Chapter 14: The Beautiful Yet Mysterious Cistern
Walls in the color of gold plaster the walls around, along with a pattern of a lotus flower. There was a big pool of water here with several giant lily pads floating above. A small waterfall from a statue fish's mouth lay on the left side of the chamber. In the pool's center lay a giant statue with a human head on top.
"This place looks…pretty. Prettier than Skyview & Earth Temple and that Mining Facility," Fledge stated in awe.
The familiar chime of Fi echoed in the group's ears as she hovered ahead of them.
"Masters, we are located in The Ancient Cistern. In this Ancient Cistern, purified water is released into the upper area of the facility. At the same time, the filtered impurities are processed in the lower area. Analysis suggested you can expect to encounter both fire and magic-wielding monsters. Your current selection of items is survival focus. Suitability to our current location is 75%. You are somewhat prepared for this area, but in the presence of air, land, and aquatic enemies, I suggest you all exercise caution."
"Can you still feel the flames, Pipit?" Link asked his fellow senior knight.
"Yeah…Up there." Pipit pointed to the center of the ceiling, right above the statue's head.
"Well…That's nice to know. Now we just figure out how to get up there."
"There's a door across from us. Maybe there's a clue in there." Karane pointed to the stone door just at the base of the statue.
The quartet hopped on the giant lily pads leading to the door. The inside of the statue showed a circular stone path on the walls. In the middle is a large gap. There's also a bulb with four large rings on it. Looking above, they could see a flower pattern on the ceiling. The bottom of the statue's inside had a pile of bones. An unpleasant feeling grew in Link's gut.
"I'll look down there. You guys stay here," Link told his friends.
Link leaped down to the bottom, using his sailcloth to land safely. The moment he landed, the bones built themselves to a skeleton, putting its head on last, revealing another Stalfos. There was something different about this Stalfos Link noticed. It had gold armor instead of the usual grey one. It wore a helmet with some braid attached to it. And it was much bigger than the ones he came across. There were also weird bones across its chest, but I couldn't make it out due to the gold armor. Pipit cursed at himself as he saw the Stalfos spring to life. Karane & Fledge gave horrified looks at the monster.
"Link?!" Karane yelled out to him.
"What is that?!" Fledge followed.
"It's okay! I got this!" Link assured
"Be careful!" Pipit responded back.
Link had his full attention on the unusual Stalfos. "I've never seen a Stalfos like this. What's the deal with this one, Fi?"
"That is a Stalmaster. This is an elite captain of the undead soldiers. When provoked, it can strike with all of its sword-wielding arms. Much like Stalfos, I recommend inflicting damage when the slight gap presents itself as it readies its sword to attack.
The fight itself seemed like business as usual for Link when it came to dealing with Stalfos. He would circle the skeleton around, slice at it when the opportunity arose, and parry with his shield to get more slices at it. This worked the first few times before the Stalmaster gave a little surprise. The strange bones unwrapped from its chest, revealing another pair of arms wielding more weapons.
"You gotta be shitting me," Link muttered before dodging the way of its slice.
His friends, meanwhile, were equally surprised by the revelation.
"Four arms?! Ah c'mon! That's a little overkill!" Pipit waved his arms in frustration.
"It looks even bigger now," Karane shuddered.
With more arms, it was more difficult for Link to strike. This meant Link had to give his full attention to find the right moment to attack. This had resulted in some close calls, yet Link was victorious in striking at it at the right time. Yet after he knocked off the helmet, revealing a red gem in the forehead of the skull, it started acting even more aggressively & faster, such as moving its weapons to block Link's attack at the last minute or recovering its arms quickly after Link got a few slices at it.
"He looks like he's having a hard time," Fledge's voice trembled.
"Link, I'm coming down there!" Pipit called out.
"No! I can do this!" Link yelled back. "It might have more arms, but it's still one being."
"Are you sure? That thing looks angry!"
"I'm the best swordsman at the academy, remember?" Link responded playfully, despite his current situation.
The battle continued. The Stalmaster is admittedly a challenging opponent. Yet, while its erratic movements make it seem intimidating to others, Link uses it to his advantage. He would wait for the Stalmaster to come at him with all its weapons at fast movement. Link would hit back with its shield, causing all of its arms to fall off, which gave Link a chance to hit back. After several minutes of this grueling process, Link took a final slice at the undead soldier. He watched the top half of the skeleton fall apart while the legs moved around, confused, before tripping over the skull. The bone poofs away in purple smoke. Nearby, bars covering a stone removed themselves.
Link entered the room on the other side where a blue chest lay. The green-clad senior knight went over to the chest to open it. He pulled out an object with a gold handle with strange patterns on it, with a pink & blue rope hanging off of it. A strange, glowing sphere of light is attached to the rope's end.
"What's this?"
"You have acquired The Whip, Master." Fi's voice echoed through the sword. "The glowing light at the end of the Whip allows you to latch on to various objects. If you see something you can't reach, target it, and snag it with your Whip."
With The Whip in his hand, Link exited the room.
"Everything okay, Link?" Karane's voice from above called to him.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Can you find a way back up here?" Fledge said to him.
Link noticed another of the four-ring bulb. Looking back to it and The Whip, a sudden thought came into his idea. Link walked to the four-ring bulb. "Any chance that this can be moved, Fi?"
"The head of this bulb-shaped switch can be rotated, provided you have the correct tool."
"Any chance the whip can be used on it and lead the way up?"
"I analyze a 97% probability that The Whip can accomplish that."
Link readied The Whip in his hand. With one quick movement, the end of The Whip attached itself to one of the wings of the bulb. Link gave a hard tug allowing the bulb switch to rotate several feet before stopping. A water geyser appeared behind Link, spewing its way up to the platform above. Link walked into the spewing water, lifting him to the top where his friends were waiting.
"What is that?" Fledge examined the Whip.
"It's called a Whip. It lets me snag onto objects," Link explained.
"And our ticket up there," Karane guessed.
"Definitely."
Link activated the bulb switch on their platform to activate a water geyser allowing him and his friends to the next platform. They reached the large flower pattern to the very top. With a closer inspection, they could see that it was a door. Only one problem: it would not open. They then noticed a contraption with a weird-shaped gap surrounded by petals. Judging by the design, they needed a special key to open it again.
"Of course…it would've been too easy," Link exhaled a breath as he placed his hands on his hips. "Where do we even look?"
"Look for the key that lies beneath the earth." Link turned his head to see Fledge standing before a large stone tablet inscribing the words he had just spoken. "I think it might be a clue."
"Fi did mention a lower area where impure water goes through," Karane reminded.
"I did indeed mention that, Master Karane," Fi brought up.
"Let's check out the map," Pipit suggested.
Link pulled out his map. The magical qualities of the map reveal a blank lower level in The Ancient Cistern. The center of the lower level had an outline of a treasure chest.
"Seems like our ticket through here is just underground," Link observed. "We just need to get down there somehow."
"There are two other rooms on this level," Pipit mentioned. "Maybe one of them may show the way."
Link put away his map and led everyone out of the statue. Back in the main room, they saw a path on the side. Just on the far end, they could make out an archway leading to one of the map's suggested rooms. Walking alongside, they came across a gap too big to jump across. A long green branch hung above. Gaining an idea. Link used The Whip to snag on the stem. It was successful as he was now dangling above the gap, a large pit below him. Link swung several times, each swing getting closer to the other side before finally jumping for it. Link landed safely.
"I made it!"
"You did, but that still leaves the rest of us over here." Karane's voice reached Link's ears.
Link turned to see his friends still stuck on the other side of the gap.
"Oh shoot. I need to figure out how to get you guys across."
"Maybe one can hold to you while you swing," Karane suggested.
Fledge took that moment to look down into the dark, bottomless pit. "No way I'm dangling over that pit!"
"Then, do you have any other ideas?"
"Actually…I might," Pipit spoke up. "I have the power to teleport. Maybe I can get all of us across."
"Can you teleport more people?"
"Only one way to find out. Both of you hold my shoulders."
Fledge and Karane place each of their hands-on Pipit's shoulders. His expression filled with concentration before all three disappeared in a green flash. They appeared next to Link several seconds later.
"You guys okay?" Link asked.
Fledge shuddered. "It felt…weird. Moving so fast."
"I feel a little dizzy," Karane mumbled.
"You get used to it," Pipit assured causally.
"Looks like that's one problem solved," Link declared, relieved that he didn't have to go with Karane's suggestion.o
They continue down the path. Another gap presented itself. Link used The Whip to get across, and Pipit got the rest of the group across. They finally reached the entrance of one of the rooms, only to run into a problem.
"Those bars are blocking the way! I don't see a switch anywhere." Link exclaimed.
"What do we do now?" Fledge wondered.
"The map showed another room here. Maybe that'll lead us to the key," Karane brought up.
"But I don't see another entryway around here."
Pipit glanced around the surrounding water. He took notice of the small waterfall just a short distance from them. A dark shape under the waterfall caught his eye. Grasping the water dragon scale around his neck, Pipit gained an idea.
"Maybe it's not above ground. Maybe it's underwater."
"You think so?" Link said.
"I see a dark shape under that waterfall over there. It could be a passage to the other room.
"That would make sense. This place is just filled with gallons of water. Anything could be hiding under the surface."
"Let's swim over there to check it out."
The quartet jumped into the water surrounding the statue to swim over to the water. Like Pipit said, there's a passage under the waterfall. However, the force of the water prevented them from swimming through. They quickly spotted a weird switch similar to those in the Lanayru Mining Facility. Standing on a giant lilypad, Link used the Whip to pull the switch down. Sure enough, the waterfall was turned off. Now that the path is accessible, they can swim through without issues. They soon surface to the other room they had been seeking.
"Nice thinking, Pipit," Link praised. "Now we can hopefully find a way through."
The quartet started making its way to the other side. Halfway through, however, white, silk-like material shot down from above, wrapping Link with it. Pipit pulled Link out of the way as a giant spider with a skull face pattern dropped down, hanging on a thread.
"T-t-t-t-t-that-that's a h-h-h-huge s-s-spider…" Karane squeaked as she was frozen in fear.
"What kind of spider is that?" Fledge shuddered.
"Skulltula." Link broke free of his confines. "I know how to handle this. Time for a little payback." Link used The Beetle to cut the giant spider from its thread. On the ground sliced his sword causing the Skulltula to fly into the air and land on its back, exposing a giant purple orb. Link performed a fatal blow, killing instantly.
Karane's heavy breathing echoed through the walls. It was enough for Pipit to check on her.
"Are you okay, Karane?"
"I-I'm fine. Sorry for freezing up like that."
"Don't be. I know how much arachnophobia sucks. "
"Are you okay, Link?" Fledge asked his friend.
"I'm fine. I've dealt with a couple of those Skulltula back at Skyview."
"That's good to hear…wait, did you say a couple?"
The room they entered had several large stone platforms scattered around. A deep pool of water lay at the center. Several green Bokoblins greeted them by shooting arrows at them. Pipit got the idea to use Farore's Gale to teleport behind and take them out by surprise. With the use of Farore's Gale and the Whip, the quartet transverse their way to another bulb switch guarded by several Deku Babas. Link used The Whip to pull on the bulb. Both Link and Pipit took them all down. Pipit was glad he didn't get bitten by one this time. This action resulted in a door opening on the bottom of the pool, creating a whirlpool.
"I'm guessing we have to jump in that?" Pipit stated.
"Yep." Link confirmed.
All four jumped down into the pool. The whirlpool pulled the quartet down a pipe big enough to hold one person. The journey was long, but they were finally thrust into a pool only to be pushed by a current into a narrow path. A set of bars in the water blocked the way. This led the group to pile onto each other. After minutes of untangling each other, they pull themselves out of the water.
"Well, that was fun," Pipit deadpanned.
Fledge clenched his stomach. "If I have to go through any more whirlpools, I'm going to lose the entire contents in my stomach..."
Link paid no mind to the conversation as he inspected the room they had arrived at. It appeared to be an underground drainage system. Unlike the warm lighting that filled the Ancient Cistern, this area was dark with a malicious purple glow. Something about this place gave him the creeps.
"Where are we?" He heard Karane speak.
"I'm guessing this is the lower level Fi mentioned."
Karane took note of the nervous tone in Link's voice. "Are you okay?"
"Something about this place feels…unsettling."
"Then let's hurry and find a way out."
The quartet all trek through the underground passage. All four went through the door, revealing a long path with the water canal trailing. Each of the four could feel the haunting vibes that this area was giving them. A gap in the wall with bars came up next to them. The quartet glanced down to see a dark underground cavern with jagged rocks, all with the same unsettling purple glow. Something quickly caught their eye as they gazed into a vast pit that contained piles of bones. Residing in the center of the bone pit was a familiar white treasure chest with the red gem. That meant only one thing.
"Could that be the key down there?" Pipit observed.
Link pulled out his map to confirm it. This time, the lower level was not blank, showing them they were right across from the treasure. "That's it, alright. Looks like we're on the right track."
"You mean we're going down in that scary-looking cavern?" Fledge shuddered as he spoke.
"We're gonna have to. As long as we stick together, we'll get through it."
The quartet resumed their journey until they finally reached the end, where they saw another pipe sucking in the water. They jump in, getting sucked in immediately in it. They were pushed over a waterfall, back into a new room but definitely back into the overworld of The Ancient Cistern. They looked over to a large stone platform, where they saw a familiar set of bars. If they had to guess, they were in the room intended to be their first choice to explore.
Through exploration, they found their following path leading to the upper levels of the Cistern. With Pipit's Farore's Gale skill, they manage to get through the upper part with no issue. It leads them back to the main room of the Cistern, where they stumble upon another of the weird branches. However, this one is tilted upwards rather than horizontally. Link used the Whip to pull it down. Doing so causes the statue in the middle to go down. After it finally stopped, they decided to go inside to investigate. They noticed it got noticeably darker when they got to the bottom floor. Link went to the door, initially leading to the room where he got the Whip. Instead, it took him and his friends to the same underground cavern they glanced through from the drain system. This place looked even more unsettling than the first time.
"This place is just…unpleasant," Link commented.
"Let's just get that darn key and get out of here!" Fledge insisted urgently.
"There's a slight problem." Karane looked over the spare map.
"What?' Link looks at her.
"The key is right under there." Karane showed the map to everyone. The pointer representing the group had it near the chest, which was now under the statue's feet.
"You're certain?"
"Master Karane is correct. I can detect that an object under the statue's feet has the same materials as previous special keys," Fi told them. "I suggest you all search around this area for a path that may lead you to another switch that will allow you to gain access to the key."
"What you're saying is that we're going to explore this creepy underground cavern?" Fledge stressed.
"That is correct, Master Fledge."
Fledge lowered his head in defeat. "I was afraid you would say that."
"It might not be that bad, Fledge. Maybe the worst we'll see is a Keese." Link tried to cheer his friend up.
"I'm not sure about that." Pipit shakily pointed in the direction opposite them. "L-Look."
Creatures dug their way from below the dirt. They appeared to Bokoblins, yet they were something else entirely. These Bokoblins looked very sickly. A large lump covered one of their eyes, while the only exposed one had no color. Part of their ribcage was exposed. Their right arms were nothing but bone. Those Bokoblins were horrifying to look at.
"Fi. Can you tell us what's up with our good friends here?" Link requested, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
"Those are Cursed Bokoblins. These horrifying Bokoblins reanimate after death. Analysis indicates it fears pure shiny items and will startle at the sight of a sacred shield. It is able to reanimate purely through its hatred of this world…and its attachment to outlandish underpants."
"Anyway, to take these guys out?"
"I can detect heartbeats within them. There's an 85% chance that a Fatal Blow to the chest may finish them off."
"You guys got all that?" All his friends nodded.
Compared to previous Bokoblins, these were…pretty easy to take down. Much like Fi said, the Cursed Bokoblins did have an intense fear of their sacred shields. It only worked when they saw it, so they all worked to take them out quickly. They were difficult to knock down since they were unbothered by the strikes from their weapons. Only when the Bokoblins were knocked to the ground did the humans have a chance to strike their chest. Karane and Fledge just simply struck them down, while Link and Pipit went the extra mile performing Fatal Blows. One of the Cursed Bokoblins jumped on Link. For an undead Bokoblin, it had a surprisingly firm hold on him. Link managed to shake it off him and performed another Fatal Blow.
"Is that all of them?"
"Looks like it," Pipit declared.
"Good..."
As everyone sheathed their weapons, Fledge caught sight of something on the ground. Scattered around the places where several of the Bokoblins were taken out were these small round purple rocks with cracks in the color of magenta. He knelt to pick one up until Link's hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Don't touch that!"
"Why not? You never had a problem with me collecting stuff before."
"Nothing like that. That stuff came from those Bokoblins. They could be dangerous for all we know. At least let me ask Fi," Link glanced back at his sword after a moment. "What is that weird rock thing?"
"That is an Evil Crystal. It is a chunk of pure, crystallized monster malice. Often obtained from monsters who possess the power to curse. If it assures you, Master Link, in this form, the crystal cannot harm anyone that touches it."
"Now that's settled. Can I have my arm back now, please?" Fledge requested with a tiny hint of sass. Link let out a quick apology as he released Fledge's wrist. The orange-clad student collects several of the Evil Crystals. "You know, these things do look pretty cool," Fledge commented as he gazed at the final crystal before putting it in his pouch.
The group moved through the underground cavern. The more they explored, the creepier it became. Fire Keese sleeping on the cave's ceilings, flew away in packs as soon as the group set foot in their range. The walls of the tunnel were decorated with chains. Many contained shackles. Some empty, some with bones of the unfortunate souls trapped in his Hylia-Forsaken place.
The end of the tunnel brought the group to another section of the caverns. A large pool of strange thick, black, and magenta tar-like substance lay before them. As they walked through the only path that allowed them to safely cross, they could see the atrocious materials in the pool and the many skulls that floated above.
"What exactly is this stuff?" Karane wondered.
"I don't know." Link turned to his sword. "Do you know what this stuff is, Fi?"
Fi didn't respond immediately, which was alarming because she was usually quick to respond. This stuff must be so unnatural if even she didn't answer. Moments of silence later, Fi exited the sword, floating alongside her masters as they continued to walk.
"I do not know if this is the exact name, but the strange tar is something I believe is called Malice."
"Malice? Like the Evil Crystals?" Fledge questioned.
"Indeed, but unlike the crystals, Malice in this form is 100% fully unsafe to touch. Any contact a living will make with this form of Malice will have their body corrupted. It will either kill them or…do something worse. That is all I know."
"Let's make sure not to touch that stuff then," Pipit stated.
Link didn't say anything as he thought deeply as he took in the information from Fi. "There's no way this stuff can get out of this place, can it?"
"My scans show that this place had been breached before I detect no sign of Malice around the entry points. I believe Malice cannot escape from here," Fi told him.
"Good…Let's just hope it stays that way." Link couldn't imagine what would happen if even a fraction of this stuff made it to the overworld of The Surface. It would undoubtedly cause problems for everyone.
Fi went back into her sword before the quartet continued once they fully crossed the pool of Malice. What followed for the next several minutes involved jumping on stone pillars above a chasm, rotating platforms, then moving platforms moving in the opposite direction at very high speeds, to which they had to find a switch to get to go in the correct order. After trial and error, they made it to the other side of the chasm. A bright light shined at the top of a small pile of bones. A thin white rope dangled from above.
"Think that's the way out?" Pipit guessed.
Link used his hand to block his eyes from the bright light as he gazed up. "I can see the main room of the chamber."
"Thank Hylia. Now we can get out of this creepy place!" Fledge said eagerly
While his friends gathered around the rope, Link glanced at the piles of bones below their feet. Most of them were Bokoblin bones. A bad feeling crept into his chest.
"You coming, Link?" Pipit spoke to him
"You guys can go first. I'll catch up."
"Okay." Pipit walked over to the rope. Then he noticed Karane on the side. "Uh…Ladies first."
"Oh, thank you, Pipit."
Karane started climbing up the rope. Pipit soon follows. Link waited for Fledge to move. Instead, Fledge just only looks with an unsure look.
"What's wrong, Fledge. Aren't you eager to get out of here?"
"I am but…I just don't feel comfortable climbing on a very skinny rope. It looks like it could break. And I'm not the best at climbing, mostly because of my weak grip. What if I fall?"
"I'm sure the rope can hold both of us. Look, I'll be right behind you. We'll do this one baby step at a time."
"Really?"
"Really, really."
"Okay. That makes me feel so much better."
Fledge firmly grabbed onto the rope. Slowly he started climbing up. Link started climbing after him after he managed to climb several feet above the ground.
"Link, how I'm doing?"
"You're doing great, buddy! Just keep climbing, and don't look down!"
"Keep climbing. Don't look down. Okay. Got it. Keep climbing. Don't look down. Keep climbing. Don't look down…"
Fledge repeated his mantra as he continued to climb. It started annoying Link after a bit, but he wouldn't dare say it out loud. As long as it helps Fledge, Link can suck it up. The pair kept climbing at a slower pace than Pipit & Karane, who had long since made it to the top. Fledge had to grab the rope and pull up when he didn't hold tight enough, which caused him to slide down. He did not fall off, but his eyes gazed at the ground below.
"Link! I'm looking down!" Fledge wrapped his arms tightly around the rope. "Oh Goddesses, I don't think I can do this!"
"You're already halfway there! Just keep climbing."
"I-I-I can't! So high up!" Fledge started hyperventilating.
"Fledge…! Fledge!" The orange-clad student glanced down at Link. "Stay calm. Can you take deep breaths?" Fledge gave himself to calm himself before taking several deep breaths. "You good? Okay. Listen to me." Fledge his full attention to his friend. "I need you to keep climbing. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?"
Fledge gave a slight nod. After several seconds of working up the courage, Fledge resumed climbing. Link was about to start climbing when he heard shuffling below him. Cursed Bokoblins dug from below the bone piles and started climbing on the rope, much to Link's horror.
"Oh, Dindammit!"
"Link? What's going on?" He heard Fledge's voice.
"Just climb as fast as you can! And for the love of the Goddesses: Don't. Look. Down!"
Fledge resumed climbing as fast as his arms would allow him. Link had managed to get several feet when he felt something tug his leg. A Cursed Bokoblin had a grip around his leg. How in Hylia's name did those things climb up so quickly, Link had no clue. Link used his free leg to kick the undead Bokoblin off. Link almost caught up with Fledge. Link could see him still struggling to climb despite the boy's efforts. Link would let him take his time if there weren't undead Bokoblins on their trail. Somehow Link needed to stall them. Then he remembered the shield on his back. With one hand holding tightly on the rope, Link used his free one to pull out his Sacred Shield. The Cursed Bokoblin cowered in fear, stopping itself from climbing. The ones behind it seemed to not notice and attempted to climb over it until they, too, cowered in fear of the shield. It came to a point where enough piled over each other they all fell off the rope. Taking this moment of peace, Link glanced up and exhaled a relieved breath once he saw Fledge reach the top.
"Fi?"
"Yes, Master Link?"
"Remind me to thank Faron for these shields the next time we see her."
"Reminder noted."
With that done, Link resumed climbing. The warm light of The Ancient Cistern greeted him. Waiting for him were all of his friends. Pipit reached an arm out to him.
"You okay, Link? We saw the whole thing!" Karane exclaimed as Pipit pulled Link out.
"I am. Are you okay, Fledge?"
Fledge nodded his head. "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough, Link."
"It's okay. We're all okay." Link panted. "Any more of things climbing up?"
"They seem to go back under the bones. Safe to say that they gave up," Pipit answered.
"Good. You found the switch?"
"Sure did." Pipit pointed to the branch switch on the wall.
"And we also found this as well." Karane directed them to a stone slab similar to the one at the statue's top.
"Return the stone giant to its original form and descend below the earth again along the thread. There you will find the key to the path ahead."
"It was kinda obvious, but nice to have confirmation," Link deadpanned.
Pulling out The Whip, Link latches the end of it on the switch and tugs at it. The statue's head slowly climbed out from below until it finally stopped.
"Okay, now I'll go back down and get the key." Link let out a tired breath.
"I think you should take a break," Karane gently gripped Link's arm.
"Hey, it's fine-"
"You've been doing most of the hard work. It won't hurt to take a little break. How about you let one of us get the key?"
"Which one of you is willing to go down there then?"
"You can count me out! I'm not going back down there. Plus, the last time I retrieved one of those keys, I was nearly flattened like a pancake," Fledge spoke up immediately.
"I'll go." All eyes turn to Pipit. "I can teleport, so I have the best chance down there."
"Are you sure about this, Pipit?" Karane inquired him.
"I am." Pipit made his way to the edge leading back down to the underground cavern.
"Wait!" Link stopped him in his tracks. "It'll be dangerous to go alone. You should take this."
Link pulled out The Goddess Sword and laid it out before Pipit.
"You're lending me your sword?"
"I would be more relaxed if Fi's with you, especially down there."
Pipit slowly reached for the sword. His grip wrapped around the handle of the blade. Link released the grip on his sword, allowing Pipit to have it in his care. This was the first time Pipit could fully see the magnificence of the divine weapon.
"It's heavier than it looks. Uh, no offense to you, Fi."
"None was taken, Master Pipit."
Pipit unsheathes his sword to hand it over to Link. The Goddess Sword managed to fit into his sword sheath. Pipit made his way down to the rope.
"You two take care of each other," Link instructed Pipit.
"We will."
"Pipit?" The yellow-clad senior knight glanced over to Karane, who looked worried. "Be careful."
"I promise. You guys hang tight. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Pipit slid down on the white rope into the darkness below him. His friends watched until he was no longer in his sight.
"I hope he makes it back," Karane shared.
"He will," Link stated.
Pipit landed back on the piles of bones back in the underground cavern. To his relief, the Cursed Bokoblins chasing Link and Fledge did not reappear.
"Time to make the long trek back."
"That will not be necessary, Master Pipit," Fi said. "I took the liberty to scan the area around us. Analysis shows that behind the walls lies a secret tunnel. There's a 93% chance that it may be a shortcut."
Pipit pulled out the spare map. The area with the key aligns with the room he currently lies in. He went over to the walls that led to it. Several minutes of feeling the walls lead him to a section that felt hollower. If he had the Bomb Bag, he could have a bomb flower to blow up the wall. But then he got another idea.
"Hey Fi, could I knock down this wall with my body?"
"My scans do show that the wall has a weak structure. With your weight and height, you should be able to slam into it enough times to break it down."
Pipit then gave a hard slam on the wall with the side of his body. A large crack emerges on the wall. That was enough to convince Pipit. He continued slamming into the wall, cracking the bigger with each hit. The final led him to topple onto the ground as the wall finally broke. Pipit lay on the ground in slight pain. It was short-lived as he realized he was in the tunnel.
"We found it. Ha yes! You're great, Fi!"
"Now that we found the shortcut let's proceed to the key and meet back with the others."
Pipit walked through the dark tunnel. It was strangely peacefully quiet in the tunnel. The silence was still uneasy for him to deal with. So Pipit decided to talk to Fi. Something he had been wondering for a while.
"Hey, Fi. Can you come out of the sword?"
Fi's signature chime echoed as she hovered next to Pipit. "What is it you need, Master Pipit?"
"I just wanted to ask you a random question."
"About what?"
"Were you…always a sword spirit? Like, were you something else, like a human?"
Fi can only look blankly at the Senior Knight before looking away. Several minutes of awkward silence lingered between the spirit and the human. Pipit concluded that Fi did not intend to answer.
"If you can't answer, then forget I even asked-"
"I was human," Fi answered abruptly.
"Oh?"
"I believe I was. My memory of the day Her Grace, Hylia, created me, and every day afterward is clear. Everything before I can only see pieces of it."
"What do you remember?"
"I remember a human woman that somewhat resembles me as an impressive warrior. Others I see me next to Her Grace. Then I see a brief image of me badly wounded. I believe that Hylia turned me into a sword spirit to aid Master Link because of my capability as a warrior and to probably save my life, but that is all I can remember. Why did you wish to know who I was before, Master Pipit?"
"I was simply curious. You know many things about us, but we don't know much about you."
"I see…I apologize if you were expecting more."
"It's fine. I just wanted to know a bit about you."
"Technically speaking…you did succeed in that, even if I failed to provide proper information."
Pipit glanced at the spirit as she said that. For the faintest moment, he thought he saw a small smile on her lips.
The pair arrived at the end of the tunnel minutes later. From their vantage point, they could see the white chest no longer covered by the feet of the statue. Fi suggested that Pipit hurry to collect the key but be cautious before she went back to the sword. Pipit leaped to the ground below. The white chest resided in the middle of an enormous pit of even more bones, inviting him to open it. Pipit was no fool. The last time he saw a white chest that was easy pickings, Fledge almost got crushed by that large boulder in the Earth Temple. Pipit walked cautiously to the chest. The crunching sound of the bones echoed off each step he took. He opened it, retrieving some sort of idol. The shape of it reminds him of the statue above.
But before he could admire it further, the small platform of the white chest elevated up. All of a sudden many Cursed Bokoblins dug up from below. Even better, the statue's feet started to descend to where he was.
"Master Pipit. It would seem that collecting the idol triggered the statue and awakened the Cursed Bokoblins. I analyze that you have about thirty seconds to get out of the pit before we are crushed."
"Shit!"
Pipit glanced around at the scene to see the Bokoblins stalking him. He could make a run, but it would be risky, considering the Bokoblins could grab him just as one did to Link earlier. The senior knight glanced at the symbol of Farore on his chest as a sudden idea came to his head. He waited until the Bokoblins got close enough to him. When the statue was only fifty feet above, Pipit disappeared in the green flash. Seconds later, he reappeared close to the ledge. He tossed the idol over before starting to climb the ridge. The senior knight decided to look up once he managed to get to the top. The statute was less than ten feet away from crushing him. Pipit quickly rolled out, grabbing the idol as he did. A Cursed Bokoblin that he did not notice had followed him. It had only gotten its head over the ledge when the statue finally reached the ground, crushing its body.
Pipit lay flat on his back, breathing heavily as he comprehended what had happened moments ago. He looked at the idol in his to ensure he still had it. A breath of relief escaped his lips, only to be replaced with a small shriek as he saw a Cursed Bokoblin looking at him from the side. Pipit realized it was only the severed head of the undead Bokoblin. The statue must've cut off its head as it fell.
"Ugh, creepy things." Pipit used his foot to shove the severed head away. He stood to his feet, dusting himself off with his free hand. He glanced at the door inside the statue that had almost crushed him minutes ago.
Pipit walked into the statue. Relieved to be finally out of that place. He used the water geysers to get up the platforms rather than teleport, mostly because he wanted a cool down. He reached the door leading to the main chamber. His friends were still standing on the platform he last saw them on. Pipit waved them down to let them know that he was back. They jumped into the water and swam to where he was.
"Thank the Goddess, you came back!" Fledge expressed relief.
"We saw that statue moving down suddenly and got worried," Karane followed.
"I'm okay, guys, and I got the key." Pipit showed them the idol.
"Good that you got that and returned safely," Link praised. "Did anything happen down there?"
"Not really. It was…relatively peaceful. Now that we got the key, we get to those flames!"
"Can I have my sword back before we go?"
"Oh, right! Sorry." Pipit unsheathed The Goddess Sword, and Link did the same with the sword Pipit had, and they both exchanged their weapons. "Fi was a good company and helped me a bit."
"I made a good call, then."
With the quartet reunited, they made their way to the top of the statue, this time with the proper key. They placed the key in the hole, which showed a flower pattern. The ceiling opened up, revealing four bulb switches on the top. After Link used The Whip to pull on the bulbs, the statue head ascended to the roof of the main chamber. A set of stairs lay in front of the group. Pipit clenched his head at that moment as he felt the flames' strong aura.
"We're close. Very close."
They all quickly made their way up the stairs. They found themselves in a dark room where a gold statue with a human head and a red orb on the chest lay at the center, surrounded by smaller statues. Metal bars encase the door behind them, trapping the group inside. Pipit let out a groan as he rubbed his head. The flame was definitely on the other side of this room. A familiar dark chuckle filled the air as his friends tried to comfort him.
"Aw, does someone have a headache? I hope this isn't too much for a big boy like you. I must admit you all are certainly persistent..." Ghirahim was seen casually sitting on top of the statue in the middle of the room.
"You again?!" Link growled as he and his friends all tensed up.
"What are you doing here?" Pipit commanded.
Ghirahim rolled his eyes. "I'm not in the right mood to deal with you all today. I'm terribly busy trying to find the clues that will help me revive my Master."
"He's just sitting on top of the statue…How is that busy?" Fledge mumbled.
"Your incessant buzzing around my head like some irksome gadfly when I'm THIS busy, is…Well, it's making me feel disagreeable."
"Like he ever was agreeable before," Karane grumbled.
"But don't worry. I would like to introduce you all to another dear friend of mine. Hopefully, he'll set you all straight, unlike poor Scaldera. Ta-ta Sky Children."
Ghirahim disappeared from the room with the snap of his fingers.
The dark room suddenly lit up. The red orb in the central statue's chest starts moving, pulsing like a heartbeat. The smaller statues floated to the main one. They took the form of six arms. A weird purple substance filled the statue, connecting the arms to it, turning it into a machine. The arms folded in front of it before they flexed out, with two hands holding throwing axes. It stretches its arms, using the other two to cover the red orb as its soulless eyes look down at the four knight students. It then uses its hands to slam down, but the quartet moves out of the way in time. The giant machine threw the axes toward the group. They took shelter behind the large pillars.
"Mind telling us about this guy, Fi?" Link requested urgently.
"This is Koloktos. This 'Ancient Automation' defends the Ancient Cistern and eliminates intruders. The cursed energy supply Ghirahim provided to this contraption has given it power far beyond its conventional limits. The red-orb shape cores embedded in its torso and arms provided it limited stability and prevented it from falling to pieces."
"Okay, so that red orb on its chest is a weak spot. We just need to hit it enough times."
"Easier said than done, especially with six arms guarding it," Karane said.
"We just need to get them out of the way...somehow."
"How do you propose that?"
"I think I may know something, but it sounds unlikely," Fledge proposed.
"Any suggestions are welcomed right now, Fledge! What do you know?" Link said to him.
"When-When that thing tried to slam us with his arm, I saw this red orb where its elbow would be. It had these rings that reminded me of those bulb switches. We could provoke Koloktos to hit us and use The Whip to pull out its arms."
Pipit suddenly reached into Link's pouch to pull out The Whip before anyone else could say anything. This certainly caught Link off guard. His bewilderment quickly turned to horror once he saw him walking out of the safety of the pillar and into Koloktos' view.
"Pipit! What are you doing?"
"Stay there until I say so." Pipit ran towards the Ancient Automation, yelling and waving it down to get its attention. "Hey, you big rust bucket over here!" Koloktos slowly turned its head in his direction. "Come on! Try to hit me!"
Koloktos slowly raised one of its arms to slam down at the boy below him. Pipit shows no sign of moving. Then, when Koloktos arm almost made contact, Pipit warped away in a flash of green. This led to the giant mechanical being lodging its arm on the ground. Pipit reappeared right next to it. He flung the end of The Whip on the exposed rings on its arm. He successfully pulled out the arm with one hard tug. The rest of the knight students watch as they realize that Pipit is using his ability to trick Koloktos into slamming its arms down.
Pipit repeated the process as Koloktos slammed its other arm down, only for Pipit to teleport out of the way and use The Whip to pull off its arm. The final two free arms covering the red orb were all left. Koloktos slammed both of them down at the same time. Pipit quickly used The Whip to pull them both off. Koloktos stood in a daze as its final arms were focused on holding the throwing axes. The red orb on its chest was exposed. Pipit knew it was now or never.
"Link, now! Strike at that orb before it recovers!"
The green-clad Hero dashed over to the Automation. Link sliced at the orb on its chest many times until an unseen force pushed him back. The fallen arms of Koloktos floated back near it, reconnecting to the Ancient Automation. Pipit saw that Koloktos attempting to swipe at Link with its axes and warped him and himself out of the way. They reappeared right next to an unsettled Karane and Fledge.
"Are you two okay?" Fledge asked.
"We are," Link answered.
"Pipit, are you mad?!" Karane shouted to him frantically. "That was reckless!"
"It worked, didn't it?"
"He's right, Karane. That may be our best method. Pipit, keep on doing what you were doing."
"You can count on me, Link."
Pipit noticed the reluctant look in Karane's eyes. She looked as if she didn't want Pipit to go out there. Pipit lifts her chin with his fingers to move her eye level to his. His green eyes look warmly into hers.
"I'll be fine, Karane."
"Just...Just don't get yourself killed."
"I'll do my best. Stay out of its sight."
Pipit warped back in Koloktos's view. He decided to continue to have a little bit of fun messing with it.
"Is that the best you can do? I've seen Remlits with better accuracy when it comes to hitting stuff! And I thought you were the protector of The Ancient Cistern!"
Koloktos could only respond by striking him, thus repeating the process of that and Pipit teleporting and pulling its arms out. Then finally, with its two arms remaining, Pipit once again yelled for Link to strike the orb. Link did so until the same unseen force pushed him back. Koloktos' axes disappeared as hit he reassembled his arms. Koloktos used its newly regained arms to move from its confinements on the ground, revealing its legs. Gold bars blocked the red orb on its chest as all six arms moved to its back.
"That doesn't look good…" Karane muttered as she and Fledge remained in their spot.
At that moment, Koloktos pulled his arms back out, revealing all six hands armed with massive curved swords.
"DEFINITELY NOT GOOD!" Fledge repeated back with more fear.
Link and Pipit stood still where they were as they watched in astonishment at Koloktos' new form. The ancient Automation stared down at the intruders in its chambers. It then used all three of its arms to slice down the pair, but they both managed to move out of the way.
"Any bright ideas?" Pipit said to Link.
Link examined Koloktos' new form, specifically its swords. Something told him he had to get those swords away from the machine. And Koloktos seems to continue to use the same strategy of slamming down on its targets.
"Keep on doing what you were doing," Link instructed Pipit.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I may have an idea. Just make sure it slams its arms on the ground."
Despite not fully understanding what Link had in mind, Pipit did what Link told him to do. Koloktos got his three arms unlodged from the ground. Pipit, of course, continues to taunt Koloktos.
"Please! You didn't get close enough that time! Why even Cawlin is a better sword fighter than you!"
The Automation slams its arms again. Pipit used the Whip to pull all three of its arms out. This, of course, left the giant swords it was holding. Link gestured to Pipit to lure Koloktos away from the blades. Once Pipit succeeded in that, Link moved close to the sword.
"Could we use this sword against Koloktos, Fi?"
"Although it is quite heavy, you and the others should all be able to wield it, Master."
"Then I know what to do next. Karane, Fledge! Get over here!"
"What do you need?" Karane asked as she and Fledge went over to Link.
"I need one of you to lift one of the swords to knock out Koloktos's legs. Then I'll strike those bars. Think you can do that?"
"Of course, Link," Fledge answered.
Link went over to one of the swords to lift it. Fledge attempted to do the same, but his lack of strength caused him to struggle to get it up. Karane went over to help lift it up.
"Cut down Koloktos' legs while its back was turned!" Link commanded to the pair.
With the sword in both hands, Karane and Fledge dashed over to Koloktos and swiped at its legs. Koloktos fell on the ground, unable to move, given the opportunity to strike at the bars covering the damaged orb. Link managed to get a few cracks on the bars before Koloktos repaired its limbs and regained its swords. Koloktos then wailed its blades around, making it impossible to approach.
"Everyone, get to cover!" Link yelled to his friends.
All four friends hide in different areas of the chamber as Koloktos continue to swipe in its blind fury before eventually calming down. Koloktos searched around the room for the intruders. Pipit ran towards it as it got close to Karane & Fledge's hiding spot.
"You call that sword fighting! That's the sloppiest swordplay I've ever seen!" Pipit yelled out.
Link swore that Koloktos slammed down his swords even harder than before. After Pipit got the arms off, Link signaled Karane and Fledge to the blades as Pipit lured Koloktos away. They repeated the process of the pair cutting down the legs and Link slicing on the bars until they entirely broke. Link did not get to slash at the orb because Koloktos quickly repaired itself. It started wailing its swords around again, leaving everyone to take cover until it calmed down. Pipit managed to get only two of the three arms off this time. The Ancient Automation then did something unexpected. Koloktos summoned several Cursed Bokolblins right around Link's direction. There was a lot for Link to deal with. Pipit can't go to help him due to Koloktos blocking the way. This just left the other two humans in the room.
"Fledge, go help Link! I got the sword," Karane commanded the boy.
The orange student went over to his friend while Karane went over to the sword. It was heavier to lift up without Fledge's assistance, but she managed. Pipit was busy keeping Koloktos occupied as she approached the Automation's legs. She lifted the sword to prepare to strike.
But then…something unexpected happened.
The remaining arm on Koloktos, one side dropped its sword. It turned its body as its metal hand backhanded into Karane, causing her to fly onto a nearby pillar. Pipit screamed for her name as he saw her unconscious body slam against the post. Koloktos used this opportunity to strike its swords against the pillar near him. The debris fell onto the boy and seemingly buried him. Koloktos then regained his two arms & blades. Link and Fledge watch in horror as they watch Koloktos wipe the floor with the pair of senior knights. They tried to run over to help Karane, but Koloktos summoned even more Cursed Bokoblins to prevent them from doing so. With the two occupied and the yellow-clad senior knight nowhere in sight, Koloktos sets its sights on the dazed young woman.
Karane slipped out of her brief moments of unconsciousness. Her body felt sore, quickly becoming fearful as she saw Koloktos towering over her, all six of its swords high above. There was no way out of this. She was going to die here. Cut down by some ancient mechanical being. She'll never return to Skyloft, help Zelda, spend time with her friends, or talk to her guardian Owlan. She never got to tell Pipit…Karane closed her eyes, praying to all the Goddesses that it would end quickly and painlessly.
Unbeknownst to her, Pipit managed to avoid the debris. Aside from some scrapes, he was relatively unscathed. He climbed over the remains of the pillar as he caught sight of Link & Fledge cutting down Cursed Bokoblins. Then he saw something that caused him to let out a horror-filled gasp. Koloktos had Karane cornered. There was no escape for her. It lifted its swords to strike her down. Something in him commanded him to protect her. He didn't know how, but he had to! Pipit had already lost his father, but he was damn sure he wouldn't lose anyone else he loved!
"I must act!"
Disregarding that Koloktos could cut him down, Pipit ran in its direction. He kept on running until he was close enough to warp. Placing himself in between Koloktos and Karane.
"NO!" Was the last thing he shouted as he appeared, arms reaching forward as Koloktos slammed their swords down.
Farore's symbol on his chest then brightly lit up. A strong gust of wind blew against the Ancient Automation. The wind had prevented it from slamming its swords down. Link & Fledge gaped at the scene. Karane opened her eyes to be greeted at the sight of wind coming from Pipit's hands. The wind was powerful enough to push Koloktos several feet away and blow all the swords out of its hands. The Ancient Automation gazed at the boy as if stunned at the sudden action.
The air finally died down once Pipit commanded it swiftly. The yellow-clad knight looked down upon his hands in pure shock at what he had just done. His mind raced as he tried to figure out what the hell he had done.
"What-How did I-?"
"Be at ease, Pipit Erhard." A familiar voice echoed in his head, which calmed him down.
"Farore...?!"
"Do you remember when I said that Farore's Gale has other surprises? I think you know what it is now. I knew you could do it."
Closing his eyes, Pipit took a deep breath, taking in this new information. Much like when he gained the first part of Farore's Gale, knowledge of how to use this ability sprang in his head as if it had always been there.
"Now...why not you give our mechanical friend here the same courtesy it gave to your dear friends," Farore proposed eagerly.
A new sense of determination filled Pipit. A glare glued onto where Koloktos stood felt the same anger he gave to his dark counterpart in his trial when he mocked his father. Parts of its gold exterior were blown off, exposing the purple substance within, but Koloktos still stood firm. Not for much longer, as Pipit told himself.
"You know, I was just being nice earlier, but after what you tried to do to my friend, you've really pissed me off!"
Koloktos, unfazed by Pipit's words, attempted to slam its arm down. Pipit threw a punch in the air, and a strong wind blew the metal arm off. One by one, Pipit used his power gusts to blow off each of Koloktos' arms until the only limbs remaining were its legs. Pipit and Koloktos stared each other down briefly before Pipit made a slash motion. A horizontal movement of air slices Koloktos legs cleaned off as efficiently as a sword. Koloktos' main body landed on the ground, immobile to move.
"LINK!" Pipit yelled over to his brother. "FINISH IT!"
The Hero dashed to Koloktos red orb. Link sliced it down until it was obliterated. Koloktos then started short-circuiting while letting out a child-like laughter that creeped out the quartet. The purple substance that controlled Koloktos oozed out until it exploded, with only the gold husk left behind. The metal head of Koloktos rolled over to Pipit, his tired expression reflected off the golden surface. The chamber lit up in a warm light. A door with Farore's symbol glowed at the end of it. Pipit fell to his knees, his palms flat on the floor as he let out labored breaths. The adrenaline that fueled him in taking out Koloktos had drained out and was now filled with exhaustion.
"Congratulations, Pipit." Farore's voice echoed in his head. "You have awakened the full potential of Farore's Gale. The power of the wind is now yours to command. I will warn you not to recklessly use this part of my essence. I trust you know what to do from this point."
"I do…"
"Good luck on this journey, Pipit Erhard. My sisters and I will be watching over you and your friends."
Farore's voice faded away as Pipit remained on the ground. Footsteps echoed from behind him until he felt someone crouch next to him. Turning his head, he was met with Karane at his level. Her blue eyes filled with concern.
"Are you okay, Pipit?"
"I should be asking you that. You got backhanded by that thing."
"Nothing that a red potion couldn't fix. I'll be fine. Thank you...for saving my life."
"You're welcome."
Karane lowered her gaze. "I guess that's two I owe you now." She felt Pipit's hand on her cheek. Beautiful green eyes looked so warmly at her.
"You don't owe me anything. I'm happy as long as you're okay."
Link watched the pair from a distance. Their faces were close enough to probably kiss. Maybe, Link thought, Pipit would finally confess his feelings for Karane. Perhaps they will finally-
"Pipit! Karane!" Fledge's voice across the chamber as he ran to the pair.
"Dindammit!" Link thought frustratedly. "So close!"
Of course, Link shouldn't be mad at Fledge since he probably had no clue. Fledge is currently bombarding Pipit over his newfound ability. Oh well, maybe next time. Link made his way to his friends.
"That was so…wicked! How did you do that?!"
"Farore told me that I awakened Farore's Gale's full potential. I saw Karane in trouble, so I went to protect her, and it just…happened."
"Wow…that's amazing! So you can, like… air bend now?"
"If you want to put it that way, I can." Pipit glanced up to see Link. "Hey, Link."
"Hey. How are you doing?"
"Put it mildly…I think I could use a nap." Pipit deadpanned.
Link let out a chuckle. "A nap does sound nice."
"But first, we need to get you those flames." Pipit glances over at the door with Farore's symbol.
They group transverse through the chamber cluttered with metal. The room on the other side of the door was small, with an altar at the end with the familiar crest of the goddess. Above the altarpiece is an even more enormous symbol of Farore. Link used his Skyward Strike to hit the crest of the goddess.
The symbol on the wall let out a glow, as did the one on Pipit's uniform. The darkroom was suddenly brightened as large green flames emerged from the altar. It was so bright that the group had to shield their eyes before their vision got accustomed to them. Link raised his sword, waiting to see if the flames would do something. Fi instead exited out of the blade in front of the altar. Raising her shawl arms, the flames engulfed her into a ball of green fire. The ball flew up to the ceiling, then to the wall, and finally right in front of Link. Fi stood in the middle of these flames.
"Raise your sword, Master Link."
Link did what the spirit told him and raised his sword. Fi pushed all the flames into the divine weapon. The force was so strong it almost knocked Link back, with Pipit preventing his fall. Link used his other hand to brace the sword. The last of the flames went into the blade. Link raises the sword skyward as the flames settle in. The sword let out a bright glow. The ricasso of the sword expanded, and the blade was even longer.
"The flames of Farore have improved your sword, making it longer and sharp enough to do twice as much damage," Fi told him.
Link examined the sword, taking note of the changes. His friends did the same. They all succeed in finding Farore's Flame.
"Wow..." Pipit commented with admiration.
Link swung the sword to get adjusted to the improvements. Just as he sheathed the sword, his right hand started tingling. Link and his friends watch as an image of the strange triangle symbol they saw at the Temple of Time glowed on the back of Link's hand. The bottom right of the triangle shone brightly before it vanished.
"What was that?" Pipit question.
"I…I don't know," Link simply answered.
None of them had the chance to speculate further as Fi hovered close. "The sacred flame has purified your blade, enhancing and evolving it. With your sword now enhanced, you are ready to learn a new melody. We should all return to the Isle of Songs."
Fi retreated into the sword. With the task now complete, the quartet proceeded to exit The Ancient Cistern.
They had run into Faron when they exited the Cistern. The dragon took note of the changes in Link's sword and Pipit's fully awakened power. Though She was impressed by these changes, she reminded Link that he had yet gained the strength to handle the full power of the sword. Faron firmly told him he must train further and devote himself wholly to the task.
After Faron left, the quartet returned to the sky. It was almost sunset. That left enough time for them to fly into the Thunderhead to the Isle of Songs. They entered the chamber where the goddess crest lay. Link activated it using the Skyward Strike.
This time, a small statue resembling The Goddess State came down from below with the symbol of Nayru. Fi hovered in front of the statue with a ray of light appearing. Much like the previous one, it sang a beautiful melody.
"Master Link, I have important information. When you struck the crest with a Skyward Strike from your sword, a message from the goddess awakened deep within my memory. The goddess intended this message for you, Master. These are her words."
"He who seeks the sacred flames, listen well, for I am guiding from my place at the edge of time. Two sacred flames remain. Should you desire to possess them, you must obtain the other sacred gifts. For each trial you overcome, you shall be blessed with another gift. Harness the power of these gifts, and let there be no doubt you shall find yourself standing before the majesty of the sacred flames. Now, I give you another melody. It will serve as a key to unlocking your next trial, which awaits you within the shifting sand of Lanayru Desert."
Link readied himself with the harp as Fi put herself in an elegant pose. Music echoed through the room. Link started playing to the rhythm of the music as Fi began flying around the room, dancing and singing in the same manner as before, only this time, a blue mist emitted from her.
"Sail the sandy dune
Find the flame of blue…
And so, as you pray
Go forth, wisdom guides the way."
Fi flew high in the room as Link continued playing. The area changes with him standing in the clouds with his Loftwing flying around but accompanied by a familiar sky-blue Loftwing instead, which he swore had pigtails. He did not get a good enough look as the bird flew away.
"Sail the sandy dune
Find the flame of blue…
And so, as you pray
Go forth, wisdom guides the way."
The area went back to normal as Link gazed at the harp.
"The song you just heard is called Nayru's Wisdom," Fi informed Link. "Use this song of knowledge to find the next trial. I have memorized Nayru's Wisdom for you. You can now use dowsing to locate the gate to the next trial. You should set a course to Lanayru Desert as soon as possible."
"Will do," Link told the spirit before returning to his sword. He turns to his friends. "Let's get back to Skyloft.
His friends made their way out of the chamber. Everyone that is except for Karane, who stood in space as if her mind was elsewhere. Pipit quickly noticed her.
"Karane?"
"Huh, what?" Karane snapped out of whatever she was thinking about.
"We're heading back to Skyloft."
"Oh, sorry! I was thinking about something." Karane rushed her way out of the chamber.
Pipit watched the girl with curiosity. How she acted was just how he was after hearing Farore's Courage. Link had the same idea.
"I acted that way after I heard Farore's Courage. Right before I…Do you think she's…?"
"I don't know…" Link told him. "We'll worry about it tomorrow."
They'll find out if their theory is correct once they go to Lanayru tomorrow. For now, they decided to return to Skyloft for some deserved rest.
Holy cow this chapter ended up longer than I anticipated. 30 pages...I hope I did well.
We completed The Ancient Cistern and got a new song to the next trial, but now our heroes are back to Skyloft in the next chapter to rest. Hope everyone enjoy this.
Lyrics for Nayru's Wisdom are once again from Zelda Universe on Youtube.
Favs, Follows, and Reviews are appreciated! I hope every had a Happy New Year and staying safe in this pandemic.