I'm sorry for the lack of updating of this story. It was never my plan to leave it inactive for this long but things happen and I got busy. The characters may be a bit out of characters, but please forgive me as I may have gotten a little rusty.
I own nothing but the Characters Max and Cressa. The other characters belong to their original owners.
Read, Enjoy, Review.
As the three contestants took to the skies, Cressa was standing by Samantha, helping her cheer anyone that wasn't Groose, "I hope Max wins the Ceremony." Samantha said to Cressa. "Me too." Max's sister told her, giving her a small smile. "But he's been so lazy these past couple of days." Samantha, or Sam, sighed sadly. "Sam," Cressa said softly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "The fact that he's out there, right now, should tell you that he's been working hard." she smiled. "You're right." Sam said, returning the smile. "Win or lose, he's going to be the same Max." she told her, full of confidence. "Right!" Cressa nodded. "Now let's cheer for them." she added. "Everyone that isn't Groose." Sam smirk.
Frida smiled from her spot in the sky, she was watching the Wing Ceremony, "Who do you think will win?" she asked Lighting, her Skywing and friend. Her only friend. She was too shy to go up to them, despite the fact that she knows everything about everyone in Skyloft. She stayed in her own perfect, happy world in the sky and watch everything play out under her.
Max was watching the Professor's Skywing, trying to think of the best way to come up with a plan, "Come on, Nari." he told his bird, motioning it to go forward, toward the other bird.
"Haven't I told you from time and time again that the best bird is always on top?"
Groose said, lowering down on Max's bird.
Max veered off to the right so he won't be caught in the middle of a bird sandwich, "I thought I beat that into you." Groose sneered, now beside Max. "I have something that you don't, Groose." Max said boldly, smirking. "What's that?" Groose asked, his eyes narrowing down at the lazy boy.
"Samantha's cheering."
He told the school bully then sped off, toward the Professor's bird.
Groose got red in the face with anger, now matching his hair, "We'll see about that." he said softly then speeding up to catch up with Max and Nari. Max looked over at Groose and noticed that he was trying to bump into him.
"What's he doing?" Cressa asked Samantha, noticing that Groose's Skywing was strangely close to Max's bird. "He's going to do 'Bird Bumping'." Samantha whispered to her. "The what?" Cressa asked, not knowing what that was. "It's a Groose's move." Samantha told her. "Ah, a childish, cheating move." Cressa said slowly, now getting it. "Right, so he'll try to knock the other person out of the way." Samantha explained. "Not if I have anything to say about it." Cressa said, getting ready to curse Groose until Samantha stopped her. "Can't, if Headmaster Geapora finds out that you done it to help Max then he'll be out of the race for sure." she warned her, not wanting to see Max… her Max get kick out of the Ceremony.
Frida watch Max and Groose go at it but realized something, No Drake, "Wonder where he is," she said quietly, rubbing Lightning's feathers. "Have any idea?" she asked her Skywing. Lightning looked up and saw Drake high up in the skies. Higher up then her! "How did he…? When did he…?" the girl asked herself, surprised by how he got up higher then her without her noticing. "What's he doing?" she wondered to himself.
Drake watched Groose and the other guy, who he assumed was 'Max', bumping into each other, "If I time it just right," he thought to himself, being his normal 'loner' self. He had two friends, Samantha and Link. He didn't know what exactly happen to him but that he just… disappeared. He just pushed the thoughts behind him, not wanting anything to slow him down today, "Today is my day," he said, mentally ready to win.
Groose was trying to get Max off the Professor's Skywing but the lazy boy wasn't himself today. He was actually trying to win. "Break away!" Groose told him, trying to push Nari away. "No!" Max told him sternly, not willing to give up so easily.
Not on this day.
He had something worth fighting for.
"Break off!"
Groose shouted to Max then kicking Nari's side, making her to cry out in pain and quickly veering off to the right, away from the wooden statue of the goddess. "That cheater," Drake said softly, seeing the entire thing from where he was at. "Bug," Groose sneered then realizing that the Professor's bird went up, over, and behind Groose. Now it was 'role reversal' meaning that Groose was the one that was being chased.
"You ok, Nari?" Max asked her when they regain balance, stroking her feathers where Groose kicked her. Nari crowed softly, reassuring Max that she was, "That's good," Max smiled, now relaxed. "Want to show people what we've been doing all this time?" Max suggested, smirking.
"What's he doing?" Samantha ask Cressa, talking about Max. "Dunno, he isn't taking part of this." his sister said, wondering if her brother gave up since he's not trying. Groose, on the other hand, was right behind the Professor's bird. "He should get back in the game, he'll lose if Groose gets the statue." Samantha said then shuttering at the thought of… giving Groose the reward.
"Something's up with him…" Drake thought, watching Max not being in the game anymore. Max was just… doing nothing. As Drake watched, he wondered what Max had in mind. "I should give him time." Drake said to Lux, his skywing then going after the Professor's bird, both trying and keeping Groose away.
"Ready Nari?"
Max asked, now done. Nari nodded, ready for what was going to happen. "Let's fly!" he exclaimed. Nari cawed proudly then taking off with high speeds. Something that took everyone by surprise. Max and Nari was zooming through the skies, catching up to the others quickly.
Drake saw this and got out of the way while Groose was taken by surprise and lost momentum. "No way," Drake said softly, watching Max going after the bird. "Could he have reach the Synergistic Unit already?" he wondered, amazed that someone could do that. Synergistic Unit was a move that only those who's souls wavelength are in complete harmony in mind, body, and soul. A move that only a rare few could do, and less that could have complete control over it. If someone was to be not physically and mentally ready for this type of move, then it'll be harmful for the bird and the rider. Synergistic Unit's limits are different for each person, meaning if it was forced or not practiced with, then it'll just drain the pair.
"Whoa!" Frida exclaimed, surprised by how fast by how fast Max was going. Surprising the shy girl Frida. Nothing in her journal said anything about this, she had to write it down, wanting to make sure that she had all the details as accurate as possible. So the people in the distant future will see what happen in Skyloft.
Drake smirk a little, thinking about how interesting the Wing Ceremony turn out to be, "Come on Lux." he said, petting his beloved partner then going into the Synergistic Unit too. He zoom through the air and was beside Max in matter of seconds, taking the people by surprise. "Wh-wh-what?!" Groose exclaimed, shock to see Max and Drake going that fast. What was really shocking was that Max could have been able to do it. Of all the people, Max, the laziest student, could go into that mode. He gritted his teeth, clench his fists, and narrowed his eyes on him. Drake didn't come into mind since he wasn't his enemy. Max was.
Cressa and Samantha was in awe by the two boy's speed, they were going so fast that it was almost impossible to keep up with them with their eyes. It was giving Howl's skywing a run for it's rupees. Not going that fast in a long, long time as the professor's bird had to do some quick turns and ducks to avoid them getting the wooden statue of The Goddess.
So after a while, Howl's bird went straight up, knowing that when it get's too high, the two boys would know to break off since the birds wouldn't able to go up that high since the lack of oxygen. It was a bold, but risky, move since if the rider or the bird were to lose consciousness, they could run the risk of falling through the clouds.
"Howl's Skywing, what is it doing?" the dirty blonde girl, Cressa, ask in surprise as she watch the experienced bird going straight up towards the sky. "I think… it's trying to shake the two off." Samantha replied after a while. "By going straight up, there'll be less oxygen for them. And since it's less oxygen, the birds have to fall back so it won't pass out." The dark blue hair girl continue. Cressa look up to see three dots in the sky, worried. How far would they go to win?
Frida watch and wrote in detail what was going on during the Wing Ceremony, "Hopefully they'll know to come back down." She said then watching the three going up into the air. She knew from the classes where if a Skywing goes too high into the air, the feathers would freeze over or that they would pass out from the lack of oxygen. But in the end, the brown hair girl would know what may happen. "Be safe you two…"
Drake was more aware in his Synergistic Unit more then Max, so he realized that he had to stop or else that Lux would get harm from the coldness, "Lex, break away." He commanded, wanting to think logically. Their safety was more important then winning. There was always next year, he knew that well. But you can never replace his beloved Skywing, Lux. When the two were safe, they look up and saw Max still going. "Break away… break away, Max…" Drake whispered quietly, hoping that Max would realize that he's in danger.
After a while, Nari and Max came out of the Synergistic Unit as he reached out, his fingers barely touching the statue, "Al… most… got it…" he whispered, able to see his breath as he felt the icy coldness take over his body. His breathing becoming shorter and shorter from the lack of air that he was getting as he was going higher and higher. Since Max wasn't fully in control of the Synergistic Unit, he didn't know what was physically happening to him.
Cressa and Samantha was horrified to see to see the dirty blonde boy falling from the height high above the group. Nari falling limply after him. Unconscious as well and had a light coat of ice covering her wings and feathers.
"Max!" the blue hair girl exclaimed as she saw her best friend falling. She ran and jump off the ledge without a second thought. "Falsetto!" she called out to her blue feathered partner to fly to it's owner. The dark blue hair girl got onto her bird but stop in her confusion when she saw something that surprised her.
Groose went to save Max.
Drake and Frida was surprised when Groose catch him, the boy that he personally hated, he was saving. "Maybe… he does have a…" Drake said then stopping as he saw the red headed brute punching the unconscious boy and tried to grab something from him. Frida sighed at what Groose was doing, "Should have known…" she groaned but watch what was going on.
Groose was trying to take something from Max, giving the lazy boy several punches to the stomach and some to the face, trying to grab something until Falsetto got them in her talons, "Groose, what are you doing?!" Samantha ask the brute, offended that he was causing harm to him… again. "Nothing." The red head boy said, holding onto Max since he had something that he wanted. "Liar," Samantha replied back then noticing blood on Max's body. "Falsetto, land now!" she exclaimed in fear and panic. Falsetto cawed then flying over to the floating island.
"Samantha, what happen?" the brown hair boy ask the blue hair girl, seeing that she caught the two of them. "Max's bleeding." Samantha told him then landing the two on the ground and went to check on her best friend's wounds.
Frida went down to see what was going on, "I hope he's ok." She said as she landed her yellow Skywing behind the growing crowd that was trying to get a good look at Max, but was horrified by the bloody mess that was covering his face. To make things worse, Max was on his side, curled up into a ball as he seem to be holding something. It was easily seen in the shy girl's face that she was shock to see the amount of blood on the lazy boy's face as she never been up close before. Despite the fact that she went into his room. She didn't know Max personally, but she knew what he done and stuff.
"Samantha, go to the Medic Wing and get some of the nurses." Headmaster said to her, knowing how worried she was for him. "I'll watch over Max." he told her. Samantha nodded then going to the academy. Frida sighed slightly but saw Drake going up to Groose, "Hey, what's your deal with him?" the loner ask, clearly ticked to see him acting like that. "Teh, nothing that concerns you." The red brute said, poking his chest. "It is when someone messes with a friend of mine." The loner told him, unfazed by Groose's poke. "'Friend'?" the huge muscle said, rolling his eyes. "Do you know his name?" he added, knowing how much of a 'lone wolf' Drake was. "Um… I do." Frida piped up, but no one seem to notice. Drake rolled his eyes, "Max." he said, proving the red head bully wrong. "And how did you figure that out, loner?" Groose sneered. "He's Samantha's friend. Samantha is my friend." Drake told him, not liking how the school bully treated people.
In the mist of Drake and Groose's argument, Cressa and Frida saw Samantha coming back with a nurse, "How's Max?" the blue hair girl ask when they came up and went to the boy who was still knocked out. "He's still out." Cressa said, worried about her younger brother. The nurse went to put the bandages on the kid, trying to save him.
"I had enough of you, Groose." Drake said to him, annoyed now. "What gives you the right to treat Max like that?!" he ask instantly. Groose was about to say something until the loner cut him off, "None, you're no one special. I would call you a snake, but I'll be insulating snakes everywhere." He told him.
Blinded by his anger, Groose went to punch Drake in the face. The loner caught the oncoming fist and pulled it, using Groose's momentum against him as he used his other hand to grab the brute's arm and thrown him up and over himself. Then on the ground. "How… what the…?" Groose stuttered, confused by what just happen. "I was able to flip you onto the ground by the force of your attack by making your punch work for me." Drake explained. "With the extra momentum and the use of the other arm to lift you up, I could flip you over me and onto the ground." He said then kneeling down. "Leave Max alone." He said then getting up and heading over to the boy.
"How is he?" Drake ask, now wondering how he was. Samantha sighed, "Good, but it seem like he's holding onto something." She explained, gesturing to Max's position. "He's holding onto it for dear life." She added then kneeling down to the boy. "Max…" the girl said softly, gently nudging him gently so he wouldn't hurt him somehow. "Max, you won. Wake up." She said softly, worried that something may have happen besides the punches.
"He's going to be ok," the nurse said to the blue hair girl. "He is?" she ask, wiping her tears. The nurse nodded, "But we have to take him to the Medic Room so we can properly take care of him." She said then picking the wounded boy in her arms and carried him off to the academy.
Cressa and Samantha sighed happily but when they saw Groose, they went up to him, "If anything happens to him, you're going to hear from me." Samantha said then slapping him hard across the face. "And if you even think of messing with him." Cressa added. "You'll be hearing from me. The last thing you'll ever hear." She finished then slapping Groose on the other side, letting him having matching handprint on both cheeks then walking away with Frida walking soon after the two. Drake walk past him, stop to look at him then shaking his head, and walk away.