Impa's Final Message

Waking of Saturday, May 4, 2019

Impa’s Final Message

It was still the waking of Saturday, May 4, 2019, but I was into the morning of May 5, 2019, because that was two years, two months, and two days since this game came out, and DANG IT if I wasn’t gonna get some time in on it today. I wanted to see Impa. And so help me after so much bloody laundry and dryers and other chores and the sucking black hole of the following circuses of self-medicinal YouTube and its inebriating memes and vines for ever I WAS GOING TO FREAKING PLAY THIS BLOODY GAME.

I was already in Kakariko.

It was 8:00 pm.

Paya was polishing the guardian deity statues.

I decked myself out to look presentable. No beast weaponry.

Now. Impa.

I went up the stairs. I went through the door.

I had all Divine Beasts. All memories.

What would she say?

She sat cross-legged on her little tower of pillows.

I spoke to her.

“I sense it... Their presence.

Daruk. Urbosa.

Revali. Mipha.”

Her old face furrowed. “A hundred years ago, I put my life on the line to fight alongside everyone. But...I could not protect them. They died without fulfilling their destinies. I have lived all this time thinking they died in vain.” She looked so downcast, and then, “But this energy I feel from their presence...” she trailed off.

“It seems they have not given up,” she smiled. “I can also sense...that they were all overjoyed to see you again,” she said, still smiling.

Heh, even Revali?

Well.... guess he can’t hide it from Impa.

That’s comforting.

And then suddenly intent! “Now you all serve the same purpose! Now it is time to attack Calamity Ganon, while he is weak! Hurry to the princess! Go, now!”

Oh, my map opened. And there was a new dinger at the castle.

“I believe you will find Calamity Ganon in Hyrule Castle.”

And I came back out of the map now.

“Even with blessings of the Divine Beasts on your side, you must be careful,” Impa went on, “Calamity Ganon will be well protected. Be prepared for anything!”

And then, “By the way... How are you faring thus far?” A bit jarring. And with a dynamic little zoom out in the cinematography, back to my person and then coming in close.... all dramatic.

Ah, on to the other quest, I see.

I gesticulated my response.

“No... All twelve pictures already? You’ve visited every place?!”

Was it really that shocking, Impa, with how long I’ve taken? |D

“Hmm... Then I suppose it’s time.” The camera zoomed in toward her face. The music had changed. An eerie, haunting, mystical version of some Sheikah tune.... “I will reveal the location of the final memory,” she said, and there was another zoom in toward myself.... in such a beautiful shot....

This is what I have been waiting for. I’ve seen the empty place for the last memory. I remember flashes of trailers. I’ve heard the stories from all the people in the land.

But will it be where I think it is?

“Here is what happened.” Impa.... got up off of her cushion!—I’d never seen her move from that spot before—and walked over to... where are we going? I followed.... “Lady Zelda asked me to wait to show you this. She gave me very specific instructions.” Or some such words!??

“This is the final picture.”

What is it....?

I looked....

The painting on the wall.... illuminated by a small standing lamp.

It was a rolling green field full of.... Guardian husks....

I knew it.

The flashing final stand in the rain beneath my hood.

Watching the lurching, gleaming beasts from the highest battlement.

The Valley of Terror.

Garill’s Haunt.

Fort Hateno.

“Does it look familiar?” Impa asked, “From this village, you should be able to get there in a half day’s time. Now go, child. Seek out what Lady Zelda has shown you.”

And the music went back to normal.

Free the Divine Beasts – Complete.

The long, long-awaited banner gleamed across my screen.

....

How did Zelda.... tell Impa.... that it was....?

....

I will go. And regain my final memory.

....

Impa still won’t let me touch the orange orb though.

How....

The Entry With No Shrines

Waking of Friday, May 3, 2019

The Entry With No Shrines

I warped to the Akkala Tower.

Time for more exploring.

I sailed down, moved into the trees and cleaned out the Torin Wetland—that waterlogged version of the Valley of Terror. Aside from all the dead and rusted Guardians in there, there were also two crawling Guardian Stalkers and one stationary Decayed one. I’d wanted to practice my range parrying the Guardians’ attacks; I was doing okay I thought. But it was still easiest to time it when they were right next to me.

When there was nothing awful left to slay I hiked back up the road and cleaned out the Akkala Parade Ground ruins. There was a Hinox in there, and it was good enough to drop some GUTS for me, which brought me up to seven. I could upgrade some clothes with that....

I was exploring around, exploring around, sniffing into all the various corners of the leafy Parade Ground court, when.... I heard someone in trouble.

But there was no one nearby.

But I was deep in the shadow the Akkala Citadel and its bridges, towering above me. The person must have been....

“Revari.... ONEGAI,” I geeked, and the Rito Champion’s spirit took me up in a trice to the bridge ruins where a lone Hylian man was cornered, beset by Bokoblins.

I fought them off, and the man, Neil, thanked me, and gave me an elixir of some kind.

He told me about the Akkala Citadel. Evidently it had acted as a last stronghold of a sort. It was said to be unassailable. But when the Castle fell, the army here, originally meant to protect Akkala, had no royalty to lead them, and the concentrated attack from the out of control Guardians brought it to ruin.

“Hyrule may very well have made its last stand here,” he said, or something like it.

Hm.

I paraglided or galed my way over the broken bridge, over to the Citadel side, to sport with the Flyer making its rounds about the lower level, and took it down after only a few mishaps.

The Flyers were hard, but.... I was getting better, I thought.

Okay. I had enough Hinox guts, and Mija was just over there across the way. I sailed over to see her, keeping my eyes open for shrines all the while, but.... nothing.

Mija upgraded my Barbarian Armor to the max. YES.

From there.... Hhhhhh I considered messing with some Lizalfos down by the Rist Peninsula, but.... ehhh, decided against it.

Instead I warped to Gut Check Rock and traveled thence up and around the volcano to....

That Skeleton.

THE ELDIN GREAT SKELETON.

WHY DOESN’T IT HAVE A SHRINE?

I searched for clues. Anything. Something that could trigger the appearance of a Shrine. I scoured the adjacent ashfalls and cliffsides. I climbed over the nearby rocks. I ran along the skeleton from nose to tail-tip. I crawled in its giant eye-sockets and planted bombs. Nothing.

....

Well it had worked in Ocarina of Time.

....

But I was just having no luck.

Well, different luck—for there was a music and a sudden wind....

Dinraal!

I tried and failed to get another claw from the dragon. Nuts!

Eh I went and killed the Lynel next door. Silver. Did pretty well.

Came back and killed the bad guy camp under the skeleton—

WHY IS THERE NO SHRINE?

....I may never know.

Or it wouldn’t be any time soon at least. Because now.... it was time for sushi.

Hahh, the Eldin Great Skeleton was a hard place to get to, but.... ehhh I would just warp to.... somewhere.... and save.

I’d warp to my house. No. The Deku Tree.

I’d warp to the Deku Tree’s Navel.

And I did.

Sushi.

Ice cream.

Great afternoon with Mom. ^_^ <3

When I picked up the game again I did a little shopping and cooking at the Deku Tree’s Navel, and some more of the same at Rito Village. I just wanted to buy some ingredients that I couldn’t get out in the field, like wheat and sugar cane and butter.

Siara was around, and she’d been interested to see the amusing clothing-upgrade animations. So I warped to the Great Fairy Tera in the desert and set her to work on my long-neglected Climber’s Shirt, which I’d been retaining at low level for just this purpose.

The animations were cute and Siara laughed, from the glitter-blowing to the head-bopping to the face-kissing to.... well, whatever it is they do on the fourth one.

And I finally got the perk for the Climbing Set, dimly registering that my climbing stamina usage was reduced or something to that end.

But my mind was already back on shrines.

I scanned the map, looking for triple-trees. Those anomalous little mini-copses of three trees or bushes or cacti standing in perfect, orderly little lines. Did those point to shrines?

I took stock; most of the things these formations pointed to were easy to find. There, that one pointed to a shrine, which had been hidden.... But that one in the desert pointed to Pocky’s Shrine, which was never hidden. But THERE, on that waterfall.... Where did that point to?

I warped to Faron to check it out, and couldn’t find a shrine. But I did find an ore cache that had been hidden.

Maybe the triple-trees pointed to secrets, and not necessarily just shrines.

Still, that desert one....

Hmm.

Running out of gas I worked my way over to the Highland Stable. I visited Malanya, who reported that I’m good with horses. Cool.

Took out Dragmire from the stable and rode to Kakariko. Didn’t stay at the inn, though. Just.... saved and put it to bed.

Exhale

Waking of Monday, April 22, 2019 ~ 5

Exhale

I clung to the castle’s apex, beneath the blustery, unholy skies.

Talk about King Of The Mountain Syndrome.

....I should check and see whether I really can get onto one of those Guardians atop one of the Five Columns, I thought.

Fathomless tiers of glaring castle-land tapered dizzily in the doom-glow beneath my feet.

Oh my gosh.

But which column?

I got the memory.

Which column....

The one I knew had a Guardian?

Dad was here and the ensuing atmosphere was tight and hard. Didn’t want to move....

And I was getting hungry.

I had not eaten all day today.

I am on top of the tallest, tallest Castle Spire.

Where to go from here....

Hmm....

I considered the northern Pillar.

Noo, I already know it has one.

Then.... one of the ones toward the field. For I wanted to fly afterward. Guardian or no.

7:05 am.

The sun was rising.

I go.

After spending the night on this godforsaken spire....

I jumped at 8:45 am toward the southeastern Column, the one on the way to the eastern edge of Hyrule Field. Seemed the safest.

There was a Guardian up there.

I landed on its head. It seemed to be dead.

The air was so much clearer down here. Am I.... Am I out of the Malice? I think I am.... No I’m still in it. Just down in the clearer air is all.

I could go anywhere from here.

I will.

But.... first.... remembering my clipping mishap through the northern Pillar.... I wondered if I could stand on this column.

Hop down from the Guardian....

I can.

....

Neat.

....

There wasn’t a lot of room or much to do.

....

....

I’m going to visit Benny.

....

Okay didn’t quite make it to Benny’s, but bent wide to the east to avoid the field Guardians. Killed the Hinox, got guts, sweet. Then to Benny’s.

Then the Stable was right there. Wetland Stable. Save Leekah, go to Stable. Blood Moon.

Hmmmmm....

Could go get Hinox guts again....

Think I’ll just sleep here at the Wetland Stable. It’s 1:00 in the morning, game time. Sleep until morning, yeah. I am half-dead.

Sleep. Get back hearts.

It’s raining in the morning.

****

Okay boot it up one more time before bed just to.... get my fix....

I watch all the memories I have in order. With Mom because she’s sweet.

And now.... things are beginning to make more sense to me, recalling it all in order.

We watched them all. Some of them I hadn’t even seen since the very first time I saw them. For I didn’t let myself go back very often, if ever. Even when I was first recording them.

Cinematics, viewed often, lose their charm after all.

But now seeing them all....

That was special.

....

But there is still that.... hole.... there, near the bottom of the list.

Between Despair and Hope.

What happened to me?

I feel like.... I might see Garill again soon.

I do like Garill.

I’ll find out.

Very soon.

Dark Ascent

Waking of Monday, April 22, 2019 ~ 4

Dark Ascent

I still stood on Zelda’s Bridge.

I was feeling pretty accomplished! and now didn’t quite know what to do with myself.

....

Well, I came here for the memory, and I got it.

But before I go, I want.... that. The highest tower.

....

I’m gonna go get it.

*

Okay, Revali’s Gale did not work from my position of clinging to the top of the spire—scrabbled to throw another A-press and paraglide anyway, from the spire atop Zelda’s Study to.... further in.

I couldn’t tell. Maybe I could, once, in another life. But at present I barely had a grasp of the castle’s interior, and a great deal of that was collapsing in ruin. The higher exterior was a Malice-tormented forest of spires, tiered cliffsides, battlements running from who knows to why not, and the mightiest of flying buttresses. For myself it was only a fretful, embered surreptition of climbing towers.... paragliding.... climbing towers again.... So much Malice.... the air so blustery.... and I always wondering whether a Guardian would target me at any moment....

The cross section of the roughly conical shape of the castle grounds was narrowing; I was definitely making progress. I paraglided again—Sanctum—the name of the new locale gleamed into terrible focus across my screen—“NO, I DON’T WANT THE SANCTUM!” I hollered as I sailed toward the fire-bright architecture glowing under the hellish sky. I was not ready for this.

I slammed into a wall and clung on for dear life and was afraid to touch the ground below me. Would it trigger something? Defying physics I demanded my way instead up over a horizontal battlement until I could stand again.

I did not want anywhere called a “Sanctum”.... Not now....

I kept climbing.

Oh my gosh I could see inside windows and places to go, a hole in the floor with a ladder leading down OH GOSH....

Oh, nope, nope, NOPE, NOPE! Nope, nope. Nope! NOPE! NOPE!

*

I got up on top of a tower with a busted top; the collapse was flat enough to stand on. I am so high up now. I could see the tops of those five columns.... Might even be able to paraglide to one of them, but.... NO, first....

>_<

Oh man....

Very close.... I was very close.... This seemed to be one of a handful of side towers encircling the uppermost central column of the castle’s architecture.

Okay help me, Revali....

And he did—

OH!

GOT ON THE CENTRAL TOWER.

OKAY.

WOW.

OH MY GOHOHOSH, I COULD SEE THE WHOLE WORLD FROM HERE! So narrow, so open, so little to obstruct my views anymore.

All the Divine Beasts’ lasers were pointed right at me..... oh my gosh....

I kept climbing.... up the vertical stone, up the steep shingles.... It got cold, and on went one of my warming circlets.... Who built this spire? Did they freeze too?

“Vah Rudania.... Vah Naboris....” [waitthosetwoaren’tadjacent--] I named the distant, barely visible shapes as they passed under the orbit of my gaze, the ends of their lasers so MONUMENTALLY PRESENT. I kept climbing and looking and I looked up into the raging yellow-orange-fire sky and “WHAAAAT? WHAT IS THAT?”

THERE IS A DARK BODY IN THE SKY. ROUND LIKE THE MOON. AN ECLIPSE? WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?

IT IS NEARLY MIDNIGHT. IS THAT THE BLOOD MOON?

OH MY GOSH.

“I GOTTA SEE IT.” I SAID LIKE IAN MALCOLM. I MEAN. UM. DAVID LEVINSON. JEFF GOLDBLUM.

IS EVERY NIGHT HERE A BLOOD MOON NIGHT?

MIDNIGHT STRIKES.

AND THEN THE DARK BODY TURNED WHITE AND SHRUNK BACK TO SIZE.

IT’S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WHY IS THE SKY STILL SO RAGING?

I KEEP CLIMBING. THE LAST SPIRE’S BASE SO TOWERING AND STRANGE, LIKE A STACK OF ALTERNATING GEARS.

WHO ERECTED THIS TOWER?

AND THEN.... I SEE FLOWING LEAVES AND HEAR THAT LIGHT WOODEN CLATTERING AS I NEAR THE TOP.

“Found you.”

I knew it.

I reached the final, heaven-piercing end of the highest spire on the tallest tower, and saddled into a hanging, one-handed cling. My gosh.

I examined the glittering dapple of leaves and woodwindwater sounds—and it was a Korok. Of course. Even here. Just between the beams of Vah Rudania and Vah.... Ruta, I think.

Oh my gosh, I could see the whole world. Everything.

Heuhuhuh! And on my map in the Castle Map, my location-indicator.... that little yellow arrow that showed where I was.... I looked like a flag on a pole.

Oh gosh....

The castle’s billowing Orchestra still blustered all around me like this hellish, hellish sky! What was up with this sky? The everpresent cloud wrack was driven endlessly tormented in unholy flames above my head. Day or night, it was always the beautiful, terrible color of fiery doom, blown on forever by forces unnatural.

So swept the Orchestra. Still pounding, still ringing, still tipping between the Ascending Organ of the Dark One, and the Lullaby of She who held him at bay. The tension between them still tautened on a rusty crank meant for torture before I realized—there was yet another theme there as well. One older even than Zelda’s Lullaby.

Those five notes ascending, springing like a flame, tonic to dominant, root to fifth—in minor this time. Preceded by those two hits that came clomping down like boots with something to say.

1__5__________1_1-2-3-4-5__________!

The Hero’s Theme.

My Theme.

And that made Three.

Should it have come as any surprise?

It pronounced its presence with a percussive flare, and swelled heroically with the string section, as though to proclaim its intention of slicing the ties and bringing this battle to rest one way or the other. Until at the cadence the Castle’s own theme cycled back round to take up the song again.

Like it does.

Should it have come as any surprise? That here in the Heart of Hyrule, here at the Crux of the Age, under the eyes of the Goddesses.... there would be Three.

There would always be Three voices in this Dreadful Dialogue.

....

I’d thought about the logging of this part, and had wanted to say that it wasn’t a Dreadful Dialogue after all, but a Dreadful Trialogue; but then I looked up the Greek roots, and the “dia” of “dialogue” actually meant “through” instead of “two”, and I was vexed by the thwartation and couldn’t bring myself to justify the pun.

The Princess and the King

Waking of Monday, April 22, 2019 ~ 3

The Princess and the King

I killed it. I killed the Flyer that had been circling the Princess’ adjoining tower. And a Turret that had targeted me from behind when I ventured out onto the bridge.

The memory was right there. I took a couple of pictographs, as I’d been doing at the site of every memory, but.... I didn’t recall it yet.

Instead I went across the way into.... Princess Zelda’s Study.

That’s what this tower was, was it?

There was a Silent Princess growing in here, springing up through the tumbled floorboards. I decided I would leave it alone.

And there was another diary—Princess Zelda’s research notes.

There were mentions of Impa, Purah, and Robbie, the discovery of the Sheikah Slate, and restoring functionality to it, and what it could do.... The Princess seemed particularly impressed that it could record images. Without the trained hand of an artist.

The research notes also mentioned the unearthing of the Guardians.... She said records indicated the Guardians were stored in five giant columns beneath the castle—[those things?]—But she said no matter how she looked, she could not locate these columns, and guessed they must have been buried deep.

Those giant columns.... I had seen a Guardian perched on top of one of them.... How were they even deployed? It must have been nightmarish.... All I could envision were Guardians spilling out the tops of those pillars like so many spiders.... and Castle Town.... wouldn’t have had a prayer.

I’d thought the mighty Pillars had aided somehow in containing Calamity Ganon, but.... maybe they were solely in Ganon’s power after all. They did glow red.... Maybe their massive presence and dark possession was the reason the Malice was so thick here to begin with....

In Zelda’s research notes again were recountings of the Champions mastering their Divine Beasts. Mipha had taken to it the fastest, heh....

And there was a passage regarding.... the Shrine of Resurrection.

I drew in a sharp breath when I read that.

She detailed its function and what it could do, but....

She hoped its power would not be needed.

....

When the time is right in the day, I will recall the memory.

But I fear this place.... It’s the wee hours now, but.... I have seen, every midnight, the air thickens....

Is every night a Blood Moon Night here?

Nice, this bridge. That Zelda should have a lovely walkway between her bedroom and her study. The views must have been glorious once. Now.... there’s just so much Malice....

I wait for the day to turn. I like to be in.... similar conditions. To the pictographs.

I climb the spire above her study—find a Korok!

Had to get on the far side so a Guardian wouldn’t see me from below. A decayed one, down on the circuiting road.

Oh the day is all dusk all day in this Malicious bluster....

The time is right. The ten o’clock hour in the morning and the shadows line up. I go back down onto the bridge.

Memory....

Zelda and I walked on the battlement in the sunlight, I in my same Blue Tunic and she in that beautiful long dress—wait no was it even the same one? But she was beautiful anyway, and—a Guardian! crawled on the grass down below, surrounded by attendant Sheikah tribesmen, seemingly leading it along.

Zelda leaned over the battlements and looked down on it.... fondly. And.... ughuh, it sent a squirm through my gut.

She was pleased that we’d come to a point where we could actually control them. But....

“What are you doing out here, Zelda?”

The voice was a man’s I hadn’t heard before. Deep, and gruff.

We turned.

The clothes were rich and exquisite. Guards flanked the doorway behind him.

It was....

King Rhoam.

I sank to one knee and bowed my head and did not move again.

But Zelda could only face him.

He.... tore into her.

He had told her to forget bothering with these ancient machines while she had an as yet unfulfilled duty to her kingdom!

She knew that—she knew—

She brought up that she and I had only just been to the Spring of Courage, where she had poured out every ounce of her prayers to the Goddess—

“And yet you are back here, wasting your time!” the King held it in her face.

Zelda pressed that she was doing everything she could—there was nothing else she could do!

But the King was a hard man and he wouldn’t have it. “You must be single-minded in your training...” he went on again.

I did not move.

“Do you know what the rumormongers are calling you? They are saying that you are heir to a throne of nothing. Nothing but failure.” Some—such—words—

The sting!

I.... could only draw my breath.

So harsh.

But could I blame him?

And could I blame her?

“But it is woven into your destiny to prove them wrong,” the King continued, and I sighed in gratitude at his grace.

But the King was still a hard man.

“As King, I forbid you to have anything more to do with these ancient machines. Do you understand?”

I had no power here.

And neither did the Princess, in the face of her father the King.

She was trapped.

“Yes,” she could only answer, while the Guradian only swiveled between its handlers down on the lawn....

The sound coming out of the memory was different this time.

I have all the memories now.

I have to go back to Impa.

....

And I need more arrows.

Privy Thoughts

Waking of Monday, April 22, 2019 ~ 2

Privy Thoughts

I looked around.

There was comfortable (albeit ruined) furniture, a bookshelf, a little dressing screen over on the other side—there was a chest behind it, but.... not yet—and.... the remains of what must have been a grandiose bed. But the upper canopy was collapsed down upon it. Wardrobe. More.... more furniture....

Was this.... Zelda’s room?

I read her diary.

The first entry:

After meeting with the Champions, I left

to research the ancient technology, but

nothing of note came of my research.

The return of Ganon looms—a dark force

taunting us from afar. I must learn all I

can about the relics so we can stop him.

If the fortune-teller’s prophecy is to be

believed, there isn’t much time left...

Fortune-teller?

Ah, but turning over these thoughts in

my head puts me ill at ease. I suppose

I should turn in for the night.

P.S. Tomorrow my father is assigning

HIM as my appointed knight...

Oh my gosh, she.... she hated me....

Next:

I set out for Goron City today to

make some adjustments to

Dvine Beast Vah Rudania.

I still recall feeling his eyes on me as I

walked ahead. The feeling stayed with

me so long, I grew anxious and weary.

I remembered that day! Walking along the little lake, what was its name?

It is the same feeling I’ve felt before in

his company... And still, not a word

passes his lips.

So I really am silent.

I never know what he’s thinking! [Oh, I must be infuriating!] It makes

my imagination run wild, guessing at

what he is thinking but will not say.

What does the boy chosen by the sword

that seals the darkness think of me?

Will I ever truly know?

She.... wanted to know what I thought of her?

Then, I suppose it’s simple. A daughter

of Hyrule’s royal family yet unable to

use sealing magic... He must despise me.

OHHHH NOOOOO no no no, Zelda, no!  D8  >__<  T__T Oh gosh I can’t—

Next:

I said something awful to him today...

Eh? What.... could that have been?

My research was going nowhere. I was

feeling depressed, and I had told him

repeatedly not to accompany me.

But he did anyway, as he always does,

and so I yelled at him without restraint.

Could that have been.... at the Ancient Pillars, in Tabantha?

He seemed confused by my anger. I feel

terribly guilty...and that guilt only makes

me more agitated than I was before.

Is she going to muse on all the memories I’ve recovered?

Next:

I am unsure how to put today’s events

into words. Words so often evade me

lately, and now more than ever.

He saved me. Without a thought for his

own life, he protected me from the

ruthless blades of the Yiga Clan.

I remember.

Though I’ve been cold to him all this

time...taking my selfish and childish

anger out on him at every turn...

No, but you were always so weighed down.... with something....

Still, he was there for me. I won’t ever

forget that. Tomorrow, I shall apologize

for all that has transpired between us.

And then...I will try talking to him.

To Link. It’s worth a shot.

She called me by my name!

Next:

Bit by bit, I’ve gotten Link to open up

to me. [Uh! What does she remember that I don’t?] It turns out he’s quite a glutton. [WHAT?]

He can’t resist a delicious meal!

When I finally got around to asking why

he’s so quiet all the time, I could tell it

was difficult for him to say. But he did.

What.... did I say?

What did I say?

With so much at stake, and so many eyes

upon him [hahh, truly], he feels it necessary to stay

strong and to silently bear any burden.

I can accept that.

A feeling I know all too well... For him,

it has caused him to stop outwardly

expressing his thoughts and feelings.

I wonder what I had been like before, then.

I always believed him to be simply a

gifted person who had never faced a

day of hardship. How wrong I was...

You’ll feed my ego with talk like that, Princess.

Everyone has struggles that go unseen

by the world... I was so absorbed with

my own problems, I failed to see his.

Well.... to be honest I didn’t think much of yours with all I’ve had on my plate lately. I only knew something had been weighing on you.... and I only wondered why....

I wish to talk with him more and to see

what lies beneath those calm waters [heh, calm?],

to hear him speak freely and openly...

And perhaps I, too, will be able to bare

my soul to him and share the demons

that have plagued me all these years.

I wished you had....

Next:

Father scolded me again today. He told

me I am to have nothing more to do with

researching ancient technology.

The basis of the plan? But I can’t judge a king....

He insisted that I focus instead on

training that will help me awaken

my sealing magic.

That’s hard.

I was so frustrated and ashamed I could

not even speak. I’ve been training since

I was a child, and yet...

Mother passed the year before my

training was to begin. In losing her,

I lost not just a mother, but a teacher.

Oh Zelda....

Mother used to smile and tell me,

“Zelda, my love, all will be well in

the end. You can do anything.”

But she was wrong. [No.] No matter how I try

or how much time passes...the sealing

power that is my birthright evades me.

What does it even mean to be born Hylian Royalty?

Tomorrow I journey with Link to the

Spring of Power to train. But this, too,

will end in failure. Such is my curse.

No, Zelda, you’re not cursed!

I wish I could reach back and tell her so....

Next:

I had a dream last night... In a place

consumed by darkness, a lone woman

gazed at me, haloed by blinding light.

Oh.... I do like hearing about dreams. Did you know that about me?

Go on.

I sensed she was...not of this world.

I don’t know if she was a fairy or a

goddess, but she was beautiful.

Tell me.

Her lips spoke urgently, but her voice

did not reach me. Would I have heard

her if my power was awoken?

Or was my dream simply a manifestation

of my fears? I am sure I will know the

answer soon, whether I wish to or not...

Don’t let it worry you. Only take what you can from it. But you should never let a dream worry you.

Next:

I turned 17 today. [I remember this too!] That means this is the

day I will finally be allowed to train at the

Spring of Wisdom.

I’m suddenly just so grateful and admiring that the Princess kept a journal.

When Link arrives, we will set out for

Mount Lanayru. The other Champions

will accompany us there.

Oh no.

Is it the memory I’m thinking of?

I have not seen my father since he last

scolded me. [Oh no.] Things are too strained

now... I will meet with him when I return.

Oh no, oh no.... no....

...

Actually...I’ve had a horrible feeling ever

since that weird dream. No one would

believe a failure of a princess, but...

What is it? What did you do?

Right now, for no particular reason, I am

filled with a strange and terrible certainty

that something awful is about to happen.

....That was the end.

She never said what she might have done about that feeling.

Did she see her father again?

I tried to remember King Rhoam, so far away and long ago on the Great Plateau.

Did they part well?

I don’t know.

And now I’m here in.... what may very well have been Zelda’s bedroom.

The sun was sinking in a fiery radiance, beautiful despite the Malice dripping through the air, it set the room with a golden light.

I’ve got to kill that Guardian up top.... the Flyer.

There is a memory up there....

Return To The Castle

Waking of Monday, April 22, 2019

Return To The Castle

I searched a few more shrines for missed treasure.... no good.

SHRINES.

I am missing some shrines.

Impa is hiding at least one shrine.

And Impa wanted me to regain my memories.

My last memory rests at the castle.

I must go to the castle.

So.... I went.

At least I had a shortcut now.

I warped to the Docks Shrine, donned my Lizalfos Mask, and ascended the crumbly, rubble-strewn passageway to the Library once more. Venturing further along the avenues I had previously discovered, this time I made my way to the Dining Hall.

And found I had to change my Mask.

Ugh, four Moblins had turned it into.... a waste. But there were edibles everywhere. On what looked like animal furs draped over the ruined tables. What a mess. But I took the foodstuffs for myself.

Two Moblins squatted near a little fire at one end of the long room, and the other two squatted near the cold and unused fireplace at the other end. For—

I killed them. As was my wont in such tight quarters; I didn’t need their noses in my face while I was poking around.

The Dining Hall had a very gentle bend along the length of it, so that one of the long walls was slightly concave and the other silghtly convex. The convex wall had two doorways, each double-doored and both widely spaced from each other, and those led back to the red-carpeted corridor where the Lizalfos patrolled. Or.... where they had patrolled.

The concave wall had only a single door in the center, framed with fine stonework, and that led outside.

....

I went outside, and it was a bewilderment of Maliced things, the mighty Sheikah Sealing Pillar looming toward me, looking down the drop-offs, dun and dusty ruin, cobbled stones and.... uhuhuhuhhhhgjklhdfsjgklfhjk Guardians.

! But what was that Guardian? There on the other side of some kind of battlemented tower. Just far enough around the structure so that it couldn’t see me. The head looked different, skinnier like a pole, there were swivelly bits.... Guardian Turret? That’s what my Slate told me.

And then that dread spotlight, and a Guardian Flyer chased me back inside. I hated the flyers; they were hard to kill....

Hhhh but....

Gotta move forward now.... gotta find that memory....

I watched the Flyer settle down and resume its normal pattern, and waited for it to pass by again.... and then came back out through the door. It was a broad, flat area, just bare stone, with what seemed to be a street of hardy cobblestone continuing off from it in either direction, running fairly parallel to the Dining Hall behind me. And across this street from the Dining Hall was only a drop-off down to the lower levels of the tiered castle grounds.

I had seen the castle from many angles, but it was bewildering to be crawling around the surface in the thick of it.

As the Flying Guardian was elsewhere in its circuit, I ran to the left, hard along the wall, which degraded into a rough earthen slope as the street continued counterclockwise at a gentle incline. I ran until I was certain I was far from the Guardian’s patrol loop, and continued cautiously as the street became progressively rougher, the cobblestone giving way to packed dirt and the traces of double-ruts.

The wall of earth to my left became more uneven and encroached upon the road, as though parts of it had broken off and slid down over the years AND A BIG DARK SHAPE DROPPED AND THUDDED ONTO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME.

A GUARDIAN? DECAYED? NO, IT WAS—it was—It was dead.

Its overturned, cereal-bowl-shape teetered to a creepy standstill before me, and a couple of Ancient bits tumbled down beside it or bounced away unclaimable down the drop-off.

I looked up.

An Ancient Screw still perched on a little jutting boulder most of the way up the steep slope.

Had this Guardian fallen from all the way up there?

What the heck?

That Flyer was coming back. Coming from the direction of the Dining Hall. I didn’t want to be under its gaze, and so darted up the landslide from which the dead Guardian had fallen.

I didn’t even know which way I needed to go.

Where was that spot?

That spot in the pictograph, the last memory.... such elegant stonework....

I thought I needed to get higher at any rate, and so I abandoned the circuiting road and just kept climbing up to the next tier. It was unnerving to peek up over the last edge....

But I climbed. I could face down the Guardian Turrets, for they behaved no differently than Decayed Guardians, and I could simply avoid the flyers. Or dang well try.

Where was it?

I ducked beside a wall and studied the pictograph: Spires, a big round turret of some kind, winged caps of stone on the battlements. Echoes of that motif from the Royal Crest. Those wings.... Where was that spot? I looked at the pictograph, the map, the pictograph, the map, my surroundings.... Danger was everywhere.... and the 3D overlay map was deucedly difficult to read.... Could it even register details so fine? Maybe that structure there....

One Turret had me pinned. It had the higher ground, it was far away at a very unpracticed distance in my parry-reaction-timing, and Daruk’s Protection had become a short-lived resource in this place. But I couldn’t hide forever. I stepped out from behind the wall again and again, fishing for the correct angle, and I arrowed that Turret to death. Dashed across the open—how could there be grass here?—and hid beside a large structure. This was quite sizeable and roundish. Could this be the castle turret in the pictograph?

There was a doorway that led inside the structure, but I did not go in. I could see Malice Mouths in there. And no eyeball in sight. Didn’t need to deal with that....

And on the outside of the structure, just around the corner, was another Turret. Didn’t need that just then either.

My options were somewhat limited.

So.... I climbed up.

I climbed up over the awful, perpendicular stonework and jutting battlements, and onward and upward, until I found myself clinging to the side of a very pointed roof-spire. But I didn’t dare go higher than the width of my own silhouette lest another Turret spot me. The Guardians seemed to crop up on all sides; they were so thick on the castle grounds.

The air was so blustery and hellish hellish red....

I looked around, but the pictograph.... this place that I’d thought might have been it.... It didn’t look like it was so. No matching battlements, no winged capstones.

Haungh, besides, the turret in the pictograph didn’t have a pointed roof-spire of its own.

Hahhhh.

But as long as I had such a spider’s-eye vantage point I took the opportunity to look around a little more.... Those wings.... Looked around.... looked around.... scrutinizing every pointed spire I could see and every object nearby, scanning for those wing-shapes.... near and far, far and near, high and low, low and—and?

There! That spire! Those shapes! Could it be?

I studied the scene and it.... looked likely! Those wings were there! And they seemed a proper distance from the spire!

But.... it was on the other side of the castle! The west side!

I was on the east!

....

Well....

There was nothing for it.

I climbed up to the highest, highest spire on this big round structure—and found a Korok. Hey there jolly little friend.

The Turret did not see me.

There was another Flyer nearby, however. Patrolling right around the direction I wanted to go no less, gleaming a loop over some kind of landbridge near the end of the broad road to the castle’s gate. I waited for it to make its round a couple of times, and then.... paraglided. Oh gosh through all this danger....

That other Turret saw me then, but didn’t lead me as a target. One blue bolt flashed behind me, I cleared its range or line of sight—didn’t check which—slipped under the landbridge and was coming down fast over a deep pool. Made it to the water, swam only a couple of strokes against a tame waterfall’s current and climbed up the little bank which immediately dropped off in a ledge. Malice gathered on both sides of me. The air was clearer again down here.

Danger? Am I safe?

....

I thought so, for the moment.

But this was a narrow perch—what waterfall engineering....? It was a little like standing on the lip of a bowl.

I looked over the edge, down the drop-off.

There was another Turret on the next tier down below, a bit to my right. Guarding that little winding staircase I’d seen on the external map. Only he was facing the large open area away from the wall behind him. Away from me.

So I dropped down onto the stairs behind him and whistled to get his attention.

Funnily enough, it worked.

I parried him into oblivion.

The stairs were only slightly clockwise round the Castle of where I had stood on the lip-ledge, and they were set into a much taller tier of the castle ground, the one spilling the waterfall that fed the pool I’d landed in. A mountain of Malice globbed all over the towering walls of this tier, and high above, spanning out from near its crest to connect with another tower....

That bridge.

That must have been the battlement from the pictograph. I was probably just below the round turret-structure! I was so close!

I climbed the stairs—watching out for the Flyer, for there was another Flyer patrolling high around the attendant tower. Patrolling that battlemented walk where I needed to be....

The Flyer passed by, I scrambled up quickly over the rough and weathered stones, got inside.

Inside—

Silver Moblin!

I wasn’t wearing my mask.

Oh, he’d seen me....

But I switched to my Barbarian Gear, and the Master Sword had been glowing fiercely this whole time besides.

I killed him in short work, and he went down beside a fireplace.

Inside. Inside.... Where was I?

What was this room?

What? What.... was this.... corner?

There were papers plastered on the walls.... books everywhere.... and.... one book open on the desk.

Zelda’s Diary.

Oh my gosh.