It was all over. Or at least, it should have been.
With Dark Beast Ganon defeated, the Princess was freed. She used her power to seal what remained of Calamity Ganon. As Link watched on, panting as the adrenaline of his fight began to wear down, the bright white light of Princess Zelda's magic forced his eyes shut. It was over. Calamity Ganon was no more.
So why was he laying down? He felt the world around him tilt 90 degrees. Something was pressed up against his back. The searing white light faded and gave way to a different color. Strange.
As Link opened his eyes, the Hylian champion froze. He flinched as his eyes adjusted to the bright blue light that surrounded him. This wasn't right. He was standing behind the Princess just moments ago. What had happened?
His heart stopped. He knew this place. Although it had been many moons since he had been here, Link realized just where he was: The Shrine of Resurrection.
He stood up and looked around before peering down at himself. The armor that he had worn was replaced by old ragged clothes. His Sheikah Slate wasn't by his hip. As he looked up, he saw the device resting in the place he had first picked it up. He grabbed it, inspecting the device. None of his runes were present. His bombs, magnesis, stasis, cryonis. All of it was gone.
Yet for some reason, his map data remained. Although the shrines had all disappeared from view, the little notes he had made on the map were still there. That wasn't right. What happened? If his runes were gone, why was his map still there?
"Link," he heard the voice of the girl he had just freed. Princess Zelda was speaking to him. "You know what must be done. Calamity Ganon… I remain at the castle still holding back his power. I don't quite understand what has happened to us but you must do what it takes to defeat the Calamity once more. Gather the strength of the Champions once more. Defeat Calamity Ganon so we may end this once and for all."
It seemed like the Princess also had been sent back. Just as she had said, he knew what had to be done. His first stop was a familiar village. Kakariko Village was home to a close ally. Impa of the Sheikah tribe awaited his return. 100 years. She had been waiting for 100 years. She knew Link's return would happen and waited for him, hoping to see the Champion once more to assist his journey to defeat the evil that plagued Hyrule.
For now, he needed to leave. King Rhoam also awaited his awakening, though Link knew the old man wouldn't reveal himself just yet.
As he exited the Shrine of Resurrection, Link gazed out toward the beautiful landscape of the Great Plateau. Even after all this time, the sight never bored him. As grim of a thought as it was, the land, despite the death of a great deal of Hyrule, was astonishingly serene. He had fallen in love with Hyrule once more in his travels.
Shaking his head, the Hylian Champion made his way down the hill towards King Rhoam. He felt full of energy. It was a familiar feeling. Despite having just awakened from his 100 year slumber, Link felt no different physically. Though the run down towards King Rhoam had left him winded the first time around, he felt fine. Despite being in the past, it seemed as though his stamina was as developed as he remembered.
"It's rather strange to see another person around these parts. What brings you here, traveler?" The man asked.
The man received a response that he wasn't quite ready for yet. Link kneeled to the king, head down as he spoke. "King Rhoam," he began. "I have a duty to fulfil for the sake of all of Hyrule."
The king's eyes widened at the response. "I see your memories remain, Champion of Hyrule. Link… I apologize for the burden that you bear. I have had a hundred years to reflect on the losses that Hyrule faced that day. Although I cannot bring back what has been lost, I can still guide you in the first steps of your journey." The king took a deep breath, sighing as a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Judging by Link's reaction, the hero held no malice towards the king. Despite knowing Link's character, King Rhoam had believed that all was lost the day the kingdom fell. He had expected the boy to hold a grudge against him. Afterall, it was the king's fault that the guardians had been unearthed.
However, it was clear that despite all that they had gone through, Link's views were never in the past. He was always looking towards the future. His goals were always for the sake of the people of Hyrule. He didn't have time to resent the king. Not when he could still save what was left of Hyrule.
"We reside on the Great Plateau. The existence of the Calamity has since tainted this sacred land. Monsters and creatures of all sorts have inhabited the place, tainting the land that had been the progenitor for all of Hyrule. You must seek out the Tower of the Great Plateau. It contains valuable information regarding the geography of the land on the plateau. From there, I ask that you seek out the trials left for you that reside deep within the shrines that exist all throughout Hyrule. They will prepare you for your journey to retake Hyrule Castle and lay waste to Calamity Ganon. Of course, if you truly believe yourself capable of defeating the root of all evil as you are, you are welcome to do so. However, you must understand that bravery and foolishness are two sides of the same coin. Should you be unprepared for the end of Hyrule, I hope that you understand the consequences that the world may face."
Link knew that the consequences were already grim. The loss of the champions, the kingdom, and everything associated with them was staggering. If not for the leadership of the current leaders, the world would not be as safe as it was. Even still, the wilds of Hyrule were a polar opposite compared to the safety of the established homes. Although travelers still walked the long neglected roads, the homelands of the respective races still continued to be the safest places to be.
In the wild, threats of monsters roaming were more than prevalent. It was almost expected that one would encounter some sort of presence along the roads. However, even as safe as some of the regions were, the existence of the Divine Beasts would eventually lead to catastrophic loss should they be left untouched.
The worst offender was Vah Ruta of the Zora domain. The constant rainfall that plagued the land threatened to overfill their dam. Should the dam fail, all of the Zora domain would be lost. This would be Link's first stop.
King Rhoam studied the expression of the Hylian Champion. Grief, loss, pain, sorrow. The eyes of the one before him reflected emotion that no one his age should have ever gone through. Even so, one thing shined through the rest. Determination. Despite just having woken up mere minutes ago, Link had an air of confidence.
It wasn't arrogance. No, King Rhoam knew right then that the fate of Hyrule rested in good hands. "Link," the man said. "I wish you luck in your journey. May the goddesses watch over your travels. Once you have completed your trials, meet me where the shrines intersect. I shall await your return." With those words, the old man began to vanish much like he had when Link first completed all four shrines. The king could tell that change was coming. Link knew it too.
He stood up and walked towards the axe buried in the nearby stump. As he pulled the axe out, the reality of the world began to settle in. It felt so nostalgic as he freed the axe head from the tree stump. It was strange to think about how he had forgotten everything that happened before the Shrine of Resurrection. Yet as he pulled the axe out now, he was determined.
The future of the world rested on his shoulders. His fellow champions had all sacrificed themselves fighting against the Calamity. The least he could do was save their people.
Yet unbeknownst to Link, the world had changed in ways he hadn't foreseen. As Link traversed the Great Plateau, across all of Hyrule, the Divine Beasts continued to lay waste and terrorize the people of their respective domains. Within them, Calamity Ganon's blights continued their fight for their creator. Within Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda continued to fight back against the Calamity, holding the one behind it all behind closed doors.
As Link made his way from shrine to shrine, the people of Hyrule never gave up hope. The state of Hyrule Castle was always a grim reminder that the ones that had once governed them had not yet given up on them. They offered prayers and did whatever they could for the Champions of Hyrule.
As Link entered the last shrine on the Great Plateau, the people of Hyrule still told stories of the Champions. The world was about to change, though no one could predict how. As the last of the monks of the Great Plateau parted with Link, the Hylian Champion made his way out.
Instead of the spirit orbs that had first been given to him, he noticed that all the monks had said the same thing: "Your spirit overflows. Your trials have been complete, yet you still remain. You have already been blessed by Hylia. We can offer no more than we already have."
Link moved on, advancing towards the Temple of Time once more to meet the king. His time on the Great Plateau was quickly coming to an end. Soon, the rest of the world would be open to him. He soon arrived at the Temple, climbing up its ruined exterior to reach the top. King Rhoam stood in the ruined tower, watching as Link made his way up towards him.
Link knelt before the king, awaiting his words. He soon felt a weight on his right shoulder and instinctively knew just what it was. Link had undergone the knighting ceremony long ago, back when he had first been appointed to serve Princess Zelda.
"Link, your journey ahead is a long and arduous task. Although one hundred years may have passed, your duty yet remains. I only ask that you value your own safety along with those that you vowed to protect all those years ago. Your knighthood is no longer bound by your duty. Understand now that the one you were one hundred years ago is not the same as the one you are now. Arise, Link. And let the future of Hyrule see the light once more." The king sighed as Link stood up.
"Please, Link. I have but one request for you. Not as the king, but as a father. Save Zelda. Please do what you must to save her from the Calamity. Find Impa in Kakariko village. She can guide you much further than this failure of a king can. Farewell, Link." With those words, the spirit of the king began to fade.
Although the King had suggested seeking out Impa, Link knew what she had to say already. Instead, his focus was on her younger sister, Purah. His first destination was Hateno village, the place he had once called home. When he first arrived, he remembered the state of his home. Bolson's construction company had been conflicted. They hadn't wanted to demolish such a historical site. So when Link had come, offering to buy the house instead, they had jumped at the offer.
He smiled as he recalled his time spent in his home. Although it was few and far between, whenever he had a chance, Link had cherished that little home. Although the existence of the Sheikah slate allowed him to transport himself nearly instantly to and from nearby shrines, he often found himself staying awake for days on end, occasionally sleeping in inns to sate his need for rest. He still remembered the furnishings of the home. On the walls rested the arms of the fallen champions. Mipha's Lightscale Trident, Daruk's Boulder Breaker, Urbosa's Daybreaker and Scimitar of the Seven, Revali's Great Eagle Bow. He had brought them with him to face off against Ganon, a memento to his fellow champions. A symbol that he was not alone on his journey in ending the Great Calamity.
However, none of that mattered at the moment. His home was gone, for now. While he would do whatever it may take to get the house back, he knew that his priorities lied with defeating Calamity Ganon before anything else.
Link jumped from the top of the Temple of Time and opened his paraglider. The rush he got every time he jumped was something that would never get old. He made his way towards the edge of the Great Plateau and opened his Sheikah slate. It had been a long time since he needed to find his way towards Hateno. He glided down from the Great Plateau and began his journey east.
Link had already gathered the ancient parts that he knew Purah would need to upgrade the runes that the Sheikah slate had. Three screws, three shafts, and three cores. He had been lucky enough to receive what he needed from the shrines of the Great Plateau. The guardian scouts within had yielded plenty of screws and shafts, while also having salvaged three working ancient cores from them. His finesse with his weaponry had allowed him more leeway when collecting what he needed.
He left the Great Plateau with good enough weaponry. Although his axe had broken, the ancient weapons dropped by the guardian scouts more than made up for it. The ancient Sheikah technology was effective. He couldn't deny that. They were concealed, durable, and lethal.
As he continued to walk the path towards the Dueling Peaks, he heard the cries of two women who called for help. He recognized them as the sisters he had met multiple times on his journey the first time around. Nat and Meghyn had crossed paths with him in their everlasting journey to gather hearty truffles. He had saved them countless times and this time seemed no different.
Grabbing the ancient battle axe from his back, Link moved with the speed of a predator, jumping up with a downward swing straight into the back of a red bokoblin. He immediately went on to rush the blue bokoblin that had been chasing after the two women, slashing with the axe as he transferred all of his momentum into a single swing.
As the blue bokoblin turned to face him, Link put up a defensive stance as he pulled out the wooden shield that he had gotten from the Plateau. As the monster swung with the crude club, he parried the blow, sending the monster reeling backwards. He saw his chance and took it, pulling out his bow and nocking an arrow for a quick clean headshot. The monster went down, disappearing from existence while still leaving behind some of its parts.
It was a strange sight to see the first time around. Why hadn't the bokoblins or anything for that matter leave a corpse behind? It didn't take very long for Link to learn the truth behind their supposed deaths. With their lives taken, the monsters of the world and anything else influenced by the Calamity was taken back, only to come back when the blood moon returned.
"Thank you so much for helping us!" Nat exclaimed as the two sisters returned to Link. "My sister Meghyn and I were just collecting hearty truffles when those monsters came from out of nowhere! We look all around these parts even though those monsters roam the place. Can't have any rewards without risk, am I right?" She asked with a smile.
"Nat I swear you are going to be the death of the both of us one of these days! If he hadn't shown up, what would we have done?" Meghyn asked.
"Oh shut it, we would just run to that stable around the dueling peaks. Hateno's also not that far so we could just go home from there too."
Meghyn sighed at her sister's response. While it was true that Hateno wasn't too far off, it was unreasonable to even consider running all the way there with a bokoblin chasing after them. She turned to their savior and approached him.
"Thank you for saving us," she said sheepishly. "Nat isn't the type to give up when it comes to finding truffles though and she always brings me with her. I get that we're sisters and everything, but why do I have to get put into danger because of her?"
Link sympathized for the girl. It wasn't the first time he had seen the two get into danger like this. For once, he could help the two sisters get back home safely. He reached into his pack and grabbed a few truffles of his own. While still out of earshot of Nat, he handed Meghyn some of his truffles.
"I found some of these while traveling too if you'd like to have them," Link told the Hylian.
Nat's eyes went wide as she saw the truffles. "Oh let's get home quickly so we can cook and sell em!" She said excitedly.
Meghyn mouthed a "thank you" to Link as they began their journey back to Hateno. As they arrived at the Dueling Peaks stables though, Link made a quick stop by the nearby Ha Dahamar shrine. He activated it much to the surprise of his two companions. Their mouths were wide open as they watched him use the Sheikah tablet.
"No way…" Meghyn spoke. "You're him! You're the champion! The legends were true!"
Link was confused. As far as he knew, to the rest of the world, he had died during the fall of Hyrule Kingdom. The mentions of his status within the Shrine of Resurrection were simply thought to be a legend. Yet here he was speaking to people he once met that recognized him from the supposed legend.
"What?" He simply asked. He was dumbfounded. The world around him had changed. Although it was mostly the same, the people seemed slightly different.
"We knew you would come back some day… we just didn't know when it would happen," the woman continued. "The Hylian Champion Link… to think he was the one that saved us…" Nat took a deep breath as Link went to put the Sheikah slate away "And now we're going to travel back to Hateno with the hero himself? The hero's own hometown, huh?"
Link's confusion was at an all time high. While it was evident that the world had changed, he didn't quite understand the extent of it. His mind had to process the implications of what had just been revealed to him.
The people of Hyrule had been awaiting his return. Although they didn't know what exactly happened, they were given enough detail to understand who he was and what he did. Even one hundred years later, the people of Hyrule continued to wait for his return. It was touching, honestly. However, it also meant that the expectations for him were astronomically high.
"Let's get going! I'm sure Miss Purah will be glad to see you again!" Meghyn exclaimed as she pulled Link by the arms. It wasn't everyday that the people of Hyrule met one of the champions.
Purah? Link remembered the small Sheikah woman. Her experiments with anti-aging had resulted in a significantly smaller than expected scientist. She was a genius on a whole other level from what remained of the citizens of Hyrule. The Purah he remembered didn't dare step foot outside her laboratory. It was good to hear that at the very least, travelers such as Nat and Meghyn knew her.
The sun set as the trio made their way through the roads of Hyrule. It was serene. Although they occasionally ran into a red bokoblin or two, their journey east was surprisingly beautiful. Even through the wreckage of the slain guardians, the greenery had flourished, overtaking the hollow shells of the ancient machinery. Fireflies lit up the world around them as their dim green lights flashed. He couldn't help but appreciate the beautiful scenery of Hyrule at night.
His arrival in Hateno was met with astonished looks. News of his arrival was quickly already courtesy of the two sisters that he had escorted. Although he didn't particularly like the attention, he had to admit that a part of him was relieved at the overwhelming support he had.
"Thanks for bringing us back! It's late so we're gonna head back home but if you're looking for Miss Purah, she's usually holed up in her lab! Good luck, Link!" The usually stoic champion couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm of the two sisters. He had hope. Hyrule would see the end of the Calamity for sure this time. It was clearly different from the Hyrule he had woken up to, however it was still Hyrule. The spirits of those that lived on the land were at an all time high. All across Hyrule, word traveled of the Hylian champion's return.
Travelers all around central Hyrule would know of Link's return within a week. Within the month, the entirety of Hyrule would know. In the meantime, Link knew he had some tasks to take care of. Restoring full power to his Sheikah slate was at the top of his list. After that, he needed to make his way for Vah Rita in the Zora's domain.
Before all of that though, Link had to find a place to rest. He crossed a small wooden bridge and was surprised to see the state of the building he had called home. It was actually in shape. The outside was well maintained, flowers blooming in the field. A horse was kept in the nearby stable. Although these may have indicated signs of an existing owner, one thing kept Link from walking away.
"Link's Home."
This could only mean one thing. Someone close to him had been waiting for his return. He walked up to the door and knocked only to receive no answer. Instead, he pushed the door open and was met by a very near, well kept house. Although it wasn't the same as what Bolson had furnished his house with, it was familiar enough to him.
He walked up the stairs that led up to his bed. It was all clean and welcoming. As he approached his nightstand, he noticed a note.
Hi Linky!
If you're reading this, then welcome back! I knew you'd come back to us eventually! I hope you enjoyed your nap in the Shrine of Resurrection. It's not everyday that you get to witness ancient Sheikah technology so fill me in when you visit, you got that? I hope you like the way the place has been set up. Although I wanted to keep your house the same as it was when you left, some of the stuff was too old so I took the liberty in upgrading some of your stuff. When you've got time, stop by my lab so I can catch you up on what's happened since you've been out, alright? I know you probably have a lot of questions but don't be alarmed when you see me, okay?
Purah
He couldn't help but smile. It seemed Purah was responsible for the state of his home. Even after 100 years, she had made sure that his home remained well kept. He made a mental note to thank her when he made his way up to her lab. In the meantime, he was tired. He hadn't realized just how fatigued he was. As he slipped into more comfortable clothing, he got in bed and closed his eyes, his consciousness drifting away as the chirps of crickets lulled him to sleep.
Hello! Thanks for reading the first chapter of my fic. I'll admit now that I'm not a Zelda player. Out of all of the games, the only ones I've played are Phantom Hourglass and Breath of the Wild. Regardless, I fell in love with the world of Breath of the Wild and I wanted to write something for it. Please forgive me if I mess something up lore wise as I'm not too well versed in the entirety of the lore. Regardless, I hope you enjoy reading my fic.
As you may have read from the summary, I do plan on keeping the other Champions alive for this. I'm sure we've all been through enough pain just by playing through the game and some of us want them to be happy.
Now, a little bit about me. I like to write NG+ fics. I'm currently in the process of writing a Persona 5 fic so if you're interested, check my profile! In the future, I'd like to write other NG+ fics for other games such as Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Final Fantasy XV or VII, and more.
Also, I'd like to note that there is no planned pairing. If there's high demand for it though, I'll consider it.
As a fair warning, I don't have a specific update schedule. Along with that, my college semester starts up soon so I'll probably be busy with that and won't have much time to write.
Once again, thank you for reading!
