(( Don't forget to lemme know what you think so far! I'm trying to make it better than the original, hopefully I'm succeeding. If you've got any tips on what I could work on, please say so! ))

Goddess, the surface was weird…

Tya had been reluctant to go with him mostly because of her ever suffering mental state. But the moment they leapt from their birds, there was a swell of excited anticipation that drove away a little bit of her tiredness. It was still present, as was the desire to go back to bed, but she was interested and there was no arguing it. Motivation was a difficult thing to find, but at least this seemed to keep her going.

For a second it did, anyway. That very minute sense of desire was dashed fairly quick when they landed to that horrid ear-piercing sound. She was irritable as fuck, but that didn't get its chance to show outside of bitching in the back of her head. Really, that was the other half of everything she did, so it wasn't news; bitch or worry.

Link had, on instinct, ripped his blade from its sheath upon hitting the ground. He had no idea where the sound was coming from, nor did Tya, and they also couldn't be sure that it wasn't prompted by seeing their landing. They were still and silent, awaiting an ambush that never came.

It was only the insult on their ears that continued. That didn't mean he put his guard down, but Link looked back at Tya, the girl who was grimacing and dusting herself off from a landing that was far less grateful than his own.

Upon noticing the attention he had on her, she froze, looking at him, then around at the woods. It took a moment for the meaning of The Look to really hit her, and when it did she tossed her sailcloth in place over her shoulder, wrapping one end through the other, and nodded to say they could move.

The sounds from the depths of the woods were familiar in their intention. It sounded almost exactly like the taunting they'd been doing toward the… What was he? He'd said 'Goron'. What in the clouds was a Goron? - It sounded exactly like the taunting they'd been doing toward Gorko.

Before she could wonder if he'd managed to get himself into another predicament, they came upon a break in the canopy. Light shined through to illuminate the spores on the breeze, as well as a… unique scene.

Tya had just started to wonder how these beings had gotten by this long when they were stupid enough to scream at bushes when the bush that held their attention let out another little terrified squeak. She was undeniably surprised to see the thing flinch, as anyone would be upon seeing a sentient bush. But that instinct to protect- the one that was, in her, generally dormant when it came to people- kicked in only mere seconds after hearing the squeal. It seemed to have been the same for Link. The moment everything registered he was in motion as well. Sword and shield drawn, he dove forward and skewered one of the pests. Its partner was far quicker than Tya would have anticipated it should be, but Link blocked a swing of its harshly made cleaver and slashed its forearm.

The screech that left it made her wince, but she only briefly faltered from her mission. She circled the fight, and just as the bush began to notice, crying something in regards to the fact that a green one had now joined the mix, it was made to squeal all over again by the fact that she swept it up.

Little hands flailed, trying to break free from her grasp as it shook and writhed, but she kept hold of it lest its terror run it right into the fray. She hushed it gently, though it did little good, and as she shuffled to the sidelines, Link thrust his blade through his foe's throat.

Somehow she preferred the choking sound of its death over the way it screamed. Both were bad.

Link shivered at the black blood coating the sword, and again, shook it to try and get some of it clean. It mattered little because just as they'd done before, the fallen enemies withered into a cloud of black smoke and their blood went with them.

The silence brought the slightest bit of calm from the plump little beast in Tya's arms. Its leaves were flattened against her chest, sticking up to brush against her face and causing her to tilt her head some. Both of its little hands set to her forearm, pressing with a bit of strength like it was still trying to escape.

"It's alright," she said, then had to sputter out a tip of a leaf that ended up in her mouth when she spoke.

Seeing her struggle, Link couldn't help but smile some, but he also took over where she couldn't, saying "We won't hurt you."

Panic kept those words from truly sinking in for a good moment. It hadn't attempted to attack, but Tya wondered if it was a creature with enough sentience to understand what was meant when they said they wouldn't hurt it.

Labored breaths puffed from what resembled a beak? It seemed sharper, and not quite the same… 'material felt like the wrong word to use, but that was all Tya could think of. Regardless, the plump creature huffed, settling into the hold Tya had on it and practically going limp as it finally seemed to understand Link's assurance.

"You won't?" It asked, its voice just as high as its terrified squeak had been. Link shook his head, and the assurance left it hesitating again. As it reasoned itself out with "You did save me", Tya lowered it back to its own feet.

"Are you alright?" She asked now that she was able to without getting a mouthful of leaves. Ones that had retracted back into a truffle-like bulb on its back.

That would have been nicer a moment ago.

She crossed her arms with a bit of a childish pout, but otherwise dismissed her misfortune when it said "Yes. Thank you, I think."

"Good," Link said. "Do you nee-need us to ta-take you somewhere safe?"

Hesitation in the creature gave a clear view both to its answer and its dilemma in issuing it. Although Tya had set it down, and the fact that Link was directly asking toward its safety, it didn't trust them, and that was both clear and reasonable. It hadn't fled though, and even if that would have been better in regards to time efficiency, Tya was… biased toward animals. She'd never mind helping one.

It shifted anxiously on its little legs, hands patting on the white fur of its stomach in contemplation. "Could.. could you help me find my elder?"

Link glanced up, his expression a question on whether or not Tya was alright with this. When she nodded to signal her acceptance, Link said "Yeah, no problem."

The creature's little nervous pats didn't cease. It looked around, at which point it seemed to really notice Tya's presence. Shuffling away a few steps, it peered up at her, and as Link crouched, elbows on his knees, he did the same more out of confusion than anything.

"Last time I saw him, he was with one of you guys. A girl one, like her." It looked to Link, making a motion outward. "They were getting chased by those mean guys too, but I think they got away."

The way Link had been looking up at her solidified into something a little more determined, and Tya, pleased with this development, gave a small nod. It was convenient that they'd run into a creature who just happened to know who they were looking for, but she wasn't going to pass up information that Zelda was alright and around. There was still the twinge of worry that arose from the uncertainty of the statement; from merely 'thinking' they got away. And Goddess was it hard to find any semblance of optimism. But it was all Tya could do to fight the roiling anxiety in her core. It was faint and fleeting, but she was clinging the best she could.
It wasn't helping. Not really. It was a conscious effort to repeat in her mind that Zelda escaped. As Link stood straight again and held a hand out for the little creature to lead the way, Tya went about screaming over every thought of her best friend's death with the notion that she could have gotten away unscathed.

It was so easy to get lost in her thoughts when they were all so heavy as they were. It was so natural, too. But for once, even though she'd started her day horribly, she found herself easily distracted.

Zelda was kind in her own way. It was a forceful sense of kindness- there, but she was very adamant about what she knew to be the right things and wrong things. She was outgoing with a fieriness to her entirety.

What had drawn Tya's attention away, though, was watching Link. It was so vastly different from what she knew. The people of Skyloft were all pretty pleasant and kind, save for a select few, but with the comfortable air of a place where everyone knew everyone, there was a level of extroversion to the way everyone interacted. All in ways similar to Zelda with a more outgoing friendliness. It was just… So odd to watch him.

The purity of his smile, and gentleness of his voice as he spoke... She could see the smallest tics of nervousness present in the way he picked occasionally at the edges of his gloves, or the way he almost constantly tensed his fists if they were at his sides. But there was still a natural softness to him that had done wonders with easing the creature, Machi's, fear.

She could hardly imagine how anyone could be cruel to this boy… His smile maintained such sincerity and strength it was hard not to find it contagious even if she could see innate, inescapable anxiety laced throughout. His influence was slight, but it was there, and it was enough.

Machi, in truth, didn't completely know where they were going in their effort to find his elder, but he had guided them nonetheless. In the end, Link had escorted the both of them to what Machi indicated to be their general territory, and from there, the beast was quite hard to miss. Even if he thought otherwise.

Tya had thought Machi's camouflage was poor (like she didn't fall for it initially), but in comparison to Bucha, the Elder's, it was phenomenal. The Kikwi Elder maintained its round shape and furry black and white coat, but was not only larger than Machi by a million times, but also than both Tya and Link. Yet somehow, even despite his massive form, his "natural camouflage", meaning the leafy truffle extension of them, had not at all grown with him.

He did look wonderfully squishy, though. A very, very large part of her wanted to lay on him.

He was adorable and squishy, but her excitement over him did not extend farther than appearance. The moment he started to speak- something she finally began to perceive as odd when he did so, she realized that she kind of fucking hated him.

Skyloft was full of nice people, but that didn't mean she didn't know a lie when she heard one and a conman when she saw one.

Link either didn't notice or didn't care in what was becoming a very common occurrence for him. He had happily escorted Tya along after the conversation with Bucha, back down and a short distance away from the elevated mass on which Bucha was lounging.

"This is absurd," she huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Her fingers tapped impatiently along her upper arm as she looked around the area for any hints of warmth among the brush.

Link gave a small inquisitive hum, head tilting in a way that made her think that he, too, might be golden retriever-esque.

She glared at him for a moment, more trying to detect whether or not he truly didn't understand, or if he was just toying with her.

Her conclusion was hit quickly, and to get her point across in an entirely dramatic and needless method, she raised her hand to her forehead. The back pressed as she feigned a dramatic faint and said "Oh, woe is me, I cannot remember seeing the first 'human' I've ever encountered due to stress."

Still, Link didn't completely seem to get it, but there was a hint of it dawning on him as he glanced back toward Bucha.

"He could have just asked you to find them." She straightened and started a few steps forward. Once she passed him, she glanced back, slowing so he would take the lead. Which he did a moment later. "It wasn't necessary to blackmail you into it."

"I don't mind," Link waved a hand. "...Can't people actual-actually not rem-remember stuff when they're wor-when they're worrying?"

"I'm sure it's possible, but only moments before he was sleeping."

"You were sleeping las-last ni- last night." Link pointed out, to which Tya paused. Her lips puckered a moment before she tilted her head, acceptance in her expression.

"Fair enough."

Link brightened upon being proven right, and as he turned back to focus on the task at hand, Tya realized that she had, in fact, just been defeated in that discussion.

Well.

She was very offended.

As much of a nuisance as Tya felt Bucha was, she had to admit, she didn't mind searching out the other Kikwi. Con or not- after Link made his point she wasn't so sure anymore- the truth was that they were still small, helpless, and afraid.

"Master." They'd begun to walk back down on the wooded path when Fi had flittered gracefully from the blade again. Her presence caused Link to flinch, but his guard didn't prompt anything more dramatic than whipping to face her. "You have been asked to seek out the remaining Kikwi," Fi stated, to which Link nodded. There was a hint of confusion over why he was being told this again, and Tya very much understood that sentiment. She didn't know if it was as obvious on herself, but she also wondered why Fi was stating the obvious until the blade made a ruffled motion outward. "Shall I assist you? I would recommend making use of my dowsing ability. With both Machi and Bucha's energy, I can attempt to seek out the rest."

"Dowsing?" Tya asked. Her previous impatient curiosity had, in that brief moment, become something far more palatable than the sharpness she'd had a moment prior.

"Right!" Link said, snapping his fingers. "I forgot!"

Unfazed, the blade stared at him, awaiting further command which he gave in the form of a nod. She mimicked his action, fading into the swirl of magic that allowed her to return to the sheathed sword at Link's back. He drew it, looking rather excitedly in Tya's direction. Upon seeing it, she stepped closer to him, that wonder childishly widening her eyes and slackening her jaw just slightly.

As he held it out, a soft sparkle of light formed on the end. At first, it did nothing of interest, leaving Tya even more curious, though that was soon sated as Link turned the tip of the blade elsewhere. The light brightened as he moved, then dimmed as he went past the area indicated by the blade.

It was wildly interesting to watch- In all honesty, Tya wanted to test it and know what else it could find. And yet, it was somehow more interesting to see how incredibly thrilled Link was to show this off. He was almost jittering with his excitement toward it as he looked at Tya, wanting to see her reaction.

The smile that came with his attention wasn't due to her interest in the weapon, nor the thoughts of what historically significant artifacts she may be able to find with its aid. Yes, that was present, and most definitely taking second place, but it was, much to her shame, more over the absolute sunshine of a boy looking at her with so much joy.

She let out a breath, planned and slow, and set a hand on her stomach to quell the hints of fluttering present in it.

Without another word, Link started in the direction in which the light was brightest, and Tya, after a second of sorting her mess of thoughts, followed.