Alright y'all! I'm actually enjoying this quite a bit. It gives me a chance to go through the whole Skyward Sword story again.

Hope you like this next chapter. Feel free to review and say what I'm screwing up, or what y'all think I'm doing right!


I continued to fall, the wind rushing around me. At this point, I was certain that I would fall through the clouds and never see Skyloft again.

I had been so distracted by what I thought were my final thoughts that I didn't notice Zelda jump down and call for her Loftwing, until the Loftwing caught me in it's talons. If you were wondering, landing on a Loftwing doesn't really hurt, but being caught out of the air by one can be painful. My stomach lurched as my falling abruptly stopped, and I was carried upwards by Zelda's Loftwing.

"Hang in there Link! I've got you!" Zelda said from atop her bird, looking down at me.

The Loftwing finally made it back up to where the headmaster was, and crashed into the ground. The three of us lay there on the ground, breathing heavily, all feeling overwhelmed by what just happened.

"Are you two alright?" The headmaster asked, looking at me and Zelda with concern. I nodded, too out of breath to respond with words. I looked at Zelda and her Loftwing, and saw that the bird seemed to be slightly injured. Zelda was right next to it, muttering softly, and apologising for pushing it so hard.

"This is very odd Link. What could have possibly happened to your Loftwing? For a bird to ignore the call of his master, it's unheard of! And you still can't sense your bird nearby, eh Link?" I shook my head as I stood up, concerned that I might never see my Loftwing again. The headmaster sighed.

"This is quite a problem, especially considering that the Wing Ceremony is about to start." I looked at the headmaster, wondering if this meant I'd have to wait another year to become a knight.

"Link.." Zelda said, still looking at her Loftwing, not meeting my eyes. "When you said you couldn't sense your Loftwing well… I should have believed you. I'm sorry. I need to tend to my own Loftwing, so I'll catch up with you later." I nodded.

"Is it alright? I don't want your Loftwing to be injured because of me." Zelda nodded.

"She'll be fine. Her wing just got strained, that's all. You'd better go on ahead and see if you can find where your bird has gone!" Right as she finished her sentence, the academy bell started ringing, signaling that the ceremony would soon begin.

"My, how did it get to be so late? If I recall correctly, this year Instructor Horwell is presiding over the ceremony. Link, you should go and explain the situation to him and see if he's willing to delay the race a little so you can find your bird." I nodded, and was about to go find the Instructor when Zelda giggled.

"But, Father, you're the headmaster of the academy! If Link asks Instructor Horwell, he'll probably just come talk to you about it."

"Ah, quite true. As usual, you make an excellent point, my dear." The headmaster chuckled. "Very well, I'll explain the situation to him myself. Link, run along and tell Instructor Horwell to meet me in my quarters."

"Yes sir." I said quickly, already running off to find my bird. And tell the Instructor to meet the headmaster, of course.

As I ran back to the academy, I saw Karane standing by the doors. When I approached her, I could hear her muttering angrily. "Don't men open doors for a lady anymore? How long am I supposed to stand here waiting for a little chivalry? Ugh…" I laughed as I walked up to the doors. I knew exactly who Karane wanted to open the door for her. It definitely wasn't me.

"Oh! It's you, Link… Say, you look all flustered. Did something happen?" Her eyes filled with concern. In some ways, Karane was like an older sister to me, always there to help if I needed something.

"My Loftwing is missing, and it hasn't answered any of my calls." The look on Karane's face quickly turned from concern to shock.

"What?! You can't find your Loftwing?" She sighed and looked down at the ground thoughtfully. "Umm… I don't know what to tell you. I've been here at school the whole time. Pipit is the one to ask about birds. I saw him downstairs a minute ago. Why don't you look for him there?" When Karane mentioned Pipit's name, her whole face brightened. It was rather amusing to see. I nodded and headed inside, hoping Pipit might have some idea of where my Loftwing could've gone. As I walked down the stairs of the academy to find Pipit, he saw me and looked at me with confusion.

"You're not still wandering around the academy are you?!" I shook my head.

"I'm not going to miss the ceremony, my loftwing just hasn't been answering when I call for it." Jeez. At this rate I should just get a sign to hold up.

"What?! Your Loftwing won't come when you call for it? Why wouldn't a guardian bird come when it's called?" I sighed. I guess Pipit doesn't know anything about where my bird could have gone. "You know, I've never heard of something Like this happening before, so I can't even tell you what you're doing wrong… But a good senior never hangs an underclassman out to dry. We'll figure this out together! You go to the plaza, and ask people if they know anything. I'll ask around here." I smiled, and thanked Pipit profusely. This would save me a lot of time. I headed off quickly to the Plaza, and began to ask people if they've seen my bird around there. As I continued to walk around the plaza, I saw a trio that could know where my bird went. As I walked up to the three, I could hear them talking. Their backs were to me, and I approached slowly, knowing I might get more info if I eavesdrop instead.

"You know Groose, that sure was a pain, what with all the scratching and pecking." One of them said. The big one in the middle chuckled.

"Course it was. You thought a big Crimson Loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight? But we got him, and I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen anytime soon, boys." I began to shake with rage as the three stood up, but quickly masked it. Two of them noticed me immediately. It took Groose a moment to turn around and see me. When he did, he jumped back in shock.

"Whoa! Link! So, uh… yeah. Just how long you been standing there?" I was about to confront him about my bird when he laughed and began to walk in circles around me.

"What's your problem, anyway? Oh, wait… I got it. You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours. They're pleading, 'Oh Groose, can you please find it in your heart to win today? Please?'" I scowled. As if I'd ever beg an idiot like Groose to let me win. "You're just desperate to win so that you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddess at the end of the ceremony." He turned and looked me in the eyes, getting too close for my comfort. "Well, sorry, pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second… Say, come to think of it… how come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of red feathers? I can't even imagine what could've happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?" Groose leaned back and smirked at me, daring me to speak. I smirked. "Nice hair, Groose." He scowled. "You lay off my do right now, or I'll flatten you. Everyone knows I've got the slickest pompadour in town. You know." He said, pointing a finger in my face. "We're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget that you and Zelda go way back. You've been friends since you were kids?" He scoffed. "Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honoured academy through the mud."

"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?" I turned and saw Zelda looking at us angrily, hands on her hips.

"Oh… Zelda… Hey. Nah. It's uh... " I began to step back as Zelda stomped up to Groose, and nearly fell over as she shoved me to the side. She got right up in Groose's face and pointed a finger at him.

"Don't even try it, Groose! You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying him around so much?" I could answer that question for her. It was because I was friends with her. Plain and simple.

"Yeah… I suppose…" Groose said nervously.

"You suppose? Suppose what?" Zelda glared at Groose as his face changed from being nervous to a look of awe and… love?

"I… suppose… you… Er... " He fell completely out of it for a moment, but then scowled again. "Pfft! Forget it! I wasn't supposing anything. Ok?" He and his cronies stalked off to one of the platforms. "Ok, we're outta here boys. Later, Link! Hope you find your bird, or else you're gonna have to sit out today's race! That could be a major setback toward Knighthood, so find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure! It's your special flavour." The trio jumped off the platform, flying off with their birds. I scowled as Groose waved smugly.

"I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to think that those blockheads had something to do with your Loftwing's disappearance. Link, those guys aren't going to help us find your bird, so we'd better start searching." Zelda turned to face me, smiling softly. "I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can find any trace of your bird. Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the wing ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find your bird in time." Zelda then ran off and jumped onto her bird, flying around Skyloft. I sighed and raked a hand through my blonde hair. I was beginning to feel hopeless. I had searched all of Skyloft, and there was still no sign of my Loftwing. I was ready to break down and cry. My Loftwing is closer to me than even Zelda is. Without him I'm not whole. I don't know if I could continue if he's really gone. I walked back to the academy slowly, hoping that Pipit could've figured something out. As I was about to enter the upper doors, I heard a shout from Pipit.

"Hey! Link! Over here! I have some information about your Loftwing! Come over here!" I grinned and jumped off the ledge, running over to Pipit. I noticed that Fledge was standing behind him, looking scared and worried.

"Hey Link, I was just looking for you. When I asked Fledge what he knew, he started acting weird." Pipit then nudged Fledge and gave him a meaningful look. Fledge turned to me and began speaking quickly.

"I'm so sorry Link! I really wanted to tell you… but if Groose found out I told you..."

"It sounds like Groose forced him to be quiet about it. Go on! Tell him the truth!" Pipit interrupted, looking at Fledge with frustration. Fledge sighed and continued.

"Just a little while ago, when I was cleaning the dining hall, Groose and his buddies came in. They didn't notice I was there and started talking about their plan to hide your Loftwing. I wanted to warn you Link, but as I started to sneak away...They said that if I told you, they'd make sure I would never be able to ride a bird again!" I sighed, feeling pity for Fledge, but also frustration. He shouldn't take their threats seriously. If they did anything that harmed another student, they'd be kicked out of the academy before they could say Loftwing.

"It sounds like Groose and his buddies had a plan to capture your bird and hide him near a waterfall. Well, near a waterfall would mean… It's probably the one near the cave. It's the only one I can think of." Pipit said, taking authority over the situation. I nodded.

"I'll head over there and see if I can sense my Loftwing anywhere. Thanks Pipit."

"Forgive me Link! I can't help being such a coward… I'm really sorry." I shrugged and shook my head.

"There was nothing you could do about it Fledge. Just try and take those bullies less seriously next time. No harm done." Fledge smiled, grateful that I wasn't mad. I smiled back and began to walk off to the waterfall, when I heard Pipit call for me again.

"One more thing, Link! If you're going to the waterfall, remember that there are some dangerous things there. Creepy, crawly things. You're going to need to carry a sword." Pipit was right. In my rush to find my Loftwing, I forgot about the things that resided in the cave, like chu's and keese. Zelda and I had gone to the cave many time, but we had never confronted any of the monsters head on. We both knew we'd be facing more punishment than just injury if someone found out we tried to attack or fight one. Now my only problem is… I don't know where to find a sword.

"I think I saw the Knight commander go into the Sparring Hall a while ago. You should go ask him if you can borrow one!" Pipit said, obviously knowing I was clueless. Honestly, I felt a little stupid. I should've realized that the Sparring Hall would have swords.

I walked into the Sparring Hall, seeing that the Knight Commander was inside. I walked into the room that held our training swords, pulling one out of the nearest chest. I stepped back outside into the main room and hit at some of the dummies in there. I couldn't fight monsters without practice right? As I continued to slice at them and chop them down, my mind went into a haze. I always enjoyed fighting. Not the part where people or things get hurt, but the part where I learn to defend myself and others. It always felt so… right.

I was so absorbed in my practice that I almost didn't hear the Knight Commander shout joyfully, "That's right Link!" I looked at him and grinned. He looked back at me with pride.

"You really are a strong swordsman. Easy to teach too. You make this instructor proud! Would you want to try a spin attack?" My grin grew even wider.

"Of course I would!" Only advanced students get to do spin attacks. I've only done it one other time, so the instructor is putting a lot of faith in me. I stood in the middle of the room and the practice dummies dropped down. I took a deep breath and spun, making sure to keep my sword in a straight line, so that I could hit all of the dummies. When I opened my eyes, all of the dummies were cut clean in half, and the instructor was smiling happily. "Good one! That sure looked like it felt good! Now… do you want to try a fatal blow?" I looked at the instructor with shock. None of the seniors at the academy had even tried a fatal blow. I nodded, and took a defensive stance in the middle of the room. I had seen the instructor do it, so I knew exactly what I needed to do. When the dummy dropped down, I quickly slashed at it. As the top half of it fell, I flipped in the air and stabbed the middle of the top half of it. I looked up at the instructor, breathing heavily. Those were harder than I thought. He looked back at me with shock all over his face.

"In all my years Link.. I've never seen a student execute it that well on their first try. Great job!" He walked over and clapped me on the back, smiling even wider than before. I grinned up at him, glad I was doing one thing right. As the instructor moved back to sit down, I tried to sneak quietly out the door with my sword. I didn't need anyone else to know that my loftwing was missing. But, as I grabbed the doorknob, I heard the instructor call out, "Hey! Link!" I stopped and sighed, trudging slowly back towards the instructor.

"You can't take swords outside of the sparring hall. What do you think you're doing sneaking out with that?!" He exclaimed, waving his own sword about in frustration.

"I'm sorry, but I really need this, instructor. My loftwing is missing, and I think he might be by the waterfall." The instructor sighed and nodded, not waving his sword wildly around anymore.

"Well I guess I could make an exception just this once. But remember that Skyloft is a peaceful place. Only knights carry swords! So I don't want to see you swinging it around like crazy out there! I don't want to get in a ton of trouble over this so here's the deal… Make sure you get plenty of practice on these logs first, and when you get outside with that sword, only use it when you absolutely have to. Got it?" I nodded and grinned.

"Thank you so much! I promise to work extra hard next time I come around!" I said happily, already running out the doors to get to my Loftwing.

I sprinted as fast as I could across Skyloft, and finally made it over to the pond (lake?) where the waterfall was. I carefully jumped across the rocks, and walked over to the entrance of the cave. When I got close to it, I could suddenly sense my Loftwing. Everything went dark for a moment, and I could see it struggling to move boards that were nailed up in front of it. Groose really had caged him in. I drew my sword quickly, and rushed into the cave, ready to fight whatever monsters may be inside in order to save my Loftwing.


Alright! That ends chapter 3! Thanks for reading, and if I don't post another chapter before Christmas, Merry Christmas to y'all!

-Snow