The pink glow of early morning sunrise shone from behind my closed eyelids. I'd been dreaming about something, but I couldn't remember what. I didn't have time to wonder when something warm and soft tickled my body into waking. Blinking one eye open and then the other, a large gray blob slowly came into focus.
Trico! He was awake! He'd made it through the night!
Smiling, I stood and he mimicked my movements, lifting himself to all fours. Soon I was underneath his belly, staring in awe at the giant towering over my tiny frame.
"Do you feel better now?" I asked, remembering a quote from the boy. Since he was stuck in a Trico's body, I had to fill in for him. "You can stand? Oh, thank goodness!"
Trico wobbled and for a second, I feared he would crash back down. But he remained standing, staring up at the criss-cross of bridges we had fallen from.
"Do you think we can make it back up? Your wing..."
Trico glanced at his missing right wing, nothing but a stub to indicate that anything had been there at all. He snorted in response to my question, nodding his head as though he was answering. The fact that he was missing a wing didn't seem to deter him; he was determined to get to the white tower!
"I think we will too," I said, a knowing smile crossing my face. "Now let's get out of here."
No offense to the Trico head laying in the area, but I was starting to get tired of being knocked down to the same locations we had been before. Trico was way ahead of me, moaning and resting his ears against the back of his head in impatience.
"Hey!" I shrieked when he took hold of my robe in his mouth, struggling to get away. He wouldn't let go, instead deciding to throw me over his head and onto his back. I landed with a thud atop fluffy feathers, for which I was grateful. If Trico had been a horse, I would not have been as forgiving.
"Okay, okay. Up!" I instructed. Before I could even point a finger to an opening above in the stone wall, Trico was already bending down in his take off position, single left wing extending.
I'd almost forgotten...his wing! It was gone! How was he going to—
But Trico made it up to the platform with relative ease in one jump. He faltered as soon as his talons hit the stone floor, and he had to grip the ground tighter so he wouldn't fall back to the floor. I held onto his feathers with both hands for dear life as he regained himself, my fear of heights making a comeback. His jumps were going to be a lot more risky now that he only had one wing to balance with, and I didn't like that idea one bit. The Master just had to force Trico Boy to rip off his wing, didn't he? Maybe there was a way for it to grow back...but I doubted it. This was real life, after all. The toothpaste hadn't even helped.
Either way, it would be awhile before he got his wing back, if it was even possible. I hoped that was the case as Trico made a second jump upward, left wing pumping its hardest to gain enough altitude without the help of the other. Trico tilted dangerously in midair, and for a moment I thought it was the end. He pumped harder despite his difficulties, barely managing to grab hold of the first bridge with his talons. To make matters worse, a guard was throwing never ending spears at us, the same guard who had done so during the battle between the three Tricos.
"Hang on, buddy!" I called to my friend, stepping off of his body onto the bridge. We had to destroy the guard before a spear poked Trico in the eye! He was still struggling to get up to the bridge, but I had a plan. I raised the mirror as usual with my left hand, aiming it directly at the Lost One. The guard froze under the mirror's power, unable to throw anymore spears. Trico grunted, putting every ounce of his massive strength to good use. Finally, he made it to the top next to me. With the guard still frozen, I made sure to keep my aim right where it was.
Trico's tail lifted, and instead of a regular lightning zap—pew, pew, pew! The lightning shot out in threes directly at the guard, blowing the balcony to bits and pieces. With the guard gone now, we didn't have to worry about spears any longer. I'd always wondered about the new lightning, though. It had just randomly changed from a single strike to a more quick and powerful explosion. Was it a sign of our Bond Energy getting stronger?
Trico rumbled, catching my attention. He was looking up at a wooden barricade, already knowing where to go next. I hopped onto his body and he leaped up to the drawbridge, turning around and leaping to another section that didn't require too much effort. From his back I aimed with the mirror to the middle of the barrier, allowing the pew pew pew of his lightning to take care of the rest. With that, I pointed forward to help lead him to the other side of the newly revealed area, a small space where Trico could barely fit. He crouched underneath a ledge so he could continue forward, coming upon...
The third and last cage.
Another cage where Trico would have been once again controlled by the mysterious device down below, had it not been for how strong our Bond Energy had become. His eyes turned pink and he was still hesitant, but he jumped into the fray, helping me get down along with him while I was still perched on his back. The second his talons hit the stone ground, the mind control device switched to life. Blue circles sprouted immediately from its center, releasing the same high-pitched tone as the other cages and attaching the blue circles to his horns that lit up into a bright green. I would never get used to the noise that pounded my skull, but Trico seemed to be okay with it this time. He circled like a tiger pacing a cage, growling and eyeing the device with not fear, but determination to not let it take over his mind.
My Companion struggled valiantly to resist, the boy's words echoed. I raised the mirror from my perch and aimed in the middle of the smaller cage that held the target. Trico's tail lifted once more, and all of a sudden—
Pew, pew, pew! The cage exploded into smithereens. Trico had done it! Instead of the device controlling him, it was the other way around! He'd overcome the control!
"Good boy!" I cheered my praise, giving the beast a few gentle pats. His glowing green horns faded and his pink eyes returned to their normal dark shade. We made our way to the outside, the sun peeking out over the tall mountain that wrapped around the entirety of the Nest. If I squinted hard enough, I could just make out tiny shapes stationed all around the top. I'd never figured out what they were...perhaps Trico statues? The Chosen Ones had probably worshipped them at some point before they'd lost control of their power. The sun's gentle rays filtered through Trico's feathers, lighting them up as if they were white. This was always one of my favorite parts of the game just because of the stunning graphics and effects, but it was even better in real life.
Trico turned, leaping up to one grassy, rocky hill and then another. A pillar was next that he gladly made another leap to, straining his single wing so we wouldn't fall into the abyss below. He took a moment to balance himself, pushing with all the force he had in his hind feet to launch across to the building we were trapped in not too long ago. If I looked down, I could see the bridges we'd jumped up and the Trico head statue. Speaking of statues, a full, non-broken stone Trico sat next to the building wall ahead! It was somehow comforting to see a real statue, like maybe Trico and I weren't the only ones in a world filled with guards and evil Tricos, with a manic orb that wanted to take over life itself.
While we were here, we might as well get rid of the glass eyes. In no time at all, I had my mirror lifted and Trico's tail raised.
Target practice, I thought with a grin. Making sure the mirror was aimed directly in the center of the eye on the far right, Trico's tail sent lightning shooting out across the sky. Glass shattered into the air, leaving nothing but a hanger that the eye had once been attached to swinging back and forth. Three extra eyes situated to the far left met the same fate as the first, leaving me satisfied that the lightning worked properly; practice makes perfect!
Trico turned again to face a stone pillar positioned in front of us, bending and working his left wing to its fullest potential. I gripped his shining feathers tighter, bracing myself as he pushed forward. We barely made the leap, Trico grabbing the pillar desperately. Rock crumbled and I feared for a second that we would crumble as well, but Trico managed to regain his balance, perching safely atop the pillar. Another stretched out before us and Trico rumbled as though he was...getting tired? It must be so much harder leaping with one wing than two, but we'd made it this far and couldn't stop now!
"You can do it," I encouraged, fondly stroking his neck. My encouragement seemed to work. He bent again, wing fluttering and back talons shoving off of the pillar's edge to the next. We landed and the final jump was easier, considering Trico only had to leap downwards and not upward. We entered a strange wooden-floored structure that appeared to be the inside of a pillar attached to an outside bridge. Two pink, green and blue glass eyes awaited our presence that hung on either side of the building, two of which were no more in less than a minute thanks to Trico's lightning. Now with the eyes gone, he was free to keep going without any fear. The only place left to go in this area was up (as usual.)
Trico put his strength to good use, leaping to a fire-lit ledge that yet another eye was attached to. He halted in his tracks, refusing to go any further. Sighing, I brought out the mirror. No problem! I aimed at the black center of the eye, allowing Trico's tail to take care of the rest. Glass shattered and the path upward was free, allowing Trico to make a second jump. One more leap and we were against the side of the building, a rusted and vine-covered gate blocking the way inside. Hopping off of his body, I stood face to face with a white ledge. If I hadn't known where I was going, blue markings would have acted as a kind of map. But I knew exactly where to go, which made things a lot easier. The only problem was...the ledges were too far apart! There was no way I could make these jumps without risking a fall!
Trico waited somewhat patiently behind me as I assessed my situation, searching for something that could possibly help; there was nothing. Nothing I could use to step over to the next ledge, nothing I could grab onto. I was stuck! But was I...? I gripped the mirror attached to the cloth on my back that kept it from falling off. It was a crazy idea, but crazy ideas always worked. Right?
I visualized Trico lowering his head to the first ledge. He obliged, our ability to communicate by pictures letting him know what I needed him to do. He took the collar of my robe into his mouth, stretching his head to the first ledge so he could easily place me gently onto the (un)stable floor. I aimed the mirror down at the same exact ledge he'd just put me onto, causing Trico to snort in confusion and tilt his head to the side in worry, as if asking "She wants me to do what?!"
"I know it's crazy, buddy," I said with a small laugh, "but I need your help."
His tail lit up. Three bolts of lightning shot forward directly at the ledge I was standing on. I didn't have time to brace myself, the force of the explosion thrusting me forward to the next ledge. Rubble fell and I refused to fall along with it, instantly grabbing hold. Trico whined, releasing a stressed moooooo.
"I'm okay!" I shouted to him. I didn't need to look back to see that he was relieved my crazy plan had worked, as I'd expected it would. Only one more jump, and this time it was safer due to the fact that the bridge ahead reached a height high enough that I could jump without any worry. I landed with both feet on the ground, running inside so I could bring the lever down and open the gate that kept Trico from coming through.
One glass eye destroyed later and Trico was ready for a bigger jump. I physically instructed him with a point of my finger, my feather still nested into my messy hair that also acted as a sort of pointer. He got the message, responding quicker than I expected! The single-winged beast backed up, refusing to let his missing wing interfere with what he was supposed to do. Strength from his back talons substituting for the lost momentum from his right wing, we leaped without any hesitation, Trico clutching the platform. The weak stone crumbled under his weight and he struggled to stay afloat, wiggling in desperation. But desperate no more, he steadied himself and the crumbling stone quieted, allowing him to claw his way into another structure.
The lever inside was easy enough to pull down. A gate opened, allowing me to go through without much trouble to an outside patio. To my 'delight,' more wooden ledges that Trico had to snake his way around. Thankfully, there weren't any ledges that I had to jump across again, Trico doing most of the work until we made it to a second outside platform. If it hadn't been real life, music would have started to play to signify that guards were positioned in the building across from us in an assortment of outside platforms—and aiming directly at Trico! A spear flew by, just missing him by an inch. I muttered under my breath in annoyance. Trico definitely wasn't as annoying to me as he had been while I was still playing the game on the Playstation 4; the guards were the annoying ones, no matter if they had once been Chosen Ones! Why didn't more players complain about them instead of the innocent cat bird?!
One lightning strike after another, we blasted each guard stationed outside into oblivion. Spears flew at us from either side, and Trico screeched once, a bad sign that he'd been hit. I would have to take care of his embedded spear later until the rest of the guards were gone; it was just so difficult aiming at them when they were so hard to see. I couldn't tell where they were exactly, making it hard to aim the mirror. I simply targeted one platform after another until there was no possible way a guard would live to tell the tale. When I thought they were all gone, a spear flung itself at Trico. He whimpered, and I aimed the mirror with rage at the spot where I'd thought it had come from.
Now they were finally gone...
Nope.
I couldn't help but scream in my frustration when the final spear hurtled towards Trico, striking the poor beast in his left shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a tiny figure move. I lifted the mirror quickly before I could lose sight of the guard, and Trico's tail made a bullseye at last. His growls and pink eyes faded away into nothing but whimpers; I was lucky that the guards had only managed to pierce him with three spears. Removing one stuck in his left shoulder and the other in his right leg, the third and final spear in his back right thigh, we were free to move forward once more—or fly as much as a single wing allowed us. Now that the guards were gone and the spears had been pulled out of his body, Trico was ready to make a second big leap. He backed up as much as he could inside the building until he could move backwards no more, pawing the ground with a sharp talon.
He galloped, racing faster than anything I'd ever thought possible. We were suddenly in the air and for a moment, even gliding—but it didn't last long. Trico lost balance in mid-flight, his left wing staggering without his other to hold him upright. He just barely made it to the next stone platform, his talons once again forced to do most of the work in order to save us both from falling to our doom. One more lever I had to pull and a gate opened to another outside area, a guard ready to throw more spears from an outside patio. It was harder for me to aim the mirror while Trico was so distressed and his head was moving around so much, but his tail had no issue once I was still enough. The platform and guard exploded into nothing, leaving Trico and I no further obstacles to destroy.
A gate with holes big enough only I could fit through allowed me to go outside to a larger patio, stairs attached to the building and wrapping all around the structure. Trico would have to wait inside while I scaled the side of the building, climbing the stairs higher and higher much to my dismay. My dismay was worth it when the top lever came into view—the lever that would create one half of a drawbridge that would act as a runway. I went the opposite way down the steps, Trico waiting. I was still high up, but he was close enough to jump to. He had earned much of my full trust, why turn away from him now? I leaped from the stairs, reaching my arms out so my fingers could catch onto his feathers and hold on tightly.
One of our final missions now was to jump to the last pillar before we would have to face a hoard of guards on the lower half of the white tower. We were so close...we were almost there! I was one step closer to getting home!
Trico must have sensed my excitement. He rumbled, backing up until his rear touched the closed gate I'd gone through. He ran, talons pounding the floor underneath. We ran and ran and ran, and then we jumped and jumped and jumped! Trico surged his wing outward, straining to stay steady in the air. At last we made it to the other side—to the final pillar. I found myself without the giant as I followed the blue markings that led from one broken stone to the next, leading me around the side of a building once again. A small gap nearly prevented me from going onwards, but it wasn't big enough so I had to avoid it. I could easily jump over, landing somewhat safely on the other side of the stairs. Up and up and around and around I went, fitting into a hole that took me to more blue markings. I followed each stamp, climbing over stone and boulders until I reached my destination—the final lever. The lever that would finish creating the runway!
With renewed vigor, I yanked the lever down. The drawbridge creaked and groaned, stretching to its longest length. A gap was left that Trico would have to run over, but that would be no problem. I peered out over the edge of the building from behind the lever, and the griffin dog lifted himself onto his hind legs.
You only live once, I thought, shrugging my shoulders to express my indifference about dropping from such a big height. Trico, I trust you.
I threw myself into the air. Trico reached his head up so I could catch onto his neck feathers more easily, and soon I found myself resting atop his back. I'd made it! Yet again, Trico had proven that he was worthy of my trust. A pressure built in my chest, a pressure I couldn't explain properly. It was warm and pleasant, full of light, and it was so strong it made my chest ache not with pain, but with the exact opposite. Trico could feel it, too. I knew he could! He began his walk backwards to ready himself for the big one. For the gigantic leap we would have to make.
He'd made it across other jumps before this, but would we be able to make the biggest leap of them all? Jumping was one thing, but flying was an entirely different matter with only one wing! It was impossible!
Trico wanted to prove me wrong. He snorted, pawing the runway in pure determination. Our goal was right in front of us—the white tower! The place that Trico so desperately wanted to get to. We were so close!
I didn't have to ask if he was ready. The pleasant feeling extending directly from our Bond Energy told me that nothing was going to get in our way, not even the fact that Trico only had one wing.
He surged forward, roaring as he ran. Instead of fear, the pleasant feeling continued to build. Its warmth wrapped itself around my very soul, instantly replacing any fear that tried to take over.
Trico leaped.
His single left wing extended outward. I closed my eyes despite feeling no fear, logic telling me that we were going to fall. We were going to fall and this would be the end of everything! The Chosen Ones weren't going to save me again...
But slowly opening my eyes when I realized I didn't have a dropping feeling you were supposed to have when you fell, I discovered an extremely shocking revelation.
I didn't need any saving. Trico didn't need any saving.
We were flying with only one wing! How was it possible?! Was it the Chosen Ones after all? Had our Bond Energy become so strong that it was keeping us afloat? There wasn't any weird, mystical blue energy stuff in sight. It was just myself and Trico and the wide open sky. We were flying! I was flying!
I would have lifted my arms into the air and yelled something along the lines of "I believe I can fly!" but my shock that we weren't falling prevented me from doing so.
I didn't have time to think of a reason why it was possible to fly with only one wing, for Trico had latched himself to the lower half of the infamous white tower...and a massive army of Lost Ones were ready for us.
We were about to face the first biggest fight of our lives.