Chapter 3: The Journey Begins

"Is that really you, Link?" Purah asked.

"Yes, it is," he replied. "And you are Purah, right?"

"Of course!" she replied. "But... Linky, you... died 100 years ago... how are you here-" then she realized what the bluish-green glow meant. "Wait a second, you're a ghost!"

"Well... I would prefer to be referred to as a 'spirit'... but yes."

"You're... a lot more talkative than you were in life," Purah noted.

"True. And in the hundred years that's passed, you haven't aged a bit. Quite the opposite, in fact," Link countered.

"T- touché. So, how... how did you turn into a wolf?"

Link sighed. "The wolf was dying, but he had a strange power. A dark power, but despite that, I sensed no maliciousness in it, much less the presence of the Calamity. Through a silent agreement, I bound my spiritual energy to this power, giving the wolf new life as we become one."

"Okay... So, am I right to assume that it is this power that brought us here?"

Link nodded, and then continued. "When I arrived in Hateno, listening in on the villagers, I heard that you lived just outside of the village. I knew you would be the only person who would understand what I had to say, so I sought you out. Though, I'll admit, wasn't expecting... this." And Link motioned to Purah's tiny body.

"L-like I told you, this was the result of a failed experiment," she said nervously. "Pl-please don't tell anyone!"

Link chuckled. "I don't think I could! Because, as I was saying, I couldn't speak to you directly as a wolf."

"Well, naturally... I suppose."

"Right, so I had to find a place of strong spiritual energy to assume my true form. The Spring of Wisdom here was the only place close enough that I could warp to without leaving myself exhausted. By the way, you should thank me for the elixir. It took me several days to prepare it."

"Wait, you made that elixir! How!?" Purah exclaimed.

"Well, I mixed together monster parts with critters," Link replied. "Isn't that how you make elixirs?"

"B-but, you were a wolf. Sure, a wolf could slay monsters, I'm not doubting that, but I can tell this was a strong elixir, and the monsters you'd have to fight to get the parts for such a strong effect are beyond the animal's capabilities. And then, the critters needed to make a spicy elixir are flying insects. Practically impossible for a wolf to do. Then you have to cook the elixir properly, and then put it into a bottle, which, by the way, how did you even acquire that? All of this requires opposable thumbs, which wolves don't have!"

"Well, there's a reason it took me two days," Link replied.

"Two days! Only two days! Even that-"

"Listen!" Link interjected. "We don't have time for this! Even in this place of strong spiritual energy, I can only maintain this form for so long. And your elixir will only last a short while, as well. And I brought you here because I have something important to tell you... In regards to the Calamity."

Purah's tone shifted, as she started to look down. "The Calamity... I've been trying to find ways to fight it, but without you..."

"I know. We failed... But I know we can still stop. However, time is running short."

"What do you mean?"

Link sighed. "I may have died, and my spirit was, until recently, bound to where I fell. But I could still feel it. Zelda. She's been fighting the Calamity, holding back its malice, all on her own."

Purah shook her head sadly. "We all know. What else could she do, after we all failed..."

"Well... her power is waning. After 100 years, Ganon is beginning to break free."

"Wh-what? How long do we have?"

"Not long. A few months, if we're lucky, and even that isn't much."

"But, you're back now, and-"

"No."

Purah was stunned by that response. "No?"

"I think the arrival of the wolf, my chance to come back, was a premonition. A chance to fix our failures... But I can't fight this battle. I am not the Hero anymore."

"I... I don't understand. You're the Hero reborn. And, sure, you..." Purah trailed off, but Link motioned for her to continue. So she finished with, "you kicked the bucket, but your spirit is still here."

"Only present because of the spiritual energy of this place, and otherwise bound to the form of a wolf," Link countered. "With this form, I can help, and I plan to do just that, but it is nowhere near enough to take back the mantle and responsibility of hero."

"As for the Spirit of the Hero..." Link continued. "It's strange, but while my soul and the Hero's Spirit are bound together as one, they are not the same. The Hero's Spirit gave me the courage and determination needed to become the Hero, but who I am is not bound to that. And that is the truth for every hero before me. Being the 'Hero' is the only thing we consistently have in common. So, when I died..."

"The Hero's Spirit moved on," Purah summed up. "And I'm guessing you think that, perhaps, it reincarnated again."

"When they would be needed to fight the darkness. I may no longer possess the Spirit of the Hero, but I can still feel its connection." Link turned his attention to Hetano Village. "Finding you in Hetano was likely by design, but make no mistake, that is not why I came here. I came here to find the new Hero."

Purah joined him at his side. "And, did you find him?"

Link smiled. "I have. Although, I was surprised to find... it's not a 'him'."

Purah took a moment to take in this revelation... before realizing, "do you mean Linkle?"

"So you know her."

"She's... she's your sister's great-granddaughter. So, I guess that makes Linkle your indirect descendent."

Link looked back at her in surprise. "Aryll? She survived the Calamity?"

"Aryll passed away a few years ago. But she lived a long, fulfilling life," Purah explained.

Link smiled with joy. "I'm happy to hear that. As for Linkle, I've already assisted her. But I can't be the one to tell her what her destiny is. Purah, you need to help her start her journey."

"Wh-wha-wha, but- look at me-" Pruah stuttered.

"What's more important? Stopping the Calamity, or preventing your own embarrassment?" Link sternly replied.

Purah sighed. "...Hard to argue with that."

Link's spirit began to fade. "My time's up. Once I return to my wolf form, I'll take you home. In the morning, you need to talk to Linkle."

Purah nodded. Now was the time. If Linkle really was the Hero reborn, then now was their chance to strike back at the Calamity.

The next morning, Linkle's house...

Linkle had trouble sleeping, ever since the battle at the beach. The sword now was lying on the table. Its glow had faded, but Linkle could still sense the power imbued into the blade.

She couldn't stop thinking about what happened days ago. The moment she grabbed that sword... all of those images. It was like, every vision of that swordsman, fighting all of those monsters, all of those skills were implanted directly into Linkle's psyche, her muscle memory.

She felt normal when she didn't think about it, but when she did think about it, all of those sword skills she suddenly had before, she could vividly see it all in her head. Before, thinking about fighting with a sword were just... fun thoughts, just imagining yourself pulling off cool, albeit unrealistic moves. But now, she would envision the proper form, the correct maneuver, the right motion... she could even feel how it would play out. It was more like when Linkle thought about using her crossbows. But her crossbow skills came from years of practice, and she also remembered the struggles she had to get to this point. But the way of the sword just... imbued into her very being.

Linkle never even considered learning how to properly use the sword. But now, it was a part of her.

But what was really strange was the sword itself. It came out of nowhere, and since taking a hold of it, she held some strange connection to the blade. Like, it was calling to her, trying to tell her something... important.

Linkle's thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone call outside, "Linkle, hey, are you up?"

Linkle had just already gotten ready for the day, so she came outside to find Bolson and Hudson. Both seemed ready for the day, and Bolson was holding a long object wrapped in cloth.

"Linkle, glad to see your up," Bolson greeted.

"Hey, what's up?" Linkle replied.

"Are you okay? Still thinking about the fight?" Bolson had heard about the monster encounter. He didn't quite believe the part where Linkle grabbed a sword and suddenly was a skilled swordswoman, effortlessly carving through monsters. After all, it did sound outlandish, and everyone knew Linkle as an arbalist archer. But the sword did exist, it was in Linkle's house, and Lana corroborated Linkle's story, so Bolson agreed. Though Linkle was pretty sure he still didn't believe it.

"Yeah..." Linkle admitted.

"Heh, I'd like to see some of these sword skills you apparently have," Hudson chimed in, not making it clear if he believed the story or not. "Unfortunately, I gotta head out soon."

"Wait, Hudson, what do you mean?" Linkle asked, concerned.

"That's what we're here to tell you," Bolson said. "It's about 'the next job'. Bolson Construction is planning to expand. Big-time. We're transferring Hudson to go and clear some land up in Akalla."

"Akalla?"

"Zora's Domain is north of here," Hudson explained, pointing towards some of the mountains in that direction. "Akalla is north of that."

"That... sounds really far," Linkle noted.

"It is. Farther than Kakariko, for certain."

"A-and when are you going?"

"Now," Hudson replied. "I just wanted to say goodbye to our favorite little pup."

Hudson came in to give Linkle a hug, and she returned it, but... she didn't like the idea of him leaving.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again," Hudson told his young friend. "But for now, it's time to say goodbye."

And with the goodbyes said, Hudson made his way. Just like him, no need to draw things out.

Linkle was debating chasing him down, but before she could make the decision, Bolson placed his hand on her shoulder. "Come on, I think we should talk."

Bolson and Linkle went into her house. "Listen, Linkle, I know you see us as your family," Bolson explained. "And honestly, I return the sentiment. I care a lot about you. You're... like a daughter to me."

"What about Hudson?" Linkle asked.

"He might be blunt and to-the-point, but I know he cares about you, too. Karson as well! But... we are, first and foremost, businessmen. Times are changing, I can feel it in the air. Now's the time to expand. So is a good thing for us!"

Bolson calmed himself, and sighed. "...But for you, you have to realize that sometimes, members of your family have to move on."

"Like my parents? Or great-grandma Aryll?" Linkle asked.

"...That's not the kind of 'moving on' I am referring to," Bolson corrected. "I mean leaving your home, going out into the world, and trying to make your mark. To grow and find out who you want to be. Remember our talk a while ago?"

"You were asking if I was ready to move on from Hateno. You were talking about Hudson, weren't you?"

"Yes, but I was talking about you, too. I know you've been outside the village before, but never further than Kakariko. That's such a limited view of Hyrule. I mean, have you ever met a Zora, or a Goron? Perahps a Gerudo or Rito? Fascinating races and cultures, I must say!"

"They certainly sound interesting," Linkle admitted.

"Listen, I am more than happy to consider you family, but your real family is no longer here... I feel that is more than enough reason to move on and find out who you are meant to be in this world. Have you thought about it?"

"...I... have. And it sounds exciting. But... I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like that..."

"Well, Hudson is. He's taking charge of a whole new project for Bolson Construction. We're making our own town. And this is only the start for us."

"Will he be okay?"

"...I know that after how your parents fell to monsters, the idea of taking a long trip sounds dangerous. But Hudson will be alright, I'm certain of that. But you should think about your future."

Bolson's eyes rested on the sword on Linkle's table. "I don't know what the story behind this sword is. But I must admit, while I'm a woodworker, not a metal worker, I can tell this is a high-quality blade." Then Bolson placed his cloth-wrapped long object onto the table, by the sword, and unwrapped it. It was a sword sheath, a leather pocket with carrying straps, made perfectly to holster Linkle's new weapon. "I thought I'd have this made for you. So you can carry your sword wherever you go. You know... if and when you leave."

Bolson then got up, and prepared to leave. "Knowing Hudson, he's probably left by now. I know you would've dragged him back if you could, so I guess this was more of a distraction. I'm sorry for that. But whatever you want to do now, whether you want to leave or not, you can always come back to see me. But please, think about your future. I'm going to let you think about it." And he left.

For the next short while, Linkle sat there, thinking about what Bolson said. Again, she wasn't sure if she was ready for all this... change.

But looking at the sword, the events of the other day... Linkle had changed, didn't she? She was something greater already.

But what could she do with it? Where would she go? Visit those other races? Make a new home...?

Or perhaps... She could go find Hudson.

Bolson was right, Hyrule was a dangerous place. And it sounded like the trip to Akalla would be a long one. A dangerous one.

Linkle had made up her mind. She gathered prepared for travel, gathering food for a long journey, her weather-protected clothing, and her trusty crossbows clipped on her boots.

And her eyes rested on the sword, and Bolson's sheath. She took a deep breath, sheathed the blade, and wrapped the sheath-straps over her torso, fastening the blade on her back.

She stepped outside with a stomp. Bolson had taken a rest by their favorite tree, and looked up. "Oh, I didn't think you'd get ready to leave so quickly."

"Well, someone has to make sure Hudson makes it to Akalla safely," Linkle replied.

Bolson laughed. "If that's how you want to put it. But you should know, Hudson is traveling by horse and cart, and by now, he should be well outside the village."

"Then I'll get my horse."

"Do you want me to get some to watch your cuccos?"

Linkle's mind had been so set, that she had forgotten about that. "Yeah, thanks."

"Safe journey."

Linkle had to run the opposite way from the entrance, as Dantz and Koyin took care of her horse at the ranch, and on the way, she passed by Lana.

"Hey, Linkle, what's-" Lana tried to greet, only for Linkle to race past her. "...up?"

"Sorry, I've gotta be quick. Meet me at the ranch in a few minutes, okay!" Linkle shouted back as she ran towards the hill.

"Alright..." Lana sounded, as she began to jog after Linkle.

Linkle rushed up to the Hetano Ranch, and found Koyin tending to her recovered sheep.

"Hey! Linkle! You alright? You seem to be in a hurry," Koyin called out.

"Well, that's true. How quickly can you get my horse ready?"

"Not long... What, are you planning a last-minute trip to Kakariko Village?"

"No, this is a much longer trip. I don't know when I'll be back."

Koyin looked at her in shock. "You're... going on a journey? Well, good luck, I suppose. Let me get your horse."

Linkle was left only to her thoughts for a moment, until Lana caught up.

"Geez, you're excited today," Lana said, as she caught her breath. "What's going on?"

"I'm leaving," Linkle said.

"Huh?"

"I need to take a journey," Linkle explained. "Hudson is leaving for Akalla. And I'm going after him, so I can keep him safe!"

"Wh-what? Why-"

Linkle walked over to Lana, saying, "I'm really sorry this had to happen so short notice, but I've gotta do this. I'm just happy to say goodbye to my best friend before I go."

"O-okay. Are you sure you'll be alright? And what about Hudson? Why does he need to be protected?"

"I just know he needs help, okay."

"...Alright, good luck, Linkle!"

Lana knew Linkle was overreacting a bit, but she knew there was no changing Linkles mind. She also remembered that Linkle was talking about how Bolson and his crew were about to have some big changes. But she also was worried that Linkle would be no different than her mom... only visiting every so often, but also never being sure if she would come back.

Eventually, Koyin brought Linkle's horse out, fully prepped for travel. "Whatever you're going to do, good luck."

"Thanks," Linkle told her, while she got her rations packed onto her horse's saddle. As Linkle saddled up, she looked down at her friend.

"Please, promise you will be safe, and that you won't do anything stupid," Lana asked of her friend.

"I promise," Linkle responded, before signaling her horse to start trotting forward.

Koyin chuckled a bit. "She a crazy one, you know."

"Yeah," Lana replied. "I should go."

Koyin waved Lana goodbye, as the blue-haired girl made her way back down to her uncle's dye shop.

"Lana!" a voice shouted, as someone approached. Lana turned to find Symin, the Sheikah assistant of Purah, rushing down and trying to call Lana over.

Lana turned around and walked up to meet Symin, a man with his white Sheikah hair tied into a bun with chopsticks sticking out, and wearing the typical beige outfits of the Sheikah style.

"Lana, sorry to bother you, but have you perhaps seen Linkle today?" Symin asked, sounding a bit rushed.

"Good to see you, Symin. And, uh... she just left," Lana told him.

"Left? Left where?"

"She's leaving the village."

"Wait, she's going to Kakariko right now?"

"More like... Akalla."

"Wh-wh-wha... Oh, this is not good," Symin exclaimed.

"What's not good?"

"Purah wants to see Linkle immediately! It's of vital importance!"

"Wait, what!? Why does Purah want to talk to Linkle?" Lana couldn't help but feel a little annoyed by this. She's been wanting to talk to Purah for a while now, but she closed herself off. And when she was finally ready to come out, she wanted to see Linkle? Lana cared a lot for her friend, but Linkle wasn't exactly science-oriented. So, why would Purah want to see her?

"Look, I'm sorry, but Linkle is leaving on horseback. By now, she's probably just leaving the village gate, so we're not going to be able to catch her at this point," Lana explained.

"Oh boy, what to do?" Symin sounded nervously. "Um, Lana, perhaps you could come with me, and help us figure out this little problem?

"Sure..." At least Lana could see Purah again. But what was so important, that Purah just had to see her best friend?

Having returned to his wolf form, Link was watching from a distance, out of sight of the villagers. He saw Linkle leave, and moments after, the Sheikah assistant asking about the girl on Purah's behalf.

So, Linkle was leaving on her own. This complicated things, but she was on the right track.

All right, seems the task of guiding Linkle in the right direction would have to be left to him. And with that, the wolf disappeared into the shadows...

Lana wasn't sure what to think. For her, Purah was her teacher, a quirky but intelligent elderly Shiekah woman.

So she wasn't expecting to see a kid in charge of the lab.

"Um, Symin, this isn't Linkle," the Shiekah kid stated.

"...Yes, about that. Lana here says Linkle has left the village," Symin told her. "...And she's going all the way to Akalla..."

"Akalla!? We don't have the time to wait for her to go to Akalla! Why didn't you stop her!?"

"She was gone before I could find her. Lana says she's leaving on horseback, too."

"And you didn't get a horse to chase her?"

"Well, I..."

"Excuse me," Lana spoke up, "but where's Purah? And who are you? Purah has a grandniece, so are you... what was her name? Paya?"

"What!? No, I am not Paya," the kid exclaimed. "Firstly, Paya is a young woman, not a little girl. Second, I'll have you know, that I AM Purah!"

Lana gave her a skeptical look.

"Look, I was doing an experiment on myself, and it went wrong, okay! I am your teacher. I mean, listen to this." And "Purah" began detailing the functions of a Sheikah Slate, down to how they worked.

And Lana had to admit, save some more complex details, it was all stuff Purah had taught Lana before. And it was way too complicated for a six-year-old to understand it all in the way she did.

"That's... really you, Purah?" Lana asked, still skeptical.

"Of course! It was too embarrassing after the experiment... well, succeeded, but too well. And I didn't want people to see me like this. But now-"

"Wait, hang on, I've been wanting to see you for weeks, wondering why you shut yourself off, and wouldn't talk to me, or anyone! And it's because of this! I respect you, as a teacher, as a researcher. And I can't believe you would be so childish!"

Purah looked annoyed and motioned to herself.

"You know what I mean," Lana responded.

"Listen, it doesn't matter right now. I have to see Linkle, soon. Like, now soon! In a snap!" Purah said.

"Okay, why?" Lana asked. "Why Linkle? Because first of all, if you're really that embarrassed by your... age, Linkle is the last person you want to tell. She's awful at keeping secrets. Second, what reason do you have to see Linkle? She's certainly not going to understand all this ancient Sheikah tech."

"I know... it's just, how do I explain this..." Purah went silent to think. "Okay, look, I got a premonition last night, and it has to do with Linkle."

"Okay, and what does this have to do with me?"

"Well, I don't know why Symin brought you here," Purah said. "Maybe you could've stopped her...?"

"Well, first of all, Linkle is stubborn. No way I could convince her not to do what she wanted. Second, I didn't know until AFTER she just left that I found out you needed to see her."

"That's... hard to argue against..." Purah responded. "Well..."

Purah then looked at the project table, and grabbed a couple things in her small hands, then handed them to Lana.

It was a pair of Sheikah Slates, both of them different, but Lana knew them well. One was the custom Slate that Lana herself had worked on with Purah, where Lana had tested some of the functions that she created herself.

The other was the original Sheikah Slate, supposedly used by the princess of Hyrule, when she was alive (Purah swears the princess was alive, fighting the Calamity, but Lana couldn't see how she could be after 100 years). It was the basis for the creation of both Lana's and Purah's personal Slates, but over time, it had lost its functionality, and Purah had not gotten around to fixing it.

"Wha... why are you giving me these?" Lana asked.

"I need you to go after Linkle. Use your Slate to help her, and give her the original. You should be able to restore its functionality if you find one of the dormant Sheikah Towers," Purah instructed. "And you know what, you're already on the way to Karariko, right? Take Linkle to my sister, Impa. She's the village elder. She can explain everything better than I can."

"Wai-wai-wait, what!? You want me to just up and leave? What about my uncle? My nephews? And how am I supposed to catch up with Linkle?" Lana exclaimed.

"Symin can help you borrow a horse from the ranch, and he can tell your family what's happening. But trust me, this is important. VERY important!" Purah insisted.

Lana looked down at the Slates in her hands. Well, she WAS worried about what might happen to Linkle on her own. It didn't seem like she was thinking things through.

"Okay, I'll do it," Lana announced. "But finding a dormant Tower? Where do I find one of those?"

"There's one close to the village, just west of here, if you take the first left and then stay on the path going right. There's another on the other side of the Dueling Peaks, close to Kakariko," Purah noted. "But I can't help you any further. You really need to go. Time's a' wasting!"

"O- Okay," Lana replied, getting up to go. Symin guided the confused girl out. But at the very least, Lana's life was about to get very interesting.

As Lana left, Purah sighed, stressed out by the turn of events. That's when she realized, "wait, Impa doesn't know what's going on... Oh, Hylia, this just keeps getting more and more complicated."

Later that evening, in the West Necluda...

For almost the whole day, Linkle had been riding down the path to Kakariko Village, and still, no Hudson. Did she accidentally pass him?

She was starting to pass by the path to the Dueling Peaks Stable, just east of the split mountain. A wooden structure that had a statue of a horse head on top, where people could rest or board their horses. She and some of the ranch members occasionally came down here to tame new horses to house in Hetano.

Linkle considered dropping by the stable, asking if they saw Hudson, or a horse-drawn cart pass by. Or she could rest for the night...

But then she saw something strange. She had to stop her horse to get a good look, ...and not run it over. Sitting at the fork in the road, was a wolf, covered in blackish and grey fur, with white markings, and blue eyes.

Somehow, Linkle quickly realized... she knew this wolf.

"You're the wolf from the other day," Linkle said. "The one who gave this strange sword." And she placed her hand on the hilt of the blade.

Whether or not the wolf understood her, she didn't know, but the wolf seemed to make a nudging motion down towards the stable, before running off in that direction.

Was he asking her to follow him? ...Linkle wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand, the whole point of this journey was to find Hudson. But on the other hand, she wanted to find out more about this wolf. She wasn't sure how, but it had to have the answers to her strange new skills.

Linkle was so lost in thought, trying to make a decision, that she hadn't noticed her horse had begun to start trotting again, slowly, but was following the wolf's path.

When Linkle looked up again, her horse had already made the turn toward the stable, and... the wolf was now sitting past the stable, at the turn towards the split between the Dueling Peaks.

There was no way he got there so quickly. Right?

But she didn't stop her horse this time. She felt... drawn to this wolf. So she signaled her horse to speed up. At the same time, the wolf dashed off through the mountain canyon.

Some of the people at the stable tried to greet Linkle, but she had them tuned out as she made her way to follow the wolf. She got into the canyon, only to find the wolf as a distant spot at the other end of the canyon.

"How did you..." Linkle sounded, but couldn't stop now. He was guiding her somewhere. And she intended to find out.

As she passed through the mountain, she beheld a sight she'd never seen before. At least not this close.

In the distance, she could see an old castle towards the right. Just ahead of her, but still a good distance away, was a large plateau.

The wolf again had jumped ahead, with no sign of how he was moving so fast. He seemed to be guiding Linkle toward the plateau.

"So that's where you want me to go?" Linkle said. "Alright, then let's go!"

Author's Note: Okay, full admittance, it took me way too long to finish this next chapter of the story, and I have just started. We've just gotten the next trailer for Tears of the Kingdom. And I'm sorry about that. I've got to pick up the pace.

So, anyway, I don't have much to say about this chapter. I'm just getting the journey started, and as you can tell, I'm trying to get Linkle towards the Great Plateau.

Why? Well, several story reasons I have planned, but mainly for one important character bound to the area. I think we know who I'm talking about.

What about the Sheikah Slate, the original one I mentioned? This would be the same one Link would get in the game, but why is it missing its functionality? Well, I think it is evident that it does lose functionality in the game over the 100 years. Zelda made great use of the camera function of the Slate, but that was lost in the game until Purah restored it. Plus, you needed to get the other Runes on the Plateau, although, I don't remember if those could be accessed before the Calamity (no, Age of Calamity does not count, the Egg Guardian activated the Slate in that game).

Pretty much, I set that up so the Slate can be restored on the Plateau, like in the game, but trust me, it'll be a smaller part of the story on the Plateau.

Oh, and yes, of course, Lana will be a part of this journey. She'll catch up next chapter. And we will also see Hudson much later. Until then, I hope you enjoyed this start to the story. Things are going to get exciting next chapter.