Unskilled (L)Ink

Chapter 1: Kakariko Village; Reflections

I don't know why I'm even considering writing down my thoughts and feelings. It's not like I'll be showing this journal to anyone else. Which makes me wonder why I am even doing it to begin with. If there is no one to read my thoughts and tell me I'm crazy or insane, what is the point in recording them? To hopefully remember something more of myself while I figure out how I'm going to take down the Calamity Ganon? I know I need to free the Divine Beasts according to Impa and potentially discover the locations of my memories that Princess Zelda had taken pictures of with the Sheikah slate in order to restore those memories, but beyond that, is there a need to record what I'm thinking and feeling? I honestly can't answer that question because I don't know if that's something I would have done before "losing" my memories when the calamity had struck 100 years ago. How I came to even possessing the empty book called a journal was because I happened upon Paya writing in hers within the first few nights of my stay in Kakariko Village.

Upon my arrival, Impa assured me that I was welcomed there and that I could make myself at home until I felt confident enough to take on my main quest of defeating Calamity Ganon and helping Princess Zelda. I stayed with Impa and Paya and learned what a journal was when I went snooping through the house one evening. I thought no one was around when I started looking at Paya's journal in her room, until she came rushing in and pushed me aside, exclaiming I shouldn't snoop through other people's things. I had asked her why it was such a big deal to read that book when I had free access to the other books in the house and she told me it was because this particular book was where she recorded her private thoughts and feelings, things she didn't want anyone else to read. When I questioned why she would write something that no one else was supposed to read, she went quiet, thinking how to best answer me I guess. After a moment of her silence, she said quietly it was because sometimes her inner thoughts are too much for her and it helps her clear her mind to record them down. She also informed me that sometimes she wants to remember the good things that happened to her and will read these previous entries when she is feeling upset. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but the next morning I woke up in my room to a blank journal next to the bed, with a note from Paya saying it was mine to keep and do what I want with. I had held onto it for a few weeks and used it to record what fauna was in the Kakariko Village area and what each plant did, but that was it. I didn't start using it to record my private thoughts until I got bored one evening and couldn't get to sleep.

I had tossed and turned for a while, my mind racing and unable to get comfortable. As I had laid in bed, Paya's words came back to me about writing in the journal when her mind was racing. I decided to try that approach and here I am, recollecting everything that happened to me since my awakening in the Shrine of Resurrection. I bet Paya would be happy to know that I'm using the journal as a place to record my thoughts, but I doubt it. She was encouraging me to use it as a record of my travels across Hyrule because she knew I would be traveling a lot and that there would be many things I would see, and a lot of those things would be vastly different from what I remembered from before I went into my deep slumber. Paya wasn't wrong, but I still feel a little silly doing this. I doubt I will share this journal with anyone and even said as such to Paya when she noticed me writing in it one evening. She suggested I could show it to Princess Zelda when I finally meet up with her and after I take on Calamity Ganon, but she's about the only person I could think of sharing these stories with. Who else would want to read the thoughts of someone that doesn't know who they are?

But now, I don't know where to start... It's been a least three months since I had woken up in the Resurrection Chamber and set out on this "journey" to save Hyrule and defeat Ganon, yet I don't know what that means exactly. When I had first woken up, I didn't know where I was or who I was really. A mysterious voice started guiding me out of the chamber after I had grabbed the Sheikah Slate. I don't know what made me follow the advice of that mysterious voice, but I guess at the time I figured it was better than staying there not knowing what to do. The whole experience was really surreal to be honest. One minute there wasn't anything; no sound, no light, no sensation, nothing, and the next moment, a female voice is telling me to wake up while what felt like water drained away from me. Her voice sounded familiar to me, but it felt like there a piece was missing. I couldn't place her name, face, or anything, but her voice still seemed very familiar, like she was a long lost friend. Which looking back now, I realized it was Princess Zelda's voice and if I had known that, I wouldn't have considered her to be a friend because I don't know who she is to me, other than some princess I need to help in Hyrule Castle.