They sure could, Birdie! It would probably not go great for the loftwing either in the long term, but it would definitely help their survival odds, as you say. Really glad you like the worldbuilding! Glad you're enjoying the Fi interactions, Mimi - and look, more! ;-) I am so here for those.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing so regularly - I really appreciate it!

Chapter 43: Traces

By the time Link was nearing the reservoir, the last traces of the sun were the pink tinge to the thin clouds above, the sky behind them a deep, dark blue, almost black. The tall buildings of the city hid the sunset itself from him utterly, its streets like canyons cut with knife-like precision, and in their shadows, the creatures Fi had warned him about had already begun to emerge. He had dashed past two discoloured chuchus, yellowish as the one in the mine had been, and left them pulsating greedily over his footprints in the sand. Determined to reach the reservoir before he rested, Link forced himself to keep a measured pace, walking warily with sword in one hand and shield in the other, ready to defend himself against anything that might attack.

A report, Master Link. Fi's soundless voice, melodic even in his mind, was unexpected, but welcome all the same. I detect traces of the goddess' power reinforcing the structure ahead. As a result, I now assess the probability that this reservoir still contains water at 79%.

Surprised, Link almost stopped, his head turning as if he could see through the building beside him to their destination.

"The goddess?"

The traces are ancient, Master. I estimate that they date to approximately the same time as the raising of Skyloft. I therefore extrapolate that the goddess predicted that this reservoir would be useful in the future, and reinforced it accordingly to aid in your journey.

Link found himself feeling uncomfortable even as he was grateful for it.

"The goddess predicted that I'd come here?" he murmured, not letting his guard down as he edged around the last corner. The road ahead seemed relatively clear, as far as the flickering light of his lantern reached, the building Fi was directing him to still only a smudge of shadow well beyond its edge.

As her chosen, you and the spirit maiden were intended to travel to the Gate of Time in Lanayru, according to the message engraved in the aura of the Earth Spring. This city is a logical location to pass through given the position of the opening in the cloud layer.

"I guess that makes sense."

The clouds above were already almost dark, the last faint traces of sunlight fading from them. Link's flickering light was all that remained in the dark streets. The building Fi seemed to be leading him to was smaller than he'd expected, lower than most of those around it and relatively narrow, odd, humped shapes rising slightly above the level of its roof. The doorway was open, a darker rectangle in the night.

"Can you tell if there's anything in there, Fi?"

I detect two life-forms within, Master. They are currently located in an ambush position on either side of the door. Further analysis confirms that they are Aracha. Initially rare, these arachnids prospered over the course of the temporal cycle as the climate became increasingly arid, as they are well-adapted for such conditions. Although these individuals are relatively small and do not pose a significant threat in terms of mass, they possess a poisonous sting, which, while non-fatal, will cause you notable discomfort should it break your skin. Aracha grow throughout their lifespans, and are predicted to be able to live for over one thousand years. They are sensitive to vibrations through the ground and have a well-developed primary eye which is exceptionally sensitive to movement. Aracha will attack creatures of any size, relying on numbers to immobilise and cumulatively kill their prey. Their primary mode of attack is to leap upon the prey from ambush.

"Right…" Link's eyes darted from side to side, guessing where the creatures would likely be. He advanced cautiously, sword at the ready, shield held low to his right. The open space beyond was strewn with sand, blown in through a door left open for a thousand years. Tense, he stopped just before the door, extending the shining blade forth ahead of him. For a moment, nothing happened – then, with a scuffle of sand, two chitinous shapes leapt upon it, attempting to grasp the sword with segmented legs, tails raised high as if to strike! Link swept the blade violently to the side, dragged down by their combined weight though it was; the peerlessly smooth blade slid through the insectoid creatures' grip, depositing both on the sandy floor, and he darted forwards before they could right themselves, stabbing down. His target's exoskeleton split with a sad little crack beneath the blow, the sword stopping only when it hit the floor beneath, but the second one righted itself while he was still drawing back and leapt for him again. Link kept his shield in the way, holding it against the sudden impact and weight, eyes widening as a pair of pincers appeared over the top, then more of the creature, clambering swiftly upwards. As its purplish primary eye peered over at him, Link twisted the shield in his grip, tilting it away; sliced along its top with an awkward slash of the Goddess Sword and all but bisected the creature. The pieces fell to the floor, twitching in its death throes, and all was still once more.

Link paused to wipe down his blade, though, as ever, it didn't seem to need it.

"Was that all of them?"

Yes, Master Link. I recommend placing the corpses outside and finding a means to close or bar the door. This will serve as a defensible campsite if you are able to do so.

Link nodded, slinging the shield onto his back and slightly reluctantly sheathing the sword. The dead aracha were oozing unpleasantly, dark in his flickering light. He scooped up the pieces and tossed them into the road outside, careful of the stings that now curled stiffly towards their bodies. Kicking sand over the stains they left behind more or less finished the job.

Finally free to look around, he scanned the room, turning slowly on the spot to take it all in. There was a single internal door, low and narrow enough that he would have to duck to get through it even if he could get it open, some sort of markings faintly visible on it beneath centuries of dust. Large pipes emerged on either side of it, running to the side walls and passing through them; Link assumed they were some of the same ones he'd seen as humped shapes from outside, plunging into the ground on either side of the low building. Some barrels made of something that didn't quite look metallic and certainly wasn't wood stood lined up beneath them. Angled boards stood out from the walls in a couple of places, and something like a noticeboard hung on a flat space of wall by the door, dusty rectangles of what he presumed were paper still on it. Beneath it, propped against the wall at an angle, was a fairly blank metal plate, crude handles welded onto it like an oversized shield. Link frowned, experimentally gripping them and trying to lift it: it was heavy, but manageable, and big enough to almost completely cover the door. Gritting his teeth with the effort, he carried it awkwardly into place, bracing it against the doorway and dragging a couple of empty barrels behind it to keep it upright, which had the added advantage of covering the ichor stains beneath the sand.

It's like someone has been here before… "Fi?"

She emerged from the sword in a flash of light and a soft chime, floating before him in the near-empty room.

"Someone else has been here, haven't they?"

"My analysis confirms that you are correct, Master. The disturbances to the dust indicate that the presence was recent. However, an effort appears to have been made to remove or obscure all spiritual traces, as well as the physical. I cannot confirm the identity of the individual or individuals. I conclude that the probability of a trained member of the Sheikah having been present is above 60%."

"Zelda was with a Sheikah…" Link remembered the tall, thin woman with a twist of bitter self-recrimination in his heart. She'd all but told him he wasn't good enough. "Do you think it could have been her?"

"I cannot provide an accurate identification at this time. Your suggestion is plausible, however, since the goddess' instructions directed you both to seek the Gate of Time."

Link sighed. "I hope it was. We can't be too far behind them. I guess we just have to push on…" He began to sit down, then changed his mind, looking at the pipes. "Can you tell if there's water here, Fi?"

Fi nodded, smooth and emotionless. "Water is contained within the reservoir. However, the pumping mechanisms are no longer functional. You will need to either enter the reservoir itself via a maintenance access hatch, or find a means of restoring the pumps. Extrapolating from our experience in the mines, the use of a Timeshift Stone to do so has an almost 98% probability of rapid success."

"However, we don't have a Timeshift Stone," Link finished for her, and Fi nodded once again. "I'd have to go look for one." He sighed, sitting down on the sandy floor. "Well… at least I can safely drink now. I'll work out how to get water in the morning. It might be fastest just to get into the reservoir…"

Fi didn't seem to disagree, looking on impassively as Link took a waterskin from his belt and allowed himself a long, thankful drink of the somewhat warm, flat-tasting water. He hadn't wanted to take the risk until they were sure about the reservoir, but knowing that he didn't have to ration it for this one night made him want to drink as much as he could. He'd never thought he'd be quite so glad of a simple drink of water.

"Fi," he asked quietly, leaning back on one hand, "is it safe to tell me about the raising of the islands now?"

The softly luminous spirit inclined her head gravely, and once again Link had the momentary impression that she was assessing her words.

"Please extinguish your lantern to conserve it, and draw the sword to provide yourself with illumination, Master."

Link smiled. "Okay." He did as he was bid, listening in the faintly blue-lit darkness to Fi's musical voice.

"A thousand years ago, the goddess' people dwelt primarily in a walled city in the Faron region, which had been erected to defend them from the demons. When their attack came, the goddess Hylia determined to save all non-combatants by gathering them in predetermined locations and raising those regions into the air. Only those who volunteered to fight in the final battle against the demons were to remain on, or return to, the surface: almost eight thousand people were gathered in the chosen locations. The goddess assumed the form of a great bird, flying above the islands. The forces required to tear that quantity of rock and soil from the surface of the world were…"

Link tried to imagine it as Fi spoke, supporting himself on his left hand with his fingertips resting over the hilt of the sword, waterskin half-forgotten in his right. Despite how strange it was, he felt he could almost picture it, could almost imagine the ground shaking under his feet in the grip of those trememdous forces; almost imagine hundreds of people around him clinging to one another or to the ground, looking around wide-eyed as they lifted into the air… and above it all, the goddess: no longer a statue or an idol in a little shrine, but a huge bird of golden light, wheeling above and lifting them higher with every incredible wingbeat. For an instant, his own everyday home seemed fantastical, impossible, a blessed gift. Everyone knew that the goddess had raised the islands… but it had never felt so real.

Yet, somehow, as her description drew to a close with the islands floating safely in the sky above where they would remain for a thousand years, he didn't feel wonder so much as foreboding.

"I guess the battle happened next, for everyone on the ground, didn't it, Fi?"

"Yes," Fi said simply.

"I thought so. It… felt like it had to, somehow." Link shook his head, holding back a yawn that crept up on him. "Thanks for telling me about it. Everyone knows that the goddess raised the islands, but… it's never really felt like something that really happened before. They've always been there."

Fi tilted her head slightly for an instant. "Since they have been present for between thirty-five and fifty human generations, or approximately ten times your maximum life expectancy, that is an understandable misconception, Master."

Link couldn't help but smile.

This week Ardil learnt: that scorpions bear live young and carry them around on their backs until they are tough enough to survive alone. Adorable!

Patch Notes
- Water availability now relevant and accounted for.