Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Mipha's Awakening
Darkness. The entire world was darkness. Utterly consuming, not to mention oppressive, in its totality.
By definition, it could be classified as peaceful. However, a far more apt descriptor for this infinite void would be 'lonely'.
Suddenly, a warm golden light split the eternal landscape in half, growing more radiant as time progressed. The light was accompanied by a sonorous chime, akin to the noise made by running one's finger around the rim of a crystalline glass. The sudden influx of stimuli was quite overwhelming to the world's only occupant, considering the desolate state of the world prior to their arrival.
As the light grew steadily brighter, and the chimes louder, a muffled voice made itself known. At first, it was extremely difficult to interpret the voice's words, but with time, it became clearer. The first fully coherent sentence was a command:
''Open your eyes...''
It also served to let the listener infer that the mysterious speaker was female; the voice was far too soft, and high pitched, for it to belong to a man. The voice also seemed to be vaguely familiar. It seemed to whisper at the back of the listener's mind, speaking of time long since passed, and memories long since forgotten. It also spoke of warmth, and promises. Promises of a brighter future.
Then, the golden light that had invaded the darkness expanded, consuming the entire plane and bathing it in its warm glow.
The voice repeated its command twice more, coaxing the listener out of the deepest of slumbers. As the listener finally acquiesced to the command, more out of instinct, than conscious thought, they were greeted by the soft blue lights of the interior of the Shrine of Resurrection.
After a merciful minute to adjust, the voice returned once again.
''Wake up, Mipha.'' it gently pleaded.
Mipha. The name seemed familiar. It resonated with the listener in a way that nothing else in their brief existence yet had. Perhaps it was their name? Yes, Mipha concluded, it surely must be. Her soul seemed to sing in agreement.
As Mipha's awareness grew, she realised that she was currently located in some strange bed. Equally strange blue liquid, the same shade as the relaxing lights illuminating the chamber, was draining away around her into the surface that she was lying on. Mipha's eyes slowly scanned the room, before she decided to heed the strange voice's command and get up. As she slowly crawled out of her recent resting place, she absently noticed that she was not wearing any garments, yet such knowledge didn't seem to bother her as much as one might expect it to.
However, Mipha could not bring herself to worry too much about the comparatively trivial matter of her current state of undress, as her thoughts were far more occupied with her profound confusion and curiosity.
Waking up alone in a sealed chamber, to an ethereal voice, with no memories nor possessions was probably not supposed to be a normal occurrence in most people's lives.
Mipha dropped onto the stone floor of the chamber. The room itself was relatively ambient and comfortable, but the cream coloured stone was chillingly cold beneath her webbed toes. The shock of it nearly sent Mipha into a sensory overload, for it was by far the most intense sensation she had yet to experience. Her legs were also quite unsteady, likely from a long period of inactivity, causing Mipha to cling to the strange bed she had just left in order to maintain her balance. She then took this moment to give the room she currently occupied a more thorough visual investigation.
Despite the illumination of the lights Mipha had previously noticed, the room was still very dark. Her eyes took a short moment to adjust to the lack of light, as she scanned the intricate patterns adorning the walls and floor of the chamber. They seemed to hold no obvious significance, and they were not arranged in any discernable or familiar pattern. Perhaps they were meant to be purely decorative? Either that, or they may serve a purpose not immediately apparent.
Mipha digressed. Such questions were not so immediately pressing. Finally recovering her balance, Mipha took a few uncertain steps forward, towards a pedestal which seemed to be the only other object of note in the room.
As she examined the strange pedestal, to her shock, its surface began moving autonomously. When the movement ceased, a slab of stone was protruding from it. Mipha was internally debating whether to reach forwards and seize the offered slab when the voice returned once again.
''That is a Sheikah Slate. Take it.''
Doing as instructed, Mipha grabbed the Slate, and turned it over in her hands, all while pondering the nature of the 'Sheikah'. Was the Sheikah a person? Were they the one responsible for her presence here? She wondered if the Slate would provide her with any of these answers.
The Slate seemed to be made of the same stone as the floor and, as such, it carried the same coolness when touched. She noticed that on the other side, there appeared to be a black screen. Mipha gently moved a claw towards the surface and held it against the screen gingerly, as if afraid of scratching the material.
When the screen awoke with a short chime, Mipha was so startled that she'd recoiled as if scalded, and almost dropped it. The screen was illuminated by a blue emblem that vaguely resembled a stylised eye. Despite the foreign nature of the device, she could not help but feel that it, and the pattern, were slightly familiar, as if edging just beyond her memories not unlike a word hidden on the tip of one's tongue. Mipha was so engrossed by the Slate that she would have missed the part of the wall covering what looked like a doorway recede, were it not for the unsettling sound of grinding stone accompanying it; the churning noise making her want to grit her teeth.
With the doorway now unblocked, the room now opened out into a second chamber, filled with empty chests and rotted wooden crates and barrels. This room also ended in a dead end, but Mipha noticed another section of wall similar to the doorway she had just traversed. She assumed that this too must open up like the previous one had done. Striding through the small room on legs that were once again becoming accustomed to walking, she noticed another pedestal near to the doorway, similar to the one that had bestowed the Sheikah Slate upon her. It was glowing a warm orange, and as she approached it cautiously, the voice made itself heard once more.
''Hold the Sheikah Slate up to the pedestal.'' it began, ''That will show you the way.''
Mipha took a moment to contemplate the origins of this disembodied voice; it was obvious that there was no other being currently occupying the chamber she was in, which meant that the very existence of this voice was a great mystery. Although, she mused inwardly, her entire existence was a great mystery at the moment. For every question she raised, ten more would take its place after realising she lacked any memories or information to answer the original question.
Mipha decided that it would be easier to just follow the voice's commands, for it certainly seemed to be benevolent, and hope that it could direct her to answers. Interestingly, she did not feel too panicked in the realisation that she possessed no memories prior to her awakening. She attributed this seeming nonchalance to the fact that curiosity was currently far more prevalent in her mind, but she assumed it was likely that the unsettling reality of her situation had simply yet to be fully acknowledged.
As Mipha placed the Slate on the pedestal, the orange lights adorning it turned blue and a different voice rang out into the cavernous chamber.
''Authenticating... Sheikah Slate confirmed.''
This voice was far more monotonous than the previous one. Mipha could hardly repress a shiver from the cold, robotic tone of the new voice. She decided that she much preferred the warmth and emotion that was present in the first one; it served as to calm her with the certainty that despite her current confusion, all the answers she sought, as well as answers to questions she did not yet have, would soon be revealed to her.
Before Mipha could reflect too much on the nature of the synthesised voice of the Slate, the door blocking further progress began to recede. As the door disassembled itself and sank into the surrounding doorway, golden rays of light, reminiscent of the first light Mipha had seen before awakening, spilled into the murky shrine. The intensity of the light was much greater than the soft glow of the Sheikah technology, and Mipha was forced to shield her eyes as they adjusted once again.
Finally faced with an egress, Mipha stood in the doorway, relishing in the fresh air that came flooding into the shrine to displace the stale, stagnant air within it. The first voice then returned for the final time, to offer Mipha one last parting message:
''Mipha... for so long, you have been lost to us. We feared you would be lost forever. But now, you are returned. Come back to Hyrule, to us, once again. Now go...''
With that final command, the voice vanished, and so too did the comforting presence associated with it. For the first time since waking up, Mipha realised she was alone, without a guide. Refusing to allow her distress to control her, Mipha resolved to seek out the source of the mysterious voice, for it evidently knew her, and would obviously be able to provide her with answers. Hopefully, it could answer the most pressing questions that were occupying her clouded mind.
Mipha knew that there was an emotion in that voice that she couldn't place; it sounded so hopeful, yet so poignant at the same time. Mipha also resolved to find the source of those emotions, and understand the reasons behind them. Curiously, she realised that she felt a great empathy for the obvious sadness she had detected, and would try her best to absolve the speaker from the guilt tainting her words. She wondered if such empathy was indicative of her character as a whole, or if it only applied to the odd circumstances surrounding her currently.
Faced with no other options, Mipha began to ascend the newly revealed staircase, only to come face to face with a rocky outcrop that was taller than she was by a significant margin. Instinctively, Mipha knew that she would not be able to climb such a wall easily. Due to the shape of her hands, she would find it very difficult to find any purchase in the smooth wall. The fins covering her body and her elongated appendages seemed far more adept to swimming rather than climbing.
Fortunately, a large crate was conveniently pressed up against said wall, which would make the task of ascending it much easier. Mipha scrambled up on top of the crate, then used the crate to boost herself up and pull herself over the top of the wall. She wondered if someone had deliberately placed the crate there, knowing that the Shrine's only occupant would struggle with the wall, in order to assist their escape. This only raised more questions that Mipha had no way of yet answering, so she decided to instead focus on what was in front of her: Now, she was only faced with a small set of shallow stairs before she could exit the cave.
Bounding up the final steps with confidence her legs did not have only a few short minutes previously, Mipha exited from the shrine, and was faced with the land of Hyrule for the first time in over a century.
She walked forwards to the edge of a cliff, and took a moment to simply absorb the scenery around her. She could see for miles in front of her. Tall mountains dotted the landscape, as did vast, grassy plains. The terrain directly in front of her was dominated by a great castle, whose spires and towers reached high over the surrounding land. Mipha couldn't help but marvel at the majesty of the structure; even from here, its magnificence was apparent. It was a structure that commanded the awe and respect of all who laid eyes on it; a true testament to not only the skill of the stonemasons who carved it, but also a statement of power from its inhabitants. She could hardly wait to view it up close, and possibly even roam its gilded hallways.
Mipha's imagination ran wild with assumptions of the castle's interior: from damp, dark dungeons to great mess halls to an expansive library and bedrooms fit for royalty. Mipha seemed to focus on that last thought, as if the idea of living luxuriously seemed slightly familiar and even... expected to her. Perhaps such an assumption was another clue to her identity? After a minute's contemplation, she decided to file away those thoughts for later and instead focus on more pressing issues. Namely, her location, her identity (or lack thereof), and her immediate survival.
Perhaps not necessarily in that order.
Mipha knew that panic would not only be unbefitting her character (how she knew this, she was not sure, but projecting an aura of calmness came naturally), but also would be extremely counterproductive in her pursuit of answers, and her survival.
As she swept her gaze around herself, a great stone cathedral to her right caught her eye, but her focus was immediately drawn to a lone figure stood near a rocky overhang, and the blazing campfire stuttering beneath it. The figure seemed to have noticed her, as they appeared to be staring intensely in her direction. However, Mipha could not tell for certain if they acknowledged her, for they wore a heavy cloak and hood that obscured most of their features, leaving Mipha with only a vague outline to determine their properties.
Mipha realised that the only path she could take would lead her towards this figure, so she decided to approach them slowly. They did not appear to be hostile, and they had clearly taken an interest in her. Perhaps this strange figure would be able to answer some of the more burning questions she had?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lone figure sat tending his fire. He knew that Mipha would awaken within the hour, and could therefore expect to see her emerge from the Shrine of Resurrection not long after. He could barely contain his excitement at seeing her again, as he tried desperately to maintain a modicum of patience.
He had already decided to take an indirect approach to the subject of his identity, his relationship with her and knowledge of her life that she surely lacked and sorely desired. He took a moment to appreciate the way Rhoam had done so for him, upon his rebirth. Rhoam had known that immediately dumping all of the information he needed to complete his task upon his awakening would have certainly caused... serious negative repercussions.
He would certainly not have been able to cope with such knowledge in such a fragile state. Therefore, he would attempt to gradually ease her into familiar situations that would hopefully spark memories, not unlike how he had recovered his own, and would only reveal his identity to her when he knew she would be able to truly process the revelations that would come with it.
Unfortunately, he knew that this would require some tact, which was famously not his strongest virtue.
But for her, he was willing to compromise. Willing to do anything to ensure her swift, uncomplicated recovery and continued safety.
He grimaced. The weight of his failure ran freshly through his mind. He had not been there when she had needed him most, and because of that she had been lost to him, and had suffered at the hands of the Calamity for over a hundred years. Despite the fact he knew her fate was of no direct fault of his own, it was of no consolation to him, and the guilt he harboured for failing to protect her as she had protected him had haunted him since his memories of her had returned. He vowed silently that for as long as he drew breath, he would not let any further harm befall her. Perhaps in doing so, he may eventually begin to forgive himself for his numerous failures and regrets.
He felt, more than heard, when the main door to the shrine opened and steeled himself, yet all the preparation in the world could not prepare him for the sight of his dearest friend once again whole, and in her own flesh. She was just as vibrant, as illustrious as she appeared in his memories. He was immediately thankful for the hood obscuring his face, for he was quite sure his tearful expression of love and longing would not be an appropriate way to reintroduce himself.
After a long, long moment of staring, he turned back to his fire and girded himself for what would surely be a greater test of his strength and will than anything the shrines, the ancient Sheikah or even Ganon itself could throw at him.
Still, he managed to console himself with the knowledge that even if he were to catastrophically screw this up, Mipha was back! The culmination of years of desperate endeavours, searching for a way to be reunited with her had finally paid off, and he would be damned if he let this opportunity go to waste. He had clawed back what had been so unfairly taken from him, and he was not going to give it up again.
He knew he would do anything to ensure her continued safety and happiness for as long as he lived, for there was no one more deserving of it than her. Even if they could never have what they had both desired so desperately in a previous life, he would take solace in the fact that, if nothing else, he would finally fulfil the promise he had made on Vah Ruta, over one hundred years prior.