A/N: There are a couple of changes to be aware of. First, the dragon Faron introduced in this chapter, like Levias, will be described in the likeness of the dragons from Breath of the Wild as opposed to those in Skyward Sword. I did not feel the original designs fit the more serious tone of this story. In addition, one short mission from the main story will be omitted. Lastly, on a personal note, I will be taking two weeks off to go back through and make edits/improvements to previous chapters, and just to take some time away from writing to refresh my tired brain. Thank you for understanding. If you've made it this far into the story then please let me know what you have enjoyed about it, as it helps me to know what to do more or less of to keep you, my valued reader, engaged. :)
Link and Fi followed a long, winding path through the woods. Just as they were rounding a bend, where the ground to their left was elevated above them, they spotted a group of Bokoblin sleeping on the higher perch. The sudden sight of the Bokoblin caused them both to draw back, with Link narrowly stifling a gasp. He thought perhaps the growing morning light was casting a strange shadow on the beasts. However, peering up over the edge, he saw that these Bokoblin were a dull shade of blue, and they were heavily armed compared to others they had faced. Link drew his sword, gliding the metal from its sheath as silently as he possibly could. His jaw tightened as he thought of how best to engage the enemies.
In a crouch, he tip-toed up the path until he was level with the snoozing beasts, his boots skimming the dirt path, making nary a sound. He bit down on his lower lip to keep his breath from escaping. Sneaking up to the nearest Bokoblin, he carefully positioned the Goddess Sword above his head, and after a short prayer, plunged it into the creature's gut. It flinched and sputtered, but otherwise met its demise quietly, slowly fading to a cloud of malice. Link crept to the next Bokoblin, and before he reached the creature, it stirred with a loud snore. Link's heart leapt into his throat as he slid behind a nearby tree, pressing his back firmly against it. The blue fiend raised a warty hand to itch its protruding belly before falling back to sleep, its hand falling to its side once more. Link denied himself the satisfaction of a sigh and kept his breath held tightly as he moved again to strike the beast, inflicting yet another undetected, fatal blow.
The final Bokoblin laid nearest to the edge of the platform of earth. Link snuck over to it, but stopped short when the most peculiar thing happened. A small, winged bug, colored a dazzling shade of blue, flew near to the Bokoblin, coming dangerously close to its skin. Link froze, and his forest green eyes widened. The bug hovered over the Bokoblin's face, circling it several times while Link, as quietly as he could manage, flicked his arms to the side as if to coerce it to fly away. Alas, it lighted on the Bokoblin's nose, and the creature's face began to twitch and contort. Loudly, the Bokoblin let out a gurgled sneeze with such force that it sat halfway up. As the bug fluttered away in peace, the Bokoblin smacked its lips and blinked its groggy eyes until it finally landed its gaze on the green-clad hero before it.
With a high-pitched screech, the beast rose to its feet and looked around for its counterparts. It shrieked again when it realized they were no more. Whether out of stupidity, sleepiness, or shock, it reached towards several weapons sitting propped against a nearby log and managed to grab what looked to be nothing more than a soup ladle.
"Not what I would have gone with," Link uttered with a shrug.
By the time it realized its mistake, it was too late. Link stepped forward and with a mere two flicks of the Goddess Sword, the Bokoblin fell and disappeared in a plume of malice. Link paused to take note of the weapons the beastly encampment had. Iron rods with jagged pieces of metal protruding from its circular tip, strong bows and arrows with metal tips, and whips; weapons he had not seen any Bokoblin use before. Returning to Fi, they continued their venture until they came to a large stone wall with a wooden fence coming from either side. Through the fence they could see an open expanse, and the smell of fresh water filled the air.
"A lake?" Link questioned.
Pushing on the stone, the gate refused to budge, and there did not appear to be any hole made for a key. Inspecting the gate further, Fi happened upon an inscription on a nearby rock, written in her own tongue.
"What's it say?" Link asked curiously.
"Find what's missing and return it," Fi replied.
Link huffed.
"Oh, hang it all. That's less than helpful."
Fi observed the stone gate more closely. On it, there was a symbol carved delicately into the rock of two half-moons, one larger and the other fitting inside of the first. At their feet, carved into the dirt and rock, was the same symbol, only this one included a full circle resting in the curve of the smaller half-moon.
"Master, I believe the image on the rock is incomplete," Fi stated.
Link nodded his head in agreement.
"Yes," he said, "but how do we return the part that's missing?"
"It is likely a skyward strike can be used to carve the missing image into the rock."
Link's head flicked to the side momentarily as he wrestled with this suggestion, running a hand over his honey-blonde hair.
"I don't know. What if that's not it? I worry it might-"
"Have I offered you incorrect information at any point prior, Master?" Fi questioned curiously, yet sincerely.
Link's open mouth snapped shut upon hearing this. He turned and met Fi's gaze, shaking his head.
"Fi, are you getting defensive?" he questioned with a chuckle.
Fi's head tilted.
"What would I be defending, Master Link?"
Link let out a scoff, giving Fi a genuine smile.
"Nevermind," he said with a wink. "Fine, I'll try it."
With a skyward strike charged, he began the painstaking task of carving a circle into the thick rock. The intensity of his focus, motivated by fear of misdrawing the shape, coaxed large beads of sweat to form on his forehead, one coming close to falling into his eye, enough to prompt a series of rapid blinks. Link and Fi were so focused on the task at hand that neither heard the brief sound of snapping twigs coming from some yards behind them. Neither heard the creaking of a thick string being pulled back from a wooden frame, nor the gurgling breaths of the beast that had taken aim at them. Link heard the sound of an arrow being sent through the air at break-neck speed, but the very moment the sound registered was the same moment he felt it penetrate his shoulder just beside the pit of his arm.
The Goddess Sword dropped to the ground with a metal clang as Link shouted and instinctively reached for his shoulder. Fi's gaze whipped back, and she immediately spotted the assailant through the nearby trees. With impressive agility, she soared through the air, exuding a brilliant blue light that reflected off of everything it touched. The glow radiating from Fi, which bounced off of his own vividly green eyes momentarily distracted Link from his injury. A trail of dirt followed Fi as she rushed toward the Bokoblin archer. She evaded its many attempts to shoot her down and, upon reaching it, she began swirling around it in a dizzying array of light. With the time bought, Link tore the arrow from his shoulder with a yelp of pain. As the arrowhead left his flesh, he quickly turned his attention to aiding Fi. She continued her display, alarming and distracting the Bokoblin. It swatted at her, growing angrier by the second, evidenced by its growls and roars getting louder and more flustered.
Suddenly, Fi ceased moving, staring plainly into the eyes of the warty, blue fiend. It also paused, tilting its head, perplexed by her sudden halt. Then, she floated to the side, revealing Link just behind her, swinging the Goddess Sword with a mighty shout. He was the last thing the Bokoblin saw before it met its death. Link quickly turned back to the gate, clenching his shoulder.
"Master, your injury requires attention," Fi stated.
"We don't have time," Link asserted back. Recognizing his tone had more of a bite than he intended, he met her gaze as he continued walking. "We make a pretty good team," he said with a small smile, hiding a grimace of ache.
"I agree." Fi replied.
Though it hurt him to do so, he continued carving the image until it was complete, and at long last, the gate opened to them. It revealed a roofed pathway with arches of white stone choked with vines on either side. Link was careful to stay in the center of the path, as one could fall through an arch and plummet far down into the vast lake, seemingly miles below them.
"You are feeling nervous," Fi gathered, reading his thoughts.
"That's a long fall," Link replied with a sigh.
Alas, at the end of the pathway, there was nothing except for the lake below, surrounded by monstrous waterfalls and high up cliffs. It was clear that there was only one way to go.
"A very long fall, indeed," Fi said, earning a side-eye from Link.
"How likely am I to survive this?" he questioned with a gulp.
"I calculate a fifty-one percent survival rate, Master."
His forest green eyes widened and met hers.
"You can improve your chances of survival by diving correctly."
"How do I do that?" Link asked. "I've never dived into water before, just the sky."
"Neither have I." Fi replied.
Link's expression blunted.
"Good luck, Master," Fi said, before returning to the sword.
Link rolled his eyes and peered down at the daunting waterscape below him. He felt his heartbeat quicken and the beginnings of a stomach ache developing. His Spirit Vessel broke free from his tunic and dangled down toward the lake, and it was as if the Spirit of Farore herself was making her presence with him known. reminding him of her guidance and the courage he had displayed in the Silent Realm. With another dry gulp and a nod, Link finally drew in a deep breath, said a silent prayer, raised his arms to the sky (as best as he could with his wounded shoulder), and dove from the platform. The fall itself felt natural. The wind whipping through his hair and making his open eyes feel refreshingly (though bitingly) cold felt all too familiar. It was the approaching water, however, that worried him. His head drew back as he nervously braced himself for impact.
The startling smack of the water overwhelmed his ears before they were filled and all sounds were dampened. He felt as though his front body had been flattened by some terribly cold slab of stone or sheet of metal. The further he sank, the more he felt his extremities were being crushed by an overwhelming pressure. When at last the sinking ceased, he began a fierce swim to the surface. With a harsh gasp, he finally tasted sweet, precious air as he emerged. Clouds of mist rose up from the surrounding falls. Peculiar, luscious trees grew out from the water, shielding parts of the vast lake from the morning sun, which was now high in the sky. Below the water, he could see a tunnel of sorts that cut into a cliff side. Seeing nowhere else to go, he dove and made his way in, hoping he wasn't swimming into a death sentence.
Just as his lungs were beginning to ache, he emerged into what appeared to be a dark cavern lit only by luminescent aquatic plants casting enticing shades of teal and indigo over the water and rocky walls. There were small, colorful fish speckling the clear, blue water. Swimming forward, Link was surprised when another creature emerged from the water. It had a pointed head and gills on the sides of its thin neck. From its mushroom-shaped body came long, flowing tentacles, and an even longer tail that came to a sharp point. On its head was a piece of fleshy coral. Its body was cream-colored and speckled with deep shades of ruby. Its eyes protruded from the sides of its head, one looking up and the other peering down as it observed Link.
"Who are you?" it gurgled in a soft, feminine voice. "Have arrived here by mistake? There are few swimmers skilled enough to traverse Lake Floria."
"My name is Link," he replied breathlessly. "I'm looking for a sacred flame."
"The flame?" the creature gasped, shrinking back. "There are even fewer who know of that. Truth be told, I do not even know much about it."
"Do you know where I can find it?"
"Alas, I do not." the creature sighed. "It is guarded by our great and powerful leader, and she it quite busy." She gave Link another once-over. "I'm sorry. By her orders, I must turn you away."
"But the forest - the lake - they're in peril."
"We know!" she said in a whispered shout. "Our Lady Dragon, Faron, was terribly wounded protecting us from such peril."
"Wounded?" Link questioned. "How?"
"She was ambushed... by a demon lord of unimaginable power and malice."
"Ghirahim?"
The creature drew back once more, blinking twice, rather dramatically.
"I've said too much," she squeaked quietly before turning away and swimming forward.
Link gave chase as best as he could.
"Listen, I know who Ghirahim is and what he's capable of." Link pleaded. "I was once wounded by him, too. I'm trying to stop him and his master from capturing my friend and wreaking havoc on the world."
"I do not doubt that your intentions are noble," the creature said sadly, turning back, "but I am under strict orders to not let anyone pass in to meet Lady Faron."
She swam further away while Link thought harder on how to convince her.
"You said Faron is a dragon?" he inquired. "Like Levias?"
Once more, the creature paused. This time, she turned to Link more slowly than before, her long, spout-like mouth agape.
"You know Levias?" she asked, almost excitedly.
"Well, not personally, though I've seen him." Link replied. "My friend is in trouble, Levias is too, and it sounds like Faron might be as well. Please. Let me help."
The creature bobbed in the water, deep in thought.
"Fine. I will take you to Lady Faron," she conceded at last. "You may call me Jellyf. Link, was it?"
She lead him through a seemingly endless stretch of tunnels. Some areas were fully submerged, and so they had to move quickly, lest Link might drown. Other sections had land where Link could rest, even if only for a few minutes at a time. On their journey, Jellyf told Link about the Parella (her species) and Lake Floria. She also told him about Faron, and warned him that behavior any less than perfectly modest and polite would not be tolerated. Though she had the softest of voices, she talked incessantly. Link didn't mind as she seemed to be a well of valuable information, and her banter passed the time. Link's body was growing exhausted, and the throbbing pain in his shoulder from the earlier injury was raging, but finally, they arrived at what appeared to be another large lake.
Dozens of Parellas swam about, taking notice of the green stranger in their midst. One-by-one they stopped their talking and swimming to eye the mysterious fellow.
"Don't mind them, Link," Jellyf said kindly "we are just naturally inquisitive."
A large roofed platform that looked to be made of angelite protruded from the water. The gentle, cloudy blue stone glistened as the lake water flowed onto it. A walkway stretched out in the front and rear of the platform, and on it laid one of the most beautiful yet saddest sights Link had ever seen; the dragon, Faron. Her long, flowing body was covered in scales that shimmered white and sky blue. Link almost wondered if she was made entirely of diamond as beams of sunlight made her surface almost unbearably bright to look at. Link, somewhat hesitantly, hoisted himself onto the platform and stared in awe as the long, solemn face of the dragon was perhaps a yard or two away from him. And yet, her eyes were dim, and he could hear her labored breaths filling the air. Her wild, orange eyes shifted to observe Link.
"Child..." she said tiredly. Her deep, alluring voice filled the space, and yet her mouth remained closed. "Who are you, and what is it that you seek?"
Link fumbled over his words before finally catching his breath and clearing his throat. Before any words escaped him, Jellyf motioned to him from the water.
"Manners. Best manners." she whispered, flailing her tentacles.
Link gave her a curt nod of appreciation.
"Lady Faron," he finally replied, "my name is Link. I am on a quest to find the sacred flame."
The dragon hummed, though it sounded halfway like a pained groan. Link could see her lungs expanding and contracting in her long body.
"Who sent you?" she asked.
The question gave Link pause. His eyes looked to the ground and darted this way and that as he thought how best to answer.
"Well, there are a few, I suppose. The elder woman in the Sealed Temple sent me to purify my sword in the three sacred flames. I then endured a trial in the Silent Realm and was bid by the Goddess Farore to pursue the flame which you guard."
The beast's face changed shape as she seemed more endeared by Link. She lifted her head slightly and, gliding it against the stone, set it back down so her gaze was now fixed squarely on the boy. She first looked him in the eye, which for Link was overwhelming, as her giant, orange, dragon eyes were perhaps the fiercest things he had ever seen. And yet, there was a gentleness that kept him still and at peace. Then, her gaze shifted to his chest, where the Spirit Vessel could be seen hanging from his neck.
"That was certainly gifted to you by the Goddess Farore." she said with a heaving breath, her mouth still unmoving.
"Faron, it is my understanding that you have been hurt." Link stated boldly before questioning if this was improper.
Faron unleashed a mighty sigh. A section of her body unraveled slowly, revealing two surprisingly short yet still mighty forelegs with sharp claws. She pulled these back to reveal a gaping wound. However, instead of crimson blood like that which stained the rear shoulder of Link's tunic, this wound seeped pure light. This light was not like what reflected beautifully from each of the dragon's scales. No, something about seeing this caused Link to imagine the worst physical pain his mind could conjure, and his heart physically ached from seeing Faron's glowing laceration. Many of the Parellas fled from the sight. Jellyf remained close by, trembling and shaking her features from side to side in a show of sadness and disbelief.
"Ghirahim did this?"
The dragon offered a half-nod, hiding the wound once more.
"Are you-" Link began, before being painfully choked up by his own voice.
"My power is waning." Her beautiful voice became breathless and strained. "If nothing is done, then I will be of no use in defending this lake or these woods, and those who dwell in it whom I hold so dear."
"There has to be a way I can help." Link asserted, forgoing manners.
"There is, Brave One," she replied. "It is nothing less than destiny itself that had brought you to us at this time." She paused and drew in a labored breath. "It is required of you that your sword be purified by three unceasing flames. One is sheltered in our Ancient Cistern. There, Ghirahim unleashed a demon - a terror - that has plagued our most sacred space. Alas, it draws my power from me, and will continue for as long as it survives. Only when it is defeated will I begin to heal."
Her wild, fiery eyes met Link's once more.
"I will aid you with what strength I have left." Her head leaned slightly forward. "Brave One, take up your sword."
A look of confusion dawned on Link's features as he hesitantly drew the Goddess Sword.
"I offer you one of my scales. Take it with you, that my power may protect you against the darkness inside the Ancient Cistern."
Unsure of what to do, Link looked to Jellyf for clarification. She mimed a cutting motion from the water, which Link was appalled by.
"No Faron, I can't dare." he protested.
"Can't dare to defy a dragon?" she replied, a hint of displeasure in her tone.
Link's breath caught in his chest as he remembered Jellyf's warning from before. With a feeling of sickness growing in his belly, he stepped to the side of the dragon's head and placed the metal of his blade against one of her diamond-like scales. Closing his eyes tightly, he thrust the blade down. The feeling of the scale being torn from her, coupled by a thunderous yowl from Faron, was nearly too much for him.
"I'm sorry," he pleaded, "I didn't mean to-"
"Peace, Link," she said. Though her expression remained unchanged, her voice sounded as though she was smiling. "we dragons shed our scales quite often. They bring good fortune to those who find them. It feels like you just removed a splinter and nothing more. I apologize if I frightened you."
Her chuckle filled the air. Link allowed himself to smile in kind, though his heart was still racing. Jellyf beckoned to him eagerly.
"Come with me," she said. "I will lead you to the Cistern. Please make haste."
