With a wordless murmur, Link stirred. The first thing he felt was a terrible throbbing in his head, radiating from his temples all the way to the base of his neck. Still, he opened his eyes, though they felt awfully heavy.

Darkness.

There was only darkness.

Darkness that could be felt.

Link couldn't make out where he was or for how long he had been there. He felt disoriented, unreal even, as if he had slipped into the void between death and life. There was no light, no wind, no sound.

There was only darkness.

He got up on his feet, though being unable to see anything caused him to stumble a bit. He looked this way and that, searching for a glimpse of anything, yet found nothing. Link stood motionless in the dark silence until suddenly, he felt waves of vibrations beneath his feet, as if an earthquake was beginning. They were distant at first, but quickly gained in frequency and severity.

It couldn't be…

"No, no, no, no…" he uttered to himself, his hands rising up to grab his hair.

Then, he heard… it. A deep, labored wheeze followed by a rumbling, bone-chilling growl. Link's own breath came to an abrupt halt. Wherever he was, the scaly black beast of his nightmares had somehow followed him there. As the sound of its breath grew louder and louder, its earth-rattling steps drew closer and closer. From what direction it was approaching, he did not know. Every muscle in his body ached for him to run away, yet Link stood his ground. Then a terrible, startling scream broke through the darkness, though not that of the beast.

It was Zelda. She was screaming for him.

He had heard this scream before, though he couldn't remember when or where. All he knew was that Zelda was in danger. Her shriek sent a painfully frigid chill down the length of his spine. His stomach soured instantly.

"Zelda!" he called out breathlessly, feeling desperate and hopeless. "Zelda! I'm here! Where are you?"

There was no response. The echoes of her scream melted away into the abyss, as did the sounds of the scaled beast, leaving behind a deafening silence, broken only by the sound of Link's heaving breaths. Then suddenly, a powerful roar, more dreadful than anything Link had ever heard, erupted out of the darkness, threatening to rip his eardrums to shreds. The ground and air alike quaked. Link felt his own skull rattling, and it made him want to go mad. Link threw his hands over his ears but found no respite from the painful, dreadful roar. Not even the sound of his own primal scream could contend with it. It grew louder, and louder, and louder until…


With a violent gasp, Link's eyes flew open and his body shot up, his hair matted to his forehead with a cold sweat. He was immediately met by Headmaster Gaepora and Professor Owlan rushing to his bedside to tend to him.

"Link, it's alright, it's okay," Gaepora reassured him, taking each of his shoulders in his large, sturdy hands. "You're safe now."

He was gently eased back down to his pillow. Nearby, he heard the comforting sound of trickling water. A cold, wet cloth was then draped across his forehead. It stung at first however, the chill helped to usher him further out of his daze.

"Link, do you know where you are right now?" Owlan asked cautiously.

He took a moment to look around. Things still appeared hazy, but were slowly coming into focus.

"My… my room?" he guessed breathlessly.

"Yes, that is correct," Professor Owlan replied, hinting a smile. "Do you remember how you got here?"

Link closed his eyes, brow furrowed. He swallowed dryly as he tried to recall... anything. Gaepora could see that the task was straining him.

"Owlan," he said gently, "perhaps it is still too early to—"

"I remember…" Link mumbled, "I remember seeing Fledge… this morning. My Loftwing went missing."

He paused again, managing another dry swallow of mostly air.

"And the race… the race was today. After the race Zelda and I—"

With a gasp that was stopped short, Link flinched and then froze, eyes wide. His memories flashed before him as if he were reliving them in overwhelming succession. They ended with the terrible image of Zelda falling into the monstrous twister. He heard the same spine-chilling shriek as he had in his dream. He shot up again, the wet cloth flopping into his lap.

"Zelda!" he gasped.

"Link, I need you to listen carefully," Gaepora said calmly, yet seriously, his bushy white brow raised. "Do you remember what happened to Zelda? Do you know what happened to my daughter?"

"Not exactly, but sort of," He sighed with a soft nod.

"Tell us everything, if you can."

Gaepora and Owlan listened patiently and observantly as Link walked them through all that had occurred that day. He told them about meeting Zelda before the ceremony and how this led to the discovery that his Loftwing had been taken. They were told about the creatures he fought in the cave. He even told them about the strange episode Zelda had behind the waterfall. Finally, he shared the nightmares he and Zelda had both had (though Zelda did not know Link had been experiencing them too.)

"… And we went flying after the ceremony," he said, his breath growing more hastened. "There was a bright light… and then a whirlwind, and she…" he put his head down, letting out a shaky sigh, "...I tried to help her…"

He couldn't finish. His body felt physically heavy and his mind was spent. Gaepora and Owlan took some time to digest everything they had just been told and allowed Link to compose himself. Finally, Gaepora spoke up, straightening his long, fire orange robe and clearing his throat.

"To search for Zelda at this time of night would be most unwise," he stated, though it pained him terribly to do so. "She is a resilient young woman. I am certain she is faring well, especially with her Loftwing to protect her."

"Despite being rendered unconscious for quite some time," Owlan said to Link, "you appear to be relatively unharmed, and for that we are thankful. The best thing for you to do would be to sleep through the night. We will see how you're doing in the morning."

Link stayed silent and still. Gaepora and Owlan could see how tense he was. Gaepora tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, but Link shrugged him away. They knew him well enough to know that this was out of discomfort, not disrespect.

"Rest," Gaepora commanded softly, drawing his hand back. "We will begin searching for Zelda at sunrise."

The men left his room. Link sat for some time, listening to the sound of his own breath, and reliving that terrible moment over and over again. His fists curled around the quilt and he felt a heat rising in his chest.

"I should have been there, right by her side." he thought to himself. "I could have saved her."

After some time, exhaustion finally set in. Link laid down, let his heavy eyelids close, and allowed his consciousness to fade. Perhaps he would wake in the morning to find it all had been a nightmare after all. The sound of the wind outside picked up. Normally this would not have been an issue, but the sound brought with it memories of the earlier storm. At first, he tried pulling the quilt over his head to shield him from the noise. However, he noticed something peculiar about it. It no longer sounded like a normal wind. It sounded otherworldly. Melodic, even. The notes and tones being carried with the wind stirred him. He sat up and leaned over to his window. With a push, the wooden shutter covering cracked open, and suddenly the room filled with a beautiful, radiant blue light.

At first, he had to shield his eyes from it, as it was most overwhelming. Link stood up, perhaps a little too quickly, and opened the shutter fully to further examine the light. It took him a moment to comprehend what, or whom, he was seeing. A few yards away, in the center of the beaming light, the frame of a girl was standing in… no… hovering above the grass. The surface of her skin appeared as blue topaz, and it matched the shade of the light radiating from her. A cape blew gently in the wind behind her, half a bold indigo, and the other a striking lapis. On her legs she wore vibrant stockings made of black and silver material. Link struggled to understand what he was seeing. Was this some sort of ghost? Or perhaps he had taken a worse hit to the head than originally thought and had truly lost his mind.

"Link…" she called.

"That voice!" Link exclaimed to himself.

He recognized it as the strange, endearing voice he had heard in his dream the morning of the ceremony, the one his heart had desired to chase after. It had the same effect on him now. The figure appeared to nod her head, as if she understood what he was thinking.

"Link… you must follow me... quickly," she said.

Her words met his ears in a unique, never-before-heard language, though in his mind, he somehow understood her clearly. She effortlessly drifted away until Link could no longer see her. Without a second thought, he climbed through his window in pursuit. He felt a little unsteady on his feet, however, this did little to hinder him from giving chase. The female figure turned away from Link and moved faster. Now, instead of simply hovering, she appeared to be gliding across the air most gracefully, a streak of blue light trailing behind her heels. She made her way toward the Goddess statue with Link following behind. In the darkness, he tripped on one of the wooden stairs and fell with a crash, a small yelp escaping him. He knew he had only just recently woken from a long period of unconsciousness, and he was likely pushing his body a bit too hard. With a grunt, he slowly hoisted himself up and gave chase once more until he and the female figure arrived at the base of the statue.

"There's nowhere for you to go," he said. "Please, tell me who you are and why you've come."

The figure tilted her head as if confused by Link's words. Then, perhaps the most unbelievable thing yet happened. She faded into the statue, vanishing completely. Link shrunk back at this sight, his breath catching in his throat. Nevertheless, as he continued to look, he noticed some of the rock was fading away, too. Link could almost make out the shape of stone stairs leading down into some sort of cavern. He took a step closer and then became certain of what he saw. The stone was gone. There were stairs.

Quietly doubting his own sanity, Link cautiously made his way down the stairs until they led him to a dome-shaped room, mostly empty and with a dirt floor. Near the back of the room, there was some sort of pedestal built into the stone. In front of that was an ancient symbol - a crest - floating in midair. Lastly, there was yet another pedestal with an old sword covered in dust protruding from it. The sword captivated Link from the moment he laid his forest green eyes on it. The female figure hovered nearby, cautiously watching Link as he examined the sword.

"That," she began in her mystic language, "is the Goddess Sword. It is destined to be wielded by the Hero of Legend chosen by the Goddess Hylia."

"Is this why you've led me here?" Link guessed, though hesitantly.

"Yes, Master Link," she replied with a bow.

"Master?"

Link now felt disturbed. The figure continued.

"I was created lifetimes ago to assist the Hero of Legend, for whom this sword was forged."

She bowed once more. "I have observed that it is the custom of your kind to assign what is called a name at birth. The name that was given to me by the Goddess is Fi."

"Fi," Link repeated, a glimpse of a smile appearing on his lips. He liked the name. It suited her well, and it somehow sounded familiar, like he had known it for a long time.

"Master Link," Fi continued, "it is your destiny to wield this sword and, with it, embark on a long, perilous journey to destroy the great evil that now threatens this world."

Link shook his head in denial.

"I think you have the wrong person."

"You are the one who has dreamt of a nameless beast engulfed in black shadow."

Link's eyes widened. How could she have known this? He also felt convicted by the way she called on him. Fi continued.

"You are the one who received a ceremonial blessing of power, wisdom, and courage a short time ago. And you are the one who longs to find the spirit maiden, the one who you call Zelda."

Link flinched at the mention of Zelda's name.

"Your destiny and Zelda's are one and the same," Fi stated. "Though your paths through it are substantially different, you have both been bound by the same thread of fate."

"Is that why we've been having the same visions?" Link asked.

Fi nodded. "Yes, Master."

She then drew closer, allowing Link to observe her emotionless, yet gentle and kind features. She then uttered the words Link had needed to hear so terribly.

"The spirit maiden, Zelda, is alive."

Link felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. Zelda is alive. It took his breath away to hear. A knot welled up in his throat and his eyes stung with the threat of tears, though he suppressed both.

"She has fallen to the surface; the place you both have dreamt of. You must go there to be reunited with her."

"Okay," Link conceded quietly, his voice faltering. "What must I do?"

With a wave of her hand, Fi gestured to the sword, saying nothing. Link's deep green eyes peered down at the blade. He let out a sigh. He still didn't believe himself to be a hero. In fact, he didn't want to be one. Nor did he know what she was talking about regarding any great evil. He set these doubts aside for the time being. If this was the way to be reunited with Zelda, then he had no choice. After a moment of hesitation, Link wrapped his hands around the sword and pulled. His arms burned as he strained to free it until it finally gave way and was released from the pedestal. A rush of excitement came over him as he wielded the blade.

"Raise the sword to the sky," Fi urged.

With one brow lifted curiously, Link did as Fi had requested. Nothing happened at first, and Link would be the first to admit that he felt a little silly. However, he noticed a static-like energy building up in his body. He thought he was just imagining it at first, until it surged through his whole body, gathering in his sword-wielding arm. A strange light then covered the blade. It reminded Link of the halo that one would see surrounding a beautiful full moon, only this light felt alive. A smirk of intrigue and wonder crossed his lips.

"Send the light into the crest before you, Master."

Link didn't know exactly what Fi meant by that, however, he felt his instincts beckoning him to something. He fixed his eyes on the crest, and with all of his strength, he swung the sword. It shed its light and sent it barreling toward the crest with an incredible power that could be seen, felt, and heard, like a shrill burst of straight-line wind. The crest also began to glow. This light, however, was short-lived, and contorted into a slab of solid stone. It appeared to be incomplete, broken even, and in the center there was a small, lone emerald. The slab floated through the air until Link could reach out and take it. He studied it carefully, feeling the roughness of the cold surface against his fingertips. All seemed well (albeit overwhelming) until he suddenly became weak and lightheaded. The room spun around him and his knees buckled. Fortunately, he felt a large hand grab him by the arm and another wrap around his frame, preventing his fall. He knew by the firm grip that it was Gaepora.

"Link, what is the meaning of this?" he asked. "You're supposed to be in bed recovering."

Gaepora had been too focused on Link to notice Fi. Upon seeing her, his mouth fell agape.

"So the legends are true…" he uttered breathlessly.

Once Link steadied himself, he told Gaepora all that had transpired. The bear of a man listened intently, stroking his pointed, white beard in deep contemplation.

"You know how to find my daughter?" Gaepora asked Fi.

Fi bowed her head in confirmation. Though she spoke outwardly in her mystic, melodic language, Link and Gaepora understood her in their minds.

"The stone tablet will reveal the way," she replied. "Master, you must place the tablet on the pedestal."

Link did as he was told, treating the tablet with the utmost delicacy and care. Once it was settled, the emerald inside of it began to glow. It was faint at first, but quickly became so brilliant that it hurt their eyes to look at it. Then, as an arrow is released from a bow, the light sped off, flying from the cavern and jetting across Skyloft. Link, Fi, and Gaepora chased after it. By the time they reached the outside, the light had flown far beyond the island. Suddenly, it plummeted downward, splitting the clouds they once thought were endless and inseparable.

"I have new information for you, Master," Fi stated. "You may utilize this portal, opened by the stone tablet, to reach the surface. My calculations indicate that you will descend upon the land where the spirit maiden, Zelda, is."

Gaepora took notice of Link. It was clear the boy was eager, prepared even, to go at once, without hesitation. His chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath, his fists were tightly clenched, and his bright eyes were fixated on the shining portal that had just appeared. Gaepora sighed and spoke to him as gently as he could.

"There is no one here who wishes to see Zelda as desperately as I do," he declared, rightfully so as her father. "Alas, in your current condition, I do not think it would be wise for you to follow after her now. Your body is still rejuvenating," he paused and gave Link a stern yet caring, almost fatherly look, "and I suspect your mind and heart need some time to process all of this, too. I know mine do."

Every fiber of Link's being begged him to go, yet as painful as it was to admit, he knew Gaepora was right. Reluctantly, he agreed and returned to the Knight Academy, where he waited in terrible anticipation to begin his search for Zelda.