That Time with the Crimson Loftwing

Pairing Day took place on the first of June each year. Every child who turned seven in the last year would be matched with a Loftwing in a big ceremony under the Goddess statue. Link actually turned seven last June, but his birthday was at the very end of the month so he'd just missed the cut off. It didn't matter now, though. Today was the day. It was his Pairing Day, and he was finally going to meet his Loftwing.

The air was warm, the sun was bright, and the sky was cloudless. Link's father had said it was a perfect day for flying, and he would know after all. Link pulled on his favorite green shirt, his favorite boots, then he raced towards the front door of his house at the back of the island.

"Link, here's your toast," his mother said, sounding a little exhasperated. Link shoved the toast in his mouth and just nodded, running out the door and down the path towards the Goddess statue. He ran into Zelda halfway there.

"Where were you?" she snapped, skidding to a stop when he caught up to her. "I came and woke you up at seven!"

"I feow back 'o s'eep," Link tried to explain through a mouthful of crunchy bread.

"Of all the days to sleep in, Link, really!" Zelda growled in the same exasperated tone his mother had had. "Everyone has already said their prayer and now you're going to have to do yours alone!"

"'M sorry!" he said, spitting toast out as he ran. Zelda gave him a disgusted look. "We s'ayed up 'oo late las' nigh'-"

"I didn't have any problem getting up."

"You n'efer do," he muttered, shoving the last bits of his small breakfast into his mouth.

"You're just a sleepyhead," she shot back. He stuck his tongue out at her and she grinned while they ran up the wooden steps.

Link hesitated when they got to the top, heart thumping hard in his chest as they walked onto the stone pathway that lead to the Goddess Statue. Everyone in the village was there, just like they always were when children met their Loftwings. A few people turned to look in his direction and Link was suddenly very aware of how late he was. He ruffled the back of his hair with one hand and wiped his mouth with the other, staying behind Zelda as they walked towards the statue.

Zelda was completely at ease, but she was used to being the center of attention. Her father was Headmaster of the Knight Academy and leader of most of the ceremonies. Everyone in town knew who she was; they only knew who Link was because he was always with Zelda. They knew Link's father more than they knew Link. In fact, there were several people standing around Link's father talking with him. He was wearing his blue Knight's uniform today just in case someone needed help on their first flight.

"There's Pipit and Keet," Zelda said as she scanned the crowd with slightly narrowed eyes. "They got their Loftwings last year," she added, gesturing to the two boys standing on the dais below the Goddess Statue. "Parrow and Orielle got theirs last year too," she went on, pointing to the twin brother and sister that lived across the bridge from the residential area. "Oh! There's Karane, and Peatrice, and Kina," she continued when she spotted the small cluster of girls standing by one of the bird statues. "Kina will get hers with us, but Peatrice and Karane got theirs last year."

"There's Fledge!" Link exclaimed, pointing to the slight blond boy standing by a broken pillar. Zelda grinned and they walked across the square through the throngs of people to where Fledge was standing. He was looking down at his feet while a shorter boy with bluish-black hair laughed at him.

"You're probably going to be too scared to even get on the bird," the boy laughed.

"I won't be scared," Fledge replied, though he was shaking. Link frowned a little bit, trying to think of where he recognized the short black-haired boy from.

"I bet you won't even be able to hold on to the feathers, wimp," a stocky boy with reddish hair and vivid yellow eyes said from behind Fledge. Link recognized him immediately as the boy who'd made fun of his stutter a few years ago. He knocked Fledge hard with his shoulder and Link put his arms out to catch him. Fledge straightened up right away and tried to stop shaking, though Link could tell he was still nervous.

"Knock it off, Groose," the boy named Pipit said. He had a sharp face and when he said it he crossed his arms over his puffed out chest. "No one's going to fall off and everyone gets a bird."

"Maybe not everyone," the boy named Groose laughed. "These two don't look big enough to ride a bird," he added, gesturing to Link and Zelda. "They probably won't even be able to see you you're so little," he went on, leaning down and pretending he couldn't see Zelda and Link standing right in front of him.

Link didn't say anything, but Zelda narrowed her eyes and put her fists on her hips. "And you might be too big for a bird with that fat featherhead of yours," she muttered.

"Ain't you the Headmaster's daughter?" Groose asked, sneering down at Zelda.

"So what if I am?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "She's probably got her bird picked out already she's so spoiled," Groose said to the smaller black-haired boy, who cackled in response.

"Nah, she ain't that spoiled," he grinned, before dropping his voice just above a whisper. "I hear she ain't got no ma' to-"

"Shut up!" Link snapped, causing everyone to jump. Zelda looked at him, eyes wide in surprise. Link balled his hands into fists. He didn't like it when anyone made fun of Zelda. Not that people did very often. In fact, this was the first time Link could remember it happening, but he still didn't like it.

The black-haired boy froze for a moment, then smiled wickedly as Groose turned his yellow eyes to Link. Groose leaned over him and crossed his arms over his chest. "What did you say, runt?" he asked.

"I said 'shut up,'" Link replied. Link saw Pipit set up to flank him.

Groose smirked, eyes scanning the adults around them for anyone watching. Everyone was staring at the sky, so Groose leaned in a little closer. "I know you," he said. "I used t'see you every morning… runnin' across the square to watch the knights take off. Think you'll be one of them, do you?" he asked with a sneer. "It's nice to see you got rid of that st-st-stutter you-"

"He was five!" Zelda shouted angrily, putting herself in between Groose and Link. Her eyes flashed and she drew herself up as tall as she could. "And even with a stutter he still talked better than you do!"

Groose opened his mouth to say something, an ear-piercing whistle cut the air and everyone looked up, all the children included. Zelda elbowed Link frantically.

"Link! You need to pray!" she whisper-shouted, shoving him towards the statue. "Go! Go now!"

Link gasped and ran to the feet of the Goddess statue, ignoring the looks he was given as he shoved his way through the crowd. He fell to his knees on the hard stone and gazed up at the stone goddess in front of him. It was dizzying to look up at the statue from this angle, so he closed his eyes and started to recite the prayer he'd spent the last month memorizing.

"Hylia, her grace, our white goddess," he whispered. "I ask you to bless me today as I seek my partner in flight, my guardian, and my treasured friend. I pray you find me worthy to-"

Link's prayer was lost in the chorus of squawking above. He couldn't help but gape in awe at the Loftwings circling the goddess statue. Brilliant tawny, golden yellow, grass green, sky blue, bright red… there were so many colors. The Loftwings swooped low over the crowd and Link stopped trying to count them all, let alone identify their colors. Down at the bottom of the stone dais, Zelda was beaming with her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. Even the adults and kids who already had Loftwings were staring astonished into the sky.

"Wow!" Pipit cried, pointing excitedly and jumping on the spot. "Do you see that red one?"

"Oh my!" Zelda gushed. Link noticed then that everyone was pointing at the red bird.

"That's a Crimson Loftwing!" Owlan yelped. He was standing next to Zelda's father and Horwell, all three of them staring in awe at the red bird. "We… I have never seen a Crimson Loftwing like that. Only in books!"

"There hasn't been one seen in the last seventy years," Pipit announced eagerly. "All the books I have say the color went extinct."

"If he likes birds so much maybe we should call him birdbrain," the small black-haired boy said, elbowing Groose. Groose ignored him, for his eyes were also on the red Loftwing.

"That bird is mine," he announced. "Red hair, red bird. It all fits. It's destiny."

Link ignored this, turning back to the sky and watching the Crimson Loftwing swoop and spin in the air. Owlan whistled again and the birds started to land. Paired Loftwings landed next to their humans, nudging heads and screeching happily. He saw his father's grey bird and his mother's green one standing beside each of them, nestling long beaks against their heads. The grey bird squawked at Link, who was still on his knees in front of the statute. He got up, prayer abandoned, and watched the unclaimed Loftwings start to land in the middle of the circle below him. They cooed and screeched, looking curiously over the waiting children. With in a few seconds, all the birds had landed.

All except the red bird. The Crimson Loftwing hovered longer than the others, almost as if it was looking for something. It splayed its wings out and flapped them proudly, purple and yellow tips gleaming in the sunlight as it drifted over the crowd. The bird circled three times, then squawked before landing in front of the Goddess statue, right in front of Link. He took a few steps back in alarm, but the Loftwing stalked forward, lowering its head close to the ground.

Groose raced up to the statue and shoved Link away so he could see eye to eye with the bird. Link hit the dirt hard and heard his mother shout "HEY!" amidst other scolding cries. Before anyone could come up to help him, the Crimson Loftwing screeched, flapped its wings angrily, then pushed Groose aside with its large beak. Groose stumbled down the stairs, yelping as he went, but the Loftwing ignored this.

It walked toward Link, squawking curiously and waiting for him to come back to his feet. Link stood, jumping a little when the Loftwing spread its wings again and hovered just a few inches off the ground before settling back down. It cooed softly, then lowered its head low enough for Link to touch.

He reached a hesitant hand forward, threading his fingers through thick crimson down on the bird's neck. There was warmth radiating through his chest and Link felt… he felt like he was home; like he'd known this Loftwing forever, that the bird was… part of him. The bird let out a long squawk and butted Link in the chest with its large head. Then it raised its yellow eyes and locked them with Link's.

Hello, a voice whispered in time with the Loftwing's chatters. Link blinked in confusion and took a step back, but the bird followed. I have long awaited this moment. We have been separated by the ages, but I was destined to find you. You will be my rider, just as you promised so long ago.

The Loftwing lowered its chest to the ground and several people in the crowd gasped. Link realized everyone was watching him. He was sure his face was as red as the bird's feathers. His parents looked pleased, but stunned at the same time. The Headmaster and flight instructor Owlan were wide-eyed and gaping. Zelda was standing next to Fledge, both their mouths hanging open in astonishment. Groose and the black-haired boy were looking furious next to a lanky yellow-haired boy who'd seemingly come out of nowhere.

Link reached out and fisted his fingers into the soft down on the birds back, his heart nearly bursting through his chest as pulled himself up. He settled in, setting his feet into the notches along the bird's hips. The Loftwing began flapping its wings and Link let out a wild little laugh. They lifted a few inches off the ground.

"Link, wait!" his father cried. Link could see him fighting his way through the crowd of people backing away from him as the bird rose higher. "You'll need to have a bit of instruction before-"

Link didn't hear what came next. All he heard was the beating of wings, a squawk of triumph, and the rush of wind in his ears as the Loftwing vaulted into the sky. Link fisted his hands tight into the birds' feather and held on with every ounce of strength he could muster.

Despite the overwhelming joy flooding through of him, Link felt a surge of fear coupled with it. Cold wind tore at his clothes and threw his hair into chaos in his face while the bird climbed higher and higher, flying much faster than he thought it would, given it was their first flight. After a few moments, Link was used to the speed, but then… then he looked down and gasped. There was no ground underneath them, only sky…

You must trust me, child. You must trust yourself, that same voice said. Was it the Loftwing speaking? Did Loftwings speak? Link had no idea. Tell me, where would you like to go?

Link thought about this, looking down at the empty sky below him. He shifted his weight to the right and the Loftwing banked, curving in a perfect arc back towards Skyloft. They were so high that the towering Goddess statue looked a little small. Link leaned forward and the Loftwing dropped in height, then he leaned forward a little more and the bird dove straight down. When he pulled back, the bird flapped its wings and they soared upwards again. Link shifted his weight side to side, swooping in large circles around the statue, flying so close he could almost reach out and touch it.

He dove down a few seconds later, making another large circle around the crowd before pulling back. Link was panting, exhilarated, looking for his parent's faces among the throng of people cheering. The Crimson Loftwing lifted its chest and touched down just as the crowd swarmed around them.

"That was awesome!" Pipit screeched as he raced forward. Zelda was right behind him, her hands still clasped together.

"That was so dangerous!" she cried. "You didn't… you didn't even wait for them to tell you what to do, Link, that was so-"

"Link!" his mother cried, running forward. She lifted him off the bird and pulled him into a crushing hug. His father was just behind her. "What… what were you thinking?"

Link swallowed. "I… I… he just t-took off. He told me I was to be his r-rider and he just… t-took off," he tried to explain.

"He 'told' you?" Zelda asked. "You heard it talk?"

"I… I don't kn-know," said Link sheepishly, putting a hand over his chest. He looked at the Loftwing, squeezing his other hand against the soft feathers. The Loftwing made a low noise and bumped his head with its beak. "I felt him."

"That was amazing, Link!" Owlan cried. He pushed around Zelda and grabbed Link by the shoulders. "I've never seen anything like that. Usually it takes a little bit for a bird to warm up to its rider, but he took right to you. You are a true natural! Well done!"

"How do we know it's his?" Groose asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Owlan turned, eyes still alight with excitement. "The flight sealed their bond. Once a Loftwing agrees to fly with you, they're yours forever."

Groose huffed and turned away, walking over to a green bird that was pecking at the ground behind him. Link watched the bird shriek at him before shuffling away angrily.

His mother was still hugging him, her fingers tight in his hair though she was smiling now. Pipit was looking at the bird in awe and even timid Fledge had dared to come a bit closer. Zelda was standing behind Owlan, her eyes on the Crimson Loftwing and a little pout on her face. Her father stood at her shoulder, but his eyes were on the Loftwing rather than on Zelda. Zelda slowly stepped closer to Link, reaching out to touch the bird, but it made a quiet noise and curled its head into Link's chest. She frowned, and Link noticed then that her eyes were wet.

"Hey," he said quietly, twisting around in his mother's arms. "Did… did you see the ones over there?"

"What? Oh… oh, yeah," she said, voice a little shaky. "Yeah, I… I'm going to go see…" she trailed off. Zelda walked over to a violet bird first, then a yellow one. Her shoulders slumped when both birds took one look at her and walked away.

"Link, I just can't believe this," his father said, ruffling his hair. "That was incredible. I've never seen or heard about anything like that in all my life. You should be very proud."

Link felt himself blush. He looked at the bird and smiled, watching it squawk and flap its wings while allowing a few of the adults to get closer. He wished the ceremony would end now so he could take his Loftwing and go flying with his dad like they had planned. He was also supposed to go to the Lumpy Pumpkin with Zelda; they promised each other last fall that's what they would do on Pairing Day.

The bird bumped his chest again and Link remembered there were rules that applied to him now. He would not be permitted to fly without a grown-up until he turned ten years old, and he could only fly during the day, never at night, unless he became a Rescue Knight. If he and Zelda wanted to go to the Lumpy Pumpkin, someone would have to fly with them, but Link was sure his parents wouldn't mind. They would probably even enjoy it. He waited for Zelda to find her Loftwing so he could talk to her about going, but it was taking her a while to find one.

It was still very early in the day,though; the sun wasn't even halfway through the sky yet. Link figured he could fly with his dad for a little bit, then fly over to Pumpkin Landing this afternoon with Zelda. He would have time to do both, he was certain of it. Link watched Zelda walk over to a gentle looking blue Loftwing, her hands folded in front of her waist. The bird examined her for a moment, then flapped its wings and lowered its chest to the ground just as his Crimson one had done. Even from this distance, Link saw Zelda sigh in relief. She pushed her fingers through the birds feathers and it screeched in approval, lowering itself to the ground so she could climb atop its back. Her father and Owlan approached then, giving her a few words of encouragement or instruction, then Zelda took off.

Hers was a shorter flight, just a long sweep over the crowd before the bird circled up and around the goddess statue. Zelda looked a little frightened on its back, but she was smiling all the same. The Loftwing landed with her in the center of the square; it was a little rough but they stuck it. Link cheered but he didn't think Zelda could hear him.

It took a while, but eventually all the children were paired with their Loftwings. Fledge found a bright green bird that dove and swooped over the island, forcing him to bury himself in its back feathers to stay on. The black-haired boy ended up with the purple loftwing, and his lanky yellow-haired friend ended up with a green bird that matched the shirt he was wearing. Groose found a black Loftwing that was a bit larger than the others and flew extraordinarily fast around the statue before landing gracefully in the very center of the circle. The dark-haired girl Zelda had called Kina was partnered with a gold Loftwing that flew her in a series of quick circles before landing easily in the grass. None of the other kids' flights went as high nor lasted as long as Link's had.

The ceremony always ended with the children saying a prayer of thanks at the feet of the goddess statue, so once pairing was complete, the children stepped up and knelt before the tall statue. Link was surprised to hear Zelda praying softly. She usually was loud and clear whenever she spoke, but right now her voice was soft and it shook a little. Her eyes were still wet, Link noticed. He meant to ask her what was wrong, why she looked like she'd been crying, but as soon as the prayer was done his parents scooped him up into a tight hug while Zelda's father did the same. She didn't see Link wave to her as he left the isle a few moments later.

As soon as they got home, Link's dad took him flying around the houses in Skyloft. Then he took him around the whole island and all the way up to the skyfall where the water spilled into the pond below. "Did you want to do anything else?" His father asked him after they landed by their house.

Link chewed his lip, thinking about his plans to go to the Lumpy Pumpkin with Zelda, but he hadn't seen her all day. He'd been watching for her Loftwing to come flying by, but he hadn't seen it either.

"Um… no, I think I'm okay," he said. He didn't want to go without her. They had promised each other after all, and Link's parents taught him that if you promised someone something, you had to keep it.

Link's father looked at him a little curiously, so did his mother. "Do you want to go to the Lumpy Pumpkin, Link?" she asked.

"No," Link lied, still chewing his lip. "Maybe… could we fly over by the tall trees and I could try swinging a sword? A real sword?" he asked.

His father grinned and ruffled his hair. "Sure, we can do that," he'd said.

They flew to the bamboo island then, and Link swung his father's sword until he was sore all through his arms and back. His father flew them home just before it got dark. The Crimson Loftwing butted Link in the chest before flying off into the darkness.

That night, Link's parents made him his favorite soup for supper and the battered toast for dessert, then all sat together in their bedroom and read book after book, laughing and talking, until Link finally fell asleep.

The last thing he thought was that he hadn't seen Zelda since the ceremony ended. He wondered why she never came to find him.

The next day, Link slept until eleven o'clock, which was odd because usually Zelda had him up by eight-thirty at the latest. When he finally did get up, he went outside and found his Loftwing waiting for him. He knew wasn't allowed to fly him yet, but Link still liked sitting on him all the same. After he had some breakfast, he went to find Zelda. She wasn't in her room and he couldn't find her anywhere on the island, which he thought was really strange.

The day after that, he saw her flying by the plaza with Owlan, looking focused and determined as she flew. Link ran to the very edge of the platform, waving frantically as she passed.

"Zelda! Hey!" he shouted, jumping up and down to make sure she saw him. She looked at him for a moment, then looked straight ahead and flew away a little faster. Link frowned and ruffled his hair, a dull ache settling in his stomach. Why was she ignoring him?

Zelda didn't speak to Link for a week after the Ceremony. A whole week. Link started hanging out with Fledge, which was fine, but it wasn't the same. Fledge was nice enough, but he was quiet so it made it difficult to do things because Link didn't talk much either. Link felt bored, and… a little angry.

One afternoon, he saw Zelda in the bazaar, but she just turned and walked away from him. After that, he walked straight to Fledge's house to tell him about it, fists clenched tight at his sides.

"She won't t-talk to me now," Link grumbled. "I saw her by the bazaar and she just… s-s-stormed off. I don't know wh-why she's angry at me," he muttered, picking at blades of grass.

"Have you asked her?"

"I just said she won't t-talk to me," he explained, angry that his stutter kept coming back. It was probably because he was nervous, but still. "How can I ask her if she w-won't talk to m-me?"

Fledge considered this. "You know what you should do, you should do something to get her attention so she has to talk to you. Remember when she got so mad at you because you climbed the broken windmill again? You could do that. Or, she likes the pictures you draw, so maybe you could make her a picture? If you gave her one she'd have to at least say 'thank you' or 'no, thank you,' wouldn't she?" he asked fairly.

"Yeah, I-I guess," said Link thoughtfully. "But wh-what should I make her a picture of? Sh-She's got about t-ten of my Loftwing drawings."

"Maybe you could draw her Loftwing," Fledge suggested. "Or yours, she really liked yours. Everyone liked yours. They were all so jealous of you."

"Jealous?" Link asked, confused.

"Well, yeah!" Fledge said. "You're the first person to have a Crimson Loftwing in a seventy years Pipit says. He said all the bird researchers wrote that the color went extinct, but you got one... and he came right for you! Pipit said Crimson Loftwings are picky about who they had for a rider… a lot of times they came, but never chose someone; but he picked you. And the way you flew," he sighed, sounding awed. "It was awesome, Link. Even Pipit was jealous, and he's had his Loftwing for a year."

Link scrunched up his nose. There was nothing to be jealous of. Everyone had their birds now, and maybe his was a rare color but that didn't mean anything. "Were you jealous?"

Fledge's cheeks turned red. "Kind of… but not anymore. I've got my own Loftwing to worry about," he said, smiling a little at the bright green bird resting beside him. "So, do you think you'll make her a picture?"

Link chewed his lip, looking at his Loftwing who was nosing the ground next to him. The Loftwing tucked its head around Link's, chirping quietly as it did. He smiled and looked out over the edge of the island at the knights circling the sky. He saw two Loftwings flying to the Lumpy Pumpkin and thought about his promise to Zelda… that he would only try the famous spiced cider when he was with her.

"No, n-not a picture," Link said, chewing his lip. "I've… I've g-got a better idea."

Link waited until the sun was just starting to set. There was a ten-minute break between when the knights ended day patrol and the night patrol began. The skies were always clear then, save for one or two knights who flew in a wide circle around the whole island. They didn't need many out since no one flew at night, just a few in case someone slipped off the edge…

The two knights were heading to the north side of the island now. Link would have to go fast, but his Loftwing shouldn't have a problem with it. They'd flown extremely fast on their first flight, and when his dad had taken him out a few times they'd gone fast then, too. If he went fast, he would be fine.

Link dug twenty rupees out of the bank in his room, put on a red tunic and pulled a long red scarf over his head, hoping all the red would help him blend in with the Loftwing's feathers so no one would see him. After that, he walked up the hill behind his house, climbed onto the wooden platform near the old broken windmill, and jumped off like he'd seen his father do so many times.

The fall was exciting at first, but soon became terrifying when Link remembered he couldn't whistle very loud. He pushed his fingers in his mouth and blew, but no sound came out. Perhaps he hadn't thought this through all that well. He was falling really fast now. He tried again… and again… and again… and finally on the fifth time, sound came out. It was quiet though, and Link panicked that maybe it wasn't loud enough to-

Link collided with warm feathers and let out a yelp of relief. His Loftwing had come, its feathers were warm and reassuring when Link fisted his fingers into them. The Loftwing screeched, sounding as though it disapproved of what he was doing, but Link settled in on his back and pressed him forward. "Just fly straight!" he shouted. The bird obeyed. Link wasn't exactly sure, but it seemed to sense his urgency and flew faster than they had on any of their other flights.

When he landed, the dark-haired girl from the Pairing Ceremony was standing outside. Link thanked Hylia and every other Goddess he could think of that she was there so he didn't have to go in where other adults would be.

"Hey!" she cried when he landed down in their pumpkin patch. "Wha- it's Link, right?" she said, looking at the Crimson Loftwing he was on.

Link jumped down. "I need… cider," he panted a little desperately, pushing the twenty rupees into her palm. "Do you have any?"

She looked confused for a second, then her expression turned furious. "You're not supposed to be flying! You're too-"

"I know! Just… I need it. It's important!"

"Your father is one of the Rescue Knights! If he finds out-"

"The longer we stay out here the m-more likely that will b-be! Just… please… K-Kina!" he shouted, remembering her name finally. "I'll owe you," he said, very desperate now.

She made a face. "You're going to owe me SO MUCH, Link," she growled before running inside the restaurant. Link twisted his fingers and bounced nervously on the balls of his feet while waiting for her to return. Finally, after what felt like forever, she came back with a large bottle of cider.

"It's not twenty rupees," she said. "It's only ten, so-"

"Just k-keep it all," Link said, snatching the steaming hot cider out of her hands and shoving it inside his sweater. "Thank y-you so much!" he shouted before jumping back on his Loftwing and taking off into the sky. He meant to fly straight back to the windmill, but the Loftwing banked very wide and went around the South side of the island.

"Wait- where-"

The bird squawked quietly, and Link saw that his father and a few other Knights were standing outside his house laughing. There were also several knights on the plaza platform. The Night Patrol was about to take off. He thanked Hylia again, this time for making his bird smart enough to know exactly what Link needed to do even when he couldn't see it himself.

The bird hovered over the edge of the Academy and Link didn't waste any time jumping off. He reached his hands out and fortunately (or unfortunately, for how much it hurt his shoulders) caught the edge of the rail on the small balcony. This meant he wouldn't have to walk through the Academy to get to Zelda's room; he could go straight to her window, which is what he did after he hauled himself up and over the railing.

Zelda was inside at her desk, a thick book in front of her. Link tapped on the window and she looked up, a little confused. When she finally realized where the tapping was coming from, she gasped and jumped out of her chair. The chair fell over backwards and made a loud noise when it hit the floor. Both of them cringed at the sound, then Zelda dragged it over to the window and climbed on top of it.

"Link, what are you doing!? How did you get up here?" she asked frantically after she'd pried the window open. She seized hold of his arm, then his shoulders, pulling hard as he tried to climb through the window. It was a lot smaller than it looked. Even as small as he was, Link barely fit. When he was inside he straightened up, ruffling his hair and grinning wildly while Zelda stared at him in shock. Link wiped his forehead and tried to act like this was just a casual visit.

"What are you doing?" she snapped.

"I… I…" he started, stammering a little. He reached into the pocket of his overlarge sweater and handed her the bottle of steaming hot cider. "I brought you something."

Zelda took it, confused at first, then her face went white and she gasped loudly. "This… is this pumpkin cider?" she asked, watching as Link nodded. "How did you get this?"

Link opened his mouth, excited to tell her what he'd done for her, but then he saw the absolutely shocked look she had and snapped his jaw shut. He scrunched his face a little, shrugged, and ruffled his hair with one hand. Zelda waited for an explanation, but the words got stuck in Link's throat.

"I… w-well… I… I-"

"You FLEW?!" she whisper-screamed, utterly appalled. "You… you flew your Loftwing to the Lumpy Pumpkin and got cider?"

"Well, w-we talked about getting it t-t-together after the ceremony… but y-you never-"

"Link, did anyone see you?" she gasped, walking to her door and pressing on it even though it was already shut. "You can't fly! None of us can! And it's dark outside! Oh, Goddess help me, Link, what were you thinking?"

"N-no one s-saw me. W-Well, Kina s-saw me," he admitted, though this did nothing to quell Zelda's shock. "But she w-won't tell-"

"You're going to get into so much trouble if anyone finds out! They'll - I don't know what they'll do, Link, but you're going to be in so much-"

"I w-wanted to b-bring you something!" he stammered. Why was she so upset? He'd done it to be nice to her after she'd ignored him for a week! A whole week! "I th-thought you'd like it!"

"Why would you bring me cider?"

"Well, I-"

"There's no excuse for this, Link! What were you-"

"You weren't talking to me!" he snapped, louder than he intended. Zelda jumped a little, but kept glaring right back at him. She opened her mouth, but Link held up his finger in her face for once.

"You haven't talked to me since Pairing Day and I know you saw me when you were out flying… and yesterday in the bazaar," he accused, thankful his stutter had vanished. Zelda kept glaring, but shrunk a little in height. "I thought… I wanted to get this with you, we'd talked about going together, and then you-"

"I went and did something with my Father instead," she explained, frowning a little. "So, did you," she added, sneering a little.

"Yeah, but after that, I looked for you all day and then… You completely ignored me! For a week! I thought we were best friends and you… just… stopped talking to me!" he grumbled, angry now. He folded his arms over his chest and scowled at her. He'd risked all that just to bring her something nice, and this is how she reacted?

Zelda was still frowning. She looked at the bottle of cider with a conflicted expression. Link went on. "Why'd you stop talking to me, huh? Why didn't you wave at me when I saw you flying? Why're you mad at me, Zelda?"

"I'm not… mad at you," she said, pressing her lips together. "I mean… I was mad, but… it's not your fault," she muttered. "My father said its… it wasn't like you could help it. You didn't plan it or anything, he said."

Link gaped at her. "Were you jealous over the bird?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes," she said, sounding reluctant to admit it. "I was! He just came right to you!" she sobbed, voice shaking a little. "You didn't even get up on time to pray, and he just came right to you! You were late, and I… I got up! I was there and I prayed! But that didn't… I didn't…" she muttered, trailing off.

"I prayed too," Link muttered angrily.

"After everyone else did," she reminded him, matching his tone.

"Yeah, but I still prayed. I didn't… I don't want you to hate me because of a stupid bird," he grumbled.

Zelda frowned. "I don't hate you, Link. And your bird isn't stupid," she said, turning away from him and facing the wall. They both had their arms crossed over their chests, but where Link was angry, Zelda had slumped a little. "I was… I shouldn't have ignored you like that. I… I'm sorry," she said, a little shaky, but then she spun around and glared at him again. "But that was no reason to go and do this!" she growled, gesturing to the bottle of cider.

Link pouted and hugged himself tighter. "You don't like it?"

"It's not… It… Well, I don't know…" she admitted, looking at the bottle of cider. "I mean… I've never had it. Did you have it?"

Link shook his head. "No. My dad offered to take me, but… I waited for you. I promised you I would."

Zelda's shoulders slumped a little more. She chewed her lip for a minute then looked back up at him. "What did you do instead?"

"We went to the bamboo island and my dad let me swing a sword. A real sword," Link said.

Zelda smiled. "I bet… I bet that was fun. My dad took me around the islands to the North and then we just went home, actually. He finally read the Knight book to me when I asked," she said, unscrewing the lid on the pumpkin cider and taking a drink. She smiled then, and pointed to her desk. "And he gave me this," she added, handing a link a small picture in a frame. It was a picture of Zelda's father and a woman with long, sun-colored hair and bright blue eyes.

"Is this your mom?" Link guessed. Zelda nodded, sitting down on her bed. Link looked at the picture for a moment, finally understanding why everyone always told Zelda she looked just like her mother. He sat next to her a moment later, smiling a little when she handed him the bottle of cider. Link took a long drink and licked his lips. "This is really good."

Zelda nodded. "It is… you should have gotten two bottles," she teased, grinning when Link laughed.

They drank the entire bottle, passing it back and forth between them. It was warm, and sweet, and Zelda said it was delicious, the best thing she'd ever had; better than the fried toast his mom made for breakfast. Then she started talking about a book she'd read from her father's library about loftwings. It said they were originally Loftwings were just a bird for the Gods only; that was why there were so many wingcrest and bird statues all over their island. The book also mentioned that Loftwings would never travel below the cloud barrier because of the Goddess's desire to keep her people safe from the forsaken land below.

This last part had convinced Zelda there was more below Skyloft. Link wasn't sure what he thought about that, but she was so excited he just listened to her talk. It was then that Link realized he'd really missed listening to her talk.

"The book said when the Goddess put our island in the sky, she told the loftwings they belonged to us now, and they could never go below the clouds until the war was finished and evil had been wiped from the land. Why would a book on Loftwings mention the surface if there wasn't more out there?" she asked

"I don't know," Link admitted.

"I think it's real. I really do. There's got to be more out there, don't you think?" she asked, taking another drink from the bottle. Link nodded in agreement.

"You know," Zelda mumbled.. "I was really nervous on my first flight," she admitted with frown. "That was another reason I was… mad. You got up there like you'd been doing it forever and just… flew. You were so brave," she murmured.

"Um… the first minute or so?" Link said sheepishly. "I was terrified," he admitted then.

"Really?" Zelda said, sounding surprised and relieved all at once.

"Yeah, he went really high really fast, and… there was no ground underneath me," Link explained. "I got over it quick, but it was scary at first."

"Karane said she was nervous on her first flight, too," Zelda replied. "She said it gets better, and it has. Owlan is taking me out for about an hour every day so I'm getting used to it now."

Link nodded. "My dad usually takes me, but my mom took me out yesterday afternoon and that was fun. But… she flies so slow," he mumbled hesitantly. "I like her Loftwing, but they're both so… careful. I want to go fast."

"Well, not too fast," Zelda said, sounding a little nervous.

"I have to go fast someday if I'm going to win the Wing Ceremony," he said, watching Zelda nod in agreement..

"Did you name your Loftwing?" she asked then, watching Link shake his head. "Me neither, and I really thought I would. I mean… I suppose I named him Blue, like your dad calls his Loftwing Grey. It works. It didn't feel like he wanted a real name, you know?" she told Link as she finished the last of the cider. "But he's very gentle. Owlan says he's a natural navigator and would be good at delivering messages."

Link nodded, wondering what his bird would be good at, aside from going very fast. "What's yours like?" Zelda asked. "Besides fast, I mean. He must be if you made it to the Lumpy Pumpkin and back before the knights switched shifts," she added. "Is there anything else about him?"

Link shrugged. He didn't know how to say he thought his bird talked to him, or that he thought the Loftwing could read his thoughts at times. There had been times the last week when he'd just been sitting outside feeling lonely and the Loftwing had come up to him, bumping him with its long beak before settling down next to him. It had been helpful without Zelda to keep him company.

"I was lonely, and… it was like he knew that, so he came and sat by me a lot." he admitted, watching her frown. "I mean… Fledge is great, but he's quiet, and he's not you," Link said. "You're my best friend, Zelda."

"I know," she murmured. "You too, Link. And I'm really sorry. I should have just talked to you."

Link shrugged. "It's all right now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's all right," she smiled.

Link nodded. "But, my bird, I… It feels like he knows me," Link tried to explain. "Like we've been friends forever, or we were supposed to be."

Zelda smiled then. "It seemed that way. No one had ever seen anything like that. You really were amazing, Link."

Link blushed a little and Zelda smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Link leaned his head back against hers and his heart thumped a little harder in his chest for some reason. Fledge once said it was weird that Link had a girl for a best friend, but Link never thought of it that way because Zelda liked most of the same things he did. And he trusted Zelda. They looked out for each other.

"I know it was risky," she said a moment later. "And it was kind of crazy what you did, but… thank you for the cider," she said, a moment later.

"You're welcome," Link replied.

"So we're okay?" she asked.

"Yeah… we're okay," he grinned.

And they were, until they left Zelda's room to walk back to Link's house.

Thank you for any comments, it gives me things to think about and add into the story as I go. I had to age certain in-game NPC's up or down because I didn't needed characters and didn't feel like creating a bunch of original ones for this story when there were things I could work with. Hope it was enjoyed! Also sorry it's a week late, I couldn't get the file to post for a few days and then I was traveling.