As soon as the clouds parted and the surface below could be seen, Link noticed that there was something wrong. He drew in a quick breath and tugged on his loftwing's feathers until it slowed down. The whole forest was submerged under water, flooded just like the first time.
Link led his loftwing to a supportive bough on the Great Tree which stood half out of the water. Link didn't quite know what to do, so there he stayed for a while, watching the glassy ripples rise and fall gently as if the water was breathing. A log floating by caught his attention because there was a small, fragile human on it.
"Grannie?" Link hollered in question and with a smile creeping to his lips.
"Hello, Link," came her distant reply. He hesitated, unsure whether she wanted help onto something sturdier or not. Then he spotted Groose dog-paddling to the log a distance away. Link was surprised at his progress, knowing that he had never swum in such deep water before. Skyloft only had a lake.
"I'll protect you, Grannie!" His occasional choking and irregular splashing betrayed his words though. He definitely needed more help than she. Link hopped on his loftwing and soared down to Groose.
He thrust a hand out to him. "Grab on."
He scowled. "No way, I don't need help from a wimp like you! I can do this just fine on my own."
Typical, always acting in adversity around Link, but he knew he had earned this bully turned friend his respect ever since they teamed up to defeat the Imprisoned. He couldn't help a small smile.
"Alright."
His loftwing, understanding his master's unspoken command, clawed him out of the water and carried him to the log despite the struggling and objecting from the boy.
"What's going on?" Link asked Impa, frowning.
Impa looked up at Link from under her tall, pointed hood which covered most of her face. "I sense an evil, that's for sure. Something from another world, but that's as far as I can detect. You will have to talk to Faron to understand more about this phenomenon," she added.
Groose, who kept Impa from swaying, only glanced at Link with unwavering eyes. His confidence in him melted its way into Link until his expression corresponded to Groose's.
"Take care of Grannie while I'm gone."
"Do what you gotta do, Link. You can count on me to do the protecting over here."
Satisfied, Link flew off to find Faron.
It didn't take long finding her. It was easy spotting a giant, blue dragon. He found her standing still on the water, her eyes fixed on the distance. He followed her gaze and immediately understood the meaning of all the water. Lava poured down Eldin Volcano and was on its way to Faron Woods. Thankfully, the Water Dragon had foreseen the danger approaching and had acted upon fashioning a solution quickly. It seemed, though, that flooding her domain was her number one specialty.
So the real question is what's up with Eldin Volcano? Link reasoned.
"Water Dragon," he called to her. "What's going on? Impa mentioned something about a foreign evil. Can you feel me in?"
She looked over her shoulder as Link approached, not even bothering to smile or greet him. "That's Faron, warden of the woods, for you, impudent human," she growled.
"Oh right..Faron. Hey, I have a name too, you know. It so happens to be Link, chosen one."
"Cut it short. What do you want?" She demanded, dismissing his argument too quickly which made him raise an eyebrow, slightly peeved by it. He repeated his question anyway.
"What's going on over there?" He jerked his head in the direction of the volcano.
"Boy, you are too clueless! It's an idiotic fool named Eldin!"
"Eldin?" Link echoed. "The Fire Dragon?" He creased his forehead and gazed hard into the distance as if the answer were easy to see. What reason did the dragon have for caking his domain in lava? Come to think of it, it sounded familiar to a certain other dragon.
Faron huffed, interrupting his thoughts. "He deserves a painful blow of my absolute fury, but I must restrain myself from leaving the forest. Any small compromise to my guardianship will lead to a breech I do not wish to commit."
Link glanced back at the female dragon who was now gazing ahead, growing quiet. She was right. She had to be here to guard the woods and all the creatures at all times. That is her charge, given to her by the goddess.
Together with her he watched the two, natural elements of extreme opposites come to a meeting point where the lava would be hardened into magma. Both were pushing against each other like they were two sides of a war.
There's gotta be something I can do, Link thought. The lava will just keep on flowing unless stopped by Eldin. What on earth is he up to?
"Well, I don't have to stay here," he concluded out loud. "Let me handle it, Water--uh I mean Faron." Link, still on his loftwing in midair, charged straight for the direction of Eldin Volcano.
"For the goddess' sake, what are you going to do?" she scolded.
"Don't know," he hollered in reply, "but I am Link, after all! I'll think of something!" And then he was out of ear reach.
The air was pleasant and clean as he flew. The water gave off a refreshing coolness, making it easy to think, but Eldin Volcano came closer and the air began to feel heavy. An unbearable heat wave rose from the lava that cascaded down the volcano. The ashes, flying into his eyes, were as plentiful as the dust. The smoky air blocked Link's lungs almost immediately, making him cough hard. The closer he flew the worse it became. If it weren't for his red earring to supply him with magical protection, it would have been impossible to bear even from a distance in the sky.
Link patted his loftwing comfortingly. "How're you holding up, buddy?"
It squalled in reply.
"I know, but we gotta keep our heads up! As soon as I find a place to land, you can free yourself from this hell."
Besides from the great amount of heat and spilling lava, Link sensed more trouble. It was the uncanny clouds stirring above the Fire Sanctuary that set off such an uneasy feeling. Then, looking more carefully through the smoke, Link espied legions of monsters charging down the mountain some dying in the lava, others escaping onto unburnt ground.
They were not the usual creatures of this habitat. If he was seeing correctly, there were cloaked poes, slow-walking redeads, knights marching ahead, and floating skulls that - if Link heard right - were laughing even though they were on fire. He also saw ice keese and different bokoblins from the ones he was familiar with. In fact, all of the monsters were foreign to him. He had never once encountered any of them in battle.
"There are so many of them," he breathed, widening his eyes to the incredible number of intimidating foes. The more of them spawned the more they spread their miasma around Eldin Volcano. "There's no way the Fire Dragon can get rid of them all. They're spawning from somewhere inside. I have to get in the sanctuary and put an end to them."
He took out his clawshot and zipped towards a wall safe from the overflowing lava. He glanced back at his loftwing gratefully flying away from the scorching heat. When it safely disappeared into the sky, he climbed his way into the building.
Inside there was not as much lava so he was able to walk more than climb, but he cautiously made his way through the first few chambers and corridors, avoiding falling in pits of lava or booby traps. At times he was almost killed by a swarm of bokoblins trying to pin him to the ground and stab him to death, but he mustered his strength, throwing one into another and single-handedly taking the rest down.
In one room he had to battle a single opponent that he had never fought before, although similar in species to a lizalfos. It was a large, four-legged reptile that stomped around, chasing and breathing fire at him. The battle ended well with the monster lying on the bloodied ground and Link walking away with his life. It was one, though, he would go through again, enjoying the thrill that challenges his fighting skills.
He opened the next door and stepped outside, breathing in the heavy, smoky air, and immediately cringing. "Golly! That heat is only getting hotter. I guess that's my cue to hurry up."
He stepped onto the bridge before him, gazing down at the spurting lava beneath. "Getting to the summit should be easy from here," he said when the ground beneath his feet began to rumble. His pointy ears heard the sound of another army of monsters yelling and bellowing, and before he knew it stampeding towards him. Link gave a shriek and grabbed onto the railing for dear life.
If it weren't for his shield on his back, Link would have suffered far worse injuries from their pushing and stabbing. He held on to the railing with a numb-tight grip until it was all over. It became quiet again as their shouts faded away and he was left alone on the bridge. He moaned and plopped onto the ground. He lay very still perhaps reflecting or regaining his will to go on. After another moan, he rolled over and stood.
He continued into another building, navigating his way past more chambers with guards. He worked out that every fifteen minutes a stampede came from the Boss Chamber, so that direction he went, trying to avoid being run over by any more of them.
His boots stopped in front of the double doors of the Boss' Chamber. His hand hung centimetres away from the handle while his mind raced with questions of what dark foe was waiting on the other side.
His brows drew into a frown while his shoulders shuddered. "Whatever is in here had better not be Ghirahim again."