A/N: Okay, I feel like I need to preface a couple of things for this story. Things are slightly different than what we see in Skyward Sword for story reasons. Everything is bigger, Skyloft, the Knight Academy, even the Sky itself. So expect to see some faces or locations that don't exist in game.To avoid the monotony of following characters doing the same thing day in and day out there will likely be many months long if not years long time skips. I'm not great at writing younger characters so forgive me if their dialogue is stunted or strange. I plan to quickly age them up to a point where I am more comfortable writing their dialogue, but I feel that these early chapters need our characters to be younger.I think that's all for now. Enjoy the story!
Chapter 1 (Age 7)-
Link had always been a quiet child, even before the untimely deaths of his parents. But now that they were gone, his mother, a Knight of Skyloft, perishing in a freak storm to save his trapped father, the boy barely even gave audible affirmations or rejections. He spent most of his time in his room, shut out from the world and trying to reject the reality of his parents' passing.
Gaepora sighed heavily as his hand rested on the door to the young child's room. He had tried asking Link if he needed anything before bed, but he wasn't hopeful for a response from the young boy. He knew full well how hard it was to get a child back on their feet at the loss of just one parent. "Link, I'm headed to bed now. If you need anything please don't hesitate to tell me or Instructor Owlan or the Headmaster." Gaepora waited at the door for a few minutes but didn't hear any sound emanating from within. "Okay, have a goodnight then," he said weakly as he left the doorway and began to make his way towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
When he reached the stairs he lingered for a while longer, his hand propping him up on the hand rail. He knew Link would sometimes brave the hallways to sneak into the kitchen and get extra food from Henya. Despite the strong front he gave, the boy still needed to eat and was apparently quite the glutton like his mother. However, if he were to make a late-night excursion downstairs tonight, Gaepora wouldn't witness it, so he made his way up the steps.
As he shut the door to his room, the tall man turned to see his daughter's sleeping form. For what was likely the hundredth time that day, he let a heavy exhale escape his lips. Gaepora sat lightly on Zelda's bed carefully, doing his best to not disturb her as he began to slowly stroke her head. He smiled softly at her as she snuggled against his leg before he felt a small bead of water streak down his cheek.
His precious daughter reminded him so much of his late wife. Though only six years old, Gaepora saw a fountain of limitless potential in her and had no doubts she'd be as smart as her mother. Her hair, like a flowing waterfall of gold, shown as brightly as her mother's. He could still see her mother in Zelda's eyes, those brilliant sapphires that had dimmed so much when her mother fell. At first it had been hard for him to look at her, she just reminded him so much of his wife.
Gaepora knew there was no right time to lose a parent, but he knew that neither his daughter nor the boy downstairs should've lost theirs when they did. It was too cruel, far too cruel of the Goddess to reclaim them when these children hadn't even grown into adults. For her part, Zelda had seemingly bounced back to her old self, as happy and friendly as ever, but it had taken lots of work. And even then, Gaepora caught times where she regressed, shutting down and avoiding people like a plague. But even that, he hoped, could fade with the passage of time.
As they had many times in recent months, Gaepora's thoughts compared his daughter to Link. He knew their situations weren't entirely comparable, after all, he was still here, but it was close enough. A week from today would mark the five-month anniversary of his parent's passing and he was still so despondent. Zelda at the same time had begun to break out of her shell and speak to people other than himself. Link still wasn't even managing to speak with anyone, the only person who had heard the boy's voice since the incident was Henya and it was only once.
Gaepora wasn't sure what to think of Link's current condition. Certainly having someone to confide in had helped quicken Zelda's recovery, but would the same be true for Link? Or would it be better to leave him alone until he was ready to reintegrate? If only there was a book on how to deal with a tragedy such as this, then he would have some idea how to progress. The Headmaster was counting on him to take care of the child and Gaepora was doing his very best.
He knew forcing Link's hand would only lead him to resent Gaepora, but it was becoming increasingly difficult not to make him leave his room. After all, the school year was about to begin and Gaepora did not want the young boy to lose his chance at education. The Knight Academy was the most prestigious school in the Sky and anyone would be lucky to attend it even for a year. But he doubted that Link would see it the same way as himself.
Gaepora knew he had to make a breakthrough with the young boy. He was fairly close with his parents and he was one of the few people Link openly approached before that day. He remembered one day when Link couldn't have been more than three and he waddled up to him and merrily greeted him with, "Hiya, Mr. Gaepora!" The child had the sweetest smile on his face and Gaepora had to take a moment to respond. "Oh, hello, Link. Might you tell me where your dad is?"
Link had shrugged, his small shoulders rising and falling quickly. "I on't know," Link had replied, his brow knitting tightly as he looked around for his father. "Well, does he know you're here?" Gaepora had asked, squatting down to be eye level with the toddler. "Yeah!" Link chirped brightly, "I told 'em I was gonna play ouside!"
Gaepora's eyes flitted across the area and saw no sign of Link's father so he turned to the boy and said, "Well, I think we should go find him. He might've gotten lost." Link's azure eyes had grown as wide as saucers at that statement. "Oh no! Let's hurry, mommy will be real sad if daddy got lost!"
Link had then grabbed his hand and dragged Gaepora all across the island until they found his father, who was relieved to find his son. He had thanked Gaepora profusely for keeping Link safe and then taken the boy home for the evening.
What Gaepora wouldn't give to see the boy that happy again. He had been such a carefree and loving child but had since lost the shine in his eyes. The boy's smile could light up a room but now all that remained was a depressing frown.
Gaepora sighed again and shook his head before he felt the small mass beside him stir. Looking down at Zelda, Gaepora watched as she tiredly rubbed her eyes. She let out a long yawn before looking up to him and asking, "What's wrong, Papa?"
Gaepora stroked her hair a final time before laying her down again. "Oh, papa's just thinking about grown-up things. You don't need to worry, dear."
"Is it about Link?" she asked, yet another trait she had inherited from her mother. Zelda always knew how to strike at the heart of an issue and force Gaepora to be honest with her. "Yes, it is. I'm very worried about Link, but he does not seem to want help."
"He lost his momma, too, right?"
"Yes he did, and his father. It has been very hard for him. He doesn't talk to me about his thoughts and I don't know how he is."
"What if I talk to him? I know what it's like so I can help..." Zelda offered as she trailed off, her tired eyes drifting close before snapping open again.
"Oh, Zelda," Gaepora said as he brushed her cheek with his thumb, "I'm not sure if Link is ready for a friend, but it is very sweet of you to think that way."
When he finished he heard a soft snoring from beneath him and he looked down to see his daughter fast asleep. Gaepora smirked as she rolled over, gripping her blanket as she continued to rest peacefully. He leaned over and placed a small kiss on his daughter's cheek before standing and moving over to his bed.
He collected his nightclothes and moved into the connected bathroom. As he slowly changed into his sleeping wear, he had a smile on his lips. He was proud that his daughter would want to use her own negative experience and try to help someone else through a similar time. But at the same time, he knew that Link would be unbelievably upset at him and Zelda if he were to ask her to befriend him and he discovered it. It would easily do more harm than good and Link may never attempt to break from his shell again if Gaepora tasked Zelda to help him.
And so, as he did every night, Gaepora got on his knees and prayed. He prayed that Zelda's compassion would lead her to befriend, to truly build a relationship with Link. He prayed that the young boy learns to reopen his heart again and maybe learn to live with his parents' deaths. He also prayed that Link wouldn't reject Zelda's attempts at friendship simply because she was his daughter.
When he was done with his prayers, Gaepora slowly stood before climbing into his bed. As he slid the thick blanket over himself, Gaepora looked out into the sky beyond his open window. Lazily floating along the horizon was a Loftwing, its rider's head hyper-focused on the island to make sure no one fell from the edge and past the cloud barrier below.
He sighed for a final time that night as the knight left the edges of his view. If only they could have knights patrolling all of the Sky and not just Skyloft. It was a fantasy, and Gaeopra was well aware of that fact, but it didn't keep him from wishing that it could be different in the late hours of the evening like this. Even if they could save everyone, it wouldn't have saved Link's parents.
After all, that storm had been once in a lifetime, a raging cyclone that felled Skyloft's most talented knight and Loftwing herder. A freak of nature that no one could have predicted from the calm that had been there before. If they couldn't combat that storm, then the regular knights would've been doomed the second they left the ground.
And while no consolation to the young boy a floor beneath him, Link's parents had completed their task. They had managed to deliver life-saving medicine to one of the outer islands that had helped stem a deadly infection that had spread on it. They had saved so many lives, possibly even everyone in the Sky, but lost their own. Maybe one day Link would be able to take in their sacrifice and follow in their footsteps as a brave and tenderhearted man willing to sacrifice life and limb for those in need. Though Gaepora hoped that Link would never be placed in a position like his parents had. He would see to it that the young lad wouldn't have to forfeit his life as long as Gaepora still drew breath.
As Gaepora's thoughts slowly flitted from topic to topic, mostly focused on how to help Link, he felt his eyes grow heavy. Rolling to a cool spot on his pillow, Gaepora let his eyes shut, letting the overwhelming desire to sleep wash over him as he slipped into the land of sleep.