Link made a beeline for the Goddess Statue, making sure only to hopefully avoid being observed by any skywatchers. After Ghirahim's comments, he didn't want his wings to be public knowledge, although he feared the possibility that it was already such. Link entered the Goddess Statue, and slide the Ruby Tablet just above the Emerald Tablet. He turned, and left the statue. He leaped into the sky and, again evading possible skywatchers, shot like an arrow to the red beacon of light that had appeared. Dive in, dive out. He was in a hurry to catch up to Zelda. He dropped to a rocky area, which was stifling hot.
*Master, this is Eldin Volcano. It is an active volcano rich with the power of the earth. 65% of the region, or thereabouts, is covered with molten rock called lava. It's rather dangerous to the touch, so try to avoid doing so. The creatures that live in this area thrive in extreme heat and direct flame. Exercise caution with flammable materials like wood and fabric. Your tunic, I believe, is made from a material that acts as ventilation for your skin. I would also advise against unnecessary flight. Rolls and spins are efficacious when you are on fire,* Fi said. *Finding this region's Information will be of utmost priority.*
Link nodded, and began his search through the area. He saw a bird statue, but it did not hold the information on the area, unfortunately. He pressed on, to meet the residents of this area. The two beings burrowed up from the ground, presenting half of their bodies only.
"Hey, hey, HEY! Mess with our turf and you pay!" one of them said.
"Um… Ledd? I don't think this is one of the red creeps," the second told him.
"Yeah… you're right! Phew. Underground, we rely on different senses, so you scared the hair right off me!" Ledd explained.
"I understand… I think," Link said.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout the confusion. The monsters that have been messing with our turf have got me on edge. They show up, and I'll beat them so hard, they'll turn blue! That's what I, Ledd, am doing," Ledd said.
"Yeah, right, Mr. Too Scared To Dig In The Dark," the second of the creatures said.
"If you're looking for treasure, avoid red guys," Ledd advised, ignoring the other creature. Link nodded, and passed by, crossing his fingers that he'd find the bird statue. As luck would have it, he encountered the right statue as the next one along his chosen path. As he touched it, he learned the name of the creatures from earlier- Mogmas- as well as something that gave him pause.
He learned that he would need to use bombs.
Passing around through the volcano, he entered a cooler inside area. There, he found a Mogma who was looking downcast at a rocky area. There were Bokoblins aplenty in this area, Bokoblins which Link quickly and handily defeated.
"Whoa… thanks there, stranger!" the Mogma said. "You're tough. Mogmas always honour our debts. Let me give you something useful…"
He burrowed underground, and came out of the ground, an item in his teeth. Link grabbed the item, spun around, and presented the Digging Mitts.
"What do I do with these?" Link asked, putting them on.
"Just claw at the ground with them," the Mogma said. "It should work over there." Link ran to the indicated area, and clawed at the ground. A gust of air appeared.
"Thank you, kind Mogma," Link said. He shot into the air with his Sailcloth, and pressed on to find Zelda.
Link shot on up and out of the volcano, and noticed a figure in black on a nearby archway.
"You, the goddess's chosen hero… Zelda is ahead. Hurry," she said. She leaped away, and Link shot into the sky in pursuit. He swept from side to side, and reached a door. He shuffled his wings, and put them away. Like Fi had commented, they were a bit worse for the wear after the flight. He dug through a door at the mountaintop, and entered the heated Earth Temple.
This place was filled to the brim with lava. Link definitely knew that flight was a bad idea. He jumped around between cool platforms, looking for Zelda. Like Skyview Temple, dowsing was an impracticality. His first priority was to find the Map. He encountered the map, with a pouch of unlit bombs lying at its foot.
*Master, this pouch should allow you to use bombs wherever you please, so long as you have a sufficient supply,* Fi said.
"And how might I replenish this supply?" Link asked.
*There is an 80% chance that you can use bomb flowers to replenish your supply,* Fi stated.
"And the other 20%?" Link asked.
*Putting a lit bomb in a bag of bombs appears to be a bad idea. The bomb bag can protect you, but be wary,* Fi said. Link nodded. He hoped that wouldn't happen.
Slipping a carving in the shape of an imperfect circle into the door, Link found and entered the imposing room ahead. He ascended the stairs, and heard the ominous sound of a boulder passing overhead. He saw a loose chain, with a blonde hair nearby. Growling, he reached the head of the stairs, and jumped to a large ramp. Standing at the head of the ramp on a dragon's head was a familiar face.
*Oh, it's you,* Ghirahim stated. *Um… this is somewhat embarrassing, but I appear to have forgotten your name.*
"I don't think I ever gave it away. For reference, I am Link, the Crimson Glider," Link said.
*Ah, yes, that half-human freak who so rudely barges in and interrupts my plans. You know, I'm feeling really… really frustrated, and I just need someone whom I can vent on. I heard my underlings had finally captured that spirit maiden, so I rushed over here. I was excited… flustered, even! My minions had finally succeeded at capturing a blind girl! But when I arrived… her… Again, she thwarted my efforts. She escaped with the girl!* Ghirahim said.
"Zelda's getting help from someone else? So that's how she's doing so well on the surface!" Link said.
*Yeah, well, it's really, really annoying, since I MUST have the spirit maiden to fulfil my purposes! There can be NO OTHER OUTCOME!* Ghirahim said.
"Well, if my plan to spend my life living quietly with Zelda and our Loftwings was brought to pieces by fate, I'm not letting your plan come to fruition!" Link said.
*…Sorry for the earlier outburst. I don't deal well with complications to plans I've carefully laid out. It's a character flaw. But at least there's good in today! I have so much bottled-up anger smouldering inside me… and it's time for me to let it all out! There's someone special I'd like you to meet. I just need to vent out my unhealthy anger, and your agony is such a great stress reliever. It won't take more than a few moments with my friend before you're charred to a satisfying crisp. And wouldn't that put a spring in my step!* Ghirahim said.
"You wish," Link said. A large boulder rolled towards Link, which he lightly dodged. The rock shattered, but the pieces remained clumped. Six spindly legs made of molten rock appeared, and the little creature wandered about.
Earth Temple Boss… … … Pyroclastic Fiend: SCALDERA identified!
This beast's body is completely covered in rock, but its weak point (its eye) is visible through the cracks in its shell. If this shell could be removed, the probability of success would increase drastically. The sword appears ineffective… bombs would be more appropriate. But bombing the rock itself wouldn't be helpful… but where else can explosions be formed?
Link's gaze returned to the fight. Scaldera opened his mouth wide, and Link clicked. He pulled out and tossed one of his bombs, causing an internal explosion. Scaldera fell, allowing Link to slash at the eye through an opening in the rock. Scaldera resumed its feet, and walked over Link. It rolled down the slope they duelled on, but Link dodged. Link bombed Scaldera again, and slashed its eye. Scaldera writhed in agony, and withered away. Ghirahim was nowhere to be seen, so Link chose to continue.
Link arrived in the Earth Spring, and saw Zelda with another woman. A beam of light appeared at the same time as Link, and the woman gestured for Zelda to enter. Before she did so, Zelda turned.
"I'd recognise that green anywhere… Link?" Zelda asked. The woman looked at Zelda oddly, as if confused.
"The one and only," Link said, his wings extending. Link looked at them, and hurriedly put them away. At the very least, choking volcanic heat wasn't a concern for Link here.
"Your Grace, you cannot go to him. Restrain yourself, and focus on the task at hand," the woman said, beginning to grasp the situation. Zelda nodded, and reluctantly allowed herself to be guided into the light.
"Can someone at least tell me why I'm running around?" Link asked.
"Running? Don't make me scoff. It took you far too long to get here. I believe the goddess is mistaken in her choice of agents. If this failure is normal, you have no hope of defending Her Grace from those who seek to assail her," the woman said, looking down on Link.
"Well excuse me, princess! Not all of us can fly in the middle of an active volcano covered in soot and ash!" Link said.
"…I always wondered why Her Grace chose a winged messenger. You're not one of the creatures created by the goddess… you're nothing more than a demon, created by the forces of evil," the woman said. Link couldn't form a reply. Everything the woman said was correct: whatever he was, he wasn't Skyloftian anymore. And considering where he got his wings…
Was she correct? Was he just a demon that didn't listen to Ghirahim?
"Do my words anger you, boy? Let them. If I had not come when I did, that little Zelda would have already fallen into the hands of the enemy. And if something as simple as volcanic ash reduces you to the might of a common sword…" the woman said. Link felt his wings grow, as he felt an immense anger emanate from himself.
"You were late, and you failed to protect her. Zelda is learning more of the fate in which she is to play a part. Listen well. If you wish to be of help to Her Grace you must summon some sort of courage and face the trials laid out before you. Only when you've conquered the trials will you be of use to Zelda. No sooner. Understood?" the woman asked.
"Not really. For one, where are these trials? For two, who are you? How can I trust someone who calls the man who is apparently the goddess's chosen as nothing more than a demon reject?" Link asked. The woman turned on her heel, and left. Link looked at his wings sorrowfully. He gave them a beat before returning them to his back, and approached the altar to Skyward Strike it.
*Master, another message…* Fi said.
"Go ahead, Fi," Link said.
*From the edge of time I guide you, the one destined to carry out the goddess's mission. The spirit maiden who descended from the clouds has passed through the Earth Spring and makes her way to a fated place. The parched desert of Lanayru… That is where the chosen will pass through the Gate of Time into a distant world,* Fi said. A glow came from the Goddess Statue, and formed in Link's hands. Link stowed away the Amber Tablet without ceremony.
*I detect a hint of unhappiness within you, Master…* Fi said.
"What can I say to that woman? She hasn't said anything that's wrong… but still…" Link said. He heard Zelda's giggle. He allowed a silence to stretch out for a few moments, before Fi began.
*I project that Zelda is now travelling to the region of Lanayru. We should be able to use the Amber Tablet to arrive there…* Fi said.
"…" Link said nothing. He was still taken aback by the words of the other.
*…We really should make a conscious attempt to arrive at our next destination punctually,* Fi said. Link crouched, and leaped into the air, flying through the skies once more.
Link snuck through Skyloft, and inserted the Amber Tablet into the groove, filling it totally and creating the opening to Lanayru. Giving no thought for Skyloft, he shot to the third hole in the sky, that created by the yellow pillar of light. This place was as hot as Eldin, but in a different sense.
*Master, this is the Lanayru Mine. This arid region was turned to desert over the course of several hundred years. Zelda must have travelled through this area,* Fi said. She didn't talk nearly as much as she had earlier, likely due to Link's discomfort. Link clambered down to the floor, and encountered the bird statue that enlightened him almost immediately. He sighed in gratitude.
He walked further, and encountered a rock he recognised as Chronolite. He struck it, and the area around it was bathed in a light. Link knew this was in the past, where he spotted some creatures best called Ancient Robots, though they were actually LD-301 mass-produced units. He didn't stop to talk with these creatures, instead noting that the Chronolite only worked in a set radius. He scooped up an Ancient Flower, and walked through the desert in the present and the past. The arid desert of the present, coated in sinksand. The lush paradise of the past, where ancient technologies were in power.
He needed to find Zelda, and confront her companion.
He encountered some cages. In the past, he noticed that some Technoblins were harassing an Ancient Robot. He knocked them aside like ninepins, noting that the one that flew outside the Chronolite's area turned into a pile of bones. The Ancient Robot smiled happily at the sight.
*Thank you, zrrt. I have some way to repay you. Would you like me to do so?* the Ancient Robot asked.
"Sure. Why not?" Link asked. The Ancient Robot took Link's Beetle, and upgraded it to a Hook Beetle.
*Now what was an inferior model can pick up and carry items, like our Beetle Mk II. May it come in handy in the future,* the Ancient Robot said.
"Of course," Link said. Despite his rush, he was glad to hear the accidental joke in the Ancient Robot's words.
Using the Hook Beetle, Link could arrive in the Temple of Time. He travelled through this area- remarkably, not very much of a temple. However, Gorko the Goron was here.
"Oh, hey. What brings you here?" Link asked.
"Only the discovery of the century! I saw a human who lives on the legendary Isle of the Goddess! It wore clothes like those mentioned in the ancient manuscripts! And it looked just like you, bud! It came with another person and entered the temple! But there was this explosion, and the entrance… yeah," Gorko said. He must be talking about Zelda and the other woman.
"We're not getting past this mess… but I really wish I could find out what's on the other side!" Gorko said. Link inspected the rubble. It seemed easy for Link to simply fly over the rubble, and suspected that would be the ideal strategy. However, Gorko was standing right there, and using his wings would lose him one of the people who knew him as just a human.
"Um, Gorko… I have an idea…" Link said. "But I'm not sure if I can take you over as well," Link said.
"…It's because I'm so heavy, isn't it?" Gorko asked. Link opened his mouth to protest.
"Nah, just kidding. I'm good with that. Here… take this as an apology for making you worry about offending me," Gorko said. He handed Link an item. Link spun around, and proudly presented the Gust Bellows.
"I found it while I was exploring the surrounding area. I know it can send out gusts of wind, but I'm not entirely sure how to work it…" Gorko said. Link suddenly got a comical image of Gorko's hat being blown around by gusts of wind expelling from the bellows, with Gorko trying to catch it and shut off the bellows at the same time.
"Thank you for your kindness, Gorko…" Link said. Gorko turned, and walked away for new lands. Link turned around, and flew over the wall around the Temple of Time. He took a moment to practice firing the Gust Bellows, before continuing.
Link saw Zelda playing the Ballad of the Goddess in front of a massive blue cog. Zelda heard his wingbeats, and turned around to see the familiar green shape that was Link. The other woman turned to see Link as well, with only a small scowl. Link returned the favour, before an explosion sounded from behind Link.
"When did you get here?" Link asked, turning on the spot to deflect Ghirahim's jump. Ghirahim knocked Link to one side, and charged at Zelda. The other woman shot forth on instinct, blocking Ghirahim, and beginning her attack.
"Impa! Where did you go? What's happening?" Zelda asked, looking around in panic.
"Stay still, Zelda! Try not to walk off the edge or into the cog until Impa tells you it's safe!" Link said, gliding around to Zelda's side.
"That time is now! Your Grace! Get to the gate immediately!" Impa said. Link landed beside Zelda.
"Link! Take this!" Zelda said, holding up the Goddess Harp. Link revolved on the spot, and presented the Goddess Harp. No time to admire it, however, as Ghirahim had just broken through Impa's barrier. Link dived at Ghirahim, blasting him back.
"Link," Impa said.
"Am I late this time?" Link asked, spreading his wings.
"…No. I take back what I said about you earlier…" Impa said.
"It was good thinking material. After all, you only told truths," Link admitted.
"But it was wrong to point out," Impa stated.
"Look, we can argue about this all we want, but a crazy maniac is trying to kidnap a blind girl who we need for… whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. I don't know about you, but I think stopping Ghirahim is the higher priority," Link rambled. Impa nodded, and got up.
"Tell the old woman at the Sealed Grounds what has transpired. She will tell you what to do," Impa said. She scooped up Zelda, and jumped into the massive cog.
"This isn't good-bye, Link! I promise!" Zelda said. A large explosion sounded, and the cog vanished, as did Impa and Zelda.
*Now you've done it, Link! I blame myself for not reprimanding you like I should. I was… soft, I suppose. But you remain a demon, and as a Demon Lord, I guess that I will be able to punish you as I would a demon. Well… I have no time for recreation. Next time, I will do more than beat you senseless. You will know what it is like to serve under the great Demon Lord Ghirahim!* Ghirahim said, vanishing. Link looked around.
"Fi, how much of a demon am I?" Link asked.
*My sensors indicate a significant deviation from your aura and the aura of the monsters Ghirahim uses. However, there is also some deviation between your aura and that of Zelda. The chance of you fully shrugging off an attempt to turn you is 99%,* Fi said. Link nearly breathed a sigh of relief… before recognising the subtle note in her statement.
99%. Not 100%.
*I would also like to report that Zelda's aura is no longer present. You can no longer dowse for her. Visiting the Sealed Grounds appears to be the ideal situation at the present time,* Fi said. Link nodded, and flew into the skies. Gorko came back, and saw Link flying. He let out an impressed sound, and picked up one of the red feathers that fell from his wings. He looked around the Temple of Time in awe.
"You're really good, Link," Gorko remarked.