In search of new islands to explore, Link sailed to the middle-southeast of the Terminan Sea. From afar, he spotted a structure with a unique, yet familiar shape, standing atop a rounded island. The shore of the island covered the entire perimeter and steadily rose up as a hill. Link parked the boat beside the nearest part of the shore and swam to the beach.
The structure at the top was a dome-shaped facility, colored a milky blue with a sparkly, star-like design. A giant telescope was mounted atop the dome, seeming to gaze into the cloudy heavens. "Whoa… now, that's way bigger than Aryll's telescope. Let's see who's inside." Link strolled up to the front door and entered.
The dome's interior was decorated with stars as well, and possessed the illusion of flowing along the walls. There were two display cases of tear-shaped, glowing blue stones. Those stones had darker blue gaps in them with similar shapes. There was a girl at the telescope's eyepiece: she had soft brown hair, a purple dress, and brown boots. Her face was somewhat pudgy with freckles. She had earrings of the same shape and color as the glowing stones, and her eyes were as blue and pretty as they were.
"Hm?" She turned upon hearing her door open. "Oh, a visitor! You startled me." She spoke with a soft, kind tone. "No one's ever come here since the ocean froze."
"I'm an explorer. Heh, sorry for showing myself in." Link blushed.
"It's alright." She smiled. "It's good to have company. You must've come here to see the stars."
"You mean with this telescope thingy?"
"Yes. Star Hill is an island where the stars seem to sparkle the brightest. That's why we built the Astral Observatory up here. This telescope peers beyond the heavens and allows you to see them on a grander scale. …Unfortunately, it's been terribly cloudy for this past month. I haven't been able to see the stars for so long. I miss them…"
"I'll clear the clouds for you."
"Huh?" She looked to him with surprise. Her pure blue eyes possessed a faint glimmer of hope, even if the stranger's statement felt very sudden and impossible.
"Come outside! I'll show you~" Link stepped outside. The girl hurried after him.
The strange boy in green drew a boy with a swirling arrow. He launched the arrow to the sky and spread the clouds apart. Link loosed more Wind Arrows and spread the clouds further. The stars glistened beautifully like milky dots of white. The night sky seemed to awake after a long, dreary slumber.
"You… That was amazing!" The girl gasped softly. "How did you do that…"
"I'm just a boy of many talents~"
"You must be." She smiled in heartfelt gratitude, folding hands over her chest. "Thank you, stranger."
"Haha, I'm Link!"
"I'm Gabriel. …So, would you like to see the stars?"
"Absolutely!"
Link was invited back inside. With an eager smile, he stood before the eyepiece and peered inside.
Link was granted the view of trails of stardust, flaming meteors, ringed planetoids, and so many beautiful stars. "Whoa… so, this is what the stars look like up close."
"I know. They're so beautiful. Wouldn't it be a dream to be able to see them in person?"
Link wondered if he should tell her about the Hylia. Though, since he hadn't used it himself yet, he decided not to. "Yeah… that would be incredible. …Hey, some of those stars are connected with lines. Wow, there's a lot of them."
"You must have found the Palladina Constellation. There's an ancient legend that says the gods sang a song to welcome Termina to the universe, and those stars are the notes."
"The stars are the notes… I wonder…" Link studied the constellation and found where it began. Its path traveled rightward at various angles and heights.
Once Link memorized the whole constellation, he stepped outside. Gabriel followed him curiously. There was a tall, wooden pillar built outside. Link climbed a ladder to reach the top, which was about level with the telescope. (Play "Eight Melodies" from Earthbound.)
The graceful strokes of the Wind Waker caused the stars to pop like balloons of light. One by one, they sparkled. Each one connected to the next via a line, following the conduction of Link's baton. The sky sang a beautiful lullaby. Gabriel's heart felt aflutter from hearing it. The constellation streaked the night sky with love and life.
"Link…" Gabriel couldn't find the words to express her awe. "You're playing… the Cellestium Song. Just what… kind of boy are you?"
The full constellation was complete. Link smiled as the stars replayed the pretty notes. "Whoa!" A comet seemed to fall from the last star. It fell toward the island… and crashed onto the shore. Link and Gabriel raced down to see it. It appeared to be a three-dimensional star with multiple points, mostly white with faint traces of pink and yellow.
Gabriel gently took the star in both hands. "I recognize this… It's Star Sand. This is the same material used to create the telescope. When converted into glass, it provides an amazing view of the heavens."
"So, you can make another telescope?"
"No, this isn't enough for a large telescope. However… I think I'll be able to make something with this. Link, would you wait for me?"
"Sure!"
Gabriel reentered the observatory. Link relaxed on the grass hill, gazing at the singing heavens. He lost track of the time with how relaxed he felt. "I'm back!" But he soon rose back up when Gabriel returned. "Link… I made these for you."
It was a pair of star-shaped glasses. They had faint, pink and yellow glints, but were otherwise shiny, smooth, and clear. The handles of the glasses were glittered with stars of the same colors. "These Star Glasses will let you see the stars from anywhere. As long as the sky's clear. The view won't be as grand as the observatory, but it should be amazing all the same. You may even see some shooting stars fall toward the planet."
"Thanks, Gabriel." Link took the glasses with gratitude. "I'll take good care of them."
You got the Star Glasses! When you gaze up at the stars with these, celestial materials will fall to the surface! Try using these in different areas to see different celestial bodies and gain different materials! However, using it in daylight is very dangerous.
"Heh heh! I can see into your eyes!" Link said. "I wonder if I'll find a constellation in them~"
"Tee hee hee!" Gabriel giggled. "You're welcome to look any time~" (End song.)
Avian Highlands
Now that the highlands were at peace, Link decided to revisit the Bird Seed. The restaurant seemed a lot more cheery, seeing more Rito besides Murdo, with even children and families. The bartender seemed to be a seagull Rito with swirly glasses. "Hi there! I see the restaurant's up and running again."
"Oh, have you been here before?" the tender asked.
"Kind of. So, what can you get for a youngster like me?"
"Depends, kid, how hungry are you?"
"Mmm, not really that hungry… but I'll have some Sun Juice!"
Once Link received a glass of juice with a sun-shaped orange on the rim, he went to a table to have a drink. One table over, he saw a hawk Rito snacking on a turkey leg. He was rather beefy and the feathers on his face were rather gruff and ruffled. Link mentally questioned why bird people enjoyed poultry… but he was more drawn to the large bow on the hawk's back. "Hey, cool bow!"
The hawk cocked a brow and glanced at Link. "Yes, it's a very 'cool' bow." He spoke in a slight country accent. "I suppose you're a fan of bows?"
"Kind of! I do use one myself." Link extracted the Arrow Rune as demonstration.
"Well… that's a rather strange type of bow. You any good with it, boy?"
"Just ask the hundreds of monsters with arrows in their eyes."
"I see. Are you some sort of hunter yourself, boy?"
"I'm a hunter among other things."
"So you are… The name's Sogard. I'm what you call a big game hunter."
"You hunt for games?"
"Ha ha ha! I hunt for creatures. Big ones, tricky ones. Folks around here call me the Hawk Eye. I can snipe a seagull from one side of the sea to the next."
"Hah, listen to yourself!" snorted a Rito from another table. "You haven't sniped a good shot in over a month! You couldn't frickin' hit that rat a minute ago!" He indicated the arrow lodged in the floor.
"I can sure shoot your beak if I have to!"
"Go ahead and try it, No Eye~"
"Hey, mind your own business!" Link shouted.
"Ah, let it go, kid." Sogard sighed. "The man's right. I was out on a flight one day when I was caught up in a blizzard. This masked girl appeared from the fog and attacked me with some dark spell. After the storm cleared, everything was blurry around me. I could barely see in front of me. All my shots began to miss and I couldn't hunt the game I used to. Nowadays, I barely scrounge up some weak fodder. I'm glad this restaurant opened back up again."
"I'm sorry that happened. Did you consider getting glasses, like that guy?"
"Yes, I did. I had contact lenses requested and paid for. But some darn Snurglar swooped down and sucked them right up its snotty trunk! I was so darn mad, you wouldn't believe it!"
"Maybe I can get them back for you! I'll find the Snurglar and make it cough up!"
"I appreciate the sentiment, but those are nifty monsters. They prey on peoples' belongings, get 'em while they're non-expecting, but flee at the first sign of trouble. You'll need quick thinking if you hope to catch those'uns."
"Just give me a shot! Where is this Snurglar?"
"It's hidden somewhere up in the peaks. If you want it to notice you, I reckon you should go to a high place. You seem to have some unique weapons on you, so maybe it will."
"I'll be right back!"
Side Quest: Eyes of a Hawk
Link headed for the field in the back, where he originally battled the Mur Don. The area was much calmer than when he had first been here. Link raised his Sheikah Slate overhead, wondering if this Snurglar would come. "Master, behind you!"
Link whipped around, seeing a red and yellow elephant-like creature flapping its ears to fly. It attempted to suck Link's slate into its trunk, but he strapped it back to his belt and readied his bow. The Snurglar dodged his attack and began to flap away. "Link, Snurglars are weak to loud sounds!" Noting this, Link shot one of the peaks of the surrounding cliff. When the peak exploded, the Snurglar flinched and was stunned by the noise, leaving Link to shoot it down. The hero approached and discovered a small, rectangular box. Link cracked it open and discovered two contacts. "Sweet!"
The hero returned to Rito Roost and found Sogard waiting outside the Bird Seed. "I believe these are yours?"
"Well, I'll be blindsided." Sogard said with amazement, taking the lenses and poking them onto his eyes. "These're the genuine articles, alright… You really got them from the Snurglar?"
"It wasn't really that hard. It flapped down as soon as it saw my Sheikah Slate. I had to shoot and blow up a rock to stop it from getting away."
"You must have quite the arrow-work, kid. What do you say to giving those eyes a little test? Show me your sniping skills at work?"
"Sounds cool to me. What's the test?"
"There's a li'l island some ways south of here called Wild Beast Isle. If you feel like comin', I'll meet you at the dock. Until then, kid." Sogard spread his beefy wings and took flight.
Eager for the challenge, Link returned to his boat and sailed south. He was nearing a jungle-filled island that he almost mistook for Picori Island, except its perimeter was much taller. There was a dock at one side with stairs leading onto the island. Link hurried up those stairs and found Sogard waiting at the top. "So, I see you couldn't wait to get started, eh? Alright, kiddo, let me tell you a little about this place. All kinds of wild animals inhabit this island. Their breeding rates are abnormal, so it's a playground to hunters like myself. So, let's play a little game: try to score more points' worth of game than me. Do that and I might be fixin' to reward you."
"Shouldn't you have rewarded me for getting your lenses back?"
"You did that by choice, son. But I can't just reward a boy who got lucky with his bow. So, let's see if you're really worth your grit. Hop on that platform there and it'll carry you across the island. The game ends when it reaches the end." He directed Link to a large wood basket attached to a rope track.
"So, do you do this with other people?"
"Every so often. It's fun to have someone to compete with."
"Heh, then let's get started!" (Play "Minigame Race" from Breath of the Wild!)
Link climbed into the basket as it began to carry him through the jungle, with Sogard taking to the sky. Searching in every direction, Jungle Octoroks would peep out of random bushels, and Link shot five of them, scoring 50 points each. "'owwwllll!" He saw a Wolfos prancing around some distant trees and shot it for 100 points. Up in the air, Sogard was sniping some Guays down, but Link chose to steal some of his kills, getting four for 30 points each. He faced back at the ground and saw rats scurrying about, each worth 30 points as he shot five.
The basket began to scroll over a river. Link shot nine fish for 30 points. The river grew wider, and Link gasped as a Big Octo rose out. It had three eyes, so Link shot them, but the beast didn't go down. There were Shell Blades underwater, opening and closing their mouths at random intervals, giving Link narrow frames to shoot their weak insides, four for 50 points. After scrolling past the Octo, he saw its hidden back eye, and after shooting it, the beast finally went down for 500 points. Tektites were also frantically hopping about, and Link hit six for 30 points.
The basket scrolled down past the edge of a waterfall. The view was amazing, but Link couldn't savor it: he saw Walltulas on the cliff behind the waterfall and shot seven for 30 points. Near the bottom-left was a Gold Skulltula, earning Link 100 points. He about-faced as he was going over a lake: Sogard was shooting Toadpolis swimming around, so Link quickly shot some himself, four for 50. On the distant shore to his right, a deer with spiky antlers was prancing. Link aimed carefully and shot it for 100.
The basket went above the opposite shore and entered a cave. Link shot six Keese for 30 points, then focused on some Moldorm peeping out of the ground, killing four for 50. Link reached a wide area with lots of stalagmites and could blow some open with Earth Arrows. There were large snakes hidden inside, worth 50 points, and Link shot three. He shot four Skulltulas on the ceiling, 50 points. As the cave became narrow again, Link could feel stomping and shaking: a giant Rocktite was storming up after him, a large eye in its stone mouth. It would close each time Link shot it, during which time he focused on some Keese. He shot the Rocktite three times and earned 500 points once it fell, plus 180 points from the Keese.
Link exited the cave to an open area of the jungle. Rabbits were frolicking happily, and Link shot the quick critters, five for 30 each. Link twisted around, seeing a cluster of rocks. A buffalo charged out from the rocks, but was about to head back—Link shot it for 100. He glanced up at the sky for any good game, shooting six dragonflies for 50 each. Keeping his eyes up… he saw a thin, wavy figure very high in the sky. "Holy frick, is that a dragon?!" he whisper-shouted. He could vaguely make out its shape, but it truly seemed like a snake dragon. Link aimed carefully, trying to focus on the beast. His arrow flew. It traveled the great distance, and by a stroke of great aiming, it struck the comparatively tiny dragon. He earned 1,000 points.
By this time, the ride came to an end. Sogard flapped down to regroup with Link. (End song.)
"Well, I'll be, partner… you done outshot me. This old pair of eyes just weren't good enough."
"Hehe, did you see me shoot that dragon?"
"Ah certainly did. A bit of a shame, 'cause a dragon usually drops a scale if you're lucky enough to shoot one. No tellin' where it landed from this distance. So, I think it's time you earn your reward. Be right back."
Sogard flew off. Link waited patiently for his return, and before long, he came flapping back. "This is for you, kid." It was a mask resembling a hawk, with lenses inside the little eye holes.
"Wait a minute… aren't those your contacts?"
"Oh, I'll just buy me a new pair. Only reason I didn't before was 'cause these kind are expensive to make. But eh, it's money worth spendin'. I reckon a young sniper like you has earned it. There are lots of creatures on this ocean that stay far away from people like you. Those eyes will help ya land a good shot on 'em."
"Heh heh! Well, if you're really sure, I'll make good use of it. Once you get some new ones, let's play again sometime!"
"You c'n count on it~" And Sogard took flight once more.
You got the Hawk Eyes! This mask will enhance Link's vision, allowing him to snipe very distant targets!
"It's a shame you couldn't give him the Star Glasses." Ayri said.
"Haha, good point! But they only enhance our vision on the stars, not the surrounding world." Link said. "'Guess that's magic for ya."