Chapter 6 (Age 14)

Zelda found Link sitting under a tree, lounging casually and clearly daydreaming with an easy smile on his face. She was almost hesitant to disturb him.

But she needed to.

"Hey," she said, walking over. "Scoot."

Link made room for her beside him, though he was acutely aware of how little space she'd actually left him.

She smiled as she made herself comfortable. "Tell me everything."

Zelda finally turned to him and gasped. Her hand flew to his face, gently turning his chin to get a better look at the horrible purple bruise over his jaw. "What happened? Was it Groose? I'll kill him, I swear, I will. I'd do that for you, Link. I'd kill Groose."

Link chuckled and pushed her hand away. "Calm down you remlit, and put away your scary fangs. Eagus let me practice with him today."

"Eagus?" she said, perking up. She giggled and lowered her voice, mocking Link. "The one who graduated at the top of his class? The cooooolest Knight in all of Skyloft? The one you idolize more than the Goddess? That Eagus?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Yes, that Eagus. He got a few really good blows in. I can't really take a deep breath either."

"I tease, but you're really going to be at such an advantage against the rest of the class. Pipit definitely won't be able to beat you, and he's ahead by a year."

He nodded and held up his hand, stopping her from continuing about him. He knew she'd come over with a specific goal. That's why she woke him. "What about you? Tell me your news."

"Oh! Me? Well, it's not as cool."

"Tell me anyway."

She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her obvious excitement. "It took my father getting off the committee, but guess who gets to play the Goddess Hylia in the production of A Goddess' Song?"

Link's eyes lit up, and he pulled her into him, squeezing her. "You did it!"

"I did!"

"Why did you have to kick your father off the committee? You'd think he'd want you to play Hylia."

She pulled away, her face red. "First off, I didn't kick him off. I don't have that kind of power, even if I am… a Goddess," she said, pausing and flipping her hair for dramatic effect. "No, he didn't want me to do it because it's a love story with the Goddess' Chosen Knight. You know? Besides, his vote was biased either way."

"Oh," Link said, still not understanding why he'd want to take a whole role away from his daughter for that. "Who's the Knight?"

Zelda smiled tightly, ready for Link's reaction. "It's… Jardon."

"Jardon?" Link said, sitting forward slightly. "Like graduating class Jardon? The one who's older than us by three years? The one who pulled that prank last year on your father and the other instructors? That Jardon?"

Zelda cleared her throat. "Yes, that Jardon. And, as you might know- if you didn't sleep through history lessons- the Goddess and her Knight were... in love. So…"

Link waited for her to finish. She seemed hesitant.

With a resolved sigh, she closed her eyes. "So, they have to kiss."

Link's eyes widened and he cleared his throat, staring into The Sky. "Now I get why your father didn't want you to play the Goddess."

She could feel her face heating up more and more with every passing second. "Right. But Jardon knows what he's doing and… and I don't. So, I'm embarrassed. I don't want to look stupid."

"Practice on a pumpkin?" Link said, trying to keep it light. In reality, he felt harsh butterflies kicking him violently in the stomach.

"A pumpkin?" Zelda asked with a laugh, breaking the tension she'd begun to feel. She finally felt able to take a deep breath. "Actually, I was going to ask a favor from you and now seems like the best time."

"You want me to carry pumpkins?"

She whacked his arm. "Stop, I'm being serious."

Link sobered up and waited.

"I… okay, you can say 'no', but I really don't want my first kiss to be with a stranger."

Link waited for her to continue, but his eyes widened as he started to realize what she meant. "Oh..."

"You don't have to. I mean it. I wouldn't mind if Jardon was my first kiss. I mean… I know Karane wishes he was hers. So, it's not a big deal if you say no. I promise."

Link could feel his face heat up more quickly than he'd ever felt before. "You don't want to see if a real one happens with someone between now and then?"

Zelda narrowed her eyes at him. "A week? Link, I spend almost all my time with you, Karane, Pipit, and Fledge. I'm not thinking that's going to happen. Unless you're saying that within the week, you, Karane, Pipit or Fledge were planning to really kiss me?"

"No. No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Okay, then the odds are very unlikely... and you really can say no."

"No." He shook his head and grumbled, not meaning to say 'no' in that way. "Yes... Wait. You know that I have no idea what I'm doing either, right? I'm the quiet, weird one. It's not like I have anyone lining up to be with me."

Zelda crossed her arms. "You're not weird. And you could, you know. You are…" she stopped herself and cleared her throat, turning red once again as she carefully chose her words. "You're not ugly."

Link sniggered. "You inspire and flatter me." The weight of her compliment was almost lost on him. With a sigh, he was about to give her his answer when he stopped suddenly. "You're... not ugly either, you know. If you want to actually go find someone for something other than a play... you could, you know. Even an older classmate like Jardon." He couldn't help the distasteful tone he took with his last word.

With a rueful laugh, Zelda leaned against the tree. "Yeah. And my father definitely wouldn't be hiding in a bush watching me the entire time to make sure that didn't happen. If I ever went on a date with anyone, he'd follow me. Or he'd have me followed. I'd find Owlan conveniently waiting for me at every turn. I'm his little girl. If I was ever with someone, it would kill him. Truly. He'd die."

Link joined her against the tree, letting the wind tickle his face for a moment. "You can't let him stop you from living."

Zelda leaned her head against Link's shoulder, an old, familiar comfort. "Do you want to make a pact with me? If we both end up old and alone, we'll just marry each other and live together. We're best friends, so it wouldn't be so bad."

Tilting his head down against hers, Link smiled, though he was glad she couldn't see him. "It won't happen to you, but sure. When we're old and wrinkly, we'll get married, go out with a bang, and cause an uproar here before we both die."

"You made this depressing."

"You started it."

They both went silent, enjoying the solace of each other's company.

Link felt his body start to shake nervously, and he tried to push the thoughts from his mind. Instead, they came right to his mouth. "So, are we doing this right here where anyone can see us?"

"We… wait. You'll do it?"

"Only on the condition that we get married as old, lonely adults, yes."

Zelda laughed and grabbed him, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. It might be terrible. I'll probably be bad at it and ruin everything for you and you'll wish you never asked me."

Zelda held her finger up, stopping him. "It could be the other way around. I'm willing to take the risk if you are."

He rolled his eyes, though the gesture was to hide his relief and anxiety. "What's life without a little risk?"

"Okay!" Zelda took a breath and looked around. "We can't here. You're right, someone could pop out. My father could come looking for me at any second and then kill us. We can't go inside either. Someone could see us. The cave would be perfect if it wasn't forbidden to non-knights."

Link looked around. She'd already vetoed most of the secluded places on the small island. "Behind the Goddess statue?"

"We'll look suspicious."

Link sighed. "You do know we hang out every day of our lives and it's not actually suspicious to see us together, right?"

"Goddess, you're right. We are together every day. I'm just a little nervous."

Link took a shuddered breath. He was too. "We'll say we're studying your lines."

"Wait," Zelda said, grabbing his arm. "New question! Will you actually help me study my lines, too?"

He chuckled softly. "Of course."

"Okay. Let's go."

The two scampered to the Goddess statue like thieves. Both checked the area for anyone who might be watching… or praying... before continuing, ducking quickly out of sight of any passersby.

"I think we're hidden," Zelda said, looking around again. "Okay. Okay. How do we do this?"

Link could suddenly feel himself getting cold feet as realization dawned on him: he was about to kiss his best friend. But, if she's just his best friend, someone he does everything with, why was he so nervous? Why was this different than anything else they'd done? "I thought you'd have a plan."

"N-no. Do I need a plan? Do people plan to kiss?" She stopped and let out a deep breath. "Oh Goddess, I don't have any reference point. I've never seen my parents kiss. Not really. Not that I remember anyway."

Link shrugged. "Me either, if that helps."

"No!" Zelda exclaimed with a nervous laugh. "Now we're both blind!"

"J-just lean in. Let's just do it. No plan."

"Right," she said, leaning her body towards him. Then she stopped. "Do we pucker our lips?"

"Do we what?" He cleared his throat, wishing he could sound less like a useless little kid. "I mean… I don't know?" Link ran a hand through his hair and started to pace. "What are they doing in the scene?"

Zelda closed her eyes. "He's… um… they're splitting up to fight the darkness. So it's a passionate kiss."

"A… we're just doing a normal one… right?"

"Shouldn't all kisses be passionate?"

Link cleared his throat. "I don't know. Do I look like someone who knows? You're asking me a lot of questions that I have no idea the answer to. We're practicing for a reason."

Zelda shook out her hands and gestured for Link to come back towards her. "Let's do this. You go right and I'll go… well, I guess we'll both go right so we don't bang noses."

Link snorted. "This is like doing a science project."

"Shut up."

Zelda planted her feet in front of Link and leaned forward awkwardly. Link mimicked her every move, waiting for her cue. She puckered her lips, and he, his. And as they neared each other, they both stopped short, staring at each other- and began to laugh.

They laughed together so hard, they had to kneel in the grass to keep from falling over.

"That was so awkward. We were staring at each other!" Zelda said between breaths, wiping a tear from her eye. "I think we need to close our eyes or something."

They continued to laugh. But Link felt something in his stomach, hard-hitting butterflies that threatened everything about him. He suddenly felt weak, his hands clammy and his heart racing. Hearing her laugh brought on a whole different feeling than it had moments ago. It was like a revelation, only it was something he'd already known.

His body moved instinctively, without forethought or planning. It was a swift, sudden movement. He didn't have to plan every step. It just happened.

He closed the large gap that had formed between them, tucking his hand behind her neck and pulling her towards him, closing his eyes as he tilted his head and brought his lips to hers. Her surprise had her slow to respond to him, but she felt her body react the way it instinctively knew how. There was no planning, no need for her brain to think of each step individually and reason the next one out. For the briefest moment, she felt her body relax into Link, but then he pulled away.

He was breathing heavily, as if the kiss had been more than innocent, but his heart hammered in his chest all the same.

"That…"

Zelda nodded, feeling the ghost of his lips on hers with her fingertips. "That was a good first kiss, right?"

Link nodded slowly. "Yeah it was. I think it was, anyway. It was more natural than I thought. I thought it would be a lot..."

"Weirder?"

Link chuckled, noticing her red, flushed skin. He imagined his was much the same. "Yeah, weirder. But it wasn't all that weird."

"Right? It wasn't!"

Zelda grabbed Link's hand and squeezed. "Thank you for doing that. I know it was a really strange favor." They could feel the other's hand shaking.

Link didn't want to admit that the favor was anything but forced on his part, so instead, he nudged Zelda with his shoulder. "Hey, you should eat some strawberries before your Goddess kiss, too."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You could… wait… what?"

Link chuckled and walked ahead of her so she couldn't see the massive smile that was spread across his face. "Nothing. Never mind."

A week had passed and the two met in their usual spot by the water to practice her line until she had them down. Pipit, Karane, and Fledge also joined. There was no more kissing, not with Link, anyway, and Zelda was glad that her first kiss hadn't been on stage during a rehearsal with a boy she hardly knew.

She'd studied her lines and practiced. She'd rehearsed every scene, every moment. She knew every line, but she felt incredible fear as she looked out at all of Skyloft. She ducked back behind the petition that was set up along the side of the Goddess statue as makeshift backstage. Her nerves were threatening to bring her to her knees. She looked at the others. They all looked fine, happy and excited even. But she couldn't translate her nerves into positive energy.

Her thoughts went back to Link's words to her: "If you get nervous, just look at me. Forget Jardon. I'm the real hero, aren't I? I rehearsed all these lines with you. I even know his part. I mean… try to look at him, but I'm there if you need me."

"Final costume check, Zelda."

Zelda snapped her head around, her hair whipping into the head-of-costumes, Priya.

"Sorry."

Priya shook her head dismissively and checked Zelda's long, flowing white dress one final time. It was a new take on the Goddess' simple white dress. This one was a bit more embellished, small patterns sewn into the top half of the dress. The sleeves weren't attached to the dress, but clung tightly midway down her arms until it bellowed out into a long trumpet sleeve. Priya adjusted the golden belt that clung midway around Zelda's torso and pulled the dress down, exposing a little more of Zelda's chest. She patted a golden harp that was tied to her belt, seeing that it was secure.

"Your hair looks good. Are your bangs pinned back tight?"

Zelda patted her hair, her bangs pulled back into a small poof on top of her head that gave some definition to her long, straight hair.

"Yeah."

"Great," she said, leaving Zelda.

She looked to see that Priya had gone and pulled the dress back up higher.

"Ready?" a voice asked, making her jump.

She turned to see Jardon, dressed in a green tunic, red scarf, and a blonde wig to cover his brown hair.

"Yeah."

"You look great."

Zelda nodded absently, staring in horror at the stage. Nerves began to rush through her.

Jardon nudged her. "Hey, you'll be great. Come on, take my hand. We're starting."

Karane moved to Zelda's other side and put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Break a leg."

"You too."

Karane nodded and pulled at the loose fabric of her ill-fitting Knight's uniform before stepping out onto the stage.

The audience applauded as the show began before quieting, letting Karane speak.

"Once, a war of unmatched ferocity raged through the Great Surface below the clouds. A tear in the grounds below the feet of the Surface Dwellers unleashed untold horrors, a blight on the world that was far greater than anything any had seen before. Though the brave Surface Dwellers fought back, it was a hopeless endeavor, and many lives were lost. The Surface itself suffered the casualties of war, drying lakes and scorching forests until the land was un-survivable.

"The horrors that were unleashed on the Surface Dwellers was all done in Evil's name to take the ultimate power from Her Grace, the Goddess. The power she guarded was without equal, and her sworn and sacred duty was to protect it, with her life, if need be. The Old Gods trusted her to keep it safe. But Evil hands had a lust for its power. The Goddess only knew one way to protect the great power. She sent her most loyal subjects onto an outcropping and cast it skyward, saving her people and protecting the power. She saved as many as she could, sending them into the sky beyond the clouds.

"Fighting beside her was her trusted knight, a hero who was willing to die in her service. Together, they brought down the darkness…"

Jardon squeezed Zelda's hand and they ran on the stage, out of breath from 'running'.

"Your Grace," he said, kneeling. "We must get you out of here. They will be upon us soon."

Zelda froze for a moment, her eyes scanning the crowd until she saw Link in the very back, watching her intently. She cleared her throat and looked back at Jardon, but seeing Link in his place.

"No. No, my people are back there. I will not abandon them."

"Your Grace, you must protect the power. The people… I will protect them."

"The power is safe for now. I must fight with those here."

"Your Grace…"

Zelda knelt in front of Jardon. "I understand why you worry, but you mustn't. My life was meant to lead here, to this moment." In a swift motion that Zelda hadn't been able to execute well, she grabbed one of the swords from Jardon's belt and stood before him with it pointed under his chin. It wasn't a threat, but a call to arms. And for a moment, she felt something inside her stir, something that was beyond words. Like she'd lived this moment before. Not rehearsed… lived. She shook the feeling and continued with her lines. "I will fight for my people. Will you fight for your Goddess?"

Jardon stood up and removed his other sword, the one told to be from legends, though their prop looked eerily similar to her own. "I will." The two nodded and ran off stage, toward the 'battle.'

Karane watched and waited until they were off to continue with her own lines.

"The Goddess rejoined her people in the battle for the Surface. And her people fought with every ounce of their strength."

At that, several of the older knights came out, some dressed as monsters, and others as normal people and fought in an impressive sword fighting demonstration of their skills.

Zelda used the time to breathe. She couldn't even bother herself to see what they were doing, though she normally loved watching the display, which was always different.

Jardon ran on to do a featured fight, one Zelda knew she would follow. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

When Jardon felled his opponent, Karane spoke again.

"The Goddess' Chosen Knight fought with valor, clearing the path forward for him and the Goddess. But they knew what waited at the end. Evil."

Zelda ran out on stage and pulled Jardon by the arm, stopping him. "This may be our last moment together. But know that it will only be in this life. If we should separate, we will find each other in the next life."

Jardon nodded. "Whether it be tomorrow, or thousands of years from now, I trust that we will find each other again, Hylia."

Zelda steeled herself as he bent toward her. She closed her eyes, as she had done in rehearsal, but she pictured Link, behind the statue, surprising her with a gentle, and completely natural kiss. And she felt her lips respond. Then, Jardon pulled away and she was left back in the play, rather than with Link.

"Come, Your Grace. Let's finish this."

She stayed behind Jardon as the team came out with a massive, dark puppet that was controlled by several others. It was the embodiment of Evil, and it was actually fairly frightening.

Jardon had a staged fight with the Evil before being felled and knocked to the ground.

Karane spoke as they all froze in place. "The Great Evil was consumed by hatred, lust, and greed. The hero could not defeat it, and he was left injured on the ground. It was all up to the Goddess."

Zelda moved again, but she experienced the same sensation she had before. She was not seeing a puppet, but a massive creature with flaming red hair, towering over her with a dark and sinister grin of triumph on his face. Zelda turned and saw her Knight, lying in a bloodied ball on the ground. She was in a large, spiraled pit, and she was alone.

"The power is neither of ours," she said, though her voice was that of someone older, wiser, more ethereal than her own. "I am a guardian. And you are a threat. I've put it so far beyond your reach, you'll never manage to get to it. You've lost. Your war on my people is for naught. You're a failure, Demise, and you always will be; the power is never going to be yours."

Zelda could still feel herself on stage, saying her lines, but her mind was no longer present as she was seeing the event herself, like a memory or a dream. She knew that their puppet was called 'Evil'. She didn't know what 'Demise' was, or why she was thinking about it.

"Foolish girl," Demise roared. "You underestimate my patience."

"You underestimate mine. I will stop you at every turn. Every time you think it is within your reach, I will be there to guard it. And you will lose."

In a roar of rage, knowing that Hylia would never stop either, he swiped a beastly claw at her, knocking her to the ground. She raised her hand and let out a beam of light that encapsulated Demise, pulling him into the ground and holding him. She turned and called forth a small pedestal with markings on it, something Zelda couldn't read quickly enough.

She was vaguely aware of the fog, and the special mirror effects that the crew was using to make her seem as though her power and Evil's were real, but her mind wouldn't shake free of the realistic version. She could feel time changing in her mind. The two struggled for the upper hand in a power battle far longer than their scene lasted on stage, but at last, she sent out a final burst of energy and buried Demise into the ground, sealing him away with the pedestal before collapsing to the ground.

There was more… she knew there was more… but her body became her own again, and she was left listening to Karane's words, the puppet collapsed in a heap on the ground.

"The Goddess defeated Evil and joined her people in the sky, where she watches over us still."

Zelda left the stage as others filed on.

"Today, we honor her and her sacrifice. We remember the Surface, and the uninhabited remains that were left in the wake of war. We seek peace, as we, Her guardians, look over the place where she stored her power. We are her power, and we honor her. Today is Her Day, and yearly, tributes are made to this statue in hopes that she keeps her favorable gaze on us. We are her chosen people. And she is our chosen Goddess."

At that, the audience began to clap, roared, really. The effects and the costumes this year had been far more intense than any past year, and the audience was eager to acknowledge it.

The Knights took the stage to bow, and the audience's steady applause continued as they knew each player would come out for a bow. Then, the puppeteers. Karane took a bow next before stepping to the side for Jardon. Applause got slightly more intense for him. And then Zelda followed with her own bow.

She was the lead, and she was told to expect a standing ovation and loud cheers. It happened every year to anyone playing the Goddess. But what she didn't expect was who the loudest cheers came from.

Link stood on his seat and let out a loud whoop for her before whistling loudly as his claps echoed through the small space. She knew he'd become more comfortable, but to hear him shout so loudly in front of all Skyloft?

Though, Zelda had to cringe for a moment when she realized that the second loudest cheers were coming from Groose. But even over that, she could hear Link's excited whistling. Zelda beamed, holding in her laughter before taking a final bow with the cast and crew.

She raced behind the petitions and hiked up her long dress so she could move quicker as she made for the back row of seats.

Without a moment's hesitation, or warning, she threw herself into Link's arms, and he picked her up with ease, waiting for her to come out anyway, as he swung her from side to side.

"You did incredible!"

"I couldn't have done it without your help."

Link frowned. "This is your achievement, not mine. I didn't do anything, you did. This is all you, and you were fantastic. I wouldn't be surprised if they want you to be the Goddess forever."

She shook her head and dramatically placed her hand over her heart. "The nerves, Link. I don't think I could face those nerves a second time. It would have to be a really special occasion for me to want to play the Goddess again."

"Well," Gaepora said, waking over to the two. "I guess I didn't get the first hug?"

Zelda let go of Link and hugged her father. "You were too far in the front. I wasn't going to push through everyone or jump off the stage."

Gaepora nodded. "Mhmm. Well, Zelda, you were truly a sight to behold. And you look the part. You look every bit a Goddess. My Zelda, I am so proud of you. That took bravery and dedication. I'm not only proud as your father, but… also as your new headmaster."

Zelda's eyes widened. "You got it? You're going to be headmaster? Father!" She jumped into his arms again and laughed. "I'm so happy for you!"

"It is a happy day, isn't it?"

Zelda turned to Link, to see if he offered his agreement. But she saw him watching her with a look she'd never seen from him before. But she'd seen it before in the eyes of Hylia's Chosen Knight. And it wasn't a look she could easily forget.

A/N: Fun fact! This was based on a true story that I witnessed unfold during rehearsal for a show once. The guy was so upset that he had to kiss a girl he didn't know that he ran over to his cousin, kissed her, and then ran back onstage and kissed his scene partner. Very interesting day. Can't make that stuff up. But hey! Now we get awkward teens with crushes on each other! And I've learned that I was never meant to write a play. Just pretend it was actually long.

Reviews! RandomFF .netUser: I'm so glad you didn't notice! It was a pretty hasty plot re-write, even going off my standards (which is usually rushing to finish a chapter after procrastination). But thank you! James Birdsong: Thank you! Good to see you in another fic! Cosmo14: First off, thanks for your reviews on my other fics. They made my day! But yeah, I figured there was no one else Link would face his worst fears for, probably not even for himself. By this chapter, Zelda's definitely starting to realize there's something going on between them, even if she's not totally sure yet. Peatrice will return later! I don't think I have plans for her right away, but she will definitely be back! And thanks! I tried to think of it as peaceful, but with some small level of crime, since nowhere is perfect. Draegor: Thank you! Looking forward to writing more!