After dinner, Izuku followed Rhoam as the old man ushered them into his cabin. The first thing Izuku noticed was just how old the cabin felt. The entire structure had been built to rest on a large weathered boulder that also served as most of the west wall. Moss grew on the stacked stones that formed the base and foundation of the structure, and the logs piled on top of them looked brittle and had shifted, forming small gaps that allowed breezes to blow through. A quiet flapping sound from overhead caught Izuku's attention, and a quick glance revealed that the roof wasn't much more than a weathered tarp of some kind stretched over some poles. Still, he reflected, it was shelter.

Rhoam paid no attention to the flapping and instead gestured for his three guests to seat themselves around the large table and rough chairs that, alongside a crude bed and a plank on top of a pile of stones that served as a counter, served as the sparse furnishing for the cottage. "Please, sit. We have some time before full dark, so you might as well be comfortable while you plan." He took his own advice and sat on his bed. "What do you intend to do now?"

Link moved over by the table, but didn't sit down, instead leaning over the table. "Well, we're going to take care of those bokoblins for you first. I'm amazed that they haven't attacked you already."

"They have tried, once or twice, but I've been able to scare them off one way or another. Still, it would be good to have them permanently removed." The old man paused for a moment, his features darkening. "I'm afraid that I may have some bad news for you two. My last encounter with bokoblins didn't go nearly so well as I would have liked, and my glider was damaged. I am working on repairing it, but it might take some time."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Once we k-kill the bokoblins, we can use this as a safe base of operations," Izuku said, stumbling over the still-prickly feelings of fighting for one's life. "While you fix it, Link and I can go visit the last two shrines, the ones in the mountains."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me." Rhoam got up and pulled a trunk out from under his bed, which he started rummaging in. "Let's see, where did I put those... Aha! Here we are." When the man stood and turned, he was holding what appeared to be several bundles of cloth held together by twine, which he handed to both Link and Izuku. "It's cold up on those mountains, so you'll want to wear these."

Curious, Izuku undid the binding and unrolled the bundle to reveal a long-sleeved shirt of some kind with a green woolen tunic and gloves. He ran his hands over the tunic and hefted it. 'This seems like it'll be warm.' Beside him, Link was holding a similar tunic-and-shirt bundle. The only difference that Izuku could see was that his new friend's tunic was dark blue with white highlights.

"These are two of my spare warm doublets," Rhoam explained. "They should keep you warm enough while up on the mountains."

Izuku turned the item over in his hands before looking up. "T-thank you," he said, feeling tears well up in his eyes at the old man's sudden kindness.

All Might, who had been quiet up until this point, spoke up. "Geez, kid, lay off the tears already. You're my successor, you can't be crying all the time." Izuku flushed and tried to stammer out a response, but All Might just waved it away. "You're doing fine. Anyway, what's the big rush to take out these creatures? Like Young Midoriya said, you two have time to wait while the glider is fixed."

Link shrugged. "I feel a sense of urgency. Something's going to happen, but I couldn't tell you what. Also, this will provide Izuku with an opportunity to try out the skills we practiced earlier today."

"Skills?" All Might turned back to his student. "Learn to use that big sword, did you?"

Izuku flushed. "N-no, not that. Link suggested that I focus more on defense; that way, I can protect myself while making openings to use One—Superpower."

Japan's Number One Hero stroked his chin. "That's not a bad idea, especially with the damage you sustained to your arms."

"Damage? What damage?" Link demanded, suddenly looking much more serious.

Izuku winced. With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about his most recent hospital trip. The doctor had made it very clear that he couldn't use his arms the way he had in the past, which made it all the more important that he figure out how to use the shield effectively. "I told you before, I can't use Superpower to its full potential yet; my body's not strong enough. Doing so can seriously hurt me. I had to use it at full power to save a kid from a villain, which seriously messed up my arms. The doctor said that I can only sustain that kind of damage a couple of more times before it might be permanent."

"Malice take us all, that would have been good to know beforehand," Link cursed. He ran a hand through his hair and his eyes focused on something off in the distance. "You should be fine with the bokoblins, especially the red and blue ones; they don't hit all that hard. We'll have to work out some techniques for fighting tougher monsters, though; one good hit from a Moblin's club is often enough to launch a man in armor."

Izuku wasn't quite sure what a Moblin was, but he was pretty sure that he didn't want to find out. "S-sorry, I should have said something sooner."

The group lapsed into silence. Izuku couldn't help but feel bad about not telling Link, even though he had only just remembered himself. He didn't know much about using weapons, but he imagined having past injuries made it more difficult. 'Maybe this is what Recovery Girl meant when she said that "bones aren't just a resource."'

After a few moments, Izuku heard All Might shift in his chair. "Well, since you can't use it, why don't you leave that here?"

"That's a good idea," Rhoam said. "It will only weigh you down out there, and who knows? We may find a use for it here."

Izuku nodded and ducked outside to retrieve the claymore from where he had left it and his shield leaning against the log by the fireside. He sighed as he hefted the large sword; it was probably for the best, but he still couldn't help but be a bit sad that he wouldn't be learning how to use a sword. As he turned to go back in, he noticed a flickering orange glow off from the north-east, close to the path that he and Link and followed earlier that day.

'That must be the bokoblins.' If they were that close, then there wasn't much time to lose. He hurried back inside, stopping just inside the door frame and setting the sword by the door. "Link those bokoblins are a lot closer than we thought."

"Why do you say that?"

"I can see their fire from outside."

Link picked up his gear and gestured for Izuku to follow before exiting. Izuku scurried after him, pausing only long enough to acknowledge All Might's admonition that they be careful and to snatch his shield.

The tall grass crunched under his feet as he followed Link through the trees toward the mountain's base. The orange glow got brighter as they approached, seemingly coming from over a low rise just ahead of them. As they started up the hill, Link waved for him to slow down and crouched down. Izuku mimicked him and found that the level of noise that he had been making was drastically reduced. 'That makes sense. Less spead and more precise movements would mean less noise from broken grass.' He shook his head at the realization. He needed to consider things like this if he was going to survive.

He was so focused on trying to minimize his own noise output that he almost bumped into Link at the top of the rise. His apologies were cut short by the warrior, who just gestured for him to get even lower and then peered over the crest of the hill. Izuku followed his example, and what he saw made his heart drop.

A small encampment spread out below them. The source of the light Izuku had seen was a big bonfire in the center of the camp, over which the bokoblins were roasting some sort of meat. Several large crates surrounded the fire, though what they were there for, Izuku couldn't guess. As his eyes adjusted more, he saw the bokoblins themselves. There were only three of them around the fire, and they appeared to be just enjoying themselves, dancing around the fire and waiting for their meal to finish. Link nudged him and pointed; a little ways to their right, a lone bokoblin stood guard from atop a ramshackle watchtower. It would look in one direction for a little while before turning and looking in another direction.

The two observed the camp for a few moments before Link tugged on Izuku's shirt and started crawling back down the hill. Once at the bottom, he asked, "What did you notice?"

Izuku thought back over the scene. "I don't think they're expecting any trouble. The group by the fire didn't seem too worried about any attack, and they've only got the one sentry." He frowned. "That sentry looked pretty alert, though."

Link nodded. "Good. What else did you notice?"

Izuku hesitated. Was there something else worth noting? "There were crates around the fire?"

"Among other things, yes. More importantly, the firelight is casting some pretty long shadows that we can use to sneak up closer." Link unhooked his bow and strung it, bending it back slightly to test before nodding to himself. "Of course, that won't work if the sentry spots us. He'll alert the others, and who knows? Maybe there's another camp nearby that would respond to the alarm, and then we'd be in much more trouble."

"So I guess we need to take care of the sentry first." Izuku thought hard for a second. "Why don't I sneak up the hill a little closer to the camp, close to one of those shadows you mentioned? That way, you can deal with the sentry, and I can get in a position to h-hit the others."

In the darkness, Izuku couldn't see Link's face all that clearly, but he thought that the Hylian was weighing the options. "Why do you want to lead the charge here? You'll have to kill the bokoblins."

Izuku gulped. "B-because we have to do it anyway, and if I don't, Rhoam might be in trouble when we leave."

After what seemed like an eternity, Link nodded. "All right. Go in once you see the sentry go down." Before Izuku could respond, Link spun around and crept back up the hill. He watched the Hylian go for a moment before angling toward the camp. When he crested the hill, he examined the valley, noting the different shadows that Link had mentioned. 'He's right, they are pretty big.' He glanced over at the sentry and at the bokoblins by the fire to make sure they were looking elsewhere before sliding down the hill into the shadow.

'I can't believe I'm doing this.' He crept over toward the crate, trying to make as little noise as possible while simultaneously keeping an eye on the sentry. Other than an occasional glance to one side or the other, the red creature continued to look up at the entrance to the valley. Izuku leaned forward, ready to sneak to the next crate, but froze when the sentry glanced to the side and perked up. It peered up at the hilltop where Link had gone before jumping in alarm and going for the horn at its side.

Shnick!

The monster's head snapped backward, the force of the unseen blow knocking it off its tower, where it collapsed in a motionless pile. Izuku swallowed heavily. 'I'm glad Link's on my side.'

Now that the sentry had been taken care of, Izuku didn't have to worry about being spotted from behind. He quickly darted behind the next crate and peered around at the fire. The bokoblins hadn't taken any notice of their friend's demise and were still dancing around the fire. He took another big breath to try and calm his nerves before starting his distraction.

He scooped up a good-sized rock by his feet, stepped out from behind the crate, and hurled it at the monsters. It passed between the first two bokoblins and hit one of the poles supporting the roasting spit, knocking it over and sending it crashing into the flames. The nearest two monsters whirled around to face Izuku and snarled when they saw him, snatching up their weapons and launching themselves at him. He barely got his shield up as the first club came down on him.

Thunk... Thunk...

He ducked around the next blow, trying to keep both opponents in front of him.

Thunk... Thunk...

The monsters didn't seem to be terribly skilled. He blocked another blow and then saw an opening.

Thunk... Whump!

"Smash!"

The force of One for All sent the bokoblin crashing back into the crate, which shattered under the impact and collapsed. Izuku whirled around in time to see the other shrieking creature leap at him, its club swinging rushing toward him, and he raised his shield.

Thunk... Whump!

He smashed the second monster just as flat as the first. Its jump attack left it defenseless, and the attack itself had been easy to block. He saw the cloud of dark smoke leave the body and knew he didn't have to worry about that monster any more. Which left one more. He raised his shield and turned toward the fire, ready to intercept the next attack.

But it didn't come.

'What?' Izuku looked around, trying to find his opponent. He finally located its body—blue, he realized—next to Link, who was sitting and watching Izuku. He nodded when he saw that Izuku had noticed him, and he could see the blond's satisfied smile in the firelight. "Good job. We'll make a warrior out of you yet."

Izuku smiled sheepishly before his eyes drifted back to the bokoblins he had killed. He shuddered; he wasn't sure if becoming a warrior was a good thing, but he had a sinking suspicion that he didn't have much of a choice.

The man known as All for One observed the land. Below him, large metallic spiders crawled over and through what must have once been a proud city and an even prouder castle. No longer, it appeared. The buildings were blackened and reduced to rubble in many places, and though the destruction must have been long ago, he could still sense small amounts of residual heat in some places, perhaps from the large machines' lasers. The castle itself remained largely intact, but was covered in a terrible sludge that seemed to glow with an almost unnatural light, even to his sightless eyes. He allowed himself a small smile; perhaps the Good Doctor would like a sample to use in his experiments.

Other than the spiders and creatures that Tomura and his friends had discovered in the castle proper, there was nothing living. No plants grew nor did animals roam for a distance from the castle grounds. If they did, then they were of a sort of life that was undetectable by infrared, and he was too far away to detect them through any other means.

The vibrations from behind him, however, he could sense, and judging from the frequency and weight, he could tell that Tomura had returned and was in one of his moods again. He didn't turn around, instead letting the young man approach. "What is it, Tomura?"

"We've cleared the rest of the creatures from the main areas of the castle, Master." The scritch scritch of Tomura scratching his neck accompanied his statement. "Compress and Kurogiri have been examining the sac in the throne room, but it doesn't seem to pose us any threat."

All for One smiled. "And yet you seem troubled. What bothers you, Tomura?"

"We have been here for a week, and we still haven't seen any sign of All Might or the kid," Tomura rasped. "I don't like it. What if they're hiding somewhere, waiting for us to let our guard down?"

"I do not think that to be likely." All for One turned to face his protege. While his father's hand might obscure his features from his friends, it could not hide the young man's confusion and worship from the villain. "Let us consider things logically. Pay attention, Tomura, as this could be an important lesson.

"Consider our location: a ruin of a castle filled to the brim with evil power. You saw the creature appear and ride across the sky, yes? Then you know what I'm talking about." All for One tapped the worn stone wall. "Such a power would be utterly repugnant to a self-righteous hero like All Might. Whatever force brought us here must have used the concept of like objects attracting one another. We were brought here, to the seat of power, while All Might and your piece have been sent somewhere else."

The young man growled. "So we have to go hunt him down again?"

"That is certainly an option. However, heroes have a tendency to meddle. Eventually, they sense the power surrounding this castle and will be forced to investigate."

A dull, rumbling roar from outside prevented the supervillain from continuing. As he turned toward the sound, he could sense the dark energy of the place coalescing once again into the giant boar-like phantom that roamed across the sky above the castle. He watched it gallop through the air, and he felt Tomura move up beside him to observe, though he sensed boredom in the youth. He resisted the urge to sigh; the boy just didn't have much of a sense for the curious.

And what a curiosity this was. All for One tried to follow the trails of energy that led up toward the creature, no easy task, even for one such as himself. He couldn't see the strands and had no idea what it might physically look like. Instead, the infrared Quirk he had acquired years ago registered it, and he was able to trace the twisting red-black strands from the sky to several giant pillars that surrounded the ruins. 'But are the pillars the source, or do they merely channel the energy from somewhere else?'

Eventually, the energy flows were interrupted again by a strange, radiating heat, the origin of which he still hadn't been able to locate. The creature dissipated with one final shriek, and then the night was silent, save for the mechanical grinding of gears from the distant war machines.

'I must find the source of this power.' All for One turned his head slightly to address his pupil. "I will not tell you to stay here. You and your friends may stay or search for your new piece as you wish. Remember, Tomura: this is all for you, and you must learn to handle such setbacks with grace and cunning."

He smiled in satisfaction beneath his mask as he sensed Tomura's confusion harden into angry resolve. "We'll begin scouting the area, then. Maybe we'll find someone who can tell us a little more about what's going on."

"Excellent. I shall remain here; there are still several things I wish to investigate."

The man known as All for One listened as his heir went off to gather his friends before turning to look up toward the center of the castle, where a single pulse of the beast's energy had glimmered. "Oh yes, there are still a great many things that I wish to know about this place."

Link stepped up onto the raised ledge and looked around while Midoriya clambered up behind him. This shrine had been pretty straightforward, and he suspected that Keh Nanut had wanted it that way to test the perceptiveness of any potential guests. He and Midoriya had almost missed the alcove with the old spear, but he had to admit that they'd been distracted by the little robot and its death beams.

"It doesn't look like there's anything else here besides the monk," Midoriya said, also scanning the room. Link couldn't help but smile slightly. His companion had improved steadily over the past few days as they had fought their way through to the last two shrines, and had become adequately proficient in his new fighting style. He still had a ways to go, but so did they all.

Even though they had had to fight their way here, the path itself hadn't been too terribly difficult. Link looked back on the two shrines as he approached the monk's stasis chamber. Both had given his tablet a new ability—an App-ility, Midoriya had called it—and both had seemed more like a testing ground for him to learn the ins and outs of his new tools than actual challenges. Midoriya had been helpful during these as well, spotting things he hadn't and helping to clear obstacles. He had managed to heave the last giant orb out of the way during the last trial, which had cleared the path to Owa Daim, while commenting that it might have been possible to store energy in an object affected by Stasis. They had later been able to test this theory on a boulder they passed on a ridge and discovered that not only had he guessed correctly, but that any object treated like this could become a deadly missile. He suspected that Midoriya's insights would continue to be invaluable as they progressed toward... whatever it was that they were supposed to progress toward.

That was something to consider later, though. He reached up and tapped the energy field surrounding the old sage and watched it shatter and dissolve, exposing Keh Namut to the world. The old monk's voice echoed in his head, sounding no different from the other three he had encountered previously.

"Your resourcefulness in overcoming this trial speaks to the promise of a hero. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, I bestow upon you this Spirit Orb."

The shimmering sphere appeared from inside the monk's chest and flew into Link's, and he once again felt the now-familiar warmth spread out from the point of contact until his whole body was warm and tingly. He looked back up at Keh Namut and thought he saw a small smile on the old monk's dissolving face as one final sentence echoed in his mind.

"May the Goddess smile upon you."

Link watched the monk dissolve. He didn't know why or how these people came to be in the shrines, but he felt that their passing was important. So he honored them the only way he could, and had vowed that he would put their gifts to good use. Once the last vestiges of the monk vanished, he turned toward Midoriya and gestured for them to leave.

Thankfully, the way back out wasn't nearly as convoluted as some of the other shrines had been. Midoriya held the gate open for Link before ducking beneath it himself, and the rest of the ice-like substance that the slate had created was still there, leading quickly to the elevator and the surface. As Link stepped out into the sunshine, he heard a voice calling them, followed promptly by Rhoam's descent by glider.

The old man dusted himself off and grinned at the two. "It seems that you've finally cleared the last shrine. With this, you have now acquired all of the Spirit Orbs on the Great Plateau. Extraordinary, oho ho!"

Rhoam's laughter seemed off to Link, and he frowned. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. It just means that... it is time. Link, Midoriya, it is finally time to tell you everything. But not here; it isn't right." He smiled. "Meet me at the Temple of Time. There, I will reveal everything."

"Why can't you te—"

Midoriya's question turned into a cry of surprise as little blue balls of wispy firelight appeared around Rhoam, who just laughed again, this time in genuine mirth. "All will be explained. I will wait... for you... at... the Temple..."

Rhoam's body faded as he spoke until there was nothing but the little wisps of fire left, and those, too, quickly vanished. Link didn't say anything, trying to understand what exactly had happened. 'I'd heard of spirits before, but this is my first encounter with one. What in Hylia's name is happening?'

Beside him, Midoriya seemed equally perplexed, his mouth moving as he murmured to himself. Link couldn't quite make out what he was saying, but he was pretty sure he was coming to terms with ghosts himself. That, or he thought Rhoam had a Quirk, which would also excite him. In either case, standing around wouldn't do them any good. Link grabbed Midoriya's shoulder and thumbed the Slate with his other hand, willing them to return to the Shrine of Resurrection.

A few moments later, they had reformed in the Shrine and hurried down the mountain. "What do you think he's been hiding from us?" Midoriya asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think it has something to do with why I was in that Shrine," Link said. "He might even know why your and All Might are here."

"Why wouldn't he just tell us, then?"

'Good question.' Out loud, Link responded, "We'll find out."

The two followed the familiar path past their old campsite and up through the ruins of the temple's surrounding buildings and structures. As they were walking up the final flight of stairs, Midoriya looked up and made a quiet noise of surprise. "All Might, what are you doing here?"

Link looked up and followed Midoriya's gaze and saw a mountain of a man leaning against the entrance to the temple. He gulped; now he understood why the man had such a powerful name. The force of his voice only served to drive that point home.

"Rhoam informed me that you would be here today, and that the time has come to fill you in." All Might leaned down toward the two of them as they finally reached the top of the stairs, his smile shrinking a little. "You're about to be entrusted with some serious information. You newbies think you're ready to take on this task?"

"What're you talking about, All Might?" Midoriya asked, and Link nodded his desire to know the answer as well as his frustration grew. It seemed that All Might already knew everything and hadn't said anything either.

"That's not my place to say. Rhoam will explain. Let's go."

With that, the man Midoriya claimed was the best hero in his world turned and strode inside, leaving Link and Midoriya to catch up. The temple interior was just as ruined as beforehand, though Link immediately noticed two distinct differences. The first was that Rhoam was standing directly in front of the statue of Hylia, resting on his cane, and the second was that the statue was shimmering, lights flickering around it in a dazzling display.

Rhoam's laughter drew his attention back to the old man. As Link got closer, he saw that he was still surrounded by wisps of fire. "Well done, young ones. Now then, the time has come to show you who I truly am." The man straightened, and Link watched as the man's face seemed to change, becoming more proud—and sad. "In life, I was King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. I was... the last leader of Hyrule, a kingdom which no longer exists."

The man struck his staff on the ground as he finished speaking and was engulfed in a blinding light. Link winced and shielded his eyes and could see Midoriya doing the same. Once the light faded, Link looked back at Rhoam. His gasp and Midoriya's echoed through the broken room.

Rhoam had changed. No longer was he clad in his rugged tunic nor clutching his cane and lantern. His clothes hand changed into a magnificent blue coat and suit, his head now supporting a thin golden crown. His feet no longer touched the ground, and the few wisps that had surrounded him had greatly multiplied.

Rhoam smiled briefly at their surprise before growing serious, his eyes darkening. "The Great Calamity was merciless. It devastated everything in its path, lo, a century ago. It was then that my life was taken away from me, and since that time, here I have remained in spirit form.

"I did not think it wise to overwhelm you while your memory was still fragile, Link, or while I was unaware of your intentions, Midoriya." The former king drifted down the platform toward them, stopping a few feet away. "So rather than that, I thought it best to assume a temporary form. Forgive me. After your work these past few days, I think you are now ready to hear what happened a hundred years ago."

He gestured for them to sit and waited while they found seats. "This will be a lengthy explanation, so I ask that you try to hold your questions until after." The king took a deep breath. "To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom, but his transformation into Malice created the horror you see now. Stories of Ganon were passed from generation to generation in the form of legends and fairytales. But there was also... a prophecy. 'The signs of Calamity Ganon's resurrection are clear, and the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.'"

Rhoam shook his head, at what Link wasn't sure, before continuing. "We decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, the Divine Beasts, were giant machines piloted by skilled warriors. We also found the Guardians, an army of mechanical soldiers who fought autonomously."

Link shuddered at the mention of the Guardians. His memory stirred, and he vaguely remembered screams and flashes of blue light. And fire. Lots of fire. When he looked back up, the old spirit was watching him. He nodded for the spirit to continue.

"This discovery coincided with ancient legends, oft repeated throughout our land. We also learned of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight, chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. It was they who sealed Ganon away using the power of these ancient relics.

"One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit a sacred power and a skilled knight at her side. It was clear that we must follow our ancestors' path. We selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule and tasked them with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions—a name that would solidify their unique bond. Together, the princess, her appointed knight, and the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon... but nay."

Rhoam shuddered, his wisps scattering across the room at his apparent discomfort. Eventually they stilled, and the dead king continued, his voice low. "Ganon was cunning, and he responded with a plan beyond our imagining. He appeared from deep below Hyrule CAstle, seized control of the Guardians and the Divine Beasts, and turned them against us."

The king's voice grew haunted, and he began speaking more rapidly. "The Champions lost their lives. Those residing in the castle as well. The appointed knight, gravely wounded, collapsed while defending the princess. And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon. However, the princess survived to face Ganon alone."

Midoriya's gasp filled the sudden silence, and Link couldn't blame him. The entire ordeal sounded like a horrific nightmare, and yet his gut told him that it was absolutely true. The ghostly remnants of the king served as grisly proof of that.

Rhoam was silent for a few more moments, whether to let him and Midoriya come to terms with what they had been told or for some other reason, Link wasn't sure, before he continued, his voice lower than before. "That princess was my daughter, my dear Zelda. And the courageous knight who protected her right up to the very end—that knight was none other than you, Link."

'What?' Link shook his head, but not in denial. His lack of memories suddenly made far too much sense. Rhoam's continued speaking, and his words only confirmed Link's feelings.

"You fought valiantly when your fate took an unfortunate turn. And then, you were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection. Here you now stand, revitalized, one hundred years later. The words of guidance you have been hearing since your awakening are from Princess Zelda herself. Even now, as she works to restrain Ganon from within Hyrule Castle, she calls out for your help.

"However, my daughter's power will soon be exhausted. Once that happens, Ganon will freely regenerate himself and nothing will stop him from consuming our land." The king clenched his fists, and his voice broke as he continued. "Considering that I could not save my own kingdom, I have no right to ask this of you, Link... but I am powerless here..." He looked away, and when he looked back, his eyes appeared to be watering. "You must save her—my daughter, and do whatever it takes to annihilate Ganon."

Link nodded, his feeling his resolve stiffening. "Absolutely, your Majesty."

Rhoam smiled slightly before turning to face Midoriya and All Might, who, Link realized, had been standing behind Midoriya the entire time instead of sitting. "I also have no right to ask for your aid, but I will anyway. It isn't clear to me how you came here, but odder things have happened. I believe that some force—call it the Goddess, fate, destiny, whatever you will—brought you here. As the last king of Hyrule and as father... concerned for his daughter's safety, will you aid Link, Hyrule's last Champion, in this task?"

Midoriya looked up at All Might, who just looked back at him. "What do you think, Young Midoriya?"

The boy took a deep breath and rested his head in his hand, clearly thinking hard. "Heroes are supposed to help those in need and meddle in things that aren't their business. What kind of heroes would we be if we refused to answer a call for help? Especially from something that is as evil as this?" He looked back up at the giant of a man. "I say we go for it."

"I thought you might say that, and I must say that I agree with you." All Might turned to face Link. "We'll be there to support you along the way, Young Link."

He smiled. "Thank you, both of you. Now," he said, turning back to the king, "I have a feeling you have a bit more to tell us."

Rhoam nodded. "Somehow, Ganon has maintained control over all four Divine Beasts, as well as those Guardians swarming around Hyrule Castle. I believe it would be quite reckless for you to head directly to the castle at this point, your powerful allies notwithstanding." He drifted toward the open wall and gestured for the group to follow. "I suggest that you make your way east, out to one of the villages in the wilderness.

"Follow the road out to Kakariko Village," he said, pointing. Izuku followed his finger and saw two distant peaks that jutted up into the sky. "There you will find the elder Impa; she will tell you more about the path that lies ahead. Consult the map on your Sheikah Slate for the precise location of Kakariko Village. Make your way past the twin summits of the Dueling Peaks; from there, follow the road as it proceeds north."

Link nodded again, but realized there was a slight problem with that plan. "How do we get off the Plateau?"

The group fell silent as each considered this question. "Couldn't you get us down, All Might?" Midoriya asked first, looking up at his mentor.

All Might shook his head. "I have the strength to, but landing such a large leap while carrying two people would prove tricky and could result in an injury we don't need. I also don't know when my strength will run out, and would rather save it for when we truly need it. Manifesting myself in this form isn't too tiring, but anything more would require a greater use of power."

"I only have the one glider, which I will give to you, as we agreed on." the old king paused, thinking. "There is a way off the Plateau, but opening it will cost me the rest of my energy, and I won't be able to manifest myself for a time."

"If you could, uh, your majesty, that would be great," Izuku said.

"Then take this, as agreed." Rhoam handed the glider over to Link and began to concentrate. For a moment nothing happened, but the ground quickly began to rumble, shaking to and fro for a moment before coming to an abrupt halt. Link could hear a distant roaring, but wasn't quite sure what it was.

Rhoam opened his eyes and groaned. "It is done. You'll find a path down between the tower and Oman Au's Shrine." The wisps around him flickered before winking out of one by one existence. "I go to rest now. You must... save... Hyrule..."

The old man faded away, leaving the three alone. Link just looked at where the old man had been before sighing and stashing the glider away. "Well, that was more than a bit of information. I remember seeing some ruins down at the base of the Plateau; why don't we camp there for the night?

As the other two voiced their assent, Link looked back at the goddess statue, which was still glowing. He frowned and approached the statue. The glowing stopped as he approached, turning instead into what looked to him like a radiant burst of sunshine.

"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit orbs, I can offer you great power. In exchange for four Spirit Orbs, I will amplify your being with either health or strength. Tell me; what do you desire?"

Link blinked, taken aback by the warm, feminine voice. She was clearly speaking to him and only him, as neither of the other two gave any indication that they saw or heard anything out of the ordinary. "Um, health?"

"I will grant the power you seek. Go, and bring peace to Hyrule."

Link felt a fiery warmth rush through him, somehow calming in its fury. As it faded, Link felt revitalized, better than he had since he had stepped out of the Shrine of Resurrection. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he had no doubt that he had been blessed.

When he turned around, he saw that his companions had already left. He found them waiting outside and fell in step with him as he exited the building. The two were busy discussing some aspect of their hero society, and while he would normally be happy to join in, he just wanted to think for now.

What had happened all those years ago? How had he ended up as a chosen knight, or as a hero? It did explain why he remembered how to use weapons and basic survival skills, but it frustrated him nonetheless. And to have the fate of the kingdom thrust on him? He didn't like it. Oh, he would save the kingdom—there was no other choice. He sighed; the world had become much more challenging. 'Yeah, well, what else is new?' He shook his head and decided to deal with it later. For now, they needed to get off the Plateau.

He followed the path down from the temple, past the old fountain and out onto the plain. When he got there, he instantly saw what the king had meant. Where before there had been a small lake between the tower and the shrine, there was now a pit. He waved for the other two to follow him and approached cautiously. If remembered correctly, there had been a bokoblin encampment somewhere around here.

He needn't have bothered. He spotted the camp while still approaching, but it looked abandoned. Whatever Rhoam had done had clearly scared off whatever had been around here. 'That begs the question of what, exactly, he did.' Link approached the pit and saw that it wasn't really a pit at all. A large archway at the base of the Plateau's wall had been cleared, which had allowed the water to flow away and in turn revealed a slope leading from the plain to the archway.

Midoriya whistled. "I didn't know that ghosts could clear dams."

"The world is full of mysteries, Young Midoriya. Our presence here should remind us of that." All Might clapped Link and Midoriya on the back, knocking both of them forward and the wind from Link's lungs. "Now, let's say we get this adventure started!"

Link took a few deep breaths before chuckling. "Yeah, I guess we should."

Authors Notes:

Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter; it's a bit of a long one, haha.

Someone mentioned that it felt like it was taking forever for the gang to get off the Great Plateau, which I thought was a valid point. That, combined with the fact that I've been excited to write Rhoam's reveal and explanation for a while, meant that the last two shrines are kind of glazed over, and that might be for the best, as they're not terribly interesting shrines. So now they're off the Plateau and we can move forward!

As always, I would love to hear what you guys think. I do take things into account, haha, and there are some things that I definitely want y'all's input on. I still don't know what order Imma have the group go do the Divine Beasts, for example, so your ideas for that would be fun.

Anyway, I've rambled enough. Next chapter might be a bit, as this one's longer and I FINALLY got my Switch working again, so there are ample distractions. Stay safe, and I'll see you next time!