Hello, and welcome to another chapter of…..
SKYWARD REMNANTS!
Kizaruboss1: Yeah, I tried fixing it though, after all the forest isn't exactly the most interesting of Zelda locations. Places like the Ancient Cistern, hoh hoh, that will be fun!
Darkmist101: I not even going to touch the idea about the smut thing, but probably. Also, thank you for that confirmation.
Guest 907: Your right, but the others feel indebted to Link, so their 'reason' isn't exactly working right now. The demon part will be explained later, but for now you'll have to keep it in your thoughts.
The Real Hell Fire: Yes. Especially now! As for Links personality…
:)
Alexkellar: Yeah, but at the time she believed she had no reason to do so. Now her teammates are betraying her so she wanted to feel a little safe for the time being.
Shadyxlr: I'll be sure to live up to the hype.
It most certainly was.
Just a small case of Metal Gear Solid.
As am I, not really but, As am I.
Sadly that wouldn't be happening, after all to many crossovers might be a bit much.
Hope you enjoyed it.
Yes he is.
Probably make it almost feel supernatural.
Serafina Fairway: Thank you Searfina, I hope I can live up to the hype as best as I can! As for me, I have been an advent fan of the Legend of Zelda series for as long as I can remember. Alongside most of Nintendo's other fantastic works.
My brother, however, is going for the long game.
Bloody Abyss: ONE GOOD SONIC GAME! THAT IS ALL I ASK FOR AND I GET SONIC: FORCES, WHILE YOU GET FREAKING ODYSSEY!
Author: Don't forget Breath of the Wild, And Smash Bros!
Bloody Abyss:KJB:ADBF :KAH XFKJH:DHF:KJASBDF:KLJG A:SJFHL SXGF: HF:JZH F:KLHS!
Yeah, he's going for the VERY long game.
EvanderAdvent: You mean something like:
A new area, no one has ever discovered yet possibly hold the secrets of our very civilization as people and even more! TO RESEARCH!
Thank you all for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this new Chapter of Skyward Remnants!
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Chapter Eight
"Lost and Found"
Link
When he had first come to the surface, he had assumed it would be a quick grab and go situation. Find Zelda, get to Skyloft, and live out the rest of their lives peacefully.
However, it had already been two days since then, and he only found it would be much harder and stranger from here on out.
Case in point.
"Out of the way! Scram!"
Link could only stare from the edge of the elevated land he was on, watching the events below unfold with a bewildered stare.
Standing there, a good foot taller than Link, was a giant brown… creature. It's head was shaped like a dumpling, with a gray spike of hair on his head and below his chin, with shiny black eyes. He, at least he assumed it was a he, was covered in white markings, one on his large belly that reminded him of the sun, the others on his arms, with had large diamonds with horns on his shoulder. The creature also seemed to have a backpack on him, with what looked like a notebook by his side.
However, what worried him were the five creatures surrounding the larger creature, who were all holding swords, and were waving them in the air while giving shrill cries. As their back was to him, and the others blocked from his sight, he couldn't describe exactly what they looked like.
But they were a shade of red that was darker than Kuren, that he could tell.
"Fi?" Link asked the sword on his shoulder, which quickly responded in a dull bright purple.
"Yes Master?" She responded, her tone sounding curious as to what his question was, despite her seemingly emotionless tone. "What is it that you require?"
"What… is that a…" Link tried to speak, but he was unable to voice his confusion over what exactly the strange creatures in front of him were.
Fi jumped out of his sword, once again creating the sound that was reminiscent of wind chimes, before landing in the air by his side. She turned to him, examining him with her blank blue eyes. Than, after only a second of studying his expression, she turned to the scene that had her Master stupefied beyond belief.
"I assume you are expressing your confusion over the creatures that are before you, Master?" The Sword Spirit asked him, as he nodded dumbly over her absolutely correct answer. "Allow me to explain."
"The large, round creature you see before you is a Goron, a very peaceful race with incredible strength. Though their large bodies may prove to be quite tough and powerful, there are rarely any Gorons that have the will to hurt others. Though their original habitat was once the volcanic reigns of Eldin, the Demon King had summoned a Demonic Dragon to slay and devour their kind centuries ago for aiding the Goddess Hylia in her quest. Since then, they have left their homes, and have become a nomadic tribe, wandering to sate their appetites with the tastiest rocks they could find."
Before Link could accept the fact that the Goron in front of him ate rocks, Fi continued with her explanation.
"However, what you truly need to worry about Master, are the Demons attacking the Goron."
"So they are Demons?" Link asked her, drawing his sword from the sheath and removing his wooden shield from his back.
"Yes Master," Fi responded in her usual monotone voice, giving Link a quick nod as she spoke. "They are the most common Demon you will face, for they are the footsoldiers of the Demon King's Army, the Bokoblin. Though they hold an above average strength compared to that of an average Hylian, they have no exploitable weaknesses. However, they are incredibly dim witted, and posses below average swordsmanship. Strangely, they have an almost obsessive like for grossly extravagant undergarments."
Link gave a quiet 'hmm', as he tried to plan out in his attack within his mind. He knew he had to get at least one of them by surprise and kill them to lessen the numbers, but he wasn't sure which one t-
….
"I'm sorry, what did you sa-"
"Back off you-!" The Goron shouted, as one of the Bokoblins got to close to the giant rock eating creature. The Goron gave a great push, as the Demon was pushed farther from the giant creature.
What the Goron didn't notice was the Bokoblin behind him, with it's sword in the air, ready to slice and take a chunk out of the Goron.
Seeing this, Link quickly jumped off of the the natural platform, doing a quick roll to get him closer to the group of Demons. He heard the sound of wind chimes, which must've been Fi entering the sword once again.
As he dashed past a few of the Bokoblins, they gave a shrill cry, as if to warn the Bokoblin attacking the Goron.
Said Bokoblin turned with a questioning glance…
Only to find the Goddess Sword impaled through it's stomach, as inhuman purple blood leaked unto the blade.
The Bokoblin gave a shrill cry of pain, as from the corner of his eyes, he saw the Goron stare with wide eyes, before slowly backing up and away. Still in pain, The Bokoblin tried to slam it's sword into Link, hoping to kill him.
Link dodged to the side, pulling the blade with him to cut into the Demons side, before removing the blade. This caused the Demon he stabbed to grab his wound with his left hand, hoping to stop it's bleeding.
Finally, Link took the time to drink in the appearance of these Demons before him.
As previously stated, the Bokoblin were red like blood, with strange bright blue eyes with a red ring on the inside of it. Their tongues were blue, and there yellow teeth were sharp like a knife, fitting their foul breath. It wore a brown vest made of animal fur, that didn't close because of the lack of buttons, with a crudely made leather strap across their chests. They wore very large belts that doubled as skirts with a skull ornamental, covering the area between their legs. On top of their heads, were two black horns that seemed to drink in the light around them, with a tuft of white hair between their brows.
And it seemed that Fi was correct, as the Bokoblins wore what looked like animal pattern undergarments, much to his disgust.
As the group of five absorbed what had just happened, they all gazed at his sword before glaring at it.
"URahhhhhh!~"
They all made a similar sound, as they cried in what he assumed was anger. Even the injured one, who was the closest to him, made a similar cry, taking the sword (that looked more like a sharpened sheet of metal) and trying to cut him with it.
Instead, he stabbed it through the chest, as even more purple blood spilled across the blade, before evaporating along with the corpse. Where once a Demon stood, was now only purple smoke with an outline of the Demons skull. He noticed that the blood on his sword also dissolved into smoke, making him raise his brow.
Yet, he had no time to focus on such things, as the four other Demons rushed and surrounded Link. He raised his shield, improving his defense, while simultaneously trying to be on guard against the enemies surrounding him.
When the Moblin in front of him tried to cut him in half with an extremely easy to see horizontal strike, he heard the high pitched cry from behind. So, as soon as the Bokoblin in front of him tried to attack, he did a quick vertical spin-attack.
Using the attack to his advantage, he could see that both had been trying to cut him simultaneously. It would've been a good surprise attack, if the Bokoblins weren't dumb enough to signal when they were going to attack.
The vertical spin-attack launch the two demonstrates of their feet, as they landed on their backs with a large slash across their stomachs.
As soon as Link landed back on his feet, he jumped and brought myself down over the Bokoblins chest. Completing the Finishing Blow, he used all of his weight and strength to stab the sword through the tough rib cage of the creature below me.
Link watched as the Bokoblin took it's last breath, making sure it was dead so that it wouldn't surprise him later in battle.
That was the least of his problems though, as he felt pain crash into his back.
He rolled forward from his kneeled position, pulling the tip of the sword from the ground, before quickly turning to face his foes.
The two Bokoblin were in front of him, as the third was standing up from his recent attack.
He rushed forward, moving to attack the front Bokoblin with a simple sword slash. However, the Bokoblin with it's large sword blocked his attack with ease, causing his sword to bounce off.
Harsh vibrations moved up the blade and into his arm, making it numb from pain. Despite the power of the strike, the Bokoblin blocked it ease, showing just how strong it was.
Using his opening to it's advantage, the second Bokoblin tried to slash at his neck. Seeing this, Link quickly brought up his wood shield to meet the attack, as he tried to parry it.
His timing wasn't right though, as he had to kick the Third Bokoblin trying to attack him in the chest (which was the location of it's wound), disrupting it's attack. The second Bokoblins sword met the face of his shield, digging into the hardwood which held the Demon's blade.
Using the second Bokoblins moment of weakness to his advantage, he stabbed upwards into the Bokoblin, where he assumed was under it's rib cage. The result was the Goddess Sword easily separating it's flesh, than stabbing through its heart and and neck.
Needless to say, the second demon was killed, as it's sword and clothes disappeared along with it.
With only two Demons left and all of them surrounding him, Link did a spin attack, launching all the Demons off of their feet. As the third Bokoblin disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, he did another Finishing Blow on the last Bokoblin, shattering it's ribcage and cutting straight through its heart.
As the Demons body disintegrated into smoke, Link relaxed, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. He winced, however, as he felt where the demon struck him ache in pain.
He looked behind him, seeing the the area where the Bokoblin had struck him. Luckily, it was a small cut, as his chainmail and thick layers protected him from most of the Demons sharp blade. Though, he could feel a bruise forming around the cut.
"Whew!" Someone responded from behind him, as he jumped from the loud, deep but kind sounding voice. "Thanks for jumping in there to rescue me, bud! I'd give ya a hug, but I saw that strange red pest get ya good on the back."
He turned around, craning his neck to get a look at the much taller creature before him, who gave a wide grin. Said grin was quite infectious, as he would have to fight down a smile in the Goron's presence.
"It's no problem…." Link began with a smile, sheathing both his sword and shield, as he waited for the Goron to introduce himself.
"Ah, right!" The large Goron began with a clap, which was so loud it almost deafened Link. "Introductions! The names Gorko, Gorko the Goron! What's your name bud?"
"My names Li-." He told the Goron simply, as he reached out his hand to shake Gorko's hand.
Gorko shook his head, however, waved his arms back and forth in front of him. "Can't do handshakes bud, too many accidents. We do this the Goron way, Ok!?" The Goron explained, as he lifted his hand into the air.
"Oh, Ok," Link began again, his mind wandering to what sort of accidents he had caused with a handshake. Deciding to copy the rock eating creatures stance, with his left hand in the air, he spoke once more. "My names Link."
Only to have the Goron slam his much larger hand into his own, making a loud and stinging clap, before practically ripping his arm off.
"Nice ta meet ya Link!" Gorko explained with a laugh, as Link silently nursed his hand on the side lines. "If there's anything I can do to repay ya for this, just ask!"
"The-there's no need for that," Link told Gorko honestly, as he raised both hands in an attempt to quell the Gorons excitement. "It was no trouble, really!"
HOwever, despite his denial of any reward, Gorko simply laughed in a loud, boisterous way.
"Ya can't fool me bud!" Gorko told Link with a big grin and a thumbs up. "I may not have any valuables on me, but knowledge is more than its weight in gold, right?"
Link quirked an eyebrow, as he looked up into the small black eyes of the Goron. Said Goron smirked slightly, before gently patting the Hero in green in the back.
"I see I've got you curious," Gorko said with a grin, before turning around towards the end of the area they were in. "Check this out!"
With that said, Gorko turned around with a big smile, presenting…
An ancient, moldy statue of a Loftwing.
"Now, I may not look it, but I'm actually a researcher of ancient history!" Gorko told Link proudly, as Link stared at the the very ancient statue before him. "According to some ancient text I found, there's this place up in the sky known as the Isle of the Goddess, supposedly a place where it's always warm, sunny, and food grows in abundance. People fly on giant birds, and they have never known strife or war like we do. Now you might be wondering, if someone comes down here, how's he supposed to get back home?"
Link actually stared in shock, as he tried to think about it himself. There wasn't anything tall enough to pierce the Cloud Barrier, and he couldn't get Kuren down here, because he wouldn't cross the barrier.
He was actually starting to panic, as the plan to return Zelda to Skyloft was already dead in the water!
"Well, apparently the Goddess plans for everything bud!" Gorko said out loud, unaware of the whirlwind of emotions within Link. "This here statue is supposedly able to help anyone who wants to get there...well, there! In fact, this ones special, as it supposedly activates every other statue in the world. I know it sounds crazy, but I believe it's true! Why else would all of these statues be all over the place? Makes ya wanna know more, huh bud?"
He stared at the statue, giving a quick nod as he stepped forward.
If this was his key back to Skyloft, than he should at least try to activate it. That way, when he gets to Zelda, they can go to the closest statue and head back home.
"Yes, actually," Link told Gorko, who look at Link in curiosity. "Do you know how to activate them?"
" 'Fraid not bud," Gorko told Link with a frown, which was quickly match by Links own frown. " I've been trying to do just that for the past three days with… very little success."
Link gave a quick nod, accepting his answer as the truth. Yet, despite that…
"Mind if I give it a try?" Link asked Gorko, who merely raised an eyebrow at the young Hylian, before chuckling slightly.
"I don't own the statue bud," He told Link with a large grin, as Link turned a little red at his statement. "Do whatever you want, but be careful! No tellin' how old this thing is, or how much punishment it can take."
Link gave a quick nod, before finally walking up towards the statue…
Only to feel a pull from somewhere he couldn't describe, as the statue practically blinded him, forcing him to cover his eyes.
"Woah!" He heard Gorko shout, as what sounded like two rocks rubbing against each echoed across the air. It was quickly followed by what sounded like something crashing into the ground, as he actually fell from the earth shaking.
He landed on the ground hard, though nothing was damaged, though he was still worried about what just crashed into the Surface. He quickly unsheathed his sword and shield, still blinded from the bright flash of light, as he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to see again.
"Master," Fi began from his hand, though he was to preoccupied with getting his sight back to flinch at her sudden words. "There is no enemy in front of you, and the calculated chance of injuries of using a sword blind are quite high. I suggest putting your sword away until your sight returns in a 6.7 seconds."
Wordlessly agreeing with her advice, Link gave a quick nod, as he attempted to sheath his blade, succeeding on the first try from how often he has practiced that move. The shield was tricker to blindly place on his back, as he rarely practiced with a shield during training.
However, when his sight did finally return to him, he was met with two bewildering sights.
Where Gorko once stood, there was now a large boulder about the height of his stomach, perfectly round with small ridges across its surface. Next to it was the same backpack Gorko had on his back, standing upright next to it.
The second thing was….
"Gorko," Link spoke loudly, as he tried to find where the Goron went, who seemed to disappear into thin air. "If you're here, you might want to see this."
Suddenly, the sound of rocks scraping themselves together echoed through the clearing once again. As Link turned towards the source of the sound, he found he could only stare in shock.
For what he thought was a boulder began to unfold itself into the Goron he thought had disappeared.
"What in the world just happened?!" Gorko asked, as he stood himself up and grabbed the bag at his side, looking around as he did. "When I read the ancient texts, it said nothing about the statues reacting in a flash of light. What did yo- ?!" It was than that Gorko finally saw what I did, as we both could only stare in shock.
As right where the once old and moldy statue was a new, pristine statue of a Loftwing, practically glowing with power.
"I-is it activated?" Link asked the Goron, who stood there and stared at the statue with his jaw practically hitting the ground in awe.
"It is indeed activated, Master." Fi told him from the sword on his back out loud, though Gorko didn't seem to notice the spirit of the swords voice.
"B-bud," Gorko began, turning to Link with wide eyes and mouth still open in shock. "Are you magic or something?"
"Um…" Link hummed to himself, unsure on how to answer the surprising question. That didn't seem to matter to Gorko, however, as he shook his head and made his way to examine the statue closely.
"Dumb question," Gorko said with a shake of his head, looking the statue up and down with a keen eye. "Magic has long since been a forgotten art, unattainable by the races of Hylia since ancient times, and humans long before. No way that's the answer to this, yet what activated it!?" The Goron turned to Link with eyes filled with excitement, like a child who had just discovered a new toy.
Suddenly, the Goron was in front of him, his powerful arms placed on Links shoulders, which caused him to wince as his hand met his right shoulder. "How did you do this bud?! This could be the answer to unlocking the mysteries of the world, things people haven't seen in millenia! I gotta know! Please!" Gorko asked, as he began to shake his shoulders faster with each sentence completed!
"I-I don't know!" Link told him honestly, feeling like he was stuck tumbling through the air at a high speed with the Goron shaking him. "I-I just walked near it!"
"But it can't be proximity based," Gorko said , letting Link go and turning back to the statue with a keen eye, as Link tried his hardest not to fall over. "I've been near it for over three days with nothing happening! Perhaps it's some sorta outside stimuli, some factor I'm not seeing!"
As Link finally got over the dizziness of the Goron shaking him like a rattle, he was shocked to find that, once again, Gorko was standing in front of him. However, instead of shaking him, he was examining him this time.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything special on ya', would ya' Bud?" Gorko asked him, as he looked all around his person, as if looking for something. "Perhaps something that is out of the ordinary?"
He hesitated to answer that question, even though it didn't take him long to consider what was strange on his person. He wasn't exactly sure how the Goron would react to the fact that he had the actual sword of Hylia on his back.
And he desperately wanted to avoid being shaken like a leaf on a tree in a Windstorm.
Luckily, with his lack of an answer, Gorko started to mutter to himself, as if he was trying to find an answer by talking with himself.
"Those strange red pest? No, something about them an' the statue doesn't mix well in my mind." He rambled on and on, making it hard to actually give his answer. "Maybe it's for those who are worthy of it's secrets? That could be it…. Maybe that girl that passed by did somethin' to i-"
Link's eyes widened, as his usually quiet voice was suddenly much louder than it had been all day. "What girl?" He asked the taller creature, who came out of his mumbling rant to stare at him.
"Oh, you curious bud?" The Goron asked him with a raised eyebrow, as he finally seemed to realise how close he was to him. "About… when was it? Right! A few hours ago, pretty early in the morning actually, I saw a girl at that ledge over there." Gorko told him simply, as he pointed with his thumb behind his back.
With his gaze guided, Link looked towards what appeared to be a stone gray doorway in the middle of the forest. Beyond the open doors, there was a path leading into a different section of the forest, with a steep ledge quite a ways away. A just above it…
Was the strange blue beacon he had placed on his map, with the help of the Old Women at the Temple.
"She was trying to get up, but she couldn't find any way to reach the top. I came over to help her out, like any gentlemen would, but she freaked out a little bit at the sight of me. After a few minutes of assuring that I wouldn't hurt her, she told me she was heading to Faron Woods for an 'important mission'. Seeing as how it was sounded so important, I told her I could pick her up and place her on top of the ledge, so she could get to where she needed to be!"
Link could only stare through the doorway as he listened, absentmindedly nodding with Gorko's words. While he did, he couldn't help but think about the odds.
Could that have been Zelda, the person he was searching for since he had come to the Surface? The odds were likely, but he couldn't help but remember Ruby at that moment.
Was it another red herring, someone who was just passing through? Could he really chance following someone he wasn't absolutely sure was her?
However, as he was practically swallowed whole in doubt, he figured out an easy solution.
Dowsing.
Even if the old lady in the Temple was right, Dowsing was the easiest way to check if she was telling the truth. It was also the easiest way to check if the girl in Gorko's story really was Zelda.
So, without a second thought, Link removed his sword, planning to aim for the doorway in his sights.
"She was actually really nice, gave me a hug when I helped her out!" The Goron told him with a grin, either not seeing what Link was doing or unthreatened by him removing his sword. "Though I had to be careful of her ears, otherwise I might have accidentally crushed them with my arms."
That pulled Link's attention, as he turned to the Goron with wide eyes, feeling his sword arm fall to his side. "Ears?"
"Yeah bud," Gorko nodded, closing his eyes in thought, nodding his head like he was a sort of sage. "They were the pointiest things I've ever seen, but seemed very delicate to. I also had to watch out for this golden Harp she was holding, as that seemed really fragile!"
Link could only stare at Gorko with wide eyes, as said gave a simple shrug. "After that, I did as I promised and placed her as close to the top of the ledge as I could, and off she went. But was she really the of the key factors for activating the statue? What do you think b-"
However, Gorko turned to see a large smile on Link's, as the Hylian quickly sheathed his sword. "I'm not sure about any of that Gorko, but right now, I have something important to do. Maybe we can talk about this some other time?"
"Sure, no problem bud," Gorko said with a big smile, as his eyes moved back towards the statue. "As soon as I'm done trying to figure this statue out, I'll be headin' to Faron Woods. If you see me, give me a holler!"
With that said, Gorko took big, heavy steps towards towards the once ancient looking statue.
Link gave a simple nod, turning towards the doorway with a large smile on his face.
'A golden harp and pointed ears," Link thought to himself, as he walked through the stone doorway with a small spring in his step. 'It has to be her! However, just to be sure…'
"Fi," Link began, as he felt both a buzz and the sound of wind chimes from the sword on his back, signifying that she was listening. "What are the odds that a girl that isn't Zelda came through here with pointed ears, a golden harp, and heading straight for Faron Woods?" He asked the Sword Spirit, knowing that the chances were already slim to none.
There was a pause, as if she was processing what the chances really were to the closest decimal. Than, with a quiet voice, she spoke the odds he had figured.
"The odds are 0.0007653%, seeing as how the current population do not have the pointed ears that Hylians do." She responded with her usual monotone voice, as the sword glowed slightly on his back. "However, Master, I believe you too should study the statue. It is the key to returning you to Skyloft should the need arise, and will take some time to learn to activate its abilities."
That caused Link to stop and think, turning to look towards Gorko through the doorway, who was tapping places on the statue in an attempt to see if it did anything. Fi was, of course, correct; even if he were to find Zelda, if she was was wounded and he immediately needed to get her to Skyloft, if he couldn't activate the statue, she would be stranded.
He needed to learn to use this new tool to his advantage, yet…
"There are other statues, right?" He asked Fi, as he simultaneously studied a huge log near the edge of the ledge, one that almost seemed to be impossible to move. "That's what Gorko said right? They're all over the Surface?"
"That is correct, Master." Fi told him with a glow of the blade, as her voice easily reached his ears. "Statues such as these are everywhere, designed to help you reach Skyloft once you land on the Surface."
"How would it do that, exactly?" He asked the Sword Spirit, as he attempted to run up the ledge with his athletic ability. He quickly found that he couldn't reach it, as he landed on his feet, feeling the vibration creep up his spine.
"It would launch you in the air, returning you to the sky above with the Sailcloth in your possession." Fi responded simply, as if she were talking about the weather, or talking about her day. "Than, if my projected outcomes of the situation are correct, your Loftwing, designated as Kuren, would catch you and return you to Skyloft."
Link simply raised an eyebrow, as he wondered how the statue would 'launch him into the sky', but refrained from asking that. Instead, he told the Sword Spirit something she couldn't have known.
"That is how it would happen," He began, as he tried to start pushing the log, with little success. "If Kuren was in the area."
It was true, though she couldn't have known that. After he had come to the Surface, Kuren went back to his nest on Skyloft, to rest for the day. That was over twenty minutes away from his current location, and just like him, the Loftwing was a heavy sleeper. If they had their way, Kuren and Link would sleep to 3:00 in the afternoon, but both Zelda, and in turn Aqua, would never let that happen.
It was also why Link was sure he would never be a night guard, as Kuren wouldn't wake up at night, even if he were on fire.
Thus, even if he could activate the statue, it would just leave him stranded in the air, forcing him to fall down and waste even more time.
The Sword Spirit was quiet, even as her sword glowed, which he expected was her thinking and calculating her next comment. After a few more seconds of not responding, she spoke up, following what he might've expected her to say.
"If that is the case, than you should head forward to discover the location of the Spirit Maiden." Fi told Link, as he kept trying to push the giant log to the ledge in an attempt to reach the top. "To help you achieve your goal, I suggest pushing from higher on the log, Master."
His eyes widened, as he turned to look over his shoulder, seeing the sword on his back stop glowing it's bright blue. Thinking that must've been a sign that Fi was done talking, he tried out her advice, and brought his hands up a little higher on the log. With his hands in a new position, he proceeded to push the log, trying with all of his might to push what must've been half a ton.
With enough effort, he found that the log could be pushed, as slowly but surely, the log ended up in the perfect place to get him on top of the ledge. Backing up, he ran up the side of the log, easily getting on top of it, quickly followed by him running up the ledge. As it was to tall for him to run all the way up, Link grabbed the top of the ledge with ease, pulling himself up with some difficulty, thanks to his heavy gear.
As soon as he made it up, he only saw one path ahead, with a large canopy of trees over the closed path. And right above him was the blue beacon, which disappeared as soon as he had stepped under it, causing a raised eyebrow and a pair of shrugged shoulder.
Taking a minute, he searched for Kuren through his connection with him, hoping that the bird wasn't asleep at that moment. Not even a second later, he felt the Crimson Loftwings concern through the connection, as if he had been waiting for him to contact.
Using their link, the Hylian told Kuren to hang around the green beacon, in case he needed to come back up to Skyloft. Kuren instantly compiled, as he could practically feel the excitement from his partner skyrocket at the chance to fly with him again.
Seeing as how the preparations were complete, Link began his jog down the path to Faron Woods….
Wondering if he could do something as strange as talking to a giant rock creature that eats rocks.
He was so wrong. Astronomically so, actually.
Let's recap.
Moving down the path had taken much longer than Link had originally thought it would take, as he had to jog for over an hour. By the end of it, he was sweaty and disgusting, and gasping for the air he desperately needed.
All until it was taken away at the sight before him.
There, standing in the center of the large forest…
Was the largest thing he had ever seen.
It was absolutely humongous, far larger and taller than anything he had seen yet on the surface, even the Beacon Tower. It was almost as wide as Skyloft itself, and taller than two Goddess Statues on top of each other.
It was also a tree.
Link had to rub his eyes, making sure that what he was seeing wasn't something he was just imagining. As he did, he heard the familiar sound of wind chimes from behind him, letting him know that Fi had jumped in front of him. As soon as his hands were away from his eyes, he immediately saw the blue Sword Spirit, floating in front of him.
She explained that they had arrived in Faron Woods, and had described it as filled with lots of different plants and animals. Not that he didn't find it useful to know about the area he was in, but he wondered why she gave a description. Usually he had to ask for such a thing.
As soon as the explanation was over with, he felt his pouch heat up once again, before pulling out his sky chart. Once again, the map glowed and seemed to restore the green forest color, as the map of the area he was in appeared on it.
Other than that, he had seen another bird statue, which he had walked towards and tried to figure out how to activate it. However, before he could even begin, his sensitive ears heard something in the distance.
A high pitched, feminine cry.
Immediately, Fi jumped into his sword, as he looked towards where he had heard the cry, seeing a small chasm filled with sand blocking his way. Not hesitating for a second, he jumped a grabbed onto the strangely placed rope on a tree. Where it came from, he wasn't sure, but that didn't matter.
With a quick swing, he made the jump with ease, before rolling across the ground into a sprint. Seeing that there were trees in the way, he had quickly cut hm down to see…
An empty clearing, with two Bokoblins surrounding…
A plant?
He looked around, searching for the source of the cry for help.
The Bokoblins noticed his presence, however, as they charged him without a second thought. Having already dealt with a group more than twice its size, he took care of them with minor injuries, like a small cut on his leg. That's…
Where he met this thing.
"It spotted me again! Kweee!"
Play ~ Faron Woods: Skyward Sword
The creature before him fell flat on its face, as a green plant bursted out of his back, making him look like a small pile of dirt.
That is, if the creature had any idea what a mound of dirt looked like.
He couldn't help but shake his head, as he just kept silent and stood there, waiting.
According to Fi, this creature was known as a Kikwi. To him, it reminded him of a soft, furry pillow with unnaturally thin legs and arms, and barely as tall as his waist. It's entire back was colored a dark brown, much like wet dirt, while it's entire front was a yellowish white. On the top of it's head was what looked to be a small curled plant.
"Fi," He asked the Spirit of the Sword, as he could only stare at the small creature that thought it was hiding. "How is this anywhere near 5%?"
After he had saved this little guy from the two Bokoblin, it immediately saw him and assumed he was another Demon. Deciding whether or not to find that offensive, he missed how the small, slow creature was able to run up a steep hill made of sand.
Fi had then told him that the Kikwi was the one creating Zelda's Aura signature, much to his shock. In that state of shock, he had exclaimed 'Zelda' in a confused tone. Apparently, she took this as him thinking that the creature was Zelda, to which she replied, and he quoted here…
"The probability of this life-form being Zelda is 5%, so I must conclude that this is, in fact, not Zelda but a peaceful forest creature known as a Kikwi. Kikwis are highly intelligent beings, capable of speech. Yes, upon further observation...clearly not Zelda. "
As he slowly started to process Fi's unintentional sass, said Sword Spirit concluded that he should follow the Kikwi in an attempt to find the problem with his Dowsing.
What followed afterwards could be described as trying to get a child to stop playing Hide and Seek, as he constantly followed the creature behind mushrooms in an attempt to talk to it. This took a while, as the Kikwi seemed to read his every move from behind the mushroom, never letting him make eye to eye contact. It was only after he startled the creature twice by hitting the mushroom (which immediately grew back it's lost flesh) that he could begin talking to the small creature.
He also got surprised by a Deku Baba, as it bit into his sword arm. The teeth easily pierced the gauntlets on his arm cutting into his skin. Luckily, he had placed his shield in between it's mouth, forcing it to stop biting too far in. He pried it's jaw open far enough to remove his arm, before quickly cutting it's stem in half, killing the creature. After that, he killed two other Deku Babas with relative ease,
So now, his gauntlet was ruined, his pants were covered in sand from running up the sand slide, and his shield had an extra scratch in it.
Could have been worse, he supposed.
"Huh?" The Kikwi asked from his place on the ground, looking up to see Link. Despite that, Link ignored the small creature, looking over his shoulder and waiting for some sort of explanation. "Y-you don't want to… eat me?"
Link finally turned towards the much shorter creature with a raised eyebrow, who flinched at his before silently shaking his head. He would've spoke, but he didn't want to scare the easily startled animal with words.
"R-really?!" The small animal asked, with enough innocence to choke on. "Come to think of it, you were the one to fight of all of those red monsters!"
With that said, the Kikwi pushed himself up with shocking strength from it's little arms, and looked up at Link. Now that Link got a look at it's face, the Kikwi looked like it was wearing a mask, with no visible nose, mouth, even eyes in sight. It only had black circles with white holes, and a long black extension.
"Kee-paleep!" The Kikwi said, as the the grass on it's back folded into itself to look like a small, dark brown bud. "I'm Machi! Nice to meet you, scary green guy! And thanks for your help!"
He frowned slightly at his new title, as the now named Machi seemed to be studying him. "Hi, I'm Link, and am not as scary as you might think."
"Kwee!" The Kikwi exclaimed with a jump, as Link still couldn't understand how it was speaking without a visible mouth. "Anyone who can beat up the mean red monsters is scary! Especially someone who can see through our clever disguise!"
He had to fight down the laughter as he heard this, as it could only be considered laughably easy to see through their 'camouflage'.
"You're like that girl that passed by!" Machi told Link with a small point, as Link felt the laughter die within his throat. "She could see us too, but she was a lot less scary!"
He kneeled down, getting eye to eye with Machi, though he wasn't absolutely sure why. "What was her name?! Was it Zelda?!"
The Kikwi turned it's entire body to the side, bringing a hand to the strange mask on its face. "What's a Zelda?"
He stared at the innocent creature with wide eyes, before dropping his head in disappointment. "Where's the girl you were with?" He asked Machi, shaking his head ever so slightly.
"The girl?" Machi clarified, as he brought a hand to what might've been it's chin, looking side to side in thought. "Last time I saw her, she was in real trouble. A pack of those mean red guys were chasing her around, kwee, but she had managed to escape with the Kikwi Elder."
Link stood himself up, a worried expression managing to make it's way onto his face. However, before he could do anything reckless, Fi jumped out of his sword and landed beside the Kikwi…
Who jumped and hid at the sight of her.
"Master," The Sword Spirit began in her usual monotone yet melodious voice, as she ignored the frightened cries of the Kikwi. "It would appear that we have uncovered new information on Zelda's current status. However, though she has escaped, there is a likely possibility that the Demons are tracking and locating her as we speak."
"As the source of this new information, I will mark the position of the Kikwi known as Machi on your map. Please confirm your current location."
Before he could even respond or ask how she would do that, he felt his map emit warmth once again. Quickly bringing it out, he saw that their was now a Kikwi on the map in what looked to be his exact location.
'How did sh-' he began to think to himself, before being interrupted by what the Sword Spirit had to say next.
"Furthermore, my analysis suggests that this Kikwi most likely produces a false-positive dowsing reaction due to previous direct contact with Zelda. Using this hypothesis, I theorize there is an eighty-five percent chance that the Kikwi elder will also generate a dowsing reaction for the same reason. I propose you continue dowsing to search for Zelda."
With that said, Fi returned to the sword on his back, as Link memorized the Sword Spirits game plan. As soon as she was gone though, Machi stood himself up with a small 'Kwee!'
"You really spooked me, kwee…" The small Kikwi began, shaking like a leaf at what could be equated to a ghost jumping out at you. "You keep some very strange company, friend."
Link smiled at the small Kikwi's observation, unable to do anything but agree with it full heartedly with a small smile and a nod. However, the worry for Zelda overshadowed everything, forcing a frown that he didn't want to show on his face.
"Don't be down friend, ka-paleep!" Machi cried out, as Link turned to the small pillow like creature with wide eyes. "I'm sure you're friend is safe with the Elder! He's the strongest of our race, as well as the wisest! If anyone can protect your friend in this forest, it's him!"
As Machi spoke, he couldn't really see how a race of people their size could protect Zelda. Despite that, he smiled and rubbed the top of the small creatures head. "Thanks Machi."
"No problem, kwee! The short creature told Link, as the sword wielder removed his hand from the Kikwi's head. "Oh, and since you're heading to the Elder, kwee, do you mind telling our elder that I'm safe?"
"Sure." He told the Kikwi, before removing his sword and searching for the location of the strongest signal to follow. It didn't take long, as the sword immediately rang with high pitch chirp.
Following the Dowsing, moving quickly out of fear of what might happen to Zelda, he followed the strongest reading he could find.
It didn't take him long after that to find a second sand hill and run up it's surface, avoiding the Deku Baba in the middle with ease. Seeing as how the Kikwi could, somehow, climb up these hills, he took one of the strangely placed giant rocks and rolled it into the Demon. This way, they would be safe if they needed to climb up one of them.
Quickly making his way forward, he moved under the roots of a huge tree, though nowhere near as big as the tree in the center of the woods. Cautiously, he moved under the roots of the tree, unsure of what may be hidden in there shadows.
Though, he was quickly distracted by the beautiful sight ahead.
From within the shadows of the roots, he saw what looked to be a pond with a single waterfall feeding into it. He marveled at the sight, as it was completely different from the lake up in Skyloft. He walked towards it, looking to get an even better view.
"Mast-"
As he was quickly blindsided by a charging Bokoblin!
"Uragh!" The Demon cried out, tackling him to the ground with surprising strength with it's small arms. He was lucky enough to turn just in time, as he attempted to wrestle control from the red Demon.
It wasn't that way though, as the Demon was stronger than he gave it credit for. With one arm, it cut off his attempts to grab his sword, while the other held a sword in the air. The Demon brought the sword down on his left shoulder, it's strength and the clear sharpness of the sword cutting through his chain-mail!
He gasped in pain, as he felt the unfamiliar and unnatural feeling of steel in his shoulder. He could hear the scraping of sword on bone, as he grit his teeth to avoid screaming in pain.
As his mind slipped into focusing on blocking out the pain, his body reacted. Before he could even process what was happening, Link got both of his legs under the Demon, before launching him with as much power as his legs could carry. With nothing holding it back, blood soon flowed from his shoulder, as he placed his right hand there to stop the bleeding.
Quickly making his way to stand, Link unsheathes the Goddess Sword despite the pain in his shoulder. Before the Bokoblin could even move, Link quickly jumped and stabbed his sword through its chest, killing it instantly.
The battle wasn't over yet though, as he he heard the unmistakable sound of something moving through the air. He leaned back, watching as a rock with sharp edges on it sailed by, before turning to whatever had launched it.
Link raised his brow though, as the only thing there was a bush near the small spring. Before he could investigate, he heard another screech of a Bokoblin from behind.
He quickly turned around, seeing the Demon mindlessly charge him, it's sword arm raised to the sky to cut him in half. Before the Demon could do such a thing though, Link jumped to the side, dodging the large blade. Said blade easily sunk into the ground, before Link cut a large hole in the side of the Bokoblin.
Despite the pain, the demon glared with it's soulless eyes, before grabbing Links sword arm. He felt it's shocking strength almost crush his wrist, forcing Link to let go of his sword. Before the Bokoblin could strike with it's free arm, Link twisted his arm just enough to force the Demons arm straight. Following his instincts, Link kicked the back of the Demons arm, shattering the beasts elbow.
It shouted with a shrill cry, unable to handle the pain, as the Bokoblin let go of Link's sword arm. With all the time he needed, Link quickly grabbed his dropped sword, attempting to stab the Demon through the heart.
He was met with resistance, however, as his blade bounced off of what must've been the Demons ribs. As the shock moved up his arm, it violently moved his injury, causing Link to gasp in pain. The Bokoblin saw this, as it finally removed the sword from the dirt, swinging horizontally to cut the young man in half.
Before it could however, something struck the back of it's head, making the Demon confused what happening. That was enough for Link to stab it in the gut, as glistening purple blood dripped down the edge of his blade. Before it could react, Link did a quick and butchered spin attack, launching the Demon away, before it disappeared into a purple cloud.
Link didn't let up just yet, however, as there was still the problem of the thing that was shooting those rocks.
It didn't take long though, as he saw it shoot up from the corner of his eye.
Sitting there, glaring at him with cyan eyes, was a strange but familiar Demon. This one, unlike it's Sky counterparts, was entirely brown with what seemed to be dark green war paint shaped like tentacles. It had a small snout, which was puckered up at the moment, and a large push on top of its head. It was also buried under the earth, making the lower half of its body (if it existed) hidden.
This, was an Octorok. Something he had seen on the surface when he was flying with Kuren some time ago.
And it just fired a large rock directly at his head.
Quickly grabbing his shield off of his back, Link deflected the rock straight at the hidden Demon, making said stone move quickly through the air. Before the Demon could even hide back under ground, where it would be completely safe from attacks, the rock struck it's bulbous head.
As soon as it was struck, the short demon practically exploded, leaving a hole in the hard dirt and a purple skull hanging in the air.
Link felt his breath leave in gasps, as he put both his sword and shield back into their proper places. He inspected his shoulder as he attempted to calm his breath, looking at the wound the Bokoblin had created.
It wasn't as bad as he had first assumed, merely a small vertical scratch on his collar bone, with a long bruise half way down to his chest. It wasn't even that deep, and his chain mail was still perfectly fine and usable. Though his tunic was a different story, as the Demon's blade cut through the cloth with ease.
He decided to ignore the state of his clothes, however, before continuing forward up a naturally made path.
"It would seem my attempted warning was unneeded, Master." Fi spoke from behind him, causing the adrenaline hyped Link to almost jump and reach for his sword. He stopped and released a sigh, however, before giving a small grin.
"You could try to be a little faster though." Link told the Sword Spirit jokingly, walking ahead to see a line of small trees in his way, which he easily cut down.
"Was the timing of my warning insufficient, Master?" She asked him, as Link turned to 'look' at the sword spirit, feeling a little more than awkward talking to a sword.
"It was just a joke Fi," Link told the spirit within the Sword, carefully stepping over the the bases of the much shorter trees. " Though, I'll admit, you could've put a little more... urgency in the warning."
"The warning was urgent, Master," The Sword Spirit told him, as Link slowly focused on a Octorok that had suddenly shot up from the ground. "I calculated the risk of the Demons charge, as well as your reaction towards my warning, along with the time it would take for you to react. I also took into account the chance of you noticing the Demon and how necessary the warning would be. The calculations showed that a warning was necessary, so I began to devise the proper message to warn you of the incoming danger."
He couldn't help raise an eyebrow at all of these calculations, as he fired a stone back at an Octorok. He didn't put his shield back though, as he saw other, similar bushes in the area.
"Why would you use all those calculations for a simple warning?" He asked the Spirit simply, watching out for any other Octoroks in the area. "Wouldn't it just be simpler to warn me so I could react to what was attacking me? Maybe even defeat it before I could get injured?"
"While that is a likely scenario, Master," Fi began, as Link finally spotted the a different Octorok that had jumped up from its hiding place. "There is a 62.5% chance that your reaction could cause negative outcomes to you and your body, inhibiting your ability to locate the Spirit Maiden."
He stayed silent at this explanation, seeing the reason behind it, even if he didn't really understand it. He couldn't help but think that Fi was a little too focused on her calculations, as if that was how she saw the world, a giant mess of calculations. Actually… was that the case?
He supposed it didn't matter at the moment, as he needed to focus on his own surroundings anyway. If he had Fi do all the work, he would left helpless if he couldn't hear her.
As he deflected the rock back at the the Demon, which was being more of a nuisance than an actual threat. In fact, if this is what The Goddess Hylia had to protect Hylians from all those years ago, he didn't see why they couldn't fight back. Though, perhaps that was because of his encounter with only a few of them at a time, rather than hordes upon hordes at once.
With all of the Demons gone from the area, Link headed forward, removing his sword and activating Dowsing. As soon as he did, the same high pitched chirping he heard came from the sword, as he pointed it at a small elevated land with…
This had to be a joke.
Making his way to the edge of the large drop, he looked across, confirming what he had seen with a sigh of exasperation.
He looked to the side, seeing a sturdy vine attached to the ground only by a weak weed. Without a second thought, he cut the weed holding the vine, being careful not to cut the vine itself.
His actions were rewarded, as the vine swung in between the long and uncrossable chasm. The vine was easily in reach, as he quickly backed up to prepare his jump. A quick sprint was all he needed, as he shot forward as fast as he could and jumped at the last second.
As he sailed through sky like a bird, he grabbed onto the thick vine, feeling his shoulders ache in pain from his wound. Being quick so as not to prolong the pain he was feeling, he swung as hard as he could. Finding the perfect timing, he let go and did a quick roll, despite the pain in his shoulder.
He quickly jumped to his feet in the middle of his roll, standing straight up…
To see the giant brown blob in front of him, with a small brown bulb on top of it.
He had to fight down a small laugh while looking at the poorly hidden Kikwi, as he checked to be sure that this was where Dowsing lead him. Still, he needed to find Zelda, and he needed to hurry if he was going to catch up with her.
So, he moved towards the rather large Kikwi's side, and giving it a hard, but still soft tap.
The reaction was almost immediate, as the gigantic Kikwi stood himself up, despite his incredibly short and weak arms. As the giant of a Kikwi turned to meet his eye, he realized what Machi meant by 'their strongest Warrior'.
This Kikwi stood easily twice his own height, making him seem all the more intimidating than he actually was. Link actually had to crane his neck to look him in the eyes, as the Elder did the same when looking down at him. Everything about the Elder, other than his size and brown fur, he looked exactly like Machi.
Except, the Elder had a long and uneven mustache, growing down to mid-stomach.
"Kweeeee-heee…." The Giant Kikwi spoke in a deep voice, which didn't even approach Machi's high pitched one. It actually took Link a second to realize that the giant Kikwi was laughing.
"You are quite the woodsman to see through my ingenious camouflage, green one." The large Kikwi spoke, as Link attempted to hide an awkward smile. "I am Bucha, the Kikwi Elder. What might your name be, Green one?"
"It's Link." Link told him respectfully, as he felt the age and wisdom roll off of Bucha. As if he had lived for quite a long time.
Despite being a living, giant pillow.
"Ah, Link. A good name for one who walks these woods." The Kikwi Elder spoke, reminding Link quite a lot of his own Headmaster Gaepora. "But one such as yourself wouldn't come searching for me, unless he had something he needed. So, kwee, what brings you to me, Link."
Link, knowing how far he was behind Zelda, didn't pull any punches when he asked the Elder. "I'm looking for someone," He told Bucha quickly, giving a small nod, before he began moving his hands to explain. " A girl with blonde hair and pointed ears. Machi told me she had run away from the Demons with you."
"Kwee…" The Elder began, as it seemed that the sound 'kwee' was something all Kikwi's made. "So you saw Machi than. That is a weight off of my mind, knowing that he is safe. As for the girl, Zelda I think she called herself, it is true I had brought her to safety."
Link sighed in relief, as a smile graced his face at the Kikwi Elders admission. "So she's here than!" Link cried out, his voice carrying quite a bit more strength, as if this new information had recharged him.
Yet, upon Link shout of relief, the Elder sagged, as if a sudden weight was pressed upon him, "I am afraid not, young Link." He told the adventurer in green, as Link's eyes immediately widened. "After I had brought her here to safety, the young girl was adamant about heading…"
As soon as the Elder mentioned of where Zelda may be heading, Link hung on to his every word. This could be his chance, a definite lead on where she could be.
So he waited and listened, not wishing to interrupt the Elder from his train of thought.
"…..where was it again?"
Link could feel his face immediately turn into one of pure shock, as the Kikwi Elder brought a hand to his imaginary chin.
"Y-you don't remember…" Link asked the Elder,as he could feel all of his hopes shatter at the Elder's words.
"I apologize young man," Bucha told Link, as the giant Kikwi's seemed to droop. "Though I am filled with relief that Machi is safe, I am still worried about the rest of my tribe. I can't think of anything but how they must be feeling, alone in these woods with those monsters after them!" The Kikwi Elder told Link, as the Elder shook like a leaf in worry.
Link looked toward Bucha with no small amount of pity, as he entirely understood what the Kikwi was going through. Hadn't he gone through the exact same worry, imagining Zelda out here with Demons after her? Hadn't he irrationally snuck through Beacon after curfew for his sword to chase after Zelda, injuring two innocent guards while he did?
He understood more than most probably could.
"Please, though I am the only one strong enough to protect the Kikwi tribe, I cannot leave this spot. Those monsters are too powerful and numerous for me to combat. Nothing like those black and white wolves that show up from time to time. If you can find my tribe, I can promise you a reward. And with my mind clear of worry, I can no doubt find the memory of the girl you seek!"
Upon hearing the Kikwi Elders request, Link could only bring a hand to his chin. He understood and empathized heavily with the Elders plight.
And yet… Zelda was still in trouble.
Perhaps he was selfish in thinking of his friend before the pleas of the Kikwi in front of him. He wanted to help the kind and peaceful race that was the Kikwi, this Link knew for certain.
But he knew that if Zelda was hurt, or goddess forbid, killed when he was helping them, he could never forgive himself.
Yet he couldn't just leave the Kikwi tribe to fend for themselves. Yet, what could he do?
"Master."
Link's ears perked at the sound of the Sword Spirit from his back, as not even a second later, Fi jumped out of the blade. She was, of course, accompanied by the usual sound of wind chimes, as she floated at his side.
Unlike what he had expected, the Elder didn't react in the same way Machi did. In fact, he looked genuinely curious over the blue maiden herself.
"Though Zelda is no longer with the Kikwi Elder, he may still have useful information. Taking this into account, I calculate an eighty-five percent probability that your quest will be aided if you find the lost Kikwis for the elder. As an addition, the Elder's soul is erratic with worry for his tribe. As such, I am unable to separate the Aura of Zelda from the Elders own Aura, meaning you will have inaccurate readings throughout the entirety of your journey."
"However, I am still able to locate similar Auras to that of the Kikwi Elder. To expedite your search for these forest-dwelling creatures, I have added
Kikwis as a dowsing option. If you need assistance to change the target of your Dowsing, inform me when your conversation with the Elder is complete."
With that mind-numbingly long explanation complete, Fi jumped back into her sword, leaving Link to try and process everything she said.
Though, he didn't need to process one fact.
Link gave a small grin towards his sword, before turning towards the Kikwi Elder.
"I think I may just be able to help."
It actually didn't take as long as he thought it would. Though….
"I've been discovered!" The little Kikwi shouted in a high pitched voice, before running around in an hilarious way, trying to avoid him.
"Calm down." Link called after it, as he moved to try and pick the little guy up. "I'm not going to hurt you!"
It was slightly more difficult than he could've imagined.
After he agreed to help the Kikwi Elder, Link was told there were three Kikwi whose whereabouts were unknown. Their names were Oolo, Erla, and Lopsa.
With what he needed to find the Kikwis, and a quick explanation on switching Dowsing targets, Link decided to start off his mission with a jump in the right direction.
Literally.
As soon as he had jumped off of the Elder's plateau, he used his Sailcloth to set him gently down, before drawing his sword. It didn't take long to find the closest signal, though he had to climb a few obstacles.
And defend himself against a few Octorocks and Bokoblins, of course.
So, after walking on some of the giant roots of the great tree, he discovers a strange, perfectly shaped hole. He quickly decided that since his Dowsing was only pointing down in the area, he'd just jump down.
This proved to be fruitful, as he discovered the Kikwi, and picked him up with ease. It ended up being Oolo, and said Kikwi was not exactly thrilled to be picked up. Link could still remember him yelling in his ear about how he tasted terrible, and how he was way to chewy.
He tried to explain that he was sent by the Elder, but Oolo was having none of it. Link couldn't even keep him quiet, as the Kikwi didn't have a mouth to cover.
Eventually, Link got Oolo to settle down and explained the situation to him. After Fi placed the location of the Kikwi on Link's Map, he left the Kikwi in the small cave. He figured he would be safe there, as none of the Demons were really all that smart.
With one down, he was eager to quickly find the second Kikwi, immediately chasing after the strongest signal.
Which….
"How did you find me, kwee!?" The small pillow-like creature yelped, as he tried to keep her still to explain everything. "Only the Elder has a better disguise than I do!"
Lead him him here, on a ledge near the outskirts of the forest, trying to calm a living pillow down.
"That's how I found you!" Link shouted after the small Kikwi, as it kept avoiding his attempts at catching it. "The Elder sent me to find you guys and make sure you're safe!"
The Kikwi stopped suddenly, turning around in a flash to face Link. "Really!?"
Finally calming the creature down, Link took the time for a quick breath, as the familiar sound of wind chimes met his ears.
"I have marked the location of Erla the Kikwi on your map." Fi told him, using the voice only he could hear in case the Kikwi freaked out over her sudden appearance. "There is currently one remaining Kikwi left to find. I suggest moving towards areas you have yet to search."
With that, she became silent, as the Kikwi began to speak once again, unaware of the voice he had heard.
"If the Elder sent you, than I'm sure your not a monster!" The small Kikwi told me with a cheer, as she raised a hand into the air. "I'm Erla by the way, so please tell the Elder I'm safe stranger!"
With that , the Kikwi resumed to 'hide' herself within the cut grass, waiting for it to regrow.
Link chuckled at the site, before turning towards the end of the ledge and looking out at Faron Woods.
While he could definitely admire the beauty of what he was looking at, he chose to ignore that. Instead, he searched from his elevated position for places he has never been in these woods. Quickly taking out his map, he did just that an-
*Bang!*
He looked up at the sudden noise that echoed throughout the forest, as many birds flew away into the sky. More than likely, they were frightened by the blast, just like Erla was behind him, giving a small 'Kwee'.
"What in Din's name was that?!" Link asked out loud, as he looked around the forest to any sign of the source. He didn't have to look long, as a second loud 'Bang' echoed through the forest, scaring the birds that were flying over head.
As he looked down at the area the explosions were coming from, he couldn't help but think of them as… familiar. He wasn't positive, but he felt like he had heard them before, but where?
Searching on his map, he pinpointed the area the birds were flying away from, and placed a Beacon over the. The thin blue pillar in the sky showed up instantly, giving him a key on how to get there.
"Master," He heard Fi speak from his back, still talking from within the sword. "The loud noise and the Aura location of the last Kikwi, Lopsa, corresponds with one another. Taking into account that these are small explosions, the Demons may be using equipment in an attempt to find the Kikwi."
Link could almost feel his heart stop at this news, as he quickly put his map away. "Than we need to go, now!"
Before anything else could be said, Link jumped off of the ledge he was on, quickly making his way towards the Beacon. He was high up, however, and released his Sailcloth to ensure he wouldn't be hurt.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, he was already running, trying to make it towards the Kikwi as fast as possible. However, he didn't know the fastest way there, so, he turned towards his sword, being careful not to run into anything.
"Fi, can you give me the quickest route towards Lopsa!?" He asked the Sword Spirit, before turning back towards running and finding the fastest way himself.
"Of course, Master." She responds, as not a second later, she jumps out of his sword and did the same thing when they met on Skyloft.
It didn't take them long to find their way there, as it was actually very close to the Kikwi Elder. In fact, it was right next to him. Seeing as her job was done, Fi quickly jumped back into the sword.
Link quickly crawled into the hollow tree, where he found a path that was completely unknown to him. Still able to hear the much closer sound of gunshots, he moved quickly, climbing the vines in front of him.
As soon as he climbed them, he found… a tightrope? He quickly ignored the strangely placed rope however, as his goal was on the other side.
Being careful but quick as he walked across, he made sure. He kept his balance with every step, carefully jumping on the rope to get these strange seeds out of his took some time, but he eventually made it to the otherside.
But what he saw there… wasn't exactly what he was expecting.
Ruby, the girl in white, the girl in black, and Yang( if he was remembering correctly), were fighting off what looked like a horde of ten Bokoblins. They looked worse for wear, as they kept getting surrounded and their coordination was off. One of the Moblin's, wearing a blue hat, was running around the pit with a horn in its mouth. With every call of the horn, a new Bokoblin came out of nowhere, as if waiting on standby.
'What were they doing here?' Link thought to himself, as he watched the situation with serious eyes. 'Shouldn't they be at Beacon?'
Ruby interrupted his thoughts though, as she shot at the blue Bokoblin, creating the same explosion he had kept hearing. Faster than any arrow he had seen fly, a large projectile of some form of element flew towards the Bokoblins head.
Yet, as soon as it hit the Demon, it was almost as if it barely did any damage at all. The Bokoblin just kept running around, summoning more swarms of Demons with each blast of the horn.
That is, until the Demon passed under him, unaware of his presence.
He jumped off the ledge he was on, perfectly in time with the running demon, as he fell with his blade pointed down. The blade met the demons skull, penetrating whatever brain it had.
With a withering screech, the demon disappeared in a purple smoke that practically radiated evil.
All the Bokoblins turned to him, all staring at him with his sword in the leaders Skull. The four girls stare at him in awe, as he stood and flicked the Goddess Blade to the side.
Not realizing that the horde of ten Bokoblin was charging him instead of hitting them.
As they charged, he quickly rose his sword to the sky, charging the Skyward Strike. The Demons were smart though, as instead of charging him one by one, they all surrounded him to all atack in different directions.
He heard the Bokoblin behind him skreech, as well as the one to his left, he knew they were about to attack. But when he felt the sword in his hands was fully charged, and he heard the shouts of warning from the girls, he struck.
Standing on the front of his feet, he launched himself forward with his right foot. Keeping the left foot on the ground, he shifted in a way that made the forward momentum he created force his body to spin. As he spun, he held the sword in front of him, making the edge of the blade face the way he was turning.
The results were as beautiful as they were devastating.
With his spin came a dazzling light that, when it came in contact with a demon, sliced through it's skin. The sword also cut some of the demons close to him, killing most of them as they seemed to have taken damage from the girls.
Two of the Bokoblins blocked the attack, surviving for the moment, while a third one barely stayed alive.
He turned and quickly sliced at the arm of the Bokoblin, cutting off it's limb before kicking it away. He didn't bother seeing what happened to it, as he turned to gauge what the second Bokoblin was doing.
It made the attempt to attack him, but he quickly interrupted it with a slap from his shield, causing the demon to be dazed. He than stabbed it through the gut, pointing it upwards to get at what he assumed was it's heart.
As it began to disappear into smoke, he turned to the final one and chopped off it's head. It didn't even hit the ground before it too dissolved.
With a flourish of the Goddess Sword, he got rid of the demonic blood on his blade, before sheathing it on his back.
It was than, as he saw the blood on the ground dissolve into smoke, that he relaxed. He placed the shield on his back, and turned to the four he had just saved.
As he did, he saw their eyes and mouths wide open in shock, trying to take in what they had seen.
Before the youngest of them shattered it.
"Link!" Ruby shouted, before running up to him faster than Kuren could dive in the sky.
She didn't stop when she should have, however, as she crashed into him at what must've been 60 Miles per hour.
He felt his ribs almost cave in on themselves and the air left his lungs painfully fast, unprepared for the speed at which the girl was moving. The force the girl created nearly launched them across the whole pit, as he felt himself go into freefall.
Before he landed harshly on his back, the shield absorbing most of the impact as he did.
For a few seconds, that felt quite a bit longer than it should have, he couldn't breath. It felt like his lungs weren't working correctly, and his chest felt unnaturally tight.
"Master," He heard Fi speak in quiet voice, sounding like the wind rather than someone speaking. "The young Ruby Rose is holding your rib cage tight enough that your lungs cannot expand to absorb air. I would suggest you remove her, before she causes you to suffocate in 2 minutes and 16 seconds."
With both the terrifying and embarrassing thought of a girl hugging him to death on his mind, he tried to speak. That didn't work though, as he had no air to say anything…
And even than, he didn't believe she would hear him.
"-ittookforevertofindyou!Wesearchedthroughtthesewoodsforoveranhour,Butcouldn' ,andwethoughtitwasyou!Sowewenttowardsthenoise,butthanwewere-"
Luckily, someone finally discovered that he was turning an unhealthy shade of blue, and decided to tell the young Rose that.
"Ruby!" The girl in white shouted, looking both angry at the girl and worried for his well being. "Let go of him! You're squeezing him to death!" She told her, trying to forcefully pull the girl off of him.
"But we found him Weiss!" Ruby told the girl, now identified as Weiss, as he watched the colors of the world blend together. " Our first mission was a complete success! "
"No you imbecile, you're literally squeezing him to death!"
As soon as Ruby heard what the girl had said, she let go as faster than any arrow.
He gasped, as he finally felt sweet oxygen enter his lungs. He flipped himself onto his knees, holding himself up with his arms. His breathing was rapid, but he forced himself to calm it down, taking deep and slow breaths.
"I'm so sorry!" He heard Ruby shout in his ear, causing him to cringe ever so slightly at the volume. "I didn't- I didn't wan- I didn't know-"
"It's fine," He told her, turning to face the young girl with a small smile. "I know you didn't mean to. Accidents happen." He took another deep breath as he said this, making sure he recollected all of the lost oxygen. "Though, I have to say, this is a first. " He chuckled, trying to make a joke.
"So," He began, before turning himself over to face the four girls he had just saved. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked bluntly, curious as to why the four students followed him into the Faron Woods. And how for that matter.
The four quickly looked at each other, before turning back to him.
"It's a long story."
"Y'know, I guess one person can make a difference."
Stan Lee
R.I.P