A.N. Hey all first author note of the fic, just wanted to say thanks to those who reviewed, faved, or followed its much appreciated. Nothing much else to say aside from enjoy the chapter thanks for reading and reviews are loved^^
Chapter 3
"It looks like nothing survived of Castle Town..." Zelda said with a frown as she looked at the ruins that littered the land before her. Glancing down at her map, or what she called a map. In reality, it was a worn piece of paper that Zelda had been penning in herself. She carefully marked in the ruins around Hyrule Castle on the map. It was a rough map, nothing compared to her Sheikah slate. But, since her Sheikah slate was with Link when everything happened, Zelda assumed it was at the Shrine of Resurrection with him. Most likely, it was placed so Link would have something to aid him whenever he awoke. That left Zelda to fashion her own map and it soon became very clear how much the landscape had changed since her near century absence.
"We should proceed with caution. With our proximity to Hyrule Castle, it is likely many of the Calamity's minions thrive here." Fi's voice chimed gently in Zelda's ears as she glanced at the blade tied to her back, giving it a smile, "Don't worry Fi! If I remember correctly, we can cut through the Applean Forest and avoid the main roads. Once we get to the Whistling Hill, we should be safe to travel by road again. I'm mostly worried about avoiding any guardians that may be still active."
Zelda had already spotted a few guardian stalkers in the distance. The memory of Link nearly dying at their metallic claws was still raw, and she was in no hurry to face them again. Besides, Zelda didn't think she could survive another encounter with them.
After finishing her edit to the map, Zelda folded the paper back into her pocket, quickly shoving the quill into her slightly worn, leather bag. They had stayed doing work for the stable for two days, earning Zelda a little extra money to get some supplies. Now having a bag, and at least some dried jerky for food, the former royal was glad to have stayed the extra time.
It was daytime, the sun shined high in the sky. Walking off the worn dirt path, Zelda headed for the forest, adjusting her bag and sword idly as she walked. While she didn't have the Master Sword's sheath, she managed to fashion a makeshift one to store it. Carrying it around all the time could get exhausting, after all.
"Your Grace, I have no data on the terrain of Hyrule any longer. What is our current objective, and where is it located?" Zelda blinked, realizing she only briefly mentioned to the Deku Tree where she had planned to go. Since they left the forest, Zelda hadn't stated their goal clearly, as the royal wasn't sure of it herself. Right now, she needed to check on Link. That was for sure. After that, Zelda wasn't sure. They needed to free the Divine Beasts of the Calamity's control, but Zelda was uncertain how to do that.
"We're heading to the Shrine of Resurrection. It's an old Sheikah medical center of some kind that I had Link taken to when he was hurt. He shouldn't be fully healed by now, but just in case, we should check anyway. His help would be invaluable if he was healed." Link would be much better suited to free the corrupted beasts. The Calamity has had nearly a century to seep malice into every inch of the beasts, no doubt they'd be infested with monsters or corrupted guardians, and Zelda had little to no skill in combat.
"I see. And after that, Your Grace?" Zelda flinched at the question, frowning.
"I'm not sure myself. But, let's take this one step at a time. For all we know, Link could have already awakened and freed the Divine Beasts!" It was a vain hope, but it was a hope Zelda would hold onto for the time being. Fi didn't seem to be bothered by Zelda's lack of plan though, or at least, Zelda didn't think she did. The sword spirit was inside the sword, and even when in physical form, had no emotions to her face.
"I have no data on these 'Divine Beasts'. Could you elaborate on their purpose?" Zelda glanced at the sword on her back, processing the question. She would have thought Fi would know about the beasts, they were ancient technology. Then again, Fi had told Zelda she lacked data on many things in Hyrule thus far, so it wasn't very surprising. Zelda just assumed it was because of the change from Calamity's destruction. But, perhaps even when the Master Sword had been in use, Fi herself had been dormant inside the sword. She would have been unaware of the world changing around her. Therefore, Fi must be more than a few centuries out of date. She may have missed entire eras going by, completely unaware! Regardless, Zelda filled her in:
"Of course, the Divine Beasts, from what we know of them, because we don't know much ourselves, actually. Anyways, the Divine Beasts and guardians were created by the ancient Sheikah clan in order to combat Calamity Ganon, alongside the hero of legend. They require a skilled individual to pilot them, and their power combined can nearly destroy Calamity." Obviously, even the beasts power wasn't enough to stop Ganon. It seemed like the Calamity easily struck the the champions down, corrupting the beasts. It made Zelda wonder what became of the champions. She knew all of them would have fought to their very last breath... The thought did nothing but sour any further thoughts.
"Fi, may I ask how you don't know of the beasts already? There is no doubt you, or the Master Sword, was present at the sealing of Ganon before. Didn't you see the beast aid the hero?"
Fi was silent for several moments, Zelda wondered if the sword spirit would answer. "I have been slumbering inside the sword for a long time. Originally, I was meant to slumber for eternity, after my original purpose was fulfilled." Fi's voice sounded almost wistful. Zelda questioned why the goddess Hylia made a sentient spirit but forced it to do only one task. It seemed rather cruel, but Zelda inwardly relented since she knew nothing of the creation of Fi.
"What made you wake up then?" Zelda remembered the Deku Tree already asked Fi this question, but she felt compelled to ask it herself.
"I am uncertain. I awoke hearing you defending my master. Then, when you were attacked, I was compelled to help. I could not have been idle while monsters brought harm to you." There was confusion in Fi's voice, which was odd. The spirit usually spoke with little inflection.
"Well, I'm grateful for the help! Something tells me I'm going to need all the help I can get..." Zelda gave a small smile to the sword. Fi didn't answer, but it didn't bother the hylian.
Focusing on the trek ahead, Zelda refocused herself on getting to the Great Plateau without getting annihilated by a guardian stalker.
It seemed luck was smiling on Zelda, perhaps getting her back for all the horror that came before. As the hylian briefly saw a stalker in the distance, she avoided it and quickly made her way ahead.
Central Hyrule seemed so different. Where once a busy center of the kingdom stood, a wasteland appeared, dotted by ruins of what once was. At the center, Hyrule Castle stood, the golden barrier shining brightly, even in broad daylight. Yet, even with the ruins, there was a still a sense of beauty around. The lush, green fields dotted by flowers extended for miles. A gentle breeze blew, making Zelda walk with a slight smile on her face. Despite everything, Hyrule was still alive and beautiful. Calamity hadn't robbed the land of everything.
It wasn't too long before Zelda spotted the Whistling Hill. Now that they were at least a fair distance from the castle, it was safe to travel by the roads. Off in the distance, Zelda could see the Great Plateau, though much of the architecture that had been built around it appeared to have fallen into great disrepair. The hylian hoped one of the ramps that were constructed were still intact, otherwise, there wasn't much hope in making the climb onto the plateau.
"GET BACK!" A voice screamed out, making Zelda jump in startlement. Instinctively, she ran towards both the plateau and the noise that sounded ahead of them. As she ran down the road quickly, Zelda spotted the person who yelled: a hylian man; brandishing a torch at a bokoblin. Terror was clear in his expression. Another person laid on the ground behind him, clutching their side in a vain struggle to get up.
"Fi! We have to help them!" Zelda grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword, but it seemed the sword spirit was already two steps ahead of her. In a flash of light, the sword spirit stood in front of the former royal. The flash drew the attention of the monster. As it let out a grotesque snarl, it turned away from the terrified man, smacking its wooden club off the ground several times in a fit of rage accompanied by several other gurgling growls.
"Please stand back, Your Grace. I do not wish to see you injured again."
Zelda wanted to protest, but the sword spirit was already moving. The bokoblin charged, raising its bat, but Fi easily glided out of the way. The sword spirit advanced as if she were a dancer gliding across a stage.
Twirling around the bokoblin, Fi swiftly kicked the bat right out off the shocked beast's hand. The bokoblin barely had a chance to register the hit before Fi kicked the beast's skull, sending it reeling. The monster snarled as it tried to stand back up, not willing to give up attacking. The determined sword spirit ended any retaliation it might have had. With an agile glide, Fi stomped on the monster's neck before it could get up. A loud snap resonated, causing Zelda to flinch. The bokoblin lay limp on the ground, and Fi stood next it, emotionless as ever, before turning to Zelda.
"The threat has been neutralized, Your Grace." Zelda gave the spirit a small smile. despite her slight agitation at not being able to help.
"Thank you Fi." The sword spirit nodded, remaining where she was while Zelda went over to the the man who was helping up his companion.
"Are you two okay?" The man looked at Zelda, putting his arm under that of his companion to help them up.
"We're both in one piece, thank ya kindly for the help there miss. Thought we might'a been goners there!" The man flashed Zelda a grateful smile as he finally got his companion to stand.
"No problem, do you need any help getting to safety?" Zelda offered, giving a concerned look to the man's companion. If they got hit by the monster's bat it probably at least broke a rib or two.
"We'll manage, thanks though. Anything we can do to repay you? We don't have much, most'a our gear was trashed by that monster." Zelda was about to decline any payment, but then she looked to the plateau. They were at what was left of the gatehouse, but no way onto the plateau seemed to have survived the past near century. Zelda figured advice may be a decent reward.
"Do you know a way onto the plateau? I need to get up there." The man tilted his head, giving Zelda a confused look.
"Only way is ta climb that I know of." Zelda inwardly cursed, glancing up at the steep plateau. The man pulled his bag out from behind his back and began to rummage through it before pulling something out.
"Here, it's the least we can do for ya, Miss.."
"Zelda." She answered for the man as she took what he was offering. A bottle, filled with a strange liquid Zelda couldn't place - maybe it was an elixir of some kind? Examining the bottle, she didn't notice the double take the man took at the revealing of her name.
"That's our last elixir, it should help give you some energy to make the climb. We gotta go, it's almost dark. Hate to survive today only ta get done in by a stalkoblin!" The man chuckled dryly, but started on his way, helping his friend down the road. Zelda gave them a wave and a quick "Good luck!" before focusing her gaze on the plateau in front of her.
Glancing down at the elixir, she determined that the concoction should be able to help her with the climb. It was almost dark though, and Zelda didn't like the idea of being in the open, climbing a wall, when a skeleton monster rose from the ground.
"Alright. We'll climb this tomorrow. The sun is nearly set so we should probably find a safe place to make camp." The former royal's stomach grumbled, reminding her she hadn't eaten all day, adding yet another reason why climbing the plateau now was less than a good idea.
"Of course, Your Grace." Fi's voice chimed, the sword spirit remaining outside, a rare occasion. Looking around, most of the ruins lacked any form of roof, luckily, rain didn't seem to be in the forecast. Zelda's choices weren't that great, but she determined a small nook in the remnants of a building, mostly hidden from view was the best choice.
The sun was setting, so the starved royal quickly gathered some tinder from the surrounding woods to make a fire. Luckily, she had gotten some flint before leaving the stable. Otherwise, starting a fire would have been a chore.
Soon the last sliver of sun was dipping behind the horizon and Zelda had a small fire started in her little nook. Fi had remained mostly silent as usual, but she was staying in her physical form. It was hard to tell if the sword spirit was watching Zelda or the area of potential threats, as the spirit's pupil-less eyes made it difficult to see where her gaze lay.
Sitting by the fire, Zelda let herself relax. Letting out a small yarn while she pulled out some of her food to eat. Nothing of note had really happened to them today, aside from the trek across Central Hyrule and helping the two hylians. As she ate, the former royal pulled out her makeshift map and made corrections. Finishing up, Zelda started to mentally plan her near future: sooner or later, she'd have to either hunt on her own or find a town or merchant that sold food. The main objective, though, was to make sure Link was okay. It was important to Zelda that she saw Link still lived with her own eyes.
Fi spoke up, shaking Zelda from making her mental agenda, "Your Grace."
"Yes Fi? Also... you know you don't have to call me 'Your Grace.' I'm not really princess of anything at this point." Though, it was nice hearing the lack of disdain in Fi's voice when calling her so, Zelda thought. Before, there were few who actually respected her, seeing Zelda as a failure for her inability to access her powers.
"I do not call you 'Your Grace' for your title of princess, but because you carry the blood of her grace, Hylia. I am not worthy to refer to Hylia's bloodline with anything but reverence, Your Grace." Fi bowed slightly, as if to prove her loyalty to Hylia, but Zelda only frowned.
"I'm not Hylia. I do not like the idea of being put up on the same level as her - I hardly deserve any respect meant for her when I can't even use the powers passed onto me because of her blood!" Even if she did have the blood of Hylia, no one should place themselves on the same level as gods. It was that kind of thinking that created monsters like Calamity Ganon.
"I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable, but I am unaccustomed to a world without Her Grace. I was created to serve the goddess, and without her orders I am lost." Zelda frowned, Fi's voice sounded so uncertain. It was clear the sword spirit was just as confused and lost at their predicament as Zelda was. Standing up, Zelda approached the sword spirit who stood not far from the fire. Placing a gentle hand on the spirit's shoulder, Zelda noted how cold Fi felt. Not even an ounce of body heat, which made sense, as Fi's body wasn't really alive.
"It's okay Fi, we're both a little out of element here. I was never really one to believe in the goddess. Years of praying for my power to come didn't give me much faith. But, I do know just because you can't hear orders from Hylia directly doesn't mean you can't serve her in your own way. I don't want you to feel like you have to help me because I have an ounce of her blood in me. You do what you feel is right." Fi's expressionless face watched Zelda, the sword spirit silently absorbing the goddess descendents words.
"It is my duty to protect Hylia's people and land, and I shall do so. I am with you, Princess Zelda." Fi gave a small bow, and Zelda smiled. While she wasn't really princess of anything at the moment, Fi seemed the type that would have to pry her formalities from her dead body before she gave them up. So, Zelda would accept it as progress. At least she seemed to help the spirit.
Going back over to her spot by the fire, Zelda put her things away, preparing to get some rest for the night.
"I require no rest, I will alert you if anything amiss comes while you sleep." Fi stated, turning her back on the former royal, watching the darkness around them for anything unsavory.
"Thank you Fi, good night." Zelda yawned, laying down and curling up near the fire. Quickly falling fast asleep, her tired body quick to accept the rest.
"Good night, Princess Zelda."
"Get up young one, there is much to do, and little time." Zelda jolted upright at the unfamiliar voice. Looking around, Zelda sprung to her feet, seeing she wasn't in the ruins outside the Great Plateau anymore. She was laying in the middle of what looked like a village of some kind. A fountain sat in the middle, while simple wooden houses surrounded the main street. Off in the distance, Zelda saw an unfamiliar castle. Yet, Zelda felt she'd seen it somewhere before. No people walked the streets as one would expect, they were empty, Zelda the only soul standing.
"There is little time," The voice whispered in Zelda's ear again, causing her to jump. Zelda tried to locate the voice but she saw no one but herself.
"Come to the temple," The voice whispered again, sounding as if it was coming from behind her. Spinning around, Zelda saw the temple the voice spoke of. A large structure that towered over the smaller houses. Having little other options, Zelda did as the voice bid, and started towards the temple.
As she got closer, she heard music filtering out from the building. A light noise, a flute maybe? Zelda couldn't place it. Walking up to the temple sent a wave of nostalgia through the former royal, she was unsure why though, she'd never been in this strange town before.
Walking up the stairs entering the massive temple, Zelda felt rather small. Inside, white marble covered the floor and walls and bright light, filtered from the windows, caused the stone to shine brightly. A person stood at the altar on the other side of the temple. Her back was turned to Zelda, but she could see blonde hair and a beautiful dress. The woman seemed to be the source of the light music as well, which began to fade away.
Then, the music stopped, and Zelda froze, holding her breath. The woman turned, her flowing dress making it seem like she glided around. Soft blue eyes stared at Zelda, and the woman smiled gently at her.
"Meet me at the Temple of Time." Her words were warm and felt so familiar. Zelda had no idea what she was talking about though.
"What? Who are you!?" The woman let out a soft sigh, still smiling at Zelda. Before she said anything though, Zelda felt the world jerk, and then she woke up.
Zelda nearly jumped out of her skin upon awakening. Vaguely, she heard a loud howling off in the distance, but it barely registered. Breath coming out in short, quick gasps Zelda looked around. She was back in the ruins. The fire was nearly out, and Fi stood nearby, cloak flowing gently in the wind.
"It was merely a wolf. You may go back to sleep." Fi spoke up as she glanced back at Zelda.
Taking several measured gulps of air, Zelda spoke, "It's fine, it wasn't the wolf. It was just a dream. Wait… wolf? Wolves aren't common in Central Hyrule!" Feeling no desire to go back to sleep after such a dream, Zelda instead focused on Fi's words. As if sensing Zelda's need to not think about her dream, Fi spoke up again, "It originated from the nearby woods, I do not believe we are in any danger." While Fi spoke, Zelda was already getting up, throwing on her bag and the Master Sword. Grabbing a branch she had set aside for more kindling, she lit it on fire, creating a makeshift torch.
"All the same I'd like to investigate. Perhaps wolves migrated to this area after most of our towns fell." Fi didn't protest as Zelda snuffed out the fire and got ready to head towards the woods. Though, Zelda got the feeling the sword spirit was silently thinking she was being a tad foolish.
Fi didn't return to the sword, but followed silently as Zelda made her way into the woods. Now fully awake, Zelda held her torch high, keeping an eye out for anything out of place.
Another loud howl echoed through the night, and Zelda winced. While she wasn't familiar with wolf howls, whatever was making that noise sounded in pain. It sounded close, too. The young hylian silently hoped she wasn't making a mistake by following the sound.
One last howl sounded out, and Zelda's ears rung at the loud, piercing noise. Continuing on, she found the beast making all the noise. Just as Fi had said, a wolf laid under a tree. Zelda moved closer, and her torch shed light on the beast, letting her see it. It wasn't that large of a wolf, but maybe that was on account of how thin it was. Ribs and hip bones protruded almost painfully from its skin. The beast was taking ragged breaths and appeared very weak, laying on the ground. It's fur was a green gray color, with a tan belly and highlights running through it.
Zelda frowned at the sight, the animal looked pathetic lying under the tree as if it was waiting for death to claim it. The wolf's ears perked up upon Zelda's approach, and its lip upturned slightly in a weak growl.
"I have heard no other howls responding to this one's. There is a high probability that its pack was killed or it was separated from them." The thought sent a pang of sympathy for the animal through Zelda. The wolf was tense. Its eyes watched Zelda, a snarl still on its lips. Without a pack, with the large amount of monsters, the beast no doubt had too much difficulty hunting alone.
Carefully pulling her bag around to reach inside, Zelda pulled out one of the few strips of jerky she still had left. She wasn't foolish enough to get within biting distance of the wolf. Instead, she carefully tossed the meat close to the wolf's head, the piece landing inches from its jaws.
The wolf jerked, thinking it was being attacked, but quickly went about sniffing the meat. After several interested sniffs, the wolf inhaled the meat in one snap of its jaws. Licking its lips, the wolf turned its gaze back on Zelda. This time, without growling, merely watching her with interest, ears perked up.
"Liked that did you? Here, have another." Smiling, Zelda tossed another piece of meat to the wolf. This time the beast didn't hesitate gulping up the meat like its life depended on it. Now, the wolf was watching her, licking its lips, its entire body had relaxed.
"Just one more, here." Zelda tossed the meat over to the wolf who happily snapped up the food in its jaws. As much as she wanted to help the beast more, she didn't have much food left, and feeding it all to the wolf wouldn't help her any.
"While I calculate its probability of survival is still low, there is a still a small chance." Fi noted, in what Zelda assumed was an attempt to make her feel better, since it was obvious they had to leave the beast now. The thought was appreciated, and Zelda gave a sad smile to the wolf. "Alright, let's head back." Zelda noticed the wolf perked up even more as it watched them leave. She didn't want to keep eyes on the beast, else she just might give the last of her food to the animal.
It didn't take them long to make it back to the small nook in the ruins they had made camp in. Zelda quickly went about rekindling her fire, dropping her stuff on the ground. After a small fire was burning, Zelda happily relaxed, laying back down. There was still at least a few hours of darkness left in the night, and tomorrow would be a busy day. She'd need the energy, and thanks to the distraction with the wolf, her dream was far from Zelda's mind when she laid back down, allowing her to quickly fall asleep.
Something wet and slobbery hitting her cheek was the first thing Zelda came to wake up to. The former royal jerked up, only to realize something large and heavy was on her. Opening her eyes, they widened upon seeing the wolf laying on her.
The wolf let out a low noise, proceeding to lick Zelda's cheek again. She sputtered, trying to push the animal off. The wolf let out a whine as it fell aside. Looking around, Zelda spotted Fi who stood where she was the entire night. She must have been giving the sword spirit a questioning look, as Fi was quick to respond:
"He did not appear threatening. It would have been a fruitless endeavor to wake you." Zelda wasn't sure, but there was almost humor lacing the spirit's voice. Before Zelda could retort, the wolf decided attention was not being given to him and that had to change. He threw his head back on Zelda with a large whine.
"Yes, I see you there. I don't have anymore food for you." The wolf huffed, wiggling his body, moving more of it onto Zelda. Luckily for her, the animal was so thin, otherwise Zelda thought he might crush her. Giving in to the wolf's demands for attention, Zelda ran her hands through the wolf's fur, giving a slight frown at the bones she felt.
Pleased, the wolf licked Zelda several more times before rolling off her. He took a few steps away, looking at Zelda, tail and ears perked up. Wiping the drool off her face with her sleeve, Zelda stood.
"When did he get here?" Zelda asked, looking to Fi as the wolf excitedly pounced on Zelda again. Jumping on its hind legs, putting its front paws on her shoulders, and nearly toppling the young hylian over. He licked her face again, and Zelda had to push him off to avoid anymore wolf slobber.
"He followed us as soon as we left, I assumed you noticed." Fi stated as if it was obvious. Zelda let out a nervous laugh, she certainly did not notice. At the very least, Fi thought she was competent enough to notice such things.
"Alright, well you're welcome for helping you boy, but we have to get going now." The sun was rising higher in the sky every minute, and unfortunately, Zelda had a wall to scale. Fi nodded in agreement, disappearing in a flash of light back into the sword. The wolf barked as Zelda grabbed her things and made sure the fire was thoroughly snuffed out.
"Sorry boy, but I can't carry you onto the plateau." The wolf barked again, and Zelda patted the beast's head. Getting into her pack, Zelda pulled out the elixir that the man they helped gave her.
Approaching the sheer wall that separated her from the plateau Zelda downed the elixir. As soon as the liquid settled in her stomach the former royal felt her body buzz with new found energy.
"I have found encouraging words often helped my former master accomplish challenging tasks. I believe you are fully capable of climbing this cliff."Zelda had to hold back the laugh at Fi's words, even still, a small chuckle escaped her lips.
"Thanks Fi, the vote of confidence is… uplifting." Wasting no more time, else the elixir wear off, Zelda jumped onto the cliff quickly, finding a firm footing on the remains of the walls that had been built around the plateau. Link had been an expert mountain climber. And he had taught Zelda a thing or two that helped her whenever she was going to more remote sheikah ruins.
Still, she was barely up the cliff and already she felt the strain on her muscles, her breath constricting. Below her, she heard the wolf making several loud barks, no doubt in protest as the animal demanded more food. Zelda ignored it and kept climbing, trying to keep her mind off the steady exhaustion rising in her muscles.
Unsure how long she climbed, Zelda soon dared to glance down, only to inhale sharply upon realizing how high she had managed to climb. The hylian froze, she was past the point of no return. If she fell from this height she would break something without a doubt, and she was so high up that she didn't have the energy to climb back down. The only place to go was up, so Zelda continued onward after the moment's pause. Fi remained silent for the climb, so as to not distract Zelda. The former royal couldn't hear the wolf's barking from below anymore, so she assumed the beast went off.
After what felt like forever, Zelda pulled herself onto the flat surface at the top of the cliff. Pulling herself up, she collapsed, rolling onto her back panting. Even with the elixir, Zelda felt immensely drained. Keeping her eyes closed and taking several measured breaths, the accomplished climber reopened her eyes to find Fi standing above her.
"Are you unharmed?" Zelda managed the best smile she could, despite her muscles feeling like someone put them through a ringer.
"I just need a minute, I'm fine. Don't worry!" Zelda gave a shaky thumbs ups before letting her hand fall, and her eyes fell shut once again. She laid there for at least another minute before sitting back up with a slight groan. Idly, she noted to praise Link on his mountain climbing skills at a later date - the knight made it look leagues easier than what Zelda had just experienced. She tried not to think how she'd have to make the climb down later.
"There is a pond over there. It is in your best interest to rehydrate." Fi noted softly, standing not far from Zelda, near the edge of the cliff. The sword spirit wasn't watching the former royal, instead unblinking eyes watched the horizon.
Zelda didn't need to be told twice, quickly making her way over to the small pond. Near the pond, the hylian spotted one of the old sheikah shrines, still intact, which gave Zelda hope that the Shrine of Resurrection would remain undamaged as well.
Kneeling down, Zelda scoped water out of the pond, bringing it to her lips. The cool liquid soothed her tired body a little. After a few more drinks, Zelda looked around for her spirit companion.
Fi had moved from her spot at the cliff's edge and was instead standing not far from the pond, looking off in the distance. Curious, Zelda followed what she believed was the spirit's gaze, finding it coming to rest on the large ruined temple ahead of them.
Frowning, Zelda found herself gazing at what remained of the Temple of Time. Once a sacred place that Zelda remembered visiting many times in her youth to pray, now had endured the test of time, appearing to have caved in slightly. Once beautiful stained glass windows had shattered. From the remains of guardians littered everywhere, it was clear the plateau had been hit hard by Ganon's minions. The Great Plateau had once been a busy center of trade. It was even said that the original Castle Town from the Era of Time was once here. Now though, it was nothing but an empty plateau dotted by ruins. Not wanting to dwell on the fact, Zelda began to head off in the direction she believed the shrine was. She stopped though, upon noticing Fi was not following nor returning to the sword. The sword spirit was still gazing at the temple in a daze.
"Fi?" Zelda prompted, the spirits blank eyes snapping to Zelda in an instant.
"Is something wrong?" Zelda asked, giving the sword spirit a concerned look. Fi, expressionless as ever, glanced back at the temple before her gaze returned to Zelda.
"Nothing Princess. I was simply lost in a memory." With a quick flash, Fi was gone, returning to the Master Sword before Zelda could question her. Figuring she wasn't going to get anything out of the spirit, Zelda pressed onto the shrine. Link was waiting after all.