The Distance Between Them | ✔

6) Dance

⚔ In which Link discovers music, and how powerful it can be ⚔

That same morning, I take Berry and begin riding down the length of the canyon. I want to get to the end, to see what others haven't. Maybe there'll be treasure!

It's slow going for a while, and it gets colder the farther north I ride. It's not snowing on this side of the canyon, but it's still cold.

I try to stay off the road, but there is one nearby. Halfway across the massive canyon, I find another stable. It's lunchtime, so I stop for a little bit. No sign of Kass, but there are a few other Rito mixed with normal traveler folk. I don't stay long, and don't talk to anyone. Everyone is either sleeping, playing cards, or cooking. I don't think I should interrupt them.

When I finish, I keep going. I don't get distracted. I make it to the end.

There's something down there, just like I thought there'd be. Another crumbling structure, another ghost of its former glory. It used to be beautiful, I can tell. It used to be grand.

I leave Berry above the canyon in a field. I paraglide to the bottom. The entrance is elevated. I find two forest children at the bottom of the structure. I use Revali's Gale to get to the entrance.

Holy fucking shit.

I've never seen so many live Guardians in one place.

There's no way to fight them all. For a split moment, I run back and duck before any of them get the chance to shoot me. I think if I just keep moving, they'll miss me when they shoot. I saw updrafts throughout, so if I can just keep flying, it could work.

I take a steadying breath and run from my hiding spot. I jump from the ledge and leap into the first updraft. I soar past flying Guardian beams and through crumbling holes in the walls before reaching the back of the rooms.

I land outside the door, looking behind me at the Guardians glowing pink and turning their heads in confusion. I heave a sigh of relief and look around.

The room is huge, with ceilings taller than I can fly even with Revali's help. A goddess statue sits in the back, smiling down at me.

I've decided I don't like it very much.

There's a chest at her feet, though. I walk towards it under her watchful gaze. It's old, maybe it's been here for years. The people at the stable said nobody dared to come down here, and with all the Guardians I understand why.

But there had been people down here. Ages and years and eons ago. There were others. Others like me. Other Heroes and Zeldas and rulers of lands. Here to pray for good fortune or gifts from the goddesses. The ghosts of people who had walked these rooms seem to spur me along, closer to the goddess's feet.

I kneel in front of the chest and open it.

Inside there's a set of green clothing.

It looks new, too. Well made, insulated. I pull it out of the chest. A tunic, a pair of shorts, boots, and... a pointy green hat? What a silly looking thing!

I start to undress, but then glance at the goddess staring at me. I walk around behind her and do my changing there, instead. When I'm done, I walk around to face her again, like I'm showing it to her. She doesn't respond.

These are some of the nicest feeling clothes I've ever worn. Even more so than the Zora armor, or the tunics from Hateno that use "the best clothing you'll ever wear" as a tagline to sell more. I'll have to show this to the woman working in the clothing store. Maybe she'll be able to tell me something about it. I have a feeling these are important. I should take care of them.