Daruk has a chat with Link, Link gets to enjoy more non-geothermal nature with friends, and there is a small flashback.
A voice echoed through the darkness of the Divine Beast. "Hey, little guy! Are you Link? Should've known you'd be still kicking around. Oh, wait, I forgot you don't understand me..."
The little guy in question stopped in his tracks and while putting the slate on the Guidance Stone said, "I hear you, can speak little language!"
"Great! Are you here to take control of ol' Rudania back from Ganon?"
"Um, same as Vah Ruta? Control? What's control?"
If Daruk were able to properly manifest he'd be smacking his forehead. "Oh, this is gonna be a fine kettle of Keese. I'll try not to distract you too much."
"What word distract?," Link asked as he looked at the map of Rudania on the slate.
Link collapsed onto his back and chugged a fireproof elixir before his hair started to smoulder. He was tired enough that mental translation was not up to speed again.
In fact, to him Daruk sounded like he was saying something along the lines of, "Perhaps I should have. Thank you, my soul is finally off. I can not thank you so much?"
"Um, you are welcome?" Link said in response.
Daruk scratched his head sheepishly, it sounded something like, "Well, Link, this twice being you help me. Just, uh, please no dog say?"
This statement was incomprehensible to Link. "Please repeat that. What was that about a dog?"
"Forget it."
"I have amnesia already. What do dogs have to do with it?"
Daruk muttered something to himself as Link did his best stare back. The rest of what Daruk was muttering was incomprehensible to Link. Daruk wondered if he'd be able to change subjects to avoid Link remembering. He successfully diverted Link's attention with the gift of Daruk's Protection.
Link was thrilled to return to Epona. He'd also missed being able to take a deep gulp of air that was clear of volcanic fumes. He flopped backwards onto the soft grass to take in the warm orange glow of the sky above a forest. Then he drew two carrots from his inventory and compared them before handing the juicier-looking vegetable to Epona. Epona chomped it down before resuming her drink at a pond. "Well, Epona, I think that Bokoblin camp isn't gonna be bothering anyone. Looks like the stablehands took good care of you. I think the guy said you were nice to the kids but what was that about you kicking some thief?"
Epona snorted as she finished drinking her water. She stood next to her master and the grey wolf that may or may not exist. (Link wasn't sure, no one else seemed to notice it so it could be imaginary like the tree people. He just decided to roll with it and even fed the illusory wolf.) Both animals, definitely-existing and maybe-existing, looked at Link then back to the beautiful orange glow which illuminated the twilit sky.
"Yeah, okay, so maaaaayyybe my arson wasn't cured by Death Mountain after all," Link admitted to Epona as the flames licked the trees, "You gotta admit, it is getting rid of the monsters." It probably hadn't helped that Link picked up a fire rod from a Wizzrobe on the way out. It seemed like a good idea at the time since the mountains and the desert got cold at night. The fire rod was discarded in the bottom of the pond.
Epona went back to grazing as the wolf seemed to cover his eyes with a paw. That was a definite point in favor of the wolf being imaginary. Frankly the dimming red light of the fire rod was calling to Link and proving to be a greater test of willpower than anything else had been so far. He nearly dove back for it but a bark from the wolf and a bite from Epona snapped him back to reality. Maybe the wolf was a manifestation of Link's conscience?
"Is it all right if I name you Conscience?"
The wolf whined again.
"How about Scruples? Can I call you Scruples?"
The wolf glared. Link had liked 'Scruples' but ticking off the imaginary wolf seemed like a bad idea.
"All right, not Scruples. How about Fido?"
The wolf growled at Link as he set about deciding if he should visit that other lab place. It could have good info but there was the risk of being stuck translating runes again. Impa was reliable and Link liked the people of Kakariko. There was the risk of setting it on fire, but he'd make sure to get a good night's sleep before going there. Malanya or the Great Fairy might be worth chatting with for travel advice. Between the Divine Beasts remaining, Link was favoring Vah Naboris. The desert sands seemed a lot less flammable.
Link wondered about where he got the name 'Fido' from and why Daruk had been talking about dogs earlier.
Back a few days before the Calamity wiped out the castle, a Sheikah kid wandered around the tents of the archaeology site. This was one of the bigger ones and everyone had just started to calm down after the giant black explosion earlier. It must have been big if they could see it from this far off. Since everyone was not being eaten by monsters, the kid decided the Champions must've won. He had more pressing concerns at the moment. The adults were not being helpful since many of them were all gathered around Revali to ask for news. Normally, this kid would be right there to ask Revali for a signature, but his dog was missing.
His voice was starting to get a little hoarse after all the yelling. He was on the verge of just breaking down and crying. "Fidoooooooo! Where are you!?" He looked around when he heard some noise but didn't see his dog. Just some blond guy wearing ancient tech parts like they were clothing. Was he a new researcher? "You're not Fido!"
"I'm Link?"
The kid sniffled. "I need to find Fido. He's a black and white dog!" The adult in weird clothes stood there awkwardly. "I'm going back to looking now so..." The kid decided to ignore the guy wearing the sword and went back to business. "FIDOOOOO!"
Link said, "Fido?"
"That's his name. FIDOOOOO!"
"Fidoooo?!"
"FIDOOO!"
"Um, ye ahsu rem ighta swelltr ythis FIDOOOOOOO?!"
"Fidooooo!"
The two kept yelling back and forth for a bit as Link followed the kid. When a bark was heard, the kid sprinted and yelled, one more time, "Fido!" This time it was a happy shout.
Link followed and said, "Fido?!" Then he perked up when he saw the dog being embraced by the kid. "Heyis tha twh atyo uw ered oin g? Looki ngf oryo urpup py?"
Link happily gave the dog hugs too; Dog hugging was a good way to stave off imminent mental collapse. He currently suspected he'd either landed in a parallel world or traveled back in time somehow. He didn't know he'd traveled forwards through time at the rate of one second per second. Suspicion stalked at the edge of his thoughts like a Wallmaster.
Something else caught his eye. "Daruk?" Link stared.
The dog had been in front of a small dead end and the Goron champion was standing stiffly. His demeanor was markedly different from his behavior fifteen minutes ago. He didn't have the relaxed stance like he did when helping Mipha teach Link some basic words. The kid didn't notice but when the dog yipped, Daruk stepped backwards. Link watched the kid leave before turning to Daruk.
So far Link's vocabulary consisted of a very few simple words and commands to follow. Add in the names of the Champions, and Link's vocabulary was solidly in the low double-digit range. Urbosa, Mipha, and Daruk made sure he knew how to say, 'yes,' the word 'no,' the essential phrase 'where is the toilet,' and how to thank people. He didn't know if he could add 'Fido' to his vocabulary as he wasn't sure if it was just the dog's name.
Link made a bold attempt at communication with the guy who was nice to him. "Hi, good? Fido? Arey ous eri ouslyspoo kedb ydog swheny ouwe rec heerful l ypitchin gpede stalsat m ethismor ning?""
"Well at least I know you won't tell anyone about this..." Daruk realized something, "Wait, who was supposed to be keeping track of you?"
Link gave him a blank look but Daruk heard Revali in the camp. It was the faint sound of Revali yelling something that sounded suspiciously like, "Where is the idiotic thing and where is Daruk?"
Notes: I realized something: No way would Urbosa or the other Champions have trusted Link to act as Zelda's bodyguard so events might diverge even further from canon. At least I can always say that I can't do anything sillier than what Nintendoes do already. I liked this better than last chapter at least. Also FCL I forgot about how darn creepy the Wizzrobes are without their robes. My favorite Wizzrobe was the Wind Waker ones but I think the boss from Cadence of Hyrule is now my favorite.