One More Chance (Link X Mipha)

Chapter 1: Remembrance

Link did not consider himself to be a "techy" type of person. His problem-solving skills were phenomenal, his archery skills were deadly, and his swordsmanship was second-to-none. His technological prowess, however, was pitiful at best. He was more than capable with an ancient arrow or a sheikah slate in his hand, but if one of those relics were to ever fall apart on him, he knew he'd be quite screwed.

It was for this reason that Link laid dormant on the isolated bed situated on the dock of East Reservoir Lake while Zelda and a few of the zoras inspected the issues with Divine Beast Vah Ruta. The bed was located at the base of the radiant turquoise dock under an elegant awning adorned with crystals and...a peculiar selection of wine glasses. The majesty of the still lake sprawled out in front of him, reflecting the hypnotizing beauty of the clear, night sky overhead. A yellow streak, cascading amongst the stars, shown its gentle light on the waters before Link, triggering a familiar signal in his head. Had he still been on his epic journey, he would've jumped up immediately and begun racing towards the streak on the horizon, but that objective was not one Link harbored anymore. He was through collecting star fragments.

Following his spectacular face-off with Calamity Ganon, he and Zelda had departed for Zora's Domain to investigate the Divine Beast after it had allegedly stopped working. Even on horseback, the trip took the better part of the day, and by the time the duo had arrived, the sun was just beginning to set over the cliffs of Veiled Falls. His wounds from the fight still fresh on his body, Link was exhausted after finally ascending the steps of Zora's Domain. After handing the princess over to the safety of the zora guards, Link elected to retire to East Reservoir Lake to bask in his thoughts in solitude. He figured even the zora guards would be overkill at this point, since the monsters plaguing Hyrule had pretty much vanished entirely after the banishment of the Calamity.

Now, the hero of Hyrule laid peacefully upon the bed overlooking the lake with his hands under his head for support. His durable Hylian shield and legendary darkness-sealing sword lay propped up against the bedside on the ground next to him, reflecting the moonlight on the pillars of the awning around him. He wore, from head to toe, his full set of signature Zora Armor. Since returning to the Domain after defeating Calamity Ganon, he found that wearing this armor set helped his skin breathe better in humid environments, especially those found around the lakes inhabited by the zoras. The dangling jewelry adorning the helm and chestplate of the armor jingled every time he idly turned his head or shifted his weight.

Within an hour or two of arriving at the Domain, Zelda and her volunteer assistants had made immediate haste for the Divine Beast up on the mountain while Link tiredly trudged his way to the lake. He thought that, after being absent from the rest of the world for 100 years, Zelda would've wanted to spend more time interacting with the zoras and their king before marching up the mountain to work on Vah Ruta. After all, she was the one who had mentioned wanting to give the king some closure regarding his daughter after so many years. Surely, she'll be planning on mingling with the zoras for a while after fixing the Divine Beast's problems.

The king's daughter...the princess of the zoras...Lady Mipha. Link closed his eyes when that name crossed his mind again. Despite his many findings exploring the vastness of Hyrule during the last several weeks, many segments of the hero's memory were still foggy. Some key events, like his inauguration as a Champion, the awakening of Calamity Ganon, and his own defeat following the desperate wage against the possessed guardians, sat resolute in his mind after visiting the respective locations around the fallen kingdom. His relationships with the other Champions, however, were still as hazy as ever. Despite his reluctance to communicate with others after accepting his burdening role as Hylian Champion and protector of the princess, Link longed internally to be able to remember his past with his comrades...his friends.