(A/N: Bazinga! No more publishing schedule! Each chapter is a surprise! I'd rather focus on self care than a project I'm not being paid for. Thanks for taking away "Wattpad Future", Wattpad :). Anyway, comment how many hours you have on botw and how many times you've completed it. I'm interested!)

You and Link set off again midmorning the next day. You follow the main road northeast towards the very top right corner of Hyrule. Eventually, you come across a familiar fork in the road where you made the turn to head to Zora's Domain. Instead of making that turn right, you head left, nearing unmapped territory.

Soon enough, you make the turn to the main road of Akkala. "Let's get the tower first," Link suggests.

"Good call," you agree and follow him up the roads.

The tower was surrounded in ruins of a fortress. And just like the promenade, it was deathly silent. You stop your steeds by the entrance of the ruins and climb the stairs together.

You accompany Link to the top of the tower and stare in wonder at the view. Akkala had trees ablaze in warm colored leaves. The air smelled of post-rain as if it was just pouring before you arrived.

"'Kay, so, the lab isn't labeled on the map," Link said as he scanned through then new portion of the map. "But I think it's safe to assume it lies at the end of this main road here." You look over his shoulder and see the road of reference.

"Oh neat, this place has a weird, swirly peninsula. There's no way that's natural."

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it," he chuckled. "Oh hey, what's this..." Link zoomed in on a small pond with stone structures around it. "Spring of Power," he read.

"Spring of power?" you echo with recognition. Link looks at your face that had understanding he lacked. "Isn't that the..." You reach over and select the photo album where your eyes then snapped to the ninth picture. "That's the spring in this photo here!"

"How can you be so sure?"

You then remember Link has never seen any of the ancient springs, unlike you. "It looks like the Spring of Courage that I remembered. So if they all look similar..."

"Yeah, makes sense. Should we head there before or after the lab?"

"Before. It's on the way."

But as soon as you descend the tower and ride your horses to the entrance of the spring, you change your minds. The front was guarded by Guardian Skywatchers; Guardians made to fly in the air with an extremely sensitive motion detector.

"After?"

"After," you agree to Link's suggestion without hesitation.

You continue following the path north and pass a stable on the way. It doesn't take long before you are at the front door of the research facility. Link pushes open the door and steps in with your following him shortly after.

The laboratory was a single, circular room with desks and shelves pushed up against the brick walls. But what immediately caught your eye was a machine of the Sheikah, pulsating with blue light, in the center of the room. You can't tell if it was a coincidence, but the design seemed to loosely resemble a face. No one else looked to be in the building.

You and Link approach the machine and examine it. No other tech you have previously seen looked anything like this one.

"Hey, you!"

You spin around to the direction of the new voice, slightly jumping in alarm. You turn to see a short, elderly man wearing goggles next to a young woman holding a book to her side.

"What are you doing here?" the old man demanded while studying both yours and Link's appearances. He squinted his eyes behind his chameleon-like science goggles, using the technology to zoom in on both your faces and Link's Sheikah Slate.

"We're looking for the head researcher here," Link explains, feeling slightly intimidated by the man's strange glasses.

The short stranger hums and adjusts his glasses as he circles around you to stand next to the machine at the center of the room. A beat of silence passes before the man jumps and grabs his goggles.

"Don't tell me! You're Link and (Y/N)!" he gapes.

"That's right," you confirm.

"Woah! Today is eventful, hm? Yes, downright crazy! To think I'd get to see the legends themselves 100 years after they went to sleep."

"Who are you?" you ask politely.

The stranger startled back again. "Are you serious?!" he shouts, more towards himself. "I forgot Purah sent me a letter telling me about your lost memories. Funny, huh? 'Tis a shame, though. Part of me hoped I'd be an exception to the unfortunate memory deprivation of yours, (Y/N). Of course we weren't unbreakably close, but I was good friends with your sisters all those years ago."

"Sisters?" you echo, surprised at the new information.

"Well not biologically, but you were around Impa and Doctor Purah so much since you were small, they might as well have been."

You blink and furrow your eyebrows as you connect a few dots. The way Purah's eyes lit up when you entered her lab, how disappointed she was when you said you didn't remember her, the way she calls you "darling"... The two of you must have been close.

"There I go again!" he shouts, scolding himself. "It seems I got so excited I forgot to introduce myself! I'll start over! I am the lead Guardian researcher and director of the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab. Doctooooor...--" he drumrolls with his feet-- "Robbie!"

"In any case... I am really rather impressed that you two managed to make it out here in this rather remote location. Did you, perhaps, meet Purah and borrow her power?"

"Well, we met a child," Link tells Robbie.

"A child, you say?"

"Yeah," you continue for Link, "She got younger. I think she did an experiment to try and--"

"Speak no further," Robbie held up a hand. "I am all too familiar with Purah and her failed experiments. She's as crazy as ever. Typical. Anyhow, let's return to the subject at hand, hm? Did you know that the Calamity is regaining its power?"

"We know," Link nods.

"The Sheikah have been developing technology designed to destroy the Calamity. The time is now to join forces with us, yes? We must destroy the Calamity!"

"Let's do it!" you say, enjoying his enthusiasm.

"Yes! That is correct! And on that note, I'd like to provide you with some ancient soldier gear. Cherry... erm, the ancient oven can make all kinds of ancient gear. Firstly, I'd like to gift you these." Robbie grabs something behind his back and holds up a bundle of arrows for you to take.

You take the arrows and stare at the unique Sheikah Tech in wonder.

"They were once daggers, but I repurposed the design into arrows. With the addition of my upgrades, they have been morphed into Anti-Calamity weapons! So to speak... To use those arrows, all you have to do is press at the base of the head and pull on the power trigger. They are extremely effective against Guardians. I like to call them ancient arrows!"

"In addition to the ancient arrows, Cherry can make all sorts of ancient gear, as mentioned before. If you're looking to acquire some, give your ancient materials... and rupees... to Cherry."

"Rupees?" Link raises an eyebrow.

"Did you hear that..." Robbie mutters. "Ah, forgive me. Ever since the fall of Hyrule Castle, we haven't had much in the way of funds for our research. That's why I thought you'd be willing to help us out! With rupees... Lots of them... I beg of you! Then let's do it, hm? Yes, let's."

You step up to the ancient oven and observe its mechanical rings rotate on its side. The machine begins to beep and whirr in response to your presence. "Hey hey, FamiliarNameMissing!" Cherry greeted you with a feminine, robotic voice. "Insert materials and rupees, receive ancient equipment in exchange."

You wonder what you're supposed to do next until you spot the writing on a piece of paper attached in between Cherry's eyes. You lean closer and read the handwriting. There were eleven rows, each had the materials and price for an ancient soldier gear; which were roughly sketched out to the side.

Link steps forward as well and looks over the menu with you. The ancient bow caught your eye, but you double back at the price.

"A thousand rupees for a bow?" you gape.

"Alright, alright, alright, alright," Robbie shakes his head, grabbing your attention. "It was worth a shot. For you, since you're on the way to saving the world, you get half off, today only. How about that, hm?"

"Sounds great, thank you," you say gratefully. "What's special about the ancient bow?"

"Ancient bow, hm? Excellent choice! One of my greater inventions. The technology built into it allows your arrows to fly in a perfectly straight line--" he spreads his hands in the air as a presentation. "And, the durability is immaculate. You'll have a hard time breaking this bow."

"Wow..." you whisper. "I'll take one of those." You grab half a thousand rupees and the materials called for. As you held them, the ancient oven opened its "mouth" for you to dispense the items.

You watch as the oven closes its hatch and spins while whirring loudly, puffing out steam. Cherry melts the materials, refines the result, and reshapes them into the requested soldier gear. When she opens the hatch again, a large and magnificent bow tumbles out. You grab the bow and twist it so it fits through the exit before holding it in front of you.

"What about the shield?" Link asks Robbie.

"The ancient shield! Very proud of that creation I am. Yes, yes, hm. This gear is designed to deflect Guardian beams. Direct hit guaranteed, no parry required."

"It deflects Guardian beams?" Link echoes under his breath. "Sold."

Link gathers the required materials and feeds them to Cherry, who crafts the shield that costs the same price as the bow. Once the gear is ready, the oven opens and reveals the eye-shaped shield.

As soon as Link grabs the shield, the face lights up in a blue glow, reacting to his touch. "Woah..." he utters as he lifts the shield. "This is so light weight."

"That was the goal!" Robbie confirms as Link passes the shield over to you to feel. "Light, but strong and powerful." You raise your eyebrows as you feel the weightless gear.

"Thank you very much," you say as you hand Link his new gear back. "We will put these to great use."

"You better! Now go and defeat the Calamity!" Robbie yells and strikes a dramatic pose. You give him a last nod before you and Link exit the lab.