Author's Note: I did have this ready since the start of the weekend, but I had only just posted the previous chapter, so I didn't want to have a chapter not very well edited for you and have a day after over a chapter with better editing and have it posted a few days later.

Reviews: MiniJen: It's no problem; your work deserves more than it is currently getting. And I am really glad that you enjoyed the Trial, as I thought that it wasn't nearly as good as the previou sone; though I think Din's Trial will be better. I'm glad that you're liking Link and Impa as well!

NoSignalBlueScreen: I'm glad that you liked the names :)

Schniedragon88: I'm glad that you enjoyed the Trial of Wisdom. See you in the next one!

Vampire-Queen-Kazumi: I'm glad that you like the different side of Link, and I actually kinda of enjoy writing it. As strange as that may sound.

ShadowNinja1011: All of the feels!

Favourites & Follows: Thank-you to "DesertRose98" and "Sakura4000" for favouriting this FanFiction along with "Sakura4000" again for following this FanFiction.

"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going."

~Sam Levenson~

Ancient Roots

A Skyward Sword FanFiction

Chapter 29: Ocean

Following Fi's advice of exploring parts of Lanayru Desert that we didn't trek through previously, Groose and I stare up at a large waterfall of sand in the south-western portion of the Province. With the sun going down, we don't have much time before the temperatures drop, so we have to cover what ground we can in the meantime.

In my hands are what Fi dubbed the "Clawshots"—a set of two extendible claws that can latch onto vines beyond human reach—and have helped Groose and I to scale higher walls than what we could normally, and hopefully now aid us in reaching the top of this waterfall where a tunnel lies.

Passing one of the Clawshots to Groose, I step forwards to start scaling the walls around the waterfall, only for Groose to cut in front of me and goes first. Ever since I completed the Trial of Wisdom, he's been making sure that I'm alright every few moments and walking ahead of me for protection.

I don't mind, but I'd rather have a friend than a protector.

Aiming the single Clawshot towards a set of vines dangling down beneath the tunnel's entrance, I take a deep breath and pull the trigger inside the handle. Even though I've been practising with such an item, I'm still growing used to the sudden jerk into the air every time I fire the Clawshot.

I grunt as I go from flying through the air to slamming hard into the rocky wall behind the vines, momentarily winded. Swallowing thickly, I detach the Clawshot from the vine it clings to, jumping when a pair of hands lift me down to the ground by my waist. It takes enough effort not to roll my eyes.

He moves to go deeper into the tunnel, but I stop him before he can go too far. "Look, I… I know you're eager to protect me and help me, but you don't need to coddle me. We're in this together now, so we have to act like—Groose!"

He merely places a hand on my shoulder, "You're just not used to having great help, I understand."

"No I—Groose, come back!"

Ignoring me, he simply spins around and makes his way into the tunnel without another word. I attach the Clawshot to my bag and rush after him, determined to make him listen before he causes more trouble than prevents.

Catching up with him, we make our way through a tunnel made up of stalactites. Groose continues onward with little thought to where we are, batting away a swarm of Keese with his sword as he goes. The tunnel soon opens out into a much larger cavern, where sun floods into the open area from a patch of eroded rock above. Other tunnels lead off in different directions, but what takes our attention is something moving in the corner.

Various pieces of equipment are scattered around the cave, all of them leading up to what seems to be a moving rock—one who is excavating the wall in front of it. I tilt my head in confusion and assess how hostile it could be. It would certainly win in a battle given its size and exterior, but if we don't aggravate it then we should be alright.

Which is exactly what Groose does.

"Groose, no!"

Immediately raising his sword, he rushes towards the unknowing creature without hesitation. I run after him and manage to jump in between Groose and the large being before he can hurt it, holding up my hands in defence—to which he thankfully stops before he can take a swing at the thing.

The creature turns around from the commotion. "Whoa there, young one," he says in surprise, "There's no need for that in here—I'm not going to hurt you."

Groose thankfully desists and sheathes the blade, and I sigh in relief. Turning to the creature, I can't help but smile at its toothy grin and strange white markings all over its body—its hair somewhat like Groose's. "I'm sorry for the alarm. We're just passing through."

"That's quite alright, I haven't had visitors in such a long time!" The creature holds out a rocky hand to me. "I'm Golo."

"Zelda," I greet with a smile, then gesture to Groose behind me, "And this is Groose."

Golo's smile only grows, "Well it's a pleasure to meet you both. Now why don't we sit down and you can tell me what could a pair of humans like yourselves be doing in Lanayru. It's getting dark out there."

We agree, Groose a bit more hesitant than me, and we take a seat in the middle of the cave. Once we get a fire going and start to eat, Golo remarks, "So what brings you both here?"

"We're searching for the Sacred Flame in this area. Maybe you know of it?"

Golo hums, "I may have heard of it, but have little clue on its location. I'm currently researching the Dragon who is said to live nearby…"

A Dragon? I ponder. But they aren't real.

"Well if we find anything that may help you, we'll be sure to let you know," I say, knowing that we should be moving if we're going to find a place to stay tonight. Wait… "Golo, we have a long way to go to find the Sacred Flame, and we are tired from travelling all day. If it isn't too much trouble, may we—?"

"Of course, goro!" Golo cries, stomping over to me and bundling me up into a tight embrace. Groose tenses beside me, but I smile at him. He smirks and calms down. "It'll be great to trade stories with you both!"

Setting me back down, Golo extends a hand to Groose, "We set off on the wrong foot, I think, goro."

Groose glances at me before shaking Golo's hand. Thank the Goddesses…

Golo sits down on the other side of the campfire and leans back onto its hands. "If you're searching for a Sacred Flame, you must have a pretty good story why."

I smile. "You have no idea, Golo."

Groose and I rise early the next morning, having exchanged stories with Golo late into the evening. Golo is a "Goron," a rock-eating creature that once dwelled around Eldin Volcano for many years before its race dwindled in size, researching the Legend of the Three Dragons. His research partner Gorko is researching those who live in the sky.

When they meet again, Golo will have more than a few stories to tell of the land in the sky.

After eating some breakfast, we bid farewell to Golo and follow his directions to what he called the Lanayru Sand Sea—a place that may house the Sacred Flame we're looking for.

"Farewell Sister Zelda, you too Brother Groose," Golo waves as we head down a nearby tunnel. "Go get that Flame, oh and feel free to drop by any time!"

As usual, Groose walks on ahead of me despite my objections, and I try my best to fall into step with him where I can. It doesn't look like he got much sleep last night even though Golo wasn't hostile. And on cue, he finally asks, "Why did you ask to stay with him so quickly?"

"I-I don't know," I say honestly. "I mean if he wanted to cause us any harm, he would have attacked us straight away, and he eats rocks not humans. We wouldn't have been useful to him anyway. I… I don't know what else to say, Groose, I just used my head."

He hums but says nothing, signalling that the conversation is over.

We cover our eyes as we reach the end of the tunnel, blinded by the daylight flooding inside. We emerge on a small platform overlooking a large portion of Lanayru—entirely made up of sand just like the other parts of the desert, but something feels different about it somehow. It doesn't feel like the rest of the desert that Link, Pipit, Karane and I explored before, but I can't put my finger on why.

I call for Fi in my confusion, and she explains, "This is the Lanayru Sand Sea, Dominae. Over the course of several hundred years, the ocean that once covered a large part of this area became the sea of sand that you see now."

"The ocean?" Groose parrots. "Some people call the cloud barrier an "ocean of clouds," but what did this use to be?"

"The saying that you have mentioned is a metaphor deriving from the Ancient Texts," she clarifies, "The original meaning of the word ocean was a great expanse of salt-water, and those in the Sky Realm soon adopted this word to describe the great expanse of the cloud barrier."

I stare out in awe. I wonder what the ocean looked like before it became a sea of sand.

Clambering down the rocking face we stand on, Groose and I use the Clawshots to cross areas that have eroded away over time until we reach some sort of dock. I shuffle over to the edge and dip my hand in the sand, brushing my fingers over the still foreign material.

The dock is filled with various pieces of aged metal and boxes of cargo, most of which were deserted during the Great War and never collected in its aftermath. As I stand, Fi glides over to me, telling me that she senses a Timeshift Stone nearby.

I spot Groose at the edge of the dock and make my way over to him. He's inspecting the ruined remains of a robot, who is rummaging through a withered bag beside a small boat. It must have belonged to it, I assume, my eyes widening when I spot something familiar in the boat. Stepping onto the boat, something which worries Groose because of its "weak structure," I rummage through the scraps of metal and pull out a Timeshift Stone the size of my hand.

"What is that?" Groose asks.

I don't reply, simply taking out the Goddess Longsword and striking it with the pommel. Just like in the Mines so long ago, the Timeshift Stone is activated and sends a large portion of the area into its past state—and with it a portion of the ocean and the robot before us. Groose leaps back in surprise.

"W-What's going on?!"

Before I can say anything, another voice shouts, "Get out of my boat, vrrm!"

The small robot wears a large hat and an angry expression. "I'm sorry!" I apologise, jumping back onto the dock. "I was merely inspecting—"

I know you…

The robot waves me off, already rummaging through its bag. "Even after the war, people still think they can own the place and—"

"You're LD-301N Skipper, aren't you?" I blurt out, making him stop straight away. The robot finally looks at me properly, the machines inside of it whirring as it tries to figure out who I am. I kneel before it and take its hand into mine. "Hylia tasked you with protecting Nayru's Flame, didn't she?"

It blinks a few times, then bows, "And you're the one she said would arrive soon after her departure searching for the Flame, one who resembled her in looks." I nod, smiling. Groose stares at the two of us with a raised brow. "She did not mention another one with her, but your likeness to her is exact."

"Where is Nayru's Flame, Skipper? It's important that I find it as soon as possible."

Its eyes dull a bit, "It was the day of the storm, vrrm. Myself and my crew were gathering resources from the sea for the Great War... but we were attacked by the Demon King's forces."

"What happened?" Groose finally asks.

"Pirates. I was tossed into the sea before I could save any of my crew members," says Skipper bitterly. "They were after Nayru's Flame, and my crew were most likely imprisoned in the process. All I have is this little boat to search for my ship, but those brutes knew how to turn the ship invisible…"

I blink. "Invisible?"

"The ship was built to have a mechanism to make it invisible, to protect Nayru's Flame, vweep," he explains, then, "If you can help me find my ship and save my crew members, then you may have Nayru's Flame for whatever you need."

I smile warmly at him and look back at Groose, who nods, before addressing Skipper, "Of course we shall help you to find your ship, Skipper."

His electrical circuits buzz with joy and he bows again before gesturing to the boat, "Shall we shove off then?"

I place Skipper inside and Groose holds out a hand to help me in. It feels wrong to accept such help, but I know that he'll feel better because of it. Once aboard, Skipper fires up the engine as I take my seat on the edge of the boat and Groose sits beside some strange machinery.

The engine explodes into life and immediately sets off, leaving the dock behind at great speed. The wind catches my hair immediately, and I bask in the late morning sun for a moment. I catch Groose staring at me but let it slide, just happy to be making progress again.

With the Timeshift Stone still on the boat, a small body of sand from the sea reverts back to the ocean that it once was, and I can't help but dip my hand into the cool water. Fish lazily swim between colourful plants as we go, and I wish that I could have seen the ocean in its prime.

"Isn't the sea air just wonderous, Miss?" Skipper remarks. "It makes me spark with happiness."

"How will we find the ship if we can't see it?" Groose questions, ignoring the small talk.

Skipper nods to the strange machine next to Groose. "The ship will probably stay near the Pirate Stronghold a few hours away, and when we find it we shall fire cannonballs out of here and break the mechanism that keeps the ship invisible." He looks down at the boat's deck and pulls up a board which reveals something wrapped in a dirty sheet. Unwrapping it, Skipper reveals a tiny boat model within the sheet. "My son gave me this before the storm hit. I never knew what happened to him…"

"I'm sorry, Skipper," I whisper, making him smile sadly. Only moments later does Fi appear, her toes partially dipped in the water. We all jump at her sudden entrance, and I quickly turn to Skipper, "Oh, this is Fi, the—"

"The Spirit of the Sacred Blade," he finishes, tipping his hat to her. "How now, spirit? Why do you wish to converse with us at this present moment in time?"

Fi watches him for a while, staring at the sheet in Skipper's hands. Her human eyes glow a little, and she speaks when they are normal once again. She holds her arms out towards the sheet in his hands, and we watch as she speaks.

"That piece of material was a part of the ship's sails, and I can therefore track the ship," she explains. "Would you like to dowse for the ship?" I nod at her and draw the Goddess Longsword, looking at my slightly dishevelled reflection on the blade's pristine surface.

Fi returns to the Goddess Longsword once the dowsing has been activated, and we quickly change our direction to follows its reading. We sail around the ocean for what feels like hours, exchanging stories every now and again and Groose asking Skipper about how he was made with surprising interest.

With every passing moment he surprises me.

But just after midday, the Goddess Longsword's readings intensify suddenly.

"Skipper," I order, breaking the conversation between him and Groose. "Your ship is nearby." He nods and begins instructing Groose on how to use the strange machine as fast as possible, filling it with ammunition whilst I keep the boat's direction steady.

The Flame is so close, I can feel it, I think to myself. Not long now, Link…

Large ripples in the water nearby start to surface, and for a moment I think I can see an outline of a ship. I borrow the telescope beside me and look out into the open land, desperate to find it.

It isn't long before the ripples become close enough for us to begin our attack.

"Straight ahead, Skipper!"

I look over my shoulder as Skipper lights a fuse, and moments later there's an explosion that makes me cry out in surprise. Groose leans over to cover me just in case, only for Skipper to chuckle mechanically. There's a crash in the distance, and the outline of the ship becomes easier to see for a blink of an eye—so much so that I doubt myself for a moment.

"It was only the canon, you too! Anyway, did you see it, phoo-weep? That was my ship!"

The two of us laugh lightly before returning to our stations, using the ripples in the water and the Goddess Longsword. Skipper and Groose follow my directions and fire the canon over and over. Although we miss once or twice, we manage to keep a steady eye on the ship enough to keep striking it.

Our boat almost capsizes when the side of the ship suddenly collides with ours, and though part of the boat breaks away, we manage to miss the brunt force of the attack.

The pirates are still on there.

After making sure that I'm alright, Groose begins helping Skipper with the cannon again, and with the ship so close we fire two consecutive cannonballs at once, causing the ship to flash into existence again.

And with our second to last cannonball, our aim is true and the ship groans in defeat.

The ship finally appears before us and slows down, and I'm quick to see a large Timeshift Stone activated atop the mast.

We nervously approach a ladder on the ship's side, the air considerably cooler with the sun blocked by the ship. Skipper grows more and more excited as he ties the boat to the ladder for safekeeping, running his metal hand over the wood of the ship. Turning to the both of us, Skipper thanks us with a beaming grin.

"Let's take my ship back, vrrm!"

I smile at him and take him into my grasp, careful not to shock myself on his electricity as I move forwards to climb the ladder. At the last moment, Groose holds out his hand in front of me.

"Groose—"

"Who knows what could be on there, Zelda," he interrupts. "You can't stop me from protecting you."

I open my mouth to object, but he's already climbing up the ladder. "He's a strange human, bleep," Skipper mutters. I smile and follow after Groose, growing more annoyed by his attitude with each passing moment.

Once we finally board the ship, thoughts shift away from Groose and to something else.

"There's… no one here."

No one surveys the sea from atop the blue mast, no one is cleaning the red decks, no one is questioning why we're here. And yet someone must have known that we were here otherwise the ship wouldn't have crashed into us so violently—it has nothing to do with our steering, I know that much at least.

"Let's see if the crew are still here," I say after a few moments of silence, nothing but the wind and our footsteps making sounds.

Something isn't right, and we all know it. We just need to find out what it is.

Without any warning whatsoever, an arrow flies straight past my face, embedding itself in the deck next to me.

At once, a group of masked assailants shoot out from various hiding spots on the deck, rushing us at such a speed that we barely have time to react.

I place Skipper down beside me and draw the Goddess Longsword, but there must be at least five of them running towards me. I hold out my sword in a defensive position, though they quickly overwhelm me. I try and elbow them away and slash at their middles, my stomach dropping when I meet the eyes of a woman under her hood.

They claim my weakness to their advantage, one kicking Skipper out of the way, another effectively disarming me in one swift movement whilst the other three hold me in place. Their laughter rings in my ear as each of them run their fingers down my neck possessively like a prize to be won, and any attempts to brush them away only causes more laughter.

Once a few of them move behind me, I find Groose on the ground with a rapier brushing against his throat.

"Don't fight, Groose!" I shout before he can get himself into more trouble. "It's over…"

"That it is…"

I snap my head over to the doors off to the left where a tall figure appears, boots clicking against the wood of the desk. From their figure they must be a woman like the others, and I can feel Hylia tensing up from within me when I notice crimson ringlets underneath her large hat.

She makes her way over to me and takes my face into her hand, uncaring whether she hurts me or not as she removes the mask from her face. A pair of viridian eyes glint with mirth as I stand defenceless before her. Her lips twist up into a smirk as she takes me in, chuckling.

"Scerva," I spit as Hylia takes control.

"My name has even reached the Gods. I'm flattered," she laughs, her voice beautiful and melodic, yet easily coy too. She lets go of my face to bow mockingly. "The pleasure is mine, Your Grace."

~Interlude~

Racing across the Plaza, Karane slumped onto the bench besides Pipit and handed him the bottle of Pumpkin Soup. "I can't wait for you to be able to fly again so I don't have to be your errand girl," she teased, poking him in the side.

He faked a wince, "I won't if you keep doing that!" He smiled at her as he took a sip. "Anyway you don't mind."

"You're only asking me because Link isn't here to do it for you," she retorted with a smile.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, relaxing in the empty Plaza as the sun began to set. The island had become so quiet so quickly, and it was starting to show. First it was Link, torn away from the sky by a Black Tornado and tossed into the world below for a destiny that would keep him there until it was over. After all that they had been through, they still hoped for a day when he would finally return.

Then there was Zelda, their courageous friend who travelled throughout an entire unknown land for the sake of saving another and protecting him from the darkness. To this day they were unsure how she managed to push through every twist and turn the Surface dealt to her and every injury she endured along the way. They admired her before, but even more so now.

And then there was Groose who disappeared a few days ago. Karane had seen him flying after Zelda as she made her way to Faron Woods from the Plaza, but Pipit saw nothing. He had just gone, but they both could understand why his disappearance was so sudden. He was still desperate to prove himself to Zelda after so many rejections. Proving himself would show Zelda how he felt for her—and rather than face the Surface to help protect someone, he went for lust and nothing but.

Things had changed so rapidly on their little island in the sky, and it was tricky to adjust to it. What made it worse was that very few people in Skyloft knew what was going on—if they did, panic would surely ensue—and so could do nothing but return to their everyday lives as everything began to change around them.

It was hard for the two Skyloftians to pretend that nothing was happening.

"Karane—"

Karane suddenly rushed to her feet. "Pipit, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

She ignored his question and ran straight towards the diving platform ahead of them. The clouds were lined with various hues of gold and orange, a stunning spectacle for anyone who saw it.

But that wasn't what she was looking at.

A dark smoke was rising from the Column of Light leading down to Faron Woods.

"What is that?" Pipit breathed as he followed her line of sight.

The smoke was drastically picking up speed and making its was straight towards Skyloft, signalling that this was no fire—this was something unnatural, just like the Black Tornado. The two watched as the smoke spread out over the cloud barrier before rising up towards their small island, dread filling their guts like lead.

As soon as the smoke collided with the island, so too did hundreds of monsters appear through the fog.

Karane stumbled backwards into Pipit's arm in fright as masses of Bokoblins appeared all over the island, some carrying weapons whilst others carried torches. Screams began to fill the air—both human and not—as more and more islanders saw what was befalling them, and the two Skyloftians ran for help as the monsters began to tear the island apart and set it alight.

The monsters of the Surface were out for blood.

They knew exactly who was doing this.

There was only one man who could pull off such a feat.

And his joyous cackles were filling the skies around them.

Author's Note: I didn't expect to have this done so soon, but oh well. Anyway, please tell me what you thought of the interlude. I know that it didn't concern Link this time, but I do want to show how Pipit and Karane are coping with the entire Mission and whatnot. Still, please drop a rate and review if you haven't already, and I'll see you for the next chapter soon!

~RandomButLoved~