Hello, folks! It's time! My fifth fanfic is ready to be posted! I detailed this in my blogs, but I'll relay the information again here in this thread: This story takes place right after the events of Age of Calamity, after Terrako has been repaired. It is intended to take place on a different timeline than The Concerto of Spirits. This is the timeline where New Hyrule was never established and the world was never flooded. This story seeks to answer what happened to Hyleigh on that timeline. And because Age of Calamity’s timeline split will likely not get addressed again, I’ve got plenty of liberties I can take with the plot and worldbuilding. Most of the fics I've been writing lately have been purposefully canon-compliant, but I'm gonna give myself more breathing room on this one. Now I'm moving out of my toon games era and into my wild games era, but this fic will still assume knowledge of my past works to some degree. That said, I still intend for it to be fairly standalone, so you should enjoy it even if you haven't read my other works!
And without further adieu, let's dive right on in! A new story and a new era in The Aurum Flow is beginning!
I felt a strange, fuzzy sensation. It spread from the left side of my chest to the top of my head and the tips of my toes. There was a bizarre and uncomfortable ringing in my ears, too. Everything inside me felt stiff and unmoving. But then all of a sudden, electricity shot through every vein, pulsing with vigor. I could feel my lungs filling with air as my muscles twitched and aroused to activity. For the first time, I moved my body.
“Whoa! He actually woke up!”
My eyes snapped open as I sat up with a great start. Confused by the voice, I looked around, not able to see clearly just yet. Soon, the faces of small people took shape before me. Many of their characteristics were similar, particularly the reddish-brown tufts of hair on their heads. They were looking straight at me.
“Um... Huh?”
My first vocalization wasn’t exactly inspiring. I looked down, using my hands to feel the clothes draping my body. It was soft and warm. All new textures and temperatures rushed through the receptors in my skin. It was a little difficult to process everything. I was beginning to get dizzy from all the buzzing flowing through me. The intense staring from the little ones wasn't helping matters, either.
“Wow! I can't believe it!”
“How'd you do it, mister?”
“Hey, everyone! He really woke up! Come see!”
The three of them spoke a mile a minute, and simultaneously, to boot. I didn't know what I should do or say, so I kind of froze in place. Making sense of everything was still hard. I was startled by a sudden clamor from somewhere close by, so I finally took a good look at my surroundings.
I was enclosed by walls of rustic wood, a single window pane letting light filter in from outside. Below me was a bed covered in plush, knitted blankets. The air smelled distinctly like hay. There was one way out of this space, a turn around a corner further into the house. Next thing I knew, five more faces peered at me from around that corner, each looking more shocked than the last.
“By Hylia’s eyes! I wasn’t sure if he actually would, but there he goes!”
“What could this mean?”
“I’m so glad he woke up... How incredible!”
This was getting overwhelming. I shut my eyes and pinched my brow, trying to relieve a throbbing headache. I could hear all of the people crowd around me, murmuring in wonder and excitement. What in the world was so interesting about me?
- Wait... Me? Who’s me? Who am I?
I had an inexplicable feeling that I should be more aware of my situation. Even if I didn't know where I was, shouldn't I at least know who I was? Did these people know? They were certainly talking like they did. I decided it was about time I started asking questions.
“Uh... Ah...!”
I tried to talk, but I was failing spectacularly. The quizzical looks on everyone's faces were evidence enough of that.
- Wait, how do I use words again?
“Hmm. You seem awfully disoriented. I suppose that's to be expected. You just take your time, dear.” one of the more aged people said.
“Indeed. You had a rough time of it. But for now, let's start with a ‘good morning’.” the other aged one nodded.
Watching the way their lips moved as they spoke was helpful. It seemed to ignite a spark somewhere in my brain, connecting the dots together. I tried to mimic what they did.
“Goo... Good morning.”
I chewed on my gums a bit and rotated my jaw. The humming in my throat felt natural, as if it wasn’t the first time I’d done this. How odd. It made the people around me smile, at least.
“There, good lad!” the taller, brawny one said. “Since you're up now, I oughta thank you again! If it weren't for you, my children wouldn't be here right now! Thank you so much!”
“Yes, thank you!” one of the younger ones said. “I have to know, though... How did you do it? How'd you... come back to life?”
“I... Huh?”
What they were saying wasn't making any sense. I saved them? I came back to life? That was news to me. So these people did know about my situation, but they seemed to be under the impression that I knew, too. I hadn't realized there was a time before this. Before I woke up, what was I doing?
“I... I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't even know who I am. I have no idea what you're talking about...” I explained.
This drew a lot of gasps out of everyone. The older ones scratched their heads, trying to puzzle this out. Meanwhile, the little ones clamored closer to me on the bed.
“So you don't even know your own name?” one asked. I shook my head to say no. “That's so sad!”
“Could this be amnesia? How awful. And after everything you did for us before...” a gentle-looking one said.
“What exactly happened, uh, ‘before’? As far as it feels to me, this is the first time I've ever woken up.” I asked.
“Well, as you know, the Great Calamity’s over now, so we were on our way back home from the evacuation site. But we got attacked by a bunch of monsters on the road, and you jumped in to protect us!” the tall one told me.
“The Great Calamity? What's that?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Huh? Did you forget about that, too?”
“Dad, I think he forgot everything. Like, literally everything.” one of the younger ones said.
“Oh, bullocks! So you don't even know where you are or what's going on or anything?”
I shook my head again. “Not a thing. Not that, not my own name, and not who any of you are, either.”
A lot of sympathetic faces popped up amongst them now. Maybe it was hard for the younger ones to grasp. Honestly, I didn't really get it, myself. This still felt like our first meeting, and I was having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea that I was doing things “before” this. It felt less like that I had forgotten things and more like there was just nothing there to begin with.
“Well, that might be a bit too much to explain in one sitting...” the man called Dad said.
“Maybe we should introduce ourselves. It might help him remember.” one of the aged ones said.
“Ah, good idea! I’ll go first! I’m Takuru!” one of the little ones said proudly.
“And I’m Makuru! We’re twins!” another said.
“I’m Takimi. I’m in the middle.” said a slightly bigger one.
“And my name’s Makimi. I’m the eldest daughter!” said the biggest of the young ones.
“My name’s Takumi. I’m these’ rugrats’ father, and I help run the dairy here on the ranch.” the tall Dad person told me.
“I’m his wife, Mariam. I take care of the horses.” the gentle one said.
“And I’m her father, Talin. Old as I might be, I can still work the soil til’ the sun is low.” one of the aged ones said.
“And lastly, I’m Maliene.” the other aged one said. “I’m just an old biddy now, but these lovely folks are my precious family. So I must thank you again, young man, for saving them.”
I guessed she was referring to me when she said “young man”. That wasn’t my name, was it? ... Probably not. Speaking of names, these people all had very similar ones. Was that because they were a family? They all had the same hair and eye color, too. It was a little dizzying. But so was learning that I had saved them. I definitely wanted to know more about that.
“So, what exactly happened to me? How did I save you?” I asked.
“Well, as I said, we were returning here, and we got attacked by a pack of monsters. They came outta nowhere, so we were completely unprepared.” Takumi described. “But just as we were about to get skewered, you showed up! You blasted those monsters away with some strange power! It was incredible!”
“But there were a lot of them, and you... you took a hit to protect me...” Makimi said sadly.
“You managed to finish the last of them off, but it was too late for you... We watched you bleed out, and we were sure you had died. Your heart had completely stopped.” Mariam said.
“But after a few minutes, your body started glowing in a beautiful blue light, and your wounds completely healed! Even your clothes fixed themselves. Your heart started beating again, too! None of us had seen anything like it before.” Makimi told me. “So, I uh, I suggested we bring you here, to our home on the ranch. Just in case you woke up. It's been about two hours since.”
Hearing them talk about my past deeds was incredibly jarring and bizarre. It didn't feel like it was me they were talking about, like I was learning about a completely different person. No matter how I strained myself, none of what they told me sounded familiar.
“I'm sorry... It's just not stirring anything in me.” I told them.
Disappointment made its home on their faces. “Perhaps it's because you died that you forgot everything... But then, we still don't know how you came back to life afterward. Quite the mystery we have here.” Talin mused.
“But wait! If you forgot everything, how come you still remember how to talk and stuff?” Takuru asked.
The little one posed a valid question. It did take me a moment to learn the skill, but I picked it up immediately. There were also some things I just intuitively understood, like that the ones before me were “people” and I was inside a “house” on a “bed”. I found that strange. Assuming Talin's theory was right, did that mean that some things I learned before I died stayed with me? Maybe my name was somewhere inside me, too.
- I wish there was a way I could find out.
Suddenly, I felt something weighty appear in my pocket. I patted down my clothes, feeling around for it. My fingers brushed against something leathery. I quickly snatched it out and gave it a good look.
It was a notebook of some sort. Black crinkled leather enclosed thick pages of parchment bound together. A feather pen was attached to the spine by a sturdy string. On the cover, embossed in gold ink, was the word Mémoire.
“Hey, where'd that come from?” Makuru asked.
“Was that always there?” Takimi wondered.
“I don't think so...” I said, just as puzzled as they were.
“It's got some strange symbols on the front. I can't make heads or tails of those.” Takumi said.
That surprised me. “You can't read that? It says ‘Mémoire’.” I told them.
“Those are letters? I've never seen ones like that before.” Mariam said.
Things were just getting weirder. They couldn't read the writing on the cover, but I could, despite having lost my memories. Maybe the notebook had the answers I was looking for. With a little bit of desperation, I flipped it open to the first page.
More writing like on the cover was scrawled everywhere in black ink, maybe from the attached feather pen. Judging by their faces, the people crowding around me couldn't read any of that, either. Guess it was on me, then.
Hello! If you're the owner of this Mémoire, then you're me! I created this book using magic so I would never lose it. After all, if I were to die, I'd lose all my memories, the slate wiped clean. I don't plan on letting that happen, but just in case it does, I want to write down the important things about myself in this book. That way, I can look back and relearn the things I forget.
Hope filled my heart when I read that. My face was glued to the page now. I was hungry to see if what I sought was recorded for me.
First off, my name is Morgan Burgundy, and I'm a Lokomo. As such, I'm functionally immortal; I won't grow old and I don't need to eat, but I can still die. As I wrote a bit earlier, if death should claim me, my body would revive itself automatically. But as I understand it, I will lose all my memories in the process. Not a pleasant thought! But I don't think I need to worry. I'll be very careful as I do my work!
There it was. My name, and an explanation of why I came back to life. I relayed this information to the people hovering over my shoulders.
“Morgan... What a splendid name!” Mariam cooed.
“No clue what a Lokomo is, though. Maybe you're some kinda angel sent by Hylia? Would explain the immortality.” Takumi guessed.
“An angel! Yeah...” Makimi said dreamily.
“I don't see anything about a Hylia in here. I'll keep reading.” I said, eyeing a different entry.
I just found this book in my pocket. Now that I'm reading it, I can say I don't remember any of this. I guess I died after all, then. Past me must not have been as careful as he thought he was. He never wrote about what kind of work he was doing, either. But I'll just keep going as I am. There are people thanking me for saving them. I guess mortals don't come back to life when they die like I do. I should try to value them, then. Since they don't get a second chance, I want to protect them as much as I'm able.
Clearly, this wasn’t my first death. I found myself agreeing with the sentiments written by that past me. It was frustrating, but I kept reading.
It seems like I retain skills I learned in previous lives, like reading and writing. A bit of common sense stays inside me, too, but unfortunately not a lot. Sorry, shop vendors. But I think this includes my fighting and magic skills. That's good. If I can trigger them somehow, I can use that to help more people.
Almost every time I turned a page, I found more and more entries detailing a new death, and a new wish to protect the mortals like the people around me now. Perhaps that was why I saved them in my last life. Was I spurred on by a previous me's desire to help others? Something else jumped out at me as I read on.
I wish that first me had written about my homeland. Not knowing my origins is bothering me a bit. Are there other Lokomo, or am I the only one? Where did I first come from? Is there a place where Lokomo live? I'll try to look for it. I hope that if I don't find it in this life, I'll get to write it down in another life. I'm passing this wish down to the next me, if there ever is one.
That passage resonated with me, just like the one about helping mortals. A burning desire to know myself engulfed my breast. As if by unconscious intent, I grabbed the feather pen and scribbled some words down next to it; I want to find out, too.
Feeling inspired, I shut the Mémoire and started climbing out of the bed.
“Morgan? Where are you going?” Makimi asked.
“This book is full of wishes. To protect people, to uncover my past... I want to honor it.” I explained. “Thank you for taking care of me, but I think it's about time I took my first steps into the world again.”
The abruptness of my action left them a little blindsided. Nevertheless, I stood on my own two feet and started walking. Knowing I had done it before made it easier than I was expecting. I slipped the Mémoire back into my pocket and tried to find my way out of the house.
I passed by a large reflective surface. I saw someone staring back at me in it, and they were wearing the same clothes I was. It took me a second, but the word “mirror” floated into my head. I realized I was getting my first good look at myself.
As before, I noted my clothes; a deep burgundy jacket with some white fur on its collar, covered by a white, hooded cloak with gray gears patterned on. The cloak wasn't very long, just enough to drape past my elbows and my chest. The jacket was zipped down the middle between some black trim, hanging down close to my knees. My Mémoire was secured safely in one of the large pockets down there. Black trousers filled the space below it, and dark brown laced boots reached almost to my knees up from the bottom. My hands were fitted into brown fingerless gloves with some silver metal plating. Then I studied my face, and my brilliantly red hair caught my eye first. More black dyed my roots, streaking down from the top of my head. Between some bangs were light skin, a sharpish nose, and rich, azure blue eyes staring into the mirror.
- So that's what I look like... That's “Morgan Burgundy”, huh?
I watched myself smile a bit. Knowing my own name and face was comforting. That was a lot more than I'd known a few minutes ago, after all. I felt my confidence rising by the second. Unsure if I was compelled more by that or by what was written in my Mémoire, I continued on through the house, quickly finding the door that led outside.
I pushed it open, listening to the wood creak and feeling it tremble as it scraped against the ground. Bright light filled my eyes almost right away, making it difficult to see for a few seconds. Once my sight adjusted, I took in the view around me in all its splendor.
Glorious fields of grass dotted with trees spread out before me, blanketed by the wind and the blue sky above. In front of the ranch, iron fencing enclosed some large animals, calmy munching on grass and hay. A tall stone tower sprouted up at the far end of this space, wooden fans turning in pace with the breeze. Further out from there, more buildings of both wood and mortar were nestled at the foot of a large hill. I could see many people congregating there, of much more varied shapes and sizes than the family I'd just met.
I craned my neck to look around some more, and behind me in the distance, I saw something absolutely incredible. A massive structure stretched into the sky, with many spires and pointed roofs. It looked so far away, and yet far bigger than anything else around. What was more, even that enormous thing was surrounded by five strange pillars competing with its size. I couldn't tell what they were made of, but they were glowing blue. In the shadow of all that rested an even larger gathering of buildings, cradled by a high wall.
- Whoa... What a crazy-looking place. I wonder if my past is buried somewhere around here. I'm starting to get excited now!
My spirits were lifted as high as those enigmatic structures on the horizon. What was waiting for me out in this world? Without many points of reference, imagining the things I could find was almost impossible. But that was invigorating in its own way. Whether it was my past, fateful encounters with mortals, or even other things I couldn't reasonably guess at, I felt ready to throw myself into it all. It was the starting line of a new life.
And I'd better make sure to write it all down in my Mémoire, just in case.
And without further adieu, let's dive right on in! A new story and a new era in The Aurum Flow is beginning!
In a Hyrule that just overturned a Great Calamity, problems are sure to abound. Amnesia is likely a more uncommon one, but immortality even more so. One young man awakens with both of these mysteries on his shoulders, with nothing to his name other than a magic notebook that told him what his name actually was. Morgan’s Mémoire spurs him on a journey to find the history he wasn’t able to record in his past lives, and inspires him to sacrifice his present lives to protect the innocent. But what do his future lives hold in store for him?
AGE OF PROSPERITY;MÉMOIRE
[RECORD ONE]:
good morning;starting line
[RECORD ONE]:
good morning;starting line
I felt a strange, fuzzy sensation. It spread from the left side of my chest to the top of my head and the tips of my toes. There was a bizarre and uncomfortable ringing in my ears, too. Everything inside me felt stiff and unmoving. But then all of a sudden, electricity shot through every vein, pulsing with vigor. I could feel my lungs filling with air as my muscles twitched and aroused to activity. For the first time, I moved my body.
“Whoa! He actually woke up!”
My eyes snapped open as I sat up with a great start. Confused by the voice, I looked around, not able to see clearly just yet. Soon, the faces of small people took shape before me. Many of their characteristics were similar, particularly the reddish-brown tufts of hair on their heads. They were looking straight at me.
“Um... Huh?”
My first vocalization wasn’t exactly inspiring. I looked down, using my hands to feel the clothes draping my body. It was soft and warm. All new textures and temperatures rushed through the receptors in my skin. It was a little difficult to process everything. I was beginning to get dizzy from all the buzzing flowing through me. The intense staring from the little ones wasn't helping matters, either.
“Wow! I can't believe it!”
“How'd you do it, mister?”
“Hey, everyone! He really woke up! Come see!”
The three of them spoke a mile a minute, and simultaneously, to boot. I didn't know what I should do or say, so I kind of froze in place. Making sense of everything was still hard. I was startled by a sudden clamor from somewhere close by, so I finally took a good look at my surroundings.
I was enclosed by walls of rustic wood, a single window pane letting light filter in from outside. Below me was a bed covered in plush, knitted blankets. The air smelled distinctly like hay. There was one way out of this space, a turn around a corner further into the house. Next thing I knew, five more faces peered at me from around that corner, each looking more shocked than the last.
“By Hylia’s eyes! I wasn’t sure if he actually would, but there he goes!”
“What could this mean?”
“I’m so glad he woke up... How incredible!”
This was getting overwhelming. I shut my eyes and pinched my brow, trying to relieve a throbbing headache. I could hear all of the people crowd around me, murmuring in wonder and excitement. What in the world was so interesting about me?
- Wait... Me? Who’s me? Who am I?
I had an inexplicable feeling that I should be more aware of my situation. Even if I didn't know where I was, shouldn't I at least know who I was? Did these people know? They were certainly talking like they did. I decided it was about time I started asking questions.
“Uh... Ah...!”
I tried to talk, but I was failing spectacularly. The quizzical looks on everyone's faces were evidence enough of that.
- Wait, how do I use words again?
“Hmm. You seem awfully disoriented. I suppose that's to be expected. You just take your time, dear.” one of the more aged people said.
“Indeed. You had a rough time of it. But for now, let's start with a ‘good morning’.” the other aged one nodded.
Watching the way their lips moved as they spoke was helpful. It seemed to ignite a spark somewhere in my brain, connecting the dots together. I tried to mimic what they did.
“Goo... Good morning.”
I chewed on my gums a bit and rotated my jaw. The humming in my throat felt natural, as if it wasn’t the first time I’d done this. How odd. It made the people around me smile, at least.
“There, good lad!” the taller, brawny one said. “Since you're up now, I oughta thank you again! If it weren't for you, my children wouldn't be here right now! Thank you so much!”
“Yes, thank you!” one of the younger ones said. “I have to know, though... How did you do it? How'd you... come back to life?”
“I... Huh?”
What they were saying wasn't making any sense. I saved them? I came back to life? That was news to me. So these people did know about my situation, but they seemed to be under the impression that I knew, too. I hadn't realized there was a time before this. Before I woke up, what was I doing?
“I... I'm sorry. I don't know. I don't even know who I am. I have no idea what you're talking about...” I explained.
This drew a lot of gasps out of everyone. The older ones scratched their heads, trying to puzzle this out. Meanwhile, the little ones clamored closer to me on the bed.
“So you don't even know your own name?” one asked. I shook my head to say no. “That's so sad!”
“Could this be amnesia? How awful. And after everything you did for us before...” a gentle-looking one said.
“What exactly happened, uh, ‘before’? As far as it feels to me, this is the first time I've ever woken up.” I asked.
“Well, as you know, the Great Calamity’s over now, so we were on our way back home from the evacuation site. But we got attacked by a bunch of monsters on the road, and you jumped in to protect us!” the tall one told me.
“The Great Calamity? What's that?” I asked, tilting my head.
“Huh? Did you forget about that, too?”
“Dad, I think he forgot everything. Like, literally everything.” one of the younger ones said.
“Oh, bullocks! So you don't even know where you are or what's going on or anything?”
I shook my head again. “Not a thing. Not that, not my own name, and not who any of you are, either.”
A lot of sympathetic faces popped up amongst them now. Maybe it was hard for the younger ones to grasp. Honestly, I didn't really get it, myself. This still felt like our first meeting, and I was having trouble wrapping my brain around the idea that I was doing things “before” this. It felt less like that I had forgotten things and more like there was just nothing there to begin with.
“Well, that might be a bit too much to explain in one sitting...” the man called Dad said.
“Maybe we should introduce ourselves. It might help him remember.” one of the aged ones said.
“Ah, good idea! I’ll go first! I’m Takuru!” one of the little ones said proudly.
“And I’m Makuru! We’re twins!” another said.
“I’m Takimi. I’m in the middle.” said a slightly bigger one.
“And my name’s Makimi. I’m the eldest daughter!” said the biggest of the young ones.
“My name’s Takumi. I’m these’ rugrats’ father, and I help run the dairy here on the ranch.” the tall Dad person told me.
“I’m his wife, Mariam. I take care of the horses.” the gentle one said.
“And I’m her father, Talin. Old as I might be, I can still work the soil til’ the sun is low.” one of the aged ones said.
“And lastly, I’m Maliene.” the other aged one said. “I’m just an old biddy now, but these lovely folks are my precious family. So I must thank you again, young man, for saving them.”
I guessed she was referring to me when she said “young man”. That wasn’t my name, was it? ... Probably not. Speaking of names, these people all had very similar ones. Was that because they were a family? They all had the same hair and eye color, too. It was a little dizzying. But so was learning that I had saved them. I definitely wanted to know more about that.
“So, what exactly happened to me? How did I save you?” I asked.
“Well, as I said, we were returning here, and we got attacked by a pack of monsters. They came outta nowhere, so we were completely unprepared.” Takumi described. “But just as we were about to get skewered, you showed up! You blasted those monsters away with some strange power! It was incredible!”
“But there were a lot of them, and you... you took a hit to protect me...” Makimi said sadly.
“You managed to finish the last of them off, but it was too late for you... We watched you bleed out, and we were sure you had died. Your heart had completely stopped.” Mariam said.
“But after a few minutes, your body started glowing in a beautiful blue light, and your wounds completely healed! Even your clothes fixed themselves. Your heart started beating again, too! None of us had seen anything like it before.” Makimi told me. “So, I uh, I suggested we bring you here, to our home on the ranch. Just in case you woke up. It's been about two hours since.”
Hearing them talk about my past deeds was incredibly jarring and bizarre. It didn't feel like it was me they were talking about, like I was learning about a completely different person. No matter how I strained myself, none of what they told me sounded familiar.
“I'm sorry... It's just not stirring anything in me.” I told them.
Disappointment made its home on their faces. “Perhaps it's because you died that you forgot everything... But then, we still don't know how you came back to life afterward. Quite the mystery we have here.” Talin mused.
“But wait! If you forgot everything, how come you still remember how to talk and stuff?” Takuru asked.
The little one posed a valid question. It did take me a moment to learn the skill, but I picked it up immediately. There were also some things I just intuitively understood, like that the ones before me were “people” and I was inside a “house” on a “bed”. I found that strange. Assuming Talin's theory was right, did that mean that some things I learned before I died stayed with me? Maybe my name was somewhere inside me, too.
- I wish there was a way I could find out.
Suddenly, I felt something weighty appear in my pocket. I patted down my clothes, feeling around for it. My fingers brushed against something leathery. I quickly snatched it out and gave it a good look.
It was a notebook of some sort. Black crinkled leather enclosed thick pages of parchment bound together. A feather pen was attached to the spine by a sturdy string. On the cover, embossed in gold ink, was the word Mémoire.
“Hey, where'd that come from?” Makuru asked.
“Was that always there?” Takimi wondered.
“I don't think so...” I said, just as puzzled as they were.
“It's got some strange symbols on the front. I can't make heads or tails of those.” Takumi said.
That surprised me. “You can't read that? It says ‘Mémoire’.” I told them.
“Those are letters? I've never seen ones like that before.” Mariam said.
Things were just getting weirder. They couldn't read the writing on the cover, but I could, despite having lost my memories. Maybe the notebook had the answers I was looking for. With a little bit of desperation, I flipped it open to the first page.
More writing like on the cover was scrawled everywhere in black ink, maybe from the attached feather pen. Judging by their faces, the people crowding around me couldn't read any of that, either. Guess it was on me, then.
Hello! If you're the owner of this Mémoire, then you're me! I created this book using magic so I would never lose it. After all, if I were to die, I'd lose all my memories, the slate wiped clean. I don't plan on letting that happen, but just in case it does, I want to write down the important things about myself in this book. That way, I can look back and relearn the things I forget.
Hope filled my heart when I read that. My face was glued to the page now. I was hungry to see if what I sought was recorded for me.
First off, my name is Morgan Burgundy, and I'm a Lokomo. As such, I'm functionally immortal; I won't grow old and I don't need to eat, but I can still die. As I wrote a bit earlier, if death should claim me, my body would revive itself automatically. But as I understand it, I will lose all my memories in the process. Not a pleasant thought! But I don't think I need to worry. I'll be very careful as I do my work!
There it was. My name, and an explanation of why I came back to life. I relayed this information to the people hovering over my shoulders.
“Morgan... What a splendid name!” Mariam cooed.
“No clue what a Lokomo is, though. Maybe you're some kinda angel sent by Hylia? Would explain the immortality.” Takumi guessed.
“An angel! Yeah...” Makimi said dreamily.
“I don't see anything about a Hylia in here. I'll keep reading.” I said, eyeing a different entry.
I just found this book in my pocket. Now that I'm reading it, I can say I don't remember any of this. I guess I died after all, then. Past me must not have been as careful as he thought he was. He never wrote about what kind of work he was doing, either. But I'll just keep going as I am. There are people thanking me for saving them. I guess mortals don't come back to life when they die like I do. I should try to value them, then. Since they don't get a second chance, I want to protect them as much as I'm able.
Clearly, this wasn’t my first death. I found myself agreeing with the sentiments written by that past me. It was frustrating, but I kept reading.
It seems like I retain skills I learned in previous lives, like reading and writing. A bit of common sense stays inside me, too, but unfortunately not a lot. Sorry, shop vendors. But I think this includes my fighting and magic skills. That's good. If I can trigger them somehow, I can use that to help more people.
Almost every time I turned a page, I found more and more entries detailing a new death, and a new wish to protect the mortals like the people around me now. Perhaps that was why I saved them in my last life. Was I spurred on by a previous me's desire to help others? Something else jumped out at me as I read on.
I wish that first me had written about my homeland. Not knowing my origins is bothering me a bit. Are there other Lokomo, or am I the only one? Where did I first come from? Is there a place where Lokomo live? I'll try to look for it. I hope that if I don't find it in this life, I'll get to write it down in another life. I'm passing this wish down to the next me, if there ever is one.
That passage resonated with me, just like the one about helping mortals. A burning desire to know myself engulfed my breast. As if by unconscious intent, I grabbed the feather pen and scribbled some words down next to it; I want to find out, too.
Feeling inspired, I shut the Mémoire and started climbing out of the bed.
“Morgan? Where are you going?” Makimi asked.
“This book is full of wishes. To protect people, to uncover my past... I want to honor it.” I explained. “Thank you for taking care of me, but I think it's about time I took my first steps into the world again.”
The abruptness of my action left them a little blindsided. Nevertheless, I stood on my own two feet and started walking. Knowing I had done it before made it easier than I was expecting. I slipped the Mémoire back into my pocket and tried to find my way out of the house.
I passed by a large reflective surface. I saw someone staring back at me in it, and they were wearing the same clothes I was. It took me a second, but the word “mirror” floated into my head. I realized I was getting my first good look at myself.
As before, I noted my clothes; a deep burgundy jacket with some white fur on its collar, covered by a white, hooded cloak with gray gears patterned on. The cloak wasn't very long, just enough to drape past my elbows and my chest. The jacket was zipped down the middle between some black trim, hanging down close to my knees. My Mémoire was secured safely in one of the large pockets down there. Black trousers filled the space below it, and dark brown laced boots reached almost to my knees up from the bottom. My hands were fitted into brown fingerless gloves with some silver metal plating. Then I studied my face, and my brilliantly red hair caught my eye first. More black dyed my roots, streaking down from the top of my head. Between some bangs were light skin, a sharpish nose, and rich, azure blue eyes staring into the mirror.
- So that's what I look like... That's “Morgan Burgundy”, huh?
I watched myself smile a bit. Knowing my own name and face was comforting. That was a lot more than I'd known a few minutes ago, after all. I felt my confidence rising by the second. Unsure if I was compelled more by that or by what was written in my Mémoire, I continued on through the house, quickly finding the door that led outside.
I pushed it open, listening to the wood creak and feeling it tremble as it scraped against the ground. Bright light filled my eyes almost right away, making it difficult to see for a few seconds. Once my sight adjusted, I took in the view around me in all its splendor.
Glorious fields of grass dotted with trees spread out before me, blanketed by the wind and the blue sky above. In front of the ranch, iron fencing enclosed some large animals, calmy munching on grass and hay. A tall stone tower sprouted up at the far end of this space, wooden fans turning in pace with the breeze. Further out from there, more buildings of both wood and mortar were nestled at the foot of a large hill. I could see many people congregating there, of much more varied shapes and sizes than the family I'd just met.
I craned my neck to look around some more, and behind me in the distance, I saw something absolutely incredible. A massive structure stretched into the sky, with many spires and pointed roofs. It looked so far away, and yet far bigger than anything else around. What was more, even that enormous thing was surrounded by five strange pillars competing with its size. I couldn't tell what they were made of, but they were glowing blue. In the shadow of all that rested an even larger gathering of buildings, cradled by a high wall.
- Whoa... What a crazy-looking place. I wonder if my past is buried somewhere around here. I'm starting to get excited now!
My spirits were lifted as high as those enigmatic structures on the horizon. What was waiting for me out in this world? Without many points of reference, imagining the things I could find was almost impossible. But that was invigorating in its own way. Whether it was my past, fateful encounters with mortals, or even other things I couldn't reasonably guess at, I felt ready to throw myself into it all. It was the starting line of a new life.
And I'd better make sure to write it all down in my Mémoire, just in case.