The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Pkmnacezelda

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"Your attention, please." Instructor Owlan says, while petting the yellow plumage of the Loftwing at his side. "At last we are ready to begin the Wing Ceremony. I was beginning to worry that we'd have to proceed without Link, but luckily, that is no longer concern. I'm glad that you could all make it."

Groose starts to tap his foot, impatient. Link notices, guessing that he was eager to win the race. But he won't let that happen. He promised to win, not just for himself, but also for Zelda. He couldn't break that promise.

"I'm sure you all know this basic information, but I'll repeat it again so you don't forget. These rules are very important. First of all, I attached a statuette to this bird, who I will then release to the skies. On my signal, you will leap off and call your Loftwing. Whoever catches the bird and claims this statuette will be this year's champion." He says, while petting the yellow Loftwing on the head. "Those are the rules. Simple enough. Have I made myself clear? Or do I need to repeat this?"

Link shakes his head negatively. Zelda had reminded him of the rules a lot of times. He didn't forget them at all. Groose and his friends do the same. Maybe because they didn't want to show that they weren't even hearing.

"Excellent." Says Instructor Owlan, pleased. "As you well know, today's champion will graduate to the next class, bringing him one step closer to knighthood. He will also receive a gift from the young woman chosen to play the role of the goddess in this year's ritual." Link smiles faintly. That reminded him that Zelda was going to be the 'goddess'. "Today is a special day for many reasons, but it is also the 25th anniversary of our fine institution. To celebrate the occasion, today's champion will receive his gift high atop the Statue of the Goddess."

Link furrows his brow. The gift... Groose had talked about the Sailcloth that Zelda had shown him. He didn't know how Groose knew about that Sailcloth if Link was the first one to see it, but he didn't want to know, anyway.

"I hear the young woman performing the role of the goddess this year has crafted the gift herself. And as you all well know, the role of the goddess this year will be performed by..." Owlan signals Zelda with his hand, and the four students look at her. "The lovely Zelda!"

Link and Zelda look at each other and smile.

Lovely indeed..., Link thinks.

Groose's laugh snaps him out of his line of thought. Link sighs.

"Let's see your finest flying out there. Show me just how hard you've been practicing. Also, I want to see good, clean flying. Anyone caught interfering with other riders will answer to me!"

"That goes double for you, Groose!" Says Gaepora suddenly, making Groose flinch noticeably.

"Alright, gentlemen." The yellow Loftwing starts flying away. "Line up. At my command, the competition will begin!" The four boys line up facing the ledge. Link stands, focused. He was nervous, but he would do everything just to win. "GO!"

As soon as he hears that, he's the first one to start running to the ledge and diving off, calling for Ace right away.

His bird catches him in an instant.

At first, all went well for Link. The race was kind of... easy, at first glance. He just had to follow the yellow Loftwing. He kicks his bird's sides softly to dash. Then, he gains some altitude and drops slightly, nearing the yellow creature.

Following right behind was Groose, and behind him, his friends.

Link focused on his objective after analyzing the other's positions.

He easily reachs the bird.

Just as he was about to grab the statuette, Groose crashes against him, almost dropping him from his bird.

"Hey!" Link shouts. "You're supposed to fly without cheating!"

"Yeah, whatevs. Don't you know that this is my day to get all the glory, weakling?!" Groose shouts.

"Argh!" He feels an egg destabilizing his Loftwing.

"Yeah, you heard him! Let's see how you fly with egg on your face!" He hears one of Groose's friends, Cawlin, the blue haired one, shouting above the wind.

"C'mon! Seriously?" Link grunts.

He raises his altitude and drops down, trying to reach the bird. He dodges an egg miraculously. But he almost crashes against Groose.

"Hey, watch it! This is supposed to be a clean race, you good for nothing weakling!"

"What?! Oh, sorry! Weren't you the one who crashed against me before because you wanted all the glory?" Link shouts at him, angry. "Didn't have enough with stealing my bird?!"

"Urrrrgh!" Groose guides his Loftwing and repeatedly crashes against Link.

Link tries to dodge as much as he can. He gets tired and dives down, gaining altitude and tapping his boots against Ace's sides to dash. The bird flies as fast as he can, nearing the yellow Loftwing in an instant. He reaches out and grabs the statuette, carefully taking out the rope from the yellow Loftwing's talon, so he wouldn't hurt it.

He looks at the statuette in his hand.

"Wait till Zelda sees this. Way to go!" He pats Ace's neck, earning a grateful and happy screech from him. He approaches the main island, raising the artifact up.

"LINK!" He sees Zelda jumping from the plaza's ledge. He gasps in horror. Was she crazy?!

"Zelda!" He urges Ace to fly faster.

He huffs when Zelda lands on his lap, feeling Ace shake a little with the sudden change of weight on his back.

He accommodates her on his lap. Her head was resting against his shoulder.

"Zel? Are you OK?" Link starts to worry when he doesn't hear a reply.

But suddenly, she opens her eyes, looking at him.

"Don't worry—I'm fine!" He sighs in relieve. She hugs him tightly. "Great flying, Link! Congratulations!" They separate, smiling at each other. "Now, we'd better get on with the ceremony!"

Link directs Ace toward the Statue of the Goddess. He screeches happily when he feels Labrynna flying beside him.

They land on the hands of the statue.

Zelda turns around and extends her hand to him.

"Hand me that Bird Statuette you grabbed in the race. I must offer it to the goddess." Link reaches out and takes the statuette from his pouch. Zelda smiles and turn around again, placing the statuette inside the little pedestal carved into the stone.

She takes the lyre and starts to play. Link lets his eyes close, hearing the melody of the goddess and feeling the warm breeze on his skin. He felt so relaxed. And happy, too. He had won the race and fulfilled the promise they made.

He doesn't realise that Zelda had already stopped playing. She was extending her hand to him. He is confused at first, but he puts his hand over her extended palm and kneels.

"Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony." She clears her throat and starts pronouncing the words that she had memorized for the ritual.

"Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk... In accordance with the old ways... I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you." She starts untying the Sailcloth from her shoulders. Link raises his gaze to her. She had folded the Sailcloth and she was now extending it to him. "The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."

He takes the piece of clothing and a faint but sweet smell invades his nostrils. It came from the Sailcloth. He takes it to his nose to smell it. It smelled nice... It was a combination of strawberries and... other scent he could not identify, but he suspected it was the sky's scent. He had smelled that same scent before, when diving off.

"Link! Quit goofing." She says, smiling, while he stores the Sailcloth inside his student pouch, which... he didn't know why, but it could store some objects. He had enough space just to store his books for the lessons and writing material. But unfortunately, that was the extent of its space. "This is supposed to be a sacred ritual, remember?" Zelda puts her hands behind her back. "You know, they say that the goddess gave a Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago."

"Really? Chosen Hero, huh..." Link mumbles to himself.

"Of course, the one I gave you isn't the same one. I've been working hard to finish making this Sailcloth in time to give it to today's champion. I'm really glad I got to give it to you, Link. Make sure you take good care of it, OK?"

"Sure will." He says, while nodding.

She smiles.

"Thanks for making it up here to do this with me today like you promised, Link."

"Of course." He smiles widely at her, making her smile even more.

"Now, we really should finish up this ritual... You... do know what happens at the end, right?"

He... didn't actually know. But if he said no, she'd start getting angry. A little lie wouldn't hurt, right?

"Sort of..." He says, sounding unsure.

"I'm glad you're so well informed on the subject." She hums, pleased.

She suddenly approaches him, their noses almost touching. She smiles mischievously.

He blushes a little bit. Sure, they were close to each other, but this type of closeness was strange for him.

But, contrary to what he believed she was about to do, she turns him around.

"You have to jump off the statue!" She says enthusiastically. The girl was REALLY crazy. "Look down. See that big, round design on the courtyard below? To finish the ceremony, you need to drop down right into the center of it! Leap off the edge here. Right before you hit the ground, open up your Sailcloth. Just how brave are you?"

"Umm... I... don't know...?" He says, sounding more like a question rather than an answer.

"If you were really fearless, you'd wait until the last second to use your Sailcloth. So... ready to jump?"

It was pointless to ask, because before he was able to answer, she had already pushed him down.

He couldn't hear anything, aside from the wind.

He waited, and waited, until he was close enough to pull the Sailcloth. A mere three meters separated him from the floor. He was aiming right for the circle in the middle. He pulls out the Sailcloth in the last moment, dropping right in the center.

He sighs. He hears wings flapping at his side. Zelda had called Labrynna while he was falling and was now dismounting.

She runs up to him, hands clasped.

"That was perfect! You're amazing, Link!"

He chuckles lightly. She intertwines her fingers, slightly embarrased.

Ace flies down and lands behind Link.

"You know, Link, seeing as how you won today..." She says, while fiddling with her fingers. "And with the weather being so nice..."

Link cocks his head sideways.

"You think... maybe you'd like to, you know, fly around the clouds together?"

He doesn't hesitate and says yes.

They mount on their Loftwings and start flying around in a peaceful silence.

Zelda had something on her mind, though. And she needed to tell him.

"Link? Hey, Link!" He turns around on his bird. "Today was amazing. Watching you win the race and performing the ritual together... I'll always remember this. It really was wonderful." Link smiles at her. She smiles, too. But as soon as what she needed to talk to him about crosses her mind, her smile dies down a little bit. "You know... Link..."

She urges Labrynna on so they would be near each other.

"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about..." Before she can say something more, a strong light blinds her. She closes her eyes and opens them after the light dies down. "What is that?!" She screams over the harsh winds.

A brown colored tornado had appeared in front of them. The Loftwings start to flap their wings so that they could stop and turn back, away from the danger. They screech, scared. Both Link and Zelda grab their Loftwing's neck without hurting them so they wouldn't fall.

"What's going on?!" She screams loudly.

She felt like the vortex was only sucking her in, because Link seemed to be getting away.

With a powerful tug of the wind, she slips off her mount and falls into the tornado, screaming. Labrynna was also getting dragged.

"LINK!" She holds out her hand.

As soon as he sees her slipping off Labrynna, he extends a hand to her, while making Ace dash toward the storm. But a powerful gust of wind launches him out of his mount, in Skyloft's direction.

He falls into unconsciousness.