Moving On
"How are ya feeling, Link?"
With a good amount of effort, Link rose to a sitting position and tried putting a bit of pressure on his injured left foot, getting mixed results. It did seem to be getting better, but the pain that emanated from it was still considerable. It had regained complete functionality, but more time would be required before it could heal completely.
Not that it really mattered, though. With Demise banished and stowed safely away in the depths of the Master Sword, all was well and peaceful again in Skyloft. His services as hero and secret protector were no longer required, and he now had all the time in the world. But that is not to say that all will return to normal, because this new Skyloft is much different than the way it used to be.
"Better, I guess." Link muttered. For the past couple of days, Link had been resting back in his room in the Knight Academy in Skyloft so that the wounds he sustained in the battle with Demise could heal.
"Well, that's good." Fledge said in reply. Fledge, among others, had helped along in the recovery, and it was he who was checking up on Link now. "What did this to you?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Link grunted in reply. "And I thought I said to stop asking me that."
"I know, I'm just curious." Fledge said sheepishly. "Whatever it was, it must have been powerful, and I know I wouldn't have had the courage to face it."
"You're getting there, Fledge." Link said.
"Not really." Fledge replied. "I've gotten stronger, sure. But I don't feel any more courageous than I did before."
"Courage isn't about strength of body." Link said. "It's about strength of will."
"But...what does that mean?" Fledge asked. "How do I strengthen my will?"
"You need something to fight for." Link replied as he reflected on his own motivations. "Something you would do anything for. If you have something that you are that passionate about, fear or the prospect of failure won't even cross your mind."
Fledged nodded, and after a moment of silence, asked, "If you don't mind my asking, what were you fighting for?"
"You. Everyone here at the academy. Skyloft." Link said, then paused for a second before adding, "Zelda."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sorry about that, Link." Fledge said quietly. "I heard she decided to stay on the surface."
"Yeah." Link murmured. "Well, what about you? Are you going to leave Skyloft, too?"
"Me? No-no, I can't." Fledge replied. "I'll just stay where it's familiar."
"At least I'll have you, then." Link said with a smile.
"You'll have more than that, I think." Fledge said. "Not very many people are leaving for the surface. Just Zelda and Groose and his cronies, as far as I know. Headmaster Gaepora, too, though he still comes back often."
"Good to hear." Link nodded.
"Well, if you don't need me, I probably should get going." Fledge said. "The kitchen lady has some chores for me, and I'm already late as it is."
"Yeah, sure, I'm good." Link replied. "Don't let me keep you."
"Alright." Fledge said. "Hey, Link, if you're feeling up for it, you should head back into town for a bit. The others are worried about you, it would do them good to see you out and about."
"I'll think on it." Link replied.
"That's all I can ask for, I suppose." Fledge said as he turned around and began walk out of Link's room. "Take care, Link."
"Yeah." Link said quietly as he watched the door close behind Fledge. "You too."
Silence followed as Link was left alone. His room had remained very similar to the way it always used to be, which gave the impression that everything was as it used to be. But Link knew better than to think that. The only glaring difference was that Zelda no longer lived in Skyloft, but that single difference made everything seem completely unrecognizable. Even now, he still expected Zelda to bang on his door and drag him off on one of their countless activities. Without her around, something as simple as figuring out what to do with his time now became a monumental task.
Link rose to his feet and tested his leg by taking a few steps. He could walked on it fine, though it still felt stiff and putting too much weight on it caused moderate discomfort. Apart from his leg, which needed a few days to heal, he hadn't sustained any major wounds against Demise. Just a few small cuts and a bruised shoulder, all of which had completely healed by now. Now just faint scars remained in their places, the only remnants of Demise's impact on this world.
With the intention of following Fledge's advice, Link walked out of his room and down the hall. As he passed the kitchen, he saw Fledge carrying a barrel for Henya, which he could now do easily thanks to his intense training regimen. Fledge didn't see Link as he passed, and Link chose not to alert him. Instead, he passed through the main doors and exited out into the academy's grounds.
Pipit was standing there when Link came out, and he simply nodded as Link walked by. Link returned the favor and continued on down the bridge into the main village. It was a quiet day, as usual. Not many people were out and about, and the ones who were out were just walking around at a leisurely pace. Jakamar was working on a nearby fence, Gully was under a tree staring at a large bug and Parrow was simply walking around, with no clear purpose.
"Hey, Link!" Jakamar said. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah, a bit." Link replied.
"Good to hear." Jakamar said with a smile "Little Kukiel's been asking about you, she'll be glad."
"I aim to please." Link said wearily.
"And that you have!" Jakamar replied gleefully. "Take it easy, Link."
Link continued on, and soon came to the decision to grab a bite to eat. It was about lunchtime now, and he hadn't had anything to eat for breakfast, so he was understandably hungry. He traveled to the bazaar, where he took a seat at a table in front of Piper's restaurant. He drew many stares from the other people in the bazaar when he entered, none more prominent than the one from Peatrice, but nobody said a word at first. It wasn't until Piper came to take his order that the silence was broken.
"Link!" Piper said as she approached his table. "It's so good to see you. How are you feeling?"
"I'm doing fine, thanks." Link replied. Answering the same question over and over again was starting to get tiresome.
"That's fantastic news!" Piper exclaimed. "Is there anything I can get for you?"
"Yeah, a cup of soup would be great." Link said.
"Sure thing, I'll have a cauldron of onion soup done in a few minutes if that's good with you?"
"That's great." Link nodded.
"Coming right up!" She said happily before twirling off to return to her kitchen.
The bazaar was as lively as ever, aided in part by the festive colors and fast music. The initial draw that Link created when first entered the bazaar had since worn off, though Link still caught Peatrice looking over in his direction more than a couple times. It was annoying, how attached she had become to him, but Link still felt a odd combination of pity, as well. To his knowledge, he was the only one who made use of her services – or, if there were others, they were few in number and they certainly didn't go as often as he did.
The combined effects of music and general chatter in the bazaar made the volume a headache for Link on most days but on this occasion, he actually welcomed it. The noise made it impossible for him to focus on anything, which meant the sorrowful thoughts that had been plaguing his mind for the past couple of days couldn't affect him here. This didn't cure his troubles of course, it merely drowned them out. But it was a welcome feeling nonetheless.
"Hey Link! You look well."
Link looked up from his motionless state to see Orielle beaming down at him. "Hey, Orielle." He replied.
"Is there anyone sitting here?" Orielle asked, pointing down at the vacant seat opposite of Link.
Link shook his head. "Go ahead, take it."
"Thanks." Orielle said graciously as she sat down. "Parrow sends his regards, by the way. Said he saw you earlier but that you looked busy and he didn't want to disturb."
"What?" Link said humorously. "I was just walking, I even stopped to talk to someone else before I passed him."
"I...don't know, I'm just saying what he told me to say." Orielle replied, looked slightly flustered. "I do know that I need to get him back for making me look like an idiot."
"Sorry." Link said with a small laugh. "It's just funny he would say that."
"Well, anyway," Orielle began to say, clearly ready to change the subject. "How are you holding up?"
"No complaints." Link said. "I should be fully healed in another couple of days."
"That's good." Orielle said. "But that's not what I meant. You and Zelda were always so close, it must be hard to separate yourself like that. In fact, I'm surprised you even decided to come back to Skyloft."
"Oh, yeah." Link said carefully. "I'm doing fine. Really. We're not even that far apart, I'm sure we will still see each other often."
"But why did you do it, then?" Orielle asked. "Did you two have a fight?"
"Well, not exactly." Link said evasively. "But things will never be the same between us again, that's for sure."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Orielle said. "What happened?"
Link paused. There were so many things that Orielle didn't know, and certainly wouldn't believe; namely, that he was a Hero who saved her and every one alive from a life of unimaginable fear under Demise's reign, and the fact that Zelda was the human manifestation of an ancient goddess. But if she did, she'd know that a mortal, destined hero or not, can never become one with an immortal. "I'd rather not talk about it." Link replied sheepishly.
"Alright, I understand." Orielle said. "But just know that I'm here if you need anything, as is the rest Skyloft."
"Sure." Link said with a nod. "I appreciate it."
After a moment or two of silence, Piper returned with a bowl of soup which she placed on the table. Link nodded his thanks and handed over fifty rupees, which covered the meal and offered a hearty tip as well.
"That's very generous of you." Piper said as she pocketed the money. "Perhaps your friend would like a cup as well?"
"Do you?" Link asked as he turned to look at Orielle. "My treat."
"Oh, no thanks, I can't stay." Orielle replied graciously.
"Not a problem." Piper replied happily. "Enjoy, Link!"
Link grabbed his spoon and siphoned off a generous portion of the soup into his mouth, an action which he quickly came to regret. The soup was still very hot, and it burned his throat and tongue on its way down. But either he did a good job disguising it or Orielle just didn't notice, for she didn't say anything. Instead, she rose to her feet and said, "I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow, Link."
"Bye." Link said as he watched her turn her back and leave the bazaar.
Link was slightly surprised by the farewell, as he was aware of no plans between the two of them to see each other again tomorrow. But Skyloft was small and they actually did pass each other by on most days while he was here, perhaps she just now came to expect it. In any event, Link finished up the rest of his meal without much distraction. The soup was absolutely delicious, much better than the food that he had been accustomed to eating at the academy's mess hall. Pricey, perhaps, but well worth it.
It wasn't until he took his final sip out of the cup that another person, this one much more exasperated that the last, took a seat at the vacant spot spot at Link's table. It was Instructor Owlan, and he quickly said, "Link! Here you are. I've been looking all over for you."
"What's going on?" Link asked, starting to worry that something happened.
"I take it that no one has informed you yet, right?" Owlan replied, which only begged more questions.
"Informed me of what?" Link asked.
"Headmaster Gaepora has elected to have you graduate." Owlan said. "Tomorrow, he will make you a full knight."
"I...what?" Link asked, still thoroughly confused.
"This is highly irregular, I know." Owlan said with a nod. "But he wishes to recognize you for your accomplishments without informing everyone of exactly what happened. This is his way of doing that. This graduation will be a ceremony open to all."
"I...I'm honored." Link said, unsure of what to say. "But are you sure I'm ready?"
"A reasonable question, but I believe you have already proven yourself more than capable." Owlan replied. "You mastered the spiral charge, a very advanced maneuver, in no time at all. And your crimson loftwing is clearly something special, and you handle her beautifully."
"But-" Link began to say.
"I really can't say any more than that, Link." Owlan interrupted. "That's all I know at this point. Gaepora is on the surface right now but he'll come here later today, and I'm sure he will have a chat with you when he gets here to clear things up. But, if you'll excuse me, I must get back and prepare. Congratulations, Link."
With that, Owlan was gone as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Link with more questions than answers. Now he knew what Orielle had been talking about, and he found it odd that the rest of the town knew about this before he did himself. But what he had learned here was indeed joyous news. Back before he became the Hero, he was just a normal guy with a dream to one day become a knight, and that day, it would appear, had finally come.
Having finished his meal, Link got to his feet and made his way out of the bazaar. He crossed through the streets, which were just as quiet as they were before, and began walking back to the academy. He had hoped that the headmaster would be waiting when he got there to answer his questions but, as expected, he had not arrived yet. So, instead, Link passed the time in the main classroom, waiting and chatting with other students on occasion. Pipit and Karane seemed slightly irked by his presence after a while, for they had made the classroom their own private setting over the past couple of weeks, but they said nothing about it.
Link endured about two hours of waiting, during which he put up with more than enough gushy talk between Pipit and Karane to make any sane spectator sick to his stomach, before Gaepora finally arrived back in Skyloft. Fledge, having been the first to know by virtue of a window in the kitchen, came to the classroom to break the news to Link. Upon hearing this, Link hurriedly made his way up to Gaepora's locked office so he could be there when Gaepora got back to the academy.
A couple minutes later, the sound of footsteps walking up the staircase resounded through the halls, and Link was greeted with Gaepora's stout figure. "Ah, Link." He said as he walked over and unlocked his door. "I should have known you'd be anxious to see me. It is nice to see you again."
"And you, as well, Headmaster." Link replied.
"Come in." Gaepora said after he opened his door wide. "I wish to discuss some things with you."
Link followed Gaepora into his office, where Gaepora sat down at his desk. "As you are no doubt aware, tomorrow is your graduation. You will be given the rank of a knight."
"Thank you, sir, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet." Link said wearily. "I've only just become a senior student. I don't even know anything about flying at night."
"Yes, and for those reasons, this rank will be largely honorary, at least until you've proven that you've mastered all of these skills, which I don't believe will be very long for you." Gaepora said with a nod. "Once you've done that, the full list of privileges and responsibilities will be bestowed upon you."
"So, then...I won't be a knight?" Link asked carefully.
"In name, you will be." Gaepora replied. "But in actuality, no. Not yet. But don't worry, dear boy, I would not be willing to give you this title if I was not absolutely sure that you would someday soon be able to master the skills necessary to being a knight."
"But why do this now?" Link asked.
"Well, you see, I believe it's a crime that your accomplishments have gone largely unnoticed here, but without telling everyone what happened, that's the way it has to be." Gaepora explained. "I'm making your graduation a ceremony so that the entire village can see, and while doing so, I will give a few details of your adventures, such as how you saved Zelda and discovered a passage to the surface. This will at least give you the recognition you deserve."
"I didn't do this for the recognition." Link said with a frown.
"Maybe not, but I must offer my thanks for all that you have done." Gaepora replied. "Well, what do you say? Will you accept this old man's humble display of gratitude?"
"Yeah, I'll do it." Link said after a moment's thought. "What comes after though?"
"Well, you'll need to undergo final training so you can become a full-fledged knight." Gaepora replied. "I'll be going back to the surface after the ceremony, so I'll have Instructor Owlan oversee your progression. You'll train individually under his guidance until he deems you ready."
"Alright." Link says with a nod.
"So, you're all clear, then?" Gaepora asked. "Have any more questions for me?"
"Well...I still don't completely trust my leg." Link replied. "I don't need to do anything, do I?"
Gaepora laughed. "No-no, all you have to do is sit on a stage while I talk, and then take your official pin when I offer it to you. Now, it is a ceremony, so there will be food and dance afterward. You won't be required to participate in that, but as the subject of this celebration, I urge you to at least stay and watch or talk until the end."
"Well, that's a relief." Link replied.
"Perhaps it's too late to ask this, but are you sure you don't want to come live on the surface?" Gaepora asked. "Groose and his friends have really been busy, they'll have a couple houses up soon."
"Maybe someday, Headmaster." Link said after a moment. "But for now, the sky is still my home."
"Yes, I understand." Gaepora said. "I, too, still find myself dreaming of the clouds on occasion. It's hard to leave such an important memory behind."
Link grimaced inwardly, for he knew that feeling all too well. As if Gaepora knew exactly what Link was thinking about, he added, "Zelda says 'hi', by the way."
"Send her my best, will you?" Link said carefully.
"Of course, Link." Gaepora said with a nod.
"Thank you, sir." Link said. "I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Gaepora replied. "The ceremony will begin at around dusk tomorrow, so don't wander off too much. And since it had slipped my mind until now – congratulations."
Link nodded, then turned around and exited the headmaster's room, closing the door behind him. The corridors of the academy were empty by now, as everyone who lived there had already called it a day and retired to their own quarters. Only the kitchen lady was still up, but Link was starting to doubt that she ever slept at all.
Once back in his room, Link carefully removed his boots and placed his possessions onto his desk. Since he no longer had any use for many of the items he had acquired during his quest, most of them now sat accumulating dust in the item check. But there were a few that he had chosen to keep around. Archery had become something of a hobby for him, so he kept the bow and quiver. He always kept an empty bottle on him, as it serves many purposes. His wallet, of course, stayed with him, as did his bug net and the sail that Zelda had made for him. He had chosen to keep the harp with him, as well; though he never used it, it was the one of the few reminders he had of Zelda and the life he used to have.
After all of his belongings were safely stowed on his desk, Link jumped into bed without even bothering to get changed. He had gotten used to sleeping fully-clothed during his adventures, when he lacked the time and motivation to change into something lighter, and this habit had carried over to his everyday life now. Once in bed, it didn't take long for sleep to come to Link, beginning what was to be a long, eventful night of strange dreams.
Long before he was ready to get up, Link was rudely awakened by a few rough shoves to his shoulder. Link grunted and tried to convey to his torturer that he still required more sleep, but he was unsuccessful. The shoves grew even more frequent the more he tried to ignore them, and as if that wasn't enough, loud shouts of "Link, get up!" began to ring through the room.
Coming to the realization that he would not be left alone, Link mumbled, "Alright, I'm getting up." He tried to open his eyes but the blinding light was painful for his sleep-depraved eyes to absorb, so he had to shut them again instantly. After a moment, he tried again, and though it was still uncomfortable, his eyes had adjusted enough to handle the bright light. He squinted to make it more bearable, and with a yawn, he rose to a sitting position at the side of his bed. In front of him, he was just able to make out the blurry outline of Fledge standing in front of him.
"Fledge?" Link said uncertainly. "What's going on?"
"Sorry, Link." Fledge said quietly. "But the headmaster asked me to wake you."
Link glanced out of his window, and guessed that it couldn't be any later than mid-morning. "But the ceremony isn't until dusk." Link groaned.
"He just wanted to make sure you didn't sleep in." Fledge said timidly. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. See you later, Link."
"Fledge, wait!" Link said suddenly.
Fledge, who had been on the way out of Link's room, stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Yeah?" he said.
"If I have to get up so early, I suppose I have a lot of time to kill." Link said. "Are you up for some Pumpkin Pull?"
Fledge's face instantly lit up. "You know I would never turn down that offer, Link!" He said happily.
"I'll meet you out there, then." Link said. "Give me a couple minutes."
"Sure thing." Fledge said quickly before turning back around and running out of Link's room.
Link yawned again and stretched out his arms. He still felt tense so he wasn't sure whether he could break his old record, but playing that minigame was always a fun way to pass the time. After stretching out for a couple more minutes, Link laced up his boots and grabbed the items he had left on his desk the previous night.
As Link soon noticed, the grounds of the academy were much livelier that he had been accustomed to them being. Many decorations had been placed around the upper-floor entrance to the academy, along with many chairs and tables. He could only assume that was where the ceremony would take place. Luckily, the grounds surrounding the sparring hall were left untouched, so the minigame could go on unimpeded.
Upon reaching the sparring hall, Link found Fledge there waiting for him. A large pile of pumpkins, which had been left there from the last time they played, held enough projectiles to last at least a couple games.
"Hey, Link!" Fledge said excitedly when Link arrived. "Are you ready?"
Link positioned himself in the usual spot, pulled out his bow and began to ready an arrow. "Yeah, let's go." He said simply.
"You're best score is 610, lets see if you can beat it!" Fledge said, and with that, the game had begun. As he had expected, Link's aim was inconsistent to start, hitting only about half of the pumpkins that Fledge threw and garnering barely 200 points on the first go. Link demanded a second game and was rewarded with a slightly better performance, but he still only got about 400 points, which was no where near his personal best.
"I think we have enough pumpkins for one more try." Fledge said after they finished the second game. "Give it one more go?"
Link decided to go for it, but again, he didn't perform to standards, getting an underwhelming 450 points. By this point, it was obvious that they didn't have enough pumpkins to play again, and since there wasn't enough time to go stock up on more, he decided to leave it at that.
"Boy, Link." Fledge said after the third game. "450 points isn't bad but you're really out of practice."
"I'm tired." Link said lamely.
"I can vouch to that." Fledge said with a laugh. "Well, anyway, I should go see if there are any chores I need to do before the ceremony. I'll see you soon, Link."
"Alright, bye." Link said. It was around early afternoon by now, and he still had quite a bit of time to kill before the ceremony began. Finding nothing else to do, Link followed Fledge back into the academy with the intention of taking a quick bath. Though he didn't really need it, his body did gather a bit of sweat from playing the minigame, and he was at a loss for ideas of anything else to do.
Since it was midday, he ran into no competition for the bath, and he did his best to prolong the bath as long as he could. But even with his slow movements and frequent breaks to relax in the hot water, Link had not wasted as much time bathing as he would have liked. When he was fully clothed again, he checked outdoors and saw that it was only just beginning to get darker out. It was still about an hour until dusk, when the ceremony would finally begin.
Link sighed and began to walk aimlessly into the main village. There were many people out and about despite the hour, and they were clearly getting ready to head over to his ceremony soon. Link noticed that most of them had dressed up in fancy dress clothes or beautiful dresses, and he began to worry that he would also have to get changed into something nicer. But then he remembered that his senior student garments would make much more sense, and since that's all he wore anyway, he didn't need to worry about that. Even so, Link couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that these people would go to such lengths for his 'graduation'. It was a feeling quite unlike anything he had ever experienced.
Link spent the better part of the next half hour simply wandering through town, talking to several of the residents and just passing the time in the quickest ways he could think of. Finally, once he determined that it was getting close to dusk, Link returned back to the academy. He found Gaepora there waiting for him, and he instructed Link to wait just outside the upper-floor entrance to the academy.
The whole area, Link noticed when he got there, had been decorated beyond recognition. In front of the door to the academy was a single chair and a large, wooden pedestal. Facing these two objects were dozens of other chairs, which were lined up into five rows. Off to the side were a few buffet tables, which held exotic foods so aromatic that Link was beginning to get hungry just by smelling them. Light, ambient music was being played from somewhere nearby, but Link wasn't sure whether somebody was actually playing it (which begged the question: where?) or it was being looped somehow. The whole area was being lit up by about a dozen torches and there were decorations everywhere.
Link was not the first to arrive on the scene, as both flight instructors were present, as well as Fledge and several other students at the academy. Owlan directed Link to sit at the seat next to the pedestal, and that was where Link waited for the rest of Skyloft's residents to arrive. They came in waves, but pretty soon, all of the seats in front of him had been filled and the only noticeable absence was Headmaster Gaepora.
Link shifted slightly in his seat as he waited for the headmaster to come start the ceremony. Each of the other chairs in the area were facing him, so he had no less than a few dozen sets of eyes focused on him, and it was an awkward feeling. Link wasn't sure what to do with himself so he simply sat there, trying to act as calm and collected as he could. And after what seemed like forever, the door to the academy opened and Headmaster Gaepora stepped out into the chilly, evening air. He was wearing a set of festive robes the likes of which Link had never seen before. They were a dull red in color and adorned with laces and several decorative patches.
A strong sense of relief fell over Link when he felt the audience's stare shift from him to Gaepora, who had taken a few steps forward and now stood behind the pedestal right next to Link. He opened his arms wide and said in a booming voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you all for coming." He wasn't yelling, but his voice was so prominent that it just seemed to carry through the air.
Gaepora continued, "Today is a special day, a very special day indeed. Today, we accept another worthy candidate into the ranks of the Skyloft Knights. As you all know, knights are our protectors and our guardians. They exemplify the best of what mankind has to offer, giving up themselves for the betterment of the whole. Becoming a knight is an incredible honor – but it's also a very rigorous responsibility. Knights must be dedicated, competent, and entirely self-sacrificing. These qualities are put to the test by this academy's precise training regimen, and only the initiates who prove themselves worthy are promoted into the ranks of the Knights."
Gaepora reached out and put a single hand on Link's shoulder and continued, "And the man who sits before you all today is no normal initiate. I think we all knew that when a crimson loftwing, a breed long thought to be extincted, chose him as a rider, Link was destined for greatness. And during his time at the academy, he has more than proven his worth. He has put countless hours into learning the knight's sacred ways. He and his loftwing ride as one, a skill that usually takes a lifetime to perfect. And Link, with your permission, I would like to say that I'm sure that your parents would be so proud, were they here to see this day."
Gaepora continued, "But let us not think that this life was handed to Link, for it most certainly was not. I can only imagine the hardships that he faced in growing up as an orphan, a fate that I would not wish upon even my worst enemy. But a better man rose from those ashes, and when Link was thrust into a position of complete and utter despair, he showed us all that there is always hope to be found, even in the jaws of failure. As most of you noticed, my beautiful daughter, Zelda, had gone missing just recently. This event pained me in a very strong and indescribable way and I'm sure Link, being a very close friend of hers, felt that same pain. He took it upon himself to ensure her safe return, and he encountered dangers the likes of which the rest of us couldn't even begin to comprehend. His journey was vast and he sustained some scars that may never heal, but in the end, he conquered his enemies and his fear, and he saved Zelda from what surely would have been a very untimely death. As her father, I simply cannot thank him enough."
Gaepora paused to catch his breath, then continued, "And his adventures did more than just save my daughter. We have him to thank for discovering the means by which we can visit the mythical land beneath the clouds, a land that my daughter and I have chosen to live in. He saved our sky spirit, Levias, from his parasitic captor. Link's list of accomplishments is simply too long to relay in this short ceremony."
Gaepora turned to Link. "And it is for these accomplishments that I'm honored to introduce you into the ranks of the Knights. Link, if you would stand now, please."
Link did as he was told, and Gaepora began to attach a small, steel pin, which was in the shape of a single wing, to his shoulder. While doing so, he said, "With this pin, a symbol of your commitment, you are now a knight of Skyloft. May the wind always flow in your favor, Knight Link."
The audience took this as there cue to applaud and Gaepora took a step back and started clapping as well, so Link raised his hand up meekly in recognition. After a moment when the applause had died down, Gaepora said, "Do you have anything to say, Link?"
Link was caught off-guard by the question, as he had been under the delusion that he wouldn't have to do anything other that simply sit there. "I...uh..." Link said nervously. "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure that I would've done those things if it meant I had to give a speech afterward."
The audience gave a small chuckle, and Link continued, "I guess I want to just say thanks to you all. Not just for being here now as I accept my knighthood, but for everything. You all are my family. You made me who I am."
"I think I speak for all of us when I say – congratulations, Link. This honor given to you is well-deserved." Gaepora said. "Now, how about we get the real party started, eh? If I can get the audience to stand, please, we will clear the area for food and dance."
The audience did so, and the students of the academy began moving the chairs around. After they all had been moved, the chairs were positioned in a large circle around all of the buffet tables, and the very center of the circle was obviously intended to be used as the dance floor. The mysterious music that had been playing was now livelier and more suitable for dancing.
"Alright, everyone, feel free to eat and dance to your heart's content!" Gaepora announced when all was ready. "All free of charge, of course. Thanks again for attending!"
When Gaepora's voice died, a cacophony of others filled the air in its place as everyone began chatting amongst themselves. Most of the people made there way to the buffet table to grab a bit to eat. The dance floor was empty at first, as no one wanted the awkward distinction of being the only one dancing, but the ice was broken when the two young lovers Pipit and Karane began to twirl in the artificial torch-created light, seemingly oblivious to the fact that almost everyone was watching them.
More couples entered the dance floor after that, and even a few went up stag and danced by themselves, but Link instead headed over to a buffet table for some food. He hadn't eaten since having a light breakfast earlier, and that combined with the fact that the food smelled so delicious made his stomach roar with hunger. He grabbed a plate and divvied out a bit of everything that the buffet table had to offer, and then took a seat at one of the chairs.
The food was as good as it smelled, and Link even found himself going up for seconds. Once he was done eating, however, he still found entertainment in watching the dance floor. Almost everyone had gone up to the dance floor for at least a little bit, but Link had no intention of doing so. Even so, he still found the time passing by fairly quickly as he watched the others.
"Hey, Link. Congratulations."
Link turned his focus away from the dance floor and to Fledge, who had just sat down next to him. "Oh, thanks, Fledge." Link said quietly. All this recognition was starting to make him uneasy.
"You really are amazing." Fledge said. "I had no idea you did any of that stuff the headmaster mentioned."
"He may have glorified the details a bit." Link grimaced.
"You're lying." Fledge replied. "I'm sure you deserved every word of the headmaster's praise."
"Yeah." Link muttered as he bowed his head.
"Hey, I noticed that you haven't hit the dance floor yet." Fledge said, seeing that Link obviously didn't want to continue on with that topic. "Why don't you go up and have some fun! It's your party after all."
"You're one to talk." Link replied grumpily, knowing that Fledge hadn't either.
"Me? No, nobody wants to dance with someone like me." Fledge said, and Link felt a strong stab of pity. "But you, I'm sure you could get anyone you wanted."
Link didn't know what to say in such an awkward situation, and fortunately, he would not have to, for Peatrice chose that moment to approach the two of them. She was dressed in a pale yellow dress, though nothing else looked much different about her. "Hey, Link, congratulations on your...thing."
Link wasn't sure what she was up to, for she had been acting very cold around him ever since he rejected her. Nevertheless, he replied simply, "Thanks, Peatrice."
Peatrice nodded curtly, then turned to Fledge and asked, "Fledge, would you like to share a dance with me?"
"I...what?" Fledge stuttered, and he turned to Link in amazement. Link simply gave him a smile and a reassuring nod, and Fledge looked back to Peatrice and added, "Yeah, alright."
Peatrice giggled and said excitedly, "Come on, then!" She grabbed his arms, pulled him off his chair and proceeded to guide him to the dance floor. The more Link thought about it, the more he suspected that Peatrice was just trying to get him jealous. But Fledge appeared to be having a good time as he waved his arms about, so Link decided not to question her.
It wasn't long after the two of them left that Link was visited by a new couple, that one being Pipit and Karane. They were nearly exhausted by now, having spent the entire time so far dancing.
"Well done, Link." Pipit said as the two of them came to a stop in front of Link's chair. "I can think of no greater honor than being accepted into the Knight's order."
"Thanks, Pipit." Link replied.
"I mean, I have been a senior student for longer than you so it's curious that they would decide to choose you over me, but there's no question that you're very deserving as well-" Pipit began to say.
"Pipit!" Karane interrupted, giving Pipit a stern look. "Good job, Link. And what a lovely ceremony, too! Pipit and I have had such a great time."
"I'd guess that the two of you can find a good time wherever you are." Link replied.
"Well, having such beautiful, loving young lady at my side certainly makes it easy." Pipit said quietly, turning his attention to Karane.
"Oh, Pipit!" Karane sighed softly, and the scene was growing increasingly awkward for Link.
The two of them stared deeply into each others eyes for a moment longer before Pipit said, "How about we grab something to eat?" And, when Karane nodded, Pipit turned back to Link and said, "Take care of yourself, Link."
Link was left alone again as the young couple walked off towards a nearby buffet table. Looking around, Link saw that the party was starting to quiet down, as many of the guests had already left. Walking home at night used to be a problem but ever since the end of Link's adventures, monsters no longer patrolled the streets of Skyloft at night, so these guests could travel back home without any worries. Only about a dozen guests still remained now, but even so, the music was still as festive as ever and the buffet tables were still full of food. And some of the guests, particularly the new couple of Fledge and Peatrice, didn't seem to be planning on leaving anytime soon.
Link had intended on staying at the ceremony until the bitter end, but he was rapidly beginning to feel the effects of fatigue, and his eyelids were getting hard to keep open. And he very nearly did fall asleep right there on his chair, but he was jolted awake by a very excited voice that said, "Some party you have here!"
Link looked up and saw that Orielle had just sat down on a chair next to him. She was wearing a pretty white dress but the most notable distinction from her usual appearance was that her hair wasn't in the twin braids that she had come to be known by. Rather, she let her hair down so that it twirled slightly in the late night breeze. She was quite the opposite of him at the moment, as she was bouncing around with energy. "Enjoying yourself, I take it?" Link asked as he yawned.
"Oh, goddesses, yes!" She exclaimed. "I can't remember the last time I've had this much fun. I love dancing."
"Yeah, I saw you up there with your brother." Link said with a small grin.
Orielle frowned. "That's not weird, is it?"
"Maybe a little." Link said with a chuckle.
"Well, in his defense, I did force him to dance with me." Orielle replied. "I just needed a partner. Anyway, I just wanted to say 'congratulations', Link. Based on what I heard today, you are due at least that much."
"And you believe what you heard?" Link asked.
"Of course." Orielle said plainly. "Shouldn't I?"
"I don't know, Headmaster Gaepora is just...very good with words." Link replied. "He could make a burglar out to be a goddess and make it believable, if he had a mind to."
"But he doesn't." Orielle replied. "He, instead, chose to commend you. He believed every word that he said, I can tell. And I do, too."
Link grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right."
"Oh, quit being so humble. It's getting irritating." Orielle said with a small grin, then added. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Am I going to regret it if I say 'yes'?" Link replied.
"Maybe." Orielle said with a laugh. "If you were willing to go to such lengths to save Zelda, why did you decide to leave?"
Link paused, not quite sure how to answer. "The Zelda I found was not the same one that I set out looking for."
"You can't blame yourself for that." Orielle said quietly. "People change."
"Or, in my case, evolve." Link murmured.
"What?" Orielle asked.
"Forget it." Link said gruffly.
"You've changed, too, you know." Orielle said.
"In a good way, I hope?" Link said with a light smile.
"You've just grown so...courageous." Orielle explained. "Like you would take on the entire world, if it came to that. And, being around you, its hard to not feel the same way. You're kind and compassionate. Determined and brave. So humble that it's infuriating. You're just a great person"
"I...don't know what to say." Link replied. "Thanks."
Link looked at her and tried to read her gaze but she was giving him a look that was impossible to comprehend. They simply looked at each other for a moment until a distraction in the form of Parrow stirred them.
"Hey, Orielle, are you ready to head back?" Parrow said.
Link looked around and saw that the three of them were now the only ones left, just chairs and empty food dishes remained behind. "You go on ahead, Parrow. I'll be a couple more minutes." Orielle said.
"But-" Parrow began to say.
"I'll be fine." Orielle interrupted. "Don't worry about me."
"Don't be too long." Parrow said uncertainly. He then turned to Link and said, "Link, always a pleasure." Then he turned around and walked back into the main village.
Link watched him go, during which time Orielle said to him, "There is something I have to tell you, Link."
Link turned back to look at her again. "What is it?"
Orielle held a surprisingly straight tone as she said, "I'm glad you came back."
One look at her features told Link that she meant it. Her eyes were full of longing, an emotion that Link was beginning to feel himself. As Link gazed into her beautiful brown eyes, he found that his head was unconsciously inching closer to hers. Her eyes were getting bigger and bigger until she closed them and Link did they same, and for a brief two seconds, their lips met for a passionate display of affection. Orielle then pulled back and rose to her feet. She smiled at his confused expression and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. "But it's getting late." She said, and she offered him her hand. "Walk me home, my Knight?"
Link smiled and interlocked his fingers with hers, rising to his feet as he did so. And as he began to walk alongside this young lady that he was quickly becoming attached to, Link had to agree. He looked at Orielle and, with a smile, he said, "I'm glad I came back, too."