The Fractured Holder [Pokémon/LoZ Crossover]

26| A Will of Iron

"Wait, so you weren't caught?" Zelda asked, her eyes wide with shock.

   Iigo shook his head with a cocky smile. "It wasn't hard to make off with some of her goods. After all, I am quite the sweet-talker," he replied.

   Link sighed. He had to fight the urge to tell Iigo to shut up, since he knew nobody but him would appreciate it. He was just tired of the almost non-stop talking. It was shocking Iigo hadn't lost his voice after nearly four days of this.

   But at the same time, Link knew how much Iigo loved to talk, and he had to admit he'd missed hearing that bird go off whenever they crossed paths.

   "So after I risk sticking out my neck by stealing him something, Rinku complains that I got him a peach when there were apples being sold right next to it! And I thought I was the pickier out of the two of us."

   Zelda stifled a small laugh behind her hand. "I can honestly believe he said something like that. He definitely has a particular liking for apples," Zelda said.

   What surprised Link more was that Zelda wasn't calling him by Iigo's insufferable nickname. Not once had she mentioned it even after the few days the Rito had been traveling with them. But Link couldn't help but give his two rupees on this subject. "Damn straight," he muttered, squinting at Iigo. "They're the best thing in Hyrule, and you know it."

   "I prefer apricots, but to each their own, Rinku," Iigo said with a grin. Of course that obviously didn't mean Iigo wouldn't use the nickname.

   As Iigo happily continued on, Link tried to find something interesting in the landscape around him to focus on instead. That proved to be difficult as there were mainly cliffs around them, cliffs to the right and open air to the left as the path dropped off into the ocean. Still, it was better than listening to how Link had gone back to steal the apples himself, which had wound up with a Granbull chasing him off.

   They had left the forest behind, and now they were scaling a thin, erosion-warped mountain trail that wound around the backside of the Quince Cliffs. According to Iigo, if they moved quickly, they could be at the temple by nightfall.

   After several more hours of climbing, the trail took a dramatic slope downwards. It almost seemed to drop down into the churning ocean waters slamming against the cliffs. Link could hardly look for a few moments before vertigo overtook him and he forced himself to look away to the horizon. The sunset had begun to stain both the sky and ocean with brilliant violet and orange hues. They only had an hour or two left of light at the most.

   "Is that where we're supposed to go?" Link questioned.

   "Yes. This is where our trail ends," Iigo replied.

   So what are we supposed to do now? Climb down to it? If you haven't noticed, I don't exactly have legs, Resa said, taking a cautious look over the cliff's edge.