Chapter 1
The Great Plateau

...ake...

In the darkness, the quiet voice echoes around her.

...ime to wake...

It is a male's voice. He sounds strained and exhausted.

Time to wake up.

Her eyes flutter open, blinded by a blue-white light above her. Her vision slowly clears, letting her see a large stone chamber. She lies in a tub, the bright blue water slowly draining out from under her. She struggles to sit up, feeling unbalanced. She looks down at herself and finds out why.

She has no left arm. She brings her right hand up to rub the stump at her shoulder, frowning. This isn't right, but she can't remember why. She can't remember much of anything, but her drowsy mind won't let her linger on it any longer. She grips the side of the tub and pulls herself out, shivering.

When she leaves the tub, she is quick to spot the pedestal by the door. It glows with illuminated orange runes, the center indented inward. When she reaches it, she hears his voice again.

This is the Sheikah Slate. It will guide you now.

Her heart pounds with excitement as she takes the Slate by the handle. She turns it around, seeing an eye symbol on the back. Turning it back over, a smooth, glass-like surface reflects her face back to her. The device comes to life, shining a soft blue glow.

As the pedestal flips back into place, the door to her right opens. She glances around, tripping over a chest placed on the other side. Massaging her nose, and checking to ensure the Slate didn't break, she turns over and glares at the chest. She stands and opens it, her glare lessening when she sees clothes sitting at the bottom. She places the Slate on the ground before pulling them out; a torn shirt, ragged pants and flat sandles.

Getting the clothes on proves to be a difficult task, but she at last manages to dress herself. The only thing she cannot get on is the belt meant to go across her torso, so she discards it and slips the Sheikah Slate onto the belt around her waste. She walks to another door, where another pedestal sits.

Use the Sheikah Slate on the pedestal to open the way. She places it face-down, blinking when light floods from above. You are the hope for the kingdom, the last remaining light. Go now and know the Goddess watches over you.

She walks up the sloping tunnel, blocking the sun out when she walks out.

A warm breeze ruffles her hair and clothes as she comes to an outcropping, feeling awe as she looks out across a vast land. Fields of lush green grass, forests of tall trees, colossal mountains in the distance and-

The ruins of a castle, coated in dark clouds.

She stares for a few moments before tearing her eyes away. Sitting at the bottom of a hill is a hooded man with a full white beard, a lantern hanging off his cane. He sits by a lit fire and she hesitates a moment before making her way towards him. She isn't sure if she can trust him, but she needs to understand what is going on.

"Hello, sir?" He looks up at her, but she notices he avoids eye contact. From what she can see, his brown eyes look sad. "May I ask where I am?"

"You are on the Great Plateau, my dear," he says, sitting up straighter. "This is the sacred birthplace of all of Hyrule." He slowly stands up, looking over the horizon of his alcove. "Beyond this hill is the Temple of Time. Once it was the very heart of Hyrule. However, it has been decaying over many years of neglect." He sadly turns back to her, his eyes still not meeting her gaze. "Alas, it is another ghost of Hyrule's past. But enough about the past. What is your name, my dear?"

Her name? She frowns, brow furrowed as she slowly stares at the ground. After a moment, she remembers. "My name is Zelda."

"A fine name indeed," he sits back down, his eyes glancing at her stump. She rubs at it self-consciously.

"Who are you?"

"Just an old fool," his fake, sad smile returns. "Be careful around here, monsters roam these ruins."

Zelda bows her head. "Thank you, sir."

With an awkward shift of her shoulders, she walks down the path away from the old man. When she reaches the end of the dirt and hits grass, she hears his voice again.

Zelda, follow the path on your Sheikah Slate. She pulls it out, staring at the black surface of a map. Faint blue outlines seem to separate the kingdom, but she doesn't focus on that. Instead, she focuses on the flashing yellow dot near the north-eastern border. A yellow arrowhead marks her spot, she discovers this as she turns to her destination.

Following the path down, Zelda spots a red pig-like creature sitting on a piece of rubble. It is nosily eating a boar head, paying her no mind. It is for the best, she doesn't know how she can defend herself against it.

Although, just to feel a little safer, she picks up a stick that is lying on the ground. She would have preferred the woodcutting axe stuck in a stump, but not with a single arm and questionable strength.

She continues down the path, broken cobblestone overrun by grass and moss. When she gets about halfway to her destination, two blue blobs with large eyes pop out of the ground. She swings her stick, but misses when the blob jumps at her. She stumbles back clumsily, falling onto her backside. The blob that jumped lands on her stomach and she pushes it off, her hand sinking into it. She stands and shutters, slamming her foot down onto the creature's head. It explodes into slimy chunks, as does the second when she stomps on it.

At the bottom of the path, she spots another pig-like creature standing in front of a pile of rocks. The pile of rocks is where she must go, so she furrows her brow in concern. If her 'fight' against the blobs is any indication, she is not trained in combat. She can't stomp on this creature, it is as tall as she is. Hiding behind a rock, she observes the area ahead carefully.

If I can sneak around it without getting spotted...

But a problem lies there. If she is to enter the pile of rocks, she'll be trapped if the creature spots her.

But it is a risk I must take.

Her heart pounds as she crouches and moves from her hiding spot. Going wide at first, she slowly reaches the rocks without alerting the pig-creature. When she makes it into the shadows, she looks back at it. It hasn't moved at all, instead it just stands there with a club in its hand.

So they are not intelligent. If it had moved its head just a little, it would have spotted me. Good. I can work with idiotic monsters.

Zelda stands up and enters the rocks. Within is a floor similar to the chamber she woke up in, with a pedestal sitting near the back of the alcove.

Place the Sheikah Slate in the pedestal, the Slate requests.

She examines it quickly before putting the Slate in face-down. It is brought into the pedestal's surface, turning and causing orange runes to appear.

Sheikah Slate detected. Please avoid the falling rocks.

Excuse me?

With a great shake, causing Zelda to fall flat on her back, the floor begins to rumble.

All across Hyrule, tall ancient towers begin to rise from the earth. The entire kingdom shakes as they rise, debris falling from the sky to hit monsters and travellers alike. Then, all at once, the shaking stops.

Zelda rubs the back of her head before pushing herself up. Her heart leaps into her throat when she sees she is several kilometers in the air. As her pounding heart slows, the Sheikah Slate speaks.

Distilling local information...

Above the pedestal, a stone begins to glow blue as it sings. A tear-like droplet of magic falls off the bottom, splashing onto the Sheikah Slate like a wisp of smoke.

Regional map updated.

As it says, the blacked-out map shines on the surface and a piece of land flashes across it. The map marks the Great Plateau. She takes the Slate off when the pedestal pushes it back out and feels a presence. She turns to the shrouded castle, not seeing anything but knowing he is reaching out to her.

Zelda...remember what happened... You have been asleep for a hundred years. In that time, a horrible monster has been gaining more power. As he speaks, a large, dark cloud of smoke forms from the base of the Castle. It swirls around the towers, forming into the head of a boar-like creature. It lets out a mighty roar. This monster threatens the lives of Hyrule. You are the only one who is capable of stopping it. You must hurry, or else Hyrule will completely fall to the darkness.

Zelda subconsciously holds her stump, watching the dark vision fade. One hundred years...has it really been so long? She can't recall anything from before waking up. Not the voice, not the kingdom, and certainly not the monster who destroyed it. How is she to face a monster she has no memory of? How is she to fight it if she does not know the art of combat?

She lets her arm fall limply, shaking her head. It won't do to worry about such things now. In this moment, she has to worry about getting off of this tower.

She inches towards the edge, peeking down only for her vision to swim. A few meters below her is a platform, but that does little to ease her worries. Feeling like a fool, she turns and gets down onto her stomach, slowly crawling back until she feels her foot catch a hold. Her other foot follows suit, then she moves them both to lower herself further. Her arm holds tightly to the edge of the tower and she begins to climb down.

Then she falls, landing hard on her back. She groans, resting her forearm across her eyes. If it wasn't clear before, it is now; she is in not fit enough for this. Whatever life she had before, it didn't involve being so active. She turns her head to look at her shoulder, frowning deeply. The missing arm doesn't help, either.

After a few minutes of laying there, Zelda's eyes grow hard. Don't be such a child. Wallowing in self-pity won't get you anywhere. Now get up and try again. You can't give up after failing once.

She stands and hooks her feet and arm into the tower. Much more carefully this time, and slower, she climbs down.

Left foot. Right foot. Arm. Left foot. Right foot. Arm.

Zelda thanks whatever Gods made this tower. With the brief platforms she is able to rest and regain her energy, even if her body is already aching. She knows she'll feel even worse in the morning and isn't looking forward to it.

Once she at last makes it to solid ground, she hears a call from above. She looks up and sees the old man gliding down on an item made of wood and cloth. It is dark red in colour, with beige markings vaguely similar to a bird. He tucks it away and addresses her, still refusing to look at her face. "My, this is quite the enigma. This tower, and many like it, have just risen all across the kingdom. It seems a power has suddenly awoken in the world." He offers a ghost of a smile. "May I ask if something odd happened at the top?"

"I heard someone speaking to me."

"You did? Did you recognize it?"

"No, I didn't."

"I see. How unfortunate." He turns towards the Castle and points his lantern. "I assume you've seen the shroud plaguing the Castle. That is Calamity Ganon. One hundred years ago, that entity was the reason Hyrule fell into decay and despair. It was sudden and powerful, killing everyone and anything in its path. Many innocent lives were ended because of it. For this last century, the evil has been trapped within the walls of Hyrule Castle. Within its trap, it builds its strength so that it may unleash that destructive force once more. It appears that may happen soon if nothing is done."

The old man becomes quiet, the gaze behind his hood turning to Zelda. She looks back, but when she does the old man looks away. "Do you intend to go to the Castle?"

"Yes." She says it before thinking, but knows she must.

The old man chuckles, but it is dry and lifeless. "I thought you might say that. However, there is a problem. This plateau rises high on the hills. Attempting to climb up or down would prove fatal to anyone foolish enough to try. But, I have something that could aid you. My paraglider. However, I can't just give it to you. You must prove yourself worthy of it first. I happen to know the perfect way of doing that. Come."

He walks up the small hill to the end of the rock. Zelda follows briskly, seeing a rocky formation with bright orange runes at its base. The formation sits across two ponds, with a band of pig-creatures camping around a fire near the second pond.

"That structure began to glow when you rose the towers. It will test your wits and grant you a treasure inside. If you wish for my paraglider, you must complete it."

Zelda stares at the structure. How something so small could have something inside it confuses her, but she must get the paraglider. She must save that man in the Castle. She must save Hyrule. She doesn't know how she can do that just yet, but getting off the Plateau is the first step. So she walks down the hill and around the first pond.

When she comes to the second, she pauses and stares at a strange object half-buried in the mud. It is large, made of stone or metal, with a round body and a smaller cylinder-shaped head. Long, spindly legs lay across the dirt around it. Curious, she walks up the front of it to see a groove in the head akin to an eye. She tilts her head, humming and running her hand across the surface. She spots another one in the water, sunken up to its head.

After a few moments, she leaves the object behind, although her curiosity isn't satisfied.

She goes up the hill and walks to the structure, spotting metal boxes and boulders sitting around another pond. She also spots a chest at the bottom, but shrugs and walks up to the structure. She feels her Sheikah Slate vibrate and picks it up, looking at the pedestal beside the door of the structure. She places it face-down and the door rumbles open, the orange light turning a vibrant blue.

Inside the structure is a circular panel, which glows when she steps on it and begins to descend.

The platform lands, and she enters an enormous building under the earth. The walls rise high, with an iron gate barring any way through and a pair of metal doors lying across the floor in front of her.

Listen well, saviour. I am Oman Au, the Sheikah spirit of this Shrine. Complete this Shrine's trial and you shall be granted a reward.

Now begin the Magnesis Trial.

Zelda spots a pedestal. After she places the Slate inside it, the singing stone grants her the power of Magnesis. She looks at the image on the Slate, some sort of red-pink horseshoe. The box it is within, settled between five black boxes, glows a light blue. Underneath are instructions of how to use this 'rune', as it is called.

She looks at the metal doors. She holds the Slate towards them, feeling energy come to life as her world is filled with a stripy red hue. The doors glow bright pink and when she aims the Slate at them, a pulse of yellow-orange energy bursts from it. The yellow beam connects with the door, turning it the same colour, and a large blue horseshoe suddenly appears around the Slate and in Zelda's hand. She makes a soft noise between a grunt and a yelp when she drops the Slate, the horseshoe awkward to hold.

When she tries again, she hugs the Slate to her chest and adjusts it so the nook of her arm can hold the middle of the shoe. With this method, she is able to nudge the door away from the floor. Underneath is a hollowed hallway. She jumps down, awkwardly falling onto her knees, and walks down the short hall and up some stairs to find a wall of stone blocks. Within the wall is a lone metal block, which she moves and causes the rest to tumble down.

Just on the other side, a small version of the decayed objects outside comes to life. It's a bit shorter than she is. As she approaches it, curiosity peaked, the eye begins to glow blue and seem to absorb the air around it. When the glow turned white-blue, it releases a beam of light. The beam hits Zelda squarely in her left shoulder, making her wince as it singes her shirt and a layer of skin. It doesn't hurt too much, but without any weapons she is forced to run across a metal door to a platform.

She hears the thing charging another shot, quickly using Magnesis to lift the door up to block the beam. Then she gets an idea. She lifts the door above the thing's head and releases the energy. The door crushes it. She lifts the door back up and makes a bridge to the next platform, then spots a metal chest on a shelf. She frowns, wondering if it is within range, and is happily surprised to find it is. However, when she gets the chest she isn't sure how she is supposed to bring it closer to her.

As if hearing her thoughts, the beam begins to retract, pulling the chest along. Zelda releases it when the chest is in front of her. Eagerly, she opens it. Then her smile falls. Inside is a wooden bow. She glares at her stump, but picks the bow up anyway. She strings it across her torso. Perhaps she can sell it somewhere.

Disregarding the thought for now, she uses Magnesis on the next set of doors to slam them open. They nearly give her a heart attack when they barely miss her face, but the result is the same. Beyond the door is a square of light up two short stairs. Within the wall of light, sitting cross legged on a coffin, is a bone-thin deceased body. Its long white hair falls around it and a white eye tattoo sits on its forehead. When Zelda touches the wall of light, the voice from before speaks.

Saviour, you have arrived. I am Oman Au, creator of this trial. While you have slumbered, we, the Sheikah, have been waiting. Now that you once more walk among us, our time has come to aid you. Take this Blessing from the Goddess.

A dark purple orb, with the image of a bird within, appears from Oman Au's chest. It floats to Zelda, flowing into her chest. She feels refreshed, but something else stirs inside her.

The Goddess stands by you.

A blue light surrounds the Sheikah as they ascend. Zelda sees the same light surrounding her, then she finds herself outside the shrine. It is now night, the sky alight with stars and a nearly full moon.

"Well, you certainly did well," the old man glides down, making Zelda jump a little. "You've even collected a Spirit Orb."

"How could you know that?" Zelda's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I am gifted with clairvoyance, or something similar. As we get older, it becomes more difficult to see what stands before us. However, what was once hidden in youth can be seen clear as crystal. Although, some might say otherwise." Another dry and lifeless chuckle. "The towers and shrines appearing now, the Sheikah Slate on your hip, they are connected."

"How so?"

"It has been decades since I have seen a Sheikah Slate. Long ago, a tribe with highly advanced technology lived in these lands. They are the Sheikah. The power of their wisdom saved this kingdom many times. But their technology vanished, or so many have said. It intrigues me how something like that has survived all these years, hidden safely in a shrine. These shrines are all over Hyrule, some in plain sight and others hidden. On this plateau, there are three more. Once you have proven yourself in those, then I will give you my paraglider."

Zelda frowns. That hadn't been what the deal was, but she holds her tongue. This isn't the time to argue with the only living person on the plateau.

"So I must look for these shrines. Where can I begin to find them?"

He turns to the tower. "From atop the tower, of course."

"You cannot be serious!" the words escape Zelda before she can stop herself. "I nearly broke my neck going down that tower! How am I supposed to get back up with this!" she gestures to her stump. It is aching dully.

The old man chuckles, a bit more life within it. "You need not climb it. Pull out the Sheikah Slate and look at the map. Do you see the blue icons on it? Press those and you can travel to them. You must have them on your map before you do so, but there you should have the tower, shrine and the Shrine of Resurrection, where you woke."

When Zelda gives him yet another suspicious glare, he turns his back to her. "Or so it was told. I was never sure if such a thing could work."

You clearly know more than you're letting on, you sad old man.

With a light huff, Zelda presses the 'icon' of the tower. The blue light surrounds her and her body turns numb for a few moments before she reappears on the tower. To her great surprise, and annoyance, the old man is somehow waiting for her.

"Very good. Now then, I want you to look for the shrines. They will be easy to spot, I'm sure. Did you know your Sheikah Slate has a scope? You can use it to look at faraway places. While in the scope mode, you can make markings on the map to help guide you."

"How do you know these things?"

"I have lived in the wild for many, many years now. When you get this old, you just know these things. You may take my advice or not, it is up for you to decide."

It is absolutely not up for me to decide. I need the paraglider to leave, or else I'm stuck with this sad man for the rest of my life.

Zelda pulls out the Sheikah Slate and looks through it, selecting the scope. She pins three shrines with beams of colour; one on the ground amongst broken walls, one on a mountain cliff and the final on top of the snow-capped mountain.

When she leaves the scope, the old man is gone.

Transporting back down, Zelda begins towards the closest shrine. As she approaches, avoiding a skull cavern filled with pig-creatures, she notices more of the ruined objects. She walks up to one within the walls, it is more intact than the others, then she pales when red light comes alive within the object's body. The head atop its body shakes and rises, causing dirt and moss to fall over Zelda. The head swivels, looking at Zelda with a menacing blue eye. A thin red beam is locked onto her as the being begins to click dangerously.

Zelda sprints behind another object, hearing a loud ping and feeling a giant blast almost take her legs off. She sits and presses her back to the fully destroyed object, trying to still her rapid heartbeat. She honestly should have expected this after seeing the small one within the shrine.

But now there is a problem. She can see the top of the shrine peeking over the wall, but the wall has crumbled into rubble leaving no way to get through. Now with the living object looking for her, she'll have little time to think of a way through.

Unless she is to climb, but she already knows that won't work.

She contemplates for a few minutes, then comes to a dooming, terrifying realization. She glances at the spot the object had blasted. There is a good-sized crater, the grass still burning from the shot. Zelda closes her eyes, gulping, and stands. She peeks out, seeing the object looking away, and sprints to the next dead object. She ensures she isn't spotted before going in front of the pile of rubble.

She throws a rock at the object's head, catching its attention. She bends her knees as it begins to charge, the red beam planted squarely on her chest. There is the ping she had heard when it fired before and she dives to the side. The blast demolishes the rubble, sending chunks to bruise Zelda's back and arm as she covers her head as best she can. Once the rumbling stops, she raises her head to see the path cleared. She quickly runs through the rubble and pivots right, slamming her back into the wall as her pounding heart slows down.

I can't believe that worked, she thinks, sliding to her backside. She lets herself calm down before going into the shrine.

Welcome, saviour, to my shrine. I am Ja Baij. Complete my trial and I shall reward you.

Now begin the Bomb Trial.

After achieving the new rune, Zelda examines the bombs. One is a square and the other is a sphere. I must be careful with these. She balances the Slate on her fingers, selecting the spherical bomb, and the energy summons a bright, glowing blue bomb into her hand. The bomb is the size of her head and falls to the floor, too awkward to hold any other way.

She frowns at the bomb and kicks it down a slope, into two stone blocks with cracks. She stands and points the Slate at the bomb. It explodes in a large blue shock wave, destroying the blocks.

Now I won't have to rely on those terrifying things outside.

She goes deeper, finding two walls of stone. She summons another spherical bomb, managing to tuck it under her arm, and throws it to the wall in a corner. Inside is a chest with a giant claymore that she has no luck in getting. She leaves it behind and continues on, bombing the other wall and climbing up a ladder to a risen floor. A moving platform sits between her and the opposite wall of blocks. When the platform reaches her end, she places the square bomb on top and prepares to detonate it. Her eyes grow wide as she arrives at the other side.

Several pillars are being pushed from the ground, sending any object on them flying, as demonstrated by a round stone ball with orange runes. The pillar farthest on the right side has a funnel leading to it from a short staircase, with piled blocks of stone on the other side. Zelda rolls the spherical bomb down it, waiting for the bomb to land before detonating it. Luckily, a ladder leads up to the opposite side so she doesn't have to ride the pillar.

She approaches the Sheikah.

Your wits have helped you overcome this trial. The marking of a true saviour. Accept this, the Blessing of the Goddess.

Another orb refreshes Zelda. She bows to the Sheikah thankfully.

The Goddess stands by you.

Like previously, the Sheikah and Zelda become light. Zelda steps outside, ducking behind the wall when the object spots her. Once she knows it isn't looking, she sneaks out and away from it. Then directly into the sight of another, forcing her to sprint away.

-0-0-0-0-

When Zelda leaves the Keh Namut shrine on the mountain's peak, the old man is waiting for her at the edge of the cliff. She walks to his side as he speaks. "You have at last collected all four Spirit Orbs. That means it is time. Zelda, it is time for me to tell you everything. But not here. Meet me at the heart of Hyrule. There, you shall learn who you are."

Zelda takes a step back when transparent blue-green flames surrounds the old man. Once they cease, he is gone. Zelda looks to the heart of Hyrule, the Temple of Time. She uses the Sheikah Slate to travel to the Shrine of Resurrection, then walks to the Temple.

Around the ruined temple is a ladder, letting Zelda climb up to the top. From there, she goes across the broken roof into the lone tower at the temple's front, where the old man waits for her with his back turned to her.

"You have done well to get this far. Now, I can finally put your suspicious to rest. My true identity is King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule." There is a bright flash, then King Rhoam stands before Zelda in his true form. His sad eyes are now light blue and he wears royal robes, with a crown sitting on his head. Now the blue-green flames dance around him and he floats a few centimeters off the floor. "The Great Calamity had no mercy. It destroyed the kingdom a century past, killing hundreds. I was one of those who perished. Since then, I stayed at the Great Plateau as a spirit, but I did not think it wise to overwhelm you as soon as you woke from your slumber, so I thought it best to disguise myself. I hope you forgive me for my lies," he floats to the broken wall, gazing at the land. Zelda walks to his side, remaining silent. "Now, I think you are ready to hear what happened back then. But to understand, you must know what Calamity Ganon is."

"He was once a man born with the soul of a demon. His transformation into Malice is the horrific form you see surrounding the castle. There had been mentions of Ganon in legends and fairy tales...as well as in a prophecy foretold long ago. 'The signs of a resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear. And the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.' We followed the words of the prophecy, excavating the earth to find the power beneath. Not long after we began, we came across four relics left behind by our ancestors. These were the Divine Beasts, giant machines controlled by trustworthy warriors. Alongside them, we found the Guardians, the mechanical soldiers who's corpses you see across the plateau. These connected to ancient legends often told through generations. With these legends, we learned of a Princess who was blessed with a sacred power and her knight, who wielded a sword capable of sealing evil. Together, they sealed Ganon using the ancient relics.

"One hundred years ago, there was a Princess who was thought to inherit this sacred power. Beside her stood a skilled knight. To us all, it was clear that we had to follow in our ancestors' footsteps. We selected four warriors, skilled and brave, who would pilot the Divine Beasts. With the Princess in command, we dubbed these warriors Champions, a name to solidify their unity. The Princess, knight and Champions were on the brink of sealing Ganon away...

But it was not to be.

Ganon was cunning. He retaliated with a plan beyond our imagining. He rose from underground, seizing the Divine Beasts and the Guardians within his grasp. He turned them against us, killing the Champions and anyone inside the Castle walls.

"The appointed knight and Princess fled for their lives. But during the escape, the Princess was fatally wounded. Thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed by Calamity Ganon.

However, not all hope was lost. The knight survived, and he faced Ganon alone. With the sword that seals evil, he encased the beast and has since warred against him for the last hundred years."

"That knight was a brave young man, but his war is waning. That is why the fate of Hyrule now rests with you," King Rhoam turns to Zelda, now looking at her face, "my daughter."

Zelda is left stunned. She can only stare at the King, her father, as his sad smile returns. "You would do anything to protect your knight. It is because of you that he lived to halt Ganon in his tracks. When you fell, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection to heal. Now, one hundred years later, you have awoken. The words you have been hearing belong to Link, your knight and friend. While he has warred, Ganon has grown stronger and bides his time for when Link finally falls. Time is now short. If nothing is done to stop Ganon soon, I fear all of Hyrule will be destroyed once again, without any hope of returning to life."

"I could not save our kingdom," King Rhoam's eyes turn downcast, "but I know you have the power to revive it from the ashes. To save Link, and the kingdom, you must journey to the corners of Hyrule and put an end to the Divine Beasts' rage. To begin, you will want to travel to Kakariko Village and speak to Lady Impa. She can tell you more of what lies ahead of you." He looks out towards the east, at two mountains. "You must go beyond the Duelling Peaks and follow the path north, where you will find the village."

He turns to Zelda, gazing at her with more sadness, but also a bit of happiness and hope. "The path ahead is dangerous, especially for you. That is why I must give you this," from his robe he pulls out a leather-bound book. "Within these pages you will find magic spells to aid you. I had once thought them not important for you to learn, but I had been a fool. I had been foolish about many things regarding your training. When you had fallen, you had unleashed the power to seal Ganon. Now I'm afraid you must relearn how to do it, so you may challenge him. These spells will be the beginning to that. Now about that paraglider," he smiles, handing it to Zelda. "You can use the Sheikah Slate to store your items for when you need them. Using the paraglider is an easy task, even one-handed."

Zelda nods lightly, unable to think of anything to say. He said he had not wanted to overwhelm her, but learning she's a Princess said to have a great power is a bit much for her right now. A part of her believes King Rhoam is mistaken, but his eyes are not lying.

"Thank you," she says finally. King Rhoam smiles, the fire becoming brighter as he begins to shine.

"You are not the Princess of a forsaken kingdom. You are the saviour that will revive it. Farewell, my daughter."

When King Rhoam is gone, truly gone, Zelda stares at where he stood. After a few quiet moments, she falls to her knees.

Everyone was relying on me and I failed them. What was I supposed to do, and why couldn't I do it? How did I get so injured that I lost an arm and had to recover for a hundred years? Zelda clenches her stump. I suppose it no longer matters. Whatever I was before, whoever I was before, is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is putting an end to my failure. I will stop the Calamity. I will stop the Calamity.

Deep down, Zelda feels like this is a lie she is telling herself.

Zelda stands and climbs back down the temple. Now at last, she feels exhaustion taking its toll. She walks into the temple, seeing a tall statue of a winged woman glowing from the moonlight breaking through the roof. She sits at its base, curling up on her side.

As she falls asleep, she doesn't notice the beam of light shine down directly on her. From her chest, four Spirit Orbs rise. They vanish into the light, and in turn a new shape forms from it. A triangle, bathed in golden light, descends. When it touches Zelda, it causes her to glow faintly. Once the glow fades, a golden triangle shines on the back of her hand. The shine slowly grows dim until only the smallest trace of it is left behind.