Chapter 12: Memory: Zelda's Resentment
After heaps of rest, food and healing, Tech and Link were ready to get up and go. While they had to go to Zora's Domain, they were going to explore Tabantha and Hebra first.
Tech was finishing his breakfast when Link asked a really random question.
"Do you have a belly button?"
"What?" Tech asked.
"Do you have a—" Link began to ask again.
"No, I heard what you said, but why?" Tech asked.
"I just wondered," Link said.
"Well, in that case, yes, I do," Tech said, lifting his tunic to show Link, along with the many scars he had suffered.
"Cool! I just didn't think you'd have one since you were hatched," Link said.
That comment almost made Tech drop his meal.
"You think I was hatched," Tech asked, making sure he didn't hear things.
"Well, yeah," Link said.
"What—no!" Tech cried, feeling faint.
"No?" Link asked.
"No! I was created in a...a big test tube!" Tech said. "It recreates the environment of the womb with the anatomical fluid, the umbilical cord and enough room for the fetus to grow."
"Oh...but I thought women have eggs inside of them," Link said, puzzled.
"Yes...but...the egg becomes the baby!" Tech said.
"Oh..." Link said.
"Sometimes I wonder how in Hyrule you made it through life," Tech said.
"I don't know," Link said.
"I know," Tech said.
"What do you know?" Link asked.
"I know you don't know," Tech said.
"Don't know what?" Link asked.
"Ugh," Tech said, banging his head on the table. "Never mind."
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"All in all, I think Hyrule is quite peaceful," Tech said as they rode their horses, following the path.
"Peaceful?! Have you seen the monsters running around?!" Link asked.
"Yes, but Link...just stop for a minute," Tech said, pulling the reins of his horse to stop. "Listen...what do you hear?"
"I don't know, what are we listening for?" Link asked, stopping.
"Do you hear monsters?" Tech asked.
"No..." Link said. "I hear birds and the trees swaying in the wind...and creatures making their noises."
"Hyrule is not on the brink of annihilation anymore," Tech said.
"Calamity Ganon could break free any minute!" Link said.
"And when he does...if he does...then Hyrule will be on the brink of annihilation, but right now, it's not. The people have adapted to the monster-ridden world and the environment has recovered from the fires that burned it," Tech said.
"The people live in fear," Link said.
"It still doesn't change the fact," Tech said.
Link yanked the reins to get going. "What was the Calamity like?"
"It was a war that brought fear and death. It choked Hyrule's natural life and pushed it to the brink of extinction," Tech said.
"Yeah, but what was it like," Link asked.
"I do not understand what you are trying to ask me," Tech said.
"What did it feel like? To fight in it?" Link asked.
"Oh...uh...it was scary...and you could taste death in the air...you could smell burnt grass, trees, buildings, flesh...it was very similar to the Clone Wars," Tech said.
"The Clone Wars?" Link asked.
"A primary mission objective comprised of battles on various fronts," Tech said.
"Huh?" Link asked.
Tech didn't reply. Link realised he had stopped. Link stopped and looked around. He saw these weird machines flying in the air. They glowed like Malice and had a searchlight that they used to presumably spot things.
"What is that?" Link asked.
"Guardian Skywatcher," Tech said.
Link got out the Sheikah Slate to take a photo of it and when he looked around, he saw the ruins on top of a cliff that had been in one of the memory photos.
"Tech! Look!" Link said, pointing to the ruins. "That's where one of the photos was taken!"
"To get up there, we'd need to go through..." Tech looked toward the Sky Guardians that were patrolling the area in between two cliffs.
"Well, let's go!" Link said, galloping off.
"Link wait!" Tech called.
It was too late. Link had already set off a Sky Guardian.
Guardian Battle - BOTW OST
Tech groaned, fumbling through his bag. He pulled out some Ancient Arrows and got his bow. He nocked an arrow into place and pulled back on the bowstring. Using his finger to open the arrow's top, a blue light then formed the arrow tip. He aimed for the Guardian's blue eye, which had a red laser coming out of it, targeted at Link. The Guardian fired, and the beam broke Link's shield. It aimed again. Tech kept completely still, shutting his eyes and taking a breath. He opened his eyes again and released the bowstring, letting the arrow fly.
The arrow soared through the sky and hit its mark. The Guardian cut out for a second, signalling it was damaged. Sparks flew up from the Guardian as it exploded. Tech walked over and collected its remains. One of the things he got was an Ancient Core, which Tech had been wanting to study for a while.
"That was reckless!" Tech shouted.
"Sorry," Link said.
Tech huffed, putting his goods away. "We may as well just kill the other one now."
"Yeah," Link said, getting another shield from the Sheikah Slate.
"You distract it," Tech said. "It's what you do best! And don't forget to parry!"
"Parry?" Link asked.
"Yes, deflect the blasts so your shield won't break and you won't die!" Tech said.
"Oh! I learnt how to do that!" Link said before running off to distract the Guardian.
The Guardian spotted Link and began to aim at him. When it fired, Link waited for the right time before pushing his shield up to parry the beam back at the Guardian. It missed because this thing was in the air, but Link and his shield were fine. Tech took his shot, but it missed the eye. It hit one of the three propellers instead.
"Dammit!" Tech cursed.
Now the Guardian was hanging lopsided in the air, one of its propellers sparking and smoking. Now it was gonna be even harder to hit the eye.
"Tech!" Link complained.
"Well, you try doing this!" Tech said, getting another arrow.
He only had one left.
He made it count, and it killed the Guardian. But there was another one.
"Oh no," Link said.
'Would my blaster work on it?' Tech asked himself.
He got his D-17 Blaster out and shot at the Guardian. He didn't quite have the same range and aim as he did with his bow and arrow, but it still hit the Propeller He shot the other three propellers and it fell to the ground. Link took over from there.
They finally reached the place they needed to be. The Ancient Columns. There was a shrine there and as soon as Link looked at the photo, he remembered.
"Hmm...unresponsive."
Link's Memories - Zelda's Resentment - BOTW OST
Zelda sighed, standing up, holding the Sheikah Slate. She had been trying to find a way into the shrine and she thought she could use the Slate to get in, but it wouldn't respond.
"It seems that the structure was built for the chosen Hero...but structures can be worked around...I hope. I just need to get inside."
She gasped and clenched her fists around the Slate when she heard the sound of a horse approaching.
"I specifically told you I did not require an escort, did I not?" Zelda questioned Link as he hopped off his horse. "It seems I'm the only one with a mind of my own," she said, putting her hands on her hips and then putting one on her chest. "I, the person in question, am fine. Regardless of the King's orders. Tell my father that and return to the Castle, please."
Zelda began to walk off and Link followed her. She stopped and he stopped. She spun around with an angry expression on her face.
"And stop following me!" She yelled.
Link, startled, left her on her own. Zelda got no more than two minutes of peace before Tech approached.
She groaned. "I thought I made it clear to Link that I did not require an escort! Did he not tell you that?!"
"He did...but it's not safe here," Tech said.
"I don't care," Zelda said.
"Stop being difficult!"
"I'm not being difficult!" Zelda said. "You are!"
"I am staying and that is final!" Zelda said, stamping her foot and growling at Tech.
"Little Bird—"
"GO AWAY!!! I DON'T NEED YOU AND I DON'T WANT YOU!!!" Zelda screamed, losing her temper.
She groaned, putting a hand on her forehead. She had never lost her temper around Tech and she felt bad. He had a shocked expression but still refused to leave. Tech clenched his fists.
"I am not leaving Princess. I refused to be punished violently by the King because you were too stubborn to let me keep you safe!"
'Princess. He called me Princess,' Zelda thought, her eyes glossy with tears. 'When someone is mad at someone, they usually use said person's title or full name.'
"You're mad at me," Zelda said.
"No Zelda, I am worried for you. I don't want you to lose your freedom because of poor choices," Tech said. "Now, you have two options: one, you can return to the Castle with me, or two, you can let me help you with your research. I could be useful."
"Okay. I choose option two," Zelda said.
"Figured. What are you trying to do?" Tech asked.
"Well..."
The memory faded and Link opened his eyes. He was kinda stunned. He didn't know Zelda could be so snappy.
"She had some temper," Link said.
"She did," Tech said, chuckling. "But then again, don't we all?"
"Yeah," Link said. "Now, let's go to Hebra!"
"Okay," Tech said. "We better rug up."
"Yeah," Link said, laughing. "Like a bug."
The two talked as they headed to the mountain, stopping at Rito Village along the way to get supplies.
Welp. This took a while to get out. Sorry.
Trivia:
It is actually harder to hit Sky Guardian's eyes if they are missing propellers.
Zelda's Resentment is my favourite memory in the game.
There are only two Sky Guardians in the game at Piper Ridge, but I added an extra one.
The actual name for a Sky Guardian, is a Guardian Skywatcher.