Spirits of Light
Bisca had instantly grown bored of the many corridors that made up the Temple of the Light God. It was the same polished, gray floor, perfectly aligned stone-brick walls and falcon-head shaped sconces with Light Lacrima orbs held within their iron beaks. Occasionally there would be heavy, wooden doors, but each one was closed shut. Once, her group passed through what appeared to be a grand hall designed for large gatherings and that was the only time the scenery changed into something more interesting. The temple was built deep into a mountain, so windows were lacking. However, with all the Light Lacrima decorating the place, it was as bright as daylight inside – maybe even brighter.
The air was chilly and stale with old incense. Bisca was busy rubbing her bare arms covered in goosebumps as she was trying – but failing miserably – to pay attention to Priest Jarron's many tales. The old man droned on and on about the history of the temple and its people and its merciful Light God. 'Praise the Light! Praise our Thirteen Gods!' blah blah blah.
It was too much to take in all at once.
Alzack was just as bored, trailing behind alongside Bisca. Erza, on the other hand, kept in pace with the priest and his grandson, appearing to be fascinated by every word spewing out of the old man's mouth. Bisca wasn't a religious person; she respected the people and their cultures and often found some things interesting. But right now, hearing about the Thirteen Gods continuously made Bisca want to shoot herself just to get away from the boredom.
"By their Thirteen Gods," she grumbled under her breath, loud enough for only her husband to hear, "How much farther until we can start doing what we actually came here to do?"
Alzack shrugged. "Praise those Thirteen Gods, I hope it's soon," he replied with a humorous smirk. "If not, I'll have to sleep-walk the rest of the way. Or," he leaned towards his wife, his smirk turning into a seductive smile, "you can carry me the rest of the way. Since I carried you up those steps, you can carry me across the temple. It's only fair."
Bisca lightly elbowed him in the stomach, making him jerk back. "Sorry, Al. No deal."
He pouted like a little boy. He took a quick glance behind him at the long, empty hallway and sighed. Most of the corridors they had passed through were void of people. Sometimes they were greeted by other followers but those moments were so far in between. "Feels like we've been walking for hours. Does this temple go all the way through the mountain? Do you remember him saying that?"
"I think so. I wasn't really paying attention in the beginning."
Alzack cocked an eyebrow. "You 'think so'? That means no, right? I don't blame you for not listening to his babble."
She wagged a finger at him. "Hey, I had a lot on my mind. I was worried about Links and I still am," she said, frowning.
Her husband draped an arm around her. She was glad for the warm touch, a little more body heat was nice against the cold. "What are you worried about? He'll be fine with Romeo. As long as he stays off the roof."
Bisca chuckled and put an arm around his waist to pull him closer. "Knowing that little guy, he's going to somehow find a way up there. Ugh, can't imagine the sort of trouble we'll be in if he does manage that. But that's not what I'm really worried about."
"Does it have something to do with why he can't enter this glorious temple of Light?"
Bisca nodded, further creasing her brow. "Why do you think he can't? There's nothing evil about him. He's certainly not a demon, otherwise Erza would have known." Eyes on the back of the priest, she dropped her voice to a whisper, "What 'dark creature' does this old man think he is?"
"I don't know. Maybe their Light God hates sky wolves?" When he saw his wife's unimpressed look, he shrugged and uttered, "What?"
"So you actually believe this God exists?"
He snorted. "Nah. I was just being sarcastic. Couldn't you tell? Anyway, maybe it has something to do with where Links came from? You don't meet wolves or people from the sky every day so maybe they could have some… I don't know? An unnatural… aura or something?"
Bisca was half-way through rolling her eyes before Alzack's comment started to make her think. She knew Links was special since the very beginning. From the strange markings on his fur to the intelligence behind his gorgeous blue eyes – Links was no ordinary wolf. Perhaps being from some mysterious sky island was the main reason he couldn't pass through the holy barrier.
No, that can't be right, she argued with her brain. It didn't make sense. A holy barrier was meant to keep dark powers at bay and Links didn't have a shred of evil in him. He got along well with all of Bisca's animals and he was incredibly patient with Asuka; he was the perfect pet. He wasn't a ferocious beast either, still only a pup. And not once did Bisca sense anything odd about him. So why was he considered a being of Dark? It didn't add up.
As she tried to come up with a logical theory, Alzack gently shook her. "Looks like we're finally there," he mumbled, slipping his arm away from her shoulder and into her hand. He led her into a large chamber that had a low domed ceiling. Two rows of six identical pillars lined the central walkway, each decorated with red markings depicting a stylized sun with swirling rays. Between the pillars were stone statues of giant sparrows, each standing proud atop their own podium. There were twelve in all and they were all identical with sun crests on their bellies and pendants made of clear crystal around their necks. However, there was one, the farthest to Bisca's right, which wore a pendant that glowed as bright as a Light Lacrima.
Bisca raised her brow, having expected statues of falcons instead of sparrows. And she was pretty curious about that light pendant.
As if reading her thoughts, Erza asked the priest why only one of the birds had a glowing crystal.
"There is an old legend that these twelve sparrows were the Messengers of Light," answered Priest Jarron. He stood before the stone sparrow with the shining stone, the top of his bald head equal in height to the podium. "For as long as I can remember, it has always been this one that shone while the others remained cold. As the story goes, there had been a Great War in the past where the Light God battled against an army of demons. In the end, the Light God was triumphant over evil. However, all but this one sparrow had perished; their light devoured by the demons. To this day, it is believed the surviving Messenger continues to send our prayers to its Lord when we pray in the altar. Speaking of which; Rhyson." He turned and gestured for his grandson.
The young man nodded and went to retrieve a small wooden chest tucked away in a corner. Priest Jarron had led Bisca's team to the large set of stone doors waiting at the end of the walkway by the time Rhyson had returned.
"Beyond here is the sacred altar," the old man began as he shifted his tinted goggles over his eyes. He looked absolutely ridiculous with them on because his bushy eyebrows were peeking out from the top like a dead animal. Bisca had to cover her mouth with a hand to suppress her giggles.
"Please, put these goggles on," the priest continued while Rhyson handed pairs of protective wear to each member of Fairy Tail.
Bisca mentally grumbled, not liking how ridiculous she was going to look with them on. But when Alzack snapped his pair on and wiggled his eyebrows teasingly at her with a goofy grin, she no longer hesitated to wear them. The couple laughed at each other's funny appearances and they laughed even louder when they saw Erza sporting her own goofy goggles before they were interrupted by the old man loudly clearing his throat.
"The Light God's blessing is too much for normal eyes to gaze upon. Without these, you would go blind within a day. Now, is everyone ready? Good." The priest tapped the end of his holy staff against the doors that bore the same carving of the halo falcon. White light flashed followed by the distinct rumbling as the two halves slid sideways.
Bisca was immediately overwhelmed by a blinding glare coming from the other side of the door. Even with her tinted goggles, she had to shield her eyes before they could adjust to the sudden brightness. "Wow…" she breathed in awe the instant she saw the wide, open valley before her.
There was Light Lacrima everywhere. All natural and unrefined. The enormous deposit of beautiful crystals stretched halfway up the mountains and covered the entire valley floor. It was incredibly bright; brighter than the sunlight. The cool, refreshing mountain air was charged with copious amounts of magical energy and free of the smell of incense.
Bisca felt invigorated, her body seemingly absorbing the magic emitting from the valley of Lacrima. The platform she was walking on was as large as the plateau back at the entrance of the temple. At the very edge overlooking the valley was a giant statue of the Light God magnificently carved out of Light Lacrima. Facing the temple, its large crystal wings were spread open in flight and its beak was raised towards the clear sky.
Marring the beauty of the place was the huge, shattered crater in front of the statue. The hole was deep and piles of broken rocks were littered everywhere. There was a large group of people, ranging from children as young as ten to the elderly, all dressed in white and wearing goggles, working around the damaged site, busy cleaning up the mess.
That crater was likely where the altar used to be and it looked as if someone had blasted it with a bomb.
"Tell everyone to stop what they're doing," Erza suddenly demanded the old man as she made her way towards the damage.
"What? Now, why would I do that?" the priest exclaimed, chasing after her on shorter legs. "This place needs to be cleared before we can fix the altar!"
"Your people are taking away all the clues that may lead to your culprit," the warrioress replied. Without waiting for the old man to respond, she raised her voice and commanded; "Everyone! Stop and clear out right now!"
The people paused in their work, their attention turned towards the scarlet-haired woman. None of them moved as commanded; they only stared at Team Fairy Tail with confused expressions. An older woman was first to stomp towards them.
"Jarron! What is the meaning of this?" the woman demanded in a stern tone, her brow wrinkled in displeasure. She had thin, pale lips, a sharp nose, and graying blue hair tied in a tight bun atop her head. She was tall thanks to the pointy heels she wore, giving her a few extra inches over Erza's height. She wielded a taller staff made from silver metal that, surprisingly, did not have the head of a holy falcon but the curved talons of a bird. Within the metal claws was an orb of pure white light. Going by the gold-trimmed mantle she wore and the fancier robe underneath, there was no doubt she was an important figure in the temple.
The old man tensed and quickly bowed his head. "O-Oh! H-High Priestess!" he stuttered, "Please forgive our intrusion!" He waved his staff at Erza and glowered, "This woman is–"
"You're the one in charge?" Erza interrupted, moving to stand before the taller woman, ignoring the glares coming from the elderly pair.
So bold, thought Bisca, nodding at her teammate with great admiration. Never had she gone a mission with Erza before so it was a thrill to witness Titania at work. Alzack, on the other hand, was watching the confrontation between the women with apprehension. Priest Jarron and Rhyson also seemed rather nervous.
"So you must be the mages Jarron hired," stated the High Priestess, ignoring Erza's question. The woman straightened and looked down her nose at the younger mage through tinted lenses, her thin lips in a taut line.
Erza crossed her arms, undaunted by the other. "That's right. We are Fairy Tail and we're here to investigate the case of your missing sword. We can't do that if you erase all possible clues around the area. I suggest you stop what you're all doing immediately and allow us to look around and ask questions."
"Clues?" the priestess snorted and sharply gestured at the crater behind her. "There is your only clue. We have searched this area since the Divine Blade From Heaven was stolen and found nothing other than this atrocious hole where our sacred altar used to be."
"It's possible you may have missed something," Erza pressed, not willing to back down.
The older woman's brow furrowed even further. If Bisca could see her eyes, they would be two angry slits directed at Erza.
The sharpshooter hid her smile, silently grateful the fearless Titania was with her on this mission. If Bisca had been the one dealing with the strict High Priestess, she would have probably broken into an argument already. Didn't these people know that messing with the crime scene was not going to help solve the mystery?
If Links was here, he could have detected something that no one else could see. But there were a lot of people around; too many scents to distinguish one from the other. Especially when the people were touching and moving everything. And not to mention it was blinding to be here.
A tense silence settled between Erza and the High Priestess as they gazed upon one another, neither willing to yield. No one dared to interfere.
It felt like one long moment until the High Priestess was first to shatter the silence. Her thin lips twitched into a snarl. "Jarron," she called, never leaving her gaze from the scarlet-haired mage.
The old man flinched and quickly ran up to the taller woman's side. "Y-Yes, High Priestess?"
"Keep an eye on Fairy Tail while they 'investigate' this matter. Everyone, drop everything and return to the temple."
There was murmuring and whispers as the followers of Light began to shuffle away from the crater. They gave Fairy Tail numerous glances as they passed them, most of them curious while a few were annoyed.
To Erza, the High Priestess added in a firm, authoritative tone, "You have until tomorrow morning before we continue restoring our altar. Is that clear?"
"Understood," the warrioress replied, keeping a straight face at her little victory. She turned to her teammates and received a nod from both. "Thank you. We will be careful not to further damage your sacred altar. We will find out who did this, you have our word."
The High Priestess gave a curt nod and proceeded to walk away towards the people gathered around the sealed doors of the temple.
Erza dusted her hands and smirked at her teammates. Alzack gave a 'thumbs up' and Bisca grinned. "We have the floor. Let's start searching," said Erza, making her way to the edge of the crater.
Bisca didn't follow. Instead, she started to backtrack towards the group of followers. "You guys go ahead. I'll interrogate some of the people and see if I can learn anything new."
Alzack was most disappointed and it briefly showed on his face. "Alright. Just… be careful, okay?" he said as he discreetly pointed at the back of the High Priestess who had just opened the stone doors with her staff.
She smiled and waved at her husband. "I will." She wasn't really looking forward to having to endure the High Priestess and her stern attitude, but work was work. And dealing with troublesome clients was one of the main joys of guild missions.
Counting to ten to steady her nerves, she followed the line of people back into the Temple of the Light God.
Ever since the holy stone doors had banged shut, Link had been restless. If he wasn't brooding, he was pacing. If he wasn't pacing, he was brooding.
He had wandered around the temple entrance multiple times in search of any clues he could dig up that could help identify the thieves. He even tried looking for another way in; a hidden tunnel, climbable ledges, something to get him past the annoying barrier. Sadly, there was nothing to be found. There wasn't even a distinguishable scent besides the smell of incense; everywhere he went smelled of incense, making him wonder if the priests bathed in the smoke day and night.
It wasn't long until he gave up his hopeless search. With nothing left to do but wait, Link had reluctantly abided to the old priest's command and stayed away from the temple doors.
Since then, he had been pacing along the plateau, circling the holy falcon and its radiant sun carved into the dark gray stone. How long had it been since Bisca and her team disappeared behind the temple doors? Half an hour? One?
Link didn't keep track of time, his mind occupied with the sudden turn of events. Not being able to enter the sacred temple to help find his own blade angered him to no end. Nothing seemed to be working in his favour, making him highly suspect the Gods were acting against him just to make his life more miserable than it already was.
Whenever a grim thought of how his situation could get any worse intruded his mind, he would growl, which didn't go unnoticed. Romeo nervously stayed a good distance away close to the temple entrance, keeping a silent eye on the wolf. The boy had tried to cheer Link up, but words of assurance could only do so much to sway the hero's foul mood.
Blue eyes were fierce as they glowered at the bird carved into the stone by his restless feet. He was like a hungry beast circling his prey, except his prey was a mere image of a falcon. "Light God," he scoffed under his breath, "I have done no wrong and yet you Gods mock me. Why? I have a duty to fulfill. A friend to save. Realms to protect! Was I not chosen to be your hero? Am I no longer worthy?"
He expected no answer and he got nothing. Only the gentle tinkling of the hanging bells and the steady clicking of his claws. Ten more circles and Link finally stopped at the bottom of the falcon's feet. He wearily closed his eyes and laid down with a heavy sigh, his head resting on his front paws. Bisca's golden bracelet was cool beneath his chin, but it was a comforting coolness. Remembering the bracelet reminded him of the woman's promise and her bright violet eyes that had burned with determination before she stepped into the temple for his sake.
Link's anger gradually subsided as his thoughts turned to Bisca and her kindness. "I wish I can thank you…" he murmured.
"Oh? But I haven't done a thing!" someone replied in a shrill, amused tone.
Startled, Link nearly jumped out of his skin. His eyes snapped open in surprise only to find a small, yellow and white, female sparrow standing right before his nose. He lifted his head and stared down at the curious avian, perturbed by her sudden appearance; he did not hear nor smell her arrival. It was as if the little creature had appeared out of thin air.
Link was quick to notice she was no ordinary bird when he caught the sparrow's faint and fleeting scent. Sweet like honey with a hint of spice. Unlike the surrounding mountain, forest, or lake. Link had only come across a handful of beings that possessed such a peculiar smell. And most of them were giants. This one was so very small and lacked the radiant, ethereal glow he was used to seeing.
On her pale belly was a crimson sun with its swirling rays tracing around her body to mark her plumage with a colourful red. Around her neck hung a pebble-sized crystal that shone like the pendants the priests of the temple wore.
"Are you… a spirit?" he asked tentatively.
Unafraid, the sparrow hopped onto the wolf's left paw and blinked her beady black eyes at Link, tilting her head curiously from side to side. "Pipo-pipo-peeta-po!" the bird sang.
The wolf furrowed his brow in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"
"It is a greeting of friends, friend! You see me. You hear me. You can touch me! We must now be friends! Do you want to play?"
Link glanced over at Romeo who was leaning against one of the columns and watching the wolf with a bored expression. It didn't seem like the boy could see or sense the sparrow.
"If you play with me, I will take you to Mom!" the spirit pleaded like a child when Link didn't answer right away. "Play! Play! Play! Play! Play!" With each chant of 'Play!', the bird hopped between the larger one's front paws. Barely could Link feel her feather-light feet landing on his toes.
"Your mom?" the wolf questioned, leaning in close. "Is she another spirit?"
"Yes, she is!" said the bird rather eagerly now that she knew Link was interested. She turned around to face the falcon carved before them in the ground, her fanned tail lightly brushing against the wolf's fur. "She is! She is! A great spirit! The greatest! You have come to see her, yes? I know you do! I've been watching!"
Link briefly looked away to hide his guilt. The little bird had mistaken his angry brooding for something else entirely. Nevertheless, he was suddenly anxious to learn that the Light God was actually a Light Spirit, the guardian of this region. He would be smiling like a fool if he could. He bowed his head respectfully at the deity's image and silently begged for forgiveness for his earlier behaviour. He should have known this new land was protected by the great spirits of Light, much like in Hyrule.
The Light Spirit can help him change back. The other spirits had done so before when they vanquished the curse of Twilight from the land, so this one can too.
As Link moved to stand, the sparrow flitted back onto the ground and gazed up expectedly, her beady eyes so full of hope. "You are right," he said, "I do want to meet your mother."
"Joy! Joy!" chirped the sparrow, hopping in the air to fly in a quick, happy circle. She landed on top of Link's furry head and exclaimed, "Then let's play!"
Link looked up. He couldn't see his new companion but he could feel her light feet bouncing between his ears. He suppressed a sigh and the urge to shake his head. This spirit was too much of a child, not that it annoyed him. "Very well. What do you want to do?"
"Jump!"
He cocked his head, again trying to give the bird a questioning look. "Jump?"
"Yes! Jump! As high as you can!"
You want a ride?
The wolf mentally smirked. He crouched low, coiling the muscles in his back legs. "Then hold on tight!" he warned. He felt the bird clutch to his fur before he launched straight up, leaping thrice his height before landing gracefully on all fours.
The sparrow was laughing with childish glee. "Again!"
Link rolled his eyes and leapt again, bringing another peal of joyous laughter from his tiny rider.
"Again!"
"Only once more, okay?"
When he landed, he heard Romeo ask, "Links? You okay?"
The boy warily approached the wolf and giggling spirit that was invisible to his eyes. With a raised brow, Romeo was clearly wondering what Link was doing jumping in the middle of the plateau like an idiot.
Link glanced off to the side, silently thankful he wasn't a man at the moment for the young mage to see his embarrassment. He gave the boy a curt nod all the while trying to ignore the tiny spirit's chittering. It suddenly became difficult to keep a straight face and pretend the sparrow wasn't shrieking in his ear when she started to nip his ears as well.
Romeo was even more skeptical as Link kept flinching from every bite of the spirit's evil little beak.
The wolf tossed his head back and lightly shook his head as he growled, "Please stop that!"
"Something bothering you, boy?" Romeo asked, looking at the wolf closely.
Link didn't get to respond (or snap irritably for being called 'boy') because the laughing sparrow landed right back on his head. "That was fun!" she chirped, peering down to meet the wolf's fuming gaze. "Friend, since you're so kind, I'll take you to Mom!"
Link perked up and instantly dismissed the idea to violently shaking his head to toss his passenger off. "You will?"
"Yes!" The spirit took to the air and flew in circles above the wolf and mage as she sang, "Pipo-pipo-peeta-po! Come, friend! Follow me! Your human can come too!"
"The boy is not my hu–" Before Link could even finish his sentence, the sparrow shot across the plateau towards the mountain wall like a fired arrow. She was nothing but a shimmering speck by the time Link turned in her direction.
The wolf sighed and briefly met Romeo's confused stare before he dashed right after the twittering spirit.
"Hey! Where are you going, Links?" the boy cried in surprise, chasing after him.
Link slowed to a stop before the steep mountainside where the sparrow was waiting, clinging to the rough stone with ease. When he saw the faint, worn symbol of a sun carved into the gray rock under the sparrow, Link noticed many other ancient markings on the wall. Little suns with swirling rays, much like the crest on the sparrow's belly, formed a larger circle where in the centre bore the familiar holy falcon.
"This is a secret door – the Pipa-paya door. It has never been opened for over a thousand years," the bird began to explain, tilting her head down at Link, "In order to open it, you must touch all the Pipapo in a specific order and there is one you must touch three times, and two you must touch twice in succession."
"The pi-pa-po?"
"The Light Suns!"
The wolf balked at the complexity of the switch. He had dealt with ancient, magical mechanisms that were, more often than not, a pain to solve during his adventures in the many temples and dungeons of Hyrule. Even though he had yet to try it, he knew this one topped them all.
"Am I to solve this riddle on my own?" he questioned with dread as he sat on his haunches, all ready to give up. There were too many combinations to try. Thinking about it made his head hurt. It would take him days to figure it out.
"Oh, this looks neat," said Romeo the instant he caught up to Link. Oblivious to the trial lying before them, the boy smiled at the wolf before examining the carving up close.
The spirit giggled and ruffled her wings at Link's previous question. "Of course not, kind friend!" she answered, bringing a big sigh of relief from the beast. "Since you can jump very high, you won't have a problem touching all twelve Pipapo. Now let's play together!" She flew to the highest sun crest – a 'Pipapo', she called it – positioned at 12 o'clock. She wiggled her tail feathers in an almost taunting manner and chanted in a chipper tune; "This one! This one! This one!"
Understanding what to do, Link drew close and had to politely push Romeo out of the way with his nose. The boy was confused yet again, but didn't argue as he stepped aside, all the while scratching the back of his head.
Link crouched down and eyed the sparrow's taunting tail. "Here I come, spirit!" He sprang to the highest sun, prompting the little bird to fly to the next crest, and smacked his right paw dead in the centre.
"Man, you're weird," Romeo uttered mostly to himself as he watched the wolf leap and scratch at the twelve small suns of the mountain in a seemingly random pattern. Again, Link probably looked like an idiot when the boy couldn't see the giddy sparrow.
The pattern was long and confusing that Link couldn't even remember the first three steps. It was no wonder the door had been sealed for so long. By the time he touched the last sun at 4 o'clock, he wanted to drop to the ground in exhaustion. However, the instant his paw left the sun, all the lines carved into the mountain flashed with golden light, giving both him and Romeo a start.
"Whoa! What's going on?!" the young mage exclaimed, glancing between the light and Link.
The eye of the holy falcon shone a second longer than the rest before the light faded. Soon to follow was the rumbling of stone as a vertical line appeared down the middle of the falcon and her glorious sun. The two halves of the circular door slid apart, disappearing into the mountain side to reveal a pitch-black tunnel.
"You did it, friend!" cheered the spirit as she landed on top of Link's head and did a few happy hops. "Venture to the end to meet Mom!"
Romeo peered inside before looking at Link in shock. "Wait a minute… did you know this was here?" he asked, becoming suspicious.
The wolf lightly shook his head, being mindful of his rider. It was a half-truth.
The boy made wild gestures at the tunnel. "But then… How…? I don't get it… Was it your nose?"
"It was me!" the sparrow chirped, but of course, Romeo couldn't hear her.
Acting smug, Link grunted and cocked his head at the mage, motioning for him to follow, before the wolf clambered into the hole that was wide enough for the boy to fully stand. Anyone taller would have had to crouch.
Inside, the air was cool and stale and the ground was covered in a thick layer of dust; solid proof that no one had ventured through the stone for over a millennia.
The adventurous side of Link was eager to explore. Besides a great Light Spirit, could there be lost treasures as well beyond the shadows? His weariness gone, Link started to walk ahead.
The instant Romeo entered the tunnel, the stone doors suddenly slammed shut behind them, casting them in darkness. Thankfully, the spirit's small glowing crystal hanging around her neck was bright enough to light up the path a few feet around them. However, what Link saw was not the same as what Romeo saw.
The young mage twisted around in panic and banged uselessly against the stone doors that no longer appeared as two halves but a solid wall. "Oh no!" the boy shrieked, "We're trapped!"
"Your human is wrong. We're not trapped!" the sparrow assured cheerily. "The door won't open from this side, but there are two more ways out."
"He cannot see you," Link reminded the spirit as he quickly approached the boy. The wolf let out a short bark and nudged Romeo's side with his nose in hope of calming the mage down.
Romeo gasped and flinched away before quickly realizing it was only Link. He slowly reached down and awkwardly patted the top of the wolf's snout with shaky hands. "Oh good, it's just you," he whispered in relief between his rapid breaths. "Okay, okay… No need to hyperventilate. Calm down. Calm down. Just calm down." The boy closed his eyes, took a deep breath, held it, and slowly exhaled, his shoulders sagging. When he opened his eyes, he was more relaxed. He held up a hand and magically produced a small, orange flame in his open palm.
A fire mage, Link mused, staring in fascination at the conjured fire that shone brighter than the sparrow's crystal. The light was pleasantly warm, feeling as comfortable as a burning hearth on a cold day.
"Oh! That's pretty!" said the spirit, fluttering to the flame for a closer look. Link noticed the fire flickering from the rapid beat of her wings before she found her spot again on the wolf's head.
Romeo scanned his surroundings. There wasn't much to see besides the craggy walls and ceiling and the extremely dusty ground. When he met the wolf's blue eyes, he formed a brave smile – one that made Link fondly remember young Colin.
"Thanks, boy–" Link grumbled but his annoyance went unnoticed– "Let's see where this tunnel goes, huh? Maybe there's another exit…"
Link nodded and led the way, strolling at a reasonable pace for the mage to walk alongside him. The path was relatively straight in the beginning before it started to bend and twist. The farther they went, the wider the tunnel became until it was more of a cavern that carried the echo of Romeo's footsteps. They encountered a few areas where they had to climb up a few ledges to reach. The climb wasn't too difficult for Link; he could jump to every ledge, much to the sparrow's delight. Romeo, however, had to extinguish his flame and climb blindly in the dark. At those moments, Link stayed close and helped drag the boy up by pulling on the boy's clothes with his teeth.
They stopped to rest when they reached a fork. To their left was an ascending passageway; to their right was a descending path.
"Left is the one you should choose," said the sparrow as she playfully hopped between Link's front paws. "Up! Up! To the mountaintop! Mom is waiting there!"
"How much farther?" Link asked, his voice rough from thirst.
"Not too long now, friend! Three more jumps and you'll see the Pipapo again!"
Link nodded as he watched Romeo with envy as the boy took a drink from a water bottle he had magically summoned out of thin air. When the boy heard his grunted words and noticed his staring, the mage realized he wanted a drink too. Romeo snuffed out his fire to pour some water into a cupped hand. Link didn't hesitate to lap up the refreshing liquid before most of it spilled to the ground. The boy offered a few more handfuls, enough to quench the wolf's parched throat.
They continued on with Link leading them down the left path.
"You're sure, Links?" Romeo questioned, giving the beast a skeptical look.
Link nodded.
"It's weird how you know all this stuff."
The wolf bared his teeth in a grin. If only I could tell you the truth. Perhaps soon he would be able to if the great Light Spirit could fulfill his wish.
The trail quickly became steeper the deeper they went. 'Three more jumps' was not just three more jumps but a near-vertical climb up three sets of cliff walls, one almost right after the other. There were ledges and handholds that made the ordeal a little easier for both wolf and human. Twice, Romeo nearly lost his grip due to the rock crumbling under his weight, but thankfully Link had a firm hold of him both times. Otherwise the fall would have broken the boy's leg or worse.
Link regretted allowing the boy to come with him. If he had known how dangerous the journey was through the mountain, he would have forced the young mage to stay behind.
By the time they reached the top of the third cliff, both Link and Romeo collapsed in exhaustion and relief while the sparrow happily announced they were almost there. Link whimpered in sympathy when the boy hissed in pain at the bloody scrapes on his hands and knees from the rough climb.
"Don't worry," said Romeo, clenching his injured hands and grinning wide. His dark eyes shone with pride in the light of his flame. "This is nothing. 'Getting hurt is part of the adventure', as my big brother always says. 'Sometimes the reward is worth the risk.' I'm excited to see what we're going to find at the end of this cave. Aren't you?" He stood up and dusted off his shorts, accidently wiping blood on his clothes.
Link nodded and stood with him. They continued on. It wasn't long until they found what appeared to be a dead end at first, but as they got closer, Link saw the wall marked with the same twelve suns and holy falcon in the centre. It was another sealed door.
"Think you can open this one too?" Romeo asked with a smirk as he held his flame high to better light the carvings.
The sparrow chirped with glee; "We're here, friend! This is the Pipa-papi door – the Sunset door. Pipa-paya is the Sunrise door. The pattern here is the opposite of Pipa-paya. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out, right?"
Link looked up towards his feathered companion, seeing her staring back from her perch atop his head. He grunted and lightly shook his head. "I… do not remember the pattern," he hated to admit. "We will have to play the game again."
The sparrow wasn't too displeased; in fact, she was thrilled to play once more. She flew to the first sun at 4 o'clock and sang while wiggling her tail; "This one! This one! This one!"
Once again, the wolf and spirit played their game of touch-the-pipapo-in-the-right-order-to-open-the-ancient-door. It went slower than last time since Link was tired from the climb.
Just like before, the instant Link touched the final sun at 12 o'clock, every line lit up with gold. The whole mountain seemed to tremble as the two halves of the circular door slid open to reveal fresh, cooler air and blinding sunlight.
"Nice! You did it," praised Romeo, giving the wolf an encouraging pat on the back before rushing out to greet the daylight.
The sparrow was even more enthusiastic. "Pipo-pipo-peeta-po!" she sang and took off. "Come, friend! Bring your human and we'll meet Mom!" She disappeared before Link could step out of the tunnel.
The doors slammed shut behind him, turning back into a solid wall that blended well with the mountain. There were no markings, indicating it couldn't be opened on this side.
Link gave that little thought as he glanced around his new surroundings, captivated by the incredible view. They ended up near the top of one of the mountains; which one, Link couldn't tell from where he stood. He cautiously approached the edge where Romeo was standing to join the boy in gazing over the beautiful land below. A cool, gentle wind was blowing, playing with the boy's hair and yellow scarf.
"Look how far you can see!" exclaimed the mage, pointing in the distance with one hand and shielding his eyes from the sun with the other. "Look! There's the road we travelled on to get here! And over there, the lake!"
He grinned at Link, full of childish wonder. "Bisca and everyone would love to see this. I can't wait to tell them what we discovered!"
Yes, the sight was magnificent, but Link did not come here for the view. He quietly turned away and started to search for the sparrow, hearing Romeo follow right behind.
There were wide, rocky steps leading up and around the mountain peak. At the end of the steps, they came upon a flat plateau that bore the ever-familiar falcon and her sun carved into the stone on the ground. Unlike the plateau before the Temple of the Light God, this one had old, crumbled stone pillars erected at each of the twelve positions of the suns. There was only one of the tall pillars left standing intact and it bore the crimson sun crest upon its smooth, pale gray surface.
Perched atop the rounded pillar was the sparrow. She sang her song of greeting yet again and hopped around to turn her back towards him. "Mom!" she spoke to someone Link couldn't quite see over the piles of rock, "They're here! My friend and his human I told you about. He wants to meet you!"
"Your kind friend, Pipo?" spoke another, someone with a soft, feminine voice.
A golden falcon landed beside her tiny daughter on the standing pillar and peered down at the wolf with sharp eyes. The falcon was the great Light Spirit and she was much, much smaller than what Link had expected; however, she possessed the same radiance as the other Light Spirits. Her feathers shone bright as if blessed by the sun and they were marked with crimson symbols, the lines bolder and more detailed than the sparrow's.
The Light Spirit was beautiful with long silken feathers atop her head flowing down her back and curling around her neck like snow-white hair. Her tail was long and silken as well, the flowing ends draping over the edge of the pillar.
Her eyes flickered from Link to Romeo who was just making his way over to the wolf. Her fierce gaze settled back on Link and narrowed. "This beast is your friend, Pipo?" the Light Spirit questioned the sparrow.
Pipo nodded vigorously. Before she could say anything, Link spoke first; "Great Light Spirit," he bowed humbly. This would be the first time meeting a Light Spirit he didn't need to save, so he wasn't sure how to ask a favour. "I am honored by your presence. My name is Link. I have come here with a small request."
"Links, did you find something?" Romeo interrupted, seeing the wolf in an odd position with his front paws stretched out before him, his head bowed low and his tail sticking up.
Link ignored the boy, keeping his eyes on his paws.
"Oh? How peculiar," the falcon mused, a hint of a smile in her tone. She swooped down and softly landed on the pile of rocks closest to Link.
The wolf noticed the boy flinching in the periphery of his vision the moment the great spirit touched down. "There's something here… isn't there?" Romeo whispered, looking around warily. He was able to sense the spirit but not see it.
Link nodded.
"And you're communicating with it… aren't you?"
Link nodded again and prayed the boy would stay quiet. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
"It's not an evil ghost, is it?"
Growling, Link shook his head and shot the mage an impatient glare, which effectively worked in getting the boy to stop asking questions. Hands held up defensively, Romeo slowly backed away from the angry wolf. "Oooo-kay… I'll just go do a little exploring on my own and try not to anger any other ghosts, if that's alright?"
Watching the boy leave, the Light Spirit quietly laughed, the sound like ringing chimes. "Your human knows I am here, but cannot see nor hear me," she stated in amusement. "It is very rare for one to see me; rarer still for one to understand me. It has been so long since I have spoken to another who is not a spirit. You are no ordinary beast, are you?"
Link kept his head low. "What you assume is true; I am a man turned into a beast by a curse known as Twilight. I have come before you to ask you to lift this curse."
"Wait, you're actually a man? That's amazing!" the little sparrow quietly chirped in awe.
There was a moment of silence as the mother processed what Link had just told her. "Lift your curse?" she finally spoke up, sounding quite shocked. "How am I supposed to do that? I have never heard of this curse of Twilight…"
It was Link's turn to be shocked. He stood up and gave the falcon a pleading look that bordered on desperate. "I do not understand. Are you not the great Light Spirit of this land? You are the 'Light God' to the people in the temple, am I wrong?"
The falcon made a sound that resembled a sigh and shook her head. "I am a spirit, a Celestial Spirit, and that is all I am. I am not as great as you believe me to be. I have no power to lift curses. Nor am I a God. That belief had arisen many centuries ago with the passing of time altering history."
Link furrowed his brow. He still didn't quite understand. "You are a Light Spirit," he pressed on, "You are the protector of this land, correct?"
There was a sad twinkle in her eye. "You are mistaking me for something far greater. The temple below and the carvings you have seen, they were created by my dear old friend and late master over a thousand years ago. The temple was never intended to be a holy sanctum where people could worship me as a God; just a home for my master and his spirits."
Link had to sit down, his disappointment weighing heavily on his soul. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart with an iron fist, crushing every shred of hope he had prior to coming here. "I…" he managed to croak, unable to find his voice. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say other than to call himself a stupid, naïve fool for believing fate was going to be kind to him.
He felt something light land on his downcast head before hearing Pipo softly croon, "Don't cry, friend, don't cry! Mom, you must cheer him up!"
The falcon dropped lower on the rock pile to stand right before the wolf. Her body brightened the surrounding area with a golden hue, but did little to brighten the other's mood. "Link, I am sorry I cannot help you the way you thought possible. I can see you have a pure heart; Pipo has taken a strong liking to you. It has been too long since my daughter has found another to play with. I thank you for being her friend. In return, I will to be your Celestial Spirit."
"Celestial Spirit?" Link echoed in confusion, raising his head to meet her gaze.
The falcon tilted her head slightly and blinked. "You have never heard? Celestial Spirits are magical beings from the Celestial Spirit World. We were originally from there, but for over a thousand years, neither of us had ever returned since our last summoning to this world. After the death of my master, we chose to stay in Earthland to watch over his final resting place in the Sleeping Valley."
"You know the other path in the tunnel?" the sparrow asked, looking down at Link. "That way leads to the Sleeping Valley."
"Normally, when we no longer have a master to sustain us in this world," the falcon continued, "we would be forced to return to the spirit world. However, my master chose to build the temple here for a good reason. Come, I will show you."
The falcon took to the air and Link quickly followed her, jumping over the ancient stones and towards the very edge of the plateau. Far below them, Link recognized the Temple of the Light God and was surprised to see how large the actual structure was, seeing the backside of the building on the other side of the mountain. Behind the temple was a giant valley rich in bright glowing crystals. It was stunningly beautiful, as if the Gods had placed all their heavenly jewels in one place on earth.
"Are those…?"
The falcon nodded, her expression becoming forlorn. "Yes, all of that is Light Lacrima. Long ago, they were only Lacrima when my master first discovered this area. While I was still bound to him, I infused my magic power into every crystal that you see below us, turning them into Light Lacrima."
Link gaped at the falcon in amazement. It was no wonder the temple followers saw her as a God-like being; she had given them the gift of light.
"The magic trapped in the Lacrima – my magic – has allowed us to stay here in Earthland for all these years." She faced the wolf. Standing, she was only as tall as Link's chest and had to look up to meet his eyes. "Link, I think it is time we have a new master. You share my old master's kindness and best of all, you also have the ability to see and speak to me and Pipo. You remind me of him except you are more hairy while he was scaly. And he was much bigger and more intimidating in appearance."
Scaly? Link raised his brow, wondering what sort of person or creature her old master used to be.
"Now, will you accept me to be your Celestial Spirit? I can be your guide in the darkness, a chaser of shadows, or I can be a companion in your time of need."
Link felt honored once again, this time to have a gained another friend to help him. However, there was one little problem. "You are a magical being, but I am not. How can I summon you?"
The falcon stepped closer. "How do you not have magic? I can sense power within you. Is that not what you call magic?"
Was she talking about the power of the Triforce? Or was it the curse of Twilight she was sensing?
"I…"
"You have the power to see us, let alone communicate with us. I do not doubt you can summon me," she cut him off, her eyes glinting with a knowing smile. "You came here seeking my help and now it is yours."
"Very well, then I gladly accept," said Link, giving the bird a thankful bow of his head. He suddenly remembered something important and it must have shown on his face because the falcon gave a slight tilt of her head and asked;
"Is something wrong?"
"You must have seen it then," Link began, growing eager. He pointed his nose towards the cloudless, blue space above them. "The sword that fell from the sky."
"Oh! I saw that!" said Pipo, landing on the tip of Link's nose and looking straight down at him. "It was scary! The sky suddenly turned dark and funny. And there was thunder and lightning! And KRA-BAM! KA-CHING! KRUNK! A shiny sword fell right in the middle of the altar! Frightened everyone in the temple!"
"That was my Master Sword!" the wolf explained, standing abruptly.
"Your sword? That's amazing!" exclaimed Pipo, an expert at keeping her balance on Link's nose.
The falcon looked very surprised. "That heaven sword is yours?"
"Yes. I fell from the very same sky on the same day. But I landed in the forest," Link nodded towards the woods around Lake Hemlock. "Since that day, I have been searching for my sword. Now that I know it was here, do you know what happened to it?" Link asked, trying not to sound too demanding. "It was stolen from the temple. I must get it back to transform back into a man."
"You came from the sky… another world…" The falcon studied him closely, bewildered and fascinated at the same time. "My… This must mean… If that blade is yours… then your coming here is no mere coincidence. When I saw your sword descend from the warped sky, I knew things were about to change. It seems we are destined to help you, and help you we shall. The one who took your blade was a powerful demon."
Link bared his teeth and snarled, making Pipo fly away to join her mother. "A demon! Did you see what it looked like? Where it had gone?"
The falcon shook her head. "It happened late last night when the shadows were strongest and my sight poor. When it happened, it happened quickly. I did not see it, but I had felt its evil presence before it vanished within the temple, taking your sword with it."
"'Within', you say? How can that be? I thought no evil creatures could ever enter your holy sanctum?"
The falcon harrumphed. "The temple was never 'holy' to begin with. The first humans who believed in a Light God erected the magic barrier themselves. It is the humans who control what may enter and what cannot whenever they want."
Now that was highly suspicious. Link furrowed his brow in thought. 'If no one on the outside has seen this sword, then it's possible that someone on the inside has taken it for their own means,' he remembered Erza saying.
Priest Jarron had angrily denied that possibility to be true. He also had control of the stone doors to the temple. If what the spirit said was true, then the priest would have been able to dispel the barrier and allow Link through, but the man chose not to do it. He may have been wary of Link and that was a reasonable excuse given the holy barrier reacted to Zant's curse.
The temple was huge; Priest Jarron couldn't be the only one who could manipulate the barriers and stone doors.
"It seems the thief is among them," Link growled, turning his attention to the temple lying below.
"One who is affiliated with a powerful demon," the falcon added grimly. "I am sorry, Link. I was unable to track where the demon had gone after the deed was done."
The wolf shook his head and gave the golden spirit a meaningful nod. "No, do not apologize. There was nothing you could have done. Now I know what has become of my Master Sword and I can begin searching in the right place."
The falcon flapped her magnificent wings and hovered before Link. Pipo joined her, flying in circles around her mother. "As your Celestial Spirit, you can call upon my aid whenever you like," said the falcon, her body beginning to glow as bright as the sun itself. Before it became too blinding, she burst into many particles of golden light and in her place was a thin, black, leather necklace with a silver-white key. The bow of the key was a twelve-pointed sun with a round, glinting, topaz jewel embedded in the center. A pair of pearl-white beads with small, golden feathers clasped to each one was tied to either side of the key to keep it in place on the necklace.
The necklace magically floated towards Link and tied itself around his neck. Although, the falcon was gone, he could still hear her voice, echoing from somewhere far away; "I am now bound to you, Link. This key signifies our bond. My name is Pipaya and my power is light. When you fear the darkness, call upon me to light your way by singing my song: Pipo-pipo-peeta-po!"
Sing? He couldn't sing. Not the ridiculous words at least. The tune, he could probably howl out.
"Do not hesitate to ask for my help in your search of your sword. Pipo will show you how to return to the temple's entrance."
"I will, Mom!" shouted the little sparrow after she landed on Link's head. "Say 'Hello!' to everyone in the spirit world!"
A/N: I tried many times to make this a good chapter. This is the end result... Hope you like?
Thanks for all the votes since the previous chapter. Mr. Fox is super popular so expect a fox character to appear sometime in the future!
When Link opened the ancient door, did anyone imagine the little tune that plays when you activate a switch in the Zelda games? Since Link has a strong connection to spirits (and keys), summoning Celestial Spirits really suits him to a T.
Thanks for reading!