Chapter 25: The Lost Field

"Oww… That hurt…"

"Ugh, yeah… Sorry, Kelli. I didn't think that was going to happ—Whoa! Hey, look what we fell into!"

"Huh? …Oh wow! That's a big tunnel! I can't even see the ceiling, it's so high up. But it's also kind of dark…"

"Yeah, but maybe there's some lost treasure down here! I've heard there's all kinds of holes in Hyrule and that people stashed treasure in them! Wouldn't it be awesome if we found some?"

"Sure, but… Judo…I…I feel strange. I don't know how to explain it, but something's not right here…"

"What? You're just scared, that's all. We had a bad fall and a dark cave like this

can seem creepy, but we'll be careful. Come on, I promise we won't be in here too long. You know how my mom worries anyway."

"Ah, hey! Okay, okay! You don't have to—! AH!"

"WHA! What the—?! …Where'd these torches on the walls come from? They just lit up all by themselves! How?!"

"I…I don't know… …Oh!"

"…Whoa… Is that…a sword? And a shield?"

"…Yeah, I think so…"

"…Whoa, hey! Kelli, what are you doing?!"

"Judo… That weird feeling I mentioned… I think they're…what's causing it."

"Wait, you mean those things are cursed or something? Like, whoever put them

down here did it because they're dangerous?!"

"I don't think so. It's like they're calling to me, but it's not in a scary voice. It almost sounds like the voice is asking for help, and it sounds…lonely? And that feeling is getting stronger. I have to see if…"

"Wait, what? Hold on a minute! We still don't know if that voice is friendly. It

could be like those people who offer you candy and then grab you and take you

someplace bad. Shouldn't we... Ah! What in the—?!"

"What? What's wrong, Judo?"

"Kelli, what the heck is going on with your forehead?! There's some kind of symbol on it! It kind of looks like the sun. And…your eyes are kind of glowing!"

"…Judo, if this is one of your jokes, it isn't funny! I'm creeped out enough as-is!"

"It's not a joke! When have I ever told a joke without a good punchline? Er…don't answer that. Seriously, that shield looks like it's reflective. Take a look and see."

"I swear to Din, I will kick your butt if…woah! My eyes ARE glowing! And that symbol is there too! What's going on here?!"

"No idea. You think there might be someone who could tell us about this? Lady Impa's old house has a lot of books about the ancient world. One of them might…Kelli? KELLI!"

"OH! Sorry. I just…something is happening to me."

"Wait, WHAT?! What's wrong?!"

"I…I'm not exactly sure… But I don't think it's anything bad. That voice I told you about? It's like it's telling me things, or teaching me. And I can feel the amazing power coming from this sword and shield… It's amazing!"

"Wait, the voice is still talking to you? What…what is it saying?"

"…it wants me to take them."

"What? Take them where? Are you sure about—AHH! I can't see!"

"…Sorry about that. That was a really bright light. I'm still seeing stars. I didn't think just picking it up would do that."

"I guess you were just dealt a GLOWING retort, then?"

"…Seriously? This sword is so pretty though. And it's nearly as big as me, but I can hold it just fine if I use two hands. Wow… I wonder if the shield is lighter than it looks too."

"Well, these could still be dangerous. We should talk to someone!"

"I'm sorry, Judo, but I don't agree. That voice? It's still talking, but it's saying something else now."

"What's it saying?"

"It says I'm meant to use these."

"But, for what?"

"I'm not sure, but I can feel how strong they both are. This sword and shield are very powerfullike those weapons of legend we've read about. I can feel their power throbbing in my hand one minute, and then it's gentle as a sunny, spring day the next. They want me to use them, the voice is making it sound important that I listen, but I can't make sense of why. The voice is telling me more things, people and places, but none of them sound familiar."

"But what are you going to do?"

"I have to learn more about what I've found here and why they've chosen me."

"But how can we do that? I'm pretty sure nobody in the village has ever seen or even mentioned weapons like these. And if we haul them back home, somebody's going to notice and start asking questions."

"I don't know… But like you said, I don't think anyone we know will have the answer. There is Lady Impa's books, but we might not be able to get in her house. And…this means… I…I will probably have to leave."

"What?! Kelli, no! I can't let you! We promised we'd always stick together…! You can't leave! You can't!"

"Judo, I'm sorry… I'm really sorry… I don't want to go either… I found a real home in Kakariko with you, and you're the most important person in the world to me… But I can still hear the voice. It's urging me on. Like I said, whatever it needs me to do sounds important. And if no one here knows anything about this power or what's doing to me, someone somewhere else has got to. And like you said, it's dangerous for me to try using these weapons without knowing anything about them…"

"Well, yeah… But…"

"Judo, some sort of destiny has called me. I have to find out what it is… Now, we should find a way out of here."

"…I can't talk you out of this, can I?"

"No. I feel I have to do this. The same way the Hero of the Skies from that one story had to journey to the Surface to stop the demon lord. It feels like, if I don't, we'll all regret it."

"I…I'll miss you, Kelli."

"Hey, don't be like that. I'll return once I've done what I need to do, and I'm sure I'll have a bunch of cool stories. Just make sure you have some too."

"You got it! And, you be sure to keep that SUNNY disposition of yours!"

"Okay, that does it! DEATH BY NOOGIES!"

A faint smile curved at Kelli's lips as she awoke beside Judo that morning, her head pillowed against his shoulder. She could still recall that day they found the Sun Shrine and she had been awakened as a Sky Guardian. Even though she'd had to leave Hyrule the day after, she always thought it was their most memorable adventure. Turning, she regarded Judo, who had indeed amassed quite a few "cool stories," not to mention some impressive muscles, since they'd parted so long ago. Recalling those days, and some interesting nights more recently, she gave him a warm smile as his eyes also fluttered open. Judo blinked confusedly, as he was rarely alert when he first woke, and then turned to look at his old friend.

"Sleep well?" Kelli teasingly inquired.

"Heh, I guess we dozed off here. Thank you for staying with me though… I suppose I did need it," Judo admitted. "After…that talk."

"Don't worry. I'm happy to be here for you whenever you need me."

Kelli then looped her arm with his and lowered her head against his shoulder again. It took all her willpower not to blush more than a little bit when she felt the shapely rounded and seemingly rock-hard dome of his bicep beneath his tunic's sleeve. Judo really wasted no time in building his strength in every way that he could.

As Kelli felt her fingers brush up against Judo's brawnier digits, she felt her cheeks heat up again despite her best efforts. She was never, ever, the sort to be forward, but seeing the veritable titan her childhood friend had grown into still caused her throat to go dry and her knees to wobble.

Especially when she recalled him in her dreams, before she could attach a name to him, and where he'd been keen for them to be…more than friends.

"Well, good morning, sleepyheads!" another familiar male voice interrupted, no small amount of playfulness in his tone.

Judo and Kelli, both snapping to wakefulness, looked up to see Link sitting a few feet away upon the cliff with a coy smile on his face. In an instant, Kelli let out a small scream and vaulted off the ground, not able to conceal a deep red blush this time. Her entire face seemed to turn into a tomato.

"LINK!" she blurted. "YOU JERK! How long were you sitting there watching us?!"

"Whoa, chill out!" Link countered, raising his hands in defense. "Only a few minutes! I just thought it wouldn't be right to wake you two. Sheesh."

"Errrgh… How embarrassing…!" Kelli replied, covering her face with her hands.

"Oh, don't worry. If I hadn't known any better, I'd have thought you were a sweet couple having a nice moment."

"Shut up! You know we are not!"

"Aw, Kel, no need to get worked up," Judo said with a smile, patting his friend on the shoulder. "He's just playing around."

"Yeah. And also trying to be respectful at the same time," Link added.

Despite finding Link's face downright punchable at the moment, Kelli had to concede the point. After all, Link could've done far worse, and he had given the pair more time to simply enjoy each other's company than most others likely would have in his place.

She still wanted to kick him, but he'd surely give her a better excuse soon enough.

"Alright," she grumbled. "But tell anyone about this, and you're dead."

"What she said," Judo seconded.

"Okay, okay. I won't, I promise," Link agreed, rather defensively.

"Still have that bossy attitude, I see…" Navi muttered.

"Oh, don't you dare start that again," Kelli snapped. Judo raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, don't we all have important things to do right now?" Vira cut in, darting between everyone.

"Yeah, how about we get on with the day? Kelli, you didn't change or anything all night, so you're nearly ready to get back out there again, right?" Link inquired. "We still have to find a way to reach that lost road."

"Oh, yes. Let me grab my equipment and we can go," Kelli agreed. "We should let His Majesty know we're departing first."

"Right, yeah."

"And I better get back to the village entrance," Judo said. "I can't keep Conan and my other guys waiting. They could start thinking I'm abusing my position, leaving them stuck guarding the place while I go gallivanting about with you guys. But I can accompany you two out to the field and run interference if there're monsters out there."

Link and Kelli agreed, and with that, Judo suited back up and Kelli retrieved her gear. As the three made their way down from the cliff, Link approached Judo and leaned towards his ear.

"Hey, I noticed you seemed a little confused earlier by that…spat between the ladies," Link spoke up. "Let's just say Kelli and Navi have a hard time getting along."

"I kind of gathered," Judo replied. "I just wondered what Kelli meant by "again" is all."

"Well, those two have argued before, 'nuff said."

"I see…"

"By the way, Judo," Link continued as the trio made for Impa's house again. "There's something I'd like to tell you. Conan talked to me not long ago and he mentioned your…issues."

"…He told you about that?" Judo grumbled in annoyance. "Ugh… Remind me to gag him later."

"No, he didn't give me any details, just that you've been through some rough patches. I swear. He just wanted to let me know in case some of your behavior seemed…off."

Here, Judo's incredulity seemed to fade, giving way to embarrassment that he tried mightily to conceal beneath an air of indifference. But of course, Link knew better.

The "issues" he'd had might've been very different, but he'd had them nonetheless. And he'd spent too much time staring down his own reflection in his old Kokiri treehouse not to recognize when someone in pain was putting on airs.

"Oh…" Judo said, trying unsuccessfully to sound casual. "Well, I can understand why he'd bring that up. I'm not going to lie, things have been very stressful and frustrating lately. Sometimes, I've lashed out at others for seemingly no reason before. Conan probably figured it'd be best if you had fair warning that might happen."

"Yeah," Link agreed, noting that Judo only admitted to what Conan had assuredly already told him and was likely holding back considerably more. "Listen though, you don't have to tell me what happened right now, or at all if you don't want to. But I'm willing to listen if you decide to talk. And I can't make too many promises, but maybe I can even help you figure things out."

Link paused when he noticed Judo raising an eyebrow and a hint of a teasing grin tug at a corner of his mouth.

"What, you think how to use time travel to bilk the Clock Town Lottery was the only thing I learned while I was out adventuring all those years?" Link asked, almost defensively. "I picked up a few tricks from the people I met, and some of them might be able to help you."

Here, Link paused and let his face reflect the import of what he wanted to say.

"You're very close with Kelli, and not only do I have to work closely with her, I'll probably be working with you quite a bit from here on out as well," he pointed out. "And, I will be honest, the puns get obnoxious at times, but you're a swell guy who clearly has a good heart. I think we'll need each other to save Hyrule. I'd be glad to be a friend, if you want me to."

"Heh, thanks. I'll definitely keep this in mind," Judo agreed with a smile. "But whether we talk more about it or not, it would have to be at a better time. You know, after we save the kingdom and all?"

"Oh, definitely."

Kelli regarded her two comrades with a smile.

"Well, I'm happy to see you two are becoming friends," she said. "Don't worry, Judo, you can trust Link one hundred percent. He's not Hyrule's greatest hero for nothing, after all."

"Yeah, that's certainly true!" Judo agreed.

"Aw, thanks," Link replied bashfully. "I don't know about me being the greatest here though, you two make me think I've got some stiff competition!"

"Heh, I appreciate the sentiment," Kelli said.

"Yeah, though the only way we can know who's the stronger fighter is by sparring some time!" Judo pointed out. "How about it once we've got more spare time?"

"Oh, for sure!" Link agreed. "I was actually planning to ask you at some point anyway."

"You can count me in too!" Kelli added excitedly. "Sparring with you guys would be a lot more fun than the random soldiers I always had to practice against."

"Heh, awesome!" Judo said.

The trio took only a few minutes to report to Daphnes, the two fledging Sky Guardians outlining their plans for the next leg of their journey while Judo apprised the king of Kakariko's security situation. Link and Kelli would depart on their search for another way to the Moon Temple immediately while Judo oversaw the patrols and defenses at the village entrance. The heroes then made their way in that direction together. When they reached the second flight of stairs that led directly to Hyrule Field, Judo paused for a moment. As he felt his stomach twist a little, he heaved a sigh, knowing that this was where the group would part for the time being.

The notion did not delight him. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, even to her, most of what had driven him to become a knight and to excel where nearly everyone expected him to fail was Kelli. Every time he'd won a duel he'd feared he wouldn't, received an accolade that his peers thought he shouldn't have, and even when his mentor and friend had given him that fateful battlefield promotion with his dying breath, he'd imagined Kelli standing there with a proud smile on her face. And, he'd imagined the remarkable stories she'd have to tell him of her adventures and powers.

Now, just when he was barely used to the idea of having her back in his life, she was leaving again. And, there was no telling when she'd come back to him. Or if.

But he knew her well enough to know that she had to do this. Though he could tell she still had much of the rambunctious tomboy in her, he could also tell she'd developed a strong sense of duty to her country and her people, and she'd no sooner turn away from it than he would turn away from his.

So, all he could do was let her go again and trust her to keep herself safe when he could not.

"Kel," he called out as Link and Kelli were about to mount their horses. "Wait a minute."

"Hm?" Kelli replied, turning to her close friend. "We were going to say bye, Judo, if that's what you're wondering. Don't worry."

"Oh, it's not that," Judo replied. "It's just…"

Steeling his nerve, he approached Kelli before continuing.

"Despite that you're a capable fighter in your own right, I'd go with you and Link again if I could. Yeah, I know, you don't want someone to protect you because you're pretty darned good at doing that yourself. And, I believe it. I also know I'm needed here to defend the village while both must finish your own mission. I just want you to do one thing for me."

"Judo…" Kelli replied, surprised by the frank and sober admission from her otherwise jovial friend.

"Please… Come back safely."

Subtly eyeing Link, who promptly took great interest in a cloud that looked very much like a cinnamon roll, Judo then leaned closer to her and lowered his voice so no one except Kelli would hear him clearly.

"I can't bear to lose anyone else… You must know that," he said, nearly in a whisper. "I don't know what I would do if you…"

"Oh, Judo, I know…" Kelli replied and gave her friend a smile. "Believe me, I have no intention of letting that happen. Link and I will both be back."

"Good," Judo replied, returning the gesture. "I hope things go well."

"Thanks. Me too!"

"Yeah," Link added. "And Judo, you have my word that I'll protect Kelli. And I'm sure she'll be protecting me too. Heh."

"Twenty rupees says I'll save your butt more times, Link," Kelli quipped.

"You're on!"

"Thanks, I'm glad to hear that," Judo said, his smile growing. "One last thing though. If you two ever feel lost, feel free to talk to my guys. They're all over the field and might've picked up some useful info while patrolling. They can help if you need it. I've also told them that if you wind up in a tough battle out here too, then they can jump into the fray too. So if you see them coming to your aid against any enemies, you know why."

"Oh, that's great to know!" Kelli said. "Thanks so much, Judo."

"No problem! Good luck!"

With that, both Link and Kelli mounted their horses, ready to depart.

"Well, we'll be off now," Link continued. "Good luck to you and your guys too, Judo. I definitely believe the village is in great hands!"

"Oh yes! See you guys later!"

After waving farewell, the pair rode off, leaving Judo to the task of making sure the village stayed standing while the two Sky Guardians were away. They quickly crossed the nearby river and came to the entrance to what was left of Hyrule Castle Town. Even by daylight, the sight of the ruins was enough to bring back plenty of bad memories, especially for Link who'd had to dodge his way past swarms of ReDeads to reach the Temple of Time for his regular sojourns into the past. He still found it odd, then and now…assuming those terms even applied with all the time travel involved, that there never seemed to be any enemy patrols or defenses outside the ruins. By now, the enemy had to know about him and Kelli, and that they posed a threat. So, discounting the attack on Kakariko earlier, why wasn't the enemy taking them more seriously?

Drawing a blank, Link decided to let it drop or now. Besides, he had something else he wanted to ask.

"What was that about? Judo seemed pretty keen on keeping what he was saying to you private," he pointed out.

"Maybe because it's, well, private? Well, if someone does explain that, it should be him," Kelli replied. "I get the feeling he trusts you, and it sounds like he may be willing to confide in you later on. Still, there's a lot to do beforehand, so don't worry much about it."

"Ah, right," Link agreed. "I hope he is willing to talk. He seems like a good man with a lot on his shoulders. I want to help. We're all in this together now."

"Yeah, definitely true."

The corner of Hyrule Field where they suspected the hidden entrance to Lost Hyrule might lay was near, and they seemed to reach it in a heartbeat. Their journey, however, brought them closer and closer to the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town and, even as they passed within paces of its moat, they were not challenged. Kelli noted how Link kept glancing to the ruins and, after he coughed up an explanation, she bit at her lower lip in concern. Still, they pressed on, each making sure their Guardian Bows were in easy reach.

As Link saw the small stream which he believed marked their destination, he gave the reins a quick tug to slow Epona down so she could come to a stop near it. However, he shook his head irritably when he saw Kelli doing the complete opposite with Sunfire. She gave the reins a quick snap and her horse sped up. Link's expression of exasperation became slack-jawed astonishment when Sunfire effortlessly cleared the stream with a leap and landed safely on the opposite bank. Had Malon been with them, she would've been floored at such a show of horsemanship. Kelli, by contrast, simply blinked when she looked behind her and noticed Link gaping at her and Epona similarly frozen.

"Link? What's the matter? Why aren't you following?" Kelli wondered confusedly, seemingly oblivious to the latter pair's amazement.

"Oh!" Link said, snapping himself back to reality. "Ah… Unfortunately, Epona doesn't like water. Seriously, whenever I have to give her a bath, I can only use a damp sponge on her and never splash at all, otherwise she'll likely kick my ribs in. I'm a little embarrassed now… She's willing to leap across the chasm in Gerudo Valley or clear a humongous drop over the wall around Lon Lon Ranch, but not this little stream. I just don't get it."

"Oh, haha!" Kelli chuckled. "I see. Horses do have their personalities like us, after all. Sunfire doesn't mind water as far as I've seen and she loves flying over any obstacle I can point her towards. But since she was originally raised as a rather pampered royal horse, she can be little miss prissy too. When I first got her, she wouldn't even let me mount unless I brushed her first."

"Heh, I see. Well, don't worry about me, I can swim across the stream. I do that kind of thing all the time."

"That's good. I…actually can't swim," Kelli admitted.

"What? Really?"

As Link spoke, he jumped into the water and made his way across.

"Well, I can doggy paddle a little," Kelli continued, somewhat abashed as she noted that Link was apparently quite strong in the water. "But that's about it… If this stream had a strong current, I'd be finished. Judo's mother tried to teach me, but back when I was that age, the water terrified me… I guess I kinda know how Epona feels!"

And, indeed, Kelli did. When she used her "brilliant" scheme to sink Dorath Riptide's flagship by sneaking through the bilges and planting bombs where the crew's "waste" was pumped out, it occurred to her, a bit too late, just how much water lay between her and escape. She had gotten lucky in that she'd been able to squeeze through the breach and paddle to the surface, but if she'd instead been pinned against the bulkheads by the flow then she might not have made it out at all. The same might've happened if she hadn't been able to doggy paddle to some flotsam and ride the currents to shore.

The what-ifs behind that less-than-wise plan still gave her nightmares.

"Huh," Link replied, climbing out of the stream and wringing out his tunic with ease of long practice. "Well, maybe sometime I'll see if I can help you. Swimming can be important. And doing it when you can turn into a Zora was a blast. But for now, let's check out that grotto."

Kelli thought she noticed Link wince when he mentioned turning into a Zora, but decided not to comment. She instead turned around and noticed a large boulder sitting amidst a grove of trees ahead. It had to be nearly as tall as her and several times as wide.

"Uh…is it under that boulder by any chance?" she said.

"…Oh great, I should've known," Link realized. "I forgot I had to blow away a boulder to get in there last time. But we have bombs, so it's no problem. Just keep Sunfire at a distance. You might want to hold up your shield too, I've sometimes had pieces of rock and debris come flying at me when I blow stuff up."

"Oh yeah, so have I… Wait a second!" Kelli suddenly realized.

"Huh? What?"

"Why didn't I think of this before?! Your comment just made me remember that I have the Jewel of Sky and we haven't yet used it. But I wonder how its power would…"

With that, Kelli ran past the boulder and instead approached the towering wall of rock that enclosed northern Hyrule and blocked their way forward. Perplexed, Link quickly followed.

"Hey, wait!" he called out.

Kelli then produced the snow-white Jewel of Sky and noticed it had begun to faintly glow. Moments later, it grew brighter, almost blindingly so. Then, suddenly, rays of many-colored light shot out, lancing towards both Kelli and Link. The latter had raised his shield reflexively, only for the light to pass right through it and into his chest. But, strangely, it did not hurt. Instead, Link felt cool, alert, and focused. In fact, it reminded him of when he would venture out a night, on those occasions where he was forced to despite the dangers of Stalchildren and other such monsters. Knowing his life and his quest were on the line, he'd always made sure that he was aware of his surroundings and that his concentration was a clear as the light of the full moon in a cloudless sky.

Given that he was supposed to become a Moon Guardian, he had a feeling that train of thought was no coincidence. And, he suspected that Kelli had different, but similar thoughts, likely involving the sun.

When Link came back to himself, he saw that a pair of large, glossy black wings had sprouted from his back.

"What the—?" Link gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "WHOA!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Kelli had also sprouted a pair of wings, these having white feathers and glowing.

"Huh?!" Kelli cried.

Suddenly, before either of them could make sense of this, their wings suddenly began flapping of their own accord and sent them soaring up into the air. Within a few moments that left both baffled, they were carried on top of the wall. They gently landed on the fairly flat, but rocky plateau above, and a moment later, the glowing wings vanished, as did the glow on the Jewel of Sky.

"Holy—!" Link blurted out, now panting and clutching his chest. "What just happened?!"

"The Jewel of Sky can allow us to fly for a short time!" Kelli realized.

"That's really something…" Link replied. "Did you know it could do that?"

"…Well, no. But, I did know this jewel was quite powerful. When I first traveled to Lost Hyrule, I saw that it could manipulate the weather. For all I knew, it could've caused a sunbeam to melt through the rock or made a staircase out of clouds thick enough for us to climb. But wings? I never saw that coming. Still, now we know! That was a little crazy though."

"Wow. But next time you decide to wave that thing around and have no idea what'll happen, warn me!"

"Heh, of course. Sorry about that."

With that, Kelli pocketed the jewel again and the two quickly surveyed the land ahead to see what they had to contend with next. They belatedly realized they were now very high up. But thankfully, the other side of this rock wall was not as much of an obstacle. From their vantage point, they saw only a fairly gentle slope of rock, dirt, and even some foliage. Though it hadn't been obvious to Link the first time he'd seen the wall they'd just flown over, it now struck him as having been carved sheer to make it nearly impossible to climb. The Hyruleans must have done this work to keep Lost Hyrule isolated from the rest of the kingdom, maintaining it by making sure their side remained unclimbable while the other side had eroded and began to fall away over time, offering a path down.

"Well, thankfully we have a much smoother path forward here," Kelli continued. "But it's still a bit steep up here at the top, so let's be careful."

"Yeah. Still, check out the view though…" Link pointed out. "It's like a whole other Hyrule Field down there…or a part of the one we just left. Looks plenty big either way."

And indeed, it did. Whether it was a part of Hyrule Field or another field entirely, it seemed quite expansive. Link did note, with some worry, that it also looked like it had largely been reclaimed by nature. There was no sign of a road and few trees, but acres and acres of tall grass dotted by shrubs. It was far more open than the woods they had to travel through in the other side of Lost Hyrule. But since a huge expanse of grassland could all look the same and offered little in the way of recognizable landmarks, Link was worried about navigating through it.

"Wow, it does look big," Kelli agreed. "We should be extra careful. Monsters can easily spot us here. But look there in the distance! I think that's the Moon Temple!"

She then pointed to a tall structure just barely visible on the horizon. Link had to squint to make it out, but he could see that it appeared to have gently rounded walls and a mostly flat roof. It definitely stood out amidst the otherwise featureless grasslands around it.

"Yeah, that's gotta be it!" Link agreed. "I'm glad you spotted that. I nearly missed it, and we could've gotten lost easily with no landmarks to navigate by. Let's go!"

With that, the two carefully began to make their way down the rough and uneven hill. As they were doing so, however, the notes of Kelli's telepathic melody, which she actually had not heard in quite a while at this point, suddenly pierced her ears.

"AAH!" she cried, jumping and instantly lost her footing. She was nearly sent careening down the hill when Link rushed to catch her.

"Kelli, good goddesses! And you were the one who said to be careful!" he said in a snarky tone. "Come on now."

"Yeah, sorry…" she said, standing back up. "But someone just used my song for the first time in days and it startled me so much that I lost my footing. Give me a sec to see who it is."

Link looked a bit annoyed by the delay, but nodded his ascent and waited.

"… Hello?" Kelli said, almost feeling silly but also puzzled who could be contacting her.

"YAAAH!" a familiar deep voice screamed on the other end of the telepathic connection. "WHO'S THERE?!"

"What the—? Judo?!" Kelli recognized, her mouth falling open.

"KELLI?!" Judo blurted in astonishment. "How—?! Where—?!"

"I should ask you the same thing! Someone had to teach you the song used to contact me from afar. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to hear you right now."

"THAT'S what that was?! …MALON! You tricked me!" Judo shouted, and Kelli could hear an airy giggle in the background. "…Heh, not bad. She got me good. Ha ha."

"…What?" was all Kelli could say in response, as her state of confusion and anxiety quickly deflated.

"Hee hee!" Malon's voice chimed in, surprising Kelli as she had no idea others could speak through the connection. "He was startled so bad he stumbled and fell right on his butt! And right in front of his troops too."

"A little embarrassing… Rhun will be giving me the stink eye for days. Malon's just lucky I can take a joke better than anyone," Judo said, trying to salvage his pride.

"…Did I look like this when I was talking to Saria using her song?" Link wondered, somewhat annoyed, since from his point of view, it looked like Kelli was talking to air.

"Not really, since she was doing most of the talking," Navi answered.

"Well, do we really have time for this? I mean, I get that she missed Judo, but couldn't this have waited until we were camped for the night?"

"Honestly…"

"Hold on, I can talk to two people at once?" Kelli realized. "I've never known this! How is it happening?"

"Heh, I asked Judo to hum a specific set of notes for me, and I of course had to show him what song I was talking about," Malon explained. "Then he followed immediately after, so we were both contacting you at pretty much the same time. I just wanted to have some fun. Judo's always keen to get a laugh and I figured he could stand to get one at his own expense once in a while."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Judo shot back with a chuckle. "Why didn't you tell me about this before, though, Kel? I'd have felt better about you being out there now! Heck, maybe we could've used this to keep in touch over the years."

"Oh, I see. And sorry," Kelli replied. "I didn't learn it until my quest in Mayia, and it can only be used to contact me. Pretty sure no one has composed "Judo's Song" yet, and as for you writing it yourself, well…"

Here, Kelli paused and began laughing to herself. She promptly heard Malon join in and suspected that she'd caught wind that Judo was not gifted with music.

Others had described it in harsher tones, but still.

"Sheesh!" Judo remarked hotly. "You play one song flat, entirely flat, and everyone's ears start bleeding if you so much as clear your throat!"

"Kinda surprised you never made any jokes about that," Kelli admitted.

"Would've thought it'd be only natural, but maybe the criticisms are too sharp?"

Judo grumbled something about "gimmick infringement" but she could hear him chuckle nonetheless.

"Seriously, though," Kelli began again. "You said you weren't into singing, and Malon can already use the song anyway, so I thought it wasn't necessary at the time. I guess I should have at least mentioned that it exists though. But it looks like you can in fact use it too, Judo! Just remember it in case you need to contact me. And no more tricks, you guys. This is supposed to be used only for emergencies and important things, not to see if you can get me to take a tumble if you time it right."

"I see, that's fair enough. I'll only use the song after I measure the need and decide I need to settle a score. In the meantime, you should stop soaking up the sun's Re and get out of La-La land, So that you can return to Mi and we can swap stories over Ti. Until then, see you later!"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't abuse the song," Malon agreed. "Bye now!"

With that, the connection ended, leaving Kelli to sigh in relief.

"Okay, mind telling me what the hell just happened?" Link spoke up.

"Yeah, what's going on this time?" Vira wondered in annoyance.

"Sorry about that…again," Kelli replied and explained Malon's prank on Judo.

"Oh for the love of…" Link commented, bringing a hand to his face. "Well, there better not be any more dumb interruptions, that temple is still waiting. We'd best get out there before we lose our way."

"Yeah, agreed."

With that, the two continued down the slope. Though the ground was rocky and uneven in places, the pair of seasoned adventurers descended it easily. They also soon both realized, however, that there were monsters ahead as well. Some were likely hiding amongst the grass while others were too far away to see, but the presence of monsters was unmistakable. Undoubtedly, the enemy taken over the territory on the western side of Lost Hyrule. Since this area was much more open than the eastern side, it was probably easy to patrol and keep watch over. And besides that, unlike with Link and Kelli, the monsters probably wouldn't get lost amidst the endless grasslands too easily. It was only unfortunate that Link and Kelli wouldn't be able to get any of Judo's troops to come in and secure the area after the monsters were taken care of.

Or to help the pair if they get in over their heads.

The two eventually found what was definitely once the main road through this field, as it was covered with more dirt and rock than grass and weeds. With trees being much scarcer here, Link knew he'd have trouble marking their path using branches, but he compensated by spacing them out as much as he dared. When they were close enough to the temple that they could make it out more easily, however, the two heard a familiar voice call to them.

"Link, Kelli, hold on a moment," the Fairy of Winds said, having caught up to them from behind.

"Oh, Fairy of Winds," Link greeted. "Something the matter?"

"I'm glad I caught up with you two here," she said. "Nothing is wrong, don't worry. But I am pleased that you both found a way to the lost section of Hyrule Field. I was concerned that the sealed passage was indeed impassable. And then I thought I spied…something flying over it, with glowing wings."

"You certainly did," Kelli confirmed. "It was the Jewel of Sky that helped us."

"Ah, as I suspected," the Fairy of Winds replied. "Truth be told, I was never quite certain how that jewel worked. My sister, the Fairy of Skies, did not use her abilities in quite the same way the rest of us elemental fairies did."

"Oh?" Link wondered.

"Yes. She served as our leader, and she was also able to fly higher into the sky than anyone else. Some say she could fly for days without suffering ill effects. Even for us long-lived magical folk, certain altitudes are…difficult to survive in. There is less air to breathe, and the temperatures are colder. So unlike the powers of myself and the rest of my sisters, it was not as clear cut how a jewel containing the powers of the Fairy of Skies would work. Even if the wings you were given could've sent you as high as you wanted, your bodies are still not meant to handle flying through air that's too thin to breathe."

"Wow, I see…" Kelli commented, startled at the implications.

"Yeah, and I don't think I want to experience that anyway," Link said with a shudder. "Those wings coming out of nowhere and launching us like that freaked me out as is. Besides, much as I liked the tales of the Hero of the Skies, I'm not so sure I like the idea of flying around on a Loftwing. Or as my own Loftwing, even."

"Heh, I am not surprised," the Fairy of Winds continued. "Well, not about you not wanted to suffocate in midair, I mean. But now I understand that the jewels do not simply mimic the powers of my sisters and I. They were very similar, at least, and of course, contained the same elements. But the way these elements are manipulated can be different, it seems."

"Yes, that does seem to be the case," Kelli agreed. "But is this all you came to talk to us about?"

"Ah, no," the Fairy of Winds replied. "My apologies. Being formed of the essence of air seems to make me a bit of an…airhead. And now it seems Sir Judo is rubbing off on me. Heh. But anyway, I actually want to show you something up ahead before you continue to the Moon Temple. Follow me."

After not being able to contain a chuckle, Link and Kelli obliged and followed behind as the Fairy of Winds began leading them further into the field. Link had been reluctant to leave the path, worried it might be hard to find again, but the Fairy rectified that problem by flattening the grass at they passed, creating a second "path" they could follow back once they were finished. She guided them to another branch of the path – or another path entirely, neither Sky Guardian could tell – and then to a fork in the road. It looked like one branch might've led back to Skyview Village. Not far up this new path, however, was a dead end. Or so it seemed. Link and Kelli guessed it had to be the other side of the blocked route that Twilah had mentioned when they met with her. Which would mean that indeed, this normally did lead to Skyview Village.

When they stopped at the massive barrier of debris and overgrowth, the Fairy of Winds then proceeded to a mound of vines and moss nearby, just off the path they had previously followed. She then used her wings and magic to produce a gust of wind that sent the vines and moss away, revealing a stone pedestal underneath. It bore a passing resemblance to the Pedestal of Time, except that, rather than one slot for the Master Sword, there were two slots. And though clearly not meant for swords, their shapes were…familiar.

"Look at this here," the Fairy of Winds said. "This is what's called an Elemental Pedestal. Long ago, many of these existed all across Hyrule, and with several combinations of slots. There was one near the fork that leads to the Sun Temple as well, but it was unfortunately destroyed by the ravages of time. This one, however, has thankfully remained intact."

"I see…" Kelli commented. "The shapes of the slots on it though…"

"Yes, they are for the Elemental Jewels themselves. These pedestals, to the untrained eye, look merely like altars carved in homage to the jewels, and that is technically another purpose of them. But they also hold great power and were created by the gods to aid the Sky Guardians. When the correct jewels are placed in the slots, the pedestals amplify their power and allow them to affect a greater area than normal. This particular pedestal requires the Jewels of Forest and Fire. I believe this may do something about this landslide that's blocked the path."

"Oh! That would be perfect!" Link realized. "Then we would be able to enter Skyview Village from here as well!"

"Yes," Kelli agreed. "But one thing… We sensed monsters patrolling out here. If we can reach the village more easily, then couldn't they so the same? What if they try taking over the village? We didn't know this earlier, but there's an elderly woman and child are actually living there, and we could not put them in danger."

"Oh yeah, good point…"

The Fairy seemed to give the matter some thought, but she eventually shook her head as if dismissing the notion.

"Well, I don't think you need to worry" the Fairy of Winds replied. "I didn't know anyone still lived in the village but, if they have all this time and the monsters haven't troubled them before, I doubt they will. It seems that the monsters either don't know or simply do not care. They probably think the village is too run down and empty to be of much use to them, thankfully. I think your friends there will be safe enough."

"Well, alright," Kelli agreed, sounding relieved. "I would still like to pay another visit once we open this path so we can warn them, just in case."

"Yeah, good idea," Link agreed. "I've got the two jewels right here, hold on."

Link then rummaged through his bag and produced both the Jewel of Forest and Jewel of Fire in a short time. He then placed them into their respective slots on the pedestal.

A second later, the two jewels began to glow. This time, rather than flowing into Link and Kelli, their power flowed through glowing grooves and channels on the pedestal, starting at the top. They then slowly coursed down to its base and then into the ground below. A second later, the ground trembled slightly and the glow of the jewels grew brighter. Suddenly, the debris and overgrowth blocking the way forward burst into flames. The two adventurers were startled, fearing the fire would spread or cook them alive since it blazed so furiously with them right next to it. But to their amazement, the magic that controlled the flames did so flawlessly. Nothing else ignited, the small group felt no warmer than they would've before a burning hearth, and there wasn't even any smoke. As all the debris burned away, the magic of the Jewel of Forest then caused the nearly cleared to grow back; but this time, the once wild tangle of overgrowth looked as if it had been neatly trimmed by Hyrule Castle's royal gardeners. The path was now lined with plants of uniform size arranged in perfect rows.

"Wow…" Kelli said, watching the display in awe. "The magic of these jewels is so…beautiful."

"Yeah," Link agreed. "At least in this case."

"Indeed," the Fairy of Winds replied. "The jewels have always been able to work together to keep nature in balance, as they were meant to. The loss of even one element could mean calamity. We need plants to nourish other life. Flames to warm us and revitalize soil. Water to sustain all life. Wind to carry clouds and the seeds and pollen of plant life. Light to nourish plant life and guide other living things. Shadows and darkness to balance the light and to allow certain creatures to thrive. Spirit to allow us to have our hearts and feelings. The sky to provide weather and a haven for many other things. All of these make the world what it is."

"That is really true…" Link agreed. "It's amazing, alright."

"Yeah, it is," Kelli added. "Thank you, Fairy of Winds. We'll be sure to keep a lookout in case any more of these pedestals still exist!"

"Good," the Fairy of Winds replied. "I'm certain they will be useful if you do find more. Proceed with caution, however. The monsters here will not let you enter the Moon Temple easily."

"Right," Link agreed. "I had a feeling that might be the case. I'm surprised we haven't run into them already. Still, we'll be careful."

The Fairy of Winds then bid farewell again, until the next time she could provide aid.

Despite Link's concerns about the path the Fairy of Winds had left fading, Kelli convinced him to continue through the newly opened path back to Skyview Village. This time, they would enter the village closer to Twilah and Dawn's home, so it would take only a short time to get there once they arrived. As they made their way down the path, they looked behind them a few times to make sure no monsters were following. And thankfully, none did. Though perhaps they did not want to engage Link and Kelli at the moment and would rather strike later. This would be the smarter plan if they did want to take the village, after all. Or, perhaps they were mustering more of their fellows or waiting for the opportune moment. Or both. Regardless, knowing these monsters, they would always go with the wiser course of action.

Link never thought he'd be pining for such one-note foes as Stalchildren and Mad Scrubs, but here he was.

Upon arriving in the village, Link and Kelli immediately went to Twilah's door and gave it a few knocks. Twilah herself soon answered.

"Oh, you both are back," she greeted, sounding relieved and impressed. "…And you now have the Moon Sword and Moon Shield! That is wonderful."

"Yeah, I had a hunch on where to look and it paid off," Link revealed. "We have more news than that too."

"That's right, so we're glad you're home right now," Kelli added. "That path to the west that you had told us was completely blocked? It's now open! We found a way to clear it."

"Oh, wow! That is good to hear," Twilah replied. "Now you can return here from that area anytime you need. You'll have your pick of buildings for shelter, and a good meal at my table."

"Yes, and thank you, but we also have to warn you," Link continued. "Monsters lurk out there too. We haven't seen any face to face, but we can sense them clearly enough. We strongly advise you and Dawn not go that way for now. And that you be ready to get out of here as quickly as possible if those terrors decide to enter the village."

"Ah, I had a feeling," Twilah said, almost sadly. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Oh, wait, wait!" Dawn's voice suddenly called as she approached the door. "I've been hoping you would come back soon! Grandma, I have to show them! Remember what I found earlier?"

"Oh, that's right, my dear," Twilah remembered. "Though I still wish you hadn't done that. It's only by luck that you weren't seen by those beasts."

"Huh?" Kelli blurted, confused.

"Just follow me!" Dawn replied and ran outside. "I was looking for more stuff that might help you. More bottles or tools or anything like that! And I saw a giant monster with wings fly into the village!"

"Wait, what?!" Link gasped. "And it didn't see you?!"

"Nope! I made sure to hide," Dawn assured with a smile.

"That was still dangerous!" Kelli replied firmly. "But I'm glad you were safe."

"I know, but I saw the monster drop something big into the old store!" Dawn continued. "I had to see what it is because you both might need it! But I can't carry it, it's way too big. And it's heavy! So I have to show you."

"I see…" Link said, sounding intrigued. "Okay, show us."

"Okay!"

With that, the little girl led them to the remains of the village's general store. Aside from part of the roof having given way from something heavy being dropped on it, the walls were falling apart and the door was hanging off its hinges. Still, the building itself was mostly intact. As the trio stepped inside, Dawn pointed to a pair of large crates that, unlike anything else that was inside, were in perfect condition. No dust, no cobwebs, no mold. The paint on them wasn't even peeling. They definitely could not have been there before, nor could they have been there long.

"Here!" she said. "There's bags of…I don't know what it is. But maybe it can help?"

Link and Kelli peered inside one of the crates and saw the bags Dawn was talking about. Link almost immediately recognized them.

"Hold on!" he gasped. "I don't believe it! This is the missing livestock feed!"

"It is? From Lon Lon Ranch?" Kelli replied, blinking.

"Yeah! Or, it's some of it, anyway. I'm pretty sure Talon and Malon would've had more than this. I wonder if the rest is…"

"Oh, at the castle?"

"Yeah. It's very possible. But Dawn, dangerous as it was, you did make an important discovery here! This is food for the ranch animals and they really need it. Thank you so much for finding it!"

"Oh, yay! You're welcome! I'm glad I helped!" Dawn cheered, jumping up and down happily.

"I just hope this and whatever Ruhn can provide will be enough until we can clear out the castle later," Kelli said. "If that's where the rest even is."

"Yeah, hopefully," Link agreed. "Still, if Talon and Malon can make this and their grazing land, last, it'll go a long way towards getting them back in business. Dawn, go let your grandma know that we'll have someone come by to pick this up as soon as possible. It'll be needed soon."

"Yes, and friend of ours would like to meet with you both anyway," Kelli pointed out. "Now he has a perfect reason to come here."

"Oh, okay! That sounds great!" Dawn agreed. "I'll go tell her!"

The little girl then ran off back to her home to do as she was told. Between pride at her accomplishment and the idea of more visitors, she was practically skipping.

"It sounds like a Dragolfos brought this here," Kelli surmised. "I bet the enemy was trying to hide this and figured nobody would come snooping around here."

"Yeah. And I guess they couldn't hide all of the feed here. They probably wanted to hold onto the rest in case they still needed some for their own use," Link added. "And you were talking about Judo, right? I just hope he can figure out a way to transport these crates. I don't know if even he's strong enough to carry them all the way back to Kakariko. And a horse or cart obviously can't get up those cliffs behind the windmill."

"True, and yes. But he and his men can find a way, I'm sure!"

"Yeah, I'd like to believe it. But for now, let's keep going to the temple. I don't think this feed is going anywhere so long as the monsters think it's safe here. I doubt they'd use it unless they really need to, but let's hope they don't move it again before Judo can get up here."

"I agree. Let's go then!"

With that, the two began making their way back to the Lost Field so they could reach the Moon Temple at last. Luckily, the trail of flattened grass left by the Fairy of Winds was still there, and the pair quickly got their bearings again. Given what Kelli had encountered in the Sun Temple, she knew that whatever awaited them in the Moon Temple could be every bit as dangerous and mysterious, not to mention nothing less than their toughest challenge yet. In fact, since this was the temple of darkness that they were about to enter, they already knew full well that darkness could prove to be trickier than light.

Simply put, this fight would likely prove every bit as decisive as the final confrontation, and the enemy would not admit defeat without a pitched battle. Link and Kelli could only hope that their previous adventures had prepared them well for this challenge.