Chapter 4: Skyloft
With his eye on the Goddess Statue floating in the distance, Link followed the street that ran parallel to the garden past a line of abandoned shops to a wooden bridge that ran from one artificial floating island to another. Link stepped onto the bridge cautiously, trying not to look down, and was surprised by how steady the bridge was as he crossed it. On the other side, Link came to a crowded street full of people. Some were blond and blue-eyed like Link, while others were dark-skinned, fish-like, rocky, and even woody. But as Link tried to blend in with the crowd, he noticed a few wayward glances aimed in his direction.
"Why is everyone staring at me?" Link said to himself.
"I don't know," Proxi replied. "Though you do seem out of place fashion-wise."
It was then that Link realized the majority of the people he passed by wore either snappy suits, cuffed shirts and trousers, or long frilly dresses. By contrast, his green tunic and cap seemed almost ancient. Ignoring the stares, Link rounded a bend in the street leading to a large plaza which several people were gathered in. As Link got closer, he noticed a stage-like platform where a tall woman with tan skin wearing a skimpy purple dress and a bird-like mask was speaking before a tapestry depicting the red-haired man Link saw in the photograph Lana showed him.
"Citizens of Skyloft!" cried the woman in a charismatic voice. "Today is the seventeenth birthday of Zelda, the heir to our beloved Mayor Ganon!"
In response, the people cheered much to Link's surprise.
The masked woman sighed. "But alas, this is also the day that the False Hero will appear!"
At that moment, the people looked startled.
"He will come wearing a cloth of green, bearing an evil sword upon his back, and attempt to steal the heir from her protective chamber inside the Statue of the Goddess!" The woman said looking around cautiously. "If any of you see such a man, report him to me, your trusted Priestess Cia!"
At that moment, Link realized what Skull Kid was talking about. As he tried to back away, he bumped into somebody.
The person exclaimed wildly and said, "It's him! The False Hero!"
Then everyone's eyes turned upon Link, including Cia's. A sinister smile crept across her face as she said, "Bring him to me, my loyal followers!"
Link attempted to get away, but the crowd closed in on him. Then multiple hands dragged him to the platform which he was tossed onto. As he scrambled to his feet, Cia walked up to Link and held him by the throat.
"You're awfully young to be the False Hero," she said while pulling a jeweled dagger from her side. "But nevertheless, you must die if our city is to be saved."
Immediately, Link head-butted Cia causing her to reel back and let go. Link was about to unsheathe his sword, but thought better of it and ran off the platform.
"Get him!" Cia yelled. "He cannot reach Zelda!"
At once, the crowd chased after Link. He tried going back the way he came, but it was blocked off by a section of the crowd. So he ran up a nearby hill toward a large tent-like structure with stings of flags around it. The people standing near the entrance got out of the way as Link entered the tent-like structure. Inside, the place was packed with food-carts, tables, smithies, and smaller tents. He ducked behind a large purple tent as the crowd entered the structure.
"Well, this is certainly a nice mess we've gotten ourselves into," Proxi said irritably.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Link said watching the crowd disperse. "We need to get out of here first, and then find some way to get to the Goddess Statue undetected."
"Well, that's not going to happen as long as you're dressed like that," Proxi said.
"Yeah," Link said, looking down as his tunic with remorse. "But where am I going to find some new clothes?"
"Over there, silly," Proxi said and flew over to a table where several kinds of clothes were laid out but nobody was around.
"You're not suggesting we steal, are you?" Link said once Proxi was back with him.
"What other choice do we have? Unless Lana was nice enough to leave you some Rupees in that bag."
Link's eyes looked down at the brown leather pouches attached to his belt, and felt through them. To his surprise, he heard a few clinks and pulled out a handful of different-colored gems.
"By the Goddesses."
Link and Proxi turned towards the purple tent they were hiding behind and saw a face peering out from under it. The face looked surprised, belonging to a large woman with thin brown hair and an obvious moustache growing above her upper-lip. She wore a flowing orange dress and there were golden rings on her fingers. Before Link could speak, the woman used her monstrous hand to drag him into the tent while Proxi followed. Inside the tent, Link noticed a glowing crystal ball which shimmered briefly until the woman closed the curtains marking the entrance to the tent from the other side.
"I knew you would come someday, Hero of Infinite Possibilities," the woman said in a deep almost masculine voice. "I saw it in the future."
"The future?" Link said with confusion.
"I'm a fortune-teller, you see," the woman answered. "Madame Starling is my name, and you are Link of Romani Ranch."
"How did you—
"The future, boy," Madame Starling interrupted. "I can see many things by simply gazing into that crystal ball."
With that, Madame Starling indicated the crystal ball in the center of tent which suddenly lit up.
"However, there is only so much I can interpret," Madame Starling said with a huff. "You're on the run from Cia's followers?"
"I am," Link responded. "But I need to get to the Goddess Statue. Zelda's in trouble!"
"Patience, dear boy," Madame Starling said calmly. "You can't just go charging up to the statue without a sense of what you're getting into."
"I know that now," Link said gazing downward. "Can you help me?"
"Of course I can," Madame Starling said. "Would you like me to tell your future?"
"Um, sure."
"For a small fee of twenty Rupees."
Blinking for a second, Link reached into his bag and pulled out a red-colored Rupee. He gave it to Madame Starling, who tucked it into the folds of her dress. Next, she concentrated on the crystal ball waving her hands around it in concentric circles. The crystal ball lit up as shapes appeared across the surface, but they were too faint for Link to tell what they were. Madame Starling concentrated on these shapes for a long time until the crystal's light died out.
"There are some tumultuous times ahead for you, Link," Madame Starling said somberly. "But as long as you have faith in yourself, the world shall be saved."
"Okay, but how is that going to help me get into the Goddess Statue?" Link asked impatiently.
"You shall need to change your attire, and find more weapons," Madame Starling said as she reached for something nearby and presented Link with a clean white shirt, brown trousers, a pair of yellow-tinted goggles, white socks, and brown shoes. "These belonged to my son before he moved out. They should be about your size."
Feeling grateful, Link took the clothes Madame Starling gave him and then said, "Will these cost anything?"
"They're on the house," Madame Starling replied.
"But what should Link do with the sword and shield?" Proxi said as Link went to the back of the tent and changed. "He can't get rid of those."
"True, but I have a solution for that," Madame Starling said and reached for a brown cloth, a string, and charcoal. "He can wrap the Master Sword and scabbard in this cloth and I can use the charcoal to smear the designs on the Hylian Shield to make it seem ordinary."
"Do you think that'll work?" Proxi said nervously.
"It's the best plan I've heard so far," Link said, dressed in his new clothes with the belt, gloves, boots, and leather bag from the original outfit still on. "I put the tunic and mail in the bag, just in case I might be able to wear them again."
"And indeed you will, boy," Madame Starling said. "But for now, you're just an ordinary citizen of Skyloft."
"I can't thank you enough, Madame Starling," Link said and put the goggles on. To his amazement, the lens were adjustable allowing him to see closer and further from the objects in front of him.
"Those are the Bird's Eye Glasses," Madame Starling explained. "My son wears goggles just like them."
"Where he is now?" Link asked.
"He runs an airborne shop just outside the Bazaar that sells a variety of gear," Madame Starling responded.
"Do you think he might have something that'll help me get into the Goddess Statue?"
"It's worth a try. He sells different items depending on what's in style."
"Then I'll have to take my chance," Link said and walked toward the curtains. He then looked back and said, "Thanks, Madame Starling."
"Come again if you need my help," Madame Starling said and waved as Link exited her tent.
To be continued…