Live Your Own Story in Hyrule

While Red is asking about the strange potion, Irina sees Mipha's face when she passes by her and pushes herself up, although it takes a lot of effort.

Once she gets where the princess is and without saying anything, she just embraces the Zora in a hug. “That wasn't you.”

"How can I be certain it wasn't?" Mipha asked with her voice barely breaking a whisper. "I can't even recall what I did, but there's proof that it happened." She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. What brought her to cause such harm? She didn't know she was capable of being overwhelmed with such rage that she's capable of killing over it.

"It's impossible. I saw your wound. Only my weapon could do that. Only _*I*_ could do that."

Fred replies to Red. “I suppose so. It's an old bokoblin elixir my bokogranny passed on to me. It's made from flowers that only grow in a certain area of these lands where the light is the brightest. They say if you walk too far in a field of them you will fall asleep and never wake up.”

He looks curiously to Link and shrugs, “I guess it depends on how much he took. A few drops is the most I have ever seen anyone take, and that is for severe wounds. How much did he have?”

“You did it, but it wasn't you. There was something controlling you… just like it did with me, and with Revali before me. We hurt everybody too.” She rubs the Zora's back up and down, still holding her and trying to console her.

“You are caring, sweet, and noble. We know you would never hurt us. You have saved us so many times…” she smiles, “I know it's hard, but try to not blame yourself. There was nothing you could do to avoid it.”

"I won't ask how you manage to get flowers like those. I'm just going to be glad you manage to survive the trip each time." Red has had enough of the mysteries of this place. He knows he might never understand it and further, might not want to. "He, uh..." Looking to Link, he tries to assess exactly how much he had. "Well, we poured a bottle out on the ground and he lapped up a puddle of it. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that's more than a few drops," he chuckles nervously.

He eyes Irina and Mipha, overhearing what's being discussed, but he thinks it best to remain quiet for now while they hash that out.

"Can I get some of that sedative for the road? I'm not passing up on a good medicine like that. It's the best I've ever had. I can feel the right side of my body again." Revali requested of Fred. "And I'll take whatever I can get--within reason--to help me fight on another day." He wasn't about to take just anything, out here. But this definitely seemed worth it.

The conversation between Mipha and Irina was met with a silent acknowledgement that it was happening, but not much else. The news must be pretty devastating to hear.

Fred just laughs uncomfortably. After a while he whispers to himself, “A whole bottle…” he ahems, “Well, we should just keep an eye on him to see if… er… when he wakes up.”

He reaches for one of the bottles and tosses it to Revali. “Sure! Just avoid flying after taking it, heh.”

Mipha was surprised to hear others were affected in the same way, but it did little to change her mind about what she'd managed to do. "It may not have been me, but I bear the face and name for the impact it left behind." She shook her head. "It used my body, but I must be the one to answer for what it did."

It pained her so to think that she was used in that way. "I am grateful for your kind words, but I don't think I deserve them. Or rather, I can't bring myself to accept them right now." She isn't sure if she'll ever accept them, but right now, it was too much to attempt without anything to show for in regards to redemption. Besides, whatever was controlling her fed off some genuine emotions and that's what tears her apart the most.

"This will...take some time to work through."

Irina pulls back, but still holds her arms gently. "It will, for everybody. Just remember we are your friends, and we care for you." She moves her arm to Mipha's shoulder. "And please, take all the time you need. But come and eat with us at some point. You are going to need the energy, especially if you plan on healing people." She grins to her for a moment before bowing her head to the the princess and slowly making her way back to the group. Luckily, the mysterious potion suppressed the pain enough for her to move around.

Then she sits back with the group, smiling softly as they slowly regroup and eat. She pets the sleeping wolf and just takes something very small to eat.

Revali smirks and catches the bottle offered by Fred. "Heh, I'm not a fan of being grounded, but as any Rito ought to know: good spirits a merry bird make, but it's the wings they take." He pockets the medicine and offers a thumbs up in thanks. "So, this guy is just going to be there knocked out until the medicine runs its course?" He hops up and skips over to the sleeping wolf to flop down nearby.

He then proceeds to poke at the tip of his ear. It was definitely for confirmation he was asleep and no other purpose.

Irina can't help but grinning at the Rito saying. She removes her hand from the wolf when Revali pokes his ear, "Hmm... I guess so," she answers to Revali before starting to pet the large plushie again. The rest will be good for him, anyway.

Wolf Link continues to sleep deeply, completely oblivious of the poking and petting going on. His ear twitches and his leg kicks slightly from time to time, but there are no other signs of life coming from him for now.

It takes a while for Mipha to reconsider sitting with the others, but she eventually finds her way back and sits with the group, though she made certain to maintain enough of a gap from them, just in case something happened. She gathered her food and had a sip to drink before sitting in some mild isolation.

At the very least, she's glad to have some food in her system and the drink managed to dull the pain of that shock significantly. A quick test of her healing magic gave her the confirmation she needed that it was working. She could hold it for a bit longer now.

"Is there a way to make this vessel seaworthy again?"

Irina's smile grows when she sees Mipha rejoin the group, even if it is still a little far from them. When the princess starts thinking about next step, Irina also switches to strategy mode.

"That would be great, but we traveled in a loop when we tried to navigate somewhere. So unless we get out of this..." She looks up and around, "...bubble, or whatever this is, trying to navigate may be useless. But what do we know now that we didn't know before?"

She looks at the wooden floor while she pets the sleeping do--wolf. "Let's see. That creature that controlled us disappeared when it touched Link's sword. But there could be more of them," she reasons aloud. "And could the sword dissipate the bubble itself?"

"In any case," she adds, looking around the group, "We have new evidence that miss Fi could analyze. Maybe she could tell us what happened when the sword touched that creature."

Kanali looks back momentarily and grins to Salvatore, then turns and guides him out of the town. He flies though the alleyways and narrow streets to the place he came from. Before long, they are alone in the field outside of the town.

Kanali lands and stands, holding his knees and panting as he catches his breath. He looks up and Salvatore with a fatigued smile. “Are you okay?”

Salvatore collapses to the ground, exhausted. He is too out of breath to speak, his heart still pounding from the rush of emotion.
"Yeah... yeah... I'm okay... and you...?"
Then, he raises a trembling fist to the sky in triumph.

After catching his breath, Salvatore opens his bag to check the contents, pulling out a tapestry and a blue stuffed hippopotamus. He looks at Kanali with a weary smile. "These... these things are very important to me; I know it might seem trivial, but they make me feel close to my family. I always carry them with me. I hope you aren't angry that I risked my neck for such trivial items, but I really thank you."

Kanali kneels down next to Salvatore to see if he is okay and smiles warmly, looking especially at the hippopotamus. “Does he have a name?”

Salvatore smiles, looking a bit embarrassed. "Haha, yeah. Her name is Oppi; I went on thousands of adventures with her when I was little. She was a gift from a distant aunt in Hytopia. I was a bit of a klutz and didn't have any friends, except for her."

"She got worn out over the years, but my mother always had the patience to mend it. Haha, you can still hear the rattle inside." Salvatore holds the toy close to Kanali’s ear so he can hear the faint tinkling sound, muffled by layer upon layer of fabric.

Kanali's beak smiles broadly when he hears the rattle. “It is an honor to meet you, Oppi. You must be very brave to have been on so many adventures. I am glad we were able to share this one.”

"And what a great adventure!"
Salvatore smiles as he packs everything into his bag. "And do you have a story to tell?"

Kanali scratches the back of his neck with his wing. He sits down next to Salvatore and shows his messenger bag. “To be honest, until recently, I hadn't ventured far from the Hebra valley in Hyrule. My uncle got me a job as a mail carrier and now I feel like I am exploring everywhere, including this fascinating place.” He looks around and up at the tree tops. “I never knew I would be a traveler but I quite enjoy seeing mew places and meeting interesting people.”

Salvatore smiles at Kanali. "Wow, you must have traveled a lot and seen wonderful places. I've never been to the Hebra Valley. What's it like?"

Kanali pulls out a map from his bag and opens it. He shows it to Salvatore and points to mountains. “It's very beautiful, but it can be difficult to get around. There are many hidden secrets all around.”

Salvatore looks at the map with interest and fascination, observing the places Kanali is pointing out. "Wow, I've never been this far from Hateno Village."

Then Salvatore looks around. "Before today ha ha" he laughs, resting a hand behind his neck.

Kanali chuckles at the last comment. “This is definitely not a part that is on my map. I have no clue where I am… but speaking of which, shouldn't we be getting back now? I think I can remember more or less how I got here.”

I arrive in the castle town square with no idea where I am.

Kanali is sitting with Salvatore and they are discussing their return to Hyrule. He looks up at the stranger, nervous at first, but then calm when he realizes he isn't one of the Gorman brothers that they had run into earlier. He waves with his wing to the stranger, "Hello there."

I slowly wander the desert and I See a Male Gerudo standing next to a Mighty black stallion before I pass out.

*The King of Evil watches a feeble and foolish man collapse in the desert heat. He snorts in amusement and looks away.*

"It's not even that hot. Pathetic."

*Ganondorf's stallion chuffs and meanders over to the downed man and snuffles around his clothes. Seems the smell of treats is lingering. The Gerudo approves of his horse robbing a man.*

I slowly regain consciousness and wake up.

"What happened to me"? I say in a groggy tone.

The Gerudo King gives the poor unfortunate soul a once over.*

"Looks like you wandered where you don't belong, _fool_. Paid the price all must pay when they do not respect the sands,"

*A ball of energy forms over the hand Ganondorf raised while talking, pulsing orange.*

"And now, you're about to pay the price for not respecting her King," *Ganondorf cackles.*

"Sir please don't" I begin begging for my life.

"You rule these lands sir?"