Chapter 2:
Windstorm
"Link. Link. It is time. Your adventure is now beginning. He is coming."
Link looked down into the black void below him, and saw now hundreds of trees and hills, blanketed in darkness. The ground shook violently, and a dark specter began to rise up from under the ground towards him. It's giant gaping mouth slowly opened, and engulfed him.
He struggled against the darkness as it swallowed him.
…
Suddenly, he rolled out of his bed in a sweat. He gathered himself, and slowly stood. He glanced out the window, and saw it was early in the morning.
Great. Link treasured his sleep, and he hated waking up so early. He rubbed his wound, which was still sore. He slipped on his boots, and stumbled outside into a cool hallway. He decided he wouldn't have been able to fall back asleep after such an unsettling dream, so it was probably better just to start his day.
An older boy in a yellow tunic greeted him.
"Hey, Link! How's that cut on your torso? More importantly, I heard you won! Great job, pal! I knew you were a winner!"
"Thanks, Pipit."
He nodded, "No problem. I'm always there to congratulate my peers! I hear they're fixing up your tunic for you! It's going to be green this year."
"Yeah, sounds good. Anyway, I think I'm going to head out for awhile."
"Sounds good. I have some studies to take care of, anyway. As I always say: If you want to be a knight – sacrifice, sacrifice, and sacrifice!"
Link offered a smile, and stepped around Pipit, who wandered off towards the classroom. He saw a practice sword leaning against the wall, and realized that was the one he had borrowed from yesterday when he had ran into the cave. He strapped it on his back, and headed outside. He would return it later today.
He navigated his way through the peaceful town of Skyloft, and arrived in the plaza. Groose and his cronies were gathered around, talking.
Groose was speaking as Link approached, "...scrawny runt took it from me! I can't stand that! We even stuffed his dang bird in that cell, and he still shows up with that thing! It really gets me steamed every time I think about it! Stupid red fly..."
His short, stubby friend with long dark hair pointed over his shoulder at Link, his eyes going wide.
Groose turned around, frowning at Link, "Well, if it isn't my old pal! You know, you've got a lot of nerve embarrassing me like that, Link!"
Link glared, "You've got the nerve, Groose."
Groose spat on the ground, "No, you do!" he jabbed his finger into Link's chest, "You always love to brag that you and Zelda have been friends since childhood! I don't even know why she likes you! You spend all day with your head in the clouds, without a care in the world. When are you gonna get a grip? When are you gonna get some responsibility and start acting like a man, like me?"
He leaned in closer, his eyes full of fury, subtly flexing his muscles (which Link found hilarious every time he did it), "That moment with Zelda on the statue was supposed to be mine! My alone time with -"
"Alone time on the statue? With me?"
Link turned, and couldn't help but smirk. Zelda looked fuming mad, her hands on her hips, staring daggers at Groose.
He blushed, "Zelda! Funny seeing you here! I, uh, was just congratulating Link here... about, uh... yesterday, and how he deserved to finish the ritual on the statue!"
Zelda turned to Link with a look that said quite plainly: Is this true?
Link subtly shook his head, and Zelda stepped towards Groose, "You were bullying Link again, weren't you?" she snapped.
"I, uh..."
"You need to lay off, Groose! You know he won fair and square, and if you and your little friends can't accept that fact than you need a reality check!"
Groose started to smile dreamily.
"I mean, you even cheated. Yeah, I saw that! And my dad did, too! You're lucky you're not getting in a lot of trouble over that! In fact, I'll see if I can't find a punishment!"
Groose's eyes rolled back in his head, and he slowly started to fall backwards, grinning like a true idiot. His two friends rushed in and caught him, and helped him back to standing straight.
He seemed to gain control of himself, and resumed looking at Link.
"Ah, um, well... Whatever! I'm getting that statuette next year, and I guarantee you still won't be in knighthood by then!" as he walked off, he winked at Zelda.
"What jerks! Can you believe them, Link?"
Link just grinned and started to jog towards the dock. He did a back flip off of it, and went plummeting downwards.
"Link! Wait up!" she called.
She dove off after him. By then, he was already flying around on his Loftwing. She whistled for her's, and he snapped the reigns and shot off towards her. He saw her Loftwing closing in, but beat it to the punch. She landed on his, and they flew off together. Her blue Loftwing squawked angrily back at them.
"Link! You upset him!" she said, punching him playfully on the shoulder.
He just laughed and snapped the reigns again, flying straight for a portal, "Hold on!"
They blasted through the portal, the wind blasting at them, small chunks of rock floating in the sky rushing by at high speeds.
Zelda let out a scream and hunkered down. Link laughed as they slowed. Zelda still looked bent over.
"Zelda?"
She popped up, smiling, "I'm alright!"
"So, where do you want to go now?" he asked.
"How about the Lumpy Pumpkin, later? First, my bird!"
She laughed as he tried to stop her as she jumped. Her bird swooped up under her and caught her. She flew alongside Link, and for a long time they were content flying around the endless expanse of sky around Skyloft, doing tricks, racing, and talking together.
"So, how about the Lumpy Pumpkin?" Link asked.
She nodded, "About that. Before we go, there's been something I've been wanting to talk with you about lately."
He grew curious, "What is it?"
"Well, Link, lately..."
Suddenly there was a blinding light. A strange, dark tornado formed from it, and began to whip towards them. Wind blasted their Loftwings, and Link pulled on the reigns, trying to steady his bird.
"Zelda, be careful!" he cried.
Link's bird tried to fly away, but it got twisted around, once again facing the storm. It batted it's wings like crazy, trying to keep away. He noticed Zelda was being dragged closer and closer by the winds.
She tried to fly to her left to escape the tornado, but it was like the storm went straight for her. The wind tore her off of her bird's back, and she went spinning around in the tornado, screaming. The storm seemed to gather around her in a ball of swirling wind.
"Link, help!" she cried.
It closed in around her, and shot down below the clouds. One final gust of wind blew Link off of his Loftwing, and he fell down and down... down into the darkness of his mind.
A/N: I hope everyone is enjoying this so far. Chapter 3 is in the works and will be up as soon as possible. The story is closely following the actual game, but I have something a little different in store for Groose, that will be equally satisfying as the actual game. More on that, when I get to it. Don't won't to give too much away...
I hope you leave your reviews, whether you see something wrong with my writing, or if you like the story. I'd like to hear the readers' opinions!
