"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny."

~C.S. Lewis~

Ancient Roots

Chapter 25: Floria

~Interlude~

"We have to try again."

"No, what you need is rest."

Link couldn't hold back an exasperated sigh as Impa responded calmly to his almost desperate pleas. He had no idea what time it was (but he was sure it was dark outside) or how long they'd been training for, yet the Sheikah remained steadfast that they were done for the time being. But Link wasn't ready to be done—that's what he told himself, at least.

"I barely lasted a few minutes against you," he insisted. "We have to keep going until I can hold my own."

And he wasn't wrong. The first time Impa had created an illusion of the Discidium for him, he'd been so overwhelmed that less than a minute had passed before the Sheikah stopped the spell. Although he wasn't physically drained, he was already so mentally scarred that he'd barely taken a break before insisting that they try again.

They'd only tried a handful of times before Impa refused to carry on any more.

"We will keep going until I decide we're finished," was her simple response. Then, when she realised that her words weren't getting through, she softened and added, "You're at your mental limit. All you need is a little time to—"

"We don't have time for this," he swiftly cut her off. "If I can't defend myself against this spell, then what hope do we have?"

She shook her head, "You'll learn to defend yourself, but these things take time—" But he'd stopped listening and she knew it. He was being driven by his fear of being vulnerable to the Demon Lord and his ritual, and was pushing himself beyond his limits in order to ease that fear. But, in turn, he wasn't addressing the core of the issue: what he was seeing during these illusions of the Discidium.

It was almost too easy to pick up his best and worst memories and flip them upside down. It pained Impa to twist memories of his losses and darken the happier memories he had, but it was exactly what the Demon Lord would do if his plans came to fruition. But Link was refusing to acknowledge what he saw and pushed onward; it was the opposite of what Impa wanted and she knew there was only one way to make him face the ritual.

Holding back a sigh, Impa remarked, "Tell me where Zelda is."

"Dead," the voice of the Demon Lord (that Impa had created for the Discidium) whispered immediately at the back of his mind. It's exactly what he'd said during the illusory ritual, and Link couldn't seem to get the words out his head.

"Dead and buried—"

"Warm blood pooling around her—"

"No more air in her lungs—"

"Lifeless—"

"You left her—"

"You'll never see her again—"

"You're both just shadows of those who lived before—"

"How does it feel?"

"Fine," he bit out. "She's… fine."

But he was already wavering. He tried to ignore the flashes of what he'd seen—her blood, her lifeless body, her glassy eyes—but it was getting harder to ignore the more times he experienced the ritual. There were only so many memories that could be twisted and blackened before he started to question which memories were real and which ones were conjured up.

She's fine, he told himself. It wasn't real…

He hoped so, at least.

"What about your parents? Wren and Raven, wasn't it?"

"Don't," he growled, snapping at her. "I know what you're trying to do, but please—"

"They're dead too—"

He shook his head.

"You found them dumped on the island—"

The ritual tried to twist his memories; that isn't what happened.

"Eyes wide and dead—"

"You left them too—"

"You'll join them soon—"

"Even though they hate you—"

It was too much. All he could see was the wrong memories. He couldn't breathe—it was too hard. Where were the happier memories? Did he even have any?

"And Roperi? No, she's Crimson to you, isn't—?"

"She's dead, Impa!" he cut her off, shouting so loudly that a cold silence stretched between them as he caught his breath. He tried to hide his trembling hands, but his whole body was shaking. "I knew her for a few weeks before she died, and if I don't figure out how to fight this ritual then I'll be joining her—all of them!" His words rang out until the silence engulfed them and he sank to his knees, looking up at her and shakily pleaded, "Please Impa… let me try again. I… I can't fail…"

He was so much like the first Bearer, Impa had quickly realised upon meeting him. Of course, he was far younger and more innocent to the art of war compared to his ancestor, yet they were still both so alike. Both of them had destiny thrust upon them with little time to cope with the unbearable weight of protecting the world, and neither of them wanted to fail. The Sheikah was just thankful that they both had someone to keep an eye on them.

Nonetheless, she faltered at his tone and knelt down to his level, murmuring, "Link, it's my solemn duty to protect you from those who seek to assail you, and to prepare you for what the Goddess has in store for you next." He nodded slowly, eyes lost and fearful. "You've grown so much since I first met you. I know that you won't fail."

He frowned, "You're just saying that to—" But Impa shook her head and cut him off.

"I know that you won't fail, Link; everyone has faith that you'll play your part admirably," she continued. "But what I also know is that none of us want you to lose yourself in the process, which you will if you keep neglecting yourself." She paused, then asked, "Tell me, what are you fighting for?" His expression darkened.

"Other than my life?" She should have known that answer was coming. He was young and still accepting his destiny; she had to do the same during the Great War, after all.

"Other than your life," she said simply. "What, or who, are you fighting for?"

He turned his gaze towards the ceiling, "Goddess, what aren't I fighting for, Impa? I'm fighting for Zelda, my friends, my home, the Goddess, the Surface…"

When he couldn't come up with any more reasons, she pressed, "Not yourself?" He hesitated, then shrugged it off.

"I want to live as much as the next person," he assured her, meeting her gaze evenly. "But I… I just want the others to live first."

"And I understand that," she said, and she really did mean it. "But what you have to understand is that everyone believes in you, but it means nothing if you don't believe in yourself. So, keep fighting, Link—despite the odds, despite the fear, despite the Discidium. But fight for yourself too. You have a right to live as much as Zelda does, as much as anyone else does. None of us want to die, and we certainly don't want to lose you either."

Something in her words made his heart twinge and he felt his face twist as he fought heard against the emotions overwhelming him. Fierce determination battled his crippling fear of failure, and all he could do was wipe away any tears with his sleeve. Impa forced a small smile as she drew him into a hug.

"Thank you," he murmured, giving her arm an appreciative squeeze. Feeling his eyes grow heavy, he finally conceded, "Maybe we can take a little break. Just don't let me sleep for long, alright?" The Sheikah held back a sigh of relief and settled with holding him at arm's length and offering him a small smile.

"We'll start again in the morning."

~Zelda~

I groan as I swim back into consciousness, a headache pounding behind closed eyelids and effectively keeping them shut. I soon orientate myself and realise I'm laying on my side with my cheek rubbing against the soft grass as I stir. As soon as I try to open my eyes, harsh sunlight invades my vision and I squeeze them shut until I can properly adjust to the light. There seems to be a canopy of tree leaves above my head, but the sunlight still fights through. The world around me is alive with sounds that soothe my mind and bring me back into consciousness gently rather than how abruptly I lost consciousness before.

"Zellie, don't go in there! It's too dangerous!" I bolt upright at the memory and immediately clutch my head in a weak attempt to make the memories go away. Blinking my vision back into focus and away from the memories, I let the gentle breeze rustle my hair for a moment as I calm myself down.

I completed the trial… I can move on from this; I'm stronger than this.

"Dominae," Fi's voice suddenly reaches my ears, and I can't help but jump out of my skin. She glides into my field of vision and I offer her a shaky smile. "Dominae, you are awake. You've been sleeping for a total of sixteen hours and six minutes." My lips part. Sixteen hours… the trial really did take it out of me.

Looking around, I ask Fi, "Why am I in the clearing with all of the Kikwis?" Thankfully they're all asleep, but I distinctly remember passing out straight after the trial.

"Due to increasing monster activity while you were unconscious, I asked Elder Bucha to bring you to a safer part of the woods," she clarifies. "A scan of your vitals is positive and I detect an improvement in your emotional stability." I lower my head as I think back on the awful trial, unsure if I really am more emotionally stable after that ordeal. Though I suppose I'm not screaming and crying, so it's an improvement.

I swallow thickly and nod. "And I finished the trial… didn't I?"

"Yes. Congratulations, Dominae; you have passed this trial." I can't hold back a deep sigh of relief. Nodding down to my open hand, she adds, "You now have the power to proceed to the location of the first Sacred Flame that will enhance your sword."

I follow her eyes down to my hand and find a stunning trinket resting on my palm. A cyan scale shines in the morning light and is attached to a cord of the same colour that's decorated with an array of colourful beads. "What is this, Fi? I've never seen anything like it before."

"That is known as the Water Dragon's Scale, and is one of the Goddess's sacred gifts," she explains to me. I blink, recalling the word "dragon" but only from folklore. Could they truly exist? Well, I shouldn't be too surprised if they do exist after all I've seen so far on my journey. "The great spirit of the Water Dragon has provided you with the ability to swim freely underwater."

I hold the scale up into the sunlight before pulling the cord over my head, though I feel no different wearing it as I murmur, "It's beautiful…"

"The flame you seek is somewhere within these woods. I must conclude that this flame is likely in a part of this area you have not explored." I thank and dismiss her with a nod before gazing back down at the scale around my neck. Despite the horrors that I faced in the trial, I try my best to keep that at the back of my mind and focus on the task at hand: using the Water Dragon's Scale to find the first Sacred Flame.

Pulling out my map from my bag, I spread it out on the dirt and consider my next move. If the scale is going to help me find the flame, then I must need to swim somewhere to get there. Karane and I explored the Deep Woods and Skyview Temple and there was barely any water there (apart from Skyview Spring, I suppose). And, apart from the few ponds dotted around the woods, there's only the southern part of the map that hasn't been filled in yet.

I shrug; we'll see where this takes us. Rolling the map up, I creep past the sleeping Kikwis and over towards a vine that can get me out of the clearing easily. Swinging into the main part of the forest, land on the ground in a deep crouch to save myself from the harsh impact. I narrow my eyes at where the Trial Gate used to be, even if the flower's disappeared from the earth. Sending it a glare, I turn off to my left and slip between a tiny passageway to head deeper into the woods.

As I cross through the clearing where Karane and I met Bucha for the first time, I spot a white stone door in the distance and recall something Machi had said to me back then. "That's Lake Floria, koo-weep! But the door's locked tight. I think she's trying to protect the lake from all the mean things."

She? I muse. Maybe she's the Water Dragon? Still, Lake Floria must be a good sign.

And yet, as I head towards that door, a horrible sound reaches my ears. I flinch as I stop at the door and turn my head towards the sound of the noise. Sitting on the highest branch of a tree is a sleeping Kikwi, though they look far older (and overgrown, if that's the right word) than the others I've met. It snores louder and shriller than any human or creature I've ever heard, and I dread to think how healthy they must be if they're making those sorts of noises.

"Excuse me?" I call, squinting as I step closer to them. But I get no response. "Um, excuse me?!"

"Kikwiii!" I cry out as the Kikwi jerks awake and reacts instantly, making me duck as it throws the twig in its hand in my direction. I take a moment to catch my breath before returning my attention to the old Kikwi, mouth agape. "Whoozit?!" they cry. "I'm nappin'!" I nervously massage my hands as I climb back onto my feet.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I thought you could help—"

"Oh, look at that! A real live human! Haven't seen one of you in a while, kwrrk." My lip twitches at how many times I've had this reaction from creatures on the Surface. It chuckles and points down to the twig it threw at me. "Well, could you pass that back to me, miss? Can't walk without the blasted thing."

I blink and stammer, "O-Of course." Quickly retrieving the stick, I pass it up to him before stepping back and saying, "I'm sorry for waking you up, um…"

"They used to call me Yerbal," he says when I trail off, though he sounds a bit bitter about that. "Now I'm just the old Kikwi hermit. I watch over this forest here… when I'm not nappin'. I'm surprised you can even see me! You know, some of Kikwis can't even see me these days…"

For some reason, I'm reminded of Henya when I look at Yerbal and that alone makes me smile. "I'm sorry to hear that, Yerbal, but I can see you just fine. Like I was saying…"

"Is that so? Well then, slap yourself on the back, kwrrk!" Yerbal cuts in before I can finish, although he's too sweet to make me angry. Then he waves himself off and shakes his head, "But forget all that nonsense and tell me, koo-weep, what business does a real live human have in these woods?" I slowly draw the Goddess Sword and hold it up to him in both hands.

"I was tasked by the Goddess to find the Sacred Flame that'll enhance my sword," I explain. "I need it to find someone important to me." Saying out loud doesn't make it any easier, but it certainly strengthens my resolve. The Kikwi hums in deep thought before throwing himself from the branch, and I just about manage to drop the Goddess Sword in time to catch him before setting him down and kneeling to his level.

"How about that… a human who can see me and seeks a great flame, kwrrk!" he muses, then snaps his gaze up to me and holds his free hand out. "Listen, do you promise not to breathe a word of what I'm about to tell you to another soul? I'm serious!"

I smile and take his tiny hand. "I promise."

"Alright, I'll tell you. But remember: it's a secret to everybody," he teases with a wink, though I'm not too sure what he means. But I don't have time to question it before he's carrying on, "The flame you seek is most likely Farore's Flame. Yes, yes… that story begins very long ago when the Goddess was still with us…"

"The Goddess?" I parrot, still a little awed.

"Yes. The Goddess gave the flame to the Water Dragon, a great spirit that presides over Faron Woods." I nod eagerly, ready to tell him about my scale but he continues before I can say anything. "The way I hear it, she left the flame in the care of the Water Dragon so that one day the mighty dragon could pass it on to the "one from the sky"… and, you see, I've got a hunch that the Goddess was talking about you, miss."

I nod, "I think she was too."

"Well, that settles that. You must seek out the mighty Water Dragon. Her lair is deep in Lake Floria where she watches over the flame." He gestures to the white door, which has some carvings on it that seem familiar but I can't quite put my finger on why. "There's a problem, though. The gate that leads to the lake is sealed shut to all those judged unworthy… but I'll let you in on the trick to opening the gate!"

"You will?" I breathe as I recollect the Goddess Sword. "Thank you, Yerbal."

He gestures to the sacred sword in my hand and says, "To open the gate, you have to channel the power of the Goddess into that sword of yours. The symbol on those doors is incomplete so, to unlock the gate, you must make the symbol whole."

With Hylia's knowledge, I think back to the symbols on the Gate of Time and realise it's the symbol of Farore that needs to be completed—two crescent moons with a full circle needing to be added. And since I've heard references to the power of the Goddess and my sword, I start to piece it together.

I make my way over to the door and raise the Goddess Sword to prepare a Skyward Strike. Placing the tip of the sword against the door, a gasp escapes me as a line of purple light follows the sword as I draw a circular design inside of the crescents. Once I've completed the circle, the line fades and a carved white circle appears to complete the symbol moments before the double doors grumble open to reveal a large corridor before me.

The corridor seems more like a pier, now that I think about it, since the covered corridor (with black iron bars on either side to periodically let the sunlight in) suddenly drops off where gigantic waterfalls roar in the distance. Steeling myself, I sheathe the Goddess Sword and turn back to Yerbal with a smile.

"I wish you safe travels, miss. Though I forgot to mention this earlier and it's important!" I raise a brow, confused and slightly worried. "Her Excellence, the Water Dragon, is very pernickety about manners, so watch yours! I've heard stories of folks who caught her in a fussy mood and they ended up as midmorning snacks, kwrrk!"

My heart skips a beat and I can feel the colour drain from my face. "I-I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

"Also," he adds, lowering his tone. "I probably taste like old cave moss, but I'm not in a hurry to become a royal meal. So don't let her know I told you about Farore's Flame, alright?"

I nod and he visibly relaxes. I bid him farewell and start down the corridor, unable to keep Yerbal's words out of my mind. A part of me is excited to tell Link that I've met a dragon while he's been away, but it won't mean anything if the threat of becoming her meal is dangling over my head. But if I'm the Goddess reborn, then surely she'd remember me since I gave her the Sacred Flame to watch over?

It'd be really nice if I remembered that; it'd make finding these damn flames a lot easier.

Once I reach the edge of the pier, I skid to a stop at the edge and peer over the edge, staring down into the large body of water below. Mist from the waterfalls blur the water, creating an almost whimsical look. And yet, despite where I'm from, plunging myself into water that deep sends panic into my system.

It's just like jumping off Skyloft for Zelda, I tell myself calmly as I see the drop. For Hylia… not so much.

Taking a deep breath, I clutch the Water Dragon's Scale around my neck and take a few steps backwards to prepare myself for the fall. For Zelda, it's comforting to imagine Destiny flying around below in wait, and it surprisingly helps Hylia too. Another memory crosses my mind as I try to steel myself, remembering how I always got Link to climb up to the top of the highest waterfall in Skyloft during the summer months so we could dive into the water below—it was always a high point of my childhood, even if my father did scold me for doing it.

I take a flying leap off the platform and stretch my arms forward as the water rushes up to meet me. My lips curve up into a small smile as I enter the water moments later, the cool water hitting me instantly as bubbles fly up around my face and body. I kick up as quickly as I can and breathe heavily once I break free of the surface. The mist from the waterfalls gently caresses my skin, and a laugh bubbles up from my chest.

I'm really doing this, I think to myself. I really am here. Sometimes it's easy to forget where you are when the world is on your shoulders…

My eyes widen when I suddenly remember my bag and how soaked it must be. Yet, when I reach down for it, I see that the scale's created a protective bubble around it. My lips part for a moment, though I'm quick to remind myself that this isn't the most bizarre thing I've seen on this mission as Fi appears before me, her toes balancing elegantly on the water's surface.

"Mistress, this area is commonly known as Lake Floria," she says. "Despite its serene beauty, I detect the presence of various monsters. Your equipment is survival-focused, and sustainability to this area is 40%." I frown, realising how tricky it'll be to fight in the water. "Despite this, I suggest using the unda spell in order to hurl water at enemies."

I smile as she returns to the Goddess Sword and take a few moments to try out the spell underwater before pressing on. Diving underwater, I swim around the main lake before I spot a tunnel leading off in one direction and swim towards it. As I swim past partially submerged trees, the happy memories that stir within me as I swim makes me vow to bring Link here when this is all over.

I can't wait to see you again…

A small waterfall at the very end of the tunnel spits me out into a much more cavernous area with and abundance of colourful plants swaying with the current at the bottom of the river whilst others drape from the walls as well, almost looking like lights to guide me. Glancing around, I find a strange creature before me adorned with red markings and numerous legs that float around in the current.

"Ack! Another human!" it cries. "Okay, okay… I just have to avoid eye contact and back away slowly…"

"Wait!" I call, fishing out my scale and hold it out to them. "I have the Water Dragon's Scale. I'm here to meet with Her Excellence."

It freezes and stares at the scale before replying, "Does… does that make you an emissary of the Goddess, like the Water Dragon said?" I smile and nod, relieved that I don't have to explain myself again. "Hey, I've got an idea. Maybe you can help Her Excellence!"

"What's wrong?"

"Well, this weirdo came in with a gang of monsters and went right after Her Excellence." A gasp escapes me before I can stop myself. I don't need three guesses to know who this weirdo is. "My lady, the Water Dragon, is a fierce fighter and, boy, did she gobble up most of those monsters in the first few seconds! Thing is, there were just so many of them… while she was distracted, the weirdo leading all those creatures managed to wound her and she sent me to look for help."

My heart starts to beat faster. "Is the, uh… weirdo still there attacking Her Excellence?" It nods vigorously. "Take me to her! I can help."

"Oh, praise be to the Goddess, we've been given a beacon of hope!" the creature cries out happily before diving into the water and guiding me through the caverns. My worry only increases as I swim after the creature because I have too many questions and absolutely no answers.

The assailant has to be Ghirahim—only he'd have the gall to attack a legendary creature like a dragon. But I'm still not sure why he'd do that. He's no doubt searching for clues that'll get him to wherever Link and Impa escaped to through the Gate of Time, but what information would the Water Dragon have? Does he know about the Sacred Flames, or is it just a coincidence that he's here?

Nothing's a coincidence on the Surface, I remind myself. He'll have some sort of plan and I need to find out what it is as soon as possible. I push myself to swim harder and faster than I've ever had to, mainly to keep up with the creature. I follow it down a maze of caverns and through various submerged caves where other creatures are looking for help or cowering from monsters—Fi calls them Froaks and Caniocs.

Once I manage to take them out with my spells, we carry on down the many tunnels until we enter another underwater cavern. Even though it's one of the Goddess's sacred gifts, the Water Dragon Scale allows me to breathe underwater for much longer than I could've imagined, and I only have to take a few breaks to catch my breath before carrying on. I don't want to think about how long this would've taken if I didn't have the scale to hand.

The creature leads me over to a grand door adorned with shells and different coloured stones. "This is where Her Excellence is," it explains. "But beware for enemies ahead; they were swarming the place when I left!" And then, in a gesture that makes my stomach turn, the creature inserts its head into the lock and unlocks the door for me. I gape at such a small creature's strength, but it's not like I have to think about the logic behind it. Still, I can feel my stomach churning so much that I'm forced to look away from how horrible the grinding sound is until it finally stops.

"Thank you," I say, blinking when I realise that I said that effortlessly underwater. The creature laughs as I glance down at the scale around my neck—I can't wait to show my friends what incredible things I've collected on my journey.

But, for now, I have a job to do.

I swim through the door and after the creature, emerging in a giant room with even more plants lining the walls and cavern floors than in the other tunnels. From my vantage point underwater, I spot a main platform above the water's surface that I can swim on to and I can only assume it's where the main fight is taking place as I can see fuzzy figures—one small and the other as big as the Statue of the Goddess—attacking each other.

Fuelled by a desire to protect the Water Dragon and find this first flame, I swim hard and knock away what enemies are swarming the area before poking my head up over the lip of the platform to get a gauge of the fight at hand before revealing myself. Despite the spatters of blood on the stone, the two figures are holding their own as they hurl a range of magical attacks at each other.

The first is the Demon Lord with his trusty rapier, though I'm really not surprised to see him here—I'm just annoyed. But my attention is quickly snatched up by the creature he's fighting. The looming figure he raises his blade to must be none other than Her Excellence, and Hylia stirs with recollection at the sight of her—the name Faron comes to mind. Although she's a dragon, she looks more like a fish or a snake to Zelda. A stream of water runs down the curvature of her blue body from her neck to her tail and a dark blue cloak (adorned with the symbol of Farore in black and light blue), covers most of her body. Scales fan out around her head in purple and yellow, and her look is as stern as a stone despite the few wounds on her.

"You have intruded on my home, a sacred place few are permitted to enter!" she booms, her tone rocking me to my very core. "This is no place for one such as you. And yet, here you stand!"

"In such a drab place as well, I must say," Ghirahim mocks. "But your hearing must be waning in your old age, because I've already said that I'll leave once you've given me the information I require." The Water Dragon draws herself to her full height and sends forth a surge of water that barely misses him and me.

"Do not mock me, demon! If this is an attempt at humour, you will find this a cold audience!" She hums deeply and glares at him. "A loyal servant of the Goddess would never hand over such vital information to the enemy. Now, begone!" But he doesn't budge and I know I have to act.

Pulling myself up onto the platform, the two turn at the sound of me drawing my sword. The Water Dragon's eyes widen in awe and the Demon Lord groans and desperately tries not to roll his eyes at the sight of me. With more of Hylia's memories awakened, I can feel both of our burning hatred towards his man growing as I stare him down. And despite my internal conflict, there's one thing we both agree on: neither of us will let the Demon Lord linger here and destroy more lives.

"Greetings, Your Grace," he says with a mocking smirk. "I must say, you look slightly different than when we last met. Have you finally gotten your head out of the clouds and joined the rest of us in reality?"

"I understand who I am and what I must do, but that doesn't change my determination to stop you," I say through gritted teeth. "If anything, it's given me a stronger resolve to protect the ones I love."

Ghirahim pouts at my response. "How sweet! Still pining for your love even though you're the one who ruined his life." I swiftly counter an attack with one of my own, though it was easy to spot from a mile away and he easily parries it. As our swords clash, Faron watches over us silently. "Isn't that right, Your Grace? Now you finally understand that you weren't drawn to him out of love, but guilt."

"Shut up," I snap. "You're wrong."

"Oh, am I?" he counters smoothly. "So, you didn't send your favourite toy a vision that would purposely lead him to be imprisoned for four years, only for him to die a week or so after being released by your fair hand? You didn't dig up his body for reincarnation because you were guilty over his death and wanted to love him in all the ways you robbed him of in life?" My breath hitches and he manages to use my moment of weakness to slash at my shoulder. I bite back a cry and glare at him. "Am I wrong in saying that every cut, lash, bruise and burn he's ever taken has been entirely your fault? How about—?"

"No, you're right, Ghirahim!" I yell before he can continue. I blink away the tears that well up and purse my lips to stop them from quivering. I feel Hylia rising up within me and I let her self-hatred match my own. "I'll never be able to wash out the stains of guilt that taint my soul for what I've done, but I can do my best to make things right, and you stand in the way of that." My shoulders heave with each breath I take and we stop fighting for a moment.

The Demon Lord grins at me. "You don't know how happy I am to hear the supposedly invulnerable Goddess openly admit to her sins. Oh, how I'll treasure this day in my heart!"

"As will I," I seethe. "Because this is the day when I promise you that I won't stop until I cleanse this land of you. And if, by some horrid twist of fate, you ever lay a hand on Link again, I will hunt you down and tear you apart piece by demonic piece. Do you understand?" His grin only widens.

"And is that a promise from Her Grace or her puppet of a mortal?"

"It's a promise from Zelda and Hylia," I growl. "I will end you, Ghirahim."

"Then let us see how fate guides our paths," is all he says before raising his sword and disappearing in a flurry of diamonds. Once I'm sure that he's gone, I sheathe the Goddess Sword and angrily wipe away the tears that dare to surface. It breaks Zelda's heart to harbour such overwhelming guilt for what I've done, but it pains Hylia just as much to hear me say it out loud.

But my promise stands. I won't stop until I've rid him from this land.

"Your Grace…" I snap my head up towards the Water Dragon and, suddenly remembering who I'm in the presence of, sniff and place a hand over my heart as I bow to her, swallowing the last of my tears to focus on the task at hand.

"Faron, warden of the woods," I greet, allowing Hylia to take over for me. I vaguely remember the Water Dragon prefers that title over Her Excellence, so I do my best to get back on her good side after losing my composure in front of her. "I apologise for not coming sooner. This body remembers much, but not all, of when I last walked this land."

Faron raises a clawed hand and motions for me to straighten, "Oh, do rise, Your Grace! It should be me bowing to you, after all, and not the other way around." I smile and do as instructed, ensuring that I stand tall. She raises a brow and reaches down to pull out the scale from around my neck. "I say, that's one of my scales you have there. You certainly are the Goddess reborn to carry a sacred gift such as that."

I nod and call for Fi as I turn my attention to the wounds scattered across her scaley body. "Is there anything I can do to hear the Water Dragon?" Fi nods.

"Yes, Dominae. Upon deeper data scans, I have come across another spell that you can use on yourself and others to heal wounds." I gape a little before recomposing myself and nodding for her to continue. "Raise your hand to Her Excellence and say the word: sana."

I cast my gaze back over to Faron, who struggles to hold her hands out to stop me. "Do not spend your energy on this old dragon, Your Grace. I can merely send one of my subjects to collect some sacred water from Skyview Temple instead." I simply shake my head at her. "I admire your persistence, Your Grace, however I—"

"We both bonded over our distaste of titles," I cut her off. "You can call me Hylia, as I call you Faron. And this is the least I can do for my delay." She opens her mouth to object, but she soon thinks better of it and allows me to hold my hands up and breathe, "Sana…"

My fingertips immediately tingle as a pink glow sparks around them. Tendrils of light dance their way towards the various cuts and scrapes on the dragon's body and bloom into large, translucent flowers, some appearing over me and healing my shoulder wound too. As they flower and fade away, the wounds have scarred over and Faron sighs with relief.

"Thank you, Hylia. I am in your debt. Now," she adds before I can say anything else. "I assume you've come here seeking Farore's Flame, haven't you?"

I nod, "Yes, Faron. I was told you watch over it." She huffs and pinches her nose with her clawed fingers.

"That cackling, old hermit Kikwi told you about that, didn't he?" I can't mask my surprise and she quickly shakes her head. "It isn't your fault, Hylia. Honestly… I can't remember how many times I've told that scruffy thing to keep his mouth shut, whether it's to help the Goddess reborn or not. That's the last straw. Next time I see him, he's dinner!"

"O-Oh, Faron, you don't have to…"

"Oh, but I digress," she chuckles. "We need to say no more on the matter. I do watch over Farore's Flame and it would be an honour to show you where it's protected. Come, Hylia. This is but one step in the long journey ahead of you."

~Interlude~

Impaz sighed deeply as the doors of the Sealed Temple burst open again and the figure of the boy who accompanied Her Grace onto the Surface stormed inside. He'd gone outside not long after she'd left and the priestess had decided to give him the space that he needed. He had much on his plate—mentions of fate and destiny could wait until he'd gotten over the fact that there really was a land below the clouds.

The old priestess certainly understood Her Grace's frustrations with the boy. After all, he and the newest Bearer were utter opposites in terms of grace and manners, but she understood why the former was such a storm of emotions. He was clearly infatuated with Zelda and was desperate to play the role of the hero, even if said role was already well occupied. That and his anger towards the one who'd taken his place was childish, but understandable for a person whose entire life fit on a tiny, floating island in the sky.

Nonetheless, these were grave times indeed, and a boy's anger at his supposed destiny being thwarted by the newest Bearer was the last thing Impaz wanted to figure out. She was a priestess, not a therapist.

Groose huffed loudly as he completely ignored Impaz as he stormed over into an alcove off to the side and hid himself from her line of sight as he muttered something bitterly under his breath. With his constant mood swings and stubbornness, the boy had quickly become someone rather tiresome to deal with. She longed for some much-needed peace and quiet after the boy's ruckus.

She assumed that the boy had been handed most things in life or used his anger to get there, leaving very little space for him to grow and develop as a person. And now that he was on the Surface, Impaz knew that his presence must have been ordained in some way—the Goddess must have sent the boy down here for a reason, surely?

Well, there was that vision she'd received that the night before. It was a fleeting flash of what could come to pass, but Groose's arrival had drawn Impaz back to what she'd seen. It was a dark room, only lit up by the crackling green glow of Farore's Flame. But the Goddess reborn lay before it with the hilt of an enhanced Goddess Sword resting atop her open, limp palm, pale faced and unconscious.

Even in those brief seconds that Impaz saw, she knew that this had to be a vision. And with the boy in her care now here, she could now do something to help.

Perhaps he has a part to play in averting the ill omen of my vision, she mused. That could be the reason for his arrival: to find his true self and be of use to Her Grace as he so desperately wants to be.

It would be dangerous, but what choice did she have? It wasn't like she could go and help with her aging body. So, after a few moments of consideration, Impaz rose onto her feet with all of her remaining strength and ignored how her bones groaned with effort. Although her strength was withering and waning away, she still had a role to play and refused to let age get in the way of that, especially if it meant ensuring Her Grace's survival.

Feebly making her way down the jagged steps, Impaz crossed the short distance between her and the boy who sat on a nearby stool. He was staring down at the floor, deep in thought with his hands scrunched up into fists on his knees. She knew that he'd need little convincing of this task with his affection for Zelda and determination to be the hero. She simply prayed that it wouldn't also be his downfall.

Her Grace's life depended on it.

She placed her bony hand onto Groose's shoulder and effectively snapped his attention back into reality. "Child… you shall be of no help to Zelda by stomping around like this."

His eyebrows knitted together and he muttered, "Leave me alone, Grannie."

"Not until you hear how you may be able to assist dear Zelda in her quest." His eyes lit up, and she knew that she finally had the boy's attention. "I have a very important mission for you, child…"

*Sana means "heal" in Latin