Chapter 60: A Step Behind
The Lanayru Plateau stood before her, an impossibly high wall of stone and water. Rocks of grey and brown taller than a hundred of the great old trees of the forest stacked on top of each other root to tip. The Zorana Falls crashed down the entire way, wider than most rivers. Navi had watched it grow higher from the horizon for days as she approached. And now, having reached its base, it looked insurmountable. The cliffside reached so high, she could not see where the stone ended.
Navi landed to rest her aching wings and arms. When she let go of the flower, it crushed the grass beneath them. How much heavier had it grown since she plucked it from the Great Mother? It had turned hard and heavy; the gentleness of its petals shimmered from Navi's light. At least it remained small enough to carry but for how much longer? Should the illusion that bound the Emerald shatter completely, she'd never be able to lift it. But as weak and starved as she was, could she even reach the top of the waterfall without siphoning power from the dwindling spell?
And more pressing, could she reach the top before them?
The banners of the Gerudo army filled the valley beneath the mountain. Navi had never before seen an army, only heard tell of them from the Great Deku Tree and other older fairies. But when she came upon the host three nights prior, she knew they could be nothing else. A camp so large and plentiful their fires could light a city. When they marched, it sounded like thunder, though now the roar of the waterfall masked their movements. But it could not disguise their trail, they kicked up dust so thick it reminded her of the mists of her home.
Worst of all, it had him.
The greatest source of magic she'd felt since she fled the fairies. Deep within the heart of the army, the same presence she'd met twice now. Once when he came to the Forest and cursed the Great Deku Tree, and once more inside Castle Town. And if she had her way, she'd never get close to him again. And yet his magic called to her, making her body ache from hunger.
She gave him and his army a wide berth, which only slowed her down all the more. But now she'd finally gotten ahead of them. And she had the opportunity to gain more distance, for while they climbed the weaving paths up the mountainside, she could fly a straighter way.
If she could make it.
Visions of her struggling to ascend the mountain haunted her. What if her wings cramped up? Or the illusion gave out? What if a bird took notice of her out of the open and thought her a meal? A thousand attempts of the flight filled her mind, and all of them ended with her plummeting to the ground.
No. No. That doesn't help.
She tried to clear her head and see the mountain as Link would have. He would have loved it. Climbing up a waterfall? It would have been amazing seeing that with him. She could see his smile spread wide as his mind filled with reckless wonder. One more thing the Great Mother stole from me.
Taking some small strength in the thought of him, Navi hoisted the flower up and held it tight. Stretching out her wings, she took a deep breath and rose into the air. The gleaming white falls would mask her natural glow. But if she flew too close, a few stray drops of water could wet her wings, perhaps even send her hurtling to the stones below. She tried not to dwell on it, yet the visions of her dashed against the rocks refused to leave.
A quarter of the way up the cliffside her wings burned. Halfway and they struggled to flap at all. She grit her teeth and tried to fly ever higher. But every inch fought hard against her.
She winced. Her right wing clenched up, she forced it to make one more flap and screamed as pain flared across her side.
Wind rushed past her. She tumbled about trying to spread her wings wide to catch enough air to slow her descent. The jolt made her scream again, as she caught an updraft and her body lurched. She would float back down, but then how could she ever make the flight again?
Clenching her eyes shut, she pulled the magic of the illusion into her. "Just a little bit," she whispered to the flower. "You'll hold, won't you?"
The warmth of power rushed across her arms and down her back. She gasped as the tension in her wings lessened. Still sore from the weeks of flight, but at least they flapped again.
No sooner did she start to rise, than the weight of the flower dragged her down. Her eyes opened. The edge of the petals gained a golden hue and with it some part of its golden weight. She groaned and heaved, managing to climb higher. Her hands grew slick with sweat as she carried the heaviest flower in the world up. Passing where she'd lost control of her wing, she continued to fly. Higher! Not much further.
Three-quarters of the way up, and her wings burned again. Don't tense up. Please.
Her left wing slowed, seizing up. But she forced it to keep flying regardless. She careened, almost touching the deathly downpour, but never stopped her ascent. She clenched her teeth, her shoulders, her legs. Every muscle of hers, hoping it would block some of the pain, but nothing helped. She craned her neck up and focused on the top. Staring at the lip of the cliff as it grew closer. With a cry, she forced her wings to make one final burst of motion. They thrummed and vibrated as though they'd tear themselves apart.
Her head passed over the ledge. A blast of salty sea air hit her face. Past the thin ridge of stone, all she could see for miles was water and the floating city that sat in the middle.
Landing on the rocks, she stumbled forward a few steps. The flower slipped from her fingers and clunked as it struck the moss and algae. Tucking in her wings, she fell back and crumpled to the ground. A soothing cold moisture climbed along her back and over her wings. She could have cried or laughed.
I made it. Thank the Three, I made it!
She leaned her head back, letting the damp climb up her hair into her scalp. In a moment, she'd get up and find Link. But first, she'd let herself rest. Not too long. She was so close; she couldn't stop now.
But where to go next? The city seemed the obvious choice, set as it was in the center of the lake. But is that where Lord Jabu-Jabu dwelled?
What had the Great Deku Tree spoken of the other guardians? He mentioned there had once been five, though now only he and Lord Jabu-Jabu remained. He did not speak often of the great whale, but when he did, he spoke with reverence, admiring his wisdom and understanding. But had he ever told her where to find him, exactly?
Footsteps and grunts took her from her thoughts. Someone was coming. She couldn't hide behind moss. She grabbed the budding flower, near as big as she. Tucking her wings against her body, she heaved it over herself. Hopefully, her light would be mistaken for the sun gleaming against the slick ground.
The footsteps drew close. She peaked out from beneath the flower. A Zora's webbed foot landed beside her. She held her breath.
"This looks as good a spot as any," came a voice that sounded as tired as she felt. He took one more step past her, positioning himself right at the edge of the rocks. She peaked up. He had a wide sharklike face and a blue hue to his scales. He wore armor gleaming in soft greens and bronze, and he held a mighty looking spear. A warrior of some kind, armed and dangerous. Navi shrank back beneath the flower, until only one eye peaked out.
The Zora raised his arm, lifting the spear over the edge. He stared at it; his brow furrowed. What was he doing? Some kind of ritual, perhaps?
After a long moment he opened his hand.
The spear fell, disappearing over the edge. Navi strained to hear how long it took for it to strike the ground, but no sound came.
With a deep sigh he took off his helmet. Just like the spear, he held it above the edge, before letting it fall down the sheer mountainside. Then he threw off the metal around his arms and chest. Each one he tossed over the ledge. Some smashed against the rocks, clanging as they tumbled out of sight.
When his weapons and armor were all gone, he turned and stared back to the Crystal City. "I'm sorry," he placed his hand on his chest and bowed. "I did not mean to fail... everyone." Then he straightened up, turned back toward the edge, and lifted his foot over the side.
"What are you doing?" Navi shouted.
The Zora stepped back and looked around. "What? Who? Who's there?"
Navi tucked herself beneath the flower, its stem now hard as stone pressed against her. She dimmed her light, hoping he would not notice. But she could still see his webbed feet.
He circled around, nearly stepping on her, twice. "Is anyone there?"
Go. Find someone. Please just go back to the city.
But he didn't leave. "Even in this, I can't do it right," he muttered. The feet returned to the edge.
"No!" Navi flew out from under the flower.
The Zora turned, his mouth agape. "A fairy? You're a fairy."
"Oh," Navi said, very aware that there was nothing between her and this Zora. If he so wished he could reach out and grab her or batter her to the ground. and if the fairies of the world acted like the Great Mother and her children, she couldn't even blame him. "Whatever you're trying to do, stop!" She spun about and flew back to the ground, scooping up the flower and tried to fly away from him. Though she struggled to lift the stem from the ground, and it dragged along the stones.
"Wait!" He called after her. "Wait. Are you Navi? Do you know a Navi?"
She stopped. It had been so long since she had seen anyone except the princess that one day. She didn't know this man; she had no reason to trust him. But only one person who knew her name could have come here.
"How do you know my name?"
"A boy, Link told me."
She dropped the flower and flew to him. Her fear gone. "Where is Link?"
"Listen, Captain," the Zora behind the barricade said. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to go back in there."
Navi peaked around Miashir's shoulder, dimming her light low. The way the captain spoke of it, this barricade was the last obstacle between her and Lord Jabu-Jabu. It filled the tunnel floor to ceiling, with a single opening, through which the Zora guard peered out. She had more than enough room to get through, but she'd have to fly right past the guard's head. Should he flinch or mistake her for an insect he could crush her without effort. Best to let the Captian talk their way inside.
Another face nudged the first out of the way of the hole. This new Zora had flecks of paint on his cheek. "I don't mean to be disrespectful here Captain Miashir, but you weren't looking good when you left us a couple hours back. And with the Hylain gone?" He shook his head making the fins on the side of his head flop about.
"I'm telling you," Captain Miashir said. "I need to get through. I have given you the proper papers."
"You gave us papers last time," The first corrected. "You've given us no new orders from the king. Listen, tomorrow new guards will be stationed here. Why don't you come back then? Be someone else's problem, eh?"
"You know I am a member of the Royal Guard, now let me in!"
"Are you? Where's your armor? Where's your spear? You're not wearing the symbol of the royal family."
"I was earlier!"
"Yes, back when you had some envoy from Hyrule. Which you lost. I wouldn't be surprised if King De Bon stripped you of your position. Go home, Captain. If that's even still your title."
"What are we going to do?" Navi whispered.
"I don't know."
"We need to get that man out of the way."
"What was that?" the Zora guard said.
"You will let me in," Miashir's voice had a desperate edge. "I will not fail again."
"Leradon, make certain the door is secured."
"No!" Miashir rushed forward. Navi clutched tight onto him as he ran at the door. He struck the wood with his shoulder. The force of it near shook her from her perch. "Get ready," he hissed.
"For what?"
He smacked into the door once more; it opened an inch. Was that enough to get through? One of the Zora guards pushed from the other side. The door wavered back and forth; slamming shut then opening again. Too fast. If she tried to fly through and did not time it just right, that would be her end.
"Help me!" the Zora on the other side shouted.
"I'm coming!" Feet pounded into the ground from behind the barricade. The man had moved from his position.
Navi let go of Miashir's should before he had time to shout, "Go!"
She flew as fast as her wings and the heavy flower would let her, straight through the opening.
"What's that?" someone shouted.
There came a clanking of metal and the flapping of webbed feet against stone. Hands reached for her, someone swatted as she flew past. Another was laughing.
"It's just a sunset fly," their leader shouted. "Ignore the bug, help me with the door!"
She hurtled through the tunnel. Not stopping, not daring to slow even as the voice and rattling of the door disappeared behind her. She passed art she barely noticed, chasing the sunlight until the tunnel ended. Only when she reached the beach did she land on the damp sands. The pristine waters of the lake hid the guardian well. She needed to get his attention. A bucket sat at the edge of the beach. She fluttered to the top of it and looked inside, dead fish filled it halfway to the top. That will do. Hopping off the bucket, she placed the flower down. She did not have much energy remaining, she would need to work fast. Flying above the pail, she moved in circles, pulling the air around her. The wind grew strong as it spiraled behind her. She raced faster and faster until the wind whistled, and specks of sand rose from the ground, sucked up into the current. With a shout she flew forward, her arms shot out. The gale soared past her fingers, channeled in one direction.
The wind struck the bucket near the top rim. It wobbled, tilted, and plopped to the ground. The dead fish tumbled out and spilled into the black waters.
"Lord Jabu-Jabu! Please, I beg you, answer me. Please."
She landed atop the pail and watched as the fish disappeared below the depths. Now what was supposed to happen? How did the guardian give his answer?
What if he hadn't heard her?
She had no more energy to fly, let alone catch fish. Worry clawed its way back into her head. A thousand unanswerable questions and terrible scenarios tore at her mind. This would never have happened if she had not been too weak to withstand the Great Fairy.
Then she felt him. Magic rose from the waters, barreling toward her faster than she thought possible. Pure power, the likes of which she had not felt since the Great Deku Tree. Bubbles rose through the water, each reaching the surface before popping into glittering white foam. And with each burst, the water rose.
Her eyes went wide, as the cold wet river rose over the pail and onto her feet. The bucket rocked. She tried to fly above the wave, but her wings refused to move. Landing on the sinking metal, she pushed herself up and ran. Jumping onto the sands as the waters swelled behind her, rising above her waist, before pulling back.
She remained upright against the first wave, but another even larger came after, and more would come after that. Scrambling over wet stones and slipping sand, she fled. The strongest wave yet smashed against her back and lifted her from her feet. The waters tossed her about, she tumbled and grasped and tried to breathe only for her mouth to fill with water instead.
Something hard struck her side. She grabbed it with what little of her strength remained. The wave pulled back, threatening to drag her with it were she not clinging to the dense object that saved her. The water lowered enough for her to take a gasping breath before the next wave struck. It lifted her, but she wrapped herself around the dense thin object.
The flower, she realized as the wave rolled back. That painful heavy flower she'd dragged halfway across the kingdom saved her. It stood upright, the wave must have pulled it back and the stem got stuck in the sand.
She held the flower until the waves died down. The dangerous waters that could have pulled her out to sea and drowned her turned into a gentle swell. Almost like a breath.
When the waves no longer rose above her head, she let go of the flower and turned around to see the Protector of Rivers waiting. Her eyes went wide as she tried to make sense of him. She'd never seen a living creature the size of him. His head blocked out the sun and cast the entire beach in shadow. And more of him lay hidden beneath the water. And that was nothing compared to his aura. Far greater than the Great Fairy, it overwhelmed her senses. He felt so much like the Great Deku Tree, and yet so different. Where the Tree was warm as a summer sun, as sturdy as oak, Lord Jabu-Jabu felt as distant and vast as the sea. His power radiated from him as strong as the crashing waves against the beach. He could crush her with a flipper, or an absent shake of his head. If he focused his power on her, she would never be able to withstand him.
"Hello?" Navi swallowed. She needed to be brave. For Link. "Lord Jabu-Jabu, I am Navi of the Kokiri Forest. A servant of the Great Deku Tree your fellow guardian."
The whale shifted his body, so one of its eyes focused on her.
"I am looking for the boy, Link. You have him. I am supposed to watch over him, just as you watch over the Zora."
The beast's head lifted, then sunk back down. As it moved waters rushed forward and back over the sands. Navi yelped and tried to grab back ahold of the flower, but the wave did not reach her. But with each swell and retreat, the sands it touched changed. Figures formed, mighty men and women, warriors, and scholars all. It was only sand, and yet as Navi watched they seemed alive. More waves crashed over them, monsters and weapons shimmered in the water. And yet, the figures remained stalwart. If anything, they grew stronger as they stood against evil and destruction.
Then they dispersed, unforming and falling back into sand. Another wave swept over where they once stood and, in their place, appeared a solitary figure; a fairy clutching a flower. And as each wave struck, the fairy fell. Cracking, splitting, she lost the flower, and drowned alone.
"I know I am weak. What does that matter?"
The whale did not respond, but he did not need to. His eyes spoke all the words he needed. She was not strong enough to face the challenges before her. Link was the one made for adventure, not her. Perhaps he was still too young, but he had survived without her, hadn't he? If there was ever going to be someone to fight against the wrongs of the world, it wasn't going to be her. It would always be him.
"But he still needs protecting! He still needs to be watched over."
The wave crashed once more over the sand statue. When it receded, so was most of the figure. Leaving only a head and arms, the rest of her torn apart.
"I don't care! Take me to Link. Now!" She tried to fly toward the guardian's massive eye, but her wings only managed to beat twice before pain seized them up. She landed back onto the sand, on her hands and knees, as weak and pitiful as the guardian foresaw. "Please," she begged.
Lord Jabu-Jabu paused, as if expecting more. But Navi did not know what else to say.
"He's still a child. He's my child. I can't let him go through this alone."
A grumble came from deep within the whale. His mouth opened so wide it blotted out the entire sea behind him, until all she could see was the red of his flesh and the deep darkness within. He breathed out, and power washed over her, filled her. The ache in her wings silenced; her mind no longer clouded with exhaustion. For the first time since she left the Fairy Fountain, she felt strong.
Before she could thank him, he inhaled with the fury of a whirlwind. Navi rose from the ground, clutching the flower as close to her as she could. Wind whipped past her face, forcing her eyes to shut.
I'm coming Link. I'm almost there.