"Hey Groose?" I knocked on the large brass door. There was an inaudible mumbling on the on the other end. I slowly turned the knob and I stuck my head in, searching for Groose. He was hunched over on his bed, his arms wrapped around himself. When he saw me he quickly composed himself.

"Do you still need a date for the dance?" I asked.

"Uh. . . yeah I do. Why?"

"Are you serious?" I laughed as I walked in. "You asked me last week. So Zelda still said no?"

"Well with that jerk winning it was obvious she was going with him." he slouched further.

"He's the jerk?" I said accusingly. Groose frowned up at me.

"I already said sorry and I have to wash his bird and feed it for the next month." he grumbled, "What about Fledge? Why aren't you going with him?"

"He actually found someone to go with and I figured if we're going to feel bad for ourselves we should feel bad together." He smiled a bit when I said that. I laid a hand gently on Groose's shoulder and said, "So what colour do you want to wear?"

"What the heck do you mean?"

"Like my dress and your tunic or something."

"Well you look nice in green?" he struggled for a suggestion. I rolled my eyes because that was one of the only colours I even wore. I went to rifle through his closet of tunics but he only had different variations of blue tunics.

"I think green and blue work right?" I asked. He shrugged.

"Ooh Groose has got a girl in his room!" Cawlin came bursting in. His smile lowered when he saw me. "Oh it's just Peatrice." Annoyance crept up on my face and I curled my fingers.

When Cawlin sauntered by I choked on putrid cologne he was wearing. It was like a mix of soap and faron grasshopper juice. I excused myself from the room to get ready for the dance but not before running into Zelda on the upper floor. She was waiting outside of Headmaster Gaepora's office, rocking from side to side. Her blonde hair was curled and woven into multiple braids. Little jewels were tied in with her hair and she looked like a goddess. I struggled not to glare at her beauty and instead continued on my way to my room.

. . .

At four o'clock that afternoon the Academy was decorated with firefly lights on every wall. There were Knights in celebratory uniforms at every corner of the building. It was easy to distinguish the participating class because of bright smiles each student had on their face. Headmaster Gaepora even dressed up a little with a royal blue scarf with golden trimming laced around his neck. He also had exchanged his sandals for gold moccasins. I double checked myself in the mirror. My green dress draped over my legs and nearly dusted the floor. There was a small slit between the fabric that ran up to my mid-thigh. The neckline up to the nape of my neck and my sleeves were bell sleeves. I didn't look nearly as good as Zelda but I felt presentable. Fledge sat on my bed, swinging his legs. He wore a light blue tunic with his usual dark blue scarf tied with a golden loftwing pin.

"I'd say we both look wonderful." I said.

"You should have worn orange Peatrice." he tutted. I shoved him gently and he laughed. A knock came from the door and Fledge sprung to his feet. "I guess we've kept our dates waiting long enough." He gave me a dramatic smile and opened the door painstakingly slow. Groose and some boy I didn't recognize stood on the other side. When my eyes met Groose's we exchanged giddy smiles. Fledge took his date by the hand and introduced him.

"His name is Robin, he's a Knight." he smiled proudly. Robin blushed at the attention and brought Fledge closer. I wiggled my eyebrows at Fledge who's blush mirrored Robin's.

"Alright, alright. I'm tired of waiting around. I heard there's going to be food." Groose cheered. We all marched proudly into the cafeteria which had been cleared of all the tables and a slick black flooring had been placed. At least 60 students from this year's class were nervously swaying to the orchestra's music. Groose and I decided to sit while Fledge and Robin danced.

"If we see Zelda and Link we'll show them how even losers can still win!" I said.

"What does that even mean Peatrice?" Fledge muttered exasperatedly.

"Because we'll have a great time and I'm convinced we look ten times better then they do." I said. We descended the stairs to the main hall and cafeteria. Laughter and conversation filled the room. Suddenly, Headmaster Gaepora was at the front of the cafeteria. The orchestra and students hushed. His warm smile touched everyone.

"Hello everyone and welcome to the Year End Dance and Dinner." There was eruption of cheers and clapping.

"Our successful year of training has finally come to an end and I would like to honour all the students who participating in this year's learning with food and fun! I look forward to next year to see returning students and Knights. To start of the dinner I would like to welcome this year's winner of the Wing Ceremony, Link!" I watched as Link slowly made his way to the front with Zelda latched onto him. He struggled to detach himself from her until he realised it was useless. Together they walked to center stage with bright smiles. They looked absolutely stunning. Zelda wore a long white dress with gold and pink detailing while Link wore a brand new Knight uniform with a golden scarf. I grabbed Groose's arm in an effort to calm myself. I could feel him flexing in his tunic and together we glared with raging intensity.

"Unfortunately these two will not be with us for majority of the afternoon because they have a Sailcloth Ceremony to attend to. So good luck to you two." Gaepora beamed at the two like it was more then a Sailcloth Ceremony they were performing. After an "extremely inspiring" speech from Zelda the students excused to dance and eat. Before Link descended the stairs with Zelda on his arm, his eyes locked with mine. I felt my stomach twist and I put on a giddy smile. He smiled back, holding my gaze a little longer. Zelda tugged at his tunic and he stiffly looked away. Groose and I pardoned ourselves from the dancing and instead ate large amounts of crow fillet and pumpkin soup. Fledge was bubbling the entire night with Robin always at his side. I was so happy to see him find someone that didn't make him feel worthless. Groose and I had a great time whispering comments about each couple.

"What is wrong with that guy's tunic it looks like he can't move in it." I whispered.

"How about his girlfriend, her dress is so low she's going to burst out." he would answer. We laughed manically together the entire night. In retrospect it was pitiful how we were acting but when you were poor sports like us it was the only way we wanted to cope.

The dance ended with some miniature fireworks outside by the goddess statue. Cawlin and Stitch had tried to rig one to make a portrait of the two but instead it exploded early and sputtered into large sparks, nearly setting some students on fire. The party began to thin out around twelve and Professor Owlin had to reign some rowdy students to bed. Soon it was very quiet in the once booming Academy and everyone was asleep. Groose had left with Cawlin, Stitch and some other students to continue the party somewhere else in Skyloft. Fledge snuck into Robin's room, promising me nothing would happen except for sleeping. I had given him a haughty look but I wasn't about to go parental on him. I changed into a pair of shorts and a sweatshirt and lay awake in my bed. After an hour of staring at the ceiling I decided to wander around the halls to try to tire myself out. As I walked by each door I could hear each person's deep breathing and shuffling sheets. Suddenly there was more then just a shuffling of sheets but a flurry of footsteps from the bottom floor. I ducked behind a plant and tried to hide my body. A bright flash of blue flew in front of me and I momentarily blinded. My eyes readjusted just in time to see the source of the footsteps run past me. It was Link, in his regular clothes, rushing out of the Academy. I
struggled to comprehend what was happening. Curiosity overwhelmed me and I silently followed him. He dashed behind the goddess statue, dropping to lower levels of rocks.

"Are you kidding me?!" I hissed. "Dear goddess please don't let me die." I then followed his path, shakily lowering myself on to each plateau. My legs were in no shape to be doing this kind of climbing. There were vines for me a hang off but my grip was weak. Every time my hands slipped I braced for death. I followed him a across a ledge, hanging only my hands. Finally I was able to tail him as he entered into the goddess statue. There was now an entrance where I didn't ever remember there being. I was beginning to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach as I sidled against the entrance wall. It was complete silence except for Link and some women's voice.

"You will play a role in a great destiny." said a women's voice. I couldn't hear Link's responses only the robotic words of the women inside.

"I must aid you in fulfilling the great destiny that is yours to burden. The one you call Zelda is another chosen one fated to be part of this great mission. If you wish to search for I suggest you take this sword." I quickly looked into the large room to see a bright blue woman speaking with Link. I looked away and then again to make sure I wasn't going crazy but it was true. A floating spirit women was speaking to Link, who's faced was very distressed. My heart was beating so quickly from nervousness. I didn't understand anything and I wasn't sure I wanted to. Link was suddenly moving forwards and I reflexively moved out of sight. Clutched my shirt, I ran away from the scene and collapsed in my bed. My socks were soaked from running through the dirt and I had cuts in my hands from climbing the vines. I was in complete disbelief of what had just happened. Someone must have spiked my soup or something.

. . .

The bazaar was rowdier then usual but the Item Check remained empty. I wasn't complaining though, my arms were still sore from the Wing Ceremony. So I wasn't in the mood to go fetching people's heavy things right then. I preoccupied myself by watching people go in and out of the bazaar. To my surprise, Link walked through the entrance of the bazaar, after the crowds of people. I watched in amazement as he politely weaved between people and made his way the Item Check. He was wearing his Knight's uniform and it looked just as nice as it did at the dinner. His long blonde hair peeked out from beneath his green cap. My cheeks flared up as he approached. Why would he come here? Does he want to visit me? Just his presence sent my imagination spiraling in all directions.

"Hi Peatrice," he smiled "I just need to store something." I should have expected it but as soon as he said it, my smile dropped and my blush fizzled out.

"Sure, whatever." I said. He didn't seem to notice my tone and his small smile stayed. He handed me a handful of potions. I tried to not show how difficult it was for me to carry them. I glared at him from under my bangs as I turned away. I didn't bother asking why he was storing so many potions. Father told me to never question the customers even though there were many cases I thought I should have. I wondered if it had something to do with what I saw last night. When I returned from the back Link was still standing at the counter.

"Do you need something else?" I sighed.

"No, I just was wondering if you needed any help on your training or anything." He must have seen my eyebrows raise because he quickly finished his thought "Not that you're not good. Just as a repayment for when you helped me find my loftwing."

"I'm obviously not good enough since I didn't win the Wing Ceremony." I scoffed. "Thanks but no thanks, I'm going to be stuck here working for the next few hours."

"Well, ok." he said but he didn't move from my booth.

"Why won't you leave?" I asked. His smile faded and I immediately regretted being so cold.

"I kind of thought you might want some company since you always seem to be lonely." he said and guilt flooded me. I looked up into his steel blue eyes and the shame started to erode my chest. It felt like a combination of butterflies from holding eye contact for so long and stomach acid.

"Ok whatever, sure." I mumbled, uttering defeat.

"Sure what?" he asked coyly.

"I wouldn't mind if you kept me company." I said, drawing out my words. An impish smile lit up his face. I went into the back to grab the extra chair Fledge usually used and put it a few meters away from me, barely in the vicinity of the booth. He collapsed into it but quickly got up and moved it closer to me. I blushed when he placed it only a couple inches away.

"You don't have to be so close." I said.

"I don't mind." he tried to sound cheeky but I saw a faint blush on his cheeks too. "So," he cleared his throat "What happened at the Wing Ceremony?" His voice was friendly but cautious.

"I was disqualified for hitting Cawlin." I stated.

"But you didn't did you?" he said but stopped himself "Obviously you wouldn't." I didn't want to bother explaining the whole story to him, it was something I wanted to forget.

"What's it like being a Knight now?" I said, wanting to change the subject.

"It's. . . fine. I had to get up earlier then before though. And Zelda made sure too." he groaned and pressed his back against the wall. I laughed slightly at the thought of Zelda harassing a half asleep Link. "I was about to set out on a Knight thing but I wanted to say good bye to some people before I left."

"Where are you going?"

"Just to some islands farther away so I won't be back for awhile." he said. I nodded. We sat in silence for awhile. Even with all the bustle of the bazaar all I could focus on was the noise of Link breathing. It was hard to relax with Link so close to me and all I could think about was that if I just moved slightly we would be touching. Leave it to me to make such a big deal about something so stupid. He wasn't like Groose, who's body just felt like a mass when it was next to me, Link felt like a force drawing me closer.

"You looked nice at the dinner." Link spoke up, twisting his head towards me. The blush that was present on my face only grew.

I wanted so badly to ask what he did last night of the dinner just to prove myself wrong, but I didn't. Instead I said "So did you and Zelda." He shifted slightly in his seat.

"Yeah, she did look nice." he sighed, his voice hinging.

. . .

"Thanks for keeping me company." I said to Link we left the bizarre. It was dark now and only the late night crowd was wandering Skyloft. The moon was revealed in the sky, emitting its dim blue rays. My shawl offered a little warmth from the cool breeze that flowed through. I began to walk home when Link cleared his throat. I looked back to see him smiling at me and my stomach twisted.

"You want to go flying?" he said gently. My eyes widened.

"It's too late, students aren't allowed to go flying at night."

"I'm not a student anymore." Link's smile grew. The soft breeze brushed his bangs from his face and rejecting his offer became suddenly harder.

"But I am. It's not like we can share a loftwing." I said, averting my gaze. I was blushing at this point and looking at Link's mischievous expression only made me blush more. He stepped closer to me and I could smell stamina berries from his clothes. I looked back up to see him peering down at me with raised eyebrows.

"No we can't share." I said again, but my voice was shaky.

"Ok Peatrice. Have a good night." he said, turning his back to me. I suddenly reached forward and grabbed his arm. He looked back with a small blush but a coy face. He lead me to the diving board.

"I'll come back for you, ok?" he said. I nodded and watched as he sprinted off the edge. His body suddenly dropped and I looked over to see him get lifted into the air with his loftwing. They came back upwards toward me and hovered near the edge. His hair blew in all directions as he looked up at me.

"Come on Peatrice." Link said, holding his hand out towards me. I looked around nervously. If I was to get caught what would I even say? Link's warm gaze helped ease my worry and I placed my cold hand in his. I fell down onto his loftwing, its taut body between my legs. All of a sudden we were soaring and I couldn't keep my balance. My hands gripped Link's uniform but I still threatened to fall.

"Just wrap your arms around my waist already. I don't want you to fall." Link chuckled quietly. He didn't fool me for a second that he wasn't as nervous about this as I was, that having another person in such a precarious position was normal for him. I could see a blush spread to his ears and his voice was wobbly. When I wove my arms under his and around his waist I smiled to myself. His waist was so wonderful to hold, not too soft or too hard. Some bodies just feel like they were made to be held and hugged and Link was one of them. The wind whipped at my face but I was mostly sheltered by Link's body. We glided gently along the air currents until I felt my sleepiness pull on my eyelids until they were closed. I was able to focus on the heat that emanated from Link's body and the natural pillow he supplied.

"Today was really great. I really appreciate you hanging out with me before I go." Link muttered and I made a sound of agreement. I felt a hand touch the skin of my own. I inhaled sharply as the hand encased it. I couldn't tell if he meant it the way I was interpreting it but goddess I hoped he did.

"If I come back we should go flying again." he said as he tightened his grip on my hand. The butterflies in my stomach were banging at my insides and threatening to spill out.

"That'd be nice." I whispered shakily.