Chapter 19 (Age 17)

Zelda sat up, slamming her fist against her mattress in frustration. That horrible dream again.

She stood up, needing to walk around to shake it off. Darkness and screams. People calling out for her in fear. Her own dread, knowing that she was leaving something behind forever.

She went to her window and opened it, feeling the breath of fresh air that she needed. But her eyes landed on the wooden Loftwing on her desk that Link had made for her and she let her fingers run across the wooden feathers. He'd be back soon. She had to be happy for him, but didn't quite realize just how much she'd miss him, and it had only been a few days…

But no, she needed sleep.

This time, when she closed her eyes, her nightmares were about Link. He was riding his Loftwing through the early territory of the Outer Sky, as was his reward for winning the contest. But instead of things going smoothly, he was pulled from his Loftwing and dove through the cloud barrier below. But he didn't die.

He landed on his feet, on a surface. On The Surface.

That was all she was afforded before the sun shone through her open window and onto her face. She blinked her eyes open and stretched. Changing quickly, she went to hurry outside. At least she was free today and could fly.

"Zelda!" Gaepora called, stopping her in her tracks.

"Yes, Father?" she asked, wincing.

He rolled his eyes. "Don't be dramatic; you're not in trouble."

"Oh."

He pulled her aside and smiled all-too sweetly. "As you know, Link's Wing Ceremony is happening soon. He's out there now, preparing for a potentially permanent position in the early regions of the Outer Sky upon graduation."

"I'm aware."

"Well, you must also know that the auditions for the role of the Goddess for the Wing Ceremony are today. I think you should try out."

Zelda shook her head. "The last time I played the Goddess in a play, I was so sick and so nervous. I don't think I can do that again."

"I understand," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "It's just that… Link is the frontrunner to graduate first, as you know. And with the Outer Sky assignment, he will be away from Skyloft for long stretches of time. I know you two are dear friends, and I thought you might perhaps like to share that moment together. It's a big moment for a Knight, and I think he'd like to have it with you. And it's the anniversary ceremony. It's special in so many ways this year. Of course, if he should lose, you'd still have to perform the ceremony with Groose, Cawlin, or Stritch, but still, I think you should consider it. Just come to the Goddess Statue in an hour. There are a few others who'd like the part, but you play the lyre so beautifully."

Zelda shifted back and forth. She really had enjoyed playing the Goddess, but all those people watching her had made her so nervous. But… she knew he was right. The moment with the Goddess at the end of a Wing Ceremony was an honor afforded to the one with the highest scores in the class. And it was a moment that they never forgot. Link had even told her stories of Master Kos' Wing Ceremony, which was a story the old swordsman liked to tell. Namely because the Goddess was played by someone he absolutely hated, but the moment still held power, despite that fact. Pipit even talked often about how his ceremony with Wynda had been quite special to him. It was as if the Goddess truly were there, blessing the Knights as she had done to her own.

But something about the sly way her father looked at her had her suspicious. "Is there some strange reason you're encouraging me to do this? You know how I felt after playing the Goddess the last time. I felt... odd."

Shaking his head with an innocent expression, he shrugged. "I just thought it was appropriate, given the class and the year."

"Okay, I'll try. But don't ask anyone to make me the Goddess just because. Let me try to earn it."

Gaepora kissed her forehead. "I can do that."

And that's how Zelda found herself pacing in front of the Goddess statue with four other girls. She recognized some of them as the Goddess in past ceremonies, though not every face was familiar.

"Zelda?" called Wryna, one of the judges of the audition.

Zelda took a deep breath and headed over to the three judges. Wryna was one, Dovos was another, and Piper was the third.

Piper smiled. "Oh, Zelda! I'm so glad you're trying out for the Goddess this time."

Zelda grinned. She hadn't expected to see Piper outside her restaurant… ever. "I figured I should so I could honor the Goddess and the Knights." Internally, she laughed. She'd practiced including the Goddess in as many answers as she possibly could.

"Your father told us that you're already proficient at the lyre. It would be so nice if you'd play for us so we could hear. As you know, the Goddess was an accomplished harpist and carried a lyre-harp of her own."

"I didn't bring it with me. I wasn't aware…"

"Oh, no," Dovos said, gesturing for her to come forward. "We have one here. It is said to be identical to the Goddess' own."

Zelda gingerly took it and let her fingers run along the strings. It was beautiful, golden with etched Loftwings along the sides. The notes themselves were heavenly, and she felt completely unworthy to hold such an object. But at the same time, it felt so familiar in her hands.

Her fingers moved against the strings, plucking out the melody she'd heard a thousand times in her life. The Goddess' song was well-known. It surprised her that she knew how to play it. She'd never tried in the past, but the notes came naturally to her.

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was no longer in front of the panel, but sitting on the stump of a tree in a field far longer than the entirety of Skyloft. The harp was in her hands, and the melody rang out. She heard her voice, soft and steady, sing the famous words: "Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess, unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land." Then, she stopped singing and looked up. She didn't see judges before her, but a Knight clad in green with a red scarf hanging around his neck, watching her with a soft smile.

Jolting back to the present, she brought her attention back to the judges. Their eyes were wide, smiling, teary even.

Wryna smiled. "Zelda, love, that was incredible. I felt I could hear the Goddess' own voice in yours. Your melody brought me to tears. I think you should wait with the others now. We still have one more girl to see. Thank you."

Zelda nodded, grateful that the audition had only been singing. Though, she didn't remember doing so. She remembered seeing something, seeing someone, but she didn't remember doing anything on her own. And that unnerved her.

When the final girl returned, the three judges came forward and smiled. Piper was the one who spoke.

"We are so grateful for all of you coming out here today. However, we have made our choice. This year's Goddess Hylia will be Zelda. Congratulations, hun. Please, to all of you, feel free to try again at the next Wing Ceremony. We loved hearing each and every one of you."

Zelda smiled, waiting for the other girls to leave. Piper put her hand around Zelda's.

"There are a few things you'll need to do to prepare. We'll give you the script and the music, though it seems you've already got that last one down. And we'll work with you, but you will need to create this year's sailcloth. If you're unfamiliar with how to create such an item, please see one of us. We've all done it before. But we won't start today. Go, tell your father and then meet us up here when the sun's at its peak tomorrow."

"Thank you, Piper."

So, Zelda met with Piper and the others the next day, setting to work on making a working sailcloth of white and blue fabric with a very specific design pattern. They told her stories of how the other Goddesses often prepared, had her play some more music and sing, and ultimately, she continued working on the sailcloth.

The day after that, she felt comfortable enough to work on it alone in her room.

But after hours of work, she was bored tired of it and wanted to do something different, so she went for a ride.

For a while, she had no clue where to go or what to do. She just knew she needed to be off Skyloft for now.

Exploring the Sky with her Loftwing never felt old. It always felt as if there was something new to see. She passed by a building, noticing that someone and their Loftwing were there, moving things between Skyloft and the small shack. She wondered how long they'd been building it.

By the forbidden Thunderhead, she squinted to try to see inside, as she always did. One day, she'd ask Link to bring her inside. It was only allowed for experienced Knights or villagers with a Knight. The ride through the clouds was said to be beyond harsh and more than dangerous. Maybe… maybe she didn't actually want to see inside.

She felt her eyes grow tired, pretty sure she'd dozed off on her Loftwing since she awoke far from the Thunderhead. She'd just been tired lately, plagued by too many nightmares to count. Voices echoed through her brain, and hands pulled her in all directions.

But she felt her Loftwing start flying erratically. She held on tightly and looked around, but the Loftwing was single-mindedly on its own mission. "What's wrong?" she called, not actually expecting her bird to answer.

So when she heard a voice, she gasped in surprise.

"At least your Loftwing is excited to see us."

"Link?"

She saw a shadow cast over her and looked up, watching Link pull off his hood as he rode up beside her.

He took in her wide smile, her breathless laugh, and her absolutely shocked expression. "Miss me?" he asked cheekily.

"Goddess, yes! Tell me everything! Fly to our spot!"

"Wait," he called, looking behind him. "How would you like to see something else first?"

"Like what?"

"A part of the Outer Sky."

Zelda's eyes widened. Only Knights ventured out that far. "We'd get in trouble."

Link shrugged. "I'm allowed there now, and if you hop on, what can they say? Besides, I'm willing to take a risk if you are."

She thought for a minute before the smile of a natural-born trouble maker lit up her face. "You going to catch me?" she asked, moving her Loftwing closer.

"Always," he said, suddenly serious. But he slid the easy smile back on his face and held out his hand. She grabbed it and jumped from her Loftwing to Link's. His arm pulled her across so she was behind him, and he didn't let go until he could feel her arms tighten around his waist.

"Where exactly are you taking me?" she asked as he spurred his Loftwing back in the direction he came. Zelda's Loftwing followed just beside them.

"Do you really want me to ruin it?"

"No," she admitted, though she had to yell for him to hear. They were flying fast, and Link was a bit too tall for her. When he was flying at this speed, sitting forward, she wasn't even close to being able to talk into his ear.

As they rode, Link could feel her arms shaking. He turned around and noticed her sleeves. Short. The Outer Sky was notoriously colder than any part of the Sky near Skyloft, and they were heading out into its territory. Slowing his Loftwing, he turned so she could hear him. "Hey! Grab my cloak."

"Okay?" she said, holding on tightly to it. She felt it hit her as he released the clasp. He undid his scarf… a red one like in her waking dreams, and handed it back to her, holding tight as it flapped in the wind.

"Put these on. You're not dressed for the Outer Sky. Sorry, I didn't even think!"

"What about you?"

"I'm fine. I came out here prepared. Layers."

She didn't want to take everything from him, but a large part of her was glad that he'd noticed her shivering. She wrapped his warm scarf around her neck before fastening the cloak around her and pulling up the hood before returning to her secure position against him. He ran a hand along hers and pulled back. They were freezing.

"Zel, put your hands under my shirt."

Zelda couldn't have hidden her surprise if she'd been paid hundreds of rupees. "What?"

She felt him laughing hard, the movements jolting her. He turned slightly and she caught sight of his red ears, and it definitely wasn't from the cold. "That's not quite what I meant. I have layers on, remember? Your hands are ice and this wind isn't helping you."

Hesitating, her fingers toyed with the hem of his outermost shirt.

She felt his hands against hers, moving them for her so they were tucked under the top layer of his flying clothes. She felt instant warmth and let her head rest against his back.

They flew for a while, much longer and farther out than Zelda had ever gone before. Link had pointed out an island in the distance, Fledge and Groose's home. And despite both of them wanting to take a quick visit, it would ensure that they were caught.

So, they continued on for some more time. Talking was difficult at this speed, but Zelda was content to stay pressed against Link, realizing just how much she'd missed him. She felt something stir inside her brain… something about Link... another realization, but not one she had words for yet.

"Hey!" she heard him call as he sat back so she could hear him. She adjusted her grip on him and noticed that they'd slowed down. "You ready? We're nearly there."

"Yes."

She waited as they flew further out, but she saw nothing.

Nothing.

She turned, looking around wildly. It was Sky, and nothing but Sky. There were no floating rocks, or miniature islands. There was nothing being pulled in by the mass of the Thunderhead. There were no birds besides hers and Links because there was nowhere that they could perch. There were no clouds except for the ones that formed a barrier below.

"Oh, Goddess," she breathed.

She'd never seen emptiness before. It was a concept she understood; there can be an absence of everything, but she'd never felt it before.

It was like floating, or falling. There was a dizzying sensation that she found shocking when she realized she couldn't tell up from down as she stared out into an invisible horizon. It was just blue. Just Sky.

"This is…" she stuttered, unable to form words.

"I thought you'd like it."

"How'd you…"

Again, she couldn't find the ability to speak, so Link filled in her question. "I passed through on my way out and I thought of you and how you'd probably have the same reaction I did. And I was right."

Zelda shifted up and kissed the side of Link's neck, causing him to freeze against her. He couldn't turn to meet her lips as he was on the Loftwing, but he could hear her breath of amazement as she looked around again.

He ran his hands along the skin of her arm and smiled. "Hey, I need to land on something for a bit. My Loftwing hasn't had a break in a while. Besides, we have to head back before the sun disappears."

"I know," she said, looking out one more time.

So they turned back to Skyloft, prepared for another decently long ride.

Link found a small rock that they could stop on, one that gave his Loftwing some space to spread out for a break.

"So," he said, sitting beside Zelda on the rock, finally getting the chance to really look at her. "Tell me what you've been up to."

"I, uh, maybe this is a surprise or maybe it's bad news but… I tried out for the Goddess for your Wing Ceremony, and I got it."

"You did? I could have sworn you said you'd never play the Goddess again!" Link exclaimed with a laugh. "Why would this be bad?"

"I didn't know if you wanted me to be apart of your ceremony. It was all really short notice."

"Of course I'd want that. Well now I have no choice but to win the Wing Ceremony, don't I?"

"You better!" she laughed, lightly hitting his arm. "If I have to do the ceremony with Groose, I'll feed you to my pet Remlit."

Link scoffed. "Ever the kindest soul."

"So, tell me about what you've been doing," she insisted, staring out at the Sky.

"Not much. They sent me somewhere that's already well-documented. I think it was just a prize more than an actual assignment. But, Goddess, Zelda, it was incredible. You saw. Everything about being out there was just… I was free."

Zelda leaned her head against his arm. "I'm so happy for you."

But Link could hear something in her voice. Something off. "What are you thinking?"

"Nothing."

"No, tell me. What's wrong?"

Zelda shook her head. "I just… I'm stupid. I feel like I should have done this too. You, Karane, Pipit, Fledge… you're all going to be out here and I'm just going to be stuck home on Skyloft. You don't know how much I missed you, Link, and it was only a few days. And Karane went back out. Pipit's taken the night patrols, so he's asleep during the day. Fledge is training. And I'm left with a bunch of instructors who are at least forty years older than me."

"That's not giving Horwell any credit," Link snorted, trying to lighten the mood. It did earn him a small smile, but not much.

"I'm just alone, and I don't know how to fix it."

Link stiffened and then shifted uncomfortably. "You're… you're not…"

She waited as he struggled to find the words.

"You're not subliminally asking me to choose, right? Between you and an Outer Sky position?"

Zelda's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, Goddess, no! Never! I'd never do that to you. I'd never do that to anyone. I swear on the Blood of the Hero, I will never ask you to do that."

Link made a surprised noise and brought his hands up to his mouth to rest on against his knees, breathing heavier than usual. "That's pretty serious."

"I mean every word. I would never."

Link nodded to himself, his eyes still lost inside his own mind. His foot tapped the rock anxiously. "If you ever did ask… if there was ever a reason…"

"I wouldn't-"

"I'd choose you."

Zelda stopped, her words falling from her mouth. "Y-you'd… what?"

He sniffed in hard, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I just thought you should know. No matter why… if you ever needed me to make that choice for any reason at all… I thought you should know my answer."

"Me? I'd never ask you to choose, know that now. But Link, that position is what every Knight dreams of. You can't give it up so easily, even hypothetically."

Link rolled his head back, like the words he was saying were physically paining him. In some way, they were, but not because he didn't want to say them. It was because he knew they weren't just words, and so did Zelda. They meant so much more.

"The Outer Sky isn't what I dream about. Or who."

Zelda's mouth dropped open, completely taken aback by this revelation. It stirred something inside her, like a memory, of what that deep-rooted feeling was that she'd been feeling so strongly but couldn't identify from any past experience herself.

Leaning over, she pressed her lips to Link's, needing nothing more in that moment than to feel his move with hers. The weight of his words was not lost on her. Not by a long shot. For a Knight, the Outer Sky was the world. And he'd give up the world... for her.

She was balancing herself on one hand to reach him, and felt herself slip from the force of her own intensity.

Link's arms caught her, snaking around her waist and dipping her backwards down to his lap, not pulling his lips from hers until the last possible second when he could no longer bend far enough to reach her. She felt herself laughing the lower she sank onto his lap, and Link felt her contagious effect, joining her immediately.

"It wasn't that romantic of a comment, Zel," he joked, pulling her back up.

"Lies," she said with a giggle, finally making her way to her feet. It was written all over the look in his eyes; he knew just how important his comment had been. "It's all about context, Link. That's easily the best line you've ever tried on me."

"'Tried?' That sounds like I failed," he laughed.

She watched him stretch, preparing for the rest of the flight home. "Hey," she whispered, holding out her hand.

He looked at her skeptically before taking it. He felt her arms wrap around him in an embrace that they could never manage under the prying eyes of home. He ran absent circles over her back with his hand, and she closed her eyes. "Thank you, Link."

He stopped his hand and pulled her closer, kissing her hair. "Anytime."

Zelda pulled away and felt the immediate loss of Link. "It'll be dark soon, and as much as I'd love to stay here, I also don't want my father to call for a search party."

"You're right," Link said, moving beside his Loftwing. "When I graduate, we can do this again."

Zelda grabbed his arm, trying her best serious face. "When you graduate, I'm using your status to bring me everywhere."

He narrowed his eyes on her. "You want me to get you into the Thunderhead, don't you?"

Her mouth dropped open, rolling her eyes, though she couldn't deny it.

"I'll bring you anywhere… but you have to bring your own jacket next time. I can't keep supplying your addiction to taking my things."

She smiled and followed him back up onto the Loftwing. "It was one sweater, but whatever. That's a deal."

A/N: I think this trip was probably one of my favorite scenes to write. I'm genuinely sad that this is almost over! Next chapter is the longest chapter in this whole fic because it actually was supposed to be two, and then I didn't feel like getting an odd number, so it's just long instead. I know some people haven't played the game, so just a fair warning that the next chapter has game events in it. They're edited to fit this fic, but they're still spoilers for the beginning of the game.

Reviews: PennyForYourThoughts024: Thank you! It's good to hear that you liked the fights! I think these two are killing it together so far haha! Draegor: Haha the showdown of hormoney teens versus parent! I'd play a whole game with that as the premise just for laughs. Cosmo14: Hahaha! Definitely not a missed opportunity anymore! Detective Gaepora is on the case, fishing for clues from his daughter! He's finally doing his own sleuthing at least! I love how the prize could be legit, or a really uncomfortable chat with Gaepora bahaha! But yeah, thanks for checking it out anyway! It's not my usual style either, but I figured why not? And thanks! I didn't know it did that for links in a profile too. Yeah, that's definitely a missing period. Thank youuu!