Age of Prosperity;Mémoire

[Azure Sage]

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!

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?​

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AGE OF PROSPERITY;MÉMOIRE


[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.

 

[Dizzi]

wow!!!

 

[Azure Sage]

Next chapter's ready to go! Today we see what kind of trouble having no memories or common sense will get Morgan into... I'm having fun writing like this. Enjoy!

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[RECORD TWO]:
look around;buy something​

The sound of white birds flapping their wings drew my gaze toward the treetops. I watched a flock of them fly off into the blue yonder, moving in a tight formation. I thought it was interesting how they could do that. Mortals were kind of the same way, sticking together in groups to help each other. This town was a perfect example of such cooperation.

Everywhere I looked, I spotted some sort of wreckage or debris laying around, wooden beams cordoning them off or supporting them. Various people worked together to haul off the smaller chunks of them to a big pile, probably for disposal. Something must have happened recently to cause all this damage, but in spite of that, everyone was collaborating, trying to pick themselves back up and resume their lives. The ones that survived, at least.

- How fascinating... I wonder if I’ve seen sights like this before. I remembered that this kind of place was called a town, but it’s still not all there yet...

I didn’t know how past skills could be triggered, but the more I walked, the more things started to make sense. This was a town, and the people in it formed a community. With the ranch at my back, and the words of the family I met there in my head, I deduced that the people here were producing goods they needed to survive and sharing them amongst each other. I remembered reading in my Mémoire that I had no need to eat, so I assumed that it was different for the mortals. I began to wonder if I was able to eat, as well, even if I didn’t need to. My body looked to be very similar to the average mortal’s shape, after all. How many of the components were the same?

My curiosity led me to cautiously approach someone standing behind a stall, hawking to passers-by about what they had laid out on it.

“Come one, come all! Yes, you! Even you, Red! Come here! Look around! Buy something! We’re having a special today!”

- Red? Was that supposed to be me?

They were looking right at me when they said that. My name was Morgan, though. Uncertain, I pointed to myself, tilting my head at them. They nodded enthusiastically, waving their hands to beckon me closer.

- Oh, they did mean me. Why “Red”, though?

“I don’t think I’ve seen you before, Red! You from around here?” the person asked.

“N-no, I don’t think so...? My name is actually Morgan, by the way. Not Red.” I told them.

“Ahahaha! Sorry! You just got a lot of that color on ya, so I thought it was a good way to get your attention! Didn’t mean to offend!”

- So they were just using “Red” as a way to identify me before learning my name... Mortals are rather strange. This might take some getting used to.

It was only the second time I was interacting with people, at least in this life, so I wanted to be careful. Doing something foolish and making others upset was... probably bad, right? That was what the nagging feeling in my gut was telling me.

“Well, don’t be shy! See something you like? Fresh fruit, fresh wheat, fresh meat! We got it all! And we’ve even got the lowest prices in all of Mabe Village! Gotta celebrate, you know?” the person solicited.

“Celebrate what?” I asked.

They stared at me in amazement for a few seconds, and then broke out laughing again. “Hahahaha! Oh, boy, you really aren’t from around here, are you? Where’ve you been the last few weeks, living under a rock or something?”

“I... wish I knew. Wait, people live under rocks?” I said, confused.

The person just laughed more. “You’re a funny guy! Well, since I’m in a good mood, I’ll humor ya! Now that the Great Calamity’s over, everyone’s saying Hyrule’s about to enter a Great Age of Prosperity! What’s not to celebrate about that?”

Finally, something they said sounded familiar. Takumi mentioned something about a Great Calamity and how they were returning to their home after it ended. Perhaps this was what caused all the damage I was seeing around the town. If so, it must have been something very dangerous. It made me wonder what I had been doing while it was going on. Maybe I was helping more people besides just the ranch family.

In any event, the person in front of me was being very inviting and pushy about getting me to partake in their wares. I felt like I had to accept, so I grabbed some kind of red fruit.

“A red apple for the man in red! Perfect! That’ll be ten rupees, please!” the person said cheerfully.

“Ten.. rupees? What’s a rupees?” I asked.

Suddenly, the person lost their smile. “Okay, enough with the jokes, Red. Pay up or get lost.”

- Uh oh, they don’t look happy anymore. Is it because I don’t know what a rupees is? I’m sure I don’t have it, whatever it is...

“Come on, quit starin’ at me like you’ve never seen a rupee before! Ain’t you got any common sense in that red head of yours?” the person accused.

“Common sense...? Oh, I think I know what that is! I don’t think I have much of it yet, though.” I apologized, recalling something like that written in my Mémoire.

This just made the person even angrier. “Damn it, lad! I’ve had enough of your nonsense! Give me back my apple and get out of here!” they shouted.

People around us were starting to stare now. Many of them eyed me suspiciously. I ended up making a fool out of myself after all, it seemed. My throat felt closed off a bit, suffocated by the animosity. I wasn’t sure what I should do next. Could I resolve a situation like this? I likely didn’t have the life experience to do that yet. Maybe my Mémoire had some answers, but there wasn’t time to flip through it now. I was starting to get paralyzed by indecision, and the person’s temper was rising by the second.

Two blue gems suddenly plinked down on the stall. “It’s okay. He’s a friend of mine.”

“Oh, Makimi...” I said, surprised to see her there.

“Ah... A friend, you say? You keep some strange company, girl. But since your family’s good to us, I’ll let it slide. Now get him outta here!”

The situation seemed to diffuse as the person shooed us away. Apple in hand, I quickly marched off, escaping from the crowd. Makimi walked after me, smiling to herself. I had been so stuck in my own head, I hadn’t even noticed she’d followed me out of the ranch house.

“I was worried when you just ran off like that, Morgan! Good thing I was there, huh?” she grinned.

“Sorry for the trouble... Thank you for helping me.” I said. “Were those blue stones rupees? Is that what that person wanted from me?”

“Yep, that’s right! I figured you’d forgotten about how to buy things. You need to pay for the things you want with rupees, otherwise it’s stealing!” she explained.

“Ah, I see. I’d better write that down.” I nodded

I produced my Mémoire and found the page where I’d first read about common sense. I scribbled my new knowledge below it; If you want to buy things, you need to pay with rupees. They look like stones and gems. People get mad if you don’t have them.

Makimi watched me do that and giggled, listening to me mumble the words I was writing. “You’re so earnest, Morgan. You should try that apple, by the way! It came from the orchard a little ways north of here, and their apples are super juicy! I think you’ll like it.”

I’d almost forgotten I was holding it by that point, cradled in my elbow as I wrote in my book. Doing as she suggested, I held the fruit up closer to my face. As if by instinct, I opened my mouth and took a bite out of it. Since I seemed to know what I was doing, I inferred I had eaten food before in a past life, even though I didn’t have a need to. That alone was valuable information.

The apple itself was indeed juicy. It was also very sweet, and just a little tart. Those descriptive words forming in my head only provided further proof of past life experience for me. I was glad to know that even if I forgot some things, my body still remembered them. I ground the fruity flesh into small bits and swallowed it, feeling it shoot down my throat into my stomach. So this was eating. Interesting. The flavors left behind on my tongue were very pleasant.

“Good job! I guess I don’t need to teach you how to eat! Eheheh.” Makimi laughed.

“I guess not... I must have done it before, then. My body must be pretty similar in structure to yours, maybe.”

That seemed to make her smile grow wider. “Yeah, you honestly look like a regular hylian to me. Except the ears... Yours are small and round. I don’t know if I’ve seen that before. But... I don’t dislike it.” Makimi got a little quiet, but she didn’t stop smiling. “Honestly, it’s kind of fun helping you learn things. Almost like I’m your mother...”

- She feels like my mother? Like how Mariam is her mother? Is that something that makes a person happy?

Maybe she could tell I was confused. Makimi patted my shoulder, and then drew closer to me. Her face was starting to turn a little pink. I didn’t know mortal skin could do that. In spite of myself, I stared right back at her.

“Morgan, I know you said you wanted to find your past, but there’s still a lot you don’t know about the world. I could... I could help you learn, you know? How about it? Would you... like to stay at the ranch for a while? With me?”

As Makimi spoke, her face turned from pink to red. This color even reached her ears. I was so distracted by that, I barely registered what she had asked me.

“Why is... Why is your face changing colors? Are you okay?” I asked.

Makimi gasped and covered her cheeks with her hands. “Oh my gosh! Morgan, you’re not supposed to point things out like that! You’re so forward...” she squealed.

- Oh no, did I do something wrong again? She looks kind of happy, though. I have no idea what to make of this...

Makimi lowered her hands, eyeing me uncomfortably hard. She seemed to steel herself for something and then took another step closer to me. I reflexively took a step back, utterly clueless about her intentions.

“You know... Ever since I was a little girl, I always wished that one day, a brave knight would come sweep me off my feet...” she said, staring at me longingly.

“Okay...? I hope you get your wish?” I said, still not understanding what she was getting at.

“I think I already have...” Makimi said. “You saved my life, Morgan. I think... I think I-”

Her words were cut off by sudden screaming. Both of us jumped and looked out to the west. A cloud of dust and particles of grass billowed into the air, obscuring the field. The screams were coming from within it.

A jolt of electricity zapped my brain. Screams were bad. They usually meant people were in trouble. The words in my Mémoire ran through my head again, specifically all those passages begging me to protect the mortals. As if I already knew what I had to do, I started to rush toward the scene.

But Makimi grabbed my arm before I could get far. “Wait! Morgan! Don’t go!” she pleaded.

Having my momentum forcibly stopped like that made me lose my hold on the apple. It tumbled to the ground, covered in dirt. It rested at Makimi’s feet. She looked down at it, and then up at me, clearly feeling pained by something.

“Please... Don’t go.” she said again. “If you die, you’ll forget all about me! I don’t... I don’t want that to happen again...”

I looked at the apple, and then at her, and then over at the cloud of dust. I could still hear screams coming from within it. Makimi made a good point; whatever was happening in there was probably dangerous, and If I died again so soon, the next me would have to deal with all of this all over again. But that was all the more reason I had to go.

“I’m sorry... But even if I forget everything, I’ll still come back to life. Mortals don’t get to do that, right? If so, then I can’t ignore this. If I can do something to help, then...”

Makimi’s face scrunched into more pain. I felt bad, like I was the one hurting her. I still didn’t know what she wanted from me, but I knew I didn’t have the time to ponder it. I jostled my arm loose from her grip and turned away. For the briefest moment, I glanced back over my shoulder at her. Tears were dripping from her eyes, and she was gripping the hem of her clothing so tight it was crinkling up.

- She must be really worried... I think she’s a kind person. But I can’t stay at the ranch with her. Not when there’s still something I can do.

With those thoughts in my head, I looked back to the path in front of me and started to run. I had no idea how I would do it, but if there were people in need, I was going to protect them. Just like my past selves wanted to do.

 

[Dizzi]

Mooorrrreeew!!!

 

[Azure Sage]

Chapter 3 is ready to go! It's another short one, but the preliminary arc is almost over. Enjoy!

---

[RECORD THREE]:
don’t help;help​

I moved as fast as my feet would carry me, diving headfirst into the storm of dust. My vision was obscured by the tumultuous clouds, but it didn’t take long for me to arrive at the cause of the mess. In the heart of it all, out in the middle of the field, I discovered many wooden carts on wheels, toppled over and ransacked. People were fleeing every which way, and there were strange figures hunting them down.

Another pulse in my head told me what those things were. They were monsters, without a doubt. They were short and stubby and red, with large floppy ears and wide snouts. There were a bunch of taller, more muscular ones among them, and it seemed like they were directing them to attack the people.

- Monsters... That’s what those are? Why do they do this? Do they enjoy hurting people?

It was hard to tell for sure. One thing that couldn’t be mistaken, though, was the urgency in which these people needed rescue.

“No! Why is this happening?! The Great Calamity is over!’ a person screamed.

“Someone! Help us, please!” shouted another.

Hearing that cry for aid sent another burst of electricity running through me. Is this how the past me felt when he protected the ranch family? Something deep inside me just viscerally could not abide this. It was as though every fiber of my soul was crawling out through my skin, begging for me to stop these people from getting hurt at any cost. This couldn’t be allowed. I had to do something. I have to save them, and fast.

My body moved before my mind did. Close by, a pair of people had tripped to the ground, cornered by the small red ones. The monsters were about to hurt them with heavy wooden clubs. I did the only thing I knew how to do at this point; jump in between them.

The club slammed into my back, and I staggered forward. A stinging feeling shot through my spine and left me sore and aching. My first taste of pain in this life. It was gutturally unpleasant. It inflicted fear in me, too, instilling a desperate desire to escape from the monster's reach. It was horrible. I didn't want to get hurt like that again.

And yet, if this was what I was sparing people from, all the better that I deal with it instead, I thought. I felt even more determined now.

“What?! You...” one of the people gasped.

“Go! Get somewhere safe!” I yelled.

The people nodded and picked themselves up. I turned and faced the monsters in front of me. They were surprised, but not unhappy. The fiends chattered to each other, and I could almost swear they were laughing. Their lips were curled into ugly grins, displaying rotted, yellow fangs. They seemed thrilled to have someone to beat on, whether it was those people or me. My muscles tensed up, readying for their next attack.

The first one swung its club at me, grunting with the force of its own might. Somewhere in my brain, gears spun and clicked into place. Without thinking about it, I leapt backwards, dodging cleanly. I landed on my feet, light and bouncy on my heels. The next one swung, too, and I ducked under that and darted around behind them.

- Whoa... How'd I do that?

Maybe this was a skill I picked up in another life. I remembered reading a passage about fighting and magic abilities in the Mémoire. This had to be how I could trigger them. I gritted my teeth and prepared for more attacks. If I kept this up, defeating these monsters might actually be possible. Then I could go help even more people.

The monsters weren't grinning anymore when they turned around. They started swinging harder and faster, trying to bludgeon me with those clubs. I continued dipping and leaping away, trying to draw their attention off the fleeing people. Their frustration was growing with each missed attack, and so was my confidence. In fact, I could feel the gears in my head clicking into place again. I clenched my fist, getting ready to try a strike of my own.

But before I could, a loud stomp from behind startled me. I spun around and found myself looking up at one of the tall, lanky ones. The blood drained from my face as pins and needles pricked into my skin. I knew I was in deep trouble. They had me closed in from both sides. And the big one took advantage of it.

I was lifted off my feet before I could blink, a giant club ramming into my chest. My head grew fuzzy for a moment, and I couldn’t breathe for several moments more. I felt the rough landing on my side, but I wasn’t fully aware again yet. The bleeding from several scrapes, along with cracked bones inside my chest, had me coughing up blood.

And there I lay in the dirt, at the mercy of the monsters, before I even got to fight back. This wasn’t going how I’d thought at all. I coughed some more and tried to get up, but I was surrounded quickly. All three of them raised their weapons. In my heart, I thought this might be the end already.

- Not good... This is really gonna hurt... Did those people get away, at least? I sure hope so...

Better me than them, I thought again. Alas, I still couldn’t stop myself from cringing up, squeezing my eyes closed and bracing for the beating with fear sticking to my face.

But the beating never came. Instead, a fierce wind whipped around me. I opened my eyes again, and all the monsters were dead on the ground. My mouth hung agape in shock. Blinking a few times, I noticed someone new in front of me. Their hand was resting on the hilt of a dagger hanging at their waist.

- Did they save me? And so fast, too... Wow...

“Hey, are you alright?” they asked, reaching out for me.

“I... I think so? Maybe.” I said, letting them pull me to my feet.

I tried to help people, only to need rescuing myself. That was embarrassing. Still, I was grateful, and took a good look at my savior. They were a little tall, with tan skin and long, white hair. There was some sort of eye marked in purple ink on their face. Their own eyes were brightly brown and serene, maybe even crossing into gold a little. I found myself pulled in by them, in spite of myself.

Following their lead, more people came, and these ones were all dressed in gray armor. All of them had weapons in their hands, and they charged into the fray and began fighting off the monsters. I felt a little envious of their skill and composure. That was how I needed to be. I especially felt impressed by the person who saved me; they weren’t wearing armor like the others, instead they had a straw hat and light robes for battlegear. Even so, I could tell they were leading the rest of the fighters.

“My lady, there’s still more people.” one of the armored ones said.

“Mhm. Let’s move.” the lady nodded. Then she turned to address me again. “Hey, you. I saw what you did. I appreciate you trying to help, but if you don’t even have a weapon, you’re better off not getting involved. Just leave this to us and get to safety.”

With those instructions, she left me behind in the dust, following the armored ones further south of the field. Most of the fleeing people nearby had been rescued, and it seemed like they had the situation well under control now. Maybe they were a force dedicated to this sort of thing. That was good, if so.

But did that mean my job was over? The lady told me to leave, and she’d admonished me for my reckless behavior. She didn’t know I’d come back to life, but it still felt nice to be worried over. Makimi was worried about me, too. Worry wasn’t a bad thing, I thought, but making people upset with me was something I felt like I should try to avoid.

Even so, I still wanted to help. I got hurt pretty bad, and my body was still aching, and I didn’t even manage to fight. But I still saved two people. They might not have made it if I didn't help. Knowing that left a persistent nagging in my gut. Maybe I could still be useful, injured and skill-less though I was. But if I jumped back in without any capabilities, or even a weapon to swing around, I would just get in the way of the people who actually knew what they were doing.

This was quite a dilemma. I placed my hand on my chin, trying to puzzle out an answer. That was when I felt that familiar weight in my pocket. If I couldn’t come up with a solution myself, perhaps it was time to consult the Mémoire again.

Hopeful for guidance, I opened it and started flipping through the pages. I found that same passage from before about how the skills I learned stayed dormant inside me. Maybe in another past life, I'd written more specifically about how to trigger them. The firmness of the parchment tickled my fingers as I thumbed the pages apart, looking for such a thing. For a moment, I wondered just how old this book was. But a new passage caught my eye, keeping me focused on the objective of my search.

Fighting is hard and scary. I got hurt a lot. But when I tried to save people, they thanked me, and that made me feel good. I want to keep trying. It feels like I'm doing what I’m meant to do. Maybe I can figure out how to do that magic stuff I saw written about in here, since I don't have a weapon.

This one spoke to me. That was exactly how I was feeling, right down to the letter. It was good to know I felt the same even in my past lives. But I still didn't have the answers I wanted. I needed to know how to trigger those magic skills, whatever they were.

- The ranch family described me using some crazy power to fight when I saved them. Was that magic? How do I use it... Come on, there's gotta be something on that in here...

Something amazing happened. I ran to someone's rescue, and blue light started shooting out of my hands. That must have been the magic a past me wrote about. I used this to defeat monsters. I have to keep practicing with it, but I think what triggered it was my desire to help, or my desire to fight, or both. Future me, if there ever are any, don't give up! We can do this! We can help people!

The earnestness of those words was palpable. That past me knew that one day, a future self would need to read this. They filled this page with their wishes, radiating from the ink and charging my soul with determination. I knew the path I should take now.

That lady told me to get somewhere safe, but I couldn't listen to her. If I was going to relearn those skills, I had to throw myself back into the fight. Thinking about it, that tracked with what happened before. I was close to uncovering a skill, I could feel it. That big monster interrupted me right as I was about to arrive at an epiphany. I needed to grab hold of that feeling again.

I shut my Mémoire and took action. Just one step forward, and severe pain spiked through my chest. The wounds from earlier still weighed on me. I didn't know if they would go away on their own or if I needed to do something about them, but there was no time to figure that out. The longer I hesitated, the higher the chance of someone getting hurt. I didn't want to let anyone else feel the way I was.

- This isn't just about today... I need to learn how to fight so I can help more people after this! I'm sorry, lady, but I'm not going to leave! Not until everyone is safe!

My foot hit the ground with more conviction than before. I took off running, even as I bled and hurt. There was no way I could let this keep holding me back. There were lives to save, and this life of mine was a small price to pay for theirs. With the words of my Mémoire pushing me forward, I headed south, chasing after the lady and the armored ones. I was going to help whether they liked it or not.

 

[Azure Sage]

Finally put Ys X down long enough to finish this chapter! I really struggled on just how to present a certain transition in here, but I think I came up with somethin cool... Look forward to it.

---

[RECORD FOUR]:
sacrifice;name​

The sounds of battle ringing in my ears led me in the right direction. I left the central field behind, passing through a huge gate and following a dirt road dotted with cobblestones. Down here in the south, there were a lot of tall buildings and wooden ramparts. Between these enclosures, I discovered the armored ones locked in combat with the monsters.

My feet were heavy, and I was out of breath already. I clutched my chest where I was hit by the club, feeling each throb and spasm beneath my skin. Those wounds from earlier were persistent things. I took a short rest, and since I had to stop anyway, I observed how the armored ones fought. Maybe I could get some kind of clue from them. Anything to further help me trigger those dormant skills.

In a matter of seconds, I scanned each person and situation unfolding before me. Eyes darting from one thing to another at a speed faster than I expected of myself, I learned a great many things. Most of the armored ones used broadswords and fought in cohesive units. All three of these groups were led by another armored one with a crested helmet and more impressive weapons, like spears and claymores. I spotted more people, non-combatants in the process of fleeing, being funneled down a path between the buildings. It looked like they were being escorted to a safer area.

After I grasped all that, I paid closer attention to how they fought. The units of armored ones would move as if they were a single being, surrounding the monsters and striking together from multiple directions. If their enemies tried to strike back, they would respond by guarding or jumping clear, and the ones on the other side would step in. The leaders controlled all of this with precise and swift orders.

It was an educational sight, to be sure, albeit not really something I could put into practice myself, all on my lonesome. But there was something about the way those sword-wielders moved that spoke to me. Maybe I used to be a swordsman in a past life? Not like I had time to keep flipping through the Mémoire to check right now. Nevertheless, it was a worthwhile theory. If I had the chance, I thought I should try and get my hands on an actual sword and see if that triggered anything.

In the meantime, I continued to examine the area. The armored ones seemed to have this place in good order, but there were still a couple things that concerned me. Many of the monsters around here were different colors than the ones back in the field. Some were blue, and others were black. Somehow, I could gauge that they were stronger than the red ones. That made me nervous. And so did the fact that I couldn’t see the lady from before anywhere.

- Where is she... Is she okay?

As the commander of the armored ones, she was probably the person I needed to worry about the least. I saw her skills firsthand when she saved me a bit ago, so she probably didn’t need help. That’s what I thought, but then, maybe that’s what everyone else thought, too. Was she fighting somewhere by herself? If so, and they didn’t send her any backup, she could wind up in some real trouble. I swallowed dryly and tried to listen for other sounds on the edges of my senses. My ears pricked and I heard metal strike wood somewhere further south. Right away, my feet pointed in that direction and I took off running again, even though my chest was still pounding.

Leaving this battlefield behind, I sprinted toward what looked like a riverbank. There seemed to be some kind of outpost there, partially submerged by the waters rolling by. Outside of this in the sand, I saw the lady. She was fighting off a bunch of the bigger, taller monsters. These ones were silver. Even with my lack of experience, I could feel the danger emanating from them. Goosebumps stung the back of my neck just at the sight of their grisly expressions.

The lady herself fought gracefully, but I could tell by her face that she was strained. Her dagger danced through their hides, but the cuts were too shallow to be effective. Their giant clubs closed in on her next, and she leapt backwards into a puff of smoke, leaving strange red papers behind in her wake. She reappeared again a short ways off, and by her side, it looked like she had two copies of herself made of blue light.

- Wait, that light... Is that magic? Like the kind I’m supposed to be able to use?

That mysterious power evened the playing field. The clones mirrored her movements exactly, clashing with the large brutes as they continued their assault. Wood railed against steel and magic, and their weapons locked together in a fierce contest of might. The lady clenched her teeth, trying to keep the monsters at bay.

But there were still more enemies. From behind, another silver one appeared, brandishing a sharp spear. It charged toward her like it wanted to impale her. She was too busy grappling with the other enemies to notice its approach. Watching this, I felt compelled to urgent action.

- If I don't do something, she could get hurt, or worse! Come on, Morgan! It's now or never!

I kicked down on the ground and shot forward, despite the pain I was in. Could I make it in time? The monster was faster than me. Another spasm in my chest almost made me trip on my own feet. Clutching my wound again, I stumbled forward and reached out for her. The spear was inches from her back now.

“No... Don't die!”

Time seemed to slow as I uttered those words. My heart squeezed in my chest like it was in a vice, and a searing pain bled through the front of my head. It was difficult to breathe, like my throat had shut itself tight. In this desperate state, my hand almost seemed to stretch forward, toward what I wanted to protect. I felt the gears in my head clicking together again, and the tips of my fingers alighted with azure blue aura.

In an instant, a beam of light blasted from my outstretched hand, ripping apart the monster attacking the lady from behind. She jolted and whipped around, eyes wide in surprise and disbelief. Her enemies were just as stunned, flinching and turning toward me.

- I... What did I...?

I could hardly believe what I'd just done. That had to be the magic I was reading about. I finally succeeded in triggering something. My Mémoire really guided me true, helping me to save her. An enormous weight lifted from my shoulders, filling me with a sense of both vindication and purpose. I was so relieved, I almost let the situation slip from my focus. But the lady was more composed.

Now that the monsters were distracted, she used her clones to slice them apart in quick fashion. Wielding her dagger in a backhand grip, she tore them apart and left them as bloody piles of limbs in the sand. These monsters were defeated, but they weren't the only ones around. Another pack of them encroached on us.

These weren’t like the silver ones. Their bodies were glowing with different auras, setting my hairs to stand on end. One was billowing fire, one was chilling the air with ice, and one crackled with lighting upon each step. I gulped nervously, smothered by the pressure they gave off.

“Elemental moblins, now... Hey! If you can fight, after all, then lend me your aid!” the lady yelled.

It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me. I was still out of breath, so my words weren't coming. I managed to nod, at least, and then rushed to join her. As I did, I got to examine her clones more thoroughly. They didn't feel anything like the power welling up inside me. It was hard to tell what they were, exactly.

- There must be a lot of kinds of magic, huh? I should watch her. Maybe I can learn even more about how to use my own.

Thinking that, I tried to focus on the energy now flowing through my veins. Seeing her forming clones out of her power, and the sight of those armored ones swinging swords around earlier, sparked a new idea in me. I put them together, melding and mixing these swirling thoughts into something tangible. In the palm of my hand, that azure blue aura flickered to life again. It condensed and shaped itself according to my will.

Just in time, too, as the so-called elemental moblins had arrived. I gripped this light in my hand and swung at them, and a ray of it cut through the air in a wide arc. They were forced to guard and slow down, giving the lady the chance to close in. Strange symbols appeared in my field of vision, locking onto the monsters. The lady disappeared in a cloud of smoke and paper again, and when she reappeared, she slashed through the fire one with a fierce strike.

That wasn’t enough to kill it, but that symbol hovering over its chest turned blue and seemed to be absorbed into her. With that extra bit of power, she created another set of clones, and started overwhelming them with numbers. I still wasn’t sure how she was doing it, but it left me in awe. I wanted to step up my game.

I focused on that light again, and the more I concentrated, the more I seemed to be able to define its form. I tried to turn it into a sword, but it was unstable and erratic. Still, it was better than being unarmed. Letting my instincts guide my feet, I moved to follow the lady’s lead and chased down the ice moblin. This brute was wielding a heavy claymore, its steel frosting over as it raised its weapon high overhead.

Lunging forward, I tried to slice through its stomach. I did draw some blood, but it barely let out a grunt. I could even swear it was smirking at me. Unconsciously, I jumped backward and avoided its blade, slamming down in the space I was just standing. When it hit the ground, a pillar of ice exploded up, shattering into pesky debris that clung to my clothes. I let out a short breath, feeling glad I had the foresight to evade when I did. It was difficult not to wonder again just how much I’d been fighting in my past lives.

The lady was having better luck than I was with the fire moblin. She had it completely swarmed with clones, and I noticed another symbol flow into her. Confidently, she knocked its sword up, forcing it to stagger backwards on one leg. All of the clones rushed in at once, digging their blades of magic into its gut. It tried to breathe fire on them, but their bodies weren’t corporeal. There was nothing it could do with the lady herself safely out of its range. It met a swift end in the dampness of the sandbar.

There were still two more. The ice moblin was moving toward me again, and now so was the electric one. They attacked me in tandem, one freezing the ground and the other sending volts of lightning through the air. I nearly lost my footing as I tried to make some distance, still feeling sluggish from my injuries. My face twisted in pain as I keeled over, bracing for a big hit. But the lady sent a clone in the way, taking the strike in my place.

“I’ve got your back! Let’s finish them off!” she rallied.

Nodding earnestly, I tried to rebuild that sword of light. As the ice one geared up for another big swing, I flicked my arm out, still kneeling in the sand. With a flash of aura, I managed to gouge into its legs, sending it off-balance. The lady pounced on it without missing a beat, leaping up and burying her dagger into its neck. She kicked off its hide, putting it on the ground for good. But as she touched down, the electric moblin suddenly zapped forward at blinding speed, utilizing its element to its full advantage.

She gasped and ducked as fast as she could, but her dagger was knocked out of her hands. Now fallen into the sand, she was completely defenseless. There was no way she could get back to her feet fast enough to dodge the next attack that was already coming. My heart thudded in my chest again, constricting painfully as I felt pure terror on her behalf.

- No! After all this, I’m not gonna let it end this way!

Those thoughts echoed in my brain as its spear plunged through my chest. Somehow, I managed to get myself in between them. It was the only way I could think to save her.

“You...!” she inhaled.

Her voice quivered, and I could hear regret and horror hanging off its timbre. At least she was unharmed, but the pain hit me before I could feel thankful for that. I coughed and heaved, trying to take in air as a brutal agony split my stomach in two. I watched the blood spill from my new wound, pooling in between the grains of sand at my feet. My vision was starting to blur, too.

- Ah... I’m dying, huh? And so soon after I woke up...

Knowing that I would come back to life wasn’t enough to stop the fear from setting in. My memories were about to leave me forever; everything I didn't write down in the Mémoire, at least. I wouldn’t still be me when I next awoke. That was more terrifying than I expected it to be, somehow hurting worse than being run through like that. Even as I bled out, I could feel my skin twinge and shiver over the uncertainty and the unknown creeping upon me.

- Ugh... It hurts... I didn’t want to die... But then...

But then, the lady behind me wouldn’t get a second chance. If I hadn’t traded my life for hers, her story would have ended permanently. And she was still in danger as long as she was collapsed to the ground without her weapon. I needed to get rid of this enemy twisting its spear deeper into my body, or my sacrifice would be in vain. My soul was screaming at me to stop that from happening while I still could.

So rather than go quietly into the dirt, I gripped that spear’s hilt with both hands as tight as I could. I felt my power enveloping me like a membrane, filling the air with an azure blue hue. By pure happenstance, I saw my reflection in the nearby river. My already blue eyes were glowing brightly with the aura of my magic, and a halo of light circled my head. This state seemed to endow me with more strength than ever before, despite how quickly my life was fading.

“I am not... going to let... you die! Not while... I’m still breathing... It’s not... over yet...!”

Shouting hoarsely while blood spilled from my lips, I wrenched that spear out of the moblin’s hands and snapped it in two. The shock sent it reeling backwards, flailing its arms with bursts of electricity. But it was no longer faster than I was. Without conscious input, more swords made of my magic appeared around me, suspended in midair. I narrowed my eyes on my enemy, and those blades automatically fired straight into it. The beast was impaled over and over, then at last taken out of its misery with a sword through its skull.

A few moments of staring at my handiwork was all it took to knock me off my feet, my pain melting away into pure relief. That azure blue aura dissolved as I fell backwards, the tip of that spear still lodged in my stomach. My head hit something soft instead of the coarse beach. I hazily looked up, and found the lady had me cradled in her arms, tears filling her eyes as she gazed down on me.

“No...! You shouldn’t have... for me!” she cried. “It’s supposed to be my job to protect people like you! If I hadn’t let down my guard, then...!”

I smiled gently at her, my lips struggling to form words. “It’s... okay... I’ll come back to life after this...”

“What are you saying?! No one gets to come back from death! You need to value yourself more than that!” she chastised me.

“Maybe not mortals... But... I’m not a mortal, so... It’s better if it’s me...” I tried to explain.

Alas, there was too much that had to be said, and not enough life left in me to do it. I coughed some more, and took another good look at her face. It was probably going to be the last thing I saw. I was glad to have helped save people, and fighting by her side was fulfilling. Despite only enjoying this life for a few hours, I didn’t think I had any strong regrets. At least, not any I couldn’t entrust to the future.

- There were a lot of things I didn’t get to learn... Where I came from, what I’ve been doing all this time... I didn’t get to learn about this lady, either. I really want to know all these things. But maybe the next me will have... better luck...

“Hey...” I said, trying to make every second count. “When I wake up again, please... Will you tell me your name? Mine is...”

That was it. My mouth stopped moving, and no more words or air slipped out. On the edge of my fading vision, I saw her grow more frantic. She was saying something, but I couldn’t hear her voice anymore. Her teardrops hit my cheek, and they tickled a little, but that sensation was soon out of reach for me, too. Deep in my chest, as everything else dimmed out to black, I felt my heartbeat slow to a crawl, until finally, it all stopped.

⠐⠈⠳⢐⡚⡡⢜⡭⢻⡴⣛⢶⣭⡞⣧⣟⣯⢿⣭⣟⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡡⠈⠐

. . .​

Warmth filled the space where there was nothing before. Rigid form loosened and gave way to movement, stirring up with activity. Bit by bit, I began to feel out where each of these sensations were coming from. The steady beating in my chest, pushing this warmth through the rest of my body, was the crux of everything. That had to be my heart. Electric signals whirred through my brain, and I felt myself gain control over my limbs. No better time than this to try opening my eyes.

Orange light soon filtered into my retinas, dappled with some green. Cool winds played with my hair, encouraging me to take my first look at my surroundings. Groggily, I tried to roll my head around and sit up, but something beneath me squirmed.

“Whoa! You’re really awake!”

A sudden voice filled my ears. Somehow, I understood what they were saying. Finally, my sight fully adjusted to the world around me. I looked up, and there was a person’s face staring at me in unabated shock. It was my first time seeing one. They had tan skin and white hair, dressed in some light robes and a hat made of straw. There was purple ink marking the visage of an eye on their forehead, but they seemed to have regular eyes, too.

Those eyes in particular drew me right in. They were delightfully brown, with a touch of mellow gold, almost like the color shining down from the sun. I wanted to get a better look at the area, but I had a hard time pulling myself out of their gaze.

“I can’t believe it... You were telling the truth, after all. How did you come back to life? I’ve never seen such a thing...” they said.

“Uh... Ah?”

My words weren’t coming out right away. I wasn’t sure if I even knew how to use them. But watching that person speak seemed to trigger something in me, like gears spinning into place. It was an odd feeling. It couldn’t have been the first time I’d done this. But as far as I knew, this was the first time I’d been doing anything.

“I, um...” I said, quickly getting the hang of verbal communication. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about... Where is this? Who are you?”

They gasped, placing a hand on their mouth. They seemed confused by my confusion. I couldn’t imagine why, though. At last, I made myself sit up, and I realized my head had been resting on their lap. I glanced around, and took in the sight of grass, buildings in the distance, and the sunlit sky above us. We seemed to be in the shadow of a small tree, sitting near a stone wall. There was a riverbank close by, and some people in what I thought was armor were positioned around like they were on the lookout for something.

- Huh... How do I know what all this stuff is? And how do I know how to talk? Actually... Who am I, exactly?

“Don’t tell me... Have you lost your memories?” the person asked. “So you don’t recall assisting me in battle, or driving off those moblins, or... or dying at my side?”

I stared at them blankly, and then put my chin in my palm. “Um... No. None of that sounds familiar.”

“Hylia, above... You are quite the mystery, aren’t you?” they said, drooping their shoulders. “In any event, I am glad you recovered... Though I still don’t know how you did it. Do you remember anything at all? Like, your own name, perhaps?”

“My own name...” I pondered.

I scoured every inch of my brain, but nothing came of it. I should have one of those, shouldn’t I? Names were things that identified people or objects. How was I supposed to be identified if I didn’t remember what mine was? I wondered if there was a way I could find out.

And the moment I did, I felt something weighty appear in the pocket of my coat. I fished it out, curious as to what it could be. It looked to be a leather book, keeping parchment bound together within. Hanging off the spine by a thick thread was a feather pen with an inked tip. The word Mémoire firmly presented itself in gold, standing out amidst the black color of the covers.

“A book...? What’s that scrawled on the front?” the person wondered.

“It says ‘Mémoire’. You... can’t read that?” I asked, raising my brow.

“No, I can’t... Perhaps it’s written in an ancient language. More mysteries... My sister might know more about that.”

Her musing was lost in the wake of my interest in this book. I snapped it right open, thinking that perhaps it held the answers I wanted. And lo and behold, on the first page, there it was; my name, and an explanation of my situation. A burst of elation rose up from my gut. To know myself, to fill in the gaps in my memory... This book existed for that purpose. I was relieved and appreciative of that.

“Morgan... Morgan Burgundy. That’s what it says my name is.” I told her.

“Morgan, huh?” the person said. “So that’s the name you tried to tell me before you died... I’m so glad I got to learn it, after all.”

When they said that, a smile as bright as the setting sun filled their face. I felt a fuzzy feeling in my gut as I looked at them. This was a person that was a stranger to me, but from their point of view, I was someone to worry and concern themselves over. I had been a part of their life before this, though I didn't know for how long. It was disorienting, but not unpleasant.

“As a matter of fact...” they continued. “You asked me if I would tell you my name when you came back to life. I think it’s about time I follow through.”

They put their palms on their knees and faced me squarely, giving me a polite bow. I was unaccustomed to formality like that, so I merely nodded back. I didn't remember asking them such a thing, but for some reason, I had a strong desire to know, nonetheless. Where that desire had come from, I couldn't say.

“My name is Impa. I am the attendant to Princess Zelda and a proud member of the Sheikah tribe. Not only did you help defend our citizens, you also saved my life. Thank you, Morgan.”

Gratitude radiated from her countenance, and she extended her hand to me. After staring at it for a few seconds, I realized she wanted me to take it. A handshake, I thought this was called. I indulged her, unable to hold back a smile of my own.

“Impa... It's good to meet you. I'm glad to know I was helpful.”

My first encounter in this life had me brimming with hope. In the Mémoire, there seemed to be all kinds of writings from past lives, seeking answers and recording wishes to entrust to the future. I felt an intense longing to uphold them and fill this book with everything I could find. And maybe, just maybe, this place and its people would be able to help me do it.