Memories of Hyrule Past

Chapter 4 - Mipha's Worry

Summary: Link begins training for his confrontation with Calamity Ganon. His obsessive pursuit of combat skill takes a toll on friendships.

The problem I faced was how to prepare for combat with something no one in 10,000 years had seen and about which little was known. That Calamity Ganon was a powerful enemy was obvious, but how powerful? From the legends, I understood that the sword I carried had the power within it to defeat Ganon. But to defeat Ganon, I would need to survive his attacks on me, and I had no idea what those would be. No enemy even close to Ganon's power existed in Hyrule, so the best I could do was train against the most potent enemies I could find and hope my skills would serve me well when the time came.

To get the feel of the sword, I started with single Bokoblins and Moblins, but they were too easy. Next, I moved up to attacking small camps of Bokoblins and Moblins. That required more defensive skills, but I was soon able to handle that as well. I would pick off their lookouts with arrows and then raid the camp. The Lanayru Wetlands contained some Lizalfos, which were faster attackers. They were more of a challenge since they darted around so quickly. But after a few scrapes and minor injuries, I learned to deal with them as well.

Next up were the larger enemies, the Stone Talus and the Hinox. The Stone Talus was a good enemy to practice a spin attack on, and when defeated, they dropped valuable rocks and jewels I could sell to replenish my supplies. The Hinox was also a good challenge. There were several in various locations, and I almost always found them sleeping. After waking them up, they became single-minded in their pursuit. I could start by shooting them in the eye, but they would quickly adapt and start covering their face. Then I would have to use my sword or find a place to jump off and use my time slowing combat ability to catch them in the eye before they had a chance to cover it. Eventually, I grew comfortable with these enemies, as well.

It was during one of my Hinox battles that I learned the sword that seals the darkness was not without its limitations. It was indestructible but could be rendered temporarily ineffective if I overused it. In that case, it needed time to restore itself. This was something I needed to be mindful of.

Another enemy I ran into by accident along the road one day was a member of the Yiga Clan. I had heard of these people, renegade Sheikah who bore a historical grudge against the kingdom of Hyrule and had sworn loyalty to Calamity Ganon. They were masters of disguise and had some teleportation ability. My first encounter with one was when I encountered someone I took to be a fellow traveler along the road. She appeared to be in some difficulty, and my instinct was to offer my help. But she turned out to be a Yiga spy. She caught me by surprise and hit me in the leg with an arrow, but the wound was slight. I recovered in time to shoot an arrow back, then attacked while the warrior was stunned. She disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind her bow, several rupees, and some Mighty Bananas. I gathered they prized Mighty Bananas for their ability to increase fighting power. In any case, from then on, I was wary of strangers I encountered.

The last enemy on my list was the Lynel. There were several of these creatures around Hyrule, and I began to seek them out. These were the most potent enemies I could find. Lynels were proud creatures who strutted boldly around what they considered their territory. When I approached, they would fearlessly, and I thought arrogantly, stare at me as if daring me to attack. My early encounters with them were not something I was proud of, and I had to turn to some life-restoring elixirs. The timing was very critical when dealing with a Lynel, and one needed to be mindful of their ability to shoot arrows as well as breathe fire. But eventually, I got the hang of dealing with these powerful enemies as well. Arrows to the face, well-timed flurry rushes, and good defense work with a shield were vital.

So, in my training efforts, I journeyed all over Hyrule looking for enemies, often staying at remote stables along the way and sometimes just camping out in the wild. To say I was obsessed with battle readiness was an understatement. I shunned company and wandered alone for months. But all this time alone I spent battling monsters was taking a toll on me, changing me. I became driven to excel at combat. I pushed myself as hard as I could and yet feared it wasn't enough.

At one point in my travels, I learned about the extinct civilization of the Zonai. Their ruins were scattered throughout Hyrule and were reputed to be a fierce, warlike people. That sounded exactly what I needed to be. But little was known about them. I located several large labyrinth structures that were rumored to have been built by the Zonai and which were said might hold items of value. I explored the labyrinths, but, in the end, found nothing but some ancient structures I was unable to enter. This effort may have helped my exploration skills but was otherwise futile.

Sometimes I missed the camaraderie of friends. But then I didn't miss it either, because whenever I thought about spending time socializing my instinct was to view it as a waste of precious time, a time I should be using to train for my encounter with Ganon. I had turned myself into a morose loner. And all this time, I kept wondering if my training was adequate: would I succeed when the time came, or would I let everyone in Hyrule down? I felt an enormous pressure that I cannot describe. Nothing was more important to me than my combat readiness.

Looking back at this period in my life, I feel sorry for any who encountered me. I was doubtless, rude, and aloof. But it was not out of pride, just the opposite. I was still terrified I would fail. My training had taken two years, and I was now 15.

One day my continual search for enemies took me close to Zora's Domain, and habit or some lingering memory of my past made me want to visit. I arrived at the Domain, and the guards at the entrance must have passed along that I was there because when I got to the plaza, Mipha was already waiting for me.

"Welcome back," said Mipha. "I heard you were chosen by the sacred sword. I'm very proud of you. It is quite an honor."

Mipha looked the same, as sweet and kind as ever. She hadn't changed a bit. But my mind wouldn't let me relax. My thoughts kept wandering, preoccupied with my training. I began to think coming here was not such a good idea. I doubted I would make very good company.

"Link, has anything happened?" said Mipha when I remained so quiet. She looked at me with a worried expression.

I shook my head. I wanted to share with her how I felt, but I couldn't. The many weeks alone in the wild had hardened me in ways I didn't understand. I knew Mipha was my best friend, and she was clearly worried. And one part of me wanted to reach out to her. But the rest of my mind just couldn't let go of the urgency I felt. I needed to save Hyrule! How do you deal with a responsibility like that? I kept looking over her shoulder at the surrounding hills and wondering how much time we had left to prepare for Ganon.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm not very good company now. I am so preoccupied with my duty that I can't think of anything else."

"Can't you relax?" said Mipha. "I've never seen you like this. You look so distracted."

"I am distracted. Or maybe obsessed is the word. I feel like the responsibility for all of Hyrule rests with me. All the people I meet and all the people I care for, like you, are depending on me to do something I have never done before or even come close to doing. How can I relax knowing that?"

"But the future of Hyrule does not rest with you alone," said Mipha. "The Divine Beasts will help you."

"I hope you're right," I said. "I wish I had more confidence in that. But right now, all I can think of is what will happen if I fail? I need to be strong enough in combat to overcome anything. I'm sorry, Mipha, but I fear my being here is only making you worry. I should go. I'll return when I can."

I turned and left. When I looked back, I could see Mipha staring after me. I hoped I hadn't hurt her feelings, but I couldn't pretend to her I was alright. She was a good friend and knew me too well. She could see I was far from alright. And spending more time with me in this condition would only make her worry more. I headed out for more training.