"The Rito are an aerial tribe that used to be nomadic. Due to previous rebellions, they were captured and executed en masse. After several years, a man named Lord Raven Sol, son to Lord Hallam Sol, learned of the plight of the Ritos. He took it upon himself to end the massacres. With some hardship, the young lord was able to stop further massacres, at the price of the Ritos being enslaved, bound to the Empire as postal workers. But, they are ever grateful to the man."

-an entry in the Hyrule Historia, vol. XXXIX

Chapter XVII: Bombardment of Memory, pt. I

Unknown…

Link found himself flying through the skies as if he was a comet. He, in his dazed state, saw that he was back in Hyrule for some reason. He flew over the mountains and memories of the area flooded his mind.

'I was here…before?' he thought in his stupor.

He then found that he was losing altitude and was hurdling towards what looked like a lakeside. Link crashed, creating a crater near the lake. More memories of a man who spoke to these bird-like humans flooded his mind, creating great confusion.

"Who…am I?" Link muttered and blacked out.

Dragon Roost Mountain, river valley…

A young teen girl of 14 years sat in the middle of the valley on a tree stump. She was a bird-like humanoid called a Rito and she wore clothes of red and black. Her long, red hair was tied up in a ponytail and her dull, ruby colored eyes had scarring around them. There were no shoes on her pale feet, despite the fact that the area was snow covered and her hands were also bare.

There was a staff on her right and a water bottle on her left. She grabbed her water bottle without looking and started drinking out of it. As she sat down, she could hear the sound of the last of the snows falling to the ground.

"Medli!" someone yelled.

Without looking in the direction, the girl said, "Hello, Prince Komali."

Komali, Prince of the Ritos that lived in the mountains of Dragon Roost (located in the southeastern mountains of Hyrule), rushed over to Medli and was holding a scroll.

"Look at this!" he said, opening up the scroll.

"Well, it sounds like a sheet of paper," Medli said.

"Oh…Well, it's…a drawing of…" Komali said, suddenly nervous.

"Of what?" Medli said.

Komali, remembering that Medli was blind, said, "Nevermind…"

The prince joined her and the two started talking about daily life for the Rito. Since the region was under the Hyrulean control, they couldn't do whatever they wanted. They had to be postmen or attendants to the sky spirit, Valoo.

So, Komali always wanted to run, but the entire region was watched over by Hyrulean soldiers. "We wouldn't make it five kilometers over the border," Medli said in protest.

"Yeah, but we could try. I could always give up the title and we can travel around the world," Komali said.

"Komali, you're the prince of the Ritos and I'm one of the three apprentice attendants to the sky spirit. Wouldn't they notice if we suddenly left?" Medli asked.

Komali sighed and was about to say something when he saw a bright light coming from the sky. "What the…? Hide," he said, grabbing Medli.

The two hid behind a tree and Medli said, "What's going on?"

She heard a loud crash and knew it was coming from the nearby lake. So, Medli rushed off in the direction of the sound. "H-Hey! Medli, wait!" Komali yelled.

Once at the lake, Medli started looking around with her staff. Komali caught up and said, "What are you doing? You run from the sound! Not run to it!"

"Something didn't feel right. I just want to find out what it was," Medli said.

Komali shrugged and started walking around the lake to find the comet that had crashed. Medli looked as well and suddenly stopped when she heard light breathing.

"Huh?" she said, using the staff to feel around the area. The earth felt as if it sloped down and something within Medli confirmed that the comet had created a crater.

Medli stopped feeling with her staff in the crater when she felt the staff connect with something hard. Bending down and feeling object around with her hands, Medli found out that a person had crashed, creating said crater.

"Komali!" Medli screamed.

Komali, thinking that Medli was in danger, rushed over and saw what looked like a Hylian. The Hylian was surrounded by what looked like glass shards and the Rito was confused.

"What's a Hylian doing all the way out here?" he asked.

He then saw the Triforce mark on the back of his hand and said, "We gotta help him."

"I dunno…Your father hasn't really…been kind to the Hylians after what happened," Medli said.

"I'll convince him that we have to help him. He's hurt," Komali told her.

Komali and Medli helped up the boy and carried him all the way back to the mountain…

Days later, March 6th…

Medli and a few of the other Rito looked in the Hylian's room and one of them said, "He hasn't awakened in nearly a week. I'm pretty sure we did everything right."

"If worse comes to worse, we'll probably have to ask the Empire for assistance," another said.

"I don't think it'll come to that," Medli said.

"Why?" the third of the Rito asked.

"It's a gut feeling that I have," Medli said.

The Rito shrugged their shoulders and left to finish the day's tasks. Medli, however, entered the room and heard the sleeping Hylian's snores. "Well, I hope that you wake up soon. We have to know why you are all the way out here. Hylians don't come…" Medli said.

She suddenly stopped as she felt a hand grab her left arm. The grip was tight and Medli yelled, "Ow!"

That caused for Prince Komali to come in, ready to bash whoever was harming his best friend on the head with what looked like a club. He saw why Medli screamed and saw that the Hylian was awake. He had grabbed her arm as if in reflex and he looked like he was in a daze.

"Let go!" Medli yelled, trying to get her arm out of his grip.

The Hylian looked at her and suddenly released his grip. "What did you do that for?" Medli said, rubbing her arm.

He said something in an ancient language, confusing the two. "What did he say?" Komali asked.

Medli understood some of what he said as he spoke the same language as Valoo and said, "Can you repeat what you said?"

The Hylian repeated what he said and all Medli could understand was, "This place…Where is…?"

"You're in the Dragon Roost Mountains of the southeastern mountains of Hyrule," Medli said in the modern tongue.

The Hylian looked confused, as if he could barely understand what she said. "He doesn't look like he understood you. I'll go and get my grandma," Komali said.

He left and the Hylian sat up in the bed. He looked at Medli and said something else. What Medli could understand was, "I…go…"

The Hylian was about to leave the bed when Medli said, "No. You suffered a concussion!"

Komali's grandmother, an older Rito woman who wore clothing similar to Medli, entered with Komali and saw that the teen was awake. In the old language that Valoo spoke, she asked, "What is your name?"

The teen looked as if his mind went blank and said nothing. "You haven't any idea what you're name is?" Komali's grandmother asked.

Within moments, the teen said, "Link…"

"Link…? That's it? No last name?" Medli asked.

Komali's grandmother translated and Link shook his head. "It seems that he has a bit of amnesia," Komali's grandmother said.

"I wouldn't be surprised. He came down like a freakin' comet," Komali nearly yelled.

"He may have hit his head when he crashed," Komali's grandmother said.

"So, he stays here?" Medli asked.

"That is up for the chieftain to decide," Komali's grandmother said.

She left and Komali said, "Well, I doubt that my father would want him to stay."

"But he most likely hasn't anywhere to go. We can't just kick him out and leave him on his own," Medli said.

"Well, let's just go and talk with my father," Komali said.

Medli agreed and the two headed to see Chief Kagoli. Once they were gone, Link looked around and started to leave his bed. When he did, he fell onto the ground and muttered, "Ow."

In Chief Kagoli's office, Komali, his grandmother and Medli told him of the situation. "He has amnesia?" Kagoli said.

"Yes and there's an odd birthmark on the back of his hand," Komali said.

"In the shape of the holy relic," Komali's grandmother said.

Chief Kagoli looked serious and said, "He could be the one."

"So, what can we do? I don't think it's a good idea to kick out an amnesiac," Medli asked.

"Very well. He can stay. But the instant the Imperials come, he has to go," Kagoli said.

The three bowed and Medli felt the ground shake. "Huh?" she said.

"What's wrong?" Komali asked.

"It's coming from Link's room," Medli said and walked in the direction of said room.

There, Komali saw that Link was on the floor. He looked confused and the Hylian turned to see the two Ritos. "Why is he on the floor?" Komali asked.

Medli made an attempt to translate and Link said in the old language, "Floor…on me?"

"Um, no…That's not right," Medli said, understanding what he said.

Link said something else and Komali said, "What did he say?"

"Um…well…He wants…food?" Medli said, confused.

Link got up from the floor and immediately lost his balance. Komali helped him and the Hylian teen still had a look of confusion on his face. Link said something again and Medli finally understood.

"Komali, he says that he's fine and he doesn't really need help," she translated.

"Well, he's going to have to accept it. He just woke up from a concussion and he's trying to leave," Komali said.

Medli tried to translate and left Link very confused. "Um, that wasn't right," Medli said.

"What did you say?" Komali said.

Link glared at him and Komali yelled, "What did you say?"

"Um…I accidentally said that you're our…um, prisoner," Medli said.

Komali looked at her with a dumbfounded look. Seconds later, he yelled, "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry! I thought I said 'guest'!" Medli said.

"I…guest?" Link said in the modern language.

Medli and Komali heard this and Komali looked at him, shocked. "Did you just…speak normally?" he asked.

Link looked confused again and Medli attempted to translate again. This time, Link understood as she asked him if he could use the modern Hylian.

He nodded and Komali said, "She's blind. You gotta say something."

"Yes…" Link said, sounding unsure.

"But you can only understand bits and pieces, right?" Medli asked.

"Yeah…?" Link said, guessing on what Medli said..

"Then we'll have to teach him," Komali said.

"Then we must," Medli said.

That night…

Medli woke up as she heard someone scream. She grabbed her staff (mainly for defense and use for "seeing") and harp. After doing so, she quickly left her room.

In the halls, she heard someone heading outside. "Guards? Anyone?" Medli said, not sensing anyone nearby.

"Medli…?" someone said.

That someone was one of the tribe guards named Skett. "Over here," Skett said, hurt.

Medli followed his voice and she asked, "What happened?"

"That kid…the one that you rescued…he attacked while yelling something in that odd language," Skett said.

"Where is he now?" Medli asked.

"He's outside. I wouldn't go out if I were you," Skett said.

Medli, ignoring the warning, left the Rito guard and headed outside. Once outside, she heard the sound of the wind and snow falling on the ground. What she didn't hear was Link nearby.

"Link…? Link? Where are you?" Medli asked.

The Rito heard something that sounded like the most ancient of languages, something only known as the language of the Skyloft. The language was supposedly only spoken by the ancient tribe of the sky cities that died out long ago. Medli started to listen for the sound and heard growling coming from behind her.

She swung her staff and it didn't connect within anything. "Who's there?" Medli said.

The language was heard again and was accompanied by more growls. 'A monster? My training better pay off,' Medli thought.

She swung in the direction of the sound and hit something that sounded like metal. "Huh?" Medli said, shocked.

"Bokoblins…Smarter than…before. Why?" someone said in the modern language.

"Link? What are you doing?" Medli said, recognizing the voice.

Link had blocked her swing with what looked like a guard's staff and, due to her blindness, Medli didn't see that he had a look of panic. He swung at her and Medli deftly blocked the attack.

"Link! What's wrong?" Medli asked.

"Monster…Get away!" Link yelled, panicking.

He then swung the staff so hard that when Medli blocked, she was sent flying into a wall. Medli, surprisingly, didn't lose consciousness.

"Ow…What was that for? I'm not a monster!" Medli said.

"GAH!" Link screamed, sounding a bit insane.

Medli was about to go to where Link's scream came from when she suddenly "saw" him via vibrations from the ground. "Huh? What?" she said.

Link screamed again and started growling, scaring Medli. "Link…What's wrong?" Medli asked.

The teen grabbed his head and screamed again in pain. That scream was the loudest and Medli felt parts of the mountain tremble. After the scream ended, Medli felt something very…odd.

She felt a wave of nostalgia come from Link. A great power also emitted from him, causing for the winds to pick up and an earthquake to shake the mountain once more. "Link…?" Medli said, confused as to what was happening.

"Medli! Get away from him!" Komali yelled.

Komali had come outside after hearing the scream from Link. He was holding a machete and was ready to fight him if need be. After grabbing Medli, Komali saw that Link's eyes had turned a golden color.

The Hylian was in a daze and Komali started moving Medli and himself to the entrance of their home. Before they could, the rocks of the mountain suddenly closed up the entrance. "Oh no…" Komali said.

Link had gotten out of the daze and had fixed his attention on Komali and Medli. "Um…Medli…Get ready. I'm going to fly us out of here, okay?" Komali said to her.

Medli, not a fan of flying because of her blindness, said, "O-okay…"

The winds started going out of control, preventing the Rito's flight. Komali saw that Link had readied the stolen staff. "Link…we're not monsters," Medli said.

In a voice that sounded much different, Link asked, "Then…what are you?"

"We're Ritos…" Medli said, hearing the confusion in his voice.

Komali saw that Link had lowered his weapon and his eyes started turning back to its normal blue hue. "Yeah, we're not monsters," Komali said.

Just before Link could come back to himself, something that looked like a ring latched onto his neck. It fitted like a collar and Link started to pull it off. Whenever he did, the collar pulsed with electricity, weakening him. After several attempts, the Hylian passed out from the many electric shocks.

"What…just happened?" Komali asked.

The two were about to check on him when Link was suddenly sucked into a dark portal. "What?" Komali yelled, confused.

"What happened?" Medli asked.

Just before Komali could reply, the two were also sucked into a dark portal and taken to places unknown.

Unknown area…

Medli woke up to find that Komali was nowhere near her. Due to his not being there and not knowing where she was, Medli was…frightened.

"K-Komali! Komali, where are you?" Medli said.

She couldn't hear breathing nor could feel any vibrations of anyone. Not liking the idea of being alone, Medli stamped her foot to make a vibration. The sound and seismic waves traveled around the area and Medli could sense that she was in a massive, elaborate structure.

The Rito walked around, making sure to stamp her feet every few feet or so. From what she could sense, there were statues that lined the halls and they were in the images of the gods. After walking for what felt like an hour, Medli started hearing music.

As she got closer, the music was louder and was accompanied by singing. Seconds later, seismic vibrations were felt and Medli could tell that someone was dancing.

Once she had arrived at the source of the sound, Medli was able to sense that people were in the area. The one who was dancing stopped and Medli heard a familiar voice. "Medli? You're okay!" Komali said.

"Oh, so this is Medli," someone else said.

"Medli, these people rescued us," Komali said. He walked over to her and hugged her.

Those people he was referring to was Zelda, Groose, Makar, Ruto, Midna, and Saria. They arrived due to Midna's failing of teleportation…again.

"Where's Link? And where are we?" Medli asked.

"You're in the Temple of Seasons and I was dancing. My name's Din and you heard my troop performing the music," the dancer said.

"Er…appearance?" Medli muttered to Komali.

"She looks like a Gerudo with the brown skin and dark red hair. She got a lot of jewelry on and she's wearing something that looks like Gerudo traditional dress," Komali muttered back.

"Oh…Why is a Gerudo helping us? And where's Link?" Medli whispered.

"She saw the both of you unconscious outside the temple," one of the performers said.

"And Link's fine…He's just…been out of it for the past three days. Oh and I'm Zelda," Zelda added.

Medli sensed Link sitting near one of the statues. What she couldn't see was that Link was in a daze.

"Yeah, every time we try to get Wolfy to come out of it, he started muttering stuff. Oh…The name's Groose," Groose said.

The others introduce themselves and Zelda could see that Medli was blind. 'Huh? Wonder what happened,' she thought.

"Well, you all can stay here as I can tell you're on the run. But do not leave the temple as whoever is looking for you all will be able to sense you," Din said.

"So, this temple shields us like a cloak?" Zelda asked.

"Yes," Din said.

As they talked, they didn't know that the collar that was placed around Link's neck was glowing, as if it was calling out to someone…

Well, that's the intro to Medli and Komali. Review?

Also, for the language of Skyloft, remember Skyward Sword people and how some of that stuff looked oddly Japanese.

-miano53