Ruta Reveries

Link's last conversation with Mipha's spirit before Ganon's defeat.

It was late afternoon as Link stood atop the highest peak in the Zodobon Highlands, gazing up at the massive Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Ruta knelt there quietly, its trunk raised high and its red targeting beams locked on to Link's next destination, Hyrule Castle.

His long quest to finish their ill-fated plan of one hundred years ago was nearly over. He had traveled throughout Hyrule, freed the four Divine Beasts, and reclaimed the sword that seals the darkness. It remained only to free the Princess at Hyrule Castle, the Princess he had slowly come to remember from recovered memories triggered by her Sheikah Slate. And then, of course, he would need to battle Calamity Ganon.

But he was not ready to take that final step.

It was not out of fear that he was unready, unprepared for the battle. No, he had trained well, and his combat skills were beyond compare now. The sword that seals the darkness filled him with confidence, and he was eager for his day of reckoning with Ganon, a chance to put an end to Ganon's threat to Hyrule.

No, it was something else entirely. It was his memory. He had prepared for many things in his travels to survive in the wild, securing fresh food and cooking it, replacing weapons, destroying monsters. But he had not been ready for the shock of learning someone loved him and loved him enough to marry him.

He recalled how he was speechless when Mipha's father and brother spoke of her love for him, and her father gave him her gift, the armor she had so carefully crafted by hand one hundred years ago. Gazing at her statue helped him recall a time alone with her on Ruta as she promised to look out for him and hoped to spend some time together.

But that was such a small memory. It was not enough. Link needed to know more, to understand what they had meant to each other. Only Mipha's spirit knew the answers. And he sensed that once Ganon was destroyed, Mipha and the other Champions would be free to depart for the spirit world, their duty to Hyrule fulfilled. And then he would forever lose his chance to learn about his time with Mipha.

He approached closer to Ruta, and a voice asked if he would dare confront a realm of illusion and memory. He knew what would happen if he agreed, a battle against a virtual Ganon phantom would ensue. But he had already done that several times before and did not need to overcome his fears. And so he declined the offer.

He waited a moment longer, and then he spoke.

"Mipha?" said Link. "I know you can hear me. Please, I need to speak with you."

Link was greeted only by silence.

"I am going to light a fire, and I will camp here day and night until you speak with me," said Link. "There are things I must know that only you can tell me."

Link took some wood he carried and lit a campfire. Then huddled next to it, rubbing his hands. The sun was sinking in the west and would be setting soon. The night might grow cold, but he didn't care.

He stared up at Ruta again. He knew Mipha's spirit was there, waiting to perform her duty, to strike at Calamity Ganon when the time came. He had seen her spirit all too briefly once and later heard her voice a few times more. But they had all been one-sided conversations, her speaking to him. He hoped his stubbornness would move her to speak with him again and answer his questions. He wished he could climb aboard Ruta and perhaps see her spirit once more, but he could not approach Ruta closely and must be content to stay outside. All he could do was hope she would speak with him.

The sun was starting to set now, and the night sky was clear. Thank Hylia it wasn't raining, though that would not have stopped him. He took a moment to look from this high vantage point. To the left and just behind Ruta stood the majestic peak of Mount Lanayru, home of the Spring of Wisdom. To his right was Hyrule Castle, centered in the four Divine Beast targeting beams. And behind him, Death Mountain glowed a fiery red. Each place held memories for him, but that was not what concerned him now. He walked to the northern edge of the peak, and he could make out Zora's Domain below with its beautiful architecture and soft blue glow. He was a welcome visitor to Zora's Domain now, having calmed Ruta and saved everyone. He returned to be close to the fire, sat down, and waited.

It was quiet up here alongside Ruta, quiet as a graveyard, he thought. The only sounds were the whistle of the wind and the crackling of the fire. Few if any animals would venture so high to this barren hilltop and he had never been attacked by any evil creatures of the night here either.

He rubbed his hands together again. He would wait here all night if necessary and the next day too. The western sky turned orange as the sun set behind the distant hills, and stars started to appear. Still, he sat by the fire. He had almost nodded off to sleep when he heard her voice.

"Hello Link," said a voice inside Link's head, a voice he had come to know by now.

Link stood up and gazed at Ruta. The voice seemed to come into his mind from no particular direction, but it was natural for him to look at Ruta where her spirit was.

"I am happy you have come to visit me like you used to," said Mipha. "But you must not stay here. We must not neglect our duty, Link, and the Princess awaits your help."

"Mipha, thank you for speaking with me," said Link. "Yes, I know. But after one hundred years I do not think a short time longer will matter. Unless it does to you."

"No, a short time longer will not matter," said Mipha. "I sense the Princess is still strong. It sounds so nice to hear you say my name, Link! It has been so long since I heard it."

"I need to know more, Mipha, about us. You said you would never forget our time together. Help me to remember it too," said Link.

"I do wish you could remember," said Mipha. "But remembering now may only make you sad, Link, and I do not want to see that. I want you to be happy and to get on with your life."

"I am already sad, Mipha," said Link. "Your father and your brother both spoke of your feelings for me. I promised your father I would never forget you, and I will not. But I have so little memory of you to keep from forgetting. I know what the armor you made for me means. I need to know more of what took place between us."

"How is my family?" said Mipha.

"Your father is well, but of course, grief-stricken when I told him I had spoken to your spirit. He had held out hope all this time you were still alive but trapped. He regrets letting you pilot Ruta and wishes he could have done more to protect you. Sidon is a fine young man, and you know he helped me free Ruta. But he dearly misses you, Mipha. He thinks of you each night and gazes at your statue in the plaza," said Link.

Mipha was quiet.

"The night grows cold and late," said Link as he rubbed his hands together. "Can you not tell me about us? I need to know, Mipha. Not knowing is worse. It haunts me."

"You look quite handsome in my gift!" said Mipha. "You wear it well, and it fits you so perfectly."

"I cherish your gift, Mipha, and I always will," said Link. "And I feel you are one with me since you gave me your healing power. But will you not answer me, tell me about us, tell me what we meant to each other?"

"But why, dear Link?" said Mipha. "We can no longer be together in this world, and to know either way how you felt will only cause you pain. If I tell you that my love for you was all one-sided, will you not feel sad for me, that I loved you so much with no love from you in return? And if I tell you that you returned my love, will you not feel sad for both of us and mourn what might have been? To have forgotten is a blessing. You have your life to live, Link, and I can no longer share it with you as I once dreamed. Go now, fulfill your duty, and live your life in happiness. I will rest in peace, knowing this."

"If you know me Mipha, and I know you must, then you know how stubborn I can be," said Link. "I will stay here until you tell me about our time together. I need to know."

There was silence for a moment.

"Very well," said Mipha. "I can speak with you but only until sunrise. Then you must go and fulfill your duty as I must mine. Will you promise me that?"

"Yes, if that is the most time I can have with you," said Link.

"You say you wish to know of our time together?" said Mipha. "But where to begin? I have known you since your childhood."

"No, not that far back, though if we had time enough, I would stay here day and night and listen to every moment you were with me," said Link. "Since our time is short, work backward from our times together, the latest first."

"Very well," said Mipha. "The last time we saw each other was at the East Gate of Lanayru Road when Ganon surprised us all. I was trying to help the Princess access her power, but I was too late. We had no time to speak, you and I, but rushed off to do our duty. I remember how worried I was when I left."

"I am so sorry for what happened," said Link. "You were right to worry about the danger within Ruta. I wish we had thought of Ganon's plan."

"But dear Link, I was not worried for myself. I was worried for you," said Mipha. "I had promised to look out for you, to heal your wounds, and yet you were rushing off to battle Ganon on your own. I was so worried you would be hurt, and I could not be there to heal you. I never thought of danger within dear Ruta."

"All right," said Link. "That was a painful memory. Please, let's move back from that to the next earlier time we saw each other."

"Perhaps it would make more sense to jump to the time even before that one," said Mipha. "Then, you will understand."

"Very well," said Link. "Whatever you think best."

"It was your visit alone to the domain when we sat on Ruta's trunk, and I healed your arm and told you I hoped we could spend time together when our task was done," said Mipha. "You were quiet, tired, under stress from all your duties. It was too late to travel then, and you were too tired. So, you stayed at the Seabed Inn that night. You agreed to meet me the next morning, and when I met you, we walked together to Veiled Falls. You had told me once you had trouble sleeping, and you still looked tired. We sat on the large rock there, and the sunlight, fresh air and the sound of the falls put you to sleep, your head resting on my shoulder. You looked so peaceful and handsome, Link, I wanted to kiss you then and there! But I cradled your head and then let it slide down and rest more comfortably in my lap. I brushed your beautiful blond hair back once from your face. You slept for quite a while, breathing gently. I was happy to see you get some rest, as I knew you needed it.

Then all at once, you woke up, startled, not knowing where you were. I calmed you and assured you that you were safe. You sat up then, and our eyes met. I smiled at you, and then you suddenly leaned forward and kissed me. I felt like I was in a dream now! You seemed unsure of my reaction, but I kissed you back at once, and then we held each other and kissed more times than I can count. Afterward, you told me that you loved me but had been afraid of losing me as a friend. I told you I loved you too. I wished that day would never end!

I had hoped to offer you the armor on your visit as you were without the Princess for a change, and I had prayed for the courage to do so. I had brought it with me in a bundle. You told me later you thought it was our picnic lunch, and we both laughed. But after you expressed your love for me, I had no fear of rejection. I offered you the armor, and you happily accepted it. Then you tried it on, and as I expected, it fit you perfectly. We discussed our plans next and thought it best to wait until after our task was done to tell everyone. You had to return to guard the Princess then, and I took the armor back with me when I returned home. That was the end of your visit, but it was the happiest visit of all for me. For a time, I felt my dreams had all come true, Link."

"That is wonderful to know, Mipha," said Link. "I am happy we found love with each other, if only for a short time. Thank you for sharing that with me. What was the time you skipped to speak of this time?"

"Oh, you made a surprise visit to me at East Reservoir Lake a week after that," said Mipha. "I was so excited to see you, not only because it was a surprise but because by then we had finally shared our love for each other. We spent all day by the lake, swimming and talking, kissing and hugging each other. You were like a different person then, more emotional and open about your feelings, which I loved. But you carried some secret with you that you couldn't tell me yet. I didn't care in the end. I was just so happy to be with you. I held you in my arms as we slept that night in the bed on the pier, and I dreamed of holding you as my husband one day soon."

Time was moving on as they spoke, and this was one time Link would be very sorry to see a sunrise.

"Thank you, you have told me what I needed to know," said Link. "I know now that I did love you and that I told you so. It makes me want to learn even more about our time together, though. What other times were we together?"

"Well, before we shared our feelings, we were still very close," said Mipha. "We swam, played games, collected fireflies, chipped Luminous Stones for good luck, hiked, sat together and talked as we waited for the rain to stop. You visited me many times, Link, and I was always so happy when you did. Even after you grew quiet from carrying the sword, I still loved seeing you."

"Please tell me some specifics," said Link as he looked toward the east.

"Well, there are so many to choose from," said Mipha. "But I will tell you one time I liked. We were hiking together by Ralis Pond, and a rainstorm came up. We waited together for the storm to pass, but you were soaking wet. All this happened before we were appointed Champions, so you were wearing your Royal Guard uniform. When the rain stopped, and the sun came out, you needed to dry off your uniform. I remember you were so shy taking off your tunic and trousers with me there, even though we had swum together so many times. You blushed, and my giggling only made it worse. Anyway, we sat together as we waited for your uniform to dry and talked for hours. I liked sitting with you, leaning against the rock there. Being caught in the rain together made you speak more with me, which was very welcome. You were sometimes very quiet."

"Thank you, that is a nice memory," said Link. "I was trying to picture things as you told them, and I know Ralis Pond and the rock outcropping you mentioned. It helps bring the memory to life in my mind. Can you tell me of another time?"

"Very well," said Mipha. "It was a time I remember holding you in my arms. We were hiking near a pond, and it had rained earlier in the day. It was slippery, and you reached out to take my hand to help me. But you lost your footing and so did I. We collapsed on the soft ground near the shore together, and you landed on top of me. I held you from slipping, and I thought you might kiss me, as we lay there for a moment. But you were so embarrassed and blushed red. You kept apologizing and calling me Princess. Then I teased you a little, we laughed and went on our way. But for a few moments, you were in my arms. I thought of it when I went to sleep that night. I already had a crush on you by then."

Link glanced to the east again, and the sky was beginning to lighten.

"I fear our time grows short," said Link. "And I have a confession to make. When your father offered to let me read your diary, he thought you would forgive me, and so I did read it. I am sorry I did not respect your wishes, but knowing about your love for me, I wanted to learn all I could about you. I'm sorry."

"I see," said Mipha. "Then you know about the Lynel and when my heart was yours and my plans with the armor. I do forgive you, Link. What harm is there in it now?"

The sun was starting to peek over the Lanayru Sea in the distance as the morning wind picked up.

"And now it is time to keep your promise," said Mipha. "We must say farewell, dear Link. Ruta and I will be ready to support you in your fight. I know we will be victorious this time."

"Mipha, this is a difficult farewell for me," said Link. "As I listen to you and you remind me of our time together, I begin to feel in my heart now what you say was true back then. I feel love for you, Mipha. I can't help it. I so want to be with you. If only there were some way."

"I cannot deny my heart is thrilled to hear you say those words once more," said Mipha. "But now you must stop. Our time was in the past, but your time is in the future. Do not spend your days grieving for me, grieving for us. Remember me, and do not be sad, but be happy for the time we had. I will never forget the happy times I spent with you, and the love we shared for one another. May the Goddess protect you and keep you safe. Farewell, my love."

The sun had risen now, and she was gone. But he had learned what he wanted to, what he needed to. He would keep his word, as he always did, but he needed to rest first. He put out the fire, then made his way back to the domain and reserved a bed at the inn to sleep until noon. But before turning in, he had two things to do.

Link walked upstairs to the small statue of the Goddess Hylia, then bowed his head and prayed that Mipha and the other Champions would rest in peace.

Then he went downstairs and put a flower at the base of Mipha's statue, a Blue Nightshade. He thought she would have liked it. The blue matched the jewelry she used to wear that he remembered. He wondered what kind of flowers she loved? He didn't know and had forgotten to ask her. But he promised himself he would place a flower at her statue every day he stayed in the domain. He stopped to gaze at her statue again, and it seemed she was looking down at him with her kind expression. He knew much more now, and he knew he had loved her just as she loved him.

"I will never forget our love, Mipha, I cannot now," whispered Link hoping she could hear him somehow. "Never, not even for another hundred years."

Then he returned to the inn. He needed to rest for his big day. It had been a long night, but a night of answers he had needed.

"Good night, my love," said Link.

And before he drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard Ruta softly bellow. Could she still hear him? And if she could, and he closed his eyes, perhaps he could even be with her in his dreams, happy together again, chasing fireflies, or swimming, sharing a laugh and a kiss. If so, he must remember to ask her the kind of flowers that she loved. He would have one for her next time.