Lennia held Zelda in place as she guided Shirayuki across the plains of Hyrule. Well, to be more accurate, Zelda clung to Lennia for dear life as Lennia gripped her horse's mane, her arms on either side of Zelda to prevent her from slipping off, while Zelda likewise kept a tight grip on Terrako.
"Ohh..." Zelda whimpered nervously, "Riding side-saddle is much easier when there is actually a saddle!"
"I'm sure it is." Lennia remarked calmly, "But to be honest, you're doing me a favor. I'm not in a great outfit for riding bareback myself."
Zelda looked down and saw what Lennia meant. Were the princess not sitting directly in front of her on the horse, the other girl would be exposed in a rather embarrassing way. Nothing important was visible, but having a skirt that was so short in the front while riding astride was definitely inconvenient to say the least. Any girl with an ounce of modesty would be embarrassed.
"Get ready." Lennia told Zelda, breaking her from her thoughts. "We're about to reach the path that leads to the top of the Plateau. Once we do, we'll have to go on foot. The horses can't handle such a narrow path. Especially not one with stairs meant for people."
"Oh. Right." Zelda nodded before looking down at her more or less bare feet. "Whoever designed our attire did not take that into account."
"Yeah, convenience was obviously not a concern when these were designed." Lennia agreed. She gently brought Shirayuki to a halt near the bottom of the steps. "Um, are you... able to get off on your own? It's kind of hard for me to..."
"Say no more." Zelda replied in understanding, slipping off of Shirayuki's back so that Lennia could dismount as gracefully as possible. Egon helped Nualla off of Sappora while Link dismounted from Epona. As the group gathered at the stairs, Lennia looked at the trio of horses.
"All of you, escape into Hyrule Field and hide until we call for you." The girl instructed as Link handed her the sword that she had borrowed. Epona whinnied and shook her mane, causing Lennia to frown. "I don't care that Link is your master right now, Epona. You can't come with us, and he will want you safe, now go!" The three horses whinnied and galloped away after she said this, and Link looked at Lennia incredulously. "What?" She asked.
"Do you... did you actually respond to what she said?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes, I can talk to horses. Enough about that. Let's go!" She grabbed Zelda's hand and began to run up the stairs of the plateau, Terrako skittering after them with Egon and Nualla following and Link bringing up the rear.
"The hordes are coming this way!" Zelda exclaimed with fear as Lennia pulled her up the staircase.
"That's no surprise." Lennia replied. "Their goal is to stop the ceremony, so of course they would come here after realizing you weren't at the palace. For the time being, it's not them I'm worried about. It's the traitorous Yiga. They are much more agile than the monsters."
"Define 'agile'." Egon said.
"Were I in more suitable clothing, I wouldn't even be bothering to take the stairs." She answered before stopping short just as she reached the top. "Blast! The enemy was more prepared than we thought! There's a whole horde between us and the temple!"
"What do we do?" Zelda asked nervously as Lennia placed her arm out in front of her.
"Easy." Lennia said calmly, "We cut right through! Link, guard the rear. Egon, take down any archers you see!" The two boys nodded and she turned her attention to small Guardian at her feet, "Terrako, attack mode! Give those monsters what for and clear a path for us!" The flaxen-haired girl ordered while pointing straight ahead of her, and the little robot chirped in acknowledgement.
"Wait, what?" Egon asked in surprise and confusion as Terrako turned its head toward the swarm and fired a small laser blast. The shockwave sent several of the Bokoblins flying, but Terrako didn't even hesitate as it suddenly opened up in the middle and produced an ancient spear, ancient axe, and ancient short sword all at once and dashed toward the horde on its three tiny legs. "Holy..." Egon began with wide eyes.
"Let's go!" Lennia ordered, cutting the Rito off as she dashed after Terrako and pulling Zelda along behind her as the automaton charged through the swarm of Bokoblins that stood between them and the Temple of Time.
"That thing was hiding that kind of weaponry this entire time?!" Egon asked in both shock and surprise.
"It's not really a surprise, considering that it is a Guardian." Nualla remarked. "My father told me that it was the companion of the Princess Zelda who sealed the Calamity, and that it is somehow different from all other Guardians. Apparently, it remained untainted by Ganon's influence."
Thanks to Terrako, the group swiftly reached their goal and managed to rush into the ceremony hall of the Temple of Time. "Close and bar the doors!" Lennia ordered the boys, and they immediately obeyed her. Now separated from the swarm of enemies, the group caught their breath as Lennia walked forward with Zelda. Both girls seemed almost as if they were in a daze.
"For some reason, I get the feeling..." Zelda began.
"...That we're supposed to perform the ceremony together." Lennia finished as she and Zelda looked at each other in unison. Both girls quickly took off their cloaks and handed them to Link.
"Uh, but..." The boy began, only to be shushed by Nualla. She seemed to be the only one who understand what was going on as both Zelda and Lennia began singing in perfect harmony while also beginning to dance in sync. The two girls mirrored each other's movements as they moved to opposite sides of the room, moving as gracefully as nymphs. As they neared the end of their song, they both rejoined in the center. Lennia placed the outer edge of her right palm against the outer edge of Zelda's left, their hands exactly the same size. They raised their hands this way, their other hands raised diagonally at their sides, as if their hands were the vertices of a triangle. Neither girl was aware of the symbol appearing on the backs of their palms as their voices crescendoed.
And then it happened. Just before the two girls could sing the final note of their song, the roof to the Temple of Time was torn off, forcing them to brace themselves against the impact and preventing them from completing the ceremony. As they were regaining their wits, the previously closed door suddenly burst open, and monsters came pouring in, along with Yiga soldiers entering anyway that they could.
Without a word, Nualla tossed Lennia's borrowed sword over to her, and she seamlessly caught it in one hand before lifting up Zelda and wall jumping up to the rafters. She placed Zelda on her feet and then drew her sword.
"Stay behind me, Zelda."
"It's very narrow up here..." Zelda said nervously.
"I know." Lennia replied, "But that's kind of the idea. The enemy won't be able to swarm us from all sides up here."
"What about the others?" Zelda asked nervously.
"They're fine." Lennia assured her. "You probably didn't notice, but Nualla's been carrying a spear that she must have procured from one of the monsters earlier. Spear fighting is the specialty of the Zora. Link and Egon also have weapons that they took from the monsters. Plus, Terrako is with them."
"O-Oh..." Zelda watched anxiously as Lennia expertly fought off various enemies with the sword in her hand. "I'm sorry... If only I could be of some use."
"Don't worry about that right now." Lennia replied as she sent yet another Yiga tumbling off of the rafter. However, the next thing she knew, a powerful gale bore down on the Temple of Time from above, and Lennia, perched on the rafter as she was, was forced to throw herself down upon the beam to avoid being blown off.
For her part, Zelda was standing a little farther back than Lennia, at a place where the rafter met the building's frame and outer wall. As such, she did not have to struggle for balance in the same way as Lennia, but it might've been better if she had. For it was in that moment that an enormous Kargaroc swooped down upon the temple, destroying any section of the building that lay in its path. Because she was lying flat on the rafter, the Kargaroc's talons missed Lennia altogether. Zelda, on the other hand, was snatched up by one of the creature's clawed feet as it tore through the wall behind her. The only thing the young princess could do was scream.
"Zelda!" Lennia screamed in alarm. Formalities had gone out the window as the teenager leapt to her feet and jumped from the rafters of the ravaged temple onto the ground, desperation filling her eyes as she chased after Zelda and the Kargaroc on foot. "Zelda!" She screamed again.
Zelda had been struggling in the Kargaroc's grasp, but when she heard the other girl's voice, she instinctively reached out with her right hand. "Lennia!"
Lennia continued sprinting barefoot after Zelda and the Kargaroc, her left hand stretched out in desperation as she saw that they were approaching the edge of the Great Plateau. 'Just a little farther...I have to reach her...! Oh if only time would stop and wait for me!' Lennia wasn't sure what happened, but in that moment, it was as if the world slowed down around her. Suddenly she found herself closing the distance, her hand reaching out for Zelda's as she scrambled up a pile of dirt leading to top of the Plateau's wall. 'I can make it!'
For the briefest of moments, a glowing symbol shone on the back of the two girls' hands. The next instant, time sped up again and Zelda was carried beyond Lennia's reach as the Kargaroc sailed away. Lennia, unable to stop her current momentum, plunged over the edge of the Plateau.
"Lennia!" Link, Nualla, and Egon all cried at once.
"Lenniaaaa!" Zelda screamed in terror.
Unfortunately, Lennia could hear none of their voices as she tumbled through the air toward the ground, her only coherent thought being that she wished she were wearing the Sheikah gear that allowed her to be prepared for anything. She raised her arms to shield her face from the impending impact-for all the good that would do her-when suddenly, her descent came to a grinding halt at the last second. She opened her eyes and gaped in surprise at the ground-which was still a good three feet away-when suddenly, a fierce wind kicked up beneath her and flung her back the way she came.
Meanwhile, Link, Egon, and Nualla all stood near the edge of wall from which Lennia had fallen, looking over it apprehensively.
"...Should we check to see if she's..." Nualla began.
"There's no way she's alive." Egon said with a sigh, "No Hylian could survive a fall from this height."
At this, Link gulped quietly. He didn't know why, but the idea that Lennia had perished felt like it would be the worst thing that could happen.
"...At least," Egon added, "Not without a-" He was cut off by a massive updraft that appeared out of nowhere from below the edge and the sight of a flailing Lennia being carried up by it. Even when she reached the highest point of the updraft, she continued to tumble and flail uncertainly, though it was unclear as to what exactly was catching the wind to lift her in the first place. Egon seemed to catch sight of something that Nualla and Link could not see, for he quickly used the updraft to reach Lennia's current altitude. "Easy... Grab ahold of my foot!" Despite her floundering, the girl managed to do as he said, which at least prevented her from continuing to turn head-over-heels in the air. "You're flailing more than the fledglings back home..." Egon sighed. "Find your focus. Spread them out evenly, so that they catch the wind like a parasail would."
Lennia nodded, seeming to catch on quickly as Egon helped her find her posture, and then in that moment she gasped in alarm, letting go of the Rito's foot in favor of holding her skirt down with both hands. "Link! Don't you dare look!" She exclaimed.
"I'm not looking!" Link assured her, his eyes averted and one hand shielding his vision so that he wouldn't see her predicament.
"He hasn't been looking the whole time." Nualla assured the other girl, for she had noticed Link quickly looking away when he had noticed the profound problem created by an updraft and girl's a skirt... particularly when said girl was airborne.
"Grab hold of my foot again." Egon instructed the flustered Lennia, "I'll help you return to the Plateau."
Lennia nodded and grabbed hold of Egon's ankle once more, carefully using her other hand to continue holding her skirt down as he aided her in gliding gently toward the ground beneath them.
As they approached, Nualla gasped, her eyes finally catching sight of what had carried Lennia up on the wind in the first place. "Link, look!" She urged as Terrako chirped, prompting the boy to-cautiously-look at the teenage girl, who was now at a safe level where modesty was concerned. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the gossamer wings upon Lennia's back, two on each side, almost like the wings of a dragonfly.
Almost as soon as her feet touched the ground, Lennia sank to her knees, the wings fading from view as she sat there in shock. Terrako chose this moment to dash over to her and chirp at her, causing her to look at him, still slightly dazed, and gently picked him up. After stroking the little mech for a moment, she suddenly seemed to realize something.
"...Zelda... Where's Zelda?!" The teenaged girl abruptly stood to her feet and dashed toward the edge of the Plateau, though Link quickly caught her by the arms and gently held her back.
"Hey! Whoa! Don't go taking another swan dive on us!" He warned.
"I don't see her! Where is she?! Where did that monster take her?!" Lennia asked desperately, as if she hadn't even heard Link.
"After you fell, the Kargaroc turned north, flying parallel to the plateau." Nualla explained.
Lennia turned and looked north. She could just barely see the Kargaroc carrying Zelda near the northern edge of the ridge. "I have to help her! I have to save her!" She exclaimed, struggling against Link's grasp.
"Are you crazy?" Egon asked, standing in front of Lennia and helping Link to keep her in place. "You'll never be able to catch up to them! You don't even know how to use those wings! Are you even capable of bringing them out again?"
Apparently seeing the logic in the Rito's words, Lennia stopped struggling, though her gaze was still distant as a single tear slid down her cheek. "...Zelda..." Suddenly Lennia dropped to her knees with a tearful cry, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. "Why?! Why do I feel as though I've lost part of me?!" She sniffled and whimpered, "Someone tell me why..."
Link and Egon both stood there, flustered at the sight of the bold and daring girl sobbing on her knees before them. Nualla stepped forward, seeming like she had something to say, but she was beaten to the punch by Terrako, who began to play a soft song in a manner that sounded almost like a flute. Lennia's sobs turned to sniffles as she looked over at the robot. "That song..." It was the same song that had led her to meet Zelda in the castle. A comforting lullaby that Terrako played only for her. She distantly remembered that Terrako was an ancient piece of machinery that she had first met upon coming to Purah's lab. 'Purah... Impa... Surely, they will know everything.' She thought to herself before looking in the direction that Zelda had been taken. 'I can't just sit here crying... I have to help her... whatever it takes...' Taking a deep breath as she stood to her feet, Lennia gazed into the distance, her flaxen hair fluttering in the wind as another tune from her childhood found its way to her mouth. "You are the princess and I am a servant-it's a pity how we have been torn apart by fate. If it is for the sake of protecting you-Then I swear I will do what I have to do..." She turned and looked back at her companions. "The first thing we have to do is leave the Plateau." She said as she took hers and Zelda's cloaks back from Link. "Any suggestions?"
"I have a parasail with me." Link remarked, "Though I don't know if that does much good with there being four of us." When Terrako chirped at him sharply, he sweat-dropped and amended, "...Five of us."
"No, that's perfect." Lennia replied. "Egon, take Nualla, I'll fly down with Terrako."
"Uh, are you sure you'll be able to handle that?" Egon asked with a hint of concern, "You haven't had time yet to..." He trailed off as he saw the same wings from before materializing out of nowhere on the girl's back.
"I'll be fine." Lennia said as she picked up Terrako. "It's the same thing we did a moment ago, right?"
"...More or less." The Rito replied, "But just flying straight until we reach the ground won't necessarily be feasible."
"It's fine. I have to learn how to use them anyway." Lennia said as she stared at the ledge and took a breath. "No time like the present!" She suddenly exclaimed before dashing forward.
"Wait, what-" Before Egon could even finish his question, Lennia leapt from the edge of the Plateau. It wasn't an accident this time.
"Whoohoo!"
"Wait!" Egon called as he ran after her.
"Lennia!" Nualla cried as she looked over the edge in alarm. To their relief, they all saw the girl flying through the air with ease.
"Geez, that crazy girl..." Link muttered before opening his parasail and jumping off in pursuit of Lennia.
"She's gonna get us all killed..." Egon muttered as Nualla climbed onto his leg and held tightly to it while he pursued the two Hylians.
Link had expected Lennia to head straight toward Hyrule Field, or even back toward the castle, so he couldn't help but feel confused when he realized that she was leading the group towards Dueling Peaks instead. Just where was she going? Unfortunately, it would be kind of hard to call out to her while they were airborne like this, and since she was new to flying, he didn't want to distract her. That said, he couldn't help but notice that she was descending faster than his parasail was capable of gliding. What was she doing? He was just about to call out to her when, instead of landing, Lennia began flying in large circles slowing her descent in the process as she put her fingers in her mouth with one hand and whistled. Link recognized the sound as the method most Hylians used to call their horses. He still couldn't figure out why she was flying in circles though.
By the time the young stablehand was close to landing, the three horses arrived, so Link used the opportunity to drop himself directly onto Epona's saddle. Lennia did similarly, landing upon Shirayuki's bareback as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She then used the cloaks to provide herself with a bit more coverage. Meanwhile, Egon was the only one who landed on his feet like a normal person, though that may have simply been due to Nualla riding on his leg.
"Why did you fly around in circles like that?" Link asked Lennia as Egon lifted Nualla onto Sappora. "And why'd we land on the road to Dueling Peaks? Shouldn't we go back to the castle?"
"There's no guarantee the castle is safe right now." Lennia said as she pointed Shirayuki toward the gorge in question, "As for your other question, I had to maintain a certain speed to both avoid anyone below me seeing something they shouldn't and to prevent you from seeing something you shouldn't. Since that resulted in me reaching the ground faster, I flew in circles to maintain my speed."
"That makes sense." Link admitted.
Lennia looked down the road ahead, "Prior to this, I was told that if anything should happen today, I should make my way back to Kakariko Village to regroup. ...But you guys don't have to come with me if you don't want to."
"Are you kidding?" Link asked as he guided Epona to stand alongside Shirayuki with Egon and Nualla doing the same on the other side. "We started this thing together and we'll end it together."
"That's right!" Nualla agreed. "The journey is not over until we have finished what we set out to do!"
"Or at least, you know, until we receive orders to do otherwise." Egon added with a shrug. It wasn't that he was any less resolved than the others. He was just pointing out the possibility that this entire situation could be taken out of their hands. Either way, they would at least stand by Lennia until then.
Lennia looked at her three companions and nodded in reply. "Let's go!" She declared, spurring Shirayuki forward as she did. With Link and the others right behind her, the group galloped away towards the Dueling Peaks.
It took me forever to finish this chapter for some reason, which is bad, because this is where the story really takes off. Whatever! It's done now!