The setting sun provided Link with some cover as he discreetly returned to Skyloft. He quickly rallied the professors and Gaepora and shared what he could. He described in great detail the horrendous conflict with the Imprisoned, emphasizing that it was likely to break free again soon, and that its target was none other than Zelda.
"We cannot let that happen," Gaepora said, his voice understandably raised. "We must work diligently to ensure that this beast can be sealed away for good."
"And one more thing," Link said nervously, which was unlike him. Drawing in a sigh, he spoke as quickly as he could. "Groose followed me to the surface. He's down there now at the Sealed Temple."
All three men flinched upon hearing this.
"We cannot allow that," Gaepora replied. "He must return at once."
"That's the thing," Link said, running a hand through his hair, still dirtied from the earlier fight, "he wants to stay there and help."
Gaepora rubbed his bearded chin, shaking his head.
"The sooner we bring the Imprisoned to its end," Horwell chimed in, "the sooner Zelda, Groose, and Link can finally return home."
Fi emerged from the sword, offering a curtsy to the men.
"We must next locate three sacred flames," she said. "It is believed that legends passed down by your ancestors will guide us to them."
Gaepora gestured to a large pile of old books, some of which were falling apart, on a nearby table.
"We have been combing through our ancient texts," he said, "though we have yet to find anything related to the sacred flames you speak of."
"Fi," Professor Owlan began, "can you assist us? Your unmatched ability to retain and interpret information may be an invaluable asset in our search."
Fi gladly obliged. Professor Horwell brought a piping hot kettle of tea and a tray of fresh pound cakes to Gaepora's office for energy and morale. Together, they worked late into the night, searching and studying the ancient texts in hopes of finding some clue to guide them to the sacred flames. Fi did most of the reading, as she was able to do so far more quickly than the others combined.
Being warmed by the mint tea and comfortably filled with the airy cakes made of sweet vanilla bean and berries, Link found himself more content than he had been in quite some time. The smell of the old, dusty books and the sounds of the fireplace crackling nearby almost lulled him to sleep. He often had to re-read the texts as his eyes simply glossed over the words, retaining none of the information. He was occasionally jolted by a cool gust of wind coming through the open window, making the drapes dance and sending a shiver down his spine. His sleepiness, however, only increased as the lanterns dwindled, and no one had the energy or desire to refill them. Just when he thought he would succumb to his exhaustion, Fi, upon observing Gaepora's reading, found something. There was a picture which looked to be nothing more than a few haphazard smudges, though if one looked closely, they would see a large female figure surrounded by many creatures. The female figure seemed to be holding two items; a sword and a harp.
"Master," Fi called to a half-awake Link, "do you recognize any of these images?"
Rubbing his terribly heavy eyes, Link joined them and looked over the page. While some of the creatures looked unfamiliar, three were undoubtedly in the likeness of the races they had met so far on their quest.
"That looks like Machi," he said, almost sadly, as his finger glided over the roughness of the page. A small scoff escaped his lips. "And Cobal."
Finally, coming to the final recognizable figure, he sighed, "And X."
His brow curved upward. He found himself longing to be reunited with these friends again. With a deep breath in, he shook himself out of his thought, returning to the task at hand.
"What is this?"
"This is the text from which we deciphered the Ballad of the Goddess," Gaepora replied tiredly. "At least, the half of it we could. 'Oh youth, guided by the servant of the Goddess, unite earth and sky... bring light to the land.'"
"That is the song Zelda was singing at the Gate of Time," Fi said.
"And at the wing ceremony," added Link.
"Yes. That said, we have never been able to read the second stanza, as it is only written in a long-lost language."
Link looked over the words and quickly understood what Gaepora meant. There were only shapes and markings to him. To Fi, however, the words were perfectly clear.
"This is my language," she said.
As usual, through their ears, they heard her speak in her mystic, melodic tongue, but in their minds, they understood her in their own.
"You can read it?" Link asked, a smile crossing his lips once more.
"Yes, Master," she said with a nod. "Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower, and before you, a path shall open, and a heavenly song you shall hear."
"Amazing," Gaepora said breathlessly, fiercely writing the words on a blank parchment.
"But what does it mean?" Link inquired.
"As I recall," Fi replied, "there are exactly two windmills on Skyloft, as well as a tower of light, are there not?"
"That is correct," Gaepora confirmed with a nod.
"If you interpret the words literally," she said, "then they are telling us to manually turn the windmills to face the light tower."
"Is that possible?" questioned Link.
"Only a strong wind - an anomaly - can turn the windmills," mentioned Gaepora, "and we haven't experienced winds that strong for many, many years."
Link and Fi exchanged glances, a small yet confident smile gracing Link's lips (and he liked to imagine that Fi was smiling too.) Under the cover of the dark night sky, with the moon shielded by a thin layer of clouds, the group made for the first of the windmills. Link produced the gust bellows and astonished the three men as he used it to unleash a powerful flow of otherworldly wind. Targeting a metal propeller built into the windmill, Link was slowly able to coax the stone structure to turn, until its front was facing the light tower on the far edge of the island.
They ventured to the second windmill, with Link and the light of Goddess Sword leading the way (he had summoned a skyward strike in case of malice-possessed creatures or monsters.) However, it was not any enemy or creature that slowed their efforts. Upon arriving at the second windmill, they discovered the propeller was mangled, terribly so. Not even the gust bellows could coerce it to turn properly. Link let out a frustrated sigh as he thought of how to proceed.
"Master, I have taken the liberty of looking through your mental recollections," Fi said. "It would be most logical to enlist the aid of the village ironworker, Gondo, and the village repairman, Jakamar."
While Link did not necessarily appreciate having his memories read, evidenced by a displeased expression on his face, he and the others agreed that this was the best approach. It was rare for anyone on Skyloft to be stirred in the middle of the night, especially for an urgent matter. Therefore, both Jakamar and Gondo were surprised to find Link and Gaepora at their respective homes. Still, the men volunteered to repair the broken propeller without hesitation. Gaepora went to the light tower to keep watch while Link remained with Jakamar and Gondo.
"Say, lad," Jakamar said, pausing his hammering on the propeller, "several of us around here have been quite worried about ya."
Link swallowed dryly, unsure of how to respond.
"Yeah," Gondo chimed in, "don't think we haven't felt your absence," he paused to look up at Link, dawning an expression of concern. "What's been going on?"
Link simply shook his head, letting them know that he was not at liberty to discuss the matter with them.
"Ah yes, as quiet and mysterious as ever," said Jakamar with a chuckle.
"How's that shield holding up for you?"
"It's holding up fine," Link replied. "For now..." he thought to himself.
"Well, come see me soon and I'll have another one for you," Gondo smiled. "It's something real special I've been working on. But it will take some more time."
Link offered a curt nod. For the remainder of the time, he stayed quiet while Jakamar and Gondo slugged away at the propeller. When at last it was finished, they fixed it onto the windmill. Link used the gust bellows to turn it toward the light tower and then went to meet Gaepora there.
Gusts of brisk, midnight wind tussled Link's honey-blonde locks as he ascended to the top of the light tower, followed by Gaepora who kept a close, watchful eye. Before them stood what looked to be a circular mirror held up by a stone pedestal. The floor beneath them was speckled with half-circle carvings, which together made a full circle in the center of the floor. As they drew closer, a golden, glowing crest, the same one Link had seen in the temples and the Goddess Tower, appeared in the center of the floor. It shone brilliantly under the dark night sky. Fi emerged from the sword and studied it carefully, floating to the side opposite Link and Gaepora.
"Master, I am hearing a song in my language."
Though her tone remained unchanged, Link could tell she was very much intrigued by what she was hearing.
"I believe it is meant to be played on the Goddess Harp," she gestured to the circle. "If you please, Master."
Link stepped into the circle and was immediately warmed by its radiance. Taking the harp, he looked up at Fi who seemed to be studying him very intently. Then, he heard her voice resounding in his mind. While her voice always had a melodic way about it, this time, he heard that she was singing a beautiful, enchanting melody of high and resonant tones. He closed his deep green eyes, allowing the melody to fill his head. Then, as if by some divine power, Link's fingers glided over the strings of the Goddess Harp and reproduced the melody. For Link, it was as if he was no longer in control of himself and was no more than a bystander in his own body. Under Fi's guidance, Link played through the song in its entirety. As the melody faded, he returned to consciousness, his forest green eyes meeting Fi's gaze once more. She nodded as if to affirm him.
Suddenly, the floor underneath them shifted. It turned sharply, knocking Link off balance, though he was caught by Gaepora's strong, fatherly grip. The platform rotated until the mirror before them was directly underneath the light of the moon, which itself now seemed to shine unnaturally brightly. They watched together in awe as the mirror absorbed the moon's light, growing brighter and more beautiful with each passing moment. Then, the light that had gathered in the mirror shot out into the sky. Link anticipated that it would reveal another portal to the surface. However, the light kept going until it collided with an ever-present dome of cloud that loomed miles away, known as the Thunderhead.
The Thunderhead had always been a mystery to Link. Only a few knew its purpose, and rarely did anyone go near it, much less into it, and yet the beam of light created a clear opening into the dome. Link turned to Gaepora, whose white brow was sharply furrowed. Link raised his own brow as if to plea for information.
"I was afraid of this," Gaepora stated solemnly. He turned to Link and hunched forward to peer into the boy's eyes. "Link, I must tell you about the Thunderhead and what you may find there, though I am reluctant to let you go." He sighed deeply. "The Thunderhead houses the great sky dragon, Levias. For many, many years, he served as a protector to Skyloft. He loved the people dearly, and they loved him."
Link's brow curved upward as he noticed a sad, almost grieved tone in Gaepora's voice.
"Years ago, without warning, Levias closed himself off in what we now know as the Thunderhead. No one knows for what reason he chose to do this."
He paused and tilted his head slightly, as if recalling a painful memory.
"Little more than a week before the Wing Ceremony, I took to the skies in search of Levias. Alas, with great turmoil, my Loftwing and I broke through the cloud barrier and found a truly horrendous place. The rain was cold and treacherous, the wind was oppressive, and thunder and lightning were raging like I had never seen before. We dared not stay long, and I was never able to see Levias with my own eyes."
Gaepora bowed his head, closing his eyes in a look of sadness and regret.
"But we heard him. Through the thunder and rain, we heard ghastly roars in the distance. It sounded as if the dragon was being tortured," he sighed, returning his gaze to Link once more. "We have been discussing in secret how to help Levias. Alas, we have come to no conclusions."
Link could feel the beginnings of a lump forming in his throat. How could a creature previously so loving and protective turn so tormented and terrifying? A fire welled up in his belly as he desired to find and help the dragon. He could sense the same feeling in Gaepora's eyes.
"If it were not to save my daughter," Gaepora continued, "I would never permit anyone to go into the Thunderhead, and yet, it seems we have no choice. Link, you must be careful and promise to return at the first indication of danger."
Link nodded his head, saying nothing. He then looked at Fi, who also nodded to show him she was ready to go with him. With that, Link summoned his Loftwing to the light tower. The bird arrived, understandably confused, as it was very rare for a rider to summon their bird in the dead of night. Link gently stroked his crimson feathers and gave him a loving scratch under his beak to reassure him as best as he could. With that, Fi returned to the sword, Link mounted his bird, and they soared off into the night. The atmosphere changed as they drew closer to Thunderhead. It felt strangely unsettled, despite the night sky being calm and quiet. Link felt the sting of queasiness settle into his stomach. His mouth dried and his palms began to sweat as the massive dome of cloud prepared to swallow them.
"I won't let any harm come to you," said Link, stroking the Loftwing, taking in the softness of his feathers.
The bird squawked in kind, and together they soared through the portal.
The light of the moon was completely shrouded. Link charged a skyward strike to light their way, though it did little against the overwhelming darkness. A harsh rain and even worse wind immediately met them. It screamed with anger as it rushed around them, forcing Link and his Loftwing to fight to stay afloat. Blinding flashes of lightning tore through the sky, followed by the angriest cracks of thunder Link had ever heard. He gripped the feathers of his Loftwing to keep himself from holding his ears, though it pained him not to.
There were no obvious signs of Levias. However, with each flash of lightning, Link could see the shadows of several islands inside the dome.
"Master, I implore you to make for the island ahead."
Link looked as best as he could. He saw the island and a large structure just off of it. Fighting against the fierce wind, they landed on the surface of the island.
"We have arrived to the Isle of Songs," Fi confirmed.
The Loftwing shook the rain from his feathers (though they were immediately saturated once more) and explored the ground. Link, weighed down by his soaked clothes, drudged to the center of the island and found a strange artifact. There were a series of shining gems, four in total, set within a stone pedestal. In addition, there were large formations of rock floating in the air surrounding the island. Fi emerged from the sword and studied the gems.
"These gems control the rock formations," she said with a nod. "When they are arranged in the correct sequence, they will become a pathway leading to the chamber where we must go next."
Link closed his eyes and turned his head downward for a moment. The wind, rain, lightning, thunder, feeling terribly cold and soaked by the rain, and the information provided by Fi all felt overwhelming to him. Worse, he could not see how any of this was getting him closer to aiding Zelda. Still, he took in several slow breaths, allowing these feelings and thoughts to pass over him before turning his attention to the gems. He struck the left-most gem. With awe-inspiring speed, several of the floating rocks shifted around before coming to a jolting stop. Link then struck the top-most gem, and again, more rocks shifted. What he eventually found, however, is that the more he struck the gems, the more disorganized the rocks became, and before long, he felt utterly lost on how to arrange them in the proper order.
Dripping with rain, shivering in the cold, and growing more disheartened by the second, Link's sword slashes grew weaker, accompanied by grunts and growls of frustration and exhaustion. Hearing this in his rider's voice, Link's Loftwing approached him and let out a concerned chirp. He gently nudged the boy with his beak. Link lowered his sword and stroked the bird's head, noticing how terribly wet his feathers were.
"I'm sorry, bud," Link sighed.
The Loftwing responded by nudging him with his head a second time. Fi had begun to study the gems once more after observing the pattern in which the rocks shifted.
"Master Link, I understand that you are feeling wearied by your unsuccessful efforts to assemble the pathway."
Link rolled his eyes, yet also let a small smile cross his lips at Fi's unintended bluntness.
"However, your efforts have not been in vain. I have been able to study the formations and the gems. With ninety-eight percent certainty, I can help you solve this rigorous puzzle."
The Loftwing squawked in delight upon hearing this, and Link felt his heart being energized once more. He raised the sword and gestured for Fi to lead him.
"Strike the top-most gem, followed by the bottom-most."
Link did as he was asked.
"Now, deliver two strikes to the left-most gem, one to the right, and another to the top-most."
This continued for some time until, at long last, a completed bridge was assembled, and a door leading to the chamber was opened. Walking across the bridge, Link observed the large, sturdy stone pillars on either side. Somehow they reminded him of tall gravestones, and he did not know whether to be intrigued or disturbed by the sight of them. Link and Fi cautiously entered the chamber.
To Link's surprise, there was little more than four walls of stone with various carvings and engraved patterns, a long platform (again made of stone) and a large, empty space below them. At the end of the platform was yet another floating crest, just like in the temples before. He quickly formed a skyward strike and sent the energy into the crest. In response, the room was filled with a dim, green, otherworldly light. To Link, it felt as though he had stepped into a dense forest and the sun was trying to shine through the trees. Fi flew before him and stood just in front of the crest.
"Master, I have new information for you," she said. Then, she leaned forward on her right foot, sending one arm out ahead of her and one behind her. Her cape flowed gently with her movements. "The moment you struck the crest, I began receiving a message from the Goddess Hylia herself."
Link's forest green eyes, reflecting beautifully in the matching light of the room, grew wide upon hearing this.
"The message was intended for you, and I shall recite it for you now."
She turned her body and with a graceful leap, she landed on the left side of the crest, bending on one leg and sending the other out, pointing her shoe graciously.
"Oh youth, guided by the light,
As you seek the three sacred flames, with which you are to purify your blade,
You will encounter three trials that will solidify whether you are truly worthy of possessing the Master Sword
and, an even greater and more sacred gift than this.
Your first trial awaits you deep within Faron Woods.
There, your courage will be tested,
and you will take one valiant step closer to awakening as the hero you were born to be."
All the while, Fi engaged in a beautiful, sacred dance that was so enchanting, it almost caused Link to lose focus on her message. Still, when he heard her mention becoming a hero, he could not help but to grimace slightly at the thought, as he still did not accept this as his fate.
"Master," Fi said, "please join me with the Goddess Harp."
Link produced the instrument and lowered his gaze, quickly feeling himself slipping into the same state as he had atop the light tower. Encased in a radiant, green light, Fi danced about the room as she sang an upbeat yet alluring melody. She twirled on the walls, glided through the air, and pranced about with wondrous grace and beauty. Link, once more, felt as though he was being guided by another force as his fingers danced across the strings of the harp, following the melody sung by Fi. When they concluded, Fi joined Link on the platform once more.
"Farore's Courage, the melody you just learned, will guide you to the first trial that awaits in Faron Woods," she said.
Link allowed for a small smile to appear on his features, feeling somewhat invigorated by the song he had just learned.
"So that's why this place is called the Isle of Songs," he said with a small chuckle.
"You have gathered well, Master," she affirmed.
Suddenly, from outside, Link heard his Loftwing sending out a loud distress call. Link hurried as quickly as his legs could carry him. Back out in the rain, he found his bird in a state of frenzy. He put his hands on either side of the bird's neck to steady him.
"What's wrong?" he questioned.
Then he heard the sound of a massive roar of what he thought was thunder, but as it continued to sound, Link realized that this was no storm.
It was Levias, and he was drawing close.
Link mounted his Loftwing and hurried him off of the plateau. In the short time that Link and Fi had been in the chamber, the storm clouds had somehow grown darker and even more furious than before. Even with a skyward strike to light their way, they could see little more than the near constant lightning strikes and the blinding rain pouring down on them. Suddenly, Fi chimed in from inside the sword.
"Master, I detect malice approaching from behind."
"Malice?"
Link turned just in time to see a massive mouth coming forth from the clouds behind them. Link's heart stopped as its giant fangs came within mere inches of his Loftwing's flowing tail, snapping shut with a frightful sound. It seemed the only thing that kept it from consuming them was the light of the skyward strike. Through the raging clouds and rain, Link could not make out the features of the dragon apart from its large, horrifying teeth, and as quickly as it appeared, it drew back with a long, groaning roar, vanishing into the darkness.
"Get us out of here!" Link shouted, leaning forward on his bird.
Link had previously thought that the Imprisoned was the largest creature he could ever imagine. Through a series of terrible and bright lightning strikes, Link looked back and saw the shadow of the beast that was Levias. His long, flowing body must have been a mile long. Link's jaw dropped at the sight of it. Then, his heart sank. Levias had somehow been infected by malice, which explained the isolating and aggressive behavior Gaepora had described. As they sailed the rest of the way out of the Thunderhead, Link couldn't help but to be preoccupied by the thought of somehow freeing the once friendly and protective dragon. As they flew further away, he heard his roar once more, though it now sounded like a long, sad cry of agony.
