Chapter One - The Legend of the Goddess

Everything felt unusually quiet that evening.

Clouds drifted lazily below whilst the breeze blew softly through Zelda's stunning golden hair. The sky was a watercolour mess of pinks and reds as the sun began to settle itself down over the horizon. The usual sounds of the training and bickering of knights were replaced with the calming fluttering of flags and bunting. It was the perfect evening for a celebratory relaxation session before the hectic "Wing Ceremony" that would take place around Skyloft tomorrow.

Zelda was sitting on one of the luscious green bank of Skyloft's lake, leaning up against the trunk of a tree. She was partially in the shade of the immense statue of the goddess Hylia that watched over the mystical suspended islands. She could finally relax, now all of her preparation for tomorrows festivities were finished. Both of her knees were brought up to her chest loosely, as she watched Kukiel playing with her Loftwing further down the bank. Kukiel was a short girl, dressed in a warm red dress with her hair tied up in a skyward-pointing ponytail. She was frolicing happily around the gigantic blue bird that was Zelda's Loftwing, singing the nonsense songs that only kids who usually play alone sing. The girl was an almost uncontrollable bundle of kindness. Affection practically seeped out of her, to a somewhat uncomfortable level. Her lack of prejudices meant she would be easy to lead astray, but Zelda pushed these thoughts from her mind. There was nobody on Skyloft who would hurt Kukiel, so why couldn't she be so trusting?

She distracted herself with thoughts of Link, her childhood friend. He was one of the Knights-in-training that would be participating in the Wing Ceremony. He was skilled, brilliant atop his bird and incredibly strong for his rather petite frame. Unfortunately he was also lazy. Sleeping in every day, drifting around daydreaming with his magnificently rare crimson Loftwing and slacking with his studies. Some tinges of worry wriggled their way into Zelda's mind as she though of him. What if he failed? Surely that would destroy him, especially if that bully Groose or one of this cronies graduated and he didn't. She decided she would wake Link up early tomorrow, to make sure he's ready to crush the exam. Plus, she intended on showing off the clothes she would be wearing for the ceremony, after working on them so hard. That last thought made her blush a little.

Kukiel seemed to finish whatever incomprehensible game she was playing with the Loftwing and ran over to Zelda. The Loftwing didn't follow, but instead collapsed into a comfortable pile on the floor, apparently exhausted from playing. The girl giggled as she plonked herself on the grass, looking sleepily at the sky.

"Tired, Kukiel?" Zelda lent over to Kukiel with a soft smile on her face.

"Nope!" Kukiel claimed boldly, fighting her drooping eyelids, "I could stay up for ages."

Zelda let out a small laugh, "I think it's time you went home, I don't want Wyrna to worry."

Kukiel pouted slightly, "Mum won't worry if I just stay out a little longer. Maybe a story amount of time longer?" She added with a cheeky smile.

Zelda let out a sigh, as she brushed her bangs dramatically from her forehead, "And who would be telling this story? I might be too tired to tell any stories."

"C'mon Zelda," Kukiel pleaded, "Just one, it doesn't have to be long. Just one of those cool ones, with the dragons and the battles!"

"Surely your mother can tell you your bedtimes stories," Zelda said, "Anyway, those aren't very happy stories."

"Mum only tells me boring stories," Kukiel moaned, "About traditions and moralsand stuff. Never about the exciting stuff. Never about… the surface."

Zelda kicked out her legs in front of her and crossed them, leaning her weight on her hands behind her. She knew the story Kukiel wanted to hear. No-one her aged she had asked knew how much truth there was to this story. The one about the great battle, the fissure that spat out malice and the great evil known as Demise. It was likely if she didn't tell Kukiel, she would probably just go to Link. So, she went through the story in her head, cleaning it up slightly as to not scare the child.

"I'll tell you about the legend of the birth of Skyloft, if you promise to be good and go to bed with no complaints when Wyrna tells you," Zelda said, "Okay?"

Kukiel nodded feverishly, "I promise!"

Zelda took a deep breath before speaking, "Thousands of years ago, when the beautiful goddess Hylia still wandered among us, and the earth was one gigantic mass, there was a battle of an unprecedented scale. The ground broke open and scary monsters broke out, burning forests and drying up lakes, trying to get at the goddesses Ultimate Power. This power eclipsed all others, and would give the monsters terrible potential."

Kukiel had gone still, eyes wide with engagement as Zelda described the battles, taking out the graphic details, and inserting in a little of her own flavour. Even the blue Loftwing had raised its head in attention to the story.

"To keep both her people, and the great power safe, she gathered everyone up on an outcropping of land. She used her astounding power to separate the outcropping and fire it into the sky, beyond the reach of any evil. That land was named Skyloft, and Hylia's people were kept safe forever. However, Hylia had to stay behind with her chosen hero, giving up her immortal place among her people."

Zelda wrapped her arm around Kukiel playfully, taking her by surprise, "And we, as her people, celebrate the goddess in all ways we can, since without her, everything that is could be stepped in darkness."

"Whoa," Kukiel said, "Hylia sounds so cool."

"Some say she'll come back some day, through another form," Zelda said, looking towards the darkening sky as the sun set, "When we need her most."

Kukiel was staring dreamily towards the towering statue of Hylia, her head resting on Zelda. It was obvious her mind was racing with fantastic adventures of all kinds. The Loftwing nestled its head back in between its wings, letting out a soft, sleepy chirp.

"Now, you've had your story, time to go home!" Zelda said, standing up and causing Kukiel to fall back onto the grass.

"Okay…" Kukiel said as she slowly dragged herself to her feet, "I can't wait to tell my new friend about that story, he'll love it."

Zelda hoped that somehow her telling of that story to young Kukiel wouldn't come back around to bite her, but she couldn't see why it would. She walked the girl home, exchanging pleasantries with Kukiel's parents before heading back to her room. As she stood atop the bridge that joined the Academy island to the main island, she stopped. She was completely mesmerized by the beautiful town where she lived. There was a sense of wonder that never left no matter how many times she stood on this bridge. Floating miles above the constantly cascading sea of clouds beneath them, Skyloft was truly a place free from evil.

As she was about to continue home, something caught Zelda's ear. A voice drifted across the silent islands. An unfamiliar voice. Calling her name.

"Hello?" Zelda softly spoke into the sunset breeze. However, it was only silence that answered her. As she continued back to her bedroom, as she got changed and got into bed, she heard nothing else. Her mind fixated on a particular thought.

Everything felt unusually quiet that evening