A/N: I promised I would do this way back in chapter eight and completely forgot, so I'm doing it now. Well, part of it. Thank you to:
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Disclaimer: I do not own Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, its plot devices, or its characters.
Sky Child
Chapter Fourteen
Weakness and Doubt
The wind rushed through Link's hair as he was propelled upward through the cloud barrier. After activating another Goddess crest in the spring, he had received another message and another stone tablet. After that, he had wasted no time in finding the nearest bird statue. His ears popped as he finally broke through into the land above. Link let go of his Sailcoth, angling himself forward and bringing up his right hand to whistle for his Loftwing. A moment later, the crimson bird slid beneath him, allowing Link time to get a good hold before pulling up.
It had been around dusk when Link left the Earth Temple, and it was quickly turning to night up above the clouds. Link ducked his head down and rested his head on the neck of his bird, which cawed softly beneath him. With one gloved hand, Link stroked its soft feathers, letting the familiar feeling calm him down and help him focus.
He would wait until night had completely fallen to land, even though it was unsafe. He could not risk being caught and potentially forced to stay and rest. He needed to get a move on to Lanayru Desert, whatever that was, and he needed to get there fast. According to the message Fi had given him, Zelda was going to travel through some kind of gate into another world. He didn't know whether to stop her or follow her, but either way, he needed to get there. In addition to his need for speed, Link did not want a repeat of the fight with Pipit or the horrible conversation with the headmaster. It would be easier to just slip in an out quietly.
Skyloft was a slowly growing shadow in the distance, and Link had to squint as it grew darker. It was a moonless night. He breathed in the cool night air, thin and clean, so unlike the dirty, dry air in Eldin. He wished Zelda were there to fly home with him.
The island was getting close, and suddenly Link wondered why he couldn't see the lanterns of the night patrol, neither in the sky nor by the Academy. Link angled his Loftwing down slowly, landing gently in the middle of the plaza. His bird seemed to know that they needed to be quiet, as it walked gingerly across the stone, it's talons making the gentlest of clicking sounds.
Link slid off the Loftwing's back, landing with a soft thud and glancing around. Still no sign of anyone. Link gave his Loftwing a gentle pat and looked it in the eye, silently passing on his thanks. He felt a flow of warmth from their mental connection, and smiled despite himself. "Stay close, I'll be back soon," he whispered. The bird blinked at him to show it understood before silently taking off once more, disappearing just below the lip of the island. Link watched him go, his smile slowly fading.
The dark night seemed strange and unnatural. Normally the nights on Skyloft were quiet, punctuated occasionally by the howl of a Remlit that crossed the path of a Chu-chu. But that night the howls were different, more angry than surprised, and they pierced the oppressive silence frequently. The stars did not provide much light, but it didn't matter, Link knew all the paths in his sleep. He headed towards the Bazaar, relishing the cool breeze on his burn. Up the stairs he went, then around the closed tent. He dashed through the gate and up the wooden bridge, feeling very exposed, and finally came to a stop in front of the closed gates of the statue's courtyard.
Link peered at the gates. They were slightly ajar; someone must have left them open. Thankful for his good luck, Link pushed the gate open wider, wincing as it gave a loud creak. He stepped inside and was about to close the gate behind him when the sound of footsteps made him freeze.
"Who's there?" Up ahead, a dark figure stepped out from the shadows around the base of the statue. Link stood still, hoping that they had not seen him. "...Link?" the voice called again, her voice unsure. As the figure stepped into dim starlight, Karane's face appeared. She glanced around, unable to see Link from his place in the darkness. Link watched silently as she took a few tentative steps forward, her hands inching towards something tucked into her belt.
As she stepped away from the shadows, Link was surprised to see that she was wearing heavy-duty chainmail, much like what he was wearing. That sort of armor was saved for combat only, and as guard duty was usual a very uneventful job, it was strange for her to be wearing it. Even stranger, however, was that fact that she was not carrying a lantern, especially on such a dark night. Where the lantern usually hung from her belt was a slingshot. What was going on? Link debated calling out to her, but decided against it when he heard someone else moving out of sight.
"Karane, what's wrong?" came Pipit's voice from behind the statue. Link heard him walk around to Karane, but Pipit stayed in the shadows, making him impossible to see.
"I thought I heard the gate… I thought… maybe…" Karane trailed off, glancing around once more. "I guess I imagined it…"
Link heard Pipit sigh. "I know it's weird without a lantern, but they attract too much attention."
"I know," she said defensively. "That's not the issue, I thought it might have been… him," Karane said, glancing around the courtyard once more. "I keep hoping that one of these days I'll find him sitting here with Zelda, both of them completely unharmed." She sighed and scuffed the toe of her boot of the ground. "I'm worried."
There was silence, and for a moment Link thought that Pipit had gone back behind the statue. "I know, Karane. I know," the knight said quietly. "But they'll be back, I know they will."
"How do you know?" asked Karane.
"You didn't see the look in Link's eyes last time he was here. That look…" he trailed off, and Link wished desperately that he could see his face. "It was like he had made a decision to either bring her back or die trying, and because I refuse to believe that the Goddess would ever let some like him die, I know that he'll succeed."
Karane's back was to Link, but he could hear the tears in her voice. "How could everything go so wrong so fast? It feels like forever since they left."
Finally, Pipit stepped into the light and wrapped his arms around Karane, burying her face in his shoulder. "We'll make it through. We all will." Pipit brought up a hand to cradle her head. "I promise."
Quietly as he could, Link slipped back through the gate and left the courtyard behind him. He felt the tips of his ears turning red. Pipit and Karane had hugged before, but that had seemed so intimate; Link felt as if he had intruded upon something extremely private.
Link breathed in the cool night air once more. He couldn't go to the altar beneath the statue with Pipit and Karane right there, and he couldn't just stand around in the dark waiting for them to leave. The wind blew a few strands of hair into his burn, and Link winced. 'Maybe I should find some potion first,' Link thought, 'I'll come back after.'
Checking to see that Karane and Pipit were still distracted, Link dashed silently across the wooden bridge. He turned towards the Academy and squatted low to make himself less visible. When he reached the Academy doors, he pulled them open carefully and slowly, and slid through when he had a good foot and a half of space.
On practiced feet, Link crept through the silent Academy all the way down to his room. He was fairly certain that he had some potion stored in there somewhere, and was determined to find it. Now that he was out of the cool breeze, his burn had begun to sting more fiercely. He opened his door, glad to find that no one had locked it in his absence, and slipped inside.
It was once again such a relief to be back in his own room. It was a little stuffy, as no one had been there to open the window in a few days, but it was otherwise the same as it had always been. His slightly messy desk, his slept-in sheets, his figurines, even the familiar sound of Fledge's breathing on the other side of the divider was the same. Quietly as he could, Link opened his wardrobe and began to rummage around for the bottle of potion. But no potion was there. Link ran his hand through his hair and gave out a small hiss when he accidentally brushed his burn. He froze, listening for any sign that Fledge had heard him, but the sounds of steady breathing continued undisturbed. Link went to close his wardrobe, but something white caught his eye.
Link reached behind the piles of clutter and extracted a piece of parchment that had been previously hidden. It wasn't covered in dirt, so it must have been placed there recently. Link unfolded the parchment carefully and squinted to see the thin writing in the dark.
Link-
I've confiscated your potions. If you are in need of them, you may come see me at any time to retrieve them.
- Instructor Owlan
Link sighed. So much for a quick stop. Link crumpled the letter and threw it back into his wardrobe. He had no choice but to go and visit Owlan. In order to be fast, he needed to be healthy.
Link made his way back up the stairs to Owlan's room just as silently as he had been on his way down. Hoping that the Instructor would still be awake, he knocked softly on the door.
The door flew open, and behind it stood a very tired looking Owlan. Link watched as Owlan's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed as Owlan surveyed Link's wounds. Without a word, he stepped to the side, gesturing for Link to enter his room. Link complied, and the door shut behind him.
"I have to say, I honestly didn't expect you to come," said Owlan. The man began moving around his room, plucking leaves from assorted plants. "It's a good thing you did, though. That burn looks painful." Link sat down in the chair by the instructor's desk and watched as Owlan pulled out a dark blue potion and pulled out its cork. He sprinkled the leaves into the potion and swirled it around. After a moment, he set it on his desk next to Link and moved to his wardrobe. He pulled out some bandages and moved over to his desk once more. He stuck the bandages into the potion, and then turned to Link. "Take off your tunic, chainmail, arm guards, and boots. I don't know what happened to you, but you're not leaving this room until I am satisfied that you are healthy again."
Link complied silently as Owlan began to shuffle about once more. Once he had everything off and folded neatly on the floor, and his sword and shield were leaning against the wall, Owlan approached him. The man kneeled down and picked up Link's right leg and rolled up his pants. He prodded the bare skin, turned it every which way, and finally said, "You haven't been doing as I instructed, have you?"
"No, sir," Link said quietly.
Owlan moved on, rolling up his other pant leg before moving on to Link's arms. He inspected his wrist and jaw and declared them healed, gave as tsking sound as he examined the small burns littering Link's hands, and made Link lift up his shirt to check his ribs, all of which he declared healed.
Owlan seemed to have inspected everything he intended to, and he stood up. Link met his eyes nervously. Now that Owlan had finished with the inspection, Link could only assume there would be an inquiry. He was not disappointed.
"What have you been doing?" Owlan asked, his gaze never wavering from Link's face.
"Searching for Zelda," Link answered without hesitation.
"Have you been taking risks?"
Link thought for a moment before answering. "None that weren't necessary."
"And that burn? Was that a necessary risk?"
Link looked away. "Yes," he replied softly.
After a moment, Owlan sighed. "You're lucky that burn is not serious. Any worse than that, and I'm positive you would be dead." Link continued to look at the floor. "As for your leg, it's healed, but incorrectly. By not giving it the proper rest, you've caused some permanent damage. It won't be the same again."
"Will it keep me from moving quickly?" Link asked, still not looking at the man in front of him.
"You tell me," said Owlan.
Link looked down at his leg. It wasn't throbbing at the moment, but Link knew that any climbing, jumping, or even running for too long would change that. If what Owlan said was true, than he had to go through the rest of his journey with a bad leg. All of his sword stances would be ruined, his speed would be hindered, and his fighting ability compromised. "It'll do more than slow me down," said Link. He felt his hatred for Ghirahim rise up inside him. It was that man's fault that his leg was now apparently crippled.
Owlan seemed to consider something before moving towards his wardrobe once more, this time pulling out a large wooden box. Owlan reached into his shirt and pulled out a cord that had previously been hidden beneath his clothes. On the cord hung a small, brass key. Without removing the key from the cord or the cord from his neck, Owlan unlocked the little box and set it down on the bed. He reached inside it's depths and pulled out a jar of yellow potion. The potion glowed slightly in the dark room, and Link looked up to watch its pulsing light.
"This is an extremely complex potion. It contains magic," explained Owlan, "So you can imagine how hard it is to come by. The ingredients of the potion are exceedingly rare, and if I am not mistaken, may be completely gone from any island above the clouds." Owlan kneeled back down and pulled out the potion's cork. "It's extremely powerful, so only a small amount will be necessary." Owlan reached in to the jar with his fingers, coating them in a thin layer of the glowing liquid.
Link watched with wide eyes as Owlan gently trailed his fingers down the bare skin of Link's injured leg, leaving shimmering trails behind them. The trails grew brighter for a moment before disappearing into Link's skin. "What did that do?" asked Link.
Owlan began corking the jar once more. "This potion cannot heal, but it can give power." Owlan put the potion back into its box, locking it once more. "But magic must have balance. The power this potion gave you will fortify you leg during battles, running, really any day-to-day activities. However, if it is put under great strain, the bone in your leg will shatter. Even I could not heal that, not completely." Owlan looked Link in the eye. "If your bone were to shatter, I would not let you continue on your journey. That is, if you were to make it back here. The potion will wear off in about a month, but until then, you are in danger of hurting yourself even more. Do you understand?"
Link gulped. He had never wanted any of this, let alone a magically fortified leg, but there wasn't any turning back now. "I understand." He almost wished the Owlan had told him the potential consequences before applying the potion, but it ewas probably best that he did not: Link would have agonized over it for far too long.
They two studied each other for a moment before Owlan sighed once more. "Alright. The bandages should have soaked long enough, let me take care of your burn." Owlan lifted the jar of blue potion off his desk and kneeled down beside Link. Link watched out of the corner of his eye as Owlan began carefully applying gobs of the potion to the side of his head. It felt nice and cool, and Link couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped his lips.
Owlan worked slowly and silently, but the longer Link was left to his own devices, the more he wondered about why Karane and Pipit had been armored so heavily for nightly patrol. "Instructor Owlan?"
"Yes?"
"Why…" Link trailed off, searching for words. "I saw Karane and Pipit at the Goddess Statue, why were they, you know, um…"
"Armed and patrolling areas that aren't usually patrolled?" supplied Owlan.
"Yeah," said Link. "That."
Owlan let out a tired sigh. "It's a long story, but here's the gist of it. Since the day of the ceremony, the Remlits and creatures around the island have been acting up. They have been attempting to attack homes, destroying gardens, and it became necessary to have constant patrols. Lanterns were banned after a particularly nasty incident in which a lone guard was attacked by multiple beasts at once," Owlan explained. Finally finished with the application of the potion, he began to fish out the bandages. "Multiple armed groups now guard the town and alternate patrolling certain areas during the night."
Link let out a shaky breath. Even his home above the clouds was being affected by whatever "fate" the Goddess had inflicted upon him. It just seemed… so unfair. The two sat in silence once more, save for the quiet noises of relief Link made as the cool, damp bandages were wrapped around his burn. After a few minutes, Owlan finished. The man stood from his place on the ground and started putting the jar of blue potion away. Link leaned back in his chair, relishing the feeling of the healing potion against his forehead.
"Have you found any sign of her?"
Link jumped. He looked up to see Owlan staring at him from across the dark room. Thoughts of Zelda flowed back into his mind. The sight of her standing at the spring, the hard look in her eyes, the strange woman telling him that he was late. "Yes," he said quietly. "Yeah, I have."
"How is she?"
Link looked down at his pile of dirty, burnt, and torn clothes. "Safe," he answered. "A woman sent by the Goddess is protecting her. Because I couldn't." Link's fist tightened at his sides. "I was too slow," he mumbled. He stood up from his chair. "I should get going, I need to go to Lanayru." Link started to head towards the door, but the firm hand of Owlan stopped him.
"No, Link, you need to rest," said the Instructor, attempting to pull him back.
Link wrenched out of his grasp. "No, you don't understand!" Link said angrily. He turned to glare at the man beside him. "I was too late. She almost died, and it would have been my fault!"
Link's words hung in the quiet air of the Academy for a moment. Link glared at Owlan, who merely stared back at him with an unreadable expression. Link felt his hands shaking, but not out of anger. Disappoint, sadness, and self-hatred were all welling up inside him. "I'm not strong enough…" he mumbled.
Owlan grabbed Link's arm and pulled him away from the door. Using Link's surprise to his advantage, Owlan swung Link onto the bed. Link looked up and was met with Owlan's angry gaze. "Do you really believe that?" the man said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "The Goddess chose you for a reason, Link. Do not doubt her." Link's throat closed up, and he looked down in shame. "Chasing Zelda blindly and with foolish speed will do nothing but get you killed. You must take care of yourself, as you will find that it is impossible to bring Zelda back if you are dead." Link couldn't see Owlan's face, and really didn't want to. "I am going to get you a tray of food and water. You will eat and drink everything I give you, and then you will sleep. I will wake you before dawn." Link heard Owlan turn and walk away, but didn't look up, not even when the door closed behind him.
Why did it seem like everything he did was wrong? Go to slow, and Zelda dies. Go to fast, and Zelda is left without a hero. Link snorted bitterly. If he could be called a hero. With all his injuries and all the times he'd already failed, he seriously doubted he was the hero the Goddess seemed to expect him to be. He was nothing more than a stuttering fool who could do nothing right. He couldn't even take care of himself properly. A lump rose in Link's throat, but he pushed it down. Why did he always feel the need to cry? Why was he so weak?
Link tried to getting his breathing under control for a few more minutes, and as time ticked forward, Link could feel the waves of forgotten exhaustion, hunger, and thirst flowing over him. Maybe Owlan was right, maybe he should spend the night. With waves of quilt welling up in his chest, Link resolved to put off his journey for another few hours, just to eat, just to sleep, before he took up his destiny once more.
Link sat on the edge of Owlan's bed, pulling on his boots. Just as promised, Owlan had shaken Link awake just before the sun was about to peek over the clouds. Owlan had grabbed him a new cap, and he pulled his hat on over his freshly healed burn. Owlan had helped him take the bandages off quickly, and although the skin was a little pink, and his hair hung in choppy, sooty clumps around the area, it was better than Link had hoped.
Link stood up and kicked his boots against the floor to get his toes in all the way. Owlan had gone to stand lookout by the student rooms, ensuring that no one would see Link as he went to the Goddess Statue. Link swung his sword and shield back over his shoulder and double-checked his Adventure Pouch. He felt better than he had in days; his leg wasn't throbbing, a solid meal was in his stomach, fresh water was in his jar, and he had a good night's dreamless sleep behind him. Feeling a bit more confident than he had the night before, Link headed out to the Goddess Statue.
Skyloft lay silent in the dusky half-light of the early morning. Link made his way quickly through the cool air to the Goddess Statue, not stopping to look around for a moment. He took the steps down to the altar two at a time and jogged his way over the pedestal where the Goddess sword had previously sat. As soon as he was within arms reach of altar for the tablets, Fi leaped out of his sword. "Master Link," she chimed. "Please insert the tablet we recovered from the spring in Eldin." Link turned to watch as Fi summoned the third tablet. Much like the two before it, it appeared in a burst of light from Fi's strange wings. This tablet was larger than the other two, and was inlaid with a yellow gem that Link could not identify.
"Thanks Fi," Link said as he grabbed the stone. Link turned back to the pedestal, which held the other two tablets that he had already recovered. As he slid this last tablet into the remaining space, the stone embedded within it glowed brightly, and the familiar rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance. Link stepped back from the altar to look at the map all the stones had created. Carved into the stone seemed to be a rough version of the magic map he had in his tunic, the one Fi had given him when they first landed in the Sacred Grounds. Luckily, the map seemed to be protected by magic, because even though Link had changed tunics after his first was destroyed by Ghirahim, the map was still tucked into the same spot.
"I've confirmed the location of a third opening in the cloud barrier in the sky to the Southwest," said Fi. Link turned to see that she had been floating just beside him. "It will allow you to reach a new area on the surface. I suggest going there as soon as you are suitably prepared."
"Thanks Fi," Link said once more. The sword spirit nodded in response and moved like she was about to somersault back into the blade. "Wait!" Link said. He felt himself blush a bit as Fi froze where she was and turned her expressionless face to look at him.
"Yes, Master?"
Link looked down to try and keep himself from losing his nerve. The question had been bubbling inside him since the night before, and he couldn't shake it. "Do you think…" Link trailed off as he searched for the proper words. "Is it possible that there's been a mistake?"
Fi turned her whole body to face him. "A mistake in what?"
Link bit his lip. "A mistake… in me being the hero." Fi did not respond, so Link continued. "I mean, all of this felt so right at first, drawing the sword, hearing you say it was my destiny. It all fit, the legends, the nightmares, everything, but…" Link sighed. "But fighting Ghirahim, trying to get to the springs, I feel like it's all way too much. Like that there's no way I can do it all, and I can't help but think maybe it's because someone made a mistake. Maybe it's not supposed to be me."
Link looked at Fi, and Fi at him. "Master Link, we have only been together for a short time," said Fi, "And I understand that you may have doubts caused by your unsuccessful attempts, but I assure you that my software is not incorrect. My scans recognized you as the one the Goddess chose, there has been no mistake."
"But maybe the Goddess chose wrong," said Link, thinking about what the woman at the spring had said to him.
"Although I do not fully understand the developments of humans or their emotions, it is my understanding that physical strength and capability is something that is built over time. According to my calculations, the chance that the Goddess has made a mistake is only 5%."
Link couldn't help but smile. It was nice to know that someone had faith in him, someone who had actually seen him fail. "Thank you, Fi," he said sincerely. The sword spirit nodded and flew back into the blade with the familiar ringing tinkle.
Feeling much more confidant and ready than he had since he'd first left Skyloft, Link headed out into the open air once more. The sun was just rising over the clouds, but Link didn't stop to admire it. He jumped off of the stone dais and onto the grass below. Not wanting to be seen running across the town, Link turned and ran towards the platform behind the courtyard. The last time he had used that platform was when Zelda shoved him off on the day of the ceremony. But Link leapt off the platform alone, falling spread eagle through the open air. With a loud whistle and a responding screech, Link's Loftwing caught him mid fall. Link patted its feathers gently. "Sorry I took so long," he said. The bird screed in response, and Link felt the companionship he and his bird shared through their mental connection. Link had never realized how nice that was, to feel his bird's presence around him.
Seeming to sense where Link needed to go, the bird banked right, smoothly turning to the southwest. Link and his bird thought as one, slowly gaining altitude as they made their way across the slowly brightening sky. A large pillar of golden light came into view, shooting up from the clouds and dissipating into the blue sky. When they were getting close, Link went into almost a straight dive. The wind rushed past his face, and he could hear his sword rattling against his shield. His sock hat flapped wildly behind him, and the hole in the clouds grew closer. Just as the entered the pillar of light, Link rolled smoothly off his bird. With one last caw, the Loftwing pulled up and flew away. Just like flying into Faron and Eldin, the light blocked Link's sight of what was below him. With practiced grace, Link fell straight through the cloud barrier, his ears popping on the way down, and down to the Surface below.
For the third time, the world opened up beneath him. The landscape was once again beyond Link's imagination. From his altitude, Link could only make out masses of yellow and orange, a solid mass stretching as far as the eye could see. As he fell lower, Link could make out ridges and gaps in what appeared to be some sort of stone. The ground was covered in sand, and everything was varying shades of orange, yellow, and brown. A few stories from the ground, Link smoothly pulled out his Sailcloth, and drifted down onto the platform beneath him.
Link's jaw dropped. Faron was full of life, Eldin was full of power, but Lanayru was full of something else entirely. Link seemed to have landed on top of some sort of tower, and from the place above the sandy ridges, Link could see far into the distance. The sun, despite being blocked by the clouds, still shined brightly off the endless piles of sand. Large masses that looked like fallen towers rose in the distance, mammoth in size. The air was dry and warm, but nothing could beat the heat of Eldin. Here and there the expanse of sand was broken up by weak vegetation, wilting in the light reflected off the sand. Out of all the things Link had seen, this might have been the most breathtaking sight yet.
Link heard the familiar chime behind him and looked as Fi floated to a halt in front of him. "A report, Master Link," she said. "We have arrived at Lanayru Mine."
"I don't know what that is," said Link, "But it's beautiful." Link looked back out over the landscape and saw Fi do the same out of the corner of his eye.
"A mine is a place where resources are excavated from the ground, such as the gems that make your currency," Fi explained.
Link turned to her, surprised. "Rupees come from here?" he said with disbelief. "How do they get to Skyloft?"
"All the 'Rupees' above the clouds have been there since the creation of Skyloft. This mine had been non-functional for several centuries," she said. "The resources that could once be found here disappeared when Lanayru became a desert."
"What's a desert?" asked Link.
"According to my data banks, a desert is a place that has little to no rainfall yearly," said Fi.
Link really didn't understand what Fi meant by "rainfall," as all that came to mind was the "rain" he and Zelda had seen once, but he decided to let it go. "How did it become a desert?" link asked again. Whatever it was about this beautiful place, Link found himself more curious than ever before about the Surface.
"This arid region was transformed over the course of several hundred years." Link waited for a moment, but Fi did not seem inclined to continue. Before Link could ask another question, he felt something hot inside his tunic. Link reached down his shirt and pulled out the magic parchment. As he opened it, the woods of Faron, the Eldin volcano, and Skyloft all colored themselves in and floated off the page. A red light glowed in Eldin, a bluish-green light erupted in the Sealed Grounds, and a Golden light appeared in the blank part of the map. Slowly, the area around the light filled with color, and the words "Lanayru Mine" floated off the page. The map changed perspectives, and suddenly Link was looking at a layout of the area. There were two paths up ahead, both of which disappeared into question marks at their ends.
"My projections show that Zelda must have traveled through this area," said Fi.
Link nodded and stuck the map back into his tunic. "Alright. Let's get moving," he said. Fi nodded approvingly and returned to the sword.
Link looked out over the landscape with hope. This was the last place on the map. Maybe at the end of this path, he'd be able to find Zelda and do… Well, whatever it was they needed to do. Link realized he wasn't exactly sure what that was. According to what Fi said the night he met her, he was "burdened with the task of abolishing the shadow of apocalypse from the land." But what did that even mean? What apocalypse? The only evil Link had seen so far was Ghirahim, and he had no idea what his plans were, just that he wanted Zelda. What did he have to do? Defeat Ghirahim? All he'd been told was it was his destiny to wield the Goddess sword and follow Zelda. Maybe, by the time he caught up to her, they'd both have done what they needed to and could return together.
Hoping with all his heart that this would be it, he only had to get through one more temple before he could go home, Link descended the ladder into the desert below.
A/N: Hey guys! So, here we are again. I just finished my last day of school for the year, so I have all summer to write for you guys, and I decided to celebrate with a new chapter. Yay! Although I'm not happy with the first half. I never am, really. Hopefully there weren't too many spelling/grammar mistakes, I couldn't get in touch with my beta and didn't want to make you guys wait.
Here we are in Lanayru Desert! Our trip to Eldin went kind of fast, so we are going to be slowing down again because if you can't tell, I absolutely love Lanayru Desert. It is my favorite area in the game. Even the music is fantastic. We got some Fi conversation, Link has a kind-of healed leg now, a confidence boost, and some added motivation to never be late again. So maybe Link can actually enjoy some of this part of the journey before I'm forced to tear out his heart again, scare him senseless with trails, wounds him with temples round 2, and then have him go through the most heartbreaking cutscene known to man.
I'm going to let you guys pick what you want next chapter to be, as I am willing to do two things: I can write as Link travels through the desert and discovers the Time Stones before the temple, or we can skip to the boss fight of the temple again and get to the cutscene afterwards. I would really put a lot of effort into making the desert exploration cool and fun, and I think it would be nice to have relatively happy Link for a bit. I'm saying right now, I am not writing the mines, because God dang it that temple annoyed me. I know I have yet to write a temple, but I assure you, the Great Cistern will receive much love from me.
Last piece of business is to beg for reviews! I know you are all out there, I can see your subs and favorites and I really appreciate them, but a review just means so much to me. If it's two words, a novel, a rant, or a flame, reviews inspire me to get off my (*LANGUAGE ALERT*) ass and keep on writing a new chapter for you. The also make me just super happy in general and brighten my day, even if the review is like "u suq" I'm like LOL YAY REVIEW because somehow my mind have convinced me that if you take the time to tell me I suck you obviously care. I know I'm crazy, and also slightly giddy because I'm done with this school year, but whatever.
I used Tetraninja's walkthrough as a reference for game dialogue and such.
Okay, 6teenana out! Peace! (That was awfully cheesy, I don't know what's wrong with me, sorry.)