower to the ground.

As I made it down, I heard a "Ho!"

As I check what made that noise, I see the old man gliding down to me!

"My, my... It would seem that we have quite the enigma here. This tower and others just like it have erupted across the land, one after another."

I look out from the Great Plateau and noticed that there were indeed just like the one I was just on.

"It is almost as though... A long-dormant power has awoken quite suddenly."

"If you do not mind me asking... Did anything... Odd occur while you were atop that tower?"

Well, yes. There was that voice that I have been hearing.

"I actually have been hearing a voice."

"Well now! A voice, you say? And did you happen to recognize this mysterious voice?"

Well, no. Even if I had heard the voice before, I can't recognize it now.

I shake my head "no, sir."

"I see. Well, that is unfortunate."

The old man then faced towards the castle that the beast was surrounding.

"I assume you caught sight of that atrocity enshrouding the castle."

"That... Is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that vile entity brought the kingdom of Hyrule to ruin."

Calamity Ganon... Another name that I feel like I've heard of before...

"It appeared suddenly and destroyed everything in its path. So many innocent lives were lost in its wake."

That... That's horrible... All those people that lived there probably didn't see it coming...

"For a century, the very symbol of our kingdom, Hyrule Castle, has managed to contain that evil. But just barely. There it festers, building its strength for the moment it will unleash its blight upon the land once again."

So even with how strong Calamity Ganon might be, it's still being held at Hyrule Castle. I do wonder what is holding it there.

"It would appear that moment is faster approaching..."

The old man then turns to me "I must ask you, young one... Do you plan on making your way to the castle?"

"Yes, I do."

The old man chuckled at my response "I had a feeling you would say that."

"Here, on this isolated plateau, we are surrounded on all sides by steep cliffs, with no way down." The one man revealed.

Wait... There isn't actually a way down?

"If you were to try and jump off, well... No death can be more certain. Or more foolish."

Then... How am I supposed to get off of the Great Plateau?

"Of course, if you have a paraglider like mine, that would be quite another story."

"Paraglider?"

"Piqued your interest, have I? Yes, I didn't come soaring down here on my own feathery wings, you know!"

Well, it would be very useful to have something like that...

"Worry not- I will happily agree to give you my paraglider. But not for nothing."

Well, that seems reasonable enough. Maybe I will actually be able to leave this place after all.

"Now let's see... How about I trade it for a bit of treasure that slumbers nearby?"

Yeah, I can make that work. Seems I have my first main quest: Getting off this isolated plateau.

"Come. Let me show you something."

I then follow the old man until we get to have a view of where he wants me to go.

The old man then points to a structure "Do you see that structure there? The one shining in a strange light?"

Huh, I did not notice that it was there when I was coming to this tower...

"It began glowing the exact moment those towers rose up from the ground. I would think such a place might house some sort of treasure, wouldn't you think?"

Well, I can't argue with that logic. But I don't really know what's in there.

"Treasure for the paraglider. A fair exchange, I believe."

With that, the old man had nothing else to say, so I made my way over to the structure. There was a camp of enemies to the right, so I went the other way around.

While I could fight them, I don't believe it will be worth the effort, even with that chest that I can see.

While making my way to the shrine, I couldn't help but notice the massive body of water.

It seems like this was supposed to be the entrance to the plateau, but now it is completely flooded.

I wonder why it is like that...

Finally, I made it to the shrine. There seemed to be a pedestal by the door, so I used the shiekah slate.

Shiekah slate confirmed

There was a circle symbol close to the pedestal, which had started to glow blue when I activated the pedestal.

Travel gate registered to map

Access granted

Then, the door to the structure suddenly opened.

It seemed like there was a pad of sorts inside. I walked on top of the pad and it suddenly activated.

The pad then started to lower downwards. So this was some kind of lift...

After a bit, I finally made it down the structure. As I step off of the lift, I hear a voice

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 was pretty ominous. But it seems like that voice wasn't hostile. A trial, huh? Well, seems the information that I'm given applies to these structures too.

The Magnesis Trial.

There seemed to be another pedestal similar to the shiekah tower. I place the shiekah slate in the pedestal.

Distilling Rune

Much like the tower, a liquid forms and drops on the shiekah slate. Unlike the map, there seemed to be an icon that appeared. Magnesis.

Rune extracted

The pedestal then gave me the shiekah slate again. From the information displayed on the shiekah slate, I should be able to pick up metallic material with this.

I tried it out on the metal hatches on the ground and was able to pick up one with ease!

I was able to move the hatch forward or backward too. After jumping down to a small hallway, I ended up by a wall of cubes

One of those cubes happened to be metallic, so I picked it up. I was then able to get through the wall with the cube.

I then saw what seemed to be some sort of mechanism... As I got closer to it, it came closer to me and charged something up.

It then fired a small beam at me! I was able to dodge it, luckily. Seems like these things are enemies in the trial.

I use my sword and kill it in three hits. Seems like those things are just as strong as those bokoblins out there.

After walking over a metal platform, I noticed that there was nothing to help me get across a gap.

I think for a moment and realize I can use that metal platform and move it in front of me.

After opening a metal door, I see a strange looking figure. It was encased in some sort of barrier.

I noticed an eye symbol as I approached. Curious, I held my hand close to it.

Suddenly, the eye reacts and the barrier lights up. The barrier then breaks, revealing the figure within.

You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero. I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial.

I am a humble monk, blessed with the sight of the goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon.

With your arrival, my duty is fulfilled. In the name of Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow a gift upon you... Please accept this spirit orb.

The monk then releases an orb with a symbol on it. The orb then gets absorbed into my body. Was this supposed to be the treasure? How am I supposed to give this to the old man?

Well, seems like I have acquired a spirit orb. It seems like any damage I have taken has also been undone too.

May the goddess smile upon you

The monk then disappears into the air. Well, seems like I have nothing left to do. Time to leave.

As I got out, as if on cue, I heard the old man again. I then see the old man glide to me with his paraglider.

"It seems that you managed to get your hands on a spirit orb. Well done!"

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"Clairvoyance! Oho, or perhaps just something similar. As one gets older, it becomes more difficult to see what is right before one's own eyes...

However, that which was once hidden from view can become crystal clear. But perhaps that is not true for everyone!

The appearance of those towers and the awakening of this shrine... It is all connected to that shiekah slate that you carry on your hip there."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"It has been quite some time since I've seen that shiekah slate..."

Strange... I'm getting a little suspicious of this old man's knowledge...

"Long ago, a highly advanced tribe known as the shiekah inhabited these lands. The great power of their wisdom saved this kingdom time and time again."

Shiekah... Guess that's what this slate got its name from.

"But their ancient technology disappeared long ago... Or so it is said. It is interesting, however, to think... How something like that survived all this time, hidden away in a shrine."

I must admit, it was pretty unbelievable that all that was below that shrine, however far deep it went.

"These shrines are tucked away in numerous places all across the land. On this plateau alone, I believe there are still three more."

Three left? Why is he mentioning that now?

"Bring me the treasure from each of those shrines... And I will give you my paraglider."

"But I thought it was just from this shrine. That wasn't part of the deal!"

"Oh? Well, I suppose I changed my mind. I'm sure that won't be a problem for a young go-getter like you!"

Sigh am I really going to need to find those shrines before getting the paraglider?

"Since I'm feeling generous, I will also teach you a trick for finding shrines. It's always best to survey the area by looking around from a high point."

Well, I guess that makes sense.

"Now, let's see here... How about you make your way to the top of that tower again?"

Are you kidding me!? From the bottom!?

"Are you joking?"

The old man chuckles "I'm afraid not. But don't worry! I have another trick to share with you for your effort. Take a look at the map on your shiekah slate."

I do as he says and open my map. There seems to be a couple of icons on the map.

"See those blue icons? You should recognize the cave where you woke, the shrine you came from, and the tower."

Yep, he's got it all right.

"You can instantly travel to those locations with the shiekah slate." The old man says before turning around.

"Or so I heard quite some time ago... I do not know if it actually works as such."

Okay, if he is on point, my suspicions are going to grow. He's definitely not who he seems to be...

Well, I waste no time getting to the tower, so I open the map and click the tower. Suddenly, my body floats and starts to dematerialize!

Not long after, I feel my body materialize again, but now, I'm back on the tower! I then hear a familiar... I look to my right to see the old man to my left!

"I'm surprised it took you so long to catch up with an old man like me!"

Huh...? But I immediately teleported here! How is he here already?

"How did you..."

He then chuckled "leave an old man his secrets."

Well, I guess I won't question it for now...

"Now then... I wanted you to join me here so you could use this as a vantage point to search for shrines.

Did you know about the scope on your shiekah slate? Look through it, and you can stick a pin anywhere you'd like to mark on the map."

Huh, well that will be useful. Still wonder how he knows all of this...

"The pins on your map serve as reference points for your travels. Just stick a pin anywhere you're interested in!"

"How do you know all of this?"

"Experience, wisdom... Instinct? Call it what you will and believe it only if you so please. Go ahead and take a look if you feel so inclined to do so."

Well, just like he said, I can look through a scope and put pins wherever I see... I looked around and found the three shrines I'm supposed to go to.

One was really close and surrounded by walls, one was on top of a cliff, and one was in what seemed to be the cold part of the plateau.

The pins also seemed to appear on my map, so I don't need to look through the scope now.

Well, seems like my journey through the plateau is just about to begin.

Chapter Text

Alright, time to start heading for the rest of the shrines of the Great Plateau. I bid the old man farewell and head down the tower.

As I got down, it seemed like it was getting a little dark. Well, I guess a good amount of time has passed since I woke up.

As I made my way over to the closest shrine, I noticed a skull camp on my way. I say camp mainly because it had a lot of enemies there.

I figured that I could take them on, so I took the detour. I hid behind a broken wall so I couldn't be seen.

I bet if I get spotted by that bokoblin on that platform, it will definitely alert the others. I shot at the bokoblin and managed to get a headshot!

Seems the other bokoblins didn't notice, so I get a closer look on what I'm up against. Seems there are two more red bokoblins and a new blue one.

I guess that blue one is a stronger variation of the bokoblin. I do notice there are torches at the top of the skull, which are above bombs.

Logically, after I shot the torches, the bombs exploded and defeated the bokoblins except for the blue one.

This thing was definitely stronger than the red bokoblins as it seemed to have a stronger Boko club and could take a lot more hits.

Luckily, I managed to defeat it with ease, still and get a spiked Boko club and shield but I did break a club. These were definitely a lot stronger than what I have!

I then go back to making my way to the shrine. As I got closer, I couldn't help but notice a lot of these machines around.

They seemed to look similar to that small enemy in the first shrine, but bigger. However, they don't seem to be active.

However, as I was getting close to approaching the shrine from the side, I can't help but feel an unnerving presence.

I look to the guardian not too far from me and see it turn its head! Then, I see the machine glow a purple pinkish color, its eye locking on me...

The machine puts a target on me, showing that it will fire a powerful attack if I don't hide. I started to climb the wall as it targeted me.

Luckily, I jumped up the wall as the guardian fired an extremely fast beam. I immediately dropped down the wall to the shrine.

That was close... I don't know if I can be at something like that yet...

Well, I activate the shrine and head down to the trial.

The bomb trial.

I have a slight feeling if what this shrine is going to be... I see another one of those pedestals.

I place the shiekah slate on the pedestal and the same process happens again.

Distilling Rune

This time, I see that two icons appear as runes on the shiekah slate. A circle and square object. Remote Bombs.

Rune extracted

Well, that makes another rune that I can use with the shiekah slate. Now it seems like I can make bombs whenever I want.

Well, there is a cracked wall in my way. I summon a bomb and throw it to the wall.

It didn't seem to detonate when it made contact with the wall however... Maybe if I try this...

I tried to resummon the bomb, but it seems that the bomb exploded! So if I throw a bomb and use the shiekah slate to summon it again, the bomb will explode.

Well, this will definitely come in handy.

I then exploded another wall to find a chest.

Traveler's Claymore

Attack: 10

Well, that seems to be a pretty good two handed weapon. I'll save that for later.

After climbing up a ladder, I see a moving platform and another wall that can be blown up.

I doubt that the round bomb would work... It could definitely roll off of the platform as it moves. Plus, if I threw it while on the platform, I'd definitely get damaged.

However, I did notice that I also have a square bomb. It should stay in place while on the moving platform.

Likewise to my observation, the bomb didn't roll off and I was able to detonate it on the wall and get across.

As I got across, I saw that there were these mechanisms that seemed to launch whatever is on them.

I figured that out mainly because there was an orb that was being launched around. I saw that one of these mechanisms launched towards a lot of those rocks I can blow up.

I placed a bomb through this hole to have it roll to the mechanism and have it launched to the rocks.

Then, I detonated the bomb and was able to make it to the monk.

Well, that was pretty simple. Now I have two spirit orbs on my person.

Seems I took some time to get through that shrine. It's now night time.

I'm then immediately greeted by skeleton versions of those bokoblins!

I really didn't want to deal with them, so I ran to the wall and climbed it. There also seem to be bats chasing me too...

I defeated them, they died in one hit anyway. Seems these bats are called keese from the wings I got.

After climbing a hill, I made my way over to the next shrine. On my way over, I noticed some bokoblins sleeping, plus a bee hive as well.

A smirk as I have a plan flow through my head. I then hide behind a rock and shoot an arrow at the bee hive.

As expected, the bokoblins didn't see me and were chased by the bees. The bees disappeared and the bokoblins went back to their spots to sleep.

I figured that I could probably attack them while they're vulnerable like this. Crouch down and sneak up to them.

I get close to a bokoblin and deal a sneak strike on it, which defeats it in one blow. Seems sneak strikes are extremely powerful.

I do the same to the other bokoblin and grab the Courser Bee Honey. Now, I can continue on my way to my next shrine.

On my way, I noticed a hut. Seems someone built one here. I looked inside and saw the old man sleeping.

I grab some spicy peppers and wake him up. Seems he got up pretty easily.

"What is it!? Just when I was finally able to fall asleep..."

"What are you doing?" I realize that was a pretty stupid question.

"Bah! Can't you tell when an old man is fast asleep? Let's talk in the morning. There is a fire outside if you're looking to pass the time."

Well, I guess that isn't a bad idea. I shouldn't be out at night if I don't want to get disturbed by enemies.

Before I do so, I grab some sunset fireflies that I saw. I also cooked the spicy peppers I got and cooked them in the pot.

Spicy Saut eed  peppers

Heals: 3 hearts

Effect: tier 1 cold resistance: 7:30

Well, this will definitely be useful. Well, I'll just rest by the fire until morning.

As morning arises, I see the old man cutting trees. I then decided to approach him.

"How is your shrine exploration going?" The old man asked as he saw me approach.

"Good. But what are you doing?"

"I thought this tree here might make for some good firewood. However... Getting a tree to fall exactly where you want it to is quite an art.

The trick is to turn your hips so that they face where you want the tree to land."

Well, I guess that could help me get across this gap that I see.

"So... I see that you found my axe. Why not help me out and give it a few swings? I'm working up quite a sweat here... But these bones could use a break."

With that, the old man then walks back to the hut. Well, time to make my way over the gap.

I face behind a tree and towards the other side of the gap. Chopping it down with an axe, the tree then fell towards the other side of the gap!

I carefully walked along the tree, not looking down and got across. After beating a couple of bokoblins, I then looked up to the shrine.

Well, looks like I have a ways to climb... At least there seems to be parts where I can at least take a break to catch my breath.

After a good amount of climbing, I managed to get to the top. Phew, that wasn't that bad.

Though, I doubt that there will be cliffs that make climbing easier... Alright, time for another shrine.

Stasis Trial.

Seems like there's a platform being spun in my direction. I clearly can't get past if it is spinning like that.

I then see another pedestal that will most likely give me another rune. I the place my shiekah slate in the pedestal.

Distilling Rune

I hope there aren't too many pedestals that give me runes... This is kind of getting repetitive just describing it again.

I won't lie that getting more runes is great, but again, it's annoying to keep describing.

Rune extracted

Alright this time, the icon seems to be a lock.

Stasis

Apparently, I can pause the movement of an object for a certain amount of time. I first use my new rune to freeze the gear connected to the platform.

Freezing it at the right time, I could walk on the platform without falling off. My next obstacle was a boulder rolling down.

I froze the boulders and made my way past the mechanism dropping the boulders. There was a chest containing a traveler's shield.

After going down and heading towards the monk, I picked up an iron sledgehammer.

There seemed to be another boulder in my way, but no matter how hard I pushed it, it wouldn't budge.

I then figured I could use stasis to help. I froze the boulder and hit it with my axe. This builds up force in the boulder as I hit it more.

I then released the boulder from stasis and send it flying. And with that, the pathetic to the monk is clear and I can get another spirit orb.

Well, three shrines down, one to go. The next one seems to not be too far from the shrine I came from.

However... As soon as I got higher up the mountain, my body felt a lot colder. I walk a little more and see that I was indeed in a snowy area.

I can feel my body taking damage from hypothermia... Luckily, I have that meal that I made earlier to help with the cold.

After eating it, I feel like I can take the cold better than before now.

After traversing the snow for a bit, it seems that I'm close to the top of Mount Hylia. Well, I can probably get a better view from up here.

As I made it up the mountain, I saw that the old man was up here too... Okay, I'm just not going to question how he's up here...

"Ahhh... I enjoy gazing out at the world from here."

Well, he isn't wrong... While it is cold, I will say that it is a great view...

"B-b-breathtaking view..." I say, the cold making my focus on speaking waver.

"This may be the best place to get a full view of the entire plateau. Use your scope to look for shrines. When you locate one, place a pin on your map as a marker."

Well, I am already close to my last shrine, but I can see what he means.

"You did well to make it this far without the proper clothing. Please take this warm doublet as a reward for your tenacity."

"W-wow, thank you, s-sir."

Warm Doublet

Armor: 1

Effect: cold resistance

Yep, I really needed this. I immediately put it on.

The old man then chuckles "it suits you quite well!"

With that, I made the rest of the way to the last shrine. As I made my way down the mountain, I had an idea come to mind.

What if I surfed on my shield down the mountain? Luckily, this wasn't actually a bad idea. I slid down the mountain on my shield with ease.

Well, there seems to be some monsters on the path up the hill. Though, climbing up the side doesn't seem too bad.

After a bit of climbing, I managed to make it up the hill, and I didn't need to fight those bokoblins!

Alright, one more shrine. Hopefully this really is the last shrine that I need to do...

Cryonis trial.

Welp, this is hopefully my last pedestal for a rune that I need for a while...

Distilling Rune

Alright, seems the icon is of a snowflake.

Cryonis.

Rune extracted

Seems like I can make ice blocks on any surface with water. I test it out on the body of water right by me.

Indeed, I can make a pillar of ice. I can also climb it too. Now I can gain enough height to continue forward.

However, I seem to be stopped by a gate. Though, I can easily lift it with cryonis.

Moving past, I see another one of those machines that attack you.

Well, again, it wasn't much of an issue. It went down again pretty easily.

I then saw a chest above, so I created another ice block to get up there.

Traveler's Spear

Attack: 3

Well, now I'm able to use spears. This also does the same damage as that axe, but it's way faster.

I noticed a platform that seems to be balanced pretty easily. I can probably use this to move forward.

I use cryonis on one side and was able to make a path upwards! Now I can finally finish my last trial!

As I got outside, I heard the old man again. Somehow, he still glided from above me...

"With this, you have now acquired all of the spirit orbs from the shrines on this plateau."

The old man then chuckles "Extraordinary! That means... It is finally time."

Finally time for what...?

"Link, it is finally time for me to tell you everything. But first..."

Wait... How does he know my name...? I never said my name to him...

The old man then turns away "Imagine an x on your map, with the four shrines as the end points. Find the spot where those lines intersect.

I shall wait for you there."

So I'm still not done...

Suddenly, the old man then starts to glow!

"Do you understand? Where two lines connecting the shrines would cross... There... I will... Be waiting..."

He... He's gone... Is this how he gets to places so fast...? Well, I better listen to what he said.

I opened the map and followed what the old man said. It seems like the lines intersect at the temple of time...

Well, the closest shrine to the temple is the shrine of resurrection. Well, time to teleport again.

As I teleport to the shrine, I make my way outside. As I get outside, I take a few moments to look at the view from the cliff.

Aside from the sight of calamity Ganon at the castle, it's still an amazing view. Well, time to head to the temple of time.

As I got closer to the temple, it was getting pretty dark out. Perfect timing for this meeting, huh.

As I made it inside the temple, the statue I saw before shined with a bright glow. Could that statue be a depiction of the goddess Hylia herself?

I walk to the statue and pray. I then feel a presence from the statue.

"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their spirit orbs. I can offer you great power.

It appears you have claimed four spirit orbs. In exchange for four spirit orbs, I will amplify your being. So tell me what it is that you desire."

So, this is why the old man wanted me to get all the shrines...

It seems I can either get a heart container to upgrade my hearts, or I can get a stamina vessel to upgrade my stamina.

I believe I can deal with the stamina that I have for now, so I'll upgrade my hearts. I requested for a heart container.

The spirit orbs I had disappeared and a heart container appeared. Now, I have one new heart to my health.

"Go, and bring peace to Hyrule."

Then, I hear the old man again. I searched around to see where he is now. I then look up and see him on the roof. He has that glow that I saw as he disappeared...

"The blessing of the goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see... Here I am... Come up here- quickly!"

I checked outside the broken wall to see a way up and find a ladder. I climbed up and get to the roof.

I could see the old man standing at the tower, waiting for me. I walk there and finally reach him.

The old man chuckles as I have finally made it "Well done there, young one!

Now then... The time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule."

The king...?

"I was... The last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists."

The old man is then enveloped in a bright light that I shield my eyes from. As I open my eyes again, I see that the old man's appearance has changed.

He has now taken his true form: King Rhoam, The Last King of Hyrule.

"The Great Calamity was merciless... It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me.

And since that time, here I have remained, in spirit form."

So, that's why he has this glow... He's not even alive...

"I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile. So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me."

So... Something must have happened to make me lose my memory...

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

I then get shown some sort of vision. This must be the King's doing.

"To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past.

The demon King was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into malice created the horror you see now.

Stories of Ganon were passed down from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairy tales. But there was also... A prophecy.

"The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground."

We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors.

These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by warriors. We also found the guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously.

This coincided with the ancient legends, often repeated throughout our land."

So, in an attempt to stop the Calamity, Hyrule dug up many of what used to be long forgotten to use against it.

I wonder how they lost, though...

"We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the blade that seals the darkness.

It was they who sealed Calamity Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics.

100 years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path."

The vision then starts to show silhouettes of four different individuals.

"We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts.

With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions- a name that would solidify their unique bond.

The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon..."

Again, with how much was at Hyrule's side, I find it so hard to believe that they lost...

But, the reason was quite shocking...

"But nay... Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining.

He appeared from deep below Hyrule Castle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us.

The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess...

And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon.

However... The princess survived... To face Ganon alone."

I then hear a familiar voice that I've heard before.

"Link... You are our final hope. The fate of Hyrule rests with you."

"That princess was my own daughter... My dear Zelda. And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end...

That knight was none other than you, Link."

So... That's what happened... I fought till the end to protect this princess... And I failed...

"You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the shrine of resurrection.

Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself.

Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help.

However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land.

Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link... But I am powerless here...

You must save her... my daughter. And do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon.

Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts. As well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle.

I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point."

Yes... Now that I'm hearing how powerful the Calamity is, I doubt I can be at it with my current gear...

"I suggest... That you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness."

I then walk closer to see the general direction he wants me to go.

"Follow the road out to Kakoriko village. There you will find the elder, Impa.

She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map of your shiekah slate for the precise location of Kakoriko village.

Make your way past the twin summits of the Dualing Peaks. From there, follow the path as it proceeds north..."

Well, seems like I have my next objective... Go and meet with Impa.

But first...

"Go on... Here is the paraglider, just as I promised."

Finally, I have the paraglider. With this, I can finally leave the Great Plateau. Now, being isolated on this plateau is no longer an issue.

"With that, you should be able to safely fly off of the cliffs surrounding this area.

And... That is it. I've told you everything I can...

Link... You must save... Hyrule..."

Well, now that is one objective complete, though, two arise. Destroying Ganon and seeking out Impa.

I'm clearly not going to be ready to be at Calamity Ganon anytime soon, so seeking out Impa is my only option that I know of.

Though, before I go, I just noticed this chest here...

Soldier's Bow

Attack: 14

Well, shame I didn't come here sooner. This is a very big upgrade compared to my other bows.

Well, seems like I'm finished with the great plateau. Though, I do want to explore a little more now that I have the paraglider.

While I don't know for certain, I probably have time to explore Hyrule before defeating Calamity Ganon.

Chapter Text

It is time, I have the paraglider and I got an upgrade to my health. Now I can leave the Great Plateau!

However, before I leave, I went around exploring the great plateau with my new paraglider.

While I was exploring the forest of spirits, there was this surprisingly open area in the middle of it.

While walking around the rocks in the middle started to move! As it rose, two more rocks came with it.

Seemed like it had that center piece as its main body, the rocks on the sides as its arms and smaller pieces at the bottom as its legs.

Apparently, this was called a Stone Talus. I don't know why, but I seem to get information on bigger enemies too.

There was an ore deposit at the top of it, so I launched an arrow at it, which stunned it.

I then climbed to the top of the Talus and brought out my Sledgehammer. After spinning around with the sledgehammer, I managed to finish the Talus off pretty quickly.

Other than the Talus battle, I found a good amount of those koroks around the plateau, but didn't find anywhere else that was interesting.

Now, it was time to leave the Great Plateau. My first course of action was to teleport to the shiekah tower.

I then looked at the dualing peaks and scouted the path there. It seems there is a shiekah tower on the way there.

Well, at least I can get a map of the area instead of only being able to see the Great Plateau.

I took a deep breath and jumped off the tower, using the paraglider to glide down off the plateau.

Now, it is time for my adventure to really start. Hyrule Kingdom.

As I made my way along the path, I already encountered a new type of enemy. This seemed similar to the bokoblins, but they were bigger.

After defeating one and grabbing the parts that it dropped, it seems to be known as a moblin.

There were a lot of enemies within this area. However, I can't just fight all of them without thinking.

My weapons would definitely break if I keep that habit up. Though, while I was continuing on the path, I noticed a shrine.

Well, I can't just ignore it when it's right there. Might as well do it.

Much like I had hoped, there was no rune pedestal again. Now, it seemed to want me to test out the paraglider.

There were a bunch of fans that helped me get across bigger gaps. It's a pretty short shrine, but there was a chest that I wanted.

I couldn't get there from the platform going to the monk, so I needed the fan. Jumping from the fan made getting the chest pretty easy.

Soldier's Claymore

Attack: 20

Alright, that's a pretty good upgrade. Starting to get soldiers items now.

After getting out of the shrine, I crossed over this large bridge called Proxim Bridge.

I met with a traveler named Brigo. He seemed a little paranoid of the guardian across the river. Other than that, there isn't much to talk about him.

As I continued on the path, I started to realize just how big these dualing peaks were.

I noticed another enemy camp that I can go after. Plus, there are bomb barrels, so I can get rid of the red bokoblins.

After I ignited the barrels, leaving the blue bokoblin alone and injured. I take out a spiked Boko club and finish the bokoblin off.

This rewarded me with a soldier's broadsword and shield. And with that, the dualing peaks are very close now.

I can see the tower close by, so I should probably go get it. I completed a flower korok puzzle, which led to the other side of the river.

Now I can get going up the tower. The Dualing Peaks tower wasn't that bad to climb. There really wasn't anything blocking my way up.

After getting to the top, there was the pedestal to get the map of the region.

Shiekah Tower activated

With that, the tower was now activated and I could now get the map of the area. It seemed to be around twice as big as the Great Plateau.

Shiekah Slate updated.

Additional functionality detected

Shiekah Sensor acquired

Wow, with this, it seems like finding shrines will be more convenient.

I immediately noticed that there was a shrine nearby from the sensor.

However, even though I could follow the sensor, I'm curious about the twin peaks as well. I wonder if there is anything up there.

I glide down to the other side of the river and head up the mountain.

The climb was... Definitely rough, to say the least. I'm not saying that it was hard, but it definitely was an annoying climb.

After several hours, I have finally made it to the top. My sensor was going crazy, so I know that there is a shrine up here.

As I got to the shrine, I then noticed that there was a shrine very close in the other peak.

As I got in the shrine I was already close to, I then realized that the shrine on the other peak might be connected to this shrine.

There were these orbs inserted in different spots in a 5 by 5 area.

After reading the tome at the entrance, it seems like I need to place the orbs in the right spots in both shrines.

There was a platform that went up for me to see the whole area.

After looking at the area, if I go from bottom to top, the other shrine's order will be 53142.

Now, I need to get out of here so I can look at the other shrine.

There seemed to be a bit of a gust of wind when I was trying to get to the shrine. However, I still managed to make it to the shrine.

The interior of the shrine was relatively the same in comparison to the shrine I was just in.

This time, the orbs were ordered 24215 from the bottom row to the top.

Well, I still remember the order from the first shrine, so I put the orbs in order.

As one would expect, this opened the gate to the monk of the shrine.

After that, it was the same process for the first shrine. Put the orbs in the correct order and the gate opens.

Alright, now I got 3 spirit orbs with relative ease. There doesn't seem to be anything left up here, so time to head down.

There was another shrine that I could go to, so I might as well do it.

Nothing really interesting happened during the shrine, though i did get an interesting chest.

Climber's Bandanna

Armor: 3

Effect: Climb speed up

Well, at least it's more protection from incoming damage. Other than that, it's another spirit orb. Now I can get another blessing from the goddess as well.

After getting out of the shrine, I continued on the path to Kakoriko Village.

On the path, there was another camp of bokoblins, but I picked up a metal ball to defeat them all pretty easily.

This awarded me with another soldier's broadsword. Good, I don't want to keep wasting durability on monsters that I can easily avoid.

Though, it does take a while for any of my weapons to break. The traveler's Sword I used to have lasted... 30 hits? Around there.

A little further on the path and I see what looks to be a settlement, my first one!

Apparently, this is called a stable. The top seems to resemble the head of a horse. Fitting, I guess.

I noticed another shrine very close to the stable, though, it was surrounded by spikes. I can't just jump over these...

What if I just glided from a higher area. After thinking this, I realize that there is a cliff side that might be high enough to glide from.

Just like I predicted, I managed to get to the shrine without touching the spikes.

While doing the shrine, I acquired 50 Rupees. I guess this is the currency of Hyrule. It doesn't seem to count as an item.

Other than that, the shrine wasn't too special. After exiting, the spikes seemed to have disappeared. Strange...

Alright, I should probably go check out the stable now.

The stable seemed to be an inn of some sorts as the inside had a lot of beds, plus there was a counter to probably check in.

There was also a merchant there. He said that his name was Beedle. Well, he definitely has the equipment to be his own shop, I guess.

Now, on the side of the stable, there were some horses already boarded. However, one of them definitely caught my attention.

I also seemed to have caught the horse's attention too, as the horse was neighing loudly as it saw me.

Well, I can't just ignore the horse. I approach and analyze the appearance of the horse.

It was a brown horse with completely white hair. This horse definitely seemed unique from the other boarded horses.

One of the guys that worked at the stable seemed to notice this and came to me.

"Seems this girl has taken a liking to you, Traveler."

I was a little confused when he said this.

"But don't these horses have someone that they belong to?"

"Typically, yes. But this one here has been at the stable for all of her life."

All of her life? Well, this is a stable, they probably raise horses at these too.

"This one is the descendant of a legendary horse that has only been known as the steed of the hero. In fact, it is said that, a century ago, the hero had that horse.

Shame that he seemed to have fallen in battle against the Great Calamity."

Wait, is he talking about me? Did I have a horse similar to this one back then?

Now that I think about it, she does seem familiar... But what was her name?

"To stay true with that legend, we referred to this one as Epona."

Epona... Wait... That's it! My horse back then was Epona!

But... How could I say that I was the owner of Epona a century ago? He obviously won't believe me...

"Now, we decided back when this one here was just able to have an owner that we can't just give her to some random person.

We decided that Epona here should pick who she believes should be her owner. Seems you're the one, Traveler."

Wait, it was that easy?

"Now that I got a good look at you, you fit the look of the hero that was told to have fought the calamity 100 years ago.

Young traveler, would you like to have this horse as your steed. On the house to register her as well."

"W-wow, thank you. I will gladly take care of her."

The man then nodded and we took Epona out to have her registered as my horse.

"Now, I know that we have already named this her, but do you want to give her a name of your own?"

"No thank you, sir. I want to keep Epona's name."

The man nodded and we had Epona geared with a saddle and a bridle. I said goodbye and continued my way to Kakoriko Village.

After making my way across Kakoriko Bridge, it seemed like I was almost to Kakoriko Village.

On my way, I say something, or rather, someone strange. There was this big figure that seemed very similar to the koroks, but it was a lot bigger.

As I talked with the big korok he seemed very surprised "Shalaka?! You! You can see me?!"

"I can see you."

The korok seems to make a cheerful sound "It's been 100 years since anyone has been able to see me!

I'm Hestu, and I need your help!"

Hestu... Wait, is that the one that the first korok I found told me about? Wow, he's a lot bigger than I thought.

"Those monsters over there stole my beloved maracas!"

Hestu then points to some rocks that seem to form an entrance "I think they're still on the other side of those rocks.

I can't use my powers without them! So please! PLEASE get my maracas back from them!"

With that, seems I have a side quest on my hands. Well, I may as well. I traved up towards where the monsters Hestu was talking about were.

It seemed like there were three blue bokoblins this time. Well, even though these things have more health than red bokoblins, they weren't that hard to take down.

After defeating them, the monster chest unlocked. As expected, Hestu's maracas were inside.

I then made my way back down to give Hestu his maracas back.

"SHALA-KALA! Those are... Those are my maracas! Please give them to me!"

I gave them to him. I didn't realize how big they were when I grabbed them...

Hestu cheered loudly before noticing something "But wait! There's something wrong with my maracas!

The korok seeds inside are gone! How am I supposed to dance now? Shoko... If I had just one korok seed, I could sing, dance, and use my powers to help you.

You see, I have the power of inventory expansion! So let me know when you find some korok seeds!"

Well, I do have a good amount of korok seeds on me.

"The children of the forest must have taken the korok seeds from my beloved maracas. I never thought I'd be the target of one of their pranks...

Sniff but wait... Sniff sniff Do you have a korok seed?! You did! You got a korok seed from one of the forest children!

If you give me just one korok seed, I'll make your inventory bigger in return!"

I gave him the korok seed and he asked which stash I wanted to have bigger. Well, I could use more melee weapons, so I chose the weapon stash.

In return, his maracas glowed red and he started doing a silly dance. After he was done, his maracas made a pop noise and my stash felt lighter.

Hestu said that he could keep expanding my inventory if I give more korok seeds. I gave him two more to upgrade my weapon stash again.

"Oh! Look at the time! I need to get back before Grandpa yells at me. Sorry, I have to go. But I still need korok seeds, so bring some to Korok Forest if you find any!"

Korok Forest... Alright, I'll keep that in mind. With that, I got on Epona and continued my way to Kakoriko Village.

Finally, after a few minutes, I finally made it. Kakoriko Village.

Chapter Text

I have finally made it to Kakoriko Village! It has taken a few days, but I'm finally here.

Now, I wonder where Impa is supposed to be... Probably should start asking around.

I then noticed a lady on the ground, seemingly groaning.

"Hey, are you alright, ma'am?"

"Traveler! I'm sorry, but I seem to have twisted my ankle..."

"Hmm, let's see here..." The lady says as she picks herself back up.

Well, looks like she didn't hurt herself that badly.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like that.

... Say, Traveler... Where did you get that... object hanging from your waist?"

"Well, you see... I woke up out of this shrine and was given this shiekah slate to guide me."

"Yes. I see... That shiekah slate is a symbol. It means you are the hero of legend. Though there are few who know of such legends anymore...

But we Shiekah have been waiting for you for a very long time. Please... Before all else, I must insist that you meet with our leader, lady Impa."

Well, that was pretty easy to find a guide.

"Where can I find her?"

The lady then looked to the house further into the village "Lady Impa's house is below Lantern Falls- just over there."

Well, that was easy enough.

"In any case... It was a real honor to meet you. Heh, I suppose you're used to that, having lived as long as you have."

I guess I technically have lived for a long time... But I still don't understand that much... Why have I been asleep for 100 years? What happened back then?

Well, I can't just linger like this, I better make my way to Impa's home. However, as I made my way there, I saw a shrine on the hill.

Probably a good idea to get a shrine so I can teleport here whenever I want.

As I got in the shrine, I could tell that this was definitely going to be different from the other shrines.

The room was large and it seemed like the monk was just past the gate. There also seemed to be a hole in the middle of the room.

I picked up a sword and shield from the chests on the side of the room. They seemed to be shiekah type weapons.

As I moved further to the hole the ground shook and something rose from the hole.

I then see one of those machines again. Actually, now that I learned that those big machines are guardians, I can't help but notice the similarities of them and the small machines.

Maybe these are also guardians too. The shiekah did make the guardians after all, so it only makes sense.

Suddenly, the head of the small guardian rose, revealing a sort of exoskeleton. An appendage unfolds and reveals a blade.

Is that a sword!?

"Perform a side hop to avoid enemy attacks. This will create an opening that you can use to strike back."

Was that the monk just now? Well, it won't hurt to try. The guardian doesn't seem to be engaging me. Seems like it wants me to come closer.

I get closer and the guardian swings its sword down to attack me, but I hop to the side and it was almost as if time slowed down.

I then rushed to the guardian to strike it many times.

"Excellent, now perform a backflip to avoid enemy attacks to create an opening."

The guardian then started to swing its sword horizontally. Like the voice said, I flipped backwards, time slowing down as I do so as I dodged the attack.

It seems this gives me a good way to do some damage on an enemy if I time my dodges correctly.

"You can repel an attack if you parry with your shield at just the right time."

Okay, now for a defensive technique. Just before the guardian's attack could land, I pushed my shield outwards to parry it.

"Now, build up your power, and then release it to unleash a charge attack. Catch your enemies in this motion to damage them."

Looks like I'll need to perform a spin attack, mainly because I'm using a one handed sword.

I hold my sword out and concentrate my energy. My stamina feels like it's depleting as I concentrate more.

Finally, I release my attack and defeat the guardian. It seemed to have dropped its sword.

Guardian Sword

Attack: 20

Well, another upgrade to my arsenal. With that, it seems like the trial is over.

You have done well to learn these crucial skills. Now proceed.

With that, the gate to the monk opens. There seemed to be a chest waiting for me, like the monk congregated me on completing the trial.

It was an Opal. Not the best reward, but I won't complain after learning these amazing techniques.

With that, I have. Completed yet another trial. Now, before I head to Impa's house, I want to look around the village first.

I'm in no rush to get there, I already know where to go. Besides, I should probably get familiar with the area.

There seemed to be an armor shop, two general stores and an inn. There also was a goddess statue as well.

Finally, I got to upgrade my health again, so now  I have 5 hearts of health.

I went to the armor shop to see what they offered. There was a selection of two sets. All pieces separated into three parts.

There were the head pieces, chest pieces and leg pieces of the Hylian and Stealth sets. The stealth set was more expensive, but that piece bonus seemed appropriate.

I sold some ore to be able to buy the rest of the Hylian set, which I only had the trousers. There was the hood and the tunic.

There was no bonus to the pieces, but the armor is pretty decent for what I can find.

I went to one of the general stores and bought some arrows as well. Alright, I think I have what I need, so time to meet with Impa.

As I get close to Impa's house, these two shiekah, which seem to be guards become alert of me.

"You there! Who are you!? How dare you trespass upon Lady Impa's abode" one guard states.

"Hm? Is that... A shiekah slate? But that would mean you are... No, it's not possible. Can it be?"

The two shiekah then seem to have calmed down.

"Please forgive us for behaving so rudely. Of course we have heard the legends from Lady Impa herself. Please, friend... Go ahead and step inside."

I thanked them and they stepped aside to let me pass to Impa's home. As I walked up the steps, I noticed someone cleaning the floor.

"A man!?" The girl said, covering her face with her hands.

After a moment of silence, the girl breaks the silence "Huh!? Is that-!? It's... A shiekah slate!

Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? What was his name? Li... Lin.... Ummm..."

Does she... Just not remember my name?

"Oh, it's not that I forgot... I'm just bad with speaking. As for me, my name is Pa... Paaa... Paaay..."

Her own name too? Dang, this girl must be really nervous...

"Oh! My name is Paya! Phew! I got it out...

I know I should be able to say that easily, seeing as how it's my own name and all. I'm so... Sorry.

Anyway, my grandmother's been awaiting your return ever since I was little. Plea... Please hurry inside."

Well. She's definitely... A very shy one. Well, I shouldn't waste more time. Time to meet with Impa.

As I open the doors, I am immediately greeted with a calming presence. I see a small figure on three pillows to boost her height. This must be Impa.

"... So you're finally awake." She says before looking up at me, smiling.

"It has been quite a long time... Link. I am much older now, but... But you remember me, don't you?"

Seems even after one hundred years, I guess Impa never forgot what I looked like, even with actually living through the years while I just slept through it and forgot who she even is...

"What is the matter? You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you. Those eyes... They lack the light of familiarity."

Seems my forgetfulness is also showing... I can't lie, it does make me feel somewhat guilty...

"It is I, courageous one. Impa. Surely you must at least remember the name Impa."

Yeah... I don't think that'll help jog my memory...

"I see... So you have lost your memory. Well, it matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being.

Dearest Link... Please come a bit closer."

I do as she says and walk into her home and get close to her.

"A hundred years ago... Yes... A hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda's final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber."

So... That voice of Zelda that I have been hearing. She also was the one that had me placed in the shrine of resurrection?

"And then... All alone... Alone she went to face Ganon. Before Princess Zelda went to nobly went to meet her fate... She entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you.

I have been waiting 100 years to deliver the princess's message."

A message that Impa has been waiting 100 years to relay on me... She really is dedicated to her word with Zelda, isn't she?

"However! These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you... Well, if you are to hear them... You must be prepared to risk your life as well."

So, I have to be prepared to put my life on the line to hear Zelda's message...

"But I am afraid that burden may be too much to beat while you are still without your memories.

I leave the choice to you. When you feel you are ready to receive the princess's message, return to me."

I actually do take a moment to take in what Impa said. This feeling of having a heavy burden placed in me... It feels familiar... And I don't like it...

I exit Impa's house to think about this decision. It's night right now, so I should probably think about this overnight.

I was already in perfect health, so I didn't need to go to the inn tonight. I guess I could sit by the campfire and wait out the night.

*      *      *

While I sat by the campfire, I started to reflect on my journey so far.

Maybe I can spend some time for myself while I rest by the campfire sometimes... That way I can really take in what happens to me on this journey.

Sigh... Now that I think, it will probably get pretty lonely when I'm out in the world... I doubt that many friends that I have had in the past are even alive at this point...

So, with how little I know about my past, it seems I was pretty important when it came to my role... But there was four other warriors too...

Who could they be...?

Okay, if I'm going to learn anything on my past, I need to listen to whatever it is that Impa has for me. At least that's what I think will help me remember.

*      *      *

Morning finally arrived. Alright, it's time for me to speak with Impa now.

I walk through the door of Impa's home and interact with her.

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

I nod in response "I am. I am willing to sacrifice myself."

Impa chuckled "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."

Impa's expression then changed to be more serious "Very well. Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened."

My vision changed, almost similar to what happened with King Rhoam. This time, however, it's the mural that seems to be behind Impa

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule is also the history of Calamity Ganon. A primal evil that has endured over the ages.

This evil has been turned back time and time again. By a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the goddess."

So, the Calamity really isn't something that just came out of nowhere. There was an entire legend that carried almost the same events as a hundred years ago.

"With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this "legend" that occurred 10,000 years ago."

Wait, the calamity is really that old? Over 10,000 years old...

"Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful of monsters posed little threat to the denizens of the realm.

The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess. To ensure the safety of the land, should Calamity Ganon ever return."

So the Calamity actually appeared multiple times before now. How did they stay prepared for a large threat like Calamity Ganon?

"They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the divine beasts. They also built a legion of autonomous weapons called guardians.

The divine beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged."

So 10,000 years ago, Hyrule was actually ready for the return of the calamity. If Hyrule from 100 years ago also tried to follow this, how did the calamity still win?

"Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule, the princess and the hero fought alongside these four champions against this ancient evil.

The guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the divine beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe.

And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow... The princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon."

And with that, Impa finished speaking of the legend from 10,000 years ago. Hyrule back then was actually prepared for the calamity... I guess we weren't if we haven't defeated it already...

"A hundred years ago... In preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of 10,000 years prior.

But... In the end... Despite our best efforts and carefully planning, we underestimated his power.

In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words...

Free the Divine Beasts. That is what she said."

"Four Divine Beasts?" I may have heard of them, but I know basically nothing about them other than what I have been told so far.

"The four Divine Beasts are the ancient shiekah weapons wielded by the four Champions who Ganon defeated.

The Divine beast Vah Rudania, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons.

The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito.

The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora.

And the Divine Beast Vag Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo.

The names of the champions... I feel like I've heard of them before, but again, I don't remember... Especially the name of the Zora, Mipha.

Thinking about that name gives me a sense of nostalgia... But why? I don't know her. At least, I can't remember...

"It would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help you...

You must infiltrate The Divine beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side."

So, that's what my quest before taking on the calamity is: freeing the Divine Beasts.

"More information about these Divine Beasts can be found by locating the four races scattered across Hyrule."

My shiekah slate, as though it knew what Impa was talking about, then placed four markers on the map.

"The sheikah slate will guide you on your way. you must go where it tells you and meets with each leader there.

...It seems to me that your sheikah slate is not yet complete."

I give a confused look. Not complete? What could she be talking about?

"The device Princess Zelda left you is your guide and also your memory. Now, let's see... Someone at the research lab in Hateno Village might be able to help you..."

"Hateno Village?"

The shiekah slate then placed a separate marker. That's probably where the research lab is.

"The location shining on the Eastern edge is Hateno Village. It is a small village... One of the very few places that have avoided suffering significant damage during the Great Calamity."

Alright... It seems I have another quest as well... Completing the remainder of what is supposed to be on the shiekah slate.

"You are princess Zelda's only hope... and Hyrule's as well... You cannot turn back now. Follow your hearts and seize your destiny!"

I nodded with a serious face and left Impa's home. Even with how little I know, I can feel the urgency of this mission.

Well, there's nothing left to do here now, not that I can think of. Time to head for my next point of interest: Hateno Village.

Chapter Text

It is time. After meeting with Impa, my actual mission is clear. I need to free the four Divine Beasts. However, I was told to visit Hateno Village to help regain my memories.

I want to at least start this before I start heading to one of the four regions with the Divine Beasts. Who knows how this Shiekah slate upgrade will help me with my memories.

I walk back to the entrance of the village where I had Epona stationed. After mounting Epona, I set off to Hateno Village.

Epona was very fast when traveling. It barely took an hour for me to get to Kakoriko Bridge. By the time I got to the bridge, I looked at my map.

It seemed like the path going in the direction of Hateno Village was the east path in the fork in the road.

As I took the path, I looked to my right to see the rest of the plains. Wow... It seemed like there was quite a battlefield here... I wonder what happened here...

Before long, I made it to a fort, acting as a gate to the next region. The fort seemed to be in pretty bad condition too.

Again, I wonder what could have happened in this place for this fort to be in this condition. At least, from what Impa said, it seems that is the farthest the damage went.

After going through a small woods I continued on the path uphill. On my way, I saw a traveler waving to me, seemingly trying to get my attention.

I got off of Epona and walked up to them. It seemed like it was a female traveler. I walked up to her to see what she had to say.

"I can tell you've trained your body well... I'd say... You're familiar with both sword and bow, correct? That's a good skill set. Why don't you join the Yiga Clan?"

"Yiga Clan?" I have absolutely no idea what this girl is talking about, but I suddenly don't have a good feeling about interacting with this girl...

"What? You don't know? Fine... I'll tell you... The Yiga Clan... It's..."

Gee, the suspense is killing me...

"A powerful, brave group of warriors, founded by Master Kohga and dedicated to defeating a hero thought long dead."

Wait... What?

"I will take your life!"

The traveler then transformed, changing their attire. Their attire seemed to be similar to a stealth outfit, but red. They also wore a mask with an upsidedown eye symbol.

The eye seemed like the sheikah symbol, now that I think about it. So this is what the Yiga looks like, huh?

With that sickle, I can tell that this assassin can do a good amount of damage to me. At least, at the moment.

The assassin dashed at me at an alarming speed, at least compared to what I'm used to. I narrowly dodged the oncoming attack, however, I was not able to perform that technique I learned about earlier.

Sigh it kind of feels weird that I just call that technique a "technique" without actually giving it a name. It's clearly something that I can use to my advantage that, from the looks of it, only I can use.

Actually, how did I think all that from dodging an attack? I'm in the middle of combat! Why am I thinking like this?

I probably lowered my guard a little, as the Yiga assassin managed to cut my left arm a little. Ouch... That sickle is really sharp...

The Yiga assassin then disappears into the air, leaving a little smoke behind. Even with me trying to look at my surroundings, I didn't account for anything from above.

The Yiga assassin then slammed down on me, cutting the side of my head a little as I tried my best to dodge.

The assassin chucked as blood pours down from my wound. Alright, no more messing around. I'm down to less than half my health, as from what I felt.

I dodged another incoming slash, this time dodging at the right time to send a flurry of attacks with my soldiers broadsword, defeating the Yiga.

I would say "defeated", but I'm pretty sure I just killed this person. They aren't getting up. Um... I don't know how to feel about this...

The assassin dropped some rupees and a cluster of... Bananas? This went from me being disturbed by having to kill someone to me being weirded out by the fact that they just had bananas on them.

Well, I won't loot them any further, just out of decency, and just left their body there. I just want to move on now...

A whistled for Epona and I continued on the path. Maybe I should think of something to get that image out of my head.

That flurry of attacks I did to kill that assassin... Flurry... Flurry... That does have a nice ring to it. I think I have an answer to the question I had earlier.

From now on, this technique that I have learned will be called the flurry rush!

I saw the Shiekah Tower that was definitely for this region up a small mountain. Hmm... How am I going to get up there?

Suddenly, I pass by a side path that seems to lead to the mountain. Well, can't hurt to take it.

After taking the path, there were a lot of enemies to defeat. Several bokoblins and a few moblins.

However, it seemed like I was going the right way. The path continued towards the tower. After taking another detour up the path, I finally made it to the tower.

This tower definitely seemed a bit more difficult to climb, however. There were thorny brambles everywhere.

Hmm... How will I get past this? Wait... Wouldn't all of these be flammable? Shouldn't hurt me to find out.

I shot a fire arrow at one of the clusters of bramble. Sure enough, it sets on fire. It seems like it's spreading pretty quickly.

The fire had created an updraft from how much it had spread. Well, if the updraft was intense enough, I should be able to ride it with my paraglider.

I was surprised that this actually worked! Either the gust of wind was just that strong, or I'm really not that heavy. I... Just won't question that any further...

I was able to get about half way up the tower before the fire couldn't burn any longer. Well, it's at least easier to climb now.

After maneuvering around the thorny brambles, I was finally able to get to the top of the tower! Alright, it's time again that I get more of the map revealed.

Shiekah Tower Activated

Wow, I guess a lot of this region is supposedly that big mountain up there past Hateno Village. I bet there's probably something important up there.

Well, I should probably continue my path to Hateno Village. I jump off the tower and glide back to Epona.

It was a pretty short path to the village. There weren't even that many enemies that I had to deal with.

I did save these two ladies from some bokoblins, who were out of the village to get some hearty truffles.

Well, I'm finally here. Hateno Village. It didn't really take me too long to get here, just about a day.

My first order of business was to get to the shrine here. It wasn't that hard to find it as I could see it from the entrance.

However, when I walked to it, I noticed some oddly shaped houses, at least compared to the other buildings.

Whatever, I need to do this shrine.

I have to say, this shrine's puzzle was pretty annoying... There was a panel that I had to interact with to move a platform in front of me.

When I looked at the platform when I placed the shiekah slate on the pedestal, it barely moved.

When I tried to put my shiekah slate away, the whole platform suddenly made a 90 degree angle!

I looked at the screen of my shiekah slate and noticed that the screen showed the platform in front of me from a higher angle.

I turned the sheikah in different angles, the platform having the same motion. So, this was the puzzle for this shrine...

There seemed to be an orb in this maze. I noticed the place where the orb is supposed to go to my left.

I guess I have to get the orb out of the maze to get to the monk.

Sigh that's the annoying part... It took me way too long to get the orb out... It gets a little hard to see when I'm tilting the shiekah slate.

After about two hours, I was finally able to get the orb out of the maze! That took way longer than it should have...

Well, with that shrine out of the way, time to find the ancient tech lab. Well, I guess I could also look around the village too.

After exploring the village for a bit, I looked at my map to see where I'm actually supposed to go.

It seems the lab is on top of that large hill. I wonder why it's all the way up there...

It was getting late by the time I started heading up the hill. I could see some kids running down, yelling "retreat" or something like that.

Were they spying, or something?

As I got closer to the lab, I saw an ominous sight in the distance. The moon was not its usual white color. Instead, it was a blood red color...

I... I couldn't help but just stand there, gazing at the blood moon... I could feel the intensity of its presence as it gets higher in the sky.

I swear, I could hear ominous sounds the longer I stay out here. Particles start forming around, the sky then suddenly turns red!

Then, I hear a roar before I suddenly hear a voice.

"...

Link...

Link...

Be on your guard. Ganon's power grows... It rises to its peak under the hour of the blood moon.

By its glow, the aimless spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light return to flesh.

Link... Please be careful."

My vision goes back to normal as the blood moon also disappears.

So... The monsters that I defeat aren't actually gone for good, but will come back after a blood moon... That is definitely worrisome...

Well, I should probably get to the lab now. I don't want to delay this any further.

As soon as I got inside, I immediately noticed three things: There is a shiekah pedestal, there is a... Child at the desk...? And a man at the back of the room.

Well, Impa didn't really inform me of who I'm supposed to speak to, but I'll talk with the child first.

"Good evening. This is the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab. Do you have business with the director?"

"Yes, that's right." I answer

"The director is in the back. A terribly busy person, that one. Please try to keep it brief."

Well, as I expected, I was supposed to talk with the person in the back.

"Good evening. I imagine you've never seen so many books in one place. Pretty incredible, isn't it? We've gathered all of Hyrule's known literature on ancient civilization here.

As for the actual number of books, well... Hmm?"

The man seems to have noticed something. I'm guessing it's the shiekah slate.

"Is that... That thing on your waist? Is that a shiekah... There's no mistaking it. That's a real shiekah slate, isn't it!?"

Knew it.

"I've never actually seen one in person! If you could just show me the runes on it, I'd be most appreciative."

Well, no harm in that. I show the man the sheikah slate runes.

"Stasis... Ah. Magnesis... Yes, yes. The remote bomb and cryonis... And what else? Let's see... So that's it for runes... But... Hmm...

Strange... It doesn't seem like you have the basic runes... I don't understand why they're missing. There must be some reason...

Ah! Where are my manners? I nearly forgot to introduce myself!

My name is Symin. You are... Link, right?"

Huh, I keep getting a little surprised that someone just knows who I am.

"You know my name?"

"Lady Impa caught me up to speed. You see... We were told, "A young man holding a shiekah slate will appear. And you must do all you can to help him.

He will be the hope that awakens from the Slumber of Restoration. His name will be Link." Oh, dear. I forgot to tell you something very important."

The man then turns to the child at the desk.

"Director! Listen, Ms. Director! This is a REAL Shiekah Slate!"

Wait... He isn't the director?

"Director?"

"Oh, that's right... I haven't introduced our director. Ms. Purah happens to be right over there...

As the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab director, Ms. Purah is the world's foremost au on ancient Hyrule culture."

I then turn to the kid, which I guess is actually Purah.

"Check it!"

"I have the utmost respect for Ms. Purah and all she's accomplished. I'm honored to be her assistant.

On that note, Link... You see, the director may look like a young girl, but... Well... Maybe it's not my place to be telling you these things. You should talk to Ms. Purah herself."

"Don't spill the beans!" Purah said.

Huh, so she actually isn't a child... Then why does she look like this...?

"Hey! Heeeey! Are you surprised!? The director of this laboratory is NOT Symin. it's me! Snappity snap!"

Well, I definitely wouldn't have guessed that.

"Anywaaay. Linky! Do you remember any dreams from your time the Slumber of Restoration?

You don't look like you've changed a bit since the last 100 years, but SOMETHING must have happened in all that time!

Well, no matter! I'm just happy you're still in one piece."

Purah then seems to notice my look of unfamiliarity.

"... Linky? What's with that look? You do still remember me, right?"

Sigh... This is getting a little repetitive, but I can't blame anyone who actually knows me.

"Sorry, Purah. I don't remember."

"Really!? Well, I'm so shocked I don't know if I'll ever be able to recover from this!

Even though, 100 years ago, I took you to the Shrine of Resurrection after Calamity Ganon fatally wounded you...

Even though I was the one who put you safely into the Slumber of Restoration... Despite all that, you still don't remember me?"

I give a guilty look. So she was the one that actually put me in the shrine of resurrection?

As if she was talking to herself, "Hmm... As expected. After 100 years in the Slumber of Restoration, subject... has... lost... all... memories. Noted!

Oh, sooooorry... I have a bad habit of taking notes rather abruptly like that. It's a charming quirk, isn't it?"

Yep, this woman definitely has a character...

"Anyhoo... Do you have any questions for me?"

"Um... Aren't you a child?"

"How very rude!

Hm, or perhaps it's not rude at all... I suppose it's actually a rather logical conclusion to jump to.

The truth is, I like this way because of a failed experiment. Well, I say "failed," but... In some ways, it was a success. I documented the full affair in my diary upstairs.

BUT! The whole thing is embarrassing, so I insist you refrain from reading it!"

Huh, I won't read it, but that does make me curious on how she actually came to be this way.

"Anyway. Enough about that! Back to the topic at hand! Here you are, after 100 years!

Here to defeat Calamity Ganon, who is growing in strength with every passing moment! And to rescue our beloved Princess Zelda! That is, if you've got the courage to try.

And to help the one true hero, I, the one and only Purah, will restore the basic functions missing from the sheikah slate!

Aaaand what do you say to thaaaat?"

Well, that would be great! "Yes, please!"

"I knew you'd say that! All right, then. First I need you to run an errand for me.

...

What's with that looked on your face? You didn't think I'd fix your sheikah slate for free, did you?"

Honestly, I never dropped the possibility.

"I did not."

"Hmm. You're pretty considerate for a young person. But then... I suppose that's because you're actually over 100 years old!"

She... She could have worded it a bit differently... But then again, I probably do look pretty good for someone being over 100 years old.

"Let me explain what this errand entails. You know that unlit furnace on the wall just outside this laboratory?

Could you please bring the blue flame from the ancient furnace in town? Oh, and also use it to light our furnace?"

Well, I can probably find that pretty easily. It's probably on its own, not surrounded by the homes and buildings.

"This sweet little guidance Stone will start working once you do that, allowing us to restore your missing runes!"

Purah then whispers quietly to herself "Huh... I wonder if young women these days still say things like "sweet" and "little." Ah, well, I suppose it doesn't matter anyway."

"Okay then. I'm counting on you for that blue flame!"

Well, I guess I should use a torch for this. I am going to be carrying this flame for a little bit.

I check the map and see that the furnace is near  Zelkoa Pond. Like I predicted, it is on its own.

Since I was up so high, I decided that I could glide to the furnace. I'm sure I have enough stamina to glide there.

As I landed, I took my torch out and took the blue flame from the furnace. I have to say, this flame is kind of pretty.

I have to hold this flame out and can't put it away. This means I can't sprint... Oh well, not like it'll rain anytime soon.

As I made my way to the lab, I lit other torches with the flame. In case I lose the flame, I could at least get the flame back from those torches.

I also noticed that the children of the village were following me... They must be really interested in the flame.

Eventually, I was able to get the blue flame to the furnace outside the lab. The travel gate that I just noticed now had also activated.

H ate no Ancient Tech Lab is now set as a travel gate.

Well, I guess it might be convenient to be able to travel here. I then go inside to talk with Purah again.

"Hey, you! Linky, thank you so much! Now then, take a look over there! The guidance Stone must be starting to react! There's nothing mysterious about it- this is pure science!

Heh... My sweet little Guidance Stone... You sure know how to make this old researcher's heart flutter!

Well then... Let's go ahead and restore those Shiekah Slate runes for you! Give me a nice SNAP! Go on, no time to be shy about it!"

I sigh in reluctance, but I give my best "SNAP!"

"Nice one! Hokay then, Shiekah Slate repair... underway! Guidance Stone lock removed! Now... Let's do this thing!"

I placed the shiekah slate in the pedestal like Purah said to do. The process of getting the rune was relatively similar to how I got my other runes.

Camera, Hyrule Compendium, and album missing files confirmed.

Starting repair.

Well, that's... A bit more than I expected. Not only did I get a camera rune, but I also got a compendium and 12 different pictures.

"Aaaand... It's done! So!? Is it all fixed up now? Hmmm, lessee here... Which one is it... Camera, Hyrule compendium, album... Yep, looks good!

So I know this is sudden, but hear me out. Take a picture of me with the camera! Oh, and don't forget to lemme see it!"

Alright, I guess I can do that. I take out the shiekah slate and use the camera rune. It's almost like the shiekah slate was see through.

I pointed the camera at Purah and a click sound was made when I took the picture.

"Snap! How's the picture taking going? Did you take a cute pic of me with the camera?"

"Here it is, Purah." I say as I show her the picture.

"Oooh, I can't wait to see it! Lemme see, lemme see! Hm? My, who IS this beautiful young creature?

...

Huh? Oh, I guess that's my cue! Sorry, I kind of lost it there. It wasn't on purpose. Hmmm...

Ah, it's not just a pretty girl in these images. Yes, there are also some old landscape photos stored in the album.

I knew princess Zelda had made frequent use of the camera feature, but this...

Hey, Linky! It dawns on me that you were Princess Zelda's appointed knight, which means... There's a strong possibility that you accompanied her to all the places where these pictures were taken."

Well, how am I supposed to know? I don't have any memory of these pictures.

"Oh... Right. The "Lost memory" thing could prove troublesome. But don't lose hope! It just means these pictures could be the missing piece to help restore your lost memories!

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

... Oh yeah! There's  just one more thing I need from you! You don't have to worry about this until after you see Impa, but I want you to bring me back some ancient materials!

Bring them either to me or to Robbie at the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. As if my joy weren't enough, if you bring us ancient materials, we'll give you something good as a reward.

All right! Let's do this!"

With that, I left the lab and traveled back to Kakoriko Village. I, of course, teleported to the shrine over there so I wouldn't need to travel by horse.

I wasted no time going to Impa to inform her of the album I got.

"Huh... I heard Purah was giving you the runaround, but you seem just fine. Now then... Let me see."

I show Impa one of the pictures, namely the first picture of the album.

"Aha! This is, without a doubt, the camera that Princess Zelda used 100 years ago.

... It could be that if you visit the locations within those pictures, you'll be able to restore some of your lost memories. Come back here once you have tried going to at least one of those locations. There is something I wish to give you."

I could... Actually unlock my memories? I... Now this is peaking my interest! I need to go to one of those places right away!

I may not like what I'll see, but I can't just go along without knowing who I was!

I look at the album to see which memory to go for first.

The first one is too close to Hyrule Castle... The second one is facing the Dualing Peaks, so it's safe. I have no idea where the third, fourth or fifth picture might be.

The sixth one is also really close to Hyrule Castle, though, the seventh one seems to be facing a massive bridge.

The eighth one is directly at Hyrule Castle... Nope.

The ninth one is at some sort of spring. No idea where the tenth one is at. The eleventh one is close to that mountain I saw by the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab.

Finally, the last one is too vague on where it seems to be. Well, the second and seventh pictures seem easy enough. I think I'll head to the second location.

I travel to the shrine I got Magnesis from and look for where the location might be.

I looked at the picture again and noticed that the picture was near a pond with a structure in the middle, then facing towards the dualing peaks.

I then knew exactly where to search, as the area was very close to the shrine off the Great Plateau.

I glided down to the general area where the spot was. After walking around for a little bit, as soon as I got to the right spot, I just knew: This was the spot.

I took a look at the picture and noticed the similarities. Suddenly, my head started to hurt, which made me place my hand on my head. My vision fades, and then I'm shown something.

*     *     *

I'm then shown a scene. Surprisingly, it wasn't about this location at all, instead, it was at the location close to the front of Hyrule Castle.

There were four individuals to the side, likely the champions, and two in the middle, likely me and Zelda. The four champions... I actually get to see who they look like. Daruk, Mipha, Revali, and Urbosa.

I seem to be kneeling while the Princess has her hand extended towards. Wait, I remember this now. This is the Inauguration ceremony for me becoming the Princess's appointed knight.

I also remember something else, too. I seemed to be pretty silent at this point in time.

"Hero of Hyrule, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness... You have shown unflinching bravery and skill in the face of darkness and adversity.   And have proven yourself worthy of the blessings of the Goddess Hylia. Whether skyward bound, adrift in time, or steeped in the glowing embers of Twilight...   The sacred blade is forever bound to the soul of the Hero. We pray for your protection... And we hope that- that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one."

Seemed like the princess needed a quick breather after that. After taking a deep breath, she goes back to the speech.

However, the scene drifts to the champions. I... Faintly remember them speaking, but I don't think I actually heard what they said...

Daruk, which I assume is the big Goron, breaks the silence on the champion's side "Gee, this is uplifting... She's making it sound like we already lost."

The one that I assume is Revali interjects "Wasn't this your idea? You're the one who wanted to designate the appointed knight with all the ceremonial pomp, grandeur, and nonsense we could muster!"

He then shrugs back to  looking at the  princess and  me "And if you ask me, the whole thing does seem to be overkill. Even if he's proven himself, I'm starting to see the princess's page in regards to Link."

Proven myself...? What does he mean by that?

"Oh, give it a rest, Revali." Who I assume is Urbosa, said in response.

"Link is very much a living reminder of her own failures. Well, at least that's how the princess sees him."

Reminder of her failures? Man, I really need to know the context of these things...

The scene then cuts back to Zelda, who had just finished the speech. She looked at her hand then looked down at me, not like she was above her, but at what she saw, face value.

She doesn't seem to know me very much in this memory.

I thought that the memory would end there, but seemed to go on for a little longer. The princess then gave me a letter and said something that the memory did quite let me hear.

Finally, I'm shown me walking away from the ceremony without even speaking with the champions.

Finally, as the memory finally seems like it's going to end, Daruk and Urbosa speak.

"Left without saying a word, you think something happened?" Daruk said.

"Must have a lot going through his mind." Urbosa replied.

*     *     *

Finally, my vision comes back and I remove my hand from my head. Hylia, my head still hurts... I thought that I would get a memory for this location...

I look at the album and notice that the location I got now has a check mark and the place the memory was from also has a different icon, likely the icon for the memory.

Well, I should probably head back to Impa and report that I've regained some of my memories.

I teleported back to Kakoriko Village and headed back to Impa's home and went to Impa.

"Now that you have seen some of them princess's memories, you must have started to remember certain things... Here. I will hand this over to you now, before I forget."

Impa then hands me a folded piece of clothing.

Champions Tunic

Armor: 5

Effect: enemy health detection

Wow, this piece of armor is definitely the most defensive in my inventory. I don't hesitate to put it on.

Wow... It just feels... So right to have this on.

"This is something of yours that I have been keeping safe, by request of the princess. This clothing was specially made for you when you became a champion. Please handle it with care."

I nodded in response. Well, I guess I'm done here for now until I actually recover all of my memories, at least from the pictures that I was given.

Alright, I guess it is finally time for me to actually start my journey to free the Divine Beasts. I wonder which one I should go after first...

Sigh I guess I should probably go for the closest one. From the looks of it, that will probably be the one for the Zora.

Well, I'll go ahead and prepare for the journey before I start to head out for my first Divine Beast.

Chapter Text

It has been a couple weeks since I had made my choice on which divine beast I want to go to first. I have also decided, however, that it would probably be for the best that I prepare beforehand.

For a couple days, I have searched the Necluda region, aside from the mount Lanayru part of the map. Seems I'll need better cold protection for that...

While I was searching around, I did find the seventh memory location! I couldn't just not look into it.

I looked into the picture of the seventh memory, and the same process happened the first time around.

My head really hurt, making me use my hand to cover it, and then my vision fades.

*     *     *

The scene that I'm shown seems to actually be the second memory location . Me and Zelda seem to be walking by the lake, in the direction of Hyrule Castle.

" Now, we'll make our way to Goron city. It seems Daruk has been having a hard time with his divine beast. We'll need to make some adjustments on that divine beast so Daruk can manage it as easily as possible. He figured out how to get it to move... However, it is apparent that we have much more to learn."

Ah, I think I remember this... Me and Zelda were visiting all of the champions to see their progress with their divine beast.

It seems like Daruk was the last one that needed to be checked on. However, it seemed like he was having the most trouble.

"But to think, that Divine beasts were actually built by people... That means we should be able to understand how it works and how to use it to our advantage. These divine beasts... so much we don't know... But if we want to turn back the calamity, they're our best hope."

Well, knowing what would happen when the calamity had arrived, I bet everyone was surprised at how unprepared we were...

Suddenly, Zelda slowed to a stop, before slightly turning to me.

"Tell me the truth... How proficient are you right now, wielding that sword on your back? Legend says that an ancient voice resonates inside it. Can you hear it yet... Hero?" Zelda told me.

The sword on my back? Ah, I did have this sword during the first memory. I already assumed that it was pretty important.

But a voice from the sword? Well, I'm not given everything for context, so maybe I'll figure that out some day.

Then, the memory starts to fade after Zelda  had  said this. There's just so much that I probably don't know yet... I want to learn more...

*     *     *

Finally, my vision comes back to my actual body. Well, I guess that was one of the shorter memories that I could remember.

Well, I had moved on back to exploring again. I managed to find... Three more shrines when exploring.

One of those shrines had to be done at night, as there was a statue that needed to be shot. Another was another puzzle where I needed to tilt the shiekah slate, this time just positioning.

Finally, the last one was definitely one of the weirdest ones. It was at this small island with a maze of flowers.

There was a lady there taking care of them and would get really mad if you stepped in them too much.

... I may have done that and made her so mad that she attacked me... Well, that all the shrines I had done.

I decided to find all the koroks I could find in the dualing peaks part of the Necluda region. I couldn't do all of it mainly because of Mount Lanayru.

I... I really don't like that it took me so long to get these korok seeds... There were a total of 61 korok seeds in this region... I'm surprised I was able to find even half of these.

Next time I see Hestu, I bet he'll be pretty happy. Well, this also did take the next couple weeks to do. From just one region, I'm a little concerned about how many I'll have to find... It is to get a bigger inventory, after all.

Alright, now that I have gone over all that I have done for preparation, it is time to head for the Lanayru region to free Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

It was a little late when I got to Kakoriko Village. I don't need to sleep to heal, so I'll go ahead and sit by a campfire.

*     *     *

Sigh Alright, my first Divine Beast. It took almost a month of preparation, but it's time.

So, the champion that piloted Vah Ruta. Mipha, I believe, was the pilot. Mipha... I almost feel a sense of nostalgia by just saying that name... Along with a sense of sorrow...

I don't even know who she is, but just that name almost jogs a little of my memory. I'm not necessarily remembering anything, but I can tell that she is probably very important to my past...

Though, I wonder, how am I going to actually remember her? I don't necessarily have an image just to remember her...

*     *     *

Morning had finally arrived. I headed to the shrine at the top of the village.

I looked off the cliff to the Lanayru region. Alright, time to start my journey to free Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

*     *     *

...

...

How long... How long has it been, again...?

Right... It has been a century... A century of being trapped by this... This thing...

A century... Of not being able to see my people... My friends... My family... Especially him...

But... Far, far away... I feel... A familiar presence... I... I haven't felt this one in... In so long...

Link... Is Link still alive...? Is he... Is he coming to save me...?

*     *     *

I jump off of the cliff and pull out my paraglider. I could see a shrine below, so I decided to go there first.

As I got near the shrine, I seemed to have come across new monsters. These ones seemed to resemble lizards.

There were only two that I had to deal with. These things were definitely annoying to take down as they were jumping all over the place and dodging my attacks!

However, they seemed to not have that much health, so when I did land hits, I was able to defeat them pretty quickly.

After defeating those monsters, they seemed to have dropped their horns. Apparently, these monsters are called Lizalfos.

The amount of health these monsters had were a little bit less than moblins, so it's probably safe to say that these things are in the middle in terms of monsters.

Really quickly, I went through the shrine that I came down for. It was a really simple puzzle, so I'll just skip over explaining it.

After completing the shrine, my spirit orb count was 3. One more orb, and I'll be able to get another upgrade.

After getting out of the shrine, I looked around to see where the next shiekah tower was. Much to my luck, it was on top of a mountain...

Well, can't complain now, better start heading over to it.

As I walk across these wetlands, I notice that there are a lot of ruined buildings. I guess this place is one of the closest settlements to Hyrule Castle...

As I traverse more, I suddenly feel a chill run down my spine. I look to my side and see a familiar red target on me...

I look to where the target was coming from and, to my horror, I see one of those things, a guardian!

It was about to fire at me, so I quickly ran to the side. This managed to work, and the laser didn't hit me!

Ugh... This thing is also fully intact as well... I can't just run away from this. I need to do something about this...

Wait... If the lasers from these guardians are so powerful, couldn't I use it against them? Well, one way to find out...

As the guardian aims its laser at me, I ready my shield to try and parry it. I hope I can even parry it...

As soon as I heard the guardian fire its beam, I managed to parry it! The beam landed right in the guardian's eye!

Alright, seems like I need to parry this guardian three times to defeat it. I take a deep breath and hope that I can do this thing's laser two more times.

To my surprise, I was able to predict when I should parry two more times. The guardian seemed to malfunction before exploding.

Well, that definitely was scary. I'm not sure if I want to risk getting hit by that laser another time, so I'll try my best to not fight those things.

Well, I should probably get moving again. I don't want to keep wasting anymore time.

As I got closer to the mountain with the tower, I noticed something really big nearby. It looked like a very big bokoblin, but I knew it was something else.

I don't really want to fight that thing, so I'll just walk by it. Now, I was finally getting really close to the tower.

When I was crossing a bridge, I heard someone "Yeah! You're a..."

I look to the side and I then see someone in the water! She didn't seem like anyone I've seen before, but she didn't seem hostile either. Is this one of those Zora?

"Hey! Come here!"

I do as she asks and come closer to her by the bridge.

"Oh, my! Oh, wow! Oh, whoa! It's a Hylian! A real Hylian! Umm... I mean... You are a Hylian, right?"

I nod my head "Yes, I'm a Hylian."

"I knew it! I SO knew it! Well, what are you waiting for!? Go see Prince Sidon!"

She then points to the other side of the mountain that I was going to climb.

"He's waiting at Inogo Bridge, which is upstream of Zora River. Please listen to what dear Prince Sidon has to say! I know it's sudden, but you'll understand everything once you get there. Trust me! You'll see!"

Well, she definitely seemed excited that I was a Hylian. I wonder who this Prince Sidon is.

I still continue on the way to the tower as originally planned. Instead of going left to where I'll meet Prince Sidon, I'm going to go right to where I can climb this mountain.

In the climb up, I faced several different enemies. Bokoblins and moblins mainly. There was even a new black variant too, which were much stronger than the blue versions.

I had to make careful maneuvers in order to not get overwhelmed by too many monsters. After about twenty minutes, I did manage to get to the top of the mountain and could climb the tower!

After getting to the top, I went through the same process as getting the other maps and moved on.

I noticed that someone else was on this tower too. After talking to him, he seems to have been unfortunate enough to be where the tower rose and was stuck. Well, I hope he figures out how to get down soon...

When I glided down from the tower, I noticed there was a shrine pretty close by. I may as well do it if it's going to be this close.

When I got in, I noticed that the shrine was similar to the teaching shrine from Kakoriko Village. Now, it was called a minor test of strength.

When I walked into the main room, one of those small guardians. Now, this one has a sword and a shield.

I readied my shield as the guardian approached me. As I thought, the guardian attacked with small beams.

It then raised its sword and tried to slice down on me. I managed to dodge it in time to perform a flurry rush.

The guardian then jumps back and spreads its arms out and spins them. It spins its arms so fast that one would definitely get damaged by it.

I then noticed that there were pillars that could definitely work against this attack. I get behind a pillar before the guardian could hit me.

This leaves the guardian stunned, so I took the chance to get as many hits on it as I could.

The next move that the guardian performed had it back up again. It then spun its head before firing a laser at the ground, spreading outward.

However, an updraft of wind formed, so I could use it to glide to the guardian and damage it from above.

The last move that the guardian was about to use seemed to be a last resort. The guardian used this when it was almost down.

It backed up again, but this time its colors went from orange to blue. It then started gathering energy to charge a powerful attack.

Luckily for me, I was able to defeat the guardian before it could use this attack. Now, there was a chest in the next room, so let's see what is in it.

Knight's Bow

Attack: 26

Wow, this is a big improvement from my other bows! Well, it was worth coming to this shrine first.

As I got out of the shrine, I noticed that it was raining heavily outside. I looked at the forecast on my shiekah slate, but there was only rain.

Huh, that's a little strange. I then saw one of those Zora to my left.

"Oh, my, how wonderful! You are a Hylian, yes?"

I nod in response

"Perfect! It must be my lucky day! Oh... Ahem I apologize for calling out to you so suddenly. I am Torfeau of the Zora. I have been searching for a Hylian like you for a very long time!

My home, Zora's Domain, is in terrible danger. That is why Prince sidon sent me in search of a strong Hylian warrior."

She then points to a bridge, much more different than the wooden ones I saw coming here.

"Prince Sidon is waiting at Inogo Bridge. Would you please speak to the prince and perhaps save us all? We would be ever so grateful!"

I nod and make my way over to the bridge. Well, before that, I saw a lizalfos out in the open with a strong looking claymore. I glided behind it and performed a sneak strike to defeat it.

Alright, time to go meet with Prince Sidon. As I get to the Inogo Bridge, I hear a voice.

"Say, hey there!"

To be continued

Chapter Text

"Say, hey there! Young one!"

I look around to see where that voice came from. I don't see anyone around.

"Up top! Above you"

I look up to see a red Zora, definitely looking a lot different than the few Zoras that I have seen. I'm guessing this is the Prince Sidon that I have heard about.

Sidon jumps down to the ground in front of me. Wow, he is a lot bigger than I thought.

"Pardon the entrance, but you're a Hylian, aren't you? I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk..."

I nodded "Yes, I am a Hylian."

"Aha! A Hylian! Yes, I knew it! Oh, pardon me... I am Sidon, the Zora prince! And what is your name? Go on, please tell me!"

"My name is Link, Sidon."

"Link? Your name is Link!? What a fantastic name! Hmm, though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard it's somewhere before...

Well, in any case, it is a strong name! To be honest, I've been watching you. I've seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person."

Wow, really? I guess I just never noticed him.

"Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct!?"

Well, from what I know "yes, that's right."

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

Yes! Exquisite! I have been searching for someone like you for a long while. A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power!

Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta! Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior!

Won't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?"

"Actually, I was already planning on going there, so sure thing."

"Wow! Really!? Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!

Because of the rain, the cliffs are too wet to climb. To reach the domain, you will need to go straight along this path.

As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the domain may be a bit treacherous. You likely have a tough fight in store- there are monsters of a head that attack with electricity.

Don't give up! I believe in you! ... Oh, that's right! I have something that I would like to give to you! This is just a small trinket to show that I have faith in you."

Sidon then gives me an elixir

Electo Elixir

Effect: shock resistance 2

Duration: 6:10

Well, this could definitely be useful.

"It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! I am not sure why, but its effects do not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps because it was made specifically for Hylians.

It should work wonders for you, though! I shall go on ahead and make sure there is not anything strange going on where you are headed. I'm counting on you!"

With that, Sidon leaped into the river and swam upstream. Well, I was going to the domain anyway, so it was good to meet him now.

I then realized that the sky was actually cleared from rain clouds. It was just still raining. I guess what Sidon said about Vah Ruta was true.

I look at the map and notice how the path definitely has a lot of turns. It's definitely going to be a treacherous journey.

I make my way along the path. There were a lot of octorocks on the way there. I know that they're called that from having to defeat some of them when exploring. They're very annoying.

I carefully maneuvered through the path and continued on my way to the domain. I somehow get hit several times because these octorocks just know where I'm going to move, somehow.

When I was about to make a climb up a hill, I heard Sidon from the water

"HEY! Link!! Sorry for calling out to you from the river! Since I pressured you into coming, I was not sure you would really come through. I am pleased things are going well.

Ever since the strange occurrence, there have been a lot of monsters around here. Be careful as you proceed! And hurry! All of my fellow Zora are anxiously awaiting your arrival!!"

With that, Sidon leaves to go up the river again. Well, if I wasn't getting shot by so many octorocks, this would probably be a lot easier.

I make my way up the hill and notice that the octorocks couldn't hit me anymore. Well, that's good, that was starting to really hurt and was very annoying.

A couple boulders dropped on the path, but they were easy enough to dodge. I guess some monsters just thought it was funny to do so...

As I made it higher, I noticed some hearty items in the grass, so I picked up any that I could see.

I then, however, noticed why Sidon gave me this elixir... There was a lot of lizalfos in these woods and I found a shock arrow in the ground.

I knew that these lizalfos would have shock arrows, so I drank the elixir and ran through the lizalfos.

I managed to dodge most of the arrows, but one of them hit a puddle next to me, which of course, caused a good portion of anything around it to get shocked too.

Ow... That really stung... I'm really glad that Sidon gave me that elixir. I managed to grab three shock arrows before leaving.

As I left the area, I could see the continuation of the river.

"HEY! Over here!"

I then made my way to the river and saw Sidon again!

"Sorry for calling from so far away! The domain is still a ways off, but you're making good progress! I shall be along soon myself. I won't be much longer!

In the meantime, I'll be cheering you on from here in the river, so hang in there! You can do it! Stay strong!"

I gave a thumbs up before Sidon had left into the water again to go further up the stream.

Continuing on the path, I noticed some keese! These ones don't seem to be the normal keese either. They have a yellow color.

Just as I suspected, they seem to be electric variants of keese. I pulled out a spear and attacked any keese that came near me.

This wasn't a problem until I got to the last group of keese. There were about five or six of them!

I might have died if I didn't have the elixir effect still on. Luckily, I survived the encounter with three hearts left.

After getting out of that area and fighting four more lizalfos, I cross another bridge. I then hear Sidon from the river again.

"Hey! Link!! You're almost halfway to Zora's domain! Oh, by the way, there are a few spots up ahead with lots of enemies... But I'm sure you will be fine! I believe in you, Link!"

Again, there he goes again, heading up the river. I look at the map and I actually seem to be half way to the domain.

I make my way back up another hill. Some monsters seemed to have pushed more boulders down the hill too.

After getting past those, I heard another one being pushed down. I then see a giant boulder block my way!

Well, at least it didn't keep going. I can at least just climb over it with no issues.

When I get past the boulder, I defeat another lizalfos, but I then see what Sidon was talking about earlier when he mentioned a lot of monsters.

I had to defeat five green lizalfos and two blue lizalfos. It was a bit chaotic, but I managed to defeat them all without suffering too much damage.

I just hope there isn't much more of this before getting to Zora's Domain... I need my weapon durability for more dangerous situations.

I then make my way to one of the last bridges on the path. This one was very high up, I could barely see a bottom below other than the water.

I then slightly hear something from below as I almost fully crossed the bridge.

"Hey! Link!! Look below! Down here!"

Is this man seriously calling me from all the way at the bottom? Oh Hylia he is...

"You are still pretty far off, my friend! But I was sure you'd be passing over this bridge, so I have been waiting for you!

You will be in Zora's domain before you know it! In fact, I'm going to head that way too! I shall meet you there!

Whoa! Link!! Beware, warrior! A monster approaches from behind you!"

Huh? I suddenly see a blue moblin approaching me! Well, this isn't going to be too much of a problem.

With my spear and my quick reflexes, I was able to swiftly defeat the sudden foe. Now, back on the path!

As I seem to be getting closer to Zora's Domain, it seems like the sky was getting darker... It was still the middle of the day, so this is a little worrying.

It also felt like the rain was pouring a lot harder here too... Was the source of the rain close by, or something?

After making my way up a couple more hills, facing off against this weird wizard thing, I then see it: A geyser shooting water into the air.

That must be what is causing all of this rain... That is a very ominous sight to look at...

I then see that there is just a little bit to go before actually getting to Zora's Domain! It's just down this hill.

Well, if the last part of the path is going down a hill, I may as well glide the rest of the way down.

As I do so, I noticed that there were actually a couple of moblins that I would have had to fight if I didn't choose to glide past.

Well, past this long bridge is Zora's Domain. I don't know why, but I'm feeling a sense of... Nostalgia?

As I make my way to the entrance, I see Sidon as well.

"Whoa!"

I give him a wave as I see him.

"I've been waiting for you, Link! Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!"

Just like that, Sidon made his way to what is likely the throne room if he wants me to meet with the king.

I noticed that there was a shrine here, so I took the chance to do it.

Not too long after, I get through the shrine and get another spirit orb. I should probably see where this domain's goddess statue is.

When I got out of the shrine, I noticed the statue in the middle of the central area. Huh... I wonder who that's supposed to be...

I walked up the stairs to the upper level of the domain and saw a goddess statue. Well, I can finally upgrade my health again!

After praying to the goddess statue, I was now at seven hearts. Making some good progress.

Alright, I probably shouldn't keep the king of the Zora waiting, time to get to the throne room.

When I make it inside the throne room, my sight is focused on the giant Zora at the back of the room. Wow, I can tell that this is the king.

On the right is Sidon and on the left seems to be another Zora. He, however, gives a bit of a look of disdain.

"Ah. You must be the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct? You did well to come all the way here!

I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora."

King Dorephan... I feel like I've heard of that name before, too...

"Hm? That object upon your waist... Is that not a Sheikah Slate!? HMMM!? Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all to clear who you are..."

With a hearty laugh, King Dorephan continues

"You are the Hylian Champion, Link! Do not tell me you have forgotten me..."

Wait... He knows who I am? Scratch that, he remembers me? I've known him before too?

"The Hylian Champion? You can't mean THE Link? THAT champion!? So that's where I have heard your name before! What a faithful coincidence that we should cross paths!"

"I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, Link, has appeared before us... We have met numerous times, I'll have you know. Ah... So many memories! My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend."

My head feels like it's spinning... I've known these people before? How could that be?

"I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive. Extraordinary!"

I rub my head before responding

"I've been sleeping, actually..."

King Dorephan suddenly leans forward with a look of surprise.

"Come again? Sleeping you say... Hm. Is that why you do not seem to remember me? But surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You do do you not?"

Mipha... No, no I do not. But I do feel a sense of familiarity with her name... But other than that, no.

"I'm sorry, it doesn't ring a bell."

King Dorephan sighs "I cannot believe it... Have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well? You and Mipha were so close... Yet you do not remember her?

Young hero... Please look upon the beauty of Zora's Domain. Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?

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

Sidon then made an ahem noise. This was probably to help bring the king back down to earth.

"Father... I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Link seems confused."

"Oh? Yes, of course. But first. It is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a champion here without realizing it! That is quite a feat, my boy!"

King Dorephan lets out a hearty chuckle "That is a good one! Link, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea.

Now then. Hero... I must inform you that sora's domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?"

Well, that is what I came to the region to do! I didn't just come here to see what Zora's Domain looked like. Though, I do have to say, it does look beautiful.

Suddenly a sudden "What!?" Interrupts the king.

"King Dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so! To ask a highly in for help... Why, the very thoughts of its curls my fins!"

"Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?"

Muzu. So that's who that Zora is.

"Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest. Link is here because I invited him! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian.

Have we not already discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? He is the key to saving Zora's Domain. I have no doubts in my mind."

"Indeed! Link is a Champion, through and through. As things now stand, Zora's Domain... Nay! Perhaps all of Hyrule... is doomed to be swallowed by the sea.

This is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and hylians alike must put aside our differences in band together."

"Have you forgotten already, my king!? we cannot trust these lowly Hylians! A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it!"

Muzu then calms himself down and turns away.

"It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us..."

Dorephan sighs and looks back at me.

"... Link... Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has a unique ability to create an endless supply of water.

Of late it has been mercilessly building water into the air. As a result, this area has been played by heavy rains.

For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this would be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the Eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding.

If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage but the fall not only Zora's Domain... but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger."

Suddenly, a loud cry could be heard. Is... Is that the Divine Beast?

"Hmm... The Divine Beast is crying out once again..."

*     *     *

Ruta...! Please! Calm down...

...

Even though Ruta can still hear me as a spirit, it's like it's being controlled by that 'thing'...

...

That presence I felt earlier... It really is Link. I'm... I'm so happy...

Please Link... I know that you can't hear me now... But please... Save Ruta...!

*     *     *

Well, I guess that was the cry of Vah Ruta.

"The Divine Beast Vah Ruta... Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity.

According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders... are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work.

These words are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them."

Hm, so I need to shock those orbs in order to get the flow of the water to stop.

"Seggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with the shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit.

Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough electricity at once, the water soon returned to its full force.

That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us! Link, I am certain you have already figured this out, but...

We need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course. Please, hero... I beg of you. Help me or stop Ruta's rampage of destruction!"

Um... So about that.

"I, um... I came here to actually free Ruta and bring it back to the Zora. Zelda herself had me do this."

King Dorephan leaned in again and spoke with his booming voice.

"Whaaat!? Princess Zelda herself instructed you to board the Divine beast and appease it from within? So then... Princess Zelda is still alive?"

I nodded "Yes, in Hyrule Castle."

"I do not believe it... She was alive this whole time, just says you were! The events of 100 years ago cannot be altered, it is true.

But if we can regain control of the Divine Beasts... They may yet prove you swollen ceiling Calamity again in once then for all!"

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

I nod and smile "I'm in. Let's do this!"

"Thank you, Link. Truly. We are in your dept. Our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny.

Now then, allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith."

With that, the king then hands me a carefully folded piece of armor.

Zora Armor

Armor: 3

Effect: Swim speed up

Additional ability: Swim up waterfalls

Wow, this is actually really useful! Especially the ability to swim up waterfalls!

Muzu also seems to be angered that the king gave me this. I look up to King Dorephan to see what he has to say.

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

"King Dorephan!! Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry!"

Wait... Marry?

"Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!"

So... Mipha made this piece of armor...? I... I don't know what to say... It... It kind of makes having this feel wrong... Why would the king give me something this important?

"He may be a champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should HE receive such an honor?

This is just too much, my liege! I do not understand it one bit!"

As Muzu said that last part, he stormed off. I guess this was probably the breaking point for him.

"Hmph. That Muzu is not easily sweet once his mind is set. You must understand... He was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha.

Naturally, she means a lot to him... Just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her in the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness.

Hmm, but what shall we do now? I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we need to appease Vah Ruta. But now he has rust off in a huff..."

"Link! Do not let his words concern you. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!"

With that, Sidon ran off after Muzu.

I then hear King Dorephan whisper to himself "Sidon... I suppose that means you are going to tell him..."

"Link... Muzu is most likely at the square down below. Would you mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him."

I nodded and bowed before leaving the throne room. I wonder what Dorephan meant when talking about what Sidon might tell Muzu...

As I walk down the steps, I look down at the Zora armor, which I have not put away yet.

Is it really okay for me to have this? I'm not sure if I should have this if Mipha made it for the person she was going to marry...

Well, I can't have this in my mind. I put the Zora armor away carefully and head down to the square.

Muzu and Sidon seemed to be arguing at the statue in the middle of the domain.

"Hmph. You came all the way here, but it was in vain. I have no desire to speak with you."

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

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

Both me and Muzu were shocked. Wait... I was the one the armor was for!? Mipha... She had feelings for me!?

"What!? No... You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora! How could Lady Mipha possibly have feelings for Hylian like him!?

The facts are clear. He remembers nothing. Even when he looks upon princess Mipha's statue..."

"It is the truth, Muzu. Though you never know it, he was never in Mipha's heart."

I then look at the statue of Mipha. I'm finally getting a good look at who Mipha is supposed to look like.

Now that I finally have a good look at the statue... She really does seem familiar... It feels like I'm actually starting to remember something...

Suddenly, my whole body feels numb as I feel pressure in my head. That pressure suddenly turns into a massive headache!

This is even worse than the picture memories! What am I remembering to be going through this much of a headache!?

I press my hands on my head and kneel to the ground, not being aware of my surroundings.

My vision goes dark... And I am shown the memory, or should I say... Memories...

Chapter Text

My vision then comes back, but I seem to be in the domain again. However, it wasn't raining and the statue of Mipha wasn't there.

I looked around and noticed that I seemed to be translucent. I am still able to move, but it seems like nobody can even see me. I'm not even able to make contact with anyone.

I then noticed that some of the Zora were looking towards the entrance of the domain. There seemed to be a group coming to the domain.

Are those Hylians? They seemed to be knights, about five. One of them, in particular, seemed to be a high ranking one too.

Alongside that knight, there seemed to be a young Hylian with him. Wait... That kid almost had the same hair color as me... Am... Am I really this far back in time?

Now I remember... This was the first time that I went to Zora's Domain. My father had finally allowed me to come along with him on one of his trips around Hyrule.

My father had let me explore the domain while he would go and talk with King Dorephan. But this is also...

"Um, hello there."

When I met Mipha for the first time.

She was a little shy and curious about why I was exploring on my own. I was about 4 years old at this time, so it might have been concerning that I had nobody seemingly looking after me.

She also noticed that I had many marks on my arms. I was probably very reckless when I was young. Even at such a young age, I was able to defeat fully grown adults, albeit, if they barely had combat experience.

With this recklessness, I would definitely end up with a couple scratches, cuts, or bruises. Of course, Mipha didn't like that someone so young such as myself had wounds.

This was the first time that I had seen her use her healing magic. To say that I was amazed was an understatement. I practically had sparkles in my eyes.

Even I find this reaction of mine kind of adorable, so I understand that Mipha had the same thoughts.

She could definitely tell that I had never seen healing magic, let alone any kind of magic.

We then met with both of our fathers talking with each other, my father and King Dorephan. We then all talked with each other and I got to know Mipha a little bit.

That was about it for my first visit, but key word: first. I seemed to have visited the domain many times in my childhood.

Throughout five years, I have visited Zora's Domain many times. It was like a second home to me.

During this time, I have spent a lot of time with Mipha. We got to know each other and formed a friendship quite quickly. She even introduced Sidon to me!

Wow, now that I actually get to remember a good portion of my memories, I didn't realize that Sidon would be so tall! Mipha was rather small compared to him in the present.

Sigh Such fond memories I'm finally getting... I can see why Mipha was the champion that I thought sounded familiar.

*     *     *

Sadly, three years before I started going to Knight's Academy, I had to stop visiting to focus on my studies.

For about seven years, I haven't visited Mipha once. But, after that time, I was finally given the chance to.

After one year of serving as a successful knight, I was told by the king of Hyrule that I could have a chance to become the Hylian Champion! However, unlike the other champions being given the title, I had to earn it.

To become the Hylian Champion, I needed to defeat every selected champion. Mipha was one of the champions, of course.

Obviously, I was not shown the fights of the other champions, only Mipha's.

Surprisingly, she showed abilities that I didn't think a Zora could possess. I would expect her to use water in combat, but our first time fighting, she used a grass element!

Her fighting style consisted of her using a vine as a whip. She would also set up traps across the battlefield, along with closing in the area.

Even with the seemingly lack of experience, she still managed to defeat me four times before I beat her in a fight. It was during this point that I had realized how much Mipha enjoyed sparring.

Somehow, even with just watching the fight, I can feel the pain of every major blow that is dealt to me. I'm not even in my own perspective during this memory!

I do wonder, though, how strong even is Mipha to pose such a challenge even with an element she doesn't have that much experience in?

*     *     *

Well, before heading back to Hyrule Castle, I had spent the rest of that day talking with Mipha and catching up with her.

My vision then transitions back to Hyrule Castle. King Rhoam had informed me that this was not the end of my trial.

As I suspected, Mipha was obviously holding back. It also appeared that the other champions also had to hold back. Now that I have defeated all of them, I could move onto the final test.

This time, I would have to face off against all of the champions in a gauntlet while all of them don't hold back. Just from remembering this, I still feel a chill down my spine.

The gauntlet would be in six months, so he had given me and the other champions that time to train for the battle.

I suddenly start to feel very sore as I am shown the montage of my training for the gauntlet. Ugh... What was I doing during these six months!?

I seemed to have really pushed myself extremely far. Every day, I trained for the whole day and only took a break to eat. Well, I at least knew how to train properly.

This went on for the whole wait for the event. The event of the gauntlet would be hosted at what looked to be a massive coliseum. I believe I might have seen it from the great plateau before, though, I don't remember it being six floors high.

On the day of the event, I got a letter from Mipha in the morning to meet her at the coliseum.

By the time that I got to the coliseum, it was still morning and nobody was there except for one person, Mipha.

I noticed that she had a Trident this time. I guess this is her true weapon. The weapon I actually remember her wielding.

"Hello Link, I'm glad you could make it this early. Apologies for sending you a letter so early."

"It's alright, I get it. What was it that you called me out here for?"

I then hear Mipha chuckle slightly "You haven't figured it out yet, Link?"

Mipha pulled out her Trident and it then clicked in my head what she wanted me here for.

"I want to give you a look at what you will go against in the event later today. Don't worry though, I'll go easy for now."

Much like what Mipha said before the spar session started, Mipha was not going all out for this. Probably to save her energy for the actual event.

Mipha didn't even show her water abilities either, as she was just using her Trident to attack.

Wow... And this was the first time in a long time that I've seen her use it. I believe the last time I've seen her use it was the same year I had to stop visiting.

Her movements with a spear are always so unique. She makes spear combat look so graceful...

Huh, that was weird... I actually didn't think that just now. That was actually just what I was thinking at this time.

Well, I do have to agree, Mipha does have a beautiful fighting style. I wonder how she fights going all out.

After about thirty minutes, Mipha stopped the fight as I seemed to be handling my own for the fight.

"I can tell that you have been training well, Link. I look forward to the event where I can actually show you what I'm capable of."

I nodded and smiled "As do I as well. I can't wait to prove, not just to you, but to all of Hyrule that I'm capable of just as much as a champion."

Mipha seemed to have liked my enthusiasm as she chuckled in response.

"Then I expect you to get all the way through. I will say, you will be in for a surprise when you do."

Wow, Mipha had so much faith in me. Now I'm really excited to see what my match against her was like in the gauntlet.

Just like that, my memories transitioned to the gauntlet. I'd like to note that when I faced off against Mipha the first time, I had what was apparently a Knight's broadsword and shield and bow. This time I had what was the royal version.

Huh, well I guess I'll need the extra damage when I am faced with a gauntlet of battles like this.

The memory then transitions to me entering the area when I was called in by King Rhoam. Apparently, my first opponent was actually Mipha!

I guess Mipha wanted to start off the gauntlet with a dramatic entrance. She leaped from where her, the other champions were and as she landed, she created a giant flower bulb that formed around her.

After the bulb sprouted, Mipha's royal attire was replaced with a nature-like appearance. I even noticed that Mipha's amber eyes and even her red scales have changed into a jade color.

The last thing that I noticed was Mipha's weapon. Instead of a Trident, she wielded a whip.

The whip seemed to be another vine, but this time, it had a proper handle and the rest of the vine had thorns.

Wow, I guess she spent most of the wait for the event training with her grass element. Her new appearance fits so well too.

Wow, I guess seeing Mipha after seven years has... Awakened some thoughts I never had. She has the same appearance, maybe a little taller, but that's it.

These feelings, however, were put aside so I can focus on the thrill of the battles at hand.

With that, our battle began. While looking at how our battle was going, I could definitely see the improvements Mipha has made in her grass element.

However, she wasn't the only one that improved as I was actually keeping up with her tactics.

I even managed to defeat Mipha barely getting hurt. Of course, the fight didn't last that long compared to the first time that we fought.

The memory then transitions to me appearing in the arena again. This was way later as it seemed to be dusk outside.

The king then announced that my final battle will be against Mipha again. Huh, so my first and final opponent was Mipha.

Her entrance wasn't as dramatic as the first time as when she got to the arena, it was almost like she teleported to the center.

After we greeted each other, the king had us positioned for the fight.

This fight started off immediately different from the grass element. Mipha fought with much more aggression with her Trident.

The fight seemed very similar to how she fought this morning. She did, however, seem a lot faster and was probably putting more force into her strikes.

However, she did actually use a good amount of moves that revolved around her water abilities. Some of them were actually pretty unpredictable too.

We both seem to be evenly matched as we both were getting strikes on the other with none of us relenting.

However, I did seem to have the upper hand as Mipha soon seemed to be struggling to keep up with me.

After what seemed to be a flurry rush, Mipha was left pretty hurt. That was when things started to get a lot more serious.

Mipha held her head down and dark clouds started to form in the sky. Suddenly, it started to rain in the arena.

Mipha then looked at me with a serious expression, her amber eyes practically glowing in the dark.

The fight then commenced as Mipha dashed at a blinding speed towards me. Immediately, I noticed that she was using water to enhance her attacks.

This made all of her attacks a lot harder to dodge or counter. This boost in power closed the gap between us a lot.

Along with her Trident attacks being enhanced, even her water abilities were hitting a bit harder as well. So this is the real might of Mipha...

After so long, both of us were preparing one last attack to finish the fight. However, when we dashed, only Mipha got hit with my attack.

Mipha clutched her chest wound that I just made. I tried to walk to her to help her up, but she held her hand up.

"Hold on, Link. We aren't done yet."

Wait, what? What does she mean the fight isn't finished yet?

Mipha closed her eyes, trying to focus "I told you that the grass element was my most recent element that I mastered, but I didn't say water was my only other one."

Wait... Is that implying... She has more than her water AND grass abilities!?

It then stopped raining and the clouds lightened up.

I then noticed that Mipha's injuries had all been healed. No cuts, bruises, blood. All of her body was fully healed.

As soon as she healed, snow started to fall into the arena. Wait... Why is it snowing?

Mipha smirked slightly "honestly, this has grown to be maybe my favorite element to use."

Then, Mipha opened her eyes, which had changed to a light cyan color. Suddenly, a blizzard in the form of a cyclone formed around Mipha, the pressure of it forcing me to shield myself.

The floor even froze over with how cold it was. Luckily, the same didn't happen to me and just went under me.

As the blizzard finally calmed down, my eyes widened when looking at Mipha's new appearance.

Her scales changed again to an almost pale white blue color. Her attire changed again as well!

Her jewelry seemed to be frozen, but they still keep a look of royalty, almost as though the ice is enhancing the appearance. The head pieces even formed into a small frozen crown.

Finally, there seemed to be a royal robe that Mipha now wore.

Wow... Mipha looks... So beautiful with this appearance. Every form just fits her perfectly.

Even I'm starting to see how my past self could be thinking like this... Her beauty is very hard to ignore, even when we're in a battle like this.

I then actually noticed that there was a black handle sticking out of the ground in front of Mipha.

Mipha then put away her Trident and started to pull out the handle. The amount of force she was probably using was even shaking the frozen ground.

Suddenly, more parts of a weapon start coming out of the ground. I can't really see too well as I seem to be in my past self's perspective.

From the looks of it, and as more of the weapon gets pulled out, Mipha's weapon seems to be an axe, a large one at that.

The battle axe was black all over except for some light blue that was in the shape of these weird inscriptions. They looked like weird symbols too.

There were probably different words on each side of each blade. I say this as there were a different amount of inscriptions on each side.

One side has three symbols on one blade and eight slightly smaller symbols on the other. The other side had seven symbols on one blade and five on the other.

Whatever they said, those inscriptions glowed a light blue on her axe, which she held on her shoulder with a smirk.

Wow, that battle axe looks heavy, yet Mipha seems to be having no issue holding it. How strong really is this Zora!?

"Just remember Link, no matter who in this fight wins, I think the King already knows you are worthy of the title of a champion, but don't you dare waiver when the fun is just about to start."

Well, I guess I have already beaten all of the champions at this point, plus, I did technically beat Mipha in a fight twice, so she most likely isn't wrong.

However, Mipha is right about how I shouldn't waiver yet. Seems like I was about to see what Mipha was truly capable of.

Boy, was I right about Mipha not seeming to have an issue holding her axe... She wields it like it's a one handed weapon! She can probably dual wield with her Trident if she wanted to!

Mipha seemed to be much faster and definitely could hit harder. With a weapon like a battle axe, you'd expect the combat to not look that agile, but Mipha was extremely flexible with it in this fight!

All this, and it's just her skills with her axe. Her ice abilities were very powerful too.

They seemed similar to her pretty similar to her water style, but her attacks were faster and more accurate, reducing some area to attack.

All this combined seemed to finally be enough to have me too overwhelmed by her onslaught of attacks.

One of Mipha's attacks sent me flying to the wall of the arena and Mipha actually threw her axe when I just hit the wall.

Her axe didn't hit anywhere fatal, but even i could feel the wound that Mipha gave me... The axe cut into my muscle and skin, but it luckily didn't reach my bones.

This concerned Mipha, so she teleported to her axe and tried to check to see if I was alright.

Mipha pulled her axe off of me "Are you alright Link? Sorry, I may have gotten carried away with this battle and gone too far..."

Wait... Does this mean that she actually wasn't going completely all out? With all of my effort, I still wasn't able to have Mipha go all out?

Suddenly, a very intense presence could be felt. It was so intense, even i could feel it, and I'm not even here physically!

Mipha then backed away, a hint of caution drawn on her face. My eyes glowed bright in the darkened arena, similar to how Mipha's did earlier.

"Y-you sure know how to put up an intimidating look, that's for sure, but I won't back down from taking you down again, Link." Mipha said, some fear could be heard from her voice.

I remained silent as I put my shield away and gripped my broadsword tightly. Seems I'm not going to be holding back any longer.

Mipha reciprocated by pulling out her Trident along with her axe. The half of Mipha's body that held her Trident even turned back to her normal appearance.

I knew it... She could use her Trident and axe at the same time. But does this also mean that she could use both water and ice attacks?

As the fight continued, yes, Mipha actually combined her water attacks with her ice attacks. This gave her attacks a lot more room to hit without sacrificing speed or accuracy.

Mipha even made clones of herself out of ice. One had its own whip and the other had a Trident as well.

However, even with how difficult it seemed to beat her, I was actually holding my own against her. I actually rarely got any major injuries.

This seemed to make Mipha even more nervous. Her attacks were still coordinated well, but she definitely seemed to be getting more desperate as her attacks were barely landing at all.

The fight itself... It was very intense. None of us wanted to back down and push ourselves to our limits.

After a very long time, me and Mipha clashed again, this time, the clash was intense enough to push the clouds apart, revealing the night sky.

Finally, I pushed hard enough to break Mipha's posture and give another powerful strike to her chest.

Mipha seemed to know that she couldn't go on any longer, so we both charged one last attack.

Mipha dashed at me with the remaining strength she could use, but as I dashed, I brought my shield out again and speared Mipha.

This sent Mipha to the wall of the arena, finally defeating her. The fight seemed to really take a lot out of her as she was struggling to even get up.

The damage I had taken seemed to finally take effect as I clutched the wound on my torso. It seems like I only numbed my pain until the fight was finished, so I could keep going all out.

Wow... Mipha was so strong back then... I just wonder... How was Mipha defeated if she had this much power?

Finally, the memory then transitions to a few days later. I believe that this is after the champions ceremony, mainly because of me and Mipha's attire.

The other champions seemed to have left, along with Zelda as well. Now, it was just me and Mipha left. I guess we were still talking with each other.

"You sure I'm not keeping you for too long, Mipha?" I asked.

Mipha giggled softly "I'm sure, thanks for being considerate. My father already knows I'd be home pretty late, so a few more minutes wouldn't hurt."

I then sighed "This is it, we're finally champions..."

"Yes, personally, I'm pretty excited to work with everyone and pilot a divine beast." Mipha said.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that..." I said.

"Link, just so you know, you can talk to me if anything is wrong. I get that there might be some pressure on you, but you don't have to deal with this alone." Mipha said.

Hmm... Is she talking about me having that sword on my back? I guess I did acquire it in the time between the gauntlet and the ceremony.

I didn't seem to respond, just looked off into the distance. Well, not long after, Mipha said her goodbyes and both of us left to go home.

Hmm... Seems some tension is starting to form between me and Mipha...

My memories then transition back to Zora's Domain. I seem to be coming to the domain alone, probably for an actual visit.

I then see Mipha coming down the stairs from the upper floor. She seems pretty happy to see me

Mipha smiled and told me "Hello Link, what a pleasant surprise it is for you to visit the domain."

Wow... Now that I have seen so many of my memories of Mipha already, now I'm actually starting to feel the same way as my past self had.

Very kind, has such a gentle voice... Cute... Such a wonderful person to be around... She even loves a great fight.

Huh, is my past self actually embarrassed about feeling this way? Well, I guess I could understand that, she is my childhood best friend...

I nod my in response to her statement. This, however, seemed to not go well with here. She then speaks again.

"So, Link, what brings you to the domain?"

"Um, just checking on how you are doing as a champion."

Wow, that is the most obvious lie ever. Mipha seems to agree too as she has a clear look of suspicion on her face.

She didn't seem to mind, however, as she just sighed and decided to answer.

"Oh, well that's really thoughtful of you. Well, I'm doing well with my progress with piloting Ruta. She even listens to my voice."

Well, the only response that I made seemed to just be an intrigued 'hm' noise. It's almost intoxicating how silent I'm being...

Mipha seems to feel the same way as I do with my past self. She just gives a sigh, but she leaves me be with my silence, whatever the reason may be.

For the rest of the day, Mipha and I just talked with each other, though, I do notice that Mipha just has this worried expression every time that I look away, which is a long time.

Come on... You're making her worry about you... Being this silent is not healthy. I wish I could tell myself that...

The rest of the day was normal, but it was... Pretty awkward to say the least. I mostly remained silent while Mipha tried to form a conversation.

Honestly... It's really getting kind of hard to watch these memories now... I must have been going through some hard times if I'm just getting increasingly quiet.

Both me and Mipha say our goodbyes for the night. The memory then transitions to the next morning.

Even with how yesterday went, Mipha still wears a smile on her face.

Sigh my past self seems to be confused about why she's smiling, but for me, it really warms my heart with how much she cares...

Finally, that part of the memory has ended and it now transitions to another memory.

This time, I don't seem to be a part of this as I only see Mipha in this memory. This time, it's back to the mountain where I fought Mipha the first time.

As Mipha got to the top of the mountain, a terrifying sight could be seen. The only way I could describe it is some sort of man beast.

The beast was gold, with a sword that looked like it could slice a Hylian in half with ease. Its shield also looked like it could be used as a weapon too. Don't even get me started on the bow...

All around, this beast was absolutely terrifying. Why is it so close to the domain!? Why was only Mipha going to take care of it?

Mipha then immediately took out her Trident and summoned her axe. Good thing the first time she showed me the axe was just for show... She definitely knows she shouldn't mess around.

Honestly, this fight was very intense, even more than the final fight with me and Mipha. Mipha actually seemed to be losing against this thing!

Then, that beast pulled its bow and showed that it wielded shock arrows! Even though I barely know what shock arrows are, I felt a heavy chill down my spine...

As the shock arrows landed and shocked Mipha, my whole memory went dark and all that was left was the blood curdling screams of Mipha, almost like even this was too painful to be remembered fully...

Her screams were so loud and painful, even I couldn't help but try to close my ears trying to block out the noise. I even started to tear up from having to listen for so long...

Finally, the memory seems to come back into view as things seemed to quiet down. However, Mipha was gone and now ice clones seemed to be distracting the beast.

Mipha seemed to have fled, leaving a small pool of blood behind. I'm not sure if I want to see what she looks like after all that damage...

Whether I wanted to or not, the memory transitioned to Mipha close to the domain, trying to heal.

It's... Really hard to look at her condition... Her whole body was wounded...

The deeper wounds were bleeding, she was coughing up blood, and even her gills were dripping blood... Her body was also smoking from being electrified.

Unfortunately, Mipha couldn't actually heal properly as she was too injured and exhausted to do so. At least she likely got help later.

Wow... If even she struggled against that beast, how is anyone supposed to defeat that thing?

The memory then transitions to another day. This time, I had come back to the domain. Mipha also came down to greet me.

"Link, it is great to have you here again."

I nod in response. Honestly, I agree with my past self. It's always great to be around her as well.

Mipha actually gave a bit of a pout when I only nodded. I know that this is serious, but I can't help but think of how cute Mipha just pouting is.

Mipha then sighed and her face changes to a slightly serious expression "Link, we have a problem. There is a lynel up at Ploymus Mountain that even I couldn't defeat. If left unchecked, it is going to terrorize my people."

So, that's what that beast was called... A lynel. My face turns into one of surprise and immediately headed my way to Ploymus mountain to beat the lynel.

Mipha was surprised that I would do this and then started to follow me.

It was until we finally reached the summit that I finally decided to speak up.

I turn to Mipha as we get to the summit "Mipha, turn back, I can handle this."

This obviously surprised Mipha as I hadn't spoken until now. I was also surprised that I spoke up.

Mipha then shook her head "No Link, I won't turn back, not when something as powerful as that is the enemy."

Well, our arguing led to the lynel spotting us and starting to charge at us.

Mipha only could flinch as she really wasn't ready for the sudden attack from the lynel. I would probably do the same.

Surprisingly, I parried the lynel's attack. I then took the lynel's attention and started attacking it.

While I fought the lynel, Mipha just stood in awe as I fought the lynel. I could understand why. I probably seem pretty fast if no one else can see me use a flurry rush.

Hmm... Mipha doesn't even look afraid anymore. Rather, she has a lingering look of amazement.

With one last spin slash, the lynel was defeated. Wow, that was pretty quick. I guess I was pretty used to defeating lynels if this one didn't give me an issue.

Well, after this, me and Mipha both went back to the domain and chatted for the rest of the day.

Alright, so at this point in time, I have only just been informed that I will become the appointed knight of Zelda.

Wow, so much has already happened and I'm not even past the point of me becoming Zelda's appointed knight.

I seem... Not that enthusiastic about this job that I am being appointed to. So, I'm a champion, the hero of Hyrule, and now I have to protect the princess of Hyrule.

Okay... That definitely feels really stressful... Everyone was looking up to me, looking at me as I will win against the calamity just because I have this sword...

Protecting the princess is also stressful too... If I fail at that task, there will be no hope for Hyrule... Yeah, I can see why I'm so silent...

Mipha seems to actually understand my situation. This time, my past self only sees that our parents understand the stress I was going through.

Now, I saw that even Mipha understands me too... She cares so much for me... I also cared deeply for her too...

I only had one thought left in my mind when we went our separate ways for the night.

'My heart is drawn to her's... I am doomed.'

Wow, that's kind of poetic. But my memory also informs me that this is also when Mipha has started to gain feelings for me.

Wow, so this is the point where Mipha actually falls in love with me... The same time where I had fallen for her... Yet none of us knew.

Before my memory transitioned, it showed the next morning. I was about to leave before Mipha said her goodbyes.

"Link, before you go, I just want to give you something as thanks for saving me before you go."

Mipha then quickly gave me a kiss on my cheek. After doing this, she quickly disappeared before I could even react.

Wow, I am so surprised that I couldn't connect that this was actually an act of love. My past self just thought of this as a simple act of application from a princess to her savior.

I guess Mipha used all her courage to do that quick kiss if she immediately fled from embarrassment.

The memory then transitions to after the first memory I got. This seems to be right when the first memory left off when me and the princess left.

"Left without saying a word, you think something happened?" Daruk said.

"Must have a lot going through his mind." Urbosa replied.

"Pff, please, he probably just thinks he's too important to be here. Probably doesn't see us worthy of his time." Revali said mockingly.

"That's not true, you have no idea what could be going through Link." Mipha interjected.

"And what makes you say that?" Revali said.

"Just think about it, what if you suddenly got the responsibility of the safety of all of hyrule on you with no say in it while also added to your responsibilities of a champion. You'd probably feel a lot of pressure on you."

Revali tried to respond, but he couldn't find anything to counter Mipha's argument.

"It pains me to see how my dear friend Link has only been getting progressively more quiet as the days go by the day, and I only just come to the conclusion why." Mipha continued firmly.

"All I can do now is just be a concerned friend and give my full support. I just need to know that you guys will too."

Daruk chuckled "Well, I'm already giving my support, but if the little guy is going through something rough, I'll give even more."

"I agree, we all are supporting Link, but he should feel like is supported." Urbosa said.

Revali shrugged, but not that mad "You make a good point. I will give my support, I guess, but I still dislike how I'm just that, support."

Wow... So because of Mipha's observation, all of the champions had come to the conclusion of how I've been so silent.

Well, with that, the memory transitions later on. This time, I seem to actually be accompanying Zelda to Zora's Domain.

The transition then kind of skipped whatever Mipha, Zelda and King Dorephan were talking about, probably because this is when I went completely silent.

As the memory comes back to normal speed, I'm suddenly forced into my past self's perspective again.

I just want to add, I still have my thoughts, but I can also hear my past self's thoughts. Everything my past self does, I can feel too.

I'm practically in the same body, and it almost seems like I have the same thought process as my past self.

Back to the memory shown, it seems that it is night time. Mipha had pulled me away from Zelda and had me follow her to the exit close to veiled falls.

"I don't have any big reason for having you out here, but I just want to at least spend a little alone time with you."

Well I guess that makes sense. It had been a little while since I've spent some time with just Mipha.

"Come, enjoy the view with me." Mipha said while leading me to the guard rail towards the front of the domain.

Sigh Yeah... This view is just so beautiful... I could look at this for hours...

Mipha then took a deep breath, like she was about to say something she knew wasn't worth asking, but she followed through anyway "Link, I know that you want everyone to believe that you're doing just fine, but I'm having a really hard time believing that."

Oh boy... This again... I really did not want to talk about this, but I expected as much from Mipha.

"I know I'm sounding repetitive at this point, but you have yet to give me a reason to believe otherwise."

I just looked off to the distance, my guilt steadily growing. She is right... I really haven't given a reason for my silence...

And it isn't like I wanted to be this silent, or completely mute... But how else was I supposed to deal with these burdens?

Mipha then gently laid a hand on mine and looked at me with a somewhat concerned look "I know that you are going through something, Link.

I know you won't speak about the problem now, but just know that, not just me, but all of the champions are here for you. Whatever you're going through, you don't have to do this alone."

Wow... Even back then and now, I'm really touched... If I did end up speaking to anyone, I know the first person will be Mipha.

For a while, Mipha and I just stared off into the distance, enjoying the view of the domain under the night sky, which practically glowed under the light of the sky.

Wow... The view is just... So soothing to look at..
I could probably just... Fall asleep...

My past self didn't realize it, but I suddenly started to lean my head on Mipha. Honestly, it feels pretty romantic just doing this.

Plus, even though Mipha was embarrassed that this was happening, she didn't say a word. Almost like she wanted it to remain this way. I'd like that...

But, of course, I realized what I was doing and raised my head, also blushing in embarrassment.

Mipha giggled slightly "It's alright, I probably shouldn't keep you here much longer, you definitely need some rest."

Mipha then led me back to the inn before saying her goodbyes.

"I have a couple of things I want to do before going to bed, so goodnight, Link" Mipha said walking away.

There's something else that I agree with my past self on. She's just so amazing... I really didn't feel like I deserved her as a friend, let alone as a love interest...

As I went into the inn, the memory didn't transition yet, but I am back to being able to move around on my own.

As I slept in my bed for the night, a mysterious figure appeared at the inn.

The figure walked over to where I was sleeping and sighed and whispered to themselves "I guess I'm really going to do this... It's going to be now or never..."

Wait... Now that I'm getting a good look at the figure... It's actually Mipha!

I couldn't help but laugh to myself. Is she getting the measurements of my body? Huh...

Well, after this, the memory transitions again. This time, it transitions to the path heading to Zora's Domain.

I seem to be traveling with my horse, which seems to actually be Epona. I guess I really did have Epona back then.

Suddenly, I hear a cry for help as I cross the last bridge before going to the domain. It seemed like someone was getting chased by a moblin, a silver one it seems.

The moblin had a Knight's Claymore and held it above its head, ready to slice down on the travel when it got close enough!

I didn't have a shield with me, so this was going to be a lot more difficult than usual.

As much as I would expect, the fight was fairly easy, however, the moblin did manage to slice down on my arm, which somehow didn't chop it off. Surprisingly, the claymore didn't even reach my bone either.

After that, I quickly ended the fight by slashing at the moblin, which had enough force in it to cut the moblin in half.

The force of that last attack even chipped some of the hill behind the moblin. Well, I guess I overdid it a little.

Sigh I wasn't afraid of showing Mipha that I got hurt, but I really shouldn't have gotten hurt on the way to the domain...

Just so I wouldn't risk getting an infection, I shifted my arm brace to cover it. I'll get it healed when I get to the domain.

Finally, I made it to Zora's Domain. Mipha comes down from the upper floor to greet me like always.

"Hello Link, I'm so glad that you managed to find some time to visit us."

Sigh At this point, other than my silence, everything my past self does is what I would do... She's just always so happy to see me... I have no idea how I couldn't figure out that she had feelings for me...

I smile and nod. Mipha seems to not react too much anymore with my simple nods. I don't really like that she just expects that now...

"So Link, have things been going well for back at Hyrule castle?"

I nod again. I guess things have been going well from this visit and the last. Mipha then looks at my broken arm brace and gains a look of surprise.

"Um, Link, I can't help but notice that your arm brace seems to be damaged."

Well, she was going to find out eventually. I readjust my arm brace and show my wound.

Mipha makes an audible gasp "Link, what happened!?"

Well, Mipha, even you know that getting an answer out of me is basically impossible at this point in time, even when I'm injured.

Mipha then points to the east reservoir "Come with me over there."

As we make our way to the reservoir, I then suddenly feel my memory placing me in the view of my past self again.

Well, this must be a pretty important memory if I'm placed here again. As we got to the reservoir, I assume to be Vah Ruta, was waiting there with its trunk lowered.

We both get on top of Ruta's truck and it then rises into the air. Mipha gestures me to come sit next to her, which I do.

I pull up my sleeve to reveal my wound. Mipha just sighs and places her right hand under mine and starts to heal with her left hand.

Wow... I actually didn't feel the other times that she healed me, so now that I get to feel it again, it feels oddly... Nostalgic and... Comforting...

Me and Mipha sat there in silence for about a minute until Mipha decided to break the silence by starting a conversation.

"I was thinking... This reminds me of the time we first met. You were just a reckless child... Always getting yourself hurt at every turn. Every time, I would heal you, just as I'm doing right now."

Sigh That's right... She's been there for most of my life... Always there to heal me when I was young.

"I thought that it was funny how, being a Hylian, you looked grown up so much faster than I ever did."

Hmm... Now that I think about it, she only seemed to have grown somewhat bigger than when we first met. I guess Zora biology or something.

She then continued "I was... I was always willing to heal your wounds. Even back then."

Of course, I was always grateful to her. She never needed to heal me all those times, but she still did it just out of kindness...

The more I think about this... The more I realize my growing love for her... I just wanted her to know what I really think of her...

Then, she stops her magic as she seems to be done healing me. Wow, my arm is good as new now...

"So if this Calamity Ganon does, in fact, return, what can we really do? We just don't seem to know much about what we'll be up against."

Oh... Right... I almost forgot about the looming threat of the Calamity that had yet to come... I can understand where she's coming from, though.

"But know this: That no matter how difficult this battle might get... If you- if anyone ever tries to do you harm... Then I will heal you. No matter when, or how bad the wound.

I hope you know... That I will always protect you."

Even now, I can very loudly hear the thoughts of my past self... I thought I was the one saving others... Not the other way around...

"Once this whole thing is over. Maybe things can go back to how they used to be when we were young."

Wait... What does she mean by that...?

"You know... Perhaps we could spend some time together." Mipha said with a warm smile.

...

Mipha's face grows worried, probably thinking she went too far. No... No she hasn't...

"... Mipha..."

Mipha's eyes shot open, not believing what she heard came from me. Come on... She clearly needs to hear you again...

"Mipha..." I said a bit more firmly.

Mipha then turns her head to me with shock on her face "L-link? Was that you just now?"

My vision... My vision is starting to look watery as tears start forming in my eyes...

With my throat making it hard to say my words properly, I say to her what I've waited to say for so long "Mipha I- I am so sorry."

Mipha seemed confused

"Link, why are you apologizing? You haven't done anything to me."

You don't understand, Mipha... I've been keeping all of this in for so long... I don't remember how long, but I haven't interacted with anyone for so long.

"For being so silent. For not even speaking at all. For leaving you, the other champions and anyone I used to talk with in the dark..."

Mipha was still surprised that I actually spoke, and was having trouble knowing what to say.

Mipha then tried to reassure me "Link, that's still not a reason that you need to-"

"No! You don't understand. I've been feeling terrible for doing this ever since I started doing it..." I interrupted.

My tears couldn't be held back anymore. Tears started to flow down my cheeks as I completely break. I couldn't take not speaking anymore...

Even I feel like crying from this... Is this... Is this how it feels to have a breakdown...? I feel a shiver down my spine just feeling this...

Mipha also seems shocked by this as well... After so long of being silent, the time I finally speak, I have a breakdown...

"Ever since I got this sword on my back, I've felt like there was so much pressure on me, that I had to be the one to save everyone in hyrule... Becoming a champion, becoming the hero of hyrule, and protecting the princess of Hyrule. It's all just so stressful..."

Honestly, from actually hearing all of this, I can see why I would go silent. However, even with this stress, why didn't I talk to anyone!?

"I thought that I shouldn't involve you or the champions in the mess I got myself into... That's why I got so silent, I practically became mute..."

As I finally seemed to calm down a little, Mipha gently placed her hand on my shoulder. I somberly look at her, tears still flowing down my face.

"Link. While I am shocked that you hid all of this, I completely understand the struggles you are going through. I probably would have caved into the pressure much easier if I was in your position."

See...? Of course she understands you... You didn't need to keep it all a secret... As the sun set in the distance, Mipha then gently grabbed my hands.

"You may not be able to get out of these positions now, but that doesn't mean you have to block off your connections with your friends or family. We are all here for you, Link."

"I... I don't know what to say... Now that I think about it, I feel like an idiot for not realizing that I really needed help.."

Okay... Even I think that might be going a bit too far... Can't just say that mentally struggling is the same as stupidity...

"You are not an idiot. You were mentally stuck, even now. But that does not mean that you can't take a different approach to this even now.

You still have the other champions, you still have me, you still have your parents. You still have people that truly care about you, Link."

This... This is what I really needed to hear... This is why I fell in love with Mipha... Her kindness... She always seemed to be there for me when I needed her most... Not just physically now, but mentally too...

I held her hands back as she was already holding mine. Then... Mipha does something unexpected, but something I really wanted her to do...

She pulls me in for a hug.

I- even I wasn't expecting this... I didn't expect her to just... Hug me... It... It feels so nice...

I embrace her too, and we stand there, hugging each other. I want this feeling to last forever... I don't want to lose this feeling again...

Being able to hold her this close... Being confronted like this... If my past self somehow doesn't get that she is in love with me, I will start having some questions.

After what felt like hours, we finally separated from our hug after twenty more minutes. Again, I really wished we could be like that forever, but it was getting late.

The memory seems to transition to the next day. However, the memory seemed to skim through this day.

Me and Mipha basically spent the whole day together. Finally talking with each other and catching up on things.

It felt so nice to finally hear myself talk... Feels like it was so long ago, but it hasn't been a year.

Finally, the memory seems to reach the final point of my interactions with Mipha.

The memory then transitions to the next morning. It seems that this is the time that I was about to leave.

Mipha made her way down from the upper part of the domain. I then feel something coming from Mipha.

This feeling was actually the Zora Armor! She was actually going to give it to me! Come on, past self, tell her how you feel!

"Good morning, Link. It seems like it is time that you get back to Hyrule Castle."

I nod to Mipha "Yeah, I'm glad I came here on my days off. I'm glad that I got the chance to spend some time with you again, and that I was able to talk with you again too."

Mipha chuckled slightly "Yes, it was refreshing to finally hear you even speak. I've missed that voice of yours for a while."

We spoke to each other for a few minutes. While that's nice and all... Come on! This wait is making me so anxious!

Are we finally going to confess to each other!? We both should know this by now!

Then, we say our goodbyes... And I start... Leaving? No, get back there! Say something!

Mipha then speaks up "Um, Link?

"Yes, Mipha?"

COME ON! She loves you, and you love her!

"Um... Uh... Just remember to be safe out there, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, thank you"

...

I, myself, start tearing up... ARE. YOU. KIDDING ME!?

Coward! Go back! Go back right now! It was so obvious! Why didn't you say anything!?

Please... Please go back... At least tell her that you love her...

But my pleas were heard by silence... My memory finally fades as it is finally finished...

Mipha... Sniffle I never got to tell Mipha that I loved her...

Chapter Text

My vision finally comes back, which results in me gasping, my body having been kneeling for who knows how long.

My hood wasn't even on my head for some reason, so the rain hid my tears, which were flowing like a waterfall.

Mipha... How could I have forgotten about her... My body shakes by just thinking of this...

Sidon finally brings me back to reality "what is the matter, Link? Are you unwell?"

Muzu also seems to be somewhat worried "Hm? You are quivering like a hatchling... Whatever is the matter?"

I stand back up, whipping a tear from one of my eyes "Mipha... I remember her..."

"What!? Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian! there is no way you remembered her just now, when it is most convenient."

As I expected, Muzu doesn't believe me...

"In any case, without any solid proof, I cannot simply take you at your word! If you have any such proof, now is the time to show it.

Do so, and... And I... I shall tell you how to get those shock arrows! Yes, as well as anything else you wish to know."

Hmm... Proof that I remember Mipha and how she actually had feelings for me back then... I look to Sidon as he tries to say something.

"The stubborn fool. Lucky for us, we have proof! Link! Go ahead and show movies of the Zora armor my father gave you!"

That's right... I nearly forgot that King Dorephan gave me the armor!

I quickly switched from my champions tunic and wore the Zora Armor. Wow... I just noticed... The armor actually fits me perfectly.

So this was what she was doing that one time me and Zelda came to visit. She measured my body for my measurements for a perfect fit!

"Muzu! Look closely at the clothes Link is wearing!"

"Hm? You really think changing your clothes is going to make me... Eh?! That is the Zora armor from before!

Lady Mipha made that by hand... and yet it fits you perfectly! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Now you understand, do you not? Now you know who her heart belonged to and who she made the special armor for.

The fact that this armor fits Link perfectly should be proof enough that Mipha made it for him and him alone!

You have always disliked Hylians, even before the Great Calamity. that is why Mipha never told you. Now that you know, you must promise to help him save us all, Muzu.

Please... Tell us where we can find the shocker as we need. Knowing you, I bet you have already figured it out."

Wow... Sidon makes it look like it was obvious that Mipha had feelings for me... I wish my past self could figure that one out...

"Hmph, I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as he..."

Muzu then looked at Mipha's statue. He stared at the statue for a moment and sighed.

"I do not approve of asking for help from a Hylian, but I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my unwarranted behavior toward you.

As promised, I shall tell you where you can collect as many shock arrows as you will need."

Muzu then points to a tall mountain in a similar direction of the East Reservoir.

"That tall mountain over yonder... It is called Ploymus Mountain, and there you will also find Shatterback point. A terrifying creature has made its home up there.

This powerful Beast shoots volley after volley of shock arrows. Even a single one could be fatal to Zora."

Sidon then turns as he figures what Muzu is saying.

"Aha! You must mean that Lynel! He is a man-beast, that one. That beast does indeed wield shock arrows. That is certainly one way to collect them quickly.

He is vicious to be sure. But I am certain Link will rise to the challenge."

"In order to appease the Divine Beast, I estimate that you will need... Hmm... At least 20 shock arrows. Do you think you can gather that many?"

Of course he still has some doubts.

"Why do you still doubt him, Muzu? I have no doubts he will be triumphant! Okay, Link. Let's get moving. The fastest way to Ploymus Mountain is to send the waterfall east of the domain!

Bad Sora armor should come in handy. Just swim to the waterfall basin, and then go up the waterfall from there!

I'll wait at East Reservoir Lake, right by the Divine Beast. Gather at least 20 shock arrows, and then come join me!"

I then nod in response "I'm on it!"

"Wonderful! Together we shall stop that Divine Beast's onslaught!"

With that, Sidon left to where the east reservoir was, likely to wait for me.

As I made my way to Ploymus Mountain I noticed a noticeably older Zora touching a shock arrow, shouting in pain as he does so. Could this be Seggin? I walk up to talk to him.

He seems to have not noticed me yet "Lady Mipha! Watch THIS! I, Seggin, the aptly named Demon Sergeant, shall strike down the Divine Beast Vah Ruta!"

"... What're you doing?" I ask.

"!! You... You're Link! Finally, I can avenge Lady Mipha! It has been 100 years since you last showed your face here! Now I, Seggin, will cut you down myself!"

"What do you mean?"

"Playing dumb, eh?! Nice try, but you cannot fool me, Champion Link! You were unable to protect Lady Mipha from Calamity Ganon!

It has been 100 years since we lost her... Poor Lady Mipha... How heartbreaking..."

I look to the side and sigh "I won't fail her again."

"Hmph! There is no way we would have asked for your help now, after all this time and after all that has happened!

So says I, Seggin, the Demon Sergeant! Even if this body of mine is destroyed... I will drown Ruta in shock arrows myself! And in doing so, Lady Mipha's regrets shall be alleviated.

If you understand anything of courage, then get out of my way at once!"

Hmm... I probably should do as he says, but he does have a shock arrow. I need to stock up on those if I want to attempt to get to Ruta. I take the shock arrow.

"Hey! I am in the middle of my shock arrow training. I MUST learn to withstand them! ... Did I not JUST tell you that?!

To commit such violence with the Great Seggin standing right before you... In that case, YOU take the responsibility of appeasing Divine Beast Vah Ruta! Hmph!"

Well, I was already going to do that... I guess most of the older Zora aren't very fond of me... I can't blame them... Especially now knowing how precious Mipha was and still is to them...

There was another Zora that I talked to before heading up Ploymus Mountain. She seemed to be looking up there too, seemingly thinking of something.

"Good evening. Oh. You are Link... Right?"

"Why do you ask?

Prince Sidon ran off through the Eastern gates. He was shouting something like... 'I'm off to stop the Divine Beast! Link the Hylian is coming with me!'

I assume that means you're going up Ploymus Mountain in search of shock arrows?"

I nod my head.

"If so, I have a request that is... Somewhat related. There's a red-maned monster called the Lynel that lives on Ploymus Mountain.

I really need a picture of a Lynel. It can be a picture of any red-maned Lynel. Not just the one on the mountain.

So what do you say? Can you get me a picture of a Lynel?"

I nod "Sure, I can get one while I'm getting the shock arrows."

"I'm glad that was settled so quickly. See, there's this fool in the domain who goads people into jumping off of Shatterback point on Ploymus Mountain.

It's an incredibly dangerous jump, and this guy pressures people into jumping by questioning their courage."

Wow, that's not good... Who would pressure people into doing that?

"He's a real bottom-feeder. If this keeps up, someone is surely going to wind up horribly injured!

I need a picture of a Lynel to show everyone how scary they are. That way, maybe people will stop going up there. Does that answer your question, Link?

Only the details to you. Just bring me a picture of a Lynel so I can describe them in terrible detail. Thank you!"

Hmm... Alright. I guess when I get up the mountain, I'll take a picture of the lynel.

After I cross the bridge going east of the domain, the path branched going left or right. Well, Ploymus Mountain is to the left, so I'll go that way.

There was a waterfall preventing me from going up... Well this is what the Zora armor is for.

As I get to the basin of the waterfall, I jump into the water and swim upwards. Wow... I barely even have to try! This isn't taking any stamina either!

As I reached the top of the waterfall, I was sent high in the air, so I could use my paraglider to get to land.

There seemed to be another waterfall, so I did the same process of getting to the basin and going up the waterfall.

This time, there seemed to be a small hill that I had to walk over. I then picked up some big hearty radishes on the side, before going to the next waterfall.

These hearty foods will definitely prove useful for the future. Alright, another waterfall to climb...

Luckily for me, this seemed to be the last waterfall that I needed to climb. After I landed, the sky seemed to have come back.

It seems Ploymus Mountain is so high up, not a lot of the water from Ruta is able to form clouds. Now that I'm finally at Ploymus Mountain, I can actually get the shock arrows I need.

As I made my way up the mountain, I noticed that there were shock arrows stuck in the ground and other trees. Could these have been loose that the lynel fired?

I grab as many arrows on my way up as I could. I also noticed, on my map, that there was a small lake in the opposite direction going up Ploymus Mountain.

I guess I'll go that way after I get the shock arrows I need. Right now, I need to stay focused on my current mission.

As I got to the summit of the mountain, I first noticed that there were more shock arrows scattered across the mountain.

Well, I then see what is definitely the lynel that I was told about... Even though this is a red-maned Lynel, the weakest of them, I know that I'm not ready to face it...

It seemed to have faced my general direction as I hid behind a rock. I walked very quietly behind the rock even more just so the lynel wouldn't see me.

Eventually, I could hear the lynel walking away, so I slowly peaked from behind the rock. Indeed, the lynel wasn't facing me anymore. I also take a picture as I remembered the quest I had.

Well, now I can get the shock arrows now. I just need to make sure that the lynel doesn't spot me. If it does, I'll probably have to teleport away.

I managed to sneak around the lynel and ended up with around 30 shock arrows! Now I'm ready to face Vah Ruta!

Well, I could just go over Shatterback point and get to Sidon, but I want to take a look at that lake that I saw on my map.

I then leap from the cliff towards Toto Lake. There were a couple enemies on the way there, but they were pretty easy to defeat.

I don't know why, but I just felt like there was something in the lake that I could use... Then, I saw a chest, so I picked it out of the water and looked at what was inside.

Zora Helm

Armor: 3

Effect: Swim Speed Up

Bonus: spin attack underwater

Yep, I knew I would find something here. Well, I should probably prepare a little before going to see Sidon at the reservoir.

I then teleport back to the domain and go to the inn. I'm mainly here just so I could cook some food before boarding Ruta.

I cook the abundance of hearty radishes and truffles in my inventory. I also cooked some mighty ingredients in case I run into a strong enemy.

After cooking, I remembered to show Laflat the picture of the lynel I took at Ploymus Mountain. I'm sure she'll be grateful for this.

"Oh! Link! How is the Lynel mission coming along?"

"I have the picture you asked me for"

"Oh, wow! Please show me!"

I then showed her the picture I took.

"WAAH?! Ahem My apologies... That sound was not very dignified, was it? P-pardon me... I'm all better now. That Lynel... How terrifying!

One look at this, and I doubt anyone will get any reckless ideas about visiting Ploymus Mountain!

Thank you! I'll tell the children of the domain about this. Maybe that will scare them away from the mountain.

Oh, right! Now for your reward..."

She then gives me...

Zora Greaves

Armor: 3

Effect: Swim Speed Up

Well, now I have the entire Zora set! Swimming won't be a problem with this on!

"These Zora greaves were once made by skilled Craftsman by order of an ancient Zora king. Now they're fairly common.

As you may know, East Reservoir Lake was created by a collaboration between Hylians and the Zora.

After East Reservoir Lake was finished, we made Zora greaves as a token of friendship for Hylians who came to visit.

But over time, the number of Hylians visiting the domain dwindled, and my father had to close his armor shop.

These Zora greaves here were the last pair left in the stock room when he closed up shop. Wearing these, even a Hylian and can swim as well as a Zora.

That's sad, these would be wasted on me. They are only useful for a Hylian like you. Please take good care of them!"

Well, looks like I got lucky to get an entire set. Hmm... There is also something else that I could do to prepare even more.

I quickly teleport back to Kakoriko Village for a bit and head past the shrine. While I was exploring the Necluda region, I found this fountain.

It turned out to be a fairy fountain. Beings known as the Great Fairies. The one from this fountain seemed to have lost her power.

She requested that I give her 100 rupees to help her regain her power. After giving the rupees the Great Fairy offered to upgrade my armor if I bring her the right materials.

Upgrading my armor just results in the armor becoming more defensive. However, she did say that if she could upgrade the whole set twice, it would offer a set bonus.

However, she did say that her sisters are most likely trapped too with no power. This means I will have to find them if I want to upgrade my armor more.

After upgrading my Zora armor, I teleport back to Zora's Domain. A little bit tired, I decided to wait out the rest of the night by the pot fire in the inn.

*     *     *

Alright... This is it... My first Divine Beast... I'm ready for this... I know that I am... But I also don't know what I'm going to see, so I'll still keep my guard up...

I just hope that I'll get to see Mipha again... I know she's gone... But I can't shake the feeling that I will see her soon...

I just want to tell her... That I'm sorry... Sorry for letting her parish in the Calamity... Sorry for not protecting her... Sorry for... Not telling her how much I love her...

*     *     *

Morning arrives, though, the clouds barely changed at all. It was still raining and the clouds were pretty dark.

Well, off to the east reservoir lake! Now I can head back across the east domain bridge and head for the reservoir.

The way to the reservoir was a big flight of stairs. It took a bit, but I eventually got to the reservoir. I could see Sidon at the dock waiting for me.

Before I go talk to him, I saw a chest further to the right, so I go check it out. It seems to be a Knight's Shield. Well, this is a nice upgrade.

After storing the shield away, I then walked to the dock where Sidon was. I could wear the whole set, but I'm just going to use the Zora Armor, which is needed, and have the Hylian hood and trousers.

"Glad to see you're ready to go, Link! Are you ready for this? Do you have your Zora armor and enough shock arrows?"

I nod in response "Yes, I'm ready!"

"Wonderful! You never cease to amaze, Link! Now that, let us go in a piece the Divine Beast as one! Here we go!"

After saying this, Sidon jumps into the water.

"Gaze now upon the Divine Beast's back! Do you see those glowing, pink orbs? You will need to shoot each of them with a shock arrow!

With your Zora armor, you now have the ability to ascend waterfalls! So I shall take you right up to the side of the Divine Beast, and from there you can swim up and take aim!

I know you can do it! I believe in you! Now hurry up and get on my back!"

I nod and swim to Sidon and grab his shoulders from behind.

"Let's get moving! Okay! Here we go!"

With that, Sidon starts swimming at a very fast speed! I have to hold on tight from how fast Sidon was swimming.

"Ha! I am unstoppable in the water! Ruta is responding to our presence! I'll move away and wait for an opening before we approach!

I'll keep going at full speed! It's up to you to ward off Ruta's attacks! Are you ready? Divine Beast Vah Ruta will undoubtedly use its ancient and mysterious powers against us...

That includes hurling giant ice blocks that we will need to watch out for. I shall leave those to you!"

Giant ice blocks, huh? If this ice power is similar to that of my sheikah slate, I think I can get those ice blocks away pretty easily.

Just like Sidon said, Ruta formed three ice blocks that it would definitely send at us as an attack.

I pull out my shiekah slate and switch to cryonis.  I aim for an ice block that was herald at us and try to break it.

Just as I thought, the ice broke. Ruta then sent more our way, which I used the shiekah slate to break as well.

Heh, that wasn't bad at all! But I shouldn't be cocky now... This is serious, I can't mess this up.

Sidon then made his way to the side of Vah Ruta. He made is way to the waterfalls so I could swim up.

When we got to one waterfall, I jumped from Sidon and swam up the waterfall. As I got high enough, I pulled out my bow and a shock arrow.

When I shot the arrow, it landed at one of the pink onbs and shocked it, turning it green.

Alright! That's one down! Three more to go. I fell back to the water and got back on Sidon to get away.

Ruta made five giant ice blocks this time. Alright, this isn't that bad. Just need to do the same process as last time.

Just like the first round, I managed to break all of the ice blocks. This gave Sidon another chance to get close to Ruta, so I could shoot at another orb.

After activating another orb, we were already half way done with this! As I got back on Sidon, I almost felt like a faint presence was close by.

Sidon doesn't seem to have noticed it, so it's probably just me. I do need to focus, still.

This time, Vah Ruta doubled the ice, making it ten. This time, the ice was in the form of spike balls!

As the ice was shot, it seemed to roll in the water towards us. It was a little harder to aim at them, but I was able to break them, which took a bit as there were ten.

After breaking them all, Sidon brought me close to Ruta again. I then went up the waterfall to use a shock arrow on another orb.

After getting back on Sidon, Ruta seemed to go all out with the next round. Along side fifteen ice spike balls, there were also fifteen ice cubes!

When Ruta started firing them, it seemed to fire both a spike ball and a cube at me! Ruta also didn't seem to wait for me to break the ice that was already out.

It only took two seconds for Ruta to fire another spike ball and cube my way. The cubes weren't too much of a problem, albeit annoying, but the ice spike balls were definitely hard to destroy.

It took a few laps around Ruta for me to finally destroy the ice themat Ruta was attack me with. This gave Sidon one last opportunity to help me electrocute an orb.

With climbing one last waterfall, I readied my shock arrow and shot it at the last orb on Ruta.

Finally, Ruta's water flow had started to slow down.

"Wow! That was astounding! An absolute thrill!"

With that, Ruta's truck fell to the water, which resulted in the rain finally disappearing. Wow, it's nice to see the morning sky again.

"Link, look! The water spouting from Ruta has slowed down!"

Ruta then seemed to shake and started to rise up.

"Ruta is floating higher now! You wanted to venture inside it, right?! I'll bring you closer! We're counting on you, hero! Do good work in there!"

Sidon then swam close to the opening, which seemed to be the entrance to Ruta.

"Well, Link, here we are. Looks like this is where the real work starts. Best of luck. Nice job cutting the water flow from this Divine Beast."

As we reached the entrance, I jumped from Sidon to Ruta.

"Show the enemy no fear. I'll see you back at Zora's Domain. Farewell."

Ruta then shook again as it seemed to rise even higher. Sidon knew it was time to go, so he swam away. I gave him a determined look as I nodded.

As Sidon swam to the dock close to the domain he spoke to himself "Finish the job, Link..."

To be continued...

Chapter Text

There seemed to be a pedestal near the entrance of Ruta. Well, I may as well activate it. I walk to it and place my shiekah slate on the pedestal.

The pad in the middle of the platform glows blue, seeming to be activated. I guess I can teleport back if I ever need to leave for some reason.

Suddenly, my head starts to hurt... I clutched my head and I kneel on the floor. What's happening now...?

*     *     *

I am then shown a scene similar to a memory. This time, it wasn't any of my memories... I was actually in the perspective of Mipha!

It seemed to be raining at this time... Could this be during the calamity? Mipha seems to have her Trident and was running across the bridge to the East Reservoir Lake.

Suddenly, an extremely intense presence could be felt as Mipha crossed the bridge! Even though it is a vision, I can still feel it...

Mipha could barely stand as the pressure was almost too much for her. She had to cling to her Trident to just stand up.

As Mipha approached the stairs to the reservoir, the pressure was getting even more intense... Even this is getting a bit much for me... Is something creating this pressure...?

As Mipha got closer and closer to the reservoir, the presence kept getting more and more intense. I could even hear Mipha start to pant, like it was getting harder for her to breathe!

Finally, the scene transitions to Mipha being ready to enter Vah Ruta. Huh... Am I going to be shown Mipha's fate in this Divine Beast?

*     *     *

My vision then comes back and I'm back at the entrance to Vah Ruta. My head was still a little sore from the scene I saw.

"You're here."

My eyes widen in shock. That voice... It's all too familiar now... Mipha...

"I must say... That I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived. Now Ruta can be freed of Ganon's control.

You'll need a map to prevent you from getting lost. The guidance still in there contains the information that you will need."

Her voice seems so calm, but I can hear the relief in her voice. I'm glad that I get to hear her voice again... But I want to see her as well...

Well, I should probably go get the map of Ruta. I walk up into the entrance and I see a weird creature surrounding the entrance.

There was an eye in the middle of the mass. Ew... I drew a spear and hit the eye from afar. This managed to destroy the eye.

The mass surrounding the entrance disappeared, giving me the chance to move forward. There seemed to be a small guardian further in the room.

Wait... Aren't these usually in shrines? This one seems to have the same glow as the bigger guardians, a pinkish glow.

I only needed to hit it once to defeat is, so it wasn't that much of a deal. Alright, time to unlock the map.

That's what I would say, but another one of those weird creatures were blocking the gate from opening. I saw the eye underwater and shot an arrow at it.

Okay, the map really wasn't that hard to get. It seems to be the same process as getting the map of the towers too.

Distilling map of Divine Beast

After the shiekah slate was given the map, instead of a top down perspective, I was given a map all around Ruta. There also seemed to be five different points on the map.

Divine Beast controls have been enabled.

After getting the shiekah slate back, I heard Mipha's voice again.

"Good! You've obtained the map of the Divine Beast. You will see several growing points on your map which represent the terminals that control Ruta.

Take Ruta back by activating all the terminals. Be careful."

I look at the map to see the terminal locations. One actually seems to be close by.

The terminal seems to be submerged in the water, so I can't just walk up to it. There was, however, a lever that I could use Magnesis on.

After pulling the lever around for a bit, the terminal was up to a point where I could activate it.

Sheikah Slate authenticated

"There are four terminals remaining. Don't give up!"

Heh, nice to hear her giving me some encouragement...

Suddenly, like when I first entered this place, my head started to hurt, making me kneel on the floor again.

*     *     *

I am then shown another scene from Mipha. This time, she is in her Divine Beast. The presence is still making itself known as she is getting closer to the control room of Ruta.

Mipha could still be heard panting as she almost drags herself to the room. What could be so powerful as to be able to do this?!

As Mipha gets closer and closer to the control  panel, I could even hear her heart racing. Clearly, Mipha's whole body was telling her to turn back and run.

When Mipha reached the control room, the pressure she felt seemed to have disappeared, allowing her to calm down.

Suddenly, a burst of energy erupted from the control panel! That same energy that surrounds Hyrule Castle comes out of the panel too...

*     *     *

My vision then comes back. I'm in the same spot that I was when I activated the terminal. Sigh I guess this will happen every time that I activate a terminal...

I guess... Ruta is showing me the fate of Mipha... I dread what I will see after getting more terminals...

Well, I can't just sit here. I will just have to deal with this if I want to free Vah Ruta. Especially if I want to help Mipha.

There was a way out to the other side of Ruta not too far from me, so I decided to go out there. There really isn't anywhere else that I can go.

There seemed to be a path up to another part of Ruta. There was this weird substance again... Whatever it is, I don't think it will be pleasant to touch it.

Eventually, I made it to what I'm guessing is the second level of Ruta. When I walked back into Ruta, there seemed to be a gear-like wheel being spun by water being shot out of a mechanism to the left.

There was also one of those small guardians again. It had a sword, so I could have another weapon for combat. After defeating the guardian, I drew my attention to the wheel.

On the wheel, there seems to be another terminal. However, I can't activate it if it's dipping in water. Especially not if activating terminals results in me getting visions of Mipha's fate...

I seem to be able to use cryonis to stop the water flow. This allows me to actually stand in the wheel. However, this also stops the wheel from moving.

I break the ice so the wheel can start moving again. The water below also raises in level too. I wait for the terminal to be at the bottom before using cryonis again.

This time, I could actually activate the terminal without any issue.

Sheikah Slate authenticated

"There are three terminals remaining. You can do it!"

Again, my head starts to hurt. I kneel and my vision turns dark.

*     *     *

I seem to be  back in  Mipha's perspective again. She seems to be fighting... Something... It's blurry, but this thing seems to be a large creature.

She seems to be fighting with both her Trident and her battle axe. Is this thing really that strong?

Even with her Trident and battle axe, she still seems to be struggling fighting this thing... Suddenly, it slashes at Mipha with a massive weapon, leaving a slash wound on her chest...

For some Hylia forsaken reason, the memory muted all noise other than Mipha's quivering breathing. Mipha just stared at her wound, her hand trembling as she had her own blood on her hands...

Then it seems Mipha's thoughts were getting louder and louder. They want her to run. This time, she does listen to her thoughts.

Mipha tries to flee from the battle. She almost manages to, but she trips on the slope of the exit. That thing managed to hit Mipha's left calf with a spear.

Mipha then summoned her axe and swung it to make a giant barricade of ice.  She then had to use her Trident as a crutch to get out of there as her leg was making it difficult for her to walk...

I swear, I thought I heard that thing she was fighting laughing as she ran away... It's going to become too much to watch if this eerieness keeps up...

With that, the memory ends as my vision seems to be coming back.

*     *     *

Sigh I'm never going to get used to that feeling... I don't like where that memory is going if Mipha was already running away...

Well, I need to move on now. I swim to the other side of the water and head for another exit from Ruta.

The way forward seems to go up again to a higher level of Ruta. On the way, there was that substance again with another eye located on the wall.

As I got closer, I heard a weird and creepy noise coming from somewhere. I then see something very strange: a skull of a bokoblin appeared, at the time, out of nowhere!

It floated towards me to attack, so I attacked it with my spear, which defeated it in one hit. I then noticed what actually spawned the skull.

There was a mouth that formed, similar to the eye on the wall. It made an almost gurgle like noise before spitting out a skull. This time, it was a lizalfos skull.

I then remembered that I have the camera rune, so I used it to see what this thing was. Apparently, this is a cursed lizalfos.

I then defeated it and shot the eye on the wall. Killing the eye seemed to have destroyed the mouth too.

I then looked at the compendium for the cursed lizalfos. Apparently, this stuff that seems to be a strange mass is actually called malice.

Well, I can see why it's called that...

I move on to the next part of Ruta. There seems to be another wheel that I need to work with. This time, however, there doesn't seem to be any water source...

The terminal is right in front of me, but there is a closed gate blocking it. Looking around the wheel, there seems to be an orb that slides up and down.

It seems like the orb needs to be inserted in the middle of the wheel. That's easier said than done as the pole it's attached to is already facing down.

Hmm... I look at the map of Ruta to see if there is anything that I can do to help with this. I then remembered that I can control where Ruta's trunk can be aimed.

It's still producing some water, so I can probably use it to push the wheel! I do that immediately and try to aim the trunk at the wheel.

Eventually, I managed to make the wheel spin to the left, which is the direction I need. I know that I can't just walk to the terminal as the orb would come off of the middle before that.

Before the orb could leave the middle, I used stasis on it to freeze the orb as the wheel spun still. This gave me enough time to activate the terminal without issue.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"There are two terminals remaining. You're nearly there..."

Again, as if on cue, my head starts to hurt again, and my vision fades again.

*     *     *

The  memory, this time, shows Mipha running, or rather, limping away  from... Whatever she was fighting...

She seems to be going to the second level of Ruta.  Really  doesn't help that all I can hear is Mipha's grunts, panting, and her fast heartbeat...

As she makes it to the doorway to the next level,  She paused  to heal her left heel. Can't leave a trail of everywhere you go.

As she does so, loud crashes could be heard from the ice barricade. Mipha's breathing and heart rate quicken as to signify the increasing fear Mipha has...

As soon as Mipha healed her calf,  she bolted for the next exit. Well, that's probably the smartest decision, especially since the second level is right by the control room.

The memory then transitions to the  Mipha making it to the giant wheel. This time, Mipha stops and starts healing her other wounds.

Mipha still had that big slash mark that started from her left shoulder and ended on the right side of her waist... Not to mention, she had many scratches and bruises around her body...

She also seemed to have a puncture wound on the side of her abdomen. I feel a chill as I think of what could have happened in that battle...

The time that Mipha healed herself felt like forever... While healing, all you could hear was Mipha's panicked breaths and the clashes on the ice barricade.

As she healed, the memory fades as that seems to be the end of this part.

*     *     *

Well, it seems hiding was really all Mipha could do... I fear what I might see next in from the next two terminals...

It seems the way forward seems to be to the left of the wheel. Well, at least I can just use the platforms spinning with the wheel to get across.

However, I had to watch where I went as some platforms were infected with that malice, which I would not want to touch.

After getting across the wheel, I fought another guardian. This time, the guardian wielded a spear.

When I defeated the guardian and grabbed it's spear, I realized that the spear was actually half as powerful as the sword. Well, makes sense.

I then noticed a switch that I could stand on to my left. After standing on it, water starts to flow below like a waterfall to the first level.

Well, at least I have a way back that will take a couple seconds. Hmm... Now where am I supposed to go from here...

I looked at my map and saw that I was actually really close to where the trunk was. That seems to be where the next terminal is located.

There was a small hallway that actually led to the front of Ruta. I lowered Ruta's trunk to the lowest it could go, which allowed me to glide to the end of the truck.

The terminal seemed to be really close by, but I'd probably fall off if I tried to activate it. Hmm, maybe I should move the trunk again.

I pinpoint the third highest point the trunk could go. As the trunk moved and changed its angle, I moved along to the terminal so I could activate it.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"Just one terminal remaining! I have faith in you!"

Honestly, even though my head ached as I am being shown more of the memory, Mipha's kind and encouraging words kind of cushioned the pain as my vision fades.

*     *     *

The memory seems to transition back to when Mipha was healing herself, maybe a few minutes later.

After healing the slash mark as best as she could, the ice barricade finally gave way and shattered. It seemed that  thing was  finally searching for Mipha.

Mipha seemed to know that she couldn't just stay where she was if that creature was searching for her.

Mipha then took a massive jump to the upper level to get to the front of Ruta. She managed to make it and ran for Ruta's trunk.

As she made it to her final hiding spot, she started healing the rest of her body.

As Mipha healed herself more, she looked back at the dock towards the domain. Finally, the memory fades.

*     *     *

Sigh Just one more to go... I... I know that I should get that last terminal, but I'm... Fearful... Fearful of what I might see from this last terminal...

But I can't just quit... Not when I've already made so much progress already. I can't just abandon Mipha here... Not again...

I will get this last terminal. For Mipha... I will endure the memory from the last terminal too, for Mipha...

I looked at the map again to see where the last terminal was. It seems it's in the head of Ruta.

Well, I'm already pretty high up, so I can just glide down safely. When I do, I see where the terminal actually was and glide to it.

The terminal seemed to be surrounded by flame emitters. This would make it impossible for me to get to the terminal if I don't put them out.

Well, I could use Ruta's trunk to put out the fire, but there wasn't an opening from what I could remember.

I then saw a way up, so I took the path and made it to a higher level of the room. When I got up there, there was another one of those levers I could pull with Magnesis.

There was, however, more malice with one of those eyes. It also had one of those mouth creatures that spat out cursed enemies.

After getting rid of the malice, I pulled the lever around to make the roof open, revealing the sky. Now all that was left to do was get the water in here.

I put the trunk at the fifth highest point. This angle was actually the correct angle as the water was now shooting at the fire, which was now put out, allowing me to access the final terminal.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

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

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

One last time, hopefully, I got another headache. I know I'm not ready to see what this might show, but I must endure this...

*     *     *

The memory seems to start with Mipha still at Ruta's trunk.  She seems to have fully healed herself.

Her breathing seems to have slowed too. Seems enough time has past for her to calm down a little.

Well, that doesn't last long  as that monster could be seen from the hallway through the front of Ruta.

That thing seemed to be going  up to the top of Ruta, probably to scout the area to see where Mipha was.

Mipha knew that she shouldn't stay where she was anymore, so she got up from Ruta's trunk and ran to find somewhere else to hide.

There really wasn't  anywhere  else on Ruta to hide... Clearly Mipha knew that as she doesn't seem to be trying to find a new hiding spot.

Mipha then jumped down to the first level of Ruta and dashed to the control room. Hmm... Maybe to get the jump on that monster.

As Mipha looked around, suddenly-

Ahhh-
"Ahhh-"

I suddenly feel like my heart skipped a beat or two as... Mipha... A giant, blue spear has penetrated right through her...

Mipha kneels  down as if her legs had given out. She lets out a mix of hacking up blood, quickened breaths and wheezing.  Tears formed in her eyes as she realized the situation she was in...

Mipha then looks back behind her. Outside of the control room was that monster. It seems to have stealthily followed Mipha and attacked her  from behind...

That... Thing then formed into a ball and traveled right in front of Mipha. It was still blurry, but I can tell that this thing was a complete monster...

This monster then let out a very creepy, almost sadistic laugh. It then grabbed Mipha and started strangling her. I could feel this too...

From the force of the monster crushing Mipha, I could faintly hear her bones cracking . I really felt like I was going to throw up... The agonizing screams that Mipha made only amplified that feeling...

I then noticed that as this monster actually moved back to the point where it was above the main control unit.

As if this thing couldn't get anymore cruel, it lowered the hand that held Mipha and hurled her high into the air!

With the way that this thing also threw her, Mipha's whole body spun  around.  Miraculously, even with the tight gap from the roof of the room and the roof of Ruta, Mipha didn't hit them.

Finally, Mipha then landed hard on the top of Ruta's trunk. Mipha didn't have time to position herself at all, sothe back of her head made contact with the hard material Ruta was made of.

I swear... I heard her skull crack as she made contact. Her vision seemed to turn red, likely from her head taking that fall...

Slowly, the memory started to fade, leaving a dark red background for me to look at.

*     *     *

When my vision comes back, I pause for a few moments...

Mipha... I knew I wasn't ready to see... I knew that I couldn't take looking at how brutal her fate was...

Now... If that thing that killed her is still here... I am going to go all out... I will show this thing no mercy...

After regaining myself, I could hear the main control unit from where I was, and I was at the other side of Ruta.

I glided all the way back down to the first level of Ruta. I took my time as I faced the control room.

This is it... This is definitely where Mipha's life had come to an end... I walk slowly to the pedestal constantly thinking about this

As I place the shiekah slate on the pedestal, a sudden burst of malice surrounds the control panel!

After trying to figure out what was going on, I noticed blue energy flying past me. It was similar to how I would teleport from place to place.

I then look behind me and see that energy gathering in one place, forming something.

I see that on the left side, an arm and a handle form. After they were done forming, a giant spear forms with shiekah energy.

On the right side, a rather normal hand forms. Finally, the rest of the body is revealed. A creature with a giant mask forms.

The eye in the middle glows like a guardian. The creature then screeches as if it were a battle cry.

That information that I am usually given shows me a name.

Waterblight  Ganon , scourge of Divine Beast Vah Ruta

"Please take care. That... Thing is one of Ganon's creations. I put up as much of a fight as I could, but it proved to be my demise 100 years ago...

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

I'm glad she has faith in me... This is definitely going to be my toughest fight yet...!

The blight starts the fight by readying its spear for a slash.

"Careful. That spear has a long reach."

Like she said, the blight's spear extended outward to give its attack more range. Good thing I saw this coming, so I jumped out of the attack.

This gave me the chance to hit it with a flurry rush. However, this thing didn't really react at all...

The blight raised its spear and slammed it on the floor, creating a flat shock wave. This ended up knocking me over.

I got up quickly enough to dodge an incoming thrust from the blight. This thing is definitely on the aggressive right now.

Well, I should probably play defensively and look for an opening that I can attack again.

"Gasp Link, watch out for that spear!"

As Mipha warned me, I saw that the blight was getting ready to throw its spear! Reacting quickly, I ready my shield for the attack.

With good timing, I managed to parry the spear right back at the blight, hitting it right in the eye! Ha! That's payback for what you did to Mipha! This makes the blight fall to the floor.

"Amazing! Now's your chance!"

I take this chance to hit this thing as many times as I can. I seemed to have done a lot of damage on this thing.

The blight screeches in pain as it seems to not have the advantage now. Its body then goes back to being a sphere of energy as it moves close to the control unit.

As it forms again, its hand glows a bright blue. It then roars and spins its body body around. Now its lower body was in a higher position.

The floor also changed too. Now, the floor lowered, leaving only water and four platforms to stand on, not giving me much room to fight.

Good thing I was already on one of those platforms, so I didn't need to swim to one. This then proved to be a good call as the blight immediately started attacking.

The blight summoned a few ice blocks. Luckily, I remembered that I could break the ice with cryonis, so this was simple to not get hit by.

Hmm... How am I going to attack this thing if it is probably going to move around these platforms...

I can't swim to it, it will probably hit me if I try. I can't just stand around for it to throw its spear at me again.

Aha! How about I use my own ranged attacks! That eye is practically begging to be shot at.

After getting rid of more ice, I aimed my bow to the eye of that monster. After hitting the eye three times, it managed to knock that monster out of the air and into the water!

"Good! Now attack it once more!"

I swim to the blight and hit it with a guardian sword. It seemed I finally used the whole durability of that sword as it broke when I finished attacking.

The blight quickly got back up and moved away from me. It seems like it is almost finished!

When it reappeared, it held its hand to its eye and started to charge a guardian laser. I don't know if I can shoot the eye with its hand blocking it...

I ready my shield in hopes I can parry it. If I can parry this laser, I'd be surprised of my capabilities and I'd actually have a way to destroy those guardians!

There was then a beep sound before the blight fired its laser. This noise served as an indicator that I should parry.

Luckily for me, this indicator was enough for me to parry the laser! How did I just parry a beam of light!?

The laser went straight back into the blight's eye! This is what finally defeated the blight.

The blight screamed in agony as the damage finally took its toll. Malice started bursting out of its body before the monster exploded.

The blast, even though it didn't feel like it affected me, sent me into one final memory.

*     *     *

I didn't expect to be shown another memory, let alone one where I'm not in the perspective of Mipha anymore.

This memory seems to be giving me a recap of what happened in this Divine Beast on the day of the calamity.

Mipha trying her best to fight off the blight... The memory seems to finally show what the blight looked like, now.

The blight seemed to be a lot more intimidating, even using all of Mipha's elements. I'm surprised it didn't use those against me.

I'm then shown Mipha hiding from that monster, trying her best to heal herself while she could.

Then... The last part... Mipha sneaking back into the control room and... And... G-getting pierced by the blight's spear...

Finally, the blight grabbing Mipha and crushing her body... Blood gushed out of ber chest and back as it squeezed on her hard... Please... Why did this thing have to... Violate her like this...

Then the blight tossed her into the air... Finally, the impact... Seems the end of the last memory lasted longer than it should, as she went unconscious almost immediately.

I... I couldn't see any part of Mipha's body that wasn't covered in blood... An entire puddle of blood formed below her body...

Then the memory just made me watch... It made me watch Mipha for ten minutes... Ten minutes of her being unconscious and I couldn't do anything to help her...

When Mipha woke up, she hacked up even more blood. Tears formed as she knew that her situation was hopeless now... I had tears falling from my face too...

She put a hand on her chest. She couldn't even heal herself as she was too injured... She then looked back at the domain and then into the sky.

"I'm... So sorry everyone... I have failed not just as a champion, but as a princess too...

I'm supposed to keep my people safe, but I guess even I can't protect myself...

I'm sorry, my fellow champions... Even though I was the strongest among the four of us, I couldn't use that strength to protect any of you...

I'm sorry, father and Sidon... I promised that I would come back safely, but it looks like that was a lie...

I can't even say goodbye to you both...

And finally... I'm very sorry to you... Link... I don't even know where to begin... I'm sorry that I can't fulfill my promise to you anymore... To protect you...

To heal you...

I haven't even got the chance to tell you how I really feel about you... That I love you...

Now I never will..."

Even now... She thinks of those that she cares about... Even me... Even when it seems she is about to die...

Suddenly, Mipha forces herself to get back up, this time, with a very serious expression. She uses her Trident to force herself up.

Now that she was barely standing, she summoned her axe and used that as a crutch.

With all her might, she then threw her Trident back to the dock of the reservoir to the domain, still stained with her blood on the handle.

She then paced herself back into Ruta all the way back to the control room, all the while blood was dripping from her body.

When she made it to the control room, somehow not hurting herself, she saw the blight again.

It seemed to have been waiting for her to come back... This thing just laughed as it saw Mipha... It laughed when it saw how she could barely even stand on her own...

As Mipha made it to the floor of the room, she raised her axe and started charging one final attack.

The blight switched to an axe on its right side and a giant rooted scythe on its left.

I watched in anticipation and horror of what was to happen... I really don't want to see this...

Finally, they both attack. Mipha throws her axe at the blight with the remaining life that she has left, which thankfully killed her before the blight's attacks collided.

I say thankfully, because the blight's scythe stabbed Mipha before its axe chopped Mipha's upper body off... At least she wouldn't have to feel those last attacks...

However, her axe soon hit the blight right in the chest! The damage made the blight screech in pain.

The damage seemed to do so much to the blight that its form completely changed into the weaker form I fought in the present.

I then drew my view back to Mipha... I felt sick to my stomach just looking at her now chopped corpse... Finally, this torturous nightmare of a memory seemed to fade.

*     *     *

My vision finally comes back... Tears were forming in my eyes in reaction to what I had been shown...

Mipha... She went through all of this... And I didn't even know at the time that she was facing such a painful fate...

As I wipe my tears away, I see a heart container slowly falling down close to the control panel. I guess this is a reward for defeating that blight... Blight... So that's what the things that killed the champions are...

I then approach the main control unit and attempt to activate it again, taking a deep breath. I take out my shiekah slate and hold it to the terminal. This time, it actually works, and the control unit turns blue.

I walk back from the control unit and smirk. Well, looks like my job here is finally done..

"Hello, Link."

My eyes widen in surprise. Her voice, it sounds so close... Like she's in this very room.

"Because of your courage, my spirit is now free. And Ruta, as well. Thank you. For I am now allowed by this freedom... To be with you once again."

I... I don't know what to say... I'm feeling... Sad... Happy... And many other similar emotions all mixed together.

Tears form in my eyes as I see one of my now dead friends... Who am I kidding... She's more than that... She always has been...

"Since I am now a spirit, my healing power would be wasted on me. I have no need of it. So therefore... I would like you to have it."

Wait... What...? Does this mean she's... Giving her healing magic to me?

"Please accept... Mipha's Grace"

Mipha then concentrated her energy into an orb. The color of this orb seemed to change between two different shades of blue and one that was green.

She then sent the orb right at me, which my body absorbed like it was a spirit orb.

As I absorbed it, I could feel the power as a green aura forms around me, leafs and flowers form too.

I cross my arms as this aura changes to a light blue color. Now ice replaces the floral, indicating Mipha's ice powers.

Finally, I spread my arms out and the ice turns into water. So I seem to be getting Mipha's healing power in the form of all of her elements.

After I lower to the floor, I decided to talk with Mipha too.

"Mipha... I... I just want you to know that I am sorry."

"Sorry? What are you sorry for? You just came and freed my spirit."

We both walked to each other as I continued "I wasn't there to help prevent you from dying... Instead I got myself hurt and ended up forgetting everything, including you..."

Mipha's expression softened as I said this, but she still retained a smile.

"Well, it wasn't until you came to the domain, but I already knew that you lost your memory before you came here."

"Wait, what? How did you know?"

"Well, even with my spirit limited to only Ruta, I could see and hear most things from the domain.

Honestly, it wasn't a pleasant experience listening to after fifty years after the calamity..."

"So, if you could hear conversations from the domain, does that mean..."

"Well, I only heard the conversation between Muzu and Sidon, which I barely recognized his voice. I couldn't even see them.

However, when I heard that you had lost your memory, I was... Heartbroken, to say the least...

That was when I took the chance, after there seemed to be silence among you three, to show you the memories between us."

Wait... That was why I got that extremely long memory? It was because of her?

"I was actually there in the memory when showing those memories to you, but I didn't feel like I should've made myself known to you."

"Wait, but did you also show me those memories that I saw when completing the terminals around Ruta."

Mipha seemed a little confused "Um... No. I was wondering why you seemed to get a headache every time you activated a terminal, however."

So it wasn't her... Wait... Does that mean that the blight was the one that showed me those memories? Did it really show me how it killed Mipha?!

Wow, this blight really was kind of sadistic, even when it is just a creation. Guess that really shows how evil Calamity Ganon is.

"But I still can't just forgive myself for not being here to protect you on the day of the Calamity... You probably would have survived if I-"

Mipha then gently put her hand on my cheek "Hush, Link... Don't think like that. None of us knew that the Calamity would do something like this."

I could barely feel her hand as it touched my cheek. It was cold... Very cold... But I can at least feel something...

Mipha then gasps quietly as she notices something. She then takes a step back to take a better look at me.

"L-link... That armor..."

I look and remember that I have the Zora armor on. Right, she made this. All I could do is nod.

Even as a spirit, Mipha's face glowed bright red from embarrassment.

...

Do I... Do I tell her...? Does she still not realize that I do have feelings for her? It's a bit... "Late", but she deserves to know...

I gently grab her hands, which she seemed surprised by this. Phew, now that I'm actually doing this, I'm kind of nervous... No, come on Link, this is you chance.

"Um, Mipha... I... I know that it's too late to say this, but I just feel like you should know this..."

Mipha seems to be in shock. She seems to be anticipating what I'm about to say.

"Mipha... I- I do have feelings for you... Back then and even more now. I'm just ashamed that I couldn't get myself to actually tell you..."

Tears start forming as I finally tell her my feelings for her... It almost feels like a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders...

Mipha looked down to the ground. I... I didn't say anything wrong, did I? I then see tears fall down her cheeks!

"I... I've been waiting... 100 years... For those words to be said by you..." Mipha then looked up at me, her tears of joy flowing down her face like waterfalls.

I... I'm have some strange mixed feelings of this moment... I feel a mix of happiness and sadness building up.

Happiness because we finally declared our feelings to each other. And sadness as she isn't even alive for this moment...

This mix of emotions was clearly shown on my face. My tears couldn't be held back anymore as I couldn't help but... But start sobbing...

"I... I was t-told that you m-made this armor as a- a gift to declare you love t-to me..." My throat was making it really hard to get my words out properly.

Mipha put one of her hands back on my cheek "Y- yes... I took weeks t-to get the materials and... And months to c- craft the armor... The armor made only for you..." She clearly had the same trouble speaking like me, maybe more.

I don't know why, but I actually felt Mipha's cold spirit body get warmer... I don't think I'll get a proper answer either.

We then stared at each other for about ten minutes for us to calm down. Mipha then broke the silence.

"Link..."

"Y-yes, Mipha...?"

"If I were to give you the armor before you left the domain for the last time 100 years ago, how would you have reacted.",

"Well, I definitely would have been surprised, that's for sure."

"But now that you know the meaning, what would your answer be...?" Mipha seemed a little desperate for my answer.

"I would have said yes. How could I have said no to the proposal of the person I was afraid of declaring my feelings to?"

Mipha then looked down, away from my face. After a moment of silence, she speaks again with a bit of a saddened tone.

"I... I don't know how to feel about this... I'm... Filled with joy that you would have, but I also feel... So stupid and feel like such a coward for not going through with it..."

I gently rub my hand through Mipha's forehead, my hand going under one of her fins on the side of her head, bringing her head back up to face me.

"Let's not lement on the past. How about we leave this moment with something we'll never forget...?"

Mipha and I both locked our eyes on each other as we both seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Finally, we pull each other close and kiss.

Even though she is a spirit, I can still feel her love through this kiss. I am heavily enjoying this moment.

The kiss lasts for a long while. For a long thirty minutes, we remain kissing. For not actually kissing someone that is alive, this just feels so real...

Finally, we break, mainly to actually take a breather. We then hold each other close and lock eye contact once more.

I- ahem don't want to ruin the romantic feeling, but as we stared, I saw Mipha's tail fin behind her head wagging. It's... Really cute noticing this about her...

"I love you, Link..." Mipha said.

"I love you too, Mipha..." I reply.

Suddenly, I see a light coming from my chest. Wait... Does this mean...

"Well, looks like our time is up..."

"But... But I want to spend a bit longer with you" tears form in my eyes again.

Mipha gave a slight chuckle "I do too, but trust me when I say that this will not be the last time we speak. That is a promise that I can keep."

I wipe my tears again "Okay... I trust you..."

"Goodbye Link. And please... Be careful saving the princess."

As I nod, my body disappears with the small speck of light floating into the air and out of Ruta.

*     *     *

I really didn't want Link to go, but I know that I can't keep him here... I do have a duty to fulfill.

Now that Ruta and I are now free, we can finally get into position like we were supposed to 100 years ago.

I have Ruta dive down below the reservoir. There is an opening going south, so I take that route.

Ruta eventually makes it to the river below. I then remember the opening down here that will help me get to the firing position.

When I do find it, it only takes a couple minutes for me to get all the way to the position Ruta will attack Ganon from.

As Ruta made it to the top of the mountain, she roared as she was ready to attack the Calamity.

Ruta then lifted her trunk and these small attachments extended out as a red laser charges up.

When it was ready, Ruta fired the laser right at Hyrule Castle. Even though this wasn't even the attack, rather just aiming it, the laser seemed to crash into the Calamity, which was surrounding the Castle.

"There we go, Ruta. Now we can be useful to Link. And... The others Champions, of course. Once Link fights Ganon inside the Castle, we will assist him.

This is it. This will be our last chance... And everyone's last hope. If we seal him away, then we can restore peace to Hyrule. And both your duty and mine will be fulfilled. "

I look back at the domain, which I could see clearly from the top of Ruta.

"Father, are you well, I wonder... I want you to know, that I have always followed my heart. I'm sorry I made you worry..."

That is what I would want him to know...

"I wish I could see you again... Even just once more."

Chapter Text

Not long after me and Mipha said our goodbyes, I was quickly transported back to Zora's Domain, now the constant rain.

Ah, right, I also have:

Mipha's Grace

*     *     *

Modes:

Mipha's Grace:
When at death's door, Mipha will completely heal you, plus making you completely refreshed, giving you temporary hearts after being healed.

This ability has one charge and has a thirty minute cool down after being used.

Mipha's Kindness:
When at death's door, a flower bulb surrounds you, keeping you safely in place while healing you to full health. You are not able to move while being healed, but any enemies within the vicinity of you will be knocked back by vines, doing heavy damage.

This ability has one charge and has a thirty minute cool down after being used.

Mipha's Elegance:
When at death's door, Mipha will heal you to three fourths of your health. Many large ice spikes will spring out around you, knocking enemies back and dealing heavy damage.

This ability has three charges and has a forty five minute cool down.

All modes of Mipha's Grace share a cool down, meaning you have to wait for that mode's cool down to end before using the ability again.

*     *     *

This ability will definitely prove to be useful in the future! Now, I believe that I should probably make my way back to the throne room to talk with Dorephan.

As I made my way up the domain, I noticed that other Zora were actually following close behind me. Huh, is this some celebration, or something?

I then made my way into the throne room, where Muzu, Sidon, and King Dorephan were waiting for me.

The Zora that followed behind me crowded in the throne room. The King then spoke.

"Link! You did well to survive your trial! I have been awaiting your return! The violence downpour has disappeared, as has the threats to Zora's Domain! It is all a little more than a bad dream now.

Thanks to your efforts, there is no longer any danger of a great flood laying waste to Hyrule! You bees the Divine beast Vah Ruta and thusly saved Zora's Domain!

We are all truly grateful! What you did for us is more than we could have ever expected of you."

Muzu spoke to "Link... I must sincerely apologize for my harsh treatments of you. That whole time, you were thinking of Hyrule's and Lady Mipha's well-being, just like the rest of us.

All of the members of our council humbly fold our fins back in gratitude, along with the rest of our people.

Perhaps the older generation of zora, myself included, misunderstood Hylians after all. It would seem so.

That's sad, I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day."

Well, I'm glad that it sounds like the older Zora don't hate me anymore.

"Link! I must reward your efforts! Now that! I implore you to collect the treasure inside the chest over there.

It was cherished by Mipha. A memento of sorts. I would like you to have it as a token of our friendship. Please take good care of it."

Hm, well, I'd be honored to take whatever is in that chest, especially if Mipha cherished it.

"By the way, Link. I see you are without your trusty blade... The sword that seals the darkness.

Did you perhaps lose it when you lost your memory?"

Sword that seals the darkness? What is that?

"Sorry, but what sword could you be talking about?"

"Hm. So you have forgotten that as well... that is a legendary blade that only you, the Hylian champion, can wield.

It is no doubt resting somewhere in Hyrule even now... Waiting for its master to return. Link, all of the Zora thank you from the depths of our hearts for your heroic and selfless work! "

King Dorephan then turned to Sidon.

"... And you too, Sidon. As your father, I am proud of you for fighting the Divine Beast alongside Link.

You have grown much recently. I know you will be a worthy heir when your time comes."

"Father... I... Thank you!"

"The heavy rains have stopped, and the Divine Beast is our ally once again! How glorious! Truly splendid! Wah ha ha ha!"

Sidon then gives me his signature smile once again "Link! This is wonderful!"

Sidon then walked to me and grabbed and shook my hand, which took me by surprise.

"Link! Thank you so much! Truly, I could never thank you enough! You helped save our home from vanishing away!

This calls for a top-tier expression of gratitude! ZO! ZO! RA RA RA! With all my heart... Thank you!"

Sidon then released my hand and the crowd cheered for me.

After a few minutes, King Dorephan ordered everyone to return to what they were doing prior to coming to the throne room.

Well, before I could go to the chest that was by Muzu, King Dorephan spoke up again.

"Link! I am truly an internally grateful to you for savings Zora's Domain! Everyone is rejoicing. There is no happier place in the world!

But Link... There is something I wish to ask you. You turned within Ruta, the Divine Beast of water...

Now you are back, but Mipha has still yet to return... Is it as I feared? Were we too late?"

Sigh I knew I should have expected this topic to come up... Well, can't just lie to him...

"She's... Gone... But I did meet her spirit."

Dorephan leaned in with a face of surprise "Her spirit?! So that means Mipha really is... Did... Did she say anything to you?"

"Well... While I was traversing Ruta, I was shown very disturbing memories of the fate that Mipha was given... I won't explain any further on that as you'd likely not want to hear it."

"I see. My dear Mipha... I simply cannot believe it's. There was nothing I could do to save her... Still... Mipha fulfilled her heroic duty as champion.

And she will never be alone... It is my duty as her father to watch over her, even now.

...

Link... She really loved you, you know. There is no mistaking that even now she is overjoyed to be able to help you.

Promise me... That you will always remember her. Promise me that."

I smile and give him my complete answer "I will never forget her."

"I appreciate you saying that. You are a good man. If you ever run into trouble, know that you are always welcome here.

No matter the time, we shall all greet you with open fins!

Link... Thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"I, um... I actually have a little more to add, if you'd like to hear it. It actually involves what happened when I met with Mipha's spirit."

"Go on, Link. I'd love to hear what had happened between you two in there."

"Well, she gave me her ability of healing, well, it only heals me, and I have to wait a while before using it again."

Dorephan seemed intrigued by this "Hm, well, if it was Mipha's choice, I'm not surprised that she chose to give her power of healing to you."

"She... Noticed that I had her Zora armor on, which made her embarrassed."

Dorephan made a hearty chuckle as he heard this.

"I wouldn't be surprised. She couldn't even make herself give you that special armor, so seeing you wear it probably took her by surprise."

Dorephan then sighed as his tone went to being a little somber.

"I do remember, however, how disappointed she was when she couldn't bring herself to show you that armor...

I don't know how that last conversation between you two 100 years ago went, but when she was coming back from saying goodbye... I'll be honest, I've never seen Mipha seem so negative before...

At the time, I already knew she had made the armor for you, but I didn't know she was going to try giving it to you before you left. Honestly, I would have been very proud of she did. I would have been proud of she gave it to you at any point.

However... I understood why she still hesitated... It's just unfortunate that she never got another chance before the Calamity..."

I... I wish I would have said something too... It was so obvious to the both of us, but none of us actually said anything...

"I... I did tell her that I would have gladly accepted her proposal, even though it can't happen now..."

Dorephan then smiled as I said this "I knew you would. I would have happy to be your father in-law! And between you and me, you have always felt like a second son to me, especially with how often you visited us when you were young."

"Thank you, sir."

"But I do: How did she respond when you finally admitted your feelings to her?"

The scene is still fresh in my mind...

"At first, she told me how she had been waiting over 100 years just to hear me tell her that. But she also told me that she felt stupid and felt like as coward for not doing so..."

"Sigh I hope she knows that she isn't one..."

"But to end on a high note, I... We... We um..." My face beginning to glow red as I remembered the part that me and Mipha kissed...

"Take your time. No need to rush."

"Me and Mipha kissed each other..."

It took King Dorephan a moment to process what I had just said. He then smiled before letting out a hearty laugh.

"I would have loved to see that happen... It's a shame the it happened in a time like this, but I'm glad that it happened at all.

Alright, Link. I do not wish to keep you here too much longer, so take a look in that chest and claim your reward!"

I nodded and went to the chest and looked to see what was inside.

Lightscale  Trident

W-wow... This is... This is the same Trident that Mipha wielded! All those years ago... How is it here? Wouldn't they have had to traverse Ruta to get this?

"That Trident that you hold right now was cherished by Mipha 100 years ago. It was found during the night of the calamity at the reservoir.

I dearly hope that you will cherish that Trident as much as Mipha has."

I nod and take the Trident and put it away. For some reason, however, my storage registered it as an important item, and not a weapon, so I can't even use it...

"Link..."

I suddenly hear a familiar voice. One from someone I just recently said goodbye to.

"Link. I sense that you have something important to me with you. Head to Ruta and I'll give you something special."

Hm. So it is Mipha... So she wants me to meet her back where Vah Ruta is. How am I going to get there, though?

I looked at my map and noticed that there was an icon of Ruta stationed on that mountain which is where it's aiming at the castle.

I tap on the icon and I teleport to Vah Ruta. Honestly, it took me by surprise as I didn't think I would be able to teleport there.

Well, now that I'm here, I can meet with Mipha again. I walk to Ruta and wait for Mipha.

Not a minute later, I hear Mipha speak.

"Good. Now pull out my Trident and I will do my thing."

I pull out the Lightscale Trident. Suddenly, my vision starts to turn blurry, but, unlike the memories, I don't feel pain this time...

I close my eyes and open them again shortly after to see that I seem to be inside of Vah Ruta again. Well, sort of.

Everything seems to be hazy, like this isn't actually real. This also seems to be the control room of Vah Ruta.

Mipha then appears in front of me.

"You seem confused, Link. I can understand why. This place is a sort of... Recollection of how you remember going through Ruta. This is basically the inside of your memory."

Sigh I'm... Not going to ask how this even works and just go along with this.

"So, why did you want me to come here with your Trident, Mipha?"

"Well, hold it out and I'll show you."

I do as she says and pull out the Trident. Mipha then put a hand on her Trident and closed her eyes.

Mipha raised her other hand and snapped her fingers. This made the Trident flashed a cyan color, like the wisps that surrounded Mipha.

"There, now, my Trident has part of my soul within it."

What? That's what she wanted to do?

"W- why would you want to do that?"

"Well, let's just demonstrate what you can now do with my Trident."

Mipha then summoned her own Trident as well. This kind of surprised me.

"Well, now that I am a part of my Trident, it is technically a part of me too. Now, we can get started on the next part of my gift to you."

"So, what did you becoming part of your Trident actually do, Mipha?"

Mipha chuckled as I asked this "I'm glad you asked. Well, now whenever you use my Trident, you get to use my water and ice element when in combat."

Wow... This is great! I can't wait to actually try this out.

"However, the power within the Trident is limited, and you can only use it for one minute of time. Once that time runs out, the Trident will automatically return to your inventory."

"So... Since using your Trident is limited to a cool down, does that mean I won't actually need to worry about it breaking?"

"Yes. The material on that weapon is extremely durable. I've used it for years, and I've never seen a dent in it."

"Good. I don't think I would even use it if I could break it."

"Well, would you like to try it out for a bit before you get going?"

I nod and hold the Trident as I'm ready to practice. Instinctively, I hold the Trident differently than how I hold a spear. I hold it similar to how I remember Mipha holding her Trident in combat.

Now when I'm holding it, my hand is positioned near the top of the Trident so it doesn't drag on the ground. I also hold the rest of the handle behind my back.

"Now, come at me a full attack combo!" Mipha says as she holds her Trident in a defensive position.

I run at Mipha and attack with my Trident. Well, it seems my regular combo consists of six hits before finishing.

Two diagonal slashes, first to the left and then to the right. A right and left slash. Then, I positioned the Trident where the end of the handle was on the ground.

I then jumped and kicked Mipha, which actually guard broke her and knocked her back, leaving her open for the last hit.

When I jumped, my body swung around the Trident and then laughed into the air. I then finished the attack with a thrust in a downward angle.

This actually managed to stab Mipha, which made me wince. But Mipha just laughed in response.

"Very good. I can see that you're already adjusted to my fighting style."

The wound I gave Mipha then healed instantly, almost like I didn't even do anything.

"There is so much more to my style, how, I want to move on to the next part of this practice session.

Now, I want you to raise the Trident and build up some force into it (similar to holding the attack button). Then, release it by slamming the Trident down!"

I do as Mipha says. I raise the Trident, which makes the same slow down effect when I perform a flurry rush happen, and slam it down, which created a large wave that seems to hit all around me.

The Trident then seemed to transform! It no longer seemed to be a Trident, but an axe! More specifically, Mipha's axe.

"Doing that will make you lose ten seconds on your time, but you will also switch to my frost axe. It is stronger and has a different attack style than my Trident.

Now, come at me again!" Mipha says as she summons her axe and gets another defensive stance ready.

Heh... Really am getting reminded of how much Mipha loved battling... She still has it after all these years...

My stance for the axe seems to have me holding the battle axe with one arm and holding it up on my shoulder.

I attack Mipha with a pattern of five hits. A slash to the left and right. I then swing the axe around in two powerful swings.

The second swing seemed to guard break Mipha, so she was open for the final hit.

The last attack had me leap and slam the axe down on the ground.

After hitting Mipha with the attack, she healed from that injury too.

"Great, now perform the attack that you used to transform the Trident again."

Like she said, I raised the frost axe and slammed it down, creating a large shockwave of ice that hit around me.

After doing this, the axe transformed back into the form of the Trident. Seems this is how I switch between Mipha's weapons.

"There is a lot that I wish to teach you about my weapons, however, I don't want to take too much time out of your journey.

If you wish to practice or learn more, just approach Ruta again. But you can also find new things about my Trident and axe by yourself too."

"Thank you, Mipha. This will definitely prove to be helpful on my journey across Hyrule."

"I'm glad that this is helpful.

Well... You I should probably let you get going, then. It was nice seeing you again, Link."

I nod "It is always lovely to see you, Mipha. I love you."

Mipha gives a warm smile "I love you too, Link"

With that, my vision starts to come back.

Lightscale Trident

Damage: 40

With Mipha imbuing her soul into her weapon, you can now summon it while you have a spear equipped.

You will be able to use Mipha's fighting style while you have it equipped.

When holding the attack button, slam the Trident down to make a powerful wave and transform it into the:

Frost Battle Axe

Damage: 60

Chapter Text

Well, I'm glad that I was able to talk with Mipha again. Though, it seems to only be limited to just training with her Trident... Oh well, I'll probably be visiting a few times anyways.

Well, since I seem to be done with the important things to do in this region, I could get started on any side quests that are here.

I first made my way back to Zora's Domain as most of any requests are likely to be there. By the time I got there, it was night.

Sigh The domain is always so beautiful during the night... The way that the domain almost seems to just glow at night... I could look at it forever...

I then noticed that Sidon was standing in front of Mipha's statue in the center of the domain.

I approach Sidon from behind and hear him talk to himself.

"Mipha... Dear sister... Are you still trapped inside the Divine Beast? Are you supporting Link in his fight? Is there really nothing more I can do?

I wish you were here to guide me... I miss you terribly..."

Oh... I guess even with Ruta being stopped, it isn't like every problem is solved... Sidon then turns and is shocked by my eavesdropping.

"Link! You... Heard all that, eh? I'm afraid you caught me in a moment of vulnerability."

"It's alright, I completely understand where you're coming from. I'd be mourning Mipha too if I wasn't on this journey to save Hyrule."

Sidon chuckles as I say this.

"Thank you for understanding, my friend. I simply just can't move on from Mipha not being here, even if it has been 100 years."

Sigh I wish I could do something to help at least ease Sidon's pain... I know that Dorephan also misses Mipha dearly too...

Well, I'll focus on helping those around the domain first. Maybe also doing some shrines too.

One quest that I got from someone was how his wife was nowhere to be found in the domain. I agreed to look for her and was told she went downstream to get fish.

I remember there being a giant lake from where the river leads to. I teleported to the shrine where I got stasis and glided to the lake.

After fighting a couple lizalfos, I managed to find the wife, who had gotten carried away with how much she had fished.

Well, there was another quest in Zora's Domain that involved these looking at these Zora monuments across the region.

It took me a couple days, but I managed to find all of the monuments. Honestly, it was pretty nice to be able to read some ancient history of the Zora.

When reporting back that I had read all of the monuments, I earned myself 100 rupees, which was pretty nice for what I was doing.

Next, I decided to explore the region for some shrines. I do want to acquire more spirit orbs, after all.

There were about five shrines that I could acquire in this region. So that is another heart container ready to be collected.

For three of these shrines, I just found where they were and completed the puzzle inside, like usual.

One of these shrines were located close to a stable. At this stable, there was an interesting looking character playing an instrument.

"Greetings, traveler. How about a song?"

He then seemed to notice something "Th- that there... On your hip!

... No, I'm sorry- it's nothing. I didn't mean to pry."

"No worries."

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kass. I'm a bard traveling this land in search of ancient songs. Have you heard of the ancient songs of Hyrule?"

"Ancient songs?"

"Ancient songs- songs that sing the praises of a hero beat back the Calamity in an age past. One of the more famous among them recounts the events of 10,000 years ago.

I happen to know a song about the ancient hero. It was passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?"

Well, I guess I'll listen to him. "Sure, let's hear it."

"Excellent! Without further ado...

The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land, oft grasped in the palm of a villainous. A dark force of destruction, many times undone, rises once again- Ganon, the calamitous one.

But hopes survive in Hyrule, for not all is lost, two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost. A goddess-blooded princess and a fearless knight, they appear in each age to fight the good fight.

Their battle with Ganon I've committed to song, to keep it through time, no matter how long. Now begins the second verse, listen and you'll know, of their battle with Ganon 10,000 years ago.

The Kingdom of Hyrule was once a land of lasting peace / a culture of such strength and wit, that suffering did cease.

But Ganon lurked beneath the surface, strengthening its jaws / So the ancient people of Hyrule set out to help the cause.

Their efforts bore fruit in an automated form, to help avert Calamity by sealing it at the source. Four giant behemoths for which power never ceased, each of these titans were called "Divine Beasts."

And free-willed machines that hunted down their prey / These guardians were built to last so they could join the frey.

To guide the beasts in battle, warriors were needed, so four champions pledged to see Ganon defeated. Divine Beasts, guardians, princess, and knight, their plan to rout Ganon was looking airtight.

When the calamity reared its head, Hyrule rose against it / the optimism of Hyrule all the more incensed it.

Ganon raged in its assault, boiling with hate, it gnashed its teeth and thrashed about, but it was all too late. The guardians kept the heros safe through every hour...

The Divine Beasts unleashed attacks that weakened Ganon's power. The hero with the sealing sword struck the final blow, and the holy power of the princess sealed Ganon so.

And that is the story of the brazen attack, on Calamity Ganon 10,000 years back."

Wow... I know that I've already heard the same story from Impa, but it's nice to hear it from someone else too.

"Thank you for listening. Please come back to hear it again sometime."

Well, I believe I'll be seeing Kass again, at least I hope anyway.

For the other shrines, I had to initiate a quest in order to reveal them. It almost seemed like the puzzle was actually just getting to the shrine.

One was at Zora's Domain at the veiled falls. Funnily enough, it started with talking with one of the Zora children in the domain.

She sang a song that actually gave a hint to what I was supposed to do to unlock the shrine. I needed to acquire something called a ceremonial Trident and plunge it on a platform at veiled falls.

The ceremonial Trident was actually dropped from the bridge going to veiled falls, so I needed to get it from the water below.

The water was somewhat deep, so I needed to get above the Trident with cryonis before picking it up with Magnesis.

After that, I got to veiled falls and swam up the waterfall. I then leaped from the top and plunged it into a sheikah-like platform, which glowed orange.

After doing this, the platform glowed blue before revealing a shrine.

Unlike the other shrines that I have completed, this shrine didn't have a puzzle inside it. It just had a chest and the monk was right there.

It seemed to be called a blessing shrine. I guessed the whole process to just get to the shrine was the puzzle.

Weird how the monks planned this all out... How did they know that there was going to be a ceremonial Trident that would then be used to open the shrine?

I guess I'll never know... Well, there was one more quest that I had to do to unlock the shrine.

This time, I actually found Kass again. He seemed to be playing another song.

"Oh! I was sure that I would be alone in so remote a place. Pardon me for not greeting you sooner.

Oh ho! It's you! Although I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?"

"Sure, let's hear it."

"Excellent! Without further ado...

He breaks the rocks that serve to bind, above the tempestuous bay. On wings of cloth and wood entwined, he lands on the altar to open the way."

Well, that was a lot shorter than the first song that he gave. But this song seems to be just on the area.

"The "tempestuous bay" from the song could be this very bay. But what sort of wings are made of cloth and wood? It's a juicy riddle, but one I may never puzzle out.

Take care, and may the light illuminate your path."

Hmm, well, I can already come to the conclusion that I need my paraglider to then glide to the altar. Now I just need to figure out the rest of the puzzle.

To the side, there was a gust of wind blowing in a certain direction. I glided over to it and the gust seemed to change direction when I landed on a rock.

I then noticed that there was a set of breakable rocks blocking the wind. I used my remote bomb and threw it across the water.

This created another gust of wind. This was pretty much the premise of what I needed to do.

I blew up a couple more rocks which resulted in wind blowing into the middle of the bay. After all the needed rocks were blown up, I could glide all the way to the altar.

When I landed, that was when the shrine revealed itself. Just like the one in Zora's Domain, this one was a blessing shrine, so I didn't need to do a puzzle in there.

Well, that was all of the shrines that I could find within this region. But I did go back to Zora's Domain to see if there was anything else I could do.

When I teleported there, I heard a familiar voice.

"Link...

I have witnessed you help many around the domain. I'm very thankful that you have spent your time helping them."

"Of course, even with how little or how much I have to do, I am always happy to help."

I heard Mipha giggle as I said this. "You're still the same kind boy that I have always known. I'm glad that even after 100 years, you have never changed."

While it is nice to hear from Mipha, I get the feeling she has more to say.

"Now, I wanted to ask something of you, however, it might sound a little strange. Sigh you might want to meet me at Ruta if you are willing to help me."

Of course, I wouldn't say no to Mipha, especially now. Well, I better head to Ruta to find out what Mipha wants to do.

I teleport to Ruta and approach it. After waiting a bit, Mipha appeared next to me.

"Thank you so much for being willing enough to hear my request, Link."

"Of course, Mipha. I wouldn't say no to a request from you. Now, what is it that you wanted me to be here for?"

"Well, when I was watching over you, I heard how much both my father and my brother are missing me...

I wish to speak to them one last time before defeating the Calamity."

"Yeah... They still seem to be heartbroken about your absence, especially Sidon. At least King Dorephan seems to be taking it better. Then again, he is the king. He  knows he can't just lement on your death forever."

"Well, I wanted to see if I could possess my Trident so I could come with you to the domain."

Huh? She wants to just go into her weapon and come along with me?

"But don't you need to be here having Ruta aim for Hyrule Castle?"

"Well, I do need to be here by the time I have Ruta fire at the castle, but I have faith that I can leave Ruta for a while. If anything, the worst that will happen is Ruta's aim being off.

If that happens, I can just readjust it. It won't take long at all. "

Well, I'd be happy to spend some more alone time with Mipha, so this is a win win for me.

I then hold out the Lightscale Trident "Alright, I'll take you there. I'm sure they'll be overjoyed just to see you again, dead or alive."

Mipha then smiled before giving me a kiss on the cheek. I blushed from this and she giggled before entering her Trident.

"Thank you for agreeing to my request. You have no idea how much this means to me."

I bring the base of the Trident head to my forehead "Of course. If anything, at least we can be so close even if it's only temporary."

Mipha then speaks in a soft and teasing tone "My, you're being so open with me, now, especially with your love. Are you sure you're the Link I wanted to confess my feelings to?"

"Well, losing your memory kind of removes all the stress you had before losing it. If only that's the only thing that got removed."

"Fair enough. Well, shall we head for the domain?"

"Of course. However, do you want me to just teleport there, or do you have another idea?"

"I'd like for you to start on the path to the domain. I'm not in a rush. Besides, I'd like to spend some more time talking with you."

Sigh I don't know why I asked. I wanted to go a longer way too. Maybe I can tell her what has happened up until now.

I walked off the cliff and glided down to the path below. I kept the Trident out as I started going along the path.

"Huh, I thought that I would have had to put your Trident away by now."

"Well, since my whole being is coursing through my Trident now, you won't need to worry about having a limit on how much you can use the Trident."

"So I can basically use your Trident however I want and I won't have to worry about it going on a cool down?"

"Yep, this might be a good time to show me how proficient at using my Trident."

Well, at least any enemies that are in my way will not be an issue for me as this Trident is so strong.

As I walked along the path, Mipha started speaking with me again.

"So, Link. Other than the memories we had of each other, what is it that you remember of your past?"

"Well, there are twelve different places that I have to visit to at least regain my memories of Zelda. I've only found two, so I don't remember too much, yet."

"Well, that is a shame, but I guess if you have only freed me, then it only makes sense that you haven't traveled that far across Hyrule.

May I ask what you do remember? I'd still like to know."

"Well, the first memory that I was given was the ceremony of me becoming Zelda's appointed knight."

"Ah, yes... The start of your stubbornly silent persona. You were quiet before the ceremony, but we could still hear your voice."

"During the memory, I actually heard the conversation you guys had when Zelda was speaking."

"Ah, well, I guess it probably was better at the time that you didn't hear it. Revali seemed to be showing some jealousy towards you, though, that's really the only word I could think of. I don't necessarily know what he actually felt towards you.

Though, it did seem like the ceremony could have been more... I don't really know... But the way that the princess felt towards you at the time didn't make it any better."

"Yes, I remember Daruk saying how the princess made it sound gloomy."

"Urbosa even mentioned that Zelda only saw herself in you if she was actually able to unlock her power..."

"Finally, the memory ended with me leaving back to my home and Daruk and Urbosa mentioning my silence as of late."

"Huh, I guess when I showed you my memories, it actually completed that memory for you. Then again, if it's only showing the memories of you and Zelda, I guess it only makes sense."

"Well, I just want you to know that I really appreciate that you spoke up for me. I think my past self would have really appreciated that too."

"I just wish I could have been able to get through to you sooner... There are a lot of things that I wish I could have done, but not helping you is the one I regret the most."

"It's alright, Mipha. Like you said, I was stubbornly quiet. There probably wasn't going to be any other time that I would have opened up than that point."

"Sigh Alright... I trust you on that..."

Both me and her were a bit quiet until I got to Luto's Crossing, the second to last bridge before getting to Zora's Domain. There were a fair amount of monsters before getting there too.

I then hear Mipha speak up again "Link. Have you come across your tunic which you wore 100 years ago?"

"Yes, I have. I actually wore it before getting the Zora Armor. Though, the Zora armor is more useful for exploring.

I also just want to wear it because of how special it is, especially to you."

Mipha then appears outside of her Trident and suddenly hugs me. This caught me off guard, but I didn't mind, not at all.

"You just always know what to say... You just... Keep proving to me why I love you... So kind... So considerate... And yet, so brave and courageous..."

This feeling... I can't describe it, but I can tell that this is love... My heart feels... Warm... I really like this feeling...

I then guide my hand to the top of her head and  gently stroke it. Sigh what I would give to actually do this to her when she was alive... At least she can probably still feel this...

I then look to Mipha and noticed she seemed to be tearing up. This kind of caught me off guard.

"Mipha, is something wrong? Why are you tearing up?"

"It's... It's nothing... I was just... Thinking about matters that we can't control... again..."

"Sigh Yes... I'm disappointed about that fact too... But there's something else that I just wish I could be able to do..."

"And... What would that be?"

I then guide Mipha's spiritual body to where her head was facing me.

"I wish I could feel the real you. To be able to hold you so close like I am with your spiritual form would be such a blessing. To be able to feel my fingers on your scales..."

As I said this, Mipha's face glowed red. For the first time, it doesn't seem like it's from embarrassment.

She then pulls me into a kiss. Again, I was taken off guard, but I kissed back, of course. It wasn't as satisfying as the first kiss, but wow... It felt just as good.

The kiss lasted for about five minutes before we released from it, mainly because we shouldn't take too long before getting to Zora's Domain.

Mipha then went back inside her Trident and I continued on my way to the domain.

By the time I finally got to the domain, it was about night time. I pulled out the Trident again.

"Well, are you ready for this, Mipha?"

"I... I believe so... It's just... I don't know... Now that we're here, I can't help but feel... Nervous?"

"It's alright to feel nervous, Mipha. I probably would too if I was in your place. But just don't let that discourage from talking to them. I'm sure Sidon and Dorephan are going to be overjoyed to just see your face again."

"Yes... Yes, your right. I should be happy too. I'm finally going to see them after so long."

"There we go. That's better. Now, I'm sure Sidon is by your statue, so I'll get him to go to the throne room."

Just like I predicted, Sidon was looking up to the statue of Mipha. Well, this is definitely going to be a big shock to him...

"Hey, Sidon."

"Ah! Link. It seems that you caught me by surprise again. Is there something you wish to speak to me of?"

"Yes, however, this may sound weird, but I wish to speak with you and King Dorephan about this."

"Oh, well, I guess I can inform father of this meeting. I'll head over there, then."

With that, Sidon then went up the steps to the upper part of the domain to where King Dorephan was.

"Wow... I can't see what's outside of my Trident, but was that really my brother? He sounds so... Different"

"Trust me, when you'll know that it's him when you see him. He is over 100 years old now, so he would sound different compared to back then."

I then went up the steps to follow Sidon to the throne room. While walking up the steps, I couldn't already tell the growing nervousness that Mipha is feeling.

"Mipha, I know that you're nervous, but remember, they will be so happy to see you."

"I know... I just can't help but be nervous... There really isn't much of a reason why I actually am..."

"Alright. Just remember, I'm here with you, if that helps you feel any more confident."

I didn't really get an answer from Mipha, but I continued to the throne room.

As I got there, it was only King Dorephan and Sidon in the room.

"Link, Sidon just told me of this meeting. What is it you wanted to talk about at such an hour?"

"Well, King Dorephan and Sidon, I have something to show you. Now, you might want to brace yourselves, because what I am going to show you will surprise you."

King Dorephan and Sidon both had confused looks on their faces.

"And... What is it that you would like to show?"

"Well, I believe it's better that you see for yourself, otherwise it would seem unbelievable."

I then took out the Lightscale Trident and held it close to my head. I then softly spoke to Mipha.

"Are you ready...?"

"Can I... Just take a breather for a moment...?"

"That's fine... Take however long you need. Just speak your mind when you do come out, okay?"

Dorephan and Sidon seemed to be a little confused, but I just waved to give me a moment.

"Okay... I think I'm ready now. Just hold out the Trident."

I do as she asks and hold out the Lightscale Trident. A few spiritual flames then came out of the Trident.

A bright light flashed in the room, making me, Sidon, and King Dorephan shield our eyes. When we could open our eyes, Mipha was there.

Both Sidon and King Dorephan were in shock, their mouth open in awe.

"It... Cannot be..."

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Is... Is it really..."

"H- hello, father, and..." Mipha smiled when she saw Sidon "Hello Sidon."

"I cannot believe it... Is it really you, my daughter...?"

Mipha seemed to have a hard time responding "Y-.... Y- yes father... It... It's me..."

"Sister..."

"Sidon..."

Mipha then walked over to Sidon.

"Look how much you've grown... You're so tall now."

Sidon was so stunned, he didn't seem to be able to respond.

Dorephan leans down to get a closer inspection of Mipha, who he has not been able to see for 100 years.

"After all this time... I finally get to see my beloved daughter... You have no idea how much I have missed you..."

Mipha begins to tear up as Dorephan says this. It seems she can't really control herself from tearing up, but I don't blame her.

"I... I missed you too... I- sorry... I'm just... Overwhelming myself..."

I walked behind Mipha and placed my hands on her shoulders to reassure her of my presence as well.

"Link... How did you... How is Mipha even here?" Sidon asked me.

"Well, she actually asked me to come to Ruta and help transport her here. She really wanted to see you both again."

"Sister... You have no idea how grateful I am to see you again. But I am also sorry that we couldn't do much more to save you on that day..."

"Sidon, there really wasn't anything that anyone could have done, especially you. Don't you remember how small you were compared to me back then?"

Sidon chuckled, but l could definitely see that even he was tearing up too.

"I'm... I'm so sorry... Both of you..."

"Now, what are you apologizing for, Mipha?"

"For not coming home... For not keeping my promise to come back after the Calamity... I failed as a champion... And as your daughter"

As she spoke I noticed that King Dorephan leaned closer and closed his hands in below us. After she was done, she noticed too and we stepped on top of Dorephan's hands.

I readjusted my position so both me and Mipha were on one of Dorephan's hands. He then brought us closer to his head.

"You are not a failure, my daughter. You did not know what was going to happen when you entered Vah Ruta. No one could have guessed that it was a trap.

And don't you dare speak so harshly about not coming home. You're here now, even if you're not "yourself"."

This didn't seem to lighten Mipha's mood either. Mipha then wrapped her arms around me and partially hid her face behind me.

I gently stroked her head to hopefully comfort her. Dorephan seems to smile at this scene.

"I just want you to know that I am so proud of you, Mipha. You died fighting for those that you loved and cared about. I never could have asked for a better daughter than you..."

Dorephan then warmly smiled "I am also happy that I could help Link remember his love for you."

Mipha raised her head as Dorephan said this.

"I knew that it had to be you to give him the armor... I'm glad that I could trust you with keeping it for Link."

"Of course, I would never do an injustice to such an important piece from my daughter."

Dorephan then lowered me and Mipha to the floor. Mipha then faced Sidon.

"Oh, Sidon. You have grown into such a remarkable Zora. I guess all these years have allowed you to surpass me in height."

"Heh, well, you are still my big sister, and always will be."

"I felt so horrible knowing that I left my little brother without a sister for so many years, but it seems now that I shouldn't have worried, as I have such a brave, courageous, and strong brother."

"Well, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't hard, but I did manage. I stayed strong because I wanted to make you proud."

Mipha chuckled "I am proud, you can be rest assured of that. I couldn't have asked for a better brother than you."

Sidon then kneeled down and hugged Mipha, which she returned too.

Sidon then looked at me and signaled for me to join in. Well... I was somewhat hoping I could, too...

I walked over and wrapped my arms around Mipha. Sidon then adjusted his arm so it's around me too.

Sigh Now this... This feels really nice...

Chapter Text

It has been about ten minutes and Sidon finally released me and Mipha from the hug. Well, it was nice while it lasted, but we can't just stay like that...

"I'm so happy that I could see you both, again... Even if it is for one last time..."

"And we are overjoyed to have seen you after being gone for so long. I'm sure even Sidon was even more enthusiastic than me to see his sister again."

Mipha chuckled in response "Well, I'll probably need to get back to Ruta... Again, it was nice to see you both again after so long."

"Yes, you still have one final role to fulfill before you can finally rest. I know you're excited to finally help Link in the final battle."

Mipha nodded "Yes, and I'm sure the other champions are in the same boat as me, though, Link still needs to free them too, if they are going to do that."

Of course, my journey is far from over. I still need to help Daruk, Urbosa, and Revali with their Divine Beasts.

"Well, I'd like to thank you, Link. Not only have you helped our people with the threat of Divine Beast Vah Ruta, but you have also allowed me and Sidon to see our beloved Mipha one last time."

"Heh, it was nothing, really. I just needed Mipha to ask and I happily agreed to do this."

I then had a smug look on my face "I probably would have gotten here sooner, but she asked to spend some alone time with me..."

"Oh, don't act like you didn't like spending some time with me. You could have easily teleported here, but you decided to take the long way." Mipha said, playing along with me.

"Do you think it's easy for me to say no to you?"

"Nope, that's why I asked you to do it." Mipha said before giggling to herself.

Dorephan chuckled as me and Mipha flirted back and forth with each other.

"Even with the circumstances, it's really refreshing to see you both so open with each other again.

I'm happy that, even through death, you two can still express your love for each other."

Mipha then grabbed my hands and turned me to face her. She looked at me with her amber eyes and her warm smile.

Well, this feels familiar... It almost feels like...

I didn't even get a chance to process what was happening before Mipha suddenly kissed me. Oh... That's why...

I then reciprocated and kissed back, pulling Mipha closer to me. After a few minutes, we released from the kiss.

We both then looked at each other. I can almost feel her love radiating off of her spiritual form. This feeling... This love... I don't want to lose this feeling again...

Mipha then released her hold on me.

"Well... We should probably get going... You can put me back into the Trident now."

She may have let go, but I still held her in my embrace. I... I don't want this moment to end... Not yet...

"N- not yet... Can... Can we just stay like this for a little longer...?"

Not a word, and Mipha immediately went back to embracing me. She probably wanted me to say this.

...

For twenty minutes... Me and Mipha embraced each other without a word said between each other. I... I needed this...

Kissing her is always great, but being able to just... Hug her... Hold her this close... Being able to just... Relax in her arms... I can't get enough of this feeling...

While we still held our embrace, Sidon smiled and left the throne room. Well, it was still very late. Me and Mipha HAVE been hugging each other for about an hour now.

Finally, I believed that it was time to move on. I led my hands along Mipha's arms, which were still held around me, and held her hands.

"Alright... I believe I'm ready, Mipha."

Mipha looked back at me and smiled.

"Alright. If you are, then hold out the Trident."

I then pull out the Lightscale Trident. Before Mipha disappeared into her Trident, she looked back at her father.

"Goodbye father. I just want you to know... I have always followed my heart. And even when this is all over, I'll still be able to look over the domain, even from the afterlife."

Dorephan nodded and shed a small tear as Mipha said goodbye to him.

Mipha then disappeared, leaving her spiritual flames behind, which entered the Lightscale Trident.

I then said goodbye to Dorephan and left the throne room. Well, it is time to bring Mipha back to Ruta.

I click on the icon for Ruta and teleport to it. Not long later, I am already at the mountain where Ruta is stationed.

I walk to Ruta and Mipha comes back out of her Trident.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to my request, Link."

"Of course, Mipha. I really enjoyed having your company as well."

"Well, as a thank you gift, I am allowing you the ability to use my Trident for a longer time. Now you get to use my Trident for three minutes at a time."

Wow, that's actually really good. Now I have triple the time fighting with the Trident.

"Thank you, Mipha. This will surely make battles a lot easier."

"It is my pleasure. It warms my heart that I can provide use to you."

Mipha then quickly kisses my cheek "Finally, thank you for that hug... It felt very nice..."

"If things were different, I would have probably gone for longer, maybe until the morning."

Mipha chuckled as I said this "Yes, I could honestly do that forever... It's just... I wish we could have been together..."

"I wish that, too... But we can lament on that another time. Right now, we have some payback to commence."

"Yes, we will annihilate Ganon together. That is something I'll be looking forward to."

"Say... Now this has me thinking... When we do defeat Calamity Ganon... Will that mean that you and the other champions will move on from this world?"

Mipha thinks for a moment, having her hand rub the back of her head. I... I hope this doesn't mean...

"I honestly do not know... Maybe once you free more of the champions, me and them will come to an answer."

All I could respond to this was a nod. I really shouldn't focus on this. I need to continue on my journey to free the Divine Beasts.

When I said my goodbyes to Mipha, I continued exploring around the Lanayru region. Now, I was looking around for the korok seeds around the region.

After a few days of exploring, I had gathered several korok seeds, but there was probably more that I needed to find.

It was getting pretty late, but I don't usually rest, mainly because I don't need it. But this time, I felt like taking a bit of a break and picking it up in the morning.

I set up a campfire close to a waterfall east of the East Reservoir and rested by it for the night.

*     *     *

Well, going through this region has definitely been an eventful experience. So much has happened in only a matter of days...

"Something on your mind, Link?"

This sudden voice caught me off guard. I didn't expect anyone to be here.

The voice then giggled "Relax, silly. It's just me."

I then looked to my side and Mipha suddenly appeared. What?! I thought Mipha was supposed to be with Ruta!

"What are you doing here?!"

"Oh, is that how you're going to greet me...?" Mipha teased me.

"I just... Didn't expect to see you. I thought you were supposed to be stationed at Ruta."

"I am, but since I have a small part of me within my Trident, I can still be with you on your travels.

However, I only have a limited amount of time to be here compared to fully possessing my Trident."

"Well, that's kind of unfortunate... How long can you even be here for?"

"Well, let's just not think about that... Let's just say that it's long enough to pass the night." Mipha said in a slightly flirtatious tone.

Heh, guess the last few meetings weren't enough for her... Not that I'm complaining. I could use the company.

"However, I am only going to limit these visits for when you're resting up. Other than that, you need to focus on your journey, so I won't be able to visit."

Well, at least I'll still get to see Mipha from time to time. I guess this means I'll be able to see the other champions when I free them too.

"I do wonder, though... How do you know when I'll be resting by a campfire when you're at Ruta?"

"Well, I recently discovered that I could watch over you as I have a part of me within my Trident."

Well, at least she won't just be restricted to just Ruta, still.

"So, since this is not long after our last meeting, there really isn't much for me to talk about..."

"That's alright. We can still enjoy each other's company. I know that you won't complain."

I chuckled "No. No I will not... I'll always appreciate your company."

With that, for the rest of the night, me and Mipha remained quiet by the campfire.

As I sat on the ground, staring into the night sky, I felt something press down on my left shoulder.

I looked to my left and noticed that Mipha was leaning her head on my shoulder. Heh... She's... Really adorable when she does stuff like this...

I rest my head on top of her's and put my left hand around Mipha. Sigh this is nice...

*     *     *

When morning finally came around, Mipha woke me up from my rest before fading away, not saying a word.

I just want to savor every moment I have with her... Even with her being a spirit, it just feels like she is still alive, albeit a little cold.

Well, I take a couple more days to acquire the remaining korok seeds within the Lanayru region. There were about 60 to collect.

Just how many am I supposed to collect?! I'm already investing way too much time collecting these, but I can't just stop now.

I then teleport to the stable that is close to Kakoriko Village and get Epona back by my side. Time to go exploring again.

I head back through the dualing peaks and towards where I left from the Great Plateau.

Hmm... I kind of want to get that tower close to that coliseum. I believe it is the tower for the central part of Hyrule.

I won't explore the region fully, much like the Hateno region, because... I am NOT ready for Hyrule Castle yet...

I'll go ahead and get the tower and get a couple of other things before deciding where I want to go next.

There seemed to be a fork in a road where that coliseum is located. I took a right so I could get to the tower.

On my way to the tower, I noticed that there was a shrine pretty close by. Well, I can do this really quick, won't hurt to get done.

As I enter the shrine, I noticed that there was a big door with a giant ball hanging from something. Seems I need to hit the door with it.

I used Magnesis to see if I could move it this way. Seems like there is a metal ball at the top of the chain, so this could work.

I grab the metal ball and move it around so that that the ball at the bottom of the chain would swing at the door to get it open.

My next obstacle was a few spike balls rolling down a path that blocks my way. Magnesis made this pretty easy.

There seemed to be some guardian scouts next, so I had to deal with them before moving on. After dealing with them, I noticed a chest in the corner.

Edge of Duality

Attack: 50

Wow... That is... Really strong. Way stronger than most of the weapons I have right now. I'll have to save this for later.

I then noticed that there was some leaves that led to a wooden platform holding a giant boulder. There was also a torch above the leaves.

I shot the rope holding the torch, which dropped it and burned the leaves, which also burned the platform.

The boulder then rolled down and struck a door, allowing me to continue. I then found another chest that had a Knight's broadsword, which was another decent weapon.

Next, there were two more guardian scouts in my way. This time they had spears. This didn't really change much as they weren't much of a challenge to begin with.

When I moved on, there was a gap with a platform that didn't seem safe to stand on. I have a feeling like it'll tilt if I land in it.

I stasis it and just get across. I don't want to risk falling off of this.

My next obstacle seemed to be one of those apparatus puzzles. This time, my sheikah slate controlled a hammer that would strike a metal ball, which would hit another boulder.

After hitting the ball a few times to break some boxes, I was able to roll the boulder down to hit the next door.

There was a chest by the door which contained an ancient core. Well, that's a pretty good find.

The next puzzle had another one of those ramps that could probably tilt with too much weight.

There also seemed to be a wooden platform that had a boulder on it. Well, there was a lit torch, so I could light one of my arrows and burn it from there.

The boulder seemed to not be able to get across the gap, but it also keeps getting dropped from a dispensary above the ramp.

There was a switch that I could stand on, which rose the ramp. This wasn't able to get the boulder across if I just stood on it.

I managed to time this and the boulder was able to get to across. However, the platform tilted, which made the boulder fall.

I did the same timing, this time I used stasis on the platform, and I was able to get the boulder across and open the door.

Finally, I was led back to where the second pair of guardian scouts were, however, I was behind a gate, which I couldn't get past at the time.

I stepped on a switch that opened the gate. There was this object that could probably open the final door.

I used stasis and hit it enough for it to move across and hit the door.

The last thing to do was somehow get up to where the monk was. There was a strange tile and a glowing object.

I stood on the tile and hit the object. I barely got the chance to react before getting launched into the air.

I could get the monk now, but I remember seeing a chest as well. I glide down to it and open it. It held a diamond in it!

Well, good thing I checked. Well, now I can finally complete the shrine.

Well, that's another shrine down. I believe I'm making some good progress on these. Now, I should probably focus on getting the tower.

When I looked out to see what I was going to face, my fear started to rise... There were several guardians around the tower, even one that goes through the path around the tower.

Well, at least three of these guardians seem to be stationary, so they can't move. Still, this will definitely prove to be pretty difficult to do.

I glide down to the base of the tower. The guardians seem to have spotted me and are trying to target their lasers at me.

Those guardians may take a long time to charge up those lasers, which makes it easy to parry, but I can't underestimate them as those lasers are very powerful.

Before I start climbing the tower, I hide behind some rubble to get the guardians to stop targeting me.

My map actually indicated where the guardians that are targeting me are located. Seems they're indicated by a flashing red dot on the map.

After waiting a few seconds, the dots disappear, which means that the guardians lost their focus on me.

I then quickly started the climb up the tower. The structure of it seemed to be the same as the tower on the Great Plateau.

Immediately, the guardians tried to target me with their lasers again. I really needed to be quick with this if I wanted to get out of this unscathed.

Luckily for me, the small areas I could rest on the tower could also be used as shields. The guardians couldn't keep their focus when I was behind these.

Still, even when I have safe spots from the guardians, this is still a pretty stressful situation that I'm in.

After rushing my way up the tower and positioning myself properly before taking breaks, the guardians couldn't shoot even one laser at me.

Finally, when I got to the last platform, it seemed like the guardians couldn't target me anymore. I could just climb at my own pace again.

Well, now that I'm at the top of the tower, I could finally get the map of the central part of Hyrule.

Now that I have the map, I can probably explore for a bit. Now that I think about it, there is a memory that I need to get that's pretty close to Hyrule Castle.

It isn't actually in Hyrule Castle, but I know that it won't be easy to get to the location if I'm seeing guardians this far from the castle.

I can tell that it's in front of the gates to the town, so this will probably be simple to locate.

I jump off the tower and glide towards the location of the memory. Like I expected, some of the stationary guardians saw me and targeted me.

I could try to parry their beams, but I don't want to risk getting hit by those beams. I doubt any of my shields could even survive a hit from those beams either.

I could probably just get Epona and ride to the location, but I'm not going to risk her life against any guardians.

Besides, I'll just teleport back to the shrine near the tower and I could get to Epona very easily. I'd have to ride all the way back if I were to take Epona there.

I noticed a cluster of trees that were around the area for the memory. Well, I just got to get the memory and get back.

I noticed that there were two of those mobile guardians patrolling around the area... I need to be careful... When I saw that no guardians could see me, I made my way to the center of the area.

Now, it was time to get another memory, though, I hope I am given enough time to get out of here when I do remember this.

The headache returns, albeit, not as strong as when I remembered Mipha. None of these normal memories will come close to what I felt remembering her...

*     *     *

The memory starts with Zelda inspecting a shrine. If I'm remembering correctly, Zelda was trying to inspect this shrine on her own without me being there.

Zelda tried to use the sheikah slate on the pedestal for the shrine, but nothing would activate.

"Nothing, just as I thought.

Hmm... It appears that the structure was designed to be exclusively accessed by the sword's chosen one. But designs can always be worked around, at least I hope. How do I get inside...? I need to activate it somehow."

Suddenly, a horse could be heard from  the  distance. The memory then panes over and it seems that I have arrived with Epona.

Zelda seemed to be pretty annoyed that I was here. I guess me constantly following her as her escort was pretty annoying.

"I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort it seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own. I, the person in question, am fine... Regardless of the king's orders.

Return to the castle. And tell that to my father, please." Zelda said as she started walking back to her horse.

As Zelda walked back, I did the same too as I left Epona near her horse.

Suddenly, Zelda turned around and, in a very annoyed tone "And stop following me!"

Wow... That was kind of... Aggressive of her...

The  memory then ends as Zelda starts walking away to her horse.

*     *     *

As I regain my consciousness, I am reminded that this is not a place I want to stay in. I get the shiekah slate out and I teleport out of there to the shrine by the tower.

Now that I'm back in relative safety, I could probably start searching for another shrine to do.

I got on Epona and rode back where I came from. I want to check the other side of this region, just to see if there is anything before getting too close to the castle.

Good thing I checked. There was actually a stable on this side of the region! That also means another shrine.

Well, I believe I'll do this and leave exploring this area to a much later date. This is probably the only bit of civilization that is in this region.

I get to the shrine and quickly go down. I just hope this shrine isn't as long as the one I just did before getting to the tower.

Luckily for me, this shrine was actually the shortest one that wasn't a blessing shrine.

All I needed to do was use three metal boxes and get to the monk. These weren't enough on their own, but I managed to get a metal platform too.

This was enough for me to get to the monk. Now that's another spirit orb for me.

Sigh it's getting a bit late, so I should probably get some rest... Good thing I made it to the stable.

I went into the stable and got myself a bed for the night. The beds weren't that bad either. I noticed that I had curtains around the top of the bed.

I guess I could have some privacy when I sleep. I close the curtains and I lay on the bed and go to sleep.

As I rested on my bed, I heard something outside of the curtains. However, I was too tired to search, let alone, open my eyes.

However, I felt something cold press against my whole body. I have a feeling that I know what, or rather, who this is...

I then wrapped my arms around this presence and felt myself relax...

Chapter Text

After a relaxing night at the inn, I got out of my bed and got ready to head out. I feel pretty refreshed after that...

Heh... I know that Mipha appeared while I slept... I guess she just couldn't help herself when it came to just... Appearing and... Sleeping with me...

Goddess, I love her...

Well, I should probably decide which Divine Beast I want to free next. Hmm... How about the one in the Southwest of Hyrule?

Yeah, I think I'll go clockwise for the order I do the Divine Beasts. Hopefully the next area won't be as hard to traverse, like the Lanayru region.

I get out of the stable and get on Epona to get out of the Central Hyrule region. I should probably go back to where I passed the coliseum.

While I was on my way there, I noticed that a thunderstorm had started. This didn't affect me much, but I did need to switch to non metal weapons. I don't want to get struck by lightning.

After a few minutes, I made it back to that fork in the road between the coliseum and the Great Plateau.

This time, I'm going to go forward through this path between these places. When going down this way, I made it to another fork in the road.

I could either go forward or go left. Well, it seems I do need to go down to the left to get to the Divine Beast that I'm aiming for.

Well, it wouldn't hurt to see what is down the other way first. I then made my decision and kept going forward.

Seems like not going down the path to the left has allowed me to find another stable! This means I can get another spirit orb.

After checking out the stable, I make my way up the hill to the shrine to complete it.

Once I got inside, I noticed that this seemed to be another pretty short shrine. This whole room seemed to be the whole shrine.

There seemed to be a locked door blocking my way. I then noticed one of those mechanisms that I could hit.

I hit it with an arrow, which made the entire wall turn upwards, with the wall now facing upwards. This revealed an orb, which I put on the other side where the wall was.

Before I hit the mechanism again, I noticed that there was a path on the left side of the wall. A walk over and noticed a chest.

Looking inside, I noticed that it had a key! Now I can unlock that door on the wall.

I then shoot the mechanism, which makes the wall move back to its original position. I then use the key and unlock the door.

I throw the orb into this pocket area next to the mechanism and hit it again. This made the orb roll into one of those holes that activate whatever they're connected to.

This time, it activated a pillar that would shoot me into the air, helping me to the monk.

Well, that was a pretty easy shrine. Good, I don't need to take so long doing just one shrine.

Hmm... I can definitely get a couple upgrades with how many shrines I have been doing. Well, I'll go ahead and wait until I get to another goddess statue to redeem these orbs.

Before continuing, I stopped by the stable to cook some food in preparation for my next journey.

Okay, I might have went a little overboard and cooked so much food, it has gotten pretty late. Well, I should probably wait until morning to actually start traversing this new region.

I sit by the pot and wait like I usually do next to a campfire.

* * *

Okay, tomorrow, I will start heading for my next Divine Beast. Hmm... From the looks of my map, this region might be the polar opposite to the Lanayru region.

I then noticed familiar flames appearing beside me. Heh, looks like Mipha wants to speak with me, again.

"Hello, Link."

"Hey, Mipha. What's having you come visit me this time?"

"Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. I hope you liked that thing I did last night."

Ah, yes... How could I forget?

"You really wanted to do that, didn't you?" I said with a smirk on my face.

Mipha only giggled, blushing while she did so. Did she not expect me to respond like that?

"So, have you figured which Divine Beast you'll head for, next?"

"Well, I could probably show you where I'm going." I say as I pull out the map of my shiekah slate.

I show her the map that I have, explaining where the general important areas I have explored were.

"Ah, I understand. It seems you're heading towards the Gerudo region. That's where Urbosa is!"

Urbosa... I think I remember her being mentioned in the memories I had of Mipha.

"Do you think that I will get a memory similar to what I had with you. As in, will I just remember everything about Urbosa at some point."

"I'm confident that she will give you a memory similar to mine. Though, I'm not sure how much or little that you are going to remember."

Well, I should probably expect something like that again. Though, I'm not expecting to feel the same way about Urbosa's memory as I had for Mipha's. That's a given.

"Well, what do you think of Urbosa? What should I expect her personality to be like?"

"Oh, well, she's very great to be around! She has a sort of... Mother-like tone in the way she speaks. Well, that's how I remember speaking with her.

But don't let that fool you, she is a very fierce warrior when in battle. If it wasn't for me being as strong as I was, I don't think I could keep up with her."

Wow, well that's nice to know. I'm already pretty excited to actually remember Urbosa.

"Sigh I wish I got to interact with her more... But we lived so far apart and the Gerudo region really isn't somewhere a Zora could go."

Well, I guess there really isn't that much water in this area, then. The Zora are an aquatic race, after all.

For the rest of the night, Mipha and I stared at the fire, enjoying the night sky with each other.

* * *

Morning arrived and I said my goodbyes to Mipha before heading back to Epona. Once I got back on Epona, we turned around and started heading back where we came from.

When I made it back to that fork in the road, I took the turning path and went down that way. On the path, I went past some moblins, but I didn't kill them, they aren't worth the effort.

I then crossed a couple bridges leading to over a pond. My shrine sensor was buzzing, but I'll get it another time.

I then saw a big enemy sleeping in the middle of this big area. I could probably just get by it without fighting it, but I haven't gotten experience fighting one of these things, so it wouldn't hurt to try.

Besides, this thing doesn't look nearly as threatening as that Lynel from Ploymus Mountain.

I get off of Epona and approach the sleeping enemy. Even during the day, this thing still sleeps.

As I approach, it seems to have heard my footsteps, as it gets up from its sleep.

I am then informed that this thing is called a Hinox. It's almost like a gigantic sized bokoblin or moblin.

As soon as it got up, I immediately noticed this thing's weakness: it's eye.

I drew my bow and shot the Hinox's eye. This made it cover its eye in pain and allowed me to hit it many times.

This thing even had weapons around its neck like a necklace, so I grabbed those too.

The fight was fairly simple, but this thing was pretty tanky, so it took a bit for me to take it down.

After finally taking the Hinox down, a lot of different things dropped, including guts, toenails, and cooked food, ew...

Well, that seems to be the only thing blocking the way to the Gerudo region, so it's time for my journey for my next Divine Beast.

* * *

...

Heh ... This presence...

I had almost forgotten what this felt like...

Link... It's been far too long since we last spoke.

We have much to catch up on.

Hang on,  Naboris , help is finally here.

* * *

After I crossed the last bridge, I immediately felt that there was a change in weather.

It felt... Dry... It felt warm. This was the complete opposite of what the Lanayru region felt like.

For about half an hour, I rode Epona through this canyon. There were a lot of enemies that were outside of the path, but I didn't bother trying to face most of them.

There was a shrine that I saw on the path, so I decided to do it. Wouldn't hurt to get another shrine.

This shrine wasn't actually that complicated. It just had three puzzles where I had to get an orb into those holes to activate doors.

Two of them, I had to shoot the orb into the hole, one of them having guardian scouts blocking it.

The last one had me maneuver through lasers with the orb and get it to the other side. This was the longest part, but it was still easy.

After that, the shrine was basically done, so that was another spirit orb acquired.

After getting back outside, I got back on Epona and continued through the canyon. At least there's shade in between, because it's starting to get pretty warm.

After about an hour of traveling on horseback, I finally made it to a stable, which seems to also be the end of this canyon.

Well, that's definitely a desert if I've ever seen one. So this is why it's pretty warm in this region. I guess I can also see why Mipha wouldn't be able to come here.

I should probably get to the shrine and try to find the tower while I'm here. I don't want to traverse a desert without some sort of map.

I rode up to the shrine by the stable, which was up a hill. I should probably do this shrine too. It's just another shrine that I won't need to worry about doing.

In this shrine, it seemed to show me the properties of electricity, mainly in these metal orbs emitting electricity.

I placed one, which was offered at the start of the shrine, on one of these switches that needed electricity to activate, which opened a gate.

The next room had me retrieve another one of these orbs and bring it to another switch. This activated a conveyor, which was not able to be walked on as a cube was on it.

The cube fell and created a path forward to a chest. This chest had one of those keys, which allowed me to go into the next room.

The last puzzle had me using Magnesis to move objects in the water to conduct electricity to the other side.

Again, this was a pretty simple shrine, but I can bet there are going to be more difficult shrines later on.

Once I got outside I went back to Epona and rode even further up the hill. I believe I'll be able to find the tower for this region from a better height.

When I got to the end of the path, there was a Lizalfo that tried to strike me by surprise, as it was hidden.

This time, the Lizalfo seemed to be yellow, it also seemed to have electricity coursing through it as its horn seemed to be electrified.

It also seemed to have double the health of the blue lizalfos as well, so it took a bit to defeat it.

After defeating that electric Lizalfo, the only way up seemed to be through a ladder. This meant that I needed to leave Epona here.

I go up a couple ladders and fight a blue moblin. It was a little awkward to fight this thing as the platform it was on was pretty thin.

Even with this disadvantage, I had little issues as my weapons were powerful enough to defeat the moblin relatively quickly.

Again, I continued to climb until I reached the top. However, this seemed to not even be the halfway point.

I can finally see the tower, now, but it's still pretty high up. I still have a ways to go.

On my way to the tower, I fought a few more moblins, along with these electrified chu chu. I've encountered chu chu before, but they really aren't much of an issue.

I already learned how to properly deal with these too. If I'm up close and if they're in an elemental state, I need to wait for them to attack me, so it's safe to defeat them.

For a couple hours, I slowly, but surely made my way up to the tower, defeating many monsters on the way there.

Finally, I made it to the tower. It seemed to be surrounded by mud... I doubt I'll be able to just swim there.

The tower didn't even seem to have that many platforms that I could rest on. I think I only see two levels.

I do see these stone pillars, however. If I could knock those down, I believe I could reach the tower from there.

I noticed that there were some metal boxes around the area. I believe I could knock the pillars down with one of these.

Luckily, I can still use cryonis on the mud, so I could use it to elevate myself a little.

When I was close enough, I grabbed the metal box and struck the first stone pillar. This had a domino effect and it knocked over the rest of the pillars.

This allowed me to finally get to the tower of the region. This one seemed to be called the Gerudo Wasteland Tower.

After getting the map, I immediately noticed how... Hot it really is... Wow... The canyon really did block the heat...

I immediately pulled out my shiekah slate and teleported back to the shrine next to the stable.

Once I got to the stable, I boarded Epona. I'm likely not going to be able to use Epona while I'm here.

After boarding Epona, I make my way into the desert, starting my journey to free my next Divine Beast.

After exiting the canyon, I immediately noticed that there were two sand storms to my left and right. There did seem to be a couple settlements in front of me, so this wasn't bad.

I am immediately affected by the heat of the desert... If I can't get to the settlement ahead soon, I'll take a lot of damage just from the heat...

After an hour of walking, I finally made it to the settlement. However, before I could see what this place was called, I heard a loud cry, stopping me in place.

* * *

Naboris... Please... You need to calm down...

...

I know you can hear me... And I know you aren't acting like yourself...

You haven't been so since that... Blight took over...

...

Please Link... You may not be able to hear me...

But you need to help Naboris...!

* * *

I guess that was the Divine Beast that made that cry. It's just like what happened with Vah Ruta.

Well, I finally got the name of this settlement. This is called Kara Kara Bazaar. It seems to actually be a nice temperature here.

However, there doesn't seem to be a shrine near here... Well, I guess I'll just talk with the people here.

* * *

Hmm... After talking with a couple of the merchants here, the main settlement, Gerudo Town, is not allowing any of them in. Apparently because they have a "no men" rule.

Well, that's pretty inconvenient... I'll likely have to get in there if I want to help free the Divine Beast in this region.

While walking around, I then noticed that this place might actually be a place for one of my memories.

I looked at the pictures in my shiekah slate. Yes, this was indeed a location...

After looking at the Bazaar for a bit, my head starts to hurt. Well, here we go again...

* * *

The memory starts off with me being pretty far away from Kara Kara Bazaar. It seems I was coming in a hurry...

I seemed to be ready to attack too. I had my sword out while  I ran as fast as I could.

The memory then panes to Zelda, who seems to be running towards the Bazaar. She definitely seems to be panicking, what was she running from?

Then, two individuals run in front of Zelda's path. Hmm... I remember seeing these people before... Ah! The Yiga Clan!

Three Yiga Clan members seem to be attacking Zelda. It's very obvious what their intent was with their  sickles ...

Zelda tripped and fell, leaving her open for the Yiga Clan members to attack.

One slowly approached her, confident that she is helpless, now. Before they could strike her, I quickly slashed the sickle right out of the member's hand, leaving a slash mark on them.

This coincidentally made the Yiga Clan member fall back. Well that was pretty easy.

I readied my blade to the other two Yiga members, who were very hesitant to approach me.

The memory ends with Zelda staring at me in awe. She seems shocked that I came to her rescue.

* * *

Well, it seems, this time, I actually got a memory that connected with the location I found.

Hmm... Now there is one last thing I am wondering about... About the information I gathered from Kara Kara Bazaar...

How am I going to get into Gerudo Town?

Chapter Text

Gerudo Town... If what I have been told about the town is true, how am I going to get inside? I can't get in if I'm a male...

Well, I should probably at least go over there to see for myself. I do also see a shrine there as well.

Before heading out, I bought a few fruit call hydromelons, which give heat resistance when cooked.

After I cooked the hydromelons, I ate the meal, which gave me a few hours of heat resistance, about four and a half hours.

After eating this meal, I made my way through the desert to Gerudo Town. If anything, at least I'll have a shrine to teleport to.

It took about an hour, but I managed to get all the way to Gerudo Town. There were a few monsters that got in my way, but they weren't much of an issue.

Before anything, my first instinct was to check out the shrine just outside the village.

Once I got into the shrine, there seemed to be a large emitter of electricity. There seemed to be two different halves of the room that needed the electricity to be guided.

I started on the left side of the room, which seems to have two metal objects locked away.

At the beginning of the shrine, I was given a metal barrel and a metal cube. I'll probably need to get the other two objects before starting on the right side.

The gates opened once I connected electricity to the door, which made it open. I managed to get another barrel and a chest that held a thunder blade.

After getting these metal objects out, I went to the right side of the room and connected the electricity to another, bigger gate that contained another metal cube.

After getting the cube out, I noticed that there was electricity coursing close to the right side of the door to the monk.

I put both the cubes on both sides, which made the electricity connect to two lights on the side of the gate to the monk, which opened the gate.

I'm glad I'm getting all of these easy shrines. Once I get to a goddess statue, I'll be able to get a good amount of heart containers.

Once I get out of the shrine, I noticed someone looking over the wall that goes around Gerudo Town.

I remember the merchants at Kara Kara Bazaar mentioning their leader researching the "no men" rule for Gerudo Town.

I asked the guards at the front, and it seems this rule is actually a tradition, which they follow this tradition very strictly.

It seems like what those merchants have said was, I won't be able to get in just because I'm a male.

How am I going to get inside? Well, I guess I can speak with the merchant leader.

"Oh, I was so focused just now... Do you have business with me?"

"Um, are you spying, or something?"

"What?! N- no! I'm not a spy! I'm a merchant! I may not look like it, but I'm actually the leader of a caravan!

I've traveled all the way here, but this town doesn't allow men to go in. So... That's why I... Had to... Um..."

"Are you spying?" I repeat myself.

"It's research! RESEARCH! And think what you want, but I finally found some key info on how to sneak into Gerudo town!"

"What info?"

He then laughs to himself "Well, allow me to share with you... My heroic tale!

It's been close to a week now.... The guards have kicked me out more times than I can count... I almost gave up...

HOWEVER!! I have learned only recently of a man that slipped into this well- guarded town!

I heard that man is frequently traveling between Kara Kara Bazaar and Gerudo Town. I've been waiting here, trying to spot him as he travels!"

Well, I guess I should go back to Kara Kara Bazaar and see if I can find... Whoever that merchant just described is.

I went back to Kara Kara Bazaar and asked around to see if anyone knows about this person.

Well, after asking around, I believe the information I have been given leads me to the top of the inn.

There were a few ladders leading up to the top. Once I got to the top, I noticed some standing there.

"Oh, my. What a lovely young lad you are. Do you need something from me?"

From the looks of "her" I can probably already come to a conclusion, but I need to know...

"Um, sorry to bother you, but have you seen a suspicious merchant around here? He seems to be able to sneak into Gerudo Town without trouble."

"What's that? You've heard about a man who snuck into Gerudo Town? Oh, I don't know anything about him... Sorry I couldn't be more help."

I study her face. You aren't fooling me... I can see that beard.

"Heehee... You're making my cheeks warm looking at me like that."

Sigh I don't think I should call him out. Guess I'll just go along with it.

"You're very beautiful!"

"Oh, such a nice thing to say! And I'm sure you'd agree that these clothes only help my looks, right?

Now that I think about it, this style would look quite fetching on you... I'd have to charge you, of course, but I bet people would see you completely differently if you wore them!

What do you think? Do you want to buy them for... 600 rupees?"

Yeesh... That's a bit expensive for me... Well, I can't just decline now.

"Sure, I'll take them!"

"It's a deal, then! I'll take your rupees now."

Just like that, 600 rupees are now gone...

"Heehee... I have the perfect outfit for you! Go ahead and change into it right now. Don't worry. I'll look away..."

After a couple minutes, I changed into the outfit that he gave me.

"Eeeeee! You look adorable!! Ahhh heeheehee... Just as I thought! You make for quite a good-lookin' gal. That's a traditional Gerudo outfit.

It's such a striking look around here, I doubt anyone would even suspect that you're a man! On top of that, it breathes so well that it's sure to help you deal with the desert heat... At least a little!

I'm so glad I was able to help you out. If you're free to grab something to eat sometime, keep me in mind..."

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, which made the face mask he was wearing come off, at least one side of it. I was mainly shocked if the sudden reveal, and not the fact he was a man.

"... Heh .. make sure you watch out for the wind."

Sigh I just facepalm.

"If you want to get more lady's clothes, come back anytime..."

Yeah, no. That was a very weird sentence to end that conversation off with.

Sigh I really hope this works if it doesn't, that's 600 rupees wasted. Well, at least this set actually grants me some heat protection.

Well, it was getting a little late, so I sat by the pot and waited for the morning.

*     *     *

Ugh... It's pretty cold outside, now... I guess that's to be expected in the desert... It'll be cold at night, but hot during the day.

Unfortunately, it seems Mipha decided to pay a visit again... Why did I have to keep these clothes on.

"Hello Li-..." Mipha paused her sentence when she saw me.

"Sigh... Don't even ask..."

Mipha then laughed as she realized it was me.

"Oh Lanayru, Link. I almost didn't recognize you."

"I have no idea if I should be flattered or not..."

"Is this for, let me guess, getting into Gerudo?"

I blush as I speak "I have no other option..."

"Oh, don't give me that. I think it looks great on you. You'll be able to fit right into that town."

"Well, I guess I'm feeling a little more confident that I'm making progress, even when I have to dress as a woman to do that."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine. But let's just enjoy the night, anyway, shall we?"

I nod and both of us stare into the sky, enjoying the night sky with each other.

*     *     *

Once morning came, I said goodbye to Mipha and teleported to the shrine right next to Gerudo Town.

I walked to the entrance and it seemed the disguise actually worked! I'm able to walk in the entrance without a problem.

Wow, there was a lot to see here. There are many shops around the plaza area, maybe five or six different shops.

I noticed that one of those shops actually had the Gerudo Vai outfit. Yep, that was definitely the merchant. He basically got a 60 rupee profit by just reselling this outfit to me.

There was also two shops that interested me. One was an arrow shop with and abundance of different arrows.

The other shop sold different fruits. One in particular was a hearty durian. I remember the hearty radishes and truffles making full recovery meals, so being able to buy this kind of food is very nice.

Well, after exploring the shops a bit, I went to the back of the town, likely where the leader of the Gerudo is.

I walked into the room and noticed that a Gerudo warrior was guarding a child. I wonder why...

She then noticed me come in.

"Yet another traveler... How did you get in here?"

She then seems to notice something on me.

"It seems you have something rather interesting there..."

I come closer, but before I reach the steps, the guard taps her blade on the floor, indicating that I should listen.

"You stand before Lady Riju, chief of the Gerudo! Declare your business, but come no closer!"

"Hold on, Buliara... This one appears to be more than a common traveler. You there- what is your name?"

Shoot... How did I not think of a situation of my name being asked? Well, I can't think for too long, I'll look suspicious. I may as well just say my name...

"My name is Link."

"Link... And what is it you've come all the way here to tell me, Link?"

"Well, I can calm Divine Beast Vah Naboris."

Buliara interjects "You think you have what it takes to subdue something so powerful as a Divine Beast?

The only ones who could ever control them were Champions like Lady Urbosa. And all of the Champions died in the Calamity 100 years ago."

"Hmm... Buliara, a memory just jumped into my head- something my mother spoke of. When the Calamity happened, the princess of Hyrule placed a fallen swordsman into a deep sleep.

That swordsman, much like our new friend here, was named a Link... Though it only seemed more legend than fact."

"But, Lady Riju! Do those same stories not also say that the Hylian Champion carried a legendary sword? I see no such weapon in this person's care."

"They do indeed... If I recall correctly, it was called the sword that seals the darkness. The princess of Hyrule supposedly hit it away in the middle of a deep forest."

Hmm... I do remember that sword I carried in those memories. That sword... I still have yet to recall it's true name...

"What is the device on this one's hip? It appears to be a precious relic of the sheikah. I can't imagine they would give something so valuable to a simple drifter- can you?"

"... I don't remember ever hearing of a highly advise among the champions."

Uh oh...

"Wait a moment... You're a voe!"

Yep... There it is...

"A voe well there are walls is a great crime. But although who is the champion... Well, we'd never mistreat a friend of Lady Urbosa. And if you're here to help us with Naboris, then we are allies.

His side on your way to our town. Divine Beast Vah Naboris, cloaked in a massive sandstorm, hurling lightning at any who dare approach.

We have to do something to stop it, but we have yet to find any way to appease the Divine beast on our own.

If you truly are a champion, perhaps you will be able to enter Naboris and calm its anger."

Well, it seems like I didn't have to make much effort to get her on my side.

"Lady Riju! I don't see how you can trust a complete stranger with something as important as this task."

Well, I guess that's a good point too...

"Perhaps if this person were first to prove his worth by recovering your stolen thunder helm..."

"Ah, yes... An interesting suggestion. 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."

Ah, well that's something we should probably have before going to the Divine Beast.

"You needn't worry, Lady Riju. If he truly is a champion, this should be an easy task for him. Our soldiers can tell you all you need to know about the thieves who stole lady Riju's heirloom.

Head through this arch. It will lead you to the barracks. Then, seek out Captain Teake, and ask for a full report."

"Without my heirloom, you'll never be able to approach Naboris. Heh, you know... I take hearts in having such a rare visitor as yourself. Lady Urbosa must be looking out for us."

Well, I hope she is. Well, I should probably head to get some info on the thieves.

Once I got to the barracks, I searched for the captain of the Gerudo warriors.

I did notice, however, that the warriors seemed to be ranked. The ones that wore blue seemed to be the lowest ranked soldiers. Green was higher.

I then noticed one overlooking the soldiers. She happened to be wearing red. This must be her!

"What are you doing here?! This is the parrots for the Chief's guards, go to places for tourists to gather.

We're on high alert after the recent theft, so you should clear out."

"Hold on, I was actually sent here by Buliara to help with this situation."

"What? Buliara sent you? My apologies! I'm the officer in charge of the soldiers, Captain Teake. The Chief's heirloom was stolen by thieves belonging to the Yiga Clan the other day, so everyone is on edge...

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..."

The captain then looked to the other soldiers here.

"Hey, everyone! Listen up! This Hylian Vai has agreed to help us, so offer her any information you can!"

Right, I guess I will still be able to be seen as a Vai to the Gerudo. At least Buliara and Riju won't call me out.

"Consider yourself a part of our! If you have any questions, my troops will be happy to help."

Well, I believe I won't really need that information. Knowing the general location is enough for me.

After walking around the town for a bit, I actually found a goddess statue, so I was finally able to get a bit of upgrades.

After trading the spirit orbs I had in, I now had a total of 11 hearts. Making some good progress, that's for sure.

After walking around the town a bit more, I saw someone offering a service to register a sand seal.

Well, if these sand seals will help me get across the desert, it won't hurt to try.

The way that I ride these sand seals is actually pretty fun. I'd have a rope (somehow) attached to the sand seal and I'd get on my shield and let the seal drag me along through the sand.

I ended up using the sand seal to get all the way to the Valley that the captain was talking about. It took about an hour.

Going through the valley, I could definitely tell that this was where the Yiga Clan was stationed. There were little statues that had the Yiga symbol attached to them.

I eventually couldn't go any further with the sand seal, so I had to make my way on foot.

Immediately afterwards, I was ambushed by a Yiga foot soldier. Yes, this is definitely the place...

It didn't take much effort to defeat the soldier, so I continued.

When continuing further, I encountered more soldiers, one time, three tried to ambush me. However, they really don't really stand much of a chance against me.

I then seem to have made it to the entrance of the Yiga Hideout. There were many banners, but there we're any entrances.

Maybe if I burn one of the banners, it will reveal the entrance. I look at my map and shoot the banner that seems to go further into the shown map.

This actually seemed to be correct. This revealed a staircase into the actual hideout.

When getting in, I immediately noticed a Gerudo soldier captured in a cell. She told me that the guards patrolling the area are a lot stronger than any Yiga soldier.

When they see me, they will call every guard and ambush me. It seems I'll need to sneak around this time.

Well, it's a good thing that I bought this stealth set. At least those 1800 rupees will come in handy.

The first guard was pretty easy to get around, but the second one seemed to be guarding the door.

I then noticed some mighty bananas in on a platform that seemed very breakable.

I shot an arrow at the stick holding the platform up and made the bananas fall. This made the guard go to them, very enthusiasticly.

It was pretty funny to watch, but I need to be on my way. I noticed two ways that I could go. One was into the next room and the other was to a ladder.

I took the ladder up and noticed that this led to a massive stash of mighty bananas! Why would the Yiga Clan have so many?

Well, after I took the bananas, I then noticed I was above the next room. There seemed to be a lot more guards than the first room.

I then noticed a ladder on the other side of the room. If I could get there I could probably be set to finish this room.

I shot the platform with another set of bananas, which made the guard by the ladder move away.

I glided to the ladder and surprisingly didn't get caught. Now I had a height advantage.

I moved above where the guard that was at the end of the room was and threw down more bananas.

He didn't seem to question it and went to the bananas. This left the door open again.

As I made it past the door, it seems like that was actually the last guarded room.

There was a chest containing more mighty bananas and a few chests buried that contained some ore.

This seemed to be a dead end, but I noticed the wall glow when I used Magnesis to get the chests, which meant it was metal.

I was actually able to turn it and it revealed that it was a door.

When I walked in, I noticed how big this area was. There was also a big hole in the middle of the room. I can tell that this is where I'll find the leader.

"Hey!"

I then see someone appear right by me. Is this... The leader of the Yiga Clan?

"Who the heck are you? And what are you doing in my napping spot?!"

He then seems to analyze me a bit.

"Wait a minute... That thing on your hip... Is that... Could it be a sheikah slate? If it's a sheikah slate... Then that means...

Yeah, IT'S YOU! You're that Link guy I've been looking for! What luck! My scouts are out in the field looking high and low, but you just wander into my hideout!

Oh, excuse me. I haven't introduced myself yet."

Well, I guess I could probably guess from the assassins I've encountered before.

"I am the leader of the Yiga Clan. The strong! The burley!! The one!! The only!!!

MASTER KOHGA!!! Now, prepare yourself!"

Master Kohga then starts the battle by moving back and creating a barrier in front of him. He then makes a boulder appear above him, however, his barrier disappears.

I shot an arrow at him before he could throw the boulder. This made him lose focus on the boulder and it dropped right on Kohga.

This did a lot of damage and it actually made Kohga get stuck in the ground. While this was pretty funny, I took this chance to hit him a few times.

This actually made me realize that my hits were not doing that much damage. I barely do anything to him.

He then gets back up and does the same move again, which I shoot him and he drops a boulder on himself.

He then gets back up and moves to the center, above the giant hole. He then seems visibly annoyed, even when you can't see his expression.

He then summons two boulders beside him. He then starts spinning them around.

I shot another arrow at him when one was above him. This, again, made the boulder fall on him.

Doing this process another time, Kohga then goes back to the center and he looks visibly angered.

He then summons a big metal spike ball. This time, he doesn't lose his barrier. He then uses some form of his own Magnesis to move the ball!

I grab the ball with my Magnesis, which actually overpowers Kohga's. I then hit him with the spike balls, doing a lot of damage.

After doing this another time, Kohga was now defeated. Well, this didn't really take much effort at all.

Kohga then stood there, visibly exhausted.

"Who would've thought... I'd be done in like this... And by this guy, of all people!

You think I'm going to just let this stand?! Do you?!"

Man, this guy can't take a loss very well.

"Ahem I almost lost my temper there... Argh, what a pain... I can't go out this way. What to do, what to do..."

Kohga then seems to have thought "I got it...!"

Kohga then starts to laugh, a real maniacal one at that.

"I need to bust out my series moves... A secret technique taught by my mind father's mother's father! It will... Destroy you! This is the end!"

Kohga then focuses, making the ground shake a little. A massive ball then appears and lands on the ground.

"Ahahaha- uh... Huh. Maybe it's just a tad too big. Are you still over there? Well no matter. Pretty soon you'll be gone! And not just for my line of sight!"

As he continues to speak, the ball seems to roll backwards.

"Only the leader of the Yiga Clan... Can use this secret technique... It is... The ultimate..."

Kohga then starts to panic and slowly is backed to the edge of the hole. He then falls down with the ball too.

"Coward! I shall be remembered! The Yiga Clan will track you to the ends of Hyruuuule!"

There was then a loud crash, likely from Kohga reaching the bottom. Kind of makes me feel bad for the guy, even though he is an enemy.

Oh well, there was a chest that contained the thunder helm that suddenly appeared, so I took it and teleported out of the hideout.

I then put the Gerudo Vai outfit on and head back into Gerudo Town. Time to hand this to Lady Riju.

I noticed that Riju wasn't in her normal spot as only Buliara was there.

"If you are looking for Lady Riju, she's on the second floor. Normally people aren't allowed into her sleeping quarters, but she has given you permission it seems...

Be on your best manners. If she deems you to be a disturbance to her, it will not end well for you!"

Well, I should probably get going. I need to give this helm to Riju. Also, Buliara scares me sometimes with her passive aggressiveness.

I get to the second floor and see Riju there.

"I've been waiting for you... Oh, you needn't say a word. As chief of the Gerudo, I can sense the power of the heirloom flowing from you. I know that you've succeeded!

I am, as you have no doubt noticed, still but a child. The people look on me with nothing but warmth in their eyes, but even this brings me some pain, I must admit...

I've tried so hard to be worthy of their love, to be a worthy chief... And to prove to myself that I was worthy, too.

When my family heirloom was stolen, I felt as though a shadow had fallen over me..."

Riju then looks at me with a determined look.

"Yes, your arrival in the midst of all of this must be the work of Lady Urbosa... Now, please give me the helm."

I then handed Riju the thunder helm. She then puts it on.

"Um. How do I look?"

As I look at Riju, I get a familiar feeling... That helm... I feel like I've seen it before... Before actually getting it back.

My head starts to hurt again... This time... It felt as painful as the time I remembered Mipha... Suddenly, my vision fades...

Chapter Text

It seems like it's time for me to see my past with Urbosa. I wonder what my experiences with her were.

The memory seems to start at Hyrule Castle. Well, I guess it would make sense that I have no childhood memories here. The farthest me and my father, when he would take me on trips, would get is Kara Kara Bazaar.

This seems to be the time that King Rhoam gives me the task to challenge all of the champions.

"I will send letters to the champions to let them know of your arrival."

Wait, now that I think about it, how did I get into Gerudo Town? I shouldn't be allowed to enter.

"Wait, your highness, doesn't Gerudo Town have a "no men" law? How am I supposed to get in there?"

"Don't worry, just tell the guards your name and that you were sent by King Rhoam and the rest will do their work."

Sigh Well, I can't really find out if that is true until I actually get to Gerudo Town.

The memory then transitions to when I made it to Gerudo Desert. I seem to actually be at the front of Gerudo Town.

I walked to the entrance, which the guards blocked with their spears.

"Voe, state your name."

I guess that should have been the first sign that the message from the king had gotten to Urbosa. They would just ask me to turn back if this wasn't the case.

"Um, my name is Link."

The guards looked at each other and then back at me. "What is your reason for being here?"

These were two questions even I at the time didn't expect. But this definitely meant what I thought after the first question.

"I was sent here by King Rhoam to challenge Urbosa to a duel."

The guards then sighed and nodded "You may go through, but if you pull anything suspicious, you are immediately going out of town."

I nodded and thanked them before heading inside the town.

When I got to where Urbosa is, which was the same area where I met Riju, Urbosa was waiting.

Yeah, Urbosa is definitely what I would expect a Gerudo Chief to look like.

As I approached, I kneeled before her "Lady Urbosa."

"So you must be the Voe that I have heard much from the King. You already know our rule of no voe being allowed in this town, but today is going to be an exception."

Well, at least she confirmed that she made me the exception.

"I accept your challenge... Oh, how rude of me, I seem to have forgotten to ask your name. The King didn't include your name in the letter."

"My name is Link, Lady Urbosa."

"Thank you, now, you have come here to challenge me, correct?"

"Yes, I was given the opportunity to become a champion, but the king requested that I defeat all the champions in combat to do so. I have managed to defeat Revali and he recommended that I come here next."

Okay, so I seem to have defeated Revali at this point in time. But it also seems like Urbosa is the second champion that I will fight, so I haven't met Daruk yet.

"I see, so you were even able to defeat him. Well, I at least know that you are the real deal. Go outside to the central plaza and wait for me to get my things."

While waiting for Urbosa, I noticed that the town's citizens were gathering around the plaza, some guards were stationed in front of them to prevent them from going forward.

Urbosa leaped to the front of the stairs, her scimitar and shield ready for the fight.

The crowd cheered as they saw their chief. I can tell that both me and Urbosa were excited to see each other's skills.

Unfortunately, just as the fight started, the memory transitioned again.

Sigh Well, I was shown the interaction with Urbosa before the fight, unlike with Mipha's memory.

I managed to defeat Urbosa on my first try, which kind of surprised me, especially since Mipha defeated me four times with a lack in experience with her grass element.

*     *     *

Urbosa had actually allowed me to stay in Gerudo Town for the rest of the day, which I definitely appreciated her for.

Not long after the fight, Urbosa actually met with me when I was walking around the Town.

"Ah, Link. How has your time in Gerudo Town been?"

"Well, aside the looks I get from the guards, it's been very nice here."

"I'm glad."

"Say, other than to serve the people of Hyrule, why did you accept to become a champion?"

"Hm, I guess that's a reasonable question. Well, it was mainly for the safety of the princess."

"You mean Zelda?"

"Yes. This protection actually spans back to a promise I made with a dear friend of mine. The queen of Hyrule."

"Wow, so you basically knew Zelda for her whole  life?"

"Yes, I was friends with the queen for a long time. Oh, I should probably stop it there, I'd probably bore you with my little story."

Well, now I'm intrigued. It seems even my past self was interested, too.

"No, it's fine. You can keep going."

Urbosa sighed "Let's at least take this to a more... Quiet location. I make sure to keep more private conversations out of the Town."

I agreed and we went to the side of the Town.

"Now, I have known the queen for almost as long as she had been queen. I had come to the castle a few times and interacted with her. It didn't take long for us to be friends."

Well, I'm not surprised that this is how they formed their friendship.

"Not long after she had Zelda, she actually introduced her to me. Her little bird, was what she called her."

That's actually kind of cute...

"Her daughter had her mother's smile. Both of us were confident that she would grow up to be a wonderful queen."

Urbosa then sighed and her smile disappeared. I'm not liking where this is going...

"When Zelda was still but a child, her mother had past unexpectedly... Leaving her daughter behind."

That's what I thought... Something must have happened.

"I had visited Zelda a couple times over the years, not just to check on her, but to honor my friend and help her little bird spread her wings."

Wow, I have to admit, I really admire Urbosa. I knew I would like her.

"Wow, I really know what to say to that... But I believe that the queen is very happy that you are looking out for Zelda."

Urbosa chuckled at my response "That's very kind of you to say. I appreciate that you understand."

We talked a bit longer, maybe for about an hour. I got to know Urbosa pretty well.

"Well, I probably shouldn't keep you here too much longer. You need your rest for your travels."

"I guess we can end it there. It was nice speaking with you, Urbosa."

Urbosa nodded "Yes, I look forward to our potential alliance."

As we made our way back into town, Urbosa whispered to me "One more thing, please do not speak of what we have talked about to anyone. This was a private conversation, after all."

I nodded in agreement and the memory seemed to have transitioned again.

I seemed to be back at the castle. I believe this is actually the time that I informed King Rhoam that I have defeated the champions.

Just as I suspected, I was told that the champions were told to not go all out against me.

I was also, again, told that I had six months to prepare for my fight against the champions.

...

Now that I think about it... How did we even lose this badly to the calamity? That, I will never seem to understand.

The same process of my training and acquiring the royal weapons from my father played, except my meeting with Mipha.

Now, the memory skips to a point where I was already fighting in the champion gauntlet.

I seemed to have just beaten Revali, which Mipha was now healing.

"Another impressive display of combat from Link and the champions. Now, let's get someone that could give you a more fair fight." King Rhoam said.

Urbosa then stood up after the King stated this.

"Your next opponent will be Urbosa."

Like a bolt of lightning, Urbosa leaped into the air and crashed down in the middle of the arena at a terrifying speed.

I had to brace myself just from the pressure of the crash.

"I guess, aside from Mipha, the order I fight you guys is relatively the same as the order I did the first time, huh?"

"I guess so, which just leaves Daruk left."

I smirked to myself "After two fights, aside from your lightning, I finally get a fight that is a lot more fair with how my opponent fights."

Urbosa smirked too "It may be, but don't think I'll be any easier than those two."

The people of the coliseum cheered. They were obviously excited for the fight.

"Wow, so many people are watching us."

"And most of them are cheering you on, Link."

"Really?"

Urbosa laughed "Even though they came to see all of the champions in the arena, they still cheer you on because you are showing them that you are what they really came to see."

"Heh, maybe you're right."

Soon after, me and Urbosa got into position and we started the fight.

Both me and Urbosa clashed with each other at blinding speeds. Honestly, I'm surprised that I'm able to keep up.

Urbosa's attacks were fast, so fast that I was having trouble processing what was happening.

I could at least see that one attack that Urbosa used was being able to shoot bolts of lightning at me.

Even though these were attacks made of lightning, I was surprisingly able to dodge them, which also surprised Urbosa as well.

Timing my dodges, I managed to land a flurry rush on Urbosa, which knocked her back.

Obviously, this wouldn't affect Urbosa too much, as she continued to attack me with unrelenting slashes.

Urbosa charged a big attack with her sword, gathering lightning into it. She then launched a large slash of lightning.

I predicted this attack, so I ducked underneath. Unbeknownst to Urbosa, I seemed to actually hold my shield up.

After the slash went by me, I dashed towards Urbosa at an extremely fast speed. I seemed to go so fast, Urbosa couldn't even react.

I then speared Urbosa with my shield. The force from my attack was so strong, it sent Urbosa to the wall.

Even after that last attack, Urbosa only rubbed the back of her head in response. It seems she has yet to use her full power.

Urbosa then dashed to the center of the arena and had a serious expression on her face.

At the same time, the clouds above the coliseum, making it darken the area. Thunder could be heard as well.

"I guess I was really underestimating you, Link, but now, I will use everything I have." Urbosa says as she puts her shield away and raises her scimitar in the air.

Suddenly, lightning strikes Urbosa! However, this didn't seem to hurt Urbosa. It actually seem to help Urbosa.

Urbosa's body seemed to have electricity running throughout it. Her scimitar was glowing with electricity.

I knew that using my shield would be useless in this fight. I put my shield away as I definitely wouldn't be able to block any of Urbosa's attacks.

I then firmly grip my sword, readying myself for this difficult fight.

The lightning enhancement definitely enhanced Urbosa's speed as well. Urbosa moved so fast, I couldn't even get one flurry rush off.

Urbosa's strikes were fast and unpredictable. I could barely realize where Urbosa would strike next.

Many of her previous attacks were amplified as well, making it easier for Urbosa to hit me, which dealt a lot of damage.

Urbosa even showed that she knew how to parry without a shield. Well, I guess this is more of a counter, as if I struck her scimitar, she would hit me with a barrage of slashes.

The damage from this fight and the last two battles definitely seemed to take a toll on me. But I knew that this wasn't the time to quit or lose.

Urbosa then swung her scimitar, which stained a path of electricity. Lightning then struck the entire path, which would definitely do a lot of damage if I was in the way.

Urbosa did the same motion again, creating six paths in different directions. The paths were all struck by lightning at once.

Urbosa tried to dash at me while I was busy dodging the last attack, but I saw her coming and managed to land a flurry rush.

Even with electricity coursing through Urbosa, I somehow didn't get electrocuted.

The fight was actually somewhat even as both me and Urbosa both dealt heavy blows to each other. However, I seemed to have endured the damage better, as Urbosa seemed to not be taking the damage well.

With one last exchange in a clash, I only stumbled from Urbosa's hit, but Urbosa fell to the ground from mine.

I helped Urbosa up and she went back to where the champions were in the coliseum. I did notice, however, that I had a slash wound on my torso now. That's not good...

Then, the memory starts to transition again. I can probably imagine what my next memory with Urbosa will be.

As I suspected, the next memory seems to take place on the day that we become champions.

This time, however, seems to take place earlier in the day. It actually takes place in castle town in the morning.

I seemed to be walking towards the castle until I noticed Urbosa. She seemed to have a box that likely contained her champion garb.

"Ah, Sav'otta, Link. You're here early."

"Heh, yeah. Same for you."

I seemed to have a bit of a nervous tone when I said this. But it seems that Urbosa didn't notice this.

"Well, I actually arrived here last night. Once I got here, I slept at the inn for the night."

"Ah, well, I can see why you would come here early. You do live the farthest away from the kingdom."

"Well, I can't afford to miss an event like this."

"Yeah, today's finally the day."

"I see you're already ready for the ceremony. That tunic suits you well."

"Thank you."

Me and Urbosa talk for a bit more. But it seems Urbosa has finally caught on to my change in tone.

"Link, is something the matter? I can't help but notice that you seem hesitant to talk."

"Oh, um... Sigh I guess I couldn't hide it from you much longer. But I want to wait until all the champions are here. I have something to announce to everyone."

Urbosa sighs and nods her head "Alright, if that's when you want to talk about it, then it's fine."

As I started to make my leave, the memory started to transition again.

The next memory was actually the same con

The next part of the memory seems to take place by Gerudo Town. I also seemed to have just been separated from Zelda. I assume this is the time that me and Zelda were checking on the champions.

It was well into the morning, so we must have come from Kara Kara Bazaar.

After separating from Zelda, I walked to the shade that was close to the entrance of the town.

I took this time that I wasn't with the princess to rest. I hadn't got as much sleep as I would have liked, so I decided to try and take a nap in the shade.

Before I could do so, however, I heard a voice.

"And what might you be doing here, Link?"

It was Urbosa.

"I didn't expect you to just be here. Is the princess with you?"

Well, since this is after me becoming Zelda's appointed knight, I am already at that point where I am just silent. I prove it by only pointing towards the entrance of Gerudo Town.

"Ah, I see. I assume you both came here to see me?"

I nodded in response. Urbosa seemed to just sigh from my lack of response. However, Urbosa didn't question me on it and left to find Zelda.

The memory then transitions to later in the day, and when I say late, the sun has pretty much gone down.

It seems like I am out of my own perspective for this part.

I then see Urbosa walking out of Gerudo Town as she walks towards me.

"Sav'saaba, Link, or I guess it should be sav'orr, it's getting late. Anyway, the princess is safe in the inn."

Well, that's good to hear. I nod, which to my self's surprise, made Urbosa sigh in disappointment.

"Link, I've been restraining on talking about the matter, but your silence is very noticeable."

I look away a little, probably from shame... I never seem too proud that I am silent, of course I shouldn't, but I just felt like it was the best course of action...

"Link, I am going to be perfectly honest with you. All of the champions know of this, and are worried about you, well, maybe with one exception, but we won't talk about him.

After your ceremony for becoming Zelda's appointed knight and when you left, all of the champions noted how you have gone completely silent."

Yes, I remember seeing that memory. I'm probably going to see it for Revali and Daruk as well.

"All I am saying is that you have the support of all of us, whether you think so or not."

Urbosa then walks back into Gerudo Town and the memory transitions again.

This time, it seems me and all of the champions are at Hyrule Castle. This must be a meeting, or something.

This time, I don't seem to be the main focus here. Instead, the memory focuses on Urbosa and Mipha.

"So, Mipha, how have you been for the past few weeks? It's been a while since our last meeting."

"Oh, well, I have been doing well. I've been keeping up with my duties as a champion and as the princess of the Zora, as well as keeping training on the side."

Hmm... If I'm remembering correctly, at this point in time, this isn't all as she must have been working on my armor...

"Wow, that's impressive, I will say. It's relatively the same for me, as I have the responsibility of being the chief of the Gerudo."

Urbosa seems to notice that Mipha was looking a little distracted, well, from what I can see, she was looking at me.

"Mipha, dear, is something bothering you?"

"Oh! Um... No, nothing at all. I just have things going on in my head, like always."

"Mipha, you don't tend to hide things, so that was not that good of a reflection."

Mipha's face then turned red from embarrassment. Urbosa chuckled as she saw this.

"Oh, come on, dear, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Mipha looked around to see if anyone was nearby and sighed.

"Okay... There's actually something else that I've been working on alongside my other duties..."

"Oh, you have me intrigued..."

"W-well... It's... Really embarrassing for me to just reveal this to anyone, really..."

"It's alright, you can probably give me a bit of a hint, and I can probably figure it out. I've researched other traditions from other regions in my earlier days, so I might have an idea."

"Well... It's a bit of a tradition that only Zora Princesses perform... And... A- and they present this to... To the person that they..."

Mipha couldn't seem to bring herself to actually finish what she was saying. She seemed to stutter too much.

"It's alright. I think I know what you are trying to say. Is it the tradition that Zora princesses present armor to the person they swear to marry."

This makes Mipha flinch and double check if anyone heard them before nodding.

Urbosa chuckled slightly "My, a young Zora like yourself has already found the one, huh?"

Mipha smiled and nodded again.

"Well, if you want, am I trustworthy to be told who the lucky voe you have your eyes on is?"

"W- well, you are trustworthy, but I will give you this hint. He's actually in this room."

Urbosa's eyes widened a little and she saw where Mipha was looking at, or rather, who she was looking at.

"Oooohh... It's all too clear to me." Urbosa said with a grin.

Urbosa then leaned towards Mipha so nobody could hear her but Mipha.

"It's Link, isn't it?"

"Y- yes, but I'm still in the process of making the armor... And I haven't even mentioned it to him... Sigh I just don't know if he even feels the same way..."

"Oh, I'm sure it will be fine. You need to have more confidence in yourself. I'm sure he feels the same way. Besides, I don't know if he'll ever show how he feels until you decide to give him the armor."

Mipha just sighs "Maybe you're right... But simply revealing how I feel to him is not that easy for me... Besides, we haven't been able to see each other personally since he became Zelda's appointed knight.

And now that I think about it, he spends so much time with her... I... I can help but think..."

Urbosa then places a hand on Mipha's shoulder with a warm expression.

"I won't lie to you and say that you shouldn't worry about it, but that could be the case if you don't act before that happens.

How about this: When you finish that armor, the next time that Link visits, and just hope that he's alone, make that declaration of love a special moment."

Wow... It seems Urbosa really supports Mipha in her wanting to propose to me... She's even giving her advice on how to go through with it.

"You're right. Zelda might be out of my league, but if I show Link how I feel, maybe there's still hope for me."

"See? You shouldn't overthink things, but you shouldn't rule out possibilities either. That can go both ways. I wish you luck in your endeavors."

The memory then fades in transition again. Wow, I'm surprised that Mipha never actually mentioned this about Urbosa. Well, I guess this is partially why she likes Urbosa so much.

Once the memory came back into vision, I noticed that I seemed to be running towards Gerudo Town.

I believe this was during those times that Zelda did not want to be around me. However, I believe this was also before Zelda got attacked by those Yiga Assassins.

"Ah, there you are, Link."

It was Urbosa that came out of the Town.

"I was wondering when you would get here after seeing that only Zelda came."

I lean on the wall and make an audible sigh. Urbosa could clearly see the bothered look on my face.

"This duty has been pretty rough on you, hasn't it?"

I nod.

"Well, it seems like the princess is exploiting our no men law. Though, I believe I have an idea for how you can enter town without getting in trouble."

Wait... Does she mean...

Urbosa then went into Gerudo Town. It was getting a bit late, so I seemed to be getting a bit tired. I wonder how long I've been trying to catch up to Zelda.

Urbosa then came out of town with a box.

"Here you go. This should allow you to get into town without getting in trouble."

Just as I suspected, in the box was a Gerudo Vai outfit. I blushed from embarrassment when I realized this.

"I know it seems ridiculous, but I promise that you will be able to get into town with this."

The memory then transitions to the next day. I seemed to be trying to find Zelda, but I didn't seem to be having any luck.

Urbosa then approached me.

"So, how is being able to enter town treating you?"

I give a worried look in my eyes. I obviously don't like that I haven't been able to keep track of Zelda's location.

"So you haven't been able to find Zelda either, haven't you?"

I was a little surprised that she didn't know where Zelda was either.

"Sigh it seems Zelda ran off. I can see why it took a bit for you to get here."

I sighed again. I was really just tired of the Princess running away from me for just doing my job...

"Hey, why don't you just spend some time in town and I'll send a signal near the town when I find Zelda?"

Well, I could definitely use some kind of break... I could definitely trust Urbosa, so I nodded in agreement.

Time went by and I basically shopped in the plaza for some resources. When it was pretty dark, Urbosa finally sent a signal, which I immediately ran out of town, changed my attire and made my way to Where Urbosa was.

Urbosa said she'll send the signal from Naboris, so I knew to go there.

As I boarded Naboris, I saw that Urbosa and Zelda were on the more shaded side of Naboris. Zelda seemed to be fast asleep, laying her head on Urbosa's lap.

"Ah, well... You certainly got here fast. I should expect as much, from the princess's own appointed knight.

She was out on a survey today. Still as the sands now..."

Ah, so that's what she was doing all day.

"So...? Spill it, boy. Have the two of you been getting along all right?"

Well, not really... All I could do was rub the back of my head.

"It's ok, I know, your silence speaks volumes. She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny. Don't worry, it's not like you carry blame in any of this." Urbosa reassured me while revealing why Zelda was always so frustrated when I was with her.

"It's unfortunate. She puts in more than enough time. Ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication... She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power. And she has nothing to show for it... That's the motivation driving her research. I'd be doing the same thing. She really is quite... Special." Urbosa said, revealing more of Zelda to me.

It does make sense... Zelda does also have some burden on her as she is the most important person to actually defeat the Calamity.

"You be sure to protect her with your life. It's quite the honor."

I could somewhat hear my inner thoughts as she said this. Honor? Don't make me laugh.

I really didn't like that this responsibility that I have been given was being called an honor. I don't really blame myself for feeling this way after remembering how poorly Zelda treated me at this time. I really wanted to reconsider my choices...

Urbosa then gently rubs Zelda's forehead "The night brings a chill... It's probably time we take her in."

She then looks up, getting another idea "Or..."

Urbosa then snapped her fingers, which created a massive bolt of lightning.

This woke Zelda up and made me stumble from the crash.

"Urbosa! What was that? Did you feel that?" Zelda said, startled.

She then saw that I was there too.

"Wait, what- how did you- what are you doing here?!" Zelda said.

Urbosa couldn't help but laugh heartily.

"Wh- what's so funny?" Zelda asked.

After Urbosa stopped laughing, she reassured "Don't worry, princess, I'll tell you in the morning, right now, let's get you back to town and get some rest."

The memory then transitions one final time. This time, I seemed to be back in the inn at Gerudo Town.

Urbosa came rushing into the inn and shook me awake.

"You need to get up, now. The princess is likely going to be in danger."

I then immediately got out of bed and rushed outside of town. I changed my attire and ran to Kara Kara Bazaar as fast as I could.

The memory seems to have skipped to after the Yiga encounter. The last two Yiga seemed to be trying to escape, however, lightning struck them both, knocking them out.

It seemed that Urbosa had just arrived.

"Little bird, are you alright?"

"Y- yes, Urbosa, I'm fine. After I left I had noticed two people following me, but they disappeared. When I got to the entrance to the desert,  a Yiga assassin appeared, so I ran here.

When I got here, the other two assassins cornered me, which made me believe that my fate was sealed before Link came to save me."

Wow, so I actually cut it pretty close there...

"Well Zelda, I'm glad that you're safe, but please don't do something like that again, you had us worried."

"I- you have my promise. I see why my father assigned an appointed knight for me..."

With that... The memory finally seems to fade. My memories of Urbosa seem brief, but definitely meaningful. She definitely was a great person to be around.

Chapter Text

My vision finally comes back into the present, though I don't have as big of a reaction as when I finally remembered Mipha.

I guess that would make sense. Remembering a lost friend wouldn't be as impactful as remembering someone you loved, even if they're both important...

Riju seemed confused as I seemed to have looked like I was staring for a few seconds. It's still weird that these memories feel like they go on for hours, but actually last a few seconds.

"What's wrong? You're just staring... Anyway, what matters now is... How... How is it?! Do I look all right?"

Well, I can't really lie about it...

"It's a tad big on you..."

"..."

The thunder helm then slants down a little, making Riju readjust it.

"... You don't say.

The threat Divine Beast Vah Naboris poses has only grown since we began searching for the heirloom.

I believe that Gerudo Town itself may be in danger before too long... As chief, and as I Gerudo, I must find some way to stop that thing before it threatens my people. Will you help me?"

Well, that's what I came here to do!

"Of course!"

"Heheh, who would have thought that, just before a momentous battle... Hearing a simple, confident pledge of support from you is what puts me at ease?"

Well, it's nice to know that my attempts at words can also put someone at ease...

"I'll head out now. Let's meet at the lookout post south of Town. There's only one way to get close to Naboris, and that is with the help of a sand seal.

The lookout post isn't too far from town, but you should take a sand seal there. You can get some practice in that way."

Well, I already know how riding with a sand seal works, so I can confidently traverse with one.

"I'll be there waiting for you with my favorite sand seal, Patricia."

The thunder helm slants down again. Man, I hope it doesn't do that when we're attacking Naboris.

"Still... It really is a little big..."

Riju then left for the outpost. She told me to prepare before we venture to Naboris. Well, I'm already as prepared as I can get, so I may as well head over.

I managed to get a sand seal that was near the village, so I didn't have to run through the sand to get over to the outpost. While I made my way there, I changed back into my regular attire.

Even with how quickly I could get to the outpost, the sun had already set, making the desert somewhat cold. I should probably wait by a campfire until morning.

There wasn't actually a campfire at the outpost, so I put out some flint and would and created a campfire.

*     *     *

Sigh Alright, this is it... Tomorrow is when I finally free Urbosa's spirit from whatever has taken over Naboris.

Next to me, I noticed that some familiar wisps form. I can already tell that this was Mipha appearing before me.

"Hello, Link."

"Hello, Mipha"

"It's been a couple days since the last time we spoke with each other. How has Gerudo Desert been treating you?"

"Well, I have met with the chief of the Gerudo and helped get her heirloom back from the Yiga Clan."

"Oh no... I've heard of those assassins... I remember hearing how Zelda almost got killed by them! I can't believe that they're still around even after 100 years."

"Well, I managed to get the heirloom back after defeating their leader, who was kind of a pushover. I think he accidentally sealed his own fate by falling into the big hole in the arena."

"Ouch... Even though they're bad people, I have to admit that that's not a good way to go out..."

"Well, after giving the heirloom back to the chief, she said to meet her here so we can get to Naboris and attack it."

"Ah, so you're close to finally meeting with Urbosa. Well, I wish you the best of luck when confronting that Divine Beast. Just remember, I'll be there to heal you if things get too dangerous."

I smile as she says this.

"Thank you. I know I can count on when I need you."

Me and Mipha then spent some time together by the fire for the rest of the night, which is always nice.

I wonder if Urbosa will start joining me once I actually free her. It will be nice to have her to interact with.

While it's always nice to have Mipha with me during the night, I'm excited to finally talk with Urbosa, too.

*     *     *

Morning finally arrives and I say my goodbyes to Mipha. As she disappears, she wishes me good luck again and to free Urbosa.

It is now time. Time to attack Vah Naboris, my second Divine Beast.

I climb the ladder that is right next to the outpost. I assume Riju is up here overlooking the  sandstorm.

My assumption was right as I see Riju as I get to the top.

"Well then... That's what you really look like, huh... Hehe... With voe banned from town, it's not very common for me to see someone like you.

What a sight. Divine Beast Vah Naboris is pretty intimidating... If we want to get close enough to that thing, we'll need to use sand seals... Are you ready?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Feeling confident? Good. Let's get going, then! First, we'll need the sand seals to get in really close to that thing. I'll take the lead. I'm counting on you to shoot at its feet with bomb arrows.

Naboris draws energy from the ground to keep moving. If you can damage the feeds I think you can stop it. Those lightning strikes, though... Getting hit even once could prove fatal."

Yes, I assume that lightning is as strong, or even stronger than getting hit by an actual thunder bolt in a thunderstorm.

"The Thunder helm can repel the lightning strikes, protecting me from harm. But it can also shield a limited area around me...

You'll have to stay close if you don't want to be shocked. And listen... Too injured to keep fighting, promise me you'll retrieve here to the lookout post.

Don't do anything reckless under any circumstances. Here are some Gerudo bomb arrows. There aren't many, But be sure to put them to good use."

Bomb arrows  x20

Wow, I believe this is more than enough to take on Naboris, but I can't be too sure.

"This is the last time I'll ask... Are you ready?"

"Yes, I believe I'm ready for this."

Me and Riju then make our way down the post and to the sand where two sand seals are waiting.

One is one of those sand seals that you could rent, and the other is Patricia.

"Could you give me a bit of room, just for a moment?"

I do as she asks and walk back.

"My name is Riju, descendant of the Royal line and leader of the Gerudo people! With the power of the heirloom passed down in my family, I shall calm the Divine Beast Vah Naboris.

Ancestors of the Gerudo! Answer my call! Aid me in this task!"

The thunder helm then surges with energy and an electrical shield expands outwards. The shield reached where I was standing, so there's room for me to at least move.

"Oh, wow! I can feel their power coursing through me!"

As she said this, the thunder helm slants down again. She just readjusts it again and doesn't comment on it.

"Let's move!"

I nod and get ready to move. It's finally time.

Riju crosses her arms on her chest "Lady Urbosa... Please grant Link and me your protection..."

Once we were ready, we started our move to Naboris. I need to try my best to stay within the forcefield if I want to do this...

Not long after we make our move, I can see Naboris not too far from us before the sandstorm engulfs our view.

Once we got close enough to Naboris, it seems to have noticed us. It then started to charge a purple orb of electricity.

Yep, it would definitely not be a good idea to get struck by that. I will probably trigger Mipha's Grace immediately if I get struck once.

A purple circle forms around me, indicating how long I have left before I get struck. Fortunately, I'm going at relatively the same pace as Riju at the moment.

I shoot at one of Naboris's feet with a bomb arrow. This manages to damage, but doesn't take it down.

Damaging it actually made a shield form around the foot, preventing it from getting damaged further.

Well, it seems it's trying to stall me. I will need to be wise with how I use my arrows.

However, the shield wasn't the only thing to note. Every time that foot would stomp, a wave of electricity would come out.

Hmm... So the more I attack the feet, the more attacks that I have to deal with.

This is going to make focusing a bit more difficult as I don't want to have my sand seal getting electrocuted either.

I managed to hit the other feet once, which also created a shield to prevent more damage.

Naboris then roars to the sky before speeding up its movement. It's feet are now on the ground at a lower amount of time.

"Pick up the pace, Link! Looks like Naboris isn't making this easy for us!"

Riju then starts to move faster, so I have my sand seal go at full speed to catch up to Naboris.

As we caught up with Naboris, I noticed that it was really dangerous to be close to Naboris's feet. The waves of lightning were getting a bit much.

At least with both me and Riju going at full speed, I didn't need to worry about going at the same pace as Riju to stay in the forcefield.

However, there is still one problem, how am I going to hit the feet now? The shields are blocking my arrows from hitting.

"Link, follow me a little ways away from Naboris, I think I have an idea on how we can get through those shields!"

I do as Riju says and move away from Naboris. Well, at least I won't have to deal with being so close to Naboris.

"This may sound insane, but I want to see if I can use the lightning from Naboris to our advantage!

I am going to need you to be close to me when the lightning strikes. I can't use it on my own, but I believe if I transfer the lightning to you, you can use the lightning on the shield.

Be hasty, though. Once I use the thunder helm to absorb the lightning from Naboris, the protection from lightning will only affect me! You'll need to be quick when attacking if you don't want to get hurt!"

Wow, alright. I wouldn't have come up with that, but I don't really see any other option.

Once Naboris started charging its lightning, I moved closer to Riju and she placed her hands on my shoulders.

Once the lightning stuck, Riju's thunder helm absorbed the attack and the shield came down.

Just like what Riju warned me, the electricity then transfered to me. It was definitely painful having this much electricity coursing through my body like this...

Fortunately, I managed to pull my bow out through the pain, which also seemed to slow down time, even when I wasn't in a flurry rush or in the air.

I pulled back an arrow and shot it at one of the feet of Naboris. The arrow seemed empowered by the lightning as I seemed to also transfer the lightning to the arrow as well.

The arrow managed to hit one of the front feet and actually deactivated the power of the foot! Seems time slowing down made it much easier to hit the foot.

The damage from the lightning also didn't do too much as well. I believe if I'm fast enough and I'm smart when healing myself, I won't actually need to use Mipha's Grace.

Along with the energy of the foot going out, the waves of lightning weren't made from that foot anymore.

Seems I'll need to do this process three more times.

After waiting for Vah Naboris to strike three more times, I managed to hit the rest of its feet, finally taking it down.

Naboris slows down to a stop and roars in the air again. This time, it seems to be a cry of defeat.

After a bit, Naboris collapses to the ground and deactivates.

Riju and Patricia stop, Riju taking the thunder helm off to get a clear view of Naboris.

I get off my sand seal and run to Riju.

"Unfortunately, I cannot appease Naboris on my own. I have no choice but to entrust the rest to you."

I nod and quickly make my way to the opening to Naboris.

I barely make it in time before Naboris reactivates and stands back up.

As Naboris stands up, Riju looks up to Naboris.

"Don't let us down, Link."

Chapter Text

Well, it seems about time for me to start the process of freeing Urbosa's spirit.

As I approach the pedestal near the entrance, I flinch as I remembered what I went through when I was in Vah Ruta...

I'll need to brace myself for what I'm about to see... After taking a deep breath, I place my shiekah slate on the pedestal.

The pad in the middle then activated, glowing blue. Just like what I expected, my head started to hurt and my vision started to fade...

*    *    *

My vision then shifts to what is likely the perspective of Urbosa.

She seems to be running towards Naboris. I guess this is going to be a pattern  for all the Divine Beasts...

N aboris seems to be charging one of those electric attacks. It seems to be trying to attack Urbosa...

It seems like the calamity has already taken over Naboris at this point. Even with it charging a powerful attack, Urbosa still seems determined to get to Naboris.

Wow...  Me and   Riju  needed sand seals just to catch up with Naboris, but Urbosa is just running to Naboris and is going much faster than it!

Then, Naboris unleashed its attack on Urbosa. It was definitely a direct hit,  even I  somehow felt it.

Miraculously, Urbosa seemed to only stumble, but she regained her footing and continued. Wow, she really must be electric resistant if she  didn't  suffer much damage.

She then went underneath Naboris and jumped from each leg of Naboris all the way to the entrance.

After this, the memory fades.

*    *    *

My vision then returns to normal. I really need to get used to these headaches...

"Well, well, well..."

Yep, there she is.

"You sure do know how to keep a woman waiting. I can't wait to see you take Naboris back from Ganon!

One thing at a time. You'll need a map to find your way around. Head over to that guidance stone over there. Sounds easy, right?"

Yeah, that should be easy enough to start with. Though, there seems to be a guardian scout that is blocking my way.

However, it's not a problem for me as the weapons I have now are pretty strong, so I was able to defeat it in a few hits.

I walked up the slope to actually enter the Divine Beast. I noticed that the same malice that I've seen on Vah Ruta at the entrance.

I shoot the eye that was to the side and move on.

It seems like the inside is the main room for Vah Naboris. The whole room seems to be a big cylinder.

There didn't seem to be anymore enemies in my way to the map, so it didn't take long for me to get to the pedestal.

Once I got to it, I placed my shiekah slate on the pedestal, which followed the process of getting a map.

Shiekah Slate authenticated. Distilling map of Divine Beast

It then proceeded to give the shiekah slate the map of Vah Naboris. It seems I'll be able to control the main room by turning the cylinders.

Divine Beast controls have been enabled.

The pedestal then gave me back my shiekah slate, which I took.

"Good work getting the map of the Divine Beast! The terminals that control Naboris are noted by a series of glowing points on your map.

Take Naboris back by activating all of the terminals. You're ready for this."

Well, I should be ready. I've done this once, and I can definitely do it again.

I look at the map that I was given to see where the terminals were located. I don't want to wander around Naboris aimlessly.

It seems that two of the terminals are actually in the main room of Naboris, so I should probably get them first.

I can already see one on the other side of the room and another seems to be in a sort of box. I think I'll go for the one that I can already see.

Once I get to the middle of the room, I noticed that there doesn't seem to be a way up to the terminal. Of course.

I then looked at the map to see what I could do. Since I can rotate the cylinders in the room, maybe I can use that to make this possible.

I clicked the side of the room that had the terminal and watched as the entire section of the room spun around. It seemed to only spin a quarter of the way by just clicking it once.

Hmm... I see that there is another platform that I could use to get to the top without much trouble.

I tap the second of the room a few times to make sure the terminal is on top and glide to the platform that will let me be elevated at the same level as the terminal.

Once this part of the room finished spinning, I could walk over to the terminal. Well, I needed to jump over a gap, so I did.

With a well timed jump, I made it across the gap. Now I can access the terminal.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"There are four terminals remaining! I'm counting on you!"

Heh, it still feels nice that I can be counted on, trusted that I will succeed in my task.

Then, just like last time, my head starts to hurt and my vision fades to another one of those awful memories.

*    *    *

Once my  vision came back, I was met with the perspective of Urbosa yet again. It seems to be  right after the  memory cut  off  from last  time.

Now, there was that ominous feeling that could be felt with Mipha when I was in Ruta. I'm really hating this presence...

At least for Urbosa, this presence seems to have shown itself when she got to Naboris, unlike with Mipha where she felt  it way before  getting into Ruta.

That presence also seems to be getting more and more intense as Urbosa makes her way closer to the main control unit.

Urbosa seems to be on guard as she has pulled out her scimitar just in preparation of what might happen once she gets to the control unit.

It's very obvious that it is a trap, but there isn't much for Urbosa to do as she can't just leave now.

Urbosa makes her way up to the control unit, which glows orange as it is no longer in the control of Urbosa.

Finally, as Urbosa was close enough, bursts out of the control unit. The force is intense and makes Urbosa need to block.

However, it seems this memory is running out of time as well, as my vision seems to be cutting back to the present.

*    *    *

Well, it's not getting to the more brutal parts of the memory, yet. I have to defeat whatever killed Urbosa to witness her death...

Again, I should probably brace for these memories each time I activate a terminal.

I then bring my attention to where the other terminal in this room is.

The terminal seems to be in that black box on the opposite side of the room. Though, I don't see a way inside from this room...

Ah, maybe I should try from the outside. If i remember correctly, there are walkways on the sides of Naboris.

I glided to the side where the terminal was. There did seem to be openings on the outside.

When I got out, before I could head for the box, another guardian scout spotted me. This time, it wielded an axe.

Even with a different weapon, if it can't hit me, the guardian goes down pretty quickly.

The way going into the box seemed to be enclosed, but there was still a way in.

When I made it inside, the way to the terminal was actually blocked. A weirdly shaped gate had blocked it.

Ugh... Guess this wasn't going to be as simple as it seemed... Though, it seems like this gate is only blocking this way, so maybe I can enter another way.

I entered back into the main room and looked to the other side where the box could go. It seems that area is opened.

As I made my way to the other side of Vah Naboris, I noticed yet another guardian scout.

There's definitely stronger versions of these things... They can't all be this easy...

Well, after dealing with the guardian, I made my way to the opening that was on the opposite side of the box.

I tapped the area with the terminal twice and, sure enough, the box was now opened for me to step into.

The terminal was on the wall in front of me, so I only needed to spin this part of the room once so I could reach it.

After doing so, I could finally activate the second terminal.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"There are three terminals remaining! Hang in there!"

Well, I guess that's it for the terminals that are in the main room.

Once again, I got a headache and my vision faded. Time to see more of what happened to Urbosa, I guess...

*    *    *

My  vision then returns to Urbosa's perspective as she seems to be fighting whatever blight the calamity had sent.

Just like what happened in Vah Ruta, the blight seems to be too blurry to actually see. Though, this time, it is actually smaller than the size of  waterblight .

The next thing I noticed about this blight was how fast it was. It seemed to constantly have Urbosa on the defense.

While Urbosa is extremely fast in her own right, this thing was so hard to just keep track of. It constantly  put  pressure on Urbosa, giving her no room to breathe.

The fight then took to the bottom of the room, below the control unit. Now there was more room to move.

However, no matter what Urbosa did, this blight didn't relent. It kept attacking and dodging Urbosa's attempts at attacking.

Eventually, the blight struck Urbosa's shield hard enough for it to be knocked out of her hand, sending it out of the side of Naboris.

This also resulted in the blight injuring Urbosa's arm!  Oh no... This isn't looking good already...

It also makes it worse with the fact that, unlike Mipha, Urbosa can't just heal her arm back to normal...

Before the blight could strike Urbosa again, the whole memory quickly fades. Electricity almost covers my vision before my vision returns back to the present.

*    *    *

Well, it's already at that point where Urbosa is having trouble with the blight... I assume the next one will involve Urbosa's hiding from that blight.

Well, now that I have gotten all of the terminals in the main room, I should look at where the other three terminals are.

I pulled out my shiekah slate and looked at where the other terminals were.

Two seemed to be on the back of Naboris and the other seemed to be on its head.

I think I should go for the one that is on the head. Though, I don't really see a way up to it as I look in the main room.

I then see that there was indeed an opening at the top of the wall on the side that leads to Naboris's head.

Hmm... I noticed that there seemed to be one of those devices that need electricity to activate whatever it is they're connected to.

There actually seemed to be an electricity conductor in the middle part of the room. The same could be said for the extensions of this in the other two areas.

I figured that something would probably turn on if I had all of those parts of the rooms connected.

After connecting the extensions at the top of the room, the wall I had my focus on started to rotate.

Ah, so this is how I reach that exit. The doorway seems to be wide enough for me to stand on, so I take it up to the top.

Once I got to the top of the room, I walked out to see that I was right by the neck of Naboris. It seems to have had its neck down since I got here.

I then noticed this big wheel that I would likely have to turn. The electricity from inside the main room also seemed to extend outside.

Two more places that I would have to guide the electricity seemed to be on two separate wheels on the sides of this platform.

I pushed the wheel in a clockwise motion, which turned the wheel on the left. After turning it enough, the electricity was able to get to the device on the wheel.

Since turning this middle wheel clockwise turned the wheel on the left, I turned the middle wheel counter clockwise.

Just like I expected, the wheel on the right side started to spin. After spinning the wheel enough, the right wheel was in the correct position for the electricity to be connected.

Now that both points had electricity coursing through them, this activated the neck of Naboris.

Naboris's neck rose up, which I assume also revealed the next terminal. A platform also seems to have activated, which seems to be my way up to the head of Naboris.

Just like I suspected, when the platform took me to the head of Naboris, the terminal was now revealed. Now I could activate my third terminal.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"There are two terminals remaining! Stay focused!"

Yet again, a headache comes up and my vision fades again.

*    *    *

My  vision returns to Urbosa's perspective yet again. It still seems to be right after the last part of this memory ended.

It seems Urbosa teleported away from the fight before the blight could damage her more. Wow, did she actually move that fast?

Well, it seems the blight didn't actually see where Urbosa went. However, as Urbosa kept looking at the blight, it seems like the blight might have been doing something.

After looking at the blight for a little longer, the blight seems to have split into three.

It seems like the blight is splitting itself up to find Urbosa faster. Though, I doubt that those clones will be as powerful as the original.

Nonetheless, Urbosa finally flees away from the blight. She seems to be on the opposite end of Naboris where I got the terminal as I noticed that its head couldn't be seen.

Urbosa makes her way higher within Naboris, going to one of the two highest points within Naboris. I guess this is where she'll hide until that blight finds  her.

As Urbosa gets settled within this area, she pulls out ... Something that kind of looks like a shiekah slate...

I can't really tell what she is doing as the object is a little blurry for me. But I can probably imagine that she is probably signaling for help.

With that, the memory starts to fade yet again. At least this time, Urbosa is relatively safe.

*    *    *

Now, there is only the terminals in the top portion of the Divine beast. Hopefully, this won't take me too long.

Well, the sun does seem to be setting. Hmm... It seems like time is still moving when I'm shown these memories unlike my other memories where time probably stops so I could view my memories.

I need to make my way back to the main room of Naboris, this time I need to go on the opposite side of it.

Hmm... How am I supposed to get up to the top of this side? This side's wall doesn't seem to spin...

Ah, I think the box with the terminal can give me elevation, so I can use that. I could rotate this part of the room and stand in the box when it comes around.

Just like I thought, when I was able to get on top of the box as this part of the room rotated, I was elevated enough to get to the top of the room again.

Once I got to the exit, I noticed that there were four metal boxes that seemed to be on their own railing. One on the top, two on the wall, and one on the bottom. They also had metal extractions as well.

Now that I can get a better look at this, it seems the electricity from the middle of the main room connects to the railing on the top.

I move the metal box on the top and the box on the higher portion of the wall all the way to the left. This allowed the electric current to continue further.

I then moved to metal box on the lower portion of the wall and the one on the bottom to where the electric current ended. This then reached the current on the floor, finally reaching the device in the back.

This made, what seemed to be the tail, then turns towards Naboris, reaching the top, but not letting me get up there.

Hmm... Looks like I need to get to the end of the tail before electricity runs through. That seems simple enough.

I tap the middle part of the main room enough times for it to make a full circle around, which gave me enough time to get to the end of the tail.

Once the electricity came back, I was able to make my way higher up Naboris.

I noticed that a malice eye was placed right at the... End...? Of Naboris's tail, making me need to shoot it to progress further.

After the malice disappeared, I noticed another eye and shot it. That revealed another doorway, but I noticed a climbable wall to the right, so I climbed up.

Up to this point, there was another one of those wheels that I need to turn. When spinning it, the floor below turns, which I then noticed that it had an electric current as well.

Once I turned the wheel enough, I stopped turning it so the floor would be positioned where the electric current went to a device that was near the middle of Naboris.

I noticed that the middle was actually a platform as it was now going down. There also seemed to be one outside as well.

Well, there seems to be a terminal on the other side, so I'll go there first.

I take the moving platform that is moving from my area to another similar area. There, I could see the terminal.

However, I noticed that malice blocked it, so I couldn't interact with the terminal. However, I did see the eye below the floor.

The platform in this area was below this floor, so I shot the eye before the platform came back up.

What I didn't notice was that a guardian scout was on the platform as well, so I needed to take care of that before heading for the terminal.

Once I did defeat the guardian, I went straight to the terminal. Now, I only had one terminal left.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"Just one terminal remaining! You're almost there!"

It's reassuring that she believes in me so much. Feels much better than how it would have felt back then.

My thoughts are cut short as I am once again interrupted by another headache.

*    *    *

My  vision is then transferred back to Urbosa's perspective. She still seems to be hiding from that blight...

I... I can only hear Urbosa's heartbeat and her slightly shaky breathing. I can tell that this is one  of few  moments that Urbosa is actually scared...

From my memories of her, I can tell that this isn't something that Urbosa feels... And of course it's when something that actually poses a serious threat.

The bleeding on her arm seems to have not left either... Which makes sense if she hasn't been hiding that long.

Suddenly, a weird feeling could be felt, and it doesn't seem it was just me that felt that as Urbosa seemed to react too.

Urbosa quickly got up from her spot, moving away. Suddenly, what I assume to be one of the blight's clones, attacks, narrowly missing her!

Urbosa wasted no time and did a counter strike, which defeated the clone. Yeah, that was way too easy to be the real one.

This was a clear sign to Urbosa that it was time to leave this spot. It was clearly not safe to stay here.

She then checked to see if no thing else was on its way to her. After confirming this, she jumped down lower to the middle of Naboris.

Actually, I think this is where the last  terminal is located, so I guess I'll have a general idea of what I'm supposed to do.

Urbosa then arrives in a room with a big gate. There also seems to be two panels that require electricity to activate.

She then  seemed to teleport past the gate and into the smaller space. She then hid behind the gate to the left so she wouldn't be seen if the blight or its clones came in here.

She then pulled out her shiekah  slate like  device. It seems she was continuing on calling for help.

' If this thing does find me, where will I run off to next...? No, what am I saying? At this rate, I'll never be able to defeat this thing!

My people are waiting for me to return safe, and the way that I'm hiding is just disgraceful... If nobody comes to help me before I am found, then I'll have to just accept that I need to do this alone.'

With that, the memory seems to end... One more part of this memory to see before witnessing the inevitable...

*    *    *

Well, one more terminal to go... And I'm actually not that far from the terminal either. I could probably get to it in a short amount of time.

Well, it seems enough time has already passed in the memory where it is already night. I'll need to be quick.

I noticed that the platform in the middle of the room is coming back up again, so I decided to walk on it. There seemed to also be another floor above.

Once I got to the top floor, I noticed that there was a metal ball with electricity. I then used Magnesis to grab it and the platform lowered.

Once I got to the bottom floor, I noticed that there was a gate blocking the room to the terminal. It seems like there was another one of those devices that needed electricity to open the gate.

Out of curiosity, I held the orb that I acquired to the device. This actually activated the device which opened the gate.

Once I got in the room, there were two guardian scouts waiting this time. Well, I've already dealt with two at once, so this won't be hard.

After dealing with the guardians, I looked at the gate, and sure enough, the terminal was just behind there.

I placed the orb on one of the panels. Now I just need to find one more of those orbs. It's probably in the back where I entered.

I go through the door to the other area, which seems to be identical to the side that I activated my last terminal.

There seemed to be two platforms that were below the second floor. One had a chest with a guardian part and the other had the orb I was looking for.

Well, that was pretty simple to find. I use Magnesis and bring it to the center room where I can place it on the other panel.

With that, the gate to the last terminal is open, ready for me to activate.

Shiekah Slate authenticated

"Well done! That was the last of the terminals. Now... You'll need to start up the main control unit! Take a good look at your map. Head for the glowing mark you see there.

You're doing well... But overconfidence can be a deadly foe."

Heh... She tells me that I'm doing well, but still tells me to not get overconfident. I know what she is indicating here.

Yet again, however, my head starts to hurt again, showing me one last memory before facing what had killed Urbosa...

*    *    *

The  memory seems to start back in the same place it ended last time, which was within the area where the terminal was.

I don't really know how much time has passed, but Urbosa is probably still calling for help.

'Twenty minutes and there's not even one answer... Though, I guess if the others are calling for help, it would make sense that nobody is coming for me either.'

Just as I thought, she was still calling for help. And for twenty minutes? I'm surprised the blight hasn't found her sooner with how fast it is.

Well, seems I spoke  to soon  as me and Urbosa could hear the clones nearby. It seems they are finally checking this room.

Well, before they could open the gate, Urbosa teleports away and gets away from the area.

Well, there's no use hiding anymore.  Now seems  like the time that Urbosa takes her last stand. One last fight to the death. Though... I know how this ends...

Urbosa makes her way to the back of Naboris, looking down into the main room.  There, the blight still looks around for Urbosa.

Either the clones didn't actually see Urbosa or the original doesn't actually share the same consciousness as the clones.

Urbosa steps back and grips her scimitar. It seems like she really is preparing for this final battle against this blight.

Lightning then strikes Urbosa, but it seems to be her own doing, as she barely even flinches when this happens.

Well, since the blight is still not knowledgeable of Urbosa's location, she can easily surprise attack it and actually get a hit on it.

Urbosa then takes a deep breath and runs back to the room. She jumps to the top of the room and then jumps from the ceiling in the direction of the blight.

Before Urbosa could impact with the blight, however, the memory fades again. I guess this confirms that Urbosa doesn't make it out of this part of the fight..

*    *    *

Well... This is it... I just need to make it to the main control unit now...

Alright, I can't be distracted from how I feel about what I already know will happen. I have to brace myself for what is to come.

I leave the center area and make my way back to the main room. It should be way easier to get back than traversing up here.

As expected, I just needed to glide down to the back of Naboris and, just like that, I was already back to the main room.

I flipped the areas in the room back to where they started. Now I can actually walk to the main control unit and activate it.

While I slowly made my way to it, just like Vah Ruta, I could hear the ringing of the control unit, it was calling for me...

Okay, it is time to face whatever monstrosity that killed Urbosa...

I place the shiekah slate on the pedestal and suddenly, malice bursts out of the terminal.

Just like with that blight I fought in Vah Ruta, blue energy floats past me, forming into something.

After enough mass was formed, I immediately noticed the difference from this blight and the one from Vah Ruta.

This one had a sword and shield this time, additionally being quite small in comparison to the other blight.

It then roared, indicating that it was ready to fight me to the death.

Thunderblight Ganon, Scourge of Divine Beast Vah Naboris

"Stay on your edge, Link! This formidable adversary was made by Ganon and brought me to a warrior's demise 100 years ago.

Do not allow this to be your end. Fight for your life... And it's death!"

Well, it is now time to fight my second blight...

"This thing is fast! Watch yourself!"

With that, the blight motions a melee attack, even when it's further away. Suddenly, it moves towards me so fast that I could barely see it.

I held my shield out, which blocked the attack. It then moved back to its original position in the same speed.

Yeah, this thing is definitely going to be an issue... I really need to utilize my flurry rush if I want to really damage this thing.

It then goes in for the attack again, but I try dodging it this time. However, I believe I dodged too early as the slowdown for the flurry rush didn't happen.

I don't let this distract me as I can still attack it regularly from this distance. I grip my thunder blade and attack the blight.

It tries to block my hits with its shield, which works for a bit, but after attacking it long enough, I was able to break it, which also staggered it.

"There you go! Now attack!"

She was right, the blight was vulnerable now, leaving me the perfect opportunity to attack it. My attacks were enough to also knock it out, giving me a bit more room to attack.

After hitting it twice, the blight already got back and backed away. It then raised its shield to regenerate it.

For a third time, the blight goes in for the attack. This time, I was able to perform the flurry rush.

This also knocked to blight down, giving me room to hit it a couple more times before it got back up.

The blight then gathers electricity in its sword and fires an orb of electricity, two smaller orbs separating from it.

This was relatively easy to dodge, though, I couldn't help but feel like this attack would have been way more annoying to dodge if it weren't for the fact that this was a weakened version of this blight.

I still remember the realization that Mipha had to face such a monster back then... I can't imagine how this blight was when Urbosa fought it...

The blight did this move a couple more times before going for another quick attack. This time, I wasn't able to perform the flurry rush.

However, the blight was actually performing a different motion in the attack. As I jumped back, the blight spun around with its sword for another attack.

Luckily, I was out of the range of the attack when it swung the second time. However it seemed to be spinning around for a third attack.

This time, I managed to get the flurry rush off, dealing a lot of damage to the blight. The damage seemed to be adding on nicely.

Then, the blight turned back into an orb of energy and made its way higher. I guess this is when the fight gets more serious.

The blight then gathers electricity into itself, making its sword and shield have electricity coursing through them.

"Watch out for that lightning!"

The blight then started to summon several metal rods on the floor. It then started to strike them with lightning, destroying them.

I noticed that the order of the rods falling on the floor is also the order that the lightning strikes. Maybe I could use that to my advantage.

Since the rods are made of metal, I could grab them with Magnesis. I grab one of the rods that fell before lightning could strike it.

To my surprise, it didn't crumble once it did get struck by the lightning. Maybe I could use the blight's lightning against it.

I managed to find where the blight was, so once it started to use it's lightning again, I held the rod close to the blight, which made the lightning hit the blight for a lot of damage

"Amazing! Strike when its down."

I do so, being able to get three hits off before it gets up. Now is probably when the blight actually goes all out...

The blight comes in for another attack, this time  attacking with way more furocity. I wasn't so lucky on this attack.

I couldn't predict the first swipe and was able to dodge the second one, but I wasn't able flurry rush the third slice either. There was a forth and fifth attack too, however, the fifth attack came down before I could even react.

This dealt a lot of damage to me, almost making me use Mipha's Grace for the first time. At least that was the last motion before the blight moved back.

I then prepared for another attack. Once the blight came in for another attack, I was able to perform another flurry rush. I did notice that it was the three swipe motion from the blight's movement.

Though, I didn't need to think about that as my flurry rush knocks it down. Again a manage to hit it a couple time.

I tried to predict another melee attack, but the blight did something different. It held its shield out and moved towards me.

I didn't know what it was doing and got staggered when it bashed its shield on me. This also damaged me as the shield was still electrified, which also caused me to drop my sword.

The blight then did another swipe after staggering me. Just like that... My body feels like it's taken too much damage...

I collapse to my knees and my vision gets blurry...

"Not on my watch!"

My vision returns and I suddenly feel a strong chill. I then subconsciously ready myself to continue the fight.

Ice then attacks out from all sides of me. I also feel a lot better than just a few moments ago.

No doubt about it, this is the first time I'm using Mipha's Grace. I also have two more uses of this before having this ability go on cool down.

The spikes seemed to also have knocked the blight down as it hadn't moved away from me when it nearly killed me.

After two more hits, I could tell that this blight was nearly finished. However, my thunderblade was also badly damaged. One more attack and it will break.

The blight then prepares one last charge up laser. I ready my shield and get ready to deflect it.

Luckily for me, I was able to deflect the laser on time and sent it back at the blight. However, unlike the last blight, it only broke its shield.

However, this only made it more vulnerable to an attack. Well, perfect time to use the last of this weapon's durability.

I threw the thunderblade right at the blight, getting a direct hit! This both broke the weapon and defeated the blight!

The blight then goes back on top in front of the main control unit. I make my way up there as it screeches before blowing up.

I forgot that this would send me to the last memory, so I didn't remember to brace myself...

*    *    *

I  am then placed back into the perspective of Urbosa. This time I can actually see what this menace looked like.

It seemed to start off with its sword and shield electrified. They also had a green color to them. There also seemed to be orbs of electricity floating above the blight.

I have to admit, compared to my fight and Urbosa's, it's really obvious that I got off easy, aside from Mipha.

This blight was extremely fast, even moving out of the way of Urbosa's attacks before she could even counter it.

Everything that Urbosa tried to do was dodged by the blight. At least I'm lucky enough to be able to flurry rush and still get hits on the blight.

Once it got to the point where Urbosa had to leave, I could clearly see how the blight split itself into its clones.

The clones were actually pretty easy to tell that they weren't the real blight. The glowed blue, and clearly seemed weaker than the actual blight.

The memory then transitions back to when Urbosa readied herself for the final fight against this blight. I also seem to be outside of Urbosa's perspective.

Urbosa flew at the blight at such alarming speed, but somehow the blight noticed her and blocked her attack!

I'm sure that if she was able to pull this off without the blight blocking her, she could have ended this in one blow. Its mass was way smaller than  waterblight , so she probably could have done it.

However, with the force and speed that Urbosa dashed at the blight, she was able to penetrate through the shield and stagger the blight.

Urbosa was then able to strike the blight several times, dealing heavy damage.

Even when the blight got back into attacking, Urbosa was actually able to counter it to do more damage.

These two are practically trading blows now.  While Urbosa was getting hit now, she was at least able to damage the blight without it dodging her.

Suddenly, the blight backed off, though, I feel like I already know what will happen given what I know.

The blight then splits itself into two identical copies. This time, they  look the   exact same . I can tell that they're likely equal in strength.

While splitting into two has made the two  thunderblights  weaker individually, they are still incredibly fast and can go out of sync with their attack patterns.

Urbosa seemed to be having a lot of trouble keeping up... She was doing so well too...

Eventually, Urbosa couldn't take it anymore and fell to her knees... So this is it... Even putting up this much of a fight was in vain...

The two blights then moved to attack Urbosa at the same time. Urbosa tried to block it with her scimitar, but the force of the two blight's attack sent her scimitar flying out the side of Naboris.

However, the  blights  were not done... They both stabbed  Urbosa's abdomen to assert they won. They then back off to get ready for one last attack.

Urbosa then raises her hand and charges something. I believe it's one last attack before the blights finish her off.

" Champions, my people, my little bird... I am so sorry to have to admit that this is my final moment...

Zelda, I know that you probably won't believe it, but I am so proud of how far you have come since you were a child... Even your mother would have thought the same way too.

Your dedication to unlocking your power is something to be inspired by, and it's such a shame that your dedication didn't bear fruit...

I just hope... Your powers unlock soon... Hyrule can still be saved if you can unlock those powers...

My fellow Gerudo... I am sorry to have failed you all... I am ashamed as chief to have fallen when I told you all that I would come back safe...

Finally, Link... I can only apologize like I would for the other champions, but there is more that I hope for you...

Please, Link... Keep Zelda safe... Keep my little bird safe..."

...

Before the blights reach her... She snaps her fingers. However, before the attack  could land... The blights strike...

Their attack slices Urbosa into pieces... A cut straight through her forehead and her raised arm and the other cut below her chest, which also cut threw her other arm...

I feel sick from just looking at her like this... Luckily the attack she charged still landed. It completely destroyed one of the blights and weakened the other one.

I looked at Urbosa's body... It had collapsed, almost making her unrecognizable... I can see why these memories are the blights doing.

Urbosa... I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you... If only I had been there with you... If only I could have helped all of the champions...

*    *    *

My vision finally comes back and I could see the heart container that the blight had dropped. Though, I needed to rub my eyes a little from what I saw...

Don't act like this now, Link. Now's not the time to show these emotions. Not yet, at least...

I picked up the heart container, which boosted my health to 10 hearts. Well, now I should go ahead and finally finish this Divine Beast.

I walked to the main control unit one last time and placed my shiekah slate on the pedestal. Just like with Ruta, it actually activated.

I then hear someone stepping closer. Well, this does mean Urbosa is finally free.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down, Link. Thanks to your valor and skill, my soul is free and Naboris is ours once again.

Which means that finally... We can complete what we started years ago. We Gerudo have no tolerance for unfinished business."

Heh... Yeah, and this time, we just might be prepared this time.

"I've waited so long for the moment to see you finally rush Hyrule Castle... As well as for the moment when I incinerate Ganon into a pile of ash.

Which reminds me, I wanted to give you a little something. Please accept this gift, which has come to be known as Urbosa's Fury.

It will no doubt be of use to you."

Urbosa then raises her hands. One faced me, and the other was in the motion where she would snap her fingers.

Energy then started to gather in one of Urbosa's hands. She then snapped her fingers and the orb rushed to me, which was then absorbed into my body.

To test it out, I snapped my fingers, which caused lightning to strike around me. Well, this will definitely prove useful in the future.

"Urbosa, I... I want to apologize to you..."

"No need to apologize, I, and the other champions knew that you have been struggling with your duties since your inauguration ceremony.

I just wish that we had more time to speak with each other... Maybe then, we might have been able to hear your voice earlier than when the Calamity showed itself."

"I... Sigh... I don't know what time you're mentioning, but I'll probably know eventually. And I wasn't necessarily apologizing just for failing or being silent. I was apologizing for forgetting."

"I understand. You were recovering from a very cruel battle for such a long time. But I just hope that you or the princess don't blame yourselves as much as us champions.

No one is to blame for what has happened other than that creature known as the calamity."

I still can't help but feel guilty... I looked away with sadness in my eyes...

"I know it's none of our fault... I knew that from freeing my first Divine Beast... But I can't help but imagine how this would have gone if I had actually been there to help..."

I then felt Urbosa place a hand on my shoulder. Just like with Mipha, I could feel a chill as Urbosa touched me with her spiritual form.

I looked up and saw Urbosa with a more serious expression.

"I know that it is hard not to carry the blame, but there is nothing that we can do other than to do better today and correct the mistakes we made.

And please, when you do save the princess, please let her know the same thing that she is not at fault for what has happened to us champions."

I take a deep breath and nod. I know not to blame myself for all this, but I had forgotten about Zelda as well...

Zelda must be feeling even more guilty than I am... I realize now that I need to make her realize this too.

"The other champions you have yet to free will surely love to see you again. I, too, have enjoyed this little reunion we managed to get."

"Yeah..."

I look back at Urbosa with a smile, though, tears start to form in my eyes. I couldn't hold them back any longer.

Urbosa sighed but kept a warm smile. She then placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Once this is all over, Link. You and the princess can finally rest easy. You won't need to worry about Hyrule being in danger. At least know that and make sure the princess knows that."

"I know... But it will be hard to move on from you guys... Especially..."

I couldn't finish my sentence Urbosa suddenly pulls me into a hug.

"I'm not asking you to forget us... You don't even need to move on completely from us... But please... Don't let either yours or the princess's grief control your lives..."

Yeah... Even though I won't be able to move on, I should be happy to finally rid Hyrule of this evil known as the calamity.

Finally, I noticed that a light formed on my body. Urbosa and I released from the hug as we both seem to know that our time together was up.

"Well, it seems I can't keep you any longer. It was nice speaking to you after so long."

"Yes, it was. I hope we get to speak with each other again soon."

"Well, be sure to take care of the princess. Oh, and also. Take good care of yourself."

I smile and nod at Urbosa as I disappear into light, finally moving away from Naboris.

*    *    *

Well, I shouldn't waste anymore time. I should get Naboris to the firing spot.

It takes a bit, but I eventually get Naboris to the edge of the desert. Now I just need to climb up the canyon to the spot where I'll fire at the castle.

Fortunately, it seems the terrain of the canyon is still climbable for Naboris. It doesn't take too long before Naboris is able to climb all the way up the canyon.

I then get Naboris into position and ready the laser.  After doing so, I charge up and fire the laser at Hyrule Castle.

"Nabooru... Legend of the Gerudo, celebrated over ages. And you, who were named to honor her- you are a legend as well. Isn't that right, Naboris?"

There hasn't been a confirmed fact that Naboris was named after her, but I can already piece it together that this is the case.

"The bitter essence of defeat from a century ago still sits upon my tongue... But that is now in the past...

It was written that Calamity Ganon once adopted the form of a Gerudo. And that... Will make this victory all the more satisfying.

I like that, now I can take this more personally. Once we've established a lock on that thing... It will be up to Link to keep Ganon occupied until the moment we unleash our strike."

That moment...  Is going  to be so delicious.

Chapter Text

Just like what happened with Mipha, I am now back at the entrance of Gerudo Town. Now, I have acquired a brand new ability.

Urbosa's Fury

*     *     *

Urbosa's Fury

When charging an attack, unleash a devastating attack of lightning in a large radius, dealing a massive amount of damage to enemies within it.

Can be used three times before going on a fifteen minute cool down.

Urbosa's Speed

When performing a dash attack, electricity surges through you, causing you to dash a long distance. If any enemies are in your path will be hit with big damage.

Can be used three times before going on a seven minute cool down. This ability is separate from the rest of the other abilities, therefore, it does not share a cool down with them.

Urbosa's Furocity

While charging an attack, your movement speed goes back to a walking speed.

Once you release your attack, dash multiple times, damaging enemies in your path before snapping your fingers, making lightning strike in a radius around you dealing heavy damage.

This can be used three times before going on a fifteen minute cool down. This ability shares the same cool down with Urbosa's Fury.

*     *     *

Well, this time, the ability that I'm given seems to be more combat focused. One of the abilities is also a mobility skill.

Well, I should probably head back into town and let Riju know that I have freed Naboris from Ganon's control.

Well, before I go in, I need to change back into that Vai outfit before getting kicked out.

After changing into the outfit, I walked in and headed straight for the back of the town where Riju would be at.

Once I got inside, it seemed like Riju was waiting for me. She looked at me with surprise.

"Oh, you're back?! I'm glad you're ok... Truly, I am... Naboris is no longer a threat to the town...

I'm still worried about the larger threat to Hyrule, but at least my people won't be troubled by Naboris anymore."

Riju then leads my attention to the right side behind her. There seem to be two chests behind her.

"I want to offer you these as thanks for your help. I trust you'll accept them. These pieces of equipment are priceless treasures of the Gerudo people. They were once worn by Lady Urbosa.

Since you and Lady Urbosa were friends, it's only right that you have them."

I nod my head.

"Thank you, Lady Riju, I'll cherish these as Lady Urbosa also has."

I then walked over to the two chests that lay behind Riju. It's going to be great to actually wield these just like the Lightscale Trident.

Scimitar of the Seven

Daybreaker

Yep, this is Urbosa's sword and shield. And if I remember correctly, I'll be able to use these and won't have to worry about breaking them. They are important items, so I can't use them yet.

"Before you go, I'd like to tell you something."

I walked back in front of Riju to hear what she had to say.

"When I wore the Thunder helm and fought along your side, I thought I heard a name called out on the wind. Riju...

Heh... I hadn't been called by that name in a while. That strong, warm voice... It must have belonged to Urbosa..."

"Riju..."

Buliara then tapped her Claymore on the floor before shouting at me.

"Such insolence! Even deeds as valorous as yours do not earn you the right to speak so to the chief!"

Wow... I'll never get over how serious Buliara can be... However, Riju only chuckled at this.

"Let it go, Buliara. Being called by my name every once in a while isn't so bad."

Buliara sighed and Buliara turned back to her normal position. My eyes then traced back to the thunder helm.

Man... It would be really useful to have something like this... Being able to negate electric damage.

I then walked over to it to examine it a bit further. Buliara then turned back to me with seriousness in her eyes.

"Halt! That is the treasure of the Gerudo, the Thunder helm! You may be held in high esteem, but this does not give you the freedom to lay your hands on the pride of our people."

I was just examining it... I wasn't even thinking of wanting to take it... But, I can't deny that I kind of want something like it.

"Becalm yourself, Buliara. You... Desire this helm?"

I sigh as I do kind of want it.

"Yes, I want it."

"I see... And yet, despite the great we owe you, I cannot just give such a precious thing to you."

Well, that's to be expected. I knew it wouldn't be easy to acquire something like this...

"...But you ARE up against the enemy of Lady Urbosa... And if you truly desire it, then perhaps I can lend it to you..."

"Yes! I don't mind returning it after I defeat the calamity!"

"Well then, let's see how serious you are. This helm is a cultural treasure. To earn it, you must gain the trust of our people.

I want you to address their concerns and bring a resolute peace to our town. We already know that you are powerful. But you can't solve all of my people's problems with power alone."

That is true... Not everything can be solved with just strength. Well, I guess I should help the people around to gain the trust of Riju.

As I walk out back into the town, I suddenly hear something.

"Link..."

Well, I definitely recognize this voice. About time that she called for me.

"I sense that you have acquired something of mine that is precious to me. If my suspicion is correct, I'd like for you to come to Naboris and let me take a look at it."

I then check the map to see if I could actually teleport to Naboris. Just like with Ruta, since I am now done with Naboris, I can teleport to it now.

After tapping the icon of Naboris, I teleported to it in about a minute. I was then faced with Naboris stationed and firing its beam at Hyrule Castle.

Well, I guess this is going to be the same process of having Urbosa put some of her soul in her equipment so I can use them.

I approach Naboris and wait for Urbosa to talk to me. Not long later, I could hear Urbosa.

"As I suspected, you have my equipment with you. Good. Now hold them out and I'll do the rest. If you've done this before, you'll probably know what I'm doing."

I do as Urbosa asks and bring out her scimitar and shield. Then, just like what happened with Mipha, my vision becomes blurry.

I then seem to be transported to my memory of Naboris. Now, everything seems to be hazy, just like with what happened with Mipha.

Then, Urbosa appears before me.

"You don't seem as surprised as I initially thought when bringing you here, Link. I guess I was correct in thinking you have already gone through this before."

I nod in response "Yes, I have actually gone through this process over in the Lanayru region with Mipha."

"Ah, I see. So Mipha is also free, then. That's good. So you'll know what I'll be doing, then?"

"Yes. You're going to put a little bit of your soul within your equipment, correct?"

"Yes, plus, you'll be able to use my electric powers while you wield them. Now, hold them out, and I'll get this over with."

I take out Urbosa's scimitar and shield yet again and present them. Urbosa extends her arm towards them. Then, she snaps her fingers, which made her equipment glow the same cyan color as the wisps surrounding her.

"There, now you will be able to use my equipment throughout the rest of your journey. I'm sure they will come in handy in the future."

In the back of my head, I suddenly remembered something that reminds me that I could have ended the battle against that blight sooner...

I could have taken out a spear and used the Lightscale Trident to do more damage to the blight... Oh well, I'll remember to actually use these weapons in the future.

"Now, you should try them out. It would probably be a good idea to get a feel for how to use my style in battle."

I nod and get into an attacking stance. This time, I stand with my guard up and angling my body away from Urbosa, not letting the sides of me leave the daybreaker's protection. Finally, my scimitar is in a lower position than my usual stance.

Urbosa then summons her own scimitar and shield. Well, I already know how this generally works, I already expected this.

I then charge towards Urbosa and attacked her.

"Let's see what a full attack pattern looks like!" Urbosa says after putting her shield up.

I first attacked her with two diagonal slashes, first going right, then left. Then, I used a shield bash to break Urbosa's guard.

This stunned Urbosa for a little bit. I then spun to the right, slashing Urbosa a third time and did another spin. With one powerful slash, I knocked Urbosa away.

Just like with Mipha, it seems like Urbosa was injured from this set of attacks, which makes me wince like last time as Urbosa doesn't have a healing ability like Mipha.

However, it seems the healing is just a perk of being a spirit. The wounds that I gave Urbosa were healed in an instant.

"As expected from you, Link. You adapted to my fighting style quickly. It's like I'm taking attacks from myself. Now, charge your strength and come at me!"

Well, from what I remember, this should indicate that I need to use the charge attack. I guess this is the powerful attack that I need to spare ten seconds to use.

I hold up the scimitar and charge my strength into a powerful attack. I then performed a powerful spin attack, channeling electricity to further enhance it.

It seems like this has the same radius as Mipha's weapon as well. There also seems to be that slowdown when I change it as well.

That's good, I don't want there to be an imbalance between the champion weapons.

"Very good. I cannot see any type of battle in the future that you cannot win in. Additionally, you can use my equipment along with Mipha's in the same battle."

Wow, so if I'm in a very difficult situation, I can actually use these to tip the scales in my favor. Like I mentioned, this will definitely come in handy in the future.

"With that, I'm sure you're eager to continue on with your journey, so I'll let you go for now."

I nod "Thank you, Urbosa. I'll surely make use of your equipment in the future. It was nice speaking to you again."

"Yes, it is refreshing to hear you speak again as well. If you need any assistance or practice with my gear, you know where to find me."

With that, my vision fades and transitions back to the real world.

Scimitar of the Seven and Daybreaker

Damage: 50

Now imbued with Urbosa's soul, you can summon Urbosa's precious equipment when holding a sword and shield.

While using them, you will be able to use Urbosa's fighting style in battle.

Charging an attack will make lightning course through you, allowing you to perform a big spin attack.

Chapter Text

My vision finally returns after saying my goodbyes to Urbosa. It was nice to talk with her again after so long, even though this is just restricted to training.

However, I might be able to see her again in the same ways I have with Mipha, so that's something to look forward to.

Well, I think I'll go ahead and do some quests now that I'm finished with the main quest in this region.

I could work on getting the Thunder helm, but I guess it will come naturally when I complete more quests.

I should see if there is any quest I could do that is are outside of Gerudo Town first. Maybe there are some that will lead me to a shrine. It's been a while since I came across one.

I teleported back to Gerudo Town and searched around for anyone that might have a quest. There was one person that did catch my eye.

He was jogging around the outskirts of Gerudo Town. He didn't seem to be slowed down by the sand either. I'll go talk with him and see if I can get more information.

"Oh, it's just a guy... Saw me running around, huh? See, I heard Gerudo women like a guy in sand boots, so I've been jogging all over for forever trying to show off...

But none of them will talk to me! I'm starting to wonder if that was just a bunch of bunk..."

I mean, yeah. I don't think any lady would fall for a guy with just a piece of clothing, let alone the Gerudo.

Though, I am curious about the sand boots that he is talking about.

"Sand boots?"

"Sand boots let you walk normally on sand, so if you live in the desert, believe me, you want a pair!

BUT! The only person capable of making them passes away, which means they're impossibly rare and extremely valuable! What do you think? Jealous, right?"

Eh, I find that really hard to believe... I mean, sure, those boots are definitely a fine craft, but I doubt it is impossible for someone to make a similar set of clothing.

Maybe I'll just mess with him. "Gimme those boots."

"Huh? You're coveting these things after you heard me sing their praises? Not cool. Look, these sand boots are super rare. Mayyyybe I'd consider giving them to you if you were a girl, but a guy? NO. I'm busy here. Get lost!"

If I were a girl, huh? Well, under normal circumstances, I would just go away, but I might have just the solution. If I can fool the Gerudo, this guy won't be any different.

I change into my Gerudo Vai outfit and go back to talk to him. Unsurprisingly, he thinks I'm actually a girl.

"Sa sa sa... Sav'otta! So yeah, hey, the name's Bozai. I'm 35, single, and I LOVE jogging. Especially on sand.

Yeah, everyone says I'm tenacious as a tick! I meant it's in a good way, too! S-so... You out here on your own? Pretty rough and tumble place... Wanna hang out with me awhile?"

Nope, I'm only talking to you because of those boots.

"Nice sand-jogging!"

"Ah... You noticed these old things? Yeah, they're my sand boots. They allow me to traverse the desert without being slowed down at all, so jogging is a breeze.

If you'd like to check them out, we could grab a quiet corner and..."

Nope, I am not allowing you to finish that sentence.

"Gimme those boots."

"Huh? Oh... Well... Here's the thing. These sand boots are super rare, and I'd happily give them to you, but..."

The guy pauses for a moment and speaks to himself.

"... Wait. This is a golden chance to woo..."

"I mean, sure! I'd LOVE to give them to you, you hungry little boot monster! But first, a favor. Ever heard of the eighth heroine?"

"Eighth heroine?"

I mean, I haven't really heard of anything like these "heroines", let alone an eighth. I guess this has something to be something within this region in particular.

"Everyone's heard the legend in the Gerudo region about the seven heroines, but... Some tell of an eighth heroine... Wiped clean from history, and no one knows why or how...

A phantom heroine known to all but seen by none... I've been taken with the legend since I was a child.

Find her! Show me the eighth heroine, and I'll give you these sand boots. What do you say?"

Well, it seems this will actually be a quest.

"I guess I could go look."

"YESSSS! Ahem! According to those who idolize the eighth heroine, she is enshrined somewhere in the Gerudo Highlands.

Apparently they even have a nickname for her: The Bronze Giant. Catchy. Beyond that, I don't really know that much... Who knows, there might be someone in Gerudo Town who knows more about the election of the seven heroines.

Maybe that info would help. I don't know. Anyway, draw a picture or something if you find her! And then show me! I'm pretty picky about pictures, too. If you get one, make sure at least the statues upper half is visible, ok?

Oh, and here... If you'd like, you can use these. I'm sure they'll come in handy. Besides, you seem really into boots."

Snow Boots

Armor: 3

Effect: Snow speed up

Dang, so he also has a pair for snow? But this quest is only for sand boots... I guess I am only being lent these.

"Gerudo Highlands are covered in deep snow, so it's hard to walk, right? Everyone knows that. But with these snow boots, you can walk through snow like it was flat ground...

No... You can walk even faster than that! No one makes these anymore, so they're extremely valuable. As such, you can't keep them, ok?"

Just as I thought... I'll have to give these back once I complete the quest. Before I left, I heard him speak to himself.

"Many have investigated the eighth heroine, but it's an inscrutable legend, an unsolved and possibly unsolvable puzzle... And as Ms. Boots spins her wheels on its, well grow closer... And closer... And then... He he!"

Yeah... I kind of feel bad that I'm going to rob this guy's sand boots, but don't at the same time.

Well, I'll probably get to that if another quest brings me to the Gerudo Highlands. I assume the Highlands are the uncovered area that I have yet to get surrounding the Yiga Hideout.

Once I headed back into Gerudo Town, I noticed someone to the right that looked down. She was at the front of what seemed to be a jewelry shop. Maybe I can help her.

"Vasaaq... Not that I have any reason to be greeting people..."

"What's the matter?"

"I manage a shop that specializes in handmade accessories, but I've run out of flint. I need it to make my items.

If only I had 10... Just 10... If some kind Vai would give me 10 pieces of flint, I could offer a nice reward... I can dream all I want, though... Nothing goes that smoothly in the real world."

Well, I have a good amount of flint with me. I don't necessarily have that many uses for it yet, so I don't mind giving 10 to her.

Though... I am curious about the accessories she is talking about.

"Accessories?"

"I use rubies, sapphires, and other gems to make accessories. Each gem type has its own power that I can transfer to whoever wheres it.

There's nothing I can do about not having any flint, though... I'm sorry that you came all the way to see me for nothing."

"Well, why don't I give you the flint?"

"Uh... What?! You're just... Giving these to me? Sarqso! But... I can't take this all from you with just a sarqso. We hardly know each other, and you've been so nice...

The shop's been closed so long, I hardly have any inventory... Oh, of course! Now that I have some flint, I could make a jeweled accessory for you if you're interested in something."

Hmm... If the jewels within the accessories change the affect they give, then I could choose what affect I'll get.

Hmm... I believe having cold resistance is the most important out of what I can think of... So that would leave my option being...

"Ruby?"

"Rubies have the power to grant cold resistance. So you'd like a ruby circlet?"

"Yes, I would like that."

"Teehee, I thought you might pick that one. Please give me a moment..."

She then goes into her shop. Sounds could be heard with quick succession. She seems to be making it right now.

After a few moments, she exits her shop with the ruby circlet in her hand.

"Brand-new, especially for you! I think it turned out really well!"

Ruby Circlet

Armor: 3

Effect: Cold resistance

I guess I have two pieces of equipment that give cold resistance. It's probably a good thing I'm getting this before heading for the Gerudo Highlands.

"Thanks to you, I got the shop running again, so if you ever need an accessory, please come by for a special discount. Just... Don't tell my other customers, ok?"

I nod and she heads back into her shop. With that, that's another side quest done. I should look around town for more. Hopefully I won't have to go far with some of them.

As I passed the shops on the right side of the town,  I noticed that, down the alley way, a child seems to be down. I guess I can ask what was wrong.

"Ah... Vai-from-out-of-town... Sav'otta... I wanted to plant an orchard here... I picked up trash... I pulled the weeds... I tilled the ground...

I did all the stuff you're supposed to do to make the earth happy... But... But... The trash... All this trash keeps getting washed down into the water trough, and now I can't use the water there anymore.

And if I can't use the water anymore... My orchard is doomed!"

I then looked into the little waterfall and noticed that there was skin of hydromelon at the bottom! It seems there is a polluter... I should probably investigate this.

I could probably get to the culprit if I just climb the walls. After climbing to the top, there seemed to be a whole system of where water is distributed in the town.

I then followed where the hydromelons were coming from. This led me to the back wall of Gerudo Town.

After climbing a couple more walls, I find the culprit: A lady eating hydromelons and throwing the scrap in the water like it's her trash disposal.

"What's with you? How can I enjoy my snack with you staring at me, huh?! Buzz off!"

"Well, actually... I'm here because you're throwing garbage into the water and a little Vai is pretty upset."

"What? Garbage?! A small Vai is having trouble? Oh, sure, you spring this on me out of nowhere and expect me to change MY lifestyle. Well, no. I do what I want!"

Is this lady serious? This is just really petty... The lady seems to notice my look of judgement.

"Aww... Don't look at me like that! Fine! FINE! I get it! But I need something from you in return. Altruism is for suckers.

Just once... I'd like to eat a wildberry. You bring me a wildberry, and I can hold off on eating so many melons."

Well, that sounds pretty simple. Though, I doubt she'll want just one.

"Sure, you got it."

"Wildberries grow in the snowy areas of the Gerudo Highlands. It's a dangerous region, so the fruit is kind of rare and hardly ever shows up at the market...

Ah... Not that I think on it, there's barely a point if you only bring me one..."

Yep, there it is.

"Let's see... Yes, I'll need at least 10..."

Well, that's another quest that leads me to the Gerudo Highlands. I'll look around a little more before I try traveling to Gerudo Highlands.

I noticed that I was above where the Gerudo soldiers were located. Maybe they have a quest for me too.

When I got down, I noticed that a Vai seemed to be trying to talk with one of the soldiers. I'll see what is bothering her first.

"Sav'aaq... I... I finally found the voe of my dreams, and I just recently married him... I thought I had finally found happiness...

But then... My husband fell ill with a rare disease... One difficult to cure. The only thing that I can save him is the guts of a Molduga..."

Hmm... This is kind of serious... I definitely want to help her out. So I'll have to defeat a Molduga...

"But I would never be able to take down such a creature myself... I asked the soldiers for help, but...

Why would they want to help me? The Molduga is a menacing beast... None who face one escape unscathed... So perhaps it's foolish to expect anyone to stick their neck outs for a stranger...

I thought I'd come out of this town... Never thought I'd have to come crawling back..."

"Molduga?"

"The Molduga is a monster... A tear so Savage that even other monsters won't approach it... It's often been spotted west of here, in the Toruma Dunes, and in the south.

It's very sensitive to vibrations, and it tends to attack anything that draws near. Can't approach it or even move near it... And you can't use someone as bait... So what am I to do..."

Alright, so that's another side quest that I will probably need to earn the trust of Riju for the thunder helm.

When I looked around the area again, I noticed that the guards that I talked to about the Yiga Clan were talking with each other. Though, shouldn't there be four now?

"Whuh... Whah...WHAAAAT?! Barta didn't come back AGAIN?"

Yep, I thought there would have been four after I defeated Kohga.

"I'm afraid this time she went to investigate the leviathan bones in the southwest..."

"I... I tried to stop her..."

"But obviously it didn't work because she's not here!"

"Well, yeah... But... Everyone knows that area is the domain of the Molduga, so who would figure she'd even go close to there?"

"Yes, nobody would dare! And not only that, but it's an extremely hot zone, so we wouldn't last long there in our gear..."

"You... You IDIOTS! That scatterbrain wouldn't even realize she was walking into danger! I mean, you know that, right?! Why, it was just the other day she ran off and got captured by the Yiga!

Ugh... I guess Barta will be Barta, and you all aren't going to change... But still, why does she have to go and get in trouble like this all the time..."

Well, I guess this is another side quest I'll have to  do. It also seems that I'll need more heat resistance for this quest.

Well, I likely won't need to try and find whatever set gives me heat resistance per piece and just cook some food with that buff and wear my Vai outfit.

Well, I looked around some more and nobody physically looks like they would need help with a side quest.

I believe I'll start these quests by going to the leviathan bones. I checked my map and it seems like they are located by going straight behind Gerudo Town.

I made my way to the front of Gerudo Town and managed to sneak behind a sand seal and catch a ride on it. Now I can get to the leviathan bones with minimal problems.

As I made my way to the location, I noticed quickly that there was an actual sandstorm in the direction of the leviathan bones...

However, some good news was I seemed to have left Gerudo Town at the right time. As I made my way to the location, it was the afternoon, and the heat and cold of the desert seemed to be in the process of changing, so it seems I didn't need to make the heat resistant food.

When I made it inside of the sandstorm, similar to when I was fighting Naboris, it was really hard to see anything. My shiekah slate map was also not working. It seems there was no signal that could be reached in the sandstorm.

However, I was already going on a straight path to the leviathan bones, so I just didn't need to stray from my current path.

Eventually, the sandstorm seemed to end by the time I reached the leviathan bones. Wow... This thing is huge...

I noticed that my shrine sensor went off as well. When I took a closer look at the leviathan bones, I did see a shrine in there.

However, I also noticed something within the bones as well. There seemed to be some sort of flower bud here... I'll have to check it out after I complete this next shrine.

The shrine was another trial of electricity. This time, I had to use Magnesis to move metal objects around to complete the puzzles.

The first had me connect electricity to a point with two boxes. Easy enough.

The next puzzle had me activate a platform with a ball and chain. I just needed to untangle the chain before putting it in the right area.

The next puzzle required me to transport an electric orb to the end area while not activating points that will make me fall into the water.

The last puzzle had me maneuver a giant metal box across a rail so I could connect these metal bars together, allowing electricity to get to the end, which allowed me to get a metal gear.

This gear was the last thing I needed in order to open the gate to the monk of the shrine. At least this shrine didn't have too much to go over.

Once I walked out of the shrine, my attention was drawn back to the flower-like bud in front of the shrine.

There were also fairies flying around as well. I should probably try to grab them. I managed to sneak by and grab four fairies.

It seems these fairies actually have the same affect as Mipha's Grace! However, they only seem to restore a small set amount of health when the user is about to die.

Well, they will still prove to be useful either way.

I checked around the bud and noticed that there was an abundance of safflinas around it. It seemed like there was a platform where I could examine it...

I made my way up to the platform and examined the bulb.

"Boy... Sweet boy... Please... Listen to my story..."

"Um... Alright."

"I am the Great Fairy Tera... This place was once a beautiful spring... But as time passed, fewer and fewer travelers arrived to offer me rupees. As a result, my power has abandoned me."

Well... I don't know if she has realized this, but she is located in the corner of the desert. I don't think many even know she's here.

"I'm nearly powerless now, so I beg your help. I need rupees to become whole again. All I need is 100 rupees... Once my power has been restored, I can help you do great things, boy."

Well, 100 rupees isn't even that much for where I'm at.

"Now... If you have the rupees, hand them over to me. Quickly! In order for me to regain my power, I need 100 rupees."

I then take out a silver rupee.

"Alright, here you go."

She then quickly grabbed the rupee out of my hand.

"Thank you. You are too kind."

A sort of dust started to puff out of the bud.

"Aah... The power... It's overflowing!!!"

I backed up before the bud suddenly sprouted. This the revealed an actual fountain in the shape of a flower. Suddenly, bubbles started to rise from the water before-

"Ah-HAAAAA!"

... Well, all I can really say about the sight I am given is that I'm seeing a very... Giant lady... Is this what she meant by she was a Great fairy?

"Cough... Cough Ah... Well, hello there... I am the great earth fairy, Tera. I am the oldest of the four sisters.

I have been watching your activities from inside my bud all this time! And haven't you been busy, swinging that sword around, adventuring...

I'm not just making wild assumptions, you know! I truly do see all... I'll prove it right now! I'll... Predict what you are thinking right at this moment! ... You're probably thinking... 'Can't we just skip to the part where she enhances my clothing...' Right?

Looks like I hit the mark, hm? Ahem... What an impatient person..."

Enhance my clothing?

"Why don't you show me the clothing you want to have enhanced? Depending on what material you have on hand, I should be able to enhance your clothing. But it all depends!

With the power available to me... I can enhance your clothing a little bit!"

Hmm... I am curious about enhancing my equipment...

"Enhance away!"

I then looked into my inventory to see what I could upgrade. She definitely wasn't kidding on how I needed different materials depending on my equipment.

All my different sets needed a different set of materials in order for me to upgrade it. It seems upgrading my armor actually increases the protection it provides when wearing it.

I spent some time upgrading my armor before finishing up.

"My sisters in other parts of the world still need you to restore their power. If you see a giant flower bud as you journey through Hyrule, please stop and help.

Well then, I'm headed home! Good-BYYEE!"

Well, she was definitely an... Interesting character. I guess I'll have to find however many more of the great fairies to be able to utilize this to its full extent.

Okay, I should probably also check around for Barta. She is the reason I even came out here in the first place.

When I got to the head of the leviathan bones, I actually saw a Gerudo, which must be Barta.

"Are you... A fairy? An angel? Are you here to guide my passage? ... Everything's going hazy... This might be the end..."

"Hey, snap out of it!"

"Ahh... If only I could've eaten a hearty durian one last time... A hearty durian... A hearty durian..."

Hmm, well I do have some hearty durian that I didn't cook, so I guess I could spare one.

"Ahh, spirits of the Goddess... Before you take me from this world, if only I could just taste fruit... Just one last bite of a hearty durian..."

"Hey, take this!"

She takes the Durian and eats it. After doing so, she seemed a lot more rejuvenated and got back on her feet.

"Hah... I've returned from the brink of death thanks you... Sarqso! Huh? Is that you I spoke to before? So you are actually a voe...

I thought you were a bit muscular for a hylian vai. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I owe you my life, after all!"

Well, at least none of the guards will actually be suspicious of me... I actually forgot that I met her at the Yiga Hideout in my Vai outfit.

"Hah... Anyway, I'm totally exhausted. Maybe I'll rest just a little longer then head home."

Well... I kind of have some bad news for you, Barta...

"Your boss was MAD."

"Huh? So... They knew I snuck off... Oh, I'm in such trouble... Yep, looks like I'd better go on ahead. See you later and sav'orq!"

Well, I better head back to Gerudo Town. It does seem the sandstorm has subsided too. However, it's better to just teleport back.

Once I made it back to Gerudo Town, I put on my outfit again before heading back inside. I then made my way back to the soldiers.

"Oh! What a courageous Vai! I heard from Barta! She said you found her! I told her you were as dependable as a champion! If you were a Gerudo Vai, I'd want you in my troop!"

Heh, well, I am a champion, but I am not going to say anything about that.

"Anyway, close one, huh? Looks like I got out of this without getting chewed out by our troop leader! You must be worn out, right? Here, take this as thanks! Buy yourself something nice in the market!"

She then gives me a silver rupee. Wow, I basically got paid off for the great fairy too.

Alright, I think the next quest that I'll do is the one for the Molduga guts. I remember the Vai told me that a location was in Toruma Dunes.

I opened my map and noticed that the location was West of Gerudo Town. Well, I should probably get to it, then.

I snuck behind another sand seal and rode it to the location. It was getting cold, so I put the ruby circlet to use.

Eventually, I made my way to the Toruma Dunes and found myself above the area. I then see a moving bump within the sand! That must be the Molduga.

Hmm... So if it is very sensitive to the sound above the sand... How am I going to make sure I'm not damaged by this thing?

As I was thinking, I saw the Molduga jump into the air like it was trying to catch a meal... Man, that thing is huge...

Wait a minute... If that's how it attacks, maybe I could use its sound sensitivity to my advantage.

I saw that there were some stone platforms with torches on them. Maybe I could use the platforms as a safe spot too.

I glided down to the sand after it had done another jump so it wouldn't initially hear me and snuck my way to the stone platform.

I then took out a remote bomb and threw it on the sand. This got the Molduga's attention. It then got close enough and jumped to eat the bomb.

I then detonated the bomb and managed to actually stun the Molduga. I then run over to it for an attack.

Attacking it didn't really seem to do too much, though, I don't really know where a weak spot could be on this thing.

It then rolled back over to regain itself. I hit it a couple more times before backing away. It curled its tail around on my side before quickly spinning around.

If I had stayed for too long, I definitely would have been sent flying and suffering some damage.

The Molduga then burrowed under the sand. Luckily for me, I already made it back to a platform, so it won't be able to hit me.

The Molduga then seemed to try to charge out of the sand to hopefully hit its attacker. Once it realized that I wasn't in the sand, it went back into the sand in hopes of finding me.

I did this process again, baiting the Molduga with a bomb and stunning it. When I attacked, I found out that this thing's stomach seems to be its weak point as I seemed to deal more damage to it.

After hitting it a few more times, before it could burrow in the sand again, I held my sword in a charge attack position.

"Haaaaa..."

I could hear Urbosa's voice as I ready Urbosa's Fury. I then released my attack on the Molduga.

"HAA!!"

A powerful strike of lightning hits the Molduga, doing devastating damage to it. This actually defeated the Molduga!

The Molduga screeched in pain after that strike of lightning. After this, it collapsed in the sand and disappeared, leaving its fins and guts behind.

Alright, seems like I have what I came here for. However, now that I have dealt with, I bring my attention back to one of the torches I found on these platforms.

I then noticed that every one of these platforms had a torch on it. Hmm... Maybe if I light all of these, something will happen.

So, I walked around the sand, lightning all of the torches around the area. To my surprise, this actually did do something. A shrine rose from the sand!

I figured I could just go in and get the spirit orb before heading back to give the Molduga guts.

Luckily for me, this also happened to be a blessing shrine. This meant that there was no puzzle in the shrine for me to solve.

After getting the spirit orb from the shrine, I figured that there wasn't anything left here, so I teleported back to Gerudo.

Once I made it back to Gerudo Town, I put on my outfit again and looked around for that Vai that needed the Molduga guts. Eventually, I find her.

"Sav'saaba... Oh, it's you... My husband was the first voe to ever tell me I was beautiful... I love him so! And so I need those Molduga guts, no matter what... But... What can I do on my own?"

Well, you don't have to worry any longer, I have them.

"Here, you can take these."

"Wait, these... Molduga guts! You... You'll give these to me?"

I nodded. Of course I will. I may have a use for them later, but it's only right that I give them to someone else in need of them.

"Oh, sarqso! This is all I have to thank you with, but I insist you take it."

She then gives me a gold rupee. Wow... 300 rupees is definitely a good reward. I can definitely tell she is very grateful for this.

"This will save him... Sniff"

Well, this only leaves one last quest within Gerudo Town. That quest seems to lead me to the Gerudo Highlands.

I don't have the Gerudo Highlands on my map, so I might need to find the Tower while I journey to it.

I actually won't need to search for it as I could see it in the distance a little to the left of Kara Kara Bizarre.

Again, I grab another sand seal and made my way to the tower in the distance. I do hope that the sandstorm that is raging nearby won't cause an inconvenience to me getting to the tower.

After a few minutes, I already hit a dead end for the sand seal, leaving just me to climb up. At least the sandstorm was far enough away that it didn't lower my vision.

However, I did have to deal with a couple enemies when I got up. There were three bokoblins, two of them being a black variant. I also had to face two black moblins as well.

Battles now seem to be getting a little more lengthy as I progress further into my adventure. I hope I can still keep up with the pace.

As I continue, I go through a short tunnel before seeing an octorock. This one seemed to be above ground, however.

It then sucked in a large amount of air before firing a giant rock at me! I was able to dodge it, at least.

I then threw a bomb at it when it was preparing to attack and managed to defeat it that way.

After defeating it, I looked up at the Tower. There... Didn't seem to be many of those platforms on the side...

Actually, I noticed that the whole tower was over a giant chasm. It seems the only way I can reliably get to the tower is by gliding from a higher point.

There seems to actually be a way up, however, so I guess I'll have to make my way up there.

I walk up the slop, gradually making my way higher and higher. I defeat some enemies from time to time as I made my way up.

Eventually, I climbed up to a point where I was about as high up as the tower. At this point, I finally glide down to the bottom platform of the tower.

I'll admit, I felt some tension as I made my way there. If I let go of my paraglider, this definitely would have ended badly.

However, my attention remains on climbing to the top. While I was getting to this point, I could hear music being played. It sounded a lot like the music Kass played.

Once I got to the top, it seemed like my suspicions were correct, Kass was up here playing his music.

After getting the map, however, I figured I would get the quests in Gerudo Town done beforehand.

I look at the map and search for where the eighth heroine statue could be. In the Gerudo desert, I see a circle of statues, likely the initial seven heroines.

Eventually, in the top left, I find the statue. I put a pin on it and tried to make my way over there.

Getting to the statue was going to take a while and it would be difficult. There was not only mountains I would have to traverse, but I will also have to deal with the cold.

As I feel the temperature change, I could feel that this cold temperature was worse than the area on the Great plateau.

Thankfully, I had acquired the ruby circlet before heading up here, so I am safe from being too cold to continue.

I also put the snow boots to use as this is what their main purpose was. This would at least make the journey more bearable.

I journeyed for about a day. While walking threw the snowy landscape, I had to take some detours up and down some hills just so I could get closer to my goal.

There was one good thing I could say that came from these travels, however. I already managed to acquire enough wildberries for that lady in Gerudo Town.

I eventually was able to get to the far left side of the Gerudo Highlands. I just need to go north for a bit and I'll be able to reach the eighth heroine.

As I made my way there, I noticed that there was a shrine nearby. It was actually to my left, so I could check and maybe get another spirit orb. I'll even have enough for another upgrade.

Once I got in, I noticed that this was a test of strength shrine. "Major test of strength"...

I put on my champion tunic and other defensive equipment just in case. I'll even see how much progress I need to make.

Once the guardian scout rose, its head piece seemed different than usual. It pulled out a shield, a spear, and an axe.

All of these weapons seemed a lot more powerful than the weapons I've seen before... But how much health does this thing have?

... 3000...

...

Yeah, no. I am not going to risk it and just come back to this shrine when I am more prepared... I can probably defeat it with my current gear and with the champion weapons, but I won't risk it.

I quickly teleport out and get back outside and into my cold resistant gear.

Well, I guess this will be the first shrine where I won't just complete initially. I'll need to come back when I'm stronger.

With that, I went on my way to the eighth heroine. I had to face a couple enemies, but I soon found myself at a dead end of a cliff.

I do see something that looked like a platform, so I glided down to them. As I did, I looked behind me, the eighth heroine now looked directly at me.

Alright, here she is. Now all I have left is to take a picture of the statue. It's a good thing I have the camera rune.

After taking a picture, my first journey into the Gerudo Highlands seemed to be a success. Now I could go back to Gerudo Town and complete those remaining side quests.

I teleported back to Gerudo and figured I would complete the quest for the sand boots, so I went to Bozai.

"Oh! Oh, thank goodness! You made it back safely! You were gone for so long, I started to fear the worst...

I have to come clean. The 8th heroine is just an urban legend- it doesn't actually exist..."

Huh, I guess he actually didn't plan on me finding it?

"I... Well, I just wanted an excuse to get close to you, y'know? I wanted to keep you engaged so I just thought up something impossible to hold your interest...

And as a result, I put You in harm's Way! I'm a cad! And I've been so, so worried... I won't put you in danger anymore! From now on, I'll be your protect-"

"Um, I actually found it."

"Are you trying to console me because I've been so heartsick over this? You're such a kind soul. But no need to coddle me. From now on I'll-"

"No, seriously. Look at this!"

I then showed him the picture of the eighth heroine that I took.

"That... Certainly is... The way it was rumored to look... That- THAT'S AMAZING! I thought it was just an old wives' tale! The 8th heroine actually exists?!

The rest of the world knew this, it'd be absolute bedlam! ... But I won't tell anyone... Yeah, that way, it'll just be our little secret, right? Sort of a bonding thing.

And yeah, i-if it's ok, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you-"

Nope, you're not going to.

"Sand boots, please!"

"Oh... Oh, ok... Just a second. I'll take them off..."

He then takes off his sand boots and gives them to me.

Sand Boots

Armor: 3

Effect: Sand speed up

"Treat them as tenderly as you would me."

Don't you mean treat them better? I don't think I'm treating you as well as you think.

"Ahem And now, could you be a lamb and return my snow boots? Otherwise ol' Bozai's going to be barefoot!"

Well, I guess a deal's a deal. I pull out the snow boots and give them back to him.

"All right, we're done here! Boy, but these will make running in the sand pretty difficult, and I'm pretty tired anyway for my jogging regimen...

I think I'll just park myself under the tent in front of Gerudo Town and take five. Care to join me later?"

"Good-bye"

I already feel awkward knowing I basically scammed this guy out of his sand boots, so I don't want anything to do with him.

However, now that I don't have the snow boots now, I feel like I still have some business with him...

"Huh? Aw... Good... Good-bye."

Well, I guess I'll get this situation off my mind by giving the wildberries I got while in the Highlands.

I forgot to change the sand boots off before heading into town, but the guards didn't stof me. I guess these go under the radar too. That's nice.

Well, I then made my way back to the lady eating the melons.

"I haven't been thinking about trash at all. Who can think while in melon trance? I just can't believe the rinds I'm tossing are such a problem... It's all organic material, right?"

That's... That's not how this works...

"Well, anyway, I feel bad about the little Vai, but I'm going to need at least 10 wildberries if you want me to stop."

"Well, luckily for you, I have the berries right here."

"Huh? Really?"

I then give the wildberries to her and she eats one.

"SWEETNESS! So that's a wildberry... It's delicious! And no rind to toss! What a magical fruit! If I have these, I might just give up on other fruit entirely!

But... Now I feel bad for the little Vai. Now that my craving's been satisfied, I realize just how horribly selfish I've been... Shame on me. I'm going to go help clean up the trash!

I've really caused a lot of trouble... But now I'm going to make it right! Sarqso!"

Well, she left, now I can go back to the Vai and complete the quest.

"Ah, vai-from-out-of-town! Sav'aaq! Hey! You! Listen to this! Some other Vai I've never met before helped me clean up the trash!

And now the water trough is completely back to normal! You told her about the trash, didn't you? Sarqso! Oh! I also got a hydromelon from the lady who cleaned it up! I'll share! It's a sarqso for caring about me!

Oh, yeah, the lady who helped clean gave me some wildberries! So now my field is going to be a wildberry patch! You can come eat the berries anytime you like! It'll be great!"

Well, I guess that will make it way easier for them to get wildberries. Won't have to worry about going back to the mountains for them.

Well, I think I'll check on Riju and see if my deeds have gotten to her. I made my way to where Riju was and talked to her.

"I have heard of your recent actions. You have returned smiles to the faces of my people..
On behalf of all Gerudo, I must offer you my heartfelt thanks. Sarqso.

You are, from this moment on, a true friend of the Gerudo! And if it can help a true friend in need, we will gladly lend you this savior treasure."

The Thunder Helm

Armor: 3

Effect: Lightning Proof

There it is.

"I know that you, more than any other, will be able to use this Thunder Helm to its fullest potential... I believe you can unlock the power of Urbosa that lies within."

Heh... Well, this thunder helm will prove to be incredibly useful later. I'm glad I got it now rather than later.

Sigh these past couple of days seemed to really bear fruit. I believe I will take a break at Kara Kara Bizarre before continuing on.

After making it to Kara Kara Bizarre, it was about night time. I sat by the cooking pot to wait till morning.

*     *     *

As I sat by the cooking pot, I pondered about what had transpired over the past few days. Though, I was also waiting for something as well.

As if on cue, I noticed a familiar spirit aura forming close by. However, this time, it wasn't Mipha that would come to visit me.

"Sav'orr, Link."

It seems Urbosa has finally come to visit me.

"It's great to see you again, Urbosa."

"Yes, the same could be said to you too. I had hoped you would rest sometime soon, but it seems you've kept yourself busy."

I awkwardly laughed at her comment. Well, she isn't wrong. I certainly could have taken a break during my quests.

"Sorry about that, there were a few things in Gerudo Town that I wanted to take care of, plus, I had gained the trust of the current Chief."

"Ah, I see. It's not simple to completely gain the trust of the Gerudo. One would have to prove themselves all around town that they are trustworthy."

"Well..." I then pulled out the thunder helm from my inventory.

I believe this is enough to show that I have done it.

Urbosa's eyes widened in surprise before chuckling.

"My, I haven't seen that thing in a long time. At least it's in trustworthy hands."

"I've had to help those around Gerudo Town to actually gain the trust of the Chief, if you hadn't already guessed."

Urbosa simply nodded.

"I also see that you aren't surprised by my sudden visit. I assume you have already gone through an interaction like this, yes?"

I nodded in approval.

"Yes, I have managed to free Mipha from her Divine Beast before coming to the Gerudo desert."

Urbosa chuckled at my response "I see, so I'm not the only one you're interacting with like this. Well, I'm glad that you managed to save Mipha as well."

"Yes, me too... I don't know why, but I feel like freeing her first helps me... Um..."

I was just speaking off the top of my mind, but when I got to this, I realized what I was saying...

"Freeing her first helps you what?"

I felt a little embarrassed about her mentioning my pause.

"Um... Nevermind, I don't know what I was trying to say..."

Urbosa seemed a little confused at my deflection but didn't seem to question me further.

"Alright, well, that's fine. Let's just enjoy the rest of this night. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed the scenery of the desert, let alone also seeing Kara Kara Bizarre."

With that, both me and Urbosa sat by this cooking pot for the rest of the night.

While I did escape having to explain that comment I was about to make. However, I'm certain that she will ask about it later.

Chapter Text

Once morning arrived, just like with Mipha, Urbosa said goodbye as her time was up and she disappeared back to her Divine Beast.

Well, I should probably start actually focusing on shrines now. I bet there are a good amount of those that even have a shrine quest.

I teleported back to Gerudo and noticed that there was a small area southeast of the town. I hadn't actually taken notice of it even though I passed it before.

I walked over to it and noticed one of those shrine pedestals. There was even the orb right in front of it.

However, signs like this already tell me that it won't be that simple. I noticed that there were two people talking to each other by an arch. I guess I'll go talk to them.

"..."

It seems the one on the right isn't very talkative.

"What do you want? The great Tali doesn't have time to chat with just anyone! You see, now that the Divine Beast is gone, we can finally use the race course.

Tali is busy focusing her energy for the sand-seal race! Actually... Did you want to try to beat Tali's record? I'll warn you- they don't call her Dame of the Dunes for nothing."

"Sand-seal race?"

"You've never heard of Hyrule's pastime? The world-famous sand-seal racing? I thought everyone knew about it. Isn't that shocking, Tali?"

"..."

"You surf with a sand seal and race to the finish line while also going through the arches. That's sand-seal racing!

And if you get off your shield or leave the course bounds, you're disqualified. Tali's record is 1:30! If you can beat that record, that trophy is yours."

She seems to be emphasizing the shrine orb on the pedestal.

"This is the grand trophy that's been passed down by 10,000 years of sand-seal-racing champions. Tali here is the current champion. Will you try challenging her record?"

Well, if I need to beat the record to get the orb, then fine.

"Of course."

"I forgot to mention... Since you're racing against the champ's record, it'll be 50 rupees per race."

Well, I'm certain I can do this on the first try, so 50 rupees isn't bad. I give a purple rupee to her.

"All right. Payday! Enough talk! Let's begin!"

We then get prepared for the sand seal race. I got a seal from town and waited for the race to be ready.

Once the track was ready, the Gerudo that talked to me came back. A few Gerudo from the town even started coming to watch as well.

"A challenger has appeared to take on the Gerudo sand-seal race! Apparently one who does not mind risking life and limb!

But will our current record fall? The one set by our undefeated champion?! The incomparable Beast of the desert... The sand seal is ready to ride!

Can our new contestants reach the goal in less than 1:30 while still passing under every arch?! The suspense is killing me! I'm going to start... the... countdooooown!!"

Counting down from 3 to 1, after she said go, I had my sand seal pull me through the track.

The race was pretty simple, just moving across the sand and going through different arches across the track.

There were some lizalfos along the way, but I was going too fast for them to hit me. It wasn't long before I passed the last arch.

It seems I passed at a time of 1:16, beating the record.

"Huh... 1:16, eh?! It's a... A new record?!"

I then came back to the starting area where more Gerudo had gathered. It seems this sand seal racing really was popular.

Everyone gathered by the pedestal and I had come face to face with Tali.

"... Perfect... I believe this belongs to you... This trophy is something special, you know. Our champions have passed down a legend about its for 10,000 years.

The legend goes... 'When the holy jewel is offered unto the pedestal, the chosen one will be granted a new power.'

But that power has never been granted to anyone. Not even me, obviously... And yet... I sense a power emanating from you... The likes of which I have never felt in anyone else.

You should give it a shot."

I nodded and then looked back at the spectators.

"And so... A new champion is born!"

The crowd then cheered for me. Honestly, I would be lying if I said I wasn't embarrassed... But I don't dislike the feeling either...

After the crowd left, I was left to finally claim this orb and get into another shrine. I guess these shrine pedestals are also just limited to me as well, nobody else can activate it even when they have the means.

Well, once I got the spirit orb from the shrine, I decided to go back to Gerudo Town and upgrade my health again.

While I was searching for the statue, I noticed a closed door. I don't know why, but I felt like I could do something in there.

"What's the password?"

Password? Hmm... Well, it seems this same system that helps me gain knowledge of things also gave me some options to say.

"G."

"And what comes next?"

"S."

"And after that?"

"B."

"And what comes last?"

The last one doesn't make sense either. I'll just guess again.

"Star"

"Go drink milk in the bar or something!"

Hmm... It seems I didn't get it right. Oh well. I guess I should look for someone who knows the password, though, I doubt they'll just give it in the open.

Maybe the bar that they mentioned will have someone give at least a hint. Honestly, I doubt they'll just give it out to some random Vai either.

I managed to find the goddess statue and I now have twelve hearts. Honestly, I think I'll be pretty well off on hearts for now. I think I'll start upgrading my stamina for now.

I then made my way over to the bar. I walked into the lounge area and noticed that there was actually someone talking about a rumor.

Hmm... Maybe I should listen in.

"Oh, I was going to tell you... I finally got my hands on the password for you-know-where."

"Seriously? Wow... That place is a little crazy, isn't it?"

"Maybe, but I'm interested..."

"Anyway, the password is..."

One of them then noticed me.

"Wait a second! You!! Did you really think we wouldn't see you standing there, listening to our conversation?! So rude! This is a private conversation! Go away!"

I apologized and left the bar. It seems I'll need to listen without being spotted. I did see a window that probably could be seen from another room.

Maybe I could get into that room and listen from there. I did notice a door a little further down the alley way, so I went in there.

Sure enough, I saw that same window. I got close and tried to listen to those ladies gossip again.

"What was up with that little Hylian Vai earlier, anyway?"

"Forget her! Just hurry up and tell us the password, Yaido!"

"Oh, that's right, the password! It's GSC diamond. I overheard Saula talking about it, so I'm sure that's right!"

"GSC diamond? What could that... Oh, I get it. Gerudo Secret Club. But what's the diamond at the end mean?"

"Who knows..."

Well, I have all the information I need. Now I can get into that door. Though, I doubt I'll be able to get in when they probably recognize my voice. Maybe I'll just sit by a fire until the next day.

And that's what I did. I didn't get any of the champions to visit this time, but that's fine. I'm just waiting until the morning.

Once morning arrived, I went back to the door. Sure enough, I got to try again.

"What's the password?"

"G."

"And what comes next?"

"S."

"And after that?"

"C."

"And what comes last?"

"Diamond"

"All right... You can come in."

I then opened the door. There's a long hallway toy left. I closed the door and noticed how weirdly... Secretive this place felt.

"Hey... I haven't seen your face around here before... Hmm... Heh heh heh... Looks like we've got ourselves a rare visitor.

I guess I have a suspicious mind... So maybe you don't ask too many questions, and I won't either. You remember here now, so thanks for your patronage."

I looked around and noticed two different sets of clothing. Maybe I should ask about her.

"Sav'saaba. Elsewhere it might be Sav'otta or sav'aaq, but here it's sav'saaba."

"What is this place?"

"This is the Gerudo Secret Club, or GSC for short. This is the only shop in Gerudo Town where someone could buy clothes meant for a voe to wear.

Despite it being illegal to sell voe clothing in this town, there is a high demand for such things. I've never seen a voe disguise himself as a Vai like you, though..."

Huh? How does she know that I'm a voe?

"We each have something to hide, I suppose. Haha, don't worry... Your secret is safe with me."

I nod and look around. It seems the closest one is the desert voe set. It seems each piece gives me heat resistance.

It's expensive, but I'll buy the headband and the spaulder.

Desert Voe Headband

Armor: 3

Effect: Heat resistance

Desert Voe Spaulder

Armor: 3

Effect: Heat resistance

This way, I can still use the sand boots and have full heat resistance.

Alright, next, I do remember walking past someone in that room where I got the password. Maybe I should go talk to her.

Once I got back to that room, there she was, reading a book of sorts.

"Interesting... It was over there the whole time? I thought it's strange that the sandstorm over there never lifted..."

She then turned and noticed me.

"Mmm... Huh? And what is a Hylian Vai like yourself doing here?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm an archaeologist... Of sorts. I was just poring over some ancient texts that I discovered the other day... And I finally decoded it! Well... Part of it, at least. ... But the rest is not far off.

With this discovery, I'll finally be able to make a name for myself as an archaeologist!

OF COURSE! You and I meeting here is no coincidence. I've never been one two question fate. I can't explain why... But I trust you for some reason. I'll tell you the details of my research if you can keep a secret."

Alright, I guess I'll listen to her.

"My lips are sealed."

"There's a temple east of here near the entrance of the Gerudo Desert. It's dedicated to the seven giant statues of the heroines, said to be divine protectors of the Gerudo.

It was at this Temple that I originally discovered the ancients scripture. It reads: "When the symbols of the seven find their place, the blessed path will be revealed."

... That's all I've been able to decipher so far. It's believed that people once came from around the world in search of the heroines' blessing.

But as far as I can tell, it doesn't appear that anyone has found it yet..."

"Blessing?"

"I'm not sure what exactly it means, but maybe I'll find out once I've deciphered more of the text. I'm not sure if this is related, but it said the heroines held powers that were part of a bigger whole.

Each heroine had a different power: skill, spirits, endurance, knowledge, flights, motion, and gentleness. But they all look the same to me. Before long, I'll understand the entire text!

Fortunately that Divine Beast has quieted down, so I can conduct my research in peace."

Hmm, alright. I can see where that is on my map. Though, before I go, I want to check around and see if there is another quest I can do.

When I got to the northwestern part of town, I noticed that there was a sandstorm still raging. It seems there was a guard that was talking to herself about it.

"I couldn't get a good look at the Divine beast from here anyway, but I'm glad it's gone. Now, if we could only do something about the monsters and sandstorms.

Without those, I'd be able to find all my treasure hidden out in the deserts! If the Legends are true, that is..."

"Treasure?"

"Having said that, I don't really know the details either."

She then looked at a statue in the distance.

"There are statues of swordswoman scattered across Kroger deserts. They're remnants of ages long past.

People talk about the statues pointing to the hiding place of ancient treasure... But that's just superstition. Even if it was true, there are dangerous monsters in the sandstorms. I wouldn't risk it."

Hmm... Well, what if I just follow where the statues are pointing? Maybe they will lead me to this "treasure".

I went back to the front of town and got another sand seal. I went back to where I got the quest and got to the statue.

I looked at where the statue pointed with her sword and had the sand seal lead the way. I follow the statues closer and closer to the sandstorm.

Eventually, my view was lowered as I entered the sandstorm. All I had to guide my direction were the statues.

Fortunately, after maybe ten minutes, I followed one statue into one of the giant bones. There, I found a shrine.

Inside the shrine, it was a pretty small area. The puzzle was also pretty simple.

There seemed to be a large electric orb that was being launched from side to side in the room. There was also one of those mechanisms that would open a gate when electricity is coursing through it.

With just a somewhat well timed use of Stasis, I then hit the orb with an arrow so it would just fall to the ground.

I looked to the side and noticed that there was a chest behind a gate. The activation seemed to be the same as the main gate.

However, the thing to activate the gate was inside that enclosure. Though, I do see that the roof of it is open, so I could just move the orb in from the top.

Once I got the gate open, I received a moonlight scimitar. Not a bad addition to my inventory.

Other than that, I got the orb out and opened the way to the monk that will give me a spirit orb.

Well, this was a pretty easy shrine, like I expected, though, the way here was probably the more dangerous part.

Once I got out of the shrine, I noticed that the sandstorm surrounding the shrine had completely vanished!

I don't get how completing the shrine made the sandstorm disappear, but I'll take it. Now I can actually teleport.

Let's see... I believe I should head for the seven heroine statues. I could probably glide down to them from the tower.

I click the icon of the tower in this region and start teleporting to the tower. Not long after, I was already on top of the tower.

I looked at my map once again and jumped off the tower in the general direction of the statues. Man, these things are huge.

As I glided down, I saw something on one of the statues hands. When I fell down onto the hands, I noticed that it was an orb.

The orb seemed to have a symbol on it. I looked down and saw that there were pedestals that could probably hold these orbs.

Maybe if I find more orbs and put them in the correct spots, it will do something.

I looked around at the other statues and saw that some of them had symbols. The symbols seemed to be in different places on each statue, so I'll need to keep an eye out for where these symbols could be placed.

I dropped the orb that was on the hands of the statue down. As I glided down, I saw that the sword of the statue was actually broken.

I inspected it and saw that the symbol for the statue was hidden by the sword's blade. It seems the orb was in the hands of its own statue.

For about an hour, I managed to gather every orb and put them in their correct spot. One of them was actually already in the correct spot before I even got here.

After the last orb was placed, the ground shook and a shrine rose from the sand. Well, this was definitely one of the more difficult shrines to unlock.

Luckily, this whole puzzle was all I had to do as, when I entered, it seemed this shrine was a blessing.

Alright, yet another shrine quest is completed. I'm surprised that this region has so many shrine quests. Not that I'm complaining, though. At least I can get a good amount of spirit orbs to better myself.

After leaving the shrine, I decided not to teleport away and see if I could see any shrines just from here.

It was still the middle of the day, so it was very hot. Good thing that I bought those desert Voe pieces, otherwise I would be taking damage from the heat alone.

It didn't take much searching for me to actually see a shrine in the distance. It shouldn't be too far away from here, so I'll go on foot.

Honestly, the shrine seemed a lot closer than it looked. Looking at the map, I walked pretty far.

About two hours of walking later, I reached the shrine. However, I noticed something, actually, someone there.

It seems a Gerudo made her way to the shrine. However, she doesn't really look so good.

"I'd just found the shrine too... Ugh, my throat... It's so dry... I can't move a muscle...

If this really is the end... I wish I could have one last taste... One sip... One sip of an ice-cold Noble Pursuit..."

Hmm, so I can't just get to the panel either. I don't want to move her myself. I guess I'll come back here later.

If she wants a Noble Pursuit, I assume that I'll need to go back to Gerudo Town for one. I believe it's at that bar that I got the password for the secret club.

Once I got back to Gerudo Town, it was about to be night time, and I got to the bar. I decided to talk with the bartender.

"Vasaaq... A Hylian Vai, huh... I can't tell how old you are, but this place is definitely not for young Vai.

Because the drinks we make here are different from regular drinks. For one, they have a rare treat in them- ice..."

Well, I should probably ask about a noble pursuit.

"A noble pursuit?"

"You want to try our signature drink, Noble Pursuit? Unfortunately, I need a huge amount of ice to make that drink, and I'm fresh out right now.

Besides, it's a really strong drink. Even if I could make it, I wouldn't sell it to a little Vai like you."

Sigh I guess even if I am over 100 years old, I still look like a young adult. But this isn't the point.

"Actually... The drink isn't for me. I saw someone at a shrine far from here and she collapsed. She mumbled that she wanted a noble pursuit."

"What'd you say? Pokki's collapsed? Hmm. I want to help her out, but I can't make a you-know-what without ice.

There's ice at the icehouse, but my legs aren't in the best shape for hauling ice..."

Well, it shouldn't be too much of an issue for me if I do it.

"Should I get it for you?"

"Are you serious? You'll get it? That'd be a huge help. Pokki is my best customer, after all. I wish I could get the ice myself...

Anyway, the icehouse is north of town. Anche manages it, but I think if you explain the situation, she'll let you have some ice.

You should know that she heads to bed quite early. If you plan to go, you'll need to get there while it's bright out."

Hmm, not the best time to be carrying ice when it's hot outside in the middle of the day.

"Oh, young lady... Carrying ice all the way through the desert and then all the way through town? I can't let that stand.

If you bring the ice to the entrance to the ruins- between town and the icehouse- I can take it from there."

Well, I should probably head for that location, then. I exited town and went towards the long ruins.

On my way to the icehouse, I fought a few monsters. I noticed that some of them were equipped with some fire usage.

Some lizalfos could even use fire on their own. At least defeating some of these will probably ease up the path to the end.

I eventually make it to the icehouse and notice a hatch that goes down below. I guess to keep the ice nice and cool. I then talk with the guard in the icehouse.

"This is an icehouse used for storing the ice brought down from the mountains. Seeing as we live in a desert, it's pretty important stuff for us Gerudo... So I got the icehouse 24 hours a day."

"Actually, the bartender in Gerudo Town wants some ice for Noble Pursuit."

"I see... Well, if Furosa wants ice, then you should bring her some. You're permitted to take some ice.

You've taken the heat into account, right? If you move too slowly, the ice will surely melt. Furosa has no use for water..."

She then pulled out a decently sized cube of ice. It wasn't small at all, but it wasn't too big for me to carry either.

I then left the ice house and made my way back to the end of the ruins. I tried my best to be in some shade so the ice wouldn't melt as quickly.

On my way, I did have to fight some enemies so the ice wouldn't melt completely from just being near fire.

Eventually, I did make my way to the end and saw Furosa at the end of the ruins.

"Heeey! Over here! This way! Bring the ice over here!"

Well, I'm basically on the homestretch. I get over to the shade where she's at.

"Whoa. No doubt about it, that's definitely ice from the icehouse. I'll be able to make a Noble Pursuit with this. It may be the best I've ever made...

I've got one more favor to ask. Could you go and let Pokki know? Just tell her the best drink ever is waiting for her..."

My eyebrows shift to a confused look.

"What? No, of course this will work. Knowing her, if she hears a delicious drink is waiting, she'll come running."

Well, alright. She takes the ice and heads back to town to make the Noble Pursuit. I went back too so I could get a sand seal so I wouldn't have to walk so far again.

After about thirty minutes, I made it back to the shrine and she was still collapsed on the pedestal.

"I can't take it anymore... I'm going to rot here..."

"Hey, the best Noble Pursuit ever is waiting for you back at Gerudo Town!"

"Huh?"

She immediately stood up and looked at me.

"Did you say "best Noble Pursuit ever"? Pfft, I am GONE!"

Just like that, she ran off. Guess Furosa really wasn't kidding about this.

Well, I go ahead and activate the shrine and enter it. Hopefully the puzzle isn't too bad.

Surprisingly, there was no puzzle in the shrine, it was a blessing. I find this pretty odd...

This was a pretty weird coincidence that Pokki collapsed outside a blessing shrine. I'm not complaining, but this was pure coincidence.

Alright, let's see... I've gotten a good amount of shrines now, but I know I'm not done yet. I remember there being that sandstorm that was near the Gerudo Tower.

Maybe it will go away completely if there is a shrine in there and I complete it. Though, I think I should probably go around Kara Kara Bizarre as it's the closest to the sandstorm.

After getting to Kara Kara Bizarre, I checked around to see if anyone was interested about the sandstorm near the bizarre.

One goron seemed interested, but he seemed more interested in the tower. However, one person seemed to have been on this lookout post.

He was looking into the sandstorm muttering to himself. I guess I could talk to him.

"That sandstorm... They say it stops for a few hours a day, but it hasn't let up even a little since I've been watching. Rumor has its in ancient civilization hid a treasure inside that sandstorm.

I've been here for days waiting for the storm to settle down so I can nab it! I just hope it wasn't a bad lead...

Wait, who did you say you are again?"

I didn't really reply and just left. Yet again, I was informed that this was a shrine quest. Okay, the amount of shrine quests are getting excessive.

Oh well, it was getting pretty late, so I'll just wait around and see if the sandstorm ceases by then.

After a couple hours, the sandstorm does stop. Now is my time to head to find the shrine.

When I went to look for the shrine, I climbed up to get a better view. Good thing I did, because not long after, I saw the shrine.

This time, the shrine actually had a puzzle inside. Good, and it seems to be on the longer side.

I saw what seemed to be a lift. However, it seems I need something to electrify it to turn it on.

I get closer and see that there is a path to the side. After following it and defeating a guardian, I see that there is an electric cube across a big gap.

It seems it is powering the platform so it can get from one side to the other. I walk onto the platform and go over to the other side.

I grab the cube with Magnesis. However, when I lift up the cube, the platform I'm on just stops. It seems I need to keep this platform powered just so I can make it to the other side.

I hover the cube over the metal line and managed to have the platform remain active. Well, at least this works.

After getting to the other side, I saw that there was a ramp that led upwards. Going up, I was on the platform I needed the cube for.

I held the cube close to the device that needed electricity and this activated the platform. Now I could progress more of the shrine.

When I ascended to the highest point, I got off the platform and saw that two guardian scouts were waiting.

I did notice, however, that they were on big metal platform. I should see what happens if I drop the cube on the platform, though I can already guess what will happen.

Just as I suspected, when I dropped it, the floor electrocuted the guardians. Well, they won't be an issue now.

I go down and continue onward. After pushing a metal box to further my path, I come to another platform that goes up and down.

I take the cube up with me and see that there is a place where I could place the cube. It seems it activates the final platform that leads to the monk.

I walk onto the platform and have it lead me to the end. There was a metal cube that I had to move out of the way, but that was it.

After that, the shrine was done. At least this one was a pretty fun shrine. Now it was time to get the spirit orb and go.

After leaving, the sandstorm hasn't come back. I then checked my map for anywhere else I could check.

Well... The was that weirdly large maze looking place in the corner of the region. I should check there now.

I teleported back to Gerudo Town and got another sand seal and headed straight to where that maze was.

After about forty minutes of traveling, I made it to a point where I had to continue on foot as the sand ends on this path.

On the remainder of this path had a few monsters that I had to deal with on th way. This took another ten minutes for me to get through.

After the monsters, however, that was when I saw the whole maze. Wow... This wasn't just a maze, this was a whole labyrinth.

Once I stepped into the entrance of the labyrinth, I heard a familiar kind of voice.

"To you who sets foot here... My blessing awaits you at the labyrinth's end."

Hmm... So the monk is saying that I need to find my way through the labyrinth and get to the shrine.

I went forward but quickly realized that it was a dead end. Well, I guess this is probably just going to be a puzzle where I try my best to find the intended path.

Honestly, as I walk around this labyrinth, I can't help but feel uneasy... There's... Nothing but the walls of the labyrinth.

Occasionally, I find some malice around, but it's just being an obstacle more than anything else.

After about five hours, I was finally able to find my way to the shrine. I'm glad this is over with.

Entering the shrine, I was glad that this was a blessing shrine. After going through this labyrinth, I almost expected to have a blessing shrine.

The chest inside had something that I didn't expect it to have as well.

Barbarian Armor

Armor: 3

Effect: Attack boost

Wow. I didn't expect a chest in a shrine to just have a piece of armor inside. I'm even more surprised that the armor seems to be really good for combat as well.

Well, I'm glad that I went here, but this place really felt eerie to be in. Good thing I only have to do this once.

Well, I believe that might be all the shrines in the main part of the Gerudo Desert. However, that won't be everything the Gerudo region has to offer.

Next, I believe I should do the shrines in the Highlands.

To be continued

Chapter Text

Well, I believe that might be all the shrines in the main part of the Gerudo Desert. However, that won't be everything the Gerudo region has to offer.

Next, I believe I should do the shrines in the Highlands.

Hmm... Since I am going to go through the Highlands, it will definitely be a little annoying to go through all that snow. I don't have those snow boots anymore...

Hmm... Maybe I could try getting the snow boots from that guy. I do kind of feel bad since I'm pretty much robbing him of his boots.

Oh well, if he's just going to give them willingly, I shouldn't feel TOO bad.

I teleport back to Gerudo Town and head to where Bozai was. He seems to just sit in the shade near the entrance now that he doesn't have his sand boots.

I get the Vai outfit back on and approach him. He seems to recognize me and gets up to talk.

"You! You came back! I mean, yeah. Heyyyy. Course you came by. What's up? And look at you, wearing those sand boots already like a... Saucy little pink heron or something.

Y'know, gotta say, they're designed for burly men like myself, so I was worried they wouldn't fit such a flower as you... But they look absolutely fantastic!

Gosh! Anyway, I realized we never really got a chance to chat earlier, so you want to grab a spot somewhere and hang out?"

Nope. I may not be done with him, but I do feel like scamming him like this is better in the long run.

"I want those snow boots."

"What? You want my snow boots, too? Ha! Well aren't we greedy! Or should I say insatiable for boots. A boot thirst that cannot be slaked!

Adorable. But listen, if I give you these, then I'll have nothing for my feet! ..."

He seems to talk to himself very quietly "Oh, man, what should I do? THINK, Bozai! Can't put her in a bad mood...

Ok... Do NOT blow this. Just relax and work a little verbal magic..."

"How could I resist a request from you? No lie, you really gave me a surprise earlier... And I love surprises. Surprise me again like that...

And I'll give you these snow boots as a surprise present! So let me ask you this: Did you notice that the statue of the eighth heroine... Isn't actually holding a sword?"

Wait... I know that's the case, but how does he know that? I was above the statues hands, which the sword would be under. Whatever, I won't question it.

"Pretty weird, right? Seven other heroines, they all have their swords! Suspicious, y'know? Which leads me to deduce that the eighth heroine must have had a sword as well. Must have!

To see that such a sword actually exists, that my deduction is right... There could be no greater surprise!"

"I'll go look for it."

"What? You're really going? Wow, all right, then. The sword would be pretty big, so I doubt it could have been carried off too far. I'm betting it's probably somewhere in the steps of the Gerudo Highlands."

Well, I would have assumed that the sword was somewhere in the Gerudo Highlands.

"And the thing is, I can't lend you the snow boots this time. Just can't do it! I'm really sorry."

Well, that's pretty fair. If he did, I probably would have to trade back the sand boots for the time being. I nod as he said this.

He then seems to speak to himself again "No way a normal person can make it through the Gerudo Highlands without good snow boots...

She'll probably give up halfway through and come crawling back..."

"Fine, you win. So headstrong! I love it. I'll just be waiting here, ok? If you ever need me for anything above and beyond footwear, you just come find ol' Bozai anytime!"

Well, now that I have that quest, I can focus on getting some of the shrines in the Gerudo Highlands. I'll probably find the sword on my way.

Alright... I think I should quit being a coward and try to beat that shrine with the major test of strength first. I think I'm prepared enough for it.

I teleported back to the incompleted shrine and immediately went inside, as I didn't put on any cold resistant gear.

When I got down, I braced myself for a difficult fight. Well, with the amount of health this guardian has, I wouldn't be surprised if this fight was pretty long.

I walked forward and the platform the guardian was on rose up and it revealed it's weapons. A shield, a spear, and an axe.

I believe I'm confident enough to where I can dodge every attack and get a flurry rush. I'm sure that's where most of my damage will come in.

I believe this is a good time to finally test out the champion weapons! With how fast I can attack with both weapons, I'm sure I can deal a good amount of damage to the guardian.

I switch to a spear to prepare to use the Lightscale Trident. Before I could use it, however, the guardian shot a few beam attacks at me, forcing me to move out of the way.

After dodging, I moved back and readied a charge attack. Instead of doing an actual charge attack, I instead slammed the edge of the spear on the floor.

Water then surrounded me for a moment. After it cleared, the spear I wielded transformed into the Lightscale Trident.

It wasn't long, however, before the guardian attempted to attack me. It tried to thrust its spear towards me, which wasn't that difficult to dodge and punish with a flurry rush.

For about half the duration that I had the Trident, I had dealt a lot of damage to the guardian. It tried to attack me with a spinning attack with its weapons, but since the floor is water, I can use Cryonis to create my own pillar.

When the guardian hit the Cryonis pillar, it took some damage and got stunned for a few seconds, leaving me room to attack.

Soon enough, however, my time for the Trident ran out and I was left with a regular spear again. Well, it seems I've dealt about a third of the guardian's health.

I switched to a one handed sword so I could use Urbosa's Scimitar of the Seven a Daybreaker. However, the guardian backed up to prepare another attack.

This time, it did the spinning beam attack. It was easy enough to dodge it as I only needed to stay a certain distance until I could glide in the upstream and attack.

After canceling the guardian's attack, I then decided to transform my sword and shield into Urbosa's equipment.

I held my shield up and held my sword up behind it. Lightning then surged through them, transforming them into Urbosa's Scimitar and shield.

Much like Mipha's Trident, I was able to deal a lot of damage to the guardian in quick succession. With many flurry rushes, I wa able to deal another third of the guardian's health by the time I had to go back to my normal gear.

The guardian back up again and prepared its final attack. I tried getting some more damage on it, but I had to run away as it was about to fire.

This wasn't just the guardian scout performing a guardian beam attack, it fired multiple of them. After its third beam, it started to charge again.

Luckily, I was able to defeat the guardian before it could fire again. Now I could take some pretty good gear compared to the rest of my inventory.

Well, I put some cold resistant gear back on and went to the end of the shrine to finally claim my spirit orb. After coming back to this, it really wasn't too bad of a fight.

Alright, now that I've completed this shrine, I can actually start exploring a little more and hopefully I will find the sword from the eighth heroine.

Going in the direction of the eighth heroine, its basically a dead end going any further, but on the way, I believe I saw a way up.

It seemed like there was an air geyser, however, there was a pile of rocks on top of it. Hmm... Maybe if I use a remote bomb, it will at least destroy the rocks.

I throw a remote bomb at the rocks and detonate it. Surely enough, the explosion destroyed the rocks.

This created a big air geyser that I could take up. After gliding up, two bokoblins seemed to have noticed me.

They both took a bit to defeat as they were black variants, which were more difficult than the blue variants.

After defeating them, I moved up the path of the mountain. I saw one of those korok puzzles, but I'm saving them for later.

There was another pile of rocks that I had to destroy to create an air geyser. This led me up to the top of the mountain.

There seemed to be a crater in the form of a path, so I just followed it. Going through, I picked up some chests in the snow for some treasure.

I then saw what seemed to be an exit out of the path, but I learned really quick that I shouldn't exit. Barely a second after looking up, I saw what seemed to be the black variant of a lynel...

Yeah, no. I'm not ready to fight it, especially when I don't have the champion weapons ready this time.

I head back down an continue on the path. However, the path quickly ends, meaning I pretty much have to go around where the lynel is.

However, I do notice something on the wall below where I turned, but I can't quite make out what it is, so I think I'll need to come back once I'm done here.

I don't need to look too much longer, though, as I believe I have found the sword of the eighth heroine. I get closer and it is all too clear now.

I get close enough and pull out the camera rune on the Shiekah slate and take a picture of the sword. Now I could backtrack to that thing I saw on the wall.

When I got to it, I jumped off and glided down. Now that I got a good look at it, the picture seems to have something to do with electricity.

I also noticed that there was one of those shrine pedestals in the center. Hmm... Is the electricity supposed to represent what I need to do?

I dropped to where I was facing the pedestal and pulled out my bow. As time slowed, similar to how I perform a flurry rush, I fired a shock arrow at the pedestal.

Surprisingly, this actually worked. Huh, and I just did that based on the picture on the wall showing electricity. Now I had another shrine I could do.

As I went inside, it seemed like this was a blessing shrine again. Well, at least I don't have to wait too long to get back to Gerudo Town to get the snow boots.

After getting the spirit orb, I teleported back to Gerudo Town to finally not have to speak with Bozai again as it just feels really awkward to have to talk with him in my Vai outfit.

As I got back, I immediately went back to Bozai. Of course, he was in his usual spot.

"Y-you! A traveler swore he saw you in the Gerudo Highlands, so I've been gnawing on my fingernails with worry!"

How does he know I was up there...? I wouldn't have this outfit on while up in the Gerudo Highlands. Whatever, he's probably making something up to be worried.

"I mean, all that talk about the sword was just chitchat... I didn't think you'd go up there without snow boots! Anyway, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but look at this!"

I then show the picture of the sword.

"WHAAAAT?! It really exists?! And you went searching for it without a decent pair of snow boots... I mean, the Gerudo Highlands are unforgiving. I doubt I could survive there, and I'm burly.

Who ARE you?!"

Not getting my name, sorry.

"Ahem Snow boots?"

"Yeah... You did risk your life to fulfill your promise, after all... It'd be pretty uncouth of me to drop my end of the bargain. Just a second. I'll take them off..."

After he takes off the boots, he gives me the snow boots.

"Well, now I'm barefoot... But if you're happy, then I'm happy! And what's more, this whole episode has endeared even more to me!

Your cutely greedy side. Your sassy, playfully rude side... Your unexpectedly tough side... Um... Would you... G-g-go out... W-w-w-with..."

"Nope, not a chance."

"Urk... I kind of knew you'd say that... But would it have killed you to let me finish the question?"

Okay, well that was pretty awkward, but I'm glad that's over with. Now I can just focus on getting the remaining shrines.

Hmm... Actually, I can think of a couple places I've been to where there will be a shrine. I know that Kass is at the Gerudo Tower, so that's one.

However, before I speak to him, I do remember seeing a pedestal on my way up to the Gerudo Highlands. I believe it was close to the path to the Yiga Hideout.

After teleporting back to the Tower, I didn't talk to Kass and jumped off the tower and went straight back to where I remember seeing the pedestal.

Just as I thought, it was close to the path going to the Yiga Hideout. I didn't go to it when I first saw it as I wanted to just head for the Highlands the first time around.

Well, once I got to the pedestal, I noticed that there was a stone tablet in front of it. Good thing it's still readable.

"If you seek power untold, offer a shining blue stone"

Hmm... A shining blue stone... Well, if it wants a blue stone, could it be talking about a gem? Well, a Sapphire is blue, but I don't think that's what the tablet is asking for.

There seem to be luminous stone deposits surrounding the pedestal... Ah, right. Since it's night time at the moment, the luminous stones are glowing.

Hmm... I then decided to drop a luminous stone on the pedestal. Just as I thought, this was what the tablet wanted me to do. This made a shrine rise from the ground.

After going inside the shrine, it seems this shrine has an actual puzzle this time. The only way I can go right now seems to be on the left.

There were a few boxes blocking my way, so I used a remote bomb to get through. Next, there's one of those platforms that fling anything on it high into the air.

When checking, it seemed like there was one of those switches that activate or deactivate when hitting it with something. I believe the shrine wants me to use the remote bomb.

I placed a remote bomb on the platform and detonated it when it was launched in the air. Like I suspected, this activated the device.

Activating the device opened the next door on the opposite side of where I entered the shrine. The next room seemed to have a very similar puzzle.

This time, the platform wasn't constantly going up and down like in the other room. I checked behind the pillar and found another device. This time it seems to actually launch the platform, but it only goes up or down once when hitting it.

Well, I could just place one bomb near the device and the other on the platform. Timing the detonations were pretty easy, so I could easily move on.

The final room had two platforms facing a container with another device. Right by the door, there were two more platforms that will lead to I assume the final door to the monk.

I placed one bomb on a platform and detonated it when I was on one of the platforms going up. This did work, however, it wasn't that straightforward.

There was a gate that would close when I got the platforms to rise. I guess I'm supposed to hit the device twice in order to finish the shrine.

I go back and reset the puzzle. This time, I place both bombs on the platform. Though, I don't really know if this will work if they're on the same platform.

I'm pretty sure if one bomb detonates next to the other, they both explode... This worry was quickly put to rest not long after.

When both bombs were launched, the cube shaped bomb landed inside where the device was located.

Well, at least I can set off one at a time now. After setting them both off at the right times, I could get to the monk for my spirit orb.

Alright, now I'll go ahead and head back to the Gerudo Tower so I can talk to Kass.

I teleport back to the tower and speak with Kass.

"What if... No, but then... Hmm?"

Kass seems to have finally noticed me being here.

"Mm? Ah, forgive me. I was lost in a song written by my late teacher. He wrote it for the hero who fell to the Calamity 100 years ago...

So much time has passed, and yet the hero has not yet returned. But my teacher always kept faith. I hope to play the song for the hero someday, so I practice it often."

Well, he is talking to him right now, but I'll wait on that... Maybe he'll figure it out one of these times.

"Oh, forgive me. It seems I've prattled on... I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?"

"Of course. Let's hear it."

"Excellent! Without further ado...

As light shines from the northwest skies,
from the tower's shadow an arrow flies.

Pierce heaven's light to reveal the prize."

Hmm... Okay, so that's the riddle this time.

"I still don't quite understand the lyrics, but knowing my teacher, they're the key to revealing a secret.

Best of luck, and may the light illuminate your path."

I nod to him and looked down to what seems to be another Shiekah pedestal. I guess that's where I need to be once I figure out what I'm actually supposed to do.

Hmm... "As light shines from the northwest skies"... Could that mean the sun? That's probably it.

"From the tower's shadow an arrow flies"... That must mean the shadow of the Shiekah tower is also the key to solving this puzzle.

I think I already figured it out. The sun needs to be in a position where the shadow of the tower is positioned on the Shiekah pedestal. The last thing to do is shoot an arrow towards the sun, I guess.

Hmm... It seems the shadow of the tower already passed where I wanted it to be... I guess I'll have to wait until the next day in order to actually complete the puzzle.

I placed some wood and flint on the floor. After making the wood catch fire, I sat by the fire until noon the next day.

This is going to take a while as I have to wait until night, then morning, and then until noon. Well, at least I can take some time to rest...

*     *     *

By the time night came around, I wondered if Urbosa would visit again. I may not be in the Gerudo Desert, but I am still in the region.

Well, I didn't have to wait much longer for my answer.

"Sav'orr, Link."

Yep, there she is. I'm going to assume that the closer I am to a Divine Beast, the more likely I am to get an encounter with the champion of that beast.

"Hello, Urbosa. It's nice seeing you again."

"Likewise. I see you picked a nice spot to spend the night."

Huh, I guess it is a pretty nice view.

"Yeah. I'm really just resting here as there's something I need to do here."

Urbosa looks at the Shiekah pedestal and seems to understand a little.

"Ah, I see."

Suddenly, I feel a slight chill running from my neck to my shoulders. It wasn't even the fact that it was night and it was getting pretty cold, though...

I then look to my right and am immediately caught off guard as I see Mipha right next to me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't jump a little.

My tension immediately went down as soon as I saw that it was Mipha, her soft chuckle was also a nice bonus.

Mipha:
"I got you good, didn't I?"

I chuckled before responding.

Link:
"Yeah, yeah you did. I didn't expect you to appear tonight so far from Zora's Domain."

Mipha:
"Well, I know that it has been a while since our last meeting, so I thought I'd check up on you."

Link:
"Well, I guess so, but I didn't think I'd get to talk with more than one champion at a time."

Confused, Mipha looked around and gasped when she saw Urbosa.

Mipha:
"Urbosa! I didn't even realize you were here! I apologize for not noticing you sooner."

Urbosa just laughed as she just let Mipha have her moment with me.

Urbosa:
"It's fine. I saw you slowly appearing while I was speaking to him. I will say, that was a cute little interaction you two had."

Mipha didn't respond and just looked away slightly from embarrassment. I guess she just thought it was going to be me and her.

Urbosa:
"It's great to finally see another champion after all these years. Not being able to speak with anyone other than myself for so long... One would definitely get lonely."

Mipha:
"Yes, I have certainly felt that for a long time. I'm glad that, not just me, but all the champions are finally going to be free from the calamity."

Link:
"Of course. I may have been tasked to free every Divine Beast, but even after regaining my first memory, I have seen the personal importance that I do this, not just because I have to."

Urbosa smirked as I said this.

Urbosa:
"I see you haven't changed from that caring boy from all those years ago, even if you haven't regained all of your memories."

Link:
"Heh... Thanks. I guess I haven't really come to that conclusion even after all the memories I've gained. I guess I've been so focused on my journey as of late."

Urbosa:
"And that's alright. When your body is always on the move, it's natural that you wouldn't think of everything that happens on your journey."

Mipha:
"But when you decide to rest, whether to it is to take a break, or pass the time, just know that you can speak your mind to any champion who shows up. "

I let out a relaxed sigh as both Mipha and Urbosa seemed to have reassured me. "I guess I should take a break during my adventure from time to time...". Oh, I didn't realize I said that out loud.

Mipha:
"Of course. Everyone may be looking forward to the final confrontation with the Calamity, but you not only need to be physically prepared, but mentally prepared as well."

Urbosa:
"She's right. Your quest is important, but you should still attend to your own wants and needs, too. We can't mess up our last chance at finally destroying the Calamity."

I nodded as they said their responses. Sigh They are right... I do need to be prepared and have the mentality to prove it.

With that, me, Mipha, and Urbosa finished our little conversation and spent the remainder of the night enjoying each other's company and the view.

*     *     *

As morning came around, both Urbosa and Mipha left, not staying any longer even with me still remaining by the fire.

For a few hours, I remained by the campfire until it was noon. Now, the sun was pretty close to where the tower was from where I was standing.

I waited by the pedestal for about an hour. Slowly but surely the shadow of the tower was getting closer to my location.

Soon enough, the shadow came close enough to the pedestal, which made it glow. This was my cue to shoot an arrow towards the sun.

It's seems like I was correct on that puzzle. Now I had another shrine that I can do. Time to see what this has in store for me this time.

I gave a reluctant sigh as it seems to be another test of strength. This time, it's a modest test of strength, so it won't be as difficult as last time.

The fight was pretty much the same, this time the guardian had half the health as the last one. At least I didn't need to use the champion weapons this time.

After defeating the guardian and claiming the spirit orb, I looked back at the map. Hmm... I guess I should head back to the Highlands to see if there's another shrine.

I know that the shrine in the Highlands I got recently is not an option as it is a ways down from the mountain.

I teleport back to the major test of strength shrine and go back in the direction I went to find the forgotten sword.

When I got relatively close to the shrine north of the Highlands, that was when I changed my path. This time, I glided down and went across to continue exploring.

While I did so, I noticed something big encased in ice. I put a pin on it and went towards it. Who knows, maybe it is a shrine.

After a couple hours, I finally reach it. There were two monsters that I'm pretty sure we're called wizzrobes surrounding it. They seem to be ice variants.

Hmm. I pull out my bow and shoot one with a fire arrow. Surely enough, it didn't just damage it, it basically melted it in an instant. I did the same with the other wizzrobe.

Now... How am I going to free whatever is encased in this ice? I guess I could just use a lot of fire arrows, but that would be just a waste with how big this is.

I guess the next best thing is to have some campfires around it and have them melt the ice a little.

And that's what I did. I made two campfires and used my torch as the ice got further from the campfires as it melted.

The process took a while... It was pretty boring, but I could see that it was a shrine. Though, while I was waiting, I saw something pretty interesting.

I felt the wind start picking up for some reason. I looked up and saw... What is that? Is that... A dragon? It's a green dragon just flying in the air... Well, it's pretty nice to look at, but I'm busy with this right now.

Well, that was a pretty cool sight, but I'm still focused on melting all of this ice. I'm sure the ice is close to breaking, though.

Soon enough, the rest of the ice gets small enough to the point where it breaks, finally revealing the shrine.

Going down into the shrine, I see an ice cube in front of me. I wonder what I'm supposed to do with it.

Offer before me a block of ice. Only then will the path forward open.

Well, I guess that answers my question. I guess that explains all the fire that is placed when going up the shrine.

Carrying the cube up wasn't much of an issue as I could easily dodge some of the first obstacles of fire.

The first obstacle I had to somewhat think about was when fire was blowing where I was holding the cube. It wasn't that bad as I could use Stasis on the cube.

After getting it across, I just needed to jump over a metal cube in lava. After getting across, I had to use the cube to block the fire coming from the wall.

The last obstacle seems to be a bit tricky. The fire seems to be coming from the top. Well, I can still use the cube.

Well, the timing of just having the cube in the air is way too small for me to realistically use Stasis. Though, I guess I still need to use Stasis on the ice cube and just hit it across.

This was way easier and this allowed me to get to the end of the shrine. At least this one was pretty simple as well.

Alright, from the distance between the other shrines in this region, I'm going to assume that I'm good with shrines in the Highlands.

Hmm.. though, I haven't really checked higher up in the Gerudo Canyon. Maybe I could go back to the tower near Naboris.

There's a certain part of the canyon that looks like there might be something. I hope I'm right and not just pulling this thought out of nowhere.

I teleport to the other Gerudo Tower and jump off in the direction of that area. I had to drop to the ground a good portion away as my stamina was running out.

Soon, I see that there was something here, or rather, a few others here. It seems this is a race I haven't seen yet. Though, I feel like I've seen one in the Kara Kara Bizarre.

These three seem to be preparing for something. There's a big platform behind them. I guess I'll talk with them.

"PUMP IT UP, BROTHER! This is our ancestral training ground! Us three Goron Blood Brothers are in the midst of a contest of endurance!"

Hmm, so that's what they are. Gorons.

"FEEL THE BURN, BROTHER! We're trainin' to become strong and powerful Gorons! Right now we're competin' to be at the heat!"

"So sweaty... Brother... We're Gorons... But the heat is too much for us these days... It's too hot to handle in Goron City... So we came here to train ourselves..."

"Hey, I have an idea!"

"Come join us!"

"Yeah! Come try the contest of endurance yourself... Brother!"

Alright, I guess I'll do this as well.

"Sure, I'll give it a try."

"Good answer!"

"A guy like you has a burning passion in his belly!"

"It's inspiring... Brother!"

The Gorons then walk to the end of the heated platform.

"When you're ready, step onto this platform! Then the contest of endurance will commence!"

Well, this seems to be the first test, so I guess this is going to be for high temperature heat. I'll just have my Desert Voe set on, then.

After putting on the clothes, I walk on the platform.

"If ya leave the ring, or pass out, it's all over! You lose! Got it? Ok... Now prepare yourself for the... CONTEST OF ENDURANCE!! GOOOOOO!"

And just like that, the contest started. The Gorons sat on the platform. One of them then seemed to be feeling the heat.

"Phew phew!"

Not long after, another one starts feeling it too.

"Someone's wavin'..."

Soon, the last one in the middle gets woozy as well.

"Not yettt!"

Then, one of them falls back and collapses.

"I can't... Go on..."

Just like before, the next one falls soon after.

"Is that... Grampa?"

Finally, the last one falls too.

"Pierce of... Cake!"

Just like that, I won this contest with ease thanks to me not being affected by this temperature.

They all get up and we go by the next platform. I can already tell it's a lot hotter than before.

"You're amazing! I never woulda thought the three Goron Blood Brothers could lose to you, brother!"

"In fact, I'm grantin' you the highest honor- the chance to participate in the contest of ULTIMATE endurance!"

"It's where our ancestors trained... It's considered the toughest test known to Goron kind!"

"You see the ring behind me? The one surrounded in fire? Do ya feel it in your gut- what a bad idea it is to go there?"

"Your gut is dead on, brother!"

"That special training area is even harder than the last ring..."

"This contest won't just challenge you with heat... But also with fire! If ya lose your focus, your body will catch fire! Make sure you're prepared for this, brother!

It's said that passin' this test will reveal a shrine... Or some such! If ya think you're ready, climb into the ring. Do that, and our special contest of ultimate endurance will begin!"

Hmm, so this is for a shrine. Alright, if that's what it takes, I'll do this. So if I'm dealing with fire now, I doubt my heat resistance will do anything.

Well, I guess I could get myself wet by hitting regular chu chu jelly. I've got a good amount of them.

With this in mind, I go up the ladder onto the platform. I can already tell that this will definitely hurt if I'm not careful...

"You're standing up there, which can only mean one thing... You ready to push yourself to your limits, brother?!

The rules for this contest of ultimate endurance are the same as ever. Leave the ring or faint, and it's over!

Ok! Time for the world famous... CONTEST OF ULTIMATE ENDURANCE!! GOOOOOO!"

Just like that, the next contest started. I drop a chu chu jelly and immediately hit it. Just like that, the heat became bearable.

One of the Gorons then starts to get more excited.

"More heat, Brother!"

Soon the other two brothers follow.

"No fear!"

"My soul is on FIRE..."

Then, the first Goron was getting even more excited.

"FIRE, brother!"

The other brothers followed soon after.

"Seize the heat, brother!"

"Burning... Soul..."

For a third time, the first Goron got even more fired up.

"Hot like lava, brother!"

Finally, the other two followed again.

"A real trial by fire, brother!"

"Gonna get... Burned out..."

Soon enough...

"RAAAARREGGGGHHH!! SO EPIC, BROTHER!!"

"What a powerful display! What fire! That was somthin' else, brother!"

After that, a shrine did actually rise from the ground behind them.

"Whoa! That's a shrine... Or some such! It really appeared, just like that! So the legend is true, brother!!"

"You won the contest of ultimate endurance, little man! You're amazing!"

Well, this was a pretty nice challenge. Now I could get yet another shrine done.

Going inside this shrine, it seems to be another apparatus shrine. The first one seems to be pretty simple, just move the box with those devices that need electricity to be activated around.

There was an electric conductor that I could use to activate all of the devices. After activating them all, the gate to the next part of the shrine opened.

The next puzzle had me use an apparatus to have wind blowing into four fans. Two of them in the back are placed higher than the ones in the front.

One of the front ones has a metal cube on a pressure plate switch, making it in a higher position.

The position of the fans already makes this puzzle possible. I just need to angle the cube with the fans making wind correctly and I could move on.

After doing so, I move on to the final room. This time, I need to ignite torches while avoiding water fountains.

I saw a chest higher up that could be brought down by burning the platform below it. After doing so, I got a Gerudo spear from it and placed it on a pressure plate that lowered one of the fountains.

This actually made completing the puzzle using the apparatus a lot more possible with only one fountain to worry about.

After a little bit of figuring out the right angle, I managed to get the last torch that I needed ignited.

With that, the shrine was done. Wow, I've done a lot of shrines now. Hmm... If I'm looking at the map correctly, I believe there's still at least two shrines left in this region.

Hylia, I appreciate all these shrines as I can still upgrade my health and stamina, but this is getting excessive.

Chapter Text

After looking at the map, I believe that I have at least two more maps in this region left.

I remember my shrine sensor going off when I was fighting that hinox when I came to this region. I can also assess that there is one in the mountains close to the labyrinth.

Other than those two locations, I believe those are the remaining shrines I have for this region. Again, I'm glad that I'm able to get so many spirits orbs, but I'm also glad I'll be moving on soon.

First, I think I'll go to the shrine in the mountain. I believe the fastest way I'll get to that mountain is by teleporting near Naboris.

After teleporting to it, I then started walking in the direction to get to the other mountain apart from the Highlands.

The journey there didn't have too interesting happen other than me just climbing up the mountain. Well, I did encounter a guardian after walking too close to it.

While this was definitely a little frightening, it wasn't too difficult to avoid the guardian and get away from its pursuit.

After about half an hour of climbing, I could already feel the cold temperature up here. Good thing I already had my cold protection gear on beforehand.

As expected, there wasn't much to do up here. There were a couple of enemies up here, but they weren't much of an issue for me.

Eventually, I came across a ruined hut. I guess someone used to live up here. Don't know why, though. There seems to be a book in it, though. I guess I'll read it.

"This is a log of my findings concerning the shrine that sleeps on a snowy Gerudo peak.

Discovery log: Day One

I come to this snowy mountain intending to find the ancient shrine that was written about in an old text. 'the shrine slumbers near the pedestal on a snowy Gerudo peak.'

I believe I've arrived at the pedestal mentioned in the passage.

Discovery Log: Day Seven

It's been seven days since I arrived at the pedestal mentioned in the ancient texts. Unfortunately, I'm eating through my food provisions more quickly than I anticipated.

On a brighter note, I've found an explanation in the source text that may be the key to the riddle. 'When the snowy mountain pedestal glows, cast a cold shadow onto its core.'

I noticed a faint glow to the left for a short while each day. But how to 'cast a cold shadow onto its core'...? It seems that this calls for further research here.

Discovery Log: Day... I've lost count.

I can feel that I'm a hair's breadth away from unlocking the secrets hidden within the pedestal. I'm certain that 'casting' and 'cold' refer to using a specific type of shadow.

But I've run out of food entirely, and I doubt now that I ever had the tools to do the job... Whatever they might be."

That seems to be the end of it. I feel like I can already figure out what this puzzle requires. It's pretty similar to that shrine near the Gerudo Highlands tower.

I do need to wait a bit, though. But I don't think I need to wait by the fire this time. I just need to wait a couple hours for the pedestal to glow.

I believe this puzzle wants me to use one of these snowballs up here to create a shadow that will be cast on the pedestal that seems to be on the side of the hill.

I rolled a snowball around the area and saw where the pedestal was located. I guess I'll just wait until that pedestal starts glowing and hold the snowball up to cast the shadow.

After a few hours, the sun is at the right angle and the pedestal glows. I then pick up the snowball and angle myself to where my shadow had the ball at the middle of the pedestal.

This actually seemed to work out. The pedestal seemed to activate and a shrine then ascended from the ground.

Well, I wonder what kind of puzzle awaits me this time. I sure hope it won't take me too long. I really want to get through this quickly and get to the last shrine.

Well, when I got into the shrine, I was both relieved and slightly confused. It was another blessing shrine. Why?

Whatever, I won't complain about getting another easy spirit orb. I'm just a little confused that this shrine is a blessing and the one near the Gerudo Highlands tower isn't.

Well, after I got out of the shrine, I heard a familiar voice.

"Link."

I looked around, but I couldn't see anyone that could have spoken to me. But I then remembered the same thing happening in the Lanayru region.

"You seem to have done quite a lot around the Gerudo Region. I expect nothing less from that knight I knew all those years ago."

Yep, it was Urbosa.

"Yes, there was a lot to do in this region. I really wanted to be as prepared as possible before moving to other regions."

"Well, since you seem to be about done with this region, I'd like to ask you for a request. Whenever you'd like to fulfill it, come to Vah Naboris."

Huh, I guess I have done all the shrines within the Gerudo region. Well, I'll wait to do that until I've completed the other shrine that I mentioned.

I teleport back to the Great Plateau near the Cryonis shrine. This shrine was the closest to the area where the hinox was.

When I glided down to the area and I heard my shrine sensor go off. I then see the shrine right below the area. Well, that was pretty easy to find.

Going into the shrine, it seems to be another test of strength. This time it was a minor test of strength, so there really wasn't anything to note about this shrine.

Well, after quickly dealing with the shrine, I knew that I should immediately go and do Urbosa's request.

Now, if this is like Mipha's request, I'm sure she'll want me to help transport her to Gerudo Town. I'm fine with doing that, especially since I'll have unlimited time with her scimitar and shield to practice with.

After teleporting to Vah Naboris, I called out to Urbosa. Surely enough, she appeared before me.

"I'm glad you decided to take up my request. I know my request was a bit sudden, but this is for something I feel is important."

"Of course, Urbosa. What is it that you want me to do?"

"When you arrived and shut off Naboris, you were accompanied by a young Gerudo named Riju, correct? I could sense her presence along with yours."

Ah, I guess she sensed that Riju was nearby when I brought down Naboris.

"Yes, she is the current chief of the Gerudo."

"I suspected as much... She did have the thunder helm, after all. She seems too young to be chief at the moment... Unless something happened and it forced her to become chief..."

Urbosa then walked around Naboris and looked towards Gerudo Town.

"Well, if anything, this gives me more of an incentive to ask you for this request. I wanted to possess my equipment and have you transport me to Gerudo Town."

Yep, I knew it. I nodded in response.

"I can do that. I've done it before with Mipha."

"Good. But I don't want you to just glide to our location. I believe it's due time that we caught up one on one after 100 years."

Well, it will be nice to talk with Urbosa this time.

"Now, if you have already done something like this, can you get out my Scimitar and shield?"

I nod and bring out the Scimitar of the seven and the Daybreaker.

Without another word, Urbosa went inside her sword and shield. Now I can also use these for as long as this trip lasts.

"Well? Do you have anywhere you'd like me to start the path to Gerudo Town from?"

"How about you make your way down the canyon from where that Tower nearby seems to be located."

Hmm, I guess she's talking about the Shiekah tower near Naboris. Yeah, I can do that. Once I'm down the canyon, I'll basically be right by the entrance to the desert.

I head back to the Gerudo wasteland tower and head down a slope that seems to be the normal way of coming up here. Well, I guess I did come up here the normal way until I just climbed up on the last part.

There were definitely a good amount of enemies on the way down, which gave me some good practice with Urbosa's Scimitar and shield.

"So many monsters just out in the open... Far more than back then."

"Yeah, I guess back then monsters would be hiding away in larger, more designated spots to plot attacks.

Now that the kingdom is practically no longer there, they feel like they can be spread out in the kingdom without a care."

"That seems to be the case. Even up in the canyon, you would rarely see a small group of monsters just in the open. Now they've taken over different areas, making traveling these lands actually dangerous."

Sigh I guess I can only imagine what that was like... You wouldn't need to always carry a weapon on you just to go from point A to B.

Now, you'd risk being swarmed by a group of monsters just because they happened to be there on the path. Not to mention, aside from those that are designated to guard settlements, I barely see anyone that is capable of fighting off multiple enemies.

"Could the same be said for the Gerudo Desert? I'm sure the way to the town was a little safer, but other than that, there were still many monsters to watch out for, correct?"

Urbosa let out a reluctant sigh "No, other than the path from Kara Kara Bizarre and Gerudo Town being safer, the desert has always been dangerous.

The heat of the desert is already grueling enough. Not to mention, there have always been reports of either monster attacks or even attacks from the Yiga."

"From what I can tell, it may have gotten more dangerous, but the difference probably isn't as bad as it is with other areas. At least now that I'm awake, Hyrule will soon no longer need to worry about the Calamity."

"Well, I'm not worried about that. I'm confident that once you are fully prepared, our sweet revenge against the Calamity will finally come."

After making my way further down the canyon, I was finally on the homestretch towards the desert.

There seemed to be one last lizalfos below where I was. Hmm... I could just drop down and defeat this enemy like normal...

After thinking for a bit, I angled myself back and jumped towards the lizalfos. While falling, I angled my body to the side and spun around, holding the Scimitar out while I did so.

With one slash down, I defeated the lizalfos. It was pretty much overkill as I think I split it in too... Oh well, it disappeared anyways.

Now all that was left was to go down this hill and go past the stable. After those, it's just the desert that's left.

"I see you're practicing new moves. That was a pretty impressive maneuver."

"Oh, you saw that?"

I could hear Urbosa chuckle to herself as I said this.

"Not necessarily. I can't see anything outside of my equipment. However, I can see the way that you move in combat, which is how I saw how you moved like that."

"Oh, well, thanks. With how flexible I seem to be in combat, I do want to try pushing myself to see what I'm capable of even with just my weapon based combat."

"Well, your strive to improve in combat seems to have not left you. I remember from when we and the other champions would train together. Not even Mipha could predict your unique combat style."

Hmm... Well, that's interesting to know.

"Huh, Unique combat style?

"Before we became champions, there was about a three month gap between that and your fight with all of the champions.

During this time, we would sometimes come together and spar. Me, Revali, Daruk and Mipha did this before, but after the gauntlet, you came along in our sparring sessions.

I will say, even though your one handed combat is definitely your strongest, being restricted to only that due to once we became champions really limited you."

"Huh, why is that?"

"When we and the other champions sparred, you would use a one handed and two handed sword and a spear. You would interchange with them quite a lot, making your style very unpredictable, yet, you fought so naturally all the same."

"Huh, I guess I really was hindered if I was fighting like that 100 years ago."

"Well, like I said, at least you were most efficient when fighting with a one handed weapon, so at least you weren't too hindered. You were still the one any knight could only dream of becoming."

I rub the back of my head and laugh "Thanks. I guess I really shouldn't be too hard on my own skills. But I really need to take some time relearning that style.

After awakening, my skills definitely seem to be maybe above average at best. I know I can still get the job done, but it looks like I used to be way more skillful back then."

"Well, I think I have a proposal on what you could do. You do remember that you can practice with me and Mipha using our weapons, correct?"

Hmm, right, I do remember that I can do this.

"Yes. Why do you mention this?"

"Well, maybe once you help out the other champions, and if you practice well enough with our own weapons, you'll regain the experience to truly fight with your full potential."

Huh, I guess I never thought I could do that. Wow, there's just some things I never realize I can take advantage of. Though, there is one thing about that that I'm a little confused about.

"How will I know when I feel ready to relearn my old skills?"

"That I cannot predict, but surely after you have freed the other two champions."

Well, it was worth asking, anyways. Well, I've already made it past the entrance of the desert. I think I'll switch my clothes to the Vai outfit once I get closer to Gerudo Town.

After switching my clothes and finally making it to Gerudo Town, I give Urbosa a heads up.

"Hey, Urbosa. We're here."

"Ah, good. Doesn't even feel like that much time has passed since we departed from Naboris."

"Well, we did talk most of the way here, so we kind of occupied most of that time."

"Hmm, I guess that is true. Though, I do question how you plan on getting into Gerudo Town."

I made a nervous laugh when she said this. She's definitely going to get a laugh at how I actually do get in.

"Well, you'll see once you meet Riju. Though, you can probably guess what it is."

"Hmm, I won't say my guess, but I guess I'll know when I see your appearance in Gerudo Town."

She then quietly speaks to herself, though, I can still hear it.

"He has the outfit. It has to be!"

Before I go in, she quickly speaks up again.

"Before I do come out, could you make sure that it is just a meeting between me and Riju? I don't want any other Gerudo to pier in and see that their chief seems to be speaking to a spirit, let alone one of the past chief."

"Alright, I can make that happen. I can understand you want a one on one conversation with her."

Once I get into Gerudo Town, I head for where Riju was usually located, which is the chief's throne. Just like I thought, she was.

"Hmm? Link? What is it that you are stopping by for?"

"Well, I came here for a very special reason. I would like to show you something."

"Hmm... Now you have my attention... What is it that you would like to show me?"

Okay, now I have her interested... I just need to get Buliara and any guards away from the room. I just hope that she trusts me enough to do that for me.

"Okay, but before I do. I'm going to need to ask something that might seem off..."

I then turn towards Buliara.

"Buliara, could you, and any other guards stationed near here move away from this room?"

Buliara and Riju seemed confused at my request.

"Why would you want me to do that, Voe?"

"Look, I know that sounds off putting, but this is something I only want Riju to see."

Buliara sighed, looking a bit frustrated, and looked toward Riju. I guess she's letting Riju have a say in this.

"Alright, I can agree to this. I trust your word. Buliara, you can wait and the guards can wait down the front. Could you also tell those guards up near my sleeping quarters to at least not be in view?"

Just like that, Buliara nodded and went to get the other guards away. Now Urbosa can talk with her one on one.

"Alright, what is it that you wanted to show me?"

I take out the Scimitar of the seven and the Daybreaker "Well, it isn't just something, rather someone."

Riju still seemed confused when I said this.

"Alright, you can come out now, it's only me and Riju here."

The equipment then glowed a bright blue, which then shined through the entire room. Soon enough, the light faded and Urbosa revealed herself.

After Riju could open her eyes, she gasped from disbelief as she couldn't believe what or who was in front of her just now.

Well, I guess I'll just watch this conversation from the side. Urbosa looks at Riju with a warm smile.

"Hello, Riju. I am Urbosa."

It took a minute for Riju to finally respond to Urbosa.

"U-Urbosa? D-do you mean you're... CHAMPION Urbosa?!"

Riju clearly couldn't contain the excitement she had when she was told who was in front of her just now.

"Yes. And you were the one to help Link get to Naboris, correct?"

"Um, yes. I used the thunder helm to not only protect myself, but shield Link so he could bring down Naboris."

"Ah, the thunder helm. I haven't seen that in a long time. However, I don't see it in its usual place."

Wait... Didn't I already show her the thunder helm? Unless... She's just trying to converse with Riju.

"Well, I don't possess it at the moment, but trust me, it's actually in this room!"

I guess that's my cue to bring out the thunder helm. I do so and hold out the thunder helm.

"Ah, I see you've entrusted it to Link. Well, I can tell without a doubt that it's in safe hands."

Urbosa then seems to switch up the topic.

"While you are very young for a chief, I will say, you're no less courageous and responsible than any that have come before you."

"Well, I'm glad that you think so. I really do want to prove to our people that I can be a worthy chief even with my young age..."

Urbosa then speaks in a soft, almost motherly tone "Riju, dear. Could you tell me how you came to be the chief of the Gerudo at such a young age?"

Riju seemed hesitant. Clearly this topic wasn't something she was comfortable talking about.

"Well, my mother passed away not long before Naboris had woken up... Her passing forced me to become chief as I was the next in line."

Urbosa took a deep sigh. She probably knew this was the reason.

"Just as I thought. I knew something like that probably happened."

"Ever since I became the chief, though, everyone has treated me well. However, I could easily tell that they were worried about me becoming the chief at my age.

I had tried my hardest to earn the respect of my people, to be worthy of the care. Though, that strive had almost resulted in my demise if it weren't for my guard, Buliara."

I was a little shocked, but Urbosa's eyes also widened in surprise.

"You say you almost met your own end? By what?"

"I tried researching Naboris suddenly moving around the desert. However, I quickly got caught up by Naboris kicking up a sandstorm. It made my sand seal, Patricia, run away as she got scared.

If it wasn't for Buliara coming in to rescue me, I surely would have been a goner. After that, Buliara has never left my side, blaming herself for the incident."

Well, I guess this explains why Buliara has been so protective of Riju and how she was always aggressive at the start.

"It also didn't help that, not long after, the Yiga had stolen the thunder helm. I just... Felt useless as a chief..."

Urbosa then walked closer to Riju and stood face to face with her.

"But it seems like everything is all worked out."

"Well, I guess Link did come along at a great time and really helped a lot with the situation. Not only with the main task, but around town as well."

"That's right, you accepted Link's help. Being chief doesn't mean you have to rely solely on yourself. Being able to rely on others for help, even from the outside, isn't a bad thing."

"But wouldn't I still need to show that I am just as reliable as the people I lead?"

"Well, you allowed Link to even get close to Naboris, did you not? It wouldn't have been possible for Link to take down Naboris without you."

She is right, I wouldn't even be able to get close to Naboris if it wasn't for Riju.

"Don't underestimate your own capabilities. You may be young for a chief, but don't believe yourself to be useless compared to those around you."

I can tell that this was something Riju needed to hear. Riju looked at Urbosa and smiled.

"Sarqso, Urbosa. I'm really glad that I got to meet you, even if this is just a one time thing."

"I'm also glad that I got to speak with you Riju. You can thank Link for helping me get here in the first place."

Riju then got up from her seat and came down to hug Urbosa. Urbosa was initially surprised, but didn't interject.

Urbosa crouched down and returned the hug. Well, this was a really nice scene to watch... I'm glad that I can help make things like this happen.

After a few minutes, Riju releases and so does Urbosa. Riju then looks at me with a grateful look.

"Thank you, Link. I don't even know how this happened in the first place, but I'm grateful that you did all of this. Lady Urbosa is so much greater than I imagined she would be."

I nod in response. Both Riju and Urbosa said their goodbyes and I had Urbosa enter back into her equipment.

After saying goodbye to Riju myself, I then teleported back to Naboris. Alright, time to finally finish Urbosa's request.

After getting back to Naboris, I pull out Urbosa's Scimitar and shield. Urbosa then left her equipment.

"Sarqso, Link. I may not say it as much as I should, but this outing meant a lot to me."

"Of course, Urbosa. Honestly, just being able to talk with you or Mipha without having to use a campfire has been very nice."

"Yes, quite. As a reward, I'll allow you to use my equipment for much longer. How does three minutes sound?"

"Of course, any extra time to use the champion weapons is amazing. Having three times the time is really generous."

"Well, I'm sure it will help you on your journey to stop the Calamity."

"Of course. With the help of all the champions, the calamity will stand no chance."

Hmm... Though, I think I should ask that question I asked Mipha.

"Say, before I go... There's one thing I'd like to ask. Once everything from the Calamity is done... Will that mean you and the other champions move on from this world?"

I didn't mean to, but my voice was a little saddened... I know they are already gone, but being able to still talk with them... It's going to make having to let them go even harder...

Urbosa thinks for a bit. It seems not even she will know.

"I'm sure we will... But I believe it's not just that plain and simple. I'm sure now that me and Mipha are free, we can converse about it. Though, I believe we'll need Daruk and Revali in on this, so we can come to a good conclusion."

Well, I guess I'll be satisfied with that for now.

"Well, thank you for answering. Again, it was very nice to be able to talk with you like this."

Both me and Urbosa said our goodbyes and, just like that, Urbosa went back to Naboris. Well, there were just a couple things left in the Gerudo region, but I'll soon be completely done here.

Chapter Text

It has been a few weeks, but I have scoured across the Gerudo region to find all of its korok seeds. Wow... This took way too long...

105 korok seeds... 71 in the Gerudo Desert, and 34 in the Gerudo Highlands. Well, other than those, I didn't find anything noteworthy.

On my travels, I did stop to rest a couple of times. This resulted in a couple interactions with Mipha and Urbosa.

*      *     *

I made a quick campfire to pass the night in the desert. It was a little cold, so I put on the warm doublet.

I look to my right and see Urbosa appear. Well, I guess this night's going to be me and her.

"Ah, the vast wasteland of the desert. How it feels as though I never left."

"I'm guessing you meant you're really sick of it, huh?"

"Uh huh. Being trapped in Naboris meant I could never even leave the sands of the desert. You could say I would have started counting the grains of sand if I had to be trapped any longer."

Wow, I guess even Urbosa seemed to be at her limit by the time I freed her. Well, having to spend 100 years alone could definitely do that... 100 years is such a long time... I really am lucky that I wasn't conscious throughout that time...

"Honestly, I feel like me and Zelda are both lucky and unfortunate enough to be alive... Sure, we didn't suffer a horrible death, but we're 100 years after everything happened.

Other than the Zora, after that amount of time, most of the people that we could have known back then are likely gone if they didn't die to the Calamity..."

I then felt Urbosa gently place her hand on my shoulder.

"I can't argue with that. Now that you're regaining some of your memories, I'm not surprised that you seem to be getting survivor's guilt.

However, you shouldn't let this get in the way of making new friendships. Lingering in the past is going to be bad no matter what angle you look at it."

"I... I get that... But then again, being able to talk with the champions after freeing them isn't really helping me either. But don't worry. I won't let myself get that low."

"That's good. I know you won't let us slip away from your mind, which could also be said for the princess. However, you and Zelda will need to make sure not to let your memories of the past take over your life."

Yeah... Obviously both me and Zelda won't forget the people we had 100 years ago, but that's really the extent that it should be...

For the remainder of the night, I sat with Urbosa, gazing into the vast unexplored desert. I already know we're limited in how far in the desert we can go. One korok seed was so far in the desert, the sand kicked up, making it hard to see.

*     *     *

The next time I stopped to rest was in the snowy area next to the labyrinth. I didn't really want to deal with ice keese, so I thought to rest in the destroyed cabin.

As night came around, I saw that both Mipha and Urbosa appeared. Huh, I guess getting out of the desert makes it easier to have both Mipha and Urbosa appear.

Link:
"Hello, you two. Just resting here for a bit before continuing in the morning."

Urbosa:
"Hmm... I guess this is that small snowy area on the other side of the Gerudo canyon. Not quite the Highlands, but still cold, nonetheless."

Link:
"Yeah, I'm just searching around here for a bit before hopefully moving on from this place for good."

Mipha:
"Hmm... Say, Urbosa, isn't this place near one of those three structures across Hyrule? I think they're called... Lomei labyrinths?"

Urbosa:
"Yes, I believe so. Many had tried to go through the labyrinth, but all seemed to have come back with nothing. Even with how many different approaches people have made, it was almost like they always ended up back at the start."

Link:
"Maybe it's because the labyrinth wanted only one person to get to the end. I actually went through the entire Labyrinth and got to a shrine at the end."

Urbosa:
"Did you, now? Could you tell us what was inside? I have always wondered what was at the end of that maze."

Mipha:
"Yes. I must say, I have always been quite curious when I read about the labyrinths."

I then pull out the barbarian Armor that I got from the shrine in the labyrinth.

Link:
"I got this piece of armor from the shrine at the end of the labyrinth. It seems to raise my attack if I wear it."

Urbosa:
"Hmm, and is that all you acquired from the labyrinth?"

Link:
"Yes, though I do think it is a little strange that I got just a chest piece as a reward."

Mipha:
"Maybe the other pieces are at the other lomei labyrinths. There are three of them, so maybe they have one piece of the set in each one."

Well, I guess that does make sense now that I think about it. The other two labyrinths are probably similar in concept to the one I already did, so I shouldn't be surprised that each barbarian set piece is in each one.

Well, aside from that, Mipha, Urbosa and I sat by the fire for the rest of the night, enjoying the company of one another.

*     *     *

The last time that I rested by a campfire was when I was in the Gerudo Highlands. I was almost done and the view was pretty nice, so I thought I should rest for the night.

Obviously, resting in the snow is going to be pretty cold, but it wasn't that bad for me as my gear protected me from the cold pretty well.

Not long later, I see that Mipha has appeared for tonight. Well, I guess me and her get some alone time tonight.

"Hello Link."

"Hey, Mipha. Nice to have a night with just the two of us again."

"Yes. It's been quite some time since we've had some time alone with each other. I must say, you've picked a nice view for tonight."

"Yeah, but this is probably going to be the last time, at least for a while, that I venture in the Gerudo Highlands. I'm almost done getting what I want from this region."

"Now that I think about it, why do you spend so long in certain parts of the kingdom? First with most of Lanayru and now the entire Gerudo region."

Well, I guess she wouldn't know that I'm hunting for the korok seeds.

"Well, you know those little things called koroks?"

"Oh, yes. I've encountered some when going around the Domain before the Calamity. They sometimes choose some odd hiding places."

"Well, I've been spending quite a lot of time just finding the koroks. They give me a seed, which will help me increase the amount of equipment that I can hold."

"Oh, that's pretty nice of them. How many have you collected so far?"

I just rub the back of my head. It's already getting ridiculous "about 200?"

Mipha's eyes suddenly widen as she hears how many korok seeds I have already.

"Sigh I'm... Not going to question how there's that many or why you're spending so much time doing this. I just hope your efforts at least make your journey easier."

"Yeah, I really hope I'm not actually wasting my time getting all of these korok seeds."

Well, that was it for what we talked about. Mipha then sat down right next to me. Even through the doublet, I could still feel the coldness of Mipha's spiritual form...

Mipha and I then leaned against each other... Sigh even with the cold temperature, I almost feel... A little warmer being right next to Mipha...

*     *     *

Well, after finally getting the last of the korok seeds within the Gerudo region, it was finally time to move on.

I believe I've spent long enough in the desert. However, something did come to mind when I was thinking of where to go next.

Since I could withstand freezing temperatures, I believe I should make my way back to the Necluda region. There's a certain mountain that I can now climb.

Well, before I go to climb it, I actually have something in Kakariko Village that I want to do. I remember seeing a Shiekah orb to one of those shrines in Impa's house.

I did try interacting with it, but Impa stopped me as it was apparently an heirloom of the Shiekah. Well, I thought that maybe I could acquire it in a similar way with how I got the thunder helm.

I did a few quests around Kakariko Village to get that heirloom. I helped a guy get his cuccos back in their pen. I also found another great fairy fountain.

I have no idea how I never came across this before I left Kakariko Village, but at least I found it now. This time the fairy needed 500 rupees to restore her power.

Well, there was actually a quest that wanted a picture of the fairy fountain, so I took one with the Shiekah slate. In exchange, the guy that gave me the quest told me where one of the memory locations were.

Well, I think I see this guy from time to time at stables, so I should check on him from time to time.

One last quest that I have done was showing someone fireflies as she couldn't see them at night because of a curfew.

After checking back near the front of Impa's house, I saw that the guards seem to be in distress, looking like they're on guard.

Okay, something definitely happened at Impa's house. As I walked in, I saw Paya panicking on the floor near where the heirloom used to be placed. It seems the heirloom is missing.

"Link... I swear I only took my eyes off it for a second! What should I... What should I do?"

"What's wrong, Paya?"

"The Shiekah heirloom... The heirloom has been stolen! And just when I had finally discovered the heirloom's secret..."

"'The hero, as chosen by the heirloom, will be gifted a blessing of antiquity.' Paya thinks 'the hero, chosen by the heirloom' is you, so she stayed up all night researching the heirloom.

She came to the conclusion that the 'blessing of antiquity' refers to one of those ancient shrines. And that the heirloom is the key that opens the shrine.

And just before we were able to tell you this, the thing is stolen!"

Wow, all this while I was out helping around the village?

"I had been cleaning the heirloom regularly every day from morning to dusk. Someone must have stolen it during the deepest hour of the night.

This place is off-limits to outsiders... And no one from the village would do such a thing! Why would they? Someone with evil intent came into this sacred place.

I'm glad Grandmother is safe, but I still feel so... Violated."

Yeah, this is pretty serious if someone just walked in here in the middle of the night without being noticed.

"Link... Paya is afraid that the thief may still be nearby. Would you please stay by her side for today?"

Well, for now, I'll agree to this. Don't want Paya to have even more of a panic attack on this. For a whole day, I did as Impa asked and stayed by Paya's side.

"Master Link... Thank you for staying by my side for the whole day. I see now that crying and feeling scared won't help us get the heirloom back.

I checked with Dorian and Cado, but they said they didn't see anyone other than villagers around.

I'll try again to remember all I can about the night the heirloom was stolen, but the theif may still be hiding nearby.

I have a bad feeling. If you spot any suspicious movement at night, don't approach..."

Hmm... Alright, so I need to be on the lookout at night. Someone has to know... Obviously the thief is going to remain hidden.

Well, there probably wasn't going to be anything to note for a few hours, so I may as well wait by the fire until someone goes anywhere suspicious.

By 10 PM, I have seen someone go towards the cemetery, but I doubt it's her, even though she checks her surroundings to make sure no one was following her.

Then, Dorian seems to leave... Strange... I rarely see him leave at this time. I decided to follow him.

As I followed him, I heard him talking to himself.

"... How could they?"

Hmm... Maybe he knows something. He seems to be going up to where the shrine is.

"I must do something."

He then goes past the shrine and goes in the direction of the great fairy fountain.

"Sure is quiet out here..."

He seems to go to the right instead of going towards the fountain. Dorian then gets to a wooden bridge.

"What was that?!"

Wait... Did he hear me? He seems to continue along, though.

"Must be imagining things."

After getting across, Dorian then shouts in declaration.

"Show yourself!"

He then draws his blade.

"I know you're there! Show yourself!"

Suddenly, a Yiga soldier appeared. It was one of the big guys from the hideout.

"You don't have to shout. I'm right here."

He sounded so casual when saying this... Like he's familiar with Dorian...

"So you're the ones who stole the heirloom!"

"Heh... Such anger. It seems this thing is truly special to the fools of this village."

"Why would you steal it?"

"Don't play dumb, Dorian. You knew what you were getting yourself into when you decided to leave the organization."

Wait... What? Was Dorian apart of the Yiga Clan?

"You forfeited your life the moment you left. You did well to tell us about the heirloom. Unfortunately, your usefulness has come to an end, as must you."

No, I won't let that happen.

"But first... We have an audience! FOR MY FALLEN MASTER!"

The Yiga soldier then attacked me. He was definitely skilled, that's for sure. But I still didn't have much trouble dealing with him.

Eventually, I injured him enough to where he was forced to flee. He even dropped the heirloom! I then go to speak with Dorian.

"I can't believe I was being followed. I'm sure you've figured it out, but all of this is my fault... There's no point in trying to hide it.

I am... A member of the Yiga Clan. Or I used to be, anyway. But then I met the most incredible woman who blessed me with two amazing children.

And so I tried to change my ways. Tried to leave the clan. But the Yiga... They took my wife's life as punishment.

I couldn't let them hurt my children, so I used my position as gatekeeper to gather information for the Yiga. I told them about you and about the village in exchange for safety."

So that's how they took the heirloom. They had Dorian give them information of the village.

"But my grief over losing my wife consumed me, and so I finally decided to cut ties with the Yiga completely! I decided I could protect my children from the Yiga. I wasn't afraid of them.

But the Yiga are pure evil. They told me they would kill both Impa and Paya if I didn't play along!"

Wow, so the Yiga basically had Dorian under their control for a while.

"Paya figured out that this heirloom is the key to opening an ancient shrine. We weren't able to make it work, but Paya thinks that maybe you can.

Paya... And all of us are devoted to helping you in your quest. Now, please restore this heirloom to its pedestal."

I smile and nod. I then grab the orb and place it in the pedestal. I guess the pedestals will only take the orbs if it is I that place it.

After the pedestal was activated, the shrine rose from the ground. This shocked Dorian.

"The shrine! So the heirloom WAS the key to opening the shrine. Incredible... Master Link, I... I'm very sorry for all of this.

I know it's a selfish request, but do you think you could keep what really happened a secret? I truly don't deserve mercy, but I don't want my children, Koko and Cotta, to suffer anymore.

I know it doesn't make up for what I've done, but I pledge to protect the village and my family from now on. No matter the cost."

I nod again. Honestly, this event has made me respect Dorian. He wants to change his ways even when the Yiga will surely rise against him again.

I then go into the shrine, which turns out to be a blessing. I also got an edge of duality, which was pretty nice.

After getting the spirit orb, I questioned if there was anything else I could do before heading to Mount Lanayru.

I then remembered when I got the camera rune from Purah. All o can remember is she said something about "something good"... Well, I could ask her about it.

I then teleport to the Hateno tech lab. I then go inside and talk to Purah

"Snap! Something on your mind?"

"So what was this about something good?"

"Aha! I'm glad you asked! If you bring me some ancient materials, I'll power up your runes! You'll need three ancient screws to power up your Shiekah sensor.

You'll need three ancient shafts to power up your Remote bombs. And you'll need three ancient cores to power up Stasis.

If we're on the same page, stop staring at me! Hurry up and bring me some ancient materials!"

Well, it's a good thing I had so many ancient parts. I was easily able to aquire each upgrade. After getting these upgrades, I now had the Shiekah sensor+, remote bombs+, and Stasis+.

"Hm? What's this? Perhaps you already went and powered them all up?! Well, I suppose with your Shiekah slate and your legendary swordsmanship, we have nothing to fear.

Yes, quite! Nothing at all! Not even... Calamity Ganon!"

Well, good thing I got these upgrades out of the way. It seems the sensor can now pick up the location of items. The bombs had a lower cool down and were stronger. Stasis could also freeze enemies.

Yeah, it was a good call to come back here. Well, I believe I'm good to at least start heading for Mount Lanayru.

I started from the newest shrine that I activated and headed down the path. There was a fork in the road and I decided to head left to see if there was anything there.

Surely enough, there was. It seemed Kass was in this area next to a Shiekah pedestal. I guess I'll go ahead and talk to him.

"Oh! Pardon me! I didn't think anyone was around... Ah, I knew we'd meet again! Though, I never imagined it would be here...

I know a song about this place. Would you like to hear the ancient verse passed down in this region?"

"Sure, let's hear it."

"Excellent! Without further ado...

A beast that wears a crown of bone, prancing through the lush green.

Mount the beast apron its throne, for only then the shrine is seen."

Hmm, so that is the riddle for this area.

"I suppose 'the lush green' could refer to this place. But what sort of beast wears a 'crown of bone'? There's definitely a secret hiding here, but it's beyond me. May the light illuminate your path."

Hmm, well, there are some mountain bucks around here. If I remember correctly, males have big antlers. I'm sure if I mount one and bring it to the pedestal, the shrine will be revealed.

After about an hour, I managed to sneak up on a male buck and mount it. It required some soothing before I could ride it, but I managed to get it to the pedestal.

Just like that, the pedestal activated and the shrine rose from the ground.

"Ah, I get it now! The 'crown of bone' refers to antlers! Of course that's a mountain bucks! Those majestic creatures ARE a bit like the kings of the forest, aren't they?

Your exploits here could be their own heroic song, you know... Take care, and may the light illuminate your path."

Well, I guess I should see what is in this shrine. Hopefully it isn't that long.

Yeah, it really wasn't that long. It was mainly a puzzle of hitting a mechanism to make a platform around the room.

I had set both of my bombs near the mechanism and a metal cube was blocking a laser. Removing the cube while on top of the platform allowed the laser to hit and I could transfer the cube with me.

Setting one bomb off, I could get to the area to place the cube. Putting it on a pressure switch opened the gate to the monk. Using the other bomb allowed me to get to the monk.

Alright, now that this shrine was done, I could finally make my way to Mount Lanayru. I just went back to that fork in the road and went the opposite path that I picked.

The way to Mount Lanayru was definitely a sight to see. This whole area was a massive flooded ruin. I can tell this place was definitely older than the age I came from.

My shrine sensor detected another shrine nearby. I guess it's across where that waterfall may be. But I don't see where I can start heading over there yet, but I can see the path.

After walking a bit further, fighting off some bokoblins and lizalfos. I then get to this area where I can go up this bridge.

Going up, I see that I can get on that path towards that waterfall. Well, I can take one last detour before being off to Mount Lanayru.

After jumping from destroyed bridges and climbing to higher points, I notice an opening at the side of the waterfall. Maybe I can get to the shrine from there.

After jumping off from a higher place, I made it to the side where the opening was. After getting in, there was the shrine. Alright, let's see what's in store this time.

This shrine also seemed pretty short, thankfully. There was a big pressure switch in the middle of the water.

I saw a chest up above and on that platform going up and down. Finally, there was one in the water. The rewards from these chests weren't special, but I need these for their weight.

Put them all on the switch in the middle was enough to activate it. This opened a gate to a big metal cube.

I could then use this and put it on the other platform to elevate myself to get to the monk. Yep, another simple and easy shrine.

Alright, now to actually head for Mount Lanayru. I also know that there is a memory at the entrance, so I'll need to remember that.

After some maneuvering, I made my way back to the way to Mount Lanayru. After fighting one Moblin, I make it to the entrance of Mount Lanayru.

Yep, this was definitely the place for one of the memories. I pull out the Shiekah slate and get the picture out.

After a few minutes I feel that familiar headache and it was time to see another part of my memories.

*     *     *

As the memory becomes visible, it seems like me and Zelda were near that big volcano I see from time to time if my view isn't blocked.

Hmm... Ah, I remember now. I believe me and Zelda were doing a survey around this area. Though, we got interrupted by a big pack of monsters.

There were over a hundred bokoblins, but luckily they were all red. However, the big threat was three white maned Lynels.

Surprisingly, I handled fighting three Lynels at the same time with ease, with just a one handed sword, no less!

Wow, I knew I was skilled back then, but I'm just getting more and more showcases of that strength and skill.

"That cut doesn't look too bad, actually. You're fine for now. But you know, there's a fine line between courage and recklessness. As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal."

Well, I guess it is reckless to just fight off a dangerous group of enemies like that without a plan. That would be pretty reckless for anyone.

"It seems that, not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise... But the scale of beasts we are facing is intensifying as well."

Hmm, I guess since the Calamity was steadily approaching, enemies were definitely getting more numerous and dangerous

"I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of calamity Ganon."

Zelda then stood up "And, if that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst. We'll need to make preparations as soon as possible."

Just before the memory ended, I am then shown one last look at the monsters that I have slain. Wow, it still looks ridiculous how many enemies that I have defeated. The small groups I've faced are nothing in comparison.

*     *     *

My vision then comes back. At least the pain is getting a little less painful. Though, I don't think I'll ever get used to the massive headaches I get when I remember the champions. Those memories are just so big in comparison.

I try to head through the entrance before immediately backing up. There is a lynel in there... A red maned one, but a lynel nonetheless.

Sigh okay, I really need to stop running away when I see a very dangerous enemy. I've grown a lot stronger since I started.

I believe I can at least defeat a red maned lynel. I even have a meal for giving me some extra strength for a short time. I believe I can do this. I even still have two charges of Mipha's Elegance, so I can at least afford to take some damage.

I ate the meal and went over to fight the lynel. After noticing me, it quickly drew its sword and shield. Honestly, that shield can easily be used as a weapon.

At the very least, I could predict the movement of this lynel. The wind up time was at least pretty long.

However, even with this fact, it was still hard to dodge as the lynel was pretty fast. This resulted in me getting hit a couple times.

Then, when I dodged the lynel just a bit too late...

"I won't let you take him!"

Mipha saves me from death again and stuns the lynel by with ice spikes in a circle radius. This not only healed me, but allowed me to mount the lynel and get a lot of damage on it.

Eventually, with enough flurry rushes, I managed to defeat the lynel. I must say, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Sure, I had Mipha save me, but that fight wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Anyway, the weaponry that the lynel dropped wasn't the best, but it was decent especially since the sword and shield only seemed to be the first version. However, the bow was something of note.

Mighty Lynel Bow

Attack: 20x3

This bow seems to be decently strong for a bow and is able to shoot three arrows at once, making it even stronger.

However, holding it was... Definitely an experience... The bow string was definitely a challenge to draw back in comparison to other bows.

I mean, I can pull these back, but I can tell that many would find using this bow impossible.

Anyway, I should make my way to Mount Lanayru. I really do wonder if there's anything up there.

I put on my cold protection and made my way up the mountain. There were many enemies that I needed to watch out for.

On my way, I felt like something was off... I could feel a presence unlike anything I've felt before. It feels like it should be something good, but something is saying otherwise... That's as well as I can describe it...

A fight off many lizalfos and chu chu, but not anything too special. Eventually, I make it to the top.

Woah... So this is what that presence I felt was. It's... A dragon?

"You have done well to find your way to this spring. You who have overcome numerous trials and obtained the spirit orbs...

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.

You who have received the Spirit Orbs... Free Naydra from this Malice. Show what your power can achieve!"

The eyes then open up. I guess that means I can only shoot them when they're opened. Naydra... I'm really going to fight a dragon?

Well, I can't really say no. I draw my bow and shoot the eye on Naydra's tail. The dragon screamed in pain and pushed itself into the air. A gust of wind then started and pushed me in the air.

Naydra then flew to the top of Mount Lanayru and flew in a circle. This was when the eyes opened up again.

Naydra gets close enough to the point where I can shoot another eye. Naydra then screams in pain again and flies down the mountain.

I follow Naydra down the mountain. I'm even pushed in the direction by the wind as well. I also noticed that the wind Naydra makes restores my stamina while gliding.

Having practically infinite stamina to work with, the process was basically the same. I shot another eye and Naydra went further down the mountain.

After shooting the last eye, Naydra started to glow a bright blue color in contrast to the dark magenta that they had.

Naydra then transformed into what I assume is their original state before the Malice. After some time, the wind picked me back up and I glided up back to the Spring of Wisdom, which was where Naydra was going.

Naydra then placed itself back to where I originally found it. This time, it seemed to be waiting for something, something I probably needed to do.

"Thanks to your efforts, Naydra, the spirit of Mount Lanayru, has been freed from the grips of an evil power.

But a single ceremony remains. Now... Loose your arrow through the body of Naydra to free the spirit of this region!"

Like I was told, I aimed my bow towards Naydra and hit it. This time Naydra didn't react nearly as negatively as it did before. It then flew around the top of the mountain before releasing something.

When I shot Naydra, that spot glowed before falling off when Naydra took off into the sky. That item then hit the ground in front of me.

"That is the spirit Naydra's scale. It fell when your arrow struck. It serves as proof of the courage you received from one who served the spring since ancient times.

Come... Offer the scale from the blue spirit Naydra to the Spring of Wisdom."

I then picked up the scale and then placed it in the water. The water then glowed and suddenly a door behind the statue opened.

"Your path has shown itself. Now go forth."

Well, I guess this will be a blessing shrine if I had to get a dragon scale just to get in. And just like I thought, it was.

Well, I feel pretty accomplished with what I got done within this region. I gained enough spirit orbs for another upgrade and I upgraded my Shiekah slate as well.

Well, I believe I should plan on going for my next Divine Beast... I think I can save exploring the rest of Necluda and any other regions for when I have freed all the Divine Beasts.