Mipha wasn't sure which event shocked her most. The boulder suddenly plunging into the pool she was in? Possibly. The heavily injured Link floating to the surface where the rock landed? Equally likely. The enormous smile he had on his face and the delusional mutterings that told her that he did this of his own accord? Should have been, but something told Mipha that he had done more reckless things in the past. At the moment, Mipha had to focus on bringing Link shore-side to heal him. The boulder disrupted the water's surface enough that entering the pool didn't effect hurt him much, but he was absolutely covered in scrapes and bruises, as well as having a hard time breathing, presumably due to a combined cause of flying via boulder and landing underwater. As a side effect, he wasn't completely conscious. His eyes were half lidded and he groan and muttered nearly incoherently. All together, though, it was nothing life threatening since she pulled him out of the water. However, had she not been present...That was not something that she wanted to think about.
The first thing Mipha focused on was fixing Link's breathing. Healing the rest of him would no help much if he suffocated before she was finished. She checked to see if there was anything lodged in his throat, and then took whatever water had ended up in his lungs. A few coughs and sputters later, Link was conscious and breathing fine. He took a minute or two to get reacquainted with air, and then he noticed the red-finned arms keeping him steady.
"Oh, hi Mipha. Fancy meeting you here." he managed to choke out between coughs.
"Shush now, you need to rest a while so I can fix you." She spoke softly, trying to make him relax. It was apparently all the recommendation he needed, as he laid back on the ground to let the zora girl work her magic.
"Holy Hylia, what did you do? There are more bruises than I can count!"
"I fell." He responded quickly, as if he didn't want to go into details, so Mipha left it at that.
The injuries were minor, healing them all taking little over fifteen minutes. Mipha stood with her patient, helping him to his feet. When she was confident in his ability to stand, she asked how exactly Link had arrived to the little pool. The explanation was definitely what shocked her the most. When he had completed the final shrine, he decided to use stasis, one of the runes that he had acquired, to launch a boulder towards the temple of time. With him riding on the side. What was he thinking? if he fell, he could have-no, WOULD have died! A kingdom was at stake, for Goddesses' sake! She was about to relay all of this to him, but a sharp bark beat her to it. That wolf who had followed Link into the snowy area had returned.
"Yeah, you were right, it was a horrible idea, but it got me here faster than walking didn't it?"
Just when she thought she was out of dumbfounded looks to give Link.
"You can understand him?" she asked, pointing at the wolf.
"In a way. He's rather expressive for a wolf."
It was a remark that she could agree with, as the wolf looked just as cross with Link as she thought she did.
"Oh, before I forget," Link started, changing the subject, "I should tell you that I met the old man again. He was waiting for me when I finished my final trial."
This caught Mipha's interest, but she was not surprised. That fellow had a strange way of getting around the plateau, not just with his glider. It seemed that he was everywhere that he needed to be at once, and even where he wasn't needed. She could never remember to ask while he was around, whenever the topic returned to her, the man to ask had left.
"He said to meet him once more in the temple of time, he said he would explain everything, and then he...I'm not sure my words can even describe it. He just...vanished."
That caught her off guard. "Vanished? How do you mean?"
"Right before my eyes, he just faded away. Like the monks at the end of the trials."
This was concerning. He was suspicious before, but now...
Just who was this old man? From the sound of it, if they returned to the temple of time, they would find out.
The first thing that caught Link's attention was that the pots had returned. The second thing was what stopped him from wasting a few arrows on them. The statue of Hylia, the only thing left intact inside of the temple, was glowing. A strange, mosaic light poured out of it, surrounding the goddess' likeness in a fitting heavenly shine. It was stunning, beautiful even. It was certainly not there before.
He walked towards it, as if by a force pulling on him. Memories that weren't there told him that he could trust her.
Her? But this was just a statue of Hylia, not the genuine article.
Nevertheless, he continued. He walked forward until he was directly at the foot of the sculpture. By instinct alone, he began to pray. He knew not what he was saying, nor for what reason the prayer was sent, but against his expectation, he received an answer.
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 those four, I will amplify your being. So tell me what it is that you desire: Vigor, or Vitality?
He considered the choice. Would he rather run farther? Or have the freedom to make more mistakes in a battle? Either of his options were tempting. He thought still. He could climb higher if he increased his stamina, but a stiff pain in his shoulder finalized his choice.
At his word, a glittering red object drifted down from above, a heart container, as his instincts called it. It was that same feeling, experiences that were not his own. The appearance was ever changing, but the function was constant. He took it into his hands, and the heart shaped object disappeared as his body grew stronger. It was a small difference, but he felt it there. Little by little, this could help him become the warrior that he was needed to be.
Go, and bring peace to Hyrule...
The Goddess fell as silent as before, unfeeling and motionless, the way one would expect a statue to be. Once again, the Temple of Time was left without life.
The silence, however, did not last. A yell from above was caught by the ears of the two inhabitants. The old man, always a step ahead, was up on the roof.
"The blessing of the Goddess has made you that much more resilient, I see..."
He started simply, despite the flaming wisps dancing by his legs.
"Here I am..." he shouted, "Get up here-quickly!"
There was an urgency in his voice, a characteristic that was previously unseen in the laid back elder. It caught Link off guard, while Mipha seemed more shocked by His appearance.
The moon was high in the sky when the two reached the roof. Despite the state of the temple, there was a remarkably intact ladder. The old man was standing in the highest room of the building: the top of the central tower. Those blue flames danced and darted around his person, the man himself not even noticing their presence. His eyes stayed focused on the odd duo walking towards him.
He laughed as they entered. The hearty noise echoed through the small chamber.
"Well done there, young ones!" His congratulations were well deserved, if slightly overdue, but they were shortly lived. His tone of voice turned serious with his next words.
"Now then... The time has come to show you who I truly am. I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was...The last leader of Hyrule. A kingdom which no longer exists."
Link had no time to react. The blue flames surrounding him grew in size and intensity, his body no longer visible in the sudden flare. Link turned his eyes, shielding himself with his hand. When the light faded, the patchwork hermit of the Great Plateau was gone. In his place stood a figure clad in robes befitting of the title he admitted to. Blue, gold and white cloth covered his body, a golden crown sitting atop his head. His eyes held the most commanding gaze that they could have possibly held, a look none would expect from a grizzled elder who spent his days in a poor example of a cabin. Link knew the old man was not telling his entire story, but this...
Surprised would not even begin to describe how he felt. Shocked, astonished, confused, no one word could be used. However, his highness left no moment for questions.
"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."
The mention of the calamity brought rage to Link's mind. One century ago was when he had supposedly began his sleep in the shrine. The fact that he had been tasked with fighting it now was to convient to be coincidental.
"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. But I think you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago."
Link braced himself for the king's story. He still had questions, but now was not the time. He glanced at Mipha, the sleek-bodied woman standing resolute to his explanation. She was no doubt sharing in Link's shock, but now was not the time.
The King told the story of Hyrule, and its history as he was now a part of it. He told of the repeated threat of an evil beast be the name of Ganon, a dark beast bent on the kingdom's annihilation. A prophecy foretold the calamity that befell the land, a legend that spoke of their salvation lying deep underground. They searched and found what the prophecy spoke of: enormous contraptions to be piloted by champions, addressed from then on as the four Devine Beasts. Along with those, armies of unfeeling, autonomous soldiers called guardians were revived to fight against the dark entity. Four champions from among the tribes of Hyrule were united, standing under the command of the princess, blessed by the Golden Three with the powers of light. By her side, her appointed knight, a Hylian warrior chosen by the sword that sealed the darkness. They were strong, Ganon appeared to have no chance of victory, but then, something that no one could have expected befell the land. Through some means, Ganon had taken control of the four Devine Beasts, their champions loosing their lives. The guardians were repurposed by the beast, bent under the will of the very thing they were designed to destroy. In a valiant stand to defend the princess, the knight was gravely injured. Hope seemed lost as the castle town was reduced to little but ash. However, the princess had survived the attack, and moved to fight Ganon alone. There the two stayed, even today, they continue to fight.
His story finished, King Rhoam turned to his listeners.
"That princess was my own daughter. My dear Zelda. The courageous knight who protected her until his own end... was none other than you, Link. You were rushed to the shrine of resurrection. Here you now stand revitalized, 100 years later. However, that leads me to the single thing that has confused me since you awakened."
He raised his hand, pointing to Mipha.
"You are Lady Mipha, chosen champion of the Zora tribe. Pilot of one of the Devine Beasts."
Mipha gasped. "But... but you said that all the champions had been slain!"
The King nodded. "Indeed I did. In fact, it was the very last update I had received for the situation before a mutinous guardian had breached the throne room. Your remains had all been discarded by whomever stole control from you. All wounds were beyond fatal, you had all died long before you were found. I know not how you can to the shrine, nor how it raised the dead."
Mipha appeared devastated. Her eyes were filled with confusion. The news was concerning to Link as well. The original plan had apparently been for him to face the beast alone. Except, without Mipha, he would have never lived long enough to even leave the plateau. Time and again she had saved him with her skills, the burden lessened by a companion. They had already died fighting the calamity, but now they were the only chance left.
The room fell silent, heavy questions with none who could answer them. Which made it all the more startling when a small tune began emanating from Mipha's pouch. It was her own sheikah slate, an object that gained a surprised reaction from the king. "Receiving call" the slate read, a button appearing on the screen. With much hesitation, Mipha pressed it, and a voice filled the silent air.
"Hello. I suppose this would be the first time you have heard my voice."
In a word, the voice was deep. Its sound boomed out as the voice spoke, clearly masculin. However, Link thought it familiar. He had heard it before, recently, but when?
"Well then, I should properly introduce myself. You might know me as the behemoth with no eyes."
The reveal hit Link suddenly, unable to stop a question from shooting out. "The person that's been leaving us messages this whole time?"
King Rhoam was shocked when Link said this. It seems that Mipha was not the only thing that was unknown to him.
"The very same. Terribly sorry I made you wait this long, but I assume his highness has already filled you in on the details of your past."
"What of it?" the king asked.
"I figured that none of you would know how Mipha had appeared in the shrine, so I thought I'd go ahead and tell you once they were all up to speed. Well, the simple answer is that I brought her there."
This new information brought more questions than it had answered. The source of all the unforeseen occurrences had been this man. He was an unknown variable, there was no other way to describe it. It infuriated Link.
"What could you possibly have to gain from this?" he asked sternly.
"I don't intend to gain anything. As I've said, I'm your benefactor."
"That isn't an answer."
The voice sighed. "I don't expect you to understand quite yet, but you have my word that I am on your side. Think about it: Now you have someone to talk to. A partner through the worst of battles you may face. I assure you that I am here to help."
His logic was sound. Link could find no argument to counter with.
"With that, I'm afraid I must bid you adieu. There is much that you still must do. I leave that explanation to you, your highness."
The voice ended, the mini slate returning to a blank image. Silence once again filled the room.
King Rhoam was the first to break it. "This is...concerning. I knew not of this no-eyed behemoth. However, I believe his words that he means to help. Also, his words are true that there is still much to be said. Princess Zelda has been restraining Ganon for the past hundred years. Her powers 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, nor stay in control of the plan to save it, I have no right to ask this of you two..."
The king's face contorted with frustration.
"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 the guardians that swarm around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point. I suggest...that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness."
He turned to a large hole in the wall of the room, pointing to a mountain that was relatively close to the plateau.
"Follow the road out to Kakariko Village. There you will find the elder, Impa. She will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult your map for its precise location. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks. From there, follow the road as it proceeds north..."
Up until this point, their quest had been vague. They had acquired an idea on what it was they had to do, but this was the first time it had been explicitly stated. On the surface, it seemed simple enough, but it would be far from easy.
A look of realization suddenly dawned on the King's face.
"It just now occurred to me...I only have one paraglider."
It was unfortunate news indeed. The information stabbed Link as if it were a pike. It was unlikely that it would be able to support two people. He and Mipha wouldn't be able to leave together. At least, that is what he thought. Mipha morsel of luck that she was happy to share. She had been told in a message from their so-called benefactor that spoke of the mini-slate's ability to use the sheikah slate's location as a travel gate. As soon as Link landed, she would arrive straight away.
The King sighed in relief. "That is reassuring. Now you both should be able to safely descend the plateau. And...I believe that is it. I've told you everything I can..."
The flaming wisps that surrounded the king began to envelop him. His task was complete, he had no reason to remain in this realm. His form began to disappear, his voice leaving a final message for the champions.
"Link...Mipha...You must save... Hyrule."
The King has left this world. The room fell silent once again.
Author's note:
I had a bit more planned for this chapter, but it was getting kind of long. Well, that just gives me more to work with for the next one.
Anyway, this is Sobakiin, signing off.
Don't take life too seriously.