Aryll looked over the edge of the plateau. It would be her first step into the unknown world that awaited below her. She had traveled to Oman Au shrine to get as close as she could to the road that the king had told her about. Thankfully, it seemed that the dizziness from her first travel had lessened. The fog that clouded the land around the plateau had disappeared. Grabbing her paraglider, she jumped over the edge and opened it up quickly. Her descent slowed down immediately and she landed gently on the ground below. She looked around the road for a moment, taking in everything around her. The worn stone road beneath her feet went eastward and westward. Small tree groves were spread about the plains around her. A bit of a ways down the road going west was a herd of wild horses grazing happily. The thing that caught most of her attention at the moment was a glowing pinwheel sitting atop a stoney hill in front of her. She went up to the pinwheel, curious as to why it was moving despite the stillness of the wind. The moment she stepped near it the sound of rustling leaves echoed around her. Floating balloons began to spin in a clockwise circle centered on the pinwheel. Targets like those found in an archery range were present on the balloons. Seeing it as impromptu target practice, she took out her bow and shot the balloons down with uncanny accuracy.

"Yahaha!"

Aryll turned to see a Korok now floating next to her. She accepted the… seed, and continued down the road. Night had set not long after she started her trek. Looking around for a safe place to sleep, she noticed another bokoblin camp not too far off the road from where she was. She snuck up close and was pleasantly surprised to see that there was just one on a tower and the rest were sleeping. The lookout was dealt with silently as she drew her bow and nailed it in the head. She crept up quietly to the sleeping bokoblins, taking out her claymore and lopping their heads off in their sleep. A blue bokoblin was among the group, causing slight concern, but it was just as easily dealt with as the others. She crawled into the remains of a ruined wagon, covering herself with a bit of rag that she had found and went to sleep.

In the morning, she continued down the road, coming across the ruins of what seemed to be an outpost, perhaps even a small town. Rusted weapons lay scattered about the place, looking as if they would break in an instant. Guardian corpses, whilst few, were also strewn about the ruins. She was hesitant about approaching them in the event they were merely sleeping and not actually dead, but did anyway and was able to scavenge more parts. One of the more intact ruins had a blue bokoblin standing guard over a chest. Without it noticing, she climbing above the wall behind it, grabbed one of spears, and jumped on top of it, slamming the tip directly into its skull. With the monster dead, she opened the chest and found a red gem inside. Using the slate, she discovered it was the currency of Hyrule, a rupee, and this one was worth twenty green ones.

Another group of bokoblins blocked her path as she continued forward, but she was able to deal with them easily. She found another shrine at the beginning of a bridge, Bosh Kala Shrine, and went to deal with it. The shrine involved using the paraglider to cross gaps via the wind blowing from the walls. She actually found it fun and went backwards to do it a few times, enjoying the thrill of being rushed through the air. Just as with the other shrines, the monk gave her a Spirit Orb and then disappeared into nothingness. Before she crossed the bridge, she spotted another monster camp that she also quickly disposed of using the explosives that surrounded the dancing bokoblins. Her reward was in the form of a bow much like the one she had found at the Temple of Time. As she crossed the bridge, she came across another Hylian who was spouting things about the Sheikah Towers and Shrines being the end of the world. Aryll promptly ignored him and continued forward. The woods along the path would have been quite nice if not for the fact that there were even more monster camps in them. She was starting to get a bit tired of them, but they did allow her to get new weapons and make the area safer to return to. A plume of smoke in the middle of the woods drew her attention and she marched towards it. Upon reaching the source, she discovered a Hylian merchant sitting around a fire resting.

"Oh!" the merchant waved upon seeing her, "Hello there!"

"Hi," she looked up at the sky, noticing how late it was becoming, "Do you mind if I rest with you for the night?"

"Sure, why not? We traveling folk gotta help each other, ya know?"

She sighed with relief as she sat down on the ground, leaning against the same log the merchant was, "I'm Aryll by the way,"

"Nice to meet you Aryll," the merchant held out his hand, "I'm Brig. If you want to trade anything, I'd be happy to take a look and see what you've got,"

She shook his hand and began to take out some of the monster parts that she had, selling them to him for rupees before trading the rupees back for arrows.

"So, whereabouts you heading miss?" Brig asked her.

"Kakariko village,"

"Good luck to you then,"

…

Morning came and she bid Brig a farewell. Traveling down the road, she noticed another Sheikah tower across the river that went under the Dueling Peaks. Seeing no reason not to, she used Cryonis to cross the river and reach the tower. When she placed the slate into the pedestal, she held her breath, hoping that there wouldn't be another earthquake.

"[Sheikah Tower Activated]"

She crossed her fingers as she waited.

"[Scanning Area…]

When the drop landed on the slate, she let out a sigh of relief. Thank Hylia she didn't have to go through that again. Grabbing the slate, she looked down at the map and noticed another symbol had been added. Touching it made words appear on the glass.

'Sheikah Sensor

Searching for Shrines.

The sensor reacts when you are close to shrines that you have not yet visited. If you head in the direction where the reaction is strongest, you should be able to find the shrine.'

"Oh that is going to be very helpful," Aryll said to herself.

The sensor started to beep, "Would you look at that, there's one nearby already,"

Following the sensor led her to a shrine that was in the gap between the peaks on the side of the river she was on. This shrine required her to focus on her timing as balls rolled down ramps that moved when she stood on buttons on the floor. At the last ramp, she noticed a chest that was on a platform out of reach. Looking around for a way to hold the button, she noticed metal barrels on the platform below her. Grabbing one with Magnesis, she placed it on the button and walked up the ramp to the platform. Inside, she found a bandana. She figured she would just put it on until she found something else. Further down the road, she saw what appeared to be a stable. She was walking towards it when another merchant with a giant backpack suddenly stepped in front of her.

"Hey! I don't believe I've made your acquaintance!" the excited merchant exclaimed, "The name's Beedle, but you can call me– Actually, let's just stick with Beedle. But even if you forget my face, you can remember me by my beetle-shaped backpack,"

"Yeah. I don't think I can forget either of those things," she said she stared at the backpack.

"Despite these dangerous times, you'll find me traveling all over Hyrule to fulfill your shopping needs! I stock many special bugs and must-have items for travelers, and I always charge a fair price… or my name's not Beedle! I also buy all sorts of things, if you're in need of rupees. Gemstones in particular fetch a high prince!"

"Like this one?" she reached into her bag and pulled out a ruby she got from a shiny outcropping she spotted earlier.

"Oh yes indeed! One of those will get you 210 rupees!"

"Alrighty then," they traded goods before each left in opposite directions. Having a traveling merchant like that would be very helpful in the future. When she made it to the stable, she wondered around talking to various folks about different things. A man was mumbling things to himself and eventually she approached him asking what he was mumbling about.

"I've been doing rigorous research day and night to figure out the muster of that blood moon," the man explained.

"What's a blood moon?" Aryll didn't like the sound of whatever it was.

"You don't know it?" the man asked her.

Aryll shrugged, "You could say I've been a bit sheltered,"

"That's inexcusable. Listen up and I'll tell you about it," the man turned to her with every bit of seriousness on his face he could possibly muster, "For one-hundred years now, every so often when the clock strikes midnight, the sky turns red and a full moon rises… At that moment, monsters that had been previously defeated will come back to life. And that's what is known as the blood moon!"

Her eyes widened at what the blood moon meant. All the progress she had made in defeating monsters would have been for naught. She bid the man farewell, noticing the sky was beginning to dim. Walking over to the fire with the cooking pot, she made herself a meal for the night and settled down. She asked the stable owner for a bed and paid the amount needed to do so. This was probably the best sleep she had since waking up in that shrine.

The next morning, she woke up, ate a breakfast of steamed fruit, and continued onwards towards Kakariko village. The bridge on the way there was in such a state of disrepair that Aryll was surprised it hadn't collapsed already. She was making her way up the hill when she noticed a much larger Korok than the ones she had seen before. A traveler had walked by, not even acknowledging it, reminding her that not everyone could see the Koroks. She walked up to the large wooden creature and said, "Hello,"

"Shalaka?!" the Korok exclaimed, "You! You can see me?!"

"Nope," she said to them.

"Sholoko?! They how are you talking to me, silly girl?" the creature asked, not picking up on her joke.

"It's been one-hundred years since anyone has been able to see me! I'm Hestu, and I need your help! Those monsters over there stole my beloved maracas!" they pointed at an opening in the rocks ahead of them, "I think they're still there on the other side of those rocks. I can't use my powers without them. Shoko…"

Aryll felt a little sad for the large Korok. Not being able to be seen or heard by anyone besides her for a hundred years must have been lonely for them.

"I'll get you your maracas back. Give me a little bit," she told him.

"Thank you shala!" the Korok waved as she walked towards the opening. On the other side were a small group of blue bokoblins that she took care of using a claymore she found in a shrine. They stood no chance and were quickly decimated. Grabbing the maracas, she made her way back to Hestu and handed them over.

"SHALA-KALA!" Hestu exclaimed, "Those are… Those are my maracas!"

The large Korok played with maracas, twirling in a circle and singing as he did so. Suddenly, he stopped, "Wait! There's something wrong with my maracas! The Korok seeds inside are gone! How am I supposed to dance now? Shoko…"

"Korok seeds?" she reached into her pouch, "Like these?"

"Shala! You have Korok seeds! Now I can use my powers to help you! I have the power of inventory expansion, so I can make the inventory of your bag bigger!" Hestu looked down at the Korok bag on her side, "What stash do you want more slots in?"

She put a hand to her chin in thought, "How about… weapons,"

"Oh yeah! Shaky sha-kah!" Hestu suddenly started doing a dance and finished with a puff of magic coming out of his maracas. Nothing appeared to be happening.

"Is that it?" she asked.

"Take a look at that slate you have shaka," Hestu told her.

She took out the slate and poked the screen to light it up. There was now a new label at the top, 'Inventory'. She poked the label and a bunch of boxes showed up, each with various items in it.

"You can see just what you have in your bag with the slate! Shala-kah!"

"Okay. Yeah, that's amazing," she said with wide eyes, "Thanks, that'll be a big help in the future,"

"I still smell Korok seeds on you. Want me to expand your inventory again?"

After another dance from Hestu, Aryll started making her wasy to Kakariko Village once again. The road ran through a small valley shaded by the cliffs around it. She found another Korok and also a frog. Something about the frog made her hesitate, but she put it in her bag anyway. From what she learned talking to people at the stable, critters could be used to make elixirs that would help her along the way. Information from the slate told her that the frog could be used to create a speed-boost elixir. Eventually, she walked under two gates and finally made it to her destination, Kakariko Village.

"Ouch!"

She turned her head to see someone on a path laying down on the ground. They seemed to be an elderly woman.

"Are you alright?" she asked, leaning down to help her up.

"I seem to have twisted my ankle. Thank you for helping me," the woman looked down to Aryll's hip, "Say young lady, where did you get that… object hanging from your waist?"

She scratched the back of her neck, "It's a bit of a long story. I woke up in a shrine and picked it up from a nearby pedestal. Kept it with me ever since," she paused, "I guess not that long of a story,"

The woman nodded, "That Sheikah Slate is a symbol. It means you are the hero of legend,"

"Hero of legend?" Aryll shook her head, "Sorry but that isn't me. Supposedly the hero died long ago,"

"We Sheikah have been waiting for you for a very long time," the woman continued, "Please… before all else, I must insist that you meet with our leader, Lady Impa,"

"That's who I'm here to see," Aryll told her, "Where is she?"

The elderly woman turned and pointed at a house that was on a raised hill next to a couple waterfalls, "Lady Impa's house is below Lantern Falls–just over there,"

As she walked through the village, she waved at people that were walking about. There were a few that walked up to her, saying how wonderful it was to meet the hero. Aryll tried to correct them, but none of her words seemed to be taken. Nearing the house, she saw two men standing in front of the stairs that led up to the house. Both of them went on guard upon seeing her.

"You there! Who are you?! How dare you trespass upon Lady Impa's abode!"

"Wait!" she held up her hands, "I was told I had to meet her!"

"Hm?" one of them looked down at her hip, "Is that… a Sheikah Slate? But that would mean you are… No, it's not possible. Can it be?"

She groaned, "Let me guess… the 'hero of legend'?"

They both relaxed their stances bowing their heads, "Please forgive us for behaving so rudely. Of course we have heard the legends from Lady Impa herself. Please, friend… Go ahead and step inside,"

"Thanks," she said to the two of them as she ascended the stairs. At the top, there was a young woman scrubbing at the floor. She looked up and saw her.

"O-Oh. Hello!" she then noticed the slate on her hip, like everyone else, "Is that… It's a Sheikah Slate! Could you be the hero my grandmother told me about? What was their name?"

"I'm Aryll,"

"Oh! My name is Paya!" the girl finally told her.

"Nice to meet you Paya. I'm gonna guess your grandmother is Impa? Can I see her?"

"Y-Yes. Please hurry inside!"

Aryll opened the doors to see a petite old woman with a very wide had sitting on a stack of red cushions at the other end of the room. The old woman looked up to greet her with a smile on her face.

"So, you're finally awake. It has been quite a long time Aryll. I may be much older, but you remember me, don't you?" the old woman seemed to notice something about her, "What's the matter? You are looking at me as though I am a stranger to you. Those eyes… They lack the light of familiarity,"

Aryll sighed, "I'm afraid I don't remember you. Apparently, I have lost my memory,"

"I see…" Impa's face gained a frown, "Well, it matters not. In fact, that may actually be a blessing in disguise for the time being. Dearest Aryll… Please come a bit closer,"

Aryll appeased the old woman and walked so she stood in front of her.

"A hundred years ago…" the old woman began, "Yes… A hundred years ago, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. After you fell, Princess Zelda's final wish was to place you in a sacred slumber. And then… all alone… Alone she went to face Ganon. Before Princess Zelda went to nobly meet her fate… she entrusted me with some words she wished to say to you. I have been waiting one hundred years to deliver the princess's message,"

"…Okay…" she didn't know why she was dragging this out.

"However!" there it is, "These words, which the princess risked her life to leave you… Well, if you are to hear them–"

"Just tell me them already,"

"In a moment…" the old woman chastised her, "You would be risking life and limb upon hearing these words. But I am afraid that burden may be too much to bear while you are still without your memories. I leave the choice to you. When you feel you are ready to receive the princess's message, return to me,"

"Again…" Aryll sighed, "I'm already going to be fighting Ganon. I can handle whatever it is that comes with the words,"

Impa smiled and whispered to herself, "Impulsive as ever I see,"

"What?" Aryll asked, not hearing what she said.

"Not a memory to your name, yet you are as intent as ever to charge forward with only bravery and justice on your side. You really haven't changed a bit," Impa lost her smile once again, "Very well. Since you have lost your memory, I will recount for you all that has happened…"

Aryll stood there, giving Impa her full attention as she listened to the tale,

"The history of the royal family of Hyrule, is also the history of Calamity Ganon, a primal evil that has endured over the ages," the Sheikah elder told her, "This evil has been turned back time and time again by a warrior wielding the soul of a hero, and a princess who carries the blood of the Goddess. With the passage of time, each conflict with Ganon faded into legend. So listen closely as I tell you of this 'legend' that occurred ten thousand years ago,

"Hyrule was then blossoming as a highly advanced civilization. Even the most powerful monsters posed little threat to denizens of the realm. The people thought it wise to utilize their technological prowess to ensure the safety of the land should Calamity Ganon ever return. They constructed four mechanical wonders that came to be known as the Divine Beasts. They built a legion of autonomous weapons called Guardians. The Divine Beasts were piloted by four individuals of exceptional skill from across the land. And thus, the plan to neutralize Ganon was forged. Upon Ganon's inevitable return to Hyrule the princess and the hero fought alongside these four Champions against this ancient evil. The Guardians were tasked with protecting the hero as the Divine Beasts unleashed a furious attack upon their terrible foe. And when the hero wielding the sword that seals the darkness delivered his final blow… the princess used her sacred power to seal away Calamity Ganon,

"A hundred years ago… in preparation for the foretold revival of Ganon, we strove to follow the lead of our ancestors of ten thousand years prior. But… in the end…" Impa let out a mournful sigh, "Despite our best efforts and careful planning, we underestimated his power. In order to avoid ever making that grave mistake again, the princess left you these words… Free the four Divine Beasts!"

Aryll nodded, "Got it. Anything you can tell me about the Divine Beasts?"

"The four Divine Beasts are the ancient Sheikah weapons wielded by the four Champions who Ganon defeated. The Divine Beast Vah Rudania, controlled by Daruk of the Gorons. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh, controlled by Revali of the Rito. The Divine Beast Vah Ruta, controlled by Mipha of the Zora. And the Divine Beast Vah Naboris, controlled by Urbosa of the Gerudo,"

For some reason, the name Mipha was familiar to her. Maybe she knew the person before she lost her memories.

"It would be extremely ill-advised to face Ganon without the power of the Divine Beasts to help you. You must infiltrate the Divine Beasts that were stolen away by Ganon 100 years ago and bring them back to our side More information about these Divine Beasts can be found by locating the four races scattered across Hyrule. The Sheikah Slate will guide you on your way. You must go where it tells you and meet with each leader there,"

Aryll pulled out the Sheikah Slate and took a look at it. A new quest was added to the log, and four yellow points were marked on the map in the four corners.

"Hm…" Impa looked over the slate, "…It seems to me that your Sheikah Slate is not yet complete. The device Princess Zelda left you is your guide and also your memory. Let me think… Someone at the research lab in Hateno Village might be able to help you,"

"I saw a sign for it on the way here. I'll head there next," she turned to leave the house.

Before she got to the door, Impa called out one last time, "You are Princess Zelda's only hope… and Hyrule's as well… You cannot turn back now. Follow your heart and seize your destiny!"

Aryll almost walked directly into Paya as she left. After apologizing to the girl, she started making plans to head to Hateno. The first thing she was going to do was head up to the shrine that was on a cliff behind one of the houses. The fastest way to the Shrine would be climbing the cliff instead of taking the long path around. She decided it would be a good way to exercise her core and began the climb. As she was doing so, it felt as if something was flowing from the bandana she wore, enhancing her strength as she climbed. Perhaps the clothing was meant to strengthen the wearer for climbing specifically. Wandering up to Ta'loh Naeg Shrine, she placed the slate on the pedestal and walked inside. When the platform stopped moving, she stepped out into a large, flat room.

"To you who sets foot in this shrine… I am Ta'loh Naeg. I share with you my knowledge, that it may please Hylia,"

"Huh," Aryll looked around the room and stepped forward, "Okay,"

To her left and right were two chests. One had a long, curved sword inside and the other had a shield with the symbol of the Sheikah on it. She took out one of her less durable shields and stuck the new one inside. When she walked towards the hole in the center of the room, the floor shook slightly. A platform was raised in the hole to reveal a mechanical machine that she had seen in previous shrines. This one, however, wielded a sword that appeared to be made of blue light.

"Use a side hop to avoid enemy attacks. This will create an opening that you can use to strike back,"

"Alright then," she walked forward, drawing a one-handed club and waited for the mini-Guardian to attack. The moment she saw the sword swing down at her, she dodged to the side. Something changed the moment she did so, it was like time had slowed down from her perspective. With a quick dash forward, she swung her club over and over before the mini-Guardian could react. The voice of the monk reached her once again.

"Do a backflip to avoid enemy attacks, and create an opening to strike back,"

The mini-guardian swung its sword horizontally, making her have to jump backwards to avoid it. A similar phenomenon occurred, allowing her to strike with the club multiple times in the span of a second.

"You can repel an attack if you parry with your shield at just the right time. Strike back in the opening you create,"

Aryll held up her shield, standing ready to strike back, "Here we go,"

The mini-guardian brought down its sword on her again. She swung her shield, creating the opening to swing at it again. Before she could do so, the voice of the monk reached her.

"Build up your power, and then release it to unleash a charge attack. Catch your enemies in this motion to damage them,"

"Build up power?" she thought out loud. She took a moment to step aside and think about how that would work. Thankfully, the mini-guardian didn't seem to be able to move from the center where it was positioned. She sat down and closed her eyes, thinking about what power could mean. The moment she began concentrating, it felt as if she found a whole new series of veins in her body. This new system caused magic to flow throughout her and she could manipulate it. She stood up and began to concentrate on channeling the magical energy into her arms. With a mighty swing, the sword cut through the air surrounding her as she spun. When the spin finished, she had only felt a slight bit of fatigue that cleared quickly. The technique made her smile with the revelation of what she could do. It would help her clear the area around her, giving her some breathing space to strike back. Using the magic made her curious as to what she could accomplish with it. She grabbed a spear from her bag, channeled the energy once again, and launched into a series of high-speed repeated jabs. Now grabbing a claymore, she used her magic to spin her around in a circle like a top, creating a whirlwind of destruction. Just like before, she only felt a slight fatigue that quickly faded. With a grin, she grabbed another club from her bag, walked up to the mini-guardian, and took it down with a single spin attack. The mechanical creature exploded, leaving the only things to be salvaged a screw, a spring, and the sword that it wielded.

"You have done well to learn these crucial skills," the monk told her "Now, proceed,"

Despite what the monk had said, it didn't feel like she had only just learned those skills. It was if her body remembered using them at one point, like it was hammered into her. Another mystery she put to the side for the time being. Shaking her head of idle thoughts, she walked past the previously closed gates, opened the chest on the other side to gain an opal, and opened the cage that contained the monk.

"Your triumph over the test of strength subverts a prophecy of ruin. From the ashes of Hyrule, a hero rises. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb,"

Aryll was troubled by what people kept saying about her. She wasn't a hero. In fact, she wasn't anyone. She didn't have any memories, just instincts. And the actual hero chosen by the sword had died long ago. Why didn't they save him instead? Why her? Things just weren't adding up. She sighed, walking over to the moving platform and headed back to the surface.

When she made it above ground, she noticed the sun in the distance starting to lower. A look at her Sheikah Slate confirmed that it was getting closer to night. She decided she would stay in Kakariko for the night, but that was still a while away. If she was going to be here often, she figured it would be good to get a lay of the land and the people that lived in it. One of the guards from Impa's house was standing next to a pen of cuccos. He seemed to be panicking, so Aryll asked what was wrong.

"Lady… Lady Aryll... My Cuccos… My precious Cuccos… They haven't come home yet!" he suddenly started sobbing into his hands.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, "Look I'll get your Cuccos back. Just wait here,"

It took her about two hours to find all of the chickens. They were very much spread throughout the village. Some were even on houses, but she did manage to find all of them. One thing she did discover as she was doing so, was the fact that she had been subconsciously using her magic to allow her to climb the sheer surfaces of walls and cliffs. She also learned that she was very good at handling Cuccos and was complimented as such by Cado, the Sheikah who took care of the small feathered creatures. He was very grateful to her and as a reward she was able to add a purple rupee to her bag. With that finished, and her exhausted, she went over to the inn and spent the night resting on a bed.