Impa, Purah, and I left for the Great Plateau in the early afternoon. A group of five guards went with us, trailing behind the three of us several paces, but alert and fully armed. Yet the three of us didn't pay them much attention. We were too focused on getting to the Great Plateau and theorizing what awaited us. I had some idea, but I hadn't expressed what I had seen to Impa and Purah... mainly because I had no idea what it was that I had seen.

We arrived at the base of the Great Plateau before noon, the giant, impending walls stretching up high above us. The Fortress around this ancient place was impregnable. There was a stable at the entrance, only for military personnel as only knights were the only ones allowed into the Great Plateau. We left our horses at the stable and then began the horrendous climb up countless stairs. The stairs wound their way through the brick fortress, weaving back and forth until they finally spit us out at the top of the Great Plateau. Impa and I put our hands to our knees, trying to catch our breath, while Purah sat down on a rock, clearly winded.

"And... Now... What?" Impa gasped.

I looked out, the fortress in front of us: stone buildings and encampments were scattered about, along with training areas. Beyond the encampment was a forest and further away were mountains. I recalled from the dream being in a forest... walking until I had hit a rock wall - the base of the mountains. And as I had walked along the base, I had seen a temple in the distance.

"We need to go to the Temple of Time." I said, my breathing now even.

"The Temple of Time?" Impa repeated. "That place is sacred."

"We won't be going in it." I informed. "We just need to head towards it. From there we should find what we're searching for."

Impa and I glanced at Purah. "You ready?" Impa asked her sister, who due to spending most of her time researching, wasn't as in shape as Impa or me.

Purah brushed us off, "Just catching my breath, but I should be fine. It's not like we have to climb any more stairs."

With that the three of us set off, our group of guards obediently following us. As none of us had been to the Great Plateau before, we had to briefly stop and ask directions. On of the knights ended up escorting us the outskirts of the encampment, the Temple of Time in view. We thanked her and were swiftly on our way.

As we neared the Temple, I veered away from it, Westward towards the forest. Similar to my dream, there was a steady incline that lead up the cliff. My calves burned as I trekked up it, already exhausted from climbing so many stairs. Impa and Purah complained behind me, yet we commenced.

Finally we reached the top, once again stopping to shake our legs out and catch our breath. "What you're looking for... better be up here." Purah gasped.

"It should be." I wheezed, swiveling my head so it was looking at the cliff behind us. Bushes and trees obscured my vision, so I took several steps closer, my eyes attentive.

"At least it's a nice view!" I heard Impa state, both her and her sister were enjoying the standing near the edge of the cliff, taking in Hyrule's beauty. Whereas I was intently scouring the surface of the rock wall behind us. Walking along the cliff, I finally spotted it: a dark opening in the cliffside.

"I found it." I said flatly, barely loud enough for Impa and Purah to hear.

"Huh?" They both chimed in response.

Shuffling sounded behind me and Impa appeared besides me. Purah soon followed. "It's a hole." Impa said unimpressed.

I scowled. "It's a cave."

Impa rolled her eyes. I moved closer to it, but stopped as Impa's hand ensnared my wrist. "You're not going in it, are you?" She asked, her eyes worried.

"What I'm searching for is inside." I replied,

"We made it this far." Purah said, "Let's continue. I didn't climb those stairs for nothing."

Impa nodded begrudgingly and released me. I continued towards the maw of the cave and slipped inside, the darkness and chill within instantly claiming me. The sun's rays provided some light, however as Purah, Impa, and I rounded a corner, the light disappeared. Expecting this, I grabbed the Sheikah Slate from my belt and flicked it on, the light from it illuminating our surroundings.

Just like my dream, the tunnel quickly expanded, which was empty. But at the far end, was another opening... which was where the mysterious room awaited.

Picking up my pace, I practically ran to the end of the tunnel, stopping right before the entrance. "It's in here." I said, more to myself than Purah and Impa, who had caught up to me. Then I stepped inside the cavern, the ceiling tall and room wide. It was just as I seen it in my dream, although there was no blue glow. But at the center of the room were several pods and above them was a strange looking dome.

I heard Impa and Purah gasp behind me. I walked forward, stopping once I reached the pods, and looked down at them to see a strange fluid in them. I reached a hand out, but stopped before I touched the unknown liquid, thinking better of it.

"Fascinating." I heard Purah breath behind me. I looked over at the sisters. Impa was gazing around, intrigued, but hesitant. While Purah had the obsessive research look in her eyes.

"What is this place?" Impa asked, catching my eye.

I shook my head, "I am unsure. I don't even know why it's important."

"You needn't fret!" Purah exclaimed. "That is where I come in!" She whipped out a satchel and took out several small glass sample tubes. Quickly she began to fill each with samples from around the room: from the walls, the floor, and the strange liquid in the pods.

As Purah did this, Impa called me over to her. "Look." Impa said, pointing down to a pillar a little above waist height. There was a rectangular depression in the center... Around the size of...

Both Impa and I looked down at the Sheikah Slate in my hands. Carefully I placed the slate into the crevice. It fit perfectly and as soon as it snapped into place the screen lit up, strange symbols appearing on it. The screen went blank suddenly, but only for a few seconds. Then the screen came to life again. There were several icons on it: Resources, Preparation, Slumber, Resurrection.

"Are you guys seeing this?" Purah shouted with glee from behind us. Impa and I turned to look, startled to see the designs on the dome above the pods was glowing blue. Clearly the Slate could control whatever it was. Quickly I tapped the Resources icon on the screen.

Greedily my eyes read over the information, growing wide as I began to comprehend exactly what this contraption behind me could do. In that time, Purah joined us, peering at the screen along with me, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head from the possibilities. Once done, we stared at each other, too stunned to even speak.

"Well?" Impa asked, who had hung back while we read. "What's it do?"

I swallowed, "Well, if I'm interpreting everything correctly..." I began, "It is... to put it in the words of the Slate, it is a resurrection chamber."

Impa stared at me for a moment, her mouth agape. "You mean we can resurrect the dead."

"Not quite." I stated, recalling what I had read. "It's more to bring those who are near death back. It apparently can heal almost any injury."

Impa looked back at the pods, impressed. "If only there were more of them."

"Ah, but perhaps we could make more." Purah stated, her fingers wiggling chaotically. "If we can understand how they built this, the process in act... then perhaps we could build more."

"That would indeed be amazing." I said, "But I don't think that will be easy to discover. Especially since there are only three pods. Hylia told me this place was important. I don't think we can afford to deconstruct it in the pursuit of research and development."

"It will take time." Purah mused, "But there are three of them. Perhaps one could be used for research. Besides if we are to use them, we need to understand how it works."

I nodded, "Yes, you are right." I met Purah's gaze, "Are you able to focus on unveiling this place's secrets? I know the guardians have been your main priority."

Impa gave a dismissive wave of her hand, "Eh, Robbie's got that under control. Most major issues we've figured out. Just some kinks to fix. But this," Purah motioned to the pods, "This is something that needs to be worked out. Even the Goddess thinks so."

"If you could look into it then, I'd appreciate it, Purah." I pointed to the Slate. "It's yours to use while you figure this machine out."

Purah grinned, "I will assemble a research team as soon as we get back!" She turned back to the Slate, inspecting the other icons and seeing what information she could glean. Deciding it best to leave her to it, I walked over to Impa.

"Sometimes I wonder why such technologies were lost." Impa said, her eyes fixed on the pods.

"Probably due to an inability to understand." I replied solemnly. Impa arched her eyebrow in question, prompting me to continue. "Technology can bring vast wonders, but to outsiders, it can be terrifying. Those who fail to try and understand such advancements will grow fearful. And what people fear, they destroy."

Impa grimaced, "It's a shame."

"Yeah it is." I agreed, "I fear my own ancestors were apart of why this technology was lost. They shunned and ridiculed the Sheikah for their technological prowess. Thus the technology was lost. I can only wonder what our world would be like if things had been different."

Impa placed a hand on my shoulder, "No use in wondering. It happened. All we can do is learn from the past. The technology is still here, so we can bring it back."

I nodded, "I hope so." But a part of me also wondered just how bad things had to get in order for us to use this equipment. Surely it would have to be bad... someone would have to be on the brink of death... perhaps more than just one person. And if that happened, would I be in a situation where I would have to choose who to save?

Purah suddenly appeared by my side, snapping me from my thoughts. "Well, I think I've found out all I can from reading the Slate. Now to test these." Purah held up her satchel of samples, "And then come back here to run some experiments."

Impa looked thoughtful, "Do you think it still works even?"

Purah snorted, "Why would Hylia bring Zelda here if it didn't work. We just have to figure out how it works."

Impa gave a chuckle, "Yeah, that's a fair point."

"Now then, you two better hurry. We haven't a moment to lose." Purah said, now completely focused on her new research project.

Impa and I followed her. "I know you're in a hurry." I said to Purah, who was walking ahead of me, "But before we leave, we should see if we can set up a research camp for you and your team. That way you don't have to travel here everyday."

Purah snapped her finger, "Great idea!"

"I'll talk to the Captain in charge." I replied, knowing I shouldn't have any issue. The military base at the Great Plateau was so big and vast, there was definitely free space. It was designed after all to house those who lived throughout Hyrule in case of an emergency... such as a great invasion that drove everyone from their home.

I frowned. Thinking about that now and what was unfolding throughout the land... it didn't seem that unrealistic.

We exited the cave, the sun's light bright and blinding after being in the cave. I brought a hand up to shade my eyes. Next to me Impa asked, "Where are the guards?"

Squinting my eyes I looked around. They had followed us up the cliff and were preoccupied with the view while the three of us had disappeared into the cave. "Perhaps they thought we went back down?" I offered.

"Some guards." Purah chuckled, "They let three girls just wander away."

"They probably didn't anticipate us disappearing into a cave." I stated.

"They probably thought we came up here for a picnic and to enjoy the view." Impa added, "And then all of a sudden, we were gone!" She snapped her fingers.

"Best we find them." I said. "I don't think they would have gotten to far ahead of us."

The three of us began our trek down the slope, keeping an eye out for the guards. The Temple of Time loomed in the near distance, the ancient building still standing strong. I had read about the Temple of Time in my studies. It was the first temple ever constructed dedicated to the Goddess, Hylia. It was millenniums old, yet the architecture was still a sight to behold. And the Goddess Statue inside was the original statue. All others were made in likeness of that one... perhaps I should try praying there.

Before I could give it much thought however, my body collided with Impa, who had been walking in front of me, but had suddenly come to a stop. "Impa!" I exclaimed, startled.

Yet Impa remained quiet, her eyes alert. The serious look in her eyes made me stand straight, my hands instinctively grabbing my bow. "Do you hear that?" Impa breathed faintly.

I pricked my ears, trying to listen carefully. Next to us, Purah stood still, watching us, but not saying anything. She knew to be wary when Impa got serious. Straining my ears, I finally heard cries in the distance, along with the clang of metal ringing out.

"A battle?" I whispered in surprise, not sure I believed it. It was normal for the guards to practice fighting skills, but there was something off. Some of the shouts and screams didn't sound like they came from any clan member... they were more feral, like that of a monster.

"We're under attack." Impa stated, confirming my assessment. Her eyes turned to Purah, "You should stay close to us, but once we reach the fray, stay back."

Purah nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice."

"Actually," I quickly cut in before Impa raced off, "We don't know how many enemies we are dealing with. If we are outnumbered, Purah, you should go back to the main barracks and get backup."

Purah nodded. "Understood."

With that, Impa and I shared a look and then raced off. We had trained besides each other for years, thus we knew the other's movements and how they operated in battle. We were a synced team, able to communicate without even talking most of the time. Impa and I ran down the rest of the slope, Purah behind us, running much slower, but still keeping up enough that she didn't lose us.

Patches of forest began to appear as we made our way further down the cliff, turning northwards when we neared the base of it. As we did so, I spotted a group of guards not far off, all locked in battle. My blood ran cold as I laid eyes on our enemies. This was the most monsters I had seen at one time in my entire life. What was even more shocking was that these monsters were on the Great Plateau. The only way to get up here was through the gate... which was heavily guarded. Did that mean these monsters were already here, hiding away for centuries until the opportune time to strike?

I gulped and stopped running. I turned back to look at Purah, who nodded at me in understanding. She quickly changed direction, running towards the entrance. I hoped she wouldn't take long. There were five guards, along with Impa and I against a horde of monsters, mainly bokoblins, but several moblins and there was a wizzrobe dancing about too, elusive and only striking when one of the guards was distracted.

As Impa continued to run into the fray, grabbing her wakizashi, I loaded an arrow in my bow, taking aim at the black moblin who was swinging a club over his head. I released the arrow just as Impa lunged at a blue bokoblin on the edge of the battlefield. True to its aim, the arrow dug itself into the moblin's eye socket, making the creature shriek in pain. The large club tumbled from it's hand and fell onto an unsuspecting red bokoblin.

I sprinted closer to the battle, finding a hiding place behind a tree and some undergrowth. I crouched down on one knee, ready to snipe down any unsuspecting opponents. My eyes drifted to Impa, who was locked in battle with two bokoblins and a third charging towards her. I quickly took aim, killing one of them with a well aimed arrow to the skull. Most of the monsters appeared to be the weaker versions, red and blue, with only a few higher level black moblins and bokoblins. Those would be a pain to deal with as their only weak points that I could aim at were their eye sockets and the back of their knees. Their hide was too tough otherwise for normal arrows to pierce. My elemental arrows would prove more useful on them, however I only had a few, and it would be most beneficial to save them for the wizzrobe, which I hadn't gotten a good look at yet.

Notching more arrows, I took aim at the bokoblins, picking off enemies as I saw openings. I tried to help Impa and the guards, thinning the enemies that surrounded them so they weren't overwhelmed. Impa hardly needed my help, easily taking care of the enemies that approached her, but she stayed on the outskirts of the fray, thus only had to deal with a few monsters at a time. The guards on the other hand were surrounded - one of them was already badly injured, the others forming a tight circle around him as the monsters advanced.

I aimed another arrow as a different black moblin appeared, a long broadsword in its hands. The dark moblin brought the sword upwards, ready to crash it down on one of the guards. I waited to release the shot, looking for the right opening. As soon as the broadsword swung down, I saw my chance and fired. The guard's sword and moblin's weapon crashed together. A few seconds later my arrow hit the moblin, lodging itself in the thick hide near the eye socket.

I frowned. My calculations had been slightly off and I missed. Before I could try again, a brute cry sounded close by and I turned to see the black moblin I had half- blinded racing towards me, several bokoblins following behind.

It appeared my hiding spot had been found. I raced out from underneath the brush and ran west, towards the forest. I was hoping the woods would provide enough cover that I would lose my pursuers and then loop around to attack from the opposite side. However the monsters kept chasing me. I was able to put some distance between us as the foliage of the woods slowed them down, however they were persistent.

As I ran, I spotted a large tree and an idea rapidly formed in my mind. I raced towards the tree and then ran behind it, jumping up to grab the lowest branch. I hoisted myself up, and then began to climb higher until I was nested at the center of the tree. The dense leaves of the tree blocked my view, however I was still able to spy on the beasts below me. The moblin, who was leading the monsters, charged on ahead, while the bokoblins trickled along behind.

Grabbing an arrow, I fired one, which pierced deep between the ribs of one bokoblin. It fell silently to the ground. However its partner noticed and stopped, giving a startled exclamation. I quickly dispatched that bokoblin too before he drew any more attention.

Yet it's initial noise of surprise was enough to alert the others, and the moblin quickly doubled back, scanning the area with its one good eye. Blood dribbled from the swollen eye socket, the head and part of the shaft of my arrow still wedged in its eye.

Knowing this was my chance, I took careful aim, licking my lips as I focused. Then as the moblin turned his head upwards, I fired, the arrow sinking deep into the creature's other eye. The beast dropped its giant club once again and clutched at its eyes as it howled in pain. The three remaining bokoblins around it let out angry cries, waving their weapons in the air in hopes to scare the enemy.

While they were distracted, I climbed down the tree on the opposite side. Quickly I ran into the woods, crouching low so as not to be detected. Once I had put enough distance between us, I grabbed a bomb arrow, one of the few I had with me. I hadn't brought many elemental arrows as I expected this to be a fairly uneventful and safe trip. I had been incorrect.

I released the bomb arrow, a large explosion sounding seconds later as it engulfed the monsters behind me. I waited for the smoke to clear, and sighed in relief when I saw all the monsters lying limply on the ground. Some of the undergrowth had caught fire, but it quickly fizzled out. With that taken care of I ran back to the others, hoping they were still ok.

When I returned, I found Impa locked in battle with the other black moblin, while the two of the guards were hacking through the ranks of bokoblins, another was protecting the injured guard, and the final guard was preoccupied with the wizzrobe, which had finally decided to face us head on instead of sneak attacks.

I ran in Impa's direction, sliding to a halt as I came to face the back of the moblin. I took aim, my arrow dead on target this time. The moblin's right knee buckled as my arrow tore through the back of the knee, and it dug its large sword into the ground, to help it stay upright. Impa quickly took advantage of this, striking out with her wakizashi. The short sword dug into the moblin's chest, blood spurting from it in a stream.

However the moblin wasn't done, and with a gurgled cry, it swung out at Impa with its free hand. Impa reacted just in time, diving backwards, leaving her wakizashi behind in the moblin's flesh. However the moblin's long arms were still able to reach her despite her fast reflexes. The moblin's fist collided with Impa's face and Impa stumbled backwards.

Raged flared up inside me as I watched Impa land on the ground. Grabbing another arrow, I aimed at the other knee, my arrow digging into the soft tissue behind the kneecap. The moblin's other leg collapsed, and the only thing keeping it upright was it's grip on its sword, which was still lodged in the earth. I ran around to the front of the moblin, arrow already notched. The moblin's eyes found me instantly, filled with hatred.

I released my arrow, taking out one of its hate-filled eyes. The moblin screamed in pain. Before it had finished howling, another arrow left my bow, sinking into the other eye socket. A hand went to its face, snapping off the ends of my arrows. As the moblin did this, I darted in close, wrapping my hands around the wakizashi's leather blade and then yanked it out from the beast's ribcage. The monster howled as more blood gushed from the wound. I stabbed at the moblin with the short sword, digging the wakizashi in as far as it would go. The moblin swatted at me with one of its long arms, but I ducked down low as it flailed blindly with one arm.

I reached up again and tore the blade from the moblin's chest and dug it in again. The beast screamed. I pulled the blade from the moblin and retreated as I saw its frame begin to tetter. The moblin fell to the ground, wheezing as it spit up blood. I ran to Impa, who was lifting herself up off the ground. A bruise was already forming on her cheek.

"What happened?" Impa asked as she rubbed her head, still stunned.

"I think the moblin knocked you out." I said, holding her head between my hands so I could inspect her. Her eyes looked dazed still, and the cheek that was bruised was starting to swell as well. "You should be fine." I said. "The moblin is dead. But we aren't out of the woods yet." My eyes flickered to the wizzrobe in the distance. The guard who was fighting it was lying on the ground, unmoving. Now the wizzrobe was spurting out wisps of fire from a red rod it held as it danced in the air.

Impa followed my line of sight, groaning as she saw the wizzrobe. "Lovely. Not only a monster, but a pyromaniac too."

"I have a plan." I stated calmly.

"Well there's something." Impa grinned. "What's it going to be?"

I glanced at Impa, relieved to know how much she trusted me and my plans in situations like this. "I need you to be decoy."

"Is that all?" Impa huffed, but there was a smirk on her face.

"Just keep it occupied." I replied and Impa nodded, serious now. I handed her back her short sword and she wiped off the dark moblin blood. Then the two of us were on the move. Impa ran straight for the fire wizzrobe, waving her hands to try and catch its attention.

The other two guards were still fighting off moblins, but it looked like they were making headway as the majority were either dead or had fled. The other two guards had disappeared, likely the one had carried the injured guard to a safe location.

I turned back to the wizzrobe, watching as Impa dodged balls of fire, some a little too close for comfort. Swiftly I acted, running around the wizzrobe and Impa so I was perpendicular to the wizzrobe. I reached in my quiver, pulling out an ice arrow. I only had a few of these, so I hoped this plan would work.

Wizzrobes were very elusive monsters. And hard to kill. Their ability to fly and dissappear made them impossible to catch in battle and if you did happen to land a blow, it didn't do much. It seemed wizzrobes had a natural immunity to blunt damage. And their magical wands were a nuisance too. However I was hoping to use their natural affinity for one element against them. Perhaps by using a different element against them would prove a weakness.

Although it would make more sense to use water against fire, ice was all I had, so it would have to do. I took careful aim, and as the wizzrobe raised its wand to fire another attack at Impa, I released my arrow. The arrow hit the wizzrobe in the skull, bursting into a cloud of ice. The wizzrobe instantly fell from the sky, landing with a dull thud. I stared at it for a minute, wondering if it was truly dead... usually it took more than one shot to slay a wizzrobe.

Cautiously, Impa walked over to it, yet still the collapsed monster did not move. Impa nudged it with her foot, but the creature laid there limpy. It was dead. Impa looked over at me and gave me a smug grin. Then she bent over to pick up the fire rod the wizzrobe had used against her.

"This could be fun." Impa stated as I walked over to her, frowning as she gave a mischievous grin.

"You better not burn anything down." I said. I looked over at the other two guards, who had fought off the bokoblins and were helping the fallen guard, who was still alive, his shallow breathing confirming that. But his face was badly burned, and there may have been other injuries not visible. I began to alter my course to help the guard, my mind already trying to think of remedies to help burns.

However those thoughts quickly vanished and I froze in place as I heard jingling and a high pitch cry, almost like a cackle. I turned back to look at the fire wizzrobe, but it was still lying where it had fallen, unmoving. Suddenly a figure materialized behind Impa and I felt my feet move of their own accord. "Impa!" I shouted as another wizzrobe lifted a wand high above its head, sparks of lightning zigzagging towards Impa.

Impa hardly had time to react. She turned in surprise; the attack and I reached her at the same time. I collided with Impa, pushing her out of the direct line of fire, however the attack still hit her, but in the shoulder rather than the chest, where it would have most likely been fatal. Impa collapsed, her body spasming as electricity ran through it. I held onto her, the smell of burnt flesh coming from her injury. Impa hissed in pain and I swallowed in alarm as I saw her wound. The clothing around it had been burnt away and singed. The skin itself was charred and blood leaked out.

I took this all in, in seconds, knowing I didn't have much time before the wizzrobe struck again. With Impa immobilized and injured, she was an easy target. I had to draw the attention off of her. I set her down gingerly and drew an arrow to my bow. Running away from Impa, I fired at the wizzrobe, catching its attention. It cried out joyfully as it spotted me, disappearing in mid air before my arrow hit it. I stopped, looking around, trying to spot where it was going. Although they could camouflage themselves completely with their surroundings as they traveled through the air, they left a trail behind. It was hard to see, but it was there.

Straining my eyes, I found the trail, each footstep briefly visible, creating almost a ripple-like effect in the air. I grabbed a fire arrow, not sure what would be the best arrow to combat an electric wizzrobe, but fire seemed like a decent place to start. Pulling the string back, I waited for the monster to reappear so I could get a clean shot.

Suddenly the wizzrobe appeared, a few paces away from me, still dancing joyously in the air. It waved its rod around, readying an attack. Before it could fire, I let my arrow fly, the arrow tearing through the air until it sank into the wizzrobe's body with a burst of flame. The flames quickly fizzled out and the wizzrobe let out a startled cry and quickly disappeared.

I watched as it's footstep circled around me and I readied another arrow, notching an ice arrow this time. As it materialized again, its wand was already high above its head. I let my arrow go on sight, the monster slashing down the electric rod as my arrow collided with its face, shattering into a bunch of ice shards. As this occurred, I dove to the ground, barely evading the electric attack as the streaks of lightning scorched the ground where I had been standing. I felt the hair on my arms and legs stand on end.

Biting my lip, I looked up at the wizzrobe, seeing the monster dancing about frantically, stunned and injured. Seeing my chance, I stammered to my feet and notched another ice arrow, my last one. True to it's aim, the arrow collided with the wizzrobes back, a spray of ice following. I followed with another arrow before the monster could react, a fire arrow alighting the wizzrobe in flames. The creature cried out in pain and then fell to the ground, hard. It wheezed and I quickly fired another arrow to finish it. The wizzrobe fell still, its hand outstretched, still holding the rod.

Turning away from the monster, I looked back at Impa, who was on her feet now, her arm hanging limply. Suddenly her eyes widened in surprise and in seconds she was on me, slamming into me so hard, I dropped my bow. I landed with a thud, the breath driven from my lungs. My arrows from my quiver scattered out behind me, and I felt Impa's weight on my chest like a brick, preventing me from breathing in.

Impa looked down at me, concerned in her eyes, but seeing that I was ok, besides having the air knocked out of me, she rolled off me and hissed in pain. Begrudgingly I lifted myself up, my starved lungs trying to gasp for air. It felt like minutes, but in reality only seconds before my body figured out how to breathe air in again. I took a ragged gasp as my lungs greedily consumed the substance.

My eyes fell on the smoking ground beside us, and then flickered to the wizzrobe, who must have fired one final attack before it died. Impa thankfully had saved me from its last blow. I looked back at her, my eyes focusing on her shoulder.

"Let me look at that." I said, crawling over to her.

"Your bow." Impa said, her eyes fixed on something ahead of her. I looked where she was staring to see the ground still smoldering. But now I saw something else, something I had missed moments before. There lying in the singed grass and dirt was my bow, burnt and broken.

I let out a shocked gasp. The bow that Master Falnore handcrafted especially for me was now ruined... the bow that I had with me for years. I felt as if a broken part of me was lying before me, and I didn't know how to react.

I turned away, swallowing. "We need to focus on your injury." I told Impa, knowing patching her up was far more important. Still, I could not help but feel sorrow. "I didn't bring any healing ointment with me." I replied. "But if we make it back to the main part of the fortress hopefully they will have something." Although I doubted they would have much beyond proper bandages and maybe some alcohol for disinfecting.

"Princess!" One of the guards called over to me. The guard made his way over to Impa and I, the other guard behind him with the injured man being carried on his back.

"How is he?" I asked, my eyes on the injured guard.

"Burned pretty bad. His wounds will need to be cleaned and bandaged." The other guard informed me.

"Right. We need to get back to the encampment." I frowned. Surely reinforcements were on their way. Purah must have reached them by now... unless she had run into more enemies. "We should hurry there." I said urgently. "Can you carry Impa?" I asked the guard, knowing we would make better time if he carried her over me.

"Of course." The guard quickly slid his arms underneath Impa's kneecaps and back, holding her gingerly against his chest. Impa didn't seem to mind much. I arched an eyebrow at her, but she merely shrugged.

As we took a step towards the fortress, footsteps sounded. All of us froze, afraid it was more monsters. But seconds later, Purah and a decent sized group of Hylian soldiers appeared. Seeing her sister being carried, she immediately ran over to her. I walked over to the soldiers and relayed to them what happened.

The leader of the small platoon sent several smaller groups out to scan the surroundings to take care of any monsters that may have been lurking about. Once this was done, I pointed at the injured guard and Impa. "We need to get them medical treatment right away. There was another guard too that was injured but I do not know where he went."

"We ran into him and the other guard on our way here." The soldier informed me. "They should be back at the fortress by now. Follow me." With that the remaining soldiers, my guards, Impa, Purah, and I made our way back to the front of the fortress. Before doing so I grabbed the remains of my singed bow, which was in two pieces and barely resembled a bow anymore. Now it was just charred wood.

We made our way back to the fortress swiftly. Once there, the three injured individuals were all gathered together. The was a medic already there, inspecting the one guard, gauze and pot of boiling water over a fire next to him. The medic was carefully stitching up a large gash in the man's side, bloodied cloth lying around him from dabbing the wound clean.

"What's the status of those two?" The medic asked as I walked over to him. His eyes never left the man's wound as he stitched it up.

"Burns." I stated. "And the other guard may have some cuts that need to be bandaged. I don't think anything is deep enough to warrant stitches." The medic nodded. "Do you have burn medication?" I asked when he didn't respond.

"No." He replied, "The wounds will just have to be cleaned and bandaged."

I frowned and walked away over to the soldier who had led the reinforcements. Wracking my brain, I asked, "Do you have Sinca Trees here?" The guard narrowed his eyes, confused by my question. "They're large trees with dark bark and broad leaves" I continued, "Their bark can be boiled to produce a salve that can help heal burns."

The man's eyes widened, realizing my intent. "I think so." He replied. "I think there are some near the Temple."

"Have some of your men collect bark from them for me. I can prepare a fire in the meantime." I stated. The soldier left, hurrying off. I grabbed some wood and kindling. Once a nice teepee was formed, I went over to Impa and grabbed the fire rod, curious to use it.

"Don't burn anything down." She snickered. I shook my head and sighed. With that I flicked the rod and a small burst for fire came from it, alighting the pile of wood on fire. "Nice!" Impa exclaimed from behind me. "I think that should be my souvenir from this expedition."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, it's yours." I said and then grabbed some cloth and a bowl of water from the medical supplies that had been brought out. "This is probably going to sting." I warned Impa. "But I need to clean it before I can do anything else."

"Yeah, yeah. Just get it over with." She bit out, stealing herself. Gently I cleaned the wound, while Impa sat there, not making a noise or showing any signs of pain. By the time I was done, the wound looked much better. "I'm going to disinfect it now." I stated, dabbing some alcohol onto a new rag. Impa merely nodded, grimacing as the alcohol saturated rag first met her tender wound. This did not take long at all. Once finished, I covered it with gauze and then moved onto the guard. I repeated the process with him.

When this was finished, the three soldiers returned, their hands filled with dark brown bark, almost black. I grabbed a pot and filled it with some water. Then I instructed the guards to drop the bark into the pot and waited for it to soak and the water to boil. I did not need to wait very long. Stirring the mixture, it began to thicken. Taking it off the fire, I stirred it some more and then let it set to cool and thicken more.

Purah sat next to me, inspecting the gelatinous substance I had concocted. "You certainly do know a lot about plants and their uses." Purah praised.

I shrugged, "It's kind of my area. To make a lot of the ideas I had, I had to get components from plants and animals. So I studied a lot of botany and zoology. I'm very familiar with Hyrule's plants and fungi."

"I see." Purah mused, grabbing the spoon that was in the pot to take a small sample of the salve I made. "Impressive that all you needed was bark and water to make this."

"You can make a more potent burn salve with better equipment - more concentrated and less impurities, but this will due considering the circumstances."

"So as it cools, the gelatinous solution forms and the larger pieces of bark settle to the bottom." Purah said, looking into the pot.

"Yes." I confirmed. "There's still some smaller pieces of bark in the thickened part, but it's not that big a deal."

Purah looked at me, her eyes thoughtful. "You should consider opening your own lab and mass producing these concoctions of yours. Do you know how helpful they'd be?"

Her words surprised me. "Yo-you think so?" I stuttered and looked down, feeling embarrassed. "I guess I just never figured anyone would take me seriously."

Purah scoffed, "If the people in Central won't then outsource it to the Sheikah. We have other inventors and scientists that would gladly partner with you to produce and sell this stuff. Do you have protocols in place for making this?"

"Of course. In my notebook. For making this and many others... although some still need work." I replied.

"You should consider it." Purah pursisted. I grabbed the pot, which was cool now, and brought it over to Impa, who had a block of ice wrapped in a towel pressed to her swollen and bruised cheek. I took the gauze off her shoulder and began to apply the salve to Impa's wound.

"You should, Zelda." Impa added, clearly she had been listening to what Purah had said. "Your inventions really would be helpful. I mean look at your arrows and the Rito. They will make a huge difference."

I had never anticipated this much support for my inventions. I had always just invented things I thought would be useful, but every time I tried to broach the subject with my father, they were shut down. He always called them a waste of time. I figured everyone would have that mentality, so I used them mainly for myself and for those close to me. Yet everyone around me had always been happy to use them, even asking for more when they had used all of them.

"Perhaps you are right." I stated. It was as if a road block had suddenly been removed in my mind, as if I had been blinded for so long and was finally seeing what was in front of me.

"Of course I am." Purah huffed. Impa giggled and then shuddered in pain as she had unintentionally moved her shoulder in the process.

"Think about it, Zelda. After the war is over, you should pursue it." Impa said as I finished applying the salve and bandaged her injury.

"...I will." I said, meaning it.

When I was finished with Impa, I went over to the other guard and took care of his burn wound. The blow had missed his eye, leaving his cheek and chin burned, which would heal up fine, but it would leave scars. I hadn't invented anything yet to prevent that.

"Is everyone here alright?" I looked up to see the medic standing before me. His face looked gaunt and his eyes serious.

"Yes." I nodded, "I treated both of their burns and this man only had some minor cuts which I cleaned and bandaged. They should be fine."

"Good." The medic sighed. "The soldier I stitched up should be fine. But he should remain here and rest for a few days. I don't want him traveling very far as his stitches might open."

"Understood."

"Apologies Princess. We have never seen monsters within the fortress."

"They were probably hiding in the mountains." Impa voiced, causing both of us to look at her. "They have to hide somewhere, and there are probably some hidden caves up in the mountains. With Calamity Ganon starting to stir, it makes sense monsters are appearing in places we've never seen them before... or not in a long time."

The medic frowned. "You're right." I replied. "Things are changing. We must be prepared."

"So what's the plan now?" Impa asked.

I glanced at Impa's injury. "We'll stay here for tonight. I need to speak with the Captain on duty and you need to rest. Tomorrow we'll head back to the castle and from there..." I glanced down at the broken bow, which was resting next to the fire where I had dropped it. "We'll head to Gerudo to deal with the Yiga. But along the way we'll need to make a stop at Rito Village."