Summary: Astra concludes her visit with Dr. Purah, then travels to Zora's Domain to inspect Divine Beast Vah Ruta at Zelda's request. While there, she finds something of Mipha's.
Astra awoke in the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab spare bedroom to the sound of a strong wind and raindrops tapping against the walls and windows. From the daylight outside, it was already morning, and Astra thought of her Tab to check the time. Then she remembered she had loaned it to Dr. Purah for study, and it was out of range at the moment. However, she still had Zelda's Sheikah Slate, which showed it was slightly after 10 a.m.
"I guess I overslept, but I must have needed it," Astra muttered, then yawned and stretched.
Astra and Purah had talked late into the night the prior evening, so a long sleep was very welcome. She arose, made the bed, got dressed, then pulled a hood over her head. As she opened the door, at once, the sound of the wind grew louder, and she had to struggle to keep it from wrenching the door from her hand. After managing to step outside and close the door behind her, Astra made her way down the winding stairway to the lab entrance. A brief knock brought Purah to the door, and she at once let her in.
"Good morning, Highness. Please come in and dry off," said Purah as she closed the door behind her. "We're having quite the storm today, but at least there's no lightning."
"Good morning, and apologies for my lateness."
"Not at all, Highness. Your timing is perfect, and I slept late myself. So please have a seat and help yourself to some fresh, hot tea. Now I can prepare our breakfast, and I hope fried eggs and Hylian Rice are acceptable."
"Thank you. More than acceptable! Rice and eggs sound delicious, but can I help?"
"No, there is barely room for one of us by the fire," said Purah. "I really should clear more of these books out of the way."
Astra sat down at the table, poured herself a cup of tea, then paused as a gust of wind splashed more raindrops across the window.
"The wind off Kitano Bay can be quite strong," said Purah as she glanced over at the window and then continued to cook. "On days when the weather is as bad as this, I would often just sleep here in the lab, not wanting to get soaked walking up to my room."
"Good idea," said Astra after swallowing a sip of tea. "Besides getting wet, the slippery stairs and strong wind would make climbing up to your room in the dark rather treacherous."
"By the way, thank you for answering so many of my questions last night. I fear my insatiable curiosity must have tired you out."
"If it did, I slept well enough to make up for it," laughed Astra. "But I regret I am not so well versed in ancient technology to better answer some of your questions. I studied more about how to use things than the theory of why they worked, and I'm sure I left many of your questions unanswered."
Purah finished cooking, brought over two plates of food, placed one in front of Astra, and then sat opposite her.
"I completely understand that your aim was practicality and achieving results, much like your father," said Purah as they began eating. "I still recall the long-awaited moment when your father finally arrived here after recovering from his injuries in the Shrine of Resurrection. My sister Impa in Kakariko Village had sent him here to have Zelda's Sheikah Slate repaired and enhanced, as she knew I had done a good deal of research on runes and such by then. Link's memory was lost, of course, and I tried to fill in some blanks. But Link was a bit short-tempered and felt pressure to hurry. Let me give you an example of our conversation."
"You're kidding me, right?" exclaimed Link in a tone of exasperation. "Now I need what?"
"I never joke about my work," said Purah. "To upgrade the Stasis Rune, we need three Ancient Cores."
Link checked Zelda's Sheikah Slate, where he stored items collected in his travels, and found he had only one Ancient Core. He remembered he had recovered that one after destroying a Guardian Stalker southwest of Kakariko Village.
"Is it necessary to upgrade the Stasis Rune at all?" said Link as he put away the Sheikah Slate. "Guardians don't seem to drop Ancient Cores very often, so this could take some time. I'm doing okay so far and am eager to press on, free the Divine Beasts, and aid Princess Zelda. She and her father's spirit both urged me to hurry."
"I agree there is an urgency to your quest," said Purah. "But the upgraded Stasis Rune can briefly stop enemies in their tracks and could prove useful in your battles, especially against larger monsters like the Hinox. It could even save your life. Stopping time requires considerable energy, and that's where the need for Ancient Cores comes in. Those crystals are a valuable source of concentrated power and are often destroyed along with the Guardian. My colleague Robbie is more of an expert, but the way they work is ...."
"Fine, I'll hunt down two more Ancient Cores, Dr. Purah," said Link as he prepared to leave. "But I have no time to listen to theory."
"Theory or not, you need to survive to reach the Princess, and an upgraded Stasis Rune can help," said Purah as Link headed out the door, closing it behind him.
"That was rather rude, Miss Director," said Symin.
"I anxiously wait a hundred years for Link to awaken, and he has the nerve to tell me he's the one in a hurry!" said Purah with a laugh. "If I hadn't overdone it with the anti-aging Rune, I should have gone to the shrine and awakened Link before now. Anyway, gathering more ancient parts will be good combat practice for him."
"That sounds like my father," laughed Astra. "He is focused and goal-oriented with a mission."
"Much like yourself, Highness," laughed Purah after swallowing a bite of eggs. "And the fact I looked like a six-year-old back then may have affected Link's attitude."
They ate in silence for a few moments, then Purah spoke up.
"To continue last night's discussion, I'm most impressed by the scope of functions your Tab offers and its miniaturization, to say nothing of its integration with your thoughts," said Purah. "It's like a miniature Sheikah Slate in some ways. It lacks the more combat-oriented Runes, such as bombs, undoubtedly for safety reasons. And it lacks attributes specific to the hero, such as the ability to teleport to and enter shrines. But its link to your mind reminds me of how the Champions communicated with their Divine Beasts. And you say nearly everyone has one of these devices?"
"Yes, they're pretty much universal throughout Hyrule by the time I left," said Astra after taking another sip of tea. "Most people couldn't live without one. But some Tab features may depend upon access to the network developed there, so that they won't work here. So, for example, I'm thinking of features such as communicating with other Tabs, item generation, and self-repair."
"It's times like this I miss Robbie," said Purah with a sigh. "He was more knowledgeable about physical mechanisms like Guardians while I studied Runes and how to create them. It took me forever to assemble my own Sheikah Slate without Robbie's help. But we agreed before we parted company that we could not be together for fear that both of us would come to harm before Link awoke. Robbie would have loved seeing your Tab and figuring out how the parts worked."
They both paused to finish their breakfast, take a sip of tea, and then Purah spoke up.
"But last night, we began to touch on something just before you grew tired," said Purah. "This Tab technology is beyond anything I think Robbie or I could have developed in even a lifetime. So am I correct that you must have uncovered another source of Sheikah technology?"
"Yes, you could say that," said Astra. "But I am afraid I cannot discuss that at this point. So you will have to trust me on that."
It had not been accidental that Astra ended their conversation last night when this topic arose. Instead, she recalled a talk she had with her father about the subject.
"Dr. Purah will undoubtedly want to know where your Tab technology came from, sweetheart. But I recommend you not discuss North Hyrule," said Link as he and Astra shared a picnic lunch in Hyrule Forest Park. "There is something strange about how our time travel affects or doesn't affect that land. I've had conversations with Dr. Purah that make my head spin."
"What do you mean, Dad?"
"Well, my time travel 104 years into the past caused a timeline split here," said Link. "But they claimed to have lived through all 104 years as if nothing happened to them, and only Hyrule suddenly changed. So, they seem to have lived in parallel with my original timeline until the split occurred and now live in this timeline, the one we're in now. Did the scientists there choose that outcome? Or does the situation one finds there depend on your timeline? If you were to return to my original timeline after the split and travel to North Hyrule, what would you find? Would you cross back into this timeline while in their land? That seems unlikely and would seem to lead to paradoxes. Or would everything be different there for you? Purah didn't know."
"It does sound confusing," said Astra. "I'll steer clear of it."
"Very well," sighed Purah. "I hope someday you feel comfortable sharing what you know. Can you at least part with your Tab a bit longer? I am still learning from it while being careful not to damage it."
"Of course," said Astra. "I've been getting along fine with Zelda's Sheikah Slate."
Astra insisted on helping Purah clean up after breakfast, then prepared to leave.
"May I ask where you are going next, Highness?"
"Zora's Domain," said Astra. "Zelda wants me to check on Ruta in the same way I did for Naboris. The report on Ruta should be like the Naboris report I shared with you last night, but I will let you know. I also want to visit Prince Sidon and King Dorephan. I still think of them as family."
"Of course," said Purah. "Then I wish you safe travels, and I look forward to seeing you soon. And I repeat my promise to be careful with your Tab."
"Farewell until next time, and thank you for the hospitality," said Astra.
Astra then took out the Sheikah Slate, opened the map, selected the Ne'ez Yohma Shrine, and dematerialized. Then she rematerialized a moment later at the travel gate of the shrine. Her arrival did not attract any notice, and ironically, it was not raining here. Astra at once made her way up toward the throne room. A guard at the foot of the stairs recognized her.
"Welcome back, Princess Astra," said the guard with a bow.
"Thank you, but I'm surprised you recognized me," said Astra.
"My name is Dunma, and I met your father, Link, over twenty-five years ago when my father and I were on guard duty together. You look very much like he did, Princess, and may I say I am very sorry for your loss. In any case, word of who you are has flowed throughout the domain by now."
"I see," said Astra. "Can you tell me anything about your meeting with my father?"
"Let me think back," said Dunma. "Link seemed very confused, is how I would describe our meeting. First, he asked me if I was a female, as though he had never met a female Zora before. Then he seemed curious about my age after he spoke with my father, Rivan, and learned that they used to play together a hundred years earlier. Link seemed to struggle to understand the passage of time and Zora lifespan. And maybe how he fit in here at the domain, too. We learned later that Link had lost all his memory, and so his confusion made more sense."
"Thank you, I enjoy hearing stories about my father," said Astra.
"I assume you are here to see His Majesty or Prince Sidon? They are both upstairs, and we guards have orders to admit you at once. So please go on up."
After climbing the stairs, Astra found Sidon speaking with King Dorephan, and Sidon rushed over to her at once.
"Welcome, Astra!" said Sidon as he bent down to shake her hand. "I'm glad you took us at our word and returned."
"Yes, welcome," said King Dorephan.
"I hope I am not imposing by arriving unannounced," said Astra.
"Not at all!" said King Dorephan. "We consider you family, and it would hurt our feelings if you felt you needed an appointment."
"Are you hungry? Would you like some lunch?" said Sidon.
"Thank you, no, I just had a late breakfast," said Astra. "But I am glad to feel so welcome here and would love to have dinner with you later if that is possible.
"Of course it is," said King Dorephan, and Sidon nodded.
"However, I must also confess I have another reason for being here, a duty to perform," said Astra. "Her Majesty has asked me to check on Divine Beast Vah Ruta."
"Oh, I see," said King Dorephan. "That changes nothing about your welcome, of course, but is there something amiss with Vah Ruta?"
"No, nothing amiss, but Queen Zelda would like a report on its status, and she loaned me her Sheikah Slate so I could enter it."
King Dorephan and Sidon exchanged a glance, then Sidon spoke up.
"Father and I have often spoken about Ruta," said Sidon. "May we ask a favor of you? Unfortunately, none of us can enter Ruta, of course. But though it's unlikely after all this time, should you find anything belonging to my sister, would you mind returning here with it?"
"Of course, and I will treat it with the reverence and respect it deserves," said Astra. "Now, I should be going. Since it's not raining, I want to travel to Ruta on foot and then use the Sheikah Slate at the end to access the entranceway. It will be shorter if I travel to the Mezza Lo Shrine and work my way across and up from there, so that is my plan."
"Safe travels, and we will see you for dinner, where you can tell us of your experience," said King Dorephan.
Astra took out the Sheikah Slate and traveled to the Mezza Lo shrine across the Rutala River from the cliff where Ruta was positioned. She paraglided across the river to the Zodobon Highlands, then climbed up the cliff wall to the plateau where Ruta knelt facing Hyrule Castle.
Astra took a moment to catch her breath and survey her surroundings. It was peaceful here, the only sound from the wind and the occasional distant cry of an Islander Hawk circling the sky searching for food. A steady breeze blew off the Lanayru Sea, sending tiny ripples across the pool of water that Ruta knelt in. The view from here was magnificent! You could see Death Mountain and Vah Rudania to the north. To the east was Ploymus Mountain, with Shatterback Point extending over East Reservoir Lake. To the south stood snowy Mount Lanayru, home to the Spring of Wisdom and where Astra had said her last farewell to Link and Zelda. And to the west was Hyrule Castle, her home now. After taking a few moments to enjoy the view, Astra turned her gaze to Ruta.
Ruta looked massive up close, with its mighty trunk raised proudly in the air. Like all the Divine Beasts, you couldn't appreciate their true size until you visited them. There were some green stains where the water's surface had coated Ruta's exterior during its idle time here. Astra walked closer to almost underneath Ruta and could make out a partly charred piece of wood bobbing up and down against one of Ruta's legs. It looked like the remains of an old campfire, perhaps even one set by her father. Link said he used to come here alone to try to recover more of his memory of Mipha and recall his last moments with her spirit. He said he felt closer to Mipha here than anywhere else, though he knew her spirit no longer resided inside Ruta. He even sometimes camped out spending the night here, he said, hoping it would trigger a dream about him and Mipha together.
Astra shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was time to get to work. She activated the Sheikah Slate to transport to Ruta's Travelgate, then steadied herself to allow for the tilt of Ruta's position.
"If only I could level Ruta out," said Astra as she made her way inside. "But I'm not comfortable trying to move a Divine Beast, especially with so little room to maneuver."
Given her experience with Naboris, Astra thought Ruta would recognize the Sheikah Slate as having already been registered with it. And that was indeed the case, as the map option once inside Ruta revealed a schematic of the Divine Beast and a summary of its motion controls. So there was no need to visit the guidance stone, and she could head straight to the main control unit at the lower level in the rear. She would have liked to explore more of Ruta first, but its tilted kneeling posture made internal travel difficult. So she headed down to the main control unit.
The floor was dry. Whatever water that had once been there must have drained out the back or evaporated. Astra navigated past the small platforms to the main control unit and pressed the Sheikah Slate against the pedestal.
There was a beeping noise from the Sheikah Slate, then a pause, and finally, a list of items appeared on the screen. As before, Astra had to scroll down to read all of them.
Divine Beast Vah Ruta Summary Status Report
Status as of 10244.275
(Dates are Years.Days since Ruta's completion)
WARNING: NO REGISTERED PILOT
Ancient Energy Level - Nominal
*Terminal 1 - Activated
Terminal 2 - Activated
Terminal 3 - Activated
Terminal 4 - Activated
Targeting Beam - Nominal - Last used 10219.158
Energy Beam - Nominal - Last used 10219.178
Ice Block Defense - Nominal - Last used 10219.158
Mobility - Unknown - Last movement 10219.158
Overall Status: Divine Beast appears operational, but maneuverability is unknown, and testing is overdue.
Recommendations:
Urgent: Registered Pilot needed.Mobility testing overdue after a long period of inactivity (exceeds 25 years).Targeting beam, energy beam, and ice block defense testing is overdue after a long period of disuse (exceeds 25 years).
End of Summary Status Report
As she suspected, not much different from the Naboris report. But as Astra prepared to leave, something caught her eye. She walked over to where something was leaning against the back wall. She picked it up, and it was a set of pages from a book. They were a bit worse for wear, but the writing was still legible. Zora's used waterproof ink, of course.
She started to read and knew at once what it was. These were lost pages from Mipha's diary. Astra recalled some pages from Mipha's diary had been recovered from East Reservoir Lake, where they must have fallen out of Ruta at some point, perhaps when Mipha's spirit piloted Ruta to its current location. Mipha had apparently kept her diary hidden inside Ruta for safekeeping and to keep it private. This part of her diary must have gotten wedged against part of Ruta and not fallen out. Of course, she needed to bring this at once to King Dorephan but couldn't help at least reading through one section.
Extract from Mipha's Diary
Link surprised me with a visit today. He arrived in the afternoon at East Reservoir Lake just as I was swimming back from a training session with Vah Ruta.
"This is a delightful surprise!" I said. "How did you find me?"
"I asked one of the guards," said Link. "He said you spend all your free time training with Ruta. Are you working too hard?"
"I want to be sure Ruta and I are ready to aid you when the time comes," I said. "And look who's talking about working too hard."
"Well, who can blame me? And any help I can get will be most welcome," laughed Link. "Anyway, I hope you're well, Mipha."
"I'm fine and thrilled you're here."
As we spoke and I looked at him, I couldn't help but notice that Link had his share of bruises needing attention. He knew from my expression how seeing his injuries made me feel, and he answered my unspoken remark.
"I know, I know," said Link, shaking his head as we both sat down on the edge of the bed on the northwest pier, and I began to heal him. "I need to be less reckless. But honestly, it's not entirely my fault. Monsters are everywhere these days and are more aggressive. Anyway, I can always count on you to make things right for me."
"I hope you don't visit me just to have your injuries healed?" I teased as I healed one bruise and moved on to another.
"No, no, Mipha, of course not, I like to see ..." said Link. Then he saw me smiling at him, realized I was teasing, and laughed.
"Anyway, I'm happy you came to visit," I said as I held his arm until his wound was healed, then gently released it. "I'm surprised the Princess gave you any time off."
I admit I was jealous of Link's time with Princess Zelda and feared they would grow closer.
"Are you kidding?" laughed Link. "She still treats me like I'm a nuisance and wishes her father had never assigned me to guard her. But she told me she planned to stay at the castle for three days, so I could go where I wanted."
"And you wanted to come here?" I said.
"Of course, where else? You're here," said Link, and we smiled at each other.
I must say that Link has only grown more handsome with time. And his voice has changed too. It's deeper and more melodic - on those occasions, he chooses to speak, of course. He's still much too quiet!
"Thank you!" said Link with a smile as he examined where the last wound had been. "You're incredible!"
We looked into each other's eyes for a moment, and I felt myself feeling flush. Link is handsome and a kind, caring person, yet a fearless warrior. He would risk his life for anyone. I wish he would speak more openly about himself and his feelings. Maybe over time, I can gently urge him to do so.
"What should we do now?" Link asked, interrupting my thoughts.
A few ideas flowed through my mind, like taking him in my arms and kissing him. But when I get flustered, I usually dive back into my favorite activity - swimming.
"Oh! Why don't we swim together here at the lake?" I said. "It'll be fun!"
Stupid me - I wasn't thinking! Or was my subconscious thinking? Now Link would need to undress!
"Great idea! I love seeing how gracefully you swim," Link laughed as he pulled off his shirt and trousers.
I didn't want to stare — honestly, I really didn't — but I couldn't help it! Link is so cute! He has a slim, athletic build, gorgeous blue eyes, and perfect features. I don't even mind his hair, which undoubtedly hurts his swimming ability because it looks so soft and frames his face perfectly. I had to dive into the water to cool off and hide that I was blushing. Then I waited for Link to join me for some swimming.
Astra smiled and stopped reading, putting the pages away. Mipha's father and brother should read the pages before she did. But her Dad would have loved to read this part!
Astra looked around further but could find nothing else. And she was getting dizzy from the room's rearward tilt.
She returned to the entrance and took a last look back inside Ruta. Her Dad had said this was the first Divine Beast he appeased, and she tried to imagine how he must have felt arriving here and stepping into the unknown with only Mipha's voice to guide him. It took courage, no doubt about it.
The cry of a hawk circling above returned her mind to the present. She activated the Sheikah Slate to return to Zora's Domain and dinner. She knew King Dorephan and Prince Sidon would be thrilled by her discovery.