The Day Hyrule Wept (A BOTW AU)

Training Partners

I woke to find myself in a long blue dress with golden trim. I was sitting in what looked like a tower, one filled with books and drawings...of things I couldn't quite recognize.

Vines weaved in and out of the tower's high, small windows, cascading down its walls. Boxes and books lined shelves. There was a blue and white flower in a pot on the desk next to me, one with a small bud. The flower seemed to sparkle when the sun hit it just right. It seemed to be a beautiful day outside, the air crisp and clean, with the taste of spring. Birds were faintly chirping in the distance.

I was holding a quill, with a diary laying open on the desk.

Underneath the diary was only more drawings and sketches, to match the others littering the desk and walls. Some even had what seemed to be odd calculations of some kind.

The diary itself was blank, only a small ink drop at the bottom corner, most likely from the quill.

Where am I-

"Hello again." a voice sounded from behind me.

I spun around to see a man standing at the entrance, smiling with a grin almost too big for his face.

Link.

"Is that really you, Link?"

Link's smile only faltered a little. "Well, yes and no."

I rose from my chair and faced him. "But you're here."

"In spirit, always." He leaned against the entrance's doorway. "In person, unfortunately for me my time is up."

The soul ache started again.

"I'm sorry that I didn't recognize you before at the campfire. You can visit me in my dreams, then?" My voice broke at the end of my question.

Link's smile turned to a frown. "You know how your father was able to help guide you when you woke up on the plateau?"

"Yes."

"Well this is how I can help you with your quest." Link stood and closed much of the distance I'd left between us, leaving about two feet.

"How so?" I simply asked.

"However you need me to. If you have questions and I can answer them, I will. If you need combat skill training that's probably where I can help you most."

This knight was incredible. Even in death, he wants to help me. After I failed him.

"Why was I so mean to you back then?" I couldn't help myself. I had to know more. I had to know why.

"The more memories you collect, the more our story will become clear." He replied.

I frowned, but that only caused him to smile again.

"You sound like Impa," muttering under my breath.

"Good, she was always the wise one!" Link laughed. "It will bid you well to heed her advice."

"Well, are there any questions that you can answer for me now?" I changed the subject.

"What did you have in mind?"

"What is this place?"

"This is what Hyrule Castle used to look like. This was your old study tower, where you spent much of your time researching ancient technologies and how they worked together. This was something that we were using to help us fight Ganon." Link pointed to the diary on the desk. "That was your ancient technology journal."

"It's blank."

"In your dreams it's blank because you don't remember what you wrote in it all that time ago." Link pointed out.