I'll spare you the tedious trek back up out of that pit, hastened as it was by the helpful air vents scattered about. Some of them were stronger than others, and I was inexperienced still. Yes, I could have glided and climbed the walls, but like I said – I was carrying additional weight I wasn't yet used to. You put on a chain-mail shirt and try and do your daily activities. Even if you can stand the weight, I'd like to see you manage even half as well.
In any case, Fi had directed me to the remains of the Sealed Temple nestled at the edge of the pit, and yet I still had no way to open the overgrown stone doors. I gave some thought to trying to deal with them on the way up, but it turned out to be unnecessary – as soon as I approached the eye designs lit up white, then gold, then faded through indigo to non-existence. Without them on the door, it opened easily.
I hate it when magic circumvents me like that.
Inside the Temple was much the same story as outside – pillars mossed over, plants growing between the cracks of the tiled stone floor, empty window frames streaming in light. One tree appeared to have grown up around one pillar and punched out through a window just to get a better source of light.
Resting cross-legged at the back, revealed by a single illuminating shaft that showed her and only her, was a very old looking woman in what, to me, seemed to be even more outlandish clothing than what I'd already seen, though much of it was concealed by a tall, tent-like red cloak. It rose up to a sharp point, and splayed out on the ground around her.
I made my way up one dais, then another two stacked on top, each one showing signs of having once been ornately carved before time had its way with them. I didn't bother to conceal my approach, but I tried not to appear threatening. Which isn't really easy when your fists have spikes on, you know.
She was oblivious to me, only the few slight movements telling me she was in fact still alive – that and a long lock of hair that had been plaited into a pendulum, swinging back and forth before her. She made no reaction at all to the sound of my entry, or the my footsteps until I'd hesitated before her – just what was I going to say? I'd hardly been expecting to see someone.
In a querulous old voice she solved that for me, speaking quietly to avoid an echo. "Ah... the traveller from the skies," she murmured. "I welcome you, child of fate."
"No, that's Link," I said without thinking.
She chuckled, then said, "Him too, for I note him skulking behind a pillar still."
"Will you stop that?" Link's voice echoed around the temple. "You're not supposed to tell him I'm here!"
"The young God has yet to come into his own birthright fully," she laughed again. "He will learn in time. But ignore him, traveller. You are the one of note here. Tell me, what is your name?"
"I'm Knuckles, and if you happen to see her, my blue friend is Fi. She kinda lives in my sword," I clarified, though given Link's presence I wondered if any of this was actually necessary. Couldn't he just have told her in advance?
"Very good. And I sense that she has already granted you control over the sacred power contained within your blade. The Skyward Strike alone is proof enough that you are fit to bear the Goddess Sword." She glanced over to one pillar with a sly smile, then back to me and continued. "I'm supposed to tell you I've been sat here for years waiting for you, but the truth is he left it to the last minute to make sure I'd be here."
"Impa!" Link said accusingly.
"Isn't it so, young God?"
"No! Well – look, I had a lot to do, alright? I can't be everywhere at once, you know! Can't you at least try to do it the right way?"
Impa shook her head, still smiling. "Tweaking his nose never gets old," she confided. "I have worked with him before he assumed this task. But we digress, as I am here to act as your guide."
"I thought Fi was supposed to do that?" I asked.
"She is, but even she is not aware of all that you must know. She may know that this place is the Sealed Temple, for example, but she may not be aware that this place was built by Her Grace an eternity ago."
"Eternity," Link snorted. "It's only a few centuries, and She didn't build it. The locals built it in Her honour."
"If you're going to keep interrupting, why don't you actually come out here and join us?" I called out into the rest of the temple.
"I'm not even supposed to be here, Knuckles," he protested. "But I gotta keep an eye on you somehow."
"Like I said," Impa said. "He has yet to come fully into his birthright. Soon enough he will learn to better command the divine power he has been granted. Now, if he will perhaps allow me to do what he requires me to..." she left it hanging, continuing only after Link remained silent for a time. I got the distinct impression Link and Impa were actually very old friends, and this was normal fare for them.
"I'm also supposed to tell you that your arrival here was predestined at about the same time the Temple was dedicated. Technically that's true, but we won't go into that. The one you know as the Spirit Maiden also descended here some time ago, as it was doubtless her aura that led you here."
"She landed safely then?" I pressed. Gaepora would naturally want that assurance.
"Naturally," Link echoed.
"She descended in a shower of light that protected her from harm, the source of which I may not tell you – yet. It is the mark that the gears of Fate have begun to turn."
"Or they would if Mother didn't prefer to work with threads and strings instead," Link added. Again we paused, and this time there was a long echoing sigh and he finally came into view. "I hope you two realise She's going to have a go at me for this."
"Not at all, dear boy," Impa told him. "This is your task to handle. So long as you do so, how you do so is entirely in your hands. Fate simply watches, and acts only if you should need Her to."
Link paused, looking thoughtful, then realization dawned in his eyes and he vanished. "And about time too," Impa said. "Perhaps now we'll actually get somewhere."
"You and him go back a long time, I'm guessing?" I asked.
"Of course. But the details are not yours to know, Knuckles." Impa paused again, squinting into the light, then sighed. "I'm going to condense this down rather than speak cryptically the way he wanted, otherwise we'll be here all day."
"Thank the Gods – except possibly him," I said with a sly look of my own. Impa grinned toothily at that.
"It's like this. Zelda wasn't supposed to arrive on the surface the way she did. You and her have a task to play, you know that – but something is interfering. Link, naturally, knows what that is, and so do I, but I have to play along and pretend I don't because otherwise you'll do things out of sequence, and Link's having a hard enough time of this as it is."
"I'll try to keep that in mind. That still leaves me with the question of what I've gotta do though. Find Zelda, I'm guessing."
"Ah, but there you are wrong," Impa corrected. "Even with these forces at work, she still has her own path to take, just as you do. You must focus on moving forwards – on your own purpose, Hero. For now, these two coincide – she ventured into Faron Woods to discover more of her destiny, and now so must you. Take this map," she told me, reaching into the long cloak to retrieve it. "I have marked on it your location. This map has also been made to update itself as you venture to new lands, and even record the current location of Skyloft as it drifts through the sky above – though I'm not supposed to reveal I know about that just yet."
"I'll forget you ever mentioned it," I promised, glancing over it. There was a second door mapped in the Temple, just off to my right, that would lead to a raised path, leading in turn to Faron Woods. What amazed me about this simple roll of parchment was that I actually did get the impression of height, despite it being essentially a flat image.
"Remain cautious on your ways, Hero," Impa continued while I looked it over. "Many monsters have settled in all the lands beneath the clouds, and though many will mistake you for one, they will still attack you should they become aware of you. Be always vigilant... and before you leave, look at where Link had concealed himself, as he left something there for you."
"Or left it behind?"
"No, it's meant for you. He meant to leave it in a chest for you, except you arrived sooner than he expected and ran out of time."
"Yeah, that sounds like Link alright. Anything else, or should I get going now?"
"Be on your way, Knuckles. All your questions will be answered in due course, and we will of course meet again. I wish you well, great Hero," she concluded, yawned, then dozed off – or at least the wily old woman appeared to. I wouldn't put it past her to have used it as an excuse to help nudge me along.
Link's present was another bottle, though this one was empty. I wasn't quite sure what he thought I'd need it for, but he did know what was lying in wait for me, so once again I sorta had to put my faith in him.
That, I think, is one of the reasons he doesn't feel the need to seek followers like some other Gods – the faith of a Hero, even one just starting out, might be stronger than that of just another person, and when you get down to it, the Hero's faith is all he really needs. He only has to set things up for us to handle the task at hand, so he doesn't actually have to do any divine intervention as such – we are the divine intervention. He just ends up owing favours to various other divinities because sometimes he has to step a little way out of that domain to handle something, like collecting us.
I don't expect him to confirm that, incidentally. I'm not entirely sure anyone should know how the Gods get their power.