Here's the next chapter! I'm really glad that you're all enjoying this so much! :3 I'm also back from vacation, so I'll write a lot more (both for this and Hetalia stuff :3) so be on the watch out! I don't own the Legend of Zelda (or pretty much anything Faron says this chaper :P)
He sighs contentedly at the temperature of the water surrounding him before following the current of the water, which leads him over a small waterfall. He notices a strange creature that he's never seen before and it starts to swim away from him and he follows after it, wondering where it'll take him. She mentions that she'll tell the water dragon of his presence if he continues to follow him before swimming through a broken-down wooden gate. He uses a water spin attack to break through the gate, causing the creature to react in shock that he must have the water dragon's scale. It then suggests that it can lead him to 'Her Excellence' so that he can help her, as she's gotten injured due to a person with a bunch of monsters attacking her.
Link accepts this offer and promises to help her, and the creature, which he soon learns is called a parella, starts leading him to where the water dragon is located. He kills a few of the enemies and ends up bombing one of the rocks to get a silver rupee, then blowing up the boulder near where the parella is floating. It continues to lead him, him having to dash over a gate blocking his path and dash up onto dry land. He finds another goddess cube and quickly grabs it, soon afterward checking the bird statue to make it a landing location.
He finds a chest behind the bird statue and gets a goddess plume, putting it with the rest of the upgrade items that he's collected. He then jumps back into the water and continues to follow the parella, dashing over a final barrier. He kills the new enemy, which Fi calls a cranioc. Once it's dead, he continues to follow the parella, it leading him to a door that it unlocks. He follows it through the door and arrives in the water dragon's chamber that she lives in. Link dashes up onto the platform and walks over to the large pot with a head sticking out of it.
"Ah! You there, human! You have intruded into my home, a sacred place few are permitted to enter! This is no place for one such as you. And yet here you stand! You will explain how you got here, and quickly." The creature speaks to him.
He looks at her respectfully before asking if she is the water dragon. "I am." She replies, "Those with manners address me as Faron, warden of the woods. I was appointed by the goddess herself." Link scowls slightly at that, hoping that she's not going to praise Hylia when he knows that she's evil. "Though my current stature is less than, well, intimidating, shall we say, know that you stand in the presence of a loyal servant of the goddess!" Link's scowl grows slightly and he really hopes that the dragon will not praise Hylia.
"...Hmm?" She says, causing him to school his expression in case she saw the scowl, "I say, that's one of MY scales you have there!" His shoulders lower slightly in relief that she didn't see his disapproval of her loyalty to the goddess. "A sacred gift such as that could only be carried by the goddess's chosen hero. But could you really be him? This raises questions. Even with that scale in your possession, finding my hall is no easy task...How did you find me?"
He opens his mouth to speak, but she continues, "Ah, yes...That cackling, old hermit Kikwi told you where I live, didn't he?" Link nods slightly at that, "Honestly, I can't remember how many times I've told that scruffy thing to keep his mouth shut! That's the last straw. The next time I see him, he's dinner!" Link looks a bit worried at that, not liking the idea of her eating the Kikwi. "Oh, but I digress. You've come here seeking a sacred flame, have you?"
Link nods and says, "I have."
"I knew it." Link rolls his eyes, "But I'll be straight with you. A shrimpy boy like you hardly looks the part of the goddess's chosen hero. There's no doubt about it. A test is in order to prove you're everything you say you are." Link scowls as she continues to doubt him and at the thought of a test, wondering precisely what it will be.
"Shortly before your arrival, I was attacked by a pompous creature calling himself Ghirahim. I stood against this self-proclaimed Demon Lord, but I was wounded in the encounter. The wounds he's given me are stubborn things. I have been forced to recuperate in this basin of sacred water. " Link nods slightly, remembering Ghirahim's warning that he was going to do this, though Link doesn't quite like the way that she's talking about the demon.
"Unfortunately," She continues, "the healing properties of the sacred water have diminished, and I am now in need of another dose to freshen up my healing bath. Bring me the container of fresh sacred water that I require. Do me this favor, and I'll gladly show you where to find the sacred flame you desire. What say you?" She asks, looking at Link curiously.
"I'll do it." Link says simply. Fi appears and analyzes the water remaining in the basin, allowing Link to dowse for the water that he's looking for. She comments on the fact that he has an empty bottle and that he should use it to carry the water. He looks at her and rolls his eyes slightly, as that had been his plan all along.
The water dragon tells him that if he continues along the way behind her, then he'll find an exit back to the woods. She then tells him to run along as she doesn't want to be kept waiting. Link nods and runs around the basin that she's in, jumping into the water. He swims over to the land and dashes onto it, deciding to look around a bit before finding the exit. He finds a chest and opens it to get a silver rupee, finding one on the other side that gave him a piece of treasure which he put with the rest of the items he uses to upgrade his items.
He then heads for the exit, now that he's found everything in the chamber. He checks the bird statue when he gets outside, knowing that it'll likely make getting back here a lot simpler. He takes a minute to admire the beauty of the waterfall before exiting the area containing the waterfall. Fi then tells him roughly where he is in Faron Woods and he nods, checking his map to get an exact location. He pushes the log off of the ledge and jumps down, running off in the direction that his dowsing is leading him. It seems to be taking him back to Skyview Temple, and he assumes that it'll be to the spring at the back since that's likely sacred water.
He quickly arrives at the Skyview Temple and, after checking that it is absolutely where he's supposed to go, heads inside. He goes through the temple, suddenly glad that Dark made him get all the shortcuts open, killing any enemies that he needs to. The humanoids ignore him since Ghirahim would be angry at them if they hurt his sky child. He makes it to the boss room and sighs slightly when he sees three stalfos and they amble over to him, raising their weapons. Dark appears and Link makes short work of the stalfos with him, quickly getting out to the sacred spring.
He fills his empty bottle with some of the water that the dowsing leads him to and Fi takes him out of the spring to the outside of the temple. He heads over to the bird statue and goes to the sky before landing at the Floria Waterfall bird statue. He heads back inside and goes over to where Faron is, pulling out the bottle now full of water.
"Hmm." Faron begins, looking at the water, "Yes! Just look at that color. There's no doubt this is the water I need. Quickly, boy, pour it into my basin!" Link uncaps the bottle and pours it into the basin as per her request.
She dives underwater and the basin begins to shake slightly. It stops shaking and Link looks at it a bit worriedly before Faron bursts out of the basin, spraying water everywhere. Link takes a step back as he hadn't been expecting that, not really minding getting wet. "Mmmmmm! Exquisite! I can feel its energy surging through me!" Faron announces, grinning at Link. "Behold the full majesty of Faron, Water Dragon and guardian of these lands! I stand tall - healed and whole once again!"
Link just smiles at her personality before she continues, "Human. You have done well to bring me the sacred water I asked you for." She chuckles softly when Link scowls at the way that she addressed him, but she continues, "I see now it was no coincidence that you completed the goddess's trial and obtained a Water Dragon's Scale."
Link nods slightly as that was a fairly good compliment from someone like her. "In turn, I will grant you the favor you have asked of me and lead you to the sacred flame of my land. Come." She says, causing Link to perk up and follow after her.
She leads him outside to the waterfall and says, "Now...Behold." She turns to the waterfall and hums a bit, holding her hands out in front of her. She grunts softly, throwing her hands forward, and the waterfall starts to rise from the bottom up. It reveals an elaborate entrance, to which Link assumes is the next dungeon he has to go through. "Go. The sacred flame you seek lies within this place."
Link nods and she warns him, "While the waterfall has barred entrance to this place for many years, monsters have still found a way in...and inside they flourish." She then looks at him a bit wryly, "Ah, but you are the goddess's chosen hero. Swatting a few monsters will be no trouble for you."
Link smiles at the compliment and thanks her for leading him here. She smiles softly and says, "I imagine you and I will cross paths again. Until then, do not lower your guard. Farewell, boy." She then flies off and Link ponders over that last warning. Maybe...she was warning him that the goddess is not perfect like everyone thinks? He thinks that there could be a chance that she was just boasting loyalty, but does not contain as much loyalty to the goddess as she wants everyone to believe…
Please tell me what you thought! :3