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Chapter Text

Mipha didn't expect to be allowed to leave the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. It's curiosity mixed with concern that prompts her to follow Link, and she's pleasantly surprised when she makes it even a few steps away from the Divine Beast. Her heart aches as she realizes she leaving her dear friend behind, but she promises Ruta that she will be back soon. Ruta will understand; they both have their duty to fulfil, and perhaps this chance to accompany Link is apart of hers.

She can't feel the ground beneath her feet. As a spirit, she is deprived of many of her senses; taste, touch, smell, oh how she misses the water washing over her scales, the loving embrace of her family and her people. She longs for the days where she would swim along the waterfalls with her brother, even the days that would involve gruesome training with Muzu. But longing for the past will not change the situation. With Calamatiy Ganon still around, there is no time to dwell on such things.

Link trudges back into the Zora Domain, and Mipha is flooded with memories. Everything is different and yet the same. Everyone has grown older, and yet she can name each zora by name, though there are a few new faces here and there. As Link makes his way up to the throne room, they pass by Muzu, and Mipha has to restrain herself from reaching out to her old mentor. Certainly, a few have lost themselves among the guilt and sadness that followed the tragedy a hundred years ago, but she can also see the growth and change they've underwent as well. She knows that no one was at fault, but the grief of loosing someone they all held dear had blinded Muzu. Though, as Link passes him, Mipha can see some of that anger ebbing away, and acceptance making its way into old zora's gaze.

She feels something break in her when she enters the throne room and comes face-to-face with her father and her brother. Sidon, her dear younger sibling; she smiles at how much he's grown, and she cries for everything she's missed. She imagines the first time he's swam up a waterfall on his own, without the help of someone else. She imagines the feeling of pride and happiness he must've felt, and the thought drags her back to a time where they would swim together and play without a care in the world.

She steadies her gaze on Sidon, and sees the many expectations piled up on him, the weight of carrying their people through this tough time. But she also sees his determination and strength, and despite the uncertainty that may cloud his mind, she knows he will be a great ruler when his time comes.

They zoras applaud Link for his efforts, but the hylian's expression remains neutral, even when her father speaks to him. Though she thinks she sees the twitch of a smile when the King praises Sidon for his work. But when Link opens the the gifts that were graciously given to him, something about him shifts, and it takes a moment before he gingerly pulls out the weapon inside the chest.

Her breath catches in her throat when she realizes what the weapon is. It's the Lightscale Trident, her trident, one made specifically for her when she was younger. If she reaches out, if she could touch the trident, she could easily place her hands in the correct position on the staff, could twirl it in her hands, could wield it as though it was second nature. But it is no longer hers, as much as she wishes it was.

Link places his hands where her's once were, and now it is his trident.

The King offers Link to use it, free of charge. It's a tremendous honour, Mipha assumes, based on the whispers that float from the crowd. In the end, Link neither denies nor accepts the gifts, but he ends up taking them anyways. Mipha would expect herself to be happy; when she imagines Link wielding her weapon, it feels as though she is helping him, albeit indirectly. But as the crowd disperses and Link leaves the throne room, carefully holding the trident, she catches an expression on his face that looks something close to 'pained.' She does not wish to associate such a distressed look with something that use to be hers, but that's all she sees.

Night rolls around and it's over as quickly as it began. Link still looks a bit out of sorts, but he's already preparing to depart from the domain. As strong as he is, and as high as his endurance is, a single night is barely enough to recover from the injuries he's sustained from the Divine Beast. Mipha notices he has yet to properly treat himself, besides simply rinsing and bandaging his wounds. She wishes she could communicate with him, to convince him to rest a little longer and to slow down.

But she can't. So she silently follows as Link trudges out of the domain.

There was this zora  girl named Mipha. He can't remember her very well, but she was red like her brother and had a soft, soothing voice. She was always ready to heal him, no matter how small the injury was, and they were friends since they were younger. At least, that's what he could gather from that brief memory.

She had her weaknesses, but she was also strong. Stronger than he ever was. She was ready to face the monstrosity that Calamity Ganon was, to defend her people no matter the cost. He remembers that there was a certain kind of strength in her eyes whenever she looked his way.

But even so, as he faces off against Waterblight Ganon, looking into the ugly mass that makes up its body, the guilt wells up inside him. Guilt at leaving her to face this monster on her own. He can't remember his actions 100 years ago, but perhaps if he had been faster, if he had done more to help, then she wouldn't have had to --

He wishes he could remember her, even just a little bit more. But she's just another face among the many he's forgotten.

Chapter Text

"Oh, Link, look at that," Mipha exclaims, and points towards the lowering sun. "The sunset is quite beautiful today, is it not? It's been a while since I've last seen it. I wonder if Ruta is enjoying the view, or if they're too busy with their new task."

She doesn't receive a response, nor does she expect to. It's a little thing she has taken it upon herself to do, to fill in the silence. Hearing her own voice and vocalizing her thoughts had started out awkward, embarrassment filling her each time she did so, but being ignored by everyone around you is dreadfully lonely. She had gotten used to it quite swiftly.

Though she can't feel the sunlight, just gazing upon the sunset fills her with warmth, something she's been deprived of her for eons. Such a sight is always better with company, and although Link is unaware of her presence, she sits by his side as they face the sun.

"You know, with the high walls surrounding my domain, we were usually unable to see the sunset," she begins as Link taps away at the Skeikah Slate. "When Sidon was younger, he couldn't swim up the waterfalls yet, so I would take him every time he wanted to watch the sunset. He was always fascinated with everything around him."

She trails off, and glances down at the Sheikah Slate once more. She isn't too familiar with the device, though she understands that Ruta and the slate are connected material-wise. The device was always with Zelda, and she remembers how tirelessly the princess worked to uncover its secrets. There was a specific function that was always one of Mipha's favourites, and it brings her back in time to the Inauguration Ceremony that was held at Hyrule Castle. If she's not mistaken, the function allowed the slate to create true-to-life images, and it should still be on it.

She doesn't understand how Link came to possess the device, but she can't question him on it.

Link has stopped tapping away at the slate, instead staring at its screen. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she leans a little closer to peer over at what he's staring so intently at. The image is a mix of blues, different hues all coming together to produce a beautiful recreation of something. She sees an image of a statue.

Upon closer inspection, she realizes it's the one her people have set up in her honour, the one that sits in the middle of their domain.

She flinches back with a start, stunned, and glances up at Link. He must've captured the image sometime before he entered the Divine Beast, since they left almost immediately after. She wonders why he would use the slate for such thing.

Even when Link is alone, he doesn't emote. Always blank, always indifferent, no matter the situation. She searches his face for some recollection, some emotion that the image could've possibly drawn out, but there's nothing she can find. There's nothing on his face that reveals what he's thinking, or why he decided to capture the image of the statue in the first place.

He traces the screen of the slate with the tip of his pointer finger, and she thinks she hears a little sigh of frustration, before he returns the device back to its place on his hip.

If he tries hard enough, if he stares at the picture long enough, he feels as though the memories are coming back to him. But now matter how hard he tries, they're always just out of his reach.

So he stares and stares and stares, and hopes for something to come up.

He feels as though he has to remember her, feels some sort of obligation to. He thinks back to Sidon, to all the zoras, to the pain they've suffered because of his actions. He wants to remember, wants to understand their previous hatred towards him. He feels as though he owes it to them.

There's so much he doesn't know. H e was stripped of whoever he was, and forced into a world where he didn't understand how anything worked. Unprepared, yet people expected him to fight the darkness . Unable to do anything themselves, they latched onto the next thing to pin their blame onto, to pin their hopes onto. And that just so happened to be him.t

He walks around with the title of 'murderer' and 'hero' on his back, and the people throw around whatever title that fits their mood.

So he tries and tries and tries to remember, but he just can't do it.

He swallows down the frustration the builds up in his chest, slips the slate back on his hip, and gets up. He wonders if Mipha would like this sight, as he looks upon the setting sun.

Before heading to Death Mountain, the closest location of the next Divine Beast, Link stops at Karariko Village. Personally speaking, Mipha is not very excited about the area they're travelling to, though she's certainly biased. She reflects back on the many stories she's heard when she was younger, how Muzu would tease her with tales of their people shrivelling up upon looking at Death Mountain. She knows now that those stories are merely fake, used only to protect the younger ones from danger, from ever swimming near the mountain. Though that doesn't mean they should ever approach it.

She steps into the house, though she stays by the door; even just setting a foot inside, she feels as though she is intruding, with these people unknowing of her presence. So she restrains herself from moving in further. She waits as Link drops to one knee, briefly bowing down to Lady Impa (who's mouth twists in displeasure at the gesture), before he rises up and reports about his latest actions.

Mipha vaguely remembers Impa; perhaps they met before, and the elder woman she sees before her use to be one of the Sheikah Tribe members. The memories are a bit jagged around the edges, though 100 years confined to one space will do that to your memory. But then again, Impa is a stranger, while the Zoras are Mipha's family. She supposes that if her memory would diminish, it would start with those she wasn't well acquainted with.

Link's hands slow to a stop as he finishes his tale. Impa stays quiet for a moment or two as they wait for a reaction, and then she does something they doesn't expect; she laughs.

Granted, the laughter fades as quickly as it began, and the stern gaze returns.

"I see, so, you've gained the power of Mipha," the elder hums. She opens her eyes, sweeps them across the room, and Mipha's breath catches in her throat at the way they seemingly land on her, before they return to Link. "Mipha's power is that of healing. it will aid you when your strength has been exhausted."

Impa is quick to move on, to show Link the location of the next divine beasts. She mentions Revali and Urbosa and Daruk and Princess Zelda, reminds Link of his importance to Hyrule, then sends him off.

As she and Link descend the stairs, she wonders why Impa laughed. There wasn't anything remotely funny, not that Mipha could catch. Disbelief, perhaps, at Link's success? Surely not, for he was the one prophesied by their ancestors, the one who wields — wielded — the sword that seals the darkness. Did something about his story surprise her? Mipha can only theorize what it could mean, though she certainly has all the time in the world to. Maybe it meant something, maybe it meant nothing at all.

Mipha decides that she likes Impa. Though the woman can do little on her own, she does what she can to aid Link on his journey, and she has a very pleasant aura surrounding her. Mipha wouldn't mind returning for another visit, but something about the displeased twist in Link's otherwise neutral expression says they won't be coming back for a while.

It happens so suddenly, it doesn't really click until after everything goes still.

He's already tired from having to fight his way to the tower — through a mix of red, blue, and silver bokoblins — but it doesn't cross his mind to take a rest. He's so close, the tower is right in front of him; all he has to do is make his way to the top, just a little more, and then he's done. He wipes the sweat from his forehead and starts to climb. But maneuvering around the thorns is difficult, and he underestimates how much energy it takes to get to one of the platforms, until he realizes he's short of one.

His hands are sweaty, and it's already taking a lot of his energy to keep his grip on the bars, and he knows he has to jump or else he won't make it. He shifts his feet on the bars, pushes and kicks off, reaches up for the edge of the platform that's so close, so close, it's right there —

and he misses it.

The Goddess is a cruel person, he thinks as gravity tugs at him, tips him backwards, as the ledge grows farther and farther away from his outstretched hand. He scrambles to grab the bars of the tower, to get his paraglider, but his sweaty hands can find no purchase, and he can't get the thing out in time. It's almost funny, in a way; the chosen one, wielder of the sword of darkness, dying from climbing a simple structure. Some hero he is.

He might be screaming, he should be, but his throat seizes up and the sound doesn't make it past in time. He  could be imaging it, but there's this loud, cracking sound as he slams into the ground, head first, and he stops thinking.

He opens his eyes moments later to Mipha's panic-stricken expression.

Chapter Text

Mipha stays closer to Link now.

She's scared that something might happen if she looks away, even for one second. The fear courses through her, gripping her heart and squeezing it until it feels like she's gasping for air she doesn't need. Part of her says that she's not being rational, and the other says she's right to feel the way she does. It's a constant fight inside, and she doesn't know when it'll end, or if it'll ever.

It's scary, she's scared, and she can only imagine what it must be like for Link.

The event is so vivid in her mind, it appears without her even wishing for it to; Link slamming into the jagged rocks below, his neck jutting in a direction it's not supposed to, the horror clawing its way inside her as she staggers forward and rushes to use her power, to help him, to save him. The fear didn't go away, even when he opened his eyes and got back to his feet.

She's not being irrational, she decides.

Thankfully, they make it through the rest of the day without any more problems. Link is more careful his second attempt at climbing Hateno Tower. He manages his energy and spreads it out when needed, choosing to slowly make his way up instead of recklessly jumping about. Mipha watches as the structure lights up, a brilliant blue dyeing the area around it. Relief bubbles in her chest, though the tension in her bones only fades away when the Hylian is safely back on the ground and by her side once more.

Link appears unshaken, she notes with a sense of disquietude. He keeps moving forward, despite the event that just happened, as though refusing to let anything distract him from his journey. He secures his belongings in the bag on his horse's back, preparing to go.

"Epona," Mipha heard him call the horse once, awhile back when he first registered her at Dueling Peaks Stable. It's quite a lovely name for the animal.

Link climbs onto Epona's back, and Mipha hurries to follow him. It takes a few attempts, since she's never ridden a horse before, but she eventually pulls herself up and slides on the back of the saddle.

Surprisingly enough, she can still interact with objects. Normally, one would expect a spirit to be unable to touch things, as they are incorporeal beings. But she climbs upon Epona's back, settling in a few centimetres behind Link, and she knows that isn't true. At least, in her case.

She still can't feel anything, though; the softness of Epona's hair or the warmth emanating from her body is still a pleasure denied to Mipha, but it's fine. She doesn't need that sense, as much as she misses certain things.

Link gently pats Epona, signalling for her to move, and they set off.

The rest of the journey is uneventful. There aren't too many places they pass by, though there is one thing Link stops to do and it takes him well into the night to uncover the shrine. Even without the sunlight brightening their path, this doesn't deter the Hylian in the slightest, and they're off again. From there, they only pass by a few odd people travelling on foot before they reach Hateno Village. However, if there's one thing to note, the scenery is beautiful; everywhere she looks, the land is filled with thick forests and so many different kinds of plants, and even in the darkness of night the moon shining above accentuates each one. Link focuses on the road before them, never taking his eyes off the path ahead, so Mipha quietly describes the area to him.

It would be calming, but there is something that bothers her. Perhaps it was even the cause of the accident at Hateno Tower.

It was sometime after they departed from Dueling Peaks Stable, and just before they stepped into the Hateno region. They were approaching a run-down fort, surrounded by a field filled with deactivated Guardians.

The machines laid there, bound to the ground by nature over the years, unmoving. She shivered, expecting one of them to wake up and hunt them down, to see that familiar purple glow instead of a cool orange, but the machines stayed dormant as the two of them pass by.

But then Link forced Epona to slow down, and they came to a halt. His gaze swept towards one of the swamps, where the remains of the Guardians were more numerous. Mipha peered over in the same direction with bated breath, searching for some sort of enemy, but she found nothing.

Link breathed in once, eyes distant. Then he gently nudged Epona, and they were off again.

Mipha closes her eyes and forces away the memory.

They reach Hateno Village just as the sun shines above them, around the start of the afternoon. It's a nice little place, just like Kakariko Village, but instead of being surrounded by high cliffs and waterfalls, you can look out and see the fields and forests they passed while travelling, and much more. Mipha doesn't think she'll ever tire of the sight.

Link leaves Epona near the entrance, close to the oddly coloured and shaped houses to the right. Usually, he would take this time to browse around in the shops, restocking on supplies and materials, while Mipha would take this chance to walk around for a bit. But this time, she follows him. Even with the safety of the village, she's still on edge.

Later on, they meet Robbie and Purah. Purah doesn't glance her way like Lady Impa did. Rather, she only seems aware of Link's presence. It leaves a sort of resigned feeling in Mipha, though she can't say why.

"Click, snap!"

But it's the catchphrase that really catches her attention. She's glad no one can see the way she jumps, as though she was burned, and twists her head in Purah's direction. She could've sworn that 100-years ago, one of Princess Zelda's attendants had the same adorable catchline — as well as the same name, now that she thinks about it. But this young girl doesn't match with Mipha's memories.

Perhaps her memory is unreliable at this point. But relying on the past is what brought them all here to this point, and she doesn't know what else to do.

Link hurries to finish what he has to do.

As a Zora, travelling into Goron territory is unheard of. Being a species that relies on water to thrive, willingly entering such intense heat without any potions or protective armour would be as dangerous as battling a Lynel using crappy weapons. Mipha remembers the stories Muzu told her when she was younger, of how their people would shrivel up and die if they took even a peek at Death Mountain. She knows now that those stories aren't true, myths only told to keep the younger ones safe and away from that area.

Yet she still feels uneasy as the mountain grows closer, looming over them.

They stop at Woodland Stable before they actually cross into the depths of the fiery territory. There's a small pond, and Mipha sits down in a shallow area while she patiently waits for Link. The shrine glows blue as the Hylian activates it with the Sheikah Slate, before stepping inside disappearing into the ground.

At first, she thought they were stopping for a break, maybe have a nice chat with the people at the stable, but soon enough she knew that they wouldn't be staying for long.

Perhaps she'll try and get him to stop for a bit. Though she doesn't know how such a feat would be possible on her own, it's worth trying. Her dear friend has been up and about it these last few days, from helping out the citizens in Hateno Village to travelling across the regions. Mipha knows that he's pushing himself to go faster, since they both know that Calamity Ganon will wait for no one, but it doesn't hurt to take a break every once in a while. Why, the last time she saw him rest was . . .

Mipha thinks for a while, then frowns.

She's never seen him sleep.

The realization hits her like a boulder, just as Link comes out of the shrine. The last time she saw him rest, it was at Kakariko Village, before they set off for Hateno. That was about four days ago.

Concerned, she hops to her feet and moves to get a closer look.

Link doesn't look tired, his expression unchanged, but Mipha notices that his movements are a bit sluggish, less graceful than usual. Some moments he skips forward, then almost immediately slows down, as if the sudden burst of energy had left him as quickly as it appeared. As a spirit, she doesn't need to sleep, but Link does. 

Inexcusable, she curses herself for not even thinking about her friend's wellbeing.

"Link, how about getting some rest?" she suggests, but he doesn't listen, just ignores her and keeps walking back to the stable. She stands in front of him, attempting to obscure his path to where Epona is, but he merely steps through her and she feels a part of herself break.

The Link she knew was reckless, yes, but he was also kind and determined and strong. He took care of himself so that he would be prepared for anything or anyone. He didn't neglect his health, because the people of Hyrule were looking towards him and he could not afford to waver in even the slightest (no matter how much he denied this when they asked). For those reasons, good or bad, he looked after himself.

But this Link is different.

She doesn't know if this is the same person as before.

Link gets on his horse, idly chewing on an apple, and Mipha sighs. At least, if there's one thing she can say for sure, his appetite hasn't changed.

Daruk was an interesting character.

He was boisterous and strong, a little too rough at times, but he also had a softer side when it came to certain things. What he lacked in mind he made up for in his heart, not that Link is saying that Daruk was stupid. The Goron wasn't dumb, far from it; he was the first to take action when Calamity Ganon first appeared, understanding the situation immediately and ordering the other Champions to make it back to their Divine Beasts.

He was easy to talk to, and put his all into anything he did as well.  There was no doubt that he was the strongest in the group, if you were to base it on pure physical strength alone.

Despite the bitter end, the memory was nice; it almost seemed like they were friends before they became Champions, with how Daruk congratulates him on becoming the princess' appointed knight, though that could just be how the Goron talks with everyone. 

Rudania emits a soothing blue glow as opposed to the violent pink it has today. It's nice — peaceful, even — and he enjoys the calm atmosphere that surrounds them. Even when Death Mountain starts to shake, even as the boulders begin to rain down from the sky, Link doesn't feel worried. The Hylian knows that the Goron will have his back.

Link slowly opens his eyes.

There's a warm feeling in his chest and a smile pulling at the edges of his mouth, threatening to split into a grin. For some reason, he just feels happy, even if he can't pin down the reason why.

From the memory, it really seemed like he knew Daruk, that he was friends with him. Maybe he was friends with Mipha, too, based on the way she spoke in that other memory. A little more of his past that he's regained, despite its briefness.

He was friends with Mipha and Daruk.

His smile crumbles.

He was friends with Mipha and Daruk,

but not anymore.

The thought leaves a bitter taste in its wake.

He shakes his head and glances up to find Chief Bludo staring at him. The Goron is serious, stern expression plastered on like stone, and it's the same look that adorned Daruk's face before the memory faded to black. Link doesn't like to associate 'serious' with Daruk; it doesn't  feel right, doesn't quite fit with his whole demeanour.

But not everything can be sunshine and rainbows. Even the Goron had a serious side; he knew what he was getting into when he accepted the position to pilot the Rudania, even if he didn't show it or understand the whole situation at the time. But even so, he was prepared to protect everyone, to face the Calamity, even if there was a chance that something could go wrong.

Link remembers what he's here to do, and gets back on track to find Yunobo.

As Rudania settles down upon the numerous rocky peaks, sends its first attack towards Hyrule Castle, Daruk climbs forward to get a better look.

As he expected, Calamity Ganon is still raging on, just as powerful as it was 100 years ago, if not more. The tiny princess must be struggling to keep the beast in check after so long. But now, with Rudania and Ruta slowly draining its power, and when the other Divine Beast join in, Ganon will finally eat dirt.

By now, Link should be appearing somewhere in Goron City. Daruk slowly turns his gaze away from the castle, slowly surveys the entirety of Hyrule. Even after all these years, it's still as beautiful as he remembers. The sun is shining high, the sky is blue, the rolling grounds around the mountain are still there. Even after all these years, everything is still as beautiful as he remembers it.

He notices that Death Mountain has taken quite the beating, most likely caused by Rudania stomping all over it. Now, with the Divine Beast back under control, the mountain can finally rest easy.

Daruk closes his eyes and basks in the sunlight.

He revels in the familiarity of it all, in the heat and familiar scenery that surrounds him, even if he can't feel the warmth rushing over him. But it's enough, even being home for a just few seconds, and he waits to disappear.

A few moments pass, and then some more, until something compels him to open his eyes and turn around.

There's nothing waiting behind him, just the machine that makes up Rudania's heart and the open area around it, but his eyes are drawn towards it anyway. He's not disappearing so he waits, and waits, and waits, and then someone slowly steps out from behind it.

For as long as Daruk's been alive, he's never seen any Zora enter Goron territory. But as he focuses his attention on the person who just stepped out, it takes him a moment to realize that it is a Zora, and it's Mipha, too. She stands there, perfectly healthy, and she doesn't seem to be experiencing any effects from her surroundings. Then again, they're both dead, based on the pale green wisps of smoke that surround the both of them. But that fact does nothing to shake the shock currently engulfing him.

Mipha hesitantly moves, visibly confused, and Daruk wonders if there's still an unknown enemy lurking nearby, which is why she's so cautious to approach. It takes him even longer to realize she's staring at him.

"Mipha?"

Eyes wide, she flinches back, but more in surprise as opposed to fear. Then slowly, her gaze softens. 

"Daruk?"

His legs move on their own.

There's no introduction needed, no words exchanged, because he's always been one to prove things with his actions rather than words and there's nothing he can say in this situation that will speak louder. The shock has long since faded away, and he runs and scoops Mipha up, ignoring the tiny yelp that escapes her, and spins her around.

He's laughing, a bright, joyful sound, and soon Mipha's expression breaks and she's giggling, too. Maybe it's a little forced in the beginning, but that forcefulness soon tapers off and genuine laughter takes its place.

While he wasn't as close to her as he was with Link, the Zora was always willing to heal and protect others, and he respected that. He still does. As quiet and as soft-spoken as Mipha is, she's strong in her own way.

Both breathless, he gently sets her back down on the ground. Their laughter dies down, and Daruk opens his mouth to finally say something, but then he backtracks when he picks up the shuddering breaths from Mipha.

"Aw, don't give me any of those tears. C'mon, give me a smile!"

Her eyes are glazed over, filled with unshed tears, but she doesn't look sad at all. To set an example, in case she didn't know how to smile, Daruk gives her a big grin of his own.

Mipha gratefully returns it.