The Missing Link

5. Trouble In Hyrule

Sky had wandered for about a half hour when the pain in his legs grew to be too painful for him to continue onwards. Fi chimed against his back in warning as she often did when he was pushing himself just a bit too hard. He could nearly hear her monotone voice warn that his "energy levels were significantly depleted" and that carrying on has a "70% chance of injury, falling or encountering other serious risks" should he continue, especially if he should stumble upon a monster. He nearly rolled his eyes as he found a nice rock to sit down on. For some reason, seventy seemingly was Fi's favorite number. It was cases like these where he thought it was a little overdramatic, he could fend for himself if he needed to, but... it also felt really good to sit down.

He let a sigh fall from his lips as he tilted his head back. The waves of pain that started from the soles of his feet and climbed all the way to about his stomach immediately subsided, leaving him with a much more comfortable ache. He already felt small bits of energy collect within him, but he knew if he stood they'd quickly vanish as if they had never existed at all. Probably the most notable difference was the alarm bells in his head warning him to sit the hell down or faint left him, leaving him with a clear mind. (He never did faint, thankfully. But the warnings in his head sounded like that after his legs would hurt too much. Needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.)

So far, he hadn't found anything too noteworthy. He found unkempt grass like what he saw on the surface. He saw birds, not like the loftwings he knew, or the tiny ones on his surface. They were more like the tiny ones, but they were a bit larger. Mixed in the grass was an occasional golden flower that tried to reach for the sun that was beginning to set. He found a few ruins that looked to be much more ancient than the ruins he saw on the surface. While it intrigued him, it still wouldn't warrant a reason why he should stay up here. He was yet to see a single person; from what he could tell, it was completely uninhabited.

"I still don't see why you wanted me to stay up here, Fi." He spoke out loud. It was in quiet moments like these, alone, that he missed her the most. On his first journey, he'd speak with her any time he took a break. Sometimes she would come out and talk to him, while others she stayed inside the sword and listened. He knew that she wasn't emotional in any sense of the word, but that small bit of companionship, even if it had been one-sided for most of it, was what kept him going some days. She personally never understood it, she never did understand emotion until the very last moments they spent together, but to him, it was everything. These days, he wasn't sure if she was capable of listening. Still, talking to her like this swirled a small bit of hope in his chest that just maybe she was there. That she was always there with him.

"I mean, it's pretty, sure. The others are probably getting worried about me, though." He hummed, falling into silence as though he thought, no hoped, that she would come out and talk to him. She didn't. "This island seems like it stretches on as much as Skyloft does. I just wish I could see what you do." He paused, a smile blooming of his face. "Or maybe... I can. Fi, can I use dowsing on the thing you want to show me? What path I should take?"He got to his feet, feeling the way his joints protested the motion at once and threatened to drop him. He began to reach for the hilt of his sword when Fi sent the two chimes again telling him to rest. He let out an over dramatic sigh as he leaned back and half fell back down. He crossed his arms and sighed, although he couldn't keep his smile hidden. "Fine, fine; rest first and then you can show me." He supposed, hoping that in that moment she had been replying to his words, not just his movement.

「∆」

「∆」「▲」

Before Legend and Hyrule could hardly comprehend what was happening, about a dozen arms built out of the glowing red and black gloom substance had sprouted. Each arm ended with a hand which led Legend to believe they were some kind of floormaster, but those didn't have eyes in their palms. "Fall back!" He exclaimed, although they both were halfway turned around to retreat for the moment.