The Next Day...
"Link, time to wake up..." Link was slow to rouse himself, so Zelda gently shook him a few times until he stirred. When he did finally wake up Link rolled over to face Zelda.
"Link...I think we should head to Gerudo Town next. I am not sure it is any closer than Goron City...but going to Goron City from here without taking an absurd detour would require passing through the snowfields again and I am not sure I would survive that..."
"That's fine...just give me a moment to get out of bed..." Link took a few moments to climb out of bed, then packed his things and proceeded to follow Zelda out of Rito Village, to much fanfare from the local rito. Link felt most embarrassed...
Maybe I deserve the damn praise this time, but this is still really uncomfortable...
Link and Zelda found "Coal" waiting for them near the entrance of Rito Village, and Link was quick to help Zelda mount the beast before climbing on himself. Before they could go anywhere Billow approached, now wearing a secret stone (and accompanying gold footwear) on her left ankle.
"Hero! Princess!"
"Yes, Billow?" Zelda replied.
"I understand that crossing the snowfields was more than your body could take. I'm not surprised...your mother did not handle cold well either. I'd recommend taking the southern path out of the village...not nearly as cold. Just be careful...there are two bridges on that route and neither have been maintained in some time. I would not recommend bringing the horse to a gallop on either one."
"Thank you, Billow." With that Link and Zelda set off on the southern path out of Rito Village as Billow watched nervously...
Link guided "Coal" up a hill before entering between two rocky cliffs forming a cave like structure; they were ambushed by two lizalfos (which can change color to match their surroundings), but Link and Zelda effortlessly polished them off with their bows before continuing. Shortly thereafter they ran into the very narrow Kolami Bridge...it was a log bridge that showed visible signs of decay. Link slowed "Coal" down to a trot to cross the bridge...Zelda seemed very nervous and clung tightly to Link, her eyes slammed shut, the entire time they were on the bridge.
"Zelda," Link told her after they had left the Kolami, "we're back on terra firma now. You can open your eyes..." Zelda opened her eyes and let go of Link.
"Thank you, Link...heights scare me almost as much as water does." The two continued south past Strock Lake and Nero Hill, and eventually found themselves between Piper Ridge and the Rayne Highlands...as they approached two large stony pillars between the two rockmasses they were accosted by a white lynel, a terrifying centaur like monster with horns. Link pushed "Coal" into a full gallop to escape from the lynel, who began firing volley after volley of arrows at the party...soon they reached the Tabantha Great Bridge, a large wooden bridge in ill repair with multiple gaps in the bridge spanning the massive Tanagar Canyon. Zelda was freaking out...
"Link, slow down! SLOW DOWN! We are going to fall off!" Zelda was right..."Coal" eventually hit a gap in the bridge too large for him to jump over and came to a violent, abrupt stop, throwing Link off his mount and leaving him clinging to dear life to the bridge. Zelda hurried to his aid, but when she tried to pull him back onto the bridge the lynel struck "Coal" with an arrow, spooking the horse into kicking Zelda AND Link off the bridge! Zelda uttered a bloodcurdling scream as they plummeted off the bridge to their doom...
...
...As Link plummeted his memories flashed before his eyes...thoughts of his family's death, the many years he had spent alone, his bitter inability to start a family with anyone else...Link burst into tears on the way down, on the way down to to certain death on the canyon floor. But...before that could happen...he suddenly had the strangest sensation...his body suddenly dematerialized into a brilliant ball of light and he hurtled towards the bottom of the canyon. When he landed he suddenly rematerialized into his normal self, stressed out but otherwise unharmed...
What the HELL just happened...I should be dead...where is Zelda?! I am sure she had something to do with this...is she okay?! Link soon saw Zelda a short distance to the north...he hurried to talk to her.
"Zelda...you saved my life again. Thank you!" Suddenly "Zelda" flashed a psychotic grin and pulled out her bow...Link felt something very chilling about this "Zelda"...
"You're too trusting, Link!" Suddenly she opened fire on Link. Link was completely caught off guard and only barely managed to dodge the arrow...
"Zelda, what the hell are you doing?!" Link kept dodging "Zelda"for several minutes before he realized a terrifying truth...THIS WAS NOT THE REAL ZELDA. As soon as he realized this was an impostor Link hurried to strike "her" down; the impostor screamed as Link skewered "her" on his lightscale trident before disintegrating into gloom. Now Link was panicking...
WHERE IS ZELDA?! IS THAT WRETCHED GANONDORF NEARBY?! HAS HE ALREADY FOUND HER FIRST?! Link booked it north faster than he had ever run before, looking desperately for Zelda...he was accosted by many maraudo wolves, bluish wolves with a taste for human flesh, as he went and quickly dispatched many of them with his trident but did not bother to gather the meat. Eventually Link found the real Zelda backed up against a wall by what looked like himself, desperately trying to hold back "his" royal broadsword...again, Link felt this cold, chilling feeling as he approached...
"LINK, HELP!" Zelda screamed as she saw the real Link approach. Link hurried, seized the impostor, and threw him aside, at which point the impostor was quick to turn and engage Link in battle with a royal broadsword...the impostor was not nearly as skilled as the real thing and Link toyed with it for a few minutes before running it through with his trident, causing it to disintegrate into gloom. Zelda rushed to embrace Link, sobbing as she went.
"LINK! WE ARE ALIVE! WE ARE SO LUCKY TO BE ALIVE!"
"How the hell are we alive?!" Zelda paused...
"When...when we were falling...I had a vision...of a woman who looked much like myself...she told me...to use my magic, to focus on saving the people I care about...I did, and saved us both..."
"Did you recognize her at all? Your mother perhaps?"
"No...I had never met that bird before..."
Zelda must be something real special if she is receiving such random visions...speaking of her magic...
"Zelda...to change the subject...you cured me of the Plague yesterday. Do you think...once you get that secret stone and we defeat your brother...you would be able to cure everyone of the Plague?" Zelda gave it some thought...
"I hope so, Link...I am hoping simply defeating my brother will stop the Plague, but I am fully ready to use every last ounce of strength I have to stop it. It is my responsibility as Princess to protect my people...at any price..."
Man, she's selfless...I wish I was like that...
"In any event...I am exhausted, Link...we should set up camp nearby."
"Will do. Let's look for a cave." Link and Zelda took the royal broadsword the imposter "Link" had left behind and walked a little further north, fighting additional wolves on the way. Eventually they found a small cave; Link set up a campfire with wood and some flint and roasted some meat from the most recently defeated wolves, after which he served it to himself and Zelda.
"You did a really good job cooking, Link! This tastes about as good as it can coming from a wolf...their meat is quite tough, from what I have heard."
"Thank you, Zelda..."
"Link, I have been thinking...at the northernmost end of this canyon lies the Forgotten Temple. It is a massive edifice devoted to the goddess Hylia...I would love to pay it a visit while we are here. Can we give our respects to it?" Link looked irritated...
I just want to get this whole Hyrule saving thing over with...but Zelda means so much to me already. I want to show I am trying to be a better, less angry person...Link's facial expression reverted to a gentle smile.
"Sure." Zelda smiled right back...
"Thanks, Link...good night..."
"You get some rest, Zelda..." They both fell asleep as the fire slowly died out...
The Next Day...
Link woke up before Zelda did, reignited the fire, and roasted some bird drumsticks from some herons Zelda had shot with arrows the day before. The drumsticks had a most delightful aroma that stirred Zelda awake from sleep...
"Link...those drumsticks smell really good. Do you mind if I have some?"
"Of course not." Zelda spent a half hour eating three drumsticks...Link anxiously awaited her critique of his cooking. When she finished eating she was quick to give her verdict.
"They are really lush, Link...thank you." Link was so thrilled she liked them that he could not bring himself to reply beyond a beaming smile.
"Link...I have been nervous about something overnight..."
"What can I do to fix it?" Zelda sighed...
"I did not even tell you what is up, Link...yesterday we were attacked by those copies of ourselves, right?"
"Yeah, we were."
"And they looked like they were composed of gloom, yes?"
"...so you are worried Ganondorf has been watching us the whole damn time?"
"Precisely. Maybe...maybe we should not take kips in isolated places such as this in the event Ganondorf tries to kill us in our sleep."
"Ah...I don't know how practical that will be in this canyon, but I'll try to avoid setting up camp in isolated areas from here on out."
"Thank you for listening, Link...that is what we birds really appreciate; being listened to, even more so than having our problems actually fixed. Shall we continue to that Forgotten Temple, by the way?"
"Sure." Link and Zelda packed what few things had followed them down the Tanagar Canyon and continued northeast through the Tanagar Canyon, fighting many maraudo wolves as they walked along. Eventually, hours of walking later, they found the Forgotten Temple, a massive stony edifice with a number of large stone pillars in front of it. The entrance was well off the ground and would require climbing to get in...
"You sure you are up to this, Zelda?" Link asked, thinking Zelda was still weak from her recent run in with pneumonia.
"I am bloody ready, Link!" Zelda enthusiastically replied. They set about scaling the wall of the Temple and, about a half hour later, had entered the temple. There were gusts of wind coming up out of the ground but no easy way to climb out of the temple...
"You sure you want to continue farther, Zelda? Looks like we'll probably get stuck in here if we continue..."
"Do not be silly, Link! We have found a way out of everything else we have gotten into thus far..." Link and Zelda carefully climbed down the wall of the temple to the floor...as they continued they discovered a rope ladder on the next wall of the temple.
"Who left this?" Zelda asked. "Must have been recent...this rope ladder would not last too long, certainly not nearly the age of this temple." They climbed up the rope ladder, which swayed as it supported their weight, and continued onward. There was another rope ladder on the other side of the wall, but the entrance to the next room was at ground level, leading to a MASSIVE statue of Hylia. The statue was toppled, leading to yet another room with a map of Hyrule, a grave surrounded by sundelions (a yellow, five petaled, star shaped flower with a black edge around the flower), and...the Seer.
"How...how did you get here?!" Zelda burst out. The Seer turned to face Link and Zelda, who were above him on a platform.
"I have my ways, Princess...this...this room was very important to my late wife, so I like to visit here as often as possible so as to remember her. By the way...how is your quest going, and what are you doing here?"
"We've recruited the Zora and the Rito to our side," Link replied, "and we are about to go to the Gerudo Desert. As for why we are here...our horse bucked us off the bridge."
"Ah..." the Seer replied, "I guess that means Zelda used her magic to save you both from going splat on the canyon floor. Very good, Zelda...even now your power is incredible; when you receive my secret stone you will be little short of a goddess"
" ," Zelda asked, "how did someone as old as you get all the way down here?"
"Easy! These..." With that he pulled two paragliders out of his sack.
"I was hoping I would meet you again, Link and Zelda...I've been meaning to give you these. I bet your descent into the canyon would have been far less terrifying had I given you these earlier...I just didn't think of it our first meeting. I'm getting old..." With that he handed the two paragliders to Link and Zelda.
"With these you'll be able to glide down from almost any height safely. As for getting back out of this canyon...well, you have a long walk ahead of you. The exit to the canyon is a long ways to the southwest...when you get out veer north and, once you are past the Rayne Higlands, turn east. You'll eventually find the road again..." With that the Seer suddenly vanished, to Link and Zelda's shock.
"Where the hell did he go?!" Link blurted out.
"Maybe he teleported?" Zelda suggested. "Regardless...I think we should hit the road again." Link and Zelda soon set about leaving the Forgotten Temple...the wind gusts were perfect for using their new paragliders and the two soon began practicing using them. Zelda caught on surprisingly quickly; Link took a little longer, had a couple clumsy falls while learning to use the paraglider, but did eventually get the hang of it. With the aid of the paragliders the pair exited the temple much more easily than they entered it...when they reached the entrance to the temple the two used their paragliders to gracefully soar to the ground. Zelda seemed thrilled.
"Link, this is incredibly fun!" Zelda told him. "Even after this is all over...we really should head out and play around with these paragliders as often as possible!"
"We"? So...she wants me around even after we save Hyrule?
"You know...I honestly don't enjoy this as much as you do. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground...plus, I thought you were afraid of heights?"
"Not anymore! Please, Link?!"
She's BEGGING me to stay around?!
"...alright. Gotta save Hyrule first, though..." The two began the LONG walk out of the Tanagar Canyon. They walked for almost two days straight, with only short breaks along the way, before they finally left the canyon; then they veered north, passing between the rocky Rayne Highlands and the massive, insurmountably deep canyon separating the northern part of the continent from Hyrule. When they cleared the Rayne Highlands Link stopped to discuss his game plan with Zelda...
"Listen up, Zelda...that damned lynel is probably still waiting for us near the bridge, and without our horse we probably will not be outrunning it, so we will have to fight it. Here's what I was thinking...you pelt it in the face with arrows while I mount it and strike it between the shoulders with my sword. Sounds good?"
"But what if it comes after me?" Zelda asked. "Lynels are supposed to be very intelligent...I doubt it will ignore me for long, even if you are doing most of the work."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there..." With that less than reassuring answer Link marched east towards the Tabantha Great Bridge and Zelda reluctantly followed. As expected, the lynel was waiting for them when they approached the bridge and began firing volley after volley of arrows, three arrows being fired for every arrow it used...Link and Zelda laboriously dodged the arrows for a few minutes before Zelda scored a blow to the beast's face.
"LINK, NOW!" Zelda hollered. Link hurriedly mounted the beast and began driving his new royal broadsword between its shoulders, dealing massive damage to the lynel. When it eventually bucked Link off the lynel pulled out its savage lynel sword and began engaging Link in a melee struggle, Link backflipping over its blows and countering with his own blade at every opportunity; meanwhile Zelda continued pelting it with arrows, occasionally striking its head and allowing Link to mount it again for major damage. Eventually the lynel wizened up to this and charged Zelda...Zelda deftly hopped out of the way and shot the beast in the head again, stunning it long enough for Link to mount it one more time and finish the beast off. Link was beaming with pride...
"Now where's that defenseless princess I opted to follow a few weeks ago? That was quite a deft move, Zelda...you've learned a lot over the past month or so." Zelda blushed and looked towards the ground...
"Cheers...that means a lot coming from you, Link..." The two gathered the savage lynel bow, savage lynel sword, arrows, and body parts the lynel left behind and proceeded to carefully cross the Tabantha Great Bridge to find the Tabantha Stable...the stable hand was astonished to see them alive.
"Yyyyou two are alive? I just saw you both fall off the bridge the other day! And then there was that terrible lynel...did you..."
"Yeah, we offed the lynel," Zelda replied. "And we had paragliders...we were hunky dory." Zelda did not let on about their near miraculous tale of survival...
"Very well! When we saw what happened we took your horse into our care...he is being fed at the trough right now. For now you two get some rest...I won't charge you for beds after all you've been through." Link and Zelda quickly settled in and were out within minutes...