There didn't seem to be any easy way back up to the bridge, and surrounding area, from down here in the lake. He could fly it, but it was a fair distance upwards, and given all he was carrying, he didn't want to chance it.
The fat man who earlier had been complaining about the lake's draining – Fyer – provided a solution when he asked how to get back up.
"Step right up, young master," he told Tails. He went on for a bit about being launched, then finally got to the point. "Just 10 rupees, and step inside, then leave the rest to good old Fyer!"
"You know," Midna commented, "Either he's insane, or he's not telling us something about how it works."
He paid his way though, and stepped inside. It was dark, except for a small circle of light above.
Strange music came from outside, then the room shook, throwing him around. Then, with a sound like one of his bombs going off, he was flying through the air toward a building, high above the lake. He'd seen it before, on his way in through the twilight, but hadn't paid it much attention.
He landed on a target on the ground. There were chickens around him.
"That wasn't such a good idea," he said to himself.
"Told you there was something he wasn't telling us," Midna replied smugly.
"This world seems to be filled with people who are insane. Being blown up to get up here wasn't exactly how I imagined it happening."
Still grumbling to himself – he seemed to ache more every time he landed heavily like that – he left, headed back toward the main Hyrule field.
Epona was munching away on some grass not far from where he'd left her, looking up at him as he approached. Clearly she'd been fine, and he hadn't had to worry about bokoblins or bulbins coming after her again.
They set off toward Hyrule Castle, Tails intending to go find Link, then see Ilia. He'd hardly got more than a few feet when he heard someone shout, "Heeeeey!"
"Oh no." he muttered. "It's that crazy postman again."
"Greetings, Mr Miles," the postman said, stopping just in front of them. How did he know Tails' actual name? "I have come to deliver a letter. It is from Barnes." He handed it up to him, then half-turned. "Well, my business is concluded – onward to mail!" and he ran off again.
The letter from Barnes was to let him know he had water bombs back in stock finally, which was welcome news. He had a feeling that with a lakebed temple, he'd need them.
The first stop though was to see Link again, who was waiting, in wolf form, on top of a raised area just outside the eastern gate to the castle town.
"We meet again, Hero," Link greeted him. "Your efforts have begun to return light to Hyrule in no small measure, but it is too early to relax just yet. Are you ready to learn another of the Hero's skills?"
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't now, would I?"
Link didn't respond, instead flinging his magic attack at him just as he had last time. Tails reflected it back easily.
"Then we shall learn the back slice. A fully armoured foe is a greater threat, and one not easily defeated by sword alone. Such enemies usually concentrate on guarding against their front."
"So you strike at the back instead."
"Precisely. In our case, it is simple – the weight of the armour slows the foe. Roll behind them, jump and slash upwards, cutting through the weaker rear armour easily."
Link demonstrated, rolling around him and bringing his own sword up, coming uncomfortably close to him, but keeping just clear.
"Now, try it yourself."
Tails repeated it himself, only just missing the first time. The second attempt connected, sending Link stumbling forward.
"Excellent. Your strength grows further with each new skill learned. There are four left for me to teach, in time. Do not neglect your training."
"Wait, Link. Can't you come help out or something? Other than just this?"
"I cannot. I am no longer of Hyrule, having left it many years before. I'm here only to pass on the hidden skills of the Hero to you. May we meet again, brave hero."
Well, it had been worth a try.
As he entered Telma's Bar, this time as himself, a short, irritated looking man with thick glasses was just leaving.
"This is a Zora child!" he exclaimed. "Beyond my expertise!"
"But doctor," Ilia protested, "If something isn't done-"
"Hmph!" the doctor interrupted, leaving. He glanced once at Tails as he did so, then with another "Hmph!" left.
Ilia looked after him a moment, then started to go back to the Zora, glancing at Tails in passing. He wanted to reach out, but something stopped him when he saw she didn't recognise him.
"Well this isn't good," Telma said. "A human doctor won't do, huh? The old coot reminded me though... there's a shaman in Kakariko Village, over in Eldin province, who's tended Zoras and Gorons."
"His name's Renado," Tails told her, approaching them.
"That's the one. He's a good person. And who are you?"
"I'm Tails."
"Tails..." Ilia murmured. "It sounds... familiar." She stared off into space for a few moments. "Telma, maybe we should take him to Renado?"
"Inadvisable!" another voice shouted. It turned out to belong to one of four Hylian soldiers behind them. "Too dangerous! But we can't turn a blind eye to a pretty girl in need, either. We'd better escort you there."
"Well isn't that nice of them," Telma said. "To reach Kakariko, we'll have to cross two plains, each infested with dangerous beasts, but with these brave soldiers, we'll have no worries now."
The soldiers, who had been cheering, fell silent, shared a look, then ran off.
"Cowards!" Telma shouted after them. "Don't ever show your faces here again!"
Tails, knowing both the two plains they'd have to go through, and what was on them, had an idea.
"I'll escort you," he told them.
"Will you, now? It looks like we have a brave young swordsman to take us. Get ready to go, honey," she said to Ilia, who nodded and left.
"You know her, don't you?"
"Yeah... her name's Ilia. I promised her father back in Ordon village I'd try to keep her safe."
"Poor girl... so far from home. She can't even remember her own name right now. She found this poor Zora boy collapsed on the road into town, so did everything she could to save him. More courage in that girl than in all the soldiers of Hyrule."
"Aren't they meant to be trained to deal with monsters and things like that?"
"They're fat, lazy and overpaid. You lend your strength to her, hear?"
They gathered, preparations made, at a cliff overlooking the three exits from the castle town.
"So the west bridge has been destroyed, you say?" Telma asked him.
"Not destroyed, but there's a great chunk missing."
"Close enough. It looks like the southern way is blocked by massive rocks. We'll have to take the eastern bridge... but look there."
They looked. A giant bulbin atop a massive boar-like beast was patrolling the bridge. It looked a lot like the one that he'd seen in Ordona spring, right before all the trouble had started.
"It looks like I'll have to take him out before you can cross safely," he told them.
"Sure you can handle it?"
"Of course I can. Don't worry about me, I can handle anything Hyrule Field can throw at us."
"My, aren't you the brave one," Telma commented, as they returned to her horse and wagon, with Epona waiting nearby.
Ilia glanced out of the wagon at him as he mounted. "Thank you so much for this... I won't forget your kindness, Tails."
"You might want to save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko, little lady," Telma called back. "This swordsman of ours has great eyes – proud and wild, like a feral beast." Tails was reminded of his wolf form – proud, wild and feral. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay. Ready to go, boy?"
"Always," he grinned back.
"Overconfident, aren't you?" Midna asked, as he rode on ahead to confront the giant bulbin.
"No chance. I know what I'm doing now."
"He looks well armoured."
"Look closer – there's a gap in his armour in the front. There's probably one behind too."
"You're going to shoot him?"
"Why not? It'll work, I'm certain."
"Good luck, wolf boy."
The bulbin charged at him on sight. Just as he had when battling Sonic on the bridge of Eldin, he too charged, bow already set. He took aim, steering Epona with his legs instead, and loosed an arrow. It hit with a meaty sounding 'thunk'. The bulbin drew back, staring at it in confusion.
Tails took advantage of it's puzzlement, drawing the sword and swiping away as he passed. A few bits of the armour dropped off, but otherwise he had no effect.
He got in a few more shots from behind before the bulbin reacted, charging at him again. With the first arrow still in his front, it was harder to find a place to shoot him again, but he managed it. This time though, the bulbin didn't pause, and he had to react quickly to avoid being hit off the bridge. It left him no chance to make more passes with the sword.
Instead of going the whole length of the bridge, he wheeled Epona around early, and loosed several more arrows at it's unprotected back, eventually getting close enough to hack away with the sword instead. Once right beside, he started making powerful blows, each one making the bulbin rear back and howl in pain, before finally losing balance and falling not only off the boar, but the bridge as well.
A quick slap with the flat of the blade made the boar run off of it's own accord.
"Nice work," Telma called to him, as she caught up. "Keep it up – we're not out of trouble yet."
Along the way, normal bulbins riding their smaller boars assaulted them, loosing fire arrows at them, and more dangerously, the wagon.
He put the flames out with the boomerang, the fairy residing in it knowing what to do for him. The archers he picked off with the bow until he ran out of arrows, after that he ran each one down, knocking them off the boars, then trampling them under Epona's hooves.
As the attacks lessened, and then ceased, he rode ahead, finding the path had been blocked by another gate. It took him only a few moments to pick the lock and push the gate open.
More bulbins assaulted them on the other side. Since he'd had no chance to restock arrows, he continued hacking away at them, knocking them all off ready to trample. Some just got left behind, though they often ran to one of their boars and gave chase.
After a ways, a Kargarok started dropping bombs nearby. The slingshot irritated it, making it target him and draw close enough for him to make a swipe at one wing, which sent it crashing to the ground.
Finally, they made it to the Kakariko gorge area, still fending off yet more bulbins. Another Kargarok assaulted them, swooping just out of reach again. As it drew close, this time he threw a bomb of his own at it. Unlike the other one, this one was blasted down into the gorge itself.
The bulbins, seeing him ready another bomb to lob at them, broke off pursuit, leaving them free to pull into Kakariko village safely, with only a few marks on the wagon from the fire arrows.
Telma nodded to him thankfully as they slowed, Renado approaching, seemingly already aware of the situation. Of course, Talo had probably seen them coming, and let everyone know.