A Tale of Two Princesses

Note: What if Mipha put her love for Link and concern for Zelda ahead of Daruk's plan to rush to her Divine Beast? This story takes place in an AU that begins on the day of the Great Calamity.

Chapter 1 - Silent Princess

Summary: After Princess Zelda is unsuccessful in awakening her sealing power at the Spring of Wisdom, Princess Mipha attempts to offer some advice. But the sudden return of Calamity Ganon silences her. As the Champions race to their Divine Beasts and Zelda accompanies Link to Hyrule Castle to confront Calamity Ganon, Mipha is torn between her duty and her feelings. She chooses to follow her heart.

It was late afternoon as Mipha stood with Urbosa, Daruk, and Revali near the East Gate of Lanayru Road, the only sound the rustle of a gentle breeze and the occasional chirping of a nearby bird. The sinking sun behind them cast long shadows as they looked eastward toward Mount Lanayru awaiting Princess Zelda's return from the Spring of Wisdom. There wasn't much conversation among them, and they all knew what was at stake. They hoped that Zelda could finally awaken her sealing power. That was the critical final step in the ten-thousand-year-old script they were following to defeat Calamity Ganon.

The quiet time gave Mipha a chance to think, and she used it to recall her last time alone with Link. It had happened very recently. Link had an opportunity to visit her without the Princess, and they had sat together atop Ruta's trunk in the middle of East Reservoir Lake. She had tended to a wound on his arm, and it had reminded her of when they had first met fourteen years earlier. He was just a little boy back then, but one who always turned up with bruises she would heal. Then she had gone on to express her promise to restore him from any harm that might come to him, and that she would always protect him. She wanted him to know how much she cared for him and that he could count on her help.

But she had wanted to say much more to him that day. She had hoped to tell him how much she loved him and offered him the gift she had so painstakingly made for him. And this was no ordinary gift. The Zora Armor she had made held a part of her and was meant to seal a bond. It was her gift of love, what a Zora princess gives her future husband. She had prayed for the courage to offer it to him. In the end, she had decided not to.

She told herself she had good reasons for that. True, if Link had accepted the armor, her happiness would have overflowed her heart now! She smiled to think of that. But though she thought he would accept it, she really wasn't sure. He had grown even quieter lately, and reading his feelings was difficult, even for her. She could tell the burden of responsibility had changed him. She knew he cared for her and believed he loved her. But something just didn't feel right.

And then she wondered how she would feel if Link had rejected her gift. He knew enough Zora lore to understand what it meant. And he was a kind person and cared about her feelings. He would have tried his best to let her off gently, to hurt her as little as possible. Perhaps he would have said he wasn't ready for such a commitment. If he had gone on to add 'yet' or, even better, told her that he loved her too but needed more time before taking that big a step, she could have accepted that. At least there would have still been some hope. But if he had merely rejected her offer and left her no hope, then it would have broken her heart and shattered her dreams.

So, she hadn't offered Link the armor after all. He had seemed quite distracted anyway. He didn't speak or laugh the way he used to, and he looked so preoccupied with his duty. She thought it better to wait for all this to be over, so Link could give her his undivided attention, and hopefully give her the answer she wished to hear. In the end, she had merely expressed her hope that after all this was over, they could spend more time together, as they used to when they were young. Link had only nodded, his mind seemingly elsewhere.

But there was another aspect of Link that she thought stood in the way of their being closer. And that was his respect for her royal position. Even after all this time together, she sensed he still kept some distance between them out of deference to her being a princess. Not that they didn't use to enjoy playing and swimming together or talking and laughing. They did. But it was the little things he did that made her feel that way. If they were together and they met someone, he would stand back like her subject instead of right beside her like an equal. Or it was how he referred to her when he spoke about her with someone, always using her title and not just her name. He even did that when mentioning her in talks with her father. When he was younger, it had taken her forever to coax him into using her name when speaking to her rather than calling her 'Princess.' Her father sometimes commented on how polite and respectful Link was, but she wished he would be less so. Despite all his accomplishments, Link was very modest about himself and always acted like he knew his place. She wondered if he somehow felt unworthy of her, or that he didn't deserve her, and that kept him from sharing his feelings. If so, it was yet another reason she would have to express her feelings first.

Whenever she could, she would watch how Link behaved with Princess Zelda, to see if he acted any less formal or more at ease with her perhaps. But no, he didn't. Link was ever the quiet, respect for authority knight attendant. He didn't show Zelda any more or less respect than her. And that was good news in one way, and bad news in another.

Someone spoke, and she looked up toward Mount Lanayru. Princess Zelda and Link were finally returning.

Zelda and Link walked toward the Champions, and Zelda's body language told the story. Her eyes were downcast as Link followed a few steps behind her.

Zelda had turned seventeen that day, and so she was now old enough to visit the Spring of Wisdom, the third and final one in her long ten-year quest to unlock her sealing power. She had set out for Mount Lanayru first thing that day and had prayed from the moment she and Link had arrived at the spring. But as the sun began to sink in the West Zelda realized it was no use, and they needed to go. And so, she and Link had made their way back down the mountain to where the Champions awaited them.

Zelda had hoped, without much hope really, that her pilgrimage to this last spring would somehow bring success, that her prayers would finally be answered and she could fulfill her duty as Hyrule Princess and bloodline descendant of the Goddess Hylia. But as had been true for the other two sacred springs, the Springs of Power and Courage, her efforts once again proved futile. She had felt nothing, and her failure was complete now, her last hope gone. She had wasted ten years on fruitless prayers.

And now she had to admit all this to the Champions, the heroes who had trained so hard to do their part. They had worked to master their Divine Beasts, to be ready to aid Link and her in their battle against Calamity Ganon. All of them, her guardian knight as well, had succeeded. And all of them were counting on her. Yet she, the leader of the group her father had appointed, was the only failure. She hoped they realized she had honestly tried her best. She knew none of them had worked as hard as her. It all seemed to come so quickly to them by comparison, to Link, even to quiet, little Mipha. And that made her feel worse about the failure that she was.

As the Champions watched Zelda's return, Mipha's shoulders slumped, and Urbosa's hands fell to her side. They could both see from the way Zelda walked that it had been a failure. Mipha wasn't sure the power Zelda needed to access was anything like her own healing power, but maybe Zelda was going about this the wrong way, she thought. It wasn't a prayer that made such things work. It was love.

As Zelda joined the others, Daruk was the first to speak.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense? How'd everything go up there on the mountain?" said Daruk, his expression still hopeful.

Zelda could only moan and shake her head.

"So you couldn't feel anything? No power at all?" said Revali.

"I'm sorry, no," said Zelda, her head downcast.

Then Urbosa, the Champion Zelda felt closest to, spoke up for her. It was time to move on she said, trying to offer her some comfort. Zelda had done all she could, and there was no sense feeling sorry for herself. She said this was not her last shot, and anything could finally spark the power to seal Ganon away. We just have to keep looking, she said. Zelda thanked her for her kindness.

But Urbosa's remark about looking for the spark had made Mipha realize this was the time to speak up. She needed to overcome her shyness. She felt so embarrassed, though, especially in front of everyone. Her love for Link was known only to her father, and the way she needed to think about Link might strike people as odd.

Mipha approached Zelda. She was starting to explain that it was love that drove her healing power. That it helps her to think of the person she loves needing her to be saved. Specifically, it helped Mipha to imagine Link was hurt, and depending on her for survival. She would picture him wounded, and that if she didn't do all she could, she would lose him forever. Then her love for Link would pull her whole heart and soul into her healing effort. She didn't need to do that for her power to work. But imagining such a situation helped.

But at that moment, the ground shook. Revali flew into the air and confirmed it was Ganon's return. Daruk said everyone should return to their Divine Beasts in aid of Link, and Link should head to Hyrule Castle to battle Ganon. Urbosa wanted to find safety for Zelda, but Zelda refused, insisting she could help somehow.

Revali wasted no time and flew off at once toward Medoh. Then the rest of the group hastily headed west together. Urbosa was the first to leave, heading southwest after passing the Lanayru Road-West Gate. She shouted good luck to everyone. Then the rest of them traveled a little further west. It was there they would split up, Mipha and Daruk heading north, Link, now with Zelda accompanying him, heading past Kakariko Village and on to Hyrule Castle.

Mipha said farewell and turned north. She planned to cross the land by Rabia Plain then make for the Rutala River and onward to the Zora River and Ruta. Daruk planned to cut across the Goponga Island area and then north to Rudania.

It was when Mipha reached the Rutala River that she began to have misgivings. Daruk had urged everyone into quick action with his battle plan. But maybe she should think some more about this. And as she stopped to think, she was torn between her duty as a Champion to pilot her Divine Beast and her promise to the one she loved to heal and protect him and her heartfelt desire to help Princess Zelda achieve her power.

She knew the Divine Beasts were critical to the success of their plan, but so were Link and Zelda. And she had sworn to Link only a short time ago that she would protect him and heal all his wounds. Yet here she was letting Link go off without her to fight the worst enemy anyone could imagine. How could she protect or heal him from inside Ruta? Of course, the old legend had said the Guardians would protect the hero and the Princess. But that was untested as far as she knew. And besides her love for Link, she also cared for Zelda. She felt Zelda's pain and frustration. Link had shared with her how much to heart Zelda took her failure. She needed to finish what she had started to tell Zelda. That might be the insight she needed.

Her Divine Beast would certainly help Link by making it easier to defeat Ganon. That was their plan, after all, and it was felt necessary for Link's success. But would it be possible to defeat Ganon without Zelda? Given all that had happened, Mipha had no confidence that Zelda would succeed in sealing Ganon away. And if Zelda could not seal Ganon, then the work of the Divine Beasts and even Link himself would all be in vain. They might weaken Ganon but could not destroy it. Then what? Would Link have to battle Ganon endlessly? If she could catch up to Zelda, she could finish what she started to say to her. And if she could see that the Guardians were protecting them as expected, she could return to Ruta and complete her role without worry for their safety and more confident of success.

Rightly or wrongly, she had always followed her heart in life, and her heart was telling her now that she needed to help Link and Zelda. She hoped the other three Divine Beasts would suffice for now. If not, then her heart had led her astray. She could swim faster than they could walk, and she should be able to catch up to them at Hyrule Castle. In the meantime, she prayed the Guardians would indeed do their intended job of protecting the hero and the Princess.

Mipha reversed direction and swam back north toward the Hylia River. She could take that river all the way to the castle and look for them there. Purple malice swirled around the castle in the distance as she swam as fast as possible. And as she circled Crenel Hills, she got the first inkling that something had gone terribly wrong. It looked like Castle Town was on fire, and there was the sound of screaming as intermittent flashes of light lit up the sky.

As she swam closer, she could make out a Guardian Walker in the woods nearby. But something was wrong here too. The Guardian was chasing and firing its beam at two fleeing Hyrule soldiers. One of them was killed instantly, but the other was able to make his way to the water and dove in. The Guardian lost sight of him, pivoted its turret back and forth several times, then walked back into the woods. Mipha hurried over to the soldier in the water.

"Are you hurt?" said Mipha. "What is happening?"

"I'm not hurt," said the guard. "But it looks like my partner didn't make it. The Guardians are all running amok! Not only the ones we worked with, but many more came out of those huge columns you see. They are destroying everyone and everything! Fighting them is hopeless. Our arrows just bounce off or do minimal damage. We don't know what's happened. But everyone is just fleeing to safety now."

"What about those inside the castle?" said Mipha.

"I doubt anyone there is left alive," said the guard. "But we had both better get moving. You don't want to be targeted by one of those things. And there are flying ones, too."

The guard swam to the opposite shore and started to head away from the castle. Now, what should she do? It was relatively safe in the water. The Guardians could not operate in water, and if she stayed submerged, they could not detect her. She decided to approach a bit closer to the castle. But her worry for Link and Zelda was now off the scale. Their plans had clearly gone terribly wrong!

As Mipha swam toward the castle, the air was filled with smoke, fire, and the continued screams of victims. Guardians were roaming the area at will and shooting anything that moved. She stayed submerged as she moved closer, only raising her head above water now and then to look around. Soldiers and civilians were fleeing the area in droves. Some, mostly soldiers, seemed to be heading east. Others were heading south, perhaps toward Kakariko Village or beyond. But what had happened to Zelda and Link?

She continued to swim around the castle area, looking for any sign of them. At one point, a flying Guardian targeted her, but she swam away underwater and escaped any injury.

After an hour of searching, Mipha needed to leave. She couldn't stay here. There were too many Guardians roaming around. And it was hopeless to leave the protection of the water. Zelda and Link must have retreated by now. If she had to guess, they would head toward Kakariko Village. In any case, her best course of action was to take the Hylia River south. She submerged and started to swim south, now and then surfacing to look for any sign of them.

But they were nowhere to be found. There was no sign of them at all. All she saw wherever she looked were people fleeing the area. Her heart ached for the many people who must have lost their lives by now. From the devastation she saw near the castle, hundreds must have already perished. Their plan to protect Hyrule was a total failure! And what of the Domain? She hoped its natural defenses would keep any danger away. Unless Ruta was taken over as well. That could pose a threat, but probably not an immediate one. Its offensive abilities were narrowly designed to attack Ganon. Anyway, she would have to deal with that later.

But for now, Mipha thought her best course of action was to wait in the water between the Dueling Peaks. If Zelda and Link were fleeing to Kakariko Village, they most certainly would pass that way. And the shore was visible from the water there. Mipha began to swim toward the Dueling Peaks.

Meanwhile, Zelda and Link were fleeing for their lives. And they were way ahead of Mipha now.

Once they had neared Hyrule Castle, it was clear everything had gone wrong. Guardians roamed everywhere, and far from protecting them, were attacking them and everyone else. Link fought them as best he could and dispatched a number of them. But it soon became clear it was hopeless, and they needed to retreat.

It was pouring rain when they had raced through the forest not far from the Bottomless Swamp, and it was there that Zelda finally broke down, overcome with emotion. Her life as she saw it had been one failure after another, and this was the greatest of them all. She collapsed in fatigue and despair. It was all her fault, the failure of their plan, her inability to fulfill her role, and the loss of her friends, her father, and the kingdom. The Champions were all trapped inside their Divine Beasts, probably killed by now. And the Guardians they had counted on for defense had all turned against them. Link comforted her as best he could as she wept in his arms.

And Link had plenty of reason to cry as well. He had lost someone very dear to him. And it was someone who would never know now how he felt about her. But he needed to be strong right now. They could not afford the time to drown in their sorrows. Link sensed that Guardians were not far behind, and who knew what lay ahead. It was clear Ganon would like nothing better than to eliminate both of them, the two people in Hyrule it hated and feared the most. They needed to move on.

"Princess, please, we must go, it's not safe here," pleaded Link. "We need to get you to safety. I'm hoping you can escape in Kakariko Village."

Zelda wiped her eyes, got up, and they continued running south and then turned east toward the Dueling Peaks. They crossed the Big Twin Bridge and turned north. As Link had feared, a large contingent of Guardians was close behind and caught up with them as they hid in Blatchery Plain. No doubt, Ganon had sent a host of Guardians after them to destroy the remaining threat to its complete victory.

Link needed to get Zelda to Kakariko Village, but how? They could not outrun the Guardians. They were both exhausted, and the Guardians were too fast anyway. They had to rely on stealth. They crouched together, hiding behind outcroppings of rocks. The Guardians had spread out, obviously combing the area, looking for them and anyone else they could find, firing opportunistically on any unlucky passers-by. Whenever Link could isolate a Guardian one-on-one, he could deal with it. He knew how to deflect its beam, and he still had his sword. He destroyed several Guardians along the way, but his shield finally broke, and his sword was showing damage. He wasn't sure how much longer it would last, and he needed to get Zelda to safety before it was rendered useless. He checked that the coast was clear, then they scurried quickly behind another outcropping of rocks and waited for a chance to move on. They huddled, safely for now, as they caught their breath, and Link assessed the situation. He knew he was severely hurt. His whole body ached, and his sword dragged, his arm weak from endless battle. It looked like the next group of rocks they should head for was in Ash Swamp. They would wait until the coast was clear, then move stealthily and hide there, gradually making their way closer to Fort Hateno and then beyond to Kakariko Village. They just needed to keep out of sight of all the Guardians.

It was shortly afterward that Mipha reached the Big Twin Bridge. Small groups of people had arrived there and were deciding if they should cross the bridge or wait. They could see there were Guardians ahead of them, and they feared that there might also be more behind them. But so far, the only nearby Guardians were between them and Fort Hateno. Mipha went ashore and helped heal anyone who needed it as she waited for Link and Zelda to pass by. She thought she had arrived here before them, but there was no way to be sure.

Guardians were still active in Blatchery Plain, and Mipha could hear the sound of their mechanical motion and the occasional blast of their energy beams reigning destruction wherever they aimed. Smoke rose in the air from the brush fires their rays started. She would have liked to help destroy them. But her combat skills against Guardians would be worthless against so many at once. She could serve Hyrule best for now by healing any injured. And keeping an eye out for Link and Zelda, of course.

And then there was suddenly an enormous flash of brilliant gold and white light, brighter than the sun. And the light grew and grew until it filled the air all around Blatchery Plain. The people nearby gasped in surprise. And when the bright flash of light subsided, Mipha could no longer hear the sound of any Guardians.

Mipha dove in the water and swam north on the Squabble River, looking over the plain. The area was quiet now, and she was astounded to see that all the Guardians looked inactive, smoke rising from some of them. There was still no sign of Zelda and Link. But then she noticed two people in the distance carrying a body and walking to the South. From their mannerism, it looked like they were transporting an unconscious person with an injury, not a corpse. She could help with an injury before she resumed her search. Mipha swam back toward the bridge, climbed ashore, and met up with them at the nearby stable. Now, closer at hand, she could make out that the two people carrying the body were Sheikah. And she could also see, and recognized all too well, the blond hair and Champion tunic of the unconscious victim they were carrying. Her stomach turned. It was Link! Surely she was not too late?

"Wait! I can heal him," shouted Mipha. "I am Mipha, Princess of the Zora."

"Princess Zelda ordered us to take him at once to a Shrine, Princess. We can't afford to waste any time," said one of the Sheikah. "He is very close to death, in a coma, it seems."

"Very well, I am coming with you," said Mipha. "And I will do what I can for him on the way."

The stable had not suffered much damage as it had been abandoned, and there was no one there for Guardians to target. They were able to find a horse and cart to transport Link and an additional horse to ride. Mipha rode in the cart with Link. As they resumed their journey, one of the Sheikah explained that Link had fallen in battle, but Princess Zelda had said he could be saved using an ancient Sheikah structure known as the Shrine of Resurrection and had ordered them to take him there. Riding in the cart enabled Mipha to begin healing some of Link's injuries. She would have to wait until they reached the shrine to deal with the rest.

When they finally reached the site of the shrine, two other Sheikah were waiting there. One of them was holding Zelda's Sheikah Slate and used it to open a hidden door.

"Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie," said one of the Sheikah with Mipha. "What should we do next?"

"Bring him in here, quickly," said Purah.

They carried Link to the chamber within the tunnel. When they removed Link's clothing, Mipha flinched. His body was covered with wounds.

"I have the power to heal him," said Mipha. "Give me a chance."

"We know who you are, Princess Mipha. This is your chance," said Robbie. "But if you cannot heal him quickly, we need to seal him in the restoration chamber before it's too late. Hyrule itself depends upon him, and the Princess is counting on his survival."

"I understand," said Mipha.

She began healing Link's injuries one by one as she tried hard to keep her composure. In all her years of healing soldiers, she had never seen so many wounds on one person, and some so severe. Finally, Mipha said that was all she could do.

Purah checked Link's vital signs.

"He will live," said Purah. "It is unclear when he will awaken, though. Your magic is indeed powerful, Princess Mipha."

"It is especially so when my whole heart goes into it, as it did just now," said Mipha.

"Besides his wounds, Link is suffering from exhaustion and will need to rest," said Purah. "It looks like we won't need to use the restoration chamber after all. But we need to keep him here to be safe. Dr. Purah and I both need to stay with him."

"I will stay with him as well," said Mipha. "What happened to Princess Zelda?"

"She met up with Robbie, my sister Impa, and I at Kakariko Village," said Purah. "She said she had attained her sealing power. She told us she had ordered two of the Sheikah that Impa had sent to look for her to take Link to the shrine here, and asked Robbie and me to rush here to take care of him. She gave us her Sheikah Slate to access and control the shrine, and said she was going to bring Link's sword where it would be safe and then go alone to Hyrule Castle to confront Calamity Ganon."

Mipha looked down at Link, and he looked at peace, resting now. But his body showed he had gone through a terrible ordeal! Many injuries had been so grave that scars would forever remain, but it could not be helped. She hoped her healing would fully restore him to good health again.

Link slept a full day and night, and Mipha never left his side. She would double-check to see his wounds were fully healed. And she would pray he would be well again.

Mipha had dozed off when Link finally awoke, and his voice startled her awake.

"Mipha? Are you alive? Oh, thank Hylia! I thought I'd lost you! But where am I? Where is Princess Zelda?" said Link. And as he started to rise, he noticed he was naked, and his sword was gone. "And where are my clothes and sword?"

Robbie and Purah heard Link's voice and rushed back from where they had been talking together in the adjoining room of the shrine.

"Link! You are finally awake!" said Robbie. "Calm down. I will explain everything."

Robbie explained Link had been gravely injured and his sword damaged, but Zelda had attained her sealing power.

"Princess Zelda found her power?" Link interrupted. "Yes, that was what I saw."

He tried to think back to all that happened, and his mind was still foggy at first. But as he struggled to remember, it all came back to him.

As Zelda and he made their way closer to Fort Hateno, it was getting harder to escape notice. Guardians swarmed everywhere. A pair of Guardians had attacked, and he had managed to defeat them. The two broken mechanisms lay before them. But he was exhausted, kneeling in pain from all his wounds. Zelda was urging him to run and save himself, that she would be fine. But he could never abandon her like that. He managed to stand. But just then, another roving Guardian spotted them and moved in for the kill. It climbed over its two fallen comrades, and perched itself high above the ground, out of reach of his sword. He could see and hear the Guardian energizing its deadly beam. Running away was impossible now. He stood before it to shield the Princess, too tired to even lift his sword, though it was useless to do so anyway. He would sacrifice himself to give her a chance to run.

And then Princess Zelda suddenly shouted 'no,' pushed herself in front of him, and stood in his place before the Guardian could fire. He saw her change into a different form, spirit-like. And then there was a brilliant golden white light that blocked the Guardian and grew to fill the sky. He lost consciousness.

He awoke moments later, coughed, and then looked into Zelda's eyes as she held him, telling him he would be just fine. But he knew he would not be fine. He realized he was dying. He was too weak to do more than look back at her, hoping she could read in his eyes all that he wished he could say. He wanted to tell her how much he cared for her and how much he would miss her, but that he felt at peace now. He had always done his best to protect her, and he was dying now with honor, giving his life for her, just as Urbosa had told him was his duty on Naboris. He had lived long enough to see her find her sacred power, and with that, she could protect herself. He could die in peace, knowing she was safe now, his duty to her, and her father fulfilled.

Then the next thing he knew, he woke up here. So, Princess Zelda had saved his life, and she had been willing to die for him. Her feelings for him, her willingness to protect him at the risk of her own life, must have been what sparked her sealing power.

Robbie went on to explain that Princess Zelda first went to Kakariko Village. He and Purah had been told to meet Link at the Shrine of Resurrection and put him into the chamber. But Princess Mipha had intervened and healed him, making use of the restoration chamber unnecessary.

Link looked over at Mipha.

"Thank you," said Link as he smiled at her. "You did keep your promise to heal me, didn't you? Thank Hylia you're unharmed! When we realized what must have happened, that Ganon had corrupted the Guardians and Divine Beasts, I thought about you and felt sick inside. I wanted to cry, but Ganon gave us no time to mourn. We were fleeing for our lives. It's a blessing you did not enter Ruta. It was a trap."

Link paused for a moment.

"What made you decide not to go to Ruta, Mipha? Did you sense something was wrong?" said Link.

"No, not wrong exactly, but that our plan was not complete," said Mipha. "I was worried about you and hoped to help Princess Zelda. I did not think she could access her sealing power without my help, and I remembered my promise to protect you. I searched as best I could, trying to find you both, but I couldn't. So, in the end, I failed in my effort, and Princess Zelda succeeded."

Link paused for a moment.

"You know you took a huge risk by doing what you did," said Link. "Had things gone as we hoped your Divine Beast might have made the difference between victory and defeat. I'm sure you realize that. But given Princess Zelda's lack of success, I can understand your thinking and your desire to help her. And certainly, no one can fault the outcome. I wouldn't call that failure. Your heart led you true."

"My heart usually does lead me true, Link, "said Mipha." I hope it always will."

"And Princess Zelda's did as well," said Link. "It was her feelings for me, her desire to save me, that finally sparked her sealing power. She saved my life."

"You should go to Kakariko Village next," said Purah. "The Princess may have left instructions for you with my sister Impa. Here are a Sheikah outfit and your Champion tunic you can wear. Your other clothes were pretty worn. And you will need Zelda's Sheikah Slate to deal with the Divine Beasts."

The road to Kakariko Village was relatively safe now, and one just needed to be cautious of monsters and any remaining Guardians wandering the area.

"I hope you are not upset about what I did," said Mipha as they journeyed together. "I know I took a chance. But I believed it was the right thing to do."

"No, how could I be upset?" said Link. "You don't know how happy and relieved I was to see you were alive when I awoke. For a moment, I thought I must still be dreaming. Or I was together with you in the spirit realm. You know I… , well I mean you and I have been such good friends for so long. Your heart's instinct proved wiser than our plans. And besides my personal feelings, we are better off because of your decision. You can help me now, and you restored me faster than the shrine would have. All of that is in our favor and good news."

Mipha wanted to ask more about his personal feelings, but this didn't seem the time.

"I do want to help you," said Mipha. "And I will. But you know I cannot travel to places like the desert. I hope you will be careful, Link. We are all depending on you. I am depending on you."

Link looked at Mipha, and she was gazing at him the way she looked at him when they were atop Ruta.

As they made their way passed the Dueling Peaks and then traveled the road by Blatchery Plain, the area looked like a Guardian graveyard. Between Zelda, him, and the brave defenders of Fort Hateno, many Guardians had been destroyed. Whatever Zelda had done, it had stemmed the tide of attack. When they reached Kakariko Village, Link sought out Impa.

"Ah, Link, you made it, and Princess Mipha as well, I see," said Impa. "That is good. But I am sorry to say it looks like you two are the only Champions who survived. The Princess does not know your situation, Link. She expected you to be restored in the Shrine of Resurrection, and right now is holding Ganon at bay inside Hyrule Castle. But, of course, this is a better outcome for you and us. The Princess also told me to urge you to retake the Divine Beasts before challenging Calamity Ganon."

"But to what purpose, Impa?" said Link. "If the other Champions are all dead, then there is no one left to pilot their Divine Beasts. Aside from Ruta perhaps, the Divine Beasts cannot help us."

"The Champions were brave heroes, Link, and their spirits are strong," said Impa. "As Princess Mipha can tell you, learning to control a Divine Beast confers a powerful spiritual bond with it. It is possible the spirits of the Champions may yet aid you. In any case, even if we can no longer take control of the Divine Beasts, we must wrest control of them from Ganon before they cause harm."

"Very well," said Link. "I will do as you say. But I need to retrieve my sword first."

"You will certainly need to retrieve the sword that seals the darkness before your final battle with Ganon," said Impa. "But the Princess showed me your sword. It was badly damaged, Link, and will need time to heal itself. The Princess said she would leave your sword safely under the watchful eye of the Great Forest Spirit, often called the Deku Tree. In the meantime, you will need to make do with whatever weapons you can acquire. You can find some here in town."

"I see," said Link. "If I must, I must."

"We can also supply you with weapons when we reach the Domain," said Mipha.

"And you must be careful, Link," said Impa. "Guardians and monsters roam Hyrule, and the latter have grown bolder due to Ganon's success."

"I will believe me," said Link. "I've dealt with enough Guardians to appreciate their power."

"May I ask your intentions, Princess Mipha," said Impa.

"I feel I should reclaim Ruta before it causes any harm to my people," said Mipha.

"I agree," said Link. "We are going to work together to take back Ruta first. It should help me to judge how difficult it will be to deal with the other Divine Beasts."

"I think that is wise," said Impa. "I will pray for your success. But remember you are fortunate in having Ruta's pilot still with you. The other Divine Beasts may not be so easy."