Disclaimer: I am in no way claiming ownership over the Legend of Zelda franchise or making money with this story. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Here it is! The second-to-last chapter! This is actually one of my favorites.
"The heart has reasons that reason cannot know." – Blaise Pascal
As he approached the school building, students came flooding from out of the main doors, milling around in crowds or walking back to their dorms or towards the town. Link ascended the steps and entered the building, weaving his way through the throng. His argument with Peatrice had left him fuming, and he angrily pushed his way through a couple who were clearly about to kiss.
Ignoring the angry shouts that followed him, he found Zelda's classroom quickly. She was packing her belongings into her bag when he arrived. He wove his way through the desks and stood beside her. "Do you know what just fucking happened to me?" he seethed through gritted teeth.
She stopped, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Fucking Peatrice just walked up to me and told me to let Pipit go so that he and Karane would fall in love again." He kept his voice down to avoid attracting the attention of the professor. "She was like, 'Why are you doing this? Just let him go and things can go back to normal again!' Bitch." He spat the last word.
"I'm sorry, Link. I figured she'd take Karane's side in all this."
Link scoffed. "Then she needs to get lost and stay gone, instead of trying to reunite us all with this 'It'll all be back to normal' bullshit."
"I know, Link. I agree, but Peatrice always has liked a little drama."
Diffusing his anger through a long sigh, Link said, "Well anyway, I need to find Fledge."
"Oh, he should be this way." Link followed Zelda out of the room.
They'd hardly turned the corner when they ran into Headmaster Gaepora, who was holding a sheaf of papers and looking triumphant. "Ah! I was hoping I'd meet you two on the way back to my office! Follow me, if you like!" Link and Zelda exchanged looks of mutual confusion before turning and walking after the Headmaster, who was marching away in the other direction.
Soon, the two friends found themselves approaching Gaepora's office. He beckoned them in and closed the door behind them as they entered. Link reminded himself that he was supposed to be finding Fledge, but whatever the Headmaster had to tell them seemed important.
Headmaster Gaepora lowered himself into his chair heavily, sighing. Then he reached into a drawer beneath his desk and ruffled through it for a moment before pulling out a single sheet of paper. Link eyed the sheaf of papers he had been carrying, and saw the words Skyloft Knight Academy: Student Disciplinary Report emblazoned across the top. Link realized that this was likely to be about Groose, and his suspicions were confirmed a moment later.
"As you two probably remember, an incident occurred a few weeks ago involving Fledge, for which no one received punishment." Link glanced over at Zelda, but she was watching her father closely.
He continued. "You alerted me of your suspicions concerning one particular student, however, and new evidence has recently come to light which, I believe, confirms his guilt. I am, of course, talking about Groose."
"You proved that he did it?" Zelda shouted excitedly.
"Well, not at first. I found a hole in his alibi that caused me to dig further. In short, it seems as though the letter that Groose wrote to be sent to his parents never actually reached them. In fact, the janitor of Groose's dorm told me in confidence that she saw the letter as recently as two days ago while emptying out Groose's garbage can. Yesterday, I flew to Groose's parents' house, and found that they have not received a letter from their son since school began, over three weeks ago.
"After I returned to Skyloft, I decided to speak with Cawlin, who Groose cited as a witness to his letter writing. Cawlin was not in his room, but his roommate, Stritch, answered the door. Knowing that Stritch was also a part of Groose's gang, I decided he would do.
"He invited me in, and I asked him what he knew about the incident with Fledge. He stuck to the story at first, but I could tell he was lying. He refused to look me in the eye, and was focused intently on smoothing out his bedspread. While he was speaking, I noticed a strange map on Stritch's desk and recognized one of the islands as the home of Groose's parents.
"When I asked to see the map, Stritch became hysterical. Eventually, he calmed down and admitted to me that Groose was responsible for the incident involving Fledge. He also told me that Groose was planning on repeating his actions today with another student."
"Who?" Link asked curiously.
"You, Link. Stritch told me that Groose's sister's birthday is today, and he was planning on returning home for the day to attend her party. From there, Groose would use a series of friends' Loftwings to complete the return journey in a much shorter amount of time than it would normally take. He would take advantage of this extra time to attack you after school got out while enjoying the protection of his valid alibi.
"A series of friends' Loftwings?" Zelda repeated, confused.
"Yes. Loftwings get tired, and fly more slowly over time. When travelling long distance like those that separate us from Groose's family, they require rests just as any of us would. Groose had given Stritch a map of islands that vaguely followed the route from here to his home island, and was planning to have friends stationed strategically so that he could complete the journey without having to stop to allow his Loftwing to rest. It really is quite an ingenious plan, actually."
"What's going to happen to Groose?" Link asked eagerly.
"Oh, he will be expelled from the Knight Academy without question. Public brawling is one thing, but severely beating another student is illegal. Groose is of age; he will be tried as an adult."
As Headmaster Gaepora said this, a loud knock at the door made Link jump. "Zelda, could you get that?" Zelda swung the door open tentatively, and the most enormous man Link had ever seen muscled his way into the room, pulling the dwarfed Groose in tow by the shoulder. When he spoke, his voice was deeper than a bass drum.
"Here he is, Headmaster."
Headmaster Gaepora smiled. "Thank you, Darius. Have you met my daughter Zelda and her friend Link?"
"I've spoken to Zelda before," he nodded to her. She smiled back, looking queasy. "However, I don't recall meeting Link before." He extended an enormous hand and shook Link's vigorously. "Well, I'd best be off."
Headmaster Gaepora stood up. "It might be better for you and Zelda to leave also, Link." He maneuvered around Darius and opened the door. Link and Zelda squeezed past Darius on the opposite wall and left the office. Darius followed them out.
"I graduated a two years ago," Darius said amiably as they walked down the now-deserted hallways. He seemed to take up half of the hallway with his enormous muscles. "I became a Knight, but I was never very comfortable on a Loftwing because of my size, so I went into security instead."
"You don't have a Loftwing?" Link asked, surprised. He didn't know it was possible to be without a Loftwing. "Oh no, I have one, I just don't ride him very often. I live on the very edge of the island, and my back porch is open to the sky, so he comes by occasionally to check up on me and such."
They had reached the front of the school, and Darius said goodbye to them before lumbering off. Link raised his eyebrows, looking at Zelda. "Weren't you looking for Fledge?" she asked.
Link gasped. "You're right! Thanks for reminding me – I'm really running late."
He took off in the direction of the dorms, Zelda walking beside him. "Am I allowed to ask why you're late?"
"I have to take Fledge to Keet, remember?" She made a noncommittal noise and they continued on in silence for a few moments before Link narrowed his eyes. "Where were you this morning? I thought you were supposed to wake me up before school?"
Zelda laughed. "Well, I did go to try and wake you up, but you were exhausted. I knocked on your door for about ten minutes, and I finally just went in and you were still out cold. I spent another few minutes try to wake you up – I yelled at you and slapped you in the face but you just moaned and waved your hand around. I finally decided that you could use the sleep, and I still ended up being almost late for class."
"Oh. Well, thanks for trying to wake me up."
"Don't worry about it, Sleeping Beauty."
By this time, they had reached Fledge's dorm, and Link knocked softly. After a moment, there were sounds of movement from within and the door swung open. Fledge stood before them, looking unusually well-dressed in tight pants and a baggy sweater. He smiled nervously.
"Oh, hi Link! What's up?"
Link glanced over him appraisingly. "Hi Fledge. You look great. Are those new pants?"
Fledge chuckled nervously. "No – I – uh – I've had them for a while. A few years, actually. I guess I've just never worn them before."
"Well, they're cute. Come on, we're late." He grabbed Fledge's hand and pulled him through the door.
Zelda closed the door and then turned to yell, "I'll see you later, Link!" He and Fledge continued on down the hallway and left the building through the wooden double doors.
"Link, where are we going? What are we late for?"
Link let go of Fledge's hand and walked beside him towards the edge of the island. "Fledge, I have an idea that I want to float by you, and don't freak out until I've finished, okay?"
"Okay…" he agreed apprehensively.
"I met a pretty cool guy the other day. He was funny and cute, and – well – he's looking for a boyfriend."
"What?!" Fledge stopped in shock. "Link, are you trying to set me up with someone? Is this because I had a crush on you? Because I swear I'm over it. It was just a crazy dream that was never going to happen, and you really don't need to do this, because I –"
"Fledge! Relax, alright? I just mentioned you in passing, and he was just interested in meeting you. That's all that's happening here, okay? We're just going to meet him. Nobody is asking you to do anything except have a friendly conversation."
Fledge took a deep breath. "Why are you taking me to see this guy? What's his name?"
"It just seemed like the two of you were perfect for each other. His name is Keet."
"Wait a minute! Isn't that the guy Pipit cheated on you with?" Fledge had started walking again, and they were nearing the drop-off.
"Fledge, why don't you just come with me to see what happens?"
He looked nervous, but Link pulled him over the side. They fell gracefully towards the clouds, and Link whistled softly. In an instant, Crimson was beneath them and they were careening away from the island. Link turned to Fledge and saw that the other boy had his mouth clamped shut and his eyes firmly closed. Link didn't know if he was breathing, but he was pale and green at the edges, so Link decided to let him be and instead pray that Fledge would be able to refrain from throwing up until they reached land.
Link's shirt was spared, however, and a few minutes later they landed easily on Pumpkin Landing. Fledge slipped off of Crimson and immediately fell to all fours, shaking and heaving. After a few deep breaths, he got himself under control and stood up tentatively. After Link had ensured that Fledge would survive, they made their way towards the Lumpy Pumpkin.
The pub looked remarkably different than it had on the night of the Fall Festival, and Link could hardly believe that had only been three nights ago. The inside was comprised of the small collection of tables that formed the dining area, a makeshift stage against the wall for musicians, and the bar itself. A staircase lead to the balcony.
Link scanned the room and spotted Keet on the upper balcony. He was absentmindedly swirling his drink around in one hand and holding a piece of paper with the other. Link lead Fledge towards the staircase but pulled him aside at the foot.
"Well? Did you see him?" It was obvious to whom he was referring; there was no one else in the bar.
"Yeah, I saw him."
"What do you think? Is he cute?"
Fledge blushed. "He seemed okay. He was sitting down, so I couldn't really tell."
Link held Fledge out at arm's length and looked him over. Then he pulled the smaller boy's shirt down so that it hugged his hips, smoothed out the wrinkles around the shoulders, and then dropped to his knees, making Fledge blush much harder. From there, Link pulled the cuffs of his trousers down and straightened them out. After standing and sweeping his hair back so that it looked intentionally flyaway, Link was satisfied.
"Fledge, just keep in mind that nobody's pressuring you to do anything. I'll save the conversation if it gets stale, and we'll leave if it fizzles out. Are you ready?"
The smaller boy seemed nervous, but he nodded. "I never agreed to this."
Link pulled him into a hug. "This is my way of trying to make up for being such a dick to you the other night. Just trust me – I think you and Keet will get along really well." He refrained from mentioning that he also felt like he owed Keet a thank you for not being difficult about the situation with Pipit. "Alright, let's go."
Link lead the way to the table where Keet sat, reading the piece of paper in his hand. As they approached, he looked up and flashed a dazzlingly white smile.
Fledge sat down opposite Keet, and Link sat at the end of the table between the two. "Hey Keet. Sorry that we're late, but I sort of lost track of time… You know, just ensuring victory over an old enemy…" he said in deliberately airy voice. Fledge gave him a confused look. "Groose," Link confirmed. "Headmaster Gaepora has finally found proof that Groose did it." He tactfully avoided mentioning the details of the incident in front of Keet.
"What will happen to Groose?" Fledge wouldn't take his eyes off of Link, as though he was afraid to look at Keet.
"I don't know – we left before the fun started. But I hope that he'll be expelled. Headmaster Gaepora seems to think there's a chance he'll be arrested." Link let the conversation pause for a moment. "Anyway, we didn't come here to talk about Groose. I'm here to introduce you to Keet!"
Fledge anxiously met Keet's eye for a moment, blushed violently, and then stared into his lap, mumbling, "Hi."
Keet glanced at Link, his face skeptical but clearly amused by Fledge's discomfort. "Hi, Fledge. Link told me about you the other day." Fledge made a non-committal noise. "So… you're gay?"
Link snorted violently and nearly toppled off of his chair. Was this how people flirted? Keet was clearly trying not to laugh, but Fledge was thrown off by the question. However, Link noticed that he seemed to be so distracted by this new question that he was forgetting to be nervous about meeting Keet.
"Um – yeah? I mean, I only came out a few weeks ago, and it wasn't… well, not everyone knows."
"Right. You had a crush on Link, but for some reason he's smitten with Pipit, so you had to broaden your horizons."
Link could feel Fledge's embarrassment. The smaller boy turned to Link with a desperate plea for help in his eyes. He could only laugh. Keet got to the point. However, he'd gotten Fledge into this, so he would help him out. He knew that Fledge and Keet had a connection.
"Sorry, Keet, Fledge must still be a little sick. He flew here with me, but he doesn't like flying very much. You are very direct with your questions, though."
Keet winked. "That's my strategy. Nobody has time for sugar-coated bullshit." Keet turned back to Fledge. "Why did you fly here with Link? Do you have a Loftwing?"
Fledge looked up at Keet. "No. Most people meet their Loftwings when they are young, but I was raised away from all that. I came to the Knight Academy without a Loftwing, and it was already too late. None chose me, and it's set me back pretty far in terms of what I can do as a Knight. Cook, I guess. And worry – I'm good at worrying."
Smiling, Keet responded easily. "Well, that's good because I'm not good at worrying. I hate it. It does weird things to me when I worry about something. But it's cool that you don't have a Loftwing because I don't either."
Fledge was shocked. "What?"
"Yeah, I basically had the same problem. My family doesn't – er – live near Loftwings," Keet mumbled with half a glance over to Link, "So I never got one either. But I don't really need one. I borrow my Mom's when I need to, but I don't really like flying."
"I don't either!" Fledge continued to talk, but Link lost focus. He couldn't believe that anyone didn't have a Loftwing. He didn't know how he'd live without Crimson. His Loftwing was like an extension of his body, or a twin brother that he'd been close to since the day he'd been born. One of his earliest memories was his first flight alone atop Crimson, and that had been when he was just four years old.
Of course, at the Knight Academy, everyone had a Loftwing except for Fledge, and Link had always thought of him as the exception. Now that he thought about it, though, he'd met other people who never rode Loftwings. He'd just met Darius earlier, and he had said that he wasn't comfortable on a Loftwing because of his size. Now he'd found out that Keet didn't fly…
Link tuned back into the conversation as they were talking about their families back home. Keet generally avoided describing the squalor of his home by saying that his family lived far away where resources were sparse. He made them sound practically heroic as he described their spirit as they pioneered through harsh summers and freezing winters with little to eat, and Fledge was enamored with the story, never once taking his eyes off of Keet. Link knew that he had been right all along.
He made to excuse himself. "You two seem happy here, so I'll just be going now. Fledge, I'll send Crimson back when I get to Skyloft and he can take you back later, alright?"
Fledge hardly heard a word and continued to stare at Keet.
"Oh, Link! I want you to have this. Pipit's Loftwing delivered it to me this morning, and I thought you should read it. I don't really need it anymore, so take it." There was spite in his tone, but it was faded. Keet held out the piece of paper he had been reading earlier. Link took it, said his goodbyes, and walked down the staircase and out of the pub.
Once outside, he sat on a bench to the side of the door and unfolded the paper. Written on it was a short letter.
Keet,
I know that things have been rocky between us lately, and I wanted to apologize one last time for everything that's been going on. I never should have cheated on Karane in the first place, but thank you for being there when I needed you. My real mistake, however, was allowing you to interfere with my true love. You helped give me the courage to say that I was gay, and you ushered me into a new chapter of my life, but there's more to being gay that having relations with another man. I've been confused for the last few days, but my position is now clear. I cannot be defined by my sexuality, or the need to have sex with men, in the way that you are defined.
My heart lies with Link, and it is him to whom I will return when all is said and done. You may have opened my eyes to a new way of life, but Link took my hand and showed me where to step. What we shared was at once intensely pleasurable and extremely unhealthy, but that was all I knew about being gay. Link showed me that "being gay" wasn't what mattered. What Link and I share isn't unhealthy or manipulative – it is love in its purest form. I was a fool for not seeing that before, but now I will make sure to not repeat my mistake. As I grow, experience, and change, I realize that I need a guide who will nurture and support me. I need someone who I can depend upon to make me feel loved and wanted. You can try to spin it however you like, but it was you who used me for sex, Keet. Link has shown nothing but simple love and devotion, and it is clear which of the two choices is best.
I do not blame you for anything that has happened. I blame myself. But I hope that you will see as I do that my choice is clear. I know things will work out for you, Keet. One day, you will find a man who is perfect. You'll look back, remember me, and laugh at yourself.
I hope we can be friends after this, and I hope that you don't take this as a personal attack. My heart simply belongs with Link, and that's where I choose to stay. All that remains for me now is to prove to him that my love is eternal.
With all of the blessings in the world,
Pipit
Link wiped a tear from his eyes as his face split into the widest smile he had worn in days. He tucked the letter into his back pocket, touched by the tenderness of Pipit's words. He walked away from the Lumpy Pumpkin knowing that he'd left Keet in good hands.
Author's Note: So Groose gets SERVED, Fleet happens, and Link still loves Pipit after all. Only one more chapter to go! I CAN HARDLY WAIT! Please be sure to leave a review telling me what you liked or didn't like – each one I receive makes me smile! Oh, and BE SURE to favorite and follow so that you don't miss the epic conclusion!