The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Pkmnacezelda

After his near-death experience, Link walks through the archway at a fast pace.

Once he arrives at the academy, he approaches Instructor Horwell.

As soon as Link arrives, the man looks at him, worry on his soft features.

"What's wrong, Link? You're pale... Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine, don't worry... It's just... Ace's missing. I don't know why or where is he, but I'm going to-"

"What?!" Link blinks, taken aback by the instructor's sudden outburst. "Your Loftwing is missing?!" Link nods. Horwell sighs. "How strange and troubling. Do you... think you can find him?"

"I'm gonna start looking for him right now, after I... take care of something first." Link looks down at himself briefly, remembering Zelda's request. He would get scolded again if he didn't treat his bruises. If he lied, she would probably see right through him and check on her own.

"Now?! Will you even be able to come back in time to fly in the ceremony?!"

"I'll make it in time. I'm sure of it. Ummm... the Headmaster wants to see you, by the way."

Instructor Horwell nods.

"I see... Thank you. I'll go speak with him immediately. And... I still owe you for helping me with Mia earlier, so don't worry about the ceremony for now. You just focus on finding your Loftwing as soon as you can!"

Link nods and jumps to reach the first floor's entrance, for the entrance of the second floor was locked. He opens the door and steps inside.

He walks towards the kitchen. He hears footsteps behind him. It was Fledge.

"Hey, buddy? How was the meeting with Zelda? Did anything romantic happen? You're as white as a cloud..."

"Yup. Ace has gone missing and Zelda almost killed me and almost sprained Labrynna's wing trying to save me. Romantic, huh?" Link scoffs. He was not frustrated. He was just trying to make a joke so that Fledge could laugh about it.

But he doesn't.

"What? Ace? Missing?" Link nods, entering the kitchen.

"Yup. Where could he be...? Do you have some ice, Ms. Henya?" The woman, who was busy with the oven, turns to look at him.

"Why do you need it?"

"Ummm... I need it for a bruise." The lady takes some paper and goes to a refrigerator-like machine. She comes back with the piece of paper wrapped around a bag of ice. "Thanks!"

The woman smiles and goes back to what she was doing.

Link walks to his room, with Fledge following behind him. Another student, Pipit, who was dressed in yellow and was one of Link's friends, sees them and walks to them.

"Hey, Link. Shouldn't you be practicing?" The three enter the room.

"Yeah, I should... but Ace has gone missing." Link sits on his bed and takes of his shirt, applying the ice on the bruise on his left side.

"Woah! What happened to you?!" Pipit says, while Fledge stays at his side, looking at Link with a worried expression.

"Zelda almost killed me. She threw me off the ledge because she wanted me to practise before the ceremony. But y'know, Ace didn't come when I whistled for him. So Zelda whistled for Labrynna, and I got these bruises from Labry's talons." Pipit sighs.

"What are you going to do?" Says Fledge, while fiddling with the end of his shirt.

"What I'M gonna do? Look for my Loftwing, of course. I can't miss this year's ceremony. Zelda is going to be the goddess of this year, and both her and his father want me to win. I need to win this, guys." Says Link, while applying the ice to his other side.

The three maintain an awkward silence.

"I'm going to... eat something." Says Fledge, catching both Link's and Pipit's attention.

Something about him felt off for Link. Before going to meet Zelda, he was normal, but he looked nervous now.

He watches as Fledge gets out of his room, shutting the door after doing so.

Link gets up and puts his shirt again, since he felt that that was enough. He gets out with Pipit following.

Link gives the bag of ice to Pipit and they both part ways.

"Wish you luck! I'll go give this to Ms. Henya, then. See you!" Link nods.

He gets outside and walks in the direction of the plaza. He walks down the stairs, hoping that someone able to help him was in the plaza.

He feels a tugging on his shirt after seeing the plaza.

It was a kid with brown spiky hair. He had took a liking to see Link rolling or working out, and cheered him everytime he saw him, although it wasn't much, since normally, every student worked out in the courtyard of the Sparring Hall, so they wouldn't be inside a closed space, especially when they practiced with swords. And that was a private training.

"Link! Could you help me with something? All you have to do is roll into the tree. Pleeeease! There's a Sky Stag Beetle I've been trying to catch all morning and I'm not able to get it down."

"Sure, I'll do it." Link steps back and runs, rolling into the tree, which forced the beetle to start flying.

"Woah! Wait up!" The kid said, extending his arms to grab the beetle, since it was starting to fly away. "Thanks, Link!"

Link smiles at the kid. He loved kids. They were so pure, and he always had a great ability to speak and socialize with children than Zelda, ironically... She always complained at how she didn't know how to treat children.

Link continues on and spots someone at the plaza.

It was... HIM...

Groose.

That guy with red hair had always bullied Link since the blue eyed boy was admitted at the academy, for Groose was a year older than Link and Zelda. And Zelda was always defending him from Groose's attacks.

And of course, he was with his friends. He didn't even remember his names.

He approaches slowly, not wanting them to notice his presence so he could peek on their conversation.

"...You know, Groose, that sure was a pain, with all the scratching and pecking" Said the one with dark blue hair.

Scratching and pecking? That sounded suspicious.

"Course it was. You thought a big Crimson Loftwing like that was gonna go down without a fight?"

What did they do to Ace?!, thinks Link. That bastard... Bullying me, like always. But stealing my bird is far more serious than some physical and verbal fight.

Link had been involved in fights with Groose before. The redhead had punched him on the stomach, on the face, on his arms and chest. He had been suspended some times for that. He had managed to break Link's lip once. He had attempted to break the sandy blond haired boy's nose, but Zelda had arrived before anything too serious happened.

Groose had always hated Link, just because he was interested in Zelda, and Link was on the way.

"But we got him, and I don't care how tough those birds are supposed to be. He's not getting out of that pen anytime soon, boys."

The three get up, and while Groose cracks the bones of his neck and rolls his shoulders, his friends notice Link behind them.

"Ummm... Groose?" They both say, almost scared.

Groose turns around and flinches, startled because he didn't expect for Link to be there.

"Woah! Link! So, uh... yeah. Just... how long have you been standing there?" Groose clears his throat, waiting for Link's response, while being a total nerve wreck.

"Enough." Says Link, while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, OK... Well, what's your problem anyway?" Groose starts walking around Link. "Oh, wait... I got it. You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours." Dopey eyes? As if... Link sighs inwardly. "They're pleading 'Oh, Groose! Can you please find it in your heart to let me win today's race? Please!' You're just desperate to win so that you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the Statue of the Goddess at the end of the ceremony."

Link sighs again. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Zelda. She asked him to win, anyways. It was because Groose was madly in love with Zelda, and she didn't want anything to do with him. Link wanted to spare her the uncomfortable moment.

"Well, sorry, pal. Groose doesn't do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second."

Link was very patient. It was almost impossible to see him lose his temper. But even he had his limits. And Groose was about to reach them.

"Say, come to think of it, how come I don't see your bird? Where's that scruffy pile of red feathers? I can't imagine what could have happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?"

Ok, that was it. That had done it. The nerve of him! He knew exactly about Ace's whereabouts. He had a lot of guts for saying something like that.

"Give him back!" Link shouts.

Groose looks at him, trying to look offended.

"I don't know what you're talking about! Besides!" He points a finger to Link. "We're all getting tired of how you never let anyone forget that you and Zelda go way back! You've been friends since you were kids? Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head on the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up and grow a backbone already?"

"Well, look who's talking. At least I'm a better person. That's why she doesn't want to be with you. Maybe." Link scoffs.

Groose groans, irritated.

"Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud-!"

"And just who might you be talking about, Groose?" Zelda appears suddenly with her hands on her hips, surprising Link.

At his side, Groose starts to get nervous again.

"Oh... Zelda. Hey. Nah, it's... uh..."

The girl walks up to him. Link was already getting out of the way, but she pushed him behind her, nonetheless.

She points a finger to Groose, just as he was doing to Link.

"Don't even try it, Groose! You're picking on Link again, aren't you? He's a student at the academy, like all of us. Why do you insist on bullying him around so much?"

Groose looks at her, then looks up trying to find an excuse.

"Yeah... I suppose..." He stays silent, thinking.

"You suppose? Suppose what?" She says, angry.

Groose starts to inhale and exhale noticeably, cheeks burning up.

"I suppose... you... Er..." He shakes his head, waving his hand as if what he was going to say didn't have any importance at all. "Pfft!" He turns around and walks toward a wooden ledge. "I wasn't supposing anything, OK!?"

Zelda looks at him, confused. He wasn't supposing anything? Great excuse. That was going to work a lot.

Before jumping down the ledge, Groose looks back at them, a huge grin on his face. He waves his hand, placing the other in a fist at his side.

"Ok, we're outta here, boys. Later, Link! Hope you find your bird, or else you're gonna have to sit out today's race!" He says in a mocking tone. "That could be a major setback toward knighthood, so find that bird or get real used to the taste of failure! It's your special flavour."

The three jump backwards and call their birds. They fly away, laughing.

Link's hands ball into fists.

"That goddamned stupid jerk..." He mutters under his breath.

Zelda ignores his insult towards the other student.

"I hate to say it, but I'm beggining to suspect that those blackheads had something to do with your Loftwing's disappearance. Those guys are definitely no going to to help us search for Ace, so we'd better start searching."

Link sighs, disgusted.

"I'll fly around Skyloft and see if I can spot any trace of him." She reassures, turning around to look at him.

"Thank you..." He nods, smiling at her in gratitude and relaxing his arms.

"Father said he'd talk to Instructor Horwell about delaying the start of the Wing Ceremony, so don't worry. We'll find Ace in time." She smiles back and runs toward the wooden ledge. She calls Labrynna and flies away while waving back.

Link smiles again. That girl was amazing.

He shakes his head and looks around. Where to next?

He starts walking toward the academy again. He'd start asking questions there first.

He crosses paths with Orielle, one of Zelda's dear friends. He asks him of she saw Ace and she gave a negative answer. She apologized for not being of help, but he waved it off, saying that she didn't have anything to apologize for.

He returns to the academy with some stairs that led to both the Statue of the Goddess and the academy upper floor.

He was about to open the second floor's door, since at that hour it must've been opened already, but Pipit's voice stops him.

"HEY, LINK!" Link looks toward the Sparring Hall's courtyard and sees Fledge and Pipit looking at him. And Fledge seemed scared. "Come over here! I have some information about your Loftwing."

As soon as he heard that, Link jumps and runs to their side, rolling right after touching the floor so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"I was just looking for you." Says Pipit, patting his shoulder. "I decided to join the search after you told us what happened with your Loftwing. And I noticed that Fledge was acting weird when that conversation took place at your room. I'm sure you noticed, right?" Link nods.

"I'm sorry, Link..." They look at Fledge, who was looking at the floor. "I really wanted to tell you, but... if Groose found out I told you..."

Link furrows his brow.

"It sound like Groose forced him to keep quiet about it."

"That jerk... The nerve of him..." Growls Link.

Pipit nods in agreement.

"Go on. Tell him the truth." Pipit pats Fledge's shoulder for a boost of confidence, because he looked like he needed it.

"Just a little while ago, when I was cleaning the dining hall, right after you got out to meet Zelda, Groose and his buddies came in." Link nods, signaling him to continue. "They didn't notice I was there and started talking about their plan to hide your Loftwing. I wanted to warn you, Link. But just as I tried to sneak away... Groose and his gang grabbed me..."

Fledge started to tremble. Link notices and puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, if you don't feel comfortable, just tell me where they hid my Loftwing or where you suppose they hid him and that's it-"

"No. I'm fine. They... they said that if I told you, they'd make sure I would never be able to ride a bird ever again!" Pipit and Link look at each other. That threat was worth more than a suspension. If anyone knew about it, Groose would problably get expelled and never allowed to set foot in the academy anymore, much less become a knight. He could be separated from his Loftwing, They could forbidd him to ride for the rest of his life.

"Sounds like Groose and his buddies had a plan to capture your bird and hide him near a waterfall." Pipit walks toward a map of Skyloft that was fixated to the wall, which was usually used for some activities. "Well, near a waterfall would mean... Right here." He points to the only mass of water in Skyloft. He taps the map twice. "It must be this waterfall here."

"Forgive me, Link!" They turn to look at Fledge. "I can't help being such a coward... I'm really sorry." Both Link and Pipit look at him with compassion.

"Well, Link, if you're going out to the waterfall, remember that there are some dangerous things there. creepy, crawly things. You'll need to carry a sword."

"Yeah. I need to get going."

"I think I saw the Knight Commander go into the Sparring Hall a while ago. You should go ask him if you can borrow one."

"Thanks, I'll do that."

Link and Pipit share some pats on the shoulder. Link pats Fledge's back.

"Do you think you'll make it in time? I'm such a wimp..."

"Hey, that's not true. Anyone in your situation would've hid that information. To never be able to ride our Loftwing anymore is something that we can't think of. It's horrible. Flying with them is what makes us free." Fledge smiles at him and they pat shoulders, too.

Link looks at the Sparring Hall building. He waves at his friends and goes inside.