They arrived nary a moment too soon. The entire village had gathered to witness the race and subsequent ceremony. Link swallowed dryly as he observed the large crowd, with every last person watching him and Zelda as they approached. Several villagers clapped and whistled as Link dismounted his bird, with Zelda following close behind. Before he could join the other racers, Zelda caught him by the hand. He winced, a twinge reminding him that he had been bitten earlier by a Keese. A few red blood streaks stained his hand. Zelda kept a small pouch on her belt. From it, she produced a fabric bandage. Led by her natural caretaker instincts, she wrapped the fabric around his hand with great delicacy. Her gentle touch and care for the wound was deeply soothing to Link.
"I'll be praying for your safety," she said warmly. "Just promise you won't try anything too reckless."
Her piercing blue eyes met his with a look that caused his heart to skip a beat. He knew that she was very serious. While Link had a reputation for being laid back on the ground, in the sky, he was a most daring flyer. Link and his Loftwing were frequently seen practicing techniques even seasoned Knights struggled to master. The bond between Link and his crimson companion was undeniable when the two were flying freely together. But Zelda was right. This was not the time for anything flashy or daring. This race would be decided by the mastery of basic skills, determination, and the bond between bird and rider. Link nodded in agreement. Once his hand had been bandaged, he began making his way through the crowd to join his opponents.
"Way to show up just in the nick of time, lad!" Jakamar cheered as Link walked by. "We're all pullin' for ya!"
"Yes Link, welcome. We were beginning to worry about you," said Professor Horwell.
He couldn't help but to glance back at Zelda to make sure she was alright, considering the strange trance she had fallen into a short time ago. Link wondered, should he tell Headmaster Gaepora about it? Through the crowd, he saw her gently smiling at him. Her eyes were shimmering with gladness. This was enough to convince him that she was okay for now. Turning his attention to the race, Link shot a fierce glance in Groose's direction and watched as the taller boy's face turned almost as red as his absurdly tall hair. Stritch and Cawlin shrunk back a little as well. They all knew Link was their toughest opponent and their attempt to keep him from the race likely made him all the more determined to win. Link denied them the satisfaction of seeing just how flustered he was. He kept himself calm and poised, as always. Per the norm, Professors Owlan and Horwell addressed the crowd, sharing the sacred history of the Wing Ceremony as they did every year. Headmaster Gaepora spoke to the racers separately.
"You four gentlemen should be very proud to stand where you are today," he said. His deep voice was solemn, warm, and comforting. "You are upholding our history, our honor, and our way of life here on Skyloft. We hope to see exceptional flying and even greater sportsmanship."
His thick, bushy white brow lowered suddenly and intensely.
"We will not tolerate any horseplay."
As if by some divine wisdom, Gaepora's gaze landed squarely on Groose, whose complexion was paling rather quickly.
"Now, the winner is to proceed immediately to the top of the Goddess statue to complete the ceremony. My daughter, Zelda, is playing the role of the Goddess, and she will be waiting for you there."
Link wrestled once more with whether to tell Gaepora about what had happened. Zelda's wellness was worth far more than the race. Would he be hurting her by not saying anything? One more time he looked over his shoulder just in time to see her royal blue Loftwing carrying her away and resolved himself to keep quiet for the time being. He gave his head a quick shake to refocus on the race again. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head, drowning out his surroundings as best as he could. He recalled all he had learned about flying. He imagined him and his Loftwing soaring to victory. Then, his mind drifted yet again. He thought back to meeting Zelda at the Goddess statue. He remembered she had wanted to show him something there and wondered what it was. Did it have to do with the odd trance she had fallen into earlier at the waterfall? Was something troubling her?
Before his mind could wander too far, the sound of the crowd roaring with cheers brought him back to the present moment. The time for the race to begin had come. While Groose, Stritch, and Cawlin took on some variation of an overzealous runner's stance, Link stood perfectly still, his forest green eyes fixated on the platform ahead and the victory he hoped to achieve beyond it. At long last, Gaepora gave the signal, and the race commenced. The goal of the race was to retrieve a statuette from the gold Loftwing, a rare, majestic, and evasive bird. Falling off of one's bird was an automatic disqualification. Groose was the first to dive from the platform, followed by Stritch, then Cawlin. Link ran to the edge of the platform but stopped just shy of diving off, much to the amazement of the onlookers.
"What's he doing?" asked one.
"Did he get cold feet?" pondered another.
"Don't worry, he knows what he's doing," Jakamar replied confidently.
He took several long seconds to scan the sky, noting his competitors and how they reacted to the movement of the gold Loftwing. As predicted, they appeared to be merely trailing behind the bird, which could give Link the advantage he needed if he played his cards right. He knew that following the bird so closely could hinder one's ability to anticipate its movements, and he was not about to make the same mistakes as the others. Drawing in a slow, deep breath, Link finally leapt from the platform, summoned his Loftwing, and sped off to catch up with the others. The two of them hovered several yards above for some time. Link turned his attention to observing the movement of the gold Loftwing itself. Despite having the ability to fly and all the freedoms and liberties that came with it, Loftwings were known to be creatures of pattern and routine, and the gold Loftwing was no exception. Link could see that the bird was flying in somewhat of a pattern. The other racers were too focused on catching up with the bird to notice this.
"Alright, buddy. We have what we need. Let's go."
Link tucked his body down, prompting the Loftwing to dive. By now, the other three had each taken a few mad swipes at the statuette, but had been thwarted by an unanticipated turn, ascent, or descent. Link steered his Loftwing straight down, missing the gold Loftwing and statuette by mere inches. The crowd gasped in awe. The undershot caused Link and his bird to descend several yards beneath the others. His crimson Loftwing tried to fly upward, but Link calmly placed his hand on the side of the bird's neck.
"Not yet. Wait for my signal."
The Loftwing squawked in agreement, signifying the deep trust in his partner. Again, Link's eyes followed both his competitors and the bird they were chasing, looking for flight patterns and weaknesses he could use to his advantage. He was also waiting for an updraft, which would give him a significant boost of speed. A skilled rider could sense when they were approaching an updraft by the sensation that they were being pulled forward. Once more, Link closed his eyes and waited… and waited…
... until both he and his bird felt a subtle pull, and they knew it was time.
"Now!" Link shouted.
With a mighty flap of its wings, the crimson bird thrust itself into the updraft. Link leaned back, sending the bird rocketing upward with speed that threatened to take his breath away. The bird opened its wings and spun around as it ascended to create a barrier between itself and the others, who all slowed considerably to avoid colliding with him. They leveled out and were now within reach of the statuette. Link trailed the gold Loftwing carefully through a couple of turns, staying right behind it by anticipating its movements. When the time was right, he leaned forward and took hold of the statuette, but just before he could tug it loose, he felt the collar of his shirt being pulled from the side. A strong queasiness filled his stomach as he lost balance and slipped from his Loftwing. He managed to stop himself from falling off completely, though now he hung onto the side of the bird with his arms around his neck and his legs clenching its side. To no surprise, Groose sped past, laughing rather meanly. It happened so quickly that none of the onlookers saw his part in the matter. Link's arms and legs burned and trembled as he tried to hang on. He attempted to climb his way back up, but it only caused him to slip further to the bird's side. He'd have to hang on or else be disqualified.
"Find another updraft," he told his companion, his voice strained.
The Loftwing gave an affirming squawk and turned back, seeking the updraft they had used a short time ago. By this point, the sweat forming on Link's palms was causing him to slip, and the ache from holding his legs in position was becoming unbearable. He put his face down into the bird's soft feathers to hide his pained expression. The Loftwing chirped, signaling that the updraft was near. Link began counting the seconds, praying he could hang on for just a little longer.
At last, they both felt that same inward pull. A powerful burst of upward wind pushed Link's body up, and without releasing his grip on the bird, he managed to swing himself back into a seated position. The crowd roared with awe-inspired cheers. His body screamed out at him, from his chest to his legs. Still, he refocused on the race and quickly caught up to the others with a look of absolute determination. The other three tried their best to block Link from getting beside or ahead of them. Link's crimson bird soared to the right. Then, tucking his wings in, he spun at breathtaking speed, torpedoing himself past the other three competitors while Link held on for dear life. Stritch and Cawlin were so distracted by what they were seeing that they wound up flying their birds into one another. Groose avoided the collision, but by the time the chaos was over, Link had already soared ahead and had caught up with the gold Loftwing once more.
He reached out, took hold of the statuette, and was finally able to pull it free. The onlookers screamed and cheered as Link was declared the victor. Groose and his friends all sulked in their defeat. Groose let out a roar of aggravation that could have been heard by all of Skyloft, had it not been drowned out by the roaring of the crowd. Link reached down and scratched his Loftwing under his beak.
"We did it, bud. Now let's get back to Zelda."
Zelda had been practicing her song on the harp. As much as she wanted to watch the race, she knew that honoring the Goddess was more important. Everything needed to be perfect. Not a single note could be missed. She strummed her instrument and waited with bated breath until finally, she looked and saw Link and his crimson bird flying to meet her. Her heart leapt with gladness. This victory meant Link was one step closer to becoming a knight, something he had dreamt of for so long. She would need to contain her excitement for just a little longer, as she still had her part to play and needed to maintain composure for it. Link joined her on the top platform of the Goddess statue, prize in hand.
"Victorious young rider, blessed by the Goddess Hylia with the gift of flight," she recited with pride, "please present to me your token of victory."
After quickly fixing his wind-torn, honey blonde locks, Link handed her the statuette and bowed his head solemnly. Zelda placed the statuette on a pedestal carved into the wall. Then she took out her harp. With Link and Zelda's Loftwings circling above the statue, the onlookers fell silent as they listened to her song.
"Oh youth
Guided by the servant of the goddess
Unite Earth and Sky
And bring light to the land."
Link hadn't noticed just how sweetly Zelda could sing until now, and it moved him deeply. Continuing with the ritual, head still bowed, Link bent down to one knee, placed one hand over his heart (which he could feel beating like a drum through his thick wool shirt), and extended the other to Zelda. It was the hand she had bandaged. Zelda slid one hand under his, which was the proper position she had been taught for the ceremony, but she also set her other hand on top, being careful not to put too much pressure on the wound underneath. While it was not ceremonially correct, it was a show of tenderness which Zelda did not mind making, and Link did not mind receiving.
"Victorious young rider, blessed by the Goddess Hylia with the gift of flight, may the power, wisdom, and courage you displayed today increase in you through every trial, and guide you to every victory."
With that, Link rose to his feet. It was customary for the young woman portraying the Goddess to present the victor with the gift of a sailcloth. Zelda untied the cream white shawl from her shoulders, carefully folded it, and set it in Link's hands. He first noticed the softness of the material underneath his fingertips. He then noticed an alluring floral aroma filling the air, sending a pleasant chill down his spine.
"I am so proud to give this to you today," she declared with the sincerest smile.
Zelda took a step closer, leaving very little space between their bodies. Link felt his pulse quicken. His breath caught in his throat as he peered deeply into her sparkling blue eyes, feeling the full tension of what little space now separated them.
"It's time," she whispered.
Link nodded, trying to conceal how deeply shaken he was (in the best of ways) by their closeness. The ceremony was to be concluded by the victor leaping from the statue and landing safely below using their sailcloth. As he peered over the edge, he noted that it somehow felt less daunting to leap into the open sky than it was to jump to the unforgiving ground below. Yet with a deep breath and a quick prayer, he jumped. The sailcloth worked beautifully, carrying him down to the rocky platform below with absolute grace and Zelda's comforting scent following behind. His classmates, the townspeople, and his professors, all of whom were terribly eager to offer their congratulations, immediately swarmed Link. With a few hair tussles and far more handshakes than he cared to count, Link found himself at the mercies of the crowd for quite some time. It was common for the townspeople to remain gathered in front of the statue long after the ceremony. There would be music, dancing, and it was normal for the winner to give a "spontaneous" speech at some point, but Link had no desire for any of this. As the people became more interested in the other festivities, Link managed to duck out quietly, avoiding being spotted or followed.
When he had put ample space between himself and the crowd, he drew in a deep breath and let it out with a loud sigh. It was perhaps the first full breath he had taken since the start of the race. His head hung low for several moments as he tried to decompress from all that had just transpired. When he looked up again, he saw a lone figure sitting on the edge of the plateau. It was Zelda. Link made his way over and sat down beside her without saying a word. In silence, the two sat with their legs dangling from the island. Zelda fought a powerful urge to lay her head on Link's shoulder. Knowing he was likely already drained from social interaction, and not being certain of how it would make him feel, she decided against it. She was content with just his company. Link looked over at her. Her platinum blonde hair glistened in the light of the sun. The summer warmth painted her cheeks with the lightest hint of pink. More than these things, however, Link noticed how she seemed pensive. He figured this would be as good a time as any to circle back to earlier. With a gentle smirk, he nudged her with his arm. Even if only for a moment, the feeling of his arm touching hers made her head spin. Now she really wanted to lay her head down on his shoulder, yet still, she resisted.
"What did you want to show me this morning?" he asked kindly.
Closing her eyes, Zelda drew in a breath, held it for a moment, and then nodded her head, biting down on her lower lip. By this, Link knew something was indeed troubling her. His kind smile morphed into a look of deep care and concern. From her pouch, she took a small booklet. Link observed as she delicately and hesitantly flipped through several pages. She then handed it to him. He carefully read it, immediately noting that her handwriting seemed less neat than usual, as if she had written it in a panic.
"Last night I had another nightmare. I think this makes seven nights in a row now interrupted by the same vision, so I've decided to write it down in hopes that getting it out of my head will finally end its torturous stalking. It always starts with me looking out over a vast landscape. The earth doesn't seem to end, and it is most peculiar. I've never seen so much earth before. From it, the fullest, largest trees have grown tall enough to kiss the sky. The sky itself looks dim though, as if the sun and moon have drawn away from it."
Link's head flicked to the side as he read the hauntingly familiar scene.
"Then I am met by a scaly, black beast that towers over the tops of the trees. I feel paralyzed at the sight of it. Every dream has ended with the monster finding its way to me. I try to outrun it, and if it wasn't for me waking at just the right time, I am certain it would catch me. I wish I knew what all of this meant, and that I would be freed from this dreadful horror."
Link couldn't believe what he was reading. His own nightmare raced through his mind as he read from Zelda's book. There was no doubt that they had somehow been living through the same terrifying visions. Before Link could reveal this to Zelda, she spoke up.
"On top of this," she began, "l've been… hearing things. That's what happened earlier behind the cave. Something, or someone, was calling to me."
Speaking became laborious as she fought back tears.
"I— I've wanted to tell someone, but I just didn't know who... or how. It would worry my father too much, and I didn't want the professors to think that I couldn't represent the Goddess in today's ceremony, and I—"
"Hey, hey, hey…" Link beckoned softly.
Link set aside the urge to share his own nightmares with her, worrying it would only upset her further. Instead, he sat quietly for a moment, carefully studying his friend. She looked off into the sky, but feeling his attentive gaze was deeply comforting to her.
"I'm sorry you've been going through this," he said sincerely.
"Thank you," she replied as she composed herself. "Do you think I'm going mad?"
"No," he said plainly, shaking his head. "I believe you."
A few wordless minutes passed, with the two staring aimlessly into the sky. Most would have found it to be awkward, but for them, it was just right. Zelda needed Link's calm, steady demeanor to help her compose herself, and Link was willing to wait for as long as she needed. She wiped away an occasional tear. She felt him glance over at her every so often and was reminded that he was there with her and for her. At last, Zelda felt some weight lifting away. She blew out a sigh of relief.
"It's been a whirlwind of a day," she said with a small laugh, brushing away her last tear. "Do you want to fly around for a little and just get away from it all?"
Link gladly obliged.
There was such a sense of freedom in flying. One would feel weightless and invincible with nothing but the open sky before them. It was just what the two needed to replenish from the earlier conversation and all the events that preceded it. They let their Loftwings soar wherever their hearts desired. Occasionally, they would exchange a few words. Otherwise, they simply enjoyed one another's company. It was perfect… until...
Suddenly, a blinding light appeared out of nowhere, invoking shrieks of fright from the Loftwings. The wind picked up speed with a threat of violence neither had ever felt before. Something about it felt unnatural, evil, even. When the light dissipated, they saw a large twister not far ahead. It was approaching with unfathomable speed.
"Get us out of here!" Link called out to his bird, though his voice could barely be heard over the roaring winds.
His Loftwing turned to fly away from the twister, but through the chaos, he heard Zelda cry out.
"Link!"
Her royal blue Loftwing was caught in the grips of the wind. The poor bird fought valiantly to break free, but to no avail.
"Hold on, Zelda!" he screamed, his voice cracking terribly.
It was too late. Link watched in the worst kind of horror as the wind ripped Zelda from her Loftwing and the storm swallowed her up. Link and his Loftwing pursued, ready to dive into the forces of the wind, as reckless as it was. But then, as a human hand swats away a flying insect, the twister hurled Link and his bird a great distance away. The sheer force of it knocked Link out cold and sent him falling. With a screech of desperation, his faithful Loftwing chased after him. Link's unconscious body flopped onto the bird's back, and with that, it raced back to Skyloft, squawking out a distress call as it flew. The people of Skyloft had not seen the twister. They were unaware of the situation until they heard Link's Loftwing crying out. When they saw it fly in with an unconscious Link on its back, they knew something terrible had just happened. It landed on the plateau and met Headmaster Gaepora and the Professors. Link's limp arm dangled from the side of the bird. Gaepora pulled him down and hurriedly carried the seemingly lifeless boy into the Knight Academy.
