Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda or related characters, sadly. I also don't own Pocahontas or the song Just Around The River Bend. My mind just thought they went well together for some reason. Oh well.
Zelda's eyes popped open. She brushed her blonde bangs out of her eyes and stretched. The sailcloth that was to be the gift for the Wing Ceremony was draped around her over her blanket, the needle she had been using last night to stitch was still in her hand. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes she looked out her window to find that dawn was still just breaking. She slipped out of bed and changed into one of her dresses. She couldn't help but smile broadly at the sight of her costume dress that not even Link, her best friend, has seen yet.
She felt a familiar presence fly over her head as she pulled on her boots, urging her to come out. She had been busy for the past few days making both her dress and now the sailcloth. She was the young girl chosen to play the Goddess in the Ceremony this year and she wanted everything to be as close to perfect as it can be since Link was participating in it to be a knight. She had a bit of worry that Link wouldn't win or ever become a knight, but one reminder from him about how he always dreamed of being a Skyloftian knight ever since his parents died suppressed it. At least for now.
A sad smile crossed her lips as she peeked out her bedroom door. She had her own dreams, obviously, but she was always afraid to voice them, even to Link. She dreamed about what else is out in the sky, surrounding their home. Or about what's below the clouds. Mostly about the clouds. She asked Link once and he just shrugged, saying he never really thought that much about it, but had a feeling there's more then just nothing.
Finding the hallway clear, Zelda headed for the stairs, but stopped halfway down remembering. It was Saturday today. Figuring she should let Link sleep to his hearts content for at least one day, she turned back around to her room. This was usually how it was anyway. She would wait until he woke up or, more often then not, go in and wake him up for the day, ignoring his protests as she either jumped on his bed, shouted, pulled the covers off him, dragged him on the floor, or once, dump water from the bath on him. Then a tug in her head reminded her she had made a promise to another good friend for today, which meant Link got to sleep in peace for today.
Today she promised her indigo Loftwing they would fly together for hours. She had practically locked herself in her room in hopes of finishing the sailcloth in time, only coming out for class or when Link forced her to eat with them in the cafeteria. She began to make her way to the statue of Hylia, letting the chill morning air wrap around her and play with her hair. Looking over to the bazaar she could make out the merchants heading over to begin another day of work. She briefly wondered what it was like, having to do the exact same thing everyday, see the same people, sell the same things. As much as she loved Skyloft, she couldn't help but wish for more. Some part of her wished for an adventure, while the other part was content with living out her days above the clouds with her father and Link. It was usually the "everything's perfect" side that controlled her emotions.
She stopped in front of Hylia and said a short prayer to the Goddess before making her way to the jumping dock behind the statue. She stood there for a moment, letting the wind blow her dress around her ankles. Her Loftwing flew beneath her, waiting patiently for her to come. Zelda closed her eyes and let the warmth of the morning sun compete against the morning breeze.
"What I love most about the breeze is you never feel the same breeze twice, the wind is always changing, always blowing," she looked back towards the merchants, "but people I guess can't live like that, we all must pay a price. To be safe above the clouds well never know…" She backed up a few feet and broke into a sprint, jumping off the edge of the dock. She let the wind rush past her, before whistling her unique call to her Loftwing. The bird was under her in seconds, eager to be with his other half.
Zelda continued to sing as they began to fly away from her home, "what's beyond the horizon? Waiting just beyond the horizon? I call for more, just beyond the horizon. Around the rocks, where birds fly without me, don't know from where. What a dream that I might descend, just beyond the horizon. Be free, letting me be free."
Her loftwing slowed down and glided around the familiar islands. She had never gone farther then the Lumpy Pumpkin without Link, yet there was something in her that urged her to go farther.
"I feel it there past these pumpkins, or right behind this waterfall, can I ignore that sound of distant flapping? For a handsome, sturdy knight who flies handsome, sturdy wings, yet never dreams there's something out there, just beyond the horizon, just beyond the horizon?
"I fly for more, just beyond the horizon, around the rocks, somewhere away from clouds. Don't know what for, oh why do all my dreams extend just beyond the horizon? Just beyond the horizon."
She urged her bird to a stop, his wings keeping a steady beat as he stayed in place between Skyloft and the rest of the sky she has never explored.
"Should I choose the smoothest course, steady as a flapping wing? Should I ignore my own dreams? Leave them all below me?" She turned her head to face above her. "Or do you still wait for me Hylia, just beyond the horizon?"
Without a look back to her home, where Zelda knew everyone was beginning their typically Saturday, she turned her bright indigo Loftwing beyond the Lumpy Pumpkin and urged him forward. He let out a satisfied squawk, flying high then dropping down for speed as they flew together. Zelda smiled to herself, forgetting she'll fall behind in her stitching of the sailcloth and her fingers will have to pay for it later. Once Link awoke and found her gone, if he wanted to find her today on his own Crimson Loftwing, she knew he would. He always did.
A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are welcome but please be nice. I wrote this in about an hour and half after the idea sprang up, so excuse any mistakes I might've missed. This idea originally started after I beat SS and the song Just Around the River Bend popped up on shuffle. I got this mental image of Zelda singing it and running through Faron Woods without a care, after the events of SS, and just urging Link to follow her as he tries to map out the forest for future reference. Then today that turned into this little story, which if you couldn't figure out, takes place a few days before the Wing Ceremony. Again, thanks for reading!